Part 2: http://myticketconfession.blogspot.com/2010/08/general-unified-theory-of-bad-radio_05.html
After all the verbiage of Parts 1 and 2, Your Plainsman had reached the utterly unremarkable conclusions (1) that Dan McDowell and BaD Radio are the most polarizing of the hosts and showgrams, respectively (a conclusion which seems to have been borne out by the traffic to this site and the comments to the posts); and (2) that Dan McDowell does not wreck BaD Radio and that the showgram is, on balance, a pleasurable listen (a conclusion which is borne out by the fact that it's a number-one show in the market [thanks to Confessor Christy for the research, and if you haven't checked her War-and-Peace-length-comments-and-yes-I-know-I'm-a-fine-one-to-talk comments to Part 2, you should] and has been around with the same two hosts for ten years).
You waded through all those syllables for that?
But there's something else I've concluded about Dan, something that may be utterly wrong, something that may be so utterly wrong that you will question Your Plainsman's judgment. Not that you don't already.
But this conclusion is why I think I, speaking only for myself, find listening to BaD Radio such an off-center experience.
I got to Dallas in 2004. I mostly got to hear The Musers and The Hardline, but I'd catch BaD Radio now and then, and a snippet here and there on the Top 10. Bob and Dan on wife swaps and round tables. And I'm thinking -- Dan: smart guy, quick-witted, but something . . . .
Then The Ticket's fifteenth anniversary arrived. They taped a show where all the hosts sat in two rows. I hadn't ever seen the hosts live and barely knew what they looked like. (I hoped I could find the video to see if my impressions and memories of that broadcast were accurate, but I can't find it anywhere. Jeff C asked The Unticket to remove the video link, and I haven't found it on The Ticket website or You Tube. If any Confessors know where it may be found, I'd be grateful for the advice.) I wasn't paying particular attention to any particular host.
But I sat up when Dan McDowell entered and was introduced.
He appeared to be scared to death. He looked like he would rather have been anywhere but there with his long-time colleagues. Not one indication of pleasure to be there -- a co-host of a top-rated show on one of the most popular and remarkable radio stations in the United States, and he looked like someone had just told him that Dan Bennett was back at Ticket International Headquarters auditing his hard drive.
As I say, I didn't know what Dan looked like at the time, and maybe that's the way he always looks. But I was struck by his facial expressions and body language that night. Surely, as a long-time major host, he must have said something during the panel presentation (and I understand that the broadcast did not capture the entire presentation to the live audience), and I have the very dimmest recollection that he uttered one somewhat sarcastic phrase somewhere along the line -- that I can't swear to -- but other than that I don't remember a single contribution.
From that point, I began to pay attention to Dan's place within the whole structure of The Ticket. And -- I swear, Confessors, if you tell me this is my imagination I will not disagree with you -- I began to notice that his colleagues displayed a very, a very, uh . . . odd attitude toward him.
-- I remember one afternoon long ago on The Hardline. They were out in California, probably at training camp. Mike just mentioned that he'd gone to a concert with Dan McDowell. There was a moment of silence. Corby asked something like: How'd that go? Mike said: Fine. Or maybe it was Fine, fine. He might have said something else that is lost in the mists of time, but I guarantee you it was conspicuously noncommittal. And that was the end of that.
-- I have caught references from time to time that early on in the Bob/Dan partnership, Bob couldn't stand Dan. (I think it was recently, in connection with the anniversary of the "moron dog" episode.) I sometimes wonder when I listen to them how they feel about one another now. Like you always wondered whether Johnny Carson really liked Ed McMahon.
-- Dan gets almost no good-natured joshing from the other hosts. Danny blasted him the other day, but it wasn't good-natured joshing. (See Part 2 -- Danny observed that Dan "bogs crap down.") In fact, he's seldom mentioned at all. Bob is mentioned; Donovan, the newest addition, gets a mention now and then. Dan -- almost never.
-- Again, could be my imagination, but on wife-swaps and round-tables where Dan is present, I get almost no gestalt of warmth between the other hosts and Dan.
-- I keep hearing that BaD Radio is fan-friendly, and I believe it, but it's hard to find much about Dan online. I looked for a photo of Dan by himself and other than rather disrespectful Photoshopped stuff all I could find was that postage-stamp image featured in Part 2. This one, that appeared in a table of a number of local pundits predicting the Cowboys' season game by game:
I realize this has absolutely zero to do with his performance on BaD Radio. But it has something to do with the way I hear him.
I think there's something going on with Dan at The Ticket, something that started when he got there and has not diminished, and may have grown, over the years. Part of it, I speculate, is that he is an insecure guy. This would explain his unfortunate tendency to belittle people who have scant ability to defend themselves. (And some Confessors who defend and like Dan agree with me that this is an unnattractive feature of his broadcasting habits.) Part of it may be nothing more than that somewhere along the line, he has rubbed his Ticket peers the wrong way.
And part of it may be that he's just not comfortable being one of the Ticket guys for reasons that don't emerge on the air. Not a carouser; not a late-night guy; not a hang-around-the-station guy; not some other thing.
Which leads to my final, largely irrelevant, element of the General Unified Theory of BaD Radio:
(3) Dan McDowell is on The Ticket -- but he is not of The Ticket.
This, I think, is why I haven't fully embraced BaD Radio -- because Dan doesn't feel like a full investor to me, even though he's been a steady and popular presence there for a decade. Can I think of an analogy . . . try this: He's the the Mark Teixeira of The Ticket -- a talented performer, but holding the team at arms'-length. And it feels the same way about him.
I was fascinated by the comments to Part 2 of this endless series. Let me quote from a first-rate comment left by Anonymous, who is a firm fan of BaD Radio:
"[Dan] makes people uncomfortable. He goes places people don't like. And he enjoys doing it. And it's interesting to listen to. Dan is the only guy you really never know what he's gonna say. * * * BaD Radio is definitely harder to listen to than Musers or Hardline. It's the most un-Ticket-like. Or is it the most?"
It sounds like Anonymous and I would agree that Dan is something of an outlier at The Ticket. He finds it a virtue, as do some other Confessors who have left comments.
I agree that he makes people uncomfortable. I'm one of them. I'm thinking that some of the others draw their paychecks from Cumulus Media, Inc.
It's Great to Listen to The Ticket. But as I sit here in the hot, hot summer of 2010, it's only Good to Listen to BaD Radio.
But it is Good.
=======
Well, we've come a long way. I'd been putting this off for a long time. As George C. Scott said at the end of his opening speech in "Patton": All right now, you sons of bitches -- you know how I feel. (I am sure that no Confessors are actually sons or other offspring of bitches.)
Thanks to all Confessors and visitors for your patience, and Thank You for Shopping at My Ticket Confession.
I will be listening even closer now to see if everyone hates Dan.
ReplyDeleteO fine P1 Steven, I don't think anyone hates Dan. I just sense that there's a distance there, some kind of mutual unease. Maybe he's just not interested in the boys- club hijinx. I don't know what it is, and I may be completely misreading the situation. But when I consider the interpersonal dynamics that, let's face it, make the Ticket what it is, Dan just seems slightly off to the side to me. No, I don't think anyone hates the guy.
ReplyDeleteLet me be clear: I don't, either. Every host does something that drives us nuts. Dan's tics seem more dramatic to me, but I still listen to him and Bob and Donovan with pleasure.
Maybe the Mark Teixeira analogy was too strong.
P1 Steven, you are a premier P1 -- did anything in this post ring true to you, or did you find it mostly a crock?
Funnily, this was a topic I meant to touch on in my epic comment. I don't have an ultimate opinion to add, but here's the incident I was going to bring up:
ReplyDeleteI remembered tension between Dan and Gordo during one of the earlier Ticket Compounds (in which all the hosts were forced to live in a house for a week and they could broadcast at any odd hour of the night). I wish I could provide audio, but I never thought I'd have use for Ticket podcasts from 2006 (if anyone has kept all/most of the podcasts, I'm looking for the BaD Radio one titled "Ticket Compound Problems" and dated 04/11/06. I see it on iTunes (#92), but it doesn't play).
When that year's compound started out, it seemed like Dan was trying to be as cool/funny/edgy as Gordo and trying to be all buddy/buddy with him. Gordo, of course, promptly played up to his persona (per Anonymous from the last post) and seemed to crap all over those aspirations (kinda insinuating that Dan wasn't part of the cool crowd). Example (which I think the audio would have supported): Gordo ate Dan's special vegetarian meals (pizza, maybe?). As I write that last sentence, it all seems petty, but hey man. Eating someone else's food is not cool!
My point in originally bringing up this incident is that Dan has come a long way from that guy who was trying to make Gordo his leader. I remembered thinking Dan wouldn't be able to win this PR battle with the P1s because Gordo was too popular a host. Now, Dan has come into his own Ticket personality with his own P1 following. But, maybe I just wasn't able to make the next leap that Mr. Plainsman did: while he's his own man (because he's 40), he still hasn't gotten in with the cool crowd.
Like I said, I don't have an ultimate opinion on this post and like P1 Steven, I'll be listening a little harder for the truth.
Just to throw out some more food for thought:
- Wouldn't the evolution of WTDS into a never-ending mix-and-mingle (j-o) session and one of the most popular daily Ticket segments prove that Dan's part of the team (btw, Mr. Plainsman, you still haven't written about WTDS, yet)? Or, does the emergence of WTDS go back to the second conclusion made by Mr. Plainsman - that Dan and his polarizing ways do not prevent BaD Radio from being successful?
- Dan's situation (if there is one) sort of parallels the Dez Bryant/won't carry Roy Williams's pads incident. There's no one actual hazing event that we know about, but the outcome's the same.
- Maybe the other guys are subconsciously distancing from a co-host who will so readily and overtly throw his producer under the bus on the air. Sure, they all will blow up occasionally at each other, but who has his own montage of angry outbursts at a co-worker? We all thought Corby, Danny, and Mike's throwing jabs at Greggo was all in good fun.
- In Dan's defense regarding the 15th Anniversary show and the little participation from him, BaD Radio addressed that (at the 11:19 mark till the end).
I would completely agree there is distance. How much? Just a little... But can you blame them? Like Christy's last point. We have all worked with the co-worker we get along with, but in the back of the mind is the knowledge they can go PURE APE SHIT for no REAL reason. Even if the good times ARE truely good, you have that fear of WHAT IF?? Once again, Dan seems like an old man who is set in his ways. Doesnt want to go sight seeing on road trips, rents two cars for family trips (great idea), gets his OWN room on road trips (cant be cheap). He just wants to be left alone and do his own thing. But maybe we could be all wrong & reading into this too much.
ReplyDeleteChristy, you must have internalized every offhand comment I've ever made on this site. I thought about writing something on Why Today Doesn't Suck, but since I'd pretty much tried everyone's patience with the three-parter, I thought I'd save it for another time.
ReplyDeleteI understand that it is a popular segment. Not with me, and not necessarily because of Dan or any of the personalities. I find it both noisy and dull at the same time. I turn it way down until The Hardline theme comes on.
I may study up on it and write more at a later date.
Good conclusion, and I think it's on-target. A couple thoughts:
ReplyDelete1. The other Ticket hosts go out of their way to defend Dan (for example, when eBrake voters slam him). I don't know if they have to or want to, but they do. We'll probably never know who, if anyone, likes Dan, but I think it's clear they know he is a valuable part of The Ticket.
2. If you work with any number of folks, in any capacity, there are simply going to be "loners," or folks who hold the scene at arms length. In fact, that's probably me in my work scene. It's simple statistics that the more people you have in a group, the more variety you get in personalities, and sooner or later you're going to have someone who is a bit aloof.
3. That said, do we really need another Ticket host who has completely bought into everything? Homogeny is a weakness. Dan's aloofness brings a lot of radio gold. Can you imagine how stale Bob would be paired with Rhynes or Junior? Even Donovan (the supposed Yuck Money, a.k.a. "Wild Card") seems afraid to shake things up these days.
P.S. If Gribble were my Producer, I'd blow up at him, too. I think a lot of us would. :)
The commenters all know more about BaD Radio than I do. Apparently Dan's apparent estrangement is no big secret.
ReplyDeleteJust a rew reactions.
First: I have never heard another host defend Dan in any but the most absolutely necessary and perfunctory way. When someone calls in and says "Fire Dan," the host has no choice but to say "no, we wouldn't want to do that." They can't agree with it on the air, and they can't let it go without an answer, which would amount to the same thing. But I've never even a brief statement of support for Dan by any host. In fact, I never hear anything about him at all. However, there may be examples I don't know about.
Second: I'd say that most of the distinguished commenters defend Dan because he's different, dares to interrupt the droning Bob, never know what outrage he will commit next, etc. That's a defensible position. To me it's the kind of shock-jock radio I hope not to run into on The Little One. Purely a personal preference.
Third: I know almost nothing about Gribble. If he's a liability, get him out of there, but don't bring your pissy HR rants to the air. It's a no-class move.
Fourth: Absolutely I've worked with guys (chicks too) who were batshit or aloof or difficult. I wanted them gone. That kind of "diversity" adds nothing to a workplace -- especially a workplace explicitly requiring teamwork.
As I say, Dan doesn't even come close to wrecking BaD Radio. He just renders it a more difficult -- perhaps, to be generous, I should call it a "challenging" listen.
I get challenges every day at work. I listen to The Ticket for other reasons.
Hey, Steven, James, Anonymous, T4, Christy, everyone -- thanks a lot for clicking over and for your thoughtful comments.
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ReplyDeletePlainsman and commenters: I thoroughly enjoyed reading the extremely detailed commentary on the BaD radio experience. It will definitely make me pay more attention to the dynamic between Dan & the other hosts.
ReplyDeleteOddly enough, WTDS one of the reasons I started listening to the ticket... If only to try and figure out what the hell "WELLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL" came from. I don't know why, but WELLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL just makes me laugh, especially when Donovan makes it all drawn out.
For all the talk about loners:
ReplyDeleteWhat about the Great Gordo?
This site and many other people hold Mr. Keith in high regard:
"incredibly talented, both witty and funny, an astounding mimic, possessing a fabulously associative intellect, all of it wired to operate at maximum speed so that even if you thought of something clever, interesting, or cutting to say, he always managed to say it first and get the laugh or the grasp of the admiring female gaze"
Your problem with Gordon, Mr. Plainsman, is when he baits his co-hosts, be it George or Mike Doocy and stops down the show.
But before Dan, Gordo was and still is notorious for being a loner on road trips; for keeping his eyes glued to his laptop and not look up; for sabotaging comedy movie night with the boys because no one can be as funny as he is so he has to talk through the movie; for making his round table co-hosts uncomfortable and in my eyes, ruining the banter (but to each his own); and for resorting to juvenile tactics to bring attention onto himself.
Also, The Great Gordo as heard on The Ticket is a persona. He never talks about his personal life and every host respects that. I'm told he's married in real life and has kids. Maybe that puts distance between him and the others who are a little more open about their families. Maybe it doesn't. I'm just throwing out another way he might not be seen as one of the boys.
Of all the main Ticket personalities, I feel Gordo is the least likely to listen to the station - his job is not to be sportsy (which might also distance him from the other hosts); he has many, many other activities; and he never seems to up to date on the latest Ticket bit.
An aside: I think George, Corby, and Bob are the most likely to be listening.
I hope people can discuss why Gordo's a different creature than Dan is even though they're similar guys. I'll throw out possible theories:
- Aside from George and Bob, most of the guys will readily go down whatever uncomfortable road The Devil's Own is curving out so there's not really distance between Mr. Keith and his co-hosts as it is tense excitement.
- Gordo is pretty much an original cast member of the station and is an extremely popular Ticket personality, and our high school instincts say we definitely want to be in with the cool crowd
- Mr. Keith has a nasty knack for turning any conversation against himself onto the other person
John DLN, very glad you enjoyed the articles and comments. I personally find the "Wellllll" overused (it seems to be diminishing) and of uncertain comedic content. This is one of those Ticket inside things I don't have any history with, so may be it's more meaningful to others.
ReplyDeleteChristy: I'm going to write more about Gordon in the months to come. Suffice it to say that I agree with most of what you say -- there's a definite wariness of Gordon among the hosts and I think your other observations are astute. However: (1) Gordon is not strictly a host. (2) They rely on Gordon for an enormous amount of content. The guy has to be on his laptop all the time either writing or researching his bits. (3) People who are as talented and prolific as Gordon get a pass when it comes to being "one of the boys." Yeah, he thrashes me from time to time, and the day has already arrived where his more puerile gags are embarrassing coming from someone his age, but the gang (seems to me) regards him in an entirely different way than they regard Dan. They frequently mention Gordon in teasing, jabbing ways -- they don't touch Dan.
As we know "WELL" goes to any person who has ever played/lived/ or was born in Ohio/cleveland. The goal for Dan & Bob is to slip one pass the guys.
ReplyDeleteI had no idea that's what that was about. Any idea how it got started?
ReplyDeleteNo idea how it got started, but Wisconsin as WELL. I know it has been going on as long as I have listened since 2002ish
ReplyDeleteWho knew it would be fun to over analyze The Ticket?
ReplyDeleteWe’ve completely forgotten the most obvious and frequent way the guys make fun of Dan: his voice. And they love playing the drops from Dan’s confrontations with Dale and Norm. Oh, and there’s his supposed Cleveland homering.
When the other hosts bring up how much time Gordo spends on his laptop, they're usually referring to how he does it at the exclusion of hanging out with the guys.
I don’t disagree that Gordo plays an important and distinctive role on The Ticket. He brings up non-sportsy subjects on “Muse In the News,” “Gordo’s Observation Deck,” and "Gordo's Corner." Because of this, like you’ve pointed out, Gordo is “the one guy who seems like he might read news articles all the way to the end.” To paraphrase what Jane McGarry said today, he’s very learned. And for all his declarations of being sports stupid, he’s clearly a sports fan and he pays enough attention to make the 8:40 bit hilarious.
But I can’t go along with the implication that the other hosts don’t do as much work as Gordo does or don’t need to be on their laptops as much as Gordo is. Let’s set aside for a second the fact that he has other jobs other than talking on the radio. Unless I’m mistaken, he’s not paid by the station to write, keep up his own website, or put together video news packages although I'm sure they don't mind the free publicity by way of association.
The other hosts are responsible for more segments than Gordo is. They’re supposed to be (not necessarily the case, of course) up to date on at least 3 major sports teams and know the latest minute statistics for each. On the last White Elephant Day, Bob and Corby talked about most of the hosts’ need to prove their sportsy-ness. For example, Mike memorizes the entire roster of non-local professional sports teams. Norm and Bob are both noted for keeping up with extensive sports data.
My saying they’re supposed to know is a subjective statement. I think the radio hosts are asked by management to be entertaining above all else. Otherwise, they'd all sound like Bob and Norm.
This whole discussion is pretty silly stuff so I’ll throw out one more ridiculous opinion. I think on paper Corby has one of the hardest jobs at the station. When Corby became co-host of The Hardline, he didn’t stop being the show’s yuck monkey. He not only has to keep up with the local sports teams and their sports world (along with college football, tennis, and golf), but he also has to keep up with the local community (Community Quick Hits), entertainment (Entertainment News For You), and his own persona (Snake Pit, wireless).
Christy, you obviously listen to The Ticket more often than I do. I have no recollection of a host making fun of Dan's voice, although I do hear Bob imitations from time to time.
ReplyDeleteAs for the hosts working hard, I'm sure some of them do. It is rather obvious that some work harder than others.
I put Gordon's labors in a different category. He doesn't just participate in a show, he creates original written material for The Ticket and his other gigs. That is incredibly time-consuming, and he does it on the fly. The man works hard. I'm not saying he's not a loner and nonparticipant in the life of the station the way some of the other on-air guys are. And he's clearly not everyone's favorite at The Little One. But he's deemed a worthy target of other hosts' commentary and teasing. They put Dan in a different "loner" category entirely, it seems to me.
But I'll tell you, I've learned a lot reading the comments, so maybe I'll need to revisit the BaD Radio story in a few months. Maybe Dan will grow on me.
Plainsman - thank you for producing these blog posts. Really appreciate your opinions.
ReplyDeleteBaD radio is by far my fav Ticket show, and WTDS is by far my favorite segment of the show. I have about 70 WTDS episodes on my ipod -- I originally was going to listen to them while I work out, but it is hard to bench press 250 lbs when you are laughing :-)
Re: Dan. He does not strike me as someone who I would necessarily want to hang out with, but when he is gone and it is just Bob and Donnie, there is something missing. Kind of like how I can't stand mayo on its own, but enjoy eating dishes that have mayo a small but essential ingredient.
Dan is like Zach Galafinakis to me -- great as part of an esemble, but probably should not carry a show on his own even though he had his own gig in OH. He seems to be a bit of a moody radio savant - knows his faults, knows that we know them, not quite sure whether to act like it is okay that we know, pretend that he is faultless, or just go full jerk mode. Somedays he can be bothered to go along with the "radio personna," sometimes, he just wants it to be over. Seems to really miss his family on these excursions, but tries to pretend like it is great to be away from home. OTOH, seems like Bob and Donnie constantly realize that they have a job that we think we would kill for, and try to embrace it.
Bob is my leader - religious, nerdy, long-winded. I often wonder who he handles the bawdy humor of The Ticket given his religious sensibilities. I myself often wonder if it is something I should be partaking in, but then usually someone says something funny and I lose that thought.
BTW, is it me, or does it seem like Bob is Norm's natural successor as "The Dean" of The Ticket both on air and off. When that day comes, I see Bob as the anchor for draft days, Cowboy post-game, etc. Can you imagine Sturm bullying callers for 2 hours post-game or on Cowboy mondays?!
The excellence of these comments -- I KNEW that The Ticket had listeners who wanted to say more than "Corby sux." Wonderful stuff.
ReplyDeleteBlue Moon, your observations ring completely true. It sounds like most of the commenters "know" Dan better than I do, and have considerable sympathy for quirks and are even fond of them. Hey, it's legit -- just hasn't grabbed me yet.
Those of you who are big fans of BaD seem to be attracted to its "slice of life" aspects -- like the fascination of watching a squabbling family. Like "reality" TV.
I have another enormous, huge, revolutionary HSO about BaD Radio, but it's so out there that I'm fearful of voicing it. Christy, mark your calendar and remind me in a year.
Oh come on, let's see the revolutionary HSO now! Throw caution to the wind!
ReplyDeleteI wonder what the hosts would have to say if they read all these articles and comments... I know that Grubes was on here commenting at one point, but it'd be fascinating to get their take on how they all view each other. Never going to happen, but it'd be a good read I'm sure.
Got you down on my 1 year from now to do list.
ReplyDeleteBtw, have you considered putting a comment update table on the side of the blog that reveals the first sentence of the 3-5 most recent comments or some such?
A big word to all of Blue Moon's post. While part of The Ticket's fun is its guy humor, I am thankful for George and Bob and their more conservative natures being part of the Ticket team and representing my sensibilities.
In Full Disclosure, Norm said he both admires and is taken aback by how much time hosts are asked to spend on the job and do things for the P1s (Ticket Stock, the compound, the athletic events, Fight Night, etc.). As Blue Moon said, perhaps Dan the family man feels like it's too much time to be spent away from his young daughters and wife.
Speaking of the Ticket's athletic events and going back to the original post topic, Dan was supposed to be the Cliff Lee of this year's Great Game after a remarkable pitching performance last year - he was even the 1st pick in the draft! But he turned out to be a Scott Feldman, instead...
Then The Musers purposefully gave Dan the Hitler mustache going against a previously agreed upon term of the Mustache Wheel bet (interesting...thanks to this blog, I'm looking at that ordeal in a slightly different, maybe clearer light now...) and leader of the clubhouse Corby had to appeal for Dan after much BaD Radio protestations...
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ReplyDeleteChristy: I'd forgotten the Dan Moustache caper. Yes, that did seem slyly engineered to target Dan, didn't it? It fits in with my theory. It was a way to "get" Dan with a bit that seemed random, that let them gig him while claiming innocence.
ReplyDeleteI have no idea if any hosts read this. Before I got much circulation here, on rare occasions where I'd written a particularly suggestive piece I would mail it to Ticket guys, but I've stopped doing that. These guys get so much email, and they are so accustomed to the media spotlight and an avalanche of comments on GrubesIsMyLeader and The UnTicket and the occasional Sportatorium article, I doubt our offerings here get much notice by the stars of The Ticket. If they do read, I hope they note the praise as well as the constructive criticism. I do think management may check in from time to time -- as I've written before, I occasionally get a note from Jeff C. And, as noted, we do occasionally hear from staff.
And let's face it: The Ticket seems to be doing pretty well without heeding Your Plainsman's sagacious offerings.
John DLN: My BaD Radio speculation is simply too, too hot for disclosure at this time. I've finally got a few people reading, but I'd probably lose a fair number of them with this particular HSO. Also: Commenters have given me a new perspective on BaD, and I need to listen more often to see if my current 61% approval of BaD Radio might rise into the 80s or higher. So you'll have to hang on for a bit.
The moustache wheel was 100% random. Ironic result, but totally random.
ReplyDeleteGypo, you sound like an insider so I have to credit your account.
ReplyDeleteHowever, it is less significant that the result was random than that absolutely nobody believes it was.
And, by the way, Gypo, a hearty welcome to My Ticket Confession. All Marx Brothers are treasured visitors.
Plainsman,
ReplyDeleteI enjoy your work. I find your opinions to be very similar to mine on Ticket matters. Twenty-five years ago when I entered the key demographic I would have probably leaned toward theunticket, I guess I am mellowing some.
You have spent time recently addressing BaD radio, the other showgrams and syndication. My thoughts.
While driving around the other day, the rhyme and reason for why The Ticket works for me became apparent. I start my day in the car around 6:15. I get to work around 7am and listen throughout the day online. I spend a lot of time at my desk, although I do travel some. Typically, I leave the office around 4 and make it home by 5 or 5:30. Here is why it all works for me.
Musers - they are very good, they are funny, they have some sports chops. On the way in, and as I settle into my daily routine, I need that structure. I can
count on the 6:40 replay within 45 - 90 seconds, everyday. I can count on a summary of the previous days sports and scores, and general commentary on what happened the night before, since I sometimes get no viewing time. I usually stay with the Musers til the end each day.
Norm - By 10 am, I have most of my emails answered, my day figured out and a list of things to accomplish. I have had my humor mixed with overview from the
Musers. I know that Norm will cover some of the same things, but in detail. I also know that Norm will cover horse racing and other random things. Those are usually immediate punch-outs for me. The beauty is, I can now schedule meetings or other items that require me to be away from my desk. And, should I need to
leave the office for lunch (seldom), I can either do that during the end of Norm
or beginning of BaD.
Bad - interesting dynamic. I am not a fan of Dan. Like your thoughts, I can see why some are, but I can't get there. I do like Donovan. Bob is a kindred
spirit because we have very similar past experiences due to growing up conservative. I respect Bob's sports skills. I like their show, in that, I can
take it or leave it. When I hear something teased that sounds interesting, it is usually good and I am glad to have listened. Again, Dan bits are usually a
quick punch out. So, I can continue to schedule meetings or be out of the office, without the feeling that I have missed something.
WTDS - I almost consider this a show unto itself. I hate to miss this segment and have wound most of my commitments down each day. I either catch it online,
or listen live on the way back from appts. It is complete chaos and allows me to forget stress for 20 minutes. Sometimes it is good, sometimes not, but at any moment, it can be priceless.
Hardline - What to say here. This show, more than any other, has really evolved over the last 10 years I have been back in Dallas. I moved back from OKC, and
really got into sports radio for the first time in my life up there. It is VERY caller driven there. In the beginning, I hated The Hardline. It took me about
2 weeks to figure it out. Now, when I am in OKC, I can't take the Sports Talk there. I usually drive around with a Sprint card in my laptop streaming The Ticket. The Hardline allows me to continue to de-stress as I wind down the
day. I try to be in the car for E-news. This usually gets me home, or shortly there after. But, it is also somewhat chaotic. I can't count on much with The
Hardline, but that is ok, my day is over and I can roll with it.
I really think if the shows moved around, I would not listen as much. I could NOT do the Hardline in the morning. Too crazy for starting my day. Norm or BaD
in the morning would be bad, if the Musers came at 10 or 11. I would have to move appts to early or late. Most of our folks do meetings after 9am, so I would be screwed. Musers at 3 would require me to listen to the whole show, something my wife would not appreciate at home.
In summary, I wonder how many other folks listen for the same reasons... if it fits
their day.
Scott
First, I love reading your blogs. Great work, man.
ReplyDeleteSecond, I wanted to share some observations about Dan that I have formed from a couple of BaD Radio Roadshows. Most recently, BaD Radio was broadcasting at First State Bank in Denton. Since Freebird’s opened up just down the way, I figured I could kill two birds with one stone and check out the area. When I walked into the bank, Bob and Dan were in the middle of a segment so I stood back to the side and waited for a commercial break. I happened to catch Donovan’s eye so I did a tiny wave and he waved back. (As someone who is easily starstruck, I get very excited to see these guys in person. My husband says it embarrasses him. Eh.) Once the segment was over, Donovan took off his headphones and started looking around. I thought it would be okay to approach him so I did. We made small talk and while you could tell he was probably only chatting with me to be nice, he was also asking follow-up questions about things I was doing, yada, yada, yada. My friend took our picture (told you I was starstruck), and we parted ways. We stuck around for a few more minutes and I noticed that at no time did Bob or Dan ever take off their headphones. They sat there thumbing through some notebooks and making some doodle marks, etc. A woman approached them at one point to sign a book, and Dan signed it and handed it back. No eye contact, no conversation, no taking off of the headphones. At Hooky Palace, I have noticed Dan usually rushes off for a restroom break or outside, so I have yet to snap a pic or talk with him the way I have with Donovan.
I’m sure these guys may get tired of having to entertain people and make small talk when they go on these roadshows, but isn’t that kind of the point of roadshows? To see the fans and shake hands and kiss babies? I have seen George Dunham out before (my husband coaches at the school his kids attend(ed)), and he is always so nice. Always asks how I’m doing and how things are looking for my husband’s team. And of course Donovan is always pleasant, too. I have heard grumblings before that Bob and Dan weren’t the most gracious hosts on roadshows, but I am wondering if this has been anyone else's experience. It completely turned me off and since I only listen to a few segments on BaD Radio anyway, I was in no hurry to catch the rest of the show. I would be very interested in hearing your thoughts. Maybe I shouldn’t expect them to be so open and personable. Maybe I’m the problem, not them. It does seem, however, that Dan comes off in an unflattering way, and I can understand why you say Dan is ON the Ticket, but not OF the Ticket. (Doesn't explain Bob's behavior, but what can you do?)
Joanessa, thanks for the very kind words. Your post is interesting from a couple of standpoints.
ReplyDeleteFirst, other folks who have commented here and who have sent me emails (I'd always prefer that readers share comments with everyone, but email is OK if you prefer) have said that BaD Radio generally is extremely P1-friendly. However, those comments tend to relate to returning emails, and not interpersonal warmth at remotes. I have only stumbled into one remote (Hardline) and didn't want to bother them. I was too busy chatting with a surly TicketChick to try to get a T-shirt.
Second, the legend has it that BaD Radio is the destination of choice for the ladies. I can see why -- it's the least blue of the shows. (Norm is less blue, but it's 100% sports.) So I'd think they might reach out.
Third, I do think that hosts do segment prep during ads. But I do think that the whole idea of remotes is to extend some goodwill to (1) the P1 Nation and (2) customers of their sponsor/host for the show.
Thanks for the interesting comment and thanks for shopping at My Ticket Confession.