RIP Toucher and Rich Show ... It was fun while it lasted

joe dokes

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Jul 18, 2005
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Good to see him doing what he needs to do to get better.

And it is not surprising to hear it took him going to a private practice to get anything accomplished, workplace healthcare plans are just absolute trash today, not surprising to hear they kept telling him all was fine when it wasn't.
I'm glad he's getting whatever he needs, but "private practice" is not the opposite of "workplace healthcare plans."
 

steveluck7

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May 10, 2007
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The machine keeps rolling. Pulled in record ratings even missing their host for a decent chunk and him playing at less than 100% for most of the time.
Thank you for making Toucher & Rich the show with the highest ratings share in Boston morning radio history!
Winter 2023 M25-54
Toucher & Rich - 25.6
Second Place - 7.6
 

NDame616

will bailey
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Jul 31, 2006
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"they need to let Fred go. How can they possibly let him continue talking like this. It's unlistenable"
 

JCizzle

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I've mostly been catching segments on podcasts because I always forget to tune in when either Fred or Rich are off, but I still really think RJ is a great fit. Seems pretty informed about all four teams despite my assumption he was mostly a hockey guy and is a good "sports" guy to fill the third chair. Also isn't dead weight in the non-sports segments I've caught. Fred is good with Joe and anyone, but a crew like Rich, RJ, and Roche was much better than including Murray in my opinion.
 

NortheasternPJ

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Nov 16, 2004
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I've mostly been catching segments on podcasts because I always forget to tune in when either Fred or Rich are off, but I still really think RJ is a great fit. Seems pretty informed about all four teams despite my assumption he was mostly a hockey guy and is a good "sports" guy to fill the third chair. Also isn't dead weight in the non-sports segments I've caught. Fred is good with Joe and anyone, but a crew like Rich, RJ, and Roche was much better than including Murray in my opinion.
The thing is RJ is very quick with jokes, references and comebacks which makes it work.
 

NDame616

will bailey
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Jul 31, 2006
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I've mostly been catching segments on podcasts because I always forget to tune in when either Fred or Rich are off, but I still really think RJ is a great fit. Seems pretty informed about all four teams despite my assumption he was mostly a hockey guy and is a good "sports" guy to fill the third chair. Also isn't dead weight in the non-sports segments I've caught. Fred is good with Joe and anyone, but a crew like Rich, RJ, and Roche was much better than including Murray in my opinion.
I like Joe Murray more than most, but I don't think he'd be a good fit as 3rd in the morning show. I actually think Fred gets irritated with him and often mocks the betting angle. If they're were paired up full time it wouldn't be long until someone says something and Murray turns it into betting and Fred flips out "will you cut out the gambling angle for 1 minute!?"
 

Granite Sox

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Feb 6, 2003
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Additionally, (Joe) Murray has a disproportionately high % of nonsensical moronic takes and he gets super thin-skinned when he’s called out on them (“What?!… I’m not allowed to have a take?!”). Fred, Rich et al have to do too much work to try and understand wtf he’s talking about, and once they get it straight they almost always point out that the basis for the take is incorrect. It winds up wasting a lot of time and is only briefly amusing for how ludicrous his takes are. The juice isn’t worth the squeeze.
 

Patriot_Reign

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I like Joe Murray more than most, but I don't think he'd be a good fit as 3rd in the morning show. I actually think Fred gets irritated with him and often mocks the betting angle. If they're were paired up full time it wouldn't be long until someone says something and Murray turns it into betting and Fred flips out "will you cut out the gambling angle for 1 minute!?"
Joe filled in for Zolak for four days last week...by Wednesday there were moments when I swear Beetle was sick of him.
 

NortheasternPJ

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Joe filled in for Zolak for four days last week...by Wednesday there were moments when I swear Beetle was sick of him.
He’s doing exactly what Jim Murray did back in the day. Weekend Jim was actually pretty good, when he was on during the week on F&M he was insufferable because he was trying to fit in, whatever. Now Jim’s awful all the time.

The Joe Show or Joe & Leroy on the weekends I really like. Joes relaxed, low key doing his own thing. After a few days during the week it’s almost like he’s playing a character and tripling Down on the hottest of takes. It’s obnoxious.
 

dirtynine

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Dec 17, 2002
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I generally like Joe and I think Fred sees something compelling in him (he’s probably the next best at shootin’ the breeze style talk after Fred). I think Rich gets enamored with the dumber parts of Joe’s character - the meats, the groaning over food, the gambling. There’s some good stuff there but it takes the right balance of personalities in the studio to pull it out of him.
 

NortheasternPJ

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I generally like Joe and I think Fred sees something compelling in him (he’s probably the next best at shootin’ the breeze style talk after Fred). I think Rich gets enamored with the dumber parts of Joe’s character - the meats, the groaning over food, the gambling. There’s some good stuff there but it takes the right balance of personalities in the studio to pull it out of him.
I think we went over this a few times during Fred’s rehab stint. Rich needs Fred to keep him in line and not do exactly what you’re describing. That’s one of the reason they work so well. During Fred’s rehab rich went on for multiple segments into these ratholes and they went from funny to unfunny to Jesus Christ Rich, shut up and move on. Rich also loves to throw the phoner in there to just top it off.

Rich is great but he needs Fred to steer the ship.
 

8slim

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Rich is great but he needs Fred to steer the ship.
The Rich-Ryan-Roche trio has been the best listen in Fred's absence IMHO, in part because Rich seems to dial it down a notch when paired with those two. He seems less frantic, probably because, as someone noted upthread, Ryan is very quick and can take the conversation hand-off from Rich far more adeptly than Joe or Wallach. Roche is actually good at that as well.
 

NortheasternPJ

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The Rich-Ryan-Roche trio has been the best listen in Fred's absence IMHO, in part because Rich seems to dial it down a notch when paired with those two. He seems less frantic, probably because, as someone noted upthread, Ryan is very quick and can take the conversation hand-off from Rich far more adeptly than Joe or Wallach. Roche is actually good at that as well.
That somebody was me, so i agree with you! Frantic is a great way to describe Rich when Fred’s gone. I mainly watch the Twitch feed most days with my schedule and there so many times Rich is bouncing up and down, waving his arms and is all over the place. He seems to be trying way too hard.

RJ does seem to take some of the pressure off of him.
 

Trapaholic

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Jan 11, 2023
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The way I see it, Rich is performing 2 roles right now simultaneously. He is doing a pretty good job. The show is still a good listen, as this morning they had a drunken Celtics recap which is always entertaining. They've been dealt a crap hand with the Fred issue, not to mention all distractions with Beasley.

I am a captive audience as I refuse to listen to Greg Hill and Chris Curtis.
 

redsoxedmunds24

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Aug 11, 2006
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Rich mentioned during the Gorman interview he hasn’t gotten a ton of info from Fred but things are looking up and he could back in weeks but it didn’t sound like a strong timeline.

Anytime Roche is on it’s a positive. Especially with Fred. I will never forget guitar fest and “Fred’s trip to the little league World Series cut short by a flat tire”
 

NortheasternPJ

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There's so much going on with the B's and C's, the NFL Draft etc. this is probably the best time for Fred to be gone. I hope he doesn't rush back and takes his time. We need Fred badly around June when things cool off sports wise and need entertainment.
 

NortheasternPJ

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Is he doing a voice? That doesn't sound like Fred at all. I'm glad his voice sounds better but he sounds like a different person.
 

Patriot_Reign

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He’s doing exactly what Jim Murray did back in the day. Weekend Jim was actually pretty good, when he was on during the week on F&M he was insufferable because he was trying to fit in, whatever. Now Jim’s awful all the time.

The Joe Show or Joe & Leroy on the weekends I really like. Joes relaxed, low key doing his own thing. After a few days during the week it’s almost like he’s playing a character and tripling Down on the hottest of takes. It’s obnoxious.
You nailed it. Joe's great on the weekends with his restaurant/ food talk or what are the best things to put in an air fryer. Leroy is a treasure, calm, relaxed guy, no spicey hot takes.
Don't think Joe would be a fit as a full time four hours at a time guy in any of the day slots, but he'd probably do well in the evening slot where he could just spin whatever and would have enough nights off for all the Bs/ Cs/ Pats/ Revs games and still be available for fill in work during the day to cover vacations, etc.

It's kind of amazing that it's almost May and 98.5 hasn't announced a full time night show.
 

shaggydog2000

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Apr 5, 2007
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Is he doing a voice? That doesn't sound like Fred at all. I'm glad his voice sounds better but he sounds like a different person.
You get a lot more bass in your voice by holding the mic very close to your mouth the way a lot of radio people do. Being recorded on a cell phone will sound a lot different to that. This may be what his voice sounds like if you meet him in person.
 

JCizzle

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You nailed it. Joe's great on the weekends with his restaurant/ food talk or what are the best things to put in an air fryer. Leroy is a treasure, calm, relaxed guy, no spicey hot takes.
Don't think Joe would be a fit as a full time four hours at a time guy in any of the day slots, but he'd probably do well in the evening slot where he could just spin whatever and would have enough nights off for all the Bs/ Cs/ Pats/ Revs games and still be available for fill in work during the day to cover vacations, etc.

It's kind of amazing that it's almost May and 98.5 hasn't announced a full time night show.
I think that’s a perfect fit for Joe. I do like him, but he needs to be setup in a position to succeed like that.
 

NDame616

will bailey
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I think Joe would be great at nights. Way more of an informal atmosphere, can do tons of bits etc.

I assume they're waiting till after the Bs/Cs playoffs to make it a full time gig. If the Red Sox were better I think trying to pair him with a baseball guy would work well, but probably not ideal with them being 4th in town.
 

ramfan

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Jul 19, 2005
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Joe filled in for Zolak for four days last week...by Wednesday there were moments when I swear Beetle was sick of him.
lol, it's true!

At one point Beetle gave the tax revenue numbers after 1 month of legalized sports betting and Joe started getting into a Danny from Quincy like tizzy about what people could have bet on if they did it years ago to a point he was screaming. Beetle just said"you don't have to yell"

Later Joe said Bill O'Brien hasn't been a good coach in years, and then yelled fact not opinion! Beetle retorted something like that's a classic example of an opinion and Joe said no, it's a fact!

when Zo and Hardy came back, beetle told them how much he missed them
 

hube

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Apr 4, 2010
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I’m one of Joe’s bigger detractors when it comes to his T&R role, but I’ve caught him at night a couple of times and he’s much better solo. He’s free to be goofy as opposed to reactive and he’s having a good time instead of having to compete for the oxygen. I hate the gambling talk but I fully get why there’s an audience for it (it’s not a moral thing, it just bores me. I don’t want to hear fantasy talk either)

I hope RJ gets the third chair if/when Wallach moves up and on. He’s quick, he’s funny and plays a good straight man. I used to think he was a bore, but I guess that was Flynn.
 

NDame616

will bailey
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Jul 31, 2006
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That was a fun little segment a few years ago. It’s not now. I don’t know if those guys know a lot about gambling, but I know they don’t have anything interesting to say about sports.
They don't really.

They know a little more than regular people who casually bet on their favorite teams or "how they feel" but they're 1000 people on gambling twitter who are better/as good/the same as them.

Put it this way. They both have full time jobs and do radio on the side AS WELL AS bet.

If they were that good they wouldn't need 2 sources of income on top of their gambling winnings
 

8slim

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They don't really.

They know a little more than regular people who casually bet on their favorite teams or "how they feel" but they're 1000 people on gambling twitter who are better/as good/the same as them.

Put it this way. They both have full time jobs and do radio on the side AS WELL AS bet.

If they were that good they wouldn't need 2 sources of income on top of their gambling winnings
I've always assumed that, but I don't really gamble so I wasn't sure.

I just don't understand bringing them on as if they're sports experts. The perspectives on the Pats forum here are 1000X smarter than the slop than Lipshatz was slinging today. And I'm sorry but if you're gambling on the NFL Draft you have a problem.
 

VamonosPests54

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Sep 21, 2016
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Rich mentioned during the Gorman interview he hasn’t gotten a ton of info from Fred but things are looking up and he could back in weeks but it didn’t sound like a strong timeline.
It’s odd the guys made no mention of the insta video today.

Speaking of… So his voice is back, he’s getting good news from the doctors and sharing those updates on social media… but there isn’t a timeline for his return? All of it is kinda weird to me.
 

redsoxedmunds24

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CYY is advertising a Kentucky derby party next week that both will be going up to Portland for. Feels like he might be back within weeks
 

JCizzle

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I had the chance to catch Ty's interview, and I maintain he's a really good fit with them. I know there's a limited amount of Bruins time they can give per week with Jaffe taking up another slot, but I wish they had him on more pre-playoffs. Granted he's late half the time.
 

NDame616

will bailey
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Jul 31, 2006
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I had the chance to catch Ty's interview, and I maintain he's a really good fit with them. I know there's a limited amount of Bruins time they can give per week with Jaffe taking up another slot, but I wish they had him on more pre-playoffs. Granted he's late half the time.
Ty can also hold his own on other sports as well. Obviously he's a hockey guy but I've heard him fill in here and there and he isn't a black hole of suck in other sports