Each Glenn Ordway vacation day that goes by this summer that results in WEEI’s Big Show being hosted by Mike Adams or Butch Stearns (although Bob Neumeier is an improvement) leaves me asking the same thing – what happened with Pete Sheppard, and why hasn’t he gotten another job yet?
I wasn’t always the biggest fan of Pete (and vice-versa), but the guy did bring something to the Big Show and WEEI – the perspective of a fan. He didn’t hide the fact that he was a fan of the teams, especially the Patriots. I didn’t like the bully act, or the year he became a “Yankee fan”, but I liked that he genuinely was a fan as well as a radio host. And I miss it.
On the occasions that Ordway was out, and Sheppard was his main backup, the Big Show still worked. Now, when I hear Adams or Stearns in the Dale & Holley crossover, I know that a full afternoon of Felger and Massarotti is on tap.
Since Entercom let Sheppard go earlier this year, he has yet to surface on another radio outlet. Chad Finn’s media column has reported a couple of times about interest between Sheppard and 98.5-FM, but to this date, nothing has happened.
Sheppard’s Facebook account (which I believe is genuine) lists his current profession as Professional Poker Player(for the moment) and his wall lists out the tournament’s he’s been competing in. He also occasionally gives updates on his search for work in the radio field. He posted this last week:
I also wanted to update everyone on my next gig…Things are still being worked on right now, I can tell you all this, I won’t be going to 98.5 The Sports Hub any time soon…I am not going to get into any details because things could change in the future, but as of right now, it’s not happening….In broadcasting, timing is everything lets put it that way..
With so many ex-WEEI personalities (Jon Wallach, Mike Felger, Tony Massarotti, Jerry Trupiano, Ted Sarandis) already on their airwaves, is 98.5 hesitant to put another on?
Pete was strongly associated with WEEI. Could that tie be too much for 98.5 at this point? It would seem to be a silly hangup, but the radio business is a strange one.
Sheppard would be entertaining as a third man in with Felger and Massarotti as the latter two prepare to spend the next six months trashing everything Patriots. He could also be part of the station’s Patriots broadcasts before and after the games.
Whether he ends up on 98.5 or not, Sheppard’s total disappearance from the sports media scene is pretty interesting. With so many TV and Radio outlets, you’d think he’d have appeared somewhere to keep himself in the public eye, but to my knowledge, he hasn’t been around at all.
I do hope we hear Pete Sheppard on the local airwaves again, and soon.
