The Uncertain Journey of T.C. Fleming /// LATER -- BREAKING BREAKING -- The Woodwork Speaks!! [See Following First Redhead]

Confessor Colorado P1 posted the following on the last thread.  I'm sure others out there heard it as well, but I did not.  His report:

Following up on some comments by others in one of the recent threads, I am one who is finding TC's increasing pop-ons increasingly annoying. Case in point: I think TC legitimately annoyed Bob yesterday during The 1:30 News and I completely understood Bob's frustration. Bob started to make a statement about the planned obsolescence of light bulbs and iPhone batteries and TC immediately jumped in to say "this is the worst opinion you have." The conversation went on from there with Bob eventually saying "I'm so sorry I exhaust you TC" and TC responding "your arguments are just so bad!" Bob then ended it with: "Mic' off, get ready for your Ticker . . . I'm just sayin' -- let us do our segment!"

Then at the end Jake declared "that was a bad segment" and Bob protested "no way, that was a fine segment, just a little discourse, an exchange of ideas." After the break they joked about it with Dan calling it "your large Apple argument of 2017." It was not the type of thing that will have a lingering effect but there were definitely some brief uncomfortable moments of tension and it was not a bit by Bob. It seems to happen more and more often lately, that TC will jump in to say something critical and one of the hosts will respond with what seems like genuine annoyance. Or that I will just find myself personally annoyed at his interjection even if nobody on the air reacts negatively.

I am a day one P1 of IJB so I have never been a TC hater and I still have no problem at all with his role at the station. I think he has clearly improved his Ticker performance and I generally enjoy his Tickers. It just does seem as though he has been given increased license or has just taken the initiative to jump into the hosts' conversations more frequently and I can understand why reaction of the good strong P1 is not always positive.

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In the recent past I have noted that when I was able to catch BaD I thought T.C.'s popping on had perhaps been moderated (or crowded out by Machine's incessant and truly annoying p.o.), and I thought some of it was even useful to the conversation.

But I would have punched out if I'd heard that.

I think T.C. is at a crossroads at The Ticket and may be feeling some frustration.

Consider:

With the fadeout of Shake Joint and Machine's departure, there are several slots to fill on the weekend.  This only comes around once per total solar eclipse, so everyone's trying to read the tea leaves as to who will get these plums.  (Wow, three weak cliche-metaphors in less than two dozen words.  Time to hang it up.)

I am not a heavyweight T.C.-basher, and I have zero inside information, but I would be a little surprised if T.C. got any of those spaces.  In the past, T.C. has filled in a show here and there with one or another of his colleagues, and my recollection is that those shows were not at all bad, but his appearances in that role seem to have vanished.  I can't recall hearing him as a fill-in co-host, either with an established host or an ad hoc fill-in show with another JV, in a long time.  I'm guessing that Jeff Catlin's email melts down whenever T.C. gets extended air time.  In any event, he doesn't seem to be a current go-to for the odd slot here and there, so as a candidate for a weekend posting he's down-list.

I'm also guessing that maybe, just maybe, with the exception of Jake, his JV colleagues may not be anxious to share a show with him.  He would steamroll Justin M worse than Machine did.  As I've written in the past, every host and JV hopeful at The Ticket has ambition and a large ego.  T.C. is not unique in that regard.  His problem is that he is not good at disguising it.  He gives off a vibe that he believes he is the smartest guy in the room, but seems tone-deaf to the fact that (a) it's a very large room full of smart guys and hundreds of thousands of smart listeners, and (b) he's the only one  thinking that.  His treatment of superiors who disagree with him is inapt (see above), and peers -- forget it.

So -- wild guess -- I don't see The Ticket assembling a weekend show with T.C. as one of the co-hosts.

And I suspect he doesn't see it, either.  Makes him testy.

But I have a suggestion for the Man of the Cat, which I offer for my customarily modest commission:

Give T.C. his own weekend show with no co-host.

I would absolutely check that show out and give it some time to percolate.

Lots of advantages; the guy is like a Norm starter kit:

       (1)  It would make T.C. happy (if that's on Cat's to-do list).

       (2)  It would keep in place the general expectation that seniority will be rewarded by being given a chance to shine.

       (3)  The CTO only has to pay one guy and fill one slot.

       (4)  He will always be prepared with content.

       (5)  He will be contentious with callers.

       (6)  He will be free to let his ego-flag fly; his less attractive broadcast qualities will become advantages rather than irritants.

       (7)  The Ticket is assured of weekend controversy.

       (8)  He will have no co-host to whom unattractively to condescend or to bully.

       (9)  If it succeeds, you've got a new star; if it fails, the perpetually nagging matter of T.C.'s career path is finally resolved, and we can all move on.

       (10)  Appropriately scheduled, people will tune in just to catch the Craig Rosengarden/T.C. mixer (can you imagine the e-brake fodder that would explode out of that?).

You're welcome!

All right, all right, here's your redhead.

BREAKING BREAKING:  TICKET T.C. LOWDOWN

OK, Confessors, going out a bit on a limb here, so bear with me:

It is possible I'm getting scammed big time.  Please keep that warning in mind as you consider the following:

I almost never, ever hear from Ticket employees at any level.  I consider that a compliment to The Ticket -- employees are generally happy there and not trying to grind any axes on this site.  That speaks well of management.  (I know, I know, everyone thinks I kiss CTO ass, but think about it:  If you worked for a large organization (I do), and there was some guy out there doing a blog dedicated to your organization, and you were disgruntled, wouldn't you grunt, at least anonymously, to the keeper of that blog?  Sure.  My organization gets slammed from within all the time.)

But I may have touched a nerve with this column.  I've heard from multiple (claimed) sources via email.

Now let's keep in mind that there are readers who do not like T.C. Fleming one bit.  We hear from them frequently.  It could be they're pretending to be insiders and giving me crap.

But these communiques have the ring of authenticity.  Let's see if I can summarize fairly:

(1)  Current scuttlebutt is that T.C. is not presently agitating for a weekend gig.  If what Cat has told this site in the past -- that he listens to JV pitches when there's an opening -- is correct (some insiders have scoffed), it tends to suggest that T.C. will not be invited to co-helm (or, alas, solo helm) a weekend presentation.

(2) Perhaps the reason is this:  Your Plainsman's surmise that T.C. is not viewed as a desirable showgram co-host by his peers is correct.  (Make a note:  Correct Plainsman surmise.)   He is rather clear that he regards the other JV and most of the weekday hosts as deficient, compared to him, in broadcast skills and intellect, and have leapfrogged him for reasons unrelated to their on-air merit.  If pressed, he might concede a small advantage to Bob, Dan, and Gordon.  My correspondent was rather more colorful in his rejection of the notion that T.C. could pair with anyone.

Again, in fairness, we need to consider the potential axe-grinding factor here.  Do not want to be unfair to T.C., who has no opportunity to respond to things like this -- but this site would be delighted to hear from him and give him a forum for reply.

(3) Station is buzzing that management came down rather firmly on T.C. this week and advised him to cease his interruption of the hosts.  I don't know if this was before or after the episode Colorado P1 sketched out for us.  Again -- hearsay.

That's how I'd sum up what I've been told since this column appeared.  Take it for what it's worth.

And thank you for shopping at My Ticket Confession.

After all this, I think we need another redhead:

 @Plainsman1310

ThePlainsman1310@gmail.com