WEEI Is Losing A Loyal Listener

By Jim Ingram

Fan Fanatic Sports Staff

I have been a very loyal listener of WEEI Sports Talk Radio since the early 90's. Ever since they were broadcast on AM 590 instead of 850. I am a sports nut, and have always loved being kept up to date and listening to the slew of talk show hosts, writers and professional athletes voice their opinions. Until recently I've pretty much listened to WEEI from the time I start my commute to work until I pull back into my driveway.

So what's happened that makes me change the channel to the likes of the Toucher & Rich show on WBCN, or Mike & Mike on ESPN Radio? WEEI has become so bloated with power and arrogance they've made the morning and afternoon drive shows virtually unlistenable. Yes, I still do listen to the station at various times throughout the week, but just not nearly as much as I used to. Gerry Callahan has turned me off with his right wing, Republican diatribes that I can barely listen to the The Dennis & Callahan show in the morning. Nothing gets my blood boiling faster than his ripping of Barack Obama or how he thinks Gay Marriage will lead to someone marrying a goat.

In the afternoon, it's just even worse. Glenn Ordway loves the sound of his voice so much that the co-hosts have to yell over each other to be heard. Both shows rarely allow the listeners to voice their own opinions. Granted, most people who actually call these shows don't know much about the actually sport they called in to talk about, but the last time I checked it was a call in sports talk show. Without callers, you'd have no show. Don't get me started on Pete Shepherd. I knew more about sports at the age of 5 then Shepherd knows now. It doesn't help that he's an inarticulate, classless blowhard. I honestly don't know he got the job in the first place, and certainly don't know how he keeps it.

This might sound pathetic, but it pains me to write this article about a station that I've loved for so many years. Thanks to my MP3 player and my extensive iTunes library on my laptop, I finally have something else to listen to in the car and at work. Now, not everything at WEEI has gone down the toilet. I am still a fan of The Dale & Holly midday show. In my opinion, Michael Holly is the best co-host on the air. He's very logical in his decision making and fairly unbiased. He's also very knowledgeable of the four major sports. He's actually too qualified for the station.

I know there will be some readers out there that will point out that Gerry Callahan's antics are done just to get people riled up to call and listen and increase ratings. I totally understand that, but does not account for the abuse that is doled out to listeners throughout the day. If it was up to me I'd put Michael Felger on full time. He has some outrageous ideas, but at least isn't afraid to open his mouth in dissent and actually explain himself. I would love to think they'll make some changes and bring me back in full time. If not, then at least I'll tune in around 5:45 for the Whiner Line.

Fantasy Baseball: Chin Music

By Chad Garner

Fan Fanatic Sports Staff

OK, I get it. Closers are important, there I said it.

It's always hard for me to admit that closers should be valued more than I value a penny, but perhaps closers are more like a nickel or a dime?

There's not way they're like a quarter, however. That investment is strictly for front-line position players and starters.

But the closer class, as a whole this season, has been nothing short of exceptional.

Where else would you find the 5th ranked player in standard Yahoo! 5 x 5 leagues.

Who is this guy you ask?

If you guessed Jonathan Broxton from the Dodgers, you're right. He's been as good as gold with six wins, 13 saves and 47 strikeouts in 29 inning. He also sports a 1.24 ERA and 0.66 WHIP.

Yes, he's even better than players like Evan Longoria or Mark Teixeira, at least he's ranked higher.

Would I draft Broxton, who can really pump that fastball at 96-plus, over Longoria or Teixeira. No way. Even today with all their stats up for the taking? No way.

But it does go to show you that closers can be a valuable commodity.

Some owners "punt" saves every year and I think it's the wrong approach to take. You'll be last in that category all year in roto leagues and you just might be able to tie a few times during the season in head-to-head with zero saves versus your opponent on that given week. It's hard to win titles without being competitive in every fantasy category.

HE'S NOT WASHED UP YET

Boy, the Padres sure know how to get rid of talent. But Trevor Hoffman is probably glad to be out of San Diego after the way he was treated anyway. And Hoffman, every time he notches a save, is probably laughing at the San Diego organization for not keeping him. Hoffman has laughed 15 times already this season since that's how many saves he has with the Brewers. Yes, he's still getting it done -- as a closer mind you -- with that marshmallow fastball and devastating changeup.

LIGHTS OUT

Francisco Rodriguez of the Mets is so money he might not even know it. Yes, he does know it and so do the New York Mets fans, who have watched K-Rod nail down 15 saves with a 0.70 ERA. K-Rod has only given up two earned runs all season and that was in the same game on April 24 against the Nationals, and he still got the win. He hasn't blown a save yet, either, but now I jinxed him ... sorry Mets fans and K-Rod owners.

HAPPY SO FAR

This goes out to the guys you didn't expect to close this year, but have been more than just serviceable in the 9th-inning role: Houston's LaTroy Hawkins (7 saves), Chicago Cubs' Kevin Gregg (10 saves), Seattle's David Aardsma (9 saves) and Toronto's Scott Downs (7 saves). 

Van Gundy is gutsier than we thought

By Brendan Hall
Fan Fanatic Sports Staff

Three nights after Stan Van Gundy took some criticism for playing his star point guard Jameer Nelson too many minutes -- in his first action since February -- the Orlando Magic head coach comes back with an even bigger twist.

Thursday night, I suggested that Nelson got too many minutes, and just enough time to make the enigmatic Rafer "Skip 2 My Lou" Alston unnerved. Team leader, model citizen or not, you can't just throw a guy into the fire on his first game back, especially if it's the NBA Finals. That's how you screw up chemistry (and it's also classic "Ewing Theory" in action). I was talking about this with St. Mark's coach David Lubick over coffee Friday afternoon, and he suggested something different: you need Nelson in the lineup to some extent, because a flashy player like Alston is not a guy you want making decisions down the stretch.

Van Gundy apparently agrees with the both of us. Alston got about 10 more minutes than Nelson; but for the last six or seven minutes of the fourth quarter, and all of overtime, both sat on the bench. Van Gundy went with a bold, unorthodox move of putting Dwight Howard, Rashard Lewis, Hedo Turkoglu, Mickael Pietrus and J.J. Redick on the floor. Redick played the one, while Turkoglu manned the three spot in a "point forward" role (Phil Pressey, anyone?).

When Pietrus fouled out, Van Gundy replaced him with rookie Courtney Lee.

Literally, Van Gundy put the ball in the hands of his most consistent playmaker. If you're a fan of Malcolm Gladwell, you probably think this lineup gave them the best chance. It almost pulled through for them, too, until Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol took over in the extra frame to take a 101-96 win and 2-0 series lead.

As for the Lakers starting five...the more and more I watch this lineup of Bryant, Gasol, Derek Fisher, Trevor Ariza and Andrew Bynum, the more I love it. Lamar Odom played 45 minutes off the bench tonight, and was 8 of 9 from the floor, as Bynum (five fouls) and Ariza (3 for 13 fg) struggled. Gasol (7 of 14, 24 points, 10 rebounds) was crucial in the overtime period, scoring seven points. When you have a guy as foul-prone as Bynum, having Odom as your first guy off the bench -- playing alongside Ariza and Gasol in the frontcourt -- allows you to play big like few other teams in the league can.

Call me stupid, but I still think this series is going to go at least six games. This is turning into a great chess match between two of the game's top basketball minds, and this is hardly the last trick in Van Gundy's sleeve. Phil Jackson is, of course, Phil Jackson. I don't think a whole lot of rhetoric needs to be said at this point.