(Evening sports guy Vinnie Richichi (NY Vinnie) along with Ron Reagan, was fired in April from KIRO. He never much liked us- would never respond to our email overtures... as so many haven't. We didn't like his work when he strayed from his area of expertise of sports; his show got poor ratings and we said so. We've never thought or said Vinnie was stupid; heard or written anything but good things about his heart, his loyalty to his friends, and general good-guyness. He wrote the following as a comment, but we thought we'd share it for those of you who've been wondering what's happening with him. Visit his website here).
You know one of the great things about the last 4 months of being
off of the radio (with the exception of
a couple of fill-ins) is that I
have been able to stay away from this blog and it’s mostly perverse
personal attacks on local radio personalities. But then again that is
kind of what the internet has turned into…a place to order stuff so you
never have to face humans and attack people so…well… so you never have
to face humans.
I have always found it interesting that certain people on this blog including the person who runs it have attacked me. Either my weight, my love of sports, my passion for a particular issue, your perception of my intelligence or if nothing else my being from New York.
Andrew, it sounds like you have a real problem with me. Does my weight maybe make you look at something in your life and realize that you have trouble accepting people the way they are? Maybe the fact that you are up at 3am taking the time to knock someone else’s life means that there is not much going on in yours. Have you ever had a conversation with me? How do you know how intelligent I am? Even more important how can you take a section of people and paint them with a broad brush because they are brought together by something that brings them happiness. Sounds a lot like prejudice to me. Last I looked there were just as many intelligent people at sporting events as there are at the opera or the theatre or most other cultural events that go on in our city.
Look, all of you like who you like on the radio. I am an
entertainer. I also talk about issues and I have been lucky enough to
be able to make a living talking about issues, both sports and non
sports for a number of years here in Seattle. With a little luck, I
will be back at it again after the new year. Maybe you like my style
maybe you don’t. That’s for you to figure out.
I tend to like NY Vinnie. He seems like a nice person and appears to be genuine without any sort of artifice. I am not a sports fan and rarely enjoyed his show. OTOH, I never found the comments here at Blatherwatch to be personal, but criticism does come with the territory. If Vinnie doesn't like the heat . . . .
Posted by: Ted Smith | December 22, 2007 at 06:46 PM
Do you want Michael to start censoring the comments like they do over at Sound Politics or the corporate blogs? I don't, even it means hurting Vinnie's feelings.
Posted by: soma | December 22, 2007 at 06:49 PM
Is being fat fair game for being trashed?
Posted by: Isaiah | December 22, 2007 at 06:51 PM
I thought there was more attention to his weight than necessary. I wasn't a fan. Personal attacks? I hope I don't do a lot of that...not sure. I do it to posters here, I know that. I can take it as well as give it.
But, I don't think I've taken personal attributes and mocked them.
I'll have to think about Shiers in that context... :)
Posted by: joanie | December 22, 2007 at 06:52 PM
I didn't know The Fish, Jeff Aaron, was on KRKO. I'm glad he got a another gig even if it is small. I heard him and Sir Mixalot trying out on KIRO(I think KIRO) a long time ago.
I liked Fish. I used to listen to KJR a lot. Don't know why I changed. Just got tired of sports and moved into politics. Used to love Gros when he was alone and moved away when he started his duo with Mike (Gas).
Good for Jeff.
Posted by: joanie | December 22, 2007 at 06:58 PM
BTW, what goes around comes around. It was you, Vinnie, who sounded the death knell for Dave Delackey(sp?). I called in and we talked music one night very late - you got more callers in one or two nights than poor Dave had gotten in a month. We talked the Mad Dogs and Englishmen tour and I told you about the earliest rock concerts I had attended.
Well, when Dave came back, he was begging for callers. Too back. I was always sorry for that. He had a show that worked for a lot of people. It was slow and easy. But I guess not profitable.
Posted by: joanie | December 22, 2007 at 07:03 PM
I don't personally dislike Frank Shiers, or Dave Ross, two people who annoy me on the radio, and who I've crticized and made nasty comments about.. I actually liked New York Vinnie- I may have made fun of his pronunciation once. But in another post i protested his firing, in favor of his bland nopersonality replacement, and stated i thought it was ethnic discrimination. Vinnie has compassion, and a sense of humanity, unlike Monson. OH and that reminds me. The one person on Seatle radio I DO personally dislike? Dori Monson.
Posted by: Tommy008 | December 22, 2007 at 07:06 PM
Isn't New York Vinnie speaks a oxymoron?
Posted by: artistdogboy | December 22, 2007 at 07:06 PM
One more thing: interesting confirmation that all of radio reads Michael! Bet he's lovin' it! We all get our fifteen minutes of fame even if anonymously.
Posted by: joanie | December 22, 2007 at 07:08 PM
I'm a bit surprised that Vinnie, or any host, would take what people say about him on a blog so personally. I'm even more surprised he would write in to this blog to express his feelings on the subject.
Vinnie, if you're reading this, what good can come out of reading negative comments about yourself on a blog? I know the temptation must be great to read what others are saying about you, but after you read the first negative comment, why would you then come back, again and again, and read even more negative comments about yourself? Even if it's a bad habit that you just can't help yourself from doing, you shouldn't then complain about it on the very same blog where you read the negative comments. I think what you should have done, if anything, is wrote in and just wished everyone a Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year. No guilt trips. No sarcasm. No bitterness. Just a sincere message of good will.
Posted by: DT | December 22, 2007 at 07:18 PM
I like sports, but am not really a NY Vinnie fan. He is good at baseball stuff and not bad if he sticks to sports only.
I first heard him on KJR - maybe he should go back there, if he hasn't burned his bridges. Groz and the Gasman rule over there.
Posted by: KS | December 22, 2007 at 07:23 PM
DT, what is with this need to psycho analyze everyone? You're not very good at it. It is a public blog and people love to read about themselves and say what they're thinking.
You're the perfect example of what your dissing: our disrespecting of you doesn't stop your reading or posting.
Geez.
Posted by: joanie | December 22, 2007 at 07:34 PM
Sportstalk radio IS moronic, especially the callers, but New york Vinnie is more than just a sportstalk jock and is not a moron. Far from it. Seahawks players for the most part sound and talk like uneducated, inarticulate morons. Sorry. Just sayin'. oh as far as hiding behind a blog to attack people, the assumption that we're all physical cowards on this blog, which Vinie and Monson imply, would not be a safe one. And remember- B'lam did go to to toe in person with Mike Webb, down at the County Courthouse.
Posted by: Tommy008 | December 22, 2007 at 07:43 PM
Joanie, the old me would say eat shit and die, but the new me respects your point of view. I will reflect on what you said. Thank you for your comment.
Posted by: DT | December 22, 2007 at 07:47 PM
Vinie sounds bitter and unhappy.
Posted by: Dana | December 22, 2007 at 07:57 PM
By the way, I know I've played psychoanalyst in the past, mostly when I was a troll, but I thought my first post on this thread was pretty straightforward. I was simply saying I'm surprised that he was hurt by what people on a blog said about him, hurt enough to write in.
Posted by: DT | December 22, 2007 at 08:05 PM
NY Vinnie is a likable guy. He could get decent ratings doing a sports talk radio show if he was paired with the right sidekick. Vinnie is a bit scatter brained, so he needs a co-host to reign in his boring tendency to ramble, bloviate, pontificate and blather.
Why is NY Vinnie so touchy about his girth? Is he a female? It aint our fault he's fat. To look at Vinnie and not comment about his weight is the equivalent of ignoring the presence of an elephant in your room. No pun intended.
Posted by: abob | December 22, 2007 at 08:10 PM
Look, I like New Hawk Vinnie. I loved his passion. Okay, so being passionate over sports is kind of unnecesary in the real world. But so what. We are passionate over what we are passionate over.
Honest to god, I really think that Vinnie's big problem was that there were many nights that he seemed to be gasping for breath. On talk radio that has got to be a big problem. I hope Vinnie finds a gig somewhere. If nothing else KOMO should hire him for baseball coverage. Though I suppose that since Vinnie would wawnt to be truthful the Mariners would never stand for it. Not only that but I doubt that anyone on the Bill Yennd station of mediocrity would want him around.
Luv Ya, Vinnie!
Posted by: Ryder | December 22, 2007 at 08:48 PM
First off, NY Vinnie if you're reading this just understand that 'Andrew' has a lot of problems.
He is an 'angry young man' starting out in life who has all the answers...he'll be different once he gets 'seasoned' a bit.
Anyway, I liked NY Vinnie when he was paired with Michael Knight on KJR in the morning. I am pretty sure when I was in San Francisco in the early 90's he was on a show called 'Two Regular Guys' or something like that which was a late night Sports Show. I swear it was him and Michael Knight....
NY Vinnie comes across as a nice person. Someone you would like to have in your home or share a beer with. A conversation with a neighbor over the fence kind of show if you will instead of a game of on-air gotcha. A show I can listen to with kids in the car and not have to worry about changing the dial.
Similar to Dave Neihaus I also like NY Vinnie. Each time I take my family to the game I am always grateful for his efforts to keep the M's in town. It meant a lot this year to be able to show my oldest child Ken Griffey Jr. this year and explain what he meant to Seattle Baseball. Junior obliged with two homers and a nice catch in right field that Sunday. Thank you Vinnie!
NY Vinnie really is a fan's kind of guy and in a town like Seattle it is nice to have someone from outside that decides to make it home. We all can't be born and bred in Kirkland.
I really hope that we have a place on radio for someone like NY Vinnie. It can't be 24/7 Lib vs Conservative or Dem vs Repub or Black vs Brown vs White et al.
Posted by: PugetSound | December 22, 2007 at 08:50 PM
Another good thing about NY Vinnie, he was a local voice. He knows our region and shares the pain/frustration of being a Seattle sports fan.
Posted by: PugetSound | December 22, 2007 at 08:57 PM
Wow, Putz, sucking up to Vinny. How fuckin' lame
Posted by: Jimmy Kowalski | December 22, 2007 at 09:11 PM
That's okay Jimmy, flame away.
Posted by: PugetSound | December 22, 2007 at 09:13 PM
What changed you, DT? You used to be such an asshole. Did we bring you to Jesus?
Posted by: sarge | December 22, 2007 at 09:14 PM
NY Vinnie has passion and love of sports. Unfortunately, he sounds like my grandpa. Sports radio is all about the male 18-34 demo. I love my grandad but I dont want to listen to him on the radio.
Posted by: abob | December 22, 2007 at 09:16 PM
Personally, I couldn't take the the exaggerated street accent. I thought it was an affectation. Some hosts have quirks about them I just can't take. I can't take Dori's constant loud gulping or swallowing. I couldn't take Larry Nelson's effusiveness and gushing. I can't take Bryan Styble going off on tangents before callers have finished their sentences and his inability to focus on the point. And I really can't take Carl Jeffer's breathless mile-a-minute delivery.
Posted by: DT | December 22, 2007 at 09:21 PM
Sarge, I just used to have fun being a troll. Now I'm tired of it. I still reserve the right to be an asshole from time to time.
Posted by: DT | December 22, 2007 at 09:28 PM
Umm, DT, we seem to suffer the same audio challenge: I, too, disliked that about Vinnie and have problems with several hosts who demonstrate little quirks in delivery.
Ross started cutting people off, too, but I haven't noticed it recently. Jeffer's "the reality is" reminiscent of Hart drives me crazy. And, of course, my recent post about Maddow's over-articulation. There are numerous others not recalled right now. But Vinnie's affectation bugged me, too.
Too late for you all, but I've been listening to Cenk on a replay of Young Turks and he's rabid tonight. Such passion! He said they are going to continue the show online and he's excited about it. I may continue to listen since I get my radio (at home) on line most of the time now.
Alas, Sparky, he's having Jill Pike back for a full three hours in the near future. I think - I hope a one-time appearance. He's happy about it. I'm not.
Tonight he's covered everything politic possible. It's been very, very interesting. A couple of good guests, too.
Bill Crystal and Charles Krauthammer fired from Time Magazine. I didn't know that.
Posted by: joanie | December 22, 2007 at 09:59 PM
I heard Wesley Clark's son and he was interesting. How come he doesn't have a regular gig? Or does he and did I just miss it?
Posted by: PugetSound | December 22, 2007 at 10:38 PM
Since I am home recouping from my foot surgery, I wont be listening to YT anymore since I wont be up that early now. I sometimes enjoy the passion, but how Jill Pike ever got a radio gig is beyond me, and the show seems geared toward GenX'rs.
Posted by: sparky | December 22, 2007 at 11:55 PM
NY Vinnie looks like a giant slab of lard with eyeballs.
Posted by: abob | December 23, 2007 at 08:04 AM
I love Vinnie, I just don't care about football. The Mariners post game shows haven't been the same without him. I even enjoyed his non-sports show, and was sorry when he had to go back to sports. He is very enthusiastic and genuine. I miss you Vinnie - Merry Christmas!
Posted by: AprilMayJune | December 23, 2007 at 12:13 PM
Vinnie's nice but hogged airtime and stepped on toes without thinking first.
Posted by: Sclub | December 23, 2007 at 01:08 PM
NY Vinnie, your problem in life is not this blog; it is your morbid obesity. Everything else is irrelevant. If you want to live to see your beautiful daughter graduate from college, please stop shoving tons of crap down your pie hole.
Posted by: abob | December 23, 2007 at 04:56 PM
Tom Leykis has now joined Vinnie in the ranks of the morbidly obese. Uless he has dieted since last summer. If anything, he has probablygained weight. Check out youtube .com and go to the Tom Leykis section. Play the video of Conway and Whitman and Tom discussing the Paris Hilton jailing.ooohweeee!
Posted by: Tommy008 | December 23, 2007 at 06:24 PM
wow Abob, you are such a brave person, making fun of someone on a blog while you remain anonymous.
What a manly man you are.
Posted by: LeeAnn | December 23, 2007 at 06:34 PM
I have nothing against Vinnie. He just does not know very much about sports. My god. Leykis is Enormous!
Posted by: John | December 23, 2007 at 07:15 PM
i KNOW WHAT IT'S LIEK TO STRUGGLE WITH WEIGHT, BUT ONLY in the 20 to 30 pounds overweight class. Vinnie and Tom are in a whole different league. It's good to write that Vinnie is morbidly obese here on this blog,in a kind way, because he might read it and decide to change. We want Vinnie to live. calling people whales , slab of pork with eyes, so forth, is not cool. Rolls of belly fat are extremely dangerous, and are a heart attack wating to happen.
Posted by: Tommy008 | December 23, 2007 at 07:42 PM
There's a reason less than 98% of people who gain immense amounts of weight lose it and keep it off.
Do you think you are more knowledgable about obesity than NYVinnie? Just like parents who know so much more about teaching than teachers. Everybody's an expert.
Posted by: joanie | December 23, 2007 at 07:58 PM
Anyone with common sense would know that being obese does not pay off in the long run. It seems like others can really care that he lives a
healthier lifestyle in a constructive way.
Whether he subscribes to that and acts on it is another thing. It is obvious that more and more people are overweight than they were say 15-20 years ago. (Aside) This is one of the few countries in the world that poor people are overweight, which says more about our collective lifestyle.
Posted by: KS | December 23, 2007 at 08:17 PM
I'm not sure how to feel about being singled out by NYV, either realy good or realy bad.
Sure, I don't know Vinnie personaly but I can tell from his pictures that he's reached a very unhealthy weight, and that's not meant to be mean. He needs to get outside help if dealing with it on his own has not worked. There are programs specificly designed for people who are very overweight. If he does nothing he's very susceptible to early death, and I don't want to see that happen.
People say sports is enjoyable, like opera perhaps, but the most hardcore sports fans pay more attention to sports than opera fanatics pay to opera, and I believe they pay an unhealthy amount of attention to something which which has no long term reward. They could be perfecting a craft, or watching an educational TV channel, participating in debates about something other than sports.
I don't know for sure that NYV fits that category, but if the fact that he can't talk about it for hours on the radio is any clue than I know where I'll place my chips. So what I observe anonomously and from afar is too much focus on one thing and too little on another. Anybody who spends a lot of time on sports is inevitably spending less time on something else.
I don't know what NYV has or hasn't tried to do about his weight if anything, maybe he's puting forth a lot of effort to control it and struggling, but I think it's a better choice to bring the issue to light than say nothing at all and pretending that being overweight isn't a problem.
Posted by: Andrew | December 23, 2007 at 10:18 PM
John, you think Vinnie doesn't KNOW he's fat? Quit wrapping your boorish barbs in your fake concern. I first met Vinnie years ago when I was a DJ at a wedding downtown. He came up to ask for the mic to sing the bride and groom a song. I don't usually give the mic to guests, and because I was new to town when he told me he was New York Vinnie I thought, "Who's that?"
Since that time I'd spent many hours listening to this "regular guy" on KIRO. And although sports talk is not my thing, Vinnie seemed to have real and genuine passion about many of the issues (sports and non-sports) that he talked about. He even made me sometimes choose to listen to sports talk!
It seems most of the negative comments I've seen so far either talk about his weight or his accent. Did any of you ever listen to WHAT he had to say? The bland "Brownie" they've replaced him with lets me know at 6:59 PM it's time to switch to another station.
Vinnie...more power to you, man! You're a REAL guy - maybe too real for some of the effete snobs here.
Posted by: Dangerous Dan | December 23, 2007 at 10:56 PM
Amen Dan.
Posted by: sparky | December 23, 2007 at 11:38 PM
He's a troll, LeeAnn. Best to ignore him.
Posted by: sparky | December 24, 2007 at 07:35 AM
spot on dan.
i recall hearing ny vinnie sing during the christmas show at kjr and kiro. he has an outstanding voice.
i am just amazed that with a non visual medium such as radio that people want to critique weight or appearance the one thing that isn't valid. and as dan points out, just stop playing the 'concerned about their health card' as it comes across as transparent bs.
Posted by: PugetSound | December 24, 2007 at 09:46 AM
BS? I'm not a fountain of compassion, but I obviously don't want the guy to die asshole.
Posted by: Andrew | December 24, 2007 at 10:16 AM
One reason people focus on Vinnie's weight is that HE does.
He did commercials for L.A. Weight Loss; by the time that run of commercials was over, he'd lost 75 lbs. I don't know how he's doing now.
I was very touched by Vinnie's struggle with his weight; I've been through the same thing and I know how hard it can be. If Vinnie's back at his old "bad" weight, perhaps weight loss surgery is what he needs to turn to.
And to those who look down their noses and think, that's the easy way out, it's not. You have to lose a certain amount of weight on your own, you have to be cleared by a doctor, a psichiatrist, and get the ok from your insurance company; it can take up to a year. And after surgery, you have to be careful about what you eat and how much, and you need to get physically active. It's not easy, by any means.
And if Vinnie doesn't like people focusing on his weight, he shouldn't talk about it so much.
Posted by: JanetMorrow | December 24, 2007 at 11:14 AM
If gastric bypass isn't something he has considered he definately should. They say some bad things about it but look at Al Roker, Star Jones, or Ricky Lake. It works.
Posted by: Andrew | December 24, 2007 at 11:43 AM
"It's never too late for gastric bypass. I was a hideous fat cow well into my forties. Now I am a beautiful gorgeous world class Diva."
_Sharon Osbourne
Posted by: abob | December 24, 2007 at 01:16 PM
good lord, let it go. What Vinnie does is his own business. His weight is his business. Its like Puts said, he is basically on radio. If you disagree with what he says on the radio, have at it. He expects that. The rest of it is perverse and phony.
Posted by: sparky | December 24, 2007 at 01:28 PM
Some of you drink too much. Some of you smoke still... Some of you use obscene language a lot. Some of you have/had acne and scarring. Some of you have guts that don't know where to stop. Some of you fart too much.
Ah, but we haven't been propagandized into hating all of those things - yet. Much easier to pick on the one trauma(for some people) that profits weight loss corporations and continues support for the idolatry of skinny, perky women on screen and runways.
Mae West would be considered obese today. How old was she when she died? Anybody know? On the other hand, who was the runner that edited or published some health magazine - Prevention?? - who died running in his fifties?
People are easily propagandized. A person's weight is his/her own business. Their health belongs to them. Skinny people get cancer, diabetes, and a lot more bone density issues.
There's something out there for all of us. A man (and a woman) should be measured by their character. If you wish to hate, judge or pretend to know what is best for any other individual, I suggest you start with yourselves.
And, aboob, I don't know what to do for you. A total brain replacement would be a start.
Also, see how easily propagandized we are? We can be made to believe anything. That is the wizardry of a Rove.
And I haven't heard anybody complaining that Santa's too fat.
Posted by: joanie | December 24, 2007 at 01:38 PM