By Michael Cavanaugh
“I never would have imagined it would have lasted 40 years,” said Malcolm Moran, FCRH ’75, the founder of WFUV’s sports talk show “One on One,” which is now New York’s longest-running sports call-in show. “We were just trying to make it on a week-to-week basis.”
What Moran did not anticipate was “One on One” becoming a launching pad for many famous sportscasters. In the following years, play-by-play legends like Mike Breen, FCRH ’83, voice of the NBA, Michael Kay, FCRH ’82, voice of the Yankees on YES, and Chris Carrino, FCRH ’92, the radio voice of the Brooklyn Nets honed their on-air skills here.
Others were able to maintain their talk-radio roots in their current careers such as, Kay, Tony Reali, FCRH ’99, host of Around the Horn, Andrew Bogusch, FCRH ’02, a host/anchor on CBS Sports Radio Network and Ryan Ruocco, FCRH ’08, host of Ruocco and Rothenberg and the Michael Kay show. Moran, with this list in mind, joked about comparisons between WFUV and other stations.
“I just say ‘Vin Scully’ [FCRH’49],” Moran said. “Check mate.”
On Sept. 29, these and many more alumni and current students of the WFUV sports program as well as members of Fordham, gathered at Frankie and Johnnie’s Pine Restaurant in the Bronx to celebrate this show’s 40th anniversary.
The event functioned as both a way to remember all this show’s history as well as commemorate its current executive producer, Bob Ahrens.
Breen, Kay and Carrino spoke of the early days at the program, which for Breen and Kay was entirely student run. Breen was even able to highlight a current student in his speech, recognizing Kenny Ducey, FCRH ’15, as an example of how to act in a press conference.
Ducey was astounded by the compliment. “It was really unexpected,” he said. “I’d asked players a few questions while working at Knicks media, and he happened to be in the back. Considering it was Mike Breen who said it, that’s some pretty high praise.”
In the second half of the evening, Reali, Bogusch and Ruocco focused their speeches on Ahrens, who has been at the station for the past 18 years..
“I was Bob’s special project,” Reali said. He joked that Marty Glickman, the award-winning play-by-play broadcaster who coached the students both before Ahrens and with him, told him that his voice, thick with a Jersey/Staten Island accent, would never get him on air.
Reali continued with stories about Ahrens. “If Bob ever put ‘very’ in front of ‘good’, he was talking about Spero [Dedes],” he said.
Dedes, FCRH ’01, was unable to attend the dinner after his relocation to California. However, he did send a video discussing his affection and respect for Ahrens.
The legendary Vin Scully, FCRH ’49, also sent a video to be played at the event, this one congratulating Ahrens for his 18 years at the station and the product of students it has turned out. Acclaimed NBC sportscaster Bob Costas, a graduate of Ahrens’ alma mater, Syracuse, also sent a video, joking with Ahrens about his persistent nature, which he conceded was good for the students over whom he presided.
The event was organized by Linda Duhaime Candeias, the executive assistant at WFUV, Bobby Ciafardini, the assistant sports producer at WFUV and a student committee including Kelly Kultys, FCRH ’15, Marelle Cerven, FCRH ’15, Anthony Pucik, FCRH ’16, Sean Hahner, FCRH ’16, Drew Casey, FCRH ’17, and Brendan Bowers, GSB ’17.
Casey, also a sports writer for The Fordham Ram, believed the event, though it took a lot of work to put together, was memorable.
“Helping to plan the dinner had its challenges, but experiencing them allowed us to set up an extraordinary event,” said Casey. “It was an event I’ll remember for a very long time.”
“One on One” is on from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. every Saturday, unless there is Fordham football or basketball.
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Michael Cavanaugh is the Assistant News Editor for The Fordham Ram.
