I'm just not as invested as I used to be in sports. I used to plan my Sundays around Bears kickoffs and watch a least parts of most night Sox games. I just don't have the time nor do I care to invest that much time into sports. Also I've gotten married, have a house, golf more than I did a few years ago, so all of those things take up time. With a baby on the way, I imagine I will have even less time to devote to sports and sports radio.

I still listen when I'm in the car, but almost never stream or listen when I'm at home.

listening to podcasts while I'm on the range. .

I checked out during the Social Justice Radio era...and it seems like whenever I try to go back, they're talking about something I don't give a shit about (NBA, Cubs, Fantasy Sports), so I PTFB.

Get some young and hungry new guys with passion and maybe I'll take a chance.

Last couple years of B&B killed sports radio for me.

Went from listening basically all day from inception of the Score to nothing now.

Why do you think he's "cool"? Why would his race matter to you? Doesn't that seem to be pandering at best?

It could also be the management-friendly tone taken up by MANY. If every time I tune in I hear a host telling me "everything is going to be fine" with a second-place Cubs team that was supposed to be a perennial World Series contender, I'm either going to call bullshit an not listen, or think "hey, everything is going to be fine, guess there's no reason to listen any more until the postseason" and turn off.

1. Hosts like Rongey, Abbattacola, Finfer, and Shepkowski (only one is still on the air) who seem annoyed at having to host a sport-talk radio show. A caller would want to about something and their repsonse would be "Does it really matter?" or "It doesn't matter." If it doesn't matter, why the hell am I listening to your show?

2. The rise of VERY. IMPORTANT. RADIO. Either go be a legitimate journalist or go do something that actually makes a difference in people's lives. This mainly applies to Bernstein but also to guys like Speigel, Parkins, and Goff who would "just have to say ____" and address the latest social or political issue. I know where to go to find that type of talk and I would not expect the people who host those shows to give me their opinions on the Bears or Cubs.

3. The rise of VERY. SMART. FANS. Players and coaches don't think you're cool or "one of them" because you say "mesh point." A more in-depth understanding of what we're watching is OK, but Matt Miller (Is that the guy who used to be on with B&B who sounded like Buffone?) attempting to whiteboard plays on the radio is bad radio. I am not interested in prolonged discussion of advanced metrics as they relate to any sport. Get off my lawn.

Ruffie: I'm talking about J. Hood.

I think Hood is a good sports talker, but I also appreciate his perspective.

The Bernstein tree's attitude of "everything's fine and nothing matters" really kind of undoes the whole premise of the station: we know the shit doesn't really matter. That's the fun of it. If I shouldn't care what's going on, I'll go do something else.

Maybe a bit more subtle here, but I would add that Bernstein's "over the years we've made fans smarter" line is also kind of self-defeating: a great deal of your show is making fun of stupid people. If you have, indeed, made fans smarter, then you don't have grist for the mill anymore because those meatballs aren't there to call in, and now you can't have fun. But if they are still there, then you've failed at making your audience smarter.