Former Buffalo News broadcasting critic Alan Pergament gained a reputation inside media circles as one who rarely liked anything that made its way through the sports journalism windmill. If he was talking about you, there was probably an 80 percent chance you were going through a thresher in front of the entire town’s readership.
Part of the hullaballoo — and I can guarantee this will sound (and probably is) weak-stomached — is that publicly calling out colleagues or ex-colleagues is generally frowned-upon unless someone has done something egregious. There are plenty of discussions about “what he wrote/said” in the media rooms, but considering the pressures and politics of what can and can’t be reported there’s massive leeway given to your peers.
I write this because I am about to use a specific and I want to be clear that I am solely using it as an example of what’s wrong with sports media in the nation. It has nothing to do with his on-air talent, interaction or knowledge. It’s strictly a critique of a tactic I deem unsavory.
WGR’s Mike Schopp and The Bulldog program opened Thursday’s show from St. John Fisher College for Bills training camp by waxing poetic about the first day of camp and the hope it brings every year (and rightfully so!).
However, Schopp and WGR morning show voice Jeremy White have an uncanny ability to set the tone for the entire city’s sports culture. If they want to run a dialogue, whether White’s amusing 2011 Arthur Moats bandwagon or Schopp’s wry asides, it gets run.
just another photo of that day's goal for QB rating
Which brings us to today and my grievance with a local radio show. I’m on a bit of a Batman kick, and it was the Joker who said, “Gotham deserves a better class of criminal” during the “The Dark Knight.” I feel the same way about conversations on sports radio (we deserve a better class) particularly on the topic being pushed ad nauseam by Schopp when it comes to the Bills quarterbacks. In fact when it comes to the marks from angst and derision on the collective jerseys of Buffalo football fans, there’s no need to ask, “Do you wanna know how I got these scars?” It’s the horrifying super-deliberation on quarterbacking.
Since the moment Vince Young signed with the Bills, Schopp has made sure everyone knows that he is astounded the majority of Bills fans didn’t consider it an affront to Ryan Fitzpatrick. He also remains surprised that he “isn’t hearing more fans” call for Young to get a chance to win the starting job. He’s also surprised Chan Gailey isn’t catching more grief for his 10-28 career record as Bills boss and wonders what would have to happen for him to get fired this year.
I listen to sports radio when I’m in my car and I’ve heard these incendiary comments more than a handful of times. Perhaps this is what’s become prep work for easier future shows, but even the majority of ardent turmoil tenders amongst Bills fans aren’t clamoring for a look at a QB competition or controversy. In the locker room culture that is the NFL — whether you’re an outside the box thinker or not — it would behoove no one in that locker room, including the infamously mercurial Young, to make it an open job when Fitzpatrick is unquestionably one of the leading voices in that room.
I certainly understand the sports broadcasting doldrums of late July, even in this Olympic year. Maybe this passive aggressive QB firestarter won’t last more than a day or two. Perhaps the first day Joe Buscaglia or Paul Hamilton tells Mike & Chris that Fitz struggled and Young was remarkable won’t coincidentally be the day the radio begins its “VY is Our Guy” campaign.
The Buffalo Bills haven’t had a star quarterback in a long, long time and hopefully Fitz becomes the first. It’s certainly the broadcaster’s privilege and perhaps even his duty to explore all potentialities. But the continued surprise that Young is competing for the No. 2 job talk is begging for those who continue to call for approval to pick up what he’s laying down, and that absolutely bothers me. In some ways, it feels lazy, especially when Schopp has repeatedly stated that he knows Buddy Nix listens to and is sometimes swayed by public sentiment.
I just hate that my only option for Bills talk on the first day of training camp was the umpteenth questioning of the quarterback. I’ve got an mp3 player, a stereo, a record player and iTunes. I don’t need music on the airwaves and I don’t need either of the Left/Right politics talk airing on the non-tunes station. I need sports talk for intelligent people, not silly kindling for the easily swayed.
Email: nick@fcbuffalo.org
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Bravo Nick Mendola! I fully support a “New Wave” of Sports Talk slash Sports Journalism in Western New York. Thanks for pointing out that the media in WNY is such a life sucking entity. I’m sorry but can someone be a little positive once in a while or at least talk about sports so that I don’t wanna open a vein. Life is depressing enough as it is. I don’t care that negativity supposedly sells because I am sick of it and yes, I have a cd player in my car & I use it. Yes, we need a better class of Sports Journalist…local sports talk is nearly unlistenable. Sorry but in my humble opinion part of WNY’s inferiority complex has to do with our local media…and as Buddy Nix mentioned about the Bills, they needed a culture change…as does WNY Sports Talk. Viva the revolution!
Hey Nick,
I can see what you’re saying, and I feel like you’re probably right that Schopp would LOVE for there to be a quarterback controversy. The day they picked up Young, he was going off the walls with excitement; not excitement that the Bills had made a good move, but because there would be something to talk about ALL summer. But I don’t think he’s really pushing for it that hard.
Now, yes, he has repeatedly mentioned the possibility of a controversy, but I feel like those statements have been pretty tame, mostly of the “Looks like I was wrong” variety. It could be that he’s trying to keep the idea of controversy in the ether, but I think it’s probably less insidious than that. He acknowledges that Fitz is tremendously likeable, intelligent, says he was having an MVP-type year the first half of last season, etc. If he wanted the controversy so bad, he could solely dwell on Fitz’s downsides, and he doesn’t.
I go back and forth on Schopp. I think he’s capable of pretty sound arguments, and he’s a realist and a pragmatist, which I respect. He even makes me laugh occasionally. But he treats his listeners and callers like shit, and he’s only a touch less condescending and miserable than Jerry Sullivan.
I do think there’s room for positive, intelligent sports dialogue that isn’t cynical, isn’t mean-spirited, that can give realistic takes on the local teams without treating optimism like the imbecile’s burden. I’d love to have another option than WGR.
-Mike
They spew the same garbage over snd over again, then when someone calls in with a different opinion they treat then like garbage. Its so tiring.
Great article Nick. I live in Las Vegas, but I spent the first 35 yrs of my life in WNY. I love the Bills and used to listen to Buffalo sports radio (when I was there). I grew to dislike Mike S. over time; he comes off as smug and condescending and as stated by others, treats those who call his show and dare to disagree with him poorly. I tried to listen to his show on one of my recent Buffalo visits as I was excited to get some all Buffalo sports radio takes (vs the west coast stories I get in Vegas). Unfortunately I couldn’t stomach the attitude and went back to the amazing 102.1 the Edge out of Toronto for some great Canadian tunes. I think Buffalo sports radio deserves a change. BTW, I hope u continue to have time for your “immediate reactions” pieces this football season, always a fun read!
will def. do that this year and most every year. thanks for the kind words
Mike Schopp isthe type of Sports Talk Host you get when one station has a monopoly on Sports talk. Everytime Mr Schopp talks about Footbal or Hockey it sounds as thought he is oversimplifiyng his thoughts so most people get the point he is trying to get accross. He sounds as though he’s talking down to the Buffalo Sports Fans who are definately more informed that he might think they are.
Good on ya, Nick. Methinks it took some guts for you to take a public swipe at Schoop. It’s a very fair critique. Mike is an insecure person by nature, so I’ll be interested to note how he responds, or does not respond – publically at least.
I pity Schoop. He tries so so so hard. Too hard. And it shows.
But, good news…Murph is back on the radio! His new show on WGR is the best move they’ve made in years. I tend to avoid Schoop’s show (although I do like Chris Parker) but I WILL be listening to John Murphy nightly.