Vic Jacobs

Victor Jacobs (born December 12, 1952), also known as Vic "The Brick" Jacobs, is a radio and television sportscaster. He is best known as a current member of the Los Angeles AM Radio program "Loose Cannons", a sports radio talk show on KLAC (570 AM).

Early years

Jacobs grew up on the streets of Queens, New York. He was a graduate from Cornell University, and got his start in broadcasting in Guam, back in 1979. Jacobs also had other sports broadcasting stints, working at KXAN-TV in Austin, Texas, KMPH-TV in Fresno, Californiacite journal|last=Taaffe|first= W.|date=8/3/87|title=Flipped out in Fresno.|journal=Sports Illustrated|volume=67|issue=5|pages=65|issn=0038822X|url=http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1066246/index.htm] , and radio and television outlets in Phoenix, Arizona. In 1988, Jacobs arrived in Los Angeles and at KCOP-TV, where he was the station's sports Anchor. It was starting there that Jacobs' eccentric personality came to light, and was most remembered for throwing a foam brick at the camera, for anything that he disagreed with. Jacobs also provided sports reports to the Rick Dees' radio program on Los Angeles' KIIS-FM in the early 1990s. Jacobs began to approach sports reporting in a very unorthodox manner, accounting for his curious appeal and derision.

The stint at KIIS led Jacobs to help launch the new sports-talk format at KIIS's AM sister station, the newly-renamed KXTA (1150 AM, now KTLK). The new station was based on the popular XTRA Sports 690 in San Diego, a sister station then-owned by Jacor Communications (now part of Clear Channel Communications). On March 10, 1997, Jacobs was first voice heard on the new XTRA Sports 1150, as a solo host of a midday program. Later on, he was teamed with NBA superstar and future Hall of Famer Karl Malone and NFL Hall of Famer Terry Bradshaw in hosting duties. However, due to his Prima Donna type antics, Jacobs was relegated to sports update anchor and fill-in host.

Loose Cannons/Eccentric Personality

Currently, Jacobs appears on the sports radio talk show The "Loose Cannons" which is broadcast weekday afternoons, with co-hosts Steve Hartman and former Los Angeles Laker and current team radio broadcaster Mychal Thompson. Initially, Jacobs just did updates and occasionally chimed-in on certain topics, before becoming a much more integral part of the show. It has been rumored that Jacobs just wouldn't leave the studio and simply just forced himself onto the 'Loose Cannons' broadcast team. He can also frequently be heard throughout the morning and until the end of the daily "Cannons" show during commercial breaks on the station providing sports updates.

Jacobs is often mocked by fellow radio personalities and audience members because of his odd personality quirks. He has known to have an enormous collection of hats (a lot of them fur) that he wears on the air along with other fur articles of clothing he can be seen wearing at Laker home games. He wears his hair long and usually out or in a ponytail. According to Jacobs, his hair growth comes from a bet he made with Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant. According to Jacobs, the bet states that Jacobs will cut his hair when Kobe retires from basketball as a member of the Lakers. He also has a large walrus mustache and muttonchops.

Feeling You!

Jacobs been creditedFact|date=June 2008 for many popular local Los Angeles catch phrases, of which the most frequently used is "Feeling You!" (which can also be heard repeatedly by the myriad audience members who call into the show). "Feeling You!" is meant to represent Jacobs' allegiance with the fans of the city of Los Angeles, mainly ones of the Lakers, Los Angeles Dodgers and the UCLA Bruins. KLAC is the radio flagship home of the Lakers and Bruins, the former Los Angeles radio outlet for Raiders games, and during the KXTA incarnation, was the radio home of the Dodgers.

"Feeling You!" is one of the many unique and original approaches Jacobs takes to sports radio. A lot of this can probably be attributed to the aforementioned fact that Jacobs grew up in Queens, New York City and brings that kind of east coast flavor and attitude to broadcasting. Jacobs constantly stresses "coming out of the darkness into the light", to quote another catch phrases he uses on air to describe an athlete or a caller, or sports news in general. He also frequently waxes poetic on the "Loose Cannons" show as well, with an urban style and delivery. He concludes each Loose Cannons broadcast with a freeform poetry recitation.

Los Angeles Billboards

Nonetheless, to the delight of some and the consternation of others, when KLAC began a big advertising campaign of the station during the summer of 2006, it was Jacobs' visage beaming out from large billboards plastered all over Los Angeles, looking like he was weaving a spell or something, and the words, "Feelin' You!" screaming out from behind him (fellow "Cannons" Hartman and Thompson were not used for any billboard advertisement).

References

* [http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=LA&p_theme=la&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EF515D4F00FD47D&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM VIC THE BRICK HAS HIS EYES ON L.A.]
* [http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/latimes/access/66410382.html?dids=66410382:66410382&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&date=Mar+03%2C+1989&author=Larry+Stewart&pub=Los+Angeles+Times+(pre-1997+Fulltext)&desc=Like+Those+Bricks%2C+Vic+Bounces+Back+From+a+Rocky+Start&pqatl=google Like Those Bricks, Vic Bounces Back From a Rocky Start]

External links

* [http://allaccess.am570radio.com/victhebrickjacobs Vic Jacobs' KLAC Profile]