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.

WEEI, Sports Hub expand their rosters

By Chad Finn, Globe Staff | August 7, 2009

And in this week’s dramatic episode of Boston Radio Wars . . .

Actually, this is still the prologue, since WBZ-FM’s “98.5 The Sports Hub’’ doesn’t launch until Thursday. Nonetheless, there were two significant plot twists in the past few days leading up to the impending showdown for local sports radio supremacy with WEEI, the longtime and lone behemoth in the genre:

WEEI and the Globe have come to a truce, allowing the newspaper’s sports reporters and columnists to return to the station’s airwaves after an often-contentious 10-year absence.

The Sports Hub, trudging toward its launch, has yet to formally announce any personnel moves, but sources with direct knowledge of the talks confirm that the Globe’s Tony Massarotti will become Michael Felger’s permanent cohost on the station’s weekday show from 2-6 p.m. Massarotti will continue to write for the Globe and Boston.com multiple times per week.

Let’s look a little deeper at this week’s developments and the implications:

“The border war is over.’’ Those are the words WEEI’s Glenn Ordway, host of the drive-time program “The Big Show,’’ used Tuesday afternoon while informing his audience of the reconciliation while announcing that Globe columnist Bob Ryan was asked to call in later in the show. Ordway, who was parroting a phrase made famous by Bill Parcells to declare the end of the Patriots-Jets feud in the ’90s, essentially was correct in his assessment, though there are more guidelines this time around, at least for the time being.

The disagreement between WEEI and the Globe began in 1999, when Don Skwar, then the newspaper’s sports editor, banned writers from appearing on “The Big Show’’ because of what he considered offensive content. Shortly thereafter, the ban was applied to the ribald “Dennis and Callahan Show’’ in the mornings. WEEI responded by barring Globe writers from all programming.

Under the new agreement, the Globe permits its writers to be call-in guests on “The Big Show’’ and “Dennis and Callahan,’’ but only if the topic relates to sports. They are allowed as in-studio cohosts on the midday “Dale and Holley Show’’ – coincidentally, Michael Holley was a Globe sportswriter when the ban was first instituted – though WEEI program director Jason Wolfe said, “Right now, it’s all about being on the phone.’’

The primary impact of that decision could be on the contributors’ wallets: Globe reporters have not been paid for call-in spots thus far, while a source said certain cohosts receive upward of several hundred dollars for a four-hour show.

The timing of the renewed relationship is both curious and fascinating. After a decade of veiled and not-so-veiled shots over the airwaves, Globe writers were, without a hint of irony, greeted as long-lost friends during their appearances this week, and that includes columnist Dan Shaughnessy on “Dennis and Callahan’’ yesterday morning, which was hosted by fill-ins Steve DeOssie and Jon Meterparel. Later in the day, WEEI.com touted the audio of Shaughnessy’s appearance with the headline, “Guess Who’s Back.’’

Wolfe denied that The Sports Hub – which because of its strong FM signal and affiliations with the Patriots and Bruins (including game broadcast rights) figures to be the strongest challenger WEEI has faced – prompted him to extend an olive branch to the Globe.

“That didn’t have anything to do with it,’’ said Wolfe, adding that he has spoken to Globe editor Marty Baron and sports editor Joe Sullivan many times over the years about having Globe writers return to WEEI’s airwaves. “We’ve been successful, everyone has been successful, but the timing just felt right, it felt like the right time to make it work.’’

While offering similar sentiments, Baron said the policy with WEEI is essentially the same one the Globe has with other stations.

“It’s an arrangement that works for both sides,’’ said Baron. “It’s a normalization of the relationship. Our writers and columnists have the freedom to go on the air on a voluntary basis if they desire.’’

Wolfe said WEEI isn’t seeking exclusive deals with Globe reporters, while Mark Hannon, the senior vice president and market manager for CBS Radio Boston, said The Sports Hub is considering every possible contributor on a case-by-case basis.

Thus far, The Sports Hub has taken a below-the-radar approach as its launch date nears.

According to an industry source, former Patriots backup quarterback Scott Zolak will fill the permanent cohost role alongside host Gary Tanguay during the midday program, similar to the Felger-Massarotti pairing in the afternoon.

Hannon said an announcement about on-air staff could happen today. He also noted the station has had “informal’’ contact with a few Globe writers, and it intends to air local evening programing.

“We expect to feature a full slate of local shows,’’ Hannon said.

While The Sports Hub assembles its roster, WEEI goes about preparing for its challenge. While he won’t confirm it, Wolfe’s recent actions to maintain or deepen WEEI’s roster of contributors, such as retaining former Sox utilityman Lou Merloni after he was vigorously pursued by The Sports Hub, strongly suggest he is taking the competition seriously.

The mutual conclusion of the WEEI/Globe ban stands as another indication.

“Ten years is a long time,’’ Wolfe said.“We’re just focused on what we have to do. The Globe has great writers and excellent reporters, and we’ve proven very good at we do, and we can benefit from each other. That’s what we all want.’’