Hey! You probably don’t know me. I used to write for this site, back in the salad days (131 posts in the first 13 months, 8 in the last three years). Clark Matthews refers to me as “The Sarah Palin of The Lost Ogle” because of my propensity to give up early.
Last week I was talking to Patrick and he told me wants me to start posting again and has a great idea for what I should write about: OETA. Seriously, dude – eight posts in three years. I’m as big an Angela Rosecrans fan as anyone, but I’m not leaving cushy post-obscure-local-social-blogging-retirement for freaking OETA.
But then I heard the Total Dominance Hour last Thursday and got so aggravated I had no choice but to see if I could remember my password here and write about it.
I tuned in in the middle of the conversation, so I don’t know how they got started talking about it, but they were talking about boxing. Do you know what Jim and Al think about boxing? After the flip, I'll tell you.
Jim and Al think boxing is nowhere near as popular as it used to be. Jim and Al are pretty sad that boxing is nowhere near as popular as it used to be. Jim and Al used to watch boxing on Wide World of Sports. Jim and Al think boxing is popular in the Phillippines because of Manny Pacquio. Jim and Al think boxing may be popular in Russia, where those one twins are from. Jim and Al think MMA may have affected boxing’s popularity. Jim and Al don’t know why boxers in the Olympics have to be amateurs. Jim and Al sure are sad that boxing isn’t as popular as it used to be.
It was seriously the most lame, cliché-filled, lazy thing I have ever heard in my life. People who say “Boxing is not popular anymore” are as interesting as people who say “Saturday Night Live isn’t funny anymore” (You know that person. Are you that person? Don’t be that person). Yes, it is true. We have all heard it a million times. You are not breaking new ground in pointing it out. It is not interesting. It does not make you look smart.
These are two people who have got so spoiled with their success that they don’t even feel the need to do any research or preparation to give listeners an interesting, thoughtful discussion. Half the time I tune in it seems like they’re guessing who sang some song in 1964 or something? This is the best they’ve got?*
*And here’s the sad thing: Yes. Even with all the lame repeating-of-what-the-conventional-wisdom-of-the-day-is-as-their-opinion, even with all the misogyny, even with all the time spent asking the producer to look up whatever it is they can’t remember, this is the best thing on the Sports Animal! Let’s face it, caller-driven talk radio sucks, and it’s not exclusive to this market or that station. Schedule more interviews, guys.
Anyway, after about my 15th eyeroll in a row, I thought to myself: “What the fuck are you doing listening to this drivel? It wasn't the first time I'd had the thought, of course, but this time I meant it. Traber says often that if we don’t like the show we shouldn’t listen and, quite frankly, he is right (and, on this point, of course, a massive hypocrite*).
*How many times have you heard Traber thunder on about Jenni Carlson or (back in the day) Mr. Monday? Big man, if you don’t like what they have to say, don’t read them.
What is wrong with me? What is wrong with us, Oklahoma City? How is it possible that these two clowns have such a big audience? Do we have such low standards? How could I, as a supposedly rational human being, continually subject myself to this garbage that I know only serves to annoy me? Are we all just filled with self-loathing? Is this like a Stockholm Syndrome thing?
Meanwhile Jim and Al are laughing all the way to the bank. We may think they’re dumb but they’ve played us like the proverbial fiddle. I don’t know what they get paid, but it’s a whole hell of a lot more than three or four hours on the radio offering banal analysis should. Who’s the bigger moron, them or us? Frankly I can hardly blame them for doing what seems like the minimum amount of homework possible.
Kansas City was smart enough to boot Eschbach off the air, we embrace him. I knew a guy from Kansas City once, and he was an freaking idiot. We shouldn’t be dumber than idiots. Is there any hope? It seems pretty unlikely that another station could get big enough to challenge them. I think we are probably just screwed good-sports-station-wise. Yeah, you thought this had a happy ending? Sorry.
For my part, though. I’m going to stop listening altogether. Or at least try to. I hope I'm not an addict. They’ve been deleted from my radio pre-sets. I’m using whatever small soapbox I have here to beg everyone else to do the same. OKLAHOMA CITY: Stop subjecting yourselves to this. It is not healthy. I beg you. We deserve better than a loud-mouthed bully and a guy who’s idea of humor is wondering if Slovenian women shave their armpits. We are morons for accepting it. Let’s stop being morons! Join me in this noble quest.
Also while I'm bitching those NewsOK autoplay videos freaking suck.
Rant over. This blog will now return to it’s regularly scheduled snarking.
