Sequel to 2008's award-winning
"The Hard Lie"
By Richie Whitt
DFWSportatorium
PART 1: DEAD MEN TALKING
PART II: THE BLOODY KNEE
PART III: HIGH ROAD TO HELL
PART IV: SH*T HITS THE FAN
PART V: DIFFERENT DIRECTION
So where
is Greggo?
In bed on the third floor of his Oak Lawn condo? Immersed in a dusty old military book? On Wikipedia stealing someone's Top 10 list as his own? In denial? In the same foggy state he brought to Papa G's? In the middle of telling another whopper to another naive, adoring fan who's equipped only with guns, gullibility and a GED? Or in (hopefully) rehab?
There remain those stubbornly tied to the belief that Greggo carried us on
RAGE. If by "carried" they mean taking Sybil, Armen and me and "fatally dragging into a ditch," then, well, yep, we totally agree.
Despite our ailments, when
RAGE was good it was gold.
The Super Bowl water-gun fight in the Indianapolis hotel. The road trips to the Rangers' World Series and the Mavs' NBA Finals. The fun and frivolity at Cowboys' training camps. The nightly horsing around on TXA 21. The on-air debates about Jerry Jones and music and white trucks and Josh Hamilton and gun control and the 1% Club and "bananas." And, of course, the classic "Shut up, Armen!" episode.
In the last half of 2011
RAGE actually pushed ratings into the 4's - nowhere near threatening
The Hardline on The Ticket but good enough to temporarily topple
Galloway on ESPN, and in early 2012 Bruce gave us a motivational motto: "The Drive For 5." And, yes, for the majority of our tenure Williams and I got along swimmingly.
(continued from page 1)
We cashed ratings bonuses, we were having fun and we ... went downhill from there.
I certainly wasn't perfect, and I shoulder my share of the blame. Any time a show fails, even after a decent three-year run, the No. 1 voice deserves the No. 1 criticism. But, despite my unsavory work environment, I never missed a single show over 36 months for anything other than a pre-approved absence. I exceeded my writing obligations to The Fan's web site. I steered our show through 25 hours a week. And I never once showed up under the influence of drugs.
And, yes - as evidenced in this series - "I
do have the facts to back this up." All of it.
On a road trip in 2010 Williams was unpacking when his "pill box" accidentally opened and spilled its contents all over his bed. As I helped him attempt to put the correct pills back into the right spot - it was a long, rectangular blue-and-pink box with seven days' of "P.M." and "A.M." compartments, for 14 total - I remember being stunned at the quantity. There were, minimum, 10 pills in each compartment. Over a week that's approximately 150 pills.
I asked Greggo what the heck they could possibly be for.
"Vitamins, depression, sleep, and who knows what else?" he answered. "I don't know. Jenn puts all that together for me."
I remember feeling sad about his current state. And scared about our long-term future.
(continued from page 2)
Sure enough, from 2010-13 he unexpectedly missed work for: "Pneumonia", "bicycle wreck", "Mom's stroke", "Mom's moving (three times)", "Mom's accident at rest home", "Mom's allergic reaction to new medication", "serious family crisis", "lost my voice", "fainting", "Jennifer's knee", "treadmill accident", "horrible cough" and, on multiple occasions, "Unexplained."
Said Williams after each episode, "It's always something with me."
Eventually, the sincerity of his excuses carried all the weight of two gnats exchanging sign language in a cotton field.
Behind his back, CBS management from all levels referred to Greggo as "a hillbilly f*ck," "a f*cking idiot," and "the Devil." And now I hear he attempts to exact revenge on those supervisors by comically labeling them "sharpe (yes, with an e) as mashed potatoes."
Perfect.
Again, I performed this public autopsy and wrote this postmortem not as a means to disparage CBS, but rather as an explanation to the loyal fans who tuned in to our show and turned out to our events. Life ain't fair, and neither is having your favorite radio program instantly Dead 'n Gone without any reason. Hope this helps. My goal was to present the facts and then let you - the avid-listener-turned-interested-reader - make up your own mind as to
RAGE's cause of death. I'm not looking for sympathy, just the understanding and clarification of the details surrounding my firing. I'm hoping to clear my good name.
It remains my opinion that CBS feared retribution for Williams' singular firing in the form of a lawsuit filed under the Americans with Disabilities Act, and therefore axed me and Sybil and reduced Armen's role as a collective buffer.
Instead of merely removing the tumor, CBS decided to burn the body.
Unfortunately, sometimes taking the high road leads you to a dead end.
(continued from page 3)
Bottom line: Sybil and I lost primo gigs, including radio jobs, endorsement opportunities and bonus roles as prominent voices at Cowboys Stadium and Texas Motor Speedway. And that's the gigantic difference between Greggo's departures from The Ticket and The Fan. When the Ticket guys turned their collective back on Williams, they still had their jobs. At 105.3, he took me down with him.
Healthy income and good reputation, both severely damaged. All with never another syllable uttered from Williams about the fist fight or the ski slope or the ...
Me? Lingering bitterness aside, I'll be fine. I
am fine. Getting married to Sybil (my favorite parting gift) this Fall, on a tropical island far from white trash and white trucks. While she's talented enough to find another radio job in this market, I'm embarking on two career ventures where the boss can no longer screw me over, because his name is Richie Whitt. I'm opening a Pizza Buzz restaurant in Tarrant County that will deliver both pizza and, yep, beer. And christening this here web site after a clean, if not totally amicable break from CBS. I guess I'd be willing to return to radio, given it's the right place, right time and, most importantly, the right partner.
I'll remain friends and/or friendly with all of the Fan hosts, including
RAGE's ultimate replacement show,
Ben and Skin. And even though station sales spokesmen, in a desperate attempt to maintain their suddenly shrinking list of clients, initially lied to advertisers that I might be returning, I'll still root for The Fan
, a joint I feel like I helped build.
(continued from page 4)
And Where's Greggo? Honestly, I don't know. And a large part of me doesn't care.
I mean, I'll always have a tiny soft spot for him on some level. But after what has transpired, at this point those feelings are unable to manifest themselves in friendship.
People ask me why I don't talk to Greggo these days. Simple. Because back when our show and our relationship were marginally successful and very salvageable, it was him who unequivocally left me and
RAGE high, dry and lied to.
Think about this: The two hosts that worked alongside Williams on a daily basis for a combined 17 years - me and The Ticket's Mike Rhyner - both now shun their former partner. And the similarities of the divorces are eerily similar.
In a
2008 Dallas Observer/Sportatorium blog item in the wake of "The Hard Lie"'s release, I wrote:
"Whether you perceive Rhyner as an unforgiving friend who should've tried harder to keep his buddy from destroying himself, or you see Williams as a destructive business partner who irresponsibly shit on the company product, there's no ignoring the brutality of the break-up."
In the beginning, I got Greggo hired.
And in the end, Greggo got me fired.
So where is Greggo?
I assume your severance included a waiver of liability. That's how CBS protects from an ADA lawsuit. In an exchange for whatever they gave you (and GW), you give up your right to sue.
ReplyDeleteFiring two good employees to protect against what would have been a very shaky ADA claim would be reckless, pointless and only create additional exposure for the company.
Of course, Greggo had to go. The reason you got fired too is because the show wasn't very good with Greggo, and even worse without him.
Good luck in your future ventures.
Sure the "waive of claims" is in the separation agreement, but nothing says you have to sign it. You can throw it in the trash and sue if you want.
DeleteBut given his behavior, absenteeism, and the fact he'd recently offered to resign, it was a pretty safe bet Greggo would take the money and run.
Delete"Firing two good employees to protect against what would have been a very shaky ADA claim would be reckless, pointless and only create additional exposure for the company."
DeleteYou really don't have a clue how corporate America works, do you?..
If Greggo had a legit ADA claim, firing the rest of the show wouldn't give CBS any cover.
DeleteI'll conceded that CBS are idiots and might have done something this dumn, but it just doesn't add up.
If Richie and company were, as he states, "radio gold", they would have been retained. Greggo's behavior created a window of opportunity and CBS seized it.
@ RITCHIE-GLAD WE WERE FINALLY GIVEN THE TRUTH...THE FAN DAMN SURE WASN'T GONNA GIVE US ANY INFO. AND WON'T EVEN ALLOW THE MENTION OF ANYONE'S NAME FROM RAGE (EXCEPT ARMEN). I'M SURE YOU WILL GET ANOTHER CHANCE TO DO WHAT YOU LOVE AGAIN (AND NO I DON'T MEAN SYBIL...LOL J/K).
DeleteSO WHERE DO PLAN TO OPEN THIS PIZZA PLACE AND WHEN?
-THANKS, JASON-
Got me up ass early on my birthday to keep up with this story, you are doing a great job..also what do you think of Boys Will Be Boys by author Jeff Pearlman? Any truth or just exploitive trash? Ill take you and Fish over that book any day!
ReplyDeleteHe actually interviewed me for that book (I think one of my Aikman/Super Bowl stories is in there. I thought it was decent though, I could smell it was written by someone was wasn't physically there when it all went down.
DeleteOh, and, Happy Birthday!!
DeleteLoved reading all of this. It was very well done. Weird to look back on a guy who I grew up listening to every day on the ticket now knowing who he really was. Glad you mentioned your original hard lie article at the end because in that article you were very critical of how the ticket guys collectively turned their back on the hammer. After seeing pretty much exactly what they went through first hand, do you feel differently about how they handled the entire situation?
ReplyDeleteGreat read Richie. As a Rage fan, thanks for the clarity or lack there of in your firing. You are right that life's not fair but looks like you are making the best of it. Best of luck and I hope to hear you on radio again. That I know I'm not a 1 percenter.
ReplyDeleteSome questions:
ReplyDelete-In a future column, you should address YOUR faults and such. That might diffuse the Greggo acolytes who think you are scapegoating.
-Fish's ratings (and his show) on KLIF were damn good. Your ratings before Greggo's decline were good. Was that Bruce Gilbert's thinking? That 'Whitt and Fish' would crush ESPN in middays? And if so, did Bruce express that to Spittle? Did Spittle not listen?
-People think youre being hard on Greggo. If what I hear about his REAL relationship with the late, great Chris Kyle and family is true, you are being NICE to Greggo by not revealing it.
-Is Jenno a co-conspirator? A co-dependent? A victim? A villain?
what have you heard about the real relationship with Mr. Kyle?
DeleteJenno, does sound like "a piece of work"! Doesn't she know that she is not helping Greggo, buy covering and lying for him all the time!? I don't know if this chic, is someone I should feel sorry for, or if she just need a good bop across the head, to snap her to realities of the situation?! Maybe she is addicted too, and Greggo is her "meal ticket"?
DeleteIf Greggo's going to get clean for good, he'll need to make some big life changes. One of them is dumping his enabling girlfriend. He needs to go to rehab and then live with a friend he knows won't coddle or pity him and try to get clean for good.
DeleteRichie, can you expand on the Chris Kyle stuff? That is one part I was stunned reading that Greggo would embellish. He was on air a few times so I figured what Greggo said was true. I wonder if they were even texting back and forth while you were all at the Super Bowl like Greggo claimed. Sad stuff, although Greggo was far from perfect I do hope he can finally get some some help and straighten out his life.
one of these days, a media person with no perceived bias against Williams (like Richie can be blamed for having) will call Mrs. Kyle. D magazine, say. And they will ask her who Greg Williams is. And if they are smart they will have a camera to capture the dumbfounded look on the face of the woman, whose heroic American dead husband is being used by Williams to make him look like a by-proxy heroic American.
DeleteHard to 'be asked by Mrs Kyle to speak at the memorial' or to 'be asked by Mrs Kyle to carry the casket at the funeral' when Mrs Kyle knows Greg Williams in passing, if at all.
Richie, your assumption about your management fearing an ADA lawsuit, is probably correct. It's supposed to be something that protects people, but in some cases, it makes management fear the repercussions of any discipline on poor behavior. That might have been the case here, sadly.
ReplyDeleteI wish you and Sybil the best on your marriage! I also wish the best for GW. It sounds like he is in need of dire help.
Best of luck to you.
So that 'torn ACL' that Greggo had just last week was fake, too? Jesus H. Christ.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.rsbsports.com/
Greggo just put your name on the reply and quit being anonymous
Deleteyou fist...
DeleteTorn acl and walking fine 3 short weeks later... I call bullsh
DeleteGreat read!! Glad you put the facts out there. As a listener its disheartening to tune in to you favorite show and its gone. No mention of what happened, no explanation. EMBRACE YOUR RAGE!!!!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the last few years Richie
its not my birthday but i got up early as well to read the conclusion of this great story. love the pizza buzz idea! and am happy for you and sib best of luck to both of you. i will continue reading your blogs and hope i havnt heard the last of you on the air. thanks again for clearing not only your name but also the entire situation up. as far as i am concerned your 'good name' is cleared with me. best of luck bud
ReplyDeleteI'm glad I finally got to read all of this. It's sad because RAGE was one of the reasons I started listening to Sports Talk radio in general. I was even at one of the listener's forums (the focus group they did) a year or two ago and told them I listen because of RAGE and my favorite personality on the show was you. I appreciate all the things you've done on the show, especially exposing local music, which no one does legitimately anymore (sad when you guys weren't even a music station). I hope you'll be back on the air somewhere soon because I'll definitely be there to take a listen. I always wanted to stop by at one of your appearances, but my life has been pretty busy these past few years as well. Take care and hope to hear you on the air soon.
ReplyDelete- Lew from Coilback
Wow. Thanks for giving us the truth. I am so sorry that you, Sybil, and Armen had to go down with the ship. CBS should have at least had a lifeboat for the three of you. Congrats on your upcoming marriage. I have loved Sybil since P&K. I wish you the best in future endeavors.
ReplyDeleteKeep smiling and your chin up,
Kay T.
What about posting here a weekly or periodic podcast with you and some right winger that has the letter G in his name......keep RAGE alive! KEEP RAGE ALIVE!! Come on people, who's with me here?
ReplyDeleteLOL Maybe you can get sponsors from CBS too?
yeah. torn ACL and broken foot 2 weeks ago is not casted and very comfortably leaned on in the most recent pic.
ReplyDeletehm.
sad sad sad
The ACL was last week. This week he has a torn toris muscle.
Deleterock on richie miss the show bro...
ReplyDeleteI wish you no luck. Thank god this whiney story is over. You are nothing but a little pathetic man that blames everyone else when bad stuff happens. I would say grow up and be a man but you are 50. If your girl is stupid enough to marry a loser like you than that's on her. Piss some good years of your life down the drain. You will never get a job in radio again little man.
ReplyDeleteIf you hate it that much then why did you read it?
DeleteWho said I read it? Richie is just a whiney bitch. Didn't have to read it bro.
DeleteI assumed you read it because you wrote "thank God this whiney story is over." why would you be thankful that a story you never read is over?
DeleteYour mistake was attempting to apply logic to the thoughts of a troll.
DeleteGreggo is the troll in this string.
DeleteOk. Maybe this is Greggo. Motorcycle Greggo to be exact. Hey Richie...........do you like your gig brotha??????????? Stay hard!!!!! Also, do I really have to read anything of Richies to know he is whining like a little bitch? As far as calling me a troll, I see way more posts from you two suck offs. Rynalan and david. If those truely are your names??? And another thing........GATHER ROUND..GATHER ROUND.........that troll theory cannot be proven!!!!!!!!! Stay hard rynalan and david hargis. You two are going to need it.
DeleteThis is just another loser transferring his lack of success onto someone else. You are a troll! You shouldn't read a blog from beginning to end and then complain about it, because it just prices to everyone else who reads your comments that you have no life. If you didnt like the show, then shut the fuck up.
DeleteOk brian. Can you please fill me in about my lack of success. I'm all ears brian. What is your definition of success? As far as the show, I liked Greggo and couldn't stand Richie. Should I shut the fuck up Brian? Are you going to try and make me? Come on brian, you sound like a real tough guy and I can't believe you dropped the F word. My virgin ears were burning. So brian, what you going to do bud? I'm sure you have the same backbone like Richie. Stay hard there brian.
DeleteEnjoyable read and good to know what the heck happened when all of a sudden you guys were gone. I have dealt with an addict working for me and learned after many smackdowns that they lie, cheat and steal to get what they want. Hang in there and good luck on future endeavors. Would love to hear you and Fish team up on a future show somewhere.
ReplyDeleteVery intriguing read.
ReplyDeleteA couple of things (my opinions and mine alone):
I would like to see your take on couple of things in your former teammates blog. For instance, what exactly were the terms with the Cowboys? The true reason I did not listen to the fan much was the homerism towards the Cowboys. Football town or not, I understand the advertising dollars, but it seemed like you guys made stories out of nothing, just to mention the Cowboys. I understand being a fan, or even a homer. (As I am for the Texas Rangers, and my beloved Texas Aggies) But it was such an ass kick listening to nothing but Cowboys.
"Football on the 50" was the worst bit (whatever you call it) in all of radio. I would change the station just so I would not have to listen to whatever garbage you all came up with to fill the ad spot.
I can not stand Fisher. I understand you and him are great friends/colleagues, but I cannot listen to one segment he is a part of. He may be a hard worker, but he comes across as a pompous prick.
Not that it is any relevance, but I think they should have hired Bacsik instead of Slater.
I can not stand Spittle. I enjoyed the "personal" parts of the show when I listened. The 1% club, dead and gone, ring a ding ding, and even drugged up Greggo Lists were some of my favorite bits. "And you guys play too much music. I want two guys passionately talking in a bar, making me want to jump in and join the conversation." Uhhh, music and the above mentioned bits, made me want to join in the conversation. I understand Spittle has no life or friends, but even when I watch a Rangers baseball game, my buddies and I talk about other things. Life, music, politics. Similar to Russ Martin's Treehouse, they cover a wide variety of topics. Sports, local and national politics, women, guitars. I understand he is just talk radio, not "Sports talk", but it all is relative.
Anyways just wanted to vent, say my opinion not that anyone gives a shit what I think.
BJW - Red Oak.
Agree 100%! When Josh Lewin left I wanted Mike Bacsik with Elf, but no we get Slater! I honestly stopped listening all together. Too much Cowboy talk(even when there was no football business going on) I started listening to the Fan because of RAGE, and was upset when they were pulled from the air. Thanks Richie(even though I did not always agree with you) for telling us what really happened. You are a fantastic writer by the way! All the best for you and Sybil!
DeleteSpittle proved how insecure and little of a person he is back in the Russ era. I was never a big Greggo fan. I understood his bit and it wasn't my thing. However, i always loved the straight shooting Richie. I always knew I was getting a real opinion from you.
DeleteIt's not the same in the afternoons anymore. B&S sound like an ESPN show and I find myself just waiting for 6pm to tune in now days.
Miss you AND Sybil. Hope you are back on the air soon.
Until you've been involved in a personal relationship with an addict, it is difficult to understand. I can relate to Richie's struggles with it and the learning experience he had to go through. Greggo's girlfriend Jenn = classic enabler / co-dependent and he will NEVER hit bottom and experience true growth and recovery until she (and anyone else) quits absorbing blows for him, lying for him, etc. Rhyner and The Ticket learned, now Richie and The Fan have learned the hard lesson. Addicts suck all the life out of their friends and cohorts because we keep hoping things will change and that the addict will experience recovery. But we all eventually learn that too late and the relationship is often damaged beyond repair. Some things can't be fixed. I pray for Greggo to find recovery that involves rigorous honesty (seems a remote possibility as long as Jenn is involved). I pray for good things ahead for Richie, Sybil and The Fan. Good luck to you and thanks for the EXCELLENT writing (a lost art).
ReplyDeleteWell said! Clearly you have some experience with this (as do I.)
DeleteRichie...one day, you can only hope Greggo comes to you to make amends (won't be anytime soon though.) Though you don't have to accept it, at least let him talk to you (at a time of your choosing.) Because if Greggo does get the help he needs (the right help) and does try to make things right and you ignore his attempt to contact you, it will continue to weigh on him. If you tell him to F off then, at least he tried and can mark you off his list and move on with his life. But that all hinges on him getting the real help he needs. Might not be a bad idea for you to go to an Al-anon meeting, too. Good luck. It was a good read (and still very sad.) I really didn't like you as a radio host, but know that was part of the gig to be successful. And I did listen, just to argue with your opinion (so that means you were doing it right, as far as I am concerned.) As for all the haters calling you whiny...maybe, but I am sure I would do the exact same thing if I could if I were in your shoes...I know how I would feel if I lost my dream job. But, live by the sword, die by the sword!
Well said. Spot on.
DeleteI've also lived with an addict, which is why I roll my eyes whenever I see the posts here that say, "Richie knew what he was getting into, etc."
Unless you've been in a relationship with an addict, you have absolutely no clue the mind-numbing, earth-shattering things you will encounter.
It's one thing to "hear" about addicts, their behavior, and their web of lies and deceit, and another completely different experience to live it. You'll never truly have any idea the chaos and destruction they create...until you're there.
With that being said, it's obvious the dude lives with "Team Enabler", his future isn't going to be getting help. His future will be death, and sadly, not knowingly, she's going to help him get there.
Always enjoyed your writing (until this whiny ass self serving p.o.s.) at both the Star Telegram and the Observer. But this? BOOOOO!!!
ReplyDeleteMy thoughts are that you sucked pretty hard on the radio and that you were a terrible choice for a partner w/ Greggo. Your show was doomed to fail because YOU suck at being Mr. Radio Host. The ONLY draw was the novelty of an occasionally lucid Greggo.
Greggo may have been out of control (no surprise there) but honestly, I'm sure YOU were a drag on your own show's ratings. I'm SHOCKED you weren't fired long ago. Your radio voice = nails on chalkboard irritating.
While Greggo's actions may have indirectly resulted in you getting the boot - it was LONG overdue. It was the coattails of Greggo's past popularity that ALLOWED you to stay on air for as long as you did. Maybe send Greggo a thank you / get well combo card? :-)
It's really shitty of you to publicly out Greggo now and try to finish him off for good. You really are a HUGE douche.
First off, Greggo, is an addict! Sad, but true. Greggo, will continue to spiral out of control, and bring HIMSELF down, if he doesn't get the help he needs, and I hope he gets it!!
DeleteSecond, it was Richie's "radio voice", that got me hooked on sports talk! He is a Texas boy, and it was refreshing to hear, "the drawl", especially since it is a Dallas station! Never lose your Texas roots, Richie!!
This was a good read! Sorry things ended the way it ended! Still miss, RAGE!!!
+1 to this reply
DeleteWas it shitty of Richie when he wrote the original Hard Lie? While that article did let the reader know that Greggo is an emotional freak show, it also painted him in a very sympathetic light. It made The Ticket look like the bad guy in that relationship.
DeleteI thought RAGE sucked hard, and a lot is because I don't enjoy Richie on the air. But the dude backed Greggo for a long ass time, and was instrumental in getting him back on the air at the Fan. Had Greggo only buried himself, then, yeah, I could see calling writing this article a shitty thing. Unfortunately, he buried the whole show. Now Richie truly knows what it must have been like on the Hardline 6-7 years ago. Stay hard, Richie
Is this the end? What else can you whine about? Who will you blame when the tranny leaves you? Spittle? Greggo? GAC? B&S? The doctor that did your hair plugs? One thing I am sure of, nobody will care...
ReplyDeleteGroves out.
Yeah, you're right nobody cares. Except for the 150,000+ pageviews on the story.
DeleteSo what's your obejective to this??? You aren't ever going to get a radio gig. What, clearing your name by blaming others. You look like a pathetic idiot. Have you always blamed others for anything bad in your life?? Probably have. That's pretty bad when you consider you're an AARP member. STAY HARD and BABY ARM!!
DeleteYour maturity is lacking. You can disagree without resorting to name calling. Whatever side you on, which seems to be Greggo's, can be voiced with intelligence. Your comment was very childish. You can give your opinion without name calling. I hope you are young, because if you are over 18 and that's how you debate, disagree , persuade......you need more home training.
Delete150,000 page views divided by what to get the real number? Each fucking part had 6-15 page breaks to inflate the numbers. If you would have put each part of this saga on one page, your page view count would be much, much smaller.
DeleteCannt decide what's worse - a liar or a rat!
ReplyDeleteMorning Greggo!
DeleteThe Druggie...
Delete"Cannt" is not a word
DeleteYour show was the only one I listen to on 105.3 anymore. And now its gone and so am I! I really hope you get back on the radio. I really thought you were the best part of that show, and I'm so sad that you're no longer there. I have several friends that have quit listening to the FAN at all because you're gone. Gavin has to know that he made the WRONG decision. It all comes back around though.
ReplyDeleteCongrats to you and Sybil and I'll be trying your new pizza place soon as it opens!!
Thank you for sharing Richie and good luck!!
Hey man dont listen to any of these D bags. You guys had a great show until Greggo started flaking.. There are a lot of similarities in the old story and the new one. Hope to hear you on the radio soon.
ReplyDeleteThe Hard Lie 2: The Cliffs Notes Version
ReplyDeleteEven after Richie wrote extensively about Greggo's lying, deceitful, drugged up behavior at his previous 4 radio gigs that all ended badly (Ticket, ESPN, Rational Radio, Wichita Falls ESPN), Richie decides "What the what?" and to shack up with Greggo in another radio gig. Oops!
Greggo arrives high on air frequently and is very unprofessional. Indeed, this is a very serious matter that will not be tolerated...but for on-air entertainment it's perfectly acceptable to stick a tape recorder in Greggo's face and replay audio while he's Ambien'd up for comedy radio gold! But, no, indeed, this is a very serious non-joking matter...indeed.
Greggo dares to interview Jason Garrett without sucking up and lobbing softballs like they're instructed to by Cowboys brass and station management. As punishment, Richie goes to Valley Ranch to get Headmaster Jerry's paddle whacking in his place. Go Cowboys!
Greggo tells more made up stories than a year full of National Enquirers. Richie breaks the Cowboys scoop of the year with Dez Bryant out for the rest of the season with torn finger ligaments. Magic healer Maha-Jerry works his wonders and Dez doesn't even miss a week! Go Cowboys!
Management inform Richie that Greggo's firing is coming and Richie's a radio star as long as he agrees to continue propping up the Cowboys on command. Richie obliges - Richie and Fish - the amazing chemistry and Cowboys, Cowboys, Cowboys will send the ratings through the roof! What, no ratings? No problem, advertisers love Richie! Go Cowboys!
Richie works tirelessly and should be nominated for sainthood for all his selfless contributions to The Fan and RAGE. Saint Richie heals the sick and can talk to animals, wherein he tells dogs why he dislikes them.
Spittle and Richie spar about everything from cheerleaders to text alerts to show meeting times to show meetings to general lack of respect. Cue Greggo, "Do you like this gig?"
RAGE is fired because firing only Greggo would've led to a lawsuit. The admission of drug abuse, lies to management and co-workers, and plentiful missed work by Greggo couldn't possibly of got him fired just by himself...and neither the 3 offers of resignation could've ended his tenure at the Fan....because well , umm, it just wouldn't! And although the miniscule ratings was the official reason given for the firing, it was definitely all Greggo!
Richie honorably leaves The Fan a better place whilst a statue should be erected in front of CBS headquarters to celebrate his indisputable contributions. A big round of applause for the amazing Richie!
Well said. You should start a blog!
DeleteThis. Richie is a classic narcissist, wherein nothing is his fault. Because, obviously, he is perfect.
DeleteNow that is quality writing!
DeleteWow that is perfect. I tip my Red Ranger cap to you sir.
Delete- Storm_71
Intelligent insight. This has been the most interesting thing that I have read on the entire sight. I did love RAGE and Greggo as he is absolutely entertaining, regardless if he is full of shit about his personal life or not. I rather enjoyed listening to him. The best part of Richie's role was how he would set Greggo up on a questionnaire, as to egg him into some theatrical rant on his opinions. I thought it was hilarious. All in all, I was extremely disappointed that RAGE ended and I did stop listening to the Fan for several months, and I still miss it to this day. But I have to say that this piece written by Richie in retaliation for his termination and the reasons that he thinks "why" is tasteless and shameful, and with all of the points highlighted by Mr. Anonymous on this blog, I would actually be a bit embarrassed. I don't have anything negative to say about you Richie, I never did and its just my opinion but you were an accessory to Greggo on RAGE, but a rather good one, as you knew how to play him into those entertaining conversations that we all like to listen to.
DeleteYou're using a logical fallacy to convince yourself that you were good at radio. You're highlighting a clear handicap (a bad partner) and blaming your failure entirely on that one negative force you had to deal with. But your lack of ability was a factor here. You and Fish would have failed and been fired, because neither of you can build an audience. Fish is synonymous with radio failure. Finally, your naivety caused you to pursue the guy you say caused your failure. Your eye for radio talent isn't much better than your ability to build an audience. The palliative effect of self delusion usually wears off. I'm guessing yours will wear off when you run that pizza franchise into the ground and don't have a notably flawed partner to conveniently blame.
ReplyDeleteNot true. The RaGE had great ratings in its first two years when everyone was sober and in attendance.
Deletegreat ratings? FICTION CAN BE FUN...
DeleteAgain good ratings due to Sober Greggo not Good Richie.
DeleteExcellent article Richie. Although i was not an every day listener, you guys had some good moments. I would usually listen to xm radio around that time of day. Really sucks to hear that you were fired after all of your attempts to cry out. Just remember one thing that I learned from Russ Martin long ago.....Gavin sits to pee!
ReplyDeleteI have two forklifts.
ReplyDeleteDicks. Dicks everywhere.
ReplyDeleteI think Russ should come back and have Big Stacy drop Spittle on his head again
ReplyDeleteEveryone send Spittle an email and tell him what a piece of shit he is. programdirector@1053thefan.com
ReplyDeleteOr better yet tell him what a genius he is getting that cluster fuck of a show off the air.
DeleteYOU MUST BE BORING
DeleteGood read and I'm glad it's over, not because of the criticisms listed in the comments, but because this story is now dead'n'gone. Time to get on to other things. One thing that hasn't changed is how RW polarizes people. It's kind of like religion in a way, being theist, agnostic, or aetheist. You have a small group of people that are huge RW fans, then a bigger group that are in the middle and will read or listen to him and either agree or disagree, and then you have the haters that no matter what he writes or says will always refer to him as "little man", "hair plug man" and whatever else they can think of.
ReplyDeleteI could really care less what other people think because I'm in the middle, I just think it's kind of amusing seeing the same people come here and call him names or make fun of him. It took me a while to understand it, but I've realized that Richie in a way feeds off it now. Imagine if there was no dialogue at all with the audience(see Greggo's blog, the commenting is almost non existent now.)
There will always be haters for just about everyone. Look at LeBron James and the facts: 2 MVP's of the season in a row and finals MVP two years in a row, best player in the world, and people will still make fun of him. He's winning and the haters are still there.
Good luck in whatever happens but I hope you keep writing. Big fan from the Sportatorium days and this article tells me you still have it. Happy for you and Sybil, it's good hearing her voice on the weekends still.
@Im_a_recruiter
Part of the reason comments are non-existent in Greggo's blog is "unvarnished truth" guy removes anything negative about him.
DeleteHey Richie. Are you a cry baby? Is your girl going to leave you before your supposed wedding day? Did you know Greggo had a drug problem before you teamed with him? Were you always a douche? Are you making up names on the comment board supporting you? Are you a fucking low life loser? Is your pizza business going to be a total fucking failure? Are you shorter then 5'5"? I think every answer is a resounding fuck YES! Karma is going to get you richie. Good riddance. May we never hear your bitchy voice on the radio again. You could get an audience if you paid them. Who wants to be associated with a no talent douche bag?? I'm guessing CBS doesn't. Lol.
ReplyDeleteSo there is no doubt that Williams has a history of addiction (which was known) and with Whitt lived down to his pattern of conduct. And yet, after reading this past week's manifesto, it would appear as if Mr. Whitt has lived down (or up) to his pattern of conduct as well.
ReplyDelete(1). For some reason known only to himself, Mr. Whitt decides to place in a very public forum, his trials and tribulations surrounding the circumstances of his prior divorce... the "my wife had an affair," "she was a cheater," "I am a cuckold," and it was not my fault at all. This, would should have been a very private matter, was dragged into the public's view by Mr. Whitt, for... what purpose? To garner sympathy? To bad mouth his ex-wife? To enable him to place himself in the role of victim? There was never any accountability by Mr. Whitt about his role in the ending of the relationship (and, in the vast majority of time, affairs are the symptom not the cause).
(2). Mr. Whitt's radio show is cancelled by 105.3. What arguably should have stayed a private matter was dragged into the public's view by Mr. Whitt, for... what purpose? To garner sympathy? To bad mouth his ex-radio partner? To enable him to place himself in the role of victim? Other than one throw away line today, there was never any accountability by Mr. Whitt about his role in the ending of the show.
And now... dear, sweet Sybil is at the plate, knowing (1). that Mr. Whitt now has a history of finger pointing and deflection when his personal and professional relationships go south; (2). that Mr. Whitt now has a history of dragging into public view, issues which should have stayed private or could have been handled in a classier manner, and (3). the divorce rate for second marriages is estimated to be around 63%.
Oh my. Get that pre-nup agreement (with a non-disclosure clause) signed beforehand!
Here, Here!!!
DeleteThanks for telling me what I "should" do. Because I so cherish your advice.
DeleteIf you had read the prior post carefully, there was no advice as to what you "should" do. The post was a brief recitation of your past actions and the manner in which you respond to adversity. The penultimate paragraph sets forth 3 fact based statements which are supported by your past conduct.
DeleteThe last paragraph was certainly not directed at you, but your fiance. (who as we know from her posting this past week, reads (and probably assisted in the editing of the manifesto).
In many ways, a divorce in a personal life and a divorce in a business setting enact the same emotional toll. You have paraded the manner in which you handle this adversity and have made a public spectacle of your own perceived victimization. Hardly admirable qualities.
Richie, I happened upon RAGE and The Fan by accident last summer. I'd moved to California for work and couldn't take the 24 hrs of Laker Homerism out here so I added an app to my phone to listen to Texas Stations; and the first program I happened to hear was RAGE. What got me hooked was your voice of reason. Unlike most of the "journalist" in the DFW area, you never seemed to fall for the TMZ,doom and gloom style of reporting of other publications *cough DMN cough*. You, Sybil, Fish and the steady Broddus segments brought me all of the Cowboys news I could want without the tired old "Romo will never win a Superbowl" swill. Oh and then there was Greggo, who at times was a nice colloquial presence and at other times was bat shit crazy. I actually grew to like the show more during Greggo's absence, when Fish sat in...oh what could have been. I emailed Spittle right after you all's unceremonious firing and let him know he'd lost a listener. Stay strong brother and congratulations to you and Sybil. I'll continue to by an avid reader and who knows, maybe when we go to visit the in laws in Dallas we'll order some of that pizza and beer.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the kind words. Much appreciated.
DeleteIf you would like to listen to the show that RAGE tried to copy its format from. Listen to The Ticket. Any of the 4 day time shows are far better than RAGE on its best day.
DeleteVery true...
DeleteTo all the idiots above who say Richie never took any of the blame, I think he ACTUALLY says in the story ...."I certainly wasn't perfect, and I shoulder my share of the blame. Any time a show fails, even after a decent three-year run, the No. 1 voice deserves the No. 1 criticism."
ReplyDeleteDamn dude - lick fest! I don't think Richie is a queer and he's taken. Get off his nuts!
DeleteSo, he spends 5 days giving very detailed information regarding Williams. He spews forth his venom about Spittle. He is very upfront and detailed with his repeated statements of "I warned them about Williams but they didn't do anything!" And, then, he includes a throw away line about "shouldering blame" with no explanation, no detail, no facts? That doesn't fly.
DeleteThere was no indication of self-awareness. There was 5 days of finger pointing and playing the victim card. If he had even the smallest bit of self-awareness it may have included things like, "It was a mistake to involve Sybil as much as I did on the show since it turned a sports talk show into 'Oprah on the radio' or the Oxygen network."... or, "It was a mistake to talk so much about my relationship with Sybil since that gave the appearance of impropriety and was not what our target audience wanted to listen to."
There are no specifics, (as there was when the blame game was being played) and his history (as shown above) seems to indicate a person who does not readily accept responsibility when things go south.
@10:49
DeletePretty sure on day one of this here blog Richie disclosed his part of the blame. He never claimed to be innocent.
Yes he did. He still doesn't understand why he was fired. He sucked, the ratings sucked. The station gave him years to be competitive and he failed. Its his ego. He actually believes that the Fan is a better station with him as an employee. He is unprofessional. You don't shit where you eat.
DeleteThis is the one that did it for me.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.rsbsports.com/2013/06/rock-hard-place.html?showComment=1371802658934#c3806909748005903079
Wow. I was trying to give Greggo the benefit of the doubt.
I have been watching GGB&C for his rebuttal since the "technical difficulties", but my guess is we won't hear from him again...at least until he thinks everyone has forgotten about all this and he can start a new string of BS. Get some help Greggo.
Richie, one thing that I'm confused about in your fantastic article is how you gained access to private messages between Greggo and his girlfriend. Greggo certainly wouldn't have given you access, and if his gf was a co-conspirator then I don't see why she would be helpful. Were these gained with questionable legality?
ReplyDeleteI'd like to know that myself. Richie????
DeleteRichie..I have a son who is a recovering drug addict. For years I enabled him and my enabling nearly cost him his life and help send him to jail.
ReplyDeleteYour points on Greggo will probably make little difference, but if two radio stations and the people who worked with him had took a stand, like you tried to do, it might have saved him from himself. Addicts live in the grey areas, between the black and white, of people's minds. This is how they get away with so much, for so long.
Thanks again for allowing us this insight into a very strange situation. Great read and I look forward to future posts on The Sportatorium.
calling him out in a 5 part, self serving blog is not taking a stand. Richie is a coward and a fraud.
DeleteReally? Cowards and frauds stand up for the truth, even when it's uncomfortable, and then have factual evidence to back it up? Ohkaaay.
DeleteDidn't he just describe you to a T Richie???? Be honest. I think he did.
DeleteGreggo was a wheels off mess, but didn't get RAGE fired. If it was truly only Greggo they wanted gone, his resignation would have been accepted. Even Richie points out in the article he couldn't figure out why it was rejected. Richie got strung along by his CBS bosses and was told lie after lie that that would make even Greggo blush. Spittle wanted a show replacement, and once Ben & Skin started talking to Spittle, RAGE was done - Ben & Skin acted like little schoolgirls once they left ESPN saying they had a secret next destination and couldn't wait to tell everyone.
ReplyDeleteAll this well before RAGE was canned. The truth seems clear and it's Richie's inflated ego getting in the way of rational thought.
He won't make Christmas
ReplyDeletenot sure why anybody wants to make this about ben, skin, fish, bascik slater, or anybody but Richie v greggo. who you like is a matter of taste. not really material to this week of stories. I like Ben. I don't like Skin. Slater should be doing weekend weather on Channel 5. I like Bascik on baseball and Fish is smart in the know on Cowboys and mavs. Big Dan Bennett is the guy who hired Bascik at the Ticket. That counts for something. The two guys who hired Fisher in radio are Bennett and Gilbert -- Ticket icons. Ben and Skin success or failure has nothing to do with
ReplyDeleteRAGE. RAGE success/failure is on them and on management. has nothing to do wit other guys.
Yeah I'm really going to miss all the fake camaraderie between the host. Not saying you aren't friends, it just felt so forced. Things like that just have evolve over time.
ReplyDeleteYou can't be The Ticket. Not sure why the station tried so hard to copy it.
Good luck with the pizza biz. I highly doubt it last more than a year.
Just Sat and read this whole story beginning to end. I am glad to finally get the back story on your radio disappearing act. It sucks you had to put up with that. I read Greggo's take and something just didn't sit right with his explanation. I'll be keeping up with the blog for sure. Good luck to you and Sybil and with Pizza Buzz.
ReplyDeleteHe's saucing again. Said on his blog the Rangers took 2 of 3. Any sober person would know it's a 4 game series, brutha!!!
ReplyDeleteI haven't listened to the fan since you guys departed. Every show just sucks on there now. Seems like greggo really needs a reality check in the form of an a$$ kicking. Just saying. It would make you feel better to get all that "high road" bull you did out of you. Anyway, maybe it's for the best, let the station sink themselves while you move on to more successful ventures. Good luck!!
ReplyDeleteSybil and Richie should thank Greggo for getting them an extra two years of money. If greggo wasn't there bringing in his loyalists they would have been fired long ago. Go thank greggo you two ungrateful, no talent, radio hacks. Do you two actually think your personalitied and opinions brought people in? People wanted to hear what robot greggo was going to say next not hear about your stupid, drunken affair. I bet you two have never had a day together where you didn't drink. Sounds like a relationship that will last forever. What a joke.
ReplyDeleteGreggo finally addresses Richie's article a bit at his blog:
ReplyDelete"To the legions of you that have contacted me wanting my take on the five-part blog… Yes I have seen it… Yes I read it… I agree with some and I vastly disagree with many… I am sorry he feels the way he does… At some point I will address the entire series…"
I like Greggo and want him to get his life together but "vastly disagree with many"? Good lord he sounds in denial. I wonder if he knows about the guy who used to work at his blog recently that called him out for lying too. And these are very recent and big Greggo lies ("broken foot" and "torn ACL" and drinking beer). He won't get clean until he dumps his enabler girlfriend and goes to rehab for real this time.
DeleteThis has been an interesting read. I look forward to Greggo's rebuttal (if there is one).
ReplyDeleteI would like to address one thing; the gun and GED comments. Just because Richie doesn't like guns, that doesn't make every gun owner some buck-toothed hillbilly with a GED. I turned off RAGE several times because I became tired and bored of RW's constant running down of gun owners and gun advocates.
And like I said, this whole story has been interesting and I look forward to seeing where it goes from there, but RW needs to get off high holy high horse and quit classifying gun owners and fans of Greggo as hillbillies with GED's.
You, Mr. Whitt, simply show yourself to be the illiterate, ignorant and uneducated person in that discussion.
And before Whitt comes on here and plays semantics, I want to publicly state that while he is not, never was, and probably never will be my favorite radio host.......I find myself agreeing with a lot of what has been said in this multi-part saga he's relayed to us.
DeleteI'll also say that I spent a lot of afternoon drive-time listening to RAGE and was VERY disappointed when they were yanked off the air.
And while I think RW needs to check himself into his own 1% Club on a lot of things, I'm sorry this all happened to him, Sybil and Armen and hope only the best for them.
RAGE had some of the best segments/bits on radio. I'm sad that it's all Dead & Gone now.
I'd just like to add this about little Richie's gun stance. This is the same hypocrite that promoted the NRA 500. The same race that someone shot himself in the head at. The good Mr. Whitt picks his moments of hypocrisy.He had the chance to make a stand about his so called beliefs but chose to sheepishly cower.
Delete- Storm_71
Richie didn't say that about he guns and GED. That was an email Fisher sent to management.
Delete@ Paul Ramos
DeleteHey ass licker may want to get off of RW's cock and re-read the very first paragraph. Dumb ass.Of course little Richie does not have the balls to respond to this.
- Storm_71
Good read RW. That took some gonads. Thanks for some REAL insight. Not sure how it will play out with any future career. Good luck with the pizza joint.
ReplyDeleteSee above dude
Delete-Storm_71
Fantastic read! Soooooo glad I got to know this! My perception has totally been changed and for the better at that. Hope you succeed in all future endeavors Richie. Living in Tarrant county has me excited to know you're looking into opening a pizza joint. Please keep us updated!
ReplyDeletethe Tardline was canned because Jake & TC's podcast doubled their ratings. 00,000 watts and 10 listeners
ReplyDeleteRichie,
ReplyDeleteFirst and foremost, thanks for helping me totally kill the rest of my Friday by reading this! I had read Greggo's side of the story (most of which smelled like crap anyhow), and was hoping that you would shed some light on this story.
Second, you got shafted and now we all know it. The fact that Greggo says, today in fact, "Yes I have seen it… Yes I read it… I agree with some and I vastly disagree with many… I am sorry he feels the way he does… At some point I will address the entire series..." tells us that has firing up his homespun bullshit machine in an effort to pull the wool over the knee-jerk, Internet-Muscle morons that are brave enough to a) threaten Fish's family on Facebook and b) post here Anonymously. Nice job brain surgeons....
I'm not going to lie, I didn't listen to you and Newy and I won't apologize for it. But, I felt obligated to give your show a chance mainly because you wrote THE HARD LIE and answered the question that all the dedicated P1's wanted or needed to have answered. Yes it was shocking and sad...it was supposed to be. And those of us who capitulated to the Big Dick/Greggo fiasco couldn't admit to ourselves that might be the end. When I heard a much more lucid (apparently a ruse or something) Greggo, I had nothing but high hopes and was a pretty faithful listener. So much so that I SWORE I wouldn't give The Fan another minute of listening after this. I'm not sure that I will now, but at least my venom can be directed in a more rational place...Spittle.
Sidebar Spittle story for you. I used to go on BigDick's Wild Ass Circus when he was on The Ticket. I was one of the wrestling dorks who would have Richard over to my house to watch the PPV on Sunday and then we'd talk abouot it on the air on Monday. We were all, including Dipshit Gavin, in a Fantasy Wrestling league (I mentioned the dorks part, right?) and Richard wanted to use my replica WWF Title as the trophy for whoever won the league. I agreed and we all thought it would be fun to pass it around to whoever won. Well, the league ended and we decided not to do it anymore. I try to email Gavin to get my belt back...I get no response. I email again. I get a bounceback saying the email address is no good. I contact Richard and ask if he can get the belt back for me. I hear nothing. I ask Richard again. He gives me Gavin's email address at the little AM station he was exiled to. This j-koff tells me Richard GAVE it to him (which I assure he did not) and, if I want it back, I NEED TO PAY FOR THE SHIPPING. Are you kidding me? Fine...F**kIT. Whatever gets my stuff back. When I got the box, it was basically wadded up inside. I already didn't like the scrawny little weasel, and now I know that wasn't just him big-timing me...he has ZERO spine and is a gutless turd.
Get a PizzaBuzz up in Allen for me would ya? Or let me know when you're going to Dodie's and I'll buy you a Cap'n & Coke. I'll let you wear the WWF belt too ;0)
MG
For what it's worth, some comments from a longtime Ticket P1. And to be clear, I don't think you're a bad guy, or a douche, or any of the other things that people say about you. To the contrary, you have been, at times, an entertaining writer.
ReplyDelete(1) You're making much about the page hits this week. I dare you to go one month without writing (or teasing) stories about Greggo or the Ticket. I know your traffic from the Observer; your Ticket stories generated your biggest hits by a country mile and you knew it, so you'd drop a Ticket nugget (many of which were purely speculative) just to churn the insatiable appetite of P1s to read about their radio heroes. So I dare you to go cold turkey on these topics, just so we can see if Richie Whitt can bring in traffic just with his HSOs on the Cowboys and Rangers and whatever. But I suspect your traffic will slow to a trickle if you stopped writing about your two favorite subjects, so I doubt you'll ever take this dare or follow through on it.
(2) I may not know a lot about Big Radio, but I do know a lot about being the boss in a corporate workplace. And I am telling you that you were a terrible employee. You whined, constantly. You never took responsibility for your failings. You blamed others for your work unit's failures. You put your interests ahead of the organization's. You never provided constructive solutions to your work unit's failures. You failed to deliver on expectations, and then said it was someone else's fault. Much as you may not realize it, having never worked in a truly corporate world before, this is how the world works. Ask anyone who's been part of a work team before; if it fails and you're the bitchy guy who always projected that his sh_t don't stink, chances are you're gone, just like the drugged-out screw-up. See, superstars who deliver the big results can get away (to a point) with being quirky and obnoxious and insubordinate and big mouthed. But you were never a superstar; you were a guy delivering basically replacement-level results (to use a sabremetric reference). Gavin Spittle may be clueless, but he didn't make this decision without buy-in from the other suits who saw you in exactly the same light. And they weren't wrong, to judge from your own accounts.
(3) You used Greggo and only cared about him so long as it helped your career. You knew he was a drug addict and a liar and a no-account bonehead who had blown every chance he'd ever been given. Yet you also knew he was your entrée into drive-time. Newy would never get you there; he had a regular gig. Nobody else -- certainly not the four time ratings loser Mike Fisher -- could even hope to carry an audience against the Hardline or even GAC. So you made your deal with the Greggo devil and used him. But here's the thing about deals with the devil: you always lose in the end. And when you inevitably lost this deal, you blamed Greggo. To me, that's like hitching a ride on a shark's back and then blaming the shark when he ultimately turns around and bites you. That's what sharks do. And that's what Greggo does. Frankly, it's pretty sorry to come on here just to publicly humiliate a guy that everyone knows is already deeply in the gutter. What are you hoping to accomplish? It certainly doesn't make you look better.
I think there will come a point at which you regret writing this piece. It may not be right away, but you'll realize someday that writing a long diatribe trashing a broken human like Greggo just to make yourself look better is a really transparent and mean-spirited exercise in egotism. And people really dislike egotists.
1. If this guy is a corporate boss (I am), he is a no-courage joke and is a mediocre performer at best. #1 A reporter reports on items that interest his readers. The Ticket is one subject that interests his readers. Why would he not report on this subject? #2 He failed to deliver, as you say, because he had an incoherent partner. The show failed because Williams sucked really bad.....when he showed up. #3 He didn't use Williams. What a stupid and lazy assumption. He "used" him to the extent that he thought they could deliver good ratings. They were both paid well. It was an opportunity for both to shine. Whitt has the facts to back everything up. Moron corporate jerk-off should shut his fat trap.
DeletePow pow!
ReplyDeleteR.W. put down the pizza and beer. Which is a a fantastic business idea. Podcast needs a sports podcast like you brought to the fan. Would you ever be down for that? It's time to get off your ass and back into the game.
ReplyDeleteRichie, in "The Hard Lie" you seemed to feel that Greggo's teammates had turned there backs unfairly on Greggo after everything went down. It caused them to have to do at least one if not more segments on their show defending how they felt. Do you feel you were unfair to them now, given your own attitude towards your ex-co-worker? Also, you say the threat of a lawsuit using the Americans with Disability Act led to the whole show being terminated. Why didn't the same thing happen at "The Ticket"? He didn't sue there. Was it due to a buy-out that didn't happen at CBS?
ReplyDeleteRichie, I have been a RAGE listener since the show started. Honestly, its the show that got me interested in talk radio. It was new, fun, raw, opinionated, and most importantly entertaining and never boring. I am not surprised with Greggo's drug abuse. Ever since he started getting skinny, my wife, brother in law and I all agreed that he was doing something unhealthy and it reflected in his performance on the show. It sucks that a one person can fall so hard and take so many good people with them. New school is the only other show I listen to on the fan now, nothing else comes close to what RAGE offered. Good luck to you on your new pizza and beer adventure and married life! Your a great writer and I look forward to reading more of what you have to offer. Thanks for clearing things up for us Embrace your RAGERS!
ReplyDeleteas an IT professional, i see people frequently more zonked out on prescription medication that illegal ones. they are dangerous in the workplace. there are people hooked on that medication who i avoid entirely because they break things and nothing can be done about it due to the legality of their 'high'.
ReplyDeletegreggo has always struck me as one of those people. it is unfortunate too. he has his moments of genius. but like those other 'legal-addicts' (and illegal drug users) i encounter, he too is too drugged out to care about what he does to others.
it is unfortunate someone with a serious drug habit is protected by the ada just due to the fact that their addiction is legal. especially when they blaze a trail of destruction through so many others' lives.
My late Grandfather use to always tell me that the truth will always prevail and will set you free. It may take some time, but the truth about what happen to RAGE will ultimately show it self by those that find success and those who become irrelevant in the future.
ReplyDeleteI don't wish any ill will towards Greggo, in fact I hope he finally finds some sort of inner peace and one day realizes the pain, hurt, and destruction he has caused for so many... especially the ones that have made his paychecks a reality; the listeners. But I believe that you and Sybil will do great things in this media market for years to come. You have a track record of writing the truth for over 20 years... sometimes that has come back to bite you cause the truth you put out are things the "big" guys don't want you putting out... but the fact of the matter is, you do stand for truth, and that is an indisputable fact!
Good luck to you and Sybil, and I can't wait for your ventures at your new Pizza joint in the FW area. We will most definitely be sending our business your way!!
So, knowing what happened with Greggo on The Ticket you partnered with him. Now you write all this looking to place blame on him and look for sympathy. You're an idiot.
ReplyDeleteRW,
ReplyDeleteYou still are a great fucking writer. I'm in now way a "Gordon Keith Hemingway" literary savant, but I know a good read when I see it. I've known GW for 20 years and your EX was friends with my EX so we are not exactly strangers and can quickly disassociate bias if it was there. Good luck my friend.
This is pre RAGE, written by Whitt, and sounds like this Wolfe guy gave RW the roadmap to RAGE, and the destruction of RAGE. How fucking ironic.
ReplyDeleteHere's RW's story from 2010. http://wolferadio11.wordpress.com/2010/03/11/my-comments-to-this-story-in-dallas-observer/#more-2510
This was a ridiculously fascinating (and utterly horrifying) read. Best of luck Richie.
ReplyDeleteGreat read; you knew he was in trouble and what did u do? Now you play a victim for sympathy, and expose others for your benefit. Can`t be trusted... Think about what you are doing man. Btw, i dropped the Fan when they dropped RAGE. Now i am dropping you. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing what happened and giving us the back story. You encouraged your readers to listen to what you had to say and formulate their own opinions, yet there are plenty of individuals who ignored the spirit of your intent and are blasting you for airing your dirty underwear in an attempt to make it smell better. When it comes down to it, regardless of opinion, tone or inferred blame shifting, here are the facts I gleaned from this series:
ReplyDelete-Williams had a substance abuse problem and would arrive to work under the influence of said substances.
-You were aware of Williams' working under the influence and duly notified representatives of management, on numerous occasions.
-Management appeared to ignore the situation. If any action was taken on their part prior to the end of the show, you weren't aware of it.
-It was not your responsibility to ensure that Williams led a sober lifestyle.
-You could not help Williams with his problem, even if you wanted to. Not only did he turn away your inquiries into what was going on, he lied to you on numerous occasions, eroding at your trust in him as a professional.
-It was Williams' responsibility to help himself and get his own life back together, and his alone.
-It was further Williams' responsibility to ensure that his personal life did not negatively impact his professional life, as it is with everyone who enjoys gainful employment.
-A change in management occurred.
-The change in management appeared to believe the problem was RAGE and not Williams and terminated the show.
If anyone can successfully argue any of these statements, bring it.
Now for my opinion, and I don't care what anyone thinks about it.
I enjoyed listening to RAGE and to you in general before RAGE. I was a previous listener of Live 105.3, and initially tuned away upset when Ben & Skin came on to announce the format change, except to continue to listen to Jagger in the mornings. Your show with Newy and Gavin with Greg brought me back full time, and I've been around ever since. I've always found you to be a professional, if polarizing, broadcaster who cared about entertaining his listeners and talking about the things that you felt were important. Sometimes I loved what you said, sometimes I loved to hate what you said, but rarely did I listen to a segment and think "Meh."
If you had any personal or professional fault that obviously contributed to the demise of RAGE, it wasn't identifiable from my position as a listener. Of course, I don't believe you are a perfect human being. However, whatever issues you may have had over the few years I listened to you, it seems that you did the right things and did not allow them to impact your professional life. It seems to me that you developed yourself successfully as a radio personality, for even in the distant wake of your absence people are still up in arms about what happened, whether it's for or against, love or hate, wistfulness or good riddance.
Ideally, being a successful radio personality would also include still being employed, of course. It's a shame you were screwed out the way you were when it appears you did your best to hold it all together.
I bear no ill will towards Williams or his fans. In fact, Greggo, if you're reading, I hope that you've taken a long hard look at the last few years and that you're making more positive decisions about your life. I had many laughs thanks to you (not always at your expense), and I won't ever forget you yelling at Armen to shut up. I wish you better luck in the future and I hope that life for you gets better. I just wish that you had not allowed your personal life to ruin your career with 105.3, and take out a show that many other people along with myself enjoyed being a part of five days a week.
Richie, I wish you all the best with Sybil and for your future endeavors. Thank you for giving what you did to the Fan fans while you could. I look forward to eating your pizza and drinking your beer.
Interesting read but it's a shame that you were fired for guilt by association as opposed to being an idiot. Pride goes before a fall and there is none as proud and condescending as yourself. Hearing your continual mispronunciation of Dirk Nowitzki's name was like nails on a chalk board. You even referenced his interview with Dan Patrick in SI in 2011 in which Dirk plainly stated his name should have "a hard V" sound (also in Wikipedia), yet you couldn't bring yourself to correction.
ReplyDeleteAs for your Dez debacle, acting on your misinformation after having it confirmed by Bleacher Report (just a regurgitation of your announcement I presume) cost me exactly $200.
Damion
dcpatino@yahoo.com
Been following his blog along too. And saw you on Fox4 with Doocey last night. Very interesting reading. All of the issues you mentioned that occurred on the air, I remember vividly. And being someone that has had addiction issues, those were the first thoughts that went through my mind. He hasn't dealt with the demons that are coursing through his head. The pills and alcohol are just an escape that causes more problems than can ever be solved. I think the turning point for me, as far as Greggo is concerned, was the Josh Brent incident. While Josh definitely deserves our compassion, the arrogance that Greggo displayed, especially in light of his own issues really started to turn me off. Although I faithfully listened to your show until the end, it made my drive home every day bearable, I now find myself switching channels constantly. Ben and Skin are good. But they aren't RAGE when RAGE was on task. Miss that. I was a little concerned when Jasmine wasn't renewed or fired (what ever happened, there) and then when RAGE was gone, really ruined my daily commute! I'm definitely interested in the pizza place! What part of Tarrant county will you be serving? Hopefully south east! Arlington/Mansfield area! :-)
ReplyDeleteRichie, my name is Jason and I was a huge fan. I am the fan who helpd Sybil understand the "talking virginas" when she had her throeat issues on the show. I applaud your writing and am glad that you guys are moving forward and doing what you can. I totally get your need to let it out and I hope it doesn't stop you from hitting radio again some day. when you do, Ill be tuning in! Have a great life you guys!
ReplyDeleteNothing you wrote about Greggo was surprising. The only thing that shocks me is that you knew this man's history full well, and then when, GASP, he screws you and everyone else over, you are actually outraged by it! What did you expect? HE IS AN ADDICT! Read up on the subject and their personality traits. He is not unique. Take some accountability rather than playing the victim. Yes, management handled the situation dreadfully. But bottom line, you were let go because they didn't value your talent. You can't compare yourself or your situation to that of Mike Rhyner's.
ReplyDeleteJust so you know Richie, they kept up the November act as far as in private messages to friends and fans on Twitter from Jen.
ReplyDeleteDude take some responsibility. Greggo is a mess and you suck. Team you with anyone else and the show would still suck. Management knew that your talents had no traction in this market.
ReplyDeleteI am convinced that this little blog war was completely concocted by Richie & Greggo to boost the launches of their respective blogs & sell advertisement banners.
ReplyDeleteI can’t deny that “The Chronicles of the RAGE Demise” did not make for a week-long salacious read, but now what? Your short-sided decision to air all of your adversaries’ dirty laundry now leaves you but a man on an island. Not only did you come across as the most psychotic of irrational ex-girlfriends (who can’t accept that “he just wasn’t that in to you”), but you also managed to burn every bridge you ever had or might have had with your “Woe is Me/Take the High Road Manifesto.” Even your alleged allies will second-guess the decision to vouch for a guy who backstabs and double-crosses when things don’t break according to plan. I can certainly sympathize that sometimes life just ain’t fair and business (and certainly the radio industry) is full of snakes in the grass with nary a moral fiber in their being; but taking your personal grievances public smacks of a guy who, quite frankly, just doesn’t get it. More power to you if you’re able to carve out a successful living “scooping” the D/FW radio market and delivering pizzas. I only hope that, in the end, you realize that integrity and loyalty are timeless, without a shelf life…no matter how bitter life’s little pill.
ReplyDeleteInteresting reading.
ReplyDeletethe only truth in this long winded post is that Greggo is a lying sack of shit. There is no way Whitt helped with hiring people or that he was the face of the station. Whitt was dropped because they finally saw how worthless he is
ReplyDeleteI have been a 105.3 listener back since Sybil was on Pug & Kelly. That being said, I’ve been listening to you guys since day 1 and thoroughly enjoyed the show the last few years. I always thought Grego brought a great comedy element to the show with his wild antics, but towards the end it was VERY obvious he had some major issues. I don’t get how all these Grego fans are bashing you when he was hardly even around the last few months you were on the air. I’m sorry, but there’s no good defense for that!
ReplyDeleteHope to see you and Sybil around town some time. Good luck!
Hope you and Sybil are well Richie. You sometimes pissed me off with your political crap on air... but I'll admit, I seldom listen to the FAN anymore... not because of protest... but because I don't find the content as enjoyable without you and Sybil. Great writing... and thank for giving us the skinny.
ReplyDeleteI listened for Greggo...tolerated you..you came around and held it together and Greggo was just a side laugh..Gavin is a fuck stick , has been since Russ Martin era, who reminds me of a "ginger top bitch"...Stopped listening April 20th when I realized RAGE was D and G! Also pissed that Jasmin was let go ..if I wanted to listen to 2 yum-yums monkey fuck topics into an "East coast" mind set I would have moved there! Wish I could go back in time and put them on Con flight 175...but I digress..excellent writing and it all comes together now for me and I hope others too who listened to your show...jope to "hear" from you soon...
ReplyDeleteThanks for the look behind the curtains. I appreciate it and feel your pain. I'm sure you'll land on your feet.
ReplyDeleteI wondered if the story behind what happened would come out, so yesterday I googled Richie and found this post. Wow, when you read it all in one sitting it is very compelling. Good luck to you and I will now be reader of this site. I gave up being a listener of 105.3 a couple months now. Keep us up to date on "Pizza Buzz."
ReplyDeleteMaybe you should do a book on DFW sports radio.
This was a great story RW, I really had no idea about all this and I will admit I was one of the ones completely duped by Greggo. I listened to you guys from the very beginning of RAGE and it was by far my favorite show on The Fan and while part of what really attracted me to RAGE was Greggo's antics and personality, I was completely unaware it was affecting your relationship and ultimately your job at CBS. Many times while listening to you guys at work or in the car I would say to myself wow RW was a cocky ass and if Greggo wasn't on this show RW would be nothing. What attracted me even more to GW was the fact he said he was a recovering addict and had been clean for so long and had been to rock bottom back when he was fired from The Ticket and almost killed himself and had now made it back to the top, all BS as I see now, crazy the level of deception. I wish you all the best and I will continue to read this site from time to time and follow you on Twitter. You're still kind of an ass, but I respect you a lot more now and if you ever want to get your ass beat in tennis, let me know.
ReplyDeleteRw,
ReplyDeleteLet me start by saying I drive a white truck. Both personally and professionally as a local dfw truck driver. I do not normally sit down and read 5 part blogs containing 10,000 pluses words. What I do however is listen to the radio. A lot. I listened avidly to live 1053 before the format changed. I am not a sports fan! So I was not pleased by he format change. But, I gave you guys a try. I started listening and started liking what I heard. Long story short I ended up listening to the fan all day every day during my 12+ hour shift at work. I found myself being really drawn to your show. I related o it and really enjoyed it. Needless to say I was dumbfounded when you guys were yanked off the air with no explanation. I can't thank you enough for the in-depth explanation into the death of RAGE. Just know that you gave this listener countless hours of enjoyment over the years and for that I thank you. I live in ft worth so I will be sure to check out the new restaurant. Best wishes to you and Sybil!
I listened to RAGE from day 1. In the end, I only listened when Greggo was gone. Good luck and I hope to hear you on the radio someday soon.
ReplyDeleteDude you got fired because you sucked. Your the reason I quit listening to the fan. Don't blame greg for your terrible on air presence and don't kid your self that you were a good radio personality.
ReplyDeleteI so agree! They lost me with their liberal rants. It was supposed to be a sports show not some social activism network.
Deletehey Richie where in Tarrant county are you opening the pizza place and whats the name?
ReplyDeleteI just assumed you were let go by spittle because of the piece you did on his buddy Russ Martin... :-). Honestly, I only listened to your show because of Sybil. Been listening to her since pugs and Kelly, with Erik..
ReplyDeleteI've read this over and over a few times, and my reaction to this is eerily similar to my reaction to "The Hard Lie" and to Rhyner and Corby's on air discussion about Greggo's departure. Anyone who has had a relationship, personal or professional with an addict can identify with the feelings you expressed. You understand that the person you are in it with has a problem that they're trying to solve....You hope that the person underneath the addiction is still there and will come through in victory....You root for it. And when that doesn't happen over and over again, you come to the realization that being connected to the person could/probably take you down too. And at some point you realize you have to cut the chord. And as the person you originally knew becomes more and more of a memory, the thought of cutting the chord becomes easier to stomach....Then the thought of cutting the chord becomes necessary....Then it occurs to you that you're looking forward to the separation because your realize you have a life that's all yours and nobody else's.
ReplyDeleteRitchie, I've read your stuff when you were with the Observer....I even listened to RAGE when something that Rhyner, Corby or Danny said pissed me off...I imagine it was because they were talking shit about my favourite team of all time, the Yankees.
You are a talented writer and great sports analyst, I think you will be better off without Greggo and people like him.
The High Road can indeed suck sometimes....But I get the feeling that with people like you, it's the only road worth taking.
Take care.
Brilliant piece Richie. Your show was the only reason i listened to the Fan. When yall left, so did i. I always wondered what happened. And was upset yall were gone. Thanks for informing us. Its a good bit of closure. Wish you and Sybil the best.
ReplyDeleteEurope's tolerance for torture declined throughout the eighteenth century. In the early 1700s, Daniel DeFoe was the first to move away from torture by suggesting that deception could be evaluated by monitoring the heart rate. Cesare Beccaria, in 1764, wrote of torture, "By this method, the robust will escape, and the feeble be condemned. These are the inconveniences of this pretended test of truth."lie detectors uk
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