WGR morning host Howard Simon has officially ended his run on the Buffalo sports radio station.
Simon’s final show concluded this morning, with the longtime host being visited by several prominent Buffalo sports figures.
A host in the city for the last 33 years, Simon has partnered with co-host Jeremy White for the past 18 years on the station’s morning show. The pair joked that they had to think up things that made them angry to avoid getting overly emotional during the show’s final segment.
“People asked me what it was like 18 years ago to be paired with someone I didn’t know and we started together and it was great,” White said. “I always felt like having you — if you liked me — then that meant a lot to everybody else.
“There was a protection that you gave. ‘If Howard likes you, you must have some good in you’…all these people thanking you for how you affected their life, for me, are you the reason I have a house? You might be! It’s tough,” a tearful White continued. “At the end of this, you’re not dead, but I’m gonna feel like the Will Smith in the big empty room. My partner left. I’m happy for you, and I’m sad for me and sad for everybody else. You mean a lot to me.”
“He will never admit this, but I’ll tell you publicly, the last few years? He carried my ass on this show,” Simon said of White. “It was really hard for me to do this show the last couple of years…but you were there for me when I didn’t know what to say.”
Simon concluded the show by thanking the Buffalo sports community.
“My only dream for my life growing up was to be in broadcasting,” Simon said, fighting back tears. “It’s all I ever wanted to do and I didn’t think I’d be able to do it this long.”
The longtime Buffalo host then thanked listeners for their kindness over the last few weeks after he made his impending retirement known.
“I can’t even tell you what it’s meant to me. The tweets, the emails, everything that has happened … since we wrote the article that said I was leaving officially. The response that we have gotten, the tweets, the emails, I knew we had listeners. I see the ratings, I know people are listening. But the way you’ve expressed Jeremy and I, over the last 18 years, have meant to all of you, the impact we’ve had on your lives, has touched my heart. I didn’t think you could do that as a sports talk host, just some nut talking about sports and banging on a table. But everything you all have said to me, you cannot ever have any idea how much it meant that we’ve had that impact on your life. I’m so grateful that you’ve allowed us into your lives.”
In his closing statements, he shared appreciation for the show that the station put together for his final outing.
“It is beyond anything I ever could have imagined. I will never ever forget how much you did you for me and this show today. It is the greatest thing in the world. I love all of you. Thank you very much.”
Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown declared Friday, March 3rd as Howard Simon Day in the city.
