The Tony Kornheiser Show

Episode: "Wait…who’s driving?"
Date: November 21, 2025
Host: Tony Kornheiser
Guests: Michael Wilbon, Luke Russert, Jason La Canfora, James Carville, Jeff Ma

Episode Overview

This episode blends the classic Tony Kornheiser Show mix: sports talk, friendly banter, local news, and some delightfully meandering tangents. The sports focus centers on a post-mortem of the Bills' loss to the Texans, the Eagles’ ongoing drama, and playoff hopes (or the lack thereof) for teams like the Chiefs and Patriots.

Regular guests bring their unique perspectives: Jason La Canfora delves into NFL storylines and playoff prospects, while James Carville and Jeff Ma serve up their weekly football picks—complete this week with a memorable self-driving car story.

The show shifts comfortably between sports, entertainment, food (a passionate microwavable bacon discussion), and listener emails.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Post-Bills Loss & AFC Playoff Chaos

(Timestamps: 15:57–29:38)

Analysis of the Buffalo Bills

• Jason La Canfora: Expresses skepticism about the Bills' playoff prospects.
  • "They haven’t passed my eye test for a while... The defense is bad no matter where they play." (16:18)
  • Buffalo’s road woes and inability to stop the run highlighted as ongoing concerns.
• On the Texans: Praises Houston’s defense, noting its elite performance in pass defense and resilience.
  • "Number one in interceptions, number one in completion percentage against, number one in opposing passer rating." (18:06)

AFC South Playoff Race

• Jason notes a rare moment: "Multiple teams from that division, the AFC South, have a really viable chance to make the playoffs, which doesn’t happen down there that often." (18:53)
• Discussion of the possibility Buffalo and Kansas City might BOTH miss the playoffs.
  • Tony: “You never would have had that at the beginning of the year, right?” (24:15)

2. The Eagles’ Neverending Drama

(Timestamp: 19:41–21:43)

• Tony wonders why the Eagles, despite their success, are always surrounded by drama.
• Jason downplays it:
  • "I think drama is part of their brand, and their brand's been winning." (21:32)
• Praises Jalen Hurts’ personality and stability, which he believes trickles down to the whole team.

3. Kansas City Chiefs' Struggles & Playoff Outlook

(Timestamp: 24:52–26:30)

• Despite faith in Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes, Jason is wary after a flurry of close losses.
  • "Now all they do is lose one-score games after 17 straight times they won one-score games." (24:36)
• Key stat: Since trading Tyreek Hill, Mahomes has only six passing TDs of 20 yards or more, less than young QBs like Will Levis, Aidan O’Connell, and Justin Fields (26:00).

4. Miscellaneous Local Sports & Listener Email

(Timestamp: 02:25–13:51)

Washington Sports Woes

• Tony laments D.C. as "the worst sports city in the country that has all four [major teams]" (12:42).
• "We've gone over this. They [Wizards] stink. They cheat their ticket buying public because they're not trying to win." (10:52)

Listener Mail:

• Eleven-year-old Graham from Chicago asks about sports memorabilia:
  • Tony: "I have some items but it's not, it's not a collection... I have a couple of press passes from All Star games... They're put in a collage that goes behind me on the home set of PTI." (05:53–06:29)

5. Food Detour: Microwavable Bacon

(Timestamp: 07:29–13:51)

• Tony and Wilbon debate the merits and technique of microwavable bacon, with Wilbon providing culinary tips:
  • "If you're going to go for the microwavable bacon, you have to get the thick cut... line a microwavable safe plate with a paper towel, put some bacon on it, nuke it for a minute or two, and then it'll be crisp." (08:23)
  • Wilbon prefers oven-cooked bacon for home sandwiches: "Start it in a cold oven so it can slowly render out its fat." (09:19)

6. Celebrating Mary Carillo’s Tennis Hall of Fame Induction

(Timestamp: 07:00–07:25)

• Joyful shout-out for friend of the show Mary Carillo entering the Hall of Fame alongside Roger Federer.
  • Tony: "That's pretty good. Be in the class with Roger Federer." (07:10)

7. Fun with Self-Driving Cars: Jeff Ma’s ‘Waymo’ Experience

(Timestamps: 35:31–41:45)

• Highlight of the episode: Jeff Ma joins for his picks while physically riding alone in a Waymo self-driving car:
  • Tony (incredulous): "Wait, what? Who's driving the car?!" (36:07)
  • Jeff Ma: "I'm doing it for the content, Tony. ... Sometimes you just don't want to talk to a driver. It's actually the future." (36:26–36:54)
  • They joke about who to tip: "Who are you tipping? There's nobody there." (40:48)
  • Jeff explains he has his golf clubs riding shotgun: "It's okay because there's no driver. We can basically have the clubs in the driver's seat." (41:14)

Weekly Football Picks

(Timestamp: 31:08–42:00)

James Carville's Picks (with usual confusion, banter)

• "I just like how surprised he sounds to hear his own picks read back to him." — Michael Wilbon (34:50)
• College: Colorado -7.5, Louisville +3, Oregon -9.5, James Madison -13.5
• NFL: Saints -1.5, Chiefs -3

Jeff Ma’s Picks (delivered bravely from a self-driving car)

• College: Ohio State -32.5, Duke -6.5, Oregon -10
• NFL: Bears -2.5, Chiefs -3
• Jeff pokes fun at over/under bets: “Carville loses on them all the time. I told him stop doing it.” (35:28)

Notable Banter, Quotes, and Memorable Moments

• Tony on his ongoing British Embassy Invitations:

  • "For reasons unknown to me, I get invited on a regular basis to the British Embassy for sporting events. I don't go. But I'm thrilled when that happened." (02:25)

• Luke Russert on Luke at the Hallmark Channel movie debut:

  • "Say the movie might be better to protect the quarterback." (02:18)

• On Washington sports:

  • Tony: “We're striking out with four teams... we're the worst sports city in the country that has all four.” (12:42)

• On Jeff Ma's tech adventure:

  • Tony, in disbelief repeatedly: "I would never get in a car like that, I would not." (36:59)
  • Jeff Ma: "It's the future. It's this thing called AI. I don't know if you're familiar with it..." (36:54)

Listener Letters Segment

(Timestamp: 43:31–53:05)

• Packed with witty “David Aldridge moments” and emails about the Hallmark Channel, Buffalo sports, and even a bearcat-themed children’s book.
• Story highlight: Tim Russert spotted drinking a can of beer among D.C. elites; “a cold beer can of a man lost among the throng of crystal and fine china.” (46:04)

Wrap-Up

The show closes with the usual jingle, some reflection on the mix of sports and showbiz, and Tony reading listener emails, including international notes and further Hallmark movie discussions.

Memorable Quotes (with Timestamps)

• Jason La Canfora on the state of the Bills:
  • “They haven’t passed my eye test for a while... The defense is bad no matter where they play.” (16:18)
• Tony on D.C. sports futility:
  • “We're striking out with four teams... we're the worst sports city in the country that has all four.” (12:42)
• Jeff Ma on the Waymo:
  • “I'm doing it for the content, Tony. ... Sometimes you just don't want to talk to a driver. It's actually the future.” (36:26–36:54)
• Michael Wilbon on Hallmark’s perennial snow:
  • “It's always fake snow, which was some sort of synthetic gummy substance that lasted for about six weeks.” (From listener email, 46:44)
• Tony on oven bacon:
  • “It's an all-day affair.” (09:36)
• James Carville on picks:
  • “I just like how surprised he sounds to hear his own picks read back to him.” (34:50)

Important Timestamps for Segments

• Listener Mailbag: 05:49–07:00
• Mary Carillo Hall of Fame: 07:00–07:25
• Microwavable Bacon: 07:29–13:51
• Washington Sports Rant: 10:52–13:51
• NFL with Jason La Canfora: 15:57–29:38
• Football Picks (Carville & Ma): 31:08–42:00
• Jeff Ma’s self-driving car adventure: 35:31–41:45
• Listener Email Read: 43:31–53:05

Tone

The episode is as you’d expect from Tony Kornheiser—warm, witty, occasionally cranky, but always engaging. The camaraderie between Tony, Wilbon, and their guests keeps things light, with sharp asides, gentle ribbing, and a sense of fun even while bemoaning the woes of Washington sports (or bacon preparation techniques).

For fans and new listeners alike, this episode is a classic, delivering a balanced blend of sports, humor, nostalgia, tech oddities, and community.