The Tony Kornheiser Show – “Wilbon’s Clean Car”

Episode Date: February 9, 2026
Host: Tony Kornheiser
Guests and Regulars: Michael Wilbon, Jason La Canfora (aka Jason Lock), and "Fora"
Show Theme: A mix of sports (heavily Super Bowl analysis), cultural commentary, and reflections on sports media and notable sports figures.

Episode Overview

This episode of “The Tony Kornheiser Show” is anchored by reaction to the Seahawks’ dominant Super Bowl win over the New England Patriots. Tony and guests Michael Wilbon and Jason La Canfora dissect the game from all angles—the on-field action, coaching strategy, the state of the NFL, and even the cultural resonance of Super Bowl commercials. There are poignant tributes to the late Sonny Jurgensen, discussions about the decline of traditional sports media, and plenty of the show’s trademark razor-sharp banter.

Key Segments & Discussion Points

1. Super Bowl Recap and Analysis

[07:03]–[15:41], [16:25]–[32:17], [32:57]–[44:55]

Main Points:

• “Not Much of a Game” – The Seahawks' stifling defense rendered the Super Bowl one-sided, smothering the Patriots and making rookie QB Drake May look inexperienced.

  • Tony: “The Seattle defense was throttling New England. Drake May looked out of his league.” [07:03]
  • Wilbon: “Seattle just putting the beat down on the New England Patriots. A smackdown. They’re just a better team.” [17:06]

• Sam Darnold’s Performance – The panel agreed Darnold was unspectacular but sufficient.

  • Tony: “Sam Darnold was okay, wasn’t very good. He was okay. Didn’t lose the game, didn’t win the game.” [17:57]

• Drake May Shut Down – Credit given to Seattle for overwhelming the rookie QB.

  • Wilbon: “Drake May was no good because he had a defense kicking his ass.” [18:08]
  • Jason: “This was men vs boys…he looks like a 22-year-old who’s over his skis and hasn’t faced anybody.” [33:25]

• Coaching and Defensive Brilliance – Praise for Seattle’s coach Mike Macdonald, who previously elevated the Ravens' defense.

  • Jason: “He is most certainly in Baltimore right now the one that got away…McDonald’s got a lot of unicorn in him.” [35:33]

• Why Seattle Was Favored – Stronger schedule, harder conference, stiffer in-conference rivals.

  • Tony: “They went through the tougher conference…beat San Francisco and the Rams twice…these were the better teams.” [08:10]

• Patriots’ Overachievement – Recognition that New England’s run was impressive given recent losing seasons.

  • Tony: “I’m not taking anything away from New England. New England was 4 and 13 last year…They bring in this guy…he changes everything.” [09:48]

2. Super Bowl Commercials Breakdown

[10:50]–[15:41], [20:22]–[21:32]

Highlights:

• Generational Divide Over Commercials:

  • Tony delights in several, Wilbon is famously dismissive.
  • Wilbon: “Commercials are just overstated, overrated. They all try five times to be cute. No.” [20:35]
  • Tony: “Hates all the commercials. Hates them all…unless there’s a famous basketball player in them.” [10:57]

• Notable Favorites:

  • Tony: “The Budweiser ad with the pony and the bird that turned into a Clydesdale and an eagle was tremendous. It was just beautiful.” [12:17][20:56]
  • Tony: “The T Mobile ad with the boy band. That was tremendous. Tell me why that was really good.” [12:47]
  • Lays’ farmer ad, Mike Tyson’s food ad, and the nostalgia-driven Backstreet Boys spot all mentioned as standouts.

3. Olympics, Golf, and Non-Football Sports

[04:25]–[05:49], [26:18]–[28:14]

• Olympics: Lindsey Vonn’s crash dominated headlines even though American Breezy Johnson took gold.
  • Tony: “The headline is, Vonn crashes. Breezy Johnson wins gold. Vonn is the headline, and Breezy Johnson is the second line.” [04:52], [28:14]
• Golf: Dissection of Hideki Matsuyama’s struggles on 18 and praise for the dramatic finish.
  • Michael Wilbon: “It just shows you that the great players can have moments that aren’t so great.” [26:18]
• Figure Skating: “Quad God” Ilia Malinin was referenced as a must-watch for his athletic feats.
  • Tony: “You love Usain Bolt. This is Usain Bolt [of skating].” [30:19]
  • Wilbon’s reply: “Skating...is a spectacle like few other things. But is it a sport?” [30:58]–[31:17]

4. Remembering Sonny Jurgensen

[21:32]–[25:54]

• Wilbon’s Tribute: Warm stories about working with Sonny on Washington media shows, Sonny’s love of basketball, and unique perspective.
  • Wilbon: “Sonny Jurgensen lived 91 years, and he spent a chunk of that, like 15, getting smashed around by people like Deacon Jones.” [24:35]
• Legacy: Emphasis placed on Jurgensen’s storytelling, generosity with younger journalists, and ability to avoid CTE despite a long NFL career.
  • Tony: “He was friendly and open and very nice. Did you watch the golf?” [25:54]

5. The Decline of Sports Coverage

[02:45], [45:00]–[47:35]

• Washington Post Sports Section: The hosts mourn the gutting of a beloved institution.
  • Tony (reading listener note): “Thank you to Jeannie for her role in both [the Post and the podcast], and to you all for continuing to put a thoughtful, entertaining, and comforting product that I can count on in a world that seems hellbent on stripping away valuable institutions I’ve taken for granted.” [03:44]
• Media Industry Shift: Loss of coverage for teams like Maryland and Georgetown; coverage is now ‘AP-style’ bare-bones.
  • Jason: “There’s nobody traveling with the Maryland basketball [team]…there is no professional media organization that is staffing University of Maryland basketball games on the road.” [45:15]
  • Tony: “Sports coverage as you and I grew up knowing, it is done. It’s done.” [46:44]

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On Super Bowl’s Boring Nature:
  Tony: “We get to the Super Bowl now…because it wasn’t much of a game. I mean, the Seattle defense was throttling New England.” [07:03]

• On Commercials Generational Divide:
  Jason: “They are now preying on nostalgia for me. I’m now that old.” [10:52]

• On Sonny Jurgensen:
  Wilbon: “He was just…a great storyteller. And to sit around with him and John Riggins…I am grateful I got to do it.” [23:03]

• On Judged Sports:
  Wilbon: “It’s a spectacle like few other things. But is it a sport?” [30:58]

• On Coaches and Diversity in Hiring (re: McDonald):
  Jason: “I think McDonald is brilliant…he might be—the McVay of defense…the guy who sprouts the family tree…on the defensive side.” [38:21] Jason: “If Brian Flores was white, Brian Flores probably had three jobs by now.” [38:21]

• On the Demise of Print Sports Journalism: Tony: “Sports coverage as you and I grew up knowing, it is done. It’s done.” [46:44]

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Time | Segment/Topic | |-----------|-------------------------------------------------| | 00:34–07:03 | Earlier Episode Recap, Sports Betting Wrap-up | | 07:03–15:41 | Super Bowl Game Analysis, Commercials | | 16:25–32:17 | Wilbon’s Clean Car, Football Analysis, Sonny Jurgensen Tribute | | 32:57–44:55 | Jason La Canfora: Deeper Super Bowl and Coaching Analysis | | 45:00–47:35 | Washington Post/Maryland Sports Media Discussion | | 47:41–49:27 | Jason’s “Want to Bet” Segment | | 21:32–25:54 | Sonny Jurgensen: Personal Recollections | | 27:20–32:17 | Golf, Olympics, Figure Skating Debate |

Tone & Style

The show retains Tony’s signature blend of playful curmudgeonliness, nostalgia, skepticism about the direction of media and sports, and warm, often self-deprecating camaraderie with his longtime friends. The banter ranges from sharp critiques (“He was no good. He was no good yesterday. Right.” – Tony on Drake May, [17:57]) to elegiac (“Sports coverage as you and I grew up knowing, it is done. It's done.” [46:44]) to the irreverently comedic (“Skating…is a spectacle like few other things. But is it a sport?” [30:58]).

Episode Highlights

• The Seahawks defense was universally praised as the story of the Super Bowl.
• Tony and Michael provided layered insight on how conference strength and schedule shaped the NFL season.
• There’s a recurring theme of nostalgia—for football, for media institutions, for bygone sports coverage, and for the era of Sonny Jurgensen.
• The show strikes a balance between moment-to-moment analysis and reflection on larger issues facing sports and media in 2026.

For listeners who missed the episode, this recap covers all the pressing football talk, the generational debate over commercials, the state of the media, and a heartfelt segment on Sonny Jurgensen—always filtered through Tony’s unique, engaging perspective.