Jim Rome talks Super Bowl, Gauchos and early career days with Mike Klan

PHOENIX-- Jim Rome has been coming to Radio Row at the Super Bowl for almost a quarter of a century now and he still loves it and never takes it for granted.

"Are you kidding me it's the best thing ever," began Rome." I mean they still let this old man in, this is an amazing thing I still have a great platform, this is a really a good thing."

He is excited to see this year's matchup between two number one seeds Kansas City and Philadelphia.

"Two very good teams," said Rome. Philadelphia is hungry, they are fierce defensively, they have a really dynamic offense and Kansas City you have Patrick Mahomes, I am a very big Andy Reed guy. It's hard to go against Mahomes you have the best against the best I love the matchup."

Despite his national success including an induction into the Radio Hall of Fame, Rome always will remain loyal to the UCSB Gauchos.

Rome is a graduate of UC Santa Barbara.

He is a big fan of Gauchos baseball head coach Andrew Checketts and UCSB hoops head coach Joe Pasternack.

"Really proud of the Gauchos huge on both of those guys, the basketball team plays really hard I like the energy I like the recruiting," said Rome.

"I am a big Checketts guy we are really lucky to have him I love the baseball Gauchos, I am still the proudest Gaucho there is."

Rome also shared stories of longtime KEYT NewsChannel Senior Reporter John Palminteri helping him out when he was trying to get into broadcasting in the late 1980's.

Rome laughed, "Palminteri is my guy, Palminteri is the guy who got me into the business that was my first major internship."

A young Jim Rome ended up taking a traffic reporting job in Santa Barbara and the rest is history.