Debatard Show: We need a break. Well, I gave it a shot. ESPN trimming the Dan Lebatard show to two national hours meant that Dan Lebatard would creep back into the ’local,’ or more accurately, ‘podcast-only’ hours. Over the past few months, I’ve enjoyed the Lebatard-free local hours. Personalities were appealing and listenable, with good camaraderie. Lebatard imposing his style of conversation into the mix would break that, as was expected. So now, as of late August, the show reminds me of what I was trying to avoid: Lebatard riding the peons about how they are f up the show, and correcting grammar, and slapping down one race card after another, and cherry picking critical texters that “don’t get the show,” and other Lebatard staples.
I get it: it’s supposed to be schtick. Lebatard says that he plays the genius classically educated sports Journalist that critiques his cast mates, so the slobbering, unwashed masses can be sympathetic to them. My point is that no one needs to be the a. Just talk and make it interesting and funny. If the shtick is noticeably annoying, then maybe it isn’t a good shtick.
Also, I wish Mike Ryan could be on perpetual maternity leave.
I’ll check back in a few weeks to so things are going. I’m sure there’ll be more format shake-ups to come.