Coming up with a topic and having callers call in and share their thoughts can be entertaining radio. I also enjoyed the B&B bit where they shit on dumb callers. It was initially entertaining because it seemed like the callers were in on it. That's what good producers get you.

IMO hosts who don't want to take calls don't take them because they don't like having their opinions challenged and/or are simply not able to back them up. Parkins is an example of that, and his national show was not good.

IMO hosts who don't want to take calls don't take them because they don't like having their opinions challenged and/or are simply not able to back them up. Parkins is an example of that, and his national show was not good.

If you can get past his voice, which sounds like a combination of Rosemarie and Donald Duck, Jody MacDonald (Jody Mac) does a pretty solid national show on CBS that airs here on Saturday and Sunday evening. Sometimes it seems like he's on from 4:00 PM until 11:00 PM or later, but that can't be right. Anyway, he takes a lot of calls and while they are certainly not all winners he keeps the show moving along pretty well. A good producer can screen out the really bad calls and a good host can cut a bad call short without acting a jagoff.

They used to call running off the caller giving them the WGN shuffle. They just disappear unnoticed while the host speaks.

IMO hosts who don't want to take calls don't take them because they don't like having their opinions challenged and/or are simply not able to back them up. Parkins is an example of that, and his national show was not good.

Haha, yep, pot 'em down and give 'em a pajamagram

Yep. It gives a good host an opportunity to work off of someone else.

If you want to pontificate on your own for 4 hours, start a podcast.

IMO hosts who don't want to take calls don't take them because they don't like having their opinions challenged and/or are simply not able to back them up. Parkins is an example of that, and his national show was not good.

If you can get past his voice, which sounds like a combination of Rosemarie and Donald Duck, Jody MacDonald (Jody Mac) does a pretty solid national show on CBS that airs here on Saturday and Sunday evening. Sometimes it seems like he's on from 4:00 PM until 11:00 PM or later, but that can't be right. Anyway, he takes a lot of calls and while they are certainly not all winners he keeps the show moving along pretty well. A good producer can screen out the really bad calls and a good host can cut a bad call short without acting a jagoff.

To those who think Mac is wrong on his opinion concerning the merits of taking callers, why do you think he formulated that opinion? Do you think he's being lazy? Do you think he's become less tolerant of different viewpoints? Do you think he's slowed down mentally? Do you think he's just arrogant?

I happen to agree with him. I don't listen to sports radio for the rambling calls or to hear the hosts make fun of a caller or laugh with one. I suspect there's a reason why very few hosts take calls and it's the reason that Mac gave and not one of the reasons listed above.

I have little interest in hearing Danny Mac on his own, but with Terry, I might listen

Isn't Terry on his death bed? The last picture I saw of him, he looked very ill.

He’s had the appearance of a guy on his deathbed for the past couple decades.

Do not think guys like Parkins can do a local sports talk show that incorporates callers with different points of view because he is doing the type of bland national sports talk show you hear when stations go to national programming on the weekends. Odd because they could create the type of hyper local original content which would differentiate them from everyone else without much effort. The thinking fans station is really a dumbing down of discourse because the interactions are severely limited to discussions between hosts, producers, and hand picked "experts" who are selected only because they share the exact same take as the hosts. It makes for incredibly boring radio.

Isn't Terry on his death bed? The last picture I saw of him, he looked very ill.

That's a lot of sponsorship for a 2 hour show.

Do not think guys like Parkins can do a local sports talk show that incorporates callers with different points of view because he is doing the type of bland national sports talk show you hear when stations go to national programming on the weekends. Odd because they could create the type of hyper local original content which would differentiate them from everyone else without much effort. The thinking fans station is really a dumbing down of discourse because the interactions are severely limited to discussions between hosts, producers, and hand picked "experts" who are selected only because they share the exact same take as the hosts. It makes for incredibly boring radio.

No wait but John. John. John. Johnjohnjohnjohnjohn. John. John. Can I get a word in, John? John. John. Let me talk. You talk, and then I talk. It's called "having a conversation." Maybe you've heard of it.

[no further conversation happens]

If Terry and Mac had any work ethic they could put together a cool podcast/YouTube stream and make some pocket change reconnecting with their former fan base. I see random people on YouTube who live stream and get crazy donations every day. Have something like "Sunday's with Terry and Mac" talking football.

The wrong half of Spiegel & Parkins got taken off the lineup when deCastro changed everything around, I've been thinking.

Parkins is boring and stale, but that's exactly what sports radio wants. If 670 was smart, they would've been trying to poach the RLR crew 3-4 years ago before Barstool took them full time. If they had an afternoon drive slot, they'd be a younger version of MJ&H. Too late for that as the ship has sailed for them to even think about working in traditional media.