You might have read Jim Moore’s sports articles in the Seattle-Post Intelligencer. Or perhaps you now listen to him on “The Kevin Calabro Show” on ESPN Radio.
But no media — even in this technology age — can be as personal as meeting face to face. And on Sunday, you’ll have the chance to meet Moore when he arrives in Kitsap for a Seahawks Viewing Party at the Clearwater Casino.
Moore, who is heard weekdays from 3-7 p.m. on AM 710, is also known as the “Go 2 Guy.” When asked how he acquired his nickname, Moore laughed and launched into the story.
About 10 years ago, Moore was given a sports column at the P-I. To introduce the new columnist, Moore’s managing editor, David McCumber, wrote a piece alerting readers to “Look for Jim Moore, our go-to-guy. His new column begins on Monday.” Multiple times in the article, McCumber referenced Moore as the “go-to-guy,” and the name stuck.
The reason Moore finds this story amusing is McCumber never cleared the name with him. And if he had, “I probably would have told him, ‘Hey, Dave, I think it’s really stupid. I don’t like it,’ ” Moore said. “But because he was my boss, I went with it.”
Ten years later, the nickname has grown on him a bit, although he rarely refers to himself by the name.
And speaking of names, Moore had some entertaining moments on-air when people are under the impression that they are speaking with Jim Mora, the short-lived coach of the Seahawks, between Mike Holmgren and current coach Pete Carroll. (Jim Moore. Jim Mora. Say each name quickly and it’s hard to distinguish between the two.)
When Mike Ditka was on the show, he called Moore “Jimmy” like they were old friends.
“I just played around with it. I didn’t correct him,” Moore said. “I didn’t want to be disrespectful to him.”
Recently, Red Bryant, the Seahawks defensive end, called in to the show and said, “Hey, coach! How are you doing?” Again, instead of correcting him, Moore went along and said, “Hey, Red! I’m really enjoying watching you play.”
Moore believes Sunday’s Seahawks-Cowboys game in Texas will be a good match-up.
“After [Sunday’s] game with the Bengals, one would think the Cowboys would blow the Seahawks out,” he said. “I just have a feeling they will play like they did against the Giants.” The Seahawks were the surprise winners in the Oct. 9 game, beating the Giants 36-25.
The Seahawks (2-5) aren’t having a stellar season, but several teams are doing worse. The Indianapolis Colts and the Miami Dolphins haven’t won a game this season. The Arizona Cardinals and St. Louis Rams have only one win each.
But this year, there is a silver lining to finishing last in the NFL.
“Normally, everyone’s focused on who is doing the best, who will make it to the playoffs,” Moore said. “This year, focus is also on the bottom of the league because if you finish with the worst record, you get a chance to draft Andrew Luck.”
The NFL draft is designed to help level the playing field between the teams. The lower-ranked teams get a pick at the higher-rated draft picks.
Luck, a quarterback out of Stanford University, is considered by many football experts to be the best quarterback to have played the game in a long time.
“If you get [Luck] on your team, you can make a sudden transformation overnight. This guy is that good,” Moore said. There’s talk of teams “intentionally losing” so they can have a chance of securing the first-round draft pick. And in the case of a tie for last place, there is a formula for a tie-breaker.
As for Sunday, Moore is excited to come to Kitsap for the day — he previous lived in Port Orchard. The event at the Clearwater Casino includes a trivia contest during halftime and prize giveaways.
“Being an old Port Orchard guy, I miss living there and am really looking forward to coming over again.”
The 710 ESPN Football Viewing Party
On Nov. 6, beginning at 10 a.m., at the Beach Rock Sport Lounge at the Clearwater Casino, 15347 Suquamish Way NE, Suquamish. Free admission. The Seattle Seahawks (2-5) face the Dallas Cowboys (3-4) at Texas Stadium.
Info: www.jimmoorethego2guy.com and www.clearwatercasino.com
