ESPN loses a...well, a terrible one.

Gottlieb has always been a terrible broadcaster, almost as annoying as Cowherd.

 

Thirded. There are a few others on the mothership who I would rate ahead of him, including Cowherd. But can't stand watching/listening to Gottlieb.

 

Sorry, but if you're making a list of ESPN Douche Bags.

1. You're gonna need a bigger boat.
2. The list has to start with Berman, Bayless and Steven A. Smith. Build from there.

 

Perhaps. I know you follow college hoops a lot more religiously than I do. I did respect the fact that he was hesitant last year to go all-in on the Indiana bandwagon even when it was the feel-good story of the year. Even though he was eventually proven wrong.

 

I am the oddball in that I think Cowherd and Gottlieb are the only two people I can listen to on that network. I think it is a major loss for ESPN but I am not sure if this CBS radio venture will fly. I think this is a "money grab" for Doug. He will get paid handsomely and then return to Bristol in a few years.

Gottlieb has never backed away from the ND fiasco and I respect that.

Tony Bruno may be past his era but the Bruno/Chuck Wilson/Peter Brown grouping on ESPN weekends in the mid 1990s was the Dan n Keith of sports radio.

The lack of must listen shows on ESPN Radio shows how difficult truly captivating sports talk radio is. Some think a big name is enough. Ever listen to Mike Tirico, Bonnie Bernstein, James Brown, Tim Brando? Horrible listens. Give me a no name with some strong opinions and actual life experience outside of sports.

 

More on the CBS Sports Radio network, from SoCalMediaWatch

http://socalmediawatch.blogspot.com/

The speculation continues after CBS announced a flip of another major market music FM to sports - how long before the trend hits here? Atlanta is the latest stop for the format, giving CBS nine markets (Atlanta, Boston, Baltimore, Cleveland, Dallas, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Tampa and Washington D.C.) where the format is either already on-air or coming soon to FM. The company now has a total of 19 sports stations. The new CBS Sports Radio Network (in partnership with Cumulus) begins in January and is planned for almost every major market except... Who draws the short straw, Jack-FM or KLOS? (all access)

 

Make it four. Gottlieb personifies the worst qualities of talk radio, in my opinion, because he uses the show as his solo pulpit to inflict his opinions on the listener. There's no nuance, no discussion, no thought, just knee-jerk reaction.

Maybe I'm in the minority, but I've always thought sports talk radio is at its best when there are multiple people behind the mic and the listener feels as though he's listening to a thought-provoking conversation.

Kornheiser did it well with his merry gang (Andy Polley, Denis Horgan, Liz Clarke), though I've admittedly lost track of his show since its disappearance from XM. The Olbermann-Patrick hour on ESPN Radio a few years ago was gold. Even the current reincarnation of Patrick's show somewhat approaches my standard for conversation, and I even felt better educated when I listened to Tirico and Van Pelt. The XM college sports guys work well in pairs, too, whether it's Mark Packer and Rick Neuheisel/Houston Nutt/Dan Hawkins/Randy Cross or Jack Arute and one of those ex-coaches.

But what I simply can't stand is one voice behind the mic preaching to me and firing off his unchecked opinions. That includes Cowherd, Gottlieb and their ilk.

 

I, too, like the conversationalists. And it can be done with one person, if that one person is good enough to pull it off.

But with both Gottlieb and Cowherd, it seemed like they act like they are speaking to the unwashed, idiot masses and educating their listeners on what they should think, because there's no way their audience is at all smart enough to think for themselves. And God forbid if anyone calls in with an opinion that (gasp) differs from theirs.

Didn't Gottlieb get into it with a coach a couple years back after pointing out some of the coach's players were engaged in some less-than-honest behavior? I seem to remember the coach bringing up Gottlieb's past at Notre Dame and asking who the hell he is to pass judgment on anyone, and Gottlieb swinging back a little bit. Maybe it was all in my imagination.

 

That was where Bruno said he would walk from Bristol to Syracuse if the Orange made the Final Four in 1996, which they did.

 

Braymore gets more unspeakable by the day -- and I frankly didn't believe that was possible.

 

Stuff like this is why I no longer bother with sports talk radio. I can get just as much sitting around a bar or living room talking with a butcher, a baker and a candlestick maker.