“So Far”

Summary

The Tony Kornheiser Show

Episode: “So Far”

Date: January 12, 2026

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Episode Overview

This lively episode finds Tony Kornheiser and his familiar roundtable dissecting a dramatic NFL playoff weekend, sharing personal and technical mishaps, and reflecting on staggering developments in the worlds of pro and college football. Regular guests Michael Wilbon and Bob Kravitz join to celebrate the Chicago Bears’ improbable victory and Indiana’s stunning rise to the college football championship game, while also delving into cultural observations and bringing signature dry wit and camaraderie. Moments of nostalgia, frustration with technology, and tribute to the recently deceased sportswriter Bill Livingston round out an episode full of both gravity and lightness.

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Major Segments, Discussion Points, and Timestamps

1. Jon Rahm on the Muni and the Joys of Golf

[00:00–01:14]

• Banter about Michael Wilbon playing golf with Jon Rahm (“How did that happen?” – Tony).
  • Memorable exchange:
    • Tony: “John? You played with that Jon Rahm?”
    • Wilbon (deadpan): “Is there another Jon Rahm?”
• Playful speculation about handicaps and strokes: “I’d ask for 35…36, actually.” (Tony, 01:07)

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2. NFL Playoffs Recap & Analysis

[01:16–04:01]

• Tony calls the season wonderfully unpredictable: “You cannot ask for more than that.” (01:52)
• Four out of five games went to the final play, only New England’s game was a letdown.
• No consensus on a Super Bowl favorite—any remaining team could win.
• Tony expresses greatest surprise at San Francisco’s upset of Philadelphia, rather than Chicago’s comeback.

Quote:

“You could put 10 people in a room, and those 10 people…not four of them would pick the same team to win.” (Tony, 02:34)

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3. Eagles Meltdown & Team Dynamics

[03:30–04:01]

• Carol notes the Eagles’ season-long tension and sideline arguments: “It’s been an angry season for them all year.” (Carol, 03:39)
• Tony on A.J. Brown’s costly drop and attitude: “Okay. But you were open and he got you the ball…and you dropped the ball.” (Tony, 04:01)

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4. Tribute: Remembering Bill Livingston

[04:02–05:41]

• Tony and crew pay respects to Bill Livingston, veteran sports columnist.
• Tony reflects on Livingston’s career, writing, and personality: “He was a wonderful writer. I’m pretty sure he was the Grantland Rice Scholar at Vanderbilt.”
• Anecdotes about life and covering Cleveland sports: “He did all of that stuff and worked with people like Bud Shaw and Mary Kay Cabot.” (Tony, 05:24)

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5. Tony vs. Technology: WiFi Woes and Comcast Saviors

[05:41–12:30]

• Tony narrates his catastrophic WiFi outage and unfamiliarity with technology (“I don’t know WiFi from hi-fi,” Tony, 06:04).
• People rally to troubleshoot: Carol, Nigel, and especially Comcast technicians Chip, Joe, Justin, Carlos, and Bill.
• Nigel and Michael act as family IT—Nigel ultimately restores the connection ("You have to wait the full 45 seconds to a minute and then plug it back in," Nigel, 09:31).
• Reflection on how technology leaves you “vulnerable and outdated” unless you keep up (10:54).
• Tony’s comic exasperation about becoming “my own grandparent,” referencing commercial tropes (11:40).
• Shared story about facing the bewildering self-checkout experience at McDonald's and generational shifts (Nigel, 12:03).

Notable Quotes:

• Tony: “I don’t know what WiFi is, but we didn’t have WiFi... I knew something was wrong, because in various spots in the house are these machines... Are they routers?” (06:28)
• Nigel: “Professionals in these services love figuring out a puzzle. So to them, we gave them a puzzle…” (10:35)

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6. FIRST GUEST: Michael Wilbon on Bears-Packers & Playoff Glory

[15:11–29:43]

The Emotional State of a Bears Fan

[16:01–16:10]

• Tony reads a Bears fan email about trauma and hope.
• Wilbon, unfazed: “I don’t major in angst, I have left that to you over the decades.” (16:04)

The Stunning Comeback

[17:12–18:30]

• Tony: “The game was over. I stopped watching. It was 21–3… so that game in my mind was over.”
• Wilbon: “I hadn’t given up, but I was… on the edge of despair… The way they’re winning these games is not possible—to every week be down two scores in the fourth quarter and come back and beat good teams.” (17:29)

Soldier Field & Chicago Vibes

[20:06–21:01]

• Soldier Field “was shaking, literally."
• Wilbon: “The Bears, you can make the case, are a year ahead of schedule…This is magical for them.” (17:29; 18:48)

Bears’ Odds & Prospects

[21:01–23:07]

• Tony: “Now you can actually think about winning the Super Bowl. There’s eight teams left. There’s only eight.”
• Wilbon: “The Bears are last of the teams left in the playoffs in terms of Super Bowl odds. People, nobody other than wackos... believe in them.” (21:44)
• Chicago weather as an advantage against the Rams.

Other NFL Playoff Reactions

[23:07–28:31]

• Praise for Buffalo’s Josh Allen ("He did everything right." 23:07), doubts about Buffalo’s road viability.
• Betting lines: “Rams road favorites against the Bears—three and a half. I wouldn’t do that.” (24:20)
• Surprise at San Francisco beating the Eagles—cultural dysfunction in Philly.
• Seattle viewed as a significant favorite against a depleted Niners squad.
• Hopes for a Chicago–San Francisco rematch: “If I’m allowed to look ahead…” (26:10)

Quick Takes on Individual Players

• Christian McCaffrey’s acrobatic catch: “That was Willie Mays.” (Wilbon, 27:49)
• Tony on QB Caleb Williams’ leadership: “He looks like a leader. And it looks like the Bears believe in him…” (28:44)

Notable Quotes:

• Wilbon: “When the Bears were bad, I had Michael Jordan. So all that despair… I’m not related to that.” (16:04)
• Wilbon: "Soldier Field… is 112 years old, and it was shaking, literally." (20:06)

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7. SECOND GUEST: Bob Kravitz on Indiana Football’s Rise & Hoosier Culture

[31:17–43:06]

Hoosier Football’s Futility and Sudden Success

[32:37–35:01]

• Indiana’s historic badness: “144 years of dreck.” (Kravitz, 32:41)
• Bob notes only four winning seasons in 30 years prior to coach Signetti.

The Signetti Effect

[33:59–35:54]

• Press conference first impression: “He was a little wacky, a little audacious, a little cocky. But… he’s been great.”
• “This is actually unbelievable, right?” (Tony, 34:52)
• IU wins with two- and three-star players, puncturing the myth of needing “five-star” recruits.

Why It Works

[37:15–37:36]

• Kravitz: “These are a lot of kids who want to be coached, who know they need coaching… They play so beautifully as a team.”

On Skepticism and National Perception

[37:36–41:47]

• Tony: Skepticism is pervasive—“It’s Indiana. It’s 100 years of losing.”
• Kravitz: “They just blew out Alabama and Oregon. Mendoza is now clearly the number one QB choice [for the NFL draft].”

On Quarterback Fernando Mendoza

[39:34–40:12]

• Tony marvels at Mendoza’s academic record and unique persona.
• Kravitz: “He’s going for his Master’s by the end of the semester… saw that in his Heisman speech.”

Championship Game Preview

[40:12–41:47]

• Kravitz picks Indiana to defeat Miami for the title: “They’re the big red machine at this point…They’re the juggernaut.”

Miami’s Home-Field Advantage Questioned

• “I think it’s going to be like a Super Bowl crowd. I think it’s going to be like 50–50.” (Kravitz, 41:10)

Brief Pacers NBA Talk

• Injuries devastate the Pacers, but there’s hope for lottery luck.
• Reference to the 1996 Spurs and Tim Duncan: “That worked out pretty good.” (42:55)

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Memorable Quotes & Moments

• On the Bears’ Comeback:
  • “That’s probably the most amazing win, singularly, in Bears history.” (Wilbon, 18:25)
• On Technology Troubles:
  • “I’m that person who became my parents… so old that I’m my own grandparent.” (Tony, 11:40)
• On Indiana Football:
  • "144 years of dreck." (Kravitz, 32:41)
• On Super Bowl Hope:
  • “Now you can actually think about winning the Super Bowl. You can. There’s eight teams left. There’s only eight.” (Tony, 21:01)
• On Team Chemistry:
  • “They just play so beautifully as a team. The complimentary football is off the charts.” (Kravitz, 37:36)

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Listener Mails & Jingles

[43:47–51:39]

• Classic mailbag humor: Bears and Hoosiers fans revel, a listener’s connection to Signetti’s history, astronaut anecdotes, and even scone pricing logic.
• Shout-outs to music by Aubrey Dale and a Zama, Japan middle school guitar class.
• Tony slips in pop culture nostalgia with The Temptations lyrics and a nod to Berry Gordy’s Motown anniversary.

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Tone & Language

• The episode maintains Tony’s signature blend of dry humor, nostalgia, and bemused exasperation, especially on technological matters.
• Guests bounce between heartfelt (tributes, Bears joy), analytical (NFL picks), and irreverent (snark about aging and fast food kiosks).
• Language is conversational, permanently perched between sports talk radio and friends’ dinner table banter.

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Key Timestamps

• Golf with Jon Rahm banter: 00:29–01:14
• NFL Playoffs summary: 01:16–04:01
• Eagles’ drama & playoff chaos: 03:30–04:01
• Bill Livingston tribute: 04:02–05:41
• Tech troubles and comic relief: 05:41–12:30
• Wilbon on Bears comeback: 15:11–29:43
• Kravitz on Indiana football miracle: 31:17–43:06
• Mailbag/jingles/nostalgia: 43:47–end

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For New Listeners

If you missed the episode, you’ll want to replay Wilbon’s incredulity and joy at the Bears’ comeback (16:01–18:30)—a celebration both personal and communal, as well as Tony and Kravitz’s wide-eyed amazement at Indiana’s bittersweet, unprecedented football run (32:37–41:47). Those who love sports, aging gracefully (or not), and watching friends needle each other will find this episode especially rich.

Transcript

[Tony Kornheiser]

Hey, it's Tony. On today's show, we will talk to what we expect will be an elated Michael Wilbon after the Bears huge comeback win over the Packers. We'll also chat with Bob Kravitz about Indiana's historic run to the college football championship game. But first, how about a little commerce? Previously on the Tony Kornizer Show. He didn't pick last week because he was in Hawaii and he was playing golf, and he said, why don't you ask me about playing with Jon Rahm? And I went, what?

[Michael Wilbon]

What?

[Tony Kornheiser]

John? You played with that Jon Rahm?

[Michael Wilbon]

Is there another John Rom?

[Tony Kornheiser]

I don't know.

[Michael Wilbon]

I mean, there's got to be another Jon Rahm, but.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah, no, I play with that John Rahm. What was. How did that happen?

[Michael Wilbon]

You know, they needed a fourth at the local muni and just show up.

[Bob Kravitz]

To the first teeth.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah.

[Bob Kravitz]

The Tony Kornheiser show is on now.

[Tony Kornheiser]

It's awesome that he played with Jon Rahm. So great. It's awesome that he played with John Rahm. We have a few things.

[Nigel]

Four for two.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Nigel]

Number one, handicap hole.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah. Oh, yeah. He did well. He won the hole.

[Carol]

Was he giving, like, 28 shots?

[Tony Kornheiser]

28. I would ask for 35. 36, actually.

[Michael Wilbon]

I would.

[Tony Kornheiser]

I'd serve 36.

[Nigel]

Might not still be enough if you have to put everything out.

[Tony Kornheiser]

No, I can't. I mean, this is Jon Rahm we're talking about. All right, let's get to a few things here. Let me first talk about the football. This is one of the great seasons ever that I can remember in the NFL, because you don't know who the best team is. There's no team out there that has declared itself the best team. And the five playoff games that were on Saturday and Sunday, four of them went down to the wire. Four of the five went down to the last play. I mean, you cannot. You cannot ask for more than that. The one that didn't. The night game last night, New England. Okay. You know it didn't.

[Carol]

Yeah, it was close, and.

[Guest or Caller]

But.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah, but it was not. It was not the world's greatest game. But it doesn't matter, because the games. The Rams game, down to the final minute. The Bears game, down to the final minute. Who beat Jacksonville? The Bills came down to the final minute, 49ers over the Eagles, down to the final minute. Come on. I mean, this is all that you can ask for. And now there's eight teams left. And, you know, you could put 10 people in a room, and those 10 people not four of them would pick the same team to win. You're not going to be surprised, whoever wins, because I think that they've gotten rid of. I thought the Chargers were not really contenders and I'm assuming that tonight the Texans are going to beat the Steelers because I don't see the Steelers as true contenders. But if it doesn't happen, it doesn't happen. But the rest of them, you know, you can put them in a hat. You just don't know. I mean, like, if you ask me what I'm most surprised with, I'm most surprised San Francisco beat Philadelphia. Yeah, Philadelphia. Now you could say, well, aren't you surprised that the Bears won coming back from 21 3? Sure, sure. But the Bears had beaten the packers in Soldier Field like three weeks before, so that is not as surprising to me as San Francisco beating the defending super bowl champions in Philadelphia, where they had won five straight home playoff games.

[Nigel]

And when they get another injury so early in the game.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah.

[Carol]

Kittle, who's so.

[Tony Kornheiser]

With the great tight end. Yeah. I don't know how they go on and win. I don't. They go to Chicago, right?

[Carol]

Yes, they go to Chicago.

[Tony Kornheiser]

We'll find out what Wilbon has to say, but I think he's got to be. That's the best draw he can get. It does.

[Carol]

It did feel. It does feel like it now, but it did feel like as you're watching that game that the. The Eagles were just imploding. You know, that the argument on the sideline with the coach and the receiver.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah.

[Carol]

It's been an angry season for them all year.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Well, A.J. brown has been that person all year. I mean, you know, and by the.

[Nigel]

Way, I wonder if his thoughts were on something else. When he drops.

[Tony Kornheiser]

He dropped.

[Carol]

Yeah, that's.

[Nigel]

Sorry, coach.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah, that's the pro pass. Yeah.

[Carol]

Got to get that.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah. You know, as. As he screams all the time on tv, always open. Okay. But you were open and he got you the ball.

[Guest or Caller]

Yeah.

[Tony Kornheiser]

And you dropped the ball. So that's one thing to talk about. On a sad note, we need to note the passing of Bill Livingston, who is our friend and was on this show and was on previous radio shows and was always a wonderful guest. He's a wonderful writer. He was a wonderful writer. I'm pretty sure that he was the Grantland Rice Scholar at Vanderbilt. When he went to undergrad at Vanderbilt, he got a job in Texas. He's from Texas. I didn't know he was from Texas. Nothing about his accent or about his mannerisms ever Told me he was from Texas. I knew him in Philadelphia when he was a scribe in Philadelphia. We're the same age. I knew him. He got a column in the early to mid-80s, I think, in Cleveland. He went to Cleveland. And Cleveland is a really good city to be a sports columnist in, because people care.

[Guest or Caller]

Yeah.

[Tony Kornheiser]

And also, over that period of time, they had LeBron James, who was, you know, over the last 20 years, the best player in the NBA. They always had competitive football teams. Not great teams, but, you know, a lot of heartache with their teams. And Libby was there to write about that. And they have a baseball team, and baseball team was pretty good. And won a World Series. When Livingston was there. I'm pretty sure they won a World Series.

[Guest or Caller]

Did they?

[Tony Kornheiser]

I thought, oh, no, Maybe they lost to it. Yeah. That was Atlanta's one World Series. They got to the World Series. That's right. Yeah. Yeah. Hargrove was their manager there.

[Carol]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Tony Kornheiser]

And Livy did all of that stuff and worked with people like Bud Shaw and Mary Kay Cabot. And was a wonderful guy and a really, really good writer. And I want to. I want to talk about that. And now I want to talk about what almost happened to this show. What almost happened to this show is we didn't have a show today because.

[Nigel]

It almost happened is you got to see the Kornheiser boys have breakfast.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Right? That's what almost happened. That's what almost happened. So on Saturday, stuff stopped working on my phone. And it said, I look, I think you people know this by now. I don't know what WI Fi.

[Nigel]

Your phone's been listening.

[Tony Kornheiser]

I don't know what WI Fi is. And you know, I hate my phone. And they updated all.

[Carol]

I believe, as you've said in messages to people. I don't know WI Fi from hi Fi.

[Tony Kornheiser]

I don't know what WI Fi is, but we didn't have WI Fi. And, you know, Carol would say to me, we'll go into settings and press this, okay? And nothing happened because I don't know what I'm doing. And I knew that something was wrong, because in the. In various spots in the house are these machines.

[Nigel]

Let's see. Explain this one.

[Tony Kornheiser]

There are these white machines with colored lights on them. And if the light is. Are they routers?

[Nigel]

These are eero wifi boosters. So it's gonna give your house better coverage. Into some of the spots that are farther away from your router.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Okay? So whatever Michael just said, I'm with that. And I noticed that they were red. Red is not the right color. You want the color to be white. Yes. Red means not working. So I called Nigel. Nigel came over and here's what we had to do. We had to call Comcast. I called a couple of people at Comcast, most notably Chip at Comcast, who is a troubleshooter and an executive and has been very good to us over a long period of time. We have not just regular Comcast, we have Comcast business as well, because, you know, you need to have the best stuff.

[Nigel]

It's a businessman.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah, that's right. So I called him and, you know, and he said, okay, I'll get on it. And this was Saturday. It's just not, you know, Saturday, Sunday. Not the best times.

[Carol]

Tough.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Not the best times. And then Nigel got a human being at Comcast who you said was very nice.

[Carol]

Joe. Yes.

[Tony Kornheiser]

And she. She said to you, she put you on the list for someone coming over to the house Sunday between 10 and 12 in the morning.

[Carol]

Yeah, something like 10 and 12. At 10 and 2 or 12 and 2, something like that.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Whatever it was. Yeah, it was going to be Sunday. Yeah, it's going to be Sunday, you know, so that was good because if we don't get this done, maybe we don't have a show or we go over to Michael's house and do the show, but, you know, we don't. It's not our normal routine. So then yesterday, a little bit before that window that had opened for us, I got a note saying your, your appointment today has been canceled, but we can confirm that we'll be there between 12 and 2 Monday.

[Carol]

It doesn't really work.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Doesn't help us because we do the show earlier than 12 and 2.

[Carol]

Yeah.

[Tony Kornheiser]

So I get back to Chip and I say, help, help, help. And we didn't talk. This was just texting back and forth. And the next thing I know, I'm getting a call from Justin. Justin leaves a couple of messages. I call him back and Justin says, we'll get somebody over there. We'll get somebody over there by 10:30 in the morning. And lo and behold, by 10:30 morning on a Sunday morning, which is tough. And like, I don't know what it. What is wrong, but I want to go backwards a little bit. Before they get here, Michael comes over and says everything is fine.

[Nigel]

Correct. Michael IT Specialist at the Tony Cornhouse Show.

[Tony Kornheiser]

How did you know?

[Carol]

Chief Technology Officer.

[Tony Kornheiser]

How did you know?

[Nigel]

So, so my biggest confirmation that nothing terrible was bad was you were able to watch tv.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Tv. We had TV on. Yes, yes.

[Nigel]

So then what was confusing to me is that you were able to use your TV to get to the streaming service so you could watch the game Saturday night.

[Tony Kornheiser]

I was watching Prime. I watched it.

[Nigel]

I was confused as to how you were getting Internet if you're having issues with the wifi. So I didn't think anything terrible was going on.

[Michael Wilbon]

No.

[Nigel]

I just went to the router, unplugged it. You have to wait the full 45 seconds to a minute and then plug it back in. Was able to cycle itself through.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Carol unplugs, plugs right back in.

[Nigel]

Well, she was unplugging the Eros, the Euro. The Euro is sort of one step farther away from the actual source of the WI fi.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah. So Michael was convinced that everything was good, and I was skeptical.

[Nigel]

Everything was good.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Okay. And so Michael was convinced that everything was good, and everything was good, and I was skeptical, as is your nature. So when Carlos and Bill came over, I was thrilled. And they went in, you know, and looked at the. They did whatever they were supposed to do, replaced whatever they were supposed to replace, and gave me a great feeling of accomplishment that they had. Yes. They had worked to make this good, and it was good. I thank them. I thank Justin. I thank Chip. I do this publicly because that's. These are real people working. Yeah. And they're working on Sunday.

[Carol]

Yeah.

[Tony Kornheiser]

You know, I know their job is to work on. I mean, I understand that, but they're still working on Sunday, and they helped, and everything seems to work now.

[Nigel]

Yeah, they were great. And it's a reminder that professionals in these services, they love figuring out a puzzle. So to them, we gave them a puzzle, and they're trying to improve, you know, the cable wires that are going into the various boxes upstairs. It was great to see them work. And it's a reminder. Years go by, and you don't necessarily do anything to the wires that are coming into your house. Sometimes they just need a little bit of an update.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Well, what. You know, I said, what is the essence of the problem here? And the essence of the problem, both Bill and Carlos explained, is that technology has moved on. And if you don't move on with it, you are in a position of vulnerability and you're outdated. Right. And even though it works, when it doesn't work, it doesn't work, you know, because you're not.

[Nigel]

What made me smile is that if you're familiar with the movie Home Alone, the neighborhood, the kid from next door who just follows everyone around has asked them a lot of questions, like how much? What's the gas mileage of this thing. That was you going room to room.

[Tony Kornheiser]

That's. Well, that's.

[Nigel]

I hear it halfway down the hallway and you go, what are your thoughts on self checkout?

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah.

[Michael Wilbon]

So.

[Nigel]

And the best is they're so patient.

[Carol]

Yeah. They're going through it with you.

[Tony Kornheiser]

I'm that person who became my parents, you know, now I'm so old that I'm my own grandparent.

[Carol]

Buying nutmeg in quantity.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Well, no, I mean I'm the one like, you know the commercial where the guy stands up there. Jan, coffee for Jan John might be. Yeah, I'm that. I'm that person.

[Carol]

Don't work here.

[Tony Kornheiser]

I'm trying to talk with them to have human interaction. That's what I'm trying to do.

[Nigel]

So this happened to me. I took the boys to McDonald's over the weekend. Went to the McDonald's of my childhood. If you're from DC, you remember the, you know, the 4000 Wisconsin Avenue McDonald's. I walk in, it's all kiosks. I go to the boys, I go use your line. I'm like, I am no longer of this world.

[Michael Wilbon]

Right.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Don't know what to do.

[Nigel]

I think they gave me great support and it was an awesome experience.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah. So everything is working right now. I'm grateful for that. Yes. And I will shut up for a while and we will bring on Michael Wilbon. And I am Tony Kornheiser.

[Carol]

Expect to be very happy with the bears.

[Tony Kornheiser]

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[Guest or Caller]

That's great.

[Tony Kornheiser]

You stick it in the oven when. When it's done. It's fabulous.

[Nigel]

It makes your house smell like a bakery.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah, this stuff is really good. Well, grin. I mean, you know, I feel they wrote the ad. I should read the ad and then I should comment. Yeah, you know what? The kids loved it.

[Nigel]

Kids loved it. They had the chocolate croissants. But I love this idea for dinner. You know, this is the season of go to the freezer, see what you have.

[Tony Kornheiser]

It doesn't take that long to do. And it's really good. It's really good.

[Michael Wilbon]

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[Nigel]

Prices and participation may vary. Prices may be higher in Hawaii, Alaska and California. And for delivery.

[Bob Kravitz]

You'Re listening to the Tony Kornheiser show.

[Tony Kornheiser]

This is Aubrey Dale. We played Aubrey Dale's music last week. We have more music. Yes, and it's good music. We play it because it's really good.

[Michael Wilbon]

Okay.

[Tony Kornheiser]

This is Aubrey Dale singing if church was a bar. And we will have another song by Aubrey Dale later in the show plays in Michael Wilbond. And before we get to him, we read from Ben Carton, not Carden, the official unofficial senator of the Tony Kornheiser show. After last night, I don't know if I'm allowed to be happy. As a Bears fan, I'm so used to feeling defeated, especially at the hands of the Green Bay Packers. I was there in 2010 and have watched so many Bears games over my lifetime that I don't know how to feel happy. The usual feelings of angst, anger, depression and sadness are what us Bears fans are used to. Beating the Green Bay packers in a playoff game is euphoric. Please ask Mike if I am allowed to finally be happy and have some modicum of faith regarding this team. And if I could be added to his infamous text chain. Also, be nice if they showed up before the fourth quarter. Moving forward. How much of your feelings does that express?

[Guest or Caller]

None.

[Tony Kornheiser]

None.

[Michael Wilbon]

No.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Okay.

[Michael Wilbon]

No, I don't, I don't, I don't major in angst that I have left. I've left that to you over the decades.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Okay.

[Michael Wilbon]

I don't, I don't, I don't deal in that. But, you know, it's, it's. Now I. The one thing I do share is the beating the packers, the joy over beating the packers and the fact that the players get it. The players and the coach, they get it. They. And those guys haven't lived. They're not, they're young. I mean, it's like the offense is comprised largely of four rookies or second year players. Caleb. But they get it. When they put the cheese grater on their head and they basically said, we don't care what you think, we hate you already. That makes me feel good. But no. So I. Luckily I'm of an age where when the Bears were bad, I had Michael Jordan. So all that despair, I'm not, I'm not related to that. But this would happen Saturday night again. The second Saturday night in four weeks in Chicago with the packers and Bears was not just unlikely, it was impossible. I mean, you know what it was. You were watching a game at 21:3.

[Tony Kornheiser]

The game was over. I stopped watching. It was 21:3. And the packers are a good team. They are not afraid of the Bears. They know Soldier Field. They're not afraid of the weather, none of that. And so that game in my mind was over. In, in your mind, not over.

[Michael Wilbon]

But I close. I mean, I hadn't given up, but I was, you know, I was on the edge of despair, at least for one night with that team. And look, the Bears, you can make the case, and it's easy too, that they're a year ahead of schedule and that sort of thing. But when you're having a magical season, and this is magical for them, I don't, I don't expect to ever have another season like this, even if they become routinely good. And the Bears have had a spell where they own the packers as well in the 80s and early 90s, before Brett Favre. But the way they're winning these games is not possible to every week be down two scores in the fourth quarter and come back and be good teams, which they've done. And that's an amazing, amazing. That's probably the most amazing win singularly in Bears history.

[Tony Kornheiser]

So I had written down in a question, and I used that exact word, amazed. I was going to ask you. You must be amazed by this season. You had no right to think that when this season was began and you feared they'd be 0 and 5, you never could have imagined they'd be here. Never. You couldn't have.

[Michael Wilbon]

Nope. Not one minute. No, I didn't. And so I didn't start off this season with any of the angst that was described earlier because it was like, okay, they're going to get better. How much better and how soon? And so maybe this starts in October, Halloween, maybe they're better. They're not going to make the playoffs. But, you know, they can get better. They'll have another draft. I trust the process and the people doing that. And then next year, they can be in the mix, whatever that means. So, no, I didn't have this in mind. And a game in which I had. Most of us were close to giving up. I mean, the people in that text chain includes former Bears players. And I don't think I asked them the question, did you? Had you given up? But the tone of it was, okay, you know, they're not ready yet. There's a lot more to do here in terms of personnel, in terms of preparation. We don't have a defense yet. And the one thing we do understand in Chicago is defense. So that was. And Soldier Field. Tony, I sent you something from a young Bears beat writer that it was shaking. I've never felt this.

[Tony Kornheiser]

It was shaking.

[Michael Wilbon]

And I. Yeah. And Al Michaels, who was not a young Bears beat writer, but a person who has covered 31 games himself, called 31 Games in Soldier Field. And Soldier Field is not someplace built in the 50s like RFK, where it could shake. No, no, no, no. Soldier Field is concrete, you know, and it's built. It's 100 and let's see, it was built in 1914. So we're talking about a place 112 years old, and it was shaking, literally. And I'm going to go there this week. I want to go see Bears, Rams. I don't know. You know, if we couldn't, you know, if the packers carved us up, it would make sense that the MVP of the league, Matthew Stafford, would carve us up and personally see it.

[Tony Kornheiser]

So the point I want to make is, even if the Bears had lost this game at home to the packers. You would walk away from this season saying that was a great season. We had great. Right. You would have, we had great progress. Now, I mean, I hate to say this, now you can actually think about winning the Super Bowl. You can. There's eight teams left. There's only eight. I know.

[Michael Wilbon]

But you realize when I looked at, you know, when I do my wake up every, you know, at four in the morning now to look at Bears news or three in the morning, I'm looking at the odds to win the Super Bowl. The Bears are the, are last of the team still left in the playoffs. Deadline.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Really?

[Michael Wilbon]

Oh, yeah. People, nobody other than wackos, you know, like me sort of now believe in them on a week to week basis.

[Tony Kornheiser]

You have a great, great weather advantage against the Rams.

[Michael Wilbon]

I looked on that game. I don't understand why that game would be Sunday night as opposed to Saturday night. I'm not, I don't understand that. But the game, as I saw, is scheduled for Sunday night. The high on Sunday in Chicago is supposed to be 17, so I'll take it.

[Tony Kornheiser]

And by the way, if you, whatever the Rams, if you watched the Rams game, they needed Stafford to be the MVP at the end. Once again in Carolina, they were losing and their defense looked like a shell. It didn't look like anything. It didn't. It didn't.

[Michael Wilbon]

Well, I'm hoping that they got one more week like that in them. Maybe they'll fly across the country and wake up from their flight and think they're in Charlotte when they're in Chicago. So we need one more week like that because we can't stop anybody. We did. We stopped the packers for all but one possession in the second half. You know, kudos to Dennis Allen for whatever he said at halftime and whatever he did to rally them, but the Rams are going to be. The Rams are favored in Soldier Field on Sunday night in the cold.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah, I don't think that I would do that. I, that would not be my odds. That would not be my. Let me get to some of the other games. Buffalo has really nothing but Josh Allen. But boy, oh boy, Josh Allen, he did everything right. He did everything in that one.

[Michael Wilbon]

Yeah. Yeah. Josh Allen may not be the MVP this season, but he, man, I mean, he's an amazing dude right now and physically he's, he's beat up and he's going right through it. He's going right through the brick wall and his teammates know that he's doing it and they're willing to do whatever, bring whatever they have left on his behalf. And I don't, I don't know that Buffalo can go out to Denver and win at altitude out there, but that's a wild situation.

[Bob Kravitz]

He.

[Michael Wilbon]

They should have. Jacksonville should have won that game 100% and Josh Allen himself willed the team. That's that game. And so does he have another one in him? I don't know. At Denver is going to be difficult against that defense.

[Tony Kornheiser]

The bill. Wow. I'm just handed this by Nigel. The Bills are early line their favorites. Road favorites at Denver. I wouldn't do that.

[Michael Wilbon]

I wouldn't either.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Rams. Rams road favorites against the Bears three and a half. I wouldn't do that. I wouldn't do that. Let me. The most surprising game. To me, the most surprising result was. I mean, of course it was the Bears winning when they were down 21 3. But, but in terms of overall, I had San Francisco. I did not think they could beat Philadelphia at all. I did not. Especially when the Eagles made that fourth and five, you know, with two minutes to go. I, I am, I am mostly surprised at that. Mostly surprised at that. How about you?

[Michael Wilbon]

No, I mean, I've watched, you know, a lot of the Niners and the Bears played the Niners and Eagles. So I mean, I have a sense of both of those teams and the Eagles are just. I don't understand why they're so disgruntled, why they're so less than why it is that they can't sort of get along as super bowl champions. I don't understand that. So the culture of the Eagles is something I'd have to live newspapers but read those guys every day to find out what it is that they think is wrong with the Eagles. They're not. The Eagles have not been whole all year, Tony. I thought they'd win like week three.

[Tony Kornheiser]

I thought I did. I thought they would win this game. The other team comes in banged up. I thought they would win and now they go out worse banged up. Yeah. They lose Kittle. They lose Kittle. I don't know how they are. Well, they just. Look, they just played at Seattle and they scored three points. So to me, Seattle is a significant favorite in that game. How about to you?

[Michael Wilbon]

Yeah, yeah, they're. They're a significant favorite. They're, you know, the bye week. You know, you can play the rest versus rust game. I think Seattle's rested. They've got the best defense. Yeah, they hate San Francisco. I mean, they're motivated and they're set up at home to just take, come out and just take Swings, I think they'll come out like Marvin Hagler and they will just take swings. They will try to blitz that offense to death and they may do that. And, you know, it's sort of like there are two situations, Tony, where I think there's a distinct advantage, I think, on the road tonight that Houston is going to come out and say, all right, old man, you may win this game, but to do so, you're going to have broken ribs, a broken nose. We are going to just pummel you. Let's see if you can withstand it. And Aaron Rodgers is so great in his prime. Maybe he can summon that one more night. I don't think so, but maybe he can't. And I don't think San Francisco can do that now. I'm rooting for San Francisco to win that game in Seattle because you don't want to play Seattle past la. I want a rematch in Chicago with San Francisco. The game against Seattle Bears. Seattle would be at the number one seed. It would be in Seattle, but I'll take San Francisco and Chicago for a chance to get to the super bowl if I'm allowed to look ahead.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah, I think that's. I. I thought that on that halfback option play, I thought McCaffrey made one of the great catches I'd ever seen. I thought it was so great.

[Michael Wilbon]

That was Willie May.

[Tony Kornheiser]

I didn't think he's going to get to that ball. I thought it was too long. I thought it was too long, the ball.

[Michael Wilbon]

To hear Purdy describe the play, watching it, you know, he said the ball is fluttering in the wind and knows the ball's not down. It was great. It's a great play.

[Tony Kornheiser]

It is.

[Michael Wilbon]

San Francisco went in there and you know what, Tony? They were inspired. And the Eagles again, were not.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yes, I think. I think that's fair. I think that's fair. I. That was the one game I may have had others wrong. I'm not certain if I had them wrong or not. I guess I had the Bears wrong because I thought. I did think the packers would win that game, though. I had no particular confidence, but I really thought Philadelphia was going to win that game.

[Michael Wilbon]

Let me ask you.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Totally wrong.

[Michael Wilbon]

Because of me, you've had to put up with this all year.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah. Well, 25 years. Yeah, 40 years.

[Michael Wilbon]

What do you think of Caleb Williams at this point?

[Tony Kornheiser]

I think Caleb Williams is a very effective quarterback. I think he gets it done. He does not have great numbers in terms of completion percentage, but all of his other numbers are tremendous. And he looks like a leader. And it looks like the Bears believe in him, which is that's seven eighths of the battle, don't you think? Yes, that's what I think about Caleb Williams.

[Michael Wilbon]

He gave Ben Johnson that game ball.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah.

[Michael Wilbon]

I mean, he's Saturday night and he's emotional about it. I think that goes a long way.

[Tony Kornheiser]

In his second year. In his second year, he's clearly a leader and you know, so what? You can improve on the other stuff. And they're winning games. So stop. So get off him. Get off him. I mean, I used to say this about Jalen. Hurts like last year. Get off him. Because he's winning games and then he won the Super Bowl. So, yeah, I do. I think Caleb Williams is really good. I, you know, I think he's really good. All right, I will, I will see you later. I'll see you later.

[Michael Wilbon]

Sounds good, Tom.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Thanks, Michael Wilbon, boys and girls, we will take a break. Bob Kravitz will come to us from Indiana when we return. Talk about the college stuff. I'm Tony Kornheiser.

[Nigel]

This is Pro linebacker TJ Watt. And I'm back with YPB by Abercrombie for another activewear drop. My second co design collection has new shorts and 10 tanks that keep up with all my in season workouts. And their new restore collection is a.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Game changer off the field too, because.

[Nigel]

Even pro athletes like me need rest days. Shop YPB by Abercrombie in the app, online and in stores because your personal best is greater than anything.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Looking to create the bath you've always dreamed of without all the hassle? The Home Depot makes it easier. Shop fully styled rooms and curated collections to bring your vision to life. Use digital tools to preview flooring and finishes in your space. And get everything you need from tubs to tile, delivered fast and priced right. The Home Depot dream baths built here. You're listening to the Tony Kornheiser Show. The Tony Kornheiser Show. Once again, this is Aubrey Dale. She's good. Yes, she's good. This is called December, Michael. If people like Aubrey Dale want to send in their original music for us to play, how do they do it?

[Nigel]

Send us your music by emailing it to jinglesonyquinizershow.com it's always a thrill when.

[Tony Kornheiser]

We get music that's. That's really nice. Oh, yeah. You know, I mean, the original reason we did it is because we can't afford the rights fees for real songs. But then we get these songs and they're actually better Than some of the songs we would play. Aubrey Dale one more time. She plays in Bob Kravitz. Our old friend Bob Kravitz. How long have you lived now in Indiana? How long?

[Bob Kravitz]

25 years.

[Tony Kornheiser]

So you, you went from Denver to Indiana 25 years ago?

[Bob Kravitz]

I did, I did.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Okay. And, and how far are you, where you live from? Bloomington. How far is that?

[Bob Kravitz]

I'm about an hour and 15 minutes.

[Tony Kornheiser]

So it's. So Bloomington is essentially in the, in the middle of the state, or is it not?

[Bob Kravitz]

It's. It's South Central.

[Tony Kornheiser]

South.

[Bob Kravitz]

Yeah, South Central.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Okay. And in the 25, I should say that Bob, you know, like all of us is still working like sort of kind of like it's sub stack and it's bobcravitz.com and you can access him and pay him money because he's probably impoverished at this time. The only one who's not is me. I'm not. I'm still doing this thing because I can't believe they pay me to do it anyway. In the 25 years that you've been in Indiana, the Indiana football team was never any good. Right. It's 100 years of lousy. Right.

[Bob Kravitz]

It's 144 years of dreck.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah.

[Bob Kravitz]

I mean, you know, they, they had. Before Signetti got here, they had four winning seasons in the previous 30.

[Guest or Caller]

Wow.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Wow.

[Bob Kravitz]

That should tell you right there. They were, they were everybody's homecoming guest.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah. Even Northwesterns, even Northwest.

[Bob Kravitz]

Even Northwestern looked at Indiana as Apache.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Now Northwestern, by the way, has now surpassed Indiana is that they've got the most losses now in X amount of time. Wilburn was telling me about that the other day. But Indiana IU is a basketball school. It has always been a basketball school.

[Michael Wilbon]

Right.

[Tony Kornheiser]

And that satisfies people. Or were they angst ridden about the football team?

[Bob Kravitz]

No, they weren't. They were completely apathetic. You know, which is one of the reasons why Signetti came in with, you know, all the guns blazing. He wanted to wake everybody up. But yeah, they had been beaten into submission by all the losing and, and basketball is the lifeblood of this state. And so nobody know, nobody screamed and yelled, we stink at football. I mean, they were just, they were just proud of themselves. They never lost the tailgate.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Okay, can you recall the first time you ever saw or heard from Signetti and what you thought?

[Bob Kravitz]

Sure, it was at his press conference. And I thought he was a little. Course he didn't answer questions. You know, I mean, the whole I win Google Machia was because you. It Wasn't him being funny, it was just he was so pissed off at being asked over and over again, how are you gonna fix this? And he finally had had enough and said, I win. Google me, for God's sake. And I thought he was a little wacky, I thought he was a little audacious, I thought he was a little cocky. But. He's been great. He's been unbelievable. And he continues to have great one liners.

[Tony Kornheiser]

So one of the questions I wrote, this is the exact question. This is actually unbelievable, right? It is.

[Bob Kravitz]

It is unbelievable. It's unbelievable.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah. I mean, they've been terrible forever and ever and ever. And overnight. Overnight this guy comes in and he brings D2 players. He doesn't even have D1. How did he do this?

[Bob Kravitz]

Well, I mean, he got a lot of guys from, you know, group of five schools, couple of FCs. Yeah. I mean, he's taken you look at the talent disparity, all the five stars at Oregon and Alabama and Indiana doesn't have any five stars. They've got two, four stars. I believe in the starting lineup, they're almost all two stars. Which just goes to show you that stuff means absolutely nothing. And it shows you the importance of really elite coaching.

[Tony Kornheiser]

He's obviously a great coach and it took a while for anybody to even learn who he is. He's, he looks like he's, he looks like he's arrogant. He looks like he's mad all the time. He really does. He's got a, he's got a permanent scowl. I'm, I'm interested in him. Because again, this is unbelievable. This is high stakes D1 football from a school that never won. It's amazing.

[Bob Kravitz]

It is incredible. And you know, everybody asks him, he did a thing on 60 Minutes and they asked him, what's the secret sauce? And honestly, there's nothing, nothing real compelling about it. It's just process, you know, all the buzzwords you hear from coaches, all the buzzwords. And you know, I don't think there is a secret sauce. I think he just. Accountability process. All that stuff that you hear from every single coach, they do all the basic things. Right. They don't beat themselves ever.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Do you think it's possible, I'm just wondering that because they does not have five stars, that he has people that are not so highly recruited that they are more willing, those players are more willing to do what the coach says to them than guys who are such stars that say, I'm going to pros, I don't need this junk.

[Bob Kravitz]

Right. I Think there's a real. There's a point there. You know, these are a lot of kids who want to be coached, who know they need coaching, and they seem to be very receptive to it. And they play like. I mean, they just play so beautifully as a team. The complimentary football is off the charts.

[Tony Kornheiser]

So I'm not there. I'm not physically in Indiana. I'm not swept away by Indiana to this point. I remain skeptical. Like, I think most of the country remains skeptical. Where you go, well, you know, It's Indiana. It's 100 years of losing. It's Indiana. And yet they rolled Alabama and they just. They just killed Oregon. I, you know, I thought that Oregon could. I didn't say would. Wilbon thought they would win the game. I thought they certainly could win the game because I've noticed how these rematches go. And Dante Moore just lost $50 million in that game. Don't you think?

[Bob Kravitz]

There's no question that before the game, I was reading some stuff on the athletic that they, they saw Dante Moore as the number one quarterback choice in the. In the NFL draft, and Fernando is number two. I don't know how you watch any of the season. I don't know how you watch the last two games in the CFP and determine that Dante Moore is a better quarterback than Fernando Mendoza. I mean, Fernando is a different character now. I mean, he's an odd duck, but he's very. There's a very endearing way about him. But I think. I think clearly he's the number one choice. If I'm the Las Vegas Raiders, I'm grabbing them.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Are you grabbing Signetti as well?

[Bob Kravitz]

No, you can't have him.

[Nigel]

No.

[Bob Kravitz]

We've gone through 144 years.

[Michael Wilbon]

Crap.

[Bob Kravitz]

You cannot get. Give us. Give us this much. Okay, I'm. He's not going anywhere.

[Tony Kornheiser]

So I made this little note because I'm a public school kid. Mendoza has now gone to Cal and to Indiana, which are two of the best 10 academic public schools in the country. Is that meaningful on any level, or am I imposing a hierarchy here that I shouldn't?

[Bob Kravitz]

Well, it makes me wonder how the hell I got in. But, you know, he's already got. He's going for his Masters. I think he's going to have his Masters by the end of the semester. He's just a really sharp, sharp kid, and I think everybody saw that from his Heisman Trophy speech, which I thought was really inspired. You know, just a smart kid, and I think, you know, he understands the game at a Very granular level, and I think he's going to be a terrific pro.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Are you skeptical about playing Miami, do you think? Yes. It finally comes to an end. This is the Cinderella turns into a. You know, the glass slipper just turns into something bad. What do you think?

[Bob Kravitz]

Yeah. No. No way. No, I think they're going to win. I don't think they're going to blow Miami out.

[Guest or Caller]

I just.

[Bob Kravitz]

I don't see that. I think Carson Beck is a good quarterback, but, I mean, they're a juggernaut. They're the big red machine at this point, and they're just blowing everybody away. And it doesn't seem to matter that there's this incredible talent disparity. I think they're going to win. I think they're going to cover the spread, which I think is six, six or seven. You know, I don't see anybody stopping them at this point.

[Tony Kornheiser]

You don't think it's a tremendous advantage for Miami to be playing at home? What a stroke of luck. Play at home for the national championship.

[Bob Kravitz]

I think it's going to be like a Super bowl crowd. I think it's going to be like 50. 50.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Really?

[Bob Kravitz]

Yeah. I've been following the Indiana ticket situation, and a lot of the Miami people are putting their tickets up for sale and the secondary market, I mean, this.

[Guest or Caller]

This.

[Bob Kravitz]

The prices are just out of this world right now. I think this will be the most expensive CFP game ever. But I think. I mean, you look at the way Indiana dominated the Rose bowl and the Peach bowl, in terms of fans.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah.

[Bob Kravitz]

I see no reason why they can't do it again.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Okay. All right. I just. I had one other question because I. You know, I remember covering Rick Carlisle when he went to Virginia. The Pacers have fallen off tremendously this year, though. He won a couple of games in a row. The Celtics have not. Celtics lost their best player, but the Pacers lost their best two players. What. What is life like there for the Indiana Pacers, who were fabulous to watch at the end of last year?

[Bob Kravitz]

Yeah, it's been pretty gruesome. I mean, they. At one point, they. They were missing five of their top seven rotation guys.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Wow.

[Bob Kravitz]

You know, and they, you know, now Obi Toppins out. Neesmith is just coming back. Nemhardt was out for a while. They have been absolutely obliterated by injuries. They're starting to get healthy now. They won two in a row. But this is going to be like the 1996 San Antonio spurs, who lost David Robinson and Sean Elliott and won. Won the lottery and got David Robinson.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Now the one like they got Tim. They got Tim Duncan, right?

[Bob Kravitz]

Tim Duncan.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Excuse me, excuse me.

[Bob Kravitz]

Yes, Tim Duncan. Thank you.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah, and that worked out because they won four titles.

[Bob Kravitz]

Yeah, that worked out pretty good. So I think, I think the Pacers are in great, a great position right now, as painful as this season's been.

[Tony Kornheiser]

All right, well, thank you so much for being on again. People can read [e-mail] and maybe we can make you a buck or two doing that. Thanks, Bobby. Thank you.

[Bob Kravitz]

Thank you, man.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Bob Kravitz, boys and girls. We will take a break. We will have email and jingle when we return. And I am Tony Kornheiser.

[Bob Kravitz]

You're listening to the Tony Kornheiser show.

[Tony Kornheiser]

That is the Zama Middle school guitar class. Zama in Japan. That's pretty cool. You want to do the Bethesda bagel ad for.

[Carol]

Yes. Bagel sandwich day? Always happy about that. Bethesda bagels, we love them. You will as well just go to bethesdabeagels.com for the location in the DC area nearest you. Then pop on in and you'll be thrilled.

[Tony Kornheiser]

And before we get to the mailbag, let me just say you got a smile so bright. You know you could have been a candle I'm holding you so tight. You know you could have been a handle the way you swept me off my feet. You know you could have been a broom the way you smell so sweet. You know you could have been some perfume. You could have been anything you wanted to. And I can tell the way you do the things you do. Those are the temptations. That's one of the great songs of all time.

[Carol]

I believe this is the anniversary of Berry Gordy founding Tamla Records.

[Tony Kornheiser]

That's a good move by Barry Gordon, who I think is still with us.

[Carol]

I think he is.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yes, he's still with us. Thanks to our guests today, Michael Wilbon and Bob Kravitz. Thanks as well to today's sponsors. Remember, you can listen to us on Apple podcast. Spotify ought to see if you get showed through Apple. Please leave us a review. A haiku from Shad about the Bears 18 point comeback. Wilbourne had to be at least a little surprised. Yes, he was a little bit surprised. A little bit. A little bit from Barry in Panama. First the Hoosiers destroy Oregon to advance the the CFP championship game. And then the Bears beat the packers in dramatic fashion. Pretty good weekend for Indiana football team, the Indiana Bears. Coming to you from Keith Garfield in retrospect it seems the Virginia Legislature was on to something in 2023 when they tried to sue so that Signetti could get into the playoffs. Yeah. Jeff Bartlett Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Official U.S. naval Academy Midshipman Imposter of the TK Show Holy cow, it happened. After three decades of loyal littledom, I finally had a David Aldrich moment On Friday's show. You read an email explaining the difference between Indiana University, Purdue University, Indianapolis IUPUI and Indiana University, Pennsylvania iup. I stopped in my tracks and I said iup. I know that school as I'm a proud alum. Class of 89. IUP is a Division 2 school located in Indiana, Pennsylvania, about two hours outside of Pittsburgh. The Signetti family is synonymous with the football program. Kurt Signetti's father, Frank, was head coach. I didn't know this for 19 years, ending in 2005, where he also coached his other friend, his other son, Frank Jr. Now the OC at IUP. Kurt got his first head coaching position at IUP in 2011 and stayed for five years before moving on to Elon, JMU and ultimately Indiana. IUP football alumni include Jim Haslett, Chris Valerio, Ahmed Brooks and Rashad Jennings. Other notable alumni Art Rooney, founder of the Pittsburgh Steelers, and Chad Hurley, the founder of U2. From Eric Samuel in Orinda, California. The PAC12 has sent a team to the championship more recently than the SEC. That is all. Tim McGeary, Durham, North Carolina. There's finally a game I can play. I too have met an astronaut. In spring 1991, when I was in the eighth grade at Shadyside Academy in Pittsburgh, I was the middle school representative who got to meet Jay Apt, a Shadyside graduate on the Atlanta space shuttle crew and one of the astronauts who did a spacewalk on that mission, the first since 1985. My role that day was to accept the school pennant that he took into space with him. This is a big deal to me, if I may add a humble brag. On March 1, I will become dean of libraries for the University of Rochester. I'm excited to move back north, though. I need to buy a Lillehammer jacket and I'll finally be close enough to go to Syracuse. Mets leches are re night this summer. If the role isn't taken, may I be the official dean of Libraries for the the show? Sure, sure. University of Rochester. I wanted to go there. From Phil and Herndon, 1963 My mom heard that John Glenn and family were moving from Houston to Houston from Arlington. She, being ever intrepid, drove me over to see if we could get a glimpse. My mom was that annoying family member who took photos at all family events before it was so prevalent. My cousins are now glad she did. She has captured lots of memories. My neighbor, retired retired mail carrier in Arlington county delivered his mail and there's a picture of John Glenn and his family.

[Carol]

Isn't that great?

[Tony Kornheiser]

Isn't that nice? From Gary Van Giesen if the new game is meeting astronauts, I lose. I've never met or come close to an astronaut. However, I very much enjoy walking the dog and admiring the moon, so at least I've got that going.

[Guest or Caller]

That's Good.

[Tony Kornheiser]

From Roy McCarra in Canfield, Ohio Just catching up with past episodes on the podcast Due to the holidays with respect to the price paid for the scone, you were looking at the you felt obligated to make a purchase since you parked your car for free and could not believe you had to pay $3.95 for a scone. Look at it this way. You had to pay $395 to park your car in a very crowded area and they threw in a scone for free. That's a better way of looking at it. Yeah. Joe Klein, Panama Heights, Ohio Hey Ankles. Where I'm from, that'd be the only acceptable nickname for a guy who broke both ankles twice. Three times. Thanks. Tell my dad Bob Klein in Northeast Pennsylvania the won by Erie to Eat it Robert Hurt Tony, you probably don't remember me, but I am the retired superintendent of Juvenile detention that opened up a bread store and sent you a necklace. I didn't go bankrupt, but I am joyfully, completely retired. Your show talking about your opinion on statues reminded me of my daughter's experience. She has no interest in sports in spite of the fact that she is six' one and could care less about basketball or any sport. While in grad school at Boston College, about a year behind Luke, she got a part time job checking people in at the gym. The guy came in and she asked for his id. He said nobody asked him for that before and she said she was doing what she was supposed to do. Her response? His response was that he didn't have an ID on him, but there was a statue of him just outside. My daughter told me his name was Doug something. I would like to be considered the official retired juvenile detention superintendent and bread store owner of the show. Please tell Corey Kite eat it. Thanks. That's nice. Brian, Rochester Hills, Michigan we recently spent some of the holiday at Pinehurst for my son's junior golf tournament. I want to say thanks we used your recommendation for Ironwood one night. The family enjoyed it greatly. The Ironwood Grill. Yeah, sat by the bar, had great food and service. I almost dropped your name. I don't think it would mean much, but since I don't really know you and it is beyond ridiculous. If you and Michael ever go back, I would highly recommend the Workshop Tavern in nearby Aberdeen. Well worth a 10 minute try. We go to the Holly Inn too. I like the Holly Inn very much.

[Nigel]

Doug.

[Tony Kornheiser]

It's the Pork chop from yeah. Mark Hughes in Ashton, Maryland Dear Skipper, I was thrilled to hear you play Brian Dunn's music on Friday's show. I have a 70 song music playlist that I simply call cool songs and includes I'm gonna die down here by Brian Dunn as well as so glad you made it by Fantastic Cat. Who is Fantastic Cat, you might ask? It is a supergroup consisting of Brian Dunn, Anthony d', Amato, Dom Di Lego and Mike Montale. All very accomplished musicians. Thank you for introducing your listeners to so many great artists. Logan pitter I'm a 12 year old boy from Dublin, Ohio. My dad introduced me to your show in PTI about three months ago. He's a longtime little and has kept me informed about all your inside jokes so far. My favorite part of the show is Wednesday when Nigel goes down to the zoo and gets picked from Reginald. I'm very tech savvy. I'm frequently helping out my grandma with her phone. I'd be happy to assist Michael with the struggle against your phone. I really like your show and PTI so far. So far. So far so far. Andrew in Innisfil In Ontario and Canada, we're experiencing some midwinter thaw today, melting the five foot tall mounds of snow off our lawns and driveways. What's more, we're getting rain shortly and the wind will be gusting over 70 miles an hour. Kilometers per hour. I don't know what that means. It's different way of measuring things. Chances of our sewer drains being overwhelmed or increasing by the minute and I find myself staring out the front window scowling as though the impending storm might be just intimidated enough to pass us by. Am I doing it right? Any tips? No, I don't. David Epstein in New York Nigel is indeed correct. Dialing for dollars was a mainstay of local television in the 60s and 70s, having originated on radio in your relative backyard of Baltimore. Formats varied a bit, but in general the movie host would announce the day's password and the prize amount and then call a random viewer if said viewer picked up the phone. Yeah, kids, back in the day, we picked up the phone because we did not know who was calling and knew the password, they would win the assigned prize. While the segment appeared on dozens of local stations across the country, likely its most famous host, coincidentally also in Baltimore, was one Oprah Winfrey.

[Guest or Caller]

Wow.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Oprah was working at WJZ as a co host of the talk show People are talking for my money. The most memorable version of Dialing for dollars was when SCTV parodied the show. The humor peaks when station manager Moe Green, not that mo Green, brilliantly portrayed by Harold ramis, calls him Mr. Paul Pope, only to discover these actually reached Pope Paul. Spoiler alert. The Pope was not watching the station and fails to collect the prize money from Marco Frank in St. Albans, England. I was rather hoping that when you did speak to Mr. Sherman, the conversation would have gone like this. You can have my answer now if you like. My final offer is this. Nothing. Not even the cost of the difference between the new price and the old price, which I would appreciate if you would put up personal. And from dena, near donora. Just now my washing machine said it was doing a software update. I'm afraid to do another load of laundry.

[Nigel]

Watch out for the dishwasher if you're.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Out on your bike tonight everyone is always do wear white. How much weight do you think I could bench press? Just make a guess.

[Bob Kravitz]

Ballpark figure.

[Guest or Caller]

On a Sunday at 9 I went for a drive couldn't cry anymore so I stopped at a dive I told the bartender I was looking for God? He poured a whiskey on ice and said you found the right spot he said that woman there has stories to tell? We sit and listen as she drinks from the well? Haunted by memories of things that she's done but I just remind her that she's loved if church was a bar we'd all be welcome no need to pretend that ain't where you came from make friends with a stranger leave your shame at the door you could come as you are if church was above? He said the man with the beer he's been here since five? He's been told that he's broken and wrong all his life looking for acceptance he can't seem to find and I always tell him him he's welcome anytime the church was a bar we'd all be welcome no need to pretend that ain't where you came from make friends with a stranger leave your shame at the door you could come as you are if church was a father.

[Tony Kornheiser]

If.

[Guest or Caller]

Church was a father. We all searching for the light. Girl the thing is it never left your side. So I paid my tab and thanked him again for showing me grace I didn't expect he said no need to thank me just pass it down and always remember the lost can be found if church was a bar we'd all be welcome no need to pretend that ain't where you came from make friends with a stranger leave your shame at the door you could come as you are if church was a. Church was a the church was a the church was a. Sam the lights are all down Main street and the air is getting cold I can see the trees in the windows I'm guessing that I'm not alone when I say it's been a year Some of us are ready to get the hell outta here Sometimes times life changes with the seasons I gotta believe that there's a reason December I hope it clears a path for all you new beginnings you let go of the past December hope the cross is not not too late it's okay to let go to go to walk away it reminds you there's beauty in the brand new I hope it leaves you better than December. Snow is falling softly it reminds me of home I should call my mom and let her know I'm doing good here Lately things are moving fast this time of year reminds me the hard ones never last I'm thankful for all the days I got in for the love I found lessons not forgotten December I hope it clears a path for all your new beginnings you of the past December. Day it's okay to let go to go away it remind you there's beauty in the brand new I hope it leaves you better than it found. December I hope it clears a path for all your new beginnings you let go of the past December hope it grows enough too late it's okay to grow walk away it reminds me this beauty in the brand new I hope it leaves you better than it FL. December.