Alabama radio announcer walks back allegation he made during Tennessee Vols win over Crimson Tide
Alabama Crimson Tide play by play radio announcer Chris Stewart made some big waves this week when he made some controversial comments during the Tennessee Vols' 24-17 win on Saturday. Stewart accused Tennessee of "piping in crowd noise" during his radio call during the game. It looks like Stewart is now trying jump ship amid that […]
Alabama Crimson Tide play by play radio announcer Chris Stewart made some big waves this week when he made some controversial comments during the Tennessee Vols' 24-17 win on Saturday. Stewart accused Tennessee of "piping in crowd noise" during his radio call during the game.
It looks like Stewart is now trying jump ship amid that storm he created himself.
Stewart was a guest on The Opening Kickoff show on WNSP (Mobile, AL), and he was asked about his comments regarding piping in the crowd noise at Neyland Stadium. He changed his tune pretty quickly about his intent behind them.
"When I used to do the sidelines, I've been – I'm not going to spend a lot of time with this, and they've had a lot of fun with it, and that's fine – I will lead off by saying the noise had absolutely nothing to do with the outcome of the ballgame. Tennessee played better, made more plays. Beat Alabama, deserves credit for that.
"But I've been on the sidelines, and what I said on air in passing, I had no idea – it was so inconsequential. I honestly don't even remember what I said and had no clue until somebody started texting me about it. Friends would text, or whatever.
"But I've been on the sidelines before where they actually do have amplifiers, speakers right by the benches, and apparently they have them all over the stadium at field level. They will amp up their music, and I think it's tied into their bands. I mean, it's right in front of our own band, which is right behind the team bench. I don't know if anybody else does that or not. It doesn't matter.
"Where I misspoke is where I said they piped in crowd noise. What I should have said is that they amplify noise within the stadium. Their place is plenty loud, and it didn't have anything to do with the outcome. I never once said that it did. I think I said something along the lines of 'you've got a hundred thousand people, plus piped in noise, and it's really loud' or 'it makes it really tough to hear'. I don't know what I said, because again during the course of a billion words that in the course of a three and a half, four-hour broadcast, whatever it is.
"But apparently, they're not able to celebrate their win and just enjoy it. They're concerned about a ten-second excerpt for something that, again, misspoke. It implies by saying piped in crowd noise that it was not their crowd that's brought in. But what I should have said, and I stand by it because I know they did in Saturday, is that they amplify noise, whatever it may be. But again, it has nothing to do with and I never said it had anything to do with the outcome."
The goalposts have been moved the last two times Alabama has left Neyland Stadium, but perhaps not as much as Stewart moved them with his explanation. There is a massive difference between piping in crowd noise (Stewart's actual words) through your speakers while teams are in the huddle or trying to get the snap off and using speakers for your band and music during breaks. The latter is what Stewart is now indicating, and that's something you'll find at other stadiums across the country. That's nothing new.
To Stewart's minimal credit, he admitted what Tennessee fans knew and what some Alabama fans have been trying to discredit: that Tennessee won the game fair and square, and anything about crowd noise had nothing to do with the result on the field. Tennessee indeed did make more plays, and they made them when they needed to down the stretch.
Perhaps next time Stewart won't let his bias towards the university he represents lead him to make further unfounded comments during a crucial situation.
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