In truth I can’t really afford to be coming out of my “book nook” for any amount of time, but two ongoing stories in Boston sports media need some assessing and Shots realizes it’s our official duty to analyze both (and some bonus topics for the new year).

To spice things up a bit, we’ll present those two stories (Globe v. NESN; Ordway v. Entercom) within the 2008 Shotties, given sporadically since 1990 for outstanding achievement in the realm of Boston sports media (and slightly beyond). As always, we welcome your intelligent comments and insight – buffoons need not apply. Have a happy new year and we’ll do our best to come back strong in the Spring time after we put our baby to bed.

The Shotties: A look back at the calendar year of 2008 in Boston sports media.

The Shotty for Least Stable Sports Media Relationship
TIE
A. The Boston Globe and NESN
B. Glenn Ordway and Entercom

The quiet cancellation of NESN’s “Globe 10.0″ in late December and the curious, semi-sign-off of Glenn Ordway were significant on many levels. By this time next year, we will likely look at both “events” as monumental days in the shaping of Boston Sports Media 2.0; hat’s how big the players in these two soap operas are and that’s how impactful the two stories will be on 2009.

First, the Globe’s battle with NESN:

A. Even before the Christmas Eve bombshell about the 17 Percenters looking to dump their Red Sox stake, the rift between the Boston Globe sports department and the Red Sox sports department (NESN) was widening – almost by the day. [For more confounding and confusing looks at the Globe's woes, we'd ask you to check here and here (for the astonishing Barclay's report).

The end of "Globe 10.0" got neatly buried in this Boston Globe's space-wasting, so-called "Media Column", with a two sentence explanation, saying "NESN announced. . . it will cease production of its original programming of "Globe 10.0" by the end of the year. The half-hour show, hosted by columnist Bob Ryan and featuring Globe writers, premiered on the network in June 2007."

Incredibly(!), NESN neglected to post the announcement on its own, pathetic press room page (and the network's oh-so-professional PR arm has long since stopped sending releases of any kind to Shots).

The move, initiated by NESN's higher-ups and delivered (awkwardly and clumsily, according to multiple sources) by Joel Feld, the network's executive vice president of programming and executive producer, was yet another sign of an eroding relationship between the Red Sox broadcast unit and the New York Times Company (dba here in Boston as the Boston Globe). It's a deterioration that was first made public when NESN severed its ties with the Globe on Boston.com, where its on-line presence had lived, and began its own mediocre site at NESN.com.

By dumping the Globe-branded thrice-weekly, half-hour show Feld and and Silent Sean McGrail further bruised egos on Morrissey Boulevard. The tension, Shots is told, has been escalated by the more frequent appearances by Globe personnel on Comcast SportsNet, NESN's direct competitor. We are told it also didn't sit well with Globe folks that both WEEI (Mike Adams) and Boston Herald (Steve Buckley) contributors were being used by NESN.

It's never been a secret that the paper's writers have had discomfort with the NYT Co.'s partial ownership of the Local Nine, but the mistrust and mis-communication between both sides has boiled over in recent months and the end of "10.0" can be seen as the water roiling over onto the stovetop.

For his part, when Shots spoke with Bob Ryan a couple of weeks back, Basketball Bob took the diplomatic approach to the 18 month run he was given. He said the powers-that-be informed him and his producer, Alan Miller, of the show's termination during the course of the week of Dec. 8.

Quite simply, Ryan was told, the move was purely financial. The show debuted in the summer of 2007 with Verizon as the presenting sponsor. That deal with Verizon expired in May, and neither NESN nor the Globe was able to lock down a sponsor to offset the costs of the largely in-studio production. [Ratings for the show were never spectacular, said one NESN insider, but on the days it served as the lead-in to Sox pre-games, it showed promise.]

Neither entity ever put the marketing muscle behind the project that was deserved to give it a legit shot in a difficult time slot (against local news and PTI on ESPN).

Ryan had evolved into a more-than-capable host within about six months of his debut. He – and Miller – used “PTI” and “Around the Horn” as their inspirations and created an enjoyable and informative 30 minute show that deserved a better fate. Ryan’s rapport with Charlie Pierce, Christopher L. Gasper and Lou Merloni began to take on regional similarities to the magic Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon create with “PTI” and the show really hit its stride over the past 10 months.

The much ballyhooed virtual set was never utilized to its full potential (although it is getting new life with “The Insitigators,” where three bartenders stand behind a counter and appear ready to serve drinks. Why are they standing? Why?) Whether it was technical snafus or a lack of commitment to the set, NESN certainly never gave the show all the resources it needed to succeed. They could have created a cornerstone original program, instead they played footsies with it and never gave it a real shot at succeeding.

The upshot is that Ryan will slide back into a 3 times weekly general columnist for the paper and told us he will continue to update his blog for Boston.com.

“I let the column slide,” Ryan admitted. “I haven’t been able to focus as much on the writing and I look forward to getting back to that.

“Listen, I’m a big boy about this,” he said. “This is why I always say that i would never have TV or Radio be my primary gig.”

But the blame does not lie with Ryan on this one, it lies with penny-pinching NESN and its continued curious decisions (vanilla “SportsDesk” anchor John Chandler and overmatched newbie Cole Wright come immediately to mind when thinking of other NESN missteps in ’08).

NESN wants everyone to think its New England’s version of ESPN, but the truth is, it’s a far cry from anything that is being done in Bristol.

And now, to The Big O. . .

B. If it wasn’t for bad timing, Glenn Ordway wouldn’t have no timing at all. With his contract expiring at Entercom, Ordway finds himself in a precarious place as the host of WEEI 850 AM’s afternoon drive, “Big Show.” Long-praised as the cornerstone of the ‘EEI Empire, Ordway and his representative are reportedly locked in delicate, drawn out and precarious negotiation with Entercom Emperors.

The problem is, Ordway has virtually no leverage. Sure, there are still Beantown rumors about an all-sports entrant on the FM dial hoping to nab the Big O and build a station around him. There has even been murmurs of a satellite gig for Ordway, but I think we can all agree he is a regional talent at best. Ordway’s lone, best option is to remain in the big chair with the Big Meatheads he babysits five times a week and get paid handsomely for doing just that.

Time and again, the people Shots has polled on the topic continue to point out that Ordway has no chance of getting what one insider termed “Dennis and Callahan money” in the current marketplace.

So Ordway has to decide whether he can take a “pay cut” from what he might have been able to land had the economy not gone in the dumper and whether his ego will allow for him to be, what he would probably term, “slightly underpaid.” If he’s banking on playing satellite radio or other terrestrial radio off of Entercom, he might as well give up now. No one can justify overspending for a “name” in this economic climate and Entercom has a very realistic replacement waiting in the wings at WEEI.com in Mike Felger.

Ordway is going to need to eat some humble pie and that’s never been a big part of the big fella’s diet. Still, Ordway never struck us as a dumb man and he surely knows what is at stake for the final chapter of his broadcasting career. Will he get STOOPID money? No. But he will have no problem maintaining a lifestyle befitting the King of Boston Sports Talk Radio.

The Tom Ellis Shotty for Overstaying Their Welcome:

Gil Santos and Gino Cappelletti, WBCN 104.1 FM, The Patriots Rock Radio Network

The only thing sadder in local broadcasting than Tom Ellis’s NECN farewell last Saturday night is the fact that the earnest Ellis doesn’t realize how far removed he is from his glory days at the anchor desk.

Gil and Gino appear to be similarly delusional about their broadcasting chops.

WBCN and the Patriots (read: The Krafts) need to begin transitioning out of Gil and Gino and into more capable play-calling and color commentating. It’s no longer a matter of IF the Krafts need to initiate a change in the radio booth, it’s a question HOW they handle it. Even with the deep appreciation Shots has for the history of the duo, it’s painfully obvious that they are doing a disservice to the listeners, not to mention advertisers and the organization.

Look for the names of Mike Lynch (PBP), (hopefully) Sean McDonough (PBP), Gary Tanguay (PBP), Scott Zolak (color) and cerebral Tim Fox (color) to circulate WHEN the change is made. It would make sense if the Pats and ‘BCN do it quietly over the off-season.

(By the way, Tanguay’s turn on Celtics games as PBP man in Mike Gorman’s absence probably wasn’t the best audition tape for a potential booth job with the Pats. Tanguay is steady and suitable for studio work – not so much for PBP.)

[One note on the Tom Ellis farewell: NECN mainstay sports guy Jimmy Young tried to soften the shakiness of Ellis's farewell, and Young's knowledge of the market and Ellis's place in it, was sincere.

But the simple fact of the matter is that the Locals (or regionals) don't have room for the Tom Ellises, the Bob Lobels and the Joyce Kulhawiks. That list will surely grow in 2009, as WCVB looks to get younger and leaner, the way its competitors already have.]

The Shotty for the Worst Kept Sports Media Secret

An easy call, as this has to be the not-so-hush-hush departure of Jessamy Tang from almost-also-ran ESPN 890. Tang, it turns out, was well into in her second trimester of pregnancy when she quietly announced to the 890 staff in late Fall that she would be leaving the station all together. Apparently, employees had no clue of the baby bump.

Launched in the Fall of 2005, ESPN 890 has made very little – if any – headway in denting WEEI’s armor but Tang had weathered some storms, some departures and kept investors and ESPN interested enough to let her continue to putter with a weak signal and barely any marketing dollars.

Now, it will be the full-time function of WallerSutton’s WS2K Media to oversee 890, removing Tang and her J Sports from the equation.

Schrafft Building moles tell Shots that Route 81′s CEO, Ira Rosenblatt who will be the “new” Jessamy. You would have to think this is sink or swim time for the station and it’s a heck of a time to be trying to do either in these rough waters of the Second Great Depression.

Safe money says that 2009 will finally be the year that 890 admits it is nothing more than a tin can and string operation that embarrasses the national ESPN brand with each passing week.

The Shotty for the Biggest Waste of Weekly TV Air Time during Patriots Season

Awarded to any of the awful pre- or postgame offerings from WBZTV Channel 4 where Stammering Steve Burton and Steve “DeAwful” DeOssie are paired together. It’s car crash TV at its worst with every potential utterance a frontal assault on the English language. Add in the station’s insistence on using a constantly shaky handi-cam from the company-owned restaurant/bar in Foxborough and the end result was 16 weeks of unwatchable local football coverage.

The Shotty for Most Pleasant Surprise of 2008

WEEI.com

By any sensible standard, the initial months of the website built by Tim Murphy and Rob Bradford were a success for Entercom and even the hiccups have been forgivable. Do not underestimate what the “acquisition” of Curt Schilling meant and you can be sure that 2009 will have even more innovation and exploration by the MurphFord combo.

While I was quoted in the above-linked Phoenix story by Adam Reilly, I think it’s probably worth including some of my (long-winded replies) to Reilly’s questions that didn’t make his article. His questions are marked by “AR” and my responses are after “DS”:

AR: What do you think WEEI.com has done right?
DS: Let’s look at it this way: In less than half a year they have assembled a diverse and provocative line-up that includes Rob Bradford, Alex Speier, Curt Schilling, Will Leitch, Mike Felger and, incredibly, “Fitzy” (I don’t see his appeal, but I’m probably not supposed to).

That doesn’t even mention the in-the-trenches crew they’ve cultivated (Joe Haggerty on hockey was a GREAT freelance hire as was Paul Flannery on the Celts and more than I ever imagined, Mike Petraglia as a jack of all trades).

The web site has been able to inform, entertain and extend the WEEI brand into a space – The Web – that it desperately needed a presence in. They’ve had some some hiccups (design/layout/navigation is still a mess) and I still question that initial hire of Ron Borges, but if you’re asking for a grade on what they’ve done in a short period of time, in a marketplace that is trembling with fear, I’d say it’s a solid B-Plus. Even that should probably be grade-curved up because they’re doing it all under the direction of Entercom’s notoriously fickle regime. The Big E is making cuts all over, but they have been solidly behind the venture at WEEI.com and they need to be commended for that.

And don’t forget, Murphy and Bradford have consistently pointed to January/February as when they will be fully up and running with bells, whistles and maybe even a few more “big name” additions. You can’t give a true judgment until at least 9 or more likely 12 months. They started with virtually nothing as a foundation and now have a very sturdy base (including some eye-catching story art to tease the content).

AR: Where, if anywhere, do you think they’ve been less impressive?
DS: It’s not really “less impressive,” but some of the execution has been lacking because they don’t really have a full-time “Big Picture” guy. Rob and Alex are writing and editing a good deal and that takes time away (understandably so) from thinking about how to package and present stories and use WEEI’s multi-media resources. Instead of bringing on more out-front folks that don’t quite fit**, I’d like to see them bring in a dedicated content configurer who could focus on gaining eyeballs and increasing the site’s visibility. [NOTE: The addition of Christopher Price is an encouraging sign that could help in the area of big picture planning as Price will have editing duties.]

**Just as an aside, I haven’t seen the Leitch presence pay off. I emailed with Will early on about finding his groove within the context of both Boston and WEEI and he admitted then it would be a process. Mailbags have been weak and the columns haven’t quite knocked my socks off. The thing(s) he did with Flannery fell way short and he’s almost too timid as the “Outsider” – like he doesn’t want to offend the good people of Boston? Please. These people deserve to be offended with their boorish behavior.

I am leaning toward his shortcomings in this market being a result of WEEI’s Meathead Factor. There’s just too many Pete Sheppard worshippers that don’t understand the innate genius of Will and he may be trying to cater to them too much.

ALSO, From what I can gather, a good deal of the radio guys aren’t very receptive to being “used” on the web without compensation. Pretty ludicrous from a crew that should just be happy to be employed at all.

AR: And how much of a threat do you think they pose to the Globe and the Herald?
DS: They’ve already done loops around the woeful Boston Herald’s sports-web presence. That wasn’t even a contest. And, to their credit, they’ve certainly pushed the Globe on several fronts (live-blogging, for instance) but for now Boston.com’s reach and established name are too big and too entrenched to allow for a start-up like WEEI.com to truly register. If Entercom stays the course and lets Bradford manage his personnel and find a nuts-and-bolts overseer, it will be the Globe and WEEI.com duking it out for the No. 1 spot in the region’s sports infotainment delivery.

The Shotty for Most Frustrating Re-Design of a Sports Section

The Boston Globe (specifically Sunday notes columns)

Amid all the turmoil and comings and goings that Joe Sullivan has had to deal with for the Globies, it’s the static, glacially evolving sports page that may be the most egregious error of the past year. Instead of figuring out more and better ways to integrate the print product into the electronic copy, Sullivan’s crew continues to tiptoe around making bold changes and instead settles for inconsistent and incomplete moves. The print needs to drive the web and the web needs to drive the print and right now, that synergy is still lacking.

As for the debacle that is the Sunday notes columns, Sulivan allowed for some new designs and elements, but not all of them are treated equally across sports and the result is hard to follow, sloppily laid out notebooks that frustrate more than they inform. I’d like to see them blow up the notes entirely and figure out a way to make them relevant and newsworthy again. As you’d assume, I’ve got tons of ideas, but no one’s asked me for them. Yet.

The insistence on giving Stan Grossfeld space for his Sunday photo play of “What they were thinking?” is a Sully stubbornness at its worst. Each Sunday we ask, “What are YOU thinking by continuing with this feature?”

On the web side, there seems to have been a reluctance to embrace the Cover It Live software for live-blogging, something WEEI.com continues to experiment (successfully) with.

Sully is probably looking at one more major defection in the next calendar year (Rookie of the Year Marc Spears has drawn national interest, according to industry sources), but after he deals with that, he needs to get everyone on staff thinking about one thing and one thing only: Making the Globe sports page come alive on the web every hour of every day.

The Shotty for the Region’s Most Complete Media Talent

Mike Reiss, Boston.com/Boston Globe

Retire this award and call it “The Reissy.” We’ve long been unabashed and unyielding advocates for the work of Reiss, but this past year he took everything up a notch to a point where larger, more significant, national job opportunities are surely in the offing for the Umie stalwart. His blog skills are legendary, but he has spread his wings more on TV reporting for NESN and offering astute, measured and reasonable commentary on any number of outlets (chiefly for undeserving WBZTV and the passable WCVB “Patriots All-Acccess”).

The best part? Reiss still remains one of the most liked, most humble and most respected media members in the entire region – no easy task with the piranhas that populate the local scene.

• And finally, some quick Shotties in various categories:

Best New Blood in the Market
Adam Kilgore, Boston Globe – His baseball coverage has already been fantastic, but we’re actually looking forward to having him spice up the college hoops coverage in the region, especially with Boston as a host site in March. Sully can’t hog all the college hoops for himself.

Worst Old Blood in the Market
Pete Sheppard, WEEI – Sheppard will have to accept this on behalf of his fellow unqualified morons who he shares studio space with daily. It really is a group honor for the Meat Men, who continue to exemplify the very worst elements of sports coverage in the region and indeed, the country. When Sheppard appeared at the “VIP table” of a recent Phantom Gourmet episode with one of Eddie Andelman’s annoying offspring, we were left to wonder what exactly the VIP stood for? Very Ignorant or Virtually Incompetent Person?

Oh, and of course, Butch Stearns.

You’ll Be Missed Shotty
Take your pick here. The market lost Jeff Horrigan from the Herald when he abandoned the business and the city. Likable Laura Behnke, who shone for NECN and Comcast SportsNet headed west. The talented and capable folks over at CN8, where Shots always enjoyed playing TV dude, got discarded. Jeff Goldberg also got bumped at the Hartford Courant and Steven Krasner at the crumbling ProJo sports desk. Those are some tough losses to overcome for any market, but especially one that values quality people doing quality work.

Maybe the biggest loss of all was the little man from down South Coast way, Danny Pires. I still find myself wanting to hit Dan with a wise-ass email or phone call and long to read and hear his wise-ass response. Rest peacefully, DP.

You Won’t Be Missed Shotty
Hazel Mae, NESN – The power of a very good agent at IMG helped Hazel land a job with the January 1-launching MLB network but we stand by our assessment that Mae is far from a national talent. She will need a strong producer and good behind-the-scenes folks to make her a marquee talent for Tony Petitti’s gang.

Let’s also throw Babbling Bob Lobel into this category, although he will never fully go away, no matter how much we wish for it. And of course, despite a re-appearance this week, we say a hearty farewell to Mustard and Johnson.

And, for other reasons entirely, Bob Gamere.

Lastly, this is probably a good place to put the former Boston Sports Guy, Bill Simmons. What? He hasn’t gone anywhere? Oh. My bad. All those hissy fits and Shawshank rebellions during 2008 had me thinking Simmons just had to get out from under the wrath of the Mouse Ears.

Guess it was all just artistic differences. Maybe in Ought-Nine, Simmons can just appreciate how good he has it and focus on the writing that he can still do so well.

Most Questionable Moves by One Newspaper
The Boston Herald – From the (mis)handling of the John Tomase affair and the (mis)hiring of Ron Borges, the Wingo Wayers did some very tabloidy things over the course of 2008, but the payoffs have not been substantial and the paper continues to lag far behind in Web presence. They are the little train that could and we always like rooting for the underdog, but the Herald needs to start making some serious hay on the web side and spicing up its back page if it wants to have relevance in this town. The Herald hired Borges to be his provocative, bombastic self and instead they’ve been given Timid Ron – and they still have never addressed Borges’s boxing connections, despite still using him for coverage of fights put on by his former employer, Oscar De La Hoya. Readers deserved explanation when Borges was hired and they still deserve one today.

Funniest Oversight by a Local Media Organization.
The Tiny Member photo, Boston Globe.

Some other favorites from 2008 in Shots’ coverage:

Callahan v. Simers

Kimball v. Halloran

Sad exit from ProJo for Sean McAdam

Wilbon takes on Kimbo

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 and is now available for pre-order.

With a week to digest the rather compelling WEEI.com news that Shots led the way on late last week, it’s clearly time for a Winners and Losers edition of “As the Boston Sports Media Market Turns”:

WINNER
Glenn Ordway

The biggest – in every sense – winner is none other than Glenn “Pay Day” Ordway, whose contract is expiring with WEEI 850 AM. Ordway has the leverage of a Posey and the WEEI.com component of the equation could very well make Ordway famously wealthy, should he manipulate the web extensions to his benefit. (Similar to Posey, Ordway is going to want the extra year AND the extra dollars.)

Some of the things Ordway can now roll into his contract demands would be additional monies for live-streaming (or TV broadcasting) of The Big Show; exclusive on-line chats with the Big-O; a “Big O Big Blog”; Interactive elements to his show; and whatever other scams Ordway and his handlers can figure out.

With all that the Big O has meant to the station, ‘EEI pretty much needs to show him the money.

In short, Ordway is probably just weeks away from becoming the town’s highest paid sports media personality ever. And considering some of the stupid money that’s been thrown around this town (Hello, WCVB and WBZ!), that’s saying something.

LOSER
Local Mainstream Sports Websites

Boston.com’s sports package on the web probably doesn’t need to start quaking in its big boots just yet, but we’d suggest that the Boston Herald’s digital sports division might want to get a move on things. Without Bradford’s blog, the meager Herald site is sure to lose traffic and loyalists.

Further, Bradford’s pending arrival in the New Balance Building means that he’s going to be given the keys to some very interesting toys, aka resources. Video, written word, spoken word and community development options will all be elements available to Bradford. (Might be worth looking at what the Worldwide Leader is doing with something it’s calling “Streak for Cash.” In essence, it’s building brand loyalty and offering fabulous cash and cache prizes.

Bradford thought out of the box on the beat and he will have to continue to go where others fear to tread in his new content editor role for WEEI.com. Best yet, he will still be allowed to spread his wings as a writer.

WINNER/LOSER
Hank Hryniewicz

It’s a mixed bag for Help Me Hank, the Herald’s resourceful sports editor. On the one hand he loses Bradford, a true talent and a voice that popped from his pages (web and print).

On the other hand, he has a built-in escape hatch that can plop John Tomase right on to the Red Sox beat and keep him away from Foxborough, where the whole situation is bound to be a festering sore unless Tomase is quietly shifted off football and back onto baseball. We’re told it’s Tomase’s sport of choice and he has done some of his best work from the clubhouse, not the locker room.

The Bradford departure affords everyone at the Herald a more workable situation with Karen Guregian able to take lead duties and Jeff Horrigan and Tony Mazz able to augment her efforts. Throw in Buck and a couple of Callahan classics and the Pats beat is covered pretty securely while the Sox beat gets the best available replacement for Bradford (although Herald freelancer Alex Speier is a close second).

WINNER
Local Off-Mainstream Sports Websites

WEEI.com operatives are trying to convince us that the content-providers (i.e. columnists and commentators) for the new-fangled website won’t just be old graybeards looking for a check. We’ll believe that once the re-launch is complete and there’s not a Borges or a Peter May to be found on the site. Still, the promise of new blood is encouraging for some of the established local sports blogs that might be able to add content for WEEI.com VP/GM Tim Murphy and Bradford’s newborn baby.

Creative sorts like the people behind Soxaholix, or, dare we say it, 38pitches.com, would be able to bring established audiences to the WEEI site and help to quickly build a loyal audience. It’s almost a shame that Chad Finn jumped to Boston.com because he’s the kind of pick-up that would indicate ‘EEI.com recognizes a “true” blogger-type.

WINNER
Michael Holley

After Gerry Callahan (who probably doesn’t need the headache of writing anything beyond his limited Herald offerings), Holley is the in-house candidate who could help WEEI.com the most. Give him an exclusive column once a week and use him for whatever video component Bradford settles upon and the result would be some original content from an original fella with worthwhile takes. Holley is a five-tool guy and he’s smart enough to know that some groundfloor, reasonably-priced web work for the employer will serve him well down the road.

LOSER
The One Trick Ponies Currently at WEEI

While intrusive laughing, general ignorance and single-mindedness play well on sports talk radio, the effectiveness of our generic, moronic, Meaty Men for use on the website is going to be negligible. Beyond re-packaging the snorts and soundbites of Smerlas, DeAwful and The Dwarves, it’s not like any of those big, bad, bullies could ever blog or otherwise communicate effectively. Sentence writing, we’re guessing, wasn’t high on the course list at Connecticut School of Broadcasting.

The beauty of what WEEI.com is going to be able to do, is that it won’t have to strictly rely on in-house (non-)talents to fill the web pages. Murphy and Bradford will be able to line up freelancers and gifted souls who aren’t beholden to fart jokes and homophobia. Even if the majority of WEEI’s radio talk isn’t intelligent and barely entertaining, the website has the hope and ability to be both.

WINNERS
Jason Wolfe and Julie Kahn

Say what you will (and Lord knows we have) about Entercom’s Boston Duo of Dynamic, but this significant move into the digital market could very well be a coup for the company and ‘EEI in general. The ability to use the WEEI brand across platforms and do so in a new, and much-needed way for the market is the kind of move that will keep ‘EEI on top for a long time to come.

Still, the question of whether the Entercommie culture will overcome guys like Murphy and Bradford or whether they’ll be able to overcome IT, will eventually foretell the success or failure of the initiative.

LOSER
ESPN 890

They lose their only legit local-originating show’s host and he not only jumps ship, he jumps back to the dominating competition. As Felger said to Paul Flannery at BoMag, most (including Shots) figured 890 would last a year. They’ve been around three years now but their effectiveness and place in the market is still as poor as when they began. “That was a tough road to hoe,” said Felger late last week. “I got my brains beat in for three years by WEEI and Glenn. I enjoyed 890 and having my own little show. Yeah, a (better) signal would have helped but it’s all about the competition at WEEI. They have such resources to draw on.”

An 890 spokesman this week indicated the station would have new line-up information in two or three weeks, but for now capable Kevin Winter has been hosting a show inexplicably called “Prime Time Live” in the old Felger slot from 3 to 6 p.m. All the usual suspects have been mentioned as possible permanent replacements for Felger, but the longer the delay in announcing the changes the more likely it is that 890 will be forced to shutter once and for all.

WINNER
Hamilton College

WEEI is now Hamilton College East. Both Murphy and the guy who brought him into the New Balance building Jim Rushton are Hamilton College grads. Both graduated in 1992. Go Continentals! (Worst. Nickname. Ever.)

[One clarification on Murphy's career path from our reporting last week. Here's how Murphy confirms his profession progression in resume form: 1994-1999, Titleist & FootJoy Worldwide, last title was Senior Brand Manager; 1999-2006, NYTimes Company/Boston Globe Media, last title was VP of Advertising & Marketing; 2006-2007 Monster.com, VP of Strategic Marketing; 2007-2008, Comcast/Golf Channel, Director of Digital Media; Current, WEEI.com, VP/GM.]

• The Hartford Courant’s Red Sox beat guy, Jeff Goldberg confirms that he is taking the paper’s buyout (effective at the end of the Sox season) and it’s likely he’s not the only sports desk member of the Hartford staff that takes the option.

Said Goldberg via email, “I grew up in West Hartford, went to Hall High (and eventually Central Conn. State Univ.) and started an internship in the sports department (at the Courant) the summer before my junior year at Hall (16 years old, I’m 39 now). I did just about everything up the sports department food chain – took high school scores over the phone, filed photos, did agate, copy-edited, then started writing on a regular, full-time basis about 10 years ago.

“But, all good things must come to an end, I’m afraid,” said Goldberg, who hopes to continue writing in the Boston market. “UConn won the first 70 games I covered (Diana Taurasi, Sue Bird crew) for the Courant. (Goldberg) switched to the Sox beat in 2007 and between UConn and the Red Sox, I’ve covered four championship teams in six-plus seasons. Not bad.”

Mark our words, as guys like Felger and Goldberg leave newspapers, there will not be 20 years-at-one-paper writers for a foreseeable stretch and the mere thought of Lifers like Bob Ryan and Dan Shaughnessy is laughable in today’s race-up-the-totem-pole world of sports journalism.

“Leaving the Herald is by far the hardest part of all of this,” said Felger last Friday. “I’m 39 years old. This would have been my 20th year at the Herald. It’s going to be weird not being in the paper. It really is.

“But the brand of WEEI is huge. They are No. 1 in the market and what they’re doing is the future.”

• Familiar Providence voice Scott Cordischi confirms to Shots that he will be hosting a show on WPRO on Saturday mornings from 9-11:45am. “It will be called ‘Scott Cordischi On Sports’ and starts Saturday (July 19th),” he said via email. “I am very much looking forward to talking sports with Rhode Islanders and Southern New Englanders once again here in Providence. I have missed talking about things like the Sox, Yankees, the Celts run to a championship, the PC coaching search, the NFL Draft, etc. It’ll be nice to do it again.”

• While I agree with the general sentiment that ESPN Ombudswoman Le Anne Schreiber has been mostly effective and aggressive in her role, I couldn’t help but giggle this week when she brought up the fact that ESPN announcers sometimes do game coverage from the confines of a Bristol bunker.

The practice has been going on for years and we had exposed it two years ago, but the tactic is still employed and there is very little way for viewers to know what is ral and what is Memorex. It was misleading then and it is still misleading now. Schreiber’s ignorance on certain rudimentary matters is still puzzling to me and it makes me wonder just how effective she really is and how seriously her Ombudsing is taken by the higher-ups.

• A different take on Josh Beckett from Friend of Shots (FOS), Matt Waxman.

• Speaking of former CSTV cohorts, look at what goodies the former network (now CBS College Sports) is pulling out starting this Monday:

CBS COLLEGE SPORTS NETWORK RELIVES THE ACTION AND EXCITEMENT OF THE 2008 NCAA® DIVISION I MEN’S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP WITH “NCAA MARCH MADNESS® REWIND”

Extensive Programming Block Begins Monday, July 21, and Features EveryGame from the 2008 Tournament

CBS College Sports Network relives March Madness this summer with a special encore presentation of the 2008 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship. “NCAA MARCH MADNESS REWIND” features all 63 tournament games, from the first-round to the championship game, in their entirety, beginning Monday, July 21 (NOON, PM ET). A full programming schedule is available at www.cbssports.com/cbscollegesports.

Kansas’ thrilling overtime win against Memphis in the National Championship Game will air twice, Friday, Aug. 1 (10:00 PM, ET) and Saturday, Aug. 2 (6:00 PM, ET). Other memorable games include:

First Round – #12 Western Kentucky over #5 Drake (101-99, OT)
Airs Wednesday, July 23 (10:00 PM, ET)
Drake erased a 16-point deficit in the final eight minutes of regulation to push the game into overtime. Down 99-98 in OT with 5.7 seconds left, Western Kentucky’s Ty Rogers hit a desperation three pointer from the wing to notch the win and give the Hilltoppers their first tournament victory since 1995.

Second Round – #1 UCLA over #9 Texas A&M (51-49)
Airs Sunday, July 27 (4:00 PM, ET)
Down for much of the game, the Bruins survived the Aggies with the help of Darren Collison’s late game heroics. Collison’s shot with 9.5 seconds left gave the Bruins the lead for good, propelling them to the Sweet 16.

Second Round – #3 Stanford over #6 Marquette (82-81, OT)
Airs Sunday, July 27 (6:00 PM, ET)
Stanford’s Brooke Lopez hits the winning shot with 1.3 seconds left in overtime. The Cardinal overcomes the first half ejection of coach Trent Johnson and a six-point halftime deficit.

Second Round – #10 Davidson over #2 Georgetown (74-70)
Airs Monday, July 28 (9:00 PM, ET)
Led by Stephen Curry’s dominating second half performance, Davidson upsets Georgetown. Curry outscored Georgetown 25 to 22 over the final 14:24 of the game.

. . . For the record, I’m still not ready to watch the Memphis-Kansas game. Maybe another decade or so.

• Brand new farmer’s market starting up in Hull on Friday – see you there.

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.

News this week of a Sporting News re-launch and re-focus brought equal parts optimism and pessimism. As we’ve chronicled here before, when Shots was part of the final staff to ever produce SPORT magazine, there were constant rumors that Sporting News would either be our partner in business or our partner in death.

Instead, SPORT was put in the hands of some flashy, funky Brits who never understood the magazine’s history and place in American sports and decided to kill it just weeks before a spirited re-launch was scheduled. Sporting News forged ahead – however feebly – and now, with the latest news that it will go bi-weekly and re-focus some electronic resources, TSN enters another of its nine (hundred) lives.

Good for them, especially the part about going bi-weekly. US News & World Report is doing the very same thing and it’s not unreasonable to think others will surely follow. If we may be so bold, we’d even suggest that venerable Sports Illustrated should do the same thing. They’re too proud to ever do such a thing, but it really does make a lot of sense.

. . . We were thrilled to hear one of the all-time good guys in the business, Florida Gator beat guy, Dave Curtis, of the Orlando Sentinel – as well as a Syracuse grad and a Rhode Island native – will be part of the new staff at TSN. Curtis, who will move to Chicago, will be sharing the national college football beat with TSN’s Matt Hayes. Curtis starts July 7 for TSN.

. . . Interesting to note that Deadspin’s Will Leitch will also have a column for TSN. We’re also hearing some other familiar names that will join TSN but until we confirm them, we won’t rumor-monger. But do stay tuned.

• The Fidgety Guy, Bill Simmons, took another not-so-subtle swipe at the conglomerate that is Disney this week in the introduction to his latest personal web page posting:

“. . . the good old days when I could poke fun at bad sports announcing. . . ” he wrote as a lead-in to a 1999 Digital City column.

An ESPN spokesman informed Shots earlier in the week that, “(ESPN) employees are currently permitted to write personal blogs, but it is a policy that is under review.”

Sounds like Simmons better get his woe-is-me-under-the-big-corporate-umbrella comments out now while he still can.

• The nastiness of commenters reared its head with John Tomase’s filings from Los Angeles this week. At some point, the venom will probably run out, but it won’t be any time soon.

• A new venture for ex-Herald scribe Mike Shalin, who is pairing with the incomparable “Danny V,” Dan Ventura for a high school-centric show over at (yes, they still exist) 1510 The Zone. Looks like some good early signings for Shales and the V-Man as “Hacks with Haggs” auteur, Joe Haggerty, is going to contribute regularly.

Shalin reminded us that, 23 years ago, he was part of the original SportsCall crew at WRKO. So he does know good radio – although good radio doesn’t seem to have much of a home in this market where The Meat Roars and The Dale Bores.

• I’ve got a new project I’m taking up. It’s the Derek Kellogg First Pitch at Fenway cause. He’s already been proclamated by his hometown, it’s time for him to get some love from his hometown team. Certainly if non-native Travis Ford got to toss from the shadow of the Monstah, DK should get at least that much – if not a luxury box for the day (to entertain blogger-types and other Beantown friends of the program).

• With new U.S. Citizen David Ortiz on the shelf, we got to thinking about what a Big Papi rehab stint in Pawtucket might look like for the PawSox. Who better to ask than Dan Hoard, the radio voice (along with Steve Hyder) of the PawSox?

“A David Ortiz rehab at McCoy would be on the short list of biggest nights in stadium history,” said Hoard in an email response to Shots. “Curt Schilling’s first rehab start last year was at McCoy and produced a season-high crowd of 11,227, and his popularity in The Nation obviously pales in comparison to Big Papi’s. The ticket demand would be so high that the PawSox would probably be tempted to sell my seat!

“In my opinion, the only events in stadium history that have generated similar hype are as follows:

“1. The resumption of the longest game in baseball history in 1981. Major league baseball was on strike at the time, so when they picked up the game in the 33rd inning, media from all over the world swarmed into Pawtucket.

“2. The Mark Fidrych vs. Dave Righetti game in 1982. It drew 9,389 into the “old” McCoy – an attendance record that lasted for 17 years until the renovated park opened in 1999.”

So there you have it – Papi in Pawtucket will be monumentally historic, should it ever happen.

• NESN has lost its damn mind. Discussing the “Sox Appeal” dating dugout during the game? Please, stop it. Now. Enough is enough.

. . . We had wondered whether the expiration of Hazel Mae’s deal with the Network coincided with the deal that Tom Caron had signed at the same time of Mae’s extension. We’re told Caron’s deal was for a longer term and he’s not up for renewal any time soon, which is good news for NESN viewers, as Caron has become one of the steadiest studio/desk men in all the land.

. . . A billboard on Route 93 is touting Jerry Remy Day at Fenway. No truth to the rumor that the first 1,000 fans will get a pack of Remy’s favorite smokes.

• We’re not usually the museum-visiting type, but this Baseball as America exhibit that touches down at the Museum of Science starting this Sunday could lure us in.

There are four special programs that caught our eye and will likely do the same for you:

Saturday, July 12, 1:00 p.m.
Voices of the Game
Joe Castiglione, Red Sox radio broadcaster and author, and Curt Smith, author, columnist, and television/radio host
Cahners Theater, Blue Wing, Level 2, free with exhibit hall admission

Tuesday, July 22, 6:30 p.m.
Fenway and the New Generation of Ballparks
Janet Marie Smith, Senior Vice President of Planning and Development, Boston Red Sox
Cahners Theater, Blue Wing, Level 2, free

Saturday, August 2, 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m.
Babe Ruth and Ted Williams: Behind the Legends
Leigh Montville, former Boston Globe columnist, former senior writer at Sports Illustrated, and author of “The Big Bam: The Life and Times of Babe Ruth and Ted Williams: The Biography of an American Hero”
Shapiro Science Live! Stage, free with exhibit hall admission

Babe Ruth: 1:00 p.m. | Ted Williams: 3:00 p.m.

Saturday, August 9 at 1:00 p.m.
The Spaceman on the Art and Science of Pitching
Bill “Spaceman” Lee, former Red Sox pitcher (1969-1978), author, and star of the 2006 documentary film, “Spaceman in Cuba”
Cahners Theater, Blue Wing, Level 2, free with exhibit hall admission

Seating is limited for all shows. First come, first served. . . . Museum members may reserve a limited number of free-seating tickets the week of the program by calling: 617-589-3169. Check with the MOS for more details.

• Lastly, we once again we remind you that Shots is attempting to raise some China Earthquake relief funds.

I have donated the equivalent of $150 to the China Earthquake Relief Efforts by offering a limited edition orange, rubber bracelet with the message, “5.12.08,” on it to the next 35 readers of this blog who forward me a Red Cross (or other earthquake charity) donation confirmation. The orange color is reminiscent of the rescue workers’ jumpers and the date is the day the quake struck. It’s a small gesture or remembrance, but one worth making.

The donation can be for any amount, just as long as it is directed to the China quake. Include your mailing address with the contribution confirmation in an email to me at shots@bostonsportsmedia.com, and I will send a bracelet to you via US Post.

It’s all just one little neighborhood we live in, folks. So help thy neighbor, please.

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.

As if you weren’t well aware of the hot air that will be expelled in the coming days from the New Balance Building, here’s the only proof you need that the locals will be unbearable for the foreseeable future. It came before the Patriots’ stunning loss to the Giants in Super Bowl XLII was even an hour old:

“It stinks, it sucks and it’s horrible,” moaned the meatiest of our midst, Pete Sheppard just before 11 p.m. during The Veal Postgame show with Fred Sperlis Smerlas.

. . . Callers were already polluting the lines at both ‘EEI and WBCN 104.1 FM.

. . . Yahoo!’s MJD goes after Belichick in no uncertain terms. Tough to argue with the gist of his argument.

• FOX25 tabloidized the loss with “Massive Upset” as its constant tag line. The Herald’s wesbite went with A Giant Letdown and the Globe’s site had “History Derailed.”

• ”Super Mann” came to us from the NY Daily News and Mike Vaccaro nailed it with his hard deadline piece, “Giant Upset.”.

The print editions will surely have better word play.

• And kudos to Yahoo! for the first Winners and Losers we saw, which was posted just after midnight.

• Butch Stearns got all sorts of tongue-tied at 12:30 a.m. just before sign-off on FOX25. Stearns mixed up Eli and Peyton then painted Arlen Specter as the region’s most detested sports villain.

We think not.

• As I explained to the 14-year-old nephew, “Now, my friend, you know what the misery of Boston sports fandom is about. Welcome to the club, Kid. It ain’t all titles and parades.”

• Here’s how the “all-clear-of-Pats-coverage” broke down with the locals. We’d argue that had it been a win for the Pats, each of the “return to regular programming” times would have been extended by at least 45 minutes for all of the locals (except NESN which always stays true the money-spending shucksters):

NESN went to its infomercial at midnight after a clunky outro from overmatched John Chandler in-studio (with serviceable Roland James).

ABC5 was clear of Pats’ coverage before midnight.

NBC7 made it to almost 12:15 a.m. before “Extra” got its start.

CBS4 also wound down its Patriotism at 12:15 a.m. with un-ending highlights that finished abruptly without the planned coronation footage.

Comcast SportsNet (where Mike Felger was outstanding from Arizona) joined regular programming at 12:15 a.m.

NECN got into replays of its post-game work around midnight and FOX25, as mentioned above, went to “Seinfeld” at 12:30 a.m. (“Who are you George Costanza?” “I’m the opposite of every guy you’ve ever met.”)

The FOX SHOX Crew (led by Maria) was already transitioning into “Super Tuesday” coverage just after Mark Ockerbloom delivered an over-dramatzied post-mortem from the stadium.

•  Pini needs to be fired.

• Worst Bowl commercials ever, right?

• The only thing that’s truly sticking in my craw? Mercury Freakin’ Morris.

• Three letters to help you through until spring training starts: N. P. R.

Scott’s Shots attempted to take some time off from our weekly duties serving you, the Shots Loyalist, but we wound up working more on the Gulf Coast than on the Atlantic Coast. But that’s okay – The Mike Adams Mystery Hour(s) made for good theater. And it also inspired Shots to take over the Scott’s Shots studio and demand that Scott’s Shots make an announcement about our future at Scott’s Shots.

We even reached out to ourselves and tried to get the skinny:

“How’d you get this number?” Shots asked Shots.

“I’ve got my sources,” Shots said.

Shots’ll keep you posted should the hostage situation escalate. . .

. . .Shots is waiting for Mike Adams to invite us to the “It’s Official” party – the guy should really consider getting us a car for our efforts on his behalf on Wednesday eve. I was in FLA for crying out loud!. . .We’d settle for a regular, in-studio, guest spot, where we both barricade ourselves in the studio for two hours every month. I’ll bring the incense and my Student Handbook from UMass that details proper sit-in/takeover procedures, including how to get free Bertucci’s pizza from the Chancellor (authored by Martin Minuteman).

. . .One local industry insider up the dial at 890 AM reminded us that Wednesday was the end of the Fall ratings book and stunts/gimmicks/special guests are all part of the package when radio stations are trying to “finish strong.” It’s also why Bill Simmons and Mike Felger were ERBing it up LIVE! from Game On!, the best damn sponsor a back-page guy could ever have!

However, that sound you hear IS the waves lapping at Shots patio door at a hidden little gem in Siesta Key, FLA. Because of that, the “original thoughts” portion of this week’s entry will mostly cease; so that we may bring you Meat-Mail – a sampling of the reaction to last week’s serving of Pete Meat Sheppard.

Truth is, Meat DID generate response – some 35-plus emails. The three that were Meat Lovers are submitted first, followed by a selection from the Shots Backers and/or ‘EEI bashers (aka, Readers No. 6).

If WEEI is strictly looking for a nerve-tweaker, then Meat is probably their guy for the long haul. But I think you’ll agree, from the tone of the representative sampling below, that Meat’s act is wearing thin on even the most loyal of ‘EEIndulgers. And calling Shots a pisspot probably didn’t help Meat’s cause. My readers prefer you call me Mr. Pisspot. (Although we did consider changing our name for this week only, to Scott’s Pisspots Shots.)

Last names have been omitted or initials used, to protect the correspondents’ from any Meataliation or nasty emailing from the Meat Mailer. On occasion, an ITALICIZED wiseass Shots retort is included. I’ve seen other mailbaggers do the same and think it works – in small doses.

Enjoy and keep the dialogue flowing: this is how it works best, people.

“Hey Scott’s Schlock,
You should know better than to take on the Great Pete “The Meat” Sheppard. He played you like a fine violin. When he wrote p-s try to keep this between us, remember, show some nuts . Do you really believe he expected you would? He knew that you would get all excited by the fact he even acknowledged you. He knew when he wrote “try to keep this between us” you would do the exact opposite. Gee, you don’t get it do you? I’m surprised, a “sophisticated” media critic such as yourself!….Don’t you understand that these guys are part talk show host/part actors? Meter plays the geeky smart ass, Callahan plays the deranged right winger, Dale and Holley play the goody two shoes etc. etc. and Pete Sheppard plays the “Bully”. They all play their parts very well, hence their # 1 Ranking. and YOU just helped Sheppard perpetuate his “image” by publishing his E-Mail. Oh yes Scottie, the Great Man Played you and you went for it hook, line and sinker! Live and learn son, live and learn…….oh yeah one more thing, since you used MY name in your column shouldn’t I be entitled to some sort of gratuity? Perhaps a “Scott’s Shots” T-Shirt. I need something to wipe my “Arsey” with……….GOOD DAY SIR!”
– ARS630 (“Arsey” as Shots has dubbed this Meat Man)

“Sheppard is 100% correct.You CLAIM that his email didnt bother you, yet you wasted 1000 words on trying to seem bigger and better than him. He is correct, you are a wannabe sports personality, and it kills you that you cannot be, and that Pete is. Pete may not be Mike Lupica, but he does provide the listeners with an “everyman” type of character, and it obviously works, check the ratings.
You and your kind do offer insight into different things that the real media cannot do, but for you to interject yourself into the scene is just sad. Youre crying out for attention, and youre just not gonna get it.
Stick to writing dopey articles about useless topics such as college hoops and charlie pierce. The big boys dont care about internet geek bloggers, and quite frankly, neither do the fans.”

– DC,
Londonderry, NH

Charlie Pierce is hardly useless. His Final Four hat alone proves this. And college hoops can not be useless: The Iona Gaels are undefeated.

“David,
Great blog on Shepherd.
I have to tell you though, Pete is entertaining. America loves human conflict and Pete is just another example of this trend. Look at all the conflict shows that began with “Survivor” that have flooded the airwaves. Pete is a cartoon character. He would be a caricature artists dream. (Listen up Larry Johnson) Watching Pete on TV is a great take. Just the sight of him on FSNE, too big for that little chair, eyes bulging like a Pomeranian, clothes that don’t fit, sweating profusely, stumbling over his words and losing track of his topics. This is great stuff. Yes, we’re laughing at him, not with him! Listen, it’s true that Pete is a big goof, a bully, unprepared, verbally challenged, not that bright and the perfect patsy for Ordway who plays him like a fiddle, but it’s these inadequacies that we love about Pete. I listen to Pete go off with the same enjoyment I get from watching Paul junior and senior go at it on American Chopper. He’s a car wreck that we can’t take our eyes off of. The great part of this with Pete is that 90% of it is genuine. A genuine bully moron. When he tells Chris Nilan that Nilan’s blood will be all over him, now that is great theatre. Many people complain that the big O show is too much sophomoric antics and not enough sports. All these people need to do is check the ratings.Obviously this is what people are looking for. Anyway, I started off telling you that it was a good blog on Pete. Keep up the good work.”
– RA

This was borderline Meat Loving, but there are some salient points – especially the “genuine bully moron” line right after the “American Chopper” analogy. This was the best Meat defense by far. The Meaty One should send him some of that dog food Tiki and Torchi scarf down.

“Shots-
How does that idiot keep his job? If my employer discovered I wrote that email, I would be fired.
Good thing Meat doesn’t need writing skills or thinking ability to keep his job. He couldn’t make it in the real world. Imagine him (or any other Big Show bozo) trying to write for a paper?
Just another instance of idiot radio. I’m surprised that intelligent guys like McAdam, Gammons, and Buckley appear on that show. Do they get decent coin to appear? So it’s the only show in town, but I usually listen to Howie Carr when I’m on the road even though I disagree with his politics. At least Howie has more brains than Ordway and crew.
In closing, thank goodness for the work you and other blogger do for us sensible sports fans.
Keep up the good fight!!!”

– Eric

“Hey you gutless piss-pot,
Wanted to thank you for publishing and exposing Meat Sheppard for the complete a** that he is (although me and my friends have believed he does that quite well for himself every time he opens his mouth). Your comments and ability to stay above the fray while also pointing out the biggest aspect of all this – how a large, public enterprise can employ and promote such an imbecile is beyond me. I would have fired him after his incredibly embarrassing interview with the Tennessee radio station a few years back. If I ever publicly embarrassed my employer as a representative to another region like that, I would resign in shame, they wouldn’t need to dismiss me. Bottom line, I know your busy, you have many readers who enjoy your opinions and insights and please don’t allow this bully to remain in place, stay on this story and the way management at EEI has hid like ostriches. I would love to see Meat have to find a job outside of EEI’s halls – I’m sure there is a great need for an overweight, incoherent oaf in the private sector.
Have a great vacation!
P.S.: I’m 6’3″ 250 and if we are starting that line to tell Meat what wethink of him to his face, please reply with time and place. Not sure he’d be so bullish with me.”
– CN

Jason Wolfe, if the conspiracy theorists are to be believed, would be too busy cooking up schemes with Mike Adams to address the non-professionalism and disrespect his “talent” displays. And Julie Kahn? MIA.

“Man, I loved today’s edition of Scott’s Shots. I’m sure you have more than 5 readers. EEI wouldn’t have a whipping boy for the whiner line if Meat was fired and that’s the only reason the guy can possibly survive. Most of his flash mistakes are done intentionally is my guess. Lets hope Felger’s show keep improving. Quality is great and if ESPN bids high on the Sox after next season and steals them away, then EEI would have reason for a lot of concern.
Best, ”
– BK

Subject Head of the Week Winner: “Rancid meat Sheppard”
“This bum’s time has come. All of my friends and fans say the same about this glorified intern. He has a 3 word vocabulary: TURD, GARBAGE and FRAUD. His main concern should be making sure that Ordway stays healthy. Without Glen, this mope would be flipping burgers.
It is a sad state of affairs at WEEI when this genius from the Conn. School of Broadcasting has any job at all. This goof will not bully or intimidate me. He makes small money and he should do what he does best: ORDWAY’ S OFFICIAL TOILET SEAT!
I would debate this clown anywhere anytime.All that I ask is that the station give rancid meat a dictionary so it would be fair.To quote one of my favorite movies, ‘FAT,DUMB AND STUPID IS NO WAY TO GO THROUGH LIFE,SON.’”
– Angry Bill

Shots could not bring ourselves to confirm whether this was THE Angry Bill, realizing what an insult it would be to think there could be more than one Angry Bill of Dennis Callahan fame. By the slim chance that this is a totally separate Angry Bill, we would still like to praise him for providing the Official Meat Three Word Dictionary. We assume all three are simultaneous noun/verbs

“One critique of your Pete Sheppard story – at the end you said “borderline psycho” – in the past week I’ve come to the conclusion that the “borderline” might be unnecessary.
I actually heard his exchange with Angry Bill last week. I always assumed he was just “in character” on the show. But the level of fury he was showing suggested that if it was a put-on, he’s clearly wasting his time on the radio. The flaw was, if someone were so brilliant in creating and performing that particular character, they would be smart enough to use a better script, one with more imagination than repeating “turd” and “jerk weed” over, and over, and over again.
I used to find WEEI insufferable, particularly in the morning and afternoon when I am most likely to listen to and from work. While I still can’t tolerate the morning show (and if I am truly desperate for sports news and the Providence station is in commercials, I wind up feeling very dirty listening to the WEEI morning show for that brief amount of time) I’ve come to something of a acceptance (if not appreciation) of the Big Show.
But man, Pete is the main problem, and he’s just getting worse. Thanks for the article; I’m sure there were many people like me who listened to Sheppard last Friday and this week thinking to themselves, “I’m not sure this guy is doing an act anymore” and your timing was impeccable.”
–JC

“Hi David,
I just wanted to let you know that I’m one of the five faithful readers of your column, and I enjoy it very much! I especially like it when you take on the blowhards at “EEI”. They deserve all you give them, and I hope you keep on giving. To paraphrase, the Meat, “what a bunch of turds they are over there!”
‘EEI gets me so frustrated too – I like some of the banter and insider knowledge, but the relentless sexism and bullying gets tiresome, to say the least. Have you noticed ESPN radio’s new morning ad campaign? “A morning sports show that actually talks about sports!” Guess they think Dennis and Callahan’s nonstop right wing talk turns some folks – like me – off. And I think Meat is much worse when those two wingnuts – DeOssie and Smerlas are around. They make Ordway look like a liberal! Anyway, I really do enjoy your work – keep it up, and good luck shoveling.”
–MR

“Nice work on the “monster shots” on Friday. It made for fine SEPTA-train (Philadelphia) riding material on the commute in today. Hey, does that mean you now have 6 readers, or was I already one of the “famous 5″?
Funny, when you detailed your “run-in” with loudmouth Pete Sheppard, the only Philly personality that seemed even seemed remotely similar was Howard Eskin (who you also mentioned *avoiding* a run-in with). Unfortunately, Howard has a bit more than “Flash Guy” prominence in this city; however, his stature has decreased somewhat in recent years. . .”
-–DM

“Wow!
No less than 7 references to balls (or balls related items) in Pete’s dissertation. Very impressive. Pete is quite consumed by balls, it would seem. Did he have any follow up to this posting? Any further statements on how he yearns to see your balls?
Keep up the good work, dude. Love the Shots.”

–AH

We may not have much here at Shots, but we do have a reader who took the time to do a “ball count” for us. Top that, Boston Sports Guy!

“Scott –
Count me as one of your five readers. I can not agree with you more about Pete Sheppard. I think Glenn just likes him rant sometimes and is laughing at him, not with him, when Pete gets into these name calling sessions with the callers. Pete seems to be risking his reputation as a knowledgable sports professional by having these senseless shout-fests with people. I hope he will just see how stupid he comes across with the name-calling, and back off a bit. Maybe your column will help!”
–BD

Hi David,
1) FYI I read your email from Pete Shepard and he drives me crazy with his constant yelling and name calling. So much that after I read your column that I sent Jason Wolfe an email asking him to reign in Sheppard or more people like me will turn on The Drive. I got the “form” email saying Thanks fro your comments and for listening to WEEI.
2) Someone should ask if Wendy Nix will be off all Red Sox stories (except to give the score when she anchors) now that hubby is the new co-general manager. I wonder how long before the Globe or WEEI bring up this new conflict of interest. How will it effect Channel 7 when it comes to “breaking” Red Sox stories.
I enjoy your column.
–GN

“DS- I’m speechless. Is the Meat that insecure? He’s got a good voice for radio. Why the hell does he need to hassle a writer for? He must be insane. Or he was trashed when he wrote that? Or maybe his frustrated wife wrote it? Good call posting that. It really does confirm his idiocy is real and not some on-air persona. What a joke.”
–SD

“David – I must be one of your 5 readers. Your blog/criticism column is on my “Must Read As Soon As It Is Posted List.” Please keep up the good work. Now,on to the illiterate update donkey on the drive time show at WEEI.
His performance, talent, grammar, credentials, attitude, professionalism and appeal are atrocious.
He is one of the main reasons I tuned out 850 am and tuned in 890/1510 long ago. I also listen to much of my sports radio on the web as well.
It’s a shame that Julie Kahn refuses to acknowledge your attempts to engage. More friends than I can count have stopped listening to her stop on the dial, because of the likes of Meat and his antics among other things. She might be a bit surprised by that, and even alarmed by our demographic.
David – best to you and yours for a happy holiday season. Again, keep up the good work.”
–Chris
Melrose, MA

“Please continue to give Hell to that. . .scumbag with the stage name of “Sheppard”. That imbecile is the biggest fraud(literally and figuratively) in the Boston sports scene. He is the Boston version of (Miami radio personality) Sid Rosenberg, except without the, dare I say it…”wit”. Truly, the most rebarbative figure on WEEI and that’s no small feat. EVERYTHING about him irks me…the faux gambling addiction probably being the worst-this schmuck reads the lines out of the Herald and acts like he’s on top on the gaming scene-UGH. So cheers to you for getting under his elephantine skin.
All the best,”
Rocky in South Boston

The “stage name” thing is reportedly true: Sheppard, who you’ll recall called us a “fraud” is not the birth name of Meat Man. The Connecticut School of Broadcasting website still has him under his pre-“Big Time” name. A free brochure to the Siesta Key area will go to the winner who accurately emails Meat’s ‘maiden’ name to the email address below.

“Dave,
Just a note letting you know that I am in total agreement with you on both Pete Shepard and WEEI in general.
I am 55 years old so don’t fit the demographic they are driving for I guess but I find that I can’t stay tuned to WEEI for very long at ANY time. The one show with potential is Dale and Holley but I think the ratings have gone to Dale’s head.
Here in Maine I can’t get a signal for Felger’s new show but it sounds like it might have potential.
I enjoy your work, thanks for being there.”
–PO
Lyman, Maine

“Hey Shots,
Couldn’t agree with you more re Sheppard and EEI ingeneral. For years I’ve listened to the morning show and the big show, but over the last year or so I have just had enough (although I admit I still listen some). . .
The point is that these guys talk to hear themselves talk…to present their opinions couched in the form of questions. When somone with real insight is being interviewed, we, the listeners, want to hear what the interviewee has to say, not the talk show host. Shut up and let the interviewee speak.
The arrogance of the Big Show guys is really disconcerting. We get so little actual sports talk. Ordway is an opinionated, arrogant bully. The knowledgeable guests are good : Tony Maz, Felger, McAdam, etc. Sheppard is embarassing. But I’ll tell you something, if Felger had any reception at all at ESPN I would listen to him 24/7.
Anyway, keep up the great coverage of these guys. They really need to have someone keeping them honest. And since they’ve all decided to become the stories rather than cover them, how can they object to being reviewed and critiqued as we do with any other “public performers.”
Regards,”
Mike (your faithful 6th reader)

“Hey Shots-
Just read your blog on the Sheppard episode and wanted to tell you that you actually have SIX readers, not five.
The untouchable “giant” that ‘EEI has convinced themselves that they have become rightly deserves some type of checks and balances for their content and the on-air persona many of their hosts portray.
As a long-time listener I now find the station quite unlistenable at this time….so…*click*, you know? I include most of what is programmed on FSNE in that same category. Where is the fairness anymore? Are all our professional sports teams and their management as inept as is constantly portrayed? Is there a secret agenda/conspiracy behind every personnel move and statement coming out of the front offices? Where is Fox (Sports) Mulder when you need him?
I don’t wish any media outlet to ever gloss over issues or go into “The Emperor’s New Clothes” spin when criticism is rightly deserved, but this whole “whomever yells loudest is right” mentality (hello, Meat and the deplorable Andy Gresh) that permeates the airwaves at this time is both insulting and annoying to people like myself who actually feel they understand (to a large degree) the sports landscape in New England. I find the fun is being sucked out of sports here by the desire to drive the ratings and promote the edgy aspect of reporting. Too many of these people are becoming the story. . .
In closing (and it’s probably about time to do so), Boston has become a self-perpetuating prophecy in terms of how tough the media is. It’s a reputation that media types are more than happy to cultivate by constantly reminding us of it and chasing the windmills of controversy that often times simply does no exist. Opinion-driven radio is fine and all, but to disagree on-air means you are a “moron”, “idiot” “jackass” or “numbskull” (to use some of John Dennis’ favorite words). This is sports? This is fun? These are informed professionals??? A little perspective here, folks.
I always look forward to reading your blog and encourage you to keep going, man. Happy Holidays and apologies for the long-winded rant. I just can’t help myself anymore.”
–Ken DeCosta
Reader #6
Tiverton, R.I.

No apologies necessary. This is exactly what I’m talking about: dialogue and discussion. Warms the cockles, I tell you. Or maybe that’s the warm Gulf breeze. . .

“THANK YOU for finally giving that fat, useless blowhard from WEEI the beat-down he deserves. The guy is a 100% bona fide FRAUD who shouldn’t be on sports radio in Okedoke, WV, let alone Boston. I’ve stopped listening to that stupid show because I can’t take his antics anymore.
I hope he calls you out so you can flame his ass some more.
Nice WORK!”
– JD

I admit: the true reason I had to run this one, and save it for last, it also warms my cockles to have a woman (which JD is) who uses the phrase “flame his ass.” I prefer to think of it with a sassy, Southern drawl, but even the plain written word is sufficient.

• Damn – you guys give better Friday column than I ever could.

David Scott writes from a seaside shanty on the shores of Hull, Mass. and can be reached at shots@bostonsportsmediadotcom

• WEEI 850 AM’s Glenn The Big O Ordway, at least for the 10 minutes we could endure, just before 4 p.m. on Thursday, was trying to perpetuate the Theo Returns scenario – complete with a mysterious semi-cackle from Peter Gammons (in response to that probing investigator (hah!) Larry Johnson). This scenario, by the way, was also given a sliver of hope during the Lucky/Lobel tete-a-tete on Sunday eve. Lucky refused comment, but in a “leave the door open” kind of way. Which is to say, in a “Lucky” kind of way.

Please, stop the madness. Get a GM, a team and finish the refurbishments. We’ll check back with ya in April, okay?

• Lest we think the staffing cutbacks at the nation’s sports desks is limited to our two papers of interest, we submit this extraordinary Jeff Jacobs piece from last weekend’s Hartford Courant. Jacobs, better than anyone in recent memory, sums up the whole mess of the newspaper industry in 1,200 words or less. “Some day, the big dailies will figure out a way to maximize revenue from the same information superhighway that is threatening to make road kill out of us,” Jacobs wrote, “maybe find a way to charge a nickel or a dime for each story called up and link the number of hits to advertising revenue. Unfortunately that day won’t arrive soon enough to save many of us.”

Jacobs probably knows that few, if any, readers are going to get out the Kleenex for the downsized scribes. Shots, in fact, will go as far as to say some of the trimming might actually be for the better. And let’s face it, the old Inked Stained Wretches could have prevented some of this about a decade ago if they had started making the move to the Web back then.

Still, when you read a Jacobs-type piece and start to think about what it is we’re losing, you start to realize that everyone is losing something in this whole mess. Everyone.

• It’s looking more and more like the Globe’s SportsPlus show will be going to a nightly format sometime after the first of the year. That will be a welcome change to a promising show that often gets caught with some outdated analysis because of its double-taping schedule on Wednesdays.

The format will likely resemble what is done in Philadelphia with the on Daily News Live which airs on Comcast SportsNet from 5-6:30 p.m.

We doubt (or is it fear?) that the NESN entry will be given 90 minutes, but a 60 minute slot isn’t out of the question. Old friend Michael Barkann (the man with a radio studio in his home!) does the hosting in Philly, while Bob Neumeier would be the logical choice to stay on as host here in Boston.

The possibility of new slots opening up for reporters and guests is something we’ll need to keep an eye on. Let’s hope the rapidly rising Paul Devlin is given a larger role – he’s been on a roll lately, as evidenced by his solid Larry Izzo piece earlier this week and some other impressive Pats packages in recent days.

• Michael Silverman and Tony Mazz of the Herald and Gordon Edes gave some good blog this week from the Winter Meetings in Dallas and Edes, especially, seemed to be enjoying the free-flow forum. Winter Meeting type “events” are perfect blogging opportunities and more than a few outlets took advantage of it. Even in New York, where Peter Abraham, a Umie in enemy territory, gave not only blog updates, but also provider reader-email response. And some good humor, including the classic kicker “Thanks for e-mails everybody. Now stop sending me trade suggestions.” Ah yes, the perils of insta-journalism!

• Still trying to figure out what a ‘NOK’ is. Sure am glad the BOS beat those Nokkers on Wednesday night in OK City.

• Whether or not the message will be received by the listeners, you have to credit the conservative-leaning, Massachusetts Citizens for (traditional) Marriage for its demographical understanding and placement at WEEI 850 AM.

Think about your typical ‘EEIdiot – Bud-drinking, gay-bashing, potentially politically active consumers – with at least some disposable income. To grab air time during The Big O’s time slot, the non-profit’s founder, Mrs. Sarah Pawlick (as she’s referred to at the website), is showing an ability to target her Marlborough-based group’s message.

It should, however, be noted, that the spot, first heard by Shots on Monday afternoon, sounded sooooo different from the regular ‘EEI/Big Show ad content we’re accustomed to. For that reason alone it might have grabbed some ears. But we’re not sure how many of those ears have been spotted getting a ballot for anything beyond Bud Bowl XLLX.

Sports and politics have always mixed well in this town, so it’s certainly worth a try.

• Overlooked in Tom He’sGayToGiselle’s Sports Illustrated Sportsman honor, was the fact that the 3,600-word piece was authored by the Worcester Word Warrior himself, Charles P. Pierce.

Like the FCC to Click and Clack, My Buddy Paulie Brookline cringes when he hears it: Pierce never brings anything less than spectacular to SI’s pages.

Pierce, by the way, will have a Brady book published next fall by Farrar, Straus and Giroux. Shots is now officially requesting a review copy of said tome. Capiche?

• In addition to using the word crepuscular with ease, Pierce deftly paints the picture of the perfect quarterback, perfectly perfecting his craft – complete with a Plato analogy that works and some good ole fashioned goat talk.

Some other highlights, Shots plucked for your reading pleasure:

“. . . But you also walk to a place like this one, tucked into the ridges and hillsides south of Boston, looming above a nondescript piece of highway. And you arrive in games like this one, in which the New England Patriots, now nine months into the defense of their third world championship, play the New Orleans Saints, now two months into their first season in San Antonio. The Saints are 2-7. The Patriots, riddled with injuries, are a ragged 5-4. The match is such an obvious mutt that at least one New England television station is carrying another NFL game. The defending champions are playing an orphan game against an orphan team. . .

. . . Perhaps the iconic moment of that (first Super Bowl) season came at the very end of it, after the Patriots’ Super Bowl win over the heavily favored the Rams. Brady, transported by what the team had done, at what he had done, grabbed Bledsoe in a ferocious embrace, but Bledsoe’s face was such a poignant mask of rueful perplexity that the two men seemed to be touching each other from different emotional dimensions. There was an arrival and a departure contained in that moment. Brady quickly turned away from the awkward embrace and put both hands on his head and smiled, his happiness reaching out to all the dark and distant corners of the Superdome, enveloping all his teammates, even the one who had to be left behind. . .”

• Speaking of the gentlemen’s titles with which Shots used to run with, it was good to see old friend, Scott Gramling, the FHM EIC, get a little Track Gals’ love a couple of weeks back. Grambo has maintained his title for an extraordinarily long time (especially in that sector) and he continues to show he’s one of the top magazine minds in all the land.

A MESSAGE FROM MEAT

• The following is an email Shots received last week from WEEI 850 AM’s angry and agitated PeteMeat Sheppard. He asked in his p.s. that I “show some nuts” and keep it between the two of us. I chose not to be so nutsy.

I submit this for your reading pleasure to allow you to understand the mindset of the loudest mouth at ‘EEI and let you decide if this is the type of ‘professional’ that Jason Wolfe, Julie Kahn and the Entercom folks should be employing.

PeteMeat is becoming so shameless in his attempt to push the envelope and play the role of the School Bully, that he is compromising the thinking-listeners’ loyalty to Glenn Ordway’s afternoon gab-a-rama. There IS another choice now, you know? And Mike Felger – if you can grab the signal – is making reasonably good radio over at ESPN Radio Boston 890 AM.

Remember, while you’re reading the email below, that this is the same guy who called into the morning drive, Dennis & Callahan show last week to take issue with a caller (Angry Bill), who was calling out Sheppard for what he perceived to be an attack, by Meater in the PM, on Ted Sarandis a few weeks back. Sheppard name-called and taunted the guy with such Meaty gems as a “turd,” “little weenie” and the following:

“You’re such a fraud no one cares about you. . .I’ll be here long after you believe me. . .You’re a fraud, you have no balls you’re a little weenie. Everybody thinks you’re a laughing stock. . . You’re not good enough to flip burgers. . . You call the big show next time you have some balls. . .Buddy, you name the time and place and I’ll meet you.”

Sheppard almost gives the appearance of someone who is auditioning for one of the slots that might be available with Howard Stern down the road, at Sirius. Maybe by picking fights, raising the decibel a bit and using grade school taunts, Sheppard will advance himself.

But we doubt it. Stern, unlike Wolfie and the Khanster, knows a thing or two about having BOTH style and substance.

I should note, that upon my informing Meat via email that I would be publishing his love-letter-to-Shots, he replied: “Good for you, your 5 readers will enjoy it.”

Shots has also been cautioned by some close, personal advisors, that it’s unwise to start a pissing match with a 50,000-watt-powered-windbag like Sheppard.

Fortunately, since I only have five readers, the worst that could happen is I could lose less than half my audience (Percy the Dog and The Shirl are loyal, as is Meat’s crony, and Shots email buddy, ARS630, or as I like to call him “Arsey”).

Anyway, why would someone as well-established as Meat even care about the writings and comments of a guy with a handful of readers who has “no stones, no nuts” and no chance, we now know, of a Chirstmas card from Di and the Dogs?

And now, for the Meat-mail (subject-headed: “Random thoughts”), presented in its entirety and un-edited so all of Meat’s fellow Connecticut School of Broadcasting spelling and usage mavens will be able to understand it.

(If you’re thinking that perhaps this wasn’t Meat sending the correspondence, Shots is able to confirm that the email address used by Meat in this missive was the same one used in prior communiqués we had in May. The authenticity of the email should not be in question. Unless Tiki and Torch have commandeered the Meat’s Yahoo! account.)

Below the Meat morsel is some explanation from Shots regarding a couple of the things Meat mentions.

Hey David…You phony fraud looking little toad…Normally I don’t read anything you or your little internet buddies write, because you guys are about as significant as pigeon shit…The sad part is you guys know this, you think you make a difference, you think your edgy and keeping people on their toes, but really, your nothing more little nerds who can’t get on the air..That’s fine..You keep doing what you do best with your pathetic in depth analyis of this business which overall you are so clueless about that your speculations are subject for massive humor when we eat lunch everyday, seriously, it’s that far off..The problem I have with a little piss-pot like you, is deep down, you really have no balls..Remember what a fraud you were when you met me over the summer briefly…Remember all the phony ass kissing you did??..Here’s what I’m wondering Davey….Next time you see me around town, why don’t you go out of your way and come up and say hello, we can chat about all the wonderful subjects you address in your coloumn…My guess is, you don’t have the balls…My guess is, if you ever saw me out and about Hull, that you would turn and walk in the other direction…So, here it is, next time you see my out with my friends or my wife and friends, please, feel free to show some stones, and come up and say hello..Many of them would love to tell you what they think of you…You want to be a public figure??..Fine….I’ll make you a public figure…Next time you see me, you can tell me what you think right to my face…Got the balls for it??….You let me know the time and place..I’m only about a mile from your little shanty….You see, incredibly, a couple of my dearest friends read your little coloumn every week, and they e-mail them to me..Personally, I really don’t care what you write about me or anyone else..It will never affect me, my boss, or anyone else who works at the station or at any newspaper…You are not significant, the sooner you learn that the better…Now, remember what I said about the next time you see me out and about Hull..Don’t be a pussy now and run away, come right up to me and say what you write to my face man to man…I still say you don’t have the balls for it….We will see….See you around Hull Davey…Pete . . . p-s try to keep this between us, remember, show some nuts

Shots (aka Davey) responds/clarifies:

“Remember what a fraud you were when you met me over the summer briefly…Remember all the phony ass kissing you did??..”

Sheppard, was indeed, by the grace of some seriously demented G-d, scheduled to move into the other side of the Seaside Shanty, here in Hull, Mass. And I did, indeed, meet him when he came to look at the place on a rainy day in May.

My “ass-kissing,” I suppose, was comprised of introducing myself to Meat and Diane, offering to answer any questions they might have about the house or the landlord, or the ‘hood. In a follow-up email, I even offered my services to help him move in or hang pictures. Real neighborly kind of stuff that I suppose could be interpreted as “ass-kissing.” More likely it was just me being a friendly sort who would prefer not have an adversarial relationship with the guy who shares a building and a roof.

And just how highly must someone think of themselves to infer from a two minute conversation (and a subsequent email exchange) that the other person is “ass-kissing?” If I’m not mistaken, ass-kissing is usually reserved for the very wealthy or the very famous. Since we met in Hull and were discussing a rental property, I’m guessing no one standing outside the shanty on that day qualified as either.

What good would actually come from the almost-unmentionable task of kissing the Meat’s ass? A regular spot on the Whiner Line? Wendy’s gift certificates from the station? An autographed picture of the Big O?

The deal that had Meat and Shots sharing a common roof, eventually fell through, and Pete, Diane, Tiki and Torch decided to take another place in Hull. An awkward living arrangement was avoided, to say the least. And for that, I was quite happy.

However, in an odd twist, the moving company that wound up transporting Sheppard’s belongings from the North End was still under the impression that Sheppard was moving into the other side of the Shanty. When those confused college-aged movers arrived on Shots’ porch, I even went out of my way to try and get in touch with Meat and let him know his possessions were mis-routed. I offered help to the movers and even put them in touch with my landlord who assured them that Meat was not moving in because he, the landlord, was already living there!

I suppose, in retrospect, that too was ass-kissing, as well. Or maybe I’m just a regular guy trying to help out a fellow regular guy and hoping to ensure that his belongings actually get to his new abode. Semantics, right Pete? Ass-kisser or general do-gooder – you make the call.

“please, feel free to show some stones, and come up and say hello..Many of them would love to tell you what they think of you…You want to be a public figure??..Fine….I’ll make you a public figure…Next time you see me, you can tell me what you think right to my face…Got the balls for it??….Don’t be a pussy now and run away, come right up to me and say what you write to my face man to man…I still say you don’t have the balls for it….We will see. . . Don’t be a pussy now and run away, come right up to me and say what you write to my face man to man…I still say you don’t have the balls for it….We will see”

Ordinarily, I don’t approach people who give the impression of threatening me and offer to make me “a public figure.” The prospect of a fistfight or ugly public shouting match isn’t what I look for when I’m getting the morning paper, a muffin and coffee at Weinberg’s. But that’s just me.

If Pete would like to confront each and every one of his detractors and attempt to show his physical prowess, I’ll be glad to get in line behind any number of those folks.

If I were to run into Meat in or around Hull, I suppose I could go up and say hello again. If he really wants me to tell him, face-to-face, that it’s my belief that he’s loud, overbearing and often times obnoxious and ignorant, I suppose I could facilitate that request as well. But what would that accomplish? His job would still be to be loud and opinionated and my avocation would still be to comment on that behavior and give MY opinion. It’s called media criticism and it’s part of the job description when you are given 20-plus hours of airtime each week.

More likely, however, if I met Meat on a Hull street, I’d nod to him, acknowledge his presence and walk by.

It’s America and opinions are like a-holes, right Pete?

Which reminds me, how often do you approach and mingle with the athletes or personalities you regularly rip? I mean, I know you called in to blast Angry Bill last week during “Dennis and Callahan,” but what about some of the athletes, coaches and management that you have chided? Are you up for some discourse with all those people, too? It could make for busy off-hours for you, I suppose.

“. . . which overall you are so clueless about that your speculations are subject for massive humor when we eat lunch everyday, seriously, it’s that far off..The problem I have with a little piss-pot like you, is deep down, you really have no balls”

A “piss-pot” with “no balls.” Precious. Again, I’d be interested to see the reaction by a multi-million dollar corporation like Entercom upon hearing that one of their personalities is choosing to address a local sports media critic (with an estimated five readers) in such a fashion. The lack of decorum and professionalism is simply astounding. Shocking even. Disagreeing with criticism is one thing; making written threats with any number of undertones is quite another.

(Shots would have asked ‘EEI bigwigs, Jason Wolfe and Julie Kahn about their thoughts on employee conduct, but neither have ever replied to a request from this address, so we didn’t waste our time. Evidently, they are not two of our five readers.)

Put it this way, Shots has been contacted by dozens of the local media folks since this space started some 30 months ago. Some have been angry with what I wrote, some have been perplexed and others have praised it (yes, even people at ‘EEI, Meat). But never have any of those Professionals attacked us so angrily and with such a lack of common respect. None – not one – gave the hint that they’d like to do bodily harm. And none, that I can recall (not even Michael Gee), called me a ball-less “piss-pot” (although Gee did mention a testicle necklace of some sort).

Have I been critical of Sheppard and others at WEEI? Absolutely. Will I continue to be? No doubt. I have both praised ‘EEI’s numbers and popularity and I have criticized its content and its management. I have been as fair and balanced as one, small, trying-to-get-bigger, “blog” can be. If my “kill-to-praise” ratio has been a bit front heavy, maybe it’s for the same reason Pete gets his points across: I’ve raised my voice a few times. Amped up the verbiage a bit.

But has any of that criticism merited such an angry attack as the above email would seem to suggest? You tell me. Maybe I’m missing something. Maybe ‘EEI wants to intimidate everyone into submission and Meat’s their messenger. Nice business plan, Entercom.

If this guy were the No. 1 personality at the station, it might be somewhat understandable. But he’s not. Not even close. He’s a glorified Flash Guy who should be counting his blessings that the trend in local, sports talk radio is for loud, brash and boisterous. His act would last about a week in the New York market and maybe slightly longer in any other major, metropolitan city. Being the loudest just doesn’t cut it everywhere. In Boston, at this moment in time, for some odd reason, it does.

Still, at some point, you’ve got to be able to have genuine discourse and self-effacing moments of levity. It’s sports, not war, folks.

You’ve got to be able to entertain and inform not just scream and bully. Instead, Meat bellows “you’re a gutless turd,” to a caller like Angry Bill (a flawed character though he may be). Or questions my manhood for daring to comment on the daily offerings from the region’s sports talk leader. The sooner Sheppard understands he can’t fight everyone that says a disparaging word about him and that such threats make him (and his employers) look thin-skinned, juvenile and borderline psycho – the sooner Boston sports talk radio can move forward. Instead of the backward direction Sheppard now tugs it with each afternoon of work in the booth.

• Wow – that’s a lot of Meat right there on that plate. But an email like that can’t go unanswered. Not from this seat, anyway. Not when we’re dealing with an adult bully with a big ego and false sense of invincibility.

And now, back to more enjoyable topics:

Shots’ Field Trip Through College Hoops Country:

Last weekend, the Scott’s Shots Caravan headed south for a weekend of high, high major; mid, mid-major; and regular, mid-major college hoops. Beginning at the Mecca of college hoops on Saturday at noon, we caught: Drexel fall to LaSalle at the Palestra; Villanova vanquish Oklahoma at The Pavilion and finally, on Sunday, the undefeated and receiving votes, Iona Gaels, beat the gritty Catamounts of UVM.

If that doesn’t sound like Heaven on a Stick to you, feel free to scroll down to the next single-bulleted item below.

The rest of us are gonna revel in the glory of college ball for 1500 words or so.

We’re going semi-chronologically here, but mostly we’re just deciphering the chicken scratch from our Staples-purchased. Roaring Spring mini legal pad, made, it needs to be noted, in Roaring Springs, PA:

•• The Drexel band was kind enough to play the theme from Rocky with 15:15 left until tip-off of the Drexel contest – the first of the day’s throwback, single admission, double-header at the Palestra (Penn fell to Temple in the daycap). In fact, the second game started a tad bit early (prior to the scheduled 2:30 start) as to, we assume, allow everyone ample time to be in position for the 5 p.m. ‘Nova tip.

•• The throng of NBA scouts in attendance – we got numbers between 26 (at the Palestra where Explorer Steven Smith convinced quite a few of ‘em of his protential) and 40 at the Pavilion (where no fewer than five NBA-level kids were on the floor at one time or another).

Shots thought ‘Nova’s Kyle Lowry was the best of any of the NBA hopefuls auditioning last week in Philly Proper and on the Main Line. He’s a sophomore for crying out loud. But Oklahoma’s Taj Gray could have the most up-side, especially with potential all-interview-team, Coach, Kelvin Sampson, pushing the buttons. Sampson was, perhaps, the happiest losing coach in the history of college basketball. He could STILL, this very day, be standing near the press room answering questions and it wouldn’t surprise us one bit.

Sampson wasn’t phased at all by the game being held in the on-campus Pavilion other than it deprived him of the chance to play at The Palestra: “I wanted to coach in two buildings – Madison Square Garden and the Palestra. I got MSG, but I’m still waiting on the Palestra,” said Sampson, who paused at one point during his post-presser, presser to shake the hand of exiting Villanova guard, Mike Nardi and say: “I like your team, man. Good luck.”

He also reminded us that the year his squad went to the Final Four (2002), they had played a similar contest at Michigan State and lost. “This is a win-win game. This game will help our guys come March.”

Indeed, the ‘loss’ only dropped Oklahoma three spots in the coaches’ poll, as they remained a Top 10 team. Nice to see a coach with that kind of perspective. Refreshing even.

•• There was a tie for “Best Media Game Notes” nugget of the weekend: From Oklahoma, we got answers to the OU Player Poll. Typical and atypical questions like ‘Who’s the best video game player?’ and ‘Who’s the biggest trash talker?’. About two-thirds of the way down comes the question, ‘Who has the most girlfriends?’ The answers look like this Everett (9), Carter (2), Bookout (1). But after further investigation, we realized the parenthetical number wasn’t the actual number of girlfriends for each player, but the amount of teammates who voted that person as the category’s leader.

But with a game like Terrell Everett’s, we kind of think one shy of double-digits might be just about right.

And, from the Iona notes, a gem compiled by ex-Gael Media Relations guru (and current Marquette Lady Warrior publicity man) Mike Laprey, who discovered, via an informal poll of all 326 D-I SIDs, that Iona’s Steve Burtt, Sr. and Jr., are the all-time leading father and son scoring duo in NCAA history with almost 4,000 points between them. Other familiar names on the list include: The Ferrys, The Barrys, the Collins, the Szczerbiaks, the Waltons, the Dunleavys and the Bibbys. The only other duo with an active son playing, form the list, is Brendan Winters (Davidson) and South Carolina’s Brian Winters (1971-74).

•• The Big Five is celebrating its 50th Anniversary and Hall of Fame Dinner on Friday, January 27, 2006 at the “cathedral.” We’re thinking about toying with the idea of heading back down, but we might just wait for the above-linked documentary to fill our needs. So much so, that we’re linking it again and wishing the film’s producers all the best of luck.

•• Within about ten minutes of entering the building, I safely determined that I was born about 15 years too late and in the wrong suburb of the wrong urban area. Yeah, I agree, the Garden was a treat and I’ll never trade any of those early memories. But the Palestra, man? Come on – it’s a college hoops den that would put The Cage to shame. (Not that Curry Hicks has anything to be ashamed of – it’s just an indication of the Power of the Palestra.)

•• LaSalle, and former Maine coach Dr. John Giannini, are on the uptick or “relevant again” as Andy Katz surmised for ESPN.com, and part of the relevance is the play of waterbug guard, 5-8, Richard “Tabby” Cunningham.

•• Shots’ unsung writer of the weekend award goes to Jennifer Wielgus of the Bucks County Courier Times . Great lead, tight gamer and good use of the quotes she brought forth during the presser.

•• One-time Shots FOX NewsChannel foil (and shouting partner), Howard Eskin, was in the postgame presser wearing a loud and proud Eagles jacket. Something about a loser in loser’s gear came to mind, but then I remembered that I already have one unstable radio personality making a bee-line for me. I probably shouldn’t provoke any others.

•• Drexel’s manager emeritus and No. 1 Fan, Calvin Hicks, was in fine fiddle on Saturday afternoon with his shrill shrieks of DEEEEEEE-FEEEEEEEEENCE emanating from behind the Drexel bench. Calvin and Dragon assistant Tony Chiles were apparently visiting the same tailor as both did the blue on blue ensemble with the blue ties. Chiles, for the record, was the slimmer, more handsome fella promoting the virtues of truth well into the late Saturday evening/early Sunday morn. Once on the side of truth, ALWAYS on the side of the truth . . The rest of the Drexel staff – many of whom had once drank the Gatorade at Billy Bayno’s old Amherst digs (or heard stories thereof), refused to come out and see Shots. The list includes Colonel Mustard (another sartorially splendid chap), BG, Brian Gorman; Mikey Mike Connors and Our Babul, Mike.

In all fairness, the Dragons were an exhausted lot after a brutal non-conference run-up, but the fact remains that Gorman specifically instructed Chiles to “Keep Dave Scott out of the city limits.” Hater.

•• Speaking of the Old Days – Coach Cal and Pals are back this weekend for a match-up with the struggling Friars of Providence College at The Dunk. The combined level of shadiness in suits on the two benches will be historic – and we say that affectionately. The Tigers, pubbed eloquently by the multi-talented Tar Heel, Lamar Chance, should make short work of the undermanned Friars.

•• And then there are the other Old Days – the ones Shots spent in Westchester County, hard by the MetroNorth rails and just a bounce-pass from Iona’s fabled Mulcahy Center where Jeff Ruland’s Gaels stand at 6-0 and are poised for the Big Man’s career-making season.

New additions to the Gaels’ Den include a full 20-strong dance team that is the mid-major equivalent of the old Cincy Bearcat Dancers squads of the early 90s. Head Gael Media Relations guy, Brian Beyrer, was kind enough to give Shots preferred seating at the midcourt line, a perfect viewing area for sports of all sorts. . . Also still dancing around the Gym That Valvano Built, is JB Buono, the Trainer Emeritus of the Gaels who once taped the ankles of Ruland as a player. JB is aging well – like a fine scotch – and his pants from 1973 are still, remarkably, in one piece, somehow resistant to both moths and cleaning detergent. The Old Man – who legend says once may have had a social dalliance or two with Ava Braun – is a piece of Gael history now and forever. A treasure might be stretching it, but a character would be undervaluing the guy. YeahhhMannnnnnnn. . . The Catamounts came out for pre-game warm-ups to chants of “You’re ALL White,” from the hungover, Iona student section. In fact, Vermont is NOT all white. But pretty damn close. . . AP’s Jim O’Connell made it to the Mulcahy for the afternoon tilt – he too was at ‘Nova the night before along with AK47, Andy Katz and the No. 1 ESPN team of Dan Schulman, Doris Burke and Dick Vitale. . . Ruland’s Gaels are at Louis Orr’s Seton Hall Pirates on New Year’s Eve Day at noon, and it’s already being billed by some as an audition piece for Ruland. Orr is in trouble in the swamps of Jersey and Ruland, with a 20-win season, could become a hot, Metropolitan, commodity, the same way Bobby Gonzalez was two seasons ago. . . December 23, Ruland takes the Gaels to Kentucky for a match-up with Tubby Smith’s Wildcats. The Gaels will be battle-tested and Tourney-ready come March.

••Here we go: The gussying up and pimping of the Final Four has begun in earnest.

•• Jeff Goodman’s ACC basketball notebook (found this week in Monday’s Herald) is quickly becoming must-reading for any college hoops fan. Goodman gets it and that will mean good things for the Herald’s understaffed college hoops ‘department.’

•• Team Green State’s outstanding PR man, Bruce Bosley, was good enough to update us on the whereabouts of last year’s feel-good stories of the Catamounts: Taylor Coppenrath is with AEK Athens and TJ Sorrentine (The Kid who hit The Shot vs. Syracuse) is with Banca Nouva Trapani in Italy’s Lega II.

Bravo.

•• On more things from up Ben and Jerry way: Coach Tom Brennan’s debut on ESPN’s college basketball coverage this past Wednesday was a rousing success, as we knew it would be. Brennan was at ease, comfortable and full of insight and analysis. Even when his ear piece fell out early in the evening, the ex-UVM mentor and still-AM-radio-in-Burlington host, pushed through as though nothing were wrong.

Teamed with always solid, Doug Gottlieb, later in the evening, the duo meshed nicely with good levity and super play-breakdowns. Brennan will only get better, of course, but his starting point is so far in front of most ex-coaches that he will write his own ticket for many, many years to come.

A Star, we should note, is born.

•• Shots got some time sitting next to former BC head hoops coach, Bob Zuffelato (a Torrington, Conn. native), at the Villanova/Oklahoma dandy last weekend. Zuffelato is now head scout for the Toronto Raptors and needs to be given some credit for believing in former Husky, Charlie Villanueva, ho has had a nice rookie start on an overall, awful team.

• Some other work this week allowed for some catching up with retired USA Today sports media critic, the irreplaceable Rudy Martzke. Martzke has found retirement to his liking down in Florida and in addition to consulting work (hear that Bill Griffith?), Martzke is also on the Capital One Bowl committee, where his alma mater, Wisconsin, will face Auburn in an intriguing, if not lopsided, match-up.

• Speaking of the Cap One extravaganza Smiling Sam the Minuteman is soliciting votes to be the Mascot of the Year in a battle with Herbie Husker.

I suppose it’s all Umies’ patriotic duty to vote for the oversized, overstuffed soldier, but really, how is it that our Mascot plays big time football while our football team wallows at 1-AA?

• Anyone have the heart to tell the Globe and Bob Duffy that the Rammer, Jammer, Yellow Hammer review they did last Sunday was on a book that has been out for no less than a year? It’s been in paperback for months. Are they trying to tell us there aren’t enough recent books to review? I’d beg to differ.

That entire “On Further Review,” Sunday addition has been largely a waste of space. It’s like watching the nerds get drunk for the first time at college: they’re so awkward and clumsy with everything they do, you kind of forget to give them credit for cutting loose at long last. It’s painful to watch the Globe try and get “trendy” and fail miserably with almost every effort.

• How about this breakdown of Bill Parcells from last week’s Sunday NYT and David Leonhardt? The numbers are staggering, eh? And I’m a Tuna guy.

How about this kicker from it: But he is 64 years old, and the Cowboys are potentially the last team he will lead. The most interesting part of their stretch run this season may be the chance it gives their coach to emerge from Belichick’s shadow, as odd a notion as that once would have been.

• Shots’ fave, the NY Post’s Mike Vaccaro, appeared with Stephen I Need A. Bodyguard or Two Smith on Wednesday and Vacs actually displayed the rare ability to make the show watchable. His Mets breakdown and Yankees assessment were – GASP! – lucid and rational. Vacs said the “culture of winning” with the Yankees still gives the Steinbrenners the advantage as the city’s best team – but that it’s closer than it has been in a long time.

• Maybe it’s just me, but all these rumors and scenarios of Winter Meetings time, bug the crap out of me. Show me the baby, I don’t need to see the process.

• Shots will be heading down south on a combo biz/pleasure trip to the Tampa-area next week. Because of that, we will be preempted next week – unless, of course, Meat shows up at the Shanty demanding a loser-leaves-town Sumo Match at the A Street Pier. In which case, we’ll pay-per-view the event and alert all of you to its occurrence.

Otherwise, think warm thoughts and know that Shots will be thinking of you while he’s gone.

David Scott writes from a seaside shanty on the shores of Hull, Mass. and can be reached at shots@bostonsportsmediadotcom