Eli Gold on working with Nick Saban: How he did it under pressure

Eli Gold doesn't like to pre-script anything, but he learned early on that there was a right way to ask Nick Saban a question and a wrong way. Don't ask the coach to compare players. It's not happening. But as the voice of Alabama football for Saban's entire tenure at Alabama, Eli got to know Saban's sense of humor, his kindness and his unparalleled work ethic.
Today, on Beat Everyone, AL.com's Ben Flanagan and Michael Casagrande take us back into the Golden Age for a wide ranging discussion about Eli's working relationship with Nick Saban. And Michael reflects on his infamous "rat poison" moment with Saban.
Got a question for Eli? Leave us a voicemail at 205-523-4809.
Beat Everyone is brought to you by Broadway Joe's Fantasy Sports, the newest sports betting app coming to you this fall.

[@Scuba4Steve]

I really appreciate Eli. He’s been the voice of Alabama my whole life.

[@sammylacks4937]

No one said Touchdown Alabama like Eli.

[@shanewoods1980]

The fact that they didn’t allow Mr. Eli to do a “farewell tour/year” after all the years and time that he poured into that program, is absolutely atrocious. We as fans (me personally) grew up listening to Mr. Eli and I’m 43 and I can say that appreciate him and all he did on the microphone. ROLL DAMN TIDE AND THANK YOU MR ELI FOR THE MEMORIES 🌊🐘🌊🐘🫡🫡

[@bamaengineer]

This is AWESOME! Roll Tide Eli. You made Alabama football that much more special.

[@theknowitall4090]

Fantastic interview. Eli loves Bama and we love him. I grew up with the first 20 years being John Forney. a couple years of Paul Kennedy and since then Eli. I first became familair with Eli as the sports anchor with WBRC in B'ham in the 80's. He had a weekly show called calling all sports or talking sports, something like that but he would be very critical of Alabama and particularly Steve Sloan and his ideal than Bama should lower its standards, Bryant was gone and nobody should ever expect Bama to be Bama again, etc. Eli would call him out on that. When Eli was announced as the play by play guy I thought what does this guy from Brooklyn know who calls NHL games gonna bring to the broadcast. My question would be answered when Bama blocked a FG against Penn St in 1989 when Eli and Jerry Duncan went nuts. I knew then Eli was Bama.

[@MrDelta8871]

Enjoy Eli Gold and his unscripted method of calling games. I stopped and listened to this entire video and realized how much I've missed his voice. IMO.... Eli sounds sincere and humble. It draws me in to listen. Many thanks and God bless Mr. Gold.

[@ShowMasterFlex]

This is a wonderful example of how Nick Saban’s mentality would affect everyone in the organization. He even had the press making sure they had all their questions perfectly structured so they wouldn’t piss him off. Hell, even when I was in the band I didn’t want to mess up because Nick Saban might hear and come chew my ass out 😂

[@user-ip3tl4cp4m]

The best to ever do it.

[@BAMAVSWORLD]

Eli is a G.O.A.T.🐘💯

[@garyfarley323]

ELI IS SUCH A GENUINE GUY, HE WILL BE TRULY MISSED...ROLL TIDE!

[@georgegreen442]

Great interview and dicsusion. Eli was very resoectful of Coach Saban and I doubt he said anything that the Coach would have objected to. Its ckear that he wanted to preserve the steong relationship he has with Saban and Saban viewed him as part of Alabama's team effort.

[@trebonejones410]

I didn't know that they let Eli go. That's crazy! He is the best to ever do it

[@garybrown7047]

I'm going to miss the nick saban raido show on Thursday nights 😢

[@lindahenderson2987]

Will miss the voice of Eli this year and after 30+ years of listening to the radio broadcast instead of tv, I’ll be listening to tv broadcast and not Alabama radio.

[@williamchunn6179]

ELI GOLD..THE GOAT

[@THEDC777]

It really makes me disgusted that Alabama got rid of Eli. He & his game calling is ICONIC. Im a life long bama fan but letting Eli go isnt right.

[@paulburgans7434]

This is great stuff from eli.. How could they do this man that way is unbelievable..I have been listening to him all the 36 years he's been calling for the tide..Shameful

[@cindyreed2759]

It's not going to seem right without Eli and Coach Saban but we're in a new ERA and I know our BAMA CRIMSON TIDE is going to be AWESOME their going to L.A.N.K I CAN'T WAIT FOR THE SEASON TO START OUR TEAM IS GOING TO SHOCK ALL THESE HATERS

[@Mississippi91]

Going to miss Eli calling the games.

[@AndreBaraka-h1n]

Are they still going to the Thursday @ Baumhoser Bar? (Sorry if I misspelled)

[@darkredline9898]

I'm missed Eli was pushed out his voice is alabama football it would have been nice to have him still but you lose him and nick it's hard to swallow

[@darkredline9898]

I'm pissed not missed 😂

[@glennvanzandt3011]

I can't believe Chris Stewart is our radio man.

[@EddieSimpson-v2h]

Mr. Eli is the Paul Finnebaum if he was an Alabama fan. 😂😂

[@cnitty76]

First off, who in the hell made the decision to let Eli go? 😢

[@superfly7948]

I've always said Sabans success was contributed by the short man complex. One thing he hated most was standing in front of or behind a tall guy 😅,

[@SunhatVRYT]

Shame for the way they did him

[@phillipstringfellow6446]

The golden voice of Alabama Football, God bless you and Thank you. ❤❤❤❤

[@debraberry87]

❤❤❤

[@jasonrooks5272]

Alabama you should have kept Eli go what the hell

[@Britton_Thompson]

When Nick Saban tells Eli, "I do not compare players!" Then how the hell did he formulate a depth chart?

[@jcrbama]

You ever see Saban talk about a depth chart? Some really angry responses came from him. -- You have skillsets that are needed for specific situations. Skills are matched to gameplans. You don't compare individuals, you choose to put people in a position to be successful. You make the depth chart based on who can be successful against what they are going to face; not about comparing the value of individuals. -- That's a paraphrasing on what he's said in the past.

[@uofa82]

He didn’t have a depth chart and said so many times.

[@pwilly8543]

Eli was great but John was the GOAT

[@jm12green31]

Yep Nick was and is a total jerk... Eli confirmed that

[@CurtisPatrick]

Another Barner enters the chat.. go home you are drunk.