101 ESPN

[HardcoreCardsFan]

I was originally going to post this in the attendance thread given the brief discussion about 101 ESPN in it, but it would be going more off topic there. How often do you all listen to this? Any preferences on shows or hosts?

I listen to this station almost every day from about 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. (the benefits of working from home permanently). It's good stuff, even though I also listen it almost solely for Cardinals commentary, and then I think, "Shouldn't I just listen to a Cardinals podcast instead?" But I've been listening to the shows daily since late 2022, and I'm too lazy to look for something new.

My thoughts on the four shows:

The Opening Drive (Randy Karraker, Brooke Grimsley, Dan McLaughlin)

Pretty good, but my least favorite of the four. It feels like they do the most interviews out of the four shows, but I could be wrong. I tend to prefer when the hosts interact with each other instead of with guests, but the interviews can provide some insightful stuff too. Randy Karraker is a really smart dude and he knows it, which I can totally understand rubbing people the wrong way. I don't mind him, though. He's always impressive in the daily trivia segment, "The Fight." It's nice to hear Danny Mac's voice again, and I like that he can be more open with his opinions than he could be when calling Cardinals games on TV. It's a good show, but it feels like the "shallowest" of them, where it they don't seem to go in-depth as much as the others.

The Balloon Party (Tim McKernan, Jackson Burkett)

This show is the shortest; it's only an hour long, and Tim and Jackson often find themselves way off-topic for a while. Despite that, I love their dynamic, with Tim acting as the judgmental father and Jackson the incompetent son. They play off of each other well. Tim usually gives pretty thoughtful answers to Jackson's questions, so even when the topic meanders, it still feels like there was some strong sports insight. The show generally suffers a bit when they have to cram an interview in there too, though.

BK & Ferrario (Brandon Kiley, Alex Ferrario, Tanner Hendrickson)

This is my favorite of the four shows. It feels like they talk the most baseball out of all of them, which is obviously a plus. Their rapport is strong; the conversations feel extremely natural. There isn't much drama or hard disagreement between them, nor are they going to make you burst out laughing as much as some of the other shows, but they're very insightful and also give the vibes of being the most passionate about the Cardinals of the shows. Brandon and Alex do have a little runner with Tanner where they talk about Tanner's dating life, or lack thereof, which I don't care for too much. Hits too close to home. Still, I like them a lot given their Cardinals bend and insight into the team.

The Fast Lane (Anthony Stalter, Andrew Marsh, Jamie Rivers, Carey Davis)

Easily the edgiest of the four shows. Carey and (especially) Jamie will throw around lot of innuendo in their conversations, and the banter among the four is always good for some laughs. Some of the debates can get pretty fiery in this show too. Carey played in the NFL and Jamie the NHL, and I like hearing insight from the former professional athletes on the station. They've shared some pretty entertaining stories. "The Gauntlet" is also a good time; it's my preferred trivia show over "The Fight." Jamie's and Carey's experience as pro athletes might detract a little from their passion regarding the Cardinals; I sometimes get the feeling that they're not quite as plugged into the team as some other hosts. The show has some strong segments, like "Prove Me Wrong," but it's usually also the show that's saddled with the lineup game, which is generally only interesting when the lineup has something super weird with it. So it can drag sometimes, but they do have to fill four hours, so I get it.

[GeddyWrox]

I listen when I'm in my car. Usually roughly 8-8:45, a little bit over lunch and then from 5:15 or so til 6.

I like the morning show a lot. I have always liked Randy. I missed Michelle Smallmon but Brook is growing on me, and I love having Danny Mac on now.

I think BK & Ferrario are my favorite too. I definitely get the most information from their conversations. BK knows a lot about baseball and Ferrario knows a ton about hockey.

Balloon party is my least favorite but I'll listen if I happen to be in the car.

Fast Lane is fun. I like Anthony Stalter a lot. Cary is amusing and Rivers is great at explaining hockey nuance.

[ghostrunner]

I listen to BK&F via podcast a day later or at night if I’m cooking or doing lawn stuff. Probably on avg a few times a week and only the Cardinals/MLB stuff. Not an STL resident or native so that’s usually my only interest.

[GeddyWrox]

The whole morning drive crew axed today, including Danny Mac. UGH. Giving Tim McKernan FOUR fccking hours!!! WTH???

[Donnie Ebert]

Yikes. I used to listen to 101.1 some during my commute many moons ago, but listening in pieces througout the day, you heard each successive show take on the same topics they just talked about on the previous show, so it felt a bit tiresome. So, now I prefer audiobooks on my drive. Yes, I am part of the problem and you can blame me and me alone for Danny Mac's misfortunes.

[beehut]

Yep, listened to the Opening Drive every morning, McKernan's crew isn't my cup of tea...at all. Sounds like they may have been a pricy trio, and ads aren't what they used to be. Ratings were supposedly better for The Balloon Party, albeit at a different time of day.

[GeddyWrox]

Yep, listened to the Opening Drive every morning, McKernan's crew isn't my cup of tea...at all. Sounds like they may have been a pricy trio, and ads aren't what they used to be. Ratings were supposedly better for The Balloon Party, albeit at a different time of day.

I get the cost compared to ad revenue, but I have ZERO idea how Balloon Party could have been more highly rated. It was BORING.