Classic Sports Talk Radio

Submitted by Ziff72 on

I'm slowly putting the banhammer on myself for listening to sports talk radio. It's been a hard listen the last few years, but it's become like reading the newspapers(half assed drivel spoon fed for the masses of idiots). If the hosts aren't going to have the balls to actually, you know, report the facts and do a little research on the topic it becomes like watching M. May comment on Michgan during halftime of a North Carolina game. A drive by pot shot with no data. I guess facts and research aren't good for ratings. Let's just yell and make fun of Michigan. I caught a topic about D. Gardner mid-stream.

Caller: Gardner enrolled early because he was guaranteed playing time by RR. Other than that what is the point of enrolling early?? He'll play about a 1/3 of the snaps to start the year and by mid year he'll have taken over the job. Forcier is done, all he proved last year is that he can beat up on Delaware St, be a turnover machine and fold in Big Ten play. Gardner fits the offense better.

Sean Balegian: All right.. you make some good points.

Yep good points....he played about 4 plays against Del St....RR doesn't guarantee anyone playing time.....many kids that enroll early still redshirt...it helps a kid get acclimated with his academics.....improve his conditioning...Forcier was hurt 3/4 of the year..you probably have never sen Gardner play a down....etc...etc....good call.

Don

January 19th, 2010 at 11:08 AM ^

if you can catch their weak signal, that is... Webb is without peer in his knowledge of Michigan FB and BB recruiting, has regular contact with UM coaches and assistants, former players, and is just a great guy behind the mike.

Beligian's just a typical big-city sports radio slappy who pretends to be informed about college sports, but it's all a pose. Their main thing is pro sports.

GOBLUE4EVR

January 19th, 2010 at 11:14 AM ^

to karsch and gator... doug karsch is one of the only true michigan fans on the radio... plus hes around the atheletic department enough that he knows whats going on. if that caller would have called into their show doug would have called him out right away...

Braylon 5 Hour…

January 19th, 2010 at 11:25 AM ^

I would say that all talk shows where there are "analysts", whether it be sports or politics, has really devolved into substanceless garbage. Everyone wants to yell, and be super authoritative and decisive about stuff that they ultimately end up being wrong about.

I certainly think that Tate got a little overrated after the ND game (and I really hope he can improve as a pocket passer), but he's "done"? Great job caller, well reasoned and based on the facts.

TheLastHarbaugh

January 19th, 2010 at 11:26 AM ^

As crappy as most sports talk radio shows are, I feel that in that particular forum about 80-90% of the people who call in are going to be some combo of angry/idiotic. If radio personalities refuted every idiotic claim one of their listeners made it would probably drive them crazy. Instead they feed the beast by making bold unsubstantiated claims, being overly agreeable when they need to be, overly antagonistic when they need to be, and faux outraged when they need to be.

Aside from a few programs, like Sam Webb's, it's all a show, and a bad one at that.

Raback Omaba

January 19th, 2010 at 11:32 AM ^

I have family in Mid Michigan and listened to some station over the holidays one day....it was by far the stupidest sports radio I have ever heard. Their analysis of Michigan and Michigan State was absolutely horrendous.

The whole "Gardner's gonna start next year and Forcier sucks so he's gonna transfer" train of thought was alive and well up there.

It was absolutely ridiculous.

As an avid and close follower of Michigan, I can't stand this stuff. It's clearly obvious that some of these people don't follow or know anything about what they're talking about.

Maize.Blue Wagner

January 19th, 2010 at 11:40 AM ^

I've always been a big fan of Baligian. Despite being a Spartan fan, I've always thought that he was fair to U-M and everyone else for that matter. I don't know the context of the call, but it sounds like he let something slide which he probably should have challenged.

However, be thankful that you live on the east side of the state and have local listening options. Driving from Ionia to Lansing every morning all I get is Bakita and Grey out of GR. This morning, Grey (who is the Michigan fan of the two) said that Gardner's EE meant that he definitely would not red-shirt, and if you're a pie-in-the-sky fan who thinks that he will, you're kidding yourself, and basically that RR needs to play Gardner in order to keep his job.

At least Baligian was passive about uninformed callers, and not the uninformed one himself.

Ziff72

January 19th, 2010 at 11:47 AM ^

I guess you are right.

Yeah playing true freshmen not because they are better but because they enrolled early usually does a fantastic job of actually saving your job.

I'm really starting to hate people.

Someone else had this in a post, but I'll steal it... I've gone from a RR supporter to just someone that needs to see him win so I can laugh at all the idiots with their revisionist history and broken limbs trying to kjump back on the bandwagon.

Tater

January 19th, 2010 at 11:46 AM ^

Sports talk hosts take advantage of their listeners by inflaming their passion. In a state like Michigan, where the economy has people chronically pissed off before they even call, and the two main schools are polarizing influences, this is really easy to do.

Anger causes people to disconnect from their innate wisdom. Talk radio feeds on anger. Predictably, the result is a convoluted cocktail consisting of chaos and bile on the rocks with a twist of ignorance.

Koyote

January 19th, 2010 at 11:55 AM ^

The problem with sports talk radio is that any idiot with a phone can call in and stands a pretty good chance at getting on the air as long as they are not totally brain dead. So while some of the shows are decent, the more user input they have, the worse they usually become.

Blue-Chip

January 19th, 2010 at 3:35 PM ^

I wonder if it's laziness, or a numbers game. There are 120 teams to keep track of for sports commentators. That's a tough assignment. At the same time, though, if you don't know you probably shouldn't spout off random thoughts that may or may not have some fact in there.