Radio Stars

From time to time, one needs to perform a brain dump. Too many thoughts clogging valuable gray matter. Need free space to soak up "important" sports topics. Hang on, here it comes.

The Tulsa Drillers are primed and ready to begin the baseball season. They start the 2009 campaign at Corpus Christi this week. Tune in next week for your official Drillers preview, which will coincide with their first home game.

Our Tulsa 66ers wrapped up the home slate of games for the season. A couple of roadies will complete what can only be described as a disappointing inaugural season in the SpiritBank Event Center, 105th and Memorial.

It's unfortunate. The team is chock-full of quality guys on and off the court. The team managed to put a four-game winning streak together to close out March. However, they failed to register more than two back-to-back wins all season. Here's hoping for a better "next year."

Speaking of the 66ers, I've heard my column does real well with the ladies. About as well as I did with the ladies in high school, which is to say, not so much. However, if you know a young lady looking to extend her dance or cheer life, the 66ers are holding early auditions for the 2009-2010 squad this Saturday at Bixby High School Gym, 601 Riverview Rd. Visit www.tulsa66ers.com for more details. Gawkers need not apply.

Congrats to Jeff Christian of the Tulsa Oilers. The leading scorer the past two seasons signed with the Rockford IceHogs of the American Hockey League. Rockford is the feeder team for the Chicago Blackhawks. Believe it or not, you can already sign up for 2009-2010 season tickets at www.tulsaoilers.com.

Watching sports on television subjects you to the same commercials again and again. Here are some personal favorites: Hey mambo, mambo Italiano. Hey mambo, mambo Italiano.

Have you seen the local car dealership commercial featuring the multitalented former OSU football coach Pat Jones? I may have mentioned this in the past, but if the remote is within arms' length, commercials are muted in my house.

I implore you to mute coach Jones for comedic purposes if you see his commercial on the tube. It's a riot. He looks like an angry old man reprimanding you for not yielding to him in a parking lot. I'm a huge Pat Jones fan but an even bigger "Pat Jones in a commercial" fan.

The former Cowboys' coach teams up with my favorite local sports reporter on 97.1FM The Sports Animal. Big Al and Pat take to the airwaves from 11am-2pm weekdays. It's a tough decision: do I listen to local talk during this timeframe or the king of sports radio?

Jim Rome airs from 11am-2pm on 1430AM The Buzz. I guess it boils down to personal taste. Jim Rome is hilarious and spans a wider spectrum. Al and Pat cover the local scene.

The morning decision isn't quite as difficult. Kevin Ward replaced Geoff Haxton in the mornings on 97.1FM with... drum roll please... Kevin Ward. The show is referred to as Animal Fodder.

It's a quantum leap. Several of the segments are cut from the cloth of a '80s pop music stations (Today's famous birthdays and On-this-day-in-history bits). Not what you'd expect from a sports talk show. Again, not for everyone but it is local. So he has that going for him.

The afternoons seem dominated by 1430AM. Plank and Pop are staples of the afternoon drive. The Big Show from 2-6 has been going strong for years. The competition on 97.1FM is based out of Oklahoma City. Their view of Tulsa sports is often pretentious.

This isn't just my opinion. Most of my sports-enthusiast friends feel the same. Well, it is mostly my opinion. How can one gage the more popular station? Does anyone in Tulsa care besides me?

My 100 percent unscientific research has revealed Tulsans slightly favor 1430AM over 97.1FM by a count of 203 to 176. My research (gather the number of March Madness bracket participants from their respective Web sites) was exhausting. The numbers are raw, but how else can we measure them?

The guys at 1430AM embrace technology. Email has been used for years and texting the show is encouraged. At 97.1FM, they recently worked emails into the show. So is the 203 to 176 a good gage? Perhaps. Or maybe it just shows the difference in listener savvy.

The Tulsa Talons return home to the BOK Center this Saturday night. They sport a 1-1 record after this past weekend's shootout loss in Iowa. Visit www.tulsatalons.com for ticket information for future home affairs.

I'm a glutton for punishment. Why else would I subject myself to four separate "reality" shows each week? One of which is "Celebrity Apprentice," my guilty pleasure.

Do I enjoy has-been or never-were "stars" embarrassing themselves for my viewing pleasure? Absolutely.

You know what is sad about this show besides watching Dennis Rodman drink vodka cranberries while playing the victim roll? Seeing Natalie Gulbis.

It's a stark reminder the ladies of the LPGA tournament will not be touring T-Town this year. My level of disappointment is immeasurable. My daughter is now old enough to attend this event without me worrying if she will run on the tee box and grab the pretty pink ball Paula Creamer is about to launch.

The city misses out on great exposure. The hotel and food industry take a hit. And don't forget how the ladies dig my sports column. I'm sure that's what they will miss the most.