The_Real Posted August 18, 2005 Share Posted August 18, 2005 I believe that on this board there are many intelligent fans of sports. I believe there are even more intelligent human beings. I am so tired of the horse sh!@ that WGR makes it's fans go through. Today, some older gentlemen from ohio calls in to tell Mike Schopp that there couldn't be a balk in little league baseball because players aren't allowed to lead off. I played little league and know that to be true. As you get older yes, but 10/11 year old kids can't steal bases. Schopp disagrees and basically hangs up on the guy. He was an older guy just calling to talk sports and the arrogant d!C#@ead Schopp treats him like a piece of garbage. I think that's just wrong. I think it was the biggest hunk of crap I've ever heard on the radio. I seriously wanted to slap him. Couple this with the rumors they create with Bills players and their bad working relationship with the Bills and there you have a recipe for the worst sports talk radio show in the world. Yet, if you are a sports fan in Buffalo what are your alternatives to listen to Sports talk. WNSA was my favorite by far. They were informative and they took the time to reflect on the fans opinions. These clowns are just rude inconsiderate pricks. So, what would I have to do to start a 5 hour show in buffalo on an existing radio station or create my own station? How expensive would it be and who's with me? I'm dead serious. Being a part of the media isn't what I want and I don't want to be on the air, I just want serious sports talk for the serious fans with out the garbage that WGR puts us through. What do you guys think? t-r I think this is going to be my project away from the bong. I'm 100% serious and willing to spend some money to do it, so seriously I would love any information you might have. Thanks for your time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LabattBlue Posted August 18, 2005 Share Posted August 18, 2005 Today, some older gentlemen from ohio calls in to tell Mike Schopp that there couldn't be a balk in little league baseball because players aren't allowed to lead off. I played little league and know that to be true. As you get older yes, but 10/11 year old kids can't steal bases. Schopp disagrees and basically hangs up on the guy. He was an older guy just calling to talk sports and the arrogant d!C#@ead Schopp treats him like a piece of garbage. I think that's just wrong. I think it was the biggest hunk of crap I've ever heard on the radio. 410457[/snapback] As long as I'm on a roll ranting about WGR, I'll keep right on going. I heard the call today that you described above and was shaking my head when Mike "Mr. Mensa" Shoop hung up on the guy. I'm telling you that it kills Schoop to have to talk about anything other than baseball. Where's the fu smiley. I could use it right about now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Real Posted August 18, 2005 Author Share Posted August 18, 2005 As long as I'm on a roll ranting about WGR, I'll keep right on going. I heard the call today that you described above and was shaking my head when Mike "Mr. Mensa" Shoop hung up on the guy. I'm telling you that it kills Schoop to have to talk about anything other than baseball. Where's the fu smiley. I could use it right about now. 410469[/snapback] I think he's classless. We are the people that give him a job. If we stopped listening to him maybe they'd can him. Can we start a petition? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Talonz Posted August 18, 2005 Share Posted August 18, 2005 I think he's classless. We are the people that give him a job. If we stopped listening to him maybe they'd can him. Can we start a petition? 410473[/snapback] Mary Jane is calling RELAX Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Real Posted August 18, 2005 Author Share Posted August 18, 2005 Mary Jane is calling RELAX 410476[/snapback] Talonz, I'm telling you it's not my lack of chronic that made me post this. It's months of bad attitudes and inconsiderate crap. These guys are a joke. Seriously Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fezmid Posted August 18, 2005 Share Posted August 18, 2005 Mary Jane is calling RELAX 410476[/snapback] Don't tempt him - we should be supporting him kicking the habits! Congrats from me, Real. To answer the original question -- starting your own radio station is all but out of the question unless you have MAJOR cash laying around. Even then, chances are low; most stations are owned by "big business" now. However, you might be able to call some smaller stations and offer to do some sort of sports talk show. College stations would be another option, although I'm not sure if you have to be a student to do that... You could also do "internet radio." There's several examples of that on the 'net. Basically you get a microphone and you stream your show, and people can either call you or use some sort of voice chat software. I don't know the technical details, but it IS possible. CW Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zonabb Posted August 18, 2005 Share Posted August 18, 2005 The trouble with the guy is this... his diminutive stature has left him with a Napolean complex which manifests itself in an overblown vocabulary and know-it-all persona. But the problem is, he's in sports. He talks about sports for a living. He picked a field (talk radio and sports) that most people ignore. And those that call, let's be honest, aren't that slick for the most part. So he builds himself up as better than his "clients." Some poeple are wowed by it and some are annoyed. I for one get enough phony langauge duyring my work hours, the last thing I want is to listen to some blowhard stammer his way through multi-syllabic words from his thesaurus to describe football. Listen to him, he speaks in a short 4 or 5 word bursts, breaking up sentences. I have more college education in my pinky than this guy and I find him utterly pretentious and useless, which is why I stopped listening. Like Allen Iverson said about skipping pratice "Man, we're talking about practice. Practice." Man, this guy is talking about sports, sports. Not the economy, not world theology, not aeronautics. SPORTS! I guess I'm getting older but it bothers me on principal alone when a guy in a small market with one sports station (i.e., no competition) rails against professional football players for not being the best? Or for not being this or that or doing this or that wrong. What makes it worse is, where's this guys expertise based? What has he done athletically? So what does that make you? You're in Buffalo, NY. Not LA, NYC, Boston, Dallas, DC, Miami. If you hold others to a high standard, aren't we to do the same? Sports is becoming more and more a joke as the days pass. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PromoTheRobot Posted August 18, 2005 Share Posted August 18, 2005 Well it's all about the $$$, but it would not be impossible. There are actually a number of ways you could do it. Probably the easiest is to buy a block of time on a radio station. It just so happens that 1270 WHLD is a "brokered" radio station, meaning they sell blocks of time. But you might also be able to swing a deal with any one of a number of Buffalo area AM's like WXRL 1300, WBBF 1120, CJRN 710, WJJL 1440, or WLVL 1340. Depending on the time you get and the greed of the owner, expect to pay in the hundreds per hour. Most of these stations have decent daytime signals in Buffalo. Nighttime is hit-or-miss. Of course it would help immensely if the radio station you broker time from has a suitable studio with a usable bank of phone lines so people can call in. Don't expect to sell any advertising right away. No business will take a chance on a new radio show, especially if you are on one of the above-mentioned radio stations that usually have little or no audience. You will have to make some noise and get some positive press about how a bunch of fans decided to take on giant corporate WGR. If you are going to do this, you have to make it worth listening to. That means knowledgable guests and hosts. You won't be taken seriously if it sounds like amatuer hour. In Boston, WEEI, which is the top-rated all-sports station in the USA, owned by the same company as WGR oddly enough, has a regular rotation of sports reporters and columnists from local papers along with their normal hosts. These guys don't work for free, so you will have to make deals with them. You will have to get people to tune in. There are cheap forms of advertising like posting on The Stadium Wall, but you will also have to spend some cash on the usual stuff like print, TV, and bus cards. Billboards are awfully expensive. Since WGR chooses not to share it's marvelous programming with out-of-town Buffalo fans, you could stream you show on the internet. You would probably get a huge audience online. WNSA probably had more out-of-town listeners online than on the air in Buffalo. The same with the Simoncast on WLVL. Once you build some buzz and good press (maybe Alan Pergament would do a feature on you) then you could go out and get some advertising to help pay the bills. After the first year, you will be lucky to pay the bills and break even. You wanted to know how to do and this is pretty much the only way...unless you're REALLY rich and can buy a local AM station and take on WGR directly 24/7. PTR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori Posted August 18, 2005 Share Posted August 18, 2005 The Cliff-Notes version of Promo's post: Sounds suspiciously like what Howard and Jim tried to do last summer.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
macdaddy Posted August 18, 2005 Share Posted August 18, 2005 I would have hung up on the gentleman also... There are balks in little league baseball at the 11 year old level and you can steal at the 10 year old level. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Real Posted August 18, 2005 Author Share Posted August 18, 2005 I would have hung up on the gentleman also...There are balks in little league baseball at the 11 year old level and you can steal at the 10 year old level. 410557[/snapback] I played in a Lou Gehrig league in East Amherst when I was 8-12 and there wasn't any stealing bases or leading off. There may very well be another league out there that does allow it, but I am certain there are some that don't. The point is either way as a radio host your job is to encourage people to call in and feel like part of the 'team'. Not be an arrogant ass and treat people like there opinions are worthless. If that were the case they shouldn't have phone lines to call in. t-r Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PromoTheRobot Posted August 18, 2005 Share Posted August 18, 2005 The Cliff-Notes version of Promo's post: Sounds suspiciously like what Howard and Jim tried to do last summer.... 410542[/snapback] You are correct. But I just wanted to be sure the behind-the-scenes stuff was brought up. Broadcasting only seems easy. It's been my career for going on 30 years now. I'm all too aware how tough it can be. PTR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jarthur31 Posted August 18, 2005 Share Posted August 18, 2005 The reason they're on the air is because most people (God knows for what reasons) listen to this station only as opposed to Empire or WSNA and that is why they're still on the air. Sad, isn't it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plenzmd1 Posted August 18, 2005 Share Posted August 18, 2005 There is a show in DC that got big called the the Sports Junkies. I ahave never heard it, but I think they started on an FM station just looking for some altenative programming. You may want to investigate how they started and maybe some the guys from the DC area have more info on this. Other alternative is call in to the shows non-stop. People have gotten on air gigs this way, if they are good on their calls. I think the most famous of these guys is JT the Brick. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reuben Gant Posted August 18, 2005 Share Posted August 18, 2005 I'm sorry that the ganja is a gateway drug to......sports radio. Good luck with both. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
30dive Posted August 18, 2005 Share Posted August 18, 2005 The reason these/this assclown remains on the air is because he creates buzz. This thread is evidence enough for his bosses to keep him on the air. Good press or bad press is still press, press equals numbers and numbers equal money! It still does amaze me that a sports town like Buffalo is so limited when it comes to sports programing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plenzmd1 Posted August 18, 2005 Share Posted August 18, 2005 The reason these/this assclown remains on the air is because he creates buzz. This thread is evidence enough for his bosses to keep him on the air. Good press or bad press is still press, press equals numbers and numbers equal money! It still does amaze me that a sports town like Buffalo is so limited when it comes to sports programing. 410782[/snapback] isn't it amazing that in Richmond, with no pro sports, and the closest major college programs an hour and three hours away, we have two stations doing sports. But advertisers pay up for sports programming as the demographic is so highly prized Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Puhonix Posted August 18, 2005 Share Posted August 18, 2005 The point is either way as a radio host your job is to encourage people to call in and feel like part of the 'team'. Not be an arrogant ass and treat people like there opinions are worthless. If that were the case they shouldn't have phone lines to call in. t-r 410591[/snapback] Being an ass on the radio works too. "Can you believe the nerve of this guy? You have to listen to his jerk, what the hell is he going to do next." Isnt that what worked for Howard Stern? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VABills Posted August 18, 2005 Share Posted August 18, 2005 I played in a Lou Gehrig league in East Amherst when I was 8-12 and there wasn't any stealing bases or leading off. There may very well be another league out there that does allow it, but I am certain there are some that don't. The point is either way as a radio host your job is to encourage people to call in and feel like part of the 'team'. Not be an arrogant ass and treat people like there opinions are worthless. If that were the case they shouldn't have phone lines to call in. t-r 410591[/snapback] Yes you can steal in little league and yes you can get a balk called. In LL, you just have to wait until the ball passes over home plate. Most/all LL's in the country follow the same rules. This is why most coaches put a decent catcher in there because you could steal left and right on him. I actually umped for a year and pretty much the only way to get a balk in LL is if the picture goes through the wind up and then throws to a bag with the runner on trying to get him leaning and he falls off. The runner would be safe and given a base with the balk call. Again very rare in LL but yes it can happen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
respk Posted August 18, 2005 Share Posted August 18, 2005 According to the official LL rules (or at least the site I found them on's version of the official LL rules) Stealing is not allowed in TBall, Minors and Majors. A balk cannot be called in these age groups either. Stealing is allowed in Juniors, Seniors and Big League. A balk can be called in these age groups. If the LL rules are strictly enforced a 9-12 year old should never play in a league where stealing is allowed. The confusing thing is that the leagues overlap age groups. Age 5-8 is Tball. Age 7-12 is Minors. Age 9-12 is Majors. Age 13-14 is Juniors Age 14-16 is Seniors Age 16-18 is Big League. Add on top of this whatever your local little league wants to change. You know, the coaches kid who just has to skip tee ball altogether and move up Juniors because he is so good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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