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Vic Jacobs

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Victor Jacobs (born December 12, 1952), also known as Vic "The Brick" Jacobs, is an American radio and television sportscaster. He is best known as a current member of the Los Angeles AM Radio program The Loose Cannons, a sports radio talk show on KLAC (570 AM). On January 21, 2009, KLAC changed its format by firing both Vic Jacobs and Mychal Thompson from The Loose Cannons. The change to Cannons has caused frustration and annoyance from the radio show's many loyal listeners. Despite a number of complaints to the change, along with articles by various Los Angeles sportswriters, the radio station has refused to bring Cannons back to the air.

Since the merging of Fox Sports Radio and KLAC-AM in late January, Vic the Brick has joined Steve Hartman from KLAC and Chris Myers from Fox Sports Radio as the anchor for the Fox Sports News report, and often chimes in on LA sports stories, such as the Manny Ramirez contract talks.[1] He frequently writes haiku poems to read on-air.

Early years

Jacobs grew up on the streets of Queens, New York. He is a graduate of Cornell University, and got his start in broadcasting in Guam, back in 1979. Jacobs also had other sports broadcasting stints, working at KTTV (now KXAN-TV), in Austin, Texas, KMPH-TV in Fresno, California[2], and radio and television outlets in Phoenix, Arizona. In 1988, Jacobs arrived in Los Angeles and at KCOP-TV, where he was the station's sports Anchor. It was starting there that Jacobs' eccentric personality came to light, and was most remembered for throwing a foam brick at the camera, for anything that he disagreed with.[2] However, the "Brick" was used on his Austin, Texas sportscasts as far back as the mid-1980's. During that time, antics also included bringing a pig into the studio to publicize the University of Texas/University of Arkansas rivalry, and wearing of mascot hats of Longhorn rivals for the same reason. He signed off his Austin broadcast segment by shaking his finger and announcing, "From the nation's capitol!". Jacobs also used the phrase "You see the brick? You got the brick!" as he threw it at the TV cameras during his "Austin days". Jacobs also provided sports reports to the Rick Dees' radio program on Los Angeles' KIIS-FM in the early 1990s. Jacobs also used the phrase "You see the brick? Eat It!" on the radio. Jacobs began to approach sports reporting in a very unorthodox manner, accounting for his curious appeal and derision.

The stint at KIIS led Jacobs to help launch the new sports-talk format at KIIS's AM sister station, the newly-renamed KXTA (1150 AM, now KTLK). The new station was based on the popular XTRA Sports 690 in San Diego, a sister station then-owned by Jacor Communications (now part of Clear Channel Communications). On March 10, 1997, Jacobs was first voice heard on the new XTRA Sports 1150, as a solo host of a midday program. Later on, he was teamed with NBA superstar and future Hall of Famer Karl Malone and NFL Hall of Famer Terry Bradshaw in hosting duties.

The Loose Cannons/Eccentric personality

Currently, Jacobs appears on the sports radio talk show The Loose Cannons which is broadcast weekday afternoons, with co-hosts Steve Hartman and former Los Angeles Laker and current team radio broadcaster Mychal Thompson. Initially, Jacobs just did updates and occasionally chimed in on certain topics, before becoming a more regular part of the show. It has been rumored that Jacobs would never leave the studio and simply forced himself onto the Loose Cannons broadcast team. He can also frequently be heard throughout the morning and until the end of the daily Cannons show during commercial breaks on the station providing sports updates.

Jacobs is often mocked by fellow radio personalities and audience members because of his odd personality quirks. He has known to have an enormous collection of hats (a lot of them fur) that he wears on the air along with other fur articles of clothing he can be seen wearing at Laker home games. He wears his hair long and usually out or in a ponytail. According to Jacobs, his hair growth comes from a bet he made with Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant. According to Jacobs, the bet states that Jacobs will cut his hair when Bryant retires from basketball as a member of the Lakers. He also has a large walrus mustache and muttonchops.

Feeling You!

Jacobs been credited[citation needed] for two popular local Los Angeles catch phrases, of which the most frequently used is Feeling You! (which can also be heard repeatedly by the myriad audience members who call into the show). Feeling You! is meant to represent Jacobs' allegiance with the fans of the city of Los Angeles, mainly ones of the Lakers, Los Angeles Dodgers and the UCLA Bruins. KLAC is the radio flagship home of the Lakers and Bruins, the former Los Angeles radio outlet for Raiders games, and during the KXTA incarnation, was the radio home of the Dodgers.

Feeling You! is the most popular phrase Jacobs brings to sports radio. This can probably be attributed to the aforementioned fact that Jacobs grew up in Queens, New York City and brings that kind of east coast flavor and attitude to broadcasting. Jacobs constantly stresses coming out of the darkness into the light, to quote another catch phrases he uses on air to describe an athlete or a caller, or sports news in general. He also frequently waxes moronic on The Loose Cannons as well, with an urban style and delivery. He concludes each Loose Cannons broadcast with a freeform poetry recitation.

Bamboo use

In 2008, Jacobs began to add a new facet to his warrior philosophy by bringing stalks of bamboo to Laker games. It was his contention that the Laker players, like the bamboo, needed to learn how to, "bend, not break" in their efforts to win the NBA Championship. In the fall of 2008, Jacobs expended the use of the bamboo to the UCLA football team. The Bruins' new head coach, Rick Neuheisel, not only embraced Jacobs as an unofficial mascot, but also imparted the wisdom behind the bamboo to his players. Despite his efforts, finished the 2008 season with a record of 4-8, losing to USC by a score of 28-7 in the season finale. This was the third consecutive time the bamboo has been ineffective. The first was given to Phil Jackson before the Lakers were crushed by the Boston Celtics in the 2008 NBA finals. The second time the bamboo was put in an empty locker Laker locker room before a game with the Detroit Pistons. The Lakers were previously undefeated until that night. Despite a record of 0-3 Jacobs still insists that it is good luck.

Los Angeles billboards

In an attempt to draw listeners to Jacobs, KLAC AM 570 began a major advertising campaign of the station during the summer of 2006. It included Jacobs beaming out from large billboards plastered all over Los Angeles, appearing to weave a spell of some sort, and the words "Feelin' you!" screaming out from behind him. Jacobs demanded that Hartman and Thompson were used and featured in the promotion. He stated that Feelin' You! is the mantra of the show, and fans of The Loose Cannons, Thompson and Hartman should be given just as much credit or publicity. To his dismay Thompson and Hartman were left out.[citation needed].

Personal Life

  • He is of Hungarian Jewish descent.
  • He is a musician in a rock & roll soul band, "MWA".

References

  1. ^ http://msn.foxsports.com/radio/radioShow?showId=4
  2. ^ a b Taaffe, W. (8/3/87). "Flipped out in Fresno". Sports Illustrated. 67 (5): 65. ISSN 0038-822X. {{cite journal}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
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