Richie Whitt: Might Michael Irvin's days at ESPN Radio be numbered?

[WoodysGirl]

Whitt's End: 6.5.09

By Richie Whitt in Whitt's End
Friday, Jun. 5 2009 @ 10:00AM

Whether you're at the end of your rope or merely the end of your week, welcome to Whitt's End:

*Might Michael Irvin's days at ESPN Radio be numbered? This isn't sourced "breaking news", but more so a simple putting two-and-two together and arriving at a common sense conclusion. And, no, it has nothing to do with Irvin getting sued for allegedly stealing his Fourth and Long concept or the mysterious disappearance of that gun-pointing incident he reported last January.

Consider: Irvin's 18-month contract with the station ends this month and, let's face it, 103.3 FM isn't getting sufficient bang for its buck. In April's ratings, ESPN got a 4.4 with its national shows from 6-11 a.m.before dropping off to a 2.9 with Irvin and partner Kevin Kiley from 11 a.m.-2 p.m.

I know there's a certain panache to having the Playmaker on your airwaves, but at some point a Bristol bean counter is going to realize it's not worth it in the two categories that count most in radio: Ratings and revenue.

http://blogs.dallasobserver.com/sportatorium/2009/06/whitts_end_6509.php

 

[DallasEast]

Irvin's partnerships with ESPN haven't been very solid. Perhaps it would be better for him to finally stop dealing with the so-called Worldwide Leader In Sports.

 

[Big Dakota]

Irvin's partnerships with ESPN haven't been very solid. Perhaps it would be better for him to finally stop dealing with the so-called Worldwide Leader In Sports.

 

[jterrell]

This is simply goofball stuff by Whitt who wants badly to have a job in radio.


Mike isn't close to radio gold but he is solid for ESPN103.3

When you look at the overall ratings his simplistic chatter about the higher ratings with the national show is dumb.
1) Mike and Mike are clearly better than anyone locally.
2) EVERYONE does better in ratings in the morning hours than they do the lunch periods.

Mike actually has the closest ratings gap of the day to the Ticket for ESPN.
The ratings go up from the national Cowherd when he come son at 11 and go down when he leaves the air for Mosley and Estridge.

6 am
Dunham & Miller -- 10.4
Mike & Mike -- 5.3
Jagger -- 2.1

7 am
Dunham & Miller -- 11.0
Mike & Mike -- 4.1
Jagger -- 1.4

8 am
Dunham & Miller -- 10.4
Mike & Mike -- 4.0
Jagger -- 2.2

9 am
Dunham & Miller -- 9.2
Colin Cowherd -- 3.8
Scott & Hill -- 3.2

10 am
Norm Hitzges -- 6.8
Colin Cowherd -- 3.4
Scott & Hill -- 2.7

11 am
Norm Hitzges -- 6.7
Michael Irvin -- 3.7
Scott & Hill -- 2.6

Noon
BaD Radio -- 7.2
Michael Irvin -- 3.3
Salisbury & Scruggs -- 2.7

1 pm
BaD Radio -- 7.3
Michael Irvin -- 2.8
Salisbury & Scruggs -- 2.7

2 pm
BaD Radio -- 6.4
Mosley & Estridge -- 2.2
Salisbury & Scruggs -- 2.7

3 pm
Hardline -- 6.0
Galloway & Company -- 2.4
Ben & Skin -- 2.0

4 pm
Hardline -- 8.3
Galloway & Company -- 3.8
Ben & Skin -- 2.2

5 pm
Hardline -- 7.8
Galloway & Company -- 5.5
Ben & Skin -- 1.7

6 pm
Hardline -- 5.1
Dale Hansen -- 3.6
Ben & Skin -- 1.4

 

[jterrell]

Irvin's partnerships with ESPN haven't been very solid. Perhaps it would be better for him to finally stop dealing with the so-called Worldwide Leader In Sports.

Have you checked with his accountant?

Irvin had been pretty successful financially for a guy who was in constant trouble and don't tell me his working at ESPN didn't help ease his way into some extra Hall of Fame votes.

 

[DallasEast]

Have you checked with his accountant?

Irvin had been pretty successful financially for a guy who was in constant trouble and don't tell me his working at ESPN didn't help ease his way into some extra Hall of Fame votes.

Well, I certainly don't believe that ESPN has been lowballing Irvin through the years.

No, I was referring to how his mutual relationships have/may ended/end. Have they been profitable for Irvin? Certainly. Have the relationships or might the relationships continue to be severed by the network instead of by Irvin himself? Yes and that is what my comment was essentially about.

You could be 100% correct about him swinging Pro Football Board of Selectors votes his way by involving himself with the network. If true, good for him, but his bust resides inside Canton's hallowed halls now. As far as the Hall of Fame is concerned, how will his seeking another working relationship with ESPN, which some could very well speculate is destined for another premature end, aid him in the future?

 

[FLCowboyFan]

Maybe Irvin's constant promoting of TO and Packman and ripping of everyone else on the team has driven away listeners?

I LOVED Irvin the player but not being in the area, the only time I see him is ripping the team we love. Maybe I'm missing some great analysis by not living in Dallas.

Irvin should love the team more than his devotion to trouble making players.

 

[CowboyWay]

The most shocking thing in those ratings is how BaD radio has that high of share. I've listened to alot of radio in my day, and that show is downright foul.

 

[CATCH17]

If Irvins show goes off the air that would be bad.

I know a lot of people I work with listen to Irvin and I check his podcasts all the time too.

It would be awful to lose the show right before football season.







In fact what are his ratings during football season?

 

[Tusan_Homichi]

The most shocking thing in those ratings is how BaD radio has that high of share. I've listened to alot of radio in my day, and that show is downright foul.

BaD Radio is my favorite. I love it.

 

[RoadRunner]

It seems like Richie Whitt only ever writes articles concerning the employment of various people in the Dallas radio sports market. I didn't even know who the hell he was until the the Greggo incident with the Ticket.

 

[BlueStar22]

BaD Radio is my favorite. I love it.

co-sign, BaD is genius and my favorite.

Irvin needs to get rid of Kiley.

 

[CATCH17]

I hated Kiley at first but he has let loose and is actually a good personality on the show.

I think its a good show overall and can't believe it would go off the air.

That morning slot is doomed if Irvin cant get big ratings.

Im sure people in the Dallas area would much rather listen to Colin Cowherd........

 

[Mansta54]

I hated Kiley at first but he has let loose and is actually a good personality on the show.

I think its a good show overall and can't believe it would go off the air.

That morning slot is doomed if Irvin cant get big ratings.

Im sure people in the Dallas area would much rather listen to Colin Cowherd........

Now he's a complete IDIOT. I don't know how he keeps a show, he's flatout terrible...

 

[Four]

what the heck is bad radio?

What station is that on?

I like cowherd, but I get why people dislike him, I also think he does that on purpose.

oh and I really like mike's show, he gets really good phone in guests sometimes and I have always liked mike anyways.

 

[RCowboyFan]

Maybe Irvin's constant promoting of TO and Packman and ripping of everyone else on the team has driven away listeners?

I LOVED Irvin the player but not being in the area, the only time I see him is ripping the team we love. Maybe I'm missing some great analysis by not living in Dallas.

Irvin should love the team more than his devotion to trouble making players.

You are and you are way off base on Irvin. Heck he hasn't even supported Pacman, which is totally off the mark on that. He does and always will support TO, but not to detrimental to cowboys. He has said, TO probably had to go, but yeah, he still thinks TO should have been with Cowboys, because TO is his boy.

Irvin is much fanatic about Cowboys as anyone of us fans. He says he crawls up in fetal position when cowboys lose bad

 

[Tusan_Homichi]

what the heck is bad radio?

What station is that on?

I like cowherd, but I get why people dislike him, I also think he does that on purpose.

oh and I really like mike's show, he gets really good phone in guests sometimes and I have always liked mike anyways.

BaD Radio is on The Ticket from noon to 3 during the week. It really is greatness. It has some good sports talk thanks to the great Bob Sturm and some good laughs to go along with it. Definitely my favorite radio show.

 

[jterrell]

Various comments...

1) Only Whitt has suggested Mike won't be retained by ESPN 103.3
If they do not retain him they are silly. He pulls there best comparative numbers by show.

2) I really like BAD Radio. It's by far the best Ticket show because Bob Sturm is a serious sports fan who has enough goof in him to work at the station and Dan is silly but grew up loving sports in a fairly bad Cleveland sports environment.

3) Whitt was a small-time Ft. Worth Star-Telegram reporter and buddy of Mike Fisher et al. He lost a lot of sway with S-T management and eventually his job. He complained they pushed in women like Little Ball of Hate and Ch. Williams over him but never explained why he didn't surpass all the male counterparts who stayed employed or ended up elsewhere with just as high profile jobs not at the Dallas observer of all places.

4) Mike is a huge Cowboys homer. He truly loves Jerry Jones. I am fairly certain if Jerry had one player he ever really cared about it is Mike. Mike can always get Jerry's blessings and the benefit of that. He also seems a fairly savvy businessman with a lot of stuff in the works but hardly resting on his NFL paychecks.

5) My personal fave local shows:

a) BaD Radio --- They do bits like any Ticket show but have the most real sports knowledge. They are an awesome blend of silly and sports nerd. No need for a comedian on the show.

b) Galloway ONLY WITH COOP --- Galloway is heavy-duty schtick but he has along-time area presence and knows the local scenes. Coop beings the sports knowledge and seriousness to get topics covered with more than chuckles.

c) Irvin --- He is a Cowboys homer and he has his personal biases but he offers real insight we wouldn't see from most anyone else. Irvin is very charismatic and shines lights on things that wouldn't normally get discussed.

d) Norm --- this is mostly nostalgia because I grew up on him... yes he has fallen off.

e) HardLine --- Wish they had more sports-centric coverage in seasons other than baseball. But their stick is polished and not as awful as the dunham and miller show.

f) Mike Fisher as a fill in on ESPN 103.3. Fish has his own style and takes but he loves the discourse with the fans and the back and forth leads to real sports discussions.

 

[Jon88]

So he made up the story about almost being robbed.

 

[Biggems]

IMO, Irvin needs to go back to FOX, where he got his start in TV/Radio.

I wouldn't mind him going to NFLN.