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Tony Kornheiser
Hey, it's Tony. On today's show, we'll talk about the World cup with Michael Wilbon. And we'll talk to Jeremy Shapp about Joey Chestnut downing 66 hot dogs to win his 18th Mustard Belt. But first, Commerce 4th of July Savings are happening now at the Home Depot with select appliances starting at $398 plus. Get free delivery on appliance purchases of $398 or more. No membership required. Upgrade your kitchen with a modern and sleek GE profile refrigerator featuring hands free autofill for the perfect pour every time. And make laundry day easier with 2 in 1 washer dryer combo inn that completes laundry in about 90 minutes. Shop top brand appliances now at the Home Depot. Offer valid June 17th through July at the US only C store. Online for details. Hey, it's Bill from the Bill Simmons podcast.
Bill Simmons
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Tony Kornheiser
Open U.S. residents 21+. Begins on December 1, 2025, ends on July 31, 2026.
Bill Simmons
Multiple entry periods. Visit www.mcglob ultra.com Superior Access FIFA World
Tony Kornheiser
Cup 26 for free entry, entry deadlines, prizes and details. Previously on the Tony Kornheiser Show. Who's going to come and play? Right?
Jeremy Shapp
I have to thank Stevie Nicks, who's
Michael Wilbon
like, apparently one of her best friends ever.
Jeremy Shapp
And I have to think Haim.
Tony Kornheiser
Yeah.
Jeremy Shapp
And I have to think maybe like a Keith Urban or somebody.
Tony Kornheiser
Do you think she'll get up there?
Jeremy Shapp
I think playing music might be her favorite thing to do, you know. Doesn't she strike you that way?
Tony Kornheiser
Like, you know, I mean, I don't know who's in the national.
Jeremy Shapp
Maybe the national.
Michael Wilbon
Those guys are great.
Tony Kornheiser
I don't know any of these people, you know. I don't know any of them.
Jeremy Shapp
The Tony Kornheiser show is on now.
Tony Kornheiser
Does anybody. Did anybody listening go to the wedding? Is anybody listening to me now? Maybe go to the wedding. Wilbon. I don't know. Wilbourne was not invited to the individually watermarked, you know.
Bill Simmons
You know who I did see from ESPN that was there? Who? Stephen A.
Tony Kornheiser
Is that right? He was invited to the wedding. Yeah. Good for him.
Bill Simmons
Exactly.
Tony Kornheiser
Yeah, much.
Bill Simmons
Sort of.
Tony Kornheiser
Or was he just still in the Garden celebrating the Knicks win? And he just was still there. Could have been.
Bill Simmons
Yes. Celebrating Cheese doodles, I think.
Tony Kornheiser
Yeah, I was.
Nigel
They are delicious.
Tony Kornheiser
I'm happy for them. Yeah, I'm happy for them.
Bill Simmons
Apparently, Paul played.
Tony Kornheiser
That's great.
Bill Simmons
Played. I think it was either.
Tony Kornheiser
I saw you.
Bill Simmons
I saw you standing there. I want to. I think it was. I want to hold your hand.
Tony Kornheiser
Wonderful. Is that.
Michael Wilbon
I mean.
Tony Kornheiser
Yeah, it's wonderful. You know. Good. Good for them.
Bill Simmons
Yeah.
Tony Kornheiser
Let's hope it lasts. You know, who knows?
Bill Simmons
Two crazy kids.
Tony Kornheiser
Who knows? But good for them. Okay, so we should talk about. There are small things before I get to the golf. I. I can't get Peacock. I couldn't watch the Nats. The Nats lost. I did it. And. And I.
Michael Wilbon
We.
Tony Kornheiser
We were told about a month ago, just say NBC Sports. I said NBC Sports. Something else was on. It wasn't the Gnats. I don't understand why the Gnats are always on every Sunday on Peacock. I. I get Peacock. I have the ability to get Peacock. In other words, by all of the things that I buy on Comcast, I should get Peacock. I am not enjoined from getting Peacock.
Nigel
This is part of the MLB Sunday leadoff package between MLB and NBC.
Tony Kornheiser
So I. But I don't. It's so complicated. I have to fill out so many forms on the television screen that I get frustrated and I don't do it. I don't get it. And again, I'm paying $327 a month to Comcast. Let me repeat that number. I don't think it's the highest out there, but it's high. $327 a month. Somebody from Comcast should write me a note and say, this is how you get Peacock, because you're eligible to get Peacock.
Nigel
I think they already did. Right. You just don't want to go through the steps.
Tony Kornheiser
I can't follow.
Nigel
You have the account.
Tony Kornheiser
I cannot follow.
Bill Simmons
It just feels like if it's on Peacock, that should be another channel. You hit it, and there it is.
Tony Kornheiser
And I say Peacock and. But I didn't have.
Nigel
Takes the joy away from channel surfing on a Sunday after.
Tony Kornheiser
Yes.
Bill Simmons
It complet.
Tony Kornheiser
Just hate it. What else happened locally in sports, deandre Ayton, who was once the number one overall pick in the draft, has been traded to the Washington Wizards, which is like going into exile. Leaving the Lakers for the Wizards is exile. Now he's. He's a center. This seems to me to impact whether Anthony Davis stays with the Wizards or not. I know the Wizards say they're no. Not listening to offers for Anthony Davis, but they just picked up Deandre Ayton. So does this have impact on Anthony Davis? I don't know. I should probably ask Wilbourne. Wilbourne will have an answer to that. Padraig Harrington won the Senior Open easily. Shot a 66 on Sunday, won by four. Chris Goderup won the John Deere.
Nigel
It. Won it on the range.
Michael Wilbon
Right.
Tony Kornheiser
He was standing on the range with his brother who was doing the caddying for me. He shot 62 yesterday, went to minus 20, and the guy who was tied with him put it in the water on 18. Put it in the water. And then was so disheartened when he missed a 40 foot putt that would have kept him in it that he then missed the next putt, which was a foot and a half, you know, and it cost him a half a million dollars. Right? Cost him a half a million dollars. He could have been T2 and now he's T3. No. So that happened, you know, so that. That all of that we can talk about.
Nigel
We're also getting summer league updates from one coach, Nathan Bubis.
Tony Kornheiser
Nathan Bubas is doing press conferences, coaching the Minnesota team. No, yeah. It's great. It's wonderful. That's wonderful. But the big news in my life over the weekend was the golf tournament that I was in. Columbia had a Fourth of July golf tournament and Team Coco, founded by Courtney Freming. And having over the years, people come and people go for Creeden. Yeah. Pete Frieden left, he moved to Florida. Arch has a bad neck. Arch Campbell hasn't played in a while.
Nigel
Didn't see it.
Tony Kornheiser
Don't want to see it. Don't want to see pictures of his operation. Don't want to see it. So now Michael is on the team. Sometimes other people are on the team. We picked up Molly LeBlanc this time. She's a great player. I mean, this was a wonderful addition to the team. And we are out there. We started on 15. 15 is a par 4. You never want to start on a par 3 if you can avoid it. Too much pressure. In fact, the next hole, 16, is the par three. Technically the easiest part. Easiest hole on the course, but no one for us. But we start out on the first hole on 15. Michael, birdie's the hole. Natural birdie on the hole. What? How long was the putt?
Nigel
20 footer, just off the fringe.
Tony Kornheiser
So now we're one under right away we're really happy. I don't help on that hole. I don't, you know, I just.
Nigel
How nervous are you going into this round?
Tony Kornheiser
I'm very nervous because I. I thought
Nigel
it was heat related, and now I think it was just the pressure of a net tournament.
Tony Kornheiser
Yeah, it's a weight of three partners.
Bill Simmons
How early were you guys out there?
Tony Kornheiser
Because we started at 8. They could have started at 7:30. No, it was over 100 when we stopped. And we went in under four hours. It was great. I mean, the pace of play was really good.
Nigel
Credit to the pro shop for getting that around quickly.
Tony Kornheiser
Nobody wanted to be out there for any great length of time. So then we go to. To the par three, number 16, and we have a bad hole. Our best score is one over par. Nobody's getting shots here. Neither Courtney nor I are getting shots. And certainly Michael and Molly are not getting sh. And our best score, and I had a 2, but other people had was a 4. So now that's one over. So now we're even. From then on, we did not. We didn't get points on every hole, but we did not go over. We didn't lose a shot. From then on for the rest of the tournament.
Nigel
And by points, you were including a net birdie on, you know, a par four where it would count as a four for three.
Tony Kornheiser
So I was hoping to get some of Those. I had 16 shots. I only converted two, but. But I converted on the first par five that we played on. Number five. I had a par on that, and then I had a par on a hard hole.
Nigel
Number nine.
Tony Kornheiser
Number nine. It's a hard hole, so I helped a little bit. I helped for the net.
Nigel
We opened up, I think a good way to make you feel more comfortable by trying to give you bigger targets. So there tends to be. On a lot of driving range, there's buckets that are different, you know, wedge aim points. So for you, I try and bring that onto the course. So rather than say, hit the ball,
Tony Kornheiser
tell me where to hit the ball.
Nigel
I'm having the bucket that's the shadow of a, you know, of a branch or hit it towards this goal post that's up by the green. And that let you swing a little bit freer to that target.
Tony Kornheiser
I didn't play badly. I didn't help, but I didn't play badly. Michael made. Michael had two bad holes. The fifth hole, where I did help the team by getting a five. You hit one into the road.
Nigel
Yeah, I think I got the wrong number right.
Tony Kornheiser
You hit one into the road. Jonesbridge road and trying to go to nih, apparently. And the first par three Was not great. But Michael on number six. This is a golfing mentality thing. Michael on number five has just hit his third shot off the course into the road somewhere in Bethesda. You know, it's gone.
Nigel
I think it's going to bagel city.
Tony Kornheiser
Yeah, it's gone. Okay. Then he hits a T ball on six that he thinks is gone.
Nigel
Hugging the line left.
Tony Kornheiser
He thinks it's also in the road. You know, this is not great to hit two in the road, but they find that ball. And Michael pars the hardest hole on the course. Right.
Singer (Wendy Colonna)
Yeah.
Nigel
I mean, I can still putt.
Tony Kornheiser
Yeah. And Michael from. From a position where he thought he was out of bounds. They find the ball had to play
Nigel
a mid iron to the right of the green. Use the slopes. I get it to about pin high. And then it's all. Can you just judge the break in speed? And I left it about 2ft, 3ft below the hole. Mark it, make it.
Tony Kornheiser
And he got a shot on that?
Nigel
Yeah, a little four for three.
Tony Kornheiser
He got a shot on that. Anyway, we did well. Well, we. We placed in the money. We shot 58 net and 65 gross. And we are helped enormously by the fact that Molly has. Does she have four birdies on her own ball? At least three. Yeah, three or four birdies on her own ball, at least three. And here's. Here's something that Molly's really good. Here's something that she's lefty.
Nigel
Unfazed.
Tony Kornheiser
Really good. Yeah.
Nigel
Plays a very dependable drive and makes putts.
Tony Kornheiser
We are.
Nigel
And if she's out of the hole or we don't need it.
Tony Kornheiser
She just picks up the ball. Yeah. Shouldn't, like, hang around 19 more shots. No, she's a. She's really good.
Bill Simmons
She knows what she's doing.
Tony Kornheiser
Okay, so on number 13. 13.
Michael Wilbon
Is.
Tony Kornheiser
Is that the last par three?
Nigel
We're going to play the last part three? We're going to play based on where we start.
Tony Kornheiser
Yeah. Because we started on 15. So 13. Michael hits the ball not on the green, left side off the green. Gonna be tough.
Nigel
Tough up and down.
Tony Kornheiser
Going to be tough to get a par. From there. Tony hits the ball in a trap. Tony hits a bad shot. Tony then turns to Molly and says, you girls are going to have to help because we didn't help. Molly hits it to one foot. To one foot. A back middle green. Back middle pin to one foot. How's that for coming through, huh? How's that?
Nigel
I did get up and down, by the way.
Tony Kornheiser
She did you. You did but she got two. Yeah, she got two.
Nigel
Can't beat it, too.
Bill Simmons
At any point, did anyone say, good golly, Miss Molly?
Tony Kornheiser
No, I didn't. Didn't miss that. Yeah, missed it. Didn't think of it. But. So we finish. We're going to be in the money. We thought we won. You thought we won?
Nigel
No, I didn't think we'd end up winning, but I thought we'd, you know, be top three for net. I didn't think we had a chance. In gross. There's. There's two tournaments. The net is the bigger tournament this year.
Tony Kornheiser
For this event, we were tied for second in net. Right. We were tied for second. We lost Tom St. Maxens, who wins everything, wins everything. And because Colin and Tom. Colin's a great player. The people that got the first place net and first place gross. You've heard me mention their names before. Colin St Maxson, who succeeded you.
Nigel
Yeah.
Michael Wilbon
Follow me.
Tony Kornheiser
At Marie Goffman and at Penn, a wonderful kid. Colin St. Maxim, stalker.
Nigel
Wonderful dad.
Tony Kornheiser
Wonderful dad. They won the net. They had 57. And Billy Peel, terrific player. Wonderful kid. He won the gross. We came in two players who made
Nigel
a little bit of noise at the Maryland Dammeter a couple weeks back, if you remember.
Tony Kornheiser
Yeah, these are great players. Colin and Billy are great players.
Nigel
The best is. Colin was in the group behind us. So we, you know, good golfers always play a game as to where your friends are on the course and trying to see where they are relative to the.
Tony Kornheiser
Oh, I didn't know they were behind us.
Nigel
They're the old behind us. But, you know, just trying to check out where he was through the trees.
Tony Kornheiser
Yeah, so they. So we. But we. We came in second, gross. And as my friend Al Serafino has said to me before, have you no shame? Because I don't really help. You don't even.
Nigel
You don't even see a gross game.
Tony Kornheiser
I don't, you know.
Singer (Wendy Colonna)
No.
Nigel
I mean, there's no path.
Tony Kornheiser
Michael and Molly are helping us for growth. 65 is pretty good.
Nigel
Yeah.
Tony Kornheiser
And.
Nigel
But I'm still upset by a three putt. But I'll move on.
Tony Kornheiser
Okay.
Bill Simmons
So does this mean glassware? Does it mean shop credit?
Nigel
Yeah, this is shop credit.
Tony Kornheiser
Okay, 50 bucks. Well, that's outstanding.
Nigel
Dozen golf balls for you.
Tony Kornheiser
Ye golf course.
Nigel
You can put it towards that new
Tony Kornheiser
wedge to my new wedge that I bought.
Bill Simmons
The big question is, did you get the turkey club after the match?
Tony Kornheiser
No. Was it too hot? It was so hot. Look, it's been. I don't know where you're Listening to the people. Listening. I don't know where you are, but Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday cracked 100.
Nigel
Here we are, the hottest 1%.
Bill Simmons
Yes.
Nigel
Not of the United States in the world. Of the world.
Tony Kornheiser
It's 140.
Nigel
Was us at the Sahara Desert.
Bill Simmons
I think with the heat index on Thursday or Friday it was like 115. So it was.
Tony Kornheiser
I didn't play. I didn't play Friday because I just couldn't imagine playing four days in a row in this. But both Saturday and Sunday when I got back to my house, felt better.
Bill Simmons
Yeah.
Tony Kornheiser
But I stretched out on the. I took.
Nigel
And the amazing thing is these storms that were all around the mid Atlantic storms Saturday and Sunday, the temperature dropped 25 degrees in a matter of minutes.
Bill Simmons
Yeah. But the rain, at least for where
Tony Kornheiser
we are, we didn't get any.
Bill Simmons
Yeah. Really didn't hit us on. On Saturday.
Tony Kornheiser
And so I have spent. I've spent a lot of time in the last four days watering potatoes.
Nigel
Yeah.
Tony Kornheiser
Because they look limp. They look like. First of all, I still don't believe,
Nigel
like flowers, not potatoes.
Tony Kornheiser
Yes, that's.
Nigel
And many thanks to the listener who recommended the Tropicool Glove. This could be a game changer if you're putting these in these summer conditions. Oh, wow. Sometimes you hit drives, you're like, all right, I'm back. It's like in your mind. I'm back to hitting it where I should be. Number 12, for example, down the hill, mid iron in. Don't want to tell Colin it was a six iron, not an eight iron like him. But still down the hill.
Bill Simmons
Yeah.
Tony Kornheiser
And so you think it's the glove.
Nigel
Yeah, I mean, it just let you. It felt like the grip of a leather glove, which is awesome.
Tony Kornheiser
And it's. It's just a.
Nigel
It's very light.
Tony Kornheiser
It feels. Is it terry cloth? No.
Nigel
I don't know what it is.
Tony Kornheiser
It's not leather.
Nigel
Some. Some hybrid synthetic material, I'm sure.
Tony Kornheiser
So then I took naps. I didn't need anything.
Bill Simmons
You hot now?
Tony Kornheiser
It really is. It's too hot to eat.
Bill Simmons
Yeah. There was cookout I was at for the. You know, on the 4th. And I was just like, I really don't want to.
Tony Kornheiser
We went to Alan's house for a couple of hours. We did not stay. I was not going to stay down until 11 o'. Clock.
Bill Simmons
No fireworks. Yeah, it was. I think it was midnight when they finally went off, you know. Did you see any of the. The planes flying over?
Singer (Wendy Colonna)
Yes.
Tony Kornheiser
Yeah, I saw the. The sort of single jet fighter maneuvering, doing rollovers. It's just amazing.
Bill Simmons
It really is.
Tony Kornheiser
Amazing thing.
Bill Simmons
Yeah.
Tony Kornheiser
Scares the dog.
Bill Simmons
It scares. Yeah.
Nigel
Tough weekend for all dogs. Yeah.
Tony Kornheiser
Scares the dog.
Nigel
Yeah.
Jeremy Shapp
So anyway.
Tony Kornheiser
All right, so we'll take a break. Michael Wilbon when we return. I'm Tony Kornheiser. This is the Tony Kornheiser Show. The biggest stage in world soccer is here, and every goal changes everything. And now FanDuel is giving you a reason to root for every single one. Introducing every goal pays. Bet on a match and get bonus bets for every goal scored in that match. That's right. More goals means more bonus bets. And all you have to do is turn on your token. From the opening whistle to the final kick, let there be goals on FanDuel. Visit FanDuel.com podcast to get started now.
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Tony Kornheiser
And we're live on matchday as Doug reaches for a Buffalo wing.
Michael Wilbon
He's got it. Oh, and he's gone for a can of Pepsi 2.
Tony Kornheiser
What a finish. There's no doubt about it. It just tastes better Match days deserve Pepsi.
Michael Wilbon
This.
Jeremy Shapp
This is the Tony Cornheiser Show.
Michael Wilbon
Tony Cornheiser Show.
Singer (Wendy Colonna)
How does it feel to be love?
Tony Kornheiser
This is Wendy Colono. This is sent to us by Michael Granberry, so you know it's good he writes. Noel Hampton, whose music I've sent to the show before, recently turned to Facebook to rave about an incredible new song by our fellow Texas talent Wendy Colonna, who released Nightingale on June 29. In her own words, Wendy writes of Nightingale in school and in books. Most of my education about World War II came from the American perspective. My grandfather served in the Battle of the Bulge, but that's just one sliver of it all. Kristin Hanna's novel the Nightingale showed me the women I'd never really seen before. And then I saw so many of us in them. If you haven't read it, that the story follows two fictional sisters in Nazi occupied France drawn from the real accounts of women who lived it. I finished reading it at a songwriting retreat last fall and I couldn't stop asking questions I never thought to ask before. How does someone find their way home after walking out of a prison camp hundreds of miles away? How do two people find each other again after occupation, imprisonment and so much grief and, and loss? And then I realized these are not rhetorical questions. We are still asking them. This is called Nightingale. She's a great singer, obviously, and she plays in Michael Wilbon, who I will ask the obvious question. I am quite confident you paid attention and watched more of the World cup than I did over the weekend. Do you want to wrap it up for us and what you thought of what happened? Because there was at least one, at least one stunning upset, it seemed to me.
Michael Wilbon
Well, yeah, a couple really. I mean, if you talk about Brazil and Germany both losing and also the game with Cape Verde in Argentina is one of the great sporting events I've ever watched. It was just, you know, I was short about myself watching that one, but with others on the phone or on different floor or something and you know, people are going crazy over that because of the David Goliath nature of it and Cape Verde having no chance. It's not, you know, it's way different, way more than 1 versus 16 in seeding of the NCAA tournament. And one of the goals that Cape Verde scored to tie the game at two was just impossible to score. And the reaction to it was, you know, some things had let you know, the worldwide reaction was insane. And then last night, I was flying back to Washington last night from Chicago so I couldn't see the Mexico, England game, which I was dying to see, at least live, I couldn't. I did watch the first half at the airport. Airport in Americans lounge. But when I got home and got in and got, you know, to the bedroom, I started watching it at 1:30 in the morning. I said I got to see this because I read about it and it just sounded so stunning and the atmosphere wasn't what I'd seen. And I missed all the good stuff, which was great because it all happened in about 25 minutes. And so I just said two days ago that I thought Argentina, Cape Verde was one of the great sporting events I'd ever seen. And then last night it was just insane. It was the game, just the level of it. And, you know, I'm still trying too. I decided eight years ago to just sort of stop objecting to stuff and just follow it, particularly the biggest games, the biggest tournament, World cup, you know, and so Champions League, just the biggest. And so I, you know, gotten into it a little bit. As you know, Tony. Gone to a couple of English Premier League games in person. Went to World cup in Russia. And last night it was just like, okay, you know, I wish I had done this earlier. I didn't do it earlier in life. But last night to watch that game play out in Mexico City the way it did at elevation, the elevation roughly
Tony Kornheiser
of Aspen, 7,500ft up in a stadium that people are listening, should know this. And I'm not a soccer guy, but they played 89 times there and only lost twice before last night. So if there was ever a team where you would say they have no chance, you would have said that about England.
Michael Wilbon
You would have particularly, particularly Tony because they had to play 10 against 11.
Tony Kornheiser
Yeah.
Michael Wilbon
For the last 35 minutes.
Tony Kornheiser
Yeah.
Michael Wilbon
So there's you and Mexico went after this thing. They went after it like teams go after it like it's life and death.
Jeremy Shapp
Because.
Michael Wilbon
Because it is. And there's no way that England's going to be able to hold them off. And yet England did.
Tony Kornheiser
So England had, in a seven day period, England had the greatest week of England's life. Without winning, right?
Michael Wilbon
Yes. Right. Without winning. Yeah. Yeah. Two knockout games. Harry Kane with two insane goals in one game. And then last night, Jude Bellingham and you know, I'm still getting used to all this stuff. My son's favorite player in the world is Jude Bellingham. Says Neymar is too old. Now. It's been Neymar, but Neymar and Brazil get knocked out.
Tony Kornheiser
Neymar. Neymar is done Neymar said.
Michael Wilbon
Neymar's done forever and ever and ever
Tony Kornheiser
says and never won a World cup, unlike Pele. Never, you know, never won.
Michael Wilbon
Never won. Because they haven't now. They haven't won since 2002. Right. So Neymar, despite, at some point, maybe. Maybe at a point for a couple of years, a few years, being the best, arguably the best player in the world, did not win. And you think the press conference might start the way it did. Who did it start for? That way last week when they said the first question is, have you resigned your job yet?
Tony Kornheiser
That was for the Dutch coach. That's right.
FanDuel Announcer
For the Netherlands.
Tony Kornheiser
Dutch coach. Yes.
Michael Wilbon
Okay.
Tony Kornheiser
Tough coach.
Michael Wilbon
So while I'm watching the Mexico, the New England game at three in the morning, I decided to just read everything I could about Brazil. So what is it that people who know this game, what is it that's going to happen in Brazil? Why is Brazil no longer Brazil? And what does that mean to sort of the world, you know, in a world in which, you know, 2 billion people are watching these things? And so I got consumed with it. Consumed all weekend. That's it. That's it. There's no, you know, I watched a tiny bit. A tiny bit of Cubs, Cardinals, but nothing else. Didn't do anything else.
Tony Kornheiser
So you didn't watch golf or anything like that? Didn't watch Wimbledon? Didn't watch Wimbledon.
Michael Wilbon
No. No, no, no Wimbledon. This is, no, this is all consuming for me, like, I guess it is for a lot of people. Just all the time for the team they're rooting for. I don't have that because I'm. I'm not just sitting around watching, waiting for the United States to play, which of course, happens tonight. I'm not doing that. I am, you know, sort of into whatever the. Whatever. Whatever games are on, which is all of them.
Tony Kornheiser
Okay, well, the United States will be on tonight. They will be playing in Seattle. They will be playing against Belgium, and they will be playing with all of their people. They'll be playing with Baligan, who is their number one scorer. I was surprised. I thought Pulisic was. But no, it's Baligan. And I understand that he had been given a red card, which, with my limited knowledge of soccer, means not only are you out at that moment for the rest of that game, you're out the next game.
Michael Wilbon
That's right.
Tony Kornheiser
And now that red card has been either reversed or suspended. I don't know the technical term. And he's going to play. And part of it apparently reportedly was at the urging of Donald Trump, who said, just maybe you want to look at this again. So I want to. I want to ask you, I want to ask you how you feel about the reversal of this and all of that.
Michael Wilbon
It's thuggish. It was bullying and thuggish to an organization, FIFA, which has its own issues over the decades.
Tony Kornheiser
Yeah, they're corrupt.
Michael Wilbon
Like the IOC.
Tony Kornheiser
Yeah, they're corrupt.
Michael Wilbon
FIFA's corrupt, too.
Tony Kornheiser
All of these international sports organizations, when they say, we want to keep politics out of sports, the correct answer is, who are you kidding? You have been doing this. You have been doing this at every opportunity, at every place in the world. So don't. Don't tell me that part of it.
Michael Wilbon
Yeah, just the whole thing.
Tony Kornheiser
But let me go to. Again, let me go to this question, which is, how are you with the reversal of the red card? Because at the bottom of that, at the core of that is, do you think it was a deserved red card?
Michael Wilbon
No, I don't. And said that. No. But not good with it because of the way it was done. Because of the thuggish way it was done.
Tony Kornheiser
Oh, so you. Well, see, that's where you and I differ on this. You and I differ on this. To me, the greater good is, is, was it a bad call and can you reverse the call to me? And so I don't mind the rest of the stuff. I was. I will say this. This is not like, and I don't know soccer, but everything that I hear, heard and read was this didn't appear to be deserving that standard of a red card. As opposed to Alyssa Thomas taking her fist and grinding it into Caitlin Clark's neck, for which she should have gotten five games instead of one. But if. If you don't think it's a deserved red card, then I think you should be happy.
Michael Wilbon
No, no, no, no. I'm not happy in thuggishness anywhere, anytime.
Tony Kornheiser
You don't think influence.
Michael Wilbon
Any sport that stands for that, right? Is. We know what it is. We know what it is. No, no, I'm not for that.
Tony Kornheiser
I think if I were Belgium, I'd be going insane.
Michael Wilbon
Everybody's going insane. You know, there's not. I'd be. The world is insane over this.
Tony Kornheiser
Oh, everybody.
Michael Wilbon
Yes.
Tony Kornheiser
Because the people I saw this morning,
Michael Wilbon
it means you can think it's right, and those people are going insane over it. I read an interesting piece and you know, when I'm now at waking up at 3:30 in the morning, I'm not reading draft stories, but I can read the BBC. I can look at other international people, experts on sport and maybe experts on sport and politics. And so no, it's heinous.
Tony Kornheiser
If I was watching sports, I can't just.
Michael Wilbon
I can do. I did. I think it was a Ricard worthy infraction. No, not close to that. But that doesn't mean it gets resolved like this.
Tony Kornheiser
Had it been resolved like this, without. Without this level of notoriety, would you be okay with it? I mean, had there been a. Had there been a review. You know what I mean?
Michael Wilbon
That's not. But that's not resolved like this. There was no review. There's no review that we know of. There's no review we're told of. That's not like this. This is. That has. There was no review. There was no sporting. This is not like, you know, somebody overturning the fragile French judge. This isn't that.
Tony Kornheiser
So will it affect. You're going to watch. I'm sure you're going to watch United States, Belgium, of course you want goodness
Michael Wilbon
after, by the way, after United States. Belgium is only the appetizer for most of the world because you got Spain and, and what's wrong with me? Argentina, you got. No, you've got Spain and Portugal. You got Spain and Portugal this afternoon.
Tony Kornheiser
Okay.
Michael Wilbon
That's the, that's the. That's the main event for the world.
Tony Kornheiser
Yeah, but not.
Michael Wilbon
Just not, not us.
Tony Kornheiser
But not us.
Michael Wilbon
Yes. I'm gonna watch both.
Tony Kornheiser
Yes. So, okay. Will it affect the way you watch?
Michael Wilbon
I don't know. You don't know.
Tony Kornheiser
Right.
Michael Wilbon
Depends on whether this guy scores fully.
Tony Kornheiser
Scores two goals. Yeah.
Michael Wilbon
He scores one goal and a one nothing win.
Tony Kornheiser
Sure.
Michael Wilbon
Supposing penalties, he winds up.
Tony Kornheiser
Yeah. He kicks the winner.
Michael Wilbon
Yeah. So I have no idea, you know, how large, how big a factor he particularly will be, you know, in this affair.
Tony Kornheiser
But I didn't realize. I didn't realize how good he was. I thought Pulisic was better, but no,
Michael Wilbon
everybody says he's better player, but better player and goalscorer. Harry Kane is England's most important scorer. That's Harry Kane. Jude Bellingham is probably better player, England's best player.
Tony Kornheiser
Yeah.
Michael Wilbon
So you have that. And so that's, by the way, what Brazil doesn't have right now, which is why they're not Brazil anymore. It's been whatever it is going to be. What has it been since 2002. So it's been 24 years since Brazil won and you know, they don't have that. They don't have that combination of player either. And so we apparently do. And We United States have been playing unbelievably. I mean, this is the greatest World cup the United States has already had.
Tony Kornheiser
Do you think we'll win?
Michael Wilbon
I have no idea. I don't get it. I'm not getting into that. I'm not getting to pick them. I don't know enough. I like to. To watch the. To engage in it, to indulge in it, and then to listen to people or read people who have some sense of what should happen. Of what should happen. And there are. Wow. I mean, you open yourself up to people who have such a depth of it, just like. Just like there. People in every sport who have this incredible depth of it.
Tony Kornheiser
So I can't. I honestly, when I watch the people talking about it on Fox or espn, I can't follow what they're saying because I. You know what I mean? I don't know enough about the sport. When they talk about strategy, when they talk about value, I'm lost.
Michael Wilbon
I can follow some of it. I can follow some of it. I'm lost because you haven't done it.
Tony Kornheiser
Yeah.
Michael Wilbon
That's the only thing. This is no more complicated than half the things.
Tony Kornheiser
No, I know, but I haven't spent 60 years of my life watching.
Michael Wilbon
You can spend eight and no more. I don't. I don't. I'm never going to. It's never. I'm never going to be as conversant in it as I am.
Tony Kornheiser
Yeah, it's really something.
Michael Wilbon
Baseball, football, basketball. But. But I am much more conversant in it now than I was 2018.
Tony Kornheiser
Yeah.
Michael Wilbon
And so I understand some of it. And then what I don't understand, I can find out what I don't understand about Brazil and why. What is it? Why does Brazil not have these midfielders that are the hallmark of Brazil? Why don't they have that? They've had it for 100 years. So. No, I didn't. I don't understand it, naturally. But it's just, you know, I'm fascinated by it because the world is fascinated.
Tony Kornheiser
Yeah. We're the only country that isn't.
Michael Wilbon
We're the only ones. And by the way, that's right. That's melting away because more people watched the United States win that last game against Bosnia than watched the NBA finals.
Tony Kornheiser
I think that's true. As long as we're in it. I don't, you know, we'll see. I don't know.
Michael Wilbon
We're coming to a point.
Tony Kornheiser
Yeah, we'll see.
Michael Wilbon
In which. But I mean. But when I talk about. We're in it. We're in the World Series.
Tony Kornheiser
Yes.
Michael Wilbon
So we're in the. We're in the NBA. Play the Knicks. That's. We're in the. We're in the. We're in the. We're in the playoffs. We're in all these other things. So now the question will be if we get. Can we get France, Argentina? Maybe we can. Or maybe that's what. You know what I'm sort of keeping eye peeled out for. Oh, my God. If you get these Giants, because you can't get Brazil anymore, which is one, what, five. You can't get. Great. You can't get Germany anymore, which is 14 or 5. But you could still get Argentina and France, I think, against each other. Let's see what that is. Let's see what the ratings draws in the United States.
Tony Kornheiser
Yeah. All right, I'll see you later.
Michael Wilbon
All right, Toe. Thanks, Michael.
Tony Kornheiser
Wilbon, boys and girls. We'll take a break. We're going to go to an entirely different sport. When we come back, we're going to talk to Jeremy Shapp about competitive eating, about the Nathan's hot dog contest.
Bill Simmons
Well, and he's also in Seattle for the master.
Tony Kornheiser
He's going to be there for the game.
Bill Simmons
Yeah.
Tony Kornheiser
All right, good. Then we'll ask him about that. So I understand that part more than I understand the eating part. I'm Tony Kornheiser.
Jeremy Shapp
Do you hear that?
Nigel
Sounds like breakfast is ready. Because Quaker's coming in hot with morning
Jeremy Shapp
nutrition, 100% whole grain oats and a good source of fiber to fuel the
Nigel
rhythm of your morning and kickstart your day.
Jeremy Shapp
And that sounds absolutely delicious.
Nigel
Fuel to start whatever's next. Quaker, official sponsor of FIFA World Cup 26.
Michael Wilbon
Let's go.
Jeremy Shapp
This episode is brought to you by Google Chrome. You think you know a browser, but Gemini and Chrome, that's new. It can help you with practically anything on the web, like restoring a vintage motorcycle from a 50 page restoration block.
Tony Kornheiser
Or finally break down that long article
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you've had open for weeks. Gemini and Chrome is here for it. Ready to make anything online make sense. There's no place like Chrome. Check responses.
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Compatibility and availability various 18 plus. You're listening to the Tony Kornheiser Show. The Tony Koenheiser Show.
Tony Kornheiser
Once again, we're going to play Wendy Colonna. This is a song called this Precious Love. And again, when you marvel at her voice, it's Michael Granberry sending it in.
Bill Simmons
Never misses everybody.
Tony Kornheiser
Michael Granberry sends in. Always makes us happy. Michael. If independent artists like Wendy Colonna want to get their songs heard on this crazy podcast. How do they do it?
Nigel
Send us your music by emailing it to jinglesonycornizershow.com all right.
Tony Kornheiser
And Wendy is playing in Jeremy Shap on this one, who's waking up very early because he's in Seattle at the moment, and it's not even 6 o'. Clock. It's not even 5:30 in the morning in Seattle at the moment. You're going to be there for Belgium, usa. I need to ask you this. What do you make of the reversal of the red card and the fact that Baligan is going to be playing tonight? What do you make of that?
Jeremy Shapp
I mean, it's stunning. I had taped we do, you know, the sports reporters now. It's like a YouTube show. And we've done one yesterday with Casey Keller, the great US Goalkeeper of the past. Taylor Twellman, another stalwart from USMNT from a generation ago, talked about how they were going to have to play without Baligan, what that meant for their chances against Belgium. We take the show, hang up, and then 10 minutes later, Taylor texts me, valladdin News. So we retaped the top of the show. Then I head to the airport to go to Seattle. I mean, look, I, like most of the people I talked to, not everybody over the course of the last five days since the game against Bosnia, thought that the punishment was too harsh.
Tony Kornheiser
Yeah.
Jeremy Shapp
And it seemed, although everything with FIFA is convoluted and opaque and hard to disentangle. It seemed that the procedures as well had not been followed the way they're supposed to be followed in this kind of a situation in terms of var and what the rest were watching and what they should have been watching, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. So wrong and wrongly decided against procedure. And I tweeted something last night from a former Premier League referee who talked to an ESPN colleague who's doing some analysis for espn, I think, during the tournament. And basically, you know, that's what he said. You know, if people who know this stuff better than I do were smarter about what constitutes a red card and, you know, what should constitute a yellow card, the way these things are supposed to be decided. Said it was. It was wrong. And so it's still. It's like a thunderbolt. Right? Like, because, you know, you just assume that's it. There was no clarity from them. All of the reporters who had made contact with FIFA since the game Wednesday night against Bosnia, you know, Steve said, no, this is not reviewable the stance, et cetera, et cetera. Of course, that changed. Here's the thing, right. I think the officials got it wrong. I think they were 0 for 2 on it. But FIFA, you know, they created this issue now because they won't explain how they came to this decision. And there's the political question, of course, how much involvement was there from the White House? What kind of discussions took place? We'll probably never know. Right. But all of it, you know, it's just. It just. It has to be addressed for clarity. That's all I'm saying. But I think, ultimately, this is not an injustice. The injustice was not going to. Was the decision not to let Falligan play because of the red card.
Tony Kornheiser
Yeah. I mean, my. I'm pretty simple on this. I don't know much about soccer, and I don't mind if people in high positions want to have an opinion and say, this is the way it should be. Did you get the call right, ultimately. And it seems like they got the call. Right. Ultimately, in the sense that it was not deserving of a red card. Was not.
Michael Wilbon
Right.
Tony Kornheiser
So I'm good with that.
Michael Wilbon
Yeah. Yeah.
Jeremy Shapp
So you know what's interesting, too, Tony, you're in Washington. You know, you're dealing with this every day. Right. Like, it is also kind of a political Rorschach test, I think. Right. You know, there's so much, I think, of what people are thinking and the way they're responding to this has to do with however they feel politically.
Tony Kornheiser
Sure.
Jeremy Shapp
Right. If it's.
Tony Kornheiser
We just had a guest like that. We just had Michael Wilbot on. Sure, Absolutely.
Michael Wilbon
Right.
Jeremy Shapp
Yeah. I mean, so, you know. But ultimately, again, could he have gotten the red card?
Michael Wilbon
No.
Jeremy Shapp
Although there are people who will tell you that was a red card. You know, I was watching Rob Stone from Fox. He's been doing a show during the tournament with three of the former US Managers, Bruce Arena, Bob Bradley and Greg Burhalter. I was watching them talk about this the other day. Among everybody else has been talking about it. I'm just kind of waking up. Where am I? I to come in?
Michael Wilbon
Seattle.
Tony Kornheiser
Yeah.
Jeremy Shapp
And Bruce. Bruce, you know, you know, formerly DC guy, of course, Long Island Zone.
Tony Kornheiser
Bruce Arena. Cornell's own Bruce Arena.
Jeremy Shapp
Cornell. Cornell, man.
Tony Kornheiser
Yep.
Jeremy Shapp
One of our favorites. You know, I'm pretty sure I don't want to quote him. I think Bruce said he thought it was a red car. He certainly said it was very dangerous place. Certainly if he didn't outright say this was a red card, he said, you know, it was very Close. And then Burhalter said that he spoke about it with, you know, with some of his fellow coaches on his staff, and he said four out of five thought it was a red card. So it's not exactly, you know, everybody in the world, but this was the worst call. Yeah, but it's about the procedure as well. And. Yeah, you know, Baligan, I think, should be out there tonight.
Tony Kornheiser
Well, he's gonna be. He's gonna be. And we'll see what effect it has. But that's as great as this is to hear from you, that's not why we're having you on. We're having you on because you were there. Once again, as Joey Chestnut ate his way into the history books.
Jeremy Shapp
I used to think of myself as He's Boswell.
Tony Kornheiser
Yeah.
Michael Wilbon
That's the issue.
Tony Kornheiser
Where was this?
Jeremy Shapp
I am his Boswell.
Tony Kornheiser
Where did this take place? The hot dog eating place.
Jeremy Shapp
Where have you been? It's been the same place for 110 years.
Tony Kornheiser
Okay, but I need to ask you this question.
Jeremy Shapp
Coney Island.
Tony Kornheiser
Okay, but I need to ask this question.
Jeremy Shapp
The center of the known universe, not far from the site of the Battle of Brooklyn in August 1776. The biggest and one of the bloodiest battles of the Revolutionary War. This was exactly where you would want to be on the semi quincentennial.
Tony Kornheiser
I thought they had torn down Coney Island. I thought that the rides were gone.
Jeremy Shapp
You can't tear down a beach. I mean, you know. No, no, it's still there.
Tony Kornheiser
Are the rides there?
Jeremy Shapp
The rides are there.
Tony Kornheiser
Oh, okay. So my wife got this wrong. Carol got this wrong. She said they tore down all the rides.
Jeremy Shapp
They didn't tear it down when the dodgers left in 57. It's still there.
Tony Kornheiser
Okay. All right. How was the crowd?
Jeremy Shapp
Crowds, not. It was a. It was throngs. It was tens of thousands, really. They came there, Tony, to see history being made, to see the greatest champion in sports today do his thing again. And they don't care that ultimately the 10 minutes, it's a runaway. It's, you know, it's not even close. He pulled away 2 1/2 minutes into the 10 minutes. Never look back. They just want to see greatness. They want to see dominance.
Tony Kornheiser
I'm told that you. That this is a direct quote from you, I'm told.
Jeremy Shapp
Oh, no.
Tony Kornheiser
He makes me think about Secretariat. Is this what you said?
Jeremy Shapp
It's what I said. It is what I feel. I just wish I put it a little more elegantly, you know, you're doing it live. Play by play with all these crazy people screaming and, you know, there are all these hot dogs being consumed. It was 137 degrees.
Michael Wilbon
So hot.
Tony Kornheiser
So hot.
Jeremy Shapp
I did. I did say that because it is like the Belmont in 73, specifically.
Tony Kornheiser
Right.
Jeremy Shapp
You know, the 31 length victory broke Sham's heart.
Tony Kornheiser
Broke Sham's heart.
Jeremy Shapp
That's right. That's right. Much like, you know, a firm broke Alidar's a few years later.
Michael Wilbon
He's just.
Jeremy Shapp
And I said, you know, that was great.
Tony Kornheiser
How many did he eat? Did he eat, like 56.
Jeremy Shapp
But not only did he make me think about Secretary Otoni, which, of course, took place just about 10 miles away right there, you know, on the.
Tony Kornheiser
In Queens, though.
Jeremy Shapp
On the Cross Island.
Tony Kornheiser
Yeah.
Michael Wilbon
On Queensland.
Jeremy Shapp
It's always unclear to me, is Elmont in Queens or is it in Nassau County? Kind of half and half.
Tony Kornheiser
Half of the track is in Elmont, Long island, which is in Nassau county, and half of the track is in Queens or was in the old track.
Michael Wilbon
But we.
Jeremy Shapp
Yeah, so we were that far.
Michael Wilbon
But.
Jeremy Shapp
But it did make me think about, like, Chick Anderson, and I just said, he's eating like a tremendous machine.
Tony Kornheiser
So he ate 66 hot dogs in 10 minutes.
Jeremy Shapp
Yes, but that's a 6.6 HPV.
Tony Kornheiser
But that's not. That's not near his record. Right. He's done better than that.
Jeremy Shapp
76 is the record. Of course. Of course.
Nigel
I forgot.
Tony Kornheiser
It's the babe roots of hot dogs.
Jeremy Shapp
I forgot. It's like. It's like Mike Powell, 29ft, four and a half inches. Yeah, it's like Bonds, if you want to go there.
Tony Kornheiser
73, Aaron.
Jeremy Shapp
755 or.
Tony Kornheiser
Okay, so it's up there. It's up there in lights.
Jeremy Shapp
It's a lot.
Tony Kornheiser
Okay, so. But I did a little bit of reading, just a very small amount of reading, and I sort of got the impression that Joey Chestnut was under house arrest in Indiana and had to get permission to leave. Is this true?
Jeremy Shapp
Well, yeah, he's on. I always forget the term. It's parole for. He's on. He's on probation. There was an incident at a bar a few months ago in. I think it was right in Indianapolis. Don't quote me. And a misdemeanor charge slapping incident. Yeah, we didn't get into it too much in the broadcast, but he was granted permission. It was a misdemeanor slapping incident. And he pleaded and he got, I think, 180 days of probation. But they did let him travel outside the state to take part.
Tony Kornheiser
Well, because he's he's the biggest draw in professional eating. And if he's not there, who really cares? Right?
Jeremy Shapp
Well, that's what happened two years ago. I mean, Tony. So he couldn't take part two years ago. You remember when we talked about that, the contract dispute? He.
Tony Kornheiser
Yes. He was endorsing other hot dogs.
Michael Wilbon
Right, right.
Jeremy Shapp
This is, you know, as we noted at the time, this is the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating contest. You know, it's not. Not the Lawn Tennis Society. Right. I mean, this is, you know, this is why it exists, you know, to promote a particular brand of hot dogs so he could not take part. And in his absence, the great Pat Bertoletti. Pat Bertoletti won. And you know, Pat. Pat has been a runner up. You know, I'm not sure if Pat was the runner up again on the fourth, but that's the only time he hasn't won in the last decade.
Tony Kornheiser
So I have another question, Jeremy. I have another question. I also in Reading, Nathan's was sold. Like Nathan's is owned by someone else. There is no real Nathan's anymore. Right.
Michael Wilbon
Well.
Jeremy Shapp
Well, I mean, Nathan died a long time ago, Tony. Like, I think. I mean, names, I think. Was Nathan Hannemaker.
Tony Kornheiser
No, Hand worker. Nathan Hand worker.
Jeremy Shapp
That's a hand worker. He. He founded it in 1916. I mean, he's not. Yeah, I think it's a big conglomerate now, but I'm not sure. Is it?
Tony Kornheiser
Yeah, I mean, it could be owned by anything. It could be owned by Nike, it could be owned by Burger King.
Michael Wilbon
Right.
Tony Kornheiser
It's not.
Jeremy Shapp
The spirit of Nathan lives on. Worker lives on. Lives.
Tony Kornheiser
Okay, what's next on. On the eating tour? What's the next place for these guys?
Jeremy Shapp
You know, I'm a one event guy. It is the masters to this sport. It is the Super Bowl. You know, it's the ultimate expression of eating greatness. When you compete in this. I mean, this is.
Michael Wilbon
There are.
Jeremy Shapp
There are a lot of other great competition. I've been to the San Geneiro Cannoli Eating Festival competition.
Tony Kornheiser
Cannoli eating.
Jeremy Shapp
It's great. It doesn't compare, though. First of all, the guys get hurt. I'm not making this up. The cannolis, even though they get dunked in water, you would think with all of that, like.
Tony Kornheiser
No, they're rough still. Rough still. No, it cuts your throat.
Jeremy Shapp
It can def. It cuts your throat. It cuts your. The roof, your mouth. And we all know how painful that can be. I found that to be more disgusting than the hot dog eating competition. There's Something about the dairy, all that dairy, which was a little bit revolting.
Michael Wilbon
Right.
Jeremy Shapp
But, you know, I know we're. I know we're laughing here. And you know, you know, everybody likes to make fun of the eaters, but, you know, they are, I think, I mean, you could say, especially after everything that happened yesterday with and all the nonsense and the lack of clarity, eating, majorly eating and competitive eating. This is pure.
Tony Kornheiser
Oh, sure. Oh, yeah. Just count the hot dogs.
Jeremy Shapp
Yeah, you eat the hot dog. There's a referee who's standing right on top of you counting the hot dog. If it falls on the floor, you're going to eat that hot dog. You know, it takes courage. It takes commitment, it takes training. You're braving the elements out on Coney island, where on the 4th of July it's typically quite sultry, scorching. I admire these guys. I think what they do in America loves them. We were simulcast at ABC this year. You know, we'll see what the numbers were, but I wouldn't be surprised if we got 10, 12 million viewers.
Tony Kornheiser
That'd be tremendous.
Bill Simmons
That's great.
Tony Kornheiser
Be tremendous.
Bill Simmons
By the way, I saw Patrick Bertoletti. You're right. Jeremy, 51 hot dogs for second place. And Jimmy Webb, third place.
Tony Kornheiser
Jimmy Webb, the guy who wrote by the time I get to Phoenix, that Jimmy Webb. MacArthur Park. Jimmy Webb. He's now a hot dog eater.
Bill Simmons
I don't know if it's the same bloke, but yeah. 47 and a half.
Jeremy Shapp
Jimmy Webb. This, this fellow is Australian. Wonderful guy. Very fond of him. We call him the Australian omnivore.
Tony Kornheiser
Jeremy, it's a pleasure.
Jeremy Shapp
Real eat anything.
Tony Kornheiser
Tremendous pleasure. Pleasure. Thank you, Jeremy. Enjoy the soccer game.
Jeremy Shapp
Okay. Happy fourth love.
Tony Kornheiser
Jeremy told. Known Jeremy since he's a child, since he was a high school kid. We will take a break. We'll come back. Email and jingle. I'm Tony Kornheiser.
Nigel
Are all batteries the same? That's like asking if all soccer players are the same. Take Messi, the most decorated player ever. Is there any other player who has achieved that? No, just him. Now take Duracell. Is there any other battery with power boost ingredients inside? No, just Duracell. Remember, goats only trust goats because they're built different and Messi only trusts Duracell.
Jeremy Shapp
You're listening to the Tony Kornheiser show.
Singer (Wendy Colonna)
It.
Tony Kornheiser
Tremendous. It's the Missouri Marching Band. Just totally tremendous. Thrilling that we have that and they
Bill Simmons
really is for us.
Tony Kornheiser
You want to do the Bethesda bagel ad?
Bill Simmons
Yeah. Bagel sandwiches today. Always Excited about that. Just go to BethesdaBaggles.com for the location in the DC area nearest you. Then pop on in and you'll be thrilled.
Tony Kornheiser
Before we get to the mailbag, let me just say two of us riding nowhere, spending someone's hard earned pay. You and me, Sunday driving, not arriving on our way back home. We're on our way home. That's Paul and John Dance. Just one of the greatest songs of all time. Really, when you watched it being performed. Just so great. Thanks to our guests today, Michael Wilbon and Jeremy Shapp. Thanks as well to today's sponsors. Remember, you can listen to us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Odyssey. If you get to show through Apple Podcasts, please leave us a review.
Nigel
All right, we need to know, given the hot dog eating contest, what's your favorite way to dress a dog? Are you just simple spicy mustard?
Tony Kornheiser
I little relish. No, I've never used relish.
Bill Simmons
Not a ketchup guy.
Tony Kornheiser
Ketchup. I've Chicago style on there. No, I have always used mustard and when I. I haven't eaten a hot dog in about 40 years, but gotta
Nigel
hang out with the kids.
Tony Kornheiser
More grapefruit?
Nigel
Oh, fancy.
Bill Simmons
Oh, yeah.
Tony Kornheiser
I always thought that was a really good mustard. Yeah, you know, just a little bit here and there. The guy ate 66 hot dogs in 10 minutes.
Nigel
You gotta score the hot dogs before if you're gonna. You gotta score them to get more surface area.
Tony Kornheiser
Would you be in a hot dog eating contest?
Nigel
Absolutely not.
Singer (Wendy Colonna)
No.
Tony Kornheiser
And the most hot dogs I could eat in 10 minutes would be one hot dog, maybe one. I don't want to eat the rest of them, but that's enough. From Andy Fleming in Atlanta, you have the quintessential American sportswriter, Bob Ryan on Friday. He got me thinking over the fourth of July weekend, who or what else is quintessentially American? Here's my nomination. A television show where the two very different host this, disagree, often passionately, without diminishing each other, and where they admit their mistakes and promise to do better next time. What's more quintessentially American at our best than that? Isn't that sweet? Thank you.
Bill Simmons
That is nice.
Tony Kornheiser
From Jeff Barger, Hillsborough, N.C. the woman to whom I'm related by marriage and I ran a 5K July 4th and managed not to burst into flames. Thought you'd want to know.
Bill Simmons
That's a win.
Tony Kornheiser
It's just, it's been brutally hot. Brutally hot. I mean, when you say to yourself, thank God it's only 90, I mean that's you know, that's it's when the
Nigel
highs happening at 5 and 6pm at
Tony Kornheiser
1:03 from John in Olmsted Falls, Ohio. Thanks for having Sally Jenkins on last week. I really enjoyed the segment, especially after watching the Chrissy Martina documentary and spending the weekend following tennis. Since my daughter isn't interested in mlb, NFL or NBA, women's tennis has become something we truly enjoy together. We're even heading to Cincinnati this year to see the pros play in person for the first time. On a side note, nearly every road in Olmsted Falls, Ohio is currently under construction, which has forced me to run my errands by bicycle. If any littles in the area see an out of shape guy in white riding a bike, please send a TK salute my way. Women's Tennis Saba Lanka down in a heap. Top three seeds down in a heap. Great sets. Yeah, see you later. But you know, I am glad that people have liked watching that documentary. Yes, Sally's in Yes. Rock from Soviet Safeway, Silver Spring, MD I love when you have Sally Jenkins on. When she said Martina was shocked at the grocery stores when she first got here, that reminded me of a time in 1986. A busload of people came into my store. They were very excited. We're taking pictures of all the shelves. I was curious so I asked one of them. They said they were from the Soviet Union. They were taking pictures so they could show the people at home all the food. They said they wouldn't believe them if they didn't take pictures of all the food. I still remember that 40 years later, how lucky we are to have food on our shelves.
Nigel
How to go to the Safeway.
Tony Kornheiser
Yes. Yes. It's one of the things we take for granted.
Bill Simmons
Yes.
Tony Kornheiser
Food is. Yeah, it's food in America. Neil Ayervase, after your marvelous interview with Sally Jenkins about the Chris and Martina Netflix documentary, I hope you marshal the forces of tech team Tony to access Netflix and enjoy the feature. I commend it for cancer chemo survivors like me, those who appreciate athletic achievement at its highest level in anyone for whom stories of friendship and bravery resonate. As Sally noted, at a time when most athletes use film to present a sanitized version of what they would want the world to believe, Martina and Chris allow themselves to be shown in a rare, unfiltered, raw manner. Having covered what was the first transcendent rivalry in women's sports, you'll appreciate the exploration, the complex reality of elite sports, the joy of competition at its highest level. Juxtaposed with the loneliness of having to devote everything to reach and maintain that level to the exclusion of a more fully rewarding existence. The documentary does a marvelous job of showing how competition brought Chris and Martina together, ripped them apart, and ultimately forged a unique friendship for them to battle cancer together. Unlike another Hallmark movie, you and Carol can actually enjoy this together. Much as the woman to whom I'm related by marriage loved it from different perspectives. Sy Jenkins really understated her role and significance in the documentary. Her tone and voice resonated throughout. Her reporting has always transcended the box score and focused on character, endurance and human connection. Her appearances and your mutual respect, always a highlight. Thank you, Neal. That's a lovely. That's a lovely note. Thank you. Jim Nolan, Scranton, Pennsylvania we just spent four nights in Rehoboth. It was our second time there and now we really feel like we know the lay of the land, such as making U turns on Coastal highway and the 201 bus to the boardwalk. However, on our last night, not having eaten much all day and it getting late, I made the call for the two things we needed, gas and food. The solution? Royal Farms, Northeast Pennsylvania. No one in my family had heard of it except me. And I heard of it because of this show. Ten minutes later, my wife said the actual words, this is good gas station chicken. Yes, it is. Also, shout out to Bethany Blues BBQ and Above the Dunes, where we went early in the week. Bethany Blues is, is one of Monty's places, I believe.
Nigel
And above the Dunes. Great spot.
Tony Kornheiser
Adam Mandel My friend Adam Mandel writes, as you know, I'm a pretty big sports fan, but I'm not a big memorabilia guy. My wife Elise did let me have a small corner shelf in our New York City apartment for meaningful things. On that shelf are a Namath signed football to us, a $20 bill signed by Lawrence Taylor that I wanted, a putting contest with him, a Paul Simon baseball we caught at a Nike's playoff game and saw him walking out. A shooter McGavin signed picture with my wife and a picture of you and me and my girls on a PTI set. And that's the list.
Bill Simmons
That's good.
Tony Kornheiser
Good. Yeah, that's nice. From Stuart Berman in Bethesda. If you're ever, if you ever venture west of Chevy Chase, I suggest the Idaho Picture Potato Museum in Blackfoot, Idaho. You can educate yourself about the history of your beloved tubers and check out the legendary harvesting machine photo enclosed known as the Sputnik Spud. Not Sputnik. Sputnik and there's a picture of it. Sputnik potato equipment.
Bill Simmons
That's great.
Tony Kornheiser
Wonderful. Again, we think we're growing potatoes. We're not.
Nigel
Potato plants do flower. They produce small, delicate blossoms.
Tony Kornheiser
Yeah, that's what we've got.
Nigel
Yes.
Bill Simmons
Got lots of flowers.
Tony Kornheiser
Yeah. I mean, Buster said they were.
Bill Simmons
Buster was very enthusiastic. Yes.
Tony Kornheiser
And Darrell Holiday in Oro Medanti, Ontario, in Canada. Dear golf loving potato farmer, I echo the thoughts of recent emailer Bob Gray from Prince Edward island and his thanks to you, Michael and Nigel for being a key, consistent part of our weekly routines for many of your little friends north of the border. Both you and he mentioned the number of golf courses on Prince Edward island, but neither of you mentioned the high quality. These tracks. They're truly top notch because it is Canada's smallest province, roughly the size of Delaware. The concentration of almost 400 fairways gives P.E.I. the highest number of golf courses per capita in the country. And they are awfully accessible to the public. Two weeks from now, the woman to whom I'm related by marriage and I are heading east to the island to spend a week with close friends who spend half their year there, basically the golf season. And we are eagerly anticipating the opportunity to play Dunderave with its red sand bunkers, the links at Crowbush, Crobus Cove, top rated on the island, and Glasgow Hill is my personal favorite. If you and Michael need any enticement to travel north for a golf trip, just know that with the strength of your greenback versus our colorful money, you'd be paying about $75 per round. Almost like you'd be making money to play the other great news, that the population on Prince Edward island is about one tenth of that in Delaware. So the only traffic you might face would be getting behind a fellow potato farmer driving his tractor on the road as he moves to another plot of land. Keep waving the flag for us, kind sir. You have no idea how much your loyal listeners and viewers appreciate it. I'm.
Nigel
These bunkers are wild looking.
Tony Kornheiser
The ones that are red.
Nigel
Yeah. Dundee, you could lose a golf ball here.
Tony Kornheiser
Okay. From Steve the sycophant. I realized I failed in my duty to keep you up to date on the very, very, very pre Christmas doings of the Hallmark Channel. Recently there's been Believe in Christmas with best friends Bea and Amelia traveling to Christmas Land, a magical place filled with hope, holiday miracles and romance. Then there's the most colorful time of the year where a colorblind school teacher meets an optometrist who helps bring color into his Life in time for the holidays. And something with an original for something with original plot. How about Santa? Tell me with a design show host finding a letter from Santa promising she'll find true love a man named Nick by Christmas Eve. Meaning three nicks complicates her search. But I'll give 100 to one she finds the correct Nick, I'll be someplace close to Toronto, which provides provides another happy ending. Merry Christmas in July. Keep on potting. And one more from Kyle in San Francisco. During the fourth of July fireworks display at Crissy Field as the crowds were leaving, there was a collision involving a Waymo. The result, no fewer than 60 stalled empty Waymos creating gridlock traffic. It took two hours for company operators to arrive on the scene in safety vests to move their vehicles. I too hate Waymo. Or as I call them with my children way. No, this is the apocalyptic hellscape we face.
Bill Simmons
P.S.
Tony Kornheiser
to my friend Elliot.
Jeremy Shapp
For me.
Tony Kornheiser
That's so great. If you're out on your bike tonight, everyone, as always, do wear white.
Michael Wilbon
It feels so good to be back here at the Desta Lake Club. We'd like to do for you now a tune entitled Shamalama Ding Dong. So hit it.
Singer (Wendy Colonna)
How does it feel to be loved all sacred and scarred half and whole how does the seed know the time to break open While the earth is still buried in snow how does it feel to let go and dance like the war has been won how does a bird know the song of the sunrise when the hope laughs Left her so long ago how will my baby know the way back home?
Jeremy Shapp
Oh, how
Singer (Wendy Colonna)
will he know his way home? How does the hunger taste now the time that you stare down your fears how does a star shine so bright in the night sky when it's been gone like 10 million years how will my baby know the way back home? Oh, how will he know his way home? Someday somehow I see. How does the silence sound now
Jeremy Shapp
the
Singer (Wendy Colonna)
violence and sirens have died how will two bodies make love in the morning While the battle still raging in sh. All the way back home oh, will he know his way home? How will he know his way home? When my hands go still I no longer can embrace and when my eyes go dim and I cannot but see your face when the days grow short and the end is in plain sight this precious love will carry me into the night. When my voice has faded and the songs are hard to find and when my heart's undone by how this world is so unkind when these kids are grown and gone and every so often night this precious love Will carry me into the night. Do I deserve it? Did I earn it from some lifetime long ago? I guess I'll never know but like a flower I'll keep on leaning Toward your warm and steady glow until it's time for one of us. When our feet have stood for everything that they can stand and when our beauty lives in pictures from a long time distant land when the moon sings for the stolen kiss of lovers young and wide this precious lamp will carry us into the night. This precious night Will carry us into the night.
Date: July 6, 2026
This episode captures the quintessential spirit of The Tony Kornheiser Show: a blend of sports fervor and playful banter, with deep dives into current events, personal anecdotes, and sharp commentary. Tony is joined by regular guests Michael Wilbon, Jeremy Shapp, Nigel, and Bill Simmons. Topics range from the 2026 FIFA World Cup and a heated discussion over a controversial US red card reversal, to Tony’s own Fourth of July golf exploits and the spectacle of Joey Chestnut’s 18th Mustard Belt victory in the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest.
On cable frustration:
“I'm paying $327 a month to Comcast...Somebody from Comcast should write me a note and say, this is how you get Peacock...”
— Tony Kornheiser (03:23)
On soccer’s place in America:
“We're the only country that isn't [fascinated].”
— Tony Kornheiser (34:04)
On FIFA politics:
“All of these international sports organizations, when they say, we want to keep politics out of sports, the correct answer is, who are you kidding?”
— Tony Kornheiser (26:46)
On Molly’s clutch golf shot:
“Molly hits it to one foot. To one foot. A back middle green. Back middle pin to one foot. How's that for coming through, huh?”
— Tony Kornheiser (11:26)
On Joey Chestnut:
“He’s eating like a tremendous machine.”
— Jeremy Shapp (46:25)
On the hot dog contest legend:
“He pulled away 2 1/2 minutes into the 10 minutes. Never looked back. They just want to see greatness. They want to see dominance.”
— Jeremy Shapp (44:16)
[End of summary]