Tag Archives: #sportsradio

Gerry Callahan posts a 10 tweet thread about leaving WEEI

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At around 10 o’clock last night, Gerry Callahan sent out 10 consecutive tweets about leaving WEEI, thanking specific people, and what played a big role in his departure.

“1) Well, if I had known I was gonna be this popular, I would have gotten my ass fired a long time ago. Can’t complain though: 35 years in radio, newspapers and magazines and my first time getting the axe. I’m just glad they gave me the last seven weeks of the summer off.” 

“2) If anyone from Entercom management had called, I would have thanked them. Maybe tomorrow. I wish I could thank everyone individually who reached out, but I don’t think that’s possible. At last check, more than 3,500 of you have texted, tweeted, emailed or called.”

“3) I appreciate all of you, believe me, but I want to single out a few people tonight. As many of you know, Kirk Minihane and I are done at EEI primarily because of one angry, obsessed, liberal activist who never stopped harassing our advertisers. He had some help from the Globe.” (Upcoming articles will explain this story line.) 

“4) They won in the end, but many companies stood by us and never gave in. I appreciate them more than they’ll ever know. These are people with guts and integrity who deserve your business. If you work for one of these companies, consider yourself lucky. We should all be so lucky.”

“5) I have to start with a man I’ve never met but adore: Ely Kaplansky of Kaplansky Insurance was the first to tell the activist to f**k off. Many others were loyal and strong, including my good friends Dana and Bill from Milton’s, Steve and Mark from DiStefano Hair Restoration,”

“6) and the great Jon Walsh, owner of Liz Grady. And don’t forget Greg from Shea Concrete, the best damn precast company on the planet. There are others – and I will salute them in the days to come – but these people were literally harassed DAILY for the better part of two years.”

“7) They stood strong and I can never thank them enough. Kirk, Mut and I had the two best producers in radio, Chris Curtis and Ken Laird. We had some terrific colleagues, including OMF guys, and we had thousands of loyal listeners, callers, texters, and tweeters. Thanks all”

“8) It was a good run, but these are scary times in the media business. One relentless activist with the help of one alleged media outlet can do a lot of damage. You need a strong and supportive boss who will fight for you, or you need a news job. I need a job.”

“9) I’ll be fine. I watched as my father got the boot from Raytheon after 40 years. I know it absolutely killed him – he loved that company – but he never stopped smiling, never stopped counting his blessings. It was a job. There were more important things in life”

“10) He was a better man and a harder worker than I’ll ever be, and two weeks after he was laid off, he was out roofing houses. I don’t think I’ll do that, but I’ll do something. I’m not going away. I heard Shea Concrete is hiring. Damn good company too.” 

Photo from The Boston Herald

Story by Chad Jones

Follow Chad on Twitter @shutupchadjones

Media members comment on Gerry Callahan leaving WEEI

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Former and current Boston personalities gave their thoughts on Gerry Callahan’s exit from WEEI.

Kirk Minihane, Callahan’s former WEEI co-host, was very opinionated on Callahan’s departure. His first tweet was, “This is all on Entercom. They let Bob Murchison call the shots. A Disgrace. Shameful. I’ve been unfair to Gerry the last few months for sure — misplaced anger. This is just bulls**t.” (Future articles to come about what all this means.)

John Dennis, Callahan’s first full time co-host on WEEI, tweeted, “When Gerry and I were good, we were very good. Loved sharing Boston’s amazing events w/ALL of you– Championships, parades, scandals, all of it tempered by 9-11 & the Marathon Bombings. We got thru it together. But the broadcasting biz lets very few of us walk away on our own terms.”

Mike “Mut” Mutnansky, Callahan’s most recent co-host, had a flurry of tweets regarding Callahan leaving. Mut first tweeted, “Found out the news about @GerryCallahan this AM. I loved working with Gerry. His fearlessness. (Gerry’s) allergic/ honest reaction to boring radio. His honesty. (Gerry’s) ability to get the most from his co-hosts and guests. His efforts for The Jimmy Fund. All of it.”

Alex Reimer, WEEI host and columnist tweeted, “@GerryCallahan is a legend and I love the guy. Don’t @ me.” 

Reimer also posted, “I have had several ICE COLD BEERS and feel sentimental. @GerryCallahan and @kirkmin hosted a No. 1 morning show and gave a weird 20-something with a screechy voice a seat at the table. They supported me and didn’t give a s**t about mean texts. They are the best. Today sucks.”

Lou Merloni, co-host of WEEI’s “Ordway, Merloni and Fauria”, tweeted, “What happened yesterday to @GerryCallahan sucks. He hasn’t lost a step and is still as entertaining as ever. Sometimes doing your job well isn’t enough. He certainly did. Outside influences shouldn’t be the reason why people lose their jobs, but that’s not realistic these days.” 

Dale Arnold, longtime WEEI personality and current co-host of “Dale and Keefe” posted on Twitter, “Found out yesterday afternoon about the departure of @GerryCallahan from @WEEI. Have been friends with Gerry for 20 years and have always valued his passion and enthusiasm for our business. I feel confident we haven’t heard the last from him. I certainly hope not.” 9

Also noteworthy is that a couple 98.5 The Sports Hub hosts shared their opinions on Callahan leaving their main competition.

Scott Zolak, co-host of 98.5’s “Zolak and Bertrand”, tweeted, “Saying this once. @GerryCallahan made me listen to sports radio for years when I played. Talked to many, his departure was handled as an embarrassment. He worked for the competitor but man did I respect him. He will be fine.” 

Jim Murray, co-host of 98.5’s “Felger and Mazz”, posted on Twitter, “Love em or hate him, the guy’s a New England institution and deserved better and was nice to me in my in my few interactions I’ve had with him. Unfortunately serves as an example of how cold the business can be. We’re all just cattle waiting to get it through the skull.”

Moreover, many other media members shared their thoughts, including Callahan’s most recent producers Ken Laird and Chris Curtis. Veteran Boston personalities John Tomase, and Steve Buckley tweeted as well. Lastly, Lisa Scherber of The Jimmy Fund also posted about Callahan on twitter.

In addition to social media posts, long time WEEI host Glen Ordway had this to say about Callahan leaving and what he has meant to the station. Alex Reimer, Jermaine Wiggins, and Rob Bradford also discussed Callahan’s talent, legacy, and departure.

Gerry Callahan is leaving WEEI

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Gerry Callahan has been a fixture on Boston air waves since 1997. For over 20 years now, fans and critics alike have heard his opinion all over New England. Callahan and his morning show often set the dialogue for the city of Boston. Today, he announced Friday was his final show on 93.7 WEEI. 

“Well, that was fun,” Callahan tweeted. “After 20 years in morning drive, I did my last show at WEEI this morning. Thanks to all who listened. Unfortunately, this ain’t a movie. Sometimes the bad guys win. Much more to come.”

Callahan’s current co-host Mike “Mut” Mutnansky will go back to hosting nights for the station. Mut joined Callahan in the morning last September when Kirk Minihane left the station. 

WEEI announced through a press release that longtime 107.3 WAAF host Greg Hill and current co-host Danielle Murr will handle the morning drive slot for 93.7 starting July 29th.

This is a massive shakeup for WEEI, as Callahan was the longest tenured host at the station. Not to mention Callahan is the third full time co-host to leave WEEI since 2018, joining Michael Holley and Kirk Minihane.

Gerry Callahan is one of the best, most successful sports media personalities in Boston’s history. Before he became known as the bombastic radio host, Callahan cut his teeth for the Lowell Sun for six years. He then joined the Boston Herald in 1989 and wrote for Sports Illustrated from 1994 to 1997.

Callahan joined John Dennis to form the very successful radio show “Dennis and Callahan” in 1997. The show got great ratings, and was often number one in morning drive. They famously described their program’s montra as “We talk about what sports fans talk about.” They were just as likely to argue about Pedro’s recent start as they were to mock a Boston Globe article. Dennis and Callahan were also not shy about discussing their political views. Both hosts often had conservative thoughts they wanted to share.

Their show was wildly successful but not without controversy. Between suspensions, a long running feud with the Boston Globe, and many contentious segments, it is fair to say they had their detractors. 

However when the program got stale and ratings dipped in the early 2010’s, a fresh voice joined the show in 2013. Kirk Minihane and Gerry Callahan would develop tremendous on air chemistry. Once John Dennis retired in 2016, the “Kirk and Callahan” show began.

From the Fall of 2016 through the Summer of 2018, “Kirk and Callahan” entertained listeners with their humour, passion, and sense for compelling radio. The show made their bones ripping shoddy journalism or making fun of a co-host’s lack of knowledge. Listener engagement and loyalty was off the charts, as “Kirk and Callahan” was occasionally the number one rated radio show in Boston. 

Unfortunately, Minihane would temporarily take a break from the show during the Summer of 2018 due to suicidal thoughts. Minihane would then leave permanently after a brief comeback. Callahan with Mut formed “Mut and Callahan” that Fall. While the show was still good, it was clearly not the same without Minihane. WEEI’s ratings dropped across the board.

So while Callahan is leaving WEEI, it does not appear he wants to retire from giving his opinion. Since he ended his tweet with, “More to come,” it will be interesting to see what the next stage of Gerry Callahan’s career holds. 

In Defense of Michael Felger

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As I’m sure you’ve heard by now, yesterday’s controversial episode of 98.5. The Sports Hub’s Felger and Mazz featured Michael Felger going on a 10 minute rant. He eviscerated the late Roy Halladay for being wholly complicit in his own untimely demise. Reactions from fans and media members alike rained down upon the station’s Brighton office, calling for Felger’s suspension and/or outright firing. I want to make it clear that I do not personally agree with the tone or the timing of his words (less than 24 hours after the late pitcher’s passing). I simply don’t believe Mike Felger’s position at The Sports Hub should be, in any way, in jeopardy.

BACKGROUND

The sports world was shaken on Tuesday, November 7, as news quickly spread that Roy Halladay’s ICON A5 plane has crashed in the Gulf of Mexico. Reports of Halladay’s death sent shock-waves across North America. The 40 year old was an athlete beloved and respected by all. Each Halladay start was must-see television. He’ll undoubtedly be posthumously inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame upon meeting eligibility requirements.

Yesterday, celebrity gossip website, TMZ, posted video of the moments immediately preceding the Halladay accident. The video shows Halladay flying high in the air, only to suddenly zip down, buzzing the water at a high speed. A number of witnesses stated that the pitcher had been flying in an aggressive nature all week. The manner in which Halladay was flying obviously piqued the interest of onlookers, so much so that many whipped out their cell phones to film the impromptu air show.

FELGER’S ON-AIR RANT

With social media abuzz after hearing of TMZ’s footage, Felger saw an opportunity to make news, and unleashed a harsh rant in which he unfairly crucified the recently deceased baseball star.

Awful Announcing captured the rant in all its train wreck glory and posted it their website. Click here to listen. For those unable to do so, here are a few of the comments making headlines today:

  • “It angers me. Someone, who, I don’t know, is so cavalier about life and just doesn’t appreciate the tenuousness of life and is willing to screw around with life and death? Especially when you have children, or a family?”
  • “You’ve got to get your rocks off by whatever it is you do that cheats death.”
  • “You’re a multimillionaire with a loving family, and to you, you have to go get that thing where you can dive-bomb from 100 feet to five above the water with your single-engine plane with your hand out the window. ‘Wheee! Wheee! Yeah, man, look at the G-force on this! I’m Maverick! Pew pew pew! Yeah, man, look at this, this is so cool.’ And you die! Splat!”
  • “…It just sort of angers me. You care that little about your life? About the life of your family? Your little joyride is that important to you that you’re going to risk just dying?”
  • “I’m sorry, dude, you’re on your own. I’ve got no sympathy for you.”
  • “Wheee! Oh look, I just landed on the water, everybody! I’m going to tweet it!’ Splat. You’re dead. With two kids. Moron.”

DEFENDING FELGER

Without a doubt, the way that Felger went about hammering a man who literally just passed away was ill-conceived at best. There were a myriad of ways that he could have better communicated his beliefs that Halladay’s death was avoidable. However, is anyone truly surprised that he decided to opportunistically go off the deep end?  It’s what he does. He’s always been the pot stirrer. And you know what? People eat it up. The popular afternoon program once again finished first in the ratings this past summer. Fans want to hear what Felger will say next.

Now, let’s, as sports fans, take out of the equation the fact a future Hall of Famer was the one who unfortunately perished in this accident. How many of us could honestly say that we wouldn’t agree, at least in part, with some of what Felger had to say? Yes, he was brash and over the top. It was hyperbolic. Yet, many human beings deal with the death of strangers in a similar fashion.

Death makes us all uncomfortable. We can’t help but reflect on our own mortality. In hopes of easing our own anxiety, we look to rationalize the way in which a person meant their untimely demise. How many times have you learned of a fatal single vehicle crash, and immediately imagined yourself as the victim?

In an attempt to alleviate our own fear of death, we examine the cause of said accident.  If we read that the cause of the crash was speeding, texting, etc., it’s natural for human beings to say to themselves that it wouldn’t have been them in the car…

Well, I never text while driving. The victim should’ve known better! 

Was what Felger said yesterday anything more than an ill-advised attempt at rationalizing a man’s death?

PUNISHMENT FORTHCOMING?

While many talking heads are filling the airwaves with talk of wanting to see Felger fired, I believe that the best punishment would be for him to stay on the air. He said what he said. He needs to own it. While his feelings may have been similar to thoughts we’ve all had upon hearing of such accidents, it was poorly timed and overly harsh. He deserves to field all of the angry calls that’ll certainly take up the majority of his 2pm-6pm block on 98.5 this afternoon.

Perhaps next time he’ll think before unleashing a rant he obviously didn’t think through ahead of time.