Dan Steinberg at DC SPORTS BOG has the latest on Tony Kornheiser’s seemingly cratered D.C. media career, transcribing comments from Commander Combover during a D.C. radio appearance this week.
(Took this on Venice Beach this week … vaguely applicable? OK, maybe not.)
Apparently Kornheiser, who was recently let go by the WaPo and nudged out of the Monday Night Football broadcast booth by Mike Tirico ESPN management, is finding it tough to supplement his PTI appearances with a free-money local-yokel radio show:
“A lot of business people want me to do syndicated national radio,” he said. “I don’t care about syndicated national radio. If they want to syndicate a local show that I do, I’m happy to do it, but I want to local radio.”
(Steinberg): How many business people are interested?
“Not enough yet,” he said. “But maybe in an hour. Maybe in an hour.”
So wait, Kornheiser has plenty of people beating down his door to do a national radio show, but no one in his hometown is interested in hiring him?
Does that smell funny to you?
Actually, uh, no.
When ESPN first broke Kornheiser nationally on ESPN Radio in the ’90s, I remember thinking, just before I tuned out, “What’s the point?” By that I mean he wasn’t particularly insightful or funny. He never broke any stories and only had fellow sportswriting drones on as guests. (Gun-Meet-Mouth.)
Back then though, nationally syndicated radio was still in its infancy, so I suppose I can understand why Kornheiser got his shot. He was a media celebrity in D.C. and had established a track record of ratings success in a large market.
But then again, this is the same major radio market that attempted to spawn the “Greaseman” as a nationwide star.
Kornheiser parlayed the ESPN Radio thing to his eventual spot astride Michael Wilbon on PTI. Then he reached his career apex with the Monday Night Football job.
And then I believe, finally, people started to realize, “Hey, you know what? There really isn’t that much there.”
With Kornheiser, I’ve always wondered, what is it about this guy? I’m always waiting for him to make me laugh. Or cause me to ponder something I hadn’t considered before. Something, ANYTHING! *drops shoulders, shakes head*
Look, I give him credit for PTI. But let’s face it, it’s really the format that makes the show. The structure. Did you really miss Kornheiser when he missed all those shows because of MNF and his interminable vacations? If Dan Le Batard took Kornheiser’s spot, would anyone blink?
Honestly, I’m not trying to be a hater here. Bless his heart, Kornheiser has reached the top of his profession and made millions of dollars. For that, I salute him.
But then why can’t he get hired for a piddly little radio show in his hometown? And if he’s as popular as he claims (read his comments about being stopped on the D.C. streets), why aren’t there legions of commenters clamoring for his return under Steinberg’s piece in the, ahem, WASHINGTON POST?
Tony, it’s been a great run, but from here on out, make sure Wilbon never even whiffs a bar tab at Old Ebbitt.
And take a little piece of advice from Dan Patrick: Don’t overplay your cards with Bristol when your PTI deals comes up, babo.
8:36 am on June 25th, 2009
The guy is good. He has no interest in the theusual boring jock interviews and neither do I. PTI puts more money in his pocket than you will ever make. He is old school and thats ok.
9:44 am on June 25th, 2009
The local show was brilliant. Nit was decidedly not aa sports show. Politics, pop culture, movies, books all featured along with sports. It was too biting and clever for general consumption though. No wacky zoo crew or Nat's calls from Bill in Arlington. Nothing that fits into local talk formulae.
10:16 am on June 25th, 2009
Love TK's radio show when it was syndicated on XM. For me, it was the best. Love TK's sarcasm and personally, nothing is more boring than cliche-ridden jock interviews.
I still can't believe someone in Bristol with a sober mind said in a boardroom meeting, "Look, we've got the perfect radio replacement for Tony Kornheiser. There's this guy in Portland named Cowturd… "
12:38 pm on June 25th, 2009
I really enjoy TK…for me, the only bad part of PTI is that butt-kisser, Wilbon.
3:27 pm on June 25th, 2009
LeBatard would be a much better co-host. If you've never heard his radio show you're missing out. www.790theticket.com He's on from 3-7 weekdays. His sidekick is Jewgotz and he is pretty good too.
3:52 pm on June 25th, 2009
hate him glad to see him go but please (i love the players no matter what) lebs-a-tard, no way!!
4:43 pm on June 25th, 2009
OMG, how many times in this thread is Kornheiser gonna post in this thread under different names? His radio show was worse than listening to traffic, Helen Keller would change the station.
He forced millions to mute Monday night football. My God, I'd given Stephen A Smith another show before him, hell, I'd even agree to give that hack sports "babe" another listen….
4:48 pm on June 25th, 2009
He's a sports gossip columnist, nothing more. The less of him the better.
1:59 am on June 26th, 2009
Is this guy serious? The banter between Kornheiser and Wilbon was what made PTI. LeBatard? I don't watch when Kornheiser and Wilbon are on. Kornheiser also doesn't put athletes on his show because they're full of cliches. Yawn! I also thought Dan Patrick is doing pretty damn well w/o ESPN. He's on the NBC football show, gave out the Super Bowl trophy and his radio show will now be on TV. What moron wrote this piece???
3:38 am on June 26th, 2009
Aaahhhhh, a Greaseman reference!!! I'd completely forgotten about that douchebag. I'd like to put 'The Greaseman' and the other resident douche on DC radio (Elliot) on a one way rocketship ride to the Sun.
9:36 pm on June 29th, 2009
I have listened to and been perpetually entertained by Mr. Kornheiser's intelligent, though not always centralist, commentary for years. His perspective is unique to many in that it is not limited to a particular (read: sports, politics, environment) topic, and as such appeals to only those who have an intellectual appetite that is equally diverse. His return to radio couldn't come soon enough for those like me, and I will certainly find and subscribe to whatever media outlet chooses to inject his pithy commentary into the otherwise pedestrian airwaves.