Eli Gold has been on the end of some of the Alabama Crimson Tide’s most glorious moments as well as some of the most devastating moments. Since Nick Saban took the Alabama coaching job, the positive moments have outweighed the negatives.
Outside of the booth, Gold has had his own devastating moments. In 2022, the legendary broadcaster missed the entire Alabama football season due to what he thought was an orthopedic issue that he later would find out was something much worse.
"My legs stopped working way back over a year ago," Gold explained on the Crimson Tide Sports Network. "I woke up one morning, and my legs wouldn't work. I mean, I went to bed - I was walking, I walk into the bedroom. I wake up the next morning, my legs don't work."
After spending nearly half a year in and out of hospitals and a nursing home, Gold got a bad case of the hiccups that were causing him breathing difficulties. As a result, it was discovered on Christmas Eve that he had a treatable form of cancer.
"I couldn't even catch my breath," Gold said. "I was struggling to breathe because I couldn't get any breath because I was hiccuping. The doctor, who they brought in to figure this deal out with the hiccups, is the one who stumbled upon what that was doing and why it was happening. And because of that, I had cancer."
In June of this year, Gold announced on his weekly appearance on WNSP radio in Mobile that he was cancer-free.
"No cancer," Gold told Mark Heim, "I was free and clear of cancer. Now, it's just a matter of getting stronger and being ready for the start of the season."
Just one month later, he delivered more good news in an interview with Tide 100.9 FM’s Ryan Fowler. He announced that he planned on being in the booth to call Alabama’s opening game.
On September 2, Gold’s promise came true as he called the season opener for the Crimson Tide against Middle Tennessee State.
Gold, set to turn 70 at the end of the year, handles the home games to prevent putting too much strain on his body. He splits the play-by-play work with Chris Stewart, who handles the away games.
November 25, Alabama travels to Auburn for the Iron Bowl, and it appears that Gold will take another step toward normalcy since battling cancer.
According to WVTM’s Rick Karle, Gold will make the trip to Auburn to call the Iron Bowl.
While Chris Stewart has done an excellent job calling the away games in Gold’s absence, I know we all will be happy to get the “Voice of the Alabama Crimson Tide” in the booth for the Iron Bowl call.
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