This topic has been rattling around up there for awhile, and in light of the comments from the previous post about Coach Switzer's interviews with The Hardline, I thought I might unburden myself of a few thoughts.
I'm not a famous person. (In one sense, I'm not a person at all.) I doubt whether many of my readers are, except maybe that anonymous guy who was floridly and intemperately critical of one of my posts or comments, and who I referred to as a jamoke in my colorful rebuttal, and who subsequently asserted that if only I knew who he was, I'd know he wasn't a jamoke -- maybe he's famous. (Ah, the private suffering of the anonymous jamoke.)
The Ticket hosts are kind of famous, but, thanks to maladroit marketing by Cumulus and its predecessors, not too. Yes, there are the Marconis, but I doubt whether anyone in that room that night not associated with Cumulus after that third Marconi was announced could name a single one of the hosts. In general, they're not even regional celebrities. Local, sure.
That's one of the reasons we like them, I think. One of the reasons I do, anyway. They're just guys sitting around talking with their voices being picked up by radio microphone devices. In fact, they're not just guys -- doing what they do and making it sound like just guys sitting around talking with their voices being picked up by radio microphone devices -- and being entertaining in the bargain -- is a rare gift.
Corby always takes grief for the Barry Switzer interviews. He overlaughs, he kisses ass.
I think that's OK.
First, Corby ALWAYS overlaughs at remarks that are moderately amusing throughout the Hardline showgram, and sometimes remarks that are not so amusing. If you don't like Corby's overlaughing at only moderately-or-less amusing remarks, you can't listen to any of The Hardline (and some of you don't), but we're talking here about one particular segment. To criticize the Switzer interviews, you have to factor out the overlaughing because it is not unique to that interview.
I'll get to the ass-kissing in a moment.
Like Barry Switzer or not, he's a fun listen. If Corby and Mike didn't interrupt from time to time, the man would go on for the entire segment. And I must tell you -- I don't like anything I know about Barry Switzer, which is not a lot, but I find the man very entertaining in these segments. I caught most of the interview on the Top Ten tonight, and I thought it was terrific. The phone story (which I assume has been told before, which Corby reprieved this time around), the Dak Prescott story -- very fun.
So that takes care of the overlaughing and the merits of the interview.
Let's get to the ass-kissing.
It is my opinion that Corby kisses no more, or, if any more, only a tiny bit more, celebrity or sports-star or presidential ass than any other host on The Ticket.
ALL of the hosts kiss the ass of celebrities who give of their time to appear on a show. BaD builds entire bits around snaring the famous to appear on their show, and when they get snagged (obviously thinking of Guest Booking League here), they're welcomed with great warmth and familiarity. The Musers -- same. Norm -- holy poop. Corby is not worse or less listenable in this regard than any other (except, maybe, when Dan annoys someone almost completely off the phone).
But -- and here's where I'll probably hear from the respectful Confessor -- I don't really consider it ass-kissing. Say what you will about Lee Corso, and whether Dan was being a Big Jerk or not (I don't even remember what he was supposed to have done that was so awful), he was right that most of these guys come the shows for no pay because they're good guys, as Corso says, to "help out" the sportsy station. (Sometimes, of course, they have something to hype, and sometimes they have a sponsored segment, like J Witten.) What we may think is ass-kissing is, for the most part, common courtesy. And it's common courtesy because our hosts are decent human beings, not themselves famous or on a par with the people they're interviewing. They treat these busy and notable persons as they should, as having scheduled a part of their busy day, or interrupting their own private lives, to make themselves better known to us.
And besides, Confessors -- if by virtue of your position as a host on one of the most popular radio shows in the world you develop a personal relationship with a public figure you admire, would you reject that opportunity? We're not looking to The Ticket to break big stories or dig up dirt on celebrities; we're looking for some anecdotes, some glimpse of the human behind the image. Joshing around with the rich and famous -- The Ticket is pretty good at that, and Corby is an absolute freakin' master. Shaq and Parcells come to mind. Doesn't bother me a bit.
So I guess all I'm saying is that (1) I don't mind the celeb-sniffing on any of the shows, and (2) I don't find Corby any more cloyingly obvious in that regard than any other host.
ThePlainsman1310@gmail.com
@Plainsman1310
I know we have some Myrna Loy fans out there.
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| Dan, you can be a Big Jerk with me anytime. |
Keep those Myrna pics coming, Psnoot.
ReplyDeleteI'm fairly sure who the Jamoke is, but I won't say. No, s/h/xe/self-identifying Springer Spaniel isn't famous, but is known in the online P1 community. I'll leave it at that. Like I said, I'm fairly sure, not one hundo.
The only sniffin' that annoys me isn't actually sniffin', but rather the referring to celebs as if they (e.g., Corby) are either on the same social stratosphere and-or somehow buddies when they are not. That and hearing about every time Rhett Miller or Tim Delaughter fart. No offense to those two, and I mean no offense, but they only mean something to a certain age group of listeners and to the aspiring local musician hosts. Other than that: what's a matter you, you feel outta place......ah shut uppa ya face!
In the interest of full disclosure I will tell you that I am a Darrel Royal-era orangeblood. I never have and never will entertain the idea of saying something nice about Switzer. The only time I ever came close to turning my back on the Cowboys was when Jerry made him the head coach.
ReplyDeleteI can remember a time when Mike and Greg shared my feelings about Switzer and did not hesitate to voice them. But then the Hardline got access to him as a regular guest and he became their best buddy. So much for their hard line.
I give Corby a pass for being an OU bandwagoner because I understand that was how he was brought up by his OU parents. And I can understand how cool it must feel to grow up an OU fan and then realize one day that you are on Barry Switzer's speed dial. But when Corby had a chance to direct some of his abrasive and over the top self-righteous outrage at OU for
harboring Joe Mixon he punted. (Don't tell me how he stated his disgust for Mixon - that didn't come until over a year later when his actions were revealed on video for all the world to see.) IMO Corby didn't want to risk alienating Switzer and losing the access that came with him. So much for Corby the social conscience of the Ticket.
Not so open secret: Mike Rhyner used to be a man of discerning tastes and a zero tolerance for bullshit and had no qualms telling anyone what he thought. Not so much anymore. Not so much since he started Petty Theft. You can extrapolate from that point of departure. Not "just sayin'." Telling it like it is. Out.
ReplyDeleteMore. Just watched the Pearl Jam Wrigley Field shows doc on FS1.
ReplyDeleteIt's almost too funny how Progressive Catholic Corbles who openly supports Planned Parenthood (I say this because he plugged a PH benefit on-air several months ago and championed it as a great cause), and never misses an opportunity to say how "white" something is...for every single one of his artistic heroes (from the Fu Fighters to The Grateful Dead to Phish to ....) have an audience that is made up of almost exclusively white, upper-middle to upper class whites. My word, you should see this doc. A sea of SWPL (shit that white people love) kinda folks. Just like all the festivals that he, Sirois, TC, Jake, and the rest go to. And they all tell each other how woke they are. Sorta like Canadians. By the way, the doc should have been titled: "Eddie Vedder Likes The Cubs and Himself Liking The Cubs."
"Football All The Way" was a good to great segment on THL, but once that segment ended and it just became Corby retelling weekend encounters with Barry, it lost my interest, so that was a decade ago.
ReplyDeleteAs for the previous topic of "Country Force", best of luck to them, but I lost interest in most all weekend radio programming for a while as:
1-I generally have 20+ hours of podcasts to listen to on weekends.
2-Tom Maligozzi passed in 2014 and the Best of CarTalk ended weeks ago.
Love ya, DA. Don't go changing, mi amigo.
ReplyDeleteI agree with DA. Weekends do allow for listening diversity, i.e. exploring the dial.
ReplyDeleteI'd hang in to listen if Dave Lane was on the schedule, I like his humor, self-deprecation, and just find him interesting.
I get the Corby stuff but I can live with the flaws, especially considering the lack of tolerable alternatives. I'm probably just jealous of his charmed life.
Gen X Davey Lane Show would be must listen to radio.
ReplyDeleteWho hosted the Sunday am show today?
ReplyDeleteTSJ. For Sean's disc golf MADD fundraiser.
ReplyDeleteI know I'm years behind on this, but kind of fun anyway:
ReplyDeleteI've been catching up on "Justified." As many Confessors know, a writer for the series is a big Ticket listener, and he works the names of Ticket personnel into the show -- T.C. Fleming, Gordon Keith, others. I'm on the last season now, and Garrett Dillahunt (who played both Jack McCall and Francis Wolcott on "Deadwood") is playing a bad guy named Ty Walker.
In one scene, he accosts a female bank manager to try to get some information in the guise of helping her carry her groceries. He looks into one of the bags and says: "What about eggs?"
Pflash, you are waaaaaay behind the times on this one. That show is pre "meh." THAT'S how behind the times you are, buddy ro.
ReplyDeleteLove the site, hate the haters, trolls b trollin' and ladies b trippin' and all that jazz.
Yeah, I know.
ReplyDeleteCorby's 2 worst traits are (1) his lecturing tone when espousing his political views, already discussed here ad nauseum; (2) his lack of knowledge of basic factual information that makes its way into nearly every E-news or Community Quick hits. Last week's example: he said only one NFL team, Detroit, had gone winless for an entire season, which is wrong because he left out the 1977 Tampa Bay team and the 1960 Cowboys (0-11-1). Corby does that kind of thing (gets his facts wrong) on a fairly regular basis.
ReplyDeleteI have no problem with his habit of falling all over himself for Switzer or name-dropping Shaq or DeLaughter. I could do with a little less Rhett Miller, but I understand why he acts so positively toward them. I think Plainsman explained it very well. The best reason to have anyone on the radio is because they're entertaining, and Switzer is definitely that. If any of us had access to someone famous or influential, we'd do the same.
I will add this: then the Hardline, with Greggo, had formed an on-air relationship with Raffy Palmeiro, they had no problem calling him out when the positive steroids test was made public. For what it's worth.
James, your final observation makes a good point. There is a downside to ass-kissing, and it's the damage it can do, if not to objectivity, then to credibility.
ReplyDeleteThat's not a small thing. But The Ticket is not primarily a sports news station. In this day of instant information online, even the necessity for Tickers has been questioned. I might even ask whether the sponsored interview shows with sports figures (Jason Witten, whoever is coaching the Stars, and remember the short-lived Martellus Bennett show on BaD?) are worth the punch-pulling that probably sometimes has to take place when things go south.
Every host would deny it, but there's a tiny little Touchdown Brother in each of them. Not a lot, and not necessarily always for Dallas teams, but there's a little homer in them all. And, of course, in each of us, so as I wrote above, Ticket ass-kissing just isn't on my list of things about The Ticket that need instant attention.
I'm sure some would disagree, but the distinction I draw is that none of the other shows patronize their sports guests the way the Hardline fawns over Switzer. I've always felt that Corby's tightness with Switzer is a conflict of interest, but that's the Catman's call.
ReplyDeleteIf Barrah was still coaching or a part of a program or organization, I'd agree with you. But he isn't. So while I too find the sniffing to e s bit much, at times, I don't see a conflict of interest. Moreover, like him, love him, loathe him, Barry is a football legend with multiple skins in the wall. He's also a character and caricature come to life. Therefore, he's radio gold...at least to a station and it's talent.
ReplyDelete@11:05
ReplyDeleteYes he's a good interview. But I still contend that Corby (who has been all over the problems at Baylor) downplayed the Joe Mixon situation for months and months. I say it was because he didn't want to lose access to Switzer who was his ticket to certain OU functions. If you say Switzer has to be an active coach for it to be conflict of interest, I can see that argument. But whether or not Switzer is on somebody's payroll, you can't get a piece of Northern one-ply toilet paper between Switzer and the OU football program.
The bottom line for any radio segment is: do the listeners find it entertaining enough to not switch stations? And this Longhorns fan finds Switzer to very entertaining.
ReplyDeleteI should also add that it's not as if THL features Switzer every week. You have to expect him to be on the week of the big game. It would be more surprising for him not to be interviewed at all that particular week of the year than to see THL give him an extended segment or two.
ReplyDeleteThese are all good points. I don't see much to disagree with in any of them.
ReplyDeleteAnother thing that occurs to me is that the steady Ticket listener KNOWS Corby (and other hosts) kiss ass. And sometimes the ass-kissing leads to kick-ass access and selective reporting. We kind of all know Corby and others are not going to be objective so we don't rely on them for unbiased takes on the likes of Joe Mixon.
Not saying that Corby's blind eye to that dreadful human is an OK thing. Only point is that most listeners already discount Corby's point of view for his well-known biases, don't rely on him to shape their own views. And after they apply that discount, they can enjoy the rest of the presentation.
Thanks for Myrna's pic Plainsman
ReplyDeleteDitto what Scott said. Myrna was the cat's pajamas. Hubba hubba, sonny boy.
ReplyDeleteYes, she's definitely the berries, the bee's knees, a choice bit of calico, a right poplolly.
ReplyDeleteAnd she could act.
And smart as a whip.
ReplyDelete...I guess I just don't get it
ReplyDeleteYou never do, Shaggy, unless it bleeds orange and\or is progressive. Which, in this case, you ought to, as Ms. Loy was progressively progressive.
ReplyDeleteAs much as we bag on Corby, his tale of his oldest son's first Texas/OU game was quite entertaining. From his reaction to the crowd chants to getting into the game and his dismay at the Texas comeback was quite funny to me. Also, Corby's reaction to sitting through halftime and watching the bands and enjoying it and not going for a beer with the boys was just a bit telling too. Watching one's child react to their first large crowd event is always a mixture of "maybe I did something right" to 'OMG what have I created here."
ReplyDeleteCorby said I only have five years of this before he goes off to college and his brother doesn't care one way or the other.
If he plays his cards right, he has many more years together with them. Enjoy those times Sir, enjoy them as long as you can.
Ya know P-Snootie, I find it quite odd that the afternoon side kick talks about people offing themselves. Don't you? First it was the law enforcement officer in BP this summer after the shooting and now HW. What is up with that? Why does he always go that route???
ReplyDeleteHey, 605, leave the Shagarama alone. He's a long-time Confessor. Let's face it, fascination with women considered gorgeous from the 20's. 30's and 40's, is probably not something shared by a lot of men from the Ticket demo. So if someone finds the redhead Myrna Loy images . . . uninteresting, I'm OK with that. I'm just tickled that I've got a few readers who do. It has nothing to do with age; I'm guessing that a lot of younger men watching a Myrna movie for the first time, one of The Thin Man series, for example, but there are many others, would go -- man, what a smokin' babe.
ReplyDeleteMaybe not. So many beauties for our delectation and delight across the ages -- but, after all is said and done, de gustibus non est disputandum. So if the Shagster ain't on board with Myrna, I'm OK with that. He'll tune in for the next redhead, for sure.
Corby Davidson was on It's Just Banter yesterday with a very revealing reliving of the last year or so of the Greggo run at the Ticket. Corby is very likable in this setting and it is a great listen for any P1 on the 10th anniversary of Greggo leaving the Ticket.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.blowoutpod.com/ijb/
Episode 423
Thanks for the heads up and the link, 705. Awfully decent of ya, pal.
ReplyDeleteI tried to introduce my boys to sports and they only cared about what was available at the concession stand. It's good that Corby can have that kind of bonding with his sons.
ReplyDeleteCorby can be very entertaining listen until he starts to lecture or preach.
Thanks, 705. I did listen to it. Pretty good, pretty good.
ReplyDeleteMuch less profanity than I had been led to believe.
One topic I was surprised that was not covered was Greg's attitude toward Corby as Greg was deteriorating over the course of the couple of years prior to his departure. My recollection is that Greg has (since) said he was undercut by Corby, that he was scheming behind the scenes to insinuate himself into Greg's chair. But really nothing much was said on the podcast about the Greg/Corby dynamic other than some stories from the earlier times about their friendship. Maybe there's nothing to tell.
Also: My recollection is that in the last year before the departure, Corby had almost a co-equal role on the show with Mike and Greg. Maybe I'm remembering wrong. In the podcast he suggested he kinda had his couple of segments, and college football, and the rest of the time was just hanging with Danny. I sure thought he had a more prominent role than that for quite some time before the meltdown.
Still, very interesting.
If you recall, Gregg once said on air how he'd like to be Corby. He used to praise Corby on air and often. I emailed him in 2005 to express my concern that C seemed to be a 3rd host. And that at that time, I didn't like it. He rep!yes that that was an issue he and Rhyner often discussed. That was as far as he went. I didn't respond. The point is that it's surely still a conflicted history (facts) and touchy subject. Specially for Corby. Thing is: my best guess is that they, including Rhyner, know the thing w ass better with Greggo, but what are they gonna say? What is Corby supposed to say? And like all bands who know that when original member x left it never had the same intensity, the same juice but still kept selling records...Corby is Jason Newsted. Greggo was James Hetfield. Yeah, the Black album made Metallica multi millionaires, but Master of Puppets and Ride the Lightening were there masterpieces.And the there is no multi millions without the masterpieces. Ditto THL.
ReplyDeleteCliff Burton, not Hatfield
ReplyDeleteCorby is definitely more like the Gary Cherone or Arnel Pineda of the HL.
ReplyDeleteOne thing on the Corby IJB episode, Corby said that Bob and Dan had no idea of what was going on with Greggo. But if you listen to the last Why Today Doesn't Suck, Dan is on the phone because he has a doctors appointment and he's joking that he's not feeling well and just needs a pill to get through the show because he's hammered. He goes on for like a full minute joking about pills and hammered.
ReplyDeleteBy any chance is anyone a member of Norm's Clubhouse? I see that it is $45 a month, which seems pretty steep. Especially considering before last weeks games (He hasn't posted this weeks yet) his record is an awful 61-80. Do you guys find the site worth paying that much money for?
ReplyDelete$45 a month?!!!? Dammmmmmn!
ReplyDeleteHe ain't the one who picks 'em. It's his partner.
ReplyDeleteNorm is a terrible football handicapper. He over reliance on worthless "trends" is infuriating. Good for horse racing though
ReplyDeleteHi somewhere else for your sports handicapping.
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ReplyDeleteSorry. One bilious ideologue starts the spoilage, and the followups have to go to, pertinent though they may have been.
ReplyDeleteThat's just the way it is here at My Ticket Confession, when I get around to it.
Thank you for keeping it classy.
Second follow up commenter here. Understood, and no hard feelings. You have not lost a Confessor.
ReplyDelete@12:04 am...I think you're 100% right. I still think Corby's gradual over involvement in their show eventually took it's toll on Greggo and Mike's chemistry.
ReplyDeleteNot trying to give anybody any free publicity, but I discovered this morning that there is also a SOZA weight loss clinic that advertises on the radio. Is the similarity in names just a coincidence?
ReplyDelete802: Wow. I note that the URL for that is "weightloss4texas," tending to suggest that "SOZA" as a name for this joint is an afterthought, and tending further to suggest that it's intentional trademark infringement. I suspect Dr. SOTA is on this.
ReplyDelete618: I guess it's a chicken-egg thing. You may be right, memory is a funny thing, but I remember thinking at the time that Corby's increasing role was a result of HeeHoo's absences, silences, disengagement, and something going on between him and Rhyner (which Corby confirmed in the It's Just Banter interview). The air was there to fill. Corby filled it.
ReplyDeleteJust like his increasing role over the past half-dozen years is a result of Mike's wavering interest and preoccupation with other things. Sometimes Corby does butt in, but if Mike didn't want it to happen, if he wanted Corby to pipe down, it would happen. He doesn't.
(For newer Confessors: "HeeHoo" is Greggo, as for the longest time they had to refer to him as "he who may not be named.")
I guess that I need to listen to the Corby IJB. It sounds like some must-hear stuff. Corby, love him or hate him (there seems to be no middle ground), is a big, dominating personality. I can see how Greggo might come to feel that his role is being diminished. Especially seeing how Greggo was abusing substances. Such people tend to have exaggerated perceptions of reality. I can also see how RhyneR, over time, might consciously or not begin to recede into the background more often than not. People with large, dominant personalities tend to have that effect on those around them. And when you have multiple folks like that in a group, you, sir or madam, are in the midst of a gaggle of actors.
ReplyDeleteIt was pretty good. It was not as revelatory as I thought it would be -- I thought Jake and T.C. might have been a little more casual about their questioning than inquiring P1's might have liked -- but for people who were tuned it ten years ago, it was interesting.
ReplyDeleteP-Man,
ReplyDeleteI'm usually in the car for the Observation Deck and when it's over I switch to KZPS for a Bo and Jim bit. That's where I heard the SOZA spot.
You guys have hit on pretty much what I've come to realize; that Corby's "I gotta be heard" personality started to dominate the show. My problem has always been that he just doesn't have anything I care about listening to.
ReplyDelete