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Pete Sheppard Speaks Out

February 22, 2011 By

In a Facebook chat yesterday, former (and future?)  WEEI personality Pete Sheppard spoke out about his experiences dealing with 98.5 The SportHub program director Mike Thomas, saying that Thomas will not return his calls, and has even banned Sheppard from doing commercial voice-overs on the station.

Shunned Sheppard launches Facebook fury - Jessica Heslam has more on the chat.

Sheppard also said that he has had conversations with WEEI program director Jason Wolfe recently, though nothing seems to be on the verge of happening.

The Celtics return from the All Star break tonight with a game in Oakland against the Golden State Warriors.

Making the 18th Green - Steve Bulpett has 18 keys to the Celtics winning their 18th banner.

Green still have a ways to go - Gary Washburn has the Celtics focused on a stronger second half to the season than what we saw last season.

Celtics, Rockets deal for Battier not happening - For about an hour last night, Twitter was buzzing over a Marc Stein report that the Celtics were talking to the Rockets about swingman Shane Battier. A. Sherrod Blakely says the deal isn’t happening.

Battier, of course, would be an absolute perfect fit for the Celtics right now, but their lack of trade chips makes a deal virtually impossible for them to make. Julian Benbow looks at the Celtics needs for healthy bodies.

Kevin Garnett won’t change his style - Jackie MacMullan has a look at the swagger that KG brings to the Celtics.

Doc planning to keep Shaquille O’Neal off the court - Mark Murphy’s Herald notebook has the Celtics coach planning on sitting Shaq for this entire West coast trip.

Red Sox lineup cards all on the table - Ron Borges, John Tomase, Steve Buckley and Scott Lauber each try to figure out the best starting lineup for the Red Sox.

How David Ortiz might find life against lefties - Rob Bradford looks at what Big Papi is doing to improve his fortures against left-handed pitchers.

‘Pen moves should give Red Sox relief - Joe McDonald has the rebuilt Red Sox bullpen looking like a strength of the club.

Unassuming Adrian Gonzalez enters spotlight - Gerry Callahan looks at the humble new superstar of the Red Sox.

Andrew Miller hopes fog is lifting - Gordon Edes has a look at the still-promising lefty.

Rodriguez admires kid’s glove - The Globe notebook has A-Rod impressed with Red Sox minor league shortstop Jose Iglesias. The Red Sox notebook from John Tomase has Gonzalez swinging off a tee for the first time since his shoulder surgery.

I’m still wondering why NESN hasn’t yet created a reality series from Fort Myers called “Globe Condo.” You can see the hijinks and hilarity that ensues when Peter Abraham, Nick Cafardo, Dan Shaughnessy and others share a company-owned condo for two months during spring training! Huge ratings!

Is anything else brewin’? - Kevin Paul Dupont thinks that the Bruins could still use some tweaks.

Peverley brings skill up front - Stephen Harris thinks that the center acquired from the Thrashers has star potential.

NFL owner’s scorn bodes ill - Ron Borges looks at how hard line owners like Jerry Richardson could make the NFL work stoppage a complete disaster.

Filed Under: Morning Links
  • latetodinner

    So let me see if I have this correct. Pete Sheppard calls the program director at 98.5, Mike Thomas, unprofessional because the guy has refused a meeting and made it clear he does not want Sheppard on the air at 98.5. Sheppard does this in an all CAPS posting on facebook. Sheppard, further insinuates he is looking into a legal challenge because a third party wanted to use his voice on a commercial that would have aired on 98.5 and again Thomas said no.

    Phew, wouldn't want Sheppard to be hypocritical and unprofessional when he does not get his way. So Bruce, do you still want to stick by WEEI's contention that Sheppard was only let go for monetary reasons? Sounds to me like he might have other issues that might have been poisoning the locker room.

    I usually defend Sheppard but clearly he has no clue this time around.

  • jmar

    I'm thinking this probably isn't the way to win friends and influence people at a place where you WANT to get a job.

  • APimpNamedDaveR

    That's exactly how Charlize Theron treats me when I try to get her to go out with me!!!! And I'm also looking into the legalities of banning me from camping outside her bedroom window…

    • Andrew

      After reading your post I feel there is no point in me further commenting. Not only have you perfectly summed up my thoughts on the absurdity of Sheppard's rant, I share a similar unrequited fondness for Charlize as well.

  • Jack

    Weekends on both sports stations are pretty bad. Mustard & Johnson, Hardy and Trup, Gaspar and what's-his-name, Shaughnessy………………Pete couldn't be any worse.

  • Jules

    Hopefully Pete's latest rant will remind everyone that he was little more than a blowhard. I'm still surprised at the romantic portrayals of Pete.

    • tl;dr

      You're saying it like it's a bad thing. Being a blowhard is a skill you need to be a radio sports guy.

      • Jon

        I finally agree with you but it doesn't make it any less annoying. Oh yeah, that's the Pete the Meat the whiner line callers always complained about…

  • tglazie

    This story makes me sad. Sad that this guy was ever hired to begin with.

  • norwoodzip

    Tonight on Fort Myers condo…… After mailing in column after column – Dan takes a break to host the tough street kid from Lincoln and his brood or their annual pilgrimmage to Fort Myers. Like Dan, The TSKFL knows that the smell of freshly cut grass, blah, blah, blah – later Dan takes another shot both at BB & Bob Kraft when he writes a piece about Tim Wakefield being the old Mr. Reliable of the Sox staff. Meanwhile "Nickles" Cafardo waxes poetic about Jason Varitek's rippled physique and "intagibles". Finally, watch as Shank makes a "Can's Film Festival" and Stephen Still reference seem relevant 25 and 40 years later respectively – that's tonight on Fort Myers Condo right after Peter Gammons Guitar Hero Cheat Tips on NESN.

  • armchairPD

    I'm not sure if this is some sort of 'EEI stunt or if Pete really is this clueless. He doesn't seem to have a problem with Jason Wolfe, the guy who fired him. This seems odd, since WEEI just had a fulltime shift open up and Pete was passed up for it. You would think Pete would be going after Jason & Julie for his current situation.

    Instead, he burns the bridge with the one person who could give him a job in Mike Thomas. Sure, Thomas may not want him at this point as he is building the Sports Hub from scratch and Pete was too entrenched at WEEI but the situation may be different a year or two down the road. Now it looks like he'll never be considered for anything at 98.5

    The only thing it brings me to is that WEEI is letting Pete lob some bombs against Thomas and the Sports Hub leading up to a Sheppard return in some capacity….or the Meat is just that stupid….

    • APimpNamedDaveR

      If Mike Adams barricades himself in the studio until Pete is rehired…. we'll know it's an EEI stunt.

    • mandb97

      Armchair you nailed it. I thought for sure Kahn and Wolfe were going to take it on the chin. Pete is either dumb or this is a set up. Pete has to know that if an employer does not want you then there is nothing you can do. Crying about it will simply cinch the fact that his services will not be needed. You would think that Pete would be more upset at the employer who fired him. Especially when that employer paid the guy who worked with him a ridiculous amount of money and you are let go to help pay for the salary.

  • Siggy

    You're telling me that The Meatman couldn't do a better job (bring in more listeners) than Lou Merloni? That's crap. Jason Wolfe will be wishing he took a meet with Pete after, oh, three months of cricket sounds at the midday hour.

    Forget about trying to out-Felger Felger later in day. EEI should double-down with what got them their boffo ratings in the first place, and that's a Dale/Pete pairing. Dale could do that in his sleep, in fact he's already done it – Shep is a cross between Andelman and Noomy.

  • FHG

    I enjoyed listening to Pete when he took over for Ordway during one of his many vacations, but tyring to listen to Pete's patriots.com broadcast was torture. I was grateful when I "forgot" to tune into it.

    This seems like a stunt to get a job back at WEEI. I thought this facebook rant was supposed to be a scathing indictment of WEEI. I guess not.

    • latetodinner

      This was my original thought when I read through it. Jason Wolfe saying "you never know the future" when asked about Pete during his on line chat the other day. The direct assault on Thomas. Its all contrived. But then as I thought more about it (see my original post)…even if it is contrived, Pete still comes off looking like a self centered buffoon and any respect I might have had for him is out the window. This is not wrestling where everything in front of the Camera is a work. Mike Thomas is a professional who comes to work and does his job. He did nothing to deserve being a prop in a WEEI skit if that is what this turns out to be. Talk about unprofessional. If you want to take a shot at the Hub Gresh and Felger give you plenty of material. In the mean time maybe we will never hear from Pete again…that might be too soon.

  • Mike

    Wow. Talk about a lack of self-awareness.

    Pete, you could not come across as a big loser in this if you tried. 98.5 knows what you can bring (and what you don't bring). They have no obligation to have a meeting with you. It is pretty clear they don't want to hire you (and have a legitimate reason, which honestly, sounds like a polite one and not the truth, which is that they don't think you good enough).

    This is pathetic. So pathetic in fact that I actually feel bad for Sheppard. Must be hard to go through life so ignorant of reality.

  • Classless

    This is further affirmation that Sheppard is a clown. I didn't know the route to getting a job is crying to everyone you know that an employer wont hire you. Is he that dumb? His entitlement reeks to holy hell.

    "Being fat, dumb, and stupid is no way to go through life, son"

  • Corbin

    Pete Sheppard was, is and always will be a brain-addled buffoon of the first magnitude.

    The only reason Pete lasted at WEEI as long as he did is because he was willing to allow the likes of Ordway, Smerlas and DeOssie to dump all over him in a lame attempt to make their own shortcomings in the talent, intelligence and humor departments seem less-pronounced by comparison. The end result was that Pete not only proved his own talent, intelligence and sense of humor were as under-developed as those of his hefty Big Show broadcast brethren, but he ultimately lost what little dignity he might have had in the process.

    Only in modern America could a cretin like Sheppard have managed to carve-out a 10-year run at a radio station for himself. Up until the late-1930s or early-1940s he'd have been limited to biting the heads off of chickens in a carnival sideshow.

    Sorry, Pete… this is what happens to a nitwit who is willing to sacrifice his self-respect for what passes as Big Show "fame" and "celebrity".

    • tl;dr

      "this is what happens to a nitwit who is willing to sacrifice his self-respect"

      And yet Meterparel still has a job…

  • JSR

    Seems like everybody is spinning this to make Pete look horrible. Remember, he posted this on his facebook, to his "friends". People are acting like he approached the Herald for the story, when in reality, they lifted his quotes (probably without his permission) from his private only-friends-can-view facebook page. If you're his friend on there, you know people are constantly asking him why he's not on WEEI and 98.5. He finally answered them, and now for some reason people are crying about it.

    • Classless

      Facebook is public information. Get a clue.

      • Steve

        Actually, you have to be Petes “friend” to read his facebook. Also, why are you so angry?

      • HighWireNickEsasky

        Plus, didn't he preview that he was making some "big announcement" on his FB page? And that preview was picked up by media? Yeah, he just wanted his close friends to know the truth…

      • JSR

        Huh? How is facebook public if you have to send a friend request to read it? And why are you attacking me over something so trivial?

  • just sayin'

    Ouch. Tough comments against Pete the Meat. I've always enjoyed him on 'eei, he was the one guy who truly sounded like a fan. Unfortunately he did play this wrong, you never, ever, go after the employers, past/ present/ potential future.
    Anyways, good luck Pete hopefully this turns out for the best.

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