Honesty first: it's a damn fine month to be on the bench. Until the Bulls actually made trades and Paxson emerged from the bunker, it had become horribly redundant and BORING. That aside, I haven't missed it much. Miss being around the team (players, dugout, clubhouse)... but I haven't missed sports talk in February. As well as the Hawks have played, it's a niche audience and not a "meat and potatoes"-type show driver.

Enjoying the "recruiting process." It has the potential to unnerve... and it briefly did last week... but I'm confident I can be of a use once I'm cleared to fire up a mike. In addition to radio, I've had cursory conversations with a newspaper and a website about amping up my weekly writing duties. I requested more space in the S-T next week as I'm in spring training and will hit both team's camps... waiting on their reply. Neither paper presently has a stud sports columnist. They have some decent writers, but both lack strong personalities who can swing the hammer when it's necessary. In the Trib today, Rick Morrissey unearthed that Tiger Woods is a popular athlete. Did you know that? This was a better newspaper city when Bernie Lincicome was at the Trib and Mariotti was at the S-T. So... while I consider myself a radio dork first... I'm wanting to write more.

The Afternoon Saloon (I'm taking that handle back if I wind up back in afternoons) was discussing the Oscars today. Mr. Teinowitz began a sentence with "Because I was an actor for many years....." No response from his partners. That qualifier deserved a beatdown.

I've kept up with Jurko. He finally completed his list for my lists book with the Shermanator. He wrote it in crayon, but it was solid. Book is a wrap. Released in either September or October. Full disclosure as always.... Ed did at least 60 % of the work. He got lists from more contributors than I did (though I was charged by what I got from Hawk Harrelson and Bill Petersen). He also did more lists than I did. I tend to write longer, about 1000 words on some of them, but did fewer lists.

Don't like Joe Crede in a Twins uniform. Happy for him that he got with the team that appealed to him.... but I'm not happy he's in the division. Then again, he and I can swap notes about the joys of spinal fusion surgery a few times a year when they're in town. If I'm not busy with Gardy, of course. He IS my guy.

Pitt will win the NCAA tourney. Love their team. Inside presence and good guards. Should have put a C-note down on 'em when I was in Vegas a couple weeks ago. I think they were 10/1 at the time.

Maybe I am jonesing to get back on the air. Oh well.... it's almost March. Two months to go.

Planning for a morning show? Or did you mean "mic"

Better get to the Cell in April when the Twins are in if you want to talk with Crede. meatpa...I mean good dolphin posted this in the Sox forum (I think); a good prop bet to make with somebody would be who plays more games between Milton Bradley and Crede. Joe may have a slight edge because of the DH, but I'd be surprised if he played in more than 75 games this year.

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Mac, why no podcast?

Mac, any idea on when a decision/announcement will be made about your next radio show?

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"He is a loathsome, offensive brute
--yet I can't look away."

Mornings. I go back and forth on it, Frank. Second week after being shown the door... I actually tried getting up at 4:00 a few times to see how it felt at 3:00 in the afternoon. It didn't take me long to abort the experiment. If it looks like mornings is where it will be, I will go back to "training" for it for a month before it actually begins. You have to respect guys like Brandmeier for doing it all those years. Nobody ever feels caught up on sleep via naps. It definifely is a lifestyle changer. Never would have been possible for me six, seven years ago.

I'm content to take a break for a bit, Rocks. Was planing to launch a website in April but leaning toward waiting until my next show hits over-the-air first. Fully accepting of the podcast/i-phone world we're in and I will graduate to the technology when I'm back, but I'm keeping it parked for a bit.

No idea when an announcement will be forthcoming. I anticipate it taking another four weeks or so, but that's a guesstimate.

Mac are you going to talk about MMA on this new show, or am I going to have to keep getting my information from Lawerence Holmes? Please god no.

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Well, if early mornings aren't your hat, I do know of a early afternoon guy that sucks big time that I wouldn't mind being history 330 clicks down. Come to think of it the guys at 10 suck too. 10-2? How's that sound for a shift? And... you won't be competing for more than an hour with yer old pal Silvy... Right??

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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

C'mon. Mac hinted that he was gonna take Bernsie's job come May in the B&B thread. Said to come here for more.

Just a tease to get our attention. You can take the boy out of ESPN but you can't take ESPN out of the boy.

No, Mac hinted that come May, Bernsie will no longer be eligible for the #1 sports show because he himself will be back on the air. Still a shot, but I think you took it the wrong way, Beardown.

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

B&B go to 10-2...Mac pairs with Matty and maybe someone else. Betcha it's already in the head of one Mitch R...

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

Where is the betting site Mac. Donttrustme.com.... Are you going to try to make Finji walk and then make him pose with you? Will you wear affliction shirts. Will you be the FOTS in Hammond, In?

I would highly recommend you take this opportunity to make a clean break. It is a perfect and logic point to reinvent. Don't rely on the past as a crutch. Look how wildly successfull MJH became after HFC. Both shows were great, different and creatively challenging for you. Try it again, it's fun and theraputic. Since the beginning of time humans have sent their adolescents into the wilderness in order to become an adult.

Think of it as the Dan Mc Neil vision quest.

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

Please tell me you are not creating a book of lists. While I might still buy it that would be severely disappointing.

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

Where have you been, dolphin?

Why the disappointment, gd? It was an easy project for my first foray into books. What I also learned is to get paid well for a book, it requires a few credits first. If this book does okay -- and in publishing, that means it sells 20,000 copies -- I'll get a bigger pay day for "Dangerous Talk" in a year or two. I think you'll find it a fun, easy read and a good barroom conversation starter. I also am mulling two other book ideas.

As for the clean break, I hear what you're saying. There are many things that will be different about the next radio show... likely that will include partner(s). I've toyed with the idea of a Mac, Jurko and Terry show, but it's unlikely for a handful of reasons, the biggest is it would be far too expensive during this Depression.

what about Matty, Mac?

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

Get some private funding from Harry to offset some of the costs.

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The disappointment is because I was expecting Dangerous Talk, but I guess I understand now after this explanation.

Instead of barroom reading, I would market this as a bathroom book. Book of lists are great to pick up for a few minutes while taking the morning constitutional. Team up with Kohler or something creative and I think you can hit that 20K. Do a book signing from Wrigley Field, the world's biggest urinal.

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

Let Jurko grow on his own. There is no doubt he was often bored with MJH. Well, let him take the opportunity to find what he really wants to be in life. I don't think he wants to spend his life as a caricature but the pay was good and the hours were easy. He may even find that he does want to be a sports talker. He will then begin to approach it as a professional.

I'd take a different approach if he was desperate for the paycheck but he is well covered. Taking him on would be enabling.

I think it would be wise to go young with a future partner. I still think Abbatacola, Meatpants or Hood would fit the bill.

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

Quintessential bathroom reading, dolphy. I can't wait to be there for youse guys as you bust off a morning maker.

Jurk knows what he wants to be in life: a dad. I respect him enormously for that. Radio is not first in his life and I will be surprised if the Good Kid does another term in afternoons. It's a great lifestyle in that you have your mornings to yourself/your family, but you miss a ton of kids stuff in the afternoons/evenings. I don't think he wants to do that. Both of his sons are active in sports and staying in the p.m. drive slot would mean Jurk rarely would be able to see his sons participate. My oldest is a senior and it's only because I'm off the air that I will be able to see him participate in HS golf this spring. I took a day off to see him play a year or two ago and they were rained out. I saw my kids participate in the school Christmas programs once... the year I quit the Score... December of 2000.

The three names you mentioned all are appealing.... as are a few other younger cats whom you did not list. I am always interested in talented young men.

Mac + Truman Capote= MATCH

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We all have private ails. The troublemakers are they who need public cures for their private ails.- Eric Hoffer

I think those names suck ass. Gotta be someone better. Jurko would be way better.

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Reality is your friend, not your enemy. -- Seacrest

I'll bet you are!!!

fixed

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

Spiegel needs a new nickname. Skinpants or Fleshpants, as he's lost about oh... a whole person over the past 18 months.

Mac - I used to work mornings at a small radio station for a few years....The one thing I learned is you never get used to being up that early in the morning.

I'll respectfully disagree. My Dad was a Roofer, normally up and moving in the 3:30-4:00am range (typically busting my grapes as I came home from a gig), home by 2:30-3:00pm everyday.

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I don't do drugs anymore... than say, the average touring funk band.
-Bill Hicks