Vic Jacobs
Encyclopedia
Victor Jacobs also known as Vic "The Brick" Jacobs, is an American
radio and television sportscaster
. He is best known as a current co-host of The Loose Cannons, a sports radio talk airing nationally on Fox Sports Radio
. He is known for eccentric behavior, like wearing fur caps and robes, and writing Lakers haiku
poems to read on-air.
, New York
. He is a graduate of Cornell University
, and got his start in broadcasting in Guam
, back in 1979. Jacobs also had other sports broadcasting stints, working at KTVV (now KXAN-TV
), in Austin, Texas
, KMPH-TV
in Fresno, California
, and radio and television outlets in Phoenix, Arizona
. In 1988, Jacobs arrived in Los Angeles and at KCOP-TV
, where he was the station's sports Anchor. It was starting there that Jacobs' eccentric personality came to light, and was most remembered for throwing a foam brick at the camera, for anything that he disagreed with. However, the "Brick" was used on his Austin, Texas sportscasts as far back as the mid-1980s. During that time, antics also included bringing a pig into the studio to publicize the University of Texas/University of Arkansas rivalry, and wearing of mascot hats of Longhorn rivals for the same reason. He signed off his Austin broadcast segment by shaking his finger and announcing, "From the nation's capitol!". Jacobs also used the phrase "You see the brick? You got the brick!" as he threw it at the TV cameras during his "Austin days". Jacobs also provided sports reports to the Rick Dees
' radio program on Los Angeles' KIIS-FM
in the early 1990s. Jacobs also used the phrase "You see the brick? Eat It!" on the radio. Jacobs began to approach sports reporting in a very unorthodox manner, accounting for his curious appeal and derision.
The stint at KIIS led Jacobs to help launch the new sports-talk format at KIIS's AM sister station, the newly-renamed KXTA (1150 AM, now KTLK). The new station was based on the popular XTRA Sports 690 in San Diego, a sister station then-owned by Jacor Communications (now part of Clear Channel Communications
). On March 10, 1997, Jacobs was first voice heard on the new XTRA Sports 1150, as a solo host of a midday program. Later on, he was teamed with NBA superstar and future Hall of Famer
Karl Malone
and NFL Hall of Famer Terry Bradshaw
in hosting duties.
with show hosts Steve Hartman
and former host of Access Hollywood, Pat O'Brien
.
Jacobs is often mocked by fellow radio personalities and audience members because of his odd personality quirks. He has known to have an enormous collection of hats (a lot of them fur
) that he wears on the air along with other fur articles of clothing he can be seen wearing at Laker home games. He wears his hair long and usually out or in a ponytail. According to Jacobs, his hair growth comes from a bet he made with Los Angeles Lakers
star Kobe Bryant
. According to Jacobs, the bet states that Jacobs will cut his hair when Bryant retires from basketball as a member of the Lakers
. He also has a large walrus mustache and muttonchops.
, Los Angeles Dodgers
and the UCLA Bruins
. KLAC is the radio flagship home of the Lakers and Bruins, the former Los Angeles radio outlet for Raiders games, and during the KXTA incarnation, was the radio home of the Dodgers.
Feeling You! is the most popular phrase Jacobs brings to sports radio. This can probably be attributed to the aforementioned fact that Jacobs grew up in Queens, New York City and brings that kind of east coast flavor and attitude to broadcasting. Jacobs constantly stresses coming out of the darkness into the light, to quote another catch phrases he uses on air to describe an athlete or a caller, or sports news in general. He also frequently waxes moronic on The Loose Cannons as well, with an urban style and delivery. He often makes references to Eastern philosophies such as Zen
and Bushido
, and concludes each Loose Cannons broadcast with a freeform poetry recitation.
. The Bruins' new head coach, Rick Neuheisel
, not only embraced Jacobs as an unofficial mascot, but also imparted the wisdom behind the bamboo to his players. Despite his efforts, finished the 2008 season with a record of 4-8, losing to USC by a score of 28-7 in the season finale. This was the third consecutive time the bamboo has been ineffective. The first was given to Phil Jackson before the Lakers were defeated by the Boston Celtics in the 2008 NBA Finals
. The second time the bamboo was put in an empty locker Laker locker room before a game with the Detroit Pistons. (The Lakers were undefeated until that night.) Despite a record of 0-3 Jacobs still insists that it is good luck.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
radio and television sportscaster
Sportscaster
In sports broadcasting, a commentator gives a running commentary of a game or event in real time, usually during a live broadcast. The comments are normally a voiceover, with the sounds of the action and spectators also heard in the background. In the case of television commentary, the commentator...
. He is best known as a current co-host of The Loose Cannons, a sports radio talk airing nationally on Fox Sports Radio
Fox Sports Radio
Fox Sports Radio, abbreviated FSR, is an international radio network consisting of sports talk programming. The network is a service of Premiere Networks...
. He is known for eccentric behavior, like wearing fur caps and robes, and writing Lakers haiku
Haiku
' , plural haiku, is a very short form of Japanese poetry typically characterised by three qualities:* The essence of haiku is "cutting"...
poems to read on-air.
Early years
Jacobs grew up on the streets of QueensQueens
Queens is the easternmost of the five boroughs of New York City. The largest borough in area and the second-largest in population, it is coextensive with Queens County, an administrative division of New York state, in the United States....
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. He is a graduate of Cornell University
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
, and got his start in broadcasting in Guam
Guam
Guam is an organized, unincorporated territory of the United States located in the western Pacific Ocean. It is one of five U.S. territories with an established civilian government. Guam is listed as one of 16 Non-Self-Governing Territories by the Special Committee on Decolonization of the United...
, back in 1979. Jacobs also had other sports broadcasting stints, working at KTVV (now KXAN-TV
KXAN-TV
KXAN-TV is the NBC-affiliated television station for Austin, Texas. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on UHF channel 21 from a transmitter in the West Austin Antenna Farm north of West Lake Hills. Owned by the LIN TV Corporation, the station is sister to MyNetworkTV affiliate KBVO and...
), in Austin, Texas
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
, KMPH-TV
KMPH-TV
KMPH-TV is a television station in Fresno, California broadcasting digitally on television channel 28, and is licensed to nearby Visalia. It is the Fresno-area affiliate of the Fox Broadcasting Company. It is owned by Titan Broadcast Group and is sister station to KFRE-TV, the Central Valley's CW...
in Fresno, California
Fresno, California
Fresno is a city in central California, United States, the county seat of Fresno County. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 510,365, making it the fifth largest city in California, the largest inland city in California, and the 34th largest in the nation...
, and radio and television outlets in Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
. In 1988, Jacobs arrived in Los Angeles and at KCOP-TV
KCOP-TV
KCOP-TV, channel 13, is a television station in Los Angeles, California. Owned by Fox Television Stations, a division of the News Corporation, KCOP is a sister station to Fox network outlet KTTV , and is affiliated with the MyNetworkTV programming service...
, where he was the station's sports Anchor. It was starting there that Jacobs' eccentric personality came to light, and was most remembered for throwing a foam brick at the camera, for anything that he disagreed with. However, the "Brick" was used on his Austin, Texas sportscasts as far back as the mid-1980s. During that time, antics also included bringing a pig into the studio to publicize the University of Texas/University of Arkansas rivalry, and wearing of mascot hats of Longhorn rivals for the same reason. He signed off his Austin broadcast segment by shaking his finger and announcing, "From the nation's capitol!". Jacobs also used the phrase "You see the brick? You got the brick!" as he threw it at the TV cameras during his "Austin days". Jacobs also provided sports reports to the Rick Dees
Rick Dees
Rigdon Osmond "Rick" Dees III is an American comedic performer, entertainer, and radio personality, best known for his internationally syndicated radio show The Rick Dees Weekly Top 40 Countdown and for the novelty song "Disco Duck." He is a People's Choice Award recipient, a Grammy-nominated...
' radio program on Los Angeles' KIIS-FM
KIIS-FM
KIIS-FM is a Los Angeles, California, USA-based radio station with a partial Top 40 musical format. It is owned by Clear Channel Communications. KIIS is also simulcasted on KVVS in Rosamond, at 105.5 MHz...
in the early 1990s. Jacobs also used the phrase "You see the brick? Eat It!" on the radio. Jacobs began to approach sports reporting in a very unorthodox manner, accounting for his curious appeal and derision.
The stint at KIIS led Jacobs to help launch the new sports-talk format at KIIS's AM sister station, the newly-renamed KXTA (1150 AM, now KTLK). The new station was based on the popular XTRA Sports 690 in San Diego, a sister station then-owned by Jacor Communications (now part of Clear Channel Communications
Clear Channel Communications
Clear Channel Communications, Inc. is an American media conglomerate company headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. It was founded in 1972 by Lowry Mays and Red McCombs, and was taken private by Bain Capital LLC and Thomas H. Lee Partners LP in a leveraged buyout in 2008...
). On March 10, 1997, Jacobs was first voice heard on the new XTRA Sports 1150, as a solo host of a midday program. Later on, he was teamed with NBA superstar and future Hall of Famer
Basketball Hall of Fame
The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, located in Springfield, Massachusetts, United States, honors exceptional basketball players, coaches, referees, executives, and other major contributors to the game of basketball worldwide...
Karl Malone
Karl Malone
Karl Anthony Malone , nicknamed "The Mailman", is a retired American professional basketball power forward who spent the majority of his career with the Utah Jazz of the National Basketball Association . Malone spent his first 18 seasons with the Jazz and formed a formidable duo with his teammate...
and NFL Hall of Famer Terry Bradshaw
Terry Bradshaw
Terry Paxton Bradshaw is a former American football quarterback with the Pittsburgh Steelers in the National Football League . He played 14 seasons. He is a football analyst and co-host of Fox NFL Sunday...
in hosting duties.
The Loose Cannons
Currently, Jacobs appears as a member of the sports radio talk show The Loose Cannons which is broadcast weekday afternoons nationally on Fox Sports RadioFox Sports Radio
Fox Sports Radio, abbreviated FSR, is an international radio network consisting of sports talk programming. The network is a service of Premiere Networks...
with show hosts Steve Hartman
Steve Hartman (sportscaster)
Steve Hartman is currently the host of a national sports talk show on Fox Sports Radio based in Los Angeles, California. He is also the weekend sports anchor on KTLA television in L.A....
and former host of Access Hollywood, Pat O'Brien
Pat O'Brien
Pat O'Brien may refer to:*Pat O'Brien , American film actor *Pat O'Brien, New Orleans bartender credited with inventing the Hurricane cocktail; established his own bar, Pat O'Brien's Bar...
.
Jacobs is often mocked by fellow radio personalities and audience members because of his odd personality quirks. He has known to have an enormous collection of hats (a lot of them fur
Fur
Fur is a synonym for hair, used more in reference to non-human animals, usually mammals; particularly those with extensives body hair coverage. The term is sometimes used to refer to the body hair of an animal as a complete coat, also known as the "pelage". Fur is also used to refer to animal...
) that he wears on the air along with other fur articles of clothing he can be seen wearing at Laker home games. He wears his hair long and usually out or in a ponytail. According to Jacobs, his hair growth comes from a bet he made with Los Angeles Lakers
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
star Kobe Bryant
Kobe Bryant
Kobe Bean Bryant is an American professional basketball player who plays shooting guard for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . Bryant enjoyed a successful high school basketball career at Lower Merion High School, where he was recognized as the top high school...
. According to Jacobs, the bet states that Jacobs will cut his hair when Bryant retires from basketball as a member of the Lakers
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
. He also has a large walrus mustache and muttonchops.
Feeling You!
Jacobs been credited for two popular local Los Angeles catch phrases, of which the most frequently used is Feeling You! (which can also be heard repeatedly by the myriad audience members who call into the show). Feeling You! is meant to represent Jacobs' allegiance with the fans of the city of Los Angeles, mainly ones of the LakersLos Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
, Los Angeles Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
and the UCLA Bruins
UCLA Bruins
The UCLA Bruins are the sports teams for University of California, Los Angeles . The Bruin men's and women's teams participate in NCAA Division I as part of the Pacific-12 Conference and the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation . For football, they are in the Football Bowl Subdivision of Division I...
. KLAC is the radio flagship home of the Lakers and Bruins, the former Los Angeles radio outlet for Raiders games, and during the KXTA incarnation, was the radio home of the Dodgers.
Feeling You! is the most popular phrase Jacobs brings to sports radio. This can probably be attributed to the aforementioned fact that Jacobs grew up in Queens, New York City and brings that kind of east coast flavor and attitude to broadcasting. Jacobs constantly stresses coming out of the darkness into the light, to quote another catch phrases he uses on air to describe an athlete or a caller, or sports news in general. He also frequently waxes moronic on The Loose Cannons as well, with an urban style and delivery. He often makes references to Eastern philosophies such as Zen
Zen
Zen is a school of Mahāyāna Buddhism founded by the Buddhist monk Bodhidharma. The word Zen is from the Japanese pronunciation of the Chinese word Chán , which in turn is derived from the Sanskrit word dhyāna, which can be approximately translated as "meditation" or "meditative state."Zen...
and Bushido
Bushido
, meaning "Way of the Warrior-Knight", is a Japanese word which is used to describe a uniquely Japanese code of conduct and a way of the samurai life, loosely analogous to the concept of chivalry. It originates from the samurai moral code and stresses frugality, loyalty, martial arts mastery, and...
, and concludes each Loose Cannons broadcast with a freeform poetry recitation.
Bamboo use
In 2008, Jacobs began to add a new, if ill-fated, facet to his quasi-warrior philosophy by bringing stalks of bamboo to Laker games. It was his contention that the Laker players, like the bamboo, needed to learn how to, "bend, not break" in their efforts to win the NBA Championship. In the fall of 2008, Jacobs extended the use of the bamboo to the UCLA football teamUCLA Bruins Football
The UCLA Bruins football program represents the University of California, Los Angeles in college football as members of the Pacific-12 Conference at the NCAA Division I FBS level. The Bruins have enjoyed several periods of success in their history, having been ranked in the top ten of the AP Poll...
. The Bruins' new head coach, Rick Neuheisel
Rick Neuheisel
Richard Gerald "Rick" Neuheisel, Jr. , is an American football coach, former player, and attorney. He was most recently the head football coach at University of California, Los Angeles, a position he held from 2008 to 2011...
, not only embraced Jacobs as an unofficial mascot, but also imparted the wisdom behind the bamboo to his players. Despite his efforts, finished the 2008 season with a record of 4-8, losing to USC by a score of 28-7 in the season finale. This was the third consecutive time the bamboo has been ineffective. The first was given to Phil Jackson before the Lakers were defeated by the Boston Celtics in the 2008 NBA Finals
2008 NBA Finals
The 2008 NBA Finals was the championship series of the 2007–08 NBA season, and the conclusion of the season's playoffs. The Boston Celtics, top-seeded champions of the Eastern Conference, defeated the Los Angeles Lakers, top-seeded champions of the Western Conference, four games to two in a...
. The second time the bamboo was put in an empty locker Laker locker room before a game with the Detroit Pistons. (The Lakers were undefeated until that night.) Despite a record of 0-3 Jacobs still insists that it is good luck.
Los Angeles billboards
To draw listeners to Jacobs, KLAC AM 570 began a major advertising campaign of the station during the summer of 2006. It included Jacobs beaming out from large billboards plastered all over Los Angeles, appearing to weave a spell of some sort, and the words "Feelin' you!" screaming out from behind him. Jacobs demanded that Hartman and Thompson be used and featured in the promotion. He stated that Feelin' You! is the mantra of the show, and fans of The Loose Cannons, Thompson and Hartman should be given just as much credit or publicity. To his dismay Thompson and Hartman were left out.Personal life
- He is of Hungarian Jewish descent.
- He is a musician in a rock & roll soul band, "MWA".