Before we get to the nominees, let me say two things:
1. I wish I could have nominated 20 people for this thing.
2. The choice is not as obvious (or easy) as you think.
Bob Barry Jr.
If you're a sports radio host and your signature catchphrase is "I don't know buddy, why don't you tell me," it may be a sign that you've probably chosen the wrong career. That's because sports radio hosts are supposed to be knowledgeable about athletics and be able to talk about them. Then again, most sports radio hosts don't get to where they are by riding their daddy's coattails.
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Al Eschbach
Eschbach has been a sports radio host in this market since the 1980s, but he's been mailing it in since the mid-1990s. His "wildman" shtick is boring and unoriginal, he's an OU homer, and if you listen closely while he takes phone calls, you can hear him playing Freecell and emailing strippers from Sugers.
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James Hale
James Hale is a sports talk host on KREF, a recruiting "expert" for OU insider, and one of the biggest OU homers to ever walk the earth. He also likes to eat an occasional Whopper w/ Cheese or three.
Anyway, listening to James Hale talk about OU athletics is like watching the weather report in Hawaii. The forecast is always perfect and always sunny. Landry Jones could throw five interceptions and take a shit on the field and James Hale wouldn't complain.
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Bobby Thompson
You may not recognize his face or name, but this guy is a producer at the Sports Animal. When he's not looking up a stat for Jim Traber or Mark Rodgers, he's usually stuttering his way through a sentence or mailing someone a free Johnnie's coupon. Here's what an Ogle Mole said about him in a recent email:
The guy says "absolutely" and "with that being said" literally 500 times a day. I don't understand why gets so much airtime. He has no opinions, it usually just goes right in step with whoever he is on with, usually Traber. And it will sway from host to host. Also, he goes out of his way to point out he is a Lakers fan every chance he gets and the guy works for the Thunder broadcast! I mean its cool if you are a Laker fan, thats fine, but why do you need to point it out all the time like people care?
With that being said, and although I'm a Thunder and Durant fan, I absolutely agree with the reader.
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Jim Traber
If you put a truth serum in me, I'd say that although Jim Traber is a massively hypocritical, immature, hardheaded, narcissistic yardbird who breathes heavily while on the air, at least he's entertaining when he chases Japanese pitchers around the outfield. Plus he's appeared on Canadian television and knows how to break in a baseball mitt.
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