This is part of a continuing series of Q&A’s and chats with GMs in my fantasy league. In this one, I ask Zack Cooper of the FAN 590 about the radio biz, the dirt on Eric Smith and Jack Armstrong, his passion for the Toronto Raptors, and more.

You mentioned that you weren’t happy with your fantasy basketball team. How come?

I broke one of the first rules of Fantasy sports… in that, I’ve relied too much on rookies, and put way too much weight on guards, especially with the uncertainty that is the lower body of Al Jefferson.  Seeing Jamal Crawford play only 14 minutes in Atlanta’s season opener was downright frightening… Word that Anthony Randolph WILL get the start in GSW is encouraging, but I think I’ve got too many youngsters overall.  Oh, and I’m relying on the disgruntled former-Capt. Jack for a good chunk of my scoring.  See you in the cellar fellas, and lady (What up, Nat!?).

Tell me about “Got Game.” Was it hard to get a show about video games put on a sports radio station?

I’d like to say that “Got Game” is my baby… but sadly, I can only claim that I take care of it.  I’ve played video games all my life, and the opportunity to talk about both sports and gaming on the radio is an absolute blessing.  The show started up about 6 months ago, growing from Bryan Calhoun’s blog, to the epic 60 minute show that changes weekend time slots as frequently as Shaq misses free throws.  Yes, I understand that video games on a sports radio station might not be top-peg material… but we’ve got a wonderful and loyal fanbase that can thankfully follow along via podcast (available on our blog at fan590.com and on iTunes).

Gamers, hit me up on both PSN and XBL: I’m ZCooperstown (just like on twitter).

I like your bio on FAN590.com (”I’d prefer to pick up two assists than score a goal … anyday” — a man after my own heart). Could you tell me more about the series of events that led you to radio and The FAN 590?

My radio career has spanned about 8.5 years now.  I started off writing news for 680NEWS just before the tragic events of 9/11.  Needless to say, as a 20 year old getting into the biz, it was a great time for me to professionally cut my teeth.  Watching the best do their best under dire, ever-changing, circumstances was eye-opening and enlightening.  It’s certainly somewhat sad that a newsroom feeds off tragedy, and it’s partly that… along with love, and luck, that brought me to The FAN590.

The grind of news, traffic, weather, and entertainment reporting was starting to make me cabin-crazy (long, strange, hours of downright depressing info – and I’m not just talking about the weather here).  Thankfully, the Big Red Corporate Machine (Rogers) took over The FAN a handful of years ago.  When they needed overnight coverage for the Athens games, I stepped up… apparently impressed enough to get more opportunities… and I’ve been growing as a broadcaster ever since.  Hosting shows, reporting from Raptors games/practices (my true passion), and doing the updates have been fulfilling… but I’m curious about what’s next.

You indicated that you’re a newlywed. How does married life work with your FAN 590 shifts? I assume you have odd hours.

I did just get married in July.  Thanks for inquiring.  Life at home is great.  When I get me some life.  I assure you, the most difficult part of my job is not watching sports.  It’s balancing the hours of work with the elusiveness of leisure time with the lady.

Like a lot of people involved in sports broadcasting, my hours are pretty damn loopy.  I’ll go from working an evening shift, which will sometimes end at 2 or 3 in the AM, to coming back to the station about 6 hours later for another go-round.  It’s tough… but as long as the lady can tolerate it, so can I.

Got any dirt on Eric Smith and Jack Armstrong? What are they really like?

I can honestly say that what you hear is what you get with both Eric and Jack.  Sometimes, whether it be TV or radio, certain “personas” might not match that individual… but those two are pretty genuine.  As for dirt… can’t say I’ve got much on them. Oh, except you know how Jack comes off like he doesn’t tweet? …not true.  He’s actually up to 34,980 tweets (as of Friday at 5:52pm), as RaptorJack.

…Actually, that’s a lie.  I’m sorry.  @RaptorJack is apparently some dude who hails from Guilherme, Rentroia.  That’s not him.

What do you think of E’s obsession with bringing the NBA back to Vancouver?

I think Eric’s hopes of a return to Vancity is well-founded.  Clearly that disastrous Grizzlies team wasn’t going to draw many fans… but times have changed and the game has grown immensely north of the border since.  It’s a beautiful city (which I used to visit at least once a year), with fantastic, passionate, people… and they deserve something more than just the Canucks, Lions (seriously, do any of you watch the CFL?), and the WHL.

Who are your favourite Raptor(s) on this season’s squad, and why?

I’m not gonna lie… I’m pretty stoked to see what DeMar DeRozan can bring this season.  He’s obviously got the flash-factor, with game-changing dunks and block-ability… so there’s that… I’m a big fan of Jarrett Jack, and what I’ve learned about him as a person.  He’s the kind of guy who seems like he can keep a locker room together through tough times.  I’ve also got to admit that I wasn’t sold on Antoine Wright, but speaking to the guy has me buying what he’s selling.  The guy’s grown a lot in his short time in the game.  I could keep going, because with this team… there are a lot of solid guys.  But I’m gonna stick with the newbies for now.

You said your true passion is reporting on the Raptors. Any hopes or plans for expanding that career-wise?

There are a lot of ideas that float around in my brain… but given the economic uncertainty of the times, I’m trying to keep things practical and realistic.  You never know what lies ahead… but for right now, let’s just say that I’m hoping to do more of the same.  However… play by play would be a dream come true.

I have no video game system currently. Which one would you recommend?

If you don’t have a system, and you’re looking at getting in on the game… first off, what the hell kept you?  But more importantly… if you could only have one, I’d say go with the PS3.  It’s more technologically savvy, the top-quality exclusives have seemingly swayed Sony’s way… Either way, you’ll be in good shape… but with games like Uncharted 2 (and its unbelievable predecessor), Infamous, Little Big Planet… and that thing called a Blu-ray player, my vote goes to PS3.

NBA Live or NBA 2K, and why?

2K all the way.  Graphics, fluidity, presentation, realism… it’s all there.  Live got much closer this year (with a great ball-handling mechanic), but you can’t go wrong with 2K10.

Thanks, Zack, for answering my questions. Let’s see where we’re at when we meet in our league’s Week 10.

Remember to check out “Got Game,” and follow Zack on Twitter.

Previous Rappings:

• Eric Koreen of the National Post
• Raps Fan of Raptors Republic