Noah Eagle has quickly established himself as one of the top play-by-play announcers in sports before he hit 30 years of age. And much like his father Ian, he is known for his quick wit and turn of phrase, often delivering brilliant lines and clever puns in an instant. And Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love gives the younger Eagle plenty of opportunities to deliver.
Love has starred at Notre Dame for multiple years now and is destined to be a top NFL draft pick next year. So far this season he has 894 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns in 8 games. And he’s catching fire in recent weeks rushing for 228 yards in primetime against USC and 136 yards in last week’s win against Boston College.
So how does Noah Eagle know when to pull the trigger on a pun like “Love is in the air in South Bend!”
As it turns out, it’s not just a spontaneous thing. There is some preparation and strategy behind when to drop one of those lines on Jeremiyah Love or anyone else as Noah Eagle told the South Bend Tribune this week.
“You have a general idea of all of the options and opportunities that are available to you,” Eagle said. “I’ve got pride, so I don’t want to repeat it. I’ve kind of kept track of which ones have been used and which ones are still somewhat on the table. You want to try to save them for the biggest moments.”
With Eagle set to call Saturday night’s home meeting with Navy along with game analyst Todd Blackledge, it could be time to empty the tank when it comes to Love’s regular end zone visits.
“A lot of it is timing and circumstance, but ‘temptation’ is the correct word,” Eagle said. “You don’t want to overload it. You don’t want to necessarily keep going back to the well because then your audience is saying, ‘All right, this guy is just trying everything.’ You want to make sure you’re timing it properly.”
The great announcers all have their own trademarks and for both older and younger Eagle it’s being fantastic game callers while also having a unique sense of humor and feel for the moment. But much like Mike Breen’s strategic use of the single or double bang, it’s all about finding the right moment in the broadcast to go there. And more often than not, fans can’t help falling in love with Noah Eagle’s announcing.
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