On Paul Eells: Nicest guy I ever knew in sports reporting has died
Click here for the state police report on the Paul Eells accident tonight, which claimed the life of the 28-year veteran "Voice of the Razorbacks."
From the report, Eells' Chevy Impala apparently cross the median of I-40 near Russellville and collided head-on with a westbound car.
Many of us older Razorback fans will remember the night in 1974 that Bud Campbell signed off on the sports report and then woke up the next morning to learn that he had been killed in a car wreck just a little later that evening driving on Rodney Parham. Bud and Paul were similar men, though I only knew Bud personally through my parents and was just a teen at the time. Both had that superb baritone voice that made listening to the Razorbacks on radio so much fun.
I've known Eells professional since he arrived in Arkansas to broadcast the UA-Vanderbilt game in 1978, and he stayed in the position as KATV sports director and Voice of the Razorbacks until now, easily the longest tenure of any UA sports broadcaster. I can say, and everyone who ever covered the Razorbacks will agree, that he was the nicest guy and most courteous, friendly guy they'd ever been around.
There will be no one who can adequately fill the roll of yelling "Touchdown Arkansas" quite like Paul did ever again.
Comments
Oh, yes, one will come along to fill that spot. I thought no one could do what Bud Campbell did but Paul did a great job.
Posted by: Anonymous | August 1, 2006 05:28 PM
It's the kind of story that still leaves us all sad today. Yestereday, we heard on many radio shows and on TV from the world of sports...famous people who had much to say about Paul, all praise. But that is not they story about Paul. It is all the comments from the average sports fan who spoke about what Paul meant to them. How kind Paul was to them, even though they did not know him.
That consistent kindness to the average fan, not to the famous, is what truly defines why Arkansas so admired this man who adopted Arkansas as his home state.
Posted by: Anonymous | August 2, 2006 06:03 AM
My mom called me at 6:15 yesterday morning to tell me Paul Eells had been killed in a car wreck. My heart sunk like a rock and the tears came a minute after I hung up the phone. We've lost a truly great man. The NICEST GUY YOU WILL EVER MEET. Besides my dad and my grandfather there is no one else that I respected more and looked up to than Paul. Everybody should model themselves after him. So kind. I can vividly remember as a child in the late 70's or very early 80's listening to Paul when he was calling a Razorback basketball game. I was always in bed by 8:00 and wanted hear the end of the game so I would hide my small radio in bed with me. "Eyes it, sky's it, and buy's it," Paul used to say when a Hog was shooting a free throw. And then he started calling Razorback football games and a legend was born in this state. There is no other comforting voice like his. I was lucky enough to do a sport internship with him in September of 1994 to May of 1995 at KATV. It was a dream come true. He would come in and always and I mean always be in a good mood. Or he had a good way of hiding it if he was not. In the years after I would see Paul at different Hog games and other events and he would always say hi and ask how I was and what I was doing. It was like no time had passed since I had worked with him. Once you were a friend of Paul's you were a friend for life I think. Seeming him interact with complete strangers when they walked up to introduce themselves he made them feel as they had know him for years. He was special. I wish there were more people like him. I'll miss the chills that would go through my spine everytime I heard him say "Touchdown Arkansas-Oh My!." It won't ever be the same on Saturday's in the fall listening to Hog games. Arkansas lost it's greatest ambassador yesterday. But, heaven has gained one.
I'll miss you Paul. Thanks for being who you were and for touching my life in the way you did.
Posted by: Todd Rudisill | August 2, 2006 02:47 PM