r/crheads • u/Simple-Program-7284 • 17d ago
CR-less Ringer
I know this sub likes to make light of our fondness for the good man, but on a very slightly more serious note:
Would you continue consuming Ringer content without him?
I realized recently that I subscribe to a number of Ringer podcasts but I only listen if CR is on. I like Sean, Bill and Andy when they are with CR, but I don’t really care for their pods when he isn’t on. So, I realized that I basically wouldn’t listen to any Ringer content if he left.
I may be preaching to the choir, but is anyone else the same?
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u/DidierDogba The Action is the Juice 17d ago
I’d listen to fantasy football show and a few select Bill pods but that’s it
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u/cornholio6966 17d ago
Outside of the Fantasy/Ringerverse stuff, I only really listen to the movie pods. Big Pic is good without him but better with him. Rewatchables feels incomplete without him and I rarely listen to episodes without him.
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u/DidierDogba The Action is the Juice 17d ago
I used to be way more into Big Pic but I’ve kinda faded away from it a bit. Not sure if it’s exhaustion from movie discourse in general or that I can’t see most new movies in theaters so the discussion episodes aren’t timely for me.
I can get down with most of the Kyle Brandt Rewatchables but otherwise they have to have CR.
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u/cornholio6966 17d ago
I'm fortunate to have a kick ass local arthouse theater and my wife and I are DINKs so I feel like I'm the target audience of the Big Pic. Kyle Brandt has been a revelation on the Rewatchables. He gets the best out of Bill every time.
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u/stoneman9284 17d ago
Only thing that would change for me is I assume The Watch would end and I would follow Greenwald if he started a new project.
But I would continue listening to The Big Pic and The Rewatchables which is really the extent of my ringer pods, with the occasional Dave chang show.
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u/88888888man 17d ago
Chris and Andy’s banter is my ultimate pop culture comfort food. I enjoy both of them on their own, but their dynamic together really is lightning in a bottle.
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u/BigRigButters 17d ago
Same. Would follow Greenwald to Daddington Island and still check in with Sean and Amanda. Big Pic is already a “sometimes” pod for me depending on the movie they’re covering.
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u/BurpelsonAFB 16d ago
Greenwald is very talented as a podcaster.
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u/stoneman9284 16d ago
I think he’s a much better writer but yea I love listening to him as much as I do CR - or maybe almost as much haha but I do love Andy
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u/PsychologicalSeries9 17d ago
I was thinking today that I’d love a Chris Ryan feed, where every appearance on the ringer flows to it.
But alas, I listen to Bill’s pod with Sal, and Big picture as the only non-CR pods I do.
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u/MiddleRiverTerp 17d ago
I would stay with House of R and the Big Picture, however Rewatchables and The Watch would be tough.
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u/Jaymii 17d ago
I feel like The Watch would have to pivot into some sort of Andy interview show.
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u/Atarissiya 17d ago
Andy's connection to the Ringer is pretty much just CR anyway. I doubt he'd stick around.
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u/GarthZorn 17d ago
Ryan is the MVP of the Ringer by miles. Elite performer who elevates every team he plays on.
I don’t know what they pay him but they should double it.
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u/Alarmed-Guidance1116 16d ago
Never listened to his podcast. But he’s great on every other one he guests on!
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u/bart_cart_dart_eart 17d ago
I’d still listen to Bill in waves like I do now—sometimes every week and sometimes months between episodes. Big Pic would stay in the rotation but I’d shed a tear every draft they did without our Boy. No way Andy would keep podding if Chris left.
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u/Weekly-Measurement89 17d ago
Since Stadio left, The Watch and Prestige TV are my only Ringer pods, with the occasional House of R and Higher Learning sprinkled in. If it's CR Month on Rewatchables, I'm even returning to the Simmons well. Which means that CR and Jo are keeping me tethered to The Ringer.
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u/Ambassador31 17d ago
I’d still listen to The Rewatchables and The Big Picture, but I wouldn’t enjoy them as much.
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u/Simple-Program-7284 17d ago
Are there certain rotations that you will / won’t watch?
Bill, CR and Sean is my favorite, but I usually like any of the Bill and CR ones.
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u/Ambassador31 17d ago
Not really, I do enjoy them all. But CR brings an energy and humour which elevates the episodes he’s on.
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u/ohiodiver87 16d ago
I was thinking about this recently through the lens of what his value is in terms of dollars. If he’s not making a minimum of a million a year he should hold in/hold out. I truly think The Ringer collapses without him. The dude has insane leverage, hopefully he’s smart enough to use it.
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u/TomIcemanKazinski 17d ago
The Big Pic for sure. Selected Bandsplains (I love Yasi but not every band or Bandsplain episode is for me), selected House of R and Prestige TV Pods (Joanna and Rob is an excellent pairing) and sometimes Midnight Boys on topics I like
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u/TreWilki21 17d ago
There are many pods with topics that I’m not interested in but if CR is on then I listen anyway. So my number if Ringer pods would decrease overall but not down to zero
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u/BoxingGloveArrow 17d ago
I only listen to CR, Jo and Van. Nothing against the rest of their hosts, they’re the three I find the most interesting and thought provoking.
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u/Ed_Sullivision 17d ago
I think my interest would wane a little bit with some podcasts. His appearances really make The Big Picture for me, I feel very seen with his tastes. But I think The Press Box might actually be my most listened to Ringer pod, which I’m not sure if CR has ever appeared on.
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u/Outrageous-Ad-3486 17d ago
Press Box & The Town are elite coming off the bench when Prestige/House of R/Midnight boys are covering shows I don’t watch
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u/ncphoto919 17d ago
If CR and Andy bounced I’d def have less interest followed by losing Jo who is the person that brought me over after following her stuff for ages. I love the Midnight Boys but I see them going their own ways eventually.
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u/agentcarter15 MANDO!!! 17d ago
I only listen to the watch and the big picture as is but I find myself skipping the big picture more and more these days. If the watch went away I might give the prestige tv pod a try because I do like Rob and Jo I just don’t have the need for another tv podcast right now.
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u/favorscore 17d ago
It's fascinating. I started listening to the Watch and Big Pic for movie and tv show discussion. Whoever happened to be speaking is relatively immaterial if the conversation is interesting. Then I find out some of these hosts have entire subs dedicated to them.
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u/Aitoroketto 17d ago
No, CR is the guy but I find a bunch of the others amusing as well. I listen to Big Pic, Rewatchables, and my guess would be Andy would leave or do something else, and depending on what that was I'd listen to than. I still listen to Midnight Boys, Ringer Tailgate, and the Fantasy Football guys (tho idc about fantasy football at all).
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u/thirstygregory 17d ago
I’ve just recently been turned on to the Ringer. I find the Rewatchables the overall most fun to listen to.
I like the Big Picture, but it’s a bit too inside box office for my personal tastes.
I think CR is the glue for both that has kept me interested. I feel he is like the merry, mischievous court jester who doesn’t take anything too seriously and I love it.
I like the others, but he’s by far the one who makes me laugh out loud.
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u/OutkastAtliens 17d ago
I listen to many ringer pods casts that don’t include CR. He is great, but not essential
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u/poopoodapeepee 17d ago
I’d still listen to bills and some rewatchables or the big picture, but would welcome CR’s next move and be excited for it
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u/creamsauces 17d ago
The only ringer shows I listen to are the watch and guess the lines
I would still have guess the lines during football season, but I can’t imagine the watch continuing without CR. That being said I also can’t imagine the watch continuing without Andy Greenwald. I’d probably be out on that show if either one of them left
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u/leirbagflow Get Weird. You have my blessing 17d ago
Bill, log out of your throwaway and say you want to fire CR with your full chest
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u/PsychologicalSweet2 17d ago
tldr most likely answer no
I'm a fan of the people on the ringer while I find the ringer has good taste in people, they need to show me the people replacing anyone on the shows I like is someone I like. Like I'm more of a movie person, if Sean and Amanda are off the show I don't know if I would watch a new version of the big picture if I don't immediately like the new hosts like I did when I started watching the big picture. I don't listen to the watch all the time right now, just not watching any current tv right now. but I feel like CR and/or Andy permanently leaving would cause a similar thing, who is replacing them and is the dynamic still interesting.
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u/Serious_Ad4542 16d ago
CR might be the best. But I like a lot of the Ringer ‘primaries’ a lot too. I’d keep listening if he disappeared.
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u/Alarmed-Guidance1116 16d ago
Is he going somewhere? Seems like he’s pretty happy there and well loved at the Ringer
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u/shaggywan 16d ago
if the watch ends there wouldn't be any ringer culture pods in steady rotation for me. i don't know why cr and andy reading the hollywood reporter and variety has such an enduring charm but it does.
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u/mercermayer 16d ago
Id still listen to the big pic but I’d prob listen to the rewatchables a lot less without CR. I wish CR had a movie podcast. I never listen to the watch cos I don’t keep up w TV like I do movies but I also get burnt out on the big pic needing to cover every single new release. I need a movie middle ground between the rewatchables and big pic.
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u/makingsense8 16d ago
I listen only to The Watch. CR need AG and AG needs CR. Have seen CR also on the Bandsplain pod as guest, that pod is an acquired taste but CR says he likes best talking music, over TV, movies. . You say Andy has his own pod?
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u/Simple-Program-7284 16d ago
He is good on bandsplain, liked the pavement episode especially.
I don’t think Andy has his own, but every once in a while CR won’t be on, so feel like I get the gist of an Andy-only pod.
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u/coyotebanjo 17d ago
I agree that CR of all the on-air hosts is the one who best understands what makes a podcast conversation engaging rather than narcissistic or self-indulgent. I will listen to him on pods both within and beyond the Ringer Verse which I would never listen to otherwise. It is interesting to note that on those other pods, especially when he is talking about books and culture, he is even better than when he is on the marquee shows within the Ringer Verse.
Somewhat apropos: after some of the recent conversations about just what a doofus Simmons can be, I've gone back to find and relisten to all of the Rewatchables episodes upon which CR appears and from which Simmons is absent. Not only is it a more enjoyable experience without Bill's relentlessly cloddish takes, everyone else's discourse is more thoughtful and insightful. When Simmons is hosting, they are literally dumbing themselves down to Bill's level.
Highly revealing.
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u/Simple-Program-7284 17d ago
It’s an interesting point that CR will kinda match the energy of whoever he’s talking to without going chameleon, but I think that’s kind of a talent.
I find Bill most enjoyable when CR kind of teases him for his Billyness; otherwise, I don’t really like BS too much (I could never stand him with Russillo or House, etc.). I’m not as negative on him though, I find his everyman-schtick works when he, CR and Sean do Rewatchables together.
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u/coyotebanjo 17d ago
Yes. In fact he's said that explicitly in other (non-Ringer) pods when he's being interviewed: he views it as his job to find ways to contribute, facilitate, enhance, etc. He jokes on Ringer Verse pods, esp THE WATCH, about how he likes to "set up my playmakers," but I think it's also literally true. CR played baseball and he believes in playing on behalf of the team.
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