On the Couch : By Dr. Richard Lustberg

An Analysis of Current Topics and Issues in Sport
March 1998

FOR BETTER OR WORSE, WFAN HOSTS AND LISTENERS MIRROR SOCIETY

It seemed just like yesterday that as kids, we were standing in the street or hallway  discussing, arguing, yelling and screaming at each other over which team was going to win, or who was the better player. Whether it be with our friends or siblings, these "discussions" took many forms and at times actually almost ended in blows.

Such was the passion in which we discussed our views about the sports teams and players we cherished. On certain days, these discussions seemed to be endless, and in order to be a significant participant  you either needed to be very persuasive, have a fantastic memory (to support your arguement with statistics often found on the back of a player's card) or be able to convincingly twist the truth.

And it was all part of the emotional and social growth during a bygone era. For those of us who want to relive these moments, albeit  in somwhat of a different format and manner, we can do so '90's' style by listening to all-sports radio station WFAN.

It has been 10 years since WFAN came on the air as the nation's first all-sports talk radio station, and it's been a leader in the field ever since. As is the case with successful radio formats, its tone, manner and overall presentation have been emulated but as yet not perfectly duplictaed by numerous stations around the country.

With huge egos and mouths to match, WFAN hosts each day recreate those backyard discussions. However, it is no longer young teens and kids arguing and discussing -- It's usually adults participating and often acting like children. With sophomoric, and often ethnic humor, it is no wonder WFAN is so successful, as it provides a place where we can revisit our youth and at the same time indulging our starved desire for talk and work through the many experiences and emotions we have as adults.

The "FAN's" popularity can be attributed to a number of different factors. As the business of sports becomes even more corporate-oriented and bottom-line driven, fans are often treated as objects that feed the corporation. And make no mistake about it: the fans know this is the case.

As the connection and link between the team, player and fan wavers and weakens, the station provides a place where one can vent and express feelings about the players, owners and the corporate structure. Having one's moment on the air can also be very enticing and exciting.

Fan commentators, many of whom consist of men imitating rabid dogs, are frequently heard addressing their callers in the most insulting and sanctimonious of terms. Tune in any time of the day, and smugness, arrogance and put-downs will often be the bill of fare. And if you have a different opinion than the hosts, or as a novice sports fan, be prepared for verbal violence.

Derogatory comments, put-downs, sarcasm, unflattering nicknames and intrusiveness into the family life of players have all come to pass as entertainment and informing the public. Yes, the station is a place where crudeness and rudeness reign, evoking in the sensitive listener feelings of sympathy and disgust.

As it is with every relationship, people often attracted to situations that are familiar to them. It was in the home that we often expressed intense feelings and emotions as we developed template relationships with our mothers, fathers and siblings.

It was here that we experienced parental approval and disapproval, and, for some people abuse. It was here we had various types of emotionally-charged relationships with our siblings. This is all recreated each and every day on the FAN: talking over the caller, screaming, yelling, ranting and raving, arguments between the hosts. All of this and more exists in many American homes.

If we get lonely, we can turn on the radio and feel right at home. Don't underestimate the pull of psychological familiarity. How many of us have married spouses just like our parents?

Clearly, this working through and expressing of emotions and the meeting of one's psychological needs also applies to the station's hosts. We sometimes tend to forget that the hosts are people just like us who have their own desires, problems, troubles and personality hang-ups.

Did anyone say Chris Russo, Mike Francesa, Steve Somers and Russ Salzberg?

All are dream patients for analysis. The FAN provides Salzberg and Somers (better known as "The Sweater and the Schmoozer" from 10 a.m.-1 p.m.) and Francesa and Russo (better known as "Mike and the Mad Dog" from 1-6 p.m.) a public forum. It is here where they get many of their psychological and emotional needs met: "See me, listen to me, recognize me." These are frequent needs that people seek to have met when they embark on a career in entertainment.

Living in today's world can often be quite difficult. People appear to be filled with frustrations and angers. These feelings are clearly seen in many street interactions and on our roads and highways. They are also seen on many of our talk radio stations.

Psychologically, one does not have to express these emotions in order to feel better about one's issues or troubles. It can be vicarious experience. All of us have gotten perverse satisfaction watching playground bullies being beaten up, or in seeing an individual put down someone whose views brought out intense reactions within us.

Well, these feelings can all be satisfied as we listen to the radio. And if we have masochistic tendencies, they, too, can be met on the FAN. The interactions between tandems such as Salzberg and Somers as well as Francesa and Russo are reminiscent of pre-teen and school-yard discussions, but even more, they are the personification of what goes on in the analyst's office in the guise of talking sports.

Often from 10 a.m. to 5 a.m. the next morning, listeners can hear the same topics being discussed ad infinitum. This, in part, reflects the lack of intellectual and creative diversity that exists at the station. But more importantly, it allows the listener a great deal of time to vicariously vent, identify and work out all the emotions they are feeling regarding that day's marathon topic.

For some people, it takes a lot of time to work out their emotional feelings and issues. Some of us get over things quickly. For those who don't , the FAN is a place where they can  have others validate their feelings and express them in a similar fashion as they would. And if this is not sufficient, they could call up and express them just as they would like.

In this manner, the repeticious nature of WFAN allows the listener many opportunities to work through their own issues: an obsessive person's dream. Radio clearly allows the likes of Salzberg, for example, to express a great deal of misplaced anger...directly at the fan. As for Francesa and Russo, Russo impresses as an impulsive shrill who has great difficulty monitoring what he is saying. However, that impulsive and often irritating style brings listeners and callers to the station, and after all, isn't that really the bottom line?

There is no way to tell a coach what he should have done, or chastise a player for a mistake, or tell an owner whose contract should have been picked up or traded away----except on the "FAN", and usually in an offensive, arbitrary, sanctimonious and pedantic fashion. Just ask Francesa, who recently confessed to some of these kinds of behaviors.

Listening to WFAN-660 has become an addictive habit to a vast listening audience. Arguably instructive at times, interesting at others and often outrageous and self-indulgent, the "FAN" has become an integral part of our culture.

The culture has often been accused of sinking to mediocrity. The likes of Russo, et al, have perhaps brought it to a level below that. What a price to pay for emotional fulfillment.