Sports Radio

He provided the voice of Remy the rat in “Ratatouille,’’ but the actor/comedian Patton Oswalt has a face like a rubber bulldog, with jowls that crowd his features in toward the middle. The eyes are small, preoccupied, and at a certain point in “Big Fan,’’ they go completely dead. That’s when the movie steps off the ledge. A bleakly funny character study of a very particular species of urban fauna - the sports radio call-in fanatic - “Big Fan’’ is compulsively watchable.

Celtics legend and basketball Hall of Famer Dave Cowens (left) hosted a celebrity basketball game on Tues., May 1 to promote his youth basketball camp. Sponsored by Reebok, the event was held at the company's headquarters in Canton and included athletes like former BC and Patriots quarterback Doug Flutie (right). If you listen to sports radio, you might have heard about the game because 98.5 The Sports Hub host Tony Massarotti injured his Achilles' tendon at the event.

Celtics legend and basketball Hall of Famer Dave Cowens (left) hosted a celebrity basketball game on Tues., May 1 to promote his youth basketball camp. Sponsored by Reebok, the event was held at the company's headquarters in Canton and included athletes like former BC and Patriots quarterback Doug Flutie (right). If you listen to sports radio, you might have heard about the game because 98.5 The Sports Hub host Tony Massarotti injured his Achilles' tendon at the event.

On Monday, Senator Scott Brown's campaign questioned Elizabeth Warren's Red Sox Nation credentials. On Wednesday, Brown launched a radio ad devoted completely to the home team, his second sports ad this year. Welcome to Massachusetts politics, where spring training is mandatory, for everyone. Sure there's a war in Afghanistan and an employment crisis. But in New England, the Red Sox are the ultimate authenticity test, an easy demonstration of loyalty to the region and a way to connect with people in an instant.

SAN FRANCISCO -- Pioneering sports radio talk show host Pete Franklin, who worked in San Francisco, Cleveland, and New York, died after a long illness. He was 76. Mr. Franklin died Nov. 23, according to KNBR-AM in San Francisco. He was known for his abrasive treatment of callers, whom he would sometimes abruptly dismiss with audio of a flushing toilet. Mr. Franklin, who used the on-air nickname "The King," worked at WWWE-AM in Cleveland in the 1970s and '80s before heading to New York as afternoon drive-time host at WFAN-AM, the nation's first 24-hour sports radio station.

AS A diehard San Francisco 49ers fan, I want to send my sincere condolences to all New England Patriots fans. We here in California feel your pain, having suffered a painful loss to the New York Giants two weeks ago. I do have a few helpful tips for surviving the aftermath of this painful loss. First, do not pay attention to any local news coverage for the next four or five days. The recounting of what could have been or should have been will only intensify your grief. In addition, knowing that an entire region is suffering...

On Monday, Senator Scott Brown's campaign questioned Elizabeth Warren's Red Sox Nation credentials. On Wednesday, Brown launched a radio ad devoted completely to the home team, his second sports ad this year. Welcome to Massachusetts politics, where spring training is mandatory, for everyone. Sure there's a war in Afghanistan and an employment crisis. But in New England, the Red Sox are the ultimate authenticity test, an easy demonstration of loyalty to the region and a way to connect with people in an instant.

INDIANAPOLIS - Madness is the norm on Radio Row, where 108 sports radio stations vie for guests and turbo-charged hosts howl opinions inside the massive maze of a ballroom on the third floor of the JW Marriott hotel. Over one cramped patch of real estate late yesterday morning, hosts from 102.5 The Game in Nashville could be heard debating Peyton Manning's future. A few feet away, 104.3 The Fan in Denver featured a debate, presumably not for the first time, regarding Tim Tebow's long-term prospects.

INDIANAPOLIS - Madness is the norm on Radio Row, where 108 sports radio stations vie for guests and turbo-charged hosts howl opinions inside the massive maze of a ballroom on the third floor of the JW Marriott hotel. Over one cramped patch of real estate late yesterday morning, hosts from 102.5 The Game in Nashville could be heard debating Peyton Manning's future. A few feet away, 104.3 The Fan in Denver featured a debate, presumably not for the first time, regarding Tim Tebow's long-term prospects.

The Celtics will beat the Philadelphia 76ers Monday night. It is a sure thing. It is a lock. It is Secretariat in the Belmont. It is the 2011 Bruins against Roberto Luongo in Game 7. It is Richard Nixon over George McGovern in 1972. Have I made my point? Good. Because the Celtics are simply better than the Sixers and should be embarrassed that they are in this position. The Celtics squandered an 18-point second-half lead in Game 4 in Philadelphia Friday night, which is exactly what they do not need if they want to advance in this NBA East free-for-all of...

AS A diehard San Francisco 49ers fan, I want to send my sincere condolences to all New England Patriots fans. We here in California feel your pain, having suffered a painful loss to the New York Giants two weeks ago. I do have a few helpful tips for surviving the aftermath of this painful loss. First, do not pay attention to any local news coverage for the next four or five days. The recounting of what could have been or should have been will only intensify your grief. In addition, knowing that an entire region is suffering from a collective...

INDIANAPOLIS - Madness is the norm on Radio Row, where 108 sports radio stations vie for guests and turbo-charged hosts howl opinions inside the massive maze of a ballroom on the third floor of the JW Marriott hotel. Over one cramped patch of real estate late yesterday morning, hosts from 102.5 The Game in Nashville could be heard debating Peyton Manning's future. A few feet away, 104.3 The Fan in Denver featured a debate, presumably not for the first time, regarding Tim Tebow's long-term prospects.

INDIANAPOLIS - Madness is the norm on Radio Row, where 108 sports radio stations vie for guests and turbo-charged hosts howl opinions inside the massive maze of a ballroom on the third floor of the JW Marriott hotel. Over one cramped patch of real estate late yesterday morning, hosts from 102.5 The Game in Nashville could be heard debating Peyton Manning's future. A few feet away, 104.3 The Fan in Denver featured a debate, presumably not for the first time, regarding Tim Tebow's long-term prospects.

He provided the voice of Remy the rat in “Ratatouille,’’ but the actor/comedian Patton Oswalt has a face like a rubber bulldog, with jowls that crowd his features in toward the middle. The eyes are small, preoccupied, and at a certain point in “Big Fan,’’ they go completely dead. That’s when the movie steps off the ledge. A bleakly funny character study of a very particular species of urban fauna - the sports radio call-in fanatic - “Big Fan’’ is compulsively watchable.

SAN FRANCISCO -- Pioneering sports radio talk show host Pete Franklin, who worked in San Francisco, Cleveland, and New York, died after a long illness. He was 76. Mr. Franklin died Nov. 23, according to KNBR-AM in San Francisco. He was known for his abrasive treatment of callers, whom he would sometimes abruptly dismiss with audio of a flushing toilet. Mr. Franklin, who used the on-air nickname "The King," worked at WWWE-AM in Cleveland in the 1970s and '80s before heading to New York as afternoon drive-time host at WFAN-AM, the nation's first 24-hour sports radio station.