Talk Radio Bashing

[Turtle Wexler]

I think most of the Chicago sports talk is outstanding. Nothing like the Francessa stereotype at all. Very informed. Very smart. Very little cheerleading or gratuitous/uninformed bashing. I consider us lucky.

I agree, there's a lot of good radio in Chicago.

But there's also ManCow, which tarnishes the city's radio reputation.

 

[Batman]

Agreed with Brian: I avoid national shows (ESPN Radio, Fox Sports, whatever the heck Sporting News Radio is calling itself this week) like the plague, since most hosts seem to get no closer to a stadium/arena than their TV.

On the national level, Steve Czaban and Jim Rome stand out. Their shows are just ... different. Not the same crap you hear on every other channel for 21 hours a day. Just a different vibe to the show.
And, yes, I know Rome falls into the "it's all about me" routine way too often, but at least his show has a little different format.
There's a few other good ones, but you have to really dig through a mountain of turds to find the diamonds.

 

[Ben_Hecht]

Like anything else, some sports talk radio is and can be very good. Some break the occasional news, have solid staffs of experienced people with contacts, add the conversation in a useful way.

And many don't. Part of this revolves about corporate ownership have little interest in providing the kind of resources necessary to put on a full-bodied program. And part of it revolves around this notion of "well, we're not really journalists" as if journalism came with a professional license. These shows go to media days. They conduct interviews. They read news items. They just prefer not to be held to a useful standard, so they fall back on the "there is no standard except ratings" entertainment BS.

In my experience, many radio shows are hosted by intelligent, talented people with a comedic sensibility who are stuffed to the brim with narcissism and self-loathing, and use the show as a means of working that out. Unlike an standup audience, which can withhold approval if a comic isn't on his/her game, and talk show host can craft his/her audience with nothing but "sophisticated sycophants" and "idiot detractors." On the rare occasion that a sophisticated detractor sneaks through or a talk show host is suddenly held to a standard, boy, stand back and just wait for the wrath and bloviating to commence.

I know it's harsh and judgmental to say that the radio guy generally has to see himself and be seen as the smartest/funniest guy in the room, but when your audience is that microphone, and the creative process involves some former athlete "yes man" next to you, I can see how and why it happens. The highs and lows of those folks is startling.

Damn . . . lot of truth in that.

 

[playthrough]

Local sports talk in my neck of the woods is just OK, but it still beats the living heck out of Mike & Mike.

 

[Versatile]

I don't listen or bash, unless someone asks me why I don't listen.

 

[Clerk Typist]

I think most of the Chicago sports talk is outstanding. Nothing like the Francessa stereotype at all. Very informed. Very smart. Very little cheerleading or gratuitous/uninformed bashing. I consider us lucky.

I agree, there's a lot of good radio in Chicago.

But there's also ManCow, which tarnishes the city's radio reputation.

Not sure about that. He's on an 760-watt daytimer in the suburbs. That says something positive about the other 50 or so stations, does it not?

 

[BillyT]

See, I like talk radio as long as they are not being lewd or obscene.

Friday morning's David Stern interview made Mike & Mike quite worth listening to.

 

[jr/shotglass]

It's not black and white, of course. Not ALL sports talk radio is bad, non-informational. And some is.

 

[Football_Bat]

Agreed with Brian: I avoid national shows (ESPN Radio, Fox Sports, whatever the heck Sporting News Radio is calling itself this week) like the plague, since most hosts seem to get no closer to a stadium/arena than their TV.

On the national level, Steve Czaban and Jim Rome stand out. Their shows are just ... different. Not the same crap you hear on every other channel for 21 hours a day. Just a different vibe to the show.
And, yes, I know Rome falls into the "it's all about me" routine way too often, but at least his show has a little different format.
There's a few other good ones, but you have to really dig through a mountain of turds to find the diamonds.

Rome's humor and how he would play off the "clones" was outstanding 15 years ago. The humor went away when he retired his fax machine.

 

[MTM]

I listen all the time. Fortunately living in SoCal, and with satellite radio, there are a lot of options.
Still love Rome and can tolerate Cowherd and Patrick most of the time.
Fox is unlistenable. Compared to Pat O'Brien, no other host on radio has any ego at all. Add Vic Jacobs to the mix, and my ears bleed when they are on.
I've grown to enjoy Petros and Money, but can see how many would hate them, too.
Mike North replacing Tony Bruno at night is a definite downgrade.

 

[DanOregon]

Loose Cannons was really bad before O'Brien joined up and now they all seem to acknowledge that they all kind of suck.

Petros and Money is good radio. They both realize there is a world outside of sports, it's well produced and you don't get the impression that either of them are trying to prove anything.

 

[Lieslntx]

Jim Rome is the one show I cannot stand to listen to. Ever.