COMMENTS FROM THE PEANUT GALLERY! - MIKE IN DA - SEPTEMBER 27, 2010

COMMENTS FROM THE PEANUT GALLERY!

Written by: Mike in DA
Date posted: 9/27/2010


HATS OFF TO 1560 FOR TEE SHIRTS: NEW 1560 SHIRTS AVAILABLE AT TOP BRASS MILITARY AND TACTICAL STORES!

In a Peanut Gallery written a while back entitled, “WHERE HAVE TEE SHIRTS FOR LOCAL SPORTS TALK LISTENERS GONE?”, I wrote the following:

“The only tee shirts from sports talk stations that I see around town worn by listeners are from 1560 KGOW. Of course, most of them were purchased at Academy Sports for $6.99, but they are good looking and people purchased them because they wanted to identify with their favorite station.

It is now 2010 and there has been a whole new group of sports talk listeners who came aboard over the last five years. I suggest that KILT, KBME, and KFNC spend at least $5,000 to $10,000 each from their increased 2010 revenues to purchase some nice ultra cotton heavyweight tee shirts (90% cotton preshrunk/ 10% polyester) and give them out at remotes or as phone contest prizes over a period of several months. It's great advertising when people are seen at Kroger's, Walmart's, sporting events, movie theaters, the Houston Marathon, parks, etc. advertising a station's call numbers and letters.


And if any of these stations' budgets is a little tight, they can do what 1560 did and sell them at a discount or at cost to their loyal listeners either through a sporting goods outlet, at remotes, or at the station during certain hours.


It never hurts to give back to the listening community.” END.

Finally, one of the local sports talk stations got off their behinds and did something about making tee shirts available to their loyal listeners. But it wasn’t KILT, KBME, or KFNC. It was the very listener-friendly KGOW once again, which by the way has the smallest listenership of the bunch.

Starting this past weekend, there is a new batch of tee shirts available for 1560 listeners. At $6.99 a pop, it’s an opportunity to show one’s loyalty to one's favorite station. Fans spend big bucks for their favorite team’s paraphernalia, so why not a measly $6.99 plus tax for a tee shirt advertising a station you may spend hours a week listening to.



The shirts are available at two of the four "Top Brass Military and Tactical" stores at the following locations:


2500 North Fwy, Houston, TX ‎ (713) 695-9517‎
11941 Southwest Fwy, Stafford, TX (281) 879-8824

There are four different shirts and they come in different colors with some of the dumb sayings that 1560 listeners are familiar with. Please see below:

1560 also is selling something called a “Challenge Coin”. For $15.60, you can get a tee shirt and a coin. If you don’t know what a challenge coin is, it’s a small coin/medallion, bearing an organization’s insignia or emblem and carried by the organization’s members. The concept of challenge coins was originally started by the military in WWI. They were given to prove membership to an organization when challenged and to enhance morale.




When will the other stations learn what the guys at 1560 have known since their 2007 inception. It pays to be listener-friendly.  It fosters goodwill and often improves the "bottom line.".






THIS KID'S PUNISHMENT WAS TO HAVE TO GO TO A PIRATE-ASTRO GAME WITH MOM! 

FLUB OF THE DAY!

A. J. Hoffman of 97.5 KFNC needs to brush up on his American history. On Friday’s show (“The Blitz”, Noon – 2 PM daily CT), he was talking about the last time that the Chicago Cubs had won a World Series, which was in 1908. He then when on to joke that they haven’t won since Prohibition days.

Prohibition was actually the period from 1920 to 1933, during which the sale, manufacture, and transportation of alcohol for consumption was banned nationally as mandated in the 18th Amendment (proposed December 18, 1917). As Prohibition became increasingly unpopular, especially in the big cities, it was repealed in 1933.


If AJ said a Washington, DC, franchise has not won a World Series since Prohibition days, he would have been correct.



CAVALIER FANS CAN HELP DRESS MIAMI’S HOMELESS!

Any Cleveland Cavalier fans out there that are too lazy to burn all their LeBron James gear have a chance to do a good deed by helping to clothe Miami’s homeless.


Thanks to Cleveland Scene and the Miami New Times, two alternate weeklies similar to the Houston Press, fans can take their hatred in their black little hearts and turn it into some goodwill by contributing Lebron gear to the "Wino and Gold LeBron Jersey Drive."

People can donate their stuff to “The Drive", which will ensure that the formerly cherished clothing items are given directly to a person of need in Miami. All they have to do is drop off their stuff at the Cleveland Scene’s offices by October 11 and the stuff will be shipped to the good folks at Miami New Times who will distribute the stuff collected themselves. They are looking for LeBron jerseys, shirts, sweatshirts, shoes, etc.- whatever people want to give up.

It sounds like a brilliant idea and a good cause. It offsets all the negative karma fans have racked up by egging his house and prank calling his poor mama by making a charitable donation. I’m sure Miami’s homeless will appreciate the stuff. As Nike says: JUST DO IT!

Anybody in Houston have any Tracy McGrady or David Carr stuff they want to get rid of? I'm sure that the Star of Hope, Open Door Mission, Helping Hands Charity, Goodwill, etc. could use the stuff.


"AROUND THE HORN" AND "PTI" IN HD NOW!

Starting today (9/27), Tony Kornheiser's bald head will be in HD along with the rest of ESPN's one hour block of screaming sports journalists (4-5 PM CT). Now that 60 inch plasma TV I have might finally be worth it with this news. So, if you like your Woody Paiges and your Bob Ryans doused in makeup until they look hardly human, you are in luck.

But sorry clones, it looks like “Jim Rome Is Burning” will remain in SD for the time being.








MEMO TO ESPN: THREE IN THE BOOTH IS STILL A CROWD!

Speaking of ESPN, one of my pet peeves that I continually mention here is the needless use of a three-man announcing team used by ESPN.

Last Thursday night (9/23), the Miami FL - Pitt game broadcast on ESPN used the three-guys-in-the-booth formula again with Rece Davis (above left), Craig James (above), and Jesse Palmer (lower left) the culprits this time yapping their gums off. They may be solid announcers individually, but when joined together, you once again have a wall of noise from the opening kickoff to the final play.

It seems to be a contest to see who can talk the most. It's like they're getting paid by the number of words spoken. Just a bunch of extra and needless words and much of what is said is really of little value to the viewer. Just tell us what is happening on the field and remember that at times, a little silence is golden.


Wake up and smell the roses, ESPN. More in the broadcasting booth is not always better. Plus think of how much money ESPN can save by eliminating a third guy.

HERM EDWARDS COLORFUL SOCKS ARE VISIBLE ON "AUDIBLES"!

I was channel surfing last Friday (9/24) and caught part of ESPN’s new NFL show, “Audibles” (7 PM ET), where Keyshawn Johnson, Steve Young, Herm Edwards, and Trent Dilfer sit around a table while answering football questions sent in from fans on Facebook and Twitter. It seems ESPN will continue to try to take advantage of the fan interaction opportunities through social networking, as they do with other shows like "SportsNation".

Check out Herm Edwards’ rainbow socks, as he seems to be paying homage to Craig Sager.

ANOTHER DALE VS. "LONGHORN SCOTT" CALL!

Here is another classic phone call from 1560 KGOW's archives featuring the Peanut Gallery's August "Caller of the Month", Dale,  aka "The Silent Assassin" and villainous and obnoxious "Longhorn Scott". 

This is from April 14th,  2010, and runs about 4.5 minutes:  http://thegame.podbean.com/2010/04/14/dale-vs-longhorn-scott.

WAS "RUDY" MOVIE MISTITLED?

The other day (9/24) when writing about Matt Sampsell, Lamont Mann made reference to the 1993 flick, "Rudy", about Rudy Ruettiger, a working class kid intent on realizing his dream of playing football at Notre Dame. 

If you believe in truth in movie titles, maybe this is what the movie should have been named:

MOVE OVER ERIN ANDREWS AND INES SAINZ; THERE'S GOING TO BE A NEW BARBIE DOLL ON THE SIDELINES!

Mattel has come up with a new Barbie Doll known as “Journalism Barbie”. With the increase in female representation in the journalism business over the last two decades, you knew it was bound to eventually happen.



It is another doll gracing the long line of Barbies aimed at letting little girls know what they want, that is, as long as they're a hot blonde with a great body. This is from the ad for "Journalism Barbie".

"Barbie® I Can Be...™ dolls and accessories empower girls to play out different roles and "try on" fabulous careers, including news anchor, the first Barbie® profession chosen by global vote. Wearing a posh pink suit with black accents and carrying a B News folder, camera and microphone, this savvy journalist reports up-to-the-minute news in signature Barbie® style. The inspiring set also comes with a special code that unlocks career-themed content online, for even more digital play!" END.

I wonder how they'll sell in Mexico.


COLLEGE FOOTBALL ANNOUNCER QUOTES OF SATURDAY, 9/25!:

"The mid 1930s was the last time a Brillo pad hit that thing." - Joe Tessitore on the "Iron Skillet" (below), which is given to the winner of the annual TCU-SMU game.

"Andy Dalton, the red-headed quarterback." - Lee Corso


"Josh Jasper, the friendly ghost." - Lee Corso

"You have the blue in Boise, but you have the copycat inferno in Cheney, WA." - Chris Fowler

"If he's not a Heisman candidate, then there shouldn't be a Heisman candidate." - Kirk Herbstreit on Kellen Moore

"Oregon State has two chances to win tonight, slim and none." - Lee Corso


"I see coach Bobby Johnson and Georgia Tech sending the Wolfpack packing." - guest Picabo Street on ESPN’s “College Game Day”, Tech's coach is Paul Johnson not Bobby Johnson and the Wolfpack sent Tech packing, 45-28.

"It's a 7-0 MSU win." - Mike Morgan in the 1st quarter.


"If this kid (Russell Wilson) was four inches taller, he'd be on the #1 list for everybody." - Bob Griese


"Could Boise State go on the Bataan Death March that Alabama has been on the last couple of years?" - Doug Gottlieb

"Great coverage by the Boilermakers." - Matt Shepard after a Toledo punt.


"What a first quarter it has been for Michigan. 21 points on the board, 11 first downs, a turnover, and Denard Robinson potentially knocked out for the rest of the game with an injury." - Bob Wischusen


"That's how the Wolfpack were able to hunt, basically like a pack of wolves" - Chris Spielman


"I guess you take a knee to have a feel of the field before halftime." - Mike Gleason

"It's not going to be a run play, when it's a pass play." - Chris Spielman


“If you're just now joining us, this is not ESPN Classic and this is not a game from last year." - Bob Wischusen on last year’s Michigan QB Tate Forcier being in the game after an injury to Denard Robinson.

"Scott Vallone in on the tackle, a New Jersey product from Central Islip, New York" - Pam Ward

".... and of course, the late great Magic Johnson" - Mushin Muhammad talking about the Big Ten legend as if he's dead.

"It's tighter than the knot on your tie." - Andre Ware talking to Dave Neal


"Bernard Pierce pierces the endzone." - Chris Martin


"He's wide open! ... Intercepted." - Verne Lundquist


"I'm just glad I brought my contacts today because that was a blur." - Chris Martin


"If looks could kill, he is definitely upset right now." - Charissa Thompson

"What can Brown do for you? Not much on this play." - Chris Martin

"You might even call him the Fresh Prince of LA." - Sean McDonough referring to the UCLA QB.

It's a Morton Salt kind of day. When it rains, it pours." - Matt Millen












"He completed 60% of his passes." - Lou Holtz on McElroy, who completed 6/9 passes in 4th quarter.

"When this guy hits you, you stay hit." - Bob Davie

"The old air fake. Sort of like air guitar." - Brad Nessler

"Will he get the first down? No he will not! I don't think." - Verne Lundquist

"When you get in the open field, that’s where the speed really becomes such a strong asset.." - Lou Holtz

"I guess you can say D is for devastating and J is for jarring." - Mark Jones

"And there's the trickeration." - Brent Musburger


ODDS AND ENDS:

1. Douglas Owen Nagel, 50, avoided jail time last Tuesday (9/21) after pleading guilty to misdemeanor drug possession charges in a Bartow, FL, courtroom. Nagel, who treated three members of the Washington Capitals, received three years probation and Polk County Circuit Judge Mark Hofstad withheld adjudication, meaning Nagel will have no conviction on his record if he successfully completes his probation. Though it didn’t hit local sports talk this week or make big news nationwide, the fact that a chiropractor who treated three members of the NHL Capitals this week pleaded guilty to steroid charges would’ve made huge news had he treated Roger Clemens, Barry Bonds, or Tiger Woods.

2. Add Stanford University to the list of teams that have donned gang-approved black uniforms. Some Stanford players liked their “more aggressive” look two Saturdays ago (9/18) when they broke out the unis for the first time. Stanford then blew out Wake Forest at home, 68-24, although Wake Forest has worn black uniforms since 1895. Despite the positive response on the scoreboard, don’t expect to see the third jerseys again this season. Coach Jim Harbaugh called himself a traditionalist and likes the normal Cardinal red jersey and intends to play in them during the PAC 10 season. The Stanford Cardinal joined many other NCAA schools - including the Louisville Cardinals, the Harvard Crimson, the Rutgers Scarlet Knights and the St. John’s Red Storm - in adding a black uniform.

3. The funniest part of Astros radio on KTRH (740) is when one of the announcers reads that boilerplate that goes something like this: “Any rebroadcast, retransmission, or account of this game, without the express written consent of Major League Baseball, is prohibited." My question is: Who in his right mind would want to re-broadcast a 2010 Astro ballgame?

4. The optimist of the day has to be Andre Ware on SR 610 who with 9:44 left in the Cowboy-Texan game and the Cowboys leading, 24-6, said, “There’s 9:44 left and the Texans have two timeouts and the two-minute warning left, so the Texans still have plenty of time.”

5. Realist of the day is David Nuno of Sporting News Radio (SNR) when giving an update from Reliant Stadium with about nine minutes left in the game and the Texans down, 24-6, sounded subdued and almost depressed. That would have been all well and good if he was on local Houston radio, but since it was a national broadcast, David should have been more upbeat while giving the update, so as to make it less obvious he was a Texan fan.

WHO'S THIS JET CALLED "ILOVETO"? 

MIKE IN DA


HMW
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