Montreal Sports Talk Radio: Sports & Much More!

In this piece, published both on All Habs and on The Barnstormer, I delve deeply into The Kaufman Show, a sports talk radio program on Montreal's TSN 690. In highlighting the backgrounds of the show's creator and host, Dave Kaufman, and Kaufman's co-host, Jay Farrar. the piece explores the dynamics of delivering sports talk that transcends sports with its inclusion of the politics, culture, and social issues that shape sports industries and fan life today. The piece also gives a glimpse into the competitive radio industry in today's digital media environments and reveals the challenges of breaking into sports media.  

The Kaufman Show: Deadlines to Meet

By Avi Goldberg

It’s two hours after a Montreal Canadiens victory and only minutes after midnight in the early morning of what will become opening day for the Toronto Blue Jays. With the Arkells’ song, “Deadlines,” having heightened the collective energy of those present in the studio, Dave Kaufman, host of the The Kaufman Show on TSN 690 radio in Montreal, is interviewing Toronto Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos shortly after his plane landed in Toronto fresh from spring training.

It’s unclear whether Montreal sports fans can really embrace Major League Baseball, let alone the Toronto Blue Jays, after suffering through the loss of their beloved Expos. Kaufman, a lover of the game, knows the dilemma his listeners are surely living.

When Anthopoulos endorsed a plan for Expos fans to converge at a Blue Jays home game this July by remarking that the Rogers Centre was a great environment compared to the Olympic Stadium, Kaufman delivered a shot on behalf of those whose backs may have gotten up over the not-so-subtle diss delivered by the former Montrealer and Expos employee.

“Another way that the Rogers Centre has it all over the Olympic Stadium, Alex,” Kaufman retorted, “is that there’s no more baseball at the Olympic Stadium.”

The two men shared a hearty laugh, and the GM of the team that was favored by many to play in the World Series understood Kaufman’s move to set the record straight. Toronto has the team, the downtown ballpark, and the resources to build a contender, but none of that strips value from Montreal and the city’s relationship with baseball.

Speaking the truth about sports and life is in The Kaufman Show’s DNA. Dave Kaufman and his co-host, Jay Farrar, wouldn’t think of having it any other way.

You can continue to read the piece in its entirety on All Habs here.

You can read The Barnstormer version here.