“The Aunt Shirley Sweater”

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Tony Kornheiser Show - Episode “The Aunt Shirley Sweater”

Release Date: January 31, 2025
Host: Tony Kornheiser
Guests: Jason Lock and Fora (Odyssey NFL Insider), Jeff Passan

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1. NFL Coaching Changes and Team Performance

Discussion with Jeff Passan

The episode delves into the recent wave of coaching hires across the NFL, with Jeff Passan providing in-depth analysis. Passan highlights the challenges teams face in selecting the right coaching personnel and the potential impacts of these hires on team performance.

• New Orleans Coaching Vacancy:
  Passan anticipates that Kellen Moore, currently the Eagles' offensive coordinator, is the likely candidate for the New Orleans coaching position. He notes, “They’re waiting for a coach involved in this game. I don’t think it’s Spags, and I don’t think it’s Dave Tobe” (20:10).

• Jacksonville Jaguars' Dilemma:
  The conversation turns to the Jaguars' prolonged search for a new coach, criticizing the delays and the eventual hiring of Liam Cohen. Passan expresses skepticism about Cohen's qualifications, stating, “There are a lot of red flags there. It’s only one year running an NFL offense... I don’t think he’s going to check any of those boxes” (21:56).

• Worst NFL Owners:
  Tony and Passan discuss problematic NFL team owners, particularly targeting the Haslam family, Tepper, and Shad Khan. Passan criticizes Khan's decisions, including the questionable hiring of Trent Balky, remarking, “He has zero feel for this.” (25:31).

• Impact of Ownership on Team Success:
  The episode explores how ownership decisions can derail team success, with Passan emphasizing the lack of coherent strategy among several team owners. He comments, “Ownership is a failure and ownership has no clue...” (28:30).

2. Super Bowl Showdown: Eagles vs. Chiefs

Tony Kornheiser sets the stage for the upcoming Super Bowl matchup between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Kansas City Chiefs. He anticipates a highly competitive game, discussing the strengths and weaknesses of both teams.

• Chiefs' Offensive Strategy:
  Tony praises the Chiefs' offensive capabilities but questions their consistency: “They have a quarterback, they probably have a quarterback. They don’t have anything else.” (21:50).

3. Dodgers’ Payroll and Its Impact on Major League Baseball

Conversation with Jeff Passan

The podcast shifts focus to Major League Baseball, specifically examining the Los Angeles Dodgers' significant payroll and its implications for other teams and the league as a whole.

• Dodgers as a Dominant Force:
  Passan explains how the Dodgers' financial power has set a new standard in baseball, making it challenging for other teams to compete: “The Dodgers have become a destination for players. If you want to win, if you want to get better, go play in Los Angeles.” (48:52).

• Comparisons to the Yankees:
  Drawing parallels to the New York Yankees under George Steinbrenner, Passan discusses the backlash against teams with high payrolls: “Steinbrenner's comments and Tom Ricketts' comments with the Chicago Cubs are as absurd as they are.” (39:36).

• Future of Baseball’s Financial Landscape:
  The discussion touches on possible reforms, such as implementing a salary cap to ensure a more level playing field: “There has got to be a way to say, look, there's a floor that you have to spend. There's sort of a limit on top, or we will tax you.” (43:18).

• Fan and League Sentiment:
  Passan acknowledges the frustration among baseball fans and highlights the Dodgers' efficient management under Andrew Friedman: “The Dodgers are extraordinarily well run.” (48:53).

4. Personal Anecdotes and Listener Interactions

Tony shares personal stories and engages with listener emails, adding a personable touch to the show.

• Aunt Shirley’s Sweater (11:07):
  Tony reminisces about his Aunt Shirley, who was known for always wearing sweaters. He shares how wearing her sweater evokes both physical warmth and emotional comfort, fostering a sense of nostalgia and connection with longtime listeners familiar with Aunt Shirley.

• Mice Infestation (09:32):
  Tony discusses the persistent mouse problems at his home, humorously detailing the struggles of dealing with an infestation and the lengths his family goes to address it.

5. Future of Televised Sports

In a forward-looking segment, Tony and Jeff Passan explore the evolving landscape of televised sports, particularly addressing viewership trends and the potential need for changes in game formats to retain audience interest.

• Shortening Game Durations:
  Tony references NBA Commissioner Adam Silver's proposal to shorten games, pondering its applicability to the NFL: “Adam Silver was saying we need to make sure we're right around two hours.” (31:22).

• Generational Shifts in Viewership:
  Passan highlights the generational differences in sports consumption, noting that younger audiences prefer highlights over full-game viewings, which poses challenges for traditional sports broadcasting: “The NFL does still skew older than these other sports.” (30:31).

6. Listener Emails and Stories

The show concludes with Tony reading and responding to various listener emails, ranging from humorous tales about his dog Chessy's squeaky toy adventures to personal anecdotes from fans around the country and even internationally.

• Chessy's Squeaky Toy Mayhem (51:38):
  Cindy McElroy Jackson shares how Chessy's new squeaky toy disrupted their household, causing chaos and laughter.

• Global Reach (38:19):
  A listener from Beijing recounts how Tony's show provided comfort during overseas service, illustrating the podcast's international appeal.

• Memory Lane and Alumni Tales (54:23):
  Tony responds to emails from former classmates, reminiscing about college days and shared experiences, adding depth and relatability to the podcast.

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Notable Quotes:

• “Ownership is a failure and ownership has no clue...” — Jeff Passan (28:30)
• “The Dodgers have become a destination for players. If you want to win, if you want to get better, go play in Los Angeles.” — Jeff Passan (48:52)
• “Steinbrenner's comments and Tom Ricketts' comments with the Chicago Cubs are as absurd as they are.” — Jeff Passan (39:36)
• “Adam Silver was saying we need to make sure we're right around two hours.” — Tony Kornheiser (31:22)

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Conclusion

In this episode, Tony Kornheiser adeptly navigates a blend of high-stakes sports analysis and personal storytelling, offering listeners a comprehensive look at the current NFL coaching landscape and the financial dynamics shaping Major League Baseball. The engaging conversations with Jeff Passan provide valuable insights into the strategic decisions influencing team performances and league structures, while personal anecdotes and listener interactions enrich the show's relatable and entertaining atmosphere.

Transcript

[Tony Kornheiser]

Hey, it's Tony. On today's show, we'll go around the NFL with Jason Lock and Ford to talk about all the new coaching hires as well as the Eagles, Chiefs super bowl matchup. Plus we'll chat with Jeff Passat about the Dodgers payroll and how that's impacting baseball. But first, let's do some commerce. This is the Tony Kornizer show. This is the Spot Pet Insurance read. Let's talk about something important. Our pets. Now, if you have a pet, I don't have to tell you that being a pet parent is a full time job. Chessy. My whole life is Chessy. You finally get it, Nigel. You think everything's fine and then boom, you're rushing to the vet because they ate something they shouldn't have, like an entire loaf of bread or who knows what. Well, with Maggie, it was straight cash or a full roast from the fridge. Don't get me started on that London fog raincoat. And Chessy, you know about her taste for filet of Frisbee. Just the plastic. Just awful. Spot Pet Insurance acts like a safety net for all the unpredictable health mishaps that come with having a pet. Sudden illnesses, weird accidents, surprise vet visits. Where's Spot? Helping to make sure that you're covered. With Spot Pet Insurance, you can get up to 90% cash back on eligible vet bills. That's real money back for real peace of mind. Plus, it lets you focus on what really matters, spoiling your furry buddy rotten. So do yourself and your pet a favor. Go to spotpet.com. get a quick quote today. It's easy, it's smart, and frankly, it's the least stressful thing you'll do all week. That's spotpet.com and now I get to read the disclaimer. Yes, you do.

[Nigel]

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[Tony Kornheiser]

This episode is brought to you by Love Hurts. Ki Hui Kwan has had quite a career, from childhood roles in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom and the Goonies to a recent Academy Award win for Everything Everywhere all at Once. But now Kee finally stars as a leading man in the film Love Hurts. Love Hurts is the perfect date night movie with its mix of over the top action comedy and a ton of heart. Love Hurts only at theaters February 7th. Previously on the Tony Kornheiser show. I talked to Muriel Bowser, the mayor of Washington, who was tremendously excited about the possibility of putting a football stadium back where it belongs.

[Jason Lock and Fora]

You mentioned your street.

[Tony Kornheiser]

I did not mention my street lights. I didn't want to get that granular. No, I missed a second. She, you know, she recognized me and said hi. So I was really thrilled about that. Cal Ripken was there. Remember? Cal is everywhere. I met his wife, who's a judge in the state of Maryland, and she just looked at me. Yeah, cows over there. The Tony Kornizer show is on now. Are we on? Yes.

[Nigel]

Sorry, I hit the wrong button.

[Tony Kornheiser]

This is funny. Ashton Wingate from Queens, Chuck and Roxy, number two. Did you happen to run into the CEO of Cigna at the Alfalfa Dinner? How did that conversation go? That's funny. So last night, I put in a call to the Binghamton University president, Harvey Stenger, my friend who's leaving at the end of the school year, which everybody knew about. I wanted to tell him about Hakeem Jeffries, and then the woman from Progressive, the conversation about Florida Low. So he says, let me call you back a little bit later. He texts me, let me call you back a little bit later. We're beating Vermont. And he sends me a picture of the basketball court where they're beating Vermont. Vermont in yellow, Binghamton and white. And I text him back, what? What did. We're beating Vermont. I capitalized beating. I'm gonna look for the score.

[Jason Lock and Fora]

Is that top 25?

[Tony Kornheiser]

And he said, huh?

[Jason Lock and Fora]

I'm looking for the scores.

[Tony Kornheiser]

That is. No, we're not in the top. We're in the top 250, but we're not in the top 25. And so when we did finally talk and I told them all about the things that happened at the Alfalfa dinner, I asked about the game, and I said, well, when was the last time we beat Vermont? And he said 2015. There had been 22 straight games where we didn't beat Vermont. I would have thought it was more than that, but he said, Vermont's not that great this year. Vermont's 4 and 2 in league, whereas Bryant College, which is in Rhode Island. Yeah, Bryant apparently got a boatload of nil money and they're doing better than everybody else, but, okay, we beat Vermont. Felt really good about that. And he loved the story about, you know, everybody in Binghamton and how they did. Something I neglected to mention when I talked about the Alfalfa dinner was how it begins. How it begins. I'd never need to know and only I know what's lasted. Was that Neil Diamond? No, it begins the U. S. Again.

[Nigel]

Yes.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Marine Corps Band.

[Nigel]

Oh, wow.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Marches in and plays a bunch of songs. And it is thrilling when they do that. Yeah. They go up on a stage, they play songs, they sing anthems. They got us. You know those. Those people are technically in the Marine Corps. Sure. They are soldiers. Even though they. They're there to play instruments. I mean, they're not really there to soldier. Yeah, they're there to play. But they're great. It's stirring. It's really great. So I wanted to mention that that was a thrill. When I first came to Washington, Carol and I used to go down to the Mall sometimes in the summer. They would have these free concerts. The Marine Corps Band or the army band or the Navy Band, whatever. They were always patriotic there. Was great. Yeah, it was just wonderful. So I was happy to see, with.

[Nigel]

The backdrop of your Washington Monument and the capital.

[Tony Kornheiser]

It's gorgeous.

[Nigel]

Yeah, it's beautiful.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Gorgeous. I got home last night from walking the dog or something, whatever I was doing, and the Wizards were on. They stink beyond words. They break the streak. Yeah, they broke the streak. They broke the streak of only losing by less than 35. They lost by 38.

[Jason Lock and Fora]

And just playing for next year, they.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Lost to the Lakers. When I was watching, LeBron wasn't even in the game he likes. Played 24 minutes, eating a hot dog 24 minutes, but had 24 points.

[Jason Lock and Fora]

They had Lakers of the concourse, of the socialite.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Lakers had people. I didn't know. I didn't know who they were. Yeah, they were up 78, 45 at the half. Anthony Davis didn't play. They won by 38. LeBron played 25 minutes. This is, I don't know, 16 in a row. They tied their all time streak. They tied their all time streak for the third time in a calendar year. Nobody else has lost as many games in a row as the Wizards in that period of time. They're absolutely terrible. They have a gm, but he's not the gm. He's like the president of team, this guy, Michael Winger. And then they have a GM too. And I was reading the online story today, and the GM says, we're right on schedule. We know exactly what we're doing. And the coach says, trust the plan. Coach says, yeah, you know, I'm really happy with this. What? Okay. I don't think these people know what they're doing.

[Jason Lock and Fora]

Mathematically. The other team has to have an off night.

[Tony Kornheiser]

You know, I don't Think. I don't see why they have jobs. I don't see why they have jobs now. In three years from now, maybe I'll be able to turn around and say I was wrong. I'm happy to say I was wrong. If I'm wrong, I'm not certain that I'm wrong. The players that they have out there don't play together very well. They lose by enormous amounts of points. Okay, so they want to tank and they want to get the first round pick. So they get. Cooper Flagg was pretty good player. He's not Victor Wembanyama pretty good player. You know, it'll be a draw for a while. We won't be a draw if they don't win.

[Jason Lock and Fora]

Boots are going to see him in a month.

[Tony Kornheiser]

You're going down to Duke. I'm not.

[Jason Lock and Fora]

I was not invited.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Oh, Liz is going. Yes. Okay, well, that's great. Good. But, but this guy, Winger, I mean, I don't know, it's one thing to say I was involved in Oklahoma City, I was involved in Houston, but you got to do it here. You got to do it with the players that you're acquiring and you're putting together. And then you know what other frosted me last night? They were wearing those district shirts. Yeah, they're wearing those district shirts. That's not. And of course the court has a big picture of the Washington Monument that's part of their logo and the DMV signs. He wanted to get out, right? Raoul, you listening to me? Your boss wanted to get out. He tried to get out. He tried to leave the District of Columbia to go to Virginia. His mistake was affiliating himself with a one term governor because it's one term by law in Virginia. So if you think the governor can deliver something to you if the legislature doesn't want it. No, because those people are there forever. They hold the cards. Yeah, the governor doesn't hold the cards. He doesn't if he's a one term guy, you know, So I don't know that I have to apologize yet. I'm watching the worst, you know, most of the time, like we barely even. We. I don't work at the Washington Post anymore. They barely even get covered. I mean, you know, it's always optimism. Oh, this guy looks good. Oh, there's three rising stars in the all star. Stop. They stink. Yeah.

[Nigel]

I mean, the idea of telling everyone, oh, we're right on schedule and this is a good sign to the paying public.

[Tony Kornheiser]

You're like, can't you lose by 38. Yes. This is not an uncommon happening at home. At home lose by 38. Yeah, it's just terrible.

[Nigel]

Yeah, it's awful.

[Jason Lock and Fora]

Now, is the image of the monument looking in or looking out towards the commonwealth?

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yes. No, it's probably looking out towards D.C. from Virginia. Even though the monument's not actually in Virginia. The last time I looked. I've been down there in a while, but I don't think it's in Virginia.

[Nigel]

No.

[Tony Kornheiser]

For those of you keeping track of our mouse problem here, yesterday was a big day for dead in Ohio. For dead four. Every time we have dead mice, we call up Adcock, the trappers, they come back with traps. For $75, it's conceivable that I'm gonna be paying. I don't know, you can get a thousands of dollars.

[Jason Lock and Fora]

75. You can get like a bag of 50 of these traps. My favorite is for 75.

[Tony Kornheiser]

I get somebody who'll sit here and shoot the mice.

[Jason Lock and Fora]

Just get a mouser. The best is you're sitting there to mommy, go. I can't reach in. You're gonna have to take care of this.

[Tony Kornheiser]

I can't reach it.

[Jason Lock and Fora]

And Bob has a whole system now.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah, she takes the old Washington Post, you know, the packaging.

[Jason Lock and Fora]

Yeah.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Reaches in and then puts it in something.

[Jason Lock and Fora]

A little doggy bag.

[Nigel]

So that's six burial out back or anything?

[Tony Kornheiser]

No, no, that's six mice. Now, how many do you leave them.

[Jason Lock and Fora]

Around the perimeter of the house just as, like a warning?

[Tony Kornheiser]

How many do we. Do we have 30? Do we have 40? Most people have mice at some point. If we have 30. If you are.

[Jason Lock and Fora]

If you are catching them, they will eventually learn your trick. So if you're catching them this quickly, there has. There's a big infestation.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah. And I've never heard them, but there's some mouse.

[Jason Lock and Fora]

You know, there's some pellet place packs. I believe the one that I used before is called contract. I'm not sure how. You know, you'd have to be careful about the dog, but you basically sling it into every corner where you think they're hiding.

[Tony Kornheiser]

I don't. Look, Bonnie was telling me Bonnie ripped up all of her floors. She had mice and ripped up all of her floors. And I said, how do they get in? And Bonnie believes they can squeeze in through a hole the size of a dime.

[Nigel]

Yes, they can.

[Tony Kornheiser]

How can they do that? They scale your walls. They're fat. How can they do it?

[Jason Lock and Fora]

It's all just fluff.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah.

[Nigel]

And they can do something with their bones and their Shoulders, they get. They just, like, can get anywhere.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Get low. Like Rod Marinelli said, get low.

[Nigel]

That's how you stop the tush.

[Jeff Passan]

Push.

[Nigel]

Yeah.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Okay, now.

[Nigel]

Now what I would advise. And you haven't gone this direction. I think that's very wise. When I found a mouse in one of my flats, I proceeded to get a shoebox, put some newspaper in it, carve up some apples, like, oh, And I named him, you know, which is this exact thing you should.

[Tony Kornheiser]

I'm not doing that. It's insane. I'm not doing that. But Carol also said to me that we had mice when we first moved down here and lived on Utah Avenue. I didn't even remember this. She said the dog. The dog we had at the time, Sundance, the dog we had at the time, would, for one reason or another, not finish his food or not want to eat his food. They're sharing, and the food would be gone in the morning.

[Jason Lock and Fora]

That's gonna be a big mouse.

[Tony Kornheiser]

And Carol said mice would eat the food. I don't remember. I don't even remember the dog. I don't remember any of that. I don't remember any of that. I do remember the dog, but I don't remember the mice. But I don't. I mean, I'm sure we'll get email. I don't think it's uncommon to have mice in your house, particularly this winter with the cold, cold winter. They want to come in.

[Nigel]

Would you like to rent a cat?

[Tony Kornheiser]

No, no.

[Jason Lock and Fora]

Because the dog people share those in the neighborhood.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Cats.

[Jason Lock and Fora]

Yeah.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah.

[Jason Lock and Fora]

Check the listserv.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Oh, I didn't join the listserv because I just didn't want the mail constantly, like, you know, everybody says, did you see that guy down the street?

[Jeff Passan]

I don't want that.

[Tony Kornheiser]

I don't want that. So I'm wearing my Aunt Shirley sweater. I should tell people what it means to have an Aunt Shirley sweater. My Aunt Shirley was my mother's sister, my mother's younger sister, and my Aunt Shirley Arnie owned Camp Kiyuma. And my Uncle Arnie was a teacher, so he had enough time off to go to camp for eight weeks. In fact, more than that. 12 weeks, two before, two after, and all of that. But my aunt and uncle were part of the ownership of the camp, and my Aunt Shirley always wore sweaters. Even the hottest day. She was about 5 5. She couldn't weigh more than 120 pounds. She always wore sweaters. If you ever went anywhere. Like, I remember once I told her I was going to England when I was working for the Post. I was going to go cover the British Open, Wimbledon. She said, could you bring me back sweaters? Pringle. She knew the names, Pringle sweaters because they're the warmest sweaters in the world. This sweater I have on now is that woolover company and it's thick lambswool. I mean, I don't even think moths care about this wool.

[Jason Lock and Fora]

I think it's too dense.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yes. And it's a thick, heavy sweater. It's tough and it buttons. It's the first sweater I've ever had that buttons all the way up and down. It's heavy. It's warm. It's good. I like it. Yeah.

[Jason Lock and Fora]

You don't need a jacket with this most days.

[Tony Kornheiser]

No, I like it, but I, you know. But this is. My aunt Shirley always wore button sweaters. Those are cardigan sweaters. She didn't do the sweaters that went over her head. She always had button sweaters and always pushed the sleeves up. I was talking with my cousin Marilyn last night about this. We were reminiscing. Marilyn said she would send me pictures of Shirley in sweaters. And I just. I have a very warm feeling about this. I have a physically warm feeling about this because the sweater is warm and an emotionally warm feeling about this. And I thought, is anybody going to know what I'm talking about? Well, yeah. Jody Forstadt and Peter Baron, who. Listen. Are going to know what I'm talking about because they went to the camp. And so this is a Shirley sweater. Do you have any sweaters like you got me once?

[Jason Lock and Fora]

You got me the exact sweater two months ago. It's great.

[Tony Kornheiser]

You like it.

[Jason Lock and Fora]

It's a special occasion sweater.

[Tony Kornheiser]

What does that mean? Monday.

[Jason Lock and Fora]

Yes. Day's ending in Y pitches on Wednesday.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah.

[Jason Lock and Fora]

No, it is.

[Tony Kornheiser]

It is. We're into the same room.

[Jason Lock and Fora]

Thank you for that.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah.

[Jason Lock and Fora]

4:00, by the way.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah.

[Jason Lock and Fora]

No, it is a. It is a statement piece.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah. Yeah. I mean, a really. It's not that I think it's pretty. I don't.

[Nigel]

Looks good on you, Wang.

[Tony Kornheiser]

I don't think it's pretty at all.

[Jason Lock and Fora]

You have to be pretty confident to pull this off.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah. I don't think I put this sweater on and. And you're warm. Yeah. That's the point, isn't it?

[Nigel]

Well, yeah, that's the point.

[Tony Kornheiser]

I'm not walking down the Runway doing a St. Laurent show. No. I'm trying to be warm underneath the lily ham. It's been so. It's not that cold now. No. But for a Week or two. It was just so cold.

[Jason Lock and Fora]

All that you're missing is the Donegal hat to finish the look.

[Tony Kornheiser]

You've got a dog.

[Jason Lock and Fora]

I do.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah. You wear that to play golf?

[Jason Lock and Fora]

I do. And I also wear it to pick up when Liz calls me out.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah. So my friend Brent has one of those hats too. Wears it all around town. I think Brent's has the one with the little ear flaps that come out of the hat if you need them. Do you don't have that?

[Jason Lock and Fora]

I don't have that. I have what I would describe as like the paper boy hat. When I was a kid, you got me one that had a brim to it.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah, yeah. Good hat. Good hat. All right. That's all I got. Who's first? Jason Linfor.

[Nigel]

Jason is first.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yes. Jason Linfora. When we return, I'm Tony Kornheiser. You're listening to the Tony Kornheiser show. The Tony Kornheiser show. This is the books read. Guys, Valentine's Day is not the time to wing it. You need a solid game plan. Send foolproof flowers from the Boox Company and wow your Valentine and get 25% off your entire purchase. Boox makes it simple. Choose the quickie bouque with the click of a button, get their best selling bouquet right on time for Valentine's Day. She'll brag about it for weeks. Pick from their collection of unique modern designs or go for their flower subscription. The number one husband life hack and be the hero every month. You really can't go wrong. Books aren't just any flowers. Their flowers are cut fresh from where they grow best. So you get bigger, brighter blooms that last longer. Some are even grown on the side of a volcano. Be blown away by how stunning they are.

[Jason Lock and Fora]

I wait for that line every year.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Which?

[Jason Lock and Fora]

The side of a volcano.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah.

[Nigel]

Volcanic.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yes. You've had you like books and they.

[Jason Lock and Fora]

Really do last for a long time.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah. Not like the stuff you buy in the supermarket that's gone in the morning.

[Nigel]

By the time you get home it's down.

[Jason Lock and Fora]

If you pay attention to the the ends of your flowers, give them a little. Give them a little trim every couple of days.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah. They'll go on and on. Valentine's Day is February 14, right after the big game. So don't fumble the flowers. Get your order in now. Go to boucs.com. use the promo code Tony for 25% off. That's B O U Q S boox.com promo code Tony Buks promo code Tony. You're listening to The Tony Kornheiser show this is the Ethos read. Your family depends on you, so get serious about something. Every family needs life insurance. Ethos has made securing life insurance as smooth as possible. Normal coverage from work may not be enough and rates go up as you age. I know that with Ethos you can apply for affordable life insurance quickly and easily online, all without a medical exam. Just answer a few health questions for a free quote in less than 10 [e-mail] Tony Ethos gets you coverage quickly and easily. And it's all online. They got term life policies 10 to 30 years. Start as low as $10 a month. Come on. Ethos lets you save time with customizable love that word coverage to fit your needs and budgets. Plus, you can start your policy instantly. You'll be in good company. Two million families have trusted Ethos to help find the right coverage. Give your family peace of mind today for whatever the new year brings. Term life policies start as low as $10 a month. Get your free [e-mail] Tony that's E T H O S.com Tony. You're listening to the Tony Kornheiser Show. This is Flo Anito, right? Anato Anito. We're not sure. Our song is called uh oh. Lonnie Neumeier sent this in, says Flo is a delightfully quirky and clever songwriter with a big voice that is in turn sweet, sulky, powerful and emotive. She'll be one of 20 performers, including Tom Lofgren, the Vikings and more, appearing in the Neumeyer Flyer show. The Beatles Love Songs at the Hamilton on Saturday, February 15, day after Valentine's Day. It's a great way to celebrate Valentine's Day and the Beatles. I'm sure it is.

[Nigel]

Oh yeah.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Ronnie Newyer puts on great shows.

[Nigel]

He really does.

[Tony Kornheiser]

And so put down your calendar. Saturday, February 15th, Beatles Love Songs at the Hamilton. And this again is Flo Anito. And the song is called oh, it plays in Jason Locompoura. And we are joined by Odyssey, NFL Insider Jason, Jason Watkin for a host of the podcast in the Huddle covering the entire NFL. Let's just go to your wheelhouse this week because we're not going to talk about the game all that much because it's not this week, it's next week. Let's do the new coaches. You wrote about this for the Washington Post. Have they, have they confirmed in New Orleans yet? Is it Kellen Moore? Do we have a sense in New Orleans?

[Jeff Passan]

I think it's Probably Kellen Moore. I mean, you're not waiting for much at this point, right? I mean, you've got everybody you could hire or you're waiting for a coach involved in this game. And I don't think it's Spags, you know, and I don't think it's Dave Tobe, the chief special teams coach, although somebody should have hired him by this point. You know, I don't, I don't think it's any, you know, Maggie or any of Andy Reid's underling. So I think it's, it's pretty obvious that they're killing more to wait more.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah, because he's the Eagles offensive coordinator at the moment. So. All right, so of these until after the game, there's seven of them, right? Seven openings, seven coaches.

[Jeff Passan]

So yeah.

[Tony Kornheiser]

What. Who do you think is the best? Who do you think is. I don't want to say the worst, but the most problematic. I'll say that diplomatically.

[Jeff Passan]

Yeah, yeah. Well, I think, you know, the hiring of Mike Rabel, while the circumstances of what they set up with Gerard Mayo and how untethered to that the craft turned out to be and how shameful their search was and how they flouted the Rooney rule, and in a league where the bar is really low in terms of what gets people to say, geez, did you see what those guys did? Yeah, they managed to crawl under that bar. So I'm not here to whitewash any of that, but they did it for one individual primarily. And it was one individual who, like Gerard Mayo, played for them and was a part of their dynasty, which they obviously thought was a big deal in terms of figuring out how to dig out of this post. Brady and Belichick hole, he's of all this group, he's the only coach who you could say is in his prime and has had very recent NFL success. He's recently won divisions and he's not, you know, pushing 75 years old like Pete Carroll. So he is someone who has a different skill set than pretty much the entire rest of the field.

[Tony Kornheiser]

I just have to interrupt and say 75 was fine. I'm beyond that now. But you know what? Pete Carroll's pushing to come in and.

[Jeff Passan]

Rebuild a NFL team. Yeah, because that's a rebuild there. I mean, they may have a quarterback, they probably have a quarterback. They don't have anything else.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Right.

[Jeff Passan]

They're years away from competing. So you're right for where they are as a franchise, bringing in a 73 year old head coach, which the Raiders decided to do but it's not the norm, you know, and he was only out a year. It's not like he's one of these guys who's been out in the abyss. So I get that. Like, I get what they did. And I think Mike Raybould was uniquely situated among everybody else in this field, so that has potential. And we'll see how much they reshape their front office over the next nine to 12 months. The one that I'm actually. And people in the league I trust are of this mind as well. The one I think has the most red flags is Jacksonville. People knew by the time that team played in Germany, way back in late September, early October, that Doug Peterson was cooked. Doug Peterson knew Doug Peterson was cooked. And they waited a long time to fire Doug Peterson. For whatever reason, they let Trent Balki continue to run their football team, continue to hand out contract extensions into, like, December, deep into the season, he's still reshaping the future of Jacksonville Jaguars football. They let him remain a part of this search from the onset, where everybody in the league knows that people don't want to work for Trent Balki. And people are baffled that Trent Hockey got hired in the first place, let alone is still there and seemingly a part and was a part of this small contingent to figure out the next coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars. And then they finally decide to blow that up. You know, weeks, really, I mean, pushing months into this process, because, again, they had to know well before Christmas they were firing Doug Peterson. And it comes down to Robert Sala and Liam Cohen. And that's when they decide to blow out Trent Balky. And they don't double back with everybody. And more experienced coaches, they get in a immediate bidding war to do whatever they have to do to secure the services of Liam Cohen, who's now in his six different place six straight years. He's not even 40 years old yet. Like, he's clearly ambitious. He's clearly a climber. Yes, he worked for a few years with Sean McVeigh and then went back to him. But there are a lot of red flags there. It's only one year running an NFL offense. It's an offense that the year before, Dave Canales had a whole lot of success running with Baker Mayfield. It's the personality, the ability to lead 53 men, the emotional maturity at a point in your life where you can truly be selfless. I don't think he's going to check any of those boxes. And there was a lot of red flags before he opened up his mouth at that press conference and the press conference doesn't define the man. And Sirianni has overcome it and Dan Campbell's overcome it. But let's not pretend that everybody overcame it. And there's a lot of people doing these hires who have no bleeping clue what they're doing whatsoever. They don't even know what to look for, let alone find the right person to do it.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Who is that? Who's that loon the jets hired for an hour and a half?

[Jeff Passan]

Adam Gase.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah. Did you see his press conference? He never overcame that.

[Jeff Passan]

Ben McAdoo. We could find plenty of people who you watch talk for 15 minutes and said, that's it. How can any billionaire give this guy $30 million for we guaranteed to pretend to be an NFL head coach?

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah, no, you're right. So I wonder about this. I would say at the top of the list of the worst owners in the league, the Haslams are the worst, followed very closely by Tepper. But I think Shad Khan has proven he's a terrible owner, right?

[Jeff Passan]

Terrible owner. Everybody's rooting for him. He's nice. People really wanted this to work. He's been at this a long time now, and he has no clue what he's doing. This is a guy who wanted to double down on Blake Bortles. This is the only person in America who thought Urban Meyer would be an NFL head coach. Like, he just can't get out of his own way. He doesn't. He has zero feel for this. And to think that Liam Cohen is a better hire than Todd Monkin or a bunch of other people. Like, to be caught in this whole situation where this guy now is back to the box. No, he's not. Oh, we're. Now we're going to throw Balky out. Like, I. Like you've set him up like he's some sort of not just a coach. Like he was the one. Right. Like he's the savior. Like, that's why I finally rebooted everything in damn near February. Well, good luck with that.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah. All the teams. And it doesn't always happen this way. Every once in a while, there's a pretty good team that changes coaches. I think all of these teams are not very good with. In my mind, like, I think the Bears could be good. You know, I mean, I look at the Bears offense, I look at the receivers. I think the quarterback could be good. I don't think he's Jaden Daniels, but I think he could be pretty good. And I think to myself, you know, the Bears job. That's not a bad job. Or am I wrong?

[Jeff Passan]

I mean, it shouldn't, it shouldn't, it should be a decent job. I mean, that's another one where nobody's had really.

[Tony Kornheiser]

I mean, no.

[Jeff Passan]

Last guy to have success was Lovey Smith.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yes, Wilson says that all the time.

[Jeff Passan]

Years and then it fell apart. But yeah, you've got a long, wide swath, a sample to show that nobody's, nobody's won there near to the level that you would think a team with their aura and mystique and past history and fan base and location and market size. But I, I, you know, the owners have killed, you know, lesser candidates than Ben Johnson and, you know, have they killed better candidate? I don't know. I mean, I, I think Ben Johnson was worthy of an opportunity and them wanting to keep him in that division and them wanting to hurt the big bully on the block in their division and all that makes a lot of sense. But like, I also don't think the GM will be there, you know, by Christmas of next year. They're always stopping and starting and it's never really in unison there. And ownership is a failure and ownership has no clue for this and ownership doesn't have a feel and they're preoccupied with getting a stadium. So, like, there's nothing guaranteed. I mean, it's a smart hire, it's a hire they should try. It doesn't mean that they won't undermine their own hire through, you know, issues in the front office, issues in spending, just, you know, not really knowing how to police this stuff.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Inherited ownership is something that's interesting to me. You know, sometimes it works. Seems to have worked with the Rooneys, but often it doesn't work. Often the kid gets the team and, you know, and it just doesn't, doesn't work at all. Indianapolis. I don't think it works in Indianapolis. No, there were other places too. It just. So it's, it's the Giants.

[Jeff Passan]

So it's, it, yeah, it's, there's a lot of places where Tennessee, I mean, GM over Rabel. They're, they finally fire the gm. Nobody wants the gm. Everybody wants Ravel. You know, you've got, you've got Robert Kraft deviating from his, his succession plan just to get his hands on Variable. And now, you know, they're starting over with another gm and next year they'll probably fire the coach. Like. Yeah, no, there's a lot of inherited on it. I mean, the Bidwell, Bill Bidwell set the bar really, really low. Michael Bidwell you know, he just might fall under it.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah, they're terrible. Arizona's terrible. 58 million people watch the Chiefs play the Bills. 58 million people. Adam Silver was saying we need, in our league, we need to make sure we're right around two hours. That's the viewing habits of America. No, it isn't. It's the viewing habits of your league. Because the other league goes 315 and you can put anybody out there and people are going to watch it. Adam Silver couldn't give away money and have an audience like that. That's a lot of people, right?

[Jeff Passan]

It is. I wonder how much of this. And I haven't looked at this story at the macro level that much, let alone dive into the numbers.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Right.

[Jeff Passan]

But I think the NBA skews younger than the NFL. And I'm just telling you, the more I'm around young people at my radio station, by young people, I mean people, you know, from age 27, 28 to, you know, my youngest is 13, they're not, they're not consuming stuff like we do. Like, they're just not watching games in their entirety.

[Tony Kornheiser]

No, they don't watch the whole game. They watch highlights.

[Jeff Passan]

Right. So I think the NFL does still skew older than these other sports. I think more of the dinosaurs like you and I, who leave it on for the entire game and aren't switching around and aren't doing 30 different things while we watch. And I'm guessing part of the strength of their numbers is that now we also know we're closer to kicking it than a lot of them. So I don't, you know, how does the NFL continue to reimagine itself and repackage itself? I mean, I don't. I don't pretend to know what game day, you know, viewing habits and what game day, how this stuff's going to be presented 15, 20, 30 years from now. But I can. Like when Adam Silver talks about shortening the game to 10 minutes.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah.

[Jeff Passan]

Like, I don't know all the research that's behind that, but I think a lot of it has to do what I'm bringing up right now, that, that these trends, these generational trends are skewing in completely opposite directions. And the people who watch till the end, like, they continue to do that. And I think at the other end of the spectrum that it's. That viewing experience is getting diced up in a bunch of different ways. And I don't think a lot of those people are as compelled to go to games unless you do what the guy with the L A Clippers did. And you literally put a game console in every single seat and you're literally entertaining them with stuff on that board. And not just generic crab races or president races. Yeah, like you've got stuff that's keeping them engaged through every stoppage of play from the beginning of the game till the end.

[Tony Kornheiser]

I don't, I don't know how it works because it's so expensive to go to games. But my sense is by looking at ratings, and maybe ratings don't even matter now, and maybe in five years they won't matter at all. But you look at ratings, NBA ratings have cratered in the regular season. Nobody watches it. Nobody comes to the television. They're consuming it in some different way. Fine. Because ESPN and NBC are still giving billions of dollars to get this product. So somebody must think it's a good idea. But Adam silver, you know, 10 minute quarters, fine, that's good. But ultimately what you have to be thinking of is three minute quarters. You know, when dunk contest and sign shooting contests and something like that. All right, that's good. Plug your radio show for us.

[Jeff Passan]

You guys can check us out on Inside access on 157 the Fan in Baltimore from 2 to 6pm every weekday afternoon. You can read me in the post. You can check me out on CBS SportsLine on a pretty good college basketball heater you might want to tail. I really like the CAA card for Saturday. They set these lines where I think they're gonna set up, but Towson at Drexel. It might be a nice afternoon for the Towson Tigers. Free pizza for the students. Tone. And $1 beers over here at Siku arena for the red hot Towson tigers on Saturday, 6:00 national TV game. Not sure where that number is going to be, but I think the Tigers will be okay.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Fantastic. We should talk more about the future of televised sports, you and I, because you actually know something and I don't know idiots. Thank you, Jason.

[Jeff Passan]

Thanks, guys. Have a good one.

[Tony Kornheiser]

That was Odyssey NFL Insider. Jason Lock and fora. Make sure to follow in the huddle on the Odyssey app or subscribe wherever you get podcasts. We didn't even talk about the super bowl because it's, it's next week. We got 10 days out. Something like that. Jeff Passon. When we returned to talk about, you know, the upset among major league baseball owners at what the Dodgers are doing, which is called winning. I'm Tony Kornheiser. You're listening to the Tony Kornheiser Show. This is the Cars for Kids read. Selling a car privately can be a real headache. Endless negotiations, tire kickers, paperwork hassles. There's a better way to get your unused car off your hands for 30 years. Cars for Kids, I keep thinking the song is going to start playing. Has perfected the car donation process to make it truly effortless. They'll take your car in any condition, running or not.

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And one trusty saucepan.

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Yeah, we have the Oregon trade style works good.

[Nigel]

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[Tony Kornheiser]

I do? Yeah. It's been a while since I've gotten it. Yeah, I concede it's been a while, but I really liked it. Yeah, you don't want to settle for stale grocery store coffee. And with trade coffee, every morning cup will feel like a treat. Plus, you'll be supporting small roasters. And that makes every cup even better. Their quiz makes everything so easy. In less than a minute, you'll be matched with your ideal coffee. And if it isn't, then trade will replace your first bag for free until they get it just right. You can even adjust your delivery schedule. Perfect for when life gets busy or you're drinking more or less. Coffee. Don't settle for okay coffee. Head to drinktrade.com Tony to receive up to three bags free. Yes sir. Yes sir. Three bags.

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Whoa.

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That's drinktradecoffee.com no. No it's not. I'm sorry. It's drinktrade.com Tony what am I nuts? To get up to three bags free with any new subscription? Drinktrade.com Tony I've used my own money for this. This is good. You're listening to the Tony Kornheiser show. This is a song called Together Forever. It's by a group called the Babblers. And here is the note that accompanied the Babblers. Here is the latest single from Finnish guitar pop supergroup the Babblers. Together Forever, which comes out today, January 31st. A sweetly romantic tune displaying the band's inimitable way with a hook, it marks the kickoff of the countdown to the long awaited release of like the First Time, the lost album, previously only, available in Japan and France. Finland. Japan and Finland, but featuring all of their hit indie singles from the last three years, including the SiriusXM underground garage coolest song in the world. You are the one for me. We hope you and your audience enjoy it. I'm in love with this group just because of this story. The Babblers, a Finnish guitar pop super group. How did they hear of this? Michael, if people like the Babblers want to send us their original music, how.

[Jason Lock and Fora]

Do they send us your music? By emailing it to jinglesonycornizershow.com Helsinki.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah, I guess, you know, and plays in Jeff Passon, who wrote a story I read I don't know about a week ago. And we, we ultimately did because we got this great hook from Hal Steinbrenner in taking the absurd position that he wasn't rich enough to compete with the Dodgers. And totally absurd. So we, we got to talk about how the rest of the league views the Dodgers at the moment. Wilbon, of course, steadfastly defending the Dodgers because his Northwestern boy Mark Walter owns the Dodgers. Jeff, you did a lot of work on this. How are the Dodgers with what they've done, all the money they've spent on all these players, how are they viewed by the other teams in the league?

[Jason Lock and Fora]

With jealousy, I think. Yeah, with contempt. There are a lot of feelings on the Dodgers right now, Tony, and everybody has an opinion on them because this reminds me a lot of what the Yankees used to be and how the Yankees used to be perceived. And in the most.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yes. When they were owned by a Steinbrenner. Hal's dad, George. Yes, go ahead. Yeah.

[Jason Lock and Fora]

More than anything, though, like this, what, what now Steinbrenner's comments suggested to me is that the Yankees want to have their cake and eat it, too. They still want to be the Yankees. They just don't want to have to play in the financial sandbox that comes with being the Yankees. And. But it's okay to want that, to desire that, but it's not reality. That's not how sports works anymore. And what I wonder, and it's tough to spot this sort of thing when you're in the midst of it, but I wonder if baseball is having a bit of an evolution right now and that that evolution is toward the next generation team and that's what the Los Angeles Dodgers are, or if there's going to be something that impedes it. And I don't know if that's a salary cap. I don't know if that's the sorts of penalties that get implemented that serve as an even harder soft cap than there is right now. I don't know what that looks like. But in this moment right now, it's almost like the Los Angeles Dodgers world and to an extent, the New York Mets and everyone else is living in it and trying to figure out how to survive.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Well, it's not like the Yankees haven't spent money. They signed Cody Bellinger. They signed Paul Goldschmidt. They signed Max Freed. Come on. You know. Right.

[Jason Lock and Fora]

Yeah, I, listen, I don't, I don't disagree with you, which is why, you know, on its face, how Steinbrenner's comments and Tom Ricketts, his comments with the Chicago Cubs are as absurd as they are. Yeah, you know, it's one thing, it's like the Kansas City Royals are complaining about an unfair playing field or, you know, the Tampa Bay Rays just had the roof worn off their stadium in a hurricane and are going to literally be playing in the Yankees, like, Class A ballpark this year. If they're saying it's unfair, okay, like, I suppose you can nod along and say, yeah, you know, the consequences of an uncapped system when there are incentives in place for particular teams to go out and spend while those same incentives prevent others from spending, that's a system that's worth looking at and saying, okay, how can we find the fairest thing imaginable while still keeping these principles that are going to allow baseball to actually be played? And what I mean by that is if Major League baseball and its 30 owners and the commissioner stick to the idea that there needs to be a salary cap in place. We're going to lose baseball for a long time because that is just a non starter for players right now, the MLBPA right now, for too large of a swath of people at this point to even be considered, it is a non starter. And so this is where baseball is going to have to get creative and get thoughtful and find something that is agreed upon, not just Tony, by the union and the league, but by the league's large market owners and the league's small market owners and everyone in between.

[Tony Kornheiser]

You can't, you know, when somebody owns a team and you allow them to buy into the league, there's got to be a way to say, look, there's a floor that you have to spend. There's sort of a limit on top, or we will tax you. And for the Dodgers and the Yankees, they'll pay those sorts of taxes. Because if, if you spend wisely, Jeff, and you know this better than I, if you spend wisely, you have a huge advantage over teams that don't have any money to spend. They're just barely in the league. I mean, I wanted to make the case that it wasn't just the wealthiest teams that are winning. And so I looked at the Rangers and the Astros, but the Rangers and The Astros are 6 and 7 in the highest payroll. So there are 30 teams in a league. What if you're, you know, 15 and up? You probably have no chance. Right.

[Jason Lock and Fora]

I mean, the last team in that vicinity to win a World Series was the Kansas City Royals. And that was back in 2015.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Right.

[Jason Lock and Fora]

It's not an unreasonable point that you make. I think proponents of the current system will argue that because of the construction of baseball's postseason, because, you know, it starts off with a three game wild card series and then goes to a five game division series and then you have seven game LCS and World Series. That because of the small sample. You know, baseball is not like football. That tends to be a pretty chalky sport. Mike. You have a couple of years ago, the five seed facing the six seed for the World Series. And that happens more often in baseball.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yes.

[Jason Lock and Fora]

Than in any other sport. I think you see it in hockey, but rarely are there big upsets in basketball or football. Baseball is sort of the domain for that. But is that enough? Do the, do the Pirates and do the Marlins and do other teams of that ilk have a chance, have an opportunity? And I think it kind of depends on the owner. Like this is all such an owner driven thing because as, as you have seen, you can construct a very good baseball team on a relatively low payroll. Baltimore Orioles have done that the last couple of seasons. The Rays have done it for what seems like a generation.

[Tony Kornheiser]

And gotten into the World Series. And gotten into the World Series.

[Jason Lock and Fora]

Yeah, I mean Cleveland is consistently a very good franchise with a payroll that is usually sub $100 million or in that vicinity. It's possible what having the large payroll does is it buys you the opportunity to make mistakes and weather them. You know, a bad contract or two is not going to torpedo the Los Angeles Dodgers chances. They'll just shrug it off and say, you know, it's breakage doing business and the other teams just don't have the ability to shake it off in nearly the same way and be in a position financially where their owners are comfortable or where feel like they're, they're not losing money. And the difficult part of this is it's hard for me, Tony, to go sit there and tell someone how to spend his or her money. But at the same time it's almost like there's a compact when you buy a franchise between you and the city where you bought it, where you say I am going to try and field a competitive team. And it's why the Pirates owners are as loathed as they are by people. Because I don't think Iris fans see the product that the Pirates are putting out on the field every year and say that you, Bob Nutting, are trying your hardest to go out and win. I think it's kind of clear at this point that they're not. And it's understandable when fans say if you're not in it to win, if that's not your number one priority, then what are you doing? Sell it to someone who is.

[Tony Kornheiser]

I agree with all of that. And my only pushback, and it's weak, I have to say it's weak, is that the Dodgers have won once and that it's, this is the hardest playoff of all. It's much harder than the other playoffs and it can come down to one start, one pitch, you can be out. And that's not the same with others. It's really not the same with other sports. And they've only won once. Yankees spend a lot of money. Phillies spend a lot of money. They've gotten to the World Series, they haven't won it. Are some teams excluded? Yeah, some teams are excluded. Which is why you root for the Kansas City's or the Tampa Bays and why the people who put Those teams together are so coveted as general managers because they're dealing with less money. But if you don't have a cap and you don't have a commissioner who demands that owners spend something, which I don't think you can, then this is the way baseball is going to be. Right. It's inevitable. It's the way it's going to be.

[Jason Lock and Fora]

Yeah. And what's happened with the Dodgers is they, you know, I think that they recognized, okay, we need to get somebody with the mindset of a successful small market franchise in here and have him or her, like, provide those principles that apply to the small market team to a team with a much larger budget. And that's what the Dodgers did with Andrew.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Andrew Friedman and from Tampa Bay. Yeah.

[Jeff Passan]

Yeah.

[Jason Lock and Fora]

And. And he, he has done a brilliant job of putting together a team within the rules that exist right now. And I think if you're going to be pissed at anyone, and there are a lot of pissed off baseball fans, Tony, like, that's the part of this that concerns me, that alarms me. And there are a lot of people at Major League Baseball who feel the same way right now. Like, oh, God, what, you know, what have we done? And it's because the Dodgers are extraordinarily well run. Right. The players want to play there. It's not like they're going out and splashing the pot. It's not like they're going out and giving guys 2x what they're going to get on the market. No. The Cubs were right there with Tanner Scott. There have been countless free agents who they've signed, like Freddie Freeman, even Ohtani, where. And Ohtani is an interesting case because you hear $700 million, you're like, oh, my God, before Juan Soto, that was the biggest contract in North American professional sports history. And we're going to sit here and say it was a team friendly deal. Well, because of the deferral.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah.

[Jason Lock and Fora]

Actually, it's a hugely team friendly deal. And so the Dodgers have become a destination for players. If you want to win, if you want to get better, go play in Los Angeles. And there are worse pitches out there for free agents who are trying to both enrich themselves and get some gold around their finger.

[Tony Kornheiser]

It's. Look, I like it, me personally, but maybe I'm in the minority. Jeff, thank you so much for being on. Thank you.

[Jason Lock and Fora]

Thanks, Tony.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Jeff Passon, boys and girls. You can read his work on the ESPN website. It's a very good story. We will take a break. Jeff Passen was brought to Us by FanDuel Sportsbook. Make every moment more. We will come back with email and jingle. I'm Tony Kornheiser. This episode is brought to you by Amazon. Sometimes the most painful part of getting sick is the getting better part. Waiting on hold for an appointment, sitting in crowded waiting rooms, standing in line at the pharmacy. That's painful. Amazon One Medical and Amazon Pharmacy remove those painful parts of getting better with things like 247 virtual visits and prescriptions delivery to your door. Thanks to Amazon Pharmacy and Amazon One Medical Healthcare just got less painful. You're listening to the Tony Kornheiser Show. Here comes Tony's mail bag.

[Dan Byrne]

Got your email, faxes and your notes.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Here comes Tony's mailbag. Gonna read some for all you folks. Hey, Tony, come on, come on. Hey, Jonas.

[Flo Anito]

Read that mail now, baby.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Now you know that's my favorite one. I love so many of them, but that's my favorite one. You want to do the Bethesda bagel ad?

[Nigel]

Bethesda bagels, we love them. You will as well just go to bethesdabagles.com for the location in the DC area nearest you. Then pop on in, my friend, and you will be thrilled.

[Tony Kornheiser]

And before we get to the mailbag, let me just say I don't want to lose this good thing that I've got. If I do, I would surely, surely lose a lot. That's not Shirley. And Shirley, it's not a Shirley surely lose a lot because her love is better than any love I know. It's like thunder and lightning the way you love is frightening. I better knock, knock knock knock knock on wood. It's one of the greatest songs ever made. Yeah, it's really. Thanks to our guests today, Jason Lockenfour and Jeff Passon. Thanks as well. Today's sponsors. Remember, you can listen to us on Apple podcasts, Spotify or to see if you get show through Apple. Please leave us a review.

[Jason Lock and Fora]

And aunt Shirley was a great cook, right?

[Tony Kornheiser]

No, Aunt Shirley couldn't cook at all. No, she was a non cook. My mother was a great cook. No, Aunt Shirley. No, non starter. Non starter is a cook. Marilyn will tell you that. Okay, so we often get emails from people who claim to know me, knew me at some point in my life and their life. And half of them are true and half of them I just don't remember. Right? I don't remember. So I got this one the other day and Nigel gave it to me and said, do you know this guy? And indeed, indeed I know this guy. Steve Weiss. I went to college with who writes? As a college classmate and friend, I applaud your recent efforts at polishing the reputation of our beloved Binghamton University. Of course, when we attended, it was called Harper College, A small institution in the woods of upstate New York attended by smartish middle class New York City kids who could only afford a state school. And you have to admit, it was sort of a freak show. In one incident I find hard to forget, there was a night when I discovered Bookie, a mutual friend of ours and a housemate of mine at the time, sitting in his room dissecting a cat while tripping on acid. He seemed somewhat distressed. Bookie, not the dead cat. And I suggested a trip to the college infirmary. He declined, but asked me if I would drive him to campus so he could talk to you. We did find you, and I have no idea what you discussed, although I have long been curious how the conversation went down. I bring it up here, however, only in the interest of journalistic and integrity. It's just flat out wrong to tell a Binghamton history of powerful political figures, beloved advertising icons and nationally known sports authorities without a bit of qualification. Then again, with your council book, you may have turned out to be an eminent surgeon, in which case, never mind. Peace and love. Steve Weiss, 70, class of 70, Scottsdale, Arizona. Once wrote a book called I was a Food Writer for the CIA. But it wasn't the CIA you're thinking of. It was the Culinary Institute of America. Had a girlfriend named Hollywood. Yeah, I remember Steve very, very well. I don't remember this bookie incident at all, of course. I mean, nobody would expect me to remember this. And indeed, indeed, I don't. I don't remember it, but he was a good friend.

[Jason Lock and Fora]

Is he part of grass?

[Tony Kornheiser]

He was. No, he was not part of grass. He was. He was with us at Adelphi, which was our social club, not the college itself. And he's a good basketball player. He played on the team for a couple years. Good player on the Harper team? Yeah, he was a good player. He's crazy, I grant you, but. Cindy McElroy Jackson, Georgia. I did not heed your warning about Chessy's new squeaker toy being in the pod on Monday's episode caused our yellow lab, Lisa quite some mental anguish. I turned it on to listen in the kitchen while prepping dinner, and suddenly our kitchen was filled with squeaking and dog yipping. Lisa began frantically searching the area for said toy and new friend to play with. I ended up having to switch it off pretty quickly to save myself from saying she's on the radio. Not here. Over and over. Not here. Here. Next time you mention Chessy as a new toy, I'll just list. I'll just listen on my airpods. Okay? From Thomas Bogart in Scapoose. S C A P P O O S E. Scapoo Scapus, Oregon. You will undoubtedly relieve a receive a lot of correspondence regarding the Chessy squeak toy. All I have to say is I got a fever and the only prescription is more squeak toy. From Tom Targonsky in Sioux City, Iowa. That incessant squeaking, was that a dog toy or was a clown being brutally murdered during the first 10 minutes of the show? That's pretty funny, Tyler. Etching Camp Lincoln, Nebraska Dear Dr. Tony. Squeak, squeak, squeak, squeak, squeak, squeak, squeak, squeak, squeak. And crush it and flush it. Okay. From Todd to K. Loyal Littles. Episode 115 in Lexington, Kentucky. I know you're burdened, unburdened by memory, but you've gone from raging at leaf blowers outside the Chatter studio to oblivious to Chessy giving the business to her squeaky toy while talking to Dan Byrne. She was she really loud?

[Jason Lock and Fora]

It was hard to focus.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Was it okay? Ross Henderson didn't affect you? I did not. Because I can't hear. Ross Anderson, Ella J. Georgia. Chessy bark twice if you're in Milwaukee. That's sort of funny. Aaron Hansen, Papillion or Papillon, Nebraska. We've had that discussion before. Yes, I think you're right, Mr. Tony. Many years ago you proved that cheese with more holes does taste better. Does cheese with more holes also catch more mice? We don't know if they're. If it's cheese. Peanut butter. I thought it was.

[Nigel]

Yeah, they do like the peanut butter.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Ariel Helfer in Ferndale, Michigan. Might you be in a position to play your two infestations against each other? What I mean to say is, can you find a way to pit the mice against the moths? Just picture it. A zoological battle royale unfolding in real time all around you. Moths will play home games in your cedar closet. The mice in the trash compact. You could charge admission. On the other hand, having just celebrated Robert Burns Night this last weekend, I feel compelled to remind you of his note of caution to the effect that the best laid schemes of mice and men go off to Rye. I think it's gang after glay. Gang after glay. I think it's gang after glay, in fact. But as far as we know, he's never struggled as you have with the worst laid traps from. From Mice and moths. It's very good. Email John Juback in Pittsburgh. Whenever you mention your exterminator Adcock, I'm reminded of the old Milwaukee Braves slugger. Yes, am I. As am I. Joe Adcock.

[Nigel]

Good hitter, right?

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah, very good hitter. Good hitter. Who ended Joe Adcock, Eddie Matthews and Hank Aaron. Yeah. Who ended one of the most memorable games ever, Harvey Haddock's 12 inning perfect game in 1959? In the bottom of 13th following an error in intentional walk, Adcock registered Milwaukee's only hit with a towering home run to right field. However, the runner at first, Hank Aaron, flushed the mouse by heading straight for the dugout. After touching second base, Adcock circled the bases but was called out for passing Aaron on the base pass. He was credited with a double and.

[Jason Lock and Fora]

The final score was 1 nothing 11, 22 RBI.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Oh, is that what he's had? That's great. Wow, that's a great number. From Joe Greer. Joseph r. Greer Arnold, M.D. in your listing of famous graduates of Binghamton University, I want to alert you two time Pulitzer Prize winning David Cochinevsky of the Bloomberg News. But like you, an alum of the New York Times, I'm unfamiliar. Dave's Pulitzer Prizes and explanatory reporting penetrated a legal thicket to explain how the nation's wealthiest citizens and corporations often exploited loopholes and avoided taxes. In his college days, he and I vigorously argued that 16 vessel virgins and wider shade of pale clearly referred to Binghamton. Funny teacher introduction line by Dave when asked by a Jesuit priest, how do you spell your name, son? Oh, you know, Father Koch. The rest as it sounds. Same high school as the late Tim Russert. Canisius High School. Where do you vacation? Oh, you know, the Hamptons. East, West, Bing. That's funny. That's a good one. P.S. chessy and the ball made my four year old golden retriever, Rosie Greer. Not that Rosie Greer. Listen to every word. John. How is this pronounced? John V. John Fox. Akis, maybe. Greetings from Beijing, China. I want to tell you a quick Are you bleeping kidding me? Story that will reinforce the global reach of your show and all of its weirdness. Late last year I was waiting in line at a coffee shop here in Beijing with an American colleague of mine. As I got ready to pay for my drink, he noticed Tony Kornheiser show title screen on my cell phone screen. He quickly gave me the TK salute and we shared a pleasant moment of mutual appreciation of the show. Surprising, but not too surprising as we both were from the general D.C. area. And grew up reading your columns and listening to your show. That said, the next encounter hit me like a meteor from Uranus. The other day I'm sitting in a noodle joint, typical local place, little dirty and the waitresses are all a little cranky. And as usual, I'm the only non Asian person in the shop. As I'm inhaling the last remnants of my bowl, I hear the man sitting across from me at the shared table, half humming, half singing to himself in a slight Chinese accent. Zoo zoo zoo got the vikes bite too. And I just about choked on my meal. I looked up to see what seemed to be a typical middle aged Chinese businessman casually eating his lunch and staring at the phone. I think this can't be real. But sure enough I hear sometimes he throws poo poo poo and boom. There's no mistaking that. And I greeted the man in my broken Chinese and asked him where he knew that song. He visibly blushed, but very pleasantly told me he went to grad school in the US in the late 2000s and got hooked on American sports, which led him to watch PTI daily. He discovered your podcast a couple of years ago, now has it in his regular rotation. I guess the lure of gardening tips and DC traffic updates knows no international borders. Thank you for years of entertainment. I've been a regular listener since the Dan Davis days. Your show has provided me constant fond connection at home since I've been serving overseas, often in remote places on the globe for the last 22 years. I'd like to be the official Beijing Noodle Shop correspondent Tony Kourtney Show. Sure, but only if the title is not already taken. Also, please tell Avery Franz to eat it. Isn't that great? That is why that's just a great one from Keith Gerd's or Gerdy's from Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Thank you for reading my email about Rocky Raccoon. During a drive to the Post office around 8pm tonight, I received this text Leches to you my guy. I miss you. My man. Hadn't spoken or heard from this person in years. Had no idea it was a little but I immediately wrote back. Did my email get read? I haven't listened to all today's show. Excuse me. Thus began a nice catch up with an old friend, a veteran math teacher who hung out in the back of my classroom with my English teacher mentor at the start of my career as I was just figuring it out, encouraging me along the way. He moved west long ago. We lost touch. Wonderful to hear from him. Wouldn't have happened but for this show, connective tissue indeed. Oh, and eat at Darrell Pigott, which is really nice. Rich Johnson, Las Vegas like you, I love the Eagle flight before the Eagles game, but let me take you back to about 90 minutes before kickoff on December 2, 2007. I'm sitting in the TV booth with my friend Kenny Albert when one of the cameras zooms in on a hawk sitting in the top deck about five rows up of link from the top of Lincoln Financial Field chowing down on a pigeon. Somebody in the control room got on the IFB and said that bird is in violation of the stadium's no outside food. That's pretty funny. That's pretty funny. I mentioned the fact that Barkley immediately texted me after that. Right. I said that on the air.

[Nigel]

I think you said it on the air, yeah.

[Tony Kornheiser]

This is from Dr. Tom O'Brien in Rockville, Maryland. I was first exposed to Auburn's War Eagle last season. I coached Eugenia Sante, one of three Auburn players selected for the Senior bowl this week. His first five years in youth football in Northern Virginia. I'm heading to Mobile this week to watch that bowl with his brother. My son and another player both played with Eugene on my B ball and football teams. I coached youth sports in Northern Virginia for over 20 years. We're very close. He even asked me to walk across the field this season with his family on Auburn senior night. That's great honor. I've never seen anything like the pomp and circumstance of an Auburn home game. The tiger walk, the band, etc. But the flying of the War Eagle before games is unprecedented. Your description with Barry was spot on. Since 1930, Auburn's War Eagle flies around the stadium before all home games. It's amazing. I know. In 2023, the Philadelphia Eagles rented Auburn's Majestic Eagle. I don't know which eagle flew in the playoff game. To see it in person is amazing. They walk around the stadium with him during the game. It's a beautiful animal. Eugene's brother was in the Senior Bowl 15 years ago, played four years in the NFL. Desai was blessed. To coach such a phenomenal athlete early on in his career is an understatement and makes it pretty easy. During timeouts I was known to say a team Eugene, you want to run left or right? Then I would head to the sideline. I would not know the result. I'm not stupid. It did not matter. Go War Eagle. Isn't that nice?

[Nigel]

That's great.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Dennis McCann in Bayfield, Wisconsin. Your discussion of accents on Monday, both here and especially in the UK brought back a memory. Years ago, my wife and I visited Ireland for the first time. As my name suggests, McCann. My family came from Ireland several generations back, so I was delighted to be in the land of my people. For our last two nights we splurged and stayed at Adair Manor, which is gorgeous. I think they're going to have the Ryder Cup. Ryder cup there. Wilbach stayed there. Maybe the nicest place I've ever sprung for. When we arrived, it was too early to check in, so the desk clerk directed us downstairs to the pub for lunch. It was the room in which Harry Connick Sr. Had just gotten married while Harry Jr. Played the piano in the pub. When we got back to the desk, the bellman took my bags and said, have you had any liquor at the inn? I thought that was a rather personal question, but I announced, yeah, I'd had Guinness with lunch. Whereupon he looked at me strangely and my wife gave me the old dope slap because what really what he'd really asked is have you had a look around the inn? Yeah, my people. Next time we stayed at Dare Manor, I did not mention my lunch.

[Jason Lock and Fora]

2027.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Oh, okay, okay. Jim Curtis My ears immediately perked up on Monday when I heard your comments about the incessant square squeaking dog toy. My family and I recently moved from Philadelphia to Greater Newcastle, England area for an international job opportunity. All my life I've been misled by listening to Nigel and watching movies featuring Brits. I was under the impression listening to Mary Poppins and Harry Potter speak was as much of an accent as I'd ever have to understand. Boy, was I wrong. As Nigel eloquently added, even English up north in North Yorkshire North Yorkshire, Durham or Cumbria is vastly different from London. On our first trip to a Scottish town named Sterling, a few hours north, we thought we'd encountered a similar dialect. After all, English is English. Lo and behold, we were dead wrong again. When inquiring with a public bus driver about various daily travel options, my wife and I exchanged wide eyed puzzlement as neither one of us understood a lick. He said during his 32nd spiel. We smiled, nodded, and offered a hearty sure cheers while purchasing whatever ticket it was that he was dishing out. While here, we also quickly learned that to have a we is a valid adult terminology for making a pit stop at the restroom and that a fanny pack is most definitely not called a fanny pack. Asked Nigel off air about that one. Philadelphia and Newcastle tip their hats to our rivals in D.C. for a well played season, we look forward to many future matchups with the up and coming Jaden Daniels.

[Nigel]

I remember correctly, we call it a bumbag.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Not.

[Nigel]

Yes.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Jason Lohr in Louisville, Kentucky. The irony of you talking with Dan Byrne about how you can't understand people talking about talking anymore with a cute puppy going Hannibal Lecter on a squeaky toy in the background of the interviews. Truly amazing. I thought it was some kind of doggy Morse code for help. This guy doesn't just drown mice. Legendary. Tell Mike Crowley to eat it and put a golf trip together. Mike Crowley's your boy.

[Jason Lock and Fora]

I'm looking for that invite.

[Nigel]

Yeah.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Tim McGeary, Durham, North Carolina, where Bootsy will be going soon. Chuck and Roxy Episode 271 so Scotland invented the English language. Who knew? Information for life or Shruth Lurch flush the mouse in Scottish Gaelic. Also, Harvey Stenger, Dean of engineering my freshman year at Lehigh University, was a great dean. I can't believe he's been a great president. He's been an absolutely great president. Jim Barry, Woodbine, Maryland. You've given me so many. I know.

[Nigel]

It was a big. It was a thick pot.

[Tony Kornheiser]

You can't just get through them. Enough's enough. Jim Berry, One More Jury Story I was called for jury duty about 35 years ago when we lived in Montgomery county in Maryland. During the orientation at the start of the day, the lady running the operation told us that a few years earlier they had selected a jury. On a Monday that Thursday, a gentleman showed up at her office with some clothing and a few personal items he wanted to drop off for his wife. She asked who his wife was, and a gentleman explained that she was serving on the jury and had been sequestered all week, and he thought it'd be nice to drop off some fresh supplies for her. She said she was telling us a story to clarify what she had to explain to him. Sir, Montgomery county doesn't sequester juries. Oh, trouble in paradise. You're out on your bike tonight do wear white she may get woolly oh, Tim Robbins.

[Jason Lock and Fora]

Young girls that do get woolly why?

[Tony Kornheiser]

Cause of all the stress no. Yeah.

[Dan Byrne]

Thought you might be the one how could I ever be so wrong? It's not black, you say Oughta bless you when I sneeze so I went to your MySpace page Got sick with fear I shook with rage Single now, I guess conforming she I never thought I'd like a boy who drove a fancy car I never thought I'd like a boy who wore express for men I Always thought I'd like a boy who plays guitar with that I'd like a boy but now I want all men oh oh, oh, you can be it oh oh, now I see it oh oh, you can be it oh, now I see it conveniently at 2am you're going to find my number again but baby wakes in all afternoon.

[Tony Kornheiser]

And.

[Dan Byrne]

You say that you're coming just to talk inside our bark Apparently I'm not quite the idiot that you presume still here I am I'm sitting seemingly obsessed with you and all the pretty little things you'd only occasionally do but when I get it through my hair but this just ain't enough when will I get it through my head that just don't look like love now oh oh, oh, you can be it oh oh, why can't I see it? Uh oh, oh you can be it.

[Flo Anito]

Uh oh.

[Dan Byrne]

Now I see it and I'm feeling so dumb Everybody knows that it a mess I found my heart would be numb I know what a trams are in distress I never thought I'd like a boy who drove a flick car oh oh, you can't do it uh oh, oh, can't get through it uh oh, oh you can't beat it uh oh, oh, now I see it oh, you can't do it Uhoh, uhoh I can't get through it.

[Flo Anito]

A long time ago when I saw you something it happened A long time ago when I saw you something changing my heart Only to hide it Only to deny it's you that I love Only to hide it Only to deny it's you that I want to love.

[Tony Kornheiser]

This.

[Flo Anito]

Time it will be together forever this time it will be forever Forever forever no need to walk alone at night Wandering around no need to walk alone that at night as only the lonely will do no need to hide it no need to deny it's you that I love no need to hide it no need to deny it's you that I want Love this time it will be wonderful this time it will be forever forever forever Only to hide it Only to deny it's you Only to hide it Only to deny it's you that I want Love this time it will be together forever.

[Tony Kornheiser]

This time this.

[Flo Anito]

Time it will be forever Forever forever this time it will be together forever this time it will be forever Forever.