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March 29, 2004

Hearing The Herd

Today was the debut of The Herd with Colin Cowherd on ESPN Radio. Cowherd takes over Tony Kornheiser in the same time slot. I told myself that I would give Colin a shot, just like Mr. Tony asked, and here are my thoughts after one show.

  • The show seems over produced. Way too much background music in segments that go on and on. I had to turn down the volume on my headphones at work so I could work, think, and listen at the same time. Turn it down a few notches.

  • The football-every-day focus is a welcome change over a baseball-focused format. Kornheiser actually made me care about what was happening in the MLB, but I could otherwise care less. As long as Cowherd mixes up the guests I won't get bored.

  • The repeated segments are going to wear on me a bit. I realize that most people don't listen to radio more than 20 minutes at a time, but I had a standing 3-hour appointment with Mr. Tony every day. I guess my productivity will go up or something.

  • There seems to be too much Colin and not enough of anyone else. He seemed to include other folks in the program later in the show, but at times he sounded like Gnome.

  • The replay of highlight clips from yesterday's games is overdone. I get that on the local sports radio station on the way to work in the morning, and I don't need to get it over and over again. The overall pacing of the show is like a ferret on a double espresso.

  • The Dan Patrick Show still remains one of the few sports radio shows that covers all of sports, not just the most popular ones. At least Dan will cover soccer, autoracing, and other sports that he actually knows something about. I don't get the impression that Cowherd will stray too far from the herd.

    I will tune in and out over the next few days, but it's impossible to replace someone like Tony Kornheiser. I guess I will just be waiting like lots of other folks for the return of the caped one to radio in Washington, D.C. in a few months.

    March 29, 2004 in Media Mayhem | Permalink

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    Comments

    I think you are being a bit off on Colin.

    He is much worse then you say...

    I can't quite imagine having a radio show where you replay the same segment 3 times. I think he would be fine for a late night or overnight show, but not prime-time during the day.

    While watching dream job sunday night, i kept saying to myself "Ha, can't wait to hear what Tony says about this." or "Now Tony is really gonna kick himself for voting off Zach."

    To think i am never gonna find out why Kenny Mayne was not on Sunday night is killing me. To not hear Tony whine about having to train it up and see the 12-toed woman just makes me feel empty.

    For someone who arranged his class schedule around Tony's show, i sat at my computer this morning just lost with what to do. I listened to a few archives, checked out cowherd for a few, and felt sorry for phil.

    At least I will be in DC this summer working, hoping to hear mr Tony's triumphant return. I would be interested in finding out the terms of his exit with ESPN. it seems like as soon as he is allowed to get back on, he has it lined up...

    May it be as soon as possible. ESPN will finally realize what it had and what it lost. Whelp, they deserve it.

    Posted by: j jones at Mar 29, 2004 9:03:56 PM

    Several good points, Steve. The football every day focus won't work for everyone, but should keep Cowherd afloat. Still, there's not much to like for us TK loyalists. Like you, I pledged to give The Herd a chance, but hearing him jump around from caller to caller, trying to cover the 49ers, the Redskins and Duke basketball in 30-second bursts just didn't do anything for me.

    Posted by: B Nemo at Mar 30, 2004 9:16:20 AM

    I'm trying to be rational and sensible about this new guy. How long does everyone think is a reasonable amount of time to give this guy a chance before me express our opinions on him? I want to give him a chance because Mr. Tony and Andy Polley said that we should, and I believe they're right on that. How long is reasonable?

    Posted by: Zeph at Mar 30, 2004 12:55:49 PM

    Yesterday was a sad day for me. For the first time in years, I did not listen to sports radio. From what I heard of the new guy, he mainly goes on and on about sports in a Gnome-like fashion, and every "rant" he has about his personal life seems so scripted and unpersonal. It was nice to see ol' Stackmoney on PTI last night.

    I hope TK bought out his old radio contract from the all sports network, so he can come back bigger and better, in syndication, with Polley, Wilbones, and the internet show. Hell I'd take TK in any format on the radio, he had the best show before and I am sure he will have the best show when he returns, which isn't soon enough.

    Posted by: JSchneider at Mar 31, 2004 7:56:05 AM

    I was unimpressed -- what makes this guy different from any number of sports-call jocks?

    Posted by: ed cone at Mar 31, 2004 8:47:31 AM

    For those of you who think I went too easy on Cowherd...you should know that I listened on Monday and that was it. I gave it a chance but there's simply no substitute for the real thing.

    Posted by: Steve MacLaughlin at Mar 31, 2004 12:33:59 PM

    i've been listening this week, too. he's not TK, but he's got his own style. no way he's rome though. i got used to the rants, and i think he just doesn't have as many homeys in the booth to bounce this stuff off of. one thing i didn't like - weird guy doing some kind of bubba voice made him lose it with the giggles. but i can tune it over there at lunch, no big. just hoping TK comes somewhere online or on xm.

    Posted by: rick at Mar 31, 2004 7:04:59 PM

    I wonder what the Orange one would have thought, watching Sportscenter last night and seeing the new god-awful addition of the Highlight Rewind. It sure was unbearable to watch. It's been too long an absence of TK already. I'm starting to forget what colors to wear if out on a bike at night.

    Posted by: JSchneider at Apr 1, 2004 10:43:34 AM

    Do you get the feeling ol' Satchmo must've bought stock in XM Satellite Radio a few months ago?

    Posted by: FRED ROSS at Apr 1, 2004 11:33:01 PM

    You guys are pathetic. I'm sorry that Tony (or TK as you so affectionately call him) is your only compass in life. Now you will have to wander through the rest of your meaningless existence without the direction of the great Tony. Its obvious that it doesn't matter who would have replaced Tony. You wouldn't have liked anyone for the one reason, its not Tony. Losers.

    Posted by: rhino22 at Apr 8, 2004 4:01:11 PM

    Hey Douchebag Rhino,

    I'm suprised that in your oh so exciting and important life, you wandered upon this site, and felt it was necessary to point out that we have meaningless existences. I imagine you are one of the people who used to email into TK and talk about how his show was no good, he was a no talent, and that he should talk more about sports.

    Some of us work jobs and had become accustomed to listening to TK everyday, and we miss him. It's a lot like you are going to feel when Friends goes off the air I imagine, only TK's radio show was smart, funny, and entertaining.

    Posted by: JSchneider at Apr 13, 2004 12:42:25 PM

    I think it's good not to compare any new guy to Kornheiser. No one but Mr. Tony can do Mr. Tony's show. The new guy should do his own kind of show, but you expect he would display his own talents while doing it. After all, this is ESPN - a national radio network - and they should have their pick of anyone in the country, right?

    So given that, it's only fair to evaluate Mr. Cowherd's talents for what seem to be. So with that in mind, here goes ...

    Well that's about it. Good night everybody!

    I can't believe ESPN picked a guy who's basically rice cakes. There's no flavor, no nothing. He's interchangeable with any number of mid-level local guys who come and go with the tides. And when you do notice him, he's more annoying than anything. I didn't know they repeat segments (in Pgh we only get the first hour), but it sounds like having second and third helpings of lima beans.

    I gave what little we can hear a couple of days, and "turned the dial to the right". It's stayed there ever since.

    Posted by: Mark M at Apr 13, 2004 8:51:03 PM

    Yup. CC is typical sports radio. Some people might like that. I loved Satchmo's show because it WASN'T that.

    Thanks ESPN, but I'm not interested.

    Posted by: Marc at Apr 16, 2004 12:09:38 PM

    Having just arrived in FLA from NJ, I new I'd never be able to replace Mike & the Mad Dog on WFAN but I can't even listen to this guy. Mike & Mike in the morning are ok, Dan Patricks' pretty good, but this Cowherd guy has got to go. He's smug, thinks everyone cares about his philosophy, and it seems in all sports he doesn't have an understanding of the games, play by play, strategy, coaching. He just interviews various writers from around the country to talk about things everyone knows already.

    Posted by: Gene at Apr 21, 2004 10:19:24 AM

    Loved TK, miss TK, waiting for TK's return. God, I can't wait 'til golf season is over! Having said that, I'm not going to knock CC too hard. I like his football fix, I like when he takes a position and tries to defend it. But I HATE the replays!! Memo to producer: develope a whole show, if people miss something, tough!

    Posted by: jdub at Apr 23, 2004 9:01:20 AM

    My main problem with the Herd is the guests. I don't have a problem with bringing in his old contacts from the west coast, but these guys probably wouldn't even bring in west coast listeners. Dennis Erickson? Who cares. Marty Schottenheimer? Boring. Kevin Gilbride? Not even UW fans care what he has to say. Agree that there is too much replay as well.

    Posted by: jay at Apr 23, 2004 10:00:21 AM

    RyeDog? The Compass? Is this a bad dream?

    Clearchannel?

    I loved radio. And I will again.

    Long live rock. And caped crusaders.

    Posted by: dseaford at Apr 24, 2004 11:07:42 PM

    The Herd is good old fashioned Sports Talk Radio. Interesting and occasionally insightful. It's a welcome change from Kornholer. Though funny at times, he grated my nerves and was "change dial bad." Here's my impression of a typical Kornheiser Opening:

    "Baseball: It Stinks.

    Football: They're all yeeeeediots.

    Basketball: I hate it.

    Hockey: Who Cares.

    That's all I have for sports today. But I'm watching The View and I see Meredith Viera wearing a turtleneck sweater. Hey Meredith, you're a yeeeediot. With a rack like yours, you should be wearing a tube top."

    Posted by: al pepper at Apr 29, 2004 11:37:18 AM

    I listened to THE HERD in Portland on Colin's old radio station, KFXX. He is very good, give him time, he will grow on you. If you think Dan Patrick is good, you are a total loser!! He is a piece of CRAP!!!

    Posted by: steve at May 7, 2004 2:40:11 AM

    http://www.PetitionOnline.com/firecc/petition.html
    A petition asking ESPN to fire Colin Cowherd.

    Posted by: Brian at Jun 17, 2004 11:52:50 AM

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