Al Alburquerque & Mike Francesa

[seawolf17]

You're tryintuh tell me that El Dooque... was a Met. Come on. You a kid? You trying to be funny, posting here saying Orlando Hernandez... was a Met. Okay. Now it's a game, posting all sorts of guys you say were Mets. Very nice.

[Ceetar]

I hate Carton too. The show's okay when they're actually talking sports, but when they to go schtick stuff like his "Mets fans for Yankees" or way too long non-sports/personal stuff like where boomer shopped for his shirt because Carton wants to shop at t hsame place, or they do some embarassment 'comedy' act where they keep pretending to forward a caller to Boomer and Carton like he's not on the air Which is just beyond annoying. It's not even fair, some of these one-time callers aren't exactly familiar with the process, and their voices sound so different on air versus on the phone so it's not like it's a recognition thing.


Anyway, Sports Radio still has a market..but they're not hitting it, but perhaps because we don't turn them off until they do? I mean, I was in a bar for lunch yesterday and I was entertained listening to two guys next to me discussing who was better, Ruth or Griffey Jr, and talking about things like fitness and pitching/hitting in today's game. I was entertained. It doesn't have to be te highest quality discussion, but I'd be entertained on a drive if someone called up and talked that stuff.

[stevejrogers]

Ceetar wrote: Anyway, Sports Radio still has a market..but they're not hitting it, but perhaps because we don't turn them off until they do? I mean, I was in a bar for lunch yesterday and I was entertained listening to two guys next to me discussing who was better, Ruth or Griffey Jr, and talking about things like fitness and pitching/hitting in today's game. I was entertained. It doesn't have to be te highest quality discussion, but I'd be entertained on a drive if someone called up and talked that stuff.

I agree that it still has it place for exchange of opinions and debate, whether current events or never ending debates (wanna throw Cobb, Teddy Ballgame, Mays, Bonds, Aaron, etc into that Ruth v. Griffey debate?). I'm just fascinated that anyone still tries to use them as a source for their information in today's technology age. Or at least is willing to use what they say as gospel truth.

Another example, there was a story at a Super Bowl where Dante Culpepper let a wheelchair bound fan wear this gaudy piece of bling for a few moments. Apparently there was a bit of miscommunication because the fan thought Dante was giving it to him to keep! But no harm, no foul afterwards. Except that if you read the story blindly, Dante comes out looking like an asshole, and that's how it was read by couple of NYC radio hosts, who didn't read further into the story to see that it was just a misunderstanding and not Dante being an asshole.

And an even BETTER one, same hosts...or at least the update guy on their show. Some time ago a Phillies employee was fired because of threatening emails to club officials or something heinous. Well, the copy that the reader was reading off of called the guy a phanatic, probably thought it was funny.

But the update guy thought the Phillies had fired the guy who is in the actual Phillie Phanatic outfit! And not realizing the serious nature of the situation, the hosts thought the guy was just sending off harmless emails and whatnot and was fired without real justification. Probably basing it on the fact that the guy in the Phanatic costume works for peanuts or something and shouldn't be losing a job based on "bad mouthing" Phillie brass in email form.

Again, no further looking into a story, just running on first thoughts after glancing at it. That seems more of the problem with talk radio, quick first impressions and lazy reporting just to fill time slots.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Yeah, so everyone tolerates carton less than I do. OK.

Fatcessa's monologue today leaned too heavily as usual on pinning the MFY collapse on players who lack the clutch gene and was stingy with praise for the Tigers, but his larger point -- this was the most stunning blow to the MFYs since the Josh Beckett Game in 2003 -- I thought was right on. The MFYs had previously hit Fister, were at home, had the experience, the momentum, a rested bullpen, bats had just awoken in Game 4, held the opposition to 3 runs, had plenty of opportunities, and yet still came came up short. Gotta hurt!

[Benjamin Grimm]

The most surprising thing in this thread, to me, is that there's somebody out there named "Al Alburquerque"

[Edgy MD]

I love that every fan I hear from laments the loss of the heart of titans like Damon and Matsui. If they want to overpay fading performers and double down in pursuit of clutchmastery an champion-ness, that's all fine with me. I'll put my money on guys with fast bats and good curveballs who hopefully aren't asswads.

[Benjamin Grimm]

I remember the same argument being made about guys like Ray Knight. The fact that Knight did virtually nothing from 1987 on didn't stop Mets fans from saying that the Mets were wrong to let him go, and that move was a reason the Mets didn't repeat.

[Edgy MD]

I pretty much filed all those complaints under "He sucker-punched a black guy."

[stevejrogers]

Benjamin Grimm wrote: I remember the same argument being made about guys like Ray Knight. The fact that Knight did virtually nothing from 1987 on didn't stop Mets fans from saying that the Mets were wrong to let him go, and that move was a reason the Mets didn't repeat.

The point is more towards the type of "personality" that Knight and Mitchell were, and later Backman and Dykstra were added to this group, as opposed to those whom would replace them, specifically McReynolds, HoJo, Jefferies and Samuel.

Didn't matter how much more effective the replacements were, it is more the idea that the Mets lost the "heart" of that 1986 team when they allowed Knight to walk away and traded Mitchell. And that transference is usually blamed on Fred Wilpon more than the GM and principal owner at the time, Cashen and Doubleday.

[MFS62]

Back to the large one.
Last week, Mike was actually saying good things about Jose Reyes. Very good things.
Then I realized that this was the day after Jose became a free agant and wasn't a Met.

I wanted to post it then, but my power was still out, I had no computer access, and had other things to worry about until the power came back on.

Later

[Ceetar]

MFS62 wrote: Back to the large one. Last week, Mike was actually saying good things about Jose Reyes. Very good things. Then I realized that this was the day after Jose became a free agant and wasn't a Met. I wanted to post it then, but my power was still out, I had no computer access, and had other things to worry about until the power came back on. Later

I noticed this last Spring. It seemed like people toned down all the normal anti-Reyes rhetoric in anticipation of saying nice things about him when he left.

I suspect it'll all come back once he re-signs.