'Small fry' sizzles as smarty pants ESPN host

Chicago Sun-Times
September 21, 2007

NEIGHBORHOODS
Mark Konkol

At 10, he's ready to take on the NFL - and Jay Mariotti

Jay Mariotti - or at least his eyebrows - has some serious competition on ESPN from a smarty pants 10-year-old from Lake View

Jason Krause is the newest addition to "NFL Countdown," and is a regular Mariotti Mini-Me, except he secretly hopes "no one will hate me."

That might be a tall order for the small fry.

During his first ESPN appearance, Jason ripped on Detroit quarterback Jon Kitna for predicting a 10-win season - "Frankly Kitna, you're no Joe Namath." And even jabbed at fellow ESPN analyst, former NFL star Keyshawn Johnson, by running a clip of Johnson;s best press conference outburst.

"Yeah, I get to diss NFL players . . . It feels good," Jason riffs. "They're big guys and they could kill me, but I'm not afraid. I only diss them for fun. I'm nicer in real life."

But on TV, Jason takes on an "alternate personality" and spits will-rehearsed venom on his pro football targets.

A fifth-grader at the British School of Chicago in Andersonville, Jason scored the commentator gig after appearing on ESPN's "My Wish" with his twin sister Dani, a brain cancer survivor who got a skating lesson from Michelle Kwan.

The way Jason tells it, ESPN "higher ups" enjoyed footage of his ad-lib interview about Dani's recovery so much they decreed, "Get me that kid."

And "Taking it to the House with Jason Krause" was born.

Around the house - there's no doubt about it - Jason is a ham. If this sports commentator business doesn't work out, he wants to be an actor, or maybe a rock star.

He sings AC/DC covers in a rock band, and had a role in the school play, Shakespeare's "Much Ado About Nothing." He plays saxophone and is a pro at Wii bowling. His favorite subject is "PE" and he plays soccer, baseball, tennis and flag football.

"I'm just a kid, sometimes referred to as small fry," he says.

And yes, he's a Bears fan.

"But about Rex Grossman," Jason says. "He needs to be taller . . . And maybe not throw so many interceptions."

With opinions like that, Mariotti says the kid's off to a great start, which worries him a bit.

"It's great to see that we've spawned an entire generation of sports opinion makers," Mariotti says. "The kid comes firing. I'm worried for my job. The kid's going to take it. I'm usually the young guy, now I'm feeling old."