Bills radio (Mike Schopp is awful)

[KOKBILLS]

We are sick of them in Buffalo too. These guys have been doing it too long through a lot of miserable Bills seasons and their attitudes reflect that. Sal is better than both of those bozos. Time to get some new guys in there with a fresh perspective

 

Sal needs to have his own show...preferably in the afternoon...Schopp and Bulldog have been there forever...but Sal is more talented and more informed...He's actually not bad on hockey either...It's hard to imagine the decision makers at WGR don't recognize Sal needs to be elevated soon...

[beerme1]

 

 

Sal needs to have his own show...preferably in the afternoon...Schopp and Bulldog have been there forever...but Sal is more talented and more informed...He's actually not bad on hockey either...It's hard to imagine the decision makers at WGR don't recognize Sal needs to be elevated soon...

 

The decision makers have it easy in this one horse town though. It's easy to keep on keepin on.

[hondo in seattle]

I usually watch the Bills games at a local sports bar with the Bills Backers of Seattle, if not on my own TV. Today , however, I listened to WGR online while doing some work at my desk.

 

But I couldn't stand the negativity of the post-game show - any positive caller was treated like an idiot. I really wanted to bask in a win in Gillette Stadium and our first winning season in 10 years. Instead I heard a bunch of whining.

 

Yep, the Bills victory today was against a team that wasn't putting forth their best effort. Yep, our offense has been horrible this year. But we went out with a win today and only 12 of 32 NFL clubs finished the season with a better record. It wasn't the season we all wanted but neither was it the season many of us feared.

 

Personally, I found the post-game whining annoying and turned the radio off (and I'm not a person who's easily annoyed).

[rumblefish]

only way GR changes format is if advertisers force then to do it, that won't happen because people tune in just to fight with these two

 

so they use the Howard Stern approach people tune in station gets ratings, ratings gets advertisers to advertise, GR won't changes unless another local radio station chooses to go head to head with these guys or Bills' get another local radio station to be official Bills/ Sabres station for all news and game broadcasters

 

bottom line neg. will tune in neg. if your not into that don't listen, it's your choice

Edited December 29, 2014 by rumblefish

[Buffalo Barbarian]

Hey guys - out of town fan here from Ohio. I'm so damn sick of Mike Schopp and Bulldog post game. Are there any other radio station I can stream to listen to Buffalo sports?

 

I literally can't take these dbags anymore. I need another station that I can listen to Bills talk without these aholes

 

nope

[bbb]

Schopp is only interested in what HE has to say. He doesn't facilitate conversation. He dominates it. He is what is called a bore.

 

That's exactly it. I don't really care that much what he does during the week. There are some other options then.........But, for postgame, it sucks. There should be a lot of latitude as to topics, and with him it's only what he wants to talk about and his point of view.

 

Sal's show after or Brian Kozial for road games, is what I want to here.

 

But, it's a good thing Bulldog got another week off. I would love to have these two guys hours. I hope they're not making that much money, because it would drive me nuts that they work so little.

[Fadingpain]

These comments are funny. Whether you like Schopp and the Bulldog or not comes down to what type of fan you are.

 

The Kool Aid crowd that predominates this forum hates them. The realists probably don't mind them nearly as much.

 

For the record: the vast majority of callers to WGR-550 for all shows in all time slots (I listen all the time!) are meatheads. Total meatheads. Schopp gets frustrated with this and seems like a big city guy who doesn't want to leave his refuge on Grand Island. So he becomes condescending when these meatheads can't support their points or articulate intelligent arguments.

 

He is not a "BORE" however. That implies his talk is dull and boring. On the contrary; Schopp's commentary is edgy and filled with opinionated attitude...which is what has driven this thread to 5 pages and counting.

 

I like the Bulldog, but when one of the 2 guys is off (happens constantly!) I'd rather have Schopp. When it's just the Bulldog, the show tends to be much more boring.

 

By the way: Sal knows little about hockey. He shines as an Xs and Os football guy, but his actual skill as a broadcaster is below average. Many of his broadcasting habits are flat out annoying and he lacks professionalism in how he verbally communicates.

 

Someone up-thread said this is a one horse town and all the broadcasters in it are mediocre, or words to that effect.

 

That is 100% correct and it has always been that way.

[bbb]

You have a pretty good handle on all of that.

[harv shitz]

This. Schoop says "Let me know what you think". Then the first caller had the temerity to look at the bright side and say this is a team that has dominated us and it was nice to get a win against them. He said that it might even be a catalyst game like the 1980 home opener against Miami. Schoop went ABSOLUTELY NUTS on the guy. For stating his opinion. I turned off the post-game show after that.

 

I remember Schoop in the Empire days, and he never did that. He was going up against a guy on WGR that used to do that regularly (what was his name again, the Coach or something?) Schoop even said in those days that he would never act like the Coach and shout down callers. Clearly he lied, and forgot where he came from. Schopp has become a hack, so shame on him. It would be nice if he would go back to being a reasonable host, like when he started on Empire.

 

No, it would be nice if someone at WGR would fire his ass, like today! I was so happy to see this thread, as I miss listening to post game shows, but have not, and will not listen to this arrogant ass ever again!

 

Been 3 years, and I haven't wavered yet. As stated, I do miss a post game show, but will take the silence over these two dickbags!

[jester43]

Wow, 5 pages in 12 hours. And all because the guy didn't jizz all over himself over beating a Pats team in full-on pre-season mode.

Here's to you Schopp...long may you reign!

[Tintonfallsbillsfan]

Schoop is awful , He throws out doing football a new way but his only suggestions are to throw everydown and never punt. He flat out ignores the Super Bowl champ won with Defense. He picked the Bears to go to the Super bowl . Anyway there is a lot wrong with the on air talent on that station. Simon, white , Joe b and Schoop are all overly cocky and negative.

It has to be the tact Wgr management want to take because they don't change it or replace anyone. Sal and Bulldog offer a much more even show when they are allowed to speak.

Well at least Marrone didn't punt on 4th and short yesterday so we are spared 2 hours of how that is wrong and you need to throw the ball to win in the league

[YoloinOhio]

For those who like Sal Capaccio, he is on today 12-3

[plenzmd1]

I like GR, especially the gents in the AM. I really think Jeremy is a top class talent, and think he pairs great with Howasrd.

 

In terms of Schoop yesterday, I cannot comment as I did not listen. However, if the general theme was winning the game could somehow make this season look better than it was, I understand his POV. I too fear that somehow beating a Pats that was disinterested makes this team look better than it is.

 

 

[KD in CA]

He insisted that the win somehow shouldn't count against the Pats AFC home win streak

 

Any radio host who would spend time arguing either side of that meaningless coin is laughably bad.

 

Did he also go full Webster and bemoan the big drop in 2015 draft order? Damn those wins!

[tito1]

I'm so torn between loving listening to buffalo football talk but absolutely hating these radio personalities.

 

It's torture!

[May Day 10]

I cant believe Sal gets so much love here. The guy grates my nerves to no end. He yells loudly into the microphone as if it makes his point more valid. He also uses coaching 7 year olds as "experience" that makes him an expert on Pro football. Its embarrassing.

 

Schopp is a good broadcaster. Football and NHL are a bit out of his wheelhouse though and sometimes he takes ill-informed stances that arent popular with die-hards. Bulldog IMO is OK and plays the part of "everyfan" well... but at times (kind of often) I feel he doesnt bring anything to the table. When he is solo, the show is like listening to grass grow.

 

All those guys on WGR are stale I guess. They all admit all the time not to pay attention, not do homework, etc. They dont seem to love their jobs and eat/breathe/sleep sports. Thus arent experts. Then pair that up with the awful pool of people who call the shows. It makes for bad, repetitive sports radio. The only few guys who seem to really put a lot into it are: White, Cowler (sp), Bascaglia, and Sal. The delivery on Sal is a dealbreaker for me.

[JDHILL]

After hearing Schopp say he wishes the Bills would have been annihilated today, I can't take that guy seriously anymore. How can any hometown sports announcer wish that their team gets beaten badly? The guy is an embarrassment to radio and to Bills fans.

Context of the comment was that if they couldn't beat a NE team with Brady, Gronk etc.. then he much rather would have had them "annihilitated" . Also stated a majority of his callers had the same feeling. This sort of thing on a post game show after a win. I really couldn't believe that he was saying that there was no positive data on if you win the last game and it having a positive effect(wins) on the following season. He's probably right on the wins but 9-7 changes mindset, outside perceptions and starts making people believe. It also is more attractive for free agents who used to balk at comingto Buffalo, the NFL may actually give us a home Monday or Sunday night game. The perception will be the team is on the rise when next season starts. There are no hollow victories for this franchise. Progress is progress...just because the progress doesn't match your individual thoughts and how you statistically evaluate progress doesn't mean it's not progress.

My guess is the reason that many of the people at WGR wanted the Bills to lose or aren't happy with the victory is because if they lost to a watered down Patriot team the media could start ripping Marrone more and more.

I appreciate whoever started this thread and the thoughtful responses. I do not live in WNY anymore so I don't tune in to Schoop and the Bulldog unless something big is happening. This post game show thing has bothered me since WGR became the flagship station. Thankfully Sal Capaccio joined b/c he is a fan but can be critical and professional. My feeling is the official post game show of the Buffalo Bills is that it is an extension of the game day experience.

[BillsVet]

Sal needs to have his own show...preferably in the afternoon...Schopp and Bulldog have been there forever...but Sal is more talented and more informed...He's actually not bad on hockey either...It's hard to imagine the decision makers at WGR don't recognize Sal needs to be elevated soon...

 

Sal is a huge homer. That thing used to be frowned upon in broadcasting circles, but it's become preferred by those seeking affirmation of their perspective.

 

I'd rather hear someone who reported (which is what he primarily is) than someone who let's their fandom get in the way. Broadcasting needs more Red Barbers and fewer homers.

[CodeMonkey]

The OP must be referring to Schopp saying the Bills win was a joke because the Pats laid down, and anyone who thinks the win meant anything is pathetic. Tom Brady dropping f-bombs in the sideline tells me he wasn't laying down. We have played lots of "meaningless" games against the Pats and have lost them all. You can bet Dickhead Schopp would have lots to say if we had lost.

I didn't see Tom Terrific drop any F bombs on TV yesterday. In fact considering how bad he was playing, and how badly his receivers were playing, I thought he looked calm and not even pissed on the sidelines. If the Pats needed that game, he would have been acting like he was during the Pats-Broncos game. I didn't see any of that yesterday. I don't think the Pats laid down necessarily, but they certainly did not have any fire and obviously were not going to risk the playoffs to win that game either.

 

Plus the hoodie got his rookie QB some valuable experience. Including using his timeouts to give the rook a chance to not only tie the game, but work the 2 minute drill as well.

Edited December 29, 2014 by CodeMonkey

[PromoTheRobot]

 

 

Sal needs to have his own show...preferably in the afternoon...Schopp and Bulldog have been there forever...but Sal is more talented and more informed...He's actually not bad on hockey either...It's hard to imagine the decision makers at WGR don't recognize Sal needs to be elevated soon...

Actually Sal is on a track to do national TV. He is past WGR's level now.

[JPS]

Bore - Noun - A dull, tiresome and uncongenial person.

[zonabb]

I decided, stupidly, to use the web browser to listen to WGR55 since the Orton retirement, just to hear what his decisions was based on and it's just reaffirmed my hatred of talk radio. Murphy has Chris Brown on (who can't offer squat in terms of critical insight or thinking but constantly tows the line) but they go to caller after idiotic caller. Who the hell calls these shows? Seriously, get a life or at least check in to reality every once in a while. It's abysmal. Stop going to callers for the love of all humanity and save the people listening the desire to dive through their office window to the pavement below. As bad as some of these hosts are, the callers combine to make it un-listenable. Do we have an intelligent caller somewhere in WNY?

[GrizzlyAdams]

Long time listener, first time caller.

 

Schopp was insufferable today on the post-game. He was a jerk to everyone that called in. He insisted that the win somehow shouldn't count against the Pats AFC home win streak because the Pats "chose" not to win (totally disregarding that they lost the 1st half with Brady) but never considered that the Pats have won several similar games during that streak. So the wins count for the Pats streak, but the loss in a similar situation shouldn't? What a d*ck. Then he says he doesn't want to discuss whether or not the game meant anything, but keeps resetting the point on his own.

 

The game may have not meant anything, but how many of these "meaningless" week 17 games have we gone out and gotten crushed? How did you feel after those games? I don't feel like we won the Superbowl today, but it beats a kick in the nuts. Schopp apparently would have preferred the kick.

 

Give me Sal any day, at least you can have a discussion.

 

He is a jerk sometimes to callers and that is by far his worst quality. However, he is def right about this win not counting against the streak that the pats had against us. Yes, Brady played in the first half but do you really think he was trying? We're talking about a first ballot hall of famer. Maybe the best to ever do it. This win was a B.S. win from Marrone and Co. and I still consider the streak to be alive. Look at all the inactives for the pats and rethink your opinion here...

[thebug]

He is a jerk sometimes to callers and that is by far his worst quality. However, he is def right about this win not counting against the streak that the pats had against us. Yes, Brady played in the first half but do you really think he was trying? We're talking about a first ballot hall of famer. Maybe the best to ever do it. This win was a B.S. win from Marrone and Co. and I still consider the streak to be alive. Look at all the inactives for the pats and rethink your opinion here...

 

Well that ends it then! Be sure to notify the NFL so they can update their stats!

[plenzmd1]

I decided, stupidly, to use the web browser to listen to WGR55 since the Orton retirement, just to hear what his decisions was based on and it's just reaffirmed my hatred of talk radio. Murphy has Chris Brown on (who can't offer squat in terms of critical insight or thinking but constantly tows the line) but they go to caller after idiotic caller. Who the hell calls these shows? Seriously, get a life or at least check in to reality every once in a while. It's abysmal. Stop going to callers for the love of all humanity and save the people listening the desire to dive through their office window to the pavement below. As bad as some of these hosts are, the callers combine to make it un-listenable. Do we have an intelligent caller somewhere in WNY?

 

Going to callers is the easy route for a talk show host. Cowherd also gets tons of crap here , but that guy does a solo show for 3 hours everyday while taking very few calls, and to me keeps the show interesting.

 

That is the real difference between local and national talent on radio.

 

Why I don't listen to NFL network on radio very often now...too many "how my Cowboys going to do this week" questions.

[jimmy10]

Having worked in commercial radio in a major market, I have a bit of expertise in this area.

 

My problem with these guys at WGR is the contempt they have for the audience. Yes, "Joey from Williamsville" calling for the umpteenth time to say "hey how you doing?" and make the same dumb points over and over again gets tiresome. And yes, sometimes insulting the audience's intelligence can make for very listenable radio. In their case it does not. Their contempt is palpable, and their wit is dull.

 

But they're the big fish in a small drainage pond behind the McKinley Mall, so whaddaya gonna do?

[PromoTheRobot]

LOL. Sal on WGR just now...ripped people who hate on the Bills win. Intentional or not he threw Schopp under the bus.

 

He is a jerk sometimes to callers and that is by far his worst quality. However, he is def right about this win not counting against the streak that the pats had against us. Yes, Brady played in the first half but do you really think he was trying? We're talking about a first ballot hall of famer. Maybe the best to ever do it. This win was a B.S. win from Marrone and Co. and I still consider the streak to be alive. Look at all the inactives for the pats and rethink your opinion here...

Tell me exactly what the Bills were supposed to do? Put a gun to Belichick's head and force him to play starters?? The Bills can't control who they play. All they can do is play the game.

[Cutting Drew With Dignity]

LOL. Sal on WGR just now...ripped people who hate on the Bills win. Intentional or not he threw Schopp under the bus.

 

 

Tell me exactly what the Bills were supposed to do? Put a gun to Belichick's head and force him to play starters?? The Bills can't control who they play. All they can do is play the game.

 

Take off your knee-pads Promo. Sal is brutal. Perfect for the basement or the Buffalo market.

[TheFunPolice]

Sal is a cheerleader

Schopp is arrogant, bitter and jaded

Bulldog is the guy you meet in a bar on Elmwood or Hertel slamming pitchers of beer and yelling incoherently at the TV

 

Howard is your typical morning guy, although he's been angry lately because the Sabres are winning

Jeremy White is the guy who always wants to argue

 

The various producers who try their hands at parody/comedy are completely brutal

[Fadingpain]

Sal is a cheerleader

Schopp is arrogant, bitter and jaded

Bulldog is the guy you meet in a bar on Elmwood or Hertel slamming pitchers of beer and yelling incoherently at the TV

 

Howard is your typical morning guy, although he's been angry lately because the Sabres are winning

Jeremy White is the guy who always wants to argue

 

The various producers who try their hands at parody/comedy are completely brutal

 

Listening to Sal at WGR-550 right now. A very typical caller just called in and said "Pegula is going to clean house."

 

Sal cut him off and facetiously asked something like: "Oh yeah? Is this breaking news? You have some inside information on this?"

 

And the caller was not bright enough to catch the irony in Sal's comments. His retort was something like: "Yeah, I have an inside source. For one, he's a billionaire. So there's that."

 

And Sal was like "Yeah, OK? So what?"

 

And that was kind of the end of the caller's contributions to the show.

 

Mike Schopp is not nearly as smart as he thinks he is, but he is not dumb. He has to listen to this crap all day long and it has broken him...hence his attitude.

 

He should take a shot at a larger market; I think he would find it professionally more rewarding.

 

Just my 2 cents.

[OCinBuffalo]

The defense was good against Brady, but he barely played.

It's facscinating, to me, that you don't see the relationship between these two statements.

Let me help: If the Defense had been bad against Brady, he would have played...more.

 

Also, "Smiley" Garrapolo got his clock cleaned after poking the bear. The point is: we played a football game yesterday, and we won it with ease, against a team who was trying and was pissed that they lost. Brady was doing nothing out there, and taking him out was as much about keeping him from losing confidence as it was about not getting hurt. I kept asking the Pats fans I was with "how many times were they going to let Nigel Bradham have a free run at Brady?" After the 1st qtr, they were literally begging Belechick to sit Brady.

 

The Pats were playing with fire, they realized it, and they sat Brady down. That is the reality of that game.

 

3 HOF QBs in 4 games, and 0 TDs? Only an umitigated moron, who knows less than nothing(otherwise known as "knowing" things, that aren't true), says that means nothing.

 

And, why is anyone surprised that these simple concepts elude Mike Schopp?

 

Analytics? As an expert in the field(I built my first star schema in 1996), I am fully qualified to say the following:

 

Mike Schopp's understanding, never mind his ability to relate to and then effectively communicate advanced statistical analysis to others? F'ing laughable. The man twisted himself up into getting into an argument with Paul Hamilton on air. Schopp's premise: "Team shooting % is an individual statistic". Hamilton rightly stood his ground and told him he was simply wrong. Schopp then found an excuse for his stupidity in being emotional over an unrelated topic. Pathetic.

 

Schopp is just one of many "sports guys" who are trading on work they have nothing do with, and largely do not comprehend.

 

If you can't build your own "analytics"(which, btw is a hilariously absurd way to say that...but you have to know, to know why), you shouldn't be talking about them.

Edited December 29, 2014 by OCinBuffalo

[TheFunPolice]

Listening to Sal at WGR-550 right now. A very typical caller just called in and said "Pegula is going to clean house."

 

Sal cut him off and facetiously asked something like: "Oh yeah? Is this breaking news? You have some inside information on this?"

 

And the caller was not bright enough to catch the irony in Sal's comments. His retort was something like: "Yeah, I have an inside source. For one, he's a billionaire. So there's that."

 

And Sal was like "Yeah, OK? So what?"

 

And that was kind of the end of the caller's contributions to the show.

 

Mike Schopp is not nearly as smart as he thinks he is, but he is not dumb. He has to listen to this crap all day long and it has broken him...hence his attitude.

 

He should take a shot at a larger market; I think he would find it professionally more rewarding.

 

Just my 2 cents.

 

I agree on Schopp

 

He is so bitter and jaded that I think there is no going back. He has to work HARD to sound even halfway excited about covering the Bills.

 

He's been so negative for so long about them that it's too late to change.

[Fadingpain]

I agree on Schopp

 

He is so bitter and jaded that I think there is no going back. He has to work HARD to sound even halfway excited about covering the Bills.

 

He's been so negative for so long about them that it's too late to change.

 

I think you are right. In fact, earlier this summer, he more or less stated as much in black and white!

 

He said something like "We are rolling into the Bills season time of year and I am dreading it. It is the same broken record for 15 years" and he was basically running down the formula for how it works, what the typical schools of thoughts will be as expressed by callers...the frustrating need to do the live post-game shows lamenting another loss, and so on.

 

It's kind of weird. The guy is a sports radio host in a 2 team town obsessed with those 2 teams...but I honestly think Schopp would prefer talking about tangentially related sports topics.

 

Like: gambling in general and sports in particular, sports memorabilia collecting, and the sport of tennis.

 

In a bigger market, he might be the guy for any of those topics and it would suit him well.

 

As it is, he has to fake it and talk about the Sabres and Bills all the time. He hates it.

[CardinalScotts]

I'd say their opinion is based on 15 years of the Bills going from bad to OK, rinse and repeat. Some people can't handle the truth and want cheerleaders, not opinions.

 

when your basing your opinons without merit your a moron, time to think for yourself. No one at WGR outside of Sal has played or coached football a day in their life. I'd love to watch Howard and Jeremy play catch the Schoop and Bulldog....that would be a site. Then tell about quarterbacking

[jahbonas]

Season ends with a 3pm press conference and a ton of speculation about cleaning house , orton surprise retirement etccc makes for a great radio talk show, No surprise Schoop starts off with should we even talk about the press conference blah blah blah - I just had to turn it off and such a wasted opportunity for great bills talk.

Maybe he will talk about the girl scouts or maybe US Open tennis...

[Helpmenow]

Sal is a cheerleader

Schopp is arrogant, bitter and jaded

Bulldog is the guy you meet in a bar on Elmwood or Hertel slamming pitchers of beer and yelling incoherently at the TV

 

Howard is your typical morning guy, although he's been angry lately because the Sabres are winning

Jeremy White is the guy who always wants to argue

 

The various producers who try their hands at parody/comedy are completely brutal

Pretty accurate

[PastaJoe]

 

 

when your basing your opinons without merit your a moron, time to think for yourself. No one at WGR outside of Sal has played or coached football a day in their life. I'd love to watch Howard and Jeremy play catch the Schoop and Bulldog....that would be a site. Then tell about quarterbacking

 

So only people that played or coached can have an opinion? That would shut down this website. I played in high school, does that qualify?

[Reed83HOF]

I played in high school, does that qualify?

 

Only if you played for Polk High wore #33 & and scored 4 touchdowns in a game...

[PastaJoe]

 

 

Only if you played for Polk High wore #33 & and scored 4 touchdowns in a game...

 

Damn! CBA, #64, OG and DE. I'll stop commenting now.

[PromoTheRobot]

So only people that played or coached can have an opinion? That would shut down this website. I played in high school, does that qualify?

 

No one pays us to express our opinions unlike the folks at WGR. They are routinely touted as experts in all things that are Buffalo sports. Having played or coached or studied football certainly increases the odds that your opinion is an informed one.