We haven't written much about Le Batard's show since it launched in September 2004 because he writes for this newspaper and because 790 The Ticket has a marketing partnership with The Miami Herald. But what Le Batard, co-host Jon Weiner (Stugotz) and producer Marc Hochman have achieved -- consistently generating the market's highest sports-talk ratings -- warrants analysis, because it has shattered perceptions of what a sports-talk show must do to be successful here.

``They're oddballs and whack jobs, and I love they're not talking simply about X's and O's,'' said popular host Paul Castronovo of WBGG-105.9 FM.

Le Batard said he tried the traditional approach initially. But ``I was just bored by the first week of the show, talking about the NFL Draft 700 months before the NFL Draft, and knew I couldn't last long doing it that way.''

So instead of hearing much offseason talk about the Dolphins (beyond really big stories) or even much analysis of our other teams' games, we get movie reviews from the Marlins president; a weekly segment with the MetroZoo spokesman; musings about life; comedic listener polls; offbeat news stories; interviews with celebrities and athletes; discussions of race-related issues; plus varying amounts of sports talk -- but mostly topics that interest Le Batard, such as Jeff Ireland/Dez Bryant or which NBA star is best in the clutch.

A week could pass without a single Dolphins personnel issue being raised, and yet listeners in a Dolphins-crazed market keep tuning in.

``Surprised, flattered, humbled, overwhelmed,'' Le Batard said of the ratings success. ``And worried about America's future because today's kids clearly have crappy judgment and taste.''

The Le Batard formula probably wouldn't work for a lot of sports hosts. It usually works for his show because of Le Batard's quick mind and interview skills; his chemistry with Weiner (they couldn't see sports more differently); Weiner's keen comedic timing (he answers quickly and authoritatively about everything, even when his opinions are absurdly reactionary); and Hochman's creative mind. It works for four other reasons, too:

• Diversity of guests. In four hours, Le Batard can go from Dan Rather to Chris Mortensen to Will Ferrell to Jason Taylor. The unpredictability -- the sense you never know what will be said next -- is one of the show's greatest strengths.

• Humor. It's clear some men in their 20s, 30s and 40s -- the target audience of sports-talk radio -- love the forum to be comedians on the radio. Le Batard gives them the chance, whether it's naming a hypothetical Dolphins boat (we like ``Sail Forward Fast''), having them sing lyrics for a Cam Cameron parody, or inviting them to call in as ``fakes'' and impersonate sports figures and celebs.

• The program plays to young males' interest in mixed martial arts and pro wrestling.

• The hosts don't take themselves too seriously. They can spend segments lampooning their mistakes and awkward moments during interviews.

Does everything work? Of course not. Le Batard and Weiner sometimes stick with topics too long, such as Wednesday's exasperating debate about whether ESPN's Erin Andrews or astronaut Buzz Aldrin has more name recognition. At times, they spend too much time fretting about whether they handled an interview correctly.

A bit more time should be spent discussing sports, especially during football season. There's too much uproarious laughter from Weiner. And on some days, there aren't enough listener calls.

But most of what they try has worked, and the public has embraced it. Among the key group of men 25 to 54, their show drew ratings more than 3 ½ times higher than WQAM's Curtis Stevenson and Anita Marks in February and March. Ratings for WQAM's Sid Rosenberg aren't known since he moved to 3-7 p.m. opposite Le Batard. On his show's success, Le Batard said, ``It's because I work with smart friends I love -- and also Stugotz -- and we like to laugh.''