Welcome to my world

SPORTSLINE RADIO

Miss Illinois 2009 Erin O'Connor was kind enough to grace the show with her presence on February 28, and pose for some pictures. That's me on the left, by the way. I almost look good in the sash, and I'm good with the wave, but I don't have the walk to pull it off. Miss O'Connor was a great guest, and I only wish her the best in the future. God knows that right now she's the best representative of Illinois that we have going right now, BY FAR! For more info on Erin and the pageant program, log onto www.missillinois.org.

(Left to Right: Mekial, Me, Gloria, Gary, Tracey)

Gary and I pose with three of the Adrenaline Rush dancers on March 21. See them at each Chicago Rush game this season! For more info about the team, log onto www.arenarush.com. To follow the dance team, check out their facebook page here.

WE PRIDE OURSELVES IN BEING THE ONLY RADIO SHOW IN CHICAGO

TO COVER ALL SPORTS!

SPORTSLINE IS THE ONLY SHOW TO COVER

WOLVES HOCKEY, RED STARS SOCCER, SKY BASKETBALL, INDOOR FOOTBALL (RUSH & SLAUGHTER), INDOOR SOCCER, US NATIONAL TEAM SOCCER, USA VOLLEYBALL, BLACKHAWKS HOCKEY BEFORE THEY WERE ANY GOOD, &

THE ONLY ENGLISH RADIO OUTLET TO COVER CHICAGO FIRE SOCCER.

NO OTHER SHOW OR SPORTS STATION IN THE CITY CAN MAKE THOSE CLAIMS. WE DO IT ALL BECAUSE WE LOVE SPORTS & WANT TO BRING YOU THE VARIETY THAT WE ARE FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO HAVE IN THIS GREAT SPORTS TOWN!

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As hard as it is for me to believe, I've been doing radio for over 11 years now. I now co-host a weekly sports talk show called "SPORTSLINE" that airs Sundays at 11 a.m. on WNDZ-AM750. Gary Zahara is my partner in crime on the show. The show began in March of 2006 airing Tuesdays on WJJG-AM1530. We moved on to a bigger and better station in November of 2007, and we've been doing pretty well since. We have great guests from all parts of the sports world from John McDonough, Pat Foley (twice), Mark Giangreco, Pat Tomasulo, Billy Gardner, and more to come. For more information, check out the show's Web site by logging onto www.zforcemedia.com. We do sports the way we think it ought to be done. I like to joke around as much as possible, so you'll hear me make wise cracks where appropriate. For me, it's almost always appropriate, but I try to make sure they're actually funny. Some things pop in my head, and before I say them I stop myself because it just wasn't as funny as when I first thought of it. People tell me I'm funny, so I'm inclined to believe it now. If you're skeptical, the only thing you can do is listen to the show and find out for yourself. Archives are on the Z-FORCE site, and you can always listen live on Sundays at 11 a.m. Phone in at (773) 631-8202 or drop us an e-mail at sportsline@zforcemedia.com.

My radio career began at WLUW, 88.7 FM while I was a student at Loyola University Chicago in July of 1998. I started off doing news and sports updates in the afternoon. I worked there for credits that next semester before taking a hiatus in the spring. I did produce a special program reviewing the Chicago Fire's 1998 double championship. I went back to do updates in the summer of 1999 and became the Sports Director. Eventually I worked into a groove doing sports updates on Friday afternoons on the "Full on Friday Show" of "Stephen in the Evening." It was a great time working with Mike Stephen and Nick Tristano. Although parking downtown sucked, I always looked forward to those Fridays. We had a couple sports guests on and that begat the "Sunday Sports Shootout" in March of 2001. I began the show with co-host Perla Viveros airing at 8:30 a.m. with Wayne Messmer being our first guest. Perla went on to intern at WGN-TV, Channel 9, and she now works at Comcast SportsNet here in Chicago. Lois Price joined in shortly thereafter, and when the station moved from downtown to the Lakeshore Campus on Devon and Sheridan, it was just Lois joining me. I did some shows solo after a while until Brett Wilwert and Katie Toolan joined me in 2003. Wilwert was a Loyola student from Minnesota while Toolan was a fellow Loyola alumnus from Chicago. Then in 2004, Darrell Horwitz joined the program on our Super Bowl show that year. Eventually it became just Darrell and me. The show moved to 11 a.m. on Sundays in 2005. Brett eventually got hitched and moved to Oregon, and Darrell brought Katie back. The show went from a half hour to a full hour in the summer of 2007. I left to do "SPORTSLINE" exclusively because the shows air at the same time. It's like I'm competing with myself. Sounds silly, I know.

CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS MEDIA RELATIONS

:LIE

PLEASE SIGN OUR ON-LINE PETITION TO RECEIVE FAIR TREATMENT FOR US AND SIMILAR MEDIA OUTLETS FROM THE CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS

E-MAIL ME YOUR NAME AND ANY COMMENTS TO SIGN OUR PETITION!

HERE'S THE STORY...

The Chicago Blackhawks Media Relations department has made efforts to cut down on outside media coverage of the team.  They’ve been denying credentials for frivolous and always changing reasons to media members and outlets who do not work with their broadcast partners or network stations. They are trying to put down the little guy and any independent radio voices.  I am one of those voices, and all I wish is to cover the team as I have in the past.  I believe they are doing this in order to control the news that comes out about the team.  Please sign this petition to let the team know you do not approve of their practices with the media and you want as much coverage of Blackhawk hockey as possible.

MY LETTER TO JOHN McDONOUGH AND JAY BLUNK

CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS LEGAL TEAM'S RESPONSE

EACH ACCUSATION IN THE HAWKS' LEGAL LETTER

IS EITHER OUTRIGHT FALSE OR MISLEADING.

For background purposes, we were not granted season passes, nor did we ask for them because we knew we wouldn't be at every single game. Therefore, our presence at games was to be approved on a game-by-game basis, and the lawyer's letter reflected that. We knew the drill because that's exactly what we had done for years before this new regime showed up: Give 48 hours notice and all was okay.

LIE # 1: SHOWING UP UNANNOUNCED 

This doesn't really need explanation since it is IMPOSSIBLE to show up to a game without prior notice. To get into any sporting event, you either need I.D. that you work for the team, a pass of some sort (for us it would be a media credential), or a ticket. There's no other way to get entry into the United Center unless you somehow climb through the air ducts, and I think Gary and I are too big to fit in there, so that's not an option.

LIE #2: ATTENDING PRACTICE WITHOUT PRIOR NOTICE & ACTING UNPROFESSIONALLY

No, I did not notify the powers that be that I would be at the March 14, 2009, practice, but it's very difficult to abide by rules that always change. I was at practice just two weeks before on Feb. 28, 2009, without notification, and Mr. Faber saw me there. He asked me if I needed anything. If that was truly the policy, why didn't he either ask me to leave then or at least advise me that I'd need to call ahead in order to attend future practices. When he told me that everyone needs to call ahead, I tested that by asking the other media members if they called, and they all said no. When I told that to Mr. Faber, his conclusion was that they're situation was different. As far as acting inappropriately, during the interview with Coach Quenneville, Mr. Faber attempted to grab my arm repeatedly. Does that sound professional to you? After the media session was over, I kept as calm as I could, and told him strongly and with a raised voice that he had been an obstacle to our covering the team since November, and that he belonged on the unemployment line. That's as derogatory as I got, and I never defamed him in any way. I neither cursed nor swore at him because I knew it wasn't necessary. I have a good enough vocabulary to deal with him, and I knew that wouldn't help me anyway.

LIE # 3: PREFERRED TICKETING & INTIMIDATING STAFF

Media members often ask for tickets from the teams they cover. Now, it isn't something that should be abused, but it isn't unfair to ask for things when you work to promote a team like we do. Mind you, the free tickets mentioned in the letter were asked for on 2 occasions in 2008-09. One time they were granted, the 2nd time they were granted and then rescinded once Mr. Faber saw the request. On other occasions, my co-host Gary Zahara asked other people that he knows from covering the organization for years about tickets. He went to them because Mr. Faber didn't grant the tickets he requested. Mind you, they were tickets he and I were paying full price for. I don't see how paying full price for tickets that are available to everyone else is preferential treatment. Going back to the free tickets, the lawyer added that Gary made a female representative feel uncomfortable in the parking lot. I have e-mail evidence that shows this accusation is false. She addresses the situation with humor and is glad to help when she initially grants the ticket requests and is still cordial when she has to inform Gary that the allotment of tickets for that game has run out. Either she is a fine actress and played nice via e-mail or Mr. Faber told the lawyer quite a tall tale.

CLICK TO ENLARGE

CONCLUSION

We completely understand that media accreditation is not a right, but we have done nothing to lose that privilege. I have pointed out here in plain English the lies that Mr. Faber spewed about us to the Blackhawks' legal representatives. The lawyers are there to be advocates for their clients, so they can only relay what they've been told. Unfortunately they've been told things that are exaggerations and full out fabrications. As far as complying with team policies, it's difficult to do so when they change at every turn. When someone denies credentials for ticket requests often made over the phone or via e-mail (which have nothing to do with conduct while being credentialed at a game or practice), to not granting us access because of the "format of our show" to what happened on March 14, 2009, which is further evidence of his unfounded and arbitrary discrimination of our show. In over a decade of covering sports in Chicago, I have never been treated so poorly. It's either a yes or no on credentials based on the room in the press box, which is another funny thing about the Blackhawks. They have a press box that seats over 70 yet they normally fill only half of them. What's the point of having that many seats? Why not auction off those nose bleed seats there, Mr. McDonough.

In conclusion, Mr. Faber has a personal issue with Gary or me or both of us. Their decisions are based solely on that because all their accusations are completely bogus. You're not necessarily going to get along with everyone you come in contact with, and we shouldn't need him or anyone there to like us personally. We're not there to necessarily make friends, but we're certainly not there looking to make enemies. For whatever reason he sought to kick us out and succeeded without any good reason. I know you will support our side in this battle. Please sign the petition right now to show how you feel about their unfair and unwarranted treatment toward us and our show.

THANK YOU!

CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS MEDIA RELATIONS IS NOW THE CHICAGO RED ARMY. HERE IS THEIR FLAG.

SEPARATED AT BIRTH

BLACKHAWKS MEDIA RELATIONS MAN

BRANDON FABER & GOMER PYLE, USMC

I'D RATHER DEAL WITH THE REAL GOMER INSTEAD OF THIS VINDICTIVE HACK OF A GOOBER.

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