Ratings down across the board, blah blah blah, nobody listens to sports talk radio during holiday season, blah blah blah (I know you’re here to read about Bill Romanowski’s argument with Damon Bruce).
San Francisco |
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November |
December |
Holiday |
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| Station |
AQH% |
Reach |
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Reach |
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Reach |
Owner |
| KNBR-AM | 8.9 | 1,449,500 | 3.7 | 745,800 | 3.6 | 722,800 | Cumulus |
| KGMZ-FM | 1.4 | 471,200 | 1.3 | 328,800 | 1.2 | 329,300 | Entercom |
| KTCT-AM | 0.4 | 217,500 | 0.5 | 205,500 | 0.4 | 186,400 | Cumulus |
San Jose |
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November |
December |
Holiday |
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| Station |
AQH% |
Reach |
AQH% |
Reach |
AQH% |
Reach |
Owner |
| KNBR-AM | 7.1 | 319,000 | 2.8 | 156,500 | 2.8 | 145,800 | Cumulus |
| KGMZ-FM | 0.9 | 88,300 | 0.9 | 68,200 | 0.8 | 71,400 | Entercom |
| KTCT-AM | 0.3 | 50,000 | 0.3 | 44,300 | 0.3 | 38,100 | Cumulus |
Radio ramblings
I got a direct message from James Arcellana yesterday, asking if I had heard Bill Romanowski and Damon Bruce argue on the air. I hadn’t, and after chatting with him about it on our latest BASGcast, I went to The Game’s website and checked out some sound from the third hour of “The Wheelhouse.”
Greg Papa, John Lund and Romanowski were settling into a normal discussion about the 49ers, and “Romo” started going in on Bruce.
“OK, OK. I’ve got a bone to pick with our guy here, Damon. It’s to a point where the guy, almost classless, the sh … crap he pulls, I’m fuming right now. When I listen to the stuff that comes out of his mouth, it’s like diarrhea. All he does is attack the Niners,” Romanowski said.
“Guess what, Jim Tomsula is going to be a damn good football coach. OK, he did not win the press conference. He’s a defensive line coach, guys. It takes time to develop that skill to be able to own the media. And in time I bet he will do a lot better. There’s only up to go from what he did. To just keep harping on them for getting rid of Jim Harbaugh, I think is wrong. When you’re the owner of a team in the National Football League, if I was Jed, I would say, ‘I own this team. But guess what, I’m running the show here.’ I think if you’re Eddie Debartolo, that’s the approach he would take.”
A little while later, Bruce joined them in the studio before the beginning of his own show for a face-off that got fairly heated.
***
Romo: The negativity you have when … You know what, have you ever had a jock on in your life?
Bruce: Yes.
Romo: What level?
Bruce: I played a season of college football before I realized that it was over my head and it was time for me to talk sports, because I was not the size of an offensive lineman in college. I played at Iona, when I transferred to Indiana …
Romo: Division III.
Bruce: 1-AA. As soon as I transferred to Indiana, I realized that Big-10 football was so far over my head. There was no way I could go out there and live.
Romo: My question is, why do you just want to bash the 49ers over and over?
Bruce: It’s not about just bashing the 49ers, it’s about evaluating what I think is a sequence of decisions that is almost indefensible.
Romo: Why do you think Jim Harbaugh was that great of a coach?
Bruce: Well, he’s got one of the more amazing track records any coach in the first four years of his entire coaching career has ever had.
Romo: Could you agree with this, that you could’ve probably stuck almost anybody in that situation, with that talent. Hey, (Harbaugh) did it. You’ve got to give him credit for it. But I’m telling you, the players …
Bruce: You could say the same thing about Singletary, and (Harbaugh) turned it around right away.
Romo: It was a different team.
Bruce: Well, all teams are different. Different teams every year. Look, it’s not my job to root for anyone, positively or negatively. I’m sharing what I think about this, and I think the Niners have botched this every way from Sunday. And you’ve got the vast majority of people in football, who agree. Mark Schlereth, your former teammate.
Romo: Is there anything positive in your life?
Bruce: There’s a lot positive in my life. But don’t worry about me. I’m a happy, happy guy.
Romo: No you’re not, there’s no way you’re happy.
Bruce: OK, thanks a lot.
Romo: Nobody can spew the crap out of your mouth, and be happy.
Bruce: Why are you taking this so personally? I’m not talking about you. It is my job to talk about these teams.
Romo: Because I hear it, negative over and over and over. It just gets old.
Bruce: Do you want a cheerleader on the air?
Romo: No, I’m not saying cheerleader. I don’t want a cheerleader.
Bruce: Do you want a cheerleader? I’m supposed to be excited that they promoted a coach that didn’t get a single interview as a coordinator?
Romo: Hey, Jack Del Rio probably wouldn’t have.
Bruce: I thought we were talking about the Niners.
Romo: Both of them.
Bruce: Have you heard me say what I think of Jack Del Rio? I think it’s a good hire for the Raiders. I think that the Raiders look like they’ve got more legitimacy to them right now than they’ve had in the decade that I’ve been here covering them. I didn’t just show up. I’ve said good things about teams when they’ve earned them. I have ripped teams when they have deserved it. That’s what I do for a living, Bill. I talk about sports for a living.
Romo: I understand.
Bruce: Why are you making it about personalities? Why are you saying that I’m an unhappy person? You don’t know me.
Romo: I know, but I listen. And it comes out negative.
Bruce: As long as you’re listening. As long as you’re listening.
Romo: I don’t listen very long. It takes about five minutes to get the message, then I turn it off.
Bruce: I’m sure you’ll sell some more Kool-Aid for some team, coming up next!
***
What’s funny is before I heard what they were arguing about, I assumed Romanowski was angry with Bruce for his commentary on the Raiders. Regardless, I feel kind of silly about giving 95.7 extra publicity when part of me wonders whether this argument was orchestrated, but I’m sure a few of you probably have thoughts on what happened yesterday afternoon and wouldn’t mind sharing those with the class.
