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Was Mike North Ever Listenable?
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Author:  OmerAsik [ Sun Jan 02, 2011 3:42 am ]
Post subject:  Was Mike North Ever Listenable?
Was he always as vomit inducing as he is now? I've listened to the Score since 2001 but I never had any desire to put on North. My only contact with him was as a source for B&B drops.


And did he ever at least have sports knowledge? He doesn't now - the one time I listened to his Fox show a few weeks ago he said Kyle Orton was a better quarterback than Jay Cutler. That in the same hour he said that all that matters is won-loss record. I know he's an idiot financially, lifewise, etc, but did he ever know sports?
Author:  Don Tiny [ Sun Jan 02, 2011 3:50 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Was Mike North Ever Listenable?
Prior to, oh, 2000 I'd say he was fine .... when I first listened to him and didn't know what he looked like, I just pictured Peter Griffin when he talked and I think that added 15% to the entertainment value. Life was never the same after I saw him and Doug at a remote and realized Doug was a regular Clark Gable compared to Gabby North.
Author:  Beebo [ Sun Jan 02, 2011 6:27 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Was Mike North Ever Listenable?
He was somewhat listenable with the original "Monsters" show with Jiggetts. Then he got weirder and started spouting shit about how he was blacker than Balcks. When he went solo (one of the effects of this was the breakup of Heavy Fuel Crew) was when he started his downward spiral.

His preferring Orton over Jay is nothing new.
Author:  Rod [ Sun Jan 02, 2011 8:32 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Was Mike North Ever Listenable?
Mike North wrote:
Hey! Ya know what? I invented puttin' a colored guy wit a white guy on da radio. An I even took it a step furder. See I figgered if I got a black guy dat grajuwaded from Harvard an I partnered him wit me, a white guy dat can't read, we'd really have a good variety of crazy opinions. An I know I'm right!
Author:  lipidquadcab [ Sun Jan 02, 2011 10:29 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Was Mike North Ever Listenable?
I was still listening to him up until his last days at the Score...oh sure, he was a dumbass even then but I found him to be an entertaining dumbass...
Author:  BD [ Sun Jan 02, 2011 11:35 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Was Mike North Ever Listenable?
He was always a loud mouth who often took emotional positions and was sort of the voice of the fans. At times, I thought he was excellent, but, over time, I think he lost interest in sports, thus the whole politics disaster.
Author:  bigfan [ Sun Jan 02, 2011 11:41 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Was Mike North Ever Listenable?
First guy to make me turn off the Score.
Author:  Rod [ Sun Jan 02, 2011 11:42 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Was Mike North Ever Listenable?
BD wrote:
He was always a loud mouth who often took emotional positions and was sort of the voice of the fans. At times, I thought he was excellent, but, over time, I think he lost interest in sports, thus the whole politics disaster.


Mike North wrote:
Hey, lemme tell you sumthin', pal. Ya know what? I worked fer da Park Districk fer a long time. I was parta da Democratic organization a Cook County. I know politics. It all comes down ta race in Chicahgo. Ya know da shines is gonna vote straight race so if dey don' split up da vote between a buncha differen' candidates dey got a shot. Da Puerto Ricans is da sleepin' giant. But a lotta dem is illegal so dey don' register ta vote. But dere's more an more a dem comin' from Mexico all da time an when some a deez liberals git em organized, watch out. I'm not sayin'. I'm jus' sayin.
Author:  Beebo [ Sun Jan 02, 2011 11:52 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Was Mike North Ever Listenable?
lipidquadcab wrote:
I was still listening to him up until his last days at the Score...oh sure, he was a dumbass even then but I found him to be an entertaining dumbass...


OMG, that morning show was the worst! My stomach would actually turn while that was on my radio. Which is unfortunate, because Mike & Mike also suck. Made for a very bad commute.
Author:  crosscheck [ Sun Jan 02, 2011 11:53 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Was Mike North Ever Listenable?
Beebo wrote:
lipidquadcab wrote:
I was still listening to him up until his last days at the Score...oh sure, he was a dumbass even then but I found him to be an entertaining dumbass...


OMG, that morning show was the worst! My stomach would actually turn while that was on my radio. Which is unfortunate, because Mike & Mike also suck. Made for a very bad commute.

Unfortunately not much has changed, the choices still suck...
Author:  Drop In [ Sun Jan 02, 2011 11:55 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Was Mike North Ever Listenable?
bigfan wrote:
First guy to make me turn off the Score.


This. I would not listen to the Score at all because of him. It just seemed to be a bunch of dopes yelling. WMVP was on all day when I was a yute.
Author:  Frontman [ Sun Jan 02, 2011 12:02 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Was Mike North Ever Listenable?
Mike was good in my opinion up until he got his own show in the morning. Even with Doug Buffone; he was tolerable. But once he got his own show? He started to believe his own hype. The tipping point for me was his induction into the Chicago Sports Hall of Fame. It illustrated to me how much he was in love with himself.

His whole routine of starting trouble with the White Sox; then showing up with home made brownies during the press time in the clubhouse? A week before his 'tryout' to replace Don Imus? Purely contrived and created situation to get himself some press. (And seriously; how much must you suck at being an asshole when you can't land the gig to replace Don Imus?)



When he went off on Ozzie, with his "you don't talk to me like that, don't you know who I am?" It reminded me of this guy:
Image



And sure enough; within a year or so? In the radio world; Mike wound up like Moe Green:
Image

He'll keep turning up. Bad pennies always do. But as far as being a person of any importance in sports talk radio?

That ship sailed a few years back. Him and Mike Murphy are perfect examples of while it might be entertaining to have non-professional radio hosts; they certainly are out of their element on the business side of things.
Author:  johnnyfontane [ Sun Jan 02, 2011 1:02 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Was Mike North Ever Listenable?
There was this kid I grew up with; he was younger than me. Sorta looked up to me, you know. We did our first work together, worked our way out of the street. Things were good, we made the most of it. During the 80s, we sold hot dogs at Comiskey... made a fortune, your father, too. As much as anyone, I loved him and trusted him. Later on he had an idea to build a sports talk radio empire out of a broken down AM station. That kid's name was Mike North, and the station he invented was The Score. This was a great man, a man of vision and guts. And there isn't even a plaque, or a signpost or a statue of him at that station! Someone put a bullet through his career. No one knows who gave the order. When I heard it, I wasn't angry; I knew Mike, I knew he was head-strong, talking loud, saying stupid things. So when he turned up on Fox, I let it go. And I said to myself, this is the business we've chosen; I didn't ask who gave the order, because it had nothing to do with business!
Author:  Drop In [ Sun Jan 02, 2011 1:10 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Was Mike North Ever Listenable?
johnnyfontane wrote:
There was this kid I grew up with; he was younger than me. Sorta looked up to me, you know. We did our first work together, worked our way out of the street. Things were good, we made the most of it. During the 80s, we sold hot dogs at Comiskey... made a fortune, your father, too. As much as anyone, I loved him and trusted him. Later on he had an idea to build a sports talk radio empire out of a broken down AM station. That kid's name was Mike North, and the station he invented was The Score. This was a great man, a man of vision and guts. And there isn't even a plaque, or a signpost or a statue of him at that station! Someone put a bullet through his career. No one knows who gave the order. When I heard it, I wasn't angry; I knew Mike, I knew he was head-strong, talking loud, saying stupid things. So when he turned up on Fox, I let it go. And I said to myself, this is the business we've chosen; I didn't ask who gave the order, because it had nothing to do with business!

:cheers: :cheers: :lol: :lol:
Author:  Chus [ Sun Jan 02, 2011 1:35 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Was Mike North Ever Listenable?
OmerAsik wrote:
And did he ever at least have sports knowledge? He doesn't now - the one time I listened to his Fox show a few weeks ago he said Kyle Orton was a better quarterback than Jay Cutler. That in the same hour he said that all that matters is won-loss record. I know he's an idiot financially, lifewise, etc, but did he ever know sports?


-He wanted the Bears to draft Sebastian Janikowski instead of Brian Urlacher.
-He said that the Bears should move Devin Hester to quarterback.
-He thought that Dick Jauron was a very good coach, and got a raw deal from the Bears.
-He said Phil Jackson isn't a great coach, because he has always had great teams.

I'm sure I can think of some more.
Author:  spmack [ Sun Jan 02, 2011 1:41 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Was Mike North Ever Listenable?
Chus wrote:
OmerAsik wrote:
And did he ever at least have sports knowledge? He doesn't now - the one time I listened to his Fox show a few weeks ago he said Kyle Orton was a better quarterback than Jay Cutler. That in the same hour he said that all that matters is won-loss record. I know he's an idiot financially, lifewise, etc, but did he ever know sports?


-He wanted the Bears to draft Sebastian Janikowski instead of Brian Urlacher.
-He said that the Bears should move Devin Hester to quarterback.
-He thought that Dick Jauron was a very good coach, and got a raw deal from the Bears.
-He said Phil Jackson isn't a great coach, because he has always had great teams.

I'm sure I can think of some more.

You forgot his best one....

"I don't know who I'd rather have, him (Deron Williams) or Lebron....."
Author:  Terry's Peeps [ Sun Jan 02, 2011 1:55 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Was Mike North Ever Listenable?
spmack wrote:
You forgot his best one....

"I don't know who I'd rather have, him (Deron Williams) or Lebron....."

You know what, fuck you man. Time's gonna tell on that one.


:D
Author:  Spiral Stairs [ Sun Jan 02, 2011 4:52 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Was Mike North Ever Listenable?
spmack wrote:
Chus wrote:
OmerAsik wrote:
And did he ever at least have sports knowledge? He doesn't now - the one time I listened to his Fox show a few weeks ago he said Kyle Orton was a better quarterback than Jay Cutler. That in the same hour he said that all that matters is won-loss record. I know he's an idiot financially, lifewise, etc, but did he ever know sports?


-He wanted the Bears to draft Sebastian Janikowski instead of Brian Urlacher.
-He said that the Bears should move Devin Hester to quarterback.
-He thought that Dick Jauron was a very good coach, and got a raw deal from the Bears.
-He said Phil Jackson isn't a great coach, because he has always had great teams.

I'm sure I can think of some more.

You forgot his best one....

"I don't know who I'd rather have, him (Deron Williams) or Lebron....."


how about these gems:

steak and bj day
hug a black day
chinaman
fritzy and the flim flamin jews
kudos of the day
the obama comments (ask rodeovann about these)

the list of bad radio bits/commentary goes on and on and on........north was in the right place at the right time and basically threw it all away when his head swelled up. he is the same dumb street kid he was 40 years ago.
Author:  conns7901 [ Sun Jan 02, 2011 5:01 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Was Mike North Ever Listenable?
Chus wrote:
OmerAsik wrote:
And did he ever at least have sports knowledge? He doesn't now - the one time I listened to his Fox show a few weeks ago he said Kyle Orton was a better quarterback than Jay Cutler. That in the same hour he said that all that matters is won-loss record. I know he's an idiot financially, lifewise, etc, but did he ever know sports?


-He wanted the Bears to draft Sebastian Janikowski instead of Brian Urlacher.
-He said that the Bears should move Devin Hester to quarterback.
-He thought that Dick Jauron was a very good coach, and got a raw deal from the Bears.
-He said Phil Jackson isn't a great coach, because he has always had great teams.

I'm sure I can think of some more.


Deng over Kobe
Harbaugh over Aikman.
Author:  cpguy [ Sun Jan 02, 2011 6:12 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Was Mike North Ever Listenable?
Drop In wrote:
johnnyfontane wrote:
There was this kid I grew up with; he was younger than me. Sorta looked up to me, you know. We did our first work together, worked our way out of the street. Things were good, we made the most of it. During the 80s, we sold hot dogs at Comiskey... made a fortune, your father, too. As much as anyone, I loved him and trusted him. Later on he had an idea to build a sports talk radio empire out of a broken down AM station. That kid's name was Mike North, and the station he invented was The Score. This was a great man, a man of vision and guts. And there isn't even a plaque, or a signpost or a statue of him at that station! Someone put a bullet through his career. No one knows who gave the order. When I heard it, I wasn't angry; I knew Mike, I knew he was head-strong, talking loud, saying stupid things. So when he turned up on Fox, I let it go. And I said to myself, this is the business we've chosen; I didn't ask who gave the order, because it had nothing to do with business!

:cheers: :cheers: :lol: :lol:


+1!
Author:  Score is doomed [ Sun Jan 02, 2011 7:49 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Was Mike North Ever Listenable?
OmerAsik wrote:
Was he always as vomit inducing as he is now? I've listened to the Score since 2001 but I never had any desire to put on North. My only contact with him was as a source for B&B drops.


The simple answer is YES. Early on he was the LOUD voice of the meatball fans in Chicago, that bit got real old. It's been downhill ever since and now he is scraping the bottom where he belongs.
Author:  Mr. Reason [ Sun Jan 02, 2011 8:07 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Was Mike North Ever Listenable?
Like Frontman, I was able to tolerate Mike until he got the morning show. Given the quality of his latest product on FSR, it's obvious he is a slow learner.
Author:  HawaiiYou [ Sun Jan 02, 2011 8:47 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Was Mike North Ever Listenable?
He was good w/ Jiggs when they first started on 820. Then when he blew up the original line up and got his own show, it went downhill from there. He also stopped talking about sports on that solo show and went into politics which his political beliefs where bordering on complete ignorance. His ego went overboard and that was the end of that.

note : I came here to these boards last week and noticed there were NO North posts on the front page! That told me then north was now completely insignificant. Funny his mike north entertainment network is hard to find unless you come on here. I am pretty sure maybe just bebe and a few posters here actually follow his site. So I'll give him benefit of the doubt and state his total viewership is 10. 10 people. He is basically talking to himself on his MNEN.
Author:  doug - evergreen park [ Sun Jan 02, 2011 9:04 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Was Mike North Ever Listenable?
north and jiggs was good. i have to convert an cassette that i have doing 45 minutes with them in january 1995.
Author:  Scorehead [ Sun Jan 02, 2011 11:51 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: Was Mike North Ever Listenable?
Sure, North is a joke these days, but he called all the shots at the Score in the '90's on Belmont Ave. He was the program director, talent evaluator, sales manager, & on air talent. Sure there were other people with those titles but Ron Gleason wouldn't blow his nose without consulting with North first. The radio insiders on this board can confirm this. Without North there is no score. He was one of the biggest & most popular media members in Chicago in the '90's & was all over TV, newspapers & magazines. North gained national prominence & he & Jiggetts had a chance to move to NY & work for WFAN for big dough.

Once again, I think Mike is a joke these days, but anyone who listened to WSCR from day 1 in 1992 can attest to the fact that North put the Score on the map & his role in defining sports talk radio in Chicago can not be denied.

Again, I think North sucks these days. I'll hang up now & wait for someone to post how I love Mike North!
Author:  Terry's Peeps [ Mon Jan 03, 2011 1:53 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Was Mike North Ever Listenable?
Scorehead wrote:
..... I love Mike North!



:)
Author:  Urlacher's missing neck [ Mon Jan 03, 2011 1:56 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Was Mike North Ever Listenable?
I would rather listen to north than read a CGS post.
Author:  Scorehead [ Mon Jan 03, 2011 2:06 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Was Mike North Ever Listenable?
Urlacher's missing neck wrote:
I would rather listen to north than read a CGS post.


I would rather listen to North than LoHo, Zach, or Maya Gavin.
Author:  C_Howitt_Fealz [ Mon Jan 03, 2011 9:52 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Was Mike North Ever Listenable?
Still have not heard Maya Gavin. Do they have her doing any reporting?
Author:  A7X [ Mon Jan 03, 2011 10:30 am ]
Post subject:  Re: Was Mike North Ever Listenable?
johnnyfontane wrote:
There was this kid I grew up with; he was younger than me. Sorta looked up to me, you know. We did our first work together, worked our way out of the street. Things were good, we made the most of it. During the 80s, we sold hot dogs at Comiskey... made a fortune, your father, too. As much as anyone, I loved him and trusted him. Later on he had an idea to build a sports talk radio empire out of a broken down AM station. That kid's name was Mike North, and the station he invented was The Score. This was a great man, a man of vision and guts. And there isn't even a plaque, or a signpost or a statue of him at that station! Someone put a bullet through his career. No one knows who gave the order. When I heard it, I wasn't angry; I knew Mike, I knew he was head-strong, talking loud, saying stupid things. So when he turned up on Fox, I let it go. And I said to myself, this is the business we've chosen; I didn't ask who gave the order, because it had nothing to do with business!


Awesome. Totally awesome!
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