When news broke that long-time Patriots play-by-play caller Gil Santos passed away yesterday, memories of my childhood instantly came to mind. Santos, after all, was the voice I associated with the team and the sport of pro football in general back in the day: Whenever I watched the team, it was Santos whose baritone organ and emotional yet always professional commentary explained the action in great detail.
Geography is the reason why Santos played such an integral role in my football-related upbringing: Growing up outside of the United States, and in a time when online streaming was much more of an exception than a norm, television was the lone source of football games – but not in the classic “Sunday 1:00 p.