The Tony Kornheiser Show – Episode Summary

Episode Title: "I hate this phone"
Date: December 22, 2025
Host: Tony Kornheiser (with Michael Wilbon, Steve Sands, Sean, Eric DeLong, et al.)

Overview

This lively episode of "The Tony Kornheiser Show" captures Tony’s trademark blend of sports analysis, personal storytelling, and curmudgeonly wit. Today’s central themes include a deep-dive into the Chicago Bears’ thrilling overtime victory (with a joyful and reflective Michael Wilbon), musings about the winter solstice, golf in cold weather, college football playoff philosophy debates, a review of Golf Channel’s new skills event (with guest Steve Sands), and, naturally, a cathartic rant about Tony’s phone woes.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Winter Solstice and Daylight Pet Peeves

• Tony muses on the winter solstice, correcting himself with listener-sent clarifications:
  • “I often say that it’s the best day of the year because everything gets lighter and brighter from that point on. I was corrected... it has already begun to stay lighter longer in the afternoon by seconds... but it’s not getting lighter in the morning for about two weeks.” (05:00-06:10)
• Tony and the crew debate if having daylight in the morning or afternoon is better.

2. Golf in Frigid Weather – A Kornheiser Report

• Tony regales his weekend golf outing in the cold:
  • “It never went higher than 41 degrees... but there was no wind. With no wind, I was dressed... I played because there were no carts allowed, and I can’t walk the whole course.” (06:44-07:40)
• Steve Rose, Steve Del Mar, and Chris Lamond are part of the cast of characters.
• Tony laments not having special warming equipment:
  • “I didn’t want to have to attach it to my body, you know, like around my waist, like the quarterbacks do.” (09:39-10:21)
• The group discusses walking golf in the cold, various hand warming strategies, and post-round food cravings.

3. College Football Playoff—Who Belongs? (Tony vs. Wilbon)

• Tony and Wilbon have their recurring philosophical clash over playoff inclusivity:
  • Tony: “My position is different than that. There’s only 12 teams... I don’t think this should be a charity event. I think... you have to have the best teams in there.” (12:00-14:00)
  • Wilbon (philosophy relayed by Tony): Prefers more inclusivity, referencing NCAA basketball’s big field.
• Sean adds: “You’re at this transition period... I would agree with you to have a more inclusive field.” (14:11-14:39)

4. NFL Coach of the Year Debate

• Tony lists coach candidates:
  • “Mike Vrabel at New England, Ben Johnson at Chicago, Liam Cohn at Jacksonville.” (03:27-03:53)
• Tony leans Vrabel for win improvement, Wilbon flags Ben Johnson for navigating the tougher division, and praises Cohn’s turnaround in Jacksonville.
• Both agree: “There are three completely legitimate candidates for Coach of the Year, that if you voted for any one of these three, you don’t have to defend the vote.” (26:41-26:54)

5. Michael Wilbon’s Bears Experience: “One of the Greatest”

• Wilbon describes the magic of the Bears’ OT win at Soldier Field:
  • “As you know, I don’t drink a drop of anything. That’s how great Saturday night was in Chicago.” (17:43-17:52)
• Vivid details: luxury box on the 50-yard line, Bears legends in attendance, palpable nervous energy amid fans, communal catharsis after the win.
• “No one left. Every seat was full. It was the Packers... but that day, when it was over, I didn’t move... I didn’t go anywhere, for 45 minutes, I just sat in my seat.” (22:04-22:28)
• Tony: “23. He can win championships in Chicago; you cannot win a championship in football in Chicago...” referencing Michael Jordan as the only palpable sports comparison. (23:45-23:56)
• Wilbon shares the joy of seeing the city unified, the “rivalry unlike any other,” and the afterglow among traveling Bears fans.

6. NFL Parity and Surprises

• Tony: “The best NFL season that I remember in a long time. And that’s because Kansas City is not dominating.” (29:47-29:59)
• Both hosts marvel that every week, “the team you think that’s really good loses every week.” (30:25-30:35)
• Quick Top-5 picks: Tony singles out the Rams and Buffalo, but hedges that parity rules the day.

7. Golf Channel’s “Relay Race” Event — An Experiment in Entertainment

With guest Steve Sands:

• Steve explains the novel relay/skills format:
  • “If you’re old enough to remember Battle of the Stars... what the Golf Channel wanted... when there are no PGA Tour tournaments... was to put together something different from regular golf, but that has the best players doing skills.” (36:22-37:14)
• The highlight: scrambling teams complete a par-4 in under 30 seconds, players stationed along the hole and sprinting between shots.
• Tony: “How about 28 seconds? 28 seconds!” (38:34-38:58)
  • Steve: “It was literally... spectacular. The guys were doing it in 28 seconds, 32 seconds. It was absolutely incredible.” (38:58-40:33)
• Emphasis on fun: “The interaction between players, showing off their personalities, letting fans kind of get to know these guys... was a really good night for the sport.” (41:20-43:06)
• Briefly compares to NBA In-Season Cup, muses on golfer compensation, and forecasts a push for bigger, more visible skills shows in the future.

8. Parent-Child Golf Tournaments

• Steve Sands reports on the warm atmosphere and generational camaraderie at the PNC Championship (“parent-child, not just father-son”).
  • “86 year old Lee Trevino... is out there playing like it’s nothing... it’s just a lot of fun to see these guys.” (45:00-45:33)
  • Matt Kuchar and son’s emotional victory.

9. Tony’s Perpetual Phone Frustrations

• Late-episode, Tony is exasperated by his non-functioning iPhone:
  • “I have not had emails in four days. I need my phone fixed. My phone is dead. I hate this phone. I hate the fact that iPhone people can reach into my life like this anytime they want. I don’t like this at all.” (54:44-55:01)
• The crew jokes about updates, landscape mode, and consumer helplessness.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Tony (on the winter solstice):
  “Me personally, I’d rather have that light in the morning than in the afternoon... I’m out with the dog—would rather have that.” (05:00-06:10)

• Wilbon, pensive before Bears game:
  “Instead, I thought it was pensive because I think that everybody knew it was at stake... it’s not possible they wouldn’t make the playoffs. But that’s what existed right through yesterday’s crazy game.” (17:52-18:56)

• Wilbon, on the seats at Soldier Field:
  “No one left. Every seat was full. It was the Packers... but that day, when it was over, I didn’t move for 45 minutes. I just sat in my seat.” (22:07-22:27)

• Wilbon, on Bears-Detroit drama:
  “If you watch the replay... it’s totally offensive. He pushes him and turns around. Two hands! Two hands!” (19:10-19:11)

• Tony, about NFL parity:
  “Every week, the team you think that’s really good loses every week.” (30:25-30:35)

• Steve Sands, relaying the golf relay race:
  “It was a lot of fun... The best part was that relay. Watching a drive, then watching the second player running into the fairway or the rough with clubs, dropping clubs, standing there, hitting a second shot. Then the third player on the green... it was a lot of fun, it worked out well.” (37:14-38:10)

• Tony’s phone rant:
  “I hate this phone and I hate the fact that the iPhone people can reach into my life like this anytime they want. I don’t like this at all.” (54:45-55:01)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Winter Solstice/Light: 05:00-06:10
• Golf in the Cold: 06:44-11:00
• College Football Playoff Debate: 12:00-14:00
• NFL Coach of the Year Discussion: 25:00-27:15
• Wilbon’s Bears Victory/Chicago Narrative: 17:42-26:40
• NFL Parity/Best Teams Segment: 29:47-31:15
• Golf Channel Skills Relay (Steve Sands): 36:20-43:06
• PNC Championship Recap: 45:00-46:40
• Tony’s iPhone Rant: 54:44-55:01

Tone & Style Notes

• Tony and crew maintain their signature banter: playful, acerbic, and occasionally nostalgic.
• The episode is rich in sports minutiae, but also full of warmth—especially when Tony and Wilbon reminisce about the visceral happiness sports can deliver.
• The phone rant is classic Tony: curmudgeonly, but amplified for comic effect.
• Steve Sands brings a cheerful, behind-the-scenes broadcast vibe.

Final Thoughts

For regulars and new listeners alike, this episode encapsulates the heart of the show: sports talk charged with personal stakes, friendly argument, and a dollop of lived-in humor. Listening is optional; Tony’s worldview is the feature presentation.