Best and worst of LA sports radioCourtesy
Los Angeles Daily Breeze
(January 15, 2010) The 18th annual Best and Worst of Los Angeles Sports Talk Hosts:
THE TOP 10: Finally nudged back from their midday slot a year ago to the more high-profile clean-up spot of 3-to-7 p.m. - unless its NBA game day - the defending champs have expectedly adjusted to the new challenge that includes a higher profile of prevalent coverage for the Lakers and USC, whose games are heard on the station. Last year: No. 1 (tie) for Mason and Ireland. 3. (tie) Petros Papadakis and Matt "Money" Smith, 570-AM weekday drive-time: Don't get faked out by the "Fake Hour" - a stop from 3-to-4 p.m. that tries to regain some L.A. beachhead before their nationally syndicated show kicks in. We admit, we'll take what local coverage we can get from these two former chart-toppers, even if it's a somewhat gratuitous attempt that also happens to hack into the abysmal Chris Myers-Steve Hartman thing. Last year: Unranked for Papadakis, No. 5 for Smith. 5. (tie) Ken Levine and STAA client Josh Suchon, 790-AM "Dodger Talk": "Last year was actually too easy," said Suchon. "We joked about wanting a real challenge. Let's see, the Dodgers owners are going through a divorce, the payroll appears frozen, the hated-turned-loved fourth outfielder was traded away, Cliff Lee was traded again without ending up in Los Angeles, and there's a spring without anything interesting - like a final year in Vero Beach, a trip to China, an exhibition at the Coliseum, the opening of a new spring home, or the World Baseball Classic. We plan on earning our money this year." Last year: Tied for No. 3. 7. Andrew Siciliano, 710-AM weekday afternoons: A real pro at this medium, a forceful voice with plenty of national experience, making the conversion to L.A.-interest stuff with the ease of a Syracuse transplant. That's no small feat. Last year: Unranked. 8. (tie) Brian Long and A Martinez, 710-AM weeknights and "Laker Talk": Another year, a new team, and a reason to hang on after the Laker broadcast to see what callers could possibly complain about. Last year: No. 7 for Long, No. 9 for Martinez 10. Beto Duran, 710-AM reporter: Watch ESPNEWS and see how often he pops in to give live updates on an L.A. sports story based on his ability to scurry around town in a hurry. Last year: Unranked. Honorable mention: Mychal Thompson, 710-AM afternoons; Jeff Biggs and Jason Brennan, 830-AM weekday drive time; Andy and Brian Kamenetzky and Dave Miller, 710-AM "Laker Talk," Nick Nickson, 1150-AM "Kings talk;" David Vassegh, 570-AM. THE BOTTOM FIVE: We'll lodge our first complaints here. Maybe it's because he's staggering solo (since budget cuts cost Dave Smith his partnership status). Maybe it's because he's the Nick Lachey of this genre, damaged by lack-of-substance abuse and so immersed in vapid verbosity that it would almost be more practical to cue up some old informercials instead. The other day, he went off on a superficial rant about how the Yankees' Derek Jeter was reportedly engaged to Minka Kelly - and needed help to get an ID on Kelly. The beauty, at least, is the station's lack of full-throttle power thrust at that time in the AM, meaning it can get drowned out by some Spanish-language farm report in counties outside of Orange. Muy bueno, Senior Refugio. Last year: No. 5, bottom 5. 2. The Dave Dameshek podcasts ended last November. Is there a "best-of" we can find anywhere on Google? 3. Yes, we know Lee Klein has a show on 830-AM from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. We're not biting. 4. What's the best way to hide from Harvey Hyde? 5.Lee "Hacksaw" Hamilton, 1090-AM weekday drive time: The Golden Glockenspieler (not his real nickname) is guaranteed to re-emerge on some radio wavelength somewhere after the world blows up in 2012, trying to rile Rancho Penasquitos from the ashes. Last year: Unranked. THE GREAT EIGHT SYNDICATED RADIO HOSTS HEARD IN L.A.: 2.Jim Rome, 570-AM weekday midday mornings 3.Jason Smith, 710-AM weekday late nights 4. Colin Cowherd, 710-AM weekday mornings 5.Tony Bruno, 570-AM weeknights 6. (tie) Mike Greenberg and Mike Golic, 710-AM weekday early mornings 8. Stephen A. Smith, 570-AM weekday early mornings The worst: Steve Hartman and Chris Myers, 570-AM weekday afternoons. THE GREAT EIGHT OF L.A. SPORTS UPDATE REPORTERS: 2. A. Martinez, 710-AM 3. Ted Sobel, 980-AM 4. Vic "The Brick" Jacobs, 570-AM 5. Bret Lewis, 980-AM 6. Randy Kerdoon, 1070-AM 7. Rich Marotta, 640-AM 8. Dave Joseph, 710-AM The worst: Steve Grad, 1070-AM _______________________
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