THE J&R SHOW REVIEW

Written By: CALIFORNIA CONDOR
1-18-2011

THE DRIVE TIME SHOW REVIEW

I have been listening to the Josh and Rich's (J&R) Drivetime Show for almost a month.  I felt it was my due diligence to review this show because it was the Drive Time where I became a fan of Sports Radio 610.

When the news was announced "Josh to replace Robert Henslee on the Drive Time", I was happy because I felt Josh needed a defining role at SR610.  I also believed it would accelerate Rich into current media (internet era). 

RAP SHEETS

Josh is a young inspiring personality that wants the focus on him.  The fans are complete morons to him, but he will occasionally throw fans a bone depending on the mood..  His shtick is predicated on self-deprecating humor which can be perceived as a defense mechanism.  He's very sensitive about his craft.  Sure he welcomes the fat loser virgin jokes but the minute you come at his profession or colleagues, he will defend.  Very astute to events before his time (sports and pop culture) which makes him that much more powerful as a personality because it lets you know he has propensity to learn.  Sports intelligence is limited to the states of Missouri and Louisiana.  In other words, you will frequently hear him referencing the teams of those states because that's his homestead and work experience.

Rich Lord

Rich is an older personality that has been in the game a while.  Josh can actually learn from Rich because Rich is a "pro" at his job.  A super negative non-objective personality towards the Texans before being hired as a sideline reporter.  He is not so much of a loose cannon, but he will make a non-sensitive remark every now and then.  At every chance he can, he will claim the status of a Liberal, but his actions contradict his words in my opinion.  I have met Rich a couple of times and he's not a bad guy but he just has an auro of him that screams "cut throat" in my opinion.  I think Rich is awesome in delivering information in a professional clear cut manner.  He story is quite impressive, New York to El Campo to Houston to the Texans.  Anyone that has live in El Campo and made it out, is Bravo Zulu within itself.  As far as sports, he's limited  to historical references not Xs & Os and sometimes even his historical references leave a lot to be desired.  Rich is the first to tell you, that he don't know Xs & Os.

FIRST WEEK

The first week I listened to the show, there were at most two minor glitches of the guys becoming synchronized with each other, but nothing that really caused a concern.  I felt that Rich was being  indifferent with Josh.  At every point that Josh would go off of sports into his social/personal life, Rich made it known that it was a Sports Talk Show.   Was Rich being fair?  As the elder statesman, I guess you can say he was helping, but it's a part of me that felt Rich was purposely scrutinizing Josh's every action.  Josh still tried to pull off his act on the show with the prolonged laughs as he goes into his next bit.  All in all, the first week was OK.

WEEK TWO

The guys have felt each other out and the show is running smooth, but I am still noticing jabs at Josh in addition to more Rich Lord vacation.  In all fairness, it's December and someone with tenure as long as Rich would have a lot of vacation therefore take it, if you have it.  It was at this point I put the guys on alert that I was listening and I would be writing about the show, no reply and business as usual for the two. 

One thing I did take out of Week #2, Josh was talking about his frequent visits to the Principal's Office for things he may have said on the radio and he casually asked Rich, "You know what I mean when you have to go talk to the Program Director for something you said on the air". Rich replied, "No". I immediately texted "Rich went to the principals office by his own request, he volunteered to go tell on Lance & John for the the ROOSTER CALLS".  To my surprise, I found out later, that Rich have been summoned to the Principal's Office for comments made on the air.

Beyond

In the beginning, there appeared to be no cohesiveness, but now that the guys have been working together continuously, you can see the identity of the show beginning to take shape.   In the last two weeks of the show, a couple of things jumped out.  First, there was the incident with Rich getting visibly annoyed with Josh's singing during the birthday bit.  Secondly, Rich's comments towards a Yahoo blogger and Josh's actions. 

I can understand Rich being upset with Josh's singing through the birthday calls but I think "on-air" disputes is not the way to approach the issue.  Josh has finally made it to a "prime time" slot by being the personality on-air we still witness on-air; I don't believe you can tell him to all of a sudden stop having fun.  On the other hand, Josh may need to take heed to Rich because he is a seasoned personality.  No one is right or wrong, but this is one of the few kinks that should be ironed out behind closed doors.

Last Thursday, Josh read a story from Yahoo Sports by a blogger.  Apparently, the blogger wrote some things contrary to the AP Style Book.  As Josh begin to read the story with Greg Koch in studio, Rich told Josh to stop at the first sentence because the blogger wrote "a ways away".  Rich discredited the blogger for bad grammar.  That's fair if Rich doesn't want his sports literature dumbed down.  Of course, HMW are bloggers and not to be confused with defending credibility of professional journalists nor bloggers, however Rich's comments towards the blogger says alot.

(Please note that Professor Mike In Dairy Ashford has reviewed the text of Zachary Stanley's blog and his grammar was acceptable.)

There are very few in the Houston Sports Market who are not social networking:  Charlie Pallilo, Ralph Cooper, and Rich Lord just to name a few.  If you are not involved in social networking, I can see why that introduction sentence bothered you.  Bloggers are not professional journalists and most typically speak in a social networking style. 

If Rich is bothered by that sentence, I challenge him to read some of the blogs on Chron.com.  Lately the journalist/bloggers on Chron.com have relaxed some of the standard writing rules while invoking minimal use of slang and social network speak and I LOVE IT.  Many media (radio, TV, journalists) professionals have come to a point of accepting the realities of the Internet era that twitter, facebook, and bloggers are here.  Rich instead of viewing social media and bloggers as an adversary, try to use it as a tool because you are limiting yourself in 2011, if you are only relying on the resources from the 80s.

WRAP IT UP

My counterparts have openly said they feel the show will fail with the eventual departure of Rich Lord, but I think the show will make it.  My associates' predictions will come true if the guys don't learn to work with each other.  I am not talking so much about Josh as I am Rich because I see Josh continuously trying to reach out, but Rich is visible with the "cold shoulder" towards Josh.  For example, in the earlier story about the blogger, a caller challenged Rich's knowledge of football and Josh jumped in to defuse the situation as did Greg.  If Rich and Matt Jackson were one of the best shows in Houston, I have to think the pairing of Josh is either going to hold par or likely succeed the levels of the Matt Jackson era with Rich.

Josh And Rich are competing with Travis Rodgers, Charlie Pallilo, Carl Dukes.  If I had to rank them right now, I would go: Charlie P., J&R, Carl, and Travis.  Sorry 1560, I don't do national radio.  Charlie edges out everyone because he stay on sports and 610 (all shows) frequently wonder into entertainment.  This may sound weird because the content 610 is giving is funny at times and will drive a show and I am guilty in participating in the bits or conversation via phone or text but at the end of the day I am stuck with no sports. 

Mike in Da

I am not sure if Mike's rescent comments towards Josh Innes has put him on the 610 Naughty List, but I think it's weak of producers to screen Mike's calls out the J&R Show.  I mean really?  Has anyone from HMW ever disrespected anyone's show on air?  Even in the cases where I thought I went to far on your shows, I was man enough to apologize and I think funny you guys are running from Mike.  I can remember Marc and Andre utilizing Mike as like a human google (hoogle).  As stated, I am not sure if the hosts are aware of what's going on but the J&R Show is the only show in town that's avoiding Mike.

I must admit, I was a little nervous writing this article because the Grammar Police (Rich Lord) is out there.  LMAO, dude if you can get through one of my paragraphs w/o saying "WTF  is he trying to convey" then consider yourself lucky.

Rich Lord

Of the major personalities in Houston, Rich Lord is the one I try to steer clear of because he has made some remarks on air that if said in person would cause a problem.  It is very hard to be objective towards a person you once looked at as David Duke's lovechild.  All in all, I tried to remove past and give the readers my thoughts over the last month of the J&R Show.

OUT







California Condor
HMW
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