Happy Friday evening. Here are some things that I’ve heard or seen that I thought you’d be interested in.
Changes continue to roll at Sportsnet, this time behind the scenes as Rick Briggs Jude has left the building. He was, I believe Vice President production. Moore and Pelley continue to make over the Rogers empire.
Hats off to Brian Hayes, who paid tribute very nicely to his father Bill while signing off from the Watters show today. The younger Hayes said something to the effect of “if I end up being half the man my father is then I will be very happy”. Well said. Wilbur didn’t have much to say (if anything ) on the subject.
Very quietly, I am told, one Andrew Krystal has allegedly renewed his contract with the Fan 590, re-upping for 3 years. Don Kollins has apparently signed Blair and Krystal to long term deals. Bob Mccown’s deal has to be next on the agenda. Don’t fret sports fans, irrespective of the term, one can easily be replaced (or leave on their own accord). This is especially true when the name of the company paying the bills is Rogers. A Message left for Kollins wasn’t returned.
While the Leafs were pounding the Thrashers did anyone happen to catch Sportsnet’s intermission crew. How awesome was Nick Kypreos’s outfit??!! More importantly was that Cesar Romero playing the part of Bill Watters? Seriously, Watters looked like hell- has he aged 50 years in the last couple of weeks?
Brian Burke was on hockeycentral at noon today. If you only listen to one part, listen towards the interview when Richie Rich Maclean asks Burke a question and then refuses to let Burke answer, instead choosing to interrupt yet again. Burke was clearly not amused, sternly asking Maclean to please let him ANSWER THE QUESTION.
Tomorrow is the official launch of a new sports show in Toronto, The Sports Guys. Adriano Belli of the Argos, Mike Wilner of The Fan, former NHL player/coach Steve Ludzik and football/hockey agent Gil Scott join Perry Lefko and Jim Tatti (YES GUY)- (The Sports Guys).
It’s on www.mtsr.ca and broadcast live at the Texas Longhorn in Mississauga.
Have you guys checked out Quora.com? It’s pretty cool.
More over the weekend.
TSM
@yyzsportsmedia
“A Message left for Kollins wasn’t returned.”
In similar news, the Sun came up today.
I have a friend who works in the media who cant get this guy to pick up the phone and return a call, very professional.
My biggest frustration with the FAN since Kollins came on board has been just that, the complete lack of transparency by him and disregard for his listeners.
Does he not understand that we have been weened for many years on Nelson Millman coming on the air with the hosts and taking calls as to where the FAN was at that time and where it was going. Additionally, once changes occurred, Millman would go on the air to explain them and why they were made. This really humanized the station for me and made it more likable than it is now.
TSM, Blair’s 3-year signing was done a long time ago, so I am not sure why you are reporting it now. Krystal, if done now, makes no sense, and was likely done by Kollins because he knows his job security is likely tied to Krystal’s survival. Maybe he is thinking that by doing so Krystal will relax more and perform better – right.
Bottom line – I do like filling out the survey’s they send me but a human face/voice IMO is integral to the FAN’s type of listeners like me that have been loyally following the station since its inception.
Does the FAN590 have morning programming?
Funny, after a few weeks in September past, my radio simply cannot stay on 590 before 9AM. There is this constant, annoying sound coming out of my radio.
I have not even accidentally put on fan/590 before 3PM since October.
Well Pat you are in a minority here, if you don’t like Blair, HC, OR Brady you really are incredibly picky. They represent a very diverse and varied assortment of programming.
You preferred E. Smith/Jack and Darren Millard THAT much? And don’t get me started on Hogan.
My radio turns to the FAN at noon. I cannot stand either Blair or Krystal. What was wrong with Hogie? I would prefer Lajoie over Blair.
Well James, I guess I’m in the minority too. For some reason, I think that yelling at and cutting off/interrupting one’s callers and repeating the exact same things over and over and over again is not to my liking, but that seems to be Blair’s only gear. Same can be said for HC with McLane (hey, that’s how it sounds, and massacring people’s names is his own specialty). Brady can be good or bad, depends on the minute.
Yup, preferred Smith and Jack, and give me Hogie over any of your buddies any day of the week, and twice on Sundays.
And I don’t think Kollins really exists. The phantom PD asks my opinion and then doesn’t respond to requests for a response. Anybody actually seen the soon-to-be unemployed cipher? By the sounds of it, the FAN will have lost me in the a.m. for as long as Krystal’s and Blair’s contacts last. Wanna get me back, Kollins? Send a freakin’ email, it’s not that hard for most of us. Prove me wrong and give a freakin’ response. Who is the phantom’s boss, and what’s his email?
Thats funny.
TSM, can you in fact confirm the existence of Kollins? Is he a myth? Or does he simply not care enough to communicate to his potential audience?
I’m OK with the Blair signing and I’m OK with the Greg Brady signing…these, while good, are not really the major vehicles of the radio station. But, to put pen to paper on 3 years with Andrew Krystal is beyond comprehension.
While the show has become somewhat more tolerable, it’s just too often that Mr. Krystal’s lack of sports knowledge brings the show to a standstill while he tries to fill the air with controversial comments or his unique brand of humour (please note sarcasm on the words controversial, unique, and humour).
The last ratings book showed and future ratings books will continue to show it. Andrew Krystal is not suited to sports radio and may not even be suited to radio at all.
The Historic…Great comments about Krystal. I have tried recently to listen again to Krystal. The only time the show is raised from ‘oh my god, my eardrums are bleeding again’ to ‘barely tolerable’ is when Roenick is on. Krystal’s inane commentary significantly slows any momentum that JR builds up. I can only take one segment of Krystal at a time.
I still miss Hogie at the 9 – noon slot, but I don’t mind Blair…except when he does the default call in topics (i.e. how much do you think the Leafs have improved over the last two weeks?).
I feel that Brady should be the long term (i.e. post McCown) future of the station (anybody that can control MacLean to any discernable degree the way Brady usually does on HC is worthy) and should be used as Bob’s back-up on PTS as often as possible in order to give him an opportunity to develop in the role.
Couldn’t agree more with The Historic or Pudge72 or come to think of it, anybody who dislikes Krystal. We’re talking about a man who – as the morning drive host on the country’s biggest sports radio station – had no idea that Ben Roethlisberger had been accused of sexual assault.