A home for those who love almost everything about The Ticket (1310 AM, 96.7 FM, Dallas-Fort Worth), and who would like to discuss -- respectfully and fondly -- their thoughts on how (and whether) to eliminate the "almost."
Monday, June 3, 2024
MTC Extends Healing Thoughts and Generalized but Nonetheless Sincere and Intense Best Wishes to Justin Montemayor
[NOTE: Today's gingers were produced by Google's CoPilot AI Image Creator program in response to the input "pho-torealistic picture of a beautiful female doctor with red hair." At first it refused the request, but after a moment it seemed to relent and gave me the customary four choices. Each appears highly qualified to deal with current circumstances.]
Longtime shoppers at My Ticket Confession know that Justin Montemayor has long been a favorite of mine. I was disappointed he didn't get the BaD producer job that eventually went to Blake Jones, but I was glad he hung in there and continued to put out quality sounds with David Mino on Work in Progress, do Mavs commentary, and generally lend his distinctive Made-for-The-Ticket voice to the proceedings.
I did not know about his renewed health challenge until this morning, but I was able to hear most of the Sweet Spot segment today.
Justin, if you're out there, I'm sure all MTC customers join me in wishing you great progress in your treatment and many more years of giving us your best.
Justin is one of my favorite Ticket guys. He has the old Ticket humor and wit both (they are not the same), and he’s a legit sports talker who with more time and a full host’s salary could certainly compete with Sturm on that front. Get well, Monto.
“We are local, we are going to stay local and appeal to the local audience, but our local is now not just Austin metro, its Austin, Houston and Dallas. We plan to try and develop programming that caters to that audience and that advertiser group.”
If I read this right, instead of a radio signal, they basically have a daily podcast that they do once a day and run on a loop on a website. This does not seem like a paradigm shifting move.
The Dumb Zone guys posted a 30 minute clip from Matt Bruenig today on Business Wednesday detailing point by point how illegal aspects of non competes have turned corporate America into a serfdom. Was very interesting monologue from Labor Attorney Matt. I wonder how much money Cumulus spent on their fancy legal defense that got them absolutely nowhere and brough some ill will?
Question: Who cares? Answer: Very few outside of The Cult and DnJ's legal team/buddies who are thirsty AF for their 15 minutes. Cracks are begining to show. Let's reconvene in, oh, say, Jan. '25 and see how well things are going. Between ding dong, no bag, subs paying $690 + expenses for their 15 minutes, parched esquires, and a by this point pathological inability to let the past go (a past they chose to shed themselves AND got EXACTLY what they wanted) ---- the bottom will fall out in due time. That is, unless they get down to the business of being a business. "The Boys" crap will only last so long. Reality looms large around the corner.
FYI, Lurker, Cumulus doesn't give a rat's ass about monies spent on The Case. They continue on just fine. Bankruptcy, dying medium, etc., be damned. Guarantee you no one, and I mean NO ONE in Atltanta has given one thought to The Case since the moment it was over. People have jobs to do and they move on to the next fire that needs putting out. The Case was a pimple on a rhino's ass to Cumulus. Don't let The Legal Dream Team's self-importance influence you otherwise. The issue of NCs has long been on the docket, so to speak. Long before The Case. It's always been a matter of time.
Pro Tip: just don't sign a contract knowing there is a non-compete that you don't agree with. Cause if you don't want to, your other option is to go start your own thing.
So, congrats as it would seem to the rest of us that it all worked out exactly however they wanted it to.
knowning what response is going to come from my comment - let me add something different about this:
Is this content people, in mass, are willing to pay for? Is there a critical mass of listeners into Dan and Jake's personal/professional lives to the point they want to hear Matt Bruenig pontificate about labor law - for any period of time?
I seem to recall him being on The Hang Zone before they left and found him to be a whipping and turned the show off. I personally can not imagine him on the open forum of a podcast. This content feels very self-indulgent and is bordering on why Ben and Skin have been such repeated failures, because they believe their lives are so danged interesting and that anyone with a radio is just dying to hear all about it.
I was a big Hang Zone fan, but of the content I've heard/seen of TDZ, I am not. Why? Because they've made the mistake of veering into doing a show for themselves and not the listener.
Key here is the lawyer earns, per you, 100k per annum via his pod. Not non lawyer Dan. Not non lawyer Jake. In fact, your comment is a non sequutur vis a vis the discussion. Damn it's going to be funny this time next year. Ya know, when The Boys are no longer. Actually, it'll be nice not having you stable geniuses popping off. #TheCult #FamilyBusiness #MorningsInTopeka
The Dumb Zone nets $425,000/yr from Patreon after fees, plus another $100,000 or so from the 690 guests, also not counting merch sales and straight venmo donations
people very clearly don't know anything about how business works, and even less about how podcasts work.
they joined a podcast network, which is what many newer podcasts do. why would you hire a full time person to sell ads when you can share it fractionally with other members of the same network, get a bump potentially from going on other shows in the same network, etc?
A noncompete is something that appears in 1% of working folks’ contracts for employment. Nobody is crying for the dumb zone—who appear to, on one hand, fight the working man’s fight against corporate, while on the other, rake in mid six figures.
Two recent nationally representative studies GAO reviewed estimated that 18 percent of workers were subject to noncompete agreements (NCAs), and one of the studies estimated that 38 percent of workers had been subject to an NCA at some time in their careers.
Researchers estimate that one in six U.S. food preparation and service workers have signed a noncompete agreement as have one in five workers in the agriculture or hunting industry, based on a survey of nearly 67,000 workers. This means as many as 1.4 million food workers are potentially bound by a noncompete agreement, affecting low- and high-wage food workers alike.
I think non-competes are bad. With that being said, I see varying studies on the numbers of employees that are under a non-compete, but not much on how many companies actually go after an employee because of one. In 30+ years of employment in different industries, I have heard of 1 company suing employees and that is Cumulus vs DnJ. I knew plenty of folks in high school who worked in the food service industry and bounced from job to job with no issue.
Who are also nut to butt with 5%ers, while living in custom built homes in one of the country's toniest suburban areas. Oh, and their subs and $690ers? Yeah, a bunch O blue collar Joe and Jills.
No. Dummy. He decidedly does not. Dan lives in a custom built home, with a swimming pool and a "man cave"/studio above a teo car garage in one of the three most affluent suburbs in the DFW. You fucking moron.
I’ve only heard of noncompetes outside of ticket world with a weather man changing stations lol. That’s what I’ve heard in my life, so that’s the only other case.
Just fyi - for a quick Pick-Me-Up - head over to https://x.com/theoldgreywolf Anyone remember Sh!tMyDadSays - - this is more like GrampsNeedsAppRestrictions
He's already had Greggo on twice and posted an 'exit' interview. He has enough die hard og hardline fans to make it a source of income for as long as he'll put out content. That group is content with hearing the same stories and bullsh ad nauseam, so he can forever put in minimum effort and yield good results (kinda like what's taking place with TDZ and its audience -- beginning to wonder if the Stockholm Syndrome re: TT their lawyers spoke of isn't more aptly applied to DZ subs). Rhyner was stung hard by his, and make no mistake about it, it was HIS failure at TF. Rhyner's ego is the size of Texas. Therefore for the time being he's motivated to show everyone he still has it. He doesn't. But as long as Saggers in Sachse and Hickoid in Hurst tells him his baseball weenie is stillvigor fit hard as ever, he'll cintinue to live in his version of a steam punk radio bubble world.
Can you think and write in complete, cogent sentences? Or, has your brain been so warped by texting, Googling, etc., that you are incapable of fully expressing yourself? Our education system has failed you, poor soul. Either that, ot you're merely a grade a dipshit.
The Musers aren't retiring until 2030. It'll be Craig who walks first. I don't know where all this talk about George moving to the Hill Country and focusing on music came from. George loves the Ticket and he can do both, right now, in North Texas.
Junior, on the other hand, is a newish father. He likes to travel. He's been saying forever that he looks forward to retirement.
Gordon will hang around for a few years. He'll be given carte blanche. His role will be to help ratings and the younger guys. Eventually, he will go his own way, with whatever replaces Twitch.
Bob and Corby and Gen-X Davey will remain.
As far as Dan and Jake: they will pop up from time to time in a micro-version of going viral. They'll say this and that; the mainstream will repost it. But they're going to hate every second they teamed up with that douche-bro podcast network. By the time they can get out of it, they will be wholly, completely, irrelevant.
Speaking of the network DZ joined, Washed Media, what are they doing for DZ, anyway? Last time I checked, the show wasn’t even listed on their somewhat inauthentic “roster,” which lists three “podcasts” that are simply reconfigurations of the main show. Another listed show hasn’t posted new content in almost a year. Washed Media just seems like something the main podcast guys—can’t remember the show name—made up to sound impressive.
Respectfully request that we quit rehashing the Dumb Zone/Labor Law stuff. I haven't deleted any of the childish back-and-forth yet but will probably start.
Please, little one, heed my words: The Boys (who are middle aged, one nearing senior citizenship), do not read any of this. They aren't who/what you think they are. You have projected onto them attributes, aspirations, and amity that neither now nor will ever exist. Within two years their already fractious partnership will run its inevitable course. There will be no more pods. Jake will be either running his family's successful business (surprise! he comes from money) or working in some capacity for his monied laywer friends (like seeks like); and Dan will be doing the only thing he knows: radio related media. Where and in what capaciy, who knows. Whatever form, rest assured it'll be several steps down frim his Ticket apogee.
So where will that leave you, friend? Bitter? Feeling like you've been had? Trolling Ticket social media, extolling the Halcyon Days of The Boys like the poir bastards who claim The Ticket died the day Greggi was fired? Or will you live in an online fantasy world, forever having back and forths on reddit with fellow, and equally sad, DFs?
This is the part I still feel badly about: for better or worse, KTCK would’ve built a drive time show around Jake eventually, and if they’d partnered him up correctly, he might’ve been a major radio figure in this market another twenty years. He’s a legit sports talker and can do guy talk and current events (somewhat).
Dan had reached his ceiling. His Letterman esque sarcasm won’t play in the morning, maybe afternoon drive, but the successful dynamic from 3-7 has been 2 parts sports talk, 2 parts guy talk, 1 part culture and “news.” Dan doesn’t know anything about sports, he’s not really a guy talker, and barely remembers what year it is. It sucks he was so bitter about the separation from Bob and it sucks he led Jake to this career-ending cul de sac.
Actually. Jake is good at regurgitating what others say, and does it with a supreme, at times condescending confidence, and in a basso-tenor register, which only further exudes "authority." Problem is, he says nothing original. Worse, he's almost always wrong vis a vis sports, his supposed strength. But hey, he sounds good. Win?
TDZ is becoming more and more unlistenable - its clear they are not really putting forth much of an effort for content - It would not be a surprise if sub numbers start to decrease during the summer.
Now, if they finally get around to start discussing their departure from The Ticket - - that's what everyone wants to hear about anyway.
What everyone who peddles the “Dan brought Jake down with him” story all forget is: Jake already quit the ticket a year before everything with THZ hit the fan. He even talked about it on air. Dan was still on air, as Jake negotiated his contract and fully believed he was done before Cumulus surprised him with an offer he was willing to accept, four days after he quit. Dan and Jake both had their personal reasons for what went down, but it definitely was not Dan pulling Jake down with him. Jake was done.
For those that are having trouble w Ticket middays, give a brief moment of silence for those that could have held that spot.
Daniel, Jacob, Michael, Blake. Too Close to the Sun.
Only the feathers floating around the hat Showed that anything more spectacular had occurred Than the usual drowning. The police preferred to ignore The confusing aspects of the case, And the witnesses ran off to a gang war. So the report filed and forgotten in the archives read simply “Drowned,” but it was wrong: Icarus Had swum away, coming at last to the city Where he rented a house and tended the garden. “That nice Mr. Hicks” the neighbors called, Never dreaming that the gray, respectable suit Concealed arms that had controlled huge wings Nor that those sad, defeated eyes had once Compelled the sun. And had he told them They would have answered with a shocked, uncomprehending stare. No, he could not disturb their neat front yards; Yet all his books insisted that this was a horrible mistake: What was he doing aging in a suburb? Can the genius of the hero fall To the middling stature of the merely talented? And nightly Icarus probes his wound And daily in his workshop, curtains carefully drawn, Constructs small wings and tries to fly To the lighting fixture on the ceiling: Fails every time and hates himself for trying. He had thought himself a hero, had acted heroically, And dreamt of his fall, the tragic fall of the hero; But now rides commuter trains, Serves on various committees, And wishes he had drowned.
SiroisDeadwood: Before everyone starts unloading on you, I'll say that I enjoyed this. (Edward Field, "Icarus," 1963.) This joint could use a little culchuh. I'm not sure of the point -- analogizing to Jake's situation, maybe? -- but no matter. I liked it.
It was neither. Art elevates and provokes and SiroisDeadwood selected something he found pertinent to the discussion, and so did I, albeit in a way I actually had to think about for a minute. Without all the ad hominem pottymouth.
No. It's totally rando troll bullsh. Very commonplace. If you wanna get all artsy fartsy and say it was an attempt at surrealism, fine. You're probs a Derridaean, too. Like seeks like. Again, it's lazy. Go watch the Gadamer-Derrida debate and get back to me, bruhski.
I have to agree with Fred/L. That's a troll move. There's no underlying meaning, other than to be confusing, to basically spit on the site and the perception of it and its commenters by the troll: IMO, Plainsman, you've read far too much into, and have given way too much credit to, the comment. However, I disagree with the Fred part's tone. No need for that
Hey Plainsman, I know it's your blog and you can do what you want but why are you letting a pretty bad troll just keep trolling incessantly? It adds nothing to the conversation, and it isn't like you get paid per comment. Waste of everyone's time, including yours for having to moderate when he pulls people offsides.
Au contraire mon frere. I exist only to counter The Cult and its campaign of blinkered thinking, misinformation, and pathological immaturity. When the lotium potor exeunt exita scaenus sinistram, my job will be done and I'll 86 on outta here.
Ratings should be out soon. Any predictions? If I remember dates correctly, this book is Eagle, not Freak, and started the week of the NFL draft and includes Ticket campound and 2 teams deep in playoff runs. Expect Ticket will do well, Ticket and Fan will pick up some of the (few) Freak listeners and Fan will see a bump from baseball heating up. Will be interesting to see where the numbers fall. C
The ratings shift from Freak to Eagle, IN ONE MONTH, is the smoking gun ...
Basically, every daypart and full week went from 20th-something to Top 10 (middays as high as 4th!) and was the largest percentage of growth by a single station for this month's report - and 2nd wasn't even close.
Ticket had another really good book, as did Fan, but Ticket won again.
Well well well, look who's back at #1 in the DFW market. Look who also made a nice leap upwards. Peter, kindly gimme dem daypart breakdowns, son. Hot time in the old town tonight. Do si do, mutherfucks.
Thanks, as always, Peter. Seems like The Ticket and The FAN are for all intents and purposes neck and neck, sans PM Drive. TF's AM Drive number stuns me. Good on them. While you did not post it, 97.1 had its largest cume leap in 3 years. Rather telling. Frankly, rather damning.
I didn't include KEGL numbers because I'd stated the month before they'd no longer be included, but I was asked - (sorry for dumb, long URL, but that will take you right to them in the comments section)( https://www.reddit.com/r/theticket/comments/1dddpn2/comment/l85xydy/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button
Scattershooting while wondering whatever happened to Surly....
Interesting book. In many ways a return to the norm. No inexplicable KERA or the likes leaps. The Ticket is back to #1, but not at mind blowing numbers, which is more like it. Not sure what goes on with this market's numbers, but in my cursory data dive, no other markets fluctuate like this one. In fact, there's very little movement at all in, say, NYC, Boston, or Chicago.
Hats off to The FAN. I'm of mind with 00110011 regarding their AM Drive number. I will say that over the past five years, I've met more FAN listeners than Ticket. Many were once diehard P1s. Those folks all pretty much say the same thing: got tired of socio-political stuff (from either side of the aisle), tired of named and music segments, and wanted more actual, consistent sports talk throughout the day. Obviously, there is a healthy market for a "classic" sports talker. Considering all the transplants from the North and Northeast, it should come as no surprise. Another reason given for opting for The FAN over The Ticket by those new to the market is just flat out "not getting it." They feel it's one big inside joke they're not in on. I can understand that. Whatever the case, make no mistake about it, The FAN is legit competition and I anticipate many back and forth books, across all dayparts.
Good to see the 10-3 numbers go up. Despite what you read on reddit, Facebook, and X, those shows are doing more than fine. Their numbers are on a par with and even exceed the historical data vis-a-vis the Norm version of The Invasion, BaD, and The Hang Zone.
The Musers keep musing along as always, while The Hardline 5.0 crushes all comers. Taking a cue from above, I'm inclined to say the decidedly sports-centric Bob and the way in which he's come to steer the show has more than a little to do with it. Disagree all you want, but The Hardline is stronger than ever and as good as ever if not better. The numbers reflect this.
One note on The Freak. Siding with 00110011 again, that ratings jump is indeed damning. When you consider that iHeart has done basically zero advertising/promotion for The Eagle, the reality of the quality of The Freak is put into even starker relief. It truly was, ahem, rotten radio. The sole bright spot was The Downbeat in the AM. While Danny and Sirois had no business hosting an AM drive show in the 4th largest market in the States, what they had was good and only getting better. It's a bleepin' shame that pairing was wasted. I could easily see them doing middays, building up an audience for 2 or so years, then moving into either AM or PM drive and absolutely killing it. Who knows, maybe they'll do something on Twitch, YouTube, or a pod. Speaking of.
Finally, let's chat about The Dumb Zone. Let me say up front that I'm D1 Dumb Zone sub. Same with respect to Rhyner's Your Dark Companion (so far, it's much better than anything he did at The Freak, the podcasts before that, and his last 10 years at The Ticket). I am a sub, but I'm not sure for how much longer. There is something off about it. Something off about Jake, off about the dynamic of the Dan and Jake partnership that was not there while at The Ticket, and as to their new home, Washed, more than something off putting. I want then to succeed. But if I'm honest, as it is and appears to be heading, I don't see it standing the test of time. The lack of focus/discipline alone is troublesome. I'm sure there are many subs who find this charming, or at least don't mind it. Not to me. The major issue with pods and formats (e.g., The Freak) that want to discuss and do whatever strikes the mood is this: Unless you are extremely knowledgeable on many subjects and/or possess extreme magnetism - are incredibly compelling, it's almost impossible to pull off for any period of time. You get exposed. Therefore, there has to be firm ground from which you branch out (e.g., sports). They've yet to establish such ground. They've yet to even try. It's a serious problem. Hoping they find terra firma soon, though.
Another reason given for opting for The FAN over The Ticket by those new to the market is just flat out "not getting it." They feel it's one big inside joke they're not in on. I can understand that.
That’s how I felt when I moved here in 2001. It takes a few. Good insight.
The hardline is doing great imo as well. I used to be much more musers heavy, and listen to the hardline just out of habit. More recently, I actively want to listen. Dave was the perfect balance to Bob. Their trips are good too.
One thing the dunbzone could do that would only help them is to have some form of legit schedule. Their ticket listeners liked listening at noon, try that. Or try later, but some set time will only be a good thing. And a simple one.
TDZ latest pod, the 'collab' with this Washed Media, was hot garbage. Hopefully Jake continues the D Mag articles because I do enjoy his local sports takes. The podcast has lost its luster. Back to the drawing boards, boys. Sorry that station drive-time slot did pan out.
I know some here comment about the “hive mind” of dumb zone fans, but my gosh, it really is insane. I get that it’s kinda a start up, so people are more likely to be supportive, but still. “I’ll support the boys whatever they do.” “I dont want to criticize an episode because they do so much for only 6.90” “washed seems like they suck, but I trust the boys judgement”
I swear they the dumbzone could take a month off and fans would be saying “they probably need it for mental health”
Well, yes at first. Now not so much. An hour or so after the critiques came in at least two separate threads have been started, both with dozens and dozens of comments by the same 8 people who pretty much comprise the entirety of reddit DZ, admonishing any and all criticism. It's rather gross what goes on there tbh. I get being in on something from day one and all the enthusiasm that goes along with it. You feel like you're actually a part of it and how you have something to do with its success. I get all that. I felt the same way when The Ticket kicked off. This is an entirely different kettle of fish. A lot of these folks are downright militant in their intolerance for differing opinions. Always trying to get commenters booted for any negativity. Then there's the silly claims of being willing to pay tens or even hundreds of dollars per month to sub, and wondering aloud if there's any other way they can give money to Dan, Jake, and Blake. These dudes live in two of the cushiest suburban areas in the country and in large homes with pools. Crazy stuff.
Ya I drive bus, exactly what I’m talking about. The wanting to give more $ is such an odd mindset to me too lol. Just bizarre in general. And it keeps getting brought up the great deal dumbzone is, soo much content for 6.90! Which isn’t a steep price, but I pay for no audio content across the board lol.
“Why am I getting ads on my paid podcast??”
“If that’s what it takes for the boys to make it, I’m fine with it” lol
I don’t believe anyone is paying for 1,000’s of subscribers. It’s a bad deal. Pay them directly & Patreon doesn’t get a cut. I do believe there are several people paying for more than one but I just don’t buy that Kingston is paying for 3000 subscriptions.
You don't know why anyone in this space cares? Why does anyone in here care about anything Ticket related? I would imagine it's because they enjoy the content
Yeah. This historically has been a forum focused on a specific radio station and then competing radio stations.
Dan and Jake are no longer on the radio (or threatening to) and now are doing a podcast. And discussions over conspiracies of their audience or lack there of now seems unimportant to the original idea of “this space”.
Like I said, if they’re happy with their new situation, and since it’s what they say what they wanted when they left in the 1st place, then I’m happy for them. But I don’t find it interesting, or topical.
I’m also not one of their pool of subscribers and still listen to The Ticket all day. Maybe someone will start a TDZ blogspot page.
LOL, "TDZ blogspot". I this place is probably the only thing that is actually keeping Blogspot running. The "confessor" could whip up his own discord server and not have to worry about anonymous posters, set up auto-moderation, and have his very own NSFW channel for his redhead perversion.
Yo, Jimbo, are you always a literalist, dichotomized, rigid thinker? By the by, discord in no way requires a legitimate ID. Burner email account, rando name, and the user is as anon as anon can get. No different than from here. Pfart frowns on anons for one reason only. To differentiate between which idiot is saying what. Other than that we're all anons. And that means you too, scruh.
Definitely aware of all that, and that I'm technically "anon" as well. Perhaps I should have just said "anonymous posters". Regardless, still think it's funny this thing runs on the blogspot comment platform.
Is it hate if its true? I will never argue with Corby's talent he clearly has it. I won't argue with his knowledge on golf, tennis, his genre of music, or possibly college football. Pop culture, history, other genres of music, current events and a host of other subjects he tries to sound authorative on are another matter. He isn't alone in that, the lack of general cultural knowledge on display by all the host is staggering at times.
Apparently TDZ is going out Cali-Forny way for training camp - not too surprised by that - it was always known to be Dans favorite Ticket time of the year, now they just gotta pay more of their way. It'll be interesting how their and the Ticket trips line up. Not sure what they'll be doing for content in the meantime - a guess would be more ex-Freakers doing sit-ins. Or more Dan dude-bro'n it out with those wicked 'Gash' and 'BangBus' quips. Hellz Yea, Bud. *way too many pods out there with more direction, humor, thought etc. The member-berries of TDZ has definitely run its course for me.
I imagine they'll stream and/or record content from the road. Streaming requires nothing more than a phone. I'm very confident both Dan and Jake have the latest and greatest iPhones, not to mention Macbooks. My guess is that a sub, one of their backers or one lawyers (might be one in the same) has or has access to a place near training camp. If so, setting up a makeshift studio would be a snap, which would provide for even better produced content.
As to why they're doing it, you got me. Did they give an explanation? It doesn't make any sense to go out there, at least not to me at any rate. Especially if they're footing all or a goodly chunk of the bill. Even if they're being provided quarters, that's still an expensive jaunt. And for what? It will in no way garner them more subs. Speaking of which, their numbers have held steady for months now, hovering between the 6100 and 6300 marks. Nothing remains static in this world. I would think the Washed move would've given their numbers a healthy boost. While there was a slight uptick, it wasn't anything to hang your hat on.
I do wonder what this endeavor will look like in May/June of '25. Why these months? Because the show will have gone through an entire Cowboys season sans legal battles, sans the clamour to hear the dirt or "the real story" about the legal battle, what goes on behind the scenes at The Ticket, sans the parade of special guests (most popular, surprise!, ex-Ticketeers) and the initial fervor of the early adopters. The Cowboys season gives them something to discuss every day. It's a topic they both possess a genuine expertise in. It's something they can base each show around, thereby allowing for continuity, and so, a real direction. To add, by then, all referencing the past will have gone by the wayside (if not, they have a serious problem *cf., The Freak*), and they will have established exactly who and what they are (again, if not, they have a serious problem *cf., The Freak*).
It's going to be very interesting to see where and how things go with The Dumb Zone. I tend to side with those who don't think it will last more than a couple of years. Not because Dan and Jake aren't talented. They are. But rather, because of they way it came about, the way it's presently run, and most of all, the personalities of the two principal parties involved. I see a falling out between Dan and Jake occurring well before any serious, national success has a chance to take hold. And I think it will come about much the same way it did between Dan and Bob (caveat: the "rift" was one-sided, pertaining to Bob's promotion to PM Drive). That is, the younger, more attractive, better voiced, more eloquent when he wants to be, and hip to the latest trends (sports and otherwise) Jake will get offers and opportunities Dan won't. This will be a most serious problem. Rest assured, this will happen, and in fact it might already be underway.
If you are going to call someone out for their numbers, might not want to overstate your own. If we look at 3 months and not 3.5 months, it is actually 521 according to that site. Even your 726 in 102 days is not 800. That being said, the boys appear to be doing fine slowly growing their base. We have no idea what their actual endgame is, so they may be happy doing a podcast for a few thousand folks per day as long as those folks keep paying their money. The question that has been asked quite a few times is will folks keep paying for it? I think that is a fair question and only time will tell.
OG commenter here. 1. Thanks to both CtC and moving for the data. Watching's URL is where I got my numbers. I also stated that they did get a bit of a bump from the move to Washed. Regardless, the numbers on the whole have remained mostly static. I just took a fresh look and while I haven't dug into it, I think the number of subs dropped then reupped (same person) have to be accounted for re: new paid subs. Also, none of that has any bearing on the rest of my comment. I'd go so far as to say that if anything, CtC highlights my point about the zealousness of early adopters. That's not a dig at you, CtC, just to be clear.
How do podcasters get access at training camp? The Cowboys can't accommodate every dude with a laptop and a microphone who says he's there to cover training camp.
Cowboys can give credentials to whoever they want & deny them to whoever they want. Are they going to get a tent between the Fan & KTCK? Probably not, but we will see. Are they going to get offered to interview Dak, Zeke, Micah Paraons or CeeDee Lamb on the pod? Probably not.
They did have the Cowboys kicker on the pod/in the Den last year. And they probably squeezed some contacts they still know within the organization. But without prior knowledge - this is akin to The Smoking Cuban blog getting a NBA Finals credential and a chance to ask a postgame question.....and hopefully go viral. Maybe in the coming weeks they'll have Greggo on the pod!
Honestly, I don’t know what opportunity these guys are going to get. Does the pod generate a good tape to demo for a radio station? No, it doesn’t. Do their 6k+ subscription numbers impress a radio station? I don’t know that it does. As time goes by, I wonder if whatever luster they had wears off.
If I had my wish, THZ would be on the ticket. But that isn’t going to happen.
Unless they just miss radio, I doubt they have a desire to return to one. I think their endgame is they do a podcast that has a modest following and they make decent coin and that’s about it.
Muser Summer Dry Dock begins. Does they/any member return with a big announcement? We are half way through year 30. There have been several bold claims over the past two years that 30 was going to be it. I would think if any announcement were to be made, the time would be nigh. Any insider rumblings, watercooler scuttlebutt, or barstool bubblings out there?
Longtime shoppers at My Ticket Confession know that Justin Montemayor has long been a favorite of mine. I was disappointed he didn't get the BaD producer job that eventually went to Blake Jones, but I was glad he hung in there and continued to put out quality sounds with David Mino on Work in Progress, do Mavs commentary, and generally lend his distinctive Made-for-The-Ticket voice to the proceedings.
ReplyDeleteI did not know about his renewed health challenge until this morning, but I was able to hear most of the Sweet Spot segment today.
Justin, if you're out there, I'm sure all MTC customers join me in wishing you great progress in your treatment and many more years of giving us your best.
Justin is one of my favorite Ticket guys. He has the old Ticket humor and wit both (they are not the same), and he’s a legit sports talker who with more time and a full host’s salary could certainly compete with Sturm on that front. Get well, Monto.
ReplyDeleteMonto, you're our man, and you're my leader. I second, third, and gagillion all postive thoughts, vibes, and well wishes.
ReplyDeleteI missed both the announcment and the subsequent Sweet Spot segment. I hope Monty recovers quickly and with a minimum of discomfort. Fuck Cancer.
ReplyDeleteGordo this morning talking to the Elvis security guy:
ReplyDeleteYou're not one of those weirdos that has a monkey are you?
Yes, I have monkeys.
(Wishing the best for Monty)
https://barrettsportsmedia.com/2024/06/04/the-horn-owners-in-austin-believe-they-have-jumped-ahead-by-going-digital-only/
ReplyDelete“We are local, we are going to stay local and appeal to the local audience, but our local is now not just Austin metro, its Austin, Houston and Dallas. We plan to try and develop programming that caters to that audience and that advertiser group.”
That makes no sense. How does it work ad rev wise? Would think much confusion would be caused.
DeleteIf I read this right, instead of a radio signal, they basically have a daily podcast that they do once a day and run on a loop on a website. This does not seem like a paradigm shifting move.
DeleteThose are about the least realistic photorealistic AI images I've ever seen. Just won't get the job done
ReplyDeleteI must agree re the images. But Google search works for me. Has anyone in history ever gotten a useful search result from Bing?
DeleteBing is useless.
DeleteBrave isn't much better.
DeleteThe whole redhead shtick is kind of creepy anyways and probably just needs to be ditched altogether.
DeleteThe Dumb Zone guys posted a 30 minute clip from Matt Bruenig today on Business Wednesday detailing point by point how illegal aspects of non competes have turned corporate America into a serfdom. Was very interesting monologue from Labor Attorney Matt. I wonder how much money Cumulus spent on their fancy legal defense that got them absolutely nowhere and brough some ill will?
ReplyDeleteQuestion: Who cares? Answer: Very few outside of The Cult and DnJ's legal team/buddies who are thirsty AF for their 15 minutes. Cracks are begining to show. Let's reconvene in, oh, say, Jan. '25 and see how well things are going. Between ding dong, no bag, subs paying $690 + expenses for their 15 minutes, parched esquires, and a by this point pathological inability to let the past go (a past they chose to shed themselves AND got EXACTLY what they wanted) ---- the bottom will fall out in due time. That is, unless they get down to the business of being a business. "The Boys" crap will only last so long. Reality looms large around the corner.
DeleteFYI, Lurker, Cumulus doesn't give a rat's ass about monies spent on The Case. They continue on just fine. Bankruptcy, dying medium, etc., be damned. Guarantee you no one, and I mean NO ONE in Atltanta has given one thought to The Case since the moment it was over. People have jobs to do and they move on to the next fire that needs putting out. The Case was a pimple on a rhino's ass to Cumulus. Don't let The Legal Dream Team's self-importance influence you otherwise. The issue of NCs has long been on the docket, so to speak. Long before The Case. It's always been a matter of time.
Hump hump hump
DeletePro Tip: just don't sign a contract knowing there is a non-compete that you don't agree with. Cause if you don't want to, your other option is to go start your own thing.
DeleteSo, congrats as it would seem to the rest of us that it all worked out exactly however they wanted it to.
knowning what response is going to come from my comment - let me add something different about this:
DeleteIs this content people, in mass, are willing to pay for? Is there a critical mass of listeners into Dan and Jake's personal/professional lives to the point they want to hear Matt Bruenig pontificate about labor law - for any period of time?
I seem to recall him being on The Hang Zone before they left and found him to be a whipping and turned the show off. I personally can not imagine him on the open forum of a podcast. This content feels very self-indulgent and is bordering on why Ben and Skin have been such repeated failures, because they believe their lives are so danged interesting and that anyone with a radio is just dying to hear all about it.
I was a big Hang Zone fan, but of the content I've heard/seen of TDZ, I am not. Why? Because they've made the mistake of veering into doing a show for themselves and not the listener.
The Breunigs appear to gross $100,000/year on their podcast
DeleteKeep shooting your shot 'always'. One of these times your overwhelming confidence in the face of continually being wrong will work out for you.
DeleteKey here is the lawyer earns, per you, 100k per annum via his pod. Not non lawyer Dan. Not non lawyer Jake. In fact, your comment is a non sequutur vis a vis the discussion. Damn it's going to be funny this time next year. Ya know, when The Boys are no longer. Actually, it'll be nice not having you stable geniuses popping off. #TheCult #FamilyBusiness #MorningsInTopeka
DeleteThe Dumb Zone nets $425,000/yr from Patreon after fees, plus another $100,000 or so from the 690 guests, also not counting merch sales and straight venmo donations
Delete100k+ from $690ers. You're too funny. What, are we 14? Do uour patents know your sosh habits?
DeletePretty simple math, love
Deletepeople very clearly don't know anything about how business works, and even less about how podcasts work.
Deletethey joined a podcast network, which is what many newer podcasts do. why would you hire a full time person to sell ads when you can share it fractionally with other members of the same network, get a bump potentially from going on other shows in the same network, etc?
there's virtually no downside to it.
people are fucking dumb.
Is Davey signing a new contract what we were holding our butts for?
ReplyDeleteA noncompete is something that appears in 1% of working folks’ contracts for employment. Nobody is crying for the dumb zone—who appear to, on one hand, fight the working man’s fight against corporate, while on the other, rake in mid six figures.
ReplyDeleteThat is so far beyond a blatant falsehood that I can't even believe it. You have absolutely zero credibility for any past and future comments here.
DeletePoor indeeed.
Two recent nationally representative studies GAO reviewed estimated that 18 percent of workers were subject to noncompete agreements (NCAs), and one of the studies estimated that 38 percent of workers had been subject to an NCA at some time in their careers.
DeleteResearchers estimate that one in six U.S. food preparation and service workers have signed a noncompete agreement as have one in five workers in the agriculture or hunting industry, based on a survey of nearly 67,000 workers. This means as many as 1.4 million food workers are potentially bound by a noncompete agreement, affecting low- and high-wage food workers alike.
DeleteI think non-competes are bad. With that being said, I see varying studies on the numbers of employees that are under a non-compete, but not much on how many companies actually go after an employee because of one. In 30+ years of employment in different industries, I have heard of 1 company suing employees and that is Cumulus vs DnJ. I knew plenty of folks in high school who worked in the food service industry and bounced from job to job with no issue.
DeleteWho are also nut to butt with 5%ers, while living in custom built homes in one of the country's toniest suburban areas. Oh, and their subs and $690ers? Yeah, a bunch O blue collar Joe and Jills.
DeleteDan lives in a tract home he bought for ~350,000 and it's probably paid off. You really gottem, huh?
DeleteNo. Dummy. He decidedly does not. Dan lives in a custom built home, with a swimming pool and a "man cave"/studio above a teo car garage in one of the three most affluent suburbs in the DFW. You fucking moron.
DeleteI’ve only heard of noncompetes outside of ticket world with a weather man changing stations lol. That’s what I’ve heard in my life, so that’s the only other case.
ReplyDeleteSo easy to pull The Hive offsides. Dummies. #TheCult #HiveMentality #TheyAren'tWhoYouThinkTheyAre #FamilyBusiness'25 #MorningsInHartford'26
ReplyDeleteJust fyi - for a quick Pick-Me-Up - head over to
ReplyDeletehttps://x.com/theoldgreywolf
Anyone remember Sh!tMyDadSays - - this is more like GrampsNeedsAppRestrictions
He's already had Greggo on twice and posted an 'exit' interview. He has enough die hard og hardline fans to make it a source of income for as long as he'll put out content. That group is content with hearing the same stories and bullsh ad nauseam, so he can forever put in minimum effort and yield good results (kinda like what's taking place with TDZ and its audience -- beginning to wonder if the Stockholm Syndrome re: TT their lawyers spoke of isn't more aptly applied to DZ subs). Rhyner was stung hard by his, and make no mistake about it, it was HIS failure at TF. Rhyner's ego is the size of Texas. Therefore for the time being he's motivated to show everyone he still has it. He doesn't. But as long as Saggers in Sachse and Hickoid in Hurst tells him his baseball weenie is stillvigor fit hard as ever, he'll cintinue to live in his version of a steam punk radio bubble world.
DeleteThe dim zone was going to the freq. but they got caught up in some righteousness . Now they have no frequency, no contract, and nobody to blame .
ReplyDeleteYou're a blatant liar. FOH.
DeleteGlad to see your parents allowed this blog through the internet filter. Go back to researching volcanoes and dinosaurs, little man.
DeleteYou're giving incompetence.
DeleteSuper horrend, love
It’s amazing how loyal dumb zone fans are. They are blinded with loyalty. They act as though Jake and Dan are their friends.
ReplyDeleteThey aren’t your friends.
You have absolutely zero credibility for any past and future comments here.
DeletePoor indeed
We heard you the first time. Had no impact.
DeleteTalking Loud and Saying Nothing
DeleteCan you think and write in complete, cogent sentences? Or, has your brain been so warped by texting, Googling, etc., that you are incapable of fully expressing yourself? Our education system has failed you, poor soul. Either that, ot you're merely a grade a dipshit.
DeletePoortL ain't gonna fuck you bro
Delete^^^^ Oh little clown. Poor baby. I know, thinkin' is hard. There, there, punkin'. Let momma fix ya up real nice like.
DeleteThe Musers aren't retiring until 2030. It'll be Craig who walks first. I don't know where all this talk about George moving to the Hill Country and focusing on music came from. George loves the Ticket and he can do both, right now, in North Texas.
ReplyDeleteJunior, on the other hand, is a newish father. He likes to travel. He's been saying forever that he looks forward to retirement.
Gordon will hang around for a few years. He'll be given carte blanche. His role will be to help ratings and the younger guys. Eventually, he will go his own way, with whatever replaces Twitch.
Bob and Corby and Gen-X Davey will remain.
As far as Dan and Jake: they will pop up from time to time in a micro-version of going viral. They'll say this and that; the mainstream will repost it. But they're going to hate every second they teamed up with that douche-bro podcast network. By the time they can get out of it, they will be wholly, completely, irrelevant.
Nice Fan Fiction, scro
DeleteSpeaking of the network DZ joined, Washed Media, what are they doing for DZ, anyway? Last time I checked, the show wasn’t even listed on their somewhat inauthentic “roster,” which lists three “podcasts” that are simply reconfigurations of the main show. Another listed show hasn’t posted new content in almost a year. Washed Media just seems like something the main podcast guys—can’t remember the show name—made up to sound impressive.
DeleteRespectfully request that we quit rehashing the Dumb Zone/Labor Law stuff. I haven't deleted any of the childish back-and-forth yet but will probably start.
ReplyDeleteNo prob.
ReplyDeleteMaybe start with getting this TC-esque shit-for-brains off my jock.
Your jock is far too small for anyone to hop on
DeletePlease, little one, heed my words: The Boys (who are middle aged, one nearing senior citizenship), do not read any of this. They aren't who/what you think they are. You have projected onto them attributes, aspirations, and amity that neither now nor will ever exist. Within two years their already fractious partnership will run its inevitable course. There will be no more pods. Jake will be either running his family's successful business (surprise! he comes from money) or working in some capacity for his monied laywer friends (like seeks like); and Dan will be doing the only thing he knows: radio related media. Where and in what capaciy, who knows. Whatever form, rest assured it'll be several steps down frim his Ticket apogee.
DeleteSo where will that leave you, friend? Bitter? Feeling like you've been had? Trolling Ticket social media, extolling the Halcyon Days of The Boys like the poir bastards who claim The Ticket died the day Greggi was fired? Or will you live in an online fantasy world, forever having back and forths on reddit with fellow, and equally sad, DFs?
Tell us. Tell us. You. No. You. Brainwashed, hive mentality, drone. You. Tell us.
I'm hard now
DeleteBut do you skate? Try outs, Thursday week at the Mansfield Stars Center. Gainey Rink, 6:30 am, sharp. I'll be the one wearing a potk pie.
DeleteThis is the part I still feel badly about: for better or worse, KTCK would’ve built a drive time show around Jake eventually, and if they’d partnered him up correctly, he might’ve been a major radio figure in this market another twenty years. He’s a legit sports talker and can do guy talk and current events (somewhat).
DeleteDan had reached his ceiling. His Letterman esque sarcasm won’t play in the morning, maybe afternoon drive, but the successful dynamic from 3-7 has been 2 parts sports talk, 2 parts guy talk, 1 part culture and “news.” Dan doesn’t know anything about sports, he’s not really a guy talker, and barely remembers what year it is. It sucks he was so bitter about the separation from Bob and it sucks he led Jake to this career-ending cul de sac.
Actually. Jake is good at regurgitating what others say, and does it with a supreme, at times condescending confidence, and in a basso-tenor register, which only further exudes "authority." Problem is, he says nothing original. Worse, he's almost always wrong vis a vis sports, his supposed strength. But hey, he sounds good. Win?
DeleteThis ^ despite the Dan P1’s, he wasn’t fit for drive time
ReplyDeleteTDZ is becoming more and more unlistenable - its clear they are not really putting forth much of an effort for content - It would not be a surprise if sub numbers start to decrease during the summer.
ReplyDeleteNow, if they finally get around to start discussing their departure from The Ticket - - that's what everyone wants to hear about anyway.
You’re saying, without KTCK, Dan and Jake have a bag of zero?
DeleteAgreed.
Keep slinging that bullshit, PtL
DeleteThis guy.
DeleteLook at this guy Friedo
DeleteWhat everyone who peddles the “Dan brought Jake down with him” story all forget is: Jake already quit the ticket a year before everything with THZ hit the fan. He even talked about it on air. Dan was still on air, as Jake negotiated his contract and fully believed he was done before Cumulus surprised him with an offer he was willing to accept, four days after he quit. Dan and Jake both had their personal reasons for what went down, but it definitely was not Dan pulling Jake down with him. Jake was done.
ReplyDeleteGood point, but Jake got an offer that he eventually accepted.
ReplyDeleteFor those that are having trouble w Ticket middays, give a brief moment of silence for those that could have held that spot.
ReplyDeleteDaniel, Jacob, Michael, Blake. Too Close to the Sun.
Only the feathers floating around the hat
Showed that anything more spectacular had occurred
Than the usual drowning. The police preferred to ignore
The confusing aspects of the case,
And the witnesses ran off to a gang war.
So the report filed and forgotten in the archives read simply
“Drowned,” but it was wrong: Icarus
Had swum away, coming at last to the city
Where he rented a house and tended the garden.
“That nice Mr. Hicks” the neighbors called,
Never dreaming that the gray, respectable suit
Concealed arms that had controlled huge wings
Nor that those sad, defeated eyes had once
Compelled the sun. And had he told them
They would have answered with a shocked,
uncomprehending stare.
No, he could not disturb their neat front yards;
Yet all his books insisted that this was a horrible mistake:
What was he doing aging in a suburb?
Can the genius of the hero fall
To the middling stature of the merely talented?
And nightly Icarus probes his wound
And daily in his workshop, curtains carefully drawn,
Constructs small wings and tries to fly
To the lighting fixture on the ceiling:
Fails every time and hates himself for trying.
He had thought himself a hero, had acted heroically,
And dreamt of his fall, the tragic fall of the hero;
But now rides commuter trains,
Serves on various committees,
And wishes he had drowned.
SiroisDeadwood: Before everyone starts unloading on you, I'll say that I enjoyed this. (Edward Field, "Icarus," 1963.) This joint could use a little culchuh. I'm not sure of the point -- analogizing to Jake's situation, maybe? -- but no matter. I liked it.
ReplyDeleteActually, it was lazy and unimaginative. Give me the creepo skate troll. At least it's their own shit and not a copy and paste.
DeleteIt was neither. Art elevates and provokes and SiroisDeadwood selected something he found pertinent to the discussion, and so did I, albeit in a way I actually had to think about for a minute. Without all the ad hominem pottymouth.
DeleteNo. It's totally rando troll bullsh. Very commonplace. If you wanna get all artsy fartsy and say it was an attempt at surrealism, fine. You're probs a Derridaean, too. Like seeks like. Again, it's lazy. Go watch the Gadamer-Derrida debate and get back to me, bruhski.
DeleteI have to agree with Fred/L. That's a troll move. There's no underlying meaning, other than to be confusing, to basically spit on the site and the perception of it and its commenters by the troll: IMO, Plainsman, you've read far too much into, and have given way too much credit to, the comment. However, I disagree with the Fred part's tone. No need for that
DeleteHey Plainsman, I know it's your blog and you can do what you want but why are you letting a pretty bad troll just keep trolling incessantly? It adds nothing to the conversation, and it isn't like you get paid per comment. Waste of everyone's time, including yours for having to moderate when he pulls people offsides.
ReplyDeletePee-drinker weenie pincher guy isn't gonna like this one bit
DeleteAu contraire mon frere. I exist only to counter The Cult and its campaign of blinkered thinking, misinformation, and pathological immaturity. When the lotium potor exeunt exita scaenus sinistram, my job will be done and I'll 86 on outta here.
DeleteRatings should be out soon. Any predictions? If I remember dates correctly, this book is Eagle, not Freak, and started the week of the NFL draft and includes Ticket campound and 2 teams deep in playoff runs. Expect Ticket will do well, Ticket and Fan will pick up some of the (few) Freak listeners and Fan will see a bump from baseball heating up.
ReplyDeleteWill be interesting to see where the numbers fall.
C
April 25-May 22
DeleteThe ratings shift from Freak to Eagle, IN ONE MONTH, is the smoking gun ...
ReplyDeleteBasically, every daypart and full week went from 20th-something to Top 10 (middays as high as 4th!) and was the largest percentage of growth by a single station for this month's report - and 2nd wasn't even close.
Ticket had another really good book, as did Fan, but Ticket won again.
Well well well, look who's back at #1 in the DFW market. Look who also made a nice leap upwards. Peter, kindly gimme dem daypart breakdowns, son. Hot time in the old town tonight. Do si do, mutherfucks.
ReplyDeleteHere's May: https://www.reddit.com/r/theticket/comments/1dddpn2/may_2024_ratings/
ReplyDeleteThanks Peter.
DeleteThanks, as always, Peter. Seems like The Ticket and The FAN are for all intents and purposes neck and neck, sans PM Drive. TF's AM Drive number stuns me. Good on them. While you did not post it, 97.1 had its largest cume leap in 3 years. Rather telling. Frankly, rather damning.
DeleteI didn't include KEGL numbers because I'd stated the month before they'd no longer be included, but I was asked -
Delete(sorry for dumb, long URL, but that will take you right to them in the comments section)(
https://www.reddit.com/r/theticket/comments/1dddpn2/comment/l85xydy/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button
Scattershooting while wondering whatever happened to Surly....
ReplyDeleteInteresting book. In many ways a return to the norm. No inexplicable KERA or the likes leaps. The Ticket is back to #1, but not at mind blowing numbers, which is more like it. Not sure what goes on with this market's numbers, but in my cursory data dive, no other markets fluctuate like this one. In fact, there's very little movement at all in, say, NYC, Boston, or Chicago.
Hats off to The FAN. I'm of mind with 00110011 regarding their AM Drive number. I will say that over the past five years, I've met more FAN listeners than Ticket. Many were once diehard P1s. Those folks all pretty much say the same thing: got tired of socio-political stuff (from either side of the aisle), tired of named and music segments, and wanted more actual, consistent sports talk throughout the day. Obviously, there is a healthy market for a "classic" sports talker. Considering all the transplants from the North and Northeast, it should come as no surprise. Another reason given for opting for The FAN over The Ticket by those new to the market is just flat out "not getting it." They feel it's one big inside joke they're not in on. I can understand that. Whatever the case, make no mistake about it, The FAN is legit competition and I anticipate many back and forth books, across all dayparts.
Good to see the 10-3 numbers go up. Despite what you read on reddit, Facebook, and X, those shows are doing more than fine. Their numbers are on a par with and even exceed the historical data vis-a-vis the Norm version of The Invasion, BaD, and The Hang Zone.
The Musers keep musing along as always, while The Hardline 5.0 crushes all comers. Taking a cue from above, I'm inclined to say the decidedly sports-centric Bob and the way in which he's come to steer the show has more than a little to do with it. Disagree all you want, but The Hardline is stronger than ever and as good as ever if not better. The numbers reflect this.
One note on The Freak. Siding with 00110011 again, that ratings jump is indeed damning. When you consider that iHeart has done basically zero advertising/promotion for The Eagle, the reality of the quality of The Freak is put into even starker relief. It truly was, ahem, rotten radio. The sole bright spot was The Downbeat in the AM. While Danny and Sirois had no business hosting an AM drive show in the 4th largest market in the States, what they had was good and only getting better. It's a bleepin' shame that pairing was wasted. I could easily see them doing middays, building up an audience for 2 or so years, then moving into either AM or PM drive and absolutely killing it. Who knows, maybe they'll do something on Twitch, YouTube, or a pod. Speaking of.
Finally, let's chat about The Dumb Zone. Let me say up front that I'm D1 Dumb Zone sub. Same with respect to Rhyner's Your Dark Companion (so far, it's much better than anything he did at The Freak, the podcasts before that, and his last 10 years at The Ticket). I am a sub, but I'm not sure for how much longer. There is something off about it. Something off about Jake, off about the dynamic of the Dan and Jake partnership that was not there while at The Ticket, and as to their new home, Washed, more than something off putting. I want then to succeed. But if I'm honest, as it is and appears to be heading, I don't see it standing the test of time. The lack of focus/discipline alone is troublesome. I'm sure there are many subs who find this charming, or at least don't mind it. Not to me. The major issue with pods and formats (e.g., The Freak) that want to discuss and do whatever strikes the mood is this: Unless you are extremely knowledgeable on many subjects and/or possess extreme magnetism - are incredibly compelling, it's almost impossible to pull off for any period of time. You get exposed. Therefore, there has to be firm ground from which you branch out (e.g., sports). They've yet to establish such ground. They've yet to even try. It's a serious problem. Hoping they find terra firma soon, though.
Another reason given for opting for The FAN over The Ticket by those new to the market is just flat out "not getting it." They feel it's one big inside joke they're not in on. I can understand that.
DeleteThat’s how I felt when I moved here in 2001. It takes a few. Good insight.
The hardline is doing great imo as well. I used to be much more musers heavy, and listen to the hardline just out of habit. More recently, I actively want to listen. Dave was the perfect balance to Bob. Their trips are good too.
ReplyDeleteOne thing the dunbzone could do that would only help them is to have some form of legit schedule. Their ticket listeners liked listening at noon, try that. Or try later, but some set time will only be a good thing. And a simple one.
TDZ latest pod, the 'collab' with this Washed Media, was hot garbage. Hopefully Jake continues the D Mag articles because I do enjoy his local sports takes.
ReplyDeleteThe podcast has lost its luster. Back to the drawing boards, boys. Sorry that station drive-time slot did pan out.
I know some here comment about the “hive mind” of dumb zone fans, but my gosh, it really is insane. I get that it’s kinda a start up, so people are more likely to be supportive, but still. “I’ll support the boys whatever they do.” “I dont want to criticize an episode because they do so much for only 6.90” “washed seems like they suck, but I trust the boys judgement”
ReplyDeleteI swear they the dumbzone could take a month off and fans would be saying “they probably need it for mental health”
you obviously haven't read the reddit and patreon comments. They absolutely torched the DZ over that episode
DeleteWell, yes at first. Now not so much. An hour or so after the critiques came in at least two separate threads have been started, both with dozens and dozens of comments by the same 8 people who pretty much comprise the entirety of reddit DZ, admonishing any and all criticism. It's rather gross what goes on there tbh. I get being in on something from day one and all the enthusiasm that goes along with it. You feel like you're actually a part of it and how you have something to do with its success. I get all that. I felt the same way when The Ticket kicked off. This is an entirely different kettle of fish. A lot of these folks are downright militant in their intolerance for differing opinions. Always trying to get commenters booted for any negativity. Then there's the silly claims of being willing to pay tens or even hundreds of dollars per month to sub, and wondering aloud if there's any other way they can give money to Dan, Jake, and Blake. These dudes live in two of the cushiest suburban areas in the country and in large homes with pools. Crazy stuff.
DeleteThere have been photos posted of Reddit meetups.
DeleteNeedless to say they aren’t the jacked 6’5” studs pulling in 6 figs like we have in here.
It’s the internet. Do as you will.
Not sure I'm following you, Zulu. But as you say, "It's the internet. Do as you will."
DeleteYo Zuzu, non sequitur much, scruh?
DeleteYa I drive bus, exactly what I’m talking about. The wanting to give more $ is such an odd mindset to me too lol. Just bizarre in general. And it keeps getting brought up the great deal dumbzone is, soo much content for 6.90! Which isn’t a steep price, but I pay for no audio content across the board lol.
ReplyDelete“Why am I getting ads on my paid podcast??”
“If that’s what it takes for the boys to make it, I’m fine with it” lol
One's pushing 40, the other is closer to 60 than 50. "The Boys." Now THAT'S entertainment!
DeleteJust wondering aloud if Jalen and Jacoby might sue TDZ for stealing its aesthetic.
ReplyDeletefor what it's worth, the morning after the dumb zone's free livestream where danny sat in with them, the stream has 2,886 views
ReplyDeletemore clear evidence that Kingston is paying for 3,000+ DZ subscriptions out of his own pocket
DeleteIs that good or bad? Half their subscribers watching the video would seem about right I guess?
DeleteI don’t believe anyone is paying for 1,000’s of subscribers. It’s a bad deal. Pay them directly & Patreon doesn’t get a cut. I do believe there are several people paying for more than one but I just don’t buy that Kingston is paying for 3000 subscriptions.
ReplyDeleteI just don't care anymore and I'm not sure why anyone in this space does.
ReplyDeleteDan and Jake left an NFL football team to go play Arena Football - same sport, different game.
If they're personally happy, professionally fulfilled and feel like they won some sort of legal battle. I guess, good for them.
You don't know why anyone in this space cares? Why does anyone in here care about anything Ticket related? I would imagine it's because they enjoy the content
DeleteYeah. This historically has been a forum focused on a specific radio station and then competing radio stations.
DeleteDan and Jake are no longer on the radio (or threatening to) and now are doing a podcast. And discussions over conspiracies of their audience or lack there of now seems unimportant to the original idea of “this space”.
Like I said, if they’re happy with their new situation, and since it’s what they say what they wanted when they left in the 1st place, then I’m happy for them. But I don’t find it interesting, or topical.
I’m also not one of their pool of subscribers and still listen to The Ticket all day. Maybe someone will start a TDZ blogspot page.
LOL, "TDZ blogspot". I this place is probably the only thing that is actually keeping Blogspot running. The "confessor" could whip up his own discord server and not have to worry about anonymous posters, set up auto-moderation, and have his very own NSFW channel for his redhead perversion.
DeleteYo, Jimbo, are you always a literalist, dichotomized, rigid thinker? By the by, discord in no way requires a legitimate ID. Burner email account, rando name, and the user is as anon as anon can get. No different than from here. Pfart frowns on anons for one reason only. To differentiate between which idiot is saying what. Other than that we're all anons. And that means you too, scruh.
DeleteDefinitely aware of all that, and that I'm technically "anon" as well. Perhaps I should have just said "anonymous posters". Regardless, still think it's funny this thing runs on the blogspot comment platform.
DeleteIs it hate if its true? I will never argue with Corby's talent he clearly has it. I won't argue with his knowledge on golf, tennis, his genre of music, or possibly college football. Pop culture, history, other genres of music, current events and a host of other subjects he tries to sound authorative on are another matter. He isn't alone in that, the lack of general cultural knowledge on display by all the host is staggering at times.
ReplyDeleteHe gets paid to be abrasive, polarizing, and over the top. And to get good ratings. He is very good at that.
ReplyDeleteApparently TDZ is going out Cali-Forny way for training camp - not too surprised by that - it was always known to be Dans favorite Ticket time of the year, now they just gotta pay more of their way. It'll be interesting how their and the Ticket trips line up.
ReplyDeleteNot sure what they'll be doing for content in the meantime - a guess would be more ex-Freakers doing sit-ins. Or more Dan dude-bro'n it out with those wicked 'Gash' and 'BangBus' quips. Hellz Yea, Bud.
*way too many pods out there with more direction, humor, thought etc. The member-berries of TDZ has definitely run its course for me.
MoronDog
DeleteYou mean Cornelius. Show some respect, dicknose.
DeleteI imagine they'll stream and/or record content from the road. Streaming requires nothing more than a phone. I'm very confident both Dan and Jake have the latest and greatest iPhones, not to mention Macbooks. My guess is that a sub, one of their backers or one lawyers (might be one in the same) has or has access to a place near training camp. If so, setting up a makeshift studio would be a snap, which would provide for even better produced content.
ReplyDeleteAs to why they're doing it, you got me. Did they give an explanation? It doesn't make any sense to go out there, at least not to me at any rate. Especially if they're footing all or a goodly chunk of the bill. Even if they're being provided quarters, that's still an expensive jaunt. And for what? It will in no way garner them more subs. Speaking of which, their numbers have held steady for months now, hovering between the 6100 and 6300 marks. Nothing remains static in this world. I would think the Washed move would've given their numbers a healthy boost. While there was a slight uptick, it wasn't anything to hang your hat on.
I do wonder what this endeavor will look like in May/June of '25. Why these months? Because the show will have gone through an entire Cowboys season sans legal battles, sans the clamour to hear the dirt or "the real story" about the legal battle, what goes on behind the scenes at The Ticket, sans the parade of special guests (most popular, surprise!, ex-Ticketeers) and the initial fervor of the early adopters. The Cowboys season gives them something to discuss every day. It's a topic they both possess a genuine expertise in. It's something they can base each show around, thereby allowing for continuity, and so, a real direction. To add, by then, all referencing the past will have gone by the wayside (if not, they have a serious problem *cf., The Freak*), and they will have established exactly who and what they are (again, if not, they have a serious problem *cf., The Freak*).
It's going to be very interesting to see where and how things go with The Dumb Zone. I tend to side with those who don't think it will last more than a couple of years. Not because Dan and Jake aren't talented. They are. But rather, because of they way it came about, the way it's presently run, and most of all, the personalities of the two principal parties involved. I see a falling out between Dan and Jake occurring well before any serious, national success has a chance to take hold. And I think it will come about much the same way it did between Dan and Bob (caveat: the "rift" was one-sided, pertaining to Bob's promotion to PM Drive). That is, the younger, more attractive, better voiced, more eloquent when he wants to be, and hip to the latest trends (sports and otherwise) Jake will get offers and opportunities Dan won't. This will be a most serious problem. Rest assured, this will happen, and in fact it might already be underway.
They added 800 paid subscribers in the last 3 months. Not sure where you're getting your incorrect numbers
Deletehttps://graphtreon.com/creator/TheDumbZone
DeleteRight. 5,572 March 9. 6,298 June 19. That's +726 in 102 days
DeleteIs that 800?
DeleteIf you are going to call someone out for their numbers, might not want to overstate your own. If we look at 3 months and not 3.5 months, it is actually 521 according to that site. Even your 726 in 102 days is not 800. That being said, the boys appear to be doing fine slowly growing their base. We have no idea what their actual endgame is, so they may be happy doing a podcast for a few thousand folks per day as long as those folks keep paying their money. The question that has been asked quite a few times is will folks keep paying for it? I think that is a fair question and only time will tell.
DeleteOG commenter here. 1. Thanks to both CtC and moving for the data. Watching's URL is where I got my numbers. I also stated that they did get a bit of a bump from the move to Washed. Regardless, the numbers on the whole have remained mostly static. I just took a fresh look and while I haven't dug into it, I think the number of subs dropped then reupped (same person) have to be accounted for re: new paid subs. Also, none of that has any bearing on the rest of my comment. I'd go so far as to say that if anything, CtC highlights my point about the zealousness of early adopters. That's not a dig at you, CtC, just to be clear.
DeleteThey are not "boys." One is in his mid 50s, the other, late 30s. BTW, check these answers out from a '19 interview.
Deletehttps://fwtx.com/culture/people/jake-kimp/
How do podcasters get access at training camp? The Cowboys can't accommodate every dude with a laptop and a microphone who says he's there to cover training camp.
ReplyDeleteThey have to be approved and given credentials by The Dallas Cowboys organization. The Dumb Zone secured said credentials.
DeleteCowboys can give credentials to whoever they want & deny them to whoever they want. Are they going to get a tent between the Fan & KTCK? Probably not, but we will see. Are they going to get offered to interview Dak, Zeke, Micah Paraons or CeeDee Lamb on the pod? Probably not.
DeleteThey did have the Cowboys kicker on the pod/in the Den last year. And they probably squeezed some contacts they still know within the organization.
DeleteBut without prior knowledge - this is akin to The Smoking Cuban blog getting a NBA Finals credential and a chance to ask a postgame question.....and hopefully go viral. Maybe in the coming weeks they'll have Greggo on the pod!
Yes! More Greggo! More TC! More Danny! #sarcasm #nostalgiaovercontent
DeleteHonestly, I don’t know what opportunity these guys are going to get. Does the pod generate a good tape to demo for a radio station? No, it doesn’t. Do their 6k+ subscription numbers impress a radio station? I don’t know that it does. As time goes by, I wonder if whatever luster they had wears off.
ReplyDeleteIf I had my wish, THZ would be on the ticket. But that isn’t going to happen.
I just don’t see what the endgame is here.
Unless they just miss radio, I doubt they have a desire to return to one. I think their endgame is they do a podcast that has a modest following and they make decent coin and that’s about it.
ReplyDeleteSo, the Mavs' season is done. Wither Ben & Skin?
ReplyDeletelol, "Whither", that is
DeleteMuser Summer Dry Dock begins. Does they/any member return with a big announcement? We are half way through year 30. There have been several bold claims over the past two years that 30 was going to be it. I would think if any announcement were to be made, the time would be nigh. Any insider rumblings, watercooler scuttlebutt, or barstool bubblings out there?
ReplyDeleteHold on to your anusities
DeleteThread (and red) refreshed.
ReplyDelete