The Musers — 2026-03-17

The Musers — 1310 The Ticket, Dallas | Tuesday, March 17, 2026

📋 Segments This Day

• Trip Brillstein The Musers 2232026
• Observation Deck The Musers 2232026
• Ticketstock 2026 Thoughts The Musers 2232026

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🎙️ Early Show Analysis

I’ll analyze this transcript portion and answer each relevant question.

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Segments That Appeared

• *Trip Brillstein* (timestamped ~8:41 AM based on intro): A Gordo comedy bit in which a fictional character named “Tripp Brillstein” calls in claiming to be a member of the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team (“Miracle on Ice”), using the occasion of the 2026 U.S. men’s team beating Canada in Olympic hockey to grandstand about his own fabricated role on the ’80 squad. Gordo voices Brillstein while George plays the skeptical straight man.
• *Observation Deck* (timestamped ~6:16 AM): Gordo’s regular solo commentary segment, sponsored by Generator Supercenter and Pilot George Aikar. In this instance it quickly becomes a roundtable discussion about Gordo’s behavior at Ticketstock, including a reference to a Pudge Rodriguez appearance at the event.

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Sports Topics Discussed

• The 2026 U.S. men’s Olympic hockey team beating Canada 2-1 in overtime to win gold in Milan — mentioned at the top of the Trip Brillstein segment and referenced throughout as the comedic springboard
• The 1980 Miracle on Ice team and their legendary win over the Soviet Union — extensively (and absurdly) referenced through the Brillstein character
• Jack Hughes losing two teeth during the 2026 Olympic run — briefly mentioned by the host as an example of the modern team’s toughness (~[00:04:23])
• Pudge Rodriguez — briefly referenced in the Observation Deck segment in connection with a Ticketstock roundtable appearance

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Funny Moments, Gordo Bits, and Memorable Quotes

• The entire Trip Brillstein call is a Gordo comedic character bit. Highlights include:
• Brillstein claiming to be “kind of the star” of the 1980 team but not appearing on the roster because he was “a late add” and didn’t get on “a lot of the paperwork” [~00:00:41]
• Claiming he “can make it from goal to goal in under a second” [~00:01:10]
• Insisting the Soviets “waterboarded our goalie between periods” and “stabbed half of our defensemen with knives” [~00:03:01–00:03:10]
• “Mike Aruzioni in a cage with a tiger for half of the third period. If you watch closely, you can see that.” [~00:03:16]
• Claiming Herb Brooks pulled all his teeth out with malfunctioning vice grips while standing on his chest — “and I think he was making a point about tariffs or something” [~00:04:49–00:05:10]
• The prank war escalation: Brooks put a bucket of ping pong balls over Brillstein’s door; Brillstein responded by stabbing Brooks’ brother at a kid’s birthday party [~00:05:40–00:05:51]
• Claiming the 2026 U.S. win “was predetermined by Vince McMahon” [~00:06:22]
• Saying he went into “the exciting world of commercial real estate” after hockey [~00:06:46]
• George mock-reading the “expanded edition” of the Encyclopedia of Sports confirming Brillstein’s stats, including “Herb Brooks extracted all of his teeth” [~00:07:24]
• In the Observation Deck, Gordo jokes about being put on Ticketstock roundtables against his will, and George/Junior suggest Kent keeps him on them as punishment — “And to us.” [~00:01:25]
• Gordo’s line about the Pudge roundtable: “What do I know to ask Pudge? I don’t know anything to ask Pudge.” Followed by the rejoinder: “Hey, how much your watch costs?” [~00:01:43]

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Recurring Bits, Characters, or Inside Jokes Referenced

• *Trip Brillstein* — appears to be a recurring Gordo fictional caller/character, a braggadocious fraud who inserts himself into major sports moments
• *Ticketstock* — the annual Ticket listener event, referenced in both segments as having just occurred over the weekend
• *Steve in the Attic* — teased for a 6:40 appearance in the Observation Deck intro; described as “the strangest person we know,” suggesting a recurring character or caller
• *Observation Deck with Gordo* — a named, sponsored recurring segment
• The mention of Kent (presumably station management) and roundtables suggests an ongoing inside joke about Gordo’s difficult behavior at Ticketstock panels

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Summary

This portion of the March 17, 2026 Musers broadcast opens with the *Observation Deck* segment at 6:16 AM, in which Gordo reflects on Ticketstock weekend. The conversation quickly becomes a playful bit about Gordo being an unruly participant in the event’s roundtables, with George and Junior suggesting that producer/management figure Kent intentionally keeps Gordo on panels as a form of punishment. There’s also a passing reference to a Pudge Rodriguez appearance at Ticketstock, with Gordo self-deprecatingly admitting he had nothing to ask the Hall of Fame catcher.

The centerpiece of this portion is the *Trip Brillstein* segment at 8:41 AM, a fully developed Gordo comedy character bit. Brillstein calls in as a supposed member of the 1980 Miracle on Ice team, using the U.S. men’s team’s 2-1 overtime gold medal win over Canada at the 2026 Milan Olympics as his launching pad to diminish the modern team’s achievement. The bit escalates into increasingly absurd fabrications about the Soviet team’s brutality (waterboarding, stabbing, caging players with tigers), Brillstein’s own inflated self-image, and his deteriorating relationship with coach Herb Brooks — culminating in a prank war in which Brillstein stabbed Brooks’ brother at a child’s birthday party.

Throughout both segments, the hosts play excellent straight men to Gordo’s chaos. George Dunham in particular delivers deadpan reactions that heighten the comedy, and the Brillstein bit ends warmly with the character complimenting Ticketstock before hanging up. The show teases an upcoming deeper discussion of the U.S. hockey gold medal story and a visit with “Steve in the Attic,” suggesting more content in segments not included in this portion of the transcript.

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⏰ Mid-Show Analysis

The Musers — 2026-03-17 | Observation Deck / Musers 223 Segment Analysis

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Segments in This Portion

• Post-Time Wasters Recap / Yacht Rock / Music Discussion (begins ~00:01:46): The hosts debrief after a recent “Time Wasters” performance (the show’s band), discussing songs played, Gordo’s newfound love of Yacht Rock, Junior’s harmonica performance, and general praise for the performers.

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Funny Moments, Gordo Bits, or Memorable One-Liners

• [00:05:51] Gordo on why he used to hate Michael McDonald: *”I didn’t want to hear some guy who needed to get the mashed potatoes out of his mouth.”*
• [00:10:52] Gordo muses about the leather pants Junior wears for Time Wasters: *”I did get to thinking about how many nights of ball sweat those leather pants have seen in their Time Wasters history.”*
• [00:11:07] Junior reveals the leather pants were hand-me-downs from “Big Dick Hunter,” prompting Gordo: *”Can you imagine what those things saw before Gina? What kind of crotch action they saw?”*
• [00:12:17] George delivers a prank story — after praising a ringerguitar player Catman brought in, Monty told George the guy was “one of our new board ops.”
• [00:12:13] The guitarist is identified as being from an Ozzy Osbourne cover band called *Blizzard of Oz*, described as “named by Skip Bayless” — a throwaway gag.

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Pop Culture, Music, or Non-Sports Topics Discussed

• Yacht Rock appreciation (~00:02:00–00:09:00): Gordo shares his conversion to loving Yacht Rock after overseeing Time Wasters rehearsals. Songs discussed include:
• *”Rich Girl”* — Hall & Oates
• *”Rosanna”* — Toto (George dislikes it; Gordo and others love it)
• *”Africa”* — Toto (George prefers Weezer’s cover)
• An unnamed song featuring Michael McDonald / The Doobie Brothers (strongly implied to be *”What a Fool Believes”* or similar), which Gordo now calls “one of the greatest songs of all time” after repeatedly hearing it in rehearsal
• Michael McDonald praised extensively; Gordo references a Ticket personality named “Javier” who had long championed McDonald as the greatest singer — vindicated at last.
• 80s music videos (~00:06:57): Hosts agree roughly 90% are unwatchable and cringeworthy. Exception given to A-ha’s *”Take On Me”* video (praised as groundbreaking for mixing cartoon and live action). Toto’s *”Africa”* video is called out for “weird racial stuff.”
• Junior’s harmonica performance (~00:09:22): Junior learned harmonica via YouTube for the Time Wasters show, had to switch from a C harmonica to an A-flat, and nearly dragged behind at Thursday’s rehearsal before nailing it on show night.
• Turtle Man (~00:08:04): Brief tangential reference — hosts wonder if the show is still going and if the man is still alive.

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Summary

This portion of the March 17, 2026 Musers show is an entirely non-sports, post-event debrief centered on the Time Wasters performance — the show’s recurring band featuring the hosts. Gordo leads the conversation, recounting his surprising conversion to loving Yacht Rock after being forced to listen to rehearsals repeatedly. He offers apologies to “the greater Yacht Rock community” for years of dismissiveness and credits a Ticket personality named Javier for being right all along about Michael McDonald’s greatness.

The hosts compare notes on specific songs — debating Toto’s “Rosanna” (George doesn’t love it, Gordo and others do), “Africa” (George prefers Weezer’s version), and the Michael McDonald/Doobie Brothers number that became Gordo’s unexpected favorite. The conversation drifts into a broader takedown of 80s music videos, with near-universal agreement that they were embarrassing, save for A-ha’s iconic “Take On Me.”

The segment wraps with warm recaps of individual Time Wasters performances: Junior’s nervously-executed-but-ultimately-praised harmonica part, Gordo’s compliments to George (“Giorgio”) as the most working musician on staff, a shoutout to “Daddy” as the only classically trained singer in the group, and praise for “Baldy’s” guitar work. The closer is a fun prank story — George raving about a ringer guitarist Catman brought in, only for Monty to deadpan that the guy was just a new board op.

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🏁 Final Hour Analysis

Analysis: The Musers — 2026-03-17 (Final Portion)

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Segments That Appeared

• Ticketstock 2026 Thoughts [00:00:00–00:09:00]: The hosts recapped their experiences at Ticketstock 2026, held at the Plano Center. They reflected on guest appearances, fan interactions, memorable moments, and highlighted specific personal stories from the event. The segment flows into a continuation of the same discussion in the earlier timestamps [00:12:38–00:15:35], where the hosts specifically discuss the Ozzy Osbourne cover band performer and George’s awkward crowd interview moments.

• Observation Deck (teased) [00:08:59]: Mentioned as the upcoming segment — “Gordo and the Observation Deck” — but not included in this portion of the transcript.

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Sports Topics Discussed

• Pudge Rodriguez [00:04:52–00:06:57]: George recapped the Ticketstock roundtable with Hall of Fame catcher Ivan “Pudge” Rodriguez. Pudge was described as being “in rare form” discussing his career. A clip was teased for later in the show at 8:15.
• Sam Perkins / Big Smooth [00:00:38, 00:06:57–00:08:51]: Extended discussion of the Ticketstock roundtable with former Maverick Sam Perkins. Topics included his time at North Carolina alongside Michael Jordan and James Worthy, the 1984 Olympic trials in Bloomington (reportedly ~70 players tried out), early Maverick stories, and the broader golden era of 1980s college basketball featuring Ewing, Olajuwon, NC State’s famous upset, and teams from Carolina, Georgetown, and Houston.
• 1983 Pan-American Games [00:08:26–00:08:47]: Junior expressed interest in doing a full segment on the Pan-American team Sam Perkins was on that won the gold medal, calling it a compelling and underappreciated story.
• Charles Haley and Kevin Smith [00:00:27–00:00:38]: Briefly mentioned as Ticketstock guests alongside Pudge and Sam Perkins.
• Glenn Gulutzan (Stars coach) [00:00:33–00:00:38]: Mentioned as a Friday night Ticketstock participant.

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Funny Moments or Memorable Gordo Bits

• Gordo Interrupts Pudge / Gets Rejected on the Watch Question [00:05:08–00:06:57]: George described how Gordo disrupted the roundtable by interjecting mid-question as George tried to ask Pudge something meaningful. Then, Gordo tried to “bro down” with Pudge by asking how much his watch cost. Pudge’s flat response — *”Don’t worry about it”* — shut Gordo down completely. George called it his favorite moment of the entire weekend. The audio clip was played on air.
• Gordo Thinks the Ozzy Impersonator Is a Board Op [00:13:44–00:14:22]: George recounted that Gordo saw the Ozzy cover band singer (from the band “Blizzard of Oz”) and was convinced for about 30 minutes that the man — who appeared to be around 50 years old — was a new board op for The Ticket. George’s reaction: *”Like a guy is going to, at the age of 50…”*

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Any Phone Callers

None appeared in this portion of the transcript.

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How the Show Wrapped Up / Previews of Upcoming Segments

• George wrapped the Ticketstock recap warmly, thanking P1s, the promotions staff (Chris and Sky), and sponsors including Mullen Mullen, Choloso Mexican Bistro, Macho Self Storage, Phil Dill Boats, and VisitBigBen.com [00:00:10–00:01:09].
• A clip from the Pudge Rodriguez roundtable was teased for 8:15 in the show [00:04:58–00:05:02].
• The next segment was announced as “Gordo and the Observation Deck” [00:08:59].

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Notable Quotes or Moments

• Pudge to Gordo on the watch question [00:06:24]: *”Don’t worry about it.”* — Delivered flatly and perfectly, described by George as his favorite moment of the weekend.
• George on a fan’s anonymous $200 donation [00:04:22–00:04:49]: A listener handed George two $100 bills at Ticketstock, asked to remain anonymous, and said to put it toward the year’s Jub Jam benefiting the Senior Source. George quipped: *”I spent it at the Assembly Ice House Saturday night.”*
• George on his late brother Tad [00:03:26–00:04:06]: A fan named Chris from Gainesville approached George to say he had worked with George’s late brother Tad at a furniture store and that Tad had inspired and changed his life. George described it as a genuinely moving moment.
• George on fan interactions generally [00:03:03–00:03:08]: *”It’s just so heartwarming and reassuring that we’re in here for some reason.”*
• George’s closing joke [00:08:55–00:08:58]: After thanking “you all” for a great weekend, he immediately clarified — *”Not you”* — apparently directed at someone in the studio, then added *”I was thinking the P-1.”*

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Three-Paragraph Summary

This final portion of The Musers on March 17, 2026 was dedicated almost entirely to a warm and celebratory recap of Ticketstock 2026, held over the prior Friday and Saturday at the Plano Center in Plano, Texas. George led the retrospective, thanking P1 listeners, the promotions staff, and sponsors, while sharing personal highlights from the event. He was genuinely moved by several fan encounters — including a stranger who donated $200 anonymously toward the Jub Jam charity event, and a man from Gainesville who told George that his late brother Tad had inspired his life while working together at a furniture store. The hosts marveled at the devotion of the P1 fanbase, noting that listeners flew in from Florida specifically to attend, and that many fans had been listening since the station’s first day on air over 30 years ago.

The sports substance of the segment centered on recapping two standout roundtable guests: Hall of Fame catcher Pudge Rodriguez and former Maverick Sam Perkins (Big Smooth). The Pudge discussion was lively, with George teasing a clip to air later at 8:15, while the Sam Perkins conversation sparked a broader, nostalgic riff on the golden era of 1980s college basketball — Jordan, Worthy, Ewing, Olajuwon, and the legendary programs of that decade. Junior expressed a desire to do a dedicated segment on the 1983 Pan-American Games team that Perkins was part of, calling it a compelling and underappreciated story.

The comedic highlight of the segment — and arguably the weekend — came courtesy of Gordo. George recounted how Gordo disrupted his line of questioning during the Pudge roundtable with needless interjections, then attempted to connect with Pudge by casually asking how much his very nice watch cost. Pudge’s deadpan reply, “Don’t worry about it,” drew huge laughs and was replayed on air. A secondary Gordo bit involved him genuinely believing the singer from the Ozzy cover band “Blizzard of Oz” — a man of about 50 — was a newly hired Ticket board op. The segment closed on a high note with George thanking the P1s once more before teasing the next segment, Gordo and the Observation Deck.

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Analysis generated from archived transcripts. Hosts: Gordon Keith (Gordo), George Dunham, Craig Miller, Mike Rhyner, Donovan Lewis (Junior). Station: 1310 The Ticket, Dallas, TX.