“Put it on my tab”

Summary

The Tony Kornheiser Show

Episode: “Put it on my tab”
Date: October 20, 2025

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Episode Overview

This episode features Tony Kornheiser, with recurring guests Michael Wilbon and Mark Feinsand, as they dive into a lively blend of sports commentary and life musings. The show opens by previewing Shohei Ohtani's historic baseball performance, recapping the wild NFL and college football weekend, and riffing on Halloween season shopping. The second half is heavy on baseball, with an in-depth discussion on Ohtani’s unprecedented game and a look at the postseason landscape. The tone is conversational, witty, and self-deprecating, with the hosts’ long friendship providing both humor and insight.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

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1. Personal Updates & Musings

Golf Frustrations and Mental Hiccups

• Tony kicks off with a humorous riff about his poor performance on the golf course, connecting mental focus to athletic outcomes:
  • "I just wasn't into it mentally... I’m a range player. I’m good on the range and I’m bad. I’m a gagger when it comes to everything else." (00:48)
  • Wilbon jabs: "It’s dangerously close to an apology." (01:26)

Halloween Shopping Anxiety

• The crew discusses Halloween preparations, with Kornheiser confessing he’s unprepared for “the great national American holiday.”
• Michael Wilbon shares his “sweet tooth for the gummies,” and warns about candy shopping logistics:
  • "Because week of, they'll have nothing left. At least now you have the...bags." (03:35)
• The ongoing Wilbon-Kornheiser tab for shared purchases (wine, candy, pumpkins) becomes a recurring joke:
  • Tony: "Just put it on my bill." (02:58)
  • Wilbon: "We have a running tab that apparently you're trying to itemize." (02:59)

Aging, Favorite Candies, and Dental Woes

• Tony laments that his favorite candy, Tootsie Rolls, are now off-limits:
  • "I can't. I love my favorite candy of all time. I can no longer eat because it takes my teeth out. Tootsie Rolls. Oh, I love Tootsie Rolls." (05:03-05:09)
• The banter on dental hazards of various candies, especially as one ages, adds a touch of vulnerability and humor.

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2. Weekend Football Recap (06:16–12:31)

NFL Drama: The Denver-Giants Thriller

• Tony recounts the improbable fourth-quarter comeback:
  • "Denver had no points going into the fourth quarter...they got 33 points in the fourth quarter. The Giants got 12...that’s 45 points in the fourth quarter. Has to be a record." (07:35)
• Wilbon and others debate game-changing plays, kicker failures, and questionable penalty calls.

Contenders & Pretenders

• Tony calls out perennial underachievers:
  • "There have been three teams...the Chargers, the Falcons and the Jaguars. And they’re no good. They’re just as bad as they’ve been." (10:09)
  • "You know who’s good? The Kansas City Chiefs. They’re still good." (11:27)
• Discussion of surprise improvements (Patriots, Indianapolis Colts), and unraveling teams (Miami Dolphins).

College Football Quick Hits

• Wilbon notes upsets and coaching turmoil (Miami, Texas A&M, Florida).
• Tony ponders Notre Dame’s shrinking playoff odds given the dominoes of other teams’ losses and national perception.

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3. Broader Issues in College & Pro Football

The Coaching Carousel

• Kornheiser is awed by the frequency and swiftness with which major programs jettison head coaches:
  • "It’s an unbelievable waterfall of college coaches at big time programs are getting fired. I’ve never seen anything quite like that." (24:20)
  • Wilbon: "No big schools too now. We’re not talking about directionals. Penn State and Florida." (24:31)
• They speculate on Maryland football and administration willingness to make coaching moves, noting the influence of massive media rights deals in the Big Ten.

Pro Football Turnover Mirrors College

• Tony: "The pros are different. That’s strictly transactional...We hire you, we give you money. If it doesn’t work out, we fire you." (27:53)
• Wilbon: "Everyone’s getting fired. They’re going to do this until they think they get it right. The answer to all your questions is: money." (28:53)

Delusions in College Football Fandom

• Wilbon: "Nobody’s as delusional as college football fans. Everyone thinks they can go get Joe Montana by Friday from the portal." (29:45)

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4. Shohei Ohtani’s Record-Setting Performance (16:40–22:56, 35:44–40:29)

Historic Game Breakdown

• Kornheiser: "Ohtani just had the greatest game in the history of baseball. The greatest game. Does that make him the greatest baseball player ever? No. Babe Ruth is the greatest player ever. But Ohtani is now on the road, where he has a chance to do that." (20:33)
• Wilbon and Tony compare Ohtani’s achievements to immortal greats (Willie Mays, Babe Ruth, Reggie Jackson), noting Ohtani’s unique dual pitching/hitting feats:
  • Wilbon: "Shohei did something that, look, some of us are pretty old and we’ve never seen it—for a reason. Because it’s never happened. Damn it." (18:19)

Comparisons to Other Sports Legends

• Mark Feinsand agrees that Ohtani’s feat—pitching 6 shutout innings with 10 strikeouts and hitting 3 home runs in one playoff game—is in a class of its own, even when considering performances like Wilt Chamberlain’s 100-point game or Bob Beamon’s Olympic long jump:
  • "This was the single greatest individual game that any player has ever had. I don’t think this is recency bias." (35:44)
• They compare and discuss, but agree:
  • "He was never both a dominant pitcher and a dominant hitter in the same game. Nobody was." (39:35, Mark Feinsand)

Impact and Legacy Talk

• Feinsand notes Ohtani’s context—doing this against modern competition, in the era of specialization, and as both a hitter and ace-level pitcher:
  • "What Ohtani is doing is something that nobody thought was possible in this era of specialization." (40:21)
  • "He’s not just attempting it. He’s going out there and pitching at a Cy Young level and hitting at an MVP level." (40:29)

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5. MLB Postseason Analysis (41:43–48:31)

Dodgers’ Dominance

• Tony on the Dodgers:
  • "Where did this pitching come from? When did the pitching say, here we are? Our bullpen stinks, but we're going to give you enough that we're never losing again." (41:43)
• Feinsand credits offseason signings and late-season health, noting their October run is fueled by everyone (Snell, Glasnow, Sasaki) being at peak form.
  • "If they're healthy and they’re pitching the way they’re pitching, I don’t care who wins Game 7 tonight. I have a hard time believing anybody’s going to beat the Dodgers." (43:05)

Anticipating the World Series Matchups

• Tony and Mark discuss the unpredictability of the Seattle-Toronto series with run-heavy games and the impressive play of Vladimir Guerrero Jr.
  • Feinsand: "If the Mariners give Vlad Guerrero a pitch to hit tonight, I’d be surprised... He is just in a zone that we see very few hitters get to at this stage of the season." (44:14)
• Despite high scoring, both agree that neither AL contender matches up to LA’s firepower or pitching in a seven-game set.

Iconic Players & Final Curtain Calls

• Tony hopes for sentimental World Series moments:
  • "I'm just sort of hoping that if that is the World Series, that Scherzer gets a start and Kershaw gets an appearance…both probably going out…I'd like to see that, wouldn't you?" (47:12)
• Feinsand supports:
  • "If they have a three or four run lead... I would not be surprised if you see Kershaw in there, get him one last appearance on the big stage and let him… get just a thunderous ovation." (47:40)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Halloween Candy Economics:
  Tony: "Candy. It's very expensive. These bags are like $40, $50, and there's always tiny candy." (03:42)
• On Greatness and Old Age:
  Tony: "I can’t. I love my favorite candy of all time. I can no longer eat because it takes my teeth out. Tootsie Rolls." (05:03)
• Surreal Fourth Quarter:
  Tony: "That's 45 points in the fourth quarter. That's got to be a record, doesn't it?" (08:01)
• Ohtani’s Place in History:
  Mark Feinsand: "This was the single greatest individual game that any player has ever had. And I don’t think this is recency bias." (35:44)
  • Wilbon: "Shohei did something that... it’s never happened. Damn it." (18:19)
• On Coaching Job Security:
  Wilbon: _"The answer to all your questions is: money." (28:53)
• On the College Football Arms Race:
  Wilbon: "Nobody’s as delusional as college football fans…thinks they can go get Joe Montana by Friday from the portal." (29:45)
• Wistful World Series Hopes:
  Tony: "I'm just sort of hoping... that Scherzer gets a start and Kershaw gets an appearance…both probably going out…I'd like to see that, wouldn't you?" (47:12)

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Timeline of Key Segments

| Timestamp | Topic | |---------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 00:00–02:59 | Open, shoe-tying anecdote, Halloween prep, pumpkin shopping, running tab jokes | | 03:32–06:16 | Halloween candy, favorite/least favorite candies, dental woes, potato snack tangent | | 06:16–12:31 | NFL (Denver-Giants epic finish, Commanders, Colts, fading teams, Chiefs) | | 12:31–16:40 | College football: upsets, Notre Dame, coaching carousel, Tulane misadventures | | 16:40–22:56 | Wilbon joins: sports weekend “cornucopia,” Giants-Denver, Shohei Ohtani’s historic performance | | 22:56–30:15 | Ohtani as greatest, comparisons to Mays, Ruth, college/pro coaching drama, Maryland’s woes, Big Ten money | | 30:15–34:34 | NFL and college coaching volatility, fan delusions, Dabo Sweeney speculation, quick Colts analysis | | 35:44–41:43 | Mark Feinsand on Ohtani: historical context, comparisons to Wilt, Beamon, Ruth, uniqueness in modern era | | 41:43–48:31 | MLB Playoffs: Dodgers’ rotation, ALCS preview, Vlad Jr.'s dominance, World Series matchups, Kershaw/Scherzer| | 48:31–end | Listener emails, mailbag, show close, musical interludes |

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Additional Notes

• Email segment (48:31–end): Full of inside jokes and listener engagement, including “It’s in the tank” as a new catchphrase, candy recommendations, haiku, and playful self-mockery about memory and aging.
• Musical Interludes: Features new music by Megan Burt (songs: “Unfinished Business” and “Drugstore Brand”).
• “Put it on my tab”: Becomes an episode-wide punchline referencing favors, gifts, and group dynamics.

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For listeners new and old, this episode masterfully balances sharp sports talk with droll life commentary—highlighted by Shohei Ohtani’s baseball immortality and Kornheiser & Wilbon’s enduring friendship.

Transcript

[Tony Kornheiser]

Hey, it's Tony. On today's show, we'll talk to Michael Wilbon about Shohei Ohtani's remarkable game on Friday night and also about the college and pro football from the weekend. We'll talk more baseball with Mark Feinsand as we get ready for tonight's game seven in the alcs. But first, how about a little commerce? Previously on the Tony Kornheiser Show. I bent down to tie my shoe, my right shoe, and I could not tie my shoe. I couldn't do it. I could not make the loop. I could not pull, go around the tree, the thing through. I could not do that. And so I thought, this is it.

[Mark Feinsand]

This is it.

[Michael Wilbon]

Then it occurred sketchers.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Then it occurred to me. I had a golf club on and I could not, with the golf club, manipulate the laces. So I took the golf club off and voila. The Tony Kornheiser show is on now. All righty then. This is a good sports day. There's a lot to talk about in sports. I'll just say that I did play golf on Saturday and Sunday. I played very poorly both days. I wasn't in it mentally. I just. The weather was fine, though a little windy yesterday. I just wasn't into it mentally. I put too much stock in playing golf, and I was just terrible. I hit the ball well off the tee. My second shots were just consistent. Consistently awful. Just awful.

[Michael Wilbon]

It's dangerously close to an apology.

[Tony Kornheiser]

I took a three wood and I couldn't hit it into the.

[Michael Wilbon]

How are the new clubs, the new irons? Do they feel lighter?

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah, they feel a little bit lighter, but that. That's the same old bad contact. I stink. I mean, I'm. I'm a range player. I'm good on the range and I'm bad. I'm a gagger when it comes to everything else. I just can't translate what happens on the range. Anyway. Anyway, I went shopping the other day. I went to the supermarket to buy some things and I realized. And I should have realized this before. And so I need to talk to Michael about this on Trader Joe's. No, I didn't go to. I went to. I went to a safe.

[Michael Wilbon]

You're not ready for that parking lot?

[Tony Kornheiser]

No, no, I can't fit in the parking lot. I went to a Safeway, but I realized now I should have realized this from walking around the neighborhood. As Halloween has become the great national American holiday and people put more stuff on their front lawn for Halloween than they put for Christmas. That Halloween's two weeks Away. I don't have anything. I don't have a pumpkin. I don't have any candy. Do you have stuff?

[Michael Wilbon]

I have some candy. Now, we live in a street where we don't get a lot of trick or treaters. So the danger for me is I end up eating all the candy I give myself about a week. That's what I said. I have a sweet tooth for the gummies, and I know it's not good for me, but I will crush some Skittles around Halloween. We've not done the pumpkin. We're going to do that this week. And we'll get the mums. You can't go pumpkins too early because they'll just rot in the heat. But now we have cool nights. We have some beautiful days ahead. So today or tomorrow, get a pumpkin.

[Tony Kornheiser]

We get me a pumpkin.

[Mark Feinsand]

Sure.

[Michael Wilbon]

I'll.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Just. One pumpkin.

[Michael Wilbon]

We have.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Just put it on my bill.

[Michael Wilbon]

We have a running tab that apparently you're trying to itemize.

[Tony Kornheiser]

I want to make sure I'm not.

[Michael Wilbon]

Overcharging you for anything.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Put it on my bill.

[Michael Wilbon]

The wine has still not been settled. Okay.

[Tony Kornheiser]

I only have. I don't. I'm going to. I'm going to give you money for. This is an amazing thing. It's your mistake. And you went and you fixed the mistake, and it was just wonderful. And I'm getting charged for it. It's okay. It's okay.

[Michael Wilbon]

You win. Now you have wine still at the house for you.

[Tony Kornheiser]

I want that. And then I.

[Michael Wilbon]

For Halloween candy. You have to get it now. Yes. Because you've joined our household. Okay.

[Tony Kornheiser]

So you have to get the Halloween candy now.

[Michael Wilbon]

Because week of, they'll have nothing left. At least now you have the. You know, the bags.

[Tony Kornheiser]

You have to get the candy now.

[Michael Wilbon]

You have to get the candy now.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Candy. It's very expensive. Right. These bags are like $40, $50 of candy. And there's always tiny candy.

[Michael Wilbon]

They've gotten smaller. There's. It's no longer the fun size.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah.

[Michael Wilbon's colleague or producer]

What happened to that?

[Michael Wilbon]

Now there. And there's candy bars in there that only exist for Halloween. Things that you probably like.

[Tony Kornheiser]

What?

[Michael Wilbon]

Like I. I've grown to enjoy an Almond Joy.

[Tony Kornheiser]

I love my Joy. I love Almond Joy and Mounds.

[Michael Wilbon]

They only exist for Halloween.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Oh, that. You can't buy them. I don't.

[Michael Wilbon]

You can, but it's not like. It's not like Peanut M and Ms. That's going to be driving traffic. A Twix. Driving traffic.

[Tony Kornheiser]

I don't like Checkout Lane. I don't and they're okay. I don't care about squigs. I don't like KitKat. It's okay. I don't care about it. Bonnie gave me something the other day in the shape of a Reese's cup, and it was a Clark Bar, and it was fabulous. And then I couldn't find. I mean, I asked Bonnie to get more, and she said, I don't know where we got them from. So this is candy season.

[Michael Wilbon's colleague or producer]

Yeah, we don't need to get any. I believe across the table is a packet of Necco wafers.

[Tony Kornheiser]

That's all. But I can't just hand out individual wafers.

[Michael Wilbon]

You would be the house. I want to open candy bars.

[Tony Kornheiser]

I want to get. You know, I want to get stuff that I like because, like Michael says, if it's left over, I like, then.

[Michael Wilbon's colleague or producer]

Yeah, you want to be able to chow down.

[Tony Kornheiser]

I know things I don't. There are things I don't particularly like, and there are things I do like.

[Michael Wilbon]

Turn the front porch lights off.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah, I can. That's it. It's all.

[Michael Wilbon]

Enjoy.

[Tony Kornheiser]

I can't. I love my favorite candy of all time. I can no longer eat because it takes my teeth out.

[Michael Wilbon's colleague or producer]

What's that?

[Tony Kornheiser]

Tootsie Rolls. Oh, I love Tootsie Rolls.

[Mark Feinsand]

Yeah.

[Tony Kornheiser]

I can't eat them.

[Michael Wilbon's colleague or producer]

Yeah. Fillings.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Your teeth are falling into your hands. Yeah, they're not even my teeth. They're artificial teeth to begin with.

[Michael Wilbon]

What's your stance on jujubes?

[Tony Kornheiser]

I used to love them. They also take the fillings out. I used to love them. Didn't matter what color I. I loved them, but that's a long time, and.

[Michael Wilbon]

You can't even get near a Swedish fish at this point.

[Tony Kornheiser]

No, they took. They took my teeth in Rehoboth. Yeah. No, I have a list.

[Michael Wilbon]

Well, the ones in the. In the grill room. The ones that.

[Michael Wilbon's colleague or producer]

Locker room.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah. They would sit. They were. They were rocks. They were as hard as those potatoes. They were total rocks. By the way, I bought a thing of potatoes the other day, and I really.

[Michael Wilbon]

It's seed potatoes.

[Tony Kornheiser]

No, no, no. It's a company called the Little Potato Company.

[Michael Wilbon]

Yeah, they're great.

[Tony Kornheiser]

I just. Yeah, I bought. I didn't use the honey on them because I don't. I'm not a hunter. Oh.

[Michael Wilbon]

It came with, like, a seasoning packet.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Honey. Yeah. I didn't want it.

[Michael Wilbon]

Okay.

[Tony Kornheiser]

But I've eaten the potatoes, and then now they're in a. You know, they're wrapped up, and I just open the wrapping. It's tinfoil and stick my hand in and eat three or four potatoes because they're really good. Even though they're cold, they're really good.

[Michael Wilbon]

That's potato salad at this point.

[Tony Kornheiser]

It's really, really good. All right, let me get to some. Some football yesterday, an amazing game, the Denver. I will say that I was asked this when Frank was on the show on Friday. One of the questions was, who's. Who would you rather have Daniel Jones on Sunday, a former Giant quarterbacks and current Giant quarterbacks, or Jackson Dart on Sunday? And I said, I'd rather have Daniel Jones because I felt that the charges were a beatable team, which is exactly how it turned out. Daniel Jones was great, but Jackson Dart, I said, I think honestly that Bo Nix is a better quarterback than Jackson Dart right now. Jackson Dart's in his fourth game. Yeah, that's all it is. And I think Denver is better than the Giants. And I think I said, you know, you, you, you saw Jackson Dart run a lot in the first few games. He's a very good runner. Well, he's going to be running a lot because they're going to chase him on the red zone in the afternoon. That game was the featured game, not because anybody thought it was going to be a great game, but because it turned out to be an unbelievable last quarter. The numbers I'm going to give you now, I, I don't know if these are records. I can't imagine. They're not records. Denver scored. Denver had no points.

[Michael Wilbon's colleague or producer]

0.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Going into the fourth quarter. They had no points. Can I stress this? No point.

[Michael Wilbon]

Well, just trying to shorten the game.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Oh, yeah. They got 33 points in the fourth quarter. The Giants got 12. Giants place kicker stinks and cost them the game. Yeah, but. So that's 45 points in the fourth quarter. That's got to be a record, doesn't it? Has to be 45 in one quarter by two teams.

[Michael Wilbon's colleague or producer]

Because even like the great comeback with Frank Reich in that Oilers game back in the day, that wasn't all in one quarter. That was just sort of gradually got back there.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Just an amazing, an amazing game. Is it a satisfying ending? I guess, I guess because. Because I thought that the Giants got a cheap touchdown on their last touchdown because they got an interference call on a db. That really was not, you know, just was not something where you go automatically that's a flag.

[Michael Wilbon]

So they, you almost saw one in the commander's game. Very similar play. Just trying to draw that penalty.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah, that's how it works. So I, you know, so For Bo Nix to go right down the field like he had 40 seconds and he went down the field and put him in field goal range. It was a thrilling game, as was the Packers. The packers over the Cardinals. The packers was thrilling at the end of that game. You know, I can't say that the Dallas victory was thrilling.

[Michael Wilbon's colleague or producer]

No.

[Tony Kornheiser]

This is the end of the Washington Commanders for this year.

[Michael Wilbon]

Well, you don't like them next Monday night against the Chiefs. Surging Chiefs.

[Michael Wilbon's colleague or producer]

I said the Chiefs are like, we're really good again. We're healthy and all that. And Jaden Daniels looks like he's. He's hurt.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Well, they have an MRI today. Yeah. On a bad hammy, so I don't know all of those things. The college football. Georgia Ole Miss was really good. Yeah. Both Miami and Texas Tech lost. They were top five or six teams.

[Michael Wilbon's colleague or producer]

Miami lost at home to Louisville.

[Mark Feinsand]

Yeah.

[Tony Kornheiser]

What are you doing? So get out of here.

[Michael Wilbon's colleague or producer]

Yeah.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Mario Cristobal. Get out of here. Stop it. And so now I think there's only three unbeaten teams. I think it's Ohio State and Indiana and Texas A and M. Correct.

[Michael Wilbon's colleague or producer]

I believe you.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Correct. That's all it is.

[Michael Wilbon]

And you're surging Alabama as well, just behind Alabama's.

[Tony Kornheiser]

So this. This hurts Notre Dame a little bit. Notre Dame has got. Notre Dame lost to Miami and Texas A and M. Had they continued to be unbeaten, you would say, well, if those are their only losses, they've got to be in the playoffs. Now, it depends on how many losses Miami has. If that devalues that loss by Notre Dame, which was at Miami, by the way. Right. Was at Miami. I think the Texas A and M game was at South Bend.

[Michael Wilbon's colleague or producer]

Yeah.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Oh, I don't know. I thought you could look it up, but I wanted to, you know, all of that happens. Billy Napier. Florida fires Billy Napier. He's fired him. What? Everybody's getting fired. It just seems to be the thing to do, to fire your coach. But there are. I want to go to the pros and just make a slight comment here for the last two to three to four weeks. People who go on television. Former players and not former players, you know, colleagues of mine, I'm sure. But on other networks as well. There have been three teams. Everybody says, you know, they're beginning to look good. They look like they're going to do something. You ought to hit your wagon to these teams, the Chargers, the Falcons and the Jaguars. And they're no good. They're no good. Right. They're just as bad as they've been. They don't win three in a row. They don't win. You know, they get out there. The Chargers were beaten by the Colts. The Falcons were beaten by the 49ers who Nobody's healthy. Nobody's even well on the 49 they scored 10 points. The Jaguars, since everybody said we're good, have lost two in a row. You know they're, they're not any good. You know who's good? The Kansas City Chiefs. They're still good.

[Mark Feinsand]

Yeah.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Now beating the Raiders is nothing. The Raiders stink, sure.

[Michael Wilbon]

But look at their next five games and they're hard. But you go back. How about that for a Thanksgiving game against the Cowboys in that four o' clock start. You have commanders this Monday night, which looks a lot easier for them. And then you have at Buffalo November 2nd.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah, Buffalo is slipping a little bit too.

[Michael Wilbon's colleague or producer]

But Eagles get right. That was.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Well, maybe. Yeah. I mean they beat a pretty good team but they beat their old quarterback who they don't like. Carson Wentz. It's true. So Minnesota is like a 500 team.

[Michael Wilbon's colleague or producer]

The Browns winning was Miami. Miami appears to be a broken car on the side of the road.

[Michael Wilbon]

See the weather in that game?

[Tony Kornheiser]

No, it was windswept and lousy and no good. But you know what? They're going to fire Mike McDaniel. If not now, they'll fire him at the end of the year. And they got to move away from tour because to a lost that locker room and he in that good. He isn't that good. It's just it that's a disaster. Miami and I don't think anybody saw that coming.

[Mark Feinsand]

No.

[Tony Kornheiser]

To be that kind of disaster all.

[Michael Wilbon's colleague or producer]

Of a sudden the Patriots are actually good in that division now.

[Tony Kornheiser]

The Patriots are good, but Indianapolis appears to be real good.

[Michael Wilbon]

Indianapolis, that's the story.

[Tony Kornheiser]

How did that happen? How did that happen with a cast off quarterback? Nobody ever would have seen this coming. Nobody ever. No. It's remarkable. It really is. And we'll spend a lot of this show talking about Shohei Otani. Trust me. So let's start right away with Michael Wilbon. He'll be with us when we return. I'm Tony Kornheiser. Right now at the Home Depot shop fall savings and get up to 40% off select appliances like Samsung. Upgrade your kitchen this fall with the Samsung bespoke four door refrigerator now featuring the dual auto ice maker with sphere ice only. At the Home Depot you'll have perfectly chilled drinks for every gathering. Don't miss fall appliance savings at the Home Depot. Offer valid October 2nd through October 22nd US only. C store online for details. You're listening to the Tony Kornheiser show. FanDuel's got an offer you don't want to miss this NFL season. New customers can bet just $5 and get 300 in bonus bets if you win. That's right, pick a bet, bet five bucks and if it wins, you'll unlock 300 bucks in bonus bets to use all across the app. You can build parlays, bet player props, ride the live lines. Whatever your style, fanduel has you covered. The NFL season is here and the only question is, are you ready to play? Visit FanDuel.com Tony K to download the FanDuel app today and get started.

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[Tony Kornheiser]

You're listening to the Tony Kornheiser Show. This is Megan Burt. This is a song called Unfinished Business. This is sent to us by Neil Ayervase who writes it's my pleasure to introduce Megan Burt, a talented and versatile Colorado based singer songwriter since graduating from the Berklee School of Music. Megan has devoted her career to expanding her musical range and entertaining a national audience in genres as varied as folk, rock, bloom, and more recently, country. Megan traces her musical lineage to her grandfather, who performed as a big band drummer in the Kansas City jazz scene in the 40s and 50s, and imbues her writing with memories and impressions of familial and other relationships, all of which are relatable to a wide audience. Again, it's called Unfinished Business, as Neil Ayervase attempts to become Michael Granberry. Michael Granberry. Yeah. Yeah. All right. Plays in Michael Wilbong. Let's just start with the notion that if you watch sports over this weekend, the variety of sports and the endings of games would have left you thrilled. What stands out to you that you saw where you went, oh, wow.

[Michael Wilbon]

Well, first of all, it's always the best stretch of time from. Yeah, from two weeks ago when you get the Ryder cup and football and you starting to get, you know, the important baseball. As you arrive at October 1st and you've got, you know, some real college football matchups. That's, that's, you know, to me, that starts this period of about a month where you've got the best watching in the world, even though you don't have heavyweight fights anymore. You and I got used to heavyweight fights in October or maybe the first week of November, and that was a staple for decades. It's not really anymore, but this weekend had just, you know, cornucopia of stuff. I did the Denver Giants game, which it was great because in the early, in the late window, you only had four games and two of them, one became a blowout and one didn't matter. So all of a sudden you can watch. You can. And the commanders became a blowout. And if you, you know, sorry for those locally who would not switch off that.

[Mark Feinsand]

I understand that.

[Michael Wilbon]

But for those of us who do and did, the Giants Denver game made no sense to have that to go back and forth that many times in the final two minutes of the game. I mean, the Giants had the game one, then it wasn't. Denver had the game one, then it wasn'T. The giants had the game one again and it wasn't. And Denver. And it's just, it was a staggering outcome. So that, that. But you know, Tony, the weekend really sort of started, I guess maybe it was Thursday. It started with Shohei.

[Tony Kornheiser]

It did.

[Michael Wilbon]

And so Shohei did something that, look, some of us are pretty old and we've never seen it for a reason because it's never happened Damn it.

[Tony Kornheiser]

That's right.

[Michael Wilbon]

That's the thing. I mean, and you know, I started. Look, I'm old enough to remember the great players of the 60s, having not just remember them, I grew up with them. And I. In real time, if I could have, I would have called you. So I'll ask you now. I mean, Shohei is the greatest player. I don't count. I don't put Bonds in there because I had too many issues with Bonds. And Bonds maybe deserves to be in the discussion. But I'm going to ask you as somebody who grew up with. Whose idol was Willie Mays.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah.

[Michael Wilbon]

Okay. All right. When you watch Shohei and you watched Willie Mays.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah.

[Michael Wilbon]

Is that the only name in that company? You watched. You watched the end of Ted Williams. And I know Ted Williams wasn't the fielder or runner. Base runner that Mays was or did. Shohei is. Do you just. Does that fit to you? Does that make sense to you?

[Tony Kornheiser]

When I look at Mays and I look at Ohtani, I don't see physically anything that's relatable. Willie Mays was 5 11. Ohtani sick. Ohtani is an oak tree. Ohtani is. Ohtani is enormous. So I don't see that Maze had a lot of speed. You know, you. It's easy to say Ohtani doesn't have a lot of speed. Ohtani stole 59 bases.

[Michael Wilbon]

Yeah.

[Tony Kornheiser]

You know, Willie Mays never stole 59 bases. Ohtani did he have 55 home runs this year? I don't think Maze. I think Maze may have gotten 54, 51, but he didn't get as many is Ohtani. And Willie Mays was a great fielder with a great arm. Ohtani is not a fielder, but Ohtani is a great pitcher with a great arm. So they're not. To me, I don't see that right away. My. Ohtani just had the greatest game in the history of baseball. The greatest game. Does that make him the greatest baseball player ever? No, no. Babe Ruth is the greatest player ever. But as we spoke the other night, Ohtani is now on the road, where he has a chance to do that.

[Michael Wilbon]

To enter his name into no doubt. And a performance like that, I started looking up stuff immediately because I'm like, okay, the only guy who could have done this is Ruth.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah.

[Michael Wilbon]

And so Ruth did. Individually. He didn't do it in one game.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Not in one game.

[Michael Wilbon]

What makes Ohtani's going in. Ruth put 16 scoreless innings in a World Series game once, and he, like Ohtani, hit three home runs.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah.

[Michael Wilbon]

But he didn't go six scoreless, six shutout the night that he hit the three home runs?

[Tony Kornheiser]

No. I had this conversation for a single performance.

[Michael Wilbon]

It does matter.

[Tony Kornheiser]

So I had this conversation with a group of people, varied people yesterday at Columbia, a variety of people. And I said this. Look, I was there when Reggie Jackson hit three home runs. I watched that. There was a newspaper strike in New York and I was doing some work for the San Francisco Examiner. So I was there. I said, but. And I know Reggie pretty well. I said, if you call Reggie now and you ask him this question, did you pitch in that game? He would say no, he didn't pitch in that game. So it's just, I don't, it's. It's completely remarkable. I. It. Yeah, I don't know what else to say. It's completely remarkable. Right?

[Michael Wilbon]

It is, it is. It's the most stunning thing I think any of us have ever seen because it's the most stunning thing that's happened. And the second home run was like something out of the natural. Yeah, it was something 10,000 that I, in my. I imagine that Josh Gibson hit that home run that went out of Griffith Stadium and wound up in the parking lot of then Howard Hospital. You know, you hear stuff like that. And I'm old enough to have people in my life who either at that game or were in the city, in D.C. when that happened and they talk about it and you just say, come on. So Shohei actually did that? He actually did, yeah. And I, you know, to hit three of them and the other two are.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Not babies, they're major league home runs in a real ballpark.

[Michael Wilbon]

The other two are 440 some feet.

[Tony Kornheiser]

It's just, it's. It's sort of, sort of amazing. It is totally amazing. And now we have, you know, we get a chance to see him in the World Series and see if that happens. You must, you must be so happy. Northwestern won again.

[Michael Wilbon]

Yeah, I mean, won again. And so that's what, like three or four straight wins and we have a game this week that I don't know. I don't know how winnable it is. I guess it's winnable. We play. We got Nebraska in Lincoln on Saturday.

[Tony Kornheiser]

And Nebraska, tough game because Nebraska is coming off a loss. Tough game.

[Michael Wilbon]

Well, not only that, Tony, their. Nebraska is just out of sorts because they've got this whole thing with their coach going on and whether he's going to leave and what he's going to do. And so they've got issues and we are playing Better. And all of a sudden that's our first Big 10 shutout in eight years. Oh, eight years. First time we shut out Purdue in 1955. And Purdue has a really terrific offense. And so we shut them out. Granted, the game was in Chicago and the game was at a time where we're celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Rose bowl team. So we had a lot going on. But yeah, so, you know, between, between Northwestern and the Bears. Pretty good weekend for me.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Bears look good. The Bears look good. Which leads me to just a couple of questions. This was a week like college football. Billy Napier got fired at Florida.

[Michael Wilbon]

This is that news to me yesterday. I didn't know that.

[Tony Kornheiser]

It's an unbelievable waterfall of college coaches at big time programs are getting fired. I've never seen. I've got. Maybe I wasn't aware of it, but I've never seen anything quite like that.

[Michael Wilbon]

Never happened.

[Tony Kornheiser]

It's.

[Michael Wilbon]

So no big schools too now. We're not talking about directionals.

[Tony Kornheiser]

No, no, no.

[Michael Wilbon]

Penn State and Florida.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah, Big schools. And Oklahoma State did it earlier. UCLA did it. Virginia Tech. Virginia Tech was a. Under Frank Beamer, Virginia Tech was a top five team. This is not. And it's not insignificant. Which leads me to this question. Maryland continues to lose in the fourth quarter. Continues to lose. Would you get rid of Loxley and just say, we just can't have this?

[Michael Wilbon]

Tony, this is a fair and a question, I guarantee you, which is raging probably on a conference call or multiple conference calls right now in and around College Park. Here's the bottom line. What does money mean in each one of these situations? Because now you're spending money. You're going to spend more money to go hire a new guy. If you do that in the portal, what are you willing to spend? And when I say you, I don't mean just the businesses in the community that support the University of Maryland athletics. Yes, I do mean them. What are those business leaders ready to raise and what is the school ready to do now? Maryland got out of the ACC and went into the Big Ten making money anticipating this. Making money anticipating just this. The ACC schools which are begging. The ACC schools, one of their big networks is the cw. Yeah, I watched the Virginia game on the cw. You think the Big Ten teams are playing on the cw?

[Tony Kornheiser]

No, I don't know.

[Michael Wilbon]

They're not until. And so the money sets it up so that you have to ask himself, you have to ask yourself, what are we willing to spend? What are we willing. And so I don't know what the answer to that.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Nobody, nobody in the country cares about Maryland at all. And the country at large, they don't have a football program that matters. They had a basketball program that mattered. And the coach walked out on them. Walked out on them. What? So they're two big sports, one coach walked out and one coach can't win. He can't win. I don't know. I don't know what you.

[Michael Wilbon]

Tony. And so he, once again, this goes to his highest trustees. So therefore the president, chairman of the board. And I don't. I'm not around Maryland like I used to be, although I have friends who occupy these positions and I will talk to them this week just because we're friends and we'll talk about it.

[Tony Kornheiser]

It's amazing to me where you have.

[Michael Wilbon]

A seat at the big table, Okay. A famous basketball coach calls it the seat at the golden child table, which means the Big Ten. Will you make $100 million a year just to turn on the lights when you do that? You've got 100 mil. What are you willing to spend?

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah.

[Michael Wilbon]

Not to mention the Big Ten is putting other measures into place which will bring hundred millions of dollars per school. What is Maryland willing to do? Each school has to take that on. I'm not picking on Maryland. Northwestern has to figure that out. I'm aware of this. I'm not giving you secondhand because I'm a trustee at that other university and I know what it is that we have to think about and plan and judge that is right and actionable and reasonable for your community.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Let me go to two. Let me go to two pro coaches. And the pros are different. That's strictly transactional about money. You know, we hire you, we give you money. If it doesn't work out, we fire that.

[Michael Wilbon]

Now, Tone, College is not far from that.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah, not far from. But the pros are a little bit different. Aaron Glenn can't win a game. They stink. Justin Fields is never going to get on the field again because he completes passes for 4 yards. They have nothing. He's a rookie head coach. He's a former player there. Yeah. You keep him.

[Michael Wilbon]

No, he's going away. The question is, is he going away today? I mean. No, I'm serious.

[Mark Feinsand]

Just look.

[Michael Wilbon]

Just look at what. Look at what's happened. I mean, the Tennessee coach, everybody said, wait a minute. But he got like 27 games.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yes. A year and a half. He got a year and a half.

[Michael Wilbon]

Yeah. No, this is not. Look, it's money. The answer to all your questions. Okay, well, renowned I know likes to say that.

[Tony Kornheiser]

What do you do in Miami? What do you do in Miami?

[Michael Wilbon]

They're gonna fire all of them. They're going to do this until they think they get it right.

[Tony Kornheiser]

But they have bad ownership. No, no, not Miami. The jets have bad. It's not just the fault of the players, the ownership.

[Michael Wilbon]

It's not about that. So who's gonna take the fall? Who's spending the money? Who has the money? The coach doesn't have the money. He doesn't have the purse strings. No, they're going. And what you're seeing to tie together what you just asked about, the college landscape is the. It's the same. Just like the college basketball product looks exactly like the NBA product over the last 10 years. Increasingly, the same thing is going to happen. The same thing is happening with coaches, Tony. You get rid of people because you think, look, nobody's as delusional as college football fans.

[Tony Kornheiser]

That's right. That's right.

[Michael Wilbon]

Nobody's. Nobody's as delusional as him. But everybody who is involved with the college football program thinks they can go to the portal and get Joe Montana by Friday. And so this is what. This is what they're faced with, and this is what college coaches are faced with. Even. Even at Florida and Penn State and maybe College Park. I think if they're faced with it, you know, the jets are faced with this with no portal.

[Tony Kornheiser]

I think it's possible, and I never would have said this, I think it's possible Dabo Sweeney won't coach at Clemson next year. I think that's possible.

[Michael Wilbon]

I thought that four weeks ago.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah. Just. Just unbelievable.

[Michael Wilbon]

Coach again. He'll coach, sure.

[Tony Kornheiser]

He's really good. James Franklin will get a job. He's really good.

[Michael Wilbon]

James Franklin was auditioning Saturday on. Absolutely unbelievable.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah. So here I am. Here's my number. Give me a call. And he doesn't care about money because they owe him $49 million.

[Michael Wilbon]

That's right. So he's going to get. He's going to get that at minimum.

[Tony Kornheiser]

So you think Dak got his money? James Franklin got his money.

[Michael Wilbon]

Yes, he did. Wow. Yes, he did. But he's going to keep working. He's going to keep doing it.

[Tony Kornheiser]

By the way, just one small note. Are the Indianapolis Colts for real?

[Michael Wilbon]

I do think that offense. Funny when you have the leading rusher like that. They got Taylor leading Russia. Yeah, Taylor. And you have a tight end who's a young star, looking like. Like some young Mike Ditka out there.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah.

[Michael Wilbon]

When you have that Then why aren't you legit and you have a quarterback who can sort of operate it. He can operate.

[Tony Kornheiser]

The quarterback was terrible with the Giants.

[Michael Wilbon]

Yeah, but. Well, then maybe that says more about the Giants.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yes, maybe it does. Yes.

[Michael Wilbon]

Maybe that's more about the Giant.

[Tony Kornheiser]

That's how I feel. Sam Darnold. That says something about the Jets.

[Michael Wilbon]

This. This kid can operate.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yes, he can. That smart kid. Duke kid.

[Michael Wilbon]

He can operate it. And I think they're for real. I think they're gonna be a hard. They're gonna be difficult. And now they've got some momentum.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah.

[Michael Wilbon]

You know, they actually feel like they play. Look over one of the overused words, you know, right there with culture, you know, and downhill Ivory dope in sports is, you know, culture is certainly one of them. But this swagger is right in that line. The whole team has that. To the coach. I watched them yesterday and I didn't. I didn't pick them. I didn't pick the Colts to winning. I think I picked the Chargers to win that game. And wow.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Charges are back to taking a nap.

[Michael Wilbon]

Blew their doors off.

[Tony Kornheiser]

They did. They did. They had them by 21 early.

[Michael Wilbon]

And they look like they faithfully feel. Here's what's important. Almost as much. Almost as important as do you know what you're doing? Do you feel you know what you're doing? And you watch the Colts and you're like, they're just not. They slapping people around.

[Tony Kornheiser]

That's. They're impressive. All right, I will see you later.

[Michael Wilbon]

All right, Tom. Sounds good.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Michael Wilbon boys and girls, we will take a break. We will come back with Mark Feinsand talk about baseball and the potential World Series. I'm Tony Kornheiser.

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[Tony Kornheiser]

This episode is brought to you by Casamigos Tequila. What do you bring to a holiday party? Simple. A bottle of Casamigos. Because nothing gets the party started like a Casamigos margarit, which isn't just for summer. In fact, it's the perfect pour all year round. Casamigos is the gift that always feels right because anything goes with My Casamigos. Please drink responsibly. Imported by Casamigos Spirits Company, White Plains, New York. Casamigos Tequila, 40% alcohol by volume. You're listening to the Tony Kornheiser Show. The Tony Kornheiser Show. Once again, this is Megan Burt. This is a song called Drugstore Band and from Neil Ayerves Note. Megan's professional experiences have also fostered her creative growth while surviving a life threatening illness contracted while exploring the blues in the hometown of blues legend Robert Johnson. To performing at venues as diverse as dive bars, Pennsylvania State prison system and the iconic Red Rocks. This is a song called Drugstore Band.

[Michael Wilbon's colleague or producer]

Is it brand or band?

[Tony Kornheiser]

Drugstore. Drugstore brand. I'm sorry? Drugstore brand. I read it wrong. She's very good. She is. She's very good. She will be performing in Maryland and Washington on October 25th and 26th. Her website, Megan Burt M A G-A-N-B-U-R-T-T.com has all the details. Michael, if people like Megan Burt want to send in their original music, how.

[Michael Wilbon]

They do it, Send us your music by emailing it to jingles tonycoinizershow.com she's quite good.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yes. She plays in Mark Feinstein and I mean, had. Had Seattle won last night, I would start with the World Series matchup, but because we have a game seven, we can get to that. But I think. I don't know. I mean, we just got off with Wilbon and he's right, you cannot talk about baseball on any level without starting with ohtani in game four. Six shutout innings, 10 strikeouts and three home runs. Like this. This is your job. Your job is baseball. To your knowledge, have we ever seen anything like that before? And if, and if you want to compare it to something, what would it be compared to?

[Mark Feinsand]

I gotta be honest with you, Tony. I don't think I've seen anything like this before in any sport. Forget baseball. I mean, this was the single greatest individual game that any player has ever had. And I don't think this is recency bias.

[Tony Kornheiser]

I don't think this is Wilt's 100. What about Wilt getting 100?

[Mark Feinsand]

You know, the competition he was against wasn't the same as what Ohtani is facing. Yeah, 100 points and 25 rebounds. I was having this conversation with a friend of mine the other day and we were trying to come up with what is the equivalent, what is the possible answer to a game that is this good. And Wilts game was the only one that I came up with that was even in the same stratosphere. You know, he also took 62 shots that day and had 30 trips to the free throw line. So, you know, it was almost like he went into that game saying, I'm going to score 100 points today and I'm going to take enough shots to make sure that happened.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Well, I mean, I would, I would push back on this. He had the greatest free throw percentage of his entire career that one game. I think he made 28 or 32 or something like that.

[Mark Feinsand]

Yeah, right. But my point is, Ohtani can't go into this game saying, I'm going to go out there and dominate myself.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Right.

[Mark Feinsand]

And I'm going to just keep going and going and take as many, you know, not only he had 9 at bats or 12 at bats to get the 3 home run.

[Tony Kornheiser]

I mean, if we go all sports, if go all sports, I'm going to go Bob Beeman, you know, because he not only breaks a record in the Olympics in the most important stage in the world, but. But breaks it by two feet, you know, like nobody'd ever.

[Mark Feinsand]

Sure. I think the only pushback I would have on that is he was in full control of that.

[Michael Wilbon]

Yeah.

[Tony Kornheiser]

You know, he's not playing against anyone.

[Mark Feinsand]

Nobody was throwing 100 trying to get him out.

[Tony Kornheiser]

That's right.

[Mark Feinsand]

Right. Nobody was standing in the plate trying to take him deep. You know, the, the, the other team was completely helpless against him there. I mean, the brewers looked like a little league team against him. They couldn't figure out how to get him out. They couldn't hit it. They couldn't hit him no matter what they tried to do. And this was a team that had the best record in baseball this year. And I understand that the talent level of the brewers, you know, they're, they're greater than the sum of their parts. Right. They're not a team where you looked at them and said, that's a juggernaut or dynasty in the making, but they were still a 90 something win team that went out there and looked completely helpless against this guy. And I've run out of words to try to describe what Ohtani can do coming into that game. He was 2 for 25 in the playoffs.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yep.

[Mark Feinsand]

And he hit more home runs in that game than he had hits in the first six. And that's why when you go back into the Phillies series and then earlier in the Brewer series when both teams intentionally walk him and it came back to bite them and people said, you know, I was on MLB Network arguing with Brian Kenny about this. He's going, you can intentionally walk Ohtani, especially when it's hitting like this. And my pushback was always. But he's Ohtani any moment he can do this.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah, yeah.

[Mark Feinsand]

You have to respect that.

[Tony Kornheiser]

So, so we were on with Wilbond before and he asked me my comparison of Ohtani to Maze and I said that physically they're just very different and their skills were very different. And Mays was such a great defensive player. But Ohtani has more steals in any season than Mays ever had. Ohtani has more home runs, I believe, in any season than Mays ever had. I think the only person you can look at now is Babe Ruth.

[Mark Feinsand]

Right?

[Tony Kornheiser]

That's it.

[Mark Feinsand]

Yeah. And that was the, you know, the comparison when he came into the league. He's going to hit and he's going to pitch. And we haven't seen this since Babe Ruth, but we never saw this with Babe Ruth because when Babe Ruth was a quality major league pitcher, he wasn't really a big hitter. And it wasn't until he stopped pitching that he became the Bambino. And so you look at it, he never had a performance like this in his career.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Well, he's had three home run games and he's had. Wilbond pointed out he had a 16 inning stint as a pitcher in the World Series. I'm, you know, I just.

[Mark Feinsand]

Here's what Ruth, same game is my point.

[Michael Wilbon]

He never had.

[Mark Feinsand]

No, he was never both a dominant pitcher and a dominant hitter in the same game. Time.

[Tony Kornheiser]

That's right. That's right. But you know, I think that, I think that everybody needs to step back and breathe for a second. When Ruth left and he had 714 home runs, what was number two at that point? Was it even half of what he had? Right. No.

[Mark Feinsand]

1, no.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Like he's the greatest hitter of all time.

[Mark Feinsand]

Right. And I'm not, and I'm not disagreeing with that at all. Now, obviously, different eras, guys weren't throwing 102 against him. You know, the segregated league. Obviously there were a lot of differences in the games they played. I'm not taking anything away from Babe Ruth. Like, I was incredible and obviously I never saw him play.

[Tony Kornheiser]

You might have, but we went to high school together.

[Mark Feinsand]

But I just, you know, what Ohtani is doing is something that nobody thought was possible in this era of specialization.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yes.

[Mark Feinsand]

And, you know, kids have to decide when they're 13 years old, are you going to be a pitcher, are you going to be a hitter? You've seen other people try to do the two way thing. And it's been sort of a novelty act, you know, and it's been a big story when someone's even attempted it. This guy's not just attempting it. He's going out there and pitching at a Cy Young level when he's on his game and hitting at an MVP level. He won an MVP last year as a dh, which, you know, is really.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Really rare, by the way I looked it up.

[Michael Wilbon's colleague or producer]

Second place, when Ruth retired was a guy named Lou Gehrig with 353 home.

[Tony Kornheiser]

One of the greatest players of all time. Third place, you fired. Yeah. So the Dodgers. So far, the Dodgers are killing. Reminds me of just a couple of years ago in the NBA playoffs, the Boston Celtics. Wait, it just went through. I mean, you know, nobody touched them. The Dodgers look like that now. The obvious question for you is, you know, we're in October. So the Dodgers have now played, I don't know, 180 games. Where did this pitching come from? When did the pitching, say, reveal itself and say, here we are, we can start games, our bullpen stinks, but we're going to give you enough that we're never losing again.

[Mark Feinsand]

Well, before the season, when they signed, they signed Sasaki and they brought in Blake Snell, and they had Tyler Glass now, and they had Yamamoto. And you said, if this team can stay healthy, they're not going to lose. Right. Health was going to be the only thing to get in the way. And throughout the course of the season, health got in the way. Glass now was hurt, Snell was hurt, Sasaki was hurt. You know, Kershaw didn't start the season, and not the. Kershaw is even a factor right now.

[Tony Kornheiser]

I hope he gets one start. You know, not even a start. I hope he gets into a game, but go ahead.

[Michael Wilbon]

You just.

[Mark Feinsand]

You just said to yourself, if they can get to the playoffs, which they will, because they have too much talent not to, and they can be healthy in October, there's nobody who's going to beat them, and they are enough in October, and they are healthy. Blake Snell came back from his lengthy stay on the IL and he's been unbelievable, and he's showed why. He's won two Cy Young awards. Tyler Glasnow has always been a guy who has all the stuff in the world, and everybody said, God, he's so talented, but he's never thrown more than 130innings. Well, they don't need more than 130innings right now. They need, you know, one more start for him. Basically, and when you look at their rotation and the fact that they are all healthy right now, this isn't a surprise. The only question was, will they be healthy Right now they are. And if they're healthy and they're pitching the way they're pitching, I don't care who wins game seven tonight. I have a hard time believing anybody's going to beat the Dodgers in the World Series.

[Tony Kornheiser]

I agree with that, but I'll get to the, the game seven because I. When you put the Dodgers pitchers out there, as we have seen, there's always a chance that they will dominate a game. I don't get that sense with Seattle and Toronto. To me, this is a hitters series. I mean, if you look at the runs scored by the winning team in each of these games, they are sufficient runs. Right. I mean, even last night, if, if you give a team six runs in through 162 games, they're going to win 100 games. Six runs, a lot of runs. So, so that, that's what we've got here, Right. You'd be surprised if it was a pitching performance. It's a hitting deal, right?

[Mark Feinsand]

Oh, 100%. And you look at what, what each of these teams has been able to do. Some different guys have been coming up with big hits. You know, you had Suarez the other night. Obviously, Vlad has just been on another planet during the postseason, is hitting like 460. He has six home runs and two strikeouts. So, you know, he's been able to just, just dominate games. If the Mariners give Vlad Guerrero a pitch to hit tonight, I'd be surprised because you have to go into that game saying, I have to let somebody else beat me.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah.

[Mark Feinsand]

Besides, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Because right now he is just in a zone that we see very few hitters get to at this stage of the season. Yeah. I mean, you look at the pitching staffs on these two teams, they're very good pitchers. They're very talented guys. But I don't. Other than Trey Savage, the rookie who's made about five big league starts and, you know, just dominated the Yankees and had a very good start last night. A little bit of fortuitous luck for him. I mean, three inning double plays when he was in trouble a couple times.

[Tony Kornheiser]

And he participated in one. He went to first base. Yeah, he.

[Mark Feinsand]

He did. So, you know, I think, I think, you know, he's the only one of the guys on either of these staffs who I could see going out there and just dominating the Dodgers because he has that kind of stuff and he has that kind of poise and. And the Dodgers have never seen him before, and there's not a whole lot to go off of. But you look at the rotations as a whole, neither of these teams is deep enough. I mean, Kevin Gosman's a nice pitcher, Chris Bassett's a nice pitcher. Logan Gilbert's a really good pitcher. They've. There are some arms out there who, you know, when they come up with a big game, you're not surprised. But just one through four, I just don't see either of these teams being able to go out there and pitch to the Dodgers the way that you would not be surprised if the Dodgers pitch to them.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah, I think people. I think when people are concentrating on how great the starting pitching is, they're forgetting that there are people who hit on that club. They're like, hit on that club all the time. They get. They get a lot of runs. Well, who do you like in Seattle? Toronto tonight. This is. Now that the series has changed in the sense that the first four games were run one by the road teams. The last two have been won by the home teams.

[Mark Feinsand]

Yeah, it's hard to pick against Toronto right now, the way they're playing at home. George Kirby is going to start for the Mariners, and he gave up eight runs in four innings in this building.

[Tony Kornheiser]

They got to him or he looked lost out there. That was. Yeah, yeah.

[Michael Wilbon]

I think it's going to be really.

[Mark Feinsand]

Key for him to come out and have a good first and second inning and just sort of try to settle in, because if he goes out there and the Blue Jays just start ambushing him. And if you look at last night, even when. When the game was still sort of within reach, the outs were loud outs. The Blue Jays are hitting the ball hard.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yes.

[Mark Feinsand]

And you knew that at some point those weren't going to be caught. They were either going to hit the outfield wall, they were going to go over the wall. Nobody was getting tricked on that Blue Jays team. That team's locked in right now. That ballpark, when things are going well is electric. And I just. The only way that. And the Blue Jays have shown also in this series that, okay, Julio Rodriguez hit a home run in the first inning or Cal Raleigh can go out there and hit a home run in the first inning, they're not going to be rattled.

[Michael Wilbon]

Right.

[Mark Feinsand]

They've fallen behind a lot in this year.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yes.

[Mark Feinsand]

Come back every time. So it's hard for me to pick against the Blue Jays tonight.

[Tony Kornheiser]

And then you would find it impossible to pick against the Dodgers, right. Yeah.

[Mark Feinsand]

I mean, the Blue Jays might win a game, they might even win two, but I just, I just don't see how this Dodger team, with the rotation it has right now, with the lineup it has right now, I don't know how they lose four games out of seven to anybody right now.

[Tony Kornheiser]

I'm just sort of hoping that if that is the World Series, that Scherzer gets a start and Kershaw gets an appearance, which is better than that appearance he made in the last series, you know, because they're, they're both probably going out. So I'd like to see that, wouldn't you?

[Mark Feinsand]

Yeah, I think, I think Dave Roberts understands what Clayton Kershaw means to the game and certainly to the Dodgers. And if there's a spot for him to get him in there, you know, I don't know that he's going to put him in there in a one run game in the sixth inning.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Right.

[Mark Feinsand]

But if they have a three or four run lead, a five run lead, I would not be surprised if you see Kershaw in there, get him one last appearance on the big stage and let him, you know, and ideally at Dodger Stadium where he can walk off that mound and get just a thunderous ovation from a crowd that he has done a lot for and that has really appreciated him through the years. You know, him walking off the mount of Dodger Stadium will be different than Max Scherzer walking off the mountain in Toronto. He's been for five minutes.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah.

[Mark Feinsand]

You know, and if Scherzer doesn't get a start, what he did in his last start is a pretty fitting ending for his career. You know, yelling at John Schneider, get the hell back to the dugout. Yeah, this is my, this is my inning. And getting that strike out and that big fist pump and the big scream and, you know, if that's our lasting image of Max Scherzer, our final image of him, good. I'm okay with that too.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Warrior God. Thank you, Mark. Thank you. Thank you. We'll talk to you during the World Series. Thank you.

[Michael Wilbon]

Thanks, Tony.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Mark Feinstein, boys and girls. We will come back with email and jingle. I am Tony Kornheiser. When did making plans get this complicated? It's time to streamline with WhatsApp, the secure messaging app that brings the whole group together. Use polls to settle dinner plans. Send event invites and pin messages so no one forgets mom 60th. And never miss a mix meme or milestone. All protected with end to end encryption. It's time for WhatsApp message privately with everyone. Learn [e-mail] you're listening to the Tony Kornheiser Show. It's thrilling. That's the real Missouri marching band. It's thrilling. One do the Bethesda bagel ad for us, please.

[Michael Wilbon's colleague or producer]

Bagel sandwiches today. Always happy about that. Just go to bethesdavagals.com for the location in the DC area nearest you. Then pop on in and you'll be thrilled.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Before we get to the mailbag, let me just say oh don't it hurt deep inside to see someone do something to her oh don't it pain to see someone cry Especially when someone is her Silence is golden but my eyes still see Silence is golden golden but my eyes still see Silence is Golden by the Tremolos Yes, I got that the other day. Tremolos Nigel. Didn't think I would get that one.

[Michael Wilbon's colleague or producer]

Very impressive.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Thanks to our guests today, Michael Wilbon and Mark Finesand. Thanks as well to today's sponsors. Remember, you can listen to us on Apple podcasts Spotify and Odyssey. Get the show through Apple.

[Michael Wilbon]

Please leave us A review Search has me realizing you're looking for the Clark Cup. I can get you a 24 count box on Amazon. It's the Peanut Butter cups with the Clark Crunch. Not to be confused with the Clark Bar. These cups are a delicious twist to the 102 year old Clark candy.

[Tony Kornheiser]

It's really good so just put it on my tab.

[Michael Wilbon]

Well, there's a service fee at this point.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Very nice note from Jody at the Washington Post. Thank you so very much. And one more nice note. This is from Mike for Michael I'm playing Columbia country Club on 25th October. My index is 8.4. Looking at your scorecard yardages for the par threes, I'm leaning towards the white or blue white combo. But my index plays to an 11 in my home club, Kenosha Country Club, which would be the blue tees at Columbia. My seven iron carries 150. I'd welcome any thoughts you have.

[Michael Wilbon]

Given the seven iron carry, I'd have you play from the whites. You can always move back. You have your first par three on number four. You'll be able to see a lot about the core setup on that one and then also when you get to number eight. So start on the whites and you know you'll have a caddy that day and you'll find the right tees. But if you're going to do anything with the combo, definitely start on the whites to get yourself in Rhythm.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Okay, here we go. From Shad. A haiku for a leaky toilet. Steadily dripping inexorable march of money down your drain. John Gregg, Pinehurst, North Carolina. The lavatory is haunted. This is the Revenge of the Mouse. The lavatory is haunted. Spirit of the Flushed Mouse. Revenge is a dish best served as cold as a thousand dollar water bill. Tell Michael it's 78 and cloudless in Pinehurst. James Waller in Milton Keynes, England. As always, I enjoyed listening to your story about how much water you've been using, but I missed the discussion on how many mice you've flushed. One. Just one.

[Michael Wilbon's colleague or producer]

Just the one.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Just the one.

[Michael Wilbon]

Certainly made an impact.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yes. Neil Ayervase.

[Mark Feinsand]

Wow.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Who sent us? Megan Burt. Yeah, says plumber Ron, I'm sure by now you've received numerous explanations about how the works in the tank of your toilet had worn out and caused water to cycle into and out of the bowl, and how your $500 repair involved replacing those faulty parts with a kit that costs less than $20. I, on the other hand, suggest glorifying and elevating the status of that particular porcelain fixture. Having already graced us with a now ubiquitous flush the mouse, this unassuming commode has now fostered the equally useful it's in the tank. A phrase which can be applied to any situation that defies explanation. Why did CIGNA deny coverage? It's in the tank. Why is Carville picking southwest Upstate Carolina to defeat Garage Tech? It's in the tank. After so many lessons and tips from Michael, why can't you get out of the the sand? It's in the tank. T shirts, bumper stickers, and trademark applications are forthcoming from Michael Blue in Deerfield, Illinois. I heard you worry about signs of dementia last week. Having myself reached the age where senior moments are more. What's the word? Common. I recall the words of my mother, a blessed memory who was always concerned about this and always checking her own memory and mind. She told me once, it's okay to not know where you put your car keys. When you don't know what they do, that's a problem. Words to Live By Glenn Winters Chuck and Roxy 237, Newport News, Virginia. I'm 73. Both of my parents come to dementia, so I've done a lot of reading about it. Dementia is not when you forget a football player's name. That's forgetfulness. Dementia is when you don't remember what football is or when you think Dylan Gabriel is your father. That's funny. That's funny. Mark Malaco in Trophy Club, Texas. Never heard of heard of that before. I don't think you need to worry about dementia unless you start calling Dylan Gabriel. Roman Gabriel. Yeah, that's. Yeah, I haven't done that. I just couldn't, you know. Yeah. Okay.

[Michael Wilbon]

It's making you feel better.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah. Sam from Boston. Oh, captain, my captain. Even though I'm 23 and likely the littlest little by what, decades eons, I too share your unease towards early onset dementia. In fact, the other day I was convinced the end was nigh after forgetting the name for the certain movie featuring Robin Williams. Seizing the day. This was especially damning given that I live in Beantown itself. All this to say I don't don't feel down on the Gabriel slip up. It happens to us all. Your recalls as sharp as anyone I know. And hey, if you do start to slip, maybe lean on your infallible lyrical recall, I'm sure Wilbon would be willing to help. You guys are already great duo. I'm sure musical harmony would come quickly. Well, that has a beautiful voice. Oh, he does. He sings well. And he played the piano in school. Yeah, yeah, he can do that. This is a long one. Chris B. In Arlington, Virginia. Another source. Arrow Wine, Wine and cheese just over the Key Bridge in North Arlington. Unless the Key Bridge is closed without notice like it has been the last two evenings. Rush hour. It's Friday night. I shop. I stop at my neighborhood wine and cheese shop, Arrow Wine. I have the crazy thought to try to find that Beaujolais that the old guy says is good. Have my phone to one ear like one of those people, but for a good cause. I'm re listening to the start of the Wine Story podcast. Between my now I'm man hearing and the ambient noise and a Long island accent, I struggled to discern the name of the producer. But I look over the Beaujolais section anyway. The always helpful staff asks if there's something I'm looking for. I try to explain his podcast light red, but my attempted speculative pronunciation is so bad that they don't think they have it. Then another staff member says, oh, do you mean Chateau Cambon? Yes, she's pouring it right over there at Voila. One of the Friday night weekly wine sample pours was none other. As I capture a bottle of take home to my teenagers horror. I asked if this was one of the selections tonight because it was mentioned on the podcast this week. Blank Stairs. I'm sorry, what? Comes the response? I explained a little more. Sports podcast sort of local wine story. Hard to find in dc. But then of course I know of Tony Korneiser. But wait, he talked about this wine on his podcast. I played the clip from my phone Ask Michael and we all bast in the coincidence until other customers waiting for samples grew snarly. It still would require a Stateline bootlegging adventure into the south. Technically no less but closer than a forgotten semi secret stash in Delaware. Picture attached with the golden label. Price tag retained for your information. I explained this to my wife while I wrote this email and played the podcast clip for her response. Wouldn't it be funny if the wine is terrible after all of that? Good point, but it's not.

[Michael Wilbon]

It's not tasting notes.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Come on, this is a. Yeah, it's not terrible. Thank you. Glad you got it.

[Michael Wilbon]

What was the price?

[Tony Kornheiser]

I don't know the price. It's cheaper than the one you're charging me is my guess. Julie Arafat in Las Vegas on Friday show you commented that Richard Nixon had been born in Whittier, California. Not so, old sport. Our 37th president grew up and attended a college in Whittier, but was in fact born in Yorba Linda, California. The first line of his memoir is I was born in a house my father built. That house still stands at his Presidential Library Museum at Yorba Linda, and it's worth a visit. Okay, got half of it right from Jason Cameron, Assistant Superintendent at the Seaford School district in Seaford, Delaware. Dr. Ron, greetings from Sussex County, Delaware, where the annual Apple Scrapple Festival took place last week here in Bridgeville. Since you are unburdened by memory, you won't remember that my daughter is MIA who does sang the Reginald theme song, taking artists liberties and calling Bud Grant, Bill Grant. Similar to calling an aging bald man named Tony. Ron, you mentioned Wawa and 16 on Wednesday's pot and I wanted to inform you that soon you'll have another bathroom break option in the booming metropolis of Greenwood, Delaware, where I usually stop at the Royal Farms, where 16 crosses 13 at the light on 16 and 13 to your left on that corner, a Wawa is being constructed. This is the biggest thing to happen in Greenwood since a Dollar General was built some years ago. I know General, so it'll be. It'll be on the left hand side. It'll be essentially across the. Not the big road. Across 16 from the Wawa.

[Michael Wilbon]

Yes.

[Tony Kornheiser]

From the Royal Royal Farms.

[Michael Wilbon]

From the Royal Farms, but easier to merge back on.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yes. Yeah. Andrew Walsh, Customer Care Leader Someone needs to let Chris Salizza know that Dawson Leary's house from Dawson Creek is on the market for 3.3 million. Seems like the kind of purchase he wouldn't even need to check with his wife before making. And one more. Josh Cohen in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. Did I really just subscribe to ESPN plus so I would watch the Kent State, Toledo and Akron Ball State games? It's. It's Carville. We don't even. One of the games. We don't even know what happened, which I don't know. I mean. Oh, no, we do know what happened with Carville. I don't know. I don't know.

[Michael Wilbon's colleague or producer]

We'll update everyone on Wednesday.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Is this. Are these a couple more? I didn't realize this. Dan Flesh in New Haven, Connecticut. An email on Friday mentioned seeing a photo of President Gerald Ford and Flip Wilson playing golf together in the 70s. I'm sure just out of the frame were the other two members of the force. And Reginald and Bud Grant. Hey, Reginald was a heck of a player in those days. For a Simeon. Anyway. Rory Kimberlin Gardner, M.E. captain Farmer Ron Cheese, wine and ice cream taster, plumber and mouser extraordinaire. Tony, that's enough typing. Thank you sincerely for the show and Andrew in la. Maybe I'm wrong, maybe it is recency bias, but this Ohtani guy seems to be pretty good. He can plant taters in the seats, but could he plant them in your yard? If so, I'd be really impressed if you're out on your bike tonight. Everyone, as always, do wear white. What does argo mean? I don't know.

[Mark Feinsand]

You don't know?

[Michael Wilbon]

It means argo yourself.

[Mark Feinsand]

Some are lucky but we got blessed I believe our love is heaven sent Always gotta make room for the rules to change, I suppose. Would have sworn we were the exception, far as that goes. But you can just pretend this all never happened as I'm waving my arms around you can make believe that you did all you can as I'm screaming my lungs out when two hearts are going head to head no one is innocent with love is my witness you and I haven't finished business where you going anyway? Is it lonely? Sa everyone's got a reason to run at any given time. But you told me you hated failing. Would always put up a fight.

[Tony Kornheiser]

So.

[Mark Feinsand]

How can we pretend this all never happen? As I'm waving my arms around you can make believe that you did all you can as I'm screaming my lungs out went too hard so going head to head no one is incense love is smile with this you and I haven't finished business. If you could look me in the eye Tell me you're sorry tell me you tried Tell me you don't wanna be mine I'll put you to bed go on with my life, will you? You just pretend this I'll never happen as I'm waving my arms around you can make believe that you did all you can as I'm screaming my lungs out went too hard to going head to head no one is innocent with love as my witness you and I haven't finished business yes, you and I heaven finish this it's hot as hell in New York tonight Got a rickety fan just borrowing time it's doing its job about as well as my my life is doing for my peace of mind For a couple of bucks getting the man mostly paid Though I gotta say that I thought it'd be different by now though I know it's my fault I spent Most of my 20s hating myself and wondering how to find peace in the journey and let the dream change without expectation and nothing to make of my plans and feeling like I'm just the drugstore brand I've never been properly seen properly diagnosed But I wonder Sometimes if a PhD might say I'm lonelier than most don't know if I care if I'm too carefully mostly feels like an excuse Some folks got guts got in, some got a pill box Same prescription, different use Though I got to say that I hope it be different by now Though I know it's my fault that I don't learn my lessons right when they come save them for later it might be self righteous but I want my favor to know if the road really rises to meet her in spite of my best laid plans and feeling like I'm just the drugstore brand the wisest of men say that you can't change the worst of who you are so how does one know what's to stay and go with what's been working so far I got a few tricks I'm grateful for it so without a crystal ball how can you be sure if what you're signing up for is really any better than settle and for just the drugstore.