Dukes & Bell Keep Atlanta Hooked on 5 Hours of Daily Sports Talk on 92.9 The Game

​This week’s eavesdropping feature will start with a bit of an apology. On behalf of everyone in the business, I want to apologize to veteran sports talk hosts Carl Dukes and Mike Bell, who make up the Dukes & Bell afternoon drive show on Audacy’s 92.9 The Game in Atlanta. Nobody—and I mean nobody—should have to do 25 hours of sports talk radio per week, as this show does, airing weekdays from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. ET. So, sorry you have to do that, fellas.

Nobody wants to host for five hours a day, and nobody wants to listen to anyone host for five hours a day. Personally, I think more than two hours is too much for any one host or set of hosts. However, I can understand why, in certain circumstances, three hours makes sense. Four is just too much, and, well, five is just unfair to everyone. With that off my chest, I will say—these guys make it work, mainly because they are that good.

Dukes and Bell bring a dynamic and engaging approach to sports commentary, and both have done so for a long time. Carl Dukes has over 20 years of experience in radio and television. Before joining 92.9 The Game, he worked in the format in San Antonio and Houston. Mike Bell was a prominent figure on 790 The Zone for 16 years until mid-2014 when he made the move over to the FM sports station. Both hosts are incredibly engaging and seem to have great knowledge of not just the Atlanta sports market but of sports in general, making it easy to see why the show is one of the top-rated sports talk programs in Atlanta.

I tuned in for the first hour of their show on Friday, March 7, and found a great mix of fun energy, insider information, and strong opinions.

The show has a signature way of starting each day and each hour, with the two hosts yelling out, “Hey, man!”—and then they’re off to the races. As this hour began, the hosts were talking about how they were at State Farm Arena the previous night for 92.9 The Game Night, which sounded like it was a lot of fun. The hosts got to hang out courtside, interact with fans, and do giveaways during breaks in the game.

That Hawks game against the Pacers was the main topic early on, as the guys noted the team had a slow start but fought back to win. Trae Young had a big night, not just scoring but also dropping 16 assists. As the hosts broke the game down, they weren’t just reading a box score; they were providing a lot of context about what happened and what it means for the team moving forward.

Next, they switched gears to NFL free agency, and you could tell the hosts love talking about the Falcons—their passion kicked into a higher level. They discussed how the team hadn’t made any big moves yet, even though a lot of other teams were already clearing cap space and signing players. The frustration was real.

Later, former NFL player and current CBS Sports NFL analyst Bryant McFadden joined the show. McFadden basically called out teams for being cheap in free agency, saying that if you want a winning team, you have to pay for talent.

The trio also hit on the Falcons’ quarterback situation with both Kirk Cousins and Michael Penix Jr. on the roster. McFadden was very direct, saying the Falcons should just cut ties with Cousins and move on.

They also had some fun trying to guess which teams have a chance to make a huge leap in 2025—or even go from ‘worst to first.’ In the end, the Bears and Cardinals were the two teams discussed, mostly because of Caleb Williams and Kyler Murray at quarterback.

I liked how, in this hour, Dukes and Bell covered a wide range of topics and weren’t afraid to revisit key discussions, knowing their audience had likely turned over. When they returned to the Hawks, they focused on what head coach Quin Snyder had said after the game and gave their take on Trae Young’s defensive improvement.

Then, to really make sure they covered it all, they checked in on the Braves at Spring Training. One of the big storylines they were following was Ian Anderson, a pitcher coming back from injury and trying to prove he still belongs in the rotation. However, since he’s out of minor league options, he could find himself not just out of the rotation but out of a job entirely, at least with Atlanta.

Mike Bell also brought up the idea that the Braves should extend Ronald Acuña Jr. sooner rather than later—before his price skyrockets.

As the hour wound down, the guys played a clip of Charles Barkley going off on ESPN, calling them out for only talking about the Lakers and Warriors instead of teams like the Cavs or the Thunder, who, according to Barkley, are playing great basketball. “Y’all are idiots!” Barkley said, mostly about Kendrick Perkins. Dukes and Bell had some fun with the topic and shared their own frustrations about how national sports media always pushes the same teams, even when better storylines exist.

Overall, I was entertained, I was informed, and the time I spent with Dukes & Bell flew by. As I listened, I kept thinking to myself that these guys are the very definition of a pro’s pro.

I can’t imagine being on the air for that long each day, but if anyone can do it, it’s Carl Dukes and Mike Bell. I just know that five hours per day makes me think less “Hey, man!” and more “C’mon, man!”

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