Emmy award-winning sports broadcaster, Chris Meyers, joins us to talk about his book and preview the Chiefs vs Eagles as we break down key players and make our picks.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Previously on your morning show with Michael del Choano.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
I grew up in New Orleans, Louisiana, and you're gonna
hate hearing this, but I watched you as a kid.
Speaker 3 (00:09):
Okay, what I saw the del Jordan, I was like, hey,
wait a minute, and that sounds a little Yeah.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
I was, and I was thinking, I was thinking off
the air, probably those New Orleans Saints pregames were your
first play by play, right, yeah?
Speaker 3 (00:25):
Yeah, doing so, And actually I didn't do. I'm Larry
Batchett was doing radio and I'm trying to think of
who I think Jim Henderson was actually doing the TV preseason,
and so I was supposed to. But that fourth out
on four was the big creation to be That helped.
And then that's ESPN spotted me from New Orleans to
kind of send me on the way. So I really
(00:45):
did do play by play till later with Tampa when
I was already kind of involved in the in the business.
But a lot of good New Orleans out If you
saw the book New Orleans Stories, the fair Grounds, Black
cattlet Combe, there's some stuff there that that takes it
takes me back when I was together.
Speaker 2 (01:01):
What's astonishing to me is that I think you're only
like four. You're my brother's age, so you're only like
four years older than me, and yet you were so polished.
I mean I didn't realize that No Orleans was like
your second stop.
Speaker 3 (01:12):
Yeah, yes, second stop, second TV stop. I'd done some
radio yet, but I started at sixteen. I mean that's
really almost earlier than that in radio in Miami on
a sports talk station. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (01:23):
Well, Larry Larry did a lot of college play by
play and he was our sports guy on WTIX when
my dad and I did a morning show together, Love
Love Larry Mattson Jim Henderson was an extraordinary talent. Yes,
and you and you came through and it was just
pure class, pure polished. I've always been a fan of
your your play by play presence, and always proud of
(01:43):
you being a part of my New Orleans origin. I
guess you played in some Super Bowl golf tournament with
my brother Vic, and he told me to tell you
he remembers you the only person you ever played golf
with that when you teed off, the ball went backwards.
I don't know, I.
Speaker 3 (01:56):
Remember, are we yeah? We doing we on the air
doing this?
Speaker 2 (02:01):
Well, yeah, of course, why not. We're like family. I
have always wanted to meet you. I have always been
a huge, huge fan.
Speaker 3 (02:06):
Because I love that story. And there you're right. I
was a terrible golfer. But the reason I asked it
because I could tell a Bill Burgy story where I
played golf with him later these years and I finally,
you know, look, I still it's like Charles Barkley by swing,
but the golf. I remember I hit one down the
fairway and I have a weird sway Barkley. So this
is Bill Murray and he says in front of every way. Wow,
(02:28):
he goes, I'm absolutely amazed. I thought he was amazed
at the ball, Gobell, and he goes, you do everything
wrong and your swing it looks so disturbed, and yet
the ball still comes out and somehow goes forward. So yeah,
my golf swing is well, we got to get you.
We got to get you to Nashville. I'll give you
a couple of lessons because I would love to meet you.
Always been a fan of your career. You're very, very versatile.
Speaker 2 (02:46):
I really loved your presence doing play by by play
with NFL. But you've done NASCAR thirty year career Emmy
Award winning play by play guy, I wanted to talk
to you. We're going to do the Super Bowl preview
in a second, but your book. What I love that
deserves a while is I remember I was watching a
documentary on Muhammad Ali and Chris While the focus of
the documentary is Muhammad Ali, what fascinated me was America
(03:10):
in the background. Going by over the years and going
through your book, it's kind of like that you're covering sports,
but life's happening in the background, and these extraordinary events
that you happen to be there to do a job,
but then they happen and we remember them forever and
the people you came across. It really was I'm sure
(03:31):
cathartic and reminiscent to sit there and write all that,
but it is just a fascinating journey through life going
on in that thirty years of coverage.
Speaker 3 (03:40):
Yeah, you described it well, and it was kind of
a it's kind of a Forrest Gump, you know, use
movie a little bit of that with sports, and then
you're connected with the movie almost famous, you know, with
the young rock and roll right journalists right camera Crow
where he's a teenager in the way and so and
I saw an athlete when I asked them about their careers,
they always say the same thing about, well, I haven't
had time to worry about that. You know, we played
(04:02):
the next game. We got next year. So that's how
it for me as a broadcaster, starting in radio, growing
up in Miami, thing, getting a big break in New Orleans,
to go to ESPN, then going to Fox, and I'm
always feeling your work at it. So somebody say, you
were at this place and at that place, and yet
from the seventies and disco and aali My first interview
was a teenager in sports too, Super Bowls and the
(04:23):
time in New Orleans locally just like Miami, and then
the national on the national stage with ESPN's growth and
what I call their golden years whenever the only game
in talent in sports in the nineties, and then Fox
adding from football being the NFL and the Simpsons, and
then adding baseball and NASCAR and soccer in college and
et cetera, et cetera. It really is life going by
and my life in sports, and I have a world
(04:44):
going on personally in between all this that I share
a little bit of that And the reason I did
that is because I think I wanted you to see
some of the great sporting moments and people that I
interviewed through through my eyes and maybe the part of
the story that you didn't see or you didn't hear.
And it was fun. Yeah, it was cathartic doing it.
I wrote it, though, because the approach had said, we
(05:06):
got to tell people not only we've seen or heard
we can all relate to something in these stories, but
what else was going on with you behind the scenes.
And that's kind of what I tried to.
Speaker 2 (05:14):
One of my favorite sports guys, Chris Myers, joining us.
The name of the book is that deserves a whole
get it everywhere books are sold, including Amazon. Ali, I
guess that was kind of a little bit anti climactic.
Maybe the most unique, amazing human being you could ever meet,
you met first in young I got to spend a
day with Muhammad Ali and Joe Frasier together along with
(05:37):
Riccory a long long time ago and Tells Oklahoma fundraiser
for the Tulsa Boys Home and then the Parkinson's had developed,
and so with Ali, you could see in his eyes
he was just as quick getting the funny thought. But
it took a while to come out, so you'd see
it in his eyes and then you'd wait for it
and wait for it and an amazing zinger. The interesting
part of the day was Ali seemed to love Fraser
(06:00):
and love to give him a hard time. Fraser seemed
to still have animosity and not like him. That was
an interesting dynamic. But Muhammad Ali one of the most interesting,
extraordinary people I ever spent a day with. What was
your day like?
Speaker 3 (06:13):
Yeah, well, because it was my from I'm leaving a
high school humanities class and rushing over to the Fountain
Blue Hotel in Miami Beach. The interview Ali is my
first as a radio reporter at sixteen, and when they
called it was the last minute. The sports director couldn't
make it, so I wasn't as prepared. And I mean
I knew who Ali was, of course, but I was
still in high school. But when I walked in, it
(06:35):
was a scene out out of a movie with the
seasoned sports writers, the hats, the cigar spoke, you know,
that type of thing. And Ali was Ali. He was,
I mean, just the charisma that he exhibited. Forget the ring,
I mean that speaks for itself, the greatness there. But
he commanded the room, and when I had a moment
to get my question in his response was he you
know it was the seventies, that long hair and big
(06:56):
tape recorder famous. Yeah, he said, you're not as double
as you look, kid, and yeah, so they laughed. He
but he answered my question. And yeah, the human side
of him was fascinating. But but what you mentioned about
him and Joe Fraser reminds me a little bit of
later how I'd have a very contentious interview with Mike
Tyson over in the Holy Field of Earbiting incident where
(07:19):
Tyson almost tries to beat me up, which I talk
about in the book at his house in Las Vegas,
and thank god his sparring partner and security guard were
there to keep him from getting there.
Speaker 2 (07:26):
That's a memorable moment because you don't getting a psycho
onion slapping your faith.
Speaker 3 (07:33):
Yeah, I said, Mike, if you don't want to answer
the question, just tell me and I'll leave. But anyway,
him and him in the Holy Field, uh, you know,
the holy earbiding they later have become. You know, they reconciled,
so to speak, so at the moment they needed the
intense dislikely that Fraser. Fraser did not because these are
the Winny, the guy who wins. It's easy for him
to say, hey all it's good. Uh, the other guy
(07:54):
it's not. But Tyson finally came around to.
Speaker 2 (07:57):
That loving me, loving me some visit with Chris. Let
me let me ask you about like, you know, you
go to cover a world series. I was watching for
my condo just outside Washington, d C. At the time,
and you get the feeling that a world series is
bigger than life, certainly bigger than the game even and
yet Mother Nature had something to remind us, was that
(08:17):
one of the more extraordinary things. You're there doing probably
storylines and player profiles. You're ready for the big game,
and an earthquake happens.
Speaker 3 (08:27):
Yeah, that was the right the A's Giants and all
of a sudden, with Bob Lee, Chris Burma, some of
the great the pillars of ESPL we scatter and realized
that we didn't know at the time how devastating it
was across the area. So we were just concerned in
our little sports world. But boy it shook and we
had to quickly go into reporting mode. I remember seeing
Tony LaRussa Mark Maguire from the a's scattering, we were
(08:50):
trying to get near their families and the stands. I mean,
there wasn't as much damage in that in that stadium,
but the fact that we were going to stay on
the air and report, get more information around from different
places that had severe damage, and then of course with
the World Series continue to be played or not and
when would it be and then spending time with the commissioner. Yeah,
that was That was one of those moments. And then
(09:13):
then there would be other moments where I'm at the
you know, the Olympics in Atlanta and the bomb goes off.
I'm recording for Late Sports Center and at the time,
again we thought that the summer games there were more
bombs and I had to go report through the street
with a National Guard and a bomb squad and all
of a sudden turning into an overnight news reporter to
see if they needed to, you know, to try to
clear Olympic village. So those are yeah, that's where your
(09:35):
old school journalistic skills are supposed to come in. And
it's not the funning game. So all that you prepared for,
you have a little bit of background about the venue
and the people that are there, but then things change.
It's not about the scoreboard, it's it's about you know,
lives and safety and updating news information.
Speaker 2 (09:53):
Really is a great, great look at at a thirty
years of life that happened while you were covering sports,
and I just want to conclude because I think it's
dying to come out of you. I remember when you know,
CNN first appeared and I'm like, okay, you're gonna do
news twenty four hours a day. That's a little crazy.
You're gonna have twenty four hours? And then ESPN came
along and I'm like, okay, now I'm watching Australian rules.
(10:14):
But is there that much sports? I don't think anybody
has done it better than ESPN for as long as ESPN.
You talk about the people you worked with, I mean
Chris Berman, Tom Jackson, I mean some really really great,
great talent and still going strong today. It really is.
And I mean know Fox now and Fox has its own,
you know, corner of the monopoly board. But ESPN that
(10:37):
was some extraordinary years while you were there.
Speaker 3 (10:39):
Yes, No, and Linda Cohen, who I first, you know,
we broke in on the I broke in on the
Late Sports of Mike Tariko, the coens still at ESPN
to Rico's moved on. But and that's what it took.
It took the opportunity for the network. Always grateful for
that to give some of the names you mentioned and
people behind the scenes a chance to do sport. That's
what we love. It was, and that was because you know,
(10:59):
doing local sports, if a news story happens, you get
pushed and you're out of you're out of time. So
all sports, all the time. And then I never thought
I'd leave ESPN. It was my it was, you know,
at the time, the dream job. I mean, that was
part of our And then they expanded ESPN too, and
then through the years of have a number of channels
and Disney bought them and they can combined with ABC,
so so things change over time. But I have nothing
(11:21):
but fond memories of a decade there. And yes, I
had a funny story I mentioned in the book in
the early years at ESPN and Frank Robinson was a
manager's spring training and I break it, you know, and
I said, excuse me, there were writers around. You have
a moment for ESPN and he joked, at ESPN, is
that a Spanish channel? I don't speak Spanish as well,
and so people augh. But then a year or later
(11:42):
or so or two years later, everybody, everybody in sports
knew who ESPN, whether you were a college student or
an athlete, and so that talks about the growth. And
you're right how they had the market cornered and how
they've kept the brand ESPN, And then Sports Center still
carries so much weight and it is important for all
of us as sports fans because it gives us some
place to go twenty four hours a day, not just
with the big events.
Speaker 2 (12:03):
Emmy Award winning play by play sportscaster author the book
is called that deserves a whole Get it, You'll love it.
Or let's turn to the Super Bowl. I remember there
was a meme and it was about a month ago,
and it had two sides to it. On one side,
it had the Bills and the Lions, what everybody wants
to see, and then it had the Eagles and the
Chiefs what we're probably going to see. And boy did
(12:25):
it turn out to be right. And yet, Chris, don't
you feel like in the back of your mind is discussed.
I'm as sick of the Chiefs as I was the Patriots.
You know, I'm kind of sick of the Eagles, and
I really wanted that Lion's Bills Super Bowl so that
no matter who won, history was made. But this is
going to be a great game.
Speaker 3 (12:44):
Yes, And you can still get by the way most
of the people are with you on that. You can
still get history the Chiefs or you can root against history.
But it's amazing that as great as we've seen the Patriots,
and you go back to the Dolphins in the early seventies,
the Niners, Steelers, Steelers, nobody's won three in a Oh right,
I mean that's really so this this could happen. And
I was on the sideline, worked for Fox the Super
(13:06):
Bowl broadcast their first Andy and mahomes their first Super
Bowl win when they when they rallied against the forty
nine ers, and that's what they do. I saw. You know,
you have access to things that you don't normally have
if you're not the broadcast network. And these guys seventeen
straight one score games they've won. And so even though
if the Eagles are more talented in the trenches and
and and you know, have maybe the more imposing defense
(13:30):
at the game's close, and the Chiefs had the advantage
will be the quarterback and the coach in and then
then I'm not disparaging Sirianni or Jalen Hurts, but that's
Mahomes and Reed. That's the difference in the game. This
will be the difference.
Speaker 2 (13:41):
This and the injuries looked like the most vulnerable Chiefs team,
and every playoff matchup I really thought the Ravens were
going to beat him. I just thought, you know, you
come with a pound, with a ground game, with a quarterback,
then get out of the pocket with some receiving threats.
This team is vulnerable. They're going to fall to the
and they just fifteen and two in the regular season
(14:02):
and here they are in the Super Bowl. Andy Reid
obviously the best best coach in the NFL, and Patrick
Mahomes the recipe for winning a Super Bowl a superstar.
But they have just done it. And I think what's
the most impressive is how unimpressively they just win. They
find a way to win. And if the Eagles have
anything to be afraid of, it's all of a sudden,
it's not about you know, if what's her name, Taylor
(14:25):
Swift is up in the in the booth, now you're
starting to see Travis Kelcey involved in the offense, getting
one hundred yards, making the third down conversions. Oh look out,
now he's gonna come back just in time for the
three beat.
Speaker 3 (14:39):
I mean, it's yeah, it's where and how they use
him they remind me of and the Patriots had this
where you're good at what you do, and so teams
at a certain point, and I don't know if the
other teams will admit this, they feel the pre like,
oh my god, we're playing the Chiefs and Mahomes. If
we don't do this, then they're gonna do that, and
they're going to win again. And it happen whether it's
(15:00):
a fourth and a one call or it's a missfield goal,
and all they need is an opening and then here
here comes Kansas City and they might catch a break
on a flag or whatever. But but they're that good,
they're that calm, and then they're that they're that talented.
Speaker 2 (15:14):
So all right, let's let's get the preview of the
Super Bowl.
Speaker 3 (15:17):
A J.
Speaker 2 (15:17):
Brown. We want to see him involved in the offense,
getting getting targets, often making big catches, not reading books
on the sidelines. But there's no mistaking if the Eagles win,
it's going to be on the shoulders of Saquon Barkley, right, yeah, yeah, well.
Speaker 3 (15:32):
Yes, but I do think and this is what if
you're an Eagles guy, I'm gonna say, don't don't try
to and this is where their offensive coordinator has to
be careful. Don't try to prove to everybody that Jalen
Hurts can be a great passer. He's not. That's not
his thing. He's an NFL quarterback who's a great running quarterback.
He can throw in certain spots. But my thing is
if the Chiefs worry at are slowing down Barkley, if
(15:53):
that's how you Jalen Hurts as a runner like you
never have before. The guy can change a game. He's not.
He's physically strong. H the hits uh and he is
healthier coming into this game. And you know, Dallas got it.
They'll there'll be ways to throw the ball. But don't
think you can throw the ball against Kansas City unless
they start stacking the line and putting everybody up up
front and the other side of it. If you can,
(16:13):
if you can keep the ball, limit the possessions that
Mahomes has, and they have the ability to do that
with the run game, right, that's working.
Speaker 2 (16:20):
That's what the Saints did so effectively against Peyton Manning
and the Colts kept them off the field.
Speaker 3 (16:25):
Yep. And then get them get if you can get
up by more than a score or two. That that way.
When look at that, they should go back and study,
and I'm sure they will. The team that beat the
Chiefs of the Super Bowl was was the Tampa Bay Buccaneers,
and and they beat him. And the sack total maybe
wasn't as high as it seemed, but they had pressure,
and they had blitz packages, and they had people that
that harassed homes coms almost fun. When the Giants beat
(16:50):
Tom Brady and the Super Bowl. Once that started and
they did it early, it was on them all day
and it changed. The Chiefs didn't even get ten points
in that game. The Bucks beating that's only Super Bowl
loss with this group, that's what this Eagle defense is
capable of doing. And we'll need to do not however
they come up with.
Speaker 2 (17:06):
Yeah, I was just gonna say, everybody knows everything about
the offense and the storylines and the key player is
not a lot of people talking about the defenses. And
I will say this for the Chiefs. I'm much improved you.
This may be their best of the three defenses, so
look out for that. All right, prediction time only you're
the one that knows more than me. Who's gonna win this?
Speaker 3 (17:23):
Well, I mean, at this point, I'm leaning like I
think the Eagles have the better have the better play,
like I just talked about, if they follow my plan.
But you know what, in the end, I'm not going
I always look at the quarterback of the coach in
a big game, and this is the biggest of the game,
so it'll be a heck of a game. The Eagles
will have their chance, but I think Kansas City, whether
I like it or not, or America does that they
(17:43):
end up winning it because of Mahomes and Reed.
Speaker 2 (17:45):
Well, we see it the same best coach, superstar quarterback
that usually wins. I actually like a very really entertaining,
great football game, very close Chiefs getting their historic three peat. Hey,
what a thrill it is to meet you. I can't
believe how successful you were. When I was at teenager,
you weren't that much older than me, but I guess
that's what happens when you started sixteen. Always been a
big fan of your career. Loved your book and really
(18:08):
appreciate your time visiting us. And if you're ever in Nashville,
I'll take you out golf and give you a tip
or two. We'll get that ball going forward.
Speaker 3 (18:14):
I do need it in the fairway. Thank you, Michael,
I joined it.
Speaker 2 (18:17):
God bless you, Chris. It was an honor to meet you.
All right, take care.
Speaker 3 (18:20):
Of Yeah, that was fun, good conversation. I didn't even
know we were know we're on. It was great.
Speaker 1 (18:24):
Miss a little, miss a lot, miss a lot, and
we'll miss you. It's your morning show with Michael del
Churno
Previously on your morning show with Michael del Choano.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
I grew up in New Orleans, Louisiana, and you're gonna
hate hearing this, but I watched you as a kid.
Speaker 3 (00:09):
Okay, what I saw the del Jordan, I was like, hey,
wait a minute, and that sounds a little Yeah.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
I was, and I was thinking, I was thinking off
the air, probably those New Orleans Saints pregames were your
first play by play, right, yeah?
Speaker 3 (00:25):
Yeah, doing so, And actually I didn't do. I'm Larry
Batchett was doing radio and I'm trying to think of
who I think Jim Henderson was actually doing the TV preseason,
and so I was supposed to. But that fourth out
on four was the big creation to be That helped.
And then that's ESPN spotted me from New Orleans to
kind of send me on the way. So I really
(00:45):
did do play by play till later with Tampa when
I was already kind of involved in the in the business.
But a lot of good New Orleans out If you
saw the book New Orleans Stories, the fair Grounds, Black
cattlet Combe, there's some stuff there that that takes it
takes me back when I was together.
Speaker 2 (01:01):
What's astonishing to me is that I think you're only
like four. You're my brother's age, so you're only like
four years older than me, and yet you were so polished.
I mean I didn't realize that No Orleans was like
your second stop.
Speaker 3 (01:12):
Yeah, yes, second stop, second TV stop. I'd done some
radio yet, but I started at sixteen. I mean that's
really almost earlier than that in radio in Miami on
a sports talk station. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (01:23):
Well, Larry Larry did a lot of college play by
play and he was our sports guy on WTIX when
my dad and I did a morning show together, Love
Love Larry Mattson Jim Henderson was an extraordinary talent. Yes,
and you and you came through and it was just
pure class, pure polished. I've always been a fan of
your your play by play presence, and always proud of
(01:43):
you being a part of my New Orleans origin. I
guess you played in some Super Bowl golf tournament with
my brother Vic, and he told me to tell you
he remembers you the only person you ever played golf
with that when you teed off, the ball went backwards.
I don't know, I.
Speaker 3 (01:56):
Remember, are we yeah? We doing we on the air
doing this?
Speaker 2 (02:01):
Well, yeah, of course, why not. We're like family. I
have always wanted to meet you. I have always been
a huge, huge fan.
Speaker 3 (02:06):
Because I love that story. And there you're right. I
was a terrible golfer. But the reason I asked it
because I could tell a Bill Burgy story where I
played golf with him later these years and I finally,
you know, look, I still it's like Charles Barkley by swing,
but the golf. I remember I hit one down the
fairway and I have a weird sway Barkley. So this
is Bill Murray and he says in front of every way. Wow,
(02:28):
he goes, I'm absolutely amazed. I thought he was amazed
at the ball, Gobell, and he goes, you do everything
wrong and your swing it looks so disturbed, and yet
the ball still comes out and somehow goes forward. So yeah,
my golf swing is well, we got to get you.
We got to get you to Nashville. I'll give you
a couple of lessons because I would love to meet you.
Always been a fan of your career. You're very, very versatile.
Speaker 2 (02:46):
I really loved your presence doing play by by play
with NFL. But you've done NASCAR thirty year career Emmy
Award winning play by play guy, I wanted to talk
to you. We're going to do the Super Bowl preview
in a second, but your book. What I love that
deserves a while is I remember I was watching a
documentary on Muhammad Ali and Chris While the focus of
the documentary is Muhammad Ali, what fascinated me was America
(03:10):
in the background. Going by over the years and going
through your book, it's kind of like that you're covering sports,
but life's happening in the background, and these extraordinary events
that you happen to be there to do a job,
but then they happen and we remember them forever and
the people you came across. It really was I'm sure
(03:31):
cathartic and reminiscent to sit there and write all that,
but it is just a fascinating journey through life going
on in that thirty years of coverage.
Speaker 3 (03:40):
Yeah, you described it well, and it was kind of
a it's kind of a Forrest Gump, you know, use
movie a little bit of that with sports, and then
you're connected with the movie almost famous, you know, with
the young rock and roll right journalists right camera Crow
where he's a teenager in the way and so and
I saw an athlete when I asked them about their careers,
they always say the same thing about, well, I haven't
had time to worry about that. You know, we played
(04:02):
the next game. We got next year. So that's how
it for me as a broadcaster, starting in radio, growing
up in Miami, thing, getting a big break in New Orleans,
to go to ESPN, then going to Fox, and I'm
always feeling your work at it. So somebody say, you
were at this place and at that place, and yet
from the seventies and disco and aali My first interview
was a teenager in sports too, Super Bowls and the
(04:23):
time in New Orleans locally just like Miami, and then
the national on the national stage with ESPN's growth and
what I call their golden years whenever the only game
in talent in sports in the nineties, and then Fox
adding from football being the NFL and the Simpsons, and
then adding baseball and NASCAR and soccer in college and
et cetera, et cetera. It really is life going by
and my life in sports, and I have a world
(04:44):
going on personally in between all this that I share
a little bit of that And the reason I did
that is because I think I wanted you to see
some of the great sporting moments and people that I
interviewed through through my eyes and maybe the part of
the story that you didn't see or you didn't hear.
And it was fun. Yeah, it was cathartic doing it.
I wrote it, though, because the approach had said, we
(05:06):
got to tell people not only we've seen or heard
we can all relate to something in these stories, but
what else was going on with you behind the scenes.
And that's kind of what I tried to.
Speaker 2 (05:14):
One of my favorite sports guys, Chris Myers, joining us.
The name of the book is that deserves a whole
get it everywhere books are sold, including Amazon. Ali, I
guess that was kind of a little bit anti climactic.
Maybe the most unique, amazing human being you could ever meet,
you met first in young I got to spend a
day with Muhammad Ali and Joe Frasier together along with
(05:37):
Riccory a long long time ago and Tells Oklahoma fundraiser
for the Tulsa Boys Home and then the Parkinson's had developed,
and so with Ali, you could see in his eyes
he was just as quick getting the funny thought. But
it took a while to come out, so you'd see
it in his eyes and then you'd wait for it
and wait for it and an amazing zinger. The interesting
part of the day was Ali seemed to love Fraser
(06:00):
and love to give him a hard time. Fraser seemed
to still have animosity and not like him. That was
an interesting dynamic. But Muhammad Ali one of the most interesting,
extraordinary people I ever spent a day with. What was
your day like?
Speaker 3 (06:13):
Yeah, well, because it was my from I'm leaving a
high school humanities class and rushing over to the Fountain
Blue Hotel in Miami Beach. The interview Ali is my
first as a radio reporter at sixteen, and when they
called it was the last minute. The sports director couldn't
make it, so I wasn't as prepared. And I mean
I knew who Ali was, of course, but I was
still in high school. But when I walked in, it
(06:35):
was a scene out out of a movie with the
seasoned sports writers, the hats, the cigar spoke, you know,
that type of thing. And Ali was Ali. He was,
I mean, just the charisma that he exhibited. Forget the ring,
I mean that speaks for itself, the greatness there. But
he commanded the room, and when I had a moment
to get my question in his response was he you
know it was the seventies, that long hair and big
(06:56):
tape recorder famous. Yeah, he said, you're not as double
as you look, kid, and yeah, so they laughed. He
but he answered my question. And yeah, the human side
of him was fascinating. But but what you mentioned about
him and Joe Fraser reminds me a little bit of
later how I'd have a very contentious interview with Mike
Tyson over in the Holy Field of Earbiting incident where
(07:19):
Tyson almost tries to beat me up, which I talk
about in the book at his house in Las Vegas,
and thank god his sparring partner and security guard were
there to keep him from getting there.
Speaker 2 (07:26):
That's a memorable moment because you don't getting a psycho
onion slapping your faith.
Speaker 3 (07:33):
Yeah, I said, Mike, if you don't want to answer
the question, just tell me and I'll leave. But anyway,
him and him in the Holy Field, uh, you know,
the holy earbiding they later have become. You know, they reconciled,
so to speak, so at the moment they needed the
intense dislikely that Fraser. Fraser did not because these are
the Winny, the guy who wins. It's easy for him
to say, hey all it's good. Uh, the other guy
(07:54):
it's not. But Tyson finally came around to.
Speaker 2 (07:57):
That loving me, loving me some visit with Chris. Let
me let me ask you about like, you know, you
go to cover a world series. I was watching for
my condo just outside Washington, d C. At the time,
and you get the feeling that a world series is
bigger than life, certainly bigger than the game even and
yet Mother Nature had something to remind us, was that
(08:17):
one of the more extraordinary things. You're there doing probably
storylines and player profiles. You're ready for the big game,
and an earthquake happens.
Speaker 3 (08:27):
Yeah, that was the right the A's Giants and all
of a sudden, with Bob Lee, Chris Burma, some of
the great the pillars of ESPL we scatter and realized
that we didn't know at the time how devastating it
was across the area. So we were just concerned in
our little sports world. But boy it shook and we
had to quickly go into reporting mode. I remember seeing
Tony LaRussa Mark Maguire from the a's scattering, we were
(08:50):
trying to get near their families and the stands. I mean,
there wasn't as much damage in that in that stadium,
but the fact that we were going to stay on
the air and report, get more information around from different
places that had severe damage, and then of course with
the World Series continue to be played or not and
when would it be and then spending time with the commissioner. Yeah,
that was That was one of those moments. And then
(09:13):
then there would be other moments where I'm at the
you know, the Olympics in Atlanta and the bomb goes off.
I'm recording for Late Sports Center and at the time,
again we thought that the summer games there were more
bombs and I had to go report through the street
with a National Guard and a bomb squad and all
of a sudden turning into an overnight news reporter to
see if they needed to, you know, to try to
clear Olympic village. So those are yeah, that's where your
(09:35):
old school journalistic skills are supposed to come in. And
it's not the funning game. So all that you prepared for,
you have a little bit of background about the venue
and the people that are there, but then things change.
It's not about the scoreboard, it's it's about you know,
lives and safety and updating news information.
Speaker 2 (09:53):
Really is a great, great look at at a thirty
years of life that happened while you were covering sports,
and I just want to conclude because I think it's
dying to come out of you. I remember when you know,
CNN first appeared and I'm like, okay, you're gonna do
news twenty four hours a day. That's a little crazy.
You're gonna have twenty four hours? And then ESPN came
along and I'm like, okay, now I'm watching Australian rules.
(10:14):
But is there that much sports? I don't think anybody
has done it better than ESPN for as long as ESPN.
You talk about the people you worked with, I mean
Chris Berman, Tom Jackson, I mean some really really great,
great talent and still going strong today. It really is.
And I mean know Fox now and Fox has its own,
you know, corner of the monopoly board. But ESPN that
(10:37):
was some extraordinary years while you were there.
Speaker 3 (10:39):
Yes, No, and Linda Cohen, who I first, you know,
we broke in on the I broke in on the
Late Sports of Mike Tariko, the coens still at ESPN
to Rico's moved on. But and that's what it took.
It took the opportunity for the network. Always grateful for
that to give some of the names you mentioned and
people behind the scenes a chance to do sport. That's
what we love. It was, and that was because you know,
(10:59):
doing local sports, if a news story happens, you get
pushed and you're out of you're out of time. So
all sports, all the time. And then I never thought
I'd leave ESPN. It was my it was, you know,
at the time, the dream job. I mean, that was
part of our And then they expanded ESPN too, and
then through the years of have a number of channels
and Disney bought them and they can combined with ABC,
so so things change over time. But I have nothing
(11:21):
but fond memories of a decade there. And yes, I
had a funny story I mentioned in the book in
the early years at ESPN and Frank Robinson was a
manager's spring training and I break it, you know, and
I said, excuse me, there were writers around. You have
a moment for ESPN and he joked, at ESPN, is
that a Spanish channel? I don't speak Spanish as well,
and so people augh. But then a year or later
(11:42):
or so or two years later, everybody, everybody in sports
knew who ESPN, whether you were a college student or
an athlete, and so that talks about the growth. And
you're right how they had the market cornered and how
they've kept the brand ESPN, And then Sports Center still
carries so much weight and it is important for all
of us as sports fans because it gives us some
place to go twenty four hours a day, not just
with the big events.
Speaker 2 (12:03):
Emmy Award winning play by play sportscaster author the book
is called that deserves a whole Get it, You'll love it.
Or let's turn to the Super Bowl. I remember there
was a meme and it was about a month ago,
and it had two sides to it. On one side,
it had the Bills and the Lions, what everybody wants
to see, and then it had the Eagles and the
Chiefs what we're probably going to see. And boy did
(12:25):
it turn out to be right. And yet, Chris, don't
you feel like in the back of your mind is discussed.
I'm as sick of the Chiefs as I was the Patriots.
You know, I'm kind of sick of the Eagles, and
I really wanted that Lion's Bills Super Bowl so that
no matter who won, history was made. But this is
going to be a great game.
Speaker 3 (12:44):
Yes, And you can still get by the way most
of the people are with you on that. You can
still get history the Chiefs or you can root against history.
But it's amazing that as great as we've seen the Patriots,
and you go back to the Dolphins in the early seventies,
the Niners, Steelers, Steelers, nobody's won three in a Oh right,
I mean that's really so this this could happen. And
I was on the sideline, worked for Fox the Super
(13:06):
Bowl broadcast their first Andy and mahomes their first Super
Bowl win when they when they rallied against the forty
nine ers, and that's what they do. I saw. You know,
you have access to things that you don't normally have
if you're not the broadcast network. And these guys seventeen
straight one score games they've won. And so even though
if the Eagles are more talented in the trenches and
and and you know, have maybe the more imposing defense
(13:30):
at the game's close, and the Chiefs had the advantage
will be the quarterback and the coach in and then
then I'm not disparaging Sirianni or Jalen Hurts, but that's
Mahomes and Reed. That's the difference in the game. This
will be the difference.
Speaker 2 (13:41):
This and the injuries looked like the most vulnerable Chiefs team,
and every playoff matchup I really thought the Ravens were
going to beat him. I just thought, you know, you
come with a pound, with a ground game, with a quarterback,
then get out of the pocket with some receiving threats.
This team is vulnerable. They're going to fall to the
and they just fifteen and two in the regular season
(14:02):
and here they are in the Super Bowl. Andy Reid
obviously the best best coach in the NFL, and Patrick
Mahomes the recipe for winning a Super Bowl a superstar.
But they have just done it. And I think what's
the most impressive is how unimpressively they just win. They
find a way to win. And if the Eagles have
anything to be afraid of, it's all of a sudden,
it's not about you know, if what's her name, Taylor
(14:25):
Swift is up in the in the booth, now you're
starting to see Travis Kelcey involved in the offense, getting
one hundred yards, making the third down conversions. Oh look out,
now he's gonna come back just in time for the
three beat.
Speaker 3 (14:39):
I mean, it's yeah, it's where and how they use
him they remind me of and the Patriots had this
where you're good at what you do, and so teams
at a certain point, and I don't know if the
other teams will admit this, they feel the pre like,
oh my god, we're playing the Chiefs and Mahomes. If
we don't do this, then they're gonna do that, and
they're going to win again. And it happen whether it's
(15:00):
a fourth and a one call or it's a missfield goal,
and all they need is an opening and then here
here comes Kansas City and they might catch a break
on a flag or whatever. But but they're that good,
they're that calm, and then they're that they're that talented.
Speaker 2 (15:14):
So all right, let's let's get the preview of the
Super Bowl.
Speaker 3 (15:17):
A J.
Speaker 2 (15:17):
Brown. We want to see him involved in the offense,
getting getting targets, often making big catches, not reading books
on the sidelines. But there's no mistaking if the Eagles win,
it's going to be on the shoulders of Saquon Barkley, right, yeah, yeah, well.
Speaker 3 (15:32):
Yes, but I do think and this is what if
you're an Eagles guy, I'm gonna say, don't don't try
to and this is where their offensive coordinator has to
be careful. Don't try to prove to everybody that Jalen
Hurts can be a great passer. He's not. That's not
his thing. He's an NFL quarterback who's a great running quarterback.
He can throw in certain spots. But my thing is
if the Chiefs worry at are slowing down Barkley, if
(15:53):
that's how you Jalen Hurts as a runner like you
never have before. The guy can change a game. He's not.
He's physically strong. H the hits uh and he is
healthier coming into this game. And you know, Dallas got it.
They'll there'll be ways to throw the ball. But don't
think you can throw the ball against Kansas City unless
they start stacking the line and putting everybody up up
front and the other side of it. If you can,
(16:13):
if you can keep the ball, limit the possessions that
Mahomes has, and they have the ability to do that
with the run game, right, that's working.
Speaker 2 (16:20):
That's what the Saints did so effectively against Peyton Manning
and the Colts kept them off the field.
Speaker 3 (16:25):
Yep. And then get them get if you can get
up by more than a score or two. That that way.
When look at that, they should go back and study,
and I'm sure they will. The team that beat the
Chiefs of the Super Bowl was was the Tampa Bay Buccaneers,
and and they beat him. And the sack total maybe
wasn't as high as it seemed, but they had pressure,
and they had blitz packages, and they had people that
that harassed homes coms almost fun. When the Giants beat
(16:50):
Tom Brady and the Super Bowl. Once that started and
they did it early, it was on them all day
and it changed. The Chiefs didn't even get ten points
in that game. The Bucks beating that's only Super Bowl
loss with this group, that's what this Eagle defense is
capable of doing. And we'll need to do not however
they come up with.
Speaker 2 (17:06):
Yeah, I was just gonna say, everybody knows everything about
the offense and the storylines and the key player is
not a lot of people talking about the defenses. And
I will say this for the Chiefs. I'm much improved you.
This may be their best of the three defenses, so
look out for that. All right, prediction time only you're
the one that knows more than me. Who's gonna win this?
Speaker 3 (17:23):
Well, I mean, at this point, I'm leaning like I
think the Eagles have the better have the better play,
like I just talked about, if they follow my plan.
But you know what, in the end, I'm not going
I always look at the quarterback of the coach in
a big game, and this is the biggest of the game,
so it'll be a heck of a game. The Eagles
will have their chance, but I think Kansas City, whether
I like it or not, or America does that they
(17:43):
end up winning it because of Mahomes and Reed.
Speaker 2 (17:45):
Well, we see it the same best coach, superstar quarterback
that usually wins. I actually like a very really entertaining,
great football game, very close Chiefs getting their historic three peat. Hey,
what a thrill it is to meet you. I can't
believe how successful you were. When I was at teenager,
you weren't that much older than me, but I guess
that's what happens when you started sixteen. Always been a
big fan of your career. Loved your book and really
(18:08):
appreciate your time visiting us. And if you're ever in Nashville,
I'll take you out golf and give you a tip
or two. We'll get that ball going forward.
Speaker 3 (18:14):
I do need it in the fairway. Thank you, Michael,
I joined it.
Speaker 2 (18:17):
God bless you, Chris. It was an honor to meet you.
All right, take care.
Speaker 3 (18:20):
Of Yeah, that was fun, good conversation. I didn't even
know we were know we're on. It was great.
Speaker 1 (18:24):
Miss a little, miss a lot, miss a lot, and
we'll miss you. It's your morning show with Michael del
Churno
Popular Podcasts
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.