John Granato: From 610 to ?

[primarysuspect]

John Granato was probably my least favorite broadcaster in the market. The man shouts!!!

I hope all works out for him...Was he not sick for a while there?

Laurie Reynolds on the radio for more than 90 seconds at a time would be a Titanic style disaster

Pulillo is easily the best I have heard since John O'Reiley. Trupiano was really good too I thought.

Did you guys see The Houston Press this week? Great story about our-soon-to-be 4 Sports Talk stations.

 

[primarysuspect]

If you want an example of how bad a one-man sports talk show can be look no further than Jim Rome. Case closed. Rome is as bad as it gets. I'd rather listen to paint drying. I don't know what kind of blackmail information he has on his network bosses, but it must be really really bad.

I like Jim Rome. I don't know how much I like him until he goes into the basement. Then you hear some bad broadcasting. The Sklar brothers should be arrested they are so bad. I think I saw their talent on a milk carton ;D .

Rome Rules.

 

[WilmingtonRadio]

Rome is the most overrated sports guy on the planet.

I really don't know Granato or his work...if he came up and shouted the scores to me at the check out line in Randalls I'm not sure I'd recognize him. But from what little I do know, I think he's a cut rate sportcaster, who you get when you can't get anyone else for the money. A sports guy of last resort.

Pallilo knows his stuff, but he has no personality. I find him grating.

What about Creg Roberts? Is he under strict contract at Channel 55 or can he do a radiio show in addition to TV?

I don't listen to AM much. Where's Tom Franklin these days?

 

[primarysuspect]

Rome is the most overrated sports guy on the planet.

Well, the man has affiliates who pay for his broadcasts. That speaks volumes.

I really don't know Granato or his work...if he came up and shouted the scores to me at the check out line in Randalls I'm not sure I'd recognize him. But from what little I do know, I think he's a cut rate sportcaster, who you get when you can't get anyone else for the money. A sports guy of last resort.

That was right on the money. Granato had one job...making Lance Zurlein stomachable.

Pallilo knows his stuff, but he has no personality. I find him grating.

He could be at times. But I'm sort of old school about listening to sports talk. A couple of the lesser lights on KBME today were talking about women they knew having arthritis of the jaw (I'll let you deduce the reasoning) :. I was really disgusted by such antics. I can take grating much more than I could take disgusting any day. I would like to know where it is written that if you are a guy (like me) you have to always be bombarded by others referring to sexual conquests thinking that you really give a damn what these people are like off the air. Say what you want about Rome but you don't get that sort of filth from him. I like somebody who calls the losers, well, losers. I like the guy who refers to the pitiful as, well, pitiful.

What about Creg Roberts? Is he under strict contract at Channel 55 or can he do a radiio show in addition to TV?

I love Craig (sp) Roberts. I loved his boxing show that used to come on the radio from time to time.

I don't listen to AM much. Where's Tom Franklin these days?

I thought he was still with KTRH.

 

[adguy]

Granato & Zurlein's show was the most entertaining program on AM morning radio in Houston. They delivered quality sports takes, good humor, had very good schtick and had an army of regular callers that were funny most of the time. Some of their schtick like Coach Slocum on a Mobile (another caller) was classic. I'm a sports nut, but serious sports 100% of the time is boring. Just like BizRadio; I love business, but 100% serious biz talk delivers nothing but zzzzzzz's. If you listen to the most popular radio programs, they are terrifically mixed with serious, humerous and totally off subject takes. Just listen to Rome, Rush, Savage and others. Granato & Zurlein had as good a mix as the afformentioned national hosts. KILT's morning replacement team of the Texans' announcers is boring. Andre Ware and Mark Vandemere are quality radio guys, but they lack that entertainment mix and if you listen long enough their talk inevitably turns to NFL, which, in the middle of baseball season is as boring as the perverbial paint drying. Davis & Dukes are ok on KBME, but they don't have their schtick together yet. With John & Lance now gone, D&D are no doubt getting some good sampling from a newly bored audience coming from KILT. If John & Lance end up on KILE in morning or afternoon drive as I suspect (Granato's in, but Zulein...?) they will eventually outdeliver their former station KILT and KBME. I don't mention 97.9 because they are a weak signal afterthought with NOTHING.

 

[its time w (your name)]

If you want an example of how bad a one-man sports talk show can be look no further than Jim Rome. Case closed. Rome is as bad as it gets. I'd rather listen to paint drying. I don't know what kind of blackmail information he has on his network bosses, but it must be really really bad.

Rome is actually wildly successful. Not only do numerous radio affiliates come knocking on his door, but his live appearances draw like sporting events, and are held in stadiums, which tells me he connects with his audience. Affiliates and their local audiences even compete for these appearances. And this has been going on for 15? or so years. Although large, I still consider it a somewhat niche audience. But it is a very rabid niche audience, which to me proves the power of SAYING SOMETHING, rather than trying to please everyone.

I can understand someone listening a couple of times and concluding they dont like Rome. I first mistook his jargon for "rap-speak." I dont know what language he's speaking, but after a couple of broadcasts, it makes semi-sense, then becomes really amusing. Im not a big fan of the callers, but some of them are wildly funny, if not disturbed. I especially enjoy the idea of buzzing out the idiot callers, and then berating them. Anyone who's ever had to deal with the public, and was forced to be nice to them, can relate.

Rome does really quality interviews, in fact, I would call them "textbook," by modern standards. I like his editorial remarks for being strong, without gratuitous venom. His inside information is excellent, and has less to do with horse-trading, stats, & rumors than clubhouse chemisty, human interaction, and prophetic trends. Perhaps this is generational, but I find him funny.

Mostly, I like Rome because he has something to say, not just has to say something.

 

[stan]

If you want to read something funny, click on the following link and scroll down to the comments about "sports radio" in Houston. It ain't pretty.

http://blogs.chron.com/sportsjustice/archives/2007/07/the_astros_have.html

 

[primarysuspect]

Granato & Zurlein's show was the most entertaining program on AM morning radio in Houston. They delivered quality sports takes, good humor, had very good schtick and had an army of regular callers that were funny most of the time. Some of their schtick like Coach Slocum on a Mobile (another caller) was classic.

Granato Yelled and Zuerlien's imitations were just about as irritating as his normal voice.

I'm a sports nut, but serious sports 100% of the time is boring.

The thing I like about Rome is that the overwhelming majority of the times he reaches for humor, it is rooted in sports. A lot of hosts cannot say that. A few weeks ago, the NBA finals were on opposite the Sopranos and the Tony Awards. One host on 790 (National) spent two whole segments talking about the Sopranos. At that point, it is no longer a sports show.

 

[primarysuspect]

If you want an example of how bad a one-man sports talk show can be look no further than Jim Rome. Case closed. Rome is as bad as it gets. I'd rather listen to paint drying. I don't know what kind of blackmail information he has on his network bosses, but it must be really really bad.

Rome is actually wildly successful. Not only do numerous radio affiliates come knocking on his door, but his live appearances draw like sporting events, and are held in stadiums, which tells me he connects with his audience. Affiliates and their local audiences even compete for these appearances. And this has been going on for 15? or so years. Although large, I still consider it a somewhat niche audience. But it is a very rabid niche audience, which to me proves the power of SAYING SOMETHING, rather than trying to please everyone.

I can understand someone listening a couple of times and concluding they dont like Rome. I first mistook his jargon for "rap-speak." I dont know what language he's speaking, but after a couple of broadcasts, it makes semi-sense, then becomes really amusing. Im not a big fan of the callers, but some of them are wildly funny, if not disturbed. I especially enjoy the idea of buzzing out the idiot callers, and then berating them. Anyone who's ever had to deal with the public, and was forced to be nice to them, can relate.

Rome does really quality interviews, in fact, I would call them "textbook," by modern standards. I like his editorial remarks for being strong, without gratuitous venom. His inside information is excellent, and has less to do with horse-trading, stats, & rumors than clubhouse chemisty, human interaction, and prophetic trends. Perhaps this is generational, but I find him funny.

Mostly, I like Rome because he has something to say, not just has to say something.

Very well put. The only thing I could add is that Rome's interviews border on the boring because he sometimes reaches for the hottest player at the time instead of the over-arching A-lister or B-lister (which is hard to get so it probably isn't his fault). When Brad Lidge is being interviewed, I cannot think of anything less interesting and I'm an Astro fan.

 

[adguy]

Granato Yelled and Zuerlien's imitations were just about as irritating as his normal voice.

I'm a sports nut, but serious sports 100% of the time is boring.

The thing I like about Rome is that the overwhelming majority of the times he reaches for humor, it is rooted in sports. A lot of hosts cannot say that. A few weeks ago, the NBA finals were on opposite the Sopranos and the Tony Awards. One host on 790 (National) spent two whole segments talking about the Sopranos. At that point, it is no longer a sports show.

[/quote]

I will agree that Zuerlein's impressions are over the top much of the time, but occasionally he hits one out of the park. That's more than you can say than what's out there now. ZZZZZZzzzzzzzz.

 

[hifidistortion]

I agree with the state of the mornings, right now, I like Marc on the afternoon show, a little less than a stuff shirt, but the morning show now, is just boring. I agree quality voices, Marc and Andre, but we do not tune in for a long endless "Texans Pregame Morning Show", EVERY morning. BTW, I believe that the best of KBME's team will eventually defect to KILT, and 610 and 1560, will be the only two standing when it is all over. 790 probably billed better as Standards, right, and 97.5 .....that is anyone's guess, but I think that Cume-less goes to the Dallas incarnation of the for inspiration eventually.

 

[adguy]

I agree with the state of the mornings, right now, I like Marc on the afternoon show, a little less than a stuff shirt, but the morning show now, is just boring. I agree quality voices, Marc and Andre, but we do not tune in for a long endless "Texans Pregame Morning Show", EVERY morning. BTW, I believe that the best of KBME's team will eventually defect to KILT, and 610 and 1560, will be the only two standing when it is all over. 790 probably billed better as Standards, right, and 97.5 .....that is anyone's guess, but I think that Cume-less goes to the Dallas incarnation of the for inspiration eventually.

I think that is a very credible take. The way Michael Berry is running CC's AM Talkers, it's clear KBME will never have a chance. It's obvious that Berry's lack of radio experience will kill CC's AM stations. He had a chance to sign Richard Justice and John McClain, two of the best run off by KILT. Justice, in his blog, commented on the serious lack of effort CC put into his offer to take over the AM show. Getting both Justice and McClain would have completely legitimized 790. Pallilo in the afternoons can't carry the station alone and you gotta believe he'll leave as soon as he gets the chance. Your reference to 1560 surviving is interesting. Word is that KILE has $$$$$'s to invest. They've already signed Granato and to a lesser degree Ken Hoffman, who brings some street cred to the station's lineup of talkers. They'll have my ears. If they rolled the dice and brought in McClain, Justice and Lance Zuerlein as I suspect they will, they will instantly have the best male talk lineup in the market. Why 610 chose self implosion is anyone's guess. They're number 1 and fixed what aint broke. Now they have the vultures circling. Unless they pull in talent (instead of running it off) they could be vulnerable to serious losses in both ratings and revenue. I also believe all this talent shifting will quickly demonstrate that Houston REALLY can't support more than one Sports (Male) station.

 

[primarysuspect]

Rome is the most overrated sports guy on the planet.

His ratings speak for themself.

You never know how good he is until you have to sit through 3 hours of anybody else. Then it is sheer misery to hear the unfunny attempt humor.

I have more respect for Rome now than I had in 1995 when I started listening to him.