First point for the people seemingly upset with the “home of the gamecocks” moniker: The station is the home of the gamecocks because it has the licenses required to play live gamecock events over the airways and online (although I know other outlets exist for hearing gamecock athletics online). So, 107.5 calling themselves “the home of the gamecocks” does NOT require them to have a staff of gamecock sunshine pumpers as hosts, even though I would also argue the “107.5 is too negative” sentiment is INCREDIBLY overstated on this thread. (Y’all know gamecock Larry gets almost as much airtime as Jenn does, right? Lol)
When hiring talent, I’d be willing to bet 107.5 prioritizes professionalism (as that term applies to the radio industry) over gamecock fandom. If fandom got you on the radio, I’d be stuck listening to people on this thread (including me) everyday during my lunch break. That sounds awful. What’s really fantastic is when the two qualities- professionalism and fandom- align. In such a case, you get a guy like Tommy Moody calling gamecock baseball games. That happens on the station all spring and if anyone on here doesn’t appreciate that then me and you are on… two different wavelengths (get it).
Pearson is typically clear when he says he’s presenting things from a certain point of view, specifically a non-Carolina-alumnus, non-gamecock-fan point of view. Say what you will about whether you think it’s “too negative” or whatever, but it’s certainly not unprofessional or anything like that that would warrant a freakin boycott, etc. Keep where he’s coming from in mind when you’re listening to him, and if you embrace the fact that he’s not some totally biased fan trying this pump us full of sunshine, you’ll find he actually adds something different to your daily digest of gamecock athletics from other outlets, which is ABSURDLY positive, IMO (The State paper, not so much).
I get his style may not be some of yalls cup of tea, but I’ll take him over half the brain-dead, “oh, here’s a stolen joke from another bro-comedy-movie,” never-watched-a-sport-other-than-the-NFL, am-I-yelling-loud-enough-in-your-ear-about-how-great-Bill-Belichick-is, national radio guys you typically get on some of these other stations a few of y’all are advocating for.
Plus, Pearson’s on with Preston from 12-1, so if Pearson’s level of football expertise doesn’t do it for you, please listen to Preston. Preston is fantastic at breaking down football, especially from a psychological perspective and a “big guy/o-line” perspective, which is really refreshing in my opinion.
And here’s one more comment for the road: Jay Phillips is the man, too.
Hallelujah! Holy $h!t! Where’s the Tylenol?
