The Big Show (sports radio show)
Encyclopedia
The Big Show is a sports talk radio program on Boston
's WEEI
850 AM. Started in August 1995, the show is hosted by former Boston Celtics
play-by-play announcer Glenn Ordway
and former Boston Globe columnist Michael Holley
. The Big Show airs weekday afternoons from 2:00 to 6:00 EST/EDT.
, the host of the show, performed radio announcing duties with Boston Celtics
announcer Johnny Most
for 13 years. After Most's retirement, Glenn was paired with former Celtic Jerry Sichting
. In June 1995, Glenn was named Program Director of Sports Radio 850 WEEI and created the current format in the afternoon drive slot. Starting February 28, 2011, Michael Holley
, former co-host of the Dale & Holley Show on the same station, will co-host The Big Show with Ordway .
Pete Sheppard
formerly did the sports flashes for the show and filled in as the host of the show when Ordway was absent.
Pete was terminated by WEEI and parent company Entercom Broadcasting on January 19, 2010. due to, as they stated, "Challenging Economic Times".
, Danny Ainge
, Peter Gammons
, and Vic Carucci.
that started in 1999 when sportswriter Ron Borges
called New York Yankees
pitcher Hideki Irabu
a "fat jap." Two days later, the Boston Globe executive sports editor Don Skwar banned Globe sportswriters from appearing on The Big Show. The ban was later extended to WEEI's Dennis
and Callahan
morning show. WEEI retaliated by banning Globe staffers from appearing on any of its shows. The ban came to an end on August 4, 2009, when Bob Ryan
appeared on the show, with Ordway stating that "we have all come to our senses."
, a popular columinst for ESPN The Magazine
, has been a longtime critic of The Big Show, claiming that it is obnoxious and lacks sophistication. Ordway has stated that while he disagrees with most of Simmons' opinions, he [Ordway] believes that Simmons is a "great columnist" yet he considers him a coward for only slandering the show in column while saying that he has no problems with the show in person.
system, which is played at the end of the show. Complaints cover a wide range of subjects, including sports teams and stars, the hosts, other listeners, celebrities, current events and local politicians. The messages often include impersonations of celebrities and local figures.
There are numerous running jokes on the Whiner Line, many of which are by local comedian Graig Murphy, who performs impersonations which include Tom Menino, Robert Kraft
, Terry Francona
, Grady Little
, Shannon Sharpe
, Harry Kalas
, Deval Patrick
and Dave Lewis. Other impersonators include Glenn Ordway
, Mikey Adams, Johnny Damon
, Carson Kressly, Bob Neumeier
, Borat
, Roger Clemens
, Eddie Andelman
, Bill Clinton
, Fred Smerlas
, Don Imus
, Bill Walton
, Edna Jacobson, Dale Arnold
, the Senior Senator Ted Kennedy
, Wilford Brimley
and Dick Radatz
, as well as a caller who compiles Red Sox and Patriots
-themed top-ten lists
, a Mary Carillo
impersonator which is accompanied by an impersonation of Morgan Freeman
bragging he built the Batmobile
, a Beavis and Butthead parody, a caller whose comments were parody songs based on Simon & Garfunkel's "The Boxer", a caller who simply calls Glenn Ordway a "Fat Bastard", a man simply known as the "Accordion Guy" who creates parody songs to the sound of an accordion, a caller known as the "Man on the Way Up", who calls regularly and is insulted by the hosts, a caller with a Southern accent, a caller with an Irish accent, known as "The Cardinal", and a caller known as "The $5 Guy" who frequently threatens co-host Steve DeOssie
with revenge for supposedly stealing $5 from him (The $5 Guy) in the late 1970s. Former WEEI
co-host and Boston Herald
sports columnist Michael Felger
has been a target of jokes on the Whiner Line.
The Big Show hosts an annual event known as "The Whiny Awards", a tribute to the best "Whiner Line" callers of the year.
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
's WEEI
WEEI
WEEI is a sports radio station in Boston, Massachusetts, that broadcasts on 850 kHz from a transmitter in Needham, Massachusetts, and is owned by Entercom Communications. The station is one of the top-rated sports talk radio stations in the nation. Studios are located in Brighton, Massachusetts...
850 AM. Started in August 1995, the show is hosted by former Boston Celtics
Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics are a National Basketball Association team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. Founded in 1946, the team is currently owned by Boston Basketball Partners LLC. The Celtics play their home games at the TD Garden, which...
play-by-play announcer Glenn Ordway
Glenn Ordway
Glenn Ordway is an American sports radio and television personality based in the Boston, Massachusetts area. He is a former commentator for the Boston Celtics radio broadcasts...
and former Boston Globe columnist Michael Holley
Michael Holley
Michael Holley is an American television and radio sports commentator, sports reporter and author. He formerly wrote columns for the Boston Globe, Chicago Tribune, The Plain Dealer, and Akron Beacon Journal.-Career:...
. The Big Show airs weekday afternoons from 2:00 to 6:00 EST/EDT.
Hosts
Glenn OrdwayGlenn Ordway
Glenn Ordway is an American sports radio and television personality based in the Boston, Massachusetts area. He is a former commentator for the Boston Celtics radio broadcasts...
, the host of the show, performed radio announcing duties with Boston Celtics
Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics are a National Basketball Association team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. Founded in 1946, the team is currently owned by Boston Basketball Partners LLC. The Celtics play their home games at the TD Garden, which...
announcer Johnny Most
Johnny Most
John M. "Johnny" Most was an American sports announcer, known primarily as the raspy radio voice of the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association from 1953 to 1990....
for 13 years. After Most's retirement, Glenn was paired with former Celtic Jerry Sichting
Jerry Sichting
Jerry Lee Sichting is a retired American basketball player in the NBA.-1972-1975:Jerry Sichting, the 6'1", 175 lb guard, attended Martinsville High School, located in Martinsville, Indiana...
. In June 1995, Glenn was named Program Director of Sports Radio 850 WEEI and created the current format in the afternoon drive slot. Starting February 28, 2011, Michael Holley
Michael Holley
Michael Holley is an American television and radio sports commentator, sports reporter and author. He formerly wrote columns for the Boston Globe, Chicago Tribune, The Plain Dealer, and Akron Beacon Journal.-Career:...
, former co-host of the Dale & Holley Show on the same station, will co-host The Big Show with Ordway .
Frequent Guests
- Steve BuckleySteve Buckley (journalist)Steve Buckley is an Irish American journalist. He has been a regular columnist with the Boston Herald since 1995, contributing to the paper's Sports section. His columns often use historical perspective drawn from a diverse variety of sources. He joined Boston Sports radio station WEEI in 1993 and...
, columnist for The Boston Herald. Buckley fills in as host when Ordway is absent. - Fred SmerlasFred SmerlasFrederic Charles Smerlas is a former American football defensive lineman who was a 5-time NFL Pro Bowl selection during 14-year career as a nose tackle with the Buffalo Bills, San Francisco 49ers, and New England Patriots.Smerlas, of Greek-American descent, graduated from Waltham High School in...
, former NFL All-Pro player. Smerlas appears on "The Big Show" Monday & Friday during the NFL season, as well as regularly during NFL Draft and Training Camp periods. - Butch StearnsButch StearnsButch Stearns is an American television and radio personality. He is a former sports anchor for WFXT and radio host for WEEI, both located in Boston, Massachusetts.-Television:...
, former sports anchor for WFXTWFXTWFXT is a television station owned and operated by the News Corporation-owned Fox Broadcasting Company, located in Boston, Massachusetts. The station's studio and office facility is in Dedham, Massachusetts, and its transmitter is located in Needham, Massachusetts...
Fox 25 News (Boston). Stearns fills in as host when Ordway is absent. - Steve DeOssieSteve DeOssieSteven Leonard DeOssie is a former American football linebacker and long snapper. DeOssie played college football at Boston College, and went on to play in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys, the New York Giants, and the New England Patriots...
, former NFL linebacker and analyst for minor league hockey. DeOssie appears on "The Big Show" Mondays and Fridays during the NFL season. A regular daily fill-in for absent/vacationing co-hosts. - Steve BurtonSteve Burton (sports journalist)Steve Burton is a television sports reporter for WBZ-TV and WSBK-TV in Boston. The son of former New England Patriots player Ron Burton, Steve Burton grew up in Framingham, Massachusetts and is a graduate of Northwestern University holding a bachelor of science degree in Communications and a...
, WBZ-TVWBZ-TVWBZ-TV, virtual channel 4, is a CBS owned-and-operated television station, located in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. WBZ-TV's studios and office facilities, shared with sister station WSBK-TV , are located in the Allston-Brighton section of Boston, and its transmitter is located in Needham,...
sports anchor and former quarterback at Northwestern UniversityNorthwestern UniversityNorthwestern University is a private research university in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, USA. Northwestern has eleven undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools offering 124 undergraduate degrees and 145 graduate and professional degrees....
. - Bill Burt, sports editor of The Lawrence Eagle Tribune
- Rob Bradford, baseball writer and site editor for WEEI.com. Former baseball reporter for The Boston Herald.
- Tom CurranTom CurranTom Curran FRS is a Scottish medical researcher, and Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, at University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.He is Associate Director of Translational Genomics, at the Penn Genome Frontiers Institute.-Life:...
, current football writer for NBC SportsNBC SportsNBC Sports is the sports division of the NBC television network. Formerly "a service of NBC News," it broadcasts a diverse array of programs, including the Olympic Games, the NFL, the NHL, MLS, Notre Dame football, the PGA Tour, the Triple Crown, and the French Open, among others...
. Curran appears regularly on Comcast Sports Net New England as a football analyst. - Cedric MaxwellCedric MaxwellCedric Bryan Maxwell is a retired American professional basketball player now in radio broadcasting. Nicknamed "Cornbread", he played 11 seasons in the NBA, and played a key role in two championships with the Boston Celtics.-College career:Maxwell was a star forward/center for the Charlotte 49ers...
, former NBA Power ForwardPower forward (basketball)Power forward is a position in the sport of basketball. The position is referred to in playbook terms as the four position and is commonly abbreviated "PF". It has also been referred to as the "post" position. Power forwards play a role similar to that of center in what is called the "post" or "low...
and MVP of the 1981 NBA Finals1981 NBA FinalsThe 1981 NBA World Championship Series was the championship round of the 1980-81 NBA season, pitting the Boston Celtics against the Houston Rockets.-Houston Rockets:...
. A radio color analyst for the Boston Celtics since the mid-90's, Maxwell was one of the original guests when WEEI introduced The Big Show. Once the Celtics returned to Entercom, Maxwell was welcomed back to "The Big Show". - Brian DaubachBrian DaubachBrian Michael Daubach is a retired Major League Baseball player and current minor league baseball manager. During his playing career Daubach served as a first baseman, outfielder, and designated hitter...
, former first baseman of the Boston Red Sox. Made his "Big Show" debut in the summer of 2008. - Curt SchillingCurt SchillingCurtis Montague "Curt" Schilling is a former American Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. He helped lead the Philadelphia Phillies to the World Series in and won World Series championships in with the Arizona Diamondbacks and in and with the Boston Red Sox. Schilling retired with a...
, former MLB pitcher for the Boston Red SoxBoston Red SoxThe Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
, Arizona DiamondbacksArizona DiamondbacksThe Arizona Diamondbacks are a professional baseball team based in Phoenix. They play in the West Division of Major League Baseball's National League. From 1998 to the present, they have played in Chase Field...
, Philadelphia PhilliesPhiladelphia PhilliesThe Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
, Houston AstrosHouston AstrosThe Houston Astros are a Major League Baseball team located in Houston, Texas. They are a member of the National League Central division. The Astros are expected to join the American League West division in 2013. Since , they have played their home games at Minute Maid Park, known as Enron Field...
, and Baltimore OriolesBaltimore OriolesThe Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league... - Larry JohnsonLarry JohnsonLarry Johnson is the name of:* Larry Johnson , American football running back* Larry Johnson , baseball player* Larry Johnson , American basketball player...
, WEEI personality - Jack Edwards, NESN Bruins play-by-play announcer
- Kevin Paul Dupont, Boston Globe hockey writer
Former co-hosts
- Lyndon ByersLyndon ByersLyndon Svi Byers is a Canadian-born radio host and retired professional ice hockey player.-Playing career:...
, former Boston BruinsBoston BruinsThe Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
player (1995–1996) - Michael FelgerMichael FelgerMichael "Mike" Felger is a television sports reporter and anchorman for Comcast SportsNet New England. He also co-hosts an afternoon sports radio talk with The Boston Globe online columnist Tony Massarotti on WBZ-FM "98.5 The Sports Hub" in Boston....
, Boston Herald sportswriter (2001–2005) Afternoon drive co host on "98.5 The Sports Hub" WBZ-FMWBZ-FMWBZ-FM is a sports radio station known as "98.5 The Sports Hub" and broadcasting on 98.5 MHz in Boston, Massachusetts. Owned by CBS Radio, the current WBZ-FM began on August 13, 2009 and competes with AM sports talk stations WEEI and competed with the ESPN Radio pair of WAMG and WLLH before their... - Gerry CallahanGerry CallahanDennis and Callahan is an American morning radio show on WEEI, a sports radio station in Boston, Massachusetts. On November 16, 2010, a live three-hour simulcast began airing on NESN from 6-9AM Eastern time each weekday. The show combines talk of sports and politics, along with current or "water...
, sports columnist for the Boston Herald (1995–1997) Is part of the Dennis & Callahan show mornings on the WEEI Sports Radio Network. - Sean McDonoughSean McDonoughSean McDonough is an American sportscaster, currently employed by ESPN.-Early life and career:The son of Boston Globe sportswriter Will McDonough, Sean graduated from Syracuse University in 1984. It was in Syracuse where McDonough began his broadcasting career in 1982 as the play-by-play announcer...
, Boston Red Sox announcer - Dick RadatzDick RadatzRichard Raymond Radatz , nicknamed "The Monster" or "Moose", was an American right-handed relief pitcher in Major League Baseball who had a scorching but short-lived period of dominance for the Boston Red Sox . Radatz also played for the Cleveland Indians , Chicago Cubs , Detroit Tigers and...
, former Boston Red Sox pitcher (1999–2003) - Dan ShaughnessyDan ShaughnessyDan Shaughnessy is an American sports writer.-Career:After graduating from the College of the Holy Cross, Shaughnessy began his career as a beat reporter covering the Baltimore Orioles for the Baltimore Sun in 1977. He has been a sports writer for the Boston Globe for approximately 30 years,...
, Boston Globe sportswriter (1995–1999) - Scott ZolakScott ZolakScott David Zolak is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League for nine seasons...
, former NFL quarterback. Now is a on air mid day co host on "98.5 The Sports Hub" WBZ-FMWBZ-FMWBZ-FM is a sports radio station known as "98.5 The Sports Hub" and broadcasting on 98.5 MHz in Boston, Massachusetts. Owned by CBS Radio, the current WBZ-FM began on August 13, 2009 and competes with AM sports talk stations WEEI and competed with the ESPN Radio pair of WAMG and WLLH before their... - Dave SheaDave Shea (broadcaster)David W. Shea is an Irish-American sportscaster, who is best known as the former ice hockey announcer for Hockey East and the Boston Bruins. He was inducted into the Massachusetts Hockey Hall of Fame on November 19, 2008. - Career :...
, Boston BruinsBoston BruinsThe Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
announcer broadcasting on "98.5 The Sports Hub" WBZ-FMWBZ-FMWBZ-FM is a sports radio station known as "98.5 The Sports Hub" and broadcasting on 98.5 MHz in Boston, Massachusetts. Owned by CBS Radio, the current WBZ-FM began on August 13, 2009 and competes with AM sports talk stations WEEI and competed with the ESPN Radio pair of WAMG and WLLH before their... - Tony MassarottiTony MassarottiAnthony 'Tony' Massarotti is an American newspaper sportswriter, author and online and print contributor for the Boston Globe. He also co-hosts a sports talk radio show on WBZ-FM with former Boston Herald columnist Michael Felger...
, Boston Herald sportswriter (1995–2008) appearances ended with his leaving the Herald for the Boston Globe due to a long standing ban on Globe staffers appearing on the station. Now is a afternoon drive co host on "98.5 The Sports Hub" WBZ-FMWBZ-FMWBZ-FM is a sports radio station known as "98.5 The Sports Hub" and broadcasting on 98.5 MHz in Boston, Massachusetts. Owned by CBS Radio, the current WBZ-FM began on August 13, 2009 and competes with AM sports talk stations WEEI and competed with the ESPN Radio pair of WAMG and WLLH before their...
Pete Sheppard
Pete Sheppard
Pete Sheppard is an Italian-American radio host, formerly heard on WEEI 850-AM in Boston. Sheppard, a native of Narragansett, Rhode Island is a graduate of Bishop Hendricken High School in Rhode Island and the Connecticut School of Broadcasting...
formerly did the sports flashes for the show and filled in as the host of the show when Ordway was absent.
Pete was terminated by WEEI and parent company Entercom Broadcasting on January 19, 2010. due to, as they stated, "Challenging Economic Times".
Guests
During the course of sports seasons, the Big Show often has weekly conversations with players, coaches, and executives. Weekly guests include Bill BelichickBill Belichick
William Stephen "Bill" Belichick is an American football head coach for the New England Patriots of the National Football League. After spending his first 15 seasons in the league as an assistant coach, Belichick got his first head coaching job with the Cleveland Browns in 1991...
, Danny Ainge
Danny Ainge
Daniel Ray "Danny" Ainge is an American basketball manager and retired professional basketball and baseball player, currently serving as President of Basketball Operations for the Boston Celtics....
, Peter Gammons
Peter Gammons
Peter Gammons is an American sportswriter, media personality, and a recipient of the J. G. Taylor Spink Award for outstanding baseball writing, given by the BBWAA.-Education:...
, and Vic Carucci.
Boston Globe feud
WEEI has had a long running feud with The Boston GlobeThe Boston Globe
The Boston Globe is an American daily newspaper based in Boston, Massachusetts. The Boston Globe has been owned by The New York Times Company since 1993...
that started in 1999 when sportswriter Ron Borges
Ron Borges
Ron Borges is currently a sportswriter for the Boston Herald. He previously wrote for The Boston Globe, and was a regular guest on Michael Felger's radio show The Mike Felger Show, which aired on 890 ESPN until July 2008. Borges also was a regular contributor to the until 2008...
called New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
pitcher Hideki Irabu
Hideki Irabu
was a professional baseball player of Okinawan and American mixed ancestry. He played professionally in both Japan and the United States.-Early life:...
a "fat jap." Two days later, the Boston Globe executive sports editor Don Skwar banned Globe sportswriters from appearing on The Big Show. The ban was later extended to WEEI's Dennis
John Dennis (talk show host)
John Dennis is an American radio talk show host for WEEI, known for the Dennis and Callahan show.-Biography:...
and Callahan
Gerry Callahan
Dennis and Callahan is an American morning radio show on WEEI, a sports radio station in Boston, Massachusetts. On November 16, 2010, a live three-hour simulcast began airing on NESN from 6-9AM Eastern time each weekday. The show combines talk of sports and politics, along with current or "water...
morning show. WEEI retaliated by banning Globe staffers from appearing on any of its shows. The ban came to an end on August 4, 2009, when Bob Ryan
Bob Ryan
Bob Ryan is an American sportswriter for The Boston Globe. He has been described as "the quintessential American sportswriter" and a basketball guru and is well known for his coverage of the sport including his famous stories covering the Boston Celtics in the 1970s. After graduating from Boston...
appeared on the show, with Ordway stating that "we have all come to our senses."
Bill Simmons
Bill SimmonsBill Simmons
William J. "Bill" Simmons III is a sports columnist, author, and podcaster. He currently writes columns and hosts podcasts for Grantland.com, which is affiliated with ESPN.com. He is a former writer for ESPN The Magazine and Jimmy Kimmel Live!...
, a popular columinst for ESPN The Magazine
ESPN The Magazine
ESPN The Magazine is a bi-weekly sports magazine published by the ESPN sports network in Bristol, Connecticut in the United States. The first issue was published on March 11, 1998....
, has been a longtime critic of The Big Show, claiming that it is obnoxious and lacks sophistication. Ordway has stated that while he disagrees with most of Simmons' opinions, he [Ordway] believes that Simmons is a "great columnist" yet he considers him a coward for only slandering the show in column while saying that he has no problems with the show in person.
The Whiner Line
"The Whiner Line" is a regular feature, which consists of listeners calling in and leaving complaints on a voicemailVoicemail
Voicemail is a computer based system that allows users and subscribers to exchange personal voice messages; to select and deliver voice information; and to process transactions relating to individuals, organizations, products and services, using an ordinary telephone...
system, which is played at the end of the show. Complaints cover a wide range of subjects, including sports teams and stars, the hosts, other listeners, celebrities, current events and local politicians. The messages often include impersonations of celebrities and local figures.
There are numerous running jokes on the Whiner Line, many of which are by local comedian Graig Murphy, who performs impersonations which include Tom Menino, Robert Kraft
Robert Kraft
Robert K. Kraft is an American business magnate. He is the Chairman and was the Chief Executive Officer of The Kraft Group, a diversified holding company with assets in paper and packaging, sports and entertainment, real estate development and a private equity portfolio...
, Terry Francona
Terry Francona
Terry Jon Francona , nicknamed "Tito," is a former Major League Baseball manager and a former player. He was a first baseman and outfielder in the majors from 1981 to 1990. After retiring as a player, he managed several minor league teams in the 1990s before managing the Philadelphia Phillies for...
, Grady Little
Grady Little
William Grady Little is a former manager in Major League Baseball. He managed the Boston Red Sox from 2002 to 2003 and the Los Angeles Dodgers from 2006 to 2007...
, Shannon Sharpe
Shannon Sharpe
Shannon Sharpe is a former American Football tight end who played for the Denver Broncos and Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League. Sharpe is known for his creative commentary and trash talking. He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and inducted on August 6, 2011...
, Harry Kalas
Harry Kalas
Harry Norbert Kalas was an American sportscaster, best known for his Ford C. Frick Award-winning role as lead play-by-play announcer for Major League Baseball's Philadelphia Phillies...
, Deval Patrick
Deval Patrick
Deval Laurdine Patrick is the 71st and current Governor of Massachusetts. A member of the Democratic Party, Patrick served as an Assistant United States Attorney General under President Bill Clinton...
and Dave Lewis. Other impersonators include Glenn Ordway
Glenn Ordway
Glenn Ordway is an American sports radio and television personality based in the Boston, Massachusetts area. He is a former commentator for the Boston Celtics radio broadcasts...
, Mikey Adams, Johnny Damon
Johnny Damon
Johnny David Damon is an American professional baseball outfielder and designated hitter. From 2000–2008, he was third among active players in runs and seventh in hits and stolen bases . He is currently second among active leaders in triples , five behind Carl Crawford...
, Carson Kressly, Bob Neumeier
Bob Neumeier
Robin "Bob" Neumeier is an American sportscaster for NBC Sports and Comcast SportsNet New England, specializing in thoroughbred horse racing. Neumeier is originally from Weymouth, Massachusetts and is a 1972 graduate of Syracuse University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in television and...
, Borat
Borat
Borat Sagdiyev is a satirical fictional character invented and performed by English comedian Sacha Baron Cohen...
, Roger Clemens
Roger Clemens
William Roger Clemens , nicknamed "Rocket", is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who broke into the league with the Boston Red Sox, whose pitching staff he would help anchor for 12 years. Clemens won seven Cy Young Awards, more than any other pitcher. He played for four different teams over...
, Eddie Andelman
Eddie Andelman
Eddie Andelman is an American sports radio talk show host. He has worked over 40 years in sports talk radio in Boston and has appeared on over 100 sports stations all over the country.- Career :...
, Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
, Fred Smerlas
Fred Smerlas
Frederic Charles Smerlas is a former American football defensive lineman who was a 5-time NFL Pro Bowl selection during 14-year career as a nose tackle with the Buffalo Bills, San Francisco 49ers, and New England Patriots.Smerlas, of Greek-American descent, graduated from Waltham High School in...
, Don Imus
Don Imus
John Donald "Don" Imus, Jr. is an American radio host, humorist, philanthropist and writer. His nationally-syndicated talk show, Imus in the Morning, is broadcast throughout the United States by Citadel Media and relayed on television by the Fox Business Network.-Personal life:Imus was born in...
, Bill Walton
Bill Walton
William Theodore "Bill" Walton III is a retired American basketball player and television sportscaster. The "Big Red-Head", as he was called, achieved superstardom playing for John Wooden's powerhouse UCLA Bruins in the early '70s, winning three straight College Player of the Year Awards, while...
, Edna Jacobson, Dale Arnold
Dale Arnold
Dale Arnold is a New England sportscaster who hosts Boston Bruins broadcasts on NESN. He is formerly the co-host of a popular midday sports talk radio show on WEEI and formerly the Bruins' play-by-play announcer on NESN...
, the Senior Senator Ted Kennedy
Ted Kennedy
Edward Moore "Ted" Kennedy was a United States Senator from Massachusetts and a member of the Democratic Party. Serving almost 47 years, he was the second most senior member of the Senate when he died and is the fourth-longest-serving senator in United States history...
, Wilford Brimley
Wilford Brimley
Allen Wilford Brimley is an American actor. He has appeared in such films as The China Syndrome, Cocoon, The Thing and The Firm. He had a recurring role on the 1970s television series The Waltons...
and Dick Radatz
Dick Radatz
Richard Raymond Radatz , nicknamed "The Monster" or "Moose", was an American right-handed relief pitcher in Major League Baseball who had a scorching but short-lived period of dominance for the Boston Red Sox . Radatz also played for the Cleveland Indians , Chicago Cubs , Detroit Tigers and...
, as well as a caller who compiles Red Sox and Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
-themed top-ten lists
David Letterman
David Michael Letterman is an American television host and comedian. He hosts the late night television talk show, Late Show with David Letterman, broadcast on CBS. Letterman has been a fixture on late night television since the 1982 debut of Late Night with David Letterman on NBC...
, a Mary Carillo
Mary Carillo
Mary Carillo is an American sportscaster and former professional tennis player.-Tennis career:Carillo played on the women's professional tennis circuit from 1977 to 1980. She was ranked as high as number 33, in the WTA Rankings, from January through March 1980, then retired due to knee injuries...
impersonator which is accompanied by an impersonation of Morgan Freeman
Morgan Freeman
Morgan Freeman is an American actor, film director, aviator and narrator. He is noted for his reserved demeanor and authoritative speaking voice. Freeman has received Academy Award nominations for his performances in Street Smart, Driving Miss Daisy, The Shawshank Redemption and Invictus and won...
bragging he built the Batmobile
Batmobile
The Batmobile is the automobile of DC Comics superhero Batman. The car has evolved along with the character from comic books to television and films. Kept in the Batcave, which it accesses through a hidden entrance, the Batmobile is a gadget-laden vehicle used by Batman in his crime-fighting...
, a Beavis and Butthead parody, a caller whose comments were parody songs based on Simon & Garfunkel's "The Boxer", a caller who simply calls Glenn Ordway a "Fat Bastard", a man simply known as the "Accordion Guy" who creates parody songs to the sound of an accordion, a caller known as the "Man on the Way Up", who calls regularly and is insulted by the hosts, a caller with a Southern accent, a caller with an Irish accent, known as "The Cardinal", and a caller known as "The $5 Guy" who frequently threatens co-host Steve DeOssie
Steve DeOssie
Steven Leonard DeOssie is a former American football linebacker and long snapper. DeOssie played college football at Boston College, and went on to play in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys, the New York Giants, and the New England Patriots...
with revenge for supposedly stealing $5 from him (The $5 Guy) in the late 1970s. Former WEEI
WEEI
WEEI is a sports radio station in Boston, Massachusetts, that broadcasts on 850 kHz from a transmitter in Needham, Massachusetts, and is owned by Entercom Communications. The station is one of the top-rated sports talk radio stations in the nation. Studios are located in Brighton, Massachusetts...
co-host and Boston Herald
Boston Herald
The Boston Herald is a daily newspaper that serves Boston, Massachusetts, United States, and its surrounding area. It was started in 1846 and is one of the oldest daily newspapers in the United States...
sports columnist Michael Felger
Michael Felger
Michael "Mike" Felger is a television sports reporter and anchorman for Comcast SportsNet New England. He also co-hosts an afternoon sports radio talk with The Boston Globe online columnist Tony Massarotti on WBZ-FM "98.5 The Sports Hub" in Boston....
has been a target of jokes on the Whiner Line.
The Big Show hosts an annual event known as "The Whiny Awards", a tribute to the best "Whiner Line" callers of the year.