The Full Story on Greggo - Dallas-Mavs.com Forums

jthig32 · 07-09-2008, 10:47 PM

Really long article here.

Why Whitt is trying to make the Ticket out to be the bad guys here is beyond me.

Good riddance.

Really the most shocking stuff has nothing to do with the final separation.

chumdawg · 07-09-2008, 11:25 PM

Great story. Thanks for posting it. I've been waiting to read something like this.

I'm not sure I agree with you, though, that Whitt is trying to make the Ticket out as the bad guys. There is more than plenty bad about Greggo in that article. I think Whitt presented it in a fairly even-handed way.

Besides, we all know Rhynes is an ass, anyway.

And in my opinion the 3-to-7 slot just isn't what it used to be. More often than not I listen to Galloway anymore. Corby just doesn't bring much to the table, and although Rhynes may feel (like Hillary Clinton in New Hampshire) as though he has "found his voice," he comes across as an old man trying to be a kid. He has lost his gravitas. He needed the foil, I think.

Flacolaco · 07-09-2008, 11:55 PM

Wow. Tense.

I just feel bad for all those guys up at the station that had to put up with that S.

And by the way, I had no idea they made that kind of money. Holy freaking crap.

chumdawg · 07-10-2008, 12:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Flacolaco

Wow. Tense.

I just feel bad for all those guys up at the station that had to put up with that S.

And by the way, I had no idea they made that kind of money. Holy freaking crap.

Think about both of the things you just said. Do you really feel bad for a guy making mid-six-figures because he has to share his workplace with a guy who is occasionally late, or absent, or high on the job?

Because I don't. Just sayin'...

Flacolaco · 07-10-2008, 12:24 AM

Ok, I don't "feel sorry" for the guys that have basically the best job in the world. May be a bad choice of words on my part. But I fully support their course of action.

Have you ever been around someone like that? I have. You try to help them, and when it becomes clear that they're just going to go on being late, and feeling sorry for themselves and doing drugs or whatever it is, then you just have to move on. It's their choice. They chose to be like that.

Those guys are trying to conduct business. There's no room for people like that in business.

Happiness is a decision. I choose to be happy every day when I wake up in the morning. I make the choice to stay sober. In my fast food days in college, I fired several people because they couldn't get their stuff together. Were they good people? Sure. Did they add something to the business? Sure they did. But at the end of the day, it's still a business and people like that have no place in it as far as I'm concerned. Show up for work high, drunk, whatever, and you're done. I have no patience for people that need others to feel sorry for them. I just don't.

This is not a popular opinion. I will get ripped for having it, but here it is: OCD, ADD, ADHD, whatever....excuses to hide behind, perpetuated by doctors who get paid by the prescription. Every single human can decide for themselves how they want to be. I hide behind nothing. Any problems I have, are my problems, that I created myself, and I can decide to escape them or not, every single morning. No one is a victim, in this our American society. There is infinite opportunity.

Greggo made his bed, and now he has to lay in it.

Like thig said, good riddance.

chumdawg · 07-10-2008, 12:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Flacolaco

Ok, I don't "feel sorry" for the guys that have basically the best job in the world. May be a bad choice of words on my part. But I fully support their course of action.

Have you ever been around someone like that? I have. You try to help them, and when it becomes clear that they're just going to go on being late, and feeling sorry for themselves and doing drugs or whatever it is, then you just have to move on. It's their choice. They chose to be like that.

Those guys are trying to conduct business. There's no room for people like that in business.

Happiness is a decision. I choose to be happy every day when I wake up in the morning. I make the choice to stay sober. In my fast food days in college, I fired several people because they couldn't get their stuff together. Were they good people? Sure. Did they add something to the business? Sure they did. But at the end of the day, it's still a business and people like that have no place in it as far as I'm concerned. Show up for work high, drunk, whatever, and you're done. I have no patience for people that need others to feel sorry for them. I just don't.

This is not a popular opinion. I will get ripped for having it, but here it is: OCD, ADD, ADHD, whatever....excuses to hide behind, perpetuated by doctors who get paid by the prescription. Every single human can decide for themselves how they want to be. I hide behind nothing. Any problems I have, are my problems, that I created myself, and I can decide to escape them or not, every single morning. No one is a victim, in this our American society. There is infinite opportunity.

Greggo made his bed, and now he has to lay in it.

Like thig said, good riddance.

I agree with most of what you are saying, in a general sense. But I think we should recognize that this is not a normal context. This is entertainment. There are plenty of entertainers who make a living based on a persona that is heavily tinged by substance abuse. Consider Rhyner. He is making his living based on a persona of being an unmitigated dick. Everybody's got a schtick, the rest of them included.

What they ultimately did was do their listeners a disservice because Rhyner couldn't get along with Hammer, for whatever reason. Could be a case of cutting off your nose to spite your face.

Dim499 · 07-10-2008, 04:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Flacolaco

Wow. Tense.

I just feel bad for all those guys up at the station that had to put up with that S.

And by the way, I had no idea they made that kind of money. Holy freaking crap.

That's so funny that people thought they weren't making that much. I guess after 10 years of "hey we're just regular guys like you" promos you start to buy into it.

jthig32 · 07-10-2008, 06:28 AM

Chum you're being awfully flippant about the careers of everyone else at the station. Regardless of whether it's entertainment or not, working with someone who is refuses to pull their own weight and starts coming in late, not ready for work, and eventually, completely high is not a good thing for anyone involved.

A persona is one thing. But even though they try to appear like just regular dudes shooting the S on the radio, those guys are professionals who work hard at their careers. No one wants to pull dead weight around at their job.

If anything, it makes Greggo look even worse when you consider that Rhyner handed Greggo his lifestyle on a silver platter. Greggo brought something to the station, don't get me wrong. But without Rhyner ther is ZERO chance that Greggo ever has anything approaching that level of success. And he pisses it all away and alienates the guy that made it all possible.

And I think they were fully justified in what they did. They proved that they were willing to put up with him through just about anything. Even when personal relationships eroded, they put the show first. But when their relationship is that straigned and THEN he starts coming to work messed up....come on. How can you blame them for moving on.

I agree that the show is not the same since he left. But they had no choice. Greggo made his decisions, now he, and all of us, must live with them.

PS: On the issue of money, certainly I've always suspected that they made a killing. Plus Rhynes always refers to Modano as "neighbor" whenever they have him on. Apparantly they live on the same block. So yeah, they're paid handsomly.

Flacolaco · 07-10-2008, 07:30 AM

If Gordon mother freaking Keith makes that much money, I will be supremely disappointed. He should get paid by the hour...that he's using his fake jerry voice, and for nothing else. I hate that guy.

Underdog · 07-10-2008, 07:33 AM

Well, it certainly did take a long time to get the full story on Greggo - isn't this last year's news?

Flacolaco · 07-10-2008, 08:39 AM

This is interesting:

Quote:

Williams and The Ticket reached a settlement of their differences in May. As part of their agreement, The Ticket avoided a lawsuit and retained his drops, able to use its intellectual property as it chooses; Williams received a chunk of cash and the freedom to work wherever he chooses.

So Rhynes must have declared a moratorium on Greggo drops then right? Because I don't hear any, except for maybe the most innocuous "Yeah" or something like that every once in a while.

dirno2000 · 07-10-2008, 09:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Flacolaco

If Gordon mother freaking Keith makes that much money, I will be supremely disappointed. He should get paid by the hour...that he's using his fake jerry voice, and for nothing else. I hate that guy.

Outside of Rhynes who started it all, I'd say that he's the most important person in the history of the station. What we now know as "Ticket humor" sprung from Gordon Todd Keith. Before he came on board the Ticket was a lot closer to generic sports talk than a lot of people remember. They had a few bits but most weren't that funny.

A few years ago in a moment of reflection after another successful Ticket event Dan commented that the thing that sets the Ticket apart from the hundreds of other sports stations in the country is Gordo. You can hate him but he brings more to the table than fake Jerry.

jthig32 · 07-10-2008, 09:48 AM

I'm not a big Gordo fan, but I have to agree with Dirno. Gordon's influences run very, very deep, throughout the entire station. Corby's interviews and wireless mic work are based upon stuff the Gordo did before anyone else.

u2sarajevo · 07-10-2008, 10:11 AM

Wow. What a sobering article. I feel bad for Greggo, but as he says he did it to himself. After reading that article it seems to me the slimiest piece of garbage on that station is Corby. I guess he stonewalled Greggo because he is his replacement? But to not even give the guy a minute of his time.... that's pretty sorry.

I loved Gordo before and this article just reinforced that. Although I have not experienced it myself, I have been close to people who have.... and when your life is in that state you depend on solid relationships (ie, friends) to help you through.

I will never be a regular listener of the Hardline until that piece of garbage is removed from the air. And from what it sounds like that will be never. Too bad. Because it used to be fun.

mary · 07-10-2008, 10:17 AM

That was JUICEY.

I thought Whitt took great care to make sure both sides were being presented.

I'm not surprised that both "sides" came off looking bad. I think that usually happens regardless of where the blame lies.

Wow, Rhyner actually DID hate Corby! I didn't realize that.

I agree that Corby came off looking the worst....and he didn't help himself much by turning down the interview.

Flacolaco · 07-10-2008, 10:18 AM

Yeah if Greggo was willing to talk to them off the air, after everything had gone down with the business stuff, seems like I would at least take the phone call.

Business is one thing, and they got that squared away. After that, you gotta help people out sometimes. But we aren't there. We don't know what went on day in and day out, so who can say really what the right thing to do is?

u2sarajevo · 07-10-2008, 10:20 AM

He had a chance to get his side into the article and he refused. So I'm going on what I was given.

Piece.of.Garbage.

mary · 07-10-2008, 10:23 AM

I wonder if this will get a segment?

Flacolaco · 07-10-2008, 10:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mary

I wonder if this will get a segment?

Are they allowed to talk about it on air?

Even if they are, seems like they want nothing to do with it. I think they're tired of the P1 dwelling on the past/Greggo

jthig32 · 07-10-2008, 10:38 AM

I don't see how Corby comes off as any worse than anyone else at the station. Greggo has known George and Craig since way back, and according to the article all Craig has bothered to do is send an email, and George hasn't contacted at all.

Also, if Corby was a complete slimeball looking to stab Greggo in the back, wouldn't he have blown the whistle when he saw Greggo do a line in the middle of a show? Doesn't really compute.

To me, when that many longtime friends turn their back on someone, I think there is more to the story.

It's also possible that every single one of them is just sorry. I dunno.

mary · 07-10-2008, 10:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Flacolaco

Are they allowed to talk about it on air?

Even if they are, seems like they want nothing to do with it. I think they're tired of the P1 dwelling on the past/Greggo

Allowed by the station, I have no idea. Legally, if its published by a third party I think its fair game.

As far as P1's dwelling on the past....well that ship sailed the second this article was published.

I imagine they have been bombarded with P1 e-mails already.

alexamenos · 07-10-2008, 10:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Flacolaco

....Have you ever been around someone like that? I have. You try to help them, and when it becomes clear that they're just going to go on being late, and feeling sorry for themselves and doing drugs or whatever it is, then you just have to move on. It's their choice. They chose to be like that..

flaco as usual is the voice of reason.

alexamenos has sadly had the opportunity to view an addict up close and personal and for an extended period of time -- it's not an experience I'd wish on anyone. that said, I can really see where the guys at the ticket were responding like people who had been repeatedly dissed by someone they once considered a friend, and I can see that Greggo is a typically narcisscistic self-absorbed mentally unstable addict.

the thing about dealing with an addict is this -- it's not any one thing they do that drives you crazy, it's the long slow grind and spiral downward. having a close relationship with an addict is like death by paper cuts. they drag you down and wear you down emotionally, they do something obnoxious and irritating that causes a conflict one day, but the next day they don't remember because they were so f*'d the day before. The emotionally stable and normal person of course remembers it, so they're still a little pissed and now the addict is like, 'what the hell is wrong with you guys -- you're always bringing me down.'

It's screwed up like that.

lil girl greggo says:

Quote:

But losing his friends—at least who he thought were friends—is devastating.

"I'm not a bad guy. It's not like I was some strung-out junkie screwing everybody over," Williams says. "The person I was hurting was myself. I don't understand why they have to treat me like this. They won. I lost. I'm trying to move on. But they're still talking about me on the air, just running up the score."

bs the only person he was hurting was himself -- he didn't have a bunch of his friends kick him out of their lives because he was only hurting himself, they kicked him to the street because he was hurting everyone. they haven't won anything, they feel like crud about it, and they're bitter and sad still. but greggo has had so much coke up his nose for the last decade that he doesn't get this, and this is why corby doesn't call him and so on and so forth.

so i've been there and done that, and it looks to me like greggo made a choice of cocaine over everything else in his life, and he's gotten what he deserves....actually, he's probably gotten a lot better than he deserves, but at least I don't blame they guys still at the ticket....not an iota.

Murphy3 · 07-10-2008, 11:19 AM

Thank you for finally bringing a little reason to this thread Flaco and Alexamenos.... I suppose alot of people just don't understand what it's like being around someone that's as screwed up on drugs as Greggo was. At some point, you just reach a breaking point to where you can't deal with it anymore. Many of his former friends reached that point. I don't blame them one damn bit.

mary · 07-10-2008, 11:37 AM

Eh...whatever. I think it depends on how close you are to that person in the first place. There have been people I've turned my back on...but mostly because I felt they were a-holes to begin with. There have also been times I think I couldn've/should've reached out a to few people a little bit more and didn't - and ended up regretting it. There have also been times that I've been the person that needed another chance.

Just because you have a different opinion, doesn't mean you have a monopoly on being there, or doing that.

I don't "blame" Corby so to speak...but he didn't interview, and therefore the Corby comments were not as well-balanced as the other parts of the article. At least Rhyner was willing to give his side of the story.

ETA: And I have never been a Greggo fan, and doubt I would listen to any new "Greggo" show. I always thought he had a big bag.

Underdog · 07-10-2008, 11:39 AM

Flacolaco · 07-10-2008, 11:55 AM

I wasn't advocating cutting someone out of your life completely who could use some help...I was talking about it from a business stand point, if you re-read my post.

If it's a personal relationship with someone...long time friend, sibling, etc, then it's a little more of a gray area is isn't it? I don't know how much Corby and Greggo were friends apart from the show....I know George was close with him.

It's like Murph said...sometimes people like that just wear on you and you have to weigh your options. Is there anything to be gained from trying to help someone who is unwilling to help themselves and continuously steps on you? I think they did try to confront him about it for a while. Every situation is different.

I think from a professional stand point, I have no problem with what went down at the station.

alexamenos · 07-10-2008, 12:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mary

There have also been times I think I couldn've/should've reached out a to few people a little bit more and didn't - and ended up regretting it. There have also been times that I've been the person that needed another chance.

Just because you have a different opinion, doesn't mean you have a monopoly on being there, or doing that.

i really think mary that it's not about giving a person another chance, it's about giving another person 100 another chances and having them screw you around and take advantage of you every time and then asking yourself, 'do I really want to give this person the 101th chance?'

the 2nd hardest thing to express about being around addicts is this -- they're not just friends with a variety of emotional problems who handle it in a maladaptive way, but rather they're someone who is absolutely obsessed with their drug of choice (which causes all sorts of emotional problems) and they don't give a damn about the consequences including whatever emotional toil it might have on you.

the hardest thing about expressing what it's like to be close to an addict is the emotional toil -- if you spend most of your days with emotionally pretty well adjusted people (provided you're well adjusted yourself), you don't notice the extent to which communication depends on you being on pretty much the same emotional wavelength....you naturally adjust somewhat to the mood and vibe of the people around you, we all do this, and it's quite normal.

so guess what happens when you spend a great deal of time around someone who is mentally and emotionally spiralling down the drain? you try to reach out to them, but they're spiralling downward so you're constantly reaching downward and downward until you're right down there with them....

this is why the 2nd biggest self-help group in america behind alcoholics anonymous is al-anon, a support group for families and friends of alcoholics....

it's a really insidious thing -- trying to reach out to an addict can be like......say one person jumps out of a plane without a parachute, and in reaching out to them you follow them out the door of the plane...without a parachute. (this is codependence in a nutshell)

so i'm not suggesting the ticket guys handled things in the best possible way (knowing what i now know i'd do things differently, too), but their reaction is entirely understandable -- and it stems not from a lack of caring but from an abundance...

mary · 07-10-2008, 12:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Flacolaco

I wasn't advocating cutting someone out of your life completely who could use some help...I was talking about it from a business stand point, if you re-read my post.

If it's a personal relationship with someone...long time friend, sibling, etc, then it's a little more of a gray area is isn't it? I don't know how much Corby and Greggo were friends apart from the show....I know George was close with him.

It's like Murph said...sometimes people like that just wear on you and you have to weigh your options. Is there anything to be gained from trying to help someone who is unwilling to help themselves and continuously steps on you? I think they did try to confront him about it for a while. Every situation is different.

I think from a professional stand point, I have no problem with what went down at the station.

From a business standpoint, me neither.

Smiles · 07-10-2008, 01:47 PM

Greggo feels that he’s owed something. HE feels betrayed. Not everyone is strong enough (sick enough?) to accept that mindset and stay close - risking further betrayal and/or continual pain.

Sometimes you have to separate yourself from really good people – because of their choices. It hurts like hell to do so. I think of it as a matter of survival, but perhaps it’s just plain ol’ “good business” for others.

In the end, no matter how many chances you gave, you feel like crud. You always have regrets that you didn’t handle it better – even though they are the ones who brought “it” into your life. Nobody wins.

edit: I do respect that Greggo has taken responsibility for everything aside from the state of his former friendships. I like to think that he'll probably come around on that last item as he continues his recovery.

mary · 07-10-2008, 03:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alexamenos

i really think mary that it's not about giving a person another chance, it's about giving another person 100 another chances and having them screw you around and take advantage of you every time and then asking yourself, 'do I really want to give this person the 101th chance?'

the 2nd hardest thing to express about being around addicts is this -- they're not just friends with a variety of emotional problems who handle it in a maladaptive way, but rather they're someone who is absolutely obsessed with their drug of choice (which causes all sorts of emotional problems) and they don't give a damn about the consequences including whatever emotional toil it might have on you.

the hardest thing about expressing what it's like to be close to an addict is the emotional toil -- if you spend most of your days with emotionally pretty well adjusted people (provided you're well adjusted yourself), you don't notice the extent to which communication depends on you being on pretty much the same emotional wavelength....you naturally adjust somewhat to the mood and vibe of the people around you, we all do this, and it's quite normal.

so guess what happens when you spend a great deal of time around someone who is mentally and emotionally spiralling down the drain? you try to reach out to them, but they're spiralling downward so you're constantly reaching downward and downward until you're right down there with them....

this is why the 2nd biggest self-help group in america behind alcoholics anonymous is al-anon, a support group for families and friends of alcoholics....

it's a really insidious thing -- trying to reach out to an addict can be like......say one person jumps out of a plane without a parachute, and in reaching out to them you follow them out the door of the plane...without a parachute. (this is codependence in a nutshell)

so i'm not suggesting the ticket guys handled things in the best possible way (knowing what i now know i'd do things differently, too), but their reaction is entirely understandable -- and it stems not from a lack of caring but from an abundance...

I can't say I really disagree with anything in your post.

But I have to admit, I think slightly better of Norm, Gordo, and Dan (screw Jr., he's an ass) for at least making the "gesture" of making contact with him.

I doubt they have involved themselves anymore in Greggo's recovery than the rest of the Ticket crew - I could be wrong. I don't get the sense that by keeping in touch (or making a single phone call, or whatever the case may be), that they have actually grabbed on to Greggo's parachute.

But they made a gesture, and that seems like a decent thing to do.

mary · 07-10-2008, 03:23 PM

Quote:

edit: I do respect that Greggo has taken responsibility for everything aside from the state of his former friendships. I like to think that he'll probably come around on that last item as he continues his recovery.

I agree. He's definitely got some things he still needs to figure out.

sike · 07-10-2008, 03:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dirno2000

Outside of Rhynes who started it all, I'd say that he's the most important person in the history of the station. What we now know as "Ticket humor" sprung from Gordon Todd Keith. Before he came on board the Ticket was a lot closer to generic sports talk than a lot of people remember. They had a few bits but most weren't that funny.

A few years ago in a moment of reflection after another successful Ticket event Dan commented that the thing that sets the Ticket apart from the hundreds of other sports stations in the country is Gordo. You can hate him but he brings more to the table than fake Jerry.

couldn't agree more.

do we know how much Gordo makes?

mary · 07-10-2008, 03:26 PM

OT, but are the BaD radio forums a thing of the past?

Underdog · 07-10-2008, 03:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sike

do we know how much Gordo makes?

Probably less than Real Jerry...

sike · 07-10-2008, 03:40 PM

Without reading the article....did they mention Bob "the man of God" Sterm? Did he have any comments or was he mentioned in any way?

sike · 07-10-2008, 03:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Underdog

Probably less than Real Jerry...

careful...that limb could break!

dirno2000 · 07-10-2008, 03:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sike

Without reading the article....did they mention Bob "the man of God" Sterm? Did he have any comments or was he mentioned in any way?

No meaningful mention of him.

Sounds like you have your doubts about Sterm as a man of god.

Flacolaco · 07-10-2008, 03:45 PM

Well here we go...

Turn your radios on...4:50 and 5:10

Two segments on Greggo

dirno2000 · 07-10-2008, 03:46 PM

4:50 and 5:10 segments...i'm leaving work early to hear this.

dirno2000 · 07-10-2008, 03:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sike

couldn't agree more.

do we know how much Gordo makes?

Probably in the same range.

In the mid 90's when the media was in a tizzy over how much the Cowboys's were paying Deion a KLIF caller challenged Norm to talk about his money. Much to my suprise Norm called the guy's bluff and said he make about $250K a year.

Over a decade later and with the success the Ticket has enjoyed, it's not suprising that the top hosts are up to about a half a mil. Especially when you take into account all the live spots and appearances.

It did cross my mind that Greggo could be trying to scoreboard somebody at the station by throwing his salary out there like that.