1 00:00:04,795 --> 00:00:24,155 Speaker 1: Countdown with Keith Olderman is a production of iHeartRadio concratulations. 2 00:00:24,275 --> 00:00:27,955 Speaker 1: Have you seen the lines at five thirty eight. It's 3 00:00:27,955 --> 00:00:32,675 Speaker 1: a torrent, It's an avalanche. It's the biggest hit in America. 4 00:00:34,875 --> 00:00:37,555 Speaker 1: I hate to steal from mel Brooks and the producers, 5 00:00:37,595 --> 00:00:40,635 Speaker 1: and I hate to lead with the polls again. But 6 00:00:40,795 --> 00:00:43,555 Speaker 1: yesterday I said that the USA Today canvas that had 7 00:00:43,555 --> 00:00:46,475 Speaker 1: the vice president down by five in Florida was a 8 00:00:46,515 --> 00:00:50,075 Speaker 1: great indicator of the democratic tsunami that could be gathering. 9 00:00:50,675 --> 00:00:52,955 Speaker 1: But it's not like she's actually going to win Florida. 10 00:00:53,075 --> 00:00:56,795 Speaker 1: And literally hours later incomes a new poll and she 11 00:00:57,035 --> 00:01:04,355 Speaker 1: may literally actually win Florida. Florida Atlantic Public Opinion Research 12 00:01:05,235 --> 00:01:10,955 Speaker 1: State of Florida Trump forty seven, Harris forty five, Kennedy five. 13 00:01:11,195 --> 00:01:13,195 Speaker 1: Or if you prefer just the head to head, it's 14 00:01:13,235 --> 00:01:16,475 Speaker 1: still Trump by five in Florida. The head of the poll, 15 00:01:16,595 --> 00:01:21,395 Speaker 1: Kevin Wagner, PhD. Quote. If this trend holds, we may 16 00:01:21,435 --> 00:01:26,195 Speaker 1: see a competitive race in Florida. Florida is in play. 17 00:01:27,075 --> 00:01:31,155 Speaker 1: Cook Political Report. Georgia Harris forty six, Trump forty six. 18 00:01:31,475 --> 00:01:36,035 Speaker 1: Georgia is in play. Cook Political Report. Nevada Trump forty 19 00:01:36,115 --> 00:01:40,795 Speaker 1: seven Harris forty two. Nevada is in play. Cook Political Report, 20 00:01:40,875 --> 00:01:46,155 Speaker 1: North Carolina Harris forty six, Trump forty four. North Carolina 21 00:01:46,275 --> 00:01:49,595 Speaker 1: is in play and she is ahead there. Cook Political 22 00:01:49,595 --> 00:01:54,755 Speaker 1: Report Wisconsin Harris by five, Cook Political Report, Pennsylvania Harris 23 00:01:54,795 --> 00:01:59,235 Speaker 1: by five, Cook Political Report, Arizona Harris by four, Cook 24 00:01:59,275 --> 00:02:03,315 Speaker 1: Political Report, Michigan Harris by two. Wisconsin is in play. 25 00:02:03,355 --> 00:02:06,195 Speaker 1: Pennsylvania is in play, Arizona is in play. Michigan is 26 00:02:06,235 --> 00:02:09,075 Speaker 1: in play, and she is ahead in all of them. 27 00:02:10,435 --> 00:02:15,595 Speaker 1: Oh and Cook Political Report. Kamala Harris favorability in May, 28 00:02:16,235 --> 00:02:21,355 Speaker 1: she was underwater by thirteen points. Not the president. She 29 00:02:22,515 --> 00:02:26,595 Speaker 1: was underwater by thirteen points in terms of approval now. 30 00:02:27,275 --> 00:02:30,515 Speaker 1: Cook Political Report finds Kamala Harris is viewed favorably by 31 00:02:31,115 --> 00:02:35,595 Speaker 1: forty nine percent of all voters and unfavorably by forty 32 00:02:35,675 --> 00:02:38,795 Speaker 1: nine percent of all voters. She has done the impossible 33 00:02:38,915 --> 00:02:44,875 Speaker 1: in politics. She has erased a large unfavorable score in 34 00:02:44,915 --> 00:02:49,955 Speaker 1: a matter of three months. Trump, he went from minus 35 00:02:49,995 --> 00:02:56,355 Speaker 1: five to minus six. Sorry, Donald, This cascade of polls 36 00:02:57,155 --> 00:03:01,035 Speaker 1: is not stopping. Monmouth Pole National still in the field 37 00:03:01,075 --> 00:03:04,755 Speaker 1: as of this Monday. Harris forty eight Trump forty three. 38 00:03:04,995 --> 00:03:08,315 Speaker 1: J l Partners Nationals still in the field Sunday, Trump 39 00:03:08,395 --> 00:03:11,995 Speaker 1: by two. Their previous poll five weeks ago was Trump 40 00:03:12,035 --> 00:03:16,915 Speaker 1: by eleven. She has cleared out nine points on a 41 00:03:16,995 --> 00:03:22,515 Speaker 1: Conservative Pollsters poll. And there is polling about where these 42 00:03:22,635 --> 00:03:26,915 Speaker 1: almost unbelievable polling numbers are coming from. Two months ago, 43 00:03:27,155 --> 00:03:33,955 Speaker 1: Equis Polling had Biden leading Trump among Latino voters in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, 44 00:03:34,115 --> 00:03:39,235 Speaker 1: North Carolina, and Pennsylvania and Wisconsin by just five points. 45 00:03:40,075 --> 00:03:44,155 Speaker 1: Of the many red alert buttons flashing on the control board, 46 00:03:44,555 --> 00:03:47,795 Speaker 1: this might have been the biggest Well, they have just 47 00:03:47,875 --> 00:03:52,835 Speaker 1: pulled those seven battleground states again. Harris leads Trump by 48 00:03:53,035 --> 00:03:58,995 Speaker 1: nineteen points. She has basically quadrupled the lead over Trump 49 00:03:59,395 --> 00:04:03,675 Speaker 1: among Hispanics. And then there's the other startling growth in 50 00:04:03,715 --> 00:04:07,675 Speaker 1: a different demograph altogether. A political numbers analyst named Michael 51 00:04:07,755 --> 00:04:11,275 Speaker 1: Kayley looked at all those cook battleground states in which 52 00:04:11,315 --> 00:04:13,515 Speaker 1: Trump had been ahead by an overall average of five 53 00:04:13,555 --> 00:04:16,595 Speaker 1: points but now trails by four, and he went through 54 00:04:16,635 --> 00:04:18,955 Speaker 1: each state and her improvement in the head to head 55 00:04:18,995 --> 00:04:24,595 Speaker 1: matchups has been four point three points. So for versus him, 56 00:04:25,075 --> 00:04:28,315 Speaker 1: she's gained four and three tenths points in each state. 57 00:04:29,155 --> 00:04:32,675 Speaker 1: When you mix in RFK Junior and the other third 58 00:04:32,715 --> 00:04:35,955 Speaker 1: party candidates, her improvement has been six and three tenths. 59 00:04:36,595 --> 00:04:40,475 Speaker 1: In other words, Kamala Harris hasn't just kicked sand in 60 00:04:40,595 --> 00:04:45,355 Speaker 1: Trump's face. She's kicked even more sand in Kennedy's and 61 00:04:45,435 --> 00:04:50,155 Speaker 1: Stein's and Corneill West's. She's picking off some would be 62 00:04:50,275 --> 00:04:53,955 Speaker 1: Trump voters, she's picking up nearly all of the would 63 00:04:54,035 --> 00:04:58,475 Speaker 1: be Kennedy voters. And to circle back briefly to that 64 00:04:58,595 --> 00:05:05,195 Speaker 1: Monmouth poll, they have been gauging enthusiasm enthusiasms. In April, 65 00:05:05,475 --> 00:05:09,635 Speaker 1: per Monmouth, thirty six percent of Democrats said they were 66 00:05:09,835 --> 00:05:15,115 Speaker 1: enthusiastic about the Biden Trump election. Oh yeah, we're We're enthusiastic. 67 00:05:15,475 --> 00:05:20,475 Speaker 1: In June it was forty six percent. Now it's eighty 68 00:05:20,715 --> 00:05:28,515 Speaker 1: one percent. Enthusiasm drives turnout drives winning enthusiasms, and by 69 00:05:28,515 --> 00:05:32,795 Speaker 1: the way, Republican enthusiasms. It was seventy one percent in June. 70 00:05:32,835 --> 00:05:36,195 Speaker 1: Then Trump got shot at then Trump picked vance, then 71 00:05:36,395 --> 00:05:40,075 Speaker 1: Trump held the most boring fascist convention of all time. 72 00:05:40,115 --> 00:05:42,195 Speaker 1: It was seventy one percent in June, and after all 73 00:05:42,235 --> 00:05:45,755 Speaker 1: that happened, it was seventy one percent in August. The 74 00:05:45,795 --> 00:05:50,915 Speaker 1: inference there is Donald Trump is at his ceiling, not 75 00:05:51,235 --> 00:05:56,635 Speaker 1: his floor. Perhaps the most startling thing about these polls 76 00:05:56,715 --> 00:05:59,475 Speaker 1: is not so much the numbers as the volume. Like 77 00:05:59,555 --> 00:06:04,115 Speaker 1: I said, quoting the producers at the start, it's a torrent, 78 00:06:04,835 --> 00:06:09,075 Speaker 1: it's an avalanche. The polls are coming back so good, 79 00:06:09,755 --> 00:06:13,275 Speaker 1: so fast, that some of the interior numbers they contain 80 00:06:13,715 --> 00:06:18,435 Speaker 1: are only being analyzed days later. Remember the New York 81 00:06:18,515 --> 00:06:22,035 Speaker 1: Times poll that she was ahead by four in Michigan, 82 00:06:22,475 --> 00:06:26,555 Speaker 1: four in Pennsylvania, four in Wisconsin, the rust felt pole, 83 00:06:27,075 --> 00:06:31,435 Speaker 1: the one that truly deranged the Trump campaign. Wait, there 84 00:06:31,515 --> 00:06:35,635 Speaker 1: was more on the inside of the envelope, inside those polls. 85 00:06:35,995 --> 00:06:40,835 Speaker 1: How Trump is doing among his people, white voters with 86 00:06:40,995 --> 00:06:44,955 Speaker 1: no college education. In May, in the same polls in 87 00:06:44,995 --> 00:06:48,235 Speaker 1: the same states, Trump led President Biden by twenty five 88 00:06:48,315 --> 00:06:51,675 Speaker 1: points in this category. In August, in the same polls 89 00:06:51,715 --> 00:06:54,075 Speaker 1: in the same state, Trump leads Vice President Harris by 90 00:06:55,115 --> 00:07:00,515 Speaker 1: just fourteen points. Was twenty five is fourteen. Basically, she 91 00:07:00,675 --> 00:07:03,635 Speaker 1: cut the lead in half. As the CNN analyst Harry 92 00:07:03,675 --> 00:07:06,875 Speaker 1: Anton put it, if she puts up these numbers with them, 93 00:07:07,195 --> 00:07:13,715 Speaker 1: she'll win unquote no qualifiers she'll win, unquote the Washington 94 00:07:13,795 --> 00:07:16,995 Speaker 1: Post those parts of it that are still functional, like 95 00:07:17,035 --> 00:07:20,315 Speaker 1: the excellent work of Aaron Blake. The Washington Post is 96 00:07:20,315 --> 00:07:23,355 Speaker 1: still carving up the Financial Times poll data that showed 97 00:07:23,475 --> 00:07:27,155 Speaker 1: mind blowingly that Kamala Harris is now favored over Trump 98 00:07:27,315 --> 00:07:30,635 Speaker 1: to handle the economy. It's only forty two percent to 99 00:07:30,675 --> 00:07:33,995 Speaker 1: forty one percent. It is a virtual tie, and if 100 00:07:34,035 --> 00:07:36,715 Speaker 1: it were a tie, we'd all be saying, my god, 101 00:07:36,755 --> 00:07:40,995 Speaker 1: it's a tie. She's tied him on the economy, but 102 00:07:41,155 --> 00:07:45,235 Speaker 1: inside that summary number, which is not a tie, she's ahead. 103 00:07:45,715 --> 00:07:49,195 Speaker 1: Inside that number. Mister Blake of the Post has compared 104 00:07:49,235 --> 00:07:52,475 Speaker 1: it to earlier numbers on Trump versus Biden on the 105 00:07:52,515 --> 00:07:56,315 Speaker 1: economy in the NPR Marris poll and the Marquette Law poll. 106 00:07:56,355 --> 00:07:59,915 Speaker 1: In the Times poll, she is now doing between six 107 00:08:00,035 --> 00:08:04,395 Speaker 1: and nine points better than Biden was on the economy. 108 00:08:04,755 --> 00:08:08,555 Speaker 1: She's taken between four and seven points off Trump's lead 109 00:08:08,995 --> 00:08:12,755 Speaker 1: on immigration, She's taken four points off his lead on 110 00:08:12,875 --> 00:08:17,275 Speaker 1: foreign relations. And Blake also notes that she has expanded 111 00:08:17,315 --> 00:08:21,675 Speaker 1: the Democratic lead that Biden had over Trump on who's 112 00:08:21,675 --> 00:08:26,275 Speaker 1: better on healthcare. She's expanded it by twelve points. She's 113 00:08:26,315 --> 00:08:29,355 Speaker 1: expanded it on who's better on Medicare and social Security 114 00:08:29,515 --> 00:08:33,355 Speaker 1: by thirteen points, on who's better on abortion policy by 115 00:08:33,435 --> 00:08:40,515 Speaker 1: twenty three points. This is how crazy good crazy this 116 00:08:40,715 --> 00:08:46,435 Speaker 1: really is. This summarizes it. The bandwagon is a loading up. 117 00:08:47,355 --> 00:08:52,355 Speaker 1: Frank Luntz, the front runner of all front runners of 118 00:08:52,475 --> 00:08:57,515 Speaker 1: all time, goes on CNBC and says, if the election 119 00:08:57,675 --> 00:09:00,955 Speaker 1: were held today, not only would Kamala Harris be the 120 00:09:00,995 --> 00:09:04,555 Speaker 1: next president of the United States quote, but if it 121 00:09:04,715 --> 00:09:07,355 Speaker 1: continues in this direction, you have to start to consider 122 00:09:07,875 --> 00:09:13,355 Speaker 1: Democrats winning the Senate and Democrats winning the House. At 123 00:09:13,395 --> 00:09:16,395 Speaker 1: this point on the video, you can almost see the 124 00:09:16,435 --> 00:09:21,155 Speaker 1: producers getting in Andrew ross Sarkin's ear and saying, interrupt him, 125 00:09:21,235 --> 00:09:25,955 Speaker 1: for God's sakes, interrupt Lunce, and Sorkin does, and with 126 00:09:26,115 --> 00:09:30,435 Speaker 1: panic visible in his eyes, he trots out the Trump 127 00:09:30,475 --> 00:09:35,075 Speaker 1: is undercounted in polls mantra from twenty sixteen, and Lunce 128 00:09:35,275 --> 00:09:37,635 Speaker 1: still manages to say, it's not just the polls, it's 129 00:09:37,675 --> 00:09:40,235 Speaker 1: my own focus groups too, and in them quote the 130 00:09:40,395 --> 00:09:48,075 Speaker 1: people who were undecided have all collapsed towards Harris. And 131 00:09:48,195 --> 00:09:53,195 Speaker 1: Lunz then says the entire electoral pool has changed. Kamala 132 00:09:53,195 --> 00:09:56,955 Speaker 1: Harris has got an intensity advantage. I haven't seen anything 133 00:09:57,035 --> 00:10:03,515 Speaker 1: like this happen in thirty days in my lifetime, and 134 00:10:03,555 --> 00:10:08,475 Speaker 1: Frank Lunz is almost my age. He's sixty two, although 135 00:10:08,835 --> 00:10:36,635 Speaker 1: to be fair, his hair is only about seventeen. Okay, 136 00:10:36,755 --> 00:10:38,835 Speaker 1: I hope you're sitting down for this part because I'm 137 00:10:38,875 --> 00:10:40,875 Speaker 1: going to do something I've never done before. I think 138 00:10:40,915 --> 00:10:43,715 Speaker 1: I am going to defend Trump. Not about his speech yesterday, 139 00:10:43,995 --> 00:10:45,955 Speaker 1: the latest one that made no sense, where he said 140 00:10:45,955 --> 00:10:49,035 Speaker 1: the TV would turn off if it wasn't windy, or 141 00:10:49,195 --> 00:10:54,595 Speaker 1: how he really didn't get credit for the COVID outfits 142 00:10:54,715 --> 00:11:00,995 Speaker 1: everybody wore Woo. You will recall, though, that the other 143 00:11:01,115 --> 00:11:04,435 Speaker 1: night Trump went on with Elon Musk and to invoke 144 00:11:04,475 --> 00:11:06,715 Speaker 1: the music Celine Dion is trying to get him to 145 00:11:06,755 --> 00:11:09,515 Speaker 1: stop using at his rallies. It was like listening to 146 00:11:09,555 --> 00:11:13,275 Speaker 1: two of the officers aboard Titanic getting Drunker and Drunker 147 00:11:13,355 --> 00:11:16,515 Speaker 1: as they fulfilled their promise to go down with the ship. 148 00:11:17,395 --> 00:11:23,875 Speaker 1: The content was, what a shock, insane. Here's Trump, He's 149 00:11:23,915 --> 00:11:28,395 Speaker 1: deteriorating occasional bursts of structural lucidity, but he's still in 150 00:11:28,475 --> 00:11:32,195 Speaker 1: Hannibal Lecter eaten by sharks with frickin' laser beams mode. 151 00:11:32,835 --> 00:11:35,835 Speaker 1: And then there's Musk, sounds as if he's high as 152 00:11:35,835 --> 00:11:38,675 Speaker 1: a kite, having decided that he's going to rule the 153 00:11:38,715 --> 00:11:42,835 Speaker 1: world through money and proxies like Trump because Auric Goldfinger 154 00:11:42,955 --> 00:11:46,195 Speaker 1: is dead. Now here's Musk trying to get Trump to 155 00:11:46,235 --> 00:11:50,555 Speaker 1: become even more of a fascist, but a fascist who 156 00:11:50,715 --> 00:11:56,635 Speaker 1: likes electric cars. I'm not defending what either of these 157 00:11:57,595 --> 00:12:04,195 Speaker 1: simultaneously terrifying and comical monsters said, but getting almost as 158 00:12:04,275 --> 00:12:07,795 Speaker 1: much a tension as what they said is how Trump 159 00:12:07,915 --> 00:12:12,155 Speaker 1: sounded as he said it. He had an unbelievably bad 160 00:12:12,515 --> 00:12:17,995 Speaker 1: sibilant s you know, he had an esh. He had 161 00:12:17,995 --> 00:12:21,595 Speaker 1: an ash like a Monty Python sketch or a good 162 00:12:21,635 --> 00:12:26,355 Speaker 1: old fashioned gay bashing nineteen fifties comedian. He had an 163 00:12:26,395 --> 00:12:29,355 Speaker 1: ash like he was just clearing the anesthetic out of 164 00:12:29,355 --> 00:12:32,995 Speaker 1: his mouth after oral surgery. He had an ash like 165 00:12:33,235 --> 00:12:40,355 Speaker 1: Sylvester's suffering suck atash. And he claims it was a 166 00:12:40,475 --> 00:12:43,515 Speaker 1: screw up in the equipment somewhere, and he and Musk 167 00:12:43,595 --> 00:12:47,795 Speaker 1: later put out cleaned up versions of him, and everybody screamed, 168 00:12:47,835 --> 00:12:51,555 Speaker 1: oh yeah, Musk, use the AI to make Trump sound better. 169 00:12:53,515 --> 00:12:58,995 Speaker 1: Guess what Trump's right, the equipment did screw up. Everything 170 00:12:58,995 --> 00:13:03,595 Speaker 1: else is everybody else is wrong. I'm sorry. He's right 171 00:13:04,795 --> 00:13:07,875 Speaker 1: stoned or drunk or having another episode with whatever is 172 00:13:07,915 --> 00:13:12,435 Speaker 1: left over of his brain. Yes, he might be saying yes, 173 00:13:14,035 --> 00:13:18,515 Speaker 1: but other words would also sound funny and as funny 174 00:13:18,555 --> 00:13:23,795 Speaker 1: as his eshes sound in this clip. Everything else is normal, 175 00:13:24,755 --> 00:13:27,715 Speaker 1: well normal Trump insanity normal, But that's okay. 176 00:13:27,755 --> 00:13:29,395 Speaker 2: That's the way I get treated, and I don't mind 177 00:13:29,395 --> 00:13:31,035 Speaker 2: that at all. What I can tell you is this, 178 00:13:31,875 --> 00:13:34,955 Speaker 2: we cannot have a Democrat. We cannot have her. She's incompetent. 179 00:13:35,115 --> 00:13:37,675 Speaker 2: She's as bad as Biden in a different Yeah, she 180 00:13:37,795 --> 00:13:43,195 Speaker 2: hasn't done an interview since his whole scam started, And 181 00:13:44,035 --> 00:13:45,675 Speaker 2: say what you want, This was a coupe. 182 00:13:45,915 --> 00:13:49,715 Speaker 1: What I think that is ish. What I think that 183 00:13:49,995 --> 00:13:53,475 Speaker 1: is is a failure in a device that was used 184 00:13:53,475 --> 00:13:57,715 Speaker 1: to amplify his voice and simultaneously tamp down the background 185 00:13:57,755 --> 00:14:01,635 Speaker 1: noise to improve the phone line. He apparently did this 186 00:14:01,715 --> 00:14:05,435 Speaker 1: call with Musk by leaning over an iPhone sitting on 187 00:14:05,475 --> 00:14:09,515 Speaker 1: a table, because because he's an old man who doesn't 188 00:14:09,555 --> 00:14:12,355 Speaker 1: know how to use an iPhone, and they may have 189 00:14:12,395 --> 00:14:15,995 Speaker 1: tried to enhance what he sounded like. To make him 190 00:14:16,075 --> 00:14:19,795 Speaker 1: louder and the background less loud. That might have been 191 00:14:19,835 --> 00:14:21,875 Speaker 1: the reason for the forty five minute delay in getting 192 00:14:21,915 --> 00:14:25,955 Speaker 1: the damn thing started. We have had devices like these 193 00:14:26,115 --> 00:14:29,555 Speaker 1: for more than half a century now. I was introduced 194 00:14:29,595 --> 00:14:32,115 Speaker 1: to them in nineteen seventy nine at my first job 195 00:14:32,155 --> 00:14:35,755 Speaker 1: in network radio. The machine was called a com Rex. 196 00:14:37,195 --> 00:14:42,515 Speaker 1: I understand Comrexes have improved significantly since then. There are 197 00:14:42,555 --> 00:14:44,995 Speaker 1: other rival devices. I mean, hell, I used to have 198 00:14:45,035 --> 00:14:49,395 Speaker 1: a giant microphone that plugged into my laptop and it 199 00:14:49,435 --> 00:14:52,595 Speaker 1: allowed me to go on MSNBC from wherever I was, 200 00:14:53,115 --> 00:14:55,395 Speaker 1: and if it didn't sound right, there was a series 201 00:14:55,435 --> 00:14:58,355 Speaker 1: of dials I could twist to give my voice more 202 00:14:58,475 --> 00:15:02,515 Speaker 1: base or more clarity or whatever it was required to 203 00:15:02,875 --> 00:15:09,755 Speaker 1: get this thing with trump thish I should shay. This 204 00:15:10,075 --> 00:15:13,755 Speaker 1: sounded like a nineteen seventy nine Comrax. The machine in 205 00:15:13,795 --> 00:15:15,755 Speaker 1: those days was about the size of a large box 206 00:15:15,795 --> 00:15:20,315 Speaker 1: of tissues, but it felt like it weighed thirty five 207 00:15:20,555 --> 00:15:24,395 Speaker 1: or forty or one hundred and sixty pounds. I don't 208 00:15:24,395 --> 00:15:26,315 Speaker 1: know if it was made out of lead or what, 209 00:15:26,955 --> 00:15:30,195 Speaker 1: but I was twenty years old and carrying the thing 210 00:15:30,315 --> 00:15:33,955 Speaker 1: from my hotel just to a ballpark in the same town. 211 00:15:34,355 --> 00:15:38,155 Speaker 1: Used to leave me with muscle strains. The other thing 212 00:15:38,275 --> 00:15:41,595 Speaker 1: was the Comrades ran on those huge nine vault batteries, 213 00:15:42,115 --> 00:15:45,355 Speaker 1: but it took like a dozen of them, and it 214 00:15:45,635 --> 00:15:49,675 Speaker 1: ate nine vault batteries like candy. A dozen nine volt 215 00:15:49,755 --> 00:15:54,355 Speaker 1: batteries would last you about forty five minutes, and like 216 00:15:54,435 --> 00:15:56,955 Speaker 1: it needed anything else to go wrong, The on off 217 00:15:57,075 --> 00:16:00,795 Speaker 1: switch for this incredibly badly designed machine stuck out of 218 00:16:00,835 --> 00:16:04,235 Speaker 1: the front and it was the size of a pencil point. 219 00:16:04,875 --> 00:16:07,795 Speaker 1: So if you put your comraes in a bag and 220 00:16:07,835 --> 00:16:11,835 Speaker 1: you did not tape the on off switch into the 221 00:16:11,995 --> 00:16:16,955 Speaker 1: off position using duct tape, it would invariably switch on 222 00:16:18,035 --> 00:16:20,995 Speaker 1: while it was in your bag and eat the batteries 223 00:16:21,035 --> 00:16:23,635 Speaker 1: before you ever got to use it in the first place. 224 00:16:25,595 --> 00:16:27,795 Speaker 1: In any event, it used to alter the sound of 225 00:16:27,835 --> 00:16:31,075 Speaker 1: the human voice to make it into an unintelligible wine. 226 00:16:31,515 --> 00:16:35,035 Speaker 1: We called it Martian back at headquarters. You had to 227 00:16:35,075 --> 00:16:37,715 Speaker 1: have the other half of the com Rex device, the 228 00:16:37,835 --> 00:16:42,555 Speaker 1: D scrambler, the D Martinator. When it worked, it would 229 00:16:42,595 --> 00:16:46,755 Speaker 1: make you sound five percent better ten percent better, which 230 00:16:46,795 --> 00:16:49,595 Speaker 1: in nineteen seventy nine was a big deal. When it 231 00:16:49,675 --> 00:16:52,475 Speaker 1: didn't work, the only thing it would change would be. 232 00:16:53,555 --> 00:16:56,195 Speaker 1: It would give you a sybil in s just like 233 00:16:56,275 --> 00:16:59,675 Speaker 1: Trump with Musk the other night. This is Keith Alberman 234 00:16:59,755 --> 00:17:06,875 Speaker 1: speaking from Madison Square Garden, Schyanara. So the stopped clock 235 00:17:07,035 --> 00:17:10,635 Speaker 1: has had its one minute of validity. Trump is right. 236 00:17:10,715 --> 00:17:13,915 Speaker 1: He was not lisping, he was not slurring, he was 237 00:17:13,955 --> 00:17:18,395 Speaker 1: not drunk, he was not having an episode. He was 238 00:17:18,715 --> 00:17:23,435 Speaker 1: either being processed with a nineteen seventy nine Comrax or 239 00:17:23,555 --> 00:17:29,675 Speaker 1: the modern equivalent of a nineteen seventy nine Comrax. And 240 00:17:29,715 --> 00:17:31,995 Speaker 1: by the way, since I've already gone so far down 241 00:17:32,035 --> 00:17:34,595 Speaker 1: this road, if you think my memories of the comras 242 00:17:34,635 --> 00:17:37,595 Speaker 1: are a little surprising, I mean, forty four years after 243 00:17:37,635 --> 00:17:40,355 Speaker 1: I last used one, it feels like it failed me. 244 00:17:40,475 --> 00:17:43,755 Speaker 1: The day before yesterday, we had another sportscaster at my 245 00:17:43,795 --> 00:17:47,835 Speaker 1: first job UPI named Jack Russell. And if you told 246 00:17:47,955 --> 00:17:50,795 Speaker 1: Jack Russell to bring the Comrax with him on a story, 247 00:17:51,035 --> 00:17:54,755 Speaker 1: Jack would start swearing and his eyes would get red. 248 00:17:56,155 --> 00:18:00,435 Speaker 1: Long after both I and our boss Sam Rosen left 249 00:18:00,475 --> 00:18:04,675 Speaker 1: the network, one day, Sam's successor sent Jack to New Orleans, 250 00:18:04,995 --> 00:18:08,035 Speaker 1: I think for the Super Bowl, and it was just 251 00:18:08,075 --> 00:18:11,915 Speaker 1: as UPI began to run into financial trouble and they 252 00:18:11,955 --> 00:18:14,955 Speaker 1: would not give Jack an advance, so they made him 253 00:18:14,995 --> 00:18:17,675 Speaker 1: pay for his own travel on the promise that they'd 254 00:18:17,715 --> 00:18:21,315 Speaker 1: pay him back, and all sorts of other financial crap unfolded, 255 00:18:21,515 --> 00:18:24,395 Speaker 1: and Jack not only decided he had had enough of UPI, 256 00:18:25,035 --> 00:18:28,955 Speaker 1: Jack decided he had had enough of radio. So, according 257 00:18:29,035 --> 00:18:32,395 Speaker 1: to the story I was told by several ex UPI colleagues, 258 00:18:32,635 --> 00:18:36,835 Speaker 1: he left the office on Manhattan's East side, basically forty 259 00:18:36,875 --> 00:18:39,755 Speaker 1: second Street and Second Avenue. If you ever saw the 260 00:18:39,875 --> 00:18:43,315 Speaker 1: Christopher Reeves Superman movie, the Daily Planet building, that's where 261 00:18:43,315 --> 00:18:46,355 Speaker 1: we worked. He walked from there over to the East 262 00:18:46,475 --> 00:18:50,675 Speaker 1: River to a payphone placed perfectly right above the water. 263 00:18:51,555 --> 00:18:54,795 Speaker 1: He called UPI from that payphone. He swore at his 264 00:18:54,835 --> 00:18:58,035 Speaker 1: boss NonStop for several minutes. Many said, before I go, 265 00:18:58,115 --> 00:19:00,195 Speaker 1: I just want you to know that you should shove 266 00:19:00,275 --> 00:19:03,275 Speaker 1: this comrades where the sun don't shine. But since I'm 267 00:19:03,275 --> 00:19:05,235 Speaker 1: not gonna bother to come back and the office to 268 00:19:05,275 --> 00:19:08,075 Speaker 1: witness that, I'm just gonna do my own version of 269 00:19:08,075 --> 00:19:12,435 Speaker 1: it now. And according to this story, Jack held out 270 00:19:12,475 --> 00:19:15,715 Speaker 1: the phone receiver in one hand, fished the com rex 271 00:19:15,795 --> 00:19:18,595 Speaker 1: out of his bag with the other, and threw the 272 00:19:18,675 --> 00:19:23,235 Speaker 1: comrex into the East River. I am told that his 273 00:19:23,315 --> 00:19:27,755 Speaker 1: boss could clearly hear the forty pounds sound machine from 274 00:19:27,795 --> 00:19:31,595 Speaker 1: Hell hitting the water and immediately sinking to the bottom 275 00:19:32,955 --> 00:19:44,275 Speaker 1: release rotation splash. Also of interest here, Laura Ingram complains 276 00:19:44,355 --> 00:19:53,075 Speaker 1: Kamala Harris likes to curse. Let me tell you about 277 00:19:53,115 --> 00:19:58,395 Speaker 1: how Laura Ingram curses like a like a Steve Adore. 278 00:19:59,115 --> 00:20:01,475 Speaker 1: That's next. This is countdown. 279 00:20:03,595 --> 00:20:07,275 Speaker 2: This is count with Keith Olberman. 280 00:20:27,475 --> 00:20:30,075 Speaker 1: Still ahead of us on this all new editionive Countdown. 281 00:20:30,115 --> 00:20:31,835 Speaker 1: I was asked the other day by a friend who 282 00:20:31,875 --> 00:20:35,675 Speaker 1: was convinced that his career had ended, whether anybody had 283 00:20:35,715 --> 00:20:38,755 Speaker 1: ever said that to me. And I laughed and laughed 284 00:20:38,795 --> 00:20:41,515 Speaker 1: and laughed, and I told him, yeah, a couple of times, 285 00:20:42,515 --> 00:20:46,395 Speaker 1: but only as long ago as nineteen eighty four. And 286 00:20:46,435 --> 00:20:48,755 Speaker 1: then as I thought about telling you these stories in 287 00:20:48,795 --> 00:20:53,195 Speaker 1: which writers and general managers and business agents told me 288 00:20:53,275 --> 00:20:57,075 Speaker 1: I was done, I realized, actually, somebody told me this 289 00:20:57,675 --> 00:21:02,235 Speaker 1: long before nineteen eighty four. When they tell you your career 290 00:21:02,315 --> 00:21:06,315 Speaker 1: is over, they may be projecting in things I promised 291 00:21:06,355 --> 00:21:09,435 Speaker 1: not to tell. Coming up first, there's still more new 292 00:21:09,435 --> 00:21:12,035 Speaker 1: idiots to talk about. The daily roundup of the miss grants, 293 00:21:12,035 --> 00:21:15,795 Speaker 1: morons and dunning Krueger effects specimens who constitute two days 294 00:21:16,715 --> 00:21:23,875 Speaker 1: worse person's in the world Lebron's worse the character called 295 00:21:23,995 --> 00:21:29,475 Speaker 1: Gunther Eagleman, a right wing social media troll account, when 296 00:21:29,475 --> 00:21:34,675 Speaker 1: the author Philip Auswald identifies as defrocked and disgraced X 297 00:21:34,755 --> 00:21:39,515 Speaker 1: cop from Texas actually named David Freeman. Because nobody's named 298 00:21:39,675 --> 00:21:44,355 Speaker 1: Gunther anymore. Well, we couldn't use gun nut. Gun Nut 299 00:21:44,355 --> 00:21:48,315 Speaker 1: Eagleman doesn't sounds smart, does it? Anyway? Whoever he is. 300 00:21:48,355 --> 00:21:51,115 Speaker 1: He echoed a post by another bunch of clowns called 301 00:21:51,315 --> 00:21:55,675 Speaker 1: end Wokeness after ilhan Omar won her primary Tuesday night. 302 00:21:55,995 --> 00:22:01,035 Speaker 1: This is the version posted by end Wokeness Minnesota District 303 00:22:01,075 --> 00:22:04,355 Speaker 1: five eight pm. Polls closed eight fifteen PM, zero percent 304 00:22:04,395 --> 00:22:08,195 Speaker 1: counter eight thirty PM, zero percent counted, eight forty five PM, 305 00:22:08,355 --> 00:22:11,795 Speaker 1: zero percent counted, nine PM, zero percent counted, nine to 306 00:22:11,835 --> 00:22:15,395 Speaker 1: twenty two PM five point zero percent counted, nine thirty 307 00:22:15,395 --> 00:22:19,595 Speaker 1: seven PM ninety nine point five percent counted. Totally one 308 00:22:19,675 --> 00:22:23,955 Speaker 1: hundred percent legitimate, nothing at all suspicious. Congrats to ilan Omar. 309 00:22:25,515 --> 00:22:28,075 Speaker 1: You know what, I went to a baseball game once 310 00:22:28,115 --> 00:22:30,715 Speaker 1: and nobody scored in the baseball game for eight innings, 311 00:22:30,955 --> 00:22:32,995 Speaker 1: and so I left when it was nothing to nothing. 312 00:22:33,075 --> 00:22:35,515 Speaker 1: When I got home, they said the Mets had lost 313 00:22:35,595 --> 00:22:38,875 Speaker 1: four to three, and that's impossible because nobody scored for 314 00:22:38,915 --> 00:22:46,115 Speaker 1: eight innings. Morons plus is another wag noted first, the 315 00:22:46,195 --> 00:22:50,875 Speaker 1: vote counting was too slow for the fascists. Now the 316 00:22:50,955 --> 00:22:56,635 Speaker 1: vote counting is too fast for the fascists. The runner 317 00:22:56,715 --> 00:23:00,235 Speaker 1: up worser good old Laura Ingram or whatever that is 318 00:23:00,275 --> 00:23:03,155 Speaker 1: that replaced her on Fox that can barely move its mouth. 319 00:23:03,595 --> 00:23:07,795 Speaker 1: It's either Laura uh after way too much work, or 320 00:23:07,835 --> 00:23:11,955 Speaker 1: it's an animatronic Laura like in the Hall of Presidence 321 00:23:12,155 --> 00:23:17,555 Speaker 1: at the Apcot Center. Good Evening and our Ingraham when 322 00:23:18,515 --> 00:23:24,435 Speaker 1: the Ingram angle graphic on the show Curson. Kamala loves 323 00:23:24,475 --> 00:23:28,875 Speaker 1: her swear words. Okay, I got two on this. Number 324 00:23:28,915 --> 00:23:33,915 Speaker 1: one Even Politico noted that Trump has repeatedly used the 325 00:23:34,035 --> 00:23:37,395 Speaker 1: B word to describe Kamala Harris. So if we're going 326 00:23:37,435 --> 00:23:41,115 Speaker 1: to talk about who's calling whom what, let's start with 327 00:23:41,195 --> 00:23:45,435 Speaker 1: Trump calling her the B word, shall we the other point? 328 00:23:45,715 --> 00:23:47,755 Speaker 1: You will have to take my word on this, but 329 00:23:48,275 --> 00:23:50,595 Speaker 1: I think I may have mentioned this once or twice 330 00:23:50,675 --> 00:23:55,795 Speaker 1: before Laura and I went out on one date and 331 00:23:55,875 --> 00:23:59,675 Speaker 1: one cross between a date and a hostage situation, wherein 332 00:23:59,795 --> 00:24:02,995 Speaker 1: I was the hostage. This occurred in the previous century. 333 00:24:03,435 --> 00:24:06,875 Speaker 1: And if you think Kerson Kamala loves her swear words, 334 00:24:07,275 --> 00:24:15,075 Speaker 1: you should hear imprecating ingram like a longshoreman. But our 335 00:24:15,115 --> 00:24:20,115 Speaker 1: winner the former UK Prime Minister Liz Rent don't buy Truss, 336 00:24:20,475 --> 00:24:24,835 Speaker 1: who lasted fifty days on the job, famously failing to 337 00:24:24,915 --> 00:24:27,995 Speaker 1: outlast the live stream of a decaying head of Lettuce. 338 00:24:28,915 --> 00:24:33,555 Speaker 1: The British political prankster activists led by donkeys, likes to 339 00:24:33,635 --> 00:24:39,195 Speaker 1: install remote controlled banners behind unsuspecting speakers at public events 340 00:24:39,475 --> 00:24:42,395 Speaker 1: and then press the down button and guess who they 341 00:24:42,435 --> 00:24:44,955 Speaker 1: didn't They did do it to him who didn't know 342 00:24:44,995 --> 00:24:48,515 Speaker 1: what was being done to them, Liz trust I don't 343 00:24:48,555 --> 00:24:50,875 Speaker 1: know how they get away with this. Seems to me. 344 00:24:50,955 --> 00:24:53,435 Speaker 1: In the United States they'd call it a terrorist act. 345 00:24:54,595 --> 00:24:57,595 Speaker 1: It's hard to hear what's happening on audio. But as 346 00:24:57,715 --> 00:25:04,515 Speaker 1: Liz Truss is just droning on a sign descends reading 347 00:25:04,835 --> 00:25:08,915 Speaker 1: I crashed the economy and above that is ahead of 348 00:25:08,995 --> 00:25:12,995 Speaker 1: Lettuce with Liz's eyes on it, the last thing you 349 00:25:13,035 --> 00:25:16,995 Speaker 1: will hear is Liz getting up and and not very 350 00:25:17,315 --> 00:25:21,635 Speaker 1: very decors fashion. She's kind of sitting there with her 351 00:25:21,755 --> 00:25:27,595 Speaker 1: legs played, so when she stands up, she gives uh, 352 00:25:27,635 --> 00:25:31,515 Speaker 1: the people in the front row of view of the 353 00:25:31,515 --> 00:25:35,515 Speaker 1: the queen anyway, So as she gets up with this 354 00:25:36,155 --> 00:25:39,715 Speaker 1: delightful lady like gesture, she's walking off and she's saying, 355 00:25:40,115 --> 00:25:44,355 Speaker 1: that's the fuddy, he. 356 00:25:44,475 --> 00:25:53,235 Speaker 2: Will, he will, questions life. 357 00:26:13,155 --> 00:26:17,275 Speaker 1: Well, it's kind of funny, Liz. Plus, you have to 358 00:26:17,315 --> 00:26:20,075 Speaker 1: admit that whole bit lasted longer than your tenure as 359 00:26:20,155 --> 00:26:26,595 Speaker 1: Prime Minister. Liz, let us entertain you trust Two days 360 00:26:26,635 --> 00:26:47,355 Speaker 1: Worse Parson and the World. Over the weekend, a colleague 361 00:26:47,355 --> 00:26:50,715 Speaker 1: of mine explained that his career is over. It's done. 362 00:26:50,875 --> 00:26:53,555 Speaker 1: He's had all the chances, there are no more jobs 363 00:26:53,595 --> 00:26:56,675 Speaker 1: to get. It's all over. The business is dying, his 364 00:26:56,795 --> 00:26:59,635 Speaker 1: career is dying. It's finished. He's going to look into 365 00:26:59,635 --> 00:27:03,755 Speaker 1: something else, maybe selling used cars. And I said, boy, 366 00:27:03,795 --> 00:27:07,755 Speaker 1: oh boy, if I had ten million dollars for every 367 00:27:07,795 --> 00:27:11,275 Speaker 1: time I have been told my career was over, I'd 368 00:27:11,275 --> 00:27:15,035 Speaker 1: have a lot less money than I actually do. To 369 00:27:15,075 --> 00:27:17,595 Speaker 1: our number one story on the countdown, and good evening, 370 00:27:17,635 --> 00:27:21,395 Speaker 1: and welcome to the end of our careers, or more 371 00:27:21,435 --> 00:27:25,515 Speaker 1: particularly the end of my career. No, I'm not retiring. 372 00:27:25,555 --> 00:27:28,675 Speaker 1: I'm just quoting myself from nineteen ninety three in the 373 00:27:28,755 --> 00:27:32,715 Speaker 1: launch of ESPN two and the subject of career ending 374 00:27:32,755 --> 00:27:38,075 Speaker 1: announcements career ending announcements. Recently a colleague of mine told 375 00:27:38,115 --> 00:27:40,515 Speaker 1: me he was done, and I had to go through 376 00:27:40,755 --> 00:27:45,315 Speaker 1: all of the times I have been told I was done. 377 00:27:45,395 --> 00:27:49,315 Speaker 1: The first one was in nineteen eighty four. This would 378 00:27:49,315 --> 00:27:51,595 Speaker 1: be in a previous century that I know. To a 379 00:27:51,635 --> 00:27:54,475 Speaker 1: lot of younger listeners, seems like it might as well 380 00:27:54,515 --> 00:27:57,115 Speaker 1: be eighteen eighty four. I have told before the story 381 00:27:57,155 --> 00:28:00,715 Speaker 1: of my limited career in Boston, for which I waited 382 00:28:00,755 --> 00:28:03,475 Speaker 1: about a year to start and lasted about half as 383 00:28:03,555 --> 00:28:06,715 Speaker 1: long because I went to work at the wrong place, 384 00:28:06,835 --> 00:28:10,395 Speaker 1: in the wrong city, outside in the wrong suburb of Boston, 385 00:28:10,675 --> 00:28:14,515 Speaker 1: with the wrong boss, where they said, don't make any jokes, 386 00:28:14,515 --> 00:28:16,155 Speaker 1: and I said, what did you hire me for? And 387 00:28:16,195 --> 00:28:19,035 Speaker 1: I left very very quickly, and then they tried to 388 00:28:19,075 --> 00:28:22,275 Speaker 1: fire me while I was filling out the terms of 389 00:28:22,275 --> 00:28:24,875 Speaker 1: my contract and staying there until they could get a replacement, 390 00:28:24,915 --> 00:28:27,315 Speaker 1: and the whole thing went up in flames. And the 391 00:28:27,355 --> 00:28:30,355 Speaker 1: result of this was that the news director of the 392 00:28:30,395 --> 00:28:33,915 Speaker 1: station Channel five in Boston, a man who actually answered 393 00:28:33,915 --> 00:28:37,995 Speaker 1: to the name Philip Scribner Balboni went to the Boston 394 00:28:38,035 --> 00:28:40,675 Speaker 1: Globe TV sports writer when they had such things as 395 00:28:40,715 --> 00:28:43,835 Speaker 1: TV Sports Writers and said, Oh, it was such a 396 00:28:43,835 --> 00:28:46,995 Speaker 1: shame about Keith. He was potentially such a major talent. 397 00:28:47,755 --> 00:28:50,715 Speaker 1: I will not deny that the use of that phrase 398 00:28:50,915 --> 00:28:54,035 Speaker 1: did inspire me to some degree to get cracking on 399 00:28:54,155 --> 00:28:56,635 Speaker 1: my career. On the other hand, I didn't work for 400 00:28:56,715 --> 00:28:58,755 Speaker 1: nearly a year later, as I was taking care of 401 00:28:58,795 --> 00:29:01,675 Speaker 1: some family business back home and sort of put everything 402 00:29:01,715 --> 00:29:04,835 Speaker 1: about my own interest on the shelf off the record. 403 00:29:05,275 --> 00:29:07,595 Speaker 1: The general manager of the station I had worked for, 404 00:29:07,635 --> 00:29:10,715 Speaker 1: a man named James Coppersmith, said to my agent something 405 00:29:10,755 --> 00:29:14,675 Speaker 1: that made Balboni's statement look like a compliment. Coppersmith said, 406 00:29:14,875 --> 00:29:19,035 Speaker 1: he will never again work in our business. That got 407 00:29:19,075 --> 00:29:22,915 Speaker 1: me motivated. I believe I read recently that Coppersmith died. 408 00:29:23,715 --> 00:29:27,675 Speaker 1: In any event, I worked again in his business. The 409 00:29:27,715 --> 00:29:30,715 Speaker 1: punchline to this one, and they all have punchlines, is 410 00:29:30,755 --> 00:29:34,635 Speaker 1: that at some point around two thousand and seven, I 411 00:29:34,675 --> 00:29:38,995 Speaker 1: got an email at MSNBC and the return address was 412 00:29:39,515 --> 00:29:42,995 Speaker 1: Philip Scribner Balboni, and there was a great email from 413 00:29:43,075 --> 00:29:46,475 Speaker 1: my old brief news director Boston Channel five in Boston, 414 00:29:46,755 --> 00:29:49,515 Speaker 1: who explained that I had been potentially such a major talent, 415 00:29:49,595 --> 00:29:52,315 Speaker 1: and was quoted on the record as saying that, And 416 00:29:52,355 --> 00:29:54,635 Speaker 1: now he was saying how he watched Countdown every night 417 00:29:54,675 --> 00:29:57,395 Speaker 1: and was so proud to have been in there at 418 00:29:57,435 --> 00:30:01,395 Speaker 1: the start of my career. Not a word about the 419 00:30:01,515 --> 00:30:04,595 Speaker 1: other part about the oh, potentially such a major ten. 420 00:30:05,315 --> 00:30:08,955 Speaker 1: I guess he meant it in the past future, perfect 421 00:30:08,995 --> 00:30:12,635 Speaker 1: sense of the I don't know, my grammar education is 422 00:30:12,675 --> 00:30:15,315 Speaker 1: not what it should be. But he managed to wriggle 423 00:30:15,315 --> 00:30:17,235 Speaker 1: out of it. Never made any reference to it. And 424 00:30:17,395 --> 00:30:21,555 Speaker 1: the one thing about surviving repeated announcements that your career 425 00:30:21,635 --> 00:30:26,035 Speaker 1: is over is to never really go back and criticize 426 00:30:26,075 --> 00:30:28,635 Speaker 1: the people who were wrong about it, because they know 427 00:30:28,715 --> 00:30:32,915 Speaker 1: they were wrong, and your success is the best answer. Nevertheless, 428 00:30:33,195 --> 00:30:35,555 Speaker 1: this all came up, and I thought i'd retell it 429 00:30:35,595 --> 00:30:37,955 Speaker 1: to you because I had to retell it to a 430 00:30:37,955 --> 00:30:41,115 Speaker 1: friend who recently told me his career was over. But 431 00:30:41,195 --> 00:30:43,275 Speaker 1: as I said, that was just the first time that 432 00:30:43,315 --> 00:30:46,595 Speaker 1: had ever happened in a fully professional setting in two 433 00:30:46,675 --> 00:30:49,595 Speaker 1: thousand and one, and I was just reading this, I 434 00:30:49,635 --> 00:30:53,635 Speaker 1: guess about a year ago. It came across it somewhere online. 435 00:30:54,395 --> 00:30:57,475 Speaker 1: I was reading it for a punchline in and of itself. 436 00:30:57,595 --> 00:30:59,995 Speaker 1: It was a piece in Sports Illustrated by a man 437 00:31:00,115 --> 00:31:03,715 Speaker 1: named Chris Ballard, I believe, and Chris Ballard wrote an 438 00:31:03,795 --> 00:31:06,995 Speaker 1: article about my being fired by Fox Sports, which he 439 00:31:07,275 --> 00:31:11,475 Speaker 1: wrote as I had resigned from Fox Sports, and went 440 00:31:11,515 --> 00:31:13,835 Speaker 1: on to explain that I did not respond as Sports 441 00:31:13,875 --> 00:31:17,795 Speaker 1: Illustrated's request by emails and phones for comment, I never 442 00:31:17,835 --> 00:31:20,035 Speaker 1: received any of them, because it never occurred to him 443 00:31:20,315 --> 00:31:23,795 Speaker 1: that when they fired me and told everybody I had resigned, 444 00:31:24,355 --> 00:31:27,195 Speaker 1: they cut off my access to my email and my phone, 445 00:31:27,755 --> 00:31:30,035 Speaker 1: and they said to him when he wanted to talk 446 00:31:30,035 --> 00:31:32,675 Speaker 1: to me, oh, just send him an email, he'll get 447 00:31:32,715 --> 00:31:34,675 Speaker 1: back to you. And I didn't, and thus he made 448 00:31:34,675 --> 00:31:37,515 Speaker 1: me look like a jerk. In any event, the article 449 00:31:37,515 --> 00:31:40,635 Speaker 1: explained in two thousand and one that having gone through 450 00:31:40,915 --> 00:31:45,675 Speaker 1: ESPN and now ESPN's sort of mini me rival, Fox 451 00:31:45,835 --> 00:31:48,795 Speaker 1: Sports News, that there was nothing left for me to 452 00:31:48,835 --> 00:31:51,515 Speaker 1: do in the business. I had tried news briefly in 453 00:31:51,595 --> 00:31:54,795 Speaker 1: nineteen ninety seven and nineteen ninety eight. Clearly my career 454 00:31:54,795 --> 00:31:57,515 Speaker 1: in both fields was over. I could not possibly work 455 00:31:57,515 --> 00:32:01,315 Speaker 1: again in television in news or in sports. We're now 456 00:32:01,355 --> 00:32:04,795 Speaker 1: coming up next year. If I get to it now, 457 00:32:04,835 --> 00:32:09,675 Speaker 1: it's been twenty three, twenty four year. Okay, I recently 458 00:32:10,115 --> 00:32:12,715 Speaker 1: saw this article and was inspired to look for it 459 00:32:12,755 --> 00:32:18,275 Speaker 1: online because Chris Ballard was retiring from Sports Illustrated and 460 00:32:18,435 --> 00:32:22,955 Speaker 1: I'm still here. One question that came up as I 461 00:32:22,995 --> 00:32:26,315 Speaker 1: was retelling the story of my various career ending moments 462 00:32:26,315 --> 00:32:28,875 Speaker 1: that did not in fact end my career from my 463 00:32:28,995 --> 00:32:33,075 Speaker 1: friend who's very worried about this, was how I managed 464 00:32:33,115 --> 00:32:37,715 Speaker 1: not to have my career. And when Ballard's premise was 465 00:32:37,755 --> 00:32:41,875 Speaker 1: not completely wrong, he was certainly looking at what he 466 00:32:42,035 --> 00:32:45,475 Speaker 1: thought happened in television. He was not the TV sports 467 00:32:45,515 --> 00:32:47,755 Speaker 1: writer for Sports Illustrated for very long. It was not 468 00:32:47,875 --> 00:32:50,595 Speaker 1: a natural subject for him. Most people who did this 469 00:32:50,795 --> 00:32:54,635 Speaker 1: job thought that it involved simply watching sports on TV 470 00:32:54,755 --> 00:32:57,475 Speaker 1: and then writing what they thought as opposed to understanding 471 00:32:57,475 --> 00:33:01,435 Speaker 1: an industry or its complexities, or its parameters or its 472 00:33:01,475 --> 00:33:06,715 Speaker 1: sort of weird voodoo customs. In any event, I said, well, look, 473 00:33:06,755 --> 00:33:09,795 Speaker 1: it's not very difficult to survive these things. You just 474 00:33:09,875 --> 00:33:13,435 Speaker 1: have to acknowledge that perhaps your next job after some 475 00:33:13,435 --> 00:33:17,195 Speaker 1: sort of cataclysmic departure from an ESPN or a Fox 476 00:33:17,195 --> 00:33:20,755 Speaker 1: Sports or an MSNBC or wherever else, perhaps it's not 477 00:33:20,795 --> 00:33:23,395 Speaker 1: going to pay you quite as much as the last 478 00:33:23,395 --> 00:33:27,355 Speaker 1: one did. And so when my agent and I began 479 00:33:27,395 --> 00:33:29,675 Speaker 1: to look around for more work in two thousand and one, 480 00:33:29,715 --> 00:33:32,035 Speaker 1: and I might add that after Fox fired me, they 481 00:33:32,115 --> 00:33:33,715 Speaker 1: had to pay me for another eight months at one 482 00:33:33,795 --> 00:33:36,995 Speaker 1: hundred thousand dollars a year. And if you can't survive 483 00:33:37,675 --> 00:33:40,355 Speaker 1: on a job that requires you to do nothing for 484 00:33:40,435 --> 00:33:43,315 Speaker 1: eight months and pays you eight hundred thousand dollars that 485 00:33:43,355 --> 00:33:46,435 Speaker 1: you can salt away. If you can't survive on that 486 00:33:46,555 --> 00:33:49,395 Speaker 1: and enjoy your life while you're doing it, you're doing 487 00:33:49,475 --> 00:33:54,075 Speaker 1: things wrong. In any event, what I said was just 488 00:33:54,195 --> 00:33:56,915 Speaker 1: the next job. Just take a job that allows you 489 00:33:57,035 --> 00:33:58,875 Speaker 1: to do what you can do and do it well, 490 00:33:59,315 --> 00:34:02,515 Speaker 1: and you will succeed in it. You have talent a 491 00:34:02,555 --> 00:34:05,635 Speaker 1: lot of other people don't. You will be low costs, 492 00:34:05,675 --> 00:34:07,955 Speaker 1: so they're much more likely to overlook anything that happened 493 00:34:07,995 --> 00:34:11,555 Speaker 1: in the past, and most importantly, if it is successful, 494 00:34:11,595 --> 00:34:14,475 Speaker 1: you can then hold them up on the second contract negotiation. 495 00:34:14,955 --> 00:34:18,155 Speaker 1: So I went first to CNN after the Fox Sports 496 00:34:18,195 --> 00:34:21,315 Speaker 1: experience started to work for them for not a lot 497 00:34:21,355 --> 00:34:25,315 Speaker 1: of money, and although they did not ultimately exercise this, 498 00:34:25,475 --> 00:34:27,355 Speaker 1: they signed me to a contract to do the eight 499 00:34:27,395 --> 00:34:30,675 Speaker 1: pm show on CNN for a certain large amount of money, 500 00:34:30,675 --> 00:34:33,035 Speaker 1: and there were two finalists they wanted us lined up 501 00:34:33,035 --> 00:34:35,555 Speaker 1: in advance, and they made the clever decision to choose 502 00:34:35,635 --> 00:34:40,155 Speaker 1: Connie Chung instead of me. But they had sort of 503 00:34:40,395 --> 00:34:43,755 Speaker 1: reauthorized me. They had re established me. By it was 504 00:34:43,795 --> 00:34:46,075 Speaker 1: well known within the industry that I was the runner 505 00:34:46,155 --> 00:34:48,715 Speaker 1: up for the job at eight o'clock And within six 506 00:34:48,755 --> 00:34:51,635 Speaker 1: months of them saying, nah, we think Connie's the right 507 00:34:51,635 --> 00:34:54,315 Speaker 1: person to lead us into the future here, within six 508 00:34:54,355 --> 00:34:56,795 Speaker 1: months of that, I was doing the eight o'clock show 509 00:34:56,835 --> 00:35:00,795 Speaker 1: on MSNBC for in fact, twice what the agreement had 510 00:35:00,835 --> 00:35:03,435 Speaker 1: been at CNN, And within three years they'd signed me 511 00:35:03,475 --> 00:35:05,435 Speaker 1: to a new deal that was worth three times that, 512 00:35:05,715 --> 00:35:07,915 Speaker 1: more than I had ever made in my life. So 513 00:35:07,995 --> 00:35:10,515 Speaker 1: the key thing to it is to be flexible financially. 514 00:35:11,075 --> 00:35:13,475 Speaker 1: You sock them for the money while you're successful. And 515 00:35:13,515 --> 00:35:16,995 Speaker 1: then by the way, once again, if you can't succeed 516 00:35:17,115 --> 00:35:20,235 Speaker 1: in the business, if you can't succeed in life, when 517 00:35:20,315 --> 00:35:25,915 Speaker 1: you have received in one year anything north of three 518 00:35:25,955 --> 00:35:29,115 Speaker 1: million dollars in one year, four million dollars. Maybe I 519 00:35:29,115 --> 00:35:31,955 Speaker 1: forget what the actual financial floor is. But if you've 520 00:35:31,995 --> 00:35:34,915 Speaker 1: made that much money in one year and can't live 521 00:35:35,235 --> 00:35:40,235 Speaker 1: basically off that and simply interest from the bank that 522 00:35:40,235 --> 00:35:44,115 Speaker 1: that will provide you, If you can't do that, you 523 00:35:44,235 --> 00:35:48,075 Speaker 1: must have some sort of addiction to drugs, because guess what, 524 00:35:48,315 --> 00:35:51,475 Speaker 1: you can go a long way still. I mean, yeah, 525 00:35:51,595 --> 00:35:54,595 Speaker 1: it's true, four million dollars is what it used to be, 526 00:35:54,675 --> 00:35:57,475 Speaker 1: but guess what it is now. It's still really good. 527 00:35:58,555 --> 00:36:00,875 Speaker 1: I never failed to see one of these articles in 528 00:36:00,915 --> 00:36:04,035 Speaker 1: which somebody who's lost a job paying in you know, 529 00:36:04,075 --> 00:36:07,035 Speaker 1: the tens of millions of dollars, and so I always finished. 530 00:36:07,035 --> 00:36:10,795 Speaker 1: Now it's like, yes, he's finished. Now he can sit 531 00:36:10,835 --> 00:36:13,395 Speaker 1: on a beach, he can hire somebody to do his 532 00:36:13,475 --> 00:36:16,355 Speaker 1: exercise for him. He can sit on a beach and 533 00:36:17,715 --> 00:36:20,195 Speaker 1: eat the money, and it won't make a difference. He 534 00:36:20,235 --> 00:36:23,395 Speaker 1: doesn't have to do it again in any event. So 535 00:36:23,635 --> 00:36:27,115 Speaker 1: the pattern here that I have described already has continued 536 00:36:27,155 --> 00:36:29,835 Speaker 1: in subsequent years, even after I came back from the 537 00:36:29,875 --> 00:36:32,795 Speaker 1: dead after my experience in Boston, where I was dubbed 538 00:36:32,875 --> 00:36:36,635 Speaker 1: the dark Prints of TV Sports and was winning awards. 539 00:36:36,635 --> 00:36:39,835 Speaker 1: In Los Angeles, the next year. Although, to be fair, 540 00:36:40,235 --> 00:36:42,715 Speaker 1: after that quote in nineteen eighty four about how I 541 00:36:42,755 --> 00:36:45,515 Speaker 1: was potentially a great talent, I did get down to 542 00:36:45,555 --> 00:36:48,515 Speaker 1: about my last one hundred dollars in the bank. And 543 00:36:48,635 --> 00:36:52,715 Speaker 1: actually I actually had to borrow money from my dear 544 00:36:52,795 --> 00:36:56,035 Speaker 1: sister to get on the bus to take me to 545 00:36:56,115 --> 00:36:58,955 Speaker 1: the airport in New York so I could take the 546 00:36:58,995 --> 00:37:01,955 Speaker 1: flight to Los Angeles to start my job there. That's 547 00:37:01,995 --> 00:37:04,475 Speaker 1: how close I cut it. Another week and I would 548 00:37:04,475 --> 00:37:07,555 Speaker 1: have been borrowing money for food. That's where I was. 549 00:37:07,875 --> 00:37:10,195 Speaker 1: But you have to be willing to walk that tight 550 00:37:10,275 --> 00:37:13,195 Speaker 1: rope to pull this off in any event. So that 551 00:37:13,355 --> 00:37:16,075 Speaker 1: was Boston, became the Los Angeles job. In the Los 552 00:37:16,115 --> 00:37:18,435 Speaker 1: Angeles job, when they eliminated that, it's like, well, his 553 00:37:18,555 --> 00:37:22,035 Speaker 1: career is over now. The next job was ESPN. ESPN 554 00:37:22,115 --> 00:37:25,155 Speaker 1: led to NBC. When that didn't work out and I 555 00:37:25,275 --> 00:37:27,235 Speaker 1: pushed to get out of there, they sold me to 556 00:37:27,275 --> 00:37:29,155 Speaker 1: Fox for a million dollars and they paid me a 557 00:37:29,155 --> 00:37:30,795 Speaker 1: lot of money and continued to pay me a lot 558 00:37:30,835 --> 00:37:32,755 Speaker 1: of money even after they stopped putting me on TV. 559 00:37:33,915 --> 00:37:36,435 Speaker 1: And that led to a doldrum period where I got 560 00:37:36,435 --> 00:37:39,475 Speaker 1: to read about the guy who's now retired from Sports Illustrated, 561 00:37:39,515 --> 00:37:42,875 Speaker 1: explaining what network will sign him now? What team will 562 00:37:42,915 --> 00:37:46,395 Speaker 1: sign him now? Whither Keith? This is two thousand and one. 563 00:37:46,555 --> 00:37:49,195 Speaker 1: I was forty two years old. It's like I get 564 00:37:49,275 --> 00:37:52,955 Speaker 1: nostalgic reading that, going, Yeah, you were forty two years old. 565 00:37:53,035 --> 00:37:55,115 Speaker 1: They fired you at that point and people thought your 566 00:37:55,155 --> 00:37:58,755 Speaker 1: career was over. Yeah, but I was forty two. My 567 00:37:58,875 --> 00:38:03,475 Speaker 1: hair was dark most places in any event, So that 568 00:38:03,555 --> 00:38:06,635 Speaker 1: led into the MSNBC the c job, and the MSNBC job, 569 00:38:06,995 --> 00:38:10,155 Speaker 1: as sort of messy as that ended, the second one 570 00:38:10,195 --> 00:38:14,315 Speaker 1: anyway led to the Current TV job, and as disastrous 571 00:38:14,315 --> 00:38:16,995 Speaker 1: as that was, since it was kind of a confidence trick, 572 00:38:17,915 --> 00:38:20,595 Speaker 1: there was a day where between the money I got 573 00:38:20,635 --> 00:38:22,835 Speaker 1: for leaving NBC and the money I got for joining 574 00:38:22,875 --> 00:38:25,675 Speaker 1: Current TV, I made sixty eight million dollars in one day. 575 00:38:26,275 --> 00:38:28,395 Speaker 1: I had to see a lot of people afterwards to 576 00:38:28,435 --> 00:38:30,795 Speaker 1: get all of it, but I got just about all 577 00:38:30,835 --> 00:38:34,395 Speaker 1: of it. In any event, I'm now boasting back to 578 00:38:34,435 --> 00:38:37,235 Speaker 1: the point of this whole story. An old friend of 579 00:38:37,275 --> 00:38:39,435 Speaker 1: mine came in when I was doing the videos for 580 00:38:39,595 --> 00:38:43,115 Speaker 1: GQ The Closer and The Resistance in twenty sixteen. In 581 00:38:43,155 --> 00:38:46,235 Speaker 1: twenty seventeen, came in to watch me do this, and 582 00:38:46,315 --> 00:38:50,595 Speaker 1: started to ask very very graciously and very gently about, well, 583 00:38:50,635 --> 00:38:53,355 Speaker 1: isn't this something of a come down for you from 584 00:38:53,515 --> 00:38:57,195 Speaker 1: the MSNBC experience where you had a staff? And I said, well, 585 00:38:57,195 --> 00:39:02,395 Speaker 1: first off, the MSNBC experience consisted of two cameramen and 586 00:39:02,475 --> 00:39:06,475 Speaker 1: a floor director and me and sometimes a guest in 587 00:39:06,555 --> 00:39:11,195 Speaker 1: a studio. The staff, whereas they were all certainly dedicated 588 00:39:11,195 --> 00:39:14,195 Speaker 1: to the project, consisted of basically a core of six 589 00:39:14,315 --> 00:39:17,795 Speaker 1: or seven people. It never really felt like a big deal. 590 00:39:17,915 --> 00:39:20,675 Speaker 1: I know it had more influence than I was ever 591 00:39:20,795 --> 00:39:25,115 Speaker 1: led to understand, but it wasn't like, oh, well, you 592 00:39:25,195 --> 00:39:27,635 Speaker 1: know those movies that you did with Richard Burton and 593 00:39:27,635 --> 00:39:30,875 Speaker 1: Elizabeth Taylor and Tom Cruise, and now you're just sitting 594 00:39:30,875 --> 00:39:33,995 Speaker 1: at home with a camera. It didn't have that feel 595 00:39:34,035 --> 00:39:36,475 Speaker 1: in the slightest. And I said to him, did you 596 00:39:36,515 --> 00:39:39,155 Speaker 1: see the thing from CBS News the other day? And 597 00:39:39,155 --> 00:39:41,355 Speaker 1: he went, what thing from CBS News? I said, don't 598 00:39:41,395 --> 00:39:43,435 Speaker 1: you have the Google at the New York Times? And 599 00:39:43,475 --> 00:39:48,875 Speaker 1: he said yes. I said, Google, Social Flow, Facebook, and 600 00:39:48,955 --> 00:39:51,995 Speaker 1: he did on his phone and he read this political 601 00:39:51,995 --> 00:39:54,635 Speaker 1: pundit Keith Alderman found a way to channel concerns about 602 00:39:54,675 --> 00:39:57,795 Speaker 1: mister Trump. This is July twenty seventeen, started hosting a 603 00:39:57,835 --> 00:40:01,075 Speaker 1: series of political commentary and special interviews titled The Resistance 604 00:40:01,115 --> 00:40:04,275 Speaker 1: with Keith Olberman, with the first episode featured on GQ 605 00:40:04,435 --> 00:40:09,635 Speaker 1: on November sixteenth, twenty sixteen, reaching fifty four million people, 606 00:40:09,915 --> 00:40:14,155 Speaker 1: equivalent to one in six Americans. And I said, look, 607 00:40:14,755 --> 00:40:18,075 Speaker 1: I understand that if you measure things solely by the 608 00:40:18,115 --> 00:40:21,075 Speaker 1: idea that I'm on your TV every night, well, yeah, 609 00:40:21,155 --> 00:40:23,835 Speaker 1: that the doing a video and coming into a studio 610 00:40:23,915 --> 00:40:26,235 Speaker 1: that isn't really designed for TV and there's an echo 611 00:40:26,315 --> 00:40:28,435 Speaker 1: in it might seem like the end of my career. 612 00:40:28,595 --> 00:40:32,795 Speaker 1: Fifty four million people saw that video and interacted with 613 00:40:32,875 --> 00:40:36,075 Speaker 1: it in some kind. They either forwarded it, or watched it, 614 00:40:36,395 --> 00:40:39,275 Speaker 1: or put a comment on it, or sometimes all three. 615 00:40:39,355 --> 00:40:44,235 Speaker 1: That was, in fact the number one political video or 616 00:40:44,275 --> 00:40:47,715 Speaker 1: story on Facebook in the period of time after Donald 617 00:40:47,755 --> 00:40:51,275 Speaker 1: Trump's election. I think that's something of a success. And 618 00:40:51,355 --> 00:40:53,595 Speaker 1: I said, by this point, I don't need the damn money. 619 00:40:53,715 --> 00:40:56,355 Speaker 1: The money I'm making from doing this is going to 620 00:40:56,435 --> 00:41:00,355 Speaker 1: dog charities. Okay, So we could go on at length 621 00:41:00,395 --> 00:41:03,315 Speaker 1: about other small versions of that. I once went back 622 00:41:03,355 --> 00:41:05,075 Speaker 1: and forth with this guy who now I was one 623 00:41:05,075 --> 00:41:08,395 Speaker 1: of the people at Puck News who insisted that I 624 00:41:08,435 --> 00:41:11,555 Speaker 1: had not been negotiating with the then chairman of NBC, 625 00:41:12,035 --> 00:41:16,035 Speaker 1: Jeff she Shell, about returning to MSNBC in twenty nineteen, 626 00:41:16,075 --> 00:41:19,435 Speaker 1: twenty and twenty one, because NBC News had insisted it 627 00:41:19,515 --> 00:41:21,755 Speaker 1: wasn't true. And I said, who told you that? And 628 00:41:21,795 --> 00:41:24,515 Speaker 1: they said, a spokesman. And I said to this guy, 629 00:41:24,555 --> 00:41:27,075 Speaker 1: his name was Dylan Byers, I said, well, who was 630 00:41:27,115 --> 00:41:29,835 Speaker 1: the spokesman. Well, it's just supposed to be a spokesman, 631 00:41:29,875 --> 00:41:31,635 Speaker 1: I said, so. They wouldn't even put their own name 632 00:41:31,715 --> 00:41:35,035 Speaker 1: on it, not even a made up name Jim Jones, 633 00:41:35,315 --> 00:41:37,675 Speaker 1: NBC News spokesman, which would have been, by the way, 634 00:41:38,115 --> 00:41:41,475 Speaker 1: an appropriate name for a series of NBC News spokespeople. 635 00:41:41,875 --> 00:41:44,675 Speaker 1: They didn't even do that. And he said no. They 636 00:41:44,715 --> 00:41:47,115 Speaker 1: were insistent, there's never been any contact between you and 637 00:41:47,155 --> 00:41:49,835 Speaker 1: Jeff Shell. And I went hang on, and I called 638 00:41:49,875 --> 00:41:53,235 Speaker 1: up from my phone twenty three emails and texts from 639 00:41:53,315 --> 00:41:56,795 Speaker 1: Jeff Shell. I photo shot at them, I screen shotted 640 00:41:56,875 --> 00:41:59,115 Speaker 1: them and gave him to the guy. And I don't 641 00:41:59,115 --> 00:42:03,715 Speaker 1: think this guy Buyers has recovered since his worldview was 642 00:42:03,795 --> 00:42:06,795 Speaker 1: totally destroyed. He was writing a story about how I 643 00:42:06,835 --> 00:42:10,395 Speaker 1: had deteriorated to the point where I was hallucinating about 644 00:42:10,395 --> 00:42:14,315 Speaker 1: being in contact with Jeff Shell from NBC News or 645 00:42:14,355 --> 00:42:18,075 Speaker 1: from NBC about returning to NBC News and MSNBC when 646 00:42:18,075 --> 00:42:21,075 Speaker 1: we were deep into negotiations about it, and we're delayed 647 00:42:21,075 --> 00:42:24,155 Speaker 1: only by the pandemic. And as I pointed out here before, 648 00:42:24,555 --> 00:42:27,995 Speaker 1: the vetos of certain people working on the air at MSNBC, 649 00:42:28,035 --> 00:42:30,635 Speaker 1: most of whose careers I started. But that's another story 650 00:42:30,715 --> 00:42:35,155 Speaker 1: which I've already discussed. His whole worldview was shattered by 651 00:42:35,195 --> 00:42:39,315 Speaker 1: this because should do be he could not comprehend that 652 00:42:39,395 --> 00:42:43,675 Speaker 1: an NBC News spokesperson would lie to him, And he 653 00:42:43,755 --> 00:42:46,275 Speaker 1: really said this. He said, I don't understand why would 654 00:42:46,275 --> 00:42:47,955 Speaker 1: they lie to me? And I said, you don't have 655 00:42:48,035 --> 00:42:50,315 Speaker 1: to understand that the idea that they would not put 656 00:42:50,395 --> 00:42:52,755 Speaker 1: their own name on this statement might have suggested to 657 00:42:52,835 --> 00:42:55,675 Speaker 1: you that they were lying to you. Oh, I'll keep 658 00:42:55,715 --> 00:42:57,715 Speaker 1: that in mind. Well, he didn't keep that in mind. 659 00:42:57,715 --> 00:42:59,955 Speaker 1: But that's again another story about Dylan Byers, and we'll 660 00:42:59,955 --> 00:43:05,155 Speaker 1: get to him someday some day too, somewhere soon. Somebody 661 00:43:05,195 --> 00:43:08,395 Speaker 1: asked towards the end of July twenty twenty four about 662 00:43:08,435 --> 00:43:11,195 Speaker 1: my recent comeback and how I had just gotten back 663 00:43:11,235 --> 00:43:15,475 Speaker 1: into political commentary now with the new podcast, and I said, 664 00:43:15,995 --> 00:43:20,795 Speaker 1: it's two years old. On August first, it was approaching 665 00:43:20,915 --> 00:43:25,995 Speaker 1: five hundred episodes. We're doing like a million listens a week, 666 00:43:26,115 --> 00:43:31,995 Speaker 1: a million audience participants a week. I mean, it's challenging 667 00:43:32,115 --> 00:43:36,155 Speaker 1: certain hours on CNN for total audience. Good God, what 668 00:43:36,195 --> 00:43:40,235 Speaker 1: do you mean recent comeback? But this is, as I said, 669 00:43:40,315 --> 00:43:42,835 Speaker 1: if I had ten million dollars for every time somebody 670 00:43:42,835 --> 00:43:49,155 Speaker 1: told me my career was over, A career is sort 671 00:43:49,195 --> 00:43:53,035 Speaker 1: of over because I'm now of advanced years and now 672 00:43:53,115 --> 00:43:57,075 Speaker 1: I've done something that I really didn't understand until the 673 00:43:57,155 --> 00:44:01,475 Speaker 1: year twenty eleven, until I left MSNBC to go to 674 00:44:01,555 --> 00:44:05,075 Speaker 1: Current TV. And there was built into this answer for 675 00:44:05,115 --> 00:44:07,475 Speaker 1: a three month period of time where I could not 676 00:44:07,635 --> 00:44:11,475 Speaker 1: work anywhere in television. I had not had such a 677 00:44:11,515 --> 00:44:14,955 Speaker 1: period of time except for the aforementioned period when I 678 00:44:15,075 --> 00:44:17,755 Speaker 1: was taking care of family members who were in trouble 679 00:44:17,755 --> 00:44:20,915 Speaker 1: in nineteen eighty five after the Boston experience, I hadn't 680 00:44:20,955 --> 00:44:23,075 Speaker 1: had such a length of time without being on the 681 00:44:23,115 --> 00:44:25,955 Speaker 1: air somewhere, And in fact, during that period in nineteen 682 00:44:25,995 --> 00:44:28,315 Speaker 1: eighty five, I did a lot of freelance work just 683 00:44:28,355 --> 00:44:31,075 Speaker 1: to get the cash that I didn't have to borrow 684 00:44:31,155 --> 00:44:33,915 Speaker 1: from my sister, who was, by the way, seventeen years 685 00:44:33,955 --> 00:44:36,555 Speaker 1: old at the time. Yeah, Jen, have you got a 686 00:44:36,635 --> 00:44:40,555 Speaker 1: twenty Yeah? Thanks, I need to go buy a cigar. 687 00:44:41,155 --> 00:44:44,475 Speaker 1: In any event, I believe we had that conversation. In 688 00:44:44,595 --> 00:44:48,195 Speaker 1: any event, the point of this was, until twenty eleven, 689 00:44:48,275 --> 00:44:50,235 Speaker 1: I'd really not had a day or at least a 690 00:44:50,275 --> 00:44:54,035 Speaker 1: week without deadlines. Media deadlines. You have to have this 691 00:44:54,115 --> 00:44:56,195 Speaker 1: written by eight o'clock because the show is starting with 692 00:44:56,315 --> 00:44:58,875 Speaker 1: or without you. I hadn't had a day or a 693 00:44:58,875 --> 00:45:02,075 Speaker 1: week without those since I was sixteen years old. I 694 00:45:02,195 --> 00:45:05,435 Speaker 1: was to my shock, I found I I really enjoyed 695 00:45:05,475 --> 00:45:08,075 Speaker 1: not having those deadlines. And when we went back on 696 00:45:08,115 --> 00:45:10,875 Speaker 1: the air in Current TV in June of twenty eleven, 697 00:45:11,395 --> 00:45:15,075 Speaker 1: I was kind of disappointed, not because the studio was 698 00:45:15,115 --> 00:45:17,835 Speaker 1: actually not a studio but more like a you know, 699 00:45:17,875 --> 00:45:20,635 Speaker 1: a portal to Hell and not that part of it, 700 00:45:20,675 --> 00:45:23,915 Speaker 1: which was disappointing, but not as much as I really enjoyed, 701 00:45:24,195 --> 00:45:28,635 Speaker 1: you know, not shaving every weekday and not having to write, 702 00:45:29,355 --> 00:45:32,635 Speaker 1: you know, ten thousand words a day, and not having 703 00:45:32,675 --> 00:45:36,715 Speaker 1: to read the twelve seconds of script inside the twelve 704 00:45:36,795 --> 00:45:40,475 Speaker 1: second window before the sound hit, and just the number 705 00:45:40,515 --> 00:45:43,435 Speaker 1: of deadlines I suddenly didn't have. So since twenty eleven, 706 00:45:43,755 --> 00:45:46,195 Speaker 1: I decided to cut back to four days work a week, 707 00:45:46,275 --> 00:45:52,275 Speaker 1: generally speaking, that's my concession to my mid sixties. And 708 00:45:52,355 --> 00:45:55,835 Speaker 1: as I was preparing this to tell you this story 709 00:45:55,875 --> 00:45:58,355 Speaker 1: in light of the experience I had with my friend 710 00:45:58,355 --> 00:46:00,835 Speaker 1: who thought his career was over, and I was reciting this, 711 00:46:00,915 --> 00:46:03,595 Speaker 1: I realized that I had left out in telling him 712 00:46:03,595 --> 00:46:06,075 Speaker 1: the story, and I have deliberately left it out of 713 00:46:06,115 --> 00:46:10,035 Speaker 1: the chronological order of these tales of the actual first 714 00:46:10,035 --> 00:46:12,235 Speaker 1: time I was told my career was over, I had 715 00:46:12,235 --> 00:46:16,835 Speaker 1: forgotten completely about the day that the sports director what 716 00:46:16,995 --> 00:46:20,835 Speaker 1: was then a prominent radio station told me that not 717 00:46:20,995 --> 00:46:24,235 Speaker 1: only would he and the news director there not hire me, 718 00:46:24,395 --> 00:46:26,235 Speaker 1: even though I had been told I was a candidate 719 00:46:26,235 --> 00:46:28,555 Speaker 1: for a sports job there, but he told me that 720 00:46:28,595 --> 00:46:32,435 Speaker 1: I would never get a job in radio or television 721 00:46:32,515 --> 00:46:36,715 Speaker 1: of any prominence because of my attitude. No one will 722 00:46:36,755 --> 00:46:41,315 Speaker 1: ever hire you. His name was Ernie Jackson, and I 723 00:46:41,395 --> 00:46:44,915 Speaker 1: believe he left the town we were in to get 724 00:46:44,955 --> 00:46:48,355 Speaker 1: a job selling airtime on a radio station in Cincinnati. 725 00:46:48,395 --> 00:46:49,995 Speaker 1: And after that I don't know what the hell happened 726 00:46:49,995 --> 00:46:52,915 Speaker 1: to him. The news director was a guy named Bob Lynch, 727 00:46:52,995 --> 00:46:56,235 Speaker 1: and he shortly thereafter moved to a job that I 728 00:46:56,275 --> 00:47:00,355 Speaker 1: think he spent his entire professional career at traffic reporter 729 00:47:00,435 --> 00:47:03,835 Speaker 1: in a plane above the beautiful city of Rochester, New York. 730 00:47:04,835 --> 00:47:08,475 Speaker 1: The date that mister Jackson, on mister Lynch's behalf told 731 00:47:08,515 --> 00:47:11,395 Speaker 1: me that my career was over, the first time I 732 00:47:11,475 --> 00:47:14,755 Speaker 1: was told you will never again work in this business, 733 00:47:15,435 --> 00:47:17,675 Speaker 1: the first good evening and welcome to the end of 734 00:47:17,715 --> 00:47:37,635 Speaker 1: my career was October nineteen seventy seven. I've done all 735 00:47:37,635 --> 00:47:39,715 Speaker 1: the damage I can do here. Thank you for listening. 736 00:47:39,795 --> 00:47:42,755 Speaker 1: Please share this podcast with somebody who does not listen. 737 00:47:43,475 --> 00:47:46,035 Speaker 1: We are on a roll here. Perhaps it's all the 738 00:47:46,035 --> 00:47:50,475 Speaker 1: good news. The total audience last Friday was one hundred 739 00:47:50,515 --> 00:47:53,275 Speaker 1: and fifty thousand. If we do that every episode, that's 740 00:47:53,315 --> 00:47:57,395 Speaker 1: thirty one million a year. Brian Ray and John Phillip Shanelle, 741 00:47:57,435 --> 00:48:00,835 Speaker 1: the musical directors, have Countdown, arranged, produced and performed most 742 00:48:00,835 --> 00:48:04,995 Speaker 1: of our music. Mister Chanale handled orchestration and keyboards. Ray 743 00:48:05,115 --> 00:48:08,675 Speaker 1: was on the guitars, bass and drums. Produced by Tko 744 00:48:08,755 --> 00:48:12,435 Speaker 1: Brothers Our satirical and pithy musical comments are by the 745 00:48:12,435 --> 00:48:16,275 Speaker 1: best baseball stadium organist ever, Nancy Faust. Sports music is 746 00:48:16,275 --> 00:48:19,595 Speaker 1: the Olberman theme from ESPN two, written by Mitch Warren 747 00:48:19,635 --> 00:48:23,355 Speaker 1: Davis courtesy of ESPN. Other music arranged and performed by 748 00:48:23,395 --> 00:48:26,555 Speaker 1: the group No Horns Allowed. My announcer today was my friend. 749 00:48:26,755 --> 00:48:30,835 Speaker 1: Here's a coincidence, Nancy Faust. Everything else was pretty much 750 00:48:30,955 --> 00:48:34,915 Speaker 1: my fault as usual. So that's countdown for this, the 751 00:48:34,955 --> 00:48:38,195 Speaker 1: eighty third day until the twenty twenty four presidential election, 752 00:48:38,555 --> 00:48:42,515 Speaker 1: the one three hundred and sixteenth day since convicted felon 753 00:48:42,555 --> 00:48:46,515 Speaker 1: dementia Jay Trump's first attempted coup against the democratically elected 754 00:48:46,555 --> 00:48:50,715 Speaker 1: government of the United States. Use the September eighteenth sentencing hearing. 755 00:48:51,075 --> 00:48:54,035 Speaker 1: Use the mental health system. You've got it. President Biden 756 00:48:54,235 --> 00:48:57,995 Speaker 1: used presidential immunity to stop him from doing it again 757 00:48:58,675 --> 00:49:04,395 Speaker 1: while we still can. And anti Semitic, anti immigration, Republican 758 00:49:04,475 --> 00:49:09,195 Speaker 1: gun nuts, please stop shooting at Trump. Thank you. The 759 00:49:09,275 --> 00:49:13,075 Speaker 1: next scheduled countdown is tomorrow. Bulletins as the news requires 760 00:49:13,435 --> 00:49:16,475 Speaker 1: till the next one. I'm Keith Olberman. Good morning, good afternoon, 761 00:49:16,595 --> 00:49:34,995 Speaker 1: good night, and good luck. Countdown with Keith Olderman is 762 00:49:34,995 --> 00:49:39,795 Speaker 1: a production of iHeartRadio. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit 763 00:49:39,835 --> 00:49:44,515 Speaker 1: the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.