In the last post's epic thread of comments on DryDock, I mentioned how healthy the hits were whenever that time of year rolled around. That prompted a response from one Michael Krenek, who wrote:
Your hits are up during dry dock because all of us Ticket spares are refreshing the site every 5 minutes to see if anything is written about us.
Krenek
#truth #hungryforfeedback
In addition to being hilarious, I think there's some truth there. It had long been my assumption that Ticket hosts and CTOs get tons of email, in some cases hundreds a day, with reactions from P1's to Ticket programming, bits, hosts, features, everything. And I would have thought that any views expressed on this site would be pretty much lost in that torrent of opinion and not much noticed by the varsity and JV and CTOs at The Little One.
I'm less sure now. Some time back I heard from a Ticket guy via email who mentioned that he sees MTC up on laptops from time to time. Now here's Michael K's testimony. And of course we have heard in "signed" comments this year from Grubes, Matt, Jake, Casey, and Jeremy (actually, haven't heard from Jer in awhile, that may have been further back in the past). Also, I'm reasonably sure that one or more of our Anonymi from time to time are also station personnel. On rare occasions I will hear via email from a Ticket guy with an "atta boy" or a correction or something like that.
So somebody's checking us out at our favorite radio station.
But I'll tell you something, Confessors: It's not me they're interested in -- it's you. There have been some absolutely sensational mini-essays in the comments over the past several months that are well-written and thoughtful. Sometimes I agree, sometimes not, but these are people who obviously care about the station and think about what makes it great. In fact, I would put all non-troll commenters in that category; even the offhand comments are pungent and get at something true about the station.
Our readers are guys (and Jonaessa!) who spend an astonishing percentage of their lives listening to The Ticket. I would think that Cumulo-Ticket guys would be very interested in the views of quality listeners like you, even if they think that Your Plainsman is looney tunes with his between-the-lines interpretations, guesses, speculations, and opinions, not to mention his unhealthy obsession with Green Tail Shiner.
So: Raise a glass to yourselves tonight, and have a safe and joyful New Year and 2012, with my continued Thanks for Shopping at My Ticket Confession.
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Follow Your Plainsman on Twitter: @Plainsman1310
Email Your Plainsman: ThePlainsman1310@gmail.com
Here's an "atta boy!" for you, Plainsman. Keep up the good work! Remember, we're one month out from what might be "Mike Rhyner-aggedon."
ReplyDeleteInteresting times ahead, folks. We'll be needing MTC more than ever.
Sorry, "Mike-Rhyner-ageddon." The fingers type faster than the brain thinks.
ReplyDeleteLooks like Mike R will be back. He just Tweeted:
ReplyDelete"happy new year to all of our followers, be ye friend or foe...let's saddle up for another good go-round in 2012 #onemoretimetokillthepain"
Hmmm...sounds more like a Petty Theft shout out than Ticket related. The hashtag refers to Petty lyrics.
ReplyDeleteGordon's ET bit on Channel 11's NYE show is a near-direct steal from an old Honeymooner's episode. 100% steal of concept, and some steal of content, namely, the terrified on-camera stare and failure to respond to questions. Anyone who has the phrase "core a apple" or "chef of the future" still in his rerun memory will know the one I'm talking about.
ReplyDeleteStill, nice to see Gordon on NYE. Kinda missed him the last couple weeks.
Gotta love the Anonymous Nation. Always on top of things, and willing to share valuable insights. Yeah, PT is probably doing a show somewhere tonight. Makes sense.
ReplyDeleteIn that case: Keep panicking, the Old Grey Wolf isn't in the cage just yet.
Plainsman, you noticed something that I've been aware of, well, since Gordon first arrived on the scene: More than a little of his stuff is not original, at all. If you're familiar with the old Man Show and especially late 70s-early 80s SNL, then you might getter a better sense of what I'm saying. I'm a big Gordo fan, but I do realize that his 'genius' isn't solely his own. Now I know that all artists, comedians, musicians and whatnot are influenced and show those influences. But the Student of Eros can be pretty blatant at times. Also, some of his voices are actually (and I find this to be brilliant) imitations of local radio or t.v. personalities. For example: the host of the defunct KRLD show Restaurant Week, Bud Kennedy, is Fake Tiger; and the host of Wheels on KLIF, Ed Wallace, is Ed Carter. There are a few more, but I think you get the point.
ReplyDeleteI left out the Mr. Show. Many an early character or bit was either based or directly (though most likely subconsciously) lifted from that program. Which I should say here that I do think that MOST of the time Gordon has probably subconsciously copped bits and characters from others. However, not always. The Honeymooners schtick Saturday night was definitely a conscious thing.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous, I'm not familiar with all of those local voices and shows, but I'm sure you're perception is accurate.
ReplyDeleteBut I don't want to be too hard on old Gordo. You are entirely correct that comedians steal liberally. Milton Berle not only made a career out of it, he made a gag out of his light-fingered ways. As far as voices go, I'm thinking of Johnny Carson's Art Fern character ("Tea Time Movie"), which was a direct steal from Jackie gleason's Reginald Van Gleason the Third. (Yow, another Gleason theft!)
And, of course, Gordon is an amazing mimic, which is stealing as an art form -- i.e., not only permissible, but the entire point.
Considering the volume of stuff he has to pump out for his various obligations, I'm certainly OK with Gordon's occasional borrowing. The setup and initial gag for the ET bit -- the self-assured prep followed by the on-camera freeze -- brought a giggle alongside the startled recognition that this was lifted from "The Honeymooners."
In complete agreeances with you, Plainsman.
ReplyDeleteWell, that gets the New Year off to an unexpectedly gratifying start. Thanks, A.
ReplyDeleteDisappointing that The Ticket is MIA on the morning after a make/break Cowboy game. They couldn't find anyone to come in, some JV who would have been greatful for the shot?
ReplyDeleteTook the opportunity to check out The Fan, RJ Choppy and Shan Shariff and someone who I see is named Jasmine Sadry. It was not good.
I've never cared for Mike and Mike but I'm not even sure the couple of minutes I heard on ESPN wasn't some substitute. In any event, not of interest.
Thinking the same thing as you, Plainsman. Why in the wide world of sports wouldn't The Ticket at least offer up the JV teams, on today of all days? I don't get it. I had the same problem you did this morning until Ben and Skin came on. They made some good points, took some decent calls (with a few screaming idiots mixed in), and by all accounts did a good job. Alas, they still haven't quite dumped the Dennis Miller-esque references where pop-culture and sport are concerned. Next I turned on Elf and Josh. I must admit, they have more than a little something. Okay, I wasn't a fan/didn't really get Elf's "soup recipe" bit (I take it that it's a daily feature by the way it was presented), but what I did hear was something VERY interesting. What I heard was something that reminded me of the early days of The Little One. And it especially reminded me of the early Hardline days: unflinching opinions, sports-centric with bits and pieces of guy-talk, and from all appearances what seemed to be regular callers (akin to R.O., J.D., Greek Man, etc. from the old Hline days). From now on I might be tuning into that showgram (to use the Plainsman's vernacular) from its start time till BaD fires up.
ReplyDeleteTo reiterate my (and echo Plainsman's) point: Why did The Ticket choose to take today off? Heck, if they can get Donnie to work seven plus hour shifts darn near every day for the last two and one half weeks, then surely CdS or the likes could've (would've jumped at the chance to) fill in today? One would think. Then again, for all the success this station has enjoyed, I still scratch my head from time to time where their decision making process is concerned.
Great blast, Anon. The Litte One is getting deservedly hammered by P1's today, according to TweetGrubes on Twitter.
ReplyDeleteI've always liked Elf and Josh indivdiually but rarely caught their show. When I did, it was very credible. If I were a midday listener, I might be punching back and forth.
Ben & Skin: Some good stuff, used to stay with the Ticket weekend show, but I agree with you: they wear me out with the ironically self-referential witticisms, so I found them most palatable in limited doses. And then there's the voice thing.
The Ticket has not done itself proud today on this huge day for Dallas sports talk. And look what we're talking about -- switching to the competition.
First time, long time...
ReplyDeletePlainsman, I'd venture to say that Jasmine is about the only thing worthwhile on The Fan's morning show, since she doesn't stammer and ramble like Choppy or fake-bait like Shan.
As for Josh and Elf, I've tried. Believe me, I've tried. But something about the two of them together doesn't work for me. Maybe they're better and more in-depth in other segments than they are in my usual 12:30-1:30 listening window, but it's really tough to tolerate their reliance on internet list rehashing, dad jokes, and overall kiddie-pool-shallow analysis.
I can't fault the little Ticket for going network today, federal holiday and all. The return on investment having all their regulars come in probably wouldn't be there as far as ratings and ad sales go today, Cowboy autopsy day or not. Newman still won't be able to tackle, Miles still will be overrated and overpaid, Jason will still be generic, and Jerry will still be deluded tomorrow. I for one will be very happy to hear the gentle musers in the morning.
Have to agree with the last anonymous on Josh and Elf. I've listened quite a bit too and I just don't like it at all. I actually think it just gets worse and worse the more you listen to the point that I just can't listen at all anymore. I seem to remember thinking it had potential to be good commercial filler for BaD when it first started.
ReplyDelete"I can't fault the little Ticket for going network today, federal holiday and all. The return on investment having all their regulars come in probably wouldn't be there as far as ratings and ad sales go today, Cowboy autopsy day or not."
ReplyDeleteRatings and sales notwithstanding, how about simply taking care of the rabidly loyal P1 fanbase that has allowed the Little One to flourish, and given amazing careers to what might otherwise be a bunch of local sports spares? I mean, come on man, It's the biggest game of the biggest team in this market.
ap/dywpp: Will you guys be posting up the 8:15 Musers/Junior rant on Jerry Jones and the Cowboys segment? I sure hope so. Absolute gold.
ReplyDeleteI hope so. I heard Junior tease it all morning and then missed it! I'm really in the mood to hear someone rip into that idiot too!
ReplyDeleteHave to say, I was a little dissapointed that the guys weren't on the radio yesterday, but haveing taken off the last two weeks straight, I can't blame them. But it sure did make todays listening a ton better. LOL.
ReplyDeleteAnd going back to a post or two ago, I liked the fill in guys just fine. The soul patch beats me down a tad at times but it's listenable. But overall, I think CDS will be the next fill in and yes, they joke around quite a bit, but their good at it and it's great.
Yup, Junior was on fire this morning at 8:15. I agreed with all of it but could have done without the reference to Stephen visiting Jerry in the cold, cold ground there at the end.
ReplyDeleteI'm nursing a Cowboys HSO but the Internets are already choked with them. I may toss it out there in the next little while, see what you think, although this site expressing actual sports opinions is always a dicey proposition.
Happy new year to you, Plainsman, and to everyone else here. I was shocked to read on the Twitters yesterday that the Ticket was on the network feed. Shocked. It was so disconcerting the couple times I got in the car and forgot they were on network and found myself subjected to generic blowhardery.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion (which I know is what everyone is waiting to hear), unless everything was down for the move, there's no excuse not at least having the JV keeping the signal warm. I know it's just one day and they probably didn't lose any existing or potential listeners, but come on, the cost of a single day of 2nd- and 3rd-tier players (no offense, guys) can't make a difference in the long run. Plus, they inconvenienced Shoopy by making him sit there all day babysitting the board. Not cool, CTOs, no cool.
Happy New Year, MTC! I realize I'm a little late to the party, but I just wanted to say that I think you've done a fantastic job with this blog. I try to get my husband on board because he has echoed many a topic, but reading is just not his thing. I enjoy reading the posts and the comments from those who take a sincere interest in moving the conversation forward. Keep up the great work!
ReplyDeleteAlso, I was very glad to hear the Musers on my commute to work this morning. Nothing makes coming back to work more tolerable after a vacation than Muse in the News. Gordon hit on many of the stories I hoped he would (Walker Railey, park ranger death), and I love how the boys never miss a beat with their chemistry. It was a great way to start the day.
Sure, I can grab that - I'm currently back on Friday, but if I get a minute tonight, I'll jump forward and repost it.
ReplyDeleteBeen a while since I've heard Junior's voice. Wonder if it sounds different in the new studios.
For what it's worth, birq, I chose to work yesterday because it would mean a day off later this year (If we work a designated holiday, we get a "make up" day). Easiest shift ever!
ReplyDeleteHaving read some of the responses to my comments on Josh and Elf with respect the very early Hard Line days, it makes me wonder if we could go back in radio time whether many of today's listeners (especially the younger ones) would find the Hardline to be a bore/bad show? (I can only imagine the groans from some listeners with every Mike Rhyner utterance of "Let's mosh" to each new caller. Or the Mad Max boxing segments, for that matter.)
ReplyDeleteNo matter my beefs with the station (and believe you me, I have them), I'm so glad that we're back to all-skate mode. Life seems back to normal now.
Thanks for posting up today's Muser segments, Unticket!
ReplyDeleteDP must've gotten a free moment today. Did Craig's HSO get reposted in there? If not, I'll do that.
ReplyDeleteIt sure did. Thanks to you boys, again.
ReplyDeleteI don't know if you caught it, Plainsman, but Kevin Turner issued some support for your local vernacular on Twitter when they were on network:
ReplyDeleteKevin Turner @KT1310 2 Jan
Thousands of phone calls asking if we have switched formats. The Ticket is alive and well! Normal show gram returns tomorrow!
@Birq - A *lot* of MTC stuff makes it onto the airwaves, especially on weekend offerings. Mike R and Craig are very vague about it, but the Teebox and Soulpatch have addressed stuff they've read here directly as well as indirectly. As Krenek wrote, those guys do visit here (frequently) for feedback on their work.
ReplyDeleteAP, I was referring specifically to the vernacular. Some commenters in the recent past have given Plainsman grief about his word-smithery (CTO, showgram, STD, etc.), accusing him of trying to force his vernacular on us. I thought it would please him to know that a Ticket insider used one of his words.
ReplyDeleteIt pleases me greatly,O birq.
ReplyDeleteI could be wrong, but I think Jake Kemp's reference to the station as "The Little One" during his Top Ten presentations might have come from here, although I can't swear that that usage didn't predate mine somewhere along the line.
Tuesday morning, Gordon made reference to the "twitterverse" not being able to make up its mind whether he's in "homosexual love" with Mike Doocy or loathes him, which may have been a reference to my DryDock speculation that Gordon has an immense man-crush on the Deuce.
But almost all references to things covered here could easily be to other sources. So I try to maintain my customary humility.
The only direct on-air reference to the site that I'm aware of was on the Tee Box one morning -- and Rick Arnett forgot the name of the site.
But as Krenek reported, some of the guys do check in (and I know a host or two visits from time to time), which is further inspiration to keep the content fair, the tone under control, and the ass-kissing to an absolute minimum.
Plainsman, "The Little One" dates back at least 10 years ago. It was coined by Mike R, if memory serves.
ReplyDeleteGot it, thanks. He uses "Little Ticket" quite a bit, never heard the other locution but makes sense. Thanks for the info.
ReplyDeleteAh, I understand now, Birq.
ReplyDeleteI missed that nuance of KT's tweet - poor guy was getting flooded with calls and tweets because the ticket decided to roll out the network on the 2nd.
I wonder if someone will work in the term "scorching ticket disquisition" next. I'm betting Gordo.