Last month, both of the sports talk radio stations in Philly announced some major changes to their daily lineups. One of the biggest moves was the return of Mike Missanelli, formerly of 610 WIP, to Philadelphia, only he'd be heard a few clicks down the dial at 950 WPEN, which became an ESPN station. As most sports talk fans in Philly know, Missanelli's tenure at WIP
didn't end very amicably, but he says the past is the past and he's
moved on. However, Missanelli's show took over the afternoon drive time, opposite Howard Eskin, and so far, neither man has been shy about stoking the flames of competition in the time slot (thankfully). Being regular sports talk radio listeners, we thought we'd ask Mike if he'd be interested in answering a few questions about his time in New York, his on-air style, his dismissal at WIP, Stephen A. Smith, and more.
You're back in Philly after a few years in the Big Apple. What major
differences have you noticed in your years of fielding calls from the fan bases
in these two cities?
The New York audience is much more subdued in their analysis and
commentary of their sports. That's probably because their attention is so much
more diluted by the presence of so many more teams and activities there, or it
could be because we just naturally live sports so much more on a daily basis.
Sports is much more an escape for us here in Philly.
How would you
describe your co-host during your time in New York, one Mr. Stephen A. Smith?
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Philadelphia sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
I enjoyed it immensely. Steve is a really a good guy and we had a good
bob and weave to the issues. Obviously, he is a major black media voice. One of
the things I always admired about Stephen A, even when he was just a columnist
at the Philadelphia Inquirer, is that he wasn't afraid to say something that was
on his mind, without regard to how people would react. That's the way I've
always tried to conduct my sports talk radio life. Even though I didn't agree
with everything Steve had to say, I admired that he would say it. And the fact
that I disagreed with him on issues made for a better radio show. Now, I will
also say that Steve is a very verbose guy, and I had to make sure that the 20
words I got in each day counted.
Do you prefer to work alone, or
with a co-host?
I have worked with a co-host most of my talk radio life and the
benefit to that is that you can have a conversation that is entertaining to the
listener. I loved to use my co-host as a foil or as somebody I wanted to pull
things from in order to create a bounce between us. I am the ultimate
ball-breaker, so in that way, a co-host was good for me. That said, without a
co-host, you can use the caller in that capacity, so in the end, it really
doesn't make much difference. One of the perils of having a co-host is that a
lot of callers will take sides and favor one guy over the other. Sometimes that
can make good radio, sometimes it makes the other guy insecure.
For
listeners who may not have heard your show before, how would you describe your
style, and what can they expect during drive time on 950?
My style is simply to be as honest, entertaining and provocative
as I can be. My main goal is to get the listener to react, to think, and to urge
him to call to express his views. Contrary to what may be popular opinion, I
will ALWAYS give the caller his say. I may not always agree with the caller's
view, but that's what makes a good conversation: two sides of an issue. And I
enjoy the conversation where the caller has a contrary view to my
own because I know that I can spin that into an informative and
entertaining conversation. I'm confident that I'm smart enough to formulate a
contrary argument that makes the other guy think. Some talk radio hosts,
including one who happens to occupy the same time slot as myself in this town,
have to hang up on the caller because they aren't savvy enough to argue
back.
What are your favorite Philly sports teams, in order of your
interest level?
I've always been a big Sixers fan because I was captivated as a
younger guy with the dream team the Sixers created in the late 1970's with
Julius Erving and George McGinnis. I'm still trying to get over the heartbreak
when the Sixers lost to the Portland Trail Blazers in the NBA Finals after
leading the series 2-0. And then the ultimate redemption came in 1983 with Doc,
Andrew, Moses. But as a former baseball player, I've always been very analytical
of the Phillies. I would say my interest goes: Sixers, Phillies, Eagles a very
close third and maybe tied for second with the Phils, and
Flyers.
News
Your competition down the dial has his fair share of
detractors, but he also has a lot of fans and great numbers. It seems like
you're not shy about taking aim at him... What are your thoughts on Howard
Eskin?
I think you'd better check those numbers. They're not very good any
more. His show is tired. The one thing I can guarantee the listener in this
town is that our show, on a daily basis, will be more fun to listen to than his.
And I will also say this: his butt-kiss approach to the Eagles, because they
have patted him on the head like a Golden Retriever, is an embarrassment to the
Philly sports fan. They deserve better.
Has your producer, Jon
Marks, been provided with protective equipment or a stipend for Gracie Jiu-Jitsu
classes?
Nice. But Markzie can probably take me.
Do you have any
comment on the events that led to the end of your tenure at WIP?
I think the dismissal was an overreaction on management's part and I
think today they might say the same thing. There's much more to the story than
what actually came out. At the end of the day, it was a disagreement between
co-workers that could have been worked out. But you have to accept
responsibility for your part and move on. In retrospect, it may have been the
best thing to happen to me. It gave me a chance at self introspection and I was
able to grow a lot as a person because of it. And it also gave me the
spare time I needed to write my book. Shameless plug: It's called The
Perfect Season, How Penn State Stopped a Hurricane and Won a National
Championship.
Sports talk radio seems like an "all news is
good news" medium. What makes for the better on-air conversation starter: good
news about local sports teams, or bad?
In Philadelphia -- and probably in
any other passionate sports town -- bad news generates better conversation. When
you win, the conversation is, "Wow, everything's great!" But when things aren't
going well, it brings out analysis, which makes for more entertaining
conversation.
What source material do you review before you go on
the air to make sure you can fill your time slot with interesting discussions?
I read as many newspapers as I can during the course of a day, and watch
SportsCenter to stay abreast of any national issues that I might want to discuss
and Comcast SportsNet's SportsRise for the local issues. And then I will work
into a script the most important and compelling issues that I feel will generate
the most entertaining conversation.
What's your view on the impact
of blogs on modern sports media?
Blogs are entertaining, but I'm not sure
they have much of an impact because they are more difficult to access. Sports
talk radio is right in your face: immediate reaction broadcast through a popular
electronic medium.
Which Philly team do you predict will win the
next championship?
The Phils.
Thanks to Mikey Miss for participating, and answering each question we asked.
