F4Wonline founder and Wrestling Observer Live host sets the record straight
Addressing recent reports on Sheet Sandwich, Bryan Alvarez took to his message board to clear up the conjecture and speculation about why he was limiting the number of calls he took on the show.
“Everyone complained about calls, so I moved calls to the end of the show. Somehow, it is now being reported that I’m avoiding calls because I’m afraid people will be critical of the site.” Alvarez said in a statement regarding a report on this site yesterday that he wanted to limit opportunities for callers to ask uncomfortable questions on a live, nationally broadcast show.
Alvarez continued, “Nowhere is this listed as speculation, instead the claim is there are INDICATIONS. Never mind the fact that if I was really concerned about calls I’d use the Sports Byline number and have every call screened.”
Alvarez would also address his philosophy behind why he believes unscreened calls are a better idea for the type of show he is attempting to have at Byline:
“… I want anyone to have the opportunity to call in without having to worry about whether someone is going to judge their call meaningful or not before they even get a chance to try. Everyone gets a shot, and if their call isn’t meaningful, they’re usually gone within 30 seconds.”
He also addressed the Sandwich report of why Bryan & Vinny Show co-host Vincent Verhei has been tightening the fist on question screening from Gladys Gibson’s (who plays “Granny” on the Friday Bryan & Vinny Show) Facebook page—a frequent skit on the show.
“If you’d like the return of pointless Ed in San Antonio Facebook posts that have nothing to do with anything except putting himself over, just let me know.”
Alvarez also took the time to address an earlier report that suggested he was editing out the plugs for membership signups from Observer Live when it was posted for download after the live broadcast.
“While I appreciate the fact that people believe I have taken this step, the reality is that I’m actually just plugging the entire site a whole lot less (probably 2 minutes in 42 minutes total, and less some days), and the idea the show is nothing more than a vehicle to plug the benefits of the pay site is a claim largely made only by those who aren’t actually listening.”
Alvarez defended the quality of the show, and gave indications that improvements would continue over time, as things get more dialed in. “The show is way better now than when we first went daily,” he said. “…and it’ll continue to get better with new features/guests, including EC3 [TNA wrestler Ethan Carter III] Tuesday.”
