When they sent out the text message yesterday announcing Bob Barry's passing, the text message included an advertisement for Direct TV. I found that to be totally tasteless!

That's pretty trashy.

Sorry, but I have to agree.
(Just one more chink in the armor of Virtual as compared to Actual Reality.)

Maybe the ad was just added by whatever service they use to distribute social media?

It may work like banner ads that just show up without your control.

as i said . . .

Well, they reach their low every time Al, Traber, and Dean are on at the same time. Are there three more clueless media members anywhere? I seriously do not think any of them take their job seriously. They are consistently wrong about facts and breaking stories. It is astounding to me that those three are on in prime time when much more competent media talent wastes away in the morning (e.g. Mark Rogers is at least competent and logical, Pat Jones is knowledgeable and connected). At least they have Tramel (he at least has original ideas) on sometimes. Why does WWLS never ask the specialists in the local media (e.g. Darnel Mayberry, Royce Young, Trav Haney, Jake Trotter) on ever? All of these guys are experts on the Thunder or the Sooners and they could actualy foster an intelligent discussion... Sigh.

excellence in virtual broadcasting.
(no kidding)
yet, would i expect anything less
from someone with a handle
borrowed from Kurt Vonnegut?
no. i would not.
thank you.

Just so you know:
Bob Barry Sr. was the only "Sportscaster"
i could stand to listen to.
Before him it was Howard Cosell.
Different background.
Same grasp of sportsreality.

Well, they reach their low every time Al, Traber, and Dean are on at the same time. Are there three more clueless media members anywhere? I seriously do not think any of them take their job seriously. They are consistently wrong about facts and breaking stories. It is astounding to me that those three are on in prime time when much more competent media talent wastes away in the morning (e.g. Mark Rogers is at least competent and logical, Pat Jones is knowledgeable and connected). At least they have Tramel (he at least has original ideas) on sometimes. Why does WWLS never ask the specialists in the local media (e.g. Darnel Mayberry, Royce Young, Trav Haney, Jake Trotter) on ever? All of these guys are experts on the Thunder or the Sooners and they could actualy foster an intelligent discussion... Sigh.

I find them funny sometimes. Lol I like listening to people argue and scream over petty things. I know I'm in a minority though. But besides that, they are pretty clueless and really hard to listen to.

Why does WWLS never ask the specialists in the local media (e.g. Darnel Mayberry, Royce Young, Trav Haney, Jake Trotter) on ever? All of these guys are experts on the Thunder or the Sooners and they could actualy foster an intelligent discussion... Sigh.

I know Traber thinks Royce is a yardbird. Probably the same for the rest. Did you know he knows Cal Ripken, Jr.?

Why advertisers advertise or do remotes or with anything that involves Traber is beyond understandable.
Traber is a polarizing figure who is going to drive away at least some business $.

Is there seriously not enough money in broadcasting for Oklahoma to have a legitimate competitor for WWLS? I mean how hard would it be to compete with probably the worst sports radio in the nation?

When they sent out the text message yesterday announcing Bob Barry's passing, the text message included an advertisement for Direct TV. I found that to be totally tasteless!

I take it you don't browse the news websites much. On NEWSOK they have 2 advertisements from COX and a Cancer Treatment Center on the news story about Bob Barry Sr. I don't mind though because those three ads allow me to receive the news at no cost to me, and truth be known, Bob Barry Sr. earned a very nice living from creating and holding an audience so his employer could sell advertising to them. Whatever Bob Barry Sr. is doing right now, I am sure a DirecTV ad is the least of his concerns.

What Pete and JTF said. Its not like their doing on purpose. Everything is automatic. Just like how Google "stalks" you and displays ads everwhere related to what you searched for.

Is there seriously not enough money in broadcasting for Oklahoma to have a legitimate competitor for WWLS? I mean how hard would it be to compete with probably the worst sports radio in the nation?

I've wondered before what it would take for a new, well run station to seriously compete with WWLS. Someone with some credibility would have to get the ball rolling. There is an AM station, but it's pretty weak overall... OKC has to have to the worst sports radio for a city with a major professional team.

Add me to the legions who cannot listen to the clowns (being charitable although possibly offending clowns) on the Sports Animal. Traber reminds of a frat boy d*bag who never grew up. I guess it is sports radio of, by, and for idiots.

Traber is no worse than the majority of the crazy ou/osu fans that call in. Especially the drunk people that call in during the middle of the day show. I don't really like listening to ESPN radio since the mostly just talk, and don't take too many calls. There is a reason BBJ isn't on in the prime slots, he just isn't that exciting and doesn't like to mix it up. It's just entertainment and you can't take most of it seriously. And like they say, if you don't like it, change the channel.

I've wondered before what it would take for a new, well run station to seriously compete with WWLS. Someone with some credibility would have to get the ball rolling. There is an AM station, but it's pretty weak overall... OKC has to have to the worst sports radio for a city with a major professional team.

WKY tried for a while. I really liked Ron Thulin's show.

Traber is no worse than the majority of the crazy ou/osu fans that call in. Especially the drunk people that call in during the middle of the day show. I don't really like listening to ESPN radio since the mostly just talk, and don't take too many calls. There is a reason BBJ isn't on in the prime slots, he just isn't that exciting and doesn't like to mix it up. It's just entertainment and you can't take most of it seriously. And like they say, if you don't like it, change the channel.

That's exactly the point - Traber puts out the same quality of product as a "crazy fan!" I guess it's a matter of preference, but I don't like an sports show that's driven by calls. I want a sports radio host to plan out segments and discussion, not just rely on the calls of largely illogical and ridiculous fans. When there aren't calls coming in it seems like Traber and Al don't even know what to talk about. Call-ins are fine, just don't do it too much. Actually plan something. My friend worked at Dean's TV station as a cameraman and said Dean did almost no preparation. It showed every week when John Holcomb knew 10 times as much as him... Al and Traber also sound like they plan none.

Sorry. Rant over. I just want somw quality sports radio (like they have in Dallas).

We really need to do a prayer and fast for OKC to get some worthy sports radio. OKCTalker's unite!

OKC has to have to the worst sports radio for a city with a major professional team.Not so sure about that. I go to a few Cardinals games every year. St Louis has three major league teams and they have two sports radio stations. Both are on AM and both are very similar to WWLS in being call-in driven and having hosts that think comedy is job one and getting callers riled up is job two. In my opinion they are worse.

I also try to get to Denver a couple times a year for Avalanche games. Their sports radio isn't any better either. Maybe local sports radio is harder to do than it sounds.

I think they're fun to listen to so long as you take them with a grain of salt. I usually flip between them and NPR on my drives. But really, do you guys expect William Faulkner or Hunter S. Thompson at the Kentucky Derby when you flip on WWLS? Listening to the outlandish things that come out of Al Eschbach and how oblivious Jim Traber can be is hilarious in its own right. And this is from someone who has little in common with them ideologically. Who knows, maybe they're geniuses and they're pulling one over on all of us... :dizzy:

Traber is pretty much the lead cheerleader for OSU in our local media.

Traber is pretty much the lead cheerleader for OSU in our local media.

When I listen to him he seems biased against OSU, like he's trying to prove he isn't a homer. Maybe I just listen to him at the wrong times?

I also may have missed your point. Lol I tend to do that sometimes.

When I listen to him he seems biased against OSU, like he's trying to prove he isn't a homer. Maybe I just listen to him at the wrong times?

I also may have missed your point. Lol I tend to do that sometimes.I'm with you. I listen almost every day and if anything Traber works so hard at not being an OSU homer that he comes off as an OSU hater. He never brings up OSU unless a caller wants to talk OSU. Anyone that sees otherwise is just wanting to be a Traber hater. Now, his pro baseball career is a different story. He loves to talk about his baseball career. If he's a homer at all it's a MLB homer.

You have to understand that ou48a got kicked off Traber's website and has a personal vendetta against him. I don't like Traber any more than any of you all (I've been banned from his site as well just for asking him a question), but 48a is the James Hale of message boards..anyone that doesn't bow down to all things OU is automatically labeled an OSU homer.

You have to understand that ou48a got kicked off Traber's website and has a personal vendetta against him. I don't like Traber any more than any of you all (I've been banned from his site as well just for asking him a question), but 48a is the James Hale of message boards..anyone that doesn't bow down to all things OU is automatically labeled an OSU homer.

It was for very good reasons about 4 years ago Tramel accused Traber (on air) of being an OSU apologist.
You must fight Traber almost by proxy on his board.


I am hardly alone in calling out Traber for his clearly hypocritical positions.

Carry Murdock told Traber while on air that Trabers life was nothing more than a big argument.

I like to listen to Jim Rome and Colin Cowherd as they have good interview subjects from across the spectrum as well as the fact that I have no idea what their political persuasion is.

I like to listen to Jim Rome and Colin Cowherd as they have good interview subjects from across the spectrum as well as the fact that I have no idea what their political persuasion is.

As soon as I seen you had posted I was pretty sure you would use the words "politics" and/or "political." Lol

..anyone that doesn't bow down to all things OU is automatically labeled an OSU homer.

On this point you’re either lying out of ignorance or hate. I have made many critical post of OU and positive about others.

About 7 years ago I completely turned on Jim Traber when his board knowingly and repeatedly allowed serious criminal accusations made by an OSU poster against OU coaches. From that point forward using people that I knew who worked in the local media I carefully posted several things about OSU on the Traber board that were not widely known and not yet reported by our local media. I very carefully posted on the Sean Sutton addiction problem well before it went public. This made many on his board mad. But the lack of action by the Jim Traber board over the criminal accusations clearly showed an agenda and a hypocritical side.

I suspect that these accusations were only stopped when someone at OU saw my post about this on an another board and then contacted Traber?
This board and the other boards that the management here has been part of in the past would have never permitted repeated unfounded accusations of the type I described.

As soon as I seen you had posted I was pretty sure you would use the words "politics" and/or "political." Lol

As you can tell by my post- "A place for everything and everything in it's place". I like politics and I like sports, but hate when anyone mixes the two. Similar to my feelings about ketchup and ice cream.

I can't speak to the STL and Denver markets, but the DFW market has set the standard for me. Maybe DFW just has exceptional options. I'm there a lot and both ESPN Dallas (103.3) and the Ticket are infinitely more intellgient and well-planned than WWLS primetime (late afternoon to early evening). I'd just like something more like that. A lot of good podcasts have also set my expectations high (Bill Simmons' BS Report, Thunderground Radio via dailythunder.com, and so on).

Again, I actually think Mark Rogers, Pat Jones, Berry Tramel, Humphries Thunder coverage, and a few others do a decent job. My problem is that the primetime guys (mainly Traber and Al) are so bad. Even moving people around would greatly improve the station...

As you can tell by my post- "A place for everything and everything in it's place". I like politics and I like sports, but hate when anyone mixes the two. Similar to my feelings about ketchup and ice cream.

Haha beautiful analogy. (2 thumbs up)

It was for very good reasons about 4 years ago Tramel accused Traber (on air) of being an OSU apologist.
You must fight Traber almost by proxy on his board.


I am hardly alone in calling out Traber for his clearly hypocritical positions.

Carry Murdock told Traber while on air that Trabers life was nothing more than a big argument.


On this point you’re either lying out of ignorance or hate. I have made many critical post of OU and positive of others.

About 7 years ago I completely turned on Jim Traber when his board knowingly and repeatedly allowed serious criminal accusations made by an OSU poster against OU coaches. From that point forward using people that I knew who worked in the local media I carefully posted several things about OSU on the Traber board that were not widely known and not yet reported by our local media. I very carefully posted on the Sean Sutton addiction problem well before it went public. This made many on his board mad. But the lack of action by the Jim Traber board over the criminal accusations clearly showed an agenda and hypocritical side.

I suspect that these accusations were only stopped when someone at OU saw my post about this on an another board and then contacted Traber?
This board and the other boards that the management here has been part of in the past would have never permitted repeated unfounded accusations of the type I described.

Listen, I agree with you on the fact that Traber is full of hypocrisy and I agree with Murdock that he would argue with himself on if he had to take a crap or not. :boxing2:
But (and I know its been said from here to the mountains) if we stop listening to him, stop visiting his board, stop talking about his idiocy the man will drift off into a bitter quite life. You don't have to mention your hatred for Traber on each and every message board you're part of. It just shows that somewhere deep inside your conscious you have some sort of fascination with bringing him down.

Haha beautiful analogy. (2 thumbs up)

:tiphat:

T/Y.

Listen, I agree with you on the fact that Traber is full of hypocrisy and I agree with Murdock that he would argue with himself on if he had to take a crap or not. :boxing2:
But (and I know its been said from here to the mountains) if we stop listening to him, stop visiting his board, stop talking about his idiocy the man will drift off into a bitter quite life. You don't have to mention your hatred for Traber on each and every message board you're part of. It just shows that somewhere deep inside your conscious you have some sort of fascination with bringing him down.

It’s nowhere deep inside of me…… I make no secret that I would like to see Traber forever gone from our air ways. IMHO It would improve the quality of our sports coverage. The message boards are one of the few places where you can hold the electronic media accountable, so I am going to point out Trabers flaws where ever I can and whenever I have the time.

But there are a few things that I probably will never understand…. Why are there so many advertisers and on air co-workers that condone Traber’s behavior and willingly put up with Traber’s lack of on air professionalism and bully like behavior?


But make no mistake,,,,, Traber is an OSU apologist !

Traber is not a homer for anything. He's a button pusher. He'll say whatever to get a rise out of his audience in order to generate calls and ratings. He loves to argue when he has the upper hand so that he can "beat down" the "yardbirds", "morons" and hopeless homers which spurs on both his loyal fans and loyal haters. It's pure manipulation and it works.

I can't fault the guy for success. Heck, we all have to eat...Traber more than most.

Traber is not a homer for anything. He's a button pusher. He'll say whatever to get a rise out of his audience in order to generate calls and ratings. He loves to argue when he has the upper hand so that he can "beat down" the "yardbirds", "morons" and hopeless homers which spurs on both his loyal fans and loyal haters. It's pure manipulation and it works.

I can't fault the guy for success. Heck, we all have to eat...Traber more than most.

Pretty much sums up how I see it.

Traber is not a homer for anything. He's a button pusher..

When Mr morality Jim Traber adamantly defended Mike Gundy over his decision to recruit and then play a player who had been under indictment for the rape of a 12 year old little girl Jim’s act is much more than just pushing buttons!....... It’s an agenda.....

The player was later found guilty on related charges.

*sigh sigh sigh*

I've never found Traber to be an OSU apologist. Anyone can come up with examples of cases where Traber has been wrong or stupid about being pro-OSU. I'm sure there are also many examples of stupid OU-biased opinions. The common denominator is here is the overall stupidity.

Maybe the ad was just added by whatever service they use to distribute social media?It may work like banner ads that just show up without your control.

Oh, so true Pete!

We are just going to have to live with advertising as it is apart of the vehicle which supports the whole network of distributive social media.

I ignore the ads I can't use and I examine the ones which I feel useful.

I listen to the sports animal and I could butcher it like many other talk shows; however, the various animals are only expressing their opinions. Is that what makes this country of ours so great?

I've never found Traber to be an OSU apologist. Anyone can come up with examples of cases where Traber has been wrong or stupid about being pro-OSU. I'm sure there are also many examples of stupid OU-biased opinions. The common denominator is here is the overall stupidity.

It was for very good reasons that Barry Tramel called Traber an OSU apologist while on the air.

There were several WWLS employees who at the time along with many OU fans who agreed with the assessment.

It was for very good reasons that Barry Tramel called Traber an OSU apologist while on the air.

There were several WWLS employees who at the time along with many OU fans who agreed with the assessment.

We certainly know you did. ;-)

Not sure about some on here, but my radio has an on / off button!

Not sure about some on here, but my radio has an on / off button!

HEY! Go away common sense!! :LolLolLol

HEY! Go away common sense!! :LolLolLol

Not sure if it's common sense, I was thinking maybe I bought the last one with an off button. LOL LOL

Not sure about some on here, but my radio has an on / off button!

My radio has an off button too.
Even though I don’t always like what I’m hearing that doesn’t mean that I’m going to ignore what’s being said on the local air ways about the sports and programs that I follow.
One of the best counters to Trabers hypocrisy is the message boards.

Since I purchased my iphone last year I rarely listen to local radio anymore. I listen to my music library and stations out of Dallas, Houston and Biloxi through various apps. About the only thing I can find worth listening to in Oklahoma City anymore is Jack and Ron. The only time I listen to them is when I am driving one of the company vehicles.

One of the best counters to Trabers hypocrisy is the message boards.I'm not knocking, just asking. How has your countering Traber on this or other boards affected him.

I'm not knocking, just asking. How has your countering Traber on this or other boards affected him.

Because ou48A is actually Traber's mom.

I'm not knocking, just asking. How has your countering Traber on this or other boards affected him.

I’M VERY FAR FROM ALONE ON THIS. There have been many,many threads on various OU message discussing among other things Trabers hypocritical ways. But it’s been several years since I started any thread about Traber.

Traber reads the message boards and has talked about some of the threads that are critical of him. I can tell you that Traber can be very thin skinned and can be extremely sensitive to criticism. But since you seem to be infatuated about this you should call his show and personally ask him what he thinks about the message boards. But just to get your facts straight there have been a few times when I have actually said Traber was right or was not at fault. But do call him!

Because ou48A is actually Traber's mom.

And MDot must be his very pregnant unmarried daughter.

Because ou48A is actually Traber's mom.

Lol, I don't know why, but that's funny to me. As far as Traber goes, as a fan of the orange, he annoys me too. He'll act on the radio the way we act on here, but I guarantee you he wouldn't argue in person like he does on the air. He'd argue, just not as ferociously ...

but I guarantee you he wouldn't argue in person like he does on the air. He'd argue, just not as ferociously ...Some of those who have work with him would disagree with you.

And MDot must be his very pregnant unmarried daughter.

Man, Traber may not be able to take the criticism, but you obviously can't take a joke. I love when Boomers get red...

Some of those who have work with him would disagree with you.

Unfortunately, there's not many men who are bigger than him so he can use that as a threat. Plus there are that many men that are more civilized than him. Hes just an oversized cave man to me. Granted, I didn't pay attention to sports when he was a two sports star athlete at OSU or when he played baseball in the pros but he sure knows how to captivate people, for good or bad.

And MDot must be his very pregnant unmarried daughter.

No, but I got his daughter pregnant. Bang.

Unfortunately, there's not many men who are bigger than him so he can use that as a threat. Plus there are that many men that are more civilized than him. Hes just an oversized cave man to me. Granted, I didn't pay attention to sports when he was a two sports star athlete at OSU or when he played baseball in the pros but he sure knows how to captivate people, for good or bad.I’m taller and have stocker build than Traber and at my peak -vs- his I’m sure I was stronger and probabaly by a fair amount, but just to be clear I would never physically threaten Traber and I would never condon those who do.:Smiley259

But since you seem to be infatuated about this

You're kidding, right? Pot calling the kettle black. Now I know why you were called out for being obsessed with Traber. It's weird.

You're kidding, right? Pot calling the kettle black. Now I know why you were called out for being obsessed with Traber. It's weird.

SoonerSoftail has made several post about me that have contained inaccuracies about me and ask leading questions. It is entirely correct to say that he is infatuated on this topic. I probably know a lot more about this topic than you. I know far more than I have shared, or ever will. As far as me being obsessed with Traber I take his mischaracterizations and hypocrisy seriously and so do many, many other OU fans along with some OU officials as do some former and current WWLS employees. I suggest that you become much better informed!