DADvocate

WLW radio in Cincinnati ranks as one of the greatest, most listened to stations in the entire USA. My father listened to it when he was a child in the late Twenties and Thirties. The opportunity to be a talk show host at WLW during the prime time hours is the stuff dreams are made of, except for Tom Gamble.

Since last November, Tom Gamble has hosted "Sports Talk" from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM. With Cincinnati having the world's oldest professional baseball team, a professional football team plus plenty of college and high school sports, "Sports Talk" ranks tops among the radio sports shows in the region. One would probably have to go to Chicago, New York or L.A. to find a higher ranking radio sports show and a more prestigious job for a sports show host.

But Tom Gamble chose his family.

Gamble, 43, walked away from a three-year deal to replace Furman on "SportsTalk" (6-9 p.m.) and the Reds postgame "Extra Innings" show.

Gamble said family considerations were foremost.

"If I were to take the job, it wouldn't be for just three years, but for 20 years," said Gamble, who lives in Burlington with his wife, Lori, and sons Matthew, 8, Michael, 6, and Nathan, 11/2.

"And 10 to 15 years from now, I'd look back and realize I wasn't there for my family through their entire high school years. I want to be an active participant in their lives."

Good for Tom.

Tom's family won't be hurting financially. His sources of income include:

full-time job as a Northern Kentucky University business instructor, ... organizing the annual Skyline Chili Crosstown Showdown high school football event.

He teaches and administers the NKU sports business major program he created five years ago.

But he has his evenings to spend with his kids and wife. I like his priorities.