I felt sports talk radio was about 10 to 15 years late in coming to the Tri-Cities but, then again, we've never been on the cutting edge of much here.
Regardless, does anyone have any thoughts on the new sports station?
Here are mine-
A- I feel the station would be better served by moving their morning show to the late morning shift. Colin Cowherd's personality really isn't "Tri-Cities Friendly," and the station would be better served if Mike and Mike, which is simulcast on TV, were aired before Don Helman and Co. went on the air from, say, 10-1.
B- Could we PLEASE have another topic other than "Should Phil Fulmer be fired?" It's getting pretty old, and it is getting positively painful listening to the spins Bill Meade and Don Helman must make to defend him.
Meade has gotten to the point nobody can think of him as a journalist. He's a fan, which is fine, but wouldn't you like to have an opinion maker who doesn't take feel the need to lecture us on fan etiquite ("If you're against Coach Fulmer- WE DON'T NEED YOU IN THE STANDS IN KNOXVILLE!").
C- Get rid of Joe Avento and Kenny Hawkins. Make Kasey Mahler the permanent co-host with Helman. Mahler is spirited, objective, and not afraid to mix it up. In essence- just the personality this station needs.
Avento is plain boring. Hawkins tries to dominate the broadcast with nonsense- discussion of eating biscuits, for instance.
During the last interview with Murry Bartow, Hawkins eliminated all serious questions to the ETSU basketball coach by interrupting with some drivel about how many free throws he could make.
D- Whenever Operations Manager Bob Gordon gets on the air, the feeling is so thick with "I'd better go along with everything this guy says or else I'll be fired" that despite Gordon's smooth delivery, the entire broadcast seems awkward.
E- Scrap the top-of-the-hour newscast. Replace with a LOCAL sportscast to go with the national feature.
Today you had Science Hill's QB quitting the team, ETSU signing a high profile basketball recruit, two high school football games and soccer playoffs, Virginia Tech hosting the No. 2 team in the nation, Todd Helton in the World Series, and sound from Phil Fulmer and Steve Spurrier's press conferences.
There wasn't a single word about ANY OF THIS.
F- Need better guests. The PR person from the Bristol Track pretended she didn't know what they were talking about when they asked her about the boring race last August.
Let's get more sportswriters on (Avento would work out much better if he reported on golf results, the Bucs, and the Titans every now and then, for instance). Hawkins might work in moderation- "Time for a laugh from our old friend Kenny."
Let's explore the rolodex and work to get more athletes and coaches to break news and, for that matter, ESPN figures- who are available for guest spots regularly.
Besides, this is Bristol. You should be able to get a ton of NASCAR figures on that alone.
I'd like to hear from a reporter in Nashville if Vince Young practiced yesterday and if he did- how he looked. I'd like to hear Jack Arute discuss the "Race For the Cup."
Could we get Pat Summit on just so we could ask her directly, and get to the bottom of, why UT isn't playing UConn anymore?
Could I get some fan reaction about the four-year contract David Mullins just received as ETSU AD, or perhaps Mullins himself?
How about Rod Delmonico, or for that matter John Majors, to talk about Helton? A high school athlete to talk about where he's going to play in college or a coach about the upcoming big game in the early morning hour?
I'd really rather listen to that than hear Avento struggle through reading copy he wrote about how long baseball games last.
G- FIgure out what you're going to do with Bud. Have him co-host and stay in the studio or have him run the board on the other stations. DON'T HAVE HIM DO BOTH!
H- Finally, I DO NOT CARE WHAT TEAM YOU GREW UP ROOTING FOR- OR FOR THAT MATTER WHO THE PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE JOHNSON CITY PRESS LIKES!!
I want news and objective opinion, not pom pom waving.
Regardless, does anyone have any thoughts on the new sports station?
Here are mine-
A- I feel the station would be better served by moving their morning show to the late morning shift. Colin Cowherd's personality really isn't "Tri-Cities Friendly," and the station would be better served if Mike and Mike, which is simulcast on TV, were aired before Don Helman and Co. went on the air from, say, 10-1.
B- Could we PLEASE have another topic other than "Should Phil Fulmer be fired?" It's getting pretty old, and it is getting positively painful listening to the spins Bill Meade and Don Helman must make to defend him.
Meade has gotten to the point nobody can think of him as a journalist. He's a fan, which is fine, but wouldn't you like to have an opinion maker who doesn't take feel the need to lecture us on fan etiquite ("If you're against Coach Fulmer- WE DON'T NEED YOU IN THE STANDS IN KNOXVILLE!").
C- Get rid of Joe Avento and Kenny Hawkins. Make Kasey Mahler the permanent co-host with Helman. Mahler is spirited, objective, and not afraid to mix it up. In essence- just the personality this station needs.
Avento is plain boring. Hawkins tries to dominate the broadcast with nonsense- discussion of eating biscuits, for instance.
During the last interview with Murry Bartow, Hawkins eliminated all serious questions to the ETSU basketball coach by interrupting with some drivel about how many free throws he could make.
D- Whenever Operations Manager Bob Gordon gets on the air, the feeling is so thick with "I'd better go along with everything this guy says or else I'll be fired" that despite Gordon's smooth delivery, the entire broadcast seems awkward.
E- Scrap the top-of-the-hour newscast. Replace with a LOCAL sportscast to go with the national feature.
Today you had Science Hill's QB quitting the team, ETSU signing a high profile basketball recruit, two high school football games and soccer playoffs, Virginia Tech hosting the No. 2 team in the nation, Todd Helton in the World Series, and sound from Phil Fulmer and Steve Spurrier's press conferences.
There wasn't a single word about ANY OF THIS.
F- Need better guests. The PR person from the Bristol Track pretended she didn't know what they were talking about when they asked her about the boring race last August.
Let's get more sportswriters on (Avento would work out much better if he reported on golf results, the Bucs, and the Titans every now and then, for instance). Hawkins might work in moderation- "Time for a laugh from our old friend Kenny."
Let's explore the rolodex and work to get more athletes and coaches to break news and, for that matter, ESPN figures- who are available for guest spots regularly.
Besides, this is Bristol. You should be able to get a ton of NASCAR figures on that alone.
I'd like to hear from a reporter in Nashville if Vince Young practiced yesterday and if he did- how he looked. I'd like to hear Jack Arute discuss the "Race For the Cup."
Could we get Pat Summit on just so we could ask her directly, and get to the bottom of, why UT isn't playing UConn anymore?
Could I get some fan reaction about the four-year contract David Mullins just received as ETSU AD, or perhaps Mullins himself?
How about Rod Delmonico, or for that matter John Majors, to talk about Helton? A high school athlete to talk about where he's going to play in college or a coach about the upcoming big game in the early morning hour?
I'd really rather listen to that than hear Avento struggle through reading copy he wrote about how long baseball games last.
G- FIgure out what you're going to do with Bud. Have him co-host and stay in the studio or have him run the board on the other stations. DON'T HAVE HIM DO BOTH!
H- Finally, I DO NOT CARE WHAT TEAM YOU GREW UP ROOTING FOR- OR FOR THAT MATTER WHO THE PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE JOHNSON CITY PRESS LIKES!!
I want news and objective opinion, not pom pom waving.