Sports Radio Boston » CELTICS

WEEI & The Sports Hub One Year Later

sportsradioboston — Sun, 15 Aug 2010 13:45:55 +0000

Tale of the Tape: WEEI vs. The Sports Hub

One year ago Friday, Boston’s sports radio landscape changed as we know it.

For years, airwaves juggernaut WEEI dominated the sports radio scene. They were the only game in town, and when they weren’t, they squashed all challengers in a matter of months. Down went 1510 The Sports Zone. Down went 890 ESPN Boston. And down went 790 The Score in Providence. But back on Aug. 13, 2009, the “On Air” light went out at long time rock station WBCN in favor of a brand new sports radio station, WBZ-FM, otherwise known as 98.5 The Sports Hub.

The Sports Hub made their splash onto radios across the area the day of the Pats’ preseason opener, when Tom Brady made his return to the field after missing almost all of the 2008 season with a catastrophic knee injury. From there, the Hub took us through a very entertaining Patriots season and into the playoffs, where New England sadly fell on its face against Baltimore. 98.5 also was there to broadcast every Bruins game this past season, from the opener against Ovechkin and the Capitals to the bitter playoff defeat at the hands of the Flyers.

Beyond their broadcast rights to the Patriots and Bruins, The Sports Hub has provided sports-crazed radio listeners with a quality alternative for those that have grown tired of WEEI’s same old routine. 98.5 seems to cater to the younger side of the key “males 18 to 54? demographic that every station covets, while WEEI’s hosts keep doing what they’re doing, which seems to hold the attention of the baby boomer generation and right-wing conservatives everywhere.

When you look at the ratings books for the area each month, you still see ‘EEI with a solid advantage in terms of numbers. But there’s no doubt that 98.5 The Sports Hub has made a significant dent into the WEEI powerhouse, more significantly than any other past challenger. With a bit more tinkering, it might not be long before the younger, more energetic Sports Hub reigns supreme in this town, over the old regime at WEEI.

And so now, with a full year under its belt, I would like to break down the Boston sports radio battle with a “Tale of the Tape,” pitting the two stations up against each other on a show by show basis. I’m going to share my opinions, and I encourage you to formulate and share your own as well.

Morning Drive Time: WEEI’s “Dennis & Callahan” vs. The Sports Hub’s “Toucher & Rich”

Advantage: The Sports Hub

Now I’ll start off by saying that when “Toucher & Rich” were on in the afternoons on WBCN, I actually listened to both of these shows… “D&C” in the morning and “T&R” in the afternoon. But now that they’re battling each other for a.m. supremacy, I lean towards Toucher & Rich. I think Dennis & Callahan do what they do well. But unfortunately, what they do is rant and rave about topics that seemingly have little to do with sports, more often than not. They are by all means opinionated, but they never seem to have an opinion that matches mine.

T&R on the other hand, while they admittedly don’t have as passionate a Boston sports feel as other shows (both T&R are not from the Boston area), what they lack in local sports fandom, they make up for in comedy and overall entertainment. Now do I expect Joe 50-Year-Old to be amused by “drunken Red Sox recaps,” “dating on demand,” “ask a pink hat,” or any of the other T&R routines? Mostly, no. But for the up-and-coming twenty-something sports fan, T&R is a slam dunk over D&C. The ratings may show D&C with still a comfortable advantage, but look for that to change as more and more young sports fans find their way to T&R in the morning.

Mid-Days: WEEI’s “Dale & Holley” vs. The Sports Hub’s “Gresh & Zolak”

Advantage: WEEI

How Andy Gresh and Scott Zolak still have jobs in radio is beyond me. They flopped as a pairing in Providence, yet The Sports Hub decides to bring them back, and into a bigger market, no less? Sorry, but you won’t find me in the “Gresh & Zo” corner at all. WEEI’s “Dale & Holley” is arguably the most intelligent sports talk show that WEEI has to offer. As an avid hockey fan, Dale Arnold’s expertise with all things Bruins is refreshing to listen to on a station that has long ignored the local hockey team, while Michael Holley is really the only youthful, modern flavor that WEEI has to offer in its stable of hosts. Granted, Gresh & Zo are above average when it comes to covering the Pats, but listening to Zolak talk about anything else is painful, and listening to Gresh’s voice at all is downright hazardous to your health.

Afternoon Rush Hour: WEEI’s “The Big Show” vs. The Sports Hub’s “Felger & Massarotti”

Advantage: The Sports Hub

No one’s act is more tired than “The Big Show’s” Glenn Ordway. Afternoons from 2-6pm, he moderates the daily shouting match that is “The Big Show,” where blowhards yell over each other, all while insulting callers who might have a different viewpoint than theirs. For a while, “The Whiner Line,” where callers leave what they hope to be comedic messages aimed at throwing digs at players or show hosts, was a new, fresh, entertaining idea. The gimmick is well past its prime though, as it trots out the same tired hacks who fail at bringing the laughs on a consistent basis. Couple all of that with the recent departure of “Big Show” favorite Pete “The Meat” Sheppard, and all signs point to “The Big Show”’s time to shine coming to a quick end.

On the FM side of the dial, tuning into “Felger & Mazz” weekdays is a breath of fresh air I really didn’t think would go as well as it has. Sure, Michael Felger’s constant contrarianism can be tiresome at times. And sure, Mazz’s high-pitched voice will never compare to the sweet sounds of Bedtime Magic’s David Allen Boucher. But their show’s content blows “The Big Show” out of the water more often than not, with maybe the one exception being the Monday interviews with Bill Belichick on ‘EEI during football season. To add to that, 98.5’s “The Baseball Reporters,” hosted by Massarotti from 6-7pm, is far and away superior to the pregame festivities that WEEI trots out… no doubt about it.

Nights: WEEI’s “Planet Mikey” vs. The Sports Hub’s “D.A. Show”

Advantage: The Sports Hub

This one really was very close to call, as I do see pros and cons for both shows. I don’t doubt that WEEI’s Mike Adams is wacky enough to entertain most middle-aged men. But as someone who happily hasn’t reached “middle-aged” status yet, give me a more energetic, younger, albeit geekier Damon Amendolara any night of the week. Now I will say that out of all the time slots that sports radio has to offer, I probably listen to the evening shows the least. What little I do hear during the week however, I usually give the nod to D.A. All that being said, I secretly pray every night before I go to bed that Damon Amendolara gets fired, and somehow, some way, 98.5’s hiring manager finds me and gives me the job. That really would be the dream job, at least in my mind. But for now, D.A. can keep my seat warm for me.

Live Game Action: WEEI’s Red Sox & Celtics vs. The Sports Hub’s Patriots & Bruins

Advantage: WEEI

Even though I’m a bigger fan of the Pats & B’s than I am of the Sox or Celts, I have to tip my cap to the broadcast teams of WEEI over The Sports Hub. C’s play-by-play man Sean Grande could be the best radio man in the NBA. Basketball is a tough game to translate to radio, but he does it effortlessly, painting a clear picture of what’s happening on the court. Cedric Maxwell’s color commentary is an acquired taste that doesn’t appeal to everyone, but no one can say he doesn’t bring a high level of enthusiasm and his very own unique style to broadcasts. For the Sox, I’ve grown up a huge Joe Castiglione fan for years, and Dave O’Brien, like Grande, has to be regarded as one of the best in the sport.

Over on the Sports Hub, I have all the respect in the world for the solid job that Bruins broadcasters Dave Goucher and Bob Beers do, night in and night out. Unfortunately, and this might be a minority opinion, I can’t give the nod to 98.5 because of Patriots broadcasting “legends” Gil Santos and Gino Cappelletti. Back in their primes, this duo hit the mark. But that “prime” was years ago. To me, they are unlistenable now. But, if them leaving means that the likes of Gary Tanguay, Andy Gresh, and/or Scott Zolak are next in line, Gil and Gino can take all the time they want before they retire.

So whether it be WEEI or The Sports Hub that tickles your fancy, listen on sports fans… this battle is only beginning to heat up.

Sports Radio Boston – WBZ-FM Debuts

sportsradioboston — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 18:08:48 +0000

WBZ-FM sports-talk station debuts – Format competes with WEEI

By Thomas Grillo | Thursday, August 13, 2009 | http://www.bostonherald.com | Media & Marketing

Boston’s first FM sports talk radio station is kicking off today with surprisingly little fanfare.

WBZ-FM, dubbed “98.5 The Sports Hub,” will debut at 6 a.m. with former WBCN [website] disc jockeys Fred Toucher and Rich Shertenlieb of “Toucher & Rich” trying their hand at sports talk.

At 10 a.m., Comcast SportsNet New England’s Gary Tanguay and former New England Patriots [team stats] backup quarterback Scott Zolak will take over.

Veteran Hub sportswriters Michael Felger and Tony Massarotti, who is still writing part-time for the Boston Globe, will go head-to-head against Glenn Ordway’s “The Big Show” on rival WEEI-AM (850) at 2 p.m.

Their debut show will feature Red Sox [team stats] General Manager Theo Epstein and Bruins [team stats] owner Jeremy Jacobs, Felger said yesterday.

Normally, Felger and Massarotti will be on until 6 p.m. But tomorrow, Tanguay, Zolak and Andy Gresh will host the Pats pregame show starting at4 p.m. as the lead-in to the first preseason game against the Philadelphia Eagles.

“The Sports Hub” has radio rights to broadcast Patriots and Bruins games.

Media watchers think the new station could represent the first real threat to ’EEI, which has enjoyed a local sports-talk radio monopoly in the sports-obsessed Hub for years. But Felger, who has been a guest off and on at ’EEI over the years, wasn’t in the mood to talk too much trash about his colleagues turned rivals yesterday.

“They’re very sensitive to criticism,” Felger quipped. “They tend to overreact. Some of those guys are getting older and we don’t need to upset them.”

Felger said his mission is to carve out a market share and build an audience.

“What we’re doing has nothing to do with ’EEI,” he said. “We’re just going to do a better show. We will be focused, opinionated and passionate. That’s a formula that works.”

Damon Amendolara, most recently from WQAM in Miami, will hold down weeknights at “The Sports Hub,” working from 6 p.m. to midnight.

Article URL: http://www.bostonherald.com/jobfind/news/media/view.bg?articleid=1190691

Sports Radio Boston News – Bye Bye Big Show?

sportsradioboston — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 17:33:24 +0000

98.5 The Sports Hub: Bye Bye, Big Show

With the advent of a new sports talk radio station in Boston, 98.5 The Sports Hub, long time WEEI listeners including Bleacher Report writer BHL will finally have another listening option for the afternoon commute.

Long tired of Glen Ordway’s The Big Show, a yahoo and fat slob-centric shouting fest, Bleacher Report writer BHL is highly excited that 95.8 will feature Comcast SportsNet’s Michael Felger in the weekday 2—6 p.m. time slot.

Felger, a favorite of some for his objective view of the Boston sports scene, and his lack of fear when making assertive and unique viewpoints, will be a refreshing treat for sports crazed Bostonians each afternoon.

On the whole, The Sports Hub appears to be the first strong competition for WEEI in recent memory. The station has put together a respectable cast of sports radio personalities. The morning show, with former WBCN jocks Toucher & Rich, would appear to be the only shortcoming on the new station.

Note: For a similar analysis written by BHL of WEEI’s daily programs, please see BHL’s February 2009 article, “How to Improve the #1 Rated Sports Station in the Country”.

BHL’s analysis on a show-by-show basis:

6—10 a.m.: Toucher & Rich will most likely fail in their attempt at competing with Dennis & Callahan. This would not be a surprise.

10 a.m.—2 p.m.: Rumors have it that the mid-day show on 98.5 will include Gary Tanguay, long associated with Comcast SportsNet’s coverage of the Boston Celtics. Alongside Tanguay will be Scott Zolak, former backup quarterback of the New England Patriots.

In BHL’s opinion, Dale & Holley is seemingly the best show on WEEI. With that established, Tanguay and Zolak will have a difficult time competing for listeners. Given that each Tanguay and Zolak are established and well-versed personalities, this should be an interesting and competitive battle.

2—6 p.m.: Upon Michael Felger’s decision to join 98.5, WEEI removed all traces of Felger from their website and from their radio programs.

While the fallout at WEEI from Michael Felger’s departure was a tad bizarre if not immature, it also points to how strong the competition between these two stations will be.

The Big Show’s usual “the Yankees are in shambles, they’re done” party in June, followed by the “we never said the Yankees were done, we never said that” denial festival in August, will now go unheard by at least a few.

Pete Sheppard’s apologist viewpoint of the New England Patriots is mildly entertaining, and this appears to be all The Big Show has going for it. If Sheppard could be shifted to 98.5 to sit with Felger, this would be the ultimate show.

Felger’s debut in the 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. slot will mean that Bleacher Report writer BHL will have listened to the Big Blow for the final time.

6 p.m.—11 p.m.: The nighttime shows on 98.5 have not been announced, but just about anything can succeed in gaining listeners over WEEI’s Planet Mikey (weeknights 6 p.m. to 11 p.m.).

Along with the daytime talk shows, 98.5 will include game coverage of the Patriots and the Boston Bruins. This matches WEEI’s Red Sox and Celtics game coverage.

All in all, 98.5 appears to be a well-rounded sports station, save for the morning slot. Let’s just hope the same regurgitated callers don’t pollute the new station. Frank from Gloucester, Steve from Fall River, Angelo in Everett, you name it. One can only hope they have not heard the news that a new location to receive their diarrhea phone calls is now in existence.

Note: It has been strangely difficult to find press releases related to 98.5′s debut, as well as the personalities on each show, so any inaccuracies noted above may be attributed to this very issue. SPORTS RADIO BOSTON AGREES!!!

Sports Radio Boston – Bad Karma at WEEI?

sportsradioboston — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 23:11:22 +0000

Sports talk radio-active

Posted by Chad Finn, Globe Staff February 26, 2009

"You Can't See the WIZARD... Now Go Away!"

We don’t change the station, and so the station sees no need to change. Ratings are huge, possibly even as huge as the station claims. Its primary demographic has tremendous appeal to advertisers. And New England’s fanatical dedication to the professional sports teams that the station’s hosts bloviate about in four-hour blocks is seemingly endless.

And so there you have it: WEEI. Your sports-radio leader. A perfect storm of arrogance.

What’s that adage about pompous silver-spooners? He was born on third base and thinks he hit a triple? That fits certain WEEI hosts as comfortably as a Bloomin’ Onion–stained Tommy Bahama shirt. They think the station’s success somehow reflects on them, that we tune in for their shrill banter, contrived characters, and prefabricated opinions. We don’t — never have, never will. We listen because we love sports, our beloved teams are enjoying a remarkable run of success, and WEEI happens to have both access and broadcast rights. Most of all, we listen because there is no other decent local alternative with a signal stronger than that of a ham radio.

Now, I’m not suggesting all WEEI programming beats your eardrums into submission. Dale and Holley are engaging in the midday, and Mut and Bradford make those weekend chores pass quicker. But it is telling that the two smartest sports radio shows in the city in recent years — Michael Felger’s drive-time program on ESPN 890 and the Ryen Russillo/Jon Anik/Anthony Pepe crew on WWZN 1510 — were broadcast elsewhere on the dial. If only either had owned a signal that didn’t turn into a French-language station a mile from the Zakim Bridge, they might have gained the appropriate audience.

So to feed our unquenchable sports jones, we have no choice but to suffer the WEEI banshees. But that doesn’t stop us from longing for something better, something not only entertaining but intelligent, passionate, and insightful.

We’re not here today for the purpose of holding a sports radio fantasy draft, but for a moment consider the station you could build — and the one ESPN Boston should have built — with roster depth that included the best of the Globe and ESPN, underrated talents such as Russillo and Mike Giardi, as well as the requisite WEEI refugees. (Remember Steve DeOssie after he skipped over to 1510? Thoughtful and articulate. On WEEI? An overgrown Scut Farkas.)

Maybe I’m naïve. Maybe the average Boston sports fan is less sophisticated than I want to believe. But I’m convinced that provided with an equal signal, some savvy program director could build what WEEI claims to be: the premier sports radio station in the country. And just in case such a benefactor happens to have read this far, at no charge we offer you a thinking fan’s guide to the real dos and don’ts of sports radio in Boston.

Have a well-considered opinion and the knowledge to defend it in an entertaining manner: No, passing yourself off as some sort of insider because of an association with the Celtics two decades ago does not count, particularly when there is mounting suspicion that you haven’t watched more than a handful of out-of-market NBA games since the days of short shorts and sky hooks. In a related note: Yelling the loudest doesn’t make you right. Didn’t your mom ever teach you that?

After you’ve beaten a story to death, please resist the temptation to beat on the corpse daily for another several weeks: Wait, wait, wait … you’re telling me Manny Ramirez quit on the Red Sox? And they traded him? When did this happen? How come you never mentioned this, Mikey? HOW COME YOU NEVER MENTIONED THIS??!!

No more celebrity callers …: Call it the Glenn Ordway Corollary: The more obnoxious the caller, the more airtime he gets. It’s a cornerstone of the lucrative business of pandering to the lowest common denominator. But I can’t be the only one who lunges for the scan button as soon as “Angry Bill” and his miserable brethren begin spewing their first word of venom.

… or sycophantic co-hosts: Ah, another Ordway self-preservation tactic. Surround yourself with a couple of knowledgeable co-hosts, then fill out the rest of the cast with talking-head lightweights and cronies who will argue with you only to the point where you say zip it, refuse to point out your factual missteps, and, for the sake of a paycheck, willingly play clichéd characters appropriate for a failed soap-opera actor. That way, you’re irreplaceable, since there’s no obvious successor to the throne. Brilliant! Also: Unlistenable!

In order to qualify for airtime, a co-host has to be able to put two consecutive syllables together without his tongue tripping over his mustache: Don’t worry, big guy. You’re halfway there.

Hosts are not permitted eight-part questions so long and windy that they require a syllabus and stretch from one commercial break to the next: That means you, Dennis … Denito … Dentillo …

Talk politics or the news story of the day when the moment calls for it: Credit where credit is due: WEEI was riveting radio in the days after September 11. The tone was sincere, heartfelt, and human. Since then, however, the tone regarding politics and world matters has become so extreme that certain hosts make Dick Cheney look like a beatnik. Worse is the increasingly snide disregard for those with different circumstances, views, and — the case certainly can be made — pigment. It’s one thing to be provocative, but too often that crosses the line to irresponsibility. Sure, a certain element is enthralled — hillbillies and cavemen, mostly. Others are simply waiting for the inevitable repulsive comment that leads to your downfall.

Enough with the drop-ins from comedians who’d bomb at the Ha-Ha House of Whiskey and Waffles: And if some clown named Shecky does find his way into the studio — either as a guest or as your nighttime host — have some dignity and refrain from hee-hawing and chortling and racing to laugh loudest as if he’s the reincarnation of George Carlin. He’s not. He’s a D-lister with a captive audience, and his best jokes wouldn’t make the cut for the Whiner Line. Which, by the way, is the best thing you have going. We might note the material comes not from you, but from the listeners. We’re going to assume you miss the irony of that.

“You Can’t See the Wizard… Now Go Away”

OT columnist Chad Finn is a sports reporter for Boston.com and can be reached at finn@globe.com