While 670 The SCORE's Terry Boers & Dan Bernstein have been on the air for a decade now, WGN 720's "Sports Central" is actually the longest running sports talk radio show in Chicago.

The show, currently hosted by David Kaplan, actually started way back in 1982 by WGN's longtime programmer Dan Fabian and was initially hosted by the late, great Jack Brickhouse. (Moment of silence please for Jack. Thank you.) The first show featured Brickhouse and a young Chuck Swirsky telling listeners the biggest sports stories of the day. It included a Bump Wills homer for the Cubs that helped first year manager Lee Elia win his first game over the Cincinnati Reds. The show has evolved with other guys such as Tom Shaer, Brian Davis, Randy Minkoff, Dave Eanet, Tom Waddle, Jim Memolo & Kaplan hosting the show as the glue that melded WGN Radio's sports properties.

Unfortunately, "Sports Central" might be on borrowed time, according to industry reports and Sun-Times' sports media critic Jim O'Donnell. "Chicago's WGN Radio 720", which has been trying to lure younger listeners in recent months, might soon pull the plug in favor of call-in postgame shows following the Tribune-owned station's Cubs, Blackhawks & Northwestern football/basketball broadcasts and a general "show-to-be-named" to fill those nights when there are no play-by-play broadcasts.

As for Kaplan, he'd still maintain a presence on Radio 720, even if station bosses pull the plug on "Sports Central". He'll continue to host the daily sports gabfest that is "Chicago Tribune Live" at 5:30p weekdays on Comcast SportsNet.

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-"God is great. Beer is good. And People are crazy!"

And he looks like a dick with his head shaved.

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"Nobody ever went broke underestimating the taste of the American public." ~ H.L. Mencken

If Jim O'Donnell wrote it, it's probably not true

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Probably just angling for Swirsky to get the job and rejuvenate the franchise.

WGN Radio has been a powerhouse forever just by appealing to Nerds and Saps and people who acted like they were 80 when they were 30....this idea of attracting a younger audience seems absurd.

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There goes one over the fence..Tru Link Fence..Beauty, Privacy Security....Call Tru Link.
Murph's Union 76 Truck Stop....A great Thanksgiving Tradition!!!!

WOO LIFE!!!!

Herr Starr has him beat.

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Middle Aged Crazy, like Uncle Terry

I completely agree, but that is what they are doing. Pig Virus, of Howard Stern fame, came in and decided to blow up the franchise.

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it's hilarious to me. I think their demise may be in part due to the accuracy of the personal people meters. Look what it did to Score ratings.

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Ба́бушка гада́ла, да на́двое сказа́ла—то ли до́ждик, то ли снег, то ли бу́дет, то ли нет.

http://newsblogs.chicagotribune.com/towerticker/2010/03/wgn-cubs-sports-central-david-kaplan-jim-laski-show.html

Sports Central is over according to Rosenthal in Trib. Kap is going to be the "Sports Insider".

Haha they seriously replaced him with Jim Laski. Oh man.

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Larz has less than flattering words about the former City Clerk right now on ChicagolandRadioandMedia.com. To say Larz is furious about the Laski hiring at WGN would be an understatement.

I think it's just a sign of times for "sports talk". It doesn't make money at night. The Score tries to fill it with games whenever they can. Including Northern Illinois sports for the love of god. ESPN has some local shows at night but I've also noticed they just pump in their national show from Bristol to save money.

Beardown brings up a very valid point, and that's the argument WGN 720 bosses claim lead to "Sports Central's" demise. However, why WGN Radio would hire a convicted felon in Jim Laski, minus any radio experience to boot, who served hard time for his involvement in the Hired Truck scandal and accepted $48,000 in bribes is a mystery.

wow...not one Goff, drinky, or Bernstein reference. I'm impressed.

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@audioidkid

Between Cubs and Blackhawks games, this Jim Laski show won't even be on much. If you're going to do something between 7 and a 7:30 puck drop, or after an east coast Cubs game till 9, it might as well be sports talk, right?

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If I'm going to get nailed for taking bribes, I'd make sure it was for more than $48,000.

All part of WGN's new strategy to become "edgy" -