Mike North: time off isn't just about money

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: North's side: Impasse isn't about money : Outspoken Score host says he hopes somebody comes to their senses : : Mike North silenced? Say it isn't so. Where will Chicago sports fans turn for their daily dose of right-wing politics and crude humor? : North, whose $1.5 million-per-year contract at WSCR-AM (670) expires July 1, was conspicuously absent from his morning show Monday and is not expected back this week after essentially being told Friday: ''Here's our offer, take it or leave it.'' The station has taken him off the air while he decides whether to accept the deal, which includes a pay cut of about 50 percent. : ''Never say never,'' North said Monday afternoon. ''I have until July 1. We'll see what happens. If someone from the station calls me, I'm ready to go back on the air. But whatever happens, the past 16½ years have been a great ride that any radio person would have loved to have. I'm not saying it's over. My wife and I always hope things will turn out for the best. I may not always sound optimistic and happy on the air, but I know my life is great.'' : He wouldn't discuss other potential job prospects he might have, saying he wasn't ''at liberty'' to do so. And he stressed that his hesitation to accept WSCR's offer has nothing to do with the pay cut. : ''This has never been about money,'' he said. ''This is a ton of money to give anybody. Anybody would like to make that much money.'' : If it's not about money, then it must be about respect. Right? On this topic North was more circumspect. He didn't confirm speculation that the station is considering changing or reducing his role. But he hinted that he feels like his bosses no longer have his back, saying, ''Trust is a big thing.'' : ''This is a dangerous time for radio,'' he said. ''People are running stations that don't have a set of values to adhere by. They love you until somebody claws you out. Look at Don Imus. [CBS Radio, WSCR's parent] didn't care about the comments he made about Rutgers' women's basketball team until someone wrote about it after the fact. Then the pressure was on. Advertisers complained, and [Al] Sharpton and [Jesse] Jackson were drawn in. But in the long run, CBS lost a lot of money by deciding to fire Imus.'' : North has made a lot of money while frequently spewing sentiments that many interpret as sexist, racist or just plain distasteful. Given the low ratings of his show, is it fair to assume that the audience for this kind of talk has dwindled? Maybe the bosses at WSCR and CBS Radio have had enough of it, too. North knows how I feel about his show. I've heard him conduct excellent interviews. But as someone whose columns have provided him with plenty of fodder over the years, and someone who has been a guest on the show many times (because obviously I am a masochist), I've also heard him at his worst. : ''I've been called abrasive and crass and boorish,'' North said. ''I've also been called hilarious and engaging.'' : Is he misunderstood? : I'm not so sure about hilarious, but he can be amusing and engaging, on and off the air. He takes issue with being labeled sexist or racist, pointing out that he hired the only female producer (Jen Patterson) currently in Chicago sports radio, and that he has hired many minorities as well. : ''Nobody else does that,'' North said. ''There's a difference between what you hear on the air and [reality]. I have always supported women in the sports industry. I know they have to have twice as much talent to be accepted. But our audience is mostly men. What, if I see a hot woman I'm not going to mention the fact that she's hot? That doesn't mean I don't respect women.'' : Certainly his bosses have had no problem with him expressing himself over the years. But something has changed. : ''The Twins told Torii Hunter to see if he could get a better deal, and that's what he did,'' North said. ''Maybe if they still had him, the Twins would be in first place, five games ahead, instead of in second place, 1½ games back. I've been here for 16½ years. It couldn't be because I did a bad job. It couldn't be that I didn't make enough money. It couldn't be that the ratings were too low. I had a great run. Hopefully I still have a run left. Hopefully somebody will come to their senses.'' : And if they don't? : ''I love the Score, and I will always love the Score and everybody who works for the Score,'' he said. ''The Score made my life.'' : : (Sun-Times)

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