Listener sentiment
The cast overhaul remains the dominant story, but the recent window shows the audience softening slightly rather than hardening: several formerly critical listeners now say the new trio of Sheil Kapadia, Tom Pelissero, and Billy Gil is growing on them, crediting Pelissero's original reporting and even warming to Gil's goofball energy. Still, the loudest reviews remain negative, with a vocal bloc of longtime fans repeating calls to bring back Diante Lee and Steven Ruiz, questioning whether Pelissero's insider persona fits an irreverent show, and finding Gil's meandering comedy bits cringeworthy or unlistenable. Sheil Kapadia is the one constant across both camps — nearly every reviewer, positive or negative, calls him knowledgeable, relatable, and the show's engine. Complaints about thin analysis, forced comedy, heavy ad loads on short episodes, and coverage that ignores most of the league continue to appear, alongside occasional one-star rants about single episodes or lineup decisions. Overall, the sentiment is mixed but stabilizing: the audience remains split between those embracing the new lineup and loyalists mourning the old chemistry, with a small but real trend of the new cast winning over skeptics as the season progresses.
Apple3.0 · 647
Summary generated Oct 9, 2026
