Sunday, March 1, 2015

LEAKED: From Mike R's Inbox


From a remote Cumulus information technology administrator, exclusive to My Ticket Confession:

===================================================== 

TO:        mrhyner@cumulus.com (mike_rhyner)

FROM:      jcatlin@cumulus.com (jeff_catlin)

DATE:      March 2, 2015

SUBJECT:   Some Thoughts from Bruce


Hey, OGW, hope you're staying warm. 

Listen, you know BG stopped by the station a few weeks back on his "grand tour" of the Cumulus sports talkers.  Great to see him again, hope he got a chance to stop by the show by to shake your hand.  Looks great, dunnee?! 

He told me he was going to have a few thoughts for us after hanging in Dallas and talking to people and driving around listening to the station for a few days, said he'd drop me a line.  Got a note from him this morning.

Turns out, he's got a little homework for you.

He's jotted down a few phrases he'd like you to study carefully and start working them in during the broadcast.  Actually, he used the phrase "tell Mike to memorize and use now."  May want to print this out and use it as a cheat sheet.

Look, man, I know you're the godfather, the founder of the feast, the inventor of sports radio in Dallas.  Gotta tell you, though, with respect, this sort of isn't a suggestion.  You know how a boss can sometimes throw something out that looks like some kind of random shit but you know it really isn't?  This is like that.  Gotta do this.  After these last two books our leverage with the parent to shuck the BS that usually comes from Atlanta ain't what it used to be.   Kinda under the microscope, ya know?

When I drove him back to Love he mentioned he was going to be popping in on iHeart to see how things were sounding. 

So you may want to start with this as soon as you've got them down, like today.

Cut and pasted this from BG's email.  Here are your phrases that pay from Bruce:

"Let me finish."

"Just hold on a minute before you start in."

"Look, I'm talking here."

"Jesus Christ, don't you ever stop talking?"

"Don't interrupt me, I'm saying something."

"This is my segment."

"Let me tell YOU something.  I was rockin' Gertie's and the Longhorn Ballroom all night and doing radio all day when you were just a glint off the bottom of a jigger of your pappy's Old Grand-Dad." 

"My turn here."

"Me taking a breath is not your cue to start talking."

"Here's the deal: I'll talk while you re-check that story you just found  on lowinfo.com forty-seven seconds ago so you don't accidentally misreport that Jesus has returned or the sun has exploded or Taylor Swift has married Dwaine Caraway."

"You want to shut your mic off there?"

"You know, it's absolutely amazing to me that What's On Mike's Mind is coming exclusively out of your mouth."

"Christ, even Bob Sturm has been known to let someone else talk for up to 12 seconds at a time."

"This is your quiet time." 

"Please, just  .  .  .  just  .  .  .  let me talk for awhile."

"I want my Hammer back.  That's not a drop."



ThePlainsman1310@gmail.com
@Plainsman1310


100 comments:

  1. I hope these phrases are worked into regular conversation post haste.

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  2. F'n LOVE it!!!! Only thing I'm debating is if whether Danny should've been in the photo, as well. Part of me says yes because he's taken to cutting off Mike. Part of me says no because for Danny the station means everything. He was a super fan who got to live the dream. He totally respects Mike. He's just been around Corby too much. Corby is a strong personality who will take over any situation unless another taps his brakes. No one, i.e., Mike or Cat, has done so. And here we are with The Corby Show starring Corby with his lil buds Mike and Danny. Sans Mike's Mind, almost every segment is either Corby led or out and out named for him. And like you said, even Mike's Mind is more often than not hijacked.

    Great stuff, Pmaster.

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  3. Here's the real culprit...

    http://www.twitlonger.com/show/n_1skvvgv

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  4. We're having fun here, no?

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  5. After reading this I'm holding on to my butt and also the things in my underwear.

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  6. Not to get all aggressive/passive on you here, but I do feel that I owe Corby a bit of an apology for this article. I scratched it out as a response to recent Confessor criticisms of Corby with which I mostly – and reluctantly – agree.

    I actually like Corby quite a lot. Confessors are aware that I have frequently defended him in these pages. I think he's a good broadcaster with true talent. I'll bet he's made me laugh more than any other host, with the exception of the truly unhinged Craig "Junior" Miller, who makes me laugh a lot inside.

    We see Corby's appeal especially when he serves on other shows with other hosts where he's prepared, engaging, and balanced in time-of-possession. I'm not the only one who has noticed this.

    But that should tell us something about The Hardline, which Confessors seem universally to feel has once again slid into the Checkout Mike/Overcorby syndrome, with possibly an excessive dose of Danny. (Hey, even too much bacon can make one feel a little queasy.)

    But since Corby can be good, and can be consistently good, doesn't this tell us that it's Mike that needs to heave to and trice up and enforce some balance, demand preparation, and ensure that the segments offer worthwhile content – at least half of which should be his not just to introduce and then sit back, but to lead? Corby does all the talking because Mike wants him to do all the talking. Mike could take that show back any time he wants to. He's not some doddering alta kocker, for Chrissakes, he's only 63 or so and he plays in a rock band. And from time to time we can still hear how good the show can be when he's interested in it.

    So the above bit is a little unfair; it's not just that Corby likes to talk (which he does); it's that Mike lets him and encourages him.

    So I'm hoping that The Pan-American Catman, and who knows, maybe Bruce Gilbert, will take some steps to right that magnificent listing vessel that is The Hardline.

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  7. Legitimate question here:

    It appears this blog and its readers have now turned their crosshairs towards Corby. So how long until these types of comments are banned like what happened recently? Seems to me like there are many of the same complaints between the two (bag of nothing, annoying, unwilling to play nice, etc) so what gives?

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  8. Although we could probably never be friends in 3D, I like Danny a lot. But More Danny is an organic consequence of More Corby. Put a muzzle on Corby and I think Less Danny happens naturally.

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  9. I love The Ticket, but lately, I find myself switching over to the Fan because Ben and Skin are EQUAL partners. Not just one ASSCLOWN monopolizing the entire show.
    Danny is just as bad with his bullshit spewing from his mouth. I swear he is JUST like Corby and loves to hear his own voice. SHUT UP and let Mike do the talking. You are NOT The Hammer. You are yuck monkey Corby. The arrogance these to jagoffs give off is one of the reasons that the "book" doesn't look good. Lucky for us, The Musers still have that magic going as does Bad Radio and Norm.
    Again. I AM A P1..but some of this shit is hard to digest. At least the Fan takes callers...something the Ticket could learn from.
    Just my .02cents

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  10. Ben and Skin are terrible. Anyone that thinks they have anything should have their head examined.

    So if you disagree with Bob and Corby on twitter you get blocked?

    This guys have thinner skin than my 8 year old daughter.

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  11. Anyone else notice that Hoops Washington sounds an awful lot like Dragbunt Washington and Sandtrap Washington?

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  12. @715am
    I think the your question will have more teeth if there is a barrage of one liners that consist solely of "Corby sucks," "I'll never listen again because of Corby," and others like it that we saw for months on end regarding Hee Hoo. I *think* Pman's rules and his moderating ought to ferret those out. I'm already seeing a bit of a devolving into that on this thread already. But the topic at hand is Over Corby, so it's to be expected.

    Man, I'm listening to TSJ in for Norm right now. Listen to them most Sundays. I have to say that Jake's aggressiveness and his let me tell you something: I'm the only one who knows what's what 'tude of late is such a turnoff. He's used to do this, then mellowed out and began to mature, very nicely I might add. I don't know what the deal is, but Attitudinal Aggro Jake is back in full effect. I'm not too down with him. Plus when he acts like this he goes into bad imitation of a New York accent pronunciation mode, which is weird in itself. A byproduct of growing up being a suburban wannabe East coast rapper?

    Corby hasn't been a yuk monkey in years. Like it or not he's the cohost of THL. He's not going back to being one. Neither is the Hammer coming back. Trust me, you don't want that to happen. Have you read his Twitter feed? It would be interesting for about 20 minutes after his initial reintroduction. After that it'd be Cringe City, USA. We'd all go away feeling sorry for, and angry at, GW. We'd also wonder how Cat and Mike could've been so dumb as to even think about bringing him back.

    @Pman
    I think your faux letter is spot on, but as you sort of inferred in your followup comment, only half finished. The other half should've went something like this:

    BG also has some pointed questions for you to answer, Mike. These are questions he'd like you to merely reflect on, but rather he wants, demands, answers. BG asks that you send them to him via e-mail (a detailed one at that) by the end of tomorrow's business day.

    ***Have you lost your passion for the job? If so, why? When? And what will it take to get it back (assuming there is a way back)?

    ***If you haven't lost the passion, please explain why you often, quite often, act so disinterested?

    ***Do your multiple tribute bands play a role? I see by your Twitter feed and your many times per week self-promoting/plugging gigs on-air, this side gigs, for fun gigs, are very much to the fore of your, ahem, mind. I'm not asking you to choose, but is there a way to balance them with your job?

    ***Why do you allow, with zero pushback, your cohost and producer to hijack nearly every segment that you are supposed to lead?

    ***How is it that you've gone from Ticket Founding Father, leader of all the hosts/the station, DFW radio icon (HoFer, at that), and longtime local musician who's seen and done it all to being passenger? You're 64. You're the elder statesman, not the intern. If you no longer wish to be a leader, then what role would you like to play at the station? As things are, you aren't pulling your weight; we could give your slot to someone who will; or will at least give it their all, who is hungry.

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  13. The corresponding email to Corby is much shorter, it simply reads "Please shut the eff up." Sincerely, BG

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  14. Anon @ 11:06 a.m.

    So glad to hear someone call out the BaD Radio producer for his arrogance. Listening to him hijack a segment about the NBA and Mavs makes me want to stick a fork in my eye. He acts like he has all the answers. Lets not forget he's the guy that was all for letting Tyson Chandler go after 2011. How'd that work out? He's always wrong.

    Just another example of how the new additions to BaD Radio are driving away listeners. They contribute NOTHING.

    It was nice to hear Bob and Dan call him out on his Rando points today.

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  15. What cracks me up about all of this is that arguably the ticket has had some of its best years since Greggo left. Marconi a few years back, top biller in the market 2 years ago, etcetera. And all that was with Corby as co host . We are coming up on8 years of no hammer. The show you hear is what you're going to get.

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  16. Great bit P-Man. You are correct that at least half the burden is on Mike to get his game back to where we know it can be.

    I used to enjoy Corby but of late he has begun to grate on me. There is a vocal register he reaches that is so much like a whiny kid that I just want to punch him through the radio even when I agree with his point. It only happens when he gets worked up and that used to be much more rare but happens far to often for my taste these days.

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  17. PMan's comment is correct - the real problem with over-Corby is that Mike doesn't care enough to put a stop to it. I actually don't blame him that much. You try doing something for 20 years and see how into it you still are. Especially if you're in your sixties. Some people's interests change over 20 years, and I think Mike is over radio. As for why he still does it? He won't make substantial scratch any other way.

    And to 8:27, the only type of "magic" Norm brings is the magic of being a drop machine.

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  18. @154
    I hear what you're saying. Yet surely you admit that nothing lasts forever, and that things are, for the first time in the station's history, on the downswing. This downswing is not only a first, but also it's proving to be sustained. Besides, the station itself is admitting there are issues, that some of the things they used to do, things that made them so great, are now being inorganically implemented/mandated from on high. This is also reflected in many of the in-house station promo spots reminding you who was the first station, etc.. There was a time not too long ago that such promos didn't exist.

    The above applies to THL, as well. Indeed, they're being bested on a regular basis. They have been longer than most are aware of. Russ Martin, whose show is mind numbing, has been beating THL for some time now. And yes, RMS is a competitor. They have the same target demo.

    Things aren't hunky dory at the Mothership. But neither are they dire. Though to act as if there's nothing to see, that we're a bunch of Chicken Littles...then so too are The Ticket higher ups.

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  19. This is by far the best thing that has been posted on here. Thank you for your courage P-Man.

    The best example I can think of what THL could still be is when it's a Corby free day. Usually with Followill you have an energetic, engaged Mike. Danny usually fades into the background and you have actual good segments.

    I honestly believe that Corby sucks the life out of Mike whether you could ever get him to admit or even acknowledge it or if he is even aware of it. Luckily for us listeners we have the ability to turn it off and dial our ears in elsewhere when it becomes too much Corby Show featuring Corby but just imagine having to sit through day after day of his way or the highwayness. You have a radio "HoF'er" and a college frat boy who has lucked into pretty much everything he has in life and I can't help but to feel for Mike. Granted he is very much a grown man and could make more of an effort to take back the reins of his show but the sweet allure of the inner thigh of bands and stuff stole that zest long ago.

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  20. Corby does one thing that makes me laugh every time he does it: his impression of Samantha from Sex And The City grunting.

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  21. Hate Jake all you want, but he was right about Tyson... If you kept Tyson, you would not have Monta, who is an absolute bargain at his production level...

    THL is a bit of mess - I am in H-town, so on my drive home I just turn on NPR when a bad segment rolls by. As much of a TSJ/IJB Jake P1 as I am, TSJ is not (yet) a 3 hour show 5x week. My new pet theory is that lower ratings at The Ticket is keeping the JV in place - it would not have surprised me if The Fan tried to poach TSJ 12 months ago, but now TSJ is a viable replacement show down the road.

    I am 42 - and the more I talk to 20-somethings the more I realize that I am old. Do not under estimate how old THL, and to a certain extent D&M sound. D&M, of course, have the advantage of being the most professional show you could possibly find (even Gordo). Either die early enough to be the hero, or live long enough to become the villain. The Ticket is 3 years from villainy...

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  22. Deezy, I heard that about an hour ago, and yes that is pretty damn funny. It reminds me more of the Christina Aguilera imitation of Samantha when she hosted SNL 10yrs ago. corky also kills me when he starts talking to Mike in his Lecter-esque Kardashian voice. Funny as hell.

    http://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/video/sex-and-the-city-finale/n11799

    @1:54 you are right, KTCK has had a pretty good record with corky. corky might as well be the 2008 Matt Cassel of the Ticket.

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  23. Hot stuff Plainsman! HSOs ahoy! You invoked your inner Hammer and preached it, brutha! "...a straight shootin' son of a gun...a straight shootin' son of a gun!"

    As good as this stuff is, ya got my Spidey Senses tinglin' for that Larry dude's HSO. Sho nuff, MTC is on FIRE!

    LAISSEZ LES BONS TEMPS ROULER!!!! Hey yo, at least that's what the Cajuns and the folks at Kawasaki say.

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  24. I don't think Mike is going to say any of these things.

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  25. I also like Corby's "Stern 1950's-1970's Father" and his Jordan Rhyner.

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  26. No, Pman, Mike isn't going to say any of those things; nor is he going to answer any of the queries posed by BG, 1106.

    154 and 247 are both right. The former in that the show that we hear is the one we're gonna get. The latter in his/her assessment of the state of things.

    Funny, as I type this Mike is plugging a PT show.

    If I were you guys and gals, I'd do one of 3 things. Accept things as they are and roll with it. Find the things you like that Corby does and hang onto them, and what's left of Mike's genuine interest. Or go elsewhere, wherever that may be.

    Just because Jake might be right from a cap/ownership-GM perspective about Tyson or anything else, doesn't mean he's right about most things. It also doesn't mean he's not capable of being exceptionally annoying at times.

    A 42 year old who is an IJB P1, but also who talks to 20-somethings and realizes he's old. Gotta say that's a strange one. I've listened to IJB, I'm only 3 years your junior, and I can't relate. Guess the gratuitous use of the F-word in lieu of being able to complete a thought stands in my way of IJB P1ship. That's just me, though. Maybe I'm just getting to be an old man before I'm supposed to. Have to say that you make a great point about how old THL and DnM probably sound to the younger demo. I do know that at my place of work the guys my age and a bit older who listen every now and again during conversation will use a drop, use some of the lingo that isn't so much used by the hosts anymore, and reference something heard. The few younger guys that do listen, most don't, do not. They like Fake Jerry, some of the BaD bits, and that's about it. I've never talked to any of them about it, but I'll bet anything they'd say everyone is old and they don't get them. I don't know about you guys, but when I was 19-22, I thought someone 26 was old, and someone 30+ was OLD. So that means to a lot of the kids, even Sean and Jake are old. Ditto Sirois.

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  27. Can we start saying "TC" again now?

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  28. BREAKING NEWS:

    http://popcultureblog.dallasnews.com/2015/03/former-edge-dj-mark-schectman-will-host-a-local-music-show-on-the-ticket.html/

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  29. APOLOGIES TO DA: He had sent me the Mark Schectman news awhile ago but for some reason I couldn't get it to publish. Thanks anyway.

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  30. OK. So Cat listens to listeners and heeds their call. Look, I know we MTCers and the reddit and Facebook Ticketheads don't represent the majority of listeners, but I'll bet we're the most vocal. So from where did this "grassroots listener movement" arise? I don't recall seeing anything about it on any Ticket related web presence. Including GIML. I think this is another Cat Sunday Night Special, a la Ladies B Trippin'. Except, HOPEFULLY, this thing will be greatness. Don't get me wrong, I'm excited to have some local Sunday night programming. I just hope it isn't another version of KKXT, which is kinda what this guy did while at The EDGE. I've had my fill of The Old 97s, New Bohemians, Funland, Ishi, and the lot, thank you very much. Guess we'll see. I have to admit that I'd rather see some of the JV get a shot in lieu of an established DJ. Whatever the case, it's a step in the right direction as far as weekend programming goes.

    First The Kick Around, now this. Interesting.

    One final thought is that I wonder if Cat is seeing that the way of The Ticket is to be the hipsters', the cool kids', basically The Dallas Observer crowd's sports-pop-culture talk destination (c'mon let's face it, they no longer do guy talk, it's TMZ all the way now). After all, it's looking more and more like they might not be able to consistently be #1, much less dominate the DFW sports talk scene.

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  31. And in today's ratings news, feb week one is out, and the fan drops to 17th. They even get beat by ESPN. Ticket ain't back on top, but they're top 10. Amazing what not having cowboys content does.

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  32. Could you provide a link to the numbers and a breakdown? The demo is what matters, not the cume.

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  33. This ought to get your radio biz pants going all nutzo.

    http://www.allaccess.com/net-news/archive/story/138690/report-hedge-fund-pressuring-cbs-to-merge-radio-op

    BTW. Per a very good, highly seated, source in the national biz end of the game - - - -this is most likely going to happen within the next 8-18 months.

    Like I've been saying. You have been warned.

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  34. DA's been telling us about this. Interesting.

    As for the ratings, also interesting. We've been warned that the dip could have been Cowboy-related -- but the CTO plainly took that dip seriously, still are. I'd love to see a rebound, but there's more to come on this and we should all just abide the event until matters clarify.

    But any rebound notwithstanding -- the Hardline needs work.

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  35. ANOM 8:49

    Who is buying out who in this deal?

    Either way would the FCC let this fly in Dallas with one company owning almost all the radio outlets in one city?

    Sports aside, KRLD/KLIF/WBAP "conservative talkers" under one roof. Might be interesting as to what might have to be sold off.

    As Mike has ask before, "can someone come buy this thing out"?

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  36. It's a merger, not a buy out, so to speak.

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  37. I guess I need to link to the Rules of the Confessional for every post.

    This thought is prompted by a comment just received that makes some excellent Corby-positive points and provides some balance to other comments.

    But its angry, scolding, insulting tone means you'll never see it.

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  38. Maybe you could sum up the posters good thoughts for us, Pman? If they're that much of a counterbalance to some of the comments, I for one, and I'm sure I'm not alone, would like to read them.

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  39. 8:40: Here's the least objectionable segment of the deleted post: "[After noting in offensive way the difficulty of talking as much as a radio host has to talk:] Do you know the level of bullshit one must be capable of? How about with little or no interest from your partner and no producer per se? Corby carries that thing because nobody else will [insult omitted]. They freaking invented a segment (lol half segment actually) just so Mike would be forced to bring something every day. Dude is funny, eloquent and generally quite informed. Yeah, he'll read an article live on air. Yeah, he's dogmatic and hyperbolic. Yeah, he loves Pearl Jam (who "BY THE WAY", might just be the greatest American Rock Band of all time). You really think the HL would be better off somehow without Corby or that Mike will snap back to the 2000 version of himself? Just chill and enjoy it if you like it."

    I consider editing comments with objectionable material from time to time, but it's clumsy, time-consuming, and should be unnecessary if writers would self-edit responsibly.

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  40. So happy that Junes called out Gordo during the settler segment. They can't have a good conversation w/out Gordo hijacking it with his ridiculous play on words. He's officially become a beating.

    Fake Mark Cuban is another tired bit right beside the Fake Jerry Jones.

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  41. Hi Plainsman,
    I have read this blog for quite some time. Really enjoy the insightful posts from you and the spirited comments from all the P1s.
    I lived out of state when the ticket first came to life, but have pretty much been plugged in since 1997. This is the closest I have come to thinking about punching out on one of the shows in the almost 20 years I have been listening. I remember the days of the original Hardline with Mike in the driver's seat, The Hammer with his country commentary, and yuk monkey Corby with quips, field work on the mic with hilarious interviews...it all worked so well. It is sad to see what I guess is a combination of Mike settling into complacency and the Corby Davidson Show taking over. Corby is great in moderate amounts, but the way he has been allowed to take over the show has become so tiresome. I am probably a little late to the party on this, but when punching out on the station becomes a temptation, something has got give. I think a lot of the reason they may be keeping some of their numbers is that the competing shows are not that great. Anyway, keep up the good work. This is a great forum for comments, news, ideas, and fun. The P1s are lucky to have.

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  42. Not a fan of Bob Sturm but the loop of him saying "It's me it's me it's me...." that mino pulled from the stream is freaking hillarious. Mino is brilliant.

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  43. Pappy, I don't get us. Fake Cubes and Jerruh are greatness.

    Thanks for editing that person's comment, Pman. Th point about Corby, due to Mike's seeming lack of enthusiasm, having to carry the show out of necessity is well taken. Definitely a possibility. Also well taken is that if it's true he's more of a talent and cares much more than people give him credit for. But that's assuming it's true. Having said that, I think the comments go wrong is when it is claimed Corby is eloquent and informed. The former, admittedly, is subjective; the latter is not. There isn't enough time in the week to enumerate even half of the inaccuracies and ignorance on all sorts of matters. It's an almost daily occurrence. And at times it borders on the scandalous in its scope. As to the rhetorical question offered: Yes, THL would be better, and by a country mile, if Mike would get back to his 2000 form/self. By the commenter's very words regarding Corby having to run the ship due to Mike's disinterest, he also disappears Roto ackowledge the show would be better.

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  44. Sorry, I misread the rhetorical question. Let me answer it afresh.
    To the Mike half, alas I have to say he will not. To the Corby half, I must say that as the show is now, with Mike's Mind the way it is presently and has been for quite some time, yes. But my follow up question is, regardless of whether he's in essence being forced to carry the show, why does he have to do it the way he is? Can't there be happy median of sorts? Namely, room for others to breath, including the listener?

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  45. We have commented here before that Corby is a better listen when he is working a different shift with another host. More prepared, more collaborative - less hyperbolic. I guess he figures it cuts into his sledding time if he has to do that kind of prep every day for a four hour show.

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  46. Corby is obviously not without talent. He wouldn't be where he was without something. He is at times quite funny and even insightful. He is not the whole of the issues facing THL. I would still rather listen to THL than anything else on the air right now but there are things I wish would change for the better and I think more engaged Mike is really the key.

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  47. Corby is very talented. About 15 yrs ago, he was my favorite host but that was when he yuck monkeyed for a living. No longer.

    I'm with the majority here, pretty much out on them now for most of the reasons heretofore enumerated. Just can't take it, I listen to maybe 1 or 2 segments a week.

    Regardless what else is going on in the market during PM Drive, THL is hemorrhaging listeners. It's really a shame cuz I used to be a stone cold P1.

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  48. Kyle - I'm right there with you. I listen because there are no alternatives. The other 2 sport stations in this market are terrible. Especially The Fail. I can handle ESPN Radio in small doses but, I stick to The Chicken. Just not a P1 anymore. Marginal P2 or P3 now.

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  49. Kyle Foster - I'm 1:00 PM Anonymous and I agree with you. To be fair, I should have added that Mike doesn't want to be bothered with preparing four hours five days a week either.

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  50. When is the last time Catlin or anyone from the station ever sat down with THL and told them they need to improve? That they needed to prepare more? That they overall needed to get their shit together? I suspect never. THL is fully aware of the ratings decline but I bet no one from management ever sits them down and asks for improvement. What is worse is that it seems that THL is ignorant of their current state and/or doesn't want to acknowledge it.

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  51. THL just had some audio of Yu speaking English at a news conference. I'm positive the Musers stated this morning that what THL played was the interpreter and not Yu, and Fernando and Jer said this morning there was no audio to be found of Yu speaking English. Are we to believe that now we do have audio or can we assume that they did no prep work, even sharing notes with the previous shifts, and gave us bad info? If the latter is in fact true, it was pretty embarrassing and I was cringing as they were doing that segment.

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  52. What did Line 4 Guy say during WTDS today that got dumped?

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  53. To the people that enjoyed Corby as yuc monkey, you've got me beat. I've never found Corby funny in any area. I see where a couple that normally don't care for Corby admit they find his Kim K. voice funny. For myself, there is NO quicker punch out than that! There are two Corby related things that will always make me chuckle tho...the 'mammy' drop, and the 'Harry Cox..BIG Harry Cox' drop, and that's pretty much it.

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  54. Why is the claim that a host used a service before the service advertised on the Ticket such an important copy point? Surely it's not the first time that's happened. Is that just a semantic dance around plugola?

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  55. The Harry Cox drop is Coop, not Corby. So you're down to one thing now, pal.

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  56. Hey, T4, I heard the same thing. But gotta tell you (1) that HL clip did not sound like an interpreter, and (2) lots of news reports say that Yu gave a press conference in English.

    So I'm thinking THL got it right. Which is not to say the Muers got it wrong. I didn't hear the clip this morning but did hear them (Sean?) say that it was his interpreter.

    So I dunno, but cringing may not have been necessary.

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  57. Man, this is too funny. You tell people who don't like the site to go somewhere else, and they do it!

    Here's a place where some who don't like the Rules of the Confessional have landed. Stumbled on this while looking for something else. It's priceless:

    http://www.reddit.com/r/theticket/comments/2uc74g/whats_up_with_the_my_ticket_confession_blog/

    Hey, T4: They've exposed your plot to "usurp" MTC with a "better blog"!!

    Well, I can see I'm going to have to start requiring loyalty oaths.

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  58. So a few days ago Corby, in all his lackadaisically unprepared glory, falsely announces a major advertiser had cancelled a concert. Later he gives some half-assed apology in his best, "awww, sorry we screwed up hunnybunny, you know we love you" effeminate tone. Now, today he gives free advertising for his Alpha Sigma Sigma buddy who manages Billy Bobs and even tells the listeners to look for tweets for some kind of special promotion. So he can screw a paying client on Friday, then Tuesday give an over-the-air handjob for free to his Alpha Sigma Sigma buddies? No consequences? Really? Am I wrong and the Billy Bob's plug is some new in-segement paid advertising? These are major F*Ups in other industries. I really don't get it.

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  59. Poor Tuesday for Cumulus. First they fail to meet earnings expectations. Next, they announce that while 2014 earnings were up, net income fell, and lastly to close shares today dropped by nearly 17%.


    http://americasmarkets.usatoday.com/2015/03/03/cumulus-media-down-16-on-earnings-miss/

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  60. blergoyen, I'm with you on that. I was really startled with the boldness of the special pleading there.

    I suppose Ron Chapman and other radio voices would promote things produced by local pals from time to time, but when you hear things like that it's almost always for charity.

    This was just an eight-minute gift to Billy Bob's.

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  61. Plainsman, that's a good point in that all major show hosts give a brief plug here and there. What caught my ear here was 1) The length of airtime, 2)slightly less than arms-length relationship, and 3)the timing after the Friday screw up. I don't know who has power over that stuff at a radio station (Station Mgr, Program Mgr, Sales Mgr?) but I'd be PISSED in light of the 3 points above.

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  62. No idea what the Reddit dudes are talking about. I guess I'm glad I didn't get verbally assaulted like you did, Pman. Looks like your moderating is getting some panties bunched up.

    Here's another seemingly respectful Ticket blog (thread?) that I check out once in a while.

    http://texags.com/forums/37/topics/1741290/last#last

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  63. I checked out the Billy Bob's thing. Are you f'n kidding me??? A fundraiser to get Jack My Ten Minutes Were Up 5 Years Ago White to play the venue???? Hey, we're a storied venue who has its own freaking record label, makes tons of dough, etc., and we want YOU paying customer to pony up the money for this Bowie wannabe who rips off obscure 60s and early 70s garage bands' riffs and songs....and get this, then we'll charge you out the ass to come see the dope play!!!!

    Oh, this is rich.

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  64. I checked out the Ticket Reddit page once. Once. There was a thread of some sort to rank your favorite hosts or somesuch. The overwhelming majority had Corby either #1 or top 3. There were also a lot of who's Greggo and explain why Greggo drops are funny. I haven't been back since. This blog is much more grounded and realistic.

    I wouldn't be surprised if there was some real off the air wtf's coming from the Granada over that blunder. My hope is someone finally said something to Corby that he needs to be more mindful of what he says on the air, but I know. Wishful thinking.

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  65. I gotta say...I'm digging Sirois and Machine filling in for Norm. I haven't listenedcto a lot of the latter and they seem to make a good pair. He is also pretty knowledgeable, looks like he comes prepared and does his homework.

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  66. Right there with you T4. A single Sirois with a less "I got this" 'tudinal Machine is hitting a sweet spot. Indeed, I have to admit that I've really come around on Machine over the past several months. His Mavs stuff is excellent, and he is maturing into a very good perhaps on his way to excellent radio presence.

    BTW, I DUG Sirois's cricket talk. I had the same sort of experience one Saturday night at a local Irish watering hole. They get a lot of cricket loving Pakis, Brits, Kiwis, and Aussies so they carry the matches. I found myself captured by the game. Don't know if I could watch it on a regular basis. It is, like Sirois said, a different way of taking in and even looking at the concept of sports. But for one evening it was pretty cool.

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  67. Sorry I'm late to the party, but we've heard both Mike & Corby do great with other hosts. This makes it seem pretty obvious that they seem to bring out the worse in each other. Mike will check out because he knows Corby and Danny will fill the air, and Corby won't put in the prep work because he knows he won't have to because Mike won't call him on it. But to break them up would be a major PR nightmare, in my opinion, so it really can't be done.

    While I do enjoy Jake, and he seems to be one of the few to challenge Bob when it comes to sports, I've often wondered why Sirois doesn't stick around to do the BAD radio show, too? Maybe producing for two shows is one too many, but on,y two hours of him a day is a waste, IMO.

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  68. Brad, Sirois has another gig he foes with his brother. A production company of sorts. That might be one of the reasons why. Another might be that the CTO wanted to throw their golden boy, Jake, a bone by giving him a status and perhaps even salary upgrade. Another might be that two hours of producing Norm, and being his producer on general, is tantamount to a full-time job, as is.

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  69. Don't disparage the GREAT Jack White! Not his fault that Coobie's a fool!

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  70. Looking forward to some school closings and delayed openings by the Playmaker tomorrow morning!

    I don't have anything to add to the Over Corby thread. There's been so many great comments. Any angle that comes to mind has already been covered by someone else, and better than I'm able to, for sure.

    I will agree that Corby's free advert for Billy Bob's seemed inappropriate. Or at least If I were a paying advertiser, it would've pissed me off to no end.

    Am I misremembering or wasn't Pman supposed to put up some extended comment by a MTCer from last thread? If so, looking forward to reading it. If it's good enough for Pman to want to make an article out of it, it must have something.

    Attention all Rangers fans out there: It's going to be a long Summer. Which means an even more turned off Mike. Lose, lose for us P1s.

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  71. Ferrall sounds like Krusty the Klown from The Simpsons. That Shep dude is like some character that used to be on the old Stern show, back when it was locally on The Eagle.

    I wish Catman would figure out a way to get some live local programming up and running during the weeknights. At least until midnight. Give Fahy and Montemayor a show. Better yet give Machine and Fahy or Montemayor a show. Something other than Flagellant on the Air. That show is an asswhip of the highest order.

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  72. I missed this "outrageous" comment by Corby about Billy Bob's. Please explain the different between this and the Concert Calendar and Biggest Show?

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  73. Maybe Ferrall was the only syndicated talker they could get to come to Summer Bash.

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  74. The segments with Tracy Rowlett during The Headline was fantastic. He had some hot sports opinions. Love that he called out the fraud Bill O'Reilly. That was greatness. Well done Mr. Rowlett.

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  75. It's wasn't outrageous, people are really reaching right now to find ways to bash Corby.

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  76. Cody, I'm not sure "outrageous" is the word I would use. I didn't find it offensive, I just thought it was an example of the Inside Corby at work, and it's kind of icky-sounding cringe-inducing radio.

    The difference is that Biggest Show and Concert Calendar aren't explicitly (and with with Biggest Show, not at all) a plug for any Friends of the Hardline. I'm not at all bothered that the Hardline guys know some of the guys in some of the CC bands -- if I were able to get out to hear a lot of live music, I would be interested to know which ones they liked, so I'm all good with Concert Calendar.

    But the Billy Bob's segment had a strong flavor of Corby using his position to doing a favor for some friends. Now a lot of times that's fine -- maybe someone's sick and needs contributions, or lost his dog, or something like that.

    But these guys -- his friend at Billy Bob's, his friend who started the crowdsourcing cashraising site -- don't need it, Jack White doesn't need it, and, rightly or wrongly, the segment sounded like Corby being Inside Corby on behalf of his notable buds.

    I really don't want to pile on Corby (this post notwithstanding), but you can see the reaction the Confessor has had to the BB segment.

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  77. It's the frat rat thing, Plainsman. It's what they do for their bros. They did it when they were in the frat, as that was a big part of being in the frat. They do it after the frat because that's their ethos. You're a bud, or a guy I'd like to be buds with or think it advantageous to be buds with, well sir, you are a bro and I will do my best to help you, the bro, out.

    Part and parcel with this is the love of being an insider, letting everyone know about it, and giving out the skinny.

    Corby just can't help himself. He's a product of his Interlochen, TCU frat boy, country club cool guy who likes the cool stuff environment.

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  78. Oh yeah, let's not forget that this BB/crowdsourcing dude is the same dude that invited Corbles and wife to a Foo Fighters shindig-concert...with killer seats, backstage, and the works. Scratch mine, scratch yours. If anyone can recall, that's the EXACT same stuff GW used to pull. And it's the same stuff that drove Mike, Cat, sales, and the CTO batshit...because it's totally slimy. Guarantee you that Corbles doesn't see it that way. Just a bro helping a bro.

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  79. I'm really enjoying the Mike Sirois and friends show this week. Top notch stuff by Mikey.

    I like Corby for the most part, the BB/Tilt thing was a little uncomfortable after a few minutes, especially since it seems unnecessary.

    I think with Corby you need someone to figuratively hit him in the face with a show every once in awhile. Greggo/Rhyner used to do it back in the day and Gordo did it on The Rant when Hyperbole Corby showed up

    But I agree with others on here, THL is in desperate need of something...

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  80. Give Fahy, mino, Montemeyor, craytret, and machine a weekend show.

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  81. CONFIDENTIAL TO DEEZY: No problem.

    CONFIDENTIAL TO DA: Wasn't 100% comfortable with your speculation. If you've got some backup, please resubmit. You're a valued contributor, sorry to hold you up this time. Thanks.

    Apologies for communicating in this way, but submitted comments do not include emails.

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  82. Last Friday, without any fact-checking corby announced Meghan Trainor's concert at the Granada was canceled when it wasn't. The Granada is a major advertiser with The Ticket.

    Last Wed corby spent 8+ minutes promoting a concert for Billy Bobs. His college buddy manages BBs. I can't recall if I've ever heard a BB's commercial on The Ticket.

    If the two circumstances above, in context together, are no big deal to you from a business standpoint or otherwise, then there is no reason to discuss it.

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  83. I do find the new station promo kinda funny. It talks about all the in-house station weekend programming--both on Saturday and Sunday. I'm listening to it thinking "OK, I'll buy Saturday, for certain. But Sunday? You have one show on in the a.m. that now ends at 10:45. And supposedly there's going to be a Sunday night music show.

    Maybe this is a teaser of sorts of things to come? New Sunday shows to fill up the afternoon? I sure hope so.

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  84. Jake and Machine will be hosting The Four Pointer, a basketball show, on Sundays.

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  85. Whatever happened to "the big chief tablet" that was on Cat's door so people could sign up for week night/weekend shows. And I don't mean Ticket sports saturday/sunday put something local and entertaining not just recaps of what is going on in the world of sports I could turn on the TV to see that. Now it's usually an immediate punch out when I get in the car on weekends or in the evening.

    As far as Corby goes i'm thoroughly sick of his whatever he is doing right now is the greatest thing ever or whatever is going on in the world is the bestest or worstest thing ever attitude.

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  86. I have been listening to the DFW sports radio scene since 2002 and have slowly moved the Ticket down the dial until they are my last option for avoiding ads. I used to have them at the top and I can totally say that THL has seriously become a beat down on the drive home because of to much Corby yammering and no Mike or sports talk. The mix of sports talk vs buddy talk has slowly tilted in the wrong direction because most of these guys seem completely bored with sports talk.

    The other problem for the Ticket is all the up and coming talent got tired of waiting and moved on to other stations. Ben and Skin, KC, Friedo, all of these guys started on the Ticket and have vastly improved over time on other stations. They are still passionate about sports and have gotten much better at the buddy talk.

    As far as the Fan, I suffered through Richie and Greggo and the other mediocre shows out of boredom with the Ticket, but now they are starting to get their act together with their current line up. The Ticket needs to take them seriously.

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  87. That's cool news, Shaggy. Where'd you hear that? I take it Jake will be doing double duty then (TSJ and 4PTR)? Any word on its air-time?

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  88. DAMMIT! I hate auto correct!!!!

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  89. Another show for Jake? More airtime he gets the less I will listen. He adds nothing to the station. No coincidence ratings have dipped the more airtime he & his podcast buddy get.

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  90. Anonymous 7:01

    I would imagine in about a month there will be those whining here that the Hardline talks too much baseball.

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  91. As TC would say, nontheluh, I still love the Ticket.

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  92. If baseball gets Mike engaged that's not a bad thing.

    Unless you'd rather hear Corby canoodle with Colleen Coyle.

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  93. I'm wondering where Danny got the info that Shaq was traded BACK to the Heat? And that he played for the Raptors? And why did Corby say he remembered that Toronto stint?

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  94. Beginning to look like THL knows about little else than reading others articles and watching ESPN profiles and making what a neat or sorry guy inferences from said piece. They appear to have lost the ability to talk accurately about either sports or anything else for that matter. I'm so over them. And it sucks because Mike, when he was Rhyner, was my leader. Notice the past tense.

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  95. ...or more Corby talking about how hairless Neil Patrick Harris is....great radio, simply great radio....

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  96. Yu Darvish news pre-empts Hints on the Orphanage. They even did a phoner with Baseball Jesus.

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  97. For people that hate Corby and THL you sure seem to know everything they talk about every day.

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