“A captain at sea, a farmer at home”

Summary

Podcast Summary: "A Captain at Sea, a Farmer at Home" – The Tony Kornheiser Show

Release Date: June 18, 2025
Host: Tony Kornheiser
Guests: Bob Ryan (Sports Columnist), Taylor Twellman (Soccer Expert)

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I. Introduction

In this episode titled “A Captain at Sea, a Farmer at Home,” Tony Kornheiser delves into the tumultuous state of Boston sports, focusing primarily on the recent Rafael Devers trade. Joining him are esteemed guests Bob Ryan and Taylor Twellman, who provide their insights on the fallout and broader implications for Boston's sports franchises.

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II. Boston Sports Update

A. Boston Red Sox

The Red Sox are at the center of today's discussion, grappling with the ramifications of trading Rafael Devers, a pivotal player who recently signed a substantial contract. The trade has left many fans and analysts questioning the team's direction and management decisions.

B. New England Patriots

Similarly, the Patriots are experiencing a slump, with consecutive losing seasons ([06:55]). Tony remarks, "They are the worst team in baseball or seven years,” highlighting deep frustrations among the fanbase.

C. Boston Bruins

The Bruins are described as "mediocre" by Bob Ryan ([24:19]), struggling to maintain their competitive edge since their last Stanley Cup victory. Despite past successes, the team hasn't met expectations in recent seasons.

D. Boston Celtics

The Celtics face significant challenges following injuries to key players, notably Jayson Tatum, who is likely to miss the entire season ([23:28]). This setback has further dampened hopes for another championship run.

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III. The Rafael Devers Trade

The core of the episode revolves around the controversial trade of Rafael Devers. Devers, who signed a hefty $300 million contract, was traded in an attempt to bolster the team's performance by acquiring Alex Bregman, a renowned Gold Glove infielder.

Bob Ryan critiques the trade’s execution and timing:
"They have a thing called Fenway Sports Group. They have Liverpool, they have Fenway Roush Racing... And the Red Sox are just one of their entities and they're not clearly a priority." ([28:23])

Tony adds,
"It may come to this. I'm just going to say, and I don't know that anybody would be surprised if Davey, if his managerial reign came to an end and came to an end within the next X amount of days." ([09:31])

The trade's timing was particularly ill-received as it coincided with the team's peak performance, leading to a swift decline in morale and performance thereafter.

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IV. Potential Managerial Changes

The episode explores the possibility of managerial turnover in Boston's sports teams, especially the Red Sox. With teams underperforming despite having young talent, discussions turn to whether a change in leadership could rejuvenate the franchises.

Bob Ryan expresses skepticism about the current management's commitment:
"Their ownership hasn't put in a bunch of money to sign players at all. No, they haven't." ([06:55])

There’s speculation that Davey Martinez, the manager of the Red Sox, may face pressure to step down following the trade and subsequent losses. Tony muses,
"I'm not advocating to change managers, but it is. Look, if you looked at Pittsburgh, which did it. If you looked at Colorado, which did it..." ([07:01])

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V. AI in Content Creation

A significant portion of the episode transitions into a discussion about artificial intelligence's role in creative industries. Tony showcases an AI-generated song titled "A Captain at Sea, a Farmer at Home," highlighting both its impressive craftsmanship and the unsettling implications of AI in creative roles.

Bob Ryan voices concern:
"This is going to make students much lazier. They don't have to do anything. They don't have to be smart. They don't have to study." ([16:00])

Taylor Twellman adds,
"There's a combination of Cat Stevens meets top 40 country." ([14:37])

The guests debate the authenticity and emotional depth of AI-produced content, pondering the future of human creativity in an increasingly automated world.

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VI. U.S. Men's Soccer Team Outlook

Shifting gears, Tony and Bob delve into the current state of the U.S. Men’s Soccer Team, especially in light of the ongoing Gold Cup and upcoming World Cup.

Bob Ryan highlights the team's struggles and the controversy surrounding star player Christian Pulisic's participation:
"The U.S. soccer Federation is root. There's an arrogance that's rooted not in success, which is where it loses." ([42:29])

Tony questions the team's prospects,
"I would assume we are supposed to beat Trinidad and Tobago 100 times out of 100, right?" ([38:46])

Bob responds with a historical perspective,
"Except in 2017, we failed to beat them two. One on an own goal and a deflection..." ([39:00])

They discuss the necessity for the team to perform exceptionally in the Gold Cup to build momentum for the World Cup, emphasizing the urgency and stakes involved.

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VII. Conclusion

As the episode wraps up, Tony reflects on the interconnectedness of sports management, player trades, and team performance, drawing parallels between different sports and their organizational challenges. The conversation underscores the cyclical nature of sports success and the critical impact of leadership decisions on team dynamics.

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Notable Quotes:

• Tony Kornheiser ([07:01]):
  "They are the worst team in baseball or seven years."

• Bob Ryan ([28:23]):
  "And the Red Sox are just one of their entities and they're not clearly a priority."

• Taylor Twellman ([14:37]):
  "It's a combination of Cat Stevens meets top 40 country."

• Bob Ryan ([39:00]):
  "Except in 2017, we failed to beat them two. One on an own goal and a deflection..."

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This episode provides a comprehensive analysis of the current state of Boston sports, the implications of recent trades, the potential for managerial changes, and broader societal issues such as the impact of AI on creativity. Additionally, the discussion on the U.S. Men's Soccer Team offers valuable insights into the team's prospects and challenges on the international stage.

Transcript

[Tony Kornheiser]

Hey, it's Tony. On today's show, we'll talk with Bob Ryan about the fallout in Boston from the Rafael Devers trade. And I'll get my chance to display my extensive soccer knowledge when we talk with Taylor Twellman. But first, commerce.

[Michael Wilbon]

You're listening to the Tony Kornheiser show.

[Tony Kornheiser]

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[Bob Ryan]

So you got it.

[Tony Kornheiser]

You gotta be on top of the potato bugs. Okay. So when I go out to look at my tomatoes and peppers and zucchini every day, I should also look to see what's happening with those, with those leafy things, if they're being destroyed or not. Okay. Is there a spray for potato bugs?

[Bob Ryan]

There's some powder you could put on there. There are other ways of doing that. You could capture them by hand.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Oh yeah, I'd love that. Make me happy. I feel like a warrior God. I'd feel like Max Scherzer. That'd be great.

[Taylor Twellman]

The Tony Kornheiser show is on now.

[Tony Kornheiser]

We had more extensive conversations with Buster Olney prior to PTI yesterday about potatoes. His potato patch is gorgeous. It is majestic. It's just unbelievable. You know, there are.

[Taylor Twellman]

It's the show and we're down here in aaa.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah, there are circular, yes, circular patches. He's got triangular patches. We're lucky to get wooden bats. And he's got, you know, his Stuff is beautiful. Yeah, it's cathedral. Just beautiful. My theory was, I said, well, you know, we won't get potato bugs because most of the potatoes in America are grown in Idaho. And you live in Montana. You're next to Idaho. It's easy for the bugs to commute and land on your potatoes. And he said, well, that's good theory, but I first noticed them in Vermont, so. But he did appreciate your, you know. Yeah. Yeah. A buster is so happy for us that our potatoes, thrilled. Are in the formula formulating stage. That's not what I want to talk about. I've got to talk about the Gnats. The Nets having lost three in a row to the Florida Marlins, a very bad team. Are they Florida Marlins or Miami Marlins?

[Taylor Twellman]

Miami Marlins.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Now they're the Miami Marlins. They used to be the Florida Marlins. Very bad team. Lost three in a row at home to them. Not competitive games necessarily. They've now lost two in a row to the worst team in the history of baseball, Colorado Rockies. Last night they gave up six, seven home runs. Seven home runs. The starter, Soroka, gave up two and one in the first inning, which happens all the time. They go down in the first inning all the time. Cole Henry, who'd been doing very well, came in to pitch the fifth, sixth, whatever it was, gave up face four batters, gave up two home runs, got nobody out. He's got nobody out. And he'd done well. They brought in Rutledge in the same inning. He gave up two more home runs. 10 to 1 the end of the inning, Rutledge carrying a sparkling 5.80 ERA. Then they bring in Salazar, is terrible. Salazar gives up a home run. His ERA is 8.87. And they're not as bad as Ferrer. Frere is worse than all of them. They're not as bad as he is. So they do what they do lately. They get a bunch of runs late and they close within a reasonable amount of runs, but they lose. So this is at the moment, five in a row, two very bad teams at home. And so in a text chain that consists of Michael Kornheiser, who didn't get involved last year, unwilling participant.

[Taylor Twellman]

We're doing bedtime. The numbers just keep going up.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah. And Chuck Todd and Chris Soliza and myself, the suggestion that maybe a managerial change is in the offing has come up. Bob Carpenter last night addressed the elephant in the room. He said there were booze last night. I've never heard booze at Nats Park. I've never heard it. There were Boos last night, you could hear them. And he talked about that. And at one point, at one inning, he said, okay, we have two on and nobody out. You know, you gotta get at least one run here. They got no runs. They got no runs. A quick double play and then some other out or something like that. And so it sounded like Bob Carpenter was about to be critical. He's never critical, but he walked that line. He was right on the edge of being critical. He was asked later in the show, you know, what would you do? And he said, quite reasonably, I'm a broadcaster, I'm not a manager. I don't put on the hat. If you want me to put on the hat. You want to pay me a couple of million dollars, I'll give you an answer. So, I mean, that was the right. As opposed to Davey the other day saying it's all the players fault, which is not the right thing to say. Davey looks like there's sort of a meltdown going on. Now, look, it's a very, very young team. The catcher who isn't very good isn't as good as everybody hoped he would be. Kibert Reese is very young. The infield is not that young when DeYoung gets back, and Nathaniel Lowe's not that young. But C.J. abrams is young. Everybody in the outfield is young. Everybody. One of them is named young. But everybody in the outfield is like under 25 years old.

[Taylor Twellman]

Forever young.

[Chris Soliza]

Yeah.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah. You know, so, I mean, it is a very young team. And I don't know what the expectations reasonably are, but a couple of things are true. The ownership, which is not. Has not sold the team and says it's not going to sell the team at the moment. The ownership hasn't put in a bunch of money to sign players at all. No, they haven't. Now they got these young players waiting to develop. And so they stink right now. The team stinks. They don't score any runs. Their pitchers, their starters, except for Mackenzie Gore, give up runs in the first inning all the time. Their relievers are the worst in baseball, and statistically, Colorado's relievers may be worst.

[Taylor Twellman]

And it feels worse than the record. This is their worst losing streak since 2008.

[Tony Kornheiser]

You know, they lost 10 in a row, and they've lost to bad teams. And so the possibility of a managerial change is a reasonable thing to think about. Maybe Davey Martinez is the best manager possible for this team. He was the manager of a World Series winner. I don't think he's had a team above.500 since.

[Taylor Twellman]

So going back to that, I think.

[Tony Kornheiser]

They have the worst record in baseball or seven years.

[Taylor Twellman]

Throw out the 2020 just because of the shortened season 2021, you go 65, 97, 22, 55, 107, 23 and 24, 7191. And there's been a similar trend the last two years where you get off to a better than you expect start and then you. There's a lot of promise. We look at the starting pitching and then you look at what happens in August and September and they absolutely crater. And again, you might look at that Met Series from a week and a half ago and losing that game, one that you should have been able to hold, that could be the beginning of the end.

[Tony Kornheiser]

So what I would say is this, and I'm not advocating to change managers, but it is. Look, if you looked at Pittsburgh, which did it. If you looked at Colorado, which did it, you know, you get mired in something bad and you say, you know, I'm just going to make a change. Almost for change sake, right? Almost for change sake. Nobody would say Davey Martinez. I'm not going to say he's a bad manager, but I'm going to say this. They're going on a long road trip West Coast. Three different teams, maybe four different teams. The Dodgers, the Angels. Who else is in that?

[Taylor Twellman]

I'll pull it up.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah, they're going on a long like. Let me just say I'm not going to be surprised if he doesn't, if he doesn't come back with the team. Right. I'm not going to be surprised at that. If they make a change just because they say we want a division, Dodgers, Angels.

[Taylor Twellman]

And then they go to the Tigers or they have the Tigers here.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Okay. You know, how many days are they on the road that only looks like.

[Taylor Twellman]

It'S a short trip.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Well, I'm just saying that.

[Taylor Twellman]

Oh, no, they got the Padres as well.

[Tony Kornheiser]

That could be. Yeah. They may just decide, you know, it's. It's time. We're going to make a change, just to make a change, to see if somebody else can be heard in a different way.

[Taylor Twellman]

So the number one priority is you talk about the, the relative youth of the outfield in particular. Those are assets that you need to protect no matter what happens in terms of selling the team or not. So you have to question yourself, is he going to be the best person, regardless of record, to protect those players.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Talking about five guys here, you're talking about Lyle Young, Cruz, Wood, Hassel and Alex Call six people sure.

[Taylor Twellman]

And you're going to separate Wood, who's farther in his development, and you want to separate Cruz if and when he comes back, still under 200. Yes. So you look at those players and think, okay, two or three of those are going to be anchor pieces for many years to come.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Absolutely.

[Taylor Twellman]

And two of them are likely going to be chips that you want to trade a lot of value back for.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yes. So. So it may come to this. I'm just going to say, and I don't know that anybody would be surprised if Davey, if his managerial reign came to an end and came to an end within the next X amount of days. Right. But you wouldn't do it at all. You wouldn't fire him at all.

[Taylor Twellman]

I'm looking at this saying you have a team that's not really trying to win by improving their roster. I think that must be incredibly frustrating for Davey, which is why I'm focusing on what is he doing to help develop the players. You look at what happened with C.J. abrams at the end of last year and trying to make sure that the clubhouse does not turn sour again. The record is what it is. I'm not sure that the team actually cares what it is, but you want to protect those players. And I don't know what you. Where you go from here to get better.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah. Yeah. That's.

[Taylor Twellman]

I mean, yeah, it's like a nick situation. Who's going to come?

[Bob Ryan]

Who.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Sometimes you just make a change for the sake of change, to appear as if you care, because right now, it doesn't appear that anyone cares. And we're not. We're not hearing something that says, we're going to turn this around, and we're not hearing that. Right. Am I right?

[Taylor Twellman]

No, you're. You're 100. Right. And you wonder, is there somebody, a bench coach somewhere that has the player support and they will, you know, run wild?

[Tony Kornheiser]

Is there somebody who, for example, managed some of these people in the minors? Is there somebody like that? Because, you know, I don't. I don't know. I don't know. I'm just. I'm putting it out there because I. I think it's time to put it out there without advocating it. I want to play a song that was sent to us, an AI song. Jesse, who is the pen box lady from Mikitowski Woodworking. I talked about this the other day. I was inspired by Jason's AI Music story. So I made this song for you in a few minutes. Using artificial intelligence, the song masterfully crafts a narrative around a man Defined by two distinct yet equally potent aspirations. One part of him yearns for the deck of a boat. This is ridiculous. I mean, I understand the narrative. Said, I was playing golf with Neville and I said to a guy, yeah, I'm a charter boat captain. I made it up. The thrill of leadership and the endless expanse of the ocean. I'm afraid of the water. The other finds solace and purpose in the rich soil, Dreaming of rows of flourishing potatoes. That's true. It's a beautiful, intricate look at the paradox of his passions, where the call the captain and the quiet ambition of the farmer coexist, creating a compelling portrait of a life lived between two worlds. Please play the song.

[Michael Wilbon]

Tony K. Sails the sea with a weathered hand Salt on his skin like the grains of the sand his boat and a freedom cuts through the spray but in the off season he dreams of clay Tony K. Digs in the dirt so deep where the ocean ends and the fields don't sleep from the brine to the soil his heart does wrong A captain at sea, a farmer at home he plants his rose with the sailors carry each potato seed like a tree treasurer no stormy ways, no rolling tide Just a quiet patch where his dreams reclaim Tony Cade digs in the dirt so deep where the oceans and the fields don't sleep from the vine to the soil his heart does roam A captain at sea, a farmer at home he plants his rows with a sailor's care each potato sea like a treasure no stormy waves, no rolling tide Just a quiet, quiet patch where his dreams are Clay Tony Cade digs in the dirt so deep where the ocean ends and the fields don't sleep from the brine to the soil his heart does roam A captain at sea, a farmer at home when the frost creeps in and the sails are furled and trades his compass for a simpler world A man of two lives with a single grim Both the waves and the earth Call the doom of flame Come spring he'll sail but he'll even know two spuds that sprout near his fishing boat Tony K. Lies what two dreams meet A sailor's soul and the farmer's beat Tony K. Digs in the dirt so deep where the ocean ends and the fields don't sleep from the brine to the soil his heart does roam A captain at sea, a farmer at home Home the farmer, A farmer at home.

[Tony Kornheiser]

It's a great song. I don't know if it's a real person singing. I don't know where the words come from. This a great. This Is a great song.

[Taylor Twellman]

Not part of the system. Calling it now Song of the Summer.

[Tony Kornheiser]

It's. Yes.

[Taylor Twellman]

Stuck it. Earworm.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yes. This will rise to the top of the charts.

[Taylor Twellman]

I mean, I can hear it now.

[Tony Kornheiser]

It's not composed by human beings.

[Taylor Twellman]

I don't understand how any of that works. It's a combination of Cat Stevens meets top 40 country.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah, it's Toby Keith, maybe. Yeah, it's terrific.

[Taylor Twellman]

It's a great song.

[Tony Kornheiser]

It has nothing to do with reality, but. But it captures the dichotomy of you just perfectly.

[Taylor Twellman]

I mean, you're yearning.

[Tony Kornheiser]

If indeed I ran a charter belt. Yeah, but that's. But it's. It's. The words are great.

[Taylor Twellman]

They really are.

[Tony Kornheiser]

The song is great.

[Michael Wilbon]

Yeah.

[Tony Kornheiser]

And it's untouched by humans. What do we do about this? This is terrifying. I had a talk with Matt Rennie yesterday, and I think he said his brother is a college professor. He said his brother, 80% of his work, is trying to determine what is AI with the papers that his students hand in and what is real.

[Taylor Twellman]

Apparently, the big trend is, you can tell it's AI, but it starts with that said and uses a lot of EM dashes.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Okay.

[Taylor Twellman]

So here's the parenthetical asides that I always use from the New Yorker. Show that I'm a robot.

[Tony Kornheiser]

If I were a teacher, if I were a Prof. If I was doing that, I would change my curriculum entirely. And I would say this. We're going to have tests in this class. Yes.

[Bob Ryan]

Right.

[Tony Kornheiser]

The essay in this classroom. You can bring nothing electronic with you. Tests in this classroom. Here's a pen, here's a notebook. Take the test. Yeah. Because other than that. Right. How would you know?

[Taylor Twellman]

You would never know. I mean, it's gotten so sophisticated. And the better thing is, how do you start using AI in the earlier stages with the organization. Organization. And the framework of the essay that you're thinking of, where it then becomes harder to separate the layers.

[Tony Kornheiser]

This is going to make students much lazier. They don't have to do anything. They don't have to be smart. They don't have to study. If they have to hand something in, they just push a button and they hand. This is. And this song is really good. Good. I mean, is that a human being singing?

[Taylor Twellman]

Michael, you are able to create these sounds from other sounds that already exist. So this was a big issue. I think it was Scarlett Johansson where she was trying to get protection for herself because it sounded like there was AI voices that were being used that were very similar to hers. And she was clearly the, you know, the idea or the inspiration behind it. But you even look at, you know, I bring up top 40 because I listened to a lot of pop country music, and I think it was probably 15, 20 years ago. You listened to some of the songs and just go, this is a mad Lib song. You think about an old Tim McGraw song about, you know, the white T shirt going to drinking a can of coke and, you know, filling up your gas tank. There's. There were just these tropes you were walking through, and that was the start of this, where you were just using derivative pieces from something else and putting them.

[Tony Kornheiser]

At least a real person sang that.

[Taylor Twellman]

Yes.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Real people played on that.

[Taylor Twellman]

And now you can just type in, sing country song in the style of, I'm smelling a Grammy for this. Wouldn't that be great?

[Tony Kornheiser]

I am.

[Taylor Twellman]

There's emotional depth to the voice. That's what's terrifying.

[Tony Kornheiser]

That's exactly right. And the lyrics are really quite good. Yes. They're not over the top. They get right to the top and they recede a little bit like the water of the ocean.

[Taylor Twellman]

So we beat on.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah, that's right. Thank you, Jay Gantt. Yeah. I don't know what to do about something like this. It's a really good song.

[Taylor Twellman]

Feels like some people that own a lot of horses and stables are introduced to an automobile and they're like, what's this? This is gonna change everything for us.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Wow. This can't be good. This just can't be good. Can't be good. We'll take a break. Bob Ryan. When we return, I'm Tony Kornheiser.

[Bob Ryan]

You're listening to the Tony Kornheiser show.

[Tony Kornheiser]

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[Taylor Twellman]

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[Tony Kornheiser]

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[Bob Ryan]

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[Tony Kornheiser]

It belongs in the world.

[Bob Ryan]

But you know that already. You have a calling, a voice that says this is what I'm meant to do.

[Tony Kornheiser]

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[Chris Soliza]

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[Bob Ryan]

Make it your own with top to bottom customization, AI to help realize your vision and built in business tools to turn your daydream into your dream job. WIX supports every stage of the business journey except one.

[Chris Soliza]

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[Tony Kornheiser]

Ready?

[Bob Ryan]

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[Michael Wilbon]

You'Re listening to the Tony Kornheiser Show.

[Tony Kornheiser]

This is a real band. Yes, these are the Ozark Mountain Daredevils. These legit. These guys have made a bunch of dough. These guys are really good. Dwight Glenn sends this in. It's time for a check from your official 70s rock country band, the Ozark Mountain Daredevils. We're excited to let you and the Littles know that we'll be doing a concert at your alma mater, Binghamton University at the Anderson center this Saturday, June 21st with our friends from Pure Prairie League. Another real band.

[Taylor Twellman]

Yes, real band.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Real band. Tickets are available now on the website, but more importantly, we wanted to make sure and send an invite to our favorite Binghamton grad and his friends and family to attend. While we are sure the likelihood of your attending is the same odds as Wilbon being surprised, we had to ask on the One in a million chance you feel like visiting the alma mater that weekend, we would be honored for you to bring us on stage. Isn't that something? Their new album is called Now Hear this. That'll be coming out in vinyl very soon. We value the connection with your show and the fact that you feature independent artists because we all had to start somewhere and after 53 years it's still a thrill to hear our songs on the radio Be well. We would love to see you in all the Littles on June 21st. That's in three days. It's thrilling to me. These are the Ozark Mountain daredevils. Yeah. Okay. Okay. That's all I'm going to say. They play in Bob Ryan. And I thought about this. I thought. I wanted to talk to you about the Devers trade and the reaction in Boston. But I also got to thinking last night, particularly after Brad Marchand was holding up the Cup. He's very famous as a member of the Bruins. There was a time over the last 20 to 25 years that the Red Sox were perennial contenders and won some World Series. Obviously, the Patriots won everything that was to win. The Bruins won a Stanley Cup. The Celtics just won a year ago. They just won. And yet right now, Bob, and you were going to please correct me if I'm wrong, but it feels like. It feels like Boston sports are down a hole at the moment, and I don't know when they get out of the hole. Is that what it feels like living there? Particularly somebody who was a sports columnist in lean years, but in the great years as well.

[Chris Soliza]

That is the general sentiment around here. I do not share it to the extent that most people do because I don't feel greedy. I am grateful for what we had. What we had was the best run of any city in America with 13 parades. We still lead the country nation in that regard in the 20th century. And it was a spectacular run. And including one highlight run with a championship in each of the four major sports between 19, 2004 and 2011. Okay. Yeah, it's doom and gloom around here right now. There's no question. And I say, hey, this is reality. Everything is cyclical. Everything in sports is cyclical. Okay. For the most of it. And we had our great run, and now it's time to go back to reality. That's the way I look at it. But I assure you that's not the way most people look at it.

[Tony Kornheiser]

I would say it's the greatest run ever. I would agree with that. I mean, coming from New York, where there's two teams of everything. The Knicks haven't won in 50 years. You know, they haven't won.

[Chris Soliza]

No. That'd be 52 to be exact. Right.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Rangers won once.

[Chris Soliza]

The Rangers won since 1940. I happened to be present when they. When they won in 94. And. Yeah, one in 80, 85 years. The new Rangers, on it goes. And you've got all this multiple simplicity of teams, and yet you're not nowhere close to what Boston was able to do. So anyway, yes, that's the sentiment here. And this. So this is just the latest log on the fire, the Devers trade.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Two of the teams do appear at the moment to be hopeless. At the moment, the Patriots and the Bruins appear to be hopeless. Yes.

[Chris Soliza]

I think the Bruins aren't hopeless. They're just mediocre. Okay, they're mediocre. And the Patriots are aspiring to mediocrity. They've been terrible 4 and 13 back to back and earned it. And then make things worse by winning their last game of the season and thereby eliminating themselves from first draft pick consideration. So that, that didn't go over too well here either. So, yeah, there's the. And the Celtics, of course, totally on.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Hold.

[Chris Soliza]

With the Tatum injury. That means you'll miss more than likely the entire season. So they're going nowhere. And we know that, but we can rationalize that one a little bit better than you can the others.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Well, they just won the other year. But you always read stories they've been sold. You always read stories that they're going to have to break up the team for various economic rules in the league.

[Chris Soliza]

It's very, it's specifically, it's the second apron thing. Don't ask me for the details because I don't have them. But all I know is that when you land on it, you're in trouble and they have to expunge themselves to some contracts. And the two people whose names are being, you know, front and center are Christophe Spruzingis and Jeru Holliday. Now, in Przingis case, if you go for porzingis, he's making 30 million a year and he's not reliable to show up. He's hurt all. Something's wrong. And this time it wasn't an injury. It was an illness, a mysterious illness that was never identified in public. What it was that kept him out of these games and then when he came back, rendered him incapable of going for very long. And then you have Jrue Holiday, who just turned 35th birthday. There's going to be a limited market for him.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Were you surprised, by the way? I understand Tatum got hurt, but the Knicks were beating them before Tatum got hurt. Were you surprised that I was surprised? Yeah.

[Chris Soliza]

I mean, I had come to appreciate what the Knicks were doing. I watched them beat the Pistons, and I thought that was. Pistons were. Are getting pretty good. That was a good win. And yeah, I thought they were. But the Celtics, they were being outplayed, there's no question. And Tatum's injury is no rational, no excuse at all. Yeah. But the thing was, we do know this now that Jaylen Brown, who's already had some surgery, had a knee. And we knew he had a knee. We didn't know how bad it was. Jrue Holiday had a hamstring. Korzingis wasn't available, and when he was available, he wasn't himself. And now and Tatum, we knew had a risk, something or other going on before he ever hurt the Achilles. So they had ready made excuses. I was okay with it for those reasons. They weren't the team that won last year, period. They just weren't. And the Knicks were, obviously had made their moves and they were paying off at the time and everything was fine. So yeah, I could live with it because I thought it was inevitable.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Let me get to the Devers trade. And it's complicated. Rafael Devers signed an enormous contract. Boston's paying him like $300 million. They go out and try to improve their team by getting Alex Bregman, who was a Gold Glove infielder and a really good hitter. And Devers pitch is a fit. And you think to yourself, okay, this will pass in time. He's a team guy. This will pass in time. But they ask him to play another position. He says no. He just says no. Says, you wanted me to be the dh, I'll be the dh. I'm sure there are a lot of people who will say, well, he got hosed by the Red Sox. I would look at this as somebody who is sabotaging the team and I would applaud the idea of trading him. Where are you on that issue?

[Chris Soliza]

We had another chapter opened up last night which is really complicating the issue. He gave a press conference in San Francisco during. First of all, he gave it in English, I believe, which he never would do here. That's a B. He categorically said, I will do anything they want, play anywhere they want. I'll do anything they want. I just want to help them win. Words that he would not say here.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yes.

[Chris Soliza]

So what it tells us, there was a lot more going on behind the scenes than we know. He obviously was quite happy to leave Boston. And Jesse says he's not going to lose any money, obviously, but opened up with two hits. There was, yeah, a double. One scoring double. There were more. Obviously there was more going on here than we knew he had. He certainly didn't make any friends in Boston yesterday by saying that he would play any. Do anything he want in San Francisco. So this story is Deeper than we even thought for him to seize that opportunity and then say that, oh, my God, really, you can imagine how that's going over here.

[Tony Kornheiser]

How is Boston prior to this latest thing yesterday morning? How was Boston taking this trade? I mean, how was the Boston.

[Chris Soliza]

Oh, most people were looking at it and you have to look the whole context, Tony. That goes back to Mookie Betts. And actually it goes back to the idea that what is the motivation? What is the interest level? What is the going on with management? And it comes back to how much money they want to spend. How interested are they in the Boston Red Sox, who are only one member of a bulging portfolio. When this group came in, when John Henry came in, it was the Boston Red Sox and only the Boston Red Sox since then. They have a thing called Fenway Sports Group. They have Liverpool, they have Fenway Roush Racing, they've got. They're involved in golf, they're involved in betting, they're involved in. And the Red Sox are just one of the. One of their entities and they're not clearly a priority. And I was told, and, you know, I don't know if you heard anything about this, and I don't have it corroborated, but I was told by someone who's a big European soccer fan, didn't get any attention over here. Liverpool just made a colossal purchase on a player over there. So at the same time, within 24 to 36 hours that they're trading devers and getting rid of $231 million contract, that they're spending money on a soccer player in England. So I will question myself publicly what their motivation is and where their priority. That's the word I've been searching for, what their priority is right now. And it clearly to me and to many others is not the Boston Red Sox. So people are becoming more and more aware of this. They're getting angry with this about this management. And you know, the Mookie Betts trade was universally panned for a very good reason. And so this follows in the same way that people were very upset about losing bets. They said, well, you know, they. He just, he was producing also, Tony, the timing, you know, the timing. They come off the high point of the season. They sweep the Yankees, they shut them out Sunday, they sweep them. They're at a peak this year. They're. They're half a game out of the wild card. Everybody's feeling good, and within an hour to 2 to 3, they find out about the devastate and they're. It's Total deflation. So the timing of it was absolutely abominable.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Dan Shaughnessy lit up management. He lit him up the other day.

[Chris Soliza]

Oh, yeah, well, yeah, he. He did well. He's very good at that. He's a. Yeah. You don't want to get on his bad side.

[Tony Kornheiser]

No, but, but I get the sense, I mean, you know, we. You did this for a living. I did this for a living. You don't, you don't roll against the tide in something like this. You have a sense that this is what the feeling is and you accentuate that feeling. Right.

[Chris Soliza]

Well, if you, if you. I mean, I would, I would say as long as I totally believed in it, I wouldn't. I always prided myself on not writing something just for effect if I honestly couldn't defend it or I wasn't up into that. But, I mean, it's easy. This is an easy call for economists, I think that. But the thing is, now, it was an easy call then, but after this revelation that Devers is telling, that's different. I'll do anything you want now. I mean, there's no good side to this. Everybody, everybody's at fault. It's awful. So, yeah, it's a very strange story.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Now, does Alex Cora have to fear for his job?

[Chris Soliza]

I don't think so.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Okay.

[Chris Soliza]

But then he has not received yet the dreaded vote of confidence, which, you know, is the kiss of death in American sports. He hasn't received that one yet. So I. But I doubt it. And I'm wondering where he fit into the whole story. You know, we know that the owner went and flew out in May to talk to Deborahs and he face to face. We know that Craig Breslow couldn't convince him. We don't know exactly what Cora did. No. You know, think about who Cora is. You know, he's a very savvy, intelligent, bilingual man who's been around, knows nothing and, you know, you think he would have been. If there's anybody that might have been.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Able to get to Devers.

[Chris Soliza]

Yes, it was Alex Cora and apparently he wasn't. He was not either.

[Tony Kornheiser]

I just, just as a throwaway question, does, Is there any heat on the Celtics coach?

[Chris Soliza]

Yes. And the reason is the style of play.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah. People threes.

[Chris Soliza]

And when people are watching these playoffs now and seeing that a team who was en route to a championship, the Oklahoma City Thunder, won a playoff game making three three point shot and only taking fewer than 20 and won the game, whereas the Celtics set, you know, colossal records early in the season. Early in the playoffs with the number of threes they were taking, and they become so wedded to the three. And people are tired of it now. So, yes, that's the reason people are down on. If they are down on Joe Missoula, it's because of the obsessive slavery to the three.

[Tony Kornheiser]

And I would imagine that they are excited. If you can be excited by Mike Vrabel. Right. I mean, that.

[Chris Soliza]

That feels like something good has got. Mike Vrabel has won over the masses very quickly because there's nothing, there's no bad reporting. Everybody that covers him tells about how the players love him. They love the idea, you know, his upbeat spirit is, you know, just everything about him, the way he jumps, he gets on the field. He's, you know, he's. He's still active enough to go out there and hit somebody and. But yes, there's a very positive feeling about Mike Frable.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Wouldn't that be something if the coach put on a helmet and just went in practice and hit somebody? That would be.

[Chris Soliza]

I'm telling you, I don't know exactly should be at these practices. But the players talk about, you know, he, he was famous for this in Tennessee and he's. And he hasn't given it up. He can get out there and he, he can not just say, here's how to do it. He could say, watch me show you how to do it.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah, that's something, Bob. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. As always, I appreciate it.

[Chris Soliza]

Oh, you're welcome, Tony.

[Tony Kornheiser]

The quintessential American sportswriter, Bob Ryan. Boys and girls, we will take a break. Taylor Swellman will join us when we return. I will attempt to get out of the way after I ask a few soccer questions. I'm Tony Kornheiser.

[Chris Soliza]

This is the Tony Kornheiser Show.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Once again, these are the Ozark Mountain daredevils with a song called Over Again on Saturday. Today is Wednesday. On Saturday, if you're in the Binghamton area, they will be playing at Binghamton University and you should go see them. And they're going to play with their pals from Pure Prairie League. That's a great show. Yeah, you should go see that if you're in Binghamton, because believe me, there's not that much else to do in Binghamton. I spent a lot of years of my life there. Right. It's okay. There's more to do in Binghamton than Oswego. But there's not much to do in Binghamton, Michael, if independent artists, not like Ozark Mountain daredevils But if, like, people scuffling around to make a buck or two, if it's a great song, by the way, if they want to send in their original music, how do they do it?

[Taylor Twellman]

Send us your music by emailing it to jinglesonycornizershow.com and the Ozark Mountain Daredevil.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Devils play in Taylor Twillman, who is our resident soccer expert, but more importantly, whose uncle was on the golf tour. And a book was written about him that I held up for Taylor the other day when he was on PTI so he could see it. A book about Jay Delsing was written by Will Salisbury. Right. Who? Who? Money for Guns. Money for guns in St. Louis. Yeah. That gave you such a happy moment, you started laughing. You want to explain that?

[Bob Ryan]

Yeah, I just. Tony, you kind of hit me right across the face with how old I am now. My uncle, who I followed every weekend, grabbing the newspaper, looking to see if he made the cut. Then when he made the cut, we'd celebrate because my mom's his older sister now. The fact that he's writing a book and I'm 45 years old and I'm reading the stories thinking, oh, my God, I would have loved to have been at the Canadian Open when he wanted to fight one of his fellow tour members. So you caught me by surprise.

[Tony Kornheiser]

It's just wonderful to see your reaction to that. In that interview that we did on pti, you said that the United States, in order to feel good about the effort in the Gold cup, they needed to make the finals. You were very definitive about that. Do you see that? I mean, they played one game. Do you see that as a real possibility?

[Bob Ryan]

I do. I think this is. I would say this is Canada's Gold cup to lose. I think they are unanimously the favorite. But Mexico and the United States have traditionally just been the powerhouses of this region. So now Canada throws this for a little bit of a loop. Mexico's down. The United States is obviously down, but you're hosting the World Cup. All three countries are with the main eyeballs. You and I would agree with this on the United States of America.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yep.

[Bob Ryan]

If you're going to really do it. And quite frankly, I was one of those players that was trying to knock down the door and get into the World cup team that was led by the Brian McBrides and Claudia Reynas of the world, then when you get your opportunity, you have to get there. Now, if they play Canada or Mexico in the final, Tony, you and I can have this conversation and say, listen, finals Anything can happen. But when you play Trinidad tobago, you win 5 nil, you're ultimately going to play Saudi Arabia here in the next 24 to 48 hours. Tony, I stand by it. You got to get to the final. If you really want to do anything for the World cup less than a year from now, you've got to set the tone, one, to your manager that you deserve to be in the picture. But two, you've got to get this group in this country behind you. They've got to get to the final.

[Tony Kornheiser]

I would assume, and again, I appreciate so much that, you know, I know nothing about soccer, but I would assume we are supposed to beat Trinidad and Tobago 100 times out of 100, right?

[Bob Ryan]

Yeah. Except in 2017, we failed to beat them two. One on an own goal and a deflection and we didn't qualify for the World cup. So, Tony, state 99 out of 100 times. Sure.

[Tony Kornheiser]

We lost to Trinidad and tobago. They have 12 people. Really?

[Bob Ryan]

Tony. Tony, not only did we lose to Trinidad and Tobago in 2017, but your listeners will appreciate this. The United States men's team on the field that day, the players that played was worth over $145 million worth of players. Trinidad's team was worth, I think, 21 total.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Wow.

[Bob Ryan]

Yeah, wow.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Wow. The. The controversy that bubbled up last week surrounding Pulisic and this, you know, was about the comment that a lot of American players who are good enough are not playing in the. In the Gold Cup. Who are the players who are not playing in the Gold cup that you think are important players?

[Bob Ryan]

Christian Pulisic, Josh Sargent, Anthony Robinson, Weston McKinney, Timothy Weah. You're talking about bona fide starters for this team, Florian Baligan. Now, Tony, your listeners need to understand Weston McKinney and Timothy Waya are being grouped with Pulisic and others for not playing in the Gold Cup. That is unfair because they're playing for Juventus in the Club World cup at the same time. So their club didn't allow them to leave and play for the United States. But Pulisic and I would say Josh Sargent was a coach's decision. But Pulisic, this was his decision and that's why there's controversy.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Well, if I recall correctly, Pulisic said, this is unfair to me. I love playing for America. And we asked you and you defended him completely. You said, he does love playing, playing for America.

[Bob Ryan]

Yeah, I've been there from his debut. I've been there from the beginning, and I've seen him bleed red, white and Blue, I think to say he doesn't care after what he did in the 22 World cup, the fact that he put his manhood, for lack of a better word, on the line in that game to get him out of the group, and he scored a goal, all of that, Tony, it's unfair. Now, the conversation of a player dictating what he's doing, that's where you're going with this. And that's where Manager Pochettino said, no, no, no, no, no. I dictate the schedule. You don't. I just think this has been mishandled to the nth degree. I think it could have been done behind closed doors, and they could have done it in a better way. This is the manager feeling pressure. This is the star player knowing he can do whatever he wants to get ready for the year. I just think both. Both parties have misplayed this badly. And here we are talking about something off the field and not on the field, which is what we should be doing.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yes, he's the term manager. Makes me happy instead of coach. But he's new. He's new to this squad. He's new to the United States soccer thing as well. And he probably brings with him an attitude that he has had for X amount of years and probably a confidence that this attitude is why you hired me. And this is. Correct me anytime I'm wrong here. This seems unnecessarily confrontational.

[Bob Ryan]

Yes, I agree with you. I also think the root of all of this, Tony, is that the U.S. soccer Federation is root. There's an arrogance that's rooted not in success, which is where it loses. The Michael Wilbons, the Tony Kornheisers, the Scott Van Pelts, that's where the U.S. men's National Team loses other people. Mike Tirico and I have had this conversation many times. Why is there an arrogance for the men's national team when it's not rooted in success?

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah.

[Bob Ryan]

And that is a huge dilemma within the environment. And I think in large part, that's why they went out and hired Pochettino. Make no mistake about it, he is the most established U.S. men's National Team head coach in world football ever. And yet that doesn't mean he's going to be successful because he's walked into a hornet's nest. And he has shown. By the way, Tony, important for your listeners to know this, this is the first time he's ever done a national team. Which means, Tony, he doesn't have the players every single day the way he has with club teams. So he's also learning on the job. That's why the hiring was great. In essence of the theory of establish. And here's a guy that done things, but you do it less than two years from the World Cup. How much time does this guy have to one, find himself on the international level, but two, find 24 to 26 players that are going to represent the United States in the World Cup. It's a conundrum that could have been handled exponentially better. And yet here we are.

[Tony Kornheiser]

It feels to me that you are not necessarily believing this will all be resolved in time.

[Bob Ryan]

No, I. You are reading the tea leaves very well. Do I think anything can happen? Yes. I'm not ignorant. I'm not an idiot. Sports. Six months in sports is a long time.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yep.

[Bob Ryan]

12 months is a lifetime and a lot can change. I just don't know. My heart wants to believe it. My brain is telling me, hang on, buddy. You got to start reading what's been going on since the 22 World Cup. And that's. I'm where skeptical now. If this group gets to the Gold cup final and then the friendlies after the Gold cup final are with Pulisic and McKinney and the group, and then all of a sudden there's an energy to it. Absolutely. But these players need to start playing real games in Europe. And they can't just rely on four guys being Robinson, Pulisic, McKinney and Weah. They've got to get some real playing time. That's why I say I'm skeptical of the next 11 months.

[Tony Kornheiser]

What makes this a very good story for me, and I know nothing about soccer, is that Pulisic's father got involved. You mentioned Claudio Reyna. Yeah, he's been involved. The world. We are the United States soccer team seems to be defined by fathers being angry. What is going on here, Tony?

[Bob Ryan]

It's a tough one. It feels like they're throwing orange slices at each other after the U11 game. Yeah, it's a hard one, right? It's a real hard one. What's even harder for me and I think you. You would appreciate this. America loves an underdog. There's not a bigger underdog in sports than the United States men's national team. Historically.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah.

[Bob Ryan]

We're 100 years behind development and all of that, and we're catching up. Major League soccer's in its 30th year. All of that, and yet we can't get behind it. Nobody can get behind it. Because you got dads on social Media claiming this. You got moms on social media claiming that. And yet I'm talking to Tony Cornhard or Mike Wilbon. Not about the game.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Right.

[Bob Ryan]

I'm talking about orange slices and throwing their toys out of the sandbox. It's ridiculous. It's exhausting.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah. And there is a clock running.

[Bob Ryan]

Oh, God, no. Yeah, absolutely. It's the biggest World cup in the history of the sport, Tony.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah.

[Bob Ryan]

People don't get that. It's 48 teams, it's three countries, it's 16 cities, and it's in your backyard. There's not a greater opportunity as a player. It will be the pinnacle of all of their careers. And we want to sit here and talk about playing time to the star player. Come on.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Okay. All right. In your regular day job, you still keep track of Messi, right? You do?

[Bob Ryan]

Oh, absolutely. He's actually sleeping right now. I am making his bed when he gets up. He's got his coffee, his latte. He'll be ready for the second coffee Club World cup game coming up in about 36 hours. No. No worries there.

[Tony Kornheiser]

We don't. We don't. As a culture, we don't really appreciate soccer. It's not ours. We're. We're relatively new to it, and we failed at it a lot. But I am, and I have been sort of stunned at how Messi became this draw in the United States. I mean, he's huge. I didn't see that coming. You must have. I did not.

[Bob Ryan]

I did. My father played in the NASL with the play and Beckham Bowers with the New York Cosmos. And two months into Messi mania in the United States, he said, taylor, you have no idea how different this is. I said, explain it. He goes, the fact that social media is around. We didn't know what Pele's first game in Coney island looked like until a week later because of news.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah.

[Bob Ryan]

So the impact of what Messi's doing, Tony, the best way to quantify this is it is the number one selling jersey in the world, and it's a pink jersey with Inter Miami on it. That is amazing to say that out loud.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah. Thanks so much for being on. It's a great pleasure. Thanks for being on pti. We're going to rely and not, you know, we're going to rely on you during the World Cup. We are. Okay. Thanks, Tim.

[Bob Ryan]

What else am I going to be doing other than cutting up orange slices for the Pulisic arena family?

[Tony Kornheiser]

Talk to you, Taylor Twelman, boys and girls. We will come Back with email and jingle. I'm Tony Kornheiser, this is the Tony Korniser Show. That's Jeremy Vint. I referenced this yesterday that it makes you feel wet. And we're very WET in Washington D.C. we're beyond wet now. We're actually living and breathing in a swamp like frogs. It's 90 degrees, it's 100% humidity. It's awful, right, Michael?

[Taylor Twellman]

Correct.

[Tony Kornheiser]

It's just awful.

[Taylor Twellman]

Feels like we're on the inside of the terrarium.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yes. It's looking at the sun all of a sudden, literally overnight. Yeah. It turned into 100% humidity. And 90 degrees, 95 degrees. Can't live in it. You want to do the Bethesda Bagel ad for us, please?

[Taylor Twellman]

Oh, yes, Bethesda Bagels, we love them.

[Tony Kornheiser]

You will as well.

[Taylor Twellman]

Just go to Bethesda Bagels.com forward a location in the DC area nearest you.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Then pop on in and you'll be thrilled. Before we get to the mailbag, let me just say, I bet you're wondering how I knew about your plans to make me blue with some of the guy you knew before. Between the two of us guys, you know I love you more. It took me by surprise, I must say, when I first found out yesterday. Don't you know that I heard it through the grapevine? That was a hit for Gladys Knight and the Pips. It's a great song. Yes. And then Marvin Gaye said, really? Let me show you how I do it now. Marvin Gaye. And then Marvin Gaye owned it. Yes, it's his song at night Just she couldn't sing it again. There's no point. His song couldn't do it again. Thanks to our guests today, Bob Ryan and Taylor Twelman. Thanks as well to today's sponsors. Remember, you can listen to us on Apple podcasts, Spotify and ought to see if you listen to show through Apple. Please leave us a review from John Erickson in San Diego. I can't wait to see the addition of catching and crushing potato bugs by hand. Bring your own gloves to the TK intern. Yeah, so I guess. I guess I think we will tell Chris to do that.

[Taylor Twellman]

Yes, I can squash him with his crutch.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah, exactly. Yeah, we'll tell Chris we gave Chris the day off because he's. Come on, he's on crutches. Peter Potke, Southington, Connecticut. Excuse me if this is is off the subject a little bit, but just take a guess at how much that intern of yours can bench press. Come on. What do you think? Ballpark. Take a guess. Ballpark? Yeah. At the moment, with only one leg, not as much as if he could anchor himself onto the ground while getting his back on the mat. Craig in Silver Spring, Maryland Just wanted to let you know that last night we made bagel sandwiches for dinner. I asked my daughter to get me some tinfoil to wrap up the leftover bagel with egg and cheese. She asked why we couldn't use cling wrap. I had to explain that bagel sandwiches are just better when wrapped in tin foil. Information for Life David Bradley Sterling, Virginia Tony, I tried to keep track of the number of times Wilbond said I don't care on Monday's podcast, but I couldn't keep up. That came too fast and furious. Pete Smith New Wilmington, PA I know I'm a little late to the discussion about Brian Wilson, but your recitation to the lyrics in my room unlocked a core memory. When I was in sixth grade, I had a paper route. After my first collection day, I took my money to the local record store to buy the first albums of my own, albeit on cassette. I'd always been a fan of the Beach Boys, so when I saw an album called Parties, I knew I had to have it because I'd never heard of it. You can imagine how surprised I was to hear the Beach Boys singing the Lord's Prayer in Auld Lang Syne. If you haven't heard them sing in my room in the original German Dans mean Zimmer, you haven't lived. It turns out that I had purchased Rarities, a compilation of outtakes, alternate versions, and B sides. Unfortunately, Rarities is not available on streaming services, so it is unlikely that I will ever hear these songs again. And that is a shame. From Carl Van Winkle, not RIP Carl, Orange county for your information, the fruit, like berries, leaves, stems and green or raw potatoes from the potato plant are toxic to dogs. Toxic to dog due to the presence of solanine or solenine and related glycoalkaloids. Interesting. These parts can cause symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhea, weakness, tremors, heart problems, seizures, and even death in severe cases. If your dog eats any part of the potato plant other than the cooked plain potato flesh, contact your veterinarian immediately. Well, I will keep Jesse away from that. They're in the front yard. She's always on a leash in the front, so I will keep her away from potatoes. From Andrew in LA Last weekend was my college reunion. Being a small school after one hit the the 50 year mark from graduating, there is a collective reunion for all the old fogies who are still alive. One guy from class of 48 no, not Eubie. I found the guy who was a year ahead of me, who often was my partner on the golf team when we kicked around memories from when we played from the tips and could stay fairly close to par. He was a short hitter who could chip and putt like a demon and who could remember all the intricacies of a hole after playing it once. That made him a perfect partner for me who saw ball hit ball far fine ball hit ball far again, and who couldn't remember the holes on our home course. Even after two years, our goals were modest. Break 75 on the easy courses, finish in the top half of our league and not get shut out by USC. I once won the back nine to get us a 522 nail biter and I had the further goal of sneaking a few tees off the driving range every week so that I would never have to buy tees again in my life. I ended up with a bag of tees as big as Scrooge McDuck's ball of string, but the joke was on me when melon headed drivers came in. All of those T's were relegated to the par threes. By the way, my old partner, now age 77, tells me as shot his age 125 times. His dad was a professor of religion, so I'm sure he's telling the truth. The game of a lifetime. This is longer Anna Walsh in Lexington, Kentucky On Tuesday's podcast, you mentioned that you never steal anyone's food except maybe for Liz's ice cream, since the tubes of Crest Original Toothpaste or the tubs of Tillamook ice cream in the freezer prove that you are currently the only authority figure in my son's lives. They were Pay attention to. I'm begging you for some assistance with a hot button issue in our house. As someone who's developed lactose intolerance in recent years, my nighttime tradition has become the enjoyment of some Oreo cookies after dinner. You can judge all you want. I stand by decision. On several occasions, I've gone to retrieve a package of Oreos from the cabinet that contained over half of a package the night before, only to find one Oreo remaining. 1. The first time I confronted my sons over this unspeakable offense, the response I got was, well, mom, we left you a cookie, didn't we? Please, a great orange one. Can you please reiterate again your policy of never stealing someone else's food? I'LL be sure that my sons are listening in on this one. Yeah, no, it's somebody else's food. You have to ask permission.

[Taylor Twellman]

Yeah, if you're going to rate it, you have to at least leave 4 to 6. That's a serving size of Oreos and you should try and get the sleeves that are individually wrapped.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yes or in my house, the ice cream was gone. The McConnell's just gone.

[Taylor Twellman]

Gone.

[Tony Kornheiser]

She ate it. She ate like five sixths of it. She stated okay, Neil Ayervase Tony, please help me retain whatever credibility as a sports fan I have left. On Tuesday's podcast, you made the logical assumption that given my geographic location, I'm a member of the woebegone and shrinking Colorado Rockies faithful. While it's true that because I love warm Colorado nights watching baseball, I've been a Rockies season ticket holder since the franchise started here and have padded the wallets of the most insular and incompetent owners in baseball, I am not now, nor have I ever been either a member of the Communist Party or a rockies fan. Since 1955 when my Brooklyn born parents took a wide eyed 5 year old to a game at Ebbets Field, I've been a lifelong member of the Dodger faithful. No matter where I've lived, it remains a great memory of my childhood and father. When you wonder how the Rockies can continue to achieve the attendance they do with absent a competitive franchise, it's because of me and the thousands of other transplants and fans of other teams who also frequent Coors Field because there's nothing better than sitting at a ball game. Yeah, it's just a lovely thing to do. From Steve the Sicko Fan the discussion about planting potatoes and the threat of potato bugs brought back childhood memories of a visit to my Uncle John on his farm. He had a potato patch and told me of a time in his youth when there was a potato bug infestation. This was in the 1930s, long before chemical sprays were available, and John responded to a newspaper ad promising a foolproof way to kill potato bugs for any 25 cents. He mailed in a quarter and eagerly awaited a reply. When it arrived, he opened the envelope and saw one piece of paper with the words get two bricks. Put a potato bug on one brick, then crush it with the other brick. Uncle John never trusted ads after that. And Mary and Uncle John from Robin, Niagara Falls Tony Kornheiser Coffee ice Cream Power ratings 1. McConnell's it has the schmutz in it that I like. Two Jersey couch really great I went through it. 2. Also Leopold's. Great. Also three Vanderwins and four Haagen Dazs. Only if it's on sale. If anything else is missing from this list, let us know. Well, we're waiting. We're waiting. Other ice creams.

[Taylor Twellman]

Yeah. And the Dunkin Donuts.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Coffee flavored.

[Taylor Twellman]

Which no longer exists. Going on 15 years now.

[Chris Soliza]

Right?

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah, it's gone.

[Taylor Twellman]

Tragic.

[Tony Kornheiser]

And one more. If the sun doesn't come out tomorrow, I might jump. Problem is, I live in a basement apartment. Dg Shout out to Bye, Tony. Everyone, as always, do wear white.

[Taylor Twellman]

Here's the thing.

[Chris Soliza]

We're not the wonders right now. We're Captain Geech and the Shrimp Shack Shooters.

[Michael Wilbon]

I want to buy me a car and it's got a little class. I don't drive real far but I drive a little fast When I get a little wilder. I just got a pass I done kicking on a tire now I'm old giggly laughs and if that don't make any steak and shake you can't eat my duck My car makes you look like a burger I want to buy me a car with great big f. I'm on drive through bar going to drink up all the gin, smoke a big cigar and play with drive around like a star not a has been. And if that don't make it that's make me shake you can eat my dust My car makes you loose like a burgundy Sam. I'm gonna buy me a car that's got real class. I don't drive real far but I drive real fast when I get real water. I just got a pass. I done kicking on a tire now I'm going to kick some real ass if that don't make it at stake and shake you can eat my duck. My car makes yours look like a booger if that won't make an end steak and shake you can't eat my d. My car makes you look like a burger r. You think I'd learn to take a step back? You think I'd learn to take a fall? You think I'd learn how to walk like a cat along the wall? But there's no rhyme and there's no reason and I just might get left behind.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah, yeah.

[Michael Wilbon]

And I go crazy when your heart's beating right next to mine Here I go over again I feel that sail fell in love with the wind I feel that my light so bright streaming in over again, over again. Maybe the first time we got Mickey. Maybe we knew that from the start, baby. But this time Every word comes straight from the heart Live and learn and take your chances Walk and talk can tell it the truth yeah, yeah and every step will bring that distance sure in the view Here we go again I feel that self love with the wind I see that sunlight so bright Streaming in Over again over again.

[Tony Kornheiser]

I.

[Michael Wilbon]

See that light Soul light Streaming in over again over again Sa.