1 00:00:04,795 --> 00:00:22,355 Speaker 1: Countdown with Keith Olderman is a production of iHeartRadio. It's Quiet, 2 00:00:23,275 --> 00:00:27,315 Speaker 1: It's too Quiet. In the twenty four hours since Donald 3 00:00:27,315 --> 00:00:29,635 Speaker 1: Trump attacked Israel in the middle of its first week 4 00:00:29,715 --> 00:00:33,595 Speaker 1: under siege by Hamas and called Hesbalab very smart, Trump 5 00:00:33,675 --> 00:00:39,995 Speaker 1: has been virtually silent. There was one press release on 6 00:00:40,115 --> 00:00:45,075 Speaker 1: campaign stationery screenshotted to social media. The critical first paragraph 7 00:00:45,075 --> 00:00:48,595 Speaker 1: clearly not written by him, written in the past, tense, 8 00:00:48,795 --> 00:00:52,635 Speaker 1: stranger of its own accord quote there was no better 9 00:00:52,675 --> 00:00:56,235 Speaker 1: friend or ally of Israel man Trump. And there was 10 00:00:56,275 --> 00:01:00,115 Speaker 1: a second paragraph written in more traditional Trumpian semi literate rage, 11 00:01:00,515 --> 00:01:04,195 Speaker 1: fixated on the six billion dollars in Iranian assets partially 12 00:01:04,235 --> 00:01:06,195 Speaker 1: restored that country as part of the release of the 13 00:01:06,195 --> 00:01:10,595 Speaker 1: five Americans, but with one small problem. The press release 14 00:01:10,675 --> 00:01:13,475 Speaker 1: went out at six point fifty one pm Eastern last night, 15 00:01:13,555 --> 00:01:18,115 Speaker 1: roughly four hours after the Biden administration had reversed itself 16 00:01:18,115 --> 00:01:22,275 Speaker 1: and in essence frozen the six billion dollars anew but 17 00:01:22,475 --> 00:01:25,635 Speaker 1: more astonishing than that, faux pa Biden must do this, 18 00:01:26,115 --> 00:01:31,275 Speaker 1: I did it four hours ago. Oh was the overall silence. 19 00:01:31,675 --> 00:01:33,955 Speaker 1: There was a bunch of state polls sent out a 20 00:01:33,995 --> 00:01:36,875 Speaker 1: picture of an award that Deutsche Bank gave him for 21 00:01:36,995 --> 00:01:41,915 Speaker 1: best I don't know best loan recipient who knows nothing 22 00:01:42,795 --> 00:01:47,515 Speaker 1: in his own maniacal hand about Israel, about Hamas, about Iran, 23 00:01:47,955 --> 00:01:51,755 Speaker 1: about Hesbala, about what he said in Florida, insulting Israel 24 00:01:51,835 --> 00:01:54,075 Speaker 1: and mocking its prime minister and explaining how the country 25 00:01:54,235 --> 00:01:57,755 Speaker 1: wasn't tough enough for this fight. Something went really really 26 00:01:57,835 --> 00:02:00,675 Speaker 1: wrong in Trump Land yesterday, and I don't know what 27 00:02:00,795 --> 00:02:06,355 Speaker 1: it is, but I'm tingling and it ain't my sciatica. Oddly, 28 00:02:07,555 --> 00:02:11,795 Speaker 1: Trump got a reprieve in Congress yesterday. You knew it 29 00:02:11,915 --> 00:02:15,355 Speaker 1: was over when the New York Times posted the headline 30 00:02:15,955 --> 00:02:22,235 Speaker 1: Scalise scrounges for votes as GOP speaker fight drags on. 31 00:02:22,435 --> 00:02:28,475 Speaker 1: Nobody uses the word scrounges unless it's bad. And it 32 00:02:28,555 --> 00:02:33,235 Speaker 1: was bad. I mean, remember this timeline. House Republicans walked 33 00:02:33,275 --> 00:02:37,715 Speaker 1: out of their conference Wednesday afternoon, determined to elect Steve 34 00:02:37,835 --> 00:02:41,915 Speaker 1: Scalise Speaker of the House by three pm that day. 35 00:02:42,995 --> 00:02:47,155 Speaker 1: By three pm the next day, Marjorie Taylor Barney Rubbell 36 00:02:47,235 --> 00:02:49,715 Speaker 1: Green had prettied up her sentiment a little bit, was 37 00:02:49,755 --> 00:02:51,995 Speaker 1: still saying, though in as many words, that she would 38 00:02:51,995 --> 00:02:55,555 Speaker 1: not vote for Scalice because he has cancer, and another 39 00:02:55,635 --> 00:02:57,835 Speaker 1: meeting had been scheduled for seven thirty, and then by 40 00:02:57,875 --> 00:03:01,035 Speaker 1: eight last night, Scalise had withdrawn and Jim Jordan Trump's 41 00:03:01,035 --> 00:03:07,475 Speaker 1: Indoorsea was the new leading candidate. I guess with ninety 42 00:03:07,555 --> 00:03:11,555 Speaker 1: nine votes, just one hundred and eighteen shy of election, 43 00:03:13,075 --> 00:03:15,995 Speaker 1: and now the anti Jordan crowd bringing out guess what 44 00:03:17,595 --> 00:03:22,715 Speaker 1: the wrestling rape case. The NBC Congressional Guy asked Congresswoman 45 00:03:22,795 --> 00:03:27,555 Speaker 1: Maliatakas of Staten Island if there were five Never Jordan votes, 46 00:03:28,195 --> 00:03:30,635 Speaker 1: and for the first time in her term of office, 47 00:03:30,795 --> 00:03:36,715 Speaker 1: she answered, honestly, quote, there are five never Everybody's that's 48 00:03:36,795 --> 00:03:40,515 Speaker 1: the problem. The little crackpot in the bow tie who's 49 00:03:40,555 --> 00:03:43,275 Speaker 1: the caretaker in the job right now? McHenry. He won't 50 00:03:43,355 --> 00:03:46,755 Speaker 1: run for speaker, won't endorse anybody for speaker, won't even 51 00:03:46,795 --> 00:03:49,755 Speaker 1: offer it to broker a compromise about Speaker. It's up 52 00:03:49,795 --> 00:03:53,555 Speaker 1: to the will of the conference, he says. And Republican 53 00:03:53,595 --> 00:03:59,435 Speaker 1: after Republicans steps right up as profiles in Cowardice. I mean, 54 00:03:59,475 --> 00:04:02,475 Speaker 1: I really really feel badly for the House Republicans. No, 55 00:04:02,595 --> 00:04:05,795 Speaker 1: I'm lying, I don't feel for them at all. I 56 00:04:05,835 --> 00:04:08,595 Speaker 1: hope they bailed on Scalise because Jordan's people put out 57 00:04:08,635 --> 00:04:10,555 Speaker 1: that story Wednesday night about how he had spent an 58 00:04:10,555 --> 00:04:13,315 Speaker 1: average of nearly one hundred and fourteen dollars a night, 59 00:04:13,555 --> 00:04:17,235 Speaker 1: two filet, Mignon's spinach and no tip at Capitol Grill, 60 00:04:17,355 --> 00:04:19,235 Speaker 1: and I hope half of them did so by saying 61 00:04:19,355 --> 00:04:21,315 Speaker 1: only one hundred and fourteen a night. This guy's making 62 00:04:21,395 --> 00:04:25,755 Speaker 1: us look bad. And the Republicans are right back where 63 00:04:25,795 --> 00:04:28,315 Speaker 1: they were when I walked into this movie theater in 64 00:04:28,435 --> 00:04:33,755 Speaker 1: nineteen ninety eight. They tried to impeach and dirty up 65 00:04:33,795 --> 00:04:36,435 Speaker 1: a Democratic president, and all that the Speaker of the 66 00:04:36,475 --> 00:04:39,355 Speaker 1: House who went along with it got. All he was 67 00:04:39,395 --> 00:04:42,035 Speaker 1: able to accomplish was to cost himself his own job. 68 00:04:42,875 --> 00:04:45,675 Speaker 1: And the first guy they had lined up to replace him, 69 00:04:46,115 --> 00:04:50,715 Speaker 1: like Scalise, a guy everybody loved from Louisiana, had all 70 00:04:50,795 --> 00:04:52,875 Speaker 1: the support behind him until all of a sudden, he 71 00:04:52,875 --> 00:04:54,715 Speaker 1: didn't have any support at all. And now when they 72 00:04:54,755 --> 00:04:57,315 Speaker 1: ask him who he's supporting, he says he's not involved. 73 00:04:57,315 --> 00:05:00,155 Speaker 1: He's just a simple majority leader. And by Monday he 74 00:05:00,195 --> 00:05:02,515 Speaker 1: may be claiming he's never even heard of this job 75 00:05:02,595 --> 00:05:05,155 Speaker 1: you mentioned. What did you say it was against? Like 76 00:05:05,155 --> 00:05:10,195 Speaker 1: a horse. The Mary Tyler Moore show line about changing 77 00:05:10,235 --> 00:05:13,035 Speaker 1: sportscasters pops into my head again. You never fire your 78 00:05:13,115 --> 00:05:17,035 Speaker 1: old sportscaster, Lou Grant says to her, until you've hired 79 00:05:17,075 --> 00:05:23,475 Speaker 1: your new sportscaster. Where now, anyway, my coin is still 80 00:05:23,475 --> 00:05:30,155 Speaker 1: on Kevin McCarthy Part two, Electric Boogaloo. Of course, that 81 00:05:30,355 --> 00:05:33,155 Speaker 1: underscores that one of the more frightening aspects of doing 82 00:05:33,195 --> 00:05:37,435 Speaker 1: news commentary is that occasionally you see something obvious that 83 00:05:37,475 --> 00:05:41,075 Speaker 1: the authorities seem to have missed or at least haven't 84 00:05:41,155 --> 00:05:44,475 Speaker 1: acted on yet, and you call it out, and then 85 00:05:44,475 --> 00:05:47,475 Speaker 1: they do the exact thing, and you have this terrible 86 00:05:48,155 --> 00:05:52,915 Speaker 1: sinking feeling. Did they not notice it? Until I wind 87 00:05:52,955 --> 00:05:59,035 Speaker 1: about it? Is the world really that eft up? Senator 88 00:05:59,075 --> 00:06:03,195 Speaker 1: Bob Menendez re indicted on charges that he conspired to 89 00:06:03,315 --> 00:06:05,595 Speaker 1: act as an agent of the guy Government of Egypt 90 00:06:05,635 --> 00:06:08,355 Speaker 1: while he served as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, 91 00:06:09,155 --> 00:06:13,235 Speaker 1: No spit September twenty sixth, after they indicted him for 92 00:06:13,315 --> 00:06:19,715 Speaker 1: taking bribes even fantastically original a game, bribes like actual 93 00:06:20,035 --> 00:06:24,635 Speaker 1: bars of gold. When that happened, I noted here that 94 00:06:24,715 --> 00:06:28,835 Speaker 1: I was indifferent to the money part, quoting self again. 95 00:06:29,395 --> 00:06:31,555 Speaker 1: See my problem is that the senator sure seems like 96 00:06:31,595 --> 00:06:35,075 Speaker 1: he was spying for Egypt while chairman of the Foreign 97 00:06:35,155 --> 00:06:37,795 Speaker 1: Relations Committee may have been tipping them off about what 98 00:06:37,995 --> 00:06:40,755 Speaker 1: questions the Senate would be asking about the Egyptian part 99 00:06:40,875 --> 00:06:43,755 Speaker 1: of the murder of Jamal Koshagi. And maybe when they 100 00:06:43,835 --> 00:06:46,435 Speaker 1: arraign him tomorrow he shouldn't be released on veil and 101 00:06:46,915 --> 00:06:52,795 Speaker 1: old repurposed script. Senator Fetterman of Pennsylvania, who I like 102 00:06:52,915 --> 00:06:54,795 Speaker 1: enough that I think he should get two votes his 103 00:06:54,875 --> 00:06:58,555 Speaker 1: own in Kirsten Cinemas, immediately replied to the indictment by 104 00:06:58,595 --> 00:07:03,235 Speaker 1: calling for the expulsion of Senator Menendez. We cannot have 105 00:07:03,275 --> 00:07:06,235 Speaker 1: an alleged foreign agent in the United States Senate. This 106 00:07:06,355 --> 00:07:11,315 Speaker 1: is not a close call, he says. Fetterman is right, 107 00:07:12,035 --> 00:07:15,675 Speaker 1: but he is saying this only because he's only been 108 00:07:15,715 --> 00:07:18,755 Speaker 1: a Senator since January, and thus he has not really 109 00:07:18,795 --> 00:07:21,995 Speaker 1: had the time to fill his closet full of ethical skeletons. 110 00:07:22,675 --> 00:07:26,035 Speaker 1: None of those senior to him in the Senate in 111 00:07:26,195 --> 00:07:29,915 Speaker 1: either party says this. They didn't say it after the 112 00:07:29,915 --> 00:07:31,875 Speaker 1: first indictment, and they haven't said it after the second. 113 00:07:31,915 --> 00:07:34,635 Speaker 1: For the same reason that very few baseball teams complain 114 00:07:35,275 --> 00:07:38,755 Speaker 1: when it's obvious that an opposing team is cheating with 115 00:07:38,795 --> 00:07:41,875 Speaker 1: the pitcher scuffing the baseball, or sending a pitcher to 116 00:07:41,915 --> 00:07:44,315 Speaker 1: the mount of a giant clap of pine tar on 117 00:07:44,435 --> 00:07:49,115 Speaker 1: his neck, or somebody banging out Morse code on garbage 118 00:07:49,115 --> 00:07:53,155 Speaker 1: cans in the back because either their team is doing 119 00:07:53,195 --> 00:07:57,635 Speaker 1: the exact same thing, or some team they like is 120 00:07:57,715 --> 00:08:01,475 Speaker 1: doing the exact same thing, or some senator they like. 121 00:08:01,915 --> 00:08:05,675 Speaker 1: I mean, if we're going to start nosing around in 122 00:08:05,875 --> 00:08:11,235 Speaker 1: every senator's office to see who's has taken gold bars 123 00:08:11,595 --> 00:08:17,835 Speaker 1: and who hasn't, and who's taken favors or Dinners or 124 00:08:17,955 --> 00:08:22,755 Speaker 1: Mercedes benzes from foreign governments, and we're gonna take all 125 00:08:22,835 --> 00:08:26,635 Speaker 1: of those people and accuse them of being spies. We're 126 00:08:26,755 --> 00:08:30,955 Speaker 1: gonna have a lot of indictments, aren't we. More seriously, 127 00:08:31,715 --> 00:08:35,715 Speaker 1: never mind expelling him. How in the world is Senator 128 00:08:35,755 --> 00:08:42,795 Speaker 1: Menendez out un bail And who, if anyone is Senator 129 00:08:42,875 --> 00:08:47,715 Speaker 1: Tommy Tubberville an agent of Saturday Tommy the Tuba put 130 00:08:47,715 --> 00:08:51,635 Speaker 1: out a boiler plate quote the Iran back. Terrorist attacks 131 00:08:51,675 --> 00:08:54,955 Speaker 1: on Israel are completely unacceptable. United States and Alabama stand 132 00:08:55,035 --> 00:09:01,235 Speaker 1: firmly with Israel. Generic but fine congrats to whoever wrote it. 133 00:09:01,995 --> 00:09:05,715 Speaker 1: But now interview with w b r RC television in 134 00:09:05,795 --> 00:09:10,235 Speaker 1: Birmingham in his home state, and Tommy says, quote, I'm 135 00:09:10,275 --> 00:09:14,675 Speaker 1: hoping that cooler heads prevail. They don't go into Palestine, 136 00:09:14,755 --> 00:09:21,435 Speaker 1: only Tuberville. He don't say Palestine, he say Palestine. I'm 137 00:09:21,475 --> 00:09:24,435 Speaker 1: hoping that cooler heads prevail, they don't go into Palestine. 138 00:09:25,115 --> 00:09:28,795 Speaker 1: Hopefully they get the hostages back and people start cooperating. 139 00:09:29,275 --> 00:09:31,955 Speaker 1: But this has been really bad. Israel has the right 140 00:09:32,035 --> 00:09:34,235 Speaker 1: to go because they came in and they did some 141 00:09:34,355 --> 00:09:39,035 Speaker 1: terrible things in their country. But the problem is when 142 00:09:39,075 --> 00:09:42,155 Speaker 1: you start picking sides in the Middle East, it could 143 00:09:42,235 --> 00:09:50,715 Speaker 1: get really messy, very quick, picking sides, Coach Moron, Apart 144 00:09:50,715 --> 00:09:57,355 Speaker 1: from the inanity of this remark, you take sides on Saturday, 145 00:09:59,075 --> 00:10:04,395 Speaker 1: or don't you read your own press statements? And we 146 00:10:04,435 --> 00:10:07,275 Speaker 1: have I have a classic performative stunt related to the 147 00:10:07,275 --> 00:10:10,795 Speaker 1: Hamas attack from the Florida Governor Ron de Santis. Remember 148 00:10:10,995 --> 00:10:17,355 Speaker 1: Ron DeSantis quote, Today I signed an executive order authorizing 149 00:10:17,475 --> 00:10:21,515 Speaker 1: rescue operations in the Israel to bring Floridians home and 150 00:10:21,555 --> 00:10:25,475 Speaker 1: transport supplies to our allies. We will not leave our 151 00:10:25,555 --> 00:10:28,715 Speaker 1: residents behind to the many Floridians who are stuck in 152 00:10:28,795 --> 00:10:31,475 Speaker 1: Israel trying to get home. Help is on the way. 153 00:10:31,715 --> 00:10:38,075 Speaker 1: Unquote oo, the Florida State Special Forces are on the road. 154 00:10:38,795 --> 00:10:47,035 Speaker 1: The FDF raid at Defuniac Springs. Actually, if you read 155 00:10:47,115 --> 00:10:50,315 Speaker 1: this DeSantis executive order, if you wade through the hip 156 00:10:50,395 --> 00:10:54,235 Speaker 1: hi bull spit past the eighteen different uses of the 157 00:10:54,235 --> 00:10:58,995 Speaker 1: word whereas all of them capitalized, you get to what 158 00:10:59,075 --> 00:11:03,955 Speaker 1: he really has done. DeSantis has ordered the State Director 159 00:11:04,035 --> 00:11:08,675 Speaker 1: of Emerging See Management to quote seek direct assistance and 160 00:11:08,915 --> 00:11:12,915 Speaker 1: enter into agreements with any and all agencies of the 161 00:11:12,955 --> 00:11:18,355 Speaker 1: federal government as may be needed to meet this emergency. 162 00:11:19,035 --> 00:11:25,115 Speaker 1: In other words, DeSantis issued a memo, a memo that 163 00:11:25,235 --> 00:11:31,075 Speaker 1: directs one of his flunkies to issue another memo. But 164 00:11:32,595 --> 00:11:37,355 Speaker 1: it's an emergency memo. It's a memo with sirens on it. 165 00:11:37,355 --> 00:11:44,595 Speaker 1: It's a memo declaring a Florida State Israel state of 166 00:11:44,955 --> 00:11:55,275 Speaker 1: emergency in Florida. One other political note, and it is 167 00:11:55,355 --> 00:11:58,355 Speaker 1: far away from Gaza and Trump and the House, and 168 00:11:58,835 --> 00:12:01,475 Speaker 1: maybe not as far away from the House as one 169 00:12:01,555 --> 00:12:05,515 Speaker 1: might initially think. By now you've heard this, I believe 170 00:12:05,955 --> 00:12:10,115 Speaker 1: the Mary lou Retton story, winner of five gymnastics medals 171 00:12:10,115 --> 00:12:13,075 Speaker 1: at the nineteen eighty four Olympics on the eve now 172 00:12:13,155 --> 00:12:16,275 Speaker 1: of the fortieth anniversary celebration of having become the first 173 00:12:16,315 --> 00:12:20,395 Speaker 1: woman to win the individual all around for the US. 174 00:12:21,155 --> 00:12:26,875 Speaker 1: Hospitalized no insurance, unable to breathe on her own, her 175 00:12:26,955 --> 00:12:29,515 Speaker 1: daughter started to gofund me for her. Says she has 176 00:12:30,075 --> 00:12:37,235 Speaker 1: a rare form of pneumonia and something really really does 177 00:12:37,275 --> 00:12:41,915 Speaker 1: not add up here. As of May last year, Mary 178 00:12:41,995 --> 00:12:45,795 Speaker 1: lou Retton lived in and almost certainly owned a nine 179 00:12:45,835 --> 00:12:49,675 Speaker 1: thousand square foot multi million dollar mansion in South Texas, 180 00:12:49,955 --> 00:12:53,515 Speaker 1: custom built, six bed, six bath, rustic look but with 181 00:12:53,555 --> 00:12:56,395 Speaker 1: every modern convenience and a TV room in a big pool. 182 00:12:57,275 --> 00:12:59,795 Speaker 1: There had been a divorce, there had been a move 183 00:12:59,915 --> 00:13:02,635 Speaker 1: back to be with family in West Virginia, then another 184 00:13:02,755 --> 00:13:09,075 Speaker 1: back move to Houston, and now crowd funding that raised 185 00:13:09,075 --> 00:13:11,155 Speaker 1: a reported three hundred and seventy five thousand dollars in 186 00:13:11,155 --> 00:13:14,475 Speaker 1: two days, including fifty thousand dollars from a Houston mattress dealer, 187 00:13:15,555 --> 00:13:17,995 Speaker 1: and her partner on Dancing with the Stars says he 188 00:13:18,075 --> 00:13:22,195 Speaker 1: talked to her Tuesday. Even though she can't breathe on 189 00:13:22,195 --> 00:13:25,315 Speaker 1: her own and is presumably on a ventilator. And she 190 00:13:25,435 --> 00:13:27,475 Speaker 1: led the Pledge of allegiance at the two thousand and 191 00:13:27,515 --> 00:13:31,115 Speaker 1: four Republican Convention and when Congress was working to pass 192 00:13:31,155 --> 00:13:33,635 Speaker 1: a bill in the wake of the Larry Nasser nightmare, 193 00:13:34,515 --> 00:13:37,475 Speaker 1: the bill to protect young athletes by requiring Olympic governing 194 00:13:37,475 --> 00:13:40,755 Speaker 1: bodies to report all cases of sexual assault to the police. 195 00:13:41,115 --> 00:13:45,155 Speaker 1: The Olympic governing body USA Gymnastics lobbied against that bill, 196 00:13:45,155 --> 00:13:47,075 Speaker 1: and guess who they brought to the Senate hearing to 197 00:13:47,115 --> 00:13:49,555 Speaker 1: insist that the rules were just fine the way they 198 00:13:49,595 --> 00:13:53,395 Speaker 1: were and that bill should not be passed. Oh, Mary 199 00:13:53,435 --> 00:14:00,435 Speaker 1: lou Retten testified against the anti Larry Nasser bill. Is 200 00:14:00,475 --> 00:14:04,635 Speaker 1: her family crowdfunding for a woman who owns or souls 201 00:14:05,755 --> 00:14:09,675 Speaker 1: a two million dollar home in May of last year? 202 00:14:10,635 --> 00:14:14,395 Speaker 1: Maybe could your personal fortunes go so bad in eighteen 203 00:14:14,435 --> 00:14:17,155 Speaker 1: months that you could sell a two million dollar home 204 00:14:18,155 --> 00:14:24,075 Speaker 1: or still have it and be broke? Absolutely? Could medical 205 00:14:24,115 --> 00:14:27,035 Speaker 1: expenses pile up that fast? Certainly? Could a Republican who 206 00:14:27,115 --> 00:14:30,435 Speaker 1: lobbied against protecting teenage girls from rape be a part 207 00:14:30,475 --> 00:14:32,395 Speaker 1: of some scam to get you to pay for her 208 00:14:32,435 --> 00:14:42,955 Speaker 1: medical bills? You tell me? Also of interest here today, 209 00:14:43,115 --> 00:14:46,835 Speaker 1: let me pick your brain and your distant memory. Did 210 00:14:46,875 --> 00:14:53,715 Speaker 1: you ever watch the Sports Center? Did you like the 211 00:14:53,755 --> 00:14:59,715 Speaker 1: Sports Center? Good? Because it's dead. Now it's dead, or 212 00:14:59,835 --> 00:15:03,875 Speaker 1: soon it will be. Something was revealed yesterday from deep 213 00:15:03,955 --> 00:15:07,555 Speaker 1: in the heart of what passes for television sports journalism. 214 00:15:07,595 --> 00:15:12,235 Speaker 1: That is an inescapable sign that sooner or later SportsCenter 215 00:15:12,715 --> 00:15:16,395 Speaker 1: and Football Night in America and the Fox Baseball Pregame 216 00:15:16,435 --> 00:15:22,715 Speaker 1: Show and all those other sportscasts I used to host 217 00:15:23,435 --> 00:15:29,515 Speaker 1: that they are mortally wounded with no chance of recovery. Also, 218 00:15:30,675 --> 00:15:35,755 Speaker 1: Sunday is thirty five years since I predicted Kirk Gibson's 219 00:15:35,795 --> 00:15:40,275 Speaker 1: World Series home run ten minutes before it happened, and 220 00:15:40,315 --> 00:15:44,355 Speaker 1: there are witnesses to my prediction. That's next. This is countdown. 221 00:15:46,755 --> 00:15:52,315 Speaker 1: This is countdown with Keith Alberman, who can predict almost anything. 222 00:15:56,235 --> 00:15:59,515 Speaker 1: Thank you, Alexis Denny, and I'll explain who she is 223 00:16:00,035 --> 00:16:02,715 Speaker 1: and what she's doing here in one moment. 224 00:16:14,795 --> 00:16:21,195 Speaker 2: This is Sports Center. Wait, check that, not anymore. This 225 00:16:22,075 --> 00:16:25,715 Speaker 2: is countdown with Keith Ulberman. 226 00:16:25,955 --> 00:16:29,875 Speaker 1: In sports, it is hard to be startled by anything 227 00:16:29,995 --> 00:16:33,155 Speaker 1: during the death rattle of anything in sports television that 228 00:16:33,235 --> 00:16:37,395 Speaker 1: is not an actual game broadcast. But this, this is startling. 229 00:16:37,875 --> 00:16:41,635 Speaker 1: Pat McAfee, the former Indianapolis Colts punter who sold his 230 00:16:41,795 --> 00:16:46,355 Speaker 1: independent sports streaming show to ESPN for a reported eighty 231 00:16:46,435 --> 00:16:50,075 Speaker 1: five million dollars over five years, now reveals to The 232 00:16:50,115 --> 00:16:55,275 Speaker 1: New York Post that those frequent, controversial, sometimes hallucinogenic interviews 233 00:16:55,275 --> 00:16:58,595 Speaker 1: he does with the probable future ex quarterback of the 234 00:16:58,595 --> 00:17:03,435 Speaker 1: New York Jets, Aaron Rodgers, he has paid Rogers millions 235 00:17:03,555 --> 00:17:08,515 Speaker 1: of dollars to do them. Now, sit down, relax. I'm 236 00:17:08,515 --> 00:17:11,395 Speaker 1: not going on an ethical rant about Rogers or the 237 00:17:11,395 --> 00:17:14,915 Speaker 1: fact that he's afraid of a vaccine needle, or one 238 00:17:14,955 --> 00:17:18,555 Speaker 1: about ESPN or how McAfee is doing this or that. 239 00:17:18,675 --> 00:17:22,675 Speaker 1: But if ESPN has any interest in maintaining its stable 240 00:17:22,835 --> 00:17:28,635 Speaker 1: of studio shows, NFL, Countdown, SportsCenter, NBA today, I mean 241 00:17:28,635 --> 00:17:32,955 Speaker 1: if they have a darts show ESPN Darts Live or whatever, 242 00:17:33,315 --> 00:17:36,955 Speaker 1: if it wants to keep any of them, it has 243 00:17:36,995 --> 00:17:41,035 Speaker 1: to sever its ties with Pat McAfee immediately. It may 244 00:17:41,075 --> 00:17:44,195 Speaker 1: actually be too late to do that, but it should try. 245 00:17:45,715 --> 00:17:49,115 Speaker 1: This is not about journalism or sports or Pat McAfee, 246 00:17:49,155 --> 00:17:51,675 Speaker 1: or as I said, even about Aaron Rodgers. This is 247 00:17:51,715 --> 00:17:55,915 Speaker 1: about money. Because if one player is going to get 248 00:17:55,955 --> 00:18:01,475 Speaker 1: paid to be on ESPN for interviews. They're all going 249 00:18:01,555 --> 00:18:05,635 Speaker 1: to want to get paid to be on ESPN interviews, 250 00:18:06,915 --> 00:18:12,635 Speaker 1: or on Fox or CBS or anybody BBC, or Wally 251 00:18:12,755 --> 00:18:19,155 Speaker 1: and the Trucking Bozo on Fan Radio Nebraska, or on 252 00:18:19,235 --> 00:18:22,595 Speaker 1: the college postgame show in a college near you. We're 253 00:18:22,595 --> 00:18:26,315 Speaker 1: not talking morals or ethics. We're talking a question that 254 00:18:26,355 --> 00:18:29,875 Speaker 1: will destroy an entire medium. And the question is this, 255 00:18:31,075 --> 00:18:33,035 Speaker 1: why are you expecting me to come on for free 256 00:18:33,075 --> 00:18:36,755 Speaker 1: if you're paying Aaron Rodgers millions of dollars. I mean, 257 00:18:36,795 --> 00:18:40,795 Speaker 1: at this rate, even postgame interviews with the Chicago White 258 00:18:40,835 --> 00:18:46,395 Speaker 1: Sox are worth like thirteen dollars per player per appearance. 259 00:18:47,475 --> 00:18:51,995 Speaker 1: And guess which industry does not have thirteen dollars to 260 00:18:52,195 --> 00:18:56,315 Speaker 1: pay each player for each interview. The studio shows, from 261 00:18:56,435 --> 00:19:01,515 Speaker 1: SportsCenter to the special high school postgame edition of Wally 262 00:19:01,595 --> 00:19:05,915 Speaker 1: and the Trucking Bozo. They are shrinking into negligibility as 263 00:19:05,915 --> 00:19:09,875 Speaker 1: it is, as the old Procter and Bergmann joke jingle 264 00:19:09,955 --> 00:19:13,315 Speaker 1: went Hot Rock Radio. If the records weren't free, we'd 265 00:19:13,315 --> 00:19:20,475 Speaker 1: be all news. If player interviews cost money, there aren't 266 00:19:20,515 --> 00:19:24,995 Speaker 1: going to be any more player interviews. So ESPN, this 267 00:19:25,075 --> 00:19:29,755 Speaker 1: is simple. Go to Pat McAfee studio right now, get 268 00:19:29,755 --> 00:19:33,715 Speaker 1: everybody out safely, and light it on fire, burn it down. 269 00:19:35,355 --> 00:19:37,355 Speaker 1: If he himself will take a lot of money to 270 00:19:37,515 --> 00:19:40,995 Speaker 1: leave sports broadcasting forever, give it to him all that 271 00:19:41,075 --> 00:19:47,635 Speaker 1: he wants, or just start turning everything you have into 272 00:19:47,675 --> 00:19:51,835 Speaker 1: a version of what he does, and be prepared to 273 00:19:51,915 --> 00:19:56,155 Speaker 1: pay eighty five million dollars for five years of it, 274 00:19:57,195 --> 00:20:31,235 Speaker 1: but like ten times a year. Thank you, Nancy Faust, 275 00:20:31,715 --> 00:20:34,875 Speaker 1: and here's your thirteen dollars. I mean there are journalistic 276 00:20:34,955 --> 00:20:37,915 Speaker 1: questions here too. If you are paying an athlete for 277 00:20:37,955 --> 00:20:41,315 Speaker 1: his comments, how do you know he's not embellishing his 278 00:20:41,435 --> 00:20:44,955 Speaker 1: comments so you will embellish his paycheck. I mean, if 279 00:20:44,955 --> 00:20:48,315 Speaker 1: I'm coach Dion Sanders and I find out you're paying 280 00:20:48,395 --> 00:20:54,275 Speaker 1: Aaron Rodgers, say two million a year, why wouldn't I say, Hey, 281 00:20:54,315 --> 00:20:56,235 Speaker 1: you give me three million a year and I'll make 282 00:20:56,315 --> 00:20:58,075 Speaker 1: up a story for you that me and the ninety 283 00:20:58,075 --> 00:21:01,755 Speaker 1: two Braves through the World Series, or I'll tell you 284 00:21:01,795 --> 00:21:04,275 Speaker 1: that we didn't throw the World Series, whatever you like. 285 00:21:05,795 --> 00:21:10,275 Speaker 1: And then there's the real nightmare scenario on teams that 286 00:21:10,435 --> 00:21:14,675 Speaker 1: unfolded when our ancestors tried to mix money and journalism 287 00:21:14,755 --> 00:21:18,475 Speaker 1: and athletes. More than a century ago. In nineteen eleven, 288 00:21:18,835 --> 00:21:23,875 Speaker 1: The New York Times the New York Goddamn Times hired 289 00:21:23,995 --> 00:21:28,155 Speaker 1: New York Giants pitching ace Rube Marquard to quote write 290 00:21:28,595 --> 00:21:33,315 Speaker 1: unquote columns about its team as it played the A's 291 00:21:33,355 --> 00:21:36,435 Speaker 1: in that year's World Series. So The New York Herald 292 00:21:36,435 --> 00:21:39,955 Speaker 1: turned around and hired his teammate Christy Mathewson to quote 293 00:21:40,035 --> 00:21:44,275 Speaker 1: write unquote columns about the same games. They had ghostwriters, 294 00:21:44,275 --> 00:21:47,035 Speaker 1: of course, sports writers who wrote the words for them, 295 00:21:47,235 --> 00:21:50,355 Speaker 1: but it was their byline on each column. Markquard in 296 00:21:50,395 --> 00:21:54,595 Speaker 1: The Times, Matthewson and The Herald. When Frank Baker of 297 00:21:54,635 --> 00:21:57,555 Speaker 1: the A's beat Marquard with a late home run in 298 00:21:57,635 --> 00:22:02,795 Speaker 1: Game two, Matthewson's ghostwriter wrote, Markquard makes the wrong pitch, 299 00:22:03,435 --> 00:22:07,195 Speaker 1: and he had Matthewson's slam Marquard for ignoring the scouting 300 00:22:07,235 --> 00:22:11,955 Speaker 1: reports on Baker. Then in Game three, Baker beat Matthewson 301 00:22:11,995 --> 00:22:16,395 Speaker 1: with a homer late and under Markquard's byline, Markquard's ghostwriter asked, 302 00:22:16,675 --> 00:22:19,715 Speaker 1: will the great Matthewson tell us exactly what he pitched 303 00:22:19,795 --> 00:22:25,515 Speaker 1: to Baker. Matthewson and Markquard barely spoke to each other ever. 304 00:22:25,635 --> 00:22:29,995 Speaker 1: Again It would be nine years before the New York 305 00:22:30,035 --> 00:22:35,075 Speaker 1: Giants won a World Series. If anybody should know the 306 00:22:35,115 --> 00:22:39,995 Speaker 1: intra teamed Dangers of the Pat McAfee millions and millions experiment, 307 00:22:40,635 --> 00:22:44,875 Speaker 1: it is ESPN's own Sunday Night baseball analyst David Cohne. 308 00:22:45,515 --> 00:22:48,835 Speaker 1: In nineteen eighty eight, the New York Daily News paid 309 00:22:48,915 --> 00:22:52,835 Speaker 1: David Cohne for an exclusive column on the upcoming National 310 00:22:52,875 --> 00:22:56,195 Speaker 1: League Championship series against the La Dodgers in Los Angeles. 311 00:22:56,795 --> 00:23:01,115 Speaker 1: In it, Cohn's ghostwriter called the Dodgers Ace lucky and 312 00:23:01,155 --> 00:23:04,435 Speaker 1: the Dodgers' top reliever a high school pitcher, and the 313 00:23:04,715 --> 00:23:08,995 Speaker 1: Rodgers made sure every player and seemingly every fan in 314 00:23:09,035 --> 00:23:12,115 Speaker 1: Los Angeles had a copy of the column. I was 315 00:23:12,355 --> 00:23:15,675 Speaker 1: there at Dodger Stadium the night Cone pitched. He said, 316 00:23:15,755 --> 00:23:18,635 Speaker 1: the hatred from the stands and the dugout was so 317 00:23:18,955 --> 00:23:23,555 Speaker 1: palpable he could barely breathe. As I said, I was there, 318 00:23:23,595 --> 00:23:26,875 Speaker 1: I think he's understating it. Cohn gave up five runs 319 00:23:26,915 --> 00:23:29,875 Speaker 1: before being chased in the second inning. The Mets lost 320 00:23:29,915 --> 00:23:32,715 Speaker 1: the game and the series, and the paper paid him 321 00:23:33,435 --> 00:23:40,115 Speaker 1: five hundred dollars. So paying Aaron Rodgers millions, that's gotta 322 00:23:40,155 --> 00:23:43,635 Speaker 1: go well for ESPN and the industry. If by well 323 00:23:43,715 --> 00:23:47,555 Speaker 1: you mean a cataclysm that will destroy ESPN's credibility and 324 00:23:47,595 --> 00:23:51,955 Speaker 1: its relationships with every team and every player, and also 325 00:23:51,995 --> 00:23:54,835 Speaker 1: its profitability, and it will wipe out every show that 326 00:23:54,915 --> 00:23:58,715 Speaker 1: relies on player interviews, including Wally and the Trucking Pozo 327 00:24:00,715 --> 00:24:06,915 Speaker 1: Bon Chance Boys. It's not like sports journalism isn't fraught 328 00:24:07,035 --> 00:24:10,355 Speaker 1: enough as it is. The Atlanta Braves are actually angry 329 00:24:10,395 --> 00:24:14,355 Speaker 1: because after Game two of their NL playoff series against Philadelphia, 330 00:24:14,675 --> 00:24:17,635 Speaker 1: which turned on the Braves doubling off the Philly star 331 00:24:17,755 --> 00:24:22,275 Speaker 1: Bryce Harper, shortstop Orlando Arcia ran around the Braves clubhouse 332 00:24:22,275 --> 00:24:26,395 Speaker 1: shouting haha at a boy Harper while quoting a reporter. 333 00:24:26,955 --> 00:24:31,475 Speaker 1: Reporters circled the room. In Game three, Harper used the 334 00:24:31,555 --> 00:24:34,155 Speaker 1: story as motivation. He hit too or home runs against 335 00:24:34,155 --> 00:24:37,075 Speaker 1: the Braves, and as he circled the bases, he stared 336 00:24:37,195 --> 00:24:41,755 Speaker 1: daggers at Arcia on both home runs. Arcia and the 337 00:24:41,795 --> 00:24:46,995 Speaker 1: other Braves players have actually complained that Arcia's repeated needling 338 00:24:47,075 --> 00:24:51,235 Speaker 1: of Harper, shouted in their clubhouse was somehow confidential and 339 00:24:51,275 --> 00:24:53,915 Speaker 1: should not have been reported because even though it was 340 00:24:53,955 --> 00:24:57,355 Speaker 1: done in front of literally dozens of reporters. It was 341 00:24:57,395 --> 00:25:01,515 Speaker 1: not part of some actual interview a quote here. The 342 00:25:01,555 --> 00:25:04,955 Speaker 1: clubhouse is a sanctuary, and I think when things like 343 00:25:05,035 --> 00:25:07,195 Speaker 1: that get out, it doesn't make people want to talk 344 00:25:07,235 --> 00:25:10,755 Speaker 1: to the media at all, said Braves, catchered Travis Darnow 345 00:25:11,155 --> 00:25:14,755 Speaker 1: in one of the least supportable comments any player has 346 00:25:14,835 --> 00:25:19,955 Speaker 1: ever made in human history. Even a local Atlanta TV 347 00:25:20,075 --> 00:25:24,395 Speaker 1: sports anchor named Miles Garrett and local TV sports anchors 348 00:25:24,635 --> 00:25:28,995 Speaker 1: have largely been reduced to fans with microphones and pennants 349 00:25:29,075 --> 00:25:32,995 Speaker 1: that they waive. He claimed that rci's remark, which he 350 00:25:33,075 --> 00:25:35,035 Speaker 1: made a lot of times in front of a lot 351 00:25:35,075 --> 00:25:38,155 Speaker 1: of witnesses, was somehow off the record and reporting it 352 00:25:38,315 --> 00:25:43,915 Speaker 1: violated a trust. The good news here is happily this 353 00:25:43,995 --> 00:25:47,435 Speaker 1: will all be resolved when every player is paid for 354 00:25:47,515 --> 00:25:50,195 Speaker 1: every interview, after every game and on every show, and 355 00:25:50,235 --> 00:25:53,755 Speaker 1: then the players who are really in demand, they will 356 00:25:53,755 --> 00:25:56,755 Speaker 1: be given the right to approve their remarks before they 357 00:25:56,755 --> 00:26:02,075 Speaker 1: are quoted or played on TV. Hey, Pandora, can I 358 00:26:02,235 --> 00:26:08,475 Speaker 1: borrow your box? The irony here too is that players 359 00:26:08,555 --> 00:26:12,835 Speaker 1: can say things. They can, even like Arcia, shout things 360 00:26:12,995 --> 00:26:15,875 Speaker 1: in a clubhouse, and they can have the right to 361 00:26:15,955 --> 00:26:18,915 Speaker 1: expect that nobody reports them. I know it happened to 362 00:26:19,035 --> 00:26:22,235 Speaker 1: me before the fifth and final game of the nineteen 363 00:26:22,355 --> 00:26:26,115 Speaker 1: ninety nine AL Championship Series at Fenway Park in Boston. 364 00:26:26,355 --> 00:26:28,635 Speaker 1: I had to get into the Yankee clubhouse like two 365 00:26:28,715 --> 00:26:31,275 Speaker 1: innings before the game ended, so I could cover the 366 00:26:31,315 --> 00:26:35,635 Speaker 1: celebrating Yankee players and the award presentation live on Fox's 367 00:26:35,675 --> 00:26:38,955 Speaker 1: broadcast of the game, for which we were paying baseball millions. 368 00:26:39,635 --> 00:26:42,115 Speaker 1: I was on a platform, I was bleached in a 369 00:26:42,195 --> 00:26:45,275 Speaker 1: camera light, and the technicians were checking their stuff and 370 00:26:45,315 --> 00:26:47,515 Speaker 1: the lights and the angles and everything else. When the 371 00:26:47,555 --> 00:26:52,235 Speaker 1: clubhouse door slammed open and in scrutted the Yankee second baseman, 372 00:26:52,355 --> 00:26:59,315 Speaker 1: Chuck Nabloc. He was swearing profusely, profoundly, amazingly. Chuck had 373 00:26:59,355 --> 00:27:02,555 Speaker 1: been having trouble throwing ground balls. He was throwing them 374 00:27:02,595 --> 00:27:05,995 Speaker 1: away mostly, and as the eighth inning started, Yankees' manager 375 00:27:06,075 --> 00:27:08,915 Speaker 1: Joe Torre had removed him from the game, denying him 376 00:27:08,915 --> 00:27:11,835 Speaker 1: the chance to be in in the on field celebration 377 00:27:11,915 --> 00:27:14,755 Speaker 1: of the Pennant NA Block was so enraged that he 378 00:27:14,875 --> 00:27:18,115 Speaker 1: never saw me, or the platform I was standing on, 379 00:27:18,355 --> 00:27:22,835 Speaker 1: or the camera lights. He used all the expletives known 380 00:27:22,915 --> 00:27:26,675 Speaker 1: to man, and he directed them all at his own manager, 381 00:27:27,755 --> 00:27:31,115 Speaker 1: the Yankees' public relations guy, a childhood friend of mine, 382 00:27:31,355 --> 00:27:33,355 Speaker 1: rushed over to me to insist that I could not 383 00:27:33,435 --> 00:27:35,435 Speaker 1: report what I had just heard, and he was a 384 00:27:35,435 --> 00:27:40,515 Speaker 1: little shocked when I said, you're right, he said what 385 00:27:40,955 --> 00:27:43,995 Speaker 1: I said. I'm here as a lighting prop. No Block 386 00:27:44,035 --> 00:27:46,395 Speaker 1: has a perfect right to expect there'd be no reporters 387 00:27:46,395 --> 00:27:49,915 Speaker 1: in the clubhouse during the game. If he says it 388 00:27:49,955 --> 00:27:53,515 Speaker 1: again afterwards, I'll say I heard it just now first. 389 00:27:53,555 --> 00:27:58,555 Speaker 1: Otherwise I'm never gonna mention it. No way. Now. Of course, 390 00:27:58,875 --> 00:28:01,275 Speaker 1: the PR guy would be rushing over to me to 391 00:28:01,315 --> 00:28:03,915 Speaker 1: negotiate how much Fox would be willing to pay nab 392 00:28:03,875 --> 00:28:09,875 Speaker 1: Block to let us report his rage. Eleven years earlier, 393 00:28:09,955 --> 00:28:13,235 Speaker 1: I had an entirely different experience in the waning moments 394 00:28:13,275 --> 00:28:15,875 Speaker 1: of a postseason game. And oddly enough, this ties into 395 00:28:15,875 --> 00:28:18,795 Speaker 1: that nineteen eighty eight season of David Kohne and the 396 00:28:18,835 --> 00:28:23,515 Speaker 1: Dodgers and Alexis Denny, all of whom I have mentioned already. 397 00:28:24,355 --> 00:28:27,755 Speaker 1: On Sunday, the Dodgers will celebrate the thirty fifth anniversary 398 00:28:27,755 --> 00:28:30,235 Speaker 1: of what is certainly the most famous moment in their 399 00:28:30,315 --> 00:28:33,195 Speaker 1: history in Los Angeles. Anyway, Game one of the nineteen 400 00:28:33,235 --> 00:28:36,795 Speaker 1: eighty eight World Series against the Oakland A's, literally half 401 00:28:36,875 --> 00:28:39,315 Speaker 1: of the Dodgers' starting lineup that had won the National 402 00:28:39,355 --> 00:28:42,875 Speaker 1: League Pennant was hurt and the other half was not 403 00:28:42,915 --> 00:28:46,755 Speaker 1: that impressive to begin with. National League Most Valuable Player 404 00:28:46,835 --> 00:28:50,315 Speaker 1: Kirk Gibson had nearly destroyed his left hamstring in Game 405 00:28:50,355 --> 00:28:53,915 Speaker 1: two of that playoff series that David Cohne had written about, 406 00:28:54,395 --> 00:28:57,035 Speaker 1: and Gibson had ripped up his right knee in Game seven. 407 00:28:57,195 --> 00:28:59,355 Speaker 1: He was assumed to be out of the World Series, 408 00:28:59,555 --> 00:29:01,475 Speaker 1: but he was still on the Dodger roster, and the 409 00:29:01,555 --> 00:29:04,475 Speaker 1: joke was that was only because the Dodgers literally did 410 00:29:04,515 --> 00:29:07,995 Speaker 1: not have any other healthy players under contract and their 411 00:29:08,035 --> 00:29:10,875 Speaker 1: only other option was to activate sixty one year old 412 00:29:10,915 --> 00:29:16,435 Speaker 1: manager Tom Lesarda. Anyway, the Dodgers had actually led Game 413 00:29:16,475 --> 00:29:19,515 Speaker 1: one against the powerful Oakland A's to nothing after the 414 00:29:19,555 --> 00:29:22,195 Speaker 1: first inning, but by the ninth they were trailing four 415 00:29:22,235 --> 00:29:25,835 Speaker 1: to three, with literally three of the worst hitters in 416 00:29:25,915 --> 00:29:29,355 Speaker 1: the National League due up and then the pitcher. I 417 00:29:29,475 --> 00:29:32,355 Speaker 1: was there covering the game for KCBS Channel two in LA, 418 00:29:32,715 --> 00:29:36,275 Speaker 1: and my pal Alexis Denny, news and sports producer for 419 00:29:36,395 --> 00:29:40,235 Speaker 1: CBS Network News in Los Angeles made our way together 420 00:29:40,555 --> 00:29:43,555 Speaker 1: down to the tiny alcove from the press box, the 421 00:29:43,595 --> 00:29:46,795 Speaker 1: alcove between the clubhouses, from which we could see just 422 00:29:46,835 --> 00:29:49,755 Speaker 1: a sliver of the field, pretty much just the pitcher 423 00:29:50,155 --> 00:29:54,955 Speaker 1: and the batter, framed by a hot dog stand as 424 00:29:54,995 --> 00:29:57,875 Speaker 1: the Oakland relief ace. Dennis Eckersley warmed up to pitch 425 00:29:57,915 --> 00:29:59,675 Speaker 1: the bottom of the ninth, and he had given up 426 00:29:59,675 --> 00:30:04,275 Speaker 1: exactly nine hits in his previous eighteen games, in fourteen 427 00:30:04,315 --> 00:30:07,915 Speaker 1: of which he had recorded saves. Alexis asked me, simply 428 00:30:07,955 --> 00:30:12,035 Speaker 1: and appropriately, so what are we going to ask Eck 429 00:30:12,355 --> 00:30:17,435 Speaker 1: after this game is over? And, matter of factly, without 430 00:30:17,475 --> 00:30:21,035 Speaker 1: any emotion, certainly without any sense of predicting anything, I said, 431 00:30:21,395 --> 00:30:25,555 Speaker 1: We're going to ask Eck about this game losing home 432 00:30:25,635 --> 00:30:30,275 Speaker 1: run he's about to give up to Kirk Gibson. Alexis 433 00:30:30,315 --> 00:30:34,075 Speaker 1: looked at me, funny, I mean, funnier than usual. What 434 00:30:35,075 --> 00:30:38,435 Speaker 1: Gibson's not playing? He's hurt? I looked at her with 435 00:30:39,235 --> 00:30:42,955 Speaker 1: mild annoyance. Oh, come on, you know it has to happen. 436 00:30:44,035 --> 00:30:46,915 Speaker 1: I can only describe my feeling at that time as 437 00:30:46,955 --> 00:30:49,515 Speaker 1: being exactly what had been a decade before at another 438 00:30:49,555 --> 00:30:52,595 Speaker 1: playoff game in Boston with the Red Sox leading the 439 00:30:52,635 --> 00:30:54,875 Speaker 1: Yankees to nothing in the top of the seventh, with 440 00:30:54,995 --> 00:30:58,115 Speaker 1: two Yankees on and New York shortstop Bucky Dent coming up, 441 00:30:58,315 --> 00:31:01,475 Speaker 1: and my best friend, the Red Sox fan, exhaling when 442 00:31:01,515 --> 00:31:04,635 Speaker 1: the last batter had popped out and saying, thank goodness, 443 00:31:04,875 --> 00:31:06,915 Speaker 1: Dent is no home run threat. And I began to 444 00:31:06,915 --> 00:31:10,635 Speaker 1: speak in tongues, and what I was saying was about 445 00:31:10,715 --> 00:31:15,835 Speaker 1: how his hubristic remark about Dent would now necessarily cause 446 00:31:16,515 --> 00:31:20,355 Speaker 1: to happen next. What would happen next? A three run 447 00:31:20,395 --> 00:31:23,595 Speaker 1: home run by Bucky Dent, and it would be all 448 00:31:23,755 --> 00:31:30,595 Speaker 1: his fault, and then Dent hit the homer. Neither the 449 00:31:30,715 --> 00:31:36,235 Speaker 1: Dent nor the Gibson home run predictions were really predictions. 450 00:31:36,795 --> 00:31:39,555 Speaker 1: I felt no sense of investment in it. I didn't 451 00:31:39,635 --> 00:31:42,795 Speaker 1: race to put down a bet. I suppose that at 452 00:31:42,795 --> 00:31:46,875 Speaker 1: some other games I had made equally impossible announcements of 453 00:31:47,035 --> 00:31:49,915 Speaker 1: events that did not happen, but I have never been 454 00:31:49,955 --> 00:31:52,635 Speaker 1: given to that, so if I did do it, it was 455 00:31:52,635 --> 00:31:54,955 Speaker 1: only a couple of times. My batting average is like 456 00:31:55,275 --> 00:31:58,555 Speaker 1: four or five hundred on these, And anyway, these weren't 457 00:31:58,635 --> 00:32:02,315 Speaker 1: calculations or analyzes. On my part, I just felt like 458 00:32:02,355 --> 00:32:05,275 Speaker 1: I was running about five minutes ahead of the rest 459 00:32:05,275 --> 00:32:07,635 Speaker 1: of the world. And these things danse home run in 460 00:32:07,715 --> 00:32:11,355 Speaker 1: nineteen seventy eight, Gibson's home run in nineteen eighty eight, 461 00:32:11,595 --> 00:32:18,155 Speaker 1: these things had already happened. AnyWho, Mike Davis of the 462 00:32:18,195 --> 00:32:21,915 Speaker 1: Dodgers walked stole second base with two outs. Gibson, to 463 00:32:21,915 --> 00:32:27,635 Speaker 1: the shock of everybody except me, managed somehow to climb 464 00:32:27,755 --> 00:32:31,235 Speaker 1: up the three steps of the Dodger dugout and waddle 465 00:32:31,275 --> 00:32:33,995 Speaker 1: out to home plate, and then, on a three to 466 00:32:34,035 --> 00:32:38,755 Speaker 1: two pitch, hit the game winning home run. Like I said, 467 00:32:39,995 --> 00:32:42,835 Speaker 1: as Dodger Stadium shook and we prepared to go into 468 00:32:42,875 --> 00:32:45,595 Speaker 1: the clubhouses, Alexis Denny gave me a look that I 469 00:32:45,595 --> 00:32:49,195 Speaker 1: still can't really describe. But thirty five years later, I 470 00:32:49,275 --> 00:32:53,355 Speaker 1: know that since that night she has not been fully 471 00:32:53,395 --> 00:33:01,435 Speaker 1: convinced that I am of this earth. Alexis was nice 472 00:33:01,515 --> 00:33:04,075 Speaker 1: enough to make up an affidavit about all this. It 473 00:33:04,155 --> 00:33:07,395 Speaker 1: hangs on my wall, and yes, this really did happen. 474 00:33:07,915 --> 00:33:10,595 Speaker 1: I will also note that the Dodgers won the World Series, 475 00:33:11,035 --> 00:33:13,315 Speaker 1: the only time since nineteen sixty five they have done 476 00:33:13,395 --> 00:33:16,635 Speaker 1: so in a full Major League season, and once again, 477 00:33:17,075 --> 00:33:20,275 Speaker 1: having been eliminated by Arizona on Wednesday night, they are, 478 00:33:20,995 --> 00:33:24,835 Speaker 1: for like the twenty seventh time in these thirty five years, 479 00:33:25,275 --> 00:33:29,515 Speaker 1: the Dodgers are celebrating the anniversary of Kirk Gibson's home 480 00:33:29,595 --> 00:33:32,315 Speaker 1: run that I told you was gonna happen by not 481 00:33:33,355 --> 00:33:49,955 Speaker 1: playing a postseason game because their season is already over. 482 00:33:52,995 --> 00:33:55,115 Speaker 1: To the number one story on the Countdown and it's 483 00:33:55,155 --> 00:33:58,475 Speaker 1: Fridays with Thurber, and only occasionally did the great American 484 00:33:58,555 --> 00:34:04,595 Speaker 1: humorist bend towards the supernatural. Lots of Thurber's characters, like 485 00:34:04,755 --> 00:34:07,915 Speaker 1: his fictionalized version of his own mother, claimed to get 486 00:34:08,195 --> 00:34:11,155 Speaker 1: messages from beyond the grave and stuff like that, but 487 00:34:11,275 --> 00:34:15,715 Speaker 1: rarely did Thurber ever go a cult in the first person. 488 00:34:16,635 --> 00:34:19,035 Speaker 1: This is not true in one of my all time 489 00:34:19,155 --> 00:34:23,075 Speaker 1: favorites of his stories, The Black Magic of Barney Haller, 490 00:34:23,755 --> 00:34:26,515 Speaker 1: in which a slight accent turns into something that is 491 00:34:26,755 --> 00:34:30,595 Speaker 1: just right up against the line of being actually a 492 00:34:30,595 --> 00:34:36,355 Speaker 1: little scary but still hilarious. The Black Magic of Barney 493 00:34:36,355 --> 00:34:41,235 Speaker 1: Haller by James Thurber. It was one of those hot 494 00:34:41,315 --> 00:34:44,955 Speaker 1: days on which the earth is uninhabitable, even as early 495 00:34:44,995 --> 00:34:47,435 Speaker 1: as ten o'clock in the morning, even on the hill 496 00:34:47,475 --> 00:34:50,595 Speaker 1: where I live under the dark maples. The long porch 497 00:34:50,715 --> 00:34:53,675 Speaker 1: was hot, and the wicker chair I sat in complained 498 00:34:53,715 --> 00:34:56,715 Speaker 1: hot lee. My coffee was beginning to wear off, and 499 00:34:56,755 --> 00:35:00,155 Speaker 1: with it the momentary illusion it gives that things are 500 00:35:00,235 --> 00:35:05,235 Speaker 1: right and life is good. There were sultry mutterings of thunder. 501 00:35:05,955 --> 00:35:07,595 Speaker 1: I had a quick feeling that if I looked up 502 00:35:07,595 --> 00:35:13,555 Speaker 1: from my book, I would see Barney Holler. I looked up, 503 00:35:14,395 --> 00:35:18,755 Speaker 1: and there he was, coming along the road, lightning playing about 504 00:35:18,755 --> 00:35:23,835 Speaker 1: his shoulders, thunder following him like a dog. Barney is, 505 00:35:24,835 --> 00:35:29,675 Speaker 1: or was, my hired man. He is strong and amiable, 506 00:35:29,995 --> 00:35:34,915 Speaker 1: sweaty and dependable, slowly and heavily confident. But he is 507 00:35:34,995 --> 00:35:42,835 Speaker 1: also eerie. He traffics with the devil. His ears twitch 508 00:35:42,875 --> 00:35:45,035 Speaker 1: when he talks, but it isn't so much that as 509 00:35:45,075 --> 00:35:48,955 Speaker 1: the things he says. Once in late June, when all 510 00:35:48,955 --> 00:35:51,395 Speaker 1: of a moment, sabers began to flash brightly in the 511 00:35:51,435 --> 00:35:55,715 Speaker 1: heavens and bowling balls rumbled, I took refuge in the barn. 512 00:35:56,555 --> 00:35:58,035 Speaker 1: I always have a feeling that I am going to 513 00:35:58,075 --> 00:36:00,795 Speaker 1: be struck by lightning and either riven like an old 514 00:36:00,835 --> 00:36:02,955 Speaker 1: apple tree, or left with a foot that aches in 515 00:36:03,035 --> 00:36:07,115 Speaker 1: rainy weather, and a habit of fainting. These things happen. 516 00:36:08,675 --> 00:36:10,995 Speaker 1: Barney came in, not to escape the storm to which 517 00:36:10,995 --> 00:36:15,075 Speaker 1: he is or pretends to be indifferent, but to put 518 00:36:15,115 --> 00:36:18,715 Speaker 1: the sigh the way. Suddenly, he said the first of 519 00:36:18,755 --> 00:36:20,835 Speaker 1: those things that made me, when I was with him, 520 00:36:21,315 --> 00:36:25,955 Speaker 1: faintly creepy. He pointed at the house. Once I said, 521 00:36:25,995 --> 00:36:30,115 Speaker 1: this boat come down to rock, He said, it is 522 00:36:30,195 --> 00:36:32,675 Speaker 1: phenomena like that of which I stand in constant dread, 523 00:36:32,955 --> 00:36:37,715 Speaker 1: boats coming down rocks, people being teleported, statues dripping blood, 524 00:36:37,755 --> 00:36:40,155 Speaker 1: old regrets, and dreams in the form of Luna moths 525 00:36:40,155 --> 00:36:44,755 Speaker 1: fluttering against the windows at midnight. Of course, I finally 526 00:36:44,795 --> 00:36:48,995 Speaker 1: figured out what Barney meant, or what I comforted myself 527 00:36:49,035 --> 00:36:52,595 Speaker 1: with believing he meant something about a bolt coming down 528 00:36:52,635 --> 00:36:57,635 Speaker 1: the lightning rod on the house, a commonplace and utterly 529 00:36:57,755 --> 00:37:01,155 Speaker 1: natural thing. I should have dismissed it, but it had 530 00:37:01,195 --> 00:37:05,275 Speaker 1: its effect on me. Here was a stolid man, smelling 531 00:37:05,315 --> 00:37:08,395 Speaker 1: of hay and leather, who talked like somebody out of 532 00:37:08,515 --> 00:37:12,635 Speaker 1: Charles Fort's books, or like a traveler back from oz 533 00:37:13,835 --> 00:37:17,475 Speaker 1: and all the time the lightning was zigging and zagging 534 00:37:17,515 --> 00:37:21,635 Speaker 1: around him. On this hot morning, When I saw Barney 535 00:37:21,635 --> 00:37:24,915 Speaker 1: coming along with his faithful storm trudging behind him, I 536 00:37:24,955 --> 00:37:28,555 Speaker 1: went back, frowningly to my copy of Swan's Way. I 537 00:37:28,595 --> 00:37:31,595 Speaker 1: hope that Barney, seeing me absorbed in a book, would 538 00:37:31,635 --> 00:37:36,515 Speaker 1: pass by without saying anything. I read. I myself seemed 539 00:37:36,555 --> 00:37:39,435 Speaker 1: actually to have become the subject of my book, A 540 00:37:39,555 --> 00:37:43,755 Speaker 1: church a quartet, the rivalry between Francis the First and 541 00:37:43,835 --> 00:37:47,275 Speaker 1: Charles the Fifth. I could feel Barney standing looking at me, 542 00:37:47,355 --> 00:37:51,195 Speaker 1: but I didn't look at him this morning. By and by, 543 00:37:51,755 --> 00:37:58,795 Speaker 1: said Barney, I go hunt grotcher's and d voods. That's fine, 544 00:37:58,875 --> 00:38:01,955 Speaker 1: I said, and turned a page and pretended to be 545 00:38:01,955 --> 00:38:06,435 Speaker 1: engrossed in what I was reading. Barney walked on. He 546 00:38:06,515 --> 00:38:08,675 Speaker 1: had wanted to talk some more, but he walked on 547 00:38:09,915 --> 00:38:12,675 Speaker 1: after a paragraph where two his words began to come 548 00:38:12,715 --> 00:38:16,315 Speaker 1: between me and the words in the book. Bime By, 549 00:38:17,075 --> 00:38:22,355 Speaker 1: I go hunt grotches in d woods. If you are 550 00:38:22,435 --> 00:38:26,195 Speaker 1: susceptible such things, it is not difficult to visualize grotches. 551 00:38:26,755 --> 00:38:30,075 Speaker 1: They fluttered into my mind, ugly little creatures about the 552 00:38:30,115 --> 00:38:34,035 Speaker 1: size of whipperwills, only covered with blood and honey, and 553 00:38:34,075 --> 00:38:41,235 Speaker 1: the scrapings of church bells. Grotches Who and what I wondered, 554 00:38:41,555 --> 00:38:45,035 Speaker 1: really was this thing in the form of a hired 555 00:38:45,115 --> 00:38:49,955 Speaker 1: man that kept anointing me ominously in passing with Abra cadabra. 556 00:38:52,635 --> 00:38:55,675 Speaker 1: Barney didn't go toward the woods at once. He weeded 557 00:38:55,715 --> 00:38:58,515 Speaker 1: the corn, He picked apple boughs off off the lawn. 558 00:38:58,675 --> 00:39:00,915 Speaker 1: He knocked a yellow jacket's nest down out of a 559 00:39:00,995 --> 00:39:04,155 Speaker 1: plum tree. It was raining now, but he didn't seem 560 00:39:04,195 --> 00:39:06,595 Speaker 1: to notice it. He kept looking at me out of 561 00:39:06,595 --> 00:39:08,075 Speaker 1: the corner of his eye, and I kept looking at 562 00:39:08,115 --> 00:39:10,995 Speaker 1: him out of the corner of my eyebod. Dime is 563 00:39:10,995 --> 00:39:14,595 Speaker 1: it bleeze? He called to me. Finally, I put down 564 00:39:14,595 --> 00:39:17,835 Speaker 1: my book and sauntered out to him. When you go 565 00:39:17,955 --> 00:39:21,675 Speaker 1: for those grotches, I said, firmly, I'll go with you. 566 00:39:22,755 --> 00:39:24,555 Speaker 1: I was sure he wouldn't want me to go. I 567 00:39:24,635 --> 00:39:27,675 Speaker 1: was right. He protested that he could get the grotches himself. 568 00:39:28,035 --> 00:39:32,795 Speaker 1: I'll go with you, I said, stubbornly. We stood looking 569 00:39:32,835 --> 00:39:35,675 Speaker 1: at each other, and then, abruptly, just to give him 570 00:39:35,995 --> 00:39:40,835 Speaker 1: something to ponder over, I quoted, I'm going out to 571 00:39:40,915 --> 00:39:43,835 Speaker 1: clean the pasture spring. I'll only stop to take the 572 00:39:43,915 --> 00:39:47,195 Speaker 1: leaves away and wait to watch the water clear. I 573 00:39:47,275 --> 00:39:54,475 Speaker 1: may i shan't be gone long you come too. It wasn't, 574 00:39:54,555 --> 00:39:58,475 Speaker 1: I realized, very good abracadabra, But it served. Barney looked 575 00:39:58,475 --> 00:40:02,875 Speaker 1: at me in a puzzled way. Yes, he said, vaguely, 576 00:40:04,275 --> 00:40:07,195 Speaker 1: it's fine. Minutes of twelve, I said, remembering he had asked. 577 00:40:07,715 --> 00:40:10,555 Speaker 1: Then we go, he said, And we trudged through the 578 00:40:10,635 --> 00:40:13,595 Speaker 1: rain over to the orchard fence and climbed that, and 579 00:40:13,675 --> 00:40:15,755 Speaker 1: opened a gate and went out into the meadow that 580 00:40:15,795 --> 00:40:18,995 Speaker 1: slopes up to the woods. I had a prefiguring of 581 00:40:19,035 --> 00:40:22,515 Speaker 1: Barney at some proper spot deep in the woods, prancing 582 00:40:22,555 --> 00:40:27,115 Speaker 1: around like a goat, casting off his false nature, shedding 583 00:40:27,155 --> 00:40:33,035 Speaker 1: his hired man's garments, dropping his teutonic accent, repeating diabolical phrases, 584 00:40:33,795 --> 00:40:39,515 Speaker 1: conjuring up grotches. It was a great slash of lightning 585 00:40:39,755 --> 00:40:42,235 Speaker 1: and along bumping of thunder. As we reached the edge 586 00:40:42,275 --> 00:40:47,035 Speaker 1: of the woods, I turned and fled, glancing over my shoulder, 587 00:40:47,075 --> 00:40:52,475 Speaker 1: I saw Barney standing and staring after me. It turned out, 588 00:40:52,915 --> 00:40:55,395 Speaker 1: on the face of it to be as simple as 589 00:40:55,435 --> 00:40:59,875 Speaker 1: the boat that came down the rock. Grotches were crotches, 590 00:41:00,155 --> 00:41:04,035 Speaker 1: crotched saplings, which he cut down to use as supports 591 00:41:04,075 --> 00:41:06,915 Speaker 1: under the peach boughs, because in bearing time they become 592 00:41:06,955 --> 00:41:08,715 Speaker 1: so heavy with fruit that there was danger of the 593 00:41:08,715 --> 00:41:12,875 Speaker 1: branches snapping off. I saw Barney later putting the crotches 594 00:41:12,875 --> 00:41:15,875 Speaker 1: in place. We didn't have much to say to each other. 595 00:41:16,595 --> 00:41:20,075 Speaker 1: I can see now that he was beginning to suspect 596 00:41:20,115 --> 00:41:26,435 Speaker 1: me too. About six o'clock next evening, I was alone 597 00:41:26,475 --> 00:41:30,115 Speaker 1: in the house and sleeping upstairs. Barney rapped on the 598 00:41:30,155 --> 00:41:33,235 Speaker 1: door of the front porch. I knew it was Barney 599 00:41:33,235 --> 00:41:37,195 Speaker 1: because he called to me. I woke up slowly. It 600 00:41:37,315 --> 00:41:41,075 Speaker 1: was dark for six o'clock. I heard rumblings and soft flickerings. 601 00:41:42,075 --> 00:41:44,915 Speaker 1: Barney was standing at the front door with his storm 602 00:41:45,035 --> 00:41:48,995 Speaker 1: at heel. I had the conviction that it wasn't storming 603 00:41:49,035 --> 00:41:52,595 Speaker 1: anywhere except around my house. There couldn't, without the intervention 604 00:41:52,635 --> 00:41:54,715 Speaker 1: of the devil or one of his agents, be so 605 00:41:54,835 --> 00:42:00,435 Speaker 1: many lightning storms in one neighborhood. I had been dreaming 606 00:42:00,475 --> 00:42:05,555 Speaker 1: of Proost and the church at Cambre and madel dipped 607 00:42:05,595 --> 00:42:08,315 Speaker 1: in Tea, and the rivalry between Francis the First and 608 00:42:08,395 --> 00:42:11,595 Speaker 1: Charles the fifth. My head whirled and I didn't get up. 609 00:42:11,835 --> 00:42:15,675 Speaker 1: Barney kept on wrapping. He called out again. There was 610 00:42:15,715 --> 00:42:19,075 Speaker 1: a flash followed by a sharp splitting sound. Now I 611 00:42:19,195 --> 00:42:22,675 Speaker 1: leaped up this time, I thought he is here to 612 00:42:22,755 --> 00:42:26,515 Speaker 1: get me. I had a notion that he was standing 613 00:42:26,675 --> 00:42:30,235 Speaker 1: at the door, barefooted, with a wreath of grape leaves 614 00:42:30,235 --> 00:42:33,435 Speaker 1: around his head and a wild animal's skin slung over 615 00:42:33,475 --> 00:42:36,435 Speaker 1: his shoulder. I didn't want to go down, but I did. 616 00:42:38,195 --> 00:42:41,635 Speaker 1: He was as usual, solid, amiable, dressed like a hired man. 617 00:42:42,315 --> 00:42:44,395 Speaker 1: I went out onto the porch and looked at the 618 00:42:44,435 --> 00:42:47,675 Speaker 1: improbable storm now on in all of its fury. This 619 00:42:47,755 --> 00:42:50,835 Speaker 1: is getting pretty bad, I said meaningly. Barney looked at 620 00:42:50,835 --> 00:42:56,395 Speaker 1: the rain placidly well. I said, irritably, what's up? Barney 621 00:42:56,435 --> 00:43:00,195 Speaker 1: turned his little squinty blue eyes on me. We go 622 00:43:00,315 --> 00:43:05,355 Speaker 1: to the gaddock now and become warbs, he said, the 623 00:43:05,395 --> 00:43:10,315 Speaker 1: hell we do? I thought to myself quickly. I was uneasy. 624 00:43:10,755 --> 00:43:14,235 Speaker 1: I was you might even say terrified, but I determined 625 00:43:14,275 --> 00:43:17,715 Speaker 1: not to show it. If he began to chant incantations 626 00:43:18,035 --> 00:43:20,435 Speaker 1: or to make obscene signs, or if he attempted to 627 00:43:20,475 --> 00:43:23,315 Speaker 1: sling me over his shoulder, I resolved to plunge right 628 00:43:23,395 --> 00:43:25,475 Speaker 1: out into that storm, lightning it all, and run to 629 00:43:25,515 --> 00:43:28,715 Speaker 1: the nearest house. I didn't know what they would think 630 00:43:28,755 --> 00:43:30,755 Speaker 1: at the nearest house when I burst in upon them, 631 00:43:30,875 --> 00:43:33,515 Speaker 1: or what I would tell them. But I didn't intend 632 00:43:33,515 --> 00:43:38,235 Speaker 1: to accompany this amiable looking fiend to any garrick and 633 00:43:38,355 --> 00:43:43,595 Speaker 1: become a warb. I tried to persuade myself that there 634 00:43:43,635 --> 00:43:46,355 Speaker 1: was some simple explanation that warbs would turn out to 635 00:43:46,395 --> 00:43:49,795 Speaker 1: be as innocuous as boats on rocks and grotches in Davoudes. 636 00:43:50,515 --> 00:43:53,955 Speaker 1: But the conviction gripped me in the growling of the 637 00:43:53,995 --> 00:43:58,795 Speaker 1: thunder that here, at last was the moment when Barney 638 00:43:58,795 --> 00:44:03,155 Speaker 1: Holler or whoever he was, had chosen to get me 639 00:44:04,835 --> 00:44:07,915 Speaker 1: toward the steps that led to the lawn, and turned 640 00:44:07,955 --> 00:44:12,675 Speaker 1: and faced him grimly. Listen, I barked. Suddenly. Did you 641 00:44:12,755 --> 00:44:15,075 Speaker 1: know that even when it isn't brillig I can produce 642 00:44:15,155 --> 00:44:18,955 Speaker 1: slythe toes? Did you happen to know that the Momrath 643 00:44:19,075 --> 00:44:21,835 Speaker 1: never lived that could outgrab me? Yeah? And furthermore, I 644 00:44:21,835 --> 00:44:23,915 Speaker 1: can become anything I want to. Even if I were 645 00:44:23,955 --> 00:44:26,755 Speaker 1: a warb, I wouldn't have to keep on being one 646 00:44:26,755 --> 00:44:29,235 Speaker 1: if I didn't want to. I can become a playing card. 647 00:44:29,275 --> 00:44:31,995 Speaker 1: It will too once I was the jack of clubs. 648 00:44:32,035 --> 00:44:33,875 Speaker 1: Only I forgot to say my glasses off, and some 649 00:44:33,955 --> 00:44:40,315 Speaker 1: guy recognized me. I. Barney was backing slowly away toward 650 00:44:40,435 --> 00:44:43,195 Speaker 1: the petunia box at one end of the porch. His 651 00:44:43,275 --> 00:44:47,635 Speaker 1: little blue eyes were wide. He saw that I had him. 652 00:44:47,955 --> 00:44:50,955 Speaker 1: I think I go now, he said, and he walked 653 00:44:50,955 --> 00:44:54,915 Speaker 1: out into the rain. The rain followed him down the road. 654 00:44:56,755 --> 00:44:59,835 Speaker 1: I have a new hired man now. Barney never came 655 00:44:59,875 --> 00:45:02,435 Speaker 1: back to work for me after that day. Of course, 656 00:45:02,475 --> 00:45:05,555 Speaker 1: I figured out finally what he meant the garrick and 657 00:45:05,635 --> 00:45:08,155 Speaker 1: the warps. He had simply got horribly mixed up in 658 00:45:08,195 --> 00:45:09,755 Speaker 1: trying to tell me that he was going up to 659 00:45:09,835 --> 00:45:13,755 Speaker 1: the garret and clear out the wasps, of which I 660 00:45:13,795 --> 00:45:19,395 Speaker 1: have thousands. The new hired man is afraid of them. 661 00:45:20,275 --> 00:45:22,595 Speaker 1: Barney could have scooped them up in his hands and 662 00:45:22,715 --> 00:45:27,035 Speaker 1: thrown them out a window without getting stung. I am 663 00:45:27,195 --> 00:45:31,275 Speaker 1: sure he trafficked with the devil, but I am sorry 664 00:45:31,355 --> 00:45:46,795 Speaker 1: I let him go. I've done all the damage I 665 00:45:46,795 --> 00:45:49,035 Speaker 1: can do here. Thank you for listening. Countdown has come 666 00:45:49,035 --> 00:45:52,795 Speaker 1: to you from the Vin Scully Studios talking about Kirk 667 00:45:52,795 --> 00:45:57,275 Speaker 1: Gibson at the Olderman Broadcasting Empire in New York. The 668 00:45:57,435 --> 00:46:00,315 Speaker 1: music you've heard was, for the most part arranged produced 669 00:46:00,355 --> 00:46:03,475 Speaker 1: and performed by Countdown musical directors Brian Ray and John 670 00:46:03,515 --> 00:46:07,195 Speaker 1: Phillip Schenel. Brian Ray handled the guitars, bass and drums. 671 00:46:07,435 --> 00:46:10,355 Speaker 1: John Phillip Scheneil did the orchestration and keyboards. Then it 672 00:46:10,395 --> 00:46:13,595 Speaker 1: was produced by Tko Brothers. Other music, including the other 673 00:46:13,635 --> 00:46:17,915 Speaker 1: Beethoven tunes, were arranged and performed by No Horns Allowed. 674 00:46:18,395 --> 00:46:21,275 Speaker 1: Sports music is courtesy of ESPN, Inc. And it was 675 00:46:21,315 --> 00:46:23,275 Speaker 1: written by Mitch Warren Davis And we call it the 676 00:46:23,275 --> 00:46:29,395 Speaker 1: Olderman theme from ESPN two. Your Price May Vary. Our 677 00:46:29,515 --> 00:46:32,955 Speaker 1: satirical and pithy musical comments are by Nancy Fauss, the 678 00:46:32,955 --> 00:46:36,195 Speaker 1: best baseball stadium organist ever. Our announcer today was, as 679 00:46:36,235 --> 00:46:41,355 Speaker 1: I mentioned, my friend Alexis Denny live from Paris. Everything 680 00:46:41,355 --> 00:46:44,035 Speaker 1: else is pretty much my fault. That's countdown for this 681 00:46:44,115 --> 00:46:46,915 Speaker 1: the one thousand and eleventh day since Donald Trump's first 682 00:46:46,955 --> 00:46:50,755 Speaker 1: attempted coup against the democratically elected government of the United States. 683 00:46:51,075 --> 00:46:54,475 Speaker 1: Convict him now while we still can. The banks scheduled 684 00:46:54,475 --> 00:46:58,435 Speaker 1: countdown is Tuesday bulletins. As the news warrants, I have 685 00:46:58,515 --> 00:47:02,035 Speaker 1: no further predictions at this time till then. I'm Keith Ulderman. 686 00:47:02,395 --> 00:47:21,275 Speaker 1: Good morning, Good afternoon, good Night, and good Luck. Countdown 687 00:47:21,355 --> 00:47:25,075 Speaker 1: with Keith Olderman is a production of iHeartRadio. For more 688 00:47:25,195 --> 00:47:30,115 Speaker 1: podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or 689 00:47:30,195 --> 00:47:31,995 Speaker 1: wherever you get your podcasts.