“Alright, here’s a story”

Summary

Podcast Summary: "Alright, here’s a story" – The Tony Kornheiser Show

Release Date: May 19, 2025
Host: This Show Stinks Productions, LLC

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1. Episode Overview

In the episode titled “Alright, here’s a story,” Tony Kornheiser engages in lively discussions covering the latest NBA conference finals, the Preakness Stakes, and notable performances in golf. The show features insights from regular guests Michael Wilbon and Steve Sands, as well as contributions from senior Murray student Harrison Todd. Throughout the episode, Tony shares personal anecdotes and interacts with listener emails, providing a mix of sports analysis, personal stories, and entertaining banter.

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2. NBA Conference Finals Analysis

Time Stamp: 23:29

The episode delves into the NBA conference finals, with Michael Wilbon and Harrison Todd offering their perspectives on the matchups. The Minnesota Timberwolves face the Oklahoma City Thunder, who recently dominated Denver. Concurrently, the New York Knicks take on the Indiana Pacers.

Notable Discussion Points:

• Minnesota vs. Oklahoma City: Harrison Todd expresses confidence in Minnesota, highlighting their experience and team cohesion. He states, “Minnesota is a complete team, and they've been through it further” (23:41).

• Knicks vs. Pacers: The excitement around the Knicks’ performance is palpable, especially with key players like Jalen Brunson making significant impacts. Tony remarks on the bustling atmosphere in New York, saying, “Looked like Times Square on New Year's Eve” (25:41).

• Player Performances: The conversation touches on player dynamics, including Jamal Murray’s performance and Anthony Edwards’ influence on the Timberwolves. Harrison notes, “Jamal Murray is not a natural point guard” (30:08), sparking a debate on his suitability for the role.

Key Quote:
Harrison Todd reflects on the unpredictability of the series, stating, “I think what's cool is that we have some unknown. We don't go into this NBA semifinal, final Four like we do most years, where you have an absolute idea who you're going to side up with” (23:29).

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3. Preakness Stakes and Horse Racing Insights

Time Stamp: 30:37

Steve Sands transitions the discussion to the Preakness Stakes, where Scotty Scheffler delivered a remarkable performance. The conversation highlights the excitement and unexpected turns in horse racing.

Notable Discussion Points:

• Scotty Scheffler’s Victory: Steve praises Scheffler’s resilience, saying, “He did something that the greats of all time do. He made an adjustment on the back nine and ended up running away with it” (41:02).

• Race Dynamics: The dramatic finish where the horse Journalism overtook sovereignty in the final moments is dissected. Harrison shares his enthusiasm, “It was just riveting” (32:14).

• Controversies and Regulations: Steve addresses recent controversies regarding driver conformations, advocating for transparency in the sport. He asserts, “Scotty Scheffler did not cheat. That's just wear and tear on the new technology of these drivers” (49:42).

Key Quote:
Steve Sands emphasizes the need for clear regulations, stating, “They need to change the old school way of thinking. If someone gets suspended, people should know why” (50:19).

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4. Personal Anecdote: Tony’s New York Reunion

Time Stamp: 08:12

Tony Kornheiser recounts his experience traveling alone to New York for a high school reunion. The story highlights his interactions and the unexpected challenges he faced.

Notable Discussion Points:

• Reunion Experience: Tony describes the atmosphere and the people he met, including reconnecting with old classmates like Sherry Berman and JoJo Silverman. He humorously notes, “Girls don't pay” during dinner (09:07).

• Travel Mishaps: Sharing his ordeal with Amtrak, Tony details a series of delays and technical issues that disrupted his journey. He laments, “I want all my points. Am I wrong?” (17:45).

• Reflection on Travel: The story underscores the frustrations of relying on public transportation and the unpredictability of travel plans.

Key Quote:
Tony expresses his dissatisfaction with the train experience, saying, “I'm not bitter about it. But my feeling is, I'm in a point situation” (15:55).

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5. Listener Emails and Community Engagement

Time Stamp: 53:07

The show features a segment where Tony reads and responds to listener emails, sharing humorous and heartfelt stories from the audience.

Notable Highlights:

• Tributes and Congratulations: Emails celebrate achievements like the Binghamton Bearcats' championship win and individual accomplishments in college softball.

• Humorous Narratives: Stories range from gardening tips for Tony’s intern Chris to playful jabs at everyday mishaps.

• Creative Writing: An intriguing poem-like submission reflects on nostalgia and personal growth, blending humor with poetic flair.

Key Quote:
From a listener named Rich Barajas: “My point is, I have no connection to the D.C. area at all... but this weekend I'm sitting on my couch watching the Cubs White Sox games” (55:38).

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6. Golf Discussion: PGA Championship and Player Analysis

Time Stamp: 39:43

Steve Sands provides an in-depth analysis of the PGA Championship, focusing on Scotty Scheffler’s performance and the implications for other players like Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau.

Notable Discussion Points:

• Scotty Scheffler’s Triumph: Steve commends Scheffler’s ability to maintain a seven-hole lead and his strategic adjustments on the back nine. “Scotty Scheffler is the best player in the world for a reason” (11:50).

• Jon Rahm’s Struggles: The episode discusses Rahm’s unexpected collapse under pressure, questioning his consistency. “He just didn't have it. He was taking chances and missing putts that you would not normally see” (42:26).

• Technology and Fair Play: The conversation addresses controversies around driver conformations, advocating for transparency and consistent testing to maintain fairness in the sport.

Key Quote:
Steve Sands urges, “The PGA of America is running that event and the rules are very vague. They need to change it quickly” (49:42).

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7. Closing Remarks and Final Thoughts

Towards the end of the episode, Tony reflects on the day’s discussions, reiterating key points and expressing gratitude to his guests and listeners. He emphasizes the importance of transparency in sports regulations and the unpredictability that makes sports engaging.

Key Quote:
Tony concludes with a nod to personal resilience, “You don’t retire from noise. You drift far enough out to hear yourself again” (71:22).

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8. Quotes and Highlights

• Tony Kornheiser: “What do you think, Lean into the microphone, say what you think” (18:17)

• Harrison Todd: “Minnesota is a complete team, and they've been through it further” (23:41)

• Steve Sands: “They need to change the old school way of thinking. If someone gets suspended, people should know why” (50:19)

• Tony Kornheiser: “I'm not bitter about it. But my feeling is, I'm in a point situation” (15:55)

• Steve Sands: “Scotty Scheffler is the best player in the world for a reason” (11:50)

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Conclusion

In this episode of "The Tony Kornheiser Show," listeners are treated to a blend of sports analysis, personal storytelling, and engaging interactions with guests and the audience. From the highs of championship victories to the frustrations of travel mishaps, Tony and his panel provide an entertaining and insightful look into the world of sports and beyond.

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For more episodes and updates, tune in to The Tony Kornheiser Show available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Audacy.

Transcript

[Tony Kornheiser]

Hey, it's Tony. On today's show, we'll talk to Michael Wilbon about the conference finals in the NBA playoffs and also about the Preakness. And we'll talk with Steve Sands about Scotty Scheffler's great weekend at Quail Hollow. But first, commerce. Now more than ever, Lowe's knows you don't just want a low price. You want the lowest price. And with our lowest price guarantee, you can count on us for competitive prices on all your home improvement projects. If you find a qualifying lower price somewhere else on the same item, we'll match it Lowe's. We help you save price. Match applies to same item current price at qualifying retailers. Exclusions and terms apply. Learn how we'll match price@lowe's.com lowest price guarantee. Hey there, travelers. Kaley Cuoco here.

[Michael Wilbon]

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[Tony Kornheiser]

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[Michael Wilbon]

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[Tony Kornheiser]

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[Steve Sands]

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[Kaley Cuoco]

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[Tony Kornheiser]

Priceline.

[Steve Sands]

Previously on the Tony Kornheiser Show.

[Harrison Todd]

He steps in the cage, and now everyone at the batting cage recognizes the hit king is in the batting cage.

[Steve Sands]

First pitch comes in.

[Harrison Todd]

Incarcerated for five months. He whistles a line drive right back at the pitching machine. He looks at everyone around him. He throws his bat to the ground. He says, some things never effing change. And then he walks away. That's who Pete Rose is.

[Steve Sands]

Tony.

[Tony Kornheiser]

The Tony Kornheiser show is on now. And that's why we have Tim Kirchen on the show to tell stories like that.

[Michael Wilbon]

Just a quick story.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah, quick story. So some business to take care of. First of all, we have Harrison Todd with us today. He is a senior at Murray. This is his independent study week. Michael was a senior at Murray. Didn't you just play golf?

[Michael Wilbon]

I believe that I. I forced the school's hand to change the rules for senior study week, which was a great opportunity to get out of the field. We have a, you know, we have a great alumni network, a lot of very interesting professionals in, you know, in different fields. And they wanted you to go find something that, you know, met your passions. My passions at the time, sleeping in and playing golf.

[Tony Kornheiser]

The Cornheizer claws.

[Michael Wilbon]

Yes. So I wanted to go work at a pro shop and go hang out around a golf course. Then I realized, well, actually that sort of is a pre dawn activity. So they always gave you the opportunity to take your regularly scheduled classes if you have any seniors in your life, you know. Okay, well, after APs, a lot of those classes go dark, so. So I realized half of my classes weren't going to meet. And I already had the half day in the. In the back pocket. And I had the most wonderful science teacher, my physics teacher, Ms. Grappi, who realized what was going on and she went out of her way to find a physics project for me. So I'd come in, check in with her, and she let me work in the physics lab for a couple hours. And then I'd go hit balls in the afternoon.

[Tony Kornheiser]

So that was good independent study week. So I. Every time I think of the name Harrison, of course, I think of Harrison Ford. Sure. And you must get this a lot, that people just react. Well, maybe they don't because you're a kid and Harrison Ford's thousand years old. But I think of Harrison Ford and I thought about this last night. You both have last names of four letters and they both end in D. And they both have two of the same letters. The O and the D. That's right. Right. So I'm. I don't want to call you Harrison Ford. Does anyone ever call you Harrison Ford? No. Don't shake your head with a microphone. You have to talk with a microphone. Your father should have taught you that, right?

[Harrison Todd]

Yes.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Okay, that's good. And you have no nicknames.

[Steve Sands]

No nickname.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Okay. And we will get to you later in the week, but not now. Now I'm gonna tell a story.

[Michael Wilbon]

I thought you'd be here with picks.

[Tony Kornheiser]

But first we're going to get to the golf with Steve Sands. We're going to get to the basketball with Wilbon. We're get to the horse race with Wilbon. Wilbon watched the horses. We did. Are we going to get to the.

[Michael Wilbon]

Will you just give me two minutes to say something about the golf? And it's not going to be about the drivers if you don't want. It would just be. This comes down to round three in the final five holes, which includes the Green Mile. Scotty Scheffler, best player in the world. And according to the. According to the Nike ad that they're running now, is guilty of that charge, which is just perfect timing one year later, goes five under in the last five holes, which gives you that big lead going into the final round, ends up needing all of it because of.

[Tony Kornheiser]

These are the three hardest holes on the course. 16, 17, 18. Yeah.

[Michael Wilbon]

And he opens up the stretch just before that with an eagle. So everything you were wondering about his form going into that, is he going to be able to continue what he had in Texas a few weeks back?

[Tony Kornheiser]

Right there, that's the whole tournament. He's the best player in the world. Okay, thank you for that. And I'm not going to get to the O's. And the Nats. And the Nats won the series. They've won five of six against the Orioles this year. Because there's something really glad to know I went to significantly wrong with the Baltimore Orioles. There's a team that won over 100 games two years ago, one close to 100 last year. Significantly wrong that firing a manager is not. It might change, but it's not necessarily going to change. He's just missed the last two games and they lost those two games to a mediocre team at home. Baltimore's at home.

[Michael Wilbon]

Yeah. And you look at the, you know, you look at the first game of that series where they end up winning because it's a bang, bang play, pitcher fielding practice, and you just sort of, you're one step too late. It sort of sums up the entire.

[Tony Kornheiser]

O season, by the way. The, the game that, the play that ended the game yesterday was a fabulous double play where C.J. abrams gets the ball going towards the hole and throws it out of his glove with his glove hand to Garcia who turns around.

[Michael Wilbon]

I've been having great talks with the booster who's like, so let's say that the ball hits off of my glove, does not go out of the park, and it goes to another player, which happened earlier in the weekend. So I'm showing him highlights. So we love seeing these things where the Red Sox.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah.

[Michael Wilbon]

The glove gets tossed.

[Tony Kornheiser]

It's just a great play. It's a, it's a wonderful play. Okay. So. And I also want to thank Todd and Amy of Honey Hound Honey at the Honey Hill Tahoe Farm in Truckee, California. They sent us three lovely jars. Honey that they make. And that book, I believe. And a book. What I love about Honey Big Adventure.

[Michael Wilbon]

Is that the label is oriented so that when the honey is standing upright on top of the, you know, the opening, you can actually see the label the proper way. You can read it.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Most importantly, in aps, honey never goes bad if it crystallizes. I always think when it crystallizes. It's rotten. That's it. Just put it in a sunny window or drop the bottle into some hot water for a quick fix. And Todd writes, the woman I'm not married to, but have been with for over a decade was downright impressed that you actually read our email on your show. To celebrate, she unearthed a couple of bottles of our secret stash of honey. Insist that I send them your way. As the self appointed official beekeepers of the TK show, we'd like to buzz in with a few quick points. First off, honey is basically nature's candy. Good for you and a perfect substitute for sunny for sugar in your coffee or tea in your coffee. Okay? And on those chilly nights when you want to unwind, a hot toddy made with your favorite bourbon, hot water, lemon and honey will not only lull you to sleep, but also work wonders on any cold or flu symptoms you might be nursing. Our honey hounds are the real MVPs around here, guarding our hives. And at 6,600ft in black bear country, Stella, who you'll see on the bottle, turns into a yipping tornado whenever she senses danger. She, along with her other two honeyhounds, are our protectors of hives. Lastly, we've taken a detour into children's literature with our first book, the Honey Hounds and the Big Barry B E A R hyphen Y Big Adventure. The Berry Big Adventure which we're sending for Michael's kids. It's got all the buzzworthy action and bear sized fun you'd expect. Thanks again for the shout out. Even though I'm not a Nats fan, I somehow know every picture in their bullpen. That's how entertaining your show is. And rock chalk to the Jayhawks out there. So we give this to Michael along with honey. Michael just has Stella a big patch. Just has a big patch of stuff that is given there. He never takes it home.

[Michael Wilbon]

And it's book looks amazing.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Should we have Harrison Harrison write a book report on this?

[Michael Wilbon]

Yes. All right, put the captain to bed.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Here's a story. I went up to New York. I hadn't gone to New York. I hadn't traveled anywhere in years. Traveled by myself, took an Acela train to New York for purposes of going to a high school mini reunion. There were about 25 or 30 guys and about 10 girls. And yes, I call them boys and girls. And in fact at one point we were sitting at a bar watching the Preakness and the check came for the drinks and a couple of hors d' oeuvres. And I said, girls don't pay. And nobody said, I'm a woman. Nobody said that. They said, good. Girls don't pay. Girls don't pay. That's how I grew up. Girls don't pay. So we had this lovely reunion. I had seen most of the people there over the course of time, you know, years back, but I knew what they looked like. I was conversant with that, and some of them not at all. I ended up talking with one of the girls from my high school named Sherry Berman. I didn't even know her in high school. Didn't know who she was, and perfectly pleasant to talk to and stuff like that. There were a couple of guys that I hadn't seen in a really long time. JoJo Silverman, who was huge in high school, was like. He was like 5:10 or 5:11 in fifth grade, you know, I. So, like, it was impossible to play basketball against him because he would throw the ball up. He'd get his own rebounding throw.

[Michael Wilbon]

You probably graduated high school 50 years ago, right?

[Tony Kornheiser]

No. No, I didn't. Not 50.

[Michael Wilbon]

I didn't do the math, did I?

[Tony Kornheiser]

You did not. That's why you were an English major.

[Michael Wilbon]

60.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah. It's a long time ago. A long time. I'm the youngest in the class by a full year. And. But, yeah, and so we got together at the Penn Club on 40 West 44th Street.

[Michael Wilbon]

You're welcome.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yes. Well, what. We had about five or six people who went to Penn, and one of them, Stanley Sloan, had. Had joined the Penn Club. I'll just tell you this. I mean, if you. If you've got a college, it's got a club, join it. Because it's a restaurant that's always open. It's a bar that's always open. It's a library that's always open in a big city. And, you know, you can. You can unwind there. You know, you feel it was great. They had hors d' oeuvres, they had drinks. It was a totally reasonable price for everything that they did per person. And, you know, and everybody. And we were instructed by Eddie. Eddie ran the whole thing. Eddie and Tony Katz ran the whole thing. And Eddie had the Derby. Right. By the way, he was so happy when we were watching the Derby. The Preakness, rather. He had the Derby right, too. He had sovereignty, and then he had journalism. And Eddie said, bring cash. Cash is the way you do it. We're not fooling around with credit cards. 80,000 credit. No, bring cash. Everybody brought cash. It was like $80 a person. It was totally worth it. I was there for three or four hours. The food never stopped coming, drinks never stopped. It was really nice and I was really thrilled to do it. That's not the story. The story is the next day. I have a 9 o' clock train. I have a 9 o' clock casella. I have a first class ticket on a 9 o' clock casella. Here is what I did, kids. I bought a first class ticket on the ride up. You don't even want to know how much money this is. It's an outrageous sum of money. I bought it and then I used points that I had accumulated over the years to get a free first class ticket back. You know, I had like 21,000 points over the years. That's why you have them. 20,000 points got me a first class ticket. I'm good, right? I get in a cab in Manhattan from the hotel, I go over to this new Moynihan train mall or train hall. It's gorgeous. It's the most beautiful train station in the world. It's just fabulous.

[Michael Wilbon]

But you don't, with that ticket, you don't have to be part of the stampede to get.

[Tony Kornheiser]

No, no, no. There's a, there's a lounge. There's a lounge where there's non alcoholic drinks and food. Lovely. And then at 10 of 9, we get summoned to take, you know, the escalators down and go into the train. And we go into the train.

[Michael Wilbon]

Did you pick up a sliced seeded rye?

[Tony Kornheiser]

I did not. I didn't go through the mall there. I didn't know if there was a Zaros. I did. Not necessarily. Orange Julius maybe didn't do anything like that. Orange Julius. Get out. We're not doing Orange Julius ever. We get on the train and we get as far as Newark. That's the first stop. Newark, New Jersey. On a cellar, there's limited stops. There's only four stops. Not every little podunk train station like Princeton Junction. I don't want to get ahead of myself on the story.

[Michael Wilbon]

Time is supposed to be just under two hours, right?

[Tony Kornheiser]

No, no, no, three.

[Michael Wilbon]

Three.

[Tony Kornheiser]

It's three hours nine to 12, which.

[Michael Wilbon]

Is great time on the.

[Tony Kornheiser]

I mean, it's zip down. Fantastic. It's shorter than driving. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And all things considered, the same amount as taking a flight because you got to get to an airport at a certain time, then it's a long ride into the city. Same amount of time. We pull out of Newark, we go about a mile and a half, we Stop dead. The engine dies. Let me repeat that for people in the West. The engine dies. In fact, one of the announcements is our engines dead in the water. We then are subject to a series of announcements. There's no, the toilets don't work. The air conditioning doesn't work, the electricity doesn't work. There is no power. This is, we are told, this and no power. And the word is evacuation. We have to be evacuated off the train and put on to another train. They will bring another. This is over the course of over an hour. They will bring another train on a track right next to our train. They will fit it so perfectly that you will step from your train into the other train. That's great except for a few things. Like that train's full. Okay. Like that train has passengers. That's the slower regional train 155 and that has passengers. So I'm not getting a good seat. I'm crawling in among people, right? They say we're going to have to evacuate the train. And then they say we're going to begin with the elderly and those with ada, that's I guess Americans with Disability act, that's what I assume that is. And then families with small children. We're going to evacuate them first. That's the word. Trying to see unattended children say, I have a child. Yeah. And so, and this takes a long time. And I say, what qualifies for elderly? They go 65, I go bang, I'm in. Got that by a lot. Got that by a decade more. So and when you wait around and then you are moved and then you go into the next train. And my point would be this, when you buy a first class ticket in a train or in a plane or in anything, you're not paying for the train ride, you're not paying for the airplane ride. You get that. You get the same ride that everybody else gets. You arrive when they arrive. You're not, you're paying for amenities, that's all you're paying for. You're paying for food or you're paying for a better seat. You're paying for a single seat.

[Michael Wilbon]

And just a. On a train, different than a plane, you want a closed door experience where you're not going to have every stop, people running through.

[Tony Kornheiser]

So it's so I didn't get any of that. I'm not bitter. I mean I got the whole thing was delayed about two and a half hours total. I'm not bitter about it. But my feeling this, and this is just my feeling. I tried to get Back into the one reserved car on the. On the train we walked into, and they said, no, you need a ticket for this. I said, I had a first class ticket in that other train. He goes, sorry, you don't have one here. Okay, that's fair. Doesn't convey. No, it doesn't convey. Because you don't ever expect to be evacuated onto another train.

[Michael Wilbon]

I'm surprised they went straight to the word evacuation, by the way.

[Tony Kornheiser]

We got ship be sinking. We got on the first train. The elderly and the Adas and the small children, family situation. They had to get three different trains. So we. We certainly beat some of the other trains. But you stop everywhere. You stop in New Brunswick. I've taken this train 10,000 times. I've never stopped in New Brunswick. Princeton junction. I didn't know there was a Princeton junction. You stop and you wait and it takes a longer time. So if an Acela takes three hours, a regular train takes three and a half, 340, something like that. So we're supposed to be in at 12. We're in after 2. Okay, it's safe. It's okay. I can live with it. I had a seat girl next to me. I was in the quiet car. So nobody bothers you in the quiet car. Nobody says it. The loudest thing in the quiet car are the announcements, you know, over the PA system. And I'm not angry and I'm not bitter and I'm grateful that we made it at all. And by the way, people say, well, what. What station were you stopped in when they made the exchange? And I said, open field, America. We're not stopped in a station. We're in the woods. We're in the woods and I bring this train up, match it up, sync it up perfectly, and you walk in. But. But I used all the points I'd ever accumulated to do this. And I didn't get first class. No, you didn't. So Amtrak has written me back. They write you a note and they say you were really sorry about everything that happened. That's kind of him to say that. We're sorry about everything that happened and we're going to refund half of your money. Well, I was not in a money situation. I was in a point situation. I don't want half my point. Half my points are useless. Can't do anything with them. I want all my points. Am I wrong? I want. Because again, I didn't. I didn't.

[Michael Wilbon]

You're not wrong at all.

[Tony Kornheiser]

You did not get this for the train.

[Michael Wilbon]

This is a. This is A fake monetary value. It's just. It's only worth something in the experience. And you'd be happy to say, I'll give you the hundred dollars if that's what you think.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Sure.

[Michael Wilbon]

Half the points are worth.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Sure.

[Michael Wilbon]

Square. But I want the full points. I want my upgrade again.

[Tony Kornheiser]

I want my 20,000 points so the next time I do this, I can do that. That's exactly right. Because I missed the experience.

[Steve Sands]

Yeah.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Right. So I'm not wrong. I'm not being selfish. No. I mean, let's ask the kid. Yeah. The kid may think I'm an idiot. What do you think? Lean into the microphone, say what you think. I think you have a good point.

[Steve Sands]

You didn't get.

[Tony Kornheiser]

I love this kid.

[Michael Wilbon]

I mean, you were on the train.

[Tony Kornheiser]

And then like for a little bit, and then you had train for 11 minutes. 11 minutes, yeah.

[Michael Wilbon]

So they deduct the 11 minutes worth of points. There's a hardship ca. You were evacuated.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah. It's very nice that they are offering all the passengers. I'm sure they're offering all the passengers half the money. But I'm not in a money situation now. You're in a point. I'm in a point situation. So I'm gonna try to make that case. That's the case. I'm going to plead. Well, at least if I never get a lie.

[Michael Wilbon]

At least you had the offer to get picked up in Baltimore to shorten the experience.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Carol writes a note. I write note, a text to her, you know, and tell her what's going on. And she says I could. It was inferred. She used the word Baltimore. She never used Washington. She was Baltimore. Didn't it seem like she was gonna pick me up in Baltimore?

[Michael Wilbon]

It seemed like she was offering to pick you up in Baltimore.

[Tony Kornheiser]

That's insane. Carrollton.

[Michael Wilbon]

We were like Carrollton.

[Tony Kornheiser]

We stopped in New Carrollton. The only time I've ever stopped in New Carrollton in my life. Of course you did. No, no. And so I rejected Carol's offer because she couldn't find the station in Baltimore.

[Michael Wilbon]

And you would still have to drive. It isn't a problem that every trade station has the same name, you know.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Everything is Penn State. Everything is Penn State. It's not union stations. Yeah. So that's. That's my story. And I'm sticking to it, you know, And I will see what happens. So we'll take a break. Wilbon.

[Michael Wilbon]

That's right.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Michael Wilbon. When we return. I'm Tony Kornheiser.

[Harrison Todd]

Ryan Reynolds here from Mint Mobile.

[Michael Wilbon]

I Don't know if you knew this.

[Harrison Todd]

But anyone can get the same Premium Wireless for $15 a month plan that I've been enjoying.

[Michael Wilbon]

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[Tony Kornheiser]

So do like I did and have.

[Harrison Todd]

One of your assistant's assistants switch you to Mint Mo.

[Michael Wilbon]

I'm told it's super easy to [e-mail].

[Steve Sands]

Switch upfront payment of $45 for 3.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Month plan equivalent to $15 per month required intro rate first 3 months only, then full price plan options available, taxes and fees extra.

[Steve Sands]

See full [e-mail] this is the Tony Kornheiser Show.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Uncertainty is the essence of competitive sports. Think about it. If we knew the outcome of every sporting event before it happened, would we even be remotely interested in watching? Like in the 74 Masters when I trailed Jack Nicklaus by three strokes in a back nine on Sunday, nobody expected me to go six under on those last holes to be Jack from my first green jacket, but I did. Okay, maybe I didn't, but that would have been a great story. And you get the picture. Uncertainty may be good for sports, but that doesn't mean it's good for small businesses. With rising cost, tighter lending standards and slowing consumer demand, the economy is clearly softening, leading to uncertainty for small businesses. Which is why now is the time to secure working capital before you need it. Revenood offers fast, flexible funding that's made for times like these. Revenud is built for small business owners. Unlike banks, Revenood approves businesses based on revenue, not your personal credit score. You can get access to up to $250,000 in as fast as one business day. Funds are available on demand. You can draw only what you need when you need it, and only pay for what you use. With revenued Flexline your available funds replenish as you repay, giving your business the breathing room to stay resilient. There are no application fees, no maintenance fees and no draw fees. And people are seeing real Results. More than 10,000 business owners used Revenood to power through uncertainty. Revenued is Rated Excellent on Trustpilot with over 9005 star reviews. Apply now at use revenue.com that's use revenue with a D dot com. Apply today and be ready for whatever comes next.

[Steve Sands]

You're listening to the Tony Kornheiser Show.

[Tony Kornheiser]

This is a song from Autumn Hollow sent to us by Rick Franzosa. Cincinnati says my incredibly talented nephew Brendan Murphy and his band Autumn Hollow just released the new album Sing no More from a recent review. Brendan Murphy's voice gravel, rich and Gut Level guides the listener through tales that feel ripped from notebooks, scrawled in barrooms and back porches. These songs are stories, confessions, and declarations of presence. There are two songs here. This one is after all of this Is Gone. The music is available on Spotify and itunes. And they will be performing at arenant in Allston, Massachusetts, on May 23rd. So that's this Week coming up. Yeah. And JJ's Tavern in Northampton, Massachusetts, on June 7th. Very good. Autumn Hollow. Really good. Really good. Play in Michael Wilbond. And we will start with the basketball. We now have the finals, conference finals set. Minnesota sitting around, waiting for a while, will play Oklahoma City, which destroyed. Just destroyed Denver. I watched a lot of that game, and I know that jokic was fouled 5,000 times and it was never called, but the team, Oklahoma City destroyed them. Starting with about five minutes to go in the first half, they just destroyed them. And the Knicks will play the Pacers. Two teams seated three and four, both one against all odds. Who do you like, Mike? Who do you like and why?

[Harrison Todd]

Boy, Tony, it's gonna be narrowly in both. I think I like. I think I like the Knicks and Minnesota. And, you know, I've been saying all.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Year, Minnesota, you've been saying Oklahoma City would win the title all year.

[Harrison Todd]

Yeah. And I'm not. I'm not. I'm not gonna like, reverse field now. I'm not gonna change sort of the. You know who I'm thinking should win the championship. But Minnesota is a complete team, and they've been through it further. They've been through it once already. Conference finals. Oklahoma City has not. And Oklahoma City's defense, that you point out, it really is the best unit of the. Of the 14.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yes, they're really good, that defense.

[Harrison Todd]

It really is. And they each have a star. I mean, they each have the player that you want to see. Now that, you know the league and the people who watch the league, and particularly the people who just tune in the spring, they're going to have to get over no Curry. No, no, no Curry, no LeBron. And that's over. In terms of late in the year, those guys saddling up, getting to the finals, that's kind of done. Not that each one of them couldn't make it more with a fortified team, but this is what you got now. We've moved on. The caravan has moved on. It has moved on to Anthony Edwards and Shay Gildrich Alexander for a couple of years. Couple of years. Because you got other young guys on the stage trying to force Their way through, like Wimbanyama. And you're going to have. Who knows, you may have Cooper flag. You have a lot of young guys, but these are the two young guys at the moment. And you got Halliburton and Jalen Brunson, who have been there kind of a little longer. You know, Brunson has been around a bit. He was on Dallas with Luka, and we didn't see that much of him because Luka, you know, takes the air out of every room he's in when he's on the court. So with Jalen Brunson playing in New York, did you see the pictures? Did you see any of the video of what People shooting video from their apartments and what New York looked like the other night? Tony? No, it looked like you didn't see it. I can't believe you didn't see. Looked like Times Square on New Year's Eve.

[Tony Kornheiser]

It's been a long time. People out celebrating a long time for the Knicks. People are happy for the Knicks. Yeah, they're happy for the Knicks.

[Harrison Todd]

So those two series, I think I got the Knicks. Would it surprise me if Indiana. No, it wouldn't surprise me. I.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Well, let me go back to your logic.

[Harrison Todd]

Favored, but I don't know that Minnesota is a complete team.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Let me go back to your logic. You say that Minnesota has an advantage because they've been in this circumstance before and Oklahoma City has an. Indiana was in this last year. They got swept, but they were in this last year. Do they have no advantage over the Knicks?

[Harrison Todd]

Maybe a slight one. Okay, maybe ever so slight. I, you know, I look at the teams and I'm thinking, okay, New York ought to have the two best players of the series, but do I really want to make the case that Kat is better than Halliburton? Maybe. I don't want to make that case. I think. I think what's cool is that we have some unknown. We don't go into this NBA semifinal, final Four like we do most years, where you have an absolute idea who you're going to side up with based on years of stuff. KD, LeBron, you know, it's. It's theft. You know, Clay, it's not that. And I think that's really refreshing. I mean, I'm excited to see it.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Why are they not starting tonight? Why are the Knicks and the Pacers not starting tonight? Why are they waiting till Wednesday?

[Harrison Todd]

They're building. They're building things, people. Their arena dates. The arenas aren't sitting empty waiting for the NBA to figure out who's playing? How did the. How did the people who run the arena and how did. How did the. How the people running Madison Square Garden, though? The Knicks are going to be playing this week. They didn't.

[Tony Kornheiser]

No.

[Harrison Todd]

So they don't book like Taylor Swift. Taylor Swift's a bad example because Taylor Swift is only playing 60,000, 80,000 seats, tables. But there are people. The Garden is booked every night. And so why are they waiting to know if the Knicks are going to play? Knicks are going to play. Maybe. Yeah. We'll just leave the building sitting there and not make $30 million tonight.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Okay.

[Harrison Todd]

So, you know, there's life goes on for people who have other things, network programming. Not in terms of espn, which is sports, but others. This is May sweeps.

[Tony Kornheiser]

When is the end of it? When is the west starting tonight?

[Harrison Todd]

Tomorrow night? Tuesday.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Okay.

[Harrison Todd]

Tuesday for the. Tuesday for the West, Wednesday for the East.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Wow. So the west has less rest than the East By a substantial margin. Yeah.

[Harrison Todd]

Oklahoma City will have had just Sunday and Monday.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah, well.

[Harrison Todd]

Yeah, well, that's what. They went seven. You had seven. You're going to get less rest.

[Tony Kornheiser]

You've gotten a lot of things right, but you got some stuff wrong, too. You had Boston winning 6 and 7.

[Harrison Todd]

Boston would extend to 7. But. But once, you know, I thought Boston could still get to seven without Tatum. I. I didn't think Boston. Oh. I didn't think Boston would win three straight. As a matter of fact, I said several times, not that you even watch the Sports center, but even though PTI is off, doesn't mean I am. And I said I didn't think Boston could win three straight. I thought they could win two straight.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Okay.

[Harrison Todd]

Push it to game seven.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Did you have Denver winning?

[Harrison Todd]

Not even do that.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Did you have Denver?

[Harrison Todd]

No, I didn't. I didn't have to pick because I didn't do any Sports Center. I thought that. I certainly didn't expect to blow out. And I did not think Denver would win without Aaron Gordon.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Right. And Aaron Gordon, he's a good player.

[Harrison Todd]

Hamstring pole. He's there. He's there. He's not their second most important player. Jamal Murray is that. But Aaron Gordon's your third most important player and he's their only explosive athlete on the whole team. Yeah, he and Brown, but Aaron Gordon's, you know, Aaron Gordon has made huge plays in an enormous week. Week ago, as you pointed out, when he. He was at the end of two miracle finishes.

[Tony Kornheiser]

He's a really good player.

[Harrison Todd]

Him away. And Joker said something yesterday, Tony, that is Going to resonate, which is somebody asked the question, can you still win with this team?

[Tony Kornheiser]

He said no. He said, we didn't win. So, no, we didn't win.

[Harrison Todd]

So, no, we can't. No, we did. We hit twice. So what does that mean? Like, who does Denver go after? Does Denver go after Giannis to pair with Joker? Could they occupy the same spaces on the floor? Could that be done?

[Tony Kornheiser]

I would go after. I'd go after a shooting coach for Jamal Murray. Some of his percentages are terrible.

[Harrison Todd]

He had those percentages when they won a championship.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah, I'm not a fan. I know you're a fan. I'm not a fan of Jamal Murray's. I think he just plays around with a ball far too much. And he's not a natural point guard.

[Harrison Todd]

No, and neither. Yeah, but neither is, you know, neither is Shay, Gilchrist, Alexander. And so now in Michael Conley, Minnesota does have that player.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yes, they do. He's old.

[Harrison Todd]

Anthony Edwards.

[Tony Kornheiser]

He knows what he's doing.

[Harrison Todd]

He's 38 years old.

[Tony Kornheiser]

He's old.

[Harrison Todd]

He does know what he's doing.

[Tony Kornheiser]

All right, let me. Let me get off this and get to something that will excite the people who are listening, because you have been dismissive of the horsies for so many years. But not this year, right?

[Harrison Todd]

No, no, no. I happen to tune in. I just happened to catch two races that were great. I mean, look, I like sports, period. I've been watching horse racing all my life because my father was a horse guy. My father grew up on a farm in Georgia and he knew everything about all animals and loved horses. And so we grew up in my house watching not just the Derby and the Pre. Not the Triple Crown races, but the races at Arlington Heights in Chicago when I was a kid.

[Tony Kornheiser]

The Arlington Futurity, sure, for two year olds.

[Harrison Todd]

You know, we grew up watching and. Well, but the Trotters. And we grew up watching all that stuff because my own man watched it. I did not take that after him. But this is not new to me. And races of any kind are much more preferable to judging, skating, gymnastics. I don't care about that stuff. I care about races, people, horses, whatever. And so I tuned in because I happened to. They made these races later, which I don't like in the day.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Like 7 o' clock used to be at 5:30. 7 o' clock. It's ridiculous.

[Harrison Todd]

Yeah. And so the preakness is at 7 as well. And I didn't even know when it was on because I left you a message saying, hey, It's a Preakness today. I didn't know the Preakness was that day. Yeah, I have no idea. And so I watched it, and I was rooting for, of course, the horse. Journalism and the race that ensued is just one. It's just. It's rousing, it's riveting. The race itself and how it played out.

[Tony Kornheiser]

The horse got.

[Harrison Todd]

Yeah. I was in my house myself, watching and screaming and yelling like a maniac.

[Tony Kornheiser]

The horse got bumped twice. Journalism got bumped twice.

[Harrison Todd]

I don't know if it was a bumping.

[Tony Kornheiser]

It was. No. I thought it got bumped and I thought it got sandwiched. And I don't know if the. If the jockey did a great job or a terrible job. I don't know. But suddenly it was through the problems, and it had about, I don't know, five seconds to catch a horse which was like 50 yards ahead of it. And it ran it down. Journalism ran down the other horse like Secretariat ran down Video Game.

[Harrison Todd]

It's a movie. You don't.

[Tony Kornheiser]

You.

[Harrison Todd]

It's something that's created with AI.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Just.

[Harrison Todd]

You actually had. You don't actually see this happen. It's the natural of horse racing. And you go, what? And to see it live, forget, look, video. Fine. You know, it's coming. It's not the same. To watch this live. The disbelief and then that turns it to belief. Like, I don't believe what I just saw is the perfect call. Yes, the call was perfect. When the guy just goes, oh, my God, that's the call. Yeah, that's the call.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Catches. And this is the shortest of the Triple Crown races. So this is shorter than the Derby. If the race had another 200 yards, the horse would have won by 10 lengths.

[Harrison Todd]

But it would have, and I. You know, and now I'm not going to win the Belmonte is. I'm not going to watch.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Why? You're gonna get Journalism against sovereignty again. No, it's for the championship of the year.

[Harrison Todd]

I don't know when they are.

[Tony Kornheiser]

It's in three weeks. I'll tell you when it is. It's in three weeks.

[Harrison Todd]

Yeah.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah. You'll watch it because you just watch two great races.

[Harrison Todd]

Why not go for three races? I don't know what it's going up against, though. Is it going up against the game seven I might be attending on a Saturday at seven o' clock? I don't know.

[Tony Kornheiser]

I don't know.

[Harrison Todd]

But it was. It was just riveting.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah, it was great.

[Harrison Todd]

Bravo.

[Tony Kornheiser]

By the way, I will say one other thing. I Had no idea the Cubs were good. Yeah, I had no idea. Is this the manager?

[Harrison Todd]

It's part of it. It's also acquisitions. They, they, they did some stuff. I don't like letting Cody Bellinger go. And I think we had Cody Bellinger. We would be in just an unbelievably great position. But, you know, look, the Cubs decided in 2021 to dump everybody who's on a team, the greatest Cub team of anybody's lifetime, right? And it got rid of Chris Bryant and Javi Baez and Schwaber and his followers near retirement, although he was in St. Louis for a while. And Rizzo and he just basically said, okay, sorry, everybody's out. And people in Chicago wanted to have a mutiny because these are the greatest Cubs of their lifetime, even if they're old enough to remember Ernie Banks to Billy Williams and Fergie Jenkins and Ron Sat up and they got it right. Because none of those players. Baez is having something of a resurgent year with Detroit, but the rest of them don't play. I mean, Chris Bryant, who won an MVP in 2016, in his second year in the league, is a whisper. He plays like 30 games a year. Matthew and I sat last night because he was one of those kids. He was eight years old when the Cubs won. So God knows this is going to be the greatest thing in his life. And when they traded people, he swore, he cursed them. He was never going to follow a game. And last night he said something that. Something close to what you said. He goes, dad, the Cubs are actually good, aren't they? They're good, yeah. And I said, yeah, they got pitching. No one's heard of the pitchers. They've gotten the best pitcher on the staff, the two best pitchers, the Aces are on the DL. And Ilmonade is not going to be there long because he's not going to be there long. He should be back in a couple of weeks. And Ian Happ, a guy who was actually near the 16 club, he was on 17. He's been injured. He's only played like, I don't know, 15 games.

[Tony Kornheiser]

They went out and they got Craig Counsel from Milwaukee, right?

[Harrison Todd]

Yeah. He's the highest paid manager or second highest paid manager in the game.

[Tony Kornheiser]

And he's worth it.

[Harrison Todd]

He appears to be worth it. Then when I got the guy, they got some players. I have a third baseman yet, but we got this guy, Pete Crow, Armstrong, pca. You've probably never seen.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Never seen him.

[Harrison Todd]

He's the MVP of the National League. As far as I'm concerned. All right. He's got like 10 or 11 home runs. I think he leads the league in stolen bases. He plays center field. He is a showman. He's like the nice version of the evil. He's like the flip side of evil. Bryce Harper. He is likable. He is lovable. He turns every single into a double and is looking to go to third. He is Ty Cobb. Nobody knows him yet. It's a big market, though. You people will know him if they stay like this.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah.

[Harrison Todd]

And I don't know if I don't know how sustainable it is. It's just wonderful.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Now that's good to know. That's good. It's fun. All right. I'll talk to you later.

[Harrison Todd]

All right, Tom.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Michael Wilbon, boys and girls. We will take a break. We will come back with Steve Sands to talk about Scotty Scheffler's win in the pga. I'm Tony Kornheiser.

[Steve Sands]

The Hoover Dam wasn't built in a.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Day and the GMC Sierra lineup wasn't built overnight. Like every American achievement, building the Sierra 1500 heavy duty and EV was the result of dedication.

[Michael Wilbon]

A dedication to mastering the art of engineering.

[Tony Kornheiser]

That's what this country has done for 250 years and what GMC has done for over 100. We are professional grade. Visit GMC.com to learn more. Assembled in Flint and Hamtranc, Michigan and Fort Wayne, Indiana, of US and globally.

[Steve Sands]

Sourced parts, this episode is brought to.

[Tony Kornheiser]

You by State Farm. Knowing you could be saving money for the things you really want is a great feeling. Talk to a State Farm agent today to learn how you can choose to bundle and save with a personal price plan. Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there. Prices are based on rating plans that vary by state. Coverage options are selected by the customer, availability, amount of discounts and savings and eligibility vary by state.

[Steve Sands]

This is the Tony Kornheiser show. Tony Kornizer Show.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Once again, this is Brendan Murphy and his band Autumn Hollow, who again are appearing in Allston, Massachusetts on May 23rd at Aronaut at JJ's Tavern in Northampton, Massachusetts on June 7th. This is a song called Wooden Wire. Michael. If people like Brendan Murphy and bands like Autumn Hollow want to send in their music to play, how do they do it?

[Michael Wilbon]

Send us your music by emailing it to jinglesneyquanizershow.com this guy can sing.

[Tony Kornheiser]

I can. There's this guy can sing. If you hear echoes of Bruce Springsteen in his voice, it's, I'm sure, intentional. He sings in Steve Sands. And I'm just gonna lay this thing out briefly. I thought it was going to be a boring Sunday. I had some people who were texting me saying the same thing because Scottie Scheffler walked into Sunday with, I don't know, four or five shot lead and nobody was chasing him. And so everybody said, is it just going to be boring? Did you think the same thing? And can you explain what happened? Because though it might have been boring at the end, there was a period of time there where it looked like Jon Rahm could win this tournament.

[Steve Sands]

Yeah, John Rom was tied for the lead on the 11th hole. Yeah, it just kind of flipped around. A three shot lead in golf is something that can be made up, you know, very, very quickly. And Scottie Scheffler is the best player in the world for a reason. He did not play well on the front side. He allowed people to get back into the thing and he just kept hitting drive after drive left and left and left, and he allowed other people to get into it. But then he did something that the greats do, the greats of all time do. This is not a sport, Tony, where you can take a timeout. You don't have a coach who can take a 20 or a 30 or, you know, take a full or whatever the case may be. You can't visit the mound like in golf. And. And he made an adjustment on the back nine in his own way and ended up running away with it at the end. But on the 11th hole, when Jon Rahm tied him for the lead, I remember thinking, wow, this is going to be something crazy. Scotty Scheffler has closed seven consecutive, now eight consecutive 54 hole leads. That is remarkable on the world's grandest stage. So coming into it, I was with you. I thought it was going to be boring and Scotty was just going to walk away with it. But it ended up being really exciting for a couple of hours at least.

[Tony Kornheiser]

I thought it was really exciting couple of hours. I thought DeChambeau had a chance to jump up with Rom. He did not. And Rom then began to miss. I'm not going to say easy putts, but makeable birdie putts. There was a period of time where he missed about three of them and then he went in the water and then he, you know, he was just out of it. And I'm assuming he, he was out of it because he wanted to win and took chances that he would not normally take.

[Steve Sands]

Yeah, I mean, there's that. And also Sunday pressure at a major the same exact thing happened. John Rahm is a Masters champion. He's a U.S. open winner. Forget the official World Golf Ranking because he's gone to live. He's down there, way down below. He's a top five player in the world. There's no debate on that from anybody in and around the sport. He just hasn't been that way in the last year and a half because he went to live. But if you go back to last summer, I was thinking about this yesterday. You go back to last summer, the Olympics, okay? The Olympics has become, you know, the fifth thing in golf as far as an individual nature. There's the FedEx cup, obviously, but. And the players. But the gold medal being available every four years is a huge, huge deal to these guys. He had the lead on the back nine. I think it was a three shot lead on the back nine in Paris and completely collapsed yesterday. He completely collapsed.

[Tony Kornheiser]

He did.

[Steve Sands]

Jon Rahm does not normally collapse and he just didn't have it. He was taking chances and missing putts that you would not normally see from a player of his caliber. When he looks up at a leaderboard and knows, with seven holes to play, I'm tied for the lead. He did not play well coming down the stretch. It's all on him. And it's becoming a little bit of a pattern. That's two times in a row in a big, big spot where he has not performed well coming down the stretch.

[Tony Kornheiser]

So this leads to something I had written down specifically about him and DeChambeau. Does this. Do people in golf say, yeah, yeah, this is the Saudi Tour. This is what happens when you play in shorts and you play three days and you, you know, it's not the same. You're not equipped for it on Sunday. I don't know if that's too harsh a judgment. So I'm asking you.

[Steve Sands]

Yeah, I don't, I don't know if it's too harsh of a judgment either. I think that two things can be true. If you listen to Jim Nance over the weekend, by the way, he had a couple of subtle references to 54 hole tournaments versus 72. This is why we play 72 and not 54. This is why they play in pants and not in shorts, that kind of thing. There was a couple of really good Gym Nance moments over the weekend in that regard. And I think all of us who announced golf, especially on the PGA Tour, have been making subtle references to that over the last three or four years. I think that. Look, Tony Bryson DeChambeau won the US Open last year.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yes, he did.

[Steve Sands]

He's. He plays on live. The year prior, Brooks Koepka won at Oak Hill at the PGA Championship. He's a live player. So I think two things can be true at once. The great, great players like Rahm, like Koepka, like DeChambeau are going to be in the mix at these major championships regardless of where they play and how they prep for it, because they're just that great. And you just can't help that. On the flip side, if you say that two things can be true at once, you know, they're not used to this. You know, the, the guys who are playing on the PGA Tour regularly are used to 30, 40,000 fans. Used to four days, not three, used to no music and pants and all the things that come with playing on the PGA Tour that you do not get on live. So I do think that two things can be true at once. Yes, these guys are great enough to compete in these majors, but also, yes, their preparation isn't exactly the same and you won't see the amount of success that you normally would see from these guys because they're not playing regular PGA Tour golf week in, week out.

[Michael Wilbon]

I appreciate you say that two things can be true because you have a player from Liv in Joaquin Neiman who people were waiting to show up in a major. He beats the day four scoring average by about four and a half yesterday to get to a tie eight. And everyone is tied to tight. It's a loaded middle section that is full five back from Scotty, but you have a player with no real threat to win but did move up the leaderboard on day four and have a really good solid finish that the golf world was waiting to see.

[Steve Sands]

Yeah, I agree with that, Michael. But here's what I'll say. There are a lot of players on Sunday morning who play very well.

[Michael Wilbon]

Oh yeah, it's the Rory Backdoor special.

[Steve Sands]

Exactly. The pressure. It was Scott Hogue, Charles out iii. You can name millions of guys, Matt Kutcher all throughout the years. Great players and winners. By, by no means are they not winners. But a Sunday morning 8:55am T time is a lot different than a Sunday afternoon 2:40pm tea time. There's a lot less oxygen.

[Michael Wilbon]

Oh, totally. But these are still the metrics that people use to get into other major championships.

[Steve Sands]

That's exactly, that's exactly right. That's the key to some of these things, you know, like getting into the Masters next year. Some of these guys are already qualified because of their finish now because of Joaquin Neiman's finished because of some of these guys finishes yesterday. They'll get into the PGA Championship next year. So it'll never really cycle itself out. But you're 100% correct. This is, you know, Joaquinim is a great example. Joaquin Neiman is not preparing himself to win major championships. He's not Koepka, DeChambeau and Rahm. He could have been if he would have played a couple of more seasons on the PGA Tour and played against those types of courses and competition and atmosphere. But he's not, he chose to go the other route. And to me that has, that has, you know, stunted his growth as a golfer.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Well, I mean, I think you can look at Scheffler specifically and Scheffler having a bad front nine and the self imposed pressure on Scheffler and the way he turned it around on the back and got a couple of birdies and just extended his lead and could breathe and, and all of that. But there are two sort of overriding stories here. One was the mudball and one was the illegal driver with Rory McIlroy. I mean, are we, are we not supposed to believe that players know exactly what's in their bags?

[Steve Sands]

Now in this particular case, Tony, there is absolutely nothing to this every single week on the pga. This is the problem with the USGA and the PGA of America and the leadership in the rna, the leadership in golf not being transparent. They are hanging these players out to dry. And here's why. I'll make it as quickly, as quickly as I can. I'll explain this Week in week out, there are, they are testing drivers and not because they think the players are cheating because of technology. The face of the club on the driver is so thin now, it gets worn out by these guys. Scottie Scheffler had his driver removed from his bag this past week and still won the PGA Championship. But no one's talking about that because it was leaked out that of all the testing, Rory's driver, he just won the career Grand Islam. He won four times at quail Hollow. Rory's driver had been worn out. He wasn't cheating. Neither was Scotty, neither was anybody else. Sanders Schoffley at the Open Championship five years ago, six years ago, same exact thing happened to him. What happens is these players wear out that thin face on the driver and it becomes non conforming. The driver gets taken out. They put a new driver in. Player does not know whether or not that face is legal or not. They are not cheating. That is not the case in this particular instance. So because the PGA of America is running that event last week, and the usga, which runs the US Open, does the rules in North America. The rules state that you cannot be transparent. And when you leak things out like that, social media, everybody has a voice. Now all of a sudden, Rory cheated to win the Masters because he was using that driver. That is just not what happened. Scotty Scheffler did not cheat. Xander Schoffley did not cheat. That's just wear and tear on the new technology of these drivers. And the rule is very vague. They could get rid of all of this if they would just test every driver.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Test everybody every week. Right.

[Michael Wilbon]

So right now they're only testing one out of three drivers.

[Tony Kornheiser]

No, test them all. Test them all.

[Steve Sands]

And Scotty Scheffler last night on the podium said that at Quail Hollow, when he was asked about it, he said, this is ridiculous. You should get rid of all of it. Be transparent, test every driver and let everybody know when a driver is conforming and when it's non conforming. And that way it gets rid of all the cloud. Now, the narrative on social media is negative towards these guys and it's not fair to the player. And that is strictly on the organizations that run the sport. They are wrong in this instance and they need to change it quickly.

[Michael Wilbon]

Credit to Scheffler, who is, you know, whether it's about playing the ball down in that first round, you look at what happened on the 16th hole, and then with the driver, he's been more open to talk about these difficult things and sort of following up with Xander's done. And I think the tough thing is players over the years with these drivers are actually super conservative, which is one reason why they're often going into the new driver as early as they can just to make sure that they are on the good side of that line. Because they know at their ball speed and at their. At the amount of balls that they hit, they get close to the edge faster than you'd think.

[Steve Sands]

Yeah, the original intent, guys. The original intent of keeping, say, suspensions quiet on the PGA Tour and keeping these things quiet in the world of major championship golf and week in, week out on the PGA Tour. I understand the premise, because these guys are individual contractors, they have sponsors, and they could have their lives taken away from them just based on rumors. I understand that, but because of social media, because of all the things that have taken place in the last 15, 20, 25 years that have progressed to the society we live in now, they need to change the old school way of thinking. If someone gets suspended, people should know why. If someone has an illegal driver, people should know why. They should not allow the narrative to be spewed out there by all the social media nonsense that we live in and have that negativity ride over the player when the player has done absolutely nothing wrong. If a player has done something wrong, people should know that too. But in this particular case, no player did anything wrong and they're left to be hung out to dry by the organizations that run the sport. And that's not fair.

[Tony Kornheiser]

It's better said than I could say. Thank you, Steve.

[Steve Sands]

Anytime, Tony.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Be good, Steve Sands, boys and girls. We will come back with email and jingle. I'm Tony Kornheiser. This episode is brought to you by Amazon Prime. From streaming to shopping, prime helps you get more out of your passions. So whether you're a fan of true crime or prefer a nail biting novel from time to time, with services like Prime Video, Amazon Music, and fast free delivery, prime makes it easy to get more out of whatever you're into or getting into. Visit Amazon.comprime to learn more.

[Steve Sands]

You're listening to the Tony Kornheiser Show.

[Kaley Cuoco]

Here comes Tony's mailbag. Got your emails, faxes in your notes? Here comes Tony's mailbag. Gonna read some for all of you folks.

[Tony Kornheiser]

That's the great Tim Wildsmith, who's also a pastor, as we learned, and walking through Spain right now.

[Michael Wilbon]

Yes.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Wonderful. So I hope he gets to hear his own voice. You want to do the Bethesda bagel ad, please? Yes. Lucky day for young Harrison that he walks into a bagel sandwich. It's a good day to start. Bagel bagel sandwich day from Bethesda Bagels. Father never got one.

[Steve Sands]

It didn't.

[Tony Kornheiser]

We love him. You as well. Just go to Bethesda Bagels.com for the.

[Michael Wilbon]

Location in the DC area near Stew. Then pop on in and you'll be thrilled.

[Tony Kornheiser]

And before we get to the rest.

[Michael Wilbon]

Of it, I had one question about the reunion. Was anybody at the reunion also part of the George Smilo driver's ed experience?

[Tony Kornheiser]

No. No. You were the only one there. From that it was just me, Tina and Susan Pfeffer. And Tina wasn't there and Susan Pfeffer wasn't there. George smiled. Mine certainly wasn't there.

[Michael Wilbon]

Pass me one of those.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Did you do the Bethesda bath? I did, yes. Okay, that's good. Before we get to the mailbag, let me just say this pretentious, ponderous collection of religious Rock Psalms is enough to prompt the question, what day did the Lord create Spinal Tap? And couldn't he have rested on that day? Thanks to our guests today, Michael Wilbon and Steve Sands. Thanks as well to today's sponsors. Remember, you can listen to us on Apple Podcasts Spotify and Audacy. Get you get the show through Apple. Please leave us a review from Victor Anderson I come bringing tidings of great news about your alma mater. On Sunday, the Mighty Binghamton Bearcats won the America East Championship at the always dangerous Bearcats Sports Complex. First time since 2015 the mighty Bearcats took home the title and made the NCAA Softball tournament. Binghamton dominated by Bryant en route to clinching their 36th win on the season. The next win will tie the single season school record set back in 1995. The Bearcats have won 19 of the last 20 entering the tournament, which your beloved Washington Nationals would love to have. Heck, the gnats would take Binghamton's record of 3612 given the usually slow start by your beloved Nats. Even cooler. Binghamton is led by Jess Bump, who is a graduate of your beloved university and was a damn good player while at school school. Would being coached by a two time first team America east selection be something you'd be interested in? Junior pitcher Brianna Roberts is one of the many stars on the team. She was named the America East Tournament Most Outstanding Player against the Bulldogs on Sunday. She scattered three runs on four hits, struck out 10 batters, raise her record to 21 2. Good luck finding a Nat starter that will even sniff that total for the tournament. Roberts went 30 with a 122 ERA and struck out 27 batters in 23 innings of work. Bearcats will start their tournament in Eugene, Oregon against Stanford. It's a bit of a drive a school of our academic stature. Sure. Against Stanford on Friday.

[Steve Sands]

A neutral site.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Is that an ACC team or a Big Ten team? No, Stanford's Big is acc. That's right. Eugene, Oregon. We humbly submit to have our podcast in the Circle be the official college softball podcast of the Tony Kornizer Show. We will not ask you for a letter of recommendation or an interview. We'll provide an update on Bearcat seasons on Monday along with other softball fun notes to share with the Littles. Like you, I'm an early riser as evidenced by the fact that I wrote this 6:30am thank you for the many laughs you and the gang, except Chris of course, have provided over the years. Victor Anderson P.S. the part that'll make you happy the most. Is that your blood rival Stony Brook went.02 in the conference? Conference tournament. And we'll watch Binghamton like the rest.

[Michael Wilbon]

Reminder that college softball is so fun to watch this time of year. Especially when you see a pitcher dealing.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Oh wow, it's coming in at 75 miles an hour. Come on now. You can't hit it. Possible to hit a real person. Come on, get out of here. Larry Harper, Jr. In Clayton, North Carolina the sky hadn't decided what kind of day it wanted to be. Purple bruises of storm hung low in the east, but the western edge gleamed gold like the clean blade of a knife. Tony stood on the dock, coffee cooling in a Chip Nationals mug, steam curling up into the air like a question left unanswered. The old orange. His boat rocked impatiently, a slip 42. She was a 32 foot relic, loud and sun worn. A lopsided decal of the PTI logo faded to a ghost on the hull. He ran a hand along the railing the fiberglass slick would do and muttered something low under his breath. Not a prayer. Not quite. He could already hear them, the day trippers from Bethesda or Philly. They'd show up with YETI coolers and polarized sunglasses, asking if he was that guy from tv. He never answered. If they were smart enough to recognize him, they were smart enough to figure it out. He didn't care. He sipped the bitter coffee. No sugar, no cream. Just like the mornings when Wilbon didn't show up at a radio segment and he had to fill the silence with his own voice. The water lapped at the dock pylons with a rhythm older than ratings. He thought of Greg Garcia, just a schlub with buttons and a dream, now tells television kingpin Hollywood laureate. Probably breakfasting on papaya in Malibu while Tony scraped barnacles off the hull. There was pride in it, yes, but envy, too. Not the ugly kind. There's the kind that lingers, like the smell of old headphones and disappointment. The Bea Arthur joke came to him unbiven, like most things from the internal show days, back when the mic stayed hot during the breaks, Arthur's name like a hymn to the profane. He smiled the way men smile when they're remembering a story too stupid to explain but too perfectly to forget. God, that show would never survive. Now clouds were starting to muscle in from the east. The wind was rising in a slow, expectant way. Not a storm, not yet. But something coming. Tony squinted at the sky like he was back at Columbia trying to read a put Bob Ryan Wouldn't call this an upset. No. Bob would say, weather changes, not an upset. Expected variance. But Bob had always been like that. Stoic, concrete, blind to the poetry, the improbable. Sometimes you wanted something to be an upset. You needed it. First light broke clean over the bay, glinting on the horizon like the start of an answer. Then he turned to the old orange, exhaled, and thought to himself, you don't retire from noise. You drift far enough out to hear yourself again. This is great. This is great. This is from Larry Harper Jr. In Clayton, North Carolina. Really well done. Is this written by him, or is it AI?

[Michael Wilbon]

Feels like it might be AI.

[Tony Kornheiser]

It's great.

[Michael Wilbon]

I want to run this through the computer, but it's great.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Are you kidding?

[Michael Wilbon]

What do you have to write into the prompt to be that specific with all that?

[Tony Kornheiser]

It's brilliant. Yeah. Lots of great references. Yeah. From Tom Leach, Voice of the Wildcats. 25 years ago, you made a case for Secretariat's inclusion on ESPN Sports Century list of the top athletes. 20th century in journalism's performance in the Preakness validated your argument at the moment that horse bulled his way through that tiny sliver of space in the stretch run. It was an amazing display of courage and fight qualities present in the human athletes on that ESPN list, as well as in jockey Umberto Ruspoli. Then how about the exhilarating acceleration it took for journalism to run past the horse on the lead? And at the end, the headline is Journalism Wins. By the way, your regular guest, Chuck Culpepper, is a good friend from his days working at the Lexington Herald Leader, and he's another example of journalism winning, as are you. Thanks for many years of enjoyment your show has provided. I first remembered learning about it via Larry King's columns in USA Today. Tom Leach. Yeah. That was Secretariat. Yeah. The last 16. That was Secretary. That was. Yeah, that was something. Okay. I have 15 first cousins, 10 boys and five girls. Regards, DG. Okay. Alex Cloninger, Associate Professor, Department of Mathematics. Well, I'm off that list. University of California at San Diego. We're doing number of grandchildren now. Sounds good. Here's how many grandchildren exist, both sides of my. Across both sides of my family. Me. That's it. That's the list. I have no cousins. I can't even comprehend these numbers. In the 40s. Tim Weatherhead, Hyattsville, Maryland. Scotch Irish Catholic. Checking in. My dear grandmother recently shuffled off this mortal coil at the ripe age of 101. Before she departed, she masked quite the resume. Valedictorian of her high school class in 1941 in Euclid, Ohio. She was forced to attend junior college before being accepted into the University of Michigan because, well, sexism. After my grandfather returned from World War II, they got down to business. Thirteen children, no twins, one miscarriage, who produced 43 grandchildren, who have produced 67 great grandchildren and counting. To date, none of her offspring are priests, much to her everlasting chagrin. Sharp as attack. Until the day she died, she dominated all comers in Scrabbles, Words with Friends, and Wordle. I add parenthetically that she was more tech savvy than most of her children and a certain Orange Ball podcast host. For her 100th birthday, the whole family attended a party at a retirement community in Florida, which naturally do local news coverage. I'm glad this game came about because it gives me a chance to publicly honor the devout, kind hearted, beloved matriarch of the Weatherhead clan. Greatest generation indeed. It's lovely. Wow. From Scott Turner in Knoxville, Tennessee, who says 63265 benches 225, 7 reps. Congrats to Chris for already surpassing Luke Russert's tenure as an intern. That was Chris. Chris Cullen. Chris Cullen, yes. Luke was here for a day and a half.

[Michael Wilbon]

Well, then he had to go.

[Tony Kornheiser]

He had to go. Go to the Cape. From our friend Kelly Hodges in Pocatello, Idaho. Dear intern Chris, Tony's potatoes should have been planted two weeks ago. They're not planted. Cut them large enough that they will have two to four eyes per piece. If they're smaller than a baseball, just plant the entire potato without cutting it. You don't need to worry about orientation. Having multiple eyes per piece will increase stand and stem counts. Only one on a seed piece is a gamble. If the potatoes were bought as labeled seed, there's no need to wait for them to begin sprouting on a counter before planting. They'll know what to do when underground and hit with water and sun. If they were bought at a grocery store, there's a good chance they were treated with a sprout inhibitor last fall. And then I would make sure they start to sprout. Washing them will remove the inhibitor and speed up the process. Loosen up the soil about a foot deep and a foot in diameter before you plant each piece so it's got some room to spread out. Compact soil is the enemy. Lastly, don't listen to Matt Quigley. If you plant the potatoes in loose soil 6 to 8 inches deep, there's no need to cover them up again once they emerge. And Tony is not the kind of farmer who will ask for his blossoms to be removed because no farmer ever has let it blossom. It'll be fine. Let's hold on to that. They're going in the ground today or tomorrow, okay? They got to go in Gary Engelstad Enough already with the emails from Robert Engelstad of Kensington, Maryland. I think we're up to three now. One sucking up to his late father in law, another one sucking up to his mother in law, now the most recent one sucking up to you because you treat Home Depot carts like your number is notices at a bagel store looking for something for Skippy the intern to do. How about running background checks on your correspondence? If you had, you would have found out these gems about Robert from Kensington. Oh, just and he just kills this kid. He adjusted same little brother's top bunk mattress in such a loving way that the poor urchin fell off face first in the middle of the night, leading Robert from Kensington to laugh inquire to his crying sibling while holding some teeth in his hand. Are these yours? He told sane brother not to have bothered replying to Gonzaga because he'd never get accepted and his little brother should go to the jock school. He clearly has exhibited disreputable behavior that would surely prevent his multiple appearances on your otherwise first class show. Having been apprised of the scandalous information, I trust this is the last we've heard of Robert Engelstedt of Kensington. Please tell him that I love him for the most part. Gary Ingleston Michael Limerick Indianapolis Top three highlights from Indiana Fever's win over the Chicago Sky Saturday dejuana Bonner becoming the third leading scorer in WNBA history. Caitlin Clark recording a triple double. The Ushers handing out packages of Albanese Gummy Bears. Wow. On the way out of the arena. How about that? Wow. Rich Barajas in El Paso, Texas I've spent the majority of my life in Texas. I spent 15 years in Chicago, but came back to Texas with some brief stops in Oklahoma and Arizona along the way. I've never visited D.C. or Virginia for that matter. My point is, I have no connection to the D.C. area at all. So this weekend I'm sitting on my couch watching the Cubs White Sox games and Michael A. Taylor comes up for the Sox in a crucial time with a tight score and men in scoring position. I announce confidently with my wife, whom I should add, does not care. No problem. This guy is a strikeout machine. Great fielder, can't hit a lick. He will swing at anything. Trust me. All he did was announce a strikeout. Sure enough, strike out on three pitches. My wife may have momentarily looked in my direction with a look that boarded being impressed, but I think she was just yawning. But I only knew what was going to happen because of this show. So yet again, thanks for nothing. Lovely Phil Dollinger about five guys more expensive because the beef is never frozen. Oh well, There you go. $11 for a little cheeseburger. $11. Come on now. Jesse Demeo Miolo, Chardon, Ohio had to write in since the name of the game is now share your Pope story Back in 2015, two childhood friends and I decided to quit our jobs and embark on a trip of a lifetime travel from Ohio to Patagonia on motorcycle until the road ends not far from Antarctica. Roughly halfway through the trip, we stop in the city of Chicleo, Peru to visit my friend's old host family from his study abroad day. Anyways, to shorten the story, my friend introduces me to a young lady at the reunion party and we fall for each other. Hard. To impress her and show my intentionality, I agree to go to a local Mass as one of our first dates. I was so mesmerized by heart I was hardly paying attention to who was giving the message. Pope Leo Pretty amazing to know now, being back stateside with my wife after many years and many piles of paperwork getting her a fiance visa and green card. In addition to that chance meeting at Mass, the Pope also taught my wife several classes at our university. University. She's now become quite the celebrity around here, with local radio stations wanting to interview her. Once again, thank you for all the memorable podcasts and stories. I'll keep hearing my wife say, who's those two old men yelling at each other on your phone? Rich, as we learned from Del Paxton and that thing you do, sooner or later something makes you crazy. Money, Women, the road. Hell, man, just time. Ain't no way to keep a band together. Bands come and go. You got to keep playing, no matter with whom. The question isn't why Hot Pink Hangover broke up. The question is why it didn't happen sooner. From Rich and from Jennifer R. In Upland, California. You're not the only one who shares their peanut butter jar with the dogs. The guy I'm related to by marriage, and I do it. He just doesn't know it yet. You're out on your bike tonight. Everyone, as always, do wear white. Tony Tony, Listen up.

[Kaley Cuoco]

Sam and I was waking by the week. You were comforting the kids, and when the house fell back asleep.

[Tony Kornheiser]

I was.

[Kaley Cuoco]

The Only one to greet the sun so save some skin for the darkest of nights maybe sometime before the light after all of this is gone Sam I wasn't burdened by the truth.

[Tony Kornheiser]

I.

[Kaley Cuoco]

Gladly accepted the invitation from you and there was nothing I could do except to go along in a brighter tone but don't wait too long to jump in the turn around maybe sometime before they figure it out after all of this is gone after all of this is gone Sam Was it terrible to see the eyes that turn to the pain and misery so give me something to believe and hold on to facts and use it as a man to steer back here to hold the things that come as if maybe sometime before they turn off their love Gone.

[Tony Kornheiser]

After.

[Kaley Cuoco]

All of this is gone after all of this is gone after all of this is gone after all of this is gone after all of this is gone after all of this is gone after all of this is gone after all of this is gone after all of this is gone after all of this and all of this and all SA Situation calling the dimes are out this weekend Surrounded in our violence we were walking out but you can tell me nothing you don't have the pesos we can share our hunger in the dark Kiss this slice of the morning picture Take what you think you own it gets crazy it gets crazy when we get alone Am I breaking down or am I breaking through or am I hanging out? Am I just passing through Cleaning up my place, another tattoo Am I hanging out or I just passing through.

[Harrison Todd]

And.

[Kaley Cuoco]

You can have your parade and dress up how you want to yell into the heavens yeah, you think it's right make no mistake about it Straight pride is just nonsense it's bouted off by evil that's a dying breathe Think about what you say until you say somebody about love it's just lazy it's just lazy and low Just think about what you say somebody about love Think about what you say to somebody about love Just think about what you're saying to somebody about love Just think about what you're saying somebody about love Sam.