Randy Who?

If you know anything about Minnesota sports you know that bitterness and disappointment are central to the fan experience. How on earth can one take perennial failure and turn it into amusement? What could make me laugh out loud after a Vikings blowout loss? The answer: City Pages 2009 Best Sports-Talk Radio Host Dan Cole, the Common Man. This isn't sports radio in the traditional sense. Indeed, a large portion of the show is made up by mocking the cliches of sports management and media. Here is an example. The most successful segment of 2008 was a "tournament" in which listeners could vote to crown the Most Preposterous Statement uttered by a Twin Cities media member or celebrity. These statements were then mocked ruthlessly by the host, callers, and emailers to the broadcast booth. Some notable quotes...

Vikings Radio Commentator Greg Coleman: "Sidney Rice will make Vikings Fans forget about Randy Moss"

Vikings DE Ray Edwards: "This year I definitely plan on going out here and breaking Strahan's record of 22 1/2 sacks this season." (Ray ended up with 5 sacks)

Columnist "Shooter" Walters: "I wouldn't trade one Al Jefferson for two Kevin Garnetts"

Golden Gopher Football Analyst Justin Conzemius: "the Gophers' defense is Minnesota's version of the Steel Curtain."

Needless to say, I love this. This is all I ever really wanted from my sports coverage. A level of cynicism that can compete with my own. The show's not all about sports, because it would be depressing to talk about these teams for 3 hours a day. Mr. Cole meanders through current events, politics (the election coverage was very entertaining), and most frequently second rate comedy bits like this.

When all is said and done, the more you listen, the more you appreciate the humor. If you don't like it, or don't give a damn about Minnesota, please send in an angry complaint email (naturally name-dropping TSAD) so that I can hear it read on-air and mocked for weeks afterward.

The Common Man Program streams live weekdays from noon to 3pm at KFAN.com. For a commercial free, on demand listening experience, you can download podcasts of the Progam Here or by searching "KFAN" in iTunes.