97.1 The Ticket: Hocketown "Dead"?

[StormJH1 231]

I have to preface this by saying I'm an out-of-market fan (Minnesota), so I'm not a regular 97.1 listener and I'm not exposed to media coverage as a whole of the Red Wings. But I do stream in 97.1 or listen to podcasts from Valenti & Foster in particular, and their attitude towards Red Wings coverage really irritates me. Basically, their logic is as follows:

• Red Wings fans are "bandwagon" fans (which they don't find particularly shameful, since it's true of every market)
• The fans "know" this isn't a Cup team
• Any time they try to bring up a Red Wings topic, the phone lines more or less go dead...
• Therefore: 97.1's talk radio shows aren't going to spend significant time covering a product that most Detroiters aren't interested in.

This logic is appalling to me for several reasons. First, isn't 97.1 the broadcast partner of the Detroit Red Wings? Don't they feel a professional responsibility to push the narrative in the direction of teams they actually put on their airwaves, particularly if it's a team on a playoff run, as opposed to more talk about Titus Young getting arrested?

Second, even if I assume that this podcast (05/17/13) came on the heels of a pretty bad Game 1 loss to Chicago, is that even true that the fans all "know" this team isn't going to succeed in the Playoffs? They talk about the Wings like they're total dog crap - this team went 10-5-3 (IIRC) in their last 18 and stole a 7th spot when most national media were writing the obituary for their playoff streak. Does anyone actually think a low seed is a death sentence in the NHL Playoffs? (See 2010 Flyers; 2012 Kings)

Third, if you're a radio station that tells listeners that their listeners don't care about their product, should you be surprised if your listeners don't just take their energy to other radio stations, LGW, or other forums for discussion?

I guess I don't get it - here in Minnesota, the Vikings get year-round coverage even at the expense of the Wild, but the Wild are also a recent expansion team that's won all of two Playoff series EVER. I'd like to think the Red Wings have a bit more equity built up with their fanbase. Do you agree with Valenti & Foster that Hockeytown is "dead", or are they creating their own problem for their show and network?

(How do I edit a thread title to fix the typo in "Hockeytown"? Whoops )

Edited May 22, 2013 by StormJH1

[Nevermind 363]

I don't know.

But surely we're no "Hawkeytown".

[Rhah 195]

Foster was on Chicago Radio today and basically said all your bullets except for flat out calling them bandwagon fans.

[VM1138 1,921]

I never listen to that channel, but it seems the state radio programs never cover the Wings, and when they do discussion does die off.

I think part of it is that the hosts aren't knowledgable about the NHL. Why would I call in if my point will go over their heads?

With the Lions being interesting again and the Tigers doing well, hockey has fallen off the radar. There used to be Wings updates on store signs around the state, now I never see any reference to them.

Sad, but even in northern states hockey is secondary or tertiary to football and baseball.

The thing I don't get is why the NBA gets more coverage when I think they post similar ratings and attendance to hockey. I guess because the radio stations are based out of urban centers.

[wheelchairwing 11]

I listen to the stream as well, being "out of town" ... I think their estimation that "Hockeytown is Dead" is based more on the problem that they have when they bring up topics surrounding the Red Wings ... if no one calls in, then there is no point in hammering the same topic ... like it or not, their job is to entertain their listeners and talk about topics that will interest their fan base ... if they bring up Titus Young or anything else and the topic catches fire, that can fill a four hour show ... they will push what works.

[StormJH1 231]

I don't get the sense that either Valenti or Foster are particularly huge hockey fans, but they seem knowledgeable enough to carry a conversation about them (and I've heard them do so in the past). Valenti was the one pushing the "bandwagon" aspect more than Foster, so that may or may not be Foster's view.

There has been discussion after discussion on this site and elsewhere about whether this is a "spoiled" fanbase, if it's "playoff fatigue", too many Europeans, not enough fighting (disagree), economic factors, etc. Those are all fine and valid discussions. I just felt that the 97.1 discussion was on a different level because the people selling the product usually aren't the ones telling you why you're right not to care about it.

If you grew up as a teenager in the mid-90's, as I did, you're forever biased on this topic. You may never again recapture the cascading effects of a 40-year drought, the blood feud with Colorado, and "win for Vladdy", but I guess I refuse to accept that this is a "dead" fanbase. I see too much on the ice, in the stands, and on the forums to the contrary.

[VM1138 1,921]

I don't buy the foreigner aspect. Never did. All major sports are international in makeup now, and all have 'funny names' and it doesn't hurt them.

[vladdy16 2,154]

I refuse to listen to the Ticket anymore - I find Foster ignorant and Valente is just an ass, plain and simple. They know nothing about hockey. As someone stated before me, why would I want to call into a show that can't effectively discuss my opinion?

[VM1138 1,921]

USA Hockey has to do a better job promoting the sport. There needs to be a focus on floor hockey to bring it to areas where skating and expensive equipment isn't affordable.

[evilmrt 636]

97.1 The Ticket isn't a true local media outlet. It's owned by CBS, and so you get national corporate monolith attitudes towards sports. CBS says football brings in the dough everywhere in the USA, so it better do the same in Detroit as well, hockeytown or not.

It's basically the ESPN of radio.

I remember listening to it when in town, waiting for the wings game to come on late in the season... March. They were just blabbing about the Lions endlessly even though the season ended months before, then awkwardly turned the Wings game on with no transition. What a crap station.

[Din758 371]

I think more than not that when these guys talk like this it is to infuriate wings fans into calling in and talking hockey with them. They do the same thing with the pistons. We dont get alot of hockey calls with them compared to the other shows.

When these guys fall out of character which happens sometimes, Mike has a pretty good handle on the NHL and the players in it, not just the stars.

I also think a lot of wings fans hate their take because normally its pretty realistic. For example this year we werent expected to do much, and maybe only 1 out of 5 times does this scenario play out like it has thus far. Having an objective view on this team I understand why they think like they do.

You must remember sports radio talk, especially afternoon drive, is all entertainment. If you want good hockey talk check out Pat Caputo, he does a really nice job. Pretty unbiased too.

[MulesWillFly93 199]

Radio is dead, not Hockeytown.

[hillbillywingsfan 792]

I think more than not that when these guys talk like this it is to infuriate wings fans into calling in and talking hockey with them. They do the same thing with the pistons. We dont get alot of hockey calls with them compared to the other shows.

When these guys fall out of character which happens sometimes, Mike has a pretty good handle on the NHL and the players in it, not just the stars.

I also think a lot of wings fans hate their take because normally its pretty realistic. For example this year we werent expected to do much, and maybe only 1 out of 5 times does this scenario play out like it has thus far. Having an objective view on this team I understand why they think like they do.

You must remember sports radio talk, especially afternoon drive, is all entertainment. If you want good hockey talk check out Pat Caputo, he does a really nice job. Pretty unbiased too.

I agree with this to a point but when you are saying "hockeytown is dead we never get any calls blah blah blah" then maybe if you did cater to the fans a bit and not always be assholes then maybe the show would be a bit better. Not saying there is anything wrong with being a realist but if you are going to be in sports talk radio and be affiliated with a specific team then don't start crying when you don't get many calls into your show for said sport/team. A lot of fans need that feel good ra ra talk sometimes and not the Wings are back to being the deadwings talk.

Edited May 22, 2013 by hillbillywingsfan

[Guest fat guy in a maltby jersey]

most hockey fans don't spend their time listening to s***ty FM talk radio.

sorry, 97.1

[chances14 227]

I have to preface this by saying I'm an out-of-market fan (Minnesota), so I'm not a regular 97.1 listener and I'm not exposed to media coverage as a whole of the Red Wings. But I do stream in 97.1 or listen to podcasts from Valenti & Foster in particular, and their attitude towards Red Wings coverage really irritates me. Basically, their logic is as follows:

• Red Wings fans are "bandwagon" fans (which they don't find particularly shameful, since it's true of every market)
• The fans "know" this isn't a Cup team
• Any time they try to bring up a Red Wings topic, the phone lines more or less go dead...
• Therefore: 97.1's talk radio shows aren't going to spend significant time covering a product that most Detroiters aren't interested in.

This logic is appalling to me for several reasons. First, isn't 97.1 the broadcast partner of the Detroit Red Wings? Don't they feel a professional responsibility to push the narrative in the direction of teams they actually put on their airwaves, particularly if it's a team on a playoff run, as opposed to more talk about Titus Young getting arrested?

Second, even if I assume that this podcast (05/17/13) came on the heels of a pretty bad Game 1 loss to Chicago, is that even true that the fans all "know" this team isn't going to succeed in the Playoffs? They talk about the Wings like they're total dog crap - this team went 10-5-3 (IIRC) in their last 18 and stole a 7th spot when most national media were writing the obituary for their playoff streak. Does anyone actually think a low seed is a death sentence in the NHL Playoffs? (See 2010 Flyers; 2012 Kings)

Third, if you're a radio station that tells listeners that their listeners don't care about their product, should you be surprised if your listeners don't just take their energy to other radio stations, LGW, or other forums for discussion?

I guess I don't get it - here in Minnesota, the Vikings get year-round coverage even at the expense of the Wild, but the Wild are also a recent expansion team that's won all of two Playoff series EVER. I'd like to think the Red Wings have a bit more equity built up with their fanbase. Do you agree with Valenti & Foster that Hockeytown is "dead", or are they creating their own problem for their show and network?

(How do I edit a thread title to fix the typo in "Hockeytown"? Whoops )

word of advice. valenti and foster know absolutely nothing about the red wings or hockey. valenti seems to have a personal hatred of anything hockey so take whatever he says with a grain of salt.

[Guest Playmaker]

I really don't disagree with much of what Foster said. If the Wings aren't fortunate enough to re-tool on the fly and have a few years out of they playoffs, the fans will start dropping like flies. Happened with the Tigers, happened with the Pistons.

What's lacking in many Wings fans is the passion and the desperation. After witnessing 4 (almost 5) cup runs and another 20 or so great playoff runs, it's just not the same as having a 42 year drought and wondering if you'll ever see a Cup win in your lifetime.

The Wings also don't have any dynamic personalities. They're as vanilla as you can get. It doesn't make for good media fodder. From the players to the coaches to the ownership, everyone says and does all the expected things. Sports radio thrives on conflict and controversy. They're just isn't any with the Wings.

[PuckY18 13]

Someone in their position is compelled to say some things that may seem a little over the top or drastic. And Mike probably isn't as much of an ass as he makes himself out to be on air. You're just hearing his on air 'radio persona' he speaks in so he hits you hard with what he says. Someone like him wakes up in the morning and says, "what can I say to really set these people off?" And he does it, whether it's infuriating or a big slapfest talking baseball. It's all about rhetoric and doing his best to draw your attention. If they just sat there, and went back and forth over how they think the wings are good in some parts but could do better here, trying their best not to tick anyone off in the process they wouldn't have a very good draw.

And being a former Islanders fan, his interest in hockey did drop off quite a bit.

I think more than not that when these guys talk like this it is to infuriate wings fans into calling in and talking hockey with them. They do the same thing with the pistons. We dont get alot of hockey calls with them compared to the other shows.

When these guys fall out of character which happens sometimes, Mike has a pretty good handle on the NHL and the players in it, not just the stars.

I also think a lot of wings fans hate their take because normally its pretty realistic. For example this year we werent expected to do much, and maybe only 1 out of 5 times does this scenario play out like it has thus far. Having an objective view on this team I understand why they think like they do.

You must remember sports radio talk, especially afternoon drive, is all entertainment. If you want good hockey talk check out Pat Caputo, he does a really nice job. Pretty unbiased too.

I like Riger the best for hockey. It can be entertaining listening to him read all the texts regarding his nasally voice.

Edited May 22, 2013 by PuckY18

[GoWings1905 2,694]

~100 consecutive sellouts. Have they not seen/heard the crowds at the Joe for the playoff games?

Foster and Drew Sharp have never praised a Detroit team in their entire time here. I think both would prefer losing to support their viewpoints.

[Euro_Twins 4,475]

I didn't take the time to read everyone's posts, nor did I read the whole of your opening post. I didn't need to, the truth is I will never call in cause they are pompous know it all tools, who actually know nothing. Every time anyone tries to have a discussion about anything with them they interrupt and throw some useless rumor in your face or blatantly make something up to sound smart. I would rather discuss the wings with true fans, rather than ignorant "know it all" idiots.

[Rhah 195]

I didn't take the time to read everyone's posts, nor did I read the whole of your opening post. I didn't need to, the truth is I will never call in cause they are pompous know it all tools, who actually know nothing. Every time anyone tries to have a discussion about anything with them they interrupt and throw some useless rumor in your face or blatantly make something up to sound smart. I would rather discuss the wings with true fans, rather than ignorant "know it all" idiots.

Sounds like the afternoon show in Chicago. Bernstein built his career on making fun of the callers and basically instead of arguing them just calling them stupid. Now no smart callers call in (because duh they are smart) or if they do and actually have a good point the producers don't put them through. Its obvious the producers purposely put through the dumb calls as part of the act. Then they all laugh at the caller. Its really grating radio.

Edited May 22, 2013 by Rhah

[unsaddleddonald 357]

From the players to the coaches to the ownership, everyone says and does all the expected things. Sports radio thrives on conflict and controversy. They're just isn't any with the Wings.

That has a lot of truth to it. The Red Wings don't make headlines because they put their head down and do their job.

They don't f*** around, they don't do stupid s*** like athletes in other sports do. Blame ESPN (and the media today) who just likes to talk about talk. They don't talk about the actual games as much as they talk about the s*** that happens between them.

[amato 3,210]

god, i hate 97.1.... everything that comes out of their mouths is stoopid.

[onemorecup 12]

Where is Art Regner when you need him, he would talk hockey all the time, even had his own show that just talked wings, ice time I do believe. Years ago though back when sports radio had a soul and wasn't as coperatate and nationally driven even from a local perspective.

[kylee 727]

to the OP, unfortunately you probably listen to the single worst sports talk show in the Detroit area. All they want to do is talk about football year round. They know almost nothing when it comes to hockey, the Red Wings, or the NHL. I used to give Terry Foster the benefit of the doubt, but I've learned over time he's just as bad as Valenti, just in different ways.

[GunnarStahl 39]

Valenti & Foster like to stir the pot and play devil's advocate. Valenti likes to say things for shock value. Like others have said, they can bring up the latest NFL player arrest and fill four hours with that topic. You should check out Karsch & Anderson, OP. They've talked hockey for a few hours especially if it's the show after a game.