New WOIO/19 “19 Action News” weekend co-anchor Paul Joncich is already in town, and already has been pressed into service.
OMW spotted Joncich filling in during a newscast on Tuesday, getting acclimated to his new digs in the basement of Reserve Square in downtown Cleveland.
The former Sacramento TV anchor is getting some ribbing in his former home market, from Sacramento Bee TV/radio writer Sam McManis. In the Bee’s “21Q” blog, McManis rips the North Coast as Joncich’s new location:
But, Paul – Cleveland? The “Mistake by the Lake”? The butt of countless jokes on late-night monologues?
Oh, come on, Sam. The “Mistake by the Lake” stuff died with the 80’s.
OK, so Cleveland’s no garden spot like, say, Sacramento (we’ll pause for the San Francisco Bay Area readers to laugh at that one). But you know…Jacobs Field, the Rock Hall, the Science Center, the new Browns Stadium…say, where’s Sacramento’s pro football stadium?
No, the very dangerous Oakland Coliseum doesn’t count. People get shot within a mile of there, and Sacramento’s some 90 miles up the Amtrak line. By that measurement, we can claim all the Pittsburgh sports teams here, as well as THE Ohio State University Buckeyes. Oh, wait…we already do claim the Scarlet and Grey…
Joncich must already be getting used to defending Northeast Ohio’s honor. He asks McManis, “Have you ever been there? There are really some nice areas.” (Get used to it, Paul…you’ll have to use that phrase in dozens of phone calls with California, if you haven’t already!)
And Mr. McManis’ parting shot?
We wish Paul luck and will ask him again how he likes Cleveland in the middle of a January snowstorm.
At the moment here in Northeast Ohio, it’s 77 degrees. We believe it’s roughly 107 in Sacramento right now…
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