"Ike and Me" shares stories of former sportscaster Rich King and cameraman Richard Issac during historic moments in news and sports
CHICAGO (CBS) – Rich King and intrepid cameraman 'Ike' Isaac have spent a combined century chronicling and capturing some of the most historic moments in Chicago news and sports history. The former WGN-Channel 9 colleagues have teamed up for another assignment, but this time they're telling their stories on the pages of a new book, instead of on TV.
Isaac: Man, what you got me into?
King: Get used to the camera, baby! He's been behind the camera, now he's in front of the camera"
Richard Isaac, commonly known as "Ike," has spent nearly 50 years looking into a camera lens. Now, his longtime relationship with retired sportscaster King is the focus of a retrospective into the golden age of Chicago television.
"You know The Last Dance? Remember The Last Dance? We LIVED it!" Issac said.
King got the inspiration to write "Ike and Me: What A Time It Was" after posting a Facebook picture in the summer of 2021.
"I got like 150 responses. A couple said, 'why don't you write a book? you guys have a storied career, well known.' Sometimes well known for our misgiving in the business," King said, laughing.
Besides re-telling war stories from their decades together on the road and rubbing shoulders with sports icons like Michael Jordan and Walter Payton, the native South Siders share how the special bond they formed helped to break down racial stereotypes.
"We went through so many things together and we were from different neighborhoods, and I was raised in a terribly racist neighborhood," King said. "I found out we have more in common than we have different -- so what are we arguing about? That's the message of the book, really."
"I learned so much from Rich, as Rich said just talking, just talking and listening. He's the most righteous person to be around," Issac said,
Baker: You told so many stories in this book. I wanna know what stories did you leave out?
King: That's a rough one. That's a haymaker question from Ryan Baker.
Baker: That's in the next book.
Rich King is now a two-time author. He actually began is TV career right here at CBS 2 back in 1988 -- working alongside the likes of Johnny Morris and Howard Sudberry -- after many years on WBBM Newsradio. King was kind enough to ask Baker to write a blurb about "Ike and Me," which is on the back cover of the book.
