Sunday, April 11, 2021
My Ticket Confession: I Haven't Tuned in to The Ticket in Several Weeks
Not upset at any of the shows. Not tired of or bored with any of them. No wokeness issues with any of the hosts.
Just seem to have better things to do at all times of the day. Two more books coming out, including a Christmas fantasy novella. Working on some songs with a Nashville talent.
And, as I believe I said in my schwanz-song several months back, but if I didn't I'll say it now: Sports has plummeted on my list of budgeted interests. I realized one day that I had come to dislike: the owners; the players; the governance; the corruption and cheating; the overall entertainment value of the presentation.
As it turns out, I did have a bit of inside scoop a while back: Danny's girlfriend is the sister of a major business contact of mine, so I knew that nativity was on the horizon. But personal stuff is extremely limited here unless it has something to do with the shows, so I kept it under my chapeau.
I'll keep the site up as a monitored message board for at least a while longer. But I'll have little idea of what's going on with the shows unless I find the time to tune back in. Which I may. I'm an inconstant sort of chap.
Also: Blogger has gotten worse and worse as a platform for this kind of thing.
Thank you for shopping at My Ticket Confession.
SPOOOORTSSSSSSS
ReplyDeleteFunny, I'm right there with you, Pman. I've pretty much moved on from The Ticket. In fact, I stop by here to see if any new comments are up more often than I do 1310/96.7. Perhaps this is ghoulish on my part, but I'm more interested in what becomes of the station over the next handful of years than what transmits. Like you, it's not the conscious tendency towards wokeness (real or perceived) and it's not because my D1P1 Ticket Halcyon Days have long past, but rather, I've little interest in either sports and as a byproduct sports talk or what the hosts think about issues of the day--regardless of where they might fall on the sociopolitical spectrum. I love playing sports--still a weekend warrior. I even casually watch the local teams from time to time. But I no longer have the deep, sustained interest. And for the very reasons you have, Pman.
ReplyDeleteFor what it's worth, I also knew about the existence of Dingu Jr some time before it was announced. My info came from a pal who's pals with someone in Dingu's circle. Like you, I never said squat to anyone about it either. One thing I can say is that my pal who's pals with a pal of Dingus's has told me that fromm what he's heard Dingu keeps Ticket proper inside baseball close to the vest. Obviously, having a kid is Dingu and not Ticket biz.
As long as you keep this thing alive, Pman, I'll keep checking back in. Though something inside tells me that by this time next year either the site will have been taken down or it'll be abandoned, frozen in time, comments turned off, and that's how she'll remain until Blogger deletes her.
Anyway you slice it, it's been a nice run, Pman. I for one sure have appreciated it.
Pman, have appreciated this sir and your insightful posts more than I can say. Would be very disappointed to see its end as it has been a nice safe space with lots of commentary from mostly literate, funny and perceptive readers. Hope you keep on keepin on Plainsman!
ReplyDeleteThe key phrase is "better things to do."
ReplyDeleteA decline in Time Spent Listening comes from a variety of factors - changes in priorities imposed by family or work, lost interest in sports in general, too much show content influenced by that thing we don't want to talk about here.
They can continue to point to their healthy ratings, but what real competition do they have? The Fan is just Ticket Lite. Longtime P1s know that the station is in a downward trajectory. It may be slow, but it's there. Rhyner continues to be a broadcasting savant because he saw what was happening and got out.
After writing the foregoing, I had a couple of days where I didn't have time to do my other stuff, so I tuned in. Heard some Musers, some N&D, some Hang Zone (they need to have another naming contest).
ReplyDeleteEnjoyed them all.
But now, I fit listening around not being able to do those "better things," when in years past I would listen a lot and neglect "better things" (i.e., paying work and the like).
I am in month 13 of Ticket sobriety. Walked out the door when Rhyner did, kept it cracked until they announced the lineup reshuffle at the Super Bowl, then closed it behind me for good. Haven’t had so much as a drop since.
ReplyDeleteNo regrets for the party years though.
Ed,
ReplyDeleteDo you still listen to talk or sports talk radio?
No. All podcast all the time now. And Spotify for Band Maid
DeleteWhen I was listening to sports talk radio, it was one station and one station only. Once in a blue moon would give BAP a flyby but probably been a decade or more since that even happened.
I was the definition of a P1 for the better part of 15 years; if it was terrestrial radio, it was 96.7/1310/1700 or nothing
DeleteI do miss what it was. Or else I wouldn’t be here. But it’s gone and it’s not coming back, not for me anyway.
That's too bad. BaD Radio and now The Hang Zone have been can't-miss radio for the last 10 years.
ReplyDeleteI also believe that The Hang Zone and whatever The Hardline is calling itself (I believe it's "The Hardline") have very noticeably improved since the change. Jake and Dan are good together, and although this may be a minority opinion hereabouts, I think Corby has stepped up his game, Danny too, and they and Bob make a good team.
ReplyDeleteI am sad at Norm's slow fade, but -- again, perhaps a minority opinion -- I like Mike Sirois's increased profile on the midday show with Donovan.
So I'm nowhere near ready to bail on The Ticket on its merits -- only on my schedule and priorities.
Not sure on what planet you could consider The Hardline in it’s current form a good show. Sorry but the Emporer had no clothes. Corby is a tone deaf douche. Bob is a sports savant who has to feign interest in Corby and Danny’s non sports talk and it doesn’t work. They are 3 nice guys individually (despite my prior Corby comment), but the whole is antimatter compared with the parts.
ReplyDeleteWhether it works or not -- and of course not all of the shows please everyone -- and irrespective of what planet one is listening on, it's a whole planet's-worth of improvement on the Mike-attended (barely) Hardline of the past several years.
ReplyDeleteAgreed. THL 3.0 (Proper: OGW and GW; 2.0: OGW, CD, and DB) is far better than 2.0 past, say, 2014. I love Rhynes, but somewhere circa '14 he began stealing from Cumulus. Still trying to figure out what exactly he's trying to do on his Vokal endeavor. Thus far it, like his brief stint at The Athletic, is more miss than hit--the latter dependent on the guest. (The WOM'sM mini shows are, eh, if ya can't say anything nice. . . ) Bottom line is that he can do whatever the hell he wants, is doing as such, and that's that. Doesn't mean I have to feel obliged to praise it. But neither to I want to be unfair and judge it by the Halcyon Ticket days, either.
ReplyDeleteAs far as THZ goes, I find it to be mostly entertaining. And as much as Bob is my go-to sports guy (Jake, right behind/almost neck and neck with Bob), when a big local sports story hits, THZ is now where I get my analysis. Dan is a good foil for Jake (as he was for Bob). When the Cowboys season rolls around, THZ will be must hear radio. Having said that, much of the rest of the show falls flat for me. For example, the once great Crow Line has become a caricature of itself. Now this is just me, but from the comments I see here and elsewhere, I believe those who fall into either "THZ is the best thing on The Ticket in ages -or ever has been-" or "I can't stand THZ, bring back BaD" camp do so based on their socio-political leanings. One thing that can't be gotten around is that THZ is unashamedly political; and those politics are mostly progressive. Personally, I could care less. But there are those for whom (positively or negatively) it means everything, and they appear to base their like or dislike is relative to their socio-political purview.
Regarding THL 3.0, I think it's OK. OK is, to repeat, far better than what it had become. Bob is Bob and talents such as his will stand out no matter what situation they are put in. I think Cat understands this and based his move (at least partly) around it. As has been stated here, Corby is a good interviewer; he's also capable of being candid and at times even insightful. Yet he can be rather difficult to relate to, to like. Danny, on the other hand, is likeable. Anyone who was a regular Orphanage listener knows how down-to-earth, how (surprisingly) vulnerable Danny is. But Danny, like Corby, talks out of his ass far too often. That's a turn off. And depending on the topic, it can be a huge turn off. The result of which is a mixed bag of a show. Despite all of this, it's still better than THL 2.0. That says a lot.
One final thing. I read comments here and on the reddit page that poo poo the so-called Halcyon Days. Claims like: "I've gone back and listened to THL circa 1997-2002 and it wasn't that great" are fairly common. Objectively these comments are probably more correct than not. But know this: if you think "Ragonk" and "metal bats" and whatnot are going to bust up someone who began listening in 2024 and in the year 2027 went back to check out years '14-'18, you're fooling yourself. However, that doesn't diminish the import, the meaning of those times in our lives.
I still listen. I agree with Plainsman about THL, although I'd phrase it differently, by saying that Corby acts a little more like a grownup now. I do get irritated at various things in each show, but overall, I still find it worth listening to. I confess to spending more time on podcasts these days, but that's not a negative response to what's going on on The Little One.
ReplyDeleteAgree whole heartedly with Anon 2:08 PM
ReplyDeleteThere is a little bit of good ole day syndrome when we think fondly of the early days of almost anything. Your malleable human memory tends to conflate the fond memories of the events around those good ole days with some of the actual content in which you so fondly remember. Go back and watch a TV series you thought was the Bees Knees at the time and see what you think upon re-watch. There are some segments on the Hang Zone, Musers and HL that are objectively every bit as good as something circa 1997 or 2000.
@ 9:48 (TC Voice) - Dis-agree!
ReplyDeleteThe HZ can never replicate the greatness of segments of the halcyon era such as measuring a woman's bust as the HL did at the Byron Nelson that got them banned for years or Gordo giving women money to give them their bra as seen on Ticket TV posted on YT. Now THAT's can't miss audio.
Dear 1229,
ReplyDeleteI think you missed the point.
Signed,
Functionally Literate Majority
To those (surly) who say that Bad Radio/Hang Zone are can't miss radio... you must have a very low bar.
ReplyDeleteAll you impatient kiddies out there who want everything to happen all the time when you want it to happen. Hope all ya'll been listening this week. Don't forget what I said about the 3rd party who might ruin your streamy dreamy dreams. From Sundays to Roll Tide to The Leader to Sundays to....
ReplyDelete42-year-old P1 here. I remember listening to the station back when I used to commute to UT-Dallas every day. I grew up on listening to Howard Stern on the Eagle so when his show stopped broadcasting in Dallas, the Ticket fit that missing piece for me. I love sports and love guy talk so I was an easy mark for it. I find it very interesting when people compare the current day lineups to the “halcyon days” of the past. I loved the old shows in how un-politically correct it was. They were not afraid to make fun of anyone and thrived on the fact that they did not give a damn what you thought, especially the original Hard Line.
ReplyDeleteThe problem is that our culture has changed dramatically since the 90s and each decade since. I appreciate the fact that our society has become more aware of its issues and is trying to correct the wrongs of the past. However, I feel like our culture has completely gone the other direction and completely overcorrected. We has a whole have become extremely politically correct – so much so that you cannot make fun of anything without an awkward hush falling over the room. There used to be a time when you could make fun of something and it was understood that there was no intent behind it and it was just a joke. Those days are gone, which completely sucks for those of us who remember the way things used to be. The Ticket thrived on not being PC, which is why people gravitated toward them.
Unfortunately, the Ticket is now part of corporate America. I feel like while the DNA of the Ticket is still essentially the same as the halcyon days, they are handcuffed now in terms of what they can honestly say or joke about. The hosts love their high-paying jobs and are not going to risk getting in trouble by making an off-color joke or remark. I get it. They have been forced essentially by our cancel culture to change. It sucks but as a wise man once said, it is called “the way it is”.
One thing that has not changed though is the fact that there is still a comradery among all the hosts and their supporting casts. These are still great guys that love to talk about sports, their neighbors, movies, TV and music and are the best station by a long shot in still doing this. I still love listening to these station and they still make me laugh, although now the humor has to be much more subtle, to no fault of their own. Stay hard.
Anon 2:16, yes nobody can take a joke anymore, the humorless progressive crowd. This is the reason Jerry Seinfeld and other comedians stopped doing shows on college campuses years ago. Problem is the disease is spreading out.
ReplyDeleteI know Matt McClearin is neither Norm nor Jake nor Sirois, but I think he's done a very good job these past couple of weeks filling in for Varsity absences. I don't know about any of the "kiddies" crap (4:19, 4/20), but I do believe that it isn't too far fetched to think Matt might find himself on a weekday show in some form sooner rather than later. Perhaps when Norm retires and (I assume) Mike takes over, Matt will take the producer/de facto 3rd host slot?
ReplyDeleteCowlishaw-McClearin show on the horizon?
ReplyDeleteAlways fun listening to old white guys bitch about progress.
ReplyDeleteI think Matt has been great this week with Dan. I'd gladly listen to Dan and Matt everyday or Dan and Jake. Jake has a bag. Hoping he's away interviewing for a job in another market.
Will there ever be an attempt to pair Donnie and JJT in an attempt to recreate The Hot Spot?
ReplyDeleteNot that they would put them in this spot, will the Ticket ever go live and local after 7pm if they are the flagship station for any of the major teams?
Where do Matt and JJT go after their ESPN contracts expire?
glad you're enjoying the show, now get off your ass and get your vac so you don't give us the covid. cause you know we aint going to get that shot.
ReplyDelete@6:08, 4/23
ReplyDeleteSeek help. (Or at least consult an English grammar.)
Signed,
Everyone Everywhere
Sean bass just shit on cj nitkowski. I repeat the fake voice spare Sean bass has shit on cj nitkowski.
ReplyDeleteCould you please elaborate, 1033?
ReplyDeleteit's posted on r/theticket
ReplyDeleteFor 10:33
ReplyDeletehttps://old.reddit.com/r/theticket/comments/n0wqgw/diamond_talk_hso_on_cj_vs_david_murphy/
Sean has been on Reddits poop list for quite some time as have most folks who aren't Dan, Jake, Gordo, or Mike S.
Thanks for the info/URl, Surly and Gopher.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteI was listening to a show open and they were replaying someone -- I think it was a Ticket guy -- interviewing an athlete and asking him if he thought the world was flat. The guy gave a rambling answer that was both hilarious and sad.
ReplyDeleteWho was being interviewed, anyone know?
Kyrie. That clip was played in the Hang Zone open because the Mavs played the Nets last night.
ReplyDeleteit was on the Road Trippin' podcast in 2017. not a ticket guy.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Surly. The interviewer sounded a little like Dan, but not quite.
ReplyDeleteI'm diggin' the new, Helpful Surly. It's a true Festivus miracle!
ReplyDeleteKyrie Irving is a well known flat earther
ReplyDeleteGranted, I am a soundguy by trade, but is anyone else thrown off by the sound of different mics on our favortie Ticket personalities? Back in the studio, I hear a difference
ReplyDeleteVery noticeable to my ears also, especially on FM.
ReplyDeleteBack in the day when David Gold left KLIF and came back to WBAP a few years later, he sounded nothing like he did at KLIF. He said microphone quality and studio design had as much to do with the broadcast sound as anything. When they were broadcasting from home, some of them cheaped out on their home setups.
Yes, agreed. At first I was scoffing at Gordo going so over-the-top chasing down just the right stuff for the "bunker" but as this has gone on and on I have come to appreciate it.
ReplyDeleteAn odd occurrence just now. Has anyone else gotten a phishing page alert from your anti-virus programs trying to access this site today? It's working OK now but I found that rather odd.
ReplyDeleteSeems like a mis-diagnosis, maybe you should contact Dr. Vaganisimiss?
ReplyDeleteThere is a new post up.
ReplyDelete