Legendary sports radio host Bob McCown is recovering after he suffered two strokes last month, leading to his hospitalization. While he was under intense medical care, McCown communicated with fans through Twitter and updated them of his status. Two weeks ago, he was released from Trillium Hospital in Mississauga, Ontario and is continuing his rehabilitation at home, including gradually improving his speech and motor skills.
McCown, 71, currently hosts his own podcast on the BetRivers Network. He made a long-awaited, yet momentary appearance on the show on Monday to update the audience on his status. Fill-in hosts John Shannon and Dave Hodge asked McCown about how he was doing, and clearly wanted to ensure that his speech would be discernible before talking.
“I know my voice isn’t 100% yet,” McCown said. “I just hope you can understand most of what I have to say.”
When he described what happened, McCown emphasized the severity of the situation and how strenuous the recovery process has been. He went on to convey how there were times in the hospital when he could not talk or walk, circumstances that have both changed in the ensuing weeks. McCown is currently able to walk with a cane and is participating in speech therapy as he works to clear the hurdles toward a return.
“This is a horrible thing,” McCown stated. “I didn’t appreciate how difficult it was, and I know it’s different for everybody.”
McCown iwas the host of the popular afternoon show, Prime Time, while he was with Sportsnet 590 The Fan in Toronto. During his podcast appearance, he discussed the state of the Toronto Blue Jays and thanked everyone for their continued support and well-wishes throughout this process, calling it “unbelievable,” and hopes to be back on the air soon.
“A lot of what has happened to me has been new, but one thing that the stroke didn’t really affect was my brain,” McCown said. “My brain knows what to do; it just has to teach my body how to do it again.”
