When the profile ran, its subject, Chet Coppock, was experiencing what he called "downtime": i.e., the phone wasn't ringing with job offers. Nonetheless, with typical Coppock flamboyance, he showed up for the interview in a full-length fur coat.

A few months later, this e-mail arrived from the love-him or hate-him sportstalker:

"The piece essentially sent out the alert: the fat kid is available. And the fat kid has lost 46 pounds.

"Shortly after the article ran, [John] Callaway called to profile me on WTTW [Channel 11]. Roe Conn, WSCR-AM 670, found a spot for me on his Friday [radio] show and sold the WLS brass on me hosting Notre Dame football. ESPN knocked on the door with a deal to co-host a baseball show and a Sunday Bear-pre with Mongo ['85 Bears] McMichael. I'm even working the Grand Victoria casino four times in October and November. In other words, biz is rockin' and rollin.' Hell, even the Trib called me in for a two-hour taping for a 100-year retro on Chicago football."

He also did some appearances on the WGN-Ch. 9 morning news. Especially notable was his Bears trivia shootout with Mike North of WSCR-AM in which a draw was declared.

A couple of weeks ago, another e-mail arrived with the latest from Coppock:

"Five TV stations showed up to cover me outside the WLS building wearing a thong and my fur coat. I'd bet Roe Conn the week before that the Giants would knock off the Bears, and if they didn't, I'd appear on his show wearing just a thong and the fur coat.