Where it all Started
It’s Super Bowl week, January 2000, Scott Kaplan was driving to Raymond James Stadium in Tampa for the New York Giants Media Day.
The phone rings, on the other end of the line is radio consultant Rick Scott calling from Seattle. He tells Kaplan that XTRA Sports 690 is looking for a morning host, and Rick is recommending Scott for the job.
Mr. Scott goes on to tell Kaplan that one half of the show is already in place; former San Diego Charger linebacker Billy Ray Smith.
Kaplan and Smith had met briefly in 1993 when Scott was an aspiring free agent kicker in Chargers training camp and Billy Ray was at the beginning of his post football television sports anchor career. It was hardly a memorable get together, after all, Kaplan was going to be cut before long, and BR didn’t talk to kickers, especially soon to be released free agent kickers.
After considering the possibility of moving from New York City to San Diego, Kaplan called then San Diego Charger kicker John Carney for his advice.
‘I asked John, knowing me and Billy Ray, did he think it was a relationship that could work?’ Kaplan recounted. ‘John told me that Billy Ray and myself were polar opposites, but we would be great together, so I pursued it.’
Kaplan was available to XTRA and looking for his next gig, because his nationally syndicated show had recently been transferred within the CBS family from Miami to New York. While in New York, through a series of events Kaplan rarely discusses, his show was falling apart.
‘We went to New York with the expectation that we would eventually replace Howard as the CBS Radio morning show, but it all fell apart because of a lot of ego and personal issues around us.’
Billy Ray on the other hand, was already at work at XTRA. BR replaced Sean Salisbury who left the station to become an NFL analyst for ESPN. However, a full time host had yet to be named.
‘I remember them telling me they were thinking of hiring a kicker, and I thought, well you’ll get the real athlete perspective, and the kicker perspective.’
As it turns out, BR’s thoughts were prophetic indeed.
Kaplan flew out to San Diego for a one week get to know you audition.
On Wednesday of that audition week, Kaplan asked Smith, off the air, if he wanted to cover the Daytona 500. Since neither had any real interest in the race, they decided their coverage would consist of BR playing the guitar and Scott impersonating Tracy Chapman’s Fast Car. It was a brutal rendition, but at that moment, everyone knew a hit show was born.
