By Jeff Moss
June 21, 2012
DetroitSportsRag@gmail.com
I woke up this morning to a front-page feature article in the Detroit News written by Angelique Chengelis that focused on the broadcast career of Mike Valenti.
Yep, the “Angel of the Big House” devoted an entire column to the life and times of the WXYT-FM drive time host, which superficially chronicled the successes and pitfalls the MSU grad has endured in his eight-year career at the “sports” station.
Of course, when the author of the piece is best buddies with the host that FOLLOWS Valenti on 97.1, how probing into the subject do you think she is going to get?
Instead of Tweeting a picture of Bob Wojnowski’s senior picture from the big guy’s yearbook on Twitter earlier this week, maybe Chengelis could have spent that time contacting ME for some real information on Valenti. Since, ya know, it is well documented that I am the only person who REALLY covers this beat in Detroit and my input might have been helpful in forming a more balanced and entertaining piece on Valenti.
Anyway, I don’t think I would be performing my due diligence on the DSR if I didn’t comment on Chengelis’s mostly informative article. But, I believe I am in a unique position to amplify on her work so as Paul Harvey used to say before he croaked …..
I want to accomplish two things in this article and I will do it in the following manner.
A) Quote some of the Chengelis piece and give you my opinion on what was written.
B) Provide you with some Valenti knowledge that Chengelis is either oblivious to or purposely just left out.
Anyway, let’s begin with some quotes from the actual News piece and my two-cents …..
“I think I’m pretty self-deprecating,” Valenti said recently, sitting in a quiet, comfortable spot upstairs in a Detroit cigar bar.
As DSR on Tee-Vee co-host, Michael Bochenek, wrote me after reading this article, “Self deprecating. Cigar bar. Those two things go together like chocolate and urine.”
“Mike’s mood dictates how the show goes,” Dery said. “That’s the way it is. If he’s off, he’s not interested, he’s having a bad day, the show won’t be as good. He’s that powerful a figure as far as the overall presentation, but to be honest, it’s kind of frustrating.”
Well, it is good to see that things have come full circle and now when Dery throws Valenti under the bus, he does it on the front page of the News as opposed to private text messages with me.
If he’s having a bad day the show won’t be as good? If he’s not interested the program goes downhill? I can only imagine if Gary Dell’Abate had said THAT about Howard Stern in a New York Post article what the ramifications would have been for “Mac-Hine.”
I am pretty sure it would have something to do with Sal Governale’s testicles dipped in hot caramel hovering over Bababooey’s chin.
And that quote came shortly after Dery stated that he basically had to babysit for Valenti in his role as update guy and “Executive Producer.”
Which reminds me, Dery getting “promoted” to Executive Producer of the” V & F” show reminds me of the episode of “Cheers’ when Woody and Sam wanted a raise from Rebecca, but she didn’t have any money in the budget so instead of a pay increase, Woody received the perfunctory title of “Senior Bartender.”
Valenti admits he is a “different cat” and can be moody. For four hours, he says he is an embellishment of himself. He is louder, more argumentative and sports-obsessed than he is away from the microphone.
Wait, he is more sports-obssessed on the air than off? So he actually spends MORE time off -the-air discussing light rail, street lights, ice fishing, Dave Bing’s policies, emergency managers, airline protocol, fireworks and Belle Isle than he does ON-THE-AIR?!?!?!?
Last December he so aggressively questioned Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, the player cut short the interview.
He so aggressively questioned Suh? I don’t even think Valenti would paint THAT picture. Valenti and Terry Foster asked him the questions that HAD to be asked after the Thanksgiving Stomping Parade, but to act like he went all Steve Wilson on the Lions defensive lineman is a stretch that I don’t think even Valenti would make.
I gave credit to Valenti at the time for asking him those questions only in relation to the fact that the rest of the media in this town is so afraid of controversy, they probably wouldn’t even have posed the tepid ones “V & F” asked.
What people might not know about Valenti is he’s fiercely protective of his private life, adores his parents who raised him and his two sisters in Troy, N.Y., and is a bit uncomfortable with his local fame.
Well, I knew that Valenti was extremely sensitive about his personal life. Because when we were on speaking terms a few months back, he informed me IN WRITING that the only item that I ever posted that REALLY bothered him was when I speculated that his ex-girlfriend didn’t like him going to sporting events at night because she wanted him home with her.
This story appeared on the DSR at the time when Valenti was getting attacked by myself and other media members for being a “studio gangster.” That he would viciously attack athletes and teams, but rarely if ever show up to the actual events or appear in the home team’s locker room to “answer the music.”
Anyway, Valenti told me that rumor was patently untrue. Of course, I didn’t believe him when he said that the other crap I had written about him didn’t bother him since his own broadcast partner (Terry Foster) told me that back in 2004 the people at WXYT-AM had to pry him away from reading the DSR because he couldn’t handle the negative attacks from this site.
And I don’t think his “rabbit ear’s” (which make umpire Bob Davidson look thick-skinned in comparison) have gotten much better since I would frequently get a message from the host when anyone on my message board would rip him when we were still on speaking terms.
But, here is the bizarre part of the whole “his girlfriend won’t let Mike go to games” fiasco. That story originated with a rumor from Matt Dery himself. But I guess “The Count” and Valenti broke bread at the Union Woodshop over burnt ends and fried pickles and they worked out their backstabbing differences.
But if the self-described Chris Parker of the station was the source for the most upsetting piece of gossip in my radio career and then he just told Chengelis that the show basically sucks when I am ambivalent to the content, well, I sure as hell wouldn’t be going to the Vinsetta Garage for dinner or douching it up at Goodnight Gracie Cigar & Spirit with him anytime soon.
But that is just me.
So what did Chengelis leave out of her article that would have made it a lot more compelling and thorough. Let me COUNT the ways:
1] While Valenti understands that radio is a bottom line business and the ratings at 97.1 are incredible, he doesn’t like the format at all. Based on conversations I have had with Valenti directly and through other “friends” of his, he thinks their caller driven format makes for BAD RADIO.
2] If it were up to him he would have more guests on the program. And not just limited to athletes who appear and say nothing of any value. You know, they players who are COMPELLED to call in because their team is a “broadcast partner” of the station. Valenti even suggested to CBS Radio brass that if 97.1 was going to remain caller driven that he would like to give a “hotline” number out to callers who are known to provide excellent content. This request was rebuffed.
3] It is Valenti’s belief that the station’s morning program is an abomination mainly because of the presence of Bill McAllister who belongs on a “sports station” like Bill Maher belongs at a Tea Party rally.
4] That his partner (who was conveniently not quoted in the piece even though he is an EMPLOYEE of the Detroit News) is lazy and attempts to steer the show away from sports topics way more than Valenti would prefer. Also, Terry Foster’s pathetic Twitter account is a source of embarrassment for Valenti and he states it right on the air.
5] According to a workout pal of Valenti’s (although by the looks of those pictures that accompany the feature, I find it difficult to believe Mike goes to the gym much) that he is burned out by the current corporate and formulaic format of 97.1. That he is already planning an exit strategy to get out of the business which includes investments in other businesses.
6] It is doubtful that Valenti has had one JUICY offer to leave Detroit for another market. I have been informed by PDs in other markets that Valenti has made it known in the past that he would be willing to leave Motown. I can’t imagine Jimmy Powers is truly worried about Valenti getting an offer at WFAN in NYC because it would have already occurred. And even if Valenti were to leave, the man who created this abomination of a format (Tom Bigby) has made it abundantly clear to all employees at WXYT-FM that they are interchangeable pieces and can be replaced at a moment’s notice without a hiccup in the ratings.
7] That some of the hatred for Valenti is so strong that some complete imbeciles have actually made death threats against the guy. And not just innocuous comments that could be misconstrued. CREDIBLE threats that CBS Radio security and local law enforcement authorities took seriously.
And now some suggested contributions from Bochenek, who has spent TONS more time listening to Valenti over the years than I have.
8] The dude has the thinnest skin of anyone in the Detroit Sports Media. Dissenters on the “V & F” page get summarily banned for even daring to criticize the King.
9] What guy wears CUFFLINKS to do a sports talk radio program? Someone who gets dressed up for a Detroit News photo shoot. At least we were spared a pocket square.
10] The talker never takes ANY medicine for his terrible takes. “The Yankees stink” in 2009. Oh. They won the World Series. Wanting to lethally inject Eli Manning for poor play? A QB who won a Super Bowl for this lifelong Giants fan even BEFORE this season in which he constantly crucified the Giants and their quarterback all season long.
And even when finally admitting he was wrong in the slightest manner it is always accompanied with multiple qualifiers and excuses.
11] He is an avid reader of the DirtSpurt, but never will properly credit anyone on this site when hijacking their opinions or takes. It got so bad a couple of months ago that I called him out for Xeroxing all of my Tigers takes which led him to immediately start disagreeing with all of my opinions.
Which culminated with his now famous, “Who the Hell is Quintin Berry?” blog post on “The Ticket’s” website.
THAT is the kind of information that was left out of Chengelis’s article. You know, the real interesting stuff.
Now ….. you know ….. the rest of the story.