Buckeye Talk: Ohio State podcast by cleveland.com

Longtime listener. The incredible team have Cleveland.com always had such good chemistry on their podcasts no matter who the hosts are. The quality remains high regardless of the rare turnover moments. If you’re a Buckeye football fan, this is fun, engaging, and entertaining. Oh, and I learned how to argue respectfully from their episodes. Great life skill to have!

Have been a loyal listener for years. In my opinion, since Doug left the pod, some loyal BuckeyeTalk listeners probably wish for the ‘good ‘ol days when Bill Landis and Tim (and Ari) were all contributing. I always enjoyed the friendly and sometimes sarcastic banter and rabbit trails the three happened upon along with very insightful and inspired analysis- I listen while driving and probably made other drivers wonder what I was laughing at. So change has come and I have still been a loyal listener and “five-star fan” but want to share some honest feedback. I don’t laugh much anymore while listening. It may have been the familiarity the three had with each other but some of the spontaneity and light-hearted banter is gone. This group is speaking to die hard Buckeye fans many of whom are Alum like me, and the negativity is palpable. The keen analysis all but disappeared and there is very little lightheartedness. Sometimes it is downright painful to listen to the endless hypothetical scenarios of potential Buckeye self-destruction. Lately, it seems that no one pays attention to the task of editing the broadcast. Almost every episode has repeated portions. I hate to say it, but I am beginning to think of it as a waste of time to listen. Sorry gentlemen, I’m sure you are fine, intelligent people with bright futures in journalism but your podcast skills need some honing and you need to listen and learn your audience’s perspective. I’m not asking for homers who say what fans want to hear, but Doug was not that! I miss Doug’s quick wit, his insights on this and other teams along with the historical perspective he brought. Maybe what this podcast needs is another smart, contentious, and self-deprecating robophob like Doug Lesmerises. Sorry guys, I think it’s time for this fan to take my fandom to another broadcast. I’ll check in from time to time hoping you will get more ‘ruthless’ in fine-tuning and returning to the hilarious and friendly exchanges that made me a loyal follower. I Know you are working hard to inform and entertain Buckeye Nation but I suggest cutting the pod back to one or two each week and returning to excellence in reporting and in-depth analysis with some lighthearted banter. You can do it!

I’ve been listening to Buckeye talk since the beginning and the thing that has always set it apart is that the hosts have always been journalists first. This approach to the podcast provides the best analysis and understanding of my favorite team and where they fit into the college football landscape. Stephen, Nathan, and now Andrew, carry on that tradition and are delivering great analysis while avoiding the “fan boy turned podcaster” model that all of the other podcasts seem to follow. Over the past couple of years, Doug elevated his craft to become one of the best interviewers and podcasters in the business. I definitely miss him on Buckeye Talk, but I think the new team is off to a good start.

Doug and the boys do such a great job of really getting into the weeds of Buckeye football. I never knew that I could listen to an hour plus podcast on Buckeye football, five times a week. These guys make it super fun and I always feel a little bit smarter when it’s done. Thanks for all the hard work and keep doing what you do.

What was once the best podcast in my rotation is now excruciating to listen to. Doug Lesmerises remains one of the very best in the business. I could listen to him talk to himself. Or his daughters pretending to be Ari and Bill. In fact I would prefer that to the current setup. I blame the Plain Dealer for letting the Athletic come in and poach 2 excellent writers in Bill Landis and Ari Wasserman. They replaced Ari with Tim Beilik who was very short lived on the podcast (thankfully). Now Bill Landis has been replaced with Stephen Means. Stephen is so far out of his league when discussing College football and Ohio state football that I won’t even start on that. What has really made the show unlistenable is the man can’t stop repeating points over and over. He can’t stay on topic with Doug. He can’t stop repeating the obvious like it’s some profound conclusion. He can’t stop telling us he’s going to be honest. He can’t hold this audience of educated football fans (in many ways thanks to his co-host). I am done. 2 stars because I enjoy Doug so much. Minus 1 because Stephen isn’t good. Minus 2 to Cleveland.com for ruining something I loved. Edit- Doug is gone and the worst writer/podcaster on the beat, Stephen Means is now hosting. 1 star, unsubscribing.

I’ve been a listener since before they went daily, have been a text subscriber since they started the subtext, and I can’t do this anymore. The show used to be informative, fun, and interesting. It’s not that anymore. Over the last year, Stephen went from “trying too hard to be Doug”, to “I will talk over you and shout until you give up and agree with me”. It is very clear Andrew and Stefon are journalists trying to be journalists, and Stephen is a fan trying to hide his fandom while reacting like a fan. Everything that made this podcast great died when Doug left and I can’t listen anymore.