Yoi and Double Yoi

I am now convinced that God has a great sense of humor, after He welcomed Myron Cope and William F. Buckley Jr. into His kingdom on the same day. Some would say that Buckley, true to form, headed in the other direction, but that's a discussion for another time.

It's seemingly unbelievable that two men who seemed so different, and died on the same day, had so much in common. Both made their mark in the world as writers before becoming famous in radio and television.

Both were seen as icons in their chosen areas of expertise. Both received praise for creating a singular icon of a major social movement; Buckley the National Review, Cope the Terrible Towel.

Both men were so unique in their manner of speech and vocabulary that they were instantly recognizable on radio or TV. The videos below illustrate this well.

Growing up in Pittsburgh gives me a little bit of a cultural bias toward beloved broadcasters like Cope, the late Bob Prince, and Mike Lange, who after 34 years is still calling Penguins games.

In my imagination I'm seeing Myron Cope as the first guest on an Almighty-sponsored edition of Firing Line. It might not last long...

Buckley: "It's symptomatic of a sociological archetype that undermines the fabric of esoteric intellectual criticism all around the world.."

Cope: Mm-Hah, what is zat ya dumkopf, Yoi and Double Yoi! Go Big Ben!

The differences were stark, the men unique, so much so that they will likely remain in our memories long after their passing yesterday.

Agree with them or not, love 'em or hate 'em, we will certainly miss 'em. Here's a blast from the past: