Back in 1991-92, when I was a sophomore at the University of Delaware, a senior named Greg Burton invited me to co-host a program on the student radio station, WVUD. The show was called “The Blue Hen Sports Cage,” and had existed, with various student hosts, for years and years.
Unlike Greg, who was made for radio/TV, I had no clue. But I was flattered, and agreed to the (free) gig. What followed was a year of pure joy—of Greg smoothly speaking of Blue Hen sports and me stammering through shows with a quirky blend of illiterate immaturity.
We were a Saturday morning call-in show (if memory serves), but, of course, what law-imbibing University of Delaware student is listening to a sports show at 9 am on a weekend? So all the calls we received were from my co-workers at the student newspaper, who would disguise their voices and pretend to be angry/passionate listeners. Though he probably knew something was up, at the time I never had the heart to tell Greg that all those calls we were receiving about Charles Shackleford being the right man to save the 76ers were goofs.
Anyhow, I recently uncovered a recording of one of the shows, and I slapped it into YouTube. One of the things that brings me genuine joy in life is that, 19 years later, Greg and I are still friends. A couple of years ago he called me from Richmond and asked if I’d be interested in making Friday appearances on his ESPN show, Hardly Workin’ With Greg Burton. I’ve been a regular ever since, and it’s a blast.
Who else will talk with me about Spencer Dunkley?
