Howard Simon "Winding down" from WGR

[Franco_92]

21 minutes ago, inkman said:

I can understand them coming off that way. I also think a whole show or even segment about expected goals for/against is going to make a large portion of the audience tune into something else. 

True. But I've never been convinced they have the ability to do it, either 

[LabattBlue]

4 minutes ago, mushypeaches said:

Plus, he's become a little bit too much of a jock-sniffer from having close access to the team over the past few years

 

I think this is because he longs to be hired by the Bills.  Unfortunately, Chris Brown is in that role, and he probably won’t be going anywhere for a long time. 

[Franco_92]

11 minutes ago, Matt_In_NH said:

He was bad but he has gotten better.   He used to be on this "The Bills should not run the ball" kick.  He even said at one point you average more yards per pass than per rush so why ever run it....he was serious.   This was ridiculous and he seems to have backed off it this year.  I am not some guy who wants "balance" or something...but I do think you want to make sure the defense has to defend everything

Everyone at WGR is guilty of thinking that people who want the bills to be better at running with a light box (so games like Jax don't happen) actually wish the bills to run 50% of the time, they conflate these things every single time the issue comes up, no matter the show 

[mushypeaches]

2 minutes ago, BTB said:

I think this is because he longs to be hired by the Bills.  Unfortunately, Chris Brown is in that role, and he probably won’t be going anywhere for a long time. 

 

You're probably on to something there.  I'd forgotten about this, but I remember one of those pre-game "round table" segments from last year.  Might even have been pre-season

 

Chris Brown's mike wasn't working properly, but Sal spouted out some hot take, and well, all of a sudden the mike came back on and we heard Chris Brown mutter "Jesus f***ing Christ"

 

So that fits the narrative of there potentially being some professional bad blood between those two

[BRH]

59 minutes ago, Sargent Hulka said:

I remember well the Monday "Howard and Jeremy Show" following the 2018 NFL Draft, and Simon practically whining that we drafted the wrong Josh. He was lamenting the Bills didn't draft Josh Rosen, and spouting innuendo about Josh Allen's character. I think Simon is overrated and I won't miss him at all. I hope Sal takes his place.

 

I don't have a problem with guys who thought on that day that we drafted the wrong Josh.  (I wasn't one of them, for the record.  I would have taken JA #1.  But that's a debate for another time.). 

 

I have a problem with guys who continued to trash JA for years afterward because they couldn't admit they were wrong.  I never got that feeling from Howard.

 

Plus, he's a Mets fan, so that makes him okay in my book.

[Ed_Formerly_of_Roch]

34 minutes ago, plenzmd1 said:

he is either 59 or 60..my age. Have to imagine getting up at 4AM everyday gets old..

 

Didn't realize he was even that old as he sounds much younger on radio.  Not much younger than me then.  Understand the 4AM part too very well and it was actually 6AM for me.

[Solomon Grundy]

1 hour ago, CountDorkula said:

Save your WGR is crap takes. 

Simon has been a staple in most of our lives for years since Empire.

 

 

Going to be weird to not hear him in the morning when he finally hangs them up

i.e GR is salary dumping 😎

[Straight Hucklebuck]

I'm not the biggest Howard fan. 

 

Never tried a strawberry, never had Watermelon, never had Peanut Butter, but is quick to point out constantly how out of shape he is, but has no desire to workout. 

 

He sounds like Bulldog is some respects. Like he wakes up, rolls out of bed, and just comes to the station 4 minutes before the show starts with no preparation. He uses out of date references to music and movies. 

 

In the end, he just strikes as a guy who takes the weakest swing at life you can. 

 

 

[Einstein]

1 hour ago, Cotton Fitzsimmons said:

Nate isn’t terrible IMHO, but he has a way of asking a question and then spending the next 5 minutes answering said question himself before letting the person respond. 

 

Yes, he does that too.

 

Instead of saying "I drove to Wegmans", he says "I put my shoes on, walking to the door, grasped the door knob, used 4 foot pounds of torque to twist said door knob, pulled with leverage to open the door away from the door frame, stepped outside into the warmth that the sun provides, viewed a butterfly that moved with whimsy from flower to flower, smelled the warm yet somehow crisp air, and put one foot in front of the other toward my vehicle. Once inside the vehicle I used my key to start the engine and grasp the steering wheel in anticipation of the drive ahead to our neighborhood grocery store..."
 

And that's bout the point I turn the station. 

 

I am genuinely surprised that he is still on the air.

54 minutes ago, Jerry Jabber said:

I have to turn off the Extra Point show when Joe DiBiase is on for those reasons. Sal is great, but when Joe is on by himself, it’s awful! 

 

Joe is a mini Nate. 

[Straight Hucklebuck]

39 minutes ago, CountDorkula said:

When it's just BullDog the show is much much better.

 

He actually gives opinion and emotion to the teams. 

 

39 minutes ago, Stads said:

I don't know how I would feel about Sal taking over. His football knowledge is greatly appreciated, but his storytelling seems so self-absorbed. I know I'm in the minority but I like him in the role he currently has and don't need him having more airtime

 

Bulldog is still doing the show at his house, always one story away from mass-panic on COVID, he looks forward to shutting it down. 

 

He's just like Howard, he shows up 2-minutes before the show starts, and let's Mike do all the thinking, all the topic setting, all the interviewing of guests. 

 

I agree with you Stads on Sal. He is definitely self-absorbed, constantly going back to his time in Florida, or talking about his only-child Max, always references statements he made in earlier conversations like people keep a record on them at all times to check what he said. 

 

Keep Sal in the limited doses he's in now. 

[london_bills]

Used to really like him on the pre show 

[Einstein]

Anyone remember when "The Coach" (Chuck Dickerson) was on WGR back in the mid-90's?

 

I know he wasn't everyone's cup of tea but I really enjoyed his football talk. He had a lot of bravado but also a lot of actual football knowledge to back it up. Unlike the 20-somethings that only know the drought.

[Straight Hucklebuck]

2 minutes ago, Einstein said:

 

Yes, he does that too.

 

Instead of saying "I drove to Wegmans", he says "I put my shoes on, walking to the door, grasped the door knob, used 4 foot pounds of torque to twist said door knob, pulled with leverage to open the door away from the door frame, stepped outside into the warmth that the sun provides, viewed a butterfly that moved with whimsy from flower to flower, smelled the warm yet somehow crisp air, and put one foot in front of the other toward my vehicle. Once inside the vehicle I used my key to start the engine and grasp the steering wheel in anticipation of the drive ahead to our neighborhood grocery store..."
 

And that's bout the point I turn the station. 

 

I am genuinely surprised that he is still on the air.

 

Joe is a mini Nate. 

The young kids all have the same schtick. 

 

Don't ever punt the ball, don't run the ball at all, when in doubt talk about Fantasy Football, and too much story telling on their single or newly married lives, which, in general leaves them out of touch with a good percentage of the listening audience. 

[Donuts and Doritos]

Sorry to see him going. I expect the Nate & Jeremy show to be the replacement.

[Straight Hucklebuck]

1 minute ago, Einstein said:

Anyone remember when "The Coach" (Chuck Dickerson) was on WGR back in the mid-90's?

 

I know he wasn't everyone's cup of tea but I really enjoyed his football talk. He had a lot of bravado but also a lot of actual football knowledge to back it up. Unlike the 20-somethings that only know the drought.

Yup, grew up on him. 

 

My Dad always said he had an axe to grind with Ralph and the Bills, and he was a loudmouth. 

 

But this was before the internet, and he went the most in-depth on the mechanics of football than other hosts. He would host the Round Table trivia. 

[Einstein]

5 minutes ago, Straight Hucklebuck said:

Yup, grew up on him. 

 

My Dad always said he had an axe to grind with Ralph and the Bills, and he was a loudmouth. 

 

But this was before the internet, and he went the most in-depth on the mechanics of football than other hosts. He would host the Round Table trivia. 

 

Your dad was right. He definitely had an axe to grind. 

 

Even so, his knowledge made up for it.

 

.

Edited August 22, 2022 by Einstein

[78thealltimegreat]

1 hour ago, FLFan said:

Go back and read the threads from this forum that day. You just described 75% of the posters here. Of course few admit it now. 

You aren’t wrong heck read the game threads last year from the Jacksonville game. The same people where still whining about Allen 

[machine gun kelly]

1 hour ago, Ed_Formerly_of_Roch said:

Any idea how old Simon is?  I didn't think he was anywhere near retirement age.  Then again is easy for these journalist types to get tons of free lance and part time work.  Look at Sully!

I think he’s 59 or 60.  It might be they put Joe on the morning show so maybe Nate takes over as Sals partner on the extra point.

 

guys they are not that bad compared to other local markets.  They are as an aggregate than the guys in Tampa.

 

Howards forgetful stuff gets old, but he’s a decent guy.  Jeremy makes that morning show.

[Stads]

1 hour ago, mushypeaches said:

 

Sal's voice and overall shtick are tolerable in small doses, i.e. updates from the sideline and regular call in segments, but the thought of him hosting a show for 3 hours would be a rough listen.  Plus, he's become a little bit too much of a jock-sniffer from having close access to the team over the past few years

 

This is exactly how I feel. Schopp derails his show with fantasy/gambling nonsense and Sal likes to go on and on about talking to the players or how amazing of a Dad he is by everything he does with his son. That's awesome that he does all of that stuff, but I'm tuning in to hear about actual sports takes

[May Day 10]

I have always liked Howard Simon.  It does seem like he has been going through the motions for several years and/or the management has told him to play a 'boob' as his role.  I think you can certainly tell that he has been tiring of the daily grind.

 

Everyone there is stale for the most part.  Bulldog is the worst of it.  I cant believe that guy earns a paycheck for the "work" he does.  He provides nothing of value and he isnt a good broadcaster either. He just walks up to his attic, puts on a headset, flips a switch, and steals money from Audacy. 

 I actually didnt mind Schopp other than the constant gambling and fantasy talk.  I cant listen to that stuff.  There is a complete sports radio station locally that is like 24 hours of gambling talk (1520).  

Even jeremy White is stale, but unlike the older guys, he still actually appears to like sports and consumes a lot of it and can bring a lot to his show. 

 

I actually do like the younger guys they have around.  They seem to bring an energy that is lacking in the older hosts

 

In all cases though, gambling talk needs to be somewhat minimalized.  It is just really bad radio IMO if it is overkill and every subject is tied with odds, futures, money lines, etc.  (And I even dabble in sports gambling).  I really dont care of Derrick Henry is "+350" to win the MVP or whatever.  Its getting to the point where I am going to get turned off to sports gambling as a whole.

 

[mjd1001]

2 hours ago, BTB said:

Bad for WGR.  Probably means a replacement by some young gun who wants to fill hours with yelling, screaming, hot takes, and talking over callers and co-hosts. 
 

I remember Howard starting out on WBEN.  Has always been a class act. 

I like Simon. However, I like the 'young' guys on nights and weekends just as much, or better than Schopp and Bulldog.

 

I'll miss Simon though.

I'm really surprised by the hate for the younger guys.  Are they perfect? No, but I find them much, MUCH more enjoyable to listen to than what they put out there from 3-7. 

 

Very few things/people have gotten me to change the station because of how bad the sports talk hosts are/were on local radio. The WGR young guys don't do that for me.  Schopp does, and when I lived out east and could pick up NY radio stations, Mike and the Maddog did also (I have no idea WHY people like him screaming and yelling, but it drove me crazy 1.1 seconds after he started)

Edited August 22, 2022 by mjd1001

[Malazan]

I always liked Howard back when I listened to WGR. Unfortunately, the station itself has been garbage so I haven't listened to him in a long time. 

 

15 minutes ago, mjd1001 said:

I like Simon. However, I like the 'young' guys on nights and weekends just as much, or better than Schopp and Bulldog.

 

I'll miss Simon though.

I'm really surprised by the hate for the younger guys.  Are they perfect? No, but I find them much, MUCH more enjoyable to listen to than what they put out there from 3-7. 

 

Very few things/people have gotten me to change the station because of how bad the sports talk hosts are/were on local radio. The WGR young guys don't do that for me.  Schopp does, and when I lived out east and could pick up NY radio stations, Mike and the Maddog did also (I have no idea WHY people like him screaming and yelling, but it drove me crazy 1.1 seconds after he started)

 

If I had to guess, I'd bet a lot of people referencing the awful 'young' guys are talking about Schopp and Maddog. Like, me, personally, the guys I remember and enjoyed were like Larry Felser, Art Wander, Howard Simon, Brad Riter and I forget the name of the other guy that used to broadcast with Simon.. red headed guy with curly hair. 

Edited August 22, 2022 by Malazan

[thenorthremembers]

26 minutes ago, Stads said:

This is exactly how I feel. Schopp derails his show with fantasy/gambling nonsense and Sal likes to go on and on about talking to the players or how amazing of a Dad he is by everything he does with his son. That's awesome that he does all of that stuff, but I'm tuning in to hear about actual sports takes

Better get use to Sal.  I have a strong feeling he is Murph's backfill when he retires.

[MWK]

2 hours ago, Stads said:

I don't know how I would feel about Sal taking over. His football knowledge is greatly appreciated, but his storytelling seems so self-absorbed. I know I'm in the minority but I like him in the role he currently has and don't need him having more airtime

 

Sal is ok, but he won’t ever say anything bad about a player. Last week he was talking about how shocking it was that we cut those two corners like they actually had a chance to make it. I think he thinks he’s part of the team since he can talk to the players regularly. He also loses all credibility the moment he starts talking about how he played high school football. When you do that, you just sound like a loser.

Edited August 22, 2022 by MWK

[Long Suffering Fan]

1 hour ago, Straight Hucklebuck said:

The young kids all have the same schtick. 

 

Don't ever punt the ball, don't run the ball at all, when in doubt talk about Fantasy Football, and too much story telling on their single or newly married lives, which, in general leaves them out of touch with a good percentage of the listening audience. 

 

In fairness, some of that is right. 

 

I didn't figure it out right away, but for about the last 30 years I have screamed at the TV when some announcer said that they have to establish the run.  Coaches in an echo chamber repeating a mantra from the 50s and not realizing the game had changed.  When that saying was really a thing, DBs could practically jump on the back of WRs and force them to give them a piggy back ride.  Of course you should run the ball, especially if you can do it against a light box, but the last 10 years have proved that the best teams tend to throw it more.

 

All through the drought the fraidy-cat punts by the Bills drove me crazy.  Again, the last 10 years have shown that teams should punt less and the best coaches punt less.

 

On the rest, I can see your point.

 

 

[mykidsdad]

Do we know what is going on? Is he retiring? Is he dealing with a health issue?

[corta765]

3 hours ago, BTB said:

Bad for WGR.  Probably means a replacement by some young gun who wants to fill hours with yelling, screaming, hot takes, and talking over callers and co-hosts. 
 

I remember Howard starting out on WBEN.  Has always been a class act. 

 

Agreed. The beauty of their current show is Howard being a bit more reserved in approach (so it is hilarious when he losses it) whereas Jeremy usually has the hotter take but he balances it well. Too many of their younger guys are too aggressive with no restraint to show some maturity. Geary would terrify me if he went in that roll as what he does now is OK in small doses but it is wayyy too much in large. I honestly would love to see them go out of market to bring someone not local in.

[LabattBlue]

15 minutes ago, thenorthremembers said:

Better get use to Sal.  I have a strong feeling he is Murph's backfill when he retires.

I have never heard Sal do PbP of any sport and would be shocked if he replaced Murph(whenever he hangs it up), but how hard can it be to replace…

 

Touchdown Buffalo, Diggs, Touchdown, what a play, Touchdown!

 

Rinse and repeat for every scoring play. 

[LabattBlue]

6 minutes ago, mykidsdad said:

Do we know what is going on? Is he retiring? Is he dealing with a health issue?

Give me some time. Still working on Kim Pegula diagnosis  🤔

[Brianmoorman4jesus]

I’m not going to upset people that like the guy and want to feel a type of nostalgia but thank god. I’m not even sure this guy has watched a sporting event in the last 5 years. He’s completely clueless. Seems like a nice guy and I’m sure the over the top “Nerd” thing is mostly a bit but he just knows so little about sports. He will never once say anything that you need to hear sports wise. Good luck to him though. Seems like a really good guy.

[HT02]

3 hours ago, Big Turk said:

 

You mean like Dope and the LapDog?

 

Agreed completely unlistenable

[Matt_In_NH]

3 hours ago, Big Turk said:

 

You mean like Dope and the LapDog?

I call them Scoop and Poodle

[nosejob]

3 hours ago, Big Turk said:

 

You mean like Dope and the LapDog?

Now they're not as bad as when they defended the previous regimes and belittled post game callers.....especially during the Whaley /Brandon era. I think they've matured as well as Chris Brown who used to polish his shoes before toeing the company line. They've come a long way over the last few years.

[billsfanmiamioh]

49 minutes ago, BTB said:

I have never heard Sal do PbP of any sport and would be shocked if he replaced Murph(whenever he hangs it up), but how hard can it be to replace…

 

Touchdown Buffalo, Diggs, Touchdown, what a play, Touchdown!

 

Rinse and repeat for every scoring play. 

Forgot to add “must also hit puberty mid call” 

[RussellDopeland]

One morning about 5 years ago, I got out of my car to clear some snow off the windshield. When I got back in, I tried to turn up the volume on the radio, but accidently changed the band, and Wgr on the AM dial came on. Howard and Jeremy White were on- I listened for a few minutes.

[thenorthremembers]

59 minutes ago, BTB said:

I have never heard Sal do PbP of any sport and would be shocked if he replaced Murph(whenever he hangs it up), but how hard can it be to replace…

 

Touchdown Buffalo, Diggs, Touchdown, what a play, Touchdown!

 

Rinse and repeat for every scoring play. 

He does High School locally and a few UB games.   I say I think he is next in line as he appears to have taken over for Murph during the lead up to pre-season games with Eric Wood.    I don't mind Murph's playcalling, just as good as the mindless talking heads that the television networks roll out.

[Straight Hucklebuck]

2 hours ago, May Day 10 said:

I have always liked Howard Simon.  It does seem like he has been going through the motions for several years and/or the management has told him to play a 'boob' as his role.  I think you can certainly tell that he has been tiring of the daily grind.

 

Everyone there is stale for the most part.  Bulldog is the worst of it.  I cant believe that guy earns a paycheck for the "work" he does.  He provides nothing of value and he isnt a good broadcaster either. He just walks up to his attic, puts on a headset, flips a switch, and steals money from Audacy. 

 I actually didnt mind Schopp other than the constant gambling and fantasy talk.  I cant listen to that stuff.  There is a complete sports radio station locally that is like 24 hours of gambling talk (1520).  

Even jeremy White is stale, but unlike the older guys, he still actually appears to like sports and consumes a lot of it and can bring a lot to his show. 

 

I actually do like the younger guys they have around.  They seem to bring an energy that is lacking in the older hosts

 

In all cases though, gambling talk needs to be somewhat minimalized.  It is just really bad radio IMO if it is overkill and every subject is tied with odds, futures, money lines, etc.  (And I even dabble in sports gambling).  I really dont care of Derrick Henry is "+350" to win the MVP or whatever.  Its getting to the point where I am going to get turned off to sports gambling as a whole.

 

May Day - This is an excellent post. 

 

I agree with you on the gambling talk, and thank you for pointing out Bulldog's lack of effort. 

 

It was brought up in this message board that Audacy bought BetQL, and now we can see the constant commercial that Schopp and Bulldog has become.  

 

But it has gotten bad in the afternoon between gambling and constant conversation about Fantasy Football. 

 

I've always defended Schopp more so than Bulldog, because at least Schopp brings up the topics. He has a broader sense of opinions on the state of a league, trends in the league, what the data is telling you. Schopp does all the thinking for that show. Like I said, Bulldog is like Howard Simon, a guy who hasn't cared about being a professional for years, and for Bulldog, COVID was the excuse he needed to completely shut it down and hide behind that excuse to not come into the office. 

 

In a larger sense, it's my problem with American sports media now. I use to like Colin Cowherd. He talked about different cities in the United States, had opinions of jobs/careers, and of course, spoke on the bigger trends in sports. But now? It's an Aaron Rodgers or Russell Westbrook daily bash, a daily reminder of how  Southern California takes big swings and doesn't accept mediocrity, or a generic summary of Bill Belichick, Andy Reid, Tom Brady. 

 

Dan Patrick is another guy that won't get out of the seat. Same show, same guests, same mannerisms everyday - yeah Paulie.....about 1,000 times per show. 

 

On the networks, it's still Skip Bayless screaming about LeBron James every chance he gets, and Stephen A Smith just mad about everything. 

 

Stuck with guys who have been in the same seat for 20+ years now. 

 

Getting back to WGR, I use to be engaged with the content and call in. But too many times the hosts give the guy who doesn't answer when they patch him in, they have to remind him that he's "on the air" as dead silence time racks up, and then he spits out a take summarizing something that nobody on the show said, or he just says something like "the Bills suck" and that guy gets 5 minutes to talk. 

 

Callers who are organized, and precise, they get run off the air, or don't get on as Schopp talks about the right way to pronounce Lando Calrissian.

 

Edited August 22, 2022 by Straight Hucklebuck

[PromoTheRobot]

13 minutes ago, Straight Hucklebuck said:

May Day - This is an excellent post. 

 

I agree with you on the gambling talk, and thank you for pointing out Bulldog's lack of effort. 

 

It was brought up in this message board that Audacy bought BetQL, and now we can see the constant commercial that Schopp and Bulldog has become.  

 

But it has gotten bad in the afternoon between gambling and constant conversation about Fantasy Football. 

 

I've always defended Schopp more so than Bulldog, because at least Schopp brings up the topics. He has a broader sense of opinions on the state of a league, trends in the league, what the data is telling you. Schopp does all the thinking for that show. Like I said, Bulldog is like Howard Simon, a guy who hasn't cared about being a professional for years, and for Bulldog, COVID was the excuse he needed to completely shut it down and hide behind that excuse to not come into the office. 

 

In a larger sense, it's my problem with American sports media now. I use to like Colin Cowherd. He talked about different cities in the United States, had opinions of jobs/careers, and of course, spoke on the bigger trends in sports. But now? It's an Aaron Rodgers or Russell Westbrook daily bash, a daily reminder of how  Southern California takes big swings and doesn't accept mediocrity, or a generic summary of Bill Belichick, Andy Reid, Tom Brady. 

 

Dan Patrick is another guy that won't get out of the seat. Same show, same guests, same mannerisms everyday - yeah Paulie.....about 1,000 times per show. 

 

On the networks, it's still Skip Bayless screaming about LeBron James every chance he gets, and Stephen A Smith just mad about everything. 

 

Stuck with guys who have been in the same seat for 20+ years now. 

 

Getting back to WGR, I use to be engaged with the content and call in. But too many times the hosts give the guy who doesn't answer when they patch him in, they have to remind him that he's "on the air" as dead silence time racks up, and then he spits out a take summarizing something that nobody on the show said, or he just says something like "the Bills suck" and that guy gets 5 minutes to talk. 

 

Callers who are organized, and precise, they get run off the air, or don't get on as Schopp talks about the right way to pronounce Lando Calrissian.

 

 

WGR is a classic example of a station and staff that has been coasting for years due to lack of real competition. Doing local sports radio well is expensive, and no other Buffalo broadcaster is going to make that investment to take on WGR.

[Buffalosouth]

Howard and Jeremy were the best tandem on WGR. It'll be interesting to see who ends up getting on there with Jeremy full time. 

 

Schoop and Bulldog are brutal. At least during the drought the anger and distain could entertain sometimes. 

[GerstAusGosheim]

3 hours ago, Einstein said:

Anyone remember when "The Coach" (Chuck Dickerson) was on WGR back in the mid-90's?

 

I know he wasn't everyone's cup of tea but I really enjoyed his football talk. He had a lot of bravado but also a lot of actual football knowledge to back it up. Unlike the 20-somethings that only know the drought.

 

Recently, I heard some of the WGR guys quoting Bills Podcasts - Locked on Bills, Shout, Cover 1 - it's like guys, seriously, don't you have anything original or insightful to say yourselves?