I like to say that much of Chicago media is still living in the past. And why not? Everything was better then.<\/p>\n
Despite smaller audiences across the board and newer means for news consumption, our TV and radio broadcasters are still important. They\u2019re recognizable and influential. We make them part of our viewing and listening habits.<\/p>\n
So when a radio station fires its longest-tenured host and a TV anchor switches networks, we notice. And that\u2019s especially true in sports media.<\/p>\n
Those two happenings in the last 12 months shook up my annual Chicago sports-media power rankings, which are in their sixth \u2013 SIXTH! \u2013 year. I can\u2019t believe it, either.<\/p>\n
I ranked the market\u2019s talent exclusively on TV, radio and podcasts based on appeal, quality, longevity and personal preference. Well over 100 people were considered, and the top 20 follow, with last year\u2019s rank in parentheses. I also list five up-and-comers.<\/p>\n
1. Jon Sciambi (3):<\/b> The Cubs\u2019 TV voice on Marquee Sports Network said he joined the club\u2019s booth in 2021 because he wanted to be \u201cwhere baseball matters.\u201d It took a few years, but baseball matters again on the North Side, and \u201cBoog\u201d has met the moment. Last season was his best with the Cubs. He and analyst Jim Deshaies are a perfect match, and their banter with reporter Taylor McGregor is fun. Sciambi also rose to the occasion calling the greatest World Series ever for ESPN Radio.<\/p>\n
2. Adam Amin (1):<\/b> He can take a breath after flying all over the country calling the NFL for Fox and the Bulls for Chicago Sports Network. His NFL work has earned national acclaim, and he reached another level by having to quickly adapt to Drew Brees after Mark Sanchez\u2019s departure. Amin\u2019s exciting calls and thorough preparation make for outstanding broadcasts.<\/p>\n
3. Pat Hughes (2):<\/b> What more can be said about the Baseball and Cubs Hall of Famer that hasn\u2019t been said? He\u2019s the soundtrack to Cubs fans\u2019 summer, providing exceptional detail, humor and knowledge on The Score\u2019s broadcasts. He and Ron Coomer are a delight.<\/p>\n
4.<\/b> David Kaplan (6):<\/b> Kap, our inaugural No. 1 broadcaster in 2021, has worked his way back up the rankings with his and Ryan McGuffey\u2019s YouTube channel, \u201cThe REKAP,\u201d which is just shy of a quarter of a million subscribers. He continues to entertain on ESPN 1000\u2019s morning show.<\/p>\n
5. Marc Silverman (4):<\/b> After holding Matt Eberflus\u2019 feet to the fire, Silvy is bowing before Ben Johnson\u2019s feet. But his evisceration of Chuck Swirsky, who criticized Johnson for his \u201cF— the Packers\u201d remark, went too far. Silvy could\u2019ve ripped him without making it personal.<\/p>\n
6. Ozzie Guillen (7):<\/b> He\u2019s among the best local studio analysts in the country. Guillen calls it as he sees it. His criticism can be biting or hilarious \u2013 or both. The leeway he\u2019s granted on Jerry Reinsdorf\u2019s network is stunning. Rip the chairman all you want, but he lets Guillen gab.<\/p>\n
7. Steve Stone (10):<\/b> He\u2019s among the best local game analysts in the country. Stone is still sharp and prescient, and he\u2019s still teaching the game to all you youngsters out there. He gets bonus points for putting up with play-by-play voice John Schriffen the last two years.<\/p>\n
8. Chuck Garfien (14):<\/b> He\u2019s among the best local studio hosts in the country. When he says at the start of a postgame show, \u201cWe have a lot to get to tonight,\u201d he\u2019s not blowing smoke. No one works harder at producing content. He gives Sox fans everything they could want.<\/p>\n
9. Leila Rahimi (16):<\/b> Rahimi shoots back up the rankings as the host of The Score\u2019s midday show \u2013 and by far the best of the three-person crew. She\u2019s more prepared, sharper and tougher than her partners. She\u2019s not afraid to push back on opinions. That\u2019s what sports radio is all about.<\/p>\n
10. Lou Canellis (NR):<\/b> In the biggest move by a Chicago sports anchor since Mark Giangreco left NBC 5 for ABC 7 in 1994, Canellis left Fox 32 for NBC 5 this week and will debut Sunday. Who says sports anchors don\u2019t matter anymore?<\/p>\n
11. Taylor McGregor (17):<\/b> The Cubs\u2019 field reporter has raised her national profile as an ESPN sideline reporter on some big college football games.<\/p>\n
12. Stacey King (13):<\/b> He breaks down the game and cracks me up. I used to watch \u201cSanford and Son,\u201d so his Redd Foxx impersonation makes me smile.<\/p>\n
13. Tom Waddle (12):<\/b> He\u2019s proof that a former Bear can succeed in media without having played for the 1985 team. He also appears on Marquee and \u201cThe REKAP.\u201d<\/p>\n
14. Dan Bernstein (5):<\/b> After being fired by The Score in March, he has resurfaced hosting a podcast with Matt Abbatacola. It\u2019s great to hear them together again.<\/p>\n
15. Laurence Holmes (8):<\/b> He\u2019s still doing fine work, but his \u201cHouse of L\u201d podcast hasn\u2019t delivered what he initially hoped. It has shifted from being guest-centric to Holmes-centric.<\/p>\n
16. Jonathan Hood (NR):<\/b> I\u2019ve underrated Hoodie for too long. He and Kaplan make a great team on ESPN 1000, and he\u2019s finally calling winning basketball at UIC.<\/p>\n
17. Cassie Carlson (NR):<\/b> There will be competition to replace Canellis at Fox, but Carlson has to be the leader in the clubhouse. She earned it.<\/p>\n
18. Dionne Miller (9):<\/b> She\u2019s now the only woman in town with regular TV and radio gigs as an ABC 7 anchor and ESPN 1000 co-host with Peggy Kusinski.<\/p>\n
19. Darren Pang (19):<\/b> The Blackhawks TV analyst brings excitement to games that are finally exciting again, and he maintains a national profile with TNT.<\/p>\n
20. Dave Wannstedt (NR):<\/b> Outside of Mike Ditka, he\u2019s the most prominent former Bears coach, having appeared on Big Ten Network, Marquee, NBC 5 and The Score.<\/p>\n
Dropping out:<\/b> Jason Goff (11), Zach Zaidman (15), Adam Hoge (18), Herb Howard (20).<\/p>\n
Up and comers<\/p>\n
Alex Cohen:<\/b> Cubs fans have taken to him quickly as Jon Sciambi\u2019s backup on Marquee.<\/p>\n
Kylen Mills:<\/b> She filled in on a Bulls broadcast Jan. 3 and sounded like she\u2019d been there all along.<\/p>\n
Shea Norling:<\/b> The ESPN 1000 morning show producer has an enjoyable gruffness to him.<\/p>\n
Pat The Designer:<\/b> He brings energy and opinions to his appearances on ESPN 1000, Fox 32, etc.<\/p>\n
Cam Smith:<\/b> He\u2019s doing great as the first-year host of Bulls studio shows on CHSN.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"I like to say that much of Chicago media is still living in the past. And why not?…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":552322,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5124],"tags":[960,5386,1818],"class_list":{"0":"post-552321","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-chicago","8":"tag-chicago","9":"tag-il","10":"tag-illinois"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/115980231171035357","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/552321","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=552321"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/552321\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/552322"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=552321"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=552321"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=552321"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}