From Peanuts to the Pressbox - Book Review

As a person who has always loved sports, I hoped that "From Peanuts to the Pressbox" by Eli Gold would not be entirely focussed on the life and travails of the author, and thus be a total disappointment. What I found was a nice blend of personal biography and opinion, mixed with the kind of stories you hope to hear from someone who has been in the radio/television business for so long. I had never heard of Eli Gold before, which immediately tells you that I am not a die hard Alabama athletics fan, nor am I deeply entrenched in NHRA and NASCAR racing, although I do have a decent knowledge of the latter.

The author has broken each segment of his life down into sections that either break along the lines of different sports that he has covered or different teams that he has travelled with. As such, it is not a long wait until he mentions a famous name or two from a bygone era, as well as those still involved in one way or another in sports still today.

For fans of professional, college and arena football, there is a wealth of stories to be read. For the hockey fan, there are many years spent on the bus and in the dressing rooms with the players. For racing fans, there are stories from when autoracing was frst being broadcast on the radio as well as shown on television. There seems to be a little something in this book for any fan of team sports in America. We are given a peak into the nomadic life of a sports broadcaster and get to hear some fun stories along the way.

Eli Gold has done a nice job of culling some very interesting stories from his vast experience in the booth and his time with the athletes, coaches and other celebrities. If you enjoy sports to any extent, you will probably find thisbook to be an interesting and entertaining read. And if you are and Alabama fan, it seems that you should have already read this book without having to read my review to convince you to.