Bleacher Bums, Karma, Reincarnation

The first incarnation of XX1090's Bleacher Bums (Earl & Jordan/Jordan & Earl), has passed on to another dimension.....one in which other cancelled programs like The Magic Hour and The Chevy Chase Show pollute the lives of an unsuspecting and alternate version of us....

Bleacher Bum Line-up numero dos = Ted Mendenhall, DI Earl and "The Hammer" Hal Brown....
Let us hope it is not a deuce...

We turned on the radio at 2:43 pm to hear Darren Smith say that "The Hammer" (program director) was holding a press conference at 3 pm. Good news came in the form of the charlatan carpetbagger Jordan being removed from XX1090. First question came from the UT's Jay Posner.....Hammer wasn't going to yield regarding his inclination to put untrained fans on air.... blah, blah, blah.....and so here we are.....

The show today was ten times better than it ever was in the previous 2 1/2 months. We got the impression that "The Hammer" is part of the line-up to lend his support for the concept. Within a few weeks however, it'll be Ted Mendenhall (a San Diego native) and DI Earl (the skeptical point of view) running the show. It was nice to be able to listen to the radio in peace and "choose" to alternate with XTRA 1360 rather than be "driven" to it out of rage.

We're willing to give Earl the benefit of the doubt for two reasons:

1. He's not a complete dickhead like Jordan.
2. His only option was failure when paired with a partner like Jordan....and that's "The Hammer's" fault.

Imagine you or We showing up in Philadelphia in 2005 and then being thrown on the radio as the voice of the fans. You or We proceed to tell Philly Fan that Donovan McNabb and Brian Dawkins have done absolutely nothing for the city. Forget the NFC Championship game appearances for who knows how many years in a row (see...we don't even know for sure because we haven't been in Philly long enough) and forget the Super Bowl appearance....it was a LOSS!!!! AHHHHHHH!!!! Donovan McNabb can't hold Tom Brady's Jock!!!!! Just keepin' it real Philadelphia!

How would that go over?

So now You or We move on to baseball where we proceed to tell Philly Fan that there is NOBODY who loves the Phillies more than We! We love 'em so much we shit maroon and that oddly tinted blue from their 1980's Uniforms each and every day!

Who cares that We can't name half of the roster from the 1980 World Series winner, which happened to be the only championship in the previous 126 years of the franchise.....of course until We got on the air and celebrated the 2008 win over that team from Tampa Bay.....

Would that ever happen? Would a San Diego fan showing up in Philadelphia ever get on the radio when he says things like, "bummer bra!", or "...can I get some Avocado on that?" .....Hell and No!!!!

(We never say 'bra'....we do love Avocado though)

Would a San Diegan get on the air after only 5 years of living there and not knowing any of the franchises' histories? Enough questions because all sentient beings know that it would NEVER happen!!!!

In summation: Today's drive time radio was improved. Chicago on a Bun's pizza is good so we'll accept the line-up change and quell boycott...for now. "The Hammer" F#$%ed up with Jordan....seeks redemption with Ted Mendenhall. Finally, we'd scrap the California Love Intro music and go with something a little more So-Cal...

This Is The End: March 15th Round-up

This week was weird...

So LT is staying and the Chargers avoid having to take a RB in the 1st round....hopefully.

Bleacher Bums have on-air meltdown. We laugh, cringe and begin organizing boycotts. Enjoy the photo-shop by Blue in the upper right hand corner. That is your "Un-official" complaint link for the Bums. If they're on air tomorrow....Chicago On A Bun will see a lot more of these:

To whom it may concern:

I have long been a visitor to Di Crescenzos in Rancho Bernardo. Since the change in ownership (to Chicago on a Bun) I have continued to visit your store because, as someone who was born in Chicago, I find the food fantastic. Therefore it pains me to say that I will no longer be giving you my patronage due to your sponsorship of the Bleacher Bums on XX1090.

I am a SAN DIEGO sports fan. Not JUST a fan but a SAN DIEGO sports fan and that is an important distinction to make. I feel as though I am being berated by both Jordan and Earl for simply being from San Diego and following teams that unfortunately lack a winning tradition. As most San Diegans (including myself) are transplants to America's Finest City, I find no problem with the fact that Jordan and Earl hail from other parts of the country. Nor is it an issue that they are both critical of San Diego teams: All good fans should expect a lot of their teams and hold management accountable. I cringe but can live with their inaccurate dissemination of information because I do a fair amount of reading on my own. The issue at hand however, is simply a case of decency towards people who choose to call San Diego home. When someone chooses to go on the air and yell at San Diegans, proclaiming that we, "suck"......there will be repercussions.

Who will pay the price for the indiscretions of the Bleacher Bums? Because XX1090 believes that pawning off a defective product on its consumers is a sound business practice there is only one group to make accountable. I believe that Chicago on a Bun falls within the purview of that group: sponsorship.

My intention is to mobilize support for a boycott of your stores if you continue to run any type of sponsorship with XX1090 and the Bleacher Bums radio program. I will allow you to make the choice during these difficult economic times and this shall remain confidential until I receive word from you.

In the mean time I invite you to view the following link. There are only 44 comments but my software tells me that over 1800 people viewed the post....not one person felt inclined to leave a positive piece of feedback regarding the Bleacher Bums' program. Now if I actually made an effort to consolidate all of the dissatisfied XX1090 listeners, I can promise that you will feel the affects.

In the end this is your choice: do you feel that San Diegans are apathetic and will choose to sit pat or are you worried about the economic viability of your restaurant and your ability to continue to profit and provide employment?

Sincerely

A Concerned San Diegan

If everyone follows suit with a committed effort to make sponsorship pay we should be free of this horrible broadcasting burden. The grassroots effort begins with you...

You all were apprised of the Holy Trinity Polling: Alba a close 2% second to Biel in Extra Mustard's Hottest Jessica Poll......the gap did not close. We refuse to believe you are apathetic so we'll applaud your taste in another fine Jessica named Biel.
[Here is where we link to ourself because its that good of a post]

SDSU has a great week in baseball sweeping UNLV. I get shut out of Friday Strasburg start when parking garage refuses to take my $20 bill....something about only accepting ones and fives. Alternative neighborhood street parking is also uncooperative.....no parking until 7pm....I drive home and listen to SS, K the first seven batters he faces. At least it was on the radio...
[619 Sports]

That is what you know....here's what you might not know:

Jay Cutler has gone crazy. He's selling house in Denver. Parents are selling house in Denver. The city of Denver is unhappy with boy and his bad haircut.
[Denver Post]

Former NFL RB, Travis Henry, is in prison for a coke bust, is flat broke, and owes child support.....for his nine kids....by nine different women. The next time your life gives you lemons...forget the lemonade and ponder the plight of Travis Henry.
[Denver Post]

The United States beat the Netherlands, 9-3, to stay alive in the World Baseball Classic. Played in Miami, 157 people watched it all unfold. What a terrible baseball city yet they have two World Series Championships.......ahhhh, the torture.
[SD-Union Tribune (AP)]

There's a lot of other stuff that happened too but as far as I'm concerned its the end of the week as we know it...

One Half of Circus Fired?

Has one half of the circus been dismissed? According to a Gaslamp Ball secret source, Jordan/Jordan Downtown/JDT/Sideshow Bob/Raging Douche has been dismissed by XX1090.

Please God..........do not forsake us.......bestow upon us, your heavenly grace, in our time of need...

Bleacher Bum Jordan Fired!!!
[Gaslamp Ball]

Why LT really stayed in SD......to make the Bleacher Bums Miserable! Thanks LT!

Housing Market Bad..... Sports Radio Worse

We recall listening to the Bleacher Bums last week ( forced to do it! long drive...sports addicted...XTRA 1360 didn't tune in...) and they continued to maintain that they did not believe that LT would be returning, which is their opinion and that's fair. Part of their supporting argument was that LT's ego was too big to accept a pay-cut which made for a fairly weak rationale. Are they in LT's inner-circle? What was strange however was how they continued to maintain that LT would not return but qualified the opinion with the following remark:

"WE want LT to stay with the Chargers."

So were Jordan and Earl happy when the LT restructuring news came in? Apparently not. Jordan has spent the last two days talking about LT's ear rings and style, damning his community work, proclaiming that LT has accomplished NOTHING because there is no Lombardi trophy in SD, and worst of all.............insulting San Diego fans and residents alike. Is it professional to say that your listeners, "suck!"?

Where does he think he's broadcasting? Is this not San Diego? Are we not San Diegans? Are we so apathetic that we could accept this sort of treatment?

These are questions for us all to ponder....

For more Steve Breen Political Cartoon Excellence: Click here

For the original, "What the hell has XX1090 done with our Drive-Time Show?", post and comment thread: Click Here

Editor's note:

At the time of this post we were not aware that the Dynamic Douche-o had been suspended. Glorious! Darren Smith had to listen to callers complain and then LT's business manager came on the air to talk about all of the texts he received regarding Jordan's comments about LT's charity work. In case you didn't hear:

“I'm listening to Mama LT this morning with Scott and BR, and God bless them, too, bringing up the turkeys again – do me a favor, stick the turkeys up your ass. I don't care about the turkeys. I don't care about your charity.”

After Darren's show was inundated with complaints the Coach took over the barrage of comments. Nice job Bums...

Radio team "Jordan and Earl" off air for 2 days:
[SD Union Tribune]
Time to talk about turkeys and drive-time radio:
[SD Union Tribune]
Pull the plug: Radio duo's latest stunt nets a suspension, and should end the awful experiment
[North County Times]
LOL Bleacher Bums
[619 Sports]
(11:01 pm)

Radio Talent For Hire

May the torture never end? The September collapse of the '07 Padres followed by the shocking collection of talent on display during the '08 campaign were gutting to say the least. The high expectations of the Chargers in both '07 and '08 only to be left asking: "Why God? Why have you forsaken we?"

The meandering month of February, where we wait for both the NFL Draft and MLB Opening day, is akin to being water-boarded in a secret eastern European CIA prison. The torture is further dispensed via the impending (?) cut of LT and the horrible daily sports radio we are subjected to from 3-7pm each day.

There is radio TALENT out there, though......they just aren't on the radio! Instead they find themselves blogging furiously like Bruce Lee's fists! Who is this I speak of? I speak of the bludgeoned staff of XTRA Sports 1360 AM: Craig Elsten and Chris Ello. It would be nice to have some knowledgeable locals to listen to on the drive home each day but it is not to be.

Fear not sports-fans.... those of you who are pining for the days of knowledge are also the same people who know how to read..... and LIKE to READ! To you, I say: "Check out the 411 on 619 Sports."

619 Sports Blog with Craig Elsten and Chris Ello

Listening to the radio is dying an accelerated death.....we'll have to get our info elsewhere.

Forthcoming: "A More Swiftian Modest Proposal".....we have a take on how to handle HOF inductions during the steroid era. In the meantime you can check out Elsten's "Modest Proposal": Click Here.

Editor's note: The above picture is in fact an ABC water-boarding demo and not a Golden Shower courtesy of Charlie Gibson...

The XX1090 Center For Kids Who Can't Read Good

"We don't need a Hall of Fame Running Back"

-Chargers' General Manager AJ Smith

There are those of you who have read the above quote and you're ready to stone an effigy of AJ and then light it ablaze on the flagpole of Charger Park.....and rightfully so! Those are AJ's words! How dare he talk about future Hall of Famer LaDainian Tomlinson in such a way!

Then there are the rest of you. Those who are active readers, the ones who ask questions and make inferences. Right now you are asking whether or not that is the quote in its entirety. You've also probably asked, "What was the subject of the article?". What you have asked for is the all important "Context". With creative editing absent context we could be trumping up charges of treason on half of the Cable News talking heads out there.

This....the 57th day since XX1090 Decided to Ruin Your Daily Drive Home

Why do we bring this up? Oh, yes.... another gripe with XX1090's Bleacher Bums!

The afternoon drive team selected a three day old UT article to try and illustrate how AJ is disrespecting LT yet again. For the record we are NOT AJ Smith apologists, by any stretch. We put him on blast for the last pissing contest he had with LT because he was in the wrong but the quote from the UT on Friday was innocuous and given by the Bleacher Bums without any context. Let's examine, because reading comprehension is important...

"I like them," General Manager AJ Smith said of this year's class of backs. "There's a lot of them. There are a bunch of guys who can help us. We don't need a Hall of Fame running back. You need a guy who can help you win championships."

DAMN AJ SMITH!

How about a little bit of context? The article was regarding the 2009 Draft and how the Chargers could seek to find the eventual replacement for LT. Not enough? O.K. here's the title of the article:

Chargers are looking to the draft to tab future running back

Click For Full Text

So what did AJ mean by not needing a HOF running back? O.K. We can provide more context...here ya go...

"You don't go out and draft a Hall of Fame running back. They become Hall of Fame running backs on their own merit. You go out and draft championship-level running backs. In the early stages, from what I see, there are championship-level running backs out there."

AJ Smith is a dick, no doubt, but we don't see this in any way as a slight against LT. He is assessing the current and future needs of the Chargers and adeptly makes the point that quality running backs can be found in later rounds of the draft (see: Michael Turner (5th) and Darren Sproles (4th)). The 1st round guys may be talented (Wells and Moreno) but they only become HOF caliber through dedication and hard work. Drafting HOFs is not the goal of a GM. Drafting players who can contribute to a championship is the criterion a GM looks for. To label guys as future Hall of Famers in April is foolhardy.

Now if this story was actually a "story" then we'd be hearing a national media uproar similar to the whole 'mocking LT' bit last month. SI.com's Jim Trotter would be calling in to Darren Smith's show talking about the arrogance of AJ. Kevin Acee would be running damage control for AJ's loose lips and Shannon Sharpe would be flapping that gigantic tongue of his all the way from Georgia. Not to mention the Charger Fan backlash that would have overwhelmed the UT blogs and all local radio programs. Have any of these things happened after an article that was written three days ago? Not word one until today..... by the Bleacher Bums.

Too much bad information and poor analysis coming out of these guys. If XTRA1360 is talking about golf we should be able to turn on XX1090 without the fear of being inundated with falsehoods and off base commentary. In addition to the analysis gone awry we were continually told by DI Earl that this quote was on Kevin Acee's blog and was entirely separate from the aforementioned article. This just wasn't the case. Acee's Bolt Blog said nothing regarding the above quotes.

Charger and Padre fans deserve better. We should be able to turn on the radio and acquire up to date and unfiltered information even if it's absent the analysis we feel we deserve. The Bleacher Bums have improved some of the technical aspects of their show but today was just straight junk. They would have you believe that this was their "interpretation" of the story.......we say it was the sort of reading comprehension snafu that generally occurs in students prior to reaching high school.

We'll go ahead and apologize to the Bums if a national uproar ensues regarding AJ's quote but in the meantime this is something that John Lynch needs to examine.