OK, I am not sure where this one is going to go but since I have little things to say about all these NY sports media personalities I am throwing them all in one post. Maybe I can get it all out and then let this go.

Mike Francesa is the big deal on the top local sports talk radio show in New York.  He is very good, generally, because he takes his role seriously and actually watches sports when he isn’t on the radio, unlike his former co-host who left the show last year.  The problem is Francesa is just too big for his britches (and though its true literally, that is not what I mean.)   He needs someone else on the show that he has to be nice to, to actually look and hear another point of view.  I just can’t listen to him talk about his one point of view over and over for 4+ hours a day.  I have learned a ton about football from him. And he is extremely intelligent when it comes to sports.  His monologue though is just not good radio, and since no fan calling in ever has a good enough idea, that isn’t enough to break it up.

My most recent annoyance with Francesa though came up yesterday as I was driving upstate.  He was going on about Chien Ming Wang moving back into the rotation to face Boston and anchoring the series against the Mets- and I think he said that these were the two biggest starts of the season about three times.  Its June. Sure, there is a lot of hoopla around these starts.  Sure, the Red Sox game will be important.  But the game against the Mets is not one of the most important starts of the season- unless Mike Francesa gets everyone stirred up to believe it is.   Is it fun for New Yorkers?  Yep.  Do I enjoy this series a lot?  Absolutely.  But do I think this game is really more important than any other in getting both teams to their goal of the playoffs?  Nope.  And neither should the main voice in speaking to the fans, Mike Francesa. Its really not more important.

Moving on.

I really like the Mets TV broadcast team of Gary Cohen, Keith Hernandez and Ron Darling.  I think Cohen does a great job of balancing the work that needs to be done (ie promos etc), doing the small amount of play by play necessary and drawing out the playing experiences of the other two former players turned boradcasters. The other two do a great job of sharing their experiences, with Keith summarizing hitting, and Ron taking the lead on pitching.  They give an take with each other, and really show genuine respect for the others knowledge.  The problem though is that from time to time only one of the former players is in the booth.  When its Darling, its fine.  Perhaps slightly drier, but still imformative and interesting. When its Hernandez though the reigns are thrown off of him and it becomes the Keith Hernandez show- about how great he was, about his definition of right and wrong etc.  No one else knows as much as Keith does.  Gary still tries to keep him a little in check and on point, and does an admirable job.  But, last night for example, he went on and on about the bad job by the umpires.  Granted, they made a really bad call last night, but because of the natural rotation of the four-man crew, not because they actually didn’t know where they were so supposed to be.  But Hernandez knows all, there are no other opinions.  Thank goodness for Ron Darling.

Lastly, and on this I will be brief, is John Sterling.  I know folks like him.  He does bring something very New York to the table, but he should not be doing play by play.  Susan could do better play by play, really.  Let him banter on, in the background while someone truly qualified is telling us what is happening in the game.  I have no doubt their are producers in his ear piece trying to help, but for whatever reason they aren’t or can’t help him.  If Lonn Trost likes him, then keep him, just give “the best fans in the world” (as the Yankee line goes) the best play by play man (or woman) that money can find.