Why working here is great: I just had a 20 minute conversation with someone about whether or not it was ok to take food into the bathroom. The answer, by the way, is no.
About Me:I host the midday show on 1530Homer, weekdays from 9:00 - Noon. I've been working at Clear Channel Cincinnati since 1997 in about 7,000 different roles, none of which you would find interesting.
I grew up in New Jersey, but moved here my senior year in high school. Long story, but I'm not bitter. I was the only kid in the Garden State who grew up rooting for the Bengals and Bearcats. I went to the University of Dayton and am still in debt because of it.
I live in beautiful Sharonville.
Music:Bruce Springsteen, Foo Fighters, A Tribe Called Quest, A long and embarrassing collection of songs on my iPOD. Then usually back to some more Springsteen.
Movies:Rocky Movies 1,2,4 and6, "Hoosiers," "Clerks," Rambos Movies 1,2, and 4, "Fast Times at Ridgemont High," the first half of "Full Metal Jacket," "Can't Buy Me Love," "Eight Men Out," "Juice," "Ocean's 11, "Death Proof," "The Departed,"GoodFellas," "SuperBad," "Dazed and Confused"
TV:Letterman, anything in HD, up to an including the Food Network, "Rachael Ray," "The View," "The Today Show," That Fox Sports Net highlight show where they show highlights instead of the ESPN anchors auditioning for late night TV gigs, "Family Guy," "The Hills," any VH-1 show where 4th rate actors and comedians who can't get on Comedy Central make smart****, ironic statements on any and all subjects, anything on opposite Oprah, oh and "According to Jim," only because the fact that Jim Belushi makes the kind of coin he gets for being on that wretched show and playing that cliched character highlights what a wonderful country we live in.
Books:"If At First" by Keith Hernandez, "God Save the Fan" by Will Leitch, "Loose Balls" by Terr Pluto, "Amazin,'The Story of New York's Most Beloved Baseball Team," "Dream Team," by Lewis Cole (greatest basketball book ever written) "Tales from Q-School" by the self important John Feinstein, anything written by the immortal Roger Angell.
Likes:UC Bearcat football and basketball, Mets, Bengals, Knicks, and the UD Flyers, Great American Ballpark, Pizza from Fratellis, HDTV, the use of the word dillweed, beer. The Cotton Candy guy at Fifth-Third Arena. Pancakes.
Dislikes:Louisville. The Yankees. The Steelers. Tom Glavine. Mike Scioscia. Yadier Molina. Tom Kleinscmidt. Joe Montana. Jarrod West. Any adult infatuated with Disney characters. Successories. Douchebags. Man-hugs. Bluetooth headsets. Smalltalk. Guys who call me "bro." Sports stags. Beer snobs. Anybody with the sticker of the kid peeing on the logo of the brand of car opposite of what they drive. #1 Fan Foam Finger Guy. Ushers over the age of 85. Wedding DJs who think everyone's there to see them. Mall kiosk workers. The guy at Jiffy Lube who tries to sell you all sorts of stuff and makes you come look at the filter when all you want is an oil change. The guy I used to sit in front of at Bengals games who thought he knew every play that either team was going to run. The girl I dated in college. The girl I dated in college's parents. Poker on TV. Skinny beards. Quotations at the end of e-mails. Chain pizzerias. French toast. Haircuts that cost more than 12 bucks.
Hobbies:I need some.
Vices:I need some of them too.
Virtues:The only two that matter....
1) You get up to take a leak during a game, you wait until there's a normal break in the action. Between batters, during a timeout. Never, EVER, when it's 3rd and goal from the one.
2)If in the course of walking past me, you knock over my beer, you owe me another one, provided it's more and a third of the way full. 3)Bernard King should be in the hall of fame. This is not even up for debate.
Heroes:Charles Oakley. Mookie Wilson. Bernard King. Dominique Wilkins. Jeff Query. Darnell Burton.
JOHN EDWARDS CHEATED ON HIS WIFE FOR THIS??? Never underestimate the stupidity and scumbagability of politicians, no matter the party. Nice work, John.
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DUSTY BAKER HAS OFFICIALLY LOST ME. I love Jay Bruce. He is undeniably a cornerstone of this franchise. But after his silly error and absolute idiocy on the basepaths last night, I'd put Francisco Cordero in right field before Jay Bruce tonight. Not my man Bakes, who has Bruce in right, batting third. Amazing.
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IS THERE ANY CHANCE EITHER OF THESE GUYS HAVE EVER WON A FIGHT? This looks like a training video for child abductors trying to fend off unwilling kids kicking them in the shin.
OLYMPICS. DAMN STRAIGHT. There's no better way to kick off my Olympic coverage than with a blurry picture of America's greatest Olympian ever, basketball hall of famer and the third greatest Knick of all-time (bonus points if you can name the first two) Patrick Ewing, pictured with Larry Bird, whose inclusion on the Dream Team was questionable and David Robinson. I've always had a love/hate relationship with the Olympics. They are usually shrouded in controversy and politics have overshadowed them since their beginnings. I hate the rules that allow athletes to effectively become Olympic free agents, giving them the chance to represent countries they have little or no ties to. Doping and performance enhancing drugs have become a part of the daily conversation as we lead up to the games, but such things haven't turned us off on other sports, so why pretend that we care about cheating by Olympic athletes. Corrupt judges have clouded the games. I still haven't seen a bigger injustice than that suffered by Roy Jones Jr. at the 1988 games, and the 2002 skating controversy was a total farce.
In many ways, the Olympics are a holdover from another era, when the Cold War pitted the US against the Soviets. We worked up bile and disgust for them. Such hatred doesn't exist anymore. It's too bad Pittsburgh can't have an Olympic team. We all hate people from Pittsburgh. Hatred for all things Pittsburgh could galvanize the world. We like to think of our athletes working their entire lives to represent the United States. That is important to them, just not as high on the list as endorsements, sponsorship requirements, partying in the host city, and movie and TV opportunities that come with Olympic glory.
The Olympics you knew as a kid wouldn't work. Remember when you would watch the events on tape delay? Your blackberry or iPhone ain't allowing that to happen.
Still, I'm kinda stoked about the Olympics. I like sports. Like C. Trent, I like competition. I like goofy sports like the trampoline. I think it's cool that someone spend their entire life playing badminton, and for two weeks, gets to play it on the world stage. I like the fact the the word "shuttlecock" will be used on American cable television while I'm watching that sport. I like watching people bite it. A diver cracking his head on the diving board, a gymnast, particularly a male one, falling off the balance beam, anyone screwing up royally = quality entertainment. The Olympics provide a ton of compelling human interest stories, like the one of the guy carrying the American flag at the glorfied halftime show Opening Ceremonies. I'm a sucker for stuff like that.
Know what I like most of all about the Olympics? We're good at them. By "we" I mean the United States. Simply put, we dominate the games. Right now, when the rest of the world hates us, when many in our own country do everything they can to make us feel bad about being American, is there anything better than treating the rest of the world the way Jeremi Johnson treats plate of cheese fries? No. We need two straight weeks of feeling good about ourselves. Lord knows the next couple of months we'll have two organized crime families political parties browbeating us about how miserable America is. In the meantime, let's kick the hell out of France in something.
We're in a dead time. Quick, name one thing interesting right now about the Reds. Come on, just one. You can't. The three-headed catching monster of Ross, Bako, and Valentin? Not interesting. The Olympics offer up interesting things on a nightly basis. OK, maybe I can't name one right now, but whatever they are, they're more compelling than Corey Patterson's pursuit of his .200 batting average. The Bengals have some preseason games in the next month, and we'll welcome football's return, but can you really tell me you're intrigued by who emerges as the backup gunner on the punt team? I'll take Michael Phelps' run at eight gold medals. We'll go back to making fun of the Reds on a nightly basis in a couple weeks. They'll still be there. In the meantime, there's male gymnasts to mock!
Among the things I love most, baseball, pro and college football, and pro and college basketball are in the top seven (bonus points if you can name the other four), but the baseball season has been a bust, the football season is weeks away, and the only hoops being offereed up right now is in the Olympics in what should be a pretty fun two weeks of international hoops. It's sports. Sports are good. Sports we kick **** at are really good.
JUST A GUESS This Kim Kardashian woman is going to be quite popular on the internets. 700WLW's Rich Walburg has the first of what I'm sure will be many cyberspace salutes to this rather unkown talent.
-How on earth does Jeremi Johnson occupy a spot on the Bengals roster? From Chick....
Under the supervision of strength and conditioning coaches Chip
Morton and Ray “Rock” Oliver, Jeremi was attempting to run four 10-yard
dashes on the main field, and fighting to get through ‘em.
I watched him go 3 or 4 yards, then basically pull up.
After completing that exercise, Jeremi was asked to walk up the
steep grass hill that leads from the main field to the conference
center at Georgetown College.
Well, not just walk, but use long strides to stretch out his leg muscles.
Folks, it was painful to watch.
-I love Jay Bruce, but no chance he plays tonight after two idiotic
plays last night. The basket catch was embarassing and the baserunning
was pony league. It'd be nice if the team would go ahead and DL
Hairston so Dusty would have an option. I'd stick Mike Lincoln in the
outfield before Bruce tonight.
-The Yonder Alonso sillines highlights the absurdity of the Major League baseball draft.
-Chad, by all accounts, looks unreal in camp,
and saying and doing all the right things. Nearly four months ago, we
collected four shopping carts of Chad jerseys from people finished with
him. You regretting that decision?
-UC has a new TV deal with FSN. Lance has the details on his blog.
Gives me a chance to say congrats to my man Tom Gelehrter, who's the
sideline man for UC football on 700WLW. Tommy G will be hosting
Bearcats
Sports Weekly with Brian Kelly and Bearcats Sports Weekly with Mick
Cronin. He is a true broadcast professional, a promising young talent,
quick-witted, a master wordsmith, and maker of the best adult lemonade
of all-time.
-Hoping for a Ben Mauk decision? Don't hold your breath. I'm betting
the NCAA is holding emergency meetings to find out how to take this kid's lottery winnings.
-Olympic fever! Does anyone care? Even if you don't love the events,
aren't the Olympics fun viewing? Does anything top an elite athlete
falling on his/her face? Aren't some of the 'roided up women worth
watching? Aren't some of the women's volleyball players or 18+ women's
gymnasts worth checking out? To celebrate the Olympics, I give you the
all-time best SNL Olympic bit.
"I HAVE BEEN PITYING FOO'S FOR 28 YEARS, BILL." Enjoy Mr. T explaining to Bill O'Reilly why he called Rowdy Roddy Piper a disgrace at the first Wrestlemania and what the phrase "get some nuts" means.
THE DREAM TEAM REMEMBERED Pardon me while I'm on this US men's hoops kick, but the guys at Uncoached give the original Dream Team some love. The 1992 Summer Olympics went down when I was 14, when it was maybe coolest time to be an NBA fan. I was a huge Dream Team guy, even though they got the roster wrong. Dominique WIlkins remains an inexcuseable snub, and was about 76,000 times the player that Chris Mullin was. Christian Laettner had no place on that roster either, whereas Reggie Miller, Kevin Johnson, Tim Haradaway did. Hell, if you were gonna go with a college guy, Shaq was a more deserving choice. I think I watched just about every Dream Team game at my buddy Aaron's house that summer, and we still talk about that team more than just about any other subject to this day, which may be the most pathetic thing of all time. Anyway, enjoy the look back.
YOU KNOW TO ROOT WORD OF FESTIVAL? FESTIVE! Two festivals this weekend, one tomorrow as we hit up the St. Margaret of York festival in Loveland. Sunday, we hit Fairfield for the Sacred Heart festival. I hope, no, I demand that you show up. If you don't, I'm going to just assume you hate America.
MEET NINEL CONDE Ninel is a Mexican actress, who has appeared on Telemundo a bunch of times, as well as Ugly Betty, which looks awful. Ninel, however, is anything but.
An Irvington cage fighter accused of inciting a brawl at an Auburn University fraternity house by yelling "Roll Tide" admitted Wednesday to bribing a retarded man to claim responsibility for injuries suffered by the brothers in the melee.
....and be completely taken aback. Stunned. Just beside myself. This is not that time.
THIS COMMERCIAL IS COOL I know I might be one of a select few who actually cares on Olympic men's hoops. I like basketball, and anything that gives us hoops in the offseason can't be a bad thing. And I know I buck the trend and I actually really want the US Squad to succeed, simply so I don't have to hear the same overplayed myths that we heard when the United States failed to win the gold in '04. But even if you don't care, when you mix hoops with the greatest rendition of the National Anthem of all-time, you have to agree, it makes for one damn cool commercial.
DOES KELLY RIPA NEED TO EAT SOMETHING? Got the following e-mail from Lance after Kelly appeared on Letterman Tuesday night....
Tell me you saw it?????? Kelly Ripa on Lettermen last night. I made a point to watch. I'll never look at her the same way again. Appeared to weigh 71 pounds Bones sticking out. Had to turn it off.
Didn't see it, though usually a Letterman-Ripa combo would be appointment viewing in my house.. I did find these pictures of her arriving at the Ed Sullivan theatre, and while I'm certainly not in a position to turn down Kelly Ripa, one of my favorites would be well served by a couple of trips to the buffet.
-I might be the only person who doesn't think the Brett Favre deal is an absolute home run for the Jets.
-My question throughout most of last season was "Is there a guy on the Bengals defense who leaves the opposing offensive coordinator awake at night worrying?" If we ask the same question a month from the opener, what's the answer?
GOOD GOD. Jay Bruce is putting on a display today (on a rare Businessman's Special TV broadcast as FSN raised money for the Reds Community Fund), a homer and two outfield assists, including a laser from right field to nab (the not exactyl fleet footed) Prince Fielder at the plate.
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AND WE HAVE OUR REASON TO WATCH THE OLYMPICS Other than the US hoops team, which I'm actually kinda excited to see, some locals (I'm a sucker for local boy/girl does good), the smugness of Bob Costas, and the fact that there's not crap on TV in August, the main reason to check out the action from China is Bia and Branca Feres, who are synchronized swimmers from Brazil.
WHY WAS I NOT SURPRISED TO HEAR THIS? That MTV show "Bromance" had a casting call in Louisville. Which seems appropriate, as does the fact that it was held at a Sully's.
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SHOW!
-The power went out in our building this morning, leaving me way behind, and forcing me to listen to people whine about coffee not being available. So no show preview today, which has to leave you on the verge of suicide. Instead, enjoy our quality veteran of the week, and my favorite all-time ABC News personality, Elizabeth Vargas.
SOMETIMES, AMERICA SUCKS. Eva Mendes made a commercial for something that's apparently far too risque for US audiences. For more, check out my man Rich Walburg's page at 700WLW.com.
MEET PERHAPS THE WORST PERSON EVER A Utah man is in trouble for "football-kicking" his 18th month-old. Sad thing is, I know many who would more than embrace giving this kid a tryout.
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SMOY! Our 13th stop on the Thank God for Alcohol Church Festival Tour takes us to Loveland for the St. Margaret of York Festival this Friday. We'll have the usual stuff, beer, food, music, gambling, and more. Plus, Xavier great Steve Wolf has offered to humiliate me shooting free throws. Be there, say 7:00? And you know the drill, be the first seen in our shirt, win a funnel cake. Be there.
Price includes unlimited bowling and shoe rental Prize Raffle, Split the Pot, and More!
Roman Fariello is an adorable, 2 ½ year old little boy diagnosed
with Neuroblastoma stage IV on April
25, 2007. This is a rare
cancer of the nervous system striking about 600 children in the U.S. per year.Roman is blessed with a loving
family consisting of a sister Sheridan and parents Jody and Mike
Fariello.Since
Roman’s diagnosis, he has been playing the very difficult hand he was dealt by
receiving intensive chemotherapy, a bone marrow transplant/stem cell rescue,
localized radiation and six cycles of maintenance oral chemotherapy.Roman and his family could not have made it
this far without your loving support for him.Roman’s immediate future consists of speech therapy twice a month and
numerous scans/tests every three months for the next two years.Although the future looks bright for Roman
being “NED” (No Evidence of Disease), there is a high relapse rate for
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For more info, call 859-283-8651, or check out rescueroman.org
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THIS IS WHY YOU WANT TO BECOME AN MMA FIGHTER Patrycja Mikula's name looks like an eye chart. She's dating Ultimate Fighter Andrei Arlovski, and she's tremendous.
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LISTEN.
-Hold training camp in Cincinnati, because this trend isn't reversing anytime soon.
-Do you get the feeling that we are nearing the end of the Ahmad Brooks experiment?
-Chad Johnson spoke to the media after practice last night. He was back on the practice field last night. If you handed in your Chad jersey, burned your 85 stuff, you regretting it? You getting some more?
-Fight in the Brewers dugout at GABP last night. On the surface, not good, but isn't there a part of you that would love to see the same type of fire in the home dugout? Obviously, we don't need Joey Votto going after say, Josh Fogg, but wouldn't you love to see something close to the same type of fire from the Reds?
-We often get into the "Is this a baseball town or a football town?" debate. Bill Koch asks if because the lack of success from the pro teams, if we're actually more of a college sports town. Are UC football and hoops, and XU basketball worth looking forward to more and investing emotionally in more than either the Reds or Bengals?
-My producer is an MMA blogger for the Baltimore Sun. He has a chance to cover an MMA event at the Playboy Mansion. He is actually on the fence about going. His fiancee wants to go with him, which is just a terrible move. Please help me convince him to go.
-Note to my friends: If I ever use the word "bromance" in describing our friendships or anything we do together, I give you permission to stab me in the face.
i remember the original Dream Team like it was yesterday...i LOVED watching them destroy everybody and the fun they had along the way...you could tell they were on a mission and NOBODY was going to stop them...i'll be watching every game i can this Olympics...
Mo, you seriously just noticed that little boy that hosts with Regis is freaking toothpick? That kid lokks the same as he always has. He is annoying anyway...
Man I thought it was just me .Ed & Berz hit it on the head .Destiny sounds like fingernails across the blackboard .She never laughs .Just not the gal-friday type.
Hey Mo, just want to say your getting better by the day man, and I love listening to the show. Your blog is also a must every day to check out..my only concern I must say though is Destiny, her voice drives me nuts, sounds like she talks through her nose on air sorta like a poor man's Fran Drescher. Whats up with that girls voice, it just sounds like it hurts!
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they had to have Christian laettner on the team...no room for Thomas...LOL...
Micah04:53 PM EST