Sports Bites
Good Mornings
By Val Porter

Oh my gosh. What is that noise? It's the middle of the night!

Oh, wait. That's my alarm clock screaming at me. And yes, it IS the middle of the night. 3:45 AM. Time to, as they say, make the donuts. Or eat the donuts, which is more likely in my case.

Fortunately, my husband has learned to sleep through the snooze going off every eight minutes. But getting up in the middle of the night is made a little easier knowing what awaits me. I get to participate in four hours of silliness, nonsense, sometimes filth, sports, and lots of caffeine.

Being the only female on the DVE Morning Show is sometimes like walking into a locker room. Except for the naked guys - for the most part. My boys do not hold back.

I've thought many times over the past eight years that I really need to hang out with more women. You know, get the girly side of me back. It may be gone forever. Fortunately, I grew up with three older brothers and that definitely helps.

I try to hold my own with this crew, but it's not easy. Trust me when I say, I have learned things during my tenure on the DVE Morning Show that I never wanted to know, and that cannot be printed in this respectable newspaper.

Seriously - I don't sit in a cube for eight hours. I get to wear whatever I want. I eat, say nasty things and basically trash celebrities for four hours. All these things, not to mention working with the talent on the show, make rising before dawn much easier.

Jimmy Krenn will most likely be anointed a saint at some point. He is a beloved figure in this town. After 20-plus years on the DVE Morning Show, the ratings show his popularity is not waning. People can't get enough of Jimmy: Ralph the Cat, Ben Klingston, Stanley P. Kachowski and anything else his mind dreams up. He's got the golden touch. And I get to witness it every day.

Randy Baumann slid into the DVE Morning Show effortlessly. And the opinions and characters he brings us every morning have found a home here in Pittsburgh. His head would be right up there on the Mt. Rushmore of Pittsburgh, without question. People ask me all the time how he comes up with that stuff on the show. I have no idea. But a demented mind helps.

Mike Prisuta is absolutely one of the best sports writers or reporters in town. He gets the best interviews with the Steelers and Penguins and is always on top of it. I could listen to him talk sports all day. We're lucky to have him. And, of course, he's a little demented himself.

Our producer Ryan, I always say, is our babysitter. He tells us where to be, what time to be there and who's going to be on the show. He tries to keep us in line. Sometimes he actually does.

One thing is for sure, it never gets boring around the DVE studios. I'm pretty lucky. Lots of people would do just about anything to be in my seat.

The stuff you hear on the air? Imagine the stuff we talk about OFF the air that's not FCC friendly. Yeah, it gets nutty. And I love it.