Harry Teinowitz, part of ESPN 1000’s popular ‘Mac, Jurko and Harry’ show in 2000s, dies at 64

Harry Teinowitz, part of the popular “Mac, Jurko and Harry” show that aired from 2001 to ’09 on ESPN 1000, has died at 64.

Teinowitz had a liver transplant within the last two years, and he suffered from heart and liver problems.

His ESPN 1000 show, aka the “Afternoon Saloon,” was a hit, drawing big ratings and making the station a viable competitor to The Score, which had launched nine years before.

In fact, “Mac, Jurko and Harry” — Dan McNeil, John Jurkovich and Teinowitz — often dominated in afternoons, with listeners likely wondering what might spark the show’s next feud. McNeil and Teinowitz were polar opposites, which led to several on-air incidents. Nevertheless, the trio’s banter was wildly entertaining.

Teinowitz’s first appearance on Chicago sports radio came on The Score, where he made football picks on Tom Shaer’s morning show. A comedian at heart, Teinowitz put a spin on picking games that no one had, and it launched his career in the industry.

He also appeared on WLUP-FM (97.9), with Jonathon Brandmeier and Danny Bonaduce, and WGN-AM (720). He also had his own fantasy football show, “Fantasy Football Island,” on ESPN 1000.

In November 2021, Teinowitz debuted his first play, “When Harry Met Rehab,” which he wrote with his first radio partner, Spike Manton. The show, which Teinowitz called “a comedy that takes sobriety seriously,” took audiences through his eight weeks in rehab.

Teinowitz grew up around horse racing thanks to his father, Philip, who owned four horses that ran in the Kentucky Derby. Philip died in 2019 at 92.

But Harry didn’t ride a horse until 2009, when he tried to race Jurovich at Hawthorne Race Course. It didn’t end well. Unable to stop the horse, Teinowitz tried to dismount in motion and ended up in intensive care. He considered himself lucky.