When SportsTime Ohio successfully pursued veteran sportscaster Bruce Drennan for a TV sports talk show, he was coming out of federal prison after being convicted of tax charges related to sports betting.
Thus, the name of his new show, “All Bets Are Off”, must have seemed clever to someone at the network owned at the time by Dolan family (owners of the Cleveland Indians).
It, and the “Vegas sign theme” logo, never was all that clever, and finally, it’s gone from the show airing on today’s Fox Sports-owned SportsTime Ohio.
Starting Sunday, the show will be known as “Drennan Live”, named after Mr. “I LOOOOOOOVE YA, CLEVELAND!”.
“Drennan Live” will change almost nothing from the show’s run as “All Bets Are Off”, except for one thing…the show will air on Sunday nights (7-9 PM) in addition to its Monday-Thursday run (3:30-6:30 PM). (All the better, presumably, to dissect the latest Browns game, win or lose. That Sunday airing starts this weekend.)
“Drennan Live” will gain a guest co-host during football season on Mondays, as former Ohio State Buckeyes standout Beanie Wells joins the show.
A press release from Fox Sports Ohio/SportsTime Ohio is reprinted below:
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SportsTime Ohio is excited to announce All Bets Are Off will begin airing 7-9pm on Sundays starting this Sunday, Sept. 7th as Drennan Live and will feature expanded Ohio team coverage.
The three-hour live local call-in sports talk show is currently Mondays through Thursdays from 3:30pm to 6:30pm. Host Bruce Drennan and sidekicks Gene Winters and Ashley Collins discuss sports news from around the state as well as take calls from fans.
Drennan Live will begin airing Sundays 7-9pm starting this Sunday, Sept. 7th and will continue its normal weekday schedule and format. The refreshed show will offer fans enhanced coverage of SportsTime Ohio and FOX Sports Ohio partners, including the Cleveland Indians, Cleveland Cavaliers, Cleveland Browns, Columbus Blue Jackets, Cincinnati Reds, Ohio State, the OHSAA, University of Cincinnati, Xavier University and University of Dayton, as well as other Ohio sports.
New guest co-host!
A new addition during football season, Akron native, Ohio State and NFL running back Beanie Wells will join the show on Mondays as guest co-host.
“Since the acquisition of SportsTime Ohio, FOX Sports has been working to develop the show under the FOX brand,” stated Francois McGillicuddy, General Manager and Senior Vice President of SportsTime Ohio and FOX Sports Ohio. “We’re excited to offer fans a refreshed name and look with the same Bruce fans have come to expect and love.”
I hope Fox Sports Ohio can find spots for two talented local people before they are forced to leave North East Ohio to find employment. They are Bob Frantz and Kenny Roda.
Can they please do something about that Ashley Collins? She adds nothing, and she drives me nuts. The trend started a few years ago on local news shows, and it’s since spread everywhere like a virus. A person is standing and reading verbatim from the TelePrompter, while in the meantime the same person is inexplicably holding some rolled up paper in her hand for no apparent reason (they seem to pretend it’s the script, but if it was really the script, it wouldn’t be rolled up). So why the rolled up paper? It’s nothing more than a prop. Is there a misbehaving dog in the studio that needs to be swatted on its nose? Mosquitoes and flies in the studio? Should Orkin be notified?
Frankly, I thought the title “All Bets Are Off” was good, self-deprecating humor and was clever.
Me too. Also kind of a slap in the face to the irs, saying “ha…I still made it back to TV and I’ll just be smarter about my betting this time.”
I agree abut Ashley Collins …… terrible!
She adds nothing other than her chipmunk look…… which is as bad as the rolled up paper in her hand. Low budget TV.