98.7 The Sports Hub is better than WEEI... ALREADY

[MoLewisrocks]

I've listened to Zolak and Tanguay a few times now and did the switch comparison to 'EEI and they definitely talk more Pats; at least, in the times I've check. The other day they were taking calls from people who wanted to talk Patriots IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DAY IN AUGUST! When was the last time we heard that on 'EEI? I've maintained all along that 'EEI pushes incessant Sox talk because of commercial ties to the team, not out of listener demand. This new station is helping prove that.

The 98.5 PM guy I'm not that familiar with, but the way I see it ANYONE is a welcome alternative to Adams, who stopped developing socially at age 14.

I will say that Felger needs to rein in the gonzo approach a tad. He sent me back to 'EEI temporarily yesterday with his idiotic rant comparing Burress to Vick and concluding the Burress case was "infinitely worse" because "come on people, with Vick it was only dogs."

The only other thing is I wish they'd get rid of Andy Gresh. He knows football, but he's a freakin' Steelers fan and can't shut up about it. Who needs that on Patriots broadcasts?

Gresh knows football so well he was predicting one of the 4 TE's could just be stashed on the PUP - until Reiss reminded him that you couldn't do that once players practice... And there were other similar faux pas... some of which no one on the air with him was capable of correcting. That is one of my pet peeves with these guys. This is your living, know it. Gresh's approach is to talk fast and loud and intimidate those listening to him into believing they can't compete with him so they give up on trying...

 

[MoLewisrocks]

This is a great Rob/Felger/98.5 PR staff talking point. Unfortunately, if you've been listening to WEEI lately, its become a half truth that Felger is using to try and drum up support for his show. Listening lately, there seems to be a concerted effort on EEI to tone down these twits. I haven't heard John from Medford or Steve in Fall River in a month. Frank gets blown up within seconds.

And even if Felger claims its true, it unfortunately is not, as I've heard all three of those guys on 98.5's weekend shows. It's also great to have a classy guy like Felger on the air, who yesterday categorized a counter argument to his point as "******ed, ******ed, ******ED !" Take that you special needs children.

I know this is a football board, but if you're a Sox fan it didn't get much better than yesterday's Big Show with Schilling and Merloni. I'll take my Varitek opinions from two guys that played with him, and not two angry writers who couldn't get quotes from him.

There also has been as much baseball talk on 98.5 as on EEI, with the exception of the night guy who has done a ton of football. I'm just waiting for him to offer up an opinion on something... don't like the way he plays it down the middle on every single topic.

Plus Chris Price is cohosting today on EEI... they get points for that too.

If DA starts offering up his opinion they'll run him out of town seeing as he's a born and raised Giants/Yankees fan...who at his last gig relished calling Brady Mr. Bundchen... He really has nothing to offer other than as a conduit to interviews and they can't book enough of them to front a show. Plus so far his are all just fellow mediots.

 

[Kdo5]

The only thing I care about with WEEI is that I like to listen to Smerlas and Deossi when they are on during football season and when Maxwell is on sometimes during the Celtics playoffs. Other than that I don't like it much.

I like Zo and Tanguay's show...not so much Felger and Massarotti but its OK. At least they don't shout over each other and their callers.

 

[Deus Irae]

The only thing I care about with WEEI is that I like to listen to Smerlas and Deossi when they are on during football season and when Maxwell is on sometimes during the Celtics playoffs. Other than that I don't like it much.

I like Zo and Tanguay's show...not so much Felger and Massarotti but its OK. At least they don't shout over each other and their callers.

You obviously haven't listen to that show...

 

[Kdo5]

You obviously haven't listen to that show...

I've listened to them a few times in the car on the way home from work but I haven't noticed that. They cant be worse than WEEI in that category. Just listen to the Big Show and all it is is shouting over each other and interrupting their callers.

WEEI is good for some entertainment but thats as much as I can say for them.

 

[Deus Irae]

I've listened to them a few times in the car on the way home from work but I haven't noticed that. They cant be worse than WEEI in that category. Just listen to the Big Show and all it is is shouting over each other and interrupting their callers.

F&M fight like two little girls.

WEEI is good for some entertainment but thats as much as I can say for them.

Well, that's true of every sports talk station on free radio.

 

[Rob0729]

If DA starts offering up his opinion they'll run him out of town seeing as he's a born and raised Giants/Yankees fan...who at his last gig relished calling Brady Mr. Bundchen... He really has nothing to offer other than as a conduit to interviews and they can't book enough of them to front a show. Plus so far his are all just fellow mediots.

First, DA does give his opinion. He just isn't taking the homer view (Big Show) or the contrarian view (Felger). He talks sports without using personal biases which I find refreshing (although I can see others not liking it). He does give his opinion on whether a certain player will make the team, what his role might be, whether the Pats will use the 4-3 or the 3-4, etc. He is trying to do straight sports talk without the guy talk style that is prominant on both stations. I wish more guys were like him.

What I can't stand about talk radio (which is prevalent on WEEI, but on most sports talk with multiple hosts) is when one host will take one position and defend it passionately and another host takes the opposite position and defends it passionately even if in real life they are in agreement. DA avoids that since he is a single host, but he isn't like Mike Adams who has the homer view.

 

[Rob0729]

I've listened to them a few times in the car on the way home from work but I haven't noticed that. They cant be worse than WEEI in that category. Just listen to the Big Show and all it is is shouting over each other and interrupting their callers.

WEEI is good for some entertainment but thats as much as I can say for them.

Felger and Mazz has fallen into that category at times over the last week. There is less of it, but it isn't shouting over each other free. They don't have the Dakata of Braintrees on who are basically put on so they can say stupid things to be mocked. 98.5 looks to be trying to be counterprogramming to the Big Show style, but I don't think they are doing the best job of it all the time.

 

[Rob0729]

Gresh knows football so well he was predicting one of the 4 TE's could just be stashed on the PUP - until Reiss reminded him that you couldn't do that once players practice... And there were other similar faux pas... some of which no one on the air with him was capable of correcting. That is one of my pet peeves with these guys. This is your living, know it. Gresh's approach is to talk fast and loud and intimidate those listening to him into believing they can't compete with him so they give up on trying...

Gresh sucks, but he is only on during Patriots broadcasts. He is a legacy host from the cross over. Hopefully, when his contract is up, they will let him go. Hopefully, his contract is almost done.

I wonder if the Pats have some say in the hosts of the pre and post game shows. Because their choices for the play-by-play teams for preseason games have been miserable since Kraft took over the team (Don Criqui, Randy Cross, and Jerry Glanville).

 

[Deus Irae]

Gresh sucks, but he is only on during Patriots broadcasts. He is a legacy host from the cross over. Hopefully, when his contract is up, they will let him go. Hopefully, his contract is almost done.

I wonder if the Pats have some say in the hosts of the pre and post game shows. Because their choices for the play-by-play teams for preseason games have been miserable since Kraft took over the team (Don Criqui, Randy Cross, and Jerry Glanville).

It's early, and I expect that things will get better, but that pre-game show was about as brutal as it gets. The hosts' complete lack of knowledge was on full display.

And people are fooling themselves if they think it's just Gresh that's the problem.

 

[MoLewisrocks]

First, DA does give his opinion. He just isn't taking the homer view (Big Show) or the contrarian view (Felger). He talks sports without using personal biases which I find refreshing (although I can see others not liking it). He does give his opinion on whether a certain player will make the team, what his role might be, whether the Pats will use the 4-3 or the 3-4, etc. He is trying to do straight sports talk without the guy talk style that is prominant on both stations. I wish more guys were like him.

What I can't stand about talk radio (which is prevalent on WEEI, but on most sports talk with multiple hosts) is when one host will take one position and defend it passionately and another host takes the opposite position and defends it passionately even if in real life they are in agreement. DA avoids that since he is a single host, but he isn't like Mike Adams who has the homer view.

DA has no basis for analyzing this organization because he has little exposure to or familiarity with it. That renders his opinion useless.

Mike is a franchise homer but he can also be critical. He was one of Manny's earliest and most vocal critics.

I often get the sense that what ruffles some of the younger feathers here (and some older than dirt ones for that matter) is a reluctance to be hypercritical of a winning organization just on the principle that they can't be doing everything right... It's a rather warped view of what fandom is supposed to entail.

As for Gresh, he isn't going anywhere. There are little cliques/support groups/networks of buddies in the Boston media who keep each other afloat via various opportunities. Gresh is a member in good standing of the Comcast-FSNE support group that Felger kind of anchors... although in the past Felger has eaten at the WEEI soup kitchen...and don't think he didn't get Lobie a pass to the ESPN shelter...

 

[MoLewisrocks]

It's early, and I expect that things will get better, but that pre-game show was about as brutal as it gets. The hosts' complete lack of knowledge was on full display.

And people are fooling themselves if they think it's just Gresh that's the problem.

It's actually better than it was a couple of years ago, and it's essentially the same crew although I think they used to feature the PFW guys more regularly. Gresh has always been the root problem, though. His urge to bloviate gets them all a little wound up and then it starts to sound like lunch with PFW...

 

[Deus Irae]

It's actually better than it was a couple of years ago, and it's essentially the same crew although I think they used to feature the PFW guys more regularly. Gresh has always been the root problem, though. His urge to bloviate gets them all a little wound up and then it starts to sound like lunch with PFW...

On my wall, I have a picture of a puffin. It's a closeup, and the bird has its beak open as it perches on the very edge of a rock on a cliff.

That bird has more football knowledge than all the hosts combined to display on that pre-game show yesterday.

 

[Rob0729]

DA has no basis for analyzing this organization because he has little exposure to or familiarity with it. That renders his opinion useless.

Mike is a franchise homer but he can also be critical. He was one of Manny's earliest and most vocal critics.

I often get the sense that what ruffles some of the younger feathers here (and some older than dirt ones for that matter) is a reluctance to be hypercritical of a winning organization just on the principle that they can't be doing everything right... It's a rather warped view of what fandom is supposed to entail.

As for Gresh, he isn't going anywhere. There are little cliques/support groups/networks of buddies in the Boston media who keep each other afloat via various opportunities. Gresh is a member in good standing of the Comcast-FSNE support group that Felger kind of anchors... although in the past Felger has eaten at the WEEI soup kitchen...and don't think he didn't get Lobie a pass to the ESPN shelter...

First, for little familiarity with the organizations, he seems to know more about the Pats and Red Sox than many of the local guys. He seems pretty knowledgeable especially for a guy who has only been in the market for a week. I am sure his knowledge will continue to grow. You can't say that for many of the local guys (and I am not saying just WEEI) who have been in the market for a decade or two and still don't seem to know much about certain local teams.

Second, I agree people are very defensive about their teams other than maybe the Sox who have their own large contingent of Fellowship of the Miserable. Pats fans are more defensive than most. I have no problem with people being critical about the local team, but it has to be somewhat intelligent criticism with something to back it up. I hate homerism and haters about as much.

Third, there is some loyalty in the media, but radio stations are about making money. If they think Gresh scares off listeners, they will let him go. No matter how much the Comcast/FSNE crew likes him it won't save him from the bean counters and ratings watchers in corporate if they catch on that he is the weak link of that crew. He also has gotten a lot of national exposure (he is on nights on Mad Dog radio and is one of the fill in hosts on ESPN radio). Gresh may decide to leave on his own and be more of a national guy.

 

[Kdo5]

F&M fight like two little girls.



Well, that's true of every sports talk station on free radio.

Alright.

* Laughs not just entertainment to be specific.

 

[Patriot Power]

What I can't stand about talk radio (which is prevalent on WEEI, but on most sports talk with multiple hosts) is when one host will take one position and defend it passionately and another host takes the opposite position and defends it passionately even if in real life they are in agreement.

You just described Felger's entire philosophy for talking sports. I think its his mission statement... when there's nothing to argue about, manufacture it.

As for DA... I don't see it. I haven't heard him offer opinions, he takes the point and counter point to every caller's subject, but rarely ever arrives at his own opinion. Which is strange, because listening to some of his QAM podcasts before he came to town, he was a very opinionated/bombastic/entertaining guy. It seems they wanted to counter program to the wackbag Mike Adams and ripped the personality out of the guy. I think if they took the leash off of him they'd have something. Like I said, I like that his fallback is football and he talks a ton of it, I would just like to see him get a little more opinionated and challenge his callers with it.

I can't stand the way he lets callers go on and on without challenging them. You can go 2 minutes without hearing the guy's voice. He will sometimes counter their arguments after they hang up, but when someone calls up and says 'The Patriots have rested on their laurels and gotten too old as a team', and you don't immediately interject and challenge them on that statement, its bothersome. I understand the desire to be anti-WEEI and let every caller have their say, but at the same time it feels like they've gone too far to the opposite extreme, letting callers go on and on even though their facts and opinions may be weak. There should be a happy medium somewhere.

...but radio stations are about making money. If they think Gresh scares off listeners, they will let him go.

See? We do agree. This has been EEI from day one... they don't feel the need to change because what they offer has worked for them. The only measure that any radio station uses for 'good radio' is revenue and ratings. If those slip, things change.

 

[MoLewisrocks]

All I know is all afternoon Felger and Maz were debating farm systems and tonight DA was disecting Penny...

 

[Rob0729]

All I know is all afternoon Felger and Maz were debating farm systems and tonight DA was disecting Penny...

Again, who said that 98.5 was going to exclusively talk Patriots? I and others have said they will be more balanced and so far they have. WEEI only dedicates time to the Patriots in August the day after the game untl Patriots Mondays start up. 98.5 talks Patriots multiple times during the week. This is still a Red Sox town and they are not going to abandon the Sox all together. They just recognize that the Pats audience is a large contingent and will talk more Patriots during the week.

Today Felger and Mazz did counter programming. They knew that the Big Show is doing their fix of Patriots for the week and went Sox heavy because of the Yankees series starting tonight. They will do Patriots next week when WEEI is doing Sox.

 

[BradfordPatsFan]

The Pats pregame show on WBZ-FM is the same as it has been on WBCN and that is to say, not good. When it was Bill Abbatte and Pete Brock, you had a guy who loved football and gave an informed fan's perspective with a guy who played. That show was head and shoulders above what you have there now. I believe Tim Fox was in on these broadcasts too. It seems that the powers that be made the change to Gresh et al in order to drum up listeners/callers.

I heard DA for the first time today. He had on a guest from WFAN to talk Sox-Yanks. Nothing earth shattering but the interview was well done. I welcome a host who lets his callers talk and will converse with them.

For those who say DA does not have the connections or history necessary to be successful in Boston, I guess you are happy with the same old, stale, recycled stuff we've heard for the last 15+ years from Lobel, Ordway, Dennis, Callahan, Shaughnessy, Ryan, etc...I say, give new talent a shot and let him grow.

As others have said, 98.5 is nothing but an alternative to WEEI at this point. WEEI took years to get where they are and it won't happen over night for 98.5 but they do provide us with a good alternative. I welcome the two stations and do not understand why many feel it has to be a one or the other discussion, a la Brady-Bledsoe.

 

[Frezo]

I heard DA for the first time today. He had on a guest from WFAN to talk Sox-Yanks. Nothing earth shattering but the interview was well done. I welcome a host who lets his callers talk and will converse with them.

For those who say DA does not have the connections or history necessary to be successful in Boston, I guess you are happy with the same old, stale, recycled stuff we've heard for the last 15+ years from Lobel, Ordway, Dennis, Callahan, Shaughnessy, Ryan, etc...I say, give new talent a shot and let him grow.

Your post made me give him a listen at 10:30. I like him. He's knowledgeable and handled an NCAA question really well. I'm also glad that he isn't overly opinionated. It's really easy for a host to sit back and do nothing more than express an opinion. In fact most Boston sports radio hosts do nothing more than throw around opinions. This guy seems to have actually researched his job and informs as well as entertains.

Thanks