I'm about to hit North Beach for some pizza and Chianti, but I've been listening to Damon Bruce on KGO for the past two hours.
He's doing very well, as I expected. Sure, a few hiccups, but overall, he had my attention.
He's been talking a lot about Penn State and the Occupy movement. He took some good calls and conducted the orchestra rather well.
Among other things: he referred to the Arab Spring: "sounds like a soap to me." (LMAO)
Caller from Ukiah, Anna: pithy call: parenting--Bruce handled a potential screamer with aplomb. Funny too.
By the way, between talking Occupy, PState, he asked Obama to fix the NCAA/BCS quagmire. (Cute and got in a college football score.)
Time for pizza. Damon, you did well. KGO?!!!
what date have you two kids set for the wedding? Geez,we get it you dig him...MOVE ON,LOL!
ReplyDeleteDid he just mention bukakke on the air? Sweet.
ReplyDeletePlease NO Rich:
ReplyDelete1. Did his mom call in?
2. Did neighbor Dave call in?
3. Did the brotha from Denver call in?
4. Did Butcher Boy call in?
Nooooooooooooooooo....
Not a homerun, but a pinch hit double to clear the bases from the prospect clled up 3 days ago. The Arab Spring joke was a little schlocky and he's gotta cut off people less, but an impressive performance. Would I listen to him constantly on a Saturday afternoon? No, but if KGO brass moved him to do a concept sports/news hybrid against either Rad-hack or the Giggler...bring it on!
ReplyDeleteThought he did very well...thank God no Butcher Boy or Salty Balty discussing Mrs. Clinton's legacy in American foreign policy.
ReplyDeleteLot's of poise and professionalism
ReplyDeleteBruce did not have time to do his homework.
His complete ignorance on economics and finance put him shoulder to shoulder with his audience. Few in the media can even balance a checkbook.
I AM impressed that you like one young broadcaster.
ReplyDeletehorrible grammar,misogynist,poorly researched,heavy metal music...not up to KGO level...ever.
ReplyDeleteDamon Bruce is the man!
ReplyDeleteNo home run..what a white guy from Chicago and Indiana would see about the world. Whats the point of the occupiers? Did Damon ever hear of "Hoover camps" during the great depression? Being disruptive is pretty much a common form of picketing and civil disobedience.
ReplyDeleteCompared to Raddy and the like Bruce is a centrist...and far from the rightwing nut cases like Byrnes or Romonowski..maybe Teirney too. But compared to most of the bay area..he's pure Danville..not really a part of the bay area or in view.
Its pathetic what passes for a voice on Cumulus.
And Rich-shame on you for not pointing out not once did Bruce talk about the police brutality..people beaten,maced,broken bones. Not a word from Bruce..he did complain the patriots did slow BART.
ReplyDeleteAs someone who engineered many neophyte hosts on KGO, {I got Len Tillem his gig using my rep with Ken Berry) Damon hit a grand slam on his inaugural debut at 810. Yeah, a little raw, but his talent was evident.
ReplyDelete-klazzik
Rich, I think you are too generous. Coming from the sports "leader" I think D Bruce did very well, however if I had to pick today, I would choose Stacy Taylor over Bruce. It is certainly no easy feat to go from Sports to Politics and Bruce did an exemplary job. Which KGO host could do 3 hours of Sports talk on KNBR as well as Bruce did News/Sports on KGO? Burns? Hell no! Taliafero? Come on! The Voice of Reason? None of the KGO hosts could do 3 hours of Sports talk. Bruce's performance was excellent, I just don't think it was a homerun. I will listen again on line, take notes and get back to you. No, I don't need to get a life...how was the Chianti?
ReplyDelete"Pound it! Pound it! Pound it!"
ReplyDeleteDamon Bruce is a real talk show host.
ReplyDeleteUnlike a certain individual who occupies KNBR's
9:00-noon time slot.
He is comfortable in front of a mike, understands the talk radio business, and has intellect.
I was one of the callers during Damon's first hour. Having called in to KGO maybe a dozen times over the years, this was the first time the screener encouraged me to put in a good word to the host. I complied (Mark at 1:50) and I'm sure other callers were told same.
ReplyDeleteI dismissed it as Opening Day cheerleading but didn't care for the suggestion.
And thanks Mark-I meant to mention that only a single caller was allowed to disagree-and she was given the quick brush off when Bruce had no answer..the very same protocol that KNBR operates on. It could have been Fitz or Raddy cutting her off with a one liner...
ReplyDelete7:55..that's because the "screener's" new career depends on mr. bruce being a huge hit..nothing new in the biz..just very misguided..corporate cumulus boss leaning over his shoulder..entitled to do so..but interesting yes?
ReplyDeleteI respect you , D bruce.
ReplyDeletewhere was butcherboy and ike from fremont?
the great white hope..mr bruce...is perfect for the sportstalk genre.That's a place where you can use words ..non words ..like "anyways"..and none of your fans will know the difference. It's not true on KGO..at least not yet.perhaps soon.
ReplyDeletehe was ok. lack of attention to detail. First he made the mistake of telling his listeners he knew nothing of the Occupy movement by looking it up on the web and then kept calling Justin Herman Plaza, Justin Hermanson? Hey Damon, know your landmarks, you've lived here long enough!
ReplyDeleteDamon certainly has talent, energy and creativity, but he's not at all interested in world affairs or local politics, and that's quite evident from what I heard on the radio.
ReplyDeleteIf Damon is going to do a general news talk show, he should not only be well versed on these topics, but also have some kind of intellectual curiosity about them.
Just because Damon is a good sports talk show host doesn't mean that he'll be able to cross over to newstalk and be credible. Entertaining? perhaps...but isn't a general newstalk show
better hosted by an individual who is credible, and reliable, and has at least a cursory understanding of what is going on in news locally, regionally and nationally? Those used to be requirements for such a job, and that was the case for the better part of half a century?
Why should that change? Just to satisfy a younger demographic, many of whom seem to be plagued by attention deficeit disorder, (judging from how they can't reliquish control of their blockberries, smart phones, i-pods and i-pads for five effing minutes! I almost ran over one in a downtown SF intersection the other day because they weren't paying attention to the
pedestrian stop lights!)
I also wouldn't expect Ronn Owens or
John Rothman or Stacie Taylor, or Christine Kraft, or anyone on KGO outside of Rich Walcoff or Kevin 'The Rat' to host a sportstalk show. The aforementioned folks can do newstalk, but their knowledge of general sports is at best, that of a casual fan. As a listener, I want an expert, not some fly-by-night second rate 'entertainer.' if I want entertainment, I go to the movies, or a play or a concert!
1125 has it right about Bruce..at his age, at least cover lack of real world experience,details and nuances, by knowing which side is the good side. I'm sure Damon's KGO thing is short lived.
ReplyDeleteJeez Rich, for the guy always accusing everyone of brown-nosing, you sure do suck off DBruce plenty. What's this, the third or fourth post extolling Bruce as the next Ronn Owens? Somebody smells a potential guest shot at last!
ReplyDeleteNot a damon bruce fan at all. He tries to be all things for all people and he acts like he's curing cancer sometimes. He's often wrong but never in doubt like he says.
ReplyDeleteI remember his show on cheerleading injuries. He ripped on several callers calling them idiots for thinking cheerleading was a sport or even dangerous saying, "did they get hurt trying to take off their tight skirts?" Without even googling it, Bruce was found out to be an idiot because there are between 18-20,000 injuries per year in cheerleading in college and high school including paralyzed and even injuries resulting in death. The next day when Bruce was confronted by a doctor he said that topic is no longer being discussed.
He was kicked off the Gary Radnich show because he was trying to be so arrogant and edgy, people hated him. Within a month he was put back to his original time slot. He tries to be everything to everyone and his knowledge is lacking.
He'll work out fine though with the corporate shill and notorious kiss ass Ronn Owens. The bay area radio shows sure are in a bad way.