By Jeff Moss
March 8, 2012
DetroitSportsRag@gmail.com
As many of you know from my constant reminders on this website, I am an atheist who constantly mocks the religious for what I perceive to be their childlike beliefs.
But even though I laugh hysterically at the thought of an omnipotent deity, I WAS born Jewish which to me is as much an ethnicity as it is a religion. I know a lot of my fellow Jews despise that line of thinking and believe it is anti-Semitic when coming from a gentile.
So while I am accused of being a militant non-believer, deep down I can’t outrun my heritage. (Well, maybe in two months when I am back down to 180 pounds thanks to my diet, but not right now.)
Anyway, as someone with Jewish heritage, it always upsets me when Hebrews are in the news for doing bad stuff. This goes all the way back to ancient times when the “Chosen People” were accused of killing Jesus.
It continues to this day which is why I cringe when a Bernie Madoff rips off half of the East Coast for billions or Jeff Riger opens his mouth on the radio or when Ron Perlman’s character in “Drive” demands that Albert Brooks (Einstein) murder Tim Whatley, DDS.
There is just something genetically passed on through my fellow mishbukah from generation to generation where we somehow feel ashamed when a fellow Jew does wrong. Michael Rosenberg’s continued existence on this planet would be another fine example of this guilt.
So you can imagine the absolute horror I felt when I received an email from a Saginaw reader of the DortSpurtRig alerting me to the religious persuasion of a particular newcomer to the Detroit sports media scene.
The missive informed me that WDFN program director and third trimester abortion of a talk show host, Eric “Dance All Night” Chase could be mentioned in Adam Sandler’s next rendition of the “Chanukah Song.”
And how did this DSR follower KNOW that Chase was a member of the tribe and potentially had a bris and a Bar Mitzvah? Well, I guess this emailer lived in Sagnasty with Chase a few years ago.
Now, I was obviously dubious about this claim because as far as I know, THERE HAS NEVER BEEN A SINGLE JEWISH PERSON WHO HAS EVER RESIDED IN SAGINAW!!! Like ….EVER. That might even extend to ALL of Saginaw County
So, I had to do a little research and eventually I discovered that Chase was born in the Philadelphia area. Now, this was starting to make a little more sense as there is a large corned beef on rye eating community in the greater Philly area.
(Although, I should have known SOMETHING was up during that YouTube tour of his office when I noticed that mezuzah which was lodged in between that Tracy McGrady baseball bat and his artist rendering of Ultra Magnus. Not to mention the yamulke mixed in with his dirty gym clothes.)
But here is the news that rocked me to the core. Eric Chase isn’t really Eric Chase at all. Like many other Jewish people throughout the last few centuries of persecution, the Dance DJ took a stage name instead of the more “Jewy” sounding one his parents gave him.
(Full Disclosure: If my grandfather didn’t do something similar, my columns would be called Friday Morning Moscovitzisms instead of Mossisms. And yeah, save the Fievel jokes, I’ve heard ‘em all.)
So what is Eric Chase’s REAL NAME?
[DRUMROLL PLEASE ……………………………………..]
His virtual, perpetual and digital name is …… Aric Weisberg.
I guess at some point Aric Weisberg decided that African-American Top 40 listeners didn’t want to hear records by Pitbull, Wiz Khalifa and Rihanna spun by a guy who sounded like he should be their accountant or podiatrist.
But I am not sure upon his return to Michigan (where he has completely sucked the remaining life out of 1130) why he didn’t go back to that moniker. While Jews aren’t usually known for techno beats, they sure are identified with blabbering about sports. Present company included.
Anyway, thanks to my Saginaw tipster for this valuable information. One only knows how this breaking news will alter the ongoing “Worst Detroit Sports Media Personality” tourney where Weisberg is a dangerous three seed.
Now, you will have to excuse me while I go jam to some Matisyahu tunes and down some borscht.