This blog post is meant to touch on the subject of sports talk radio as we did in class and how it is an influential source of information. Sports, in general, have become a huge part of our society today and are only continuing to grow. Although sports talk radio is not the only or even the most popular source of sports media, it still plays a big role in the sports world. I sort of view sports talk radio as politics because there are many different radio hosts out there and it seems as though a particular person who follows sports tends to favor one radio host much more than all the others. Sports talk radio hosts take the latest news and they implant their opinions into the matter. Nothing that the radio hosts say have any influence on what news they are talking about; however, they all tend to have a certain way of connecting to specific audiences who feel the same way as the host does. Much like political parties, people tend to agree on the views and beliefs of one particular radio host than any other. An example we talked about in class of this was the "clones", who are extreme followers of Jim Rome. These people are heavily influenced by the views and stances that Jim takes on any particular subject matter and as a result adopt those same views and beliefs as their own. To further my point, in class this past Monday, Dr. Spencer asked the class if they had a specific sports talk radio host they preferred most and pretty much every student had one. Not only did we as students talk about what we liked about our favorite radio host, but we also expressed our dislike for competing radio hosts.
So while Sportscenter and sports news on television or sports news in the newspaper or on the internet is most likely a more popular media form to obtain the current news in sports, sports talk radio appeals to the sports fans who like to go more in-depth on the matter. Sports talk radio appeals to those who have a strong passion for sports and have certain views and beliefs that they want discussed. I almost view sports talk radio as a form of psychology or like we said in class therapy, where people turn to their personal radio host they connect to best in order to deal with a certain event that is going on in the sports world. Ultimately, sports talk radio brings personality and a connection with the fans to the world of sports.
Blog post by Nathan Wahle
Nathan you make some great points in this blog especially when talking about the way sports talk radio provides in-depth analysis and some sort of therapy for fans. The reason so many sports talk radio shows succeed are because most are regional shows that focus on area teams. These shows provide that in-depth analysis about the area teams that fans are looking for and wanting to hear about. Let’s face it, there aren’t many fans in Ohio that would care to listen to detailed news about the Arizona Cardinals; however, there are fans that like to listen to detailed news and debatable topics regarding the Cleveland Browns. This connection to local fans provides continuing success for some sports talk radio shows.
ReplyDeleteBy: David Arnold
ReplyDeleteThe one thing I am amazed by with sports talk radio is the fact that there are personalities that have become as big as the sports they cover.
Jim Rome makes $15 million a year and is estimated to be worth $65 million! (I found that on http://www.celebritynetworth.com/richest-celebrities/jim-rome-net-worth/)
I think it's amazing that we place so much emphasis on people that are telling us about sports. People like Rome, Cowherd, Scott Van Pelt, Mike and Mike. They are all huge names with huge personalities who have become part of the American mainstream just by their sports talk success. I wish I could be paid that much to give my opinion!
Comment by: Brady Munger
ReplyDeleteSports radio to me is a very interesting topic. I have different feelings for different reporters, as they all have different styles. Lots of times I believe that the sports reporters in today's society go to far, and stir up to many problems. Our sport industry is hugely powered by the giant rumor mill that comes along with each sport. Whether it is trade rumors, scandals, legal issues, or why a certain star isn't playing well these are the things sport junkies will hang on to and pay attention too. That is where these reporters come in, they speak about these rumors and issues, spread rumors, and spew out whatever they think is the real "issue". This is the issue that I have, these talk show sport reporters give out news and information that is extremely biased and sometimes not even factual. Reporters such as Jim Rome, and Calvin Cowherd will say whatever will get a stir out of their listeners and is good for the show. To me, this is not good for sport reporting. It brings negative light to certain things in sports, and makes issues out of things that should not be issues. In saying this, I do not believe all sport reporters are like this. Certain ones are allot better than others such as Mike and Mike, they tend to stick strongly to facts, and are not as ludicrous during their shows. Overall I do believe sport talk radio personalities have become a huge part of the mainstream sport industry, but I do not believe this is necessarily a good thing in certain circumstances.
Comment by Mark Chipperfield
ReplyDeleteI also found the in class discussion about sports talk radio to be very interesting. The part of the discussion that I found to be interesting as well was the part when the majority of students in class talked about their own favorite talk show host. I personally didn’t think that many people in my peer group listened to sports talk radio. I had always thought that an older demographic were the major listeners to sports talk radio. Obviously as this is a sport management class the number of people in this class who listen to sport talk radio would probably be more than other classes on campus. But the number who listened to sports talk radio was still higher than I expected.
Comment by Nathan Wahle:
ReplyDeleteTo add to my post and what everyone else is saying, it is pretty clear that sports talk radio has increased in popularity despite the fact that I feel as though the radio itself is a form of media that has died down. I think the reason for sports talk radio increasing in popularity is due to more fan recognition. With television now covering sports talk radio shows it is allowing people to put a face to the people behind the microphone. Not only that but people who appear on sport talk radio shows are starting to have more exposure on other sporting programs such as Sportscenter which raises their credibility. Finally, satellite radio has also boosted all talk radio due to the fact that now people can literally find their favorite sport talk radio hosts to listen at any time they want to. All of these factors have led to an increase in popularity in sports talk radio even among the youth.
I actually thought there would be more people who listened to sports talk radio, especially when they are driving. I forgot about satellite radio (maybe because I don't have it:-) Good discussion.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteIt’s actually a great and also handy section of details. I am just fulfilled that you simply contributed this helpful info along with us.. Be sure to keep us knowledgeable similar to this. Thank you for expressing.
ReplyDeletecash for cars brisbane
top cash for cars brisbane
Canberra Cash 4 Cars was started to fulfill the gap in the market for cash for scrap car services. End-of-life vehicles were piling up in the area with only a few places for them to be sold.
ReplyDeletePeople had to pay high towing prices to take their cars to junkyards and they were paid below-average amounts for them. So to resolve this issue CanberraCash4Cars came into existent, with one simple aim to help people sell their cars fast.
Car Removal Canberra
Hello There. I found your blog using msn. This is an extremely well written article. I will be sure to bookmark it and return to read more of your useful information. Thanks for the post. I’ll certainly comeback. karen radio host fired
ReplyDeleteI enjoy your posts very much and find it extremely innovative. concrete bricks waste removal
ReplyDelete