As Championship Season comes to a close and more and more teams drop out of the postseason hunt, sports radio is oftentimes at its best. The annual autopsy dissecting what went right and what went wrong for the teams that didn’t bring home gold trophies is often pretty good radio.
But does the oftentimes overboard nature of those autopsies still reflect that attitude of the average sports radio listener?
Because if you turn on a station after their local pro sports team is eliminated from the playoffs — or in some cases didn’t make the playoffs at all — you’ll hear hyperbolic statements, vitriol at certain players, coaches, or front office members, and questions about the future.
If you look at the reactions from average fans, however, it’s very rarely that. Depending on the situation, you’ll see “Thanks for the memories!” or “What a great year!” posts from fans, more than you’ll see “(Player X) needs to GO!” or “(Insert Coach Here) better be run out of town on a railroad tie by tomorrow morning!,” that often emulates the talk of sports radio.
Now, I recognize that you could argue that the response from fans who share their appreciation for teams that don’t win it all aren’t representative of sports radio listeners. And you’re probably right. It makes completely logical sense that the most diehard fans — the ones who are willing to tweet out a coach’s address, for instance — are the most likely P1s.
But I don’t know about you, but I’ve never had too many listeners.
I’m not arguing for Sunshine and Rainbow Sports Radio. As one of the world’s foremost fans of Don La Greca rants, I can’t pretend as if I don’t like Scream and Yell Radio. Be harsh when the situation calls for it.
But what I don’t enjoy is “Our Team Lost and I Think The Listeners Expect Me to Host a Three or Four Hour Bitch Session Today, So That’s What They’re Gonna Get” Radio.
I’ve made no bones about how much I admire hosts who are willing to zag when the audience expects them to zig. 92.3 The Fan’s Ken Carman several times a year say “I’m not doing ‘Fire the Coach Radio’ today,” during the Cleveland Browns season.
And I can’t tell you how much faith that instills in me that this medium isn’t simply kowtowing to what fans expect. Because anyone, literally anyone, can sit down in front of a microphone and shout nonsense about how someone should lose their job the first moment something goes wrong.
But it’s much harder to be entertaining, interesting, and informative when you’re challenging the stance of your audience. When you have the cajones to say “You’re being ridiculous and I’ll tell you why.”
In this instance, when seasons are ending and questions abound about the future of a team, it feels like the shoe is on the other foot, though. And I find that situation fascinating.
I don’t know the answer to the question of whether or not sports radio hosts still reflect the attitude of their audiences. And I don’t know if it even particularly matters in the grand scheme of things. But I think it’s a quick way to lose an audience when you think they want something they don’t.
You need to keep your finger on the pulse. If you don’t, you might end up hearing that long, drawn-out, high pitched squeal every medical drama in history has used for dramatic effect.
Garrett Searight is Barrett Media’s News Editor, which includes writing bi-weekly industry features and a weekly column. He has previously served as Program Director and Afternoon Co-Host on 93.1 The Fan in Lima, OH, and is the radio play-by-play voice of Northern Michigan University hockey. Reach out to him at Garrett@BarrettMedia.com.
