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Home / All Products / Books / Ike and Me: What a Time it Was
Ike and Me: What a Time it Was

Ike and Me: What a Time it Was

By: Rich King May 21, 2022 Trade paperback

$20.00

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The story of two guys from different backgrounds, Rich King and Richard “Ike” Isaac, who became great friends working together in the golden age of local television news in Chicago.

    Author

  • Rich King

    Rich King was a fixture in Chicago sports broadcasting for 48 years on WBBM News Radio, WBBM-TV Channel 2, and WGN-TV, Channel 9. Rich is not only the winner of numerous awards (Sportwriter of the Year, AP, UPI and 2014 Silver Circle Inductee), he’s also an acclaimed author. His first book (My Maggie) was published to rave reviews in 2008. His second book Back in the Game came out in 2014. Ike and Me is his third. Read More

  • Rich and Ike are two Chicago TV treasures. I’ve been blessed and privileged to consume a wealth of their collective knowledge and wisdom, first as an aspiring journalist over 30 years ago, and also as a colleague. ‘Ike and Me’ is a must-read account of their invaluable insight…and a much needed history lesson on the intersection of race and culture in all aspects of our still evolving society.

    Ryan Baker, CBS 2 Chicago Morning Anchor & former sportscaster

Summary

Ike and Me is the story of two guys from different backgrounds who became great friends working together in the golden age of local television news in Chicago. Rich King and Richard “Ike” Isaac have a combined one hundred years in broadcasting experience. Rich was a sports reporter and anchor at WBBM-TV and Radio, then at WGN-TV where he worked for 26 years with Ike who was a photojournalist on camera. Rich is White and was raised in a neighborhood where racism was rampant. Ike is Black and while race is a big part of the story there is much more. Rich and Ike worked in the golden era of local TV news. They had daily access to all the Chicago sports icons, Michael Jordan, Walter Payton and Mike Ditka among many others. The inside stories of these Chicago legends are poignant, inspiring and at times very funny. “Ike and Me” is a half century of Chicago sports memories as well as a story about two guys who worked together and formed a strong bond when local TV sports coverage was at its zenith.

Reviews

  • Rich and Ike are two Chicago TV treasures. I’ve been blessed and privileged to consume a wealth of their collective knowledge and wisdom, first as an aspiring journalist over 30 years ago, and also as a colleague. ‘Ike and Me’ is a must-read account of their invaluable insight…and a much needed history lesson on the intersection of race and culture in all aspects of our still evolving society.

    Ryan Baker, CBS 2 Chicago Morning Anchor & former sportscaster
  • Over his five decades on the air, Rich King was always more than just an outstanding sportscaster in his sports-crazy hometown. So it’s no surprise this splendid memoir is more than just a collection of war stories and character vignettes spanning the last golden era in Chicago sports and local TV news. (Although there’s plenty of those — from newsrooms to locker rooms to barrooms.) It’s also a remarkably candid reflection on how King overcame the culture of racism that permeated his childhood and a tribute to the epic friendship King forged with his intrepid cameraman and partner in crime, Richard “Ike” Isaac. With humility, gratitude and heart-warming insight, King shares the lessons he’s learned from a life well lived.

    Robert Feder, Chicago Media Critic
  • Rich really peels back the layers of his life in this book. It is a revealing look at how despite his tumultuous upbringing, Rich has been able to overcome those obstacles and is one of the best human beings that I know. Having known this man for over 20 years, I feel even closer to him now. The way he weaves in and out of his life as well as Ike’s, to eventually uncover their unlikely friendship, page by page, is pure genius. This book not only tells the story of a beautiful friendship but gives the reader a history lesson into Chicago’s racial inequities and how it can shape a person’s life. We can all learn from the friendship of Rich and Ike. If you’re looking for a story of life, love, and friendship, this is a true buddy story unlike any other.

    Micah Materre, WGN-TV anchor

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