Anyone listen to Ralph Barbieri on KNBR 680/1050 AM Wednesday afternoon? After teasing every few minutes for at least an hour, Ralph had John Shrader on for a few minutes to discuss the future of the Earthquakes (Shrader didn't say anything you BS regulars don't know). Anyway, after the show, Ralph encouraged callers about the Quakes every few minutes. I listened for at least two hours from that point, and to the best of my knowledge, KNBR didn't get one Quakes call. Did anyone who listened to the whole show notice if they got even one Quakes-related call? (I'd have called, and have before about the Quakes and Sharks and Niners, but I was busy and my cell phone needed a charge. Should've called, anyway. Everyone else have an excuse, too?) Or has KNBR, and the local sports media in general, turned so many of you off that you don't bother with them anymore?
I occasionally listen to that show, but I didn't hear that segment. It's disappointing that no one called. Did Ralph use it as an opportunity to say that soccer was never going to take off in the US or something to that effect? I had pretty much given up on those guys mentioning the Quakes at all on that show, though they did have Alexi on early in the year, and Landon on a few times last year.
Not that I heard, but I missed the last hour or so. I wouldn't be surprised if he would've said something like that if he indeed got all the way to the end of his show with no Quakes calls. Ralph is one of the media guys who actually likes soccer, but he's vocal about the fact local fan interest drives their talking points. If KNBR got pounded day-in/day-out with Quakes calls, like they do with calls about sme other local teams, I'd venture he'd give it more coverage. Just last week, Ralph told a pretty funny story about going to White Hart Lane without a ticket and getting shut out, and not being able to find a tout (scalper) anywhere in the area. (White Hart Lane is the home ground of the EPL's Tottenham Warmspurt.)
I wasn't aware of that. I'm sure you're right about the calls driving the talking points. It seemed like they talked for hours and hours about how Bill Buckner reacted to the end of the Red Sox curse and people telling him he's now "forgiven", etc. Just little prissy, gossipy things that. But I guess that's what people want to hear.
My impression of KNBR's, or any other station, sports talk radio is that it would only cover football, baseball, basketball, yada......... Therefore, I never listen.
"Like" is a strong word.....he did say that he got caught up in the atmosphere in England while he was there and enjoyed attending EPL matches but he rarely watches it on TV and never goes to games here.
I gave up on them a long time ago. Sports talk radio gets stale so fast. I can't even imagine listening (very often) to an all-soccer station. Going to games and watching games is fun. Talking about the same crap over and over on the radio as if it makes half a difference? Nah.
During mating season sea lion males fight until a handful of males are selected for mating. They get to hang out with their harem while the rest of the males are banished to "loser's rock". That's my image of sports talk radio. A bunch of loser males sitting on loser's rock yapping pathetically about nothing much. But, yeah, it's not much different than Big Soccer, except that I like to think that we yap a little more intelligently (and maybe there are more females yapping along with us).
Yeah, well, at least on the Internet I can choose whatever over-wrought topic I like. Such as, Ty Keough's pronounciation of Jam'l or Sigi's dietary habbits.
For the most part, I stopped listening to RB and SportsPhone 68 several years ago. Every now and then I'll listen in. I kind of like Tom Tolbert. I know that sometimes John Shrader gives out some Q's news on the newscasts ("and that's what ya need to know!"). I think he even plays some recorded interviews with Q's players from time to time. Of all the different media we can complain about soccer not getting decent coverage in this area (country), radio is about the absolute worst, imo.
Ralph's an Europhile-if it's European, it's gotta be better than over here. I've heard him speak about how cool it is in England and then follow up with something like "Too bad it's not like that over here." He's not a neanderthal like Jim Rome, but still, he's not a supporter by any means. However, one of the coolest sports talk moments for me was right after Manchester United won the treble in '99. Ralph and Tom were talking about it, taking callers to try and get a sense for how big a deal it was and how amazing the comeback was. I had taken the day off from work to watch it at home and almost cried at the final whistle. Of course, I watched it by myself. But as I was driving around afterwards, it was great to know I wasn't alone as I heard other fans call in.