Morning Animals

The Morning Animals

Phil Inzinga

He’s the maestro of the Morning Animals as the show’s co-host and executive producer. Phil joined the Morning Animals in 2013. He brings his “humor” and his bizarre love of food to the table for the Sports Animal. Phil was born in Chicago Illinois and barely attended college at Triton Junior College in River Grove Illinois. His radio career took off in 1989. Early on, Phil insisted that Nirvana’s music would be forgotten in a year. When asked about this claim, Phil said: “Trust me, I am never wrong about this sort of thing.” Phil’s radio journey was random at best. He’s been on the air in Illinois, Wisconsin, New Mexico, South Carolina, and Florida. However, Phil says working for the Sports Animal is the highlight of his career and he’s happy to call Oklahoma City home. Aside from the Morning Animals, Phil is an active member with his role in helping the autism community. He has been serving on the board of Autism Oklahoma for over five years. Phil is passionate about autism and continues to help bring awareness to the community. Phil’s son max was diagnosed on the autism spectrum when he was six. Phil is known for his love of Rush songs and his ability to not move for hours at a time. Phil is married to his wife Sharon for over 27 years, despite her protest. They have two children (that Phil is aware of) Max and Maggie. When asked what his favorite thing is about working for the Sports Animal. Phil said, “They give me free coffee.”

Curtis Fitzpatrick

The longest running member of the Morning Animals after joining the show in 2000. Curtis brings his tremendously wide knowledge of sports to the show. Born in Missouri, Curtis spent time in Texas before moving to Oklahoma. Since moving to the Sooner state, Curtis has always called Oklahoma Home. Curtis attended the University of Oklahoma in the 90’s. He majored in broadcast journalism with internships at a television station in Dallas and at AM 640, WWLS. After graduating in 1996, Curtis would join the Sports Animal staff. During his time on the Morning Animals, Curtis would become a household name in Oklahoma sports media. In addition to working for the Sports Animal, Curtis also works as a sports reporter for Fox 25. He covers college football game days and host Fox 25 Sports Sunday. Curtis is married to his wife Stephanie and they have two children. When Curtis isn’t covering the breaking news in Oklahoma sports, he spends time with his family and avoiding phone calls from Phil. Curtis loves a wide variety of music, however, Pearl Jam is his favorite band. When asked what his favorite moment covering sports is, Curtis reference covering the 2012 NBA Finals. He also mentioned covering every OU versus Texas game. His favorite thing about working for the Sports Animal is “getting to play around on the air for a few hours and not take it too seriously.”

Carey Murdock

Carey is the raw unapologetic side of the Morning Animals since joining the team in 2007. He is embedded with all things Oklahoma as he covers the Sooners from all angles. He brings his brash humor to the show adding in just the right amount of sarcasm to the mornings. Carey is a native of Bartlesville Oklahoma and spent time at the University of Oklahoma before making the jump into radio in 2002. Carey also is the owner and publisher of Soonerscoop.com. Sooner Scoop is the largest independent website covering the University of Oklahoma athletics. When Carey isn’t on the radio, he’s getting the facts from OU’s practices and games straight from the source. For over 20 years, Carey has been the name you know and trust when it comes to all things OU athletics. Aside from his duties at the Sports Animal and Sooner Scoop, Carey is an avid vinyl record collector. His collection includes tons of 90’s albums. He also enjoys looking for rare collectors albums and records. It is rumored that Carey was in a garage band in high school called “Crankshaft”. However, we cannot confirm or deny these reports. When Carey was asked about being on the Sports Animal, he referenced growing up with his dad listening to the Animal and now he is part of something that meant so much to him and his dad.

Ron Benton (Spinozi)

Ron or “Spinozi” is a rock-and-roll jock turned sports talk pro. Spinozi’s rants and hot takes on the Morning Animals make him a must listen every morning for those wondering what crazy thing is he going to say next. Ron joined the show in 2013 with Phil Inzinga as they worked together on 96.9 FM. They both add their own mix to the Morning Animals in their own way. Ron made his way to Oklahoma from Baltimore Maryland after attending Catonsville Community College. In 1994, Ron made his way over to KRXO before venturing over to 96.9. Ron has also written a book, pitched it to Oprah, and currently dabbles in real estate. If you’ve ever seen the movie “The Big Lebowski”, you’ll fit right in with Ron and his style. His hobbies outside of radio are “holding down a bar stool at Louie’s Lakeside.” The always-vocal Spinozi has made the national news during his tenure at the Sports Animal. In 2018, Spinozi made a $250 bet that the Oklahoma State Cowboys would win eight games that season. The Cowboys went 6-6 and head coach Mike Gundy cut him a check for the $250. Ron has had some great moments during his time on the Oklahoma radio airwaves. He mentions covering the sideline when OU won the National Championship in 2000. He also talked about his parents getting to meet President Clinton when he went on a goodwill tour with the Governor of Oklahoma following Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building bombing in 1995.

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