thanks to all that listened and called the Next Level.

Basilio's headed back to Philly for awhile and he wanted me to relay his appreciation to those on this board that were listeners, callers, and SUPPORTERS of his program.

My guess is TB's known this was coming for a few weeks. With that being said, talking with Basilio this morning the reality of the situation (dismissal yesterday, Senseless article FRONT PAGE SPORTS NEWS today) I think the 'ol boy is taking it pretty hard. I told him to forget about it & find a place where he can be comfortable and display his talents.

As many of you know, in the radio industry you don't get the chance for goodbyes--the plug is pulled and that's it (VH, better listen to every minute of JT the Brick tonight, it's the last you'll hear him for awhile). Therefore, no "show for goodbyes".

I have absolutely nothing against the fellas at 990 and I know a couple of 'em work hard to bring quality information to the table. However, "they are what they are" if you know what I mean and I think Knoxville sports market has taken a blow from the TEAM's demise.

Heck, I got several calls last night from folks I didn't even know listened to the show asking where Basilio was yesterday & wondering what was going on. I just told 'em they'd find out soon enough.

I started listening & got hooked calling Mike Keith back in the summer of '89. First call I ever made was to declare Chuck Webb the best running back EVER at TN--and this was before he played a down (I was kinda like VH touting KW!) and MK thought I was nuts (I think I was proven right). Though I disagreed with MK strongly at times, we became pretty good friends and I knew he had the talent and passion that would take him further than Knoxville, TN, if that was what he wanted. Now he gets to say "AMSOUTH FIRST DOWN!!!!!"

My boy Philly put me on Basilio back when he started on WRJZ & was doing a show on Sunday nights from 11:00pm-12:00am. Obviously, TB moved on to 1040 (great radio) and then to 1240/95.7. Without question, I think this town is gonna miss having a show with the style & entertainment value TB brought to this market.

Finally, I can't thank Basilio enough for putting a rank amateur such myself on the air with him. I never have figured out why he asked me (and never asked!) but I sure can't give TB enough appreciation for sticking his neck out (or risking his job!) to put a fan--not a professional or a broadcast major--but a fan to on the air and interact with TB and his callers. Do you think 990 would ever "think out of the box" like that? I hope putting me on is something Basilio doesn't regret.

Also, I have to say I will NEVER forget the eight hours I was on with TB the day of Sept. 11th. Being on the radio & taking calls was one of the most therapeutic (sp?) happenings of my life. Maybe I should have been at home with my family, ect, but that was one of the few days in my life where I felt like I was doing something for the good of the community.

Rating have been mentioned alot on this board by those that are interested in such things. Though I know TB struggled through the Summer period of 2000 I can honestly say the two "trends" for the fall period had showed a dramatic increase in his listenership (final ratings come out in a week or two). Obviously football season had alot to do with that, but I also believe TB's "Fifth Quarter" creation and the hours Basilio put in around Sept. 11th increased his listening audience dramatically--but what do I know?

Finally, thanks to everybody on this board that ever told me once they knew I was gonna be on with TB "you can do it", ect.

Enough of the mushiness, let's get back to ripping the Gators for the Zook hire!

you added alot to the show Brock. I'll miss you, Doc, Nate, hell even Mash. I'll even miss Bob Fisher, the LugNuts show, hell even the LadyVol hour of power!

Tell TB to keep his chin up, and that people leave jobs everyday.

He'll be on the airwaves somewhere within 3 weeks. But, sadly, it might not be in this market.

We Knoxvillians are TOAST, when it comes to sportstalk.

_____________________________________________
UT 82
OP 76

Well, Ole Piss basketball is stinky and rotten; Championships and rings are long forgotten; We kicked that ass, kicked that ass, kicked that ass, in BuzzyLand; Well, I'm glad I'm not in Oxfraud; Hooray! Hooray! Cause Rebels fans are Redneck flagwavers, who live and die without rings; Hooray! Hooray! I'm glad I'm uuuuuuuuuuup in Knoxville!

I'll take that as a "helluva" complement.

TB will bounce back. The question is, where?

I hope it's Knoxville. We'll see.

I didn't realize I was this addicted to listening to Basilio. This is indeed a dark day for podunk Knoxville. The way this all went down, Senseless hyping it up on the front page, proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that the UTAD, KNS, 990, WBIR conspire to RUN THIS TOWN. Losing a true talent like Basilio is a damn disgrace.

You are right on the money, Geoff, in radio there is no time for goodbyes. Do you think Tony will ever circulate back into the Knoxville market? or does he harbor hard feelings towards this backwards assed town? (would not blame him if he does)

This is tragic. I may be boycotting sports talk shows all together. Snooze talk 99 is unbearable & Southern Sports tonight is nothing but a feel good SEC love fest. This really sucks. Through natural selection, Knoxville takes another step towards solidifying itself as one of the least progressive cities with potential, in the entire USA.

-------------------------
Demand Excellence
from your University!
..so says the Mouthpiece

1-4 vs. UGA & LSU 2000-2001
disgusting

what killed the Team? Why couldn't they compete? Why couldn't they make it?

Here are my reasons:

1) The bumper promos were a turnoff....the one about "GirlTalk" is attrocious, the ones promoting T-mail are usually offensive. Is that not a MANAGEMENT/marketing decision? Or is that Tony's doing?

2) The "Hit it and quit it" segments he did on Thursdays were ALWAYS offensive. He did these for months, and finally put a stop to them. They usually dissolved into gay jokes, LadyVol dike jokes, pick on Mashburn jokes, and calling Fulmer fat. They added ZERO to the show.

3) T-mail...although censored, still offensive. It usually dissolved into 9th grade humor.


The problem I always had with 1240 was the offensive content. Remember, this is the South, and K'Town is in the middle of the Bible belt. Heck, I GUARANTEE you that there will be people tonite that won't go to the game because of church! The 9th grade humor that was allowed to run rampant killed his show to the serious listener.

Was this Tony's doing, or management? They may have fired the wrong person!

_____________________________________________
UT 82
OP 76

Well, Ole Piss basketball is stinky and rotten; Championships and rings are long forgotten; We kicked that ass, kicked that ass, kicked that ass, in BuzzyLand; Well, I'm glad I'm not in Oxfraud; Hooray! Hooray! Cause Rebels fans are Redneck flagwavers, who live and die without rings; Hooray! Hooray! I'm glad I'm uuuuuuuuuuup in Knoxville!

Personaly I believe adding you to the next level was a great move by TB and brought convrosation to that platau. Even Chip Bryant when I talked to him the other day mentioned how he thought your take was candid and fair in the rhelm of local and national sports talk reporting and caller give and take.

TB had his quirks no doubt, but he added a much needed and recieved element to "entertaining sports" in our area. I do hope he returns and knows that his show in its next level format will be missed by many.
I would hope that mayby he and DW could hook up again and throwdown on whats now a wide open market.

Phil just expressed my exact sentiments concerning Tony’s (hopefully short lived) disappearance from the Sports Talk Show scene here in Knoxville comparing it to Spurrier leaving College Football. You either loved his style or hated it but all will miss him. He has a unique ability to remind us all that sports are and should be fun not life and death. He knew when to be funny and when to be serious, when to show reverence and when to show contempt, when to sympathize and when to insert the needle. He wasn’t afraid to buck the norm, develop relationships with his callers on and off the air, or laugh at himself or callers who took themselves too seriously. He went up against the established show in the market and dared to give us something different. He was unafraid of providing a forum for pro, or anti UT sentiment and shared the mike with guests that conventional shows would shudder to have in studio. I have greatly enjoyed my association with Tony on and off the air. I like John and Jimmy’s show and think they do a good job. I simply like Tony’s better. I called him for the first time in 1994 uncertain as to whether my viewpoint was air-worthy (I was smart enough to use an alias knowing that there was only one true Jeff, even if he can’t spell our Christian name, in the Sports Talk World). His gracious and respectful conversational style gave me the confidence needed to be a regular contributor. I have enjoyed every minute of it since. No one ever has or will again approach Tony’s ability to inform and entertain in this market until his return. I for one hope this is “see you later” rather than “goodbye”.

I wouldn't be surprised to see Basilio practicing sports talk radio again in the Southeast. My guess is he'll go back to Philly to recoup for a few months and use that time trying to land something down this way.

I think Memphis & Atlanta would both be good fits for TB. The Memphis market struggles for GOOD sports talk radio. Contrary to what the tiger high Sheep want you to think there are more UT alums living in Memphis than any other county in the state. Tony has experience in a SEC market, Memphis is within 400 miles of almost every SEC campus but doesn't represent the conference. Atlanta, on a larger scale, is also a town in SEC territory that struggles with the Max Howell- SHEEP related garbage. Atl is a joke for a national/professional sports talk town. I think TB could do well there with a SEC oriented show.

Some advice to Tony would be to surround himself with good people like Geoff Brock & steer clear of the dead weight. I won't mention names.

I seriously doubt TB will venture back into the Podunk Knoxville market, where you can't succeed unless your diet consists of Shaklee vitamins, $3 Bud Ford Hot dogs & a wig of Orange wool hanging well past your eyes.


-------------------------
Demand Excellence
from your University!
..so says the Mouthpiece

1-4 vs. UGA & LSU 2000-2001
disgusting

...& steer clear of the dead weight."

Would this include our good friends 63 and AIM? Didn't he already "steer clear" of AIM when he SH**CANNED HIS ASS? Didn't he "steer clear" of 63 when he BANNED HIM INTO OBLIVION?

LOOKS TO ME LIKE TONY WENT OUOT ON TOP!

I'm not sure what the future holds for TB, I'm still in shock thinking about the Team not being on in 5 minutes!



_____________________________________________
UT 82
OP 76

Well, Ole Piss basketball is stinky and rotten; Championships and rings are long forgotten; We kicked that ass, kicked that ass, kicked that ass, in BuzzyLand; Well, I'm glad I'm not in Oxfraud; Hooray! Hooray! Cause Rebels fans are Redneck flagwavers, who live and die without rings; Hooray! Hooray! I'm glad I'm uuuuuuuuuuup in Knoxville!

Your departure will leave a big gaping hole in Knoxville. Your show definitely had an edge, and I thought it had found it's niche in this market. But it seems that station mgt. has different plans for the future.

I ripped you a few times in past for inaccuracies. And I don't apologize for doing that. I just wanted you to shoot straighter, that's all. Nothing personal, I assure you.

You will land on your feet, I'm confident. I don't know about your work ethic, but you are definitely talented. And you definitely have an unmistakable on-air presence that makes you stand out. Best wishes to you and your family.

I get on this site,that it is in this situation. Brock thanks for getting on here and letting us know something. I really enjoyed your addition to TB's show. I never would have believed that TB would be off the air. I hope it is only for a short time. I'm with TBA, if 850 was smart they would have a call into TB and you,Brock, as soon as possible. I can't handle the snooze machine much longer and it has only been two days.Anyway THANKS BROCKYTOP!! Let's not let this be the end of a good thing.

morning's senseless.

I began listening to Tony back in the Sports Drive days and have been hooked ever since. I had been listening to 990 since around '91, but after I heard Tony, and his crazy cast of callers, I only ventured to the Snooze during commercials and then after Tony's show was over. Although I have been a very infrequent caller (maybe I - and others like me - should have called more often), I have listened religiously over the years and feel like I know a lot of you guys that do call everyday, as well as Tony. It is a grave understatement to say that I will miss Tony's show. I selfishlessly hope, but am not extremely confident, that he will return to the Knoxville market. It will truely be sad if he does not.

Tony, if you're lurking, Good luck to you and your family (I'm a fellow father of twins and know that you have your hands full). You have talent that was probably unappreciated in this market and I know the future is bright for you.

For sports radio in K-town. I've been a long time listener to TB and am saddened at the turn of events. Even though I didn't always agree with him (that's the hole point of convro anyway, isn't it?), I was always entertained. Even though I've never met most of the callers, I felt as though I knew them and actually looked forward to hearing their opinions after a game. I feel like most of the rest do about 990/99.1, it's basically mundane, especially since MK moved on.

There is definitely a market for Basilio and I hope he knows how much he will be missed, and get his cold-catching, work-missing, Titan/Brave bashing, Tennessee Volunteer loving, Yankee ass back on the air In Knoxville where it belongs.

THANKS TB

What could we do to really show TB we will miss him and his brand of show, especialy if he goes out of market?
Mayby an SPS dinner before he leaves town? Has he left yet?
Why in the hell couldn't we set up a dinner / show for TB and family?
Am I onto something here?????

Thats a great idea and I have another.

How about we set up an email account for TB ,let Brocky give him the password, and post the address at all BIG ORANGE boards we can find and let him see how much he was appreciated and how much he's already been missed.

That sounds like a plan to me. My gosh I cant take anymore of *giggles and elvis or glen campbell or whatever you call him!* I tried it , first day didnt make if an hour. Basillio and Bruno were the only good radio on. IMO

Has a Gig planned at Tony Rama's I believe for this Thursday. Mayby something then if TB is back in town.
Either way we need to support DW for sure!!!