WMVP job sounds good to Salisbury
Teddy Greenstein
ON SPORTS MEDIA AND COLLEGES
February 13, 2006
Considering he's a Southern California native who played pro football mainly in Minnesota and now lives in Dallas, Sean Salisbury felt remarkably at home doing Chicago radio last month.
While subbing for Harry Teinowitz on WMVP-AM 1000's "Mac, Jurko & Harry" show, Salisbury at one point said: "I'm so comfortable, you may have to kick me out."
Told that Teinowitz would be returning the next day, Salisbury remarked: "Harry can have his seat back. I'll just sit outside the door and listen, I'm so comfortable here."
So comfortable that Salisbury wouldn't mind landing a permanent gig with WMVP.
"I don't need another job," Salisbury said. "I've got a good career. It's not something I have to do. It's something I want to do."
And it's something Jeff Schwartz, WMVP's program director, says believes Salisbury can excel in.
"Sean did great," Schwartz said. "And Sean has star appeal. But Sean also has 9 million jobs. He says he wants to do it, but could he do it? I saw his day planner. I was like: 'How do you read this?'"
Salisbury, who's at his best when jousting with NFL reporter John Clayton on ESPN's "SportsCenter," did about seven shifts at WMVP. He filled in for the late-morning team of Marc Silverman and Carmen DeFalco—more on that later—by alternately teaming with the Tribune's Steve Rosenbloom, WBBM-Ch. 2's Mark Malone and WLS-Ch. 7's Jim Rose.
And he loved it.
"Chicago is my favorite sports town," he said. "You know how there are certain places where you get off an airplane and just feel good? I love the restaurants there. And you have typical Midwestern people—passionate and compassionate."
Salisbury, a divorced father of three who enjoyed an eight-year NFL career, spends his off-season in Dallas, where he has season tickets to the Mavericks. During the football season, he spends five days a week in Bristol, Conn., contributing to ESPNews and shows such as "NFL Live." On Sunday mornings he does an ESPN Radio show with Mike Ditka.
But if WMVP wanted to hire him for the 9-noon slot occupied by "Silvy & Carmen," Salisbury said he could swing it.
"The time slot is perfect," he said. "And it can be done with modern technology. The great thing about radio is that they don't need to know where you are. And I'd be in Chicago a ton of time.
"You know what? Good radio is good radio. It's ludicrous to think you'd have to do it every day from the same place."
Schwartz said Salisbury wouldn't have to be in Chicago every day but added: "You can't hide it from the audience. The audience is too smart and they might turn on the TV and see Sean. You have to use it to your advantage. He's at the mother ship. It's the magic four call-out letters than that transcend all of us: ESPN."
Local knowledge
During one of Salisbury's shifts, a caller mentioned Laura Quinn, sister of Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn and girlfriend of Ohio State linebacker A.J. Hawk.
Salisbury hadn't heard of her. Not a capital offense, but most sports fans living in Chicago around the Fiesta Bowl knew all too well about her relationship with Hawk.
"All someone had to do was tell me who she was," Salisbury said. "My biggest problem is with people who try to pretend to know everything.
"If me not knowing who Brady Quinn's sister is is a problem, that's not a job I want, trust me. I'm sure I know more about the Bears than any local reporter."
Back to life
Readers will recall that Silverman and DeFalco were given a mandatory two-week break after the Bears' playoff loss to Carolina.
The reasons for that move remain unspecified, but the breather allowed "Silvy & Carmen" to refocus after a bad ratings book. And it cleared the airwaves for Schwartz to sample a variety of voices.
"I never called it a tryout, but other people loved to," Schwartz said. "This was a chance for me to build a bench. We have to get ready for life after the Sox and the Bulls."
The Sox debut on WSCR-AM 670 on March 1. The Bulls move to WCKG-FM 105.9 after this season.
Schwartz hopes he doesn't have to replace Silverman and DeFalco, whose ratings among men 25-54 fell to a 3.0 in the fall book. That's a drop from 3.4 in the summer, and it helped WSCR take the overall lead in the ratings battle—4.6 to 4.5.
"I'm interested in having Carm and Silvy do the best show they can do," Schwartz said.
The feisty Silverman now "drives" the show, making him the lead voice on debates. And a new segment—"10 at 10"—gives the hosts 30 seconds each to tackle one of 10 subjects.
Schwartz is encouraged, but the duo won't survive if their ratings do not improve.
Staying put
WMVP also had interest in Tom Waddle, but on Friday the former Bear re-signed with WGN-AM 720 for one year.
Waddle enjoys working with "Sports Central" co-anchor David Kaplan, but the 7-9 p.m. time slot is hard on the father of four.
A 9 a.m.-noon slot on WMVP might have been perfect, but the timing for such a move was not right. Waddle's contract expired Jan. 31, and WGN would have had a 60-day window to retain Waddle by matching another offer.
tgreenstein@tribune.com