The Tony Kornheiser Show
Episode: “Don’t forget Reginald!”
Date: September 3, 2025
Episode Overview
This episode kicks off the fall sports season with Tony Kornheiser at the helm, featuring the first NFL picks of the year (!) from regular guest Chuck Todd and a lively stretch-run baseball conversation with Mark Feinsand. It’s classic Tony: witty self-deprecation, passionate (and often cranky) rants about sports, and charm that carries familiar segments, including the beloved “Reginald the Monkey” football picks.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Golf Tales & Self-Roasting (00:00–01:43)
- Tony opens with comic lament about his lackluster golf play and the resulting mockery from friends, underscoring the show’s rich tradition of sports talk as social storytelling.
- Quote: “I've gotten a series of emails and texts from people laughing at me, saying ‘gross, gross, stop.’” —Tony (00:23)
2. Nationals, Novak, and a Lesson in Corrections (01:43–12:53)
- Tony reviews the Washington Nationals’ recent success—but only over “terrible teams” like the Marlins. He reevaluates his opinions on closer Jose Ferrer, admitting he may have been wrong. (01:43–02:55)
- Transition to tennis: Djokovic beats Taylor Fritz again. Tony, firmly in statistical mode, dismisses upset talk and analyzes chances against Alcaraz and Sinner:
“As Shaq once said, 39 ain’t 29, bro.” —Tony (04:21) - Notable for his attention to listener corrections, Tony apologizes for a recent error on his show about MLB batting orders.
“It’s my mistake... I felt lousy all night about that, because I got it wrong.” —Tony (11:09)
3. The John Wall Jersey Retirement Debate (05:00–09:56)
- Tony strongly argues John Wall doesn’t warrant a jersey retirement from the Wizards, citing lack of meaningful playoff success and Wall’s reputation:
- “Let me just say that John Wall does not deserve, on any level ever, to have his Washington jersey retired. He won nothing.” (05:08)
- Lively comparison to others (Gilbert Arenas, Phil Chenier), sports culture, and what team legacies really mean.
- “You don’t retire somebody’s jersey for that. It’s not a participation [trophy].” —Tony (08:53)
4. NFL Picks Segment with Chuck Todd (15:59–33:39)
- Chuck Todd joins for NFL “Week 1” picks in his signature, analytical style—with stories about Miami nostalgia and playful family rivalries (his wife’s Florida State ties spark some good-natured SEC barbs).
- Notable moment:
“I was so glad there wasn’t any sort of special uniform, special helmet. It might’ve looked like 1989 Miami–Notre Dame...” —Chuck (16:12) - Paul Finebaum and Alabama angst:
“I want to listen to the Paul Finebaum callers this week... just to hear them go off on poor Mr. DeBoer.” —Chuck (18:18)
- Notable moment:
- Game-by-game NFL picks, loaded with stats, team insights, and running jokes (e.g., Jerry Jones “found alive,” Reginald the monkey’s opinions, blind faith in Ravens for regular season “Super Bowl”). Key picks include:
- Dallas @ Philadelphia: Chuck takes Dallas +8.5 (19:58)
- Kansas City vs. Chargers (in Brazil!): Picks KC minus the points, “just not ready to bet against KC” (21:04)
- Steelers @ Jets: Steelers favored, Chuck expects “ugly wins” but takes the favorite (22:31)
- Giants @ Washington: Giants +6.5, referencing last year’s weird Commanders win (24:19)
- Detroit @ Green Bay: Packers to win, “continuity” edge and urgency with new coaches/coordinators elsewhere (26:01)
- Baltimore @ Buffalo: Picks the “regular season Super Bowl champs”—Ravens—citing Buffalo’s defensive injuries (27:15)
- Minnesota @ Chicago: Bears, “a lot riding on the quarterbacks’ psyche” (29:05)
- Chuck’s take on “Week 1 unpredictability”:
“By the fourth week, you have a sense of who’s good. By the first week? I don’t know.” (29:24)
- Side conversations about James Carville’s “never-remembered losses,” gambling bravado, and Reginald’s adventures (see below).
5. The Return—and Adventures—of Reginald the Picking Monkey (31:01–33:39)
- Comic highpoint: Reginald the monkey returns with his own NFL picks, featuring elaborate backstories (attended the Bezos–Sanchez wedding with Helen Mirren, stayed at Clooney’s villa in Lake Como to work on a novel).
- Picks:
• Philadelphia -8.5
• Buffalo -1.5
• Washington -6.5 - All home teams, in contrast to Chuck.
- Quote: “Wow. I blanked on Reginald. That was terrible.” —Tony (33:39)
- Picks:
6. Baseball Stretch-Run Preview with Mark Feinsand (35:15–50:48)
- Mark shares US Open observations (the charisma of Alcaraz and Venus Williams’ enduring power with the crowd).
- “Venus is only five years younger than me, and Fernandez is only two years older than my son... could be a mother-daughter situation.” —Mark (37:59)
- MVP talk:
- On Ohtani vs. Schwarber (NL): “I’ve talked to a handful of players... Every one of them has said, ‘...He’s not the MVP. Ohtani’s the MVP.’” (40:35)
- On Raleigh vs. Judge (AL): “Except for those seven swings Raleigh’s taken... I can’t look at a guy and say he had seven more home runs, he’s the MVP when every other number on Judge’s card dominates.” (43:11)
- Division & Wild Card Races:
- AL: Yankees, Red Sox, and Mariners in the mix; Central “locked up” by Detroit; race in the West between Astros, Mariners, Rangers.
- NL: Padres chasing Dodgers in a real “hate-fueled” rivalry, but no clear drama elsewhere.
- “There’s a buy so you’re actually playing for something.” —Mark (46:45)
- Colorful stories:
- Framber Valdez’s meltdown at his catcher (47:06), Rafael Devers’ “hateable” home run trot (48:13), and old-school baseball code talk about retaliation.
Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments
- Tony (wry introspection):
“Maybe [John Wall] was a very, very good [player]. Can’t say he’s a great player.” (06:44) - Chuck Todd (on Miami stadium nostalgia):
“I always miss the Orange Bowl...” (16:08) - Tony (on gambling bravado):
“He only remembers every win. He never remembers his losses.” (30:25) - Tony (realizing a show flub):
“Wow. I blanked on Reginald. Wow, that was terrible.” (33:39) - Mark Feinsand (on Ohtani’s MVP case):
“He leads the league in runs, slugging, OPS, OPS+, total bases... if their numbers are close, it’s hard not to look at Ohtani and say he’s going to win.” (42:11) - Mark Feinsand (on player rivalries):
“Genuine, like late ‘70s Yankees–Red Sox or early ‘80s Yankees–Royals hate.” (45:38)
Timestamps for Key Segments
| Time | Segment | |-----------|-----------------------------------------------| | 00:00–01:43 | Opening banter, golf stories & self-roasting | | 01:43–02:55 | Nationals win, closer discussion, intros | | 03:00–05:00 | Djokovic/Fritz, tennis chatter | | 05:00–09:56 | John Wall jersey debate | | 10:00–12:53 | MLB MVP correction, newspaper training | | 15:59–33:39 | NFL Week 1 picks with Chuck Todd | | 31:01–33:39 | Reginald the Monkey NFL picks | | 35:15–50:48 | MLB stretch race/awards chat with Mark Feinsand| | 50:48–end | Listener emails, show close, music |
The Show’s Unique Touches
- Listener Engagement: Tony reads and responds to emails, often resulting in humorous diversions or additional listener-submitted stories.
- Musical Interludes: The “Dad Bods” band songs are previewed, submitted by a listener and play between segments, further lending to the show’s intimate, community vibe.
- In-Jokes & Recurring Segments: From self-deprecating “show mistakes” to the surreal saga of Reginald the monkey, the show’s inside humor remains a big draw for loyal fans.
Conclusion
This episode captures everything fans love about The Tony Kornheiser Show—sports as life, irreverent wit as cultural currency, and an ever-present devotion to correcting mistakes, celebrating weirdness, and giving old friends (Chuck Todd, Reginald the monkey, and now, Mark Feinsand) their ample say.
Even if you missed this episode, you’ll walk away knowing:
- Tony’s still as funnily curmudgeonly as ever.
- Chuck Todd picks as much with his gut and sentiment as his stats.
- John Wall won’t be seeing his jersey in the rafters (if Tony has anything to say about it).
- Baseball, as always, is full of strange drama.
- And yes—Reginald had quite a summer, but he’s back to his main gig: picking NFL winners for the show.
[End of summary]