Talk:Steve Somers

Merge into WFAN

The information in that section would be perfect for the station's article. It is not particualarly about Somers. Some of it can stay here also. TrafficBenBoy 20:08, 14 November 2005 (UTC)

Jay/Gustav/Chester?

i think bruce from bayside or roger from new haven should have entries before this clown. Riphamilton 04:45, 24 December 2005 (UTC)

Regarding Jerome from Manhattan, I heard him call in to Mike and the Maddog about a week ago (today is 10/19/06), and discuss next year's Yankee lineup. He was somewhat subdued, for Jerome, perhaps because of his health problems. It was good to hear him anyway.

Also, regarding Doris from Rego Park (Doris Bauer), does anyone know enough about her to write a separate bio for her in Wikipedia? She deserves her own entry.—Preceding unsigned comment added by Bluebela (talk • contribs)

Doris from Rego Park

Why does this article go out of its way to trash Doris from Rego Park? That whole section should be deleted and simply state her illness, that she would call in everynight to recap the Mets game and that she was adored by the WFAN listeners. 68.161.175.196 12:16, 5 February 2007 (UTC)AR

Removed

The following is not sourced. Please source before including it in the article.

Television beckoned and Steve joined CBS affiliate KPIX-TV as a weekend sports anchor in 1970, where he won a San Francisco Press Club Award. Steve then moved on to KOVR-TV in Sacramento as the full time on air sports anchor as well as serving as Sports Director.

Next up for Steve was ABC-TV affiliate WXIA in Atlanta as Sports Director. While in Atlanta, he won a local Emmy for a half hour documentary on Ted Turner’s victory in the 1977 America’s Cup.

Steve headed back west to Los Angeles’ KNBC-TV in 1979. While serving as both a television sports reporter during the week and a sports anchor on the weekend, Steve also ventured back in to radio, hosting his own sports talk show on KMPC.

Steve has become a popular fixture on WFAN and has been the recipient of lots of press coverage and critical acclaim. In the 90’s, Steve was featured as part of a story on Late Night New York on the Television news program 48 Hours. He has also been profiled on MTV News and was named one of New York’s “77 Essential New Yorkers” by Time Out New York.

Somers is known as The Schmoozer because of his early years on WFAN. He used to be on the all-night show in those years, and he used to refer to the fact that the callers and he were "schmoozing" under the covers (since it was so late at night). "Schmooze" is a Yiddish expression that means to talk casually.

For several years during his stint as overnight host, Somers used the recorded opening of the classic 1930s -1950s Captain Midnight radio show introduction as his own. The intro would begin with the classic, "Captainnnn Midnight," and end with "you'll never want to miss a single broadcast of Captain Midnight, and you'll want all your friends to enjoy it too." Somers subsequently began to be occasionally known as "Captain Midnight" because of this.

Somers has a smooth voice, quick wit, compassionate demeanor, and employs slick wordplay. A unique aspect of Steve's character is that he very rarely will use an abbreviation of a word or phrase (he will always say every digit in WFAN's phone number, and he always refers to the New York Mets as the Metropolitans, and the New York Knicks as the Knickerbockers). Somers is an avid fan of the New York Rangers and jokingly refers to the arch-rivals New York Islanders' home, the Nassau Coliseum, as the Nassau Mausoleum, while also calling the Islanders the "Icelanders." He also talks about how Islanders fans will "drive their tractors to the game". He sarcastically calls the controversial general manager of the New York Rangers, Glen Sather, "Glen the Savior" in reference to the once-heralded coach/GM's inability to produce a winning team. As an unapologetic Mets fan, Steve sometimes makes jabs at the rival New York Yankee; for example, Somers refers to admitted steroid user Jason Giambi as "The Sultan of Shot. and Alex Rodriguez as "The Lightning Rod" rather than his traditional nickname "A-Rod." Other nicknames for Yankee players include "Johnny Angel" for Johnny Damon, and "Captain Cologne", referring to Derek Jeter's cologne: "Driven."

Referring to Barry Bonds of the San Francisco Giants, he calls him "Barroid" Bonds. For the Sacramento Kings, he refers to them as the "Kings of Sacratomato." He also refers to the Los Angeles Lakers as the "Hollywood Fakers." He also refers to the New England Patriots' Tom Brady and Bill Belichick as "Shady Brady" and the "Hooded Hoodlum", respectively.

Another gimmick that Somers uses involves quietly engaging a caller (often an Islanders fan) in small talk until he builds up excitement ("something like this-!") and proceeds to play a radio highlight that leaves the caller steaming and the audience laughing. An often-used example is Stephane Matteau's winning goal in the 1994 Eastern Conference Finals.

Yet another gimmick Somers utilizes is his creation of the "Fearless Forecaster." Speaking in the third person, Somers explains the predictions that the "Fearless Forecaster" has made.

Somers has several other "common phrases," including leading into WFAN's 20/20 updates by saying very fast "you get a flash, a twenty-twenty update, the whole thing, with <NAME OF 20/20 HOST>." He crescendos to the name, then the update sound immediately starts.

Somers is not only famous for his sign-on on every show (see below)- "Good evening to you, and how ye be? Steve Somers here, and you there." He then goes into a monologue about recent happenings in the world of sports. His monologue is usually several minutes long and is filled with puns and jokes on many different levels, from obvious to subtle. It may also include audio highlights that he and the producer have selected. Somers' sign-on is frequently used by ESPN anchor Steve Berthiaume by saying, "[Player 1] here, [Player 2] there" when commenting on a good play in SportsCenter.

SERSeanCrane (talk) 06:27, 25 January 2009 (UTC)