Comments on: Shhh…Don’t Tell Anyone, But The SportsHub Launches Tomorrow – UPDATED

By: DandC NeedToGoAway

DandC NeedToGoAway — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 05:30:34 +0000

The only reason that WEEI’s D&C are as popular as they are, is for the simple reason that they’ve had a monopoly on the morning-drive, sports-talk market in the Greatest Sports Town in the country. If you put Mikey Adams in that same time slot, he would undoubtedly have grotesquely inflated numbers, as well. D&C’s tired act has run its course and I think people have been looking for an alternative for quite some time now. They were able to maintain their ratings because a sports fan’s desire to hear sports-talk radio often trumps a person’s desire to not be aggravated by their morning commute radio hosts. But now that there’s an alternative, it’s just a matter of time before word gets out and the Hub puts up a decent fight… let’s hope.

By: mandb97

mandb97 — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 20:18:49 +0000

I agree with you Jason. I have been pleasantly surprised with the line-up, including Toucher and Rich who I freely thought had no chance. Well I am going to be listening to them far more than D&C. They are doing fine with the transition.

I have had only two minor issues. Amendolara, who I agree has been very good, has a bit of a tendency to repeat himself. He was talking about the Rick Pitino situation and kept repeating, “What if you were Tim Syphor and were asked by Pitino I need a favor?” He said the same thing over and over for 15 minutes straight. But in a five hour show that is very good that is small potatoes. The other issue is that I had no idea who was on after Jerry Trupiano until the replacement was actually on the air. It was Holden Kushner who is very good.

T&Z are able to hold their own against D&H and I will definitely be listening to Mike and Mazz over Ordway. Both shows are sports talk not sports shouting.

As an aside, I may be the only one who listened to Mustard and Johnson but I have noticed that they have toned down their act immensely. There is not a lot of screaming or stupidity on the air. It was actually pretty tolerable. O’kay let me have it.

By: Jason Coyote

Jason Coyote — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 14:18:14 +0000

I understand your criticism Corbin, but I think you have to look beyond the names working at the SportsHub and go straight to style.

If you prefer to hear a sports radio station where actual dialogue takes place between semi-intelligent callers and the hosts (as opposed to incoherent shouting, belitting or talking over callers and co-hosts), then 98.5 is worth the listen.

This is all about having choices, and you’ve already seen that EEI has made changes in response, like shortening their ‘I can squeeze in a chapter or two of War & Peace’-length commercial breaks.

Before ripping Amendolara, listen to one of his shows some night. I can guarantee you he knows more about the current Boston sports teams than D&C and the Big O combined.

By: Corbin

Corbin — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 07:58:57 +0000

I’d love to see 98.5 The Sports Hub make a go of it, but this isn’t the line-up that’s going to do it. Dennis & Callahan (and John Mediocre-parel) are a dog-n-pony show, but when they have to talk sports, they have the clear advantage over Toucher & Rich. Dale & Holley are ten times better than Gary Tanguay and Scott Zolak. What is 98.5 going to call that show, the Retread and the Retard? I mean, Tanguay is the sports hack that wouldn’t die and Zolak has made more out of carrying a clipboard and the starting QB’s jock than any human-being should have a right to. Felger’s a terrific talent to try and build an afternoon drive program around, but he’s saddled with “Squeaky” Massarotti. As for Amendolara, you’re not going to win-over Beantown sports fans by importing a New Yorker by way of Miami. At best, he’ll be a wash against Mike “Hey Kids, I’m a Walking Advertisement to Just Say No to Drugs” Adams. Just perusing the line-ups for both stations makes you wonder how it is that some people land, let alone hold, a job in broadcasting. Mediocre-parel, Meat-head Shepard, Tanguay, Zolak, “The Big Zero” Ordway, “Squeaky Massarotti and Mike “Bongwater” Adams are all talentless knuckle-draggers and/or humorless dweebs who fancy themselves comedians but wouldn’t know funny if it bit them in the ass. When some of the most entertaining content on either station is being turned-in by the brain-dead dopes dialing into the Whiner Line, you know you’re in trouble. Unfortunately for the listening audience, Boston sports radio has been shaped by the “taste” (or, lack thereof) of Jason “Yes, I have incriminating photos of Entercom higher-ups” Wolf, a cretin whose only taste is in his mouth.

By: raccoonradio

raccoonradio — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 13:47:29 +0000

>>The talk of the day on sports radio

ah good! Thanks.

By: Frank

Frank — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 01:34:42 +0000

That’s right, it’s stress free. Why would I listen to someone who’s just going to aggravate me? It’s not like they’ll be breaking news, they’re giving their opinion, and I don’t care to hear it.

By: raccoonradio

raccoonradio — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 19:36:48 +0000

Perhaps time to change the following category description on the BSMW forum: “The talk of the day on WEEI… (Sometimes some other topics as well)”

There are other stations besides WEEI these days…

By: Jason Coyote

Jason Coyote — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 16:45:09 +0000

Agree with you, Pat. You know Roche is just dying to do a baseball show on the SportsHub, but given that Trupiano is already getting a weekend show, I’m not sure there’s room for another (I’m assuming Trupiano’s show will be highly baseball-oriented).

We all have to remember this is a ‘soft open’. I believe between now and Sept. 14 (the Pats regular season opener) the higher-ups will try to gauge what works and what doesn’t and adjust accordingly. I am fairly certain the Ch. 4 guys like Roche and Burton will find their way into the mix in some capacity.

I bet you’ll hear Roche filling in on Tanguay & Zolak on the weekdays the Pats play preseason games because those two will be on the pregame show.

Although Burton doesn’t appear on EEI every Friday, he has appeared on most Fridays of late, and the fact he’s not a guest on today’s Big Show could be telling.

By: Pat

Pat — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 13:52:40 +0000

Why they haven’t incorporated Rochie into the lineup is crazy. Rochie has knowledge and class and insight. Prior to his TV years he worked in radio. I use to listen to him doing his sports talk show on WBZ AM. Solid.

By: Jack Edwards

Jack Edwards — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 12:47:59 +0000

Completely agree. There was a rare good point being made and Tanguay interrupted to ask Dan Roche, who was doing a live shot, how he liked the new station. It was like high school radio. Gresh seems to know what he’s talking about but he usually just plays the role of buffoon, with fake guffaw laughter and everything.