« History of the Smack-Off: Site Redesign | Return to Main
This post will remain at the top of the front page until May. Check in here for Smack-Off news, betting odds, and a review of the contest. Check out complete audio from past Smack-Offs at my History of the Smack-Off page.
For what it's worth, I am looking forward to the Smack-Off this year as much as any of you are, if not more so. It will actually be kind of fun to sit back and listen to the calls without sitting there and wondering what to say in my acceptance speech. (Sorry, I had to start this post with some sort of cocky "I am the man" comment. I'm not really that way -- most of the time.)
A few thoughts after reading all of the posts on this topic:
- The nickname "The Casually Aging" is pretty good, although anyone who has seen pictures of me from ten years ago and compares them to now knows that I am aging anything but casually. I"ve aged worse than Brian Doyle Murray between Caddyshack and Wayne's World. Personally, "The Babblinasian" is the runaway winner for best satirical Cablinasian nickname. For what it's worth, "Clone-inasian" from Iafrate was a reach and kind of lame.
- I get a kick out of how worked up everyone gets over the fact that I keep winning this thing despite the facts that (1) I call once a year, and (2) my calls are formulaic in nature (i.e. Duke take, Peter King take, "I am better than all of you" take, shake, WIN!, repeat). Don't you think that if there were a requirement for me to call once a month or once a week to defend my crown that I could do that? I mean it's not like it takes months to cook up a phone call to the Rome Show. It's not rocket science. My last three calls that have won the Smack-Off were concocted the morning of the event. But I have a lifetime exemption (or I did until last week) --- so I use it. As for the formulaic nature of my calls, I think that's been overblown a little bit by everyone. That said, if you've found something that works, wouldn't you repeat it? If a team ran the same play over and over again and it was working, why would they stop using it? The old saying goes that the definition of insanity is trying the same thing over and over again expecting different results. I am the opposite of insanity; I've found something that works and I'll repeat it over and over again until someone stops me (or until I'm banned from the show for getting my own show on a competitor's station). If you don't like the content of my calls, that's one thing, but bashing me for using the same formula each year is silly because it obviously achieves the desired goal which is winning.
- I would tend to agree that it would be cool if Rome gave something like 1/5th of the vote for the Smack-Off to the listeners via a web poll (with himself, Travis, Jason, and Alvin being the other 4/5ths). It would be progressive and well received. That said, I'm pretty sure Terrence could fart into his phone for four minutes and get about 85% of the web vote. (For the record, I think Terrence is hilarious, but the love he has from web clones is off the charts.)
- For what it's worth, I actually think my two runner-up calls (2000, 2004) were better than at least two of my calls that won. And I probably didn't desrve all five of the titles I have, but I'm not giving any of them back. That big pile of nothing that I got for winning each of them? Well, it's MY pile of nothing, and I'm not giving it back.
- 2008 Smack-off Predictions: Vic actually makes a phone call this year, but Greg finally gets the elusive win.
- Thanks to everyone who has emailed me and listened to my show. If you've shared kind words with me about the show, I wholeheartedly agree with you that the show reeks of awesomeness. If you think my show is a steaming pile of turds, then I respect your first amendment rights (and your single digit Wonderlic score).
Now if you'll all excuse me, I'm getting my resume together so that I can at least be a guest Smack-Off color analyst this year for some network out there carrying the show.
Peace, Sean
| Past Winners | Old School Legends | The New School |
| J.T. The Brick | Greg in Vegas | Casey in Vegas |
| Jeffrey E. DiTolla | Irie Craig | Joe in the O.C. |
| Doc Mike DiTolla | Jeff on a Carhpone | Lear in Annapolis |
| Steve Carbone | Terrence in Sierra Madre | Chad in Portland |
| Silk in Huntington Beach | Trapper in Dana Point | Rachel in Houston |
| Jeff in Richmond | Gino in San Antonio | Vic in NoCal |
| Iafrate | Jay Mohr | Brendan in Wilmington |
| J.D. in Nashville | ||
| Bodie in Pearland | ||
| Oren in Denver | ||
| Corey in Ann Arbor | ||
| Mike in Wichita | ||
| On the Bubble | ||
| Jim in Fall River | Jeff in Vancouver | |
| Odds | Clone | Comments |
| 11-2 | Greg in Vegas | Consistently comes up big (2007 being the exception--a nice idea, but painfully executed), but he's the tragic hero of the Smack-Off |
| 6-1 | Iafrate | He always finds a spot in the top five |
| 8-1 | Joe in the O.C. | I've always thought of him as The Cablinasian Jr. Last year his call was poorly read and highly overrated |
| 8-1 | Terrence in Sierra Madre | The People's Champ, the Clone nation would be ecstatic if he takes home the crown |
| 9-1 | Vic in NoCal | The Next Big Thing, but will Rome let him win after no-showing last year? Probably not, but a second place finish would not surprise me |
| 9-1 | Doc Mike DiTolla | Two-time winner, his last Smack-Off call was in 2003 but he's preparing for a comeback. If he calls he'll be right there in the mix |
| 10-1 | Steve Carbone | A classic screamer and former winner, with the Cablinasian on the sidelines he'll be missing his foil and will need a new target |
| 12-1 | Jay Mohr | As a professional comedian Jay gets graded much tougher |
| 17-1 | Lear in Annapolis | Great material in his debut, but he needs to read the script a little slower, Johnny 5 thinks dude reads fast. A good sleeper pick |
| 19-1 | Chad in Portland | He runs good smack, but his act is a bit tired. Rome seems to like his calls though |
| 19-1 | Oren in Denver | Flamed out in his '06 debut, but he made a strong call last year and a nice effort to RSVP last week |
| 19-1 | Casey in Vegas | Brilliant in '03 and '04, but he's been off his game the last few attempts |
| 23-1 | Jeff in Richmond | No way that he wins, it just won't happen again, please not again |
| 23-1 | Rachel in Houston | Good caller but she doesn't have that extra gear, it would take a Silkian effort to win |
| 23-1 | Jeff on carphone in Phoenix | A solid old school caller but he's a train wreck on the big day |
| 26-1 | Brendan in Wilmington | In the field after waiting five days on hold to place an excellent call. |
| 26-1 | Mike in Wichita | A good caller, but he hasn't really done much to distinguish himself. 8th place is his upside |
| 30-1 | Jeff in Vancouver | Made a pretty good call in 2007, but half the time Jeff is left off the list when Rome reads the field |
| 30-1 | Trapper in Dana Point | He's made one great Smack-Off call, he might have another in him, but probably not. He could creep into the top ten. |
| 30-1 | Silk in Huntington Beach | A solid and valued contributor, but I doubt he cracks the top ten, his calls just don't translate well to the Smack-Off |
| 30-1 | Gino in San Antonio | An old school caller that hasn't been in a Smack-Off since 2001, he probably won't call but he's a threat if he does |
| 30-1 | Corey in Ann Arbor | A generic rookie caller with very little hope of making noise |
| 40-1 | Jim in Fall River | Still on the bubble. He hasn't called since 2004 and it doesn't look like 2008 will see a return of the Donkey |
| 45-1 | Irie Craig | Irie would be a dominant caller to a local show, but in the Jungle he's just the stoner with good sports takes and no chance to take home the crown |
| 70-1 | J.D. in Nashville | Maybe the best debut call in Jungle history, but his second call was awful. He doesn't belong in the field |
| 100-1 | Jeffrey E. DiTolla | In the field based on his win in 1996, but he hasn't called since 2001 |
| 100-1 | Bodie in Pearland | Bodie is a piece of crap. He might be the worst caller to receive a Smack-Off invite since Tobin in Chapel Hill. *** I take it back, Bodie is not a piece of crap afterall. Clever Smack-Off call and nice effort on the Sean and John show this afternoon. |
| 250-1 | J.T. the Brick | Not going to call |
| 16.5 | Total number of calls taken |
| 6.0 | Calls taken in the first hour |
| 6.5 | Calls taken in the second hour |
| 4.0 | Calls taken in the third hour |
| 2.0 | Times the buzzer is wielded |
| 4.0 | Number of past winners that call |
| 8-1 | First Hour |
| 3-2 | Second Hour |
| 4-1 | Third Hour |
Ugh. So Seanie went to a better station and now the Smack-Off is ruined. It's not legitimate anymore. You want to have to beat the best, not win in a weakened field. Hell, maybe Terence will now get the pity vote and win finally. I'd take those 6-1 odds.
The other one I might bet is 50-1 on the field. Why not? You'll be getting a few callers in "field" most likely, and one could come up with a big call. It's a much better bet than taking lower odds on individuals who may not even call.
Cablinasian or no Cablinasian, my money's on Vic in NoCal. Dude's been the best caller on the show for like a year and a half now and I see him bringing it.....if he calls.
Anyone been trying to listen live via the website the last week or two? It stopped working for me.
Just noticed it, but is Otis in Austin actually Matt Hullum (best known as Sarge in the geek-favorite "Red Vs Blue")? Don't know, but I noticed the similarities and thought I'd ask.
Sid: I have not tried listening live via the web. Lately I've had to listen via the podcast route.
Jim: I think I've seen one episode of Red Vs Blue, so I get the reference, but that's about it. I assume that Matt Hullum must be funny so that probably rules out the Otis in Austin connection. I vaguely remember seeing Otis at the Austin tour stop, but that was so long ago I couldn't possibly compare that memory to the photo of Hullum on his wikipedia page, though maybe someone else can.
Podcast route? Please explain how that would work.
With a paid Streamlink subscription you can download each show directly from the Jungle website or go through iTunes to get it. I use iTunes and usually hear the show in the evening. Some days I'm able to catch the show live, but usually work makes it hard to listen so the podcast has been great.
i would say, take the field odds...because my smack-off call will dwarf those of the other unsavory kooks. brendan in wilmington, smack-off invitee as of today
Hey guys. Brendan in wilmington here. Was down playing rope-a-dope for a week. Glad to see my odds are more favorable here. You had better lay that money down tonight before those odds go to about 10-1 to 15-1. I will call tomorrow, work in a little smack including takes on j.stew having gobstoppers on his face, bums investing their rocks wisely and turning them into quarries, calling orinn the "human filibuster"...fun stuff like that. But this will be my "b-sides and rarities". In the smackoff i will unveil my greatest hits. -peace. War bums using crock pots as virtual reality helmets
Iafrate won. Doc Mike second, Joe in the OC third.
Iafrate and Doc Mike seemed about even, though I prefer Mike's delivery. I guess being in the Tribe gave Rabbi Ken the tiebreaker.
I had Iafrate 2 and DiTolla 1, UNTIL I heard Bodie's call. Getting his kid to do takes and beg for the computer was the most original call of the day. Sure it was gimmicky, but it was funny.
I upgraded Vic for his Bobcat Goldthwait line, considering Mohr is married to Nikki Cox, who used to be with Bobcat (I know, go figure).
On the whole, by the second hour the calls start sounding the same, and go too long, kind of like a Judd Apatow movie.
Vic not even ranked in the top 10 by Rome?
the Smackoff is a joke.
I know they're all reading, but Doc Mike's might as well have been on a teleprompter. It was too rehearsed sounding. Say what you want about Iafrate, but he had no way to know Doc Mike was going to make his first call in 5 years. In other words, all that smack he ran was stuff he had to think up that day, in the 20 or so minutes after Doc Mike hung up and before he went on. By thinking on his feet and hunting the biggest possible game, Iafrate earned his win.
Rome serves no purpose in the smackoff. "Are you kidding me?" "Where do you slot them?" and endlessly repeating the number and saying an invitation doesn't guarantee you get in. We get it, Rome.
Don't forget "3 or 4" or 5 or whatever of this year's calls could win any other year. Has he ever said "The calls this year were so bad that none of them would have a chance in another year"? No. Every year the calls are awesome.
calling Brendan's call bad doesn't do it justice. One of the worst calls ever. I knew he'd get run as soon as the first sentence was out of his mouth.
I agree with Iafrate's call being the winner.
Great work Andrew...this site is nails.
