Former Rams QB Jim Everett
Tennis Star Chris Everett
I do believe that I was in high school when I first heard about Jim Rome. Since then, he has become one of the biggest sports icons in the country. He currently has a nationally syndicated sports talk show that I occasionally listen to when not conducting a class. It was his infamous interview in the early nineties with Jim Everett that caught my attention. Everett, at the time, was a star quarterback for the Los Angeles Rams. I believe that Jim Everett was struggling some that season. While conducting an on the air ESPN interview with Jim Everett, Rome called Jim Everett Chris. Essentially, he was referring to the former great female tennis star Chris Everett. Thus, while on the air, Jim Everett asked Rome not to refer to him as Chris again – – of course, this was after Rome had referred to him as Chris previously while on the air. Jim Everett told Rome that if he called him Chris again, he would kick Rome’s butt. So, as you can imagine, Rome called him Chris again. However, this time Jim Everett punched Rome.
This move clearly helped Rome become a household name. I have long contended that this action was staged; however, others disagree. If you listen to Rome’s show, you will hear him say that listening to his show is like drinking beer for the first time. At first you hate the taste; however, after a while it becomes an acquired taste. Take a look at Jim Everett punching Rome.
