The Jim Rome Show

The Jim Rome Show is a sports radio talk show based in Los Angeles, and hosted by Jim Rome. It airs three hours live each weekday from 9am to 12pm Pacific time. It has been syndicated by Premiere Radio Networks, the programming arm of Clear Channel Communications, since 1996, and can be heard on more than 180 radio stations in the United States and Canada.

Regular Bits

• Name Calling - The Jim Rome Show is known for its name-calling and sarcastic humor. Coach Mike Krzyzewski of Duke is often called "Coach kruh-ZOO-skee", contrary to the correct pronounciation of his name (shuh-SHEFF-skee). Nick Van Exel is refered to as "Van Smack" (as is Jim himself), Terrell Owens' nickname "T.O." is pronounced "to," and Miami Heat coach Stan Van Gundy is known as "Stan Van Jeremy" for his resemblance to porn star Ron Jeremy.
• Sarcastic Humor The program involves a lot of sarcasm, which some callers have complained about and/or misunderstood. When Rome claimed that a man playing basketball on a Michigan poster was Tony Gwynn, a caller rebuked him, saying "I believe it's Glen Rice." Brian Shaw has also been called "The Pride and Joy of St Mary's" even though a caller said that Shaw actually played at UC Santa Barbara. Rome replied with "I know when I'm wrong...I get paid to do this...and Brian Shaw is the Pride and Joy of St Mary's." Spurs forward Robert Horry is also refered to as Will Smith repeatedly. On one particular day, Jim referred to Anaheim Angels manager Mike Scioscia as "Tony Scioscia," which prompted another unsuspecting caller to attempt to correct him. Jim insisted "no, I know who you mean, it's Tony." Prior to his embrace of NASCAR, Jim would commonly refer to drivers, regardless of their actual first names, as "Ernie" or "Dale," hinting at a stereotype. Such sarcasm makes the show difficult to follow at times, especially for new listeners. On one occasion, Jim summed things up (sarcastically of course), when one caller's take seemed to be more of a lame comedy routine. After running the call, Jim said flatly, "Clones, you...you are not funny. I...I on the other hand...I am quite amusing." Many unsuspecting listeners would erroneously take that as a Jim being disgustingly conceited. However, it was merely a clever way to redicule the caller's completely unfunny bit.
• Jungle Karma - On many occassions, Jim will interview players of various sports, and claims that their appearance on the show will improve their performance for an upcoming game. In addition, if a player cancels or skips their interview, Jim claims "bad karma" will prevail, diminishing their competitive ability for the upcoming game. Interesingly, however unscientific it may be, anecdotal evidence seems to suggest the trend may be true.
• The Celebrity Drunk Bus - Any time a professional athlete, actor or politician is arrested for DUI or DWI, Rome offers to send the "Celebrity Drunk Bus," which will pick up the inebriated star and courier him home. Jim says the phone number for the drunk bus is "1-800-BWAAAAAAAAAA!"
• The XR4Ti Crew - Rome's "posse" of phone screener Jason Stewart and e-mail screener Travis Rodgers; the "XR4TI" comes from the brand name of Rome's first car, a Merkur XR4Ti. The XR4Ti Crew first came about after lampooning a soundbite from Allan Iverson's mother, on which two other women can be heard behind her repeating everything she says.
• Use of the term "War" - Years ago, Jim became very intrigued by the way fans of Auburn chanted the slogan "War Eagle" to support their team. It became customary for Jim and his callers to recite the phrase "war-" followed by their favorite team, player, or other activity, to show their fondness of it.
• Tongues - Many college football teams reward players for exceptional plays by affixing decals to their helmets. Well-known examples include Ohio State, whose players have buckeye stickers, and Florida State, who rewards players with tomahawk stickers. Jim decided that when he has an exceptional segment of his broadcast, he affixes a tongue sticker to his microphone.
• Use of the Term "Freaking" - On occasion, when Jim concludes an interview with a guest who demonstrated tremendous character, or told an amazing story of something they did, Jim will proclaim they have earned the middle-name title "Freaking." The first such guest was Evil Knievel, who conducted an unforgettable interview with Jim, such that Jim from that point on, referred to him as "Evil Freaking Knievel." Others who have been given that name include NASCAR driver Richard Petty, who told Jim a story about how he drove in the 1980 Talladega 500 with a broken neck. Jim's response after the interview was "Richard Freaking Petty."
• Jim Hates Soccer - Rome has no use for soccer and talks about it on the show. Rome also talks about how his eldest son Jake has developed into an above-average youth soccer player, apparently against his father's wishes. In 2004, ex-soccer star, Soccer Hall of Famer, and TV analyst Eric Wynalda called in to the radio show to chastise Rome for the anti-soccer tirades. Afterwards, Rome said that Wynalda was the only soccer person allowed to call the show. Here are a Jim Rome Soccer Rant and a Jim Rome Soccer Parody.
• Jim Hates NCAA College Baseball - While he loves to talk about Major League Baseball, Rome absolutely despises college baseball. He refuses to respect it as a sport. He loves to impersonate the sound of the aluminum bat hitting the baseball (Ping!). He only acknowledges the sport during the College World Series, where you might hear his "PING!" blast. He feels any sport where someone can hit 6-7 home runs in a game isn't worthy of his time.
• Jim Hates Wrestling - Rome has no use for pro wrestling, often remarking that pro wrestlers often wear masks, sit under a sun lamp to get a nice orange tan (a veiled reference to Hulk Hogan), and outfits consisting of blue tights. He has a particular disdain for WWE owner Vince McMahon, who kept a PPV broadcast running even after one of his wrestlers, Owen Hart, died in a freak accident during the event (and for later justifying his decision on The Last Word). As for collegiate or amateur wrestling, Rome also has little use for that sport, often commenting that amateur wrestlers wear water polo helmets and unitards (actually singlets), and that they practice their "special holds" on each other - especially on dirty, unsanitary wrestling mats.
• Border Wars - Often when leading up to a significant event (such as the Super Bowl, the NBA Finals, etc.), fans of the teams will phone the show and degrade the opposing team's city. This usually degenerates into a back-and-forth war between inhabitants of the two cities where nearly every call Jim receives is from someone looking to weigh in on the war. One notable border war that flares up occasionally is United States vs. Canada (or "America Junior", as Canada has been termed on the show). It is also quite common for callers in one city to provoke another for virtually no reason other than its existence. One example is a 2005 border war between Huntsville and Knoxville that erupted for no particular reason and lasted around a week.
• Jim Hates Star Wars and its fans - One could actually imagine Rome's thoughts upon hearing of the title for the 2002 Star Wars movie Attack of the Clones. But it was a 2004 call from a clone comparing LPGA golfer Annika Sörenstam with Anakin Skywalker that prompted Rome's response from the clone's effort to make such a comparison - "If you are over the age of twelve and you still care about Star Wars, you... are... a... loser." Rome would continue to make his attacks on Star Wars fans by commenting on the numbers of attendees at a Star Wars convention in Indianapolis being larger than those appearing at a Tour Stop in Detroit on the same weekend. Against Rome's attempts to keep his son Jake away from Star Wars influences, Jake has discovered Star Wars, especially Darth Vader whom he described as "cool."
• Jim Hates Dungeons & Dragons - Much like his antipathy for Star Wars, Jim has nothing kind to say about people, especially adults, who play Dungeons & Dragons. Pointing out that most are usually not savvy with women, that many live in their parents' basement, and all seem to have a unusual facination with a twenty-sided die. In addition, he firmly believes that professional board game players, who play such games as Monopoly and Risk, are equally as much a loser.
• Jim Hates women in professional sports - Even though he is a great admirer of Tennessee women's basketball coach Pat Summitt, and of race car driver Danica Patrick, Rome has no love lost over the WNBA, women in soccer, nor women in any professional sport. Rome's constant comparison of WNBA players to horses and his lackadaisical attitude toward the success of the US women's soccer team in the 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup, ignoring the individual efforts of the team members and calling any member "Mia Chastahamm," after the team's most famous members, Mia Hamm and Brandi Chastain.
• Jim and bowling - Jim's official statement about the sport of bowling is that it can't be considered a sport if you improve your scores as you continue to drink alcohol. He also points out that bowlers often have special wrist grips, have a cigarette hanging out of their mouths, and eat greasy food at the bowling center's annexed bar and grille.
• Jim and Adult League Softball - Similiar to his feelings about bowling, Jim also finds jest in men's softball leagues. Along with pointing out the propensity for them to consume inordinate amounts of alcohol, Jim feels that "Softball Guy" takes the recreational game much too seriously, puts ridiculously sophomoric nicknames on the back of his jersey (such as "The Rammer"), and should refrain from addressing the umpire as "Blue."
• Jim and gambling - A frequent reference is made to the stereotypical "Likes to Bet Guy." Jim will often ponder why obscure and unequivocally minor sporting events are designated with gambling odds by casinos, only to decide it is likely for the purposes of satisfying the needs of gambling addicts.
• Jim and chiropractors - On an August 15, 2001 radio broadcast, Rome griped about chiropractors, questioning why anyone would open up a medical practice at a mall, offering bent skeleton-shaped ballpoint pens and free back alignments. This angered the American Chiropractic Association, who argued that their profession offers more than just back alignments (http://www.amerchiro.org/media/record/jim_rome2.shtml).
• Jim and reality TV - Jim has very little use for reality TV shows, often making fun of programs like Man Versus Beast, Celebrity Boxing and The Surreal Life. He has commented, "I hate reality TV, and if you like reality TV, you're not smart." He has tried to avoid talking about American Idol (which he sometimes refers to as "American Karaoke"), but after that show's second season Rome complimented New York Mets first baseman Mo Vaughn on his singing victory (this was a remark on Vaughn's weight, which had ballooned to the size of American Idol winner Ruben Studdard). Rome has been more supportive, however, when his call-screener Jason Stewart (aka J-Stew) appeared on the reality TV series Blind Date.
• Jim Hates Boy Bands - Pointing out that while they're aimed at teenage girls, "boy bands" almost always are comprised of grown adults. Jim takes the liberty of adjusting their names, referring to the Backstreet Boys the "Backstreet Men," the band *NSYNC as "*N-Men" and the band O-Town as "O-Men. Jim calls the members of these groups "man banders." He also has called Nick Lachey "Nick Simpson" after Lachey said to the press that he supported ex-University of Cincinnati basketball coach Bob Huggins.
• Jim and homosexuals in professional sports - Jim is open toward homosexuals in professional sports, mainly those who have the courage to "come out." Rome's opinion is open and encouraging, but suggests that the day an active professional athlete would "come out" is still far away, as he judges the attitudes of those in the game toward homosexuality as being close-minded. Rome even said that he would be supportive of his son Jake (now a child) coming out as an adult if he was homosexual.
• Jim loves Good Will Hunting - This apparently is Jim's favorite motion picture, and he will quote the line "How do you like dem apples, AAHHHH" in a faux New England accent during his show.
• Jim hates commercials for Viagra and Cialis - Pointing out that the commercials for the two men's medications are obscenely suggestive, Jim can't help but make fun of how they are allowed to be broadcast, and how Pfizer is the sponsor of MLB's "Comeback Player of the Year." The action of throwing a football through a tire draws plenty of e-mails too, comparing it to slide whistles, bottle rockets, a train going into a tunnel, and springs.
• Jim and Ice Cream Men - Jim is very wary of ice cream men, who he believes are sexual predators who use ice cream to get at children. This was only strengthened after a 2005 incident in Wisconsin in which an ice cream man was arrested on a DUI charge, and was later found out as a registered sex offender. After a second high-profile incident, Jim explained it has become an "ice cream epidemic." In September 2005, a Detroit ice cream man was arrested for allegedly showing naked pictures of himself on a camera phone to girls and asking them to kiss each other while he took their picture.
• The Smartest People in the Jungle - Jim has bestowed this honor upon whom he considers the top five smartest people he's interviewed on the show. Honorees include: Al Michaels, Bob Costas, David Halberstam, Jim Lampley, John Feinstein. "Alternates" include Joe Buck and George Will.
• The 0-16 "Dream Season" - Since going to a sixteen-game schedule in 1978, no NFL team has ever finished the season winless. Several teams have finished 1-15, and more still have brought a winless record into the month of December. Jim's facination stems from the sheer difficulty of the feat and the level of apathy required to pull off such a pathetic result. Teams such as the Chargers, Bengals, and Dolphins have been on Jim's 0-16 radar, only to "fall short" of the true desire to completely give up and lose every game. Jim has promised that whenever an NFL team finally manages to go winless for an entire season, the city will immediately be awarded a Tour Stop.
• Jim's Worst Car - On occasion, Jim will recall the story of the worst car he ever owned, a Merkur XR4Ti. Although he admits the car was trendy and sporty when first bought, he firmly believes there was about a two-year threshold before the car completely exposed itself as a lemon. The dashboard warning lights lit up so often, Jim refered to it as a "Christmas Tree," and when trying to take the car in for repairs, few mechanics had ever heard of Merkurs. Jim loves to wrap up the story by recounting the day he traded in the ill-fated car. After barely making it to the dealership, moments after the paperwork was transfered, the mechanic went to take the car away, and it broke down for good. Merkurs are often referenced by e-mailers, especially former owners.
• The Big Ten - Although he has no issues with any of the teams in the Big Ten, Jim pokes fun at the conference for their name, considering it is actually comprised of eleven teams. Jim always refers to them as the "Big Eleven."
• Jim Loves Manny Ramirez - Jim always loves reporting on Manny Ramirez (whom he calls "Man Ram"). Whether it be Man Ram cutting off throws from center field, wearing an IPod in his sunglasses out to the field, taking the field in roller skates, or getting lost in the Green Monster at Fenway Park. Jim often tells Manny to "have a safe trip on the way home from 'Planet Man Ram.'"
• Jim and Little League Baseball - Nothing from his childhood seems to have stuck in Jim's mind more than a dissapointing gift Jim received playing little league baseball. At the end of the season, Jim and his teammates were given gifts by the coaches. Instead of a toy they could play with (which is what the children wanted), the coaches gave them multi-colored, mini-screwdriver sets. While it was probably a gesture to give the boys a "man's gift," it ended up being a dull present none of the boys cared for.