Philadelphia radio talk show host and MSNBC regular Michael Smerconish says CNN’s Larry King‘s departure reminds him of Bruno Sammartino, the 1970s WWF star who was the “ultimate good guy.”

On Saturday mornings, wrestling was a weekend fix for kids. Nobody got hurt, especially the wrestlers. The stakes are higher in Larry King’s ring. Today’s incarnation is political poison for the country. Elected officials and would-be politicians now take their behavioral cues from TV and radio hosts.

Larry King no longer fit into that equation. His outdated sense of civility and relatively nonpartisan approach made him a dinosaur bound for extinction. Like [Sammartino], the game he helped create has left him behind.

WWF star Bruno Sammartino in his heyday.