Scott Ferrall, Sports Grid Host

Our number three of our radio program, it is the Zach Gelb show on CBS Sports Radio. Today, CBS Sports Radio turns 10 years old. And since this is the 10-year anniversary of CBS Sports Radio, I wanted to go to one man and one man only to talk about 10 years ago and go around the sports world. And this is not maybe my favorite person to ever work here at CBS Sports Radio.

And I'll never forget when I first started hosting the Weekend Overnights. I've never met Scott Farrell in my life, but I used to listen to him all the time. He comes out into the newsroom and he goes, kid, listen up. I just gave you the best promotion you'll ever get.

And he literally promoted me for five minutes on his show without even asking. And that's the type of guy Scott Farrell is. So welcome back. Farrell on the bench, the great Scotty Farrell. Scott, how you been? My man, what's happening, Zach?

Happy New Year, buddy. Hope everybody's great on CBS Sports Radio out there. Yeah, well, we appreciate you coming on. So 10 years ago, I think it was Peter Schwartz was the update anchor who was the first voice on CBS Sports Radio and then your show launched. What do you remember about 10 years ago? I just remember, obviously, it was pretty cool, right? So I was working at Sirius at the Howard Stern channels, and one thing led to another, and I started talking to the powers that be at CBS at the time. Basically, I hooked up with Chris Olivero, who's an incredible suit and a powerful dude in radio. And he used to be my producer back in the day when I did mornings on NEW in New York. And then Opie and Anthony were on in the afternoons, and Chris just rose to power in radio, and I couldn't be happier for him, just a cool dude who I had a great relationship with. And then at the time, the Dick brothers were involved with Cumulus, and they took me to lunch one day, and they said, we're starting CBS Sports Radio, and we want you to come do your thing for us at night and rock out, you know, syndicate it again. And I was like, you know, I had done CBS and Infinity and Westwood One, Pharrell on the Bench back in LA in the day, and WFAN in New York. So it was really exact, full circle for me, right?

These guys are like, just come back to CBS. And I, you know, I had had so much success there. And I had worked with Howard for about, I think, eight or nine years, and I love Howard.

I look up to him, he's like one of my heroes in the business. And I just, you know, I felt like the writing was on the wall for me to do something new. I thought Howard was going to change the channels.

I was right. At the time, I just felt like it was going to become a bigger thing for Howard, like both channels are going to be more dedicated to him. And I just felt like it was a chance for me to do something, finish what I started. If you remember, I left CBS to go to the Thrashers in 99 to do NHL play by play. And I went on Letterman and announced that I was leaving the radio show to do hockey play by play.

It didn't go over well with the suits, the way I handled it at the time. But I stand by it because I was sitting there with David Letterman. I'm like Letterman and they're mad at me. Like, I give a rat. That's what you think of me.

That's what you think of me. And so they were very angry. And so I went to work in Atlanta for Ted Turner. And, you know, all those years later, imagine getting that call that they want me back, like of all things. So I took it. I took the gig and I did it. And I remember going on the air. And the thing I remember most was that I had to be clean because I had been so filthy and awful and horrendous and heinous and disgusting and despicable and awesome on Howard 101 that I had to put a sign in front of me on the on the table as I did the show that said, zero tolerance, no cussing, don't swear. And I put it in big, bold letters.

And I left it there every night for like, I think about six months. And then like, at that point, I think I had gotten over the, geez, how am I going to do it without swearing? Because it was, you know, clean radio.

And I've been doing this debauchery radio with no censorship. I mean, it was crazy. And so to go back and do it clean, all the suits at CBS thought I was gonna, you know, probably lose my mind and start being dirty and get in trouble again with them and the FCC. And it just never happened. I was lucky that I put the sign down, Zach, because I think there was potential for me to slip and to screw it all up. And I never wanted to do that. I wanted to actually pull it off and be the dirtiest guy ever that went back and did clean and pulled it off.

And I think I was there like what, like eight years, seven years, something like that. And I did it. And I loved it. And I was able to find friends like you. And I was able to find Carver High, Mike Carver. And I basically went to Steve Summers at the fan and said, I want to steal your guy and make him my Artie Lang. And I wanted to make Mike my sidekick with mafia and be on air and be funny. And we pulled it off. You know, they let us do it for all those years together, all of us. And the show was really cool.

And it was edgy and it was funny and it was demented. And then we laughed and went to do, you know, sports gambling television, which is what I'm doing now at sports. So all I have, Zach, I swear to God, is the fondest memories and just all good times and good friends and great relationships.

And the fact that I was there for that long, I'll tell you the weirdest thing that came of it. I ended up being friends with Mark Chernoff, who like absolutely loved me. And literally I drove him nuts when I was thrown a bench in LA and the fan in New York at late at night at 10 to one in New York, the show was number one, but my relationship with my bosses was negative 50 million. I love Mark, but it's the most anti Mark Chernoff radio with what you do. He used to say on, he literally would yell at me on the phone every day in LA and he'd say, stop with the Jesus lizard and quit talking hockey.

What's with all the heavy metal and the drinking and the drugs and just the prostitutes. And then it was so funny because I didn't listen to him. I was young and stupid and I was syndicated in 250 cities and Mel Karmasan paid me a lot of money. And I was like, Don, I must tell me one day, don't listen to him, kid.

You're awesome. So I was like, you're right. I'm not going to listen to anyone.

I'm going to tell everyone to have flops. And it just did not go over well. And then when I got old, I realized all my errors. And I was like, I think I need to grow up at some point. And I think it was when I finally got married and had kids.

It ruined me in terms of being that troublemaking wild shock jock, whatever you want to call me. People have called me everything's back, but I'm really just a normal dude. You know me. I'm pretty cool.

Like I see it at the Super Bowl. We're always friends. We get along. There's none of this ego. And I matter.

And I'm so important. I just think I'm a normal dude that did a cool thing that people dug for 40 years. I've somehow pulled it off. The longevity of it for me has been the success for me is all that. That I'm still doing it. That people still dig me. Millions of people watch me every day. And millions listen to us when we were on CBS or Howard Stern and that I'm still pulling that off.

That's what's crazy for me. But just being there was an experience that was really good for me. It was all gravy, man.

I never had any regrets taking the job. And then I didn't really have any regrets when I left to go do sports gambling TV because as you know, I have a massive gambling problem. I'm right where I need to be. Well, that's a thing, Scott. You were so innovative because you know how it is. Like three years ago, you used to mention gambling and you would get calls and people would say, you got to get rid of this guy. You were doing this ever since the start at CBS Sports Radio. Now you can't turn on the radio without hearing gambling. So when I was in LA, right?

And remember, this is like 94. I was syndicated everywhere. And it was a WFAN show. And every Friday, the show, we would do college football and pro football betting. And I would go on the air and I would tell people all the money lines and spreads and totals and teasers to bet. And I would do every single game in the NFL and college football.

So college football was literally probably 150 games a week. And I would go through all of them. And at the time, Zach, people had a pen and a pad of paper. There were no cell phones. Let me take a picture of the pics and I'll be good to go.

Just give me all your pics really quick. You had to listen to the whole show and we would just sit there on the air and gamble all night on national radio. And I cannot tell you how many people sued me and tried to have me put in prison, that I was the devil. And I was basically a child molester because I taught gambling. It was so taboo.

It was so that the leagues hated me, the NFL, all of this guy talks gambling. We can't have it. He's bad news. Stay away from him.

He's nothing but trouble. And then fast forward to now. So when the Supreme Court passed the gambling laws and everything changed in America, now all those same people that defied me were now sleeping with me. And they're all making billions of dollars. And I'm doing it for a living. So I'm right where I need to be. Hopefully I'll keep doing it what I'm doing until I wrap it up. I'm 57 now, but I kind of just want to put my kids through college. And one's going to college next year.

The other one's a freshman. And seeing them grow up and go off to college, I think that'll be the end for me. I'm not one of those dudes that'll... I'm not going to be the dude that stays on the air until he's 70, 75.

It's not happening, Zach. I'm going to go surfing and I'm going to smoke a fatty and I'm going to look at girls in bikinis one way or the other professionally at some point here. And the next I'd say, by the time I'm 64, 65, believe me, I'll be long gone.

I'm not a hanger on dude. They say if Joe Paterno or whatever, when he stopped coaching, he died. If I stop doing the show, I'll be just fine, bro.

I'll play basketball and hopefully get a little leg. My wife hasn't left me yet, so it's all good. And I guess CBS Sports Radio is part of the journey. And I'm proud of you. I think you're a badass. I'm happy that you've done so well with your career and your life. And I always love seeing you, so I'm always rooting for you.

I appreciate that. Scott Farrell here with us. I had a big regret last week because I didn't think about it until afterwards. We had Jay Gruden on. And then afterwards I go, oh, I just started hearing Scott Farrell in the background screaming, you fat ass. What would you call Jay Gruden once a fat ass?

Tell that story because that's one of the all-time great stories. Well, I just got under his skin, obviously, and made fun of him a lot. And I called him fat ass.

And I just kept pounding him with it until he finally snapped. And he started getting really mad about the guy on the radio that calls him fat ass. And then it became a big thing.

It became a story in the papers. And obviously, once again, people trying to get me in trouble. But all it was, was being funny. It's funny, like today, my TV show is really funny.

And I have Carver High on it. And the two of us, all we do is gamble and make fun of people. And we make fun of ourselves. So it's kind of like, and people may not know what this means, but Mystery Science 3000 used to be the two little animals that sat in the corner of the movie theater and made fun of the show on the TV on the screen. It was like, they just abused everything for the entire movie.

All they did was abuse people and make fun of them. And it was always kind of the concept of what we're doing now, where we just make fun of people so much that it really is kick ass. And it's a blast.

And people dig it. And I think it's because we're self-deprecating too. It's not like it's just us abusing others. We abuse ourselves in each other, because we're all getting older and fatter and slower and everything else. So it's just a lot of fun. But I remember back in the day, that guy, he wanted me dead. And I also know that he sucked as a coach.

So it doesn't matter what he thinks. Raffinup with Scott Ferrell. You've done everything that you could do in this business. You talked about the end and how it's not that far away for probably your time doing this.

What's the one memory that just stands out above the rest for you? Well, I guess, to be honest, and I don't want to feel like I'm in the casket yet or anything. I will dunk on your face back in basketball, as you know.

I may help you, Scotty Ferrell. We'd be going right back and forth on the court in the paint. Big four, 220. You're a big boy. And I still play every day of the week. So I'm not in the casket yet.

But I would say for me, you know, it's pretty simple. When I was Ferrell on the bench nationally, and Mel Karmasan made me and made me enormous, and I got to do MTV and all this other stuff. The thrill for me was going on David Letterman twice and meeting Letterman and him coming to see me do a live show in a blizzard in New York City at Rosie O'Grady's. I'm on air live in front of 500 people in a bar. And here comes David Letterman down the stairs to watch me perform. And that night, Syracuse was playing in the NCAA basketball tournament.

It was snowing in Manhattan. And of all people, to come walking in that bar, which was right from the Lake Show Theater a few steps away, when he walked in and he saw me doing the show, and I looked over and saw him, you know, I almost, you know, it was almost right down in there, I dropped dead. That was cool for me. Then having Howard Stern hire me was amazing. And then, you know, working for him for all those years was incredible.

Nothing compares to it. And for me, that was it. And then everything else I've done since, all the shows at CBS Sports Radio, what I'm doing at Sports Grid TV, all that's just gravy.

It's all cool. So I'd say, you know, when you get on, when you get on Letterman, not once but twice, that did it for me. No doubt about it. Before we let you run, I got to sprinkle in just two sports topics here.

The Metropolitan is always nuts. I know your Penguins lose today in the Winter Classic, but where you at on the Penguins this year? And then also the Steelers or Kenny Pickett's really starting to show some things? Well, touchdown Kenny's a freak.

Where are all the people making fun of his small hands now? Two weeks in a row, nothing but ropes and nothing but clutch play, comebacks, fourth quarter, last drive, finishing, winning, getting it done. Last night, the pass to Najee was sickening on that angle with the body going the other way and to sling it on that rope and lead him like that into the corner between that kind of coverage and being that ripped. I said it was like watching Brady or Montana or Aaron Rodgers in like their prime, absolutely lighting people up with brilliant passes.

That's what I saw today on the show. I said, in three years, he's going to be basically burrow. And at some point or another, that guy's winning a ring.

Get ready for number seven at Pittsburgh. That guy's a winner. I don't care if he wears gloves, has little hands. I don't care what anyone thinks.

That guy's a badass. And the Penguins, today, obviously, I bet on the Bruins because they're the best team in hockey. And I think the Penguins stink.

I love the Penguins more than I love my family. But, you know, I saw them lose. They were up 4-0 to the Red Wings. They lose 5-4.

I wanted to puke. It's not like I don't think they're a playoff team, Zach, because they are. I still think they're good, right? But, I mean, the bottom line is the Devils are having a better season. The Canes have won, what, 11 in a row?

All they do is win. I think the Rangers have better goaltending. You know, I think the Capitals have Ovi. But I wouldn't, you know, think that they're that good or that much better than the Penguins. The Penguins still have Crosby and Malkin.

People can say they're old or whatever, but they still produce at a massively high level. They have a great power play. I think they're a real average road team. And I think they're pretty tough at home. At home, they're like, you know, the power play clips, they score a lot of goals. On the road, they're beatable. So, at the end of the day, I don't think they're sniffing the cup this year, but I think they're still more than likely a playoff team.

There's teams that are way better. Like, I know the Leafs choke a lot in the playoffs, but one of these days, they're not going to choke because they're loaded and they're dangerous and they're fast. And I think the Penguins won five Stanley Cups, and they did it with skill and speed. Back in the days of Lemieux and Jager, untouchable. And when they won the three with Crosby, they definitely did it with speed. I thought, you know, Jager and Lemieux were different kinds of talents than Sid Crosby and Malkin. But those guys, that team was so fast that won the three cups, and Fleury was so good in goal, that that's why they won them. No one can ever take away the five Stanley Cups and the six Super Bowls. I've seen them lose. I saw Aaron Rodgers beat the Steelers, but I'm real good over here, Zach, with my 11 titles.

I'm doing real good. I got a hot tub. I got boob football. I got chips and bikinis. And we got a lot of chips.

And the Pharrell ballers have 11 basketball chips too. And we'll, we'll dunk on your ass. I'll see you soon, Zach. I'll dunk on your ass. You got it.

Scott Pharrell, one more for you. I got a minute here. I just got to know, cause I was on two lane today, plus one and a half for you. I was on the over 65 and I hit it. I was on Mississippi state minus three and the miracle late play cover with Disney scoop and score was delicious.

I was on LSU minus 14 and a hook and in game minus 41 and that puppy covered and I'm rolling Penn state right now, like a spleef and I'm on a bangles tonight too. It's Joey. Cool. It's good to go with number eight in a row. Check that out.

Ooh, Scott Pharrell. I love you. You're the best. I'm sure we'll see you at the super bowl. Thank you. Can't thank you enough for doing this. My man's back.

Happy anniversary to CBS sports radio. Tell my man olive. I love him up there upstairs with all those other suits. I don't like the great Scott Pharrell. Oh, I miss him. He's outstanding. He's one of one.

That's that's all I got to say. Scott Pharrell is one of one and we had to bring him on. It wouldn't be a party without Pharrell and we're celebrating 10 years here at CBS sports radio. So I wanted to check it out a little bit and chat it up with Scotty Pharrell.