On-air antagonists show love off air
'MVP's Rosenbloom, Salisbury not afraid to toss around insults
Teddy Greenstein
ON SPORTS MEDIA AND COLLEGES

June 9, 2006

Just this week, Steve Rosenbloom and Sean Salisbury called each other "dumbhead" during their morning radio show on WMVP-AM 1000. Salisbury also called Rosenbloom "bonehead" and said he was "clueless."

But once they peeled off the headsets, all was forgotten.

"I have never left a show," Salisbury said, "without saying: 'Great job. Love you, Rosey.'"

Said Rosenbloom: "I love working with the guy."

You never would sense that from listening. On Tuesday the pair debated the Bears' decision to demote Thomas Jones and Lance Briggs to second string after they missed voluntary workouts. Check out these exchanges:

Rosenbloom: "Ask (Brian) Urlacher if the team is better with (linebacker) Leon Joe."

Salisbury: "Who said they were?"

Rosenbloom: "(Coach) Lovie Smith did!"

Salisbury: "C'mon, you bonehead. … You're worried about a depth chart in June."

Later …

Rosenbloom: "I'm just telling you I know what 'voluntary' means and I know what 'mandatory' means."

Salisbury: "In your book, it means clueless."

Rosenbloom: "Wow."

Salisbury: "You like that, don't you? Seventh-grade stuff."

Give Rosenbloom props for having a thick skin. Other sports radio talk-show hosts in this town would have pouted or gone silent.

"I don't back down," said Rosenbloom, a Tribune columnist by day. "I don't think he would respect me in the morning if I did. Sometimes we agree and have mellow conversations. Other times we disagree and it gets loud. The only time the argument part gets bad is when we step on each other and don't let the other make his point. That's a disservice to the listener."

Said Salisbury: "If people want a 'yes' man, they have the wrong show, period. If they don't like the boisterous … well, I'm not going to change and conform. Just as many people have e-mailed me or said to me: 'It's about time people get passionate on Chicago radio.'"

WMVP program director Jeff Schwartz said Salisbury's feistiness is not an act.

"You should go out to dinner with him," he said. "This is 24/7 … vocalizing his passion about anything and everything."

Salisbury is certainly passionate about his month-old show.

"I'm signed for three years and I'm not going anywhere," he said. "In fact, I may be here for 30 years. I love it."

Hey Spacecadet, why would you give him a three year contract?

Holy shit. He's signed for 3 but then he says "I might be here for 30". That sounds like a threat to me. LOL.

Gee, and I always wondered just why he is now divorced.

i hope it means his contract in bristol!

I sat behind him in the Picnic Area at the Cell before the Sunday Cubs White Sox game. He was very reserved....but keep selling Spaceball.