Jim Rome

If the whole of Encyclopedia Dramatica could be boiled down, censored for media consumption, and then broadcast on the airwaves as a radio show, the Jim Rome Show might just be the closest thing to actually listening to the snotty, smarmy, and obnoxious tone that ED has. And that's just fine with Jim, his show is a crashing success, and he loves every minute of it. Rome is not afraid to cover any topic at any time and several segments on his show have become legendary trolls of some sort or another.

This should give you an idea of what Jim Rome's radio show is all about.

His show, despite being a sports talk show, is broadcast via syndication during the day, which is traditionally a “dark zone” for sports talk, but despite this, Rome manages to hold his own and actually thrive despite the fact that The Jim Rome Show is up against media giants such as Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck. It is for this reason that Rome will pretty much take on any subject, be it politics, YouTube videos, or plain common sense.

Rome’s listeners are, for the most part, white males, who are tired of the negativity of the usual daily dreck that appears on the radio dial. They don’t want to hear about how they are losing jobs and how they are going to be taxed to death by the government, they’d much rather talk about how fat Mark Mangino is, or try to outdo each other in the daily Smack Down. It is because of this new, sarcastic, and light-hearted twist on the day’s news stories and water-cooler rhetoric, that makes the Jim Rome Show so popular.

Radio

	“	Give it two weeks. If you still don't like it, give it two more weeks.	„
	—Jim Rome, talking about his show.

The Jim Rome Show has been broadcast in some shape or form since 1996, and has progressively adapted itself into the show that now currently appears on over 200 affiliated stations of the Premier Radio Network.

Format

The format is simple: Jim talks for three hours about sports, entertainment, Fark-style news stories, an occasional interview, and then he switches over to taking calls from listeners. The real reason why the show is so successful is because of the deadpan humor that Jim applies to just about every segment of the show. He is sarcastic, he is smarmy, he is smug, and best of all, he is a total smart ass. When he delivers information about a subject, he comes across as pleasant at first, then as the segment continues, the listener begins to detect a creeping bit of disdain, that, taken to its logical end, becomes outright derision.

Cast

J-Stew appearing with another occasional show guest Jay Mohr on the television show Gary Unmarried.

Aside from Jim, there are several other people who appear frequently on the show. These include producers, engineers, staffers, and some of the more memorable callers.

Kyle Brandt – Jim’s call screener who also figures out the Triple U (see below) call of the day.

”Man’s Game” – Another call screener who is often made fun of due to his high, child like voice.

J-Stew – A one-time caller who Jim deemed bad enough to actually hire. J-Stew’s 1995 Smack Off call is still ridiculed to this day by both the audience and Jim himself.

When referring to all three of the above people, Jim uses the nickname “The XR4Ti Crew” which is an obscure reference to his first automobile.

Clones

Jim’s name for his many fans. The name comes from the fact that many of Rome’s fans will call in and attempt to be as conceited as Jim is…thus, they are clones. Clones come from all walks of life, and during many segments of the show, they are allowed to call in or text Jim with their opinions. If a clone reports in with something stupid or something that does not flow right with the show, Jim will hang up on them to the sound of a loud buzzer and then tell his audience that “more of me and less of you is better for the show.”

BLOCKED

Presidential assassination humor will get you BLOCKED.

In a similar situation to Encyclopedia Dramatica, Jim is subject to a huge amount of faggotry and retardery. When he is confronted with these massive waves of stupid, he resorts to blocking his callers. When this occurs, a sound bite of a man screaming BLOCKED is played. Afterwards, further callers will phone in to deride and ridicule those that have been blocked.

Audience Participation

Often, Jim will receive text messages during the show where the caller assumes the voice of a popular or current sports figure and then pokes fun at himself. A typical example of this is where a caller texts Jim using the name Edward James Olmos, and then proceeds to tell the show that he has just finished shaving his face with a fork. Several text examples are totally off limits due to the fact that Jim receives several thousand of the same type of text every year. Callers who text Jim and say or imply that Mark Mangino is fat or that Sarah Jessica Parker has a horse-face will be immediately blocked.

Smack Off

2009's winning Smack Off call.

Callers who make outstanding phone calls during the year are invited to return in the spring to square off in what is called the Smack Down. The contestants of the Smack Down usually spend five minutes delivering rapid-fire insults at each other while trying to cram as many funny comparisons (usually in simile form) into the call as is humanly possible. The winner of the Smack Down contests usually receive prizes and also gain the respect (mostly disrespect) of all the other clones.

Because the Smack Off is so popular with Rome’s fans, people who call in on a more regular basis try to emulate the tone and demeanor of Smack Down calls. Rome will showcase these sorts of calls year round, but will ramp up the frequency of the recorded messages more and more as the date of the actual contest draws near.

Triple U

Every day, Kyle Brant will screen all the messages and texts that come into the show. He will then pick the worst of the worst and dub it the “Triple U” which stands for “unfunny, uninspired, and unreadable.” Brant will then add that the Triple U is sponsored by something that he doesn’t like. Rome reads off the Triple U, usually with a smidgeon of irony in his voice, and then block the caller or text sender.

Huge Call of the Day

A very bad example of a Huge Call of the Day.

Every day, Jim awards one of his callers with the Huge Call of the Day award. Usually, these winners will receive prizes that include cases of Snickers bars or some other cheap ass item.

Alvin’s Mix

Alvin Delloro, one of the show’s engineers, has accumulated 16 years worth of funny sound clips that he has melded into a song called “Alvin’s Mix.” He does this on his own, without direction from Rome, and then presents them to the show for approval. The resulting mixes usually are met with hilarious results.

Show Specific Jokes

From Jim Rome is Burning, Jim discusses the Heisman trophy.

Rome on OJ Simpson.

Some asshole made "Rex" shirts during the Rex Interviews.

“	WAR Ernie and Bert being gay! Also, Peppermint Patty is not gay...they are puppets and cartoon characters! I don't know why P-Patty is dirty and wears Birkenstocks. This is a sports show and now we are going to talk sports! We are not going to talk about gay puppets!	„
—They're neither gay nor straight, THEY'RE PUPPETS

Any show that has been on as long as his show has, has accumulated several in-jokes and regular items that help move the show along or help pile scorn on any given subject. These in-jokes, or “radio memes” are eclectic and require some explanation for a first time listener as they may be considered confusing or downright non sequiturs.

“	It's so funny that they've gotta steal bread from a duck to eat...good one, who doesn't think that's hilarious? They're homeless people...they're not bums. Do you think somebody is out there like that because they want to be? Do you think somebody chooses to steal food from a duck to survive? The best part of the day is when they can roll up on a duck and rip food out of it's beak...	„
—Jim rips on his fans who make fun of bums.

Call Ins – During the full show, Jim will tell the audience the show’s phone number and that the phones are open to any callers. This does not mean that he will actually take calls, often having something more important to do (such as making fun of Jay Mohr) and callers will usually be on hold for a great deal of time before Jim actually chats with them.

Being Run – This is Jim’s word for hanging up on somebody who displeases him. During his call in segments, he has only one true rule, and that is “Have a take and do not suck or you will get run.” Which basically means, if you bore him, you are going to be hung up on. he usually does this in a funny manner.

War – The word “war” is probably said over 100 times during a regular broadcast. When Jim, one of the staff members, callers, or texters says the word “War” it means that what they are talking about is something good or funny. Jim stole this meme from the Auburn University football battle cry “War Eagle!” A good example of “War” when used in the Encyclopedia Dramatica context would be: “War! P-p-p-powerbook!” Which means that P-p-p-powerbook is a great, funny article.

The Jungle – Jim often refers to the show, and the world that the show has created as “The Jungle.” The many listeners and guests are described as “entering the Jungle,” and any potential guest who refuses to be interviewed by Rome is said to be reaping “Bad Jungle Karma.”

Freakin’ – Any time somebody impresses Jim for some reason, be it talent, intelligence, or just plain balls, Jim bestows upon them the middle name title of “Freakin’.” A good example of somebody who has earned this honor would be “Rickey Freakin’ Henderson.”
The Top Five Smartest People. Jim has a list that he will change from time to time that is a top five inventory of the people whom he thinks are the smartest people around. For the most part, he is spot on in his choices, but with the induction of Joe Buck to his list, he has made it into a worse mockery than it already was.

The Rex Streak – Early in 2009, Jim began a new segment which was designed to interview people only with the first name of Rex. Over the next twenty shows, he interviewed 20 different and interesting people named Rex…just because he thought that the name was underused and underappreciated.

Singing – Jim has a rule against callers who phone in and either sing their call or use poetry to convey their message. These callers are usually “run” and then “BLOCKED,” necessitating the purchase of a new ten dollar throw-away phone. Occasionally, a singing call will be funny enough for Jim to allow it to be played on the air.

Racking – Jim will bestow a “rack” upon a particularly good call. These racked calls almost always occur during the smack down segment of his show.

______ lives here! - Fill the blank in depending upon whether you like or dislike the subject. A good example of ______ lives here! Is “Undefeated lives here!” referring to the 18-1 New England Patriots Super Bowl loss.

Nicknames – Jim is very clever in his use of nicknames, and once he has given a sports or entertainment figure one of these names, it usually sticks forever and then finds its way into mainstream media. Good examples of these nicknames are: “The Hoodie” for Bill Belichick, or Bar-Roid, where he mocks Barry Bonds for his alleged use of steroids.

Yakety Sax – Jim is single handedly responsible for the revival of the song Yakety Sax (that Benny Hill song). By adding Yakety Sax to anything, you can make it funny…even 9/11.

Common Sound Clips

	“	COME ON RACHEL, SHAVE YOUR BACK	„

Jim is a fan of playing the same sound bytes over and over. Some clips are even played over a thousand times per show. While sometimes this is funny, Jim understands that doing this will also enrage certain listeners who have no tolerance for such lunacy. If one such listener should call the show, Jim will unleash holy hell upon them, playing sound clips over and over until everybody's ears bleed.

	“	Lennox Lewis, I'm coming for you man. My style is impetuous. My defense is impregnable, and I'm just ferocious. I want your heart. I want to eat his children. Praise be to Allah!	„
	—Mike Tyson's famous quote is played often.

	“	stru-ga-ling	„
	—A very drunk Joe Namath

	“	First off, I'm not gay, I'm heterosexual.	„
	—From a very gay Mike Piazza

	“	Jap plays	„
	—Bill Parcells speaking racially of trick plays in football

	“	The Asian is very gifted in creation, creativity and inventions. If you go to Japan or any Asian country, they can turn a television into a watch.	„
	—Reggie White

	“	The little boy's driving well, he's putting well, he's... uh, he's doing whatever it takes to win. So you know what you do when he gets here, you pat him on the back, say congratulations and tell him not to serve fried chicken, next year. Got it? Or collard greens or whatever the hell he serves.	„
	—Fuzzy Zoeller on Tiger Woods

	“	Oh hell no...I can't wear no cup, you know, there's too much down there, man.	„
	—Torii Hunter speaking about his junk

	“	I have never used steroids. Period. I don't know how to say it any more clearly than that. Never. The reference to me in Mr. Canseco's book is absolutely false.	„
	—The famous Rafael Palmeiro lie

	“	YEEEAAAAGH!!!	„
	—Howard Dean

	“	I mean listen, we talkin' 'bout practice. Not a game, not a game, not a game. We talkin' 'bout practice. Not a game, not a, not a, not the game that I go out there and die for, and play every game like it's my last. Not the game. We talkin' 'bout practice, man. I mean how silly is that? We talkin' bout practice. I know I'm supposed to be there, I know I'm supposed to lead by example. I know that, and I'm not shovin' it aside, you know, like it don't mean anything. I know it's important, I do. I honestly do. But we talkin' 'bout practice, man. What are we talkin' 'bout? Practice?	„
	—Allen Iverson is talking about practice

	“	Gimme back my son!!!	„
	—Mel Gibson

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Jim Rome is Burning

Don’t watch Jim Rome’s ESPN television show “Jim Rome is Burning.” Since the show is produced and broadcast by ESPN, it is unfunny and is so watered down, it isn’t worth watching unless somebody really interesting is a guest. The owners of ESPN, Disney, will not allow Rome to be himself, so he sits in a dark studio and tries to act nice to people despite the fact that only hours before, he was ripping on them on his radio show. Even still, there are sometimes some diamonds in the rough on Jim Rome is Burning, so it may not be wise to completely ignore the show.

Cock Fighting

How is helping kids ridiculous?

Most of the idiots who listen to his show take things much too far.

	“	Restore a young person's hope. Keep them off the streets. When they see one razor blade strapped rooster carve another into a thousand bloody pieces right in front of their eyes, cock fighting has already saved thousands of lives...and you can be a help, a part of the solution. Make the world a better place. Take a youngster to a gambling parlor and show them a cock fight.	„
	—Jim Rome saving lives one bloody rooster at a time.

Jim Rome has spent countless hours on the radio deriding cock fighting and the people who support and condone cock fighting. He has spoken out against the ugly sport several times in his career, but decided to pull a practical joke on his show to see just who he could troll. He made a 1 minute spot that advertised cock fighting as a way to help disadvantaged youth which was so deadpan, listeners wondered if he had gone off his rocker. Of course some people just don't seem to get it. CFAA (the Cock Fighting Across America Foundation), was Jim's attempt at poking fun at people who speak out against things that are patently ridiculous. He created CFAA as a way to "give back" to the community. He wanted to make something positive, that would keep kids out of trouble, crime, drugs and the general deterioration that kids seem to go through while they grow up in disadvantaged communities. He also wants to point out that it isn't just the cock fights where these kids will learn valuable life-lessons. It's also the smoking, the gambling, the drug use, the fighting, and the drinking! And if you think anything else, you are living in a vacuum.

	“	Have you ever seen the look on a kid's face when they first learn how to read? I have. It's nothing compared to the look on their face and the look they have in their eyes when they see their first cock fight. Do you know what it means to a kid and how a kid feels when they see that one rooster pecked at to death for the first time. Well, I have. It's like the look on a kids face on Christmas morning!	„
	—Jim's trollin

Chris Everett

Chris does a little dance, makes a little love, and gets down on Rome.

	“	Okay...Chris...	„
	—At this moment, the beatdown began.

Jim Everett was a American football player who played quarterback for the Rams. During an important playoff game against the 49er's, Jim was sacked so many times, by the end of the game, he wasn't even waiting to be hit by the other teams players. He would just lay down and try to escape the impending punishment that was sure to come. Because of this weak play, Rome called him out, citing very poor decision making on the part of Everett and even going so far as to state that Everett was not really "Jim" Everett, but rather "Chris" Everett, a noted female tennis player of the time.

Two years later, Everett appeared on Jim Rome's show (See video at the top of the page), and many lulz ensued. Everett threatened Jim, stating that if Jim called him "Chris" one more time, he was going to do something unmentionable. Rome, in his typical deadpan called him Chris right at that moment. In a fit of unmitigated rage, Everett throws the table out of the way and proceeds to try to tear Rome's head off. Yet another moment in video history is captured as Rome receives a mild beating before camera crew members could end the melee.

More Recent Show Clips

Jim Rome on West Texas Anchorwoman who laughs during her news delivery.

Since Jim's best work is done on the radio, all of his videos are pretty much just clips that show a picture of his face while he rants on about whatever topic he has for the day. You can just click on the links and listen while you do something else, because there really is no video involved. Here are some highlights:

Detractors

File:Jim Rome - 1.gif

Jim hates rodents.

“	rome sucks ! he's corporate, no longer funny & his sissy "manuel buzzer" and his running all the funny callers/emailers & texters who are funny because now rome is a politically correct, prudish wuss	„
—This guy also said that the Raiders were going to the Super Bowl sometime this decade.