Dahl speaks, Meier stays silent: Radio Hall of Fame spat turns into potential shame

While previously recapping the awkward situation involving Steve Dahl, Garry Meier and the National Radio Hall of Fame, I thought there might be some important pieces missing to the story. Having thought about it some more, and after reading Dahl’s open response to Chaz Ebert, the picture narrated by Dahl just doesn’t add up.

Just to recap, earlier this summer it was announced Dahl and Meier would be inducted in this year’s National Radio Hall of Fame as a duo. Last night, Robert Feder blogged that Dahl had decided not to attend the event due to a general lack of interest and also because he hadn’t heard back from Meier after first attempting to contact him previously. Feder then noted that Meier had informed the National Radio Hall of Fame that he would be attending the event.

So let me get this straight. Meier plans to attend the event, yet refuses to call back the person who he is supposed to be inducted with? That doesn’t make any sense. Either there’s more to the story or Meier has gone delusional.

Since their surprise one-show reunion on Oak St. Beach in 2006, the two have participated in a few appearances together and haven spoken well of each other. I remember a 2009 off-air meet between the two inside the WGN-AM 720 studios (while Meier was in the middle of his show) became quite the stirrer on the Chicagoland Radio and Media message board. The overall impression was that the two, at the very least, were amicable.

Dahl has a way with words and for sometimes harshly digging into people. He did so again in his response to Chaz Ebert, where he more than once subtly knocked Meier and his wife when referencing their unwillingness at reconciling with him (again, weren’t Dahl and Meier getting along, well enough at least, after their 2006 get together?).

For someone like Meier who comes across as heavenly guarded towards his off air business, it’s hard to imagine him attending such an event that is supposed to recognize the two of them as a duo if he does indeed have remaining animosity towards Dahl.

Later this afternoon, Feder tweeted the question, “Which side of the Steve & Garry debate are you on?” If you take Dahl at his word, then Meier does come across as petty. While I certainly won’t suggest that Meier has never previously come off as  petty (i.e. his opening monologue on his WGN debut show in April, 2008), I find it hard to believe that he all of a sudden went from willingly associating with Dahl to not wanting anything to do with him.

I don’t think it’s right to yet take any side in the Dahl and Meier issue without hearing from Meier. Unfortunately, he passed on the opportunity during his show this afternoon on WGN (where better place to do it?). Maybe he addresses it on Monday after thinking about it over the weekend, or perhaps, closer to the induction date.  If Meier, however, does decide to stay quiet on the issue, it will make it a lot easier for those following the “debate” to side against him.