TALKING SPORTS


One of my (many) guilty pleasures is sports talk radio. Specifically, WFAN 660 here in New York.

When I was a kid I wasn't the biggest sports fan. I played one season of basketball as a youngster, and although I don't remember the name of my team, I remember the position I played. Corner. It was several years before I realized it wasn't a real position.

I remember my soccer team's name-the Blue Buccaneers. I also remember my only goal of the season, scored against my own team. The best defense is a good offense, and I had neither.

Eventually I found my sport-like a good nerd, it was running-and I could play some decent tennis by the end of high school. But the sports talk with other kids was always something I found really hard to do. I could never remember the players' names; the sports section could have been in Latin. I didn't care about Michael Jordan. The only book on sports I ever read was "Running and Being," more a Zen and the art of Cross Country than anything else, although it taught me one great lesson-when you pass someone, make it count. Make your breathing as even as possible, do everything you can to convince the guy you're passing that you feel great, and keep going. Oh yeah, and don't look back.

But when I moved to New York I discovered The Fan, or more accurately discovered Joe Benigno, the overnight host who was once a caller until he won the chance to be the guy behind the mic. His callers were-and still are-a big family, where everyone knows everyone and some of 'em still don't speak because of Bobby Thomson's "shot heard 'round the world" back in '51 (seems like yesterday). When one of the elders, Doris from Rego Park, died about a year ago, Joe's show was a string of eulogies from fellow callers remembering this unflappable Mets fan, who probably watched more games than some of the players, and definitely knew more about baseball than some of the managers.

I've since gotten to know the other FAN hosts, and I still put the radio on every night to listen as I fall asleep (thanks Annie for letting me do that). I know a lot more about sports now, even though I still have a tough time remembering all the players' names. But I learned that there's no "corner," and that families coalesce around all manner of things.

Even music.