“That’s it, that’s the list!”

Summary

The Tony Kornheiser Show

Episode: “That’s it, that’s the list!”
Date: July 10, 2026

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Episode Overview

This episode of The Tony Kornheiser Show follows the show’s ever-popular format: starting with the day's fresh sports headlines before veering off into topical diversions, familiar banter, and personal stories. The agenda is anchored by two deep-dive interviews: first with tennis journalist Christopher Clary, live from Wimbledon, and then with baseball analyst Tim Kurkjian, who gives a midseason MLB surprise report. Around the guests, Tony and regulars Michael, Bootsy, and others riff on everything from their own golf games to the legacy of John Riggins and the emotional texture of power pop music. The tone is conversational, witty, and self-aware—classic Tony.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Quick Sports Hit: World Cup and Nationals

• World Cup news: France beats Morocco; swiftly dismissed ([02:21]).
• Nationals: Did not play; Tony laments the entire division winning ([02:30]).
• Baseball banter: Tony lightly jokes about not having anything positive to report, Bootsy tries to lighten the mood with Tom Hanks movie marathon trivia.

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2. NBA Summer League—Hype and Realism

• AJ Debancer vs. Darron Peterson: Tony delves into the pressures facing these two top draft prospects.
  • "Statistics don't really matter that much in summer leagues. Nonsense. Let's understand this. 70% of the people who are on the court are never going to play in the NBA." – Tony ([03:22])
  • Tony concludes that early returns are promising for Debancer, easing local concerns about the pick: "This morning, there's a bunch of guys walking down K Street not saying we picked the wrong guy. They're saying it looks like we picked the right guy." ([04:15])

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3. John Riggins’ Number Retirement—Washington NFL Nostalgia

• Tony’s take: Makes the case for Riggins as the greatest Washington player, outpacing even legends like Sammy Baugh and Darrell Green ([04:29]).
  • "That's the greatest play yards in the history of the Washington football team. The greatest play. But I'll make the case he's the greatest player." – Tony ([04:58])
• Quirky anecdote: Riggins once showed up in full uniform and pads for his Ring of Fame induction ([05:44]).

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4. Golf Stories: Family, Performance, and Pressure

• Tony narrates his round of golf, crowing about an “iron shot up in the air majestically” and the nerves of playing with family watching ([06:14-07:22]).
  • "That was the kind of exhale that Annika Sorenstam had on her first try when she was playing in the Colonial." – Tony ([08:27])
  • Michael joyfully describes the generational moment of watching son Bootsy and dad Tony on the course ([08:52]).
• The group riffs on club pressure, posting scores, and the peculiar joys of fast-play morning tee times ([10:00-11:30]).

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Feature Interview I: Christopher Clary—Wimbledon Breakdown

Wimbledon Schedule and Djokovic’s Advantage

• Conversation on how the tournament’s new schedule gives some semifinalists, including Djokovic, two days’ rest ([16:01]).
  • Clary: "It helps him for sure ... he's a master at [recovering]. But odds still against him." ([16:55])
• Analysis of how 39-year-old Djokovic is benefitting from Alcaraz’s absence but still facing a fierce challenge in Sinner.

Jannik Sinner's Chances

• Sinner has the tools to beat Djokovic if he “hits 90% of his level,” but his nerves have shown—first round five-setter still troubles Tony ([18:16]).
  • Clary: "He melted down in the heat ... the doubts could resurface." ([18:41])

Atmosphere: Djokovic and the Crowd

• Tony is surprised at how much support Djokovic is getting from Wimbledon crowds ([19:38]).
  • Clary: "There was a real groundswell for him ... I think that's part of the reason Novak's still playing ... grand old man, you know, Jimmy Connor style. 39 years old." ([19:53])

The Arthur Fery Story

• Emerging British wild card Arthur Fery’s run has captivated the crowd and press. Clary delivers his bio—a homegrown, French-British hybrid who’s not a physical giant but quick and composed.
  • Clary: "He’s a man for a couple continents ... but he’s a small player for the modern era. He moves like you need to move at that height." ([21:09])
  • Tony: "Everybody’s doing the obvious thing and calling it a fairy tale." ([22:22])

Women's Draw: Gauff’s Surprising Loss

• Both Gauff and Mohova had match points and made “mind-bendingly bad shots,” but Mohova seized it in the end ([25:52]).
  • Clary: "It wasn’t so much the choice of the drop shot, but the indecision with that match point that really cost her." ([25:52])
• Discussion of controversial time violation against Mohova in the tiebreaker—Clary is disappointed in the robotic enforcement ([27:13]).

Serena Williams’ Future

• Clary is optimistic Serena will attempt the US Open: "From everything I’m hearing, she wants to keep playing, Tony. So I think ... there’s more to come." ([28:12])

Memorable Quote:
Tony (on Clary): "Great pleasure to have you on all the time. I mean, you’re the most literate guy in the world." ([28:45])

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Feature Interview II: Tim Kurkjian—MLB Surprises at Midseason

Washington Nationals Surging

• One of the “most surprising” teams, ranking second in home runs and first in stolen bases ([31:36]).
  • Kurkjian: "I did not see [the Nats] being this good, like actually in playoff contention at this point." ([31:40])
• Kurkjian praises the young manager’s openness and drive to learn, especially from veterans like Buck Showalter ([33:02-35:03]).

Miami Marlins and New-Style Play

• Both Nationals and Marlins have low payrolls, aggressive baserunning, and productive shortstops ([36:29]).
  • Kurkjian: "They are a different style team and that's one reason why they're significantly better than most people thought." ([36:29])

Pitching Trends: Babied Arms, Lost Milestones

• Tony and Kurkjian lament modern pitcher usage—starters pulled from perfect games ([38:02]).
  • Kurkjian: "The more we try to protect our pitchers ... the more they get hurt." ([38:12])

Trades and the Torkelson/Skubal Dilemma

• Tigers’ dilemma: trade ace Tarek Skubal for the future, or go all in for a miracle run ([40:57-42:27]).
  • Kurkjian: "If you have a chance to win this year, you win this year, then you figure out next year, next year." ([42:27])

The Vanishing 300-Game Winner

• With Verlander at 266 wins and younger stars not close, Tony and Kurkjian agree we’ll never see 300 wins again ([43:01]).
  • Kurkjian: "Nobody’s going to 266 again. ... That’s it. That’s the list." ([43:51])

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Tony, on the new era of MLB pitching:
  "We don’t even allow our pitchers to be great anymore." ([38:12])
• Kurkjian, with a signature “that’s it!” moment:
  "That’s it. That’s the list." ([43:51])
• Bootsy, on quirky golf commentary:
  "Did you lose a ball?" ([10:47])
  Tony, deadpan: "No, I just stink. No, I’m no good. I’m just no good." ([10:48])
• Tony, on generational sports fandom:
  "I hope I did well. I certainly did." ([09:53])
• Clary, describing Djokovic:
  "He’s a funny, expansive thespian at heart." ([20:51])
• Kurkjian, on baseball’s changing game:
  "There’s a different way to play the game ... take the game to the other team, punch them in the face first and see what they do." ([37:53])

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• NBA Summer League Top Pick Banter: [03:22 – 04:20]
• John Riggins/NFL legacy discussion: [04:29 – 05:48]
• Golf family story & generational moment: [06:14 – 09:53]
• Christopher Clary/Wimbledon interview: [12:32 – 28:51]
  • Djokovic's rest: [16:01 – 16:55]
  • Sinner’s prospects: [18:16 – 19:38]
  • Arthur Fery profile: [21:09 – 22:22]
  • Gauff/Mohova tiebreak drama: [24:29 – 25:52]
  • Serena outlook: [28:12 – 28:42]
• Tim Kurkjian/MLB surprises interview: [30:53 – 45:55]
  • Nationals rise: [31:36 – 35:03]
  • Marlins/new style: [36:29 – 37:53]
  • Pitching management: [38:02 – 40:57]
  • Skubal trade dilemma: [40:57 – 42:27]
  • Vanishing 300-win club: [43:01 – 43:51]

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Additional Show Flavor

• Music Interludes: Show features listener-submitted music (Sponge Tones) and celebrates a new release by Frieda Ruiz Berman ([14:32], [53:37]).
• Literary asides: Tony laments the passing of Bonnie Tyler with a dramatic reading of “Total Eclipse of the Heart” ([47:47]).
• Mailbag: Playful emails riff on inside jokes, power pop, baseball quirks, and farm culture ([47:05 – 53:23]).

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Summary

This episode is a stellar Tony Kornheiser Show installment, blending insightful sports analysis, multi-generational storytelling, and characteristically warm, wry humor. The tone is loose yet informed, with lively banter and thoughtful observation on everything from tennis narrative arcs to the future of MLB pitching. Guests Christopher Clary and Tim Kurkjian deliver sharp, topical commentary, and Tony’s signature blend of nostalgia and irreverence ties everything together.

Transcript

[Tony Kornheiser]

Hey, it's Tony. On today's show, we will go across the pond to chat with Chris Clary about what's going on at Wimbledon. We'll also talk to Tim Kirchen about what he sees as the biggest surprises in the first half of the season. But first, commerce.

[Show Announcer]

You're listening to the Tony Kornheiser Show.

[Tony Kornheiser]

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[Bill Simmons]

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[Show Announcer]

Previously on the Tony Kornheiser Show.

[Member of Phillies Front Office / Guest]

You know, the fact that you're treating them like your children, that's great. Going out and watching them over them every day. And you know, I'm sure that if they could text, you'd be texting them, you know, on a regular basis saying, how are you doing? So I get that and I will say, and I mentioned it to you before, we did a PTI segment last week that, you know, I'm making a phone call because I'm trying to find out information about the Phillies and how they're progressing. And I'm talking with a member of their front office. And the first question is, how's your crop doing?

[Show Announcer]

The Tony Kornheiser show is on now.

[Tony Kornheiser]

All right. In World cup news, for people who care, France beat Morocco. Okay, that ends our World cup segment. Nats didn't play last night.

[Michael]

Tough night for you. You know, I got a tough night for the Nats. The entire division won.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah, I got nothing. I got nothing.

[Bootsy]

I should have called you. Turner Classic was doing a whole marathon of Tom Hanks movies. Sleepless in Seattle. That thing you do.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah. Oh, boy. Anyway, so that's the Open. No, I've got more. I've got more. AJ Debancer last night, with all the pressure in the world, as the number one overall pick had not played in the summer league at all, was playing against a team with Darren Peterson. These are the two teams that tanked for years, Utah and Washington, to get in a position to pick these players. Darren Peterson had had a great game the night before or two nights before, whenever it was 25 points, 12 assists in 28 minutes. Now, statistics don't really matter that much in summer leagues. Nonsense. Let's understand this. 70% of the people who are on the court are never going to play in the NBA. So the only reason to look at summer league is for very specific things like how does this guy look? A guy who's important. And Peterson has looked great. His team had beaten the Band's team twice in the two times they've ever played in high school. The Bancus got 45 points against Peterson's team. Peterson got 61 points against the Bance's team in college, Kansas beat BYU. Okay, so they. So Peterson was 2 0. Peterson came into this thing with a chip on his shoulder because he wanted to be the number one pick. And he said so out loud a number of times, I felt all the pressure was on the Bancer, all the pressure in the world. And he performed. He outscored Peterson. He had a very fine performance. So this morning, there's a bunch of guys walking down K Street not saying we picked the wrong guy. They're saying it looks like we picked the right guy. It looks like it's a wash. And so you can pick either one that you want. Debancer played very well last night. I wanted to mention that the only

[Michael]

summer league I'm paying attention to is from the Timberwolves right now. If you go to their Instagram, Nathan. Picture of Nathan Bubis.

[Tony Kornheiser]

He won the game.

[Michael]

He was his first dub for Coach Bubis.

[Tony Kornheiser]

How great is that? That's just wonderful. That's wonderful. One other thing to say before I get to the most important thing, which is my golf game, but one other thing to say, long overdue. John Riggins is number 44, is going to be retired. Long overdue. I will make the case for you that not only does John Riggins have the most important player the history of the Washington football franchise, the play that won the super bowl against Miami, right?

[Bootsy]

Yep.

[Bill Simmons]

Oh, yeah, yeah.

[Tony Kornheiser]

You know where you hear the diesel sound? The diesel sound in the background?

[Bootsy]

Yeah, it was like 4th and 1 or something like.

[Tony Kornheiser]

That's the greatest play yards in the history of the Washington football team. The greatest play. But I'll make the case he's the greatest player. And I understand that you can say Sammy Ball and Darryl Green and Larry Brown and Sonny Bobby Mitchell. You can say those people. I'm not going to scream at you, but I'm going to say it's John Riggins. And he didn't even start here. He started with the Jets.

[Bootsy]

That's right.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Came here as a free agent, I believe. Came to Washington. So I got to see him on both ends of his career because I was in New York when he was with the Jets. I know John. I like John. John's very smart. Very smart, very happy for him. Hope he shows up, you know, when they just.

[Michael]

Who knows?

[Tony Kornheiser]

Who really knows with John? Hope he shows up when they retire.

[Bootsy]

Remember when they put him in the ring of fame?

[Tony Kornheiser]

Did he show up?

[Bootsy]

Not only did he show up, he showed up dressed full, uniform and pads.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Okay.

[Bootsy]

And I think, as I think Theisman told me, he said, he asked him, john, why are you doing? He says, because this might be the last time I get to do it.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Why wouldn't I? He's one of love, Riggins. Yes, yes. He's wonderful. All right, so I snuck out yesterday morning and I played 16 holes before I had to stop and take a shower and get ready to do the PTI show. And I played pretty well. I had. I rolled in a couple of long putts to make pars, you know, on

[Michael]

keep the head still, or I tried

[Tony Kornheiser]

to keep my head still. Tried to stay upright and not crouch where I think when I crouch. I use more of my body when I swing. So I'm trying to pay attention to that. As I say, had a couple had pars on hard holes. I had the greatest shot of my life yesterday on number six, which is at least the second hardest hole on the course. If not the hardest hole on Columbia. I was about 110 out and I hit an iron shot that landed, you know, hit it up in the air majestically. I don't usually do that. I usually hit line drives that go right into a trap.

[Michael]

Majestic.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Run out of guess. It was majestic. It looked great. Landed four feet and I made four

[Michael]

feet on that hole. Could be a pretty tough four footer.

[Tony Kornheiser]

And I was above it. And I was above it.

[Michael]

You actually put.

[Tony Kornheiser]

It was top right. Yes. What I, what I announced to everybody in the group. I said I'm giving myself this putt but I'm going to try and hit it anyway. But I'm giving myself psychological. And I made it and I made it. So I was very happy about that. But I reached a point. I reached number 16, which is the last hole that I was going to play.

[Michael]

Oh no.

[Tony Kornheiser]

It is a par three. It's from the upties. Yesterday was about 115 to.

[Michael]

They had you back yesterday.

[Tony Kornheiser]

115 to 120 yards yesterday. And I knew I was going to hit the five rescue. I was going to try and get it up in the air and land it on the green. Just don't put it in the water.

[Michael]

10 was middle of the green but to the right.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah. Close in. Right. Right. You know, and, and a tough pin. But I, you know what added. Normally there's pressure because I normally go in the water. I normally go in the water twice and then I put.

[Michael]

There's no good way to turn the cart around at that point.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah. And so on. It's awful for me. But Michael and Bootsy are on the putting green and Michael says hello. This is before I'm hitting like I am as nervous as a cat. You know, I mean I, my grandson, you know, I don't want to stick it in the water. Am I using too much club? Is Michael going to laugh at me? Because Michael's obviously going back to the bag. Sand wedge or something like that. And I hit it and it. It bounced on the green. Bounced off the green.

[Michael]

A green visited was.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yes, it hit the green and did not go in a trap. And I was in a position to chip it, which I did. But I was. That was the kind of exhale that Annika Sorenstam had on her first try when she was playing in the Colonial.

[Michael]

I thought I had a good line. You're good for a five from there.

[Show Announcer]

Yeah.

[Tony Kornheiser]

And I was. I was good for a five. I got four. I got four. But I was. I didn't Want to gag? I didn't want to gag in front of the family. So I hope I did well.

[Michael]

Yeah. So this is my perspective. All I'm, all I do right now is I drive various kids to camp. I'm going back and forth from golf camp, day camp for the two younger boys. So eventually I try and putt a little bit while Boots he's finishing up his program. I see him by himself walking across the bridge on 16 to play out from his golf clinic. Amazing moment. I'm really proud to see my boy down there. I'm trying to hide. Not going like full you at a Liz soccer game, hiding behind a tree. But I want to let him develop his own on course personality and sort of figured out on his own. And then I look and I see behind him on the T your cart arrived, you're wearing your distinctive red shorts. And I just have this great moment. I've been driving back and forth, traffic is crazy through Bethesda and I just feel a total peaceful moment watching my son putt out and watching my dad play this bonus six. What I know will be 16 holes of golf. Yeah. And I know eventually you're going to run into a kid's clinic and be angry.

[Tony Kornheiser]

I'm just going to leave and say I'm waiting for these kids, you know.

[Michael]

So I got a picture of it.

[Tony Kornheiser]

I was, Yeah, I had a. I felt a lot of pressure and I hope and I, I did well enough. I did well enough. I certainly did.

[Bootsy]

It reminds me and you, you can refresh my memory. Isn't there a club, is it the Marion Club where when you tee off

[Tony Kornheiser]

there's like all these people on the left hand side. No, no, no. It's so scary. It's so scary when you're a bad player. Come on, get out of here.

[Tim Kirchen]

Just kill someone.

[Tony Kornheiser]

The one time I played Marion, I was like 8 over through 3 because I was terrified. She's terrified. I couldn't, couldn't calm down at all.

[Michael]

Just wait till you cross Ardmore again.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah, but this was, this was scary for me yesterday. And it came through though. Yeah, I did.

[Michael]

Big time player.

[Bootsy]

So would you, I know he's only 16. Would you, would you shoot through 16?

[Tony Kornheiser]

About 700.

[Bootsy]

How about that?

[Michael]

For handicap purposes, you can post the last two scores.

[Tony Kornheiser]

I was going to be right around 90.

[Michael]

I'd give you a 7 on 17.

[Tony Kornheiser]

I played well and it's 7. That's a hard one for me. But I tripled both par fives. There are only two par fives. And I tripled both of them.

[Michael]

Did you lose a ball?

[Tony Kornheiser]

No, I just stink. No, I'm no good. I'm just no good. You know, I. I accept the fact that I'm no good.

[Sponsor Voice / Ad Reader]

It.

[Tony Kornheiser]

It, it doesn't. It's okay. It's okay. I did pretty well on. On a couple of par threes. I pard a couple of par threes, so I was happy. One of the guys in the group, Jim Griffin, birdied both par threes on the back nine.

[Chris Clary]

Birdie.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Both well done. So that was really good.

[Michael]

Every golfing community has. I love what you guys have, those 7:30 tee times where there's usually two or three groups and you guys go out, you play fast, you have fun playing with.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah, just play fast. We. If, if we played 18, they play 18, I stop three hours.

[Bootsy]

That's good. Yeah, that's good.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Oh, it's good. Yeah. I mean, you are, you are.

[Michael]

It's tough for maintenance because you guys play too fast.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Too fast. You are saying to the starter, don't worry about us, but don't put a slow group ahead of us because we're going to burn it up here.

[Musician / Singer]

Right.

[Tony Kornheiser]

So. And you. And you're going to have to. We're going to extend, like, even when we're in front of a fast group, we're two holes ahead. I mean, we just play fast. I mean, you go to your ball, you hit the ball, but nobody's waiting.

[Michael]

The special allowances as well.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah, you're in cheat mode. Yeah, we're going fast, and we can. Yeah, we go across areas where not everybody goes.

[Michael]

Got the flag.

[Tony Kornheiser]

So it was good. And that was really good. That's all I have to say. Christopher Clary.

[Bootsy]

Yes.

[Tony Kornheiser]

From Wimbledon. When we return, I'm Tony Kornheiser.

[Show Announcer]

This is the Tony Kornizer Show.

[Tony Kornheiser]

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[Show Announcer]

this is the Tony Kornizer Show Tony Kornizer show this

[Tony Kornheiser]

letter comes to us from Dr. Oscar Ruiz, a geneticist, the official geneticist of the show, and he writes, I'm sending a song that Frieda Ruiz Berman, my Non Masculine Child, released this past spring as part of her debut album, Frida has endured many hours of me listening to your show and even contributed a Portuguese version of the TK jingle when she was still a small child, now a student at Fordham and has blossomed into an amazing jazz singer. It's called My Kind of Love, her own take on the classic by one of our favorite composers, Lewis Alter. Frieda has an upcoming show with the famous Monks in Austin, Texas this Sunday. It's two days in July 12th. Tickets are available for all Austin area Littles as well as virtual tickets for Others interested in the Great American Songbook. Frieda Ruiz Berman plays in Chris Clary at Wimbledon. And you know, I did this for a living. I mean, I was a newspaper guy. And if I was writing a column today, oh, oh, I got to do this. This segment with Chris Clary is brought to you by FanDuel. Play your game. Yeah, I'll do that on the way out too. I'll remember Michael scolded me just now, Chris, but I used to do this for a living. And if I had to write a column about the tennis, I know that a lot of people would say, no, you've got to write about Arthur Ferry. And I would have written about Arthur Ferry. But I also would have asked this question. How did Djokovic get two full days off? How did this guy at 39, after going five sets and five hours plus, how did he get two full days off? That's my question.

[Chris Clary]

You know, it's a great one. But the only thing is Jannik center got two full days off too, later today. So it doesn't help as much as you might think. But no, it's because of the way the schedule plays out. You know, Wimbledon's now doesn't have that middle Sunday where they don't the day of rest, that anachronistic beauty for us sportswriters where you can sit home and sip some coffee and hang out. And so the schedule now is more traditional. So you get the extra, extra day for one set of semifinalists from the men. They play on the Tuesday, they don't play the semis till Friday. And I like it better that way because they play in the same day because sometimes semis are split between Thursday and Friday for the money and the schedule. But I kind of like having them back to back. It's nice narrative structure.

[Tony Kornheiser]

How much does it help 39 year old Novak Djokovic? I mean, it seems to me there's two things he got lucky on. One, Alcaraz not playing in the tournament, so you don't have to go through Alcaraz and Sinner. And two, the two days rest. How much does it help him?

[Chris Clary]

It helps him for sure. And he brought it up, you know, right away when he came into press on Tuesday night looking pretty weary. Yeah, he's played a lot of tennis. Yeah, but that seems to be his mode when he doesn't play much, you know, as far as tournaments. But when he does play, he's getting pushed hard. I mean, I think 15 of his last 16 matches, Tony, have been not straight sets. So he's Just he's having to work harder now just like a lot of the old guys in the past. But it does help him and it also helps them to know that he has beaten center in their biggest match of the year at the Australian Open. And honestly, you know, his level at times under pressure here has been extremely high, extremely high. So, you know, I'm not ruling it out, and I think I'm ruling it out less because of the extra day he had to recover, and he's a master at that. But odds still against him.

[Tony Kornheiser]

I look at Sinner, I know Sinner's a great player. I know Sinner and Alcaraz are at the top of the charts. I look at Alcaraz in my mind as a more consistent player. Sinner, didn't he go five in the first match at Wimbledon against some guy that nobody had ever heard of? I mean, I have more doubts about Sinner than I have about Alcaraz most of the time. But he also beat Djokovic in Wimbledon in this round last year. He can rely on that, I guess. I guess I'm asking you, like, what chance do you give? I'm sure you give him over 50%, but how high up do you go?

[Chris Clary]

I think if center hits 90% of his level in this tournament down the stretch, he wins it. I mean, he's got, he's could be relentless from the baseline, he likes the grass, he gets low. He's got a fantastic serve, precise, but even more powerful than Novak's. He's improved his net game and all that. But there are doubts and there should be because of what happened in Paris when he basically melted down with that two set, five to lead against Juan Manuel Cerundolo.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah, yeah.

[Chris Clary]

I mean, we don't. Haven't heard much before and may not hear much again, but he melted down in the heat. It's going to be a warm day today. Putting them on second, which is surprising, will help center in that regard. He won't be in the heat of the day here, even though this is hardly Miami or Melbourne. And, and I think just because of the way he matches up against Novak, who's got to be a little bit leg weary after all he's been through and he is 39 and I've seen center tune up Novak in most of their recent matches, except for Australia. I gotta like his chances. And, and I. But at the match, you mentioned the fifth set, the five setter against Miyomir Kachmanovic in the first round was a shaky match.

[Sponsor Voice / Ad Reader]

Yeah.

[Chris Clary]

And Jannik has Been missing forehands that usually he just dials in and. But the last couple of matches have been much better, more consistent, but nonetheless, he hasn't really played anybody top level yet and the doubts could resurface. So this makes this match a lot more interesting than it might have been if Yannicka just kept that, you know, March, April, early May form.

[Tony Kornheiser]

I'm not there, you're there. So I don't know what it's like all the time, but boy, oh boy, Djokovic was the crowd favorite the other day. I mean, that was really, that was like 95% for him. Is that likely to be again?

[Chris Clary]

You know, I don't think he's ever going to get that Federer right, or even Andy Murray by any means treatment here. But. And the match that before he was kind of grumpy and kind of surly and kind of moaning, which he is.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah.

[Chris Clary]

And running around. But you're right, there was a real groundswell for him. And I think people, you know, want to kind of pay back his tenacity and his, his grit. And I can feel much more connection with Wimbledon public than there was in the past. Center is not an Alcaraz, even though he's a fantastic player, doesn't hit the same sort of notes and heartstrings as Alcaraz is not as spectacular. So yeah, I think you're right. And I think that's part of the reason Novak's still playing. I think Novak didn't get a lot of those strokes most parts of the world throughout his whole career with the Fed in the doll stuff. And now he's getting a chance to be the grand old man, you know, Jimmy Connor style. 39 years old.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Oh, and he's milking it too. I mean, uses the racket like a violin. Oh, no, he's totally milking the moment. I'm not keen on that guy.

[Chris Clary]

Me personally, in that heart.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah.

[Chris Clary]

So yeah, he's got the personality under wraps a little bit. But he's, he's a, he's a funny, expansive thespian at heart. He really is.

[Tony Kornheiser]

That's good to know. Let's get to the biggest story so far though. Who is Arthur Ferry? I mean, honestly, I didn't hear the guy's name until two days ago. Who is Arthur Ferry?

[Chris Clary]

He's a man for a couple continents. I mean, he grew up, his parents are French. His dad's a very wealth French, wealthy French financier. His mom was a kind of a, a low level tour player. They're French, they Moved to Wimbledon, of all places, when he was young, bought a nice house, and he grew up about a mile from the club, walking over there. And he speaks both the queens or kings English without an accent, and speaks. My wife's French. I'm well placed to judge with my bad accent, but she definitely speaks great French as well. And he went to Stanford for three years. And he's, you know, he's a handsome guy and got a lot of charm, and he's. But he's a small player for the modern era. He's about 5 foot 9, stocky guy, and he. He moves like. Like you need to move at that height. And. And he is a shock, but a little bit less of a shock because of what's happened in tennis recently. I mean, we had two guys, you know, reach the quarterfinals of the French Open ranked in the hundreds. And we've had quarter, you know, qualifier Maya Poliska get to the finals as a qualifier at the French Open just recently. There have been big surprises here in the past, but he's British. He's a wild card. Most people would not have heard of him. So it is a great story. And everybody's doing the obvious thing and calling it a fairy tale.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah, that. Well, you know what? I would do that, too. There's nothing wrong with that. I'd like to have been first on it, but if I wasn't, it's okay. Yeah. So I watched John McEnroe earlier this morning on the Breakfast at Wimbledon show, and McEnroe talked about his stature. You know, that he's not so big, he said, but he's very quick. He's very fast. And McEnroe said, Here I was in this position. I was a teenager. I went out there to play Jimmy Connors, who didn't even. He said, above Connors, he just blew me off in the locker room like I didn't even exist. And he said. And I was nervous, you know, and I lost. I think he was saying that he expects that to happen to Ferry as well. Do you?

[Tim Kirchen]

I don't know.

[Chris Clary]

I mean, I just. I've got to say, the kid is just. I mean, this is his home court, literally a mile away, you know, and he's been there so many times in the stands, and I've rarely seen somebody just rise right up and spit right in like that on that court. And he's played some high pressure matches against Dimitrov in particular, to win that one in the round of 16. I mean, he just had to dig deep within and the crowd is going to be just 100% behind him. A lot of people don't like Zerb Zverev anyway for a lot of reasons. And if he can stay tight with him early and keep it interesting. Zverev's been serving like a, you know, a demigod here, just cranking the serves, but he doesn't have a, you know, huge reservoir of grass court confidence at Wimbledon. So Ferry can keep it tight and that crowd gets behind him. You know, things become possible that wouldn't otherwise be possible. But for sure, he's a big underdog. Verev coming off the French Open wind. But, you know, this is not Zverev is not Federer, Nadal or Djokovic. He's a different cat and more vulnerable, to be sure.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah, I said the other day on TV that he's going to be treated like Wyndham Clark. They're going to hate his guts. They're going to go for the other guy and they're going to cheer when Zverev makes a mistake. We'll see about that. We used to be. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And. And let's see how Zverev holds up under that kind of stuff. Were you surprised? I was surprised. I watched the last four or five games and then the tiebreaker. I was surprised that Goff lost. Were you surprised?

[Chris Clary]

Yeah, that was. That was a wild ride of a match. They both had opportunities, both had match points.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah.

[Chris Clary]

No matter what Coco said afterwards, she sounded so mature and poised and grounded with all her talk about, you know, everybody has to go through this and, you know, I'm still a fortunate person. That drop shot she chose to hit was such a poor shot and such a hesitant shot that's going to stick with her for a long time. I think it's going to be hard to forget that, especially because she's never been to Wimbledon final and was right there, it was right there in front of her mid court shot and, you know, it happens, but maybe shouldn't happen quite that way to a player with her experience. And she had other opportunities earlier in the match as well. Tony, as you remember, to, you know, win some big points on move his serve, put her under pressure and did we lose you?

[Bootsy]

Do we lose Chris?

[Tony Kornheiser]

We lost Chris. Okay, we're back with Chris. Clary, what happened was we don't know what happened. I mean, he's 6,000 miles away. This is, you know, we automatically assume that these phones work all the time. It didn't work. You were in the middle of talking about Mohova and And golf and how Mohova had missed some points as well. I mean, my, my sense particularly, particularly in the tiebreaker was early and in the middle of the tiebreaker, both people tried to give away the match. But at least I felt that the last two points were one rather than lost. I wonder about your thoughts on that.

[Chris Clary]

Yeah, I mean, I just think for Coco, that drop shot that she tried with the ball that was so attackable in the front of the court and the indecision, it wasn't so much the choice of the drop shot, but it was the indecision with that match point that really cost her. And I think having to make that last second change in her mind, she hit the shot poorly and I think she'll, that'll be a hard one to shake. And then Mohova, you know, got a time violation and poor shot, you know, on her, on her chance as well. So it was just a kind of agony, ecstasy sort of tiebreaker where there was some brilliant play, diving volleys and great lobs and Coco coming up with big stuff and then just these sort of, you know, mind bendingly bad shots as well. So. But at the end, Mohova really kind of seized it, went after it and was the more attacking, positive, aggressive player in those last couple of points. But to get there.

[Tim Kirchen]

Wow.

[Chris Clary]

And now both finalists, Tony Mohova and Moskova young Czech, both have saved match points in this tournament. So they're both playing, you know, with house money now.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Martina should be in the chair for that one. That would be really good if she sat in the chair. I wanted to ask you about this, the time violation. I mean, I'm sitting in my house going, are you kidding me? You're calling this in a tiebreaker against somebody who is probably somewhat fragile anyway, because it's a tiebreaker. I was very surprised at that.

[Member of Phillies Front Office / Guest]

Were you?

[Chris Clary]

I was surprised, yeah. I mean, by the letter of the law, Alison Hughes was right that you're on fire. I mean, you do have a clock. It's very obvious when somebody hits that line and, but come on, you know, have a certain sense of occasion and at that moment then you become the actor way too much. I mean, what is applying for World cup refereeing there obviously, but there's no var. So on that sort of a call. So it's just. Yeah, I was, I was surprised and frankly a little disappointed. Disappointed that that played out that way. That's how I cost him the hope of the match.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah, that's exactly how I felt that, that, you know, that could Turn the whole thing. I mean, if in any case, I mean, I'm not going to go through the fact that the American men stink. I mean, that we do this at every tournament all the time or anything like that. But I would. I will ask you this. You were more positive than negative, certainly about Serena's play and Serena going out there. Do you think she's going to play in the US Open? Do you think she's going to try to play really now, or was this just a one shot?

[Chris Clary]

You know, I was thinking that she would give it a shot and see how it went and then make that decision. And from everything I'm hearing, she wants to keep playing, Tony. So I think. I think there's more to come. Obviously, the body broke down as it was already breaking down with some frequency at the end of her last run at this, in her very early 40s. So I don't know. To me, it seems like I would debate the call, but I think she really wants to be able to play some more. And I think she will try to play the US Open.

[Member of Phillies Front Office / Guest]

Yeah.

[Tim Kirchen]

If her body will cooperate.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Great pleasure to have you on all the time. I mean, you're the most literate guy in the world. It's really good. It's good to hear you. Thank you, Chris.

[Chris Clary]

I'm not, obviously, not technically very literate if my phone keeps going out.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Anyway, it was again, it's a lot of thousands of miles away. It's okay. Thank you. Chris Clary, boys and girls. The segment with Chris Clary has been brought to you by FanDuel. Play your game. I mean, you know anybody who, in the middle of a conversation, uses notes and heartstrings. Those are impressive words. We'll take a break. Tim Kirchen will join us when we return. I'm Tony Kornheiser.

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[Tony Kornheiser]

You're listening to the Tony Kornheiser Show. These are the Sponge Tones, North Carolina's long running and widely celebrated masters of the power pop sound. This is a single live timeline that is out on July 17th in less than a week follows our indie hits I really need to kiss you in so long. The Sponge Tones. Michael if people like the Sponge Tones want to send us their original music, how do they do it?

[Michael]

Send us some music by emailing it to [e-mail] and now I'm worried. I didn't turn off the hose bib.

[Tony Kornheiser]

And now we bring in Tim Kirchen. And I write, I say first. Now it's time for the All Star preview sponsored by Five Hour Energy's Firework Freeze flavor. Ignite your taste buds with a red, white and blue fridge of pop classic reimagined as a delicious firework freeze 5 hour energy shot. Find firework free shots online at www5hourenergy.com or at Amazon today. Tim, we're halfway through. Everybody's played more than 81 games at this point. The obvious question is the things that are most surprising to you where somebody's better than you thought or somebody's worse than you thought.

[Tim Kirchen]

Well, the Nationals might be at the top of the list.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Really.

[Tim Kirchen]

Well, there are other teams we have a lot of surprises this year, but the Nationals I did not see being this good, like actually in playoff contention at this point. They also are second in the major leagues in home runs and they are first in the major leagues in stolen bases. So the last team to finish first in homers in the majors and second first in second steals in the majors was the 1955 Dodgers who won the World Series. So I didn't see any of this coming with the Nationals and that's what makes them so interesting. We've been over this, Tony, because they're both terrible over five they are. No lead is ever safe. But because they lead the major leagues and run scored, they're always capable of coming back. So the Nationals, just because they're your home team, certainly are near the top of the list of surprising teams.

[Tony Kornheiser]

To me, they have a 36 year old general manager and a 33 year old manager and a pitching coach who appears to be 16 years old. Is there anything here in style, managerial style that stands out for you relative to what they looked like for five, six years?

[Tim Kirchen]

Yeah, I think the difference is, is they are always, always on the lookout for the best matchup in the game. Where, where is it? So that because they use a different lineup every night, except for James Wood hitting leadoff, that's what they're doing. As a young, really young front office and manager are always searching for ways to find something different that might work. And this is one of their strengths. They get into the sixth inning of a game and they already know, well, Curtis Mead ready for the left hander when he comes in or whatever it is. Those things are all set up before the game starts. I think that's the biggest difference is they have, they have these matchups already prepared before the game. Not like old school guys don't, but I think the new school guys do even better. And I had a long talk with Blake Butera the other day, Tony and I, I was struck by a couple of things. I saw him right after The Nationals lost three straight games to the Phillies in which a 19 homer was hit three games in a row, never happened before. And instead of him being ready to kill himself, which he was ready to kill himself, he looked at me and he said, how many great notes did you come out of out of that three game series? Like he recognized how amazing that was in baseball history. I thought that was a very, very healthy and encouraging question to ask. Like he, he wanted to know, like what did you find about this? And then Tony, he asked me, he said, how well do you know Buck Showalter? And I said, I talked to him like every day. He goes, I'd really, I'd really like to talk to Buck Showalter someday. I'm just fascinated by him. I'd really like to just talk to him. So this is a 33 year old manager, right, who doesn't think he knows everything and he recognizes Buckshoe. Walter knows a million more things than I do. I would like to pick his brain. I found that very encouraging.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Also, I'm encouraged by you picking the Nationals. I thought you'd go to the White Sox and the Marlins. So this makes me happy. Although their bullpen stinks beyond comprehension. Just right.

[Tim Kirchen]

They are certainly on the list. Look, the Marlins, Tony, are 10 games over.500. They're in the playoffs at the moment. And I'm not sure this is going to go away. I don't think this is a mirage. They are second in the major leagues to the Nationals in stolen bases with 98. And like so many other young teams like the White Sox and the Nationals, they're just young and hungry and tired of losing. And they're just going out there and taking the game to the other team. This is really important in this day and age, Tony, where all we do is sit back and wait for someone to hit a three run homer, these teams, especially the Marlins and the Nationals are just putting the game in action and saying, go ahead, try to throw us out. Try to try to stop us from going first to third. That's what the Marlins have done exceptionally well. Plus their shortstop, Tony Anna Lopez, in this time where no one can get a hit anymore because the pitching is so good. He's got 127 hits and he's leading the league with a.346 average, which is almost unheard of in this day and age. So they are a different style team and that's one reason why they're significantly better than most people thought they would be.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Well, they're, they have some. The Nationals and the Marlins have a couple of things in common. They have pretty much no payroll and they have great shortstops and they're scoring a lot of runs in what I would say are non traditional ways because they don't get. The Nets get home runs. James Wood hits some home runs and Mead has hit home runs and Abrams has hit home runs and Garcia now is hitting a bunch of home runs. But it's not Earl Weaver three run home runs.

[Tim Kirchen]

It's not, it's not. They have three guys with 20 homers. So they're hitting the ball out of the ballpark. However, they, like you said, they are scoring runs in different ways and that's exactly what the Marlins are doing. Also, Tony, they have the third lowest payroll in baseball. Their highest paid player is Giancarlo Stanton, who has not played for that. Yeah, it's 2017. So this is, this is where we should all be encouraged about where baseball is going because at least two teams are recognizing there's a different way to play the game. There's a more aggressive way to play the game and we're going to take it to the other team. Bucksho Waller always used to tell me, still does, when you're, when the other team is better than you or bigger than you or stronger than you, the only way to beat them is to go take the game to them, punch them in the face first and see what they do after that. That's what the Nationals and the Marlins are doing exceptionally well this year.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Let me stay with the Marlins for this one question. They took the kid out with a seven inning perfecto. They took him out. What are your thoughts on that?

[Tim Kirchen]

Well, I hated it, Tony, because I'm almost 70 years old and it don't

[Tony Kornheiser]

make it sound like that's old, okay? Like, you know, I got you by a mile, so don't, don't go there.

[Bootsy]

Okay?

[Tim Kirchen]

Yes, Tony, we have lost the value of the starting pitcher in today's game. We don't even allow our pitchers to be great anymore, even our position, but we don't even allow them to be great because three days after they took Yuri Perez out, the Pirates took Jarrod Jones out with a perfect game after six innings. Twice in four days. It happened. I don't like it. However, the reason they're doing this is to protect the arms of their young pitchers. And I totally understand that. But Tony, it's a paradox. The more we try to protect our pitchers, especially the more they get hurt. So something needs to be fixed here. I would have left that kid in the game and said, you have a chance to make history. You're going to go get six more outs and throw a perfect game. And we didn't. And Tony, the final score of the game in which they took him out of was 9 to 8. He had a perfect game through seven innings and the final score was 9 to 8. So in that game, the Oakland, the A's became the first team in at least the last 75 years, couldn't go back any further on this to be no hit or perfected through seven innings and score eight runs in the game. I mean, this is how bizarre that game was, how bizarre this season has been and just how bizarre, beautifully bizarre baseball is.

[Tony Kornheiser]

John Schneider, the other night with Toronto, Dylan Cease had a no hitter and he let him stay in. He let him stay in, much to the applause of many like you and I. We would applaud something like that, but by and large, no, the general managers and managers, they don't let it happen. They don't.

[Tim Kirchen]

Yeah, Tony, I watched that game. I was at ESPN that day doing baseball Tonight. I was watching that game by myself. Not, not easy to do anymore at espn. I stood up and cheered myself with no one else in the room when they let that kid go out for the, for the ninth inning of that game. Of course he gave up a hit. No hitter went away. He's already got a no hitter, but he's a more of a veteran pitcher. He understands his arm. But 118 pitches, Tony, is not going to end your career. And we need to make sure everyone recognizes that our pitchers are stronger than we think they are. And when we baby them mercilessly, sometimes we get them more injured.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah, he know hit the gnats don't see A year or two ago, you know, hit the net. Tarek Skubal in the news doesn't wants the Tigers to be buyers, not sellers. Doesn't seem to want to go anywhere, but certainly hasn't committed to staying with the Tigers after the end of the season. What are your thoughts on what will happen to him?

[Tim Kirchen]

Well, the Tigers have won eight out of nine and every win they they accrue gives them a better chance of keeping Tarek Skuval. But they are going to have one of the most difficult decisions that any team has ever had to make at the trade deadline. Are we in or are we out? Never forget, Tony, two years ago the Tigers went to Williamsport for the Sunday Night Classic and Little League Classic and they had zero chance to make the playoffs. Then they got red hot, made the playoffs and even won a playoff series over the Astro. So in this very ordinary American League where there is no great team other than maybe the Rays, you have to do everything you can to make the playoffs. If the Tigers miraculously make the playoffs and can start Tarek Skubal all the way through October, they have a chance to go to the World Series with that team. It sounds ridiculous for a team that is under.500, but this is the way the game is played in the American League right now. So I think they're going to trade Tarek School at the trade deadline because I think they're going to have to make a difficult decision. He's not coming back with us next year because he's going to get more money than any pitcher has ever gotten. So for if he's not coming back, we have to trade him. But I repeat early, we used to tell me if you have a chance to win this year, you win this year, then you figure out next year, next year. And that's where the Tigers are right now.

[Tony Kornheiser]

So we had Jeff Passon on the show yesterday on PTI and we were talking about the 266 wins that Verlander has and how maybe nobody will ever get them again. Certainly Nobody will get 300 wins again the way baseball is being played now. And he said of skubal, said Skubal's 29 years old. He's only got like 80 wins. You know, these guys that we think are really good pitchers, they don't have 100 wins or 110 wins. Nobody's getting a 266. Right?

[Tim Kirchen]

Right. Tony. I mean, Jacob deGrom, who's in his mid-30s, just won his hundredth game the other day. How Many times I've been asked, is Jacob deGrom a Hall of Famer? I love that guy. He's one of the best pitchers I've ever seen. For a short period of time. He just won his hundredth game. It's amazing where we are with wins from pitchers. Yes. Nobody's going to 266 again. Which is why Verlander will be a first ballot hall of Famer, because you take those wins, you take the winning percentage, and you take the strikeouts. And the only four pitchers in the history of the game that can match those numbers by Verlander are Maddox, Clemens, Seaver, Randy Johnson, and Justin Verlander. As you like to say, that's it.

[Tony Kornheiser]

That's. That's the list.

[Tim Kirchen]

That's why he's going to the hall of Fame on the first ballot, because he's found a way to stick around to win 266 games.

[Tony Kornheiser]

I overestimated Skubal. He's won 59 games and he's been a two time Cy Young winner. And I think he had the Triple Crown one year. Anyway, plug in your podcast for us.

[Tim Kirchen]

All right. It's. Is this a great game or what? We are really doing well on it. We're gonna do two live shows from the All Star Game.

[Member of Phillies Front Office / Guest]

Wow.

[Tony Kornheiser]

In Philly.

[Tim Kirchen]

It's gonna be pretty cool. We're gonna be at like a bar doing our live show on Monday and Tuesday from Philadelphia. As you know, I'm working with my son Jeff. It's a thrill of a lifetime for me. We get all sorts of fun guys to. To go on the show. We had a golfer on the other day, Will Zala Torres.

[Chevrolet Sponsor Voice]

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[Tim Kirchen]

He called us and said, can I go on your show? And we went, what? Why would you want to go? And he loves baseball and he's good friends with Gavin Sheets. They went to Wake Forest together. Grew up with giants. It was absolutely fascinating talking to a PGA Tour player who's really good about the difference between baseball and. And golf and everything else. And he said, you know, I could really catch a ground ball and I could really throw, but I couldn't hit at all. And I had to quit baseball, saying, this is way too hard for me to play.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Well, the ball stationary in golf, you don't have to worry about somebody sweeping it past you. It's stationary.

[Tim Kirchen]

And, Tony, you don't have to worry about getting killed on the golf course. At least I don't. When you step into the box every night and someone is buzzing the tower at 98 miles an hour, the fear of God goes through your head. So as difficult as golf is, and it is diabolically difficult, the fear factor and the courage it takes to play baseball is the separator to me between the most, the two most skillful sports out there for me, baseball and golf.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Thank you, Tim, as always. We'll talk soon. Thanks very much.

[Tim Kirchen]

Okay, Tony. See you.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Tim Kirkchin. Boys and girls, that was the all Star preview sponsored by five Hour Energy's Firework Freeze flavor, the iconic red, white and blue freezer pop flavor you crave with none of the sugar. Spark a tasty flavor sensation with firework freeze. Five hour energy shots available online at 5hourenergy.com and Amazon today. What do we got next? Email and jingle. I'm Tony Kornheiser. Now playing. The ocean chose you to save us

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[Tony Kornheiser]

The story has just begun from Disney. Moana of Motanui, daughter of the chief.

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It's Maui time.

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[Tony Kornheiser]

Parental guidance suggested. Get tickets now.

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[Tony Kornheiser]

That's the young Frieda Ruiz Berman in Portuguese.

[Tim Kirchen]

Yeah.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Doing the mailbag. Wonderful Bethesda bagel ad.

[Bill Simmons]

Oh, yes, Bethesda bagels.

[Bootsy]

Bagels today. Yes.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Michael is leery about he's so big

[Bootsy]

fan is as you and I are the hot bagels.

[Michael]

But yes, Tony likes his bagel steamed.

[Bootsy]

Bethesda Bagels.com for the location in the DC area nearest you. Then pop on in and you'll be thrilled. Want to give a plug for if you haven't bought your tickets yet and you can go check it out. Tonight at the Birchmere is Ronnie Newmayer, the Alexandria Neumar Flyer presenting the Simon and Garfunkel songbook. Go by and check it out. And also if you've got songs that you've been thinking about sending into us, they're your original work. Cinnamon cinnamon [e-mail] we'd love to hear

[Tony Kornheiser]

your music before we get to the mailbag. Let me just say once upon a time I was falling in love. Now I'm only falling apart. Nothing I can do. A total eclipse of heart. Once upon a time there was light in my life now there's only love in the dark there's nothing I can say. It's a total eclipse of the heart that is in honor of Bonnie Tyler, who passed away on Wednesday and sang the song written by my high school classmate Jimmy Steinman. It's one of the greatest power ballads of all time.

[Bootsy]

Amazing.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Of all time. Total Eclipse of the Heart. Everybody knows Totals of the Heart thanks to our guest today. For some reason it's written down Chuck Culpepper and Buster only, but it's not. It's Christopher Clary and Tim Kirchen. Well done. Thanks as well to today's sponsors. And remember, you can listen to us on Apple Podcast, Spotify and Odyssey if you get the show through Apple Podcast. Please leave us A review from Glenn Winters, Chuck and Roxy number 237 here's my debut as a soccer poet. In soccer, some guy kicks a ball, then flops pretending to fall, upon which some poet will gush. Now you know it, it's clearly the best game of all. You feeling the beauty yet? If nominated to be your official soccer poet, I will not run. If elected, I will not sir. Charlie Burt Springfield, Virginia the passing of Bonnie Tyler reminds us that though she was best known for for Jimmy Steinman's hit Totally Clips of the Heart, we should also remember the pulse pounding holding out for Hero. That was great song. It was from the Footloose soundtrack as well as Here She Comes and It's a Heartache. It's a Heartache. A great song, perhaps lesser known, about Eclipse is it featured E. Street Band member Max Weinberg on drums and Roy Batan on piano and was originally intended for a Nosferatu musical. Yeah, Jimmy was writing a musical about a vampire.

[Chris Clary]

Okay.

[Tony Kornheiser]

And that's how that song came to be. It's great song.

[Bootsy]

Yeah.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Meatloaf always angry he didn't sing the song. Bonnie Tyler sang the song. Jimmy heard her sing and said, okay,

[Bootsy]

she did pretty well.

[Tony Kornheiser]

One lesser known story is that on a 2006 flight on air France where Tyler was asked if she would help honor the retiring co pilot, she reportedly belted out her iconic power ballad into the flight crew microphone, which terrorized numerous Belgian passengers not familiar with her catalog. Official complaints were filed and rejected in the Thankfully, Tyler continued wowing audiences for another two decades. Turn around Bright Eyes from Vince Metzger Vince Metzger, who writes Tony just wanted to let you know that despite your east coast bias, Cincinnati's Coney island actually opened first. It opened in 1870 as a picnic grove and gradually added carnival attractions. Soon after New York's Coney island first opened its amusement park in 1895. Sunlight Pool opened in 1925 and was the largest recirculating pool in the world at 200 by 400ft when it opened and remained the largest for its almost entire hundred year run. Coney island was so old my grandmother used to take a steamboat up the Ohio river to visit Sunlight Pool and hear live music and Moonlight Gardens when she was a teenager. She died six years ago at 95. My mom was also too old to watch the Gnats on Peacock is still mad they dug up the pool to be build a new music venue. It hadn't had rides in years but the pool was one of a kind. Picture is included to show you how massive it is. Love the show and I'll hang up and listen after adding two things. First, my info comes from Chat GPT which may have been mimicking human behavior and telling me what I want to hear. Second, we had a suspension bridge built by John A. Roebling before he built New York's Brooklyn Bridge. Interesting. Thank you. A haiku for giving putts. This is from Shadow with my putting woes preferred. That's good. Boundary inside Manute Bowl.

[Tim Kirchen]

Okay, okay.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Mark Lynch, Camby, Indiana I've always wondered what DG's occupation might be. I think I have it figured out. He owns Dollar General. They're everywhere just like him. From Barry in Panama City in Panama. Did he send us? He sent us the rum. He's the rum man.

[Bootsy]

Yes, I believe he is.

[Tony Kornheiser]

On the July 1st pod, you read an email from from Scott L. In Mexico City, where he expertly summed up my adult life. It's all true. Nothing to rebut. I had the pleasure to serve under Captain Scott while on temporary assignment to his team. He was a great leader and even better person despite being a Cubs fan. So here's to you, Captain Scott. A crisp military salute and thank you for your service. He also mentioned that my daughter represented Panama in the Miss International competition in Tokyo. Also true. I think we as parents can agree that our greatest accomplishments don't belong to all us at all. Rather, they are our children's achievements. I'm very proud of my daughter and the person she's become. Likewise, I can hear the pride in your voice every time you talk about your children Elizabeth, Michael and Pablo. That's funny. You see, old sport, I do listen to the pod. PS Tells Scott L. In Mexico City to eat it and we have not opened the rum yet.

[Bootsy]

Not yet.

[Tony Kornheiser]

It's aging. From Mark Hughes in Ashton, Maryland Dear Spuds, family lore has it that my grandmother's farm near what is now Cheverly was the last working farm Inside the Beltway in Maryland. Not sure if it was really the last, but as one farming family to another, I want to congratulate you on keeping the Inside the Beltway farming tradition alive. I love hearing all the potato talk. Excuse me. Don't forget to rotate your crops. What does that mean?

[Bootsy]

Well, it means you save soil next year. Yeah, for next year.

[Tony Kornheiser]

So we're not planting the same plants?

[Tim Kirchen]

Not now.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Don't take them out.

[Bootsy]

Oh, no, this is for future.

[Tony Kornheiser]

So you don't deplete your rich soil of all nutrients. You might also be interested to know that my grandmother had a six hole golf course on her farm. I don't think you'd be trying to fit that into your farm. From Patrick sitter, Sioux Falls, S.D. flowering potatoes. Good name for a rock group. Probably a soft rock group. And Reese from Heat Waved London, the Flowering Potatoes. Didn't they support Norwegian Soft Kitten on the famous Battle of the Point reenactment tour of 1989? I'll hang up and listen. Our emailers are brilliant. If you're out on your bike time, everyone is always to wear white.

[Singer / Musician]

Who made the egg salad sandwiches?

[Musician / Singer]

My kind alone, your kind alone keeps me believing although you're deceiving My kind of loan. One way to put paradise. My kind of lips, your kind of lips. When love comes, I steal it Encourage that feeling I kind of love one way to paradise. Although you're happy today, you may be gone tomorrow. Love comes but once. Don't be a d when you eat it, steal it back or borrow. I'm fond of you, you're fond of me. Tell me you'll love me and hug me and squeeze me. My kind of love. One way to paradise. My heart kind of love. Your kind of love keeps me believing although you're deceiving My kind of love. One way to paradise. My kind of lips your kind of lips. When love comes to steal I think courage that feeling. My kind of one way to D Although you're happy today, you may be gone tomorrow. Don't you know Love comes but once. Don't be a d when you meet it still it back or borrow I'm fond of you I know you're fond of me so tell me you'll love me and hug me and squeezing me. My kind of love, One way to paradise. You may be gone tomorrow Love comes but once don't be a dance when you meet it steal it back or borrow I'm fond of you and I know you're fond of me. So tell me you hug me and hug me and squeeze me look at a one way to paradise I

[Singer / Musician]

My

[Musician / Singer]

God, I went to paradise.

[Singer / Musician]

1, 2, 3 I can see the sea waves that once washed over me me and pushed me down to the sand Three, four, five and I'm still alive and who decides which one survive? I don't understand. Tight Roll in, out moving with the moon Time flows one way ending too soon 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 Glad this ancient heart of mind is still keeping tight. 7, 8, 9 and 10 ring around the rows again like a nursery rhyme all along 3, 2, 1. When will we all be done? That's the question for everyone in the end cover song tides. Roll in, out moving with the moon Time flows one way ending too. Sam.