The Musers — 2026-01-09
The Musers — 1310 The Ticket, Dallas | Friday, January 9, 2026
📋 Segments This Day
- E-Brake
- Observation Deck
- Fake Jason Kidd
- Observation Deck
- E-Brake
- Fake Jason Kidd
🎙️ Early Show Analysis
Here is the analysis of this portion of The Musers from January 9, 2026:
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Segments That Appeared
- E-Brake [00:00:00]: The weekly segment where listeners vote on the worst on-air gaffe or “wheels-off” moment from across The Ticket’s various shows. Three candidates were presented this week, with callers phoning in to vote.
- Observation Deck [00:00:00 of second segment]: Gordo’s feature segment, this time presenting a sit-down interview he conducted with 1970s teen pop star Shaun Cassidy, who was performing at the Granada Theater in Dallas that evening.
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E-Brake Segment
- Three candidates were presented:
- Davey Lane (The Hard Line) — Known for his “dump and chase” style (deliberately saying something borderline on air and relying on the dump button). This week he appeared to say the word “hentai” on air while trying to describe it, prompting colleagues to scramble. The dump button caught it, but the moment was still flagged.
- Baldy (Morning show contributor) — A two-part combo. First, while doing a sports update, he forgot which team the Bears played and said “the somebody 19-16” on air. Second, while previewing a Mavericks game, he started to say the game was airing “here on The Tick” before catching himself and saying “…no, not on the Tick, just in general.” [~00:03:56–00:05:12]
- Matt McLaren (The Invasion) — While discussing the Cowboys’ salary cap situation, specifically the contracts of CeeDee Lamb and Josh Pickens, McLaren tried to say “finagle” and “massage” at the same time and blurted out “menage” instead — as in “they’ll menage it.” He then compounded the error by confidently announcing the wrong time (“It’s 1258”) when it was actually 12:28. [~00:05:29–00:06:38]
- Matt McLaren won the E-Brake, earning his third all-time win. He is noted as being 137 wins behind the all-time leader, who has 140. [~00:12:43]
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Sports Topics Discussed
- Dallas Cowboys salary cap — Referenced within the E-Brake clip from The Invasion. Matt McLaren and Donovan Lewis discussed the Cowboys’ cap challenges, including:
- Dak Prescott’s $74 million cap hit
- CeeDee Lamb’s potential contract at $34 million
- Josh Pickens potentially commanding $31–32 million
- The need to use void years to restructure deals [~00:05:34–00:06:20]
- Dallas Mavericks — Referenced in the Baldy E-Brake clip. Baldy previewed a Mavericks game at Salt Lake City against the Jazz, noting that Cooper Flagg had scored a career-high 42 points in the previous matchup in a 140–133 overtime loss. Baldy also caught himself mid-sentence nearly saying the game was on The Ticket when it was not. [~00:04:39–00:05:12]
- NFL scores (various teams) — Also in the Baldy clip, he rattled off several NFL results including: Jaguars 41, Titans 7; Texans 38, Colts 30; Bills 35, Jets 8 (Mitch Trubisky, four touchdowns); Bears 19, “somebody” 16. The Eagles were also mentioned losing to “the Manders” 24–17 (likely the Commanders). [~00:03:56–00:04:21]
- Miami Dolphins — Mentioned briefly in the Baldy clip, referencing head coach Mike McDaniel being fired, noting his 35–33 regular season record over four seasons. [~00:04:53–00:04:59]
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Debates or Strong Opinions
- The hosts debated the authenticity of a caller named “Natalie,” with Craig suggesting it was fake and George insisting it was real. [~00:07:41–00:07:46]
- Gordo expressed a firm opinion that the “Davey Lane has an employment death wish” characterization was apt, suggesting that Davey seems to secretly want to get fired given his repeated reliance on the dump button. [~00:02:45–00:03:04]
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Funny Moments, Gordo Bits, and Memorable Quotes
- “They’ll menage it” — The winning E-Brake moment. Matt McLaren accidentally combined “finagle” and “massage” into “menage” while discussing Cowboys cap management, then doubled down: *”They’ve got to menage it.”* [~00:05:59–00:06:14]
- “Just in general” — Baldy’s slip when previewing the Mavs game, saying it would air “here on the Tick — no, not on the Tick, just in general.” George riffed: *”I hope I see that listed in radio and TV listings at some point. 8 o’clock tonight, just in general.”* [~00:05:01–00:05:11]
- “He tried to describe hentai on the air” — Said deadpan as a mock explanation for why Davey Lane got fired, drawing laughs from the crew. [~00:02:15]
- Gordo’s “menage” callback — A reference was made to a former Dallas radio show hosted by “Ron and Don” who apparently talked about “menage” frequently, with George teasing Gordo about being obsessed with it. [~00:06:34–00:06:51]
- Two callers in a row asked “What were the options again?” — Back-to-back callers phoned in to vote but had apparently not been listening closely enough to know the candidates. George reacted: *”God, two in a row. How does he do that?”* [~00:09:33–00:09:46]
- The opening of the E-Brake included a quick self-correction after the announcer said Bill Cowher was “divorced” — quickly corrected to note that his wife had passed away, followed by an awkward moment of silence. [~00:00:03–00:00:17]
- Observation Deck opening — Gordo joked that Shaun Cassidy’s last concert at the Houston Astrodome in 1980 was a “bring your farm animal night.” [~00:05:56–00:05:58]
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Phone Callers
- Unidentified caller [~00:07:07] — Called in unprompted to say he wanted to vote for “Matt McLaren’s stupid face and yours too” (directed at George), then hung up. George jokingly wondered if it was “Fake Skip Bayless.”
- “Natalie” [~00:07:25] — A recurring female caller (or someone impersonating her). She claimed she had been “C-blocked” by other callers trying to get through. She voted for Davey Lane and gave a shoutout to “Grant McKesson” and Texas Tech (“Go Red Raiders”). The hosts debated her authenticity, with Craig calling her a fake. She also referenced an “Orangeville jib-jib,” an apparent inside reference.
- “Cruz Alito” [~00:08:00] — Self-described as “your favorite Radio Row P1.” He voted for Matt McLaren and made a reference to the “Partridge Family Mama,” connecting to an apparent earlier conversation about the show.
- Unnamed caller [~00:08:52] — Voted for Baldy (candidate two). Brief call.
- Colorado State caller [~00:09:05] — Asked Craig his thoughts on Colorado State football in 2026. Craig gave a generic answer (“It needs to be a lot better than it was in 2025”), which the caller critiqued as too generic before voting for Baldy.
- Two consecutive “what were the options?” callers [~00:09:33–00:09:44] — Back-to-back callers who had apparently not followed the segment closely enough to remember the candidates. Running gag.
- Unnamed caller [~00:09:51] — Voted for Matt McLaren.
- “Brady Tom” [~00:10:00] — A recurring caller with an apparent catchphrase exchange (“What is it all about?” / “It’s all about you”). He referenced the Miami Hurricanes and voted for Matt McLaren.
- “Rubber Duck” [~00:10:59] — Called in character as a trucker (“driving me a convoy”), voted for Baldy.
- Final caller [~00:11:19] — Asked if a future “Fight Night” segment could feature Howard Garrett (the “Dirt Doctor”) versus Neal Sperry. The hosts reacted warmly to Neal Sperry, saying they love him and don’t want to see him fight anyone. The caller then voted for Matt McLaren (candidate three), sealing the win.
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Guests or Interviews
- Shaun Cassidy — Featured in the Observation Deck segment. Gordo conducted a sit-down interview with the 1970s teen pop idol, actor, and television writer/producer, who was in Dallas to perform at the Granada Theater. Topics covered included:
- His famous family (mother Shirley Jones, half-brother David Cassidy, father Jack Cassidy)
- His meteoric teen fame from approximately 1977–1980
- His final concert at the Houston Astrodome in 1980
- His pivot to TV writing and producing (including *New Amsterdam*)
- His return to performing starting in 2020 with a storytelling-based show called *The Road to Us*
- His daughter’s rodeo career (barrel racing, breakaway roping) and his Dodge Ram 2500
- His wine brand, “My First Crush,” which benefits the No Kid Hungry charity
- Gordo’s favorite songs from Cassidy’s catalog, including “Teen Dream,” “Carolina’s Coming Home,” “Hard Love,” “Taxi Dancer,” and “Time for a Change”
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Recurring Bits, Characters, or Inside Jokes Referenced
- “Dump and Chase” — A recurring term for when a host deliberately says something borderline on air hoping the dump button will catch it. Davey Lane is specifically associated with this. [~00:01:03]
- “Brady Tom” — A recurring caller with an established call-and-response bit: *”What is it all about?” / “It’s all about you.”* [~00:10:09]
- “Natalie” — Apparently a known recurring female caller (or a fake impersonating her) who calls in regularly enough that the hosts debate her identity in real time.
- “Rubber Duck” / convoy caller — A caller who adopts a CB radio / trucker persona, referencing the 1978 novelty song “Convoy.”
- Ron and Don — A reference to a former Dallas radio show that apparently frequently discussed “menage,” which Gordo was reportedly a fan of. George teased him about it. [~00:06:34–00:06:51]
- The “week in exile” — A reference to a past incident at The Ticket when the dump button failed and something went out on air, resulting in the station spending “a week in exile.” Referenced as context for why Davey Lane’s behavior is risky. [~00:03:01–00:03:06]
- Fight Night — Referenced by a caller asking about a hypothetical matchup between Howard Garrett and Neal Sperry, suggesting “Fight Night” is an established recurring Ticket event or segment. [~00:11:20]
- The Norm-a-Thon — Referenced when tallying Matt McLaren’s all-time E-Brake wins. The stat keeper (identified as a producer or board op) noted that the all-time leader reached 140 wins, with one coming “the week leading up to the Norm-a-Thon.” This appears to be a fundraising event named after “Norm.” [~00:12:43–00:13:01]
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Summary
The E-Brake segment opened this portion of the show with its standard format of presenting three candidates for the worst on-air gaffe of the week. The three nominees came from across The Ticket’s lineup: Davey Lane from The Hard Line (for his ongoing reckless “dump and chase” behavior, this time seemingly saying “hentai” on air), Baldy from the morning show (a two-part combo involving forgetting a team name mid-update and accidentally promoting a Mavericks game as airing “just in general”), and Matt McLaren from The Invasion (for accidentally coining the word “menage” while trying to describe how the Cowboys would restructure their salary cap, and then announcing the wrong time). The segment drew a lively round of phone calls from a mix of recurring and one-off callers, including “Brady Tom,” “Natalie” (whose authenticity was disputed), “Cruz Alito,” and “Rubber Duck,” among others.
Matt McLaren won the E-Brake with his “menage” slip, earning his third all-time win. The segment also contained substantive Cowboys discussion embedded in the clip, with McLaren and Donovan Lewis discussing the significant cap challenges Dallas faces with Dak Prescott’s $74 million hit, CeeDee Lamb’s anticipated extension, and Josh Pickens’ upcoming deal. The Mavericks also came up briefly through the Baldy clip, which referenced a Cooper Flagg 42-point performance and an upcoming game against the Jazz in Salt Lake City.
The Observation Deck featured a full interview by Gordo with Shaun Cassidy, the 1970s teen idol turned television writer/producer. The conversation was warm and wide-ranging, covering Cassidy’s famous Hollywood family, his unique perspective on growing up famous, his close relationship with half-brother David Cassidy, his deliberate retreat from the spotlight to raise seven children and write TV shows, and his return to performing with a storytelling-driven concert called *The Road to Us*. Gordo clearly came in as a genuine fan, citing specific album tracks and demonstrating real knowledge of Cassidy’s catalog. Cassidy was self-deprecating and personable, sharing stories about his daughter’s rodeo career, his Dodge Ram 2500, and his pandemic-born wine brand that benefits No Kid Hungry.
⏰ Mid-Show Analysis
Analysis: The Musers — 2026-01-09 (Middle Portion)
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Segments in This Portion
- Fake Jason Kidd [00:00:00 in that segment]: A recurring Musers comedy bit in which someone (almost certainly Gordo) impersonates Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd in a mock phone interview. The “Kidd” character pedantically deconstructs common sports idioms — “blood boil,” “China doll,” “guns blazing,” “nose bent out of shape,” “grasping at straws” — refusing to accept figurative language and instead delivering absurdly literal, pseudo-scientific rebuttals.
- Observation Deck [00:00:00 in that segment]: Gordo’s showcase segment, this time featuring a real interview he conducted with 1970s teen pop star Shaun Cassidy, who was performing at the Granada Theater in Dallas that evening. The interview and post-interview discussion ran long, spilling past the formal segment into the surrounding show chatter.
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Observation Deck
- Gordo interviewed Shaun Cassidy in advance of Cassidy’s live storytelling/concert show, *The Road to Us*, at the Granada Theater in Dallas [00:00:00–00:12:03]
- Topics covered in the interview included:
- Cassidy’s childhood and early awareness of his parents’ (Jack Cassidy and Shirley Jones) fame
- His complicated but ultimately warm relationship with half-brother David Cassidy, whose mother Jack Cassidy left for Shirley Jones
- The wild family dynamic of Shirley Jones playing David Cassidy’s TV mother on *The Partridge Family*, despite being his real-life stepmother
- Cassidy’s last concert at the Houston Astrodome in 1980 (55,000 people) and his subsequent pivot to writing and producing TV, including *New Amsterdam*
- His return to live performing starting in 2020, driven by a desire to reconnect with people after decades of behind-the-scenes work
- His seven children — one daughter who barrel races and does breakaway roping, which is why he drives a Dodge Ram 2500
- His “My First Crush” wine label, started during the pandemic as a charity effort benefiting No Kid Hungry, using 500 cases of unsold Pinot Noir from a winemaker friend in Santa Barbara wine country
- Gordo’s deep knowledge of Cassidy’s catalog, specifically praising songs from the *Born Late*, *Under Wraps*, and *Room Service* albums (Teen Dream, Carolina’s Coming Home, Hard Love, Taxi Dancer, Time for a Change)
- The Todd Rundgren-produced fourth album, which Cassidy’s fans hated but which Cassidy and Rundgren were proud of; Rundgren recently suggested doing another project together
- Cassidy’s friendships with musicians including Steve Lukather (Toto), Iggy Pop, and David Byrne; and a wild story about spending a night with Keith Moon that ended up not being in the current show
- After the interview aired, the hosts discussed the Cassidy family tree and Shaun’s later TV career on *The Hardy Boys Mysteries* with Parker Stevenson [00:12:00+]
- Gordo credited Scott Strong, who books the Granada, for arranging the interview [00:13:28]
- Gordo confirmed he was attending the show that night and had been personally invited backstage by Cassidy [00:11:41]
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Sports Topics Discussed
- Dallas Mavericks: Referenced losing a game in Utah the previous night [Fake Jason Kidd, 00:00:00]
- Anthony Davis: Mocked (in character) for yet another injury, called a “China doll” by one host — the fake Kidd took hyperbolic offense [00:01:07]
- Cooper Flag: Briefly mentioned as the next building block for the Mavericks, with the “changing of the guard” line being the one idiom the fake Kidd accepted literally and straight [00:03:35–00:04:00]
- Upcoming Mavericks game in Chicago mentioned [00:02:46]
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Notable Debates or Host Disagreements
- Mild comedic friction during the Fake Jason Kidd bit as George and Craig kept inadvertently feeding the character idioms to destroy [throughout Fake Jason Kidd segment]
- Post-Observation Deck: Craig gently noted the interview “didn’t feel like a conversation” [00:12:08], suggesting Gordo dominated it — a light dig
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Funny Moments, Gordo Bits, or Memorable One-Liners
- The entire Fake Jason Kidd segment is a sustained comedy bit built on the premise that “Kidd” refuses to accept figurative language:
- On “blood boil”: *”I would think that would be fatal, if not deadly… how can a professional external situation like losing the game somehow add an internal mechanical heating device to my cardiovascular system?”* [00:00:28]
- On “China doll”: *”Mainly because that’s offensive to China people. They don’t consider themselves as fragile as Anthony Davis over there in China. I mean, it’s also offensive to dolls, who are much smaller than NBA players on average.”* [00:01:20]
- On “mea culpa”: *”By the way, I went to high school with a mea culpa. I wonder if she’s the same one from my previous sentence.”* [00:01:51]
- On “guns blazing”: Fake Kidd accuses the host of recommending the team *”start indiscriminately firing into the bellies of our fans”* and notes this is bad for ticket sales [00:03:03]
- On “that dog don’t hunt”: *”I don’t think there was a dog in this example. So I don’t get where you’re making me go with that.”* [00:03:24]
- On “grasping at straws”: Fake Kidd observes in detail that neither host is using a straw — he can apparently see the studio — and questions why they would need a *”tubular vacuum pressure suction device”* [00:04:13]
- The one idiom he accepted — “changing of the guard” — he simply said *”exactly”* and then refused to elaborate [00:03:47–00:03:58], which George found hilarious: *”We finally hit on one.”*
- Gordo to Shaun Cassidy: *”Do you remember in utero, and do you remember looking around and saying, although I’m nearsighted, this looks like a famous womb?”* [Observation Deck, 00:02:01]
- Gordo joking that the Astrodome show was *”bring your farm animal night”* [00:05:55]
- Gordo’s wrap-up pun on Cassidy’s wine: *”My First Crush — wine crushing grapes, and Sean Cassidy, a lot of girls’ first crush.”* He fumbled trying to name the literary device (double entendre) [00:16:35]
- Craig admitting he watched *The Partridge Family* every day as a kid — *”fascinated by his mama”* (Shirley Jones) [00:12:33]
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Guests or Special Visitors
- Shaun Cassidy — interviewed by Gordo (pre-recorded or call-in) as part of the Observation Deck segment. Cassidy was in Dallas to perform *The Road to Us* at the Granada Theater. [Observation Deck, full segment]
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Pop Culture, Music, or Non-Sports Topics
- Extensive discussion of Shaun Cassidy’s music catalog, life, and career
- David Cassidy and *The Partridge Family*
- The Hardy Boys Mysteries (TV series with Parker Stevenson) — referenced both in the interview and as a JFK assassination joke
- Keith Moon — Cassidy’s wild night with The Who drummer, not included in the current show
- Todd Rundgren — produced Cassidy’s experimental fourth album; recently floated the idea of collaborating again; Craig is a noted Rundgren fan and expressed interest in listening to that album
- Steve Lukather (Toto) — discussed; Gordo correctly noted Lukather played the riff on Michael Jackson’s *Beat It* while Eddie Van Halen played the guitar solo
- Iggy Pop and David Byrne mentioned as Cassidy acquaintances
- No Kid Hungry charity — Cassidy’s wine proceeds benefit the organization
- The Granada Theater in Dallas and booker Scott Strong
- The Kennedy assassination — referenced as a joke (Hardy Boys solving it, since they’re in Dallas)
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Summary
This portion of the January 9, 2026 Musers opens with the “Fake Jason Kidd” bit, a recurring comedy segment in which a host (almost certainly Gordo) impersonates Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd as a man constitutionally incapable of understanding figurative language. The fake Kidd systematically dismantles every sports idiom the hosts deploy — “blood boil,” “China doll,” “guns blazing,” “nose bent out of shape,” “grasping at straws,” and “that dog don’t hunt” — with pseudo-scientific, hyperliteral counterarguments delivered in an exasperated, pedantic tone. The only idiom that lands is “changing of the guard,” which the fake Kidd accepts entirely literally (and appropriately, given the Luka-to-Cooper Flag transition), though he refuses to say anything more about it. The bit is a showcase of sustained, structured absurdist comedy.
The Observation Deck segment is headlined by a genuine interview Gordo conducted with Shaun Cassidy, the 1970s teen pop icon, who was performing his storytelling/concert show *The Road to Us* at the Granada Theater in Dallas that evening. The conversation was wide-ranging and genuinely warm: Cassidy discussed growing up in a famous household (parents Jack Cassidy and Shirley Jones), his gracious half-brother David Cassidy, his abrupt exit from performing after a 1980 Astrodome concert, his decades-long career as a TV writer and producer (most recently *New Amsterdam*), his daughter’s rodeo career (the reason for the Ram 2500), and his pandemic-era “My First Crush” wine label, which raised money for No Kid Hungry. Gordo clearly did his homework, citing specific album tracks and deep-cut songs, and Cassidy reciprocated with candor and humor.
After the interview, the hosts debriefed enthusiastically, with Gordo barely concealing his inner six-year-old’s excitement at having spoken to one of his childhood musical heroes. Craig admitted to being a devoted *Partridge Family* watcher (specifically for Shirley Jones), and a Todd Rundgren connection — Rundgren produced Cassidy’s experimental fourth album — delighted Craig, a known Rundgren devotee. Gordo also clarified his Kennedy assassination joke (Parker Stevenson and Cassidy played the Hardy Boys), credited Granada booker Scott Strong for arranging the interview, and confirmed he had an open backstage invitation for after the show. The segment was a rare, earnest detour into pop culture nostalgia for a show better known for sports debate, and it worked largely because of Gordo’s genuine, infectious enthusiasm for the subject.
🏁 Final Hour Analysis
Analysis: The Musers — 2026-01-09 (Final Portion)
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Segments That Appeared
- Pre-Segment Chat (approx. 00:13:47 in the unlabeled opening): George and Gordo casually discuss Shaun Cassidy performing that night at the Granada in Dallas. Gordo shares that he personally knows Cassidy, recounts stories about Cassidy’s celebrity friendships (Keith Moon, Steve Lukather, Iggy Pop, David Byrne), and notes that Todd Rundgren produced Cassidy’s experimental final album. George mentions his wife was a Cassidy fan and that he would have attended the show.
- E-Brake (00:00:00–00:13:45): The weekly segment where listeners vote (via phone) on the most “wheels-off” on-air gaffe of the week. Three candidates were presented: Davey Lane (from The Hard Line) for attempting a “dump and chase” involving a profane word related to anime; Baldy (from the morning crew) for two separate update blunders — blanking on a team name mid-score and accidentally saying the Mavs game was airing “just in general”; and Matt McLaren (from The Invasion) for accidentally saying “menage” when trying to say “finagle” or “massage” in a Cowboys salary cap discussion, then also misreading the clock by 30 minutes. McLaren won.
- Fake Jason Kidd (00:00:00–00:05:08): A recurring comedy bit in which Gordo plays a fictional, hyper-literal version of Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd. “Kidd” deconstructs every sports idiom thrown at him as physically or scientifically impossible, leading to absurd tangents. Topics touched on included the Mavs’ loss in Utah, Anthony Davis’s injuries, the transition from Luka to Cooper Flagg, and the upcoming game in Chicago.
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Sports Topics Discussed
- E-Brake context: Cowboys salary cap management — specifically paying CD Lamb (~$34–38M cap hit) and Josh Pickens (~$31–32M), and Dak Prescott’s $74M cap hit needing to be restructured with void years [E-Brake, ~00:05:34]
- Mavs loss in Utah to the Jazz [Fake Jason Kidd, 00:00:00]
- Anthony Davis’s latest injury and his reputation for being injury-prone [00:01:07]
- Cooper Flagg scoring a career-high 42 points against the Mavs in a previous matchup [referenced in Baldy’s update clip, E-Brake ~00:04:44]; also referenced in Fake Jason Kidd [00:03:42]
- Transition from Luka Doncic to Cooper Flagg as the Mavs’ cornerstone [Fake Jason Kidd, 00:03:39]
- NFL scores referenced in Baldy’s clip: Jaguars 41, Titans 7; Texans 38, Colts 30; Bills 35, Jets 8; Bears 19-16 loss (opponent blanked); Eagles loss to the “Manders” 24-17 [E-Brake, ~00:03:56]
- McDaniel fired by Dolphins after a 35-33 four-season record [E-Brake, ~00:04:56]
- Miami Hurricanes briefly mentioned by caller Brady Tom [E-Brake, ~00:10:28]
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Funny Moments and Memorable Gordo Bits
- Fake Jason Kidd’s idiom deconstructions were the comedic centerpiece of the final segment. Highlights:
- “Blood boil” [00:00:24]: Kidd launches into a pseudo-scientific rant about BTUs, RBCs, WBCs, and cardiovascular evaporation, concluding George needs to “learn some science before you interview Jay Kidd.”
- “China doll” [00:01:15]: Kidd objects that the phrase is offensive both to Chinese people (who don’t consider themselves fragile) and to dolls (who are much smaller than NBA players on average).
- “Mea culpa” [00:01:51]: Kidd casually claims he “went to high school with a mea culpa.”
- “Nose bent out of shape” [00:02:04]: Kidd pivots to a detailed discussion of rhinoplasty, nasal bone misalignment, and then veers into an unexpected reference to Peyronie’s disease and a political non-sequitur about a “Democratic president.”
- “Guns a blazing” [00:02:50]: Kidd accuses George of recommending the team “indiscriminately fire into the bellies of our fans,” analyzing the economic downside of shooting ticket-buying customers.
- “That dog don’t hunt” [00:03:24]: Kidd notes there was no dog in the example.
- “Changing of the guard” [00:03:45]: The one idiom Kidd accepts at face value — he simply says “Exactly,” then refuses to elaborate.
- “Grasping at straws” [00:04:13]: Kidd observes in detail that neither Craig nor George is using a straw, so there’s no need to grasp at one, and somehow knows exactly what drinkware each host has in front of them.
- E-Brake “menage” clip [~00:05:34]: Matt McLaren’s accidental blend of “finagle” and “massage” into “menage,” followed by doubling down (“They’ve got to menage it”) and then misreading the clock by 30 minutes, was the winning clip. Gordo noted a Dallas radio show called Ron and Don used to reference “menage” frequently and that he was “obsessed” with it.
- Davey Lane hentai reference [E-Brake, ~00:02:15]: A brief mention that Davey attempted to describe hentai on air, played as a throwaway punchline without a full clip.
- Caller who asked “what were the options again?” — and then a second caller immediately did the same thing [E-Brake, ~00:09:33–00:09:46]: George’s reaction (“God, two in a row. How does he do that?”) got a big laugh.
- Shaun Cassidy/Todd Rundgren connection [opening]: Gordo relays that Rundgren told Cassidy they should collaborate again and “see if they like it this time” — a wry callback to the fact that Cassidy’s fans hated their first collaboration.
- “My First Crush” wine [opening, ~00:16:28]: Gordo notes Cassidy has a wine called “My First Crush,” calling it a double meaning (wine crushing grapes + Cassidy being many girls’ first crush) — he searches for the right term (“double entendre”) before arriving at it.
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Phone Callers
- Caller 1 [E-Brake, ~00:07:07]: Hostile/prank caller — voted for “Matt McLaren’s stupid face and yours too” before hanging up; George speculates it might be “Fake Skip Bayless.”
- “Natalie” [~00:07:25]: A recurring female caller (possibly a regular bit character); said she’d been “C-blocked” by other callers, called herself “hot and bothered” from a previous Orangeville segment, voted for Davey Lane, and gave a shoutout to Texas Tech/Grant McKesson. George suspected a fake caller; Craig initially wasn’t sure.
- Cruz (Radio Row P1) [~00:08:30]: Regular P1 caller; mentioned being fascinated with the Partridge Family; voted for McLaren.
- Unnamed caller [~00:08:52]: Voted for “candidate two” (Baldy) with no other comment.
- Colorado State caller [~00:09:05]: Asked Craig about Colorado State football in 2026; Craig gave a brief answer; caller said it was “a little generic” and voted for Baldy.
- Two consecutive “what were the options again?” callers [~00:09:33–00:09:46]
- Unnamed caller [~00:09:51]: Voted for Matt McLaren.
- Brady Tom [~00:10:01]: A named regular caller; exchanged a “what is it all about / it’s all about you” call-and-response with George; referenced the Miami Hurricanes (“the U”); voted for McLaren.
- “Rubber Duck” [~00:10:55]: Caller doing a Convoy/trucker bit; voted for Baldy (“that bear, number two”).
- Final caller [~00:11:20]: Suggested a “fight night” matchup between Howard Garrett (the Dirt Doctor) and Neil Sperry; voted for choice three (McLaren), which put McLaren over the top.
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How the Show Wrapped Up
- The E-Brake concluded with Matt McLaren being declared the winner, earning his third all-time E-Brake win [~00:12:41]. The stat man noted McLaren is now 137 behind the all-time leader, who won 140 — achieved during a period tied to the Norm-a-Thon.
- The Fake Jason Kidd segment closed the show with “Kidd” wishing the hosts a cautious Happy New Year (“Well, I don’t know about Happy New Year… we’ll wait and see how well the New Year goes”) [00:04:58–00:05:06], and George signing off with “Bad chemistry again.”
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Notable Quotes
- Fake Jason Kidd on “blood boil” [00:00:28]: *”I would think that would be fatal, if not deadly.”*
- Fake Jason Kidd on “China doll” [00:01:20]: *”That’s offensive to China people. They don’t consider themselves as fragile as Anthony Davis over there in China.”*
- Fake Jason Kidd on “changing of the guard” [00:03:47]: *”Exactly.”* (the only idiom he accepts without objection)
- Matt McLaren on the Cowboys cap [E-Brake, ~00:06:05]: *”I think I was thinking finagle and massage, and it came out menage.”*
- Baldy’s update gaffe [~00:04:10]: *”Bears fall to the somebody 19-16, but still gets the NFC 2 seed.”*
- Baldy on the Mavs game [~00:04:47]: *”Tip-off at 8 here on the Tick — no, not on the Tick, just in general.”*
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3-Paragraph Summary
The final portion of this Musers episode opened with an easygoing pre-segment conversation between Gordo and George about Shaun Cassidy performing that evening at the Granada Theater in Dallas. Gordo, who knows Cassidy personally, shared entertaining anecdotes about Cassidy’s celebrity friendships — including a wild night with Keith Moon — and the experimental album Cassidy made with Todd Rundgren, which Cassidy’s fans famously hated. The exchange was warm and leisurely, touching on music history and nostalgia before the show transitioned to the E-Brake segment.
The E-Brake presented three candidates for the week’s most egregious on-air blunder: Davey Lane for a near-miss involving an attempt to describe hentai; Baldy for a double-gaffe update in which he blanked on a team name mid-score and then said the Mavs game would air “just in general”; and Matt McLaren for accidentally saying “menage” instead of “finagle/massage” when discussing Cowboys salary cap maneuvering, then doubling down on the word and misreading the clock by 30 minutes in his rush to end the segment. A parade of colorful callers — including regulars like Natalie, Brady Tom, Cruz, and Rubber Duck — phoned in their votes, with McLaren ultimately winning his third all-time E-Brake. A stat man noted McLaren is now 137 behind the all-time leader’s mark of 140.
The show closed with the recurring Fake Jason Kidd bit, in which Gordo portrayed a hyper-literal “Coach Kidd” who systematically dismantled every sports idiom the hosts used — objecting to “blood boil” on cardiovascular grounds, “China doll” as offensive to both Chinese people and actual dolls, “guns a blazing” as an irresponsible endorsement of fan violence, and “grasping at straws” as unnecessary given that neither host was using a straw. The one idiom Kidd accepted without complaint — “changing of the guard” — he simply affirmed with “Exactly” and declined to elaborate. The bit ended with Kidd offering a hedged Happy New Year and George deadpanning, “Bad chemistry again.”
Analysis generated from archived transcripts. Hosts: Gordon Keith (Gordo), George Dunham, Craig Miller, Mike Rhyner, Donovan Lewis (Junior). Station: 1310 The Ticket, Dallas, TX.
