The Big Show (sports radio show)

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The Big Show is a sports talk radio program on Boston's WEEI 850 AM. Started in August 1995, the show is hosted by former Boston Celtics play-by-play announcer Glenn Ordway. The show is known for its round table format with Ordway sharing air time with several co-hosts, guests and callers. The Big Show airs weekday afternoons from 2:00 to 6:00 EST/EDT.

Contents

[edit] Personalities and Frequent Guests

[edit] Hosts

Glenn Ordway, the host of the show, performed radio announcing duties with Boston Celtics announcer Johnny Most for 13 years. After Most's retirement, Glenn was paired with former Celtic Jerry Sichting. In June 1995, Glenn was named Program Director of Sports Radio 850 WEEI and created the current format in the afternoon drive slot.

Pete Sheppard is the flashboy for the show. Sheppard fills in as the host of show when Ordway is absent.

[edit] Co-Hosts

[edit] Former Co-Hosts

[edit] Producers

  • Brett Erickson
  • Andy Massaua

[edit] Guests

During the course of sports seasons, the Big Show often has weekly conversations with players, coaches, and executives. Weekly guests include Bill Belichick, Danny Ainge, Boomer Esiason, and Vic Carucci.

[edit] Boston Globe feud

WEEI has had a long running feud with The Boston Globe that started in 1999 when sportswriter Ron Borges called New York Yankees pitcher Hideki Irabu a "fat jap." Two days later, the Boston Globe' executive sports editor Don Skwar banned Globe sportswriters from appearing on The Big Show. The ban was later extended to WEEI's Dennis and Callahan morning show. WEEI retaliated by banning Globe staffers from appearing on any of its shows.[1] The ban came to an end on August 4, 2009, when Bob Ryan appeared on the show, with Ordway stating that "we have all come to our senses."[2]

[edit] Bill Simmons

Bill Simmons, a popular columinst for ESPN The Magazine, has been a longtime critic of The Big Show, claiming that it is obnoxious and lacks sophistication. Ordway has stated that while he disagrees with most of Simmons' opinions, he [Ordway] believes that Simmons is a "great columnist".[3]

[edit] The Whiner Line

"The Whiner Line" is a regular feature which consists of listeners calling in and leaving complaints on a voicemail system, which is played at the end of the show. Complaints cover a wide range of subjects, including sports teams and stars, the hosts, other listeners, celebrities, current events and local politicians. The messages often include impersonations of celebrities and local figures.

There are numerous running jokes on the Whiner Line, many of which are by local comedian Graig Murphy, who performs impersonations of which include Tom Menino, Robert Kraft, Terry Francona, Grady Little, Shannon Sharpe, Harry Kalas, Deval Patrick and Dave Lewis. Other impersonators include Glenn Ordway, Mikey Adams, Johnny Damon, Carson Kressly, Bob Neumeier, Borat, Roger Clemens, Eddie Andelman, Bill Clinton, Fred Smerlas, Don Imus, Bill Walton, Edna Jacobson, Dale Arnold,the Senior Senator Ted Kennedy, Wilford Brimley and Dick Radatz as well as a caller who compiles Red Sox and Patriots-themed top-ten lists, a Mary Carillo impersonator which is accompanied by an impersonation of Morgan Freeman bragging he built the Batmobile, a Beavis and Butthead parody, a caller whose comments were parody songs based on Simon & Garfunkel's "The Boxer", a caller who simply calls Glenn Ordway a "Fat Bastard", a caller known as the "Man on the Way Up", who calls regularly and is insulted by the hosts, a caller with a Southern accent, a caller with an Irish accent, known as "The Cardinal," and a caller known as "The $5 Guy" who frequently threatens co-host Steve DeOssie with revenge for supposedly stealing $5 from him [The $5 Guy] in the late 1970s. Former WEEI co host and Boston Herald sports columnist Michael Felger has been a target of jokes on the Whiner Line.[4]

The Big Show hosts an annual event known as "The Whiny Awards," a tribute to the best "Whiner Line" callers of the year.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Dan Kennedy. "Hush-hush In its war of words with WEEI, the Globe learns that silence isn't necessarily golden". Boston Phoenix. http://www.bostonphoenix.com/boston/news_features/dont_quote_me/multi-page/documents/01230893.htm. Retrieved 2007-06-03. 
  2. ^ "Bob Ryan, Boston Globe". http://audio.weei.com/m/25625514/bob-ryan-boston-globe.htm. 
  3. ^ Bill Simmons (2001-09-19). "Strange Days Indeed". ESPN. http://proxy.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?id=1252695. Retrieved 2007-06-03. 
  4. ^ Whiner Line

[edit] External links

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Big_Show_(sports_radio_show)"