Talk Radio Bashing

As someone who has been a West Coaster my entire life I can't really judge, but is there a difference between sports talk in different parts of the country. I'm not talking about content, figure that varies by region, but in terms of overall vibe. Out here most sports talk shows don't take sports all that seriously. They'll talk about the local team with the same passion that they do their last meal at a good restaurant, they don't pile on they hyperbole, they realize life will go on. Sometimes we'll get someone from somewhere else and they just don't catch on.
I ask because I think of someone like JT the Brick who does overnights on FSR - he's from the East Coast, very passionate, talks about sports like its a religion and I always turn to something else when he's on.

 

I don't know how better to say this, so: Yes. Chicago, New York, Boston and -- foremost -- Philadelphia, in paricular, produce some loud, angry and way-too-passionate hosts.

 

I'll listen to Van Pelt and his partner. They aren't horrible.

Locally, the shows are so much about pimping sponsors, they almost all border on unbearable. I understand the need to pimp a sponsor, but every mention of a game on TV doesn't mean you have to mention your sponsor that sells TVs and you don't have to remind people of your favorite sushi bar even 60 seconds.

 

You must not listen to ESPN 1000. The Score can be great, especially Lawrence Holmes and Boors and Bernstein, but ESPN 1000 is terrible.

 

here in South Florida's sports talk radio is intolerable. lebatard, at times, is ok when he gets on a roll but his show overall is awful. i've lived here for 7 1/2 years and never heard anything good. i used to occasionally listen to warren cromartie but only for the train wreck effect - just to hear the lunacy he would spew.

i listen to podcasts of Kornheiser. i've always liked him even though people my dad's age are more of his target demo. i know he's definitely not for everyone but i like that he doesn't go too heavy on the sports stuff. i guess it could be considered strange sometimes that i know the weather forecast for washington, d.c., better than i know the forecast in my own hometown (because i don't listen to local radio anymore) and i know more about the d.c. city council than my own town's politics but i'm fine with that weird disconnect. their talk about d.c. politics, d.c. weather, d.c. traffic, etc., makes it all the more entertaining in that it's like they're talking about something fictional as opposed to discussing things that impact my own life.

occasionally i listen to my old hometown's stations on my iphone's iheartradio app.

the only time i've ever watched tv news is when i had to for my job. this was more than a decade ago when i had to monitor local newscasts while working the desk when i was still in journalism. i've probably watched about 20 minutes of local news, excluding hurricane coverage, in the last 7 1/2 years.

 

People get over yourselves. I liken this to snobs who like the short stories and books over the movies that are made out of them. Congrats on how much smarter you are than everyone else.

No, I do not like Jim Rome. But I listen to WFAN in NYC all the time and while Mike Francesa is arrogant, it's a terrific show, especially if you are a fan of the team's they talk about. I find a lot of local shows on ESPN radio are also very good.

Does Cowherd annoy me? Yes, there's a smartness factor missing there. The show lacks deep thinking, frankly, Cowherd's show is simple. But, Greenberg and Golic are good listens early morning during NFL season at least.

It's bar room stuff and it gives fans a forum to vent and have a group hug after a loss.

 

Chicago of course had a tradition to live up to: the original "Sports Writers On TV" show in the 1980s (there was a radio version too).

WSCR in the late 80s to mid 90s was usually pretty listenable. Generally pretty intelligent and not too much of the lowest-common-denominator fratboy snark which has overrun the entire genre in the last 15 years or so.

Now in most cities it's a bunch of "Morning Zoos" and fake-macho fratboy nutscratchers trying to out-shout each other.

 

Galloway and Company.

can't help myself - it's addictive.

 

Is Neil Rogers still on the radio down there? Him and Hank Goldberg used to rack up the suspensions.

There was a time I listened to Neil every day.

 

Apparently Neil passed away last December.

http://www.neilrogers.com/