I listened to the horrible Jay Howard go on and on yesterday about how stupid the city of Houston is. I've grown sick and tired of this. If it's not one thing about Houston, it's another. I decided to send him this e-mail. If any of you ever listen to 1200 or 760, could you let me know if he mentions this? Since he doesn't take disagreement well, my bet is that he doesn't get past the first paragraph. Here's the e-mail: Mr. Howard, With all due respect, I believe that you need to visit a psychiatrist. You seem to shoulder an inferiority complex for yourself and for the city of San Antonio when it comes to discussing the city of Houston. Are you upset that the only reason people come to San Antonio is to get drunk on the overrated Riverwalk? Are you upset because the Spurs are the only thing in town? San Antonio is a mini-Houston. The weather is no better, and we will soon have three sports teams, if not four when the new arena eventually gets built. Your innate ramblings about the city of Houston really make you sound like the underachieving little brother who's upset at all the attention that his older brother gets. I notice you don't criticize Dallas that much. Is it because your stations carry Cowboys' and Rangers' games? Probably. Is it because the Mavericks didn't kill your chances of a title in 1995 because of a little thing called the "Dreamshake"? Probably. I listened to ramblings yesterday about how stupid the citizens of Houston were to run a great man like Bud Adams out. Do you even know anything about the situation? Would you still love Peter Holt if every June (since your season almost always ends in May, especially in non-lockout seasons) through October, openly visited St. Louis, New Orleans, Baltimore, Nashville, or Anehiem? What if he met with the mayor on TV and stated how excited he was that the Spurs were probably going to be moving there? How would you feel about Peter Holt then? Then, what if he demanded the Alamodome renovated (like a spectacular famous scoreboard taken out), to add more seats? What if he promised to stay if they did that, then after the renovations, continued to meet with other cities and threaten to move the Spurs? What if he finally moved the team to Nashville? Would you still love and adore Peter Holt? That's exactly what Bud Adams did to Houston. So you call the citizens of Houston idiots for running this "man" off, and then the new owner paying $1 billion for a new NFL team. Well, for most of the citizens of Houston, it was a small price to pay for getting rid of Bud Adams. You want to know what Houston did right? They waited to build the new stadium until they knew for positive that the new NFL team would be in Houston. Very different from San Antonio. They built an ugly football stadium in hopes of receiving an NFL team. They didn't. They almost lost the Spurs in the process. If San Antonio would have waited for word from the NFL, they could have used the money to build the new arena. That way, all the nervousness of last summer could have been avoided. I'm sure you're hoping that Houston doesn't build a new arena for the Rockets. Fortunately, Les Alexander, much like Peter Holt, is a class owner. He's not going to threaten to move the team. Arena proponents will have more time to put together a campaign, not a hurried one like this past November. Houston will build the new downtown arena, and eventually an NHL team will be suiting up in Southeast Texas. I'm glad that the Spurs got their new arena, I think they deserve it. I like the natural rivalry between the Spurs and Rockets. But rivalry and hatred is one thing. Your obvious hatred of Houston really diminishes any respect I have for you as a sports talk show host. I understand that you are an employee of the Spurs, and I admire your love for them, but objectivity is a good thing sometimes. Plus, if you've made it this far, it's OK if people disagree with you. There's no need to call them stupid or hang up on them, just because their views may be different than yours. Sincerely, Blake Gifford Thanks in advance. P.S. Freak, this is not an invitation to another debate! ------------------ Is it any coincidence that we are the only team mentioned in the national anthem? I didn't think so!
I have brought up the topic of Jay Howard before and my feelings remain the same, he is a very good play-by-play announcer but he is also a jerk (IMHO) and a hypocrite (fact). I lived in SA for a couple of years (when Dream schooled Mermaid). When Mad Max left the team during the playoff, Jay was calling out Houston for signing Max in the first place. He said Max was a cancer and that Houston deserve what they got (he didn't mean the championship ). A year later, SA signed Max and Jay started to praise how great Max played and how he is good for the team. He also said Houston was stupid to let Max go. What an ass. I am just glad that I don't have to listen to his crap anymore now that I'm in Houston. Of course, there is still a lot of Houston crap to listen too, but at least it's Houston crap! R95, I doubt he will reply to your email. If he does, will you let us know what he said? Freak, 1200 is a blow torch. You can pick it up at night (especially at night) in Austin. If I remember correctly, he's on from 7:00pm to 10:00pm. [This message has been edited by MoonBus (edited January 25, 2000).]
Freak, I was listening to him the day that Houston was awarded the franchise. He went on and on then how stupid it was. Finally one of the million Howard ass kissers (maybe because he hangs up on those who disagree) started going on and on about the humidity in Houston and Howard finally said it: "I hate anything that comes out of Houston." I don't know how sarcastic he was, but it didn't sound too sarcastic to me. Judging by his past comments, that statement is probably true. He hasn't replied yet. I believe that WOAI starts their sports around 5:00 or 6:00. Probably depends on whether there is a game tonight or not. Thanks guys. [This message has been edited by Rocketman95 (edited January 25, 2000).]
Moo the Cow thinks you should stop listening to the Jay Howard show. Moo believes Mr. Howard is a few marbles short in the head. The Cow also hopes you are correct about Les Alexander. --- Moo. [This message has been edited by Moo the Cow (edited January 25, 2000).]
I agree with you Jay Howard is a Jerk. By the way Moo The Cow that third person crap is really annoying. ------------------ ~John~ The Bull Is Back!! Rockets I Want Back In Clutch City: Mario "Junk Yard Dog" Elie and Sam my man Cassell.
R95, I guess now's as good a time as any to let you know that I'm Jay Howard. Seriously, I'd be curious to see his reply. It'd be interesting to see if he's steadfast in his beliefs or he's just trying to create controversy. Please post it. If you let me know what time he's on, I'll try to pick him up on 1200 if I can (Austin).
He got fired, and replaced by Bill Shoening. Bye bye Jay...you won't be missed. From way downtown...BANG !! DaDakota
Here's the official story, but who knows what the real story is: Jay Howard out as Spurs radio voice and Ticket 760 AM co-host W. Scott Bailey Officials with Clear Channel Communications confirm that longtime San Antonio broadcaster Jay Howard has been replaced as the co-host of SportsTalk San Antonio. He has also been supplanted as radio play-by-play voice of the Spurs. SportsTalk San Antonio airs weekday afternoons from 4 to 7 p.m. on KTKR (Ticket) 760 AM, after airing for more than a decade on Clear Channel's flagship station WOAI AM. Howard was sports director at both stations, which are owned by locally based Clear Channel. Andrew Ashwood, programming director at Ticket and WOAI, says the move is based on bottom-line business, as well as a desire to better utilize Clear Channel's growing portfolio of talent and services. "We decided to refocus what we're doing in sports and on the station," says Ashwood. "We've made a tremendous investment in sports. With local content, we needed to look at it and take it to the next level." Ashwood adds, "It finally came down to us needing to make a change with the sports director and co-host with (WOAI) and the Ticket. What we had was no longer as viable an option as it once was. Jay was very competent with us for more than 15 years. But he is no longer with us." Howard was not immediately available for comment. Tom Glade, vice president and market manager of the Ticket and WOAI, says it's a matter of restructuring the stations' shared sports department. "The reason for the change," says Glade, "is to focus the station closer to the goal of becoming one of the leading information and entertainment stations in sports radio, in step with the continued development of the company's Premiere Radio Network sports offerings Jim Rome and Fox SportsRadio." Both programs also air on the Ticket. Glade adds that Howard's sports-director position will be restructured to include several new functions. "Jay made valuable contributions in his long tenure as a member of the Ticket 760 and WOAI family," Glade says. He adds that details of the management, hosting and reporting duties at the Ticket and WOAI will be announced at a later date. In the meantime, Ashwood confirms that SportsTalk San Antonio newcomer Walter Pasacrita will handle the hosting duties until a new program is put in place in the next 60 to 90 days. Spurs change voices The Spurs have announced that Bill Schoening will replace Howard as the team's radio play-by-play announcer. Schoening has more than 20 years of college broadcasting experience, including the last 10 years as the voice of the University of Texas football, baseball and basketball teams. "Change is always difficult," says Spurs Senior Vice President of Broadcasting Lawrence Payne about Howard, who has been with the Spurs since 1989. In related news, former Spur Sean Elliott will assume duties as the Spurs television analyst, teaming with play-by-play man Joel Meyers. Knowing Clear Channel, the probably thought Howard made too much money and decided to replace him with someone cheaper.
