View source for Eli Gold

{{short description|American sportscaster}}
{{for|the fictional character|The Good Wife#Main characters}}
{{BLP primary sources|date=January 2013}}
{{Infobox person
| name               = Eli Gold
| image              = Eli Gold.jpg
| caption            = Gold in October 2006
| birth_name         = Elias Leo Gold
| birth_date         = {{Birth date and age|1953|12|15}}
| birth_place        = [[Brooklyn, New York|Brooklyn]], [[New York City]], [[New York (state)|New York]], U.S.
| occupation         = Radio host<br/>Author
}}
'''Elias Leo Gold''' (born December 15, 1953) is an [[Americans|American]] [[sportscaster]]. Gold is best known as the former radio voice for the [[Alabama Crimson Tide football]] team, along with Tom Roberts, as part of the Crimson Tide Sports Network from 1988 to 2024. He also currently calls college football and NFL games for [[Sports USA Radio Network]], and the games of the [[Nashville Kats]] of the [[Arena Football League]] on local radio. Gold's former jobs include hosting ''[[NASCAR]] Live'' on the [[Motor Racing Network]] and calling play-by-play for [[Arena Football League (1987–2008)|Arena Football League]]'s coverage on [[Spike (TV channel)|TNN]] and [[NBC]].
==Biography==
Gold was born on December 15, 1953, in [[Brooklyn, New York]]. He began his broadcasting career in 1972 as a weekend sports reporter for the [[Mutual Broadcasting System]].
===Early years===
Gold called New York home until he was twenty-three. He lost his father when he was very young; he said, "Regretfully, I didn’t know him that well."
Gold says that growing up in New York impacted his broadcasting career because there were over 200 radio stations in the area. He worked at WOR and WNEW, where he learned the business.
His high school was not the usual high school that most kids go to, instead he went from 7am until 10:41am, then would go to work. In the eighth grade, he knew he wanted to be a sportscaster. He began his career in 1972 working as a weekend sports reporter with the Mutual Broadcasting System.
===Ice hockey announcing===
Gold's first specialty was announcing [[ice hockey]] for the [[Eastern Hockey League|Eastern]], [[North American Hockey League (1973–1977)|North American]], [[Southern Hockey League (1973–1977)|Southern]], [[American Hockey League|American]], [[Central Hockey League|Central]], and the [[National Hockey League]]s. In the NHL, Gold announced games for the [[1979–80 NHL season|1979–80]] [[St. Louis Blues]] on [[KDNL-TV]], and was the radio play-by-play announcer for the [[Nashville Predators]] during the [[2006–07 NHL season]]. Gold made a return to pro hockey during the 2017&ndash;18 season, broadcasting games for the expansion Birmingham Bulls in the [[Southern Professional Hockey League]].
===NASCAR announcing===
In 1976, Gold became a member of NASCAR's Motor Racing Network, which gives over 600 stations the broadcast of the NASCAR races. He had many different jobs with the network, including co-anchor, turn announcer, and pit reporter. His first job with MRN was working turns 1 & 2 for the 1976 [[Coca-Cola 600|World 600]] at [[Charlotte Motor Speedway]] in what he described as "basically an on-the-air audition."<ref name="MRN Announcer Spotlight: Eli Gold">{{Cite web|url=http://www.mrn.com/Race-Series/NASCAR-Sprint-Cup/News/Articles/2014/08/MRN-Announcer-Spotlight-Eli-Gold.aspx |title=MRN Announcer Spotlight: Eli Gold |last=Wackerlin |first=Jeff |publisher=Motor Racing Network |date=August 13, 2014 |website=MRN.com |access-date=September 1, 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150413205332/http://www.mrn.com/Race-Series/NASCAR-Sprint-Cup/News/Articles/2014/08/MRN-Announcer-Spotlight-Eli-Gold.aspx |archive-date=April 13, 2015 }}</ref> After the race, he asked [[Barney Hall]] if he thought "they are going to bring me back."<ref name="MRN Announcer Spotlight: Eli Gold" /> His reply was that he thought "so[.] [Y]ou did OK and I'm sure you'll be back again."<ref name="MRN Announcer Spotlight: Eli Gold" /> While he no longer works the booth or turns, he returned to working each MRN Sprint Cup Series broadcast in the [[2015 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series|2015 season]] hosting the pre-race show and post-race show.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.mrn.com/Race-Series/NASCAR-Sprint-Cup/News/Articles/2015/01/MRN-Bolsters-Cup-Lineup-With-Coon-Wallace-and-Gold.aspx|title=MRN Bolsters Cup Coverage With Coon, Wallace and Gold|last=Singler|first=John|publisher=Motor Racing Network|date=January 24, 2015|website=MRN.com|access-date=September 1, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150724114836/http://www.mrn.com/Race-Series/NASCAR-Sprint-Cup/News/Articles/2015/01/MRN-Bolsters-Cup-Lineup-With-Coon-Wallace-and-Gold.aspx|archive-date=July 24, 2015|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}</ref>
From 1984 to 2016, Gold was host of "NASCAR Live," a weekly show that is heard all over the United States on terrestrial radio, MRN.com, and [[Sirius XM NASCAR Radio]].
From 1996 to 2000, Gold was the lead announcer for [[TNN Motorsports|TNN's]] coverage of the Winston Cup Series, sharing the booth with analysts such as [[Buddy Baker]], [[Dick Berggren]], [[Chad Little]] and [[Phil Parsons]]. He also worked with [[ESPN]], [[CBS Sports]], [[NBC Sports]], and [[Special Events Television Network|SETN]] in all of their coverage of NASCAR racing.
According to NASCAR driver [[Kenny Wallace]], who also broadcasts NASCAR-themed shows on [[Speed (TV network)|Speed]] Channel and St. Louis radio station [[KMOX (AM)|KMOX-AM]], Gold "is one of the most recognizable voices in NASCAR and in all of sports broadcasting."<ref name='kenny_wallace'>{{cite web
|url=http://kmox.com/play_window.php?audioType=Episode&audioId=75297
|title=Radio Legend Eli Gold On KMOX (audio)
|access-date=2006-12-28
|publisher=[[KMOX (AM)|KMOX-AM]]
}}{{dead link|date=December 2016 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
In 2016, Gold resigned from MRN and all NASCAR duties. Published reports cited an incident in April of that year that was not disclosed.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.catchfence.com/243686/longtime-nascar-broadcaster-eli-gold-resigns-from-mrn-radio|title=Longtime NASCAR Broadcaster Eli Gold Resigns From MRN Radio|website=Catchfence}}</ref>
===Alabama sportscasting career===
Beginning in the 1988 football season, Gold became the radio broadcaster for the University of Alabama Crimson Tide football and basketball teams. He hosted the shows "The Tide" and "Hey Coach," which had the coaches of both the basketball and football teams call in to talk with Gold.
Along with the Alabama Crimson Tide, Gold was called by CBS Sports to broadcast the play-by-play on a college basketball regional show, which included the universities of Georgia and South Carolina.
Gold was the first play-by-play announcer for the University of Alabama Birmingham (UAB) Blazers basketball team for six years. Gold would serve at times as the play-by-play announcer for the Blazers in the absence of Gary Sanders. He also spent four years as the broadcaster for the Birmingham Barons baseball team. While he was working with the baseball team, he was named the Southern League's Broadcaster of the Year in 1983. He was also voted Alabama Sportscaster of the Year four times by the National Sportscasters and Sportswriter Association.
Gold moved to [[Birmingham, Alabama]] to call games for the [[Birmingham Bulls (WHA)|Birmingham Bulls]] hockey team of the [[World Hockey Association]]. He created Birmingham's first local sports call-in show, ''Calling All Sports'' on [[WERC (AM)|WERC]], which became a staple of Birmingham sports radio for 20 years. He eventually rose to the position of sports director for what was then that market's [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] affiliate, [[WBRC]], where he anchored evening news sports segments and hosted Sports Talk with Eli, a weekly call-in show.  From 2002 to 2004 he hosted a daily sports talk show also called ''Calling All Sports'' on [[WJOX (AM)|WJOX]]-AM in [[Birmingham, Alabama|Birmingham]].
Gold has also performed announcing duties for the [[Birmingham Barons]] [[Southern League (1964–2020)|AA]] [[baseball]] team and the [[UAB Blazers]] men's basketball team. He has been voted Alabama Sportscaster of the Year four times by the [[National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association]]. He has also won the same honor from the [[Associated Press]] and [[United Press International]].
On August 30, 2011, Gold returned to the daily radio airwaves as co-host of a morning drive time (6am-9am CT) sports call-in show with former Auburn quarterback [[Stan White (quarterback)|Stan White]] on [[WPYA|WZNN]] in Birmingham.
It was announced on February 21, 2024, that Gold would not be returning as the radio broadcaster for the University of Alabama for the 2024 football season.
===AFL broadcasting===
At the beginning of the 2000 season, Gold became TNN's voice of the Arena Football League. He did the play-by-play announcing for the 3 years that the AFL was on the TNN network. When AFL moved to NBC Sports in 2003, Gold was hired to become the play-by-play announcer for the AFL. Gold also did AFL announcing for FOX Sports Net and Comcast Sports.
===NFL broadcasting===
Beginning in the fall of 2003, Gold became a member of the SportsUSA Radio's Network coverage of the NFL. Gold handles the play-by-play for one NFL game a week. He also broadcasts all-star games and post-season college football bowl games for SportsUSA Radio.
===Leave of absence and health===
On August 3, 2022, Gold confirmed he would be missing the start of the 2022 season to focus on his health. During his leave of absence, the play-by-play commentator for the Alabama Crimson Tide has been Chris Stewart, who is the current play-by-play announcer for Alabama's men's basketball.<ref name="Eli Gold, voice of Alabama football since 1988, will miss start of 2022 season because of health issues" >{{Cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/34341517/eli-gold-voice-alabama-football-1988-miss-start-22-season-due-health-issues|title=Eli Gold, voice of Alabama football since 1988, will miss start of 2022 season because of health issues|last=Scarborough|first=Alex |date=August 3, 2022|access-date=September 12, 2022}}</ref>
Gold initially stated that he was not facing a serious illness and that he was merely addressing his declining ability to move around, which he attributed to orthopedic complications. Gold also reported having lost over 100 pounds.<ref name="Eli Gold updates return, health, says he’s lost 100 lbs. during Crimson Tide Network appearance">{{Cite web|url=https://www.al.com/alabamafootball/2022/09/eli-gold-updates-return-health-says-hes-lost-100-lbs-during-crimson-tide-network-broadcast.html%3foutputType=amp|title=Eli Gold updates return, health, says he's lost 100 lbs. during Crimson Tide Network appearance|last=Heim|first=Mark|date=September 10, 2022|access-date=September 12, 2022}}</ref> In January 2023, Gold announced he had been diagnosed with [[cancer]], although he said that it was a "treatable" form of the disease and that he was making progress in his recovery.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://1819news.com/news/item/alabama-play-by-play-voice-diagnosed-with-treatable-form-of-cancer|title=Alabama play-by-play voice Eli Gold diagnosed with 'treatable' form of cancer|last=Sunderland|first=Chris|work=[[1819 News]]|date=January 7, 2023|access-date=January 7, 2023}}</ref>
===Personal life===
Gold currently resides in Birmingham, as well as Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina with his wife Claudette and daughter Elise. Gold is also a part owner of Nino's Italian Restaurant, which is located in [[Pelham, Alabama]]. He also has a wing sauce named after him at Baumhowers Wings restaurant, which is owned by former Alabama defensive lineman [[Bob Baumhower]]. Gold is Jewish;<ref name="Nascar's Voice, Born in Brooklyn" >{{Cite news |url= https://www.nytimes.com/2003/02/16/arts/television-radio-nascar-s-voice-born-in-brooklyn.html|title="Nascar's Voice, Born in Brooklyn"|last=Thomas|first=John |date=February 16, 2003|newspaper=The New York Times |access-date=October 5, 2016}}</ref> he once told an interviewer that he was thrilled that a "Jewish kid from Brooklyn with zero athletic talent would make it into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame."<ref name="Eli Gold being inducted into Alabama Sports Hall of Fame" >{{Cite magazine |url=http://www.sjlmag.com/2014/05/eli-gold-being-inducted-into-alabama.html |title=Eli Gold being inducted into Alabama Sports Hall of Fame |last=Green |first=Lee |magazine=Southern Jewish Life |date=May 14, 2014|access-date=October 5, 2016}}</ref>
==Awards==
Gold has won the Alabama Sportscaster of the Year four times. He won these titles by being voted by the National Sportscaster and Sportswriter Association. He has also been named the Alabama Sportscaster of the Year by the Associated Press twice and also was voted the Alabama Sportscaster of the Year by the United Press International.
Gold was named the Chris Schenkel Award winner by the [[National Football Foundation]] for 2019. The award recognizes broadcasters with long careers on the air with direct ties to a specific school. Gold is entering his 31st season calling [[Alabama Crimson Tide football]] games on its radio network.<ref>[https://www.al.com/alabamafootball/2019/07/eli-gold-named-national-award-winner.html Eli Gold named national award winner]</ref>
== Books ==
Gold's second book was released in August 2007 and is called Bear's Boys. The book focuses on 36 of coach Paul "Bear" Bryant's Alabama football players and explores where they are today and how Coach Bryant's lessons impacted them in their post-University of Alabama days.
Gold's third book, From Peanuts To The Press Box, tells his life story, a boy from Brooklyn, New York who went from selling peanuts at Madison Square Garden and now works in the press boxes and radio booths of America.
*{{cite book | author=Gold, Eli | title=Crimson Nation: The Shaping of the South's Most Dominant Football Team | location=Nashville, TN | publisher=Thomas Nelson Publishers | year=2005 | isbn=1-4016-0190-1 | url-access=registration | url=https://archive.org/details/crimsonnation0000gold }}
==References==
{{reflist}}
{{NASCAR on TNN}}
{{Arena Football League on NBC}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gold, Eli}}
[[Category:1953 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Alabama Crimson Tide football announcers]]
[[Category:American Hockey League broadcasters]]
[[Category:American radio sports announcers]]
[[Category:Arena football announcers]]
[[Category:Minor League Baseball broadcasters]]
[[Category:College basketball announcers in the United States]]
[[Category:College football announcers]]
[[Category:Jewish American sports announcers]]
[[Category:Jews from Alabama]]
[[Category:Motorsport announcers]]
[[Category:Nashville Predators announcers]]
[[Category:National Football League announcers]]
[[Category:National Hockey League broadcasters]]
[[Category:St. Louis Blues announcers]]
[[Category:Sports in Alabama]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Brooklyn]]
[[Category:University of Alabama at Birmingham people]]
[[Category:World Hockey Association broadcasters]]
[[Category:21st-century American Jews]]