http://ontapblog.com/2006/09/12/pirates-sink-kdka/ Not Looking Out For You Since 2006 Mon, 01 Dec 2008 20:18:57 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.1 http://ontapblog.com/2006/09/12/pirates-sink-kdka/#comment-3067 Ryan Wed, 13 Sep 2006 21:25:35 +0000 http://ontapblog.com/2006/09/12/pirates-sink-kdka/#comment-3067 My dad grew up in northern West Virginia and has the same memories of listening to KDKA's Pirates broadcasts. I have similar recollections of my team, the Atlanta Braves, and its former 50,000-watt blowtorch of a station, WSB, keeping me company as I drove around in Washington D.C. or up and down the East Coast. I even got the broadcast in Maine one summer, much to everyone's surprise in the car. Like the Pirates, though, the Braves abandoned WSB for the local classic rock FM station and an AM affiliate that can barely make it outside 285 (Atlanta's Beltway). Not only that, but Time Warner, the Braves' current corporate caretaker, sold the television stations that carry their games locally (when they're not on TBS), and those stations now use two lame announcers, not the classic quartet that were the voice of the Braves for their entire 14-year division championship run. Time and again, corporate suits seem to willfully dismantle the very traditions that made baseball such an essential part of American culture. Some have called this the golden era of baseball, but when steroids taint the recordbooks, the bottom 10 payroll teams (1/3 of the league) have no hope of making the playoffs, and Yankee Stadium/KDKA/Skip-Don-Pete-Joe are being left in the dust in the name of progress, I can't get on board with that assessment. My dad grew up in northern West Virginia and has the same memories of listening to KDKA’s Pirates broadcasts. I have similar recollections of my team, the Atlanta Braves, and its former 50,000-watt blowtorch of a station, WSB, keeping me company as I drove around in Washington D.C. or up and down the East Coast. I even got the broadcast in Maine one summer, much to everyone’s surprise in the car. Like the Pirates, though, the Braves abandoned WSB for the local classic rock FM station and an AM affiliate that can barely make it outside 285 (Atlanta’s Beltway). Not only that, but Time Warner, the Braves’ current corporate caretaker, sold the television stations that carry their games locally (when they’re not on TBS), and those stations now use two lame announcers, not the classic quartet that were the voice of the Braves for their entire 14-year division championship run. Time and again, corporate suits seem to willfully dismantle the very traditions that made baseball such an essential part of American culture. Some have called this the golden era of baseball, but when steroids taint the recordbooks, the bottom 10 payroll teams (1/3 of the league) have no hope of making the playoffs, and Yankee Stadium/KDKA/Skip-Don-Pete-Joe are being left in the dust in the name of progress, I can’t get on board with that assessment.

]]> http://ontapblog.com/2006/09/12/pirates-sink-kdka/#comment-3064 Todd Wed, 13 Sep 2006 18:39:33 +0000 http://ontapblog.com/2006/09/12/pirates-sink-kdka/#comment-3064 Xm Radio is the best thing going for baseball. You get every game broadcast with the home team announcers. Just like you remember the long-late night drives listening to AM baseball. You could even listen to all the Pirates games if you want, but I can't see why you would. Xm Radio is the best thing going for baseball. You get every game broadcast with the home team announcers. Just like you remember the long-late night drives listening to AM baseball. You could even listen to all the Pirates games if you want, but I can’t see why you would.

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