RIP Toucher and Rich Show ... It was fun while it lasted

Rusty13

Member
SoSH Member
Nov 3, 2007
5,351
I listened to a little bit this morning around 7:00ish, and they were talking about the end of the simulcast. Fred, essentially said that the reason they are happy the simulcast is ending is mostly financial. I think it actually hurts their bottom line in terms of ratings, and the revenue received from the simulcast must not be worth it.

However, he also said that NBCSN Boston still wants to have two simulcast shows on its airwaves (Felger and Mazz are staying on). But he didn't say (or maybe he doesn't know?), who that other show would be. Zo and Bertrand? Would they pluck an EEI show to maybe balance out TSH?
 

Rusty13

Member
SoSH Member
Nov 3, 2007
5,351
It has to be Beetle and Zo. They’ve been pushing for it on the air for awhile.
Got ya. I don't see how a simulcast would add to their show, however. They don't really do any bits or anything that I could possibly see as needing a "visual" component to add to the enjoyment of the show. Although...neither did "Mike and Mike".
 

DisgruntledSoxFan77

Member
SoSH Member
Jun 12, 2015
1,885
Quincy
I have to stop listening when one of the guys is out. Jones and his snort-laugh is just nails on the chalkboard annoying! Is this whole station just shit compared to Fred and Rich?? I haven't heard anything else on there that I even slightly enjoy
 

NDame616

will bailey
SoSH Member
Jul 31, 2006
2,315
Got ya. I don't see how a simulcast would add to their show, however. They don't really do any bits or anything that I could possibly see as needing a "visual" component to add to the enjoyment of the show. Although...neither did "Mike and Mike".
I think it's because Zo sort of has a brand. The whole Josie thing, "Sup Zo?" shirts that they said a billion times sold out in 6 minutes or something, etc. I think he actually has a following who have known who he was for 20-25 years.
 

Pablo's TB Lover

Member
SoSH Member
Sep 10, 2017
5,959
I suspect it's geared to football season when Zo and Beetle are onsite in Foxboro, for training camp and weekday preseason or regular season games when they have duties later in the day anyway. Toucher and Rich didn't do many "on location" shows. The NBCSN people figure they can push their branded TV football people onto the radio/simulcast on location moreso than a T & R type show.
 

NortheasternPJ

Member
SoSH Member
Nov 16, 2004
19,272
Sarge has to be on the autism spectrum right? The fact he can't figure out how the Funny You Should Ask game even works is amazing.
 

DisgruntledSoxFan77

Member
SoSH Member
Jun 12, 2015
1,885
Quincy
This drunken idiot Scott is the new Rock and Roll Mike. Was slightly amusing the first time but now he's an automatic fast forward every time I hear that Voice. T&R running another bit directly into the ground!

Also super annoying the way Rich keeps harping on Anthony Davis. Holy shit dude, he's not available!
 
Last edited:

allstonite

Member
SoSH Member
Oct 27, 2010
2,472
I'm a big fan of the show and love Rich (though I haven't been listening much lately) but he still doesn't understand the nuances of how sports operate. I'm not sure I'm wording it right but when they get into the weeds it's obvious he didn't grow up watching sports. Stuff that is obvious to me and readers of this board never really occur to him.

An example is the early days of having Ainge on he would consistently ask about potential trade targets and Ainge would have to shut him down because he can't talk about other players. I think eventually it became a joke and he'd ask about Lebron around his last free agency but it was awkward early on.

I think the Anthony Davis thing is probably similar. He gets ideas in his head that are at least defensible and hammers them again and again. He doesn't have a wealth of knowledge to fall back on and create new ideas so he repeats the same few points
 

steveluck7

Member
SoSH Member
May 10, 2007
3,994
Burrillville, RI
I think you're correct on Rich's depth of sport understanding but I don't think it applies here. Davis COULD be traded (to Boston, or anywhere) and listening to Rich, his point was that with Cousins deciding not to return to NOLA, maybe it's not a place that players want to be and maybe AD will have similar feelings and therefore NO will decide to trade him when they can.
Again, not likely but certainly not impossible
 

DisgruntledSoxFan77

Member
SoSH Member
Jun 12, 2015
1,885
Quincy
I think you're correct on Rich's depth of sport understanding but I don't think it applies here. Davis COULD be traded (to Boston, or anywhere) and listening to Rich, his point was that with Cousins deciding not to return to NOLA, maybe it's not a place that players want to be and maybe AD will have similar feelings and therefore NO will decide to trade him when they can.
Again, not likely but certainly not impossible
And yet everybody talks about how much he likes it in NO but all Rich harps on is that one instance where KG told him about wasting his talent and he agreed. Hell, Durant COULD opt out again next year and take the veteran's minimum to play for the Celtics. It could happen but is so unlikely it doesn't need to be brought up every time a basketball conversation occurs
 

NDame616

will bailey
SoSH Member
Jul 31, 2006
2,315
I'll give them a pass. It's the worst time of year to talk about sports. No NFL training camp, dog days of baseball season, NBA is starting summer league.

And the "AD to the Cs" conversation happens a lot on every show on 98.5. F&M spend hours talking about it.
 

Sir Lancelotti

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 31, 2006
284
Boston
I agree with giving them a pass based on the sports calendar, for some of the dog days of summer I wish TSH pretty much gave them carte blanche to do free form and just let them riff on their bread and butter like pop culture and music for 4 hours, you can tell how painful it is for them to try to fill airtime with the manufactured sports filler like summer league NBA and Gronkowski trade rumors. They try and compensate by running bits into the ground which becomes stale radio very quickly, 98.5 Mile worked at first as a summertime buffer but even that became a drawn out bore.

I don't think the program director neuters them too much in general , I just think I'd enjoy 4 hours of stuff they get to in "The Stack" like ripping on bad new movies and crazy news stories.
 

Haunted

The Man in the Box
SoSH Member
Aug 23, 2006
6,196
I don't think the program director neuters them too much in general , I just think I'd enjoy 4 hours of stuff they get to in "The Stack" like ripping on bad new movies and crazy news stories.
I agree. I was a fan in the BCN days and while they're plenty talented enough to switch to sports and succeed (obviously), I think by far their best work was when they could talk about whatever they wanted.
 

NortheasternPJ

Member
SoSH Member
Nov 16, 2004
19,272
Well they did spend 20 minutes on 90210 so they have some freedom. Wallach and Fred’s knowledge of 90210 is scary since it was 20 years ago.
 

DisgruntledSoxFan77

Member
SoSH Member
Jun 12, 2015
1,885
Quincy
Will be taking a 2 week break from the show. Not dealing with the rotating cast of shitty substitute cohosts. No thanks...

For guys who say they liked Opie and Anthony they sure didn't know much about things they played constantly. O&A used to play that Ass Man song as often as they could.
 
Last edited:

NortheasternPJ

Member
SoSH Member
Nov 16, 2004
19,272
Will be taking a 2 week break from the show. Not dealing with the rotating cast of shitty substitute cohosts. No thanks...

For guys who say they liked Opie and Anthony they sure didn't know much about things they played constantly. O&A used to play that Ass Man song as often as they could.
I used to listen to O&A back on WAAF and don't remember that song, but I lost track of them after they got fired. I loved that break today, even if O&A played 15 years ago, which I don't remember.

In terms of rotating cast, it really depends who. Haggs is brutal in his Star Wars baseball jerseys which are awful and 2 sizes too small for him, I actually don't mind Jones with him and I like Hardy. It's the dog days of summer so I can't give them too much shit.
 

DisgruntledSoxFan77

Member
SoSH Member
Jun 12, 2015
1,885
Quincy
I used to listen to O&A back on WAAF and don't remember that song, but I lost track of them after they got fired. I loved that break today, even if O&A played 15 years ago, which I don't remember.

In terms of rotating cast, it really depends who. Haggs is brutal in his Star Wars baseball jerseys which are awful and 2 sizes too small for him, I actually don't mind Jones with him and I like Hardy. It's the dog days of summer so I can't give them too much shit.
Nah this was much later, during their satellite radio days. *Disclaimer: O&A show on satellite, so expect language that won't be for everyone*
I honestly don't like any of the fill-ins, they're all pretty awful. Sarge... No comment. Hardy just comes across with this undeserved smugness. Jones, I cannot stand his laugh. Roche is just too Pollyanna for my tastes. Just have to use the time to catch up on some podcasts
 

Cesar Crespo

79
SoSH Member
Dec 22, 2002
21,588
I listened to O&A regularly during the XM era and barely remember this.

I've said this before, but these radio hosts are filling 4 hours of air time every single day. They are probably on auto pilot 99% of the time. No radio hosts have long term memories. They barely remember what they said 2 hours ago.
 

NortheasternPJ

Member
SoSH Member
Nov 16, 2004
19,272
Not sure which 98.5 thread to post this in but 98.5 sounds like shit since they went to Dorchester. It sounds like they're on remote at the Garden or something. The audio is terrible, I hope they fix it.
 

MizzouJackass

New Member
Feb 19, 2017
13
North Shore
I respectfully disagree with the gentleman (I assume as much anyway) above about Hardy’s smugness. I think that it’s actually sarcasm that comes across as smugness because he needs something to keep himself entertained during the show. I’m hot & cold on Hardy but I tend to give him a mulligan. He is very self deprecating but I think he’s entertaining. He produces for 98-mile and produces some funny bits for T&R now and then. At the very least he doesn’t subtract from the show. Plus, this is a man who was charged with making a four hour show with Jerry Trupiano listenable every single Saturday. Listening to Trupe brings me back to listening to my elementary school teachers lecture us for 45 minutes on how to turn a grocery bag into a cover for our social studies books. It’s like listening to my grandfather eat soup in high definition.

I love T&R but it is a complete non-show without Fred. By “non show” I mean that without Fred it’s just another chorus of voices discussing whatever I don’t even care about what they talk about, Chipotle, Star Wars(?), etc. IMO T&R is great because it is actually funny. In fact, it is the only show on either station that is legit and occasionally laugh out loud funny. Fred is definitely a miserable bastard and some bits are hit & miss for sure but on what other show do you listen and even crack a smile? I’m not saying the other shows are bad but none of them are humorous in the least. Zo’s dad jokes are awful and when he really tries to be witty he ends up confusing himself and then just name-drops one of his billion sponsors and then goes silent. Then Bertrand will say something like, “uhh, ya done over there Zo?”

Rich is only funny when he plays off of Fred. And there is something about Rich that makes me uncomfortable, like once the mics are off and he’s out in the wild I feel like he’d be the guy who would read the riot act to some 16 year old clerk at the Gamestop because his preorder came in a day late. I have no evidence to back this claim up but I did used to work at Gamestop.

Not to mention the fact that when Fred is gone it means more airtime to guys like Sarge, Hook, and sometimes (*shudder*) Joe Murray. No voice on 98.5 makes me want to stick my fingers into an electrical socket as much as Joe Murray’s. He has one of those voices where you can hear that he’s smiling. But it hurts my brain because he shouldn’t be smiling because nothing he says is funny at all. So the only logical conclusion is that he’s smiling because he THINKS he’s funny, which just makes me, again, with the electrical socket.
 

Rusty13

Member
SoSH Member
Nov 3, 2007
5,351
I love T&R but it is a complete non-show without Fred. By “non show” I mean that without Fred it’s just another chorus of voices discussing whatever I don’t even care about what they talk about, Chipotle, Star Wars(?), etc. IMO T&R is great because it is actually funny. In fact, it is the only show on either station that is legit and occasionally laugh out loud funny. Fred is definitely a miserable bastard and some bits are hit & miss for sure but on what other show do you listen and even crack a smile? I’m not saying the other shows are bad but none of them are humorous in the least. Zo’s dad jokes are awful and when he really tries to be witty he ends up confusing himself and then just name-drops one of his billion sponsors and then goes silent. Then Bertrand will say something like, “uhh, ya done over there Zo?”

Rich is only funny when he plays off of Fred. And there is something about Rich that makes me uncomfortable, like once the mics are off and he’s out in the wild I feel like he’d be the guy who would read the riot act to some 16 year old clerk at the Gamestop because his preorder came in a day late. I have no evidence to back this claim up but I did used to work at Gamestop.

Not to mention the fact that when Fred is gone it means more airtime to guys like Sarge, Hook, and sometimes (*shudder*) Joe Murray. No voice on 98.5 makes me want to stick my fingers into an electrical socket as much as Joe Murray’s. He has one of those voices where you can hear that he’s smiling. But it hurts my brain because he shouldn’t be smiling because nothing he says is funny at all. So the only logical conclusion is that he’s smiling because he THINKS he’s funny, which just makes me, again, with the electrical socket.
Not sure why or where you are getting this vibe from? Genuinely curious. I know Kirk Minihane has tried to put it out there that Rich has made some women, like Trenni, uncomfortable when on the air with him. (I haven't seen Trenni or any other women corroborate that anywhere.) But you of course have to consider the source and the agenda behind it.

But I would also say the show is pretty much a "non show" when Rich is out as well. The two really do complement each other, and Rich is the only one that can seem to keep Fred in check when he goes off on ridiculous rants or takes his proverbial cheap shots at the Pats and Pats fans.
 

8slim

has trust issues
SoSH Member
Nov 6, 2001
24,829
Unreal America
But I would also say the show is pretty much a "non show" when Rich is out as well. The two really do complement each other, and Rich is the only one that can seem to keep Fred in check when he goes off on ridiculous rants or takes his proverbial cheap shots at the Pats and Pats fans.
Totally agree, the show is entirely about how they play off each other. I thought Hardy did an admirable job with Fred last week and the show was decent. However, Rich simply can't carry a show on his own, no matter who's on with him. And I say that as someone who really likes the guy (the on-air guy, anyway).
 

NortheasternPJ

Member
SoSH Member
Nov 16, 2004
19,272
You hit the nail on the head, Rich is a 2nd chair. He's fantastic at it, but he isn't one to run the show. When Rich runs the show, like he did today, he falls back on the "Callers, call us about X topic" the corporal punishment one was actually good today, but he just falls back on it. Fred can carry 2 hours by himself if he needs to, Rich just isn't that guy so it's "callers call us about something that happened!" it's happens constantly when he's hosting. He's just not a host, he's a color guy, which isn't a knock, I don't try to do someone else's job at my job either never mind in front of a large audience.
 

MizzouJackass

New Member
Feb 19, 2017
13
North Shore
Not sure why or where you are getting this vibe from? Genuinely curious. I know Kirk Minihane has tried to put it out there that Rich has made some women, like Trenni, uncomfortable when on the air with him. (I haven't seen Trenni or any other women corroborate that anywhere.) But you of course have to consider the source and the agenda behind it.

But I would also say the show is pretty much a "non show" when Rich is out as well. The two really do complement each other, and Rich is the only one that can seem to keep Fred in check when he goes off on ridiculous rants or takes his proverbial cheap shots at the Pats and Pats fans.
I am getting that vibe purely off of my own personal listening experience and nothing else. I have no other information or female perspective to offer on this point. I did not know Kirk had made those accusations. Personally I never under any circumstances treat anything Kirk says as at all
based in fact or logic.

I agree with your second point. There is definitely an energy to the show that fails when either of them is out. The best way that I can articulate it is that to me they never seem to be just killing time. Even when Fred jokes about having to “get through” a segment it comes off as sarcastic because it’s Fred (even if it’s true).
 

Haunted

The Man in the Box
SoSH Member
Aug 23, 2006
6,196
Had to turn it off this morning. Adam Jones has been "instant change" for me for a long time, but this morning I gave him a few minutes since he was on with Fred. He was going on and on about Kyrie not wanting to play here or something. Any time he leads a sentence with "Well, we know that <something" you can pretty much bank on the fact that we know no such thing.
 

bigq

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 15, 2005
11,087
Had to turn it off this morning.
Me too. I don’t want to hear any more about Kyrie not being on the bench for game seven. or who Garappolo is dating. Dog days of summer. They are struggling to come up with anything new to talk about.
 

Haunted

The Man in the Box
SoSH Member
Aug 23, 2006
6,196
To be fair, I've enjoyed hearing them make fun of the idiot hot takes from around the country about Jimmy G and the porn star.
 

Granite Sox

Member
SoSH Member
Feb 6, 2003
5,055
The Granite State
It may be juvenile, but Fred’s Ray Lewis imitations kill me. One could see this morning’s performance coming a mile away after Lewis’ incoherent HOF induction speech, yet I was still cracking up as Fred (and Lewis) went on and on and on...

5-15-75!
 

8slim

has trust issues
SoSH Member
Nov 6, 2001
24,829
Unreal America
This Ultimate Townie thing is DOA. It’s summer and they’re desperate to fill time, so I get it. No harm no foul. But it’s not good.
 

NortheasternPJ

Member
SoSH Member
Nov 16, 2004
19,272
It may be juvenile, but Fred’s Ray Lewis imitations kill me. One could see this morning’s performance coming a mile away after Lewis’ incoherent HOF induction speech, yet I was still cracking up as Fred (and Lewis) went on and on and on...

5-15-75!
NUMBERS NUMBERS NUMBERS. You know what I don't like? SEX TRAFFICKING!

Ray Lewis really is a lunatic.
 

Haunted

The Man in the Box
SoSH Member
Aug 23, 2006
6,196
This Ultimate Townie thing is DOA. It’s summer and they’re desperate to fill time, so I get it. No harm no foul. But it’s not good.
I agree. A good idea but it just hasn't worked out/
 

NortheasternPJ

Member
SoSH Member
Nov 16, 2004
19,272
Rich was absolutely brutal during the interview with Aaron Hernandez's lawyer. His questions were awful and didn't even make sense half the time. I know what he was trying to get across, but he did it very poorly.

On the other hand I laughed pretty damn hard when Marshall Hook asked him about Aaron Hernandez being the Murder Project Manager.
 

HomeBrew1901

Has Season 1 of "Manimal" on Blu Ray
SoSH Member
The only thing worse than some of Felger's takes are Toucher and Rich trying to argue over whether or not he had a point or not.

That was brutal this morning and the first time I had to turn them off because I couldn't listen anymore.
 

Rusty13

Member
SoSH Member
Nov 3, 2007
5,351
The only thing worse than some of Felger's takes are Toucher and Rich trying to argue over whether or not he had a point or not.

That was brutal this morning and the first time I had to turn them off because I couldn't listen anymore.
That’s all Fred. Since the “Hot Take Police” segment had to do with a negative take on a Boston sports related issue (but for the Bruins), he will usually find a way to side with that of the “hot taker”, per his contrarian ways. But, yes, makes for awful radio.
 
Last edited: