Sports-Talk Radio As An Alternative

[James G.]

I admit I no longer listen to Coast-To-AM, or ABC News-Talk Radio (Conservatives). I'm not enough of a dead-brain person to think they have anything of value to impart to my aging -- yet growing -- brain these days.

Instead, I tune into Fox-Sports Radio. The only program it airs that I tune out overnight is that J.T. The Brick. He sounds like a typical Conservative (with Mark Levin's "disagree with me and you're an idiot or moron approach to American free speech) and not a true sports guy. When his program comes on, I switch over to ESPN Radio. But Ben Maller overnight on Fox radio -- Friday, Saturday -- and his gig on Sunday afternoons are great.

And although The Jim Rome Show is a Premiere Radio Networks syndication, it's still a hoot. Often silly and immature at times, but that's part of the gig. Rome has his niche, and handles it well.

Ben Maller gets some nutty callers on overnight radio, but that lot has more credibility than many I've heard on Coast-To-Coast AM. And, at least, Maller's callers are less nonsensical than the majority of guests I've heard in recent times on Coast-To-Coast AM.

Check out The Ben Maller Show on Fox-Sports Radio with Mr. Maller, Mr. Steve DeSeager, and producer Miranda Morena tonight, and find sanity, entertaining, informative and just plain good talk-radio.

[Bell2Gray]

if you're lucky, you can find high school football broadcasts on the AM dial on the weekend, they're much more fun to listen to.

[Art]

I've followed  Arnie Spanier online from station to station. He's in Dallas now, 10pm-2pm Central.

Valenti & Foster[url] in the afternoon.

[rangers1919]

I think that unfortunately much of sports talk radio has followed the model of conservative talk radio where the hosts are bombastic idiots that make statements just to be making them. Colin Cowherd on ESPN is a perfect example. The guy has decent knowledge of football and some knowledge about basketball, but the guy doesn't even have  a working knowledge of minor sports, and his knowledge of baseball would be laughable if he wasn't on the "Worldwide leader".

His miserable shtick is being a contrarian so that without thinking he just takes the opposite position of other sports commentators and acts like he really analyzed the situation and established a good position. Unfortunately for him he looks like an idiot at times with this, i.e. every baseball comment ever, and defending for weeks his position on wanting Flacco and a dozen other QB's over Aaron Rodgers.

I like Rome too, he is probably the most entertaining, especially if you listen regularly.

[Eddie Coyle]

    The glut of sports coverage diluted sports talk,way too much,all the time. Creating news and "controversies". Oversaturated to the point where a HACK like Colin Cowherd could "succeed". It sucks now.

    ESPN Radio in Jan,1992 was 7pm-1am on weekends only with Chuck Wilson,Tony Bruno and Keith Olbermann...it was terrific.

[rangers1919]

Having weekends only would mean that they have much more material to fill their hours so it would be great w/ good guests. They manufacture these stupid controversies like you said b/c they have so many hours to fill. Even Jim Rome has tamed too much since he works for ESPN now on t.v.; some of his best bits were ripping on ESPN people before. I remember when Peter Gammons said David Ortiz should be MVP because he hit some clutch HRs in his first season w/ the Red Sox. Rome said calm down Petey, just because somebody hits a big home run and happens to play for the Red Sox doesn't make him the MVP. He had this bit for years, but ended it immediately upon signing w/ ESPN and he would chastise callers who said the same thing.

[Eddie Coyle]

I remember when Peter Gammons said David Ortiz should be MVP because he hit some clutch HRs in his first season w/ the Red Sox. Rome said calm down Petey, just because somebody hits a big home run and happens to play for the Red Sox doesn't make him the MVP.

    Dustin Pedroia owes his 2008 AL MVP trophy to Gammons campaigning for him, which began in August, and before you know it all the Gammons acolytes were following suit. The Northeast corridor (from Boston to DC) holds far too much sway..

[rangers1919]

The Northeast corridor does hold too much sway in sports, but most of the teams I follow are from there so I can't lie and say it isn't awesome seeing them on t.v. the most.

[Digitech]

It's hit or miss. I agree about JT The Brick, he's pretty bad and not a good personality.
What do you think of Tom Luney, the guy who gives the scores and participates a bit during his show?

He's a co-host with Ben Maller on Sunday afternoons, too.

[Eddie Coyle]

    I love it when JT extols his show as being "caller driven"

        Like that's a good thing...