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by: Alan Eisenstock  List Price: $25.00 Amazon.com's Price: $19.00 You Save: $6.00 (24%)Prices subject to change. Availability: Usually ships in 1 to 2 months
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Binding: HardcoverDewey Decimal Number: 070.449796092 EAN: 9780743406949 ISBN: 074340694X Label: Atria Manufacturer: Atria Number Of Items: 1 Number Of Pages: 272 Publication Date: October 02, 2001 Publisher: Atria Studio: Atria Related Items:
Browse for similar items by category: Click to Display Editorial Review: Amazon.com Review: In Sports Talk: A Journey Inside the World of Sports Talk Radio, Alan Eisenstock addresses one of the most popular and addictive radio programming formats in the country. Sports talk shows (dubbed "smack" by chronic listeners) focus on sports teams and players, and provide fans with an outlet to voice frustrations. Eisenstock, a confessed lifelong sports talk enthusiast, travels the U.S. to interview some of the most prominent show hosts in an attempt to discern why the format is so compelling. Interviews with Boston's Eddie Andelman, Chicago's Mike North, and New York staples Mike Francesa and Chris "Mad Dog" Russo provide amusing anecdotes and histories, but nothing terribly satisfying emerges as justification for sports talk's overwhelming popularity. While some of the interviews are engaging, a few are uninspired. The best endorsement for sports talk comes from one of Eisenstock's early experiences listening to Ed "Superfan" Beiler in Los Angeles: Sports columnists and TV pundits don't know what to make of him. We, the legion of his followers, don't care. Hell, we're not even sure we like him. We certainly don't always agree with him. But we always, always tune in. Sports Talk is definitely for smack listeners everywhere. --Michael Ferch Product Description: A Journey inside the World of Sports Talk Radio Their voices explode over the airwaves -- with names like Mike and the Mad Dog, the Stinkin' Genius, Hacksaw, and JT the Brick. They broadcast in drive time and downtime, from rush hour to the dead of night. And yet, millions of fans tune in around the clock to hear their favorite larger-than-life radio personalities rant, rave, critique, predict, and mix it up with callers -- the dedicated fans of sports talk radio. Never before has this cloistered world opened its doors to a no-holds-barred, behind-the-scenes, full-access look at itself. Noted journalist (and fan) Alan Eisenstock embarks on a journey through the American sports radio landscape and gives readers a front-row seat -- from breakfast at the kitchen table of Eddie Andelman, Boston's godfather of sports radio, to the WFAN commissary with Mike and the Mad Dog in New York; from the plush home game room of Chicago's hot dog-vendorturned-#1 DJ Mike North to the empty 3 AM studio parking garage with nationally syndicated JT the Brick. Eisenstock goes into the studios, homes, and lives of these and many other of America's hottest and most-listened-to sports talk hosts. Filled with hilarious and entertaining tales of what makes these hosts tick -- as well as the unbelievable stories of how they got where they are today -- Sports Talk paints a picture the fans never see. Eisenstock shows us the blood, sweat, and tears of program directors with their reputations on the line; hosts searching for career security; and station managers who are always eyeing the bottom line. And, of course, there are stories of the rabid, obsessed, and off-the-wall fans. Whether you're a sports fan or a sports talk junkie, you'll be hooked from the first page. Average Rating:
 Rating:  - sports talk rambleNot a compelling read, but interesting, nonetheless. Only, on page 150 or so, you wonder: "Didn't I read this before?" Zeroing-in on various big-name SportsTalk hosts reveals a certain sameness one after the other, page after page. Some interesting insight into the technique of "talk radio" is magnetic. A good, quick read. Rating:  - Give Eisenstock His Own ShowIt's reasons like this book that I listen to sportstalk radio... the little dramas that play out on the air, the unique personalities of the callers, the great dialogue... Eisenstock has a terrifc ear for all of this... i'd love to know the whole story why Romie refused to be intereviewed for this book, and still don't understand why Mike and the Made Dog are considered the gold standard... to me they're just irrititating... the stories in here are terrific, particularly Eddie Endleman... what an ... Read More Rating: - Only Wish It Was LongerIt was the 1970s, and Alan Eisenstock was a young writer on the West Coast when he first discovered himself drawn to a mysterious voice on the radio who mocked Dodger Dogs and bad Coliseum seats and called himself "Superfan" before getting himself thrown off the air. More than 20 years later, Eisenstock is still listening to sports radio, only now he's meeting with various sports jocks, both the success stories and the strugglers. He wants to know just what makes them tick, why they are ... Read More Rating:  - A listerner's one hour interviewsAs a fan of sports radio, and someone with intimate knowledge of the key players, the business and the politics I was disappointed to find little or no mention of those elements in this book. The author clearly identifies himself as a listener turned interviewer and barely shares anything provactive or interesting. Chapters are dedicated to major personalities, but Mr. Eisenstock spends too little time either with the individuals or with the subject matter. Further, I found his discourse slightly ... Read More Rating: - Well worth any sports fan's timeAs someone who works in the business and has actually crossed paths with some of the personalities profiled in this book, I enjoyed it a great deal. I especially appreciate the author presenting the hosts as the intelligent, rational people they have to be to do this job as opposed to opting for the mouth-breathing idiot caricature bitter print guys love to trot out to bash us. Nice work and a very good read. 
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