The White Falcon - 05.11.1993, Blaðsíða 8

base sports
Ring side^with the comlnentators
“Sports is riot brain surgery . It’ s
not worth getting worked-i tpo vet »
— Pat Malone of Sports Tall:.
He’s known as the Master of Miscellane-
ous. Some think of him as a walking encyclo-
pedia of sports trivia. Whatever label you
place on him, the fact remains, Pat Malone,
from the radio show Sports Talk, has capti-
vated the Keflavik community with his in-
credible knowledge of sports. However, the
“Malone Era” is coming to an end at Naval
Air Station Keflavik. Today’s airing of Sports
Talk will be Malone’s last as he prepares to
transfer to the states on Saturday’s Rotator.
His departure marks another turning point in
the evolution of Sports Talk.
Malone, along with co-hosts Jerry Knack
and formerly “Sid Stone” (Patrick Reymann)
came together last February after Sports Talk
had been in existence for just four months.
According to Malone, the trio worked ex-
tremely well together. “The chemistry with
the three of us was there from the very first
show,” recalled Malone. “When Sid trans-
ferred three months ago, we lost a big humor
factor in our makeup. He was able to bring
balance to the hard-core sports fanatic who
called... The sad part is everybody has to PCS
(Permanent Change of Station).”
Sadly for many, it is now Malone’s turn to
PCS. He leaves just as show personnel be-
lieve they have found a suitable replacement
Malone makes his point during a recent Sports Talk.
In the studio with Sports Talk commentators
for the lighthearted nature Stone lent to the
show. (Max Scott has auditioned for the spot
and will join the team once he returns from a
temporary duty assignment away from Ice-
land.)
Knack admits it will be impossible to re-
place what Malone brought to the show.
“Nobody can fill Pat’s shoes,” said Knack.
“He could spew information that boggled the
mind. Besides having the most obscure infor-
mation readily available at his fingertips, he
was directly responsible for setting up inter-
views with sports celebrities. The interviews
brought professional perspectives and pro-
vided an avenue of information and
insight that wasn’t normally avail-
able. The audience really antici-
pated the show if they knew who
was going to be interviewed.”
According to Knack, the com-
mentators for Sports Talk are just
regular people talking about sports,
but the connections Malone had
with sports professionals made the
difference. “The interviews lent
credibility to the show,” added
Knack.
Malone said there is a good
chance he’ll continue to set up inter-
views for the show when he gets
stationed in Washington, D. C.
Setting up the interviews from Ice-
land often required long telephone
calls to the states. Malone bore the
expense for those calls, saying it
Story and photos by
J02 Carlos Bongioanni
(L to R) Scott, Malone, Kinney and Knack
> it ha^^^
miss^j^^F
was his contribution to the base and show.
Once in Washington, it will be easier for
Malone to make those connections. “People’s
lives often revolve around sports, so it hai
been a joy doing this every week and
about what is important to people. I’ll
when I leave,” said Malone.
So, what will happen to Sports Talk after
Malone leaves? “I think the show’s popular-
ity will continue to grow,” said Malone. “The
show is not us. We just facilitate it The
chemistry will change, but the show will
develop more consistency as it stays on the
air longer.”
For the past six weeks, Michelle Kinney
added a new dimension to the show, being its
first woman commentator. However, she is
also scheduled to PCS next week. Her short-
lived presence, though, has sparked an idea.
“We’re now considering bringing a husband
and wife team onto the show,” noted Knack.
“The female factor has been a good touch to
the show.”
As for Malone, when he gets back to the
states, he’ll have his work cut out for him. He
and an associate are trying to finish writing a
book which Malone says is the first of its
kind. Smith and Malone’s 1994 Pro Foot-
ball Directory will be a conglomeration of
information that is useful for the sports fan.
Of course, Malone’s first week of leave in
the states will be consumed by nothing less
than a full agenda of live sporting events as
tries to take in as much sports as he can han
before going back to work.
ess^^
8
The White Falcon