“Deja Nats”

Summary

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Podcast Summary: The Tony Kornheiser Show

Episode Title: “Deja Nats”
Release Date: July 13, 2026

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Episode Overview

This episode of "The Tony Kornheiser Show" centers on the Washington Nationals’ continued late-game collapses, the painful lessons of bullpen failures, and broader baseball and sports commentary. Frequent guests Greg Cody (Miami Herald columnist) and Frank Isola (soccer/ESPN/PTI personality) join Tony for lively discussions, which touch on the state of the Miami sports scene (Heat scuffles, Marlins’ sudden rise, Dolphins’ reset), a recap of World Cup soccer semifinals, and some personal stories from Tony’s own life.

The episode’s tone is sharp, self-deprecating, and full of familiar banter, blending outrage at the Nats with deep dives into current events in sports, especially soccer and baseball.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Washington Nationals Frustration: “Deja Nats”

Segment Start: [02:25]

• Recurring Problem: Tony laments the Nationals’ repeated pattern of blowing late leads, this time against the Yankees, drawing parallels to collapses versus the Phillies.
• Bullpen Woes: “Their bullpen is horrific. It stinks beyond any…” (Tony Kornheiser, [03:29])
• The Nats continue to lose despite holding leads late in games, highlighting bullpen deficiencies as a fatal flaw for the team this season.
• Impressive Offense, But...:
  • Offense has improved, with specific praise for players like C.J. Abrams (an All-Star) and breakout hitter Mead.
  • The tendency for key batters (e.g., Dylan Cruz) to strike out or ground into double plays in clutch situations is a concern.
• Management & Scripting: Tony voices skepticism toward the team’s reliance on “scripted” pitcher usage and analytics, suggesting it backfires against good competition.
• State of the Nats:
  • “The takeaway is the Nats are not a good team. They're an improving team.” (Tony Kornheiser, [06:35])
  • The hosts acknowledge positive trends but caution that the club remains deeply flawed, especially against elite teams.
• Trade Deadline Outlook: With expanded playoffs, the Nats are unlikely to become “buyers”; uncertainty looms for the second half.

2. AL & NL All-Star Snubs: Zach Wheeler’s Statement

Segment Start: [09:14]

• Phillies ace Zach Wheeler, despite his strong season, was originally snubbed from the All-Star team but later received an invite after a public tirade. He rejected it:
  • “He said, shove it. He said, no... you have disrespected me. No, I'm not going to do it.” (Tony Kornheiser, [09:44])
  • Tony and co-hosts believe Wheeler should have accepted and pitched in front of home fans, viewing the snub and subsequent invitation as part of the sport’s drama.

3. Wimbledon and Women’s Tennis Parity

Segment Start: [10:42]

• Tony gives a quick Wimbledon recap:
  • Men’s: Praises Jannik Sinner’s dominance over Alexander Zverev; compares Sinner and Alcaraz to Federer and Nadal.
  • Women’s: Notes the frequent surprise finalists in recent women’s tennis, aside from Sabalenka and Świątek, making the field unpredictable. Wonders if Serena Williams could make a meaningful comeback given the turbulent landscape.
  • Alcaraz's injury: "This could be... a career ending injury." (Tony Kornheiser, [14:01])

4. Golf Tangent & Weekend Stories

Segment Start: [14:31]

• Tony shares personal stories about golfing with new acquaintances, highlighting the joys and quirks of membership golf, and food strategies on the course.
• Enjoyable banter about playing styles, golf etiquette, and networking with fellow club members.

5. Greg Cody on the Miami Sports Scene

Segment Start: [20:02]

a. Miami’s World Cup Hosting Experience

• Miami has hosted multiple high-profile World Cup games, including England vs. Norway and matches featuring South American teams.
• Cody describes the city’s energy and the diverse crowds drawn to these events, noting unexpected moments such as large English and Norwegian contingents.

b. World Cup Semifinal Favorites

• Greg Cody pegs France as the clear favorite: “France has been the best team I've seen by a lot. I think France is a clear favorite.” ([23:42])

c. Soccer's Transnational Brotherhood

• Tony notes: the post-match camaraderie in international soccer feels more authentic, as many play together professionally, a point Cody affirms.

d. Miami Heat Tensions: Bam vs. Herro

• Reports on Bam Adebayo slapping Tyler Herro over leaked DMs that were critical of Bam; Cody assures the incident is likely to “blow over” but acknowledges how odd it was, given their history as teammates.

e. Giannis-to-Miami Hype

• Big Acquisition: Miami Heat have finally landed Giannis Antetokounmpo and are preparing for the introductory press conference.
  • “After what seems like three or four years of attempting to sign Giannis, they finally got him…” ([28:54])
• Bobby Portis also included in trade; Cody jokes he’ll be overshadowed at the press event.

f. Marlins' Surprise Run & Analytics Debate

• Miami Marlins’ remarkable improvement since June 1st, despite a shoestring budget and historically low attendance.
• Pitch Count & Perfect Game Debate: Cody strongly disapproves of the analytics-driven decision to pull pitcher Yuri Perez six outs from a perfect game (“You got to give this kid a chance to make history.” [32:12])

g. Dolphins’ Organizational Reboot

• Cody supports the Dolphins’ decision to rebuild after failing to find success with Tua Tagovailoa, expressing hope for a proper rebuild—even if it means short-term pain:
  • “I've been pretty impressed with Jeff Happley, the new head coach… Let's have a terrible season or two and then let's finally be good again.” ([33:47])

6. Frank Isola’s International Soccer Analysis

Segment Start: [36:46]

a. Soccer Credentials

• Isola’s own modest college soccer background at Maryland, providing him with authentic insight and self-effacing humor.

b. World Cup Final Four: Analysis

• Semifinalists: Spain, France, Argentina, and England. All are “the top four teams” ([38:07]), with France and Spain seen as the favorites.
  • “France, you know, they won it in 2018. They were in the final in 2022... Spain has looked so good...” (Frank Isola, [39:25])

c. Controversy and Refereeing

• Addressing Wilbon’s provocative comparison of Egypt’s elimination to the NBA’s Sacramento Kings “getting hosed.” Isola details VAR controversies and missed calls, suggesting FIFA’s decision-making often benefits marquee teams.
• Isola and Tony discuss the “TV show” aspect of tournaments, with FIFA favoring matchups that maximize global attention and drama.
  • “I think FIFA got the matchup that they want... the Final Four we're getting this week.” (Frank Isola, [43:10])
  • Isola: “Do you think FIFA wants Kylian Mbappé in France against Lionel Messi in Argentina, I would say yes...” ([44:20])

7. Mailbag, Listener Moments, and Closing Quotes

Segment Start: [46:33]

• Banter and listener emails, ranging from Washington Nationals reactions, to technology frustrations with home appliances, to golf anecdotes.
• Threaded with Tony’s trademark curmudgeonly but affectionate humor.
• A Bob Dylan quote, classic Tony lyrical moment:
  • “May your hands always be busy / May your feet always be swift…” (Tony Kornheiser quoting Dylan, [46:57])

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Nats Collapse:
  “Love that phrase, buzzing the tower at 98 miles an hour. I'd never heard that before.” (Tony, [02:25])

• On Analytics and Baseball:
  “It's ridiculous to just follow the book and say all right, we have… a 4% more chance of winning right now if we make a move and go to the bullpen. When you've got a chance for a perfect game… you got to give this kid a chance to make history.” (Greg Cody, [32:09])

• On Sports as TV:
  “I think it's a TV show. I think all sports are TV shows, and I think you try to get the greatest amount of audience possible. And I guess what I'm wondering about is FIFA gets exactly what it wants.” (Tony, [43:39])

• On World Cup Off-the-field Stories:
  “This would be [Messi’s] last World Cup game if he loses… This is the swan song for the greatest ever, potentially.” (Greg Cody, [24:16])

• On Marlins Fandom:
  “They're actually starting to draw more than 8,000 fans a game. It's been pretty remarkable down here.” (Greg Cody, [31:08])

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• Nationals' bullpen collapse & season analysis: [02:25] – [08:27]
• All-Star snubs & Zach Wheeler discussion: [09:14] – [10:23]
• Wimbledon wrap & tennis commentary: [10:42] – [13:56]
• Golf stories & personal anecdotes: [14:31] – [16:50]
• Greg Cody joins – Miami sports scene: [20:02] – [35:11]
  • World Cup hosting & soccer culture: [20:47]
  • Heat/Herro/Adebayo tensions: [25:39]
  • Giannis trade and press conference: [28:44]
  • Marlins analytics/perfect game debate: [31:41]
  • Dolphins’ organizational reboot: [33:47]
• Frank Isola on World Cup semifinals & soccer politics: [36:46] – [45:21]
• Mailbag, listener stories, and closing banter: [46:33] – [56:28]

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Final Thoughts

This episode blends the exasperation of a lifelong sports fan with sharp analysis and insider stories. Whether reflecting on the agonies of Nats fandom, the random parity of women’s tennis, the emotional undercurrents of Miami sports, or the soap opera of international soccer, Tony and his roundtable deliver signature wit and candor.

If you missed this episode, catch up to hear:

• Classic rants on the Nationals’ bullpen (“it stinks beyond any…”)
• An old-school/new-school debate on analytics and baseball tradition
• How Miami is relishing its moment in the global sporting spotlight—from the World Cup to Giannis
• Real talk about the spectacle and narrative engineering of major sports events
• Listener stories, off-topic tangents, and Tony being Tony

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Episode Highlight:
"The takeaway is the Nats are not a good team. They're an improving team… but when they come up against a good team in a critical situation, they don't win."
— Tony Kornheiser, [06:35]

Transcript

[Tony Kornheiser]

Hey, it's Tony. If you're hearing this, it means that Nigel has flushed the mouse and forgot to have me record something new. So who knows who our guests will be today? Maybe Mick Jagger? Sandy Koufax? Dalai Lama? Long hitter? The Lama? Probably not, but I guess you'll have to tune in to find out. But first, let's keep the sales weasels happy. You're listening to the Tony Kornheiser Show. Whether you're on the go or at the ballpark, T Mobile is built to keep you connected wherever the game takes you. With America's best network, you know your phone is going to work, even in a crowded stadium. For instance, if you lose track of your friends after a long seventh inning stretch, one quick message and a shared location later, you'll find each other without missing the next pitch. And you can upload the video of the game winning hit and share it before you even leave your seat. And on the days you can't make it to the ballpark, streaming the game on the go feels just as electric. No buffering, no interruptions, just every moment as it happens. Find out how baseball hits different with T mobile@t mobile.com MLB fastest based on analysis by Ookla of Speed Test intelligence data of national speed score Results for the second half of 2025. Best based on analysis by Ookla of the Speed Test intelligence Data for the second half of 2025 ready to experience something new? All Trails helps you find your next hike.

[Jill Miglick]

Whether you're looking for something nearby or planning a trip.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Read reviews from real people like you to choose your trail and know what to expect. You can also download the map in case service gets spotty. Plan and experience your next hike with Alltrails, the app for exploring the outdoors. Download it today and find your outside. Previously on the Tony Korniser Show.

[Frank Isola]

You know, I could really catch a

[Greg Cody]

ground ball and I could really throw, but I couldn't hit at all.

[Frank Isola]

And I had to quit baseball, saying this is way too hard for me to play.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Well, the ball's stationary in golf. You don't have to worry about somebody sweeping it past you. It's stationary.

[Frank Isola]

And Tony, you don't have to worry

[Greg Cody]

about getting killed on the golf course.

[Frank Isola]

At least I don't. But when you step into the box

[Greg Cody]

every night and someone is buzzing the tower at 98 miles an hour, the fear of God goes through your the

[Tony Kornheiser]

Tony Kornheiser show is on now. Love that phrase, buzzing the tower at 98 miles an hour. I'd never heard that Before.

[Email/Jingle Host]

No, that was good.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Loved it.

[Greg Cody]

Good.

[Co-host/Producer]

I was hoping Kurt was going to give us a. Mr. Gilmore, I'm your caddy, you know.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Just great. And Tim's voice is, of course, extraordinary. Yes. My thanks to Ralph Bizarro, the oddly named Ralph Pizarro in Holly Springs, North Carolina, for a lovely note. Thank you very, very much. And a note from Peter Jennings. Not that Peter Jennings. This assumes it says tomorrow, Monday is going to be the greatest Dr. Tony opening rant in show history. This assumes that the beloved host is not in the ICU or has not been arraigned on charges of menacing. The Gnats bullpen. Cancel any guests. Just do a full episode on the Nats weekend. So look, I did not watch yesterday. I watched the previous two games. The Yankees swept the Gnats and they swept them in the exact same way that the Phillies did, you know, a few weeks ago.

[Co-host/Producer]

How many total innings do you think the Yankees had the lead?

[Email/Jingle Host]

Three.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Three or four, if we count up

[Co-host/Producer]

all the outs, three or four.

[Tony Kornheiser]

That. That's all it is. The Nats are an improving team. They are better this year than last year. They have a much better offense this year than last year. Their bullpen is horrific. It stinks beyond any. Like my anger at Jose Tana because he strikes out all the time and wastes challenges. You hear that in my voice. I cannot accurately my anger sometimes at Dylan Cruz. Jacob Young would have had that catch yesterday.

[Co-host/Producer]

Is getting protection by the bullpen.

[Tony Kornheiser]

You know, he. He's. Yeah. Dylan Cruz, the number two overall, first

[Co-host/Producer]

and third, no out.

[Tony Kornheiser]

He strikes out a lot or grounds into double plays a lot. You know, I got Tina, I got Vivas, I got Cruz. It just, you know, it's not there. But nothing compares to how terrible the bullpen is. This happened with the Philadelphia Phillies in Nats park, the top of the ninth, three straight games, right? They got 100 run. The amount of runs that the Nats bullpen gives up in top eight, bottom eight, top eight, top nine. Has to be the worst in baseball. It has to be. They lose all these games. They have leads. They had leads in the Phillies games. They had leads in the Yankees games each day. They had leads. They had leads late, right, Michael?

[Co-host/Producer]

Yes.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Late in the game. And each time leagues. But leads, leads, not huge. Now, one of the reasons they don't have huge leads is because. And C.J. abrams is having an all star season and is going to start at shortstop. The other night he struck out with bases loaded, right? Yep, they don't. Although they score a Lot of runs. They don't often have that big breakout inning when they have runners in scoring position. That puts the game out of reach, though God knows nothing is out of reach with the Nats bullpen. But they, and Dylan Cruz has done the same thing. Strikeout with a whole bunch of people on. The most wonderful surprise of the season is Mead. Mead gets up there, even pinch hitting, home runs. Mead is the great surprise of the season so far.

[Co-host/Producer]

Correct. You know, later.

[Tony Kornheiser]

And the rest of it, I mean, Wood has been terrific and Abrams has produced a lot of runs and Luis Garcia lately has looked like Roberto Clemente. I mean, he's driving.

[Co-host/Producer]

Wood's giving you a. He's giving you a 1 nothing lead in the bottom of the first.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah, so. So it's. It, it falls on the bullpen. I don't want to be overly critical of baby manager, but I think sometimes there's a certain scripting to the way the Nats play by Taboni and by Butera and they want to get people up in a certain spot and they want to get pitchers in. In a certain spot. They want. With pitching, you want lefty, lefty or righty? Righty. With hitting, you want lefty, righty, righty, lefty. But it's. We have seen it not work against good teams. So the takeaway here, and I know I'm speaking for Chuck Todd and I'm speaking for Chris Cillizza and I'm speaking for Tom Jones, not that Tom Jones. The takeaway is the Nats are not a good team. They're an improving team.

[Greg Cody]

Correct.

[Tony Kornheiser]

They've been better this year than anyone ever expected. All praise for that. But when they come up against a good team in a critical situation, they don't win.

[Co-host/Producer]

Yeah, this was a helpful three week lesson for that. I think my, my only issue with your point about the way they manage a game is you're not just trying to manage the back end. They have to look at it from the front because they have the opener situation as well and they've just been so decimated when it comes to their available pitchers. So however bad it could be, it probably could be even worse.

[Tony Kornheiser]

They must have. I'm going to take a chance on this. Maybe somebody can find out for me. I believe they have used more pitchers in relief this year than any other team in the majors. They've had 20 guys go through. There are people who get up there on the mound and I watch and I go, who's this person? A lot of relief pitchers, a lot

[Co-host/Producer]

of don't Trust the stat. I got a quick AI overview saying 14 different pitchers, but that seems kind of low.

[Greg Cody]

Low. Low.

[Tony Kornheiser]

That's low. 14 in relief. That's low. They have people, you honestly, they get in the game and go, you know, it's sort of like I want to call Coco and say where, where's this guy from?

[Co-host/Producer]

And I know.

[Tony Kornheiser]

When did you get it?

[Co-host/Producer]

We often want to come back to like hey, that, you know, play to the back of your baseball card and you know, you sort of discount momentum or. This actually just feels like the script has been written.

[Tony Kornheiser]

I mean, the next half of the season we'll see. I don't know if there'll be buyers or sellers. They haven't been buyers in many, many years. So I don't think they're going to be buyers, but we'll see what happens.

[Email/Jingle Host]

But as you said, it's, it's been a wonderful surprise. I mean, yes. Didn't not expect to be this.

[Tony Kornheiser]

They're in games. Yeah, they used to be. Not in games. They used to be. By this point they were 15 to 20 below.500 and they're 1 below at this point.

[Co-host/Producer]

Part of this now with the extra wild card, however many years we're into that now, like we are likely not going to be buyers but because so many teams still feel like there is a chance and their fans feel that like it's, it's still fun. It will be fun to watch throughout the rest of the summer.

[Tony Kornheiser]

We're going to talk about this tomorrow because we'll have a baseball guest on tomorrow. We do not have a baseball guest on today, but we're going to have to talk about Christopher Sanchez and Zach Wheeler of the Phillies. Christopher Sanchez is going to start this game tomorrow night and deservedly so. He went through a period of time where he threw over 50 innings and did not allow and earned runs. He has earned this on every level.

[Email/Jingle Host]

Yeah.

[Tony Kornheiser]

You know, I don't know about Dylan Cease having earned it at Toronto, but he almost had a no hitter the other day and he's a quality pitcher who no hit the Yankees a year or two ago.

[Co-host/Producer]

He should have sent out the entire Phillies at this point. Put them in their, in their blue jerseys. I mean games in Philadelphia should just be Philadelphia and Harper.

[Tony Kornheiser]

That's all it should be. Yeah, that's all it should be.

[Co-host/Producer]

I'll bring it back to Nats Park.

[Email/Jingle Host]

Yeah, like four minutes.

[Tony Kornheiser]

So.

[Co-host/Producer]

Well, the formal, the finals as well.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Zach wheeler is now 10 and one on the year. He has thrown three straight games where he struck out 10 or more people. And he was very upset the other day, not yesterday, after. He did it again after the second game when he struck out 14. He was not on the All Star team and he launched a tirade about not being on the All Star team. So baseball did what it should have done. Baseball extended an invitation to Zach Wheeler to be on the All Star game. He said, shove it. He said, no, you have. You said, you have disrespected me. No, I'm not going to do it. Will ask whoever is our guest tomorrow about that. My own feeling about that is that is a big bravado move and I get it makes you feel good.

[Co-host/Producer]

But that he accepted.

[Tony Kornheiser]

But he should have accepted it. Yes. He should have gone out there in his home park in front of mainly his home fans and thrown one inning. He should.

[Co-host/Producer]

I believe it'd be a very silly thing to do to do alternate program and go outside, do like a baseball

[Tony Kornheiser]

card signing, you know, But I. To me, I think he should have done that. But we'll ask whoever our guest is,

[Co-host/Producer]

go to Chicky and Pete's.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Would you have. Would you. What do you think?

[Greg Cody]

I.

[Co-host/Producer]

You make the comment but you accept.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah.

[Email/Jingle Host]

You have to. I mean, I mean, in the moment. Yeah. It feels great.

[Tony Kornheiser]

They are acknowledging the mistake that they have made. What more do you want?

[Greg Cody]

Yeah.

[Email/Jingle Host]

Now it's too late now. You lost your chance. I'm gone. Yeah.

[Tony Kornheiser]

It's just, I didn't like that. So let me go to Wimbledon because we're not going to discuss Wimbledon on this show today. And if it was up to me, we wouldn't even discuss it on the PTI show because it was while both finals matches were fine. Yeah, they held your attention. They went more than straight sets. They weren't like the way Djokovic went out in the semis in straight sets. 4, 4. And it wasn't like that. Djokovic was never really in that match. I mean, Sinner controlled that match. Sinner beat Zverev.

[Frank Isola]

He beat him.

[Tony Kornheiser]

He lost the first set and it went three more. Sinner's a significantly better player than Zverev. Sver is a fine player. He won the French Open. He's a top five player. Sinner and Alcaraz are separate from these people and they are not run of the mill people. No, but Sinner and Alcaraz are. They're. They look like Federer and Nadal at the moment. Yeah, they look that good. Now Alcaraz has not been able physically to compete in the French Open or Wimbledon I don't know about the US Open. I mean, I don't know if this is an injury that will plague him forever and take away his greatness, but he is great and Sinner is great. Sinner has now beaten Zverev 10 straight times.

[Email/Jingle Host]

Yeah.

[Tony Kornheiser]

We say that's domination. Holmes, 10 straight times.

[Email/Jingle Host]

Getting into Garretis territory.

[Greg Cody]

Right.

[Email/Jingle Host]

Nobody beats Venus Carolina, 17 straight, except.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah, right.

[Co-host/Producer]

Sixteen.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Only 16 straight to him. And in the women's final, it didn't have a great attraction because these are unknown people. They're terrific tennis players, both from the Czech Republic, Mahuva and Nasca.

[Greg Cody]

Right.

[Frank Isola]

Yeah.

[Tony Kornheiser]

And.

[Email/Jingle Host]

And it was nice to see.

[Tony Kornheiser]

I went three sets. Yeah. I didn't have the winner. I thought Mahuva would win after beating Coco G. She didn't win. And Nascova was, I think tennis people would say, significantly better. And threw away the second set, didn't get beat. Threw the set away and then won in the third set. But as with women's tennis in the last four or five years, other than Sabalenka and Witek, there is a parade of people getting to finals and winning finals in majors where you go, who's that?

[Frank Isola]

Right.

[Greg Cody]

Yeah.

[Tony Kornheiser]

And then they don't come back.

[Email/Jingle Host]

Yeah.

[Tony Kornheiser]

They don't get back in the next two or three. And you go, well, what happened? So it's one of the reasons I suspect Venus Williams is considering, you know, Serena Williams, rather, is considering extending this comeback and being serious about it.

[Greg Cody]

Right.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Is because I. I suspect she feels I can win. Yeah, I can win. Other than a couple of players who are out there who are better than her. Doesn't mean you meet them in every tournament.

[Email/Jingle Host]

Exactly.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Doesn't mean that's the way it works. Because they lose, too. And Sabalenka, they go out before the finals.

[Email/Jingle Host]

Yeah.

[Tony Kornheiser]

They're going out in the quarters and they're going out in the semi. So that happens.

[Email/Jingle Host]

Just one, one note about Alcaraz, I was reading last night. When is he coming back? He's now had to. He's going to miss the. I think it's the Montreal Open, and he's hoping to go to the Western Southern, I think, in Cincinnati. Is that where that is?

[Tony Kornheiser]

Okay. But he wants to play in the US Open.

[Email/Jingle Host]

He wants to play, but there's. There's now serious injury. Yes. There's serious doubts he might not play at all this year.

[Tony Kornheiser]

This is his right wrist. Yes, he wrist he uses to hit the ball.

[Email/Jingle Host]

It's kind of important.

[Jill Miglick]

Yeah.

[Tony Kornheiser]

So this could be. This could actually be A career ending injury.

[Email/Jingle Host]

Clearly they are. It's very serious because they're just taking their time on this. Make sure it doesn't, you know, Tom

[Tony Kornheiser]

Kim won the Scottish Open. I didn't see that coming. But Tom Kim is a good player. And Tom Kim in, in bed sheet golf, people love him. He's very demonstrative. I mean, he's a very popular guy in the Bedsheet Golf Classic. I sort of thought what team is he on? I don't know the names of any of the teams.

[Co-host/Producer]

Throw it out there.

[Tony Kornheiser]

I don't have any idea. I sort of thought that Rory McElroy after the first day was going to win this.

[Co-host/Producer]

When he chunked a wedge shot earlier

[Tony Kornheiser]

in the weekend, he said I stink at golf. At some point we should all stink that bit. Which reminds me, I did play 16 holes yesterday. I stopped after 16. It slowed.

[Co-host/Producer]

Glad you got out.

[Tony Kornheiser]

There were.

[Co-host/Producer]

I'm glad you got.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah, and it was really good. There were matches in, in front of us that we were two and we were four. We were four for the first nine. We played with a couple who were just learning to play. It was totally delightful, Chris and Janet to play with them. You know, they struggled and Chris give

[Co-host/Producer]

him a lesson out of the bunker.

[Tony Kornheiser]

I, I don't give anybody lessons, but he, he, he takes a shot that won't help him get out of the bunker. He takes a half swing. You have to take a full swing to get out of the bunker. Very nice guy in actually his cyber security. It's. And so he explained things to me that I had no knowledge of. It terrified you was. It did terrify me. But it was, you know, it was nice to learn a little bit. And then we got behind two matches, you know, two man matches. And so that slowed everything down. And I left after 16. But I played.

[Co-host/Producer]

When you're driving in, did you see the bounce house being put up?

[Tony Kornheiser]

I did not see that. I did not see that. But the kids love that last night. They love that. So I played with a fellow named Steve Robinson who I had not met before, who was an airline pilot. And so I had obviously a lot to talk and a graduate of the Air Force Academy.

[Frank Isola]

Oh, wow.

[Tony Kornheiser]

So I had a lot to talk about. I thoroughly enjoyed playing with him. He's significantly younger than I am, like six or seven or eight years or something like that.

[Co-host/Producer]

You pick up any feathers in the back nine?

[Tony Kornheiser]

I did not see any feathers, no. I would have picked them up and put them in the bag. I basically have a, a down jacket in my bag because I have so many feathers that I pick up because I think it's lucky to pick up the goose feathers. Yeah, he's, he's a quick player. He puts his club behind the ball. He doesn't even take a practice swing.

[Co-host/Producer]

Love it.

[Tony Kornheiser]

He hits the ball and hits it. Well, I, I enjoyed myself very much playing with him. So we had some things in common and it was, that was fun. That was fun not getting out this week because, you know, we got the, we're going to, in terms of announcing the schedule, we're going to do the podcast Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday this week.

[Email/Jingle Host]

That's right.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Because Thursday and Friday I'm playing in a member guest and so I want to be able to play because it starts at 8, so I have to, I'm not doing the podcast at 5.

[Co-host/Producer]

To get there for breakfast.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Well, yes, I get there for breakfast and like to take breakfast sandwiches with me on in the golf cart.

[Co-host/Producer]

Nothing says food safety like a breakfast sandwich. Go.

[Email/Jingle Host]

Yeah.

[Tony Kornheiser]

And it gets cold quickly and it's awful. But it gives me a stash. Gives me, yeah, it gives me something to do. I reach in, you know, and I, I eat a bite here and a bite there. I like to do that. All right, so we will get started with the show. We have Frank Isola on later in the show and Greg Cody to talk about all things Miami other than LeBatard right now. I'm Tony Kornheiser. This is the Tony Kornheiser Show. The biggest stage in world soccer is here and every goal changes everything. And now FanDuel is giving you a reason to root for every single one. Introducing every goal pays. Bet on a match and get bonus bets for every goal scored in that match. That's right. More goals mean more bonus bets. And all you have to do is turn on your token. From the opening whistle to the final kick. Let there be goals on FanDuel. Visit FanDuel.com podcast to get started now.

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[Tony Kornheiser]

You're listening to the Tony Kornheiser show. This music is sent us by Tim Raiderstorf in Columbus, Ohio. It's someone he knows pretty well. Jill Miglick. Yeah, Jose, soccer coach as well as a singer and a songwriter. This is a song called Oyster. This is her first song. She'll play another song later and she plays in Greg Cody. Greg, you. Are you still writing for the Miami Herald?

[Greg Cody]

Yes, I am, sir.

[Tony Kornheiser]

You're, you're getting to be the oldest person writing. That's good. You should, you should, you should want to do that. I'm the oldest person working. You can be the oldest person writing and nothing wrong.

[Greg Cody]

Yes, I am. I still chip my, my columns onto a tablet and then send it to the, to the Herald. So we're a little old fashioned here. But, yeah, I'm still writing. Not much. I've cut back a little bit. I'm writing like two, two columns a week. But yeah, we're still doing it.

[Tony Kornheiser]

That's good. That's good to know. So I have a thousand Miami questions, but the first Miami question doesn't have to do with Miami sports as much as it has to do with what you did the other day. Miami hosted the England Norway game. And you went to that, right?

[Greg Cody]

Yeah, I was at the game. It was, it was a thrill. We've hosted six World cup games so far. We've got one left. So Miami's been a big part of this. It's been fun.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Do you like soccer? Are you a soccer guy? I'm not a soccer guy. Are you a soccer guy?

[Greg Cody]

Yeah, I'm very much a soccer guy. I, I Played soccer through college age, actually, that, I must say that's much, that's much more impressive than it sounds because I was the backup goalie on a college club team, right? We, we had uniforms and we went to road games, but I hardly played. And the only game I started, I lost 6 to 1. However, I love soccer. I covered the Fort Lauderdale Strikers way back in the North American Soccer League days in the late 70s and early 80s. So I go way back.

[Tony Kornheiser]

So I mean, my problem, and Wilbond loves it too, or at least claims to love it, claims to know the temperature of the entire world by watching soccer. You know, I, my problem is the same problem that a lot of people have, that they don't really try to score all that often and you know, and they don't use their hands. And like, I couldn't probably, I couldn't, I couldn't cut meat if I didn't use my hands. So I think my hands are very valuable. But I'm glad, I'm glad you like it. Later in the show, Isola is going to be on. He was a backup player at University of Maryland. I mean, he, you know, he played it all the way through. Did they, you know, you know what surprised me? And I'm going into this with absolutely no knowledge, which is, you know, very much what I do all the time. But what surprised me when I saw England and Norway in Miami, I would have thought if they had a chance to put Argentina in Miami or Spain in Miami or earlier in the tournament, Brazil in Miami, they would have done that. Was there, you know, did you have games among Spanish speaking teams, which makes sense, in Miami?

[Greg Cody]

Oh, for sure, yeah. Yeah. Actually England, Norway and Miami was, was sort of an anomaly. It was, it was probably the whitest crowd I've ever seen at any sporting event. But earlier in the event, like our first, Miami's first match was Uruguay and we had Colombia play a match down here. Colombia is insane. We have like 150 or 15,000 Colombians living in South Florida. So that was a crazy game. And then Argentina did play one of its knockout games in Miami earlier in July. So we've had three South American teams play here. This just happened to be England and Norway.

[Tony Kornheiser]

I should ask you, because you're a soccer person, do you have a winner in this thing? Do you say this is the best team they should win?

[Greg Cody]

Yeah, France has been the best team I've seen by a lot. I think France is a clear favorite. I think they're going to beat Spain on Tuesday in One semifinal, and then Argentina and England play in the Wednesday semifinal. And that's the one I really, really want to see, because England has a great squad. And as we saw the other night with Harry Kane, their top player, had an off game, but Jude Bellingham filled him with two goals and the crowd serenaded him by singing hey Jude after the game. It was pretty cool.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Nice.

[Greg Cody]

Yeah, it was great. And of course, Argentina has Lionel Messi, who's just beyond compare. He's the goat of goats. And this would be his last World cup game if he loses, because he's 39 years old and you can't imagine him playing in four years. So this is the swan song for the greatest ever, potentially. So it's going to be a great Tuesday and Wednesday for soccer.

[Tony Kornheiser]

So I, you know, I don't again, know much about it, but after the games, I see the players embrace. And this happens in all sports, but it always strikes me that it is a little bit more sincere in soccer because I think a lot of these guys play on the same teams in professional leagues. Right. I mean, they know each other really well.

[Greg Cody]

Yeah, yeah. The top, the top World cup players are playing in. In the English Premier League or playing in South America or in Europe. They're including some of the U.S. players.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah.

[Greg Cody]

And some of them play in MLS, in the American League. But, yeah, they. They play each other. It's like during an All Star game, you know, during the baseball All Star game. You know, you've got the NL team, but all these guys play each other from, you know, Cubs and Padres and all this. So it's the same in international football.

[Tony Kornheiser]

All right, let me shift gears completely. A story that I'm interested in. Bam, out of bio. And Tyler Hero. Bam, out of bio. What I read punched Tyler hero a couple of times. These guys played together not. Not for an hour and a half. They played for some years at Miami Heat. What can you. What happened there? And was it expected?

[Greg Cody]

It certainly wasn't expected. You know, they played six, seven years together and, you know, suddenly they're. They're ex teammates and instant enemies. It was a weird story. They, you know, the. The NBA Summer league just started in Las Vegas and they were both out there because that's what NBA players do. They get a lot of. A lot of disposable income, so they fly all around doing God, what? And so they were both. They bumped into each other in a gym, at a casino. You know, why casinos have basketball gyms is a whole different story. But they bump into each other and apparently Tyler Hero had been betrayed by a fan. Tyler Hero was dming direct messaging on social media with a fan and apparently said a couple of things that were a little critical of Bam, thinking it was just a private exchange with a fan. Well, the fan apparently publicized that, and Bam got wind of it or saw it. And apparently Tyler had thrown a little shade at Bam, saying he's not quite the defensive star everybody makes him out to be. And Miami love Bam more than they love me. And he just said a couple of things that Bam took as negative. And so they got into a little physicality when they saw each other. I wasn't there, but from everything I've heard and talked to a couple of people, apparently Bam just sort of slapped them. You know, just got a little physical with him, and I don't know that it's going to carry over. Tyler Hero was interviewed later that same day and, you know, didn't have any bruises and seemed fine. So I think it's going to blow over. But it was sort of a weird, bizarre incident, wasn't it?

[Tony Kornheiser]

Both of them are very popular, right? And there was no indication that they had any bad blood, correct?

[Greg Cody]

That's correct. Yes. Both very popular. They. Once Jimmy Butler left, they were the two biggest stars on the team for a couple of years. And. And, you know, Tyler Herrera made an all star team. Bams made the all stars. They're both very good players, and there was never an indication down here that. That they had any bad blood whatsoever. So it was weird.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah, Bama had it like, 84 points earlier this year. I mean, is it the most surprising amount of points by a player in the history of the league?

[Greg Cody]

I mean, that was crazy.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yes, that was absolutely crazy. Who did he get them against again? Oh, you know, I think it was Washington. I thought it was Washington. I thought. Yeah, I thought it's not. Not a real team. Not against a real team.

[Greg Cody]

Okay.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Well, the. The genesis of this, of course, is that Miami has acquired Giannis Antetokounmpo. Are people excited about that?

[Greg Cody]

Yes. Yes. After what seems like three or four years of attempting to sign Giannis, they finally got him, and they're finally introducing him this Thursday. They haven't had the intro press conference yet. They're finally having that.

[Co-host/Producer]

Really?

[Greg Cody]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, finally. So along with Bobby Portis, who also came in the trade. Imagine being Bobby Portis at the press conference for Yana. You know, some. Somebody's gonna.

[Tony Kornheiser]

The only question. Yeah, the only question Bobby Portis will get is one. What's your Name again. And two, could you get out of the line of sight so that we could see the other guy? That's all that's going to be said to him, right? That's right.

[Greg Cody]

Yeah. And if there's time for a third question, it would be, what do you think of the Heat getting Giannis onto the composite?

[Tony Kornheiser]

We, you and I could script this press conference would be really good. So I pay attention. I'm like one of those sad old men who pays attention to baseball. And earlier in the year, the Marlins swept the Nats, and the Nats were playing really well. And the Marlins, in my mind, are awful because they've been awful for a long time. They don't to seem spend any money and. And they stink. They always have one or two good pitchers and that's all they have.

[Greg Cody]

Right.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Well, all of a sudden they're good. They're like, they're actually play off good. Correct. What is going on with that?

[Greg Cody]

Yes, it's the craziest story other than bam slapping Tyler Hero. It's probably the craziest story in South Florida right now. Unfortunately, because of the World cup and because of Giannis, nobody's paying attention to the Marlins. But it is, it's a big story. They lost their last three games going into the All Star break, but they still have a 26 and 11 record since June 1st, which I think is the best in MLB. Yeah, they've been, you know, they've got three quality starting pitchers, they have two All Stars, they have players you've never heard of who are having big seasons, and they are defying the fact that they have the cheapest owner in Fort. And they're playing budget ball. You know, they've started to hit home runs, they steal bases. They're a fun team. You know, they, they brand themselves the Fighting Fish and, you know, they're actually starting to draw more than 8,000 fans a game. It's been pretty remarkable down here.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah, I mean, if you look, if you think your stadium is empty sometimes, like the Nats when Houston came in and nobody was there, just take a look at Miami. Miami. Nobody is. Nobody's at Miami. And yet the thing that was in the news about the Miami Marlins lately and over the last month in the national news was they pulled the kid when he had a perfect game through seven. What were your thoughts about that?

[Greg Cody]

Oh, my God. Yeah. Yuri Perez. Perfect game. You know, I, I argue this on the, on the Levitar show and on my own podcast. It's ridiculous to just follow the book and say all right, we have. We have a 4% more chance of winning right now if we make a move and go to the bullpen. When. When you've got a chance for a person, a perfect game. They've only been like 20 in major league history.

[Tony Kornheiser]

24. All time. 24. That's it.

[Greg Cody]

Yeah. You got to give this kid a chance to make history. He's six outs away. He's thrown less than 100 pitches. It's not like his arms falling off. I think they just made a terrible mistake, and it almost backfired. The bullpen blew up. They ended up winning nine to eight. But, yeah, I thought that was a bad mistake. This kid was six outs from history. Let him. Let him go. Try to get it.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Did the general manager or manager address that? Not that day, but say, two or three days later as people continued to talk about it?

[Greg Cody]

Yeah, they did. And, you know, he. The manager basically says this is, you know, this was the. The right way to go, basically. You know, they're a big analytics team tomorrow.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah. So the Nets.

[Greg Cody]

Yeah, that. That's one of the excuses that they don't spend a lot of money on players as well. We're smarter than other teams. We do all this analytics, and so I think they're a slave to that, and I think that's what happened here. But, you know, if it's just a no hitter, I say go to the bullpen. No hitters, pretty common, but a perfect game, man, that. That's so rare. You got to let them get it.

[Tony Kornheiser]

I agree with that. All right, I'll get you out of here on this. For years, the greatest attraction in the Miami area is the Dolphins. I mean, they were an early dynasty, and they got cool uniforms, and everybody likes the Dolphins. They got rid of the. They got rid of the quarterback, they got rid of the coach. That appears to be an utter reset there. Do you like this? Do you. Do you have optimism about it or are you angry about it?

[Greg Cody]

No, I like it. It had to happen. You know, for years they've been just starting and restarting, you know, and never really having a plan. And once it. Once it was obvious that to a Tanga Baloa wasn't the guy. I think they needed a complete reboot, and that's what they're doing. I've been pretty impressed with Jeff Happley, the new head coach, who's. Who's from Green Bay. He. He seems to have had a good off season. The only money they spent was on Malik Willis, the quarterback, for the time being, you know, if they're as bad as everybody says, they could get the number one draft pick next spring and probably, probably the latest Manning, you know, Arch Manning would be the guy. Probably. But yeah, I think they needed to make the reboot. I think even fans are resigned to the fact, okay, let's have a terrible season or two and then let's finally be good again. Because this team, the franchise of Don Shuler and Dan Marino, hasn't made the playoffs for the longest run in the NFL since.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Is that right?

[Greg Cody]

In more than a quarter of a century. It's embarrassing.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Wow.

[Greg Cody]

Yeah. And as you say, this is the flagship franchise in South Florida and they, you know, they just have to find a way to be good again.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah. I mean, you can talk about any other sport you want, but it's the Miami Dolphins, you know, that's an automatic. Greg, thanks. Say hi to Levitard for us. Thank you very much.

[Greg Cody]

Yeah, anytime, Tony.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Thank you, Greg Cody. Boys and girls, we will take a break. We will come back with Frank Isola. We'll talk a little bit about soccer with Frank. I am Tony Kornheiser. This is the Tony Kornheiser show. This is a song from Jill Miglick and Tim Raderstorff in Columbus, Ohio writes the Pride of Grandview FC 5th grade girls soccer coaching staff. Singer songwriter Jill Miglick released her latest album Ignite on July 10th. She's an Ohio based singer songwriter whose music blends heartfelt storytelling with relatable moments. Drawing inspiration from Casey Musgraves, Noah Cahan and Miley. One of them. This is a song called Airport Wish List on an album called Oyster. And we're happy that Jill Miglick, you know, gave up soccer coaching briefly to record an album.

[Greg Cody]

Album.

[Email/Jingle Host]

Yeah.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Michael, if people like Jill want to send their original music in, how do they do it?

[Co-host/Producer]

Send us music by emailing it to jinglesonyquinizershow.com and she plays in New York. Big Casey.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Frank Isola. Isola is, is doing us an incredible favor. We have, we have always talked to Taylor Twelman about soccer, but Taylor Twelman I think this past weekend played in one of those celebrity tournaments in Lake Tahoe and we haven't reached him and you know, why should he talk to us?

[FanDuel Advertiser]

He.

[Tony Kornheiser]

He's in a tournament.

[Email/Jingle Host]

Sure.

[Tony Kornheiser]

And Frank is gonna, is. Is being nice enough to do this. And you say, well, why do you want to talk to Frank about soccer? Because kids, Frank played soccer in college, a real college, the University of Maryland. Frank, do you want to tell the people what you did in soccer at Maryland?

[Frank Isola]

I did basically nothing. I certainly didn't do what your guy, Taylor Troman, did. I always joke with him. And he broke all my records because we went to the same school, so I walked on. But once he scored his first goal, he had broken any record that I had set at Maryland. So they were nice enough to give me brand new cleats. That was nice.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Wait, so you never scored for Maryland?

[Frank Isola]

Tony, it's not easy to score, right? That's.

[Tony Kornheiser]

That's what I was going to ask. I was going to ask that since nobody ever scores in soccer, that would put you not in a select group. I mean, a lot of people don't see score. But you like soccer?

[Frank Isola]

Yes, absolutely. Terrific sport.

[Tony Kornheiser]

You have bailed me out on the VTI show a number of times about soccer and will, I'm sure, continue to do so. Here's my. We're down to four teams. We're down to Spain, Argentina, France and England. I'm not certain of this, but they're probably, if not the four best teams for the top five or six going

[Frank Isola]

into this thing right now, you nailed it.

[Greg Cody]

They are.

[Frank Isola]

They are the top four teams. I think the two best teams are going to play each other in the semifinal, which is France and Spain and then Argentina, the defending champs, have been terrific. You know, England, which always somehow, you know, finds trouble. But this World cup, you know, went to Mexico City, beat Mexico, which isn't easy to do. You know, they were down, you know, to Norway, won nothing. They come back and beat a team that's got a great player in Erling Holland in the heat of Miami. But give them credit, they. And, you know, there's a history between Argentina and England, not just on the field, but off the field as well.

[Tony Kornheiser]

And, you know, one of the Falklands War.

[Frank Isola]

Yeah, that's right. Yeah. Which. But for England, I think the worst thing was the hand of God with Diego Maradon in 1986, and David Beckham got a red card in a game against Argentina, which I believe was in 98 in France. So, you know, there's a lot of teams in this tournament, 48. But to your point, the four best are still standing. So the semifinals should be a lot of fun.

[Tony Kornheiser]

So everybody that I talk to, and it's not a lot of people, I grant you, it's just usually George at the shack between seven and eight at Columbia, but he thinks that the winner of Spain and France will be the favorite to win the World Cup. Do you believe that as well?

[Frank Isola]

I really do. And you know, Spain has looked so good. You know, Tony, they didn't give up a goal until the, the last game that they played. And you know, so they've been terrific defensively. They possessed the ball. But of course, France, you know, they won it in 2018. They were in the final in 2022, which losing Argentina impelled the kick. You know, Killian Mbappe is a terrific player. Now it's interesting if you look at the road that both France and Argentina, Pat, it hasn't been as difficult as Spain and England. Spain did have to beat Portugal. They played a really good Belgium team, which was getting better as the tournament went along. Argentina essentially hasn't played anybody yet. They really haven't. And they were in trouble against, you know, Cape Verde. They were in trouble against Egypt. So for me they look pretty vulnerable. But I agree, I think the winner of Spain, France will be a big time favorite. But maybe there's something special about this England team. Who knows? I mean, Harry Kane and Drew Bellingham are terrific players. They're certainly the leaders of that team. They both have played really well. I heard you mention this on PTI last week, but the one thing about this World cup is that all the stars are delivering and.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah, yeah.

[Frank Isola]

And the stars on England certainly have.

[Tony Kornheiser]

So Wilbourne, I talked to Wilbon yesterday. He loves this stuff. He loves Mbappe. He hated Messi for years. He said Cristiano Ronaldo was better. Now he's backtracking on that. He loves Yamin Lamal or Lamine Yamal whose birthday is today. He loves all that stuff. But he said this is him. He believes that Egypt got hosed in the same way that Sacramento with Chris Weber got hosed in the NBA. You know, Wilbon believes that, that the league wanted the Lakers in and not Sacramento. He thinks that's what happened to Egypt in this case. Are you with that?

[Frank Isola]

He knows. So Egypt had their second goal called back from something that happened 100 yards away. So, you know, we're talking before. Not a lot of goals get scored. Egypt scores this great goal to go ahead to nothing. They go to the video assistant referee Var. The referee rules that a foul should have been called. They waved the goal off, but Egypt still ended up scoring again. So it wasn't. Egypt was up to nothing. They gave up three goals in the last 12 minutes. So to me they got nobody to blame but themselves. I thought the England, Norway game on Saturday, you know, you had Norway's is up one nothing. They take a goal kick, it hit the cable. That's carrying the, you know, the sky camp, the ball. You could see by the way the ball was flying. It comes straight down. England scores.

[Greg Cody]

And they let that stand.

[Frank Isola]

That's not supposed to count. This isn't the catwalk at Tropicana Field in Tampa, where that's in play. They were supposed to rule that dead. So I felt like England, you know, benefited from a few calls. Argentina has benefited from calls all throughout the tournament. Messi should have gotten a red card. He stepped on the back of someone's calf, and a foul was called, and they didn't even review the play. So FIFA, this has been a mess, including what happened when the White House got involved with the US Game before they played Belgium. There's not a lot of trust out there right now for FIFA.

[Tony Kornheiser]

I would say, though, as a. As a viewer and a viewer with no knowledge of soccer, that I think I would rather see Argentina and England than Norway and Egypt. And if you tell me it's a television show, which is what I believe anyway, I think you probably have four giants out there and a chance to get 30, 40 million people watching this thing, right?

[Frank Isola]

I think you 100% nailed it. You know, Norway has a big star

[Tony Kornheiser]

in Ireland, Guy Harlan.

[Frank Isola]

He's the big Viking. But you're 100% right. Argentina has a much bigger following. They also have who a lot of people think is the greatest player to ever play the game. And there's a history there with, you know, England and Argentina. I think FIFA got the matchup that they want. How many times have we joked around, like, the NBA wants, you know, Boston or the Lakers, or they'll even take the Knicks in the Lakers. I think if you ask people before the tournament, what's the Final Four you want? It's the Final Four we're getting this week.

[Tony Kornheiser]

All right, so I think it's a TV show. I think all sports are TV shows, and I think you try to get the greatest amount of audience possible. And I guess what I'm wondering about is FIFA gets exactly what it wants. It gets a chance to get record numbers that have never been seen before in the United States of America, of people watching soccer having nothing to do with the United States team. And I'm just wondering if there's another hand of God here, and it's the hand of God, of FIFA, that has orchestrated this and treated all of us like marionettes with our strings being pulled. Is that a legitimate feeling to have, or do you think that's an overreaction?

[Frank Isola]

I don't think it's an overreaction. And I feel like a lot of these calls have benefited, especially England in Argentina. France has just been so dominant, they really haven't been challenged. But, you know, Norway had a goal call back yesterday, which I thought was ridiculous. And then England didn't have their goal callback, and it should have been once the ball hit the cable that that is in the air. And then Argentina. Tony, why is it that it's just a crazy coincidence. Every call that's involved with Argentina, it always seems to benefit them. I think. Yes, we talked about the four teams they want in the Final Four. If you're asking me, do you think FIFA wants Killian Mbappe in France against Lionel Messi in Argentina, I would say yes. I think that's what they really would like to see.

[Tony Kornheiser]

I appreciate you doing this. People can listen to it and they can hear that we have production problems in doing this. But because I know absolutely nothing about soccer, it's important that we have you on because you actually know about soccer and you bail me out. Thank you, Frank.

[Frank Isola]

Thanks, Tony.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Frank Isola, who does such a good job on pti, is always prepared because he's a newspaper writer. He's always prepared. We will take a break, come back with email and jingle. I'm Tony Kornheiser. This is the Tony Kornheiser Show. That's brilliant. That's the greatest thing I've ever heard. That's fantastic. Yeah, that's Mike Tam. Yeah, that is fantastic.

[Email/Jingle Host]

Might be some artificial intelligence involved, but who cares?

[Tony Kornheiser]

Oh, it's good use. That's fantastic. So cool. You want to do the Bethesda Bagel ad, please?

[Email/Jingle Host]

Bethesda Bagels. We love them. You will as well just go to Bethesda Bagels.com for the location in the DC area nearest you.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Then pop on in and you will be thrilled. And before we get to the mailbag, let me just say, may your hands always be busy May your feet always be swift May you have a strong foundation when the winds of changes shift May your heart always be joyful May your song always be song and may you stay forever. No, it's. It's. May your song always be sung.

[Email/Jingle Host]

Oh, what?

[Tony Kornheiser]

I say you song. May your song always be song May your song always be sung and may you stay forever young Stay forever young. Is that right?

[Email/Jingle Host]

No, that's.

[Tony Kornheiser]

That's the original.

[Email/Jingle Host]

That's Bob Dylan.

[Tony Kornheiser]

That's Bob Dylan. But yeah, Rod Stewart played that. He covered it. It's just great. Oh, wow. It's just great. Yeah, yeah. May your song always be sung. You're having problems typing lately? Yes. Thanks to our guest today, Greg Cody and Frank Isola. Maybe you ought to go to AI.

[Email/Jingle Host]

We should.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Thanks as well to today's sponsors. Remember you can listen to us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Oughtysee if you get show through Apple Podcasts. Please leave us A review from Justin and John Justin Johnson in Arlington, Virginia who writes in the headline. Can I ask a practical question? This may be a wild strategy, but why don't they all just kick the ball at the goal a lot more? Yeah, that is articulating my point of view. Why don't you try to score every once in a while? From Steve the Sycophant to quote the great philosopher Yogi Berra, it's deja vu all over again. Sunday I get back home, look up the Nats game and I say my phone is screwed up. It's showing Friday's game, the 5 to 3 loss. Not today. Well, silly me, the Nats, while losing three games in a row to the Yankees, each one after leading going into the eighth inning, replicated almost exactly their Friday loss on Sunday. And they're 28 and 18 on the road, the best record in baseball, and 20 and 29 at home, the third worst record in baseball. Please explain this to me as I start to worry about the Commander's upcoming schedule. I can't explain it.

[Co-host/Producer]

Nope.

[Tony Kornheiser]

No one can explain it. No, it's no from Dina Near Dinora who liked her washer in Damascus better. She writes, it's happened again for the fourth time since we've moved near Donor a mere one and a half years ago, my washing machine machine has updated itself. No asking, just doing. This time I noticed a change. Instead of hot, warm, cold, it says cold and then about five other temperatures. Luckily they are on Fahrenheit. It's a German company, so you never know. But that doesn't help too much. I am very tech savvy. Not only can I log into peacock, but every July 1st every July I turn on my subscription to watch a Tour de France and shut it off at the end of the tour. But I do not know what temperature is war, warm and hot, nor why I have 5 temperatures to distribute above cold. So I picked the middle temperature for warm and the highest for hot. I did not ask for this. My clothes were getting quite clean with three settings. Now I might just always pick cold since it's the only one that doesn't make me know a temperature. Until the next update, we all have these problems.

[Email/Jingle Host]

Yes.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Nobody. Leave us alone.

[Email/Jingle Host]

Yes.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Stop.

[Email/Jingle Host]

It's working.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Putting your hands into our lives when you're not asked to do it. You're not making our lives better. From Michael Dinga in Louisville, Kentucky. Couldn't help but notice Charles Barkley sporting a Johnny O. Polo.

[Co-host/Producer]

Yeah.

[Tony Kornheiser]

The tournament weekend's American Century celebrity golf tournament. Do you think he used the code Chuck had a polo on?

[Frank Isola]

Yeah.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Do we have a sense of Taylor Twelman? Do we have a sense of what he did?

[Email/Jingle Host]

No, we do not. Out in Tahoe this past weekend.

[Co-host/Producer]

Yeah.

[Tony Kornheiser]

I mean, that's what we're talking about, right? This one comes from Anna Walsh in Georgetown, Kentucky. On Friday's podcast, you remarked that teeing off in front of people dining nearby was really scary. Well, I can do even better. I teach sixth graders, a small pre K through eighth grade private school during middle school spirit week each year, one of the most highly anticipated events is the teachers versus students basketball game. Teams of male and female faculty members lace up and take on the 8th grade boys and girls teams respectively. At 46, I'm one of the youngest members of our female faculty team, and they are usually only a handful of us brave enough to completely embarrass ourselves in this fashion every year. Picture the University of Kentucky basketball team walking into the local senior citizens center and asking if anyone there wants to play a pickup game. In our pre game huddle, the only thing we say to each other are these three critical words. Don't get hurt. As we get soundly beaten. Every year, we have a lot of laughs and end up making those 8th grade girls feel like Caitlin Clark. So the next time you're teeing off in front of people politely eating their club sandwiches, just remember that you could be doing so in front of a gym packed with middle school students yelling nonsense words like low key and aura. Take courage.

[Email/Jingle Host]

By the way, I have this here. Marty Fish won.

[Tony Kornheiser]

He always wins. He's a great player. He's a better golfer than a tennis player.

[Email/Jingle Host]

Taylor Twelman finished eighth, 47.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Okay. Top 10. He's got a top 10.

[Email/Jingle Host]

Yeah. Pavelski, Curry, Sorensen, Smoltz, Romo, Derek Low. Then he lost.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Danica Sorenston should be in a different category. Yeah, I mean, Atticus Sorenstam is one of the greatest players of all time. He should lose to her. Patrick Vincenzio in Laurel, Maryland. When you're a Jet, you're a Jet all the way. Even though John Regan's number will be retired by the Washington organization. As you mentioned, on Friday show. He started out as a New York Jet. He has such a charismatic personality. Too bad Sandra Day o' Connor won't be there to see his number retired. Come on, Sandy baby, loosen up.

[Greg Cody]

You're too tight.

[Tony Kornheiser]

He once told her to salute to Congress dinner when he made his acting debut at a local play, Mrs. O' Connor showed up, showed her support on opening night with roses. Isn't that sweet?

[Email/Jingle Host]

That's great.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Congratulations to the diesel from Bennett Wise. He's a sports anchor at WDRB in Louisville, formerly of WSBT in South Bend. Greetings from Bourbon Country. I moved to Louisville last month for a new job, and my first big assignment has been covering the ISCO ISCO Championship, the alternate event to the Scottish Open. I think I've discovered a fix for your waning bunker play. Defending champion William Mao Mouw MAU or Mo Mao, I think shot two under on day one. Day two, he fired a bogey free seven under 63 to move into contention. The difference in rounds. He told reporters on Friday he stuck his putter in boiling water because he felt his putter had gone cold. Yes, he physically stuck his head in piping hot water. Lucas Glove Glover was his playing part in the first rounds and said the other one looked black. This one was silver. I've thrown a few and kicked a few and broken a few. I've never boiled one. Might I recommend that for your sand wedge? It sounds like voodoo, but it worked for Mal. P.S. i got an exclusive with Max Homan. He couldn't have been more gracious or a nicer guy. Truly easy to root for. And tell Dr. Steve Gerber in South Bend to eat it. Everyone loves Max Homan. Yeah, everyone. Wilbon loves Max. Home from Nakoma. I'm sure you already know this, but your classmate Jim Steinman did something very unique in 1983 when two of the songs he penned took the number one and two spots in the top 100. It had never happened before and to the best of my knowledge, has not happened since Total Eclipse of the Heart, Bonnie Tyler and Making Love out of Nothing At All. Air Supply. Nakoma is a letter carrier in St. Paul, Minnesota. Well, but wouldn't the Beatles have done that?

[Email/Jingle Host]

Yeah, maybe it's by an individual songwriter because that was by.

[Tony Kornheiser]

I don't know. Yeah, maybe Nakoma should get back to us.

[Email/Jingle Host]

Yes.

[Tony Kornheiser]

From Elliot Olshansky. Dear Dr. Potato Head, did you hear that Jorge Posada went on a podcast and said he finds modern baseball to be unwatchable? I wonder if he's having trouble getting the knacks games on Peacock too, but something tells me he wouldn't have had a problem watching the game in Spanish. Also, a couple of weeks ago when you were discussing Animal House, you said you had to assume that the writers of Animal House were Harvard Crimson guys. While it is true that Animal House co writer and National Lampoon co founder Doug Kenny did go to Harvard where he was editor of the Harvard Lampoon, the primary source of material for the film was Chris Miller, a Roslyn Roslyn, New York North Shore NATO who bases writing on his experiences pledging Alpha Delta Phi for fraternity at Dartmouth College.

[Email/Jingle Host]

Oh wow.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Which of course Elliot will know having gone to Dartmouth College from Terry Gans in San Carlos, California. PNC Pavilion is a mid sized shed adjacent to the large, larger Riverbend Music center on the banks of the Ohio River. Both are operated operated by the Cincinnati Symphony and are part of a rapidly expanding music campus at the eastern edge of Cincinnati city limits. The new Farmer Music center is slated to replace Riverbend as the area's primary amphitheater when it opens next spring, its construction cranes towering over parking lots. But Riverbend will remain in use for multi stage festival events. This expansion has not been without controversy in Cincinnati. The new amphitheater comes at the expense of Coney island, the amusement park which sprawled along the river in various forms for nearly 150 years. Many of the rides move north to Kings Island. When that park opened in 1972 and Cony died a slow, inevitable death over the last half century, a vocal minority was outraged when demolition began on Sunlight Pool, the world's largest circulating swimming pool. A dubious distinction, but the symphony reiterated that they bought the land and not the business from Jeff Heisen, Chuck and Roxy Number six. Number six.

[Email/Jingle Host]

Wow.

[Co-host/Producer]

Well done.

[Tony Kornheiser]

I'm visiting Rehoboth and so stopped at bin 66. It was as nice as you said it would be. I said I was there because of you and was escorted to your favorite Beaujolais Chateau Cambone. Yeah, I have planned to drink it over the sink while yelling NBC Sports into my remote. Am I doing it right?

[Email/Jingle Host]

Sure.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Just great.

[Co-host/Producer]

See you at funland later.

[Tony Kornheiser]

From Dr. Brian the architect Regarding a recent episode titled Elderly Fraud, I thought we were about to find out, like with the Lilly Hammer jacket, that you're actually 47 years old. You have me questioning everything in life. And one more Happy Birthday Tony. And many more. By the way, I don't owe Dollar General. I wish I did. I'm still selling textiles like I've been doing for 55 years. DG if you're out on your bike tonight, everyone, as always, do wear white.

[Jill Miglick]

Hello, this is Lady Gaga. Happy birthday to you Happy birthday to you Happy birthday dear Tony I miss you Happy birthday to you and I

[Tony Kornheiser]

miss you too I do.

[Jill Miglick]

Ohio State sports crowds living room Ford style Small hometown but I've got my passport now Overseas hang out se by the lake how did I get this grade? Mom and dad will be ashamed.

[Greg Cody]

Wow.

[Jill Miglick]

Family dog B time Roller coaster long lines pics on my chest cuz sick now I feel fine Carolina sunshine Beach games till it's high tide no it's time to go in When I look up and see the street lights I want to be just like you Three's always been better than two I remember the way we were raised mom and dad were with us every step of the way I see all these memories in your face the world has been all right Just so that sort of free will all be okay. Messy recipe book Bucket hats and fish hooks in our home Our kitchens never had too many cooks Hotel Susie St from snoring bullet pools outside Exploring backyard football Snow day calls and staircase photo on Christmas morning I want to be just like you Three's always been better than two I remember the way we were raised mom and dad were with us every step of the way I see all these memories in your face the world has made our oyster so that's or three will all be okay. I flashback to all of the times when we were growing up Some days we had everything in common Others it was just our blood made up words Video games we fought, then played Just rode the wave from being forced to watch your high school sports to being proud of you all the same M I G L I C H I sure as hell appreciate tough love hit me down Baseball clubs and the jelly bean trick that I ate Swaltin roots games in the shoes sweet corn cold beer and homemade food Long airplane rides to visit you without a Just don't know what I do I want to be just like you Three's always been better than two I remember the way we were raised mom and dad were with us every step of the way of see all these memories in your face the world's been ours just s3 will I be okay?

[Greg Cody]

Oh.

[Jill Miglick]

Playing back in my head all the things you said and it's messing with me can't help but think about what you're doing Now I confess I maybe going a little crazy oh baby tell me me why did you leave me I wake up to catch an early flight it's all right, you clearly don't want me.

[Frank Isola]

Ladies and gentlemen, for flight JJ024.

[Jill Miglick]

Do I ever cross your mind like you do for me? Happens all the time or are you sitting with someone else now and I'm just past tense in your life? I think the only solution is to leave and disappear overnight I booked a ticket to a city far away Glad that I like to fly I'm so high up in the sky nowhere Spent three hours at the airport wishing that you did I wander around for who knows how long Had a drink and wondered you even care anymore about my life and what I was in it. I snuck my way into a fancy lounge and look down to see your name on my phone I believe we were in Denver but I didn't want to answer so I put it on airplane mode Then I left to find something to eat Put this song on repeat and I was living Waited at my gate so I wasn't laid I need a window by where I'm sitting

[Frank Isola]

Please fashion your shoe.

[Jill Miglick]

Spent three hours at the end wishing that you did I wonder who knows how long Had a drink and wonder if you even care anymore about my life and what happens in it.

[Frank Isola]

Sa.

[Jill Miglick]

Spent three hours in the airport wishing that you did it in it I wander around for who knows how long I had a drink and wondered you even car.