Clearly WEEI is in a state of change, especially in the afternoon time slot. Glenn Ordway is gone, and Mike Salk is set to join co-host Michael Holley in a few weeks. Up the dial on 98.5, Felger & Mazz are killing it in the ratings and it is apparent WEEI is trying to change things up to stay competitive.
Bringing in Salk for Ordway just doesn’t seem like enough — why not bring in a solid third man/flash guy?, why not bring back long-time Big Show flash guy Pete Sheppard?
Sheppard was let go from the station back in January of 2010, which has been widely reported as being due to financial reasons. The 45-year-old has been back on the WEEI airwaves for about a year now, working mostly weekend shifts and lately filling in on The Big Show.
It would seem the station and Sheppard have gotten over what took place three years ago and moved forward. There is no flash guy to work with Holley and Salk – as Mike Adams is not the answer. As WEEI looks to get back some of its listeners, why not bring back Sheppard, a guy who has a loyal following and is entertaining?
Felger & Mazz have a solid flash guy in Marc Bertrand, who isn’t just a flash guy, and actually engages in the show, sometimes challenging what Felger and Massarotti have to say, as well as adding humor to the program.
Sheppard is what WEEI needs. Yes, he is an admitted homer, but a lot of times this creates great radio. He isn’t afraid of confrontation and often gets into heated arguments with callers. He’s had a great deal of experience in the field and is knowledgeable the hometown teams.
Everyone knows how important chemistry is in sports radio. The trio of Felger, Massarotti and Bertrand have it, and it seems from the few shows Sheppard and Holley have done together they have it too. Salk is brand new in town, so he has no experience with anyone, but why not give the three a shot? What does WEEI have to lose?
In today’s day and age good sports radio provides not only good sports talk and information, but a bit of humor and entertainment as well. This is where Felger & Mazz took it to another level over The Big Show. Sheppard could be part of the solution to close the gap.
With WEEI in a state of transition, why not give Sheppard a second chance? This is their chance to rebrand their show and adding Sheppard would give them a humor and entertainment element, which they have lacked, to go along side with Salk and Holley’s straight sports takes.
The ball is in WEEI/Entercom’s court. They are looking to improve their show and compete with 98.5, and as shown in the past few weeks they are not afraid to make big changes, so why not take a chance and bring back Pete Sheppard?
Give Ryan Hannable a follow on Twitter @hannable84.
Opinion: WEEI Needs Pete Sheppard is a post from: Boston Sports Media Watch
