Comedian/actor Tom Arnold gives Bay Area a special treat, talks
candidly about entertainment career
He doesn’t hold anything back – even if there is a national audience watching him daily on Fox Sports Net’s “Best Damn Sports Show Period.”
Comedian/actor Tom Arnold is the ultimate sports fan, and he was reporting on location Thursday afternoon at McCovey Point at China Basin Park in San Francisco. His sarcastic sense of humor brings immediate laughter to even the stickiest of situations involving the highest-profile pro athletes.
But at the same time, Arnold asks the tough questions that reporters sometimes dance around and makes the straight-forward statements that parallel the ordinary Joe’s opinion.
The Dispatch arrived in ‘Frisco expecting to see 49ers’ Pro Bowl quarterback Jeff Garcia – but the garlic slinger was a last-minute cancellation due to his ankle injury that has kept him out the past two weeks. There were no hard feelings though, since Garcia has appeared on the comedic sports show in the past.
“(Garcia) is a good man. He’s a good guy,” said Arnold, who then let his joking nature take over. “I’ve offered him my help in finding a doctor for the hair transplants – which I’ve had done – and Propecia and things like that.”
Arnold, however, knows the inspirational Jeff Garcia story and respects him.
“He’s a gentle soul. He’s got a sweet side to him,” Arnold said. “But I tell you his story is pretty incredible. That’s why I feel he’ll be back.”
Instead of Garcia, Arnold interviewed scheduled guest Golden State Warriors’ second-year guard Mike Dunleavy and played to the small crowd on hand to watch the television broadcast. The crew set up a small stage across McCovey Cove with a beautiful view of SBC Park and San Francisco.
For those who don’t know, Arnold joined the “Best Damn Sports Show Period” in July 2001 – helping to add the comedy to the first-of-a-kind sports/entertainment television show that combines sports and humor in a unique “guy talk” format. The Show is hosted by Chris Rose and complemented by ex-NBA standout John Salley, former MLB manager Kevin Kennedy and two-time Super Bowl champion Ray Crockett. The group tosses around sports conversation from the fans’ and players’ points of view with a no-holds-barred approach.
“The reason the show succeeded is because it’s different. It really is. Everybody always says their shows are different. Ours is different because we’re so unsupervised. Nobody tells us what to say. There is no company line,” Arnold said. “I think if you work at somewhere like ESPN, you pretty much know not to badmouth ESPN. FOX encourages you to badmouth FOX because they don’t care.”
Arnold received a phone call from Fox Sports Net, letting him know they were putting together a sports-comedy show and wanted him to be part of it. Arnold really didn’t know what to expect, but he decided to do one segment and see how it went.
“I liked it and I thought I’ll do this for six weeks between movies, and it’s been almost two and a half years. I’ve been able to do movies in the meantime. It’s been fun because it’s loose and I enjoy the people I work with,” Arnold said. “I got to catch passes with Joe Montana last week. Nolan Ryan has pitched to me. I’ve had all these great things that a kid growing up in Iowa only dreams about.”
Arnold has starred in more than 40 movie and television projects including such films as “True Lies” (1994), “Austin Powers: International Man Of Mystery” (1997) and “Exit Wounds” (2001). On the boob tube, Arnold had stints with “The Tom Show” (1997), “Tom” (1994), “The Jackie Thomas Show” (1992) and “Roseanne” (1988). But nothing stuck like the “Best Damn Sports Show Period.”
“It’s been about two years and 4 and a half months – which is a record for me. I’ve had three sitcoms that lasted a year. … It’s been the most stable job I’ve had apart from the “Roseanne” show since I’ve moved to California,” Arnold said. “It’s been a really good thing for me, something I’ve really enjoyed and will really miss when I don’t do it any more.”
Arnold, who began his entertainment career in Minneapolis on the stand-up comedy circuit, grew up in Ottumwa, Iowa, and is a big Iowa Hawkeyes’ fan. But most all, Arnold is a sports fan like any other. Although he sometimes comes off brash and a bit vulgar to some, Arnold is a fun-loving character who cracks on himself just as much as he does the athletes he comes in contact with. Even he gets star-struck when interviewing some legendary sports figures.
“To certain people, I am. Willie Mays is on tomorrow. I’ll be star-struck because when I think of him I think of my grandpa and going to games. There’s certain people like that – especially the older guys,” Arnold said. “Joe Montana was one and Nolan Ryan was the ultimate. I went down to his house in Texas, and he took me out with his family to barbecue. I’ve gotten to know Bobby Knight really well. Guys you revere.”
There is no Hollywood pompousness about him. Arnold joked with the San Francisco crowd and even thanked them for coming out. And when The Dispatch wanted a few minutes with him, Arnold gave us even more – answering questions with his usual sarcasm. He can be serious, too, but what’s the fun in that.
He now lives 15 minutes away from the FOX Studios at Century City – and he’s even heard of Gilroy, Calif.
“Only because I worked up here and lived up here. Was I arrested there? No,” Arnold said. “I have heard of the Garlic Festival. We have the biggest ball of string by where I live in Iowa. We’ve got something to be proud of.”
Behind his comedic exterior, Arnold also gives back to the public. Now 12 years sober, Arnold helps young people struggling with alcoholism and addiction by speaking on the subject of recovery at schools and hospitals around the country. As a survivor of childhood sexual abuse, Arnold has played angel to The San Diego Center for Children for the past 11 years.
He has two fully funded writing scholarships for the last 12 years to students at the Indian Hills Community College and sponsors a week-long actors workshop every summer in Iowa. Arnold was named the National Community College Humanitarian of the Year in 1999. He holds an annual fundraiser at The Kayne Eras Center, a high school for at-risk children in Los Angeles.
Arnold has his critics – and not everyone likes his style of humor – but the comedian makes his guests feel comfortable and leaves his audience in hysterics. I for one watch the Best Damn Sports Show Period almost every night, and Thursday I got my 15 minutes of fame in the crowd shot from San Francisco.
