The Josh Innes Show - The Houston Chronicle Has Thoughts About Me

Episode Date: September 5, 2024

Damir, a friend of the show, let me know that the Houston Chronicle wrote a story about my desire to return to Texas. He saw the story on Facebook. I don't have Facebook. But, Jilly does. So we break down this story and read some of the comments from Chron readers. Spoiler: These people really dislike me. Make sure you subscribe to the Josh Innes Show Youtube Channel. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Yes. Get almost, almost anything delivered with Uber Eats. Order now. Alcohol and select markets. See app for details. All right. Get almost, almost anything delivered with Uber Eats. Order now. Alcohol and select markets. See app for details. All right, it's Josh and Jilly, and I hope you guys were able to listen to the football preview betting degenerate parlay podcast from earlier today.

Getting ready, it's actually about 5 o'clock right now, getting ready to watch the Chiefs and Ravens. I got a couple of passing yardage overs for both quarterbacks in that game. Not that that's going to matter by the time you hear this, but at least if you hear it before then or you hear it after, you'll know whether I succeeded or failed in my efforts to win money tonight. But earlier today, our friend Demir, who works over in the marquee,, he runs the movie theater in the Marquee, which we used to frequent all the time, and our friends PK and Denise frequent all the time. He sent me a link to the Facebook of the Houston Chronicle Sports. Look this up, Jelly. Houston Chronicle Sports on Facebook. Now, I don't have Facebook because I hate Facebook,

so I couldn't read it. All I know is that it linked back to a story that was in the Chronicle, I guess today, or at least the online version. I doubt it was in the actual paper, but I wouldn't know. But the story has a headline that reads, Sports Radio Host Josh Ennis Job Hunting Again Would Love return to Houston. Now, I haven't read this story. I assume it's mostly just the typical, you know, this guy always gets fired type of thing. But a listener was able to send this to me, a listener of the podcast. And I just talked about it on Instagram a few minutes ago. And this person sent me screenshots of it so I can actually read this story. So first off, Jilly, you've opened up the Facebook where people are commenting on this.

One thing I was able to see, I couldn't read the comments because I don't have Facebook, but I was able to see that most of the stories on the Chronicle Sports Facebook page, get like one, two, ten comments, whatever. At last check, I believe there's 50 comments on this story about little old me and my desire to move back to Houston. That's accurate. 51. There's 51 comments. We'll read some of those in a second.

But first, let me read the actual story because I have it now and I'll see if it's fair, unfair, if they shit on me. They probably don't offer much of an opinion, but a lot of times when the Chronicle writes about me or any publication writes about me, it's a little snarky. It's never positive. But what's interesting is we have not lived in Houston for, I guess, now over three years, right? We moved in March of 2021. It is now September 2024, so it's coming up on four years. I haven't been a real full-time radio person there since March of 2019, yet this person, I guess, just went and listened to this podcast, and still, I get headlines.

I'm not saying this to blow myself. I'm saying this to say it's baffling that for someone that so many people claim to hate, Philadelphia uses me for clicks. Houston uses me for clicks. Nashville doesn't know I exist, and St. Louis doesn't know I exist. But Philadelphia and Houston love to use me for clicks and interaction. Now, let me read through the actual story for you here, and let's see if it's fair unfair whatever headline sports radio host josh ennis job hunting again would love to return to houston now the again is kind of snarky it's not inaccurate but i haven't really been job hunting in the last four years this is

the first time i've been job hunting to be fair uh i moved on from nashville to take the job in st louis all right let's see what weren't even hunting for that job, to be honest. No, I was content with the job I had and that job found me. So, and I wasn't going to say no because it was kind of a dream scenario. But anyway, Josh Ennis, who has hosted shows at three different Houston sports radio station, lost his gig on St. Louis radio in August and said he'd love to find a new spot back in Houston. After laying low for a month aside from his extremely active Twitter account that's a dig I'm not like one of these lunatics that tweets a thousand times a day it just so happens if something pops up like the

LSU game I'll tweet a little bit more Cardinals game I'll tweet a little bit more Astros I'll tweet a little bit more that was an unnecessary tweet a little bit more. That was an unnecessary dig, person who wrote this story. Since being let go by St. Louis rock station KC95, Ennis has returned to his podcast, dropping four new episodes of the Josh Ennis Show in the past two days. In his return episode, he talked about his goal of returning to Houston to do a show because he loves the city and the fans, all while criticizing the local sports radio scene. Now, it's not really fair to say I criticized. Let me, I'll push back on that.

I said that there isn't a sports radio show or a sports radio personality that is the go-to must-listen person, and I said that a lot of people sound the same, and that's not a knock. I mean, that is criticism. But it's not really criticism. It's an observation. Criticism would be, it all sucks.

I didn't say it all sucked. Okay, okay. But I didn't say it sucked. I said all it is, I think everything is kind of the same, and there's nothing that really jumps out. That's all. You know what it is? It's a compliment to everyone that they all sound fine. And I'm not trying to start a war with any of

these people. I've gone on a men's tour and I'm buddies with most of these people, so I'm not sitting here trying to fight with them. All I'm saying is that I am of the belief that Houston as a city could use a fun, beer drinking, partying, good time, wild type of sports podcast that doesn't exist. Now let's see what kind of quotes they have for me from that podcast. Let's see if I'm right that I wasn't insulting because I don't believe I was.

Says, quote, who is the person in Houston or the show in Houston that you go, that's the opinion I need to get every day when something big happens in Houston sports? Who is that person that you have to turn to and say, that's the opinion I need to get every day. When something big happens in Houston sports, who is that person that you have to turn to and say, I need their opinion? The reality is that person or that show does not exist. It's a whole bunch of the same stuff up and down the dial.

And I don't mean that to be offensive to some of the people. I'm not trying to be a dick to those people. That's exactly what I just said here. That is not unfair. I don't think it's dickish to say that a lot of the shows sound the same which is a criticism it's an observation

I'm not taking their side but I mean you were critical I see what they were coming from well trust me I've been far more critical in my younger wilder days when I got the job in Philadelphia my last day I got a call from this David Barron dude from the Chronicle and I just shit on everybody shit on Rich and everybody so look I am that if you go back and

listen to me from four or five years ago you listen to me now I'm not trying to make myself sound like a pussy but I didn't shit on anybody and I wasn't critical it was an observation that I think there is something missing I never said any of those shows are bad. I never said don't listen to them. I said that back in the day, when you'd listen to sports radio in New York, you had to hear what Mike and the Mad Dog said. When you would listen to Boston these days, you want to see what Felger says. Or back in the day in Houston, I could argue that Rich and Charlie fell into that category. I could argue that John and Lance fell into that category.

And honest to God, I would tell you that Josh and fucking Rich fell into that category. I could argue that John and Lance fell into that category. And honest to God, I would tell you that Josh and fucking Rich fell into that category. That was the show that people needed to listen to and see what they said, whether you liked it or hated it or disagreed or agreed. That doesn't exist anymore. And I think that kind of goes to the current state of media in general, like terrestrial radio, where people are kind of afraid of, you know, rocking the boat. All right. Anyway, continues. Ennis worked for three different stations in Houston. He first joined Sports Radio 610 at 2009 at 23 years old and eventually moved to Afternoon Drive with longtime host Rich Lord after rating success. Ennis bolted for WIP in 2013, made a name for himself with his controversial opinions and antics. That's not unfair. It did.

He was later suspended and fired from WIP in 2016. I was. And returned to Houston to join Sports Talk 790. Now, I already knew that that Sports Talk 790 job would be there if I got fired because they had called me when I was still killing it in Philadelphia. So it's not as bad as you would think. But yes, that was the first time I actually got fired. The 790 gig lasted three years, and he was briefly with Houston's ESPN 97.5 before getting a job hosting Mornings at 105.9 The Rock in Nashville. After two years there, Ennis said

he thought he found a job that would have some staying power when he moved to St. Louis in March of 2023. However, that job lasted 18 months. That is true. And I did say all those things. It is important to note though, that it's not like I got the job in Nashville and got fired there and went to St. Louis. That job came to me and I'm like, well, shit. Like when I moved to Nashville, my ambition was never to stay in Nashville. That was my first job after being fired. That was my first legit job after being fired from 790. And it took me over two years to get that. I guess a little me over two years to get that. I guess a little less than two years to get that.

Right at two years, I guess. March 2019 to March 2021. So it took me about two years to get that. Rona was in the middle of it all. 97.5 for a year of doing stuff. Fine. It's not like I went to Nashville thinking, this is where I'm going to live the rest of my life. I thought I would go back up the ladder, and going to St. Louis was going back up the ladder.

Now, anything unfair so far? No, that's all pretty accurate. Yeah, it's just facts and no snark involved there. So I appreciate that. Now more quotes from me. I thought things were going to be spectacular in a set. I thought it was a slam dunk. And as it turns out, it wasn't a slam dunk. Not everything works out the way you want things to work out sometimes things just don't work out and this just didn't work uh don't expect ennis to find work in st louis not that he's interested in staying in what he calls hooterville a reference to the 1960s tv show green acres he said he packed his stuff up as soon as he was laid off and is just waiting for his next move i also appreciate them noting that you were laid off this time. Yeah.

I mean, it was a budget cut. So that's true. That sounds better than fired again. Yeah. Like again, and I think what people struggle to understand is this is an industry where at least back in the day, certainly people used to move all the time. Some of the greatest disc jockeys ever, the dudes that we idolize, these are names that nobody will recognize.

But, you know, like a George McFly or Greg Thunder, who worked in Houston for a long time. Those dudes would go from station to station looking for the next thing, the better day part. Like, that's how the... My dad was in nine places in nine years. So... I don't know when that shift happened, but it certainly has, where now it's like, well,

if you're from a city, you don't really have to move anywhere because you're from there and we'll just put you on the radio. Yeah, like people would move around all the time, but people view it like it's some sort of horrible thing that I've worked in multiple places and it's kind of bullshit. It's not uncommon. And part of my MO was like, I mean, I got that job in Houston when I was 23. Like, I didn't want to stay. Like, I wanted to move to different things and try different things. I was young. I'm kind of a vagabond.

I go from place to place. Now I'd like to find a place to sit so I don't have to move every two or three years because I'm damn near 40 years old. But it was fun to kind of move around from place to place and experience new things. Anyway, so the Hooterville, that was the last thing we got. I did say that. Sometimes I don't remember the shit I say on these podcasts because I just get going and then I don't remember. St. Louis, this is a quote from me. St. Louis is like Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome when you go downtown in a set.

It's like a third world country down there. It's not great. Well, I mean, I didn't tell this yet to the podcast people when you and i went to see journey and deaf leopard downtown uh it's at the ballpark bush stadium we're walking from union station which is an old train station it's got a hotel and everything and it's very nice and we're walking by an old arena down there and we hear pop pop pop pop and i go shit they're shooting off fireworks which is something that happens all the time in this downtown where people are riding their fucking motorcycles

and doing wheelies and running through red lights there's always crime i mean it's a desolate place and um and jilly goes i think those were gunshots and i said jilly don't be negative i just think we're fine as it turns out they were gunshots and someone got shot about four thirty yards from us when we were walking downtown. It's also important to note that that was at like four forty five in the afternoon, I think maybe five o'clock in the afternoon. This was before the show, like daylight. So it wasn't like we were gallivanting the streets at like two a.m. Correct. It is something, though. I guess I look, I can believe i said that that it's like

beyond mad max beyond thunderdome uh while he's trying to grow his podcast in us is also undergoing the frustrating journey of sending out his packet to different radio stations looking for a new job he said he recently uh said he recently spent a lot of time on producing content for a specific job. And the only response he got from the hiring station was, we're good. That did happen. That certainly did happen. As I sat at PK's house in Houston and I was like, shit, I got to get this out.

And it's the middle of the night. And I look at my phone. They'd email me back. I'm like, boy, they must think I'm the shit. And it just said, we're good. I will not tell you where that was, but that did happen. That is factual. A quote from Ennis, it's a soul crushing endeavor, Ennis said, when you know you're pretty good at this and you've got enough skins on the wall that you know that not only are you better than some people, but you're better than them and

you're more accomplished than them. And you come with higher regard from other people in the industry than some people do. Yet these people who make the decisions, the suits, many of them are afraid of their own shadow and they're just trying to hang on for dear life at this point in the industry. So they don't want to take any chances. And then you get screwed at the end of it. Again, it's a radio thing. I think a lot of people don't want to take major risks. And look, I can acknowledge that I would be considered a risk.

I don't think I'm as much of a risk as I was six years ago where I was a mental case, but I can see where they'd go. Okay, guy bounces from place to place. He gets a lot of attention, which is great, but some of it's negative. And we're just trying to exist in this industry that's going to die in the next X number of years probably. And we're worried, so we're just going to play it safe. So I understand that. I don't regret saying that or anything. Ennis says, yet somehow I'm an addict and I always am looking for a vein and being on the radio is like my heroin. I just look for it. I tie one off and I say, let's go and continue to look for that. I don't know why. I don't know why that matters to me so much, but it does. Let me see. Where's the end of this? Why it matters to me, but it does. And I certainly don't want the end

of my run getting fired in fucking St. Louis. Laid off, sorry. Getting laid off in St. Louis. I feel it's important to mention. So I don't want the end of my road being getting laid off in St. Louis. I don't think that was unfair. It was mostly just facts. There was no opinion in that. So again, I can't judge them for that. I've faced far worse from the Chronicle when they would try to spin every rating that we had as a negative and everything that the loser stations were getting was a positive.

So you know what? I don't think I come off sounding terrible in that, right? No, you've definitely sounded worse. I mean, there's some quotes in there that if I were hiring you, I'd be like, all right, this guy's going to just shit on my city. And he thinks radio is dying in a year. So, I mean, that doesn't help your cause of getting hired. Well, again, I disagree. What does your agent say?

Josh, stop tweeting. Well, I didn't tweet any of that. They got all of this from the podcast. I know, but those same things have been said on Twitter. Well, again, look, I believe what I believe. I think if there's a smart person, they'd hire me to do this. I don't think the people that hired me here would say I sucked because I didn't. I did a good job.

I don't think the people in Nashville, I know for a fact they wouldn't say I sucked. And I was very respectful of them. Again, it's just an industry thing. When you're sitting on the beach and you know you're good at something and people just kind of ignore you because they think you're dangerous in some way. All I'll say is this, if you look at that and you tell me like, this guy doesn't matter or whatever. Look, I'm not trying to blow myself. I don't think it's that big of a deal. But when the Chronicle writes about a guy who hadn't been there in five years, then they post it on their Facebook and it gets 50 comments.

Astros lose 1-0 today, gets five comments. Josh Ennis wants to move back to Houston, gets fucking 50. That says something, right? It means something in that regard. You'll get people talking. I'm sure this will be in a Philly media outlet the next day, too. I mean, they'll say, oh, they got clicks.

Let's do this here. I wouldn't doubt it. So I can't see the comments on the Facebook. So there's 50 of them, maybe even more now. Who knows? The funny thing is like why you don't have Facebook is because you don't want to read this shit. But yet here you are. Like you'll grab my phone.

I'll show you something. You'll take it acting like you're just looking at the video I wanted you to see. And then you just open up my Facebook and you go read this stuff. And now you're having me read it to you. So just get Facebook. I don't want Facebook. It's a rare occurrence that this happens. It's not a rare occurrence.

You look at my Facebook all the time. I used to back when the people from the radio station here would shit on me. They don't shit on me anymore because I'm not on the radio station anymore. Thank you very much. Alright, so tell me what are some of the comments? Well, first of all is Demir who of course says, yes, bring him back. Put some spice on dull sports

world here. Thanks, Demir. Thanks, Demir. John agrees that sports radio in Houston right now is the worst I've seen in 30 plus years and that you're much better and have more talent for radio in your little finger than most current hosts have in their entire body and soul. All right. So look, the comments, I'd say they were positive.

So that's the day. The first two. If you guys listen to this, go to the Chronicle Sports Facebook and go leave positive comments. I didn't realize the Chronicle had its own sports Facebook page. Okay. Nathan says, stay in Philly. Not in Philly. That's four cities.

Dude, I've come back to Houston since then. Romulo says, no thanks. He hates everything Houston and is a radio troll. None of that is true. Well, I mean, you could consider me a troll, I guess. I don't mean to be. But when have I ever said I hate anything about Houston? That is absolutely erroneous.

And if you ever read my socials or anything, you would know that I love Houston very much. Andrew says, no thanks. We're good. John says- Oh, see, just like the guy at that other place. John says, Houston's closed, Josh. Have you tried Dallas?

If they'd hire me, honest to God, I'd go there too. I don't want to, but I mean, I would certainly, you know, if I had my druthers, I would go to Houston. But if Dallas called and said, come on, I'd say, let's go. And they're getting HEBs in Dallas finally, aren't they? Have they yet? They don't have HEB? They didn't use it. Wow.

That's sad for them. David says, please stay away. Josh is a racist. That is not true at all either. At all. Let's see. Let's see. Vic says, please know there's a reason he keeps hunting for new jobs.

Well, lately it's because I moved on. First of all, I have not been hunting for a job in four years, friend. Thank you very much. Mike says, he's a douche. I hope no one hires him. Jill says, dude, you burned every bridge leading back to Houston. Some random station may pick him up

thinking people will listen because he's controversial, but I hope not. And I'd also like to know what, like being called controversial is interesting because like all I do is talk like I talk. I don't set out to be controversial. Just because people are like milk toast in their lives, I don't set out to be controversial. Just because people are like milk toast

in their lives, I don't know why I'm controversial, but whatever. Michael says he's the worst of all time and that comment has seven likes.

Well, those seven people are stupid because they've never heard everybody all time. Thank you. Ted says don't want him here. Tom says

he will never change out of his version of shock jock. Again, how am I a shock jock? My God, I just talk. Fuck that. The shock jock thing always annoys me because it's so fucking dumb.

And you use terms that you think you understand. You don't know dick. What was his name? That's Tom. Fuck Tom. Garrett says another popular one. There's a reason he's job hunting. A lot of people have been saying that.

Whoa, okay. Jason says I did not enjoy listening to his show. He totally screwed up Sports Talk 790 Super Bowl. Well, I actually brought attention to Sports Talk 790 Super Bowl, which otherwise would have been a giant waste of time, but thank you.

And nobody cares about Radio Row. Most people tune out. It's boring. And again, we weren't actually the reason why we got kicked off, but we don't need to go down that road again. Nope. Done that enough. Bill says, nah. Fuck you, Bill.

Steve says, don't want him back. But he is correct in saying that there is no one here whose opinion I value. Well, see, there you go. We met in the middle. Kevin says, may he continue to keep looking to teach him a lesson in humility. And to stop being a POS racist, because that's the only kind of person who's going to hire him. I am not a POS racist. I am a very humble person.

This person elaborates, Trey says there's a reason he's always looking for a job. That reason is because he's annoying. Oh, at least I'm not a racist this time. Jor, Jorge says he was legit the only show I didn't like when he was on 790. He sucks. Well, no offense, bro, but you have some really shitty taste if you liked everything else on there and hated me. Thomas says, Josh is one of the reasons I stopped listening to sports radio.

Oh, well, I'm glad I have that power. Louis puts three vomiting emojis. Thank you, Louis. Chris says, he was by far the worst, Most annoying show on air with the worst takes. I always change the station if he was on. I would like to know these takes because usually the worst takes, according to these people, are ones that I didn't even have. They just make them up in their mind. Joe says we don't want him back.

Clarence says pass in all caps. Thanks, Clarence. Kurt says please no. Charlie, yes. Bring back Charlie, but not this guy. Breen says no thanks. P.S. You back Charlie, but not this guy. Breen says, no thanks. P.S. You're actually not that good at it. Your track record of departure should be telling you something.

But what about my track record of getting hired in all these places too, ma'am or sir, whoever you are? Thank you. Chase says, Ben Affleck is the greatest Batman of all time. Hey, he lives. Way to go, brother. Alex says, nope. David says, should just do a podcast. Ruben says nope. He shouldn't have ever left. I don't know if that's

good or whatever. Charles says nope. Joseph says no with 16 O's. Eddie says NPR might be interested. There is no way in hell that NPR would be interested in somebody like me and that's about it hey you know what i'll say this i didn't seek out the chronicle to write a thing about me i appreciate that they did but i didn't seek out the chronicle to write anything all they did was quoted what i said in the podcast super d duper i didn't ask for these people to comment this shit it's just interesting

to me that like i have this and you could say this is cocky or whatever that i have the ability to get 50 people to comment when every other story on there is three two four about legit shit like the astros losing one fucking nothing to the reds today we're getting nine runs put on them in the first inning yesterday those stories get one one, two, five, seven. I'm over here 50 comments on the Jamoke radio guy that everybody says they hate. That says something is all I'm going to say. It says something. What that is, I don't know.

But it says something. Thank you. Now, anything else, Jilly? That's it. That's it. Let's get the hell out of here. Football's coming up, and I've got to make a London broil. So we'll see you.