Jared Max

Covering sports for a living - tough life, eh? It's a good life. A great life. It takes most of my time. I sleep two times a day. I live twice as much. I watch games at night, mixed in with sitcoms and movies. I go out for dinners, but, when I don't make it home by 10 p.m., I get a little freaky. After all, first report on-air is at 5:15 a.m.

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While I used to rely on several alarm clocks, I go mostly with the cell phone now, which has up to five alarms. As well, my television wakes me. And, I still use one traditional alarm clock that has settings for seven days.

I've been working professionally, technically, since I was a sophomore in high school. I was paid to be the public address announcer at girls' basketball and volleyball tournaments. It gave me a chance to create "long-form" P.A. announcing.
 
Around the same time, I was making daily sports recordings on my answering machine. I'd wake up before school, and, while still dark out, I'd run outside in my underwear (didn't matter if there was snow on the ground) to pick the newspaper off the driveway. I'd read "USA Today" and then record a 60-second answering machine message that detailed what was happening in sports. While it made the message-leaving process painful to some, it probably helped me land my first job outside of high school.
 
Throughout my four years at Hofstra, I worked at Sports Phone. You remember 976-1313?  Essentially, I was doing the same job I had with my answering machine. I got my first press passes to major sporting events. I covered many Islanders games and went to Yankee and Shea Stadiums a lot, too, as well as Jets training camp.
 
After school, I got a job working behind the scenes at a 24-hour sports TV network, NewSport. When that company dissolved, I began sending out tapes for on-air jobs in television. After months of not receiving any responses and collecting unemployment, I got a bite from News 12 Connecticut and started to fill-in as a weekend sports anchor. I found work at News 12 Westchester, too.
 
Around the same time, I broke into radio. In between dinner and dessert on Rosh Hashana, October 3, 1997,  I received a call at my aunt's house to be an emergency fill-in "20/20" updates announcer that night at WFAN. My big break.
 
I worked at WFAN for over a year while also announcing sports on Bloomberg Radio. On March 3, 1999, I got my first chance to work on NewsRadio88 (broadcasting under the name "Neil Geddy" -- in tribute to my fascination with the Canadian rockers, Rush). Exactly one year later, March 3, 2000, I earned the right to sleep two times a day and live twice as much.  I've been working as the full-time morning drive sports anchor on WCBS ever since.
 
I love it here. I've listened to the station since I was a child when my father always had it on in the car. To be a part of WCBS is an honor, and it's also great fun.
 
If you'd like to say hello, please drop me a line at jmax880@aol.com

Just the Facts about Jared Max:
· First Joined WCBS880: 1999
· First Story: They're all firsts - that's why it's always fresh
· Most Memorable Interviews: motivator Anthony Robbins and singer/songwriter Glenn Tilbrook
· Dream Interview: Larry Bird over dinner and drinks
· Role Model: Neil Peart and the guys from Rush
· Why I'm A Journalist: I'm always asking "WHY?"
· Alma Mater: Hofstra University - Hempstead, NY
· Hometown: Fair Lawn, NJ
· Family: Lots
· Pet: My cats - the world famous MUSH and new arrival SKUTCH
· Hobby: Traveling to obscure places to see rock concerts
· Favorite Food: Skirt steak
· Favorite Sports Team: Minnesota Vikings
· Favorite Musicians: Rush; Bob Dylan; Tom Petty; Loudon Wainwright, III
· Favorite Author: Douglas Brinkley
· Favorite Book: "Catcher in the Rye"
· Favorite Destination: Redwood Forest
· Favorite Actors: Jeff Bridges, Dustin Hoffman, Gene Hackman
· Favorite Movies:  "Hoosiers;"  "Fletch," and "Fearless"
· Favorite TV Program: "Curb Your Enthusiasm"
· Hidden Talent: I can wiggle my ears
· Favorite Links: Breakfast sausage - well done
· Favorite Quote: "There are two kinds of people in this world : those who believe there are two kinds of people in this world and those who are smart enough to know better." -  "Still Life with Woodpecker" by Tom Robbins

WCBS News Time: 5:17