Bob McCown
Encyclopedia
Robert "Bob" McCown is a Canadian sports talk show personality and the host of a late afternoon/early evening radio
talk show
called Prime Time Sports
. The program is broadcast from the Toronto
-based studio of the Fan 590 (the flagship
radio station of the Fan Radio Network) and is syndicated nationally in Canada
. Since 2004, this radio talk show has also been simulcast
on television
on Rogers Sportsnet
. Since 2009, the show's live stream has been available online in Canada on the FAN590 website. The late actor Rory Calhoun
was McCown's second cousin.
inaugural season in 1977, McCown was the public address
announcer for their home games. He was also the original host of Global TV's Sportsline, and also hosted a magazine
program on Rogers Sportsnet called The Business of Sports.
In 1988, McCown joined CJCL-AM as a sports radio personality, and in 1989, he became the original host of the sports radio talk show Prime Time Sports. In 1993, he was re-assigned as the host of the Fan 1430's morning show (The Bob McCown Show), relinquishing his PTS hosting duties to Dan Shulman
. In 1995, The Fan fired McCown as their morning show host, but when Shulman left the station to join TSN
, McCown was re-hired as the host of Prime Time Sports a month later. In 2007, McCown received a Sports Radio Award for "Air Talent Of The Year" at the 2007 Rick Scott & Associates Sports Radio Conference. In 2007, McCown published his first book, "McCown's Law: The 100 Greatest Hockey Arguments" with co-author David Naylor
.
McCown has also been known for his 30 year standing bet with former Toronto Blue Jays
president and CEO Paul Godfrey
regarding an NFL team in Toronto
. It was on a beach in the year of 1977 that the two men debated long hours about the subject. Godfrey to this day asserts that there will one day be an NFL team in Toronto, while McCown guarantees that there will not. Once a year or every so often, the debate is brought up again.
As an April Fools' Day prank, in 2008, it was announced that Bob McCown had left The Fan 590 to become Liverpool FC's play-by-play announcer and marketing manager for the upcoming soccer season. This would be seen as a particularly surprising move considering his on-air position toward soccer was almost entirely sour. While filling in for a vacationing McCown, Mike Toth
, in an overly melodramatic fashion claimed that this position taken by McCown was nothing more than an elaborate ruse in an attempt to play the devil's advocate for years. Toth claimed McCown actually loves soccer, so much as to become part of a major squad's tradition. This, along with other ill-advised actions and comments by Toth (including a claim that "There are no female sportscasters that I can think of that have more knowledge than their male counterparts") and a run-in with a producer at Sportsnet, led to his contract not being renewed by either the Fan 590 or Rogers Sportsnet
.
Also referred to by the nickname The Bobcat, McCown has maintained his residence between both Las Vegas
and Toronto
over the past decade, though he has settled in Toronto over the past few years. He also became a Canadian citizen in 2004, and revoked his American citizenship since 2006.
In March 2009 he launched a new website fadoo.ca with the goal to "provide a platform for dialogue and comment among people of power and influence in the sports world. And then, let everyone in on the conversation." The website lasted just over a year before being removed in early June 2010. “It just didn’t make business sense, anymore,” a source close the operation wrote in an e-mail message. It appeared McCown lost interest in the fadoo.ca site months ago with no posts, updates, or otherwise.
greetings to guest callers and his audience
such as "Greetings! Salutations!", his constant use of rich vocabulary to describe things (referring to sportswriters as "ink-stained wretches"), his dry wit
(which includes using such quips as "Who gives a flying fadoo?!", "Kicking ass, taking names", "Raising a Spockian eyebrow", "giddyup" and "Bite me!", referencing the fictional hockey players Claude and Orest Themalfachuk, and likening someone who is impatient to "Sonic the Hedgehog
, tapping his foot"), and a pair of sunglasses
he wears during the television simulcasts of Prime Time Sports. McCown is often indifferent about the fact that his radio show is simulcast on television, often saying during his introductions "also simulcast on Rogers Sportsnet for those of you who do not own radios" or "simulcast on Rogers Sportsnet in lieu of other programming". He has on many occasions maintained his stance against fighting in hockey (especially staged fights), hits to the head, and a strong aversion for the sport of soccer.
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
talk show
Talk show
A talk show or chat show is a television program or radio program where one person discuss various topics put forth by a talk show host....
called Prime Time Sports
Prime Time Sports
Prime Time Sports is a sports radio talk show produced from the studios of The FAN 590 in Toronto, Canada. The show is hosted by Bob McCown.The program is broadcast weekdays from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. ET on The FAN 590...
. The program is broadcast from the Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
-based studio of the Fan 590 (the flagship
Flagship
A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, reflecting the custom of its commander, characteristically a flag officer, flying a distinguishing flag...
radio station of the Fan Radio Network) and is syndicated nationally in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. Since 2004, this radio talk show has also been simulcast
Simulcast
Simulcast, shorthand for "simultaneous broadcast", refers to programs or events broadcast across more than one medium, or more than one service on the same medium, at the same time. For example, Absolute Radio is simulcast on both AM and on satellite radio, and the BBC's Prom concerts are often...
on television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
on Rogers Sportsnet
Rogers Sportsnet
Sportsnet was launched on October 9, 1998 as CTV Sportsnet. The name was chosen to match the regional "Fox Sports Net" operations across the United States...
. Since 2009, the show's live stream has been available online in Canada on the FAN590 website. The late actor Rory Calhoun
Rory Calhoun
Rory Calhoun was an American television and film actor, screenwriter and producer, best known for his roles in Westerns.-Early life:...
was McCown's second cousin.
Career
During the Toronto Blue Jays'Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball 's American League ....
inaugural season in 1977, McCown was the public address
Public address
A public address system is an electronic amplification system with a mixer, amplifier and loudspeakers, used to reinforce a sound source, e.g., a person giving a speech, a DJ playing prerecorded music, and distributing the sound throughout a venue or building.Simple PA systems are often used in...
announcer for their home games. He was also the original host of Global TV's Sportsline, and also hosted a magazine
Magazine
Magazines, periodicals, glossies or serials are publications, generally published on a regular schedule, containing a variety of articles. They are generally financed by advertising, by a purchase price, by pre-paid magazine subscriptions, or all three...
program on Rogers Sportsnet called The Business of Sports.
In 1988, McCown joined CJCL-AM as a sports radio personality, and in 1989, he became the original host of the sports radio talk show Prime Time Sports. In 1993, he was re-assigned as the host of the Fan 1430's morning show (The Bob McCown Show), relinquishing his PTS hosting duties to Dan Shulman
Dan Shulman
Daniel "Dan" Shulman is a Canadian sportscaster, currently employed with the American network ESPN as well as Canadian network TSN....
. In 1995, The Fan fired McCown as their morning show host, but when Shulman left the station to join TSN
The Sports Network
The Sports Network, commonly abbreviated as TSN, is a Canadian English language Category C specialty channel and is Canada's leading English language sports TV channel. TSN premiered in 1984, in the first group of Canadian specialty cable channels...
, McCown was re-hired as the host of Prime Time Sports a month later. In 2007, McCown received a Sports Radio Award for "Air Talent Of The Year" at the 2007 Rick Scott & Associates Sports Radio Conference. In 2007, McCown published his first book, "McCown's Law: The 100 Greatest Hockey Arguments" with co-author David Naylor
David Naylor
Christopher David Naylor, OC, FRCPC, FRSC is a medical researcher and president of the University of Toronto.-Biography:...
.
McCown has also been known for his 30 year standing bet with former Toronto Blue Jays
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball 's American League ....
president and CEO Paul Godfrey
Paul Godfrey
Paul Victor Godfrey, CM, OOnt is a businessman and former Canadian politician. During his career, Godfrey was a North York alderman, Chairman of Metro Toronto, President of the Toronto Sun and head of the Toronto Blue Jays. He was instrumental in bringing the Toronto Blue Jays to Toronto and has...
regarding an NFL team in Toronto
National Football League in Toronto
The National Football League has long been rumoured to be considering placing one of its franchises in Canada's largest city, Toronto, Ontario....
. It was on a beach in the year of 1977 that the two men debated long hours about the subject. Godfrey to this day asserts that there will one day be an NFL team in Toronto, while McCown guarantees that there will not. Once a year or every so often, the debate is brought up again.
As an April Fools' Day prank, in 2008, it was announced that Bob McCown had left The Fan 590 to become Liverpool FC's play-by-play announcer and marketing manager for the upcoming soccer season. This would be seen as a particularly surprising move considering his on-air position toward soccer was almost entirely sour. While filling in for a vacationing McCown, Mike Toth
Mike Toth
Mike Toth is a Canadian sports anchor, formerly on Rogers Sportsnet Sportsnet Connected and with the Fan 590 in Toronto. He grew up in Bassano, Alberta. He was previously a sports anchor for TSN's SportsCentre...
, in an overly melodramatic fashion claimed that this position taken by McCown was nothing more than an elaborate ruse in an attempt to play the devil's advocate for years. Toth claimed McCown actually loves soccer, so much as to become part of a major squad's tradition. This, along with other ill-advised actions and comments by Toth (including a claim that "There are no female sportscasters that I can think of that have more knowledge than their male counterparts") and a run-in with a producer at Sportsnet, led to his contract not being renewed by either the Fan 590 or Rogers Sportsnet
Rogers Sportsnet
Sportsnet was launched on October 9, 1998 as CTV Sportsnet. The name was chosen to match the regional "Fox Sports Net" operations across the United States...
.
Also referred to by the nickname The Bobcat, McCown has maintained his residence between both Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
and Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
over the past decade, though he has settled in Toronto over the past few years. He also became a Canadian citizen in 2004, and revoked his American citizenship since 2006.
In March 2009 he launched a new website fadoo.ca with the goal to "provide a platform for dialogue and comment among people of power and influence in the sports world. And then, let everyone in on the conversation." The website lasted just over a year before being removed in early June 2010. “It just didn’t make business sense, anymore,” a source close the operation wrote in an e-mail message. It appeared McCown lost interest in the fadoo.ca site months ago with no posts, updates, or otherwise.
Broadcast style
Among his on-air trademarks on the show include his deadpanDeadpan
Deadpan is a form of comic delivery in which humor is presented without a change in emotion or body language, usually speaking in a casual, monotone, solemn, blunt, disgusted or matter-of-fact voice and expressing an unflappably calm, archly insincere or artificially grave demeanor...
greetings to guest callers and his audience
Audience
An audience is a group of people who participate in a show or encounter a work of art, literature , theatre, music or academics in any medium...
such as "Greetings! Salutations!", his constant use of rich vocabulary to describe things (referring to sportswriters as "ink-stained wretches"), his dry wit
Wit
Wit is a form of intellectual humour, and a wit is someone skilled in making witty remarks. Forms of wit include the quip and repartee.-Forms of wit:...
(which includes using such quips as "Who gives a flying fadoo?!", "Kicking ass, taking names", "Raising a Spockian eyebrow", "giddyup" and "Bite me!", referencing the fictional hockey players Claude and Orest Themalfachuk, and likening someone who is impatient to "Sonic the Hedgehog
Sonic the Hedgehog (character)
, trademarked Sonic The Hedgehog, is a video game character and the main protagonist of the Sonic video game series released by Sega, as well as in numerous spin-off comics, cartoons, and a feature film. The first game was released on June 23, 1991, to provide Sega with a mascot to rival Nintendo's...
, tapping his foot"), and a pair of sunglasses
Sunglasses
Sunglasses or sun glasses are a form of protective eyewear designed primarily to prevent bright sunlight and high-energy visible light from damaging or discomforting the eyes. They can sometimes also function as a visual aid, as variously termed spectacles or glasses exist, featuring lenses that...
he wears during the television simulcasts of Prime Time Sports. McCown is often indifferent about the fact that his radio show is simulcast on television, often saying during his introductions "also simulcast on Rogers Sportsnet for those of you who do not own radios" or "simulcast on Rogers Sportsnet in lieu of other programming". He has on many occasions maintained his stance against fighting in hockey (especially staged fights), hits to the head, and a strong aversion for the sport of soccer.