In the same year that it was billed top radio show by The Westword (and myself Denver Sports Talk-For Better or Worse) ESPN Denver's The Locker Room's threesome has been destroyed by your Cousin Lou from Littleton. Gary Miller magically disappeared without much notice or talk in early May. Miller was well respected due to his work on CBS with Vic Lombardi and then his morning show with Vic before Lou cut the best sports radio show in Denver.
ESPN Denver's brass were back up there evil plotting like the Diabolical Mr Sinister when after two weeks of Tom Nalen's "vacationing", Nalen has joined Miller in looking through the sports classifieds for a new microphone. The Locker Room had challenged The Drive (arguably the least fact driven show with two idiots laughing and making loud noises) and brought the listener friendly programming of Danny and Cello on Mile High Sports 94.1 into a old WWF (it's not WWE to me, sorry) Royal Rumble situation. It appears Kreckman lost two solid sidekicks and will have to battle things out on his own or will be joining forces with a new ally. Kreckman will succeed on his own, but the constant shake-up of his show has become tiresome. He was radio platinum with arrogant Joel Klatt, since he was able to put a fire on his personality, and is good flying solo (The Working Man) or in a group setting but afternoon drive radio can't be sustained with a man flying solo. This isn't KBCO or some classical music station, this is sports talk so I believe this is a TBD (to be determined) situation. We will wait to see what format his show takes but I believe we saw a good format and tandem with Nalen's so called fill-ins. If it were to happen it would instantly become the best tagteam a Royal Rumble has ever witnessed if "fill-in" Ron Zappolo became his constant equal instead of Kreckman's sidekick like Nalen and Miller were. Instead of Batman and Robin it would be like two Batmans of Michael Keaton and Christian Bale fame teaming up. Another viable option and in keeping the former NFLer angle, but with a little more mean streak and a lot more Denver sports and radio background by adding Matt McChesney. The former Niwot Cougar, CU Buff and Denver Bronco has a strong tie-in with the local prep group with his business Six Zero Strength, radio past and sports past it makes a great twosome heading into Broncos training camp. When McChesney and Kreckman paired it was more on subject than the show was with Nalen but still had the banter that makes a show in the afternoon work. The Denver sports radio listeners are waiting to see what the 3-7 p.m. timeslot will look like on ESPN Denver.
That's not the only thing ESPN Denver has left Denver Sports listeners in limbo on. The duo of CJ and Les no longer appear on the company's website and there is a noticeable time slot hole from 12-3 after national shows end at noon and Kreckman starts at 3 p.m. CJ and Les were not good radio. I talked to many people that just would not tune in and chose the Geriatric Power Hours over it. It is a welcome departure and the most obvious of replacement options with football season days away is to take the caller friendly and football nut in Cecil Lammey and let him talk all things from college talent to NFL talent and the NFL. Currently, it looks like that may be the case with Cecil on 12-3 p.m. recently. Cecil is easily the best fantasy football guy in the Denver market and amongst the best in the country. He has a great amount of knowledge and studies football and knows talent. The guess is we will be Riding Shotgun with Cecil Lammey more than just on weekends and during his fill-in and spot appearances any more but seven days a week like it was for a very short while before Lou desmolished the proud local start-up of The Ticket two and a half years ago and sold (his soul) to ESPN.
One thing is for certain with these latest changes, nothing stays the same in Denver Sports Radio and the question is what's next? Again, I believe Lou would just be best selling the last half of his soul and make ESPN Denver only be nationally syndicated to allow for a national view for all those transients and non-local sports fans to get a national take. It would also strengthen 104.3 The Fan and 94.1 Mile High Sports and allow those two sister companies to keep battling it out with each other. Three local takes talking over each other from noon to 6 p.m. has become crowded, mind numbing radio and watered down for many of the shows.
But to end back on point, ESPN Denver made the right move by ridding themselves of CJ and Les and featuring their strength in Cecil Lammey and Nate Kreckman. Their next step is to add something that brings listeners back from 12-3 p.m. or keeps listeners with Kreckman. Raj Sharan should be more featured during the winter with his good basketball background, but in the meantime it is football season and we will be listening to see what's next.
Edited: Cecil appears to be the 12-3 p.m. guy and it's a very good move for ESPN Denver and Lou from Littleton.
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