by Craig Carton
It’s just after one in the afternoon on September 8, and I am sitting on the front deck of a boat I rented for my daughter’s twelfth birthday party. There are forty or so friends and family members, all celebrating her birthday with us. But for this moment in time I am alone, and that’s how I want it.
We have already passed the Statue of Liberty and made the left turn past Battery Park and into the East River. It’s my favorite view of Manhattan. Looking north from the mouth of the river, I reflect that I have everything I could ever ask for: a great job, a couple of bucks in the bank, and a healthy family . . . and what’s that looming up ahead?
It’s the Brooklyn Bridge, and it’s calling to me. It has always been my favorite; it’s the bridge that put our show on the map for the first time, and now she’s singing her siren song to me again.
Slowly we pass under the bridge. I look up, and right then and there I know it. She’s got me.
I’m going to walk across her again, and it’s going to be great.
Amazingly, I can’t wait.
And I hope I don’t forget to bring those ankle socks.
“Hey Craig, how would you like to write a book?” Simple enough question as posed to me at Nick & Stef’s restaurant in Manhattan by Ben Loehnen of Simon and Schuster. I had no idea how difficult it would be to take stories I can easily verbalize and put them down on paper in a coherent and gramatically acceptable manner.
Truth is I couldn’t and wouldn’t have been able to this without the guidance and support of Ben throughout the project, the amazing advice from my agent, James Dixon, who had to endure hundreds of e-mails from me throughout the process, and Leslie Wells, who agreed to edit the entire manuscript.
I went weeks without being able to put a single word down on paper and then would crank out multiple chapters in the course of a few hours.
Strangest part is, I feel like I have another book in me; there are things that I wrote that just don’t fit in this book. Good things, very bad things, life-changing moments, and the Devil himself.
For now, though, I will enjoy the reality that I wrote and published a book with the greatest publishing house in America and, more importantly, that you bought it and (knock on wood) will enjoy it.
I dedicate this book to the five most important people in my life: my wife and kids.
Kim met me, fell in love with me, and has had my back in good times and bad more than any other person on the planet. Loyal to a fault, I can say with great certainty that Kim was and is the single most important person and relationship I have ever had and without her I never would have made it as far as I did. She truly completes me and deserves everything the world has to offer and then a lot more.
Mickey J. Carton: My firstborn and the most amazingly cool and independent young woman I know. Her spirit, soul, and personality are unmatched and I truly believe she is special and destined to make the world a better place.
Sonny D. Carton: My oldest boy and such a sweet, caring kid who makes me smile every time he analyzes a situation or knows how to solve a problem quicker than I can. Smarter than his years and a much better athlete than I was at his age, he is a gift to me every day.
Lucky T. Carton: My second-oldest boy, he instantly makes me smile and lights up a room with his constant positive energy. He amazes me every day with his humor, friendship-making abilities, and cool demeanor. Nothing fazes him. He is a rock star on the field as well as off, and the world will know his name sooner than later.
Anthony I. Carton: The last of the Carton clan. Didn’t see him coming but love his blossoming personality and amazing, heart-melting smile, especially when he just wakes up. Might be the smartest two-year-old on the planet. I can’t wait to enjoy his life with him every step of the way.
NSB: You are the best and I can’t ever thank you enough for everything you have done for me and my family.
I would also be remiss if I didn’t take a moment to thank my radio family. Al Dukes, the best and quirkiest producer and man I know, who somehow gets how I think from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. every morning; Eddie Scozzare, Bob Dwyer, and Jerry Recco for putting themselves on the line for me and with me every day; Mark Chernoff, my boss, friend, and advocate for my style of radio; and of course Boomer Esiason, who is the best partner I could ever have and who told me I am his best friend. There is no show without him—unless Phil Simms is available.
The rest of the Carton family: I wrote a lot about my family, especially as it relates to my childhood. I love all of them and thank them for the unique moments that not only made me who I am but offered great fodder for this book.
© MICHAEL COGLIANTRY
CRAIG CARTON, after starting his career in Buffalo, New York, and earning ratings success in Cleveland, Philadelphia, and Denver, and becoming America's most-listened-to afternoon host while at 101.5 FM in New Jersey, went on to become the #1 most-listened-to morning show host in America’s biggest and most competitive market as cohost of the Boomer and Carton radio show on WFAN 660 AM and 101.9 FM THE FAN out of New York City.
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First Simon & Schuster hardcover edition June 2013
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Designed by Ruth Lee-Mui
Jacket design by Jackie Seow
Jacket photographs by Michael Cogliantry for Simon and Schuster
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Carton, Craig
Loudmouth: tales (and fantasies) of sports, sex, and salvation from behind the microphone / Craig Carton.
pages cm.
1. Carton, Craig, 1969– 2. Sportscasters—New York (State)—Biography. I. Title.
GV742.42.C385C37 2013
070.4'497960922—dc23
[B] 2012048568
ISBN 978-1-4516-4570-5
ISBN 978-1-4516-4574-3 (ebook)