It's Christmas time. So the area Sports Talk shows much be changing lineups and firing quality talent. It's what they do this time of year. The firing blitz of talk radio in Cincinnati is like a Chuck Bresnahan blitz. They do it a lot, but it's not really that effective. Clear Channel keeps axing talent because of cuts to reduce cost. A typical business move. Even the well-known John Phillips wasn't spared. So Friday morning, while Alan Cutler was on commercial, I went to find the Angry Guys on SuperTalk FM 96.5. I wasn't sure if this was a four-hour long Stomp concert or if I was really hearing saws, hammers and other fix'em up tools pounding in the studio.
Instead, 96.5 is changing their format again from SuperTalk to, well, whatever. John Kiesewetter says they could be going to a "Jock and Rock" format. There's no clue whether the Two Angry Guys -- my opinion, a tremendous show -- will return, though they have the impression they'll return January 2nd. Andy Fuhrman? No, he's gone.
But Gregg Doyel won't be back with Mo. You get comfortable in your ways and then they go changing things around again. It's a wonder the minds that make decisions fail to understand that sometimes, it takes time for people to adjust their daily lineup. When the Two Angry Guys originally left, I moved onto Mike and Mike In The Morning on ESPN Radio and left The Homer completely. Then I heard Alan Cutler took over the mornings and now I'm doing my best to maintain three morning shows during my long commute to Dayton.
The one comfort is that no matter what happens -- through World War III, IV and V -- Lance McAlister will be on at the same time frame he's been for the past several years. Even Armageddon won't stop Lance's barrage of stats and man-love for Marvin Lewis (I kid, I kid).