A reflective, grateful and emotional Gary Danielson asked a rhetorical question after sharing hisSun Bowlsign-off message with his expansive CBS team, "How are we going to get off the air?"
The answer to the question came less than 10 seconds later.
As the analyst was searching for the final words of his final college football broadcast to punctuate a 36-year run calling ball, CBS cut him off.
CBS cut off Gary Danielson as he was still delivering his sign-off message into retirement.https://t.co/pMsRFHRQxSpic.twitter.com/7qHTCKhIz1
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing)December 31, 2025
In the corner of the frame, a hand can be seen counting down the final seconds of the farewell to the former Purdue, Detroit Lions and Cleveland Browns quarterback.
That's when Danielson appeared to call an audible.
"Sometimes you can say, how do you get off?" Danielson said before pointing to his producer and adding, "This guy right here."
Abruptly, CBS went to commercial break, wrapping the broadcast. Hard outs are part of live TV, and Danielson of course knows that, but that ad interruption brought an untimely end to an otherwise beautiful tribute to one of the greatest voices in college football history.
Minutes earlier, Danielson — flanked by play-by-play announcer Brad Nessler and sideline reporter Jenny Dell — heard about and watched back some of the great moments during his illustrious career in the booth.
"To have done it with somebody that is unmatched in what you do has been a privilege," Nessler said. "It's been an honor. I'm going to miss you. Our team's going to miss you. Our crew's going to miss you. CBS is going to miss you.
"And damn it, college football's going to miss you, buddy."
Danielson has been part of CBS' top college football broadcasting pair since 2006 and is a six-time Emmy nominee.
A mainstay in the afternoon slot, he became a staple in SEC coverage and lately had expanded his footprint to the Big Ten with CBS.
"Everybody says, 'What do you want to be remembered as?' That's cool, but it's what I want to remember. And this is the stuff I remember," Danielson said as a slideshow of pictures rolled, documenting his time with his coworkers at CBS.
Those weren't his final words on air. But maybe they should be the ones we remember.
