Cleveland is a different kind of sports town. It’s not just about the games. It’s about the collective trauma of 1964 to 2016 and the weird, obsessive way we process every single roster move on the 480 bridge during a Tuesday commute. If you’ve ever sat in your driveway for twenty minutes just to hear the end of a heated debate about a backup guard's footwork, you get it. Cleveland sports talk radio isn't just background noise; it's the city’s primary support group.
The dial is dominated by two massive heavyweights: 92.3 The Fan (WKRK) and 850 ESPN Cleveland (WKNR). They hate each other. Or they pretend to. Or maybe it's just business. Either way, the listeners are the ones who benefit from the constant friction.
The Evolution of the Cleveland Airwaves
Back in the day, it was all about Pete Franklin. He was the "King." If you were a fan in the 70s or 80s, you remember Sportsline on WWWE 1100. Pete was mean. He’d hang up on you if your take was stupid. He called people "jerks" and "meatheads." Honestly, that abrasive style set the tone for everything that followed in this market. We don't want "nice" radio. We want someone to be as frustrated as we are when the Browns give up a 14-point lead in the fourth quarter.
Then came the FM revolution. When 92.3 flipped from rock to sports in 2011, everything changed. Suddenly, the signal was crystal clear, and the energy shifted. It wasn't just old guys complaining anymore. It was younger, faster, and more data-driven, yet it kept that essential Cleveland grit.
Why 92.3 The Fan Stays on Top
Ken Carman and Anthony Lima. That’s the secret sauce. Their morning show is arguably the most successful thing to happen to Cleveland sports talk radio in a generation. Carman has this booming, old-school preacher voice mixed with a deep, encyclopedic knowledge of high school wrestling and Browns history. Lima is the instigator. He’s the guy who will tell you that your favorite player is actually a liability, and he’ll use the advanced stats to prove it while you’re screaming at your radio.
They work because they feel like Cleveland. They aren't trying to be "national." When the Browns are a mess, they don't give you a polished, corporate take. They give you the raw, unfiltered emotion of a guy who had to watch the 0-16 season from a cold press box.
Later in the day, you’ve got Baskin and Phelps. It’s a bit more measured. Jeff Phelps is the consummate pro, the guy who has seen everything in this town. Les Baskin brings a different perspective, often leaning into the beat-reporter side of things. Then there’s The Bull and Fox legacy, which has evolved over time. Adam "The Bull" Gerstenhaber was the loud, New York-influenced voice that Cleveland grew to love (and sometimes love to hate) before he moved on to the digital space with Ultimate Cleveland Sports Show. Now, the station continues to iterate, trying to balance the hardcore X’s and O’s with the personality-driven "infotainment" that keeps people tuned in during commercial breaks.
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The ESPN Cleveland Identity Crisis
850 WKNR is a different beast entirely. It’s polarizing. Tony Rizzo is the titan here. Love him or hate him, The Really Big Show moves the needle. Rizzo has been a staple in this market for decades, transitioning from a gritty TV sports anchor to the guy who "broke his hand on a fridge" after a bad Browns loss.
The station has moved toward a "Land on Demand" subscription model, which was a bold—and controversial—move. Some fans hated the idea of paying for a podcast version of what they could hear for free, but it showed a commitment to a specific, loyal audience.
The dynamic between Rizzo and Aaron Goldhammer is the classic "Vet vs. Villain" trope. Goldhammer, a Denver native, has spent years being the guy Cleveland fans love to dunk on. It’s effective. It gets people to call in. It fills the phone lines. Whether it's a "mock draft" that goes off the rails or a debate about where to get the best stadium mustard, 850 leans heavily into the personalities of the hosts rather than just the scores.
The Rise of Digital and Podcasting
We can’t talk about Cleveland sports talk radio without acknowledging that the "radio" part is expanding. The Ultimate Cleveland Sports Show on YouTube is a massive disruptor. It’s basically a radio show with cameras, featuring former radio staples like Adam "The Bull" and Jay Crawford. They’ve realized that people want to see the reactions, not just hear them.
Then you have the niche guys.
- Browns Confidential types of deep-dive pods.
- Waiting For Next Year (WFNY), which started as a blog and became a pillar of the community.
- The Athletic’s coverage, which often spills over into radio guest spots.
This fragmentation means the big stations have to work harder. You can't just read the box score anymore. Everyone has the box score on their phone. You have to provide the "why." You have to provide the community.
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Why We Listen When the Teams Are Bad
It’s easy to talk sports when the Cavs are in the Finals or the Guardians are deep in October. But Cleveland sports talk radio earns its paycheck in November when the Browns are 3-8.
That’s when the "Mock Draft" season begins. It’s a uniquely Cleveland phenomenon. We start looking at left tackles from Alabama in Week 9. The radio hosts facilitate this. They become amateur scouts. They take calls from "Bernie in Brunswick" who thinks he found the next great sleeper quarterback in the MAC.
It’s about hope. Or, more accurately, the management of despair.
The "Call-In" Culture
The callers are the stars, honestly. There are legendary characters who have been calling these stations for twenty years. They have nicknames. The hosts know their voices.
- They call to complain about the "Dolans" spending habits.
- They call to demand the Browns "run the ball" more.
- They call to argue about whether a hot dog is a sandwich (actually, please don't do that).
This interaction creates a sense of belonging. If you're stuck in traffic on the Shoreway, and you hear a guy from Parma losing his mind about a missed free throw, you feel less alone. You’re part of the "we."
Navigating the Different Tones
If you want heavy-hitting analysis and a focus on the actual mechanics of the game, you usually lean toward The Fan. Their ties to the teams—specifically being the flagship for the Browns—gives them an inside track. You get the coaches' shows. You get the player interviews that feel a bit more "official."
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If you want the "barbershop" talk, the arguments that spiral into what the hosts ate for lunch, and the chaotic energy of a morning zoo, you go to ESPN Cleveland.
There’s also the "after-dark" crowd. Late-night sports radio is a fever dream. The callers are weirder. The hosts are more relaxed. It’s where the real die-hards live.
The Technical Reality of the Signal
Let’s be real: 850’s signal is a struggle once the sun goes down. It’s an AM station thing. They have to power down, and suddenly you’re hearing a station from Canada bleeding into the signal. This is why their move to digital and the app was so necessary. 92.3 doesn't have that problem. You can hear them clearly from Sandusky to Youngstown. This technical advantage played a huge role in The Fan's rapid ascent to market dominance.
Actionable Tips for the Cleveland Sports Listener
If you’re looking to get the most out of the local airwaves, don’t just stick to one frequency.
- Morning Commute: Start with The Carman and Lima Show on 92.3. It’s the best way to get the pulse of the city. They’ll cover the big news but keep it entertaining enough to wake you up.
- Mid-Day Chaos: Flip over to 850 for The Really Big Show if you want to hear the "drama" of the day. It’s less about the stats and more about the "feel" of being a fan.
- The Drive Home: Dustin Fox (on 92.3) brings the perspective of someone who actually played in the NFL. That’s a perspective you can’t fake. Hearing a former Buckeye and NFL DB break down a defensive scheme is worth the listen.
- Go Beyond the Dial: Download the Audacy app for 92.3 or the ESPN Cleveland app. The best segments are often clipped and posted later. You don't have to sit through twenty minutes of car dealership commercials to hear the one good interview with an OBJ or a Nick Chubb.
- Engage Responsibly: If you call in, have a point. Don't be the "first-time caller, long-time listener" who takes three minutes to get to the question. Be sharp. Be loud. Be Cleveland.
The landscape is always shifting. Personalities move. Stations change formats. But as long as there’s a team in Cleveland wearing a jersey, there will be a guy behind a microphone telling you why they’re doing it all wrong. And we’ll be right there, volume turned up, nodding our heads in agreement.