Rob Parker (sports journalist)

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Rob Parker


Born 1964
New York, New York, U.S.
Show Parker and the Man
Station(s) WCHB,Detroit, Michigan
Time slot 4 - 7 p.m., Monday-Friday
Style Sports radio
Country Flag of the United States United States
Website Parker & The Man


Rob Parker (born in New York City, 1964-) is a Detroit News newspaper sports columnist and radio broadcaster. Parker co-hosts Parker & The Man with Mark Wilson (Wilson is the 'Man') on Detroit's 1200 AM WCHB from 4PM–7PM five days a week.

Parker also hosts a segment, "Clubhouse Confidential," for "Sports Final Edition" which appears on Detroit's NBC affiliate station Channel 4 on Sunday nights.

In addition to his work on WCHB and in the Detroit News, Parker also a regular contributor on ESPN First Take's 1st and 10. Parker was a regular on Quite Frankly with Stephen A. Smith's weekly Back Page Panel, a sportswriters roundtable discussion of the week's hottest sports topics. Parker attended Southern Connecticut State University and Columbia University for graduate studies in journalism. Before becoming the first black sports columnist at the Detroit Free Press in 1993, Parker was a reporter for the Times Leader in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., the Daily News in New York and The Cincinnati Enquirer. He was also the first black sports columnist at Newsday in New York in 1995.

Parker is a member of the NABJ and the Detroit Sports Broadcasters Association.

[edit] Controversy

• On March 28, 2008, Parker declared on ESPN's First Take that he had low expectations for college players Tyler Hansbrough and Kevin Love in the NBA, because they are white.[1]

• Parker has a Hall of Fame vote and has voted for Mark McGwire's election, despite the steroid controversy.

• The African-American Parker is not shy to discuss the racial aspects of current sports events, such as the NBA off-court dress policy, or the lack of African-Americans in NFL coaching positions. He recently penned a much-debated column where he called Hank Aaron a "coward" for declining to attend when Barry Bonds would break the career Major League home run record.[2]

As of June 9th 2008, WCHB released a major shake up of their format and Parker and the man will no longer be aired.

[edit] External links

  • Rob Parkers' latest Detroit News columns are available online.
  • WCHB 1200 AM web site, listen to Parker & The Man online web stream.
  • Parker and the Man show's MySpace website