Mac wrote:
Just had an hour's worth of writing vanish, so I apolojai for not addressing your questions and comments on a more personal level. Here are random thoughts, some of which were unsolicited.
* I'm optimistic my next radio partner will be Matt Spiegel, aka "Meatpants." I've had conversations with potential partners and potential employers on partnerships and this is the "marriage" that makes the most sense to me. After my firing, I received e-mails and phone calls from at least 20 potential teammates and I'm confident I'll have an awesome staff.
* There is no way to forecast confidently when I will return to a full-time show. There's a chance the summer could be spent in a vacation-relief type of role.
* There have been no conversations anywhere about reuniting with Terry Boers. If I were to land at the Score, maybe we would resurrect the old "transition" segment should our shows be adjacent to each other, and maybe we could scratch an itch by doing an occasional show together, but there will be no HFC reunion.
* For the first time since '87, I have warmed up to the idea of considering a career not in media. We'll see.
* Segments/elements I will take with me will be the ones worth taking. Much of the "intellectual property" at the old show is mine and I will employ some of those elements. If I do afternoons, maybe I'll call the new show "Mac's Corner Tavern" to see what they do. An original thought is a rare commodity.
* I still have not asked for an explanation on my dismissal. Safe bet it was a combination of a large salary that was scheduled to get even larger on May 1, and my penchant for hitting heads with Justin L. Craig's ESPNization of ESPN 1000. The last few weeks were rough. When we "discussed" our not going to the Super Bowl, I kind of new the end was near. But... I'd rather be able to look at the dude in the mirror with respect than go quietly into the good night.
* It would be great if ESPN 1000 could settle up with INFEAT (Indiana Families for Effective Autism Treatment) before the one-year anniversary of said "charity event."
* I'm still in discussions with two AM stations and one independent distributor about a new show.
* I was "Plan B" to do mornings at the Loop if Brandmeier hadn't re-signed. Emmis, which owns the Loop, also discussed format changes at one of their FM outlets, but I may have lost my champion there when Tisa LaSorte was fired. Never aspired to do mornings, but it was an interesting challenge.
* My feud with Tony Kornheiser stemmed from the first few months on ESPN1000 in the spring of '01. He and GM Bob Snyder were good friends from their days in Washington D.C. and Bob was protective of Tony. "Critics" was scrapped as a result of too much criticism of Kornheiser. TK had his listener(s) e-mail bomb me because of the show's tough treatment of him. I never imagined a media guy could be so thin-skinned. Almost as much as Mariotti.
* Newspapers and local radio aren't going to go away altogther; they're just suffering the tortures of the crippled economy. Ultimately, the end result will be that only the strong survive. Technology gives people more content... more mobile content. The weak will be weeded out. I'm cool with that. I have good content to hustle.
* If I were Chris in Joliet, who is more angular than I am, I would go with a Hawks' home red and consider putting Duncan Keith's or Andrew Ladd's name and number on it. My favorite Hawk is the unflappable Russian netminder, but I suspect he's a short-termer here.
* Say what you will about Mike North and the concept of an internet-only radio operation, early returns on the project are somewhat favorable. Don't like the ads much... but... they are at least promoting the product. From what I've heard, David Hernandez is doing many things in a top-shelf manner and the culture there is good. So far. Yes, I have talked a few times with Mike about being a part of it. I don't dismiss it. I'm not committing to anything right now.
* "Raging Bull" is one of the most overrated movies of all time.
* Clint Eastwood's "Grand Torino" is one of the best movies I've seen at the theater in a long time.
* What I enjoy most about golf is being with buddies, giggling in the sun. What I like second best is hitting the driver. Mashing it, Keyser. Jawdropping drives. All en route to 95 or 99. Practicing, however, doesn't insterest me. Just wanna watch the Pro V1 get small in a hurry and laugh my ass off all day. Fuck putting. I'm gonna stay in the cart from now on.
* I take back every bad word I ever said about track and field. My youngest is the best 100-meter guy (I know you're happy for us) at his middle school and I've been having a blast attending his meets. He runs the 100 meters, the 400- and 1600-meter relays and is doing well.
* Friday, I heard former Blackhawk Bernie Nichols on ESPN's afternoon show. I then heard Carmen mention Jerry Bailey would be coming on to preview the Preakness. The Tiny One obviously wore down the staff with a barrage of ideas and they caved Friday. Teinowitz imposing his will ulitimately will lead to the demise or the demotion of CJH.
* Slapshot Ed and I will discuss our plans to leave our wives and elope this Tuesday in Detroit, STU-GOTZ. SSE is one of the funniest, most generous guys I've ever met and I can't imagine a life without him. If you would have observed us the other night at the Hawks clincher, you would have assumed our wives were the designated drivers. Other way around. No two guys ever split sides -- without a drink -- as much as Eddie and I do.
* Rosemary and garlic are my favorite fresh ingredients.
* Yardwork can be a positive bonding experience with teenage sons.
More soon, I hope. Thanks for your interest.
So in other words, you have NO legitimite job offers, sorry to hear that.