Sports radio in Boston is hard to listen to.  It is a world of negativity presided by armchair quarterbacks who take themselves far too seriously.

When I was growing up in the 70s, Sunday night meant listening to the Sports Huddle with Eddie Andleman, Marc Witkin and Jim McCarthy.  That was an entertaining show!  They argued sports, but had a lot of fun too.  I still remember the funny skits they used to do before the end of each hour.  One night they asked listeners to write their own words to the Hawaii Five-0 theme song and call in and sing their version.  Watching the Sunday football games then listening to Eddie, Marc, and Jim was a great way to spend a Sunday.

Those days are gone.  Most sports talk shows today have lost sight of the fact that watching sports is a leisure activity.  It isn't life or death.  A good sports radio talk show is one that is fun.  There are very few fun sports shows left today.

One notable exception in Boston is The Planet Mikey Show, hosted by the certifiably insane Mike Adams.  He is a riot, but for some reason WEEI paired him with perpetual sad sack John Ryder.  Talk about two different styles.  The stoic Ryder tries to talk baseball statistics while Mikey spouts off about how they should rename the City of Lawrence "Larry".

One of the most popular sports talk shows on WEEI is The Big Show.  I will never understand why.  It is unlistenable.  No matter what point Michael Holley tries to make, Glenn Ordway screams over him, "hold on... hold on... hold on... hold on..."  I don't know why he does that so much, but it couldn't be more grating on the ears.

98.5 The Sports Hub entered the Boston sports radio scene in August of 2009.  They have the best ratings but the worst on-air personalities.

Andy Gresh, of the Gresh & Zolak show, sounds like that guy at end of the bar who is going on and on and talking way too loud.  Gresh is the boorish hack who famously told a retiring Nomar Garciaparra, "I think - and some think - a part of your legacy as a Red Sock is losing or loser."

Fellow Sports Hub blowhard Michael Felger sounds more literate than Gresh, but is no more mature.  In the days following the Red Sox' epic collapse Felger really went off the deep end.

Felger recently aired a rumor about a relationship between Heidi Watney, the on-field reporter for NESN, and Jason Varitek.  Watney denied the rumor and fired back, "in the assassination of just about everyone’s character that’s involved remotely with the Red Sox these days, it seems, he brought my name in the mix".  She continued "he brings me into this cesspool of garbage that’s being thrown around here."  She tweeted "Felger is completely off base on just about everything he is saying. Ridiculous and irresponsible."

She is right.  It is irresponsible.  Look, I am not happy that the Red Sox imploded this year either, but come on, let's maintain our composure.

Yesterday John Henry, owner of the Red Sox, heard Felger on the radio and was so outraged that he actually drove to the station to confront him.  "When you’re misleading the public, you should be challenged," Henry said.  Felger then predictably took the low road and used the opportunity to ask Henry questions like "do you feel like a chump?"

There is nothing remotely entertaining about the negativity, mudslinging, and stupidity that is Boston sports radio in 2011.