It’s time for the annual Fanion Sports Media Rankings, where I will rank the top 5 best and worst Chicago sports media personalities. Candidates include all Chicago sportswriters, radio hosts, and TV personalities. This list is just my personal opinion. Feel free to publish your own thoughts in the comment section below. See the two sections below.
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Monday
Top 5 Worst Chicago Sports Media Personalities
Honorable Mention:
Kendal Gill: Like his personality, but he just doesn’t get it done at the Bulls studio personality. Without Norm, his lack of on-screen presence is even more dramatic.
Dan Pompei: I can’t remember one article of his that I found interesting. Other notables, Steve McMichael, that Kaplan dude on Comcast Sportsnet, Dan McNeil.
5. K.C. Johnson: By all accounts K.C. seems like a really nice guy. He reminds me of a 10th year senior in college, just enjoying where he is at in life. No worries. Unfortunately, as a Bulls beat reporter K.C. adds nothing to my reading enjoyment. Not once have I read a story and felt like I’ve read anything meaningful. His reporting is so irrelevant and dull that you get the sense that he doesn’t even like basketball or maybe it’s just the Bulls. Either way, note to the person not reading this: It’s time for K.C. to move on. Maybe he should cover the Northwestern baseball team or something.
4. John Jurkovic and Harry Teinowitz from the afternoon saloon. A lot of my friends like these two with Carmen Defalco (someone I like), but I can’t get into them. They are the Jersey A team to number 2 below.
3. Rick Telander/ Rick Morrisey: It’s not so much that I find these columnists to be bad, but that they just fail do deliver. They have the pole position on all the top stories, but never seem to provide any interesting material. For the past 4 years, I cannot honestly say that I have read one interesting article from these two. As I like to say, they are a third world country’s poor man’s Rick Reilly. It’s upsetting that a great sports city like Chicago has these two as its premier columnists. I understand that they used to be prominent, especially Telander, but maybe writers are like everyone else; at some point writing becomes a job. And no one likes their job. I sense that these older writers sometimes just don’t’ like what they are doing anymore (think… Tony Kornheiser). Note to the person not reading this: We Chicago Sport’s fans need something to look forward to in our paper every morning. These two don’t get it done.
2. Boers and Bernstein: I’ve never heard two people more in love with themselves than these two. Their entire show consists of a series of inside jokes that only two insiders would find funny; namely, Boers and Bernstein. They remind me of the two weird kids in high school that constantly cracked each other up with Beavis and Butthead jokes or lines from the Simpsons. Except that those kids were actually cooler than these two. You know because they were in high-school. Note to the person not reading this: If you fired B & B, would anyone care?
1. Mike North*: Only Mike North can make B & B seem interesting and sensible. I won’t go into detail about North. Either you like him (and are retarded) or hate him (a normal human being). North’s failure to add any value to any conversation is only overshadowed by his obnoxious personality and annoying voice. Luckily for us viewers, he is no longer on the mainstream radio waves. Note to the person not reading this: You have somehow been able to make the cuddly and fan favorite Dan Jiggets into a nobody by pairing him with North. Congrats, what’s next? Making Obama sounds as retarded as Bush?
* If Marrioti were still a Chicago sports personality, he would be #1.
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Kendal Gill: Like his personality, but he just doesn’t get it done at the Bulls studio personality. Without Norm, his lack of on-screen presence is even more dramatic.
Dan Pompei: I can’t remember one article of his that I found interesting. Other notables, Steve McMichael, that Kaplan dude on Comcast Sportsnet, Dan McNeil.
5. K.C. Johnson: By all accounts K.C. seems like a really nice guy. He reminds me of a 10th year senior in college, just enjoying where he is at in life. No worries. Unfortunately, as a Bulls beat reporter K.C. adds nothing to my reading enjoyment. Not once have I read a story and felt like I’ve read anything meaningful. His reporting is so irrelevant and dull that you get the sense that he doesn’t even like basketball or maybe it’s just the Bulls. Either way, note to the person not reading this: It’s time for K.C. to move on. Maybe he should cover the Northwestern baseball team or something.
4. John Jurkovic and Harry Teinowitz from the afternoon saloon. A lot of my friends like these two with Carmen Defalco (someone I like), but I can’t get into them. They are the Jersey A team to number 2 below.
3. Rick Telander/ Rick Morrisey: It’s not so much that I find these columnists to be bad, but that they just fail do deliver. They have the pole position on all the top stories, but never seem to provide any interesting material. For the past 4 years, I cannot honestly say that I have read one interesting article from these two. As I like to say, they are a third world country’s poor man’s Rick Reilly. It’s upsetting that a great sports city like Chicago has these two as its premier columnists. I understand that they used to be prominent, especially Telander, but maybe writers are like everyone else; at some point writing becomes a job. And no one likes their job. I sense that these older writers sometimes just don’t’ like what they are doing anymore (think… Tony Kornheiser). Note to the person not reading this: We Chicago Sport’s fans need something to look forward to in our paper every morning. These two don’t get it done.
2. Boers and Bernstein: I’ve never heard two people more in love with themselves than these two. Their entire show consists of a series of inside jokes that only two insiders would find funny; namely, Boers and Bernstein. They remind me of the two weird kids in high school that constantly cracked each other up with Beavis and Butthead jokes or lines from the Simpsons. Except that those kids were actually cooler than these two. You know because they were in high-school. Note to the person not reading this: If you fired B & B, would anyone care?
1. Mike North*: Only Mike North can make B & B seem interesting and sensible. I won’t go into detail about North. Either you like him (and are retarded) or hate him (a normal human being). North’s failure to add any value to any conversation is only overshadowed by his obnoxious personality and annoying voice. Luckily for us viewers, he is no longer on the mainstream radio waves. Note to the person not reading this: You have somehow been able to make the cuddly and fan favorite Dan Jiggets into a nobody by pairing him with North. Congrats, what’s next? Making Obama sounds as retarded as Bush?
* If Marrioti were still a Chicago sports personality, he would be #1.
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Top 5 Best Chicago Sports Media Personalities
Honorable Mention:
Lou Cannalis, Schwirsky, Funk, David Haugh, Bowen (dude who occasionally writes for the Sun-Times), Mulligan, John Jackson, Slezak (just because and Brad Biggs (best Bears’ blog in town).
5. J-Hood. Hood is the Whitlock of Chicago sports radio; funny and not afraid to offer his own opinion. Note to person not reading this: Change the afternoon saloon and put J-Hood on with DeFalco.
4. Carmen/Silvy/Pat Boyle/Hanley: Simply because they get it done. They are never annoying and always consistent.
3. Lawrence Holmes. The best Bears commentator in the city. Holmes provides relevant information and interesting discussion in probably the most fair and unbiased way. Note to person not reading this: It’s time to market Holmes a little more. Enough with the B & B. If you don’t, I could see Holmes going elsewhere (read ESPN Radio).
2. Stacey King. Because I can’t get enough of “Tabo Sefalooshahhhh” or references to Brian Scalabrine of the Celtics as Jacki Moon. From what seems out of nowhere, King has become the best in-game TV commentator in Chicago sports. We will always love Red, but King ads levity and a youthful perspective to Bulls’ telecasts that don’t go unnoticed. Very much like TNT’s studio crew, King is must see TV. Note to person not reading this: Stacey needs his own Bulls’ show, either on the radio or TV. I could see King interviewing Tyrus Thomas and making me laugh uncontrollably.
1. Tom Waddle: While I prefer him more on TV in FOX NFL Sunday and the NFL Network, the skinny Bears wide receiver that I used to hate, is my favorite Chicago sports personality. Waddle is funny, eloquent, and insightful. More importantly, he is not too high himself and recognizes his weaknesses. He is as polished as they come on the TV and provides passion while on the radio. What more could you ask for. Note to person not reading this: More Waddle.
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