Does anyone know if ESPN Radio has made a decision on who will replace Mark Madden?
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ESPN Radio Afternoon slot
- Thread starter toddjammin
- Start date
Bob Smizik says it's Scott Paulsen, Eddy Crowe and ex-Steeler Mike Logan, with Stan Savran rejoining Guy Junker in an earlier slot:
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08210/900032-194.stm
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08210/900032-194.stm
Stan & Guy will be good to hear.
The Paulsen show is a bigger gamble, given his last two ventures, but the other difference is that those were solo shows and he didn't really have anyone to play off of. Remember he was struggling on DVE until Krenn showed up as a guest one day and things clicked.
The Paulsen show is a bigger gamble, given his last two ventures, but the other difference is that those were solo shows and he didn't really have anyone to play off of. Remember he was struggling on DVE until Krenn showed up as a guest one day and things clicked.
Here are some thoughts-
A- As Snafu said, it will be good to hear Stan & Guy again. If Pittsburgh were to erect a Mt. Rushmore for Pittsburgh Sports Talk Show hosts, they'd be on it.
Only criticism here is that I do think Junker and Crowe had developed good chemistry. As legendary as Stan and Guy are locally, could it be like the Braves bringing back Tom Glavine to go with John Smoltz this year?
Time will tell.
B- The three-man afternoon show is a bit intriguing. How ironic is it that Mark Madden, who used to brag about "driving off the FM legend" on his talk show, will ultimately be replaced by "The FM Legend?"
Mike Logan is a nice hire. Logan is a great, friendly communicator. Would often win awards for media relations when he was with the Steelers.
Eddy Crowe was someone who I think has grown a lot at WEAE. At first I just thought he was a wet blanket- someone to argue with Guy Junker. He wasn't all that deep.
He'll never be perky, which is fine, but as time went by Crowe's comments seemed to come less from cynicism and more from knowledge.
He also holds the key to this show.
Crowe's got to keep Paulsen in check from his rants. He's got to be a bit of an antagonist for Logan so the ex-player doesn't become too much of an apologist when his old teammates don't do so well, but it's a difficult role because Crowe doesn't want to be too nasty.
C- ESPN 1250's overall ratings actually went up this last book. Does anyone know how much of that book gauged the post-Madden era?
Admittedly, with the Pens' run in the playoffs you get the feeling the book would have gone up regardless.
But The X's ratings actually went down, and WBGG enjoyed twice the gain ESPN 1250 did.
A- As Snafu said, it will be good to hear Stan & Guy again. If Pittsburgh were to erect a Mt. Rushmore for Pittsburgh Sports Talk Show hosts, they'd be on it.
Only criticism here is that I do think Junker and Crowe had developed good chemistry. As legendary as Stan and Guy are locally, could it be like the Braves bringing back Tom Glavine to go with John Smoltz this year?
Time will tell.
B- The three-man afternoon show is a bit intriguing. How ironic is it that Mark Madden, who used to brag about "driving off the FM legend" on his talk show, will ultimately be replaced by "The FM Legend?"
Mike Logan is a nice hire. Logan is a great, friendly communicator. Would often win awards for media relations when he was with the Steelers.
Eddy Crowe was someone who I think has grown a lot at WEAE. At first I just thought he was a wet blanket- someone to argue with Guy Junker. He wasn't all that deep.
He'll never be perky, which is fine, but as time went by Crowe's comments seemed to come less from cynicism and more from knowledge.
He also holds the key to this show.
Crowe's got to keep Paulsen in check from his rants. He's got to be a bit of an antagonist for Logan so the ex-player doesn't become too much of an apologist when his old teammates don't do so well, but it's a difficult role because Crowe doesn't want to be too nasty.
C- ESPN 1250's overall ratings actually went up this last book. Does anyone know how much of that book gauged the post-Madden era?
Admittedly, with the Pens' run in the playoffs you get the feeling the book would have gone up regardless.
But The X's ratings actually went down, and WBGG enjoyed twice the gain ESPN 1250 did.
Colony and Chris Mack are not bad, just not the big names you're looking to sell in PM drive.
The other reason Crow is important is that Scott's really a marginal sports fan in some respects and sounds like it sometimes. He's OK when he writes a bit, but off the cuff he comes off as a lightweight on occasion. Crow has more sports-talk chops (kinda like what KD was maybe thinking with Scott and Steigerwald, but that was just oil and water trying to mix). Down in Tampa, a legendary rock jock, Ron Diaz (who was later on XM's Ron & Fez show) now does a sports show with former Buccaneer lineman Ian Beckles.... I've described that show as sounding like two guys pretending to do sports talk show, it just misses the mark somehow. Pittsburgh is too knowledgeable for something like that to fly, so they have build credibility around Scott's personality.
The other reason Crow is important is that Scott's really a marginal sports fan in some respects and sounds like it sometimes. He's OK when he writes a bit, but off the cuff he comes off as a lightweight on occasion. Crow has more sports-talk chops (kinda like what KD was maybe thinking with Scott and Steigerwald, but that was just oil and water trying to mix). Down in Tampa, a legendary rock jock, Ron Diaz (who was later on XM's Ron & Fez show) now does a sports show with former Buccaneer lineman Ian Beckles.... I've described that show as sounding like two guys pretending to do sports talk show, it just misses the mark somehow. Pittsburgh is too knowledgeable for something like that to fly, so they have build credibility around Scott's personality.
Pratte you are right. Crowe has to keep Paulsen incheck with those long, boring diatribes he is known for. Twenty minutes of hearing him talk about nothing.
While I think Paulsen is a good writer and creative, he needs to get to the point much quicker. After 3 minutes, I'm lost and tune him out.
While I think Paulsen is a good writer and creative, he needs to get to the point much quicker. After 3 minutes, I'm lost and tune him out.
You are correct Snafu, it is the PD who needs to keep him in check. What I meant when I said Crow needs to keep Paulsen in check, I actually meant that it is Crow's job to be the foil and/or moderator/person who does watch the time and notes when they've gone way too long on a bit. Just like (and I'm not saying this is the way it always is), but there is a good guy and a bad guy. Paulsen has no controls, and it's Crow who's duty it will be to keep those controls under a certain amount of time. (kind of the "in the airstudio" p.d., if we were to give Crow that title 
)
Gene had a stopwatch? How long was Paulsen allowed to go because everytime I've heard him he's always been at least 6 or 7 minutes (the least amount of time) on a break (on a music station, that's way too long)(however not on a talk station). But most often, Paulsen goes way, way over the 5 minute mark to get to the point. That's what I think makes him boring.
We do know nowadays that Gene must've lost that stopwatch because Krenn and Randy & the DVE Morning show go ad nauseum on a subject and keep that mic cracked for up to 20 minutes at a break. They do not make compelling radio. (I know someone's going to say, "but they have the ratings, that should say something." But, they are on a grandfather'd station. ANYBODY with the call letters DVE in front of their name will get those ratings).
)Gene had a stopwatch? How long was Paulsen allowed to go because everytime I've heard him he's always been at least 6 or 7 minutes (the least amount of time) on a break (on a music station, that's way too long)(however not on a talk station). But most often, Paulsen goes way, way over the 5 minute mark to get to the point. That's what I think makes him boring.
We do know nowadays that Gene must've lost that stopwatch because Krenn and Randy & the DVE Morning show go ad nauseum on a subject and keep that mic cracked for up to 20 minutes at a break. They do not make compelling radio. (I know someone's going to say, "but they have the ratings, that should say something." But, they are on a grandfather'd station. ANYBODY with the call letters DVE in front of their name will get those ratings).
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Raymond said:
It's funny, the few times I heard Paulsen on "The Man Station", I never cared about whether or not he "got to the point". I enjoyed listening to him getting there. Even if he didn't have a point, or if I reached my destination before he was finished and got out of my car without hearing the end, it didn't matter. Paulsen struck me as a man born in the wrong time. He's an old fashioned raconteur, which is a lost and unappreciated art form nowadays.
Some of the most entertaining spoken word performances I've ever heard were stand-up comics who would blather on for an hour. They'd never get to any "point", they didn't do old-fashioned style jokes with set-ups and punchlines like Danny Thomas or Jack Carter. They just said funny and entertaining stuff.
But, that kind of stuff won't fly on modern, professional AM sports talk radio.
So what ever became of the "Top fan" guy? What exactly is he doing?
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