Brandon Adams leaving 790/The Zone
After more than five years at 790/The Zone, mid-day host Brandon Adams is leaving the world of pampered athletes and obnoxious coaches to delve into the equally Byzantine world of test scores, school boards politics and parental demands.
The 33-year-old Gainesville native and University of Georgia graduate said he is going to pursue a masters degree in educational administration at Georgia State University.
Teamed with Jeff Woolverton from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. weekdays, he put in his notice last week and informed listeners today.
Loading ...For eight years, he was an elementary school teacher and is returning to that profession this fall after two and a half years working full time at the Zone. (He worked part-time as an on-air host on weekends for three years.)
“Doing a radio show was a culmination of a dream of mine,” he said in a phone interview today. “I was lucky to get to do that the last few years. I just felt the time is right to focus on the next phase of my professional development.”
He said growing up, he admired Rush Limbaugh and after college, when he heard the Zone, he knew he wanted to work there. “It combined two passions of mine: talk radio and sports.”
He started doing menial jobs at the Zone answering phones and such but finally got a shot at doing radio talk with Woolverton in 2005.
Since he went mid-days, ratings have not been great. And feedback from fans on this blog have been rough.
Adams said he wasn’t immune to the criticism, but he got used to it after awhile.
“It doesn’t really bother me,” he said. “It doesn’t keep me awake at night. I’m thankful for the people who enjoy the show. I appreciate when they listen when they can.”
He thinks his last day will be Thursday on the air. He is just glad he’s been able to say goodbye, something many radio hosts don’t get to do. He also isn’t sure what the Zone’s next step will be during mid-days.
“Whatever shape it takes over the next few months, I’m sure it will be positive changes,” he said optimistically.
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222 comments Add your comment
The Real Fan
July 27th, 2010
11:24 am
Bring back “Home Team!”
Observation
July 27th, 2010
11:25 am
FAT FACE STEAK NEEDS TO RESIGN – HE is godAWFUL. GEEZ, KILL THAT IDIOT.
Lou
July 27th, 2010
11:25 am
I agree with what Lamback posted at the top. Why not give JErry Ellinger his own show. I have benn listening to him for years and I am shocked everytime someone else gets a full time show. He can hang with anyone he works with and it seems like he has worked with everyone. Every time he fills in, the regular co host is always excited.
Dan
July 27th, 2010
11:28 am
I always like BA. To listen to him required the listener to live in the gray, and that’s tough for a black and white crowd like sports talk listeners. I think Woolverton is probably a really nice guy but he’s awful on the air. He can’t seem to put a coherent thought together.
The guy 790 needs to unload is Cellini. He’s a complete buffon.
Observation
July 27th, 2010
11:30 am
LOL @ I feel sorry for the children in that school district. You guys are mean but at the same time I don”t want my child in BA’s class. Think about it.
The Real Fan
July 27th, 2010
11:32 am
BRING BACK HOME TEAM!!!
Observation
July 27th, 2010
11:36 am
Yeah, the 790 morning show has run its course too: Steak is a blow hard fat faced over talker, Demino thinks he knows everything with his stupid analogies which ofter don’t make sense, and as mentioned above Cellini is just a buffon who if you don’t agree with gets mad, how he has a wife and child is amazing – talk about a bunch of losers.
wendy
July 27th, 2010
11:40 am
Seperated at birth: Jimmy Baron and Steakie Shapiro…
djen
July 27th, 2010
11:43 am
I really enjoyed Brandon and Woolvie. Best of luck to him.
Jeff
July 27th, 2010
11:45 am
Love the STews.. Good luck Brandon I really enjoyed the way you and Jeff meshed.
H I McDonnough
July 27th, 2010
11:50 am
Sorry to hear that Brandon is leaving radio. I think he has real talent, and made it a point to listen to the weekend show (even though I hate the Dawgs). The daily show never quite worked, largely because Brandon’s talents are in discussion and a bit of free-form dialogue, not the quick hits and boring interviews that their short mid-day show features. Al’s points above are spot-on. The weekend show allowed him much more time and freedom to do what he does best. He will be missed.
I have found that the most enjoyable stuff on Atlanta sports radio is usually in the weekend and non-prime hours. I’d much rather listen to Brandon, Sam Raden, John Michaels, Hans Hiser, etc., on the weekends than the more prominent shows 790 and 680 offer.
Les
July 27th, 2010
11:50 am
>> Two Live Stews – let’s face it….you either like ‘em…or you’ve
>> got a brain in your head. Talk about a one-note song.
Gee, Brownie… that’s rough.
The Stews are the only show I listen to on 790. I find them to be very entertaining, and on-target with their perspectives. I have to agree with those who say that there is an audience for their type of program. The fact is, The 2-Live Stews program is very unique, and unlike anything on radio. Of course, if you don’t like them, then tune into something else. But there are a lot of people who are looking for the Stews candid perspective that parallel a demographic who’s ignored in sports-talk & guy-talk radio. That’s why the Stews have better ratings than any other 790 show, and even better ratings than their competition across the dial.
I find the Stews much easier to listen to than the arrogant, egotistical, self-promotional, Mr. Know-It-All and Mr. Perfect Matt Chernoff. There are’nt enough microphones in the studio to satisfy him.
790 Listener
July 27th, 2010
11:50 am
Actually fellas, if 790 corrects their mid-day show and can give Cellini more time as first banana on Mayhem; then the Zone can be successful once again. They have the best sports talk, the best interviews, and overall better personalities.
The one thing they need to do is the next time they feel like blowing off $11 million, how about putting it to good use by getting an FM signal and simulcasting the station. They would triple their audience overnight and can land the radio networks of the home teams and other sports.
790 Listener
July 27th, 2010
11:57 am
Lou….it’s because Jerry Ellinger sucks. You think Brandon Adams was bad on the radio, Ellinger is even worse. I always cringed when the guy showed up on ESPNews and did his little commentaries. The guy has no business being a radio host. Oh and Dimino is much better at talking sports and baseball compared to the 680 group. I have never seen so many people excited to hear Don Sutton get on the radio in my life. However, I do have to give kudos to Chuck Dowdle as he is the only one on Braves pre or post game shows that is even enjoyable to listen too. The rest of them sound like they should be doing the radio thing at their local high school.
Ramblin Wrecker
July 27th, 2010
12:03 pm
I think this brings into focus how dumb 790 the Zone was to fire Matt Chernoff and Chuck Oliver. Chuck & Chernoff now have not just the best midday show, but the best show in Atlanta, anytime. 790 had them both and could have had this show on their station.
Dumb, dumb, dumb.
coach smith
July 27th, 2010
12:05 pm
BA was the ONLY guy at 790 (other than DP) that ever has anything nict to say about UGA
All of the other northen Tech-loving Dawg-hating guys at that station take every chance to belittle and make fun of Georgia and downgrade their successes
the Two Live FOOLS are realllllllyyyyy bad about this as is the TERRIBLE Steak
I'll Hang Up in Listen
July 27th, 2010
12:06 pm
This is good news as long as they don’t replace him with “Never to be Famous” John Michaels.
coach smith
July 27th, 2010
12:07 pm
most of the time you can’t pick up 790 unless you are in sight of their building
790 is third rate and everyone knows it. They fancy themselves as competition to 680 but they are about as much competition to 680 as a BUG IS TO A WINDSHIELD
coach smith
July 27th, 2010
12:08 pm
Les
If the “stews” (racist fools) were so great how come they kept getting their timeslot adjusted and CUT DOWN
Terminus
July 27th, 2010
12:14 pm
Are you kidding me? This is one of the few people in radio who does their homework and brings a different point of view to the show.
Stews – Stop barking at me!!!! The only one dumber than these two is their entertainment reporter…UGH
Steak and Nick – Why the EFF do you continue to talk about food? WTF? Also, we are not in boston.
Buck and Kincade – Stop putting me to sleep and stop calling it a pick-em-up truck…redneck
King and Chernoff – You guys just creep me out a little.
Pollock and Bell – You’re good. I like the angel vs. demon aspect.
Dimino – He’s a baseball man (said like Lou) and ok with me.
Taylor Hanson
July 27th, 2010
12:15 pm
Coach, their times slots weren’t cut down. Quite the opposite. They were sindicated nationally. The Zone had to adjust their schedule to the Stews not the other way around.
coach smith
July 27th, 2010
12:19 pm
Taylor Hanson
so what you are saying is some idiot thought “Hey, these guys can’t get an audience in Atlanta where they are from, let’s see if anyone else in the country will listen to them be barking racists for 2 or 3 hours”
GSU Eagle 91
July 27th, 2010
12:21 pm
I have enjoyed listening to both 680 and 790 since their inception in the 1990’s.
680 is my choice due to Chuck ( Chernoff annoys me) and Buck & Kincaid…
The morning shows on the both stations could be improved if 680 dumped Perry the Jackass and 790 pulled Steak off of the air as well…Dimino and Chellini are adequate as hosts without Steak…
With college football season around the corner, all of us will see a bit of improvement in the material we listen and respond to…
Taylor Hanson
July 27th, 2010
12:22 pm
That “some idiot” is Sporting News Radio.
They also appear regularly on ESPN. Somebody’s listening. It just isn’t me.
Robert Byrd
July 27th, 2010
12:25 pm
For those knuckleheads that think the 2 live stews bring “ratings” and “money” to 790 (WQXI) better do some research instead of spouting nonsense. The 2 live stews are RANKED 26th in there time slot in the ATL market. They below 2 regional latin radio stations and a christian station LOL!!!
http://ratings.radio-online.com/cgi-bin/rol.exe/arb_market
MR164
July 27th, 2010
12:54 pm
2 words… “HOME TEAM”
Bring Brandon back!
cursive
July 27th, 2010
12:59 pm
So does ANYBODY like ANYONE on the local sports talk scene? I’m guessing you could all do better, right? As far as Brandon Adams I couldn’t care less. When I listen, I listen to 680. Most of the time it’s ESPN radio on XM anyway. Kincade, as much as some of you may hate him, has a definitive viewpoint, and he also has a national radio show. He must be doing something right. I have lived around Atlanta my whole life and I get so sick of all of you bandwagon-riding, loudmouthed fair-weather fans…
levelhead
July 27th, 2010
1:03 pm
Good thing I am a clone. Love weekdays from 12-3. Just last week Chipper Jones, Tony Gonzales and Larry Drew and great takes.
david
July 27th, 2010
1:04 pm
Don’t let anyone fool you, Adams contract was not going to be renewed. I know for a fact he does not want to teach anymore. This is another example of 790’s money issues. They will be off the air by next summer. Georgia Tech is looking forward to ending their relationship with 790 so people outside of 285 can listen to the football games.
MR164
July 27th, 2010
1:09 pm
“Aaaand there it is!” Bring back “home team”
The Stews are the cool guys on the dail. They have more access to celebs, and top notch athletes. If you dont like, dont listen. I think they will be the last show standing (besides Mayhem of course. Steaky would never let that happen. HIIIOOOHHHH!
MR164
July 27th, 2010
1:12 pm
@coach smith You sir are an Idiot
KevinM
July 27th, 2010
1:14 pm
Steak – our version of Chris Berman
Kincade – believe it or not, this guy has mellowed quite a bit and is okay for the most part. And like the air, he is exactly that way in person. You either like him or he aggravates you.
Dimino – by far the star of 790.
Cellini – I’m not sure anyone would miss him.
Buck – local and all about the homer approach.
Woolverton – he needs help getting his ideas out.
Bell and Pollack – talk about 2 opposites. It seems to work, but can’t hear them in Duluth regularly.
Dave Hubbard – his one diatribe on rap music-2-speech makes him my favorite personality.
Mitch Evans – he and ‘Randi’ are now on 680…..somehow he keeps finding work.
The 2 Stews – I get most of it, but can’t listen for very long….their interview skills need help…did you hear the Barkley/Doug encounter where Doug did zero research and axed Chuck when he was going to go into the HOF? Ryan has such a chip on his shoulder because he made it to the league, so he gets it all…..and both will defend Vick til the end.
Chuck and Chernoff – probably the best on the air, and that’s not saying a whole lot.
I wouldn’t mind hearing more of 3D talking about the Hawks either. He has a good opinion of what goes on.
fletch
July 27th, 2010
1:19 pm
Glad to hear Sylvester is leaving. Do you have to have a speech impedement to work at 790? I’m sure his partner Peter Brady, errrrrr, Woolverton will be next to go.
Jason
July 27th, 2010
1:21 pm
Brandon didn’t graduate from UGA. Check your facts.
reality
July 27th, 2010
1:21 pm
When Dimino is your top talent, you know you are in serious trouble as a station and have made some utterly horrible managerial and programming decisions.
Last person out, turn off the lights (that is if they aren’t cut off first)!
Vince Cellini
July 27th, 2010
1:23 pm
There’s going to be Bedlam in the classroom
JEW EATING AT ' THE PALM'
July 27th, 2010
1:23 pm
Gawd you people don’t undastand how hawd it is to run a radio empiya. Especially doing it 99.99999% of the time from a restaurant.
Jews know southern spowarts. I made my bones on the tough street of Brookline , Mass and I vow 790 will rise again!
Mike Vick
July 27th, 2010
1:25 pm
Personally I enjoy the 2 Live Stews…..I’ze just loves it when dey start barkin and schitt. Make me thank of all dem dogs i dunn kilt. Maybee I can git dem to fight each udder while they beez barkin.
JEW EATING AT ' THE PALM'
July 27th, 2010
1:30 pm
yes it was my idea to have two black men with big chips on their shouldas , barking at each otha like dawgs between shots of courvoisier. After I leave the palm today, cha cha’s, I will enta negotiations to bring in mike vick to the 500 watt blowtowch 790 to go compete againt leo mazzone. Whats a white pitching coach know about the streets of ATL ? Thia is choclanta, cha chas . My ratings speak for themselves!
K'ng here
July 27th, 2010
1:32 pm
Just sayin? what do bald yankee jews know about the spring game at Furman?
Thats why I am the k’ng!
Benjamin Franklin B.
July 27th, 2010
1:34 pm
You know, kincaid, I think those fellas at 790 are just a bunch of piney rooters.
Jerome
July 27th, 2010
1:37 pm
I think school cafeteria food will do him some good…
reality
July 27th, 2010
1:37 pm
This show was atrocious and this move had to be made. Make no mistake, this move wasn’t something Brandon just decided to do on his own accord. There was no way he would of left the radio job if he didn’t have to. Fact is the Zone finally realized how awful the show truly is and that it isn’t going to work and they informed Brandon that he wasn’t going to be renewed and he needed to find other options. The only mystery is why they haven’t told the other no talent hack that he cohosts with to hit the bricks as he a train wreck of a host as well.
If Steak was smart (yes I know you have to suspend your disbelief on that), he would put his gigantic ego and pride aside and remove himself from the air and simply do the job of helping run the station and it’s business affairs. This is clearly the only situation (him being part owner of the station) in any market where he could maintain a job as on air ‘talent’.
However, making smart decisions is not the strong point of the zone management as you can see from their idiotic business ventures and decision, in conjunction with their programming decisions. Now that they have begun to address the problem with the mid-day show, they need to address the other terrible shows they have, like the one with the two functional retards that follows B&W’s show. In addition, could you have a bigger buffoon on the radio then that intellectual dwarf David Pollack? After the stewpids, he has to be the most ignorant and stupid host I’ve ever heard on the radio. He seems almost gleeful and proud of the fact that he doesn’t know anything about any subject outside of sports. That’s just sad honestly, and his partner is fat, bloated, balding, alcoholic that thinks juvenile antics is clever and fresh.
While 790 has major issues, 680 isn’t much better. Perry is an obnoxious blow hard that has absolutely no business being on the radio in any market. He should be selling insurance somewhere and not doing radio. Leo is ok, but he is in over his head as full time radio guy. He would be ok doing special duty like Braves and baseball related programming, but beyond that, he just doesn’t have it.
Meanwhile, Buck is completely worthless hack. If it wasn’t for the fact that he was the QB for the 1980 national championship team, he would never have a job in broadcasting. The fact is the guy is as dumb as a stump and has an incredibly boring radio personality. For someone who apparently played football and baseball, he has an amazing lack of insight and complete inability to articulate anything remotely interesting or insightful. Instead of calling Kevorkian to assist in suicides, you should just call Buck and have him talk to you at your bedside.
reality
July 27th, 2010
1:46 pm
Oh, and outside of the stewpids, that pre-game baseball show that Buck use to host by himself (what they did last year before they had the Braves brtoadcast) were quite possibly the worst radio shows ever done. Talk about a pure unadulterated torture that show was.
Furthermore, when Kincade goes on vacation, please get anyone else in that studio with Buck, because he is utterly incapable of carrying a show by himself (hell, he isn’t capable of doing one with another person, but lets just go one step at a time).
Honestly, I think Chad Scott has talent and deserves a shot to be a full time host. He is very good when he fills in for someone on occasion, and has very well rounded knowledge on sports and many other non-sports related subject. As far as 790 goes, they should give Hubbard and Hans Heiserer an opportunity at being full time hosts because they are clearly more talented then most of the regular hosts there.
the real Old Gold
July 27th, 2010
1:53 pm
I kind of liked Brandon and Wolvy.. oh well. Looks like no one else did.
DJ
July 27th, 2010
2:10 pm
2LStwe’s stink…Mayhem has too much commercials (no shocker) I am pumped for their Young Guns show hopefully coming up
Benjamin Franklin B.
July 27th, 2010
2:11 pm
Maybe 790 should bring in my old room mate Herschel Walker. he could host a sports roundtable show with his many alter personalities.
C
July 27th, 2010
2:12 pm
Get Toucher and Rich out of Boston and bring them home to Atlanta! They are the best sports/entertainment talk in the country!
Get Real
July 27th, 2010
2:13 pm
People in radio don’t get to announce they are leaving. Clearly he was not going to be brought back. 790 has announced they are looking for young talent (that they won’t have to pay much) and they needed a place to put them.
680 the Fan is killing 790 in the ratings, just took the Hawks away and is clearly making more money. Adams is just the next Zone talent to get the axe. Steak probably couldn’t pay him anymore.
790 switches talent about every 2 years and they need some sort of buzz. Good Luck Brandon, glad you can get off the ship before it sinks.
Get Real.
JEW EATING AT ' THE PALM'
July 27th, 2010
2:14 pm
No, no, no..cha cha..what 790 the zone needs is More bald jewish men who never actually played sports , but know where to get a good gnosh on! Therefore I will be hosting every show every day myself.