First anniversary of KJR shit-canning
But this isn’t a woe-is-me post, it’s more like a celebration of sorts
BEND - A year ago this week, KJR-FM program manager Rich Moore called me while I was driving from Bend to Seattle to tell me I was fired.
Make no mistake, I was fired. I wasn’t laid off or dismissed or let go or any other term, I was fired. The only other acceptable term when someone is told their services are no longer needed or wanted is shit-canned.
Shit-canned sums it up perfectly. You’re not just canned, you’re shit-canned. I wasn’t aware of the origin of shit-canned until I just Googled it.
Shit-canned comes from the military slang term “shitcan,” meaning a toilet or garbage can and its usage evolved to mean to dismiss or discard something, with the earliest known use of the noun "shitcan" in the 1940s.
Somebody told me that I wasn’t fired, I was laid off for economic reasons by iHeart media, part of budget cuts across the country at many stations. That sugar-coats it and makes it sound nicer than “we just got rid of his old ass” or something similar to that.
It reminds me of a college professor I had at Washington State. He wasn’t shit-canned, I just remember sitting in his class one day when he said our society has a problem with articulating death. We tend to say somebody passed on or passed away instead of simply saying they died.
It’s as if we’re trying to make the person’s death sound better if we say he passed away.
“You don’t pass away, you die,” the professor said, and since that day when someone dies, I say he died, and it always bugs me when someone, trying to be nice, says so and so passed away.
Anyway, my firing came as a surprise mainly because Moore, known as “Purple Sheet,” texted me a few minutes before he called to tell me “he wanted to update me on things.”
When you’re told you’re about to get an update, you tend to think you’re still part of the whole operation and not about to become past tense as an employee. I thought Purple Sheet was going to update me on Jason Puckett’s contract negotiations, something along the lines of “hey man, we worked out an agreement with Puck, and he’ll be back on Monday.”
Purple Sheet did say that, so I was right in one respect, but he followed it up with the by the way, you’re fired part too.
I was stunned but wasn’t really angry at Moore - he’d been good to me in my 2 1/2 years at KJR, and besides, I planned to retired at the end of 2024 anyway.
I guess everyone wants to go out on their own terms and felt like I deserved that too, but that’s not the way it works in corporate America, especially not in the radio business.
But looking back, it was OK, more than OK when Purple Sheet pulled the plug on me, I mean, fired me, because I got three months’ severance and six months of unemployment benefits that I wouldn’t have gotten if I’d left on my own terms.
So yeah, does it suck that I wear a badge of dishonor to be fired by two Seattle sports radio stations since I was also shit-canned by 710 ESPN Seattle? Honestly it does, especially when I don’t think I did anything in particular that warranted those shit-cannings.
But really, in both cases, it worked out for the best. That’s my main reason for writing this post is to pass this along to anyone else who’s been fired - as bad as it is to get that news, down the road I hope you look back like I have and realize it truly was a blessing in disguise both times.
The 710 shit-canning led to a great working relationship and friendship with Puck at KJR. The KJR shit-canning led to “free money” for nine months and part-time podcast appearances with Puck on his podcast at PuckSports.com.
It also freed me up to work at outdoor concerts in Bend last summer, and I’m now in the process of becoming a substitute teacher in the Bend School District, all part-time stuff for a mostly retired guy.
Even at that, do I still carry bitterness toward the stations that fired me? Of course, I think that’s just natural. When Mike Salk and Purple Sheet get fired - which they will because karma’s undefeated - I will pop a bottle of champagne and celebrate. If that makes me a bad person, I’m sorry, but I’ll drink every drop and enjoy the hell out of it.
At the same time, those guys did me a favor and I thank them for that while reminding myself never to work for a dick or a Husky ever again.
Jim I love how you’ve given us a behind the scenes look at all the crap you endured at both stations. Always thought Salk sounded like an asshole and you confirmed it. Have not really listened at all to 710 since you were let go. Was always a fan of you back on 710 both with Calabro and Danny O’Neil and Wyman. I sent a tweet to Puck and was like you should hire your fellow Coug Jim Moore and he wrote back with something like I love Jim. Then eventually you were on the show with him. I was thrilled when you became a part of his show and am so glad you are still on with him.
Always been a fan of yours. You’re such a relatable guy. Share a lot in common, love dogs, love the Cougs. Went to my same high school, and I think also elementary and junior highs. Of course way before me, I’m class of 1999 Redmond High.
Thanks for all the laughs, great writing and job on radio over the years and current appearances with Puck. Love getting your takes on the Cougs both basketball and football because I know you care as much as I do.
PS barely listened to KJR since you and Puck have been gone. Just Ian here and there.
I was canned once, quite a few years ago. It was the best thing that ever happened to me. I took a year off, got a better job and then climbed up the ladder, and was able to retire almost 5 years ago at 55. The guys that fired me are still working. Go Cougs!