Blog #1 - Sports Talk Radio

To start off, what are your thoughts about sports talk radio off the top of your head? Find it interesting? Do you think it is doing well? Or struggling? 

Due to the increases of digital technology, such as the Internet, television, live streaming, and video podcasts, radio can be viewed as “old” technology.  According to the chapter titled, The Coverage of Sports on Radio, written by John W. Owens, “ when one discusses the media and sports, it might be easy to sidestep our mature broadcast companion in favor of the ‘fresh’ communication technologies that deliver us multimedia highlights of our favorite athletes and/or teams” (117).  When fans want to get scores, updates, or highlights of a game they missed, the first place they are going to look is not radio.  It seems today, fans want to see all the action play out, not listen to it.  However, in an article titled, “A Strong Signal,” found in the Sports Business Journal, the author, John Ourand, discusses how old-fashioned sports talk radio proved to be most popular during Super Bowl week and how sports talk radio is going through a renaissance. 

                In the article, Dennis Wharton, an executive vice president of the National Association of Broadcasters, is quoted saying, “There’s never been more sports radio stations than there is now.  It would be great if former station owners got back into the business with highly localized sports stations.  There’s just a tremendous appetite and audience for that” (Sports Business Journal).  One of the main reasons why fans still turn to sports talk radio is because they can find all the latest news and updates about the team they care about.  Fans can tune into ESPN on television and get highlights about their team and other teams around the league, but they only focus on the game of maybe 30 seconds.  On the other hand, sports talk radio stations that are localized are going to go into further details, analysis, and interviews from the local teams.  Who else agrees that television is only going to show a recap of your favorite team and radio will debate about your team all day?  When the textbook, Handbook of Sports and Media, discussed the history of radio in chapter 7, it mentions that, “by the end of the 1920s, radio had penetrated 1 in 3 households” (120).  Back then, radio was the source of all news, information, and sports for people, however, today television has taken over that role.  Do we all agree?  Radio, which is in cars, is still prevalent in today’s society because we are consistently driving.  Because we are always traveling and on the move, localized sports talk radio provides fans the perfect way to hear all about their specific teams.  For example, my father is always driving because of his job and listens to Dennis and Callaghan on WEEI, sports talk radio station in Boston.  This allows my father to hear about the teams he cares about.  All their topics focus on the Red Sox, Celtics, Patriots, Bruins, and some college teams in the area.  What does everyone think?  Do you feel that one of the main reasons why sports talk radio has endured success through this technological revolution is because stations have become more localized?

                The article also suggests that sports talk radio continues to grow because stations are starting to air on FM.  The article states, “At the end of 2011, 125 sports talk radio stations were operating in FM across the United States” (Sports Business Journal).  Many AM stations are deciding to switch over to FM because the audiences are much bigger and younger.  As Owens writes in his chapter about radio, “By the late 1970s, radio listeners, especially younger listeners, perceived FM stations as superior, as a part of their new generation” (123).  For example, the WEEI station that I mentioned before used to be an AM station but more recently switched over to FM.  Are there any other recent examples of sports stations leaving AM to FM?  Sports radio stations are going to look for audiences that are young because they want to keep their ratings high through each generation.  Sports talk radio is popular to the demographic of young men.  This demographic is also popular for sponsors who are willing to place advertisements on these sports talk shows, ultimately fueling the fire of this recent renaissance of radio.  A lot more people are listening to FM stations, so why wouldn’t sports talk radio expand through the FM stream.  Do you think that FM is playing an important role of the continued rise of sports talk radio?

                Ultimately, the big question is whether or not this traditional sports talk radio can continue to be popular.  For me, I feel that it has the opportunity to continue to grow.  As the article discusses the future of the radio business, it states that people have different avenues for listening to radio nowadays.  Live streaming online, podcasts, and mobile apps are common examples.  However, the article mentions that the ratings for the traditional radio listeners have still remained consistent.  If this is the case, then I feel that sports talk radio can be successful despite this technological revolution.  As the textbook writes, “Combined these characteristics with skilled announcers, loyal fans and the brain’s ability to paint unrivaled images and one has a formula for cost effective programming that will continue for the foreseeable future” (128).  This quote sums it up perfectly.  If fans who love listening to the games of their local teams continue to tune in each night or as they are driving to work, the sports talk radio business is going to continue to flourish.  What are everyone’s thoughts about the future of sports talk radio? Do you see it surviving or diminishing?

Article from Sports Business Journal: http://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Journal/Issues/2012/02/13/In-Depth/Lead.aspx

                                       

Kentucky vs. Georgia Men's Basketball - Test Blog

     I watched the Kentucky vs. Georgia men’s basketball game Wednesday night (January 25th).  Kentucky, who returned to the number one team in the nation after Syracuse lost at Notre Dame, won their 12^th straight game by beating Georgia 57-44.  Kentucky is a young team this season, starting 3 freshman and 2 sophomores, but they have championship talent.  The Wildcats suffered their first loss of the season at Indiana by a buzzer-beater and lost last season at Georgia when they were the #11 team in the land.  So Wednesday’s game was another big SEC road test for the “Big Blue.”  When a young team plays on the road, they need a veteran leader to step up.  Kentucky senior, Darius Miller led all scorers with 19 points off the bench.  He shot 7-8 from the field and went 4-4 from behind the three-point arc.  It was Kentucky’s three point shooting (44%) and speed that allowed them to cruise to their 20^th win this season.  However, it was their lowest scoring game of the season.

     Georgia came out hot in the first half and contended with the top team in the SEC.  Georgia’s Nemanja Djurisic’s 10 points help the Bulldogs survive a 10-0 spurt by Kentucky in the middle of the first half.  Only down one with about six minutes left in the half, Kentucky went on another huge run.  Freshman Kyle Wiltjer knocked down two 3-pointers and Miller scored seven straight, which helped Kentucky boost their lead to 38-26 at the half.  After watching the game, it seems the Wildcats rely heavily on the fast-break transition game and three-pointers.  But their fast-break starts with good defense and rebounding.  A huge part of their defense is the big fella in the middle, Anthony Davis.  Davis, only a freshman, had 11 rebounds and 5 blocks in the game against Georgia.  Davis broke the Kentucky single season blocks record after only 19 games.  It is his 6’10’’ frame and 90 inch wingspan that proposes a threat to most scorers inside.        

        The second half was a completely different story for both teams.  Kentucky shot 7-23 (30%) and Georgia went 8-25 (32 %) in the second half.  Georgia started the game 6-10 from the field and ended the game 19-55.  Kentucky’s defense was the main reason for Georgia’s struggles.  Djurisic, who scored 10 in the first half, was held scoreless in the second half.  Georgia’s top player, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, freshman who averages 14 points a game, was limited to just 7 points.  However, Kentucky did not look much better, which made John Calipari, Kentucky head coach, just wish his guys would show how good they really are.  The thing about Kentucky is that they have so many weapons which make them successful.  They have Davis’ presence in the middle, Miller’s leadership and ability to score, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, another freshman who had 14 points and 11 rebounds versus Georgia, has such athleticism, Terrence Jones is another presence inside and knows how to score in the post, and Marquis Teague, a freshman point guard that pushes the ball in transition and gets his surrounding players good shots.  Kentucky is a team that always seems to have a shot at the National Championship but they can never quite achieve it.  Their youth might make or break them this season.  Their quickness and athleticism might allow them to make a run in March or it might be the inexperience and big stage that gets them upset.  What does everyone else think?      

     I tuned into the Sportscenter broadcast at 11pm on Wednesday night, right after the game ended.  They didn’t mention the Kentucky vs. Georgia game as the top story but it was in the early segment of the show.  Big reason for it not being a top story was because Prince Fielder just signed a huge contract with the Detroit Tigers earlier that day.  After showing a few NBA highlights, they recapped the Kentucky game.  It started by showing a few clips from their run in the first half and how they were successful against the Georgia 2-3 zone.  It then went to Jimmy Dikes, ESPN college basketball analyst, talking to Calipari at a practice session about how Kentucky plans on exploiting the 2-3 zone.  As Calipari spoke, they showed the clips of how Davis would set a screen on one of the top guys of the zone and free open shooters like Miller.  After showing a few highlights of the second half and a few of Davis’ blocks, it showed the score and then went to a postgame interview with Calipari.  Calipari’s main message was that guys weren’t playing like they should be and that his team just needs to expose their hidden talents and perform at a higher level.  Finally, an alley-oop from the Georgia side was one of the top 10 plays.