Best Local Sports Talk Show Host: Building the perfect "beast"

**TL24x7** · 06-29-2007, 02:53 PM

We have a poll up on the home page and we're looking for your vote on the best daily/weekday sports talk show host in Baltimore. I've started this thread for commentary on the topic in the event we left off a name or names that should appear on the list or just as a forum for general discussion on the topic.

If you could build the perfect sports talk show host from the best of the local talent out there using the categories below (similar to the way you might build the perfect player in Madden) what would it take?

Voice:
Knowledge:
Energy:
Humor:
Topics:
Interaction With Callers:

So for example you could say:

Voice: Viviano
Knowledge: Forrester
Energy: Davis
Humor: Haynie
Topics: Long
Interaction: Yaffe

So have at it...build the perfect "beast!"

Oh and one more thing, you aren't limited to these hosts...others like Anita Marks, Keith Mills, Amber Theoharis, Tom Davis, et al can also be used to build the beast.

**softcrab** · 06-30-2007, 07:53 AM

You dont have Anita Marks in the poll. Why? Ha, Ha, Ha!!!! Viviano is a professional, but he cannot let loose because of his position with JZ. The bulldog talking about the Orioles in '07 is laugh. For the last few years all he did was BASH them. Now with CBS contrct he has changed his tune. Plus, he knows nada about baseball. Will Anita Marks ever run a show by herself? She cant, because she does'nt know what the hell she is talking about!!! I listen to NST, but I realize they have a chip on there shoulder. DF talking about the soccer business is like talking about owning a snowball stand. They do lay it on a tad with the Orioles, but guess what, the O's approach is just plain stupid. Steve Davis is a no factor. How many people are driving around at seven o'clock at night?--very few.

**BertJonesMyHero** · 06-30-2007, 08:31 AM

I love Marks' rack. I watch her with the sound muted.
Is that wrong?

As for NST, (content aside), they need voice training. A friend of mine in Cali was wondering what a 'hon sounded like, and I told him to listen to the AM show.

Not that there is anything wrong with that. 'hon.:)

PS- While Drew and his callers have a ton of hon in them, his ASK PETER is great.

**JimBone** · 06-30-2007, 08:42 AM

WNST is still the standard in local sports radio. Haynie is head and shoulders above the rest. Bruce Cunningham and Aaron Wilson have the best Raven's show in town. Anita Marks is a joke. Mike and Mike is an even bigger joke. Tom Davis is the biggest O's apologist. Drew Forrester is way too full of himself, and he can't carry a show.

**F Angelos** · 06-30-2007, 09:58 AM

Haynie is still head and shoulders above everyone else. Drew has gotten alot better with his own show. JFK is unlistenable junk. Schmuck is good on WBAL. Mills is awful. S Davis' show depends completely on his guests, when they're good his show is worth listening too. T Davis is horrid but at least D Johnson brings a semblance of reality to the proceedings. Rob Long is pathetically bad. Marks should mail him a thank you note every month or she'd be out of a job. It's still surreal to hear Terry Ford do the O's postgame on Sunday's! That's like letting Angelos host the Ravens postgame on WBAL.

**festivus** · 07-02-2007, 10:10 AM

Originally Posted by F Angelos

Rob Long is pathetically bad.

I agree with everything else but was really surprised at this.

He's not Haynie, or the BC show, but he's better then just about every other radio show host in town. Reasonable minds can differ, I suppose.

On a side note, I hadn't noticed Terry was still working in the area, glad to hear it, though it must be quite different from what he was doing before. . . :)

**camdenyard** · 07-02-2007, 10:16 AM

Amber isn't bad to look at.

Is that part of the perfect beast?

**Fanman** · 07-02-2007, 11:08 AM

My quick take:

WNST:
Forrester: not awful, but doesn't have many guests and gets very repetitive. He often get an attitude as well, but he is better solo than compared w/ being paired w/ Terry Ford.

Rob Long: He is getting better and better and I like how he takes a lot of calls each afternoon. I think he gives too much time to the NBA, but he is better than Marks.

Bob Haynie: Def the benchmark for Baltimore sports radio.
1. he is local
2. he is funny
3. he gives quality time to college sports, which includes lax
4. does quality interviews that never seem to get TOO serious

1300 WJFK
Viviano: solid, if bland. He doesn't know much about anything other than football and baseball

Yaffe: I don't have anything good to say about this cat....I think he is very replaceable.

WBAL
Steve Davis: I like his interviews w/ his guests. I listen to him more and more now since Marks is so bad.

FM

**TL24x7** · 07-02-2007, 02:15 PM

Well our effort to determine who you think is the best daily sports talk show host via our Daily Buzz poll was nailed by a spammer. Seemingly overnight, one of the six hosts listed on the poll went from a distant sixth to a solid first. So we were forced to take it down.

But feel free to continue your comments here on this thread.

**Losac** · 07-03-2007, 04:41 PM

Amber is the best to look at, just have to make sure the mute button is on!

**Tspot-D-Ravenator** · 07-03-2007, 05:16 PM

Bob Haynie sounds like Marge Simpson's two sisters. I like some of his humor, but he always sounds like he either needs another cigarette, he needs to come up for air, and or he's going to die on the air..

Mark Viviano has the voice, but ALL he wants to talk about is baseball..Him and Anita both should have a show where they could talk about baseball only

Can stand Viv talking football.

Bruce Cunningham and Aaron Wilson bring it

, with their Ravens show, but they're a little too sensitive...They need to lighten up a little

Bruce is nothing without Aaron Wilson, I'm just saying...

For best topic changes, Rob Long. He can be all over the place at times

I am soooo tired of Anita Marks and her all baseball talk, all day, all night

I like the Bulldog for his football knowledge, but he is full of himself most of the time

**Fanman** · 07-05-2007, 03:18 PM

I would take Gametime over the WNST Ravens show w/ Bruce Cunnningham any day of the week. I know Cunnnigham is a sports director, but when you have a weekly Ravens radio show I think he could be a little more informed and not rely so much on Aaron Wilson.

Last week I listened and didn't think the show was that good...not bad, but not as good as Gametime usually is.

Just my 2 cents.

- How is the Steve Davis show too late when it's on from 6-9 PM?
- And I totally agree w/ the comments on Tom Davis...what a baseball geek. He is soooo old school it's almost scary.

FM