The Fan Football Hour is perfect sports talk radio

Denver is a four-sport town but everybody knows that when it comes to sports talk radio it’s football chatter that pays the bills. Recognizing that simple fact the folks at 104.3 the Fan smartly carved out an entire hour – from 9am to 10am weekdays – specifically for football, college and pro.

The Fan Football Hour is hosted by Fan veteran Mike Evans whose biggest strength as a radio personality might be his ability to allow other personalities to shine. Evans is an excellent interviewer and he comes prepared on a daily basis with strong questions that trigger insightful conversations with an impressive roster of rotating guests.

On Mondays for the full hour of the show former Broncos tight end and television personality Shannon Sharpe pops in. The loquacious Sharpe is never short on opinions and Evans does a fantastic job of needling him along and letting Shannon’s sparks fly. The hour flies by on Mondays.

On Tuesdays the show involves a mix of guests from around the sports media and is highlighted by the fantasy football insights of the Fan’s Ryan Edwards who is a far better “guru” than his predecessor in the role, Nate Lundy. Edwards makes waiver wire recommendations and previews the week to come in fantasy, even making suggestions for plays at DraftKings and FanDuel. Just before the Tuesday show wraps up Evans brings on Rodney Harrison of NBC Sports who, despite having played for the Patriots, always offers informed takes on the Broncos.

Wednesdays on the Fan Football Hour includes the fascinating insight of longtime NFL scout Chris Landry. Landry’s very pragmatic “insider” perspective provides listeners with smart analysis they simply aren’t going to find anywhere else. I always learn something I didn’t know about football listening to Landry. Troy Renk, Broncos’ beat writer from the Denver Post ofter joins Evans on Wednesdays, also.

Thursdays are college-heavy as Evans welcomes his former co-worker and current college lead analyst for Fox Sports, Joel Klatt. Klatt played quarterback for the CU Buffs and he has gone on to wild success in broadcasting. Since he and Evans co-hosted the Fan Morning show together they have great rapport. Their discussions are enjoyable even to folks who don’t much care for college football (like me).

The week typically wraps up on Fridays with more fantasy advice from Ryan Edwards and national perspective from former head coach Brian Billick of Fox Sports and the NFL Network. Additionally, Fridays feature college banter with the PAC12 Network.

The typical morning show jocularity is completely absent from the Fan Football Hour and that’s what makes it so enjoyable. The show is a series of informative interviews coming one after the other in succession with just one topic – football. It’s well produced, well hosted and fast-moving. No other hour in Denver sports talk radio is as enjoyable. It’s perfect sports talk radio.