Hi! My name is Mike Wickett and I’m excited. Why? Cuz i get to do what I love the most: talk sports on the radio. Here’s my bio if you’re interested —> https://tinyurl.com/da3b93fp 

My show “Wickett’s World” airs one day a week: Friday’s at 4pm and it’s an hour. I’m hopeful that the show can expand. You see, 1350 ESPN (KRNT) has never had local sports talk programming and we are wading into new waters here. The powers that be have given me an opportunity to show that the new kid on the block (me) can play the game. Of course, I’m aware of the big dog down the street/dial who’s been here for 2 decades. And most likely, so are you. That’s OK. A little friendly competition and perhaps an alternative to what you’ve been doing for 20 years may be nice. (BTW – I hear it’s really affordable right now to become a sponsor on our station. Get in like early bitcoin investors—> https://dsmradio.com/ ) 

What do i bring to the table? Hopefully some fun. I did “news talk” radio for 3+ years. I learned a lot. (more on that at a later time). But the thing that was missing was the FUN. Yes we had some REALLY good times on KMBZ in Kansas City, but when people ask me the difference between sports talk vs news talk, i tell them this: In sports talk, we’re all pretty much on the same team (even Hawkeye fans & Cyclone fan). At the end of the day, MOST of the people listening want the same teams to win on Saturdays, except for the Cy-Hawk Game. In news talk, (especially in 2021), half the audience hates you because of politics. Sports is fun. Talking “junk” to the guy in the visiting team’s hat at the end of the bar. Razzing your friends because their fantasy team stinks. Tom Looney from Fox Sports Radio calls sport talk radio the “toy department of talk radio”. I’ve believed that for years. At the end of the day, whether Iowa gets to a final four or not…or if ISU can win the Big 12, we’re all still hopefully gonna get up, kiss our kids, go to work and go on with our lives. 

So for one hour each week (hopefully more later), I’ll talk about the teams that matter to you. I’ll give you my opinions. They may upset you. They may make you smile. They may make you think. Also: I’ll want yours and as long as we can behave like adults, the conversation should be fun to listen to. I’m not a hot-take/shock jock. I just don’t know how some hosts can come into a show and be mad every day, especially in sports. So let’s have some fun. 

The show runs Friday’s at 4 on 1350 ESPN and you can watch on the ESPN Des Moines Facebook page so I’ll invite you to tune in & let’s have some fun.  (We don’t stream…YET.)

Bonus: Apparently I’m a blogger now. So during the week, I’ll post blogs, short podcasts and some videos on the ESPN Des Moines website. You can also hear every week’s show there after we get off the air. 

Thanks for reading this if you made it to the end. I LOVE what I used to do for a living and I’m so very excited to be doing it again. I’m incredibly thankful for the opportunity and I look forward to growing the show into something BIG!!! 

~ Mike Wickett