Last week, ESPN Radio – – one part of the self-proclaimed Worldwide Leader in Sports – – announced its new Fall schedule. I present the weekday lineup here as it was announced:
- 6-10 AM ET: Evan Cohen, Michelle Smallmon and Chris Canty
- 10:00 – Noon: Mike Greenberg
- Noon – 3:00: Chris Carlin and Joe Fortenbaugh
- 3:00 – 7:00: Freddie Coleman and Harry Douglas
- 7:00 – 10:00: Amber Wilson and Ian Fitzsimmons
- 10:00 – 1:00 AM: DJ Q Myers
Let me offer a just a couple of words here on this lineup:
- I do not know Evan Cohen or Michelle Smallmon; they may be great, or they may stink. Time will tell. I have heard Chris Canty; he sounds like Demosthenes would have sounded during the days when Demosthenes had pebbles in his mouth while he practiced to become an orator.
- Mike Greenberg is a star.
- Chris Carlin used to be part of Mike and the Mad Dog on WFAN in NYC; I liked him then. Joe Fortenbaugh has done sports gambling segments on radio; I sure hope the plan is not to have this program be a 3-hour betting show. Yikes!
- Freddie Coleman was OK on ESPN’s overnight lineup but not much more than that. Harry Douglas has been good as a college football guy on college Game Day.
- I do not know Amber Wilson; Ian Fitzsimmons was a sometime partner with Freddie Coleman on the overnights. Like Coleman, Fitzsimmons is OK.
- DJ Q Myers is indeed a DJ who also has done some sports radio. I will have to check out his act some evening …
I present this lineup and those minimalist “reviews” only for the purpose of expressing my amazement regarding the decline of ESPN Radio. I understand that ESPN is under orders from the suits at Disney to cut costs and that imperative created this complete reshuffling of the programming lineup. Nevertheless, it gives me pangs of nostalgia to look at this lineup and reflect on the fact that ESPN Radio no longer has these folks on the air:
- Mike Golic Sr.
- Tony Kornheiser
- Dan Patrick
- Colin Cowherd
- Ryan Russillo
- Max Kellerman
If ESPN Radio is going to be considered the “Worldwide Leader in Sports Radio” over the next year or so, at least two or three of the folks inserted into the new lineup will need to be breakout talents. If the folks in charge of ESPN Radio have not already given up the ghost on that outlet, they need to have found some diamonds in the rough.
Switching gears … I am conflicted about the mess that Rays’ infielder, Wander Franco finds himself in. The latest twist is that he has been put on “administrative leave” by MLB meaning that he will be paid his due salary, but he will not be permitted to be part of or in touch with the Rays in any way. Franco is being investigated by MLB and by legal authorities in his native Dominican Republic for an “inappropriate relationship with a minor”. Franco will remain on administrative leave “until further notice” which signals to me that the end of this investigation is not yet in sight.
I said I am conflicted here. The basis of my conflict is the exact circumstances and the exact behaviors that have been characterized as “inappropriate with a minor.” Franco is 22 years old and made the All-Star Team this year; he is a really good player signed for 11 years by the Rays and I would prefer to have his talent as part of the MLB entertainment presentation. He is fun to watch; so, part of me wants this to be part of a gigantic misunderstanding …
On the other hand, there are degrees of “inappropriateness” that cannot be ignored or minimized. AND there are degrees of “minority” that cannot be excused. This matter will need to be run to ground and then Franco, the Rays, MLB and the MLBPA will need to deal with whatever the investigation reveals.
Times have changed significantly. In 1989, Luis Polonia was an outfielder with the NY Yankees. He was charged with having sex with a minor on a road trip during the season and was sentenced to 60 days in jail, fined $1500 and ordered to make a contribution to a hospital unit that treated victims of sexual assault. He served his time, complied with the other court orders and was released. He resumed his MLB career with only a smidgen of controversy in 1990 and was in and out of MLB for all the 1990s until he retired after the 2000 season.
From what I have read about this matter, the incident(s) occurred in the Dominican Republic. I have no idea what sort of criminal penalties might apply based on Dominican Republic law, but I do know that if Wander Franco is able to return to MLB after there has been significant evidence that he did something improper, the public reaction in 2023 will be far harsher than what Luis Polonia dealt with.
Finally, having mentioned Demosthenes in passing above, let me close with one of his observations:
“Nothing is easier than self-deceit. For what each man wishes, that he also believes to be true.”
But don’t get me wrong, I love sports………