Goodbye and Good Luck Matt Spiegel

For many years, I have been a big fan of Matt Spiegel's work.  Whether singing with Tributosaurus or talking sports on WSCR, Matt provided a lot of entertainment for his audience.  Recently, in a move that surprised many, Matt was let go by WSCR.

I have been losing interest in The Score for years and this latest move pushed me further away.  I don't know if it is my age, my changing interests or the talent level on The Score, but I have found myself listening less and less and now I barely listen.

I always felt Matt brought a tremendous amount of knowledge and passion, along with a comfortable way of delivering it over the air.  He is neither brash, or loud, but he has strong opinions and he isn't afraid of a debate.  He has been among my favorite sports talk hosts ever.  Now he is gone from the airwaves.

I'm sure Matt will be fine.  He is multi-talented and likable.  Who knows if he'll land back on radio somewhere or maybe a podcast is in his future.  Maybe he'll take a break.

Of course, there is also Tributosaurus, Matt's band.  They meticulously recreate the sounds of a different music act every show.  I was floored when I heard them become The Beatles.  They were just that good.  Even more impressive, I enjoyed them when they became Crosby, Stills and Nash, a band I don't particularly love.  Funneled through the Tributo machine, I really enjoyed the songs of CSN.

I hope to hear Matt on the radio again.  Until then, I will follow him through Tributosaurus.com and the Tributo Facebook page.  For now I wish good luck to Matt and I thank him for lots of entertainment and good dialogue.

Matt Spiegel and me in Chicago, IL-March 2018.

Kudos to Brendan McCaffrey

In my never-ending quest to meet every Score personality, I ventured a good several blocks from my home to the grand opening of an HH Gregg store to meet Brendan McCaffrey (aka Baldy McGrindy).  Where the Baldy moniker originated, I do not know.  I can guess that it started with Terry Boers, but doesn't everything start with Uncle Terry?
McCaffrey was out with the Score's promotions team.  I had flashbacks to my days of running such things while at Lerner Newspapers.  It's a losing proposition.
While there, I saw a kid spin the big wheel and land on the one sliver of the wheel with no prize.  The dejected (and confused) kid walked away.  McCaffrey gave him a sticker or something, but I felt bad for him and the kid.
Back in the day, my smallbrain GM made us have a similar wheel, with a similar no-prize slot on the wheel.  Making it worse was the fact that our "prizes" consisted of single wrapped pieces of hard candy, pens and free copies of our newspaper (not exactly items on any wish list).  Now imagine a family with three kids, where two of the kids win a "prize" and the third hits that unlucky slot.  I was supposed to be the jerk who gave "prizes" to just the two "winners".  Oh yeah, that went over well.
Anyway, kudos...of the day (borrowing an old Score bit) to McCaffrey for trying to make it up to the kid.  To the marketing whiz who put a non-winning slot on the wheel...you are a (insert the other end of that old Score bit here).

Brendan McCaffrey and me in Niles, IL-Summer 2011.

On the Beat with David Schuster

On the Beat, David Schuster of WSCR in Chicago has been covering sports for about 30 years.  Recently, Schuster was at a basketball game between the Harlem Globetrotters and the Washington Generals, but he wasn't covering the game...he was playing in it as a member of the Generals.  You can read Schuster's account of his experience on the Score's website. I can't imagine how cool it would be to play against the Globetrotters.  I grew up watching Meadowlark Lemon, Curly Neal, Marques Haynes and the rest play their brand of basketball on ABC's Wide World of Sports.
I emailed Schuster, expressing an interesting in learning more about his experience.  He graciously answered my questions.

Q-Did you win and do you know your stats line?
DS-The Generals almost pulled the upset as the final score was 90-85 and I was reminded that the last time the Generals won was 1971.  Of course, the whole thing is stages, but at least the score was close at the end.  I was in the game for all of about 90 seconds and tried a couple of their 4 point shots (missing both barely) from about 35 feet, but I was fouled going to the hoop and sank one of the two free throws...and then I was yanked.

Q-Did you have any goals going into the event?
DS-No individual goals.  I had no idea how this would play out and the only thing I was worried about was that I would be the one who they pulled the shorts down from so I wore three pairs. Fortunately they didn't do it to me.

Q-Did you prepare in any way?
DS-Again, no preparation or instruction, which sort of surprised me.  They just let  me shoot a few times and that was it.

Q-Did you sign any autographs or ask for any?
DS-Didn't sign any autographs either.  I highly doubt anyone would have wanted mine and to be honest, I had to scurry out of there because I was doing a late night talk show and had to get downtown quick so as not to be late for that.

Q-Was the experience as cool as it would seem?
DS-It definitely was cool and I will remember it forever (plus I got to keep the uniform).  I just wish I would have done a bit more in my short stint on the court, but I will admit I was a bit nervous and kept thinking that they were going to pull some of their normal tricks on me (which they didn't).

Schuster is one of the best and nicest in the business and I really appreciate his time and consideration in answering my questions.

Bear Down Sunday #9

The Chicago Bears (at 5-3) face the Minnesota Vikings (at 3-5).  Both teams need the win.  This should be a great game.
I would feel a bit better if the Bears had a better offensive line and a true #1 receiver.  I like the receivers the Bears have, but none as a #1 yet.  In honor of the wide receiver, I am highlighting Marcus Robinson, who spent five seasons with the Bears, before playing in Baltimore for one season and ending his career with three nice seasons in Minnesota.
I met Robinson at Mike North's Bowl-A-Thon.  Robinson might have had his game face onm, because he barely spoke to me.  I wasn't even asking for an autograph, just the quick picture below.  Actually, not many people approached him.  Maybe a lot of people didn't recognize him or maybe they were too busy chasing some of the other stars (like Gale Sayers and Mike Ditka).
Robinson wasn't rude, but he was very quiet.  He really just didn't seem comfortable there.
Hopefully, the Bears will utilize their wide receivers today, while shutting down Minnesota's (which pretty much means shutting down Brett Favre).

Marcus Robinson and me in Arlington Heights, IL-Late 1990's.

Bear Down Sunday #5

The Chicago Bears are 3-1 after losing to the New York Giants last week.  Of more concern is the condition of Jay Cutler.  Without Cutler, the Bears will be in trouble, even against the Carolina Panthers, who are 0-4.
If Cutler is hurt, Brad Maynard will be seeing a lot of time on teh field.  Maynard has been an outstanding punter for several years, but if your punter is your MVP, you are in trouble.
Throwing out a little punter symmetry, I am featuring former punter Todd Sauerbrun.  Sauerbrun was a 3 time Pro-Bowler during his 14 year NFL career, which included stops in Chicago and Carolina.
When I met Sauerbrun, I was surprised at how big his arms were.  He was a workout nut.  He was also a friendly guy.  I don't remember why the Bears let him go, but it was just another f their many mistakes in the 90's.  Sure the punter wouldn't make the team great, but he could help.  A year later, the Bears realized this and signed Brad Maynard, who has been a stable force in Chicago since then.  I just hope that Maynard's role isn't expanded.

Todd Sauerbrun and me in Arlington Heights, IL-Mid 1990's.

Bowling with Jerry Riles

In 1992 Chicago radio changed forever when WSCR (the Score) debuted. The Score was manned by a great group of broadcasters who loved Chicago sports.
I am not sure if he is an "Original", but I know Jerry Riles goes a way back as a broadcaster and producer. I always enjoyed his work no matter which role he had.
I had the pleasure of meeting Riles at a charity bowling event headed by former Score legend Mike North. The Bowl-A-Thon was a great event where Score staffers, score fans and local athletes all mingled. It was like a big party and for a great cause.
I got to talk to Riles for a bit during one of the events. As usual, he seemed to be trying to perform several duties, but he took time to talk to anyone who approached him and he was in no rush. Riles wasn't just sleep-walking.
I mentioned that I really wished he had more time on the air. I always liked his style, approach and attitude. Riles liked to have new callers on the show, instead of just a steady stream of the "serial callers". After meeting him, I got the impression that Riles really was one of the good guys. He was a regular guy.
Riles has since moved on to CLTV and the Score has changed quite a bit, but I have fond memories of those early days of sports talk on the Score.

Jerry Riles and me in Arlington Heights-late 1990's.

They're Baaaaaaaaack

Mike North and Dan Jiggetts are back on tv starting today. Their show, Monsters of the Morning, will air live on Comcast SportsNet Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. North and Jiggetts did a radio show together years ago on WSCR. Recently, they have teamed to do a show on the web.

Jiggetts played for the Chicago Bears for 7 seasons. He was part of the offensive line which opened holes for the great Walter Payton. He has been a media fixture in Chicago for years.

North is a hotdog vendor turned successful sports talk show host. In a somewhat surprising development, North (a Score original) and WSCR parted ways several months ago. North had been the face of the Score. Heck, many feel North was the Score.
North has had his share of critics over the years, but I like Pappy! I have met him several times at various charity events (which he helped organize) as well as at Tony's Deli in Edison Park (IL). North could not have been any nicer. Despite many demands for his time, North (and his wife BeBe) always takes time for the fans.

Dan Jiggetts and me and Mike North and me in Arlington Heights, IL-late 90's.

The King, Johngy and the Ranger

Last weekend, my work brought me near US Cellular Field, home of the Chicago White Sox. I heard on the Score that the White Sox were having a clubhouse sale and 2 Score guys, Brian Paruch and Chris Rongey were broadcasting from the clubhouse. Since my young pal Jake is a huge White Sox fan, I figured I would check it out.
Paruch and Rongey do a great job on WSCR. Paruch is quite versatile, handling a lot of different shifts. He has also been heard on various FM stations. This is why he is 'The King'.
Rongey is the pre and post game Sox host. Rongey (which does rhyme with Johngy) smoothly handles the wide range of emotions voiced by the passionate Chicago baseball fans.
Paruch and Rongey are underrated on the Score scene, but they are true assets to WSCR and its' listeners.

Brian Paruch, Chris Rongey and me at US Cellular Field, in Chicago, IL-December 2008.

No, not Larry Horse, Terry Boers!

I have met radio legend Terry Boers many times. Boers is a long-time fixture on the Chicago sports media scene, first in print and now at WSCR radio. Paired with Dan Bernstein in the afternoons, they do the very best they caaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan to keep us (the long-suffering Chicago sports fans) informed, entertained and perhaps have a laugh or two along the way.
The first time I met Boers was at a charity bowling event sponsored by WSCR. Despite the rather chaotic nature of the event and the many people trying to get his time, Boers seemed very happy and relaxed as he chatted with fans and posed for pictures.

Unfortunately for the humor end, I cannot give myself a "Who you crappin'?", because everything in this post is true. I can question why Boers is holding a bowling pin (maybe that is why he is smiling). E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E-E

Terry Boers and me in Arlington Heights, IL-early 00's.

Bowling with the Animal

It's true. I had the pleasure of bowling with George 'the Animal' Steele. Mike North and WSCR radio used to have a Bowl-A-Thon for charity and the event attracted all sorts of celebrities. Steele was winding down his wrestling career at this point, but he was still quite a character. No, he did not eat any pins.

George Steele and me in Arlington Heights, IL-mid-1990's.

The Score

My nephew Matt and I went out to The Score's (WSCR am 670) 'Who Needs Two' Tavern tour broadcast featuring Terry Boers and Dan Bernstein in Mokena, IL.

Terry Boers, Matt (Big Money), Dan Bernstein and me in Mokena, IL-Summer 2008.