By Chad Finn, Globe Staff  |  January 20, 2010

Article Courtesy of:  Chad Finn Boston Globe

Pete Sheppard, who spent more than 10 years as a contributor and fill-in host on sports-radio WEEI’s “The Big Show,” has had his position eliminated by Entercom Communications, which owns the station.

“As we continue to operate in challenging economic times, it is with regret that we announce today that we have eliminated Pete Sheppard’s position as sports anchor on “The Big Show,” Entercom said in a press release. “We’d like to thank Pete for his outstanding work . . . [and wish him] the best of luck in his future endeavors and remain extremely grateful for all his contributions over the past decade.”

Sheppard, 42, had been at WEEI since 1994, when he joined the station in a part-time capacity. In 1999, he began co-hosting a weekend show with Jon Wallach, and in ’99 he moved to the highly successful “The Big Show,” where he provided sports updates during breaks, bantered with host Glenn Ordway and the rotating co-hosts, and generally served in the role of a boisterous if occasionally buffoonish everyman with a genuine passion for sports during the drive-time program. Alongside ex-players Fred Smerlas and Steve DeOssie, he also hosted the “Real Postgame Show” following Patriots games.

The news of Sheppard’s departure comes as a surprise. The native of Narragansett, R.I., signed a contract extension with the station in May 2007. While WEEI is facing a significant challenge from sports-radio upstart The Sports Hub, which launched on the FM dial in August, it has maintained and even enhanced its overall Nielsen ratings as well as those in coveted demographics. In December, “The Big Show” finished second in its time slot in the ratings among men 25-54.

What’s next for Sheppard remains uncertain. According to Mike Thomas, the program director at The Sports Hub, Sheppard has not been in contact. Thomas added via e-mail, “If he is interested in working here, he would have to contact me. Although we have a full staff right now.”

Sheppard and Entercom vice president of AM programming Jason Wolfe could not be reached for comment Wednesday afternoon. But Sheppard’s former colleagues — as well as caller Curt Schilling — acknowledged his absence at length shortly after “The Big Show” went on the air at 2 p.m.

Said Ordway: “We learned last night that the company was going to eliminate the position held by Pete Sheppard over the last 10 years and they are going to outsource the flashes during afternoon drive like they do from certain hours over the course of the day. Obviously we were disheartened to hear that. I spoke with Pete at length last night. Pete does understand the economics of it.

“He was a very unique character . . . he presented his own approach, his own schtick, that of the passionate sports fan.”

Wednesday’s “Sports Flash” update was handled by Chris Villani, a frequent WEEI update anchor who is employed by Metro Networks, the company to which Sheppard’s job has been outsourced.

Pete-Sheppard-Boston Sports Talk Radio

Ordway indicated that Sheppard might be heard on the WEEI airwaves in the future.

“Who knows, down the road, maybe an opportunity happens for him, maybe an opportunity happens back here, when things open up, the economy comes back, and we’re looking at a different set of numbers,” he said.

Ordway, for whom Sheppard often and capably filled in as a host, reiterated that it was a financial decision made by Entercom.

“Even though we have been a very successful radio station, we are part of a larger company, and they have to, in essence, make sure they keep all of their company healthy, and so, therefore, it’s a matter of moving some numbers around to make it all work.”

Later in the program, Schilling, the ubiquitous former Red Sox pitcher who blogs for WEEI.com, called in and expressed his disappointment that Sheppard was gone.

“I probably won’t be heard on WEEI until Pete’s back . . . so I wanted to wish you guys all the best.” 

Appearing on WEEI’s Dennis and Callahan Thursday morning, WEEI.com’s Curt Schilling called the chances of him running for the Massachusetts’ vacant Senate seat “slim to none” but still wouldn’t rule out the possibility, stating that the decision would come down to the feelings of his wife, Shonda, and family.

Talking about the prospects of actually winning the seat if he did run, Schilling said, “I wouldn’t even remotely consider it if I wasn’t planning on winning it.”

Schilling also addressed some of his critcs, who say that he doesn’t have the credentials to run for office, saying, “My credentials are I have no baggage. I have no special interest, I have no ties.” He then added, “I wouldn’t call them credentials as much as I would call them advantages.”

More about Senator Curt Schilling from the D.C. WRITEUP

Posted By adamsylvain

As a long-suffering Yankees fan — have I reminded you we haven’t won the World Series since 2000??! — I still have this image ingrained in my head: Curt Schilling, he of the bloody Red Sox and the legendary Bloody Red Sock — shutting down the Yankees, part of the team that came back from an 0-3 deficit against New York and then went on to sweep the 2004 World Series.

Schilling is now talking about possibly getting in the race for the Senate seat left vacant by the Aug. 25 death of Edward Kennedy.

Schilling is a god in much of Red Sox Nation, mostly (but not only) for his gritty performance in the ’04 playoffs in bringing Boston its first World Series since Woodrow Wilson was president.

But here’s the rub: Curt Schilling is a Republican. Or at least, a conservative. And Massachusetts is as blue a state as they come. Barack Obama carried it with 62 percent of the vote. The governor, both senators, and all ten House members are Democrats. No Republican has won a Senate seat here since 1972. No Republican has succeeded a Democratic senator since 1946.

Officially, Schilling is registered as an independent. But he campaigned for President Bush in 2004 — when he was opposed by Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry — and John McCain in 2008 (neither of whom was what you might call “popular” candidates in the state). Were he to run, it would be interesting what would be more significant — his red and white uniform, or his red and white politics.

Schilling, in an interview with the Boston Herald, had this to say: “We’ve got a political system and a group of people that suck, and that needs to change.”

Levi Johnston couldn’t have said it better himself.

Other potential Republican candidates include former Lt. Gov. Kerry Healey, who served under then-Gov. Mitt Romney, and state Sen. Scott Brown.

Meanwhile, one bit of news today: state Attorney General Martha Coakley announced she will run in the special election to succeed Kennedy. The other Democrats whose names have been bandied about are apparently waiting to see if a Kennedy gets in the race, specifically ex-Rep. Joe Kennedy. But Coakley, the only Democratic woman on the list, seems to be in it regardless of who else decides to run. She also has less campaign money than many of the other would-be candidates, and perhaps needed more of head start.

Upcoming dates to keep in mind:

Sept. 9 — Mass. state legislature holds hearing on whether to change Senate succession law (which currently does not allow the governor to make an interim appointment in the event of a vacancy).

Dec. 8 — Special Senate primaries.

Jan. 19 — Special Senate general election.