The Tony Kornheiser Show — "A Game of Cat and Mouse"

Episode Date: October 22, 2025
Host: Tony Kornheiser
Guests: Chuck Todd, Paul Finebaum, Michael, Michael Winger, Reginald the Monkey

Overview

This episode of "The Tony Kornheiser Show" delivers its signature mix of sports, entertainment, and witty banter. Tony and his co-hosts riff through current sports news—touching on Washington D.C. sports, the NBA and MLB postseasons, and college football's coaching carousel. Notable segments include Chuck Todd’s NFL picks, Reginald the Monkey’s comedic counter-picks, and insightful college football talk with Paul Finebaum. Hilarious tangents about Halloween prep, “AI” skepticism, and the state of the White House renovation fill out a wide-ranging, conversational episode.

Main Discussion Points

1. The State of The White House (01:43–03:33)

• Tony expresses shock at the extent of ongoing renovations at the White House.

  "All our lives, we have a sense of what the White House looks like, and we are told all our lives, it's the people's house. Nobody believes that. ... To see it half destroyed, it's just so jarring." (Tony, 02:39)

• Jokes about access:

  "I'm part of the people. I'd like this room." (Tony, 02:55)

• The team muses about the disconnect between the public and iconic institutions.

2. TV Talk: "The Diplomat" (03:33–05:02)

• Tony discusses watching the new season of "The Diplomat" instead of NBA games.
  • Praises Alison Janney and Keri Russell.
  • Compares British actors’ American accents favorably:

    "They understand how to do American accents better than Americans." (Tony, 04:31)

• Michael notes Bradley Whitford’s later appearance.

3. NBA Season Opening & Wizards' Woes (05:02–08:41)

• Disinterest in the NBA's long season:

  "I had this tremendously gratifying break from the NBA...and now the beginning of the longest season in professional sports—NBA and NHL are longer than baseball with half the games." (Tony, 05:24)

• Washington Wizards “tanking” criticism:
  • Tony laments the tendency to deliberately lose for draft picks:

    "If you buy a ticket to their games, you are being defrauded. The essence of sports is that people try their best to win." (Tony, 07:03)

  • Mocks management jobs being “protected for 8 years” due to long-term rebuilds.

4. Quick Hits: MLB Playoffs & Seattle’s Drought (08:41–11:18)

• Discussion on MLB's postseason schedule and the Mariners' World Series drought.

  • Seattle Mariners now have the longest streak without a World Series appearance—47–49 years.

    "Seattle's the only baseball team to not make the World Series." (Tony, 09:30)

• Recap of notable droughts: Pirates (44 years), Brewers (40 years).

5. Halloween & Candy Talk (11:18–13:19)

• Tony hates pumpkin flavor but will buy one for $10 or less.
• Price of Halloween candy shocks Tony; Michael urges giving out full-size bars.
• Lighthearted chat about using a Solo Stove to make the house appear “welcoming.”

  "I don't welcome people. That's not on your brand." (Michael Winger, 12:36–12:37)

6. NFL Picks with Chuck Todd (16:57–32:10)

Highlights and Memorable Lines:

• Chuck’s Record Update:

  “Chuck was three and four last week...22 and 27 overall. You gotta move up.” (Tony, 17:24)

• NFL Game Picks Discussed:

  • Minnesota at Chargers:

    "Minnesota doesn’t have J.J. McCarthy...They’ve got Carson Wentz...these are two mediocre, disappointing teams." (Tony, 18:24–19:08)
    Chuck reluctantly takes the Chargers.

  • Giants at Eagles: Chuck picks Eagles to cover, expecting NYG's prior loss to create a hangover.
  • Buffalo at Carolina: Both struggle with the line; Chuck eventually goes Buffalo—"reluctantly."
  • Bears at Ravens: Chuck sees the line as "Lamar's playing line” and takes Baltimore.
  • Dallas at Denver: Chuck picks Dallas, citing the lure of the “hook” (+3.5 points).
  • Green Bay at Pittsburgh: Discussion about Aaron Rodgers facing his old team. Chuck takes the Packers, suggesting this is a big motivational spot.
  • Washington at Kansas City: Tony, on KC’s reputation:

    "By the way, they went through an entire year last year at home and never covered." (Tony, 30:51) Chuck takes Washington plus the points; expects a “back door cover.”

• Kicking and Onside Kicks Tangent (27:24–28:14):

  • Enthusiasm for innovation, like 4th-and-20 instead of onside kicks.

  • "I like the fact that this stuff is a little more random." (Chuck, 27:41)

• Memorable Endcap:

  “All my trash talking to Carville’s biting me in the Cajun ass.” (Chuck, 32:02)

7. Reginald the Monkey's Picks (32:10–34:56)

• Reginald, the show's comedic foil, makes humorous, narrative-driven NFL picks:
  • Giants +7.5 at Eagles: "He'll take the Giants, says he’s got ties to New York—showed a photo from Studio 54 with Ed Koch, Phil McConkey, and Walt 'Clyde' Frazier." (Michael Winger, 34:12)
  • Broncos -3.5 vs Cowboys: Picks Denver, inspired by a tale of heli-skiing with Broncos alumni.
  • Chiefs -10.5 vs Washington: Takes Kansas City, based on reminiscing about hiking Machu Picchu with UL Washington and Christian Okoye.

8. College Football Talk with Paul Finebaum (37:28–47:25)

Key Insights:

• Playoff Committee Timing (37:51):

  "No, I think we're two weeks away from it, Tony...They want to make sure they don't accidentally put Clemson or LSU or Penn State or somebody like that in there too soon." (Paul, 37:51–38:12)

• Top Teams:

  “Ohio State is unequivocally the best team in the country...I think Alabama right now looks like the second best team.” (Paul, 38:26–38:41)

• Vanderbilt’s surprising competence:

  • Paul tempers excitement, recounting prior outlier seasons.
  • Explains his wife’s Vanderbilt connection and Alabama fandom.

• On Miami’s choke vs. Louisville (40:33–41:14):

  "It's very typical of Mario Cristobal. He manages to do this every year." (Paul, 40:41)

• Alabama’s resurgence and Ty Simpson’s play:

  “Ty Simpson has been the best quarterback...he’s the most accurate quarterback I’ve seen at Alabama in A while...That’s including Jalen Hurts, Mac Jones, Bryce Young.” (Paul, 42:18–42:35)

• Rapid Coaching Firings and NIL (44:33–45:25):

  • Surprised by the frequency and scale of midseason firings:

    "The only time you ever see a mid season firing is if there’s some epic scandal. ...Now every AD...they’re just instead firing the guy." (Paul, 44:33–44:56)

  • Cites player mobility and NIL as sources of increased parity and impatience.

• Rumors and Predictions:

  • Lane Kiffin likely to be offered Florida job.
  • Penn State could pursue Matt Rhule.

Notable Quotes & Moments

| Time | Speaker | Quote/Highlight | |-----------|-----------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 02:39 | Tony | “All our lives, we have a sense of what the White House looks like...to see it half destroyed, it's so jarring.”| | 05:24 | Tony | "NBA and NHL are the longest seasons...longer than baseball with half the games." | | 07:03 | Tony | "If you buy a ticket to their games, you are being defrauded..." | | 16:57 | Tony | "[Dan Byrne] putting it into completely reasonable perspective...talking about Shohei Ohtani and the Ohtani game."| | 17:24 | Tony | “Chuck was three and four last week...22 and 27 overall. You gotta move up.” | | 27:41 | Chuck Todd | "I like the fact that this stuff [kicking] is a little more random." | | 32:02 | Chuck Todd | "All my trash talking to Carville’s biting me in the Cajun ass." | | 37:51 | Paul Feinbaum | “No, I think we're two weeks away from it, Tony. Two weeks from last night” (on CFB Playoff rankings) | | 38:26 | Paul Feinbaum | “Ohio State is unequivocally the best team in the country...I think Alabama right now looks like the second best team.”| | 40:41 | Paul Feinbaum | “It's very typical of Mario Cristobal. He manages to do this every year.” | | 45:25 | Paul Feinbaum | "...there’s more parity than ever before because of the transfer portal...” | | 46:13 | Paul Feinbaum | "I believe [Lane Kiffin] will be offered the [Florida] job." |

Memorable Tangents

• Tony's disdain for pumpkins, watermelon, and Halloween prices.
• Ongoing self-deprecation about “not paying attention” to sports he covers ("I'm not really paying attention in the way I should," 37:28).
• Chuck and Tony’s mutual skepticism on NFL teams’ true quality—"Do they feel like a good team or just a getting better team?" (25:04)
• Hilarious narratives for Reginald the Monkey, including celebrity cornhole tournaments.

Segment Timestamps of Note

• White House/American institutions: 01:43–03:33
• NBA/NHL seasons and Wizards: 05:02–08:41
• MLB Playoffs/Postseason Droughts: 08:41–11:18
• NFL Picks with Chuck Todd: 16:57–32:10
• Reginald the Monkey's Picks: 32:10–34:56
• College Football with Paul Finebaum: 37:28–47:25

Tone & Style

The episode blends Tony’s wry humor and sports cynicism with the show’s signature guests and recurring inside jokes. The banter is quick, conversational, and self-aware. Sports are covered with deep knowledge but little pretense, and the show freely meanders into pop culture, family, and DC life.

Summary Takeaway

This episode is a classic Kornheiser outing: a deft balance of sharp sports analysis, high-level guests, meta sports media commentary, and offbeat humor. Whether you tune in for actual picks or just for the lively repartee, "A Game of Cat and Mouse" delivers on all fronts.