Certainly the most significant departure from the station since
I've been listening. I've told the story of my Rich conversion
before:
For quite some time after I became a listener, I didn't much care
for Rich. He seemed like a peevish presence on the Musers' morning
showgram, and I never paid much attention to Tickers.
Then one Saturday I was out running errands and Race Week came
on. I have zero interest in NASCAR or any of the other vehicle
racing regimes, but I found myself listening to the show, I mean actually listening to what Rich was saying. By
the time the show was over, I realized that I had been listening to a broadcast
talent of a very high order. Rich conveyed his enthusiasm for the
sport with such energy and sincerity that it kept the ear and mind of the
listener engaged – this listener anyway. The expertise was also
quite obviously genuine.
Think about what that show requires: that is a solid hour of one
guy talking. He will do an interview for each show, but for the most
part it is one voice delivering news and what struck me as very sly
commentary. No ranting Hicksatorials, just the occasional aside that
conveyed what Rich thought about what was going on.
After that, I paid more attention. The first time I
heard him do a Mustangs game, I was amazed. That was some of the
best play-by-play for any sport that I had ever heard, and I've tried to stop by on weekends ever since. I suppose his
style doesn't suit everyone, but I thought it was perfect for radio. And
again, his voice crackled with enthusiasm and drama.
From there, I came to admire his other work on the station,
including not only Tickers, but his teaming with Donovan as a fill-in program,
usually for BaD.
I also came to think that he was one of the smartest guys on the
station. I don't know that this is particular evidence of it, but
his promotion into management as assistant program director did not come as a
surprise.
I recall writing that there were two people at The Ticket with the
greatest potential to break onto the national scene. One of them was
Rich Phillips. I still think it is possible that he could become a
national voice in racing broadcasting, and I'm wondering if some national
networks might someday consider his SMU work as an audition for national
football or basketball play-by-play. And there's every possibility that his versatility extends beyond those two sports.
 |
| Rich Phillips gigantically Pshopped onto Kevlar Jeep, courtesy The UnTicket (without permission) |
In any event, in my estimation Rich is a big talent who will be
missed by The Ticket. I think listeners will miss Rich more than
they realize, although they can still catch him on the SMU broadcasts for at
least another season. And I'm sure Rich will miss The Ticket as
well.
Except maybe Gordon. He may not miss Gordon
Congratulations Rich, and very best of luck from your friends and
fans at My Ticket Confession.
* * *
ThePlainsman1310s@gmail.com
@Plainsman1310
Always liked ol Dick Hicks. Congrats!
ReplyDeleteBig RP fan. Couldn't be happier for him. A super talented and all around GMF. I think he will only go further up the ladder, be it at TMS or in the race industry in general. Who knows, with the rise of SMU basketball, he might become a national voice in that medium.
ReplyDeleteI don't think he'll be missed by the listener too much, though. He's not a host. Although he did some fill in hosting and had a Saturday pre-recorded program pertaining to a (for most P1s, it seems, a niche sport) he wasn't a regular host. And although he's been with the station since its early days (not a D1er, though) and has played an important role in its success, he, like all the rest, will be soon forgotten by most listeners. But I, for one, will not forget him.
I always go back to my example of Expo. He was a total game changer for the station. He was doing what Grubes did way before Grubes. He reinvented the board op position and its importance. Yet most listeners have no idea who he is other than some name or term thrown out randomly when it's time to go to break. Grubes (sorry about this pal, because I love ya): a distant and evermore receding memory. TC: will be all but forgotten well within a six month's time. MaSS: Who? Rocco: a host and one of the most controversial figures ever at the station, all but forgotten. The list goes on and on. And sooner rather than later it will also include one Rich Phillips.
Job well done, sir. You deserved it, brutha. Stay hard, Rich!!!!
quack
ReplyDeleteI like Dick Hicks. He's a contributor. What's more, he's a real friend to the P1. He's never big-timed me via social media or in person.
ReplyDeleteHe'll be a real loss for the Little Ticket for sure.
Stay hard, Dick Hicks.
My earlier post -
ReplyDelete"Well, another ACM (Academy of Country Music) award show has come and gone. Overall I thought it was a good show. A few hokie moments but that is expected with a country show.
I guess this will give Corby and Danny an opportunity to make fun of people and music for a few segments this week."
Corby and Danny took several shots in CQH today. I give the over/under at four so we will have three more segments of throwing country music under the bus. (I only heard the CQH segment. Don't know if there were others.)
As someone who has Springsteen about 10 times, sorry I missed it. Too much personal stuff for me to make way to Dallas.
Kind of funny because Danny's foray into country music via his solo album didn't exactly rival Johnny Cash. It was a poor imitation of "true" country according to Danny. It was TERRIBLE.. (with Wilonsky inflection)
ReplyDeleteNot a big racing fan, but I do catch the occasional left turn and road rally. It's the Dick Hicks NASCAR CD though, even with the nod to F1 and Indy it is all about the sons and grandsons of moonshiners on Saturday afternoons on the Ticket and I'll miss it if it is gone forever.
ReplyDeleteI did catch the mix between the Sirois boys and Rich. Rich mentioned that this wasn't necessarily the end of Race Week, perhaps CTO will see fit to include the broadcast that he will be sending forth to sixty something other stations. I can't imagine Eddie Gossage not engaging the Ticket going forward. I would like to see him carry on the SMU shows just to see if he has another epic homer call in him. Could not care less about those frat boys over there, but I'd like to see Rich have some decent football to call in the future. Oh well, life moves on.
I have to echo Anon101. I wonder how many listeners remember Expo and gravy teats. I miss him goading Dan and Corby. How about Psycho Dave? Considering all the characters that have passed through, quite a collection of them.
The following comment was made by the chap running the Luke Warm Sports Opinions blog. I think it's a telling point. I tried to post up this reply, but there's something wrong with the site. So, I thought I'd post it here. Please see below.
ReplyDelete" I’m 27 and I can tell you my demographic isn’t on board with the Ticket like my dad’s demographic is. That is concerning."
Interesting comment. One that some of us have been saying (e.g., DA, myself, and a few others) over at MTC for a few years now--much to the poo pooing of both many other commenters and Pman himself. I too see it as a concerning trend. I'm probably closer to your dad's age than yours (I'm in my early 40s). I'm also in the education field. When I first began teaching high school in the late 90s, The Ticket, its unmistakeable jargon, and the imitation of Gordon's imitations of Jerry and Ribby Paltz were ubiquitous. The situation remained as such until, I'd say, about 2004-5. It was around that time The Ticket's popularity began to wane with the kids. No longer discussed and imitated by (male) students, regardless of clique, were Fake Jerry's reactions to a Cowboys' loss. Once in a while I'd hear some Ticket talk, some jargon being dropped; but on the whole, it had petered out. The last 10 years have not been kind to The Ticket where high school kids are concerned. At least not where I teach--while I won't name either the school or what I teach, it is suffice to say that this school once had a Ticket Club (no, it's not Highland Park; they weren't the only one to have such an organization; and no, I was not affiliated with it, either).
Now you have guys like yourself who are beginning to have kids. Most do not listen to The Ticket. Even the ones who did with their fathers, for many of them, that was "something dad enjoyed, not me." In other words, they won't be passing that tradition down from grandpa. It leaves The Ticket, in a few years, in a bad situation.
I'll leave you with this: conservative talk radio thought it could go on forever dominating the way it has for nearly 30 years. It is dying. (I'm not making a political statement here, just giving an example.) It is becoming once again a niche market. It didn't happen overnight, and it's still not all the way there yet. But make no mistake about it, it is happening. We are also witnessing the same thing with food/chef driven t.v. shows in general and The Food Network in particular. It too is sinking back into a niche market. If titans like those can recede into the background due to market over saturation, changing tastes, and, in the main, a dilution of product quality, you bet your ass so can and so will The Ticket.
Apologies if I missed this somewhere else, but does anyone know if this Rich situation is what Grubes was referring to in his mini twitter diatribe late Sunday night? He was grousing about the lack of support and general apathy local radio talent gets from the powers-that-be at corporate HQs (naming Cumulus and ClearChannel, specifically).
ReplyDeleteWe all know this is true(the Bob and Dan situation last summer helped crystallize it), but I'm just curious if, in addition to Rich leaving, there are other goings-on - at the Little Ticket or other outposts - to raise the ire of our normally sanguine Shoopy.
@Anon 4/7/2014 10:26P
ReplyDeleteYou made me look back at the older posts and how it relates in 2014. It does seem that I am close to lose on my Cumulus merger with CBS Radio as I gave it 24 months and we are close to the 18 month mark. Thank you for that.
That said, Cumulus may go after Entercom too in an effort to keep the debt extended a while. Since the last “Baby Boomer”/last birth in 1964 has turned 50, AM radio now has an immediate issue, an issue which those like Grubes and TC fail to realize.
Word on the street is that Cumulus is looking to dump AM560- KSFO for $8-10MM.
After hearing TC on IJB and his negativity to an employer, he typified his generation in that he expected a well paying job/position “just because”. He is a Millennial and there are books which specifically were about how them would react to situations when they were written in 1999. He may possess some ambition, but lacked any guidance, thus thought he was top market ready due to his attending a university in a top market and working behind the scenes for said station...meanwhile, someone nearly his same age worked harder and better (Ben Fergason).
TC is similar to the PBS Frontline, “Generation Like”. He needs immediate feedback and his current boss does that now, but whose to say that is the case in six months? His new boss has no clue about the new golf shirts, so les time on air is more time for his new boss to realize if the correct hire was made.
Putting TC on in afternoon drive help should him do actual business since baseball will take him off the air early for part of the year and he can be a manager before college football season. They are already an ESPN affiliate, so they may just go Finebaum.
What!?
ReplyDeleteGrubes was referring to this
ReplyDeletehttp://markontheradio.tumblr.com/post/81915053171/regarding-sunday-night-radio-after-5-years-the
I'm seeing that Rich is moving on to something else, but I missed the details of what he is doing or where he's going. Could someone elaborate about what was said? Thanks
ReplyDeleteTC's allegedly doing an AMA tonight
ReplyDeleteSorry, info here
ReplyDeletehttp://www.reddit.com/r/theticket/comments/22dp6t/major_subreddit_announcement_tc_fleming_will_be/
The mods and the 2 other posters over at GIML are going to be royally pissed that they were unable to secure an exclusive AMA with TC.
ReplyDeleteMillennials are not team players. Many are latchkey kids who grew up entertaining themselves, feeding themselves, and otherwise developing a comfort zone permeated by instant gratification. They do not value paying dues or long term goals. Business will fundamentally be changed when they are in control.
ReplyDeleteHas Rhyner's tweet been discussed?
ReplyDeleteMike Rhyner @theoldgreywolf Apr 5
disturbing, to say the least...
http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Journalism/2014/04/03/Clouds-Over-Cumulus-Radio-Ratings-Plunge
Yeah, my tweets were referring to Mark losing the Local Edge. There's plenty about the business I don't understand, but any time something is cut, it only goes one way.
ReplyDeleteMaybe as a Millennial I have a different attitude than those who were born before me, but it doesn't mean I don't care about others. In fact, my tweets were all about how I wish things were better for the people still in radio. I understand, accept and am totally fine with not being in radio anymore. I had a skill set that was pretty darn good for being a board-op at the Ticket, but I'd be useless at anything else. It might have taken me a while to get that, but I do now.
My point that I might not have made clear was that it's frustrating to see cuts that can save maybe a few thousand bucks when the people making these decisions are making millions just in bonuses alone. Yes, that's the way business works, I get it. I just don't believe all these short-term cuts to make the monthly/quarterly budget really benefit the stations in the long run. It's robbing Peter to pay Paul, if you will. It'll catch up someday and it won't be pretty.
I'm willing to be proven wrong on any/all of this. I just worry decisions are killing radio before its natural lifespan is actually over.
ShaggyB still loves you and your #bottom, Grubes.
ReplyDeleteUnderreported is the fact that Rich Phillips' TMS gig puts him on all the TMS partners, which means...Rich Phillips now on the Fan.
ReplyDeleteHey Grubes, I heard you're still hanging around Denton a little bit.
ReplyDeleteBack in Dallas since June. It's been a nomadic couple of years. :)
ReplyDeleteWe need open tryouts for the vacated ticker position...because the tryouts for the Top Ten have gone so well.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteThanks for that link. T.C. is answering every tough question. He has some blunt and IMO fair things to say about MTC and Pman (I pre say this with no offense and I mean absolutely no offense, but I think he nails Pman, both positively and negatively) and some other station/biz related persons and situations. He also has said a lot of not hard to read at all between the lines stuff. According to his AMA he says he doesn't read MTC, but T.C., if you're reading this and something tells me that you still visit MTC, great work this evening. Best of luck, 'preciate ya pal, adios amigo, and stay hard!
ReplyDeleteVery candid AMA by TC. Some great questions and pointed and poignant answers.
ReplyDeleteAs 10:00 said, TC pulled no punches where MTC and Plainsman are concerned. I think he makes some valid points, to a degree.
I'm not sure he's done himself any favors vis-a-vis his relationships with some former co-workers. It doesn't take a mind reader to see that he holds neither Sean Bass's abilities nor anyone else sans someone I've only heard mentioned maybe twice in passing, in high esteem. There is much said, without saying it, in many of his replies.
A very interesting read for certain. I recommend it. Though I have to say that many of TC's replies only confirm some of the negative things that have been said by numerous Confessors.
He's still answering questions, folks. Just posted up a doozy about former coworkers. Called out Joe Letsche and I don't think he was kidding. Killer s*** going down on reddit. Don't know how long he's gonna keep answering though. Oh yeah, he don't like Cat very much!
ReplyDeleteTC's AMA is over. I second bsd's call for everyone to read it. I got two questions in. TC graciously answered both. Thank you, TC.
ReplyDeleteMy thoughts:
Very open, very honest. Probably too honest for his own good, and not as open as he wanted to be. It was pretty evident TC would've liked to have named names and relate a few "tasty" anecdotes about certain individuals and situations.
There was nothing jaw-dropping set loose. But there were tidbits of light shed on certain situations. One thing is certain, a lot of the speculating done around here is fairly on target. I think it's that aspect of MTC that bothered TC. He made some claims about MTC and Pman. I'll leave it to you all to read them and make up your own minds as to their validity. Having read all of his answers, anyone who's a regular, even semi-long time MTC reader will readily recognize many confirmations of what's been speculated upon in here. I think it was the hitting far too close to home, far too many times that bothered TC. TC, as he says in the AMA, thinks he is most always right and ahead of the game and its contestants. It's been my experience that people like that don't take so kindly to having others "figure" them or their situation out. I'll leave my attempt at barstool psychology at that.
I do wish TC all the best. You can tell he's a smart young man. I do hope that he gets rid of the chip on his shoulder. Until he does, TC is going to have a hard time succeeding, of going to where he wants to be. I do believe he has the ability and smarts to get there. But he's going to have to learn to work with those he finds to be wrongheaded--which seems to be, at least from his AMA, nearly everyone sans Jake. He actually, obliquely, addresses said chip in the AMA. So he is aware of this issue. Again, I hope he figures it out.
Grubes. If you've read TC's AMA, would you mind adding your analysis or perspective on what he said?
ReplyDeleteNot sure how many heard Corby's accident story about passing out but it sounds like it's happened to him a couple of times and I can relate as it has happened to me a couple of times. I had to go back and relisten to the podcast to realize that he wasn't drunk and it was probably something called vasovagal. Here's a link that will tell more about it. http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vasovagal_response
ReplyDeleteHappened to me one time when I got some blood work done and I hadn't eaten before they drew blood. It was FREAKY.
ReplyDeleteWowee wow wow. TC goes semi scorched earth last night and what, only a few play by plays and cleverly crafted summations? Nothing else from Pman? The dude basically called you out bro. Okie dokie whatever. Hard to believe you tinfoil wearing P1s aren't all over this one. I guess only signal bulsh and traffico traffico chick speech patterns matter to ya'll.
ReplyDeleteScorched Earth? He was honest and upfront - perhaps a bit too much in some cases - but I would hardly call it scorched Earth. As for what he said about PMan, I don't think he said anything that Mr. Plains would disagree with. 1) They have different mindsets 2) PMan doesn't listen enough to have HSOs on a large percentage of Ticket stuff. The only possible source of contention that I saw was that the thinks someone shouldn't maintain a blog on a subject about which he is not an expert, and I can't even see that ruffling the Conestoga Dweller's feathers that badly. He really didn't say anything that Plainsman hasn't said himself.
ReplyDeleteI thought it was fairly insightful and honest and not really all that different from what you might get on a podcast.
I'll agree with birq... Plainsman has always maintained his lack of knowledge of the Ticket on certain areas and that he basically leaves it up to us to give some kind of cred to this site. Nothing had changed since day one in that aspect so maybe TC hasn't read when Plainsman has written that. Overall I didn't read anything ground breaking in his AMA. Btw, what does AMA stand for?
ReplyDeleteAsk Me Anything
ReplyDeleteYeah, I wouldn't call it scorched earth. He would have had to throw more people under the bus than Joe Letsche.
ReplyDeleteI did glean this bit from it and it reinforces to me that Cat was splitting hairs when he said the JV did not ask for a show.
"I think the way he worded it he put a specific time tag on it, so going by the narrowest possible reading of his comment, it was true for me personally. I heard that other shows did ask him, but I wasn't in the room or anything. Jake and I had several conversations with him about hosting a weekend show. We asked pretty often. They all just happened awhile ago. After a certain point, I just knew he knew I wanted to and didn't feel the need to remind him. It was already established."
So, they did ask, just not in the time frame that Cat cited. Yep, fitting right in to that suit as The Boss.
I think we did get under his skin though.
"He's said some really nice, supportive things about me in the past, and I appreciate that. Just giving my opinion. I had a lot of other objections, but I reached a point where I said, "if it bothers you so much, you should stop reading it."
Yep, sounds like he has read some of the commentariat more than one time.
I'd have to agree with birq and the others who say it wasn't scorched earth. Like cactus said, he didn't throw enough people by name under the bus to classify it as that. Yet, he did pretty much throw Cat under the bus. So that in itself could make the whole thing scorched earth. Who knows? Really, what does it matter now anyways? The fact is, T.C. is gone. The way he left in all likelihood has shut the door for him to ever return to The Ticket. The same might be for Cumulus, in any capacity. You just don't passively agrressniffley and full on aggressniffely take shots at your boss who by the way seems to keep moving up the Cumulus chain (Catman) on several different platforms (IJB, comments during the last Top 10s, AMAs, etc.) and expect to be welcomed back. That's not how things work in the real world. Not sure if T.C. has a grip on that end of things. If he doesn't he soon will. Being in on the management side of things will open his eyes up in ways he never dreamt.
ReplyDeleteThe AMA, the things said on IJB, the little jabs and stabs on his final Top 10s and farewell-exit interview with BAD all show a guy who despite the years in the business is still green. T.C. has been a controversial member of The Ticket. In fairness to him, it was not all his fault. He was mistreated by some of the hosts on air, which gave the green light to the JVers who probably weren't fond of him in the first place, and made into a fuh fuh fuh 'old lesbian' joke. That was totally wrong and quite frankly, if he'd have brought a lawsuit against the station for fostering a hostile work environment, I wouldn't have blamed him. Yet it was fault. He wouldn't play the reindeer games, acted as if he was above it all and was often overtly jerky towards hosts and fellow JVers on air. It comes down to a chicken-egg situation.
Anyways. That's it. Like everyone else has said, good luck to T.C. I hope he finds success. I did think he was too hard on himself when he talked about it maybe being too late for the career he wanted. That also shows just how green he really is. I know you don't read this stuff T.C., but I'm pretty sure you do, it isn't too late. But you're going to have to grow up some and make some changes and realize that you aren't always the one with the right idea or solution.
As I listened to Corby's incident, I couldn't help but listen with a little bit of skepticism. I have no reason to do so, other than:
ReplyDelete#1 - I seem to be somewhat skeptical by nature
#2 - Greggo. It didn't help that Danny kept talking about other times Corby got drunk and that they kept playing Corby drunk drops.
I hope (and think) there is no reason to be so with this situation.
BTW -Congrat's to big Dick Hicks. Moving up and into something that he is passionate about is always a good thing. And the fact he can do it while staying local is even better.
ReplyDelete@ Brad G.
ReplyDeleteI only speculated what Corby might have been going through because his symptoms are exactly the things I've (and others I'm sure) experienced. It's scary when your body feels that way because it's so unnatural to have those things happen when they do.
I guess we need a list of topics that are acceptable to the Anon that runs this blog.
ReplyDeleteA bullet-pointed list.
@Anon 7:55am
ReplyDeleteStill drunk from last night I take it? Where on this thread has someone deemed the conversation as superfluous?
Sober up and stop trolling. And while you're at it, get a life.
T4 - Hope you didn't misunderstand what I was saying. I didn't think you were speculating. Instead, I was just trying to explain what I thought of when I heard it live, without myself getting into wild, unsubstantiated speculation.
ReplyDeleteIt's all good. I didn't take it as that.
DeleteCorby will find any reason to embellish and exaggerate any situation. I have not heard the segment since I now tune out of THL. But I'm pretty sure I can guess the gist of it.
ReplyDeleteAnother observation about TC. From what I heard from him on IJB and the ticket he strikes me as a pretty smug dude. The kind of guy who makes enemies quicker than he makes friends. Your typical 20 year old who thinks he has this world all figured out and isn't shy to let you know about it.
That kind of smugness may cut it in the podcast environment but if he expects to hold on to his new job then he should think about changing that demeanor. No matter how good you are at something, it's how people perceive him and his ability to be social that will bring him success. Something he did not do too well at the Ticket I gather.
Anon Vs Anon. Now, that's entertainment.
ReplyDeleteGonna steer the bus back over to Dick Hicks, for at least on comment.
I swear I am gonna miss him. You can count me among the few that liked it when Black and Quack were in the on deck circle going into dry dock.
I have an extremely fuzzy memory of early on when he got the quack. I swear I cannot for the life of me remember who was running the board. It might have been Jer, but it might have been earlier. Ten years? maybe more.
Anyhow..every time he opened his mouth and produced syllables they quacked at him. It was a generic duck quack I haven't heard at all since those days. Felt sorry for him. If I could just figure out which voice it was! DAMMIT! which one was it.
Early on when they were still voices on the radio I wasn't sure which was which. What morning on the ride in to work I have absolutely no idea. No, not even the year.
I wish them both well, TC and RP. I'd like to think we aren't done with them. I can hope anyhow. I figure Rich will be around, it will be really odd if the Fan has the racin' show and the littlest of Tickets does not. I know the Unticket won't miss him. Don't ever damn call here again and ask for that s. He ain't got any and none is expected any time soon.
Luke warm sports. You might want to post that web address. I have it saved somewhere, but I forgot where.
Amen, Cactus, on missing Rich. I was a little upset when we lost The Throwdown due to Kevin Scott's departure, but I warmed quickly to Black and Quack. Now...
ReplyDeleteI heard a 40 liner commercial for Rich ' s show this Saturday so I'm assuming they'll keep it around once he's no longer an employee? They don't have much else (no offense meant) on the weekends so it makes sense.
ReplyDeleteI didn't hear a curent RaceWeek promo, but since the show is taped, it is already be “in the can”, plus it may have previously been brokered to air via ad money to air this Saturday, I can see why. And there is a race Saturday night as opposed to Sunday too.
ReplyDeleteBlack & Quack was the most prepared fill-in show The Ticket has had since I have listened and it seemed that both Rich and Donovan put effort into to more than other fill-in shows. Case in point, Rhads left Metro Detroit for DFW before I did (and I have since left DFW), yet he still must bring up a fairly tepid, old Detroit sports story every time on air. Ernie Harwell...Tiger Stadium...Bo Schembechler...Silverdome...Bad Boy Pistons is a given for him to talk about. Dull.
One thing The Fan (DFW version) does very well is cover NASCAR live racing. Regardless of where I am at, if I want to hear a race, I can go to the radio.com app and go to The (DFW) Fan and hear the race. They are the official station of TMS, a SMI track, but also have the rights to the other tracks and races. NASCAR radio is controlled by the racetrack owner, as opposed to a master contract. So Rich and his show will be distributed by SMI's radio company, Performance Racing Network.
Half-Cat, that is so true about Corby. I catch myself tuning THL out more and more. After WTDS, and the greatness of line 4 guy, it gets pretty dull. I wonder if todays version of THL was a new start-up show, if it would even get picked up by any station.
ReplyDeleteRich Phillips "Final Day" talk segment at 8:15 a.m. this morning. A can't miss!
ReplyDelete@Anon 3:03
ReplyDeleteGood point about the notion of "If THL was a new show would we tune in?". These guys have been on the air a looong time and we pretty much know everything about them.
THL are like the douche bag friend we have that nobody likes but because he's been a friend for such a long time...we just can't leave him. I'm sure new listeners pick up on this and tune out quickly much like I do when I stroll by Russ Martin (THE WORST).
Loyal Russ Martin listeners and THL listeners aren't all that different. They very comfortable with the on air "talent" and look past the things that annoy the casual listener. Just so happens that THL following is MUCH larger thanks to the good ole Greggo days. The days of tuning into THL with both feet in the door are getting less and less for me. It's become more of a tune in...tune out... kinda show now.
Today is Rich's last day and during his goodbye segment it was very heartfelt and sounded like it's a great opportunity. Tomorrow is his last Race Week.
ReplyDeleteGood luck Rich. I've enjoyed almost everything you've done and for being a part of the greatest station in the world.
The going away nutkick of Rich's Greatest Hits was a nice touch. They highlighted a few screw-ups, but you have to admit, his tickers and SMU work have been amazingly solid all this time. He's quite the professional broadcaster. Hopefully he'll flourish at TMS.
ReplyDeleteSome more good insight from TC on the latest IJB. Check it oot.
ReplyDeleteWhy does Mike let Corby babble on about 60's rock music when he clearly has no idea what he is talking about?
ReplyDeleteUnderreported is the fact that Rich Phillips' TMS gig puts him on all the TMS partners, which means...Rich Phillips now on the Fan.
ReplyDeleteShaggy: I did check it out. Thanks for the heads up.
ReplyDeleteIt was my first time to listen to IJB. More on that in a minute.
Personally, I didn't come away with anything other than what TC has already said or implied on air or in his AMA. He just used more colorful language. I'm with the many O Confessor who thinks TC is obviously smart but also obviously immature and might be in for a real wakeup call as he progresses (if he does progress) in his new job. I say "if he does progress" because from his spoken and written words (and that's all I can go on) TC doesn't seem very well suited for any sort of co hosting partnership or for working in management or with a cross section of other people. At least not at this juncture. Yes, he and Jake work well together, I guess, at least he and (again, I guess) Jake think so. But that seems about it. One thing though. Starting out in a smaller market and on an affiliate, not a flagship station, will hopefully for TC's sake give him ample room to make errors and ultimately grow. Both as a broadcaster and as a co worker/team player, and as an psychologically mature adult.
IBJ is terrible. I now know why it wasn't given a real fighting chance by Cat or whomever. Neither Jake nor TC can consistently complete their sentences/thoughts. They misuse words, they're constantly searching for words to finish their thoughts, fail, and end up trailing off, and the crutch "ums, likes" etc., are so frequent that if you started a verbal pause drinking game, you'd be s-faced within 10 minutes. They speak in general like teenagers. As long as they've been doing the podcast, I'd have thought they'd be much better than they are. As much as TC and I have to think Jake too believes IJB is better than The Shake Joint, they are both woefully wrong. Sean might be annoying in many regards (and frankly, he is), but he's much more polished than TC. He makes Jake sound better. If you listen to the Mavs post game show, Until Followill joins him, Jake is a mixture of mess and some insight. Only he can't curse like he does on IJB (another crutch he and TC avail themselves of quite often). Again, I now see why Cat made the decisions he did. He was smart to do so. Corby, of all people, made a perfect comment yesterday about hanging out with certain folks (I paraphrase): "There's some people you go out with a couple of times and you realize the two of you are having too much fun. So much fun that it's going to get you into big trouble." I think in several ways you can apply that to the Jake-TC pairing. I believe Cat saw that.
As I said, TC is obviously smart, has real insight into sports, and I honestly think, like Pman does, that he can go far. But he has a lot of work to do in order to get there. Hopefully he'll make the most out of this opportunity and not sabotage himself like he did (admittedly so in both the AMA and on IJB) at The Ticket.
You will be missed, T.C. Here's to IJB continuing on for years to come. All the best to you, pal.
ReplyDeleteSTAY HARD, T.C.!!!!!!!
I'm gonna miss me some Rich Phillips. I'll be most definitely listening to his last Race Week tomorrow. I can't believe that dude's been in my life for 18 years now. Poof. He's gone. Nothing stays the same, I know. His leaving is a reminder that others will also be leaving in the nearish future. I'll place my bet on a Muser to be the first to go. Everyone says Norm or Mike. Not me. They seem to be content right where they are. Man, if you listen to those morning boys close enough over the years, you can hear the changes they've all gone through. I will not be shocked when Captain Farts makes his sudden announcement that he's packing it in for some sort of missionary work or something. Or when Goofy Deer announces he's going to write full-time for Vanity Fair or some such . Or when the Joonz takes a very early retirement because he's ready to do something else and has invested his money so well and spent so little of it, he can.
ReplyDeleteIs Rich Phillips name really Dick Hicks? They seemed to say that today on the Hardline.
ReplyDeleteBeing a middle management guy myself, although in a different industry, I've got to say TC really screwed the pooch on this one. If I was looking to hire someone, and it came to my intention that one of the candidates threw a prior manager under the bus as he did, I'd immediately deposit his resume in the round file.
ReplyDeleteSadly, I liked TC's on-air persona, which was "framed" (as he said) or shaped by the existing on-air talent. Those guys helped make him identifiable to me, and he has become someone I was interested in listening to whenever he did fill-in work. I recognize his voice, whereas I still can't distinguish between Ben and Skin (although their show presentation overall is improving).
I hope TC has a long career with his new employer. He'll need some skins on the wall to get over this, and blew any chance of coming back to The Ticket (at least possible prior to this if Cat ever leaves).
I would read a TC sports blog.
ReplyDeleteI would not listen to a TC talk show.
Plainsman - would it be possible to start up a MTC charity event to either pay for a vocal chord transplant for Stu Cedar or buy him a lifetime supply of lemon tea so he can sound like he just didn't gargle with broken glass prior to going on every weekend?
ReplyDeleteStay soft Stu Cedar...
Anyone been following T.C.'s show with regularity?
ReplyDeleteI listened for most of the first week and wanted to listen this past week, but just didn't have time to fit it in. I am placing a higher priority to listening to his show versus the Hardline, so there's that.
ReplyDeleteThe main takeaway is that it has been an extremely generic show in the past with extremely generic hosts, and I think TC will make it his mission to change that for the better. There is a clear culture clash between TC and his co-host, and probably his audience. It should be interesting to see how it all plays out.
@ArlingtonP1,
ReplyDeleteVery good assessment. Both Jake and TC used the recent IJB to show immaturity.
1- TC used a Ticket press pass to go to the Final Four when he was not an employee and got sound and was happy about it. TC using the pass was disingenuous.
2-Jake... Never drink in a pressbox
Hey, do y'all remember that time on WTDS - perhaps shortly after the 20th anniversary - when they were at a remote, Cat happened to be there, and a host or two began to bemoan Cat nerding up their spot. Corby brazenly defended Cat's credm, by noting he was a LSD pusherman in high school. But like a bunch of acid. Thoughts?
ReplyDeleteThe TC AMA was fun and fascinating. Birq and Cactus said it the best.
Babyarms up for the anons, male spinsters, and wet blanketry of all sorts....
@p Dub
ReplyDeleteI think it was discussed here about how Corby should have suspended for insubordination. He was really laying into Cat to where it was making me uncomfortable. But, then again, that's Corby and his big bag of nearly nothing that he brings to hosting a show.
http://www.dallasnews.com/sports/more-sports/headlines/20140418-now-at-tms-rich-phillips-recalls-his-best-day-at-the-ticket-after-18-plus-years-on-the-job.ece
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