As per usual, we're away from the keyboard when news is breaking. In fact, we had to flag down a stray person with a laptop to put this one up...we'll expand it later.
To no one's surprise, cable/satellite sports network SportsTime Ohio has officially announced the hiring of long-time local sports personality Bruce Drennan, last heard doing mid-mornings on Cleveland sports talker WKNR/850, on the Internet on SportsTalkCleveland.com, and seen most recently at...well, you know.
And our first reaction when hearing the news: "They called his show WHAT???"
In an apparent effort to get the talk about his gambling problems away up front, Drennan's new daily sports talk show will be called...are you sitting down?..."All Bets Are Off".
(Thus, former Cincinnati Reds great Pete Rose will have to come up with another show name if he ever returns to sports talk radio. If you think we've got a million of 'em, drop by SportsBoy Tony's CursedCleveland.com for a much more humorous take on this announcement...)
The new Drennan show will air 5 days a week - Sundays at 7 PM, and Monday through Thursday at 3 PM - and debuts April 1st.
STO is also expanding its schedule to 24/7 with the new show and other new programming, along with repeats of games old and new, and devoting the 9 AM-noon slot for "Product Showcase" - a fancy term for infomercials...
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
23 comments:
They should have a segment on the show called who is the most arrogant writer and talk show host in Cleveland. My candidates would be Sheldon Ocker for his arrogance every sunday in his column when people ask him questions. Why bother writing in if you are going to get insulted by Ocker? And for talk show host I might give it to either Trivisonno or Roda.
If Bruce is supposed to talk about all Ohio sports, will he give racing results from Thistledown or Northfield Park? Just a point to ponder.
Come on. Like him or not he messed up like anyone can. Who cares. He wasn't a minister or a social worker. He's a sports talk show host who gambled on sports. Anyone on here bet on March Madness or the Super Bowl?
OA brings up an interesting point...wouldn't WLW be smart to offer Pete Rose a sports talk show on evenings or weekends? Seems like a huge opportunity.
Come on. Like him or not he messed up like anyone can. Who cares. He wasn't a minister or a social worker. He's a sports talk show host who gambled on sports. Anyone on here bet on March Madness or the Super Bowl?
OA brings up an interesting point...wouldn't WLW be smart to offer Pete Rose a sports talk show on evenings or weekends? Seems like a huge opportunity.
good for him. He paid his debt, now he can move on.
Like most of Bruce Drennan's show nobody will listen or watch and eventually he will be cancelled. Hang it up Bruce your way past your prime buddy.
The airways are juiced ...
"He paid his debt, now he can move on."
But did he pay off his debt to his bookies?
There's a huge difference between taking part in an NCAA office pool and running your own gambling ring and NOT reporting your winnings to the IRS.
Will he have field reporters? If so, may I suggest Paulie Walnuts and Tony Soprano?
I understand the over/under on how many days the show will last is 30.
Just what we need--another talking head doing a radio program on TV!
I want to be the producer
Of a talk show on TV
I want to sit in the studio
And keep the camera trained on me ...
While I can certainly understand the need to forgive and move on when someone errs and pays the penalty, I can also understand the concern of the sports organizations.
Like it or not, they're being asked to allow access to a known gambler of large sums of money.
Ironically, STO is owned by the Indians' owner, but there is a quote in the PD from someone at the Major League Office indicating that they will take a look at the arrangement.
Sports betting is no joking matter for the organizations trying to make money from fans who believe that games are not decided by the influence of gamblers.
It could prove interesting if one of the league's or teams feels uneasy in Drennan's presence.
"Ironically, STO is owned by the Indians' owner.."
Well, if it was irony, it was designed irony. Irony generally happens by happenstance.
It's a natural move by a media company to get some bang for the buck. Some people are jealous, some have general concerns. But the fact is, STO got what they wanted.
We're talking about it.
Not another show on STO that falls under that category.
So Bruce, how are you doing on your rackets...I mean brackets for March Madness?
On More Sports and Les Levine, Les just ripped the Indians network for hiring Drennan. Just thought you guys would like to know
Major League Baseball franchises run a variety of promotions with State Lotteries and various Casinos..everything from lottery ticket giveaways..which happen with regularity at Jacobs Field..to outfield wall advertising in Anaheim, St. Louis and Toronto, among others..Drennen served his time and if the Indians want to utilize his talents, so be it..
State Lotteries are all legal, what Bruce did was illegal. Theres a big difference.
The bigger issue is, this show has no chance. None of the TV shows that try to do talk radio have ever worked.
I give Les Levine credit for ripping the Indians for hiring Drennan. Drennan should be a door greeter at Walmart. Everybody deserves a second chance but Bruce is just a very arrogant person I m sorry having worked with the man I feel no sympathy for him. He is not a likable person
Classic case of scraping the bottom of the barrel.
It's true that the lottery and other gambling activities are televized, but this is not a case of televized gambling. There are a lot of us who enjoy watching baseball without placing a wager.
This is a case of hiring a known gambler and placing him in close proximity to an event that is forever remembered for having been rigged by gamblers.
Bruce deserves a second chance in life, but does it have to be as a sportscaster?
By the way, I used the term "ironicall" in a tongue-in-cheek way. I realize should have done something to make that clear.
"On More Sports and Les Levine, Les just ripped the Indians network for hiring Drennan."
Why? Because Les was passed over and is still stuck doing his basement-level cable-access show?
What. Ever.
Drennan was more than just playing office pools. He was running a gambling ring. He said himself that he was betting $30-$50K a day. The only reason he is out is because he weaseled his way out. Can't wait to see what happens when the people he rat'd on are out of jail. He has no credibility/integrity even with his fellow crooks.
Post a Comment