class of ’87 John Tournour PHOTO PROVIDED
Living a sports fan’s dream The name sounds like someone from professional wrestling — JT the Brick — but even though John Tournour ’87 is not on the Smackdown circuit, he does plenty of verbal wrestling as host of the largest syndicated TOURNOUR sports/talk radio program at night on Fox Sports Radio. The show is carried in 250 markets around the country (1 - 6 a.m. ET). “I never dreamed of being a radio host when I got into the business back in 1996, and to be with Fox for 10 years is truly a blessing,” says JT. Tournour’s entrance into sports/talk radio was unconventional. He became a stock
broker after graduating from Geneseo in speech communication but retained his penchant for sports. He won competing sports/talk host Jim Rome’s first “Smack-Off” when listeners provide their best “smack talk.” That led to both radio and television jobs in several major western markets, including hosting television programs for the NFL’s Oakland Raiders, which he still does today. “Geneseo definitely gave me a platform to grow,” says JT. “My parents and my fellow DKs understood that you had to take chances in life to get ahead and that made a tremendous impression.” JT tackles all sports on his show but the NFL and college football are king. A native New Yorker, he is a longtime Yankees and Knicks fan. In
fact, his nickname “the Brick” came from Rome calling the New York Knicks the “New York Bricks” for their lackluster offense in the mid-90s. “Brick” became a word for a New Yorker so JT adopted it as his moniker. He lets his listeners voice their opinions when they are upset about something — and the show takes constant preparation. “You have to know about all sports and about individual issues in each market,” says JT, who lives in Las Vegas with his wife, Julie, and sons John and Jason. He considers his relationship with NFL football champion Jim Brown among his most memorable experiences: “Emceeing his 75th birthday party in L.A. was the highlight of my career.” He considers his proudest broadcasting accomplishment
the military night he hosts every Thursday on his show through the American Forces Network. He takes calls about sports and other topics from American armed forces serving in combat zones. For his career accomplishments, the Geneseo Alumni Association presented Tournour with a Professional Achievement Award last summer during Reunion Weekend. “Receiving the award was a dream come true, especially with it happening in front of my fellow DKs at our 140th reunion,” he says. “The Geneseo experience is something that will always be with me. It was perfect. I got a tremendous education, met great people and established long-term friendships. It was a life-changing experience.” — David Irwin Fall 2011
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