Rongey is My New Idol

[greg775]

Did anyone catch some dumbass name Bob calling Rongey's post game show?

Miffed at our losing ways, he went after Rongey for some reason. Personal rant of things

Rongey allegedly said about not blaming Walker last year, blah blah.

 

Rongey ended the call by saying, 'You are the worst kind of fan and you are an idiot."

 

If Rongey still checks this board, let you know you are my idol.

 

If you guys/girls missed the call, wow, you missed a doozy.

That last sentence before hanging up on the guy is as good as it gets.

[Jordan4life_2007]

You need another idol. Then again, Barry Bonds is my idol.

[greg775]

You need another idol. Then again, Barry Bonds is my idol.

 

Good line, but seriously the call was classic. How many radio hosts have the balls to call a

customer an idiot? A caller is a customer of sorts. This was godlike radio.

[ChiliIrishHammock24]

Good line, but seriously the call was classic. How many radio hosts have the balls to call a

customer an idiot? A caller is a customer of sorts. This was godlike radio.

 

Apparently more than you think. But I'd like to hear what the guy had to say. I love hearing irrational fans get angry.

[CarlosMartinez]

Ranger can't be paid enough for dealing with callers after games like the last 2 nights. It's hard to listen to the show let alone engage these people in conversation.

[caulfield12]

And I'm sure he'll get a quiet reprimand from Bob Grim, Director of Broadcasting.

 

When all is said and done, no matter how frustrating things get, club employees (unless they are named Ozzie Guillen or KW) have to retain their cool under ALL circumstances.

 

At the moment, he probably felt like venting back was a reasonable response, but he should know better.

 

Dave Wills never would have done that.

 

When he wakes up Sunday morning, instead of feeling victorious, I'm sure he'll wish that he had let it go. In the end, belittling a Sox fan isn't a winning move for the organization, whether it's true or not, lots of us complain when Ozzie insults the fanbase, and this is no different (although hardly on the same level as an Ozzie rant that eventually ends up as a headline at CNN).

 

Hosting the pre and post game show is entirely different from being an O'Reilly or Beck or Limbaugh, Rachel Maddow or Olbermann. Those guys are paid for their opinions and are encouraged to express them.

 

There are a lot worse things in baseball than being 7-7 after 14 games. God knows how people would be acting if we were playing like the Red Sox or Twins.

 

I listened to the first 3 calls of the postgame before it got cut off at MLB audio. Yes, the same typical comments (about the price of going to a game, about Juan Pierre and one caller was especially aggravated with AJ Pierzynski for some reason), but I've heard a lot more inane/inebriated ones before, and there undoubtedly will be worse in the future.

Edited April 17, 2011 by caulfield12

[greg775]

Yes, but tonight Ostrowski (sp) and the other guy played the call and said they would have

hung up on the guy way earlier than Rongey did.

They said the caller was way out of line and praised Rongey.

I hope he doesn't get reprimanded. The callers had no reason to call except scream at Chris

like it was his fault the Sox got killed again.

 

No matter how bad the Sox have been, and the Sox have been horrid, like many of you have said, what has happend in these 14 will not decide the season.

We can vent on here, but to call the show and go after Rongey was stupid and the caller

got what he deserved. He was actually screaming and Rongey called him on it early, 'Why

are you screaming? Quit screaming.'

[caulfield12]

Yes, but tonight Ostrowski (sp) and the other guy played the call and said they would have

hung up on the guy way earlier than Rongey did.

They said the caller was way out of line and praised Rongey.

I hope he doesn't get reprimanded. The callers had no reason to call except scream at Chris

like it was his fault the Sox got killed again.

 

No matter how bad the Sox have been, and the Sox have been horrid, like many of you have said, what has happend in these 14 will not decide the season.

We can vent on here, but to call the show and go after Rongey was stupid and the caller

got what he deserved. He was actually screaming and Rongey called him on it early, 'Why

are you screaming? Quit screaming.'

 

 

Okay, well, a little more of the context helps, but always better in those situations to hang up/disconnect rather than engage the caller further.

 

There are so many wackos in the world, better not to antagonize them. You never know how dangerous they might be. Hopefully they were drunk and will just forget it all by the time they wake up this morning.

 

 

[Dick Allen]

And I'm sure he'll get a quiet reprimand from Bob Grim, Director of Broadcasting.

 

When all is said and done, no matter how frustrating things get, club employees (unless they are named Ozzie Guillen or KW) have to retain their cool under ALL circumstances.

 

At the moment, he probably felt like venting back was a reasonable response, but he should know better.

 

Dave Wills never would have done that.

 

When he wakes up Sunday morning, instead of feeling victorious, I'm sure he'll wish that he had let it go. In the end, belittling a Sox fan isn't a winning move for the organization, whether it's true or not, lots of us complain when Ozzie insults the fanbase, and this is no different (although hardly on the same level as an Ozzie rant that eventually ends up as a headline at CNN).

 

Hosting the pre and post game show is entirely different from being an O'Reilly or Beck or Limbaugh, Rachel Maddow or Olbermann. Those guys are paid for their opinions and are encouraged to express them.

 

There are a lot worse things in baseball than being 7-7 after 14 games. God knows how people would be acting if we were playing like the Red Sox or Twins.

 

I listened to the first 3 calls of the postgame before it got cut off at MLB audio. Yes, the same typical comments (about the price of going to a game, about Juan Pierre and one caller was especially aggravated with AJ Pierzynski for some reason), but I've heard a lot more inane/inebriated ones before, and there undoubtedly will be worse in the future.

Technically, Rongey is not a White Sox employee.

 

Wills was known for calling people drillrods. Rongey is as big of an optimist as anyone, but if the calls were anything near what I could image, and I've heard the show after losses plenty of times on my way home, he should have every right to fire back without reprimand, especially if the caller is getting personal. Ozzie fires back. JR will fire back, KW fires back at fans at Soxfest.

Edited April 17, 2011 by Dick Allen

[Texsox]

Caulfield makes a very legit point, and there are reasons that broadcasters and media types like Hawk last forever with teams. But every once in a while, you may gain more fans with a well chosen idiot comment. I didn't here this and can't tell if it is well chosen, but from the sounds of things, it just may have been.

[caulfield12]

ML: You’ve been doing this now for almost three seasons, how have you changed from the first show in April 2006 to today?

 

CR: “That’s a good question. I’ve gotten more comfortable in the role. I’m a very, very passionate fan, I’d put my feelings for the White Sox up against any other fan. That’s where I think I’ve changed, I’m better now at being more level headed after a tough loss or in dealing with a fan who just makes a really ridiculous comment. When the game is over I’m better able to take a step back and say, ‘OK, let’s take a good look at things, especially long term, not just right now in the heat of the moment.”

 

ML: You mention criticism. At White Sox Interactive there appears to be two schools of thought on your show. One is that you have every right to say just about anything you want to a fan that comes across frankly as dumb. The other is that this is the fans show and that unless they are drunk on the air or are making racial, sexual or vulgar comments, it’s your job to be courteous, hear them out and comment in a respectful manner. My sense of you Chris is that you don’t suffer fools gladly, to quote Shakespeare and that if you are going to make a comment on the air you better be prepared to back it up.

 

CR: “That is exactly correct, 100% on the mark. If you are going to make a claim that ‘Konerko sucks’ you need to back it up. I try to think everything through when the game is going on and when it’s over. I’m not perfect but I try to do that, sometimes I don’t think the fans do. Here’s an example, after the Sox blew that Saturday game to Tampa I got a call from a fan who said that Javier Vazquez didn’t pitch a great game and why did I keep saying that. So I asked the guy, ‘you watched the game right? You know he had a perfect game in the 6th inning?’ The guy said yes but said that if he was pitching so well why did he allow four runs? I explained to him that those runs were charged to him but it was Matt Thornton who gave them up, not Vazquez… when he left he only allowed one run to score. I asked the guy does he judge the performance of a starting pitcher by the runs he’s charged with, even though it was the bullpen who allowed them to score? He said yes and that’s fine I give him credit for sticking to his guns, but that’s what I mean by, you need to back it up.”

 

ML: At least to some degree, your job is dependent on the White Sox saying ‘OK’ to having you do the show and that’s a fine line to balance…how to be critical of the team without possibly jeopardizing your job. So how do you make the distinction?

 

CR: “I hear the words ‘mouthpiece,’ ‘company man’ a lot. I can only tell you that the only time the White Sox have ever said anything to me about the show is when they have some available tickets, they’ll ask me to mention it. When some of the players are doing a charity event, they’ll ask me to let the public know about it. I was recently asked to mention the fantasy camp that takes place in Tuscon in January but that’s it. They have never told me what to say or to not say anything bad about the team.”

 

“There have been times when Bob Grim and I have talked about some of the things I’ve said directly to a caller. (Author’s Note: Bob is the White Sox Senior Director Of Business Development & Broadcasting) But that has never been ‘don’t say anything bad about the team,’ it’s been along the lines of why I got into it with the caller and a suggestion that I should try to avoid that.” (Author’s Note: Bob and I spoke about Chris when I interviewed him for White Sox Interactive. It never appeared in the story itself because it didn’t really fit, but what Bob said was that he thought Chris was doing a very good job and that the issues that he sometimes finds himself in are caused by “inexperience.” Bob said that over time Chris will learn how to better handle these things when they come up.)

 

 

this is from a WSI interview, Mark L. from over there is an okay guy, hope it's cool to copy and paste some of it??

Edited April 17, 2011 by caulfield12

[southsider2k5]

Good line, but seriously the call was classic. How many radio hosts have the balls to call a

customer an idiot? A caller is a customer of sorts. This was godlike radio.

 

It happens on that station all of the time. It is kind of their "thing".

[PeavyTime]

I hate Rongey. He toes the company line and is never wrong.

[clyons]

I didn't hear this, but I've thought he's sounded a lot less tolerant of the real morons lately, and more inclined to tell idiots off. Frankly, I don't mind that at all. In my book, people who call sports radio are just one step below people who post on message boards.

[elrockinMT]

Caulfield makes a very legit point, and there are reasons that broadcasters and media types like Hawk last forever with teams. But every once in a while, you may gain more fans with a well chosen idiot comment. I didn't here this and can't tell if it is well chosen, but from the sounds of things, it just may have been.

 

Regarding the "caller is a customer" point from earlier I don't think the customer is always right so I agree sometimes they need to be told the truth.

[chetkincaid]

I don't think it's ever cool to call a caller an idiot on the radio. It belittles the host and brings him down to the caller's level. That is one of the reasons that I can stand Bernstein.

 

Rongey could have simply hung up on the caller and moved on to the next caller. He has that power. The other guys that fire back at Soxfest don't.

 

 

Edited April 17, 2011 by Chet Kincaid

[scenario]

Regarding the "caller is a customer" point from earlier I don't think the customer is always right so I agree sometimes they need to be told the truth.

 

Amen. Besides, radio programs are more interesting when idiot callers have their a** handed to them.

 

The hard part is that some hosts have a hard time separating people idiot callers and people who don't agree with them.

 

Rongey does a pretty good job of it, though.

 

Edited April 17, 2011 by scenario

[Texsox]

Maybe there will be a new challenge, how obnoxious do you have to be before Ranger dusts you on the air?

[Ranger]

You need another idol. Then again, Barry Bonds is my idol.

 

Correct.

 

And I'm sure he'll get a quiet reprimand from Bob Grim, Director of Broadcasting.

 

When all is said and done, no matter how frustrating things get, club employees (unless they are named Ozzie Guillen or KW) have to retain their cool under ALL circumstances.

 

At the moment, he probably felt like venting back was a reasonable response, but he should know better.

 

Dave Wills never would have done that.

 

When he wakes up Sunday morning, instead of feeling victorious, I'm sure he'll wish that he had let it go. In the end, belittling a Sox fan isn't a winning move for the organization, whether it's true or not, lots of us complain when Ozzie insults the fanbase, and this is no different (although hardly on the same level as an Ozzie rant that eventually ends up as a headline at CNN).

 

Hosting the pre and post game show is entirely different from being an O'Reilly or Beck or Limbaugh, Rachel Maddow or Olbermann. Those guys are paid for their opinions and are encouraged to express them.

 

There are a lot worse things in baseball than being 7-7 after 14 games. God knows how people would be acting if we were playing like the Red Sox or Twins.

 

I listened to the first 3 calls of the postgame before it got cut off at MLB audio. Yes, the same typical comments (about the price of going to a game, about Juan Pierre and one caller was especially aggravated with AJ Pierzynski for some reason), but I've heard a lot more inane/inebriated ones before, and there undoubtedly will be worse in the future.

 

No reprimand. And you're right, Wills would never call anyone an idiot. He preferred "drillrod".

 

Technically, Rongey is not a White Sox employee.

 

Wills was known for calling people drillrods. Rongey is as big of an optimist as anyone, but if the calls were anything near what I could image, and I've heard the show after losses plenty of times on my way home, he should have every right to fire back without reprimand, especially if the caller is getting personal. Ozzie fires back. JR will fire back, KW fires back at fans at Soxfest.

 

That's actually really not true at all. Being optimistic means you think everything is going to be fine based solely on the fact that you just believe it, even though you have no concrete reason to believe it. I'm not that. When I think things will be good or will improve, it's because there is good reason to think it will or can.

 

I hate Rongey. He toes the company line and is never wrong.

 

You're half right.

[Ranger]

Amen. Besides, radio programs are more interesting when idiot callers have their a** handed to them.

 

The hard part is that some hosts have a hard time separating people idiot callers and people who don't agree with them.

 

Rongey does a pretty good job of it, though.

 

You know what, the reality is that this is actually quite difficult to do. Some people just begin their call with an edge, and you can sense it. Like they're just waiting to go berserk. Other times they just have a different point of view, but it's difficult to tell. Sometimes I get it wrong.

[PeavyTime]

Did he go off today too? If he doesn't like it, quit.

[Jordan4life_2007]

Sorry, Ranger. You're lying your ass off if you dispute that you're not a colossal homer.

[knightni]

Sorry, Ranger. You're lying your ass off if you dispute that you're not a colossal homer.

If someone paid me to talk on the radio about the Sox, I'd be a colossal homer too.

[lostfan]

Did he go off today too? If he doesn't like it, quit.

geez what crawled up your ass and died?

Edited April 18, 2011 by lostfan

[Jordan4life_2007]

If someone paid me to talk on the radio about the Sox, I'd be a colossal homer too.

 

True. And I said in chat that I understood that. But he brings that here as well.