The Mike Portnoy Appreciation/Discussion Thread (merged)

[cramx3]

Jim said he was going to ask Mike about Twisted Sister and he didn't.  I meant to ask him in Tennessee and I chickened out.  Dee had mentioned that they may do a handful of fundraising/charity type gigs, and I'd really like to see one show with Mike in the band.

Id love to see Twisted Sister.  Never had the chance and it would be awesome if MP were playing with them.

[faizoff]

The other interesting part was the Nicko vs Clive Burr discussion.


 MP is mostly right that Nicko never played double bass kick drums which is unusual for a metal band l, but he does in fact play it on one track. Face in the sand.

"So I decided - made a conscious decision not to go with two bass drums or one bass drum with two pedals. I have used a double-bass pedal on a song called 'Face in the Sand' off [2003's] 'Dance of Death.'"

https://www.ultimate-guitar.com/news/general_music_news/iron_maidens_mcbrain_explains_the_real_reason_why_he_refuses_to_play_double-bass_drums.html

[ProgMasterMind92]

hey dream theater fans,

wanted to talk about mike portnoy's time with the band. his drumming was pure magic, blending skill and emotion like no other. his departure left a gap that's been hard to fill, even with mike mangini. not dissing mangini, but the portnoy era was something else. let's discuss how portnoy's legacy still resonates in the music. thoughts on the transition?

[TAC]

hey dream theater fans,

wanted to talk about mike portnoy's time with the band. his drumming was pure magic, blending skill and emotion like no other. his departure left a gap that's been hard to fill, even with mike mangini. not dissing mangini, but the portnoy era was something else. let's discuss how portnoy's legacy still resonates in the music. thoughts on the transition?

Welcome to DTF!!

[ProgMasterMind92]

hey dream theater fans,

wanted to talk about mike portnoy's time with the band. his drumming was pure magic, blending skill and emotion like no other. his departure left a gap that's been hard to fill, even with mike mangini. not dissing mangini, but the portnoy era was something else. let's discuss how portnoy's legacy still resonates in the music. thoughts on the transition?

Welcome to DTF!!

hey dream theater fans,

wanted to talk about mike portnoy's time with the band. his drumming was pure magic, blending skill and emotion like no other. his departure left a gap that's been hard to fill, even with mike mangini. not dissing mangini, but the portnoy era was something else. let's discuss how portnoy's legacy still resonates in the music. thoughts on the transition?

Welcome to DTF!!

thanks, tac! glad to be here among fellow dream theater fans

[Jamesman42]

hey dream theater fans,

wanted to talk about mike portnoy's time with the band. his drumming was pure magic, blending skill and emotion like no other. his departure left a gap that's been hard to fill, even with mike mangini. not dissing mangini, but the portnoy era was something else. let's discuss how portnoy's legacy still resonates in the music. thoughts on the transition?

I think A Dramatic Turn of Events is one of their best albums. It was refreshing after SC and BCSL (I like some of those albums, don't get me wrong).

The self-titled is where I really saw MP's exit show itself. I think it's a decent album, definitely has some good songs, but, IMO, the band was slipping away from what made them so great.

The rest of the albums after are mediocre. Something is just missing, and I pretty firmly believe that MP is that thing. Mangini is awesome, don't get me wrong. MP is what made DT, DT.

[ReaperKK]

I thought every album post-portnoy was pretty meh until DOT. That is one of my favorite DT albums.

[Stadler]

I listen to a LOT of music.  I have something like 2,000 CDs, and I struggle on any given day to decide what my "top ten bands" are.  DT with Portnoy were always in the top three.  They were special.  There were four or five things that set them clearly apart from other bands, and there were too many examples - Genesis for one - where I thought "I wish Genesis would do what DT does".   When Mike left, it wasn't as if they all of a sudden "sucked" and it's not like Mangini can't play the material. But they slipped. They are still great, they are still a favorite, I still buy each record upon release, and I still go to the shows.  It's not the same, though. It's just not. 

[WilliamMunny]

Well, now that I've had almost fifteen or so years to think about this (jeez, has it really been that long???), I think my thoughts regarding MP and his place in DT have solidified.

Obviously, first and foremost, he was one of my main draws to DT. His 'fan's fan' reputation was well-earned, and for a long time, MP.com was my internet home away from home for precisely that reason.

That all said, I thoroughly enjoyed ADTOE (consider a top-tier album and a return to form), so I'm not going to say that he was the integral magic that is missing from their most recent output. Hell, who's to say, if he'd stayed, DT wouldn't have continued on in a direction that fans hated?

I enjoy DT's last 4 albums, but as many others have noted, they are far from what I'd consider essential. One thing that I know, if it's MP's kit that we hear on these past few albums, I'd probably listen to them way more often.

There's something about Mangini's drum sound that just grates on me. The guy is a monster, and I suspect that he has little to do with the overall production choices, but I literally can only take so much of his snare before I start to feel fatigued. And I'm not just talking about DT12 (although, that record is pretty much un-listenable for me)

Contrast that with MP's drum sound, which I feel elevates virtually everything he appears on. Hell, even stock records like Adrenaline Mob benefited from MP's kit.

Flying Colors, Neal Morse, Winery Dogs–his sound has stayed consistent and his playing has remained musical throughout. Add his signature drum sound to AVFTTOTW, and I'd probably be listening to that album way more often.

Again, I think the band's albums all sound fine–this post isn't about them, but more about me and subjective tastes. And when it comes to drums, MP's playing and kit are that which I measure all other drummers against.

[Grappler]

I thought every album post-portnoy was pretty meh until DOT. That is one of my favorite DT albums.

That's me too - I like some songs off of those albums, but DOT knocked my socks off and still does.  I actually just listened to it for the first time in years over the weekend and remembered while I love it so much. 

[Stadler]

Well, now that I've had almost fifteen or so years to think about this (jeez, has it really been that long???), I think my thoughts regarding MP and his place in DT have solidified.

Obviously, first and foremost, he was one of my main draws to DT. His 'fan's fan' reputation was well-earned, and for a long time, MP.com was my internet home away from home for precisely that reason.

That all said, I thoroughly enjoyed ADTOE (consider a top-tier album and a return to form), so I'm not going to say that he was the integral magic that is missing from their most recent output. Hell, who's to say, if he'd stayed, DT wouldn't have continued on in a direction that fans hated?

I enjoy DT's last 4 albums, but as many others have noted, they are far from what I'd consider essential. One thing that I know, if it's MP's kit that we hear on these past few albums, I'd probably listen to them way more often.

There's something about Mangini's drum sound that just grates on me. The guy is a monster, and I suspect that he has little to do with the overall production choices, but I literally can only take so much of his snare before I start to feel fatigued. And I'm not just talking about DT12 (although, that record is pretty much un-listenable for me)

Contrast that with MP's drum sound, which I feel elevates virtually everything he appears on. Hell, even stock records like Adrenaline Mob benefited from MP's kit.

Flying Colors, Neal Morse, Winery Dogs–his sound has stayed consistent and his playing has remained musical throughout. Add his signature drum sound to AVFTTOTW, and I'd probably be listening to that album way more often.

Again, I think the band's albums all sound fine–this post isn't about them, but more about me and subjective tastes. And when it comes to drums, MP's playing and kit are that which I measure all other drummers against.

I feel that; for me it's not the snare, it's the bass drum.  I feel like every album since (and including) ADTOE is a constant "rat-a-tat-a-tat" of bass drum. It might be just me, but it's distracting.   Mike P. plays in a similar way, but - and maybe it's his sound choices - it never seemed to be intrusive.  I really, really like AVFTTOTW musically; those are some great songs, and I like the record.  But every song has a moment where I think "man, if I could EQ those drums down, this would be so much better".

And I note, the live sound - while VERY loud - didn't seem to be that way the two times I saw them on the recent album cycle.

I got to talk briefly to Mike P. in Cross Plains and I said to him "after all these years, it's still a treat to watch you play drums" and I meant it. 

[Skeever]

I thought every album post-portnoy was pretty meh until DOT. That is one of my favorite DT albums.

I kinda feel the same. ADTOE was nice, at first, to hear the band play it so safe and familiar. It was kinda like "OK, MP is gone, but they still know how to make Dream Theater music" but then doubling down on that for DT12 was just disappointing, and when The Astonishing came out (something I considered to be a "failed experiment"), I was starting to feel like the band would never do much successfully but retread the ideas from their past. DOT was the first time I felt that this new lineup seemed to feel like a new group that was going to do its own thing, and AVFTTOTW was not as great for me, but still a solid record.

[hefdaddy42]

hey dream theater fans,

wanted to talk about mike portnoy's time with the band. his drumming was pure magic, blending skill and emotion like no other. his departure left a gap that's been hard to fill, even with mike mangini. not dissing mangini, but the portnoy era was something else. let's discuss how portnoy's legacy still resonates in the music. thoughts on the transition?

I wouldn't characterize it the way that you do.

The band is certainly DIFFERENT without him.  But it was different when Charlie left as well.  And DT with Sherinian was different than DT with Moore.  And DT with Rudess was different than DT with Sherinian.  So DT with Mangini is different than DT with Portnoy.  It's only natural, there's nothing to wonder or complain about, necessarily. 

We all certainly have our likes and preferences.  My favorite sustained run of time for DT was SFAM through Octavarium, for multiple reasons, but my two favorite albums, I&W and Awake, are not from that run.

In other words, it's complicated.  It's not a matter of any one member leaving a gap when they leave, because they ALL do, and the band (or any other band dealing with the same things) is always different in various ways.

[HOF]

Early DT with MP was a huge part of my musical life experience. He specifically introduced me to so much of the music I love, and I was so into the band from around 1998-2005. But there started to be diminishing returns with each album for me (really after FII when I first got into the band, but especially starting with Train of Thought). By the time Portnoy left DT I had stopped buying their albums (I’ve still never heard all of Black Clouds, and I only have listened to SC once after buying it second hand). The last great DT moment for me was the Score DVD. That encapsulated almost everything I loved about the band.

Anyway, by the time Mike left I was out on DT, so I’ve never really felt there was much need to compare them since. However, Mike leaving did free him up to work on other stuff that I have enjoyed more than later period DT. I’m not a fan of everything he’s done post-DT, but Flying Colors and The Winery Dogs are two projects I’ve really enjoyed and I’m not sure either would have happened if he had stayed with DT. So for me I’ve always more or less felt that Mike leaving was a good thing that freed him up for some new creative outlets. DT has seemed to carve out their own commercially successful path without him, so I’d venture to say it’s been good for them to. Plus we eventually got a new LTE album, and I’m generally happy to see he and the band are on good terms again.

[WilliamMunny]

Early DT with MP was a huge part of my musical life experience. He specifically introduced me to so much of the music I love, and I was so into the band from around 1998-2005. But there started to be diminishing returns with each album for me (really after FII when I first got into the band, but especially starting with Train of Thought). By the time Portnoy left DT I had stopped buying their albums (I’ve still never heard all of Black Clouds, and I only have listened to SC once after buying it second hand). The last great DT moment for me was the Score DVD. That encapsulated almost everything I loved about the band.

Anyway, by the time Mike left I was out on DT, so I’ve never really felt there was much need to compare them since. However, Mike leaving did free him up to work on other stuff that I have enjoyed more than later period DT. I’m not a fan of everything he’s done post-DT, but Flying Colors and The Winery Dogs are two projects I’ve really enjoyed and I’m not sure either would have happened if he had stayed with DT. So for me I’ve always more or less felt that Mike leaving was a good thing that freed him up for some new creative outlets. DT has seemed to carve out their own commercially successful path without him, so I’d venture to say it’s been good for them to. Plus we eventually got a new LTE album, and I’m generally happy to see he and the band are on good terms again.

Yeah, I mean, thinking back to how it all felt at the moment MP left, everything really worked out for everyone involved. A classic win/win if you ask me (except, of course, for us fans who miss MP lol )

[ProgMasterMind92]

hey dream theater fans,

wanted to talk about mike portnoy's time with the band. his drumming was pure magic, blending skill and emotion like no other. his departure left a gap that's been hard to fill, even with mike mangini. not dissing mangini, but the portnoy era was something else. let's discuss how portnoy's legacy still resonates in the music. thoughts on the transition?

I wouldn't characterize it the way that you do.

The band is certainly DIFFERENT without him.  But it was different when Charlie left as well.  And DT with Sherinian was different than DT with Moore.  And DT with Rudess was different than DT with Sherinian.  So DT with Mangini is different than DT with Portnoy.  It's only natural, there's nothing to wonder or complain about, necessarily. 

We all certainly have our likes and preferences.  My favorite sustained run of time for DT was SFAM through Octavarium, for multiple reasons, but my two favorite albums, I&W and Awake, are not from that run.

In other words, it's complicated.  It's not a matter of any one member leaving a gap when they leave, because they ALL do, and the band (or any other band dealing with the same things) is always different in various ways.

totally get your point, hefdaddy42. change is a constant in bands, and each era brings its own flavor. the evolution of dream theater with different members definitely shapes their sound. portnoy's time was just my personal favorite, but you're right, every member contributes to the band's uniqueness. and you're spot on about personal preferences – we all have those albums that resonate most. thanks for sharing your thoughts!

[Setlist Scotty]

Early DT with MP was a huge part of my musical life experience. He specifically introduced me to so much of the music I love, and I was so into the band from around 1998-2005. But there started to be diminishing returns with each album for me (really after FII when I first got into the band, but especially starting with Train of Thought). By the time Portnoy left DT I had stopped buying their albums (I’ve still never heard all of Black Clouds, and I only have listened to SC once after buying it second hand). The last great DT moment for me was the Score DVD. That encapsulated almost everything I loved about the band.

Anyway, by the time Mike left I was out on DT, so I’ve never really felt there was much need to compare them since. However, Mike leaving did free him up to work on other stuff that I have enjoyed more than later period DT. I’m not a fan of everything he’s done post-DT, but Flying Colors and The Winery Dogs are two projects I’ve really enjoyed and I’m not sure either would have happened if he had stayed with DT. So for me I’ve always more or less felt that Mike leaving was a good thing that freed him up for some new creative outlets. DT has seemed to carve out their own commercially successful path without him, so I’d venture to say it’s been good for them to. Plus we eventually got a new LTE album, and I’m generally happy to see he and the band are on good terms again.

Yeah, I mean, thinking back to how it all felt at the moment MP left, everything really worked out for everyone involved. A classic win/win if you ask me (except, of course, for us fans who miss MP lol )

...and everything extra that he did that made the band "especially special" for me, Stads and others. 

[TheHoveringSojourn808]

man, i feel you all. mike portnoy's drumming was something else. his beats just hit different. i've been listening to his old stuff lately and damn, the nostalgia is real. his skills are timeless. hoping he's doing well nowadays.

[gzarruk]

It's all about tastes and preferences, really. Some of the fan stuff MP did is definitely missed (more setlist variety, extra releases, detailed liner notes, rarities, etc.), but on a songwriting/playing level, I don't miss him at all (not trying to be disrespectful here at all, he's one of my all time faves).

It's true that every lineup/era is different and special on its own. Some people love Derek, for example, and consider him the very best keyboardist DT had, but while he's really good, his DT era wasn't really a high point for the band, and he didn't really bring much to the table.

Coming back to MP, he has great musical sensibility and knows very well how to surround himself with great writers and players on the multiple bands he is/was in, but some people act like he has a sort of Midas touch where everything he does becomes gold, and that's not true either.
I think it was a combination of the other members' input PLUS Mike's ideas that really made DT as great as it was for all of us, not Mike alone. People often talk about how his touch is missed on DT, but I haven't seen any of that "magic" applied to any of his other bands, specially the ones where there isn't anyone with "Morse" as last name. If DT "needs" him in some way, I'd say he "needs" DT as much or even more.

Now, if we talk about lacking and DT, I wouldn't talk about the drum department but rather something else involving a microphone...

[frogprog]

Oof!

[Samsara]

I miss Mike Portnoy in the band. And for me to say that is shocking, because I felt much of the material leading up to his departure was subpar for my listening tastes. I am not dissing Mike Mangini in the slightest. He's a drummer's drummer. Total clinician. A machine. But DT's live sound has been cold and sterile to me since he joined. That could be a coincidence for sure. But I felt MP was a lot warmer, more spontaneous and engaging.

While I like the material on the Mangini albums (minus The Astonishing) way more than BC&SL, SC, and Octavarium, the DT-related highlight for me over the last several years was watching MP'S Shattered Fortress band run through Dream Theater material. That felt more like DT than DT to me. And even though I enjoyed the DoT tour a TON, and loved parts of the AVFTTOTW show, from strictly a drumming standpoint, I miss MP's vibe (minus the spitting - lol).

From a drumming perspective and all the little extras that MP did (as someone said - setlists, live releases, and the little things), MP is very missed by this fan. He's part of DT's creative DNA.

Mangini does a wonderful job playing all MP's parts, and playing all the songs he does that were written within his era of the band. MP is not some magic dust that gets sprinkled on and it makes it all better. But, his history with the band, his live feel, it's all an essential part of DT. And I'd take MP back in a heartbeat.

[HOF]

I think a lot of what people miss with DT is just the sort of vibe they had when they were younger, it was them against the world/industry, and they were just kind of willing to do all kinds of crazy things that guys in their 20s and 30s are probably more willing to do than guys in their 40s and 50s. I suspect the band would have become more predictable and pre-formatted (for lack of a better term) whether or not MP stayed. Maybe there would be somewhat more spontaneity with MP still in the band, but I’d guess age would have slowed him down some in that regard as well. 

[cramx3]

I think a lot of what people miss with DT is just the sort of vibe they had when they were younger, it was them against the world/industry, and they were just kind of willing to do all kinds of crazy things that guys in their 20s and 30s are probably more willing to do than guys in their 40s and 50s. I suspect the band would have become more predictable and pre-formatted (for lack of a better term) whether or not MP stayed. Maybe there would be somewhat more spontaneity with MP still in the band, but I’d guess age would have slowed him down some in that regard as well.

It's an interesting thought, would DT have ended up in a similar position they are in today even if MP never left?  It's entirely possible just due to age like you said, but since MP is still active in all his other bands maybe not. 

[HOF]

I think a lot of what people miss with DT is just the sort of vibe they had when they were younger, it was them against the world/industry, and they were just kind of willing to do all kinds of crazy things that guys in their 20s and 30s are probably more willing to do than guys in their 40s and 50s. I suspect the band would have become more predictable and pre-formatted (for lack of a better term) whether or not MP stayed. Maybe there would be somewhat more spontaneity with MP still in the band, but I’d guess age would have slowed him down some in that regard as well.

It's an interesting thought, would DT have ended up in a similar position they are in today even if MP never left?  It's entirely possible just due to age like you said, but since MP is still active in all his other bands maybe not.

He does tour a lot still, but it seems like he doesn’t put as much energy into any one project as he put into DT back in the day. I think one of the reasons for the split was how burned out he had gotten on the album/tour cycle and everything that he put into that. It just feels like if he had stayed he would have had to have backed off some of his micro-management and all of the extra stuff he did for the band and they might still have settled down into the more regimented band they are on tour at least.

[cramx3]

I think a lot of what people miss with DT is just the sort of vibe they had when they were younger, it was them against the world/industry, and they were just kind of willing to do all kinds of crazy things that guys in their 20s and 30s are probably more willing to do than guys in their 40s and 50s. I suspect the band would have become more predictable and pre-formatted (for lack of a better term) whether or not MP stayed. Maybe there would be somewhat more spontaneity with MP still in the band, but I’d guess age would have slowed him down some in that regard as well.

It's an interesting thought, would DT have ended up in a similar position they are in today even if MP never left?  It's entirely possible just due to age like you said, but since MP is still active in all his other bands maybe not.

He does tour a lot still, but it seems like he doesn’t put as much energy into any one project as he put into DT back in the day. I think one of the reasons for the split was how burned out he had gotten on the album/tour cycle and everything that he put into that. It just feels like if he had stayed he would have had to have backed off some of his micro-management and all of the extra stuff he did for the band and they might still have settled down into the more regimented band they are on tour at least.

Yeah, I can totally see that.

[WilliamMunny]

I think a lot of what people miss with DT is just the sort of vibe they had when they were younger, it was them against the world/industry, and they were just kind of willing to do all kinds of crazy things that guys in their 20s and 30s are probably more willing to do than guys in their 40s and 50s. I suspect the band would have become more predictable and pre-formatted (for lack of a better term) whether or not MP stayed. Maybe there would be somewhat more spontaneity with MP still in the band, but I’d guess age would have slowed him down some in that regard as well.

It's an interesting thought, would DT have ended up in a similar position they are in today even if MP never left? It's entirely possible just due to age like you said, but since MP is still active in all his other bands maybe not.

To answer your question, yes. Most likely. But...at least the drums would sound amazing!

[ProgMasterMind92]

don't get me wrong, i don't dislike mangini. but i gotta admit, he doesn't hit me with those unexpected moments like mike portnoy did, like with his surprise vocals at the end of a nightmare to remember. it's not about saying one's better than the other – it's about that element of surprise and sheer creativity. you might debate the quality of things like portnoy's singing, but you can't deny the sheer "whoa" factor - i don't feel that as much with modern dream theater. i don't know, i know some might say that's a good thing, but maybe i'm biased - that was one of the only dream theater songs my wife liked because of the heavier edge portnoy brought to the table.

[Working man]

I always thought that Mangini would fill in for 5-10 years and MP would be back in the fold. Looks like this is not a likely scenario. Not that I really care anymore - they do what makes them happy and they are all adults. But the Portnoy-Petrucci writing team was something unique that I miss. WM

[Samsara]

I think a lot of what people miss with DT is just the sort of vibe they had when they were younger, it was them against the world/industry, and they were just kind of willing to do all kinds of crazy things that guys in their 20s and 30s are probably more willing to do than guys in their 40s and 50s. I suspect the band would have become more predictable and pre-formatted (for lack of a better term) whether or not MP stayed. Maybe there would be somewhat more spontaneity with MP still in the band, but I’d guess age would have slowed him down some in that regard as well.

Interesting point for sure. Could be. Then again, while MP has slowed down somewhat in terms of the attention to detail/extras he pays one band, that could be because he is involved in SO MANY projects, that he just doesn't have time for it. As we all know, the whole music business evolved significantly, in that the major revenue machine became touring over the last 15 years. With MP jumping from project to project, and perhaps not having the...sense of, for lack of a better term, "ownership" like he did with DT, things change for sure.

But, I'd counter that if MP was with Dream Theater, and just had a couple side projects, I feel like he'd be all-in like he was. Just my own .02.

[hefdaddy42]

don't get me wrong, i don't dislike mangini. but i gotta admit, he doesn't hit me with those unexpected moments like mike portnoy did, like with his surprise vocals at the end of a nightmare to remember. it's not about saying one's better than the other – it's about that element of surprise and sheer creativity. you might debate the quality of things like portnoy's singing, but you can't deny the sheer "whoa" factor - i don't feel that as much with modern dream theater. i don't know, i know some might say that's a good thing, but maybe i'm biased - that was one of the only dream theater songs my wife liked because of the heavier edge portnoy brought to the table.

Your example of MP's vocals at the end of ANTR was the wrong kind of "whoa" for me.

[HOF]

I think a lot of what people miss with DT is just the sort of vibe they had when they were younger, it was them against the world/industry, and they were just kind of willing to do all kinds of crazy things that guys in their 20s and 30s are probably more willing to do than guys in their 40s and 50s. I suspect the band would have become more predictable and pre-formatted (for lack of a better term) whether or not MP stayed. Maybe there would be somewhat more spontaneity with MP still in the band, but I’d guess age would have slowed him down some in that regard as well.

Interesting point for sure. Could be. Then again, while MP has slowed down somewhat in terms of the attention to detail/extras he pays one band, that could be because he is involved in SO MANY projects, that he just doesn't have time for it. As we all know, the whole music business evolved significantly, in that the major revenue machine became touring over the last 15 years. With MP jumping from project to project, and perhaps not having the...sense of, for lack of a better term, "ownership" like he did with DT, things change for sure.

But, I'd counter that if MP was with Dream Theater, and just had a couple side projects, I feel like he'd be all-in like he was. Just my own .02.

I just think that possibly the only way he could have stayed and not gotten completely burned out would have been if the band started operating differently. Maybe not exactly the way they are doing things now, but maybe a similar place ultimately.

[hefdaddy42]

By all accounts, he would have stayed if the rest of the band had agreed to his request for an extended break.  And that's pretty much the only way.

[Samsara]

To be fair, MP did say that he was open to other alternatives aside from a five-year break. He wanted to spread his wings a bit. The rest of the band didn't want to stop (understandable), and MP was probably a little stubborn. Then shit snowballed. 

I think it came down to MP handling all the other "stuff" related to DT without much help, and had he gotten some of that help, he would have been free to explore some other things without being up to his eyeballs in DT-related matters. Hindsight is 20/20, but communication and flexibility on both sides was lacking.

With DT locked into Mangini (something I think MP respects), the only way MP gets back into DT is if MM decides to leave on his own. But they all love MM, and it will have to be his choice. (IMO.) But MM is also a bit of a weird duck (at least from all the times I've seen him speak publicly), so who knows? Maybe at some point this year he goes "Okay, I've had my fill of this, I'm out, back to Berklee." You never know.

[hefdaddy42]

That's true, you never know, especially with someone as, well, different as Mangini.  And if he ever does hang up the sticks in DT, I'm sure that MP would be the first call that JP makes.

[gzarruk]

I'm 100% sure they'd call MP if MM ever left on his own, but I'd love to see someone different like Bobby Jarzombek or Tomas Lang if that ever happened.