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In sports media today there is no shortage of TV hosts with half-hour shows and bombastic opinions.
Do people care about what these TV talking heads say? Should they?
I spoke with Gary Tanguay, a longtime fixture in Boston sports media and current host on NBC Sports Boston, for his take.
“People want to be entertained,” Tanguay said of whether or not viewers care. “They want to be agreed with and disagreed with.”
“In sports, people just want to hear opinions,” he continued. “They don’t look to us for information.”
Tanguay also said he “absolutely” sees that people care about what he says. “If I or Trenni (Kusnierek) says something, I think people immediately go ‘that’s bullshit’ or ‘absolutely,’” he said. “They react as if you’re in the room with them.”
The way viewers see these hosts has changed over the years as entertainment now seems to trump information.
“I do think people look to us as entertainment more so than it used to be,” Tanguay said, adding that hosts are no longer always looked upon as experts. “You have to do more than informing people unless you’re Adam Schefter.”
As for the future of sports TV talking heads, Tanguay thinks it is important for hosts to stay engaging to the audience as the medium goes increasingly digital.
“Entertainment will always be there,” he said. “It’s personality-driven. You have to be compelling to make people watch. “
Tanguay on his favorite WEEI on-air memory: The Taray Garrison readings.
Also, “hitting the post” segments.
Tanguay on his screenwriting: He said he continues to “keep hammering away.”
Other media notes:
-- ESPN is reportedly considering switching up Sunday Night Baseball and building a broadcast team around Alex Rodriguez. His current broadcast partners, Matt Vasgersian and Jessica Mendoza, have a “70% chance of returning,” according to the New York Post. ESPN will still look to use Mendoza in other capacities should she be removed from the broadcast.