The Mark Viviano Show:

Station: ESPN Radio 1300 AM

Slot: Weekdays 10 AM – 1 PM

National Media partner: ESPN

Styling: Ford Super Duty 450

Overview:  Mark Viviano and Damon Yaffe combine to create a solid, yet unspectacular, daily sports talk show.  You will get the basics here most of the time and get them repeatedly. While Viviano brings his local and national knowledge to the table with an understated professionalism, Yaffe slams you in the face with his style of “I am God of sports knowledge and don’t you forget it”. Viviano approaches the show from the reporter’s view and Yaffe adds the angry fan perspective.

Star rating:  7.0

Performance & Handling: This truck is reliable and rugged; it will get you where you need to go each day. Although the ride may be pedestrian, appreciate this truck for its capacity to handle heavy loads of local sports topics combined with national guests.

Star rating:  7.5

Standard features: There is a lot of talk just between the two hosts on this show. You will often feel like they forget they have listeners who might want to contribute to the conversation. These guys want you to know the scores and what they think about how the local teams are performing.  Don’t expect them to take many calls like other shows.

Star rating:  7.0

Accessories: Yaffe provides some interesting insider knowledge from a football coach’s perspective. But don’t ever challenge his opinion on play calling or coaching strategy because unless you watch 10 hours of film each week you just don’t understand why it makes more sense to throw an 8-yard out vs. a 5-yard slant when it’s 3rd down & 7.

Star rating:  5.5

Buyer beware: Sometimes the topics are forced and untimely. On the Tuesday following the Ravens home opener, there was repeated reference to Orioles manager Dave Trembley getting a contract extension. Was anybody listening to sports talk radio in the Baltimore area that day dying to discuss the contract extension of a manager for a team ending their 11th consecutive losing season?

Star rating:  6.5

Recommendation: This truck is big and brash, if not the best in its class. But appreciate the fact it doesn’t pretend to be something it’s not…like flashy or stylish. If you don’t require a lot more than the headlines, then this show will probably work for you.

Star rating:  7.0