Not much content here, I was just thinking about how much I hate Cowherd as I turn my radio off. I seriously don't know how this no talent ass clown has a show. He has very low sports content. He doesn't understand the games well from a statistical or theoretical point of view. He admits to the fact that his show is a "Sports entertainment show", which pretty much means it's just Cowherd blowing hard about some athlete who got in trouble, or made some bad decision... he has like 5 rants that he plugs a new athlete's name into, and blows hard about them. He simplifiyes ever sports issue into some dumb analogy and repeats it over and over. And he is brutally, painfully unfunny. I fail to see what the "Entertainment" is in his show..


Are there any "Herd" fans out there? Can you explain to me why you like him? Because I think he's just the worst. Espn radio in general has terrible national hosts, but Cowherd is off the charts bad.

I concur. To me he's a lot like Tom Leykis...funny for five minutes a month, but you have to have an IQ<80 to enjoy the show on a daily basis.

Don't get me started on Tom Leykis...

turn the dial

I'm not 100% sure why you aren't taking Ron's advice here. It sounds to me like you hate this guy the same way I hate Jim Rome. I've listened to Rome about 5 hours in my entire life and it's worked well for me.

I get the feeling that you've listening to him a lot, even though you happened to be turning it off this time.

well, that's an incorrect feeling. I used to listen to him a bit.. as ESPN radio is the only sports talk that I can get in... but he drove me so crazy that I had to find something online.. now, I listen to "Kellerman and Kenny" ( Max Kellerman and Brian Kenny) out of ESPN NYC on webcast during that time slot, and I would love, love love them to take over that show. it might be the best sports show I've ever heard. Passionate, Kellerman and Kenny have strong opinions which they back up with statistics and logic. They have great guests and can be hilarious at times. While it is a regional show, and is focused mostly on NYC sports, which I don't really care that much about, Kenny and Kellerman are so good that I don't even care.

Mostly, I brought it up because a friend of mine yesterday brought up how much he hates Cowherd and we had a spirted 10 minute bash fest about how bad his show is.. then, this morning, I heard a commercial for his show after Mike and Mike, and It got me fired up again.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=E1E8rc5g9RY

I don't listen to ESPN, it's terrible.


670 the Score FTW.

Reminds me, my favorite guys are on now. (2-6pm)

most all sports talk radio is gay, annoying and hateful, therefore, I won't listen to any of it. Kind of the same with talk shows and even Sportscenter to some extent.

That is why, the only sports show I watch with any regularity is PTI. I even like Lebetard a lot on that show. Also, sportscenter, but just for some highlights. The 24hour news cycle has ruined most sports information shows.


I do like Max Kellerman though when I see him on HBO boxing shows and when he used to do Around the Horn, but even with him, that show sucked. Their guests are just awful. Jay Mariotti, Woody Paige. I'd rather watch cats screw than listen to those two.

I highly recommend Kellerman's show out of NYC.. it's really the best sports talk I've ever heard. Not hateful at all.. he mixes irrational devotion to the NYC teams with highly logical analysis of players and events. Kenny is spot on as well.

Its all a matter of taste. I used to listen to Colin when he was in Portland and was the lead sportscaster for KGW Channel 8. His show is pretty much exactly the same. I don't really care one way or the other. They can all be annoying, but you could be listening to KFAN out here in Minneapolis/St Paul...where they rarely talk about sports from 12-7...I used to intern there and its not horrible but if you are looking for a sports show that is gonna break down every game and talk stats then its not for you. It comes down to what you are looking for. Clearly The Herd isn't for you, but someone is listening or he wouldn't have a job. Luckily there are tons of options out there.

Can we all agree that Skip Bayless should never be allowed to speak in public again? I hate that guy.

There are only a few sports talk shows that are worthwhile...luckily for me, one of them is a local show in Boston (though most Boston sports radio is absolute shit). Can someone from around here please back me up about Dale and Holley being fantastic?

I told my friend that Cowherd is a poor man's skip bayless, which is a dire insult.

yeah, I agree, he's just plain awful. He's just trying way too hard to be a "personality".

If you told me that he and Woody Paige and Jay Mariotti got into a car crash on the way to film Around the Horn, I'd probably make a crude joke about the ears of millions of sports fans being saved from further torture.

They annoy me twice as much as Stephen A, Stuart Scott and Chris Berman, and that's saying something.


Oddly enough, when Skip was writing on Page 2 for ESPN.com, I liked his work.

He wrote for the Tribune in Chicago when I lived there for about a year, and I hated him then. He wrote the most negative, ludicrous stuff, just like he spews now. I'm not sure if he takes these positions for effect, or if he's really that crazy..

I don't hate him just because he tries so hard. A lot of it is based on the fact that he's wrong so often and yet argues his points like anyone who disagrees with him is an idiot.

I think we all feel a bit stupid whenever Skip Bayless says something and we don't disagree with it.

He's just a sensationalist. It's annoying.


For whatever reason, I enjoy old sportswriters. Or, at least the ones that used to do the Sports Reporters. Which seemingly was (and still is) a show that would appear randomly and never had a regular schedule. Or I just never caught on to what the schedule was. It's like ATH without all the yelling to those that don't know (but I find it hard to believe that any of us wouldn't know of that show). My point is, I like Woody Paige because while much of the time he rambles on about nothing, he often is the only person who sees things straight. I think it's just experience.

I liked ATH a lot more when Kellerman was the host. I'd like to punch Jay Marroitti in his fat mug. The sports reporters is fantastic, it was the "McLaughlin group" of sports shows, way ahead of it's time in using sports reporters as pundants. So many of them were so old and crotchety, and I liked it.


None of this really has anything to do with Colin Cowherd being a no content, no talent ass clown, so I just wanted to state again how much he blows.

fully agree, I can't stand him either

However, the man knows "sport" not sports but sport and that's football...that's the main reason I stopped listening to his show because he talks 90% of the time about football.

I quit listening to ESPN Radio (thank god for "MLB Home Plate" XM 175) altogether shortly thereafter because I got sick and tired of hearing Yankees/Red Sox this, Duke/UNC that, NFL, NBA, blah blah blah. It's really ESPN in general that's not worth watching nor listening to anymore. Cowherd is just one of their mules that spouts a bunch of rhetoric that Bristol wants on the airwaves.

ESPN single handedly made Yankees v. Red Sox what it is today because that's all they report on. Until Thurman Munson and Carlton Fisk started trading barbs with each other the rivalry was non-existent and tickets could be found on game day at both stadiums. ESPN ripped off the term "Redbird Nation" and applied it to the Red Sox to create this BS "Red Sox Nation" that only came into the American consciousness in 2004. Redbird Nation was part of the midwest vernacular when my dad was a kid over 60 years ago when the term actually meant something. At one point the St. Louis Cardinals were the farthest west and farthest south team in MLB. Couple that with KMOX's extremely wide broadcast area the Cardinals became the team of choice for residents in many states west and south...thus Redbird Nation was coined. Just shows how ESPN is geared nowadays.

<--- From Portland.

He had a daytime show/afternoon show here for years.

He's pretty awesome, I've always enjoyed listening to him. He's had to 'dumb down' a lot of his content now that he's part of the evil empire.

Dude knows football on all levels up and down, but he's admittedly not a huge fan of the other sports. Hell, between the Hot List, PTI, Pulse, Gamenight, etc.. ESPN has plenty of "content" shows, he's more of the morning drive concept. Dan Patrick isn't a whole ton of content either, since you are throwing stones, and he's far more coma-inducing than Colin.

Colin is a strong personality and you'll either love him or hate him. I get that. It's like defending ska music. You really can't turn a non-believer into a believer. He makes me laugh, and i hardly ever take what he says seriously. He's got a lot in common with Tony Kornheiser in that respect. There's also an element of Phil Hendry in there, too. He does try to encite people and get a reaction at times.

But worst ever? Really? Are you pining for 3 more hours of Stephen A Smith or Mike Tirico? By the way, while we're discussing this, how do those guys get shows and Kenny Mayne and Trey Wingo fly under the radar? Hell, even Craig Kilborn got a late night talk show.

I can't agree with you here. Back when it was Dale and Bob Neumeier, it was a great show. Holley is ok, and an adequate replacement for Neumy, but Dale has taken on a much bigger role and is really full of himself. Plus, 1/3 of the show is hockey talk. They generally get some of the better interviews, and the Ken Rosenthal every week is one of the best on the radio, but I really dislike Dale. He is also horrendous calling the Sox games. Give me O'Brien any day. Dale was an amazing hockey announcer, however, and I'm still not sure why NESN stopped having him do the home games. But he sucks doing baseball, and is way too combative to callers with different viewpoints.



I quoted this, and I'm thinking I quoted the wrong thing.


This, while probably factually accurate, is a load of crap. Irregardless of the reasons behind Red Sox Nation, however stupid and meaningless the term is, Sox fans "travel" better than any other team, and the amount of people at away games that cheer for Boston is ridiculous and annoying. They're #2 in road attendance this year (the only AL team in the top 13) and have been #1 or #2 in road attendance the last 4 years. I'm not saying I don't hate the majority of Red Sox fans, or that your history of "Redbird Nation" isn't correct, but it comes off of as a strangely jealous post that the best traveling team in MLB has a nickname that is similar to your beloved Cardinals from decades ago.



I think Pujols just took out the rest of the Padres starting lineup with his aura.

to be fair Dan Patrick left ESPN last year

And to be fair my local sports station still has him on at the same time, so I just assumed he started back up again.

it's not jealousy, I just think that ESPN should put forth a little effort to be original (like they used to do), instead of ripping a nickname of another team



he's back on the air, but he's with CNNSI now

ESPN hasn't been original in a while. Overall I agree with you, and I really don't watch much ESPN at all. MLB Extra Innings occupies most of my time.



Pujols just sneezed and took out the Padres bullpen. Game is canceled.

Dan Patrick gets better guests, and can be genuinely witty at times...


Yes, I would rather listen to Stephan A Smith than Colin Cowherd.. and Mike T. as well. Mike's show is boring , but at least it's not negative value.


And I have an inexplicable soft spot for stephan A. I can't defend it at all. But, Scott Van Pelt is a better radio guy than him.

I thought his show really went down hill when Dibble left for XM and Fox. Showkiller was alright, but didn't provide a good banter partner.

dale and holley is very good. bob neumier and dale was the best though.

ESPN didnt create Red Sox nation. The term was first used in an article by a man named Nathan Cobb way back in 1986. It was written in the Boston Globe. I will need some hard evidence on when the term Red Bird Nation first appeared in print. Also I'm pretty sure that there has always been a Yanks - Sox rivalry. Ever since the sox sold them Ruth. I assume you hate the Sox but i loathe the Cards (although i do love the Rick Ankiel story). Jeff Suppan getting thrown out at third by the Large Father is my favorite St Louis moment ever.

No, they report on it because it's such a great rivalry. I see what you're saying, but the "single handedly" in this sentence makes it pretty ridiculous. Maybe they blow it out of proportion a bit, but not that much...it really is as intense as they make it out to be.

There's the whole East Coast bias thing, but that's just because we have the most and the most passionate fan bases for baseball. Cardinals fans are great, and probably think they're as passionate as Sox/Yanks fans, but they're wrong. I lived in St. Louis for 4 years, and while baseball fans there are knowledgeable (sp) and care a lot, it's a different level from what it's like out here. You'd have to have lived in both places to understand the difference, so I fully understand why you're about to disagree with me and say that we're all assholes that think we're better than you. Anyway, it's not always a good thing to be as passionate as Sox fans...it's borderline insanity.



Yes, you and Theraflu are correct, Dale and Neumie were better. But I like Holley...and I must listen to them at weird hours, because I rarely hear the hockey talk. Or maybe I just tune out mentally when they talk hockey.

Anyways, I still think they're light years better than D&C and The Big Show, as well as most of ESPN radio.



You're good.

I meant to say this yesterday, but forgot.

Toucher and Rich on WBCN in Boston have been doing "worst sportscasters" bracket for a month or so now. It's been pretty good for a music stations bracket. Anyways, when I first read the topic title I immediately thought of this.



For those from outside of Boston, The Big Show is on drive time on EEI opposite Toucher and Rich. EEI is the biggest sports radio channel in the country, or right up there, and they are also owned as the same people as WAAF, so their road the finals is kind of tainted because T&R spend at least half hour every show ripping WAAF and WEEI.

But the Big Show isn't good, and for the most part it's just idiot Boston fans calling up with terrible ideas and questions, while the hosts make fun of them. Because of their popularity though, they get great interviews, and the Belicheck hour interview every week is one of the best out there. They also have Danny Ainge on weekly, and lots of others...but overall it's not a very listenable show. Half of it is the callers however. Boston sports fans are mostly idiots.

Lou Merloni has been solid. But he was my substitute teacher a few times, so I'm biased.

Skip drawing Cowherd in the first round was lucky.

I'm pretty sure no one had even heard of New York City before ESPN started talking about it.


What about Raider Nation? Huh? Where do we play into all this? Be careful what you say. We might have to send someone after you.



No no. Not him.



If he gets a doctor's note. maybe.



JUST WAIT A FEW YEARS AND YOU'LL BE SORRY

qft

Ok, so I've been listening to a lot of talk radio lately. In Des Moines have two AM sports talk stations and one of the two just started up. It's ESPN. The other is all local people. Anyway, Mike & Mike are awesome. I don't see how anyone couldn't like them. Colin Cowherd is awful... he's much much worse that you made him sound. I really enjoy Scott Van Pelt. I don't know if anyone has been bashing him, but I think he's great. PTI is perfect, obv.

here's the problem with mike and mike. At first, their sthick seems really nice and likable. But after a while, it gets really, really old. And Golic is such a Typical Football Anyalist guy..


I don't know how to really describe how awful cowherd is.. I don't think English contains the right words to properly capture how shitty he is.. I'll have to learn russian and get back to you.

Mike and Mike and Mike on MNF was the worst broadcast ever.

Dan Patrick has my favorite ESPN show

Does this have to be sports only?

Tom Lykis (sp) is worse. He's a good interviewer, but that doesn't make up for the 85% of his show that consists of "Men don't want fat chicks!", "Hot chicks want rich men!", and "Don't ever get married!"

I mean, it's all true, but it's just the same thing over and over and over. And over.

no, that's very, very true. Lykus appeals to the lowest common denominator, and he preys on the stupidity and insecurity of dumb, young guys.

I heard colin cowherd on the Bill Simmons podcast, which I listened to against my better judgment, and I actually liked him quite a bit. IT was shocking and disturbing. I think he's better suited for long form podcasts, without feeling the pressure of coming up with all these corny angles and terrible teases. I'm just going to chose to blame ESPN Radio for why the herd is so bad.

I haven't listened to this one, but I think the Simmons podcasts can be ok sometimes, but when I listen to The Lebatard Radio show on Podcast, the Simmons show becomes awful. I mean, all it is really is a conversation, usually with a buddy of his. He isn't that great of an interviewer and tries to stuff his humor in the convo instead of making his humor work inside the framework of the conversation. Like I said, it must be tough because he doesn't have a board op, sound effects or anything, but lately, Simmons has worn on my just a tad. What with the not writing, and then writing something boring when he does, and finally with that snarky, me and my buddies are cool and you can't be as cool as us because we have all of these inside jokes.

That said, he's still a must read for me. But I'm not as enamored with him as I was two years ago. Still enamored though.

Sorry, no opinion on Cowherd.

God the Lebatard show is good. It's by far the best sports radio show around right now.

THANK YOU

finally, someone gets it

They just have a good chemistry and love the uncomfortable dead air, which kills me. That and I love Lebatard

Lets talk about PTI

Tony and Mike are the best, without question. If one left, I could still watch if Lebatard was the permanent replacement. Otherwise, I would drop it from my tivo list.

Bob Ryan, while a legendary writer (although I've never read him) and very good at his job, I just don't like on TV. Too smug or something. JA Adande, not so much. Can't think of any other fill ins.

PTI is the greatest show in the history of ESPN, except for Rome is Burning. I'm ****ing kidding you idiot.


Also Lebatard's podcast is an every other day listen for me. Love it.

I heard him (lebatard) and Simmons are doing some PTI this summer, and I actually think BS would be great at that format, giving short little pithy blurbs about people.


I love Lebatard as a writer, I love his perspective on sports, and his show is legitimately funny. Not sports funny, but actually clever and creative. I'm so glad they have the whole show on podcast.

around the horn was great with Max Kellerman. His contempt for the writards that came on the show was so hysterical.

I enjoyed the show when none of the writers were talking.