"Morning Show"

 

c. 2022 Rod Ice

All rights reserved

(11-22)

 

Up early, shaking off whiskey dreams

Hints of Old Crow and Jim Beam

Coffee perking on the countertop sounds like a burst of fun-sized thunderclaps

I punch up 92.3 on the Audacy app

Peering through the fog of night into a new day awakening

A book opened at the beginning

The gist of a discussion, as yet unsaid

Debating points that linger in my head

Browns woes

Twitter tweets and listener’s poll votes

Guardians and Cavs with the hope of future conquest

Mary Kay Cabot, Daryl Ruiter, and a roster of notable guests

Zac Jackson, Bob Costas, Trey Wingo

Sometimes NASCAR but never rest-home bingo

I go deep in that mix of interesting insights

Of ball-busting and bragging rights

Say ‘Congratulations on all your success!’

Every hour is a catalog of sports scores and teasers from the local press

As my head clears from the night before

All these things await, and more!

References to Cleveland Magazine

And highlights of personal workout routines

Around the AFC North gets out-of-town talkers in a twist

Pittsburgh pundits chuffing like a locomotive, when they get pissed

Insults hurled

Logo banners unfurled

Bernie Kosar still reigns as our patron saint on the Cuyahoga River

At least until we find a new-age prophet that can deliver

LeBron moved on to the west coast

But left a reason for us to boast

A championship cocktail for a city, too long dry

That moment of victory brought a tear to my eye

O-State versus U of M

Sometimes a cause for verbal scrimmages that divide close friends

Dad bods carelessly stuffed into athletic shirts

Once, even the venerable Mr. Lahey, John Dunsworth

Though that unexpected delight

Aired on the old show, late at night

Whether you partake of the prognostication, or not

Every episode is Coming in Hot

A finger over the dump button, pre-posed to act

Two-Second Trivia tryouts, truncated by the facts

An internet search for vintage clues

Maybe a sneakerhead’s spin on the value of game-worn shoes

Andy Roth on radio patrol

Ken and Anthony jonesing for a hometown Super Bowl

Fans on the Northcoast have endured the Shot, Fumble, and Drive

Yet still keep hope alive

With a single digit raised, to signify defiance of the great

Against the Yankees and Steelers and Golden State

And dirty crows in the skies

That swooped in from Baltimore, to steal our beloved franchise

We’ve traveled metaphorically far in this camp on America’s northern edge

But never hesitate to recite the pledge

Blue-collar brews raised in a toast to the town

Like bowling pins scattered

Every ring has mattered

From a layover at League Park, to a Ten-Cent Beer Night soaker

From the genius of Paul Brown, to the chaos of NFL brokers

Moving teams like pieces on chessboard squares

Helmets redesigned with modernist flair

All these topics of conversation for the broadcast team

Provide the soundtrack for morning, as I mainline caffeine

And if I find that the show has too quickly passed

There is the Carman and Lima podcast

The emerging scene

Callers decked on the computer screen

Opinions voiced freely

Like a fantasy fracas between Fred Rogers and Mr. McFeely

Or Ken in the role of Ralph Kramden, driving the municipal bus past streetlamps

With Anthony channeling Ed Norton, reimagined as a debate champ

A crisp delivery made, every day and more

A production worthy of industry awards

Gritty and sharp

Honest views offered from the heart

Stirred up in a rocks glass with a touch of spritz

And an upbeat mood of playground kids

Who grew older but no less intense

Than those rabble-rousing youngsters out by the ballpark fence

Watching their heroes compete

Before playing ball in the street

That vibe and vantage point has endured

To keep the program ratings critically assured

Strong is the crowing of a rooster on the hill

But my squawk-box is louder, still

Jumping off the table

When I am able

To dial up 92.3 on the wireless band

Shaking off the residue of slumber-sand

My head bows, as I behold the rising sun

A peaceful beginning to whatever this way comes

Voices compete to be heard

Trading quick takes and trending words

These audio-mated friends I count as my own

Streaming smartly, from the cellphone

 

(For Ken Carman and Anthony Lima of 92.3 The Fan radio in Cleveland.)