[radio] Can Houston support THREE all-sports radio stations? It's coming.

The Pacers have been very good for a very long time. You don't have to win titles to capture imagination...you need to be competitive, though.

Interest in Boston for the Celts is no where near what it was. The Celts haven't had years of sellouts since they were winning titles.

I'm unaware of the Chicago fans showing up.

 

I think it has to do with the league image as a whole as well. Stern knows this is a huge problem for the NBA and is working to clean it up; hence the "dress code", raising the minimum age requirement, and now the "sheed rule". The fact is, the NBA's image has been a rapid downward spiral from the end of the MJ era (96-98) to the present. Stern opened pandora's box by nurturing and promoting the "gangster, thug" image of the NBA and some of it's players, and now that backlash has hit in that "corporate America" and the middle and upper-middle classes now view the NBA as a second-class citizen in regards to the other pro sports.

 

The Astros were coming off a year when they went to the World Series, and the year before that the NLCS. They'll also still get attention next year as well. And even though you think they were "sucking hard", it pales in comparison to the year the Rockets are coming off of.

The Texans play in the NFL (which we've already established is exempt from the "norm"... they'll get attention no matter what).

In 2003, nobody was talking Astros baseball all that much... then they signed Pettite and Clemens (and proceeded to WIN with them). In 1998, people were still talking Rockets basketball in a year after they went to the WCF, and still had big names like Clyde, Charles, and the aging Hakeem. The Astros also still have big names like Lance, Roy, and the aging Clemens.

Sadly, Yao and Tracy will have to win consistently before they get the same attention... Hakeem didn't stir up much love from the city until he started winning in 93. He was pretty damn good in the early 90's, but since the team wasn't winning, he wasn't paid attention to.

Really... this isn't that complicated.

 

Boston still isn't struggling to get around 14,000 to their games, however. And they don't have players with anywhere close to the fanfair of Yao/T-mac.

Chicago is just a great sports town... probably the best in the US. They do sell out Bulls games, and they love their Bears like its still 1985 (not to mention the continued love affair with Ditka). The only step-child in that town was the White Sox, and last year changed all that for at least the next 4 years. And, the little bears and blackhawks do alright as well.

 

but the celts have had some success in the playoffs lately, too.

 

yes! i love him b/c he picked hakeem over shaq!

 

Sorry, i just found this thread. I feel obligated to weigh in.

On a third station - whatever. 790 launched and we were doomed...until for some crazy and utterly inexplicable reason our ratings went up...in terms of cume and share and time spent listening. Basically, more people were listening for longer periods of time and of EVERYONE listening to any radio, more were tuned in to 610 after the launch of 790 than before. And this was particularly true in a head-to-head with Charlie. And going on two years that is not an aberration, it is a trend. I imagine we will lose some audience to 97.5. Why shouldn't we? They are on a side of the dial that we don't broadcast on and a lot of people get tired of our commercials and don't like our personalities. That's life in radio. But I hope that people experience 97.5 only to discover that while they do like sports talk they do not like 97.5's version and they decide to flip to the dark side. Once they are on the AM and if history is any indication of the future they will prefer us over 790 at a significant clip.

On Rockets Programming - We just signed an aggrssive deal with the team that will provide more NBA branded programming than any in the country. A players show, a coaches show, a 40 minute pregame, and an indefinite postgame, usually around an hour but as most of you know they go longer than that after exciting wins or in playoff crunch mode. So basically if you still don't think there is enough local NBA talk then understand that there is nowhere in the country that you would get more.

On why I rarely post - I got bored.

(Cough)

that was for you 95

 

I doubt that has as much to do with the waning popularity as much as the changes to the game itself.

The games are just alot more boring now due to the rule changes. The zone defense screwed everything up and makes the game alot less entertaining.

 

I think I would like 790 in the morning better without Davies. This morning they are talking about a fear of little people. Too much giggling and not enough sports on the station. Doesn't sound like sports talk, sounds like the morning zoo. Dukes was never like that when he had his own show.

 

Wow. I'm one of the ones who switched over to 790, but only to hear Charlie. The rest of their programming is not my taste. I love Matt and Adam on 610. THe ROckets deal however is a huge plus for me. I've always hated how the only way to ever hear anything about the Rockets was to read this site. (no knock on the site of course) You guys have got to give Yao a spot on the radio. That man is comedic gold.

 

Seriously. I felt like was listening to the old 104 morning shows. Some giggling girl talking about fear of "midgets" and they spent a whole segment talking about bringing in "mini-Kiss" and she's gonna vomit...giggle giggle. Ugh. Sadly though, 610 was at commercial.

 

They are on the radio so why should anyone care?

 

I b**** and moan about John's LSU fetish and Lance's gambling addiction as much as anybody, but oddly enough....I still listen to them every morning. I'll bet there are plenty of people like me and that's why 610's ratings are so high.

I actually like Granato. He's mildly funny but unlike Lance, he doesn't try to force it. Someone needs to tell Lance that imitating Adam Sandler (badly I might add) isn't funny. (See Jimmy Fallon).

Chance, good to hear about the Rocket programming. Looking forward to it.

 

why would you complain about lance's gambling?

 

Did you guys hear Jon Barry this morning on 610??

They started out talking NBA and hoops...and then he was like, "Hey, but enough of this NBA talk. I feel guilty talking about the NBA right now when college and pro football is so good, right now. We have later to talk about the NBA."

Jon freaking Barry said this! An NBA analyst now with ESPN...who was an NBA player...whose dad is the freaking logo of the league!

 

When did Jon Barry become Jerry West's son???

 

When he adopted him, Fatty!!! No, I can't find the link for it right now, but I'm certain he did.











DAMN, YOURE RIGHT!!!! egg on face!