Farmer often says, Herb and Joe are producing back at the studio.

How hard is this job where they need two guys. Isn't it just making sure the levels are right and hitting the commercial button after 3 outs? But once you set the levels to the right spot, isn't it just a matter of not touching them?

So if Herb is on the board, what the hell is Joe doing? Watching the Cubs game?

I'm not trying to be a smart ass. Maybe there is more to it. If so, explain.

With what we know about the people who run the board at the Score, I'd put ten people in there just to cover all my bases.

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Granted, Joe is needed for the post game show to bring up stupid callers for the, condescending, not so bright himself, post game host.

I'm just talking about the game itself.

One covers for the other in case of a bathroom emergency or cleans his partner's chair if he doesn't make it in time.

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Host of the weekly "We Fish ASA" podcast
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I used to board op Sox games at a White Sox Radio Network affiliate.

In between certain innings that are specifically designated, we would have to play local commercials, PSA, weather, etc. At any radio station at any time of the day someone is always calling and distracting the on air guy constantly. Thus jeopardizing hitting the air cues, legal ID and breaks. It is always better to have two guys on hand.

One of the best calls we normally got during a Sox game was somebody wanting to talk to Ed or DJ. Or somebody calling in every 15 minutes to get the game score. Turn on your radio!

One night during a pregame show, Rongey's mic was hot during the breaks. This went on for a few breaks and you could hear Ranger talking about this and that under commercials. I tried to call The Score studio but nobody picked up. To Rongey's credit, I never heard a curse word or anything that deemed inappropriate.

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"This is Chicago, my friend. Anything can happen."

So the biggest reason you need two people is cuz callers are calling? Why not just take the phones of the hook during the game?

Godfella: Oh, yeah. Should have done that.

Beardown: Radio people. Not the sharpest knives in the drawer.

Yes, why not make the studio inaccessible. No one else might call that line.

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Don't most radio stations have 2 lines. One for the callers and a direct line for bosses, guests and/or station employees to call? Pretty sure they do. Cut off the line for the callers.

Curious Hair: Oh yeah.

Not my policy to make, guys. The owner of the station made the rules and board ops aren't exactly high on the totem pole. We did what we were told or we were shown the door. Bottom line was, I got paid to listen to Sox games. Wasn't a bad gig... especially when it was affiliate appreciation day at The Cell. Sometimes the calls were more interesting than the games!

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"This is Chicago, my friend. Anything can happen."

For as much as Herb and Joe bitch about being producers and not getting paid well. There's kind of a reason. You really don't do anything. And what you do isn't hard or complicated. Especially for these Sox games. I'll bet it's just Herb, Joe and Ranger looking at porn sites, shooting the breeze and watching the Sox game.

I remember 60 second local commercials that were played during every local break during the games. It was an obnoxious couple who owned a business and thought they would showcase their "musical talents" by playing their guitar and singing the entire commercial to the tune of a popular song. One night a guy called in and went off on me about the annoying ads. He told me that he would pay the station twice the amount of the ad time to stop playing "those damn idiots crap!" It took everything I had not to laugh. As trained, I told the man that his opinion was very important to us and he should call the marketing director during normal business hours tomorrow. I thanked him for listening, again as trained, and he told me the obscene version of go fornicate myself. I couldn't hold back the laughter after that one and he got angrier. For the record, the commercials were extremely annoying and foolish but they paid for the time and they were big sports sponsors and supporters of the radio station. He did call back the next day and ratted me out for laughing at him. That was the beginning of the end of my board op career!

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"This is Chicago, my friend. Anything can happen."