The Andrew Extravaganza

I recently received an e-mail asking if I remembered or had seen the Sports Illustrated article on Jim Rome and The Jungle from way back. Not only do I remember that article, but I still have that issue of SI after eleven-plus years. Found in the September 16, 1996 issue, the article was about a few different shows and the culture of sports talk radio, but it focused primarily on the work of Jim Rome.

I was 15 years old when that issue came in the mail and I remember turning on the radio in search of The Jungle. Without the aid of the internet that search proved difficult and ultimately fruitless. But eventually I found the show in the summer of 1997, and forget about the two week trial period, I was hooked.

I scanned the article, click on the thumbnails to view an image large enough to read:


The other day a call by Doc Mike turned the show into a nostalgic trip down memory lane with a handful of old school guys, many from before I became a listener, calling in to reminisce. The Jungle used to be much more caller driven. For years now the show has suffered from a lack of characters, and that's what "The Legends" were, vital cast members that helped make the Jungle what it was. While it can never be like it was back then, it's great to hear the old schoolers like Gino in San Antonio, Doc Mike, Irie, and Trapper swinging in again on the occasional vine.


From left to right: The Mayor of Poway, Raider/Dodger Mike, Jeffrey DiTolla, Romey, Doc Mike DiTolla, and Irie Craig.

The lack of regular callers who are good and are "characters" isn't the fault of the callers. Rome is to blame. Each year he de-emphasizes the callers more and more, usually skipping the Huge Call altogether. Back in the day, winning a Huge Call was a feat in itself because you were going up against 4 hrs. of calls and probably a Legend or two. Nowadays, he might take two calls in a whole show. Instead, he loads up on boring ass interviews and beating two topics to death, the very type of topic-radio that Rome used to criticize.

I completely agree. The show isn't quite at the Willie Mays stumbling around the Mets outfield level, but it's nowhere near what it once was, and the majority of the blame for that falls squarely on Rome's shoulders.

I considered launching into a diatribe on the current state of the show, the SI article captures a time when the Jungle was fresh and edgy, the perfect counterpoint to the current Jungle, but I just didn't feel like spending the extra time. One of these days I might unleash that rant, but it wasn't meant for this particular entry.