Lance Zierlein is back or IS HE?

Written By: Lamont

Early Wednesday morning, Lance Zierlein dropped the news, he's returning to radio.  Not only is he returning to radio but he's partnering  up with his long time cohost/friend John Granato.

• John and Lance 7-9a
• John and Raheel 9-11a
• Raheel and  Del 11-1p
• Barry and Joel 1-4p
• Fred and AJ  4-7p

Mad Props to Raheel and Del getting their own show. 

THOUGHTS

When Lance announced his radio sabbatical by leaving Sports Talk 790, I instantly thought

• The whole original plan was for Josh Innes to assume the Morning Show
• Lance will exhaust his non compete and eventually land back with John Granato

Lance returning to radio was a bigger open secret than Hollywood #RapeGate. Everyone knew this was coming.

That said, is Lance really back?  Over the last four or five years, I could tell,  Lance was not totally into radio. It appeared, he was burnt out.  It didn't appear to be his passion anymore.  A part of me believes with other people entering the market doing what Lance was known for (football analysis) soured him.

It's tricky because Lance has worked morning radio for over 20 yrs so one can suggest he was tired or needed a break.  In addition to, over the last few years Lance picked up a gig on NFL Network as a draft analyst.  Then there's the wildcard of Lance no longer wanting to be at Sports Talk 790 all together.  Either way, the last few years, Lance has not been into radio from a fan's perspective.

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN

I believe Josh Innes Show will continue to roll.  Few  have asked me if Josh will go after Lance.  I doubt it.   Josh and Lance appear to be cool and Josh has sort of changed his style. He goes after Sports Radio 610 because he hates their management and he knows SR 610 is the big fish.

With over half of the Texans season over and Texans interest dwindling, MAD Radio may take a hit as past "Gamers" will gravitate back to GOW. This is hard to explain but like Obama supporters will never "fill" Trump, many of Lance fans will never support Josh Innes.  Josh Innes went after Lance hard during his first stint while employed at SR610.  With only 2 morning local shows in MAD Radio and Josh Innes, lots of Josh fans went over to Mad Radio.  Now Lance has returned, many of those fans will go back to Lance and John.

EXPECTATIONS

If and only IF Lance is totally in, John and Lance will become the flagship show thereby bumping Fred Faour and AJ The Blitz off of their pedestal.

Basically, everything is predicated on Lance's commitment to radio.

But lets talk about their show's name, THE BENCH?  The 1990s want this name back.  LOL, when I first seen the name of the show, I laughed uncontrollably.  The shit seems like something from 1997.   If I am not mistaken, Lance mentioned he had a show named The bench when he first got into radio in 1972. #BOOM  

All jokes aside, I believe Granato and Lance will make it do what it do and I cannot wait to hear them  recreate magic.

LANCE ZIERLEIN REPLIES TO IN THE LOOP "SHADE" BY LM

LANCE ZIERLEIN REPLIES TO 610's IN THE LOOP "SHADE"

Written By: LM

3.11.2015

Tuesday Morning, Sports Talk 790's Lance Zierlein broke the Andre Johnson to Indianapolis Colts story with the following tweet.

Later, reports conflicted with Lance's tweet of Andre being on the private jet.  Other media members were saying Andre was still in Miami and would visit Indianapolis later that night.

This Morning (Wednesday) when I was listening to In The Loop during the 7 O'clock Hour, Sports Radio 610's Nick Wright casually said earlier reports of Andre on his way to (time interval) was incorrect.

Lance Zierlein found out and tweeted the following

BOTH RIGHT

Ultimately, Lance was right about Andre to Indy however Nick was also right in the timing of events.
Some are speculating that Lance was talking about Houston Chronicle's John McClain but he was not.  Lance referenced ratings (competition), that's In The Loop.

LM

RATINGS LEADER, IN THE LOOP vs THE LANCE ZIERLEIN SHOW BY LM

RATINGS LEADER, IN THE LOOP vs THE LANCE ZIERLEIN SHOW

BY: LM

5.5.2014

After the Houston Rockets loss to the Portland Trailblazers, I needed something to cheer me up.  therefore I ventured to the HMW BEEF PAGE (local audio squabbles) to listen to a few local audio spats.  Low and behold, I came across Nick Wright v Lance Zierlein.  I clicked play and wow what a difference a year makes or 15 months to be exact.

In the audio, you will hear Nick Wright going on about ratings and how no one wants to hear Lance's brand of "sports talk".  Nick was  beating his chest about the greatness of Sports Radio 610.   I do not expect Lance Zierlein to comment because he an Nick "squashed the beef" but it is strange to hear Nick brag a year ago.

Nick's audio was right after the 2012 Texans Season (12-4).  In other words, when the Texans were doing good, all of Sports Radio 610 and other stations were doing good in ratings.  I even tried to make the case, maybe just maybe Sports Radio 610 ratings are not correlated with the Texans, but its clear, ratings are. Someone can easily counter with Sports Talk 790 and the Rockets.  The Lance Zierlein Show starting kicking In The Loop's ass after the football season with a heavy dosage of Rockets.

As previously stated, its old news but when I heard Nick's audio and watching how the ratings are shaping up now, it makes me chuckle.

Below are the ratings for March

If you like to look at the ratings over over the last year, click here.

LM

Q&A "THE PROPER GENTLEMEN" ADAM CLANTON & LANCE ZIERLEIN BY LM

Written by: LM

THE PROPER GENTLEMEN

8.07.2013

Unless you have been living under a rock, Sports Talk 790 released Matt Jackson and Adam Wexler.  I will not front like I was a Big Show fan as of late but I did come to appreciate Wexler.

However, I like to focus on what's popping on air.  Adam and Matt will get their fair share of coverage and I wanted to focus on Lance Zierlein and Adam Clanton ie "THE PROPER GENTLEMEN".

I reached out to Adam and Lance to get a few questions answered.  Below are their responses and I would like to thank the guys for taking time to address a few lingering questions.

Lamont: Was your show predetermined before the both of you knew? If so, what were your thoughts of the new show.

Lance: The decision about the pairing and the show as a management decision although it was probably the easy decision based on the rest of the construct of the station and what Clanton and I both do best.

Adam: If you're asking "were we paired as opposed to asking to be put together," the answer is yes. And I can't speak for LZ, but as far as I'm concerned he was the No. 1 guy in the market I wanted to work with.

Lamont: When did you guys find out you would be hosting the Morning Show?  Is it fair to say, if you guys knew before Thursday, then you knew Matt and Adam would be released?

Lance: We did not know.  I found out shortly after they were released. 

Adam: I found out literally minutes after Matt & Adam were let go. Like, 10:30 a.m. Thursday

Lamont: I do not see Adam Clanton in a serious sports radio role. How will you guys make sure you have a Sports Show and not a 3 hour slapstick sitcom?

Lance: We've talked about that on a couple of occasions already.  It is important for me to serve my fun side and my serious sports side and I think that is what the general public likes as well.  We both know and understand how important that is and that will be a big part of what we do which includes how we prep for the show.

Adam: Define "serious sports radio role." Does that mean I have to be serious at all times? Does it mean I always have to take LZ seriously? WHY SO SERIOUS???  Serious sports is boring anyway, if you ask me. We want to do a show that no one else in the market is doing. If that's described as "slapstick," so be it. 

Lamont: Adam, Lance sports acumen is superior to yours, are you nervous competing in a high profile time slot? Some hosts can be made to look like a dumb ass if they are partnered with someone that's better than them.

Adam: Why would I be nervous about anything? I've been in mornings before, I've been in afternoons, I've been in evenings and I've anchored sports television--all in a major, Top 10 media market. This isn't the place for "nervous" people. Nervous people belong in much smaller markets. And LZ and I don't look at it as one is better than the other. You're supposed to highlight each others' strengths. It's something that isn't done nearly enough in this market, and a problem I've personally faced in previous stints. 

Lamont: Is this pairing permanent or a quick fix solution?

Lance: I don't think management considers this a quick fix solution at all.

Adam: It's as permanent as any radio gig can be. But I highly doubt they'd put multi-year deals in front of us if we were considered a "quick fix."

Lamont: What’s going to make your show different from the Big Show?

Lance: I think we'll be bringing a different tone and a different look at the headlines.  I don't want things to get too bogged down on one subject, call or one tone.  I think our pace will be much faster and I think we will really concentrate on entertaining people with energy - whether the topic is fun or serious.

Adam: One day in, I can clearly say that...I have no idea. I don't worry about what other people have done before me or what other people are doing now. All I can do is what I do--to the best of my ability. Then let the chips fall where they may. I'm not for everyone; LZ isn't for everyone. And that's just fine. If everyone "likes" me in this market, I'm not doing my job well...

Lamont: What are your thoughts about Sports Radio 610 “In the Loop” reluctance to make the audience a part of the show with caller dialogue?

Lance:  That is becoming more and more common in this industry and I understand that.  There have been plenty of studies that show that callers don't equal ratings.  I get that.  I also understand that there is a difference between good callers and bad callers as well as how you handle your callers.  I think the old format of just lining up callers and taking them and letting them drive the show has continued to die off, but there is still a place for interaction with the audience in my opinion.

Lamont:

Lance, I noticed you get a little “long winded”  with some of your takes and leave callers on hold for extended periods of time, any chance of you working on that?

Lance: It just depends on how things are going for me and for the topic.  The callers can't drive the show.  I can't just cut off whatever we have going just to make sure that we work a caller in because many times a caller can kill momentum.  I've been part of that with Charlie's show.  We would have momentum going in one direction and then a caller would slow everything way down and maybe bring up a topic that people didn't really want to hear about.  I've found that pretty much all program directors in the business want callers to supplement the show rather than be the center point.

Lamont: Lance, what really happen with your departure from the Big Show?  As a fan of the original Big Show (Adam, Matt, Lance), it appeared that Matt Jackson was really “different” with you. Can you elaborate?

Lance: A decision above me was made to move me in with Charlie because they wanted to have partners on almost all the shows and they thought I would fit in okay with Charlie.  I didn't ask to be moved at all.  Matt and I got into it from time to time, but I also think the show worked fairly well on some levels with the three of us.

Lamont:  The “On the Mobile” bit is dry to me, will you’ll incorporate a lot of it in your show?

Lance: Not too much of it.  We'll do some imitations here and there, but it isn't going to run the show like people think.

Adam: When it fits and when it's sold. (Yes, when it's sold--people do pay us for those voices.)

Lamont: Adam, how did you get picked up so quickly by 790 after being fired at Yahoo Sports?  Was it a hook up?

Adam: I resent the term "hook up," just like I resent people who don't know their head from their backside going around and claiming I got any of my previous gigs "because my daddy is in broadcasting." Nothing could be further from the truth. I've worked extremely hard to get every job I've ever had, and until a few months ago, I'd never been fired from a single one of them. I took classes in high school for this, graduated with a degree in Broadcast Journalism for this, and I've earned everything that's come my way. How did I get picked up so quickly after I was fired? Simple: Bryan Erickson picked up the phone and called me within hours of my dismissal. And he'll verify that if you ask him. It's nice that someone finally asked me that question, though. Too many (wrong) assumptions out there.

Lamont: Lance, you have been at 790 for two years and you have bounced all over different shows, are you happy at 790?

Lance: Sure.  Moving from time slot to time slot has it challenges on the personal level and there is no doubt that moving back into the 6 AM time slot is going to take some getting used to.  With that all said, my bosses and the sales staff at the station are the best I've worked with.

Lamont: From the outside looking in, it appears that Matt Jackson and Adam Wexler were fired because of ratings.  Are you guys at all nervous of suffering the same fate?

Lance: I can't speak to why changes were made as that is a question for the people above my pay-grade, but I'm not worried about getting fired.  I haven't been over 16 years of radio, but I know I will eventually.  Everyone does.  I'm involved much more heavily with football writing than I was in the past when I was first involved with radio and I never want to have my eggs all in one basket because I know that it can be a tough business.  With all of that said, I don't worry about getting let go.  I do my job and try to do it well.

Adam: Again, this is the wrong business to be in for that. That's like asking if a new NFL head coach is nervous about getting fired. If we were, what would be the point of taking the position. Instead, I look at it as a challenge for LZ and I to put the morning show at Sports Talk 790 where it belongs: Ahead of the competition.

LM's RADIO THOUGHTS

Thanks to Lance and Adam for taking time to answer a few questions.  

I will not fake it, I thought Matt and Adam Show became extremely boring after the departure of Lance Zierlein from the Big Show.  With that said, Lance Solo hour and that Charlie Pallilo pairing was beyond horrid as well.  I will not kick Matt and Adam while they are down but I think Lance and Adam Clanton will have a better show.

I think they will bring energy to mornings however, I do have my doubts about Adam Clanton in a Prime Time role.  I can listen to  Adam in a "Comedic/ Pop Culture" sense but Mornings when I want my "sports", I can do without the "fart joke humor" 24/7.  I love comedy sports but in certain dosages; as an avid listener, I demand more out of certain hours of the day.  I want to see Adam rise to the occasion.

As for as Lance, I feel, he is trying to prove he can survive without John Granato while at the same time trying to eliminate the tag of "Washed up" levied on him by a few competitors.  This has nothing to do with BEEF between the two stations but I notice  Lance going out of his way to prove "I am still the man".  Lance needs to do radio and stop trying to prove he's god to Houston.  He is back in mornings and needs to make it "do what it do"

Will Lance and Adam beat Nick Wright and John Lopez,  NO.  However, I say it with a governor, if the Texans come out flat and the Rockets hit the fans like an anvil, then it's very possible. At this point, the markets ratings and particularly, Sports Radio 610 are tied to the Texans.  When you hear these host say "IS IT SUPERBOWL OR BUST FOR THE TEXANS" they are really talking about themselves.  It's not Superbowl or Bust for the Texans, It's Superbowl or Bust for Houston Radio in ratings if the Texans suck.

The Jay Mohr (11-2) to Houston, is beyond dumb.   It will be more interesting to see Matt Thomas (on after Jay) build up an audience after a national show.  This particular move means little to me because I listen to John Harris War Room.

With 1560/Yahoo Sports leading the way, it appears, Houston has given up on "Local Only" and reverted back to that nectar of National programming. No station in this town as of August can say they are all local.  National Programming has slowly creep-ed back into Houston.

OUT

LM

STATEMENTS: LANCE ZIERLEIN & NICK WRIGHT - LM

CLEARING THE AIR

Written by: LM, Lance Zierlein, Nick Wright

2-26-2013

Initially, I had planned on writing a little more commentary but Lance Zierlein and Nick Wright delivered in a huge way.

After Friday's dust up, I contacted both guys to get a statement and they replied.  I believe Nick and Lance's fans will get more clarity to what's going on in the market and how things materialized.  If you are unclear how all of this came about, you can read Part One with Audio Included.  PART ONE

LANCE ZIERLEIN

I got up to host a Texans Google Hangout with Drew Dougherty and Nick Scurfield live from the combine and when I turned on my TweetDeck, I had messages about Nick going after me regarding my Top Prospects post (either in Houston Chronicle or on TheSidelineView.com).  I didn't get to hear any of it because I was busy, but quite frankly, I don't care what was said.

He can stick to his "ratings" schtick if he wants to and that is fine, but he should leave my football stuff alone.  I've learned to evaluate from coaches scouts and even a general manager (Jerry Angelo) over the years and I put in quite a bit of work each year on my draft study going to the Shrine Game practices, Senior Bowl practices and usually the combine.  I will have as valid if not more valid evaluation of draft prospects than most of the draft guests he'll have on his show.

I've moved on from being "radio host" like he is.  That's his entire world.  He lives for the ratings each month and that's fine.  I've never been into the ratings even over the 13 years I've been #1 including at three different stations.  I care about revenue coming in from the show (because then I get paid) and if people really like the show and vibe to it when I catch up with the listeners.  That's what matters most.

I love to compete against those guys and I want to win, but my world revolves around more than just radio now and it has for about five years now.  Football writing and evaluation is just as big a part of what I do now as radio and I expect to be working full-time in the football arena at some point in the future.  Going after me personally about my football acumen seems kind of silly to me based on his background.  

He is fake wrestling guy who likes to create "radio beef" because he thinks it is good radio.  Cool.  That's too TMZ for my tastes.  Acting cool with me at the Super Bowl and then trying to blast me three weeks later just feels too contrived.  I don't hate the guy or his talent.  I just think he's a one way talent who does radio and that's it.  I used to used to ball like that, now we own the ball team, holla back, now I got black cards, good credit and such Baby boy cause I'm all grown up.

 (shout-out to Hova

NICK WRIGHT

Here you go, Lamont:

"Here's how it all went down: I follow @smartfootball on Twitter. Last week he RTed something Lance had written, which said, " After finally finishing tape study, my Top 50 draft prospects for 2012..."  I found this to be particularly hilarious, because I can't imagine having the time, resources or energy to find enough tape on enough college football players to feel like I could claim to have "finished tape study" and release a top FIFTY players for the upcoming draft. I mean, Eric Fisher, a tackle from Central Michigan, was rated the #3 player according to Lance. And maybe I'm wrong, but does anyone really think Lance acquired Central Michigan's All-22 film from UCM's October 20th game vs Ball St. and is "studying the tape." Or what about players 45, 46 and 47, three guys from La Tech, Marshall and Florida International, respectively? Is this "tape" really being broken down? Maybe it is. Either way, to me, it was a hilarious concept. Either a guy who really is spending his time finding enough actual tape to truly and fairly evaluate the entire draft pool to rank a top 50, or a guy who wanted people to think he had. Whatever it was, to me, it was a funny couple minutes of radio.

Before the next segment had even began, Lance was tweeting to me, as you chronicled. He was either listening (thanks!) or had someone alert him of the slight IMMEDIATELY, because his response was swift and I got tweets from him about it before I got tweets from anyone else. And that's cool. I took a shot, so he took some shots back. That's all good. I've talked with Lance face-to-face, and when I saw him at the Super Bowl the first thing I said to him was that I was glad that he "got it." Meaning, that he understood that it's never personal, it's always in good fun, and, if I may invoke the great Omar Little, it's all in the game.

But then, things took an unexpected turn. All of a sudden, the discussion on Twitter was as if I had questioned whether or not Lance knows football. I hadn't. Yes, I had insinuated his film study might not be getting him any NFL GM jobs anytime soon, but I never doubted the man's knowledge of the game. Despite that, however, Lance was challenging me to... well, what the hell was he challenging me to? He wanted us to watch a game together and video tape the experience? Sounds incredibly exciting. And for what purpose? To prove to a minute audience that Lance can better diagnose how to pick up a zone blitz than me? I declined because that's a battle I have no interest in fighting, or winning, for that matter. Maybe to some radio is about proving how smart you are or how much you know, but that isn't what it's about to me. To me radio is about providing a product that people enjoy. And winning. Yes, radio, to me, is definitely about winning vs. the competition in the market.

Finally, and not unexpectedly, the conversation turned to ratings and the same old stuff about the Texans being to thank for the ratings and this myth that 610's current success is thanks to the great Lance, and that's what inspired my 5 or so minutes that you sampled on HMW, so allow me to explain those thoughts a little bit here.

Yes, I understand that 610 is currently at a competitive advantage because we have the Texans. Yes, I understand 610 is the "heritage" sports station in town, and has traditionally--almost irrelevant of the hosts--held down the #1 spot among the sports stations. However, that misses the point entirely, because, quite simply, all #1s are not created equal.  Yes, Lance was once #1, but that was when you could be in 17th place overall, and be #1 among the sports stations. Since I've been with John, we've finished in the Top 4 for six straight months, and the past 4 months we have had the highest rated individual show in recorded Houston sports radio history, each month being more highly rated than the previous. This is something we take pride and I did some chest thumping. Similarly, when Josh took over the afternoons, yes the show was "#1" but it was averaging less than a 2 share for 9 straight months. The afternoon show has average better than a 4 share for the most recent 9 months of ratings. Both shows were #1, but those are very different #1s.

Should I have gone on my mini-rant? I don't know. Prior to Friday's show, David Barron had written as many posts about ratings (1) as he had about "The Mighty Gwinn" in the past six months, and HMW, I believe, has done one ratings post since John and I went on our tear four months ago. And unless I'm mistaken, there is no other publication/website that posts Houston radio ratings. I'm very proud of what we've done--and yes I acknowledge all the factors involved--and I wanted to let people know about it and Friday felt like a good time.

Finally, why did I go at the way Lance does radio? I'm not quite sure other than the fact that there seems to be some smug sense of intellectual superiority held by 790's afternoon show that they could do what we do, they just choose not to because they want to talk "real" football. And that's cool, I guess, but it just doesn't make a lick of sense to me. If you're going to be in radio, shouldn't you want to do a show that people like and that a lot of people listen to? Shouldn't you look at the research and data and adjust if your style isn't working? Or should you just keep "doing you" and when it doesn't work, just declare that that's because the ratings system is flawed or that you're just too damn smart for your audience or gosh darnit it's just not fair because 610 has all the advantages? 

I don't know, but I was once on a station in Kansas City that was up against a monster heritage station with the biggest team in town and the history and all that jazz... And I didn't complain or make excuses. I studied radio, I worked on my craft, and I became the first person ever to beat them and I did it in multiple timeslots. But I suppose just because that was my method, it doesn't make it superior to the method employed by some others which appears to be, "Make excuses, claim radio isn't your end game, fall back on a crew of diehard Twitter minions to shout your praises and then challenge people to absurd competitions." But, to each his own I suppose.

I'll close with this... I will accept Lance's offer to breakdown film of the interior lineplay of Chattanooga St. as long as he accepts my challenge to a backwards unicycle competition, because, the thing is, they're about equally relevant to hosting a successful talk show in Houston, and that's all I'm really focused on.

And now, in true HMW fashion, OUT.

WRAP IT UP

BIG UPS, to Lance and Nick for providing a word for the HMW readers.  Like I said earlier, I wanted to write some commentary but the guys got pretty in depth with the things they had to say and the fans can form their own opinions.

I can sum it up like this, Nick Wright shouldn't have mention Lance Zierlein if he's not going to represent and own it.  Other than that, I see nothing more than two alpha personalities in a fierce competition.  Yes, Nick is winning in the ratings but Lance Zierlein is still in his scope.  

As far as the film breakdown bet, hell I would like to hear the two just do radio together.  

Here is a twist, if we really wanted to make things interesting.  If we were to ask Seth Payne to be brutally honest and tell us what which host he likes the most on radio,   Lance or Nick, that answer would be quite interesting.  I just wonder.

OUT

LM AKA SNOW BLACK DISCO DUCK

NICK WRIGHT VS LANCE ZIERLEIN & LOCAL MARKET COMPETITION - LM

NICK WRIGHT PLAYING THE GAME RAW

Written by: LM

2-24-2013

Friday morning, Febuary 21 during one of In the Loop's reoccurring segments, Nick Wright mentioned Lance Zierlein's breaking down football film.  It was not mentioned in a complimentary fashion but as a way of saying what he's not going to do on air.  A few fans heard it, and took it Twitter.  Eventually the word got back to Lance and the "exchange of words" began.  I have heard "BEEF" on air, initially I do not think it was intended to be a "shot" but later it became much larger.  I also feel Lance did what any man would have done hearing his name and game being mocked. This has been brewing for quite sometime now and I wanted to address it from my point of view.  Lance and Nick's mix up is much more telling than the average fan can  comprehend and there's a power struggle at play.

EXCHANGE OF WORDS


(LISTEN)
NICK WRIGHT'S AUDIO



Check this out on Chirbit

As previously stated, Nick mentioned Lance "on air" and Lance replied via Twitter.  If you are truly looking at the psychology of "First Place", Nick Wright is not displaying it.  In all things competitive from Politics, World Dominance, Hip Hop, Cowboys, Yankees, or Lakers, rarely do you hear "First Place" even acknowledge who they believe are beneath them.  Example: The United States is not going to beef with the Country of Belize and if there is a case of America beefing with a lesser country, believe me, there's a resource we want that we don't have or have a limited supply of.

After, Nick made his comments, Lance and Nick exchanged a few words via Twitter. 

Coming at Lance with the Vocation Tweet was somewhat surprising being that John Lopez giggle for four hours.  How can Nick tell Lance to work on his craft when his partner has a major flaw.

It was some more tweets but I think I captured the "meat" of their conversation.

I liked the back and forth between the two and it could have went longer but that wish was short lived because of "SIR LANCE ALOTS".  

SIR LANCE ALOTS

SIR LANCE ALOTS is a term, I came up with talking to Craig about Lance Zierlein's fans who think it's their duty to defend Lance.  Nothing against Lance, in fact if I was him I would just lean back, smile and tell them "MORE SPIT PLEASE".  I get it, Lance is cool, he is not a pompous arrogant prick, he makes you feel like he's your friend but the truth is, you are a fan to Lance.  I will not say some of the fans are not Lance's "true" friends but for the most part you are a fan, it shouldn't get that serious that you are fighting his battles.  But LM, if someone say something about Craig, you will jump in!  Craig and I have a family/friend relationship.  Craig is my dude and if anything popped off and I thought I needed some back (although never utilized) I know I can hit him up on the "hello" and ask for his assistance but I would never invoke him because I don't need back-up.

It boggles my mind when fans feel the need to "shit talk" for hosts when they are getting nothing out of it.  I don't understand this behavior because men don't jump in men arguments.  If two hosts are going at it, let them go because fans jumping in, will make them pull back.  In other words, the fans skew the argument and personalities  feel the original argument is lost and there's no use to talking anymore.  

RATINGS

610 Personalities love to boast ratings and I have no problem with "ratings" smack.  If this is the defined metric of listener-ship,  it's all good. I listen to many talk about ratings on the winning and losing end and it appears people have their reasons for 610's success.  Everyone seem to go back to the Texans and if you are simple with quantitative analysis, that would make sense but over the years, my thoughts have changed a tad.

I will try to explain using the Dallas Cowboys Flagship station 105.3 The Fan.  We all know Dallas Cowboys are one of the most popular brands.  If we are in Texas where football is supposed "KING" how do you explain the flagship station of one of the most famous teams in sports, struggling?  If you don't know,  610's former Program Director took a position in Dallas with the Cowboy's flagship station because they need help.  

I can go many directions with ratings. When The Big Show surpassed 610 for one month in 2012, they ran with it via "Promos" like school school girls.  Yes, the Portable People Meters (PPMs) have flaws but that's that the ratings standard in radio.  Like the NFL Salary CAP, ratings and radio listening habits are hit or miss.  I do not think anyone has a solid understanding or do they?

I am about to go Nick Wright (he knows what I mean) and exposed something that was conveyed to me in private and say it publicly.  When Lance was a Free Agent basically working at 1560 the Game and pondering a move he called what was about to happen with 610.  Lance told me in so many words (post Texans first Playoff appearance), if the Texans go on a winning run, Sports Radio 610's ratings will "blow up".   In other words, it's more than simply saying "610 is doing well only because of the Texans).  We will discuss these Listeners who drive the ratings in Part 2 of Nick versus Lance.

PONDER THIS
 I am beginning to wonder if Nick Wright is jealous of Lance Zierlein's status in Houston because it make no sense to keep invoking his name.  If Lance's football acumen is so dry and not what the fans, why do 610 constantly go after "Football Experts".  I hear a station constantly telling it's fans "knowing sports is second place behind knowing radio".  Here is a thought, go learn football and you won't have to feel inferior what another man is doing.

Bottom line, trying to discredit Lance Zierlein's knowledge of football is going to fail.  In the past HMW had major words with Lance but we were not dumb enough to go at this man's football, that's freaking crazy.  Let me put it another way, Nick going at Lance's Xs & Os is like Lance saying "Nick cannot prepare for a show".  You see where I'm coming from?   HMW have issues with Nick's phony persona but we are not about to say the dude don't bust his ass at doing his job.

When I resume this article, you will hear a few words from Lance Zierlein and Nick Wright regarding Friday's fiasco.  In addition to, I will also discuss Fans, Home Grown Houston Personalities and Nick Wright's on air behavior.  

TO BE CONTINUED

BREAKING | LANCE ZIERLEIN JOINING CHARLIE PALLILO?

Funny how things happen.  Sunday Morning HMW learned from a trusted source, Lance Zierlein will be partnering up with Charlie Pallilo Drive Time Show.

Last year when Lance Zierlein (790) and Josh Innes (610) exchanged a few words via Twitter, Lance made a comment if he were to come to Drive Time, it would be a different store.  That was on January 4th, 2012, and seven months later, he got his chance to prove it.


Lamont  - Were you serious about the $5,000 bet with Josh?  Would you really consider moving to the Drive Time slot to compete.

Lance Zierlein - Absolutely.  I have all the confidence in the world in my abilities and I would be more than happy to do that.  Would my program director or GM be willing to allow me to do that?  I don't know.  I've been sold to advertisers as a morning host with a morning time slot and there are already hosts who work in the 2 PM (Matt Thomas) and 3-6 PM (Charlie Palillo) slots.

HMW Q&A with Lance Zierlein and Josh Innes after their "Twitter Dust Up"

  Last year in the midst of Lance's transition from 1560 The Game to 790 Morning Show, Lance took a vacation.  Approximately a year later, we are seeing Lance on vacation but could he again come back in a different capacity?

Props to Craig Shelton for dropping the Sunday Bomb Shell.  More details to come. Keep it locked and loaded on HMW.

JOSH INNES (610) vs LANCE ZIERLEIN (790) TWITTER FIGHT - LM

JOSH INNES (610) vs LANCE ZIERLEIN (790) TWITTER FIGHT
Written By: LM aka SNOW BLACK

Before getting into my article, I thought it would be cool to get a word from both parties.  Lance and Josh are strong in the market and their fans deserve a statement.  Below are a series of questions I asked both guys and I thank them for replying.

JOSH INNES

1.  Do you have a problem with Lance Zierlein?

     I didn't. I have a problem with people who spread false information. I also have a problem with hypocrites and phonies. 

    

2..  Any regrets in engaging in a twitter battle with another host?

       I never regret telling people  the truth. He attacked me. I responded.       

3.   Did you consider the $5,000 bet by Lance Zierlein.

      If I had 5k laying around I'd be glad to do it. I'm broke. 

4.  Do you have a problem with Houston?

      I honestly don't. I enjoy living here. I think it's a soft media market and the soft media market has produced soft talk radio. I question whether or not my style fits here. It's a unique market. 

5.  If given the chance to redo your image in Houston, would you do anything different?

     I wouldn't. Why would I? I have to be me to be successful. I am honest on the air. I can't help what people think. I could be scared into being a phony. I could tell people what they want to hear. I don't believe in doing that. It's not fair to the audience to lie. It kills credibility. When people listen I want them to know that what I'm saying is what I believe. 

6.  Does it come off as Lance being envious of 610 for the ratings?

      I don't want to discredit what he accomplished with Granato at 610. They were successful at the station and helped build it into the name brand that it is today. I don't claim to have created this name brand. I am glad to be part of it. I do question how successful they would be if they had to compete with 3 other sports stations. 

Lance Zierlein

1.  Do you have a problem with Josh Innes?

I have a problem with being called out on Twitter or on the air by another host that I haven't been talking about.  Personally?  I don't really know him so I don't have a problem with him.

2..  Any regrets in engaging in a twitter battle with another host?

To some extent, yes.  I felt like it went on too long.  There were some things that he said that I took exception to as he didn't seem to have his facts straight, but in the end, I probably need to carry myself in a more professional manner since there are people who follow me who have no interest in reading a "twitter battle".

3.   Were you serious about the $5,000 bet with Josh?  Would you really consider moving to the Drive Time slot to compete.

Absolutely.  I have all the confidence in the world in my abilities and I would be more than happy to do that.  Would my program director or GM be willing to allow me to do that?  I don't know.  I've been sold to advertisers as a morning host with a morning time slot and there are already hosts who work in the 2 PM (Matt Thomas) and 3-6 PM (Charlie Palillo) slots.

4.  Is Josh an easy target being that most people dislike him?

I think so, but not because he is new in the market, but rather how he has carried himself.  I don't think you can come into a market and not show the market or the town the proper level or respect.  That would be true in any major city.  I also think his willingness to broach topics other than sports probably gets some 610 listeners upset since that time slot has always been pretty no-nonsense regarding primarily sports talk.  I don't have a problem with straying from just sports from time to time as you know.  We all have lives outside of sports so I don't see a problem with it as long as it is done well.

5.  How can you knock Josh and Rich's numbers when  all stations to a degree are celebrating the Texans success in terms of ratings.

I don't knock their numbers.  I just felt like he wasn't putting them into proper perspective.  His numbers were way down before the lockout was lifted so I don't think it's smart to just hide behind current ratings.  I also took exception to comments regarding whether or not I "existed" since my morning show isn't number 1.  In this last book we were just a hair behind the 610 morning show so I would say that we have good traction and continue to build momentum as people find our new combination.

6.  How do you feel about Josh's claim that you represent a time when there were less sports talk in Houston?

There were less stations, true.  What he doesn't realize, however, is that sports talk as a 24 hour vehicle was still relatively new.  We were BUILDING audiences and not trying to just maintain them.  There were a ton of people in Houston who had never even heard of sports talk before they found us at 610.  When I took over in the morning along with John Granato, we inherited a 1.2 rating and the station was 2.5 years old.  Within a year, we had built that number into the high 2s and then into the 3.4 - 4.5 range.  We were building as we went and creating a brand new set of listeners who are still listening today.  A good analogy might be a restaurant.  It is one thing to take over a successful restaurant and watch profits keep coming in and while you are the manager, but it is quite another to help open and grow it from scratch.  That's not easy..... especially in a football town with no pro football and with the Rockets beginning to fade.  Through all that, our numbers kept growing.

Thanks Josh and Lance for the timely responses

MY TAKE


Well this was eventually coming.  With the changing dynamics in Houston Sports Talk Radio, it was only a matter of time before a ratings war would occur and would have thought Jim Rome's departure would have been the catalyst.

Listening to terrestrial radio is one thing but you get the "meat" on twitter.  Who's to blame for this recent skirmish between Josh Innes and Lance Zierlein?  Thursday, December 29, Josh Innes made a negative reference to another radio station during his show.  If you were listening, no doubt he was talking about 790 but to be fair, he didn't mention them by name.  A listener let lance know via Twitter therebye leading Lance to take a shot at Josh.  Josh not being short of words replied and the fight began.

From there, the two guys exchanged tweets at each other taking a few jabs.  Saturday, New Years Eve, they started up again.  I am not sure what got into Lance but he raised the bar by challenging Josh Innes to a $5,000 bet if they were to go head to head in ratings.  Lance alluded to being willing to move to the 2-6 hour to make this happen.  Josh did not take him up on but tried to get clarity of the bet.

Although entertaining for a warm New Year's Eve while the big story was Texas A & M and Northwestern tearing up the field the Texan had to play on the following day, this was completely childish and weak.  Both of these guys are members of the media who see each other from time to time around the city at various events, why finger each other when you can box it out?  Ok, so I am a tad unorthodox in my ways of handling conflicts but if someone really had that much of a problem with me, it is what it is.

I believe Lance along with a lot of Houston fans are getting tired with Josh in particular throwing the ratings in their face every chance he can.  With that being said, I cannot get mad at Josh, the object of the game is to crush the competition however you have to be willing to accept the backlash if you are coming at a popular personality.

I monitored the twitter beef and it was pretty one sided with the Sir Lance a Lots (Lance's crew) going after Josh.  After about 2 hours with the majority of tweets (harsh) aimed at Josh, he finally pulled back before the language got way too vile.

What I take away from this twitter beef,  an abundance of people seriously dislikes Josh Innes style.  A while ago I can remember Craig Shelton telling Josh to "chill out".    It is not in Josh's best interest to come into a city and build up a questionable image while knocking the city, it was only a matter of time, some in the city would  would go at him.  As far as Lance, it's not cool to hate on Josh because they are winning in the numbers, in my opinion.  No matter how you parse this, it all comes back to the numbers.  As long as Rich and Josh beat the competition and stations not even in their genre, you can't do nothing but accept it.  The only way Lance can shut Josh's mouth is to beat them.  All of the tweets and on air jabs in the world don't not mean a thing if you don't have the numbers to support the fight.

WRAP IT UP

I am the last person to tell another man to back down from a fight but I think Josh may have stepped into a hornet's nest.  I would think a very controversial decision by Gavin Spittle (Program Director) to release Jim Rome and replace it by a new local show, the last thing he needs is negative sentiment aimed at SR610 as as a whole or individual talents.  This sort of reminds me of sports cliches', "win with dignity", "act like you been there" etc etc.  Big freaking deal you are winning, you don't hear Mike and Mike and Jim Rome saying they are kicking each others' ass.  As hard as it is for me to give Rich credit, he's right, there's nothing cool in poking fun of your media peers.  As far as HMW, hell this is cool, it's a story in line with what we do.  Josh really asked if people knew Lance Zierlein exist?  Although I think Lance is full of shit sometimes, I do realize he is very respected amongst his peers and to be frank, I think he stepped down a notch engaging in a fight.

As far as Lance, not cool to make yourself apart of Josh and Rich's success.  Totally unnecessary to say J&Rs ratings somehow hinges on you going to AM time slot especially when you are not beating the guys you are currently going against.  Not sure how many times Lance has to be told, his reputation speaks speaks for it's self, you do you.  Lance is  almost beginning to come off like a crackhead searching for that 610 "High" once enjoyed.   Stop all the petty shit and grind.  Instead of shooting at Josh, think of ways to beat them.

Follow Up

My article above was written immediately after the last engagement by the two and I didn't want to change anything because that's how it appeared to me,  After conversing with both guys and receiving their it seems like much to do about nothing.  It's obvious these guys have a certain amount of animosity towards each other.  My advice to the two would be, if you didn't hear it for yourself to form your own opinion if a person is really coming at you, don't allow it to nest.  As I received both guys responses and noticed both thought the other shot at them first, it rings to a whole bunch of "hear say".  Unless it comes by way of HMW with audio, I wouldn't entertain it.

OUT

LM aka SNOW BLACK
Email: hmw_creep@yahoo.com