Tony Kornheiser

[Ben_Hecht]

Woody turned clown, too.   But the money in clowning is so, so good . . .

[Flood]

This could be its own thread, but let's do it here: Who's a bigger ESPN clown, Kornheiser or Le Batard?

Yeah, great idea. Another rip-a-personality thread. Just what we need.

[Guybehindtheguy]

As a longtime defender of Kornheiser (his Bandwagon columns during the 'Skins Super Bowl season in '91 are unbelievably funny), owner of two of his Style column compilation books, please allow me to defend Mr. Tony.

His new radio show (thankfully available on XM) is funny because it's NOT always about sports. And unlike most sports talk guys (Cowherd perhaps the most) who try to be funny while they go off-topic, Tony is consistently funny and he's stayed true to himself.

He's just as crotchety now as he was 20 years ago when he, Wilbon, Lenny Shapiro and Boz did this hysterical WashPo commercial that had him wearing one of those Burt Sugar hats because he was still trying to rock the comb over.

Do I miss his columns? Of course. But as I've said before, he took more money to do something he's really good at, and he's great on PTI and he's great on the radio. The thing that makes him great on PTI is that he's stayed true to himself. You say he's a "clown" I say he was a "clown" 20 years ago before he got on TV. And what's so great about PTI is that the chemistry between he and Wilbon isn't forced because they've been that way forever.

The ONLY thing that bothers me about his MNF gig is that he now seems to pander a bit to the athletes, something he never did back when he was just on the radio. He NEVER had athletes on because, well, I think he's got a bit of disdain for them. So it does bother me that he is forced to suck up to them a little bit, makes me squirm.

He still does work for the Post, but it's online mostly. They do some lame PTI ripoff with he and Wilbon or another sports writer there that's so bad even Tony admits he'd never watch it, but perhaps it's part of his contract or he feels he owes it to them.

He's always considered himself a newspaper man first, and if things hadn't turned out so well on TV and radio, I think he would be still writing 2-3 columns a week so long as he didn't have to travel.

That's it, that's the list.

[donaugust]

As a longtime defender of Kornheiser (his Bandwagon columns during the 'Skins Super Bowl season in '91 are unbelievably funny), owner of two of his Style column compilation books, please allow me to defend Mr. Tony.

That's when I first read Kornheiser. I don't get the people here bashing his show because it's not about sports. Lots of "sports talk" is not about sports -- the difference is, Kornheiser's show is good when it's not about sports.

[Pancamo]

As a longtime defender of Kornheiser (his Bandwagon columns during the 'Skins Super Bowl season in '91 are unbelievably funny), owner of two of his Style column compilation books, please allow me to defend Mr. Tony.

His show is better when it's not about sports.

That's when I first read Kornheiser. I don't get the people here bashing his show because it's not about sports. Lots of "sports talk" is not about sports -- the difference is, Kornheiser's show is good when it's not about sports.

[Bubbler]

I know it's not a big deal, but it drives me nuts when fanboys call him Mr. Tony. His name is Tony Kornheiser.

[Guybehindtheguy]

I believe Mr. Tony was started by a guy named Steve that would call his show back in the mid-90s when it was only on WTEM in D.C.
Tony hardly ever took callers, even back then, but gave Steve a number to a line that would get him on whenever he wanted, and they would have some great back and forth mocking Steve's reverence for Kornheiser.

Too bad Tony still doesn't call Wilbon Mike "That Toddling Town" Wilbon.

And yesterday, when talking about a name for any new Panda babies at the Washington Zoo, his idea was for them to call it Joe Gibbs, only they had to spell Joe "Xio."

For a homesick Washingtonian, funny, funny stuff.

[Flying Headbutt]

Best nickname was "man about town Chip Muldoon" who was really Norman Chad.

[wickedwritah]

Listened to his show this AM for the first time since he moved to WTWP. Sad that they couldn't lure Andy Pollen away from WTEM.

[shotglass]

I know it's not a big deal, but it drives me nuts when fanboys call him Mr. Tony. His name is Tony Kornheiser.

Mister Tony, Mister Tony, Mister Tony!

[dignan]

What's the big deal? Tony used to be a writer, now he does TV and radio. You're allowed to change careers. And I don't have a problem with his title as WP columnist because of the all the years he put in there -- plus, he does write the occasional column.

Kornheiser critics make me laugh. He's funnier and smarter than you. Call Woody Paige a clown, but not Mr. Tony.

[leo1]

here's another vote for his radio show. i used to listen on itunes when i was commuting and it was decent stuff. nothing earth shattering but a good listen.

[Mizzougrad96]

Kornheiser critics make me laugh. He's funnier and smarter than you. Call Woody Paige a clown, but not Mr. Tony.

It's pretty foolish to judge someone on their ESPN persona... Woody Paige is one of the best around and I'm thrilled he's writing columns again...

I won't criticize TK. I just miss reading his columns... I have three of his compilation books (Back for More Cash, Bald as I Wanna Be and Pumping Irony...) All are great, but Pumping Irony is by far the best of the group...

[chester]

Where's the Skip Bayless option?

He's in a catagory all his own.

[sswwwn]

Where's the Skip Bayless option?

He's in a catagory all his own.

The legend catagory.  The smartest and funniest on air talent at the WWL.

[shotglass]

Thanks for stopping in, Skip!

[Ben_Hecht]

I want what sswwwn's smoking.

[SportsDude]

I want what sswwwn's smoking.

Or shooting up.

[danhawks]

Gotta give my thumbs up to Mr. Tony (and as anyone who has enjoyed his radio show, especially his WaPo show knows, that reference is as tongue in cheek as it gets). As a guy in his early-30s, who loves writing about sports, but has a wide variety of interests, the show is great. It's a little pop culture, a little politics a little sports. He even has given me plenty of 60s and 70s music and movies to think about listening to and watching. He's probably a couple of years younger than my dad, and from Long Island instead of Ohio, but I like to think the stuff he talks about on his show is what we would talk about if we had a little better relationship...as someone who never really read his columns (I would have only read them during the last decade online anyway) I obviously don't miss seeing his words in the paper every other day, but I will miss his radio show when he drops it later this month.

[wickedwritah]

Who's filling in for him?

[danhawks]

They announced who was filling in the other day, but I can't recall who it is. It's not a name I know...I'm sure the format will be quite different...but he says he's going to call in from the MNF bus every week or so...

[Flying Headbutt]

David Burd, who does the morning show there, will get his show extended again, sort of.  He'll basically do the morning show as usual, and stretch it into Kornheiser's with the last two hours repeated as it is now apparently.  And Post Radio may still want to call it the Tony Kornheiser show, but it's still pretty up in the air.  As for Tony calling in on a regular basis, don't plan on it. 

You can keep up with the current drama (of sorts I guess) and review the rumors of the last few days at www.dcrtv.com which is to broadcasting in the DC/Baltimore area what this place is for sports writers.

[Chuck~Taylor]

Is this an example of the Peter Principle? The guy's such a great columnist that he moves on to bigger things, at which he isn't nearly as good.

He's better on PTI than he ever was as a columnist.
And he was a terrific columnist.

Im not that familiar with his columns, but I love him on PTI.

I hope I get half his work ethic when I finish college.

[wickedwritah]

Dave Hughes knows his stuff, though he could use a copy editor.

[Perry White]

This thread has been linked to by the DC Sports Bog: http://blog.washingtonpost.com/dcsportsbog/2007/06/tony_kornheiser_rips_washingto.html