Monday, May 20, 2013

IS CHARLIE PALLILO SMOTHERING LANCE ZIERLEIN? - LM

Written By: LM
5.20.2013
LANCE AND CHARLIE

Last summer when Craig Shelton told me Lance Zierlein would be partnering up with Charlie Pallilo, I thought he was crazy.  A few months passed and their was no movement, and I said to myself " I knew that was bogus".  HMW, even broke the story months before it happened and I recall receiving feedback similar to what I was thinking.  It was very hard to visualize Lance and Charlie's style meshing together.

A year later, we are a Texans and Rockets season into their show, but is it "working"?

I honestly try to listen to Lance and Charlie's Show daily but it's hard for me to stay locked in.  If you were to poll everyone who has listened to Lance over the years and ask them, describe Lance's "on air" style, they will likely say football and humor.  Therefore it puzzles me that we are receiving a fraction of football and hardly any humor.  When I say humor, I am using "Old Lance" as a benchmark.  We are not getting what we got with John Granato and The Big Show.

I feel this show could kill if Charlie quit holding Lance back.  No, I do not believe Charlie has a grand scheme to smother Lance but Charlie's natural "on air" persona is burying Lance.  Charlie wants to talk  "everything sports" and that's cool but you have to be a clown if you don't think Lance wants to focus on football.  The dude runs a Football Service Site.

In my opinion there is little to any reason o talk Astros in 2013 however I do understand the focus on the Rockets from 790's standpoint.  The Rockets are relevant and 790 is the flagship station so I get that.  With that said, for my taste, 790 talk too much Rockets especially in a year when most of the audience cannot watch them, thanks CSN Houston.

Then there is Charlie's attitude with callers.  You can hear Lance trying to loosen up the callers and have some fun when suddenly Charlie squash all of that shit, "Ok, we got a full board" .  Ok Charlie is not that rude but you get my point.

Lance and Charlie's show is making some of us look like hypocrites.  We listen to the various "Game Shows" on 610 and bitch about "talk sports" and when we listen to Lance and Charlie, I bitch "Have Fun".  I am a fan of Lance and Charlie but if Charlie can still be Charlie then Lance should still be able to be Lance and that's not the case.

I believe they can ramp up their social media presence.  No reason for a two man show to only have one person active.  Charlie don't entertain social media and Lance hits his twitter in bunches when he have time.

I just don't get the feeling the show is not meshing at this point and we are almost a year in.  The show is informative but seriously it could use more energy.  Am I calling the show bad?  No, but I do think they can be much better.

THEN THERE IS OPTION B

Reading my article it may seem like I'm going at Charlie, whatever.

At times I really wonder if radio is in Lance's long term plans.  I am not the only one who has pondered if Lance even wants to continue radio.  As stated earlier, he and John Harris are running The Sideline View and I am sure that's pulling major resources otherwise dedicated solely to radio.  Before you get it twisted, I do not have any sources or heard anything, just a thought  I've pondered..

Whatever the case may be, Lance do not sound like himself.

Real talk, fans want to hear the Lance Zierlein we have heard for almost two decades not this "Elevator Music" shit.

OUT



LM

3 comments:

shynolan_reese said...

i agree...you read my mind with this one. everytime lance goes into character or tries to go into entertainment charlie calms that ish down. i dont think lance has been used right or found his niche since he has been at 790. charlie is good and knowledgeable but he just lacks the personality to set up lance like john did. better combo would be wex and lance but that isnt going to happen. i think over time lance will wear on charlie and he will loosen up a little.
one thing i do like about charlie is his knowledge on baseball tough he just needs to work on having a little personality sometime...aside from the football stuff from lance we get none of the characters that we are used to lance doing over the years dont know why but it just doesnt happen and the only way you hear is if he calls another show at the station. not sure if that lack of chemistry or charlie just not wanting to take the show in that direction.
personally i think lance was better in the morning with matt and adam because he could still be himself except for the arguing with matt is was okay...i think charlie hogs the mike a whole lot....when i first turn on the show im not sure lance is on because charlie just keeps talking maybe he is still trying to adjust to having a co-host who knows...hopefully it will work both guys are good at their craft just need a little more time to mesh.

Reese
@mann_at_arms

Earlis said...

I of course have no clue but I have wondered if Lance has the time to write new radio bits etc..hence I guess he does a little free-style...he is busy raising kids and working with John Harris with their venture...I think too they will just get better working together over time...one change would Lance having shorter bits than in his past radio life and sprinkle the material here and there as they take on the serious subject matter..that would probably work best with charlie (they are figuring it out)...quick hits in essence..just my thoughts...I like both as radio sports jocks..

Bobby said...

People who want to listen to Charlie want to hear sports, not the tangents from Lance. It was a bad idea from the start. It's better now that Pallilo is solo again. Lance brought nothing but distraction. It drove me nuts. Now Wexler is gone from the morning and we have to listen to two guys who can't stay on point and talk about anything other than sports. Whoever is running Clear Channel should be fired.