I do not care who gives Al Lipscomb [Buzz, March 18] money; he has not stolen anything from the taxpayers. Al Lipscomb has given his life to Dallas for free, so if someone cared enough about him and his family to give him a monthly allowance, shame on the black community. We should have been the ones giving him something for the time he has given us.
Laura Miller needs Paul Coggins' job. She does all the work and leaves the door open for people to judge for themselves. The government should pay her.
Betty J. Culbreath
Via e-mail
Editor's note: Ms. Culbreath is director of Dallas County's Health and Human Services Department.
Public-service journalism
You, sir, are my personal hero. I am an attorney who has been a P-1 (OK, maybe a P-2) since the inception of The Little Ticket. Before Rocco came to The Ticket ["Talking up The Ticket," March 18, and Buzz, March 25], I had never been irritated enough to call or write to complain about anyone or anything. Finally, one day last fall, I became so disgusted by his regular presentation that I began discussing my thoughts with friends. Surprise of surprises, my loathing was shared by them.
Emboldened by our solidarity, I spent about an hour composing a measured e-mail to Ticket boss Bruce Gilbert complimenting him on The Hardline and the Musers and discussing the Rocco problem and my thoughts regarding the ultimate solution. I received a nice e-mail back thanking me for the note, but saying, sorry, you don't get Rocco, 'cause he's catching on.
I was out of town on Friday when Rocco apparently went off on his show, but caught part of the rerun on Saturday morning while taking my 15-month-old daughter for our regular Saturday Mickey D's excursion. Needless to say, she almost got carsick as I drove through the neighborhoods for about 15 minutes. Then, after our meal, I caught some of the Rocco-Gordo conversation on my way home. Wonderful stuff. Then, yesterday, Rocco was gone.
I have been trying to find out how and why Rocco's head was lopped off. You have to write a follow-up column and take full credit where credit is due. Give us all the gory details.
You have performed a great service for the citizens of North Texas and the free world. You are a great American, and I hope you win the lottery.
Todd Clement
Via e-mail
Editor's note: We appreciate the kind words, but take no credit for Rocco Pendola's firing. According to Ticket Program Director Bruce Gilbert, Pendola's contract simply wasn't renewed by the station, as reported in last week's Buzz column. Gilbert adds that Pendola's firing had nothing to do with Robert Wilonsky's March 18 Balls column, "Talking up The Ticket."
Amazing, isn't it? That what is arguably the city's sports gem, the Dallas Stars, get so little air time on The Ticket. The only retreat we had from some of the most moronic, naive commentary on the NHL came from Rocco during the noon-3 p.m. time slot on The Ticket weekdays. So what do the "geniuses" (note sarcasm here) do? They decide to axe Rocco Pendola.
Now what is our option? More mundane talk about the so-called "great game" and spring training by one of the most mediocre sports radio duos on radio--The Hardline? No thanks. It's pretty bad when one of the members of that team, Mike Rhyner, starts off a conversation with Dallas Stars coach Ken Hitchcock with the following: "You know, I don't know a lot about hockey, but..."
Fabulous. Absolutely fabulous. Credibility goes out the window before he finishes his first sentence. Face it, people, The Hardline wouldn't know a hockey puck from a doughnut.
I wasn't exactly a Rocco disciple, but he sure knew a heck of a lot about the game of hockey, and I respected him for that. He knew about upcoming trades, how to correctly pronounce players' names (unlike other sports jocks on that station), and provided keen insight into the game. Show your support for the Dallas Stars and the NHL by turning off The Ticket.
From now on, the only time that AM gets on my stereo is when I go to WBAP-AM (820). At least it has Chuck Cooperstein, and he pays some homage to the NHL, though not to the same extent as Rocco.
Steve Dallas
Via e-mail
I couldn't agree more with your article, and it appears its words may have been heeded by the executives at The Ticket. Rocco Pendola is nowhere to be found. It's truly redemption for those of us loyal listeners who are forced to listen to Dr. Laura or Rush between noon and 3 p.m.
Lance Holbert
Via e-mail
As a P-1, I hear Robert Wilonsky's name quite often referenced for a variety of reasons. I even heard you over the air while in Florida. It sounded like you were having a good time. And that is what The Ticket is all about.
You mentioned that the programming could be described as somewhere between ESPN's SportsCenter and Howard Stern. Rocco fell closer to Howard, and I think that was the problem. I never listened to Howard when he was on The Eagle. I didn't feel the need to have my emotions thrown all over the place that early in the morning--hysterical laughter followed by complete nausea. With Rocco, it was the same rollercoaster, just in a different time slot.
You mentioned in the article that hanging out with those boys in Port Charlotte is little different than spending time with fraternity boys on spring break. I was in Sigma Alpha Mu with you at UT, so the fraternal nature of the station is a big draw. I am settled in my personal and professional life, so the shtick being thrown down at times is something I enjoy, because it is a change of pace from the routine at the office or at home.
If I didn't like it, I would change the channel. There is something out there for everyone.
Paul Kauffman
Via e-mail
I've been a big fan of Robert Wilonsky's for years and wanted to applaud his article on The Ticket. He really "gets it." Although I am not the most rabid sports fan, I never miss waking up to the Musers. Good radio transcends sports.
Perhaps Mr. Wilonsky would consent to writing a follow-up article. There are a lot of good P-1s out there dying for the straight scoop on Rocco Pendola's departure. Keep up the good work.
Tim Wilcox
Via e-mail
I am very upset to see the viciousness of Robert Wilonsky's "Talking up The Ticket." I was expecting the article to be a fluff piece, but as I reached the section about Rocco Pendola, it became obvious that Mr. Wilonsky was slamming Mr. Pendola by using inaccurate information.
It was pointed out that Mr. Pendola did not graduate from high school, even though he did. If Mr. Wilonsky is a listener, as I am, he should know that Mr. Pendola has talked about his past on his show. It is a shame that he did not check his facts at a time when the media are vilified.
As a reader, I am seeking an apology from Mr. Wilonsky and a correction in the Dallas Observer stating the correct facts about Mr. Pendola.
D. F. Perez
Dallas
For the most part, I agree with everything Robert Wilonsky said in his article about The Ticket and Rocco Pendola. However, is the Observer going to recognize the fact that it printed something that wasn't true? Rocco Pendola did graduate from high school. I thought the article was great and needed to be written. I was just bothered by the error and didn't want people to use that against the Observer and Robert Wilonsky.
Jon Wetzel
Via e-mail
Editor's note: Several Ticket sources told the Observer that Pendola didn't graduate from high school. They were wrong, and we apologize for the error in our pages.
Your article on the Ticket was right on, especially concerning Rocco Pendola. He was just so clueless and flat-out dumb that whenever he was on, I wondered what gaffe he'd make that day. I applaud The Ticket for getting rid of him.
Walter Kimbrough
Via e-mail
Robert Wilonsky's Balls column has been reported as leading to the firing of Rocco from The Ticket. If so, I know that fans want and deserve a follow-up. Rocco sucked, but it still strikes me as a little funny that an Observer analysis may have ultimately brought him down. Please fill in the gaps for us.
Jeff
Via e-mail
Congratulations on ending the radio career of Rocco Pendola. I listen to the station all the time, and it seems as if it never supported him from day one. I think the station has made a huge mistake with his firing. It takes a lot of talent to host a three-hour show. Rocco was the most talented and entertaining host on The Ticket. The Stars are about to win a Stanley Cup, and The Ticket fires the only personality who knows anything about hockey?
There is an ill wind blowing, and it's blowing through the halls of 1310 AM. Dunham and Miller are a couple of boring dorks who went to a half-assed community college in Denton. Rhyner and Williams are a couple of white-trash a-holes who have absolutely zero substance in their ridiculous four hours of killing time between commercials.
Jon
Via e-mail
Potholes forever
Once again an Observer writer has mentioned "good streets" ["No means no," March 18] as something desirable--something all Dallas citizens might want. On the contrary, I believe that allowing the streets to fall into serious disrepair will be the only way to force traffic in Dallas to go below the present average of about 60 mph in 35 mph zones.
I want bad streets. Please.
Cas Milner
Via e-mail
