all these names bring back memories - even though i am only 29
as for rome - please keep in mind in order to succeed in the business - you basically need to be a motherf****r! nice guys (for the most part) end up eaten up and spit out. having worked in bristol for the worldwide leader in sports in can you most of upper management are guys i would NEVER turn my back on - not for 1 second. they are the kind of guys who'd push you in front of the bus w/o a second's hesitation.
as for some names mentioned:
Dave Smith - simply put - a dog with fleas. has an "audience" of about 10 people yet think's he is god's gift to mankind. 1540 has NO ONE lisntening to it - and i can't even get the signal - which sucks because i wanna listen to tony bruno - simply put - one of the smartest and best sports talk show hosts EVER!
john fricke - for some reason - can't hold a job. i am told he now works for the espn station in denver. back in december - one saturday i am reffing some NJB games at El Toro HS (roxy and company know where this is). i am on the baseline when suddenly fricke walks right by me. i was stunned - wondering what the hell he was doing there - even though i know he lived in nearby san clemente (he's said that on-air many times). he went over to the next court and watched that game. no clue if it was his nephew or a family friend or... i have always liked fricke - and fricke is like al michaels and brent mushmouth in that he KNOWS what the line is for the games!
Stu Nahan - known him since my days at KTLA. the stories i could tell about him and the stories i heard him tell me. most of them can't be printed here. i was at ktla on friday's and stu would show up about 8P for the 10P show. he got there and about 5-10 minutes after getting there - he would offer to buy us all frozen yogurt or ice cream - since his wife wouldn't allow him to eat it at home (to try and lose weight). one day he comes in and says he had to cancel a meeting the next week with our producer because he was having lunch that same day with johnny carson and fred decordova (exec producer of the tonight show) - and said it like it was nothing. best known for the rocky movies. best story i can tell here about stu: 1992 i am playing a hardball game at dodger stadium with the group i belong to (the BEST part of this group - by far - was playing this hardball game ON THE FIELD at dodger stadium - something most people would KILL for!). i lead off the 2nd inning and bloop a hit over the first baseman and into RF. the SECOND i hit it i am thinking "2" - as in a double. stu is coaching 1st base. so i round 1st and slide into safely slide into 2nd and the ball gets away so i hustle over the 3rd. i score 2 batters later and get high fives in the dugout. the inning ends and i go back out to the field. i come back at the end of the inning and i am told stu wants to see me. i am thinking to congratulate me for my hit and baserunning. instead - stu is PISSED! he tells me "didn't you see me try and stop you at 1st on that hit?" (for those who have never met stu - he is about 6-feet in both directions - so he is not very easy to miss). i honestly tell him i didn't - but then i tell him, "stu - even if i did see you i was running anyway because i had it in my mind i was going for 2 all the way." stu does NOT want to hear this answer and benches me for the next few innings until the catcher starts dying of heat and i go into play catcher despite the fact i have never done so before and wasn't wearing a cup. i end up making the play of the game - when i see the runner heading from 2nd to 3rd and no one is there and i hustle over there in my catcher's gear and make the putout to save the game. funny how stu liked me then!
Jim Healy - DOMINATED L.A. radio like NO ONE ever has - or will! simply put - in L.A. - 5:30P was JIM HEALY TIME! if you were in a meeting - that meeting was over by 5:25 or you left so you could be near a radio at 5:30P to hear Healy. he always had fun with "the dreaded 6 o'clock tone". when he died they did a special sho on Healy recapping all of his great moments. I have that show on CD and listen to it a lot (Roxy - if you wanna copy - e-mail me and we can talk).
All I can say for Lee "Hacksaw" Hamilton is - the next story he doesn't make up - will be the first. Heck - even his name is made up. His real name is
Paul Mahan
his brother Larry Mahan is involved in the rodeo circuit
