Friday, March 29, 2013

A Nice Quiet Ticket Friday Night at Home with Mrs. Plainsman


It was a very interesting Ticket day, I thought. 

Mrs. P is recovering from some surgery (she’s fine, thanks for asking) and we’re watching some March Mildness (although this Kansas-Michigan game is concluding in an interesting way).  I’m in the old rocker and thought I’d give you  a number of items to chew on.
 

A SOURCE!

A commenter to the last post chided me for not having “sources” that would have instantly alerted me to Alexis’s departure.  I was going to respond that when one has no sources at all, my ignorance might be excused.

And later that day, I heard from someone.

I never know how to evaluate the stuff that (quite rarely and unexpectedly) comes my way.  I kinda consider the content, figure out it makes sense in the context of other stuff we know or think we know.  I decided this communicant probably had good information.  He (?) was someone who has been listening to The Ticket for a long time, and also exhibited some inside knowledge.  And in this case, his stuff was not incendiary, no apparent axes to grind. 

Paring it down s/he said:  The Campout was a Muser-only thing for several years before the whole station went.   The Musers decided to invite the whole station and make it a Ticket event.  It was never popular with some of the hosts, but they soldiered through.   After last year’s campout, only three of the nine on-air hosts were interested in doing it this year.  Thus, no more Campout, at least not this year and maybe never.

S/he also reported that the end of the Compound had nothing to do with Greggo’s departure.  S/he did not identify any specific reason the Compound was shelved, but did suggest that the talent sometimes feels that some items get stale and resist improvement.

Thanks to the Source – tried to think of a funny name for this correspondent, but nothing comes to mind.

I will say, however, that in general this tends to support my fairly unremarkable thought that there is some extremely interesting stuff that goes on behind the scenes.  Not all the hosts are on board with all of the stuff all the time.  This isn’t a shocking conclusion, but it’s the kind of stuff that the P1 would love to know about.  But, just as people beyond your employer don’t know the politics at your workplace, I don’t reckon we’ll ever get the story behind, for example, the demise of The Great Game.  There were some ill feelings after the last one, as I recall, centering on Mike Bacsik’s team-switching.  (Am I remembering correctly that that was the last one?)  You know, it’s probably just as well we don’t know.
 
 Trademarking Fun Ticket Phrases and Names

Confessors!  How unseemly!  You should receive your gratification entirely from the adoption of your descriptors by Confessors and others.  (I ran into a guy the other day who told me that he was the author of the “Yuck Monkey” designation on The Ticket.  I actually believed him.)


 How Mike is Sounding

Faithful Confessor ausgang left a comment to the last post reporting that he thought he detected sadness in Mike’s voice, that he seemed a little depressed.  Seemed to start 3-4- months ago.  (ausgang stated that he had no knowledge of any issues in Mike’s life.)

Well.   ausgang, I was startled by your comment because I noticed something in his voice at about the same time.  I thought about writing about it, but decided I may have been hearing things, and, truth to tell, I only hear it once in awhile.  (And not at all today, see below.)

But I had a different thought.  I didn’t feel that what I heard reflected any attitudinal issues.

What I thought was that for the first time, I thought I heard age creeping into those incredible pipes.    As I say, I don’t hear it often, but just once in awhile, I’ll hear a little crack, or a little breathiness, that I don’t recall hearing before.  The man is what, 62?  I mean, jeez, he comes by it honestly, and he’s not a young 62.   And he’s a regular vocal performer with his bands, singing out of his range (my opinion).  Not easy, and maybe what I’m hearing is just a little vocal weariness from a recent performance. 
 
 

But yeah, ausgang, I noticed something, too.


Mike and Mark

I only heard bits and pieces of The Hardline today, but what I heard sounded pretty good.  Mike was fully engaged, sounded great, and there was some sports talk on both their parts that indicated either preparation, or just plain sportsy knowledge.  I think most of us would like to hear more of this Mike with Corby and Danny, not just when sports is on the table, but in segments across the board. 

I wish I had heard more of their talk about the genesis of The Ticket, specifically Mark’s hiring by Mike.
 

Intra-Show Sniping

(1)  Corby won the E-Brake this morning for his show stop-down with a bad pun (that is, a pretty good pun).   George took the opportunity to take on The Hardline, who had been sniping at The Musers for not selecting enough of THL gaffes for the Friday contest.   George made some rather cutting comments about The Hardline, and concluded by recalling Corby’s suggestion that THL should do an internal blooper competition of its own.  George rather pointedly invited THL to do exactly that.   (I think that THL has won the last three E-Brakes.)

Of course, there is frequently some jabbing between the shows and it’s usually pretty-obviously good-natured.   George’s remarks did not have that flavor.  Anyone else thing George was just the tiniest bit hot under the collar?
 
 
(2)  I believe this one took place when Jake was doing E-News.  He made reference to a former Ticket guy, I believe it was Psycho Dave, who had stated somewhere along the line that he quit The Ticket because of Bob Sturm, although it could have BaD generally.  Mark said that he had left The Ticket way back when because of some friction with the cadre of BaD interns.  And there was talk directed generally against BaD interns (this may have been a reference to times past, hard to tell).   I forget who said that Bob was also amazed when learning that his management style did not get good reviews from his minions, but Mike jumped in at the end to support this piling on Bob.

(Attention UnTicket – that would be a nice clip to hear again.)

*     *     *

As I said – an interesting Ticket day.
And now, I'm going to sit back and watch Perry Mason on Channel 24. 

Twitter: @Plainsman1310

Email:  ThePlainsman1310@gmail.com

 

75 comments:

  1. Mark would have been the ideal replacement for Greggo if he didn't have the Mavs gig.

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  2. The info on the campout sounds legit to my ears. It seemed to me that last year's endeavor was a pain in the ass for several of its participants. I think that can be applied to about every Ticket event except perhaps Fight Night, which seems to require little of them other than the killing of many segments on finding fighters and doing a bit of announcing come fight time. I do believe they really enjoyed the Charity Challenge On Ice. At least when it was held at Reunion. Many of the guys formed a team that competed for several years in a local beer league. From what I've heard they were pretty serious about it (I have a few buddies that used to play against them).

    Very good point on Mike's aging, Plainsman. That hadn't crossed my mind. Of course the voice begins to sound different as we age. So I think you're on to something there. And while I hear the same thing you are from time to time, I'm also talking about some of the subject matter that he's bringing up. I don't know, I can't really put my finger on it. The closest I can get to it is that it sometimes feels as if he's a pretty lonely guy; and from time to time he says things that allow for it to come to the surface. HIs only child is an adult, he's divorced, and he's in his 60s playing several different young man's games. Mike, like all of us, is fighting an uphill battle with time. But whereas most of us are fighting it alongside our peers (at the same place and time in the battle) he's not. He just sounds like a man on an island at times. Or like a kid who is trying his damnedest to fit in by playing the same game as the others, but it's not making him happy. Anyways...

    Mike and Mark are great together. Actually, Mike and anyone more sports oriented are great together. What we witnessed Friday is what we used to get from THL back in the old days. Prior to Corby. That's when music talk was excellent. When it was a rare treat; not a daily (sometimes 2 or 3 times daily) occurrence. Mike and Gregg talked sports. A lot of it. A lot of Rangers. Mike loves sports. What's more, he's really good at it. Fact of the matter is, Mike's knowledgeable about many subjects; and it's kind of a shame that he's paired with who he is. I'm including Danny in that last thought. Danny's very good, but I think Mike would greatly benefit from having a sports on the brain co host. Mike needs to the sole music guy. The way it is now, there's too many musical cooks in the kitchen.

    Over the years it's become fairly apparent that BaD is awful to work for if you're an intern. I think Bob and Dan view interns the same way in which they were viewed by their superiors when they were one. That is, a go-for who is lucky to have the job and who ought to be humble and respectful, and do what they're told without making snarky comments, gossiping about it, and wondering when they're going to get some air time. From listening to some of the interns over the years speak when given the chance to be on air, I can't say I blame either Bob or Dan for treating them as such.

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  3. I'll tell you, boys and girls, I've got to toss another bouquet to Cirque. I wasn't aware of this, but I guess they're trying to find someone interesting to interview every week. Last week was the Man Who Claims to Own Most of the Solar System.

    This week it was an anonymous guy ("Sam") from Tehran. I was unable to hear the whole interview, but what I heard was fascinating. Nice stuff from the Siroises.

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  4. Someone was speculating about a possible Mike departure. I forget the reason.

    I'm not sure I ever posted this, but I have pretty good reason to believe that Mike renewed his contract some months in advance of its expiration date early last year. In fact, he re-upped sometime in the fall of 2011. I don't know whether the renewal period started with the time of renewal, or if it started when the previous one expired in February 2011 or thereabouts. Either way, if it was a 3-year deal as Ticket contracts have tended to be, he's up again in either fall 2013 or early 2014.

    I think it's doubtful he has any thought of departing before then, and maybe not even then. I mean, he re-upped early last time, which hardly seems to be the kind of attitude of a guy who is anxious to hold up his employer; he likes to cut the folderol and nail things down. I can see him staying with The Ticket for many more years, a la Norm. For all his curmudgeonly slurs against the CTO, he's never acted on any of it, instead signing up for another tour. If he's in good health a year-and-a-half from now, I'd think he'd be hanging on. No idea, however.

    When we hear Mike with other hosts, like Rhadigan or Followill, we're reminded of how really good he can be when he's challenged. I like Corby and Danny both quite a bit, but there is something to the opinion of Confessors who think that the Corby/Danny axis have relieved Mike of the obligation to run his show.

    Other hosts . . . would not stun me if one or two will be moving on when their current deal expires, but not for awhile. (I don't know anything about any host deals.) Lotsa Legacy Ticket left for the P1.

    Certainly nothing before the 20th Anniversary and related Ticketstock, after which a host might well think that he's accomplished something absolutely extraordinary in radio, have been made financially secure over that time, and think it might be time to knock down another challenge or two.

    Let me stress: I have no information on any host planning to leave.

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  5. If not Mike, then who could you see leaving? I take it you're referring to BaD? One or both of them? I cannot see Dan going away unless he's forced to. He seems to absolutely love The Ticket and its laid back attitude. As corporate as it's become over the years-more so since being bought out by Cumulus-compared to the other sports stations in the area it's a literal swinging hippie love fest party. I could see Bob taking a booth job for some pro team if offered. But I'm not so sure that having a household of young children, being the kind of guy he is, and living out of a suitcase for 6 or so months out of the year (thinking hockey here) is something he's willing to do. Danny? No offense to the Danny faction out there, but he's not a host. He's not paid like one, he's not on the air like one, and IMHO he's got a lot of woodshedding to do before he'd be good enough to do a daily show. Don't get me wrong, he's fine in bits and pieces. But he and Davy struggle just to fill what amounts to less than 2 hours for one day a week. Corby? I don't see it. Gordon, only if it's a move to L.A. or NYC. While that may still be in the cards for him, it seems less likely with each passing year. George? Hmmmm. Maybe. But with him I'd think it would be more of a getting out of the biz and into something else move. Ditto with Junior. But honestly, I can't see either of them leaving. The money and all the benefits/perks that come with the job are too good. Besides, at the end of the day they're doing the one thing they always wanted to do. And with whom each wanted to do it with. Norm? I guess if ESPN offered him stupid money and the AM drive show he might. Or if The FAN cleaned house and also offered him stupid money and the AM drive show he might. Though I don't see him joining The FAIL as it is now. I think he has too much pride/taste to join in on that bunch of dip s's.

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  6. I'm gonna fix it, I'm gonna fix itMarch 31, 2013 at 1:50 PM

    Hasn't it been nearly a year since Grubes left? Any thoughts out there as to how things have gone since his departure?

    Also, any thoughts on The Shake Joint, now that it's 2 months old?

    I seem to remember many comments saying how THL and The Ticket itself wouldn't be the same without our dear Shoopy. How THL would lose many a younger listener who mainly tuned in for the Grubes Drop Fest. How Grubes was the leader of a scene outside the station that garnered many followers who in turn were listeners only because of that scene. With no offense to McGruber (and no, I'm not trying to draw him offsides or ferret him out), I don't think any of those dire predictions came true. I doubt the ratings needle moved one millimeter in either direction because of his leaving. It was great while it lasted, though. I think Jake does a good job. He has more of a let the game come to him approach. Not any better than Grubes', just different. I do miss the inimitable Shoopy laugh. Not a big fan of Jake's confusing sometimes Texan sometimes Brooklyn accent. I guess that's a suburban white kid who loves rap phenomenon. His is not the first I've heard, so it's not as if it's unique. Odd nonetheless.

    I like TSJ's new alternative sports view segment. Interesting. I also like their Rangers and Cowboys talk. Good stuff. When they discuss the everyday, pop culture, guy talky things, I think they fall short of the mark. They're both so strongly opinionated about everything that they come off as know it alls at times. Which, when you start talking about highly subjective topics, it quickly becomes off putting. At least for me. Thankfully they mostly talk sports. So far I give TSJ a solid B+.

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  7. FWIW, I never once listed to MASS, but I haven't missed a minute of the Shake Joint. (I record it with TuneIn and listen throughout the day). I was a fan of Sean + Kemp before their show started, and I think their show is really strong. I have no doubt they could step in to replace Norm full time whenever the opportunity comes. I would actually prefer them to Norm right now.

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  8. As a new guy to the site, Im trying to figure out what the "CTO" means. Its probably something simple that I will feel like an idiot when I find out.

    As far as the Mike and Follow show on fri...I didnt enjoy it. I could only listen for about 45 mins before I turned it off. And I listen to the ticket ALL day every day. I just cant listen to Followill. I turn it off every thursday for the THL's throwaway segment he is on. I couldnt listen to him back when he and Dougie had their show. Im not sure about whenever he and Dougie had and lost their show. It seems like there was a break from when Follow was on the ticket to when he joined the Mavs? Was there bad blood between Follow and the Ticket at that time or am I not remembering that right. I was just happy when I thought he was done with the ticket. He is just so bland milk toast. I realize he has to be with his position with the Mavs. But I mute any Mavs broadcast he is on. Why didnt they get Doocy. He is a great sub!

    I feel like there are 3 most important people that could leave that would affect the ratings. They are Gordon, Donnie do and Danny. When I first started listening, I didnt like BaD radio at all...Now, and for the last few years they have one of the best shows! Danny's show the Orphanage on sat is fantastic! I keep worrying that with his bar coming online that he will leave the little ticket. I know he isnt a host but he is great on THL!

    It has been talked about, but there seems to be a trend in radio where they arent doing the big contracts. WBAP a Cumulus stn let Mark Davis go. I always thought his rating were great and he was willing to sign for less and from what I gather they wanted him to sign for A LOT less which he wouldnt do. I read the D mag article a few years ago where Greggo talked about making 1 million a year (I know he has been called a liar) but it seems their contracts are incredible! I worry that Cumulus will low ball some of the hosts and they will say the hell with it. Im not all that impressed with whats in the bullpen except for Jake might have a little something. I actually forget about Grubes until he comes on occasionally and then wish he didn't. Anyway, I hope they keep the band together.

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  9. CTO is the bosses (cumulo ticket overlords I believe)... one of Plainsman's crazy little sayings ;-)

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  10. @1028
    Appreciate reading your thoughts, but I have to say that I think they're far out there. Danny, Donnie, and Gordo will affect the ratings most if they leave? Gordo, OK, I'll buy that for sure. But Danny and Donnie? Both guys are great at their jobs, no doubt. But you can't be serious. If either one leaves the ratings are affected in no way at all.

    I'm right there with ya in hoping that they keep the band together. And yeah Jake's got something. But I don't know if what he has relates to the core listeners or demos. I'm in my mid 20's and I'm a Jake P1. I know guys at work who think quite the opposite about Jake. One thing's for sure. If he's a lightening rod he must be doing something right.

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  11. You can't compare WBAP to KTCK. You can't compare Mark Davis to any of the ticket hosts. It's a whole different animal.

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  12. I think Danny is a necessary governor for CorbyCorby. Mike won't do it. I don't think Danny's value will be fully realized by some until he is gone.

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  13. 2011 Sounds right on the Mike contract. That was when Richie Whitt kept talking about "The Last Supper" for the Ticket.

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  14. The last supper stuff was in early 2009. That's when Mike re-upped.

    Previous anon has to be April Fooling. Donnie and Danny affecting ratings if they leave?

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  15. Today is a great day. Oh. Well, I'm glad you asked me why. Because today THL has a subject, other than classic rock, to talk about...a subject about which they actually know what they're talking about.

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  16. Not going to fall for that one 12:58! Try not to be so obvious about it next time!

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  17. Long time lurker, first time commenter.

    From what's said on this blog, it's VERY apparent that many of you have no idea how good you have it here. The Ticket is AMAZING. I'm from the Boston area. Boston is considered one if not the number one sports town in the country. It has been for decades. Maybe for even over 100 years now.

    Let me tell you something. I don't care if you believe me or not, but I'm telling you the honest to goodness truth. You know that tape of Dan as a kid calling in to shows doing the "woof woof" Big Daddy Elway stuff? THAT STUFF HAPPENS ON A DAILY BASIS ON THE BOSTON AIRWAVES. What's worse is that they aren't kids calling in, they're middle aged men. You think we eat our own around here???? You people have NO IDEA what real venom sounds like. I'm talking about hosts and callers wishing ill on players and coaches and organizations if they don't do this or that certain thing and do it right this second. It's INSANE.

    Give me the most Stones intensive Hardline day anytime over what passes for sports talk in not just Boston but all over the country. We have it SOOOOO good down here. If many of you only knew just how good.

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  18. re: Today's CQH

    Am I overreacting, or does Corby really need to relax the Aryan Brotherhood insults during prime time drive radio? He doesn't pull punches, in normal Corby fashion, but these guys don't fool around.

    This isn't the first time he's done it, and I distinctly recall Danny telling him to cool it last time (well, last time I heard him do it). Again, stop me if I'm overreacting.

    Signed,
    Not Normally an Anon Poster

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  19. re: that last post

    I should have signed that, "A Minority, Not Normally Anon, Poster". Hopefully that clarify my position somewhat (lest my "these guys don't fool around" statement sound like admiration to anyone.)

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  20. Dude, you are spot feckin' on about Corbles cracking Aryan Brotherhood jokes or even goofing about grad school and whatever else. Those people do not f around and they take everything serious. I can guarantee that some of them are listeners. Cuz people involved in that stuff are in many cases people who live in your neighborhood. The prison aspect of the whole thing is only one side of it. There are all sorts of skinhead, Nazi, and white supremacist groups that are tentacles of the Aryan Brotherhood. But it all eventually finds its way back to the AB. Truly evil and violent stuff. NOT to be messed around with. I'm sure nothing will come of it, but if I were him I would not be making any further comments other than reading off exactly what a news report says. I might even stop talking about the subject, period. Like I said, that is some scary shit that's not to be f'd around about. Just look at what's been going down.

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  21. One more thing on it. I'm not trying to be an alarmist but you gotta understand that that crap is a lot more rampant than most probably think. There's a lot of people out there (males and females) that subscribe to those views. Many who you would never in a million years think would. Think whatcha want, but I'm telling it like it is.

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  22. The above goes for TC as well. Not a good idea to be popping off jokes.

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  23. I felt so bad about CorbyCorby's rough weekend at a Marriott Hotel in the Hill Country.

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  24. 1028: Yes, CTO means "Cumulo-Ticket Overlord," i.e., anyone in the Ticket Cumulus management above the hosts. It can be singular or plural.

    And "STD" stands for "Scorching Ticket Disquisition," this site's version of Hot Sports Opinion.

    1028: I think they may be moving away from big contracts for fading products. The Ticket -- no, I think they're very healthy contracts for the major hosts. I have no, zero, idea, but going on the rates on other major markets, these guys should be in AT LEAST the mid-six figures, and probably should be upper if they have good representation. Mike North in Chicago, on a station with lower ratings than The Ticket, got a million. (Not any more.) Donny and Gordon not far behind, and I hope, really hope, they're taking care of Danny but I'm concerned that he falls into the underpaid "producer" category, or at least did until the last year or so. Still unclear whether he'll stick once his joint opens, but he's been with the station during what is surely a busy time for a start-up venture, so maybe we'll have Danny for awhile longer.

    I, too, like The Orphanage a lot, and I disagree with those Confessors who think it's just a couple of near-middle-age guys trying to hip youngsters. Number one, I don't feel that's true, and number two, to the extent it is, I like it.

    Terry Tynesdale: First, a big MTC welcome to you. Please favor us with your thoughts more often.

    Second, thanks for the corrective viewpoint. This site tries to keep things fair and accentuate the good as well as things we wish were different, but the criticisms are naturally more flashy and stick in the mind. So I appreciated your rave.

    645 and 740: As for Corby -- I wish him no harm and I understand the fanaticism of the Brotherhood. But I would hate to think that media figures would feel intimidated from saying things they feel need to be said. I did not hear the segment in question, so I don't know how incendiary it was. I assume it was over-the-top, abrasive, hyperbolic, and essentially content-free. He ALWAYS needs to dial that down. But good for him for speaking out -- public media figures are always at some risk for their views.

    Does anybody remember Alan Berg?

    From Wikipedia: "Alan Berg (January 1, 1934 – June 18, 1984) was an American attorney and Denver, Colorado, talk radio show host. Berg was notable for his largely liberal, outspoken viewpoints and confrontational interview style. On the evening of June 18, 1984, Berg was fatally shot in the driveway of his Denver town home by members of the white nationalist group, The Order. He died immediately."

    So I applaud Corby's courage, even if it's not entirely intentional -- but I wish the entire station would jettison current events as a subject for discussion. I had to punch out on the Jim Carrey discussion today, sorry boys.

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  25. He was basically calling them uneducated dumbasses. Not that directly, but that's what he was saying. I agree with you: a host should have the fortitude to say what he feels; especially about a group as disgusting as the Aryan Brotherhood. I do remember the Alan Berg story. If I recall, wasn't he basically calling them out? Challenging or daring them to mess with him? Or something like that? Corby wasn't doing that, but there is something to be said for him perhaps leaving the subject alone or at least just reporting the facts without interjecting his own opinion (one that I'd like to think that 99% of the listeners share). I also agree with you that it would be best if all Ticket hosts avoided current events. They're rarely well informed. And most of their opinions show it. Not because I don't agree, but because they sound like a drunk pontificating from a bar stool. I didn't get to hear the Jim Carrey segment, but I can only imagine how it went. The fact that they're giving Jim Carrey, the public intellectual that he is, any airtime is beyond me. Maybe if he hadn't made movies that promote violence (gun and otherwise) I'd care what he has to say. But that isn't the case, so I don't. And I sure don't care what a sports radio talk show host has to say about his hypocritical stance.

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  26. From what was said today, Skart Skulling is not quitting. It was all an elaborate April Fool's Joke. Sorry, I'm not buying it. If Rosen Rosen decided not to leave the Tee Box and is now saying it was all a joke, well that's just weirdo behavior. Maybe that's why he and DeGianni don't get along...they're too much alike.

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  27. What was said today?

    And if it was an April Fool -- leave it to Craig R to schedule it two days early.

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  28. @Anonymous Ron,
    As soon as Corby said, "The JW Marriott", I knew it was a humble brag and I turned off for the day.

    Overall, it was not a good day for Corby and his humble brag was the least offensive. He had his thoughts on the Ayran Brotherhood, but even before that he made E-News/Jim Carrey story into a commentary on gun control and insulted both sides. I don't know how many more weeks both Gun & Knife Supply of McKinney and the Frisco Gun Club are advertising with The Ticket, but his comments did not help any renewals.

    @Plainsman,
    Radio contracts are still going lower and lower for sports radio talent. Unless you are Chris Russo, who took $3M/year in moving to Sirius/XM, they are still going lower. In terms of making money, they fired a nationally syndicated host who was an earner for them with African-American markets in Michael Baisden last month.


    One year ago next week marks the one year anniversary of Ralph Barbieri's dismissal at Cumulus' KNBR and their afternoon drive show. In the fall of 2011, Cumulus asked Barbieri, on the station since 1984, to take a 25% pay cut from his salary of $400K, he agreed, and was fired months later. NOTE: They are going to court for wrongful termination, because in December 2011 Barbieri went on-air to disclose that he has early stages of Parkinson's, but the court documents disclose that he took a major pay cut.

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  29. D.A., thanks, sounds like you know your stuff.

    These guys have kept this station on top for two decades. I think they get paid, and paid extremely well. I doubt any of the major hosts has been asked to take a cut for the last 10 years. It's likely competitors take a run at these guys all the time. This may not be so true now that Cumulus has gobbled them up, but if an owner ever hopes to sell this station, any purchaser is going to want to know that these guys are tied up and going to stay tied up.

    I'll bet if ANY of those guys were asked to take a cut, they'd bail the minute their contract were up. Now -- maybe they get something other than cash -- stock, options, other benefits -- but I'd be very surprised if our lads were participating in any decline in overall industry compensation.

    But as I say, D.A., you sound like the real thing so if you have some specific Ticket info, I'd be delighted to hear it and be proven wrong.

    Happens all the time around here.

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  30. @Plainsman,

    All I know is that there was no KNBR personality who was making over $300K in 2012 and both and The Ticket were part of the Susquehanna prior to the Cumulus acquisition. Keep in mind that SF is a larger market for those age 12+ by about 700,000 people and KNBR has a larger share of the listening audience compared to The Ticket.

    Ralph Barbieri: $300,000 and Tom Tolbert: $250,000 for afternoon drive.
    Gary Radnich: $225,000 for what is equal to Norm's timeslot (Radnich also works TV.)

    None of their other hosts earn over $225,000 for their radio work. Bob Fitzgerald, who is a midday co-host, also does Warriors TV PBP and works freelance for Dial Global during early football season.

    With respect to The Ticket, the income from personal services contracts (long time sponsors like Autoflex, D&M Leasing, Classic BMW... may push a host's total income considerably higher.

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  31. Maybe the April Fool's joke was saying that it was an April Fool's joke. (Don't ask me to diagram that sentence.)

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  32. I don't think numbers from another station gives us any insight at all to what the guys at KTCK make.

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  33. 2 things to throw out there.

    1. The Craig Rosengarten April Fool's joke is very sad. So he's been co-hosting the Tee Box for something like 10 or more years and this is the first we're ever hearing about his love of April Fools Day and his elaborately staged pranks? That guy? The guy who blurts out everything that comes into his head? I don't buy it one bit. The backstory he wrote to not look like a fool (no pun intended) only made things worse. I know he's a successful guy, but it's people like him that prove the notion that you don't have to be smart, wise, or mature acting to be a material success. I'm glad he'll keep gracing the airwaves with his idiocy. It makes for a great E-Brake.

    2. I've tried and tried and tried to give him the benefit of the doubt, but I've come to the conclusion that Donnie Doo is kind of a dumb dumb. Some of the opinions he clings for life to are so obviously stupid that he leaves you with no choice other than to think he's either THAT dumb or that it's a bit. I'd like to think it's a bit, but he does it over and over and over and over. So I'm sadly left with having to think it's the former.

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  34. 4:00, what specifically do you think makes Donnie sound dumb? I think he generally sounds like just a normal guy.

    BaDD's 1st segment today about Dan's tick experience had me cry-laughing my way back from lunch. The entire crew was completely losing it, cracking themselves up while Dan was trying to tell his story about finding a tick, and it was hilarious. That's one on the things I love about BaDD.

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  35. birq

    Where do I begin? The Magic Johnson conspiracy? The having statistical data about black Twitter users put in front of him and yet still holds on to his opinion because the stats don't appeal to him? That's 2 examples. I can give you more if you want.

    I was also laughing out loud over the tick segment. BaD is awesome.

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  36. Tho I didn't hear it, I admire Corby for his stance on the Aryan. Thats caving to terrorism. Kaufman is a small town where everyone feels, or felt, safe. Had this happen in a larger city [L A or New York] these guys would have been caught by now.

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  37. I wonder why Rotten Radio is now on instead of Farrell On The Bench?

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  38. He's on. I guess there was a technical issue that delayed the signal or whatever. Unfortunately FOTB is still with us.

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  39. Plainsman, pretty sure it should be inter-show sniping not intra-show sniping? Sorry, just noticed that after scrolling by several times of the past few days..

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  40. 1254, you are absolutely correct.

    And thank you for shopping at My Ticket Confession in the wee hours.

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  41. Is the Hardline back off the ledge today? To hear them talk yesterday, the Rangers were on their way to being the worst team ever in baseball after one game. Nolan was out, Wash was out, Kins was traded, the entire thing was being blown up.

    Hyperbole much Corby?

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  42. I didn't hear it like that, DRW. In fact, it was Corby who tried to reel in Mike and Danny. Even those two were careful to say that the season has just begun. Their claim was that the 'whatever' attitude from last season seems to have carried over, and that it worries them.

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  43. @DRW1961

    +1 on the above.

    As I was listening I was thinking this must be just radio talk ("You guys are *shock jocks*). I was wondering why they were throwing the Rangers organization under the bus when there are 161 games still be be played.

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  44. Funny how different people can hear or see the same exact thing and interpret it in a completely opposite way. Ecce, homo!

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  45. It was clearly a knee jerk but possibly justified, we'll see. There's definitely less reason to be optimistic than the past few seasons but I think THL is reading far too much into the teams attitude during one miserable game to start the season.

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  46. atlanta rhythm sectionApril 3, 2013 at 4:57 PM

    Kicks and Giggles/S***s and Grins:

    I don't think their doing or not doing the compound or campout or anything else affects their salaries or personal service contracts. It's probably a team player/do it for the listeners thing that also happens to mean more prime advert hours available for sale which means mo money mo money for the station. Once the natives get restless and no longer want to do something that many find to be a chore, the natives ain't gonna do it. That's where I believe we find ourselves with the campout, the compound, and a few others.

    Mike's my man. Mike seems bored lately, though. But hey kids, he's been doing this gig and liking it for many moons now. Like most of us, he's gonna get bored from time to time. Some days are rockers, some days we're off our game. Ditto Mike. Overall I'd say he's more rockers than not.

    Methinks the INTER-show (gotta get that right-o) squabbling is totally, utterly, 100% a gag. Do they get crosswise with each other from time to time on a personal level, you bet they do. It's only natural. But actual, real dealio inter-show sniping? No way, Jose.

    Out.

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  47. BaD Radio had George on today (via phone) and they talked a bit about the Musers' road trip and why there was no campout/compound this year. George says the Musers got tired of all the complaints from the other hosts. Bob and Dan claimed they loved the campout and the compound. George still claimed they didn't.

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  48. Re: Donovan.

    There are indeed certain topics that the, uh, community has some unorthodox views on, and the Magic-Johnson-Never-Had-AIDS/HIV is one of them. Donnie isn't alone in that belief.

    I like Donovan a lot. I think he's plenty smart, and I also like listening to him on BaD and when called on to co-host with Rich Phillips. Like every Ticket guy, he's going to get on some listeners' nerves, but I'm not one of them. He had a segment with Rich the other day that I happened to catch because I was in my car, and I though gee, this is pleasant.

    So, mark this under a vote for Donovan.

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  49. Just because others hold an insane view doesn't mean that it ought to be excused for one person. I honestly think that many are afraid to dis Donnie because he's black. They don't want to come off as some sort of racist. Of course, holding such a view is itself racist. Surely I don't need to explain why. I hope not. Remember Donnie's Michael Young stance? You can call him a club house leader and a voice of reason that'll be missed. Call him a veteran who has been a great player and the face of the franchise. But Donnie made the claim that he was still the same player he always had been. No matter what facts and stats were thrown at him, he wouldn't budge. All he kept saying was "Still. But still. I'm just sayin'. Still." He does this all the time. On many different topics. Yeah yeah yeah, he's a nice guy. He's a good co-worker. He's just the kind of person I'd want as a neighbor and a friend. But as a talk show host he's sort of a dingbat. Sure he makes some good points once in a while. Far too often he doesn't, and he's either too stubborn or not smart enough to know when to rethink his position or just stop talking.

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  50. Must add on to my first point. The Magic Johnson conspiracy thing isn't unorthodox, Plainsman. It's downright stupidity. You're calling it unorthodox goes right into what I mean about people being afraid to criticize Donnie (and the "community" as a whole). Race has nothing to do with being smart or stupid. As Forrest Gump's mother said "stupid is as stupid does." To reiterate, stupidity or intelligence has nothing to do with race.

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  51. I hear hosts make counter-evidentiary comments every day because, well, it's sports. And I hear them not abandoning them when presented with fairly compelling facts to the contrary. I'm not saying Donovan never does that -- I'm saying that at least for me that has never made him stand out among the Einsteins manning the Ticket mics. More importantly, I just like the way he presents on the radio. I actually think he's not just good, he's got excellent broadcast skills, and if tomorrow I heard that The Hardline was ambushed after work tonight by the North Texas chapter of NOW and Donovan had been asked to host the show until Mike-Corby-Danny were able to speak again, I'd be tuning in. As I mentioned, I think he and Rich put on a real good B&Q showgram.

    Yeah, the Magic thing is about as goofy as Kennedy conspiracy theories (I did a column on it called "Donnie Don't," you can look it up). But no one condemns Michael Lombardi as dumb. (Or do they? I don't know; but he did get hired as Cleveland Browns general manager.)

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  52. To the latter, the Kennedy stuff can be (and IMO is) goofy. At least with it, there are some oddities and whatnot that can lead some of a certain bent to think there's more to the story. But with the Magic thing, there is nothing like that. It's more than goofy, it's akin to Holocaust denying. In other words, there's NO denying it. Lombardi isn't called an idiot in general because he does have an expertise in one field: NFL football. (And please, let me be perfectly clear: I am NOT equating what happened during the Nazi regime to Magic Johnson's health.)

    I'm not talking about Donnie's overall presentation. I agree with you that no one (sorry Norm, contrary to what you say, this includes Gordon) up there has a brilliant mind, much less possess genius. I mean, come on, The Ticket is what it is (crap I hate that phrase). He's mostly a likable dude. But it's one thing to hang on to a point that you just "feel" intuitively right and that you're not gonna give up on, and it's another to have every fact on God's green earth thrown at you and yet you still hold on. Holding on by saying things like "Still," "I'm just saying," "Yeah, but still." And that's the entire defense! No "Still... (fill in the blank--no matter how wrong or right it might be)." Nothing. I find those sorts of responses to argument to be downright dumb. When they're used on a regular basis, what else are you to think? Here's the thing. If you don't know, then just say you don't know! Junior did it this morning with Gordon. They were talking about airline seats, weight, and paying according to weight. Junior thought it was wrong. Gordon employed his high school debate techniques and Junior bit. He began to concede. But instead of acting like a blind man, he said "I need to think more about this." And guess what? they moved on. (By the way Junior, you should've asked Gordon if he considered the human person merely a commodity; a homo economicus. Then you could've hit the reset button and made your argument from that point of departure. Because in essence that was the view he was taking.)

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  53. Wow! Bob's Ferrall On The Bench appearance was amazing. I have to say, if you take away his bizarro cadencing and stupid beer-shot schtick, he doesn't seem like a bad guy. I enjoyed how Bob sort of morphed into him a bit. You can see perhaps what sort of broadcaster Bob would've been if not for Gilbert's masterstroke of hiring him.

    Yes it was sportsy-semi-douchey at times, but there was something almost endearing about their exchange.

    Though I do think it was rather obvious that Farrell had Bob on in order to attempt to mute the constant barrage of not so veiled insults and dog piling that goes on at The Ticket. The old "If we become a real person to them, they'll see that we're more like them than not and maybe they'll back off some" approach. Did it work? Oh I highly doubt it. Probably just the opposite.

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  54. Let me take a left turn and ask a question:

    Does anyone else think it is the fake Coach Joe doing the voiceover for the Addiction Help Hotline commercial?

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  55. BBQ
    Bob may dog-pile less in the future, but he is usually not the one you worry about.

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  56. I love Donnie, but he is way more emotion based than fact based. in many ways he is generic guy sports, which works at the Ticket to a certain degree because Bob and Jake actually think and dont swallow conventional wisdom without question. He is a good (unintentional) foil for Bob and Dan. Donnie is good on the post game though...

    I'm black for what is worth, and the Magic thing is just denial. Lots of "us" spent the late 80s and early 90's pretending HIV was a disease for, as Rhymes might say, the flamboyant gay homosexual.Remember "the down low?" Black people aren't supposed to be gay, and Donnie has not shed his late teens early 20s thinking.

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  57. Positioning statement: I don't have any problem with Donovan and I have enjoyed listen to him and Rich this week.

    Now, does having Donovan sitting at the table give Bob and Dan license to explore some areas they might not otherwise (i.e. lunch pail talk)?

    Moving on to THL's restroom porter experiment - genius execution by intern Trey!

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  58. Since this thread touches on everything, I don't feel bad about posting a random set of STDs.
    1. I'm tired of Rangers fans turning on players that leave. Show a little class and applaud Josh for the good times!
    2. The Rangers will rue the day they drove away Nolan. His role in their success and fan appeal has been underrated.
    3. Rhynes has to be violating payola/plugola by his incessant PT plugs. Does he pay for these?
    4. KT is the Profar of the Ticket.
    5. Fernando is the "Gail the Snail" of the Ticket.

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  59. Rangers fans don't turn on players that leave. Try turn on players who act like douches (CJ) and players who quit and then bad-mouth the team (Josh).

    I'll bet Napoli gets a hearty cheer for his return.

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  60. Oh, and Nolan means very little to the team at this point. He didn't care to show up for Elvis' presser today. Get his ass out of here now.

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  61. 646: Wow. "Gail the Snail." As nearly as I can tell you have to watch "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" to get that reference. I don't, and I don't.

    646: I agree, generally, but Josh and CJ "left" before they left, know what I mean? Look at the classy way the Mavs fans greeted Jason Terry on his return. In general, it's not a fan issue -- it's a player issue. Classy departures will be treated with classy responses. Next time the Rangers face the Phillies, Michael Young will get the same grateful treatment.

    646: Nolan. I have no proof of this, but I sense that Nolan pissed off a large number of people in that organization, which has conducted itself pretty professionally since it was pried out of Tom Hicks's sclerotic grasp. This is not an organization that treads thoughtlessly -- someone upstairs, higher than Jon Daniels, didn't give a good god damn about Nolan's "feelings," and had some not-petty reasons for it. No proof, but as a guy who deals with executive structures with some frequency (cue Vivaldi) I'm telling you -- the possibility of Nolan's humiliation and undignified departure did not go unconsidered. Nolan is aware of this. Hence, he's dummying up for his own good.

    =====

    Anonymous Ron: I hate, I mean really hate, pranks. I know the P1 loves them, and every naughty-based guy station I've ever heard -- well, not the seminal XTRA in San Diego during the early 90's, home of Hacksaw Hamilton and birthplace of Jim Rome, who I heard as a weekend fill-in guy -- loves them. I have punched out on more than one. Maybe I'll write an article about my prank-loathing one day. But I must say -- while I hated the prank, BaD Intern Trey wins the Chris-Chris-Sell-the-Hell-Out-of-It Award.

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  62. This is Snarky Anon. I typically roll my eyes at most of the comments here, which sometimes state the importance of this blog on program decisions at the Ticket.

    But a comment TC just made while introducing the #1 clip on the Top Ten made me raise an eyebrow.

    "In the name of 'effort,' The Hardline today introduced a bit!"

    So I concede the point, folks. Don't say I'm anything less than fair.

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  63. Thanks for manning up, Snark. I think if you read between the lines on a more regular basis you'll see that this site has not and does not go unnoticed by the entirety of The Ticket (sans Norm and probably Corby).

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  64. Before you boo...

    Watch the Josh video with Cooper Stone.

    Hate yourself now?

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  65. No. If you can't separate the two things, I'm not sure what to say to you. No one is booing Josh Hamilton the father, husband, or the charity work, etc. that he does. They are booing the way he quit on the team and the way in which he's handled himself with respect to the Rangers and Ranger fans since his departure.

    Try not to be so narrow minded, pal. And while you're at it, why don't ya temper the judging of others.

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  66. Right on 1040. The shaming of others has become epidemic. I remember what Josh did with Cooper Stone. It was an absolutely touching moment. But it has no bearing on what took place the second half of last season both on and off the field. Nor on the way in which Josh has continually bad mouthed the Rangers and their fans since moving on to Anaheim.

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  67. The Cooper Stone was a touching moment. Josh didn't have anything to do with it though. The Rangers set that up.

    Last year when asked about the family Josh admitted to not really keeping in touch with them.

    No hard feelings but a good quality booing is what he deserves.

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  68. Is it just me or has Johnny E Brake REALLY overplayed his hand? I think we all enjoy his infamous contributions to the drop catalog, but I think he's vastly overrated his popularity and status amongst The Ticket community. Something tells me that he's going to wish he'd have gone through with his retirement.

    I bet his boys can't wait to go off to college. It's got to be hard to have your dad make such a public ass out of himself. The E Brakes were one thing. Yeah, they could be pretty damn embarrassing at times. But they're nothing when compared to this April Fools farce. Here's the thing, Rosengarten: no one cares what the story is any longer. You're now past your expiration date. And guess what? You did this to yourself. Now, no matter what the truth is, you come off as plain weird, sad, immature, and worst of all for your purposes, no longer interesting. People like a genuine goofball. People don't like being made to feel uncomfortable. Bad touches are bad touches. You've crossed that line from endearing goofball to Mr. Bad Touch. Congrats.

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  69. Who knows the real backstory, but I wonder if he let the guest hosts who thought they were getting a shot at his slot in on this supposed gag? If not, that's awfully shitty of him.

    @9:47
    I mostly agree with you. Furthermore, it sucks. I look forward to Rosen Rosen E Brake greatness. With this April Fools thing I'm now starting to think that while some of the first bungles were legit, that many of them since then have been done on purpose. Starting to think he might be a pretty calculating guy. I dunno, a "flawed guy." What sort of adult plays a prank on his own family (upsetting some of them) for an entire year? Sounds calculating, selfish, and quite immature. "April Fools is my favorite holiday." Like you said, plain weird.

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  70. I've gone on record as saying that I think Skart Skulling's April Fools joke, real or not, has all the marks of weirdo-ness. I've also said that I personally don't buy the story. But before we start calling him Mr. Bad Touch or a flawed and calculating guy or accusing him of staging E Brakes, let's at least hear what he has to say tomorrow morning. I think that's fair.

    One thing I agree with is that Craig might've overplayed his hand with the P1 as a whole. I also wonder if he hasn't, at least to some extent, done the same with his Ticket cohorts? Regarding the CTO, I doubt it, seeing how he pays the station to be on the air. The Tee Box is in essence a paid program, an infomercial for Avid Golfer.

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  71. In regards to Craig Rosen-Rosen, yes he really is that dumb concerning words. I don't remember which standardized test he was talking about, but he said he tested as nearly illiterate. Probably an exaggeration, but I expect not by much. He is a math head. Ever read a report made by an engineer? I have seen this in action more than one time. Willing to give him the benefit of the doubt on this prank, but it does smack of some heavy weirdness. Give him a spreadsheet full of numbers and he is perfectly at home, give him some Shakespeare and he will twitch nervously. Throw some Faulkner or Joyce at him and he will curl up in the fetal position.

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  72. The Musers and Cuban drove me crazy with the gay talk this morning. Being honored to have a gay player on your team? That's idiotic. No, I'm honored to have decent human beings on my team who are leaders in the community, good fathers/husbands/boyfriends/sons/etc. ; who are team players and who always play hard. THAT'S who I'm honored to have on my team. What the hell does sexual preference have to do with it? Now would I want my organization to be one that does not discriminate against sexual orientation? Absolutely. But I'd say the same thing where race, religion, and nationality are concerned. "Honored." Piss off, Cubes.

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  73. I think the point honored to be part of an organization that shows the kind of values you're describing, one that cares about content of character above what other people do with their genitals.

    To be fair, I remember reading about Andrei Kirilenko inviting then-closeted John Amaechi to a dinner problem, and avoiding pronouns when he told him to bring a date. In other words, our goal is to be as open-minded as the Utah freaking Jazz.

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  74. Okay, here is a rant and a question.

    My first rant is why hosts aren't prepared. I have heard several things over the last few weeks that make me wonder how some hosts come up with topics (not related to sports). Do they see a quick headline and a quick overview and then try to pedal his opinion on the air?

    [Before I continue with the rant I need to ask a question. Is it possible that hosts like Corby fake having adequate knowledge of a subject in order to "move a story along". If he/they are faking not knowing the whole story (i.e. they know the facts but act like they don't) then my rant is invalid and the method is part of putting on a radio show.]

    Okay, rant again. I think I resemble the basic demographic of this site. Middle age, white, office job, lots of outside interests to keep me busy, etc. That said, I keep up with news. Try to buy a DMN on Sundays and read it through the week. Yahoo and MSN in the mornings. I keep up with the basic news of the day.

    Why does Corby not know the back story on Robbie Parker. Today was too much of "I am not sure how he got noticed....", "How did he get in touch with the Rangers...", "When did he live in Arlington...".

    Is this total BS or has Corby not read the DMN and not know the total picture of how Robbie Parker got noticed by the Rangers? All the information has been out there for weeks! Part of me wants to believe this is just a part of radio but I really believe that he, Corby, just doesn't do the most basic of research on his subjects.

    The same hold true with Greggo. Heard him hold forth on a subject about search dogs not being able to sniff on the front door of a house. Greggo then expounded on car searches being impermissable. Had he done the littlest of research he would know the two are not the same.

    Okay, rant over. But I think I may start a new thread on this site of subjects not fully researched by the host.

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  75. East Tex, nice comment, even-tempered and supported. I'm featuring it in the next post, lazy Plainsman that I am -- springtime, the plowing is murder -- with your anticipated permission.

    Return to topic of My Ticket Confession's relation to The Little One. First, thanks, Snarky Anon, for the acknowledgement, but what did T.C. say that made you think he was referencing MTC? Am I missing something?

    I am more interested in the fact that BaD interviewed George on the subject of the abandoned Campground, since our Source had kindly given us his/her insights on that. Think? Ah, who knows?

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