Nigel Is My Co-Worker
I figured D.C. DCRTV would eventually post this news, but he keeps not doing it (and I don't count the Mailbag), so I gave up and called Nigel to ask him about the news. In fact, the only place on the Web I found the news definitively stated was This Website Stinks, the only site I know of that maintains a Tony Kornheiser message board.
And no, I'm not doing this at the behest of WTWP, the Washington Post or Don Graham, although if they want to slip a little something extra my way I wouldn't complain.
Anyhow, yeah, Marc Sterne, aka Nigel, aka Sterno, aka the undisputed choice as D.C.'s Funniest Sports Celebrity, is joining WTWP. His last day on the Brian Mitchell Show was Friday, live from the Auto Show. Saturday morning, there was no "Baseball Roundup." Sterno will resurface at WTWP as Nigel, who might not be the star of Tony's show but sure sounds funnier than anyone else when he says things like bloody hell.
In honor of the occasion, let's flash back to Sterno's youth, in which he watched war movies, especially the collected works of Errol Flynn, and began picking up various accents: Russian, Spanish, French and [dramatic music] Brit. Plus he liked Monty Python. Fast forward past all the stuff I didn't ask him about. One day on the Kornheiser radio program about two years ago, a news story surfaces about a lion in Africa that engaged in a steel cage match of sorts against 40 midgets. The lion won, convincingly. Although the story turned out to be what we in the biz call "blatant, fabricated lies."
So Sterno and Gary Braun (from Braun Film & Video, and he can tip me too) posit that the story resulted from a bar bet between British chaps, as in "Right, now, 40 midgets would kick the crap out of a lion any time" [said in a Graham Chapman-ish manner], and Tony found this hysterical, and Sterno and Gary did an on-air bit in character, and upon completion of that segment Tony looked at Sterno and informed him that he would henceforth speak only in his Brit voice, and thus, Nigel was born.
And of course, Nigel began doing radio spots, and co-workers regularly asked him to "do a quick Nigel for us," and random people he'd meet in bars would want to hear Nigel's voice, and he became sort of a traveling sideshow.
"It was, like, every single day," Sterno just told me. "At some point I felt like Sulu from Star Trek; like, I'm good at all these other things, but I'm only known for this. Well, George Takei made a lot of money out of playing Sulu. If you find something people love, just embrace it and have fun with it."
(Note: George Takei has a blog. He writes about running. For example:
That notion of the "second wind" seems to be holding true for my career as well this past year. My work schedule seemed to suddenly pick up renewed energy. As the months passed, the pace has ramped up to warp speed. And, I find my intensifying work schedule as invigorating as being back at the helm of the Starship Enterprise going at warp ten.
In other words, George Takei, like Marc Sterne, might be good at many things, but writing isn't one of them.)
Anyhow, Sterno had an emotional final WTEM broadcast on Friday, in which he might have gotten a bit misty, and he'll start at WTWP about a week before the launch of Tony's show, which he'll executive produce. He is also talking about doing various other behind-the-scenes and in-front-of-the-scenes things for WTWP. And since Gary Braun and Andy Pollin have other obligations, Nigel is the only sidekick who's signed up for the new TK show.
"Almost like John Lennon is getting the band back together, and he picked Ringo Star instead of Paul McCartney and George Harrison," Nigel/Sterne said. (I can't remember if this was accented.)
"Working with Tony Kornheiser is a unique opportunity," he said, in press release, non-Nigel style. "He's about as good as it gets in the entire country in terms of radio. He's just the best. To be working for a show I loved for years before I was ever involved with it is a thrill for me. It's so much fun, it's almost not like work."
Not like work? This is something I've never experienced. This blogging thing is backbreaking torture, like, 100 percent of the time. Anyhow, Nigel has done a few commercial spots in the past few months, and plenty of impersonations out at bars, plus that comedy contest, but the Nigel voice hasn't appeared on the air in months.
"As soon as Tony signed off Nigel was gone," Sterno told me. "I said I won't bring him back until Tony comes back. So, we'll ride again, until we get bored with it. I imagine I'll be Nigel from now until I'm 75."
[Note: Sincere apologies if any of this information has previously appeared on the Caps message board, or anywhere else.]
By Dan Steinberg |
January 30, 2007; 3:03 PM ET
| Category:
Media
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Get This Widget >>
Posted by: Marc | January 30, 2007 3:40 PM
I want the job of finding all the internets for Tony. I'm wicked good at internets.
Posted by: bryc3 | January 30, 2007 4:00 PM
Was the idea that the guy in the bar said "Right, now, 40 midgets would kick the crap out of a lion any time"? Or was it in fact "kick the crap out of a midget any time" making the lion-versus-midgets (please, "little people", or at least "dwarfs", right?) concept a bit of a non sequitur?
(Disclaimer: I really don't know, this is the first I've heard of the thing, any teasing contained herein is entirely good-natured.)
Posted by: Josh | January 30, 2007 4:08 PM
No, I just can't type. Thanks.
Posted by: Dan Steinberg | January 30, 2007 4:15 PM
"He's about as good as it gets in the entire country in terms of radio. He's just the best."
This is why I have never replaced my radio, which was stolen 11 months ago.
Posted by: Chest Rockwell | January 30, 2007 4:37 PM
I need the folks over at DCRTV fleshing out the details of just who [thankfully] put an end to the nonstop flirting Julie Wright did with Tony Perkins. That person should get a promotion.
Posted by: Prophet | January 30, 2007 5:09 PM
I used to listen to Kornheiser whenever I got the chance, but I happen to be a fan of the Sports Reporters as well... it'll be weird to have the two shows competing against each other. I'm going to have to split my listening time.
Brian Mitchell's show is ok, but without Sterne, I'm not sure I'll be able to listen. Same with the Wizards post-game show. I must have missed when he said he was leaving.
Also: Am I the only idiot who had no idea Nigel was Sterne? I must have started listening after the transition.
Posted by: KC in DC | January 30, 2007 6:24 PM
Uh-oh, worlds colliding again, Big Stein and Mr. Tony and now the APHFTMBE ... I thinkI understand why the world's oldest person keeps dying after such a short term.
Posted by: Bill Fitzgerald | January 30, 2007 6:29 PM
We posted about this yesterday at the Affirmation Baby Blog (the first TK blog out there).
Of course, we also suggest The Bog would be a good sidekick for TK, so maybe Dane didn't want people reading our site.
Posted by: odessa steps magazine | January 30, 2007 10:45 PM
We will miss Baseball roundup, the only source for Nats insider information. Let's Go Nats!
Posted by: Anakin | January 31, 2007 12:28 AM
Affirmation Baby Blog? Is that the one that's updated once a year?
Posted by: Tom Pfaff | January 31, 2007 8:55 AM
It's great that these schlumps who write blogs like Affirmation Baby and DCRTV are always so accurate.. Hows that Mr. Tony to XXX "inside info" going for ya? Or the "secret meeting" at WTEM in which they were announcing Kornheiser's return to that station?
And isint it nice that a blog that sits dormant for years at a time suddenly springs to life trying to take credit for knowing of Marc's departure, as if sitting on this info makes you somehow more of a "journalist" that these other clowns.
thiswebsitestinks.com is the one and true Kornheiser site.
Posted by: J Rivett | January 31, 2007 9:47 AM
I would think Marc Sterne would now be the likely choice to host the Nationals' post-game call-in show WTWP will institute as part of its expanded Nats coverage...although part of me would still like to see Phil Wood get that gig. (Unfortunately, he probably doesn't have enough "attitude" for today's crowd.)
Posted by: Vincent | January 31, 2007 11:00 AM
If they don't give the Nationals post-game show to Sterne, they are crazy. He's the best baseball reporter in this town.
Posted by: The Kidd | February 2, 2007 9:06 AM
Nigel rides again is indeed welcome news! It sounds like he may have an expanded role on air with TK, which is even better. His wry observations remind me of my brother Doug, who was keen on boxing, putting the boot in the groin, and sarcasm.
Posted by: Dinsdale | February 2, 2007 2:40 PM
"Baseball Roundup" was one of very few reasons to listen to WTEM. They really should find anotehr host and give the show two hours. Maybe Phil Wood? (But he just signed on with Radio America for their Sunday afternoon "Talkin' Baseball" program.) They need a baseball show and more baseball talk, now that the Nats are entering season 3, if they want to be taken seriously as a sports station. Youo can't do football 24/7 and network programming most of the time doesn't work either.
Posted by: Tim | February 10, 2007 10:32 AM
Anakin wrote: "We will miss Baseball roundup, the only source for Nats insider information."
I second that. They ned to find a knowledgeable host who can carry on the show.
Unfortunately, they don't seem to have anyone who knows much about anything except the Redskins. That seems to be all they want to talk about. They seem to have made a point of systematically ignoring baseball as much as possible, and you can't succeed in sports talk by ignoring any of the major sports. Check WFAN to see how it's done.
Posted by: Tim | February 10, 2007 10:36 AM
The comments to this entry are closed.
If Tony needs additional sidekicks I am totally available.