McNeil out 2 more weeks
Edited to say - from Teddy Greinstein in the Chicago Tribune
On-going troubles with WMVP could lead host to WSCR

The "Mac, Jurko & Harry" show will be without its top gun for two more weeks.

Dan McNeil, who drives WMVP-AM's franchise show, has been suspended until July 25.

His latest transgression was calling a TV executive a "bitch" on the air, but WMVP general manager Jim Pastor said the penalty also was rooted in McNeil's previous indiscretions. Call it the Tank Johnson effect.

"The suspension is not based solely on the inappropriate comment he made on the air," Pastor said, "but an inappropriate comment made by a person with a history of disciplinary problems."

McNeil served a 19-day suspension last June after an ugly on-air spat with co-host Harry Teinowitz.

McNeil will be off the air even longer this time because the suspension is wrapped around a two-week vacation.

McNeil is on a fishing trip in Canada and could not be reached for comment.

It's unclear whether McNeil, who has nearly three years left on a deal that's worth more than $600,000 annually, will fight the unpaid suspension once he returns from vacation.

Eventually his disputes with management at the ESPN-owned WMVP could lead him to WSCR-AM 670. The Score gives its hosts far more latitude than WMVP, and McNeil has a good relationship with Mitch Rosen, the Score's program director.

McNeil has not apologized to Lissa Druss Christman, a longtime adversary and executive producer at Comcast SportsNet whom he insulted June 26 after Christman declined to answer an off-air question from a WMVP producer.

Both Pastor and program director Justin Craig have called Christman to apologize, according to industry sources.

Christman declined to say whether she is satisfied with McNeil's two-week suspension.

During McNeil's absence, the station will use Jeff Dickerson, Carmen DeFalco and Jonathan "J." Hood as substitutes to join Teinowitz and John Jurkovic.

It's a critical time for "Mac, Jurko & Harry," the top-rated sports talk-show in Chicago. WMVP plans to move up the show's start time from 3 to 2 p.m. in September.

Then it would go head-to-head with the Score's top-rated show, "Boers and Bernstein."

The 2-6 p.m. slot also would mean one fewer hour each day of national programming.

Dan Patrick's radio show currently airs from noon-3 p.m., but Patrick will leave the network Aug. 17.

With his replacement yet to be determined—possible candidates include Scott Van Pelt, Mike Tirico, Colin Cowherd, Brian Kenny, Trey Wingo and Doug Gottlieb—WMVP officials are seizing the opportunity to add an hour of Chicago-based programming in the afternoon.

Not good.

So with Mac on a planned two-week vacation that is not part of the suspension, the unpaid suspension amounts to a total of 10 working days.

A 2 week suspension, to go along with another 2 weeks off? Are they trying to ruin the show?

Even with past history, having the number 1 draw at your station off the air for a month is a bit much if you ask me. Why not just not pay him for his vacation time?

Personally, I hope he goes to the score. I don't really want to listen to anyone on the station that feels they have to be careful not to use certain words, and not to use permissible words in a way that may offend someone.

If anyone from ESPN is reading this, realize this is sports talk radio. If someone doesn't get offended once in a while, you aren't doing something right. Spare me the crap about a personal attack on someone, sports radio was built on questioning authority.

I can't wait to see what happens the next time someone offends Ozzie Guillen or Reinsdorf or John Paxson if some producer has this kind of pull. They might ship them off to Grand Rapids.

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You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

Didn't he get suspended for a few days prior to his suspension.

At least he can brush up on his golf game and do some fishing with Super Agent Bryan Harlan and his attorneys.

Hopefully he gets to the deleted scenes from Borat too.

I also don't think Mac will like the critique of Alice Cooper's body of work in CLASSIC ROCK Magazine. Of all of the Coop's albums, they say to completely avoid "Alice Cooper Goes to Hell".

If they were to make a movie based on the relationship of Jim Pastor and Dan McNeil, I think they could cast these two:



...and Jurko greeting Mac upon his return:



ESPN Management should be careful what they request of their talkshow hosts, otherwise they will look like this while broadcasting:

This is a joke. What the hell is the point of having him sit out for nearly a month? I'm sure that Mac regrets what he said about that Comcast executive, but having him sit out a month for calling her a "bitch" is really quite ridiculous. If ESPN executives have problems with him saying that in their "Unplugged" hour, maybe he really does need to go to 670.

I consider myself much more of an ESPN fan over the Score, but this Mickey Mouse crap that they enforce at ESPN is really quite pathetic.

And one more thing, at least J-Hood is going to get some time in the afternoon slot

So am I correct in assuming that this whole thing is simply because some guy in the Bears organization who is Chicago Bears media services manager called up and cried to ESPN 1000? I'd have a little bit of respect for ESPN if this was them taking a moral high ground and saying that it was disrespectful to women. Instead this is them just sucking up to the Bears.

This has to call into question the future ability of any host on the station to criticize anything. If the guy in the media relations office can do this, what can Jerry Angelo or Lovie Smith do if someone on the station is calling for their jobs.

The message is clear: Do not criticize anyone that has any pull or we'll side with them.

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You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

I'm tired of their management. If they want to suspend him fine but I don't like them flipping me the finger for a month straight and that's what I feel like I'm getting.

It's my opinion this show is not a good listen when one of its members is missing. The subs don't work well. If they want to blow it up fine they can find all new programming from 12-7.

Both parties are probably a little right and a little wrong, but this sucks.

Great post by the Gridiron Assasin. I think it's finally time for Mac to fly this chicken coop before he ends up like old R.P. McMurphy.

This shouldn't surprise anyone, though. Mac has always had a quick on-air temper, and it can't co-exist long in this "icy" corporate climate.

Bringing Mac back would be HUGE for The Score. Why doesn't MVP just go national and get it over with?

Mac & Boers together again. Bernstein w/ North mornings?

Sportsbash is their drive-time show, though most major cities carry their own local guys during both morning & afternoon drive.

not good. a dumb move on wmvp's part. spaulding made a great point-- both sides are probably right and wrong, but feel they're 100% right. however, 2 more weeks without the station's number one guy on thier number one show is incredibly dumb.


this is the end...my only friend, the end

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substitute (my coke for gin) 'bears media services manager' for 'the insulted woman's husband' and your 100% correct.

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I'm definitely a Hoodaholic.

The timing on this is pretty funny on Pastor's part. I wonder if this would happen if it were September - during the big start to football season and the next ratings book? It's the dog days of sportsradio - more than likely Boers is going to go on vacation next week or the following week - so there isn't much competition down the dial for ESPN.

...and I don't see any way they'd 'out and out' release Mac from his deal three years early - only to see him go down the dial and dominate them. We'd get stuck listening to him doing sports updates from his cell phone on WLUP again.

Unfortunately Mac won't be able to discuss the Cubs run at first place and the Sox battle with the Royals for the cellar over the next two weeks. He's probably all broken up about it.

Now that would be something.

Impossible. Once you sign with Comcast, you automatically surrender your dignity.

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Actually that's not totally correct...at least according to Pastor: "The suspension is not based solely on the inappropriate comment he made on the air," Pastor said, "but an inappropriate comment made by a person with a history of disciplinary problems."

Although I would agree the suspension seems a bit harsh, Mac was almost certainly told he was on a short leash before this infraction (ala Tank Johnson). Further, you can bet that Mac has done little in the interim to smooth things over with Christman or his own management - probably just the opposite .

Details of his contract are unknown by us of course, but if there was a separation, you'd have to guess they would want to limit what he'd be able to do in the market for some period of time.

Imagine Mac in a 3 man booth with Terry and Matt - that would be some entertaining radio.

If Mac goes, that's probably the end of ESPN listening for me. It took a while for Mac's show to get me to forget about the Huge & Lou experience and give ESPN a chance.

If Mac goes to the Score, I'm probably done listening to ESPN altogether. I'm starting to enjoy Waddle & Silvy but, in a way, Mac back at the Score would make it feel like the old days when I never listened to anything but the Score.

I'd listen to B&B more (even though they often infuriate me) if they weren't on against MJH. And North's show has become more enjoyable of late for some reason that I can't put my finger on. So, a Mac move would make it easy for me.

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You know me like that.

So you can't call someone a bitch on the air, but you can print the "insult" in the newspaper?

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This is Bullshit. It's like we are being punished for him calling a bitch a bitch. 2 weeks & 3 days? Bullshit. Bullshit Bullshit Bullshit.

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SideshowBob311: "Sadly enough, I think we're the "intelligent" portion of the sports radio fanbase".
"I make fun of whoever sucks, including me"- Harry 11/30/07

I really don't understand Pastors thinking either. I know the guys not on Mac's Christmas card list but you could of buried the whole thing behind the scenes and had Mac back on Monday .

I personally don't think Mac is long for ESPN and I have never spoken to him about his future it's just a gut feeling and an easy one with what's gone on for the last few years with the goofs at ESPN .

I 'm sure Mitch has an open check book and pen in hand for Mac and with the money North is making , I'm sure North would be out and Mac would be in .

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"You can't put a bounty on a man's head"!

Frank,
It is my understanding that they are the same thing, unless he has gotten a promotion. I did a little searching on google and that is the best that I came up with. Whether it was Comcast or the Bears, it is still a "bitch" move on ESPN's part.

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You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

I have to agree with the good Dr. If Mac leaves MVP, I'd probably never tune to MVP again. Silvy and Waddle are occasionally funny but don't hold my interest. I never listen to the radio after 6pm, so I don't care about the night time guys. If I'm to believe the folks here, Mike North has returned to a listenable prospect.

Before Mac was put on indefinite hold, I was constantly flipping back and forth between MJH and B&B. If it was forever xJH, I'd never switch back from B&B. It's just not compelling radio.

Well , if you read some of Mac's thoguhts in the old "ASK Mac "section .... Moment of slience..................................... Thank you very much , it will shed some light on who he wants to work with and his thoughts on his future and ESPN IN GENERAL.

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"You can't put a bounty on a man's head"!

At least this gives us a reason to post in the host section instead of the general section.

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