GOW MEDIA'S BIG MONTH
David Gow: A peek inside the family
David Gow
Feb 27, 2018, 9:07 pm
A.J. Hoffman (center) and Fred Faour (right) had the No. 1 sports show in the city in January. Kirsten Gilliam Photography
Last year I caught up with an old friend. Amazingly, during the conversation, he failed to tell me some exciting news about his kids. They had gotten exceptionally good grades and were on their way to Stanford. A very exciting time! Yet, out of modesty, he said nothing, and I had to learn the big news from a third party. His omission almost made me feel left out.
Today I will not make the same mistake. I will share with you some exciting news about “the kids” at the station, who recently got a very good report card. When Nielsen ratings came out last week, ESPN 97.5 FM finished with the three top-rated sports shows in the city (for Men, ages 25-54, the standard metric for sports). The top three shows:
No. 1: The Blitz, with Fred Faour and AJ Hoffman; weekdays 4-7 p.m.
No 2: The Usual Suspects, with Joel Blank and Barry Laminack; weekdays 1-4 p. m.
No. 3: The Bench (John and Lance!), with John Granato and Lance Zierlein; weekdays 7-9 a.m.
As always, there is a story behind the successes.
At 8-years old, The Blitz is now the longest continuous-running sports-talk show in the city. Fred and A.J. do their homework and know all-things-sports. For that matter, Fred is now also the cerebral editor of SportsMap.com. But do not consider them the class nerds. Fred and A.J. talk sports with an edge, perhaps an air of cool.
The Usual Suspects launched one year ago, almost as an odd couple. Joel came from the Rockets and seemed to see everything through the prism of sports. Barry won our Rock the Mic contest and as a stand-up comic, seemed to see everything through the prism of humor. Like most good couples, the two have found a solid, compelling balance. Sports and humor? Absolutely: the odd couple is now a successful couple.
The Bench. There are many famous duos: Bert and Ernie, Batman and Robin, Heckle and Jeckle, etc. But in the history of Houston sports talk, John and Lance stand apart. When we got the opportunity to reunite them, I knew they would be successful; what I did not know was how quickly the market would come. In this first ratings book since the reunion, they are No. 1 in their daypart. And they are just getting (re)started.
I would be remiss if I did not mention the other kids. In middays, Raheel and Del are rising stars on 97.5. We have one of the country’s top authorities on soccer, Glenn Davis, who hosts Soccer Matters on Tuesday evenings. Also, I am often asked: what ever happened to Charlie Pallilo? We got him. He is on SportsMap 94.1 FM, weekdays from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. And 94.1 FM now includes Golic and Wingo, Barry Warner, Charlie, Nate and Creight and the Sean Salisbury Show. Check it out!
Finally, as you read the names above, the family is big now. Bluntly, we have more sports experts in our building than any other media company in the city. What do we do with them all? Our “Stanford” is our new media and new platforms. All members of the team are now talking on air, writing on sportsmap.com and now appearing on videos here on the site. A very exciting time!
Takeaways from the Tigers sweep of the Astros
Total butt kicking. The offense was dreadful, scoring just two runs over three games. However, what’s killing the offense the most is the outfield. Outside of when Altuve plays left field, Houston doesn’t have another major league-quality outfielder right now. Jesus Sanchez not only swung at a Charlie Morton curveball that hit him in the knee, he’s also ice-cold, going 0-for-28 at the plate. At least he’s someone you expect to turn things around, but he’s in a huge slump currently. Beyond him, Jacob Melton, Taylor Trammell, and Chas McCormick have all been dragging down the offense. Cam Smith is struggling too, with just one hit in his last seven games.
Is Framber Valdez going to be okay?
Starting pitching was another big issue against the Tigers, and Valdez was a key part of the problem, basically losing the finale in the first inning after allowing six runs. This isn’t an outlier—he’s got a 7+ ERA through four starts in August. Spencer Arrighetti isn’t faring much better, posting a 7+ ERA through three starts. One silver lining with Valdez: the Tigers know him well. They had success against him in the playoffs last season, and it looks like they’re continuing that formula—force him to throw strikes, hit the other way on the sinker, and if the curveball isn’t up, let it go. AJ Hinch knows the deal.
Is the return of Yordan Alvarez enough to boost the offense?
It has to be. The only real way to give this lineup a spark is getting Yordan and Jake Meyers back. Yordan had a successful first rehab outing, collecting a couple of hits, a walk, and even a stolen base. Adding him back to the top of the lineup gives the Astros a formidable top four: Peña, Altuve, Yordan, and Correa. As for Meyers, the outfield has been the biggest drag on the offense. The key is whether he can continue to hit near .300 when he returns from injury. If he does, Altuve and Meyers in the outfield makes a huge difference, and Joe Espada can figure out right field with Sanchez and Smith.
Is the schedule not as soft as anticipated?
We’ve seen some strange results across the league this week, and some of that has to be chalked up to the Dog Days of Summer. Players are tired, and results have been wild. Thankfully, the Mariners are struggling too, giving the Astros some breathing room. Player adjustments after the trade deadline could also be a factor—Sanchez, anyone? Many big free agents have struggled immediately after changing teams, Walker and Juan Soto included.
Can they recover and take advantage of bad teams?
One thing we know about this year’s Astros: they can flip the switch and win multiple series on a moment’s notice. They’re just as capable of sweeping a series as they are of getting swept. Let’s hope that starts with four wins in Baltimore.
There's so much more to get to! Don't miss the video below as we examine the topics above and much, much more!
The MLB season is finally upon us! Join Brandon Strange, Josh Jordan, and Charlie Pallilo for the Stone Cold ‘Stros podcast which drops each Monday afternoon, with an additional episode on Thursday!
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