November Radio Ratings: StatusQuoStatusQuoStatusQuoStatusQuoStatusQuoStatusQuoStatusQuoStatusQuoStatusQuoStatusQuo

   If the Cowboys were to go 16-0 and win the Super Bowl every year for, like, 10 years, would that be amazeballs? Or, at some point, would it get boring?
   The Ticket must not think the latter because, now with the addition of a stronger FM signal, it keeps on keeping on. As in, bludgeoning the harmless noggins of its local radio competitors.
   In the November PPM ratings covering Oct. 10-Nov 6, The Ticket ...



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WHITT'S END: 11.6.13

      Whether you're at the end of your coffee, your day, your week or even your rope, welcome to Whitt's End:

   *According to my sources - which, I'll be honest, was a commercial I saw on TV last night - this season's non-stop Christmas music is finding a new home on 103.7 KVIL KLUV 98.7 FM. Gotta admit, I'll tune in. Like I do every single year.

   *Weird thing about the Mavs' trouncing of the the Kobe-less Lakers last night: Dirk Nowitzki's first basket didn't come until three minutes before halftime. Dallas was already up 18 by the time he scored. And, strangest of all, his initial hoop came on a driving, two-handed dunk. I'm telling ya, these Mavs are different. And better.

   *Steve Patterson is a solid choice to be the new athletic director at Texas. And he's got some sorta local ties. When Ross Perot Jr. bought the Mavs from Don Carter in '96 the team needed a new general manager. Patterson was on the short list, until Perot adviser Frank Zaccanelli talked another guy into the gig - Don Nelson. And Patterson ascended to power at Arizona State in 2012 after the school's botched attempted hiring of SMU coach June Jones. That failure was led by former athletic director Lisa Love, who got her start in college sports in the '80s as the women's volleyball coach at UT-Arlington.

   *We're seeing all those goose-bumpy stories about kids with terminal illnesses "adopted" by sports teams, and allowed to score a touchdown in a Spring Game or whatnot. What a great idea. Who thought of it? Would you believe a 9-year-old girl with a brain tumor named Jaclyn? If you have an extra 15 minutes today, use it to watch this story. And check out the update this month on HBO. I dare you not to feel better afterward. Don't forget the Kleenex.

   *Last month a Desoto woman and her son were shot while in their home. Turns out, the shooter was the woman's estranged husband. His name - swear - is Richard Richard. Not making excuses for the guy, but aren't you behind life's 8-ball when you're christened Dick Dick?

   *Hot.

   *Not.

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   *Felt like old times - only in a new studio - with Newy Scruggs last Sunday night on NBC 5.

   *We've all encountered a Richie Incognito in our lives. You know, the guy who lacks savvy and cleverness so he simply brute bullies his way through life. I do my best to not associate with men whose fallback solution to every problem is a fistfight. And if my bosses ordered me to "toughen up" the new guy with physical threats and racial slurs, I'd simply find new bosses. And Incognito says he's "trying to weather the storm." No, dude, a storm is something created by Mother Nature that affects you. You're trying to survive your own actions. This isn't something that's happening to Incognito, it's something that Incognito put into action.

   *Couple folks on Twitter are alerting me to an audible F-bomb aired on The Ticket. Didn't hear it, obviously, because I don't listen to that station. But if so, they could be fined by the FCC. Money, but - in the end - no biggie.

   *In the NBA, penetration kills. Watching Monta Ellis dribble into the lane almost at will opens up so many options for this year's Mavs.

   *The Trinity Railroad Express train - The T - has plowed into three cars in the last 40 days. At some point it can't be all bad drivers. Or can it?

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   *Hump Day White Truck Wednesday: As several of y'all are now finding out and pointing out, White Trucks are not only the worst drivers in the Metroplex but also the cockiest, most disrespectful parkers. Lots of effort goes into being that much of an asshole.

   *President Obama will be in Dallas this afternoon. But, wait, he's stumping for a new law that he passed to be more popular? If the Affordable Healthcare Act is that great - and I personally think it is - shouldn't it do a better job of selling itself?

   *Seriously, Dez Bryant claims he knew nothing about the Emmitt Smith Rule. How can that possibly be? I search for the answer over at NBC 5's Blue Star Blog.

   *The Stars' game against the Senators on Sunday drew a rating of 0.1. Sorry, but no one cares about hockey around here anymore. Well, almost no one.

   *Today? I'll be at Blue Martini at 9 p.m. along with several familiar faces for Sybil's hosting of "Boots & Babes." Wanna join us? Just email Sybil@SybilSummers.com to get on the guest list. Don't be a stranger.

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WHITT'S END: 11.5.13

      Whether you're at the end of your coffee, your day, your week or even your rope, welcome to Whitt's End:

   *October's radio ratings (covering Sept. 12-Oct. 9) are in and while The Ticket remains dominant and ESPN is still clearly No. 2, the Cowboys' roller-coaster of mediocrity has finally breathed a smidge of life into the last-place Fan. The Ticket is No. 1 among the coveted demographic of Men 25-54 in morning (7.8), midday (6.8) and afternoon (6.9), comfortably ahead of ESPN's 3.4, 4.8 and 4.7. The Fan, which has struggled to get its nose above a 2.0 in any hour of any day part the last six months, enjoyed boosts in morning (2.6), midday (3.3) and afternoon (2.7).

   *Speaking of Richie Incognito's bullying and NFL hazing, you can criticize Dez Bryant for a lot of things but he doesn't take crap from anyone from his mom to Roy Williams. Remember as a rookie when he refused to carry the veteran receiver's pads to the locker room after a training camp practice in San Antonio? But, then again, he did once succumb to rookie tradition and pick up the tab for a team dinner. Tab? $54,896.

   *Cowboys will face Drew Brees Sunday night in New Orleans, ending a remarkable stretch of five consecutive games against opposing starting quarterbacks from Texas high schools: Robert Griffin III (Copperas Cove), Nick Foles (Austin Westlake), Matthew Stafford (Highland Park), Christian Ponder (Colleyville Heritage) and Brees (Austin Westlake). And next time you run into the self-proclaimed "Biggest Cowboys Fan EVER!", try this trivia on them: Name the 6 quarterbacks from Texas high schools who have started a game for the Cowboys. (Answer below.)

   *As the Adrian Peterson 11-yard touchdown run reminded us Sunday, it is perfectly legal - in the NFL anyway - for a teammate to push a ball-carrier from behind, even into the end zone. Peterson's run was epic, but I don't think he makes into the end zone without the assist from tight end Chase Ford.

   *I know this pains Romo haters, but No. 9 is a legit Top 10 quarterback. No? He's Top 10 in all the following categories: Attempts (1st), Completions (2nd), Percentage (5th), Yards (5th), Touchdowns (3rd) and Rating (7th). As far as Interceptions? 17th. Same number (6) as Peyton Manning and Tom Brady, and fewer than Drew Brees, Phillip Rivers, Matt Ryan, Joe Flacco and Ben Roethlisberger. I got the details over at NBC 5's Blue Star Blog.

   *Mavs-Lakers tonight at AAC. Chris Kaman is hardly an intriguing replacement for Kobe's absence.

   *Hot.

   *Not.

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   *At our website we have Pizza Buzz T-shirts for sale. This satisfied customer decided to wear one ... and nothing else.

   *Curious by all the hype, I tried to watch an episode of Duck Dynasty. Tried. Made it through about 10 minutes before I couldn't take it anymore. Really, America? We're really mesmerized by a "reality" show that couldn't possibly be more fake and scripted. I think the attraction is that Uncle Si and the boys are just regular guys, yet nothing they do on that show is authentic.

   *Sounds like DeMarcus Ware returns Sunday night in New Orleans, but don't expect Miles Austin or Morris Claiborne. But, seriously, isn't Orlando Scandrick making you forget about last year's overall No. 6 draft choice?

   *Not downplaying the role of the head coach, or am I? Here's betting the Broncos don't miss a beat with Jack Del Rio as their head coach instead of John Fox. As long as Peyton's in charge, they'll remain the best team in the NFL. Sorry, Chiefs.

   *Now that Aaron Rodgers is out three weeks with a fractured shoulder, I wonder if the Packers do what the Rams did and call up Brett Favre?

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   *Stared at it a while. Snapped a pic. Studied the pic. And still not sure what's so great - remember, it cost $14 million to buy and install - about AT&T Stadium's Sky Mirror. You?

   *Stranger: "Hey Richie, great to see you again!" Richie: "Hey ... (panicking because I have no clue who I'm talking to) ... man!" Happens at least once a week. I'll say it again, life would be better if everyone wore name tags.

   *Per Twitter's @ESPNStatsInfo, they're now attempting to clarify their numbers. Here's the exact Tweet from this morning: Cowboys are 17-1 vs teams below .500 (opp final win pct) since Jason Garrett's first game as head coach and 4-19 vs teams .500 or above. But like I do, don't most Cowboys fans consider Garrett being the "head coach" since he took over for Wade Phillips midway in 2010? If not, who exactly does @ESPNStatsInfo think coached the Cowboys the final eight games that year? And since Garrett was the coach then - interim or otherwise - his team lost to the Cardinals, who finished 5-11. This should be their Tweet moving forward: Under Jason Garrett, the Cowboys are 17-2 against teams that finished the season with a record under .500. There. Is that so hard?

   *Looking to rub elbows or maybe even bump booties with the buh-NAN-uz up in Plano/Frisco? Sybil's hosting a Wednesday night "Boots & Babes" party from 9-11 at Blue Martini. And she claims getting on the guest list is as easy as emailing her at Sybil@SybilSummers.com. See you there!

   *Trivia answer: Don Meredith (Mount Vernon), John Roach (Highland Park), Jerry Rhome (Sunset), Wade Wilson (Commerce), Clint Stoerner (Baytown) and Stephen McGee (Burnet).

   *Today? With Pizza Buzz up and running about as smooth as we could expect less than two weeks in, I've suddenly got a sliver of free time. Hello Lifetime Fitness, me and my love handles have missed you. Don't be a stranger.

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WHITT'S END: 10.21.13

      Whether you're at the end of your coffee, your day, your week or even your rope, welcome to Whitt's End

   *With Brandon Carr, Sean Lee and Barry Church making up for the absence of DeMarcus Ware, the Cowboys held an opponent without a touchdown on the road for the first time since Dec. 27, 2009 when they shut out the Redskins en route to their last playoff appearance. My Top 10 Whitty Comments are over at NBC 5's Blue Star Blog.

   *Nice, classy welcome back home for Peyton Manning from Colts' fans. But we didn't expect anything less, right? Manning's return would be like Dirk Nowitzki coming back to play the Mavs in an opposing uniform. And it was similar to Mike Modano's return to the AAC as a Red Wing.

   *I wasn't listening, but folks on Twitter buzzing this morning about The Ticket's "huge announcement." The move from 104.1 to 96.7 FM. For AM nerds, they'll still be on 1310 as well. Good for them. Stronger signal will only bolster their empire. But it was hardly trumpet-worthy news. Some dork wrote about it two weeks ago.

   *Uglier over the weekend: The Clippers' baby-blue T-shirt jerseys? Or Oregon's pink helmets?

   *Yes, Johnny Goofball got horse-collared on third down of A&M's final, fatal drive against Auburn. And on 4th down he got calf-roped and steer-wrestled into a game-ending sack. Auburn played a fantastic game, but inexplicably hurrying up to score on its last possession almost cost them the upset. Giving the ball back to Manziel with time and timeouts was inexcusable. I'm consistently amazed at the horrible game/clock management by head coaches at every level of football.

   *Hot.

   *Not.

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   *If you're not busy Tuesday, Oct. 29th may I suggest a trip out to Grand Prairie's Verizon Center? For the low, low price - far as I can tell - of $4.95, you can spend the day at a Lead & Succeed seminar highlighted by Rudy Giuliani, Larry King, Steve Forbes, Rick Carlisle and Tony Romo. The Mavs' head coach will speak about teamwork while Romo is scheduled to school us on "competitiveness." Never understood how these things make money for organizers. Headline speakers - "Live & In Person" - must charge a minimum of around $10,000, right? What's the catch? And don't say it's a rip-off because you're getting advice on winning from a habitual choker.

   *Last time the Cowboys won a game without Ware on the field - Dec. 26, 2004 - their quarterback was Vinny Testaverde. Yeah, it's been a minute.

   *Saw The Fifth Estate over the weekend. Story of Julian Assange and Wiki Leaks and the embarrassing revelation of the U.S.' private business. I thought it was okay, and interesting. Probably better as a documentary. But apparently, Americans aren't ready to pay to see a movie that paints America in a bad light. Worst big-movie opening-weekend of 2013.

   *Are there actually Cowboys' fans panicking in the streets over their doom-'n-gloom salary-cap situation for 2014? Congratulations on two fronts. 1. Your team is in first place in the NFC East. 2. You clearly don't have enough to worry about. Same folks who birdie No. 8, but don't take time to enjoy it because that looming Par 4 16th is such a booger-bear.

   *Passed my TABC certification test over the weekend to be compliant since Pizza Buzz will deliver beer and all. Learned a couple things: Coffee doesn't, despite the popular myth, speed up sobriety after intoxication. (Only time will do the trick.) Texas law doesn't mandate that alcohol seller-servers check potential customers' IDs. (Establishments only do this voluntarily to protect themselves.) And to be given a citation for Public Intoxication, a person must be judged to be "a danger to himself or others." (So technically it's legal to pass out in a lonely corner of a bar. Go ahead and try out, let me know how it works out.)

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   *Sad about the passing over the weekend of Oail Andrew "Bum" Phillips. He almost made me an Oilers' fan in the '70s. And when his son, Wade, coached the Cowboys he'd show up daily at San Antonio's Alamodome during training camp, saunter over to our 105.3 The Fan broadcast booth and politely ask for an updated roster. "Gotta keep up with all these critters," he'd joke. On one hand Bum was a one-of-a-kind. On the other hand, he reminded me of half my kinfolk down in Johnson County.

   *Ray Lewis is an embarrassment on ESPN. Yesterday I swear I heard him try to say formula, but it came out foe-mah-luh. At least I think he was attempting formula. One really can't be sure. And, of course, not a week goes by with an obligatory "axe" when he means ask. But then again, Terry Bradshaw makes a living communicating football as well.

   *Wanna drive your Longhorn buddies nuts? Remind them that yesterday the Texans' Case Keenum was the 10th quarterback from a Texas high school to start a game in the NFL this season. And exactly zero of them attended the University of Texas. Drew Brees and Nick Foles (Austin Westlake). Andy Dalton (Katy). Matt Flynn (Tyler Lee). Robert Griffin III (Copperas Cove). Case Keenum (Abilene Wylie). Andrew Luck (Houston Stratford). Christian Ponder (Colleyville Heritage). Matthew Stafford (Highland Park). Ryan Tannehill (Big Spring). Burnt Orange, indeed.

   *Thanks for all the inquiries, but I hired my new sales girl last week.

   *Today? Putting the final touches on Pizza Buzz before this week's opening, then making it home in time to watch the Giants get their first win of the season. Don't be a stranger.

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WHITT'S END: 9.20.13

      Whether you're at the end of your coffee, your day, your week or even your rope, welcome to Whitt's End:

   *Wait, so a radio station whose mantra is "Breaking sports news first, guaranteed!" but never actually breaks sports news wins a Marconi Award for "Sports Station of the Year" last night in Orlando? While aural journalism hangs its head in shame, I'll congratulate The Ticket. Maybe it's just me, but I want my sports radio to be both entertaining and informative. An award-winning comedian has to tell fresh jokes. A blue-ribbon chef comes up with new recipes. And an elite "sports station" needs to go to practices and games and talk to coaches and players and air an intimate, unique knowledge of the teams it yaps about. But what do I know? I've been on radio and in radio for years and I fully admit, I do not understand radio.

   *Cowboys' most pleasant surprise of the season is ... over at NBC 5's Blue Star Blog.

   *See what happens when the Rangers hit three homers in an inning and score eight runs behind Yu Darvish? They win. What a concept. September Swoon and Wednesday night's excruciating extra-inning loss be damned, these final 10 games are gonna be fun. Three at the Royals this weekend, followed by three against the Astros and four vs. the Angels. Last year Texas limped to a 3-7 finish and missed the playoffs. Another 3-7 and they'll miss again. 7-3 and they're in. Anything in between is a crap-shoot.

   *Songs I've heard 1,000 times and hope I never have to suffer through hearing again: 10. "Margaritaville", Jimmy Buffet; 9. "Beautiful", James Blunt; 8. "Free Fallin'", Tom Petty; 7. "Sweet Caroline", Neil Diamond; 6. "Umbrella", Rihanna; 5. "American Pie", Don McLean; 4. "Centerfield", John Fogerty ; 3. "Blackbird", The Beatles; 2. Anything by Weird Al Yankovic; 1. "Old Time Rock-and-Roll", Bob Seger.

   *Thanks to Andy Reid beating his old Eagles' team last night, the Cowboys woke up this morning with the only non-losing record in the NFC East. And suddenly, a one-point loss on the road to a 3-0 Chiefs team doesn't look so bad eh?

   *Lots of you think Breaking Bad is the greatest show in the history of TV. But are you buying that Jesse Pinkman can really tell the sex of a dog just by petting it? Meh, Will McAvoy can tell just via an interview.

   *Hot.

   *Not.

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   *Nick Saban's agent took a call last winter from a Texas regent about the Longhorns' job. But, nooooo, the Alabama coach would never leave for Austin. "Quite frankly, I'm just too damn old to start over somewhere else," Saban said last night. And he would never lie about leaving a football team, right Miami Dolphins?
 
   *I guess when it comes to women in sports radio around these parts, it's Title IX Nein. As in, no thanks. Not a good week/year for gorgeous women on local radio. Jasmine Sadry, Sybil Summers and Jane Slater out at the The Fan. And yesterday - as part of the expected Cumulus-based cuts at 103.3 FM ESPN - long-time (9.5 years) personality Kelly Webster got the boot.

   *Was watching Rangers-Rays and Chiefs-Eagles last night when - poof - rain, lightning, power outage. Needed the rain, and am equipped with backup computer power. But sitting in the dark with no TV and no A/C is way overrated. Makes you ponder what nights were really like before electricity. Charades by the fire? Every single night?

   *One last thing on guns (until the inevitable next mass shooting committed via guns): Supporters are now spewing the NRA rhetoric that "mental illness" is the cause/common denominator in these murders. Maybe, but so are guns. I'll take my chances against a mentally ill person armed with a knife or a slingshot or a broom or a stick of butter, rather than a mentally ill person armed with a gun. You?

   *Baseball's season of over-celebrating has commenced. The Dodgers, 41-18 since the All-Star break, clinched the NL West last night and celebrated by diving into the Arizona Diamondbacks' swimming pool in right field. It's a division. Remind me the last time an NBA or NFL team partied - or even noticed - after winning a division.

   *This Red Bull Flugtag thing in Irving Saturday morning looks fascinating and potentially entertaining, but also brings up a couple questions. Isn't that an awful lot of foreplay for a quick splash of a payoff? And, what/where the hell is Lake Carolyn?

   *My commute to Pizza Buzz in northeast Fort Worth is about 60 miles straight through the belly of the beast, better known as 121 and Loop 820. I only go about twice a week, but it takes anywhere between one hour and $%#@**&^! Two things make the drive tolerable: 1. Prospect of revenue; 2. XM 42 The Joint. I find it dang near impossible to be pissed while listening to Reggae, mon.

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   *'Bama quarterback A.J. McCarron has broken up with girlfriend Katherine Webb. As Brent Musburger weeps, we have one last reason to post her pic.

   *Last night I got more excited about the rain than the Rangers. Can't decide if that makes me wise? Or just old?

   *Went to a matinee showing of Elysium yesterday with Sybil. Decent, different flick. Cost of tickets: $7. Cost of snacks: $23. Truth.

   *Scattershooting while wondering whatever happened to Tim Tebow? And while remember how much I loved reading Blackie Sherrod.

   *Feeling sad today for Mark Elfenbein and Jane Slater. They're handling their firing from 105.3 The Fan with more class than I did, but I know what it's like to wake up feeling like your best ain't good enough. And it sucks. Big time. They're both talented people who will find their way back into media in some form. Here's hoping the good, hard-working veterans still at The Fan - like Shan Shariff, R.J. Choppy, Roy White, Gavin Dawson, Chris Arnold, Mike Bacsik and Jeff Cavanaugh - can somehow outlast their bumbling boss.

   *Cowboys 27, Rams 17.

   *This weekend? Off to Pizza Buzz, mon. Then a couple drinks with buddies from junior high and - sssshhh - crashing Sybil's girls'-night party at our house. Saturday morning is tennis, followed by Wags 'n Waves out at NRH20. Sunday of course is Cowboys-Rams in Arlington, and at some point an appearance on NBC 5 with Pat, Newy and the gang. Don't be a stranger.

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August Radio Ratings: ESPN Alive and Kicking

   The Ticket keeps on ticking.
   Meanwhile - in the undisputed leader's rear-view mirror - ESPN is widening the gap and strengthening its hold over The Fan as the Metroplex's No. 2 all-sports talk radio station.
   While Randy Galloway winds down his legendary career and the rumors and uncertainty swirl in the wake of Cumulus taking business and operational control of Disney-owned 103.3 FM, ESPN keeps plugging along with a not-too-shabby station that is gaining audience and traction.
   In the August local radio ratings The Ticket remains as dominant as ever, with each of its dayparts easily winning the sports-talk battle and finishing No. 1 or 2 overall in the coveted demographic of Men 25-54. ESPN is comfortably No. 2 ahead of The Fan in every daypart: Mornings, Mid-Mornings, Middays and Afternoons.
   But it's in a 12-month overview that ESPN's progress can be easily tracked.
   Since August 2012 Mike & Mike is up 18%, Colin Cowherd 40%, Fitzsimmons & Durrett 75% and Galloway and Co. 47%. And that, of course, is bad news for The Fan, whose only show to touch a 2.0 rating at any part of the day is Elf & Slater.
   In their four months on the air since taking over for a certain someone's show, Ben and Skin have yet to do better than a 1.8 rating or rank above 22nd in the market among sweet-spot male listeners.
   The breakdown:

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Station	Aug. 2013		Aug. 2012
Morning
Ticket	7.5		7.3
ESPN	3.3		2.8
Fan	1.7		1.3
Mid-Morn
Ticket	8.1		7.7
ESPN	3.5		2.5
Fan	1.9		1.8
Midday
Ticket	7.3		6.9
ESPN	4.9		2.8
Fan	1.9		1.8
Afternoon
Ticket	7.5		8.3
ESPN	5.1		3.4
Fan	1.7		2.1

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WHITT'S END: 8.16.13

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Armen Goes to Albany and, Um, Where's Greggo?

   Told you last month that Armen Williams - the last surviving member of RAGE - was leaving 105.3 The Fan.
   Now I can tell you where he's headed. He's leaving CBS for ESPN. And dumping The Fan for The Team.
   At this moment he's likely driving somewhere around Pittsburgh-ish, ultimately headed for his new home as the Brand Manager at 104.5 The Team ESPN in glorious Albany, N.Y.
   Yep, subjected to "Shut Up, Armen!" yesterday. The boss today.
   Oh, and he'll also host a show on the station.
   "I am very excited about this new opportunity in front of me," Armen told me as he packed his car over the weekend. "My wife and I are both from the DFW area and this will be a great adventure for both of us. I never envisioned myself moving out of the Dallas market but this opportunity in Albany, New York presented itself and I believe is the perfect place for me at this time in my career."

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    Although he's leaving No. 5 for No. 65 (Albany's Arbitron Market ranking), the Townsquare Media flagship is a big step in the right direction for Armen, who at age 11 wrote a letter to Norm Hitzges detailing his career path in radio. Might initially feel like a step backward, but for a guy who ultimately has the talent to be a major-market program director this is the perfect starter home. (Hope he packed a coat or two.)
   Until he gets back, we'll keep searching for his Texas Tech graduation ring.
   And, to answer numerous questions posed to me in the last week or so, I have no friggin' clue where my former radio partner, Greggo, is. Honestly, I haven't talked to him since the day we were fired.
   I've been told his Twitter and blog have been dormant going on three weeks now.
   But I am proud to remind that I'm no longer his babysitter.

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WHITT'S END: 8.9.13

      Whether you're at the end of your rope or merely the end of your week, welcome to Whitt's End

   *Source told me yesterday that while the Mavericks had serious discussions with 105.3 The Fan to become partners, they ultimately are staying put at 103.3 FM. Whether it's ESPN or Tickespn or whatever, for the next two years you can hear Mavs' hoops there. For Chuck Cooperstein fans like myself, that's good news.

   *Putting in a claim to acquire the White Sox' Alex Rios won't save the Rangers' suddenly surging season. He's a .277 hitter with 12 homers. Without Nelson Cruz, the path to the postseason is paved with pitching and defense. Or, by playing the Angels every night. I almost felt sorry for Anaheim as Texas swept it for the second time in 10 days, but then I saw Josh Hamilton's arrogant flailing at first pitches and had to giggle. Considering his second  half in 2012, he's not in a slump. More like a year-long slide below mediocrity.

   *I have a guarantee about tonight's Cowboys-Raiders' preseason game: Jason Witten will have a better night than he did a year ago in Oakland. Remember?

   *I wrote this week that Ticket P1s were "narrow-minded" and I've been asked to expound on that theory. Here goes: Ticket fans are so extremely loyal that they've become blind. Listeners love BaD Radio, but if Bob and Dan would've left for The Fan back in June Ticket fans wouldn't have followed their show. In fact, they would've labeled the hosts "traitors". The quality of show has been replaced - even usurped - by the location on the dial. You can be loyal to McDonald's while recognizing that Wendy's has a delicious Spicy Chicken Sandwich. But some P1s have decided that anything and everyone sold outside 1310 AM is dog shit. Kudos to The Ticket for nurturing such brand loyalty over almost 20 years. But to me, that's narrow-minded.

   *A&M fans are the most sensitive, irrational bunch on the planet. C'mon Aggies, you really, honestly, believe that Johnny Goofball signed hundreds of autographs on memorabilia - assembly-line style - for zero compensation. Just because he's a good guy? Just to help out a bunch of brokers he'd never met before? Riiiiight. When this thing finally plays out we'll be reminded of the perils of hiring 20-year-old kids named "Uncle Nate" to be in charge of anything important. All that said, hopefully this is the impetus to prompt the NCAA to be Dead 'n Gone. Yesterday NCAA Prez Mark Emmert admitted a mistake and yanked all individual jerseys for sale off ShopNCAASports.com. Go away, NCAA. At this point you're part of the problem, not the solution.

   *Hot.

   *Bonus Hot. (Because apparently the link didn't work on some platforms last week.)

   *Not.

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   *If you missed Sybil this morning co-hosting D: The Broadcast, she wore a blue dress. And a huge smile.

   *Public memorial for Kidd Kraddick will be Thursday at 5:30 in Victory Park's AT&T Plaza, featuring a concert by Ben Folds. Still holding my breath at the return of the toxicology reports. Still hope it's not true, but after what I wrote last week about his late-night partying, I received a new slew of folks who heard - even witnessed - the same thing.

    *So Hunter Mahan leaves the Canadian Open golf tournament he's leading to attend the birth of his child and everyone hails him as some kind of hero. Good for him. He's a solo act (other than his caddie). Not letting any teammates down like, say, Colby Lewis did once upon a time.

   *Lotsa folks asking me my take on the Ticket takeover of ESPN. All I got is right here.

   *If I'm Cumulus and I now control 103.3 FM, I immediately buy out the contract of Randy Galloway. As I wrote Thursday morning and as he later confirmed, he'll retire from radio when his deal expires Dec. 31. Why allow him to be a lame-duck host armed with both eff-you attitude and eff-you money? Remember, he's despised The Ticket for years and those boys have used him as a "Grandpa Urine" punch line. That's a dangerous combo. By the way, I love Galloway. Worked with him at the Star-Telegram for years and I'll always remember him taking me and Mike Fisher on a joy ride complete with multiple, illegal, obscenity-laced U-turns in his big Cadillac right in the heart of Times Square. Even then he had an eff-you persona. And by the way, if I'm The Fan, soon as Galloway is bought out by Cumulus I make him a rethink-retirement offer.

   *You know what's dumb? When a snarky web site tries to call Cowboys' fans "dumb" but in the process of its detailed criticism misspells the name of team legend Jay "Novachek." Who looks dumb now?

   *Vintage A-Fraud from his presser this week: "I'm fighting for my life. I have to defend myself. If I don't defend myself no one else will." Okay, cool. Then delight us with the details of how you're not guilty. Go on, defend yourself. Said A-Rod, "This isn't the time or place to do that." What. The. What?!

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   *Creepy story out of South Dallas where Erbie "E Luv" Bowser - a former ManiAAC dancer - killed four and injured four more. Most troubling about the story is the fact that he shot kids aged 11, 13 and 14. Can't imagine ever being that mad - or deranged. Just goes to show you, though, ManiAACs are people, too.

   *When I was in 7th grade American schools actually tried to switch to the Metric system. I remember the "Think Metric!" posters on our classroom walls. It failed. Miserably. So why, 30 years later, do we still sell our American soft drinks in 2-liter bottles? Why aren't they simply 67-ounce bottles?

    *It's a "No Sales Tax Weekend"! To me, that's code for "Another Weekend to Avoid Malls Weekend"! Which, of course, is code for "Just Like Every Other Weekend"!

   *And your latest non-Maverick: Greg Oden. The big man with the bad knees chose the Heat over Dallas. Man I'm tired of writing that storyline.

   *Not a good preseason for those who chose to follow Rob Ryan from the Cowboys to the Saints. Both Victor Butler and Kenyon Coleman have suffered season-ending injuries.

   *Yeah, well at least I didn't build a skyscraper without an elevator.

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   *I've got two new suggestions for you this week: A book by Brian Cuban and a band called the Texas Cotton Kings. The story of Mark Cuban's brother's journey with eating disorders, etc. is compelling stuff. And the Kings will make you feel like you're in down-home Forney, which ain't a bad place to be.

    *LeBron James actually showed up for jury duty this week in Ohio. Gotta give him credit for that. He lives in Bath Township. Can't decide if that sounds exclusive or Rednecky or Amishy.

   *You know it's August in Dallas when you take out the trash at 6 a.m. and return to the house in a shirt drenched in sweat. God Bless Texas.

  *If you want the juice on the real-estate doings of (current and) former Cowboys' quarterbacks like Tony Romo and Troy Aikman, you should be be reading Candy Evans. She knows her scoop.

   *On the list of the toughest things I've done: 1. Climbing a 14,000-foot mountain; 2. Running a marathon; 3. Quitting the Star-Telegram; 4. Skydiving; 5. Bungee jumping; 6. White-water rafting; ... Oh, who am I kidding, dealing with Greggo daily for three years trumps 'em all. Combined.

   *It takes quite the man to prompt current and former employees of ESPN, The Ticket and The Fan to put down their swords long enough to amicably attend a birthday in his honor. And, yes, Bruce Gilbert is that man. The former program director at The Ticket and The Fan, who had a stint in the ESPN family, turns 50 Saturday and representatives from multiple combating radio army outlets will combine to roast him. I'm honored to be invited. Cheers.

   *This weekend? Tonight let's ogle some Cowboys-Raiders. Tomorrow it's a golf tournament in Rockwall with dear ol' Dad, followed by the aforementioned birthday roast. And Sunday we'll finish up the golf tournament in the morning, then play some sand volleyball in Frisco in the afternoon. Don't be a stranger.

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Ticket Takeover: What It Means for DFW Radio

   The Ticket is taking over ESPN Radio.
   Powerful. Defining. Epic. Yet, let's face it, confusing.
   Kind of like Texas A&M's Johnny Goofball signing hundreds of autographs - assembly-line style - for memorabilia brokers, just because he's a nice guy. Yeah, right.
   What happened yesterday - in a move I sorta saw coming a month ago - is seemingly the first step in a long journey toward 103.3 FM The Ticket.
   But when, how and what happens when we get to that point? After talking to peeps from all sides of the transaction, let's try to take some educated guesses at where re-shaped DFW sports-talk radio is headed.
   What this move means for ...

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    The Ticket - Okay, I admit. I got suckered in. For the first time since 2010ish I tuned in this morning at 7:30 for the "Major Station Announcement", assuming I'd get some clarity on this story. Instead, I heard trumpets followed by some gibberish about a new phone app and ...
   Nonetheless, I think I have a better understanding of why The Ticket made this deal. Bottom line: It's much more a business transaction than a programming strategy.
   Its parent company, Cumulus, didn't buy 103.3 FM, it signed a Local Marketing Agreement to assume operational control of the station. I'm told the deal - for approximately 5 years and $6 million - mandates that 103.3 FM remain an ESPN affiliate. The suits at Disney considered this a deal-breaker. Keep the brand and keep our national shows in place, or end of discussion.
   What that means is - barring further, future negotiations and a tweaking of the agreement - we will likely hear Ticket programming on 103.3 FM, but it will not be fully re-branded as 103.3 FM The Ticket.
   What Cumulus instead gets for its approximate $100,000-a-month payment is two-fold: A stronger signal. And a weakened rival.
   For years The Ticket has coveted a stronger stick from which to transmit its primo content, and KESN's Allen-based transmitter will do the trick. It reaches all of Tarrant and Dallas county, yes even at night. A stronger signal, in theory, means a wider scope which leads to more listeners which begets better ratings which translates into more revenue. But apparently The Ticket won't just up and move its entire programming to 103.3 FM. 1. Per the LMA it can't; 2. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
   The Ticket bills about $20 million a year; ESPN around $8 million (and, for what it's worth, The Fan approximately $6 million). Instead of jeopardizing a great operation, The Ticket will instead merely attempt to use 103.3 FM to further spread its gospel - you'll hear spots promoting Ticket events and shows on ESPN - while pocketing most of that additional $8 million in billing revenue.
   It's a weird arrangement, no doubt. Two separately-owned and competing stations, run by the same management team. Imagine Jerry Jones owning the Cowboys, but Dan Snyder calling the day-to-day shots. Hardline co-host Corby Davidson jokingly Tweeted yesterday afternoon that the move would prompt Randy Galloway to jump on The Ticket and host "Entertainment News" at 4:15.
   No doubt 103.3 FM will be de-fanged, but the direct alterations won't be nearly that drastic.

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    ESPN Radio - Fact is this move wouldn't be happening had the station been successful. It's not.
   Its ratings and revenue are decent, but 103.3 FM has annually underperformed - it makes only a couple hundred thousand dollars in profit - because of all the excess fat and Bristol had heard/seen enough. In other words, there will be attrition. Everyone from Fitzsimmons and Durrett, to general manager Pete Dits, to ESPN Deportes personnel to sales/promotions folks should be nervous. A couple were fired yesterday. Some were given pre-dated pink slips for September, October and November. Since The Ticket/Cumulus already has a successful operations staff in place, there will be a significant body count. No reason to double-dip.
   One of the mainstays that will leave 103.3 FM will be - in my opinion - Galloway. His contract is up Dec. 31 and I just don't see him returning in 2014 to a watered-down station controlled by his life-long competitors. And, remember, The Ticket will now have final say in 103.3 FM's local content. In exchange for the handsome chunk of change from Cumulus, ESPN's Disney parents are relinquishing the local control while maintaining their successful national shows - Mike & Mike and Colin Cowherd - on the air in America's 5th-largest radio market.
   But, make no mistake, the 103.3 FM you've come to know over the last 12 years will soon be Dead 'n Gone.

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    The Fan - For a station tanking in the ratings and in need of any shred of positive vibes, this has to be received as good news. How's that? Because - barring a series of catastrophic events and multiple personnel moves - The Fan can't realistically threaten, much less catch, The Ticket. But with ESPN being ultimately downsized and diluted, The Fan will, by default, rise to No. 2. When I was at The Fan the rallying cry was always "Beat ESPN!". With this move, that goal should become more attainable.

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    Texas Rangers - This is where there will certainly be some radio-dial position changes. Since ESPN will still technically "own" 103.3 FM, the Rangers' contract with it will remain in place. But with The Ticket now in "operational control" of the joint, the options get better for baseball fans. Last year when a conflict arose between simultaneous Rangers' and Mavs' games on ESPN, baseball was booted to the dark, oblivious corner known as 660 AM. Now under Cumulus' broad umbrella of stations, the Rangers could move to better alternatives like 1310 AM, WBAP 820 AM or even KSCS 96.3 FM.

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    Dallas Mavericks - The basketball team that has long been on ESPN is currently a radio free agent, and in talks with The Fan. Owner Mark Cuban has long sought a stronger signal, but will he accept it along with a weaker partner? The Mavs could also sign with The Ticket, and ultimately remain "home" on ESPN. Told you it could get confusing.

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    Dallas Stars - Banished to the low-wattage night offerings of 1310 AM for years, they could conceivably get bumped to a better signal as part of the change-up. Probably not. But increased options can't be bad news for a hockey team seeking any shove to relevance.

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    You, the Listener - If you're in the legion of dedicated - if not a tad narrow-minded - P1s that covet The Ticket, nothing but The Ticket and, at all costs, more The Ticket, then you're elated. Your favorite, strong station will only strengthen in signal and, likely, share. But if you are a consumer who enjoys a variety of side items at the buffet - not just 20 platters of steak under the sneeze guard - this isn't good news. Fewer edible, audible choices are in your future. Bon appetit.

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