“A Convenient Rationalization”

Summary

The Tony Kornheiser Show

Episode: “A Convenient Rationalization”
Date: October 3, 2025

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Overview

On this episode, Tony Kornheiser—joined by regular contributors Michael Wilbon, Jason La Canfora, and Jeff Ma—dives into a typically lively mix of topics: reflections on Yom Kippur and finding spirituality on the golf course, a deep rundown of the latest baseball playoff action, NFL storylines including the 49ers’ OT win over the Rams, betting advice with James Carville (calling in from Europe) and Jeff Ma, and analytical dissection of the Ryder Cup. The episode moves fluidly from personal anecdotes to sharp sports analysis, all with Tony’s signature blend of humor and introspection.

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Main Segments & Key Insights

1. Mail, Weddings, and Yom Kippur in the Great Outdoors

00:33–09:58

• Tony opens with listener mail, a missed wedding invitation, and an invitation to a British embassy brunch to watch a Vikings-Browns game. He sighs, "Invite me to something else with a little more lead time" (05:03).
• Sharing Yom Kippur traditions, Tony discusses his personal "convenient rationalization" for skipping synagogue services, instead finding spirituality on the golf course:

  "Why would you go to any sort of house of worship on the inside... when you’d go outside into the natural environment that you ascribe to having been created by God?” (06:07)

• The segment becomes a moving, comic conversation on faith, parenthood, and the importance of rituals—with Tony, Wilbon, and a friend Neville exchanging stories. Neville's note summarizes it best:

  “It was a good day that involved spirituality, laughter and insight on various topics including parenthood, education, life choices, politics, religion and the meaning of community. And oh yes, some golf, though not all good, was played too.” (08:23)

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2. Baseball Playoffs: Pitching Dominance and Wild Finishes

11:34–17:58

• Tony, Wilbon, and Jeff Ma break down the current state of baseball’s playoff series, highlighting the thrill of postseason pitching:

  "October, Baseball’s fabulous... there wasn’t a single game in the other three series in which there wasn’t a great pitching performance on one side...” (12:31)

• Particular praise goes to Tarek Skubal (Tigers), Garrett Crochet (Red Sox), and Cam Schlitler (Red Sox), with Tony exclaiming:

  “Schlitler... 12 strikeouts, no runs, dominated. No runs throwing 100. He’s such a Boston kid. He wanted to play for Boston.” (15:06)

• Discussion of missed calls, umpire challenges, and how technology (automated strike zones) is changing the game.
• Jeff Ma shares a fun anecdote about Ichiro Suzuki still performing at age 51 in a Mariners scrimmage (17:47):

  “He looks like he could still hit .330.”

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3. NFL Breakdown: Thursday Night Football and More

21:50–30:43

49ers vs. Rams Overtime Thriller

• Jason La Canfora gives his analysis, calling out weaknesses and curious decisions:

  “The Rams kind of play with their food... they outsmart themselves and they find ways to not put teams away.” (23:38)

• Tony spotlights Sean McVay’s fourth down gamble in OT:

  “He doesn’t want to tie, so he goes for it on fourth and one… at least he took all responsibility.” (24:54)

• Discussion of quarterback narrative flips—Mac Jones’s resurgence, Brock Purdy’s ceiling.

Baltimore Ravens’ Crisis

• Jason eviscerates the Ravens’ defensive woes:

  “The defense is broken and the defensive coordinator is under fire... They like to think they have the best roster in the league... Well, guess what? All those picks are playing now because you didn’t add real veterans to give yourself real depth on defense.” (27:42)

• La Canfora doubts Lamar Jackson’s quick return:

  “No, Lamar’s not going to play in this game... This could be an ugly 12-9 game.” (29:04)

Giants Stun Chargers

• Jason is surprised by the Giants’ win and rookie QB Jackson Dart’s poise:

  “Dart could come along for the ride, but he looked game. He looked prepared.” (30:45)

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4. Football Picks with James Carville & Jeff Ma

37:14–51:19

James Carville from Rome

• Carville continues his hot streak, calling in from a rooftop bar in Italy. His picks:
  1. Old Dominion -20.5
  2. Western Michigan -13.5 (playing UMass: “UMass might be the worst football program in the history of college football.” (39:10))
  3. Air Force–Navy game OVER (total points)
  4. Raiders +7 over Colts
  5. Saints -1.5 over Giants

Jeff Ma’s Analytical Approach

• Shares podcast “Bet the Process” breakdowns and offers college/NFL picks:
  1. Florida State +4.5 over Miami
  2. Vanderbilt +11.5 over Alabama (focused on QB Diego Pavia)
  3. Jets +2.5 over Dallas
  4. Broncos +3.5 over Philly
  5. Colts -6.5 over Raiders

Notable Quotes

• On Carville's unorthodox pick slate:

  “If Jeff Ma gives us picks like this, we have to stop the segment. We cannot have Jeff… just gave us ODU and Western Michigan. You don’t even know… did they add teams?” (41:48)

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5. Ryder Cup Postmortem & Analytics in Sports

42:32–48:03

• Jeff Ma discusses how the U.S. Ryder Cup team “process was inherently broken,” noting failed preparation and poor use (or listening) to analytics.

  “The simplest answer is the US didn’t make as many putts… but the more complicated is, their process was inherently broken.” (45:02)

• Tony’s revelation:

  “I didn’t even know there was golf analytics. I had no idea. The Molinaris have gone deep into this…” (45:28)

• The discussion turns to coaching conservatism, with Ma noting,

  “These great coaches… still leave opportunity on the table by not embracing some of the very basics of analytics.” (47:22)

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Memorable Moments & Quotes

• On faith and golf:

  “Why would you go to any sort of house of worship on the inside… when you'd go outside into the natural environment that you ascribe to having been created by God?”
  —Tony Kornheiser (06:07)

• On playoff baseball:

  “October, Baseball’s fabulous... there wasn’t a single game...in which there wasn’t a great pitching performance on one side.”
  —Tony Kornheiser (12:31)

• On chaotic NFL play-calling:

  “The Rams…play with their food...they outsmart themselves and they find ways to not put teams away.”
  —Jason La Canfora (23:38)

• Ryder Cup analytical fail:

  “Their process was inherently broken.”
  —Jeff Ma (45:02)

• James Carville from Rome, on UMass Football:

  “UMass might be the worst football program in the history of college football.”
  —James Carville (39:10)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

| Segment | Start | Notable Moments | |--------------------------------------------|------------|-------------------------------| | Opening/Mail/Yom Kippur Discussion | 00:33 | “A convenient rationalization” rationale for spiritual golf (06:07) | | Golf/Parenthood/Community Reflection | 07:18 | Neville’s summary of the day (08:23) | | Baseball Playoffs Analysis | 11:34 | “October Baseball’s fabulous” (12:31), Playoff pitching performances (15:04) | | NFL: 49ers-Rams Recap | 21:50 | McVay’s 4th down decision, QB debates | | NFL: Ravens Trouble | 27:42 | Defensive meltdowns, Lamar injury | | Giants Upset Chargers | 30:45 | Rookie QB Dart surprises | | Betting Picks (Carville & Ma) | 37:14 | Carville’s hotline from Italy, “UMass…” (39:10) | | Ryder Cup Analytics | 42:32 | U.S. process, golf analytics | | NFL/College Picks & Analytical Insights | 48:05 | Value-based picks, process talk |

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Tone & Takeaways

• Conversational, Witty, Insightful: The episode mixes Tony’s charm with the expertise and easy banter of his guests. Jokes and self-deprecation abound, especially regarding missing wedding invites, blown golf shots, and the unpredictable nature of both religion and sports.
• Deeply Personal Yet Widely Applicable: Tony’s tales about faith and golf explore universal themes—seeking meaning, family, finding your own rituals.
• Sports as Life’s Metaphor: Whether it’s playoff baseball, NFL chaos, or international golf, the crew uses sports to talk about process, preparation, luck, and personal growth.
• Analytics vs. Instinct: The Ryder Cup breakdown and NFL coaching critiques highlight the ongoing battle between data-driven strategy and old-school gut decisions.

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Concluding Note

This episode showcases everything beloved about The Tony Kornheiser Show: personal storytelling, deep yet playful sports analysis, quirky guest appearances, and a reminder that both life and sports are best experienced with humility, laughter, and a willingness to question your own routines.
“Everybody deals with their relationship with the cosmos differently. Everybody deals with it differently.”
—Tony Kornheiser (11:34)

Transcript

[Tony Kornheiser]

Hey, it's Tony. On today's show, we'll talk about the baseball playoffs. We'll talk to Jason Lochinfor about the 49ers overtime win over the Rams, along with the rest of the big games this weekend. We'll also get our weekly football picks from James Carville, still in Europe, and Jeff Ma. But first, let's do some commerce. You're listening to the Tony Kornheiser Show. This show sponsored by Liquid iv. I love when fall arrives, mostly because that means football's back. But that shift from summer's easygoing pace to the high gear of fall can hit you like a ton of bricks. After months of a relaxed schedule, suddenly it's back to back work days and packed weekends. It can definitely wear you down. And when you feel your energy dip, you need something to help push through that. And that's where Liquid IV's new energy multiplier, sugar free Hydrating Energy, comes in. It's hydrating energy made with electrolytes, vitamins and natural caffeine. Zero sugar, zero crash. Just one stick and 16 ounces of water hydrates better than water alone. It's powered by Liv Hydra Science, which is an optimized ratio of electrolytes, essential vitamins and clinically tested nutrients that turn ordinary water into extraordinary hydration. Plus, it's got a 2 to 1 ratio of L theanine to caffeine, which gives balanced energy without the jitters. Liquid IV has so many great flavors like strawberry, kiwi and BlackBerry lemonade, just to name a couple of Liquid IV keeps it easy. Just tear, pour, shake and you're good to go. Perfect for workouts, afternoon slumps, or anytime you need to feel focused and ready. Don't let the grind drain you. Ditch the glitch with zero sugar and zero crash from Liquid IV. Tear pour live more. Go to liquidiv.com and get 20% off your first order with the code TonyK. At checkout, that's 20% off your first order with THE CODE TonyK. [e-mail] use the code. People. You're listening to the Tony Kornheiser show. You've heard me talk about collars and company makers of the amazing dress collar polo. Well, now they've taken things to the next level with their brand new Maverick performance blazer. And you have to check this out. These blazers are sharp, perfect for travel. Why? Because they're wrinkle resistant. Just throw it in your bag. When you get to your destination, slip it back on. No wrinkles, no stress. Finally, no more Figuring out how to travel with a blazer. And it's not just about convenience. The Mavic performance blazer is made with stretch fabric so you can move comfortably all day long. Plus it's packed with smart features, inside security zip pockets, a built in optional pocket square and even a sunglasses loop. While you're at it, pair the blazer with The Collars & Co. Famous Dress Collar polos. They've already sold over a million of these comfortable polos with the signature dress collar on top. So Visit Collars & Co. Use the promo code Tony for 20% off today. Use the code people that should send me one of these. Yeah, I'd like to see this. A non wrinkle blazer. Yeah, because then I don't have to carry a steamer around with me all the time. Previously on the Tony Kornizer show. This is the Monday night game. I know what Jacksonville feels like on a Monday night game. With the river going north, Kansas City is a 3 1/2 point favorite on the road. Who you got?

[Jason Locanfora]

Are you allowed in Jacksonville or.

[Podcast Host / Analyst (possibly Jeff Ma or a co-host)]

When they see your face. They don't want me, Mr. Kornizer, we.

[Jason Locanfora]

Don'T want you here anymore.

[Tony Kornheiser]

What was the sign?

[Michael Wilbon]

Kornizer is a bag of snakes.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah, bag of snakes. No, they don't want me there. But it's hard to keep me out of those Waffle Houses. All 3,000 of them in greater Jacksonville area.

[Jingle Singer / Performer]

The Tony Kornheiser show is on now.

[Tony Kornheiser]

All righty, let's take care of a bunch of business here. First of all, I went down to the office last week and I picked up some mail and I got an invitation to a wedding. Daniella and Brian, Friday the 19th of September. So I missed that one.

[Jeff Ma]

We might be a little bit late.

[Tony Kornheiser]

For that at the Chesapeake Bay beach club. But I don't have a last name. I don't have a last name on Daniella and Brian. But I got a note on the invitation says from Brian, never go a week without you. Much to the dismay of the woman I will soon be related to by marriage know. So we wish them all the luck in the world. Good for them. Got a lovely invitation here to. To the British embassy. The There's a game this weekend, Sunday, Minnesota against Cleveland. And it's going to be at Tottenham Hotspur stadium, which is better known obviously for soccer or English football, not American football. And it says, join us for brunch and a private screening as the Minnesota Vikings take on the Cleveland Browns at the British Ambassadors residences and Garden. Which is wonderful and unfortunately, when you are hearing this. The registration is already closed. It closed this morning at 9:30 in the morning. But it says smart casual attire, football jerseys encouraged, limited street parking, rideshare or taxi strongly encouraged. It's just the doors open like right around 9:00'. Clock. It's. Thank you.

[Michael Wilbon]

Yes, fully kitted out.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Thank you. Yes, yes, yes. Thank you very much. You know, invite me to something else with a little more lead time. Buy me to something with just a little bit more lead time. That's, that's very nice. Appreciate that. And let me talk about yesterday. We're going to get to the baseball. We're going to do the baseball. We didn't need a baseball guest. We really don't, as we all watch the baseball.

[Jason Locanfora]

Yeah.

[Tony Kornheiser]

So yesterday, as is my want, on the day of Yom Kippur, which is the day of atonement. Unlike other religions where you can sort of drift in and out and atone whenever you want, you can talk to somebody and you can say I had impure thoughts. And they can tell you, okay, don't worry about it, here's what you do. And then we're good. So this one is just once a year. And you know you're supposed to atone for your sins, but it's a whole year's worth. So it's not like very specific unless.

[Michael Wilbon]

Well, the year just started.

[Tony Kornheiser]

No, no, no. It's this past year. It's this past year. And so it's got 365 of these things and if you don't write them down, you're not going to remember. So it, so I do this thing that. This is a convenient rationalization. Please let me say that at the top it is a convenient rationalization. But my rationalization goes like this. Why would you go to any sort of house of worship on the inside? Why would you go to a structure built by men?

[Jason Locanfora]

Man.

[Tony Kornheiser]

When you'd go outside into the natural environment that you ascribe to having been created by God. If you are a believer, that's pretty much what you would believe. You'd rather be outside. And, and, and if somebody says, well, he can find you better inside. No, no, no, no, no. He can see everywhere. You know, he knows what you sleep and he knows when you're awake. He knows when you've been bad or good. So be good for goodness sake. Right? So he knows that. So that's rationalization number one. And rationalization number two is why not go to the most beautiful place there is outdoors, which is a golf course, any and every golf course. Even the worst golf courses, right, Michael? Are beautiful for us.

[Michael Wilbon]

Yes.

[Tony Kornheiser]

They're just beautiful. So I go play golf, but I talk about spirituality, I talk about faith, I talk about things I've done wrong over the course of a year.

[Michael Wilbon]

As you're asking for a few extra shots aside.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah, as I asked. Yeah, stuff like that.

[Michael Wilbon]

That's good.

[Tony Kornheiser]

So, yeah, yeah, it's a seven footer, but I've made it before. Yeah. So my son was kind enough to play with me. I'm very, very grateful for that. And Neville came to play because Neville and I have done this before. We've had these conversations and. And we were terrible. We would just. Neville was bad off the tee, I was bad everywhere else. If we put our stuff together, it would have been fine. But sadly we did not. And I mean, I was so bad on 16, 17 and 18. I probably. On those three holes, which is a total par of 11, I probably shot 30 on those three holes. I had done pretty well before and.

[Michael Wilbon]

The timing of that is because I had a similar lapse on 18. This is. You are exiting the cathedral of golf and you have the real world ahead of you.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yes. And I've got Neville there and stuff like that. And I enjoyed Neville's company. Tremendous. So Neville writes, may I say it was a good day. That involved spirituality, laughter and insight on various topics including parenthood, education, life choices, politics, religion and the meaning of community. And oh yes, some golf, though not all good, was played too. I've been fortunate to previously be invited to the Tony Kornheiser or the Tkyk Yom Kippur Golf Excursion.

[Michael Wilbon]

Tkyk.

[Tony Kornheiser]

But at this time, I had the added joy of watching a proud dad being with his grown son. I hope we're able to share this experience in the future and hopefully these sincere words will garner a plug for my next storytelling performance. Neville is going to be performing this coming Thursday, Thursday, October 9, 7:30pm at Penn Social, which is at 801 E Street Northwest. Michael has been there recently. Recently. I'll be joined by five other storytellers under the theme Stranger Things. Tickets are available at storydistrict.org story district.org sign that Neville and we had a lovely time.

[Michael Wilbon]

We had a lovely time. We're not going to mention what happened on Valley Brook Number two.

[Tony Kornheiser]

I birdied it. I birdied it. Well done. I had two birdies. I. I had. I had tens and twelves, but I had.

[Michael Wilbon]

So we play fast. I'm 20 yards past. Because we're playing different tees before we can even fast. My real tees, you already have a club pulled. You're halfway down the hill and you pull hybrid.

[Tony Kornheiser]

I pull hybrid. And I hear the 20 yard shot.

[Michael Wilbon]

For 112, adjusted for the downhill. And you just feathered in there eight feet behind the pin.

[Tony Kornheiser]

I know that shape.

[Michael Wilbon]

And you basically putt with your eyes.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Closed and put it in. And I had another one.

[Michael Wilbon]

Another one?

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah, another one on 13.

[Michael Wilbon]

McLeod's Ravine.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah, I had another one on 13.

[Michael Wilbon]

There's tracking the entire way in between.

[Tony Kornheiser]

I had zero. Yeah, I had.

[Jeff Ma]

Dare I ask how the bunkers were avoided?

[Tony Kornheiser]

Oh, well, that's, that's. I was in one. I was only in one. I hit it out over the green. I hit it too far, but I got out. That's right. I didn't, I didn't jam any. I don't think I jammed any, did I? No, no, no.

[Jason Locanfora]

You got out.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah, I think I got out. So that was good. Had a lovely caddy. Casey, who was, you know, a touristy, is a terrific golfer and played on that. Is it called the next tour, something.

[Michael Wilbon]

Maybe the symmetry Tour there? It was a professional tour.

[Tony Kornheiser]

It is the women's equivalent of the Korn Ferry tour. Okay. Yes. Yeah. You know, and she's. And she was, she's a really good guy. But you enjoyed going around with her because you're both good players. Yeah.

[Michael Wilbon]

And we were talking about her kids.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah. So it was just lovely. So I had a really good.

[Michael Wilbon]

So to go back to this, though, I'm thinking about when I was a kid and we'd go to services. There is the pressure of high holidays. Whether you're, you know, whatever, whatever faith you are, you, you know, there is the pressure of going to. And the public performing of. And you used to come to the kids service and you loved it because it was at a much more approachable.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Level and was in England and you.

[Michael Wilbon]

Could, you could sit with your thoughts in a way that was much more private than going into a. Into a bigger room. So for me, I'm at a point now where we don't necessarily have this with our kids. So for me to have that with you on the golf course really does mean a lot for me because we are at this point now where our kids are old enough, where they're asking questions, they're hearing things from other friends. And obviously our, our parenting is guided by western religion for the most part, but we don't necessarily have the titles and everything.

[Tony Kornheiser]

It always interested me as people searched. I mean, a lot of people I don't want to get too far afield here, but a lot of people search for something that makes them comfortable. Yeah. They are essentially born into one thing and it is not satisfactory on some level. And they search for something else. Gary Shandling was a Buddhist.

[Jeff Ma]

Oh, yeah, that's right.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah. Gary Shandling, one of. He's a very funny guy, and he was. I mean, he sought something else out and found it there. Not everybody does. A lot of people say, no, not for me. It's just not. And it's okay. It's all right. But, you know, everybody deals with their relationship with the cosmos differently. Yeah. You know, everybody deals with it differently. The baseball. October, Baseball's fabulous. If you looked at how many games were played, 3, 6, 9, 11 games were played. Take the Dodgers and Reds out, because that was a mismatch.

[Michael Wilbon]

And the home runs in the first. Excuse me. Home runs in the first game.

[Tony Kornheiser]

So take that out. Take that out. And they won. The Dodgers 110 to 5 and 8 to 4. Yeah. And. And deservedly so, because they're just a much better team. It's fine. But the other three series, there wasn't a single game in the other three series in which there wasn't a great pitching performance on one side. If you look at the losing scores, they're 0 and 1. That's essentially losing score. Cleveland got more than that yesterday, but then took themselves out of it with a running mistake. By the way, do you know how, like a couple of weeks ago in the NFL there were a hundred thousand block field goals and you said, what is this? I've never seen this. Every call was reversed. Yeah. Every call sliding was reversed. It was amazing to me. And I don't. And I don't mean to be grudging umpire. It's hard.

[Michael Wilbon]

Not at the end of the Cubs game. Right.

[Tony Kornheiser]

They got that. No, they got those right there.

[Jason Locanfora]

Right.

[Tony Kornheiser]

But I mean, so many calls over the course of three days were reversed. I was very surprised that.

[Michael Wilbon]

But isn't this by design? You want to create the call so that they can reverse it to get it right?

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah, sure. You always want it to be right. I don't know how the umpires feel. And then there are some mistakes that will be corrected by the automatic ball strike. Umpire Sandra Bogarts was choked out yesterday, and that was not a strike.

[Jeff Ma]

Did you see.

[Tony Kornheiser]

That was not a strike.

[Jeff Ma]

Did you see the Padres reaction to the umps at the end of the game?

[Tony Kornheiser]

No.

[Jeff Ma]

I guess the umps were filing into the dugout, like, right by the right by the Padres dugout. And the Padres were just laying into them. Well, like it was really.

[Tony Kornheiser]

The Bogarts call was. That's a strike three call. It's a bad. Terrible. Yeah, that's a bad call. But there were, there were a number of, of bad calls that will be reversed by automatic balls and strikes, which you can challenge catchers and pitchers can. Umpire managers can't. And so, you know, managers should shut up, but they'll be able to signal the catcher in the pitcher. So you know that's what's going to happen. So you understand what's going to happen. But pitching performances, three in particular. There are like a lot of great. The Cubs reliever who came in would. When Mitch Keller lost it, when he started hitting people and throwing it over the screen like Nuke La loose. And they brought in Kittredge and he got two outs. Bang, bang. Yeah, got the two outs that he needed to get. But there were three starting pitching performances. There were a number of starting pitching performances that were good, but there were three over the course of these three days. Tarek Skubel probably had the best one. He gave up one run, struck out 14 Crochet for the Red Sox. One run deep into the eighth, 11 strikeouts and Cam Schlitler. And you got to be careful saying that.

[Podcast Host / Analyst (possibly Jeff Ma or a co-host)]

You got to be very quickly.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Schlitler sledding. 12 strikeouts, 12 strikeouts, no runs dominated. No runs throwing 100. Yeah. He's such a Boston kid. He wanted to play for Boston.

[Jeff Ma]

I know, I know. And his family is all converted Yankee fans. Good for them. And, and really good for him. What a, what a tremendous moment.

[Michael Wilbon]

He's a rookie after the 70s. Give me the ball. It goes back out, gets quick outs in the eighth.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah.

[Jeff Ma]

Just never, never let the Red Sox get.

[Tony Kornheiser]

He's throwing a hundred regularly. Yeah.

[Jeff Ma]

Like, like a 95 mile sinker.

[Tony Kornheiser]

What's this? Phenomenal, wonderful performances. And, and, and I, I'll say this bitter Bill. I think the better team won in every series. And the Dodgers were significantly better. The Yankees had more wins than the Red Sox in the same division. The Cubs had more wins than San Diego. And Detroit did not have more wins than Cleveland, but was in first place for, I don't know, 99% of the season. They're a better team. Yeah. So I'm, I'm happy with how it worked out. I'm not happy that the Dodgers have to play the Phillies as I think. And you know, you can say to me, Milwaukee has more victories than they've been the best team in The National League, I cannot argue with that. But in my heart I think that the Dodgers and the Phillies, that's the series. That should be the NLCs, not the NLDS. What do you think?

[Michael Wilbon]

This has been in front of them since the All Star break when you start to see where things are lining up. So the Phillies could have caught them and passed them if that was such a big deal. But you look at the games, particularly yesterday, you have one big inning with a couple of misplays that affected. And I just love the fact that baserunning all of a sudden matters. You look at Game 2 of the Yankees game, Red Sox should have won in two. You're able to score from first to home on a single. And then yesterday you think about the, the what happens in that fourth inning. And then again with the Cubs, you have that big inning in the second where they should have had a bigger lead.

[Jason Locanfora]

Oh, bigger.

[Michael Wilbon]

And then all the bigger game gets pretty tight and of course the ball goes to PCA to end the game. Who's going wild.

[Jeff Ma]

His reaction as he turns to the crowd like, I love that. It was just.

[Tony Kornheiser]

He's just, he's a likable kid. Oh, absolutely. His second half stats were terrible.

[Jeff Ma]

May T10 in the second half.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Right.

[Jeff Ma]

Very good player. And, and was it Dansby Swanson?

[Tony Kornheiser]

Was that like, terrific player? He just.

[Jeff Ma]

That one inning, he's like, I'm going to make every amazing play here.

[Tony Kornheiser]

He was terrific with the Braves. I was surprised he left.

[Jeff Ma]

Yeah.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Surprised he went to the Cubs. But he's a terrific player. He's, you know, he's a really, he's not a Hall of Fame player, but he's in that next category. A really good player, by the way. Matt Holiday kind of player. Really good player, by the way.

[Jeff Ma]

I saw something, I'm, I'm fairly certain you did not see this. The Mariners who are dealing with this time off, so they had a scrimmage. Do you know who's playing right field in the scrimmage for the Mariners against the actual players? Ken Griffey Jr. 51 year old. Ichiro Suzuki.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Oh, okay. Where'd he go?

[Michael Wilbon]

Three for four the game still.

[Tony Kornheiser]

I mean, he's firing the ball in.

[Jeff Ma]

Moving very quickly out there. I mean he looks like he could still hit.330.

[Tony Kornheiser]

So we, so we decided not to have a baseball guest today. We'll have baseball guests next week when the action starts.

[Michael Wilbon]

Were you talking to Wilbur last night? When the.

[Jason Locanfora]

Last night?

[Tony Kornheiser]

No, I didn't talk to him last night. I did not watch one play of San Francisco Los Angeles football.

[Jeff Ma]

It didn't match up. It didn't.

[Tony Kornheiser]

I didn't watch a play.

[Jeff Ma]

It's a rare night where football.

[Tony Kornheiser]

I'm going to have to talk about it on pti. So I've seen highlights and I will say, well, we're going to get to Jason going for it on 4th and, and Sean McVeigh said, my bad. I it's on me. On me. A lot of coaches don't do that. Yeah, he did that. So we'll take a break and Jason Locke and Fora will join us when we return. I'm Tony Kornheiser. You're listening to the Tony Kornheiser Show. This show sponsored by Liquid iv. I love when fall arrives, mostly because that means football's back. But that shift from summer's easygoing pace to the high gear of fall can hit you like a ton of bricks. After months of a relaxed schedule, suddenly it's back to back work days and packed weekends. It can definitely wear you down. And when you feel your energy dip, you need something help push through that. And that's where Liquid IV's new energy multiplier, sugar free hydrating energy, comes in. It's hydrating energy made with electrolytes, vitamins and natural caffeine. Zero sugar, zero crash. Just one stick and 16 ounces of water hydrates better than water alone. It's powered by LIV Hydro Science, which is an optimized ratio of electrolytes, essential vitamins and clinically tested nutrients that turn ordinary water into extraordinary hydration. Plus it's got a 2 to 1 ratio of L theanine to caffeine, which gives balanced energy without the jitters. Liquid IV has so many great flavors like strawberry, kiwi and BlackBerry lemonade, just to name a couple. Liquid IV keeps it easy. Just tear, pour, shake and you're good to go. Perfect for workouts, afternoon slumps or anytime you need to feel focused and ready. Don't let the grind drain you. Ditch the glitch with zero sugar and zero crash from Liquid IV. Tear pour live more. Go to Liquid I.com and get 20% off your first order with the code Tony K at checkout. That's 20% off your first order with THE CODE Tony K at Liquid I.com use the code people. You open the fridge, there's nothing there. So what's it going to be? Greasy pizza? Sad drive Thru Burgers Dish by Blue Apron is for nights like that. These are the pre made meals of your dreams. At least 20 grams of protein. No artificial flavors or colors. No chopping, no cleanup, no guilt. Keep the flavor. Ditch the subscription. Get 20% off your first two orders with code APRON20. Terms and conditions apply. Visit blueapron.com terms for more. This is the Tony Kornizer Show. This is a band called Hip Hop McDougal. There's two people in it. Charlie Hodgson, Julian Biggs. They write. We've been making goofy music and playing shows around Montgomery county and D.C. for the past 15 years. Just independently released a new album last week. One of our new jams is called Princess Layup and we would absolutely love for it to be played on the show. Honestly, for two nerds who only get athletic when reenacting lightsaber battles, a song about sports is a big deal. Isn't that nice? It is Hip Hop McDougal with Princess Layup and they play in Jason Locanfora who joins us every Friday and makes me happy when he does. And after he's done talking, we'll ask him about his betting show and how he's doing. But let's start with the question that you get every single week from me on a Friday. What, if anything, did we learn from last night's game? And let me say out loud, I did not watch one playing it. I was, I was watching the baseball. I don't have two TVs. I'm not will bond with a bunch of TVs, but I, I missed it. So do we learn anything?

[Jason Locanfora]

Well, yeah, look, I don't think there's a massive chasm between Mac Jones and Brock Purdy, especially this beat up sort of version of Brock Purdy, which is interesting because there's like a, you know, 60 million dollar chasm and how much those guys make on an annual basis. Yes, I, I just wonder about as this 49ers team continues to, I sort of, I don't know, transition from what it was to what it's going to be. And as you know, guys continue to fall by the wayside because of age and whatever injury. I do wonder about that decision. They showed a lot of heart last night and you know, the, the Ram beat themselves. It was some odd play calling. They could throw the ball whenever they wanted, wherever they wanted. The only time things got mitigated in the past game is on the rare occasion that Stafford was off or had a miscommunication or a misread on sort of an option route with, with Devonte Adams. Maybe once with Tutu Atwell. It was that or somebody dropped the ball, but it wasn't any fear of an interception. It wasn't, you know, intervening 49ers defensive backs and it certainly wasn't any semblance of a pass rush. And they fumbled the ball away right outside the red zone on a weird pitch play at the end of the game, a lot sort of was going on. They have a chance to bleed the clock, score touchdown and end it. And there's a fumble at the one yard line.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yes, I saw that on highlight.

[Jason Locanfora]

They had three passing touchdowns. They probably could have had six honestly in that game if you count overtime. And I'm not sure I ever should have got to overtime. But Sean McVeigh and I love, I think the world but they do sort of do this thing where they kind of play with their food and they outsmart themselves and they find ways to not put teams away and, and, and not sort of get that jugular when it's sitting out there. So that division now has kind of been thrown up into the air. You look at what's, what's happened and Seattle's certainly there for the taking. But the Rams defense I thought was very disappointing. On third down, you know, their coordinator got exposed by Kyle Vanahandle. Third down he got exposed by an early game script that I don't know that what he expected. Of course it's going to be quick passes, it's going to be a million things underne to McCaffrey until you take it away. So yeah, they're going to have to get better from that. I still think the Rams are clearly the best team in that division. I think they clearly have the best quarterback in that division. But that's a loss that could really affect a lot for them. I mean they gave away the Eagles game and now they kind of gave away that game. And so they're in a battle now.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah, I again, I'm just talking about the highlights that I had seen. I saw that Sean McVeigh goes forward in the overtime. He doesn't want to tie so he goes fourth and one. And he's right, he said bad call by me. Like he took at least, he took all responsibility from that. And then my other question, I guess is Mac Jones was a first round draft pick. He was middle of the first round and had a pretty good year his first year at least with New England. And then he fell into disfavor and has bounced around a little bit. Kyle Shanahan seems to have coached him up for last night. Right. I mean, and I agree with you, Brock Purdy is a lovely story because he's the last guy drafted. But again, I would say Mac Jones was a first round draft pick. There must be something there.

[Jason Locanfora]

Well, whom Kyle Shanahan lost it after, but ended up, remember, that was a weird draft. And he ends up doing the Trey Lance trade.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah.

[Jason Locanfora]

Yeah. Look, he changed Sam Darnold's career. I mean, there's, you know, like, you can, you can look at McVeigh and, and Shanahan, like the, Baker Mayfield's career changed when he spent three weeks with the Rams. Remember, he came in, flew in on a plane. Liam Cohen met him at the airport. He played against the Raiders that night on like a Thursday night. He beat him. And then he spent a few weeks there and all of a sudden he comes out of what he went through in Cleveland and Carolina and he's better for it. And he gets to Tampa and he's thrown more touchdowns than anybody in the NFC since then. Like Sam Darnold gets to, you know, with, with Shanahan and it's the same thing. He couldn't win in with the jets. He couldn't do anything with Carolina. He was in Carolina with Baker. And look what's happened to both of them since. You know, Sam Darnold's getting paid real money now. So Yeah, I, I, I think that there was a danger in them doing what they did for Purdy and I know Purdy was beat up last week, but, you know, if Data just played Mac Jones against Jacksonville, they might be, they might be undefeated and really playing with house money.

[Tony Kornheiser]

This is a big surprise to me, this game, this result. On this game. I did not think San Francisco would win this game at all, at all.

[Jason Locanfora]

So nor did I. I needed a three point win there from the Rams and thought I was going to get it about four different times.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah. All right, let me move on, Let me move on to one of your favorite topics. The Baltimore Ravens, who you watch got blasted by the Chiefs. The Baltimore Ravens, in their three losses. And I'm going to say these are very good teams they've lost to. They've had a very hard schedule which gets easier now, but in their three losses, they've given up 116 points. What is going on there and what is the latest on Lamar Jackson?

[Jason Locanfora]

Yeah, look, the defense is broken and the defensive coordinator is under fire and the defense coordinator is under so much fire that the head coach spent most of this week ripping the offensive coordinator who's produced 131 points. Go look at your standings. They're like third in the league in points. Scored and they have a negative scoring differential. Everybody else around them has a scoring differential of plus 40 or more. If you look at the point scored department, they have a negative. But, but the coach wants you to believe that. Boy, if that offensive coordinator was just a little bit more efficient, everything would be fine. They, they like to think they have the best roster in the league. They like to tell their minions in the media and whisper how great they are and how this undrafted kid is our next great find. And this fifth round pick should have been a first round pick. Well, guess what? All those picks are playing now because you didn't add real veterans to give yourself real depth on defense. And it doesn't look too good. They look like, they look like rookies. They look very green. And even your veterans like Roquan Smith, who are supposed to be the face of your defense and supposed to be the leader of your defense, they can't find a tackle to make and they sure as hell can't find a microphone to stand up in front of and take any accountability when they peed on their leg. And Roquan's been peeing out his leg pretty much since you started paying them $20 million a year. So, like, that's, that's a problem. They can't identify pass rush in the draft, certainly not immediate pass rush help when they need it, and they have a hard time developing it and cultivating it. And then when they find it and guys like Clowney, you know, and Kalais Campbell, after a while, they don't want to pay them anymore and they want to go with young, cheap draft picks. And so the cycle continues. No, they're, they're in a bad way. They've got leadership, accountability, and culture problems on top of their defensive roster problems. And then now offensively, no, Lamar's not going to play in this game. And Pat Ricard, their fullback who makes a lot of the run game go, isn't going to play in this game. Their offensive line does not look good. Their left tackle, Ronnie Stanley, very well might not play in this game. And this could be an ugly 12, 9 game with protections that they need to find out a way to be on the 12 side of it and not the 9 side of it. Yeah, no, they've got, they've got very real problems. And then they've got the Rams looming and then they've got a buy. And I don't think Lamar Jackson is going to be facing the Rams either. That's going to be. I, I just, even if McVeigh gets too cute for his own good at times. I, I can't see him not hanging 35 or 40 points on the Ravens here.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Okay.

[Jason Locanfora]

A week from now. So this is a must win game against the Texans and I am less than convinced they're going to win it.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Let me move on to what I think was probably the most shocking result from last week. The Giants beating the Chargers. Yeah, Jackson Dart, they now don't have Malik Neighbors is a really good player, but what did you make of. I was, that was a stunner to me. It really was. How about you?

[Jason Locanfora]

Yeah, I was stunned. The kid functioned well. I thought that he would play a little bit more hero ball than he did. I thought the Chargers would heat him up and get him under more pressure early in that game than they did. The Chargers have the best first half road defense in the NFL since the start of last year. You know, they don't give up offensive touchdowns in the first half of games. You know, they tend to turn you over early and make you fight. And they didn't do any of that. And look, part of it was their offensive line. You know, they lost Rayshawn Slater in the preseason for the year, their stud left tackle, they had drafted Joe Alt, which was, you know, a very hardball thing. And he moved from the right side to the left side and he was playing great. And then he mangles his ankle on that horrible fake turf in New Jersey and that whole thing cratered. And Herbert basically handed 12, you know, 10 points to the Giants, but he was under duress. And he throws a ball at Dexter Lawrence picks off, there's another turnover late. You know, they're, they're handing the ball to Jackson Dart basically in the red zone. So how do you prop a rookie quarterback up like. Well, that's a, that's a pretty good way to do it. So I think the Chargers lack of an offensive line and that all injury changed everything. And the Giants D line, which I thought was going to be ferocious, really did look ferocious for the first time this season. And that again, kind of Dart could come along for the ride, but he looked game. I mean, he was up for it. He looked prepared. He was certainly willing to activate his legs. He in no way undermined their ability to win that football game. And frankly I, I thought he might. You know, these, these debuts can be tricky. You don't know what you're going to get. But the story of that game is if the Chargers can't get that offensive line, it's hard to lose both starting tackles. I get It. But they're going to have to figure some things out and, and they should have ran the ball more. There's some adjustments that Greg Roman should have made that he didn't, but that, you know, Herbert was clearly the first month of the season. You could have said he might be the best football player on the planet right now, but that version of him that we got Sunday was pretty inept. And I don't think he got bad all of a sudden. I think they got to figure some things out around him again. Blocking schemes, you know, what's happened to lad McConkey in that offense and this kid Hampton, the rookie running back, I think is going to start getting fed the ball a whole lot more.

[Tony Kornheiser]

We are, we are in no way suggesting that Jackson Dart is going to continue to do this all season.

[Podcast Host / Analyst (possibly Jeff Ma or a co-host)]

Right?

[Tony Kornheiser]

I mean, it doesn't, that doesn't.

[Jason Locanfora]

Oh, I'm, you know, it's, it's, it's wait and see mode now. Look, if he doesn't have the freelance, you know, force, it glories, you know, potential, you know, low, low probability, high risk, you know, forced ball downfield. Like, if that's not a part of his game, that's going to go a long way. But yeah, not having neighbors being able to win for him in all those different ways. Yes. Is also troublesome. But, like, it looked better than Russell Wilson. There's no ways about that. I mean, there's, there is no denying that. So we'll see. Gable, you know, did a lot better with early career Josh Allen than most anybody thought he would. And the Josh Allen we see now is not the Josh Allen who arrived in, you know, Orchard Park, New York from Wyoming. So we'll see.

[Tony Kornheiser]

All right, plug the show. Plug the betting show.

[Jason Locanfora]

You can check me and Beltway Ben hall out every day pretty much around noon on Water where we give you our favorite plays that we've made. Sports wagering, pretty much all sports, but a heavy football bet right now. You can watch it on my Twitter at Jason Locomotor. You can watch it on YouTube.com backslash@wannabet with us. We're on Spotify, we're on Apple, podcast, all that stuff. Yeah. Last night we needed. We needed Sean McVeigh to do the right thing. We love Sean McVeigh. We're sure we'll cash with Sean McVeigh in the future. Last night did not go as planned. Tony, we've got some swag. I have a goal for my little show here, my little startup. At some point, what we want to make so much lobster money for your viewers and listeners that you rock a Warner bed hoodie on pti. Is there. Does a world exist? Is there?

[Tony Kornheiser]

No. No, no.

[Jason Locanfora]

It could never. It could never be off the table.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Could never ever happen. Never ever happened.

[Jason Locanfora]

No amount of peer pressure.

[Tony Kornheiser]

No Littles or anybody else. No. No. Put on a wannabet hoodie. No.

[Jason Locanfora]

You don't even want to look at it first.

[Tony Kornheiser]

I didn't say. I didn't say I didn't want to look at it. I said I'm never going to wear it on the PTI show. I don't want you to have any false hope.

[Jason Locanfora]

Okay.

[Tony Kornheiser]

All right. I love you.

[Jason Locanfora]

Recalibrate. I'll come up with something next week. I'll try again.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Thank you, Jason. Jason Lucken for our boys and girls. We'll take a break. We think we will have James Carville. We're not certain. We are pretty certain we're going to have Jeff. Ma. Both those guys did great last week and I know you're going to want to hear what they have to say. I'm Tony Kornheiser. Ah, DSW Earth, place of the humble. Brag here. The shoes are so good, no one would ever know how little you paid.

[Michael Wilbon]

If you didn't go telling everyone that is.

[Tony Kornheiser]

And with never ending options for every style, mood and occasion, all at really great prices, we'll definitely give you something to brag about. So go ahead, stock up on fresh sneakers from your favorite brands or try.

[Jingle Singer / Performer]

Those boots you always secretly knew you could pull off.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Find the shoes that get you at prices that get your budget at DSW stores [e-mail] let us surprise you. Avoiding your unfinished home projects because you're not sure where to start. Thumbtack knows homes so you don't have to. Don't know the difference between matte paint finish and satin or what that clunking sound from your dryer is. With thumbtack, you don't have to be a home pro. You just have to hire one. You can hire top rated pros, see price estimates and read reviews all on the app download. Today you're listening to the Tony Kornheiser Show. The news is out.

[Jingle Singer / Performer]

All over town.

[Tony Kornheiser]

This is James's new walking music. Served him well last week, did it? Can't rush Hank Williams though. Nev Chin should leave, but then.

[Jingle Singer / Performer]

I just can't go. You win again.

[Tony Kornheiser]

There must be something in the water in Europe because Carville had such a great week last week he had UVA over Florida State. I was stunned when he took that game, the only game you lost was Penn State over Oregon. That's the only game that you lost. You were 5 and 1. You're now 15 and 10 overall, better than everybody else. And this week's picks with James Carville and Jeff Ma, brought to you by FanDuel Sportsbook, make every moment more. I don't want to interrupt your lunch in Italy, but what do you got for us this week?

[Jason Locanfora]

Well, coming from the rooftop bar to Hasla Hotel overlooking the dome of St. Peter's so I'll say a prayer for our picks this week. Yes. I'm in Rome. Okay, we're going with odu. Old Dominion. I think that Coastal Carolina. What's the line we're looking at there?

[Jeff Ma]

I think you said 20 and a half.

[Jason Locanfora]

I think 20 and a half make you laugh. Take ODU. We love. We love ODU.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Minus 20 and a half. Right? Minus 20 and a half. Okay, okay.

[Jason Locanfora]

Minus right.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Okay.

[Jason Locanfora]

Go ahead and look. Let's take a look at Western Michigan. Everybody's got that game right on the tip of their tongue.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Nobody's heard of these schools. Western Michigan, who are they playing?

[Jason Locanfora]

Do you want to win money or you want to be famous? Look, we took Penn State. We lost, right?

[Tony Kornheiser]

That's true. Okay.

[Jason Locanfora]

Win the same amount of ODU if you lose on Penn State.

[Tony Kornheiser]

All right. Who's Western Michigan playing?

[Jeff Ma]

UMass.

[Tony Kornheiser]

University of Massachusetts. Who you got?

[Jason Locanfora]

UMass might be the worst football program in the history of college football. We're going to go. We're going to go at Western Michigan.

[Michael Wilbon]

Minus 13 and a half.

[Jeff Ma]

Yeah, 13 and a half is what we're going on.

[Jason Locanfora]

That.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Minus 13 and a half. Okay. Air. You going with them again.

[Jason Locanfora]

With the over.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Air Force over. What's the over?

[Jeff Ma]

52.

[Jason Locanfora]

I think it's 43.

[Jeff Ma]

You said it to me is 52.

[Tony Kornheiser]

But I'll double check the open you got.

[Jason Locanfora]

You're going to check it. I think it's lower than that.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Okay. You're going to take Air Force to score more.

[Jason Locanfora]

I'm taking that over. I'm taking Air Force the whole game over.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Okay. Well, yeah, okay. The whole game over. Who are they playing?

[Jeff Ma]

Navy.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Navy. Okay. You just have to go over 43 on that for the total. Okay.

[Jason Locanfora]

Right.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Okay.

[Jason Locanfora]

Correct.

[Tony Kornheiser]

What else?

[Jason Locanfora]

I'm gonna tell you the hot top pick. The hot chilly waters. Las Vegas.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah.

[Jason Locanfora]

The Sharpie pick. Your Raiders plus seven.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Raiders plus seven. Who they playing? Yeah, sorry, I was still looking at you in the NFL now the Colts. Colts. Raiders plus seven over the Colts. Okay. What else?

[Jason Locanfora]

Yes. Okay. And believe it or not, when you say the Saints are a favorite, there's only one team that comes to mind, and that would be the Giants.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Right.

[Jason Locanfora]

So the Saints are plus one and a half in New Orleans. I would actually take the Saints one and a half.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Against the Giants.

[Jason Locanfora]

Yes.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Against Jackson Dart. Against Jackson Dart, who's going to have some fans there because he played at Ole Miss. Right.

[Jason Locanfora]

And. But we had a bad day. Yeah.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Okay, so you are.

[Jason Locanfora]

We got these five.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Okay. New Orleans is plus one and a half or they minus one and a half.

[Jeff Ma]

I see. Minus one and a half.

[Jason Locanfora]

Minus minus one.

[Tony Kornheiser]

So you're going to take him to win. You're taking New Orleans to win outright. Okay, I am. Okay.

[Jason Locanfora]

I am.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Good luck with that.

[Jason Locanfora]

That's what I got.

[Tony Kornheiser]

All right. Thank you. Enjoy. Enjoy Europe. Enjoy the river cruises. Enjoy the food. All right, talk to you soon.

[Jason Locanfora]

All right. Thank you.

[Tony Kornheiser]

So that was a sort of a surprise for us because we hadn't heard from James. We had no idea if we could get James. We got James.

[Michael Wilbon]

It's fun to imagine him just sitting on the Spanish Steps doing his homework.

[Tony Kornheiser]

On these lines that came from nowhere.

[Michael Wilbon]

Particularly that Air Force over here's the.

[Tony Kornheiser]

One the touts want. 10 are all saying this. Western Michigan. What? What? He's taken Old Dominion and Western Michigan and Air Force. Navy in the over. He took Air Force in the over last week and got it.

[Jeff Ma]

Yeah, but he just took Air Force Their points over this.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Now he's taking every point.

[Jeff Ma]

Yeah, the whole game.

[Tony Kornheiser]

If Jeff Ma gives us picks like this, we have to stop the segment. We cannot have Jeff, we just gave us ODU and Western Michigan. You don't even know what did they add teams?

[Jeff Ma]

Western Michigan, UMass.

[Tony Kornheiser]

You had a great week last week. Great week. As did. As did James. 5 and 1. You're now 12 and 10 overall. You missed one game. What was the one you missed? Oh, you missed Stanford minus three. And they won by one. They won 30 to 29. So you were close all the way around. So that was good. You sent us a note that we could talk about Rufus and golf betting. Explain this. That Rufus is apparently the best golf better in the world. And what did he do? I assume this has to do with Ryder cup, so tell me about it.

[Podcast Host / Analyst (possibly Jeff Ma or a co-host)]

Yeah, we. We talked a lot about Ryder cup and the mistakes, you know, that. That obviously the US Team made.

[Jason Locanfora]

How? The process.

[Podcast Host / Analyst (possibly Jeff Ma or a co-host)]

Our. Our podcast is called Bet the Process. So we want to go back and evaluate the process that the U.S. had. And you Remember last week we talked about how an alternate shot, it was going to be important that the big hitters hit off the odd numbers.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yep.

[Podcast Host / Analyst (possibly Jeff Ma or a co-host)]

And. And you said. Oh, I think you said something. Well, hopefully they're smart enough to know that. Well, they. They weren't because on Friday, Scotty and Russell Henley teed off together, and Scotty teed off on the even. On the even tees. And then the next day they. They fixed it and he teed off on the odd tees. That was just indicative of the US just not being nearly as prepared as the European team was. Eduardo Molinari has the. Has the. Sorry. Francisco Molinerie has these guys just like completely ready to go and really has them much more prepared than the US team. Even something like. So one of the things that was interesting is you talked about you thinking the Europe team was about as equal to the US team or maybe even better by the metrics. The US team is better by every sort of metric. But the metric that they are the best in, what do you think it would be? You think it's like off the tee or do you think it approaches or around the green or putting, which you think the US is the best in?

[Tony Kornheiser]

I have no idea. I would have. You always hear about how people are great iron players, so I guess it would be that. But I mean, that's what people say about Morikawa. And Morikawa couldn't win anything. So I don't know.

[Podcast Host / Analyst (possibly Jeff Ma or a co-host)]

Yeah, no, it turns out that the thing that they are the biggest gap with Europe in is around the greens is essentially like chipping and putting short. Not putting, but chipping and short game. And so the way that the course was set up, skill, because there was no rough and everyone was just hitting the green. And so, like, even the core setup was not incredibly smart. I think the biggest mistake that the US made was on Friday afternoon having Scotty and Bryson play together when they needed to get many points. Instead, they tried to get one point. Certainly it didn't even get that.

[Tony Kornheiser]

So, I mean, get it again.

[Podcast Host / Analyst (possibly Jeff Ma or a co-host)]

You look back on it and obviously, like, the simplest answer is the US didn't make as many puts as Europe did, but the more complicated there is, their process was inherently broken.

[Tony Kornheiser]

And so. And Rufus had this and was touting this, said, take Euro.

[Podcast Host / Analyst (possibly Jeff Ma or a co-host)]

I mean, we just kind of like talked about this this week on the pod, went back and analyzed, you know, where we thought the US's biggest mistakes were, because everyone's been talking about it since then. And what we wanted to do was break it down from an analytical standpoint and look at again the process of what happened because everyone will talk about like vibes and who cared more and all this kind of stuff but at the end of the day their process was just broken.

[Tony Kornheiser]

It is interesting to me that the Molinari's. I didn't even know there was golf analytics. I had no idea. The Molinaris have gone deep into this and obviously prepared their team better than our team does. Rufus, think. Do you think that now the United States will consider analytics in a more, you know, more important manner or No?

[Podcast Host / Analyst (possibly Jeff Ma or a co-host)]

I mean I think. I hope. I hope so and I think a lot of it comes down to who end up ends up being the captain.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Right.

[Podcast Host / Analyst (possibly Jeff Ma or a co-host)]

I've heard that they had some people involved in the analytics. I just maybe either didn't listen to them or the people weren't particularly good. But again like this is the issue and you see this across all sports and like with you know, the teams that do well understand how to incorporate analytics and you know, it's not the answer to every question. It doesn't. There's certainly like coaching is really important. You know, like last night, I don't know, you probably weren't up for last night's game but last night's game features two of the, you know, best coaches from a play calling standpoint and from a. But like you give either of those guys the lead and they completely change how they play call plays and they get so conservative. They don't typically go forward on fourth downs compared to like a Sirianni. And you know, I think over time you're going to see this being a big impact. Like one of the interesting stats is Philly has dominated the L A Rams during the time where it's been like Sirianni versus McVay. And one of the interesting things is Sirianni is one of the most aggressive going forward on fourth down and McVeigh is one of the least aggressive.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Well, he went last night. He went last night and lost.

[Podcast Host / Analyst (possibly Jeff Ma or a co-host)]

Well, right. But I mean again one isolated event doesn't matter. And again what I would argue on that play, the play call was terrible. It was.

[Tony Kornheiser]

That's what he said. Yeah, McVeigh said that. He said it was his fault.

[Podcast Host / Analyst (possibly Jeff Ma or a co-host)]

You run play action there, it's probably the end of the game because the guy's going to be so wide open. So you know, again I'm not going to argue because these guys are incredible. They know so much more about football than I do and certainly are much better coaches than I could ever be. But these Coach, these great coaches like Shanahan and McVay still leave, you know, some, some opportunity on the table by not embracing some of the very basics of analytics where we know, you know, even like something like that. We talk about being game theory. Game theory there is that, you know, Shanahan's probably thinking or Salah's probably thinking. You are going to be conservative, change your tendency at that point and do play action.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Okay. All right. What do you got for us this week?

[Jason Locanfora]

You're hot.

[Tony Kornheiser]

You're five and one.

[Podcast Host / Analyst (possibly Jeff Ma or a co-host)]

I'm hot. One week. I had one week. I don't know if that's hot yet. We're going to take a couple college games, a couple of the big college games last week. The college games are amazing. Just the level, you know, that Saturday night with Oregon and Penn State and Alabama, Georgia, but we don't have it. We don't, we don't have that caliber of game. But we're going to take FSU plus the four and a half over Miami. I think they're going to be able to run the ball against Miami. Obviously this is a good bounce back situation for them. And I'm going to take Vanderbilt plus the ten and a half over Alabama. I think Vanderbilt's quarterback, Diego Pavia, you know, he's probably 25, been in college a long time, but this is a, this is going to be an interesting spot for Vanderbilt. Getting a big number against a Bama team that comes off a huge win against Georgia.

[Jeff Ma]

I can actually give that to it. Eleven and a half.

[Podcast Host / Analyst (possibly Jeff Ma or a co-host)]

All right, there we go. That's interesting that that's going the opposite direction. So you know, that generally means that there's a lot of smart people that disagree with me. So that is often not a great sign. But I'll still take Vanderbilt plus the 11 and a half.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Okay. What about the NFL?

[Podcast Host / Analyst (possibly Jeff Ma or a co-host)]

The NFL? I'm going to take the jets plus the two and a half over Dallas. I one of those like stinky games because nobody wants to bet on the Jets.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yes.

[Podcast Host / Analyst (possibly Jeff Ma or a co-host)]

But you know, getting points against the Dallas team that, that you know, obviously.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Have a great offense, gives up points. Crazy. Yeah. Okay.

[Podcast Host / Analyst (possibly Jeff Ma or a co-host)]

And I think the jets will be able to move the ball against them and get a win at home.

[Tony Kornheiser]

What else?

[Podcast Host / Analyst (possibly Jeff Ma or a co-host)]

The Broncos plus the three and a half over Philly. Obviously Philly has been the best team in the NFL this year. The Broncos were thought to be a very good team. But again, like one of the interesting things about this point in the season is you have to figure out like what have you seen this season, and how indicative is it versus what you.

[Jason Locanfora]

Thought you were going to see?

[Podcast Host / Analyst (possibly Jeff Ma or a co-host)]

Right? And so the Broncos, we thought were going to be, you know, an elite team this year. This was their breakout year. And people, some people even thought they had a chance at the Super Bowl. Certainly they haven't played quite as well as people have thought. But, you know, the game that probably is, the one that's in question is that game against the Colts where it seems like the Colts may be much better than we thought they were even last week losing to the Rams and not covering. They were in position to cover the whole time, win outright. And it took that, you know, long pass to T2 Atwell to allow the Rams cover and allow me to win that game. So the Colts kind of have me as a believer, and that makes the Broncos loss to them a little. A little more understandable. And so I'll take the Broncos plus.

[Jason Locanfora]

Three and a half.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Okay. Anything else?

[Podcast Host / Analyst (possibly Jeff Ma or a co-host)]

And then the last one is what I was just saying, it's the Colts. Right. I'm a believer in that offense. I'm a believer that that team is. Is. Is a much better team than we thought. And I'll take them minus the seven over the Raiders.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Okey dokey. Five games. Okay. All right. Thank you, Jeff. And. And it's. Bet the process, people can access that and listen to all the stuff about football and golf.

[Jeff Ma]

I think I can actually give that to you at six and a half if you'd like.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Six and a half.

[Podcast Host / Analyst (possibly Jeff Ma or a co-host)]

I will take six and a half.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Okey dokey. Thank you, Jeff. We'll talk to you next week. Thanks for getting up.

[Podcast Host / Analyst (possibly Jeff Ma or a co-host)]

Bye, Tony.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Jeff Mobb, boys and girls. And this week's picks with James Carville and Jeff Mobb and brought to you by FanDuel Sportsbook. Make every moment more. Is Carver back next week or is he just going to stay in Europe.

[Jeff Ma]

For the rest of the world tour? Yeah, he's a four. Four. And now.

[Tony Kornheiser]

All right, we're going to come back with email and jingle. I'm Tony Kornheiser. You're listening to the Tony Kornheiser Show.

[Jingle Singer / Performer]

Press record. All right, now I'm gonna sing. So now I'm gonna sing a song. It's a live jingle, a real important one, but I've got no experience to draw upon. I'd regale you with some lyrics about a wonderful story. Without firsthand history, it would go rather poorly. Now KJ can take over and sing something funny.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Wait a minute. Is this how podcasters make all their money.

[Jingle Singer / Performer]

It'S the chorus now I'm singing about doing live reads I sing the words and the her from your Google machine if I keep singing will I get funded by underwear, razors and seeds? Build the course do they pay for jingles about libraries? I'm singing a jingle about libraries I'm repeating these words again Cause they're important I'm singing a jingle about libraries.

[Tony Kornheiser]

I'm.

[Jingle Singer / Performer]

Playing the same chords over and over I bet you didn't notice unless you were paying attention.

[Tony Kornheiser]

That's possible.

[Jingle Singer / Performer]

Singing a jingle about libraries Jason Fuse.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Kirsten Olmsted, thank you so very, very much. You want to do the Bethesda bagel ad, Please?

[Jeff Ma]

Yes. Bethesda bagels. We love them. You will as well. Just go to bethesdabeagels.com for the location in the DC area near Student. Pop on in and you'll be thrilled.

[Tony Kornheiser]

And before we get to the mail bag, let me just say I suppose I could collect my books and head on back to school. Or steal my daddy's cue and make a living out of playing. Or find myself a rock and roll band that needs a helping hand. Oh Maggie, I wish I'd never seen your face. That's Maggie Mae. That's Rod Stewart. I think that's 1970. Right around 70 or 71. Rod Stewart. Just. Just great. Yeah. Thanks to our guests today. Jason Locanfora, James Carville, Jeff Ma. Thanks as well to today's sponsors. Remember, you can listen to us on Apple, podcasts, Spotify and Audacy. If you get the show through Apple, please leave us a review from David Bradley in Sterling, Virginia. I spent my summer nursing my Achilles tendonitis, writing a bad novel, and napping with the dog. My production of edible potatoes was precisely the same as yours. Just saying. From Hal Grossman in Hazlet or Hazlett, New Jersey. Just got off the subway after Game 2 with Buster, Ravi, and the ESPN crew. Buster recorded his podcast on his phone surrounded by a bunch of Yankee fans on the subway and even asked us questions. He also showed me your potato video. You have a lot of catching up to do. Buster and the crew could not have been nicer.

[Jeff Ma]

That doesn't surprise me.

[Tony Kornheiser]

They didn't get a car service they took. Could they take the D train? Fantastic.

[Michael Wilbon]

It's great content.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Fantastic. Yeah. Tim Cree, Fort Collins, Colorado After a win. Yeah, A guy cracked his rib while coughing. Reminds me of a story about a third baseman for the Giants in the 80s named Chris Brown. He was notorious for being frail and easily injured. One time as he lay on the practice field with an unknown injury by an unnamed player stated a fly probably landed on his neck. Tim Gombas LOUISVILLE, KY Nigel's mention of Kurt Bavaqua on Wednesday's podcast brought back a memory from early in the 1984 season. The Padres were in Chicago to play the Cubs and my parents had tickets that allowed them to mill around on the field among the players before the game. Apparently one Padres player didn't garner too much fan attention, so my dad approached with a pen and that day's program, while staring at the squirrel autograph, my dad asked Mr. Bivaca what it said. Babe Ruth. He shot. That was a clever exchange to put Kurt Baco on my radar, though his memory is anything but a blessing as that was the year the Padres came back from two down. Absolutely. Steve Garvey, that's right, two games down in the NLC has to eliminate the Cubs and crush my 12 year old heart. Bavarqua later distinguished himself in the World Series by hitting a critical three run home run in Game two against Tigers. Of course, I'm writing this email because I can't focus on what I should be doing preparing lectures because I'm racked with anxiety awaiting game two of the Cubs Padres wild card series. Scars from 1984 are a bit too near the surface. But you won. Yeah, they did, Cubs fan. And you won. Brett Hobbs, Linton, Indiana I listened to the PTI podcast and your question to Mike Wilbon instantly resurrected a Cub fan nightmare when you asked him if he was worried even after the Cubs won the first game against the Padres, I immediately remembered 1984. Back then, the Cubs won the first two games of the best of five playoff. Every statistic said no team had ever lost a series. After going up two nothing. I wasn't worried. Many Cub fans were making travel plans for the World Series. That is until the Padres proceeded to win the next three games, crushing the hearts of every fan in Chicago. It was shortly after that devastating collapse that I bought the enclosed banner. It hangs in my garage as a constant, painful reminder to never ever count my chickens before they hatch. That is the reason Mike Wilbon is always worried and why we should never, ever Overlook the Padres. P.S. please show the banner to Mike. I bet he remembers how many places were setting up to sell those banners after game two. And it is a World Series 1984 Cubs nationally champions with the names of all the players. It hangs in his almost garage. Because they didn't. They didn't do it. No, they did not okay, Carrie Coston Once again, Sandy Koufax not pitching on Yom Kippur. No, he's not. Nope, he's not. Steve the Sick the of the fat Bear winner is in and Michael called it. Yes, when you read my email about the Katmai national park contest, Michael mentioned Chunk or more prosaically bear 32 and chunk won out over two time champion Glazer. Chunk is of course a very chunky male bear who won despite having a broken jaw from a confrontation with another male bear in June. Two time winner Grazer was not available for comment, although sources close to her mentioned corrupt election officials and a very liberal press as the real reason for her loss. Repercussions are possible if she can get enough support for recount before hibernation. But in the meantime, all hail Chunk from Paul Frampton.

[Jeff Ma]

Peter's brother.

[Tony Kornheiser]

You think so? Peter and Paul Frampton from Lindsay, Ontario in Canada. You're right, the NHL is starting early this season, but that's because they're taking two and a half weeks off in February for the Olympics. Because you might like to know they weren't doing that for a while, right? Yeah, I think they opt out for one or two Olympics that are now they're back in. Yeah, maybe I'm wrong about that. Steve Gilmore San Angelo, Texas Rank the Marks this is a Steve driven email segment of the podcast. Tell the Marks to go get their shine box. John Fergly, Boston Spa Unlike the parent club Mets, the Double A Binghamton Rumble Ponies rallied to win the Eastern League championship. The Ponies lost Game one at home and then won the final two games against the pesky Erie Seawolves in Erie to capture their first league title since 2014. I'm not sure what a Rumble Pony is, but the team went 90 and 46. That was six games better than the next best record. Let's raise a chicken. Speedy to the Binghamton Rumble Ponies on their championship season. We know that Syracuse has a lot cheeserie night each year. Maybe the Rumble Ponies should do the same. Did you catch the score of the Binghamton Lehigh football game? I couldn't find it. No. Binghamton has no football team, but thank you on that. A Rumble Pony? I don't know what that is either, but I think it may have something to do with ponies on a carousel. I think it may. I'm not, but I could be wrong. Mark Panacelli or Panichell for any of the bigs. Going to Rehoboth beach for a long weekend. Can you recommend a Few good places to eat. I'll hang up and listen. Everybody likes the Henlope and Oyster House.

[Michael Wilbon]

That's great.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Everybody likes that place. I like the Chinese restaurant very much.

[Jason Locanfora]

Yeah.

[Tony Kornheiser]

You know, I like that.

[Jeff Ma]

We like the Cape and lope and pizza.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah. But that's all takeout.

[Jeff Ma]

Yeah, I suppose.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah. You know, we could some. I don't know, I don't have a real good. What is the one in town that we.

[Michael Wilbon]

There's the Thompson Brewery that has really good grilled salmon.

[Tony Kornheiser]

That's across the street. That's across Route 1. I mean, that's on route.

[Michael Wilbon]

It's on room. There's a lot of parking. It's right by the Fresh Market.

[Tony Kornheiser]

The seafood place is very good. I'm blanking on the seafood. It's on that same side of. Of the road.

[Jeff Ma]

Friendlies.

[Tony Kornheiser]

No, it's seafood place. We'll get it. We'll get it and give it to you some other time. Summer House. Summer House is lovely, you know. Why am I blanking on the fish place anyway? I'm blanking.

[Michael Wilbon]

You're talking about Big Fish Grill.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah, Big Fish Grill. Yeah, yeah. Big Fish. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Very good. Justin Johnson, Arlington, Virginia. I don't currently have any rescue dogs, but in our early 20s, my roommates and I had a rescue friend. His name was Kurt and he was fun, employed and slept on our couch for months. So we called him our stay at home friend. That little guy would get so excited anytime any of us would walk through the door coming home from work. That's funny. If you're out on your bike. Ty everyone, as always, do wear white.

[Jingle Singer / Performer]

Who made the egg salad sandwiches? Basketball Tournament 3 on 3 find out who's best in the galaxy and that's not us it's plain to see but it could be with a little royalty they call her your highness Basketball's finest walking through the sky they call her Miss Finest she gets more hang time than Watto but have you seen her dribble that ball? Get your school under pressure like a night on Hawk A Mori and Gar Hurry, you'll get crossed up yeah, we could win the couple dancing the stand singing up no, she'll shoot first, she'll shoot last she'll talk trash with a little bit of sass yeah Stare in shock as you see the scoreboard Are you a little short for a power forward? Some call her general to me she's royalty Most valuable rebel in the galaxy Princess Lay out your best, Step your game up let's go Organ. Our scores Again we got a game to win and then a game to win and then a game to win cuz it's a tournament but we make it to the final not breaking a sweat Then Boba Fett hits nothing but Namboom Shakalaka. It's a slam dunk by Chewbacca Boss says they got the game wrapped up like Dengar Then we steal a pass and we dash like Rendar Pass it to the princess and she takes it to the hoop she's on fire. Is it the boot? Her straps look like the setting sun's going in and it's swish swish swish no outer rim like a fighter It's a tie so we're still alive. Seconds left. Now it's time for a final drive. Head down the court in attack formation. Buzzer beater by the Princess Aqua Celebration. Some call her General Tamishi's royal team. Oh, valuable rebel in the galaxy, Princess. Lay up your best at your game. Up. Let's go. Organa scores again today on target, save the day.

[Tony Kornheiser]

P R I N T E S.

[Jingle Singer / Performer]

S L A Y U people press layup Spend up all you Google Rory want some? Call her General to me she's royalty Most valuable rebel in the galaxy, Princess Lay out your best at your game. Up. Let's go. Organo scores. I get organized. Scores again. I scores again.