Toucher and Hardy: The new 98.5 morning show

[Mystic Merlin]

I don’t listen to this show, but I caught Murray in a clip that made the rounds like a month back where he is literally screaming about some people on the Patriots. ‘Bill O’Brien…HE SUCKS, HE SUCKS.’ To say it was grating would be an understatement.

Ha, I found it. I get these guys are in a horrible industry and need to find a way to distinguish themselves, but I don’t think this guy has got it.

https://youtube.com/shorts/_DyGGd7tYps?si=YukI89dzmEMNq55o

 

[double4life]

There is also the small part of Rich and his wife trying to get Fred fired while he was out with the throat illness

When the heck did this happen?

 

[hube]

I do not understand the Joe Murray push/promotion. Loud, dumb, and consistently wrong. You'd think a stale and dying industry would be trying to get away from this type of host.


(and yes, I'm one of those mostly posts in this thread/forum. I leave the sportsposting to the boarders that are good at it)

 

[Commander Shears]

I do not understand the Joe Murray push/promotion. Loud, dumb, and consistently wrong. You'd think a stale and dying industry would be trying to get away from this type of host.


(and yes, I'm one of those mostly posts in this thread/forum. I leave the sportsposting to the boarders that are good at it)

I assume he's dirt cheap and since he was already in the building, the hiring process didn't involve any effort. This station clearly has zero quality control interests.

 

[sharts]

Yeah, Joe doesn't take it well when they bust his chops. They really need to trick him into doing a fake commercial like Wallach & JStew.

Was it a couple nights ago when he was reading the ads that had more cushion for the pushing something. He kept asking weather he was being messed with and if anyone else on the station was reading them. Dude is super paranoid and probably realizing that he’s not cut for the full time gig. I hope he realizes that he actually needs to do show prep and can’t just roll in anymore. I was dying when he said he had a rough day because he was working till 1230 then had a “quick turnaround” to get on felger Mazz. Felger haw just dropped and was like Joe, the show starts at 2!!

 

[Bigdogx]

When the heck did this happen?

Look a few post back and it was described out, it is more so Fred and his emotional trainwreck of a life being the issue then anything Rich or his wife did imo. When i listened Rich was nothing but positive support to Fred when he was showing up drunk and belligerent to work. I can see it was getting exhausting to him and i bet he is more happy today not being apart of the show then if he was..

 

[sharts]

Look a few post back and it was described out, it is more so Fred and his emotional trainwreck of a life being the issue then anything Rich or his wife did imo. When i listened Rich was nothing but positive support to Fred when he was showing up drunk and belligerent to work. I can see it was getting exhausting to him and i bet he is more happy today not being apart of the show then if he was..

Do you have any links to when Fred was drunk and belligerent on the air. I looked but it seems like they are scrubbed.

 

[Granite Sox]

Do you have any links to when Fred was drunk and belligerent on the air. I looked but it seems like they are scrubbed.

Removed. But if you are that morbidly curious, sampling a few shows before this date will give you a sense for where things were heading. That day was a rough listen as Rich and the rest of the show’s staff were quite concerned.

https://www.distractify.com/p/what-happened-to-fred-toucher

Back to the show: Bert Breer was not having it today and sniped back at Fred when Fred teased that Breer facilitated O’Brien’s departure to Ohio State… “You guys really need to get off that.” (It was stated with clear irritation in his voice.)

I also found it amusing in an ironic way when Fred (and Hardy to a lesser extent) was ripping Jimmy Fallon for busking in disguise with Green Day in the New York subway. Fred seemed to have zero awareness that Fallon singing and performing with musical acts has been a staple of his show for years. I think Fred was pleased with himself for tearing Fallon a new one when he really just came across like an out of touch doofus. That was funny!

 

[Reardon's Beard]

I do not understand the Joe Murray push/promotion. Loud, dumb, and consistently wrong. You'd think a stale and dying industry would be trying to get away from this type of host.


(and yes, I'm one of those mostly posts in this thread/forum. I leave the sportsposting to the boarders that are good at it)

Mostly agree and hard to fix. If Murray just leaned into this schtick with better content but without the insecurity he’d be better off.

 

[sharts]

Mostly agree and hard to fix. If Murray just leaned into this schtick with better content but without the insecurity he’d be better off.

I was so shocked how sensitive he got when Rich was making fun of him for his zoom call mishap. I feel like ever since then his skin has just gotten thinner.

 

[onthereg527]

The Jimmy Fallon rant was real weird. He’s been doing this schtick since his Late Night show started in 2009, so him doing the Green Day Subway stuff isn’t anything new whatsoever. Fred spent so much time ranting about how when he worked in Atlanta, they did stuff like this all the time and that if anyone asked him to perform with a group he would say no everytime. First of all - nobody was asking Fred to perform with rock groups, secondly - like him or not (I do not), Fallon is a performer, he’s corny, this is the shit he does. It was very very out of touch old man yelling at the clouds radio.

 

[John Marzano Olympic Hero]

Jimmy Fallon absolutely sucks and has sucked since he started on SNL.

I didn’t hear Fred’s rant but I bet that he’s on the correct side of whatever argument he’s making.

 

[onthereg527]

Jimmy Fallon absolutely sucks and has sucked since he started on SNL.

I didn’t hear Fred’s rant but I bet that he’s on the correct side of whatever argument he’s making.

I said I don’t like Fallon either. My point was he’s been doing this for years and years. Spending almost 30 mins on it in 2024 is just a waste of time, isn’t breaking any new ground, and doesn’t make for interesting radio.

 

[John Marzano Olympic Hero]

Any time you can kick Fallon, I say take it!

 

[j-man]

Jimmy Fallon absolutely sucks and has sucked since he started on SNL.

I didn’t hear Fred’s rant but I bet that he’s on the correct side of whatever argument he’s making.

what i hate about was when he was on snl he wouild ruin any sketh

 

[John Marzano Olympic Hero]

what i hate about was when he was on snl he wouild ruin any sketh

Yup. He almost killed the More Cowbell sketch because he couldn’t stop laughing. He sucked.

 

[bigq]

Fever Pitch will live on forever.

 

[NortheasternPJ]

The Jimmy Fallon rant was real weird. He’s been doing this schtick since his Late Night show started in 2009, so him doing the Green Day Subway stuff isn’t anything new whatsoever. Fred spent so much time ranting about how when he worked in Atlanta, they did stuff like this all the time and that if anyone asked him to perform with a group he would say no everytime. First of all - nobody was asking Fred to perform with rock groups, secondly - like him or not (I do not), Fallon is a performer, he’s corny, this is the shit he does. It was very very out of touch old man yelling at the clouds radio.

Why was it weird? Fred’s been ripping on him since 2009 about this and he’s right. I loved it and encourage more of it.

 

[j-man]

Yup. He almost killed the More Cowbell sketch because he couldn’t stop laughing. He sucked.

100% was also awful on weekend update

 

[Reardon's Beard]

Jimmy Fallon should be fired into the sun.

 

[NortheasternPJ]

Jimmy Fallon should be fired into the sun.

He’s James Corden level bad.

 

[sharts]

The Jimmy Fallon rant was real weird. He’s been doing this schtick since his Late Night show started in 2009, so him doing the Green Day Subway stuff isn’t anything new whatsoever. Fred spent so much time ranting about how when he worked in Atlanta, they did stuff like this all the time and that if anyone asked him to perform with a group he would say no everytime. First of all - nobody was asking Fred to perform with rock groups, secondly - like him or not (I do not), Fallon is a performer, he’s corny, this is the shit he does. It was very very out of touch old man yelling at the clouds radio.

Less old man yelling at cloud and more like guy coming back to reality after years of alcohol abuse. It’s like watching a guy come out of a coma. His little tidbit about how late night is all about creating viral YouTube vids - yea buddy, welcome back this has been the main for almost a decade.

 

[sezwho]

Wow, stopped into the thread to see some serious Fallon shots fired! Feels like yelling at the neighbors slow beagle, but different strokes.

Agree it’s now just Fred and friends, not really a show with structure other than an hour of crap gambling talk. There are some funny bits, some Fred is an ahole bits, but mostly a sea of semi-interesting friends of Fred.

I’m less confident that it evolves, though certainly understand the position, as I’m not sure who can evolve it. If Fred could, he would have, and I’m not sure Hardy is the producer Rich was. Hardy was working closer to Fred’s job lately I think: lots of jobs so essentially show-up-and-throw-up with minimalist prep. Yes he’s done stuff in the past, but this is the main stage now.

Side note: hard partying sports radio host heading on path to divorce and rehab may well diverge in lifestyles from a family man working to save the life of his wife from a horrible diagnosis. I’m pretty sure they stopped hanging out for very organic reasons.

 

[jsinger121]

Tomorrow should be a fun show for Hardy with the Lions in the title game.

 

[joe dokes]

Removed. But if you are that morbidly curious, sampling a few shows before this date will give you a sense for where things were heading. That day was a rough listen as Rich and the rest of the show’s staff were quite concerned.

https://www.distractify.com/p/what-happened-to-fred-toucher

Back to the show: Bert Breer was not having it today and sniped back at Fred when Fred teased that Breer facilitated O’Brien’s departure to Ohio State… “You guys really need to get off that.” (It was stated with clear irritation in his voice.)

If Breer had a sense of humor, he'd lean into it. "How the hell do you think Woody Hayes got such a good spot in the cemetery? ME! Archie Griffin? TWO Heismans? ME! Just kick their asses with mockery.

 

[NortheasternPJ]

It amazes me how much garbage 80's and 90's TV Fred's consumed.

 

[sezwho]

It amazes me how much garbage 80's and 90's TV Fred's consumed.

Yeah, and also strange for the people that hooked to that firehose it seems to get retained.

Odd tension for me where I think Fred has gotten use to being the alpha and steaming over folks whenever, but Hardy isn’t a beta, more cohost. Fred seems a little pre-aggravated by Wallach.

Not saying rich was some how ‘less than’ in any way btw, it was a different dynamic and it worked.

 

[NortheasternPJ]

Yeah, and also strange for the people that hooked to that firehose it seems to get retained.

Odd tension for me where I think Fred has gotten use to being the alpha and steaming over folks whenever, but Hardy isn’t a beta, more cohost. Fred seems a little pre-aggravated by Wallach.

Not saying rich was some how ‘less than’ in any way btw, it was a different dynamic and it worked.

I could go toe to toe with him on Saved By The Bell, but he has like 15 other shows he is just as deep on. It’s really something.

 

[hube]

The TV talk has always been one of the more fun parts of the show.

Listening to Fred rant - yet again - about how "that gets you to nine wins and that's no good!" is one of the worst.

 

[Trapaholic]

Pretty good bit this morning at the top of the 8 o'clock hour involving former bodybuilder/wrestler Tony Atlas and his, ahem, foot fetish.

 

[hube]

Pretty good bit this morning at the top of the 8 o'clock hour involving former bodybuilder/wrestler Tony Atlas and his, ahem, foot fetish.

That was great, and the bit around the Las Vegas squatters was as well. I assume Armpits of America as we knew it is gone, but there's no reason they can't get 99% of the way there.

 

[NortheasternPJ]

That was great, and the bit around the Las Vegas squatters was as well. I assume Armpits of America as we knew it is gone, but there's no reason they can't get 99% of the way there.

The plane farter was good too. It’s clear Fred’s trying not to do the DA voice for 4 hours like he was the last few weeks, which is a huge positive. He was killing it by doing it all the time.

There’s definitely some lumps but need less poop talk in general. The WBCN segment Monday was good too

 

[Trapaholic]

That was great, and the bit around the Las Vegas squatters was as well. I assume Armpits of America as we knew it is gone, but there's no reason they can't get 99% of the way there.

Excellent point - the Vegas segment would have been peak Armpits of America. Weird voices, even weirder people, and local news coverage. The "old prospector voice" got me good.

 

[teddykgb]

My thoughts are that Hardy is similar to Fred in humor style which is good but often it becomes like a race between them to have the most sarcastic or witty response. Which isn’t always great but they seem to be finding some rapport over time.

Rich seems like a kind of weird guy and maybe more importantly for the show is like a magnet for weird people and soaked up all the stuff sent to him and had a really good radar for what was funny or would be funny if they had a conversation about it. I think the sports talk segments are better with Hardy but the show is still missing someone to just plumb the depths of the internet for funny things to put on a tee for Fred.

 

[dirtynine]

My thoughts are that Hardy is similar to Fred in humor style which is good but often it becomes like a race between them to have the most sarcastic or witty response. Which isn’t always great but they seem to be finding some rapport over time.

Rich seems like a kind of weird guy and maybe more importantly for the show is like a magnet for weird people and soaked up all the stuff sent to him and had a really good radar for what was funny or would be funny if they had a conversation about it. I think the sports talk segments are better with Hardy but the show is still missing someone to just plumb the depths of the internet for funny things to put on a tee for Fred.

Yeah, a lot of the comedy came from all of us being put into Rich’s very specific framework of what was funny, and then listening to Fred, kind of playing the role of the listener, try to reckon with it or fight through it. Rich brought a sentimentality for the bizarre - people, places, events - that won’t be easy to replace.

 

[Rusty13]

Speaking of Rich, has he announced anything new yet?

 

[sharts]

Speaking
of Rich, has he announced anything new yet?

Rich is having the same issue bill is having, over estimated his market to get hired.

You think Rich’s wife is doing his interviews with him too?

 

[8slim]

Rich is having the same issue bill is having, over estimated his market to get hired.

You think Rich’s wife is doing his interviews with him too?

What the fuck is with you?

 

[Andy Merchant]

What the fuck is with you?

Joined a month ago and has only posted in this thread.

 

[double4life]

Rich is having the same issue bill is having, over estimated his market to get hired.

You think Rich’s wife is doing his interviews with him too?

What is with the hate on Mary all of a sudden? Hasn't this woman already been through enough with her health? Since when is Rich's wife a threat to Fred's job?

 

[8slim]

Joined a month ago and has only posted in this thread.

This thread attracts the sports radio loonies in the most bizarre way.

 

[Marciano490]

The guy’s name is sharts, not sure what anyone was expecting.

 

[RorschachsMask]

The guy’s name is sharts, not sure what anyone was expecting.

The name oversold him.

 

[NortheasternPJ]

What is with the hate on Mary all of a sudden? Hasn't this woman already been through enough with her health? Since when is Rich's wife a threat to Fred's job?

I have no negative opinion of her but it sounds like she came for Fred’s job in the big phone meeting where Rich let her run his side of it.

She always has seemed like a great person but things get ugly in a divorce, in this case Fred and Rich.

 

[Havlicheck]

I have no negative opinion of her but it sounds like she came for Fred’s job in the big phone meeting where Rich let her run his side of it.

She always has seemed like a great person but things get ugly in a divorce, in this case Fred and Rich.

Would it surprise you all if senor Shartz is someone we know?

 

[NortheasternPJ]

Would it surprise you all if senor Shartz is someone we know?

No one associated with the show reads this thread anymore, just ask them.

 

[Trapaholic]

The bit today about Dan Roche baptizing his child in the Cooperstown Hall of Fame bathroom sink was pretty good. True or not that is a hilarious visual.

 

[NortheasternPJ]

The bit today about Dan Roche baptizing his child in the Cooperstown Hall of Fame bathroom sink was pretty good. True or not that is a hilarious visual.

I love that Fred went on a 20+ minute rant on the BBHoF after mocking McCarthy for caring about the Red Sox for months.

 

[redsoxedmunds24]

The bit today about Dan Roche baptizing his child in the Cooperstown Hall of Fame bathroom sink was pretty good. True or not that is a hilarious visual.

Dan told that story on the show years ago. That and the Sox player (Carlos Baerga?) giving him the “HR Ball” he hit in Anaheim and just happened to have that Dan told him happened the moment his wife gave birth.

 

[8slim]

I have no negative opinion of her but it sounds like she came for Fred’s job in the big phone meeting where Rich let her run his side of it.

She always has seemed like a great person but things get ugly in a divorce, in this case Fred and Rich.

*IF* she did…. Good for her. Fred was AWFUL for a solid 2 years.