Bronx comedian hosts Sports Salsa

Bronx comedian hosts Sports Salsa

A Bronx comedian who made a name for himself on Spanish-language radio as the Borikua Kid is back in broadcasting with a new Latino sports show on Bronxnet public access television.

The program, called Sports Salsa, deals with topics of interest to Latinos as well as non-Latinos in term of the politics and culture of sports, and is a multi-lingual take on past and present sporting issues with a comedic bent.

According to host and creator Herbert Quinones, who is the veteran of over 20 years of stand up and sketch comedy, the show filters current sports events, incidents, and issues through a fan’s perspective. The effort combines Quinones’ love of comedy with his passion for sports.

“I am definitely a sports fan, so the show is really the merging of two loves,” Quinones said. “My goal is for everyone to get interested in the topics the show covers, even though my hook is the Spanish-language audience.”

Quinones is currently producing the forth episode of the show, which will feature an interview with Daniel Quintero, the current director of the Kips Bay Boys and Girls club who followed his dream of playing professional baseball all the way to the AAA-league with the Kansas City Royals organization.

Previous shows have dealt with Latino Sports – a company that specializes exclusively in sports collectables which feature the contributions of Hispanic athletes, the campaign to officially retire Roberto Clemente’s number 21 across Major League Baseball, and whether professional wrestling is really a sport.

“Ever since I took the show to Bronxnet, they have been airing it, and our third show is ready for viewing,” Quinones said. “I hope to someday get the show on a major network – like Univision, which was recently purchased by NBC.”

The Syracuse University graduate said that he began to hone his comedic skills by telling jokes to his friends while he was growing up on the Upper West Side. He was first inspired to try comedy when he heard a Richard Pryor record and became hooked on the comedian’s irreverent humor. As a student at Syracuse University, he first did stand up and sketch comedy and his career as a comedian quickly took off from there.

Quinones also works as a consoler and director of a media program that raises awareness about the danger of HIV and AIDS, as well as other sexually transmitted diseases, at the New York Harm Reduction Educators at 953 Southern Boulevard. The Connecticut School of Broadcasting graduate produces short films about the dangers of unprotected sex and other related topics.

“I want people to check out the show on Bronxnet,” Quinones said. “If they like it, they should call the station and request that it be aired more often.”

Bronxnet broadcasts on cable channels 67 through 70.