Tuesday, May 22, 2018

T.C. Fleming, Tickerman


Man, T.C. really hated this site and its proprietor, and did so for a long time.  I regretted this, but understood it.  He didn't have a lot of fans among the Confessors.  I thought he was OK at what he did, getting better as time went by, and I thought he would do well in Florida.  But likability over the air is a distinct talent, and T.C., while seldom outright unlikable, just didn't move the needle for most of us.  Or moved it to the left.

His biggest beef with MTC was that I declined to disclose to him the identity of the colleagues who had (non-anonymously) communicated to me certain unflattering information about his relationship with some of his colleagues and the regulation of his popping-on during a particularly heavy on-popping period on BaD, information I had used on the site.  I agreed with him that there was some unfairness to anonymous sourcing, but I wasn't going to breach confidentiality with my communicants.  This made him quite angry with me.  OK.

I remember the first time I ever heard an on-air reference to him.  It was Craig "Junior" Miller talking about some guy backstage at TicketStock, I believe it was, with whom he'd had some kind of inappropriate interaction.  Don't remember what Craig's problem was, just that he questioned what this guy was doing inappropriately interacting with him at TicketStock.   Can't recall anything specific, but I got the idea that he was never a Muser favorite.  May be wrong about that.

The man plainly had some gifts.  He worked hard.  Seemed to be a go-to guy for technical matters.  Kept Bob and Dan happy most of the time, not a skill to be sneezed at.  Had sportsy knowledge.  Worked at his Tickers.  Was prepared.

Many Confessors and, I suspect, many P1's, never forgave him for his gratuitously offputting remarks on his departure for Florida.  I believe that if that had never happened, he would not have ended up the lightning rod he became on his return.

My view was always that while all of the Ticket JV are intelligent and ambitious, T.C. just wasn't good at disguising the latter or his excessive pride in the former.  That on-air tone, and poor relations with his peers (remember that on-air dustup with John Fahey?), injured his prospects at The Ticket.



In the end, he was a Tickerman, and, I thought, a pretty good one.  He also popped-on with BaD, but that couldn't have been too satisfying.  He watched JV after JV with less seniority, some with lesser on-air gifts, leapfrog him into weekend and fill-in programming:  Justin, Mino, Eli, Machine, Jake, others. 

Not an attractive future, so his departure is probably a very good thing for him. 

Hey -- he was a Tickerman and he's got us all talking about him.  That's some measure of accomplishment.  He became Ticket-famous.

My Ticket Confession wishes him and his colleagues and investors every success.




59 comments:

  1. TC likely could have had his own weekend Ticket gig if he wanted it.

    It is disappointing that he is not moving onto another radio gig. I know we will have IJB, but it feels like he is riding off into the sunset never to be heard from again. This "business" thing makes it sound like we will never hear from him again.

    When was the last time someone with this much on air presence and tenure left the Ticket like this?

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  2. I think it may have been a kind of chicken-egg thing. I would have listened to a T.C.-only show, but that wasn't going to happen, and my sense is that he wasn't going to team up with anyone at his level at The Ticket because of the aforementioned antagonisms. So yeah, I think it's probably true that he didn't seek a weekend show, but I also think it's true that he wasn't going to be a candidate for one without a co-host with whom he could have a mutual respectful/friendly relationship.

    Am I remembering correctly that he and Jake had a couple of one-off tryout shows? Maybe an after-hours thing a couple of times? I never heard it and don't remember what happened to it, or if I'm even recalling correctly. Long time ago.

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  3. big fan of TC and wish the best for him. Glad he and Jake will continue the IJB podcasts

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  4. Plainsman - not sure if TC and Jake had on air try out shows, however they do have IJB.

    Question for you - do you listen to IJB? If so, what do you think? They are approaching 500 episodes. It is an extensive repository of great content between the two of them. Interesting to hear how they have developed since episode 1.

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  5. I listened to one, the Corby interview, having been told how good it was.

    I know lots of people like IJB. Considering its popularity, it is surprising that it never got translated into a show.

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  6. It is funnhy that TC is getting this much ink and he's only a ticker guy. What if Jake, Danny, Tye, or Sean left? On another subject, I actually look forward to the Bart Reagor commercials with Romo during BAD radio. So awkward, cheesey, and great. "You have a nice home" - hahahahahahah1

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  7. To nonononever - if Jake or Danny left it would be a bigger deal than if TC left. If Ty or Sean left, still a big deal but not as big as TC. Ty and Sean are talented lifer ticker guys. They tend to stay low in their bunkers and not extend themselves. They have their weekend shows and typically stay out of the hosts way. TC on the other hand, became a lightning rod for being opposite of the "lowly ticker man". It is not that "he is only a ticker guy" - TC is getting ink because he was more controversial than the others, and his exit solicits strong opinions on either side.

    I'm calling it - if Jake does not get a host gig at the Ticket within the next year he will jettison to another station that will give him one.

    Danny is staying forever.

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  8. The instances where TC showed he was able to laugh at himself are sparse. I'd recommend he work on that, because the ability to laugh at yourself and not take jabs so seriously will help him in his next venture as well.

    The Jake/TC fill-in shows last December were pretty good. I hope we get some Shake Joint reunion shows this summer while the main hosts take their vacations.

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  9. He did post what the "business" will be on Twitter because as he says "it was leaking out anyways." He's going to be the "uber-admin for the Intellectual Dark Web." I have no idea what that means though.

    I've always liked TC and am a day1 P1 of IJB, although I've never quite been able to figure out why. I didn't agree with him on just about any topic but I enjoy listening to him none the less.

    Also, to Big Tex, I'd be pretty shocked if Jake ever left. His dream was to work at the Ticket and be friends with these guys. He even said as much in the Star Telegram article, the biggest perk isn't going to sporting events and meeting players, it's being friends with the guys he grew up listening to. That wasn't ever TC's dream. I do hope they find a host job for Jake though, I think he would be better than just about every current host.

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  10. With the knowledge that Norm is nearing the end - you will be hearing more about this in the days and weeks to come, there is no way Jake voluntarily leaves for a host job on an inferior station. He will be teamed with Donnie from 10 to noon before you know it.

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  11. Mike Rhyner: I don't want this show to be politicized.

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  12. "Uber-admin for the Intellectual Dark Web" sounds less like a business than a job. But it sounds quite important, and since the Dark Web is kind of . . . dark, and secret-like, I can understand why he wouldn't want people to know about it.

    But I realized I did not know what the Intellectual Dark Web was, so I looked it up. It turns out that it's not actually the "dark web" as one has come to understand it from accounts of child porn, international spying, and the like -- it's the part of the Regular Web populated by pundits of the left and right who are having interesting conversations about all manner of things far from traditional mainstream outlets. I had thought this had been going on for quite some time, but it has become a Thing since named by one Eric Weinstein. Here is an account of what the phrase refers to that doesn't take too long to view:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n5HN-KT9rj0

    I don't know how one becomes an uber-admin of that, but if somehow all of that punditry is going to be gathered into a portion of the Internet over which T.C. has some authority, then he or his company has snagged a very valuable role indeed.

    Or maybe it's just Eric Weinstein's website:

    http://intellectualdark.website/eric-weinstein/

    But even that would be a very cool gig.

    Whatever it is, nicely done. Hope it goes well and T.C. and his colleagues make many simoleons.

    Wouldn't it be something if T.C. were to absolutely hit the jackpot with his business, become a venture capital mogul (we could call him "V.C. Fleming") and make enough money to buy The Ticket from Cumulus?

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    Replies
    1. Haha yea, I think he was joking. Hurts to miss that one.

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  13. The Intellectual Dark Web only recently entered the national spotlight thanks to a New York Times article that was published two weeks ago. The consensus left-of-center response was to condemn and mock the group for its failure to properly genuflect to the various diversity shrines. Being a good progressive, TC is merely demonstrating his adherence to the mandated groupthink by making a joke premised on the idea that no right thinking person would work for such a group of heretics.

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  14. @Buffalo Printer,

    You're spot on. TC really has trouble laughing at himself. During the height of the ragonk craze, I told him on twitter that he was coming off as petulant thanks to his prickly response. He agreed that it would probably be better off he embraced the joke but that it just wasn't in his nature. Sad.

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  15. Ho ho, joke's on me!

    But I will say this: I learned something in researching the Intellectual Dark Web, read some interesting stuff, so thanks for that.

    It will be interesting to see what the real thing turns out to be. Calendar this for about 60 days and then we'll Google T.C. and see where he pops up.

    Or pops on.

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  16. "His biggest beef with MTC was that I declined to disclose to him the identity of the colleagues who had (non-anonymously) communicated to me certain unflattering information about his relationship with some of his colleagues and the regulation of his popping-on during a particularly heavy on-popping period on BaD, information I had used on the site."

    Plainsman...can you dig up a link to this article? I don't recall reading it. I like your information.

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  17. I think Fahey has blended well with BaD as the Ticker guy. His mea culpa on misidentifying the interns yesterday was brilliant comedic timing.

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  18. Throwback Thursday

    http://www.theunticket.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/jake-z-prank.mp3

    Boris Zuzek. Interesting to see how open Jake is to getting kicked in the groin over getting pranked. One of the things that makes Jake endearing and a future Tier 1 player at the Ticket.

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  19. Meatheads of the Week = by 1310 hello 105.3

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  20. The Kemp, Mino, Fahy trio is solid to f'n a solid. I imagine it'll only get better. Good move, Cat.

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  21. Poor, poor SportsSturm.


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  22. TC might not like it but he did give us Ragonk.

    I like TC alot, but I think as one commenter phrased it, he can't laugh at himself. He could have been King of 1310 if he embraced Ragonk...I mean Kid shouted Ragonk at the halftime show of a Clippers game. No other Tickerman has ever been in that kind of limelight.

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  23. @ 3:36...for sure. why does he and and the weekend soccer show think the premier league is the be all end all of soccer? There are other euro soccer leagues out there equal to or better than them and they've proven it. Not sure what the English football league love fest is all about.

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  24. @Plaisman

    Wait...you are willing to state “I would have listened to a T.C-only show,” yet you have only listened to 1 IJB episode out of 500, ever? I know time, work, family, etc. but still. I like TC and am prob 300-400 IJB episodes deep, but idk how many here would listen to an exclusively-TC show. One episode is quite puzzling.

    I’ll miss TC. He was never fit for a host role, but it’s clear he is pretty intelligent, and I grew to enjoy his contributions.

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  25. If Norm leaves, why not Sirois and Donnie instead of Jake and Donnie? Why not Jake, Sirois, and Donnie? (Hard truth: Both Sirois and Jake are better broadcasters and more interesting Ticket personalities than Donnie.)

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  26. @David Dodenhoff

    You are exactly right as much as it pains me to say. Donnie is one of the most genuinely nice guys at the ticket and ALWAYS up to cover a short notice shift. A lot of times I hear Donnie with a head scratcher of an HSO and when it’s plainly refuted...will double down. I notice lately he seems to take a number of opposing views than Norm with nothing to back it up. He was great in that 3rd role w/BaD.

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  27. Did TC move to Seattle? Sounds like it if you listen to IJB. I havent heard it confirmed though.

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  28. Did Dan McDowell get a divorce? Hard to tell around 12:25 today, but seems like it's a possibility.

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  29. Jake mentioned Bob and Dan's wives during the open.

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  30. Musers Spelling Bee - one of the more egregiously unfunny 840 bits ever. We can only hope one and done....

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  31. I don't listen to THL much and it's a good thing I don't. But I did catch some of Corby's detainment news yesterday. Naturally, PC boy Corby is all over tha Rosanne bit. Yeah she said something stupid, but so effing What!! People say stupid stuff all the time; sometimes in the heat of the moment, or other situations, but doesn't mean they should be crucified at the stake! If you don't like what she said..DON"T WATCH THE DAMN SHOW! And the industry guy that told Rosanne what she said was "unforgivable", that's total bull$hit! We can be "forgiven" for anything, especially for just a stupid comment. And isn't the Cosby show still on TV, and he RAPED over 50 women.
    Now having said that, I heard Corby say, during the segment, something along the lines of "that was the gayest song ever"! OK, as the brother, uncle, and cousin of a few gay people, I was HIGHLY OFFENDED by that comment!! Corby using "gayest" as a derogatory reference to a song. I'll be calling Ticket HR Monday, seeing if I can get this homophobe thrown off the air...get THL cancelled...Danny and Mike will lose their job. I mean, that's the way we do things...right? I mean, that what Corby tells us. As Corby says "He's done!"

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  32. ...look, I get it, Corby has to over-dramatize his segments, anything to make them more interesting. Otherwise, we'd be drowning in our tears from boredom. I hope people are smart enough to see Corby as the little court jester he is and not as any viably source of knowledge. Remember, this is a man [going on 60] that had never even heard of S&H Green Stamps! LMAO!

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  33. Easy, Slinky; don't blow a gasket, bud.

    So we're a week and some change out from TC'S departure. And just like Rich Phillips ('member him?) and all the rest, it's as if he was never a part of the thing. When a Varsity member goes off into that good night, different story -- see Greggo (Hell, his leaving is the very reason MTC exists). But, no matter how het up we get over a JVer, at the end of the day, it's a JVer. The only exception to this is PERHAPS Jake. But even his departure (or even Donnie's, for that matter) would be shaken off like dust in a shockingly brief amount of time. That's the way The Ticket go.

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  34. Not always true, see Grubes. He still has a solid place in Ticket lore, and TC probably will too, even if not as big. I bet Jake/Sirois/Donnie would remain large parts of Ticket culture after they left.

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  35. That's because Grubes stays in the public eye in a rather overt manner via Twitter and is a visible member of the Stars and Rough Riders presentations. If he would've gone down and remained on the back to school path that he originally was to travel when he left The Ticket, he'd be remembered by a few, and that few would lessen with each passing year --see Expo.

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  36. Slinky,

    Corby is going on 50 not 60. He was born in 1969.

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  37. I was talking about IQ! Anyway, still 50 still works in my meaning. Look guys, I'm from an era where if someone said something stupid, short of damaging slander or physical harm, you just rolled your eyes and shrugged your shoulders and moved on to something of more importance, that is if there is anything. But in todays culture of tip-toeing around on extra fine eggs shells, as to not offend anyone, I'm trying to learn the ropes. So, here I have Corby using a homophobic term of "gayest song ever", so now that I've been HIGHLY OFFENDED"...what do I need to do? I guess todays protocol would be get the audio, make it go viral, get Corby fired as a despicable homophobe, THL gets cancelled, and Mike and Danny lose their income gig even though they're innocent bystanders?! Right...isn't that the way it's done? Oh, and if you google Corby's name, it comes up [for the rest of his life] that he was fired for homophobic slur! Did I miss anything? So let's get this rolling...I mean, this is what Corby preaches on a daily basis...right?

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  38. Oh look another post where slinky complains about Corby

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  39. ...Oh, I see a mistake in my previous comment from a few days ago, and I'd like to apologize. I compared Corby to "court jesters", and that was just not right! Court jesters actually have talent!

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  40. Well Surly, as long as Corby gives the ammo...oh and Plains doesn't take me to the woodshed. Btw...Plains, I know I'm kind of push the envelope here to your liking, but sometimes Corby's hypocrisy is just laughable!

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  41. Just don't listen to the HL, works for me.

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  42. I gotcha anon. 2:53pm! So what you're saying is...if I don't like Corby, and the things he sez...then don't listen?! Isn't that what should have happened with Rosanne? I never watched one episode of Rosanne, but I DON'T like the fact that ONE LADY gets offended, and everyone kowtows and get the show cancelled. That's the America I know! ...now the can sound the patriotic bugles...

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  43. Roseanne lost her job because she essentially used a racial slur to describe a real person. In front of the entire world. And there's a lot of sensitivity to the use of racial slurs in America. It suggests we're at a point where that gesture is now in the "zero tolerance" category.

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  44. Anonymous 5:17
    Depending on your political affiliation, of course. Unfortunately, it's not a two-way street.

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  45. No one on the Ticket does a decent Rhyner impression.

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    Replies
    1. I always thought Gordon did a decent Rhyner. See: Spare Wars

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  46. Slinky
    The ABC/Disney executives acted decisively within a few hours of waking up on the West Coast and didnt wait for pressure to build from the Corby's of the world. Your narrative is misleading in comparing the two. Saying something is gay is different than saying a black person looks like a planet of the apes character. And even if you stretch and say they are the same it is Disney/ABC's business decision to do what they want. If Cumulus thought Corby was a threat to their bottom line they would shxx can him tomorrow.

    I get it... He can be funny but the guy leans left. That is unacceptable to you and your world view and you dont want to hear him espouse what you believe to be anti-patriotic, anti-republican (anti-American) rhetoric.

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  47. 1140, you were spot on until your last paragraph. Then you bared your ideological ass. Too bad. For a minute, you almost sounded reasonable, nay, intelligent.

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  48. Re: Rich Phillips and past Ticket varsity

    When Rich left, I recall him saying that his new gig would allow him to do Ticket fill-in shows. Yet...haven't heard him since. Obviously sports personalities with contracts elsewhere can be fill-in hosts (Doocy, Followill, Rhadigan) so I have found it curious Rich hasn't been back. Maybe Catman doesn't find him that entertaining (and I'd agree).

    As it relates to TC, I put the chance of a TC fill-in host gig at 0.000001%.

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  49. I love how people just assume political affiliation. The only thing crazier than the far left is the far right. I'm actually a member of this new party call the "C S"! The only qualification is to have common sense and we're struggling to find qualified individuals.

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  50. Norm and Mary travel show tonight.

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  51. "I DON'T like the fact that ONE LADY gets offended, and everyone kowtows and get the show cancelled."

    The "Common Sense" party Slinky is a member of must have rather low admission standards.

    That must be one hell of an echo chamber you reside in if you think ONE LADY was offended.

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  52. Unwieldy syntax. A belief in one's own 'common sense' while not making sense. A desire to see Corby off the air. The evidence is clear, Your Honor. Slinky is Greggo.

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  53. For the love of God does anywhere know where TC went? Sounds like he left town.

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  54. I always thought Gordon's Rhyner was pretty good, or at least funny.
    Rhin's my friend...you have no IDEA how you hit the nail on the head! You can't even imagine how empty this "C S" fraternity can be! Certainly no bathroom waiting lines here! I mean, just to find people with good ol common sense...that haven't become so hyper-sensitive, snowfreaked out, pc'd to the hilt...I mean, you'd have better luck finding a Starbucks at the corner of Kiest and S Lancaster! Alas, from your and Lucky Jim's [the guy too dense to realize the tongue and cheekiness of my Corby bit] comments, you both drastically fail to meet the requisite!

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  55. So your first comment was tongue in cheek. Are you saying you believe the Roseanne firing was appropriate? Or hyper sensitive?

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  56. If I had to guess, TC is in Seattle. But that's an educated guess that could be totally off.

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