The Freak: It Said What it Wanted . . .

REMINDER: "ANONYMOUS" POSTS WILL BE DELETED.

A List, and Some Thoughts

I'm still thinking Corby and Danny stay where they are in the positions they now have.  I don't think Danny will be elevated, if he even wants that with his other outside interests.  He may not.


The thought I have is that the replacement must have sports knowledge.  Must.  This is where The FAN eats The Ticket's lunch.  It's where The Hardline has weakened over the years in a way that there simply was almost no serious sports talk on the show except maybe when Corby would talk tennis or college football, and even then  .  .  .  .

The second thought I have is that the replacement needs to have some weight, some heft, some adult credentials to rein in Corby/Danny's more juvenile tendencies.  Although, on further consideration, maybe The Ticket is looking to get younger at all positions, bring in some guys at the lower end of the demo that they seem to be losing.

So let's go through the list:

Of the current hosts, only Donovan strikes me as a potential Hardline replacement, and I don't see that working, much as I like Donovan.  Just not enough razzle-dazzle, and I think Corby and Danny would be tiptoeing around him to some degree.  While he and Corby do seem comfortable together and can put on a good show, that combo just doesn't spark for me.

Cat isn't going to break up BaD, and is not going to move BaD into The Hardline slot -- I don't think.  


That leaves, in no particular order:

Jake:  Leading coming out of the turn.  Sportsy, loquacious, smart, snotty.  At first I thought Jake with Corby would be too much snot for one show, but of the people at the station, he's probably tops.  There's no weightier Ticket guy available except Donovan, assuming neither Bob nor Dan graduates to The Hardline.  (And, if so, it would have to be Bob.  Dan -- Corby would say, "Are you kidding me?"  Besides, I think both Bob and Dan really like their time slot and massive intern support where they are now.)

Mike Sirois:  Love Mike Sirois.  Sportsy enough?  A little thin-skinned sometimes, makes for some interesting radio.  Cirque is frequently replaced, although he seems to be present for his producer duties with The Invasion.  He doesn't suffer fools gladly and he and Corby/Danny might be a tense fit.

Sean Bass:  Oddly, Sean seems to be a polarizing figure with the Confessor.  I like him.  Is he flavorful enough to boost The Hardline?  He's been moved into a semi-management role at The Ticket, so there's some weight there, and he is sportsy.  I don't recall a Sean/Corby pairing in the past but I'd like to hear it.

I don't see anyone more junior than Jake, Mike or Sean being serious candidates, as talented as some of them are.  Both Justin Montemayor and David Mino have turned into accomplished hosts on the Work in Progress Sunday show, they're both very good.  But with them there's the weight problem.

Ty Walker:  Like him on Country Force, and he can talk baseball.  He's gotten kicked in the cojones for so long by hosts -- all in fun, sure -- could he be elevated?

Dave Lane:  Again, a guy I like whenever I hear him.  I didn't think his +1 coat-and-tie "interview" appearance last week showcased him to good advantage.  His Mike tribute was great, but overall he didn't seem to be at his best.

I like Eli Jordan quite a lot, but I just don't see him leapfrogging more tenured in-house candidates.

One possibility is to do nothing.  No replacement.  Leave it as the Corby/Danny show.  Anyone else thinking that Corby sounds more responsible without Mike present?  Danny too?  Maybe I'm imagining things.  The Confessor seems to think that would not be a good idea, but I wouldn't mind it.

Let me throw out a couple of longshots:

David Moore.

Mike Doocy.

They're both sportsy; they're both adults.  I have no idea whether they are available or willing.  I do believe that Doocy, at least, could keep his current gig and still do the afternoon show.  David has to be present at Cowboy events and skulk around the locker room, so his availability is less certain.  However -- what is it that is making me think that David Moore is not a young man?  I went looking for his age and couldn't find it, but I think I heard somewhere that he's actually out of the demo.  (David, sorry if I've misheard that somewhere.)  He may be ready for a regular radio gig and broadcast paycheck.  Both are familiar to Ticket listeners.  Both have a sense of humor.  Doocy would need to tamp down his natural inclination to deference.  And again -- The Ticket may not want to replace Mike with an actual adult.  No idea whether either would blend with Corby/Danny.

And I think Lee "Hacksaw" Hamilton is available.

I'm probably forgetting someone's favorite, and when you tell me who I've forgotten I'll smack my forehead and apologize.

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.)

On the Run with Dan and Mike

I caught a fair bit of the Dan McDowell-Mike Sirois midday presentation today in the car and thought it was pretty good.

I was going to write a compare-and-contrast thing about Dan and Bob, on the one hand, and Dan and Other People, on the other, but I'm in between commitments here and expected elsewhere soon.

Also, I'm uncertain what I think about that topic.

Maybe I'll come back to this later and jot down a few thoughts on the enigmatic chemical ingredient that is Dan McDowell.

Or maybe you guys can write it for me.

Dan and Mike, it's not important that you have hair; it's only important that I have hair.

I May Regret This

Readers will recall that the last post invited a Sirois to get in touch with me if he had an interest in viewing, or basking in the presence of, a choice fossilized megalodon tooth that I happen to own.

It's the real thing, not a replica.  Original organic material has been replaced by phosphate-rich minerals, giving it a mostly black color.  It was found by a diver who looks for these things off the coast of South Carolina, where much of the world's supply of meg teeth are found.

Other than teeth, no other remains of megs are known.  Some coprolites.  A few spinal bones, not many.  Their size and habits have been largely deduced from their teeth.

Teeth are not that rare, but undamaged large ones are uncommon and prized.

A Sirois, one Mike, contacted me.

He invited me to attend the showing of "The Meg" at the Studio Movie Grill on Royal.  Although I think it is possible he was more interested in the megalodon tooth than in me personally.  He even said he'd pop for a ticket.

I hereby accept.

The show is at 7.  Mike said he'd be at the theater at 6.

I plan to be there sometime between 6-6:30.

To my knowledge there are no bits planned around the tooth.  I think he just wants to be in the presence of what remains of a megalodon before viewing "The Meg."  But I'll go with what he has in mind, if  anything.

But the thing is -- if you would like to meet Your Plainsman after these nine anonymous years, I would very much like to meet you.  No tricks, no paper bag over my head. 

I have appointments that day, and will probably be in a lightweight suit and tie, something like that.   Since that will make me identifiable, I'll probably go with that.  I have a 4:30 engagement but I can duck out of that to get to the SMG.  Please come on up and say hello, chat a bit.  If Mike isn't playing with the tooth, I'll have it in hand, so there's another way you can recognize me.

See you there?

CONFIDENTIAL TO ONE OR ANOTHER SIROIS: Have I Got a Guest for You

I don't know if Mike or Cash ever have a cup of coffee at MTC, but if they do:

Mike/Cash:

I couldn't help noticing that lately you have been talking a lot about the movie "The Meg."

It will feature a gigantic extinct shark known scientifically as Carcharodon megalodon.

I believe you intend to feature more megalodon talk on future Sirois-based programming.

I have a special guest to suggest that I am able to procure for you.

An actual megalodon.

Now, of course, there are no live megalodons left, suspension of disbelief in connection with "The Meg" notwithstanding.

In fact, there is not much of any megalodon left, alive or dead.  As a shark, it was a cartilaginous fish (i.e., no actual bones), and cartilage is only rarely preserved in the fossil record.  We have a very, very few fossils of some spinal bones, some coprolites (fossilized feces) .  .  . 

.  .  .  and teeth.

Most of the known megalodon teeth come from underwater sediments off the coast of the Carolinas.  They are not particularly rare, but large, well-preserved teeth are somewhat unusual and costly.

Cue Vivaldi.

I have one.

This isn't a replica.  It's the real thing, albeit fossilized, much of the original material replaced by phosphates, which give the tooth its black color.  It's about six inches long and the serrations are intact.  The root is well-preserved and the bourlette (the chevron-shaped structure between the root and the tooth) clearly defined.   It was found by a diver who spends his days looking for these teeth off the coast of South Carolina.

It won't be much of an interview.  In fact, it would do very little to enhance a radio presentation.

But it is pretty much the closest thing you can possibly get to having an actual megalodon in the studio with you.

Contact me at theplainsman1310@gmail.com or advise in the comments below.  I will arrange for its secure delivery to you.  I believe I can promise exclusivity for this appearance.

Hey, Confessors -- if you own a megalodon tooth, send me a snap and I'll post it here.

Glad I Caught the Line of Hardness Today PLUS BREAKING BREAKING: FAHY SEPARATION FROM TICKET NOT A BIT

I've been away from the waves for awhile, but I was in the Conestoga today during PM drive and caught two fantastic segments.

The first -- I have no idea what it started out to be, something about George Clooney being the father of a one-year-old in his fifties, but it finished up with speculation on the Mikes (Rhyner and Sirois) becoming fathers at their respective stages in life.  Haven't laughed so hard at The Ticket in months.  Bent over the steering wheel laughing at Corby's -- yes, Corby's -- remarks and baby-mother riffs.

The second was a segment on artists (like Harry Styles) who shift genres after success in one genre.  Not hilarious, but very solid.  One of those segs that had more information in the bag -- more, ahem, "preparation," if you will, but they ran out of time.  Hope they reprise this when I'm listening again.

The Hard Ones take it up the keest on this site once in awhile, but today reminded me of why I don't spend a lot of time investigating the competition.

*     *     *

BREAKING BREAKING ON 2018 06 09:   A usually reliable Deep-Cumulo-Source confirms that one of my personal favorites, John Fahy, has indeed been let go by The Ticket.  I do not have details but it was not, shall we say, for financial reasons.  Very sorry to see him go, he was a cool voice on The Little One.  Hope he lands somewhere cool.

So What's the Deal with All This Tension?

And during the feelgood holidays, at that?

Let's review:

Mike Sirois v. T.C. Fleming:   T.C. holding forth at length on some aspect of coolness relating to cleats, and Sirois just flat sutting him down.

T.C. Fleming v. John Fahy:   I heard that exchange this morning at the beginning of That Certain Shake Joynt.  T.C. took his "competently produced" shot, and Fahy absolutely unloaded on him at his next opportunity, noting T.C.'s history of occasional marblemouthedness during Tickers, his BaD Radio sycophancy, and other sins.

Jake Kemp v. Unidentified Shake Joint Guy:  I missed the first few minutes of the show, but it sounded like Jake was wrapping up some fairly specific put-down of someone working on the show that morning, but I got in late couldn't identify the victim of his wrath.  Please advise if you know who it was.

Gordon Keith v. Mike Sirois: About Mike's mother, no less, and what I gather was speculation on her sexual history.  I caught just a little of this on Monte + The Machine yesterday so might not have that quite right -- corrections welcome.  (Those M+M boys do like to stir things up, don't they?)

Jake Kemp v. John Fahy:  After gently chiding his pal T.C. for his "silly" and "uncool" remarks about John, he noted that in listening to the latter's Top Ten work, he observed that Fahy would sometimes eliminate the actual punch line of the segment being featured, but sometimes include the 40-liner.   Tending to support T.C.'s judgment.

What's going on?  No idea; however, I wonder if it has something to do with the fact that the established hosts aren't likely to go anywhere for a long time unless someone retires early or dies, and you have a generation of JV that's been there a long time with no advancement.

The Ass Ceiling:  You keep these ambitious, intelligent guys down long enough with so very few opportunities to shine on-air, and the jockeying for position can become pretty intense.

Could be something else -- some event behind the scenes that's caused some lines to be drawn among The Next Generation.

 

I thought you'd enjoy a post that wasn't about advertising.

How We Know Cat Knows

Should I have prefaced the title of this piece with my occasional warning:  "LISTENING TOO HARD"?  Maybe.  Maybe. 

In his Ask Me Anything on My Ticket Confession, the Western Hemispherical Catman reported his opinion that The Hardline was like a stool (not that kind of stool) with three equal legs.

He took some heat for this.

Listeners hear the same evidence that he does.  It is plain that Corby has come to dominate the show, with the aid of Danny.  Not everyone finds this a problem.  While I join those who have wearied of The OverCorby, I also think he's a terrific broadcaster who is very entertaining when taken in the originally prescribed doses.  But yeah, Mike "Short Leg" Rhyner had begun to disappear on the Ticket anchor show he founded.  Come on, now.

Cat knows.

My evidence for this is circumstantial.

It centers on an ad that The Ticket ran for quite awhile.  After I made the observation I'm about to report, I had hoped to hear the ad again so I could get the quote exactly right, but I haven't heard it in awhile.

It's an ad for The Hardline, and at one point, Conrad says something like:

"And you'll get to hear a Texas Radio Hall of Famer -- or not."   (Accompanied, I am dimly recalling, by a sound effect.)

I don't know that Cat approves internal ad copy and final product, but I'm betting he does.

If so, with this phrase he's winking at the P1.

If you tune in to The Hardline, maybe you'll hear Mike, maybe you won't.

There's something else.

My schedule has really cut into my Hardline listening in recent weeks.  I tune in when I can, but recently my PM commute coincides with the waning minutes of the show.  But on those occasions when I'm able to listen to the meat of the presentation, I've heard something I haven't heard in a long time:

Mike.

Participating in interviews.  Conversing with Corby and Danny. Analyzing Ranger baseball.  Jumping in.  (Or is it "popping on" at this point?)

You all need to tell me -- am I imagining this?  Or has he picked up his game very noticeably in the last month or so?

*     *     *

One of the nice things about having a blog is that I can just dump my utterly unprovable guesses on an unsuspecting congregation.

Here is my theory about when Mike began to check out with greater frequency:

It was when he was introduced to the iPad.

*     *     *

QUICK HIT:  Pet peeve vindicated.

Mike Sirois chastised Mike "The Machine" Marshall today for calling the show "Cirque de Sirois."  The Machine was unfazed.  Made no difference to him.  

Sirois said that it was like George Dunham perpetually mispronouncing Norm's name as "Hitchges," and he sounded pretty disgusted about both.

*     *     *

A Confessor leaving a comment to the last thread noted that the incomparable Sturm and the coming-to-seem-indispensable Mike Sirois had put in an appearance on the Reddit page to clear something up.  He speculated that MTC may have lost some of its "cachet."  

I was flattered to think anyone ever thought it ever had much cachet, but there's probably something to that comment.

MTC will be six years old on Tuesday.  You are reading post number 711.  Hits and pageviews are stronger than ever.   Maybe we should have a party.

But unlike Reddit -- by the way, the guys that run that page do a terrific job and yes, as someone also observed on the last thread, they do appear to clean it up -- the topics here tend to be guided by the posts (although comments have very free reign).  And, this post aside, Your Plainsman hasn't had much original to say lately.

I'm hoping this will change.  It's a time of ferment at The Ticket.  Competition among stations is more vigorous.  The ratings on which broadcast decisions are based are equivocal and may well be faulty.  The JV 43-Man Squamish for attention is heating up.   Contracts will be running out.  Most will probably be renewed, but that day is coming when there will be an organic change in one or more of the shows. 

There's lots to think about, lots to write about.  I'll do my best to continue to find the time.

Thank you for your loyal patronage of My Ticket Confession.

Quick Hits Before I Forget

Yes, I'll have some thoughts on the AMA, just leave me alone for Chrissakes.  I spent days on that thing, I'm taking a break from long-form think-pieces.  Here are some quick hits.

(1) I could not for the life of me figure out what George's "firearms legal" ads were about.  What is the product?  What service is being offered?  Apparently George uses this service ("like me"). 

I went to www.firearmslegal.com.  Apparently, this is a pitch for what are essentially prepaid legal services.  You pay a monthly fee and get your attorneys fees paid under the following circumstances, and I'm not kidding you, this is what it says:  "100% payment for attorney fees when a firearm is used lawfully for self-defense in protection of yourself, your family, or your property."


In other words, they will pay the fee only if they defend you successfully, and not if they fail (because your use of a firearm will have been found "unlawful").


Moreover, how often are homeowners prosecuted for shooting an invader?  Almost never.

Moreover, how often do homeowners shoot an invader?  Almost never.

In other words -- what a scam.  George should back away from this nonsense.

(2)  Let's put aside whether David Letterman is a pioneering comedy genius or a cranky, stammering bore.  My objection to the overcoverage of his departure on The Hardline relates not so much to the fact of the overcoverage itself, it's that it is almost free of interesting content.  Corby has absolutely no discernment when it comes to separating entertainment wheat from chaff.  The drumbeat of his worshipful descriptions of Dave (accompanied by his shameful browbeating of Mike for not tuning in at Corby's insistence, and Mike's meek acquiescence in these charges of his viewing shortcomings)  is dull when it occupies a segment, and excruciating when presented as a daily serial leading up to the last show.  It's just plain bad radio.

(3) Here's my extremely unsupported takeaway from Deflategate -- Tom's cheating on Giselle.

(4) Listening to the replay of the T.C./Sirois coughing incident on the E-Brake.  I'd love to know the T.C. behind-the-scenes stuff.  I need to go back and listen to Gordon's feral cat "TomCat Fleming" bit from a couple of days ago.  There's some inside stuff in there.  Anyone got an analysis of that bit?

[Comments to this site are moderated.  

Before posting, please read Rules of the Confessional.  Thank you.] 

ThePlainsman1310@gmail.com

@Plainsman1310 

Two Positive Hardline Quick Hits for a Change to Freshen Up the Thread

(1) Loved Mike's rant yesterday on Rangers Opening Day.  I don't understand why we can't get that level of engagement, if not outright passion, much more frequently from him.

(2)  I also enjoyed what I heard of the Corby/Mike Sirois "Masters Preview".  Would love to hear more specialty programming like that after 7 pm.  Did this get any promotion at all prior to broadcast?

Sorry for the undernourished post and otherwise low profile lately.  I hope to be back to a more regular schedule sometime within the next few weeks.  In the meantime, if you have some extended remarks you'd like me to consider, instead of commenting why don't you pop them into an email and maybe I'll feature them in a post?  If I don't I'll run them as a comment.

Thanks for continuing to check in.

[Comments to this site are moderated.  

Before posting, please read Rules of the Confessional.  

Thank you.] 

ThePlainsman1310@gmail.com

@Plainsman1310 

Memorial Cirque Quick Hits -- AMENDED

Liking the sound of CDS this morning.  Nice paced conversation.  Funny, relaxed.  No forced radio wackiness or multitracked voicings.  Compare and contrast:  Ben + Skin.

Happy Birthday, Machine.

Laugh:  Mike (I think) discussing his early grilling attempts, and referring to the instrument used to pick up meat from the grill (in this case, trying to keep something from falling through the grate) as "tweezers."

Laugh:  A Sirois (again, I think Mike) referring to the Indy 500 trophy as "frozen face nipples."  (Could become as Ticket-legendary as "Green Tail Shiner.")

I may have missed this guy in the past, but where has John Fahey been?  Perfect Tickers.  Is he a Cumulus guy sitting in?  A long-time fill-in guy who has just escaped my notice?  Great cadence, and a Ticket-ready voice with a smile in it.

 *     *     *

LATER IN THE DAY:

Liking That Shake Joint Thang a lot.  I only got to hear maybe an hour of it off and on, but what I heard was strong on substance with a good balance of humor, quirks, and general personality.  Strong offering.

An early commenter below talks about David and David (Newbury and Moore) "failing," but I think The Boomtown is always a first-rate show.  Especially for those who gripe about the lack of actual sports on The Ticket.  (Not me, but you're out there).   I have no idea what the Confessor was talking about. 

So tell me, good Confessors:  Let's say The Ticket hosts all disappeared tomorrow and you had to hear today's lineup every day.  Would you listen to The Ticket or would you spend a whole lot more time with ESPN and The Fan?   For me, no question:  Today's shows were all better than anything I pretty much ever hear elsewhere.  Now having to do one show with time to prepare may not give us a good indicator of how these guys would all do on a day-to-day basis, but we've heard enough of all of them over the course of the last few years to know that they're very consistent performers. 

(Maybe the more exotic hypothetical would be:  What if a rival spirited away today's shows and lined them all up against Musers/Norm/BaD/Hardline?   Have you thought about it?)

*     *     *

Guessing Ticket salaries is a fool's errand, so my qualifications are impeccable.  Re Danny:  Pretty sure his base dollars are pretty close to where he claims.  Low-mid five figures.  The only question I would have is whether he gets some small extra duty pay for The Orphanage.  Glad to see the chap getting some endorsement dollars, local merchants banking on his legendary sincerity. 

*     *     *

Everyone:  Remember, remember.

The Dark Side of the M -- Oh, Wait

Another quick-hit post while I'm underwater.

I thought Cirque did a nice job on Saturday with the interview with Dennis Hope, the guy who claims to own not only the moon, but close to an additional 100 celestrial bodies, mostly other solar system planets and their moons (although, oddly, not the sun).  He sells pieces of it at bargain prices (a double sawbuck will get you a nice plot on the moon).  You can laugh if you want, but the guy has made close to $10 million selling this worthless paper.  Honest to God.

You can find the epicenter of his activities at www.lunarembassy.com.

Dennis Hope wearing his

Lunar Embassy polo

 

 

Mike and Cash balanced respect and politeness with just an edge of incredulity, and it was an interesting interview that moved along nicely.  As it went on, Mr. Love opened up some, and, depending on your point of view, his (i) unhingedness, or (ii) sheer audacious fraudmastery, emerged in full flower.

 

I did think it was amusing that one or both of the Siroises were under the impression that the sun only shines on one side of the moon, with the other side in permanent darkness. 

 

Mr. Hope politely corrected them.

BREAKING NEWS: Cirque to Replace Scrubs

I have it on impeccable authority (that is, I didn't hear this myself) that around noon Cash Sirois announced that Cirque du Sirois would be replacing the Scrubs, or what was left of them -- man, how dispiriting must it be to be the remains of something called "The Scrubs"? -- following the Orphanage on Saturday afternoons.

David Newbury has taken his lumps from Confessors over the past couple of weeks, but I have always thought that he does bring something to the station.  Whether he's cut out to be the star of a showgram remains unclear, but as a hard-core sports guy -- which species some believe is underrepresented at The Ticket -- his credentials would seem to be fairly well-established.  I'm hoping he gets a shot somewhere else on the Little One, perhaps with a strong co-host.

I haven't heard who will be taking Cirque's place on Sunday.  It makes sense to move the strong Cirque to Saturday, which I'm guessing is a more heavily-trafficked listen. 

Well, Confessor and crypto-insider Gypo Nolan had it right -- BIIIG changes on the way for the weekend.

*     *     *

Follow Your Plainsman on Twitter:  @Plainsman1310

VOICE OF THE NATION: Open Forum on Norm and Mike S

I'm out of town and out of touch and out of time, but thought I would follow up on a commenter's suggestion to allow open posting from time to time.

I like Norm's show when I hear it and enjoy Norm at other times, but I hear the show so seldom that it doesn't get much notice here.  I regret that, so maybe you all can fill in the midday hole on this site.

As always, you can post on any topic you like, but I thought I"d get things rolling with a suggestion.  Mike Sirois has been with Norm for awhile now, after Friedo's long tenure.  How do we all think it's going?  My very brief exposure to the team leaves me with a pretty good feeling.  Mike S doesn't have a distinctive broadcast voice, but he's smart and quick and the Norm/Mike combo seems to be clicking.

Your thoughts?

Back in a few days.

Some Drydock Quick Hits from Confessor Doug

Confessors, I have a special holiday treat for you. Frequent and perspicacious commenter Doug dropped me a private line the other day. He says the holidays left him with some downtime, so he got off a few private blasts. I thought they were very interesting and well-stated, on topics I did not have on my own list, so I secured his permission to share some of them. I’ve edited them a bit for length. My thanks to Doug both for taking the time to write, and to let me publish them here:

Doug on Drydock Showgram Quality and Substitute Hosts

It's implied that during drydock, the quality of the shows will drop off a little, but the substitutes Cat (I guess) comes up with make the station nearly unlistenable.

I remember in a segment just after the 15th anniversary party (which I relive thanks to the UnTicket) Bob and Dan preached the greatness of Bruce Gilbert (before he took the Fan PD gig) because he went out and got radio guys to do radio things. I understand they aren't going to get top talent for four weeks of fill-in time, but The Ticket has plenty of people in their arsenal that I think would produce better radio.

The problem with grabbing TV guys is they're too aware of their day job. I think Mark Followill is the best sub and has deep Ticket roots, won't so much as cuss without thinking twice about it. I'm not saying working blue produces good radio, but I do think good radio is made mostly off the cuff. Doocy isn't bad either, but again, you don't get that same level of honesty. Everything is polished. You're telling me Mike loves everyone he works with and doesn't have a single issue with his day job? Please. It's not their fault, though. If I had a dream job I wouldn't do anything to jeopardize it either. That's my point. The problem is the casting (I left out one obvious one. I'll get to him in a sec).

[On John Rhadigan:] I feel terrible for what I'm about to say because he seems like a total sweetheart of a man. Everyone says that working with John will spoil you because he is the ultimate professional, but holy crap. The guy just has nothing. Great on TV postgame shows, Horrible for four hours. He does waaaay too many resets. He takes a hit of speed before he does a segment, causing him to talk 600 words a minute, he repeats himself too much, he swallows his words like Ditka, and he’ll start a thought, then take an immediate left turn into another thought. He tries to get the Ticket lingo, but gets it just wrong, which is about as annoying as misquoting movies or songs. I’m sure he’s one of the nicest guys in the DFW market in person, but he just tries too hard.

Doug on Alternative Drydock Programming

With Elf gone, The Scrubs about as generic as you can get, and Danny on vacation (but Davey has a day job as a copywriter, which is awesome, so he probably couldn’t do fill-in anyway), I would propose giving the boys at It’s Just Banter a go from noon to 3. [I’d never heard of it, but apparently it’s the TC Fleming/Jake Kemp podcast – Plainsman.] They’re raw, sure. They cuss on the podcast, but they both have on-air experience. Plus they have chemistry with each other which is so important in radio, but somehow over looked during drydock. They’re also hungry to prove themselves. They’ll do their homework and have each segment planned out to a tee.

Then for 3-7 Cirque du Sirois. I love Mike Sirois. Loved him when he was doing Saturday morning Tickers full of schtick. Loved him when he was fill in producer, and I listen to Norm more now because he’s the producer. He’s got something. And he’s in his element when he’s working with people he knows like…his brother. They’ve got a good thing going. I’m almost wondering if Cash was busy this week since he’s not filling in anywhere.

More Doug at a later date. Comments are now open. I would remind commenters, who are almost always respectful – Anonymous, now, you be good – that Doug did not originally write this material for publication. He’s allowing me to republish his remarks because I asked him to let me do it. So keep that in mind as you post your thoughtful reactions. Many thanks

--  Plainsman