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The Jim Rome Show

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The Jim Rome Show is a sports radio talk show hosted by Jim Rome. It airs live from Los Angeles for three hours each weekday from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Pacific (12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Eastern). The show has been syndicated by Premiere Radio Networks, the programming arm of Clear Channel Communications, since 1996, and can be heard on more than 200 affiliate radio stations in the United States and Canada. The show began on XTRA Sports 690 in San Diego as a local, five-hour night-time program, running from 7:00 p.m. to midnight PST. In addition to this show, Rome frequently hosted a Saturday morning show which he refers to as "Scrub Saturday."

The show, also known as "The Jungle," features Rome's opinions on issues in sports, entertainment, and off-beat news; interviews with athletes and celebrities; and telephone calls and e-mails from listeners. Its most notable attributes are extensive use of "smack" (Rome's term for "gloatful, uninhibited, and unbridled" sports talk, peppered with personal jargon), name-calling, sarcastic humor, and the "takes," set-piece diatribes given by Rome and the "Clones" (loyal listeners). Rome has stated on numerous occasions that it can be difficult for new listeners to enjoy the show, as there is a steep learning curve before they can fully understand the format and content. He has also compared acquiring a taste for the show to acquiring a taste for beer, and recommends to new listeners: "Give it two weeks. If you still don't like it, give it two more weeks."

Show personnel

In addition to Rome, the behind-the-scenes personnel are frequently included in the show's content, although very rarely with speaking roles.

Name Duties Notes
Jason Stewart
AKA "J-Stew," "Mr. Automatic"		 Talent coordinator (setting up interviews, screening phone calls) Outside the show, Stewart is known for having appeared on the reality TV series Blind Date, the ABC sitcom According to Jim (on March 21, 2006), commercials, and for a small role in the USA Network TV movie Murder at the Presidio. Rome made his line from the movie "Heh heh, you always say that" popular with the Clones, so much so that a song was written about him (see Three Day Weekend below). Before he was the show's phone screener, Stewart was a caller to the show while he was a student at Cal State Fullerton, and was known as "Jason in Fullerton." He participated in Smack-Off 1995 with a call that coined the phrase "walking the thin line of blasphemy." His call was considered the worst call ever in the Smack-Off and is an occasional target of ridicule by Rome and the Clones. Rome fires him on air occasionally, also.
Travis Rodgers
AKA "T-Rodge"		 Senior producer, e-mail screener Rodgers reportedly screens over 2,000 e-mails each day (see Travis Rodgers' List below). He has been associated with Rome as a producer for eleven years, and is also a producer on Rome's TV show Jim Rome is Burning.
Alvin Delloro Engineer Delloro handles the technical aspects of the show and runs (hangs up on) bad calls.
Brian Albers Engineer Albers served as engineer before Delloro, and was often nicknamed "Whitey" or "White Man" by Rome, for allegedly being an albino. (also, see the reference to Iafrate in "Legendary Callers" below)
The XR4Ti Crew see above Rome calls Stewart, Rodgers, and Delloro “The XR4Ti Crew," from the brand name of Rome's first car, a Merkur XR4Ti. (see "Rants" subsection in "Soundbites" below)

Nicknames

Rome enjoys giving people, places (especially selected affiliate cities), and things unusual and/or humorous nicknames. Some of the more frequently used include:

Show-related

  • "The Clones" - Rome's nickname for his loyal fanbase, which stems from the idea that their devotion to Rome, tendency to support his takes, and use of "smack" and jargon from his shows makes them different from regular people but all the same as each other.
  • "Van Smack," "Romey," and "The Pimp in the Box" are all nicknames for Rome himself, used variously by acquaintances and the Clones.
  • Diehard fans of a sport or team are referred to collectively as "___ Fan": e.g., "Laker Fan," "Soccer Fan" (also see Raider Fan below).
  • The program directors of the affiliate radio stations that carry The Jim Rome Show are referred to as "monkeys" (see John in C-Town below).
  • Tickets, most notably those to Tour Stops, are referred to as "ducats."
  • Residents of New England are often called "Chowds," a shortening of "chowderheads."

Basketball-related

Football-related

Baseball-related

Others

Affiliate cities

City Nickname(s)
Albuquerque "Albucrackee"
Atlanta "The A-T-L" or "A-Town"
Cincinnati "The 'Nati"
Cleveland "C-Town"
Columbus, Ohio "C-Bus"
Detroit "D-Town" or "The D" (usually the latter)
Houston "H-Town"
Jacksonville "J-Ville"
Knoxville "Knexville" (pronounced "Necksville")
Los Angeles-area "So-Cal" or "the O.C." (if specifically in Orange County)
Omaha "Bugaha," "Crapaha," & "Neckaha"
Rochester "Crapchester"
Sacramento "Suckramento"
San Diego "Lo-Cal"
San Francisco-area "No-Cal"
Washington, DC "The District"

Regular bits

Although the show's content revolves aroung current, topical issues, it also has a number of recurring features, some of which appear almost daily and some which are more infrequent, including:

  • Sarcastic Humor - The program features a lot of deadpan 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." After Rome referred to Brian Shaw as "The Pride and Joy of St. Mary's," 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.'" Rome has also referred to Angels manager Mike Scioscia as "Tony Scioscia," which prompted another unsuspecting caller to attempt to correct him. Rome insisted "no, I know who you mean, it's Tony." For new listeners, interpreting when Rome is being sarcastic and when he's serious is part of the show's learning curve. For example: On one occasion, a caller's take seemed to be more of a lame comedy routine. After running the call, Rome said flatly, "Clones, you are not funny...I, on the other hand...am quite amusing." Unsuspecting listeners might take that as Rome being disgustingly conceited, but Clones would consider it merely a clever way to ridicule the caller's completely unfunny bit. Rome will also use words "allegedly" or "reportedly" in a sarcastic fashion when describing a story that is widely perceived to be true, but not journalistically proven.
  • "War" - Years ago, while on a business trip to New Orleans, Rome became intrigued by the way fans of Auburn, in town for that year's Sugar Bowl and staying in his hotel, chanted the slogan "War Eagle" to each other in order to support their team. It has since become customary for Rome and his callers to recite the phrase "war-" followed by their favorite team, player, or other activity, to show their fondness of it. "Un-war" is used to note something that has fallen out of favor.
  • Jungle Karma - Rome puts his own spin on the concept of karma, maintaining that an athlete's appearance on the show or failure to appear for whatever reason will create (respectively) good or bad "Jungle Karma," improving or diminishing the athlete's performance in an upcoming game. He points to the outcome of games after appearances on his show as "evidence." However unscientific it may be, anecdotal evidence seems to suggest the trend may be true. (The most glaring counter-example was displayed when Rome interviewed Hornets player Bobby Phills on January 9, 2000. Phills died while street racing three days later.) Rome has stated that "the Karma does not discriminate," referring to its effects being dissociated from whether Rome likes or dislikes an athlete.
  • 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. Rome decided that when he has an exceptional segment of his broadcast, he affixes a tongue sticker to his microphone.
  • Border Wars - Often when leading up to a significant event (such as the Super Bowl, the NBA Finals, etc.), fans of the teams will call the show and denigrate the opposing team's city. This usually degenerates into a back-and-forth war between inhabitants of the two cities where nearly every call or email Rome 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.
  • "Freaking" - On occasion, when Rome concludes an interview with a guest who demonstrated tremendous character, or told an amazing story of something they did, he will proclaim they have earned the middle-name title "Freaking." The first such guest was Evel Knievel, who conducted an unforgettable interview, such that Rome from that point on, referred to him as "Evel Freaking Knievel." Others who have been given that name include NASCAR driver Richard Petty, who told Rome a story about how he drove in the 1980 Talladega 500 with a broken neck. Rome's response after the interview was "Richard Freaking Petty." Many athletes have earned this distinction.
  • The Smartest People in the Jungle - Rome has bestowed this honor upon those whom he considers the most intelligent people he's interviewed on the show. Honorees include: Al Michaels, Bob Costas, David Halberstam, Jim Lampley, John Feinstein, and Hubie Brown. Alternates include Joe Buck and George Will. Caller Jeff in Richmond received an honorable mention after stating that he was "born and bred for success and achievement."

Takes

The principal portion of the show's content is Rome's takes on topical issues in sports and other odd news stories. Rome begins each show with a monologue consisting of abbreviated takes on the topics he intends to cover over the course of the show. As the show progresses, he will elaborate his take on each topic, adding in new material and also commenting on any phone calls and e-mails that add to or contradict his takes. If new topics are broached, Rome will usually give takes on them as well. Rome's takes are essentially spoken-word editorial columns, and as such are direct and to-the-point, highly opinionated, and often harshly critical and/or blisteringly sarcastic, depending on the topic. This approach is one of the principal facets of his "smack talking" broadcast style, and is what helped him make a name for himself. However, it has also led to some controversy, as one of the most frequent criticisms of both Rome and The Jim Rome Show is the pervasively negative attitude that is displayed toward foolish behavior from athletes and celebrities. In response, Rome has stated that the moment that people stop doing stupid things is the moment he will stop talking about people doing stupid things.

Classic takes

While Rome has countless takes on a variety of topics each day, several have gained notoriety status by Rome and the Clones. These topics are never forgotten, and from time to time, they are "reset" (brought back up) if they are relevant to the day's discussion, or if Rome wants to re-introduce the topics to new listeners.

  • Celebrity Drunk Bus - Rome often wonders, when an athlete, actor, or politician is arrested for DUI, why the person did not ask him to send the "Celebrity Drunk Bus" (phone number: 1-800-BAAAAAAAAAAH!), which would have picked up the inebriated star and couriered him/her home. In a related note, Rome says that "nothing good happens at ______ a.m.," and if arrested, celebrities should never try to get out of it by audaciously asking the officer "Do you know who I am?"
  • Keeping Things Positive - In 2003, show producers contacted the Jets public relations department to schedule an interview with running back Curtis Martin. However, team officials informed them that Martin would not be able to appear on the show because he only does "positive interviews" (implying Rome embodies negativity). Since then, Rome makes sure he only speaks "positive" about the Jets, Martin, or former coach Herman Edwards. On December 8, 2005, in response to a caller who stated that his boss thought that Rome was overly negative, Rome decided the whole show was going to be "positive" and began calling the show "The Garden." The normal bumper music was replaced by soothing, soft tunes, and any callers who stated negative opinions, such as using the words "smack" and "crack-back," were run, which resulted in virtually every caller getting run. Rome spent a great deal of this segment praising Terrell Owens and Barry Bonds as "team players." At the end of the show, Rome proclaimed the boring nature of "The Garden" as the reason he stays consistently negative towards athletes who act foolishly.
  • Doughnuts - Rome has compared eating doughnuts to smoking crack because once he eats one, he gets a buzz and wants more.
  • Rome 'Dog Family Holocaust' - On occasion, Rome resets an anecdote about the demise of his family's three dogs. Rome came home from college one summer and noticed that the elderly dogs were not around the house or in his yard. When questioned about the pets, his father answered, "The dogs are gone." Thinking that they were just merely running loose in the neighborhood, Rome continued to ask where they were, and his father continued to reply, "They're gone." Finally, his father disclosed that one of the dogs had become ill and had to be euthanized, and he decided to have the other two pets put down as well. Rome claims that the story has become so old that some affiliates interrupt programming when he resets the story yet again.
  • Merkurs - On occasion, Rome will recall the story of the worst car he ever owned, a Merkur XR4Ti. Although he admits the car was trendy and sporty when it was new, he firmly believes it was in fact a lemon, whose dashboard warning lights lit up so often that Rome referred to it as a "Christmas Tree."
  • Little League Baseball - Nothing from his childhood seems to have stuck in Rome's mind more than a disappointing gift he received playing Little League baseball. At the end of the season, Rome and his teammates were given multi-colored, mini-screwdriver sets, presumably a "man's gift." It ended up being a dull present that none of the boys cared for. Rome also asserts, in relation to his take on ice cream men (see below) that there is nothing creepier than a Little League coach who has no kids. Rome and the Clones also frequently ridicule the commercials for Tom Emanski's Baseball Drills, which feature an emotionless Fred McGriff as an endorser.
  • Butterknife - Rome occasionally mocks a veteran sportstalk host known as Lee 'Hacksaw' Hamilton, who was working at XTRA radio in San Diego when Rome was just starting off. The two apparently did not get along, and Rome's 'Butterknife' nickname is used to mock the 'Hacksaw' shtick. On the show, Rome imitates Hamilton with a loud, gruff voice, barking phrases such as "React to me!", "Have I given you enough to talk about!?", and "Show me your lightning bolt!", a line Hamilton would use on-air when demanding responses from callers on San Diego Chargers discussion. Rome has commented that it hurts his voice to do his Hacksaw impression too often.
  • 0-16 "Dream Season" - Since going to a sixteen-game schedule in 1978, no NFL team has ever finished the season winless. Rome's fascination 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 Texans have been on Rome's radar, only to "fall short" of the true desire to completely give up and lose every game. Rome's motto for these teams is "when the going gets tough, quit," and when they drop a close game, he will praise them extensively for their ability to "sack up and roll over" when their "perfect season" was on the line. Rome has also encouraged teams in other sports to set records for underachievement. Rome rooted for the 2005 Temple Owls to complete a winless season, which they did going 0-11. Rome has also gone on record as pulling for the 2006 Royals to set the season record for most losses in a season. Talk of this is usually focused during long losing streaks, when such teams "invent new ways to lose all the close ones."
  • Male potency drugs - Pointing out that the commercials for Viagra are obscenely suggestive, Rome could not help but think how inappropriate it was for Pfizer to be the sponsor of MLB's "Comeback Player of the Year." Rome also sometimes references a commercial for a mail order men's medication called Bang that regularly ran in the early days of the show. The commercial featured a breathy female voice saying "Bang!" repeatedly, without ever quite saying what it was or how it worked. To mock the lowbrow status of the show back then, symbolized by the crudely suggestive commercial, Rome resets the spot by mocking the product and saying "Bang!" repeatedly.
  • Boy Bands - Rome likes to point out that while they are aimed at teenage girls, boy bands are almost always comprised of adults. Thus, he calls these bands' members "man banders" and takes the liberty of adjusting the bands' names, referring to the Backstreet Boys as the "Backstreet Men," *NSYNC as "*N-Men," and O-Town as "O-Men." He also has called Nick Lachey "Nick Simpson" after Lachey said to the press that he supported ex-Cincinnati basketball coach Bob Huggins.
  • "Growing A Tail" - Rome was on a United Airlines flight on October 20, 1995, when Gerard Finneran, a 58-year-old business executive, became angry after being denied further alcohol service. In a drunken rage, he proceeded to defecate on the food service cart and spread feces all over the first class cabin. The act of public defecation is now known as "growing a tail." Najeh Davenport is also the subject of ridicule from a similar incident.
  • "Hell Week" - In the early days of the show on XTRA, most of the topics were locally focused on Southern California sports, especially the intense interdivisional rivalry between the Los Angeles Raiders and the San Diego Chargers. The week before each match-up was called "Hell Week" and the show was dominated by fans of those teams, whose calls typically went: "Chargers suck, Raiders rule. GOOD NIGHT NOW!" or "Raiders suck, Chargers rule. GOOD NIGHT NOW!" Even now that the show is national and the Raiders have relocated to Oakland, Rome still refers to the week before each Raiders/Chargers game as "Hell Week," frequently resetting those calls and taking a few new calls for old times sake. Rome often cites "Hell Week" as one of the things (along with depressing live remotes at local bars and restaurants) that pushed him to take the show to a more national audience.

Sports

  • Soccer - Rome loathes soccer and extensively ridicules the sport on the show, noting fan violence, lack of scoring, racism, and diving. He is particularly vicious about "passion" and "creativity," two attributes soccer fans allegedly ascribe to the sport; when he offers a soccer take, he sarcastically cites these failings (fan violence, diving, etc.) as examples of passion and creativity. Rome refers to the MLS Cup as the "Capri Sun Cup," suggesting the winning team celebrates by drinking the fruit beverage and eating orange wedges, just as a youth soccer team would. Rome has also called soccer a "communist sport" and often jokes about mothers driving their minivans onto the field at halftime to serve orange slices and Capri Sun juice packs. In 2004, former U.S. National Team member and ESPN soccer commentator Eric Wynalda called the show to chastise Rome for his anti-soccer tirades. Afterwards, Rome said that Wynalda was the only soccer person allowed to call the show. In 2005, Nike released a soccer-themed advertisement which contained a parody of Rome's tirades. Rome also used to talk about how, to his dismay, his eldest son Jake had developed into an above-average youth soccer player, but in August 2006, he relayed the "happy news" that Jake had gotten tired of soccer and had decided to quit playing.
  • Golf - Rome considers golf to be "witchcraft," due to the often-inexplicable ways in which a player's luck on the course can fluctuate, using David Duval's up-and-down career as a prime example. He has also discussed teenage golf prodigies Ty Tryon and Michelle Wie and whether they were being too pushed too hard to compete at the highest levels of the sport.
  • Bowling - Rome does not care for bowling and states that it cannot be considered a sport since it is possible to improve your scores as you consume alcohol. He points out that bowlers often have silly wrist grips, a cigarette hanging out of their mouths, and eat greasy food from the concession stand.
  • NASCAR - During the early years of the program, Rome was openly critical of NASCAR, referring to it as "Neck-Car" and making fun of its drivers, referring to them all as "Rusty", "Dale", "Ricky", or "Ernie." Since then, he has had a complete change of opinion about the sport, and has apologized for his insults. He cites the character of NASCAR drivers and the consistently high quality of interviews given by drivers over the tenure of the show as the main reasons for his change of opinion. The one exception to Rome's praise is Tony Stewart, who to date has refused to grant Rome an interview, and who has been chided by Rome for hypocritical behavior.
  • Wrestling - Rome has no use for pro wrestling, often remarking that pro wrestlers often wear masks (such as Rey Mysterio, Jr.), sit under a sun lamp to get a nice orange tan (a veiled reference to Hulk Hogan), and wear 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 later justified his decision on The Last Word). Rome also has little use for collegiate and amateur wrestling, citing that the participants wear water polo helmets and unitards (singlets), and that they practice their "special holds" on each other on dirty, unsanitary wrestling mats. One of those "special holds" that Rome used to reference repeatedly is The Shocker.
  • The NIT - Rome has nothing good to say about the "other" college basketball postseason tournament, claiming the only thing the winner can say is "We're number 66!" Rome has similar feelings towards the NCAA Tournament Play-In Game.
  • Women in Sports - Even though he is a great admirer of Tennessee women's basketball coach Pat Summitt and Indy race car driver Danica Patrick, Rome has no love lost for the WNBA, the NCAA Women's Tournament, the Women's NIT, women's soccer, or any other professional women's sport. Rome constantly compares WNBA players to horses, with references to oats and feedbags; he has also frequently asked NBA Commissioner David Stern when the WNBA will be disbanded, only to be rebuffed. Rome has a lackadaisical attitude toward the success of the U.S. Women's Soccer Team in the World Cup, ignoring the individual efforts of the team members.
  • Homosexuals in professional sports - Rome is open toward homosexuals in professional sports, mainly those who have the courage to "come out." However, he believes that the day an active professional athlete would "come out" is still far away, as he judges athletes' general attitudes 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.
  • NCAA College Baseball - While he loves to talk about Major League Baseball, Rome hates college baseball. In his opinion, any sport where someone can hit six or seven home runs in a game is not worthy of his time. He only acknowledges the sport during the College World Series, where you might hear him sarcastically imitate the "PING!" sound of an aluminum bat hitting the ball.
  • The Olympics - Rome feels that the Olympics is the most overhyped sporting event ever, explaining that he is not interested in obscure athletes playing odd sports (save for basketball and hockey) that only get attention once every four years. Rome has described the double luge as two men wearing condom suits, and refers to the Games as "The WNBA on steroids" and "The X Games but less interesting."

People

  • Manny Ramirez - Rome loves reporting on the misadventures of "Man Ram," whether it be cutting off throws from center field, wearing an mp3 player in his sunglasses while playing, taking the field in roller skates, or getting lost in the Green Monster at Fenway Park. Rome often tells Ramirez to "have a safe trip on the way home from Planet Man Ram."
  • Chiropractors - On an August 15, 2001 show, Rome griped about chiropractors, questioning why anyone would open up a medical practice at a mall, displaying propped-up human skeletons and offering spine-shaped ballpoint pens and free back alignments. This angered the ACA, who argued that their profession offers more than just back alignments.
  • Softball Guy - Similar to his feelings about bowling, Rome also finds jest in men's softball leagues. Rome feels that "Softball Guy" takes the recreational game much too seriously, puts sophomoric nicknames on the back of his jersey (such as "The Rammer"), uses equally immature jersey numbers (such as 0.08, a DUI reference, or 69, a sexual reference), addresses the umpire as "Blue," and has a propensity for consuming inordinate amounts of alcohol. He also notes that "Softball Guy" often claims he would be in the major leagues by now, if not for a high school coach who "had it in for him."
  • Likes to Bet Guy - Rome frequently references the stereotypical gambler. Noting that casinos designate obscure and unequivocally minor sporting events with gambling odds, he has decided it is likely for the purpose of satisfying the needs of "gambling degenerates." In addition, Rome explains how "Likes to Bet Guy" cares more about if his favorite team covers than if they win, and refers not to their overall record, but their ATS (against the spread) record. A caller to the show once claimed to be a heavy WNBA bettor; upon further questioning by Rome, he said his system was to bet on every single game, picking the favorite against the spread. This call only hardened Rome's opinion of "Likes to Bet Guy." Rome has vowed never to be the type of host who pads his program with "picks of the week" for weekend sports action.
  • Likes to Fight Guy - Much like Rome's stereotypical "Softball Guy" and "Likes to Bet Guy," "Likes to Fight Guy" is generally self-explanatory (on occasion, all three are one in the same). It is a frequent reset on the show, especially when celebrities and/or alcohol are involved.
  • Corvette Guy - While driving his "European sports car," Rome encountered a man driving a Corvette who was showing off and appeared to taunt Rome by urging him to street race. This left Rome quite unimpressed, and he has spun this story into a take ridiculing anyone who tries to live vicariously through their car.
  • Sales Guy - Occasionally, Rome talks about his first non-radio job after college, when he was a traveling salesman. In his own opinion, he was horrible at the job and only lasted a short time before quitting, so he admires anyone who can put up with the stress. He particularly likes explaining a "trick of the trade" he used when he was behind quota, unable to sell any goods or acquire any prospects, and feeling miserable. He would visit a restaurant for lunch, pull business cards out of the fishbowl when no one was looking, and bring the cards back to his boss as "leads." Another trick Rome often references is "trapping" a lead by saying, "I'll be in your neighborhood tomorrow; what's better for you, morning or afternoon?" (He sarcastically complains that this trick never worked when he tried it, even though all the sales manuals said it would.) When Rome offers a "Sales Guy" take, Clones who are salesmen themselves invariably call or email the show to offer their own horror stories, sympathy, and support.
  • Ice Cream Men - Rome is wary of ice cream men, who he believes are sexual predators who use the sweet dessert to get at children. This was only strengthened after a 2005 incident in Wisconsin where 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, Rome stated that it had become an "ice cream epidemic." Rome often comments that the reason ice cream trucks play music is to "cover up the screams".
  • Raider Fan - Rome regularly disparages crazed fans of various teams or sports with a "Fan" label, but the term with the most staying power is that of "Raider Fan," his prototypical Oakland Raiders supporter. In his view, "Raider Fan" lives to get drunk and smoke marijuana, wear silver and black face paint, don garish silver and black costumes (or Darth Vader regalia), attend Raiders games in the end-zone seating area known as the "Black Hole," and fight constantly before, during, and after games with anyone and anything. Whenever Rome does a take on news affecting the Raiders, he constantly speculates how the news will affect "Raider Fan," usually concluding that it will make "Raider Fan" very angry. Another attribute of "Raider Fan" is what Rome refers to as "Raider Myopia", suggesting that "Raider Fan" is always over-optimistic about the team's chances of playing well in upcoming games, despite evidence to the contrary.

Television and movies

  • Good Will Hunting - This apparently is Rome's favorite motion picture, and he will sometimes quote the line "How do you like dem apples, AAHHHH" in a faux New England accent.
  • Top Gun - Rome and guest host Skip Bayless both have a crude fascination with the beach volleyball scene in Top Gun, which shows the "greased up" actors flexing their muscles between points while the song "Playin' with the Boys" by Kenny Loggins is heard in the background. Neither understands why that scene is in the movie, and Rome has gone as far as labeling the scene "softcore gay porn."
  • Star Wars - Rome has no use whatsoever for Star Wars; his most succinct take on the franchise came after a 2004 call from a Clone who compared LPGA golfer Annika Sörenstam with Anakin Skywalker: "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 describes as "cool."
  • Reality TV - Rome 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, "If you don't hate reality TV, you're not smart." He has tried to avoid talking about American Idol (which he often calls "American Karaoke"), but after that show's second season Rome complimented Mets first baseman Mo Vaughn on his singing victory (a reference to Vaughn's weight, resembling that of Ruben Studdard).
  • Blind Date - Rome singles out this reality TV program for starring show contributor Jason Stewart in one episode. Stewart's "blind date" with a young woman resulted in Rome disparaging the woman as a "909 skank" (a reference to an unfashionable California area code), blasting the program as a waste of time, and complimenting J-Stew for realizing this early on by repeatedly insulting the woman on-camera. In a recurring clip the young woman described her date with Stewart with: "Jason is not my type; he's an idiot. I never want to see him again...no second date." Rome does, however, sometimes refer to J-Stew as "the best contestant Blind Date has ever had." Despite the experience, Rome has a good relationship with Blind Date host Roger Lodge and regularly features him in on-air interviews and as a guest host.
  • COPS - Rome dislikes the television program COPS, claiming that every episode is the same. His complaints include the "Bad Boys" theme song, and how most of the incidents occur at a trailer park in Florida, Las Vegas or Texas. Rome notes that the suspects are often overweight (or underweight), shirtless, wear a greasy mullet, drive an IROC and the first words out of their mouth are a disingenuous "What are you guys doing here?" Inevitably the suspect's girlfriend comes out of the trailer with a black eye, telling the officers to let him go because she "deserved it." Also notable are the couple's numerous dirty children and the meth lab inside.
  • America's Funniest Home Videos - This ABC-TV program is frequently ridiculed by Rome and the Clones, who normally refer to it as "America's Stupidest Home Videos." The claim is made that the "accidents" shown in the home videos are usually staged. The propensity for rednecks to film and be the subjects of the videos is also noted.
  • HBO - Rome has gone on record as being a fan of some HBO original series, including The Sopranos and Entourage. Breaking sports-talk format, Rome has had several actors from those programs appear as guests on the show, including Steven Schirripa.

Games

  • Dungeons & Dragons - Much like his antipathy for Star Wars, Rome has nothing kind to say about adults who play Dungeons & Dragons or other role-playing games, pointing out that most are usually not saavy with women, that many live in their parents' basement, and all seem to have a unusual fascination with a twenty-sided die.
  • Poker - Rome's take on poker is that the game has been oversaturated in recent years on television (most notably Rome's own network, ESPN). He also remarks that the majority of players are fat and wear sunglasses.

Interviews

A highlight of the program has become the daily lineup of interviews that Rome conducts with sports (and occasionally pop culture) personalities. Rome conducts most interviews over the telephone; however, he will sometimes have an in-studio guest, who usually stays for several segments.

Rather than having prescheduled guests for interviews, Rome relies on Jason Stewart to contact potential interviewees, and sometimes does not know who will be on the show until the day before their appearance. This sometimes leads to guests not showing up, or losing their calls in the middle of an interview. In this instance, Rome notifies the Clones that the prospective guest is "on the clock," a reference to a phrase often uttered during the NFL Draft.

There isn't a set number of interviews per day, but the show averages about one per hour, per day. Rome records and saves all interviews. The most memorable are often reset in future shows as sound bites, and occasionally get declared the Huge Call of the Day. Some of the more memorable (and sometimes forgettable) interviews include:

  • Steve Elkington- One of Rome's favorite interviewees, the Australian pro golfer drops in often and shares stories from his experiences on the PGA Tour. These stories include tales about fellow golfer Colin Montgomerie's "sweaty undies," about him and his friends getting "loaded up on froth and bubbles," saying that he "sees cat, mate" at a party in Las Vegas, and a wild night at a bar with John Daly, where Daly got knocked out trying football tackles. When Rome played a clip from Daly's country album, Elkington remarked "you must be pulling my sausage, mate." Other resets are from when he killed a deer from a friend's living room, and his encounter with a profanity-spewing Tommy Smothers. Rome proclaimed that Elkington overtook Mark Grace as "best interview."
  • Mark Grace– During his playing days, the personable MLB first baseman appeared regularly on the show. Grace provided such good interviews that Rome once considered him the best athlete in the Jungle (the distinction now belongs to Elkington). Grace is now remembered primarily for soundbites taken from two interviews. The first describes an encounter with fellow Cub Greg Maddux. Maddux appeared uncomfortable on the mound, leading Grace to think he might have pulled his groin. Grace quickly realized that Maddux was not injured, and instead noticeably aroused. Grace responded: "Dude, you love to pitch, don't you?!" The second derives from when Grace was in the middle of a particularly hot hitting streak, and his teammates were commenting that he must have been getting with a bunch of slumpbusters. Grace explained how baseball players (who are commonly superstitious) would attempt to break a batting slump by going to a bar, seeking out "the gnarliest, ugliest chick," and taking her home to "lay the wood to her."
  • Ron Jeremy- Rome will occasionally play an audio clip where Jeremy can be heard saying "Hi, this is Ron Jeremy, coach of the Miami Heat, and you're watching Jim Rome is Burning." In the clip, Jeremy references Rome's observation that former Miami Heat head coach Stan Van Gundy bears a strong resemblance to Jeremy. Rome has enjoyed this promo so much that he has exempted Jeremy from his usual porn insults.
  • Evel Knievel- During a May 2002 interview with the motorcycle daredevil, Knievel recounted the story of his ill-fated 1974 attempt to jump the Snake River Canyon in Idaho. Knievel, in his trademark tough guy style, went on to publicly lambaste NASA engineer Robert Truax, who had designed the failed Skycycle X-2 rocket, calling him "an egotistical little know-it-all bastard," and even blaming him for the death of Gus Grissom. Rome asked Knievel why he would attempt the jump if there was only a 50/50 chance of surviving. Knievel answered, without hesitation, "Do you know who the hell I am?" Rome has marked this occasion as the only time he has ever been speechless in his life. Knievel also stated during this interview that "all women are prostitutes in their own way." During another interview in 2003, Knievel shared with Rome that he owned a diamond encrusted cane that doubles as a flask for Wild Turkey.
  • Isiah Thomas- During an interview on The Last Word on Fox Sports Net, Rome and NBA player Chucky Brown had a discussion about the differences in per diem between the NBA and the minor league CBA. Brown, who had just returned to the NBA from the CBA, stated that CBA players would get $25 for meal money and go to Denny's or McDonald's, while NBA players would receive $80 and could eat at restaurants like Red Lobster. Rome later interviewed Isiah Thomas on The Last Word. Thomas, who owned the CBA from 1999 to 2001, responded to Rome's greeting with, "My pleasure. I just got back from Red Lobster." This line has become an oft-reset soundbite.
  • John Feinstein- During a telephone interview with Rome, Feinstein's toddler-age daughter Bridget began playing with her brother's toy drums. After Rome mentioned the racket, Feinstein excused himself and angrily yelled, "Bridget! Bridget!" in an attempt to stop the noise. Feinstein attempted to continue his train of thought, but forever will be teased for that incident.
  • Stewart Elliott- Rome interviewed the jockey by phone, following his unsuccessful bid to ride Smarty Jones to a win at the 2004 Belmont and thus the Triple Crown. The anticipated interview turned unforgettably dull when Rome asked a question regarding the horse's attitude of being a champion. Rome expected it to be a segue for Elliott to elaborate, but instead, Elliott simply answered, "that's right" and dead air followed. Jokes by listeners suggested it would have been more interesting to have interviewed the horse.
  • Charles Barkley- Rome periodically discusses NBA issues with the ex-player and TNT host. In one interview, Rome noted Barkley's statement that radio talk show hosts know nothing and are merely looking to stir up controversy by saying outrageous things, then asked Barkley why he chose to regularly appear on The Jim Rome Show as a guest. Barkley took the opportunity to bash Rome's own fill-in Skip Bayless as the absolute worst example of this type of host, and contrasting him with the relative straightforwardness of Rome himself. Rome was put off and ended up trying to defend Bayless as a bona fide host whose opinions were genuine and not calculated. Barkley was unconvinced and said so.
  • Ben Mezrich- Rome has interviewed a few times with the author of the book Bringing Down the House, the story of the MIT Blackjack Team. During an interview on September 18, 2006, Mezrick recalled a research trip to Japan in which he saw what were called "Five Minute Clubs," and described how he observed that the Japanese treat sex simply as a "bodily function." The comments earned him the Huge Call of the Day, and prompted heavy e-mail responses. Mezrick has expressed interest in writing a Rome biography.
  • Joe Simpson - In 2004 Rome interviewed the mountain climber and author of Touching the Void, a true-life story about Simpson's disastrous Andes climbing expedition, and the title of a just-released movie based on the book. Rome was blown away not just by Simpson talking about how he escaped certain death while injured in an icy mountain crevasse, but also by Simpson's calm acceptance of his climbing partner abandoning him to his fate -- Simpson told Rome he would have made the same choice in his partner's position. For weeks after the interview, Rome and the Clones were marveling at his toughness, courage, and matter-of-fact attitude.

Telephone calls

Rome encourages listeners to call the show, and frequently drops the show's phone number, with the caveat that calls will be screened by J-Stew. However, in terms of the show's content, calls from listeners do not take priority over Rome's own takes and the scheduled interviews, so Rome only fields a handful of calls during any given broadcast. In fact, he is highly critical of radio talk shows which emphasize phone calls. His official take on the issue: "When some radio jock says 'No one takes more calls than me; this show is about you, the caller,' what that guy is actually saying is 'No one has worked less and has less to say than I do.'" Rome also states that "more of me and less of you is better for the show," although he will sometimes "break format" and take several calls if listeners with a history of good calls are calling the show.

Rome responds to greetings and questions but otherwise offers free rein on the phone for callers to give their takes. However, he is notorious for "running" callers who perform poorly. These calls are interrupted with a loud buzzer and immediately ceased. Usually the caller will be subject to ridicule from Rome and the Clones. Callers are often run when they are unenthusiastic, incoherent, obviously reading their takes, or offensive. Although Rome is said to run calls, it is actually the show engineer, Alvin, who performs the task. Occasionally, Alvin will run a call that Rome does not feel merited being run. If this happens, Rome lets the caller know that Alvin was responsible. Sometimes a call will be cut off without the buzzer if Rome wants to comment on the caller's take(s), or if there is a time constraint for a scheduled ad break, or if a call from a noteworthy Clone can be squeezed in before an ad break. Trying to squeeze in a call sometimes leads to Rome having to cut off the call because it ran longer than he was expecting it to.

Callers are sometimes on hold for long periods of time, sometimes more than two and a half hours, before they make it on air. Callers are expected to be patient and prepared when their turn comes up (often unexpectedly), and Rome has no patience if they are not. Due to a seven-second delay, the callers must listen to the show through their telephone with their radio turned off. Otherwise, when Rome puts them on-air, they will miss their cue, and be subject to ridicule (example: Kevin in Kansas City on May 23, 2006). Rome often comments on how if he can hear his voice through the phone (due to the delay), the caller is not paying attention. In addition, callers who complain about how long they have been on hold are usually run, with Rome ridiculing them for wasting their own time. Callers are also expected to pay attention to the show and generally stay on-topic. This was exemplified once when Rome chided people whom he called "gambling degenerates." Mistakingly thinking he heard the name "Ellen DeGeneres" over the radio, a caller started defending the actress, and was immediately run.

Although the enforcement in recent times has been lenient for new affiliate cities, Rome has a rule against callers stating their names. Whenever Rome goes to callers, he announces their names and where they are from. If callers begin by repeating this information, they will immediately be run, and Rome will ridicule them for telling him something he and the listeners already know. Rome also has an unofficial ban against callers singing (whether actual songs or poorly written parodies), on the grounds that callers who attempt to sing typically have no business doing so. Two exceptions to this rule include an opera singer who used to call the show, and after Smack-Off 2005, when callers made pitiful attempts to complete Terrence in Sierra Madre's song, "Hey, Mister J-Stew" (also, see Willie in KC below). In addition, Rome prohibits callers from using "nicknames". Sometimes, J-Stew will direct the caller to state his nickname to Rome, in an attempt to get the caller run. Such was the case with the caller Ray in Huntsville. When Rome greeted him, Ray responded with "Thanks for the vine, Jim, but my name is actually RayDog." Rome simply said, "RayDog, what's up?" and the buzzer immediately followed. Occasionally, callers will avoid J-Stew's trap, mention the baiting on-air, and subject J-Stew to ridicule from Rome and the Clones for the rest of the day. Rome also dislikes calls in which the caller attempts to make his take into a poem, with clever haikus being the sole exception.

Rome has a particular fondness for calls from members of law enforcement, especially those on-duty. At the end of their call, Rome requests that they "prove" they are on-duty by turning on their siren.

Calls from Clones frequently include derogatory smack directed at other Clones. Rome refers to this as "Clone-on-Clone crime" and has a somewhat dim opinion of it, as it detracts from time that could be used for sports takes, although he does not discourage it. These calls are usually the most memorable, especially when the smack is powerful and/or over-the-top. This type of call is most frequently seen in the Smack-Off and the weeks preceding a Smack-Off as Clones vie for invitations.

Rome's self-proclaimed rules for Clones calling the show: "Have a take, don't suck, or you will get run."

Huge Call of the Day

If Rome especially enjoys a call, he will announce "Rack him!" or "Rack her!"; this is a signal to Alvin to save the recording of the call. At the end of the show, the best overall call is dubbed The Huge Call of the Day and replayed with much fanfare. There are no set criteria for what earns a call Huge Call status. Most Huge Calls feature exceptionally insightful and/or pointed commentary, and/or a great deal of smack that is not only articulate but inventive and humorous. On rare occasions, an extremely odd call will be named as the Huge Call (see Tommy in Detroit below). Sometimes a Huge Call from a previous show or a notable call from a previous Smack-Off will be replayed if no calls get racked. Rome will also use segments of an interview as the Huge Call if he feels it is appropriate. Notable instances include interviews conducted during the broadcasts on Radio Row during the week before the Super Bowl (when Rome takes few if any calls) and a 2006 interview with Jeff Gordon in which Gordon acknowledged his blunders at Wrigley Field (see reference in Soundbites section below). If content in the show’s last segment runs over the time needed to play the Huge Call, it will be played in part or not at all.

Legendary callers

There are a number of Clones whose history of solid calls to the show have earned them "legendary" status. Some of the most well-known of these callers include:

  • Sean "the Cablinasian" in Houston - Sean (sometimes pronounced Sean-y, like the name "Shani") is a four-time Smack-Off winner, taking the event in 1999, 2003, 2005, and 2006. The Cablinasian (a take-off of Tiger Woods' self-named identity, as Sean is Caucasian) has gained notoriety primarily because he currently only calls the show during the Smack-Off but delivers calls strong enough to win despite his long absences. The Cablinasian is respected for his "incredible, Hall-of-Fame game," as Rome refers to it, but is also criticized for being pompous, arrogant, and derisive toward the Clones. Sean has bragged that he is "a made man in the Jungle" which allows him the privilege to only call the show "twice a year" - once to make his Smack-Off call and once to claim his victory. He has already predicted his fifth Smack Off victory in 2007.
  • Iafrate - A long-time caller, winner of Smack-Off 2004, and self-described "unmitigated loser" (for losing Smack-Off 2002 to Jeff in Richmond), Iafrate is known for both his smack and his singing talent, as the linchpin of his winning Smack-Off call was a parody song called "Whitey's Dad." Iafrate is believed to be Kenneth Chasen, the senior rabbi at the Leo Baeck Temple in Los Angeles, California, as Rome has called him "Kenny" on-air, and Ken Chasen is listed in the album notes from Rome's 1998 CD Welcome to the Jungle.
  • Silk in Huntington Beach - A long-time caller and winner of Smack-Off 2001, Silk is often ridiculed by Clones stemming from the mysterious rumor that he is homeless or poor, wandering the streets picking up aluminum cans for money and living in a cardboard box. He often travels to out-of-town Tour Stops. As a running gag, he is often portrayed as a racist, and Rome and the Clones usually address him as "Silk Brah," using a stereotypical "surfer drawl." His full name is Eric Silkenson.
  • Trapper in Dana Point - Trapper is another long-time caller to the program, dating from its pre-syndication days. He is most notable for injecting left-wing political opinions into his takes, and for being mocked by other Clones for said opinions.
  • Terrence in Sierra Madre - Like Silk and Trapper, Terrence has been calling the show since before the show was syndicated. He has achieved notoriety for competing in several Smack-Offs but never winning, and has been dubbed "Best Caller Never to Win the Smack-Off." Terrence traditionally calls in on "Zero Tolerance" Fridays only.
  • Jeff in Richmond - A long-time caller and winner of the 2002 Smack-Off, Jeff is ridiculed by the Clones for his deep Southern accent, staunchly conservative political views, yelling into the phone, quoting the WWE champion's catchphrase, embracing NASCAR before it was mainstream, and his putative status as a stereotypical redneck. Jeff delivers his calls in a bombastic, melodramatic style similar to the in-ring diatribes given by professional wrestlers, beginning each call with "Thanks for the vine, Jim, and thanks for the time," and ending by screaming "GOOD NIGHT NOW!" He has also claimed to be "born and bred for success and achievement" and to have an Armani suit, a "luxury sled," and a "countryside estate" in the "Commonwealth of Virginia." "Left-fringe" clones, such as Trapper and Silk, are frequent targets for his abuse. He also seems to have a fixation on his "good friend and colleague" Bob Costas, after Costas mentioned him by name during an interview.
  • John in C-Town - This caller often pushed Rome for a Tour Stop in Cleveland. He frequently talked about Cleveland's "monkey" (program director of the local affiliate), and how he was constantly "banging the monkey" (lobbying the affiliate), which earned him criticism from the Clones. One day, Rome received a tape which contained edited clips of John saying "monkey, monkey, monkey/lunch with the monkey/Because of me we have the mother of all Tour Stops" and other show-related phrases repeatedly. Rome has referred to this as "maybe the funniest thing I have heard on this show."
  • Dan in D.C.- Dan is best known for winning seven straight Huge Calls, which is still a Jungle record. He is also one of the few callers to get racked after being run. Most Clones thought he should have won Smack-Off 2000 but lost because D.C. was not a three-hour affiliate. Rome's comment was "Dan, bang your monkey, it cost you the title." Dan is best known for his Bison Dele take and his Dikembe Mutombo impression: "Who wants to sex Mutombo!" After Smack-Off 2003, Rome offered him a position on his staff with Rodgers and Stewart. Dan only worked there for a short time and has not called the show since it was taken off the air in D.C. Dan currently hosts a sports radio program in the Washington area and writes an online column.[1]
  • Rachel in Houston - One of the Jungle's few regular female callers, and a frequent Smack-Off contestant, Rachel is a polarizing figure who is either revered or despised by the Clones. Clones who dislike Rachel often refer to her as Richard, Ronaldo, Ronald, Ramond, or any other R- male name, especially after she calls the show.
  • Orrin in Denver - Orrin made Jungle history in the summer of 2005 by being the only Clone (to date) whose very first call to the show was so impressive that Rome immediately offered Orrin an invitation to Smack-Off 2006. Orrin accepted the invitation on his second call, and has since been awarded the Huge Call on a handful of occasions and also been run. Orrin and Jeff in Richmond have a running feud, and one of Orrin's retaliatory calls against Jeff is of particular note, as Rome has referred to it as the worst Clone-on-Clone attack ever. Like Rachel, Orrin is a very polarizing figure in the Jungle, inspiring either high praise or harsh ridicule from the Clones. Detractors often call him "Orrin-thal" in reference to O.J. Simpson.
  • Greg in Vegas - Greg's calls are often punctuated by a bizarre fascination for athletes and others such as Tom Dempsey, Ron Santo, Aron Ralston and Alex Zanardi, who were born without or lost limbs for various reasons. He had a potentially winning call during Smack-Off 2003, but it is believed that he lost his chance of winning after he suggested that golfer Tom Watson had to assess himself a two-stroke penalty during the U.S. Open for employing long-time caddy Bruce Edwards. Edwards was suffering from Lou Gehrig's disease at the time and would pass away the following year. Rome often wonders whether to run or rack Greg's calls due to their content.
  • Rich in Indy - In September 2005 he made the best "short call" to the Jungle with his reference to a Cowboys meltdown being "as predictable as a scripted Joey in New Bedford or Jay in Providence phone call." He was subsequently racked. He is also a successful e-mailer. In April of '06 he wrote an e-mail referring to the 'disturbing volleyball scene in Top Gun ', which had a shelf life of three days.
  • Justin in Boise - Justin is a relatively new caller to the Jungle whose early calls were characterized by a static-filled cell phone connection. Rome himself commented on the bad connection, and one caller told Justin to get rid of "that potato you call in on." Justin has been awarded the Huge Call of the Day a half dozen times. Justin was invited to Smack-Off 2006 on April 5th, notably being the first official invite since the announcement of the 2006 date. There is an ongoing feud between Justin and Rachel in Houston, who claims that Justin has a crush on her.

Infamous calls

Rome appreciates good calls on his show, but often he will receive a call that is less than acceptable. The really terrible calls will live on in their own infamy, and listeners will reference those calls for years to come. Some of these calls included:

  • Jeff in C-Bus - Early in the show on November 18, 2005, on his way to the Michigan vs. Ohio State football game, Jeff (a former Smack-Off contestant) envisioned that Ohio State would win by a score of 27-27. This was believed to be a slip of the tongue, but Jeff (and Ohio State) became the butt of numerous jokes throughout the rest of that day's show. The Buckeyes got the last laugh, however, winning 25-21. The following Monday, Jeff called back and claimed that he purposely made the strange call to draw attention away from the game itself, luring the Clones to smack him instead of Ohio State. Despite this, Jeff is still ridiculed.
  • Patty in Modesto - She called the show in June 2000, but was too inebriated to have an intelligent conversation.
  • Alex in Louisville - He called in to congratulate Rome on a great interview with NFL player Deion Branch, unaware that the interview had not yet taken place. Rome, knowing it was still an hour away, asked him first if he had heard the interview, and Alex replied "absolutely." After Rome asked him what he liked best about the interview, Alex offered the broad statement that "He was just a classy guy." When Rome pushed further for specifics, Alex claimed that he was out job hunting and had missed most of the interview. Rome then informed him that the reason that he couldn't remember anything from the interview was because "the interview hasn't happened yet!" This is a rare example of Rome actually interacting with a caller.
  • Willie in K.C. - Willie, a regular caller who often broke into song parodies during his calls, was permanently banned from the show after one call contained obvious and crude anti-Semitic references. After the call was run, it was obvious that Rome (who is, incidentally, of Jewish descent himself) was infuriated, even after a rebound call from Silk, who started his call pleading that it was Willie, not himself, that made the references. Willie's call became the topic of the show, with other Clones denouncing him, including Jeff in Phoenix (also Jewish) and Dark Gable, an old-school e-mail legend. In 2004, Willie attempted to be reinstated to the Jungle by calling the show to apologize for making the offensive remarks. As soon as he completed his short apology (which many listeners considered contrived) he attempted to stage one of his calls, at which time Rome cut him off. Rome allowed the remainder of the day's callers and e-mailers to vote on the matter, and the decision was made to uphold the ban.
  • John and Trapper's Tag Team Call - John in C-Town and Trapper once called the show from the same house. They started out smacking each other on their political affiliations, which featured Trapper saying, "At least my party has corpses voting, its not as bad as when you elect them in South Carolina. Happy birthday Strom." They also talked about University of Southern California's athletic director, and John said that he came to the west coast to kick it with the Clones. The call was cut off with the end of the segment. In the next segment, Rome said that the call was not in their best interest as he read e-mails about John and Trapper being "Daytime Friends and Nighttime Lovers", accusing J-Stew of trying to crash his e-mail by putting those two through, asking if that was John and his monkey, about why Richard Simmons, Greg Louganis, Kordell Stewart, and Keyshawn Johnson weren't invited, and accusing the call of being the worst moment in Jungle history. John and Trapper are constantly reminded of this call whenever an e-mailer references the call with a gay joke. Perhaps for this reason and perhaps for others, John repented of the encounter with Trapper, and made Trapper the major subject of his 2001 Smack-Off call, which led to him being run, as admitted by Rome.
  • Bill in Syracuse - After Rome made a sarcastic remark about how he would love to have a daughter enter the porn industry, Bill called to chastise Rome, believing him to be serious.
  • Fabian - This caller is often referred to as "Flamian" because he promised to have an epic phone call, only to almost immediately "flame out" in spectacular fashion. Before he could get through the first sentence of his take, he completely lost his train of thought, then said "oh man...wait, wait-" just before getting run.
  • Jim in Fall River - Jim has participated in several Smack-Offs, but during one Smack-Off call, he became extremely animated and agitated, to the point of actually shouting out his call. Also, shortly after he started his call, a strange sound similar to a donkey braying could be heard in the background. Despite Rome's efforts to get his attention, he continued to shout his take and the animal sound persisted until the call was run. Since then, he has been associated with bestiality.
  • "Smack Attack" in Wisconsin - This caller was on hold for over an hour, and when his turn finally came up to speak with Rome, he yelled into the phone, "AAAHHHHH...my phone bill!" then hung up. The call was mostly remembered because Rome blames that incident for some of his hearing loss.
  • Iggy in Springfield - Iggy was a long-time caller, but in August 2003 he called the program and greeted Rome, then started a prerecorded tape of his take. The sound of a tape player being turned on was clearly recognizable, along with the significant difference in sound quality. He was quickly run, and has not called the show since then. Rome has since speculated on how many of Iggy's prior calls were also prerecorded. In reference to Iggy, callers occasionally announce the local time before starting their take to prove it is not prerecorded.
  • Pancho & Tyrone - During one call-in session, Rome took a call from a caller who claimed his name was Pancho, and that he was an African American. Rome doubted this, but let the caller go through. A few minutes later, another caller got through the call screener, saying, in a stereotypical Spanish accent, "Jim, eff he can be Pancho, why can't I be Tyrone?" This is often cited as an example of a caller fooling the phone screener.
  • Will - After a monotonous list of obvious observations, this caller was run simply for his inability to come up with an original thought. Subsequent callers who show little or no originality are frequently ridiculed and compared to Will.
  • Tim in Bend - Normally, Rome does not spend a lot of time ranting about poor quality calls. However, Tim's call is a notable exception, as he brought the show to a halt with a brief call on December 2004 which contained two epic cracks, a sarcastic thank you to Rome for an interview he did not have on the show, and a subsequent Drew Brees mole blast. This was enough to send Rome on a six minute rant.
  • Guy Who Had to Eat Lunch with His Wife/Go to a Meeting - During the summer of 2005, a caller told J-Stew that he had to get on the show because he had to eat lunch with his wife. Rome led into the call saying that if a Clone needed to eat lunch with his wife, that he (Rome) would have his back. Before the caller could even begin his call, he was run, and Rome said "With that kind of lead in, why would you even stay on the line? You might as well hang up and bail out and avoid ridicule." Rome has also received calls from someone asking to get on the show before a meeting at the caller's work is scheduled to begin, and has handled these calls in the exact same fashion, following up with a tirade about how Clones should put their work first, and not worry about calling in to a radio show.
  • Joey in New Bedford - On October 27, 2005 he came into the Jungle with a new word, "recepted," believed to be a hybrid of "received" and "accepted." Rome interrupted the call after five minutes of Joey's rants and said he finally "came to" after hearing Joey's language. Although Rome insisted that "recepted" is not an actual word, some have speculated that it may be either some form of Cape Verdean slang or simply a "Chowd" affectation. During Rome's recap, he glossed Joey as a legend and hall of famer (a decidedly tongue-in-cheek praise, given his and the Clones' disdain for Joey's calls). Joey is an administrator at Stucknut.com where he has his own bowling forum.
  • T.J. in Jacksonville - During a fall 2005 call, T.J. laughed at his own joke, with a creepy-sounding "Eh-HEH-heh-HEH-huh!" which became known in the Jungle as "The Laugh." If it is mentioned in a call or e-mail, or if someone's attempt at humor falls flat, Rome will sometimes offer sarcastic comments about whether the line in question was actually funny and playing "The Laugh" after each one. This usually leads into Rome acting as though T.J. is in the studio with him, mocking "The Laugh" and telling him to stop laughing while playing "The Laugh" after each sentence that comes out of his mouth.
  • Marty in Dallas - In the wake of the Mavericks signing center Wang Zhizhi in 2001, he fired off a barrage of indecipherable, stereotypical "Engrish" jibberish and was immediately run. In another call in 2001, he claimed that Mariners outfielder Ichiro Suzuki had held a press conference to explain why he had "Ichiro" on the back of his jersey. He then proceeded to mimic the supposed press conference with "Japanese" jibberish and was run. He would have been forgotten were it not for the fact that e-mailers still frequently sign any approval-of-racism message with "Marty in Dallas."
  • Gary in Vegas - On April 6, 2006, he told J-Stew that he did not want to talk about "steroids, or whose mother has cancer," and that he had an actual sports take. He went on to proclaim that the Devil Rays' pitching was awful and that the Orioles would beat them that evening, then said, "Rack me!", only to be immediately run. Rome categorized this call as one of the worst ever. Ironically, or perhaps due to "Jungle Karma," the Devil Rays beat the Orioles that night by a score of 2-0, on the strength of a three-hit, complete game shutout by pitcher Mark Hendrickson.
  • Brad in Detroit - A few days before the 2005 MLB All-Star Game, Brad called in to state that Cal Ripken's Iron Man record was unimpressive, that Ripken was an average player at best, and that he would pay a million dollars to spray Ripken in the face with a full mace can. In the following weeks, several calls and emails made fun of "Brad in Detroit's lispy voice" and referred to him as "Brandy in Detroit," insisting that he may be homosexual. Callers also mocked his reference to using mace, traditionally a weapon used by women for self-defense purposes. Rome sometimes resets the call to mock Brad, refusing to believe that he actually meant what he said. Brad has not called the show since.
  • Tommy in Detroit - On April 24, 2006, this caller attempted to land an invitation to Smack-Off 2006, but was run after repeatedly making an odd walrus-like "OORF!" sound in place of the "ERRR!" used by Rome and the Clones as a deliberate self-correction. Rome was amused by the call in spite of it being run, and played up the sound in the same fashion as "The Laugh," to the delight of the Clones. The call even won the Huge Call of the Day. Rome requested that all Clones now begin their calls by making the "walrus sound" instead of clichés such as "first time, long time". This didn't last much past the next show, however, as Rome complained that doing the sound repeatedly was wrecking his voice. The day before the Smack-Off, Tommy called again, and after Rome repeatedly asked him to make the "walrus sound" (which he did), he received his invitation.
  • Jill in Sacramento - She expressed her feeling that athletes smoking marijuana and taking performance-enhancing drugs was acceptable because she claimed one can easily beat drug tests. After claiming to have "made a career out of running track and smoking pot," the woman, now a kindergarten teacher, was quickly run.

E-mails

Rome frequently reads emails on-air, usually around ad breaks. Some emails are simple statements of satisfaction about the show or comments on interviews. However, many emailers write their messages in the voice of athletes, public figures, or even the aforementioned "infamous callers," responding with a comment that reflects one of that person's most embarrassing public moments. These particular emails almost always relate to whatever topic(s) were just discussed on the show, usually in a sarcastic and/or ironic fashion.

In addition to writing in the voice of a famous person, some emails are written in the voice of an inanimate object. The most creative and obscure personified items are the most popular, and are often read on-air. Occasionally emailers will sign their contributions from "Rome's Dad," "Rome's Sister," etc. Rome will always mention that it is funny when his "family" emails the show, yet do not know their own name. Rome also mentions that it would be miraculous to receive an email from his father, who is deceased. A large portion of the audience listens from work, and is presumably sitting in front of a computer either in their office or cubicle. Whenever something extremely funny happens on the show, many emailers claim they laughed so hard they spit coffee or soda all over their monitor or keyboard, some jokingly suggesting that it is now ruined.

On occasion, emailers like to add postscripts, such as "war-" (see "War" reference above), smack about other emailers, or qualifications. Emailer Dave in St. Louis began the custom of using qualifications with "non-hunter," a veiled reference to a press release by PETA that suggested male hunters have small genitalia. Sexual preference, ethnicity, or marital status are also used as qualifications.

If Rome dislikes an email's content, he will often heckle the author, then discard it by crumpling the printout in front of the microphone (or activating a paper-crumple sound effect). Allegedly to stave off floods of these kinds of emails, he will warn listeners of jokes and references that he does not want to see. Offensive emails can also lead to other Clones writing in and calling to criticize the email's author. A prime example came on May 22, 2006, when an emailer (only identified as Julian) suggested that Elmer's and Alpo were ready to welcome Barbaro to work for them after breaking down in the Preakness Stakes.

Rome likes to ridicule emailers for poor spelling and grammar. While he understands that most emails are written quickly and are not proofread, he will often mention extremely bad cases on-air.

During the last half-hour of the show, Rome will announce the Huge Email Contest, in which he reads a handful of emails which were especially funny and/or interesting. Sometimes he will declare a winner, but this is not held to the same level of prestige as the Huge Call of the Day. More often than not, there will not be a contest, due to a lack of quality emails.

Some Clones have achieved "legendary" status in the Jungle for the frequency and/or content of their emails. Mike T in C-Town and Dark Gable are two well-known email Clones.

Back in the early days of the show, before the public ubiquity of Internet email, Rome accepted faxes from the Clones and ran a Huge Fax Contest on the show. The customs surrounding email contests and on-air reading of emails are thought to have evolved from this beginning.

According to Rome, Travis Rodgers maintains a bulletin board which features the best or oddest emails which have been received on the show. Occasionally Rome will received an email which he feels merits inclusion on the bulletin board, and will ask Rodgers if it is worth adding to the board.

E-mail references

Email references often include:

  • Steve Francis: As the Magic were struggling, Francis called them "the worst team since sliced bread" which induced several "worst [object] since sliced bread" emails.
  • Kenyon Martin: "My kidney! My kidney!" - Said by Martin as a joke during a Nets game, when teammate Alonzo Mourning complained of fatigue. Mourning had returned to the NBA after kidney replacement surgery.
  • Dexter Manley: After his NFL career was over, Manley claimed he was able to graduate college while being functionally illiterate.
  • Al Martin: Martin claimed he played college football and appeared in the Rose Bowl. However, he did not play football at the time his school appeared in the Rose Bowl. Martin also takes some grief for simultaneously having two wives in different parts of the country.
  • Tim Johnson: The former Blue Jays manager told his players stories about his experiences in the Vietnam War, despite not having fought in it.
  • Margot Kidder: On April 23, 1996, Kidder was found incoherent, lying on a woodpile in the back yard of a Glendale home, with her dental plate missing. She was subsequently admitted into a mental hospital.
  • Shawn Kemp: A former NBA power forward for numerous teams, Kemp is notorious for fathering numerous illegitimate children, his weight, and chronic drug problems.
  • Patrick Ewing: "We make a lot of money, but we spend a lot of money." - A famous comment by the former Knicks center during the 1998 NBA lockout, arguing that the players should not make any concessions regarding salary rollbacks.
  • Bill Hunter: "On a scale of one to ten, it's about a 60 or a 65." - A comment Hunter made on the show during an interview regarding the separation between the owners and players of the NHL during the drafting of a new labor agreement between the two.
  • The Chick from Rome's Christmas Party: This is referenced because of an encounter Rome had with an unidentified woman whose desire was to enter the adult entertainment industry. According to Rome, however, untalented entertainers do not strive to be in porn, they "end up in porn."
  • Rome's Sister's Cat: This is referenced because of an accident that Rome's sister had with her pet cat, in which the cat was strangled by its own leash after getting stuck in a tree.
  • Steve Garvey: Garvey, the former MLB player, once said in an interview that he enjoys "pumping chicks."
  • Wade Boggs: References to heavy alcohol consumption, specifically: Boggs' involvement in a lawsuit in 1996 where he was charged with becoming intoxicated and verbally abusing a flight attendant. Other celebrities who have had public problems with alcohol reset on the show include Billy Joel, Oxana Baiul, Al Unser, Jr., and recently Mel Gibson and his anti-Semetic rant (see also "Celebrity Drunk Bus").
  • Darva Conger: References to someone in the media spotlight wanting to be left alone. Conger made a name for herself by appearing in the reality show Who Wants to Marry A Multi-Millionaire, posing in Playboy, and seemingly doing everything she could to not be out of the spotlight. Listeners always finish their emails from her by quoting her line: "I just want my life back."
  • Michael Jackson: Generally referred to as "Wacko Jacko" by e-mailers and by Rome, the pop singer is the victim of constant ridicule on the show. Rome imitates Jackson by using a high-pitched voice and yelling "Macaulayyyyy!!!" Of late, his mocking of Jackson involves the "adult early warning system" (see below).
  • Marcus Allen: Generally referred to when a statement is trivially obvious. Allen's tenure as a studio commentator on The NFL on CBS was marked by utterly obvious, utterly inane analyses.
  • Al Gore: The former V.P. and Presidential candidate is often referenced by emailers stemming from his claims to have invented the Internet. Emailers mock Gore by attributing a long list of inventions to him.
  • O.J. Simpson: Nearly exclusively referred to as "Orenthal" by emailers and Rome, Clones frequently send in emails "signed" by O.J. that allude to his involvement in the 1994 murders of Nicole Brown and Ron Goldman. In one instance, Rome received an email from "Orenthal" prior to the release of the Star Wars prequel The Phantom Menace stating how he was "looking forward to the lightsabers" because he heard that "people disappear when you whack them with one."
  • Bert & Ernie and Marcie & Peppermint Patty - A popular email topic on the show is the questionable sexual orientations of Bert & Ernie from Sesame Street and Marcie & Peppermint Patty from the Peanuts comics. Whenever Bert & Ernie are referenced, Rome rants: "Bert & Ernie are not gay, they are not straight, they are PUPPETS! They do not have a sexual orientation!" As for Peppermint Patty (sometimes called "Peppermint Poundstone" by emailers, alluding to comic Paula Poundstone) & Marcie, Rome comments: "I do not know why Peppermint Patty wears Birkenstocks, why she is dirty, why she wears flannel, and I do not know why Marcie calls her 'sir.' They are CARTOONS!" Lately, when an email references either couple, Rome pretends that he doesn't understand it. The topic has become so popular, emailers have created email addresses related to the topic, such as [email protected] or [email protected].
  • Cheddar Cheese Guy: Rome once did a Lay's potato chip commercial in which he stated that it should be obvious that he is a "cheddar cheese guy" (in reference to the product he was promoting). This has prompted emails from "Feta Cheese Guy", "Mozzarella Cheese Guy" and virtually every other cheese in existence. In response to a newer ad campaign, Rome has announced he is also a McDonald's Premium Chicken Sandwich guy as well.
  • Travis Rodgers' List - According to Rome, Rodgers, the producer and email screener, has a preferential list of topics which increase the chance that an email will be read on-air. Topics include: proper use of the word "unsavory," Bo Diaz, Jewel, Yoko Ono, John Cook, Billy Martin, Rick James, Mama Cass (or the ham sandwich on which she allegedly choked to death), Appalachia, the Coreys, JFK Jr, WWII, Foghorn Leghorn, man-perms, adults who still live in their parents' basement, Billy & Benny McGuire (the fat twins from the Guinness Book of World Records), his neighbor with the hot tub in his front yard, asking Rome about gadgets, cell phones or PDAs, and haikus, to name a few. Rodgers also likes messages from people with clever, Jungle-related email addresses.

Dozens of celebrities and sports figures have had isolated embarrassing episodes or have experienced odd circumstances. Most are forgotten within months, but Rome's emailers have a knack for refreshing everyone's memory. Such references include Jayson Williams, Gene Siskel (and how the "thin guy" died before the "fat guy"), Ted Williams' posthumous condition, John Rocker, Milli Vanilli (specifically the band member who died, as Rome claims to never be sure if it was Milli or Vanilli), Siegfried & Roy (specifically the one mauled in 2003; Rome also claims to never be sure which one of the two it was), Jared From Subway, The Runaway Bride, Matthew Lesko, open-faced roast beef sandwiches, the French yelling "We surrender!", the 2002 MLB All-Star Game tie, the Gators media guide that mistakenly had a photograph of a crocodile on the cover, the Angels name dispute, and Southern California weathermen who go crazy over seemingly routine rainstorms.

Classic soundbites

Rome has a large archive of soundbites from celebrities and regular people who said or did something embarrassing or unusual within range of a microphone, and he loves to mine this archive for on-air ridicule. A clip is usually only played when a take, either from Rome or a caller, makes reference to it. In July 2006, in the wake of the Manual Buzzer take (see below), show engineer Alvin Delloro created a medley called Alvin's Mix, consisting of dozens of classic soundbites used since the show's inception. Alvin continues to add more soundbites to the mix, and as of August 2006, he promulgates it as "Version 2.3" Rome has described Alvin's Mix as sixteen years of radio rolled into three minutes. Regularly-played clips, many of which are represented in the medley, include:

Songs

  • "The Star-Spangled Banner": In 1993, Carl Lewis attempted to sing "The Star-Spangled Banner" before a Nets game. Lewis sang the entire song off-key and at a range too high for his voice. After his voice broke on the word "glare," he stopped and said "Uh oh," then said "I'll make up for it now" near the end of the song. Rome often replays the latter half of the clip, complete with his own commentary throughout, including his famous buzzer at the end. Other forgettable reditions that Rome and e-mailers reset include Steven Tyler (of Aerosmith) at the 2001 Indy 500 and Roseanne Barr at a 1990 Padres game.
  • "Take Me Out to the Ballgame": On a daily basis, the Chicago Cubs invite a famous personality to Wrigley Field to sing the traditional seventh-inning stretch song. Unfortunately, many renditions have been less than spectacular, some of which have gained Jungle notoriety. In 2004, Ozzy Osbourne and his wife Sharon were invited by the Cubs to sing the song. Ozzy can be heard slurring his speech, forgetting the words, mumbling what he thought were the lyrics, and then cheering at the end of the song. On May 24, 2005, NASCAR Nextel Cup driver Jeff Gordon attempted to sing it. Things started off poorly when Gordon told the crowd it was great to be at "Wrigley Stadium," (rather than Wrigley Field) then started to sing - amidst a chorus of boos and jeers from the Cub faithful. Gordon also went on to forget some of the words and finish the song after the crowd had. During a February 7, 2006 telephone interview, Rome felt that Gordon redeemed himself after making light of the subject, when he warned Rome not to do the same thing himself. In yet another botched rendition, former Bears coach Mike Ditka is heard screaming the lyrics.
  • Ashlee Simpson: At the 2005 Orange Bowl halftime show, Simpson sang (off-key) her then-hit song "La La." Rome plays the last lines - "You make me want to, ah, ah, ah, screeeeeeeeam!" - including the boos and jeers clearly audible throughout the stadium after the song was over.
  • John Daly: The champion golfer recorded a country music CD, for which Rome often plays the opening lines of the track "You Don't Know Me (Like I Know Me)" as an example of why athletes should never record an album. That song also led to Steve Elkington's famous "pulling my sausage" comment.
  • Three Day Weekend: On May 6, 2005, Terrence in Sierra Madre's call during the Smack-Off featured a song called "Hey Mr. J-Stew," which he left unfinished. After the Smack-Off, Rome asked the Clones to call in and finish the song, which led to disastrous results. This continued until a Houston-based band named Three Day Weekend sent in a tape of a song about J-Stew named "Mr. Automatic." The song quickly became a hit among the Clones and is occasionally played as the Huge Call of the Day. Rome has called the song one of the top 10 funniest moments in the history of the show.

Idiots

  • Peyton Manning: When the Colts were eliminated from the playoffs after the 2002 season, kicker Mike Vanderjagt gave an interview on Canadian television where he said that he tried to motivate a dejected Manning during the game. After hearing about Vanderjagt's interview, the normally calm and collected Manning let out a scathing rant during the live telecast of the Pro Bowl, calling Vanderjagt an "idiot kicker who got liquored up and ran his mouth off." Rome often comments about Manning saying "idiot" four times during the exchange.
  • Danica Patrick: During a 2005 IRL event at Infineon Raceway, after she was taken out of the race in an accident, she told her crew on the two-way radio (which was picked up on live TV) that the other driver (Ryan Briscoe) was a "stupid idiot." Rome comments on how redundant the phrase "stupid idiot" is, and enjoys playing the soundbite repeatedly (see below).

9-1-1 calls

  • Tonya Harding: Rome often plays a 9-1-1 call made on February 22, 2000 by Harding, in which the former figure skater claimed to have suffered physical abuse at the hands of her boyfriend, Darren Silver, when in fact Harding had struck Silver on the head with a hubcap. In the background, Silver can be heard shouting, "You're a liar! You're a liar! You are a felon, and I have nothing to hide, so come on over, officers!" After playing the clip for the first time, Rome exclaimed sarcastically regarding Harding, "What a delectable flower of femininity," and has since noted that the 9-1-1 operator is curious about Harding's boyfriend's middle name. On occasion, Rome will also reset another figure skating-related incident by playing a clip of Nancy Kerrigan screaming "Whyyyyyyyy???" and crying after she was assulted on January 6, 1994. Calling Kerrigan's screams "creepy," Rome attributes the whole incident to a bumbling crew led by Tonya Harding. Kerrigan's scream was revived again after Mitch Kozad of the University of Northern Colorado's college football team stabbed a teammate to get his punter job in 2006.
  • O.J. Simpson: Among Rome's staple "Orenthal" fodder are several interview tapes and 9-1-1 calls from the former Bills running back. One such call involves Simpson's attempts to get his then-girlfriend to go into rehab, because "she spent all last night doing drugs with Pedro Guerrero."
  • Woman with the crazy kids and the 9-1-1 operator: On April 4, 2005, a woman named Lori called the Watauga, Texas 9-1-1 dispatch explaining that her two teenage daughters were fighting and out of control, and that she needed the police to come over. Operator Mike Forbess responded "OK, do you want us to come over there and shoot her?...[silence]...Are you there?...Uh, that was a joke..." At that point the woman became enraged at his comment and subsequent attempts at apology. Rome plays the clip to ridicule both of them, noting that while Forbess's joke was immature and unprofessional, had the woman displayed the same control and authority against her daughters that she did with Forbess, then there would have been no need to make the call in the first place. On April 24, 2006, after another Clone-prodded reset, Rome dissected the clip and gave detailed analyses of what was funny and pathetic about it, then declared it officially over (due to him being sick of it from overplay).

Soundbites that get run into the ground

  • Some of the shorter soundbites are played over and over again for comedic effect. These include Danica Patrick's "stupid idiot," Mel Gibson's line "Gimme back my son!!!" from the 1996 movie Ransom, "The Laugh," Tommy in Detroit's "walrus," and Ozzie Guillen's "Psshht...please!"
  • Manual Buzzer: During a take about telemarketers, Rome disclosed that if he receives a telemarketing call at his home, he either gives the phone to his son Jake or runs the call by imitating the show's buzzer and hanging up. His "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!", dubbed "the manual buzzer," has since become a very popular soundbite, and the show's original horn buzzer has been replaced with the "manual buzzer" for running calls.
  • Adult Early Warning Detector: After a suggestion from Rome, the "manual buzzer" was combined with the "walrus" in a lengthy loop, which Rome calls Michael Jackson's "adult early warning detector." The soundbite features Rome speaking in his "Jacko" voice and telling Macaulay, among other things, to "get your Underoos on" as the adults are "inside the perimeter" while the "detector" plays in the background. The sound effect was also suggested as a possible cell phone ring tone or car alarm.

Quotes

  • Mike Tyson: A few vicious remarks by the boxer immortalized in sound clips include "I want to eat his children" (speaking of Lennox Lewis, who had no children), "You're a scared coward," and "Look at you scared now...Scared of the real man." Prior to his 1997 fight with Francois Botha, Tyson had a vulgarity-laced interview with Russ Salzberg of UPN-9 where, in response to Salzberg's complaint about his use of profanities, he told the reporter to "turn off your station." Tyson is also ridiculed for a statement he made saying that people would pay money to see him masturbate.
  • Joe Namath: During a 2003 NFL game between the Jets and Patriots, Namath conducted a live interview with ESPN's sideline reporter Suzy Kolber, in which he was noticeably drunk. Asked by Kolber about the team's struggles, Namath leaned towards her and said, in a slurred speech, "I want to kiss you." Rome recently decided to retire the sound clip.
  • Mark Madsen: During a rally celebrating the Lakers 2000 NBA Championship, Madsen took to the microphone, and yelled to the crowd, "Thank you to the greatest fans in the world! Yeah! Who let the dogs out?! And to those who speak Spanish, les agradecemos, y les decimos que el año que viene, lo haremos otra vez!" (translation: "We thank you, and we'll do it again next year!") By the end of his speech, he was yelling so loudly, his words were barely intelligible. Madsen learned Spanish on a Mormon mission to Spain, and consequently pronounces his words like a Spaniard.
  • Bill Parcells: The Cowboys coach made a regrettable comment to members of the media during a mini-camp press conference on June 7, 2004. Speaking of "Jap plays" (i.e. sneak attacks, a crude comparison to Pearl Harbor) Parcells said "Mike (Zimmer) wants the defense to do well, and Sean (Payton), he's going to have a few...no disrespect for the Orientals, but what we call Jap plays. O.K. Surprise things. No disrespect to anyone." Rome will often mention that whenever you hear the phrase 'no disrespect to...,' someone is about to get disrespected.
  • Reggie White: Until the Packers defensive lineman died in 2004, Rome had a clip from White's 1998 speech to the Wisconsin State Legislature, in which he uttered some racially insensitive statements, including, "The Asian is very gifted in creation, creativity and inventions. If you go to Japan or any Asian country, they can turn a television into a watch."
  • Tiger Woods: Woods is the subject of three clips. In 2004, Rome debuted a clip dubbed "Robot Woods," in which Woods utters the phrase "The golf course looks good, my golf swing feels good, I like my chances." In reality, the clip was spliced together from various interviews. Rome uses it to demonstrate Woods' aloofness to the media, suggesting he uses that 'response' for all questions asked of him. Rome also plays a Fuzzy Zoeller clip in which the veteran golfer, when asked about Woods' first Masters victory, responded "The little boy's driving well, he's putting well, he's... uh, he's doing whatever it takes to win. So you know what you do when he gets here, you pat him on the back, say congratulations and tell him not to serve fried chicken, next year. Got it? Or collard greens or whatever the hell he serves." In 2005, a new Woods clip came into circulation, when he made an unfunny quip about being a "Ranger Rick on the golf course," which Rome punctuates with a sting.
  • Mike Piazza: On May 21, 2002, after a New York Post gossip columnist claimed the Mets player was a homosexual, Piazza held a new conference with the sole purpose of debunking the rumor. He stated, to set the record straight, "First off, I'm not gay, I'm heterosexual." Rome ponders what he planned to say 'second off.'
  • NASCAR: Rome has had Alvin piece together a number of his positive comments about NASCAR drivers into one soundbite, which he occasionally plays as his definitive opinion about the franchise. Recently, the soundbite was edited to add "He's not Tony Stewart," as a not-so-subtle jab.

Lies

  • Rafael Palmeiro: On March 17, 2005, Palmeiro testified before a Congressional hearing regarding steroid use among MLB players. During his testimony, he emphatically denied "juicing," saying "I have never used steroids. Period. I don't know how to say it any more clearly than that. Never. The reference to me in Mr. Canseco's book is absolutely false." However, on August 1, 2005, he received a ten-day suspension after testing positive for steroids. Rome enjoys replaying and dissecting Palmeiro's testimony, playing the above quote including "The reference to me in Mr. Canseco's book is absolutely..." then interrupting it with "TRUE!" Rome and the Clones often refer to Palmeiro as "Ratfael Palmeiroid," not only for getting caught "juicing" but for (apparently) perjuring himself before Congress and for later trying to lay blame for his positive test on teammate Miguel Tejada.
  • The Old Guy from "The Roger Penske Organization": In the mid-1990s, when Rome was still critical of NASCAR, an angry elderly NASCAR fan once made a disorganized call to Rome's voicemail, claiming to be a representative for the "Roger Penske Organization" (instead of its real name, Penske Racing). The man threatened to lead a boycott against the show, claiming he was collecting "thousands of signatures" from angry fans because of Rome's "lying and talking about NASCAR, and calling the NASCAR drivers different names that are...uhh...not the names of the drivers." At the end of the call, the man threatened to take the fight "all the way," a vague statement which Rome never understood. The man left no contact information and was never heard from again. His plan, however, backfired as Rome played the message on the air and subjected him to ridicule.

Rants

  • Howard Dean & John L. Smith: Rome often replayed and mocked Dean's infamous January 19, 2004 rally speech following the 2004 Iowa Democratic caucuses, in which an emotional Dean screamed "and then we're going to Washington, D.C. to take back the White House! YEEEAAAAGH!!!" On October 15, 2005, Michigan State head coach John L. Smith had an angry rant at halftime after his coaching staff botched a field goal attempt, which led to an Ohio State touchdown. In the clip, Smith screams to the reporter, "We should have been in the ball game, we're down a field goal! We sent him in...We shouldn't have sent him in. That was a damn coaching mistake. The players are playing their tails off, and the coaches are screwin' it up!" Rome found that it sounded eerily similar to the aforementioned Dean soundbite, and edited them together. They are now always played back as one.
  • Allen Iverson: In an interview after the 76ers were eliminated from the playoffs in the first round in the 2001-02 season, it was revealed that Iverson was known to miss mandatory training sessions. He responded with one of the most infamous examples of the disconnection between athletes and reality. "I mean listen, we talkin' 'bout practice. Not a game, not a game, not a game. We talkin' 'bout practice. Not a game, not a, not a, not the game that I go out there and die for, and play every game like it's my last. Not the game. We talkin' 'bout practice, man. I mean how silly is that? We talkin' bout practice. I know I'm supposed to be there, I know I'm supposed to lead by example. I know that, and I'm not shovin' it aside, you know, like it don't mean anything. I know it's important, I do. I honestly do. But we talkin' 'bout practice, man. What are we talkin' 'bout? Practice?" Rome has called this "the best soundbite ever." Iverson's mother has also made a mark on the show, as the XR4Ti Crew first came about after lampooning a 2002 soundbite from Iverson's mother, in which two other women can be heard behind her repeating everything she says. Rome's favorite quote of the XR4Ti Crew featured Stewart acting like the two women. He said in an exaggerated ebonic tone: "Don't forget Mahk Moda," referring to Mark Mulder's appearance on the show the next day.
  • Pete Gillen: The former Virginia men's basketball coach, when asked about the Duke basketball team, responded, "Certainly, Duke is Duke, they're on TV more than Leave It to Beaver reruns." Rome likes to imitate Gillen's heavy New England accent and cadence, repeating the quote as "Leahve It To Beavuh... reruhns!"
  • Ryan Leaf: In his rookie season, the former Chargers quarterback refused to talk with the media after some rough outings early on. He screamed at one reporter "Don't talk to me, all right? Knock it off!" and it was captured on film and shown countless times on TV.
  • Jim Mora: On November 25, 2001, after a devastating loss to the 49ers, the then-head coach of the Colts engaged in a long rant berating his team for its poor performance. The clip includes such quotes as: "That was a disgraceful performance. We threw that game. We gave them the friggin' game. In my opinion, that sucked. It was pitiful, absolutely pitiful." and "Playoffs? Don't talk about playoffs. Are you kidding me? Playoffs? I'm just hoping we can win a game, another game."
  • Larry Robinson: While coaching the Los Angeles Kings, Robinson spoke out on the increasing incidence of NHL players taking soccer-like dives on minor contact with the intention of drawing penalties, saying, "I don't know what to expect anymore...I'm going to instruct my guys to do exactly this, 'If somebody puts a stick on you, just fall,’ because that's what it has really turned into. All because a bunch of the prima donnas in this freakin' league don't want to get touched. They're whining [because] they can't get their 60 goals... 'I can't get my 60 goals...I can't get my 60 goals.' We have a few fffff...whining little babies in this league who don't want to get touched. That's why they have to resort to this. I'm all in agreement that hooking and holding shouldn't be there, but not to the point that you can't touch anyone any more."
  • Dennis Green: On October 16, 2006, the Arizona Cardinals blew a 20-0 halftime lead on Monday Night Football, and lost to the heavily-favored Chicago Bears. During the post-game press conference, Green exploded, "The Bears are who we thought they were. That’s why we took the damn field. Now, if you want to crown them, then *slams the podium* crown their ass! The Bears are who we thought they were...and we let 'em off the hook!" then stormed out of the room. The following day, Rome proclaimed the soundbite as the rant of the season.

Music and sound effects

As is the case with other radio talk shows, The Jim Rome Show has distinctive bumper music and sound effects integrated into its format. At six minutes after each hour, the show opens with the song "Lust for Life" by Iggy Pop (in the first hour, three rings of a bell, such as those used in boxing matches, precede the song). At the bottom of each hour, the show opens with "Welcome to the Jungle" by Guns N' Roses, referring to the show's nickname. The final segment of the show is opened by the song "Up All Night" by The Boomtown Rats, which was used in Rome's original late night show in San Diego. Other songs used as bumper music for commercial breaks include "Jungle Boogie" by Kool & the Gang, "Righteous" by Eric Johnson, "The Breaks" by Kurtis Blow, "So Whatcha Sayin'?" by EPMD, "Happy?" by Mudvayne, "Got the Life" and "B.B.K." by KoЯn, "Styrofoam" by Fugazi, "American Idiot" by Green Day, "The Rock Show" by blink-182, and "Romeo Delight" by Van Halen. After the Huge Call of the Day is played back, the bell rings three times again, a quick sound drop is played, and "Lust for Life" is played again to close the show. Sound drops used include:

  • "That's whack" - Ex-Lakers head coach Del Harris attempting to say a line from Shaq's rap album.
  • "Ohhh, unbeebable" - A quote by golfer Jumbo Ozaki, when asked about Tiger Woods.
  • "I think what I'm supposed to say is 'thank you, I'm out'" - taken from a call by an elderly lady who surpassed all expectations, delivering an impressive smack-filled call.
  • "Yes! And it counts!" - A trademark call by Marv Albert, which he uses during basketball games.
  • "That's-When-You-Know-What-The-Answer-To-That-Question-Is" - Boxing referee Mills Lane during his Tyson/Holyfield post-fight press conference.
  • "Without the nicks and cuts of a blade" - J-Stew in a Norelco commercial.
  • Denny Neagle imitating a steam whistle.
  • A clip of Rome saying "HU-HU-HU-HU-HUUUUUGE!" (possibly digitally altered to achieve the effect)

Special shows

Smack-off

Main article: Smack-Off

Every spring, Rome holds a "Smack-Off," when previous Smack-off winners and the greatest callers from the previous year (often winners of the Huge Call) are brought back for a full day of smack talk. The winner of the Smack-Off is crowned for an entire year. This show does not follow the normal show format, in that it features neither Rome's takes or interviews.

Year in review

In late December, Rome reserves a few days for a special program called the Year in Review. This was originally a one-day affair but has extended to three days as of 2005. Going month by month, he recounts the good, the bad, and the ugly of the year that was in sports. He also mixes in the best that was in off-beat news. Rome schedules no guests; he also takes far fewer phone calls, preferring e-mail responses.

Tour stops

Main article: Jim Rome Tour Stops

A Tour Stop is a limited access show, often held in an arena or other large venues, and featuring sports-related guests, activities and surprises. A few times throughout the year, Rome will reward a syndication city with a Tour Stop.

Radio row

During Super Bowl week, Rome typically takes the show on the road, and broadcasts live from Radio Row on-location at the game's host city. Since there are many celebrities that peruse Radio Row, Rome's format is slightly changed as a more interview-oriented program, and he is able to conduct many impromptu interviews with passers-by. As a result far fewer calls are taken and fewer emails are read.

Guest hosts

Rome's contract with Premiere Radio Networks stipulates copious paid vacation time. At length he preannounces when he is going to be "in the basement" (on vacation) and for how long. He justifies his frequent absences to the Clones by proclaiming "I take a lot of vacation because I get a lot of vacation." The line alludes to Patrick Ewing's famous comment during the 1998 NBA lockout (see "E-mail references"). To ensure live content on days when Rome is absent, The Jim Rome Show is hosted by a rotating stable of guest hosts, including:

  • Boxing/Olympic analyst Jim Lampley. Rome sometimes resets a rant made by Lampley while guest hosting, ridiculing the "media-driven hype" surrounding the year 2000, and how it was erroneously referred to as the new millennium. Lampley also has been known to blast emailers for poor grammar and overall stupidity.
  • Sportswriter Skip Bayless. When Bayless hosts, the show generally has a recurring theme, as he resets his belief that the Ohio State Buckeyes stole the 2003 BCS Championship, his self-proclaimed addiction to Diet Mountain Dew, and his aforementioned obsession with the volleyball scene in Top Gun. Bayless is an extremely polarizing and unpopular guest host, and will often get into heated arguments with callers, as opposed to Rome who rarely interacts with callers. Many Clones often call him "Skip Clueless". Rome, for his part, has no problem with Bayless and occasionally needles the Clones with the news that Bayless will be guest hosting.
  • Author and columnist John Feinstein, whose passive style represents a true change of the show's pace on days when he guest hosts. Feinstein's appearances are usually dominated by interviews. Feinstein also appears frequently on the show as the subject of a Rome interview.
  • Former ESPN anchor and current NFL Network personality Rich Eisen. Eisen once commented that he had always thought the show's email address was "[email protected]" until he guest-hosted. The actual address is [email protected], but Rome tends to say "haveatake" quickly.
  • Roger Lodge, host of Blind Date. Lodge arranged for show contributor Jason Stewart to appear on the reality show (see Blind Date above). Lodge is also a frequent panel guest on Rome's ESPN program Jim Rome is Burning.
  • Fox Sports Radio personality Andrew Siciliano (from Gametime Live). On May 12, 2006, while Siciliano was guest-hosting, a caller coined the term "teammateship" (referencing Barry Bonds as an example of bad "teammateship"). This highly amused Siciliano, who remarked that the term should be entered on the Wikipedia article about The Jim Rome Show. Shortly thereafter, a caller stated that he had done so, prompting Siciliano to wonder "where these Wikipedia people come from."
  • Pop culturists Randy & Jason Sklar (formerly of the ESPN Classic program Cheap Seats), whose subject matters are rather random.

Former guest hosts of the show include:

  • Fox Sports Radio personality Steve Czaban (no longer guest hosts, although he hosted several days in a row in 2001 when Rome's son Jake was born).
  • Comedian Jay Mohr (nicknamed "Slam man"). Premiere Radio Networks has virtually banned Mohr from further guest-hosting following a controversial 2004 appearance in which Mohr made vulgar references to the recently-deceased Ronald Reagan and toward Muhammad Ali's battle with Parkinson's disease. Listeners and affiliates alike called Premiere to complain about Mohr's comments, and in turn, he was asked to refrain from accepting the offer to guest host the show in the future. Mohr spontaneously called the show on October 11, 2006, with no apparent objection from Rome, to defend the city of Detroit after an insulting e-mail take.

Many callers and emailers have less than favorable opinions about the show's guest hosts, opining that none can compare to Rome himself. On August 21, 2006, after a two-week vacation by Rome, caller Kim in Houston expressed her dissatisfaction to Rome, referring to the substitutes respectively as "Jim Buffoon" (Lampley), "Skip Balloon" (Bayless), and the "Two Bazzoons, the Bizarre Sklar Brothers."

Holidays

On holidays (Christmas, Thanksgiving, Independence Day, Labor Day, etc.), a pre-recorded Best of the Jim Rome Show is aired, hosted by producer Travis Rodgers.

Rome reports

The Jim Rome Show offers a 60-second teaser called The Rome Report for affiliates to air daily. The Rome Report usually offers a brief synopsis of one of Rome's takes from that day's program. The reports serve as commercials for the program, and are often broadcast by affiliates during a 6 p.m. news break.

Future of the show

Since its inception, The Jim Rome Show has always been offered on terrestrial radio, and has not been offered on satellite radio. The show is, however, offered on Podcast through the official web site. On May 6, 2003, Rome made a return to TV with Rome is Burning (later Jim Rome is Burning) on ESPN, and occasionally hinted about switching the radio program to satellite, or abandoning the radio program altogether, in favor of television full-time.

Rome is often quite vocal about his frequent displeasures with affiliates, specifically those who do not carry the entire three hours, air the show on tape delay, or frequently pre-empt the broadcast. Rome has openly admitted that he is intrigued by the idea of satellite radio and broadcasting the program free of affiliates' interference. However, he is also aware of some listeners' problems with paying for satellite radio, and has received numerous phone calls and e-mails from terrestrial radio listeners who have said that the humor of the show has brought them through difficult times or keeps them entertained at work.

On April 27, 2006, Rome stated that he will keep the radio program going, but initially made no commitment to satellite or terrestrial. During the program on July 11, 2006, Rome announced that he signed a multi-year deal wih Premiere Radio Networks to keep the show on terrestrial radio. In addition, he stated that the show may be simulcast on satellite radio in the future.

See also

References

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