The Tony Kornheiser Show – Episode "Orange"

Date: September 12, 2025

Episode Overview

In this lively, guest-packed episode, Tony Kornheiser dives into the latest from the sports world, focusing on Washington’s loss to Green Bay, in-depth takes from renowned sports writers and insiders, and rolling into football picks with James Carville and Jeff Ma. The episode starts with an analysis of the NFL week, offers sharp commentary on the state and future of various teams, and includes candid, entertaining discussions with familiar personalities. True to Kornheiser’s style, the episode veers quickly from sports to cultural moments, health anecdotes, and inside jokes.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Washington’s Loss to Green Bay with Barry Svrluga (01:12–14:24)

Washington vs. Green Bay Recap:

• Tony admits to turning off the game early when Washington was trailing 14-0, asking Barry if he missed anything by not watching the end.
• Barry’s Take: Although Washington fleetingly got close, "the takeaway for anyone who watched that game has to be less about Washington...and more about Green Bay. That is a team that is every bit a contender in the NFC...” (03:11)
• Green Bay’s defense is called "fast and strong and suffocating," smothering both Detroit and Washington’s offenses in consecutive weeks.
• Notable Quote:
  • "I did not sit down in my seat at Lambeau Field last night...and say, let me see how this Packers defense looks...and I come out of it being like, holy cow, they have a defense that is right up there with anybody else in the league." – Barry Svrluga (06:08)

Green Bay Investments & Micah Parsons:

• Green Bay’s focus on drafting defense, rather than receivers for Rodgers, comes full circle with the addition of their now-dominant pieces.
• Micah Parsons' impact is transformative: "It's almost as if this one player...elevates that talent that was already there and he just makes chaos.” – Barry Svrluga (05:21)

Injuries:

• Discussion of significant injuries:
  • “One of the wide outs for Green Bay early in the game, I think broke his shoulder or broke his collarbone.” (06:32)
  • Austin Ekeler’s likely season-ending Achilles tear; Dietrich Wise Jr.'s possibly season-ending quad injury.

Team Age & "Win Now" Philosophy:

• Washington is among the NFL’s oldest teams; Green Bay is the youngest.
• Barry explains that Washington’s high average age is due to strategic moves (adding Bobby Wagner, Zach Ertz, and Von Miller) – and signals they’re in a "win now" moment.
  • “That is an acknowledgment by the commander's front office...that this is very much a win now moment.” (10:10)

2. Nationals’ Struggles and Organizational Direction (11:04–14:16)

Nats Talk:

• Tony brings up the Nationals’ ongoing struggles and misfires since their World Series win.
• Barry criticizes the team for failing to make a meaningful managerial change after firing the World Series-winning GM and manager:
  • “They needed somebody who was going to come in and say, you know what? The way you guys have been doing, it doesn't work. It’s not good enough. … And it was a disservice to the players in that dugout who just weren’t taught that they’ve got to do things better.” (13:07)

3. Betting Corner & NFL Trends with Jason La Canfora (18:45–31:27)

La Canfora’s Success and Betting Show:

• Tony plugs Jason's YouTube betting show, which is on a hot streak:
  • “We are, we’re waiting for our corporate friends to help us take it to another level… I’m putting five, six hours a day into this, and I’m distilling it down to our best 20 minutes. … We are keeping score and we’re totally transparent.” – Jason La Canfora (19:35)

Health Anecdote:

• Jason details his misery after getting the COVID, flu, and shingles shots all at once, leading to the episode’s title:
  • "I swear to God, for two days, I'm peeing orange. This is not natural." (21:43)

NFL Analysis – Week 1 Takeaways:

• John Harbaugh’s seat is hot for the first time, due to ongoing defensive issues in Baltimore.
  • “That defense is a joke...their fourth quarter defense has been horse forever.” (25:50)
• Kansas City’s rough schedule: “Go look at their schedule the first seven weeks. It’s a gauntlet.” (29:00)
• Miami and Detroit season outlooks, Andy Reid’s approach to protecting Mahomes, and expectations for high-profile matchups.

Notable Quotes:

• On Baltimore: “Their fourth quarter defense has been horse forever. … If you run the numbers for the fourth quarter all season long it’s a bottom five defense and you cannot be too many smart people...have told me over the years, you cannot be an elite defense if you are not an elite fourth quarter defense.” – Jason La Canfora (25:50)
• On Miami’s issues: “No, I think it’s more than one game. … It’s a sign of impending doom for Mike McDaniel and I guess probably the GM.” (27:34)

Quick Betting Picks/Perspectives:

• Leans to the Eagles–Chiefs under
• Likes Detroit over Chicago

4. Football Picks with James Carville (33:40–37:41)

Carville’s Picks:

• College:
  • Purdue +21 vs. USC
  • Eastern Michigan vs. Kentucky – Over 40
  • New Mexico State +10.5 at Louisiana Tech ("We like those halves. We collect them, we buy them.” – Carville, 35:44)
• NFL:
  • Browns +12 at Baltimore ("That’s too many points.” – 36:10)
  • Raiders +3.5 vs. Chargers
  • Falcons +4 vs. Vikings

Entertaining Moments:

• Carville riffs on the “dog” theme for his picks, barking and requesting sound effects.
• Tangent on Oklahoma State and Mike Gundy ("not long for this world.” – 35:19)

5. Analytics, Betting Markets, and NFL Trends with Jeff Ma (38:55–48:48)

Rule Changes & Impact:

• In-depth discussion about NFL kickoff rule changes:
  • "In the first week, we saw over 75% of the kickoffs were returned, which is the largest amount...since...2010.” – Jeff Ma (39:54)
  • Debates whether injury frequency will increase or decrease with the new setup; Tony believes blocking will be easier and more long returns likely.

Randomness of NFL Unders:

• Week 1: 11-1 on the under (in non-primetime games).
  • “Whenever you see something like this, especially in a small sample size...do you have a hypothesis about why this might happen?” – Jeff Ma (41:49)
• Consensus: Don’t blindly bet the under; the market will adjust.

Betting Picks:

• College:
  • Texas A&M +7 over Notre Dame
    • “That's an upset alert game.” – Tony referencing Booger McFarland and agreeing with Jeff Ma (45:01)
  • Texas Tech -23.5 over Oregon State
• NFL:
  • Bears +6.5
  • Giants +5.5 at Dallas
  • Dolphins -1 over Patriots
  • Jacksonville +3.5 over Cincinnati

Sports Betting Market Evolution:

• Jeff briefly plugged the rise of prediction markets: "Maybe one episode we can talk a little about this. ... Prediction markets are actually, like, happening a lot in sports now.” (48:47)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Tony after Barry's Nationals take:
  "I never heard it quite like that. And I find myself agreeing with all of it. Thank you." (14:16)
• Jason La Canfora on feeling ill:
  "Like, I’m literally—I swear to God, for two days, I'm peeing orange." (21:43)
• James Carville on collecting spread halves:
  "We like those half. We collect them, we buy them." (35:44)
• Jeff Ma on NFL trends:
  "Markets tend toward efficiency. ... You can’t just blindly bet under." (42:57)
• On Baltimore’s defense:
  "You cannot be an elite defense if you are not an elite fourth quarter defense." – La Canfora (25:50)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Opening & Guest Tease – 00:00
• Washington–Green Bay Analysis (Barry Svrluga) – 01:12–14:24
• Nationals Organizational Critique – 11:04–14:16
• Betting Show/Health Tangent (La Canfora) – 18:45–21:43
• Week 1 NFL Insights & Team Takes (La Canfora) – 21:56–31:27
• Carville’s Picks & College/NFL Chat – 33:40–37:41
• NFL Trends, Analytics, and Picks (Jeff Ma) – 38:55–48:48

Episode Tone & Style

• Conversational, self-deprecating, and frank. Tony brings humor and wry observations; guests speak candidly, often dropping in personal stories or asides.
• Insider insights but accessible explanations, especially around NFL strategy, betting logic, and how organizational decisions set teams’ trajectories.
• Frequent digressions add entertainment, from sports medicine mishaps to running in-jokes (like La Canfora’s orange pee and Carville’s sound effects requests).

For New Listeners

This episode is a strong showcase of the show’s strengths:

• Rapid-fire, engaging sports analysis
• Familiarity and chemistry with guests
• Occasional forays into health, food, and culture
• Blunt, smart insights delivered with wit

It serves as a play-by-play of the week in sports, but with much more entertainment and depth than the typical recap.