TheFletch on AMonday

After watching 680 The Fan acquire local flagship radio rights to the Atlanta Braves and the Atlanta Hawks over the last few years, Sports Radio 790 The Zone got into the game and snagged the rights to the NFC South Champion Atlanta Falcons for the next four years. It was announced on 790’s Pollack & Bell last Monday that the Falcons would be moving to WQXI 790 on the AM dial and to Star 94.1 WSTR on the FM dial. The games had been airing on 92.9 Dave FM, with 790 talent providing the pregame and postgame talent for Dave FM. The Zone and Star 94 will broadcast all of the preseason and regular season games as well as the pregame and postgame on both stations in a simulcast.

In a piece found on the Atlanta Business Chronicle’s website, Vice President and General Manager of 790 Andrew Saltzman said, “We are thrilled to be partners with the pre-eminent sports franchise in Atlanta. Both Star 94 and 790 The Zone have always been part of the fabric of Atlanta and with the passion for the Falcons at an all time high right now, we are very excited about our future together.”

790 The Zone’s Wes Durham will continue to call play-by-play and Zone fill-in Dave Archer will continue his role with color commentary. Zone talent will also help with the halftime show and pre- and postgame as well, just like before. The Falcons also partnered up with CBS Atlanta 46 and the local station will air Falcons preseason games and will integrate 790 talent into the Falcons branded programming, according to the article from the Atlanta Business Chronicle.

This is a big get for The Zone as the mantra of “Football Lives Here” was beaten into the heads of listeners all football season long. Now, much like 680 has jumped full-bore into baseball with its Braves coverage, expect EVEN MORE football talk on 790, especially with Pollack & Bell, who seem to talk nothing but football on the drive home. Football is king in the South and you can get away with talking football twelve months a year, but I wonder if the “Matty Slushy” talk will cease now that 790 is the Falcons’ flagship. You can boast that you’ll still be objective all the day long like Mike Bell did about ten minutes after it was announced that The Zone was the new home of the Dirty Birds, but I wonder if push comes to shove, if the Zone personalities’ will have to clean up some negative thoughts after a rough game.

Is it just me or does NO ONE else care about the NFL’s collective bargaining agreement talks and having to hear about the progress being made, or not, everyday leading every radio show on Atlanta sports talk? Sorry but I just don’t give a rip about the billionaires and the multi-millionaires arguing over the last $850M after the first $8.1B has been split up favorably for both sides. Do I want football next year? Yes. But I don’t care about hearing that the owners want 61% while the players want 48%, whatever. Split it how you want to but please stop treating these discussions with such importance. Like many football fans, I don’t care. In fact, it makes me like EACH side much less and will push me farther towards the college game with each new day that leads to SportsCenter and The Fan and The Zone beginning each show talking about the discussions.

I think it is say to say that there is one lady that the eternal-Ladies Man Mike Bell of 790 The Zone doesn’t like: Doris Burke. The ESPN basketball color analyst was in town to do the Hawks/Knicks game for ESPN last week and Bell ripped on her for several segments on last Monday’s show, once opining that there were one million dudes who could do what she did. He wants someone who once played the game to call color commentary, and while I can see how someone would want that point of view, I also point out that it is nice NOT to have a Dick Vitale in the booth, which is sometimes what you run into in those cases where you simply want someone who has been around the game. I am not defending Burke; I don’t like Pam Ward calling football games either. But she does bring a certain style to the games, even if you don’t believe that she’s ever been in an NBA locker room, which she hasn’t. If given my choice between Vitale and Burke, as crazy as it sounds, I’d take Burke.

Finally, the Georgia High School basketball playoffs are coming to an end this weekend and Georgia Public Broadcasting will be all over it. After GPB.org/sport webcast all of the Class 4A and 5A boys and girls semifinal games live from the Arena at Gwinnett Center this past Wednesday and Thursday, GPB-TV will hit the airwaves will all of title tilts, both boys and girls. Not many states across the country can boast that all of the football championship games AND all of the basketball championship games can be seen live on television. Georgia Public Broadcasting hits about 96% of the state so you can be anywhere from Calhoun to Savannah, Augusta to Columbus and check out the games. GPB and the GHSA recently agreed to extend its partnership several more years into the future so look for more high school activities to hit the airwaves over the next few years. The GHSA and GPB aired the Traditional Wrestling championships last month and could grow to include a few more sports in the near future. Of course if you cannot watch all of the basketball championships, GPB.org/sports and gaprepnews.com have you covered as both sites will keep the archived games.

Can You Believe He Said That
“It tends to get lost amid the swarm of bitter folks who seemingly are taking glee in Hewitt’s demise: The man is not an idiot.”
That was Jeff Schultz of the AJC. See Mark Bradley, you CAN talk about Georgia Tech head coach Paul Hewitt’s potential firing without getting gleefully personal and attacking the man who led Tech to an appearance in the NCAA championship game but never to probation. Way to backtrack though, Mr. Bradley and call Tech a potential sleeper in the NCAA tourney. Feeling the Seth Davis heat a touch?