The Freak: It Said What it Wanted . . .

REMINDER: "ANONYMOUS" POSTS WILL BE DELETED.

Just a Quick Refresh

Got nothing much on my mind.

I've had a big change in my work which, alas, means a lot less Ticket listening.  I'm hoping that will change soon, but for now I've missed a lot of shows I used to listen to frequently.  Let's hope I can continue to make this site worthwhile.  For now, I'm not planning on ending it.

Yesterday, I was able to hear a lot of 12-3.  I was impressed.  I know this may be a minority position, but I thought the show sounded really good.  Dan seems to have gotten a lot more comfortable with the new arrangement, and I liked listening to both him and Jake.

A lot of you have not liked 3-7 for the same reasons you didn't like the Mike R Hardline -- too much Corby, too much annoying virtue-signalling political talk from him and Danny.   Before my schedule got in the way, I had the opposite impression.  I liked the new arrangement much better and I thought Corby and Danny both were more focused, more mature-sounding.  After some initial uncertainty, Bob stepped up and provided the balance that show had lacked for some time.  I have not been able to listen to much of that show since sports came to an end, but I can see how those improvements could wither with the lack of any sports to talk about.

Anyone out there actually liking the "new" Hardline?  I'm going to make a special effort to tune in here in the next few days.

By the way:  No excuse for not finding new names for these two shows.  Maybe we should give Cat a hand and suggest some.

Anonymous 415 Nails It (That Is, He Agrees with Me)

I was getting set to do an article on some early observations on 12-3 and 3-7, when ConfessorAnonymous 415 posted yesterday to the previous article (lightly edited by MTC):

So far I'm mostly liking the changes. I will admit that I'm partial to 3-7 over 12-3. For me to say that is incredible since I haven't been able to listen to 3-7 for over 5 minutes at a sitting for years now. 

I said mostly liking due to being less and less sold on Super BaD. I'm beginning to see chinks in Jake's armor. I'm beginning to see that while deserving and in a fundamental way ready for prime time, he's not a finished product by any stretch of the imagination. 

I also think Dan needs to dial it back a notch or four. To me it's obvious he's trying to make sure everyone (CTO) know that he still has his youthful fastball. At times it makes for uncomfortable radio. And this isn't Stern so this isn't a good thing. 

As to 3-7, the more Bob asserts himself and the scarcer Danny makes his presence known the better this thing gets. Danny's good for a segment and has nice add-ins throughout the show. Bob's getting more comfortable with each passing show and as a result is SOMEWHAT putting a matte finish on Corby's Corbyness. Good stuff. 

I think 12-3 is going to take a lot of time, experimenting, and even off-air discussions between Dan and Jake and/or Cat interventions to find its sweet spot.

*     *     *

These observations mirror my own to a large degree.

Dan and Jake:  In general, I think this show is good, better than recent Bob and Dan.  I do think Jake has settled in very well -- it's Dan who seems to be thrashing about a bit.  He's clearly the boss of the show, which is fine.  But not having been the boss of the show for all those decades, he's having some trouble figuring out how he should be pitching his presentation.  "Dial it back a notch or four," says Anonymous, and that puts it pretty well.  He seems to be pressing.  It's not that he hogs the show -- that's neither fair nor entirely accurate -- it's that his role as the sarcastic gadfly hovering around the stentorian Bob doesn't sound quite right without Bob there to puncture.  He's a naturally intelligent guy -- he should just relax and broadcast instead of constantly setting up his next sarcastic observation, looking for angles for jokes, a process that (you guessed it) bogs down the show.  I have pretty much no complaints about Jake, except to say I'd like to hear a little more from him.

Corby and Bob:  After an uncertain couple of weeks, this show has taken off.  I listened quite a bit over the past few days, and I thought it was an enormous improvement over legacy Hardline.  Bob is so much more comfortable, so much so that he is really remaking the show.  Corby is proving to be a solid equal partner, and he has dialed back the Corbosity.  Danny has done a good job of picking his spots.  A very enjoyable listen.

*     *     *

And, by the way:  Are you catching The Ticket's promos once again saying they're the number one sports talk station?  I don't have details, but I believe the latest book shows overall victory over The Fan.  But no one's making much noise about this; The Eagle beat 'em both in the demo, did it not?  (I'm not a ratings maven).

Look Deep Into Your Hearts

There comes a time in the life of every P1 and Confessor when he pauses, thinks:

that he must really be honest with himself,

no matter what he is saying to the outside world,

or in the comments he leaves on Reddit or My Ticket Confession,

or in the emails he sends to Jeff ("The New World Catman") Catlin,

or what he mutters under his breath when he's driving home from work;

and he asks himself:

Is The Hardline really as bad as I've been saying and thinking it is?

Corby and The Hardline get more grief from readers in these pages than do any other host/showgram.  Is it deserved?


I acknowledge the obvious:

The Hardline lads are very light on show preparation.  We can hear it, and we hear other Ticket notables acknowledge it on the air (Mike Sirois being a recent example).  Corby is a bit of a celeb-sniffer and has a strong attraction to the kickass lifestyle he is able to enjoy because of his local celebrity, and has a stylistic addiction to hyperbole.  Danny's cynicism can be wearing.    Each of them is at or near the bottom of apparent sports knowledge among all of the hosts.  (No?  The only evidence we have is what comes through the buds, sorry lads.)  The political leftism is just so unnecessary and trendy and contrary to the iconoclasm one would hope from a show called "The Hardline."

And the jewel in the crown of the show's issues:  Hall-of-Fame Mike too often becomes Checkout Mike.  This site has offered the thought many times that Mike, not Corby, is the author of the weaknesses of the Hardline.  He has -- yes, I think he still has, I don't think it's atrophied from disuse -- the authority to sharpen up that show, and to beat back the browbeating he takes way too often and at too-great length from Corby and Danny.  But he seems to have decided that, most of the time, it easier not to.

It's can be sad to hear, because I and many of you have observed that Corby is better, much better, away from the Hardline when he's had to step up his game, or when he's running a Hardline on his own.  When Mike is engaged or has a sportsy co-host during a Corby vacay, he can rise to the heights of the pre-Greggo-meltdown days.  Danny may be the wittiest off-the-cuff guy on the station.

So let me stake my position here:  I still love The Hardline. I almost never punch out.  I'm in for the sometimes genuinely hilarious stuff they get going.  Corby can be a very funny man -- I probably laugh out loud at him more than any other host on the station (Junior and Gordon in a tie for a close second).  Yes, I'd like much greater balance.  Yes, I'd like to feel like segments didn't get planned during the just-completed commercial break.  Yes, I'd like to hear Mike get up on his hind legs and sound like a real old grey wolf who has had enough.  But in the meantime, there's plenty to enjoy on The Hardline.  The ratings back me up -- still on top despite the repeated efforts of the competition to cull a compromised calf from the herd.  Corby is a frequent leader to those who correspond with Why Today Doesn't Suck.  It isn't just that there isn't any competitor worthy listening to -- on its merits, The Hardline is -- is still -- great radio.

I'm not going to tell anyone to stop listening if they loathe Corby, although that would seem to be a simple route to a better life if you really can't stand the guy.  You may be weary of this characterization, but I really think Corby is the Howard Cosell of The Ticket.  (Uh, do Confessors remember Howard Cosell?)  An annoying on-air presence, a weird voice, but a superior interviewer -- come on, guys, he's really good -- and somehow oddly compelling enough that you can't turn away. 

Now, you don't have to stop criticizing Corby or Mike or Danny or the show as a whole on this site (with the usual cautions regarding vulgarity, anger, and ad hominem attacks on co-Confessors).

But I do want you to search your soul and consider whether, on balance, The Hardline really, really lets you down with regularity.

Speaking only for myself (who else?), it does not.   It's about as good as it's ever been, if not better.

I'm with you, Pdunce.  And that Mino is dreamy!

I Heard It on the Handoff

Danny Balis:  "We're [the Orphanage, with Dave Lane] going to do something today that the Hardline hasn't done in probably fifteen years."

Mike Sirois:  "Prepare?"

Loved it.

So we're not the only ones.

(Oh, yeah, the actual answer was:  Take calls.)

Check Me on This

It has become a commonplace among Confessors -- and, from time to time Your Plainsman -- that Mike checks out more than he should.  There have been periods of time when The Hardline seems to have become The Corby Show, Featuring Danny.

Now mind you -- I am not a major Corby basher, and some time ago I likened Danny to bacon -- everything is better with a side of Danny.  As far as Corby is concerned:  Yeah, he's not as prepared as he should be, and he's Superlative Corby, and maybe he isn't hip to absolutely all of the facts a host might be expected to have when holding forth on one topic or another, he's a bit of a celebrity-sniffer, and he has a kickass life, but I must say that the man amuses me.  I'm OK with most of that -- I'd like to have a kickass life myself and sniff a celebrity now and then.  (Lately, the Siroisie are pretty much it for me.  They smelled great!)  I find myself laughing out loud at some of his remarks, which I don't do that often during my solitary listening to The Ticket, amusing as it often is.  I know this departs from the views of some Confessors, but there you go.

But lately, it seems to me that Mike is in one of his Engaged Mike Eras.  They emerge from time to time, and their duration cannot be predicted.  Seems to me that I'm hearing More Mike than I have for awhile now.  That's a good thing, makes for a better showgram stem to stern.  He's a legend for a reason, and that reason, I think, is that he is simply an engaging adult presence. a guy whose voice one likes to hear on the radio.  Not even a past-middle-age-trending-towards-older-guy adult presence, but more of a get-off-my-lawn guy who doesn't take that pose all that seriously, and who is seriously fond of his co-host and producer.  I like that attitude.

In the words of a keen formerly-inside observer of All Things Tickety:  Am I wrong, guys?

This probably invites the usual Corby-bashing, and that's OK, but let's keep it civil.  Keep the focus on The Founder, if you can.

I'd pay eight dollar d-dollar dar in 1950 dollars for the chance  to have a drink with The Old Grey One.

  

Hardline News

First, thanks to Confessor DRW1961 for the link to the Corby story and interview:

https://sportsday.dallasnews.com/other-sports/moresports/2017/10/04/tickets-corby-davidson-reluctant-hardliner-thrived-since-forced-joined-show

The response that will get the Confessor going:   "Our whole lives are prep. But I start thinking about the next day while driving home from work, trying to piece it all together. But the whole show is in my head before noon. I've got it all planned out."

Skepticism-inducing responses aside, I think it's a pretty good interview with Corby.  He comes across likable and menschy.

Second, thanks to Confessor 1106 (two posts back) for this account of the end of E-News yesterday:  

"Corby and Danny getting each other worked up on gun control issue. Corby says to Mike, "you are awfully quiet over there. What do you think about this?" Mike responds, 'I don't think this is what people listen to us for.' Corby and Danny were both a little taken aback and they went to break almost immediately after."

Considering the response we got to the last post, think how many more emails these guys must get on this subject.  Not to mention My Leader COTA.  Email can be an unreliable barometer of listener reaction, of course, but I'll bet they've heard on the subject of excessive political coverage -- if you can call it that -- for a long time.  If 1106's account is correct, it's refreshing, and bravo Mike. 

In these dreary days of partisanship and slaughter, we need something to smile about:

 

The Quick Hits Just Keep On Coming

Confessors, apologies.  I've been working seven-day weeks for awhile and when I get a few hours The Woman needs attention and bills need to be paid and other loved ones need a few things, so there you go.

But I've been keeping a few notes lately.  Thought about making each one a separate crappy post, but will go with a data dump instead.

Thanks for continuing to check in.  Come on, lads and ladies, let's get some nice civilized threads going here.  (You know, there are more female Confessors than you might expect.)

Numbered for your convenience in response:

        (1)   When Nerlens Noel joined the Mavs and missed that flight, Mike and Corby reported that they hadn't heard anything about the guy being a problem teammate at his prior port of call.  The Musers had reported earlier in the day that he had been chronically late or absent from meetings with the 76ers and frequently fined.  Of course they hadn't heard about it because they don't prepare for the show.  And today, Corby had this segment on "Beauty and the Beast" and had absolutely zero concept of what the movie was about.  One-half minute on Google would have solved that.

      (2)    Holy Christ, those Load Bearing Wall people.  (www.loadbearingwall.com.)   Gonna remove a load bearing wall for you in a way that will not make your house fall down.  And then they're going to give you a TEN YEAR WARRANTY?  So what are they warranting against?  It's gotta be that YOUR HOUSE WILL NOT FALL DOWN AFTER THEY DO THEIR WALL-REMOVAL THING.  And they warrant that that will be the case for -- TEN YEARS?  After which that warranty will expire and too bad if your house collapses around you, or whoever is so unfortunate as to purchase it from you and receive that valuable transferrable warranty for a home they may live in for decades?  Is that the worst goddam warranty you ever heard of?  All-Pro Foundation Repair guys must be splitting a gut right now.

      (3)    If Craig "Junior" Miller is going to make fun of ebonics -- and I have no problem with anyone making fun of ebonics, by the way -- he needs to get the ebonic patois right.  He will sometimes say to George and Gordon, "Let me axt you a question."  But the Community word (not universal, I'm sure, but I've interviewed many AA employment candidates who use it) is not "axt," but "ax."  (See, e.g., http://articles.latimes.com/2014/jan/19/opinion/la-oe-mcwhorter-black-speech-ax-20140119)  Now, Junior is a very sophisticated humorist, so perhaps he is deliberately getting wrong what is already wrong (conventionally speaking) as a honk who misuses AA patois -- i.e., it's a bit.  But I think he's just not hearing it right.

      (4)    My Lord Jah Almighty, the Tylock/George Eye Care jingle is absolutely hahhrrrrible.  Sounds like a bunch of schoolgirls, and the thing is way too grandiose and overproduced and LONG.  I thought the old Boothe Eye Care Lasik ads were bad -- remember his TV ad, where he has a Cowboys uniform on? -- but this one is hilariously awful.

      (5)    Many times when a Confessor has an issue, he starts with "Is it just me, or  .  .  .  . "  This one, no.  It's not just me.  What the hell is going on with The Ticket's return music?  It has gotten way, way too loud, and goes on way, way too long without a fadeout.  Hosts can barely be heard as whatever is being played goes on and on at excessive volume.  Now, I gather that at least on The Hardline, a host is in charge of selecting return music?  So not pointing any fingers, I'm thinking this has got to be some kind of new policy.  O Sainted Catman of the New World, please make it stop.

      (6)    JUNIOR MILLER, TECH SAVANT.  He predicted the early demise of the iPad -- presumably, tablets generally, shortly after their introduction.  I love my Samsung Galaxy Tab S2, use it all the time, but I'll be switched if old Joonze didn't have it right.  (TECH CRUNCH: Tablets Are Dead)

      (7)    Why isn't Gordon, whose column was short-listed for a Pulitzer at the Dallas Morning News, still doing that column?   I believe I heard him talk about maybe reviving it, which suggests perhaps it was his choice to discontinue.  Can't believe he would voluntarily give up that kind of national exposure with what was really some excellent, prize-winning work.  Anyone know the story?

      (8)    Wouldn't you think that wordsmith Gordon would have thought up a better name for his band than "The Gordon Keith Band"?

      (9)    Laughed heartily at the brief Hardline discussion on 3/9 about whether you could keep a woman occupied “all day” with frozen peanut butter in a red “kong” toy as you can a dog.

      (10)    Why is so much major Cowboys news broken by national media (Schefter, Mortensen, others) rather than local media?  Granted, sometimes their scoops are wrong (Schefter's report that the Cowboys were going to release T. Romo that Thursday a few weeks back).

      (11)   Jeez, Danny's voice is sounding worse and worse.  Constant gravel now, that former mellow Gentleman Jack smoothness is a thing of the past.  Worrisome.

      (12)   Junior is now promoting Stellar Home Theater.  A week or two ago, someone was talking about recording a series, or watching a particular series, or something, and someone was asking Junior if he were "in" on either watching or recording.  He said, in a voice filmed with doom, that he was presently unable to do so.  OWTTE.  Had to chortle.

      (13)   Last 11 times I have punched in to Monte + The Machine (aka "Not a Podcast") out running errands on a Saturday morning, I have heard, upon said in-punching, the voice of Mike "The Machine" Marshall.

      (14)    I need help.  On maybe a half-dozen occasions over the past month or so, I've punched out on the station for one reason or another.  Maybe not even something related to show content, maybe just not ready for another bunch of ads, or maybe I had some music cued up, or something.  Or maybe the lads were yammering on with more vagina talk, or teacher-student sex talk, or something else I'm tired of.  Maybe I'd arrived at a store and was leaving the Conestoga for a few minutes.  Or maybe I had gone from the car to the office to pick up my listening there.  Got a nice stereo there just for that purpose. No big deal, we all punch out for one reason or another from time to time.  But on these occasions, I FORGOT TO PUNCH BACK IN.   Last Friday, for example, I realized that I missed Junior's Scattershooting and the E-Brake, which I never like to miss. it's happened on other occasions when I was perfectly free to listen to my weekday and weekend heroes, and had a distraction of one kind or another causing a PO, and never came back.  Very concerning.  Hoping it's a phase.  Not aware of any particular disenchantment with the weekday crews, not bored with The Ticket concept or guys.  So not sure what's going on.  You ever take a subconscious break from The Little One?

      (15)   I'll leave you with this:

      It is the 90s.

      I'm in St. Louis, negotiating a deal.

      I'm at the Lambert Airport Marriott.

      More precisely, I'm at the Firehouse bar in that certain lodging destination.

      Kind of dark, smoky.  Yes, kids, there was a time you could smoke in bars.  Noisy.

      I was just kind of standing there.  Had to be sharp the next day, not carousing.

      I noticed that there was a man sitting in a chair right next to me, quiet, alone.  Just sitting there, seemed a little down.

      I looked down.

      Chuck Berry.

A Couple of Quick HIts to Get a New Thread Going -- UPDATED [2]

(1) My schedule has changed so I'm sometimes not in the car as much during drive, so my Hardline listening has diminished a bit.  When I tuned in this past week, I have to say, I enjoyed the show.  I thought the Danny rat story was overrated, but they did some car talk that got me laughing, and it seemed to me that I heard More Mike than I'd heard in recent months, which always makes for a better show.

(2) I sometimes punch over to ESPN, and heard something that I really liked on Monday afternoon:  a couple of hours of "Football Firing Line," which I guess has been going on for awhile.  It was Tim Cowlishaw and Matt Mosley, the usual Afternoon Show hosts, with Steve Dennis, Nate Newton, and another guy whose name I wrote down and now I can't find the slip.  The Internets say Ed Werder is on the panel, but it wasn't him, it was an AA with a four-letter first name, a middle initial, and a last name.  One of you guys can tell me who it was.  [UPDATE 2:  The other guy had a four letter last name:  Clarence E. Hill, Jr., of the Star-Telegram.]  Anyway, I thought it was a lot of fun with some trenchant Cowboys analysis thrown in for good measure.

What's the story on Steve Dennis, anyway?  He seems pretty spicy and zero-BS but it seems all he does is fill in around the Dallas sports media scene from time to time.  Would he make a good full-time host somewheres?

(3) Danny has a great radio voice, but in recent months it's gotten rough and a little breathy and sometimes cracks, as though perhaps he smokes and perhaps smokes a lot.  (I don't know if he smokes.)  Maybe he's been performing a lot.  (You can tell when Mike's not far past a Petty Theft performance -- his voice gets noticeably tired.)  Maybe he has to yell a lot at the Twilite Lounge.  Maybe he's using a different mic or he's getting EQ'd so the treble is turnt up.  His habits are none of MTC's business; I'm just saying his on-air sound has frayed some.

(4)  UPDATE:  Hey, how long has Matt McClearin been hosting the Cowboys post-game on ESPN?  (Since there's only been one other game, I would think that's probably the answer.)  Maybe the better question is, how long has Matt McClearin been working at KESN?   I punch over from Norm and Donovan once in awhile just to see what's airing on ESPN or The Fan, and he was running the show (it sounded like) with Steve Dennis and Tim McMahon, if I caught it correctly.  I thought it was pretty good.

I knew that he and Scot Harrison had lost their WJOX Birmingham show back in July but hadn't heard anything further.  Since Cumulus is operating KESN, maybe Jeff C welcomed him back.  (Scot's LinkedIn page says that he's "Director of Marketing and Public Relations at Taco Mama."  Matt's says that he's "Account Executive at New Home Guide," which sounds like something you do until Cat can find a spot for you.)

Close But No Qatar; or, Yet More Treading-Water Quick Hits

I'm working on my thoughts on Cat's AMA.  I know, I'm really delinquent here.  Don't write me about it.  You try working the plains with all these storms.  I know, I suck and the blog has been boring.  I appreciate your patience.

In the meantime:

(1)  The Kickaround boys on The Hardline today were fantastic.  They explained the FIFA corruption investigation and charges clearly and interestingly, focusing on the award to Qatar of the 2022 World Cup.  I don't care anything about soccer but I was riveted.

(2)  Didn't hear Danny's Soul1310 show but loved the Reader's Digest version on The Hardline today.

(3)  Corby thinks that the people who cheered for Josh Hamilton on his return to The Temple were all "morons." Mike offered a defense that the Rangers were doing what they thought would help the team, and Sean Bass tweeted (or maybe emailed, I don't recall) pointing out what a bargain the guy is.  A better defense is that everyone likes a story of redemption and the return of the prodigal to the scene of his greatest triumphs.  Hell, he knocked in the only run that night.  (And I see he stroked two taters tonight.)

(4) I'm agnostic on the musical value of the new Stick It Up Your Tailpipe Traffic and Ticket Ticker intros and beds, but I will say this:  They shave some seconds off the old break music.  Even though it's not a lot, the difference is noticeable, especially in the move from Traffic to Ticker -- the whole thing just seems tighter, more streamlined, over faster.  A good thing.

(5)  Corby actually said that he didn't realize that biker clubs were, in some cases, criminal enterprises.

(6)  Did you see where the Rolling Stones did an AMA on Twitter?  Yeah, here's how they did it:  People tweeted questions one day, and the Stones responded the next.

(7)  Wasn't Larry From Mowry going to give us an essay on his listening to Ben & Skin or something like that?  Larry, come to Your Plainsman.

(8)  My THL listening has been a little spotty lately, but every time I've tuned in I've come away with the distinct impression that we're hearing More Mike.   A little more Mike, even when Corby is present. Result:  A little better segments.

CORRECTION:  Earlier releases of this post erroneously pegged the Qatar-hosted World Cup as 1922.  Reader Cody Patterson noted the error.  Your Plainsman regrets it.

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When Will Gordon Have the Courage to Do The Hardline?

I was thinking this morning on the drive in that I'd like to hear a Touchdown Brothers segment (although I thought Gordon's ADD Josh Hamilton was pretty good), when the foregoing thought occurred to me.

Think about it:

--  Distinctive voices.

--  Distinctive, even over-the-top, personalities.

--  Distinctive verbal tics.

--  Endless fresh material.

--  Everyone would get all of the jokes.

--  The jokes would be funny.

There would, of course, be challenges:

--  Who would do all the voices?  I have a very dim recollection that in the past The Musers have employed guest impersonators.  I'd nominate Gordon for Corby, maybe George for Mike, and find some baritone-voiced comic to do Danny.  ALTERNATIVE:  Gordon do all three voices but make it a produced segment, not live, and use the digital voice processor to create amusing facsimiles of one or more of the voices (Danny = absurdly deep and mellow, Corby = absurdly chirpy and brittle).

--  Civil unrest at The Ticket.

--  Accusations of kicking The Hardline when it's down.

Anyway, Gordon, give it some thought.

"The Musers can do what The Hardline does, but The Hardline can't do what The Musers do."

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And Just As I Had Made Up My Mind to Adopt Them Both

The Orphanage closed its doors today.

Danny.

I didn't get to hear much of the Orphanage or any of the handoffs today, just a few minutes'-worth, unfortunately.  A very few quick hits:

(1) Danny said in a kind of roundabout way at the beginning of the show that at this stage of his life he wants his Saturdays back, and that if they were going to have been fired it would have been done a long time ago.  I see no reason not to believe that the departure of The Orphanage was entirely voluntary, claimed overheard bar talk to the contrary notwithstanding.

(2) Jeff Catlin (stay tuned for more Jeff) has let it be known at The Ticket that he's will entertain proposals from younger Ticket guys to fill the 10-noon Saturday slot.

(3) Mike Sirois said that Cirque was offered that time slot and turned it down.  He said he had no idea what would replace the Orphanage.

(4) He also said that awhile back Cirque had been offered Sunday mornings, now occupied by The Shake Joint.  Cat, he recalled, had tried to sell it as the most desirable of the weekend slots.

(5) He called the Sunday morning show "the little analytics guys" and did not mention the show or its hosts by name.

(6) He also suggested that the ability to attract remotes was important to the profitability of the weekend shows.

*     *     *

I understand why some people didn't care for the Orphanage, but I really liked it.  Are Danny and Davey sort of clinging to an adolescent-to-mid-twenties lifestyle that sometimes fit oddly on men approaching the half-century mark?  Sure -- but geez, I'd like to go back to those times and live like that again myself if I could.  I don't begrudge either of them the time or lifestyle choices to allow them to keep up with current music, hit the clubs, play in bands, open bars (and close them), thumb their noses at critics, and make jokes on the radio. 

And they handled it with enough self-deprecation to suggest that they knew they were in on the joke, in fact, kind of were the joke, and were OK with it.

Davey.

So I found those two very agreeable company on Saturday mornings.  They're guys I'd hang out with if I were cool enough or famous enough and I'm neither, so what?  I want to be entertained while I'm doing my Saturday errands or working out in the field, and they never failed to do that. 

So I very much regret that when the announcement came, I was not holding my butt.  Orphanage, RIP.

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A Handful of Reactions to the Surprise Dual Ratings Dips

ITEM:  An hour each of The Musers and The Hardline suffered a loss to competitors on other sports stations.  (Barry Horn report here.)

(1) Agree with those who urge not reading too much into that.  Recall that BaD showed a similar dip not long ago, and it turned out to be a one-book phenomenon, although truth to tell I haven't done the Internet research.  I just haven't heard that it repeated.  The severe dip for that one hour of The Musers looks especially anomalous.  So yeah, just sort of massage your butts lightly for now.

(2) Agree with those who think that this might well have animated Checkout Mike to show greater interest in his show and guest appearances on other Ticket offerings, the latter of which had become a severe embarrassment to him and the station in recent years.  You can be a curmudgeon on your own show, but his is-he-really-there? appearances on other shows, pre-games, and round tables had started to suggest something approaching a lack of respect for the rest of the station.

(3) My guess is that Jeff Catlin did not lecture anyone about stepping up his game as a result of this ratings book.  No inside info here; just tidbits I pick make me think that with the exception of correcting seriously bad behavior, The Pan-American Catman is fairly hands-off with individual performances.  Also, these guys probably see the ratings the minute Cat does -- they don't need any additional motivation.

(4) The Musers' dip was in a heavy Gordon-inflected hour.  Confessors know that I am a Gordon admirer, but in recent months I have wished for less juvenilia/sex talk/perversion talk/political talk and more of anything else.

(5) Confessors also know that I am not a Corby basher, but after a comeback from severe OverCorby/Checkout Mike a couple of years back, The Hardline has noticeably backslid into lassitude, severe misogyny (I thought that had left the building with Greg Williams), and, well, OverCorby/Checkout Mike.  (I don't have a big issue with Danny's participation most of the time, with a big carveout for current-events talk, where he's dog-paddling with Corby in the low-information punditry fever swamps.) 

(6) Confession:  I'm one of the ones who is tuning into Mosley and Cowlishaw more and more.   Switch back and forth.  (Sorry, KT, just can't warm up to Ben & Skin.)  They're off the air at 6, so I usually get me some solid slabs of late-show Hardline, but from 3:30-6, while I always start with The Hardline and most of the time find something to engage me, it's taking less and less for me to dial in the next preset down the dial.

"Sorry, Mike and Corby.  More than three vagina references per show sends me to Tim and Matt every time."

Three Ads

Before I get to the three ads:

(1)  If anyone knows whether the Ticket Chicks will be broadcasting today and when , please let us know ASAP.  Norm and Donovan will presumably be doing the post-game into the evening, so unclear if they will be on this week.

(2)  PREGAME NOTE:  The station has been promoting the Cowboys Pre-Game Plus  that is sometimes broadcast before the official Sturm + Phillips pregame show.  Not sure who is doing it this year, but I recall it as very worthwhile last year.

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Ad One:  Reagor Dykes Auto Group

Unquestionably the worst-produced ads to have appeared on The Ticket since I started listening in 2004. Bart Reagor sounds like he is recording his lines in a cavernous bathroom at old Texas Stadium about 20 feet away from the mic, while the person he is supposedly having a conversation with -- the guy with the kid who plays baseball, and the female high school graduate who sounds like she's about nine with a room-temp IQ (one "Ashley") -- are more or less conventionally recorded.

But the main question is: what the hell is the Reagor Dykes Auto Group?  If you go to this website (www.rddirectauto.com), it appears to be a series of Toyota-Ford-Lincoln-Mitsubishi dealerships in West Texas.  What is unusually "direct" about that, I don't know, but whatever it is, it appears to be a subsidiary of the "auto group" itself, which on this website (http://www.reagordykesautogroup.com/) touts itself as being able to get you "any car you want," and lists the various locations and capabilities.  

In other words, it's a series of new-car dealerships and, astonishingly, you can also get used cars there, and, wonder of wonders, they offer leasing.  How they materialize cars that you "want" that they don't have on their lot is unexplained, but my car-buying experience has persuaded me that any dealer can get pretty much any car in the same way that the car leasing companies (D&M, AutoFlex) are able to.

By the way -- is Ashley, who gets the BMW for her graduation present, a good endorsement interview?  She may be headed for a career in quantum physics but sounds dumb as a stump and a member of a slice of society where everyone who graduates from high school gets a car. (She learned about this "great dealership" -- the name of which she has obviously forgotten or can't pronounce -- from her friends who got their cars there.)

Awful.

Ad Two:  The Blind Guy

Now there is a strange spot.   This guy comes on.  He sounds AA.  He says we can't see him because we're listening to him on the radio, and he says he can't see us because he's totally blind.  Well, maybe so, but he also can't see us because he's speaking to us on the radio and, additionally, because he recorded this thing a way long time ago.  He couldn't see us if he were Superman.   But let's put aside these logical issues and ask ourselves, as we did with RDAG, what the hell this ad is about.

There is one mention of the affliction that the guy is suffering from:  "924".

But that is not correct, as I discovered as I tried to find out what this is all about.  

It's not "924" -- it's "non-24."   Here:  (http://www.non-24.com/)  It is a circadian sleep disorder, which the AA guy mentions in the ad.    It barely mentions anything else, but gives a phone number -- not a website, no brand name of any medicine, just a phone number -- to call.    Why so coy, I have no idea.  Obviously, someone is flogging a drug, and the drug is manufactured by Vanda Pharmaceuticals.  This ad feels like a setup, something to pique our interest in this poor guy's condition, and we'll soon hear another set of ads that resolve this mystery.

Ad Three:  Danny and the North Texas Field Office of the Order of Gentlemen

First time I heard this ad I didn't immediately associate it with Danny because he nowhere identifies himself.  Second time I heard it I caught an inflection and thought -- whoa, this is Danny playing it straight for Gentleman Jack.

Is there another ad done by a Ticket personality where, somewhere along the line, the speaker doesn't identify himself?  The Texas Land & Cattle ads don't identify the speakers at the outset, but Corby-Mike-Danny each speak one another's names.  There are probably a bunch of ads done by hosts where the host doesn't identify himself, but I can't think of any right now.  

Danny could be a professional voice -- he's got a couple of pronunciations to standardize (the one I catch is "min" for "men"), but this JG ad showcases nicely how good he can sound in a not-deliberately-over-the-top type of ad (Texas Land/Cattle).  

[Someone is probably going to write me and say "that's not Danny," but I'm pretty sure it is -- and, of course, he's been flogging GJ in the Whiskey War ads with Corby, who's wielding Woodford Reserve.]

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ThePlainsman1310@gmail.com

@Plainsman1310

Whither the Orphanage?

The demise of The Orphanage is regularly predicted by Confessors. I was never sure why, except that the show seemed to get under the skin of some listeners who show up here. It's been away the last two weeks. If there has been an explanation for its absence, I haven't heard it.

I only heard a bit of its replacement on Saturday. I believe it was Bruce LeVine and maybe Josh Bogorad? I didn't hear a name, but Bruce made reference to his partner, so I'm surmising. Nothing wrong with the show. Nothing distinctive, but an OK listen.

But it wasn't the Orphanage.

Some have tired of what they believe to be Danny's "act," the aging hipster music snob. Some feel that the ages have passed Dave Lane by. Some don't like the attitude, the nose-thumbing at show prep, the sometimes hung-over flavor to the whole thing.

I like all of these things, and I like The Orphanage. I would not like to see it leave the air.

But to everything there is a season, no? I am doubtful that either D or D is handsomely compensated for spending his Saturday morning on the air. Danny has gone into business which must require some of his professional attention, has musical irons in the fire, and he's still full-time on The Hardline (with, it seems, more absences than in the past).

No one has dropped me a line with any inside dope on the disposition of The Orphanage. Perhaps someone will. If it is the case that we have seen the last of it -- and, as Norm might say, with the greatest respect to Bruce LeVine and the other guy -- I hope the CTO will continue their policy of looking for some fresh voices among the JV. I'm not sure who it would be. For my money The Ticket has hit a home run with Cirque and The Shake Joint, and I also very much like any combination of Ty Walker, David Newbury, David Moore, Stewart Cedar, guys like that.

In the meantime, I'll remain hopeful that the Teebox will continue to hand off to Davey and Danny.

More Quick Hits Because I Don't Have Time to Do a Longer Piece Right Now

Thanks to a poster from the last thread for calling the opening of Danny's place, The Twilite Lounge, to our attention:

http://centraltrack.com/Food/3835/Loungin/A-Look-At-The-JustOpened-Twilite-Lounge-in-Deep-Ellum

Looks like a very gemütlich space, nifty.  I think it's very cool that Danny hasn't flogged the joint on the channel, that I've heard or heard about.   Guessing that he's not necessarily looking for the P1 demo or curiosity-seekers.  Letting those who are so inclined discover it for themselves.  

And I guess we have our answer as to whether one can open a bar and run a PM drive showgram at the same time.

To date, the website is rather uninformative:  http://www.thetwilitelounge.com/

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Am I hearing Conrad say that we should "listen more longer"?

*     *     *

Rich Phillips is doing an ad for an auto-parts store where he states that he seems like one's car runs better when the exterior is clean.  That is crazy, and absolutely correct.

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Am I hearing Conrad reading a Hardline promo that promises "The Pool Party"?  

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I thought I heard Mitchell Karasik toss in a substantive non-Ticker contribution to a weekend show.  Could be wrong -- I couldn't listen long enough to tell if he were doing Tickers, but it sounded like him.  It was a good contribution.  As I have reported in the past, Mitchell's background is not in reading copy.  When he talks rather than reads, he's kind of got a Tickety voice.  Hmm.  Wouldn't break my heart to hear more of him doing other things.

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Email:  ThePlainsman1310@gmail.com

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The Presentation -- Is Change in the Air?

This article is not about Mike's kidney stone, other than incidentally.

And, as I am inclined to do sometimes, I am going to jump to a conclusion based on extremely, extremely skimpy evidence.  Maybe not a "conclusion" -- maybe more of a  .  .  .  musing.

I got to hear a fair amount of The Hardline on Monday.  I was in my car and I quite literally sat up straighter in my seat as the Presentation progressed.

I heard two excellent, hard-core sports conversations between Mike and Corby, one right after the other.  One was about the NBA playoffs.  I think the other was Ranger-based, but my recollection is dimmer on that one.  The conversation was continuous, no dead spots where Danny had to jump in, interesting to listen to, and hard. 

I thought:  All right.  I haven't heard sports talk like this on The 'Line in months if not years.  Not jokey, apparently knowledgeable, straightforward.  As you know, I don't know a lot about sports, but it sounded genuine to me.  Could Corby and Mike have learned all the names and prospects and playoff permutations earlier in the day?  Could they have been reading off of a sportsy website?  I suppose.  It didn't have that feel to me, and I wouldn't have cared if it were.  

The one thing I noticed was that while Mike sounded "good" with respect to his cadence and content, his voice had that whispery, older-gentleman timbre that ausgang (I believe it was) and I began to notice popping up several months ago.  Must have had a rehearsal the night before, I thought.

I thought the entire show, all that I heard, was sharp and focused.  I thought to myself this is what Confessors have been asking for.  I did ask myself if I was just hearing what I wanted to hear, or sensationalizing what I perceived to be a better-planned show just so I'd have something to write about.  

It's possible -- but I don't think so.  I think there was a real effort there to beef up the content and dial back the chaos.  

Then, at the end of the show, we learn about Mike's battle with the dread kidney stone.  The guy must have been miserable.

Nevertheless, I thought Tuesday's show (of which I heard much less) was equally on track.

Do I think this means that The Hardline is moving back to a more thoughtful, targeted, prepped presentation?  Man, I have no idea.  I'm just saying I noticed it -- or thought I did -- on Monday and Tuesday.

While we're at it, let's keep a collective excellent thought for the Founder of the Feast, Mike Rhyner.  Hope he is back soon and energized for the tilt with Ben & Skin.

Which brings us to today's show with Corby, Danny, and Jake.  I thought it was excellent.  I have bored you all with my repeated insistence that when Corby is called upon to helm a show or take an active role on a different show, he really shines, shows that he's capable of leadership, planning, and a much more mature form of entertainment.

Unlike a commenter to the last thread, I thought Danny was equally good.  I confess (of course) to being a strong Danny partisan, including The Orphanage (which, ironically, begins with an image of a trainwreck).  He's one of the smartest guys on the channel, and I thought he was sharp and funny as usual today.  Several laugh out loud moments from them both.  

Jake had a gawdawful EQ going on his voice -- I understand he was broadcasting from the producer's perch, perhaps he left Danny's levels intact -- but his contributions were also appropriate and entertaining.  So I had zero problem with today's show and while I hope Mike gets back soon and broadcasts for another twenty, I will repeat what I've said in the past when we were puzzling over whether Mike was going to re-up last time around.  Assuming Danny wants to hang around and assuming they pay him what he's worth, Mike's departure would not require gigantic adjustments to PM drive.

But let me get back to my main point:  I do wonder if the prospect of new competition, other changes in the local industry, or the sense in the room  that The Hardline has kinda been loafing through its months of drivetime domination, has suggested to our Hard heroes a new seriousness of purpose.

Yah -- that's quite a thing to wonder based on two partial hearings of The Hardline.  You have plenary dispensation to say that I'm hearing things, those shows were just more of the same.  But yes, I did think I heard something, a little something between the lines, on Monday and Tuesday, and I liked it.

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Twitter:  @Plainsman1310

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The Hardline Blues

I had something else planned for this entry, but there seems to be a hot topic emerging among Confessors.

First, a brief report on a conversation I had last night.  Present at this moment were two adult woman and a man.  They know I do this site.  One of the women said that she hated The Hardline because it was "coarse."  Sports/guy radio is not going to be her first choice under any circumstances, but that was not the case with the other adult male, squarely in the Ticket demo wheelhouse.  He mentioned that he'd been liking Norm's show lately.  He also said that he had tried to listen to "the afternoon show."  He tried to explain who he was listening to, without success, and I just asked him if it were afternoon or afternoon drive.  Drive, he said.  He said when he tried to listen there was almost no sports talk, but sometimes they tried to do political talk and it was so ignorant that he had to switch it off.

Second, I can hardly remember the last time a Confessor said anything positive about The Hardline.  To judge from recent comments, some Confessors say they are drifting away and will drop it entirely if Danny leaves.  Personally, I don't feel that way.  I still enjoy the show.  I like Corby.  I don't mind Mike not having all that much on his mind.   I could do without the political stuff myself -- the only thing worse than Musers talking politics is The Line talking politics -- but in general, my forays into Galloway and RaGE territory are always brief.  Which is another way of saying, I guess, that The Line's competition is weak.  But even so, it would take a pretty extraordinary presentation by another station to get me to switch.

Having said that, I do think The Hardline may be entering one of its dark periods.  It is true, as Confessors say, that Mike is drifting into one of his disconnected phases, show prep is not apparent, the OverCorby is appearing more frequently.  I will keep an eye on this trend and report, although I suspect you will all do so before I do.

Believe it or not, this is the only picture I could find on the Internet of
Danny, Corby, and Mike together. I'm sure there are others,
they just didn't come up in any searches.   What makes it of particular interest
is that I took it.  Junior Miller's distinguished beak is entering the frame
stage right.

Third:

Danny.

The end of the comment string from the prior post reported on Robert Wilonsky's report that Danny and others have invested in the revival, if that's what it is, of the Twilight Lounge in Deep Ellum.   (Link to Robert's Report)  His specific use permit hearing is before the Dallas Plan Commission this week sometime.  Confessors report there was no mention of it made on the show today, as predicted on this very blog.  I would not expect to hear anything about it until Danny's departure was certain, which I continue to predict with something approaching zero conviction, and even then not until shortly before.  There are lots of hoops to jump through before something as iffy as a Deep Ellum revival commits to open its doors, and the last thing The Line would want would be a lengthy lame duck period for arguably the most popular guy on the show.

And the point I offer for discussion is what that departure would mean for the show.  I've always felt that Danny keeps the OverCorby under control and keeps the show moving.  He's also very smart, very funny, very witty (not the same thing), and just an all around good listen.   When either Mike or Corby is absent, the resulting show with Danny always gets good reviews.  When Danny is away, the reviews are not so good.  Would his departure send tremors through the CTO as they hand-wring over whether to replace him, and, if they do, with whom? 

Fourth:  Despite the evidence of the Confessor, the show is enjoying historical levels of popularity.  Something about the show continues to resonate with the demographic, and isn't that the idea?

So consider this an Open Thread for some truly thoughtful 30,000-foot thoughts on The Hardline.  Remember -- this site was founded in part as a reaction to what I call "The Corby Sux School of Ticket Journalism."    If you're abandoning the show, that's fine and you are invited to tell us why, but I'm really more interested in why you think the show is still a smash hit in the metro.

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Twitter:  @Plainsman1310

Email:  ThePlainsman1310@gmail.com

I'm Trying to Picture a Kevlar-Lined Jeep

I've listened with fascination to Rich Phillips's ads for Starwood Motors and its Kevlar Jeeps.  Indeed, he apparently owns one.  It has been awhile since I've heard the ad, but I could have sworn that he said it was Kevlar lined, or used Kevlar lining.  But my recollection may be failing me here, or, more likely, I thought that Kevlar, being akin to a fabric (I thought), was used on the interior of the vehicle.

This was incorrect thinking.

The damned thing is coated with Kevlar.

I refer you to the Starwood Motors page describing the Kevlar Jeep.  This particular one is sold as of the date of this posting, apparently, and indeed, the last time I went to this page, the Kevlar Jeep pictured was red. (If the link doesn't work, just google "Kevlar Jeep Starwood Motors" and you'll find it, unless, of course, you're using Bing.)   Maybe you order one, or they customize one at a time on spec, I dunno.  In any event, I invite you to click on the image and get a bigger picture and take a close look at the sheet metal, or where the sheet metal would ordinarily be visible. 

Indeed, the text says: 

"The entire exterior of the vehicle has been professionally coated with Premium Protective Coating w/Kevlar Fiber (4700 PSI tensile strength, which is over 200% strength of other brands), making it impervious to the elements."  It warns buyers:  "Beware of imitations! Many have tried to copy our unique Jeep conversions, only to produce uneven liner coverage, inconsistent or flawed texture, non-Kevlar liner, sub-standard parts and shoddy workmanship."

Now, I must say:  (1) This vehicle looks pretty cool.  The Chrysler folks are making some nifty vehicles these days, and until recently, I owned a Grand Cherokee SRT8 that was and is the absolutely coolest vehicle on the road for under $50,000 (it was my everyday driver and I traded it when the miles got way up there, and I'm even sorta sorry I traded it then).  (2) The Kevlar doesn't look ridiculous, and the red was also very eye-catching.  (3) I'm something of a Rich fan and if a vehicle nut like Rich vouches for the utility of this customization, I'll have some respect for that.  Hey, it sent me to the site to check it out, and now I'm writing this article about it.

But I have a few questions:

     --  How do you keep this stuff clean?  There was a time when vinyl roofs were all the rage.  Me Dad had an old Cutlass Supreme with one, and it didn't look bad, but it was a bear to clean -- swipe marks were all but impossible to avoid, and since you can't polish Kevlar like you can painted sheet metal (or can you?  I have no idea), I'm wondering how it's kept looking nice.  Maybe you just hose it off.  Can you take it through a car wash?

     --  "Impervious to the elements"?  In what respect are today's cars pervious to elements?  I can't remember the last time I even ever saw a rusty car, and man, I used to live in Chicago where (1) they salted the roads in the winter, and (2) they had winter.

     --  How is collision damage repaired?  Does this stuff rip?  And assuming you can re-coat a repaired fender, does this stuff fade at all?  I wouldn't think you could match existing material that had lost some of its color or that even was a bit nicked.

     --  Will it stop bullets and stuff?  

Let's just say it's easier for me to imagine Rich driving this vehicle than it is to imagine Danny driving any kind of a Volvo.*

====================

LATER:  Rich's Kevlar Jeep:

______________________________

* Really sorry, Danny, I went looking for the name of the dealer you're endorsing but couldn't find it.  I'll come back and fix this next time I hear the ad.  And yeah, the S60 R-Design has some greatness about it, but I just can't get all up in any 5-cylinder engine -- it's like it's missing a chromosome or something.

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Danny the Pitchman (Pronounced "PITCH-mun")

Big fan of Danny Balis.  It looks like most Confessors are as well. One hears the occasional complaints about music snobbishness, but they are more than offset by those who think he is the savior of a declining Hardline.  Myself, I don't even mind the aging slacker persona presented on the Orphanage. I don't care how old he is, it's not only a good bit, it's not even a bit.  Like it or not, his radio personality seems entirely genuine.  And he's a funny, witty guy.  He pulls it off. 

 

Which is why I get such an enormous kick out of his solo advertising spots. You can hear the struggle in his voice:  On the one hand, he wants to keep faith with his sponsor and convey a sincere interest in persuading the listener to purchase the product. On the other, he wants to convey to his fans that he hasn't sold out. On top of this, he has to cram a lot of words into a short period of time, not his customary mode of expression.  The result is a not-unpleasant but somewhat unctuous semi-ironic tone, vaguely intimate and strongly inflected, that hopes to please the sponsor while nudging the P1 in the ribs.

 

I had to laugh listening to the Park Place Mercedes-Benz ad driving in the other day.   I pictured Danny returning to his apartment in his 2-Series after a long day of broadcasting, producing, and careful show prep.  He turns on his laptop and sees  a long list of P1s who have e-mailed him at his Park Place address, requesting his urgent assistance in purchasing a new Mercedes-Benz as he invites them to do in his ad.  I picture him opening each email, carefully examining the preferences and desires of each Mercedes-needing listener (they must be countless in The Ticket's demo), cross-referencing that data with the inventory at Park Place Mercedes, and selecting the exactly appropriate sales consultant to arrange an introduction for the corresponding P1 – or, in Danny's phrase, to "hook you up."  It's an amazing service Danny offers, allowing the P1 to take advantage of his close professional connection with the doubtless hard-to-reach members of the Park Place Mercedes-Benz sales department.

 

Love it.  It's Great to Shop at The Ticket.

 

Danny B with Another Fine Park Place Brand

 

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