Ron Cameron

[Momo]

^ Wilbon.

[Trophyhead]

PTI, of course is the Kornheiser/Wilbon concoction now into its third decade, but I pause to consider for a moment the synergy of a Jim Bakker/Michael Wilbon duologue on PTL. Maybe it doesn't shine like Ron and Denny, Ron/Ray Scott or Ron and Rich Kincaide but Cameron stirs at night on an old motel mattress, at the thought of monetizing his work as efficiently.

[Momo]

On 10/8, Ron informed his rapt, predominantly female, audience that Kris Draper, Tom Gage & the then-unnamed coach of the minor league Griffins would be future guests in the "next 2-3 weeks." Let's review that, in the words of Ron, "shall we."

[Bobbert]

Midweek Memories

Saturday, February 11, 2017 (Hour 1)

Open line with Ron and Alex.

Two big news events:

• The death of Mike Ilitch

• Ron's decision to look for another location for his restaurant

https://www.detroitmoviepalaces.com/ima ... 117_OL.mp3

Saturday, February 11, 2017 (Hour 2)

Interview with Jim Leyland

https://www.detroitmoviepalaces.com/ima ... eyland.mp3

[Willie108]

Imagine Ron walking into the Rams Horn for his free dinner:

Restaurant Greeter: Welcome to Rams Horn....party of one??

Ron: You betcha girly.....I AM RON CAMERON....THE SPORTS TALK RADIO LEGEND!!!

Greeter: Sir, there will be a few minutes wait until we can open up a table for you. We have a party of 10 waiting to be seated just ahead of you.

Ron: A party of 10??? Look here sister......I AM THE GREAT RON CAMERON....THE SPORTS TALK RADIO LEGEND. I DON'T CARE IF YOU HAVE A PARTY OF 100.....I DEMAND TO BE SEATED IMMEDIATLY!!!! THAT PARTY OF 100 CAN GO TO YOU-KNOW WHERE!!!! I AM THE GREAT RON CAMERON. I WANT TO SEE THE MANAGER!!!!!

Manager: Good evening Mack....what's the problem????

Ron: I should never never have to wait for a table here. I AM RON CAMERON....THE SPORTS TALK RADIO LEGEND!!!!

Manager: You have to wait until a table becomes available. That's restaurant policy.

Ron: To hell with your policy....I AM THE GREAT RON CAMERON....THE SPORT TALK RADIO LEGEND. I DON'T HAVE TO WAIT FOR ANYBODY!!!! SEE THAT PARTY OF 8 OVER THERE???? THROW THEM OUT. I WANT MY FREE DINNER...GET IT DIMWIT?????

Manager: I just can't do that. They're spending a couple of hundred dollars in here.

Ron: I DON'T CARE....THE AMOUNT OF BUSINESS I BRING IN HERE THRU ADVERTISING ON A LITTLE KNOWN RADIO STATION MAKES UP FOR IT. NOW GET ME MY TABLE DING DONG!!!!

Manager: Later seen in his office taking 6 Tylenol and washing it down with 2 bottles of Budweiser he had in his desk.

[Momo]

Just listened to the open-line hour of the 2/11/17 show. Thanks, as always, Bobbert.

Wasn't the aborted restaurant opening supposed to be in Livonia? I thought Ron's penultimate restaurant was in Livonia (with the West Bloomfield yogurt place his last), so did he find another location in the city?

Ron's prediction that, post-Mike Ilitch, the Tigers would be sold within a year didn't age very well. Ron needs to stick to scouting the NBA draft.

When JJ talked about Mike Ilitch first selling pizzas at a bowling alley, which gave him the "impetus" to open up his first restaurant, I wonder if Ron thought that was some sort of small business loan of which he previously been unaware. An impetus loan.

https://imgflip.com/i/1ily6w

Even though John Salley "hugged" Ron, there was no promised follow-up show appearance on his part.

In one hour, Ron told stories of two people - Bob Lanier & Edsel Ford - pretending to be someone else in Ron's presence. Either Ron attracts more than his share of pranksters, or there are those who will do anything to avoid his attention.

On the basis of the information (the late) caller Ken provided, I think we have a hit on him:

https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituar ... ni-9176732

[Bobbert]

Just listened to the open-line hour of the 2/11/17 show. Thanks, as always, Bobbert.

Wasn't the aborted restaurant opening supposed to be in Livonia? I thought Ron's penultimate restaurant was in Livonia (with the West Bloomfield yogurt place his last), so did he find another location in the city?

Ron's prediction that, post-Mike Ilitch, the Tigers would be sold within a year didn't age very well. Ron needs to stick to scouting the NBA draft.

When JJ talked about Mike Ilitch first selling pizzas at a bowling alley, which gave him the "impetus" to open up his first restaurant, I wonder if Ron thought that was some sort of small business loan of which he previously been unaware. An impetus loan.

https://imgflip.com/i/1ily6w

Even though John Salley "hugged" Ron, there was no promised follow-up show appearance on his part.

In one hour, Ron told stories of two people - Bob Lanier & Edsel Ford - pretending to be someone else in Ron's presence. Either Ron attracts more than his share of pranksters, or there are those who will do anything to avoid his attention.

On the basis of the information (the late) caller Ken provided, I think we have a hit on him:

https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituar ... ni-9176732

The aborted restaurant was supposed to be in the Laurel Park Place mall in Livonia.

I'd agree that the obit is for the caller Ken. Thanks for digging it up. I always enjoyed his calls.

It was fun listening to the post-game talk about that wild Super Bowl where Brady led the Patriots from a 28-3 deficit to beat the Falcons.

[Momo]

A couple of ideas to recognize those who toil in the heretofore thankless field of brokered radio.

Ronnie Awards to be handed out annually for excellence in the field of brokered radio. Competition for best in show would be in the following talk genres:

(a) sports
(b) oldies music
(c) financial
(d) veterans
(e) truckers
(f) religion
(g) senior living
(h) the Middle East

The awards would be handed out at the front desk of a motel. Motel management cautions that the presentations may come in the midst of an active crime scene.

For lifetime achievement, a hall of fame for the stars of brokered radio is also in order. And while Ron himself may not be a first-ballot selection, or even get the nod during his ten years on the ballot, he might - owing perhaps solely to sheer longevity - get in by a vote of the veterans committee. The Brokered Radio Hall of Fame would occupy a building formerly housing an insurance company.

[Trophyhead]

There's a lot to unwrap, here. ^^^^^^^

No doubt a "Ronnie" winner should be fed at some area restaurant on a voucher system supported by live read ads, but I defer to larger minds.

[Bobbert]

A couple of ideas to recognize those who toil in the heretofore thankless field of brokered radio.

Ronnie Awards to be handed out annually for excellence in the field of brokered radio. Competition for best in show would be in the following talk genres:

(a) sports
(b) oldies music
(c) financial
(d) veterans
(e) truckers
(f) religion
(g) senior living
(h) the Middle East

The awards would be handed out at the front desk of a motel. Motel management cautions that the presentations may come in the midst of an active crime scene.

For lifetime achievement, a hall of fame for the stars of brokered radio is also in order. And while Ron himself may not be a first-ballot selection, or even get the nod during his ten years on the ballot, he might - owing perhaps solely to sheer longevity - get in by a vote of the veterans committee. The Brokered Radio Hall of Fame would occupy a building formerly housing an insurance company.

For the lifetime achievement award, I'll nominate Holy Hubert Lindsay, whose Sunday night brokered program on WMUZ in the 1980s was in a class by itself. If he had lived long enough to have a Buzzboard topic, it would have rivaled Ron's topic for free-wheeling discussion.

[Momo]

For the lifetime achievement award, I'll nominate Holy Hubert Lindsay, whose Sunday night brokered program on WMUZ in the 1980s was in a class by itself. If he had lived long enough to have a Buzzboard topic, it would have rivaled Ron's topic for free-wheeling discussion.

If only the radio careers of Ron & this guy had ever intersected. "This is a sports show." "No, this is a salvation show."

https://berkeleyplaques.org/e-plaque/ho ... t-lindsey/

[Momo]

Saturday, February 11, 2017 (Hour 2)

Interview with Jim Leyland

https://www.detroitmoviepalaces.com/ima ... eyland.mp3

As Ron's interviews go, not his worst (although certainly not on a par with the legendary Jim Kaat interview). Ron included his greatest thrill question, while asking a variation of his "did you always want to be" question ('did you think growing up you had what it takes to be a major league catcher?').

After Leyland talked about his longtime relationship with then-NYM manager Terry Collins (who apparently wore no. 10 in honor of Leyland), Ron, ever the gracious host, had to hijack the conversation to talk about HIS relationship to Collins. He told his 1969 Winter League story when he was the "chief" umpire & Collins was a minor league shortstop. He ends his tale with "we've been hanging a little bit ever since." Of course, on another occasion, Ron inadvertently gave up the ghost when he let slip that Collins would know him if he saw him. Even in the unlikely event that even that would be true, so much for having this comparable relationship with Collins.

Both Ron & Leyland were way off in their predictions for the upcoming season. Ron had the Tigers winning 85-89 games, with Leyland thinking they would do even better. The Tigers ended up 64-98.

[Bobbert]

Saturday, February 11, 2017 (Hour 2)

Interview with Jim Leyland

https://www.detroitmoviepalaces.com/ima ... eyland.mp3

As Ron's interviews go, not his worst (although certainly not on a par with the legendary Jim Kaat interview). Ron included his greatest thrill question, while asking a variation of his "did you always want to be" question ('did you think growing up you had what it takes to be a major league catcher?').

After Leyland talked about his longtime relationship with then-NYM manager Terry Collins (who apparently wore no. 10 in honor of Leyland), Ron, ever the gracious host, had to hijack the conversation to talk about HIS relationship to Collins. He told his 1969 Winter League story when he was the "chief" umpire & Collins was a minor league shortstop. He ends his tale with "we've been hanging a little bit ever since." Of course, on another occasion, Ron inadvertently gave up the ghost when he let slip that Collins would know him if he saw him. Even in the unlikely event that even that would be true, so much for having this comparable relationship with Collins.

Both Ron & Leyland were way off in their predictions for the upcoming season. Ron had the Tigers winning 85-89 games, with Leyland thinking they would do even better. The Tigers ended up 64-98.

I liked how Leyland immediately shut down Ron's discussion of the future of the Tigers. A reasonable journalist would have asked, "How do you think this will affect the future of the Tigers?", but Ron had to take it much further. Also, in the open line hour, it took J.J. to pay proper tribute to Mike Ilitch, because Ron was too busy trying to inject himself into the story.

When the caller brought up Terry Collins, I thought, oh no, here it comes. I wonder how many thousands of times we'll have to hear the "Hey Cameron, did you ever learn the strike zone?" story?

Leyland kept saying the phrase that will forever haunt Tiger fans: "If Zimmermann is healthy..." It was also painful to hear him talk about all the great Tiger players who Ron's hero—Al Avila—basically gave away.

For once, the "greatest thrill " question brought an interesting answer. Leyland used it to touch on the different phases of his career, with Pittsburgh, the Marlins, and the Tigers.

[Majik]

A couple of ideas to recognize those who toil in the heretofore thankless field of brokered radio.

Ronnie Awards to be handed out annually for excellence in the field of brokered radio. Competition for best in show would be in the following talk genres:

(a) sports
(b) oldies music
(c) financial
(d) veterans
(e) truckers
(f) religion
(g) senior living
(h) the Middle East

The awards would be handed out at the front desk of a motel. Motel management cautions that the presentations may come in the midst of an active crime scene.

For lifetime achievement, a hall of fame for the stars of brokered radio is also in order. And while Ron himself may not be a first-ballot selection, or even get the nod during his ten years on the ballot, he might - owing perhaps solely to sheer longevity - get in by a vote of the veterans committee. The Brokered Radio Hall of Fame would occupy a building formerly housing an insurance company.

The trophy could be a room key for a flea bag motel.

[Bobbert]

Was Ron supposed to visit his doctor about his knee surgery this past Tuesday? I can imagine how it went:

Doctor: Ron, I know you're concerned that you will lose valuable work time while recovering from the knee surgery, but it has to be done as soon as possible, or you'll risk being permanently disabled.

Ron: But I can't get this surgery until I open my new restaurant!

Doctor: You're always making excuses. Just a few months ago, you were telling me that you had to get this surgery done before you could open the restaurant.

Ron: But things have changed since then. I really need to open the restaurant first.

Doctor: You just don't want to commit to either thing, Ron. I'm a physician, but with you I seem to always be playing psychiatrist.

Ron: I know what's best for me, Doctor. I know the Oakland County Medical Examiner. He gave me all kinds of great advice during the two minutes of small talk we had when I was waiting to get my COVID-19 shot.

Doctor: OK, Ron, have it your way. All I can tell you is that you're headed for some major problems if you don't take my advice.

Ron: This Pistons should have drafted Haliburton!

Doctor: Huh?