Date: Fri 11-Aug-1995

Publication: Bee

Author: KIMH

Illustration: I

Quick Words:

Harmon-Column-Radio

Full Text:

Kim Harmon/On Sports

Talk (Too Much) Radio

Isn't it odd - or sad, depending on the way you look at it - that you can ask

100 people whether or not the sexual harassment charges against Senator Bob

Packwood should be made public through congressional hearings and maybe three

or four would have an opinion, but ask those same 100 people if Don Mattingly

should be sitting down against lefthanders and everybody would have an

opinion? It isn't baseball or football or basketball or auto racing that is

America's national past time . . . it's arguing about baseball or football or

basketball or auto racing.

Arguing . . . everybody has an opinion about everything from the Pete

Rose/Hall of Fame controversy to the lack of attendance at major league

ballparks even if that opinion is completely misinformed and, let's face it,

utterly moronic.

That's where talk (too much) radio has found its niche. It's not about

informing the listeners about what's happening on the basketball labor front

or in the football training camps (although they actually do impart some

factual information from time to time . . . actually, once every 20 minutes if

you're listening to WFAN out of New York). It's about spewing out a bunch of

idiotic opinions and arguing with the next 40 people who call in to disagree

or to reiterate whatever the last 20 guys have said.

Used to be, you go to a bar, quaff a few brewskies, watch a game, and argue

all afternoon about whether of not Ted Williams would hit .400 against modern

day pitching.

But people don't go to the bars anymore to argue.

They go to the phones.

And something as meaningless and pointless as whether or not Don Mattingly

should sit out or even retire (he should do neither, by the way - see, even I

have an opinion) gets dozens of people - whose lives apparently lack any

meaning - calling in and dozens more left on hold for an hour.

It's madness.

Yet, people need to argue and I think talk (too much) radio actually does

serve a purpose in that if people stopped arguing about sports they just might

stop caring.

Only, it's infuriating, sometimes, listening on the way home from work,

listening to some idiot (and there are several) pretend to be more informed

than me telling me what he thinks about Don Mattingly or the lack of

attendance at baseball games or the basketball labor problems.

It's infuriating because, of course, I can't call. I have an opinion, but I

don't have a car phone, and I know if I had a car phone I would give them an

opinion I know is far more intelligent than any opinion they ever had.

Maybe I should get my own radio show.

I mean, there's probably no end to the stupid things I could say on the air.