The Slow Death of Big Sports 590 in Omaha

The Downfall of One Sports Radio Station in Omaha

This past Wednesday, August 25th, 2010, marked another new era for Big Sports 590. Beginning that morning, the new format for this station, which never was switched from my radio dial, will look like this.

5:00-11:00 a.m. Todd N’Tyler Radio Empire
11:00-2:00 p.m. The Jim Rome Show
2:00-5:00 p.m. The Dan Patrick Show (tape delayed)
5:00p.m.-5:00 a.m. Fox Sports Radio Programming
(the last hour of Pat O’Brien, Petros & Money, Tony Bruno, JT the Brick)

Two years ago, the station format looked like this.

5:00-8:00 a.m. The Steve Czaben Show
8:00-11:00 a.m. The Dan Patrick Show
11:00-2:00 p.m. The Jim Rome Show
2:00-6:00 p.m. The Big Show with Matt Perrault (local)
6:00-9:00 p.m. Gametime Live with Andrew Siciliano

So how did we get from two years ago until now?

Now, if you have not noticed yet, and if you like sports radio in Omaha, I am sure you have, but starting on Wednesday, 6 hours of Big Sports 590 programming will be syndicating the Todd N’Tyler Radio Empire. Now, I knew the change was coming and Todd N’Tyler would be reappearing on 590, much like they did in their earlier syndication years, before eventually coming off the station in favor of Steve Czaben, which was to me, is the best local sports radio option in the country for the morning. In December 2009, I was stunned to hear that Fox Sports Radio would not be renewing Steve Czaben’s contract and they would be replacing him with Stephen A. Smith. I mean, seriously, Stephen A. Smith? Is there one voice in America or the world that I would not rather wake up to each morning than Stephen A. Smith? NO! I consider Smith to be one of the most annoying people on the planet. Why would Fox Sports Radio want to replace Czaben with such a blowhard? Well, from reading a blog post from Czaben, the people at Fox Sports Radio thought that Czaben and his crew was too much like Mike & Mike, which I could not disagree with more. Czaben and his crew were actually entertaining.

So, 8 months into my morning sports talk withdrawal, I find out that Steve Czaben had been hired by Sporting News Radio for their 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. time slot. I immediately fired off an email to the director of programming at Big Sports 590 explaining how frustrated I was with Fox Sports Radio with their decision to hire Stephen A. Smith and I encouraged them to work with Sporting News Radio and get Czaben back on the air. I was informed that they were not aware that Czaben was back and they were surprised to not hear from Sporting News Radio yet about Czaben. However, they did agree with me on Stephen A. Smith and they said they would simulcast Todd N’ Tyler to expose them to some other markets around the area, and without saying it, I knew Big Sports 590 signal, 50,000 watts strong, was a big part of that.

Although I was disappointed with their decision, I moved on…….until today. I confirmed what I heard a few days ago, Big Sports 590 would broadcast the ENTIRE Todd N’Tyler Radio Empire show and tape delay Dan Patrick until the afternoon. HOW DID IT COME TO THIS??? Well, I thought about it, and then it hit me. The Todd N’Tyler Radio Empire…..was no longer an EMPIRE. Now, as most people in Omaha know, Todd N’Tyler began syndicating in Wichita, KS and Springfield, MO in November 2006. Eventually, five more stations were added and the Empire seemed to be growing strong. However, times turned and programming changes and low ratings resulted in The Empire being dropped in all but the Omaha (flagship market) and Wichita. So, rather than Big Sports 590 giving us what I and what I believe many people want (Steve Czaben), Journal Broadcasting Group (the parent company of 590), chose to try to rebuild this “Empire” by broadcasting it to a larger area outside of Omaha. Now, I like Todd N’Tyler, I even occasionally listen to their show, but don’t punish sport fans in an attempt to re-build something that to me, this “Empire”, already has appeared to fail.

As irritated as I am about Steve Czaben and Dan Patrick, the thing that still bothers me, 18 months after it happened, was the decision of Big Sports 590 and Journal Broadcast Group to not renew Matt Perrault’s contract in March 2009. Now, Perrault was not a local guy when he came to Omaha. He worked in Boston and Alabama before being hired for a new four hour local sports show. Now, I am going off memory here, but I do recall Perrault mentioning that the decision had nothing to do with bad ratings or money. So, if that was not the case, then what caused it? Well, for starters, Perrault did rub people the wrong way and a lot of my friends did not take a liking to him. To the average person, he came across as someone who did not care for The University of Nebraska and was just a big homer to Creighton University. Now, Perrault did not like Doc Sadler and The Nebraska program, but he did a great job covering Nebraska football and even did an immediate postgame show after every game, whether home or away. He was the first person on air to take calls from fans after every game and I truly believed he enjoyed doing that. To me, I enjoyed Perrault’s style and I liked his out of market view to things happening locally, something I felt like I did not get listening to 1620 the Zone. I think Perrault did a good job balancing between local and national topics and yes, since I did go to Creighton, I really enjoyed the enhanced coverage he provided of Creighton Athletics, something he continues to do to this day as moderator of “The Bluejay Café” on Rivals.com. While I do think Perrault can be a little crazy with some of his comments and views towards things, I enjoyed his radio style and wish it was still around Omaha until this day. Having two local radio options in the afternoon is not a bad thing.

As for Andrew Siciliano, he got the chopping block early in 2009, as Fox Sports Radio merged with AM 570 KLAC in Los Angeles. Petros and Money now hold his former primetime slot. Siciliano has rebounded and now hosts a local show in Los Angeles, while Petros and Money, two Los Angeles guys, have had to adjust to broadcasting to a national audience. I am not a huge fan of Petros and Money, I did enjoy them in the past while filling in for Jim Rome but having to listen to Petros yell on a nightly basis (kind of like a Stephen A Smith type of annoying) is something I do not need to have on my radio dial. Oh yeah, whatever happened to Krystal Fernandez anyway? Was there any guy out there that did not enjoy listening to her when she was on the air with Andrew?

So, what is my point? While I was glad that Big Sports 590 showed up in 2006 and provided Omaha with more local programming and national broadcasting options, I am disappointed that their four year journey has led to this. Six hours of national sports programming has been replaced by a radio show that everyone in Omaha can hear on Z92 (another Journal company). After that, fans are treated to three live hours of The Jim Rome show, followed by Dan Patrick, whose show ended three hours before Omaha even gets to hear hour one! Sports fans in Omaha and the surrounding areas can only hope that Big Sports 590 and Journal Broadcasting come to their senses soon, and give us fans more options for live sports programming, either national or local, throughout the day. If they do not, I can only think that decreased advertising dollars may lead to the death of this station.

College Football Preview

While the rest of the major sports and the rest of the NCAA use playoffs or tournaments to decide the best teams a fair shot at playing for a title, College Football once returns to using a formula where Coaches who don't watch any other games, Computer Dorks who have never played the game, and select media members and other distinguished individuals who may or may not watch games, decide who is #1 and #2.

I could please the few people who read this blog with a preview of who plays for the National Championship this year, but in reality, I really don't care, because the winner of that game receives a trophy and the right to claim a National Championship, something that in reality doesn't exist (IT'S MYTHICAL PEOPLE).

So it appears that according to coaches who only watch game film of their team and their opponents, Alabama and Ohio State are the two best teams in the country. Awesome to predict that considering we are only about 1 week into fall camp and nobody has played any games. But, after all, rankings are needed to sell games to big time TV networks to pay money to the business errrrrrr non-profit organization that is College Football.

So while I'll cheer on Nebraska, and hope they do well this year, I won't fret if they finish #3 in the BCS come December 5th, because if they finish amongst a bunch of teams with 0 losses, or 1 loss, and if they win that last exhibition bowl game, I can claim a National Championship, just like anyone else.

Oh, yeah, speaking of Nebraska. The coaches decided they were the #9 team in the ranking to start the year. It is nice of the coaches to reward Nebraska with such a high ranking, especially in the top 10, considering Nebraska has not beat a team ranked in the top ten since 2001. Also, does nobody else outside the state of Nebraska realize that the team has no starting quarterback yet, and that Bo Pelini has made comments to the effect that no starting quarterback may be in place by the time September 4th rolls around? I mean, is there any scarier phrase than “Nebraska returns 10 starters on offense”? I mean, the same offense that scored 7 points and turned the ball over 8 times against Iowa State (at home)? The same offense that mustered 106 yards of total offense against Texas in the Big 12 title game? The same offense that seem to be inept more than half the year against teams not in the Sun Belt? And this team is #9? Uh ok.

Midseason Baseball Awards

I meant to post this like two weeks ago. Oops. do not take into account anything that has happened since the All-Star Break.

We all know that Major League Baseball writers will not pass out their awards until October when they do it over the course of a two week period, but that does not mean I cannot hand out my first-half awards.

American League Rookie of the Year

If Carlos Santana was called up by Cleveland sooner than June, he might be a more serious contender to win the award. For now, I will go with Detroit Tigers Outfielder Brennan Boesch. He was named the AL Rookie of the month for the first two months of the season and is hitting a sparkling .342 with 12 home runs and 49 RBI’s. He trails the AL batting title by only .004 heading into the break and is sure to be a contender for the title if he holds up down the stretch.

National League Rookie of the Year

This is actually a very tough call and it has come down to two guys for me that have not even been in the Major Leagues the entire season: Buster Posey and Stephen Strasburg. In just 38 games, Posey has hit .350 with 7 home runs and 25 RBI’s. Strasburg has been for the most part dominant. In his first start, he struck out 14 Pirates (yeah, I know it’s the Pirates but still, he also walk zero batters!). Overall he is 3-2, with a 2.32 ERA with a ridiculous 61 strikeouts and 11 walks in just 42.2 innings. Don’t forget about that 1.01 WHIP. For now, I’ll go with Strasburg. Apologies to Jaime Garcia and Stephen Strasburg

American League Manager of the Year

Over the last 30 games, The Chicago White Sox are 25-5 and have vaulted into first place in the AL Central; however, the AL Central is always a division up for grabs. What nobody really expected this year was for The Texas Rangers to be leading the AL West at the All-Star Break; therefore, Ron Washington gets my vote at Texas (for now).

National League Manager of the Year

There are a lot of fresh faces at the top of divisions in the National League, but none more phenomenal to me than The San Diego Padres. Bud Black has done a tremendous job getting the Padres to a 51-37 record and two game lead in the NL West despite their shortcomings. Exactly what shortcomings? Well, for one, The Padres hit .250 as a team which is 25th out of 30 Major League Teams. How do you overcome that? Well, a league-leading 3.25 ERA does not hurt, as the Padres pitching staff has been the backbone of this team since Opening Day. For the Padres to contend down the stretch, I still think they need to get another bat in their lineup, especially to provide protection to Adrian Gonzalez (I mean seriously, why does anyone pitch to this guy? His protection is Scott Hairston who hits an incredible .241!)

American League Cy Young Award

Lot of good candidates out there, but right now Tampa Bay’s David Price is tied for the league lead in wins (12) and is the leading ERA man (2.45 ERA). Combine that with a 1.20 WHIP and 100 strikeouts in 115.1 IP and you have yourself a Cy Young Award winner.






National League Cy Young Award winner

You tell me.

Ubaldo Jimenez 15-1, 2.20 ERA, 1.05 WHIP
Josh Johnson 9-3, 1.70 ERA, 0.96 WHIP
Adam Wainwright 13-5, 2.11 ERA, 1.00 WHIP
Roy Halladay 10-7, 2.19 ERA, 1.05 WHIP

I do not even know where to begin. It is very hard to overlook the 15-1 record though. It’s Jimenez for now, but this race is on.

American League MVP

The Detroit Tigers trail the AL Central by ½ game heading into the break. A big reason why is Miguel Cabrera. He leads the AL in hitting (.346), RBI’s (77) and is only 2 jacks off the home run lead. Can you say Triple Crown? That’s more than enough to override the credentials of the other contenders in this category.

National League MVP

Adrian Gonzalez (Please see above under NL Manager of the Year category)

I know the Padres backbone is their star studded pitching staff, but there is no way in hell they are in first place or even contending with Adrian Gonzalez, who somehow is hitting .301 with 18 home runs and 56 RBI’s with no legitimate hitters in front of him, or behind him.

Open Championship Preview

Saint Andrews takes it turn in hosting The 150th or whatever they are on Open Championship (British Open to us U.S. Americans) on Thursday. Many classify Saint Andrews as “The Home of Golf.” I did not think growing up that the home of golf would be a place that is full of 40 mph cross-winds, dramatic temperature changes, and storms that develop without warning, but that is what golf historians tell me, so I will go with it. To me, golf is supposed to be played in nice, warm weather, with courses that do not look like they have been subject to 25 atomic bombs, but once a year, golf’s best gather overseas to decide who will win the third major golf championship of the year. So, here is a preview of things will transpire in this Open Championship.

-Some Euro will contend for The Open Championship on Sunday, not win, and we will never hear from him again.

Now, this happens at many majors, but it always seems like it happens at The Open Championship. Heck, even Europeans that win the Open (Paul Lawrie) are forgotten. Remember Lawrie? The guy who won the Open because Jean Van De Velde decided he did not want to? Considering most people who follow golf have probably already forgot the name of Gregory Havret (remember him? If not Google him), I do not have a doubt we will hear one name for the first and last time this weekend.

-Phil Mickelson will not win

OK, yeah, I know I said Phil Mickelson would not win The Masters, but at least now I have statistics to back this up. Mickelson has never done that well at The Open Championship. His best finish was 3rd in 2004 when he finished one shot back of Todd Hamilton and Ernie Els (Hamilton won in a playoff). His next best finish was a tie for 11th in 2000 and a tie for 19th in 2008. Last year Mickelson skipped the event to care for his wife, who was battling breast cancer (and still is); however, even if his wife Amy was healthy, I doubt he would have contended.

-Tiger Woods will contend

Tiger has done pretty well in majors this year and not so much else. However, he loves Saint Andrews and dominates the course. I cannot imagine not being in contention on Sunday. The one thing to watch out for is Tiger introducing a new putter for the first time. Most hardcore golf fans know that Tiger’s putting has slipped in recent years, which has prevented him from catching further up to Jack Nicklaus for most career majors.

-I (and a lot of people) will watch The Open Championship on Saturday or Sunday morning or both with a massive hangover.

I cannot really decide how I feel about morning sports events, but they suck if you are recovering for a hangover. I may have to end up DVR and starting from the beginning based on how blasted I get on Friday or Saturday night. Especially now since the city of Omaha has extended the bar time until 2a.m. and that goes into effect tomorrow. This is the one time of the year I wish I lived on the East Coast so I could get that extra hour of sleep.

-TV Cameras will have trouble picking up where the ball is.

Unless something changed from last year, ESPN will broadcast the event but they will not run the cameras. The BBC traditionally has done a poor job with their cameras and I do not expect to change this year. However, one thing you will be able to do is get up at 3a.m. to watch First-Round action. Now if only Augusta National would give us full TV coverage like that.

Remembering Owen Hart: 11 years later

The night the WWE went “Over the Edge.”



11 years ago, May 23, 1999, World Wrestling Entertainment held their monthly pay-per-view event in Kansas City, Missouri, called "Over the Edge." One of the matches during the event was for the Intercontinental Championship, featuring The Godfather (champion) facing The Blue Blazer (Owen Hart) for the title. As fans were watching a promo video for the match, Hart fell to the ring, which led to his tragic untimely death.

As Jim Ross was talking, Owen Hart was preparing to descend from the rafters on a cord. Hart never made the descent he had planned, as he tragically fell at full speed some 90 feet from the top of Kemper Arena, snapping his head against one of the turnbuckles and falling into the ring. I remember sitting in my seat in section 217 of the arena, watching the whole thing, and wondering to myself, “Is this real?” For those 3 of you that do not know, pro wrestling is scripted. After a few seconds or so, I saw Owen’s leg flinch and WWE announcer Jerry “The King” Lawler jump up from his announce position and run over to Owen. EMT’s rushed out. Right in the middle of the ring, in front of 15,000 people, there was an attempt going on to save the life of Owen Hart. Nobody at home saw the fall as TV cameras were not focused on Owen at the time of the fall, but there were people that night that did see that fall, me included.

After several minutes, Owen was rushed out of the arena on a stretcher and to a local hospital. Now, that stunt Owen was going to attempt was performed a number of times, without any serious problems. The decision to have Owen perform that entrance did not bother me. It is what happened after the fall did. Immediately, and I mean IMMEDIATELY, after Owen was removed from the arena, Jeff Jarrett, one of Owen Hart’s best friends, along with Debra (another one of Owen’s good friends), were forced to go on camera for an interview. Jarrett, visibily shaken, and Debra (crying) said something, but I could not remember what was said. In fact, I cannot even remember who Jarrett wrestled. The fact the show was going on at this point was mind boggling.

After that match, I looked at the video screen and Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler were talking. Nobody in the arena could hear them, as the audio was cut-off, but I had a hint of what they were saying. Owen Hart had died, and nobody in the arena was going to hear that. Vince McMahon had a show to do and he did not want every fan leaving the arena if they announced it. Back in 1999, I still did not own a cell phone and none of my friends had phones either. I can recall sitting in my seat for the rest of the show and not one person around me had even mentioned Owen’s death. But everyone outside the arena knew. Anyways, the show went on and Vince McMahon even made an appearance during the show (about 10 minutes before facing the media I may add). I got home and found out the news.

I do think Vince McMahon is a smart-business man, I mean, looking at the wrestling empire he has created. But he is not a good person, and his decision to keep that show going, after what happened was the first of his two giant blunders he has made the last eleven years (The Chris Benoit tribute show, before it was revealed Benoit murdered his family, was the over). McMahon’s horrible decision could be summed up in him suggesting that the show must go on, because Owen would have wanted it that way, or something like that. Oh really Vince, too bad you were not able to ask Owen that, because he died tragically two hours earlier. Now, of course I am upset because I saw the whole situation un-fold before my eyes and the truth was never told to me that night in the arena. But the biggest victims in all of this: Owen’s wife Martha and her two kids, who were left without a husband and what many other wrestler’s referred to as a great father.

I really do not know if this has ever been discussed, but I think next year it is time to give Owen his proper respect, and that is placing him in The WWE Hall of Fame.

If you want to read more about this or watch other videos, please visit the following links:

http://homepage.mac.com/knarley/owenhart/timeline/owentimeline.html