Toronto sports media talk (the FAN continues its changes)

[Jordan]

I've heard him in studio on the air many times in the past few years, even hosting the hockey show. He's an employee of the FAN590. Not being a show host shouldn't have any bearing on whether his position is reviewed like everyone else.

It's probably safe to assume that his position was reviewed.

 

[Jack Bauer]

Its a real dam shame they have a big ********* idiot that has one sided "debates" on general crap. Every Toronto team to him sucks so why the hell is he still here?

He IS the Canadian(and ehs not even) Sports version of Bill O'Reilly....please Fan 590 FIRE BOB MCGOWAN!

Every Toronto team DOES suck.

 

[StarBurns RIP]

Its a real dam shame they have a big ********* idiot that has one sided "debates" on general crap. Every Toronto team to him sucks so why the hell is he still here?

He IS the Canadian(and ehs not even) Sports version of Bill O'Reilly....please Fan 590 FIRE BOB MCGOWAN!

Like him or not, Bob McCowan has proven time and time again that he can pull a show out of his rear end without even following most sports.

 

[CaptainKishimoto]

I'm a little surprised that Millard was moved. They had great ratings, and you really shouldn't mess with success. I'll miss the Kyper/Millard banter =[

 

[NomNom]

McGowan must have something going somewhere *pause* by always managing to avoid *pause* the corporate guillotine.*pause*

 

[Jordan]

McGowan must have something going somewhere *pause* by always managing to avoid *pause* the corporate guillotine.*pause*

McCown can pretty much say what he wants because he can write his own ticket.

He's a proven money maker and one of the best in all radio at what he does. That's why he's untouchable at the FAN.

 

[captn]

Its a real dam shame they have a big ********* idiot that has one sided "debates" on general crap. Every Toronto team to him sucks so why the hell is he still here?

He IS the Canadian(and ehs not even) Sports version of Bill O'Reilly....please Fan 590 FIRE BOB MCGOWAN!

Bobcat isn't a cheerleader. He actually thinks about the topics and the teams. He's not going to say how awesome the Leafs are for finishing 2nd last.

And he's actually been praising the Jays for their young pitching and even predicted they'd win 90 games last year.

 

[Wats]

I like Hogan and Landry...I wonder if these moves are more financially driven.

 

[Jordan]

I like Hogan and Landry...I wonder if these moves are more financially driven.

Every move made in radio is financially driven.

 

[NomNom]

McCown can pretty much say what he wants because he can write his own ticket.

He's a proven money maker and one of the best in all radio at what he does. That's why he's untouchable at the FAN.

And what is it exactly that he does? I always seem to miss it. I have nothing against him, he does bring up interesting topics from time to time (eventually most hosts can hit the spot), but still, don't see how is so "untouchable" and the "best".

Also, he cannot say whatever here wants, he has to stick within the perimeters he is given by corp upstairs, he did in quite some trouble when he was insisting on calling the dome as the "Sky Dome" and not the "Rogers Centre", when the name changed occurred.

I don't know, he seems like the average sport jocks you hear on thousands of stations down in the states. Just tune in to a NY sport station and there are thousands of McGowans spewing their opinion on something, going against the grain on a popular view, all thinking they are so unique.

It's cookie cutter to me, but obviously some people seem to see more, or get more out of it, then just that.

 

[Jordan]

And what is it exactly that he does? I always seem to miss it. I have nothing against him, he does bring up interesting topics from time to time (eventually most hosts can hit the spot), but still, don't see how is so "untouchable" and the "best".

Also, he cannot say whatever here wants, he has to stick within the perimeters he is given by corp upstairs, he did in quite some trouble when he was insisting on calling the dome as the "Sky Dome" and not the "Rogers Centre", when the name changed occurred.

I don't know, he seems like the average sport jocks you hear on thousands of stations down in the states. Just tune in to a NY sport station and there are thousands of McGowans spewing their opinion on something, going against the grain on a popular view, all thinking they are so unique.

It's cookie cutter to me, but obviously some people seem to see more, or get more out of it, then just that.

It's an intangible that he has. It's hard to describe, but the edge he has gives that feeling that anything could come off the tip of his tongue at any moment in time. It's something that's missing in a lot of radio today, a lot of it feels too scripted. When you listen to McCown, it really feels like a couple guys sitting around talking sports.

His reputation in the radio industry has allowed him to get some fantastic guests on his show....like former MLB commissioner Fay Vincent a month ago or so. I'm not sure anybody else in Toronto could land a guest like that without a lot of begging and pleading.

 

[StarBurns RIP]

Bobcat isn't a cheerleader. He actually thinks about the topics and the teams. He's not going to say how awesome the Leafs are for finishing 2nd last.

And he's actually been praising the Jays for their young pitching and even predicted they'd win 90 games last year.

If you listen carefully, you can tell that McCowan seldom watches any baseball (or hockey or anything other than basketball) any longer. However he has a history of watching plenty of baseball in the past dating back to his days at Exhibition Stadium and at Global Sports so he does a good job of faking an opinion. It obviously fools some people. That's because he's a smart guy, a much smarter guy than most of his audience.

 

[javier]

Dont like the idea of Brady coming over at all. Hopefully 640 will see the light and axe Bill Watters and bring in someone less vomit inducing.

 

[dirk41]

And what is it exactly that he does? I always seem to miss it. I have nothing against him, he does bring up interesting topics from time to time (eventually most hosts can hit the spot), but still, don't see how is so "untouchable" and the "best".

Also, he cannot say whatever here wants, he has to stick within the perimeters he is given by corp upstairs, he did in quite some trouble when he was insisting on calling the dome as the "Sky Dome" and not the "Rogers Centre", when the name changed occurred.

I don't know, he seems like the average sport jocks you hear on thousands of stations down in the states. Just tune in to a NY sport station and there are thousands of McGowans spewing their opinion on something, going against the grain on a popular view, all thinking they are so unique.

It's cookie cutter to me, but obviously some people seem to see more, or get more out of it, then just that.

He's untouchable because he gets great local ratings and his show is syndicated across the country. He also gets good TV ratings for sportsnet on a show that cost nothing to produce.

sports jock? He seems like the anti-sports jock if anything. He hates most sports and rarely watched the ones he likes.

And his show isn't like theirs at all. He focuses on the business and management side of sports. He's more likely to talk about meta-sports than sports itself.

You seem to believe that he's a contrarian for the sake of being a contrarian. Can you providide us with some examples?

 

[dirk41]

If you listen carefully, you can tell that McCowan seldom watches any baseball (or hockey or anything other than basketball) any longer. However he has a history of watching plenty of baseball in the past dating back to his days at Exhibition Stadium and at Global Sports so he does a good job of faking an opinion. It obviously fools some people. That's because he's a smart guy, a much smarter guy than most of his audience.

He openly admits that he doesn't watch sports much. I like how you think it takes your careful listening ear to decipher this fact.

 

[Wats]

Every move made in radio is financially driven.

Perhaps, I meant more along the lines of Rogers cutting back on their payroll.

 

[StarBurns RIP]

You seem to believe that he's a contrarian for the sake of being a contrarian. Can you providide us with some examples?

I can try:

1. Predicting a winning season for the Blue Jays last season.

2. Criticizing Cito Gaston mercilessly while the team was winning two World Series.

3. Promoting a CFL expansion team in Las Vegas when he would usually have ridiculed the idea. (I know the answer to this.)

4. Promoting a Super Bowl gambling cruise when he would usually ridicule gamblers on football as "suckers". (I also know the answer to this.)

 

[Jordan]

Perhaps, I meant more along the lines of Rogers cutting back on their payroll.

Seems to be the case....you've got one guy (Greg Brady) replacing three guys (Millard, Armstrong, E. Smith).

Of course, it could be that the FAN is just clearing payroll room for a big name to host the morning show(s). Wasn't Strombo rumoured at one point? He wouldn't come cheap.

Landry and Stellick had grown stale, but I liked Mike Hogan. Wouldn't surprise me to see him land at AM640 hosting a sports show of some variety.

 

[LeaffanDM]

so they fire someone who knows alot about what he talks about(millard) to hire brady who knows absolutly nothing about what hes talking about related to hockey? wow..I really dont have any words lol

 

[StarBurns RIP]

He openly admits that he doesn't watch sports much. I like how you think it takes your careful listening ear to decipher this fact.

I guess you're hanging on his words a little more than I am. I sample the show occasionally. What does he call people who follow ideas and buy products without thought again? Sheep, I think he calls it. I guess I'm less sheep-like.

 

[tans66]

Wonder if they are renewing Doug Maclean's contract??? The war with Bobcat might have a contributing factor.

Brady for Millard. Dunno about this .Not a Brady fan at all.

 

[dirk41]

I can try:

1. Predicting a winning season for the Blue Jays last season.

2. Criticizing Cito Gaston mercilessly while the team was winning two World Series.

3. Promoting a CFL expansion team in Las Vegas when he would usually have ridiculed the idea. (I know the answer to this.)

4. Promoting a Super Bowl gambling cruise when he would usually ridicule gamblers on football as "suckers". (I also know the answer to this.)

1. He legitimately likes the Jays' young pitchers. He's been consistent about this. Just because his prediction was off doesn't mean he was being a contrarian for the sake of being a contrarian. He was more optimistic than the rest of the media this year, and he appears to have been right.

2. He really didn't mercilessly criticize Cito until after the two World Series wins. Cito has always been a bad manager--a team can win despite a bad manager (how could a manager screw up the 92 or 93 veteran teams?)

3. I don't remember this too much. But he was a Las Vegas resident (wasn't he doing the show from Vegas at the time). So again, this doesn't mean he was being a being a contrarian for the sake of being a contrarian. Maybe he just wanted a team in his then hometown. (He's always been against the idea of an NHL team coming to Vegas)

4. I don't remember this, but I assume he was doing this because he was paid, not because he was being a being a contrarian.

 

[dirk41]

I guess you're hanging on his words a little more than I am. I sample the show occasionally. What does he call people who follow ideas and buy products without thought again? Sheep, I think he calls it. I guess I'm less sheep-like.

So I'm a sheep? I know he doesn't watch much sports and he's not trying to fool me into thinking that he does.

Here's typical banter:

Brunt: Watch the Leaf game?
Bob: Why? Regular season hockey is a giant bore. And why would I watch the Leafs of all teams?

Blair: Watch the Raptors?
Bob: for five minutes. the game put my feet to sleep.

Shannon: Enjoying the World Cup?
Bob: No--I watched for five seconds. I heard the vuvuzelas and turned it off. Not like I was going to watch more than five minutes anyway.

But go on pretending like you've discovered some giant secret.

 

[StarBurns RIP]

1. He legitimately likes the Jays' young pitchers. He's been consistent about this. Just because his prediction was off doesn't mean he was being a contrarian for the sake of being a contrarian. He was more optimistic than the rest of the media this year, and he appears to have been right.

How can he like the Blue Jays' young pitchers when he doesn't watch the games?

2. He really didn't mercilessly criticize Cito until after the two World Series wins. Cito has always been a bad manager--a team can win despite a bad manager (how could a manager screw up the 92 or 93 veteran teams?)

Believe me, he criticized Cito dating back to Gaston's earliest days with the team. And believe me, it was contrarian back in those days when the media coverage of the Blue Jays was mostly devoid of negativity.

3. I don't remember this too much. But he was a Las Vegas resident (wasn't he doing the show from Vegas at the time). So again, this doesn't mean he was being a being a contrarian for the sake of being a contrarian. Maybe he just wanted a team in his then hometown. (He's always been against the idea of an NHL team coming to Vegas)

No, he probably wasn't being contrarian in this case, just promoting an investment. A really awful one as it turned out.

4. I don't remember this, but I assume he was doing this because he was paid, not because he was being a being a contrarian.

Yes, this was a business venture of his. Just trying to exploit a boat full of his sucker listeners. Pretty much contrary to how he paints sports gambling now. I guess more about hypocrisy than anything.

Anyways, I actually agree that of course McCowan shouldn't be going anywhere. He brings in the ratings. People listen to his show, even people like myself who don't really like the guy. He's a mainstay, might be the most successful radio personality in Canada.

 

[ComrieFanatic]

Isn't McCown the producer of prime time sports? maybe that's why he wasn't canned?

No, he wasn't fired because he has the highest rated sports radio show in Canada.