Lions Returning to 97.1 in 2021
December 18th, 2020 at 11:16 AM ^
Didn't Mike Valenti just sign a contract extension with 97.1?
December 18th, 2020 at 11:25 AM ^
this just says that he signed a "multi year" extension...
that was in 2018 and it doesn't say for how long, so it could have been for 2 years or longer... when he auditioned for the show in NYC he got ripped to shreds by the listeners out there...
December 18th, 2020 at 11:30 AM ^
Holy shit. Do you have a video of him getting ripped to shreds? That would make my Hanukkah
December 18th, 2020 at 11:32 AM ^
it was more or less people in NYC ripping him on Twitter back then... i think it got posted on here when it was happening...
December 18th, 2020 at 11:17 AM ^
UM should get Dan Miller to do PBP for Michigan football.
Anyone have any insight as to why the AD/radio station has allowed Brandy to continue doing PBP when just about everyone thinks it's borderline unlistenable?
December 18th, 2020 at 11:27 AM ^
That would be fantastic.
December 18th, 2020 at 12:32 PM ^
I really miss Champion. I thought the guy told it like it was without being a toxic hatemonger like Valenti. Listen to him describe a Barry run and you can see how much he loves the Lions to win. When they went bad... well. 'Man oh man...' has become part of the family vocabulary for a bad situation.
December 18th, 2020 at 2:07 PM ^
Yes! Bring back Champion! Holy Mackerel, that guy is a real pro.
December 18th, 2020 at 12:50 PM ^
There is nothing borderline about it. It's unlistenable. "It's sack time!"
December 18th, 2020 at 2:22 PM ^
I get no pleasure agreeing with you. I've been a Brandy fan since he did sports on WDIV in the 70's. A great second chair analyst. Better than Lomas Brown by a country mile. But he's horrible at play by play. Embarrassingly so.
97.1 should reunite Champion and Brandy. They won't, however.
December 18th, 2020 at 1:53 PM ^
Brandy is still there probably because he is a MICHIGAN MAN!
December 18th, 2020 at 11:28 AM ^
It is a telling tale of how bad Detroit sports radio is when you have a power struggle between the Lions and Mike Valenti/Rico Beard on who should rule 97.1
Reminds me of the South Park Presidential Election episode.
December 18th, 2020 at 12:50 PM ^
Being a Detroit-area sports radio broadcaster is punishment for sins in a previous life.
December 18th, 2020 at 11:31 AM ^
I think Mike Valenti is a whiny bitch, who has very subjective, Sparty slanted opinions on UofM. But he has always been dead-on when it comes to the Lions and the Ford's constantly awful management of the franchise. He is still a hypocritical asshole, but he is definitely right about how shitty the Lions are/have always been.
December 18th, 2020 at 11:49 AM ^
Negativity is his whole thing . So dont give him credit for being negative towards the Lions .
December 18th, 2020 at 2:37 PM ^
Exactly. Reaching down in the barnyard, picking up a big handful, and flinging it is his only pitch.
He's basically the radio version of Drew Sharp.
December 18th, 2020 at 12:51 PM ^
Are you saying he has been trying to convince everyone the Lions are a bad team that have historically had bad management, and nobody else knew this?
December 19th, 2020 at 9:52 AM ^
The Lions apparently don’t and are pissed at him for pointing it out on the radio.
December 18th, 2020 at 11:47 AM ^
Can we be rid of Valenti? And his silly puppet Rico?
December 18th, 2020 at 2:09 PM ^
I kind of like Rico. Sparty homer for sure but he is not an asshole just for the sake of being an asshole. Unlike, say, Valenti.
Someone should pair him with Sam Webb. THAT would be fun listening.
December 19th, 2020 at 11:36 AM ^
No reason for Valenti, and moreso Brian Chapman, to have a job doing sports radio in this town. If they hate it this much, go to another market....
But people must be listening.....they are still here.
December 18th, 2020 at 11:47 AM ^
This move will definitely restore the roar
December 18th, 2020 at 12:01 PM ^
I think we'll be seeing more companies become more 'selective' with their advertising & agreement dollars in the near future.... Lions, Michigan are getting crushed in the media.
Time to fight back.
Why pay somebody to sh1t talk you 24x7 ???
Go Blue.
December 18th, 2020 at 2:20 PM ^
There's a pretty simple fix to that: Don't give them a reason to talk shit
December 18th, 2020 at 4:22 PM ^
Fair point.
This said, social media & sports media are blurring lines, that in my opinion are at near legal slander. If recruits don't come to Michigan or coaches don't based on "shit in the media" - that's a problem. You can't just "Herbstreit"-it away with an unworthy apology a day later.
That's like me robbing a bank, then saying "sorry" the next day - and all is forgiven.
That's not how it "should work".
Saying things like "Michigan are cowards" from a multi-millionaire football broadcaster towards some 17 year---20 year old kids who play football is not just -- "don't give them a reason too".
While I'm just a disappointed at this season and some heart-wrenching losses under Harbs - -
-- the kicking Michigan in the head while they are down by the media is ridiculous.
Hell, I'm still mad about EYE GOUGE by penn st. and NO media attention barely at all.
I mean, Michigan football should have SUED penn st football for MILLIONS for assault over that.
Did it take Shea losing an eyeball to make it worthy?
Imagine if a Michigan football player EYE GOUGED a player ?!?!
There'd be a Twitter Meme explosion - replaying it over and over and UM APOLOGIZING for it.
Probably "sanctioning ourselves".
Likewise -- if Michigan would have played osu, (won or lost) - and gave them Covid so bad again - they missed the BigTen Championship or CFP, MICHIGAN would have been RIPPED by the media.
We play them - they get sick & ruin their chances to move on -- we're labeled as irresponsible.
We don't play them -- we're labeled cowards.
So, we're damned if we do and damned if we don't. THAT'S my point.
Start taking Michigan money AWAY from those in the media that keep hacking at us.
Go Blue.
December 18th, 2020 at 12:29 PM ^
Well look at Speilman already making moves.....
December 18th, 2020 at 8:34 PM ^
Nice.
December 18th, 2020 at 12:29 PM ^
I'd be all about Valenti leaving. The guy's radio persona is a jerk (he might be a fine person IRL).
December 18th, 2020 at 1:36 PM ^
I met him once (I can't stand him on the radio and haven't listened to that station in years). He was pleasant. I was wearing a Michigan hoodie and he complimented it. I joked that I bought it at Walmart. He seemed just a normal dude. Can't say he was like that all the time but at least in my anecdote he was a fine person IRL.
December 18th, 2020 at 1:42 PM ^
That doesn't shock me. I could totally see his toxic on air persona being just that; the verbal version of clickbait.
December 18th, 2020 at 12:48 PM ^
I like Valenti and his rants against the Lions and Michigan. I look forward to listening to him the Monday after a disappointing loss. Makes me laugh.
December 18th, 2020 at 1:43 PM ^
You like his rants against the Wolverines?
December 18th, 2020 at 4:21 PM ^
I've only been a fan of Michian since 2013, so I have to find entertainment somewhere!
December 18th, 2020 at 1:48 PM ^
Why would Mike Valenti's MGoBlog handle be Kstate_Wolverine?
December 18th, 2020 at 1:26 PM ^
While I was living in Michigan through the late 80s it was WJR with Michigan Football, Lions, Tigers and wings.
December 18th, 2020 at 1:51 PM ^
Yeah I missed that alot. WJR was a great sports station for awhile. Loved Sports Wrap with Mike O'Hara. He's another journalist I really appreciated. Tell it like it is without bathing in negativity.
December 18th, 2020 at 1:59 PM ^
Yes, the Voice of America. The signal is, or was, very strong and can be heard for hundreds of miles.
Interestingly, I heard recently that electric vehicles operate on a similar wavelength as AM radio, which makes it impossible to get clear audio in the car from an AM signal. I'm not saying that's why they are making this move, but it is not good for the future of AM radio, which was already on the downturn.
https://www.vice.com/en/article/yp3vmj/why-electric-cars-are-ditching-am-radio
December 18th, 2020 at 1:52 PM ^
They oughta have Roberto call the games. Every time he brings up vinyl during the broadcast, take a drink
December 18th, 2020 at 1:57 PM ^
Speaking of Detroit radio, does anyone remember this scintillating classic from local talent? (96 beers from WRIF)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4POj4UuJvU
December 18th, 2020 at 2:05 PM ^
I know I'm in the minority of Michigan fans that enjoys his show. When he gets on about Michigan, I just generally change it because I know the schtick.
However, he's absolutely spot on with the Lions. The Lions spend more time on PR than actually winning. They cared about a radio host calling them garbage more than hiring the right coach.
He knows they suck like the rest of us; if we were in his chair, we'd be saying the EXACT same things about this decrepit franchise.
December 18th, 2020 at 2:29 PM ^
Good. After getting used to hearing Detroit teams on crystal clear FM, hearing the Lions on AM radio again was weird. It sounded like I was listening through a filter, or a tin can.
December 18th, 2020 at 4:51 PM ^
Could just be the Lions realized they did indeed suck and Valenti's arguments against them turned out true. I dont see Valenti leaving or 97.1 getting rid of him when he's still high in ratings