Riter Radio

In a special "early start" that felt anything but productive, Brad kicks off Episode 291 by detailing the collapse of his typical morning routine. After waking up nearly two hours before his usual 8:45 AM alarm, things quickly spiraled from a peaceful morning of reading into a series of "dad tax" duties. Between navigating a "horrific traffic loop" to drop off kids who usually walk to school and dealing with a house hit by sudden illness and barometric pressure migraines, Brad reflects on the "dirty trick" schools play with constant breaks. He also shares a bit of fatherly wisdom he imparted to his 9-year-old during the morning commute: the tactical superiority of the right-hand turn to avoid crossing traffic.

The energy shifts to sports as the Buffalo Sabres approach a potentially historic night. Brad performs some live "radio math" to calculate the magic numbers, realizing mid-show that the Sabres could actually clinch the Atlantic Division tonight with a win in Chicago and a little help from Detroit. Beyond the NHL, the family’s personal sports season is hitting a fever pitch—and hitting the wallet. After his middle son won $381 in an NCAA pool, Brad finds himself heading back to the sporting goods store to facilitate the purchase of a high-end $300 baseball bat. The episode wraps with a teaser for a new podcast concept: a cinematic journey through film history with his son, Zach, tracing a directorial and thematic line from The Silence of the Lambs to The Game and beyond.

In this episode of Riter Radio, Brad leans into the "Friday energy" by embracing the show’s high potential for stupidity. He kicks things off with a string of knee-jerk reactions to the morning's headlines, ranging from Melania Trump’s public statements to the bizarre reports of a "chimp civil war." Brad pulls no punches regarding the local pushback against a new Shake Shack location in Kenmore, humorously weighing in on the debate of burgers versus historic churches. Amidst the chaos, he celebrates a massive 5-0 Sabres shutout and analyzes the team's narrow but exciting path through the final two games of the season.

The show hits its stride when Scott Wilson joins for their regular Friday session. The two dive into the "goofy" side of the week's news, trading barbs and unfiltered takes on the Buffalo sports landscape and primate power struggles. Between hockey updates and food critiques, Brad and Scott fill the hour with high-speed "crazy talk" and deep dives into the local headlines that have the city talking. It’s a classic Episode 290—unpredictable, irreverent, and exactly the kind of show you'd expect when the kids are finally out of the house.

On episode 289 of Radio Radio, Brad opens the show with a humorous look at the "rookie mistake" of starting a long broadcast without a water bottle, while sharing a story about his son smuggling orange and cream sodas to hide them from his brothers. Brad then apologizes for a string of short, pre-recorded episodes, explaining that his week has been dominated by family commitments and a heavy youth baseball schedule in the Buffalo area.

The heart of the episode focuses on Brad's recent family trip to Toronto to watch the Dodgers take on the Blue Jays. He provides a detailed recap of seeing Shohei Ohtani both pitch and hit, marveling at Ohtani’s efficiency on the mound despite a disappointing performance from the bullpen that followed. Brad also reflects on the logistics of international travel, admitting his growing dislike for driving over bridges and sharing how he finally opted for the GO Train from Burlington—a decision he notes was lucky, as he only learned about a recent train derailment after the trip was already underway.

In this special prerecorded episode of Riter Radio, Brad explains a hectic schedule filled with sports, parenting, and radio commitments that forced him to abandon plans for a live show. He recaps a big sports night highlighted by Michigan’s national championship win and a key Buffalo Sabres victory, but the centerpiece becomes a conversation with his 11-year-old son Nate, who unexpectedly wins $371 in a March Madness pool. The discussion humorously contrasts Nate’s casual reaction to the windfall with the host’s amazement, while also diving into Nate’s spending habits, upcoming umpiring income, and the realities of being a kid with sudden cash. The episode blends family dynamics with sports fandom, capturing a moment that feels both personal and relatable.

Brad then shifts into broader reflections on his chaotic schedule, youth baseball commitments, and evolving podcast setup, embracing the imperfections of a prerecorded show. He covers Sabres momentum, playoff excitement in Western New York, and community buzz, while weaving in stories about youth sports, spending habits between his kids, and a comedic tangent about purchasing stadium urinal troughs. The episode closes with a mix of gratitude, self-aware humor, and optimism—about his son’s winnings, the Sabres’ playoff push, and the ongoing unpredictability of balancing work, family, and content creation.

After a nine-day hiatus, Brad returns to the studio to shake off the rust and recalibrate his equipment. The broadcast opens with a mix of personal updates and sports analysis, specifically focusing on the Buffalo Sabres' recent entry into the playoffs. While the team "backed in" following a Flyers loss, Brad expresses a bittersweet sentiment, wishing the clinching moment had been more decisive. He highlights tonight's game against the Tampa Bay Lightning as a significant milestone on the sports calendar, despite the scheduling conflicts posed by the national championship game and his children's local baseball commitments.

The second half of the show welcomes Scott Wilson, whom Brad describes as a "goldmine of information," to dive into a variety of topics ranging from spring break schedules to a spirited critique of Peeps. Brad shares his struggle with the "extra" days tacked onto school breaks and his refusal to join the PTA, preferring to stick to his volunteer work in youth sports. Between reading live chat comments and discussing Luka Dončić’s injury recovery in Europe, the duo also celebrates Cooper Flagg’s recent scoring explosion. The episode concludes with a look ahead at the week's broadcast schedule, emphasizing the balance between this independent platform and Brad's contributions to traditional sports radio.

Brad opens with an explanation for the show’s late start, joking that “the show didn't start late because I was pooping, chat,” and instead blaming an intentional deep dive into ska music. He describes rediscovering the genre, setting up a checkerboard backdrop, and preparing for a conversation with senior music correspondent Josh Gregory, who joins him for an extended discussion on ska’s history, its 90s revival, and why the music still feels timeless. As Brad puts it, “it's the partiest music of all time,” and the two reminisce about college radio, local bands, and the enduring magic of live horns.

The episode then shifts into updates about Brad’s upcoming week on WGR, where he’ll host from 1–3 PM during the NFL owners meetings, noting that “there won't be Riter Radio shows next week.” Later, Scott Wilson joins for a chaotic and hilarious debate about the infamous 9‑hot‑dogs/9‑beers baseball‑game challenge, with Brad insisting, “I think one or the other I could do without flinching,” while Scott gleefully tries to rope him into doing both. The show closes with sports talk, college basketball notes, and a brief struggle with on‑screen graphics before Brad signs off for the week.

On Episode 284 of Riter Radio, Brad opens with a deep dive into the Sabres’ recent surge, focusing on their resilience, comeback mentality, and the growing national enthusiasm surrounding Buffalo hockey. Hearing familiar voices like Darren Pang triggers a wave of nostalgia as Brad draws parallels between the current team and the mid‑2000s Lindy Ruff era. He reflects on the Sabres’ ability to claw back from deficits in consecutive games, the energy of national broadcasts, and the broader sense that the hockey world wants Buffalo to matter again. Brad also touches on Opening Day baseball, including the Yankees’ early blowout and a Netflix‑sponsored canoe flotilla in McCovey Cove featuring Barry Bonds and Bert Kreischer.

The show then shifts into Brad’s family life: kids’ sports schedules, a 13‑year‑old suddenly obsessed with late‑night driveway basketball, and the ongoing household debate about whether he’s old enough to move cars to clear space under the hoop. Brad recounts Amherst’s winter parking ban, his long‑running feud with his ice maker, and his unapologetic love of cold, stale coffee. The episode winds through tangents about YouTube‑obsessed kids, DVR backlog, ska music, and the joys of old mixtapes before closing with a birthday serenade and a tease for tomorrow’s ska‑themed show and next week’s WGR hosting duties.

Episode 283 opens with Brad admitting he’s fallen behind on uploading shows thanks to the added headache of video production—but it’s not all bad, as he shares a behind-the-scenes look at a fun, low-stress UB football schedule release shoot where he finally got to just “show up and talk” instead of doing everything himself. The episode quickly turns chaotic (in the best way) when he literally breaks a tooth mid-show, then pivots into a high-energy rundown of overlapping sports seasons—Sabres playoff push, MLB Opening Day, March Madness, and full-on youth sports chaos at home, complete with scheduling conflicts and tough parenting decisions.

From there, the show bounces between topics in classic stream-of-consciousness style: meteor sightings and NASA moon base plans, frustrations with streaming-era sports viewing, Sabres playoff math and ticket pricing, and a passionate rant about why rules (like the NBA’s 65-game minimum) shouldn’t bend for one player. Along the way, Brad mixes in music history (birthday shoutouts to Elton John and Aretha Franklin), a near-death story involving Eddie Vedder, and a personal barroom run-in with Soul Asylum—all before wrapping with more sports, tech issues, and the realization that everything—from cloning mice to juggling kids’ schedules—is a little more complicated than it should be.

A freshly showered and unusually self-aware Brad opens the show with absolutely no plan—just vibes, body wash discourse, a deep hatred of dishwashers, and a baffled tour through confusing ESPN headlines—before admitting the entire structure is basically “wait for Bob and then leave early for a mysterious UB football video shoot.” When Bob Gaughan arrives, the chaos sharpens into focus: the two dive from a completely unhinged hypothetical about family-wrecking affairs into legitimately interesting sports talk, including the Buffalo Sabres’ unconventional goalie rotation and whether it could ever work in the playoffs, mutual disdain for the Tampa Bay Lightning, concern over NIL money flattening college basketball’s magic, and questions about whether the Buffalo Bills still need a true No. 1 receiver. By the end, Bob is handing out baseball betting picks, Brad admits he has no idea what he’s doing in fantasy baseball, and the whole thing wraps abruptly—like the show itself never quite decided what it was, but still somehow got where it needed to go.

The show opens with a classic late-night Brad confession—falling asleep during the last two Buffalo Sabres West Coast games despite being built for night-owl viewing—only to wake up and discover increasingly dominant wins, including a 5–0 shutout that extended the team’s absurd scoreless streak to nearly 160 minutes. That momentum sparks a full-on vibe shift, as Brad leans into the idea that if you can’t score, you can’t win, and right now nobody can score on Buffalo. Along the way, there’s a detour into the maybe/debunked death of Chuck Norris (which Brad treats with amused indifference), before diving back into hockey optimism, standings watching, and the feeling that something real is happening with this team. The energy carries into a story about his son faking sick to watch NCAA March Madness—a scheme undone by a snitch friend and some ill-advised trash talk—followed by a live call with Owen Parker breaking down the Sabres’ surge, from elite goaltending rotation to newfound team belief, all reinforcing the sense that this run might actually be legit.

The second half brings in Scott Wilson for a wide-ranging, high-energy dive into March Madness chaos—celebrating underdogs, ripping selection committee bias, and embracing the magic of mid-majors—before spiraling (in the best way) into what becomes the show’s centerpiece: a fully formed, genuinely compelling idea to reinvent the World Baseball Classic by moving its finals to July and turning it into a multi-series, All-Star-break–replacing global event. The concept evolves in real time into a potentially transformative model for Major League Baseball, complete with multiple host cities, best-of series, and true midseason intensity—prompting Brad to half-seriously launch a campaign to get the idea to Rob Manfred. Along the way, there’s classic show texture: bracket philosophy, Saint Mary’s betrayal, Ice-T–themed matchup jokes, a quick hit on the Miami Dolphins cap disaster, and a closing reflection that, between red-hot hockey and wall-to-wall hoops, this might just be a full-on sports renaissance moment—ending with Brad marveling that an ordinary morning turned into one of the most fun, idea-filled episodes yet.