Radio Review: The Jim Rome Show

If you're not listening to the Jim Rome show on the radio between noon and 3 p.m. Eastern, you're really missing out. Rome has perfected the radio sports talk format, and he is even adept at interviewing actors and rock stars.

Rome first came to national prominence in the early days of ESPN2 as the host of the "talk2" show. He separated himself from the other talking heads with his unique lingo. "Don't tank," he would say, urging viewers not to leave during the break. Rival players would "talk smack" to each other before games.

Rome got into some hot water when he insulted L.A. Rams quarterback Jim Everett. Rome called the quarterback "Chris" (as in female tennis star Chris Evert). Everett got up and dumped Rome out of his chair. Admittedly, Rome had it coming.

As the years have gone by, Rome has dialed down the attitude a little bit, in favor of a more professional approach. When you listen to Rome's radio show (nicknamed "The Jungle"), you can tell he takes his job very seriously. Rome doesn't throw a bunch of facts and figures at you, but he can interview just about anyone and let his subject educate the audience.

Most sports-talk hosts will deliver an opening monologue before fielding hours of calls from fans griping about their favorite teams. Rome can talk for an hour and a half without taking a call because he has good takes (opinions on a subject). If the calls start to get bad, he will stop taking them and continue on his own.

New listeners to the jungle are sometimes stumped by Rome's lingo, which is constantly parroted by his callers (who are appropriately called The Clones). Here is quick guide to some terms used on the show.

City Names: C-Town (Cleveland), The D (Detroit), Big D (Dallas), H-town (Houston), The Nati (Cincinnati), NoCal (Northern California), SoCal (Southern California), Crapchester (Rochester, N.Y.)

Gloss - A nickname, as in, Chad Johnson has glossed himself as "85" or "Ocho Cinco"

Sled - A car.

Tongue - Rome will sometimes give himself a tongue (sounds like he's actually licking the microphone) when he does something especially well. For example, a recent e-mailer said "Give yourself a tongue for that great interview with Dontrelle Willis."

Tour Stop - A live event where Rome shows up in a town to say hello to his listeners and interview local sports figures. Usually there are four per year. Tickets are free but you must go to a "ticket drop" event to pick them up.

War (Blank) - An expression of hope or support, taken from Auburn University's motto "War Eagle." For example, I might end my call or e-mail with "War The Cavaliers making the NBA Finals."

At the end of each show, Rome will replay his best call as the "Huge Call of the Day." The winner usually gets nothing. The "Huge E-mail of the Day" often has no winner, since Rome will sometimes deem all of the finalists unworthy. Rome doesn't take the contributions of the clones too seriously.

In addition to its own language, the Jungle has its own cast of characters. The regular callers have made names for themselves with their distinctive styles. Some of these characters include:

Silk - He plays the character of a homeless, can-collecting California beach bum. However, he is a long time caller with a lot of sports knowledge.

Rachel in Houston - She is a strong caller with a deep voice, and she doesn't back down from the insults of other callers. These insults usually involve simply calling her Robert, Richard, Randy or Ralph.

Otis in Austin - This caller touts his local Texas teams in his big cowboy voice. He often ends his calls by playing twangy music in the background.

Jeff in Richmond - This is the caller everyone loves to hate. He will call in to pump up the teams in "the commonwealth of Virginia" while bragging about his Armani suits and luxury sled. If you think he's acting like a pro wrestler, you're exactly right - he loves to borrow wrestling catchphrases. Some clones love Jeff's pompous monologues, while others immediately flood Rome's inbox with e-mails with the subject: "Noooooooooo!!"

Every spring, these and other callers do battle in the Smackoff, a contest to see who is the best caller in the Jungle. Rome invites his favorite callers, and past winners have lifetime exemptions to get into the mix. Sean the Cablinasian is a multiple Smackoff winner. He often calls the show once a year and still wins the big prize.

If you want a true taste of the show, listen for two or three weeks. Don't get discouraged if you can't understand everything. Then, listen during the week leading up to the Super Bowl. That is a true showcase of Rome's talent. He spends the entire show interviewing whichever athlete or celebrity happens to pass by his booth. Not many sportscasters can conduct one interview with little or no preparation, but Rome can do 12 in one afternoon. Give the show a try, and you'll be hooked.