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A Shift in Sports Media? My Interview with Harry Mayes

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“Shut up, and pitch!” Mayes’ half of the split screen as he  does “Ah Jeez.” Harry Mayes dropped some memorable lines as a talk show host for 97.5 The Fanatic. My favorite was from his rant against the at times over-sensitive ace of the Phillies during the run highlighted by the 2008 World Championship, Cole Hamels. For the record, Mayes said he loved Hamels and often defended the pitcher. Mayes left radio more than five years ago, and now calls himself a “content creator” on his Twitter/X bio . He does multiple podcasts, including Swing It and Ding It , with iHeart Media, and Ah Jeez , with Jason Myrtetus, through Not For Long Media (N4L). He was his usual blunt self when we recently communicated about the current state of sports talk radio. I asked him why he thought local sports coverage from local media outlets seems to be dwindling while established voices leave the air waves. Money? Competition from national outlets? Digital media? “All of the above,” Mayes said via e-mail.

Quinn’s Quickies: Missanelli Returning, Too Much Talk about the Talkers, College Basketball Picks

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  I had a few quick thoughts going into the weekend. ·          Last night I heard Jon Marks talk about Mike Missanelli reportedly going back to sports talk radio with 97.5 The Fanatic. I recently interviewed Missanelli , and I wonder if it puts a new light on some of what he said, especially about young guys not having “the chops” to do the job of sports talk. Missanelli is apparently going to do middays with Bob Cooney. I listen very little to sports talk radio these days due to not being in the car much – I hear plenty of it on YouTube – but this move seems like a reach. I like both guys, but it’s just reshuffling the deck. ·          I was already thinking about how much former and current sports media people talk . . . and talk, and talk . . . about the business of sports talk and sports media on their own podcasts. Just yesterday, I saw Marks, Harry Mayes (who I’ll have an interview with soon) and Jason Myrtetus with Tony Bruno, and Stephen A. Smith with Ryan Clark, talking

College Basketball Picks 3/14/24

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Conference tournaments are in full-swing, and I’m going to try a strategy that has paid off in the past – parlaying heavy favorites on the money line. The spreads can get a little crazy in these games, and parity makes the strategy a bit riskier these days, so I don’t go as heavy as I used to with it. Today, I’m going with:   Duke -715 over NC State North Carolina -590 over Florida State UConn -2000 over Xavier Arizona -455 over USC Creighton -345 over Providence Marquette -205 over Villanova  I’m not even going to use the word “parlay” because there’s apparently a law against me winning one. I bet $20 to win $65.68.

College Basketball Picks for Saturday 3/9/24

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I like a few games today, so I’ll get right to it. Creighton -1.5 over Villanova for $5 to win $4.55. I don’t quite get this spread. The Wildcats are playing better and they’re at home, but I just don’t think they are as good as the Bluejays. Connecticut -9.5 at Providence for $5 to win $4.65. I know Joe Lunardi took the Friars, but UConn is rolling. Duke -5.5 over North Carolina for $5 to win $4.65. I don’t love going over 5, but I went with the Blue Devils at home. In case I’m a genius today, I parlayed all three games for $5 to win $30.57. At $5 a pick, obviously, I don’t love any of these games. They all have a flaw, but I think they’re solid. As always, get in the comments with your picks.

Men’s College Basketball Pick for Wednesday 3/6/24

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I was told how boring it was to pick Connecticut to repeat as the Men’s College Basketball NCAA Tournament Champion. Well, this pick might be just as dull to some. Tonight,  I’m taking UConn -5 at Marquette for $10 to win $9.10. I laid off Creighton against Marquette on Saturday because a commenter said the Golden Eagles were a sleeper in the Big East. The Bluejays won by 14, but Marquette was missing “star guard” Tyler Kolek. It appears that he’s still out tonight. Meanwhile, the Huskies crushed Seton Hall by 30 points on Sunday. I passed on giving 15 points, but I’ll give 5 points on a smaller play tonight on the road. I’m slightly concerned about a letdown after Connecticut players cut down the nets after the victory gave them the regular season Big East title, but I’m hoping they’ve had enough time to move on from that celebration.

Quinn’s Quickies: Embiid Returning Shouldn’t be Questioned, Bye-bye Dollar Dog Nights, Court Storming Fixed, more

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Who doesn’t want a Friday afternoon quickie: ·           Joel Embiid plans to return to the Sixers after knee surgery . . . get this . . . regardless of the team’s record. Ignored in the written story on ESPN.com, the accompanying video has audio of a reporter asking the Sixers’ center if he would consider not playing for the rest of the season. “My question to you is then, ‘Why come back? I mean, you know what I mean? Like, after an injury like this, some people might say, ‘You know what, let me just rest up for next year.’” Why didn’t this reporter just ask Embiid out for a drink? The Sixers have struggled in Embiid’s absence, including losing 3 of their last 10 games as of Friday morning, falling to fifth place in the conference. The reporter’s essentially trying to say, “You’re too good to come back to a team that’s struggling.” It was an embarrassing attempt to by a reporter to cozy up to a star player. We’re actually encouraging athletes to act like prima donnas now? To his

College Basketball Pick for Saturday and NCAA Tournament Champion

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“March Madness” is right around the corner and I’m diving in with two picks today. The University of Connecticut has been dominating all season, and I expect them to bounce back big time today after a loss to Creighton earlier in the week. Unfortunately, Villanova is in the way, but you don’t bet with your heart. I don’t like giving 12 points in basketball, but I think this gets ugly. I’m taking Connecticut -12 (-107) versus the Wildcats for $20 to win $18.80. I’m also taking the Huskies to win the Men’s NCAA Tournament at +500. I was shocked this number was so high, and I think it will drop. So, I grabbed it early. I took Connecticut +500 to win the NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship for $100 to win $500. These are both “gut feels” and a bit aggressive for my bank roll, but I did pretty well with the college football and NFL playoffs. So, I’m taking a shot.