WSCR radio host Danny Parkins explains how he got his dream job
By Mark Carman
WSCR afternoon co-host Danny Parkins joins On the Mark podcast detailing his journey from delivery man to dream job.
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Danny Parkins knew what he wanted to do for his career at a very young age.
“It wasn’t quite as specific as “The Score”, but I wanted to host a sports talk radio show in Chicago, preferably in the afternoons, because I enjoy sleeping in,” Parkins reflected. “I knew my time slot pretty young.”
I first met Parkins at 610 Sports Radio in Kansas City where he was hired to host middays after a brief stint in Syracuse. I was working on Nick Wright’s afternoon show and it was quickly apparent that Parkins had the talent, drive and confidence to do something big.
Where did that drive and confidence come from for Parkins, that is present in many sports radio personalities who make it through the radio minefields to their dream job?
“My parents worked very hard,” Parkins explained. “My Dad was a brokerage manager, he is now retired. My Mom is a broker, think of Wolf of Wall Street, not many women in the industry. She has been doing it for 30 years. They gave me and my sisters a very privileged upcoming. I saw a tremendous amount of work ethic at a very young age. My parents were out the door before we woke up, they were home well after we got home from school. I got the work ethic from them.”
But unlike many privileged children who want to grow up to be just like Mom and Dad, Parkins knew he wanted a different path.
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“I loved the lifestyle it provided, but what I absolutely did not want to do was hate my job. They brought it home, there was lots of stress, they were up early, they were wearing suits. That part of it sucked to me,” Parkins said.
As much as he didn’t like the stress and the suits, Parkins appreciated his parents pushing him to go for his dreams.
“That environment fostered you can do whatever you want. They were of the generation where they would tell their kids, you can accomplish anything if you work hard and set your mind to it.”
Parkins now has accomplished what he set out to do. He is the co-host of McNeil and Parkins show, heard weekdays afternoons 2-6 on 670 The Score. He also hosts a national radio on Sunday nights on CBS Radio.
“I have my dream job, so now that I have it, I think maybe I should have dreamed bigger because I have my dream job and I got it at 31,” Parkins joked.
In this wide-ranging podcast, the longest in the history of On the Mark, Parkins talks about the interview that nearly got him fired in Kansas City, his love of gambling, working with Dan McNeil and his former partners, what could be next for his career as well as his greatest athletic achievement.