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

DisgruntledSoxFan77

Member
SoSH Member
Jun 12, 2015
1,885
Quincy
T&R definitely have their strengths but the thing is, their biggest weakness is saturation. When they find something good they will run it directly into the ground. Anything involving Pasta Joe was ok in the beginning but quickly turned into shit because they just can't help themselves. If he isn't on the show directly they're gonna play clips of him ad nauseam!
 

Mueller's Twin Grannies

critical thinker
SoSH Member
Dec 19, 2009
9,386
I took it as: look at what happened to Kirk Minihane. Don't try and become him with this feuding crap.
I realize this was several weeks ago, but what is the full story here? I rarely get to listen to either show anymore (partially by choice) so I didn't see any backstory. Can someone fill me (and anyone else just as clueless) in?
 

steveluck7

Member
SoSH Member
May 10, 2007
3,994
Burrillville, RI
I realize this was several weeks ago, but what is the full story here? I rarely get to listen to either show anymore (partially by choice) so I didn't see any backstory. Can someone fill me (and anyone else just as clueless) in?
It's a kind of long story but the gist is... Mike "Sarge Reilly fills in as an update guy / 3rd chair on most shows on the station. Over the summer, he was on a lot more with everyone taking vacations. A caller at some point told Sarge he sucks on the radio. It kind of flustered Sarge so more and more people would call in and drop in that line. It bled over to T & R who thought it was funny how much it bothered Sarge. It kind of took off from there with one guy calling into national shows (Finebaum, Francesca, Hannity) and going into long stories about this guys, Mike "Sarge" Reilly. T & R would play them on their show. People started to call other shows on the station and do this bit.
It gets messy because Zolak thought it was hilarious and encouraged it (at a point, Fred and Rich really asked people to stop calling their station with these calls). One morning, during the crossover, Beetle started whining and talking down to Fred about it (again, even though his co-host overtly encouraged it). Beetle said some dick-ish stuff during the spat and Fred basically "warned" him that by acting this way, he's gonna incur even more calls from T & R fans.
 

NickEsasky

Please Hammer, Don't Hurt 'Em
Silver Supporter
SoSH Member
Jul 24, 2001
9,190
Aren't you the guy who stopped watching one of the local teams because the local media told you they weren't good or exciting?
 

MizzouJackass

New Member
Feb 19, 2017
13
North Shore
Things:

1. I won’t name the sponsor but there is an ad every other break that’s for a dipping tray for the big game called the Foot-Bowl. Everytime they say that I gag, what a horrible marketing idea to equate dip with feet.

2. I thought the Matt Light call in yesterday was so good.

3. I’m sorry boys I tried so hard but I cannot deal with Jones anymore. He entertains but he is so negative. When he says ANYTHING positive he quickly changes tone to destroy the thing he just praised. His vocal inflections have become a source of anxiety for me. If he were to ever do the morning slot I would drive off of a bridge.
 

HomeBrew1901

Has Season 1 of "Manimal" on Blu Ray
SoSH Member
Aren't you the guy who stopped watching one of the local teams because the local media told you they weren't good or exciting?
The 2018 Redsox.
That was me!!! I openly admitted that being out of market, being busier than usual, and listening to Felger and Mazz made me ashamed that I allowed them to affect my perception of the team and how much time I had put into following them. I believe I also said I wish I had embraced the team the way my nephews did and watched or cared about the outcome of every game.

As a result, while I enjoyed the World Series I didn't get that sense of euphoria that I got with the Patriots winning over KC this weekend or especially the 2004 and 2007 Red Sox teams where I lost sleep over games.

As for my Patriots fan quip, there is a minority of fans that lose their fucking minds at the mention of anything remotely negative about the team, the same kind of fans that we would openly mock that root for the Yankees and scream "COUNT DA RINGZ" at anything remotely anti Yankee. They are absolutely unbearable (yes most every team has them) and that's what I meant because it was funny hearing how fired up they were by Fred saying Brady was weird and did weird things.
 

Gambler7

Member
SoSH Member
Dec 11, 2003
3,752
Well, if you have a chance to listen to the Jim Gray "interview" they just had with Gray at the Super Bowl in person you need to. Fred basically told him to go screw and cut it off. Gray was acting defensive and odd over the first innocent querstion they asked him having to do why he was with Oprah and Tom Brady at some point.
 

NortheasternPJ

Member
SoSH Member
Nov 16, 2004
19,271
I was watching on Twitch which was even better. Gray was being such a prick. All he had to say was he was invited as a mutual friend. Instead he was just an ass and being elusive. I can’t believe he yelled at their producer for 15 min after.
 

Ralphwiggum

Member
SoSH Member
Jun 27, 2012
9,825
Needham, MA
Tweet deleted?

I thought that was hilarious. I have no idea why Jim Gray was being so defensive and one of my favorite things about Fred is that he has no interest in dealing with that type of bs.
All it said was "Jim Gray says we have a shit reputation" or something like that. Not sure why they deleted it.
 

NortheasternPJ

Member
SoSH Member
Nov 16, 2004
19,271
F&M are replaying it now and it’s even more awkward the second time. He’s so weird about the whole thing. What a prick.

Fred & Rich weren’t even being malicious or anything or playing “shock jock”. The only thing you could say Fred did was when he said “well there’s two really famous people and then Jim Gray”

If Jim was going to be a prick just don’t go on.
 

NortheasternPJ

Member
SoSH Member
Nov 16, 2004
19,271
The best part is Jim Gray yelling at Fred and pointing at him while doing the interview. Like Fred really gives a shit.
 

Patriot_Reign

Member
SoSH Member
Apr 21, 2011
1,150
I missed the Gray T&R interview, but later during the morning he went on M&C which I heard some of and seemed friendly enough, but when coming back from an ad break Curtis had an odd comment about how Gerry and Gray had somehow become best friends and had this lengthy drawn out conversation during the break. Struck me as Gerry mining Jim Gray for industry dirt, but who knows. Desperation bleeds and all that
 

NortheasternPJ

Member
SoSH Member
Nov 16, 2004
19,271
I missed the Gray T&R interview, but later during the morning he went on M&C which I heard some of and seemed friendly enough, but when coming back from an ad break Curtis had an odd comment about how Gerry and Gray had somehow become best friends and had this lengthy drawn out conversation during the break. Struck me as Gerry mining Jim Gray for industry dirt, but who knows. Desperation bleeds and all that
Jim Gray was probably bitching about Fred.
 

NortheasternPJ

Member
SoSH Member
Nov 16, 2004
19,271
I think Mazz said something about Jim Gray was acting like that because he's ashamed to be Brady's paid fluffer and not a real journalist.
 

dirtynine

Member
SoSH Member
Dec 17, 2002
8,394
Philly
Out of the area these days so don’t listen as much, but T&R are must-listen after championships, so I’ve caught a bunch of the show this week. Among other things, comparing Sean McVay to the Faster Guy was outstanding. So glad he’s still a part of the T&R lexicon, and if I’ve missed any recent FG content I need to seek it out. #ampage
 

Riconway3155

Member
SoSH Member
Jul 15, 2005
775
Ma
They posted a screenshot of Gray pointing at Fred on twitter and I honestly thought it was a funny Photoshop until watching the above clip. What a toolbag. Fred rules.
 

JCizzle

Member
SoSH Member
Dec 11, 2006
20,530
That question wasn't even controversial in the slightest. Does Jim Gray really think he's in the Oprah/Brady stratosphere?
 

Marciano490

Urological Expert
SoSH Member
Nov 4, 2007
62,312
I like Jim. I actually thought they came off worse there. It’s a dumb question they kept repeating for no reason.
 

HomeBrew1901

Has Season 1 of "Manimal" on Blu Ray
SoSH Member
I like Jim. I actually thought they came off worse there. It’s a dumb question they kept repeating for no reason.
I disagree, Gray came off as a turd from the very start of the interview and you could tell it wasn't going to go well.

I watched the video and listened to what Felger and Mazz had to say and Gray is a sensitive tool that wants to be seen as a respected journalist when he's really just a fluff piece guy that seemingly has little respect in the industry.
 

NortheasternPJ

Member
SoSH Member
Nov 16, 2004
19,271
The fact that Jim Gray hung around for 20 min and demanded to talk to their boss and even Jerry Rice was wondering what his problem was is evidence he was being a dick.

What would you prefer they ask Jim Gray about? The Decision? His relationship with Brady, if he works for Brady and the rest is interesting as it's not really clear what his role is.

I do believe he's on the Brady payroll and got all upset when they started to ask those questions. He claims he knows T&R's show so he had to know what the questions were going to be about.

Rich said this morning that it also looks like Jim Gray / his people hired Twitter Army to fight back on Saturday.
 

PC Drunken Friar

Member
SoSH Member
Sep 12, 2003
14,540
South Boston
I like Jim. I actually thought they came off worse there. It’s a dumb question they kept repeating for no reason.
If you don't live in the Boston market and hear them too often, this is a theme they have had for a long time. Jim Gray is the easiest interviewer of all time and will never ask the tough question, especially when he has his weekly interview with Brady. This was T & R's chance to ask him about their relationship...they only worthwhile thing talking to Jim Gray about. And he gave obviously evasive answers. Especially when it started with the "Having dinner with Oprah" comment. I think both T & R were genuinely curious as to how Jim Gray and his wife came to be invited to dinner by Oprah, one of the most famous women in the world.
 

NortheasternPJ

Member
SoSH Member
Nov 16, 2004
19,271
If you don't live in the Boston market and hear them too often, this is a theme they have had for a long time. Jim Gray is the easiest interviewer of all time and will never ask the tough question, especially when he has his weekly interview with Brady. This was T & R's chance to ask him about their relationship...they only worthwhile thing talking to Jim Gray about. And he gave obviously evasive answers. Especially when it started with the "Having dinner with Oprah" comment. I think both T & R were genuinely curious as to how Jim Gray and his wife came to be invited to dinner by Oprah, one of the most famous women in the world.
I wish they didn't go down this route and just asked "Jim, do you work for Tom Brady?" we would have got to the same place quicker.
 

PC Drunken Friar

Member
SoSH Member
Sep 12, 2003
14,540
South Boston
I wish they didn't go down this route and just asked "Jim, do you work for Tom Brady?" we would have got to the same place quicker.
I don't believe so. He would have answered with something like, "I mean, I get paid by an entity to do a job that entails me doing work with Tom Brady on occasion...why do you care?"

I really do think that they were not going to be hostile and then the Oprah thing came up and there were like...WHAT! Oh, you have to tell us how you guys are such great friends...and he continued to be a dick about it.
 

NortheasternPJ

Member
SoSH Member
Nov 16, 2004
19,271
I agree, I don't think they were trying to be shock jocks or Minihane etc. That's just not their style. They've talked about Jim Gray's roll with Brady for months and were curious. I think Rich even told him that they wanted to talk about his relationship with Brady before he went on.

Suffering through 15 minutes of that nonsense would be even more unfair to Jim which is why he cut it short. Literally all he had to say was "I work with Tom on Westwood One and have done other things with him, he was in town and invited me to the taping" instead he made up that story about "having a dinner" (which no one ever says) and was a sketch ball about the whole thing.

The diagram he was painting is awesome though, "Tom knows Opera, Steadman..." etc.
 

Marciano490

Urological Expert
SoSH Member
Nov 4, 2007
62,312
If you don't live in the Boston market and hear them too often, this is a theme they have had for a long time. Jim Gray is the easiest interviewer of all time and will never ask the tough question, especially when he has his weekly interview with Brady. This was T & R's chance to ask him about their relationship...they only worthwhile thing talking to Jim Gray about. And he gave obviously evasive answers. Especially when it started with the "Having dinner with Oprah" comment. I think both T & R were genuinely curious as to how Jim Gray and his wife came to be invited to dinner by Oprah, one of the most famous women in the world.
I know Gray mostly from boxing, and I think he does press athletes. Shit, Adrian Broner just threatened to kick his ass in the ring last week. And didn’t he have a thing where he kept pushing Pete Rose on gambling at an all-star game ages ago?
 

PC Drunken Friar

Member
SoSH Member
Sep 12, 2003
14,540
South Boston
I know Gray mostly from boxing, and I think he does press athletes. Shit, Adrian Broner just threatened to kick his ass in the ring last week. And didn’t he have a thing where he kept pushing Pete Rose on gambling at an all-star game ages ago?
He must be different in boxing. His Brady interviews suck and he will never outlive his LeBron's Decision fiasco.
 

8slim

has trust issues
SoSH Member
Nov 6, 2001
24,829
Unreal America
Gray's most infamous moment was his on field interview with Pete Rose at the '99 World Series, when he pressed him to apologize for his gambling. Gray's legacy is weird, since he's had moments like that, along with moments of being a total shill for guys like LeBron and Brady.

His incident with T&R is also weird because it appeared that they were all smiles just before they went on the air. And T&R's questions about Gray being in the background of the Brady/Oprah interview were so obviously playful. That Gray immediately got non-responsive was so strange.
 

Rusty13

Member
SoSH Member
Nov 3, 2007
5,347
And T&R's questions about Gray being in the background of the Brady/Oprah interview were so obviously playful. That Gray immediately got non-responsive was so strange.
Yeah, it reminded me -- for any old school Stern listeners on here -- of when Gary Garver interviewed "Darth Nihilus" and created a bit they proceeded to use for years!

 

DisgruntledSoxFan77

Member
SoSH Member
Jun 12, 2015
1,885
Quincy
Yeah it's funny, I stopped listening last summer when they were on alternating vacations because I needed a break from the dogshit replacements they have. Then this morning I decided to check back in and heard Adam Jones. Fuckin' hell, man!