OTC: Is Nick Right For KC Or Simply Niche Wright?

 

“First of all, (Jamaal Charles) has come an amazing way in interviews. An amazing way! He’s still not great but he’s much better.”
Nick Wright, 610 AM
GH: Some would say Wright might want to put in the same effort as Charles at improving his interview technique. I would be one of those. Wright’s radio work comes off at times as lazy. He meanders from topic to topic, even in midsentence. He often relishes dissing his 610 cohorts or faceless production crew in place of humor. It’s train-wreck radio that draws a niche audience but is sliding into irrelevance in the Kansas City market.
 
“Jamaal is making $470 grand this year. He is almost certainly, CERTAINLY in debt. I would bet money that Jamaal Charles right now is in debt. That $1.4 million that you make over three years goes away. … The Chiefs intentionally, INTENTIIONALLY made him feel less valuable than he is. … And they get him (signed) for the bare minimum.”
Nick Wright, on the Chiefs running back signing a five-year contract with the Chiefs for $32 million, 610 AM
GH: Wright promotes himself as THE local expert on anything and everything to do with the Chiefs and the NFL but his cred is waning. His above statements contained no credible sources or research about Charles’ financial issues. Instead, we get declarative words shouted boldly like “certainly” and “intentionally” tossed around as fact.
 
“Coming up next I’ll give you my final thoughts on LeBron, I’ll give you my final thoughts on World Cup.”
Nick Wright, 610 AM
GH: It also doesn’t help Wright’s show that he has little feel for what works on KC sports talk radio. He drills Chiefs talk into a Petro-like stat-filled daze and then is left with his own wants of what works. It ain’t for me. Let’s hope 610 Sports is attracting the demo they’re after with Wright in the afternoon because the one that is following Kietzman isn’t leaving for LeBron and World Cup updates.
 
“I’m gonna replay Karen Kornacki asking Dexter McCluster about his shoes. No more from you (Mark Carman) talking bad about Karen Kornacki.”
Nick Wright, 610 AM
GH: We can never get enough Kornacki. Just another example of Wright’s self-glossing cool hip-hop style radio.
 
“How bad do you want to beat this team?”
Karen Kornacki, questioning Eric Berry prior to the Denver game, 610 AM
GH: Kornacki has skated through this town masquerading as a member of the media since 1983. That is 28 years of fluff and incompetence from a nice lady who has no business covering sports. She is an inside joke for almost anyone who draws a media paycheck yet she continues on because she learned long ago to embrace her critics and shower them with niceness. It is almost cruel for members of the media to treat her as competent yet think and speak of her as a joke.
 
“I’m sorry, but why is Fescoe so obsessed with the Denver cheating thing? Alright, back to the interview.”
Nick Wright, stopping the audio of a Fescoe interview to interject his critique of his coworker’s work, 610 AM
GH: Wright finds it almost impossible to just let an interview play or to wait to respond to a caller’s thoughts. He particularly enjoys critiquing his fellow hosts’ work and using their words as comedic drops for his show. He is constantly jumping in to make his point, despite having 20 hours a week to air his thoughts. He is far more interested in verbalizing his point than I am in hearing it.
 
“Listen, I love Bob Fescoe. He doesn’t love me. I assume Bob’s wife really hates me. I assume Bob knows it’s in good fun.”
Nick Wright, 610 AM
GH: I am far from a Fescoe fan but it doesn’t seem right or professional that Wright is allowed to trash his coworker regularly with silly drops and fantasy conversation. I enjoy banter between hosts that respect each other and have a healthy relationship. It appears evident from Wright’s comments about Fescoe and his wife that this is not the case.
 
“A long time ago that criticism from you (radio) guys bothered me – the biased (accusations). Now it doesn’t.”
Blair Kerkhoff, in an interview with Soren Petro, who joked about The Star being biased in its coverage of the local colleges, 810 AM
GH: Criticism and how to handle it is a learned art. Some are better equipped than others to ignore (and even enjoy) the barbs tossed their way in a public venue. Kudos to Kerkhoff for admitting he was once troubled by critics but has grown out of it. Not everyone does. Read on.
 
“I throw a lot of shots. I can take them right back.”
Nick Wright, 610 AM
GH: I had early hopes that Wright was built to handle being critiqued. But Wright’s young age, immaturity and lack of media awareness is starting to show. He chirps often at those who dare knock his work. His attacks on Soren Petro have managed the WHB host look like a stalked victim. Media-savvy is obviously not Nick’s middle name.
 
“Anyone who actually goes to events, anyone who actually covers these teams that wants to make fun of me, should do it.”
Nick Wright, attempting to curb criticism from others members of the media, 610 AM
GH: We do not get to pick our critics, Nick. We just learn to live with them. Or we find a job outside the scrutiny of the media.
 
“You have never been honest about me. When I got on Facebook you took something I said. You’re whole shtick about me is dishonest. I really don’t want to (get into this) because what I would have to say would sound arrogant.”
Jason Whitlock, when asked by Nick Wright to explain why he blocked him on Twitter, 610 AM
GH: I loved the line from Pork Chop about not wanting to sound arrogant.
 
“You’re mimicking me. You’re trying to do a poor impersonation of me. Dude, I’m not even telling you, you shouldn’t (mimic me)! I just think you should be honest about it. … It’s not a big deal because trust me, you ain’t the only one!”
Jason Whitlock, to Wright, 610 AM
 
“It could not be more wrong, man.”
Nick Wright, responding to Whitlock’s comments about his mimicry, 610 AM
GH: This was a good answer from Wright. But he then allowed Whitlock to turn him completely around by spouting a contrasting comment. Read on.
 
“Maybe you’re right. Maybe I’m doing it and I don’t even know it.”
Nick Wright, responding to Whitlock’s comments, 610 AM
GH: Whitlock made Wright sound like an intern. It was not Wright’s finest moment in radio.
 
“Jason, I appreciate it, I guess.”
Nick Wright, signing off from his interview with Whitlock, 610 AM
GH: It will be interesting to see how Wright copes with nine months of Royals baseball staring at him and his show. During the Schottenheimer years in Kansas City, you could do 12 months on the Chiefs and get away with it. Wright will need to beef up his game from now until August to keep his ratings from slipping even further into niche-land.
 
“I was a punk in high school.”
Nick Wright, 610 AM
GH: Shocker.
 
GregHall24@yahoo.com and Twitter / greghall24
http://www.mb-kc.com/
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9 Responses to OTC: Is Nick Right For KC Or Simply Niche Wright?

  1. Jip says:

    The ratings say it all.

  2. Cliffy says:

    What’s Wright?
    With a lot of media personalities it’s a situation of either loving them or hating them. With Nick, it seems to be a case of take-him-or-leave-him or hate him. That’s not a good place to be.

    I must admit I’ve chuckled a time or two when he’s making fun of Fescoe but, you’re right, he does it too much.

    I’ll stick to my original prediction that he’ll have a very successful career. It might not be in KC, but possibly elsewhere where his caustic, self-absorbed style will go over better.

  3. Johnny Utah says:

    Who?
    This insignificant guy on 610 is the perfect example of why listening to sporst talk radio is a waste of time.

    let’s say this guy was hanging out with you and your buddies at a bar. after about 5 minutes of his shallow, boring, self centered takes, wouldn’t you just tune him out or tell him to piss off? I would. I do.

  4. chuck says:

    Gotta be a tough job. Being interesting 5 days a week for
    4 hours.

    Trying to be funny, like a morning DJ. What a shit job.

    Wright does get my vote for the best radio of the year, if not the decade. No matter how you think he handled it, good or bad, he did get Jason Whitlock to melt down and cry on the radio after blurting out some really outrageous shit. I remember having the same feeling in my gut listening to Whitlock, that I did that year watching Greg Norman choke at the Masters.

    It was just exactly like an execution, a real one. Brutal. That Whitlcok deal was great radio.

    Whitlock was master of the oblique, off hand compliment, that then in his mind, provided him currency with which to tear into someone. He hit that drum like Ringo fuckin Starr. No suprises, and a steady back beat. A modestly talented one trick pony.

    Prima facie is the fact that his carreer is dead in the water now.

    Were he as talented as he himself believes, there would absolutely be a vehicle in the media for him to work with.

    He isn’t radioactive at all. He just isn’t that sharp.

    Radioactive is good, bad publicity can be a life saver. That said, you have to be better than average to work that same publicity into a viable carreer after a job change.

    He hasn’t done it, and he won’t.

    Maybe Wright will get a shot at some national noteriety. I listen to him off and on, and imo, he can be entertaining, and sometimes abrasive. Hell we all are.

    If Little Nicky Wright’s star is ascending, he might want to read Whitlock’s primer, and go in a different direction.

    Just sayin…

  5. Old Man Kissel says:

    Hack Wright at it again…
    Wright is what peoplke would call a “Tool.” He was a spoiled rich kid who got everywhere he’s at because of his dad. He lived a stable Kansas City life because of his dad. He got a nice Barstow and Syrcuse education because of his dad.

    Wright reminds me of movies where the dad is embarrased by his son, only to die and the son finally growing up and become a man. Only in Wrights case, he still embarasses his dad, dates and moves in with a girl who has another man’s kids and acts black eventhough he looks Jewish or Greek.

    Wright is still mad that 810 didn’t hire him after college. Well Nick there’s a reason why they didn’t hire you. You wern’t good enough to be on 810!I agree with Cliffy, Wright might have a very successful career. But it won’t be in KC. He has another 6 months then he’s off to Des Moines.

  6. 611 Sports says:

    Begging For Royals Season
    Good points Greg but wrong on one. If anyone watches ratings like the guys down the hall at 610 Sports they would know the afternoon guys down there are begging for Royals season. The only time theyve come close to KK was when half the afternoon shows were day baseball in March or April Dont you remember Nick bragging about his ratings that month and then suddenly he got quiet. They are counting the days til opening day.

  7. Jip says:

    The Whitlock Explanation was great radio because of Whitlock and despite Wright.

    Whitlock went on a 90-minute rant that was radio gold, and one of Wright’s first questions when it was finally his time to ask questions was something about hip-hop culture. WTF? Really, Nick?

    I can’t speak for Nick Wright’s abilities past that. I haven’t listened to him one single time before or since the Explanation. I do follow him on Twitter and he does a good job on there, but that’s not a skill that will make you a living. And he really, really, really needs to get over himself.

    My opinion, and I bet I’m right, is that Nick Wright felt that there was a superstar vacancy in Kansas City sports media as soon as Whitlock left and that he feels he’s already taken it over. Whitlock agrees with me. And it’s funny and sad that Wright thinks that.

  8. Cliffy says:

    @ Kissell
    If you’re going to bag on rich kids don’t leave out Petro, Clinckscale, et al. And … I don’t begrudge them.

  9. Old Man Kissell says:

    Wright’s dad gave him everything.
    @Cliffy, the diffrence between Petro, Clink and Wright is that Wright’s dad is one of the most powerfull union heads not only in the city but in the region.

    To be honest with you if we found out that Wright’s dad after 810 said no pulled some strings and got him a job at 610, I wouldn’t be shocked.

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