The new morning voice of WILD

Serghino René

Jimmy Myers has been called outspoken, fun, revolutionary and controversial.

“Controversial?” Myers asks. “I don’t know where that came from. I am a man that stands humbly before his God everyday. I pray to him to endure the trials and tribulations of everyday life. I say Jimmy Myers is an enigma.”

And an enigma he is. The fiery radio personality has come back to radio once again to host the new morning talk show “Talk to Me,” on WILD 1090 AM. He is ready to give Boston a taste of what he says they’ve been missing a real, hardcore discussion with intelligent perspectives on issues that matter the most to Boston’s minority community.

Over the course of his evolving career, Myers has been dipped in and out of hot water. Sports has always been his main platform, but Myers was always different, taking sports a step further — adding social issues of the time with a political flair to his sporty commentary.

“My passion will always be in sports, but sports is not my life,” says Myers. “Life is in the real world.”

However, with success comes a little struggle.

In the 70s, Myers went from radio to TV as a weekend sports anchor for WBZ-4, the number one rated station in Boston at the time. He worked there for eight years, taking “Calling All Sports” from the fourth-rated show to number one in six months. When a five-day sports anchor position opened up, Myers jumped at the opportunity. Unfortunately, Myers didn’t get the job for a reason that still boggles his mind to this day. “I was told I didn’t have enough experience.”

He was promised that a job would be secured for him in another market within the industry after his contract ended with WBZ. However, that was not the case. Little did he know that no one wanted to hire him because was being black listed across the country.

“When I was getting overlooked by people I knew I stood above, something was wrong.”

Then one day, in the midst of his prolonged frustration, Myers did the unexpected. Said to be one of the greatest moments to be aired on live television, he went on the air and told his viewers how the station’s managers had betrayed him.

“The camera opened up to a wide shot of me flicking my microphone and I walked off the set,” says Myers. “They expected me to stay until the camera was done filming. Yeah right! I don’t think Boston was ready for a black five-day-a-week sports anchor.”

That did not stop Myers, however. He made his way to New York City and began to rebuild what was lost in Boston. He worked with Radio One America and put in two years with ESPN, becoming the first black sports director in New York. He came back to Boston and worked for WEEI-AM 590 as a sports commentator, but his outspoken ways got him fired after making controversial statements about the Celtics in the wake of Reggie Lewis’ death.

And it doesn’t stop there.

Boston Magazine published their “Best and Worst in Sports” and dubbed Myers as the “Worst,” saying he was “…the only newscaster in town who is enrolled in a course for remedial speaking.” Jimmy didn’t take their jest lightly.

“I took offense to that,” says Myers. “I knew I spoke eloquently and felt it was a harsh blow to my reputation and career.”

People in sports media dubbed Myers as a risky hire, but that didn’t make much sense considering that there were similar controversial personalities on air like Glen Ordway, Gerry Callahan, Ron Borges, Bob Ryan and Andy Gesh to name a few. Was it bad to be opinionated and black?

“Not much has changed in our business,” said Myers. “The same old men who were in charge then are still in charge now with the same thoughts and making the same old biased decisions.” However, he doesn’t doubt that will someday change.

If minorities want respect in this city — it doesn’t matter what industry — he suggests we make an effort to do things that promote our wellbeing and that starts with us entirely.

Myers urges people to call, telling his audience “this show is for you.”

With four Emmys and a national sportscaster of the year award to back him up it is safe to say that Jimmy Myers is truly one of a kind

“If we allow other people to determine our fate, then, as a people, we will remain in our current situation,” says Myers. “As long as you ‘enslave’ the mind, you ‘enslave’ the body.”