Cleveland Sports Website boosted by Fox 8's Tony Rizzo.
08.23.01
By Shasta Clark
Crain's Cleveland Business

Tony Rizzo has taken a day job. He’s still a sportscaster for Fox 8 Cleveland’s six and 10 o’clock news, but he also hosts a self-titled webcast every weekday from 10 a.m. to noon on thesportsking.com - Cleveland's Sports Website.
Mr. Rizzo didn’t take the job because he’s hard up for cash. He’s doing it because "it’s fun," and he’s helping a lifelong buddy, Thomas Mercadante.

Mr. Mercadante, the former marketing director of Hilarities Comedy Hall in Cleveland, started thesportsking.com about a year ago with the goal of delivering instantaneous sports news to Cleveland via the Internet. But he ran into a glitch when professional sports organizations wouldn’t give his dozen or so freelance reporters access to interview the players, coaches and front office personnel.

The National Football League and Major League Baseball, at this time, does not give clearance to web site reporters, only to journalists from radio, newspapers and television, Mr. Mercadante said.

Mr. Mercadante, at this time, couldn’t take on the NFL and MLB’s policy, but he had to resort to something to conquer the web’s lack of legitimacy. He turned to his friend who has a prominent name in the business and access to the inside scoop through Fox 8, Mr. Rizzo.

Mr. Rizzo jumped at the opportunity to help his friend. They survived elementary school, high school and college at Ohio University together, so they should be able to make this work together. Mr. Rizzo agreed to host "The Tony Rizzo Web Show" and also write an online column, first for free and now for a modest stipend.

In keeping with Mr. Rizzo’s jovial TV personality, the webcast is a forum for quirky comments and a lot of laughter. Mr. Rizzo is great at hitting any ball that’s pitched to him while he’s on the Net. During a recent Friday broadcast, a caller took the discussion "below the equator" when he switched the topic from sports to his privately located body piercings. Mr. Rizzo laughed it up.

In between callers, Mr. Rizzo volleys back and forth with his co-host Matt Loede. They have a lot to disagree about, especially since Mr. Loede has a die-hard allegiance to the Pittsburgh Steelers, and Mr. Rizzo is a loyal follower of the Browns.

During the same webcast, Mr. Rizzo was poking fun at the Steelers because its new horseshoe-shaped stadium is sponsored by the Heinz Co. "I’ll never be able to eat ketchup again," he said.

All joking aside, thesportsking.com is making a name for itself.

Word has spread among both fans and some athletes in town. "The Tony Rizzo Show" now boasts about a million listeners a month, and 30,000 subscribers to thesportsking.com’s e-mail newsletter, which is sent out only during breaking sports news.

And advertisers, like Merk’s Ticket Agency Inc., are so happy with thesportsking.com that "if I’m making money or not, I’d (advertise on thesportsking.com) again," said Scott Merk, owner of the Brook Park-based ticket broker.

Mr. Merk said he attributes about $7,500 of ticket sales during the past six months to its exposure on thesportsking.com.

Once the web site gets enough acclaim in Cleveland, Mr. Mercadante wants to take it national. He said he eventually would like to create similar web sites in other sports havens around the country.