News from The Fan

 This is not "news" at this point, but following the recent firings at 93.7 The Fan (see http://www.grandstander.blogspot.com/2013/12/the-axe-falls-at-fan.html ), the station, KDKA-FM, has announced who will be replacing whom in the new program line-up effective January 6.

To me, the most interesting switch was the move of Andrew Fillliponi, aka, Andrew "Fullaboloney" from his early evening slot to the the mid-day slot, and teaming him with Ron Cook in the newly named "Cook and Poni Show".

As you can see from the picture, Filliponi is a young guy, only in his mid-twenties.  I do not hold his age against him.  God bless him for landing a job like this in a major league market at such a young age, but he can be a bit of a know-it-all wiseguy at times, and that can get old, but to his credit, he has had some interesting things to say in the times that I have listened to him.  It is the pairing of bitter, angry, miserable old guy Cook and hipster, millennial, wiseass Filliponi that shows promise of the oil-and-water fireworks that made the Vinnie and Cook Show Must Listen Radio.  Somehow, I just can't see Ron Cook getting along with this guy, either.

Despite killing in the radio ratings, The Fan managed to get rid of two, presumably, big pay guys on Paul Alexander and Vinnie Richichi and reshuffled its programming deck without hiring any new on air talent.  That's a tough business. 

"The Fan" - Later in the Day

News arrives this morning that some major players at 93.7 The Fan have been given their walking papers, effective immediately.  Merry Freakin' Christmas, as morning co-host Paul Alexander would say.  Oh, and speaking of Paul Alexander, he is one of the two on air personalities to be let go!  The other is mid-day co-host Vinnie Richichi.

I will never (with rare exceptions) take delight in a person losing his or her job.  It has happened to me in my life, and it is not a pleasant experience.  That said, I can say that I will most definitely not miss Paul Alexander.  There was so much about this guy, including his incessant use of the juvenile adjective referenced in the prior paragraph, that irritated me to the point where I could not listen to The Fan Morning Show for more than about 10 or 15 minutes at a time.  I am assuming that Paul will still have his Root Sports Pirates and Penguins gigs as well as his hair replacement commercials, so he's got that going for him.

On the other hand, I am going to miss Vinnie.  I suspect that I will be in the minority on that score since Vinnie had two major handicaps going against him that the provincial Pittsburgh audience almost never forgive: he spoke with a pronounced New York accent, and HE AIN'T FROM PITTSBURGH!!!!  I mean, how can this guy tell us abaht the Pirates and Stillers n'at if ain't from here, right?  Another handicap facing Vinnie was that he had to work with the miserable and bitter Ron Cook.  The dislike, which Bob Smizik assures us was real and not a gimmick, between Vinnie and Cook often time made for an entertaining, train-wreck style show, but, just as often, made you squirm when listening.  Still, I liked Vinnie and his somewhat bumbling style.  He was kind of like an Everyman given the chance to host his own radio show.

Not sure where Vinnie will go from here.  Like a lot of guys in the radio business, Vinnie has been all over the map, and I suppose an almost four year gig at The Fan (like Alexander, Vinnie was an original cast member from when The Fan went on the air back in February, 2010) represents as close to permanence as one can get in that business.  I suspect that he will turn up somewhere on the radio dial, and if it means leaving Pittsburgh, so be it.  Before he does leave, I hope that he gets to do a "tell all" interview, either on air or in print, on what a total jerk Ron Cook was in their almost four years together.

Oh, and just for fun, I will close by reprinting an excerpt from the very early archives of The Grandstander:

Monday, February 15, 2010

"The Fan" - Later in the Day

Caught some of the mid-day show on The Fan. The 10:00 to 2:00 show is called "Vinny and Cook" and features PG columnist Ron Cook and, some guy named Vinny.

Now Ron Cook is Ron Cook so we should all know what we're getting with him. Vinny is a newcomer to town, and he appears to have a New York accent, and both of these facts will no doubt cause the provincial Pittsburgh audience to not like him. However, in the 20-30 minutes that I heard while driving this afternoon, I have a good first impression of the guy. He describes himself as a huge baseball fan and can't wait to start going down to PNC Park on a regular basis, and he does not appear to be coming in with an I-hate-the-Nuttings-and-bobbleheads-and-fireworks attitude that the entrenched media (and first caller to the show that I heard) has.

Farewell, Vinnie.  At least one listener is going to miss you.

Some Farewells

As Tony and Mike say on Pardon the Interruption, we bid Happy Trails today to.....

Jim Leyland

As you no doubt know, Leyland announced yesterday that he would not be returning as manager of the Tigers in 2014.  Leyland, after eight years and four post-season appearances, including two AL pennants, has decided that age 69, he's had enough.   

When I first heard this news, I said to myself, can the slurp job column from Ron Cook be far behind?  Well, Cookie did not disappoint.  Hey, I get it that Cook thinks Leyland was a great manager and a good guy, but he really should be embarrassed with that column this morning.  No Hollywood press agent couldn't have written a bigger puff piece than that one.

More to the point, I will accept the fact that Leyland has been a good, though not necessarily great, manager throughout his career (although even his admirers admit that he didn't have his best series in the recently concluded ALCS), but to me, he is the guy who broke his contract with the Pirates for better and more lucrative deal in Miami, and flat out quit on the Rockies in Denver when things weren't to his liking.  His loyalists will defend those moves - as Cook does in his column this morning - but they are black marks on his resume and his character as far as I am concerned, but, again, that's just me.  And I find it interesting that Mrs. Grandstander, upon hearing the news, said, "Do you think he means it this time?"

Bum Phillips

The colorful former coach of the Houston Oilers passed away this weekend at the age of 90.  How can Steelers fans of a certain age ever forget Bum Phillips, strolling the sidelines in back-to-back AFC Championship games at Three Rivers Stadium?  I wonder if we would still find him lovable had the Oilers managed to win one or both of those games?  Sad to think that in the NFL of Roger Goodell, the Stetson hat, cowboy boots, and sheepskin jacket that Bum wore on the sidelines would not be considered "approved sideline apparel", and Bum would have been forced to don whatever Nike and Park Avenue told him to wear.

It was a bad weekend for Houston Oilers fans as death also claimed owner Bud Adams.  Adams was a Texas oil gazillionaire who, along with a few other risk takers, started the American Football League back in 1960.  Of course, Adams also grew to fit the profile of the modern sports owner when he moved the Oilers to Nashville when a better stadium deal, i.e., one that made him more money with no cost to him, came along.  Only 95 year old Ralph Wilson in Buffalo remains from that group that started the AFL back in 1960.

Enjoy that retirement, Jimmy Leyland, and smoke 'em if you got 'em, and RIP Absent Friends Bum Phillips and Bud Adams.

Talk Show Etiquette

While out driving this morning, I had 93.7 The Fan tuned in and was listening to Ron Cook. Vinnie Rechichi  is vacationing this week, so Ron was flying solo, which put him in a good mood - for him.  So  a guy calls up and makes the suggestion that perhaps Clint Hurdle should consider platooning Pedro Alvarez and play Josh Harrison against left handed pitchers.  Ridiculous, I know, but that's not the point today.  The point is how Cook responded to the call.

Now, Cook might have said, "You know, Caller, perhaps there might be some situations where it might not be a bad idea to give Pedro a rest, but Hurdle really can't consider platooning the NL home run leader on a full time basis."

Yeah, that's something he could have said.   

What he did say, however, was "That is the most asinine, stupid, and ridiculous suggestion I have ever heard.  Next call, please."

It reminded me of something I once heard Myron Cope say when he was asked about how he conducted his talk show (and, really, has there ever been an equal to Myron in his heyday when hosting sports talk shows are concerned?).  His philosophy was, he said, that "if you treat your callers like idiots, then pretty soon only idiots will call you."

Amen!

Vinnie and Cook, The Sunshine Boys

Remember the great Neil Simon play and movie, "The Sunshine Boys"? The story concerned a great vaudeville comedy team of Lewis and Clark (played by George Burns and Walter Matthau in the movie). They were funny, and everybody loved them, but there was problem:  they hated each other.  Like most of Simon's stuff, it was hilarious, and if you've never seen it, make it a point to do so.

Anyway, we in Pittsburgh have our own version of The Sunshine Boys on the radio five days a week on 93.7 The Fan, "The Vinnie and Cook Show" that airs from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM Monday through Friday.  The show stars Post-Gazette columnist Ron Cook and Vinnie Richicci.  I'm not sure of Vinnie's background.  He has a New York accent, and his last radio gig was in Seattle before he came to Pittsburgh when The Fan went on the air in January, 2010.

Cook brings his grumpy and sour personality that PG readers have known for years, and Vinnie is the typical garrulous New Yorker.  It is obvious that the two can't stand each other and the palpable tension between the two of them is so obvious that it makes for riveting theater of the train wreck variety.  The air is so frosty between the two of them, that even on the hottest of days, you don't need the air conditioning on in your car when listening.  Just as an example, Vinnie always refers to Cook as "Cookie", it is obvious that Cook hates this.  The fact that callers now call him "Cookie" has to really grind his gears.

It is a four hour snarl-a-thon, but it is not a bad show.  When you get past Cook's sour demeanor, you have to admit that he does know the Pittsburgh sports scene, and his opinions are valid ones.  I happen to like Vinnie, but I fear that he will never be loved by the yinzers in Pittsburgh because he is not from here.  He's an aht o' tahner, and he has that New York accent.  I like him because he is first and foremost a baseball guy, and he does know his sports.  My only gripe with him is an annoying speech habit of constantly beginning sentences with the word "again", but why nitpick?

Hey, they ain't Burns and Matthau, but they'll do until a road show version of the real "Sunshine Boys" comes through town.