The General Unified Theory of BaD Radio -- PART 1

I've been putting this one off for awhile.  But it's time.

Confessors, I need help.  I have a problem.

People ask me, "Why don't you write about BaD Radio?"

Actually  .  .  .  no one has ever asked me that.  Wait, I think Confessor Christy did once.

But this is supposed to be a website about The Ticket, the whole Ticket and nothing but The Ticket.  And there's this enormous midday gap in my reportage.  I need to do something about it.

At first, I had the excuse that I seldom heard BaD Radio.  There comes a time during my work day when I have to perform the illusion of doing useful work for my employer, and I figure it starts maybe a little more than an hour from the end of The Musers (I switch off before the 8:40 gag segment, since I'm going to hear it on the way to work the next day), and somewhere in the middle of What's on Mike's Mind.  So I miss Norm and BaD, usually.

But the truth is that I'm in my car a fairish amount after noon, and, of course, recently BaD had The Hardline's slot.  So I've heard enough to be able to comment on it with some small familiarity.

Get to the point, you say.   (If you say that, you haven't been reading this site very often.)

Your Confessor's aim with My Ticket Confession is to comment on The Ticket with fairness.  And since It's indeed Great to Listen to The Ticket, I try to keep the site generally positive and, when I can't be positive, at least even-handed.  I leave it to you to decide whether I've succeeded.

You know where I'm headed.

After six years of listening to The Ticket, I'm having some trouble warming up to BaD Radio.

Why is this my problem?

Well, jeez, I mean, BaD Radio is a very popular showgram.  Bob and Dan have been together for a decade.  I don't know where they fall in the ratings for that time of day, but I'm guessing they're right up there.

The reasons are not hard to see.  They pull some very good interviews.  They've got some good bits, like Homer Call and Gay/Not Gay, although some Confessors have complained to me that the latter segment has deteriorated in recent months (the boys apparently have stopped actually passing judgment on what is G/NG).  

Most important, listeners I respect like BaD Radio very much.  Several have told me it is their favorite showgram.  I credit that.   Thus, it must be my problem.

And yet, when I have it on for any period of time, I find myself wondering what Krys Boyd's got going on over on KERA 90.1 FM or whether I can pull in some jazz from Denton on KNTU 88.1 FM.

But since so many people love BaD Radio, including some influential Confessors, my somewhat-south-of-indifference attitude has got to be wrong, misinformed, a lapse of judgment or taste, something.   So why do I keep shrugging off this long-lived and very popular showgram?

I have a theory about BaD Radio. 

My theory doesn't make my problem go away, but it at least explains it.  That's a start. 

Let's take a look at the BaD Radio showgram:

I like Bob Sturm quite a bit.  Yes, his interviews are, mm, shall we say, discursive -- he deserves every bit of teasing he gets for long-windedness in interrogating showgram guests.  The guy is the absolute Pope of Subordinate Clauses.  (And, as you Confessors know, I have been known to employ a subordinate clause now and again myself.)   But he and Junior Miller are the sharpest sports minds on The Ticket.  (Norm is very interesting and gives a strong impression of knowledgeability, but his judgments tend to be, uh, somewhat, shall we say, colorful.  How does he do on the ponies?)   Bob is somewhat thin-skinned and peevish, and he does give off a vibe of very healthy self-regard.  He's also one of those guys who can be funny, but does not himself have a sensational sense of humor.  These are minor matters.  I very much like listening to him for his astute commentary, whether on BaD Radio, Cowboys pre-game, round tables, wife-swap, draft-day guest -- wherever he pops up, he's going to say something worth hearing.  His blog analyses are top-notch.  I count among my friends some of the most sophisticated pro football observers in the city, and, while they are not Ticket listeners, they greatly respect Bob's blog.  That sports expertise is actually something of a breath of fresh air on The Little One.  So -- good on Bob.

I also think very highly of Donovan Lewis.  He's excellent with Rich Phillips (an underrated on-air presence himself) running Black 'n' Quack, and his Cowboy pregame with Bob is also quite good, as is his post-game with Norm.  I've heard some criticism of Donovan, but I don't get it.  He's well-informed, enjoyable to listen to, good for some yuks.  He and his colleagues on The Ticket play his race at a pitch-perfect level.  It isn't exploited, but it's acknowledged and the humor related to his unique status on the station is effective without being offensive.   He's also good on the BaD showgram itself.  When they toss him a segment, it always attracts my interest.

That leaves Dan McDowell.

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Part 2 of The General Unified Theory of BaD Radio will appear in a few days.