“Let it snow!”

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Tony Kornheiser Show – “Let it Snow!” (January 6, 2025)

Hosted by This Show Stinks Productions, LLC, "The Tony Kornheiser Show" is a dynamic daily talk show that delves into a mix of sports, politics, current events, and a variety of spontaneous topics that captivate host Tony Kornheiser. In the episode titled “Let it Snow!”, aired on January 6, 2025, the show primarily focuses on the College Football Playoffs and the significant snowstorm impacting Washington, D.C.

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1. College Football Playoffs Analysis

Guests: Chuck Culpepper and Michael Wilbon

The episode opens with a deep dive into the College Football Playoffs, featuring insights from Chuck Culpepper, a seasoned writer from the Washington Post, and Michael Wilbon. Tony Kornheiser initiates the discussion by questioning the selection of teams and the seeding process.

• Surprising Final Four Teams:

  • Penn State emerges as a surprise finalist. Chuck Culpepper remarks at [24:08] MM:SS, “I would say Penn State is making the Final Four based on their performance throughout the year.”
  • Notre Dame is critiqued for their quarterback's limited passing game, leading Tony to express skepticism about their playoff success. He states at [24:26], “I would not have said Ohio State because of the pedigree, and same with Texas because of the pedigree. But Notre Dame’s playoff berth was the most surprising.”

• Seedings and Conference Championships:

  • The debate intensifies around the seeding system that favors conference champions over potentially stronger teams. Chuck Culpepper at [28:05] suggests, “I always thought maybe 8 is the best number for the playoffs,” highlighting the limitations of the current 12-team format.
  • Tony adds at [29:33], “You can't put Boise State as the third seed in the draw. You just can't do it,” emphasizing the need to reevaluate how teams are seeded beyond conference victories.

• Dominance of Southern Teams:

  • The continued dominance of Southern teams like Alabama and Georgia has loosened, with [32:05] Chuck Culpepper attributing this shift to factors like NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) deals and the transfer portal. He notes, “These powerhouses can no longer sort of hoard the players and they go to other places now to get playing time and starting positions.”

• Ohio State’s Coaching Conundrum:

  • The discussion touches on Ohio State’s coaching struggles, particularly the inexplicable losses to Michigan. Tony Kornheiser laments at [36:34], “The loss to Michigan, it actually is inexplicable from a football standpoint.”

Notable Quotes:

• Tony Kornheiser ([24:26]): “I would not have said Ohio State because of the pedigree, and same with Texas because of the pedigree. But Notre Dame’s playoff berth was the most surprising.”
• Chuck Culpepper ([28:05]): “I always thought maybe 8 is the best number for the playoffs.”

2. Snowstorm Impacting Washington, D.C.

Guest: Jason Samenow of the Capital Weather Gang

Transitioning from sports, Tony Kornheiser addresses the unexpected snowstorm engulfing Washington, D.C., bringing in weather expert Jason Samenow to provide detailed insights.

• Storm Forecast and Impact:

  • Jason explains at [46:37], “The pattern is cold at least through this week. Highs probably won't get above freezing through at least Friday,” indicating prolonged cold weather conditions.
  • Tony shares personal experiences of navigating the snow, humorously noting at [03:10], “It was about 5 inches on the ground now and it is not quite 8 o'clock in the morning as I say these sentences.”

• Forecasting Challenges:

  • Discussing the complexity of weather models, Jason mentions at [46:37], “The European model is generally the best, but it's not right for every storm,” highlighting the challenges in predicting precise snowfall amounts.
  • Jason Samenow elaborates at [48:31], “Most places are going to end up in the 6 to 8, 6 to 9 inch range,” forecasting the snowfall accumulation.

Notable Quotes:

• Tony Kornheiser ([03:10]): “It was about 5 inches on the ground now and it is not quite 8 o'clock in the morning as I say these sentences.”
• Jason Samenow ([46:37]): “The European model is generally the best, but it's not right for every storm.”

3. Continuing Football Discussions

Rejoining the sports segment, Tony continues to dissect various aspects of the college football scene and its interplay with the NFL.

• Player Performances and Contracts:

  • The conversation delves into player bonuses and contracts, with Tony critiquing how teams might manipulate plays to secure financial bonuses for players. At [13:32], he states, “It is my existential question: If you're the owner of the team, you're watching your team do everything it can to bleed you dry of millions.”

• Coaching Decisions and Team Strategies:

  • Discussions around coaching decisions, particularly regarding coaching firings after single seasons, highlight the volatile nature of sports management. Michael Wilbon at [16:05] remarks, “There are people who get fired after one year,” reflecting the high-stakes environment.

Notable Quotes:

• Tony Kornheiser ([13:32]): “If you're the owner of the team, you're watching your team do everything it can to bleed you dry of millions.”
• Michael Wilbon ([16:05]): “There are people who get fired after one year.”

4. Listener Mailbag and Humorous Interactions

Towards the end of the episode, Tony engages with the audience through the mailbag segment, where listeners share their experiences and humorous anecdotes.

• Listener Stories:

  • From Reese in London, Tony humorously reflects on the complexity of listener messages: “It’s a long strip with smooth stretch of highway... It is amazing how the Uninvited Band's song resonated with the listeners.”

• Humorous Banter:

  • The segment features playful exchanges about Tony’s facial hair, showcasing the light-hearted nature of the show. For instance, Michael Wilbon teases Tony, “I really had to look closely to notice you were missing your mustache.”

Notable Quotes:

• Tony Kornheiser ([60:47]): “The only thing I could think of, the way you're describing the way they played against Michigan is they just thought, no matter what, we're going to beat them at what they do best.”
• Michael Wilbon ([62:19]): “These are phrases the kids use.”

5. Weather Forecasting Insights

In a detailed segment, Jason Samenow shares the intricacies of weather forecasting and the collaborative efforts of the Capital Weather Gang.

• Forecasting Methodology:

  • Jason explains the use of multiple weather models to reach a consensus forecast. At [46:37], he states, “We tend to look across them and say, okay, this one is getting this aspect of the storm right. This other one is nailing this other part.”

• Team Dynamics:

  • Highlighting the teamwork within the Capital Weather Gang, Chuck Culpepper mentions at [43:09], “We're scattered all over the place, but we communicate effectively using platforms like Slack.”

Notable Quotes:

• Chuck Culpepper ([43:48]): “There's a group of us, you know, a half dozen or so who are very much engaged in this.”
• Jason Samenow ([46:37]): “We tend to look across them and say, okay, this one is getting this aspect of the storm right.”

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Conclusion

In the “Let it Snow!” episode, Tony Kornheiser masterfully intertwines the fervor of college football playoffs with the pressing concerns of a significant snowstorm in Washington, D.C. Through engaging discussions with esteemed guests like Chuck Culpepper and Jason Samenow, the show offers listeners a comprehensive analysis of sports dynamics and weather forecasting challenges. The blend of insightful commentary, notable quotes, and humorous listener interactions makes this episode a compelling listen for both sports enthusiasts and casual followers alike.

Transcript

[Tony Kornheiser]

Hey, it's Tony. On today's show, we'll talk about the college football playoffs with Chuck Culpepper. And we'll talk about the snow hitting D.C. right now with Jason Samenow of the Capital Weather Gang at the Washington Post. But first, how about a little commerce, kids?

[Michael Wilbon]

We humans have a way of misplacing things, be it our keys, our socks, or that charging cord for our phone.

[Tony Kornheiser]

That's why the 2025 Hyundai Tucson Hybrid is such a lifesaver.

[Michael Wilbon]

Wireless charging keeps your phone all juiced up and ready to use as your Hyundai digital key when you still can't find yours. As for the socks, those are on you. The Hyundai Tucson Hybrid with advanced tech for humans who are just that human. Visit HyundaiUSA.com or call 562-314-4603 for details.

[Chuck Culpepper]

Wow.

[Tony Kornheiser]

What's up? I just bought and financed a car.

[Jason Samenow]

Through Carvana in minutes.

[Tony Kornheiser]

You, the person who agonized four weeks.

[Chuck Culpepper]

Over whether to paint your walls eggshell.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Or off white bought and financed a car in minutes. They made it easy. Transparent terms, customizable, down and monthly. Didn't even have to do any paperwork. Wow. Hey, have you checked out that spreadsheet I sent you for our dinner options? Finance your car with Carvana and experience total control financing subject to credit approval. Previously on the Tony Kornheiser Show. When people say, I'm gonna go outside and have a cigarette, oh, it's frowned upon. It's not approved of.

[Michael Wilbon]

I know as an ex smoker, I.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Mean 40, and it took a long time. 40 or 50 years. It's not going to happen with alcohol overnight. But if you put a label on that this causes cancer two generations down the road. Nobody's buying alcohol.

[Jason Samenow]

But you already see this happening in other softer ways where you're looking at the generation below mine is drinking less than earlier generations.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Your generation on the golf course drinks like fish. The Tony Kornizer show is on now. Perhaps you can tell by my voice that I'm agitated, that I'm cold, that I'm wet because the United States Capitol has gotten a snowstorm the likes of which they haven't seen. They we. We haven't seen in four, five, six years. Oh, sure, you know, we are headed six to 12. I believe it'll go higher than 12. My son says, why do you always take the higher number?

[Jason Samenow]

Big storm on the 6th.

[Tony Kornheiser]

I dare. Me and Carville. Me and Carville, we. We take the over whenever possible.

[Michael Wilbon]

Did he lose that Ravens first by a half point.

[Tony Kornheiser]

He lost the Ravens you gotta have.

[Jason Samenow]

Trust in Justin Tucker. Come on, let him kick.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Why would you not if it's 11 and a half, why wouldn't you take it for the whole game?

[Michael Wilbon]

Sure, they're at home and they ended up covering it. I mean, they blew him away.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah, that was the only game he lost. It was the only game he lost. Carville's hotter than. Yeah, he's the Fourth of July.

[Michael Wilbon]

Getting hot at the right time.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah.

[Jason Samenow]

Depends on when you find half.

[Tony Kornheiser]

There's a big snow here. And on the show we're going to have Jason Salmonell of the Capitol Weather Gang to talk about it. This is all I read now. I'm. For the last four days, I get my phone, I go online to the Washington Post, I go to dc, Maryland, Virginia, that's the heading. And I go down four or five stories to see how much snow we're going to get.

[Jason Samenow]

I can change this on your phone to make it number one.

[Tony Kornheiser]

It. Well, it's okay. I don't mind the exercise. My fingers can use it. But I went out this morning. I'll just say this is about 5 inches on the ground now and it is not quite 8 o'clock in the morning as I say these sentences. And it's rough to walk, you know, in the road. In. If you go in a road that's plowed, that's on its way to a hospital or a government building, something like that.

[Jason Samenow]

Your house.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah. You can. Not my house. You can walk in the road. But when you're walking a dog, dog doesn't want to walk in the road. Dog wants to go where the dog's gone for five, six, eight, ten years. And, and the dog. Dogs depend on their sense of smell to know when to do what they have to do their business, as people used to say. And there's, you know, with a fresh coat of snow, those smells are impossible to.

[Jason Samenow]

This opens up a whole new world for her.

[Tony Kornheiser]

It was it. Yeah. She was not happy. She sat down a couple of times in the middle of the road and demanded biscuits or demanded that I clean her paws. I understand that. I'm just saying. Yeah, that was, that was a tough one.

[Jason Samenow]

You have to be careful in the next couple of days to watch out for the ice melt that could get stuck in her paws.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah. And you have to take that out because in the padding of the paws and I. Luckily I still have those crampons. I didn't have a. I did. I will say this. On one street I had a problem because it was a downhill street and it had not been plowed, and I was slipping and it was easier on the sidewalk, or what would have been the sidewalk had I gotten all the way down to the sidewalk. Right. Yeah. All right, so we will talk about that later. And I know that's a local. Everybody has a weather problem. Okay? Some people have tornadoes and some people have squalls, and some people have earthquakes and some people have snow. So everybody's got a weather problem. Everybody understands when what is going on with the weather overwhelms your life. I did not sleep. I was up at 2 in the.

[Jason Samenow]

Morning and checking the window.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Complete anxiety. This. I. I tend to believe this is a masculine trait. Maybe it's not, but I have always believed. And Michael can verify this. What. Remember what happened with Hurricane.

[Jason Samenow]

Hurricane Bob. Tell the people we're at Hurricane Bob. You're standing out. Out at the window on the front steps porch. Overnight. Overnight. Waiting for the storm to come in.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Protect the house.

[Michael Wilbon]

Protect the house. Keep an eye on things.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Protect the house. I mean, I just believe that's instinct. Yeah, but. But. And I don't know that all women do this, but a woman I'm familiar with has slept through all of this, you know, could not.

[Jason Samenow]

But you're thinking this storm is local. Yeah, the amount that you. Is local. But it's. Watch local news. All we can think about is weather and the tracking of it. And with the way that we now consume news, particularly with the updates, you get through the app on your phone constantly. It feeds into the way that you want to see a story, which is tell me what happened, but then break it down. Where were you wrong? What did you get right? What would you do differently?

[Tony Kornheiser]

So we'll talk to Jason about all of these things.

[Michael Wilbon]

Isn't this thing like, hitting a vast part of the country?

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah, I saw the central part of the country. I think New York's not getting anything.

[Michael Wilbon]

Yeah, I don't think they are. I think Philly might get a bit.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Baltimore and D.C. yeah, we'll get the.

[Michael Wilbon]

Brunt of it on i95, as they.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Say in Martha and Vandella, say Baltimore and D.C. now, don't forget the Motor City. I don't think the Motor. Motor City wouldn't care. No. That game last night, the Motor City doesn't care if there's 300 inches. What happened tonight, that was. What is the word that we wrote down? Pulverized Detroit. Pulverized Minnesota. Detroit has Detroit now once again, looks like a team of destiny. That was the important game. They had the advantage of being at home. But they did it in style and, you know, so they become the favorites. I think everybody would say that they are the favorites in the NFC now and maybe the favorites overall.

[Jason Samenow]

I wanted that division already at separation from the rest of the conference. So that was the.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah. Well, they also had Green Bay when Jordan Love plays. So let me just say this.

[Jason Samenow]

Jaden Daniels immediately comes out of the game.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yes, sure. Absolutely. Speaking of Jaden Daniels, who people say will be the offensive rookie of the year in the NFL, I'm gonna give you four names and you can't tell me that Jaden Daniels is head and shoulders above any of these names. The wide receiver on the giants caught over 100 balls and had like six or seven touchdowns. He's a rookie. The tight end on the Raiders who caught more passes than any rookie of all time and led the NFL in passes caught this year. Okay. And the quarterback at Denver who yesterday in a must win situation. And yes, Kansas City laid down. Yes, they laid down because they didn't want to see Joe Burrow in the playoffs either. They don't want Joe Burr in the playoffs. But. But Bo Nix was great. He was great. And you compare the bodies of work of all of these people or the body of works, whichever is more grammatically correct, and it is very hard to say, oh yeah, Jaden Daniels. You might if you love him. But you could say oh yeah, Bo. Nick, you could say oh yeah to four guys. You say oh yeah to four guys. All right. We're going to go over the NFL because we have a college topic today with Chuck Culpepper and we got the weather with Jason Seminow. The early window of the red zone yesterday was fabulous. It was fabulous. There were. I'm not saying the games were meaningful.

[Michael Wilbon]

No, but there was.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Lots of actions were so exciting. The Bears beat Green Bay, who they hadn't beaten 30 years. The Bears beat Green Bay on a last second play, right? Yes, they. The last time they were involved in a last second play or the first time this year they were involved in the last second play went against them was the Hail Mary from Jaden Daniels.

[Michael Wilbon]

They all seem to go against them.

[Tony Kornheiser]

They didn't win another game until yesterday. Yeah, they beat Green Bay on that. Speaking of which, you have Washington gets a basically a last second pass. Not from Jaden Daniels. Marcus, Mario. The second half had a fabulous second half. He won the Heisman at one point. Washington has two quarterbacks that won the Heisman at one point and with all three to go, that beats Dallas in Dallas got to be the end for Mike McCarthy. One with either he's fired or he just leaves because he can get another job. He's won a Super Bowl. He can get another job. Atlanta gets the tying touchdown, which they need, because if Atlanta doesn't win, it doesn't matter if Tampa Bay loses in the NFC South. Atlanta gets the tying touchdown with a minute to left to tie with Carolina and go to overtime. But. And there's a but to the story. Tampa bay was down 10 in the first half, goes up 2719 with a minute 51 to go. Baker Mayfield plays great. Tampa Bay wins. That eliminates Atlanta. And by the way, Atlanta plays Carolina. That kid, Bryce Young, he got lucky. I'm not saying he's worthy of number one overall, but he's worthy of top 10 overall. He's a lot better right now. Yeah, he got benched. The other guy got hurt in a car accident. Bryce Young came back. And they are a significantly better team right now than they were before. Joe Flacco, at age 60, won a game in overtime. He played the whole game for the Colts. Why Cleveland got rid of him after he took them to the playoffs last year is on. Cleveland stinks.

[Michael Wilbon]

Dreadful.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Cleveland simply stinks. Ruined by a terrible contract that the owners gave to Deshaun Watson. So one of the things in the can play, can't play category. Carson Wentz, Kansas City, now can't play. Over. Get out of the league. Can't play. Trey Lance, can't play. Played for Dallas, can't play. San Francisco. Moved up to draft him. Ends up playing the kid who's the last pick in the entire draft because he's so much better than Trey Lance.

[Jason Samenow]

Plays pretty well when he gets out of the pocket.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Can't play, can't play. Jimmy Garoppolo, whose name we haven't heard in three years, can play. Yeah, can play. Still can play. Wanted to say that there was an amazing thing that happened yesterday in the Tampa Bay game, and then later it happened in the Seattle game. Personal marks that have to be reached. You have to climb high enough on the mountain to put your favorite part.

[Jason Samenow]

Of the final week.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Put your hand on these personal marks. It's in your contract. Mike Evans. Mike Evans, who's going to go to the hall of Fame? Oh, absolutely, he's going to go to the hall of Fame. The receiver from Tampa Bay, He's a great receiver. He was Johnny. He played with Johnny Manziel in college, who was great in college. He played with Tom Brady. Anybody want to think Tom Brady's not great. Played with Tom Brady and he's playing with Baker Mayfield, a Heisman Trophy winner, much like Johnny Manziel, who is the last two years is really good. Baker Mayfield at Tampa Bay, he's really good. Okay. Mike Evans needed X amount of catches and X amount of yards to get to a thousand yards, which would be the 11th straight year. The only person who's done that more times is the greatest receiver of all time by unanimous acclamation, Jerry Rice.

[Jason Samenow]

What are you eating?

[Tony Kornheiser]

You know, Rice, Rice, Rice. Yeah. Tampa Bay is in a position at the end of the game where they are one score up. They're up 8, right? They're up 8. The end of the game, all they have to do is kneel down. It's a kneel down. The other team has not. They can't stop the clock. Tampa Bay goes so that they can get Mike Evans enough catches and yards to get to a thousand. And they do it on the. Either the last play might have been the last player, the next to last play, then they would just kneel down or whatever happened or time expired because the other team could not stop the clock. New Orleans could not stop the clock. That is so risky. That is so risky.

[Jason Samenow]

You see what the bonus was?

[Tony Kornheiser]

A million. Three million.

[Jason Samenow]

Three million.

[Tony Kornheiser]

$3 million. Geno Smith had two clauses. Amount of wins, an amount of completions. I think he got them both, too. For Seattle, Geno Smith got him. If you're the owner of the team. This is my existential question. If you're the owner of the team, you know that you put these clauses in the contract. You are watching your team do everything it can to bleed you dry of literally, literally millions of dollars. You're going to win. You're happy with the win in both cases. So Seattle doesn't get to the playoffs. Tampa Bay gets to the playoffs, big win. But if you're the owner, the Glazers, if you're the owner, they're rich and they own. Don't they own Man U or something like that?

[Michael Wilbon]

Yeah, yeah.

[Tony Kornheiser]

They're doing all right. They're fine. But still they are watching what is in essence a palace coup.

[Chuck Culpepper]

Yeah, okay.

[Jason Samenow]

But the coaches are now on the player side.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yes.

[Jason Samenow]

Coaches saw this with Denver as well. Like, we're gonna get you that bonus early.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yes. They're on the player side now.

[Michael Wilbon]

The owners feel get called down to the sideline.

[Chuck Culpepper]

No, no.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Put in.

[Michael Wilbon]

Put in the scrubs now.

[Jason Samenow]

But then you think about it on the other side. I think it was in the Baltimore game. The day before, there's a sack that gets you, like, a $250,000 bonus. You're like that.

[Tony Kornheiser]

That's charming.

[Jason Samenow]

Yeah, let's all go for it. And the owner's throws. Happy to write that 3 million different.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah, 3 million is a different check. Now, you know, he's a great player. You don't want to lose him. You know, you don't want to lose Mike Evans for any reason, but you are watching the team call a play. Only. Only to get this guy money.

[Michael Wilbon]

As long as they're not looking up at the owner's booth while they're doing.

[Jason Samenow]

It, keep them happy. On the flip side, you have Miami and Tyree Kill.

[Michael Wilbon]

Now, you remember. Do you know the story about CC Sabathia, who had, like, an incentive? All he had to do was the.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yankees then or the Indians were the Yankees.

[Michael Wilbon]

All he was pitching a shutout. All he had to do was go, like two more innings to, you know, get that incentive for the year. And somebody threw it, one of the Yankees. So he threw at this other guy.

[Tony Kornheiser]

And he got taught.

[Michael Wilbon]

He got taught and did not care. Was like, that's. You have to defend your teammates.

[Tony Kornheiser]

He's a great teammate.

[Michael Wilbon]

Yes, he is.

[Tony Kornheiser]

And he's going to go to the hall of Fame.

[Michael Wilbon]

Absolutely.

[Tony Kornheiser]

And the money isn't going to matter because he's going to go to the hall of Fame. He's got more right now among. Not among active players, because he's not active. He has more wins, than anyone, I believe. Except. Except for Verlander.

[Michael Wilbon]

Verlander.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Maybe Scherzer.

[Michael Wilbon]

Yeah, I think he.

[Tony Kornheiser]

But he has like, 285 or something like that.

[Michael Wilbon]

Yeah, he's walking.

[Tony Kornheiser]

He's going to the hall of Fame. He played for a bunch of teams. He's going to the hall of Fame. One other thing that we should mention, Nigel, being a fan of New England sports, Gerard Mayo. The Patriots win the last game. They beat Buffalo. Buffalo doesn't care. Okay, okay. They're locked into the two. Okay. But New England wins. And then they fire Jerod Mayo in his first year, a former player on the Patriots. They gave him a terrible team to coach. I don't know who would have done better. I'll tell you who wouldn't have done better. Belichick, because he didn't do better the last year. So they do this. The only thing I can think of is they've already got a signed contract with Mike Drabel. That's all I can think of because he played there, too.

[Michael Wilbon]

Yeah. You know, on the text thread. This is not a Wilbourne level text thread. It's not like Steve Grogan on it or anything like that. But people were just saying, I, we are such a joke right now from the heights that we were at the Patriots, that hopefully this is the low point and they move back from here.

[Tony Kornheiser]

You know, it's to fire a guy after one year who played for you.

[Michael Wilbon]

Who is not just a player, a great player for that franchise.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Okay. Antonio Pierce didn't play for the Raiders. I don't think he's in his first year. I don't think he's going to be fired. The kid in Tennessee, a bad team. He's in his first year. I don't think he's going to be. I don't know who he is, but I don't think he's going to be fired. There are people who firing after one year. And yet I talked to Kelleher about.

[Jason Samenow]

Firing day of the.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Day of. I talked to Kelleher about this, who said there's been talk about this for about a month now. Yeah. That the people in the Boston region were not happy with Gerard Mayo and didn't think he was a good coach.

[Michael Wilbon]

Yeah. There was points where it looked like he'd lost the locker room and there was just a lot of mayhem going on.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Do you think his allegiance to Belichick has anything to do with this? Because Kraft doesn't like Belichick at this point and vice versa.

[Michael Wilbon]

Well, they didn't interview anybody else.

[Tony Kornheiser]

No, they handed it to him.

[Michael Wilbon]

And I think as. As the season went on, they said maybe we should have kicked the tires and some other people. And Mike Vrabel still out there.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah.

[Michael Wilbon]

A guy who, who has experience as a head coach and played well and played there. So I'd be stunned if he wasn't the head coach. Within a week. There's.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Cincinnati does not make the playoffs. As I said before, nobody wants to play Joe Burrow. Joe Burrow is the best passer in the league. He's the best quarterback in league. He's not the best football player. Patrick Mahomes is the best football player. You're not going to trap me. But he's the best quarterback at the moment and the best thrower of the football. Joe Burrow. And he's not going to make it. And they have only themselves to blame. Well, they won't start it out so terribly. One in four, whatever. You know, they have only. And a lot of them were home games. They have only themselves to blame. A big spirited charge at the end. But Kansas City's laughing at him. Yeah, Denver Kansas City got no points in the first half. Didn't get any points in the game.

[Michael Wilbon]

No, it was 38, nothing.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Carson Wentz again. It's over. Tony Romo was saying, yeah, big game for him. Big game for him. He failed.

[Michael Wilbon]

But don't you think they were all like, hey, Carson, it's good to get you back on the field. Do not throw any touchdowns today whatsoever.

[Tony Kornheiser]

I don't know how it works. So we'll take a break. We'll come back. We'll stay with football, but it'll be college football. We'll talk to Chuck Culpepper. I'm Tony Kornheiser. You're listening to the Tony Kornheiser Show. We have a new sponsor. MD as in doctor, MD doctor. Doctor, Mr. MD.

[Michael Wilbon]

Give me the news.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Maryland hearing. This is hearing aids.

[Jason Samenow]

What?

[Tony Kornheiser]

Hearing aids? You don't need hearing aids. I do.

[Jason Samenow]

I'm getting closer.

[Tony Kornheiser]

I need hearing aids now. I don't need them when I do the podcast because I have stuff in my ear. You're cranked up to 11 microphones in my ear. I don't need it when I do the television show because I have stuff in my ear. But I can no longer watch television without closed caption, and I can't.

[Michael Wilbon]

Yeah.

[Tony Kornheiser]

You know, millions of adults every year over the age of 65 start to lose their hearing. If you or your parent are one of them, you're not alone. I know I'm not alone because everybody I play golf with at Columbia has hearing aids. I know I'm not alone. MB Hearing makes high quality, easy to use. Rechargeable hearing aids with exceptional sound quality that are personalized to your hearing profile and cost a fraction of what typical hearing aids cost. MD hearings Neo model costs over 90% less than clinic hearing aids. The NEO fits inside your ear, so no one will even know it's there. Well, you're going to know it's there and you can see it. Let's not get crazy. If you need hearing aids. Like, first of all, half of America walks around with ipods in their ear. Yeah, right.

[Michael Wilbon]

Or earbuds.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Earbuds. Whatever they're called.

[Jason Samenow]

Your heart mate will know.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah, every. Yeah. You know, so everybody's got those. Maryland Hearing just launched the NEO XS Maryland Hearing. Smallest hearing aid ever. Maryland Hearing was founded by an ENT surgeon, ear, nose and throat, who saw how many of his patients needed hearing aids but couldn't afford them. He made it his mission to develop A quality hearing aid that anyone could afford. MD Hearing has sold over 2 million hearing aids and they offer 45 day risk trial with a 100% money back guarantee so you can buy with confidence. You think you beginning to need hearing aids, Michael?

[Jason Samenow]

I'm focused on a yes.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Really? I took a hearing, I've taken tests over the years and they all indicate when I was 60 they indicated I had the hearing of an 80 year old.

[Jason Samenow]

Pretty good.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Now my hearing is of 110.

[Jason Samenow]

This is where you have to like in the room go from left to right as the noise pings around.

[Tony Kornheiser]

I, yeah, I don't, I have no idea what's being said. By the way. I don't mind that often.

[Michael Wilbon]

Right.

[Tony Kornheiser]

I don't really want to listen to anybody but when I'm watching television, I, I do, I want to hear it and I don't.

[Michael Wilbon]

Would you remember the thing that like the fellows from pti, they sent over the tone test, you know, and if.

[Tony Kornheiser]

You couldn't hear it?

[Michael Wilbon]

Yeah, I've had headphones blasting my ears for decades.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Couldn't hear it. I have the ears of Pete Townsend, you know, I just. Let's read this. Get the high quality affordable hearing aids you deserve with MD hearing. Go to shop mdhearing.com use the promo code Tony K. To get a pairing hearing hearing aids, pair of hearing AIDS which is $297 plus they're adding a free extra charging case, a $100 value just for listeners of this high quality podcast. That's shopmdhearing.com use the promo code Tony K. Get a pair of hearing AIDS for just $297. Look, I think I'm gonna do this. I am. Why wouldn't I try this?

[Michael Wilbon]

Why wouldn't you?

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah, use the code, people. What do you think, Michael? I should try it?

[Michael Wilbon]

We're in.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah. Okay. This is the Tony Kornheiser show. Tony Kornheiser show. This is a Rosetta Stone read. As you set resolutions for 2025, consider how learning a new language can enrich your life, whether through travel, career advancement or cultural appreciation. For example, maybe you want to learn how to say please don't shave my beard off in Italian. That's why you should check out Rosetta Stone. They've been a trusted expert for 30 years with millions of users in 25 languages offered, including Spanish, French and yes, Italian. Utilizing fast language acquisition, Rosetta Stone immerses you in many ways. There are no English translations, so you really learn to speak, listen and think in that language. Plus it's convenient with desktop and app options and an audio companion that gives you the ability to download lessons offline. And best of all, it's an amazing value. Lifetime membership gives you to all 25 language courses Rosetta Stone offers for 50% off. And that's a steal. Start the new year off with a resolution you can reach today. Listeners to this show can take advantage of this. Rosetta Stone's lifetime membership for 50% off, visit rosettastone.com Tony that's 50% off. Unlimited access to 25 language courses for the rest of your Life. Redeem your 50% [e-mail] Tony today and use the code people. You're listening to the Tony Kornheiser Show. This is a band called the Uninvited. This is a song called the Moment that Matters. I'm just gonna read you the note we got from Steve who is part of the Uninvited. We are a Bay Area band called the Uninvited and we've been around for some time. Would love to have a song featured on your show. I've included links to several tracks. Let me know if you need the actual audio files. Let me go back to the key words here. Bay Area band, it's not the Chesapeake. I don't think so. I think this is the San Francisco area.

[Michael Wilbon]

I absolutely think so.

[Tony Kornheiser]

I think they hear us. Are we that, are we that well known? And we are good for independent groups, obviously.

[Michael Wilbon]

I think the word gets out to independent musicians and saying if you want to get some airtime, reach out to the cornholes.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Pretty good. It's a rock and roll band. Yeah, this is good. It's a rock and roll band. This is the moment that matters. And it plays in Chuck Culpepper and Chuck has been covering the College Football Playoff. I've got a lot of criticisms, the college football playoffs that I'll get to later. But we're going to start with the most obvious question. Four teams are left. They're sort of all middle seeds. None of them won their conferences. Penn State, Notre Dame, but they're not really in a conference. Ohio State and Texas. These are big time teams, all of whom have won national championships in their histories. Of those four, Chuck, which team is the biggest surprise to you making the Final Four?

[Unnamed Guest]

I guess I would say Penn State based on watching them, you know, during the year, even though quarterback kept getting better every time I saw him, I think I saw them three times. So I would say, I would say Penn State is but, you know, part.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Of that they had an easy draw. They had an easy draw.

[Unnamed Guest]

Right. Well. And yeah, we have. We would have to point to that, and then we would have to say, you know, okay, Michigan didn't beat TCU when it had TCU a few years ago in the draw. So it's an accomplishment to get through SMU and Boise for sure. But it's. It's also probably not as hard as, you know, beating Georgia or beating the. The Arizona State that. That happened to. To Texas to, To appear at the end of the year.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah. So, yeah, I mean, we had this question on the PTI show, and I said Notre Dame because of the loss to Northern Illinois and because of the fact that to me, and I know they were unbeaten after that, but I didn't think they beat a good team. I didn't think they. I mean, I certainly Indiana in the first round, the playoffs was suspect. They were the most surprising team. To me, their quarterback doesn't even throw the ball. I mean, he throws it and people catch it for two yards. But, you know, I would have said Notre Dame. You have any thoughts on that? I would not have said Ohio State because of the pedigree, and same with Texas because of the pedigree. But.

[Unnamed Guest]

And it was. It was always kind of sitting out there, Notre Dame's schedule, in terms of, you know, the way they were playing, kind of the, the bruising way they play, and it's, you know, they. They played that game even better than Georgia did in the end. But, yeah, you're right. During the season, we were talking about army and Navy and what good seasons they were having and how Notre Dame might need that to help, you know, fortify their schedule in the eyes of. Of the committee and everything. So, yeah, there was. It was a long period through the months there where, you know, they were playing Southern California, which didn't turn out to be Southern California, and so they needed army and Navy as probably just about their most powerful victims.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah. And they were unbeaten at the time they played, and they were destroyed by Notre Dame. But, you know, and I'm thrilled when the service academies do well. And this kid on Navy, Horvath, good for him. And the army kid, too, as well, the quarterback. But they're not recruiting five stars. That's not how it works. This is the same argument I would make about Boise State. They may have some very, very, very good players, but not as many as Georgia, as Notre Dame, as Texas, you know, as. As teams like that. Correct. Right. They just don't. They don't have that Kind of depth to play with these guys.

[Unnamed Guest]

Absolutely. In the, you know, the. The mind kind of being what it is, it's. It kind of daydreams. And when there's those matchups, like, say, Boise State, Penn State, you kind of think, oh, wow, this could be really powerful. You know, Boise State beat Oklahoma that time, and we've talked about it ever since. It's 17 years ago or whatever, but. Yeah, and then they get out on the field together, and it's just noticeable what you're saying about five stars. Yeah.

[Tony Kornheiser]

I mean, Penn State ate up the running back ate them up. Doesn't matter. You had 100 yards. You had 30 carries to do it. Ate them up. Was all over first. Penn State in the first 10 minutes said, oh, no, no, we're not getting beat by these guys. And that's. That's what happened. That's what happened. So let me get to the critical parts, because we've seen eight games. Six were terrible. They were total blowouts. The Arizona State, Texas game was thrilling, but Texas cratered in the second half for reasons I don't understand. And the Notre Dame, Georgia game, it was close, but it wasn't thrilling, because every time Georgia needed something on third or fourth down, they didn't get it. They just didn't get it. So the larger question is, is 12 the right number, or should there be a different number here and will there be a different number?

[Unnamed Guest]

I think I always thought maybe 8 is the best number of all. Me, too.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Me, too.

[Unnamed Guest]

And I think 16 is a number we're probably going to get to because. And then we look at that in the lower divisions. Have had that for that number for a long time.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Oh, is that right? I didn't know that.

[Unnamed Guest]

Seemed to work well. And so. But the one thing I think that needs reevaluation and we'll get it, is what to do about conference champions.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah.

[Unnamed Guest]

And it's. It's. It's a funny thing that we're having this parallel going on in the NFL now where the Vikings are 14 and three, and they're going to have to be a five seed because they're behind all these division winners and then two division winners who had inferior seasons to theirs. And so doing the same thing in college when they did this deference to conference champions as they worked out the format, I kept thinking about this Wisconsin team in 2012 that went 8 and 5 but won the Big Ten. They won their division when they had divisions and they won the Big Ten championship game. And I was thinking, well, what Are you going to do with a team like that where they're going to take a spot from maybe somebody who was, you know, 11 and 2 or something like that and could happen, conceivably. And so, and that's what's happened here, is those, you know, those conference champions got seeded in a way that was ahead of teams that were clearly better.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah. You can't put Boise State as the third seed in the draw. You just can't do it. You can't put Arizona State. I know it was a close game. Can't put Arizona State, champion of a terrible division, as the fourth seed in the draw. You have to seed them. They're going to have to do that, aren't they?

[Unnamed Guest]

I think so. It is kind of a. You know, you do ask in the NFL, why even have divisions or in the colleges, why even worry about conferences if we're going to do it that way? You know, there, there is that question. I think it's a little bit thorny, a little bit difficult, that question. But, but it's. I just think it's. Overall, it's better to kind of give them a trophy and then seed it in a way that makes maybe more sense.

[Tony Kornheiser]

I agree with that. I also didn't. I don't understand, not even for a second. You can explain it to me why you had home field advantage in the first round. I mean, those games resulted. They people got killed, and home field had something to do with it. If you want to reward conference champions, you know, wherever you see them, give them home field in the second round or do figure it out. But the home field struck me as a very bad idea. How about you?

[Unnamed Guest]

I loved it in the run up. In the run up. And less so in the, in the actual game.

[Chuck Culpepper]

Right.

[Unnamed Guest]

Probably. You know, everyone was talking about the campus excitement, and I went to the Ohio State, Tennessee game in Columbus during that round, and the whole tone of the city. And of course, it had an oddity then because a lot of Tennessee fans, there were more visiting fans than I've ever seen in that stadium, probably 30%. It was remarkable. But the whole atmosphere of it was really strong and really enticing. And I can see why it was done as a concept. And then they played the game.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah. And it was no good. And by the way, Tennessee, that's one of the few places that looks at Ohio State and says, this is a small gym. That's sort of interesting. I bring this up because you mentioned Tennessee and because of the last 10 years of the college football championships, four teams or two teams, whatever it has been for over that period of time. There's not a southern team in this now. And we have seen the dominance of Southern teams, Clemson, Alabama, Georgia in particular LSU over these 10 years. What do you make of that?

[Unnamed Guest]

Absolutely. And that's, this is the year that the Southeast had its dominance loosened, you know, and had its, that superiority that was unmistakable through the 10 years of the 14 playoff. And, and it's, you know, everyone points to two factors, nil and the transfer portal. I kind of think the latter of those two is the bigger one. And I keep going back to TCU coach Sonny Dykes when they made it to the final and they were the only sort of March Madness style darling that ever.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah. And they only lost 50 to 3. So it made it a really good game.

[Jason Samenow]

Yes.

[Unnamed Guest]

It wasn't even that. But yeah, Dykes with Sonny Dykes. Their coach was saying you're going to see more teams like this from here on. Of course he didn't know that there would be expansion.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah.

[Unnamed Guest]

But he pointed to the transfer portal in that time, as you know, you can, these powerhouses can no longer sort of hoard the players and they go to other places now and to get playing time and starting positions and it's harder to, you know, it's just harder to be dominant on a regular basis. And this is last year's final was Michigan against Washington. So we're going to have two years running without any Southeastern team. And that's significant.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah. Yeah. I didn't expect it. I mean, I know I'm sitting here now in hindsight saying there's no Southern teams in there, but I did not expect that. I was one of those people who thought maybe Alabama should get in and now we're not going to hear from them again because they went and lost a bowl game to a three win Michigan theme. The Michigan this year has beaten Ohio State and Alabama and can't beat anybody else. Speaking of Michigan, it gets me to Ryan Day. It does not look like Ohio State is going to fire this guy now does it?

[Unnamed Guest]

It does not.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah, right.

[Unnamed Guest]

It's a situation unlike any other. I suppose. Yes. It's, it's, it's remarkable to think but it is true that they could win these next two games. In fact say they're the favorite to win the way they've been playing.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yes.

[Unnamed Guest]

And some of their fans, there's, you know, discussions on what is the percentage will consider it a failed season with a national championship. Probably won't even go to the parade I was coming out of the Rose Bowl, I was listening to show on espn. They were talking about this topic, and a caller called in and said, no, I wanted them. After they lost to Michigan, that was November 30, 13 to 10. Still inexplicable, he said. I wanted them to lose to Tennessee after that. I had no interest in watching it and no interest in, in them winning anymore. And that, that is really, that's a phenomenon that, that'd be really hard to explain, you know, to people who, who didn't follow the sport at all and, and are thus considered sane people for not following it. But that, that whole thing is really the idea. I think he's 67 and 10 now.

[Tony Kornheiser]

It's unbelievable, his record.

[Unnamed Guest]

But, oh, and four in the last four against Michigan.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah, I mean, that blood rivalry thing, I, I, it's incomprehensible to me because, I mean, I went to a public school, it didn't even have a football team. But, you know, I know that, I know that they believe it.

[Michael Wilbon]

If I said Stony Brook, would that get a reaction?

[Tony Kornheiser]

I mean, I wouldn't fire a guy if he lost three times a stone. No, I mean, but it's, I, I understand it. You will be, you'll, you'll be at one of the games this week, and I'm sure you're going to be at the final as well. Is there a team that you say, if I had to bet right now, I would bet on this team to win the whole deal?

[Unnamed Guest]

Oh, it's definitely Ohio State. Is, yeah, just the way they look. And, and just so they look brilliant and they look, they look like sort of, they were forecasted to look back in August and, you know, people around who have followed them have been wondering, where is that team? And I always, I always think of the answer as being, well, these players are still really young. You just never, never can tell. But they just look, they look better than everybody else.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Well, yeah, by about a factor of five at the moment. Is Chip Kelly is calling plays there, right? Chip Kelly went there to call plays.

[Unnamed Guest]

That's right.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah. The loss to Michigan, the loss to Oregon, okay, you're on the road. It's early in the year, you lose by one. And it turns out that Oregon then, you know, is the top team in the country, and then you blow their doors off in a rematch. But the loss to Michigan, it actually is inexplicable, right? From a football standpoint. It is.

[Unnamed Guest]

It is. I have a friend who follows it closely who says it's, he Thinks it's the worst coaching day he's ever seen. It's just, it's just, it defies. I mean, I. I was driving from Austin to College Station for a Texas, Texas A and M game, listening to it. So I didn't see it. I just couldn't believe what they were telling me through the, you know, the satellite radio. I just couldn't believe it. It's just. And you know, Kelly himself, who's been calling these dazzling plays the last two games. Nobody can figure kind of what was the idea during that game, you know, what were they doing it? They seemed to run it directly at Michigan's strength. So it just. Even to those who love Michigan, it's. It's baffling.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah. I mean, this happens every once in a while. I'll be sitting and watching a game and I'm watching and I go, we have timeouts. Use the timeouts. Why are you not using timeouts? Are you insane? Why are you not. You know, and you just. And I know that the coach knows 10 times what I know, but they do things that you go, I don't even understand that at all. The only thing I could think of, the way you're describing the way they played against Michigan is they just thought, no matter what, we're going to beat them at what they do best. We're going to humble them, humiliate them. They're going to know that we were better than them physically. And then you end up losing. Right, right, right.

[Unnamed Guest]

And I guess they factored in the weather to some degree, but then the weather was worse against Tennessee, at least by a few degrees.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah.

[Unnamed Guest]

And. And you know, they ran these, this gorgeous thing. So, you know, it just, I think it will always be a mystery and just so, so upsetting to Ohio State fans who thought that, you know, this was the time that their three game losing streak to Michigan was easily going to end. And the idea that it didn't at home, now they've got to go back up there next year. So, yeah, it's a whole. It's a whole. It's not even a subplot. It's a side plot, you know, to the season. And it's bizarre.

[Tony Kornheiser]

It is bizarre. Chuck, thank you so much. We will talk to you before and after probably the national championship. Thank you.

[Unnamed Guest]

Thank you so much, Tony. Thank you.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Chuck Culpepper, he's a fabulous writer in the Washington Post. We'll take a break and we'll get to the news of the day. The 12 to 15 inches that's falling on my house. We'll talk to Jason Samanow the Capital Weather Gang. I'm Tony Kornheiser. You're listening to the Tony Kornheiser Show. This is the Rocket Money read. The start of a new year is perfect time to get organized, set goals, and prioritize what matters most, like financial wellness, which feels more important than ever. Thanks to Rocket Money, those goals can feel achievable. They show you all of your subscriptions right in one place, and they'll help you easily cancel ones that you've forgotten you've been paying for. Rocket Money also pulls together all of your spending across all of your different accounts so you can clearly track your spending habits and see where you can cut back. Rocket Money is a personal finance app that helps find and cancel your unwanted subscriptions, monitors your spending, and helps lower your bills so you can grow savings. It lets you see all of your subscriptions in one place so you know exactly where your money is going. For ones you don't want anymore, Rocket Money can help you cancel them. Rocket Money will even try to negotiate lower bills for you. Rocket money has over 5 million users and has saved a total of $500 million.

[Michael Wilbon]

Wow, that's a lot.

[Tony Kornheiser]

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[Tony Kornheiser]

This is the Tony Kornheiser Show.

[Uninvited Band]

There's a half empty beer on the TV set.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Once again, this is the uninvited. This is a rock and roll band, kids. It's called down in Flames. They're from the San Francisco Bay area.

[Michael Wilbon]

Or the Chesapeake Bay.

[Tony Kornheiser]

It could be the Chesapeake Bay or the Bay of Fundy or something like that. But I'm gonna bet on San Francisco. Michael, if people like the Uninvited want to send in their original music. How do they do it?

[Jason Samenow]

Send us your music by emailing it to jingles. Tonycornheisershow.com I was getting so excited for the boomer bust.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Here we go. Jason Savinow joins us now. Sammy, as the kids at camp talked when they used to talk about him, he's with the Capitol Weather Gang. The Capitol Weather Gang has caused me to change all of my reading habits. Every hour I go online and I see what the Capitol Weather Gang is doing. Their work appears in the Washington Post, may appear other places, too, but it appears in the Washington Post. And I just want to establish a couple of things. It's not just Jason, there are other people who work. And it in my mind, I think of it as like the sports desk when I used to work in newspapers, seven or eight people sitting around watching the same thing, trying to figure out what the headline will be, waiting for the copy to come in. But that's probably not how it works right now. So I'm asking you first, where are you, each and all physically? Is there a command center or is everybody sort of wherever they want to be?

[Chuck Culpepper]

Yeah, you know, we're scattered all over the place. But, you know, we communicate, you know, being 2025 on a platform known as Slack, which is a chat platform, and we have spirited discussions about all of these snowstorms, you know, how much is going to fall, what models are right, what models are wrong. And so, yeah, there's a group of us, you know, a half dozen or so who are very much engaged in this. And, you know, you should have been a flag on the wall for these discussions over the weekend because just a lot of debate. But I think we came to consensus and so far the storm is more or less playing out how we've expected.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Okay. How long when something like this happens, which is a major event for Washington, D.C. there's no question about that because we haven't had much snow in the last four or five years. Major event. And you can see it coming. This is not an earthquake where all of a sudden you go, oh, what's going on beneath my feet? You can see these storms coming. How long are all of you awake at the same time or is it doesn't work that way because some people stay up all night and some people don't. How long are you awake together?

[Chuck Culpepper]

You know, we, we tend to be on and off on shifts. So.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah.

[Chuck Culpepper]

Yeah. So, you know, like, well, when there's a snow event unfolding, you know, we'll have Somebody who's in charge of the morning, someone who's in charge of the afternoon, and then someone for the evening. And then, you know, there's invariably overlap. And that's when we're having these discussions and trying to figure out, you know, what we're going to forecast. But for this particular storm, we've seen this one coming for a long time, since early last week. So, you know, five or six days, this was on the maps, and it was just a matter of refining the forecast because, you know, as. As you know, Anyone who's followed D.C. weather for a long time knows that slight shifts in the storm track can mean the difference between a boom and a bust. And so, you know, that's kind of what we've been focusing on is where is the sweet spot for the storm going to be in terms of snowfall? And this is a rare one where, you know, the immediate DC area, or maybe our southern suburbs are probably going to see the most snow in the mid Atlantic region.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Before you write, before you commit to what is readable in the Washington Post, is there conflict?

[Chuck Culpepper]

You know, we tend to be of like minds for the most part. I mean, sometimes we'll disagree on, you know, exactly, you know, where to draw a particular contour on a map, you know, where does the 3 to 6 inch line start and stop, you know, stuff like that. And we'll work it out. You know, we're. We've all been working together for a long time, so it's pretty amicable. Overall. We're not having, we're not having fights. It's not too dramatic.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Oh, so it's not like somebody says, there's Norman, he's at it again, we got to shut him down. You know, it's not. There's nothing like that. Where there's one wild card.

[Chuck Culpepper]

Yeah, yeah. You know, it's not like PTI or something like that. You know, we're not, we're not battling back and forth on this stuff. Okay. But it's fun. I mean, we enjoy it. And I think, you know, we're pretty, you know, we're pretty agreeable group overall.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Okay, so let's get to the models, which I've learned from Kevin Sheehan over the years. There are many models. There's the Nam, there's the Euro, there's the Canadian. Then you get stuff issued by the National Weather Service. There's a lot of stuff out there, a lot of balls in the air. How do you know which one to choose? How do you reach consensus and say, this is the one? We're going to go with.

[Chuck Culpepper]

Yeah. So it's a combination of things. For starters, if all things being equal, the European model is the best. Okay. So if the European model is sort of out of step with the others, you've got to give it some consideration. And if. If I only had, like two minutes to do a weather forecast and I could only look at one model, I'd look at the European and just make my forecast based on that. Now, that said, the European isn't right for every storm, and it's not the best model for every storm. So that's when you have to sort of look at the universe of models, sort of apply your experience and think about, okay, what's realistic, what do you think will happen given this situation, and which models make the most sense. And so you tend to sometimes blend the models together. You sort of look across them and say, okay, this one, I think, is getting this aspect of the storm right. This other one is nailing this other part. And then you take that all together and you develop your forecast.

[Tony Kornheiser]

How far out? I mean, we all have weather apps and some of us consult them constantly and some freakish way, like I do, but, you know, you see it for 5 days and 8 days and 10 days and 12 days. And in my mind, I think this here. How far out can you go where you say, we've really got to pay attention starting now?

[Chuck Culpepper]

Yes, it's right around a week. I mean, I think, like, in terms of the big picture, like, there might be a storm, you can say that, you know, between about six and eight or nine days into the future. Now, when you're trying to nail down the details and know exactly how much snow is going to fall in your backyard, you might not know that until the day before, until it's actually snowing, as is the case today. So, yeah, so, I mean, big picture, sort of the broad strokes, about a week out, and then as you get closer, you can start to home in on some of the details.

[Tony Kornheiser]

You guys started out, if I'm not mistaken, because I always go for the over because I want to worry more than other people. I think you started like 3, 5, then you went 6 to 8, then 6 to 10. Now 8 to 12. Right. 8 to 12 is. Is where we are now. What, how does that happen?

[Chuck Culpepper]

I take the under probably based on how it's unfolding. But yeah, 6 to 12 is where we ended up. Yeah, we started off, I think 3 to 6, and we ended up 6 to 12. So that's a doubling. That's not uncommon because you want to start off being a little bit conservative because as a forecaster you don't like to sort of pull back on your predictions. It's weird because people get really excited about snow and they get disappointed if you reduce your snowfall totals. So almost as a psychological thing, we start off, we tend to start off more conservative and lower because we don't want to disappoint people. Also, it's just a matter of fact and that DC storms often underperform with snow, you know, just because of where we live and you know, we have all this mild air which can come in off the ocean and off the bay. And so a lot of times the models might show more snow than actually falls. And this, this event may be yet another case of that. I mean, again, you know, last night a lot of the models were showing 8 to 12 and we might be closer to 6 to 8 by the time the storm is over.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Where were you 48 hours ago? If you had to get a number, what Was your number 48 hours ago?

[Chuck Culpepper]

I think we were, we were at about 4 to 7.

[Tony Kornheiser]

And are we going to go higher? We're going to go a little higher. You think?

[Chuck Culpepper]

You know, so we're kind of there right now. We're at 4 to 7 right now. Those are the current measurements and it's still snowing outside. Now if you look at the radar, the back edge of the heavy stuff is starting to push through and we're going to see a break in the snow this afternoon or it'll just be, you know, really light stuff, a little sleet not accumulating, but then it's going to be one more round this evening and you know, sort of whether we get into the 7, 8, 9 inch totals will depend on whether this final round delivers or not. And I think the potential for this final round is about 1 or 2 inches. So I think most places are going to end up in the 6 to 8, 6 to 9 range.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Right.

[Chuck Culpepper]

But those high end totals, those 9, 10, 11, 12 inch totals, I think those will probably be pretty spotty.

[Tony Kornheiser]

And this is going to be on the ground all of January. Right. I mean we're, we're not for a long time.

[Chuck Culpepper]

Yeah, the pattern is cold at least through this week. You know, highs probably won't get above freezing through at least Friday. And then, you know, there might be another storm this weekend, although that's pretty iffy. But there's an outside chance it could be a big one, so we can talk about that. But anyways, yeah, the Pattern for the next couple of weeks does look cold, at least through the inauguration. I mean, once you get past January 20, the signals conflict a little bit as to how cold it's going to be.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Oh, well, Trump will simply order it not to be cold. I don't think you have to worry about that. I mean, that'll be an executive order. What is, Jason, what is. Is the best satisfaction to be right or is it to be wrong? Because. Because sometimes when you're right, it inflicts pain on a lot of people who would rather you be wrong. What is the satisfaction when you do this for a living?

[Chuck Culpepper]

Oh, gosh. I mean, with snow, I want to nail it. I mean, you know, we put a lot of time and effort into these forecasts, and we care a lot. You know, we. And trust is sort of our. In our DNA. And so, you know, if there's a saying, you're only as good as your last forecast. And so, you know, if you screw one up, then, you know, it takes a while to sort of rebuild people's trust in you so that credibility really matters. So we want to get it right. And I think, you know, when it comes to snow, I mean, most people actually like snow. So if we're predicting, we're predicting a significant amount. You know, people like to get out there and enjoy it. So, yeah, we don't like snow busts at all.

[Tony Kornheiser]

It's. I am addicted to it. I mean, I'm not addicted to it 365 days a year, but I'm addicted to it a lot. A lot. In the summer, I want to know about wind. I hate wind. I don't want trees falling. You know, I want to know when the storms are. All of that stuff. And I understand why people. You understand this, right? I'll bet when you meet people and they find out what you do, I'll bet they corner you for the rest of the evening. Right?

[Chuck Culpepper]

Yeah. People do enjoy meeting me and talking to me about the weather. I mean, you know, weather is the number one topic of conversation. Of course, a lot of time it's small talk, but when you meet an expert who knows something about it, people do like to pick your brain and understand, you know, sort of the method to the madness. But just to get back to your. To your point about, you know, thunderstorms, you know, we're predicting severe thunderstorms and, you know, damaging winds and tornadoes and stuff like that. And that doesn't happen. I'm totally fine with that.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah.

[Chuck Culpepper]

You know, like, I, you know, like, I'm Totally fine. If we overhype a forecast for a dangerous weather event now, I mean, snow can be dangerous, of course, for, for motorists and, you know, obviously, you know, for, for older adults who are out there who hate it. And I understand that. Yeah.

[Tony Kornheiser]

So one of the things you do.

[Chuck Culpepper]

Not great for everyone, one of the.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Things you do in the forecast is right up high. You said this is going to be a lighter, fluffier, more powdery snow. We're not worried about the threat of power lines going down. That's a very important sentence. You know, I get the. When, when these things are being written, there is an order to them that's very important. I mean, you want to know how many inches you're going to get, but you also want to know is there a corollary damage effect because it's like wet and everything's falling down, you know what I mean? So I appreciate that. I do.

[Chuck Culpepper]

Yeah, I know. And of course, you know, ice storms are the worst. You know, the ice on the power lines can snap them and you can. Yeah, those can be awful. So, yeah, obviously the heavy wet snow events, the ice storms, you know, we're not pulling for those, but you know, these kind of more enjoyable snow events where we're getting, you know, four or five, six inches, maybe eight inches, it's not, you know, causing too many disruptions. Maybe gives kids a day off or two from school. You know, no problem with that.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Just send one of the guys over to walk my dog because I'm too old to go out in this stuff. Thank you, Jason.

[Chuck Culpepper]

Of course. Yeah, it was a pleasure. Enjoyed it as always.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah, put it, you know, you ought to read it. It's great. You can get it online. The Capital weather gang. It's just, it's constant and it makes me very happy because anxiety is my life. We'll take a break and we will come back with email and jingle. Yes. I'm Tony Kornheiser. This episode is brought to you by Unstoppable. Discover the inspiring true story about Anthony Robles, who defied every expectation to become a national wrestling champion and Un Unstoppable, a new original movie from Amazon MGM Studios and director William Goldenberg. Evoking the excitement and camaraderie of classic sports dramas and thrilling wrestling matches, Unstoppable features an all star ensemble cast including Jarell Jerome, Jennifer Lopez, Don Cheadle, Michael Pena and Bobby Cannavale. Unstoppable is streaming exclusively on Prime Video January 16th. This is the Tony Korneiser, Binghamton's own Chris Ullman was whistler in the world.

[Michael Wilbon]

World champion.

[Tony Kornheiser]

World champion Whistler. Thank you for that. We're gonna do a Bethesda bagel ad, though we did not get bagels today.

[Michael Wilbon]

No, we couldn't make it.

[Tony Kornheiser]

We just couldn't get there.

[Michael Wilbon]

I, I did make an effort. I got out onto Wisconsin Avenue and it was miserable. So I said, no, it's gonna take me 14 days to get there and back. So.

[Tony Kornheiser]

But we do 14 days since I don't know when I just saw with.

[Michael Wilbon]

My best friend, you know that I mean Bethesda bagels.

[Tony Kornheiser]

God, I know every song. We love them.

[Michael Wilbon]

Yeah, that's a great song. Lee Michaels, we love you as well. Just go to Bethesda Bagels.com for the location in DC area Shu then popping in and you'll be thrilled.

[Tony Kornheiser]

I hope we get bagel sandwiches later in the week. Yes, that'll do it for us today. Before we get to the mailbag, let me just say all the leaves are brown and the sky is gray I've been for a walk on a winter's day I'd be safe and warm if I was in L. A, California dreaming on such a winner's day. They were great when they started. It turned icky. But gosh, the Mamas and Papas were a fabulous vocal group. Thanks to our guests today. Chuck Culpepper, Jason Samanow, thanks as well to today's sponsors. Remember, you can listen to us on Apple podcasts, Spotify, Audacy. If you get show through Apple, please leave us a review. We're going to have a lot of references to shaving my beard from ruck in the Soviet Safeway in Silver Spring. Was the barber's name moth? Charlie Warren, Fort Smith, Arkansas. I admire your chutzpah. I've had a beard since 1996. My masculine child of 28 years has never seen me without a beard. Should I be like Tony and shave it off? Sounds like I need to keep it for another two decades and try to break your Cal Ripken facial hair streak.

[Jason Samenow]

Believe it's Shaputza.

[Tony Kornheiser]

That's the correct pronunciation, especially from Fort Smith, Arkansas. But no, no, no. It's chutzpah. Steve, the sick of fan, your amazing decision to go clean shaven. It's not clean shaven. It's just I took it down. Took me back to 1988 when sons Ed, 5, and Doug, 3, decided Daddy would look better and younger without his beard and mustache. I thought, what the hell? Went upstairs and shaved away. I bounced back downstairs were immediately met by cries of daddy, please put the hair back on. A few weeks later, it was back on and has remained that way ever since, only changing colors from black to gray to white. From Terry Tahara in Bremen, Indiana. Your experience of shaving off your beard and mustache struck a chord with me. I'm approaching 70 and I've had a mustache since November 1973. Why? Remember, this is just stupid. I've always been told if I shave it off, I'll look younger. Here's the new poll. Do you look younger? No, I don't look younger. I don't look younger.

[Jason Samenow]

You didn't shave it off.

[Tony Kornheiser]

I trimmed it. I had it trimmed.

[Michael Wilbon]

It was trimmed significantly.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Sure.

[Jason Samenow]

It was summertime, Tony.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yes. Yeah. High and tight with a haiku polar vortex tip. Consequence may be frostbite to your chin and lip. From Mitch in Las Vegas. By the way, I watched PTI and I really had to look closely to notice you were missing your mustache. Speaking of which, what did your grandchildren say when they saw you without the mustache? They. They didn't notice at all.

[Jason Samenow]

You look the same.

[Tony Kornheiser]

I look the same to them. Look exactly the same. From Harry. Henry. Rather. From Henry in San Juan Capistrano in California. I anxiously waited for PTI on Friday to see the reveal of your new face. I was relieved when I couldn't see any difference at all. There you were, the same beautiful Tony Kornheiser. From Barry, Laura lee. Greetings from St Thomas, US Virgin Islands. I waited with bated breath for PTI on Friday to see the clean shaven Uncle Tony. Phone in hand, I was poised to text my brother, tell him, check out PTI because Tony was beardless. Needless to say, I was very disappointed because you looked exactly the same. Did I imagine the podcast where you said the barber took everything off? If PTI came back on Thursday, would we have seen the baby face? Tony, are you some sort of secret werewolf? Was it a full moon? Glad to have you guys back. No, it was. It was trim. But I thought it was trim. Severely.

[Michael Wilbon]

It was trim.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Maybe it wasn't. And now it's a week. And so now it's grown back.

[Michael Wilbon]

Yeah, it's grown in.

[Tony Kornheiser]

From Joe Pearson in Indianapolis, who writes still bearded, but it is gray and a little thin. I have sported a beard since I got out of high school. Catholic all boys. Well, I actually got a detention once for not shaving. Anyway, over the years, I would occasionally shave it off just to see what I looked like. One time my office cubicle was on the same floor as the executive suite. Not that I was all that important, it was just that we shared the same office geography. So I would run into the CEO in the hallway or the elevator, whatever. Regardless, he knew who I was. A couple of days after one of my beard removals, the receptionist of the executive suite called me over. She told me that she and the CEO had spotted me in the corridor and the CEO said to her, that guy looks just like Joe Pearson. As you might imagine, she did not correct him with actually, that is Joe Pearson. Sometimes you just got to keep your own counsel. Four decades later, it still makes me laugh. That's like Ricky played with a guy like that once. It was me, Ricky John Olleru Todd sanzone in Frederick, Maryland Chuck and Roxy281 how's your chin? Not too chilly I hope. I wanted to get in on the new vernacular game. The other day I was after Christmas shopping with my 11 year old daughter. A salesperson approached us and said if you need help, just lmk. And I thought I'm too old to be in the store. That's let me know.

[Michael Wilbon]

That is well done, well done.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Well I had a day to think.

[Michael Wilbon]

About the riz on you.

[Tony Kornheiser]

If someone had the aura Andrea Andrea B. In Edmonton, Alberta in Canada. I hope you and the team had a great Christmas and New Year's. I was listening to the show at work and as a millennial listener, I couldn't help but let out a laugh, probably making me look crazy to my co workers. When you received an email asking if you were Team Marissa or Team Summer, I definitely heard Michael sneak in the Marissa. I was shocked that she is easily the most chaotic character. I don't even know what show you.

[Jason Samenow]

Have to separate the OC into different eras of it. So I remember when the OC debuted in the summer of 2003 and it only was on for a couple weeks before taking a break.

[Tony Kornheiser]

What does OC stand for?

[Jason Samenow]

Orange County?

[Tony Kornheiser]

Oh, how would I know that?

[Michael Wilbon]

I thought it was Old Country.

[Tony Kornheiser]

I've been watching Andrea says. I've been watching PTI since I was 12. It's the first thing I turned into when I got home from school and I imagine my dad was a Filipino immigrant was confused as to why his daughter watch two middle aged men argue with each other every day after school before changing over to the Disney Channel. It never stopped being one of my favorite parts of the day and the podcast feels like an added bonus. Just want to say thanks for the laugh.

[Jason Samenow]

Favorite dcom what this is for the emailer Disney Channel Original Movie.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Oh, I didn't know that. Come on, I thought you decaf. Johnny Tsunami decaf. Donnie Shamsky, Geneva, Ohio As a senior in high school, I realize I'm in the younger age of listeners. You are the youngest listener, so you can imagine my surprise while listening to Tuesday show and hearing Mr. Tony go on about Sigma and Phantom Tax. I don't know what that is.

[Michael Wilbon]

These are I say that phrases. The kids use these.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Never in a million years would I expect to hear these words uttered on this show. Love the show. Thanks for the laughs. P.S. phantom tax or Phantom Tax originated from the Twitch streamer. I don't know what that is.

[Jason Samenow]

A lot of these slang words have originated through online, you know, game channels.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah, it refers to stealing food from your friends. Could I be the official brain rot expert on the show? Yes, yes, Donnie, yes, of course. Thank you for that. Dear Pro from Dover, Just listen to your podcast. Once again you mentioned Stan the Man. Here's my intersection with the man. In May of 1970, the St. Louis Women's Invitational Tournament, aka the Johnny Landoff Chevrolet Tournament won by Shirley Englehorn, was held at Glen Echo country Club in St. Louis. I was one of the local Glen Echo caddies selected for an LPGA player, Betty Burfind, who played at Cortland State University. I know Cortland, know it very well. It's upstate New York. Cortland's where my friend Steven Pearsall lives. The Pro Am was a list of the who's who with St. Louis and of course Stan Musial played. He was in the group in front of our foursome and while waiting in the fairway in front of us, he reached into his golf bag, pulled out a harmonica and began to entertain all those around. You could hear him playing and the joy that it brought to him and those playing with the man. Stan Musial has the biggest statue outside Busch Stadium and is famously known as Meet Me at the Mugel. Sincerely, Mike Eller Indianapolis Isn't that great? That's a lovely story. John o'donnell not that John. Not Johnny O.

[Michael Wilbon]

We don't think it's Johnny O.

[Tony Kornheiser]

We don't think so. Dixon, Illinois we don't think so. Dear fellow curmudgeon, as I grow older I feel it's important to continue learning. The best new fact I learned on Friday was you can bet the over under on James Carville's bowel movements from Alex Lau in New York City. Words cannot express the joy I feel reading a thought provoking op ed about The Presidential election by Carville in the New York Times. Minutes before I turn on your Hinky Dinky podcast to hear him unintelligibly yell we're gonna buy the hook in a bowl game with a spread of 33.5 being played in Siberia by two quote unquote universities I've never heard of. This is why we love the show from Ted Smith in Pittsburgh. Picked up four cans of Progresso Mediterranean Lentil Soup for $5 a week back at Giant Eagle. All I had to do was clip the digital coupon with a mobile app and scan my Google wallet at the self checkout. You've lost me. Lost me Ted. Pretty sure you can install an AI bot to scour the local circulars for deals like this anytime. Can I?

[Jason Samenow]

Oh yeah, how would I Saw some progressive soups on sale this weekend from.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Tim Cree in Fort Collins, Colorado. Let me make sure I understand. On Friday's show someone said he and the missus are going on a 200 day cruise and have already made 50 dinner reservations on one of the two restaurants aboard ship. Yes, he said two. Only two. Why would you need a reservation? Everyone on the ship needs to eat. There isn't a doordash submarine to bring you a foot long hero and 27 chicks churros in the middle of the Bermuda Triangle. Reservations must be rough since a cruise of that length probably has 3000 passengers, but I can only assume they serve meals 24 hours every day since you can't exactly get 1500 people into a sit down restaurant for a one meal. Shift logistics from Jim Ryan. Not that Jim Ryan. Here's a small world for you. I grew up in Alexandria. I now live in Charleston, South Carolina. I attended Gonzaga High School with Riley Leonard's dad, Chad Leonard. So would that be Riley? This Gonzaga? Where Wilbon's son goes, it's this Gonzaga. Yeah. Is that where he went? Oh, his dad went there. It gets even crazy RJ Oban, who had the strip sack right before the half against Georgia. His dad, Roman Oban, I know that name, was also with us at Gonzaga before his 12 year NFL career. P.S. is a wedding gift to me. 20 years ago the great Jack Vardaman took me to play Pine Valley. Top five days of my life. Anytime we can mention Jack's name makes us very very happy. And one more from Reese in London. Now I'm no marketing genius, but I don't think you'll be receiving many boxes of that from the good people at Proof Ice Cream now that you've told everyone that consuming their products will kill us all stone dead. I'll hang up and listen. If you're out on your bike tonight, everyone, as always, do wear white. You want to talk real customers?

[Chuck Culpepper]

Kid, that's me. I'm like the mayor of Duncan.

[Tony Kornheiser]

I go from bobblehead to revamp.

[Uninvited Band]

Maybe it's ridden my lovely face. Another rotten day left an aftertaste. Maybe all we need is a change of pace. No one's gonna die if we leave this place. Sitting on the couch just collecting dust. Standing in the rain while we're gonna rust. Another big dream just bit the dust. But baby, look out, it was in front of us. It's a long strip with smooth stretch of highway. Got the rising sun coming up behind and it's a long, straight, smooth stretch. Highway, yesterday's batter, tomorrow shatter. Hey, baby, it'll be all right. Sometimes we flee and sometimes we fight. Don't go gentle into that good night. Got a rage, rage against the dying light.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah.

[Uninvited Band]

Not worried about the things we lack. It only leads to a hotter attack. No looking forward, no looking back. Feeling all that matters is what we're at. It's a long, straight, smooth stretch. Highway got the rising sun coming up behind. He's running long stretch, smooth stretch and highway get through this battery me Tomorrow shatter. Tomorrow shatters the most matter. It's a long, straight, smooth stretch. Highway. Got the rising song coming up behind. It's a long, straight, slow straight. Your heart.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yesterday.

[Uninvited Band]

Tomorrow is shatter. This is the moment that matters. It's the moment that matter. It's the moment that matters the most. Matters the most. Matters the most. There's a half empty beer on the TV set. A fellow victim of sad neglect. It's warm and flat, Smells like I know what and floating on top some old cigarette butt. This half empty beer, it's kinda like my life. Old and tasteless. This is awful, wife. So I pick it up, I throw it away. It is disappears without nothing to say. I ain't going out like that. I ain't going out like that. When I go down, I'm going down in lanes Like a falling star, like a crashing plane. When I go down I'm going down in flames. Like Captain Kirk saving the world again. Going down in flames, down in flames. There's a roach in the ash tree, Shriveled and brown. Not much left after it's gone around. My buddy Bill, he puts in a clip, A little puff of smoke, man, that's that. I ain't going out like that. I ain't going out like that When I go down I'm going down in plains Like a mushroom cloud exploding over the plain When I go down I'm going down in flames Saving the world win again I'm going down in plains maybe it's okay just to make it through another day but didn't feel young Won't say it's better to burn out than do better way the sun setting out in the west this show is free and it's always the best Here comes the color and here comes the night A blaze of glory and a flash of light I wanna go out like that I just wanna go out like that yeah When I go down I'm going down in plains Like a falling star Like a crashing plane When I go down I'm going down in lanes Like Captain Kirk saved in the world again When I go down I'm going down in flames like mushroom cloud exploding over the plain When I go down I'm going down in flames Saving the world Winning the game I'm going down in place I'm going down in place.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Sat.