Sunday, December 11, 2016

So What's the Deal with All This Tension?


And during the feelgood holidays, at that?

Let's review:

Mike Sirois v. T.C. Fleming:   T.C. holding forth at length on some aspect of coolness relating to cleats, and Sirois just flat sutting him down.

T.C. Fleming v. John Fahy:   I heard that exchange this morning at the beginning of That Certain Shake Joynt.  T.C. took his "competently produced" shot, and Fahy absolutely unloaded on him at his next opportunity, noting T.C.'s history of occasional marblemouthedness during Tickers, his BaD Radio sycophancy, and other sins.

Jake Kemp v. Unidentified Shake Joint Guy:  I missed the first few minutes of the show, but it sounded like Jake was wrapping up some fairly specific put-down of someone working on the show that morning, but I got in late couldn't identify the victim of his wrath.  Please advise if you know who it was.



Gordon Keith v. Mike Sirois: About Mike's mother, no less, and what I gather was speculation on her sexual history.  I caught just a little of this on Monte + The Machine yesterday so might not have that quite right -- corrections welcome.  (Those M+M boys do like to stir things up, don't they?)

Jake Kemp v. John Fahy:  After gently chiding his pal T.C. for his "silly" and "uncool" remarks about John, he noted that in listening to the latter's Top Ten work, he observed that Fahy would sometimes eliminate the actual punch line of the segment being featured, but sometimes include the 40-liner.   Tending to support T.C.'s judgment.

What's going on?  No idea; however, I wonder if it has something to do with the fact that the established hosts aren't likely to go anywhere for a long time unless someone retires early or dies, and you have a generation of JV that's been there a long time with no advancement.

The Ass Ceiling:  You keep these ambitious, intelligent guys down long enough with so very few opportunities to shine on-air, and the jockeying for position can become pretty intense.

Could be something else -- some event behind the scenes that's caused some lines to be drawn among The Next Generation.


I thought you'd enjoy a post that wasn't about advertising.

81 comments:

  1. Here's a thought: The Pan-American Catman might not like the on-air airing of personal dislike between some of the JV, but if he really didn't like it, he would have stopped it by now. He would have made his feelings known in such a way that M+M wouldn't have felt comfortable re-airing much of it yesterday, and ditto with Shake Joint this morning AND Jake Kemp adding more fuel to the Fahy fire. So while it doesn't feel like a bit to me at all, I'm getting a sense that management feels like this is more or less a boys-will-be-boys kind of thing, nothing to make new policy about.

    But I won't really know until I know what Craig "Junior" Miller thinks about all of it.

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  2. Out of curiosity why do you reference Junior? Is he always aligned with management or does he have an inherent Tier 1 sense to how the wind is blowing?

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  3. Oh, no, nothing like that, 1153. I don't think Craig is unusually close to management. It's just my sense (perhaps owing to my own subjective views of who the leading Ticket hosts are) that Junior is the first among equals when it comes to good judgment about and emotion-free analysis of Ticket politics generally, not any particular attunement to the JV cohort.

    Mainly, I guess, it's because I like Junior.

    But I won't really know until I know what Gordon Keith thinks about him.

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  4. The fact that Monty can take shots at George and not only keep his job but seems to be rising up the ranks along with Machine would tend to lend credence to the boys will be boys thought otherwise he would be gone.

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  5. As I said, and as I think I might have said in the prior thread, that it is still going on tends to suggest that management doesn't have a big problem with it. Tension is interesting; interest inclines people to tune in.

    And it also makes these guys seem more like human beings, shows that they endure the same senseless squabbles in their daily lives that each of us does.

    Even guys like T.C. and Corby, lightning-rod-type guys: Isn't a drama with a villain more interesting than one with a bunch of larfing goofs that just seem to love each other all the time? (NOTE: I do not regard T.C. or Corby as villains -- just the guys the P1 loves to thrash.)

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  6. Breakfast QuesadillasDecember 11, 2016 at 2:57 PM

    They are thrashed because they put out unsupported opinion as fact.

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  7. Okay, can you give some examples? It's getting a bit tired.

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  8. Well buckle up fellas, because we are about to be treated to a mega-dose of JV airtime.

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  9. Lol "rising up the ranks"? he co-hosts the third best weekend show behind TSJ and Cirque.

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  10. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

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  11. Yeah, I've kinda had enough. Will begin deleting trolls on a very subjective, quite likely inconsistent basis. You want to hang with the Good Confessor, have a point.

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  12. Even though this post isn't about advertising, I'd like to note that I heard the original Kelly McClure "bulldog" ad--the one with the wolf whistle--on the Ticket over the weekend.

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  13. While I agree with Shaggy that baseless “[Insert host name here] sucks and shouldn’t be on the radio” comments don’t add anything to the conversation, I prefer less intervention by the one who rides the plains than more. I think the assertion that anyone is posting and following their own comment up with fake “thumbs up” is a stretch. It’s much more feasible that they have said something that people agree with. Like anything else (e.g. customer reviews, news story comments), people are much more likely to comment on something they don’t agree with than something they do. Norm gets kicked in the nuts here sometimes. I like him. He reminds me of watching the Rangers on HSE with my grandfather. I’ve never written a multi-paragraph diatribe about how much I loved his analysis.

    But back to your regularly scheduled program. I agree with the idea that we’re getting friction from the JVers as they try and jockey for position. The obvious candidates are Jake, M&M, and TC but I would have to throw Sirois and Sea Bass in there too. It’s obvious that Tye and Fernando have acknowledged the ceiling at the station. Gribble wasn’t happy in his spot and moved on.

    I’ve worked corporate jobs for 20 years and there’s always friction when someone thinks they’re in line for a role and someone younger and/or less-qualifed, less talented, less field time, less company loyalty less seniority, whatever comes into the mix and steals your thunder. It sucks especially when you feel like you’ve put in the time and it comes down to office poltics. The truth is that the little one is a meritocracy. Just like sports, if you can get listeners, you’re going to get air time and then get paid. Everyone at the station rips on Skip Bayless. I can’t stand the guy but someone thought he was worth it. It’s no different here. I also agree with Cat having full reign on the goings on air. If he wanted this to end, it would end. There will be some big turnover in the next 10 years. There’s no doubt though that they will lose some talent between now and then. The Ticket is like a football team that has no major injuries during the season. How different would this look has BaD left a few years back? They’ve had the same lineup (RIP Greggo, Gribble, Grubes, and Ricardo Felipe). The chemistry has been unflappable and some additional tension adds to it.

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  14. Big Old Ruby Red DressDecember 12, 2016 at 4:17 PM

    Well, what to say that hasn't already been said? I guess the most obvious and cliched thing is the old adage, where there's smoke there's fire. How many examples and incidents have to occur over the past, what is it now 6-7+ years, of TC not playing well with others/others not playing well with TC before the conclusion is drawn: yeah, it's him, and not everyone else. TC is the common factor in nearly all JV v JV conflicts, as well as the majority of JV v Varstiy set-tos. Having said that, I don't think TC is the bogey man here.

    I agree with Pman in that if Cat didn't want this now constant backbiting, snipping and sniping by the JV (all of the JV, not just TC) he'd put the kibosh on it, immediately. And anyone who violeted the order would be reprimanded by way of suspension and/or the loss of their job. But he hasn't. While it MIGHT be an item of intrigue for some P1s, I can guarantee that such an "attraction" has zero impact on the ratings. No one tunes in to see if whether TC or Fahy or Monty or Sirois or Machine, etc., has thrown "shade" on one of their fellow JVers or a Varsity member. The only way a tacit or not so tacit endorsement from Cat makes sense is if he believes it can drive up weekend listnership. But even that is wonky, as such a WWF-like attraction would require a sustained and overt campaign of warring factions. This would mean station spots promoting the tensions, and would also mean some sort of incident occuring each weekend. As a result, and like WWF, the tensions would quickly become disingenuous, and so, one big put on.

    So why, then, does Cat and Dan Bennett put up with it? If it was once in a blue moon thing, OK, fine. But it isn't. It's become more frequent and seems to be ramping up in both frequency and vitriol. As to why it's happening, I think Pman might be onto something. I also believe you have a group of young to young-ish men who, on the whole, view themselves, each individually, as the smartest guy in the room. That is a toxic work environment that is sure to implode at some point. Perhaps we are seeing the beginning of such an implosion.

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  15. Gribble didn't move on, he was moved by Cat over to 103.3. He still a show producer with nowhere to go. Except now he's on a very low rated show on the station in last place vis-a-vis DFW sports stations. I don't know if you can even honestly call it a lateral move.

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  16. @Anon 4:25.

    You prove my point. Gribby Gribs confrontations with BaD are well documented (e.g. "I don't want audio", "Shut up"). This was one of those make a move or move on times. He wasn't on tap for the next Tier 1 position...whenever that happens to come up. The idea of friction due to lack of upward mobility still hold true.

    This station was founded on a bunch of cast-offs (that’s probably strong and not good-strong) looking to do something bigger. See Norm/KLIF, the Old Grey Wolf, Greggo/KZEW and WBAP, Junior and Jubenator/KRLD. Donnie Doo-Doo was a solid talent from WolfTown. Corby and Gordo were right place, right time fixtures. Bob and Dan were absolutely fabricated out of looking at resumes but I think they’ve made it work.

    To sum it up, I don’t think there’s anywhere to go but down…or out.

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  17. "This is the most historic streak that any quarterback has ever had of any quarterback wearing that helmet ever" - Corby. The suggestions of "opinion stated as fact" will continue coming should you need it.

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  18. Big Old Ruby Red Dress: I wonder if Cat and Dan Bennett have too many irons in the fire right now to address this bickering. Between scheduling, traffic, billing and everything else plus trying to keep 103.3 on the air. If this continues or an incident occurs they will address it.

    ellislives: Donnie started out as Kevin McCarty's board op and moved up at KLIF. When Cumulus bought them out and the layoffs began that's when he moved to The Bone.

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  19. Gopher

    I appreciate your fact checking. I'm a Donnie fan and it looks like he put his time in and deserving of being the Big D that P1s deserve. Still makes my point. We've had a limited host pin-balling over the years to make the Little One what it is. I still believe that Sirois is Fight Clubbing himself each night because he’s not in Donny Doo Doo’s spot.

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  20. @5:28 well, can you argue with his viewpoint? Been a cowboys fan for decades and, yes, this was without question the most historic streak for any qb in many, many decades. Do you want him saying "in my opinion" after every statement he makes? Of course not, that would be ridiculous. If Bob or jr miller said the exact same thing (and they have, in nearly indentitical words) you would nod in agreement. But since it was the snake you turned down your radio and reached for your smartphone.

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  21. Dang, I've missed all of the juicy tension of the JV club since I rarely listen on weekends. Is it really as tense as everyone is making it out to be? I must say, Mike sirois is just about always comedy gold. Besides Gordon Keith, he is in my mind easily the funniest guy at the station. But there are times when I take pause at some of the things he says and think, wow, what an asshole. It's not that he's just overtly mean, more that he comes off as a spoiled brat who just about always gets his way in life, no matter what. Which is interesting because his brother Cash comes off as just about the sweetest guy in the world. Again, love Mike 99% of the time, just something I've noticed.

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  22. As hard as it may be to believe, Gordo wasn't all that well received at first. Today Gordo is one of the most vital cogs in the success of the Ticket as well as other media areas. I can't really remember when Gordo started making the scene on the Ticket, but he caused a lot of tension in his early months. It seems I remember Rhynes saying that he just kept hanging around the station until they basically gave him a job. I guess I'm saying, if you bring something to the table, you'll eventually get your chance.

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  23. Just remember there were some very tense moments between Gordon and Norm when he first came over from KLIF. Gordon had made some outrageous statement that got quite a bit of print while Norm was at KLIF. He then had one of his more major meltdowns on air responding to Gordon's statement. They then had several tense crosstalks after Norm joined KTCK.

    Don't forget Rocco and Skip. There may also have been some moments with David Robinson.

    Upon further review, strife amongst the starters and JV here is nothing new.

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  24. @Gopher,
    Be reminded that Dan Bennett is regional VP for both Dallas and Houston and Cat is operations manager for seven stations.

    One key task they just had from September to November was to hire a new PD for KLIF-AM & WBAP. The current PD, Tyler Cox, is retiring at the end of the month. They announced the new hire, a guy from WEEI in Boston, three weeks ago.

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  25. I really like this discourse. I've been an observer on this blog for a few years but just recently started posting. I'm going to flip the script though. Is there a host that's universally beloved? Anecdotally from these comments, is it the Old Grey Matriarch, King George, or Junez?

    I'll take my answer off the air.

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  26. @ Ellislives

    Rhyner gets some benefit of the doubt for being the father of the Little Ticket, but he takes some hits here for spending most of his shift disengaged. It's always noted how much he steps up his game when he is paired with someone else.

    Does universally loved = least offensive? I think it could be either George or Craig, but there are probably some anti-Muser people out there.

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  27. can always count on the bitch PM resurfacing and censoring content. what an ass clown.

    corby & danny criticism perfectly fine. talk about his butt buddies TC & Jak Kemp and that is off limits.

    #dick

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  28. DA:

    I had no idea they were responsible for so much territory.
    I also had not heard about Tyler Cox as my TSL at WBAP is not what it once was. It was greatly reduced with the departure of Mark Davis and since retirement not having to get up at 6am anymore, I go elsewhere for weather and news. :D

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  29. I'm posting this comment at 12:20 PM Tuesday. Greggo is having a meltdown on Twitter.

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  30. Here's contradictory TC/Jake versus Bob/Dan I can support @ 12:20. The JV needs to scrimmage varsity some times.

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  31. @ JAmes

    There's always time for "Go Die" talk

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  32. @ 10:41: This is the PM's site, yet you are bitching about him censoring content? IT'S HIS SITE! You act like this site is an open, public space where everyone has the freedom to say what they want to say. Well, guess what? IT'S HIS SITE! He can do what he wants with it.

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  33. @10:41, in the words of Norm, well, then put out your own damn tip sheet. If you don't like the way Pman runs his blog, create your own.

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  34. And don't ever call here again!

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  35. But I thought this was merica! Lyin' pman at it again!

    What a joke. If you don't like it, find another place to post 10 different I hate TC comments.

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  36. Fn A, 1041, all of this upsets you THAT much? How sad. Poor baby, his wittle feewin's is hooowt.

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  37. Breakfast QuesadillasDecember 13, 2016 at 7:57 PM

    For my edification since I punch out a lot at various times.

    1.) Is intentional grounding still on the station? If so, what time/day? Did their salary demands get too high?

    2.). What's up with the FM signal? Is the HD signal not working? It sounds as if they're on remote at the studio.


    I'll tune out and listen. Thanks.

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  38. Mike Sorois doing show prep:

    Filling in with Corby tomorrow and we ain't got shit. Need dumb, single tweet hypotheticals. You've got til tomorrow 3pm. Go

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  39. Huge station announcement in 3 minutes!!!!!!

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  40. Huge station announcement: Cal Ripkin Jr. at Ticketstock

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  41. I do like Doocy sitting in. I ask myself if I'd like him as a permahost. Maybe.

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  42. Some very solid takes in this thread, with the exception of our pet troll. I would usually take his crap down, but thought I'd leave up a little flavor of his fine work.

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  43. @Breakfast:

    Intentional Grounding still going strong on Wednesdays at 7 PM, but only during Cowboys season. I believe they may have had their last show of the year.

    Haven't had any issue with the quality of the FM signal, but I've noticed over the past month that it sometimes gets booted off my car radio by a Hispanic station. It also goes in and out of HD, which has turned out to be the bust that engineers had predicted.

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  44. IG has had some conflicts with Stars hockey. But they are still broadcasting strongly. I think they will go as long as the Cowboy season lasts.

    Doocy is fine in small doses but I think he would wear thin on a daily basis. But maybe not.

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  45. I agree with @10:04. Small doses for Doocy. It seems like Gordo did not kick him in the crotch quite as much as in past years. I like Mike, but he would get annoying quick IMHO. Wish we could have some Dave Lane over dry dock.

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  46. Amen to the Gen X Dave dry dock appearances.

    Someone made a point above that strife amongst the Varsity and JV is nothing new and therefore there's nothing to see here. That's sort of true. Strife indicates a sustained conflict. I would say, however, that for the most part any incidents were just that, incidents. What's taking place now is sustained and at times antagonistic. And not some incident that either gets swept under the rug or eventually hugged out (often on-air). What's going on now has a different feel to it.

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  47. 1256: Absolutely. This is not your father's Ticket Tension. This is a growing number of guys who see the years gathering behind them, and wondering what's to become of them, especially since no host is dying, no host isn't re-upping, the ratings stay strong, and the off-hours and weekend programming provide limited opportunities.

    Yes, it's different.

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  48. Does The Fan start to look more attractive to some of these guys? Or have they invested too much time waiting to give it up now?

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  49. Good question, 153. My guess is that some JV are/will soon be actively seeking employment in other markets. I think The FAN's numbers, though not Ticket-like (yet), have been on pretty stable grounds for some time now (yes, it might have much to do about Cowboys and the Rangers, but still, the numbers are the numbers). Because this is the case, there's probably not a lot of incentive for them to hire a Ticket JV. Now, a Varsity member/show, you bet. ESPN might be a more viable and realistic option for a JV member. Their ratings, across the board, are rather awful. While Cat and Bennett run both The Ticket and 103.3, we've already seen Gribble moved from one station to another; so perhaps such a move isn't out of the question.

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  50. I for one am glad the Musers are done for the next few weeks. I could not take one more segment about Christmas, especially from Gordon. I think every o-deck and corner segment the last 3 weeks have been Christmas related. How tiresome and boring it got.

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  51. @1:53 and @2:22,
    All of them need to actually have more content that whatever their podcast(s) provide and stop thinking that just because they hit a jackpot in that their parents lived or moved to the Metroplex. They should all at least try to be more like Mike and Scot(?) who left The Ticket and moved to another area and actually do a show and have tape and "ratings".

    More importantly, CBS is about to spin off their radio business and who knows how that is going to work out for the future of any and all of those stations.

    http://investors.cbscorporation.com/phoenix.zhtml?c=99462&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=2206591

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  52. Interesting that Gordon retweeted this just now:
    The most bizarre part about working for the Ticket is seeing sites gossip and speculate about people you know personally.
    Originally Tweeted by Tret Mitchell ‏@CrayTreyVids

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  53. Silly Hardline Alert Confessors

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  54. Mike Sirois, line of the day - "don't go high voice on me, Corby!"

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  55. What you mean to say, 227, is that you've had enough of barstool psychologist\sociologist\philosopher Gordo. Welcome to the club, madam or sir.

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  56. Gordon's referring to the Reddit site thread pertaining to his interfacing with Sirois over Vida. Trust me, if it didn't involve him, he wouldn't have been aware of it, cared about it, much less Tweeted about it.

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  57. We heard the future of THL today, btw. Sirois is Mike's handpicked replacement. He ain't sharing holiday dinners with him and partying with him for nothing. Write it down.

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  58. @7:48

    I would be completely for it...Sirois is great in any fill-in role, and I think he could be the type to bop corby on the nose with the proverbial rolled up newspaper (I like Corby)...I think it brings a little fire and fun conflict to the show.

    And a whole lot of silly, Hardline is great when its silly. (I know I ram this point into the ground, but I mean it)

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  59. The Hardline did a full segment on a prank they were going to do to Corby but failed to deliver on it. Not a segment explaining how good they got Corby, but what they were going to do to Corby. If it didn't actually happen, why did we have to hear about it?

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  60. @907

    To me it was a peek behind the curtain to see how these guys think, which is fun. Also, it gave the hardline a chance to do more schtick, which is also fun.

    Don't think to much about it, it was just fun radio.

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  61. I wouldn't mind sirois as mike's replacement. I always assumed that Donny and sirois would team up tho. Either way, I'd be on board if either happened.
    I'm excited for shake joint in the morning. I will definitely. It's the Musers, but I'd rather listen to Jake and Sean than some of the other jv members

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  62. I don't mind Sirois replacing Mike, but who would they get to replace Corby? His Brother? That wouldn't be too bad. I'd keep Danny tho.

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  63. Jake will replace Mike and Sirois will replace Norm

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  64. Sirois is a good good. He is willing to go toe toe with Corbles which is helpful.

    Regarding the tweet that Gordo retweeted, it was quite the pity party between Cray Trey and Sean Bass. Gordo is the king of kicking people in the crotch, making conjecture, stereotyping, having a good laugh at the expense of others even the less fortunate (Alamo Art, any number of homeless, etc). That stinks of someone willing to dish it out, but not willing to take it (which is not normally how he operates). To quote Norm, "I don't want to hear it, I don't want to hear how your an innocent little girl tip-toeing through the forest"

    I admit, I have not read the reddit thread, but it is best ignored IMHO.

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  65. Sounds like I'm missing something fun here, and right now I don't have time to go back to Twitter or Reddit to try to track it down. I note the comments above regarding Gordon's retweet of Trey's tweet, which was reported as: "The most bizarre part about working for the Ticket is seeing sites gossip and speculate about people you know personally." I wondered if he were referring to MTC.

    If anyone can enlighten, or expand on 734's report, please.

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  66. Hey PMan,
    MTC and Reddit were mentioned in the thread on Twitter, albeit by Pinchers the Korean. I'm not a huge Sean Bass, so maybe I consider a majority of his tweets as whining. He said something to the effect of, if anybody wanted to know anything they could just ask us, which I find funny considering how much of a D he has been to people on Twitter in the past.

    The thing I have found to be true is if people bristle, you are probably hitting close to home on the infighting.

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  67. I enjoy hearing the JV guys from time to time but I wish Cat or someone would tell them to stop the self-deprecating non-sense they throw out at the beginning of each JV shift saying how the P1 is going to have to listen to a bunch of nothing etc.. What they don't understand is that the intelligent P1 sees this as a deflection technique to avoid criticism by criticizing themselves first. Analogous to when someone in the work place says "I am my biggest critic". They are basically saying don't say anything bad about me. If I had a ten dollar bill for every time SeaBass said something to the effect that the effect that the P1 has to suffer through the Shake Joint during their dry dock run I would be on celebrity net worth. Just say no JV boys to the incessant self-deprecation. It is too the point of insincerity.

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  68. Big Old Ruby Red DressDecember 15, 2016 at 5:40 PM

    The Corby, Sirois, Dan Balls Show is pretty darn good. I'd tune in daily for it. Sirois nicely keeps Corby in check, and Pizza Pants maintains a smooth show flow. Plus you have three guys of the same generation, each separated by a couple of years but all within the same decade. It makes for actual conversation. They have what Ben and Skin purport to have, wish they had.

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  69. Really digging the comments. Some great HSOs by my fellow Confessors. Fair criticism, merited praise, and thoughtful prognostication. It's what makes MTC greatness.

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  70. Thanks, 553. I agree, this has been an excellent thread.

    I don't know if Sean, Trey, or Gordon have an issue with MTC and its rare, almost invisible speculation. (As Foghorn Leghorn might have observed, that's a joke, son.)

    I like all three of them quite a lot. But I would say this to any Ticket personality who resents speculation sometimes found on sites like this one, Reddit, elsewhere:

    The Ticket assiduously cultivates its community of listeners. We are encouraged to think of the hosts and JV as friends. Every day we hear Conrad talking about "the guys you love to hang out with on the radio all day," OWTTE.

    We are encouraged to be interested in these men as human beings, and the shows conduct themselves in that way. Other stations try this, but fail. Unlike Mrs. Clinton, these guys are "relatable," hence their success and our affection for them.

    But the only evidence we have as to what they're like is what we hear on the radio.

    This isn't the first time that Sean has said "just ask me." Well, maybe. So if I ask anyone at the station who doesn't like being talked about if he loathes so-and-so as much as it sometimes seems, or if he really thinks so-and-so is incompetent as the latter appears to be treated on the air, what can he possibly answer? He's not going to tell us that he dislikes SAS or that SAS is a total jag. And if he denies it, well then . . . what about the time that X, or Y, or Z?

    Now I will say that listeners, and certainly Your Plainsman, have an obligation to be fair; not to read too much into isolated incidents; not to overreact to the occasional blowup; not to invade anyone's privacy; and to be civil. Does this site score 100% on that meter? No, and I include myself in that grade. But I think that for the most part, with some modest policing, the Confessor does a a fair job of reading between the lines, the biggest sin being jumping to dramatic conclusions from modest evidence.

    The hosts dominate the radio world here in DFW, and the JV, all of them, crave air time. They all want to be out there, all want to be heard by the millions. And when they get it, they're going to get reactions; they're going to get people forming beliefs about the relationships they hear on the air; they're going to get the usual batch of trolls who don't like anything about anything, usually anonymously. They're going to get people reacting to the personality that comes through those buds. In some ways, the listener is a better authority than the broadcaster on the emotional truth of the politics of that merry band. Listener judgment goes with the territory; they should be grateful that they dwell in the coolest territory in town, if not the most remunerative. You can't retire on it, but you can tell your grandchildren that you were on The Ticket when it was the greatest radio station in the world.

    And everyone was talking about you.

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  71. Well put, Plainsman. One thing to bear in mind is that many of the JV squad suffer from thin-skin and an acute case of GottaBeRight-itis. As to Gordon...I'm a fan, but he does have a serious affliction: Look At Me/Don't Look At Me Disease. I demand to be the center of attention, when I so desire it; I also demand that my coworkers and fans/listeners ask nothing about or of me, unless I so desire it; I demand to be left alone by my coworkers and fans/listeners, unless I desire it. Rinse, repeat, vicious circle, heads I win-tails you lose. So it's no wonder that someone like Sean Bass or Cray Trey (who has left negative comments here in the past when criticized) Tweets such things and when Gordon reTweets them.

    If I were a JVer and I didn't want to be speculated upon on such things, then I would keep my business and dealings with my coworkers off-air. Once you put it out over the airwaves, it does indeed become the "property" of the listener and is therefore perfectly OK for he or she to, ahem, muse over and discuss. And when said things are expressed on multiple occasions, even more so. Now is it OK for a listener to get on the interwebs and invent false tales and the likes, absolutely not. But frankly, at least on this site, I've seen nothing of the sort. (Can't speak to the Reddit site.) Moreover, if I'm a JVer and I don't want a lot of negative feedback (and trolls), it might be in my best interest to not, oh, say, borderline bully and threaten those with whom you disagree with via Tweets, as well as not making your Twitter account a very loud and often crude political mouthpiece, regardless of what side of the aisle your politics falls. Is it your right to do as such? You bet it is. But, again, if you don't want the blowback, the trolls, and the gossip and speculation, you might consider another use for your account. Same goes with your time behind the mic. It's called being a public figure. Something, by the way, that you have purposely, willingly, sought out. Something you ardently desire and have at least to some extent achieved. There are tradeoffs with everything we do in life. Being a public figure has a lot of perks, but it has a price. Understand this and deal with in realistic way, or get out. But stop your bitching. This is what you wanted, and indeed, you actually want more of it. It's all about tradeoffs, buddy.

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  72. 1143: Right, those are the points I was intending to make.

    We shouldn't overstate this -- just because you're on the airwaves doesn't mean you give up your self-respect and privacy, doesn't mean you shouldn't defend yourself if you're getting hammered for something or other. But the complaint should not be "the listener doesn't know enough to form judgments about how Ticket personalities behave and relate to one another, and if they knew what we know they wouldn't form those judgments." To the audience, you are who you are on the air and if you don't like the evidence that exposure offers, then you need to present different evidence, or tell us what it is you want us to know that will cause us to form the impressions you believe to be accurate.

    The only correction I might offer, 1143, is that when Trey checks in here, my recollection is that his offerings are constructive, not complaining.

    And this, in turn, reminds me that I sometimes hear (both in these comments and via email) from someone at the Ticket offering a factual correction to something that has appeared here. I am always very glad to receive these and always post the correction.

    So I hope they'll keep that up.

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  73. Monte + The Machine just did a really nice segment on Craig Sager. Great work.

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  74. Followed it up with a really great feature on "The Chronic." Very educational for honks of a certain age.

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  75. This M+M, unlike the Saturday version, I can lisren to. Well done today, fellas. Great mix of youthful hipness and maturity.

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  76. WTDS seemed really awkward today. I couldn't even hear Monty talk, and when he did it was barely audible. I know WTDS is probably hard to do when you're not normally a part of it, but a lot of the lines seemed forced today

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  77. Joe Mixon video was disturbing. Just like Ray Rice, you can think about it but seeing it really gets to you. Guy should be in jail. I'm assuming most of hosts will be objective about this.

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  78. But not Corby, right? Yeah, we got your narrative down oat, bud.

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    1. Hey there Corby. I didn't even know you checked the site. You're going to have to buck up, though, little buddy. You take some heat here occasionally.

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  79. @ Anon 9:58

    That wasn't me.

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