No more Jerry Sullivan radio show (but now Podcast!)

[Mike in Horseheads]

1 hour ago, Limeaid said:

I understand Miami has a shortage of sports radio people.

He could go to Florida, semi-retire and reuse the cliches he used to bash Fitzpatrick.

I think there is a requirement though to speak Spanish, Cuban dialect.

Feed him to Lebatard who dominates that market

[Xwnyer]

2 hours ago, PromoTheRobot said:

 

I don't know if that also means no more Tim Graham show either.

https://buffalonews.com/2020/02/06/jerry-sullivans-radio-show-ends-its-run/

thank god now if he would quit writing

[MJS]

9 minutes ago, Xwnyer said:

thank god now if he would quit writing

And suspends his twitter.

[GunnerBill]

14 minutes ago, Xwnyer said:

thank god now if he would quit writing

 

As a former journalist I barely call what Sully used to do writing. I never listened to his radio show so I can't comment. His opinions I sometimes agreed with. But he can't write. 

[apuszczalowski]

43 minutes ago, SDS said:

we only really have two sports teams right now. They have a hard enough time filling the air with worthwhile content, let alone a whole separate station. 

Sometimes you need differing opinions though. With WGR having deals to cover or broadcast for those teams, many times they on air people have to have certain views of the team or they lose their deal. Having another station that isn't being paid by the franchise helps give other opinions outside of 'everything is great!'

[Over 29 years of fanhood]

3 hours ago, PromoTheRobot said:

 

I don't know if that also means no more Tim Graham show either.

https://buffalonews.com/2020/02/06/jerry-sullivans-radio-show-ends-its-run/

Jerry Jerry Jerry .... they might not have explained this, but if anyone listened, there would probably not be a lack of financial support.

[HT02]

I am disappointed, I never minded Sully being tough on Bills management what got under my skin was his arrogance (which is a problem with a number of the WGR guys too).  

[PromoTheRobot]

1 hour ago, eSJayDee said:

For my own edification, can someone clarify something please:

Is "lack of financial support" a euphemism for "cancelled due to bad ratings" or do shows like that typically buy their own radio time, like an infomercial type arrangement & then are responsible for procuring their own support?

 

There are such programs, where the host buys time for whatever vanity project they have. But I'm pretty sure Sully was an employee of iHeart Radio, the owners of WHLD The Fan 1270.  If you've paid attention to the news of late, you know iHeart just held a bloodbath firing over a thousand employees nationwide. So it's no shock Jerry got culled. With the ratings WHLD got, it's no surprise they couldn't get anyone beyond Glen Park Grill to sponsor him.

 

1 hour ago, Phil The Thrill said:

That’s too bad, because to be fair Sully had a good radio show.  He always brought on good guests and like him or not, it was another opinion where you could get Bills coverage.  
 

It was pretty apparent that no one was listening.  They’d plug the phone line and literally no one would call.  

 

Jerry got great guests and his shows made good listening. But Jerry's gotta Jerry, meaning he has to bash something or he gets blue balls. I remember when Mitch Morse got concussed in preseason, Jerry went into crusade mode, trying to ream Brandon Beane for overpaying for damaged goods, and praising the Jets for getting the "right" free agent center in Ryan Kalil.   He got real quiet with that take as the season went on.

 

Jerry insists that he's his own man and his takes are ones that the "corporate shills" shy away from. But really he's just a button pusher. He knows how to get a rise from people. And there are people who love him because he feeds their rage over our teams. Jerry has talent as a sports writer and opinionator when he puts the effort into being good. But most of the time he took the lazy route of selling outrage. Jerry is the first to tell you he's the voice of the fan, but really he's just a provocateur.  Just listen to his questions at Bills press conferences...or his complaints about what free meal the Bills gave him.

 

12 minutes ago, apuszczalowski said:

Sometimes you need differing opinions though. With WGR having deals to cover or broadcast for those teams, many times they on air people have to have certain views of the team or they lose their deal. Having another station that isn't being paid by the franchise helps give other opinions outside of 'everything is great!'

 

There's no question Buffalo could use a GOOD alternative to WGR. The level of sports talk radio in Buffalo is truly depressing. But doing sports talk the right way is expensive, and the Entercoms and iHearts hate spending a nickel much less a million...unless it's for management bonuses.

Edited February 6, 2020 by PromoTheRobot

[Lurker]

1 minute ago, PromoTheRobot said:

Jerry insists that he's his own man and his takes are ones that the "corporate shills" shy away from. But really he's just a button pusher. He knows how to get a rise from people. And there are people who love him because he feeds their rage over our teams. Jerry has talent as a sports writer and opinionator when he puts the effort into being good. But most of the time he took the lazy route of selling outrage. Jerry is the first to tell you he's the voice of the fan, but really he's just a provocateur.  Just listen to his questions at Bills press conferences...or his complaints about what free meal the Bills gave him.

 

Abso-f'n-loutely correct...    

[BADOLBILZ]

3 minutes ago, apuszczalowski said:

Sometimes you need differing opinions though. With WGR having deals to cover or broadcast for those teams, many times they on air people have to have certain views of the team or they lose their deal. Having another station that isn't being paid by the franchise helps give other opinions outside of 'everything is great!'

 

 

Yeah I mean..........in particular in the case of the Sabres...........what a hopeless sh*t show.......on their way to missing the playoffs for 9 straight seasons in a league FULL of mismanaged teams.......it defies explanation that owners of an NFL franchise can't make headway in that bush league.

 

And yet the people at the station can't really afford to real-talk it.     Can't blame them their jobs are on the line and after 9 years what can you say that's worth that risk?

 

At the same time.........there are plenty of other places outside of radio to discuss the futility of Buffalo sports.

[K-9]

1 hour ago, eSJayDee said:

For my own edification, can someone clarify something please:

Is "lack of financial support" a euphemism for "cancelled due to bad ratings" or do shows like that typically buy their own radio time, like an infomercial type arrangement & then are responsible for procuring their own support?

“Lack of financial support” means that lack of ad revenues could no longer justify Cumulus Media’s continued payment of the production costs associated with the show. 

11 minutes ago, PromoTheRobot said:

 

There are such programs, where the host buys time for whatever vanity project they have. But I'm pretty sure Sully was an employee of iHeart Radio, the owners of WHLD The Fan 1270.  If you've paid attention to the news of late, you know iHeart just held a bloodbath firing over a thousand employees nationwide. So it's no shock Jerry got culled. With the ratings WHLD got, it's no surprise they couldn't get anyone beyond Glen Park Grill to sponsor him.

Cumulus Media shows WHLD 1270 as one of their stations. Are they in turn owned by iHeart?

Edited February 6, 2020 by K-9

[bigK14094]

2 hours ago, Hapless Bills Fan said:

 

Wait, where did he do that?

 

My mom lived in S. Florida near Miami for ~2 decades.  It became more and more limiting to communication, during that time, to not speak Spanish.  That's in no way intended as a criticism, much less of an entire nation - it's just a fact.  When I was staying at mom's house, helping her through hospitalization and rehab and settling her affairs, my lack of ability to speak Spanish limited my ability to communicate to neighbors, nurse's aides,  people seeking directions to the hospital's emergency room, and servers and clerks in stores and restaurants.  And she wasn't even living in areas with the highest density of Spanish speaking homes.  I got a neighbor to write out certain answers and phrases phonetically so I could give directions to the ER or ask questions about medication administration and the last time my mom had a shower.

 

 

enclaves will result...defactor segegration will say the activists.  But, if you don't speak the language, you don't wanna be there.  Pretty simple really, and not racial in any way.

[PromoTheRobot]

23 minutes ago, K-9 said:

Cumulus Media shows WHLD 1270 as one of their stations. Are they in turn owned by iHeart?

 

You are correct. I got fooled because WHLD is on the iHeart app. But it is a Cumulus owned station.

[SDS]

50 minutes ago, apuszczalowski said:

Sometimes you need differing opinions though. With WGR having deals to cover or broadcast for those teams, many times they on air people have to have certain views of the team or they lose their deal. Having another station that isn't being paid by the franchise helps give other opinions outside of 'everything is great!'

yeah. I really do want to emphasize that I do not need more people telling me what they think about the Bills or the Sabres. And I doubt anyone else really needs it either.

[Ridgewaycynic2013]

26 minutes ago, SDS said:

yeah. I really do want to emphasize that I do not need more people telling me what they think about the Bills or the Sabres. And I doubt anyone else really needs it either.

They can get that here, for free, and from all sides!  ?

[Mike in Horseheads]

1 hour ago, Over 29 years of fanhood said:

Jerry Jerry Jerry .... they might not have explained this, but if anyone listened, there would probably not be a lack of financial support.

Thats what pays the station's bills. If they can't sell advertising then guess what its because your ratings suck. Simple

[LeGOATski]

Jerry is very insecure. His whole persona stems from that. "Alternative voices" are not needed in this case. It's a gaddamn sports team, fcol. He should go find something else to complain about.

[Shooter McGavin]

4 hours ago, Seasons1992 said:

 

Jerry should have had more "fire hose" segments to boost ratings.......

 

“Life is like a mop.”

[AlCowlingsTaxiService]

I’m sure most in here will regale us with their wit in bashing Sullivan .... having said that, his program was salty at times as one would expect, but he was rather complimentary of the bills most of the time, he had excellent guests on a daily basis, and he gave other sports, both major and minor, coverage .... truth was, his program was often more interesting than the White/Simon program and the Irritators hockey show 

[OldTimeAFLGuy]

36 minutes ago, LeGOATski said:

Jerry is very insecure. His whole persona stems from that. "Alternative voices" are not needed in this case. It's a gaddamn sports team, fcol. He should go find something else to complain about.

 

...as Don McLean said, "...the day the music died"..........Jerry can go write obituaries.....they can't disagree with him........

[Hapless Bills Fan]

4 hours ago, Phil The Thrill said:

That’s too bad, because to be fair Sully had a good radio show.  He always brought on good guests and like him or not, it was another opinion where you could get Bills coverage.  
 

It was pretty apparent that no one was listening.  They’d plug the phone line and literally no one would call.  

 

I guess it's one of these "your mileage may vary" things on the "good radio show".  I listened once, and could NOT bring myself to listen again. 

 

I'll spare you the list of things I'd rather have done, but it was extensive and piquant.  Now I grant you, he did not approach my personal nadir, which is "rather clean a bus station bathroom...by licking it".  But that's kind of a low bar, you'll agree.

[ndirish1978]

Sounds like his brand kept listeners away. He was fired by TBN because readers were tired of him. Unfortunately for him, the same readers he alienated are his target audience. By all accounts he seems to be a decent guy - the rest of the Buffalo media personalities really like him. But his brand of "I'm going to be controversial to get attention and mask it by claiming I'm speaking truth to power" is so old and people just aren't interested anymore. 

Edited February 7, 2020 by ndirish1978

[May Day 10]

I like listening to sullivan or graham on the radio.  Gotta say though, it wasnt a habit to tune in.

 

The format on wgr is just so repetitive and spans years.  Other local sports shows are refreshing, and they also tend to dive more into other realms besides the sabres and bills.  Ub, canisius, niagara, st bona, bandits, nba, etc...  

[MR8]

Sully is an tool, he is right that there needs to be more sports talk options, but that's what pod casts are for.... There isn't gonna be a sports radio station to take on WGR with how Radio conglomerates work now a days.  

 

Sully ain't the guy to do it either way... He's a negative bitter old.man who was rightfully put out to pasture by the news and has been unable to find a gig because he's a hack. If he were worth a damn, he would've been courted by the Athletic or another reporting outlet.  With his years of experience he would be an asset if he weren't an asshat. 

[turftoe]

Maybe he will get a clue when he is canned by the Niagara Gazette. People tired of his drivel. Alternative voice schmoice.

[Buffalo Barbarian]

7 hours ago, PromoTheRobot said:

 

I don't know if that also means no more Tim Graham show either.

https://buffalonews.com/2020/02/06/jerry-sullivans-radio-show-ends-its-run/

 

Didn't know he had one.

 

 

[John in Jax]

7 hours ago, Gugny said:

 

Why do you think this?

My daughter goes to UM. Have been there to visit her. This may be anecdotal, but from what I have personally seen/heard, Spanish is the #1 language down there. So yes, if you did a radio show, it’d probably be a good idea to do it in the most commonly used language in your listening area.

[JaBu]

8 hours ago, PromoTheRobot said:

 

If you dig your own ditch, you've got to sleep in it.

 

(I love mixed metaphors)  ?

[GreggTX]

Sully was too honest for Bills fans.

[Hapless Bills Fan]

50 minutes ago, MR8 said:

Sully is an tool, he is right that there needs to be more sports talk options, but that's what pod casts are for.... There isn't gonna be a sports radio station to take on WGR with how Radio conglomerates work now a days.  

 

Sully ain't the guy to do it either way... He's a negative bitter old.man who was rightfully put out to pasture by the news and has been unable to find a gig because he's a hack. If he were worth a damn, he would've been courted by the Athletic or another reporting outlet.  With his years of experience he would be an asset if he weren't an asshat. 

 

Woaoaoh! but Truth Hurts.

 

5 minutes ago, GreggTX said:

Sully was too honest for Bills fans.

 

You mean like the honest when Sully tweeted a picture of a tray of mini-bagels and a complaint about the meagre press box food at New Era, which was promptly followed up by another member of the media (less honest, no doubt) tweeting a picture of a full spread featuring hot chafing dishes, other pastries, etc .... and showing the mini-bagels were one tray, positioned at the end of a large spread?

 

Or how about the honesty when Sully wrote a column excoriating the Bills as foolish for failing to extend Fitzpatrick when he got off to a hot start and the Bills were 5-2 - then later ripping them for their stupidity in extending him prematurely after the Bills finished 6-10?  That kind of honest?

[Richard Noggin]

5 hours ago, BADOLBILZ said:

 

 

Yeah I mean..........in particular in the case of the Sabres...........what a hopeless sh*t show.......on their way to missing the playoffs for 9 straight seasons in a league FULL of mismanaged teams.......it defies explanation that owners of an NFL franchise can't make headway in that bush league.

 

And yet the people at the station can't really afford to real-talk it.     Can't blame them their jobs are on the line and after 9 years what can you say that's worth that risk?

 

At the same time.........there are plenty of other places outside of radio to discuss the futility of Buffalo sports.

The WGR guys fully recognize and lament the state of the Sabres. No doubt. I'm not sure where you're coming from with this. 

 

OBL is a different beast all together. Murph and Tasker are employed by the Bills directly. And broadcast on WGR. It's different than the radio hosts.

[Phil The Thrill]

6 hours ago, K-9 said:

“Lack of financial support” means that lack of ad revenues could no longer justify Cumulus Media’s continued payment of the production costs associated with the show. 

Cumulus Media shows WHLD 1270 as one of their stations. Are they in turn owned by iHeart?

Right, so my guess is that Sully didn’t make much of a difference to their ad revenue.  They probably figured they could pull a similar rating and advertising rates with Bobby Rosati or using national content from ESPN radio 

[BADOLBILZ]

43 minutes ago, Richard Noggin said:

The WGR guys fully recognize and lament the state of the Sabres. No doubt. I'm not sure where you're coming from with this. 

 

OBL is a different beast all together. Murph and Tasker are employed by the Bills directly. And broadcast on WGR. It's different than the radio hosts.

 

 

Murphy is employed by the Bills..........but since WGR is the flagship station of both the Bills AND Sabres there is a conflict for all............and I am not really sure lament is the proper reaction to a decade of incompetence.  

[gomper]

Sad. Jerry had a nice show. Plenty of topics and a different perspective.  Signal strength hurt. Like him or hate him,  an alternative to WGR is needled.  

[Teddy KGB]

9 hours ago, Gugny said:

 

I understand all of this.  But I sincerely doubt that it's a "requirement to speak Spanish - Cuban dialect," in order to secure a gig on sports radio.  It was a clear swing and whiff (i.e. - unfunny "joke") that I think is offensive.  Offensive enough to report?  Not at all.  I asked a simple question to him and I've received two responses from others defending  him.  You're discussing the language barrier in a serious manner; the other poster wasn't.  I think there's a big difference.

Sounds like he’s really hates Lebatard. 

[Nextmanup]

6 hours ago, AlCowlingsTaxiService said:

I’m sure most in here will regale us with their wit in bashing Sullivan .... having said that, his program was salty at times as one would expect, but he was rather complimentary of the bills most of the time, he had excellent guests on a daily basis, and he gave other sports, both major and minor, coverage .... truth was, his program was often more interesting than the White/Simon program and the Irritators hockey show 

How dare you! Stick to the group think we like around here.

 

The only human worse than Jerry Sullivan is Mike Schopp!

 

3 hours ago, MR8 said:

Sully is an tool, he is right that there needs to be more sports talk options, but that's what pod casts are for.... There isn't gonna be a sports radio station to take on WGR with how Radio conglomerates work now a days.  

 

Sully ain't the guy to do it either way... He's a negative bitter old.man who was rightfully put out to pasture by the news and has been unable to find a gig because he's a hack. If he were worth a damn, he would've been courted by the Athletic or another reporting outlet.  With his years of experience he would be an asset if he weren't an asshat. 

He writes for the Niagara Gazette now.

 

His grammar is a lot better than yours.

 

 

 

 

Edited February 7, 2020 by Nextmanup

[Buffalo_Stampede]

Never was aware that there was a Jerry Sullivan show.

[GunnerBill]

4 hours ago, BADOLBILZ said:

 

 

Murphy is employed by the Bills..........but since WGR is the flagship station of both the Bills AND Sabres there is a conflict for all............and I am not really sure lament is the proper reaction to a decade of incompetence.  

 

I care not a jot about hockey but I have heard a couple of WGR segments the last few weeks where they have been ripping the Sabres and ripping, very directly, the Pegulas for the mess. 

[AlCowlingsTaxiService]

13 hours ago, ndirish1978 said:

Sounds like his brand kept listeners away. He was fired by TBN because readers were tired of him. Unfortunately for him, the same readers he alienated are his target audience. By all accounts he seems to be a decent guy - the rest of the Buffalo media personalities really like him. But his brand of "I'm going to be controversial to get attention and mask it by claiming I'm speaking truth to power" is so old and people just aren't interested anymore. 

Incorrect. He was let go because king Terry took exception to his critiques of the bills and threatened financial retribution to theBN.  Now, if you’re cool with wealthy owners influencing media coverage, then you do you.. I’ll pass on that.

[AlCowlingsTaxiService]

13 hours ago, ndirish1978 said:

Sounds like his brand kept listeners away. He was fired by TBN because readers were tired of him. Unfortunately for him, the same readers he alienated are his target audience. By all accounts he seems to be a decent guy - the rest of the Buffalo media personalities really like him. But his brand of "I'm going to be controversial to get attention and mask it by claiming I'm speaking truth to power" is so old and people just aren't interested anymore. 

Unfortunately, I think many”fans” would prefer a program where the hosts and callers say nothing but “”GO BILLS WOOHOO” and discuss their face painting techniques and which jersey they should wear on game day ...