Ron and Ian - 620 WDAE

[Gruber]

Ron and Ian were just ripping their old Program Director, who were they talking about Brad James?

And who was their first producer? Matt Salmon?

 

[RR730]

I'm not sure, but it wouldn't surprise me if they bad mouthed a former employee. I think their show has always lacked professionalism. I sometimes wonder whether or not those guys do any preparation outside of picking up the sports section and whining about the same stuff day in and day out. They haven't developed anything on their show that shows a lick of creativity. I don't know about the rest of you, but I HATE it when hosts (both they and Sileo are guilty of it) give out the phone number and say "lets talk about whatever is on your mind in sports". To me that is nothing but lazyness. I know it's tough to get the creative juices going every single day, but for a market of Tampa's size and the amount of money these guys are making you would think they could bring something original to the table.

Anyone in agreement or am I off on this one?

 

[Maverick Johnson]

Hey There,
As foremost a sports radio listener (as well as a 10 year Sports Radio Program Director, 1320 WAMR... The Whammer.) I will throw in my 2 cents about Ron and Ian. I listen to them quite frequently. I also know that Brad Hardin (at least I know he used to, spend time working with these guys) has alot of expectations of this show.
I have listened to this show alot for a number of months. I must admit, I am actually impressed with Ronnie Diaz as a sports talk host. He's consistently getting better. However Ian Beckels is another story. He sounds like a nice enough guy. But too many days, he asks his producer OR Ron, about a sports story (it's like he hasn't even read the paper). Also, if somone calls in and attempts to correct him, he yells them down and they get hng up on. I don't think Ian, does any prep work at all. And if he does, it's not the right kind of prep. He sounds like he is not well prep-ed on a daily basis.
I listen, because I truly respect Ron Diaz and am quite impressed about his transformation into the world of sports... I just hope, when the show gets blown up, that they give him another partner.
I also enjoy Derek on the LOCAL sportscasts. I love how he champions LOCAL high school sports. He's also a very smooth and polished sports anchor, that I enjoy listening too (unlike the train-wreck known as Whitney, in the afternoon.
Just my 2 cents.

Maverick Johnson

 

[larnov]

I listen to 620 some over here on the east Coast. but not as much since I got Xm or listen to WFAN on the Computer. Ron and Ian are OK but Sileo has to be the worst Talk show Host anywhere even worst than Shot Doctor on 740 Orlando!

 

[MusicMan11]

Ron and Ian are at least entertaining - they don't always talk sports, but sileo is awful. He is not very knowledgeable - just like the ex-jock Ian, i guess these guys figure they don't have to do their homework because of their background - he is not entertaining and he never, ever backs up some of his outrageous statements.

I heard a caller jump on him about barry bonds and the san francisco chronicle investigative reports. the caller pointed out that sileo failed to mention to his audience that he himself was the subject of a column by a Susan Slusser who questioned his radio station bio when he was in the bay area. Of course it wasn't sileo's fault, slusser had an ax to grind with his station so she jumped him...

Clear channel obviously doesn't care about the central florida sports audience when they ax a guy like marc daniels and keep silieo. Then again, it was probably much cheaper - a clear channel mo - to keep suckeo and daniels.

 

[exboardop]

I have listened to the sports animal for years going back to when they were on 1250. This area has lost alot of good local talent over the years. But when Ian was filling in for Chris Thomas while he was sick, I thought he did a servicable job, if memory serves me correctly he also had a Saturday show for a while. I think maybe they felt they had to give him his own show after Chris Thomas died. At first I thought Ronnie D and Ian did not make sense, but they have grown some chemistry, at least when they are not stepping on each others toes. The difference is that Ronnie D has gotten BETTER in the role, and Beckles has actually REGRESSED. I think by and large the show is a trainwreck most of the time, which is a shame, because Diaz has alot of history in the bay area, and I would like to see him settle down into a real paying gig. Especially considering Mason Dickson, Jack Harris and Ted Webb still have jobs.

The morning show is and always has been an utter disgrace since Sandy Penner left and they replaced him with Sileo. Sileo is nothing more than a blowhard hack.

 

[larnov]

I know this a Tampa Board but I stopped listening to CC WQTM Orlando now that coach and Co is gone. He was on the old 910 for a while and also on the old team 810 syndicated out of Orlando to Tampa, Miami and Jax Pax stations.

Ron and Ian are at least entertaining - they don't always talk sports, but sileo is awful. He is not very knowledgeable - just like the ex-jock Ian, i guess these guys figure they don't have to do their homework because of their background - he is not entertaining and he never, ever backs up some of his outrageous statements.

I heard a caller jump on him about barry bonds and the san francisco chronicle investigative reports. the caller pointed out that sileo failed to mention to his audience that he himself was the subject of a column by a Susan Slusser who questioned his radio station bio when he was in the bay area. Of course it wasn't sileo's fault, slusser had an ax to grind with his station so she jumped him...

Clear channel obviously doesn't care about the central florida sports audience when they ax a guy like marc daniels and keep silieo. Then again, it was probably much cheaper - a clear channel mo - to keep suckeo and daniels.

 

[Ferreri]

Years ago Tommy, the Singing hot dog man at Al Lang was a local treasure. Tommy became ill and it was Diaz who raised contributions and support for Tommy. Like Harris, Webb, and others, Ron is part of the fabric of our area.

 

[larnov]

What kind of pictures does Sileo have to still be on the air. He has to be the biggest idiot to ever be on the radio.

 

[MusicMan11]

it floors me that this is the best clear channel has to offer in sports talk in the morning? the guy is so un-informed it's pathetic. Bring back sandy penner, anybody.....scott and jake from sarasota. please.........justin palowski, darek sharp.........

i love how he constantly rips the sf chronicle reporters who wrote book of shadows......wasn't it a writer from the chronicle that exposed some misinformation sileo had in his radio bio when he worked in california a few years ago????

 

[larnov]

Penner is in Philly on WIP 610 doing weekend nights. WIP is a 24/7 local station, just like WFAN 660 New York. both are CBS owned stations, just like WQYK 1010

it floors me that this is the best clear channel has to offer in sports talk in the morning? the guy is so un-informed it's pathetic. Bring back sandy penner, anybody.....scott and jake from sarasota. please.........justin palowski, darek sharp.........

i love how he constantly rips the sf chronicle reporters who wrote book of shadows......wasn't it a writer from the chronicle that exposed some misinformation sileo had in his radio bio when he worked in california a few years ago????

 

[newsguy92]

don't forget scott leger. he is a great guy and really nows his sports.

Bring back sandy penner, anybody.....scott and jake from sarasota. please.........justin palowski, darek sharp.........

 

[DannyDonut]

Well I know for a fact when this show started a few years ago, after the great Chris Thomas passed, No one even dreamed that it would go anywhere. Ron Diaz with his Rock Jock background and Ian B. with his football jock background. Who would of thought? It's the best thing on in it's time slot right now, I think. But who am I right? I listen to radio all day. Talk and music. For a local show, it does it for me.

DD

 

[FiveStar]

Ron and Ian have actually back slid in terms of quality. Beckles is not doing any of the prep work that made him a good fill-in for Chris Thomas. Diaz is back to doing nothing but knee jerk loudmouth-ism. If I'm listening to sports talk. I like to get the feeling that the host knows more than I do, at least generally speaking. It's certainly not unusual to know something that a host doesn't about a specific team or issue, but I constantly hear both Ron and Ian showing that they have no interest in actually researching the Devil Rays. Diaz just piles on whoever is the latest guy to fail and Beckles just continues to rant on and on about the Devil Rays "not spending any money". Sure the Rays could have gotten better by spending more money on their pitching in the off season, but they could just as easily have broken their budget and not been a bit better. Beating up the Sternberg regime and discrediting them because they "won't spend any money" shows a host with little knowledge of just how badly the team was run under Naimoli and how difficult it is to turn around a baseball organization.

Beckles is a lot better when it comes to the Bucs simply because he speaks with the weight of experience and a first rate football mind.

It also irks me to hear them taking cheap shots at their former executive producer. Diaz has always stepped on the "little people" who work with him and know Beckles is doing it too. Beckles' comment after the controversial Elijah Dukes interview praising Justin for getting Dukes on the air was fine. What wasn't fine was Beckles saying that "the other guy" probably couldn't have done that and they wouldn't have gotten the interview. It was a truly bush league remark and totally uncalled for. The sure sign of a swelled head.

Of course, their ratings are doing just fine, so they will be allowed to fake their way through three hours everyday, mainly because of the fact that no one locally has the talent or signal strength to put on a local show that can compete with them. The fact that they are doing well in the market says more about the weakness of the "competition" than the quality of their show.

 

[zoneguy]

Valid points Five Star. Well done. Chronic laziness has always plagued many of the sports talkers in this market and others. It seems the more years they are on the air, the less they actually pay attention to the subject matter they are talking about.

You can't reasonably expect these guys to watch every game (they should get to have a life too), but outside of Bucs Games on Sunday, I get the feeling that Ron and Ian haven't watched anything except Sports Center.

If you haven't watched a fare amount of actual Rays or Lightning games, how on earth can you have an informed discussion about them?

 

[larnov]

This is the reason Mike and the Maddog might gey a good amount of listeners, they and whoever fills in like Joe bigingo has passion for Sports.