Long-time Patriots announcer Gil Santos has died

People who are just a few years older than me are remembering Gil Santos by opening with talk about the awful early '90s Patriots. I didn't get into spectator sport until fourth grade, at which point, the Patriots played like gangbusters to finish 5-11 in 1993.

I attended my first game with my dad in 1995, a defeat to the Colts in Marshall Faulk's rookie season. An ad in the program encouraged the reader to "turn down the TV" and "turn up the stereo" by listening to the game on WBCN. Being an 11-year old susceptible to advertising, that's how I started following Pats games, via their Burlington flagship at the time, WKDR.

Gil was there when the Pats got blacked out for the Giants in Big Blue Burlington during the odd Fox game, and he was there all the way through the DVR era, when I had to sync his calls with the delayed TV picture. I was able to hear his final words on-air during a Pats broadcast after I watched their January 2013 AFC Championship Game loss to Baltimore.

He was neither a screamer nor a kiss-ass. He jubilantly sang with Gino Cappelletti when they won the January 2004 AFC title game, and he would scold the Pats when their ineptitude was on display. He was senatorial, a salty totem of a New England man. He represented the Pats with class, candor, and dignity. Fare thee well, Gil. You made radio and football better.

The Globe reports he died on his 80th birthday, which also was his 57th wedding anniversary.

RIP Gil.

Thanks for the link to the calls. One of the great Boston sportscasters and an excellent game caller. He and Gino probably stayed on a year too long, but up to that point they were a great team. He was a Pats fan but maintained an even-sided call, had a great voice. Classy guy, appreciate all those years of listening to him.