“the note to michael”

Summary

The Tony Kornheiser Show: “The Note to Michael”

Episode Overview Released on March 13, 2025, "The Tony Kornheiser Show" dives deep into the latest developments in sports, politics, and current events with Tony Kornheiser, renowned sports commentator and co-host of ESPN's PTI. In this episode titled “The Note to Michael,” Tony engages in insightful conversations with two prominent guests: Dan Graziano, discussing the NFL free agency landscape, and Chuck Culpepper, celebrating his induction into the Basketball Writers Hall of Fame while analyzing the Southeastern Conference's (SEC) performance this year.

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Section 1: Opening Remarks and Personal Reflections

Tony Kornheiser begins the show by referencing a poignant message he wrote to a listener named Michael. This personal anecdote sets a reflective tone for the episode.

• Tony (01:47): "Previously on the Tony Kornheiser Show I wrote Michael a very sad my goodness message last night."

He discusses his feelings about aging and self-perception, sharing his struggles with how he appears on air compared to how he feels internally.

• Tony (02:07): "I can't subject young people to this. And by young, I mean anyone under 65."

This segment underscores Tony's candidness and willingness to delve into personal topics, making the show relatable to listeners of all ages.

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Section 2: NFL Free Agency Insights with Dan Graziano

Guest: Dan Graziano, a seasoned NFL analyst from Georgetown.

Topic: The future destinations of superstar quarterbacks Aaron Rodgers and Russell Wilson amidst the ongoing free agency period.

Aaron Rodgers' Free Agency Speculations

Tony and Dan explore the potential moves Aaron Rodgers might make, weighing the likelihood of him staying with Minnesota Vikings versus exploring opportunities with the Pittsburgh Steelers or New York Giants.

• Tony (18:08): "What's his deal?"

• Dan Graziano (18:08): "The Steelers and the Giants are both kind of sitting there waiting for an answer."

Dan suggests that while Minnesota remains Rodgers' preferred choice, the complexities of team dynamics and contract negotiations may push Rodgers toward Pittsburgh or the Giants if Minnesota opts against re-signing him.

Russell Wilson's Possible Moves

The discussion shifts to Russell Wilson, analyzing his recent performances and the implications of his potential moves to teams like the Browns or Giants.

• Tony (22:15): "Russell Wilson produced no points, is 13, 10, 17, 14, 17 in the last five games."

Dan points out that Wilson, like Rodgers, seeks a favorable environment to conclude his career, emphasizing his confidence in his abilities despite recent performance dips.

• Dan Graziano (23:04): "Russell and Aaron are similar in some respects in terms of they want to write a better ending to their careers."

Kirk Cousins' Situation with Atlanta Falcons

The conversation broadens to include Kirk Cousins, discussing his contractual situation with the Falcons and the team's strategy in managing his presence alongside rookie quarterback Michael Penix Jr.

• Dan Graziano (23:18): "Atlanta continues to tell Kirk Cousins and potentially interested teams that they are not going to release him."

Dan underscores the Falcons' challenges in balancing Cousins' veteran presence with the development of Penix, highlighting the financial and strategic hurdles involved.

Notable Quotes:

• Tony (20:09): "Aaron Rodgers... had 18 touchdown passes and four interceptions. And those are good numbers by anyone's standards."
• Dan Graziano (21:28): "There aren't 32 good answers at the quarterback position."

Section 3: Chuck Culpepper Celebrates Hall of Fame Induction

Guest: Chuck Culpepper, esteemed sports journalist and author.

Topic: Chuck's recent induction into the Basketball Writers of America (BWA) Hall of Fame and his perspectives on the SEC's performance.

Induction and Literature

Tony shares a heartfelt message from a listener appreciating Chuck's book "Bloody Confused," which delves into his experiences in England's soccer scene.

• Tony (34:31): "Chuck Culpepper's selection to the Basketball Hall of Fame... it's a great Sports Writing piece."

Chuck humbly responds to the honor, indicating his discomfort with praise but expressing gratitude.

• Chuck Culpepper (35:38): "I don't handle compliments very well. So I have to go now."

Analysis of College Basketball and the SEC

The discussion transitions to college basketball, with Chuck expressing skepticism about the SEC's dominance compared to traditional powerhouses like the ACC and Big East.

• Chuck Culpepper (40:14): "The SEC is really great. ... It's a colossus and it's hard to keep up with how many good teams there are."

Tony and Chuck debate the SEC's strength, referencing specific teams and their performances in tournaments.

• Tony (44:44): "Gonzaga shot 1 of 15 from three in St. Mary's 0 of 16. It had to have been the wrong height."

Chuck agrees on the bizarre performance metrics, suggesting potential issues with game setup.

• Chuck (45:23): "Having been in that gym a few times, it's unbelievable."

Notable Quotes:

• Chuck (39:39): "I think what I'm... Auburn... their performance is compelling to watch."
• Tony (46:00): "If you can't beat out Anthony Richardson, who had the lowest completion percentage in the league and who had eight touchdowns and 12 interceptions, if you can't beat him out, you shouldn't be in the league."

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Section 4: Listener Interactions and Mailbag Highlights

Tony engages with listener emails, addressing personal stories and humorous anecdotes, fostering a sense of community and relatability.

• Listener #1 (James Dugan): Shares a nostalgic memory of celebrating a wedding with potato chips and champagne at the Watergate Hotel.

• Listener #2 (Dan Stoll): Sends a photo depicting what he believes to be capybaras resembling giant rabbits.

• Listener #3 (Joe Bianchino): Poems and reflections on spring blooms and personal sentiments.

These interactions showcase the show's blend of serious sports analysis with lighthearted, personal connections.

• Tony (56:01): Reads Joe's poem, appreciating its depth and creativity.

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Section 5: Closing Remarks

As the episode winds down, Tony wraps up the discussions with reflections on the day's topics and anticipates future conversations with guests like Chuck Culpepper.

• Tony (50:12): "Saturday Bagels... Grateful for original music on the show because we can't afford other kinds of music."

The episode concludes on a humorous note with banter among the hosts, leaving listeners anticipating the next engaging installment of the show.

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Conclusion

In “The Note to Michael,” Tony Kornheiser masterfully balances in-depth sports analysis with personal storytelling and listener engagement. Conversations with Dan Graziano provide clarity on the murky waters of NFL free agency, while Chuck Culpepper’s insights celebrate his storied career and offer critical perspectives on college basketball dynamics. This episode exemplifies the show's commitment to delivering rich, engaging content that resonates with both avid sports fans and casual listeners alike.

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Tony Corporeal Aging Concerns (02:07):

  "I can't subject young people to this. And by young, I mean anyone under 65."

• Dan Graziano on Aaron Rodgers (18:08):

  "The Steelers and the Giants are both kind of sitting there waiting for an answer."

• Tony on Russell Wilson's Performance (22:15):

  "Russell Wilson produced no points, is 13, 10, 17, 14, 17 in the last five games."

• Dan Graziano on Quarterback Availability (21:28):

  "There aren't 32 good answers at the quarterback position."

• Chuck Culpepper on SEC Dominance (40:14):

  "The SEC is really great."

• Tony on Shooting in Conference Championship (44:44):

  "Gonzaga shot 1 of 15 from three in St. Mary's 0 of 16. It had to have been the wrong height."

• Tony on Anthony Richardson vs. Daniel Jones (46:00):

  "If you can't beat out Anthony Richardson... if you can't beat him out, you shouldn't be in the league."

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This comprehensive summary captures the essence of the episode, highlighting key discussions, insightful quotes, and the dynamic interplay between Tony and his guests, ensuring that listeners gain a complete understanding of the episode's content without having listened to it.

Transcript

[Tony Kornheiser]

It's Tony. On today's show, we'll talk with Dan Graziano about where Aaron Rodgers and Russell Wilson may go. And we'll also talk to Chuck Culpepper about his recent induction into the Basketball Writers hall of Fame and how good the SEC has been this year.

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[Tony Kornheiser]

Previously on the Tony Korniser Show I wrote Michael a very sad my goodness message last night. I'm not going to discuss it now because we've gone a little bit longer tomorrow.

[Chris]

I mean shike. I'll pull up quotes if you want.

[Tony Kornheiser]

It's just so sick. Is it long? Is it a missive? Show it to Chris.

[Chris]

I'm letting Chris read it.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Show it to Chris and we'll get out of here now. Tim Kirk when we return on Tony Korniser.

[Commercial Announcer]

The Tony Kornheiser show is on now.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Often I'm going for laughs. Often I would have been happy that Ciliza laughed out loud. Like that. But in that particular case, what I said, as Michael well knows, I wrote.

[Chris]

The worst part is it's all in lowercase.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Oh, is that right? Well, I don't know how to. You know, I'm typing into a machine, I. Half the time the words are wrong and then the spell check changes it to something I didn't mean. And I don't know how to change it. But what I said was I had occasion. Not yesterday, but the day before. So today is Thursday. So Tuesday I came back from the studio and I was going through the dial looking for basketball games or something like that, and landed on one of the outlier ESPN stations. I landed on Pardon the Interruption. And so I watched for a little while and I. I mean, I can't tell you how old I look. We don't. Often we feel how old we are, but often we don't. Often we feel younger than we are. And I'm still mentally fine. And I can obviously do a show like this, and I can do the PTI show, but I look so old. And I was thinking, I just can't do this anymore. I can't subject young people to this. And by young, I mean anyone under 65. I can't subject them to this. Look, it's just two old bags under my eyes. No hair. You know, I look like I'm basically made of straw. And it made me very sad. And I wrote Michael a note. Who's Michael's reaction, of course, was to laugh at this, just like Chris's.

[Chris]

Well, I wanted to send a joke back, but then it was so, so sad. I couldn't make myself do it.

[Tony Kornheiser]

It was sad, right? It was. So I left it on red. Yeah, I feel. I feel sad. I mean, I just. I'm too old and. Well, you know, there are two things that are true about all of us. One is that when we hear our voices played back, we go, whoa, I. I didn't know I sounded like that. Yeah.

[Chris]

And your voice changes every five years, is that right? It feels that way.

[Chuck Culpepper]

So it's like going back, listening to Al Michaels on the 1980 call. You're like, wow, he sounds like he's 16.

[Tony Kornheiser]

So. I mean, I don't. That. That one doesn't bother me. Cuz I know what happens to everyone. And I also, as long as your voice is strong, as long as it's not tentative and you're using your voice, it's not the worst thing in the world. But we all. We don't realize what we look like to others, even when we look in the mirror, we don't realize what we look like to others. And so when I go downtown and I have makeup done and I talk to the makeup person and I say, I'd like this, I'd like that. I'd like the other thing to try to replicate what Carol does in the house. The lighting is different. The makeup is different. Everything about it is different. The lighting is much stronger in a regular television studio than it is in my house. And there's a phrase that makeup people use, which is to warm you up, and that is to use a certain kind of color that makes you look healthy and makes you look unpale. And yet it doesn't work for me. It doesn't work for me, and I look awful, and I should someone. And I'm amazed that this hasn't happened. I'm amazed that someone in a position of authority wherever I work doesn't say, get him off the air. We just can't look at this anymore. We can't. And yet I went back yesterday, and, you know, and I did it again. You know, I did it.

[Chris]

So what are you going for today? Today's look, Tony? Juan. No, I saw a different takeaway. I watched PTI yesterday, and I see you doing the penguin dance, and my. My heart just completely lights up because I'm thinking about a new gener of, you know, TV viewers who sort of get to see this energy from you, and I don't think you look that different. Now, I. I do agree with you that we have this picture of ourselves in our mind's eye, and for you, it's. You know, I still think about you, probably from when I was in college. When I think of dad, that is who I imagine for me. I take a look at pictures of me with the kids, and like, my goodness, I look terrible. And I still view myself as this kid from, you know, close to 10 years ago, right before we had kids. And I'm now accepting, as I. As I enter this next stage, I'm not quite a man yet, but I have to. I have to, you know, recenter myself as to what I look like now.

[Tony Kornheiser]

That I think we all have to do this. So this is. This is my existential dilemma. Every single morning, getting up and saying, no, this got to be. It got to stop. Got to stop. And then I just do it again because I like it. Yeah. I mean, I like the show. I do.

[Chris]

Then you see Breaking Free Agency News, and you go back downtown.

[Tony Kornheiser]

I like. Yeah, I like the show. I do. We got a note. Dan Byrne, who was. He had two songs yesterday. Brilliant, brilliant song. Says I wanted to be a little more specific if and when you were able to let the littles know about this. Songs for Mr. Tony Volume 4 is available at Dan byrne.bandcamp.com for the low and meaningful price of $13.72. It contains 20 classics such as I Flushed the Mouse, George Said Nothing, and of course, Hoc Pocus Junk. Dan Byrne, he's brilliant. We, we truly cannot love Dan Byrne any more than we do. We totally love him. So I don't know if anybody pays attention. There's a lot of college basketball games on, you know, over the. The last four or five days, and over the next four or five days, there's a lot of college basketball that's going to be on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. In the major conferences. There was a game not yesterday, but the day before Tuesday night there was a game for the championship of the West Coast Conference with Gonzaga and Saint Mary's. Gonzaga and Saint Mary's are tournament teams almost every year. Gonzaga is a tournament team every year. Gonzaga, by winning this game, beating St. Mary's is going to go to the tournament for the 26th straight time. The only team in America that has gone more is Michigan State, and they will be going for the 27th straight time. So Gonzaga is a giant now. Gonzaga has never won the tournament and they're never going to win the tournament. They're not going to win the tournament because their conference does not prepare them to play five tough games in the NCAA and win them all. They're not. But this was the shooting from three point for St. Mary's and Gonzaga. Gonzaga was one of 15. That is awful. But if you think that's awful because it is awful. St. Mary's was 0 for 16. So combined, two teams that are going to the tournament were 1 for 31 from 3. Which leads me to wonder, was the rim at the right height? That's right. That's just so terrible. That's ungodly. It makes no sense. One for 31. These are scholarship kids, you know, and Gonzaga, they're not rated this year, but they're a really high quality program, as is St. Mary's maybe it was not at the right height.

[Chuck Culpepper]

I mean, that's such. One. One goes in.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah.

[Chuck Culpepper]

For two teams that can do well with that. Yeah, it does seem a bit odd.

[Tony Kornheiser]

I don't think there's. There's ever been anything worse than that.

[Chuck Culpepper]

No, that's miserable.

[Tony Kornheiser]

31 shots to only make one. Yeah. It's just so awful now if I'm.

[Chuck Culpepper]

Out there shooting, you'd be like, well that's just a good shooting percentage for you, Nigel.

[Tony Kornheiser]

But so unbelievably awful. Yeah.

[Chris]

Season average, it looks like they're around 300. So I'm interested in your correct height theory because that's what happens with our kids.

[Tony Kornheiser]

U8 league under eight. Oh, so in other words, they change the height of the basket and sometimes.

[Chris]

They have the kids playing on a 10 foot rim and they just, they. It's physically hard for them to get it all the way up there.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah, I mean you can't shoot this badly without questioning whether the basket was set up at the right height. So you don't think the rim was too small. It's just, this is what Kelleher thought too. It's just so crazy. It's so bad.

[Chuck Culpepper]

You don't think the coach went out there like Gene Hackman and Hoosiers and measured things before the game?

[Tony Kornheiser]

I don't know. I don't know. Both teams. I mean you. That's an embarrassment. That's an embarrassment to the conference. It's an embarrassment to these schools. It's embarrassment to NCAA basketball. So I'm, I would choose to believe that maybe something was not exact when that happened because it really is bad. Wilbon geeked up last night. Oh, so geeked up for Boston against Oklahoma City. Yeah. You know, because he, Wilbon has picked both those teams to be in the finals and has picked repeatedly Oklahoma City to win and would like to back off because it's in his nature because some people are saying to him and by, you know, it's text chain or Magic Johnson or whoever he meets that they don't have as much confidence in Oklahoma City as he did. So he's, he wants to moonwalk a little bit on that. But he also believes that Shea Gilgis Alexander should be the mvp, not Jokic because Shay Gilgeous Alexander's team is so far ahead in the standings of the Denver team. And I agree with him about that.

[Chuck Culpepper]

And they look good last night. He looked good last night.

[Tony Kornheiser]

He was so excited. There is a series of emails that go back and forth that I don't see until this morning. Texts rather with ride home and with Kelleher and Wilbon is crowing, you know, insulting Michael Malone and praising Shea Gilgamesh Alexander. And of course I was hoping the game would be a dude. I didn't care who won it, but I was hoping somebody would win it by 25. But it wasn't that at all. Right. What was the final on that game?

[Chuck Culpepper]

I was like 4 points, 1 112.

[Tony Kornheiser]

And it was good the whole game, right? It was close the whole game?

[Chuck Culpepper]

Well, yeah. Oklahoma City.

[Tony Kornheiser]

I watched the first half.

[Chuck Culpepper]

I started watching in the second, in the second half, and Oklahoma City was up by 3. And all of a sudden they're up by like 15.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Oh, I didn't know.

[Chuck Culpepper]

And then Boston fought back and I think tied it up by the end of the third quarter. So it was.

[Tony Kornheiser]

So then the fourth quarter is a competitive quarter. Yeah. So it's a really good game. I would point this out, that Boston, the two teams in basketball with better records than Boston, one is Oklahoma City and one is Cleveland. And within the last week, both those teams have gone into the Boston Garden and beaten the Celtics. Yeah. So, I mean, if you're looking for legitimate signage here, that's legitimate signage. They're saying that now. Boston last year went through the playoffs, 16 wins, three losses, fantastic performance. Could they do it again? Sure. And Porzingis did not play last night. And Porzingis is a key figure in everything that Boston can do. But by the same token, Boston, at home with a crowd with some meaning, has lost both of these games to the only two teams with better records all year. And my position on MVP is. Is unlike Wilbourne's. And I believe in winning and losing, but I think if you are the best player on the best team in the league, you should be the mvp. I thought Jayson Tatum should have been the MVP last year, and I would have been. I don't have a vote, happily. And if I did have a vote, I'd have been the only one to vote for Jayson Tatum. And I'm not talking about, as Wilburn says, one through five. No, not one through five. It's going to say watch it till five. One. Just who wins. I don't care about one. Two, five. So we will take a break. Dan Graziano. When we return, we'll talk about NFL free agency. I'm Tony Cornheart. You're listening to the Tony Kornheiser show. This is the stamps.com read. Flexibility in your workday means you can decide when and where to invest your time. Like focusing on the important parts of the business that only you can do with stamps.com tedious tasks like sending certified mail, invoices, checks, documents or packages can all be done on your time, not someone else's. Stamps.com simplifies your postage needs and adds valuable flexibility back into your workday. Stamps.com handles all your mailing and shipping needs wherever, whenever. Lets you seamlessly connect with every major marketplace and shopping cart. If you sell products online, that's probably really good. If you have to do this all the time, send stuff out. You can also access all the USPS and UPS services you need to run your business right from your computer or phone anytime, day or night. Day or night. No lines, no traffic, no waiting. Have more flexibility in Your Life with Stamps.com Sign up at stamps.com and use the code Tony for a special offer that includes a four week trial plus free postage and a free digital scale. No long term commitments or contracts, just go to stamps.com codetony use the code people Some people just know they could save hundreds on car insurance by checking Allstate first. Like you know to check the Jumbotron first before attempting to eat a stack of supreme nachos in one bite. Now you're just a meme that everyone shares on game day. Checking first is smart, so check Allstate first for a quote that could save you hundreds. You're in good hands with Allstate. Savings vary, subject to terms, conditions and availability. Allstate Fire and Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates, Northbrook, Illinois.

[Commercial Announcer]

You're listening to the Tony Kornheiser Show. The Tony Kornheiser Show.

[Tony Kornheiser]

This is a song called Sugar Baby. It's by a band named Mandy Valentine. And the letter comes this way. Like to share two new tunes with you, Sugar Baby and Going west off Mandy Valentine's upcoming record Gone west on all streaming platforms out March 28th. So that's next week. It's country rock and roll band hailing from the deep south of Philadelphia. That's weird country rock. But Taylor Swift is from the Philadelphia area.

[Chuck Culpepper]

That is true.

[Tony Kornheiser]

So there must be an influence there, right Michael? I mean there must be some country influence in Philadelphia. You went to school there? Yeah, that's what I would think. Yeah. The Mandy's will celebrate with a release show at Ruba Club in Philadelphia on March 28th with support from Hatchery and Philly's finest shoegaze band, Puppy angst. Doors at 7:30, show at 8. Going west is the title track for Mandy Valentine's album out March 28th. Any New York City listeners can catch the Mandy's in Brooklyn Sunday, April 13th at Skinny Dennis will be playing with our friends and fellow Philadelphian country rockers Roberta Faceplant. What kind of name is that? Roberta Faceplant. Thank you as always for original music on the show because we can't afford other kinds of music. And it plays in Dan Graziano of Georgetown. Ahoya. Ahoya went to school here. Ahoya. And the irony of somebody becoming a reporter in football after going to school at Georgetown, which may or may not have a football team beyond the D3 level, makes me laugh. I mean, it's. It was. When you went to school, it was all basketball.

[Dan Graziano]

Oh, sure. No, I mean, and really kind of the tail end, really, of the. Of the glory years of Big John Thompson, too, like we had.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Right.

[Dan Graziano]

I think. I think my junior year or sophomore year was the first year they missed the tournament in, like, 20 years or something. So. Yeah. No, if I think if I had known what I wanted to do with my life, I probably would have not gone to a school that didn't have journalism major. But I'm glad I did because that was a great place in a great town to go to school.

[Tony Kornheiser]

You don't ever have to worry about that. I went four years to college. I worked on my college newspaper. I was able to parlay that into a job until they asked me, where did you go to journalism school? I said, nowhere. They said, how many journalism courses did you take in college? I said, none. They offered none. So it can happen 55 years ago, but. But it actually, from a historical standpoint, it can happen. Now, let me get to the reason that everybody wants to talk to you yesterday, today, and tomorrow. That is free agency in football, which dominates the sporting world in America, much to Wilbond's chagrin. Who thinks basketball. I don't care about free agency in football. Basketball's different. How about summer league? No, it's nonsense. It's junk. I think the question that's extant, if nothing happened overnight, and I don't know that anything did, is Aaron Rodgers, who is. Who is a plague and as well as a savior. He can be both. There's no question about that. What's his deal?

[Dan Graziano]

Yeah, the Steelers and the Giants are both kind of sitting there waiting for an answer, you know, all day yesterday. We're trying to rule out Minnesota, but. But couldn't. I still think that's a very slim chance that they would do that. And I don't know why they would, but apparently it's been discussed there, so we'll see. And I think if that. I think if Aaron would probably. Of the three, that's the place he probably would rather go. So maybe he's waiting for a hard no from them before deciding Pittsburgh and Giants. But, you know, you see now Russell Wilson going to take visits with the, with the Browns and the Giants like that. That's the kind of thing that, you know, we in the business call a clue. Maybe Russell has been, has found out that he's not in Pittsburgh's plans because someone else is. So I think we're, we're getting pretty close to a resolution on this. I say that with as much confidence as anyone can predict things when it comes to Aaron Rodgers.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Well, let me get to that. Is it your understanding that there are at least two offers on the table, if not three? And is he being a prima donna or is he actually undecided? You seem to suggest he might be waiting for Minnesota to go back to a division he's familiar with, which also creates far more peril for his legacy. Far more peril to go to Minnesota and fail, I think.

[Dan Graziano]

Right. But I mean, you know, a 14 win team last year that's augmented the roster through free agents, like probably just a better football situation than certainly the Giants and probably Pittsburgh at this point. So again, I think that's far fetched. I don't think that's where he lands. They draft JJ McCarthy last year in the top 10. They want to play him. This would represent a significant shift in Minnesota's plan. So I don't, I think Pittsburgh is the most likely outcome here. As of yesterday, he and Pittsburgh were going back and forth on the contract, so it's entirely possible that it could get done. But this is a, this is a player, Tony, that does not mind when all the attention is on him. And if that means he's dragging this out, then I don't think that's a surprise.

[Tony Kornheiser]

So I don't want to get too geeky here, but Aaron Rodgers, for all the fun people make of him and Wilbourne, loathes him and is so happy to stomp on his chest in the last few weeks. But for all of that, in the last 10 games last year he had 18 touchdown passes and four interceptions. And those are good numbers by anyone's standards. So if he regains form and let's be fair, he's out for a whole year with an injury and then comes back to a team he knows nothing about if he regains form and he's got, let's say at Pittsburgh, Pickens and Metcalf, they're good, right?

[Dan Graziano]

Look, I mean, Pittsburgh still needs to do work on the offensive line and they still need to make sure their running game is better than it was last year. So I don't think it's a Plug and play situation. And I mean, like, you know, you give me the touchdowns and interception numbers. I mean, there are. You want to really get geeky. I mean, like, you know, he was 25th in total QBR last year, and people say he played better after the buy. He didn't. He was 29th. Okay.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Okay.

[Dan Graziano]

And QBR after their buy. So, like, it's. He wasn't good last year. He needs. I think he needs. And that's probably why Minnesota has some allure. He needs a situation where there's a strong group around him. 41, going to be 42 before the end of the season. The list of quarterbacks that have played at a championship level past the age of 40 has one name on it.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Tom Brady.

[Dan Graziano]

Aaron. Yes, I'm sure he. Aaron is confident that he could be the second name, but, you know, so far he hasn't been. And I think this is a situation where there just aren't 32 good answers at the quarterback position. So you have a Pittsburgh and the Giants scrambling to just get somebody to. To be there when the center snaps the ball.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Russell Wilson. This is, to me, a public rebuke of Russell Wilson because Pittsburgh could have him. Pittsburgh had him last year, then he lost his last five games and produced a. Wilburn loves Russell Wilson. We go back and forth. I said, mike, he produced no points, is 13, 10, 17, 14, 17 in the last fight. They have no points. So they are. They have. Basically. I don't think he wants to go there. Even if Rogers says no. Right. Because it's such an embarrassment at that point.

[Dan Graziano]

Yeah. I mean, it comes down to how much does he want to play. Right. So if he's taking visits to the Browns and the Giants, who are third in the draft. Right. And could easily replace him at the end of April with a younger model, then that means he probably wants to play. So, yeah, I think, you know, Russell. I think Russell and Aaron are similar in some respects in terms of they want to write a better ending to their careers than what it would be if they left now. So I think they both have enough faith in themselves and their abilities to think, well, I can come back, you know, one more year in the right situation, and I could be a, you know, I could. I could be a, you know, championship contender, MVP contender. That kind of. Whether they're right or wrong, we can debate. But I think the way the elite athletes mind works, that's probably where they're. Where they're. Where they're thinking.

[Tony Kornheiser]

There's one name that's in the Shadows that doesn't get mentioned much a year ago would have been mentioned all the time here, and that's Kirk Cousins. Is there a sense of what will happen with him?

[Dan Graziano]

Atlanta continues to tell Kirk Cousins and potentially interested teams that they are not going to release him. They, they have to pay him 27.5 million this year, whether they, whether he's on the team or not. And as of Sunday, another 10 million next year becomes guaranteed. So they're kind of, you know, some cost, sure. But, you know, they also feel like Michael Pennix Jr. While they love him, this guy comes in the league with an injury history. And the whole point of, you know, signing Cousins last year and drafting Penix was you can't overload at that position. You can't have too much. So part of me takes the Falcons at their word. Another part of me feels like it'll get to a point where, you know, it's untenable. And they decide it's bad for Penix to have Cousins there because Pennix has a couple of bad games in a row. People are going to want to see, you know, Cousins. So you don't want to do that to your young quarterback. So I don't know. But they're, they're, they're stubborn and they, in the way they do things and, and I think, I think right now their plan is to sort of hold on to him and see what happens. The other thing is, like, to his detriment, Kirk Cousins is not the kind of guy that's going to make this difficult for them. Right. I guess he's probably not going to, like, be mean to Michael Penix or sit on training camp or those kinds of things. So, you know, oftentimes a player in his situation would try and create a difficult situation for the team, and it just doesn't seem like he's that kind of dude.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Let me use the words difficult situation to describe the guy I hate the most through free agency, Myles Garrett, who very publicly said, I want this, I want this, I want the other thing. All I want to do is win. I don't want to be here on a rebuild, a second rebuild, you know, get me out of here. And then they throw a bunch of cash at him and he signs. I mean, I wouldn't have minded if he had said, I'm in for the money, but he made it about principle, and there was no principle. Any reverberation on that?

[Dan Graziano]

No. I mean, the reverberation's internal. Right. It's another massive contract that they have to Work around along with Deshaun Watsons, and it's going to make it more difficult for them to. To operate their cap and build their roster. But you're right. Everybody remember Rodney Dangerfield movie Back to School?

[Tony Kornheiser]

Sure.

[Dan Graziano]

And there's like a scene where Ned Beatty plays the dean, and they're like, doing something on Cat, like building a building, because Rodney Dangerfield's character funded it. How could you do this? And he says, well, in our defense, it was a really big check. I think that's where Miles Garrett kind of landed. Right. Like, I would have loved to go somewhere and contend, but, yeah, it's a lot of money. So here I am, and I'm in Cleveland for the rest of my career.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Biggest winners, biggest losers in terms of teams, because it's not just quarterbacks, it's building a roster.

[Dan Graziano]

Yeah, I think. I think I like what Washington's doing, trying to maximize Jaden Daniels rookie contract window. Getting Laramie Tunsall, who's over 30, but still an elite left tackle. I think that's a big get for them. Debo Samuel, you know, he, He. He's. He's an older player as well, who's kind of gotten beat up just because of the way he plays. But it's not out of the realm of possibility. He could have a big impact there at wide receivers. So a little more work on defense. But I like what they're doing. I like what the Bears have done, bringing in those interior offensive linemen that are veterans that can help their young quarterback, Caleb Williams, with. With, you know, certain things that, you know, he might have struggled with last year. So they're addressing their needs. Those are two winners that jump to mind, you know, losers. The 49ers are shedding a lot of.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Guys that have 49ers, and the Eagles have gotten rid of people.

[Dan Graziano]

Yeah, I mean, the Eagles. Eagles have sort of been drafting with the idea in mind of knowing when these guys were going to graduate. And so I think they're. They'll be fine. Like, they're always. They always have coverage, have a deep roster. But the Niners, I'm really interested to see because Deebo Samuel, Kyle Juszczyk, these are players that have sort of always been there for Kyle Shanahan and has kind of been, you know, key to how he designs his offenses, and he's going to have to do things a little bit differently as a result of their departures, and we'll wait to see who else leaves. But, yeah, they're. They're in, like, a Little bit of a reset spending wise and still have a lot of good players, but they don't look as scary as they might have even just a year ago.

[Tony Kornheiser]

I read this morning that Mac Jones is going to the 49ers. Does that have implications for Brock Purdy? Are they going to not sign Brock Purdy to a big deal?

[Dan Graziano]

No. I mean, look, it's a, it's funny because remember how everybody's convinced Mac Jones was going to be the 49ers draft pick that year and they were, they went with Trey Lance. But no, I never. Yeah, you need a backup and, and that's what Mac Jones is at this point in his career. They're, they're negotiating with Brock Purdy and I think they believe they'll get to a deal. It's just, you know, it's one of those great big quarterback deals that don't get done as quickly or easily as we might think they should. So I think that'll take the bulk of the off season.

[Tony Kornheiser]

There are a couple of people, three people that I've written down taking one year deals who are well known people. Daniel Jones, the Bosa Kid and DeAndre Hopkins. My feeling always has been Dan, that if you take a one year deal with a team that the team says okay, we'll give it a shot but we can write this off pretty easily. One year doesn't mean anything. We're not really committed.

[Dan Graziano]

Yeah, 100%. And in that case of Bosa, he's a player who's been injured a lot and you know, probably so he replaces Von Miller in Buffalo. Von Miller played 25% of the Bills defensive snaps last year. Like he's an edge rusher that you can deploy strategically. You don't have to count on him as a starter and you probably shouldn't given that he breaks down. So that's the thought there in Buffalo. DeAndre Hopkins, at $5 million is an experienced receiver. Like he didn't do much for the Chiefs, but Chiefs coaches would tell you like he was incredibly helpful to Xavier Worthy that the rookie in terms of teaching him nuances about running routes and how to play certain coverages and all that kind of stuff. So he has value and I think, you know, in a Ravens room, wide receiver room, it's pretty young especially. And then Daniel Jones is a classic case of a guy that like this is a proven right like beat out Anthony Richardson who was fourth pick two years ago and show us you can win games as a starter and then maybe next year's contract. Baker Mayfield, Two years ago in Tampa. Right. One year deal falls out and then he has, you know, a nice new 3 year, 100 million dollar deal the next year. So that's Daniel Jones Hope.

[Tony Kornheiser]

If you can't beat out Anthony Richardson, who had the lowest completion percentage in the league and who had eight touchdowns and 12 interceptions, if you can't beat him out, you shouldn't be in the league. Right?

[Dan Graziano]

Yeah. And I think that's how Daniel feels like he's going there for an opportunity and I think he probably feels like he can take it. So the question with Anthony Richardson is, you know, does the light come on? And if not, like, is this, does this mean it's over for him in Indianapolis? And I think there's a chance that's how it breaks down.

[Tony Kornheiser]

I'll get you out of here on this one question. You mentioned Laramie Tunsil before Houston was a playoff team. They have obliterated their offensive line. Does that mean that somebody looks at the film and says, you're going to get C.J. stroud killed even though we're a playoff team. You people, you can't play here anymore.

[Dan Graziano]

Yeah, because their pass protection was a major problem for them last year. So I kind of think almost, you know, good for them for not holding on and saying, well, it'll just get better on its own. At the same time. I mean, they fired their offensive coordinator, too, who was a hot head coaching candidate just last year. So, you know, they're not. They don't want to waste CJ Stroud's rookie contract window either. So our pass protection was bad. So if we get rid of offensive linemen who were responsible for that then, and not that Larry McTunkle necessarily was, but the fact is it didn't work and have a new coordinator, you know, and a new offense. So they might want different kind of linemen, you know, like maybe smaller, quicker guys that help with zone running schemes and those kinds of things. They want to run. So, yeah, I'm not afraid to overhaul. We'll see how they do. I would think it has to be a major emphasis for them in the draft because you're right, like, if it doesn't improve over last year, then CJ Stroud is going to. It's going to get beat up. They don't want.

[Tony Kornheiser]

I mean, the Bears did it. The Bears recognized it because their kid got sacked 68 times. All right, thanks for being on this. Thanks for, thanks for being on the PTI show last week. Do good on get up and we'll talk soon. I hope.

[Dan Graziano]

I appreciate.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Thanks for having me, Dan Graziano, boys and girls. We'll take a break. We will come back with Chuck Culpepper. I'm Tony Kornheiser.

[Commercial Announcer]

This is the Tony Kornheiser show.

[Tony Kornheiser]

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[Chuck Culpepper]

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[Chuck Culpepper]

A K. They should really put that to a jingle. Don't you think that would make it.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Nice, the phone number with actual kids playing and singing? Yeah, that would be great. Not like it would get in your head, would it? You're listening to the Tony Kornheiser Show Once again. This is Mandy Valentine, country rock and roll band from Philadelphia. And once again they will be at the Rubic Club in Philadelphia on Friday, March 28th with support from bands Hatchery and Puppy Angst. The daughter open at 7:30. The show is at 8. This is called Going West. Michael. If original music played by bands that nobody else has heard of. If people want to send that stuff to us and we'll play it, how do they do it?

[Chris]

Send us your music by emailing it to jinglesonyconnizershow.com Wasn't there another band on.

[Chuck Culpepper]

That list called Roberta Faceplants?

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah, but that's. That's a different day. Roberta Faceplant. It's a great name, I gotta say. It's a great name. And the Mandy's play in Chuck Culpepper. And I'm going to read this from David Alexander before we get to Chuck. It was great to hear about Chuck Culpepper's selection to the Basketball hall of Fame. Recently I was in Portland, Oregon and went to Powell's Bookstore, one of the great independent bookstores in the country. I found a book Chuck wrote back in 2007 called Bloody Confused, about a year he spent in England soaking up the environment around soccer. As with great writing about sports, the best parts of the book had nothing to do with the actual games. He truly captured the social fabric of the game. And even someone who was not a soccer fan like Tony would find this book fascinating. I followed Chuck in the Washington Post over the years and finding this book made me truly appreciate great Sports Writing. The U.S. bWA United States basketball Writers of America hall of Fame is adding another Distinguished member. So we are calling to congratulate you on being selected and elected to the hall of Fame. How do you feel about that?

[Chuck Culpepper]

I don't. I don't handle compliments very well. So I have to go now.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Is it.

[Chuck Culpepper]

Thank you.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Is it a big dinner? Do you get to make a speech? Do you have to prepare remarks? What's it like?

[Chuck Culpepper]

It's a lunch. It's at the Final Four. It's always on the final Monday. And you do make a speech? Do prepare remarks? Yes.

[Tony Kornheiser]

And do they tell you how long to speak? Speak? Because God knows when somebody gets up there and goes, too long. And by too long, I mean more than three to four minutes and goes 20 and introduces 20,000 people, you want to kill yourself. So how long do you speak?

[Chuck Culpepper]

So there's no symphony or no string quartet or anything playing any music for you. But I have been in there when some of the speeches have, you know, run Adrian Brody links, or maybe a little longer than that.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Oh, you can't. No, no. Get off the stage. Get to a laugh line. Get off the stage. I mean, that's what you have to do. How many halls of fame for you now? How many are you in?

[Chuck Culpepper]

I think it's one. I can't think of any others, really.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Not even your high school?

[Chuck Culpepper]

Oh, well, I don't know if they have one.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Oh, okay.

[Chuck Culpepper]

Yeah, yeah, if they have one. That's a good question.

[Tony Kornheiser]

High School hall of Fame is great. That's great.

[Chuck Culpepper]

There's like a Nomad hall of Fame. That's the one that I.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Is that the one? All right, well, congratulations for that. Where are you this week? What. What are you covering or not covering this week? What are you doing this week?

[Chuck Culpepper]

I am home and watching tournament after tournament, and I, you know. You know how this. This. You don't know who these teams are. A lot of times you don't see them. Suddenly, I'm feeling really sad for Northern Colorado last night as they lost to Montana Grizzlies. And it's a great story and everything, but, you know, they sort of get wrapped up in it. And there's 31 conferences and. And, you know, I don't know, is there anybody in the world who can keep them all straight, who knows them by heart and knows who's in them?

[Tony Kornheiser]

No, I know you can't. The best game I have seen so far, the best game was Wofford against Furman in a conference. I don't know anything about the Southern Conference. It. For reasons unknown to me, it was being played in Asheville, North Carolina. I don't know why. And it was the best game that I've seen so far. And you always get something like that. Just like you get that in the first week, weekend of the tournament. And then after that, you know, it's. It's not that great. I should. I need to ask you this because I. Maybe I overreacted. The conference commissioner of the Big 12, some guy named your mark. Brett, your mark actually came out in favor of 76 teams in the NCAA, which I think is a. Just a stinking idea. But I'm wondering what you think about it and whether or not that has any currency among, you know, coaches and conferences now.

[Chuck Culpepper]

I think it does have currency among the conferences who want, you know, more and more and more and who already have a lot. Yeah, I think it's. I agree that it's lousy. I think it reminds me of when people talk about expanding the soccer World cup and everyone I know thinks that's lousy and that would be a bad idea. You know, that's a bad idea. And everyone I know, I, other than, I guess, people who run conferences, whom I don't know, think that expanding this tournament, which is just seen as, you know, optimal as it is, almost flawless as it is, you know, I don't know of anybody who, like, you know, you hear 76, you hear 96, you hear numbers, and you hear think why.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah, I mean, I don't want to be told by somebody getting up at a podium that we've expanded to 76 because we think the 73rd team in can win because they can't win. They went from 64 to 68. I still don't know why they did that. I mean, maybe people like Dayton, because Dayton hosts these two games or four games, whatever it is, at the beginning of the tournament, I think 64 is good. I think 68 is less good. I think 76. You've got into bad at that point. Do you have a sense of will it actually happen?

[Chuck Culpepper]

Well, I always sort of, when I'm guessing at that, come down on the side of yes, because they. There's just always so much, oh, for lack of a better word, I guess, greed about it. You know, the SEC will have what, in some brackets, projections now, 13 teams in this tournament record, 13 teams. And, you know, I was looking at where they're all going to go, and I was like, how do you even distribute the 13 teams among eight cities? So they don't, you know, some of them will run into each other maybe in the second round, I guess, as happened with the Big East. But I am in 2011, when the Big east had 11 teams in which is the record standing at the moment. But yeah, I always think that these things, I always kind of sigh and think these expansions to these, you know, terrible numbers will happen because that's what people in power want.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Is there a team or two this year that when it is set up, you'll say, I want to go there, I want to see that team.

[Chuck Culpepper]

I think what I'm, I think it is for me, Auburn, I think the fact that they've run that they're going to be the overall number one, I think, and I think the fact that they've run that through that league this year at such a level and you know, and they are, they are compelling to watch. I went to their game at Alabama, which they won and then the two of them played again at Auburn and Alabama won. So these games were just, you know, they, for regular season college basketball, which as we know, doesn't have the place in the consciousness that it used to have, in the country's consciousness that it used to have. These were, these were just massive, highly entertaining games. So I think I am curious about how, how far, far Auburn can get with this.

[Tony Kornheiser]

So Wilm and I share this one particular belief. We are skeptical about the SEC teams because we are old. So we grew up with the ACC in the Big east and it's hard for us to believe that the ACC isn't any good and that this football conference is suddenly great. It's hard for us. You watch this all the time. Is that confident? Billis says it too. Billis says, and he's a, he's an ACC guy. He says, no, no, no, no, no. The SEC is really great. Do you believe that too, Chuck?

[Chuck Culpepper]

Yes. And I saw some of my belief is from listening to Billis. You know, I saw him on your show one day, I think it's a couple months ago, saying it the best league that he's ever seen. And then I understand that yesterday he said that South Carolina, while it was losing in the SEC tournament, barely to Arkansas, is the best last place team ever in a conference. Which I thought was a real, real statement there. So, so yeah, I think, I think it's, it's just a colossus and it's hard to keep up with it. And it's hard to keep up with how many good teams there are. You know, if I, if, if I was going to pick a team out of a hat to win the Whole thing, I might go with Florida. So it's just all over the place. And. And then when you, you know, factor in, you look at the acc, and I think I saw this stat. Duke won its conference games by a combined 434 points this year, killing people.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah, that's not good. Not a good sign. Yeah, that's. That's the sign that I talk about with Gonzaga, that, that you're not being prepared. There's five hard games in this thing, not six, not when you're a one seed, but there's five hard games. And I don't know that the ACC this year has prepared Duke in the way that the West Coast Conference never really prepares Gonzaga. Which leads me to something that I started with at the beginning of this show. I find it unbelievable, actually. Unbelievable that in the conference championship game in the West coast conference, Gonzaga shot 1 of 15 from three in St. Mary's o of 16. And I thought the rim had to be wrong. It had to be the wrong height. They can't. Is that not unbelievable to you?

[Chuck Culpepper]

That is absolutely unbelievable, yes. And having been in that gym a few times, you know, it's. It's. It doesn't strike you as one that would ever have that kind of. Those kind of numbers? Yeah, it's incredible.

[Tony Kornheiser]

One of 31 by two teams that are among the top 40 teams in the country that have real live scholarship players, and one of those schools has sent about 10,000 people to the NBA. And one of 31 from three. It's right. Right. There should be an investigation on that.

[Chuck Culpepper]

Dissertations and things. Yeah.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah. That's really wild. So do you. I don't know if the Washington Post allows this. They didn't. When I was there voting for things. If you had a vote and you voted for coach of the year, would you vote for the Drake guy who brought his Entire team from D2? Or would you vote for Patino? Or is there somebody I'm leaving out?

[Chuck Culpepper]

Oh, we don't have. We don't have votes. And I would. I would vote for the Drake guy. And I had. You know what? Until you said it, I probably would have said Patino or I might have said Pearl at Auburn.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah.

[Chuck Culpepper]

And. But that story, I'm, I'm fascinated by that story of Drake and, And, you know, how he did that, and, and then the whole pressure of winning the conference during the regular season and getting close to 30 wins, then you sort of have to go win the conference tournament. I mean, they had a. They had some chance to get in if they didn't. But the pressure of winning the conference tournament always impresses me. And as I watch these tournaments, I always, if a team is gone all year. I was watching the Northern Arizona women the other day in a all year great season, they lose in the semifinals and seasons presumably over maybe, you know, you would think. And I start to feel sad for those teams. So the idea that Drake pulled it together and that was, that was a look like a tough final in the, in the Missouri Valley for a while and they pulled it out. Yeah. Yeah, I think that's a great idea. Thanks for, for adding that to my brings.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Brings like D2 players in D2. And wins. And wins. I'm not saying he could have won in the sec, but in his league he won. That's good for him. All right. Enjoy yourself much. Congratulations on the award. Make a good speech. Get off the stage quick. Don't stay on.

[Chuck Culpepper]

Thank you so much, Tony.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Thank you Culpepper. Boys and girls. We will come back. Email and jingle I'm Tony Kornheiser. You're listening to the Tony Kornheiser show. This is a trade coffee read. Morning coffee is fabulous, but let's be honest, it can get repetitive. Especially if you just grab the same old grocery store beans or try and treat yourself to a pricey coffee shop latte. Trade is what you should be looking for. And once you switch over, it will completely upgrade your coffee routine. Trade is a coffee subscription service that connects you with 50, over 50 of the best roasters in the country. They've got over 450, 50 incredible roasts. So whether you're new to coffee or very particular, they'll match you with something amazing. You just take their quick quiz and trade does the rest. They even guarantee you'll love your first bag or they'll replace it for free until they get it right. And because every bag is roasted to order, the freshness is unreal. Coffee smells so good, it'll feel like your kitchen is actually the coffee shop. Plus, Trade's prices are right in line with what you'd pay at the grocery store. But the quality is on another level. Right now. Trade is exclusively offering listeners to this high quality podcast. 40% off your first [e-mail] Tony that's DrinkTrade. T R A D E.com Tony 40% off your first order. Drinktrade.com Tony use the code people. You're listening to the Tony Kornheiser show.

[Eric DeLong]

Here comes Tony's mailbag. Got the email faxes and your nose Here comes.

[Tony Kornheiser]

The aptly named Eric DeLong and the Slappy Boys.

[Chuck Culpepper]

Love them.

[Tony Kornheiser]

The Slappy Boys. Why don't you do the Bethesda Bagel ad for us?

[Chuck Culpepper]

Bethesda Bagels.

[Tony Kornheiser]

We love them.

[Chuck Culpepper]

You will as well. Just go to Bethesda Bagels.com for the location in the DC area nearest you, then pop it in and you'll be thrilled. And I just want to let you know I got a text from Jason Lock and Fora last night after his appearance with us yesterday. And I guess he recommended Rutgers in some bet. Yeah, well, they won, so he's given us a few. Think he gave you the. The undertone on the jets wins. So if you're listening to Jason with.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Us, he's a tout. Yes. I mean, he's on us. One of the cbs.

[Chuck Culpepper]

Yes.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Divisions. And he does that. Yeah, Jason knows what he's doing. He absolutely does what he's doing. That's it for us today. Before we get to the mailbag, let me just say I pulled into Nazareth, was feeling about half past that. I just need someplace where I can lay my head. Hey, mister, can you tell me where a man may find a bed? He just grinned, shook my hand. No, was all he said. That's the band. I don't know if any of them are still with us.

[Chuck Culpepper]

No, I think.

[Tony Kornheiser]

I don't know if they are.

[Chuck Culpepper]

I think they're all gone.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah, that's the band.

[Chuck Culpepper]

The last member died just recently.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Just great. Thanks to our guests today. Dan Graziano, Chuck Culpepper. Thanks as well to today's sponsors. Remember, you can listen to us on Apple podcasts. Spotify ought to see if get show through Apple. Please leave us a review.

[Chris]

You're at something that country up in Philly. I'm pretty sure you can listen to Jeff Kirchen up on a Philly country station.

[Tony Kornheiser]

That's right, Tim Sun. Oh, Tim is a country dj. Oh, yeah, that's. Yeah, yeah. So that's lovely. On the subject of Dan Byrne and his songs that were played yesterday.

[Chuck Culpepper]

Potato chips and Wine.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Angela in Harrisburg, Virginia. Frito Lay and Bougoulet. Dan Burn is a national treasure. That's it. That's the email from. Okay. From James Dugan. Jim Dugan, Easton, MD, by way of Baltimore. My wife and I have been longtime fans of pti and since I retired two years ago, I've had more time to listen to podcasts, including yours. It's been very entertaining. Thank you. I wanted to write you regarding a couple of recent show topics. Daylight Savings Time during the latter half of World War II. My dad served on a battle 2017 Army Air Corps base in Bassingbourne, England. Not. You weren't born there, were you? No. Nearby home of the 91st Bomb Group and its most famous aircraft, the Memphis Belle. Yes, we know the Memphis Bell. Dad related that at an England at the time they had extreme or double daylight time where the clocks had been moved ahead two hours and kept there for the duration of the war. In addition to the energy savings, it is reported reported that the extra hour gave workers time to get home in daylight before the required blackouts began. Oh yeah. Chips with wine. This year my wife and I are celebrating 45 years of marriage to save money to buy our own house. We each lived in our parents homes before we got married. On our wedding day, we couldn't get out of the reception fast enough to start our honeymoon. Ultimately we made our way to St. Croix in the US Virgin Islands. But for the first two nights we stayed in DC at the Watergate Hotel to help celebrate our wedding night. We ordered a bottle of champagne from room service. The chilled bubbly came moments later. Our server brought the bottle of champagne served in a silver bucket of ice on a tray along with two glasses. On the tray there was a bowl of potato chips. The Watergate. What a classy joint. So I would just say this, that I know that potato chips are not a good food. I understand. I wouldn't sit down and say what are we having for dinner? Potato chips. I'm not gonna do that. But potato chips and potato chips are good. Yes. Potato chips have their place. Potato chips.

[Chris]

You're making a meal.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah. I mean there. Did we get something about the potato chips with caviar? Right. Do you put caviar on them?

[Dan Graziano]

Yes.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Right?

[Chuck Culpepper]

Yes. That person is sending us, I believe some combination of chips.

[Tony Kornheiser]

And so I mean there's, there's. That's fine. Yes, that's fine. It's not a meal. But it's often better than the meal. Often better. Matt from Connecticut, let me tell you a great Achilles tendon story. I didn't know we were in the market for that, but I guess we are because of Tiger. Right? Right. A couple of years ago I was at a Memorial Day picnic at my in law's house. I was pestered by my kids to join in the badminton game in the yard. I played golf that morning and I was really trying to relax with a beer and a burger, but I finally caved in. I grabbed. Grabbed a racket. Moments later the birdie was in the air to my left, and I pushed off my right foot to get it. There was a snap and a burn in the back of my right leg, and I went down in the heap. As a fan of the old Dolphins and Dan Marino, I knew right away what had happened. Recovery went pretty fast, though, and by August I was back to hiking golf. I'm not sure what Tiger was up to when it happened, but I'm willing to bet that it was cooler than what I was doing on my pop. To this day, my friends just call me Shuttlecock. Not from Canada. Who writes Growing old is mandatory. Growing up is optional. Warren Miller, rest in powder 2018 oh, yeah. From Nathan in Rockville. Dear Mr. Tony, recently we celebrated the birth of our first child, a feminine child. Immediately after birth, the doctor asked who I would like to cut the cord. I picked Tony Kornheiser. We've been trying to get him to stream for years. That's funny. That's funny. From Dan Stoll in Newton, near Revere, who sends a picture along with this, which I will describe for those not watching on News Channel 8. I know Mr. Tony was being facetious and describing capybaras as giant rabbits. No, I wasn't. They looked like giant rabbits to me. I'd never seen one before. He may not have been aware of the existence of giant Flemish rabbits. So in case no one has provided you with a photo of one of those rabbits, here's a photo of a giant rabbit next to a border collie. Of course, you can see many more if you Google giant rabbit. And look at the images which pop up. This thing's as big as a collie. Yeah. This is almost as big as Chess.

[Chuck Culpepper]

I mean, look at these.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Wow. They're really enormous. Enormous, yeah. But I thought capybaras could be giant rabbits. That's what they look like to me. From Dustin, Duncan and Regina in Saskatchewan in Canada, the squeak of Chessy's new toy are Soliza's laugh. How do you tell the difference? And one more from our friend Joe Bianchino in Latham, New York. I have a sad and lonely daffodil in my yard, which is what I said the other day. Is that a line from your Wednesday show or the beginning of a Louise Gluck poem? I have sad and lonely daffodil in my yard. Spring blooms outside, but ne'er for the bard. Winter's bill comes due. The snow grows deeper, Thaw dawns for you. For me, the reaper. It's brilliant. Brilliant. If you're out on your Bike tonight. Everyone is always dumb. Wear white now. If there's anything I can do for you. I certainly hope you'll die I certainly hope you'll die soon.

[Eric DeLong]

I'm a shoot baby baby this shoot baby I'm a little shoot baby I'm sweet on you Give a little shoot baby yeah Give a little issue baby if you love me too if you love me too if you love me too if you love me too if you love me too if you love me too if you love me too yeah if you love me too.

[Tony Kornheiser]

You.

[Eric DeLong]

Baby if you love me too if you love me too if you love me too if you love me too if you love me too if you love me too if you love me too Give a sugar if you love me too I'm going west to find a little peace of mind and if it feels all right I'm in love I would say got it right sun kiss die and looking fine I'm gonna live my life out of love I'm gonna have fun I'm gonna do what the locals do I'm gonna stay up all night laugh and cry See those incredible confusing I going to be thinking of you I'm going west to find my slice of cherry pie I wanna see those lights up above I w star be all right sun kissed and looking fine I'm gonna live my life out of love I'm gonna have fun I'm, I'm going to do what the locals do I'm going to stay up all night laugh and cry See those incredible views and I'm going to be thinking of you oh, I'm thinking of you yes, I'm thinking of you you oh, I'm thinking of you Yes, I thinking of you oh, I'm making of you of you Thinking of you, thinking of you, thinking of you Thinking.