''Toucher and Rich'' is a Marconi Award-winning morning
radio show
A radio program, radio programme, or radio show is a segment of content intended for broadcast on radio. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series. A single program in a series is called an episode.
Radio networ ...
from 6 to 10 AM on The Sports Hub 98.5
WBZ-FM
WBZ-FM (98.5 FM) is a commercial sports radio station licensed to Boston, Massachusetts, serving Greater Boston and much of surrounding New England. Owned by the Beasley Broadcast Group, WBZ-FM is the Boston affiliate for Fox Sports Radio; t ...
, in
Boston, Massachusetts. The show first aired on June 5, 2006. On August 13, 2009, following the demise of
WBCN, the show moved to
sports talk
Sports radio (or sports talk radio) is a radio format devoted entirely to discussion and broadcasting of sporting events. A widespread programming genre that has a narrow audience appeal, sports radio is characterized by an often- boisterous on-ai ...
station
WBZ-FM
WBZ-FM (98.5 FM) is a commercial sports radio station licensed to Boston, Massachusetts, serving Greater Boston and much of surrounding New England. Owned by the Beasley Broadcast Group, WBZ-FM is the Boston affiliate for Fox Sports Radio; t ...
98.5 The Sports Hub. Toucher & Rich celebrated their 10th anniversary on August 16, 2016, selling out the
Wilbur Theatre
The Wilbur Theatre is a historic performing arts theater at 244–250 Tremont Street in Boston, Massachusetts. The Wilbur Theatre originally opened in 1914, but underwent renovations in 2008. The Wilbur Theatre sits in the heart of Boston's histor ...
for a special 10th Anniversary show, with numerous guests as well as the finals of 98 Mile year 4.
On September 24, 2016, Toucher & Rich received the Marconi Award, the highest award in radio for Major Market Personality of the Year.
From August 17, 2015, until July 13, 2018, the show was simulcast on
NBC Sports Boston
NBC Sports Boston is an American regional sports network owned by the NBC Sports Group unit of NBCUniversal, and operates as an affiliate of NBC Sports Regional Networks. The channel broadcasts regional coverage of professional sports events thr ...
. The show is now streamed live on
Twitch
Twitch may refer to:
Biology
* Muscle contraction
** Convulsion, rapid and repeated muscle contraction and relaxation
** Fasciculation, a small, local, involuntary muscle contraction
** Myoclonic twitch, a jerk usually caused by sudden muscle con ...
.
From June 5, 2006, until mid-2007 the show's opening theme was "
Fuck All Y'all" by
Saliva
Saliva (commonly referred to as spit) is an extracellular fluid produced and secreted by salivary glands in the mouth. In humans, saliva is around 99% water, plus electrolytes, mucus, white blood cells, epithelial cells (from which DNA can be ...
. Since 2007, the opening theme is "
Honey Bucket" by
Melvins
Melvins (sometimes The Melvins) are an American rock band formed in 1983 in Montesano, Washington. Their early work was key to the development of both grunge and sludge metal. Initially, they performed as a trio but later also sometimes appeare ...
.
''Toucher and Rich'' entered regional
syndication
Syndication may refer to:
* Broadcast syndication, where individual stations buy programs outside the network system
* Print syndication, where individual newspapers or magazines license news articles, columns, or comic strips
* Web syndication, ...
on October 25, 2021.
The program's inaugural affiliates consisted of four
Townsquare Media
Townsquare Media, Inc. (formerly Regent Communications until 2010) is an American radio network and media company based in Purchase, New York. The company started in radio and expanded into digital media toward the end of the 2000s, starting wi ...
stations: the
trimulcast
In broadcasting, a trimulcast is a cluster of three radio stations and/or translators that play the same feed. Normally this is done in order to have full coverage of a certain area. Some stations use this technique to provide rimshot coverage i ...
of
WCYY
WCYY (94.3 FM) is a commercial radio station licensed to Biddeford, Maine, and serving the Portland metropolitan area. Its target audience are men between 18 and 44. The station airs an active/alternative rock radio format and is owned by Townsq ...
in
Portland, Maine
Portland is the largest city in the U.S. state of Maine and the seat of Cumberland County. Portland's population was 68,408 in April 2020. The Greater Portland metropolitan area is home to over half a million people, the 104th-largest metropol ...
,
WPKQ
WPKQ (103.7 MHz) is a commercial FM radio station licensed to North Conway, New Hampshire. It is owned by Townsquare Media and it simulcasts the alternative rock radio format of its sister station 94.3 WCYY. It is an affiliate of the New Eng ...
in
North Conway, New Hampshire
North Conway is a census-designated place (CDP) and village in eastern Carroll County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 2,116 at the 2020 census. A year-round resort area, North Conway is the second-largest village within the town ...
, and
WJZN
WJZN (1400 AM) is a radio station licensed to serve Augusta, Maine, United States. The station, established in 1932 as WRDO, is owned by Townsquare Media and broadcasts an alternative rock format simulcast from WCYY in Portland. WJZN's program ...
in
Augusta, Maine
Augusta is the capital of the U.S. state of Maine and the county seat of Kennebec County.
The city's population was 18,899 at the 2020 census, making it the tenth-most populous city in Maine, and third-least populous state capital in the Un ...
; and
WEZQ
WEZQ (92.9 MHz; "The Ticket") is a commercial FM radio station broadcasting a sports format. Licensed to Bangor, Maine, United States, the station signal extends to Bar Harbor and Belfast on the coast, to Howland to the north. The station is ...
in
Bangor, Maine
Bangor ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Maine and the county seat of Penobscot County. The city proper has a population of 31,753, making it the state's 3rd-largest settlement, behind Portland (68,408) and Lewiston (37,121).
Modern Bangor ...
.
In October 2022, longtime producer Mike Lockhart was unceremoniously fired as part of company-wide downsizing. This was despite The Sports Hub having the fifth highest billing of all radio stations in the country. On October 17, Shertenlieb announced on air that Lockhart would re-join the show, but his salary would be paid in full by Shertenlieb. Speaking of the decision, Shertenlieb said, “In return for the company allowing me to pay my own money to bring Mike back, I was made to sign a contract that the show would write four articles a day for the station’s website. But that was much better than some of the other things that they were asking for. This is the last I’ll speak of the last week, because quite frankly, I’m fried. But the bottom line is, we love Mike Lockhart, he’s a part of our team, and I always want him to be part of our team.”
Station Affiliates
*
WBZ-FM
WBZ-FM (98.5 FM) is a commercial sports radio station licensed to Boston, Massachusetts, serving Greater Boston and much of surrounding New England. Owned by the Beasley Broadcast Group, WBZ-FM is the Boston affiliate for Fox Sports Radio; t ...
Boston, Massachusetts (flagship)
*
WLZX (AM) WLZX may refer to:
* WLZX (AM), a radio station (1600 AM) licensed to serve East Longmeadow, Massachusetts, United States
* WLZX-FM
WLZX-FM (99.3 MHz) is a radio station in Northampton, Massachusetts. The station has an active rock format, an ...
East Longmeadow, Massachusetts
*
WLZX-FM
WLZX-FM (99.3 MHz) is a radio station in Northampton, Massachusetts. The station has an active rock format, and is owned by Saga Communications. The station is also simulcast on WLZX (1600 AM) and translator station W253CD (98.5 FM), both in ...
Northampton, Massachusetts
*
WCYY
WCYY (94.3 FM) is a commercial radio station licensed to Biddeford, Maine, and serving the Portland metropolitan area. Its target audience are men between 18 and 44. The station airs an active/alternative rock radio format and is owned by Townsq ...
Biddeford, Maine
*
WEZQ
WEZQ (92.9 MHz; "The Ticket") is a commercial FM radio station broadcasting a sports format. Licensed to Bangor, Maine, United States, the station signal extends to Bar Harbor and Belfast on the coast, to Howland to the north. The station is ...
Bangor, Maine
*
WJZN
WJZN (1400 AM) is a radio station licensed to serve Augusta, Maine, United States. The station, established in 1932 as WRDO, is owned by Townsquare Media and broadcasts an alternative rock format simulcast from WCYY in Portland. WJZN's program ...
Augusta, Maine
*
WPKQ
WPKQ (103.7 MHz) is a commercial FM radio station licensed to North Conway, New Hampshire. It is owned by Townsquare Media and it simulcasts the alternative rock radio format of its sister station 94.3 WCYY. It is an affiliate of the New Eng ...
North Conway, New Hampshire
Show Members
*Fred "Toucher" Toettcher – Host
*Rich Shertenlieb – Co-host, Production
*Jon Wallach – Co-Host, Sports Hub Headlines. Wallach joined the show in 2009 following the transition to WBZ-FM. Prior to joining Toucher and Rich, Wallach worked at rival
WEEI, providing headlines for Dale Arnold and Michael Holley. The latter once remarked to Fred that he and Rich "gave Wallach a personality" since joining their show.
*Dan O'Brien – Executive Producer. Formerly the music director and night host on WBCN, Dan co-hosts the Tool Bags home improvement podcast with
Tony Massarotti
Anthony Ezio Massarotti (born October 28, 1967) is an American author and a former sportswriter for the ''Boston Herald'' and ''The Boston Globe''. He co-hosts a sports talk radio show, '' Felger & Mazz'', on 98.5 The Sports Hub with former '' ...
for WBZ-FM.
*Mike Lockhart – Production Director/Producer. Co-host of the 98.5 The Sports Hub Fantasy Football Show on Sunday mornings during the NFL Season
*Nick Gemelli – Producer – Nick interned for the show during WBCN, but abruptly left show in 2008 only to returning nearly eight years later. In May 2018, Nick fell ill and was diagnosed with methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) which almost killed him. He underwent open heart surgery to replace a damaged heart valve with artificial one. Fred frequently referring to Nick as "Young Sickly Nick." Nick currently runs the show's live
Twitch
Twitch may refer to:
Biology
* Muscle contraction
** Convulsion, rapid and repeated muscle contraction and relaxation
** Fasciculation, a small, local, involuntary muscle contraction
** Myoclonic twitch, a jerk usually caused by sudden muscle con ...
stream and contributes to the Sports Hub website. He's also responsible for street audio segments for the show, including Drunken Recaps, ‘Ask A Pink Hat’ and more. He's the son of popular show personality, Mark Gemelli.
Former Show Members
*Adolfo Gonzalez, Jr. – Former phone screener and street reporter who conducted interviews for the Drunken Red Sox, Bruins, Celtics, and Patriots recaps. Rich befriended Adolfo while working on the
Kidd Kraddick morning show at
KHKS
KHKS (106.1 FM) is a Dallas- Fort Worth Metroplex radio station broadcasting a Top 40 (CHR) format, licensed to Denton, Texas, and is under ownership of iHeartMedia, (formerly Clear Channel Communications). It is known as "KISS-FM (brand), Kiss ...
, as Adolfo would frequently watch the show through the studio's street-facing windows. Adolfo is often remarked on for his weight, speech patterns, and depressingly neglectful childhood (bordering on criminally abusive child neglect). He is also noted for having knowledge of random facts associated with American History, in particular facts and dates related to World War II. Adolfo's last day was May 31, 2016, in order to return to college full-time in Texas.
*Christopher "Crash" Clark – "Third mic" during the show's WBCN era, and the first year on WBZ-FM. Crash is close friends with Fred and Rich, having previously worked with them at
99X in Atlanta. During the WBCN years, Crash covered traffic, news, sports and more. Crash opted not to renew his contract in 2010, and returned to Atlanta. He now works at
WXIA-TV
WXIA-TV (channel 11) is a television station in Atlanta, Georgia, United States, affiliated with NBC. It is owned by Tegna Inc. alongside MyNetworkTV affiliate WATL (channel 36). Both stations share studios at One Monroe Place on the north en ...
as a traffic reporter. Crash has an affinity for Disney World, visiting the resort at least once per year with his wife.
*Brian "B-Real" Flora – Producer during the show's WBCN era. Later worked on-air part-time at rival
WAAF WAAF may refer to:
* w3af, (short for web application attack and audit framework), an open-source web application security scanner
* Women's Auxiliary Air Force, a British military service in World War II
** Waaf, a member of the service
* WAAF (AM ...
. B-Real regularly contributes feedback and content to the show to this day, and is mentioned on-air frequently by Fred and Rich.
*Jonathan "Bird" Marchant – Former call screener. Known for working security at Fenway Park, "Bird" has an unrivaled inability to form coherent sentences while speaking. Bird continues to appear in occasional pre-recorded segments, typically reviewing films with Nick Gemelli. Bird was let go from the station at the onset of COVID-19 in 2020, and was not rehired.
*PJ – Former intern and later producer during the WBCN era. PJ exited the show in 2008.
104.1 WBCN
Contributors
*The Chili Guy: A frequent bit on the show involved interviewing a schizophrenic homeless man known as "The Chili Guy". His rants and catch-phrases are a favorite on the show, including "Couple beers, no beers...chili", "Bring Him Up On Racketeering Charges!", "Who's Buyin'? Who's Sellin'? Who's Buyin'? Who's Sellin'?" and "How many eights you got?". His favorite food is from "Pizza House", and his favorite beverage is "Red Drink". He claims to be related to
Ted DiBiase
Theodore Marvin DiBiase Sr. (born January 18, 1954) is an American retired professional wrestler, manager, ordained minister and color commentator. He is currently signed to WWE working in their Legends program. DiBiase achieved championship ...
and
Hulk Hogan
Terry Eugene Bollea (; born August 11, 1953), better known by his ring name Hulk Hogan, is an American retired professional wrestler. He is widely regarded as the most recognized wrestling star worldwide and the most popular wrestler of the 19 ...
. The Chili Guy was most often interviewed by Adolfo Gonzalez, though other members of the show and Fred's wife interviewed him at various times as well. The Chili Guy is believed to have died.
*Dungeon Master Jim: a Boston lawyer whose main hobby is gaming. DMJ is the T&R definitive source for all things nerdy, and had his own segments.
*The Gunner: An often inebriated caller who began every call by saying "Hey guys... hey." Pieces with The Gunner included his karaoke of various popular songs. Frequently challenged Adolfo to a "panty drinking contest", which involved chugging beers through a woman's used panties. To this day, many loyal listeners begin their calls into the showwith "hey guys, hey" in honor of The Gunner. The Gunner died on April 16, 2019.
*Mike "Behind The Mic" Callahan: A broadcaster from
Dean College
Dean College is a private college in Franklin, Massachusetts. It offers bachelor's degrees, associate degrees, and continuing and professional education and certificates.
History
Dean College was founded by Dr. Oliver Dean as a co-educatio ...
that sent in a demo tape in the hope that he could take Rich's job. Mike was tasked with making theme songs for all of the towns involved in the "Five Towns in Five Days" promotion that Toucher and Rich presented. MBTM continues to submit off-key song parodies.
*
Rich Cronin
Richard Burton Cronin (August 30, 1974September 8, 2010) was an American singer, songwriter and rapper, best known for being the lead singer and primary songwriter for the pop and hip hop group LFO.
Early life and education
Cronin was born in ...
: This former member of boy band L.F.O. became a show favorite with his candid and self-effacing tales of a Boston guy in Hollywood, getting hit on by manager Lou Perlman, and scoring and being dumped by
Jennifer Love Hewitt
Jennifer Love Hewitt (born February 21, 1979) is an American actress and singer. Hewitt began her career as a child actress and singer, appearing in national television commercials before joining the cast of the Disney Channel series ''Kids I ...
.
*The T.A.R.D.S: The Toucher and Rich Show's fan base, standing for "Toucher And Rich Derelicts/Diehards/Disciples/Degenerates/Drunks". In the early days of the show this term could be seen on bumper stickers all over Boston. It's no longer used, presumably due to shifting social views regarding special needs and Rich's long-time involvement with the Miracle League of Massachusetts.
Popular segments
*Best of Boston: An annual contest to determine who has the best face, butt, boobs and feet in Boston. Winners get tickets to the "chili pot"
St. Patrick's Day.
*Chili Guy Thursdays: Thursday installments of the show would dedicate significant time, if not the entire broadcast, to playing audio of Adolfo's latest encounters and escapades with The Chili Guy.
*Warp Speed To the Weekend: A Friday segment where Dungeon Master Jim joined Fred and Rich to discuss the weekend's upcoming events in sci-fi and fantasy.
*You Listened, Now Discuss: Inspired by
Opie and Anthony
''Opie and Anthony'' was an American radio show hosted by Gregg Hughes, Gregg "Opie" Hughes and Anthony Cumia that aired from March 1995 to July 2014, with comedian Jim Norton (comedian), Jim Norton serving as third mic from 2001. The show origina ...
's "What Did We Learn," this segment was typically reserved for the final break of the show during the WBCN run and early in the WBZ-FM era. Listeners would call in and reference things covered earlier in the show's broadcast. Comments would be followed by a clip of
"Tom Sawyer" by
Rush, mashed up with audio of The Harvard Square Hippie Puppeteer. "You Listened, Now Discuss" has since been replaced by "The Stack."
98.5 The Sports Hub
Past / Present Popular segments
*What Happened Last Night?: Airing around 6:20am and setting the stage for the morning's broadcast, Rich features audio clips from the previous night's games, conferences, and interviews.
*The Stack: Airs after 9:30am. This is the final segment of the broadcast, typically reserved for topics of discussion not already covered (usually non-sports oriented.)
*"I'm an Ass Man":
Billy Gunn
Monty Kip Sopp (born November 1, 1963), better known by his ring name Billy Gunn, although he is currently finding renewed popularity under the ring name Daddy Ass, is an American professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is currently ...
's theme "Ass Man" plays at the conclusion of the show, usually as a signal for Fred and Rich to sign-off in preparation of the upcoming Zolak and Bertrand radio/television simulcast.
*Fart Court: Fred, Rich, and Wallach take famous celebrities to court for passing gas. Notable celebrities found guilty include
Nancy Grace
Nancy Ann Grace (born October 23, 1959) is an American legal commentator and television journalist. She hosted ''Nancy Grace'', a nightly celebrity news and current affairs show on HLN, from 2005 to 2016, and Court TV's ''Closing Arguments' ...
,
Wendy Williams
Wendy Williams Hunter ( Wendy Joan Williams; born July 18, 1964) is an American broadcaster and writer. From 2008 to 2021, she hosted the nationally syndicated television talk show ''The Wendy Williams Show.''
Prior to television, Williams ...
, and the stations own
Scott Zolak
Scott David Zolak (born December 13, 1967) is an American broadcaster and former professional American football, football player. He played quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for nine seasons, primarily with the New England Patrio ...
, who to this day, does not admit guilt.
*The Hot Take Police: Fred and Rich find and call out people in the media who have incredibly hot and outrageous takes on popular sports events/controversies (DeflateGate, etc.)
*Drunken Celtics/Bruins/Red Sox recap: a member of the show goes out and interviews drunks outside of stadiums and bars after Celtics, Bruins and Red Sox games. The first meeting with the Chili Guy came during a drunken
Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight ...
recap.
*Dating on Demand: The show analyzes cable company dating videos submitted by less than desirable folks while offering humorous commentary.
*Ask a Pink Hat: The show finds a less-than-knowledgeable and/or drunk female fan wearing a pink Red Sox cap and asks her basic questions about the Red Sox or other local sports team.
*Naughty Massarotti:
Tony Massarotti
Anthony Ezio Massarotti (born October 28, 1967) is an American author and a former sportswriter for the ''Boston Herald'' and ''The Boston Globe''. He co-hosts a sports talk radio show, '' Felger & Mazz'', on 98.5 The Sports Hub with former '' ...
reads Tweets and callers must decide whether they are real or he is making them up. Also used for describing "R-rated sex scenes" from select movies.
*New Jack Edwards:
NESN
New England Sports Network, popularly known as NESN , is an American regional sports network, regional sports cable television, cable and satellite television, satellite television network owned by a joint venture of Fenway Sports Group (which ow ...
Boston Bruins commentator
Jack Edwards reads aloud lyrics from
new jack swing
New jack swing, new jack, or swingbeat is a fusion genre of the rhythms and production techniques of hip hop and dance-pop, and the urban contemporary sound of R&B. Spearheaded by producers Teddy Riley and Bernard Belle, new jack swing was mos ...
songs, and listeners guess the associated artist.
*Dave Goucher Goes to the Movies:
Dave Goucher
Dave Goucher is an American sportscaster who currently serves as the television play-by-play voice announcer for the Vegas Golden Knights on AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain.
A 1993 graduate of Boston University, Goucher began his broadcasting care ...
(now with the Las Vegas Golden Knights) watches films such as
The Karate Kid
''The Karate Kid'' is a 1984 American martial arts drama film written by Robert Mark Kamen and directed by John G. Avildsen. It is the first installment in the ''Karate Kid'' franchise, and stars Ralph Macchio, Pat Morita, Elisabeth Shue and W ...
and
Top Gun
''Top Gun'' is a 1986 American action drama film directed by Tony Scott, produced by Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer, with distribution by Paramount Pictures. The screenplay was written by Jim Cash and Jack Epps Jr., and was inspired by an a ...
, and provides enthusiastic play-by-play.
*What's In Your Stack: Adolfo goes to a local Comic Book Store or Convention on a Wednesday to talk to customers about what comics they are buying and to ask several basic questions. The show attempts to guess their answers.
* The T&R Draft: The show draft teams of people, TV shows, movies, etc. that fit into certain categories, such as "Hottest TV Moms," "Celebrities that need their own reality TV show," "Best Movie fight scene," and more. Draft order is determined by the flip of a "3-headed coin," usually resulting in Jon going last. The winner is determined by a poll of audience votes.
*The Jon Gruden "This Guy" Challenge: Played on Tuesdays during the NFL season, Rich compiles the funniest and most ridiculous clips from ESPN NFL analyst
Jon Gruden
Jon David Gruden (born August 17, 1963) is a former American professional football coach who was a head coach in the National Football League (NFL) for 15 seasons. He held his first head coaching position with the Raiders franchise during thei ...
during his commentary of the previous night's Monday Night Football game, and a caller must decide whether or not Gruden will refer to players and/or coaches as "This Guy" during each clip.
*98 Mile: Various on-air and off-air personalities at 98.5 The Sports Hub compete one on one in a ranked bracketed "rap battle" style tournament to determine who can rap and roast their assigned opponents in the most humorous and cleverest manner. The eventual winner of the contest was
Damon Amendolara
Damon Lawrence Amendolara (born June 21, 1979) is the morning host (6a-10a ET) on the CBS Sports Radio Network, heard across North America. He was promoted to that time slot in March 2017. He previously worked as the evening host for WBZ-FM in Bos ...
in year 1 and Jon Wallach in year 2. 98 Mile then went on a 3-year hiatus, returning in 2015 when Rich Keefe won the competition.
Dan Roche
Dan Roche is a sports anchor and reporter for WBZ-TV and WSBK-TV in Boston for over 20 years.
Early life and education
Roche was born in Methuen, Massachusetts. He attended and North Andover High School and then enrolled at Nasson College. When t ...
won in year 4. The final round of year 4's competition was performed live at T&R's 10th Anniversary show, with Roche taking on
Scott Zolak
Scott David Zolak (born December 13, 1967) is an American broadcaster and former professional American football, football player. He played quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for nine seasons, primarily with the New England Patrio ...
. Of note there were numerous references to Felger and Massarotti's producer James Stewart having an emotionless personality and fitting the stereotypical profile of a serial murderer. The name of the contest is a reference to the film
8-Mile.
*Know Your Armpits of America: Rich gives a short description of a real news story, while Fred and Jon Wallach guess the town where the story occurred.
*Best of/Worst of Brackets: In this bit, the cast creates March Madness-style brackets in order to pit pop culture figures against one another, usually in a field of 16. The most notorious of these bits was the "Worst Comedians" bracket (won by
Dane Cook
Dane Jeffrey Cook (born March 18, 1972) is an American stand-up comedian and film actor. He has released six comedy albums: ''Harmful If Swallowed''; ''Retaliation''; '' Vicious Circle''; '' Rough Around the Edges: Live from Madison Square Garde ...
), which garnered international attention from various media outlets and comedy blogs. Other examples include "Worst Sportscaster" (won by Glenn "The Big O" Ordway), "Most Fascinating Person in Boston" (won by The Harvard Square Puppeteer), "Douchiest Douchebag" (won by
Spencer Pratt
Spencer William Pratt (born August 14, 1983) is an American reality television personality. In 2007, he began dating Heidi Montag, a primary cast member of the reality television series '' The Hills''. Subsequently, he came to prominence after be ...
) featuring pick up artist extraordinaire Mystery,
Brandon
Brandon may refer to:
Names and people
*Brandon (given name), a male given name
*Brandon (surname), a surname with several different origins
Places
Australia
*Brandon, a farm and 19th century homestead in Seaham, New South Wales
*Brandon, Q ...
from
Incubus
An incubus is a demon in male form in folklore that seeks to have sexual intercourse with sleeping women; the corresponding spirit in female form is called a succubus. In medieval Europe, union with an incubus was supposed by some to result in t ...
,
Guy Fieri
Guy Ramsay Fieri (, ; ''né'' Ferry; born January 22, 1968) is an American restaurateur, author, and an Emmy Award winning television presenter. He co-owns three restaurants in California, licenses his name to restaurants in New York City, Las ...
, and others. "Best Internet Video" (won by The Alabama Leprechaun).
*Faster Guy: An heir-apparent to the Chilli Guy, Mark aka "Faster Guy" is a well-meaning, mid-western-accented, pop-music loving hang-about that frequently runs into Adolfo outside the TD Garden and Fenway Park as the latter collects drunken recaps. The Faster Guy is known to favor non-sequiturs ("Ground beef is really a winner nowadays") and has various theories about the qualities that make up a good sports team ("
left-handedness
In human biology, handedness is an individual's preferential use of one hand, known as the dominant hand, due to it being stronger, faster or more Fine motor skill, dextrous. The other hand, comparatively often the weaker, less dextrous or sim ...
", for example, is a highly desirable athletic quality). The best attribute anything can have, of course, is the simple ability to go "faster", which in the Faster Guy's eyes cures many of life's ills. The crowning moment of a Faster Guy segment is usually when he finally references the word "faster", underscored by a dramatic rendition of "
O Fortuna
"O Fortuna" is a medieval Latin Goliardic poem which is part of the collection known as the ''Carmina Burana'', written early in the 13th century. It is a complaint about Fortuna, the inexorable fate that rules both gods and mortals in Roman an ...
.
* Paul Finebaum Calls: Fred, Rich & Jon listen to the best and strangest calls into The
Paul Finebaum
Paul Finebaum is an American sports author, former columnist, and television-radio personality. His primary focus is sports, particularly those in the Southeast. After many years as a reporter, columnist, and sports-talk radio host in the Birmin ...
Show, featuring regular callers like Mildred and Charles Allen Head, known best for introducing himself by saying, "Hey, Happy Tuesday/Wednesday."
* The Townie Test: Nick finds someone at a major event, whether it be a St. Patrick's Day parade or a Dropkick Murphys concert or some other event, and Fred and Wallach attempt to guess the contestant's answers to a series of questions. The intro song is sung over Shippin' up to Boston by the
Dropkick Murphys
Dropkick Murphys are an American Celtic punk band formed in Quincy, Massachusetts in 1996. Singer and bassist Ken Casey has been the band's only constant member. Other current members include drummer Matt Kelly (1997– ), singer Al Barr (199 ...
* Mark Gemelli: Intern Nick Gemelli's father, whom Nick lived with after recovering from open heart surgery. Mark Gemelli lives in a one-bedroom apartment in the North End, overlooking the parking garage at Government Center. Mark enjoys cooking meatballs, drinking Manhattans at 3pm, and thinks his son has "dick tendencies." He has an affinity for recliners, preferring to sleep in one over his bed. Shortly before Christmas in 2018, Toucher and Rich hosted "Mark Gemelli Christmas," where Mr. Gemelli was taken to Bernie and Phyl's in Saugus, MA and was allowed to pick out a new, free recliner. On April 8, 2022, Mr. Gemelli revealed that he witnessed part of the Government Center parking garage collapse, and was one of the first people on the scene to assist with the situation.
*Jim Gray Interview: While on "Radio Row" in Atlanta prior to
Super Bowl LIII
Super Bowl LIII was an American football game played to determine the champion of the National Football League (NFL) for the 2018 season. The American Football Conference (AFC) champion New England Patriots defeated the National Football Confe ...
, washed-up sportscaster
Jim Gray joined Fred, Rich and Jon for an interview. The exchange lasted less than five minutes, with Gray giving curt, defensive answers about his friendships with
Tom Brady
Thomas Edward Patrick Brady Jr. (born August 3, 1977) is an American football quarterback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (NFL). He spent his first 20 seasons with the New England Patriots organization, with which ...
and
Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Gail Winfrey (; born Orpah Gail Winfrey; January 29, 1954), or simply Oprah, is an American talk show host, television producer, actress, author, and philanthropist. She is best known for her talk show, ''The Oprah Winfrey Show'', br ...
. Upon being called out by Fred for not wanting to be there, Gray wished the show luck as they went to the headlines segment. While Jon read his headlines, Gray berated Fred and Rich off-air. Gray's off-air temper tantrum was featured on the show's Twitch stream.
*Brookline 911: Also known as "Everyone's Angry in Brookline," Fred, Rich, and Jon listen to recordings of 911 calls from angry, entitled residents of Brookline, MA. Calls include a woman reporting children who were taking rocks from a local beach, a man who claimed a Trader Joe's employee laughed at him, and a Star Market shopper who inexplicably proclaims in a thick accent that he "didn't do anything, she was tagging the five-sector." Now one of the most famous segments on the show, Toucher and Rich held a live "Brookline 911" event on May 13, 2022, at the Wilbur Theater in Boston, featuring previously unaired phone calls.
*Kyle Bailey vs. Fred Toucher: Host of the afternoon drive show on
WFNZ, Kyle Bailey instigated a feud with Fred in 2022, following an incident years prior when Fred hung up on a North Carolina-based sportswriter during an interview. Fred's on-air responses to Bailey's attempts at a verbal assault resulted in Bailey calling WBZ-FM program director Rick Radzik over a dozen times to complain.
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American comedy radio programs
American sports radio programs