Rivals Radio

[y0yoyoin]

glad hes back...i listen to his show every morning on my way to work

 

[matcar]

As of a couple weeks ago, Bill King is no longer working for Rivals. Today he started his new radio show for 247 Sports. It is on the same channel (Sirius 122, and XM maybe 143 or something), and at the same time (7:00-10:00 Eastern). I expect that it will be the same show as it was when it was Rivals Radio. In my opinion, he has by far the best national sports radio show. New phone number. New email address. Same Twitter. I'd imagine that there will be streaming audio of the show somewhere, too.

His sidekicks, Chris Childers and Jason Ogg, are still doing the Rivals Blitz from 10:00 to noon.

Well, there will have to be SOME changes as he frequently had Rivals folks on for recruiting pieces. I'm going to guess that guys like Farrell will be replaced with local/beat guys who are working for the growing 247 website families. (If there ARE any local/beat guys who work for these 247 websites as reporters).

 

[redbenn]

It looks like 247 sports is just CFB recruiting. I wonder if he will dabble in other college sports like Rivals Radio. Did he touch on this today?

Agree that this is my favorite sports show on the radio. He does a great job of not showing bias, and buying into fanatical callers (unlike the Finebaum show).

He'll probably keep Phil Steele on Fridays, but not sure who else.

 

[Zurp]

Well, there will have to be SOME changes as he frequently had Rivals folks on for recruiting pieces. I'm going to guess that guys like Farrell will be replaced with local/beat guys who are working for the growing 247 website families. (If there ARE any local/beat guys who work for these 247 websites as reporters).

Good point. I hadn't thought of that. But aside from the specific guests on his show, I'm hoping and guessing that the show will remain the same as it was.

It looks like 247 sports is just CFB recruiting. I wonder if he will dabble in other college sports like Rivals Radio. Did he touch on this today?

Agree that this is my favorite sports show on the radio. He does a great job of not showing bias, and buying into fanatical callers (unlike the Finebaum show).

He'll probably keep Phil Steele on Fridays, but not sure who else.

He talked about college basketball a bunch today. As far as recruiting goes, I can't see this being much of a change. It sounds like Sirius and/or XM wanted him and what he does. They didn't care if it was Rivals or 247 or an elephant with too many peanuts. They'll likely let him do what he does. (That's just my own guesses.)

Unless Rivals/Yahoo has some deal with Phil Steele, I think he'll remain a guest on Bill King's show. I think the only changes will be that instead of talking to the people with Rivals websites, he'll find people with other websites.

 

[matcar]

Good point. I hadn't thought of that. But aside from the specific guests on his show, I'm hoping and guessing that the show will remain the same as it was.



He talked about college basketball a bunch today. As far as recruiting goes, I can't see this being much of a change. It sounds like Sirius and/or XM wanted him and what he does. They didn't care if it was Rivals or 247 or an elephant with too many peanuts. They'll likely let him do what he does. (That's just my own guesses.)

Unless Rivals/Yahoo has some deal with Phil Steele, I think he'll remain a guest on Bill King's show. I think the only changes will be that instead of talking to the people with Rivals websites, he'll find people with other websites.

I agree with all of this. I think King is fairly well respected by those who listen to him. Some have said that, because there is a base in Tennessee and it's Rivals (or was Rivals) that there's a southern/SEC bias, but I don't hear it that way when I listen. He seems pretty fair and frankly is just obviously a CFB fan/honk. Just loves the whole world of college football.

I tend to think that Steele will still be on the show and that King will likely find several other non-Rivals folks to call in. Steele is awesome anyway so I hope he's able to keep him as a regular participant.

Maybe if Herbie moves to Tenn he'll be on the show too (I know that doesn't make anyone here happy anymore...)

 

[OSU_Buckguy]

In my opinion, he has by far the best national sports radio show.

king is an unbiased professional. he caters to no conference and calls it like he sees it.

whenever i hear finebaum, though, i immediately turn the station. i doubt i've listened to more than 30 consecutive seconds of his show.

 

[Zurp]

I agree with all of this. I think King is fairly well respected by those who listen to him. Some have said that, because there is a base in Tennessee and it's Rivals (or was Rivals) that there's a southern/SEC bias, but I don't hear it that way when I listen. He seems pretty fair and frankly is just obviously a CFB fan/honk. Just loves the whole world of college football.

king is an unbiased professional. he caters to no conference and calls it like he sees it.

When you get one caller accuse him of being biased toward the SEC, and then the next caller accuse him of hating the SEC, I think it's proof that he really isn't biased. He talks about the SEC being the best football conference because he really believes it is. But did you hear at the beginning of last year when he said that the top 4 Big Ten teams would go 3-1 against the top 4 SEC teams? I'm surprised the south didn't try to secede, again.

whenever i hear finebaum, though, i immediately turn the station. i doubt i've listened to more than 30 consecutive seconds of his show.

I agree, though I can listen to him for more than 30 seconds. To his credit, though, he doesn't even pretend to be unbiased. He is admittedly an Alabama fan and an SEC fan, and makes no apologies for it. Also, there was a time at the beginning of the football season when Mike Leach (he was on the show right before Paul Finebaum) said Ohio State was the best team in the country. At the time, Alabama was still #1, and Paul Finebaum got loaded with calls trashing Mike Leach for such a stupid comment. Paul defended Mike Leach, basically saying that it was Mike Leach's opinion and he's entitled to it. I thought that was pretty cool of him.

But yeah - not a very good national college sports show.

 

[matcar]

When you get one caller accuse him of being biased toward the SEC, and then the next caller accuse him of hating the SEC, I think it's proof that he really isn't biased. He talks about the SEC being the best football conference because he really believes it is. But did you hear at the beginning of last year when he said that the top 4 Big Ten teams would go 3-1 against the top 4 SEC teams? I'm surprised the south didn't try to secede, again.



I agree, though I can listen to him for more than 30 seconds. To his credit, though, he doesn't even pretend to be unbiased. He is admittedly an Alabama fan and an SEC fan, and makes no apologies for it. Also, there was a time at the beginning of the football season when Mike Leach (he was on the show right before Paul Finebaum) said Ohio State was the best team in the country. At the time, Alabama was still #1, and Paul Finebaum got loaded with calls trashing Mike Leach for such a stupid comment. Paul defended Mike Leach, basically saying that it was Mike Leach's opinion and he's entitled to it. I thought that was pretty cool of him.

But yeah - not a very good national college sports show.

Finebaum is basically just a nationaly syndicated Bama show though...so I can't be upset. He's really catering to that audience, but has managed to get on satellite so he's national. So for the most part, he's just doing his job. The problem with Finebaum is that he's really got a large local following and doesn't seem to have much desire for call screening - so every local bumpkin idiot is calling in and there's no filter. ...but that seems to be the way he wants it....caller driven drivel where Finebaum can play the somewhat level-headed straight man.

 

[buckeyesin07]

whenever i hear finebaum, though, i immediately turn the station. i doubt i've listened to more than 30 consecutive seconds of his show.

I agree. Unless every five seconds you find your mind wandering to the thought that, "SEC Rulez!!!!!" you won't like his show much.

 

[matcar]

This thread probably deserves a title change since it's now called "247's Sports Radio's On Campus with Bill King". In any event, when I was listening this morning, he did, in fact, have some 247 local beat writer from the Tampa region on the phone talking local recruiting. So, I suppose this is going exactly as one would expect with a new set of recruiting guys contributing. Seemed fine to me. It will be interesting to see if 247 gains traction. They have several local sites up, but still relatively few compared to Scout, Rivals etc.

Meanwhile, they did also talk some college basketball when I was listening. So while the focus is largely football, there does seem to be some bball thrown in too.

 

[y0yoyoin]

who is this new co-host with bill? from the bits and pieces ive heard it sounds like the guy doesnt know anything

 

[BuckPhin]

who is this new co-host with bill? from the bits and pieces ive heard it sounds like the guy doesnt know anything

From what I've heard, his nickname is 'JT'. He's got a tough gig trying to replace Jason Og as producer. Also, it doesn't look like Phil Steele will be on the 247, as I heard him on Rivals Radio Blitz later in the morning.

 

[Zurp]

Also, it doesn't look like Phil Steele will be on the 247, as I heard him on Rivals Radio Blitz later in the morning.

King mentioned Phil Steele this morning. I didn't quite get it - maybe I was zoned out. But I got the impression that there some conflict last Friday. But he'll be a regular with Bill King, again.

 

[matcar]

I know this post won't necessarily please anyone, but when I was listening this morning, they had Steve Helwagon from Bucknuts on there. Sounds like they will be joining 247 as the tOSU affiliate next week.

Naturally, they had Steve on there to talk about the Yahoo report. Like the rest of us, Steve is in the dark about it so he didn't have much to offer other than the typical speculation.