Wallace is simply better at the job than Al. The people who run the station realized that and made the change. Al seemed to think he was owed something for eternity. That's not how business works, though.
Richmond Radio
- Thread starter Anilspider
- Start date
I kind of liked Al as well. I remember driving to high school every day listening to Al on espn 950 and the John Boy and Billy show on 96.1 the planet.
I believe he was by far the first, I haven't listened in years. but whether you like his style or not he did start the idea of a local weekday sports program.
Saying Big Al is the dean of Richmond sports radio is like saying Mooney is the dean of Virginia college basketball coaches...oh wait..
In all likelihood, Al's loyal listeners were a small and shrinking group and that is why the change was made. 950 needed a local show in the morning that delivered a bigger market share that what Al was able to attract. BB and Andrew Wallace have a far better show and I would bet that 950's market share will grow as a result.
Anyone else find themselves listening to 950 (or 99.5) a lot more in the mornings?
here in houston, have at least three local sports show each morning and afternoon and only listen if in my car which is not that often. it seems to me that most of these shows have morphed into the personal lives of the talking heads and really don't care if their tweet was re-tweeted or if they own a dog or anything else about them. have one shock jock who can be funny but is about himself more than anything else. will listen because it is about local sports, when it is not about themselves and that is what interests me and most people, i think.
I'm trying to like Black's show. It is jusy not doing it for me, though. It sounds like the usual ESPN show with 2 hosts rambling and spouting stats. The fuzziness/back and forth doesn't sound genuine. Give me Steve Zabin? or the Dan Le Batard show. That sounds more like the way guys discuss sports and other things. Throw Matt and the other producer in there and it might get better.
I think Bob and Andrew are doing a pretty solid job. Andrew is not afraid to have a controversial opinion but doesn't go overboard with it. I could do with slightly less "gee shucks the traffic on 95 stinks"or "the layover at such and such an airport was boring" type of analysis that Bob gives regularly, but, all in all, it's much better than what we had.
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It's not Czaban, but it's markedly better than what we had before. (And Czabe was never on the "big four-letter" 950).
Besides, we get more local flavor with Black&Drew than from anyone else in town.
The only prior reason to listen to 950 in the morning was because they had the monopoly on the local coaches' interviews.
I will take BlackandDrew over the regular NBA promotional shows ESPN does. Libatard is terrible.
Oh man you're killing me! LeBatard is one of the few ESPN personalities I can stand.
Andrew Wallace has been a fresh of breath air in the local market. He is not afraid to take some stands on local sports. As it relates to us, he has pretty openly said that Mooney needs to do better and if doesn't have a good OOC next year, a change should be made. It is fascinating that the other half of the show is Bob Black.
This show is way better than Burton and his back and forth with Brosephs. And don't even get me started on "what is your favorite sports movie", who are Top 20 athletes over last 20 years" crap that Wes Mcelroy does. He actually wrote a column in the RTD about it this weekend. Who in the hell cares? There is so regular breaking news in sports (both on and off the field) these days, you shouldn't have to go to those tired themes from yester year to fill your space.
This show is way better than Burton and his back and forth with Brosephs. And don't even get me started on "what is your favorite sports movie", who are Top 20 athletes over last 20 years" crap that Wes Mcelroy does. He actually wrote a column in the RTD about it this weekend. Who in the hell cares? There is so regular breaking news in sports (both on and off the field) these days, you shouldn't have to go to those tired themes from yester year to fill your space.
Speaking of old shows, hit "like" if you remember the Frank Jones tv show. I believe that it was in black and white and before cable tv obviously.
One thing I remember is "The Spiderweb of Yesteryear"; great segment of the show.
remember it well...believe it came on Channel 6 at 12 noon Sundays...The CBS NFL Today Show was only 30 minutes and began at 12:30...
there were typically only two people on screen, Coach Jones and the TV host who I believe was Rich Haney...their chairs were angled towards the camera with an end table or a coffee table with a football, or UR helmet sitting on it...humorously basic compared to anything today...
Haney would ask Coach a few questions about yesterday's game and then they would get to the highlights...if you didn't get to the game, or lived out of town like I did the highlights were a big deal...there was no video...it was black and white film...not sure the film didn't break from time to time...I believe the show was live for a while...
I think they may have had a ticket give away from time to time with the winner drawn from a fish bowl!
the show was a very important part of Spiders football for me growing up...
Go Spiders!
Chuck was great. I used to listen to him as an early teen, and called in to his show and he listened to me. I used to talk about UVAs chances in the tournament. As a college guy (around 1988), I called in and criticized the Times-Dispatch for their lack of coverage on local teams (UR and VCU). Chuck took my calls and listened to me. Him and Frank Soden will always be Richmond sports radio to me.
I'd rather listen to 3 hours of Radio Havana in Spanish through a staticy shortwave radio than Stephen A.
The show was a great review of the previous day's game. The players in the early '70's referred to it as the Funky Frank Show. They recorded it at 9:00 and showed it at 12:00. Frank Jones was boring. But those are some great memories to us diehard Spider fans!
We you used to watch it, so that we could remember what happened in the s cond half. Who mixed those rum and cokes anyway?
Sometimes reading this board a person needs a little pick-up. LOLAnnapSpider. Looks like you mixed a few already today
As Alan Jackson and Jimmy Buffet sang- It's 5:00 Somewhere!
actually like Stephen A, very astute, knowledgeable and articulate but i really don't watch any espn shows any longer, just live games.
I've got to say that, after several months of listening to Black and Drew, my impression is that Wallace either takes strident positions to compensate for his lack of experience or is full of hubris. That he also was scheming to take Big Al's spot while producing Big Al's show definitely diminishes his likeability in my book. In any event, listeners are stuck with generic and annoying "radio opinion guy." I'd take Big Al all day, every day.
By the way, does anyone remember the Sports King? He had an evening show for a few months (which was pretty terrible) and just disappeared from the market as fast as he arrived. I wonder what that guy's story was.
By the way, does anyone remember the Sports King? He had an evening show for a few months (which was pretty terrible) and just disappeared from the market as fast as he arrived. I wonder what that guy's story was.
That anyone would take Big Al is a testament that we live in a small sports talk radio market. Big Al reads the sports section. On air. That’s not talk radio, that’s, well, reading.
Perhaps I'm just tired of the content they have to cover but I feel like the entirely of Richmond Sports Talk radio has grown extremely stale. Same schtick from Wes McElroy for years and years. Same schtick from Burton for years and years. Same with Brosephs.
Black and Drew is a little more thought provoking but the "Mr Rogers with a rebellious Teen Sidekick" schtick for Bob and Drew is wearing thin quickly too.
Black and Drew is a little more thought provoking but the "Mr Rogers with a rebellious Teen Sidekick" schtick for Bob and Drew is wearing thin quickly too.
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