The Tony Kornheiser Show

Episode: “How do you feel about Duke, Steve?”

Date: March 16, 2026

Main Theme

This episode of The Tony Kornheiser Show is all about March Madness “bracket week”—the start of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament and the annual ritual of filling out tournament brackets. Tony is joined by his regulars (Chuck Todd, Michael Wilbon, and Steve Sands) to dissect the field, share predictions, complain (or gloat) about placements, and engage in their signature blend of sharp sports analysis and lost-in-the-weeds banter. The episode also briefly touches on the World Baseball Classic and the conclusion of the Players Championship in golf.

Key Sections & Discussion Points

1. March Madness: Bracketology Panel

a) Chuck Todd’s Bracket Analysis

[02:18–17:26]

• Chuck joins first, sharing he’s in Miami for the World Baseball Classic, not NCAA games (“If I could have gotten here in time last night, I would have made that game.” [03:08])
• The group laments non-MLB umpires in the WBC and the “bad call” that sent the US to the final; fun riff about international umps and crowd sizes.
• Both Tony and Chuck argue that holding the WBC mid-season could boost pitching quality, but Chuck notes owners would “go insane” if a star got hurt.
  Quote: “If somebody got hurt at the All Star break of a contending team, they would go insane.” – Tony [05:48]
• Bracket talk begins: Chuck identifies a couple of minor first-round upsets—Utah State and High Point, along with Santa Clara over Kentucky, and a play-in winner over Tennessee. He’s mostly chalk, believing “The top 25 teams are so much better than everybody else” [07:11].
• Chuck’s particular (and self-confessed) “homer” pick: Miami over Purdue, based on emotion rather than logic.
  Quote: “This is not my brain on, this is my heart on drugs.” – Chuck [10:21]
• Riffs on the tradition of Tony’s “mascot column” in bracket time and academic school “wins”: “How about the year that Vanderbilt had in football and basketball…they’re a baseball school but not football or basketball.” – Tony [09:35]

b) Chuck’s Sweet 16 and Beyond

• Chuck is full of observations about selection injustices (Miami “got screwed” with Missouri in St. Louis [10:41]; Vermont always gets a better seed than UMBC [11:49]).
• Chuck’s Elite Eight: Arizona, BYU, Michigan, Iowa State, Duke, UConn, Florida, Houston.
• His Final Four: Arizona, Michigan, Duke, Houston—with Houston ultimately winning it all. Quote: “Houston…I’m going to stick with him again. He’s going to break through.” – Chuck [16:17]
• On upsets this year: “I feel best about the idea that there’s a chance no double digit seed makes it to the second weekend.” [16:51]

2. Michael Wilbon’s Bracketology

[19:17–36:42]

• Opens with post-mortem of the Players Championship (Fitzpatrick “had a bad 18th” [19:55], Cameron Young “seems worthy” [20:19]), with Tony admiring Fitzpatrick’s grace, Wilbon declaring “I was annoyed rest of the day he didn’t cash that in.” [20:41]
• Bracket talk: Wilbon is “very chalky,” especially on the Arizona side—embracing top seeds but picking Missouri over Miami, Santa Clara over Kentucky, and St. Louis over Georgia as notable first-round upsets.
• In the Duke region: picks South Florida over Louisville and UCF over UCLA (“I don’t love UCLA at all.” [22:48]).
• Agrees Iowa can take down Clemson and, like Chuck, chooses VCU over UNC.
• Picks St. John’s to make the Elite Eight, noting, “That’s what I don’t understand. How can St. John’s be a five?” [27:33]
• Key musings: Disputes the parity of seeds for squads like St. John’s and Florida; lauds the volume of “star” players this tournament and calls the field more interesting than last year’s “bore.” Quote: “There are players who are going to reshape the league… and I care about those players.” – Wilbon [32:16]

Wilbon’s Final Four & Title Pick

• Final Four: Arizona, Michigan, St. John’s, Houston
• Championship: Arizona over Michigan State
  Quote: “I’m just trusting that ensemble of just massive talent.” – Wilbon on Arizona [29:44]

On the World Baseball Classic vs NCAA

• Tony says the WBC should lead ESPN’s PTI; Wilbon disagrees, calling March bracket season “a day that eclipses everything else” [35:23] and noting “there’s a whole race of people…that don’t care about baseball.” [36:05]

3. Steve Sands: Brackets, Golf, and a Bit of Everything

[38:36–55:09]

Players Championship Recap

• Sands gives a brisk Players Championship wrap: “It’s hard to win at any level…Oberg just did not have it yesterday and…cost himself the opportunity” [39:01].
• Detailed breakdown of how the winds and the pressure made the 18th at Sawgrass the toughest hole (“It’s so much better…in March.” [40:37])
• Offers a strong take that the Players is a “one of one, a great field, an amazing golf course…It doesn’t need to be a major” [41:21].

Steve’s Bracketology with Running “Anti-Duke” Gag

• His bracket picks are fueled by deep-seated Duke hatred.
  Quotes:
  • “Give me Sienna because I hate Duke. Hate Duke.” [43:07]
  • “My hatred of Duke basketball will always cloud everything I do.” [43:25]
• Picks High Point over Wisconsin (“My older brother went there” [42:08]), Santa Clara over Kentucky (“Santa Clara is good, man” [42:56]), VCU over North Carolina, and Penn over Illinois.
• Keeps Sienna going as the Duke slayer—“The reign supreme of Siena continues. Siena is gonna beat Ohio State. You know why? Because we hate Duke.” [45:29]
  • When Tony asks if his feelings have softened: “No, no. We hate Duke.” [54:02]
• Deeply personal bracket shout-outs—his family, friends, and former colleagues shape his picks: “Val Sands got her master’s at Medical College of Virginia, which is VCU. So you have to stay in the family.” [47:44]
• Final Four: St. John’s, Michigan State, Arizona, Iowa State
• Title Pick: Arizona over Michigan State.
  Quote: “I think the Cats are going to cut the nets down. Arizona is going to win another national championship.” – Sands [53:29]
• Ends his segment with, “He knows everybody and everybody knows him.” – Tony [55:08]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Chuck Todd on the NCAA field: “The top 25 teams are so much better than everybody else. I will be shocked if any double digit makes it to the second weekend.” [07:11]
• Wilbon on his approach: “I have no upsets. I am very chalky…” [21:36]
• Tony and Chuck’s mini-meltdown defending America East bracket seeding: “UMBC was the first 16 seed to ever beat a 1 seed. …We should have had a 15.” – Tony [11:24]
• Sands repeatedly: “We hate Duke.” [Multiple, e.g. 43:07, 45:29, 54:02]
• Wilbon on St. Patrick’s Day in Chicago: “New York and Boston are minor league when it comes to St. Patrick’s Day…not even triple A.” [34:47]
• Sanders on the Players: “It’s one of the five biggest events in the sport and it’s always exciting because the golf course is just so great.” [41:21]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 02:18 — Chuck Todd joins, WBC and general bracket discussion.
• 06:36 — Chuck and Tony get into serious bracket picks region by region.
• 10:26 — Chuck’s ‘heart on drugs’ Miami pick against Purdue.
• 19:17 — Michael Wilbon segment begins; Players Championship wrap and his bracket logic.
• 27:33 — Wilbon and Tony debate the St. John’s seeding (“How can St. John’s be a five?”).
• 38:36 — Steve Sands joins, opening with golf talk.
• 43:07 — Sands’ anti-Duke bracket picks (“Give me Sienna because I hate Duke. Hate Duke.”).
• 45:29 — The Sienna saga continues, driving home the anti-Duke sentiment.
• 53:29 — Sands declares Arizona over Michigan State in the national final.
• 54:02 — The ultimate: “We hate Duke.”

Language, Tone, and Banter

The show maintains its familiar humorous, meandering tone, with wit, friendly jibes, and just enough sports-nerd specificity to satisfy devoted listeners. Personal biases, chiding, and inside jokes (“We hate Duke”; Tony’s gripes about TV broadcasting trends; academic elitism in college picks; Sands’ family/friends shout-outs) make for a distinctive bracket breakdown blend that’s insightful yet never self-serious.

Summary Table: Final Four & Title Picks

| Host/Guest | Final Four | Champion | |-------------------|-----------------------------------|--------------| | Chuck Todd | Arizona, Michigan, Duke, Houston | Houston | | Michael Wilbon | Arizona, Michigan, St. John’s, Houston | Arizona | | Steve Sands | Arizona, Iowa State, St. John’s, Michigan State | Arizona |

For Non-Listeners: Key Takeaways

• The show focused almost entirely on NCAA tournament brackets and strategy, featuring rotating guest experts with their own “bracket science.”
• All three guests see Arizona and Michigan (or Michigan State) as power picks, but each has their own quirks—Chuck homers for Miami, Wilbon gets “chalky,” and Sands’ love/hate (mostly hate for Duke) guides selections.
• Ample time is given to personal NCAA gripes, the impact of NIL in college basketball, and the cultural phenomenon of bracket-filling.
• Steve Sands offers a segment on the Players Championship’s place in golf’s pecking order, underscoring the show’s devotion to more than just basketball.
• Fans of college basketball, casual bracketeers, and Tony’s regular listeners will appreciate the blend of logical analysis, emotional “homering,” and absolute anti-Duke pettiness.

Noteworthy, If You Only Have a Few Minutes

• Chuck Todd, on the state of college hoops:
  “I think NIL has made college basketball better.” [17:39]
• Michael Wilbon on TV’s tournament impact:
  “Television has given us in the last three to four weeks, all of the good teams all the time, and they’ve been worthy.” [31:40]
• Steve Sands, on the essential Sands angle:
  “My hatred of Duke basketball will always cloud everything I do.” [43:25]

End of summary. Perfect for catching up before your bracket is due—or if you just want a reason to root against Duke.