Let's start with something totally unrelated to the Afternoon Saloon... The NBC5 Sunday Night Postgame Show. If you haven't seen it, do yourself a favor and try to catch it some time. It's hysterical.

Beardown wanted some inside dope on the show I did a couple weeks ago.

If Paula Ferris was upset with the production staff (switcher, director, etc.) she had every right to be... but I did not witness it. She asked if I could make some notes on the show and send them along to her, which I did a few days later. Sales put its fingerprints on the show with that hideous "Ford Fan Den." Maybe it's minimized a bit by coming out of a break with it, rather than "throwing it" to the den.

The round table guests sound "off mike." And it hasn't gotten better. Hampton doesn't seem interested in baseball. There are many other production gaffes... then there's the Darryl Hawks Factor.

spmack asked if I haven't been invited back because of criticism of Hawks or of the show. I don't think that's it, spmack. I think they're just on a tight budget. Ch. 5 pays a nominal fee to the radio guys who appear. ESPN 1000 wanted me there for the first one so they paid me extra to go do it. If NBC wanted me to do it again, I would do it... for the right price. And I'd also be willing to help out with the production because it sorely needs some TLC. I don't aspire to do much television, but it's a good vehicle to promote the radio show and a few extra bucks. For now, I'll just keep waitin' all day for Sunday Night... cause the post game show rocks on NBC.


The Wind Sock wants to know how we'll talk Blackhawks without sending many listeners running.

Every topic -- and I mean every one -- has some tune out factor. Believe it or not, that includes the Bears. How many more callers or hosts do you need to hear say "Ron Turner sucks." I think the key is making it entertaining. Hard core hockey analysis probably isn't in our best interest. Talking about going to the game... BSing with the players in the lockerroom... drinking with Savard, talking to listeners, etc.... likely will help us hold more audience. Along with another bad year from the Bulls. Again... the key is entertainment, not analysis.


Darren in Tinley Park wants a Hawks outing for CSFMB.

Let's do it. Hopefully, the Hawks will give us a block of 100 tix or so again this year once or twice as they have in the past. If and when they do, I'll post it. I'll go as long as I can sit between SID and City of Fools.


Linda S. asks Obama or McCain.

I did say Obama before as somebody mentioned. Not sure yet. Still mulling.


Shultzyy wonders what I thought of Chris Russo's deal with Sirius.

Bully for him. He's making a lot of money and that's good for all of us. I know he and Mike Francessa -- who were the most successful tandem of sports talkers in this nation -- couldn't stand each other, so I'm guessing he's feeling emancipated and rejuvenated. Those two didn't even talk to each other during breaks. Only saw them "interact" once off the air... having dinner with a big group in Detroit during Super Bowl week. Would I go to satellite? Its relative infancy scares me a bit.... but..... yes... I would. There will be a day soon when people listen to their favorite shows on a cell phone and I'm not afraid of change... but still am cautious of a medium that departs from traditional radio.


reents wonders why I often "tease" baseball calls... come back from a break... then go back to football.

Good observation, reents, and you're right... sometimes the calls are just potentially bad ("Cubs will always choke" on the subject line on my computer next to the caller's name and city). I'm trying to do less of those calls. They're pointless. I'd rather shift gears and move on to the next topic than take more meatball calls.


Frank Coztansa is curious where the Don Zimmer "players" "dugout" "clubhouse" has gone.

I'm going to bring it back more once we get to the playoffs. I love those bytes, too, but probably overused them for some time.


Purple 72 wants Lake County, Ill. event broadcasts.

We do have fun in Lake County when we go. The people are always very receptive. We go where the beer companies tell us to go. Apparently, the most beer gets consumed in Naperville because we call it our west suburban home away from home.


STU-GOTZ thinks A.J. Pierzynski would be a good co-host, in-studio, after the season.

I'd try it, sure. He and Mark DeRosa are the exceptions to the rule as far as athlete interviews. I punch out quickly on most jocko interviews when I'm a listener. They seldom say anything interesting. Much rather hear engaging hosts interact with each other, e-mails, calls, etc. But... we'll see if either of those two are interested in coming in for a show after the year is a wrap.

Thanks for listening... and for posting.

Mac, as you are preparing for the days when the benches at the station empty between Thanksgiving and New Year's I would highly recommend the entire team taking a vacation at the same time and letting North host the show.

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O judgment! Thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason.

I would be all for that, good dolphin. Not sure if management would sign off on it. And it's possible wildfirerestaurant.com has him under an exclusivity arrangement. We all prefer knocking out the vacations simultaneously, but it doesn't always go that way. Late December and baseball's All Star week seem to be the only "locks" for all three of us getting away at the same time.

Don't do North any favors, Mac. Rodeo Van has been monitoring his webio show. He's been blasting you.

Don't give him your "Afternoon Saloon". Nobody listened to him at the Score anyway. Your listeners don't want to hear from that idiot.

Let him do his webio show and handicapping site. He's failing at both of those things. Everything he touches is bad. Why would you let him touch your show?

Plus, wouldn't your backups be pissed that they got passed over for North?

Just play a montage of all of Jurko's "Do it yourself" segments during holiday week.

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That's a good point about the other fellas being passed over, Beardown. Plus... Carm, JD and Hoody do a good job keeping the "saloon feel" with the three of them. As for North ripping me... if a tree falls in the for..... I couldn't care less. I guess he said something about me being on his coattails because we both have book projects going. I'm quite certain when I wrote for publication for the first time in 1975, I didn't have Mike North on my mind. I've been writing since he was flunking out of high school. I find humor in it. Mike can fire away all he wants. I know who's wearing the crown.

North would just bitch about the Score and promote himself anyway. He would be begging for somone to hire him for 4 hours.

He would probably bring Jen Jen to the ESPN 1000 studios. Demand that she produces the show. He takes her everywhere. She'd walk around like a diva. She'd tell Finji and Zetterman how to produce. "Mike likes the studio set up this way." That sort of shit.

Maybe Finji or Zetterman could get a date with her.

I think Carm and his pleated pants do a great job and he will be a star one day wheather it's in the adult film industry or in sports radio. Just a great guy and he drives the show almost as good as Mackey and I think he's got the gift of gab for sports.

Look forward to hearing hockey talk and your right Mac when it comes to people punching the button on other topics. As much as I love the show and "YOU" , I punch the button when you guys talk Bulls buckets and I hear the nails on the chalkboard in the backround when you have to talk Bulls buckets.

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

In theory, maybe its a decent idea to have North on during that holiday week, but it would never work. There would be major consequences. Its North; he'd say something racist, piss off a sponsor, and all hell would break loose.

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Well if that's the case, it's not a decent idea in theory is it?

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"Play until it hurts, then play until it hurts to not play."
http://soundcloud.com/darkside124 HOF 2013, MM Champion 2014

EH..

I mean to just say "hey, North is doing nothing, why not have him fill in for a day or 2" at first sounds like a good idea. I guess thats what I meant. Sounds like a good idea, but when you break it down its not.

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Mac, first off I'll sit next to you AND converse intelligently at this proposed game. I have nothing against you and LOVED your stuff with Terry when I was a young listener. I have only once or twice listened to your show due to an inability to get in AM1000 this far west and being on dialup at work, which prevents me from listening to the feed online. Plus I am a devoted B&B fan. Keep the seat warm for me. And don't put me anywhere near SiD, just in case.




Good to see both shows agree they're out there in force...

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Ба́бушка гада́ла, да на́двое сказа́ла—то ли до́ждик, то ли снег, то ли бу́дет, то ли нет.

I must have been crazy. Of course you should keep trotting out Carmen De Falco during vacations, despite all anecdotal evidence that you lose listeners.

On the other hand, that day that North sat in with you received almost no attention.

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O judgment! Thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason.

Why didn't North have any attention in the mornings at the Score? Why did Pappy always lose to Mike and Mike?

The interview that Mac did with him got attention here. But we're weirdos that wanted to see how Mac would handle the interview.

Most of Mac's listeners don't want to hear Pappy. Nobody wants to hear Pappy. That's why he's doing a Web show that only Rodeo listens to.

...and yet he was offered a contract exceeding the pay of any other individual at the SCORE.

You may like simple answers, but the failure of SCORE morning shows is much more complex than simply people disliking Mike North.

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O judgment! Thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason.

Did we ever get a response on this?...

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“Mr. Trump is unfit for our nation’s highest office.”- JD Vance
“My god, what an !diot.”- JD Vance tweet on Trump
“I’m a ‘Never Trump’ guy”- JD Vance

I know. The Score was stupid to offer him that. He was more stupid not to accept it. The Score didn't go out of business when he left. We'll see. I'll bet Mully and Hanley will have better numbers.

More complex? I don't know. "Mr. Chicago" should have been able to beat the national show he was up against. It really is that simple to me.

if by complex you mean that there are stupider men at the Score than North, then yes. They have made such bad programming choices that Mully and Hanley looks like a superstar move. Moving B&B, destroying North (the rest of the way) by letting him go solo, splitting Murph from Fred and letting his radio bits run wild, heck moving Murph and Fred from mornings in the first place, letting Sporting News take over many nights, then top it all off with the abomination that is the 10-12 agony...it took a ton of stupid to bring the Score mornings below a national show.

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Ба́бушка гада́ла, да на́двое сказа́ла—то ли до́ждик, то ли снег, то ли бу́дет, то ли нет.

Tom Shaer and The Bear and the Bull thank you for your kindness.

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O judgment! Thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason.

Short of playing nothing but those drops on an endless loop, I think you're safe. In fact, arguably, such an endless loop would out-perform the Tirico and VanPelt show in the ratings.

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You can't see me because of internet.

The landowner effectively owns part shares in millions of part-time slaves called, "taxpayers." -Roy L
A Personal Relationship with Jesus?

good point...but Murph and Fred were a decent region specific sports morning show. They might even beat Mike and Mike now if they were reunited. imo, obviously. and I don't even like Murph.

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Ба́бушка гада́ла, да на́двое сказа́ла—то ли до́ждик, то ли снег, то ли бу́дет, то ли нет.

Mac, you got it all wrong. The fact is, Northy just FINISHED his first book....and he's thinking about reading another one too!!!

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Go Cubs!!!!

Steve- I think that's your best post ever!

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-"God is great. Beer is good. And People are crazy!"

Fixed.

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WTF. I guess im on my own with the whole rock band thing?

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Dats exactly right!!!

Mac, I think he as moved on to a new target, it appears Dan Bernstein is in his scope this week. By the way Mac, is Ed Sherman working again or is this going to be what he does now.