The Big Show is a former sports talk radio program hosted by Glenn Ordway on Boston's WEEI-FM 93.7 FM. Started in August 1995, the show was hosted by Ordway and former Boston Globe columnist Michael Holley. The show ended on March 19, 2013.
Glenn Ordway, the former host of the show, performed radio announcing duties with Boston Celtics announcer Johnny Most for 13 years. After Most's retirement, Ordway was paired with former Celtic Jerry Sichting. In June 1995, Ordway was named Program Director of Sports Radio 850 WEEI and created the current format in the afternoon drive slot. Starting February 28, 2011, Michael Holley, former co-host of the Dale & Holley Show on the same station, co-hosted The Big Show with Ordway.[1] On February 13, 2013, it was announced Ordway had been fired. On February 19, 2013 he was replaced by Seattle radio host and Massachusetts native Mike Salk.
During the course of sports seasons, the Big Show often has weekly conversations with players, coaches, and executives. Weekly guests include Bill Belichick, Danny Ainge, Peter Gammons, and Vic Carucci.
WEEI has had a long running feud with The Boston Globe that started in 1999 when sportswriter Ron Borges called New York Yankees pitcher Hideki Irabu a "fat jap." Two days later, the Boston Globe executive sports editor Don Skwar banned Globe sportswriters from appearing on The Big Show. The ban was later extended to WEEI's Dennis and Callahan morning show. WEEI retaliated by banning Globe staffers from appearing on any of its shows.[2] The ban came to an end on August 4, 2009, when Bob Ryan appeared on the show, with Ordway stating that "we have all come to our senses."[3]
Bill Simmons, a popular columnist for ESPN The Magazine, has been a longtime critic of The Big Show, claiming that it is obnoxious and lacks sophistication. Ordway has stated that while he disagrees with most of Simmons' opinions, he [Ordway] believes that Simmons is a "great columnist" yet he considers him a coward for only slandering the show in column while saying that he has no problems with the show in person.[4]
"The Whiner Line" was a regular feature which consisted of listeners calling in and leaving complaints on a voicemail system, which was played at the end of the show. Complaints covered a wide range of subjects, including sports teams and stars, the hosts, other listeners, celebrities, current events and local politicians. The messages often included impersonations of celebrities and local figures.
There were numerous running jokes on the Whiner Line, many of which were by local comedian Graig Murphy, who performed impersonations which include, Robert Kraft, Terry Francona, Grady Little, Shannon Sharpe, Harry Caray, Deval Patrick and Dave Lewis. Other impersonations included Glenn Ordway, Mikey Adams, Johnny Damon, Carson Kressly, Bob Neumeier, Borat, Roger Clemens, Eddie Andelman, Bill Clinton, Fred Smerlas, Don Imus, Bill Walton, Edna Jacobson, Dale Arnold, the Senior Senator Ted Kennedy, Wilford Brimley and Dick Radatz, as well as a caller who compiled Red Sox and Patriots-themed top-ten lists, a Mary Carillo impersonator which was accompanied by an impersonation of Morgan Freeman bragging he built the Batmobile, a Beavis and Butthead parody, "Dyedadye Guy" a caller whose comments were parody songs based on Simon & Garfunkel's "The Boxer", a caller who simply called Glenn Ordway a "Fat Bastard", a man simply known as the "Accordion Guy" who created parody songs to the sound of an accordion, a caller known as the "Man on the Way Up", who called regularly and was insulted by the hosts, a caller with a Southern accent, a caller with an Irish accent, known as "The Cardinal", and a caller known as "The $5 Guy" who frequently threatened co-host Steve DeOssie with revenge for supposedly stealing $5 from him (The $5 Guy) in the late 1970s. Former WEEI-FM co-host and Boston Herald sports columnist Michael Felger has been a target of jokes on the Whiner Line.[5]
The Big Show hosted an annual event known as "The Whiny Awards", a tribute to the best "Whiner Line" callers of the year.