Best sidekick in Cleveland radio

Just curious on everyone's thoughts on who is the best sidekick on a Cleveland radio show?

Judge in terms of on-air contributions, personality, and chemistry with the host

Rizzo has Hammer
Triv has Gohmann
Fee has Toohey
Cox has Zumock
Lanigan has Malone
Rover has Dieter
The Bull has Dustin Fox

am I missing anyone that's a side-kick?

Jimmy Malone is far and away the best. No question. Close to 25 years at WMJI, 20 alongside Lanigan full-time (NOTE: the "Knucleheads" hour with Lanigan itself turns 25 years old this year) plus he's a natural foil and counterpart to Lanigan's persona. It's been a perfect fit, and the ratings prove it.

As for the others:

* Aaron Goldhammer: Terrible chemistry with Rizz, and the follies of tRBS are so well documented on here and elsewhere. Bad theatre. Worse radio.
* Ryan Gohmann: Not his fault, but Gohmann can't hold a candle to Marty Allen and Paul Rado. But Triv isn't at his peak, either.
* Jen Toohey: Strong co-host, not-so-strong host.
* Chad Zumock: Zumock has the two things Hammer doesn't have: credibility and likability. And that's very much to Chad's advantage.
* Dominic Dieter: Rizzo and Hammer are so bad, they make Rover and Dieter's bad performances look good.
* Dustin Fox: Developing, but benefits from a STRONG host in Adam the Bull to learn from. Has potential to be special. Projection-based hire on a station that didn't have many of them.

Malone, hands down. Started on WMJI in '87 just on Thursday for "Knuckleheads". Then later paired with Dan Deely in PM drive and eventually joined Lanigan and John Webster in AM drive roughly '89.

As Nathan stated. Perfect foil for John. Black vs White, Democrat vs Republican. Although the "Malone Mansion" isn't the norm for most . Keeps his quick wit, infectious laughter and ability to keep John on his toes. I've even seen Jimmy storm out of the studio on occassion due some heated debate. Plus he brought WMJI "Knuckleheads". After almost 25 years (next year) it's still the funniest hour on radio in NE Ohio, bar none.

It's really no contest in Cleveland: Jimmy Malone.

(And, Lannigan's show isn't my personal "cup of tea", I just respect the show's 20+ year killer ratings: they're Cleveland's best).

How about Ronnie Barrett's bird, or Barnaby's "Invesable Parrott" ( Man I'm living in the past.)

Jimmy Malone. Although I really don't consider him a sidekick to Lanigan.

Jim Trefney said:

How about Ronnie Barrett's bird, or Barnaby's "Invesable Parrott" ( Man I'm living in the past.)

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Or "Big" Wilson's Parakeet?

fallon45 said:

Just curious on everyone's thoughts on who is the best sidekick on a Cleveland radio show?

Judge in terms of on-air contributions, personality, and chemistry with the host

Rizzo has Hammer
Triv has Gohmann
Fee has Toohey
Cox has Zumock
Lanigan has Malone
Rover has Dieter
The Bull has Dustin Fox

am I missing anyone that's a side-kick?

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Don't forget the Akron and Canton stations too. A lot of dual hosts shows there. As for Cleveland, I'd say I like Toohey, Zumock, Malone and Fox. Hammer is THE worse!

@goldwimp is the best because Craig K has market research that says so.... ;D

Goldhammer actually has a Twitter account now...@HammerNation19, IIRC.

I don't think he uses it much, or I'm just not paying close attention to his tweets.

The Maloner.

Ronnie Barrett's bird was Grin. I remember his show on WHK 1420 back in the late 60's was called Grin & Barrett.

The best way to fairly judge this is asking yourself "Who can be spun off onto his own show and be successful?"

Jimmy Malone wins, hands down.

If/when Lanigan hangs 'em up, "The Maloner" can move over to the big chair and not seem outta place.

And Chip Kulick would be a perfectly good sidekick/co-host in his own right.

Jimmy and Chip have shown they can "man the bridge" (Star Trek reference) very capably when Lanigan is off, and thus them doing their own show should be no problem.

And Aaron Goldhammer is the "Anti-Maloner". Ever hear him do a show when Rizz is off...UGH!!...especially when Fedor was there with him. It was truly The Bratty Bunch run amok.

That's why they don't let him do it any more.

Since about the first of the year, when Rizzo is out, either Greg Brinda, Bruce Hooley, or Je'Rod Cherry has been brought in to baby sit, because CK to his credit has figured out that Hammer needs a grown up with him, especially during the week.

I'll have to join the chorus here...there's Jimmy Malone, and then there's everyone else. He's an important part of "L&M" and I almost hate to call him a "sidekick".

IMO... I'm not sure I would lump a Co-Host in the same category as a side-kick. For example, I believe most people now refer to it as the Lanigan and Malone Morning Show, as opposed to the Lanigan Morning Show. Over at WMMS, it's The Alan Cox Show, but not the Alan Cox and Chad Zumock Show... so technically - and not to diminish from Chad's show imput - Chad would be consider the side-kick. Same would be the case in Canton, as another example, with the Deluca Show - making Charlotte the side-kick at Q92; where as at WKDD, it's The Keith & Jenn Morning Show.

Just my two-cents.

Yeah, basically that's what I was saying, DLMD. Jimmy is pretty much not in the "sidekick" category at all.

Though they aren't on the air anymore, I always thought Stansbury was a great sidekick for Maxwell. Really provided the comedy for that show and did make me laugh out loud...which is rare for radio nowadays I suppose. Shame that between what appears to be Maxwell's difficult ego and WNCX putting them in an impossible position it seems we've heard the last of him on the air in Cleveland.

SixOnTheFloor said:

Though they aren't on the air anymore, I always thought Stansbury was a great sidekick for Maxwell. Really provided the comedy for that show and did make me laugh out loud...which is rare for radio nowadays I suppose. Shame that between what appears to be Maxwell's difficult ego and WNCX putting them in an impossible position it seems we've heard the last of him on the air in Cleveland.

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It appears that Maxwell retook control of the show's FB fan page from WNCX not long ago. His non-compete lasts until March.

To me, his posting suggests that he could try to do a pay-only internet podcast version of the show. (Think of what Mike O' Meara did...) After all, I can't fathom CC taking him back, and for the life of me, I can't see any other station considering bringing them on board.

I suppose Nathan the wildcard with Maxwell is 107.3 now. If (and that's a big if) RCR flips it to a man-cave type station to run against WMMS, then maybe (and that's a big maybe) we could see Maxwell surface there in afternoons. Then again with Triv, Alan Cox, Bull & Fox, and Bruce Hooley all shooting for big parts of the same demo, afternoon talk seems rather crowded in Cleveland.

The chances of 107.3 and Maxwell coming together after RCRG buys the thing? Microscopic.

(I was going to use the "slim and none" wording, but I did that estimating 92.3's chances of flipping to sports...and ended up being quite wrong. )

Not happening. Period.

I think Maxwell is likely to be an internet-only show come next year. He'll probably enjoy the freedom more so running his own show than working for a company.

Would Erika Lauren also be considered a sidekick since the WMMS afternoon show is named "The Alan Cox Show?" I would consider her one. Same for Glenn Anderson at Q104, despite the "Toohey and Fee" name.