- @sportssturm thanks man
- Also if you have any job leads…. I kind of need them :) Radio is the preference, but I'm open to new experiences!
- @jffcrmr Very excited about the Marshall extension
- Sorry for hijacking your feed. Since I don't have a show to prepare for, I'm going to go watch that new Godzilla now. Thanks for listening.
- It's a pretty embarrassing episode. I'm gonna try to learn as much as I can from it and try to be a better person going forward.
- We didn't put on an amazing show. It was worse than everything on KTCK. But for a first try, I thought it was passable and getting better.
- I've uploaded all of the shows we recorded here: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/38gralluahcbrrn/AAAgq_5-QgB-jbvgq7atemJja … Those shows are far from perfect, but I think they're good
- The owner also fired my cohost, Tommy, saying our show was not working out. I disagree and invite you to listen and judge for yourself.
- I remain stunned by that because, though I admit my faults, they are the same faults I had two months ago when he hired me
- I did work there that I am proud of. If this were decided by a vote among my coworkers, I'd still be there but it's the owners' call.
- Well guys, I got some bad news. I was informed today that things at ESPN Pensacola are not working out, and I've been let go.
TC Fleming Regrettable. I rather loudly said that I thought T.C. would succeed. That's not why it's regrettable. Guy pulls up stakes, makes the move, two months, gone. Seems unfair.
Some interesting things in that thread.
He reports he was cool with his colleagues, but the "owner" didn't like the show.
Or . . . maybe didn't like T.C. He says he is going to "try to be a better person going forward." Present faults are the same ones he brought to the show to begin with. Shows don't usually get cancelled after that short a time because ratings didn't improve. Oh, it's happened, but usually a show gets a chance to get its feet under it, find its audience (vice versa, actually). So there's probably some inside baseball there. Maybe It's Just Banter will get the scoop.
I never heard any of the show. My recollection is that the few listeners who checked in said it was OK, and that wouldn't surprise me. Any radio boards on the T.C + Tommy Show?
No, I'm guessing there may have been some conflict other than the owner not liking he on-air content. Just guessing. My last T.C. guess was wrong. Well, just as I and others wished him well on his Pensacola adventure, I wish him well again and hope he lands somewhere where he can make a stand.
Damn that sucks for TC. I bet he moves back to Dallas and gets a gig with either the Ticket or the Fan. Hopefully he got at least a little severance.
ReplyDeleteI hope TC does learn from this, as he says he will in his Tweets. But from his Tweets, frankly, I read the same things I heard on IJB and his parting shot tour of the shows he was involved with prior to leaving The Ticket. Same goes with his AMA on the Ticket reddit site.
ReplyDeleteLike Plainsman wrote, two months into a job (as both a host and in management--the latter is an aspect of his job, at least the job he said he was hired to do, that he neglected mentioning, which is a bit interesting) is no time by anyone's standards to be fired. Unless there is either gross misconduct and/or gross incompetency. The last time we all as Ticket listeners and presumably sports fans saw this was when John Rhadigan was canned two months into his tenure (Rangers booth for those who don't get it).
Whatever the case, I must admit that as a TC supporter, the immature 'just ask my coworkers' sort of Tweet speaks volumes about where he is emotionally and honestly, mentally. He has quite a bit of groaning up to do. Thus I can only imagine why he was fired. Truth is, he never seemed to be able to let go of The Ticket. Right after he was hired he was immediately back here for the Final Four, bogusly using credentials to get in, basically bragging about it via the internet. IJB oner the last two months focused mostly on Tickety and Dallas stuff. I don't know if any of you were around or can recall, but this is pretty much what Rocco Pendola did after he was fired. He landed another jon (and other ones after it), and was unable to emotionally and intellectually sever ties with The Ticket. It screwed his sports radio career up. It took him nearly ten years and several life changing reboots to finally get on track. I hope TC doesn't do the same.
Holy moly. My typing skills are atrocious. Sorry for all the misspelled words! Sad thing is, some of them are actual words!!!!
ReplyDeleteI am intrigued by what you said about Rhadigan "(for those of us who don't get it)". Are you implying there was some sort of shenanigans at there or just incompetence? Your reference to "canned" made me think it was a veiled reference to him fondling some girls ta ta's or something.
ReplyDeleteLOL @ anon 3:19.....yeah, let's hope he's not landing another "jon"
ReplyDeleteI'm a big fan of TC and what he brings, this is a real bummer to hear. But yeah, I think most people who follow the Ticket dynamics could speculate as to the likely reasons why this may have happened. I would say it seems TC doesn't follow the job structure of eating crow and appeasing those in charge first and foremost. But it might also just be the nature of small market radio and I'm jumping to an erroneous conclusion
ReplyDeleteI've tried to take it easy on T.C. the last year or so, even give him a little rah-rah, but it has to be said: He doesn't seem to have learned much from this episode.
ReplyDeleteSo he gets an on-air job and apparently some kind of program director job with the Pensacola station (although we haven't heard much about the latter since he got there). Good stuff for him. But during the runup to his actual arrival at the station, he's all over social media discussing his prior employer. That cannot have gotten him off on a good foot with the "owner" who has now let him go after two short months on the job.
But what have we here? Tweets talking about how his co-stationers thought his show was good, tweets criticizing the owner for not forgiving the same faults that he brought with him to the station. Does he think that prospective employers -- irrespective of the industry -- will not read these things?
And about those faults: We all arrive at a new workplace with weaknesses. That does not mean that the new employer has implicitly agreed to accept those weaknesses, or that it's OK not to suppress them or not to work to overcome them.
If I get the chance I'm going to listen to some of the shows he's put online, and I'll bet anything I'll think they're pretty OK. Not evidence that he should have been so promptly dispatched. Nope, as others have speculated already, there's something else at work here, and the evidence for that is in his own publications.
There may come a day when T.C.'s judgment catches up to his industriousness and ambition. I would have thought that day had come.
I second those who liked yesterday's Hardline. Mike was energized and engaged. I also join those who wish he would rise up on his hind legs, take that show back, and make it his again.
ReplyDeleteI am actually not shocked by this at all and honestly, it has little to do with his on-air performance. While I am not so sure he knew what he was doing on the management side since he never did that before either, I think it went deeper.
ReplyDeleteAs Anon@3:15AM pointed out, the Final Four thing was an issue to be because I also thought it was poor form to use a credential from a former employee.
In many of the IJB podcasts done since his move, TC was somewhat condescending towards the people of Pensacola and at times publicly critical to those he was supervising. He seemed not respect anybody outside the station owner and his words were for everybody to hear.
Pretty much repeating what others have said at this point, I really enjoy TC's 'on air personality' but I imagine he's a terrible employee. He's certainly not returning to the Ticket (and I guess ESPN would be out too since they're under the Cumulus umbrella?)after the way he departed but maybe he'll resurface on the Fan. Either way I hope he continues to mature. Use that radio personality on air but turn it off when you're dealing with others off the air.
ReplyDeleteI was a semi-regular listener to The Drive and I definitely think the product improved in the 2 months TC was there. It became much less caller-driven and more Tickety in the way segments were presented. This has to really suck for TC. Stay hard buddy.
ReplyDeleteAgree with Shaggy. I moved back to DFW in 99, having been a huge fan of the SportsAnimal in OKC. Heavily caller driven. It took me about 3 months to get used to the Ticket. But, now when I go back to OKC to visit family, The Animal drives me nuts, I usually tune out and stream the Little One.
ReplyDeleteIf TC took the show more to a KTCK format, I am sure there were tons of callers complaining. I could imagine a scenario where it may have been a line in the sand type of thing
If it were really a personality conflict, then why would the co-host get canned as well?
ReplyDeleteI tuned in once and they started talking Alabama spring football. I listened for a few minutes. I didn't care to hear about Alabama spring football, so I turned it off. TC sounded fine, it was more the subject matter that I didn't care for.
ReplyDeleteTC has done a good job and promoting his show and station on IJB. He would talk about all of the guests that he had on and who he was going to have on. I think he was trying to promote as much as possible to his IJB listeners.
I'm wondering if the owner or someone at the station listened to IJB and didn't like what they heard. This is just pure speculation on my part.
I hope he does find something. He has passion for what he does and I honestly think he's good at it. He had Jake have a real connection, so I hope somehow they are able to find something together.
Stay hard TC!!
I said it once and I'll say it again:
ReplyDeleteI would read a TC sports blog.
I would not listen to a TC talk show.
BAD just brought up the good point that they were both fired at the same time, which makes it seem as if it was something bigger than just TC-centric problems.
ReplyDeleteAs I type this, it seems as if Bob just implied that the mom-and-pop radio station had/may of had money problems and that was the reason.
In the least, they spoke about TC and the situation as if it was something that you sometimes go through when you are new in that industry (small time radio satiation with an owner who does it all) and they all have similar, but not as extreme or harsh, stories of station owners firing for financial reasons, delaying paychecks, etc.
Very decent of BaD to speak on TC's situation, and to do so in such a sympathetic light. They could've easily fa fa fa fa'd it up. But they didn't. Props to them.
ReplyDeleteBoth BaD and Anon1026 bring up the issue about his partner also getting fired. If that's so, then how could it be merely a TC problem? Good point. We don't know the dynamics of the station, so it's hard to say what went down. TC's Tweets seem to say that it was a difference of opinion between he (and I presume his partner) and the owner, not something fiscally related. Whatever you might think of TC, no one can say he isn't the king of pulling back the curtain. Which leads me to believe the money issue might not be the real issue. Also, TC was hired as both host and PD (or some sort of PD related job duty). If so, why would he be fired from both positions? If only axed from his on air duties, as his Tweets appear to indicate, then why also his management duties? Were other employees given the boot too?
Something in my gut (and I'll be the first to admit that my guy isn't infallible) tells me in TC's world there is reality and then there's TC's unique perspective of said reality. From being put into rehab for smoking pot once to being mistakenly perceived as confrontational and arrogant by co-workers when all he was doing was problem solving to now being shoved out the door, from out of the blue, unfairly, cruelly, by his new boss. . . .it's always something outlier-ish with TC. Maybe that's just the way his life goes. Or maybe that's the way he perceives it, and the actual reality is different. Who knows. But if I were a statistician of some sort, I'd be thinking to myself, "hmmm, is there a pattern to all this?"
Hopefully TC will learn from his Ticket and Pensacola experiences. I'm with Pman and others who claim TC is a real talent. I too believe he has the smarts to succeed in the business. I also believe that if TC would learn to be a bit more humble, to have a deeper sense of humility, and a better appreciation of, and respect for, others ideas and situations (especially if he, prima facie, finds them lacking), he would go far. I dare say if he already possessed even a trifling of those qualities, he'd be well on his way to where he wants to be.
@1258
ReplyDeleteNicely put. I'd also add that Bob and Dan were sorta questioning if the way T.C. is saying it went down and why was the real story. Then they decided to take him at his word and go on to say what a crappy deal. Bob went on about how unfair the mom and pop station can be. I guess just because you leave the big corporation and go to a mom and pop doesn't mean you leave the same problems behind you. Business is business and business people are business people. It doesn't matter what size of business.
TC's cohost has another job. He is the Media Relations Director for said AA baseball team and does their PBP, who games air on that station as well. Unless the owner drops the team from the air too, TC's cohost will still be in some contact with station ownership.
ReplyDeleteAs for his show, there could have been chemistry issues since his partner was basically doing half of their shows on the road. Then again, as Program Director, TC may have made the choice to work with him, as opposed to work the AM Drive shift for which he told us he was originally hired to do.
Well, 108, if what you're saying is correct, then maybe my gut feeling isn't too far off base. Or at the very least, it is in some way sniffing around the right part of the house.
ReplyDeleteI also thought that the simultaneous release of the partner sort of supported a "the problem wasn't TC qua TC" view of things.
ReplyDeleteBut I thought: Two months.
And then I listened to the last show on the list he posted.
Wow. I know you can't go on just an hour or two out of two months of broadcasting, but I heard problems there. Again, if someone tells me the sample size isn't fair, I'll agree with them. The most notable whoa-moment was a passage where his co-host was talking, and TC interrupted and started talking. The co-host was clearly irritated and called TC on it. Rather than backing off, TC said something to the effect that "I have information that you don't have, and it justified jumping in," OWTTE. It was damned rude, and TC obviously didn't care. And he proceeded to talk without interruption until I quit listening quite some time later, with almost no contribution from the co-host.
This is sad news all the way round and on every level.
ReplyDelete12:58, 1:08, and Plainsman's last 2 comments seem to give much insight into what went down and why - - - even if there's nothing concrete about the comments, they appear to closely comport with TC's behavior patterns. Seeing how Plainsman has gone out of his way (at times to the point of the extreme) to champion TC over the past few years, I take his analysis of the final show to be not only accurate, but if anything charitable. Alas the less than flattering characterizations of TC by many a commenter seem to be more right than not. That's too bad. I hope someone he respects and will listen to is able one day to get through to him. No matter how talented he might be, there is a definite pattern of behavior here, and if it continues as such, TC will find a rough go of it as he makes his way evermore out into the real world. This applies not only to the radio business, but also to any career choice. It applies to life in general. Such behavior and attitudes are only tolerated by others if the actor in question is truly gifted at X. As bright as TC might be, and as much potential as he might have, he is not a wunderkind savant undeniable juggernaut of a talent that employers, co-workers, and the rest of the world must put up with. The thing is, it seems like TC is the only one who doesn't realize this fact. As I said, I hope someone he respects and will listen to can get through to him, because he his talented and has something to offer.
Honestly, so much angst over a 20-something Chris-Chris wannabe. He was raised as a self-important little bitch, like many millennials in these Damn times. I couldn't care less about the little db. Survival of the fittest. The government will take care of him if he doesn't learn.
ReplyDeleteI like TC 50% of the time, and I ask myself when confronted about this subject, why don't you like him? It might be because I deal with millenialism at work. "Kids" these days know it all and after a couple of years think they're ready to be managers, but that's not the way thing work. As much as I applaud TC for having the aspiration to get a better job, I wonder if he really thought or thinks he's a manager or even a regular show host? Radio is a tough gig, I can't imagine the financial issues you'd have to work through while making your way to the top.
ReplyDeleteI might not understand TC's world, but he's a part of mine.
@ANON 8:50PM,
ReplyDeleteI am not sure that he will ever "get it", because he seems to be willing to discuss his side of the story for a sponsored segment on IJB.
And while I would like to hear his side of the issue out of morbid curiosity, overall it does him no good since he is only talking to those who download his podcast for affirmation of some sort that he got a raw deal. Specifically, I would like to hear about how much he specifically talked to his station owner. Since he had little contact with execs at The Ticket, I question how much he talked to his boss, or listened when they did talk.
Meanwhile, his co-host, Tommy Thrall has not taken to Twitter or any social media and just continues his MiLB work with the Pensacola Blue Wahoos. This guy graduated college in 2006, so they are not far off age wise, but maturity level may be another story. Don't get it twisted, broadcasting minor league sports is even more competitive than radio with even worse hours and similar pay.
Time for some reflection, TC. You believe that you deserve a show in a top 5 market, yet you cannot last 60 days/probationary period in media market #60.
It's hard to know what happened, obviously... I thought it was weird that when T.C. got there, the plan changed from morning show to afternoon show. There are (at least) two ways to look at that: 1) The station was (and is) a mess; or 2) T.C. misread the situation by hearing what he wanted to hear (or not hearing what he did not want to hear).
ReplyDeleteSomeone mentioned callers -- it really is jarring to listen to The Ticket is you are used to caller-driver radio. In the last pre-firing IJB, the boys discussed Paul Finebaum's show. Pretty much all Finebaum does is let SEC football fans troll each other with ill-informed rants for four hours a day...
I love T.C., but as I have said before, he is the kid you just want to pick on. Moving from the Dallas to the redneck riviera had to have been quite the culture shock. Add that to T.C.'s penchant for smugness, his difficulty in just biting his tongue and saying "yes," and his verbal awkwardness that simultaneously makes him seem dim and arrogant probably didn't help. In his defense, to paraphrase the movie "Airplane," you bought your tickets... Surely the owner fired up a couple IJB's before hiring a drive time host / program director. Expecting T.C. to be smooth, generic and non-confrontational... It's like being shocked that Miley Cyrus is going to be erratic at a concert.
Stay hard T.C.!
Anyone know when the next IJB will be posted? I'm sure we'll get TC's unfiltered side of the story.
ReplyDeleteThe Musers were talking about radio markets this morning and Miami came up. Junior said he would hate to live in Miami. Gordo said, "Where in Florida would you want to live, Pensacola?". I wonder if that was intentional.
ReplyDeleteOf course it was.
ReplyDeleteDid you hear the rip-off of Gordo's Fake Jerry?
http://www.foxsportsradio.com/articles/the-jason-smith-show-482122/the-jason-smith-show-elliot-harrison-12026189/
I'm getting the impression that Gordon is going to file suit against this guy. If he is, he's damn right to do so. If he does, I hope he wins.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.dallasnews.com/sports/texas-rangers/headlines/20140516-d-fw-sports-radio-ratings-rangers-help-espn-fm-103.3-slide-into-second.ece
ReplyDeleteIf you're out there, Mr. Smartest Guy in the Room, the person who crapped on the idea that KTCK sees KZPS as its real competitor for its prized demo, please read the article, look at those numbers, and then recall what I said about those "we're better than listening to the same old classic rock song over and over again" promo The Ticket keeps running. Then recall what Rhyner himself said about the subject.
BREAKING: The fan’s summerbash is too big for Sneaky Pete’s. According to g-bag host Gavin Dawson, they had to change venues just two days before the event.
ReplyDeleteGavin Dawson @gavindawson 1h
Fan Flipoff got too big. We have moved it to the community beer company and taproom. 1530 inspiration. Starts at 5 pm!!
This love is happening. It's no mirage. So sing it again. YVAN EHT NIOJ!
ReplyDeleteIt's more like he is doing a Fake Gordon Keith. And poorly.
ReplyDeleteHoly balls that Fake Jerry is bad. It doesn't sound like Jerry, it's not funny and he really has nothing except "vidja board", "stayjum" and "good mornin' to ya". Gordo should sue just to keep this guy from sparing people to death anymore.
ReplyDeleteWell well well. I just heard from a very in the know source that our Anon FAN commenter (and Smartest Guy In The Room commenter - - - they're one in the same according to my very inside source) is none other than Gavin Dawson. It makes perfect sense. Everything this person says pertains to Gbag. Everything is The FAIL is now doing this or that and is here and there in the ratings. Of course he never mentions when they slip, yet again, below ESPN, but hey, what fun is that for the old ego.
ReplyDeleteA belated welcome to MTC, Gavin. You aren't the first Anon FAN host to post here. Your old compadre, RW used to be a semi-regular.
Stay hard, Gavin!
The FAN will continue to FAIL as long as it keeps trying to be something it isn't. That is, The TIcket. Stop aping them, FAIL, and find your own voice. First you go to the same venue The Ticket holds Ticketstock for your FAILiverssary, and now you hold your FAILUREbash at the very venue they do. Rumor is that it isn't a question of SP's being too small. You didn't sell tickets to it and your road shows and station events have poor turnouts so that isn't the reason. The real reason is that Bennett, Cat and Co. went to SP's and said it's either them or us, pick. Now. SP's did, and now The FAIL is moving their imitation of a Ticket event to another venue. Anon/Gavin was doing the smart thing and getting ahead of the story with some positive spin. Can't and don't blame the guy for trying.
ReplyDeleteAlso can't but actually can believe that FAIL hosts and JVs are forming tribute bands. They even have a Chilipeppers tribute! Oh brother.
ReplyDeleteWow, the fail is hosting an event that is even too big for a lake, so they take it to a brewery?
ReplyDeleteHa! Grady Knee Blow.
ReplyDeleteNew IJB is out and it says they will talk about TC's dismissal.
ReplyDeleteGuys this doesn't add up. If Bennett and Co did say something to SP's then they must have been afraid the Fail could throw a big party like the little one and SP's would notice. If the Fail is as awful at things as we're told (never been to one of their events) then wouldn't the big guys just say, whatever try to match us, we'll show you. Doesn't make sense to me to take out a non-competitor unless you fear they are trying to build on something. Look at it this way, say the Fan does go to SP's and they throw a huge party and make tons of cash off of it. Then the Ticket has evenly similar numbers, suddenly Fails sales staff has a big number to throw around to clients. IDK just a different angle and I always see the sky falling, but you don't see a big dog rise up unless it senses the urgency to. I think they saw this as a threat.
ReplyDeleteThe Fan anon is not Gavin Dawson. He's never heard of this site. Nice try though.
ReplyDeleteLet's clear up some things. First of all nobody is forming a tribute band.Two tribute bands were hired. This is also a free event to anyone over 21.
ReplyDeleteOur big summer event is Sausage Fest, later in the summer. Tomorrow night's thing is just a thing the station has put together. We do more events than The Ticket does.
I can't comment on the old Faniversary bit because I wasn't working there then. That event doesn't happen anymore.
I have no idea about the Cat/Bennett Sneaky Pete's thing, but that's an interesting theory. Never really crossed my mind. To me, if they did do that, then awesome, that means they're aware of the momentum we have going at our station. I find it hard to believe they'd have time to fight that battle w Sneaky Pete's though.
To say we don't have people at our events is crazy, I don't know how it used to be before I was around, but at Sausage Fest and our Crawfish thing a couple months ago, Main Street Garden was packed. I know for a fact, over 3k tickets sold to both events.
Not doing any pandering or anything, just here to clear a few things up. I know how comments can turn into gospel around here sometimes. While i'm here, that sucks for T.C. No matter the circumstances 2 months is not a fair assessment.
So why was it moved 3 days before the event? Nobody's buying the "SP's is too small" line.
ReplyDeleteHave you ever been to Summer Bash at Sneaky Pete's? It really is too small.
ReplyDeleteI've not been, but I've never heard anyone complain about the size. So this brewery has more space somehow?
ReplyDeleteI am the anon that everyone is bringing up. I'm the same guy that people think is Gavin, and I am the same guy that people once thought was Richie, and that people once thought was one guy speaking in different "voices." I am non of the above.
ReplyDeleteAll of KT's points are spot on, can't really elaborate further. SP had paid a significant chunk of change to have The Fan there every Friday throughout the Summer, so it's not like it was a one time thing.
The event attendance that KT mentions is public information, so feel free to look it up. And people actually had to pay to go the those events and the Fan got over 3k people for each.
As for the ESPN dig, Barry suggested it best... that ESPN is only beating Fan with Rangers. Just keep paying attention. It's happening.
KZPS. It is a competitor, but it's not a serious Sales competitor, and at the end of the day, that's what matters. Look at the Miller Kaplan reports.
@shaggy I guess. I've never been there.
ReplyDeleteI'm an anon that is no one and never will be or want to be.
ReplyDeleteI've never been to summer bash at SP's, but I have been to SP's before, and one would have to wonder why the little Ticket would plan an event there, but then again, I haven't been there when they threw it, so eff me. Might have been a perfect size for Chris Chris's with boats to hang out, rock some DMB, and Cleveland Indian relief pitcher each other out on the lake.
KT, I wouldn't give much credence or attention to anon guys saying they know who is doing what. Hell, I wouldn't post as anon if there was a semblance of responsibility on here, but I don't want some douche harrassing me on G+ because I said something he disagreed with.
When most people on here say they know something, they really know nothing, with the exception of Gypo.
Looking forward to listening to IJB this week. I'm expecting some TC scorched earth but lookit, no one could go more scorched earth than the nuclear bomb that RW and Hammer dropped on their careers.
The brewery they moved it to is 21000 sq ft. That's the total since of the whole area. Brewery included. Sneaky Pete's is bigger than that, so I'm not buying that it was too small. Beachfront, bars, restaurant, poolside. But hey, nothing says "start to summer" like going to a brewery and getting hammered.
ReplyDelete