Mustard and Johnson Dumped; Hazel Mae Picked Up by MLB
Aug 30 2008
Posted by David as Hazel Mae, Mustard and Johnson, Rob Bradford, Shots, WEEI, WEEI.com
By David Scott
Boston Sports Media Watch
WEEI 850 AM’s middlin’ Saturday morning duo of Larry Johnson and Craig Mustard did their last show together at the station this morning. According to several Shots emailers and the ever-reliable BSMW message board, the duo made the announcement during today’s show.
A text message to a station spokesman early Saturday afternoon was not immediately returned. It’s unclear whether either Mustard or Johnson will still appear on the station in any capacity (Johnson is, sadly, a regular fill-in on other ‘EEI shows).
However, Shots is being told to expect a WEEI.com-tied-in show to debut next Saturday in the 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. slot, likely featuring WEEI.com’s editorial overlord, Rob Bradford and likely involving some type of web element to help promote the fledgling site.
The move – no matter who replaces the Musty One and The Tracer – is an immediate win-win for Entercom. They get a new voice (or voices) on Saturday mornings to launch NFL and Pennant Drive seasons AND they will be able to use what amounts to a weekly, four-hour infomercial for the original content being generated by Bradford’s troops at the dot-com.
M&J have been together, it appears, since Johnson first began with the station about a dozen years ago (good backgrounder here from The Enterprise in 2006).
• After the Big Plant in USA Today by her agent a few weeks ago, it now appears a fait accompli that ex-NESN vixen, Hazel Mae is going to Major League Baseball’s TV arm. That’s some pretty good agenting by Sue Lipton of IMG. Mae’s national skills are questionable at best, but she parlayed Red Sox Nation (and equal parts sex) appeal into a high-profile gig with MLB.
David Scott writes from a seaside shanty on the shores of Hull, Mass. and can be reached at shotsATbostonsportsmediaDOTcom.
Scott’s first book, with Memphis Coach John Calipari, is scheduled for release in the Fall of 2009.
33 Responses
Lorenzo Giovanni
August 31st, 2008 at 5:41 am
1Larry Johnson is collateral damage in this one – I enjoy his insight and respect his beliefs but I can’t &*(%in’ stand Mustard and have t believe that slot is better served with anything but his sorry English-teaching @$$ in it. Let’s hope LJ still gets a few Big Show slots here and there. As far as Hazel Mae goes she is the ultimate no-talent @$$ clown – will never forget the “and the bags were drunk, just like you” reset in the what was it…2004 season? Something tells me the Torontonians don’t like her either…
Looky Lou
August 31st, 2008 at 10:59 am
2about time the “powers that be” at WEEI canned Mustard and Johnson, without a doubt the WORST show on WEEI…….now, lets just hope these 2 no-talent clowns are gone FOREVER…….no “filling in” or any of that stuff, I want these 2 BANISHED FROM THE AIRWAVES …….their regular Saturday callers must be crying in their pepto bismol
Kevin
August 31st, 2008 at 1:10 pm
3I’ve always really enjoyed the Mustard and Johnson show. I’m glad I was able to hear the last hour when they announced it was their final show. Their show was the only show I listened to regularly on EEI. I’m disappointed they were cancelled and I can guarantee I will listen to EEI less as a result.
Soog
August 31st, 2008 at 2:28 pm
4Thank God. Without a doubt, the worst show on EEI and that is saying a lot! Unintelligent odd couple shtick and Yankee fan to boot. Horrible show. Now if they would just get rid of Ordway, Dennis and Callahan.
Looky Lou
August 31st, 2008 at 5:14 pm
5Kevin, you can’t possibly be serious……are you one of Craig Mustard’s students?…or related to Larry johnson?……that Mustard and Johnson show was one of the worst shows in the history of radio……lol…I also find it COMICAL that you say, “Mustard and Johnson was the ONLY show you listened to regularly and you’ll now listen alot less to WEEI……the show was only on ONE A WEEK…….lol
Koorbloh
August 31st, 2008 at 8:31 pm
6I seem to be the only one here to lament the passing of Mustard and Johnson. It’s extremely odd that those two should have inspired the less-than-concealed vitriol of the preceding remarks…..just why is everyone so glad that they are gone?
WEEI caters to a peculiar segment of society: sports lovers. In particular, Boston sports-lovers. In this demographic, the Red Sox loom large. Baseball is a subtle, elegant sport that attracts possibly the best writing that exists about sport (the old adage: the smaller the ball, the better the prose….golf does in fact also attract great writing.) So it is odd that relatively genteel, respectful conversation between two interesting hosts, Mustard and Johnson, one of whom has the temerity to be a Yankees fan, should be so reviled. Why should WEEI so often sound like a pastiche of Beavis and Butthead, and its listeners like retarded nine year olds? Why the odd alliance of macho posturing, right wing politics, and the love of sport? A sociologist would have a tough time figuring out the concomitance.
Adolescent male crass vulgarity can be amusing. But it is enhanced in its effects if it from time to time to time yields to something different. Mustard and Johnson were different. Not unlike Dale and Holley. So I am dismayed that they have been sent packing, and dismayed by the glee evoked by that cancellation. But, of course, hardly surprised.
Chris
September 1st, 2008 at 5:44 am
7Discrimination lawsuit from Johnson in 5…..4…..3…..2…..1.
paul
September 1st, 2008 at 9:38 am
8It’s a shame to see Mustard & Johnson leave the airways. It was a show that always respected the callers even though some of them (Joey from the North End) were difficult to listen to. I actually liked Mike fron Canton and I am a Yankee hater of over 40 years. First ENtercom cans Moe Lauzier. Now Mustard and Johnson. I guess ther’s no place in Boston for intelligent sports talk
EMan
September 1st, 2008 at 10:22 am
9I actually feel a little ashamed because of my joy in reading that this abortion will be gone. I’m pretty sure that we’ll never hear from Mustard again(doesn’t play well with others………everyone hates him), but Ordway has enough clout to keep his sycophant on the Big Show from time to time.
I think we’ve heard the last of most of their Yankee callers also. M&J was the only show most of them called. All the other shows ridiculed them and “blew them up” after about 30 seconds.
I’d like to know what the final straw was. This mess should have been off the air years ago.
kampy
September 1st, 2008 at 7:41 pm
10Did someone use “Larry Johnson” and “insight” in the same sentence? The man offers NOTHING. There is a Sports Radio God. I vote for Eric Frede to have a show.
Jerry Kramer
September 1st, 2008 at 10:58 pm
11Sorry weirdo Christians – Larry Johnson’s brand of hypocritical radio was doomed to failure. Larry is unoriginal, boring and fundamentally dishonest. If he weren’t such a fake he might have had a chance. Mustard is in the wrong market – but he wouldn’t be anything more than a cipher in the right market – he also was too boring.
I’ll give it this – it wasn’t the worst show on WEEI – that would be any show where Felger speaks – but when working people have time off, Mustard and Johnson didn’t win any friends for the brand. WEEI isn’t sport talk radio anyway – it’s right wing Rush Limbaugh talk with sports thrown in. No one who’s employed listens to it anyway. Wonder when the advertisers will; wise up.
Rod
September 2nd, 2008 at 5:11 am
12I agree that Larry Johnson brings little to the table as a radio host but I believe that Craig Mustard is one of if not the best host that WEEI currently has. If you listen to enough talk radio you can hear the difference between a yahoo and a good host and Mustard always seemed to be able to diagnose a team/situation and give his opinion even if it was not popular with his beliefs as a fan (a Yankee fan) or those of the masses (Red Sox/Pats fans).
Good luck Craig
Looky Lou
September 2nd, 2008 at 8:29 am
13oh please ,Rod….Mustard hosted a SPORTS TALK RADIO SHOW, yet he used to love telling listeners how many Sporting events he DIDN’T WATCH…..The guy knew NOTHING about sports, ….I have no idea how he got that job in the first place….
Rudy
September 2nd, 2008 at 1:30 pm
14Awesome! Johnson is gone. I would have preferred Shepturd be given his walking papers, but this shows some progress.
Now if only the Herald would tell Buckley to use his Marriott points permanently at a Residence Inn in Yakima, Washington.
Seuss, M.D.
September 2nd, 2008 at 1:34 pm
15“Why the odd alliance of macho posturing, right wing politics, and the love of sport?”
Because it’s Boston, that’s why! You know, the “Athens of America?”
Mr.A.
September 2nd, 2008 at 5:18 pm
16… FINALLY… now if they can just get LJ off the Big Show, too. I finally had my fill of their show some months back and stopped listening completely. It’s more about LJ. Mustard was fine. I also don’t buy the whole Yankees fan thing–it was just an “angle” to create heat, like in pro wrasslin’. Much as people like Frank and Mike were probably plants at this point, too.
SteveFromWaltham
September 2nd, 2008 at 5:35 pm
17Hmm, apparently Craig and LJ don’t have incriminating pictures of Jason Wolfe or Julie Kahn, but Pete Sheppard and Mikey Adams do. The cancellation of this show clearly sends a message that the callers on WEEI don’t matter. The opinions of the callers don’t mean squat. The only thing that matters on WEEI is selling as many ads as possible to make sure they can pay for the overpaid hosts Big O, D & C and the Two Chicks Dishin’ from 10-2.
ercadincadoo
September 3rd, 2008 at 8:49 am
18strange how weei bashes certain people. [eddie andelman for example.] everything andelman said about weei he was right. smerlas runs a charity and gives a whopping 15% to the actual charity.patriot players scalping superbowl tickets.illegal texas holdem’ tournaments again smerlas and steve deossie. money not going to charity. glenn ordway back stabbing johnny most.hmmm…. if andelman is so yesterday “eddie from lynnfield” then why is he constantly being mentioned. andelman is in their heads similar to patriot players when parcells took over the jets. it seems weei is looking for eddie’s seal of approval. andelman did more for sports talk then all of these guys combined. andelman’s charity work is unsurpassed. andelman was right about entercom’s stock plunging . from $ 51.00 to about $6.00. it seems neanderthal buffoons succeed on weei. if you don’t agree with them your an idiot. and finally i wont listen to that station after the manny ramirez incident where he slammed the elderly red sox[ jack mccormack] employee to the ground. according to lou merloni it was okay because manny and other players merloni included have paid him extra $ [tips] over the years so manny’s actions were fine. what merloni basically said was its okay to commit bodily harm [felony] and be a complete jerk if you toss money at someone. lou you sucked as a ballplayer and you suck as a human. as for mustard and johnson they let the callers talk. weei is so afraid of offending pro athletes that you can actually hear the hosts smooching the feet and asses. smerlas , deossie and pete shepherd should rent a room when they talk to bellichick.oh my goodness such hard hitting questions.they are right up there with dale arnold’s tough stances against child abuse and cancer. dale states ” i am going out on a limb here to state i’m against both!”
Father Lipps
September 3rd, 2008 at 11:02 am
19I will certainly miss Craig and Larry. Very entertaining, and next to Mikey Adams, the funniest show on EEI. Jason Wolfe made a huge mistake.
Some of the best comedy on radio was Craig and Larry sparring with Joey, Danny, and their other regular callers. Plus Craig is an unabashed liberal and not afraid to speak his mind–which shows courage on EEI’s right-wing-dominated airwaves. The collective IQ of WEEI just dropped by at least 15 points.
jay
September 3rd, 2008 at 2:21 pm
20Im very sad that the mustard and johnson show has been cancelled i will miss them and also some of the callers because i know we will probably not hear from joey from the northend anylonger i will really miss the the oddcouple style of larry and craig.
joan
September 4th, 2008 at 2:42 pm
21AHHHHHH! I’ll take Mustard and Johnson over Butch Stearns anyday. He’s on the radio now and I’m afraid I’m going to have to turn it off because everytime he speaks I grind my teeth.
Shirley
September 6th, 2008 at 1:20 am
22I love Larry and Craig. They are gentlemen and carry on respectful conversations with listeners. They never shout down or humiliate their callers. I will miss them terribly and certainly hope they are back during day time hours soon. Personally, I loved their Saturday morning review of the week’s topics, because occasionally I missed some of the latest controversy by “working.”
Although I listen to other shows, I frequently get annoyed at the shouting and pompous attitudes of the hosts. Craig and Larry are never pompous or rude.
Mike
September 6th, 2008 at 8:59 am
23Thank God!!!!!! This show was terrible….same shitty callers every week sayin the same thing…u know ur in trouble when losers like the Neanderthal from the North End and Steve from Waltham carry the show….PATHETIC!!!!! SEE YOU IN 09′ YANKEES!!!!!!
jay
September 7th, 2008 at 11:08 am
24Mike, your bieng a little harsh dont you think?? m and j show had its place on weei it was the only show that allowed yankee callers to chime in. i didnt always agree with the delevery of Joey from the northend but he did bring another side to the argument… i get tired of listening to everyone agreeing dont you??
dbnoir
September 8th, 2008 at 6:11 pm
25Larry Johnson is a hell of a man. He has sports knowledge, he has a rare sense of humanity, a sense of decency–and a sense of humor. Mustard was a good sidekick. Their callers were much smarter than the norm.
So of course EEI dumped the show. Better to prop up the sneering neo-Nazis on morning drive and Ordway’s jocular crew — who think THEY’RE the story.
Weekend mornings won’t be the same or nearly as good. EEI just got dumber.
jonesy
September 10th, 2008 at 8:24 pm
26How in god’s name could anyone on this board be so harsh in their criticism of Larry and Craig compared to the multitude of bozos on EEI. D and C are country club bigots who hold all of their callers in disdain – pompous, neo-nazi’s both of them. The Big Show? Anyone ever seen the movie Idiocracy?
My sincere hope is someone with a shred of class and some big bucks starts a real Boston Sports Talk Show which features more dialog like Larry and Craig offered and leave EEI to the dozen or so halfwits living in their mom’s basements.
Jim
September 13th, 2008 at 8:56 am
27If you’re going to ditch M&J, who I enjoyed, at least replace them with talent. Rob Bradford is a horrible radio presence–a total mush-mouth–and his partner sounds like every other Connecticut School of Broadcasting student imitating what he thinks a sports commentator should sound like. Unlistenable.
Bob
September 13th, 2008 at 10:03 am
28M&J were great together but Larry never sat well with me on any other show. Mustard was the only one he could work with successfully. This duo was light-hearted entertaining, good for Saturday mornings, and allowed some Yankee talk which I found amusing. Sorry to see them go.
Doug
September 19th, 2008 at 9:01 pm
29I will really miss their show on Saturdays. Thank God for XM and my Ipod, because WEEI is going down the toilet. The sooner D and C and the Big O are gone, the better. Jonesy had it right, we need another sports station with a nice strong signal (do I here 92.9?) and some great hosts. You could start it right off with Eddie, Craig, Larry, Bob Lobel, Bob Numeir (sorry spelling?) and a few more and really be on to something. Let’s hope that happens, because it is really NO fun listening to D and C talk about everything BUT sports in the morning (and I’m a Republican!) and listen to the Big O and the jerks in the afternoon shit all over their callers. Steve DeOssie is like the typical big oaf in high school who couldn’t win an argument so he’d threaten you. I admit, I like Pete and Fred, but the Big O and Steve have to go. Also, I hope my new fantasy station gives the afternoon drive to Mikey, he rocks and has a great blend of humor and sports, and knows his stuff. Glad I could vent here, I miss the old WEEI from years back, and I really hope this new one crashes and burns soon.
justin
September 20th, 2008 at 8:32 am
30After listening too the new saturday morning show i have too say i miss craig and larry even more.. Even the callers are different TOO BORING we need the personality callers back say it aint so Joey of the northend where are you larry johnson we miss you guys
Tom
September 22nd, 2008 at 11:53 pm
31I was shocked to hear that the Mustard and Johnson show was cancelled after so many years. I loved getting up on a Saturday morning at 9 and tuning in to what I thought was a great show with interesting and educated callers. The best part of the show was it was usually just once a week with an occasional Sunday thrown in and it was nice to have a fresh new show after the same four shows ran all day and night Monday through Friday. I think the bigwigs at EEI dropped the ball on this one, Surely it can’t be about ratings and selling advertising because most of the callers on this particular show make a good living and are more established in their careers which should entice some new sponsors that might not advertise during the weekly shows. No offense to Rob Bradford ( he has some big shoes to fill) but I will not be tuning in on Saturdays any more, Best of luck Craig and Larry, You will be missed.
Larry from Newburyport
December 6th, 2008 at 3:22 pm
32M&L was the best show on eei ever!…..This is true despite everyone’s HATE for Craig mustard,who thought that he was smarter than all the callers,including me who was a regular caller….He and I never got along!…..The thing is,the show just worked!…..It was informative and very humorous,with the regular callers,Jack From Lynn,myself,Danny,Tom from Everett,Frank,that JERK from Canton,and Joey…….eei has made a huge mistake ending it……if a show last 13 years,as that did,it must mean that its successful…….
my saturday mornings WILL NEVER BE THE SAME,and I will leave it at that!
Scott (Medford)
January 18th, 2009 at 9:05 am
33Jason Wolfe, You suckkk!
M&J was the only good thing eei had going. Mutt & Bradford suckss. Five minutes of those two kissing each others ass made me barf. Great! no more weekend radio. I hope eei cans your ass soon.
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