Paul Eells

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Paul Eells (September 24, 1935 – July 31, 2006) was an American sportscaster.

He was the "Voice of the Razorbacks", broadcasting University of Arkansas basketball games on television and (after 1978) football games on radio. Eells was also sports director at KATV television in Little Rock, Arkansas.

Eells was originally from Iowa but later moved to Nashville, Tennessee before living the rest of his life in central Arkansas. During his ten-year stay in Nashville, he was Sports Director at WSM-TV later WSMV-TV and Voice of the Vanderbilt Commodores on radio. In 1978, he moved to central Arkansas to become sports director at KATV in Little Rock; radio play-by-play announcer for the Razorbacks football team, TV play-by-play announcer for the Razorbacks basketball team, and host of the TV football and basketball host of the Razorbacks coaches shows. He was known statewide for his fantastic broadcasting voice and his trademark "Oh My" and "Touchdown Arkansas" radio calls. While in Nashville, Eells trademark radio call was "Holy Smokes."

During his time as "Voice of the Razorbacks," Eells became an iconic figure in the state of Arkansas, as is evidenced by the fact that Eells was inducted into the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame in 2006. He was also named Arkansas Sportscaster of the Year eleven times, and was also honored several times with an Associated Press award for best sports play-by-play. Eells was routinely referred to as the "nicest man" in the state of Arkansas, according to numerous personal accounts aired on KATV-TV and printed in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette in the days that followed Eells's death.

While returning home from a celebrity golf tournament on July 31, 2006, Eells died in an auto accident on Interstate 40 in Russellville, Arkansas at the age of 70. He lived in Maumelle, Arkansas at the time of his death.

In time for the first University of Arkansas football game of the 2006 season, Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee proclaimed September 2, 2006 "Paul Eells Day".

[edit] External links

• Eleven to be inducted into Hall of Fame
• Audio of Eells calling games
• Eells biography at KATV website
• Nashville remembers Paul Eells