The Big Show (sports Radio Show) - The Whiner Line

The Whiner Line

"The Whiner Line" was a regular feature which consisted of listeners calling in and leaving complaints on a voicemail system, which was played at the end of the show. Complaints covered a wide range of subjects, including sports teams and stars, the hosts, other listeners, celebrities, current events and local politicians. The messages often included impersonations of celebrities and local figures.

There were numerous running jokes on the Whiner Line, many of which were by local comedian Graig Murphy, who performed impersonations which include Tom Menino, Robert Kraft, Terry Francona, Grady Little, Shannon Sharpe, Harry Kalas, Deval Patrick and Dave Lewis. Other impersonations included Glenn Ordway, Mikey Adams, Johnny Damon, Carson Kressly, Bob Neumeier, Borat, Roger Clemens, Eddie Andelman, Bill Clinton, Fred Smerlas, Don Imus, Bill Walton, Edna Jacobson, Dale Arnold, the Senior Senator Ted Kennedy, Wilford Brimley and Dick Radatz, as well as a caller who compiled Red Sox and Patriots-themed top-ten lists, a Mary Carillo impersonator which was accompanied by an impersonation of Morgan Freeman bragging he built the Batmobile, a Beavis and Butthead parody, "Dyedadye Guy" a caller whose comments were parody songs based on Simon & Garfunkel's "The Boxer", a caller who simply called Glenn Ordway a "Fat Bastard", a man simply known as the "Accordion Guy" who created parody songs to the sound of an accordion, a caller known as the "Man on the Way Up", who called regularly and was insulted by the hosts, a caller with a Southern accent, a caller with an Irish accent, known as "The Cardinal", and a caller known as "The $5 Guy" who frequently threatened co-host Steve DeOssie with revenge for supposedly stealing $5 from him (The $5 Guy) in the late 1970s. Former WEEI co-host and Boston Herald sports columnist Michael Felger has been a target of jokes on the Whiner Line.

The Big Show hosted an annual event known as "The Whiny Awards", a tribute to the best "Whiner Line" callers of the year.