“Son of Gary Braun”

Summary

The Tony Kornheiser Show

Episode: "Son of Gary Braun"
Date: June 15, 2026

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Episode Overview

This episode blends the show’s trademark mix of sports analysis, personal anecdotes, and an evolving conversation with friends and family. Tony and the regular crew (Michael Wilbon and Nigel) are joined by young sportswriter Spike Braun for a multi-generational, multi-sport discussion. Topics include the New York Knicks’ historic NBA Championship, reflections on generational golf outings, the Washington Nationals’ improbable winning streak, the NBA and NHL finals, memorable moments in golf, the challenges of outdoor baseball in Las Vegas, and the evolving world of sports journalism.

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Major Discussion Points & Highlights

1. Facing Technical Difficulties and Power Outages

• The show opens informally with Tony describing a recent lack of power at his house, forcing the last show’s recording at Michael's home.
  • Quote: “We had no power the last show we did on Friday...We went to Michael's house, and now we're back in this house.” (00:52, Tony)

2. Three Generations on the Golf Course

• Tony, Michael, and Michael’s son “Bootsy” played Columbia’s Father-Son tournament—a moving experience for Michael as a parent and Tony as a grandparent.
  • Michael discusses teaching children to play golf: “You want to make sure they have clubs they can swing...make sure they’re playing appropriate tees...But the amazing thing is once you get inside of 100 yards, he's playing the real golf course.” (03:15, Michael/Unknown Guest 1)
  • Tony jokes about missing a key putt: “We missed the shop credit by one shot. I missed the putt on the last hole.” (05:24, Tony)
  • Emotional parenting moment: “I was crying on the way home and I just told him how much the game meant to me.” (04:04, Michael/Unknown Guest 1)

3. Aviation Adventure: Nigel's WWII Bomber Ride

• Nigel details a bucket-list experience: flying in a restored WWII B25 bomber, “Made in the Shade.”
  • “You could easily fall out. There was very little...restrictions. This, they were like, you can’t go through the bomb bay because you might fall out…” (08:50, Nigel)
  • Tony quips: “Weren’t they a rock and roll group?” (09:59, Tony on B52s)

4. Washington Nationals Baseball (Nats) Update

• Recap of a Nats’ turnaround after a bad loss, leading to a win streak and newfound offensive power.
  • “How is this happening? ...They now have the MLB-leading total run runs, 392, which puts them six over the Dodgers.” (10:35, Unknown Guest 1)
  • Praise for hitting coach Borg Schulte’s impact: “He's taken a team that didn’t hit at all and made them the best hitters in the league.” (10:49, Tony)

5. Talking Soccer and Sports Poetics

• The group riffed on the World Cup, soccer “poets”, and American perceptions of the game.
  • Tony laughs: “Shut up, the soccer poets, that tell you it’s the beautiful game...because you’re a fool, and you like other sports, bestial sports, like baseball.” (12:39, Tony)
  • Light soccer recaps, stories of Scottish fans in Boston, and field/turf oddities.

6. Golf Deep-Dive: Bud Cauley’s Canadian Open Win

• Touching story about Bud Cauley, a promising golfer who finally earned his first win on the PGA Tour after a devastating car accident.
  • “His 238th start on the PGA Tour, and he had never won...And he started to cry. And it’s lovely. It’s just lovely.” (14:07 / 15:10, Tony)
  • Jim Nantz’s on-air call recognized: “Sometimes it takes a long time for a bud to bloom.” (16:05, Tony quoting Nantz)

7. NBA and NHL Finals Recap with Michael Wilbon (20:38–34:40)

Knicks’ NBA Title & Experience vs. Youth

• Wilbon contextualizes New York’s win: “They were all callused...All the Knicks players and the coach...had taken their lumps. They were all ready for this. They were ready for the postseason. They were ready to play in Manhattan, which is completely difficult...” (21:50, Wilbon)
• Analysis of Spurs’/San Antonio’s struggles: “They weren’t ready for the moment...they made the wrong choices.” (23:50, Wilbon)
• Tony and Michael credit Jalen Brunson’s clutch performances and discuss the “depth of bag” versus nerve. Wilbon: “I treasure more than how deep somebody’s bag is...I care how deep your guts are...” (25:23, Wilbon)

NHL: Carolina’s Cup and Rod Brind’Amour’s Legacy

• Wilbon reflects on seeing teams win as both player and coach; Tony: “Isn’t that nice? Do you know him [Brind’Amour] at all?” (27:48, Tony)
• The unlikely Long Island goaltender, Bussy, and comparisons to Jalen Brunson’s journey.

US Open & New York Golf

• Banter about the difficulty of playing New York golf courses; Michael: “Golf in New York’s too hard. I’m not up for it...” (30:40, Wilbon)

Las Vegas Baseball’s Potency

• Outrage over the bandbox quality of Vegas’s outdoor minor league ballpark, leading to high-scoring games. “We have to stop outdoor baseball in Las Vegas. This has to be stopped.” (32:04, Tony)

8. Spike Braun: On Covering the World Cup for USA Today (37:43–46:05)

The Next Generation in Sports Journalism

• Tony marvels at Spike (Carter) Braun, a college student at Georgia, covering the World Cup for a major outlet.
  • Spike describes earning the job: “It was a selective process, but I was lucky enough to make it, and it's been a blast so far.” (38:51, Spike)
  • “I’ve got real credentials. I’m credentialed for any stadium in North America...I actually had five stories published in like the last 24 hours.” (39:55, Spike)
• Spike discusses his soccer bona fides as an ex-goalkeeper, and his coursework prepping for World Cup reporting.
• Humorous discovery: “At a Turkey training session, somebody asked if I was the son of Gary Braun, which shocked me.” (40:48, Spike)
• Tony jokes: “The newspaper business is disappearing. So hold on to this gig. Hold on to this one.” (41:11, Tony)
• On World Cup geography: “Especially since they have expanded it this year from 36 to 48 teams…Germany-Curacao...I mean, you just felt bad.” (42:48, Spike)
• Spike on expenses: “The Sports Media Institute’s comping hotels, some meals…worked a little before, so got a little cash built up. But also: your dad.” (45:13, Spike)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments with Timestamps

• Three generations golfing:

  • Michael: “Every parent who is introducing the game to their kid knows about this first one...” (03:15)
  • Michael: “I was crying on the way home and…told him how much the game meant to me.” (04:04)

• Family, friends, and community:

  • Tony: “We were nestled in a good area there…they were people you knew well.” (06:55–07:18)
  • Michael: "Just see the brothers interacting like... that’ll be you with your younger brothers in a couple years.” (07:18)

• Nigel on the WWII bomber:

  • Nigel: “I got to fly... there’s a shot of me playing around with a dummy .50 caliber machine gun.” (08:35–09:06)

• Wilbon on Knicks’ experience:

  • Wilbon: “They were all calloused...They were all ready for this. They were ready for the postseason. They were ready to play in Manhattan.” (21:50)

• Tony on Jalen Brunson:

  • "He is not an elegant player...but he gets to where he has to be and makes those shots. He is so valuable.” (24:49)

• Spike Braun’s big leap:

  • “If I told myself three years ago that that would be the case, I would probably tell myself that I was lying. Yeah, I've got real credentials.” (39:55)
  • “They've only got us doing the group stage, but…they've got a hungry college kid in Spike Braun that's coming for those jobs soon enough.” (44:35, Spike)

• Tony on the state of print media:

  • “The newspaper business is disappearing. So hold on to this gig. Hold on to this one.” (41:11)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

| Timestamp | Topic/Segment | |-----------|-------------------------------------------------------------------| | 00:52 | Power outage update, banter about recording logistics | | 02:13 | Father-Son-Columbia Golf Tournament reflections | | 07:44 | Nigel’s WWII bomber adventure | | 10:06 | Washington Nationals update, praise for Borg Schulte | | 12:21 | Soccer/World Cup talk, turf issues, anecdote about Scottish fans | | 13:47 | Golf: Canadian Open, Bud Cauley’s career win | | 20:38 | Interview with Michael Wilbon – NBA/NHL Finals, Knicks’ victory | | 32:04 | Outdoor baseball in Las Vegas, weather/altitude impact | | 37:43 | Interview: Spike Braun reports on the World Cup for USA Today | | 41:32 | Spike on soccer expertise and learning the ropes | | 45:13 | Spike on expense accounts and logistics |

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Tone & Style

The episode is classic Kornheiser—informal, intimate, and conversational. There are inveterate inside jokes and generational barbs, but also real moments of emotion (family golf, overcoming adversity), curiosity (on historical aircraft or new sports media opportunities), and trademark Tony skepticism (on soccer, new stadiums, and disappearing newspapers). The group’s chemistry, the blend of deep sports knowledge and affectionate ribbing, keeps the dialogue lively and charming.

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Summary for New Listeners

If you missed the episode, you missed heartfelt stories about family, sports achievement, and the onward march of both time and careers. Tony and Michael Wilbon celebrate New York’s hoops triumph and trace the threads of experience that separate winners from neophytes. In a narrative only this show can muster, you’ll also encounter evocative tales of golfing with kids, joyrides in antique bombers, a young sportswriter making his tournament debut, and readers’ fond memories of sports and friendship across decades.
Biggest takeaways: There is no substitute for experience (in basketball and golf), the Nationals might finally be for real, the World Cup is a family affair, and it pays to keep your sense of humor, no matter your age or vantage point.

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Notable Closing Quotes

• “He is so valuable, right?” (24:49, Tony on Brunson)
• “He is totally self-made…every team in the league could have chosen Jalen Brunson more than once, and they didn’t.” (27:24, Wilbon)
• “This is tremendous. Do you like this work? Is this the kind of work you would like to go into at some point?” (40:23, Tony to Spike)
• “The newspaper business is disappearing. So hold on to this gig.” (41:11, Tony)

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For music fans: Several independent bluegrass and folk songs featured—by Lee Stivers and Amy Melisson—keeping the show’s musical tradition alive.

For sports fans: There is something here for lovers of basketball, baseball, golf, and global soccer—woven together with a very human, very Kornheiserian touch.

Transcript

[Tony Kornheiser]

Hey, it's Tony. On today's show, we will talk with Michael Wilbon about the Knicks winning their first title in over 50 years. We'll also talk to Spike Braun, who's covering the World cup for USA Today. Let me say that again. Who's covering the World cup for USA Today? But first, Commerce. Previously on the Tony Kornheiser Show. When you look at Knicks games on TV every once in a while, when you look at this series and you see all the celebrities, you know, around the court, do you ever think, well, I'd like to meet that guy? Or I'd like to meet this guy? And do you ever think, ah, boy, I couldn't even get in the front three rows. They'd put me in like eight or nine or ten. I'm not as big as these guys. Do you think that?

[Michael Wilbon]

I'm not even sure I can get

[Tony Kornheiser]

into the 100 section, Tony.

[Michael Wilbon]

I mean, with this.

[Tony Kornheiser]

The Tony Kornheiser show is on now. Okay, so we have a lot to talk about. And the first thing we have to talk about is an update on the lack of power. We had no power the last show we did on Friday. So we moved out of this house. We went to Michael's house, and now we're back in this house.

[Unknown Guest 1]

But rather.

[Tony Kornheiser]

What?

[Unknown Guest 1]

Darkness visible.

[Nigel]

Sorry, can I see the emails? There's a great email about this show

[Tony Kornheiser]

me that so, but, but Sean has to be, you know, we're leaning on Sean. Sean has to be part of this because. Sean, what is it? Did something get burned out when the power went off? We're not sure.

[Nigel]

Nigel and I will do some testing later and determine if something got burned out or not.

[Tony Kornheiser]

But there's a possibility that it has been burned out. Oh, here's, here's, Nigel is handing me an email from Mike in Los Alamos, New Mexico. Los Alamos is where they.

[Nigel]

They both bomb.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yes, in Los Alamos. You're doing the show from Michael's. Ain't you got no electricity at your house? You must feel pretty dejected, Tony. Dejected. That's funny. Mike Mount. That's very funny.

[Unknown Guest 1]

I appreciate it. My favorite part was Liz just coming in from the kitchen every, you know, every segment or two, just to add her commentary, you know, so a lot of thoughts on the emails.

[Nigel]

It was wonderful.

[Tony Kornheiser]

So we'll see what happens. The professor, you know, we'll see what happens.

[Michael Wilbon]

All right.

[Tony Kornheiser]

We have a couple of things that we have to talk about right off the top. One is the Father Son tournament at Columbia. Michael and I And the baby boy, Bootsy, the oldest one.

[Nigel]

Three generations.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Three generations. We played and. And it was so nice. I think it was Sam Neill who said it first, how great it was to see three generations like that.

[Unknown Guest 1]

So I got even, but I got it from Sam and from our, our good friend Colin St. Maxins. They sent out the T shirt. Oh. In a playoff. He chipped in on 15 yards. And they always wear matching outfits.

[Spike Braun]

Love it.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yes. Colin Thomas and Max.

[Unknown Guest 1]

But they send out the T sheet and both of them just text me that they're like so happy that Walker's or Boots, he's getting out on the course.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah. So I think that was really good. I want to thank Steve Delmar, the head pro at Columbia, for allowing that to happen, not worrying about whether or not we would hold people up. It was a very slow day, so we didn't.

[Unknown Guest 1]

It was for.

[Tony Kornheiser]

We didn't hold anybody up. And you should explain your strategy with Bootsy after a tee shot. You would.

[Michael Wilbon]

What would you.

[Unknown Guest 1]

So after. I think every parent who is introducing the game to their kid knows about this first one. You want to make sure that they have clubs that they can swing because back in the day we just use, you know, old cut down clubs. But you want to make sure they're playing appropriate tees. So a lot of courses put up family tees. This is a bigger tournament, so we're not necessarily putting the tees down the fairway. And I want to make him feel like he's actually playing the course. So I have him tee off with you, but I make sure that I bring him to the fairway, he's hitting off of a tee or I give him a good lie in the rough. So I made sure that was okay. With the professional shot, we were all playing off of one card, but you want to actually make sure the kid can play the golf course. And unfortunately, Columbia is an incredibly hilly course, even more so when you start to play the forward tee. So sometimes it's good to get out of our own little silo of where we play, whether it's the backs, whether it's the middle tees, and just see what the other angles look like. So he's sometimes hitting tee shots straight into a ring. Like, just have at it, kid. Yeah, I run down, I pick it up, I put it in play. But the amazing thing is once you get inside of 100 yards, he's playing the real golf course. And luckily his favorite shot is a 30, 40, 50 yard pitch shot. And he hits these terrifying shots with a ton of speed, hits the middle of the green. And he had a. At one point, he had a great up and down from a bunker. I was trying number three, famously, where we stopped talking above the hole. He makes a four footer and just looks at me like it's nothing to go. Okay, under 10, they can do it. But before the day even starts, I'm trying to tell him when we get to the range, it'll look different. This is a full field event. The entire range is stacked. And again, when you try and look out through someone else's eyes, just imagine being a nine year old kid, you're just about five feet tall, trying to hit next to men. Guys who are playing on the Maryland Amateur next week who are whizzing it past you with speed. And I was just so happy to see that he met every obstacle he tried. And I was crying on the way home and I just told him how much the game meant to me to see the two of you quietly driving away.

[Tony Kornheiser]

I had him in the car with me.

[Nigel]

Did he give you any tips on the trap?

[Unknown Guest 1]

Yeah. Try this. Open the club face, stack it left. He could have.

[Tony Kornheiser]

I stink. I can't get on the traps. But we're wonderful. So what was very nice about it, and I should say that we did not, we did not get any shop credit. We were one shot out.

[Unknown Guest 1]

And I'm.

[Tony Kornheiser]

We finished 63 net. 62 net was the last, the last people to get shop credit. I missed the putt on the last hole. Literally a birdie putt on number seven.

[Unknown Guest 1]

It's not even that we both three put it a par three, because I think we were so focused to try and make sure we got through holes and to make sure that the little guy was protected that sometimes it led to some quick for me, some quick bogeys.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yes. So Michael at one point had four straight birdies, but other than that, was consumed with his son, which is.

[Unknown Guest 1]

It's also one of those things you're like, okay, I know there's timestamps where it's like, we got to take a shade break, we got to go reapply. It gets the generational stuff that I'm sure you thought about in fleeting moments. But like, until you're there with your own kid, you're like, okay, I gotta make sure we refill the water bottle. Cause I know it's not coming back up for another couple holes or.

[Nigel]

Yeah, there was no Bobby Knight sort of speech like at the back nine. Be like, all right, kid, now you oughta really step Up.

[Unknown Guest 1]

You want that Gatorade?

[Spike Braun]

Really?

[Tony Kornheiser]

You gotta earn it. It was really lovely. I was really, you know, taken by it. I mean, I was. You know, I'm not good with children. I know that. But I.

[Unknown Guest 1]

But he's now old enough where he is a. I mean, he's a kid.

[Spike Braun]

Yeah.

[Unknown Guest 1]

It's like you guys got to. Made sure he got his lunch first. You guys had a great, like.

[Tony Kornheiser]

He lunched great buffet. Turkey. Yeah, lunch was great. No, no, Turkey club Yesterday. No, at the. At the buffet. No, no turkey club. So we finished out of the money, but we both had a good time and we remained talking throughout all of it. Throughout all of it. And it was. It was really nice.

[Unknown Guest 1]

I got some pictures, sent them to mom.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah, it. There's be. We got sort of lucky on the people ahead of us and behind us. Tom Jones, not that Tom Jones and his two boys were ahead of us, and Walter and Roy and Sam Neill were behind us. So we were. We were nestled in a good area there. We didn't have to worry about hitting into somebody or somebody hitting into you. They were people you knew well.

[Unknown Guest 1]

And the power of community. I got to explain to my son, I'm like Sam behind me. I was friends with him when I was your age. His dad was my baseball coach. And just see the brothers interacting like. That'll be you with your younger brothers in a couple of years.

[Tony Kornheiser]

So that was us. Nigel had an adventure beyond anything. We were on a golf course. We were on the ground playing golf, something we do a lot. Why don't you tell the people what you did over the weekend?

[Nigel]

Well, I've always had a fascination with history, as I think most people know about me. And growing up in England, we used to hear from the old timers all the time about the American bomber boys that came to fight the Germans and help win the war. So I've always had a fascination with your American bomber planes. And there's a commemorative air force that has restored a couple of old bombers that were built back in the 40s.

[Tony Kornheiser]

They're built almost 100 years ago.

[Unknown Guest 1]

Yes.

[Nigel]

One is a B17, which is sort of like the main bomber for the Allies in World War II. That one, it was called Sentimental Journey. That one did not fly combat missions, but they had a B25. And for people who want to know what bomber that is, the Jimmy Doolittle Raid, where he flew off the carriers to. To attack the Japanese. It's a B25. That was his plane. And the one I flew in is called Made in the shade. And that did fly combat missions in Italy.

[Tony Kornheiser]

You were up in the air. There are no doors on this thing.

[Nigel]

That's not true. The doors.

[Michael Wilbon]

No.

[Nigel]

But, yeah, I got to fly.

[Tony Kornheiser]

No, you're looking out because you're running the gun.

[Nigel]

Yes. Yeah. There's a photo of me with a.50 caliber machine gun.

[Tony Kornheiser]

He could fall out of the plane.

[Nigel]

No, they had Plexiglas. Now, I've done this ride before in a B24 where there were no window, like you could. You could easily fall out. There was very little, you know, restrictions. This. They were like, all right, you can't go through the bomb bay because you might fall out. But, yeah, there's a shot of me playing around with a. With a dummy.50 caliber machine.

[Tony Kornheiser]

You're up in the air.

[Nigel]

Yes. We flew around for about a half an hour at Warrington.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Wonderful, right? Oh, thrilling.

[Nigel]

It was just not for me, but

[Unknown Guest 1]

beautiful day for it.

[Nigel]

Oh, it was perfect weather. There's the night before the, like. Oh, yeah. We had to cancel, like, half.

[Unknown Guest 1]

Oh, the storms.

[Nigel]

Yeah, the storms were terrible.

[Unknown Guest 1]

Beautiful sunset, though.

[Nigel]

But I thought of you always. Beautiful. I thought of you in the B25 because I had a seat where I could crawl all the way up to the nose. And then you're basically sitting in, like, a plastic bubble that's just flying over the ground. And they had these steep banking turns that I was like, tony would not be enjoying this at all right now. But it was wonderful. If anyone has any interest in doing the Commemorative Air Force, it's all the money goes to help restoring the aircraft. And it's just an absolute and wonderful people all across that were. That were there.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Let me get.

[Unknown Guest 1]

The B52 is not the 25.

[Nigel]

I talked to one of the guys who was flying with me, a passenger used to fly B52s. So, yeah, it's just. Just wonderful.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Weren't they a rock and roll group?

[Unknown Guest 1]

I was making. I was making the band comment. Now it looks like anomalous three.

[Tony Kornheiser]

So the Nats. The Nats won on Saturday and the Nats won on Sunday. They got blasted on Friday and I thought, okay, they'll never recover from what happened last week to the Giants. And then they won on Saturday. It was three nothing then three. Three. And they won, I think six. Three yesterday. They. They won easily. They won ten to one.

[Nigel]

Yeah.

[Tony Kornheiser]

You know, Meatball Nicholas gave you seven. Strong was good. He was really good.

[Unknown Guest 1]

Produced nothing but grounders.

[Tony Kornheiser]

How is this happening? They're now two over, right?

[Unknown Guest 1]

Two or three more than that. They now have the MLB leading total run runs. 392, which puts them six over the Dodgers.

[Tony Kornheiser]

I'd like to hear a little bit of credit go to Borg Schulte.

[Michael Wilbon]

Yeah.

[Tony Kornheiser]

You know, because he's taken a team that didn't hit at all and made them the best hitters in the league.

[Nigel]

It's amazing. Yeah.

[Unknown Guest 1]

And this series was at home. You look at it, they give up that run in the first. Woods immediately hits home run and his

[Tony Kornheiser]

20th home run of the year.

[Unknown Guest 1]

The big ending was. I think it was the fifth inning where it opens up with Cruz hitting a double. So you're starting to see production there. I think he's up to 10 RBI now, but the hits seem to come.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah.

[Nigel]

37 and 35.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Two over. Two over. Now this week, early in the week, they're playing Kansas City, who we root for because of Matt Catarro.

[Nigel]

Yes.

[Tony Kornheiser]

I don't know that I'm going to be able to get out there. You know, I have pti. I'm not going.

[Nigel]

Tough week.

[Tony Kornheiser]

But we wish him all the. It's. He knows that we can't root for him against the Gnats. We root for him against everybody else. We can't root for him against the Nats. But we hope he has a good time.

[Nigel]

Yeah, sure.

[Unknown Guest 1]

We hope to go to the 105 on Wednesday.

[Tony Kornheiser]

I can't.

[Unknown Guest 1]

What gets you back in time for pti?

[Tony Kornheiser]

I have to prep. I'm just, you know, I'd love to. I wish they were playing on the weekend last year. We went on the weekend.

[Nigel]

That's right.

[Michael Wilbon]

Yeah.

[Tony Kornheiser]

You know, but we wish it.

[Nigel]

But you just went through a little bit of a gauntlet and if you just said this, I apologize for repeating it. But through all the first place teams. Did you just say that?

[Tony Kornheiser]

I did not say that.

[Nigel]

But yeah, because it was the Braves and the Mariners who just took.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Seattle was a first place team.

[Nigel]

Seattle is a first place team.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah. That. The American League's terrible.

[Nigel]

It's not very good.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Chicago. The Chicago White Sox are the most amazing story in Cal.

[Unknown Guest 1]

Raleigh's still out, so, you know.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah. Cal R not playing.

[Michael Wilbon]

Okay.

[Tony Kornheiser]

What else? We'll talk to with Wilbon about the NBA series and the NHL series, both of which are over now.

[Unknown Guest 1]

Did you get into any of the soccer games this weekend?

[Tony Kornheiser]

Will Bon love soccer? I don't love soccer. I looked, I got. I saw the second goal that Japan got against the header. Yeah. I didn't know who had done it. And you know, I saw that and. And that tied the game against the

[Unknown Guest 1]

Netherlands, like, the 89th minute.

[Spike Braun]

I'm not.

[Tony Kornheiser]

You know, I'm not a. Yes. I'm not a soccer person. I respect it. I just. I mean, everybody knows this. You know, Shut up. The soccer poets, you know, that tells you it's the beautiful game. Tells you you can't possibly understand what's going on because you're a fool. And you like other sports, bestial sports, like baseball.

[Nigel]

Shut up.

[Michael Wilbon]

There is one thing.

[Unknown Guest 1]

There's one thing.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Shut up.

[Unknown Guest 1]

They did stories on this about the turf that they had to grow for this because they're putting a lot of real grass on, you know, on turf fields and to see how it plays out, because I think there was some concern that it'd be too bouncy or they would come. Literally come across. Come apart at the scenes. This is turf that they grew on plastic.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Have you seen potatoes that we grow in bags?

[Nigel]

Right.

[Tony Kornheiser]

I haven't. I don't know anything about the turf.

[Nigel]

Did you. Did you see the Scottish fans up in Boston?

[Spike Braun]

No.

[Nigel]

Did you see any of this?

[Unknown Guest 1]

Is this the story about people who are discovering American fast food?

[Michael Wilbon]

No.

[Tony Kornheiser]

That's even beat Haiti.

[Nigel]

Yeah.

[Tony Kornheiser]

I know this because Bertini was rooting

[Nigel]

for Haiti, but, like, the Scottish took over Boston. There was, like, bagpipes marching through everywhere, and the stands are singing all these songs. It was just like. It was like all of Scotland was in New England this weekend. Just wonderful.

[Tony Kornheiser]

One other thing. The Canadian Open was played this weekend, and it was won by a fellow named Bud Cauley. Bud Cauley is how old?

[Unknown Guest 1]

I'll pull it up.

[Tony Kornheiser]

He played college golf with Justin Thomas at Alabama.

[Nigel]

Okay.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Justin Thomas has gone on to win two majors.

[Unknown Guest 1]

36.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Justin Thomas is a star. They're the same age. I believe that they played together.

[Unknown Guest 1]

Yeah. Alabama.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Bud Cauley was better as a junior than Justin Thomas. Bud Cauley was, I think, the number one recruit at Alabama. He's never won a tournament. He got involved in a bad car accident about eight or nine years ago that had some lasting damage and some lasting effect. This was his 238th start on the PGA Tour, and he had never won. So he's not a great player. He's. But to win this and have a really good day, I think he shot 65 on Sunday, and it was. Got very nervous at the end. He had. He was three clear going into 17, I believe. Then he bogeyed 17. Then his tee shot on 18 landed in an impossible spot right above a bunker so that he has no real Stance. And he's got it. He made a great shot out. He got on the green and made. He had to get six on holds par five. He had to get six. He made five and he won. And he started to cry. And it's lovely. It's just lovely. I mean, he was overcome. His wife was there, his two kids were there, and he finally won. This is a guy who could legitimately have expected when he got on the tour to be a star.

[Michael Wilbon]

Yeah.

[Unknown Guest 1]

Or at least like in that range of 6 to 10 wins over this amount of time.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah. That, you know, that kind of player. And they finally won. Did you see the wind?

[Unknown Guest 1]

I did not. I followed it from afar. There was another amateur golf event that was on later in the evening, Curtis Cup. But no, you hear stories a lot about these can't miss prospects and then they don't even end up maintaining a tour card if they get one. But it's a reminder as to the hard professional nature of this job. We hear so much about the winners and the people that were always in the limited field events and you forget about. There's a working class nature of these players that, like, it's really hard to maintain tor card and make this a job.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yes. And so he. He went. They announced. Announced that earlier. Jim Nance.

[Unknown Guest 1]

Jim in his element.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Great line, Jim, because he's Bud Cauley. And he said, you know, sometimes it takes a long time for a bud to bloom. Wow. It's a great line by Nance. It really was good. But they read a tweet. I guess it's a tweet from Justin Thomas, who was not playing in the event and called him Young William. I mean, I'm sure his name is William Cawley. Called him Young William, said, go out and win this and enjoy the walk up 18. Well, the walk up 18 was because he had his terrible. He had this terrible tee shot. And it wasn't a terrible tee shot. It ended up in a terrible spot.

[Nigel]

Right.

[Tony Kornheiser]

It took him three to get on and then he had the putt and he made a very good putt. He was within a foot, so he knew he was going to win.

[Unknown Guest 1]

Almost as stressful as that birdie putt for you on seven.

[Tony Kornheiser]

I missed it. If I'd made that. If I'd made that, we'd have had $40 shop credit.

[Unknown Guest 1]

But you banged in a par putt on six.

[Tony Kornheiser]

I did. I did. I. Part six the heart. The hardest hole on the front. You know, I did do that. I had nothing. You know, I had no pars I had a lot of bogeys and some doubles and no pars. And then I pard the last three, five, six, seven. And you know, you get strokes when Tony pars. Yeah, Tony's a 20.

[Unknown Guest 1]

The biggest shot you did was you helped the kids switch down to the hybrid for the last couple off the tee. And that was a big move.

[Tony Kornheiser]

He hits that better. He hits that better. Yeah. You know, he's. Did he have a good time?

[Unknown Guest 1]

He had the best time. I mean, he's a very. He's a very observant boy. So this he will be taught. He loved learning the names of the holes and then trying to come up with these, you know, reasons as to why it's called the queen or something. He just, he had the best time.

[Tony Kornheiser]

We had a wonderful caddy. We had Jared, who's a very, very good player, you know, and he was our caddy. And he couldn't have been better with. With Bootsy. I treated him like a golfer, you know, and that was great. It was. Had a wonderful time. So I wanted to mention all of that. And now I will. Shut up. And Michael Wilbon will join us when we return. I'm Tony Kornheiser.

[Unknown Guest 1]

This episode is brought to you by Fox 1. Watch all 104 matches of the FIFA World cup live in 4K for just 19.99amonth with 3 days free. Build your own multi view, choose up to three streams and follow players spotlights. Stay on top of every moment with live stats, highlights and instant replays. The FIFA World cup streaming live on Fox One, offers a subject to change. See fox.com for complete terms and conditions. You don't wash your jersey during a win streak.

[Michael Wilbon]

You don't switch seats when your team's

[Unknown Guest 1]

up big, and you definitely don't shave during the playoffs. When things are working, you don't change them. That's why when you drink Jagermeister, you

[Michael Wilbon]

drink it ice cold.

[Unknown Guest 1]

Anything else, well, that'd just be bad luck. Drink it cold or don't drink it at all. Jagermeister. Damn, that's cold. Drink responsibly. Jagermeister Liqueur, 35% alcohol by volume.

[Michael Wilbon]

Imported by Mast.

[Unknown Guest 1]

Jagermeister US White Plains, New York.

[Tony Kornheiser]

You're listening to the Tony Kornheiser show. These are Lee Stivers or Stivers and Amy Melisson. They have sent us things from their premiere album. Something tells me everything will be all right. The album draws on memories from Augusta. Not that Augusta. Augusta Heritage Center's blues and bluegrass weeks as well As a whole era of gigs performed by their former band Amy M. And the Coattail Riders. This is lovely. This is called Half Acre. Lee has a master's in vegetable crops from UC Davis and a 30 year career in ag research and education focusing on commercial production of horticultural crops, home gardening and pest management. She says if you had her on as a guest, she could talk about potatoes, the whole thing.

[Unknown Guest 1]

Two years ago she took up the

[Tony Kornheiser]

mandolin when she turned 40 when a co worker told her she needed a hobby. How great is that? Amy is a singer, songwriter, teacher, classically train soprano. It's wonderful. This is sent in by Clark Hanson in Old Saybrook, Connecticut. And again Amy Melisson and Lee Stivers or Stivers. This is Half Acre. It plays in Michael Wilbon. We I just an overall question. We now have both the NBA and the NHL decided and the winning teams were something like 16 and 3. They killed it. What do you think of that?

[Michael Wilbon]

Yeah. Good season? Not, not the best. We've seen people with better than 16 and 3.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yes.

[Michael Wilbon]

Seen several teams with better than 16 and 3 and me in person, both sports. But they're good. They're champions. They won. That's all. That's all you want to ask. I don't need to, I don't need them to be historic. But Carolina, who I probably have never watched play before the month of June in any season. Right. Being a kid who grew up a fan of an original 16, I don't, I, you know, Carolina to me is some outlier. You know, they did this. They won 20 years ago. They won 2006, I think. Yes. And they won. They, you know, they won now. And so that's a hell of an accomplishment. Like you said, they had a historic, not a historic season. They had a great ride like the Knicks. They had both of them at 16 and 3. They had, you got to win 16 games and they both had, you know, really good runs and very similar postseason. So good for them.

[Tony Kornheiser]

The Knicks won in five. Exactly as you thought. The Knicks won all three games in San Antonio. What do you make of that?

[Michael Wilbon]

Yeah, well, Tony, you know, San Antonio is not time. It's not their time. They're not ready yet. They don't know enough. And you know, that's been, you know, my hill to die on for years. When you have a team that is, that is coming for the first time and not ready, it's players, not it's franchise, it's players. And the spurs, oh my God. Couldn't have been more neophyting. First time and meanwhile, the Knicks were all callous. All of their players were callous, whether that was with the Knicks or somewhere else. You know, a guy like Mikhail Bridges that had taken his lumps with the Suns, Carl Anthony Towns with Minnesota and then with New York once, Jalen Brunson with Dallas and New York, you know, they all, you know, OG Anunoby had actually won and lost in Toronto and Indiana. So they've all. They. All the Knicks players and the coach who I like a lot and know pretty well, you know, they all had taken their lumps. They were all ready for this. They were ready for the postseason. They were ready to play in Manhattan, which is completely difficult in greater New York, to play, and take those lumps and have it so that after trailing 2:1 in the very first series, people want your coach fired. All of the things that are tended to playing in the likes of just New York, Philly and Boston, I don't think anywhere else is quite that difficult. But they were ready for that stuff, and San Antonio wasn't. So that part of the equation is not a surprise to me.

[Tony Kornheiser]

I thought that when Benyama and Mitch Johnson froze, I thought they froze. Wembanyama continued to take dopey threes. Mitch Johnson didn't substitute and say, get out of here to people who kept taking dopey threes. I think Aaron Fox de' Aaron Fox is probably going to be on another team next year. I think this will land on him. He can't land on Wembanyama. But do you think that they both froze as well as I think?

[Michael Wilbon]

Of course, that's what not being ready is. That's it. That's. That's the deal. They. They. They weren't ready for the moment. People talk about being ready for the moment, ready for the stage, and it was great. You know, I really enjoyed listening to when Banyama, because he. He goes into these things saying, all right, I want this, I want this. I'll take it, and the consequences. And he does. And he doesn't shrink away from it. He comes back and he says, you know, he didn't do the right thing because he doesn't know the right thing. You're not gonna do the right thing if you don't even know the right thing. No, I know what the right thing is. I can't do it, of course, but I've seen enough of it to know who can do it. And Mitch Johnson can't do it, and Wembanyama can't do it, and Harper, Dylan Harper can't do it and Castle did it at the previous level, but not ready yet. So, you know, this is what can't do. It looks like it's specifically tone in those moments. Yes. They. They made the wrong choices.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah. So you get credit for seeing the Knicks thinking the Knicks would win in five and then not even have to go back to New York. I get credit for saying nobody on that team could guard Brunson when it mattered most. I mean, when it mattered most. He is not an elegant player and he's not a big player, but he gets to where he has to be and makes those shots. He is such a valuable. And, you know, there's a difference between valuable and great. He is so valuable, right?

[Michael Wilbon]

Yeah, he's valuable, and there is a certain kind of greatness in him. And I. I treasure more than how deep somebody's bag is, which is the phrase of the decade. What does that mean for youngsters when they talk about how bad your bag? What's your skill set? What's in your bag? His bag is deep. He went into his bag, so, you know, he went into his bag. That's the phrase. And I don't care how deep your bag is. I care how deep your guts are and what your nerve is and whether you win the game, not how deep your bag is. And so Brunson's bag is increasingly deep because he keeps working on stuff. He keeps adding things as he was in. He's a weasel. But, you know, that's not as rare as it used to be.

[Tony Kornheiser]

I know.

[Michael Wilbon]

But, you know, when I go to games now my son's a lefty. There's. There's. I would say 30% of guys who. Yeah, 30, if not more, because I

[Tony Kornheiser]

think it's harder to guard the lefty. Harder to guard a lefty.

[Michael Wilbon]

You know, it is. It is. It is. But it's less hard because you're guarding left. You've got to guard a lefty every day in practice or when you play, you know, two of your five rivals, you're guarding the lefties. So that is no longer, you know, it stuns me to go to these games and see that, you know, And I mean, that's all I do the last four years is go to high school and AAU basketball games, and a third of the kids, if not somewhere between a quarter and a third, are a lefty, if not more. And so. But Brunson. Brunson's game is made. It's made. He says he has a phrase, you know, the magic is in the work. You know. And I've gotten to know Jalen Brunson. He asked me to host his charity event in Chicago and I've done it and we'll probably do it again. And I really like him and his dad and his mom. And he's easy to root for. He is.

[Tony Kornheiser]

I think so.

[Michael Wilbon]

And he's totally self made. You know, he told me he was drafted in the second round. Every team in the league could have chosen Jalen Brunson more than once and they didn't.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Now he's a tough. I like him. I do. I like him. I don't want to hear this nonsense that he's the greatest Knick of all time. I want that to stop. I don't want to have to debate people under the age of 30. Shut up. But he was really. Yeah.

[Michael Wilbon]

Let me be careful now.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Let me go back to the Stanley Cup. Let me go back to the Stanley cup because I think it's wonderful that Rod Brindemore was on the team that won the last time. And now coaches. Isn't that nice? Do you know him at all? I don't know him, no.

[Michael Wilbon]

Not. Never met him. I don't know that I can remember. And you know, he was on that team 20 years ago. Yeah. And I think that's happened four times.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Has also won as a player and

[Michael Wilbon]

then wins as a coach and particularly as a player for that team.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Right.

[Michael Wilbon]

And the others were like a long time ago, like 19, 19 and 21.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Oh, wow.

[Michael Wilbon]

At least most of the. I think two of the three others. And look, I'm familiar with what that is because Mike Ditko won the only super bowl the Bears have ever won. He won a championship with that team and he won a championship with both.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah. How about this? Seven individuals, seven have done it. What's the most recent one? Other than Brenda Moore.

[Unknown Guest 1]

I will go back. It looks like you had Toe Blake, won a lot in the 40s.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Well, Toe Blake was Canadians coach. Yeah.

[Unknown Guest 1]

Yeah. You had Frank Boucher, Lester Patrick, Cap day, Joe Premier.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Lester Patrick was with the Rangers, I assume.

[Michael Wilbon]

Yeah.

[Unknown Guest 1]

So we had this. You're going.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Those are.

[Michael Wilbon]

Yeah.

[Tony Kornheiser]

You're going back. Mike's right. You're going back a long time.

[Spike Braun]

How about.

[Tony Kornheiser]

How about the kid in goal? How about this kid, Bussy?

[Michael Wilbon]

How about that?

[Tony Kornheiser]

How about him?

[Michael Wilbon]

Yeah. Yeah. He had a nice. He had a really nice regular season. But they. They even thought of him and said so in a release or somewhere. Officially at the time, as insurance. Goalie depth. He was. Goaltender depth.

[Tony Kornheiser]

And he was shut out in the clincher.

[Michael Wilbon]

Why?

[Tony Kornheiser]

How about that Long island kid? So I'm rooting for him, but he was undrafted. He's 27 years old. He. He could have been delivering, you know, packages the last five years.

[Michael Wilbon]

Well, I mean, there, the pedigree was very much like Jalen Brunson, a guy who had to make himself as a late bloomer, who nobody thought much of when coming out of high school. I mean, Jay Brunson was on championships.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah, he was on championship teams in Villanova.

[Michael Wilbon]

But Jay Wright. Jay Wright deserves a lot of credit. I saw Jay Wright in the Garden one night during the series because Jay Wright thought more of Jalen Brunson than other college coaches. He saw something and then helped develop it and set Jalen on the right course.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah.

[Michael Wilbon]

And that somebody did that with. With Bussy as well.

[Tony Kornheiser]

I know that you didn't watch Canadian Open. We talked about this yesterday. But the US Open is this week. Have you ever played Shinnecock and what. What do you think of it?

[Michael Wilbon]

I've not never played Chinne County. I've never played golf in New York. Anywhere in New York. I had this discussion with Matthew last night.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Really?

[Michael Wilbon]

Because I've played places that have hosted big events. Ryder Cups, US Opens, you know, the country club in Brookline. I've played, you know, member guests at places that never played in New York. No, it's too hard. It's too. Golf in New York's too hard. I'm not up for it. In terms of just getting there, getting your clubs there, getting the transportation there, driving an hour and a half from some midtown hotel to any golf course I want to play. I don't know for that now. I want to go three minutes down the road to my, you know, mountain front, desert. Go.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Oh.

[Michael Wilbon]

So I've never played it, but I'm excited to see it.

[Tony Kornheiser]

It's beautiful. Yeah. Sense of anybody.

[Unknown Guest 1]

That Neck and Westchester a little bit closer than Audi's, but.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, you can.

[Nigel]

Gotta go to the. What's the one in Cooperstown?

[Tony Kornheiser]

Oh, the Otis Saga.

[Unknown Guest 1]

Oh, you'd love that.

[Tony Kornheiser]

The Oda Saga is a great track. Yeah, I played, like, 30 courses in New York, but I haven't played Sleepy Hollow, which is where Cameron Young's from, and his father was the pro, but I played Westchester. Yet Jimmy Roberts is a member at Westchester. He'll get you on. It's not that. It's not.

[Michael Wilbon]

I don't have getting on.

[Tony Kornheiser]

You never played.

[Michael Wilbon]

Problem getting on. I've got friends who can get me on a lot of places. Okay. I am not up for taking five hours to get to and from the golf course that I'm gonna play on for four hours. That doesn't do it for me.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Okay. All right, now get to the other topic. And I have no idea. I have no idea at this hour in the morning what is going to be on the PTI show. But we have to stop outdoor baseball in Las Vegas. This has to be stopped. Did you see, did you see this? The Colorado, they are the worst team in baseball. They are by record the worst team in baseball. They got 23 runs yesterday against the Athletics that were in a minor league park outdoors in Vegas. And what is going on? That there's 100 home runs every night. What is this called?

[Michael Wilbon]

Call the desert. I know that. I know that people along i95 don't really have familiarity with anything west of Ohio.

[Tony Kornheiser]

I'm not going to the desert. Taking four hours to go to the desert and then being in the desert

[Michael Wilbon]

for 4 hours, 5 yard wedge goes 130. So. So if that's the case for me, it's going to be the case for anybody who swings a club or a bat.

[Tony Kornheiser]

So have you, have you played. I've never done this. Have you played golf in Las Vegas?

[Michael Wilbon]

Sure. Yes, absolutely.

[Tony Kornheiser]

And that's what happens. That. That's like being up in altitude. You get.

[Michael Wilbon]

It's a Sonoran desert town. It's all the same. Okay, so how many yards does it feel at 2600ft? And by the way, it's a half mile. The clubs I play at are 2600ft. The courses in Vegas that I like to play are, you know, anywhere between 1800 to maybe 26, 2700ft. So they're, they're approaching a half mile, if not a full half mile. And this is what is going to happen to a baseball or a golf ball. This is not mysterious. And they will play in a dome. Now, I don't know how that will minimize the effect when the, when the, when the dome opens.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Opens. Yeah, they're going to open it, Kim.

[Spike Braun]

Yeah.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Wow. It's just.

[Michael Wilbon]

Well, we don't know. We don't know. We don't know what. I don't know what the rules are going to be or what they. But this is again, when they play in Arizona, the Diamondbacks. Now that is not 2600ft. That's 55, because that's in downtown Phoenix on a valley floor. So you're not going to get a launching pad like you and the street, but the Colorado higher than that. But. But not 2600.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Remarkable. It's got to be. Stop. I mean, come on. Come on. It's like a bandbox. What are you doing? All right, I'll see you later.

[Michael Wilbon]

All right.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Tom Michael Wilbon, boys and girls. We're going to take a break. We're going to come back with Spike Braun. You know Spike Braun, who routinely wins.

[Nigel]

Yes.

[Tony Kornheiser]

The Final Four.

[Nigel]

Yeah. Bracket contest. Yeah.

[Tony Kornheiser]

But he's got a job.

[Spike Braun]

Yeah.

[Tony Kornheiser]

He's working for USA Today as a sports writer. And I'm sure that Gary and Kim are tremendously proud. And we're going to talk to Spike about what he's doing. I think it's like two in the morning where he is. Isn't he in Seattle?

[Unknown Guest 1]

I just hope a higher up is asking, how did you get on the Tony Kordizer show?

[Tony Kornheiser]

Just wonderful.

[Michael Wilbon]

So.

[Tony Kornheiser]

So he woke up in the middle of the night.

[Nigel]

Yes.

[Unknown Guest 1]

To be on the show or didn't go to sleep.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Or did he go to sleep?

[Nigel]

He's young. He can.

[Tony Kornheiser]

He's a kid. Spike Braun, when we return. I'm Tony Kornheiser. You're listening to the Tony Kornheiser Show. Every single day, your business is late to AI, you fall two days behind. Look, the competition is moving insanely fast, and it keeps you wondering how to actually keep up without losing your mind. And that's where NetSuite Next comes in. You probably already know NetSuite as the AI powered business management suite. Trusted by over 43,000 customers. It unifies your financials, inventory, CRM, and HR into one single source of truth. But NetSuite Next is a massive leap forward because AI is built into everything. It automatically surfaces custom insights throughout your day, and it has AI agents working alongside you to handle routine tasks. Plus, whenever you have a question, you just ask it like a colleague. It's customized for a wide range of industries. So whether your company earns millions or hundreds of millions, NetSuite Next is exactly what you want to use to scale. For the first time ever, you can try Net Suite Next for free. If your revenues are at least in the seven figures, go to NetSuite AI/Tony. Built for every industry, ready for every boardroom. Netsuite AI Tony.

[Unknown Guest 1]

No one goes to Hank's for his spreadsheets. They go for a darn good pizza. Lately, though, the shop's been quiet, so Hank decides to bring back the $1 slice. He asks copilot in Microsoft Excel to look at his sales and costs and help him see if he can afford it copilot shows Hank where the money's going and which little extras make the dollar slice work. Now Hanks has a line out the door. Hank makes the pizza. Copilot handles the spreadsheets. Learn [e-mail] work this is the Tony

[Tony Kornheiser]

Korneiser show once again. This is Amy Melisson and Lee Stivers, or Stivers, I'm not sure. This is a song called Cornbread and Butterbeans. These are trained musicians with other things that they do in their lives, which is really fascinating. Michael, if independent artists like Amy and Lee want to send in their original music and get it played on this show, how do they go about it?

[Unknown Guest 1]

Send us your music by emailing it to [e-mail] and we still have TK Triple working for Johnny O. I had

[Tony Kornheiser]

two more triples yesterday on the back.

[Unknown Guest 1]

Gotta get 94.

[Tony Kornheiser]

I stink boots will give you. I tripled 11. I tripled. I didn't even triple 17. I had 12 on 17. I just gave myself seven.

[Unknown Guest 1]

Yeah, you wrote the seven.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Just ridiculous. Spike Bruin is joining us in a capacity that makes us so happy.

[Michael Wilbon]

Yes.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Tell everybody what you are doing right now.

[Spike Braun]

Well, if you want the exact details of what I'm doing right now, I am laying in my hotel bed, you know, trying to stay awake. But we are, we are here. I'm in Seattle, actually. I've got the wonderful opportunity through University of Georgia's sports media program to

[Michael Wilbon]

work

[Spike Braun]

for USA Today and cover the group stage of the World cup in Vancouver and Seattle. So I'm in Seattle right now and I'm going to this Belgium Egypt game at 3pm Eastern time today. And it's, it's been a blast so far. So here to talk about that a

[Tony Kornheiser]

little bit, how did you get this gig? How? You're out of Georgia one year, right? Or you're, you're graduating next year?

[Spike Braun]

Yeah, so I'm graduating next year in Georgia. You know, they, they have these partnerships with the AP and USA Today. And so, you know, you've got to be on your toes because they'll, they'll send you an email and be like, okay, like in, I think this was back in November, December. They were like, okay, in two days we've got this tryout for you guys to cover the World cup, like do the prep work.it was at a local, like community college soccer game. And it was like, you know, you've got to write the game recap story, get some quotes at the end of the game. And it was. It was a selective process, but I was lucky enough to. And skilled enough to make it, and it's been a blast so far.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Let me just point this out. You're covering the World cup for USA Today. You have real credentials and a real byline, right?

[Spike Braun]

Yeah, it's crazy. If I told myself three years ago that that would be the case, I would probably tell myself that I was lying. Yeah, I've got real credentials. I'm credentialed for any stadium in North America, actually. And I. I've got my own byline. I actually had five stories published in, like, the last 24 hours, which is great.

[Tony Kornheiser]

It's tremendous. This is tremendous. Do you like this work? Is this the kind of work you would like to go into at some point?

[Spike Braun]

100%. 100%. It's. I mean, every single second that I've been out here so far, I've had a smile on my face. It just. It's so fulfilling. And I actually, in Vancouver a couple of days ago, ran into a little.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Really.

[Spike Braun]

It was at a Turkey training session, and somebody asked if I was the son of Gary Braun, which shocked me. It shocked me. And shout out hard to hall. I hope I'm saying that right. Wonderful woman based out in Vancouver. And yeah, they. They run deep for you, Tony.

[Tony Kornheiser]

This is wonderful, by the way. I just. I shouldn't say this out loud. The newspaper business is disappearing. So hold on to this gig. Hold on to this one. It's disappearing right now. So I guess I should ask this. Do you know. I don't know anything about soccer. Do you know anything about soccer? And how did you get to know it?

[Spike Braun]

All right, so I do. I've grown up. I was a goalkeeper for about a dozen years. I. Soccer was like my main sport growing up. So obviously through that I've watched a little bit and then, you know, going into. So once they chose us for this USA Today job, are we actually at a World cup class last semester just to, like, prepare all of us for what we'll be doing and familiarize ourselves with some of these teams. So that definitely helped my ball knowledge.

[Tony Kornheiser]

So I. I was watching the other day, we were getting ready to do pti, and the soccer game was on, and it was somebody whose initials I recognized against BiH. And I said, are they playing Behoovaland? Because I'd never heard of BiH and it turned out to be Bosnia Herzegovina. I never. If you gave me 60 shots at that, I wouldn't have gotten it so do you know, you know, are. You're familiar with all of the abbreviations and all of the countries in the World Cup, I assume at this point?

[Spike Braun]

I am, yes. I. It's, it's crazy especially since they have expanded it this year from 48, 36 to 48 teams. There are some teams in there that just you know, not, not that they don't belong because they've qualified and you know, it's, it's great for their nation. But I was watching the Germany Curacao game yesterday.

[Tony Kornheiser]

It was like 7:1.

[Spike Braun]

Yeah, I mean, you just felt bad. It just felt bad.

[Tony Kornheiser]

So who have you seen play live? Who have you reported on and written about?

[Spike Braun]

So far there's only been one game in Vancouver, in Seattle and that was on Saturday. It was actually at midnight Eastern time. So I guess Sunday morning, if you want to say it was between Australia and Turkey.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Oh, that was the upset or that's the American group, United States group. Yeah.

[Spike Braun]

Yes, it was. So I got to get to write a little bit about that preview Australia a bit as they, you know, now that game against the US has a lot more meaning. And yeah, today after I get off of this call, I will. Well one probably try to go back to sleep.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Go to sleep.

[Spike Braun]

Had had right to the stadium at like 9 or 10 local time and get the Belgium Egypt game today. So that's manifesting an amazing day.

[Tony Kornheiser]

How, how much of this do you get to see? Are you competing against other people to get, for example to the semis and the finals or are you just in the group stage and then that's it, good night.

[Spike Braun]

So they have us just for the group stage. Yeah, I would have loved and you know, I'm confident in my abilities, Tony, to the point where it's like, you know, they are, they've got me here for free and I am willing to write and I believe that I write well. And it's like, okay, you're paying some of these, these people, but you've got a hungry college kid in Spike Braun that's coming for those jobs soon enough. But yeah, they've only got us doing the group stage.

[Tony Kornheiser]

This is the most important question. Do you have an expense account? Can you eat for free?

[Spike Braun]

So they actually the Sports Media Institute's comp in hotels. Some of our meals, you know, we, we had to get our plane ride out here and you know, I've worked a little bit in the summer before, so I've got got a little bit of cash built up. But also your dad. Yeah,

[Tony Kornheiser]

Vancouver. Vancouver is Wilbon's favorite city in North America. He loves Vancouver. He loves it. I'm sure they have a Four Seasons or a Ritz. Get rid of these other kids and stay at the good spots. All right, Spike, this is great. Good luck. It's congratulations first and good luck second. It's great. We're so happy for you and happy for your whole family. Thanks.

[Spike Braun]

Thank you so much for having me on. It's always a blast and I really appreciate it. Tony.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Spike Braun, boys and girls. Who's whose byline name is Carter. Yes, Carter Braun. We will take a break. We will come back with email and jingle. I'm Tony Kornheiser. I am one of Motunui. On July 10, Mo you will board

[Unknown Guest 1]

my boat and restore the heart of Te Fiti.

[Tony Kornheiser]

And here we go.

[Nigel]

The journey begins.

[Lee Stivers or Amy Melisson]

See her light up the night in the sea she calls me.

[Unknown Guest 1]

The ocean chose you.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Let's go save the world.

[Michael Wilbon]

I got your back.

[Nigel]

Chosen one.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Disney's Moana Boat's neck. His name is Heihei his name is Yum when he goes in my tum tum.

[Unknown Guest 1]

In theaters July 10th. Rated PG. Parental guidance suggested.

[Tony Kornheiser]

You're listening to the Tony Kornheiser show.

[Unknown Guest 1]

Here comes Tony's mail back.

[Nigel]

Got your emails, faxes and your notes.

[Michael Wilbon]

Here comes Tony's mail back on a Ready some for all of you fools,

[Tony Kornheiser]

but don't send in faxes. Jason Fuse. We're happy to play that loves us Happy all the time. You want to do the Bethesda bagel ad?

[Nigel]

Yeah, bagel sandwiches today. Always happy about that. Just go to bethesdabeage.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 maybe if I pray every night you'll come back to me and maybe if I cry every day you'll come back to stay. Oh, maybe those are the chantels. That's from like the late 50s or early 60s. It's one of the greatest songs ever. Chantels. And maybe yes. Thanks to our guests today, Michael Wilbon and Spike Braun. Thanks as well to today's sponsors. Remember, if you can listen to us on Apple podcasts, Spotify and Odyssey. If you get show through Apple podcasts, please leave us a review from Shannon Griffin. I don't know if this email will make it to Tony or Michael and it's Michael Wilmot in this case. If it does or any sentiment has passed along. I started watching at a low point. In my life early 20s when PTI started on ESPN. Their comments and interactions over my 20s and 30s helped me change the direction of my life enough that I felt the need to send this message of gratitude. Thank you for helping change the way I saw the world and how to behave. That's just lovely.

[Nigel]

Yeah, it is.

[Tony Kornheiser]

From Sharon Arthur, this is along Arthur. Sharon Rather. Arthur Sharon in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Here's my lengthy New York City and msg experiences. In 1967 I was a freshman at Seton Hall University and my friend Louis, who has become Lou in the intervening decades, would take our limited resources and travel to the old garden on 8th Avenue and 49th Street. The drinking age was 18 and I, a 49er, was legal. But Louis, born in 1950, was a year short. We tried several bars for service and we were ultimately served at what then was the Triple Inn on 8th Avenue. They moved to West 54th street across from Studio 54. In the 70s it became our go to bar even after January of 68 when Louis became legal. From there, off to the Garden, we would pay $4 a ticket and sit in folding chairs behind the basket. The NBA had double headers then. The NBA wasn't quite the draw in 19, 19, 67 and 68, so we would get to watch two games frequently. The first game involved Bill Russell and his Celtics as an added draw for the somewhat apathetic New York City crowd. New York was a baseball and football town then. When the new garden opened in 68, we would still go to some games. During one doubleheader I told Lou, let's go down near the court and look for famous people. There wasn't a celebrity's row at that point. We were standing aimlessly around between games and someone tapped me on the shoulder and said excuse me and I looked up into the nostrils of 6 foot 10 inch Willis Reed. I was just shy of 5, 8 and he politely waited for me to move as he led his teammates onto the court for game two. From 68 to 72, I was mostly overseas in the Air Force intercepting Morse code messages. I was in the Philippines in 1970 when the Knicks won their first championship and several of us GIs at work from the New York area were listening to Armed Forces Radio rather than Morse code. And the late great Ralph Rotano would hold up a hand made hold up a hand made Knicks sign when they scored. I was happy to watch the Knicks win their third title last night. And like all old guys, I lamented that the games are now exclusively for rich folks to preen before cameras, but America's first religion has always been the worship of wealth. I'm glad Louie and I saw Bill Bradley's first game ever. I'm glad we sat with three San Diego Rockets after their opening game loss. Pat Riley, Henry Finkel and John Block. I remember the smoke filled Old Garden and the distinct aroma of cigar smoked smoke and spilled beer. I'm happy that New York won because I've been living in Philadelphia for 12 years now and as Michael can attest to, Philadelphians hate all things New York sports related. Good memories for a long time ago. Thanks for the memories. Peace be with you. It's very very nice From Jim Waldron in Wallingford, Connecticut Quick update on our match with the mats. We salvaged two of a possible five points in our Pratt and Whitney Analytical Engineers Golf League. My partner Dave St. Jean rolled his tee shot off on the par three ninth, leaving him 75 yards from the hole. He then proceeded to hole out for birdie, helping us capture the needed two points. We're comfortably in second place this week. We have Mark Costa and Matt Glick currently ninth place. I have my noise canceling earbuds ready and Mark Costa is politely what we like to call a talker, usually in your backswing rover critical punt. We appreciate your enthusiasm for our golf league and we want to deliver on your request for a T shirt. Let us know what size and color you would like and we'll be sure to deliver. I thought I'd share our league spreadsheet with you see attached to give you a sense of the level of detail and data this league tracks. Finally, if you find yourself in the Hartford, Connecticut area on a Monday night, we are often in need of substitutes. In the summer months. We charge $10 to sub and that money goes towards the year end cookout. Isn't that nice? That is from Chris Martin in East Lansing, Michigan. I was at the audience last night for a Dan Byrne concert in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The show had all the TK salutes and private jokes and moments of oppression social commentary one would expect from a Dan Byrne performance. Dan even played the year by year Barry Bonds Home rung Total songs Fantastic. But what impressed me the most was the kindness and humanity that Dan Burns showed for the people behind the scenes at the venue. The sound crew was not having a good night. Things kept going wrong. It came out that the head soundman had been on the job less than two weeks. I've seen these same sound issues come up before at this venue. The sound goes wrong and performers get Frustrated artists that I like blame the sound crew and lose their patience. Not Dan Byrne. He took the sound man under his wing. He blamed his own equipment. He unplugged. He walked into the crowd, played a great show on an acoustic guitar. He built up the brand new soundman with kind words. I have respected Dan Byrne, the musician and songwriter, since I first heard his work on your show. But I learned a lot tonight about Dan Byrne the man. He builds people up. He's the kind of guy I would want on my team. That's just lovely. Just lovely. From Perrin Anderson in Knoxville, Kentucky. Not fried chicken. Ice cream is fantastic. It's created by Life Raft Treats, started by one of my best friends from high school and his wife based in Charleston, South Carolina. They make ice cream that looks like other foods. Michael should definitely order some for his kids birthday party.

[Spike Braun]

Cool.

[Tony Kornheiser]

We have a birthday tonight.

[Michael Wilbon]

Yeah.

[Nigel]

Oh, okay.

[Unknown Guest 1]

Boy turns four.

[Tony Kornheiser]

The captain is four years old tonight. From Michael Dinga in Louisville, Kentucky. Thought I'd pass along my recent robot from phone interaction with my new health insurance company. Although certainly automated, it was clearly meant to be a more friendly conversation. How do I know this? Well, because before responding to my various phone keypad prompts, the voice on the other end of the line, no doubt reading from the prepared script, also stated out loud the emotion that they were supposed to emote, quote, enthusiastically. Thank you for calling, quote confidently. That's great. Let me check on that quote empathetically. That's okay. We can find the information another way. Of course, the last thing you could hear was me shouting representative as I hung up the phone in frustration. Yes, it happens all the time. From Jeff Pratt. Have you tried unplugging and then plugging the house back in? Always works for me on a power ravage. If you're out on your bike, Tiny, everyone, as always, do wear what? Have a little faith, baby.

[Michael Wilbon]

Have a little faith.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Sam.

[Lee Stivers or Amy Melisson]

I am holding half an acre torn from a map of Michigan and folded in this scrap of paper is a land I grew in. Think of every town you've lived in, every room you you lay your head and what is it that you remember? Do you carry every sadness with you? Every hour your heart was broken. Every night the fear of darkness lay down with you. A man is walking on the highway, A woman stares out of the sea and light is only just now breaking. So we carry every sadness with us. Every hour our hearts were broken. Every night of fear and darkness lay down with us. But I am holding half an acre torn from a map of Michigan and folded in this scrap of paper that can crack the darkest sky wide open. Every burden taken from me Every night, my heart unfolding my heart.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Sam.

[Lee Stivers or Amy Melisson]

Corn bread and butter beans and you cross the table eating them beans Loving you as long as I am able Holy corn and cotton when the day is over Ride the mule and cut the fool Love again All over. Goodbye. Don't you cry. I'm going to Susie I know. Barking dog and a big fat hog. Merry Susie I know Ding dong sing songs I'll take a trip to China. Cornbread and butter beans Back to North Carolina all corn bread and butter beans. You across the table eating them beans Loving you as long as ie. Corn and cotton too when the day is over Ride the mule and cut the fool and love again all over. Man shoes, drinking booze goes against the Bible. Neck of tie will make you cry and cause you lots of trouble. Streetcars, whiskey bars, kissing pretty women. Women. Yeah. That's the end of a terrible beginning. Cornbread and butter beans and you across the table eating them beans Loving you as long as I am able. Corn and cockatoo. When the day is over Ride the mule and cut the fool and love again all over.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Sam.

[Lee Stivers or Amy Melisson]

I can't read. I don't care. Education is awful. Raise the heck. Write checks. It ought to be unlawful. Silk hose and frilly clothes Just a waste of money. Come with me and say. Stay with me and say you'll be my honey Cornbread and butter beans and you across the table eating them Me loving you as long as I am able Co and corn and cotton too when the day is over Bride of you and cut the moon Let love get all over.