by Kent Sterling
My wife is running around the house singing, “Meet Me in St. Louis”. That has nothing to do with the job offer I accepted at 101 ESPN in that city. She saw the Judy Garland movie as a kid, and 30-some years later, it continues to stick.
The first post written here was about my firing at 1070 the Fan and WIBC in Indianapolis. After almost 17 years of working at Emmis Indianapolis, the fun of doing good radio for both the listeners and clients abruptly ended. That was okay – life in radio mandates the occasional punting – but it was jarring.
In a very different way, this is jarring too. Leaving friends in Indianapolis will be tough, but the promise of working with great people in St. Louis has me very excited. The people at 101 ESPN have been phenomenally friendly and welcoming since I accepted the offer to be the program director.
It’s infinitely more fun to write about getting a great job than losing one, so I’m writing this. It’s not to pat myself on the back for good fortune, but more to thanks the friends who have been so supportive of this website, the radio show of The Fan, and any effort I have made to carve a niche in Indianapolis sports media.
Getting a website up the day after being released gave me a place to work everyday, if not immediately get paid for it. Being able to plow through the professional change by working hard at something was key in getting through it, and was an asset as management in St. Louis made their decision to trust me to help take 101 Sports to the next level.
For those of you interested in getting a website put together professionally for business or pleasure, you need to click on this link and speak to Rob Nichols, who does astounding work with creativity, diligence, and love – www.rockforward.com.
It was one thing to have a place to write, talk, and share video, but it’s another to have people find and enjoy it. The community of people who comment and share their thoughts has made this a much more vibrant place. I have enjoyed getting to know all of you – despite not knowing most of your names.
Roughly a dozen people post their thoughts and perspective here, and I have enjoyed reading all of them. It has made this much more fun for me as well as the readers. The traffic has grown because of that work, and I hope it has been as valuable for the writer as it has been enjoyable for me to have them on board.
This period between radio jobs has been one of great personal and professional growth for me. When I was a kid, I thought 25 year-olds knew everything. As it turns out, the learning only increases – probably until we decide that wandering around grocery stores for hours and hours is as productive an event as we can enjoy.
Anyway, I’ve had no trouble purging bad news here, I think it’s only right to share great news. Life’s too short not to revel in the good that life brings.
I’ve said it to everyone to whom I’ve spoken in St. Louis – I can’t wait to get started.
Congratulations Kent. Wish me luck on my endeavors too. I am an architect also with feelers and resumes all over which will probably make me a move candidate too. I have enjoyed reading your posts every day. They are a good sounding board for the people in this area. I like St.Louis a lot; I have friends and relatives there and you will enjoy the atmosphere. Good luck.
YES! Good for you. Now you can finally root for a winner. The St. Louis Cardinals will be a breathe of fresh air for you, but now you have the Rams and hockey instead of basketball.
Congrats on the new job. St. Louis is a great sports city. My brother lived out there for several years and I’ve made many a trip out that way. Very neat city.
Congrats, Kent. I’ll keep Walnut Knolls and Nick’s safe for your return visits!
Good luck to you Kent. I was raised in STL and went to school at IU/spent a lot of time in Indy. I think there are many similarities. I take it the STL group didn’t take too negatively about your Painter / Mizzou comments (mediocre team in a mediocre conference). I think you’ll get a better chance to see what kind of school Missou is and what kind of team the Tigers are. If the past is any indication, the Mizzou/Illinois and Mizzou/Kansas games are some of the best you’ll see. Time will tell what kind of twists and turns that program is going to go through at this point. I hope they can make improvements along with the Hoosiers.
What I meant to say was that Missouri is a great school in a great conference. Sorry for the confusion.
thats the spirit!
To be honest, I was a little aghast that Missouri lost its coach to Arkansas, and said that the Tigers are a middle tier basketball program in a previously unstable conference. It was written as a plea for Morgan Burke at Purdue to open his purse strings a little bit and retain Painter.
Missouri is an outstanding school, with a great journalism school. The hoops program has been up and down.
Congrats Kent, may you Julie and Ryan be happy in St. Louis. My only concern is you giving up on our Cubbies in favor of those ugly Red Birds!
Congrats, Kent! I am sorry to see you go, but excited for your opportunity! You care about important issues (read: the Cubs) but are always level-headed. Your opinions will be missed
here, but are a boon to STL! Good luck and stay in touch with your Indy friends!
A Cubs fan in St. Louis? This ought to be fun! Seriously, congratulations, Kent. Indy’s loss is STL’s gain. As you known, I’m a lifelong Reds fan and I better not hear about you turning on your Cubs and rooting for the Dirty Birds! lol!!! Anyway, here’s to much success to you under the Arch.
Congratulations Kent, Julie and Ryan Joe! As Steely Dan said, “are you reeling in the years?”.
Good Luck to you Kent been a pleasure conversing with you and I wish you all the best. Best wishes to the family also in their new relocation. Mike in Hendricks
Thanks to all of you for your friendship and kind words. I’m more than a little awed by all the positive energy being thrown my way.
Congrats Kent. Based on media tips of the week and the work I heard first hand as a listener to 1070 the Fan, 101 ESPN will be rolling soon!
Enjoyed this site as well. Thanks for sharing your opinions!
Kent: Congratulations on your new job – everything I know about you leads me to believe you will be a great asset to your new employer.
I have greatly enjoyed reading your blog, mostly your comments on IU basketball but some of the other stuff as well. As a life-long Cardinal baseball fan, I have spent a lot of weekends in St. Louis and I think you will find it is a great sports city. The people there are knowledgeable about and passionate about their teams. That’s good stuff for sports radio!
I will miss reading your blog, especially your thoughts on my beloved IU basketball, but I wish you the best of luck as you move forward.
TeterThompson5
A cubs fan in St. Louis. What’s next? Lexington? 😉 Congrats
Congrat sKent. I made reading your page a daily event. Will you be closing this site down? Anyway good luck in St. Louis but I will always hate the Cardinals. 🙂
If my boss says I have to say goodbye, I will. I plan on writing once a day, but we’ll see. Thanks for sharing your comments regularly. It makes the site more fun.
Congratulations Kent !!
The Sterling Suite is yours whenever you and Julie can make it to So. Indiana. Hopefully the 2012 Derby at the latest. All the best for a happy and safe move to St. Louis !! Karl
Thanks for your hospitality. Oddly, despite moving farther away from Louisville, the drive on I-64 to the ‘Ville is not bad – maybe twice the time as it is from Indy. We’ll be there next year. If you are ever in or near St. Louis, call. The Colts will have to play at STL eventually.
Have been travelling or would have said congrats sooner. I am sure you will do great. Make sure though that your station gives you time off to come pay off our bet. I know you will do great.
Thanks, Bo. I’ll make time to pay off the bet.
I would guess it’s only a matter of time until the nice folks in St Louis find out about your anti-elderly bias, including the snide remark you made this week regarding Betty White and Regis Philbin’s “combined age taking us to the Van Buren administration.” That doesn’t fly for a radio station which caters to all age groups. You’re an unfortunate combination of conflicted traits, many of which paint you as an angry, evil man. You will go crawling back home just like the Miami Heat, which you incorrectly predicted would sweep the NBA finals.
I love the elderly, and treat them with great respect as long as they don’t clog checkout lanes at the grocery store by writing personal checks, drive their Buicks 45 miles an hour in the fast lane, or bore me by telling stories about their knick-knacks or that the CVS store now at the corner of 10th and Main used to be a dime store where they bought penny candy.
Kent, congratulations and good luck to you on the new position. I have enjoyed following your writings.
cheers-joe
Thanks, Joe. Hopefully, they will continue.
Godspeed to you and Julie — they’re getting a great PD, a great sports fan and a great guy. And many, many heartfelt thanks for all your support.
Who would have thought as you served as an AI for the legendary Dick Yoakam that we would work together for so long. I enjoy your friendship and too infrequent conversation. If you ever need anything, call. Let’s have a joint 80th birthday party!
Hey Kent – congrats on being selected to work at 101 ESPN in St. Louis! I’ll never forget our meeting at Nickel Plate with you and Rob; I knew everything would work out for you – but did not see it happening in St. Louie!
Keep in touch, my friend.
Thanks, Pete. Good luck to you as well. I’ll keep up with Guerin from a distance.
Really wanted to leave a message for someone at station about programming and comment on a host
At 101 ESPN? I would have been the guy 18 months ago. If your thoughts are about CBS Sports 1430 in Indy, I might be the host you want to heap compliments upon – or am I being presumptuous?