As a lifelong sports talk consumer and resident of Tidewater (a.k.a. Hampton Roads, Greater Norfolk Metro area, 757, and so on), VA, few voices are as repulsive to my ear drums than that of the insufferable Tony Mercurio. The early 90s was when I first stumbled across the sports talk radio genre, and the Score AM 1310 was the station that provided the programming. Tony Mercurio owned the 3P-7P timeslot, blabbering on in the most unappealing manner. Heavy breathing, eating, complaining, and cackling were the trademarks of the show. Maybe it was his schtick to come off so obnoxious, but he was good at it. Mercurio came off as an arrogant curmudgeon who was doing Hampton Roads a favor by waxing poetic about the St. Louis Cardinals and horse racing. Like a cock roach surviving nuclear fallout, Tony Mercurio squatted on his on-air job at AM 1310, holding on through the station’s rebranding to ESPN Radio 1310.
At last, in 2012, the community was rescued from this hack act as Tony Mercurio was finally let go from the station. This was a move long overdue, but at least it happened.
In 2012, the prevalence of podcasts and radio streamed on the internet had become increasingly apparent as options to terrestrial radio, so the reprieve came at a time when I and many others had already stopped listening to local radio. Even still, there was a bit off sadness and pity for Mercurio in this deposed state. Reported to have deteriorating health and now without the platform that became his identity, the situation was depressing to think about… but the show goes on.
I stopped listening to 1310 long before Mercurio was finally given the boot, but at least the folks that were still listening would be given a better product (anything, even silence, would be better). Years passed and my recollections of the Tony Mercurio show faded over time. I was certain that he died sometime soon after he was fired from 1310… that is until I decided to look up what actually happened to him. Much to my (pleasant?) surprise, I learned that Tony Mercurio has returned to sports talk in Hampton Roads, occupying the Monday and Friday 3P-4P timeslot on AM-1110. I really do wish Tony Mercurio all the best.
Message to all aspiring sports talk radio hosts: if Tony Mercurio can carve out a living talking about sports on the radio, ANYONE can. You might be hated, broke, and not be any good at it, but there are opportunities out there.