The Tony Kornheiser Show
Episode: “Bad News from Egg Harbor”
Date: March 2, 2026
Host: Tony Kornheiser
Guests: Michael Wilbon, Joe Lunardi, Alexis King (Producer), others
Episode Overview
This lively episode centers on Tony’s eventful trip to Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey, and serves as a springboard for discussions about aging and travel, great bread, sports mishaps, family stories, and, as usual, a heavy dose of college basketball talk (including some bracketing with bracketologist Joe Lunardi). The episode humorously explores the quirks of Tony’s life, from his emails about shoe businesses to “bad news” about a favorite bagel shop, all delivered in his signature witty, self-deprecating style alongside his familiar cast of contributors.
Key Topics & Discussion Highlights
1. “Shoe Business” and Spam Emails (01:17-01:52)
- Tony and crew riff on receiving irrelevant business emails, joking about running a retail shoe business and still getting pitches to revive the defunct “Chatter” restaurant.
- Tony (01:52): “Yeah, we’re out of the chatter business. Been out for five or six years.”
2. Mistaken Celebrity Facts (02:00-02:46)
- Clarifying confusion about Jamie Gertz (NBA owner and not the Spanx inventor). The creator of Spanx is Sara Blakely, also a part-owner of the Hawks.
- Tony (02:38): “All together now. All together now. As the Beatles would say.”
3. Tony’s Nervous Road Trip to New Jersey (03:02-09:02)
- Tony recounts driving with Carol to visit family in Egg Harbor, revealing anxiety about highway speeds and aging behind the wheel.
- Tony (04:51): “I’m a good driver, but how’s my reaction if something happens? Will my reaction be good enough?”
- Mishap: Carol forgets her phone, prompting a 15-minute delay—only to find it in her dress.
- Tony (03:40): “Well, I did go back. We lost 15 minutes. And the phone was in her dress the whole time?”
- Discussing travel fatigue, preferred rest stops, and freeway confusion.
- Tony (04:26): “You have to go north and then east... There’s nothing you can do.”
4. Elizabeth’s Sourdough Bread & Family Food Stories (07:28–11:23)
- Praise for Elizabeth’s homemade boule sourdough; discussion of bread’s “ping-pong” family starter.
- Tony (08:02): “It was the best bread I’d ever had in my life.”
- Brainstorming ideas for her to sell bread at markets—Wilbon questions the logistics.
- Michael Wilbon (08:41): “What happens on a rainy day? You have 30 boules of bread and then all of a sudden no one shows up...”
- Reminiscences about Chicken Vesuvio, Maggiano’s, and how food travels between family.
- Tony (10:26): “Yes. It’s great. So I have this food now, and I’m happy about that.”
5. Golf, Family Achievements & Humorous Moments (11:23–12:22)
- News that Moni got a second hole-in-one; lighthearted envy from the group.
- Tony (11:39): “You and I, between us, have none. We have none.”
- Wilbon reflects on the experience as a longtime player and seeing different generations enjoy the game.
6. Weekend Sports Recap: Golf (Shane Lowry), Knicks-Spurs, College Hoops (12:22–24:39; resumes at 17:54–24:39)
- Recapping Shane Lowry’s dramatic late-round collapse on the PGA Tour.
- Tony (18:02): “This is a guy, this guy won last night the British Open… It’s a scream out loud moment.”
- Michael Wilbon (18:38): “It was a, it was a scream out loud moment... And you feel good for the guy who wins.”
- Knicks vs. Spurs: the Knicks couldn’t let rookie sensation “Wimby” (Victor Wembanyama) “take their lunch money” (21:15)
- Pitino and St. John’s big win over Villanova; Wilbon enjoys Rick Pitino’s showmanship in a “don” cream suit (23:19)
- Michael Wilbon (24:19): “I love Rick Pitino in terms of the basketball coach. And you knew... after losing to UConn by 150, someone was gonna get hit like Mike Tyson on Michael Spinks.”
7. NCAA Basketball & Bracketology with Joe Lunardi (30:57–43:50)
- Tony learns that his favorite bagel shop in Egg Harbor is gone. Joe Lunardi mourns its loss and jokes about having to find a new place (“a tragedy”) (31:25–32:56)
- Joe Lunardi (33:18): “I got nothing. I mean, it’s truly, I would say in Philly for me, of the worst things that have happened in the last year, it was either that or falling apart against the 49ers in the playoffs. And I think I’m going with the bagel shop.”
- Discusses top NCAA seeds: Duke, Arizona, Michigan, UConn—and the defending champion Florida (34:40)
- Tony and Joe ruminate on the number of “great games” recently and theorize about money consolidating basketball talent (35:18–37:08)
- Joe Lunardi (36:17): “The money in the sport… may be beginning to funnel the talent, you know, to a narrower top... which isn’t great for the rest of the sport, but for people who watch one or two games a week, the right games are on.”
- Debate over Big 12 rankings (37:08)
- Wilbon: Arizona, Iowa State, Houston, Kansas.
- Tony: skeptical of Houston after recent losses.
- Lunardi: Houston “travels well,” still rates them highly for having a distinct, consistent style. “You gotta get 70 to beat Houston, and that’s really hard” (38:30).
- Final Four is in Indianapolis, with all divisions celebrating in one place (38:35).
- Discusses struggles of storied programs (Notre Dame, Syracuse) and the downsides of football-driven conference moves (39:25–41:15).
- Miami of Ohio’s projected low seed despite an undefeated record—historically rare (41:17–42:19).
- Sleeper mid-seed tournament teams: St. Louis (offensive firepower), St. Mary’s (upset artist over Gonzaga) (42:47–43:22).
Memorable Quotes & Segments with Timestamps
-
Tony on Aging & Driving:
“I’m a good driver, but how’s my reaction if something happens? Will my reaction be good enough?” (04:51) -
On Bread & Family:
“It was the best bread I’d ever had in my life.” (08:02)
“The bread is that good, the bread is that good.” (08:37) -
Tony on Golf and Envy:
“You and I, between us, have none [hole-in-ones]. We have none.” (11:39) -
On Shane Lowry’s Collapse:
“It was Van de Veldean, but Van de Velde was one hole. This is two.” (18:32)
“It was a, it was a scream out loud moment. And you feel good for the guy who wins because there’s nothing.” (18:38) -
On Rick Pitino’s Swagger:
“When Rick Pitino walked out in the cream suit with the white shirt and cream tie like he was a don. This was so great.” (23:19) -
Bad News from Egg Harbor - Bagel Shop Closing:
“It was every day, the New York bagel stop.” (33:42)
Joe Lunardi: “I got nothing. I mean, it’s truly… the worst thing that has happened in the last year—was either that or falling apart against the 49ers in the playoffs. And I think I’m going with the bagel shop.” (33:18) -
On College Basketball’s Future:
“The money in the sport… may be beginning to funnel the talent, you know, to a narrower top of the sport.” (36:17, Lunardi) -
College Sports Realignment:
“Maryland made a bad decision. Bad decision.” (40:14, Tony)
Additional Noteworthy Segments
- Lighthearted Bickering over Chili-on-Rice (47:33)
- Classic email bag full of listener jokes about Tony’s “shoe business” and chili preferences (46:12–49:20)
- Insights on mid-major tournament sleepers and basketball “bean counters” (42:47–43:41)
Tone & Style
The show is classic Kornheiser: sharp, funny, and full of digressions—equal parts sports talk, food commentary, and familial banter. Michael Wilbon’s rapport with Tony is easy and teasing, while Joe Lunardi brings expert insight and wry Philly humor. The running gags (shoe spam, “sunk cost” bread, and bagel shop mourning) keep the episode light and quick-moving.
Timestamps for Important Segments
- Spam Email/Shoe Business riff — 01:17–01:52
- Mistaken Celebrity Fact Correction — 02:00–02:46
- Road Trip Anecdote & Egg Harbor Visit — 03:02–09:02
- Sourdough Bread Origin, Family Food — 07:28–11:23
- Golf/Bread Stories/Moni's Hole in One — 11:23–12:22
- Weekend Sports Recap (Golf/Lowry, Knicks, Pitino) — 12:22–24:39; 17:54–24:39
- Bracketology with Joe Lunardi & Bagel Shop Loss — 30:57–43:50
For New Listeners
This episode is a quintessential example of why Tony Kornheiser remains a beloved, multigenerational host: it playfully hops from serious sports talk to family stories and local color (bread, bagels, chili) while never losing its dry, feisty humor or warmth. The detailed Big 12 breakdowns and bracket insights are valuable for hoops fans, while the offbeat stories and email segment make it entertaining for anyone. If you missed the show, this summary gives you all the laughs, quotables, and sports takes with none of the ads.