Toronto Mike'd: The Official Toronto Mike Podcast - Bob McCown: Toronto Mike'd Podcast Episode 2000

Episode Date: October 23, 2026

In this 2000th episode of Toronto Mike'd, Mike chats with Bob McCown about how he ended up in sports media, his start on the radio at CKFH, being the first Toronto Blue Jays public address announcer at Exhibition Stadium, launching Sportsline on Global TV, launching Prime Time Sports on 1430 CJCL, the format change to The Fan 1430 and The Fan 590, his stint hosting mornings on The Fan, his many co-hosts and controversies through the years, why he was fired, and his continued recovery following a series of strokes.A version of this podcast without programmatic ads is available to all Toronto Mike'd Patrons at patreon.com/torontomike.Toronto Mike'd, an award-winning podcast, is proudly brought to you by Great Lakes Brewery, Palma Pasta, Ridley Funeral Home, Nick Ainis, and RecycleMyElectronics.ca.If you would like to support the show, we do have partner opportunities available. Please email Toronto Mike at [e-mail]. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to episode 2,000 of Toronto Mike. An award-winning podcast, proudly brought to you by Great Lakes Brewery. Order online at Great Lakes Beer.com for free local home delivery in the GTA. Palma Pasta. Enjoy the taste of fresh, homemade Italian pasta and entrees from Palma Pasta in Mississauga and Oakville. Visit Palma Pasta.com for more. Fusion Corpsoe Nick Aienies. He's the host of Building Toronto Skyline and Mike and Nick.

Two podcasts that you ought to listen to. Recycle MyElectronics.ca.C.A. Safe, secure recycling for residents, businesses, and the environment. Ready to recycle? Bring it! And Ridley Funeral Home. Pillars of the community since 1921. Joining me today for special episode 2000, making his Toronto mic to debut.

It's Bob McCowan. Hello, Bob. Hello, Mike. How are you? I was wondering if you would say greetings and salutations. Well, I kind of stopped doing that. What's it like to hear this theme song? Well, I hadn't heard that in the years, I guess. I recognize it obviously right at the beginning.

I wasn't 100% sure it was my theme, but after a few moments, I got it. Let me tell you off the top. Firstly, thank you for being here, my very special guest for episode 2000. So thank you, Bob McCowan. My pleasure. And let me tell you back in the olden days

when I had a commute and I was, you know, making the drive to the B2B software company so it can make a few bucks and try to pay a mortgage and raise some kids. I can't tell you how many times I'd be in traffic on the way home and I would hear this song and I would listen to you on primetime sports. So we spend a lot of time together whether you know it or not. Well, thank you very much. I'm appreciative of you listen. Now I'm going to jog your memory on something and then we're going to get into it. I've been waiting. I think I've been waiting 2,000 episodes for this conversation. But when I got to episode 500, in my mind, that was a big milestone. I'll never get to another bigger milestone.

I feel like I almost dropped a Tom Cheek there. I'll never hit a bigger home run in my life, Bob. But I remember thinking, who did I want for episode 500 of Toronto Mike? And I thought about all these people I would listen to on the radio and see on television, etc. musicians I would listen to. and I said, I want Bob McCowan from Primetime Sports. And do you have any memory of me offering you episode 500 of Toronto Mike? Not really, but I was invited to do a number of podcasts during my career and then shortly after. And actually, I only did a few. And they were all people I knew and who I felt I owed something.

to because they've been really good to me. Not that you haven't been, but I didn't know you. So you weren't alone in the people that wanted to do something. And I said, no, thank you. Well, I played the long game, Bob. Well, you know, being on number 2000 is pretty good. You know, I will, here, here I am. I'm going to toot my own horn for a moment.

but if I don't chew my own horn, who the hell's going to do it? Go ahead, go off and go discover how many independent podcasts in the country of Canada will ever record an episode 2000. You could probably track it on one hand, Bob. Well, maybe. I know I did over 1,000 when I was doing my podcast. Which is... Which is great. Why did, again, we're going to get into it and it's going to be primarily chronological but not necessarily.

but why did your podcast after your run at the fan 590? Why did your podcast come to an end? John Shannon decided to go and do hockey again. And so I had a couple of people that I did the show with a few times. And coincidentally, our major sponsor quit. around the same time. So I was, for two months, I did the podcast. And of course, I paid my producer.

I paid my co-host. I paid everybody but me. So I went for two months and didn't get a check. So I did it for nothing. Right. And eventually I decided, this is stupid. You know, I've done thousands of thousands of shows. surely I've had enough.

Surely the audience has had enough. So I decided to pack it in. Now with the understanding that I might go back if the right situation arose, but it never did. So I've been off for about, I don't know, two years or something. You know, if I'm reading between the lines,

that primary sponsor probably parked a Brinks truck in your driveway and it's like, yeah, I'll do this for this money. And then once that money disappeared, it's like this is a lot of work. Well, I will tell you this. Yeah. I was very well paid on TV and radio. But I did three hours a day.

Right. Excuse me. The podcast I made about half. But I only did about 50 minutes. so was a better deal even. And you could do it in your pajamas from home. Well, technically, yeah. I was in my home as I am now.

And John Shannon was my co-host. Yeah. And he was in his house. Now, we both live in this saga, but we're not really close to each other. Okay. For about 20 minutes apart. All right.

Now, let me ask you off the top here because I'm concerned for you, and I want to know how you're doing with your health. How are you feeling these days? How is your health, Bob? Well, it's not great, to be honest. It's a lot better than it was after my strokes.

You know, I was in hospital for five weeks. And at that time, I couldn't eat. I couldn't taste. I couldn't talk. Wow. And I couldn't walk. So I was pretty much a vegetable. I was in bed.

and I had to go through a lot of rehab in order to get where I am now. My voices, I don't know, I think it's off. People that I talk to think it's not bad, but I feel like I don't sound like I did. My walking is okay, but it's not great. I get around, but it's tough.

They took my driver's license away. So I went a year without a license. That was hard. I got that back. So driving is not a problem. It's not that I do a lot of driving, but I can't go to the grocery store or whatever, whenever I need. So generally, you know, I'm doing okay.

Not great, but a lot better than I was. Let's put it that way. I mean, five weeks in the hospital where you couldn't talk. I mean, again, you don't, I did listen to a lot of prime time sports. I can tell you, you, there's no difficulty understanding you. You're clear, well-spoken. You do sound like a titch, you do sound different than you did when I was listening to prime time sports, but I have no problem hearing you and understanding you.

Well, that's good. I worked hard at it, you know, to get it all back. and it still bothers me that I don't sound the way I did and talking is a lot of work for me it tires me out so you know I know that there are issues and I probably will have the rest of my life

however long that it is but I'm happy that I'm I can communicate um you know I can talk. The rest of my body is whatever it is.

You know, it's not great, but it's okay. So I am sorry to hear that you had the strokes and that this, it was so sounds, sounds very serious. My buddy, my buddy John Gallagher, he'd probably trade places with you and take your five weeks stay. He had a series of serious strokes in Halifax.

Yes, I know that. Okay. So you've been in contact with John Gallagher. No, I haven't been to contact with him, but we have a mutual friend. Okay. She told me about his situation. I assume he's still in the hospital, is he? He's in, yes, he's in some sort of rehabilitation center.

And he, like yourself, he, I mean, like yourself, I would say he, he had that big voice and it made him a lot of money through the years. Just like your voice made you a lot of money. So I would think if you're defined by your voice, sounding different. than you're used to sounding would affect you, I think, differently. And I think that's why you've been having such a challenge with the fact you don't quite sound like Bob McCowan primetime sports from 30 years ago. Sure, yep. I understand.

Yeah. Okay. So now that you've told me that it's tiring to talk, I'm going to see how long I can make you talk, Bob. Well, I don't know. We'll find out, I guess. We'll find out. You just tell me when you have to tap out because I've only,

waited 2,000 episodes for this, Bob, but we'll see how long you can go. So let's get right into it, which is, I am curious because I know you're from Columbus, Ohio, but I don't have a good sense of when you come to Canada, why you come to Canada. Would you mind telling me how you end up in this wonderful country of Canada? Well, I came when I was one year old. My mom was Canadian. and my dad was from Columbus as well. Now, he and I contracted polio when I was a year old.

And my mom had to, we were both, it was bulver polio, which is polio of the lungs. Of course, I don't remember any of this, but she apparently sat in the hospital and my dad was on one side of her in an iron. lung and I was on the other side in iron lung and the doctors told her they expected I would die and that he would be in iron lung for the rest of his life well 10 days after contracting it he passed away and I almost fully recovered so uh my mom came you know was still in Toronto I think they living here at that time. And this is where we stayed. I went back to Columbus often, almost every year,

when I was younger, to see my aunt and uncle, my cousins, my grandmother, grandfather, etc. On my dad's side. But otherwise, I was here. Now, I've never taken out Canadian citizenship, which I probably should have done, but I don't know why.

I just thought, having American citizenship wasn't an inconvenience for me and it might be something I would want done in the future. At that time, you had to decide which you were. You couldn't be both. So I kept my American citizenship and I still haven't. My passport is a U.S. passport, which could have been advantageous

because I was offered several jobs in the U.S. And I could have gone to them, but that never happened. Why didn't it happen? Because I can imagine there'd be a pretty good sum of money in it for you to make that move. Well, yes and no. There was one job I did sort of accept, and that was at a station in Florida, in Miami.

but interesting enough, the day I started packing to move to Florida. I got a call from global television. I had no contact with them before that. I didn't know anybody there, but they called offering me a job. So I went and talked about it,

and the job that they wanted me to take was to do a horse racing show. Now I liked horse racing show. racing. In fact, I used to own a couple of horses. But I wound up telling them that I thought we should do a sports magazine show. There was none like that on TV at the time or on radio for that matter. And that's how Sportsline

was launched in 1981. And I I wound up calling Miami and saying, never mind, I'm not coming. Wow. So the only other job I was up for, I had an agent in New York. And he, without me knowing, put me up for a job at,

gee, I can't remember. I think it was NBC, but I'm not sure. It was, maybe it was, CBS. It was at it was to do

Sunday afternoon football NFL football. Brian Gumble was the host and he was he left to go to a morning show.

I don't know if you remember this, but he quit. And they put it on I put it in on this shit tape. I didn't know that. My agent did. And it got down to three people.

And the guy who got it was Bob Costas, who I did not know personally, but I knew of him. He was at KMOX in St. Louis. He got the job. I didn't. And I don't know who the third guy was. But that was rather flattering to get that offer. I was at a global at the time.

So that would have been big, big step up. And then I was offered another job. Well, I was offered several, but the other one of significance was in Boston. And Boston, of course, their signal goes into New York and vice versa. So it's a pretty big station, was Channel 4 in Boston. And they offered me the job and flew me down to Boston. They had a real estate and show me houses. And his job was mine if I wanted it.

And I didn't take that one for personal reason. I had a girlfriend at that time who was working in Toronto, and we would have been apart. So I decided to stay here. So that was good enough, I don't know, I don't know, but it worked out all right. Worked out all right. No regrets, Bob, that you didn't see if you could be, I don't know, a bigger fish in a bigger place?

pond? I thought about it occasionally, but not really. Nope. Good. Okay. I did all right here. You know, I have no complaints. Well, you did all right.

We're just, just warming up here. You did all right. When you talked about doing a horse racing show on Global, I initially thought of my dear friend and client, Peter Gross, who... Yep. I don't, good Peter.

I know, well, I haven't talked to him a long time, but he and I were pretty close. he hosts a podcast today called Down the Stretch and it's all about Ontario horse racing I'm happy to be helping him produce it but it's funny because when we talked with the great John Gallagher who's in Halifax recovering from his strokes

then I should point out I also produced this tremendous show called Gallagher and Gross Save the World which was John Gallagher and Peter Gross and they'd come visit this basement and I'm just telling you they don't make audio content like that I'm telling you that.

It was just exceptional. So much love to Peter Gross and, of course, the great John Gallagher, my buddy. All right. So I am going to just take you back a bit. I'm loving this very much, Bob. But, you know, I had no idea you were in an iron lung as a child. You don't even remember because you were only one years old. And I'm sorry about your father and polio.

Thank you. My goodness gracious. I had no idea that you would, and I had no idea you came to Canada so young. You were only one year old here. But when did you realize you wanted to work in sports media? Well, I never did, really. I got out of high school and I became a golf pro. So I was a professional golf for five years.

And a golf pro in Canada has to get a winter job. Because of course is, of course, closed. So I did a variety of things. And then the 50 year by being a pro, one of my members worked in radio. And I got talking to him and he said, you know, there are a lot of hockey players and others who work in radio part-time. He said, do you want to?

And I said, well, I'll try it. So I wouldn't work for CFTR. 680 And I was a sales run And I was only there a few weeks I did nothing I sold nothing And one of them came to me

I think the sale manager And said, we own a station in Sarnia Do you want to go there? They will pay you a salary Plus commission Well, I'm a young kid you know, in my early 20s, I thought, what the hell?

I'll go. So I showed up in Sarnia. You know, I had long hair. I had a full-length fake fur coat. I had white clogs with blue butterflies painted on them.

And I drove a yellow Dodge Challenger, which is pretty cool. then. I remember I drove into the station. I drove in the parking lot. And there was this gaggle of faces up against the window,

all looking down and saying, who is this weird guy coming in? Well, it was me. I wound up staying for one year in Sarnia. And while I was there, it wasn't much to do. So in the evenings, many times I would go in and fool around with radio, which I knew nothing about at the time.

And then one of my clients, Merle Norman Cosmetics, asked me if I would do their commercial on radio. Well, I had no knowledge of how to do it or anything, but I did it. And they liked it, and other clients liked it. So I started doing other ones. So I guess I was doing, I don't know,

three, four, five clients. But that was it. They fired me in Sarnia. I came back to Toronto and I got two offers. And one of them was CKFH, which was Foster Hewitt's station. And the sales manager

and sports director was Ron Hewitt, who used to do Leaf Games, too, on radio. Anyway, I worked at sales for a few months. I hated it. Just awful. I was very bad.

I didn't like it. But I had this thought in my head. You know, when I was in Sarnia, I did these commercials. Maybe I couldn't be an on-air guy. I never aspired to it. It just occurred to me. And so I went to him one day and I said, Ron, I am going to go to Orillia or someplace.

and see if I'm any good at this. And I remember it was wintertime. I thought, I'll give myself a few months, and if I'm no good or I don't get a job, I'll go back to golf. So I said to him, said to Ron, I said, I'm sorry, but I quit. And I remember he said to me, you can't quit.

And I said to him, Ron, this is not your choice. This is mine. And he said, well, how about, What if I put you on the air here? Well, I never expected that. So I did five sports casts a day. But I still sold the rest of the day. So I was there at, you know, six o'clock in the morning.

I didn't leave till six o'clock at night. So those were long days. Did that for a few weeks, a few months. And I said, Ron, I don't want the sales thing anymore. I'll do the on-air stuff if you want, but not sales. So he let me do that. And I guess about a year later, I went to him and I said, what about doing a talk show?

There were no daily sports talk shows in Toronto. There was a weekly one. Dave Hodge did a weekly one on CFRB. That was fairly new. So I went on one day a week. and then we expanded it two days a week and then five days a week. So that's how I got into radio, total by accident. Did you have your golden pipes at that age?

Like did you already have the, so you obviously got the gigs for voiceover, but I'm just wondering, A, did you have the great pipes and then B? I never thought about it, you know? It never occurred to me. My voice was my voice. I didn't want to be in broadcasting.

I didn't aspire to it. Right. My mom was a singer, professional singer. And so I guess I took some of it from her, you know, show business stuff. But I didn't think about it at all. It just kind of, it really just happened. Incredible origin story, but I will say I, because I don't sound like you. And I often ask people who have the big, the big voice.

And I'm like, how did you get the pipes? And almost every time I ask that question, they tell me, you got to smoke, cigarettes. Well, I do that still, even. But I'm not sure that helps a lot. Okay, because Jeff Woods, et cetera, they're like, that's the way to go. But I'm fascinated by the fact that after you had your, you know, brush with death and the strokes, you, that wasn't enough of a sign that maybe you should quit smoking? Or is it just so highly addictive?

I'll tell you about that. I didn't smoke for five weeks in the hospital, obviously. Right. I, you know, quit cold turkey. I didn't really want a cigarette badly. But the first thing I did when I got home after five weeks was go out the back and have a smoke. And I've been smoking ever since, you know. Is it just that addictive?

I've quit before. When I was younger, I quit for two years. so I know I can. I just, I don't have enough good things going on in my life. Smoking is something I really enjoy. Yeah. So I still do it. I know that's stupid,

but I, you know, that's why I am. I'm stupid. Well, we all do stupid things, you know, it's,

yeah, you got to be true to Bob. If Bob wants to, I'm talking like you're not here now, but Bob wants to smoke, Bob's going to be on the darts. So, look, I don't do drugs.

I've never done drugs. I don't drink. I own a winery, but I don't drink. I have the occasional glass of wine. I mean like once every six months, I have a glass of wine. So I go to a restaurant.

I order a Coke. You know, that's my fix. So smoking is the only thing I do that I know I should. It makes me feel better. I don't think it should, that's how I justify it, I guess. CKFH, and I've had many a guest on this program who, you know, was at CKFH.

And of course, FH for the kids who don't know, that stands for Foster Hewitt. And you mentioned Ron, but I'm going to ask you, did you cross paths with a young Fred Patterson at CKFH? Oh, sure. In fact, Freddie does a podcast still, I think. Bob, ask me who produces that podcast? I had no idea. Yours truly, Toronto.

Oh, why? You still do that one? Yes, sir. I did it this morning. Well, you know that I've been on that show several times because Freddie and I knew each other. And his co-host and I are acquainted to. Be a golf, right? Well, we're broadcasting in the golf, although we played golf together a few times.

I mean, he golfs every day, so if you... Yeah, I know he's a pretty good player too. Oh, yeah. He does very well in like the senior amateurs and these different tournaments. But Humble and Fred, I'll just put this out there right now. If you would love to, if you would like to zoom in for a 15 minute chat with Humble and Fred

on their podcast to talk about sports, I'm the guy who schedules that. I would do it in a heartbeat. Well, you just let me know. Okay. I've always done every time that I've done it. because I know them and because they've been very good to me.

Am I right that when because you were very good. I was there for the birth of Humble and Fred. I'm the one who got them podcasting in 2006. But when they started going daily in 2011, I remember you on the Fan 590 giving love to the Humble and Fred podcast and had them on very early.

I have on my TV show, right? I think twice, but I'm not sure. Okay. But you were very supportive of them. And I remember maybe your ex, your wife at the time was a big Humble and Fred fan or something like that. Yes, he was. Okay. There you go.

It's all connected. We're connected here. Okay. Also, what about a gentleman named Rob Cowan? Rob was my good friend in the very early days at CKFH. Yeah. And he was on the board for my talk show at 6 o'clock at night. And, uh,

we sort of stayed in touch but we haven't seen this in many years he uh he used to do comedy with Rick Moranis before that's right and his dad was famous at CBC Bernard Cowan that's right they called him Bunny and his brother Elliot's been over too that's I get deep into the the the Bunny Cowan history absolutely in the Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer and all that okay all right my goodness I got to Remember, you can't talk for seven hours. My goodness.

But this show you start, it's 1977, right? Talking of sports? I think so. Okay. Maybe earlier than that. Maybe earlier than that. Okay. 75.

75. Okay, so I'm getting the record straight. The 77 was the Blue Jays. The show had been on before that. Okay. That's important because I know you're the... What of my guest was Pete Vesey. about a year before the Blue Jays launched,

he was named president of the club, and I remember he came over and did my talk show. That's how we became friends. Is that how you end up the first public address announcer in Toronto Blue Jays history? Probably, yeah. Well, I was the fourth person hired, I think, by the Blue Jays. Was Pete, Howard Starkman,

and I don't know who the third one was. may have been Pat Gillick. It may have been. And I was, I think, fourth. Wow. I think I was there before, Beeston. Wow.

Anyway, I was around the team at that time every day. I was the only media person that was allowed to go into the offices. And I just walked in. Everybody knew me. And I'd sit down

with Gillick or Beeston or Bavesey, sometimes Howard Starkman, and just chat. And I was, I do, then I go upstairs and I do the PA. I only did one, excuse me, one year of it, but it was okay, you know, they only paid me 50 bucks a game. So I, uh, I quit. I think some people, my age, will be surprised to learn that Marie Eldon wasn't the original PA announcer. Well, Murdo worked at CCAVH with me. He was a newsman.

And I remember I took a week or two off during the regular season to go on vacation. And I asked Murray to fill in for me. And he did a good job. So at the end of the year, when I quit, I think I recommended him and he stayed there. And he was there many years. He was the voice, all my years at exhibition stadium. Tony Fernandez, absolutely loved the timber of Marie's voice. Yep.

announcing those things. George Bell, okay, I could do this all day with you. Oh, my goodness. Okay, so your, and the frequency, CKFH is 1430. right? Right. Okay. It was. Right, of course.

I have no idea. You could put a gun to my head right now and say, what's at 1430? I don't know. But I remember when you were there with the fan before it moved to 590, but more than that in a moment. So you're hosting a talking of sports. Why do you leave that gig?

Well, I have to think about all this. Yeah. Take your time. I got fired again. when tell me you bought CKFH from Foster Hewitt.

First thing they did was fire me. But why? Who knows? I think because I made too much money. But I don't know that for sure. Right. Anyway, I sued them and I won. So I got a big check.

I tried to remember when that was. I think that was about 70. or something like that. Anyway, I did a few things. I worked at CFRB for a while. And then I got this job off from Global, this horse racing show, which turned to the sports line.

And I did that for three years. And I became sports director, Global. And that was a big show. That was a first of its kind in Canada. Who's going out? ESPN. and started in the U.S. And I saw some of that.

And that was what sportsline was patterned after. Was their half-hour sportscast. And Brian Williams was on CBC. Pat Marsden was on CTV. They both did about 10 minutes. And I was on Global. I did a half hour. He did that for three years.

And then I got pissed off at the guy who was vice president of sports or news, who was my boss, really. I got really mad at him. And I quit in 84. And my girlfriend at the time was working at City TV. And she was going to quit her show. But it was several months away. So I waited for her. And then she and I moved to Las Vegas.

And we were there a few years. And then one day, I got a call from a guy I knew at Tal Media. And they said, how would you like to come back to Toronto and do a talk show? Well, I was up in the pool on a raft. I had my, an ashtray and my raft, and I had a coffee. sun was shiny It was a beautiful day and they made me an offer

I looked up but the sky was blue and I was having a good time I said nah never mind I don't want to well the next day he called again

I was again I was in the pool on my raft with my smokes and my coffee sky was blue sun was shining he said what if you pay you this much

it was more I said no I don't want it well about a week or two went by and it was raining it never rains in Vegas but this day it was raining and he called me I was inside

and he said what if you pay you this I looked outside the sky was not blue I was not in the pool I said, all right, I'll come back. So just waiting that out made me about 50,000 a year, more than what they originally offered. And you were on your way back to the old frequency 1430.

Of course, now it's telemedia, even though the first thing they did when they bought the place was fire your ass, but you're going back for a lot more cabbage. Oh, yeah, a lot more, lots more. I work with Bill Waters. I came back and did Tokyo Sports. in 88. And the first year we only did about 160 shows.

It was around baseball. And then the next year it became a daily thing. It wasn't a baseball show at all. It was a daily thing, you know, 200, whatever, 50 days a year. So it went from there. Okay. Okay. So let me just ask you, because I think it's a wild coincidence that the same guy

who replaced you your first stint at 1430. You were, like, when you were let go that time, and when you were let go from Global. So those two, you know, chapters of your professional life, Bob, the same guy replaces you both times. Do you know that? No. Mark Hebscher.

Well, he worked for me. I gave him his first job in Toronto. He produced my, uh, my, uh, my talk show. And then I gave him the, I didn't want to do the daily sports cast anymore. So I gave him those. And, uh, you know, his career went from there.

Well, he owes a lot of his career to you. Well, just finally, I guess. I hired him, you know. Yeah. And so, because he was on 1430 doing, uh, you know, talking about, you know, mixing it up. And he often talks about a broadcaster out in New York, Franklin. I hope I got the name right.

Do you know, Joel? Franklin. Yeah. He was actually out of Cleveland. Out of Cleveland, my apologies. Yeah, but you could, I guess you could get it in. He went to New York. Okay.

So you're not wrong. Okay. Okay. But who did you, were you modeling your style after any broadcasters or were you just going to be peer Bob? Well, Pete Franklin, I listened to. You know, when I was. at Global

I got off here at midnight and then I would go to a restaurant bar almost every night and they really looked after me. They reserved the table for me. I had a bottle of champagne most nights

on the table waiting for me and then I'd been to times to stay to 5 in the morning there. It closed at one but I'd stay late with the staff. Anyway, when I drive home in the middle of the night, and listen to Larry King on WGR,

almost every night. In fact, I called them once. And the thing I loved about Larry King was, he knew how to ask a question. And I've just said to many people since, the key to being a good host, one of the keys, is when you ask a question,

ask it in its fewest number of words you can. And Larry was good at that. And the other thing is, listen, don't have a list of questions you want to ask. Listen to how the guest answers. The next question you ask will almost always be in the answer that you gave before. if you listen, you'll be good at your job.

So that's why I tried to do, those things. Great advice. So I better myself after Larry King, but I took certain things that he did and tried to incorporate them. And seemed to work. Seemed to work here. So now that we have you back at Telemedias 1430, of course, telemedia broadcasts the Blue J Games,

Tom Cheek, Jerry Howarth, the great Scott Ferguson would give you the out-of-town scoreboard. Right. Good times, actually. But I remember the format being the music of your life. Well, that was in the beginning, not for long. Not for long, but I would fall asleep listening to Blue J games and wake up to Tony Bennett or something.

Yeah, it was awful. Awful. Absolutely. So maybe now is a good time. I'm going to play just, you know, many, many of your colleagues and people you've crossed pathless have been in this basement and been on tron mic. But I'm going to play a clip. So I'm going to play less than a minute of somebody talking about you.

And then we'll see if you can name that voice. But here, one minute here. Bob and I, we go way back, needless to say. And I think our first conversation, we were yelling at each other because he was doing Jay's talk. And he wanted more money. And surprisingly, I didn't want to give him more money. And I hadn't been on the job very long. But I do remember standing outside at the time Skydome yelling at each other about,

it may have been 25 bucks. And we've been fine ever since. We had our battles because, you know, Bob is one of, if not the best radio people have ever worked with. If the only other guy I worked with that would compare was out in Vancouver, a guy by then I'm with Fred Latrimo, who recently passed away, sadly. But a tremendous broadcaster. And Bob is the best.

and I tried to balance his needs, wants, and desires with my needs, wants, and desires, but I trusted his instincts. And Bob and I are good friends. I talked to him yesterday, as a matter of fact. Just we hadn't, we hadn't spoken. Next time we talked to him, tell him to come do Toronto Mike's podcast. Yeah, he's not going to do that. Nelson, no.

You got it. Yeah, well, I knew that like one word in. Well, tell me about working. You're still friends today? Oh, yeah. In fact, he's supposed to text me in this week sometime about having lunch. So, we're not fairly far apart in terms of our homes, but we'll figure it out. So he came over. It was very revealing conversation about all the, I like to know how the sausage is made, so to speak. And it sounds like since you're still friends with the man that your professional and personal experience of Nelson Millman was ACEs, okay.

Okay. But he alludes to something that's like a recurring theme. You know, Bobcat getting more money. How, like we, you know, you only tell us what you want us to know, but people like Nelson talk about it and you just talked about how you got more money at Global. How important was it for you to be sort of the highest price guy in the market? I really didn't care about that. I wanted what I thought I deserved. I had the number one show in the country. Our ratings were really high.

I found it later that my show made about $7 million net profit a year. I knew it made a lot. I didn't know it made that much. So that's really good for local radio, even network radio. And I prided myself in being able to negotiate a good deal. So I negotiated most of my deals myself. I didn't have an agent. I didn't have a lawyer.

I had a lawyer who looked at the contract afterwards, but not to negotiate. So I was well paid. I certainly wouldn't have fought about $25 at the end. Right. That was irrelevant. I was, I believe

I was the highest paid broadcaster in the country. Anything. I know I made more than Don Cherry. I made more than Peter Mansbridge. I believe, I may be wrong, but I believe the next highest paid person made half of what I made. So I did a pretty good job. Would you be willing to disclose Bob McAllen on episode 2000,

milestone episode 2000 of Toronto, Mike? What's the most you made when you were hosting primetime sports? Well, some of the millions. So multiples. Really? Oh, yeah. In fact, I made, I figured this out the other day. I made over $2 million a year in the last, each of the last 10 years I was in the business.

So the last 10 years, I made more than $20 million. Not to skip ahead, but do you think that's why Rogers said, peace out Bob McCowan? Yep. 100%. 100. I know it. I don't think it.

I know it. That's why they got rid of me. If I was making too much. And that's what I found out the head of Roger Sports at the time after I got fired, said to me, I don't know why they did that.

Your show made $7 million last year. profit, even with my salary in it. My salary, the co-host salary, producer salary, everything we spent had a big profit. Now, I leave six months later, the show doesn't even exist

anymore. And all that revenue is gone. I'll bet you the whole station doesn't make $7 million a year. forget one show. I wouldn't take that bet because I think you're right. Yep.

I think I am. Okay. Now, how much notice, again, we jumped over a bunch of stuff. We'll see how you're feeling because I do want to pick at some of the threads there. But when did you get notice that your services are no longer required, Mr. I called him to some guy's office, Rick Brace. actually. I can't remember his exact title,

but I was a bit suspicious because that was not normal. And he said, we're, uh, we're, we're going to fire him. And I didn't say anything.

I just said, okay, whatever. I was on a three-year contract. And I just reached the 18-month point. So they owed me another year and a half. So they gave me a big, big check, and I walked away. I said, look, and I'll give you two weeks to find somebody else,

because they didn't have anybody else. I felt like I owed it to me. They'd been pretty good to me and paid me a lot of money. So I worked two more weeks, and then I quit. One quit. I left. And they asked me several times to stay longer. And I said, nope.

If you want me, then hire me back. Give me an extension. But otherwise, you fired me. I'm going. So they wanted to do a big party and everything, big announcement. And I said, no thanks. So my last show, I teased it a bit. but I did about one minute goodbye at the end of a show,

and that was it. I walked out. That was the end. After nearly 45 years in the business. I have a little audio I'm going to play now. Let's listen. Look at guys, thank you as always for the time and the contribution. I had very little to say tonight relative to other nights.

There are times we go through a round table, and I feel like I have to carry the whole load. You guys wouldn't shut up all night, especially you, Deich. And I want to tell you that on tonight especially, I greatly appreciate that. As we sign this thing off, I've got to say there are too many people to thank, certainly co-hosts, current and past, production staff, current and past, tens of thousands of guests, more than 50,000 phone calls that I've taken, and a handful of listeners and viewers.

There is really no way to know how to say so long except to be, at least in my opinion, as brief as you can be and as sincere as you can be. I do thank you the people here at Rogers and mostly those of you who fill out little ballots and tell us how many people are watching or listening. Thank you for permitting me to have occupied this seat for the last 31 consecutive years.

It has been an extraordinary ride, but I advise you now, my butt hurts. I'm gone. There will be no more. Good night and goodbye from Toronto. Listening back to that, Bob, would you have done it any other way?

Oh, probably, but who knows? I've heard that a couple times. It was okay. I probably should have mentioned names more, but I didn't think about it. You know, I didn't plan on a lot of it. That was my style. I didn't research shows.

I was a listener who asked questions based on the previous answer. I did not have a list of questions. I did not write them down. I could not tell you. before we went to the show, I could tell you what it was going to sound like, what the categories would be.

That was really, really rare. Sometimes, I guess, but maybe one out of the hundred I could have anticipated. But most of the time was just off the top of my head. So that's what I did that night. I just did, you know,

said what I thought. My butt hurts. Yep. I did write that down, you know. No. I've read that line in many ways, but I guess it was appropriate. Bob, I'm going to play

just 20 seconds of someone else. He's been over here multiple times. He gifted me, I'll show you, what I have in my little studio here. Oh, cool, yeah. And actually, also, so I have some, many, many wonderful gifts from this gentleman, 20 seconds of him. And then I'm just going to hit you of some questions I've

been holding on to for the last, whatever, 12 years. But here's 20 seconds of a great FOTM, friend of Toronto, Mike. Bob was let go. And I remember, I believe, that the executive at Telemedia, who decided to release Bob was eventually gone, and Bob came back. And I'm sure Bob negotiated a very nice deal for himself to... I hope so. To return to primetime sports. Yeah, in 1995, you returned in the afternoon, because that's when I think Dan left.

Okay, so we might... Scott McCaff. You got it. Scott McCaff came over. We talked about the history of the fan 1430 slash the fan 590. You're a big part of that history. People can find that episode. He also did the 30th anniversary of 680 News, and Scott McCaff came over with people like Richard Southern.

Mike Eppel. Can we shout out Mike Eppel, who loves Toronto Mike, then he'll be at my event on November 28th, TMLX-24. Mike Eppel, big Bobcat fan. Well, I like my couple too.

We worked together sort of for many years. Yeah. You know, he was over in the news division, but occasionally we were worked together and we saw each other a lot. I'll bet.

So some nuts and bolts as I collect this. Okay, so firstly, we got you back to telemedia 1430, but we didn't really explain Like, when does the show become primetime sports? I want to say early 90s. It was called Talking of Sports, which was my original title. And the name of a, actually a name of a company I own.

And Alan Davis, who was then programmed at her, I guess decided he wanted to change it. So I didn't come up with primetime sports. I think he did. And that's the way it was. for what? Almost 30 years. No, absolutely. And Alan Davis did join me with one of the episodes with Scott McHath as well.

But the, which was great to get the other, like I said, I like to know how the sausage gets made on these things. But I guess, did you have any say in that theme song I played off the top, which is just a piece of, like a music on a disc. Yeah.

So that's just like a piece of, like, I think it's a royalty-free, piece of music that is on some. I think so, yeah. You know, but, you know, now when we hear it, I played it, I played it for Cliff Hacking from RecycleMy Electronics.coma. He was a big fan and he just was back in his car listening to Primetime Sports. So it's got that trigger effect there, for sure.

Well, first time I've heard in years and years. You mentioned Bill Waters. Is he the man who coined the nickname Bobcat? Where does Bobcat come from? Mercury Bobcat. He called me one day. Okay. I don't know why.

I guess the mob part, and just stuck. He kept doing it. And I never really adopted that name. But everybody else did. You didn't adopt the name, but I feel I can disclose that when I email you, that word is in the email. Email address.

So you must. I didn't do that. I didn't do my own email then, no. Okay. Okay, because that ruins a great story. Gary Joyce talks on the hood on this show. I don't. So let me do this. Let me just empty my vault here.

You can obviously. Go ahead. Whatever. Okay. Gare Joyce came on this program and talked about how you didn't want to be called Bobcat. It wasn't the name you wanted. But then he talked about how he would email you at an address that had the word Bobcat in it. And he kind of used that as an example of you kind of like maybe not being honest with us.

But you're telling me your email address. No, me who did it. Okay. It was my assistant who set up my. email. I didn't know anything about emails. Right. Okay. And he came up with the name. Now, Bill had already started

calling me Bobcat. So he included it in the email. It wasn't my choice. But I said, okay, whatever. Right. So I need to ask though, because you know, Gare Joyce has been on the show many times. But he talks about

a shit list. I don't like that's the word he calls it. Maybe it's a black list, but people who were banned from primetime sports. Is there a list? So did Gere Joyce get on this list? No, no, no. Okay. Okay.

So now is my chance to ask all the tough questions here, which is my dear friend David Schultz, formerly of the Globe and Mail, now happily retired. He might have been on the list. Yep. Do you remember how he got on the list? Because he has a theory,

but I wonder if you remember how... He wrote an article about me. And I didn't like it. at all. In fact, I think he wrote two. And I thought, well, you know, if that's the way you feel, that's fine. But I'm not going to befriend you. So he stopped coming on. He wasn't on very often.

But occasionally, I would have him on. Okay, well, he's right about his theory as how he got banned. But he, so this article, which I have read, was about Tim and Sid. and it might have had something to do with Stephen Brunt being on Tim and Sid and you not being a fan of that because, you know, you were on at the same time, even though Tim and Sid... Honestly, I don't remember really that. Okay, okay.

So did you have a good, a decent relationship with Tim and Sid? Oh, yeah. Yep. Okay. All right. Yeah, I had a good relationship. Then let's do this. I'll just say a name and you can say a little or a lot or nothing about

this name. First name, Shaky Hunt. Jim Shaky Hunt. He was weird. Obviously, my first, my second co-host. And he was for a long time, many years.

Right. Bill Waters being your first. I go along with him okay most of the time. Okay. But Shaky had a temper, a big temper. And it would come out at the strangest time

and he would stay mad for weeks so I had to negotiate all that and that was around the time when I would go to Vegas and do my show from Vegas in the winter and that pissed him off no end so I had a love-hate relationship

with Jim you know of gyms. And I'm not referring to the Buffalo Bills quarterback here for you kids out there. But Jim Kelly. I loved him. Loved him very much. It was one of the worst days of my life when he passed away. I knew he was sick,

but I thought some way he's got to make it. And he did. But he was a great co-host, great. and a wonderful guy. He had dinner at my house almost every time, I think every time he came to Toronto to do the show.

He would go over to my house. My kids loved him, loved him. My ex-wife loved him. We all did. He was a special person. Damian Cox. Yeah. in thinking about doing this conversation with you.

I thought about my coals. I don't know why, but I thought about my coals, and who was the best. Damien and I had our fights too, but he was very good at what he did. Very good. I don't know whether I would take him or brunt if I had to choose one.

You know, it'd be one of those two, I think. Well, that's the next name on my list here. Stephen Brunt. Incredibly smart guy. Brilliant. I mean, smart in many ways. Not just a sports guy. He knew about so many things.

You know, I always thought he was the only guy I knew that was smarter than me. And he was, too. So I enjoy work with him most of the time, yep, 99% of the time. Well, that's the thing. So Stephen Brunt was like a co-host. He had a home in Newfoundland and Labrador, so he kind of had a good deal going where he would split it, I think. But he had a, at some point, he left primetime sports.

And he came over here. And there's a quote I remember where he said, I asked him if he would ever co-host with you again, because you guys were great together on primetime sports. and he said something like, like I can't remember his phrasing, but the bottom line was no way Jose, okay? And then not long after that.

And he did. He did. Yeah. Well, he went to the team. Remember them? How could I forget the team? I'm 1050. Absolutely.

He went to them and that was a disaster. Yeah. And I guess he realized it so he quit there. And then sometime later, um, we hired him by. You sure did. You sure did. I know I definitely played the clip and had them respond. Never say never, right? But you mentioned the team 1050 there. Did you ever have a moment when they launched the team 1050 where you thought, oh, oh, here comes some competition? Well, sure, I knew that. I knew they were competition. And Waters went to 640 and competed too. Right. Leaves lunch.

Two of them became close to my ratings. So if I worried, I didn't worry for a while. Did you ever get an offer to, forget the team for a moment. Let's talk about TSN 1050. Did you ever get an offer to jump ship and be on the competition? Nope. Okay. There you go.

All right. Here's a name I've wondered about because I would listen to primetime sports and I would notice, especially when this gentleman was having a big retirement and a farewell, He appeared everywhere in the Rogers world, everything. He never appeared on primetime sports. So noticeable by his absence. What was your relationship like with Jerry Howarth? It was okay for a long time.

I didn't know really well, but I'd seen it at the ballpark, you know. And then, I don't know if you remember the racist thing that came up. Of course I do. Well, that was Jerry and Sussie. CETO. And Jerry liked to say, they liked to think that

he had very little to do with him. But he really started. He asked a question of CETO. And that, you know, that threw my life into a real pickle for quite a while. So I was mad at Jerry.

So he was on that list. Yep. Jerry and, well, I'm Cito. Yeah. I never got along with Ceno at all. And after the incident, you know, those whole series of things that happened. But screw Cito. It made life very difficult for you.

Well, sure. He thought I was a racist. He called me that. And then he did it. When I went on, we, uh, Paul Beassey got us together privately. to try and resolve it. And Gaston was an asshole. So I was prepared, you know, but he wasn't.

And so I have no regrets on that one. And how worth, I just stood going on it. That's all. I had no reason to talk about him or to befriend him. So I didn't. Well, I noticed during this past Blue Jay season, which was celebrated as the 50th year of Blue Jays baseball. I noticed that they were kind of celebrating everybody

who had anything to do with the run, but I noticed Jerry Howarth wasn't really recognized or celebrated. Interesting, yep. Of course, Tom Cheek was, but. Well, I wasn't recognized either. And I wasn't a big part of anything. But I was the first PA announcer. And I think my show,

which was Jaystock after every game was pretty popular. I know it was pretty popular. We would do it from a restaurant in Center Field called Windows. Of course. And there would be 500 people every night would come in to watch the show being done. And that's pretty good. Well, you know, when Nelson Millman was on,

we talked about this perfect storm, of going all sports, which was a big deal to be... The first one World Series. Yeah. Yeah. Like, and of course, the Leafs, of course,

also went to a couple of conference finals. Well, they won 10 in a row, I think. Yep. Yep. To start the 93, 94 season, they won 10 in a row, just as Joe Carter was touching them all. And now that we mentioned

that 1993 World Series team, I have to play this 30-second ad so you can speak about this. I have to play this. So, Ricky, now that you're in Toronto, you're probably right into my morning show on the fan 1430, aren't you? Sure am, Bob.

Yeah, I knew that. You like the way we cover Toronto sports teams in depth every day, don't you, Ricky? Sure do, Bob. So that's why you listen to me, right, Ricky? No, I listen for weather and traffic. It pops in every 10 minutes or so. Hey, a guy like me, got to plan this day. The Bob McCowan Show, everything a guy needs to start today.

Weekday mornings on the fan 1430. Weather and traffic? What do you remember about recording? recording that ad with the late great Ricky Henderson. Well, not much, but I do remember it. We did a couple. I'm trying to remember who else was on, those ads. Doug Gilmore.

Was it Dougie? It was Dougie. Yeah, Dougie and I became very close friends. Good. In fact, I bought his house. And they were partners in a restaurant. So we had a real relationship. Okay.

Henderson, I didn't know anything about. I didn't have anything to do with him. Right. I knew how good a player he was, obviously. And he was pretty good that day, as I remember. But, yeah, those were fun to do. Well, it's worth noting that's not for prime time sports. Those ads are for the morning show because people need to remember.

You're not, and I know I had Dan Shulman over here. There's another name I'm going to ask you about because Dan Shulman likes to remind me he was the only other host of primetime sports because he hosted primetime sports when you hosted mornings. So maybe in a nutshell, because I did talk to Nelson Millman, but now I have the man himself on the program.

Was that a difficult decision to leave primetime sports to host the morning show? Well, I kept saying no. And then the station manager took me to dinner. And he said, will you go and do the morning? And I said, no. And I said, do it right down.

what you would pay me to do it. And he wrote something down a piece of paper slither across the table to me. And it was a big number, way bigger than I thought. And more than double what I was making. And I said, okay, I'll go. So I went for two years to the mornings. And I enjoyed it relatively. I did like getting up that early, but that was okay.

And I did six to ten. And the first three hours were basically sports. And the last hour, I could do what I want. So I had a lot of non-sports people coming. Debbie Vennkeeky about. Go host with me a lot. I can't remember all of people. Man's Bridge came on the show a couple times.

a lot of non-sports Gordon Lightfoot was in there were a lot of non-sports people between 9 and 10 and we just chatted I had Jim Brown on one morning and we became friends he was my hero as a kid

and we wound up doing the show and then we played golf so I spent about five hours in a cart with Jim Brown just two of us. Can you imagine? Well, tell me a little more what that was like for you to have that time.

It was unbelievable. Unbelievable. You know, mostly we talked about sports. Excuse me. There was some politics. He was very well known for many things. He was an actor. he was involved in the

Obama and Ali thing in Cleveland the media of black athletes well we talk about all kinds of things he was a fascinating fascinating man I know we had problems in the life but I didn't see any we became very friendly yeah.

And that morning I remember Nelson Millman just said it didn't quite jive or whatever and before you know it I think if I remember correctly Shulman got the play by play job at TSNN maybe to do Blue J games or Buck Martinez and then you went back

at primetime sports. You know I've heard people say that my morning show wasn't very good or nearly good enough. The truth was I think still to this day the record readings for the morning show are mine.

You know, so it wasn't in the audience that didn't like it. We did a lot of good stuff. The most memorable being the towers of New York going down and then the earthquake in Los Angeles. those were shows where we turned off sports and went news. So you were on, so September 11, 2001, you're on the air when we learn about the second tower being hit? Well, technically not. I was on the air, but I was on.

Marsden was doing the morning show. And I did a five-minute bit with Marsden. I was at home. Right. And then first tower was hit. And so when I went on with Marsden, That's what we talked about. And then about 15, 20 minutes later, the second hour was hit.

Now, the earthquake in L.A., I was on. I'm not sure if it was, I don't think it wasn't mornings. It was afternoon drive, both times. But I had a guy who was a contributor of mine in L.A., a friend of mine. And I had him on, and he would go around and see what he could see and tell us what was going on. Wow. And we did, in both cases, we did probably a week of programming where we didn't talk sports at all. We just talked about the disasters.

That was a story. So those were very memorable. Now you mentioned, of course, you know, he's not all famous people that I talked to. you know, it's on a very long list. But at the top of that list, probably, his Baham and Ali. And he was on my show many any times. We were pretty good friends.

I went to the Bahamas, and I was with him for his last fight with Trevor Burr. And he and I got along very well. I'm sure most people did. Ali was not a confrontational guy, really. you know even when he said stuff to opposing fighters he always did it with his wrinkle as eye

he really didn't mean it he wasn't mean at all he was a wonderful person he had a couple of memorable tilts with Toronto's own George Chivalo who we lost recently yeah George was a good friend of mine George Chavallo and I used to

go and see Ali fights at Mapley Gardens on closed circuit. I remember the first one I went to him with. The screen was here on my right and I was here and George was to my left.

Only once. He beat the hell out of my arm during the fight because all he was throwing punches and he hit my arm about 20, 30 times. He hurt like hell for days after.

So from then on, I used to sit on the opposite side. I knew what he did. And we saw many fights together. Yep. Some of my favorite moments on primetime sports were Bert Sugar Randolph talking.

Burr-Randolph. Yeah, right, right, right. He was great. Yeah. Yeah. You were great together. And if Brunt was co-hosting, even better for those boxing. Well, sure, because of boxing, you know. And Brunt news boxing for sure. Nostalgia here. Okay.

You've been, you held on, you've been amazing. I feel I need to set you free soon because this is a long time, but a few quick notes here. Oh, very, we're almost done. We're almost done. But I've had Scott Moore's been on the show a couple of times and we talked about decisions he made. What was your

relationship like with the head of sports net, Scott Moore? Todd Cole. There were times when we hate each other. But there were many more times where he loved each other. And at the end of the day, I think we're friends.

You know, Pally was there most of the time when Scott was there. Not all the time, but most of the time. And Pelley and I were very close. So I remember one of my first really big contracts I did with Pally.

Not more. And Moore was pissed off. he thought I was making way too much. So I think that was really the kind of where our problems began. But that's just good cop, bad cop, right? Yep, many ways, yep. He was near the end of my career, he was extremely complimentary.

So I love him for that. Good. I just recently had in this basement, Tim Cherry, talking about his father, Don, who no longer makes public appearances. He's hung up that microphone. But what was your relationship like with Don Cherry? Well, we didn't talk for five years. I said something or he said something.

I don't know. We got mad at each other. Otherwise, we got along great. He came out of the show. Just saw it every time we asked. He almost always had something to say. he was very complimentary to me. He was important.

Don Cherry was one of the first guests I had on the talk show. It was, I think. It was when he got fired in Colorado as coach. Before he was doing hockey game. And he came into the studio and did two hours with me on radio. and you know back then I was a nobody so it was a favor that he did and I never forgot that

do you think he deserves the order of Canada sure I don't see why not I look at a few of the people that have got the order of Canada you got you can't tell me the Don Cherry was bigger than them Well, as you can imagine, I've given this a lot of thought. And I think the one knock against Don Cherry was the way he treated French Canadians.

Oh, there was all kinds of knocks. Yeah, but particularly, yeah. Many reasons I disagree to him. But, uh, look, he was a guy who was talked about every day, at least during the hockey season for two decades, maybe three. and he was only on, what, five minutes tonight? So that's pretty good if you have that much attention based on five minutes. I was on 15 hours a week. Right.

And I got nothing. Well, this is similar to Jerry Howarth, we're noticeable by his absence. But I noticed that during especially the Blue J runs of 2015, 2016, for example, I noticed Mike Wilner all over the fan 590s. but I never heard Mike Wilner on primetime sports. Did you have any beef with Wilner? No, not at all.

Okay. I just thought he was a reporter. And my job was to get the biggest names in sports that we could. The most important people. And, you know, honestly, Mike was good at his job, but I didn't think he was that good. guy. Maybe I was wrong. Well, that's fair. I think that's

I mean... I'm largely if I was. But that's where I felt. Okay. I'm glad he wasn't on a list or anything just because I think he's a swell guy. Okay. Okay. Okay. And a second last name is, we did say the name already because he's the only other host

of primetime sports, as he reminds me. But did you have any inkling that this actuary who was getting some time doing some sports updates would become Dan Shulman? I lived. a hundred and twenty-eight steps from the radio station at that point. I could see it from my front window.

And this one Saturday I had the station on, which I really did. But I had it on, and I heard this guy do a sportscast. Well, I got up, went out the front door, locked the door, went over to the station, which I never did on a Saturday.

And I remember I said to him, I introduced myself. He knew who I was. And I said, keep going. You are going to be a star. Now, he was working full-time at Barry at that point. Not Toronto.

So I knew, I just heard him one time. I knew this guy was going to be good. Now, did I know he would go on to do lose his baseball and ESPN? Of course not, but I knew he was going to be good. good. You mentioned Pat Marsden.

He, of course, well, Nelson Milman gives him a lot of credit because there was a lockout in 94 and then hockey, there was no sports for a while. And the fan 1430 was in a little trouble. I can't remember if it was 1430 or 590 at that point. I can't even remember when the switch happens.

But he gives Pat Marsden a lot of credit for helping this, by coming back and saving the station, so to speak. And his co-host in the mornings was John Derringer. Did you have any relationship with John Derringer when you could get? Yeah, I did, but not then. I don't remember John Derringer being a whole host with Marsden.

Yeah, he used to call him Pally, and then I think Derringer was when he went to, he went, whenever, he was replaced by Don Landry. Landry, I remember. Okay. Well, Derringer was there. Mike Richards was there. and uh...

Mike started with me Mike Richards okay yeah he's a he's a survivor he's still uh he's still at it hustling away yeah he's doing a he's buying time

on a chorus own station in Calgary and putting his show there yeah well he used to do a voice on my show my morning show he would come in and come into the studio

but once an hour right as the character like like Bob Cole that kind of stuff Yep. Well, everybody. Sure. Everybody did. The guy from Young and the Restless was a favorite of...

Yeah, I sort of remember that. Yeah. Okay, good. I'm glad we shed it out my friend, Mike Richards, there. So I only brought up Derringer because there's literally a human rights tribunal going on that Jennifer Valentine is... I know what a little bit. Yeah, I actually am going to be on the Zoom. There's only one session left. I actually will be on the Zoom. Anybody can request this link and listen in on this human rights tribunal. But then I thought of you.

Thankfully, there is no human rights tribunal about you, Mr. McAwan. But I'm curious about where the real Bob McCowan ends and where the Bob McCowan I know of on the radio begins because you had a reputation for being like a like a like a like your opinionated, of course, but abrasive and intimidating like almost this persona of Bob McCowan is that the real you? Of course not. I created that. When I first started doing the talk show, I was failing. And I went home one weekend.

I've told this story before. And decided I better change. So I decided I'd become an obnoxious asshole. And I went on Monday and that's why I did. And my ratings went zooming up. So I kept with that for many years. now I think I tempered that a lot later on but a lot of people

you know like Dave Schultz didn't really grasp that and they accused me of being something I didn't think I was in any event when the mic went off I was a 100% different person so who am I talking

talking to today, the mic is off. Every time Mike comes on or camera comes on, I try and go into character still. You know, I haven't done it for six years, but. But isn't that exhausting? It was, yeah. Did you have any regrets that you created this persona, which is like wearing a mask, essentially, like assuming a character and that. Well, I wouldn't have made all the money I made.

That's a good point. That's a good point. I was so I can't be, I can't be too much. And you wouldn't have been the special guest for episode 2000 of Toronto, Mike. Bob, I really appreciate you doing this today. This was great. Thanks for the honor. And Anthony Petrucci, who owns Palma Pasta, he is one of the very few people I told that this was happening,

because this is going to be a surprise drop episode 2000. And he's not only is he excited, but two things. One is he says, do you know Roy Romaine? Oh, God, yeah. Are you the word for Roy? Okay, well, because. Is Roy's still alive? I got to find out from Anthony,

but Anthony wanted to know how you met Roy Romaine. I don't know who's alive. He was a lot. I worked for him. Okay. That's why. After Pauliger. Wow.

Okay. And then the last thing here, no pressure, Bob. You've already done enough. You were guest number 2000. We couldn't do it for 500. We just had to do it for 2000. Even better.

But Palmas Kitchen in Mississauga. I know you're living in Mississauga, but on November 28th, from noon to 3 p.m., that's a Saturday. I'm recording live from Palma's Kitchen and Mississauga. Is there any chance Bob McCowan makes an appearance to wish everybody's season's greetings? Where is it?

Like, you know where Mavis and Burnhamthorpe area, that part of Mississauga? It's not real close, but whatever. What's the date? November 28th, it's a Saturday. Everybody's invited, but it would be amazing if Bob McAwan showed up just to get on the mic and say season's greetings.

I'll see if I can. Okay. I'm going to remind you of this. That's amazing. Everybody's invited to TMLX 24 on November 28th at noon. You might see Bob McAow in there. Bob, thank you for doing this. Thanks a lot.

I appreciate it. And that brings us to the end of our 2000th show. 2,000 episodes of Toronto Mike. I couldn't have done it without you. Well, I could have had. but that would be weird. Go to Torontomike.com for all your Toronto mic needs.

Go into the archives and just see this treasure chest of conversations with interesting people like Bob McCowan. It's all there available on demand waiting for your ears. Much love to all who made this possible. That's Great Lakes Brewery. I will bring some fresh craft beard at TMLX-24 on November 28th at noon. That's at Palma's Kitchen in Mississauga. Much love to Palma Pasta.

Thank you for your support. Nick Iienes? He's got a great podcast called Building Toronto Skyline. Recycle MyElectronics.ca. There's a recent conversation with Cliff Hacking that I highly recommend. and Ridley Funeral Home, Brad Jones hosts Life's Undertaking. I get to co-host.

Another big recommend from yours truly. Thank you for listening to episode 2000. It was a long time coming, but Bob McCowan is finally an FOTM. See you all. Next week.