sports radio icon bob mccown stepping away from podcast for 'foreseeable future'
'i have another project which will garner my attention. i will tell you more soon'
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former toronto sports radio host bob mccown.
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the bobcat is headed into hibernation. iconic former toronto sports radio host bob mccown announced on thursday that he is stepping away indefinitely from his podcast after more than 1,000 episodes.
mccown, nicknamed bobcat, made the announcement on social media.
“i regret to inform you that the bob mccown podcast will not continue in the foreseeable future. after more than 1,000 episodes i have decided not to keep going,” mccown wrote in a post on facebook.
“i have another project which will garner my attention. i will tell you more soon.
“thanks to my many guests and co-hosts over the years but especially thanks to you for watching or listening. i enjoyed doing it. talk to you soon!”
in june 2023, mccown had suffered a series of strokes that had left him unable to speak or walk for a period of time.
he shared several updates about his recovery on social media and as a guest on the podcast, which continued with guest hosts.
after months of recovery, he returned to the podcast full-time earlier this year.
tributes poured in on social media for the popular sports commentator after his announcement thursday.
“the best of the best is walking away,” toronto sun columnist steve simmons, a former guest of the pod, posted on x. “it was an honour and a pleasure to work with bob mccown, to get this opportunity to co-host his podcast in recent months, to listen for last several decades.
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“bob invented sports radio in canada and turned the medium into his own.”
“there are two classes of sports radio talk show hosts in canadian history: there is bob mccown and then there is everybody else,” roger lajoie shard.
“the g.o.a.t. nobody is close. i spent my career trying to be half as good and failed. i wish him nothing but good health and happiness and continued success.”
another user on x commented that the “biggest mistake the fan590 made was dumping bob mccown. his connections and ability to professionally probe in an interview are unparalleled.”
after decades on the radio and tv, mccown had taken up podcasting — which was put on hold while he dealt with his health issues.
mccown is best known for hosting the popular sports talk radio show prime time sports on sportsnet 590 the fan (formerly the fan 590) in toronto. he hosted the show from its inception in 1989 until his departure in 2019.
his style of hosting was known for its provocative and opinionated approach and he conducted interviews with a wide range of guests from the world of sports, including hockey, baseball, basketball and football. his show became a popular destination for sports fans in canada.
in addition to his radio work, mccown also made appearances on television, including co-hosting prime time sports with bob mccown on sportsnet.
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