The beat writers like Curran are way, way better than the Old Days. I remember going to the Patriots practices at Bryant College and checking out the sports writers. They just hung out together and gossiped, but I never once saw any of them actually watch the practices!
As far as I could tell, they were a bunch of lazy, inept drunks who did not know or care about football (probably baseball nerds). They would just parrot the press releases about who was injured and who signed what contract and all the other easy stuff that did not require any actually observations or work. But now we have good writers such as Curran who actually pay attention.
And as far as Gresh, he and Fourier are the best footballs guys on the air, at least locally. Gresh is articulate, knowledgeable, insightful, and has an amazing ability to steer Fourier into interesting topics. Listen carefully to the masterly way Gresh does this (maybe it is a producer that comes up with the questions that Gresh uses, but it seems to be from him). Gresh is polite (this may be new to him) to Fourier, probably because he respects him (unlike Felger). They are the ideal pair. Besides, in the old days, Gresh used to regularly call Felger a douch (they were on the same station); how can you not like that! Another good quality about Gresh is that he is not a negative whiner like the Felger and Jones.
I'm not sure trotting out old B-movie stereotypes about sports reporters is of much value in any honest and worthwhile analysis, but whatever floats your boat. The literary quality of today's writing, in sports as elsewhere, has declined dismally since the, thirties, say. This is undeniable, though louts embarrassed at their lack of sophistication may make a brave but empty show of trying.
Today's reporters may have greater access - not as a result of any diligence on their part, but because they are inundated with "access," digital and otherwise. Two points on this: First, everyone these days has enhanced access to "facts." The result is not an elevated culture, surely, nor some some rise in the level of sound judgment in the world. Quite the opposite. Second, they are not granted access to "facts" at all, but to the deliberately manipulative PR dreck (propaganda) which the team puts out, and to access in the form of interviews in which we are regaled with meaningless jock cliches and self-adoring posturing. The reporting of such bought-and-sold drudges is always at least half devoted to ass-kissing and to tame team-approved demurrals within the gasp of and suited to the taste of, middle schoolers.
On Gresh/Keefe/ Fauria. Gresh is an insecure, former fat kid who certainly as a result of his established insecurity, is incapable of framing any view he offers other than in the form, "The stupid fans think X, but I think Y." To which I say, **** You. If you probe his "thinking,: as I have done in chat exchanges with him, he folds like a cheap tent. As for Fauria, he is a stupid preening lout incapable of thought beyond the middle-school level. He ruined the previous iteration of the show with his non-stop drivel, and now, with Gresh's unaccountable support or indulgence, has moved even further into his tedious trivialities. Keefe, unlike Fauria, is an intelligent person, broadly knowledgable, and capable of holding an actual conversation - even with Gresh. Fauria's reach does not extend beyond jockish horseshit, aside from an occasional foray into palaver about restarants, hairdos, car problems, and - most recently - diaper changing.
WEEI's lineup has declined to a point where at least half of their shows are not only uninteresting and unuseful, but downright unlistenable.They should sell most of what they do off to TicToc where it belongs and start over.
