Kevin Harlan has had a sportscasting career anyone in the industry would envy. He has called Super Bowls for Westwood One, NBA Conference Finals for TNT, and a plethora of NFL Playoff games for CBS. Still, he is well aware that when most sports fans hear his name, they think about the weird things that aren’t supposed to happen on the field but do.
Martin Kilcoyne of FOX2 in St. Louis sat down with Harlan for an interview over the weekend. The two touched on Harlan’s history with the Cardinals, where his dad was the PR Director during his youth. Harlan reminisced about building model airplanes with Bob Gibson and being welcomed into the booth to sit along side Jack Buck.
He talked about landing play-by-play roles for the University of Missouri and the Kansas City Chiefs and about how he chose to stick with those jobs rather than go to KMOX to join the St. Louis Cardinals broadcast team.
Kilcoyne said that most people think of “the idiot on the field” when they think of Harlan. He has incorporated calls of drunk fans and animals running onto football fields into his Westwood One broadcasts.
Harlan says those are some of the moments when fans get to hear him at his most comfortable and authentic.
“They were just fun moments and that was just clear,” Harlan told Kilcoyne. “I mean, if anyone listens to me, they know that is kind of part of it for me. I like to have fun. I like to laugh. I mean, we all do, but that’s what that was.”
Given all of the games and moments people have experienced with Harlan’s voice, he says it is strange to think the call of a cat running loose on the field at MetLife Stadium is what so many people will first think of when they hear his name.
“I like to think there is a call down the road here that will better do that. You know, I’ve been proud of my career. I think that all careers have a lot of tentacles to them. So this will be one of those tentacles. I’ll enjoy it if people have enjoyed it.”
670 The Score morning host Mike Mulligan is being awarded the Father Finnegan Memorial Award from Loyola University Chicago this weekend, and some of his colleagues congratulated him on the air Friday morning.
The award is given “in recognition of outstanding humanitarianism and service to youth through athletics”. Mulligan — a 1984 graduate of Loyola University Chicago — will receive the award Saturday during the Loyola Athletics Hall of Fame ceremony during a game against George Mason.
“Tremendous award,” co-host David Haugh said. “Proud moment for the show. Proud moment for you family.”
“They’re giving me an award for correctly picking the Super Bowl on September 8th,” Mulligan joked.
“That is fantastic,” Laurence Holmes said, while his co-host, Dan Bernstein, continued to say “wow”. “Congratulations. You shouldn’t be embarrassed. You should be proud.”
“I’m being celebrated for being old,” Mully joked.
“That’s not what that award says,” countered Holmes. “It says something completely different.”
The Mully & Haugh host eventually admitted he was appreciative of the award bestowed upon him by his alma mater.
“It’s a good thing. I’m very moved by it. Sister Jean will be there,” Mully said. “She has a book coming out with — I think — Seth Davis.”
Colin Cowherd: Tony Romo Regressing Because He Loves Golf
“I’ve always felt like Tony Romo is one of those guys — and we all have somebody in our social circle like this — he got the golf bug. He’s had it for 15 years.
The performance of CBS Sports NFL analyst Tony Romo has been a hot-button topic in sports media circles, especially after a widely-regarded lackluster performance during the AFC Championship Game. Colin Cowherd believes he knows why Romo has regressed.
During an episode of The Colin Cowherd Podcast, the sports radio host claimed golf is the reason behind Romo’s regression.
“Romo wants to be on the Tour. He literally wants to be on the Tour,” Cowherd said. “And what’s the first thing Aaron Rodgers does in the off-season? He goes and golfs, he loves it. Both, by the way, great golfers, especially Romo. But I’ve always felt like Tony Romo is one of those guys — and we all have somebody in our social circle like this — he got the golf bug. He’s had it for 15 years.
“Tony wants to be on the PGA Tour — but he likes the paycheck from CBS.”
Cowherd also added he hasn’t hired potential employees in the past if they told him they loved golf during the interview process, saying he has a theory that as men age they “get addicted to golf”.
“They’re on PGATour.com, they’re putting in the backyard, they’re thinking about it at work, they’re scheduling a trip to Scotland and they lose sight of their other job,” Cowherd said.
The NBA’s all-time scoring record has stood for a long time. Kareem Abdul-Jabar, the current record holder, retired in 1989. LeBron James is on the verge of overtaking him though, and ESPN Radio wants to make sure it is part of history when it happens.
ESPN Radio has added two upcoming Lakers games to its schedule. The network will carry the national feeds of games on February 7 and 9. The first game is against the Oklahoma City Thunder. The second is against the Milwaukee Bucks.
Both games will be played in Los Angeles with a 9:30 PM Eastern tip. Marc Kestecher and Vince Carter will be on the call for both games.
As of Friday, February 3, LeBron James is 63 points away from Abdul-Jabbar’s 38,387 career points.
