Ray Woodson Leaves 'The Game' --95.7 FM Sports Talker Departs 'This Time Its My Decision'; 415 Media Exclusive

  Ray Woodson, the sports-talk radio veteran who spent the bulk of his Bay Area career at KNBR and most recently, 95. 7 FM "The Game" decided to bail out, suddenly and swiftly --with little notice.

"This time its my decision."

Just like that. 

Those of you that have lived a little know that radio has changed and that what little creative energy is left is expensive ...and many broadcast companies are either unable, or more likely, unwilling to pay the freight.

Therefore, you then have stagnant radio and talent-impaired talent.

I asked Woodson directly why he decided to leave the radio biz and his response was both expansive and telling:

Via text:

"It was a combination of factors, Rich. Family and professional. As you know the business has changed quite a bit. To me sports talk radio is an art, not a science but that’s not how this business is “trending.” Also, after what happened this year, I decided I want to be my own boss from now on. I figured after 40 years in broadcasting I’ve earned that. I will do podcasts, for one thing. Pretty soon I’ll write a book—maybe it won’t be of interest to the general public, but for my kids and grand kids. Everyone at The Game was great, by the way. This was just a personal and family decision about how I need to focus my energy at this point in my life, plus I am going to need recovery time from an upcoming surgery. Just as a postscript — I got REALLY tired of commuting into SF. One year, when I was working in Monterey and SF, I put 55K
miles on my truck. Between driving and BART, and the overcrowded conditions — as Sinatra once said —  “that’s enough.”

Which is a crying shame. Woodson was one of the few original sports-talk radio hosts who could spin a good tale or two and he was both informative, funny, and easy to listen to.

He didn't have to resort to cheap and disingenuous sound drops and bits that is a common nuisance in today's mostly banal, innocuous, talk-show code where there exists a whole lot of noise and very little substance not to mention extremely boring sports radio that neither enlightens nor entertains.

Woodson was one of the few KNBR hosts that I looked forward to listening to and was bummed when Cumulus gave him the boot. Why?

Because he was deemed too expensive by today's radio morsels and excavated out to pasture. He soon landed at "The Game" but was mostly doing fill-in. It's a shame someone of Woodson's talent won't be a part of the Bay Area radio landscape, but as he quoted Sinatra, "that's enough."

On his terms, that's good enough for Ray Woodson, which is good enough for me.

  

Refreshing Woodson Takes Over KNBR Morning Show; Good Radio; Monday Starter

 Out of the blue a complete surprise took place on the KNBR morning airwaves Monday: Ray Woodson filled in for the morning frat boys, "Murph and Mac", who, I guess, took the day off.

Those of you that think morning radio has to be morning zoo review got a break Monday. Woodson is not morning zoo; he doesn't have to resort to cheap sound effects nor manufacture any phony "bits." In fact, the idea of intelligent and creative radio without the barrage of audio histrionics is a newfound concept. Thankfully, Woodson didn't get the memo.

Woodson is: a funny, clever, irreverent sense of humor- guy with an innate ability to guide the ship and not run aground. He's probably not wacky enough to host the morning show, any morning show for that matter but his performance Monday was refreshing. Refreshing talk, normal dialogue and compelling enough CONVERSATION with Ted Robinson, for example. How nice to hear and relax without the mind-gutting, un-authentic pile of crap we're accustomed to from the frat boys.

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After the Warriors got fleeced by the LA Lakers in One of the Worst-Officiated NBA Games, KNBR's Ray Woodson Held Court; And that Was Good

In the immediate aftermath of one of the worst-officiated professional basketball games in NBA history, I decided to gauge the feelings of some well-earned, leather-lunged fans foaming at the bit to vent on KNBR.

The Warriors were just fleeced by the LA Lakers. Not outright purged, more like subdued by a referee crew that bore the wrath of even neutral fans on Twitter.


The Lakers went to the free-throw line fifty times; the Warriors a mere 16. The game was spectacular and ultra-exciting. Too bad it was marred by two separate events. A horrid night by the zebras and Kobe Bryant's likely gone-for-season due to injury. That alone prompted Twitter to go off the chart.

On Knibber, Ray Woodson, the host of "Sportsphone 680", was the perfect person behind the microphone. I've always liked Woodson. He was critical, obviously, of the absurdity just committed by the ludicrous NBA refs. But it was measured and cautionary and it didn't reek of any form of gimmicky faux outrage. And that's what made it so good and why Woodson should be the permanent host.

Woodson doesn't do a lot of yelling and screaming. He has a balanced and more civil tone. It doesn't insult listeners nor put you to sleep, but it does keep you listening. Woodson's dry sense of humor and occasional darts are good enough for the crowd. He doesn't need to resort to false shtick. It's especially evident after such an emotionally-charged game like the one in Los Angeles on Friday night.

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*Tips-E-mail: Rich.Lieberman@Gmail.com