Believe It or Not: I'm Hooked on 'Hooked on Golf'; Abendroth and Juricich Drive Golf Show on KNBR

I KNOW GOLF LIKE YOU KNOW RUBIK'S CUBE --which means I'm scrambled. Well, duh

THIS, I do know.

I know authenticity and realness. I love sincerity even when it involves something I have zero knowledge of which involves, again, golf. In this instance, golf on the radio. Or a couple guys talking golf on a weekend morning.

Welcome to Hooked on Golf on KNBR. More to the point.

 John Abendroth and Mitch Juricich are the men behind the golf program on Knibber. Just a few ordinary guys who make me laugh, sometimes uncontrollably and on point. I don't know why I like these guys but they sound cool and funny. The coffee tastes better when I'm hearing their show, I just wish I knew golf and especially how to hit it straight. But see, that's the point. Listening to the duo without puts knowledge means quite a bit to me and adds to my glowing review of this show.

Lately, "Hooked" hasn't been on the KNBR show schedule which is too bad but another ruin courtesy the Coronavirus pandemic --a shame for a show that's been on the air for 26 years and a Saturday/Sunday staple.

I've learned through the radar the show is due back once the virus crisis settles. Good. Because it wreaks of audio chicken soup, a reassuring program of two guys talking shop in a coffee shop and that's real delightful in a time when reassurance is a virtue.

So, yeah, I'm an advocate of Hooked now if only I understood golf.

KNBR Leaves USA-Russia Olympics Hockey Game For Golf Show But You Shouldn't Be Shocked, Seriously

I'm supposed to be shocked by this Mr. Magoo of sports programming decisions but I'm not. You should see my e-mail box. Apparently, you are.


Let's cut to the chase: KNBR cut away from that puny little hockey game in Sochi this morning, you know, that game, Russia versus the United States, a thriller, great game, controversy and all. That game that had millions of people in North America waking up at the ungodly hour of 4: 30 AM...and why did KNBR cut away? To air "Hooked on Golf", I swear to God.

 Let's go over some background. KNBR is first and foremost, all about money. That's OK. If the Giants were playing an exhibition game against the Astros, I'll bet you good money they'd have switched from the hockey game too. Like I said, it's all about $$ at the leader--that's why they're running 30 minutes of commercials on some programs--the last thing they care about is their core audience, the listeners. But we digress.

This hockey game leave-beauty is ridiculous, even by KNBR standards. Even the "Hooked" guys were embarrassed. Apparently, the phone lines of infuriated people was off the chart. For good reason.

This dubious display of high dumbness is brought to you by Lee Hammer, the oft-mentioned Knibber Opps Mgr, who will no doubt get the riot act read to him by whomever calls the big calls over at the SF Cumulus cluster, perhaps Buster Bluto.

I'm giving a Hammer thought process seminar now.

** Perhaps Friday he didn't take into account that USA-Russia was running on his radio station, and thus, the idea of airing the regularly-scheduled program, "Hooked", never entered into his cranium.

** "Hooked on Golf", I'm guessing, is a brokered program. Or something like that. Where the time is bought and the guys get the cash or its traded out--something of a combination, either way, KNBR is getting paid. And that puny little hockey game in Sochi, as big as it is, doesn't put any money in the pocket of the Leader, therefore we get the Saturday morning golf show and its assorted guys in Lafayette working on their short-game, listeners.

An abomination? Sure but not surprising. Even the golf guy at the Chronicle was pissed.

Wonder what hockey nut, Ray Ratto, was feeling? Wait, he works at KNBR. Pass.

This much is sure--Hammer's inbox, come Monday, is sure to be filled if it isn't already. In the good old days of radio, something like this would have, could have, been the cause of one's demise. But KNBR is owned by Cumulus and The Power of Radio people have little regard for customer care and welfare, you stinkin' hockey puck!

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