MEET THE EXPERTSMIKE NORTHHe's the epitome of the American dream. Mike North is what happens when you accept nothing less than your best every time you step up to the plate . . . or in Mike's case . . . the mic.
Mike's career in sports started nearly forty years ago when he landed a job as a hot dog vendor at Wrigley Field and Comiskey Park. After a stint in the military and a handful of jobs with the City of Chicago, Mike and his wife Bebe went into business for themselves in 1985 opening their own hot dog stand, Be-Be's. Located around the corner from WXRT-FM and WSBC-AM, the owners and staff management were frequent customers. After a number of dogs and a side order of convincing, North launched the "NFL Handicap Show" on WSBC-AM in 1990.
That continued until those same owners launched Chicago's first sports radio station, WSCR-AM "The Score" Sports Radio where President Danny Lee paired Mike with former Chicago Bear Dan Jiggetts as the weekday midday show. Mike's straightforward style connected with fans and athletes alike, and it wasn't long until Mike became the station's most popular host as well as a lightning rod for sports interest in Chicago.
In addition to his radio career, Mike has also enjoyed a successful television career with his weekly sports talk television show which first aired on WJYS-TV (Channel 62), Chicago's CBS affiliate (WBBM-TV) and then finally CLTV.
Mike's tenure at "The Score" lasted 16 and a half years culminating in the summer of 2008 when, after four years of solo hosting one of Chicago's top rated morning shows, he opted to leave radio behind to focus on his true love of handicapping sports. As anybody who knows Mike knows, he's not all talk. We tracked Mike for 100 games during the NBA and NFL season. He went 68-32 during that period. That convinced us- he's our go to guy.
JEN PATTERSONYes, she's gorgeous, but don't dismiss Jen Patterson as that beautiful blonde who smiled and winked her way to the top. In fact, nearly any guy who has gone toe to toe with her has come out of that conversation shaking his head, amazed that they met a woman who knew more about sports than they did.
"I remember not only was she a lot of fun to talk to, this girl knew her stuff when it came to sports," says North who discovered Jen in Chicago back in 2002. "The girl's got some spunk when it comes to sports."
With a resume that includes integral positions on such high profile stations with major league colleagues such as Fox Sports, Comcast SportsNet, WSCR-AM (The Score), Doug Buffone, Joe Buck and Tim McCarver, Jen has proven quickly and repeatedly to the best in the business that when it comes to sports - she's knows her stuff.
Jen's star continued to rise in 2006 when The Score sent her to Italy to cover the 2006 Olympics. Soon after, when Mike was asked to helm The Score's coveted morning show slot, he asked Jen to join his all-star team as Associate Producer. Before long Jen was promoted to Executive Producer as well as being featured as an on-air personality.
Her tenure on the show and at the station lasted 4 years, ending when Mike chose to leave the station and she chose to follow the Mike as he struck out on his own.
FRED HUEBNERFew professional handicappers can boast a resume as impressive as Fred Huebner's. He began his career in sports in 1977 as the voice behind the one and only source for sports scores in Chicago, SportsPhone.
By 1992 Fred had made his way onto the airwaves working for the station that would become the Chicago sports monster we know today as WSCR-AM The Score. One of the initial hires, Fred began his radio career handling a variety of duties ranging from producing to on-air updates.
As the years went by, Fred's roles continued to expand as management continued to lean on his immense talent and sports knowledge. By 2004 he had landed a gig as a lead on-air personality when Mike North invited him to become a permanent part of the Mike North Morning Show.
Drawing on his intimate knowledge garnered from covering sports professionally for the past thirty years, Fred is now here to share that wealth of knowledge with you!
His resume and his record speaks for itself. Many so called "expert" handicappers claim to live and breathe sports. Fred Huebner has thousands of hours of tape to prove it. Fred knows the ins and outs of every pitch, every touchdown and every basket. His information and insight will make you a winner!
Hub Arkush Hub Arkush is the editor and publisher of PRO FOOTBALL WEEKLY, America's largest publication devoted exclusively to professional football.
Hub became the color commentator on Chicago Bears Radio Network in 1987 where he broadcast Bears games through the 2004 football season. He is currently the Senior Football Analyst for WSCR sports radio in Chicago.
Hub created and syndicated PRO FOOTBALL WEEKLY on radio in 1987. Co-hosted by Hub and Wayne Larrivee, the voice of the Green Bay Packers, it's an hour-long football show airing 52 weeks a year on over 100 radio stations.
In 1988 Hub created and produced PRO FOOTBALL WEEKLY ON TV, which is currently airing on Comcast Sports Net three times a week.
Over the years Hub has received numerous awards for his work, including the Peter Lisagor Award for Sports Journalism.
BOOKIE PRIESTBookie Priest bio coming soon.