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25 years of late night schmoozing with Steve Somers on WFAN

Discussion in 'Sports and News' started by Smasher_Sloan, Dec 1, 2012.

  1. Smasher_Sloan

    Smasher_Sloan Active Member

    Times profile:

    http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/30/sports/for-wfans-steve-somers-25-years-of-schmoozing-with-family.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&emc=eta1&adxnnlx=1354338042-f5gWSLMPwLmu88wc/DCR5A
     
  2. X-Hack

    X-Hack Well-Known Member

    Nice article. My friends and i refer to him as he "Voice of the Tappan Zee Bridge" because his weekend morning (early afternoon?) show always seemed to be on when we were on our way back to Boston after a weekend in the cesspool.

    Article has the best correction ever:

    An earlier version of this article and a photo caption misstated the location of a caller named Jerome. He is from Manhattan, not the Bronx.
     
  3. Brooklyn Bridge

    Brooklyn Bridge Well-Known Member

    I used to listen to Steve back in the Captain Midnight days. Always would needle Islander fans-out on Short Islamd, the kids are working hard getting milk and eggs for kids in the city.

    Jerome was a funny, he had the Jerome Warning with sirens and everything.

    Had a chance to meet him when I briefly worked at the FAN right after college. Nice guy, loved to smoke, hoped he cut back
     
  4. The Big Ragu

    The Big Ragu Moderator Staff Member

    I have never been a regular listener, but listened enough over the years to know Doris from Rego Park, when she was alive. I am glad she got a mention.
     
    YankeeFan likes this.
  5. Boom_70

    Boom_70 Well-Known Member

    Good story. Love McGrath's subtle dig at Francesa:

    "He’s a relief from the dogmatism of Mike Francesa, WFAN’s biggest star, who presides over the drive-time hours with humorless ardor, seldom willing to concede a point to his listeners,"

    No mention of "Short Al from Brooklyn " perhaps Somers most noted caller from his overnight program.
     
  6. shockey

    shockey Active Member

    rich cimini and i were once guests of schmoozer's when he was trying to get a weekly show from a long island 'ruth's chris' off the ground. at least we had a terrific dinner... i also did his show a couple of times in the 'wee hours...' a class act always very generous and helpful to his guests. certainly not the sports-talk host with the greatest 'insiders' knowledge, and he doesnt try to profess that he is. that's why the callers love him -- never have to worry about being insulted or shouted down, ideal for the overnight shift, whee callers get as much time to run with the ball as they want. makes 'em feel like a co-host. i think the 'fan' canned steve once, or tried to, but the outcry from irate fans made the station re-evaluate and see he is ideal for any slots nobody else wants -- before and after games, saturdays, sundays, holidays, steve fills whatever slots they need filled. don't all operations need utilitymen like somers?
     
  7. lcjjdnh

    lcjjdnh Well-Known Member

    WFAN celebrated its 30th anniversary yesterday, including having Somers, Imus, and Russo on with the fat man, Sid Rosenberg on with Joe and Evan, etc. (Found the audio in the WFAN podcast feed.) As someone who grew up listen to the FAN,* it was a nice trip down memory lane. 30 for 30 on Mike and Mad Dog coming up soon, too.

    * Would go to sleep listening to Knicks/Rangers/Mets and/or Steve Somers, wake up listening to Imus (or Richard Neer on Saturdays), and come home from school to listen Mike and the Mad Dog. Plenty of other hosts I liked along the way, too, except for Scott Ferrell, who was absolutely awful--how can anyone listen to that guy's voice for more than a minute or two?
     
  8. bigpern23

    bigpern23 Well-Known Member

    I'm looking forward to the 30 for 30 on M&TMD. I heard a bunch of the old personalities on yesterday, but I missed Russo and Imus. BTW, I love Sid and Kim Jones when they fill in during the summer ... they're a really good pairing.

    My dad always listened to WFAN in his old, red Dodge Ram when I was growing up. I spent a lot of time on construction sites with him, and we always had the station blaring out of the truck (I'm not sure if he even had FM in that old fucker). I couldn't understand why he spent so much time listening to people talk instead of music, but it didn't matter how much I asked, it was staying on WFAN.

    My son asked me the other day on the way to preschool why we always had to listen to the men talking and "what's a 'rookie,' Daddy?" I smiled a bit to myself realizing yet another way I've turned into my dad.
     
    Baron Scicluna and YankeeFan like this.
  9. lcjjdnh

    lcjjdnh Well-Known Member

    Here's the clip with Mike, Russo, and Imus, if you're interested.

    LISTEN: Mike Francesa, Mad Dog, Don Imus Yuk It Up During WFAN Anniversary Show
     
    YankeeFan and bigpern23 like this.
  10. jr/shotglass

    jr/shotglass Well-Known Member

    It seems like another lifetime ago that I used to fight through the static to listen to Somers late-night on the Fan during the drive home.
     
    lcjjdnh likes this.
  11. Chef2

    Chef2 Well-Known Member

  12. lcjjdnh

    lcjjdnh Well-Known Member

    One of the joys of driving along the East Coast
    at night is picking up 660. I can remember getting it as far north as Boston and as far south as DC. 50,000 watts, as they say.
     
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