SEC Sports

Thursday, November 15, 2012

Mississippi sports talk is changing the culture


*Column that will appear on Mississippi Sports Magazine's online site


As I tuned in to the daily sports talk radio show Head to Head that airs throughout the state of Mississippi this week, I heard the segment I had intended. Enter former head coach at Ole Miss, Billy Brewer and former head coach at Mississippi State, Jackie Sherrill. While I am not able to listen very often, I make it a point to do so on Wednesday afternoons for the weekly segment. 

This past Wednesday, Sherrill was asked if he ever recruited negatively towards his arch rival in regards to the rebel flag. When he said no, I immediately began hoping he were not outside or inside a metal structure to possibly face electrocution from the lightening about to strike him.
It seemed genuine. Maybe he had his fingers crossed? Let's hope he did.

At the conclusion of the segment, co-host Richard  Cross, also an announcer for the Ole Miss Radio Network, thanked both of the guests and without missing a beat, Sherrill responded, "Thanks Matt!" Matt Wyatt, of course, is the other co-host of the program and member of the Mississippi State broadcast team. 

It was not scripted and wonderful radio. 

If the first thing you hear after leaving Vaught-Hemingway Stadium is, "I can't wait to hear what they say on Head to Head on Monday," you have a winning product. That happened this past Saturday.
It is shows like this that have prompted recruiting sites such as Rivals and Scout to introduce podcasts. The podcasts are available for download on iTunes and on each of their sites. Now, they can be heard directly from your smart phone. 

As if the information is not enough in written form, fans have their information read to them each day. All of this information is chock full of recruiting, injuries, schedules and practice reports. If the moderators  deviate from the topics, the message boarders blast you.
I'm not kidding.

Society_ie: SEC fans_wants its information immediately. MSU and Ole Miss fans are no different. Just recently, Keith Jasper, founder and president of VSporto Radio, the first 24-hour team-specific internet radio network, launched an online radio station for both Ole Miss and Mississippi State. Bulldog Sports Radio and Rebel Sports Radio have taken off and feature shows with each of the schools beat writers from competing newspapers.

Bo Bounds, a talk show host in Jackson, recently moved from the AM dial to 105.9 FM in central Mississippi and the station boasts it has 50,000 watts of power. The ESPN affiliate draws listeners from all over the south and is the only show in Jackson on terrestrial radio. Believe me when I say it is the only show. There are others but do not waste your time. 

In Oxford, Reb Sports Radio is a subsidiary of Gametime Rebels Magazine and Rebels247.com, is also devoted to nothing but the Rebels. And to think, just a few years ago, all locals in North Mississippi had was a few stations in the Memphis market that you could only pick-up on a clear day.
It is about supply and demand and the people at Head to Head Radio have its dynamic figured out. Pit Ole Miss vs Miss. State. They do it often and do it well.   

Whatever your listening vice is, you can make plans to tune-in the next few weeks. It will be a fantastic ride, as the Egg Bowl is less than two weeks away.

That is something both Jackie Sherrill and Billy Brewer can agree on.

Brad Logan is a regular contributor to Mississippi Sports Magazine. He is a native of Bruce, MS and currently resides in Mississippi. You can reach him by following him on Twitter: @BradLoganCA

 




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