Shadesvalleyrotary.Org

August 24, 2020 PO Box 530342, Birmingham, 35223 shadesvalleyrotary.org Volume 56 Issue 8 TODAY’S PROGRAM: ELI GOLD, Voice of Crimson Tide Since 1988, Eli has served as the radio play-by-play “voice” of the University of Alabama Crimson Tide. He is now the longest tenured play-by-play “voice” in the Southeastern Confer- ence. In addition, Eli has added coverage of Alabama baseball, softball, soccer, volleyball and women’s basketball on the SEC television Network to his resume. In the fall and winter months, Eli is part of Sports USA’s coverage of the National Football League. Eli handles the play-by-play of NFL games in addition to play-by-play of post-season college football bowl and all-star games for Sports USA. Eli was inducted into the State of Alabama Sports Hall of Fame in 2014 and was inducted into the University of Ala- bama Hall of Fame in 2016. He was also the recipient of the 2019 Chris Schenkel Award, a lifetime broadcasting achievement award, handed out by the National Football Foundation and the College Football Hall of Fame. Eli was a member of NASCAR’s Motor Racing Network for 41 years before stepping aside in May of 2016. Over the years, he served the network as a co-anchor, turn announcer and pit reporter. For 33 years, Eli also served as the host of “NASCAR Live,” a weekly, nationally syndicated radio call-in show, which was heard on over 450 stations. In his years behind the microphone, Eli reached the National Hockey League as the television play-by-play “voice” of the St. Louis Blues and the radio “voice” of the Nashville Predators. In addition, Eli also spent four years as a baseball play-by-play announcer in the Detroit Tigers organization. Eli has also served as a freelance play-by play announcer at ATP Tennis Tournaments while also voicing many sports and non-sporting corporate videos. Eli has served as a play-by-play announcer for CBS Sports, NBC Sports, ESPN and TNN Motorsports in their coverage of NASCAR racing. He has also handled play-by-play for CBS Sports’ regional coverage of NCAA basketball. Eli is a 5-time Alabama Sportscaster of the Year as voted by his peers in the National Sportscasters and Sportswrit- ers Association. Born in December 1953 in Brooklyn, New York, Eli resides in Birmingham, Alabama with his wife of 42 years, Clau- dette, and their daughter Elise, who is a graduate of the University of Alabama. NEXT WEEK ZOOM video conference only!!!!! No in-person at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens Guest Speaker: Rebecca Fry, Rotarian and Rotaractor Leader in Australia & New Zealand shadesvalleyrotary.org MarchAugust 30,24, 20202020 Volume 55, IssueVolume 33 56 Issue 8 Page 4 Page 2 The Asterisk Speech* of Lyn Scarbrough By John Gleissner, Editor Lyn Scarbrough of Lindy’s Sports Annuals made his annual speech to the Rotary Club of Shades Val- ley, and as usual he brought in a record number of Members and Guests, this time during the COVID- 19 pandemic. Due to the many uncertainties this year, he first held up a large asterisk (*). He prefaced remarks with the extraordinary circumstances of and provisional changes to the 2020 college football season. His talk lasted longer than the normal allotted time for Rotary Club Meetings. Many Members stayed in their seats past adjournment time while Lyn answered questions. Lyn observed the Southern regional location of the 2020 college football season, modified by deletion of non-conference games and the addition in the SEC of two extra conference games. We got a good laugh over his conclusion that the non-participating conferences (Big 10 & PAC-12) will not make that much of a difference in the college football championship race. It will probably help Southern teams that the SEC, ACC & Big 12 are moving forward with a 2020 football season, Lyn opined, because the highly-rated 5-star and 4-star recruits who aspire to the NFL might now gravitate to the SEC, ACC & Big 12 to preserve their career opportunities. Some top college football players (and their families) were in the group ad- vocating for a 2020 college football season. The players are at far less risk than the older fans in the stadium. The financial aspects of cancelled football and basketball seasons will be dire, especially for schools with less money, weaker pro- grams or a financial need to play Power 5 teams. Lyn Scarbrough, who holds a law degree from Alabama, observed that State governors and health directors legally have the final word on a game in a particular State, although it is difficult to imagine a Southern governor cancelling an SEC, ACC or Big 12 football game. A full schedule is not guaranteed under COVID-19, and a full team roster of players is not, either, since those testing positive won’t play. Some thoughts about specific teams were: Alabama is talented at every position, and while he was not able to anoint Mac Jones as the starting QB, due to Alabama’s secret practices to which he is not invited, many think Jones will be the QB, even though the brand-new QB recruit is super-duper. Texas A&M’s Jimbo Fisher is under pressure to produce a good season given the amount of money they are paying him. Folks are saying UT will have a good football season, again, for the umpteenth time. Auburn might see an improved Bo Nix, with good receivers, the questions are the green offensive line and the loss of two defensive linemen to the NFL. Georgia lost their starting QB and is having to rely upon a transfer from Wake Forest, which Lyn (and all clear-thinking Alabama, Florida & Auburn fans) thought both amusing and revealing. The question at LSU is at QB, since replacing Joe Burrow is obviously difficult. UAB has one of the best college football coach- EZ-link for August 24 Reservations: https://dacdb.com/index.cfm?EventID=77487863 Polio Eradication Update (As of 8/19) This YTD = 102 Cases Last YTD = 84 Total 2019= 17 Pakistan: 65 Afghanistan: 37 Nigeria: 0 shadesvalleyrotary.org March August 30, 24, 2020 2020 Volume 55, Issue 33Volume 56 Issue 8 Page 4 Page 3 RCSV Meals on Monday The sealed and wrapped box lunch has become the regular RCSV meal served on Monday at the regular in-person Meetings of the RCSV. You can pick up your meal even if you do not attend the Meet- ings on Monday at 12:30 PM. Whether members want to attend in person, just pick up their meal on Monday, or decline attendance, please log into DACdb before the close of the day Thursday, click on My Club – Calendar – Scroll to meeting date – Click on Register Now – Continue – and then select one of the following: Yes I plan to attend this meeting No I do not plan to attend No I do not plan to attend but will drive by for a meal [More members are encouraged to take advantage of the drive-by option!] You are then given more choices: Regular Meal, Vegetarian Meal, Gluten-free Meal; sweet or unsweet tea choice; dessert ordering. After making your selections, click on Proceed to Confir- mation. This confirmation screen lists your selection as to attendance, selection as to type of meal and drink. You are then asked to print the confirmation for your records, but you do not have to do this.. You are not charged for your own weekly meal, since they are included in your RCSV dues. Guests and visiting Rotarians, while social distancing protocols continue, are provided meals at a $15.00 rate. Members who select No I do not plan to attend but will drive by for a meal can pick up their boxed and sealed meal between 11:45 AM and 12:15 PM, without leaving their car, at the main front entrance to the Birmingham Botanical Gardens. Members need only drive their cars to the curb of the parking lot where the sidewalk to and from the front door meets the curb. This is the entrance most use to access the building. A volunteer member will be on the lookout and ready to deliver your meal to you as you “drive by.” If one of your windows is lowered, the volunteer member can place your boxed lunch or lunches on a seat of your vehicle. If for some reason you are late arriving after 12:15 PM, you can still pick up your meal. In that event, all you have to do is enter the building wearing a mask and go to the meeting room at the Birming- ham Botanical Gardens. Your boxed and sealed lunch with your name on it will be sitting on the long table at the back of the room. This table also holds the drinks, desserts, and our two (2) lonely yet hopefully richer yellow bowls. At that point, you may take your lunch with you or change your mind and eat it at the meeting with the other members. All accepted precautions are taken at the meetings: everyone should wear a mask unless eating at the table or speaking, we do not hand out or wear the normal Rotary ID badges, the Secretary Treasurer notes attendance without contact, and only three members are seated at each table. We do not shake hands, and if two or three members are talking with each other, everyone is wearing their mask. Your Sergeant at Arms cleans the tables before we arrive and has sanitizer spray bottles at the tables.

Load more