It does seem appropriate that Glenn Ordway, who forged a lucrative sports radio career from an uncanny ability to orchestrate an argument, will have an opportunity to have the last word.
After 27 years at WEEI, including 18 as host of some incarnation of “The Big Show,’’ Friday marks his final day at the station he helped build into a sports-radio powerhouse beginning in the mid-1990s. Ordway, 62, was fired Wednesday, the victim of declining ratings, a high salary, and whether he recognizes it or not, his own hubris.
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Great news, hopefully it will be a lesson for all the other hosts. I believe it is called talk radio because there is supposed to be a conversation between the caller and the host and not just a monologue by the hosts.
Actually, it's called talk radio to differentiate it from music, news, and script driven radio.
Interestingly, I was a participant at the now much talked about focus group, and one of the key takeaways was that the group wanted to hear less from the callers and more from the hosts.
It was clear by the questions that WEEI was looking to oust Ordway. We particpants were mostly against such an idea (most of our feedback was that the biggest problem was the change of format away from the rotating guests). But it was clear they had thier mind made up, it seems the foucs group opinion didn't mean anything to them in this regard.
What was also clear was that they really are looking at changing the morning show. Most of the group thought Callahan was the problem on the morning show, but based on thier questions, it appears Dennis will be the first to go. What's funniest to me in all of this is that Mutnanski, the WORST host on all of sports radio, still has a job through all of this.
The firing of Glenn Ordway is only the first change at the struggling WEEI. While Glen waspompous he pales in comparison to Denis and Callahan. Those 2 are responsible for the exodus more than anything. The fact that Jason Wolf allowed them to rant endlessly about politics on a sports format is his ticket also out the door. If they have decided to clean house then surely those three are nex. i would love to see a mid day show with Steve Buckley and Dale Arnold for starters. The always have the utmost respect for the callers and provide expert knowledge of the Boston sports scene. One other comment Do people know that Gerry Callahan is really a very nice guy that cares about everyone and that his on air persoona as a real jerk does not represent who he is in real life. Too bad Gerry just be himself when in fron of the microphone and show the listners who he really is.
IT'S NOT HARD. Simply eliminate two letters in the alphabet; D & C.
And another combined with a little math: M to the third power. And I don't mean Michael .
Glen Ordway is a clown and the fool most responsible for the dumbing down of sports talk radio in Boston. It is a joke and he is the reason. Bombastic idiotic screaming and laughing at childish attacks is what passes for talk these days. I'm so happy he has been fired and I gleefully await the same for Dennis and Callahan those two knuckle draggers who should crawl off and wilt in their own ignorance. Felfer and Massorati should tone down the sophmoric antics or they will meet the same fate. Anyone with a brain out there?
What amazes me about the downfall of 'EEI is that the Sports Hub has surpassed them while barely having competent on air talent, It speaks volumes as to just how bad 'EEI has gotten. At least Holly and Ordway are up against actual sports talk in Felger and Mazz, their ratings loss is understandable. But D&C can't even muster a ratings victory over 98.5's morning team; a show that follows FM pop music DJ/Shock Jock Frat Boy banter while masquerading as a sports talk show. The fact that the 98.5 clown posse is beating D&C shows how much 'EEI's once core audience couldn't stand the two blowhards and couldn't wait to jump ship. That ship was 98.5, but they're winning by default, not on merit.
As for Ordway, good riddance, he was only slightly less obnoxious than D&C. Here's hoping things work out for Holley (likeable, talented and knowledgeable) and his new partner.
All the weeping tributes to Ordway are a joke. A friend of mine was interning at channel 7 years ago and was assigned to cover a Celtics breakup dinner in the North End. He asked Ordway, then the color guy with Johnny Most, if he could ask him a couple of questions about the broadcasting business. Ordway replied as he brushed by him, "Get lost kid, I'm having dinner with the Celtics." Real classy guy. As for D&C, let Dennis be the next to go. I can't take his finishing sentences for people, or supplying "just the right word" anymore.
So one comment by Ordway to a person interrupting his dinner 25 years ago is enough evidence to you that he's a jerk? I guess you hold grudges.... And I'm sure he didn't say "get lost kid...".
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Ordway just lost his fastball over the past few years. The other thing helping Felger and Masseroti is being simalcast on CSN. Those two sound like a spin off of Wayne's World.
Eddie Andelman was funny and entertaining. Guy Mainella was insightful and had style. Cliff and Claff had a unique parochial understanding and appreciation for local sports, and were amusingly outspoken. Bob Lobel was the waggish, smart aleck boy next door who was always fun to listen to. All of them were great and enjoyable to listen to. But like Glenn Ordway they all had a shelf life that eventually expired. In the words of the immortal Counting Crows, “Don't it always seem to go. That you don't know what you've got til it’s gone. They paved paradise, and put up a parking lot.” Sports talk radio in Boston is turning into a parking lot.
Counting Crows??? Joni Mitchell, please...
Counting Crows? Dope.
Joni Mitchell wrote that line in her song "Big Yellow Taxi" It was not the immortal Counting Crows at all.
I liked Ordway with Holley. And I like D&C. Let's face it, Callahan and Holley are the stars on EEI. Hope they can be pared with interesting people.
Callahan is absolutely horrible.
For all that Glenn Ordway has done to architect the current state of sports radio (locally and nationally, historic ratings success, career merging of print, tv, radio, internet, tree of talented industry personalities tied to his show on WEEI), these pieces are justified - even if it pains Chad Finn and others like him to write them. What's obnoxious is the way the writers pat themselves on the back for ultimately predicting the downfall. A broken clock is right twice a day. And a media critic will ultimately be correct. Everything ends. And the bottom line is that it worked - and it worked incredibly successfully and it is being copied all over the country. And as much as it pains the media critics to accept this - just get over it.
Actually, generally, only a broken clock can be right twice a day; and, again generally, only an analog one at that.
IndulgeMe hit the nail on the head. Andelman was rude and ruthless, Ordway brought Sports radio to a new level assisted by the success of Boston teams. EEI was notorious for being rude to callers, quick to cut them off or blow them up (some deservedly so) but overall it was a yelling match. If you don;t agree with the hosts your simply a jerk. 98.5 picked up on this right away, they take calls but are careful not to spit all over them, a la Fred Smerlas- DeOssie etc; To the point where someone at EEI must have picked up on it because EEI backed off their nastiness abit lately. Competition is good, the hubris of EEI got to them, 98.5 does a pretty good job, they definetely avoided some of EEI's pitfalls, so far?
Warchild is correct. I stopped listening after DeOssie and Smerlas started going overboard, ridiculing people and talking about stuffing people in lockers etc. 2 guys who won the gene pool and think they were important.
Years ago Sean McDonough wanted to "raise the bar." That's what listeners wanted when they left 'EEI. McDonough's station didn't have the wattage to compete. By the time 98.5 came around many listeners were so fed up they were ready for any alternative. I think 'EEI just stopped listening while they were talking.
Honestly to me the Big Show since adding Holley was probably the best of the sports shows around which tells you how bad sports radio is in this town. Some of it is downright unlistenable when those clowns like Minnehan and that goofy beat writer for the sox come on the radio i have to shut it off. Dale Arnold is really really hard to listen to, Mike Adams act is old and awful, Mutt and Merloni are average at best. The worst on the station though is D&C how these buffoons have kept a show is beyond me, they actually laugh at people who want to talk about sports and not politics. I have turned on to national sports radio because 98.5 is just as bad if not worse. That DA show that was on 98.5 made Mike Adams seem like a good alternative that is hard to do.
D&C have an excellent show in the morning. Some may disagree with their politics but their show covers topics beyond sports that make people think a little. From the beginning they said that their show was going to be more than just sports. They've stuck to that. The 98.5 morning show appeals to a MUCH younger demographic, and that's fine, but I find it more sophmoric than thoughtful.
Someone said it above: everybody has a shelf-life. Ordway had a great run and should be commended for that. He's going out with class and dignity, with no negative comments. Judging from some of the vitriol spewed in these comments, not too many people have the same sense of class.
We can argue all day as to whether D&C present an excellent show or not, it doesn't matter, their ratings have been trending downward for quite sometime and they'll be gone soon enough. Callahan's tendency to make like Mr. Potter from "It's a Wonderful Life" while sounding more like he was working for a Fox News affiliate than a sports station has not served him well. It's a turn off and most do not want to hear it. Same goes for the golf talk the two of them can't steer clear of. Yawn.
Ordway did all he could to hang on. After 98.5 told him to pound sand when he interviewed there when they first stared there move to the top, he knew the clock was ticking. taking a pay cut at eei was the only reason he hung on as long as he did. Johny Most is laughing from above, even harder than Ordaway did very disrespectfully at Johny over the airwaves during celtics ballgames.
To even mention this guy with the likes of Cliif & Claff, Guy M. and the sports huddle group is insane. the big show with fred and steve was shuld have been called "3 fat bastards talking over each other". eddie a. was right all along. Ordway was bad news.
Eddie A. was right all along??? Ordway was bad news??? How is Ordway drving ratings gold for 15+ years bad news? Even if it was time for him to go now, he wasn't bad news if he made WEEI a national radio giant for a decade and a half. Eddie A was a terrible terrible host.
Ordway had a brilliant run and then he got old. Old guys in sports get pushed out. Old guys in talk radio get pushed out too. Someday Felger and Mazz and Holley will get old and they'll get a bullet too. It's the way of the world, part of the great circle of life. I loved Guy Mainella too and eventually he got old, the station wanted to cater to the younger target demographic, and he was gone. It's not a tragedy. Ordway had a great run, much much better than most.
Funny how not enough is said about Jason Wolf. First he passes on both Felger and Mazz as full-time hosts, only to have them team up and dominate EEI in the ratings. Then he replaces Dale Arnold with - Mike Mutnansky????? Now he gets rid of Ordway who, though not as edgy as he once was, was still EASILY the best on-air talent on that station.
Wolf is a terrible evlautor of taelnt, and he, more than aging hosts, is what is burying EEI.
Massaroti's slow and monotone halfwit mocking of caller opinions is the worst shtick on radio. It's a gimmick aimed at everyone with an opinion. Why would anyone jeer and insult everyone?