Steinberg is usually pretty good at his job, but he does lose it.
I don't much mind when he loses it with the obvious overly-drunk callers, or just the idiots who call in just to get a rise or are just plain obnoxious.
It bugs me that he sometimes talks-down to people who have a differing viewpoint or opinion than what he has, even if they are making an effort to form a well thought out argument in support of their differing opinions.
A good example of this would often happen while Brent Sutter was coaching. People called in and stated that they thought the Flames should adopt a system that relied on scoring off the rush. He would parrot what Feaster and Sutter kept saying at the time - that the team was not talented enough to score off the rush.
That team was not talented enough offensively, so it wasn't completely wrong. However, that team was the oldest (or one of the oldest) and the smallest in the NHL at the time. A system where you generate offence off the cycle was probably worse. As people would try and argue their points, he would just talk down to them and often end the call while just insisting that the team couldn't score off the rush. It always bugged me how he did that to callers who weren't simply drunk or being obnoxious.
He is usually pretty good, and hosting a show like that I can't imagine would be easy. Just needs to allow the callers who actually are trying to make well-formed arguments the opportunity to get them out rather than shooting them down. I can definitely understand that after 'x' amount of obnoxious, combative callers, one just loses the patience to keep a more unbiased and professional state. I know I couldn't do it.
However, the above just matters if the show is trying to be a real platform for fans to voice their opinions. If it is just a platform for some witty banter like some other call-in shows are, then there is no problem at all.
And yes, I would expect everyone on the Fan960 to be 'easy' on Flames' management and players. I would expect them to be easy on even the Oilers' personnel too. Why? Who would ever agree to go on a show where there exists a very real possibility of looking stupid and having a really hard time with the tough questions that the host is known for confronting their guests with? Not only do you not get repeat guests, but loads of other potential guests would take notice and never agree to come on the show to begin with. That is just how things work.
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