1 00:00:04,795 --> 00:00:22,315 Speaker 1: Countdown with Keith Olderman is a production of iHeartRadio. We 2 00:00:22,435 --> 00:00:28,995 Speaker 1: are this close to Donald Trump declaring himself to be God. 3 00:00:29,435 --> 00:00:32,835 Speaker 1: I am your warrior, I am your jestice. And for 4 00:00:32,875 --> 00:00:37,715 Speaker 1: those who have been wronged and betrayed, I am your retribution. 5 00:00:37,835 --> 00:00:40,995 Speaker 1: I am your retribution. I have said all this before, 6 00:00:41,035 --> 00:00:43,835 Speaker 1: and you at least have thought all this before. Trump 7 00:00:43,955 --> 00:00:48,595 Speaker 1: is manifestly insane, worse now even than twenty sixteen. Having 8 00:00:48,635 --> 00:00:52,155 Speaker 1: touched ultimate power and received unconditional support from his cultists, 9 00:00:52,515 --> 00:00:56,835 Speaker 1: he lives only to gain it again. If it is 10 00:00:56,875 --> 00:00:59,115 Speaker 1: granted to him. He will not voluntarily give it up 11 00:00:59,115 --> 00:01:02,275 Speaker 1: in his lifetime. He is our hitler, the Hitler of 12 00:01:02,315 --> 00:01:07,315 Speaker 1: nineteen thirty three, not of nineteen forty, not yet. And 13 00:01:07,475 --> 00:01:11,515 Speaker 1: that statement about retribution wreaking either of the twisted mind 14 00:01:11,515 --> 00:01:14,195 Speaker 1: of Stephen Miller or someone trying to one up Stephen 15 00:01:14,235 --> 00:01:18,155 Speaker 1: Miller escalates Trump's eight year long terrorist attack on this 16 00:01:18,235 --> 00:01:22,035 Speaker 1: nation to a different level to one of Dorothy Parker's 17 00:01:22,195 --> 00:01:26,795 Speaker 1: fresh hells. If this country permits him to be nominated 18 00:01:26,835 --> 00:01:30,195 Speaker 1: for president, if we permit him to be nominated for president, 19 00:01:30,315 --> 00:01:33,275 Speaker 1: if you and I permit him to be nominated for president, 20 00:01:33,595 --> 00:01:35,795 Speaker 1: by that action, we will be setting the stage not 21 00:01:35,955 --> 00:01:40,115 Speaker 1: just for the vengeance and vendettas and bloodthirst's. Trump has 22 00:01:40,195 --> 00:01:43,035 Speaker 1: vowed to enact theoretically on behalf of his cult, but 23 00:01:43,115 --> 00:01:47,435 Speaker 1: in reality, on behalf of himself and the largest ego, 24 00:01:47,835 --> 00:01:52,675 Speaker 1: the least burdened by conscience of any person living. But 25 00:01:52,955 --> 00:01:57,755 Speaker 1: just another Trump campaign would again magnify and multiply the 26 00:01:57,875 --> 00:02:01,275 Speaker 1: obsession with political violence on the right and within the 27 00:02:01,315 --> 00:02:05,595 Speaker 1: Republican Party. Since the monster said these words Saturday night 28 00:02:05,635 --> 00:02:09,555 Speaker 1: at Seepack, they have become the fascist new rallying cry, 29 00:02:09,875 --> 00:02:16,195 Speaker 1: I am your retribution, saying America has had the audacity 30 00:02:16,235 --> 00:02:19,475 Speaker 1: to vote them all out to beat their brains in 31 00:02:19,555 --> 00:02:22,875 Speaker 1: when they resorted to violence. We have arrested them, We 32 00:02:22,955 --> 00:02:25,675 Speaker 1: have prosecuted them, We have searched the home of their 33 00:02:25,795 --> 00:02:29,835 Speaker 1: deified leader. We have accused him of crimes, and most 34 00:02:29,835 --> 00:02:34,195 Speaker 1: certainly will prosecute him for crimes. And we most importantly 35 00:02:34,235 --> 00:02:38,435 Speaker 1: have refused to bend to their will, their certainty, their 36 00:02:38,595 --> 00:02:44,475 Speaker 1: theocratic madness, their whiteness. And we will be punished you 37 00:02:44,715 --> 00:02:49,155 Speaker 1: and I because a vote for Trump in twenty twenty 38 00:02:49,155 --> 00:02:56,675 Speaker 1: four is a vote for retribution, four vengeance for bloodshed. 39 00:02:59,275 --> 00:03:02,875 Speaker 1: Trump's targets have always been obvious. They're always the same 40 00:03:03,115 --> 00:03:06,595 Speaker 1: in any state which descend into fascism and dictatorship and 41 00:03:06,675 --> 00:03:10,555 Speaker 1: worship of the chosen one. It can be argued, with 42 00:03:10,635 --> 00:03:13,635 Speaker 1: some success that the victimization and scapegoating of the other 43 00:03:14,155 --> 00:03:17,835 Speaker 1: that Trump promised in twenty sixteen was never fully executed, because, 44 00:03:17,835 --> 00:03:20,835 Speaker 1: no matter how much the system failed to isolate him 45 00:03:20,835 --> 00:03:23,595 Speaker 1: and prosecute him and remove him from office for his 46 00:03:23,715 --> 00:03:28,995 Speaker 1: hundreds of crimes, the bureaucracy did drag him down. What 47 00:03:29,155 --> 00:03:32,435 Speaker 1: he could not do himself immediately, what he did not 48 00:03:32,595 --> 00:03:37,755 Speaker 1: know how to do himself immediately, was immediately impeded by 49 00:03:37,835 --> 00:03:43,435 Speaker 1: everything from people around him with weak consciences, but consciences nonetheless, 50 00:03:43,475 --> 00:03:45,915 Speaker 1: and in the final acts of madness and rebellion and 51 00:03:45,955 --> 00:03:49,715 Speaker 1: insubordination by the sheer incompetence of the idiots he chose 52 00:03:49,795 --> 00:03:53,555 Speaker 1: to do it for him. In short, for nearly all 53 00:03:53,635 --> 00:03:58,395 Speaker 1: of Trump's presidency, he was on defense. Do you want 54 00:03:58,395 --> 00:04:01,635 Speaker 1: to give him another chance to play offense? Do you 55 00:04:01,675 --> 00:04:04,675 Speaker 1: want to give him another chance to focus that violence 56 00:04:05,195 --> 00:04:09,275 Speaker 1: and the need of his cultists to blame and persecute 57 00:04:09,595 --> 00:04:15,715 Speaker 1: and identify the other and kill them. Do you want 58 00:04:15,755 --> 00:04:17,835 Speaker 1: to give him another chance to make the calculation that 59 00:04:17,875 --> 00:04:20,435 Speaker 1: there are two kinds of people in this world, and 60 00:04:20,475 --> 00:04:23,155 Speaker 1: there are enough of the latter in this country. The 61 00:04:23,715 --> 00:04:27,275 Speaker 1: escapegoats and bullies and targets and kills enough of one 62 00:04:27,315 --> 00:04:30,835 Speaker 1: minority group or another which they hate. They will support 63 00:04:30,995 --> 00:04:36,715 Speaker 1: him when he tries to stay in power, because we 64 00:04:36,755 --> 00:04:41,635 Speaker 1: already know the first group he'll target. At that same 65 00:04:41,675 --> 00:04:46,915 Speaker 1: conservative political action conference, the one dedicated to true American values, 66 00:04:47,555 --> 00:04:49,795 Speaker 1: the one run by the married guy being sued for 67 00:04:49,835 --> 00:04:54,355 Speaker 1: groping another conservative man during a conservative campaign, the essence 68 00:04:54,555 --> 00:04:58,955 Speaker 1: of the last year of fascist attacks on LGBTQ people, 69 00:04:59,355 --> 00:05:05,355 Speaker 1: on trans people, on medicine, on science, on supporters, allies, 70 00:05:06,235 --> 00:05:08,475 Speaker 1: and in the fascist mind, that's all one thing, even 71 00:05:08,475 --> 00:05:11,475 Speaker 1: though in reality it is not all one thing. The 72 00:05:11,795 --> 00:05:16,155 Speaker 1: essence of where I am. Your retribution will be directed 73 00:05:16,235 --> 00:05:19,875 Speaker 1: first where this year priming the cult to hate and 74 00:05:20,035 --> 00:05:25,755 Speaker 1: threaten and ultimately kill quote groomers unquote is going to 75 00:05:25,875 --> 00:05:28,995 Speaker 1: lead him and the cult. All that was focused and 76 00:05:29,115 --> 00:05:34,275 Speaker 1: directed by a child named Michael Knowles, a failed actor 77 00:05:34,755 --> 00:05:38,395 Speaker 1: with a disturbing resemblance to the loathsome family guy cartoon 78 00:05:38,515 --> 00:05:44,195 Speaker 1: character Quagmire, an individual who has found his own loathsome 79 00:05:44,275 --> 00:05:49,235 Speaker 1: calling as a salesman of hate to those who live 80 00:05:50,195 --> 00:05:56,195 Speaker 1: to hate. Transgenderism must be eradicated from public life entirely, 81 00:05:56,915 --> 00:06:03,115 Speaker 1: the whole preposterous ideology at every level, to an America 82 00:06:03,275 --> 00:06:07,555 Speaker 1: rightly horrified by the call for genocide, Knowles tried the 83 00:06:07,595 --> 00:06:11,075 Speaker 1: oldest conservative trick in the book. He didn't say that 84 00:06:11,595 --> 00:06:15,115 Speaker 1: he's going to sue. He never said eradicate people who 85 00:06:15,155 --> 00:06:21,755 Speaker 1: are transgender. He said transgender ism must be eradicated. The 86 00:06:21,835 --> 00:06:25,315 Speaker 1: debate which has followed has been performative and largely irrelevant. 87 00:06:25,795 --> 00:06:28,475 Speaker 1: Listen again to that clip and recognize with me for 88 00:06:28,515 --> 00:06:31,035 Speaker 1: a moment that the keyword he spits out in it 89 00:06:31,195 --> 00:06:35,875 Speaker 1: is not eradicated. It is a different word, and that 90 00:06:35,955 --> 00:06:39,995 Speaker 1: word renders this debate about what he really meant meaningless. 91 00:06:40,755 --> 00:06:46,515 Speaker 1: Transgenderism that must be eradicated from public life entirely, the 92 00:06:46,755 --> 00:06:54,675 Speaker 1: whole preposterous ideology at every level. The keyword is not eradicated. 93 00:06:54,835 --> 00:07:01,915 Speaker 1: The keyword is entirely. He said transgenderism must be eradicated 94 00:07:01,955 --> 00:07:12,515 Speaker 1: from public life entirely, and entirely means entirely, completely, exclusively, totally, holy. 95 00:07:13,515 --> 00:07:16,275 Speaker 1: If I am going to eradicate something entirely that means 96 00:07:16,275 --> 00:07:18,315 Speaker 1: everything connected to it, not just the idea of it, 97 00:07:18,475 --> 00:07:21,195 Speaker 1: nor the process, nor the acceptance, nor the science, nor 98 00:07:21,235 --> 00:07:24,515 Speaker 1: the future nor the past, but the people who defend 99 00:07:24,515 --> 00:07:27,315 Speaker 1: the idea and the people who are involved with the process, 100 00:07:27,435 --> 00:07:30,075 Speaker 1: and the people who encourage the acceptance, and the people 101 00:07:30,115 --> 00:07:34,355 Speaker 1: who participate in the science. The word is entirely, and 102 00:07:34,435 --> 00:07:39,235 Speaker 1: if you say that something must be eradicated entirely, entirely 103 00:07:39,715 --> 00:07:45,675 Speaker 1: excludes nothing. It has been suggested that if you want 104 00:07:45,715 --> 00:07:48,395 Speaker 1: to know what Knolls really meant, you should just substitute 105 00:07:48,435 --> 00:07:53,315 Speaker 1: a word or phrase for transgenderism and rewrite that sentence 106 00:07:53,395 --> 00:07:57,795 Speaker 1: a word like blackness or judaism, and imagine the reaction. 107 00:07:57,875 --> 00:08:01,235 Speaker 1: Then I suggest you try the word trumpism. What would 108 00:08:01,235 --> 00:08:03,955 Speaker 1: happen if a Knolls got up there and said Trumpism 109 00:08:04,035 --> 00:08:11,355 Speaker 1: must be aradicated from public life entirely, as Knowels and 110 00:08:11,555 --> 00:08:19,955 Speaker 1: his fellow putred, opportunistic, amoral, arrested development scumbags have already 111 00:08:19,955 --> 00:08:28,075 Speaker 1: attacked transgenderism. Have they not attacked transgender people? Have they 112 00:08:28,115 --> 00:08:35,875 Speaker 1: not attacked doctors, counselors, schools, hospitals, supporters, politicians? Have they 113 00:08:35,875 --> 00:08:38,515 Speaker 1: not already shown what Michael Knowles meant when he said 114 00:08:38,515 --> 00:08:42,315 Speaker 1: transgenderism must be eradicated from public life entirely. Did they 115 00:08:42,355 --> 00:08:45,715 Speaker 1: issue some sort of asterisk saying only attacked the idea, 116 00:08:45,795 --> 00:08:48,315 Speaker 1: not any of the people involved. And we all missed that. 117 00:08:50,275 --> 00:08:52,675 Speaker 1: All of us missed it, including the fascists who killed 118 00:08:52,675 --> 00:08:55,675 Speaker 1: more than thirty transgender people in this country last year, 119 00:08:55,755 --> 00:08:59,275 Speaker 1: and more than three hundred in the ten years since 120 00:08:59,315 --> 00:09:04,515 Speaker 1: the Human Rights Campaign began tracking this nightmare, and entirely 121 00:09:05,555 --> 00:09:11,955 Speaker 1: the genocidal word there is entirely. Oh and if you 122 00:09:11,995 --> 00:09:16,955 Speaker 1: somehow miss that point Noel's real point, don't forget, he 123 00:09:16,995 --> 00:09:24,715 Speaker 1: added later, quote at every level, I am your retribution. 124 00:09:25,715 --> 00:09:28,795 Speaker 1: Trump has not yet grasped the scythe his imitators have 125 00:09:28,875 --> 00:09:31,995 Speaker 1: begun to swing at those whose genders and sexuality they 126 00:09:32,035 --> 00:09:35,555 Speaker 1: do not understand, or they fear, or they hate, or 127 00:09:35,595 --> 00:09:38,555 Speaker 1: they see in themselves and don't want to. But he 128 00:09:38,595 --> 00:09:42,555 Speaker 1: will against what group? Has he not? This is a 129 00:09:42,595 --> 00:09:46,275 Speaker 1: creature who has managed to defend anti Semitism and defend 130 00:09:46,275 --> 00:09:49,675 Speaker 1: the new theocratical fascists of Israel, sometimes in the same speech. 131 00:09:51,115 --> 00:09:54,555 Speaker 1: On Saturday, though, Trump's stuck to a more familiar target, 132 00:09:54,995 --> 00:09:57,835 Speaker 1: and they will be the victims of I Am your retribution. 133 00:09:58,155 --> 00:10:02,755 Speaker 1: His original favorite hate groups. Under my leadership, we will 134 00:10:02,955 --> 00:10:07,555 Speaker 1: use all necessary stay, local, federal, and military resources to 135 00:10:07,675 --> 00:10:12,955 Speaker 1: carry out the largest domestic deportation operation in American history. 136 00:10:13,155 --> 00:10:17,675 Speaker 1: And we will pick them up, and we will throw 137 00:10:17,755 --> 00:10:20,875 Speaker 1: them out of our country. And there will be no 138 00:10:21,635 --> 00:10:27,515 Speaker 1: questions asked, no questions asked, so no laws, no appeals, 139 00:10:27,555 --> 00:10:31,635 Speaker 1: nothing but trucks driving people to the border. This time, 140 00:10:31,675 --> 00:10:34,475 Speaker 1: Trump is cleverly insisting that he means only gang members 141 00:10:34,555 --> 00:10:38,475 Speaker 1: here illegally. But if you can unilaterally deport somebody because 142 00:10:38,515 --> 00:10:41,395 Speaker 1: you say he is a gang member, you can also 143 00:10:41,515 --> 00:10:48,555 Speaker 1: unilaterally say what defines a gang. I often wonder as 144 00:10:48,555 --> 00:10:51,795 Speaker 1: I watch the vanity campaigns spring up, even on the 145 00:10:51,835 --> 00:10:55,435 Speaker 1: Republican side, about the people who, in the present climate 146 00:10:55,475 --> 00:11:00,075 Speaker 1: of Trump and DeSantis and this infant Gnols and this 147 00:11:00,235 --> 00:11:03,795 Speaker 1: idiot Marjorie Taylor Green and the other merchants of prejudice 148 00:11:03,875 --> 00:11:08,955 Speaker 1: and hate and retribution, all these people who could never 149 00:11:08,995 --> 00:11:12,355 Speaker 1: get ten percent support in the current climate for the 150 00:11:12,435 --> 00:11:17,755 Speaker 1: Republican nomination. Nicky Hailey, Mike Pompeo, Mike Pence, vibek Ramaswamy, 151 00:11:18,035 --> 00:11:20,555 Speaker 1: and man, does he not understand the party he's allied 152 00:11:20,595 --> 00:11:24,995 Speaker 1: himself with. I think about them often, and I wonder 153 00:11:25,075 --> 00:11:27,355 Speaker 1: if the light has ever flashed above their heads, even 154 00:11:27,395 --> 00:11:30,755 Speaker 1: just momentarily. Do they hear what I just said that 155 00:11:30,875 --> 00:11:33,635 Speaker 1: in the present climate of Trump and Descantis, not one 156 00:11:33,675 --> 00:11:36,995 Speaker 1: of them could ever get ten percent. Do they think 157 00:11:37,035 --> 00:11:40,635 Speaker 1: even for a moment, Well, yeah, that's true, because if 158 00:11:40,675 --> 00:11:44,035 Speaker 1: something happened to Trump and Descantis, somebody else would step 159 00:11:44,115 --> 00:11:46,795 Speaker 1: up and run as Trump could be Trump Junior could 160 00:11:46,795 --> 00:11:49,115 Speaker 1: be Stephen Millard. Lord knows who'd be willing to do 161 00:11:49,155 --> 00:11:52,595 Speaker 1: it and who they would be willing to follow. Do 162 00:11:52,675 --> 00:11:55,715 Speaker 1: they ever think, Yeah, I can't win in this climate, 163 00:11:55,715 --> 00:11:58,275 Speaker 1: and thus my only chance is to change the climate, 164 00:11:59,635 --> 00:12:02,235 Speaker 1: to change the climate somehow. If not for this nomination, 165 00:12:02,555 --> 00:12:06,075 Speaker 1: then for the next one. What would happen if Haley 166 00:12:06,195 --> 00:12:10,475 Speaker 1: or Pompeio or even Pence stood up and said, Donald 167 00:12:10,475 --> 00:12:15,595 Speaker 1: Trump is insane, he is without principles or beliefs. I 168 00:12:15,755 --> 00:12:20,715 Speaker 1: know him, I worked for him. You do not matter 169 00:12:20,835 --> 00:12:24,835 Speaker 1: to him. Only he matters to him. He would kill 170 00:12:24,915 --> 00:12:29,275 Speaker 1: you to become president. He is a terrorist. He is 171 00:12:29,355 --> 00:12:33,995 Speaker 1: our hitler. What if one of them said that, or 172 00:12:34,035 --> 00:12:35,995 Speaker 1: if that is far too strong, and I suspect it 173 00:12:36,035 --> 00:12:38,395 Speaker 1: would be in each case I have mentioned, could one 174 00:12:38,395 --> 00:12:40,835 Speaker 1: of them simply stand in front of the evangelicals, the 175 00:12:40,835 --> 00:12:45,835 Speaker 1: alleged Christians, the self pronounced God fearing people, and point 176 00:12:45,875 --> 00:12:50,075 Speaker 1: out that Trump Saturday Night has now declared himself to 177 00:12:50,235 --> 00:13:08,075 Speaker 1: be retribution, when there God has already said, vengeance is mine, 178 00:13:10,835 --> 00:13:12,755 Speaker 1: still ahead of us. In this edition of Countdown, a 179 00:13:12,835 --> 00:13:16,155 Speaker 1: Republican idea is so bad, so Unamerican, that even newt 180 00:13:16,315 --> 00:13:20,675 Speaker 1: Gingrich thinks it's Unamerican. There is great sadness in baseball 181 00:13:20,715 --> 00:13:23,395 Speaker 1: today as one of the most popular local broadcasters of 182 00:13:23,435 --> 00:13:26,595 Speaker 1: the game dies suddenly, and a city and a sport 183 00:13:26,795 --> 00:13:30,235 Speaker 1: week and in an all new edition of Things, I 184 00:13:30,275 --> 00:13:33,355 Speaker 1: promised not to tell the day the conductor had to 185 00:13:33,395 --> 00:13:36,315 Speaker 1: help me prime my face off the window of the 186 00:13:36,395 --> 00:13:42,155 Speaker 1: twelve fifty three to Grand Central because it had frozen there. 187 00:13:42,995 --> 00:13:53,995 Speaker 1: That's next, this Ciscountdown. This is Countdown with Keith over me. 188 00:13:54,715 --> 00:13:58,395 Speaker 1: There is a great sadness in baseball today and in 189 00:13:58,435 --> 00:14:01,035 Speaker 1: one of its major league cities. That sadness will continue 190 00:14:01,995 --> 00:14:07,075 Speaker 1: for literally decades to come. Odds are probably pretty good. 191 00:14:07,315 --> 00:14:11,155 Speaker 1: You never heard Dave Wills broadcast baseball game, and I 192 00:14:11,195 --> 00:14:14,475 Speaker 1: am sorry about that. He was just terrific at it. 193 00:14:15,115 --> 00:14:17,635 Speaker 1: Dave Wills began with the Chicago White Sox, and since 194 00:14:17,675 --> 00:14:19,755 Speaker 1: two thousand and five he had done the games of 195 00:14:19,795 --> 00:14:23,555 Speaker 1: the Tampa Bay Rays. And he had one of those gigantic, 196 00:14:23,795 --> 00:14:26,395 Speaker 1: larger than life radio voices that all of them used 197 00:14:26,395 --> 00:14:28,435 Speaker 1: to have that I had envied since I was a kid. 198 00:14:29,035 --> 00:14:32,475 Speaker 1: It was strong and broad and yet welcoming and friendly, 199 00:14:32,515 --> 00:14:35,715 Speaker 1: with the happy side effect of imparting any game or 200 00:14:35,755 --> 00:14:40,595 Speaker 1: any team with that big game flavor. Dave did the 201 00:14:40,635 --> 00:14:45,035 Speaker 1: Tampa games for eighteen years. He broadcast Saturday's exhibition game 202 00:14:45,075 --> 00:14:48,475 Speaker 1: against the Yankees at George Steinbrenner Field in Tampa with 203 00:14:48,515 --> 00:14:51,675 Speaker 1: his partner For all of those years, Andy Freed. The 204 00:14:51,795 --> 00:14:56,195 Speaker 1: voice boomed Saturday, hearty and with sixcinct descriptions and just 205 00:14:56,315 --> 00:14:59,515 Speaker 1: that edge of acerbity and doubt that made it clear 206 00:14:59,555 --> 00:15:01,435 Speaker 1: he covered that team, He liked that team, He was 207 00:15:01,475 --> 00:15:04,115 Speaker 1: paid by that team. But he would never, ever, ever 208 00:15:04,355 --> 00:15:07,715 Speaker 1: lie just to make that team look better than it deserved. 209 00:15:08,795 --> 00:15:13,115 Speaker 1: Most importantly, the booming voice this spring had seemingly reassured 210 00:15:13,155 --> 00:15:16,835 Speaker 1: everybody who got so scared last September that, at age 211 00:15:16,875 --> 00:15:19,835 Speaker 1: fifty eight, Dave Wills was just fine. There had been 212 00:15:19,835 --> 00:15:23,795 Speaker 1: a spell of tachycardia last year rapid irregular heartbeat. He 213 00:15:23,795 --> 00:15:27,315 Speaker 1: had been hospitalized in Toronto. He missed about two weeks, 214 00:15:27,835 --> 00:15:29,795 Speaker 1: but Dave was back for the playoffs and he'd had 215 00:15:29,795 --> 00:15:35,195 Speaker 1: a good winter. Sometime early Sunday morning, Dave Wills died 216 00:15:35,235 --> 00:15:38,355 Speaker 1: in his sleep, in his bed in his home with 217 00:15:38,395 --> 00:15:42,555 Speaker 1: his family in LUTs, Florida. There's no official word yet, 218 00:15:42,595 --> 00:15:44,435 Speaker 1: but it seems almost certain it had something to do 219 00:15:44,435 --> 00:15:47,195 Speaker 1: with his heart. But who knows, And ultimately that is 220 00:15:47,195 --> 00:15:51,035 Speaker 1: not the point. I had wanted to be a play 221 00:15:51,035 --> 00:15:54,315 Speaker 1: by play baseball announcer from the age of eight, right 222 00:15:54,355 --> 00:15:56,315 Speaker 1: after I realized I would never get over my fear 223 00:15:56,355 --> 00:15:58,915 Speaker 1: of getting hit in the head with the ball through 224 00:15:58,955 --> 00:16:01,435 Speaker 1: the same set of circumstances that gave me so many 225 00:16:01,915 --> 00:16:05,315 Speaker 1: extraordinary great breaks in my career. Ever even got a 226 00:16:05,395 --> 00:16:08,675 Speaker 1: chance to find out if it was worth the slog 227 00:16:09,075 --> 00:16:11,275 Speaker 1: that the job requires to be good enough for the 228 00:16:11,275 --> 00:16:14,075 Speaker 1: big leagues. That would be three years driving around the 229 00:16:14,115 --> 00:16:17,955 Speaker 1: Carolina League or the Midwest League or the California State League, 230 00:16:18,235 --> 00:16:21,395 Speaker 1: working by yourself and wondering if anybody was listening, and 231 00:16:21,435 --> 00:16:25,835 Speaker 1: after you said something really dumb, hoping nobody was anyway. 232 00:16:25,875 --> 00:16:29,115 Speaker 1: I had done one play by play game in my 233 00:16:29,195 --> 00:16:33,395 Speaker 1: life baseball on TV for ESPN in nineteen ninety three, 234 00:16:33,475 --> 00:16:37,675 Speaker 1: and it was okay. And then I went into news 235 00:16:37,755 --> 00:16:40,635 Speaker 1: and went to other networks and I didn't do any 236 00:16:40,635 --> 00:16:42,315 Speaker 1: more play by play. But when I went back to 237 00:16:42,555 --> 00:16:45,115 Speaker 1: ESPN in twenty eighteen, part of the deal was, and 238 00:16:45,155 --> 00:16:47,715 Speaker 1: it was half their idea and half mine, that we 239 00:16:47,755 --> 00:16:50,315 Speaker 1: should find out if maybe, at the age of fifty nine, 240 00:16:50,395 --> 00:16:53,155 Speaker 1: I could, after all I had done in baseball break 241 00:16:53,155 --> 00:16:56,355 Speaker 1: in as a rookie play by play man. I did. 242 00:16:56,435 --> 00:16:59,915 Speaker 1: I think five games, one on TV, four on radio, 243 00:16:59,955 --> 00:17:02,595 Speaker 1: and more were scheduled, but I had a health issue 244 00:17:02,635 --> 00:17:06,155 Speaker 1: that kept me from traveling, and then the pandemic in 245 00:17:06,155 --> 00:17:08,915 Speaker 1: twenty twenty made the whole thing academic. And to be fair, 246 00:17:09,675 --> 00:17:14,155 Speaker 1: I had flashes of brilliance. Absolutely some of my play 247 00:17:14,195 --> 00:17:17,995 Speaker 1: by play, especially in that TV game, was really really good. 248 00:17:18,835 --> 00:17:22,075 Speaker 1: On the other hand, every mistake that I would have 249 00:17:22,155 --> 00:17:25,035 Speaker 1: made in those three years I did not spend driving 250 00:17:25,075 --> 00:17:28,595 Speaker 1: around the Carolina League I made during those five games. 251 00:17:29,875 --> 00:17:33,595 Speaker 1: I think I could do it, and do it really well, 252 00:17:33,835 --> 00:17:37,475 Speaker 1: even just starting now, and I need to go to 253 00:17:37,475 --> 00:17:40,075 Speaker 1: the Carolina League for at least a year. Opening day 254 00:17:40,155 --> 00:17:43,995 Speaker 1: is April sixth, and I'm sixty four years old. And 255 00:17:44,115 --> 00:17:49,075 Speaker 1: I mentioned all this here in an obituary because the 256 00:17:49,155 --> 00:17:53,435 Speaker 1: first game I did for ESPN Radio June fourteenth, twenty eighteen, 257 00:17:54,275 --> 00:17:56,555 Speaker 1: was at Yankee Stadium here in New York, and the 258 00:17:56,635 --> 00:18:00,715 Speaker 1: visiting team was the Tampa Bay Rays and their announcers 259 00:18:00,755 --> 00:18:06,555 Speaker 1: Andy Freed and Dave Wills. My out of body experience 260 00:18:06,595 --> 00:18:10,595 Speaker 1: began sometime on the twelfth or the thirteenth. I think 261 00:18:11,075 --> 00:18:14,515 Speaker 1: it was amplified by my realization as I walked into 262 00:18:14,515 --> 00:18:16,795 Speaker 1: the Yankee Stadium that afternoon that the fact that I 263 00:18:16,835 --> 00:18:19,955 Speaker 1: had not spent three days in the Carolina League, let 264 00:18:19,955 --> 00:18:24,555 Speaker 1: alone three years, was likely to come out at some point. 265 00:18:25,195 --> 00:18:27,075 Speaker 1: Jim Bowden did the game with me. He was a 266 00:18:27,115 --> 00:18:30,835 Speaker 1: great help. John Sterling and Susan Waldman, the Yankees announcers 267 00:18:30,875 --> 00:18:33,635 Speaker 1: friends for decades, could not have been more supportive. But 268 00:18:33,715 --> 00:18:37,115 Speaker 1: the guy who talked me back into my body that day, 269 00:18:37,955 --> 00:18:41,275 Speaker 1: reminding me of all the broadcast I had done in 270 00:18:41,395 --> 00:18:44,115 Speaker 1: other fields that were way more like baseball play by 271 00:18:44,155 --> 00:18:47,555 Speaker 1: play than I had ever thought or realized. The man 272 00:18:47,555 --> 00:18:51,075 Speaker 1: who did that was Dave Wills. I can still see 273 00:18:51,155 --> 00:18:53,395 Speaker 1: him sitting across from me at dinner in the Yankee 274 00:18:53,395 --> 00:18:58,435 Speaker 1: Stadium press room. As my anxiety was growing, just remember 275 00:18:58,475 --> 00:19:00,835 Speaker 1: to say what you see. If you don't see it, 276 00:19:01,115 --> 00:19:06,395 Speaker 1: tell the audience that if it's funny, laugh, if it's sad, cry, 277 00:19:07,235 --> 00:19:11,435 Speaker 1: just be honest with your listener. And if it goes 278 00:19:11,515 --> 00:19:13,715 Speaker 1: really bad, well, hell, just tap on the glass between 279 00:19:13,755 --> 00:19:15,475 Speaker 1: your booth and our booth and either Andy or I 280 00:19:15,555 --> 00:19:17,555 Speaker 1: will come over and we'll fill in for you while 281 00:19:17,555 --> 00:19:24,555 Speaker 1: you go get sick in the bathroom. I still don't 282 00:19:24,595 --> 00:19:26,675 Speaker 1: know if that broadcast I did was any good or not. 283 00:19:27,955 --> 00:19:30,515 Speaker 1: Still haven't listened to it. I know it was not 284 00:19:30,595 --> 00:19:34,195 Speaker 1: as good as Dave Wills, and I do know that 285 00:19:34,275 --> 00:19:37,515 Speaker 1: his joke about getting sick gave me a laugh that 286 00:19:37,675 --> 00:19:42,235 Speaker 1: made me pretty much myself again. If it's funny, laugh, 287 00:19:43,315 --> 00:19:49,035 Speaker 1: if it's sad, cry, Dave Wills is gone and a 288 00:19:49,035 --> 00:20:09,835 Speaker 1: lot of us are crying today. Okay. I had one 289 00:20:09,875 --> 00:20:12,075 Speaker 1: moment I was ruminating on the underrated beauty of the 290 00:20:12,155 --> 00:20:15,395 Speaker 1: Hudson River. The next moment, I was trying to dislodge 291 00:20:15,435 --> 00:20:19,195 Speaker 1: myself from the train window to which I had become stuck. 292 00:20:20,995 --> 00:20:24,075 Speaker 1: Next first time for the daily roundup of the miscrants, 293 00:20:24,075 --> 00:20:27,235 Speaker 1: morons and Donning Kruger Effect, specimens who constitute today's worst 294 00:20:27,275 --> 00:20:31,635 Speaker 1: persons in the world. The bronze Sergei Lavrov, the slime 295 00:20:31,675 --> 00:20:34,515 Speaker 1: bucket who happens to be Foreign Minister of Russia. I 296 00:20:34,635 --> 00:20:37,195 Speaker 1: presume you have seen this, but sometimes it's better when 297 00:20:37,195 --> 00:20:40,555 Speaker 1: you're only hearing the audio. This is what happens when 298 00:20:40,555 --> 00:20:42,915 Speaker 1: you forget you are not talking to people as gullible 299 00:20:43,075 --> 00:20:46,715 Speaker 1: or as cowed as Russians, that you're outside your own bubble. 300 00:20:46,795 --> 00:20:49,595 Speaker 1: I would have thought Lavrov would have noticed this because 301 00:20:49,635 --> 00:20:52,835 Speaker 1: he was speaking English and not Russian. But no, not 302 00:20:52,875 --> 00:20:58,435 Speaker 1: so much. This was Friday in New Delhi at the 303 00:20:58,515 --> 00:21:03,995 Speaker 1: Racina Dialogue multinational conference in India. You know the war 304 00:21:04,835 --> 00:21:07,795 Speaker 1: we show we are trying to stop and which was 305 00:21:07,915 --> 00:21:18,075 Speaker 1: lunched against us using the Ukrainian people. Of course, it influenced, influenced, 306 00:21:18,115 --> 00:21:24,875 Speaker 1: influenced the policy of Russia, including energy policy. I assume 307 00:21:24,915 --> 00:21:27,795 Speaker 1: the bell there was them ordering him off the stage 308 00:21:28,675 --> 00:21:33,755 Speaker 1: like on the Old Gong Show with Chuck Barris, the 309 00:21:33,915 --> 00:21:37,995 Speaker 1: runner up Florida State Senator Jason Brodure And what have 310 00:21:38,035 --> 00:21:41,355 Speaker 1: you been up to? Jason? He's the bozo who introduced 311 00:21:41,355 --> 00:21:43,395 Speaker 1: the legislation I mentioned the other day that would require 312 00:21:43,435 --> 00:21:45,995 Speaker 1: bloggers who write about Ron de Fascist or other members 313 00:21:46,035 --> 00:21:49,275 Speaker 1: of his regime to register with the State of Florida 314 00:21:49,755 --> 00:21:52,235 Speaker 1: and find them up to twenty five hundred dollars per 315 00:21:52,395 --> 00:21:55,395 Speaker 1: blog post if they failed to report, if they had 316 00:21:55,435 --> 00:21:59,515 Speaker 1: been paid for writing about him, and if so by whom. 317 00:21:59,635 --> 00:22:03,995 Speaker 1: How fascist is Senator Brodure's idea, how pathetic, how outside 318 00:22:03,995 --> 00:22:07,835 Speaker 1: anything resembled in the mainstream, how un american quote. The 319 00:22:07,995 --> 00:22:11,635 Speaker 1: idea that bloggers criticizing a politician should register with the 320 00:22:11,715 --> 00:22:15,995 Speaker 1: government is insane, writes one critic. It is an embarrassment 321 00:22:16,035 --> 00:22:19,355 Speaker 1: that it is a Republican state legislator in Florida who 322 00:22:19,395 --> 00:22:22,195 Speaker 1: introduced a bill to that effect. He should withdraw it immediately. 323 00:22:22,195 --> 00:22:27,475 Speaker 1: Who wrote that note? Gangridge wrote that, Jason, you just 324 00:22:27,675 --> 00:22:31,595 Speaker 1: defended Newt Gingridge's sense of the freedom of the press. 325 00:22:31,915 --> 00:22:35,075 Speaker 1: Newt Gingridge one for posts suspending parts of the First 326 00:22:35,075 --> 00:22:42,115 Speaker 1: Amendment to stop terrorists from using emails. But our winner, 327 00:22:42,155 --> 00:22:46,035 Speaker 1: Brett Bear Fox quote news unquote. I also mentioned this 328 00:22:46,115 --> 00:22:49,435 Speaker 1: last week when I listed ten life hacks to destroy 329 00:22:49,515 --> 00:22:51,435 Speaker 1: that channel, some of which you can try at home. 330 00:22:52,515 --> 00:22:55,355 Speaker 1: Years ago, at a White House Correspondence dinner, Brett Bear 331 00:22:55,435 --> 00:22:57,995 Speaker 1: came up to me and very nicely, very earnestly, as 332 00:22:58,035 --> 00:23:00,715 Speaker 1: if I didn't understand or had never been told this. 333 00:23:01,155 --> 00:23:03,955 Speaker 1: He explained that at Fox there were really two networks, 334 00:23:03,995 --> 00:23:07,315 Speaker 1: the opinion one that O'Reilly and Sean Hannity and the 335 00:23:07,355 --> 00:23:09,675 Speaker 1: new guy they'd just hired after we'd fired him, Tucker 336 00:23:09,715 --> 00:23:12,355 Speaker 1: Carlson and the others worked at, and then the non 337 00:23:12,435 --> 00:23:16,515 Speaker 1: opinion network where he Brett Baer and Chris Wallace and 338 00:23:16,555 --> 00:23:20,355 Speaker 1: some other people worked at. See I smiled and shook 339 00:23:20,395 --> 00:23:22,635 Speaker 1: his hand and went, I don't think he understands well. 340 00:23:22,635 --> 00:23:24,755 Speaker 1: Sure enough, what pops up in The New York Times 341 00:23:24,795 --> 00:23:27,635 Speaker 1: over the weekend a play by play account of the 342 00:23:27,675 --> 00:23:31,835 Speaker 1: recording of a Fox quote news unquote zoom call after 343 00:23:31,875 --> 00:23:34,555 Speaker 1: the twenty twenty elections, some of which Peter Baker of 344 00:23:34,595 --> 00:23:36,355 Speaker 1: The Times I'd put in one of those. I saved 345 00:23:36,355 --> 00:23:39,195 Speaker 1: this stuff till I got the publisher's advance books, and 346 00:23:39,315 --> 00:23:42,875 Speaker 1: some of which he had not. Also, there were other 347 00:23:42,955 --> 00:23:47,395 Speaker 1: internal communications from inside the castle. Rupert and who were 348 00:23:47,435 --> 00:23:51,235 Speaker 1: the two people quoted most extensively, not just moaning about 349 00:23:51,235 --> 00:23:53,755 Speaker 1: the damage Fox did to itself by being the first 350 00:23:53,795 --> 00:23:57,555 Speaker 1: outlet to call Arizona for Joe Biden, but suggesting the 351 00:23:57,635 --> 00:24:02,595 Speaker 1: call should be reversed. Tucker Carlson now, Sean Hannity now, 352 00:24:03,075 --> 00:24:11,755 Speaker 1: Maria Bardaromo, Martha McCallum, the Fox non opinion clown who 353 00:24:11,795 --> 00:24:16,075 Speaker 1: on January sixth had congratulated the insurrectionists on their victory 354 00:24:16,075 --> 00:24:20,795 Speaker 1: and how they had quote disrupted the system, and Bret Bair. 355 00:24:21,595 --> 00:24:24,555 Speaker 1: Baker's piece in The Times quotes an email Bear sent 356 00:24:24,635 --> 00:24:27,995 Speaker 1: two days after the election to Fox executive Jay Wallace. 357 00:24:28,075 --> 00:24:31,795 Speaker 1: It's hurting us, mister journalism, wrote of calling Arizona for Biden. 358 00:24:32,075 --> 00:24:35,555 Speaker 1: The sooner we pull it, even if it gives us 359 00:24:35,715 --> 00:24:39,795 Speaker 1: major egg, and put it back in his column. The 360 00:24:39,875 --> 00:24:44,515 Speaker 1: better we are, in my opinion, end quote from Brett Bear. 361 00:24:45,715 --> 00:24:48,555 Speaker 1: Everything that is wrong with Fox, how people who might 362 00:24:48,635 --> 00:24:52,995 Speaker 1: have been journalists, even you know, ordinary biased conservative journalists, 363 00:24:52,995 --> 00:24:56,035 Speaker 1: how they were poisoned by the perpetuation of the big 364 00:24:56,115 --> 00:25:00,195 Speaker 1: lie is in one part of Brett Bear's email. There, 365 00:25:00,275 --> 00:25:03,675 Speaker 1: the sooner we pull the call of Arizona for Biden 366 00:25:03,755 --> 00:25:06,835 Speaker 1: and put it back in his Trump's column the better. 367 00:25:07,035 --> 00:25:10,195 Speaker 1: Of course, Arizona was never in Trump's column. It never 368 00:25:10,235 --> 00:25:13,915 Speaker 1: would be. Trump lost Arizona. And here is Fox's primary 369 00:25:13,995 --> 00:25:18,155 Speaker 1: supposed news anchor and he cannot conceive that Trump could 370 00:25:18,155 --> 00:25:21,355 Speaker 1: have lost, or that the neutral default position should be 371 00:25:21,395 --> 00:25:24,675 Speaker 1: that nobody had won Arizona. If you changed the call 372 00:25:24,715 --> 00:25:28,715 Speaker 1: in Arizona would mean nobody had won it to Brett Bear. 373 00:25:28,915 --> 00:25:33,675 Speaker 1: Neutrality journalism non opinion was to assume that Trump had won. 374 00:25:35,795 --> 00:25:38,355 Speaker 1: Brett just as bad as the rest of them. Bear 375 00:25:39,035 --> 00:25:57,275 Speaker 1: Today's worst parson and still ahead on countdown. So what 376 00:25:57,555 --> 00:26:00,795 Speaker 1: my face stuck to the side of the train and 377 00:26:00,915 --> 00:26:05,675 Speaker 1: they had to help break me free, Like that's never 378 00:26:05,755 --> 00:26:09,915 Speaker 1: happened to you? An all new edition of Things I 379 00:26:10,035 --> 00:26:11,995 Speaker 1: promised not to tell. Coming up first. In each you 380 00:26:12,075 --> 00:26:13,995 Speaker 1: just to countdown, we feature a dog in need you 381 00:26:13,995 --> 00:26:17,075 Speaker 1: can help. Every dog has its day. Two of them today, 382 00:26:17,355 --> 00:26:21,315 Speaker 1: Brooklyn and Butter. They are brothers. More carnage at the 383 00:26:21,355 --> 00:26:25,275 Speaker 1: New York Pound. These are big canaid Corsos. They're only 384 00:26:25,315 --> 00:26:27,755 Speaker 1: brought in last Thursday. They're already on the kill list. 385 00:26:28,075 --> 00:26:31,995 Speaker 1: They came in relaxed, affectionate, respectful to adults, kids and 386 00:26:32,035 --> 00:26:36,795 Speaker 1: other dogs alike. Now already they are stressed and terrified 387 00:26:36,795 --> 00:26:38,795 Speaker 1: and too dangerous to be let out of their kennels. 388 00:26:38,835 --> 00:26:41,555 Speaker 1: According to the pound handlers, in five days in the 389 00:26:41,595 --> 00:26:43,955 Speaker 1: care of the City of New York. This happened. Your 390 00:26:43,995 --> 00:26:48,195 Speaker 1: pledges to save Brooklyn and Butter can prevent this unnecessary tragedy. 391 00:26:48,395 --> 00:26:50,315 Speaker 1: They will help a rescue group pull them out and 392 00:26:50,355 --> 00:26:53,275 Speaker 1: save them and train them. Look for Brooklyn and Butter 393 00:26:53,355 --> 00:26:56,195 Speaker 1: on my Twitter feed and retweet them if you can. 394 00:26:56,995 --> 00:27:17,075 Speaker 1: I thank you and Brooklyn and Butter. Thank you to 395 00:27:17,275 --> 00:27:19,275 Speaker 1: the number one story on the Countdown and things I 396 00:27:19,315 --> 00:27:21,275 Speaker 1: promised not to tell. And this is anything but an 397 00:27:21,275 --> 00:27:24,155 Speaker 1: important career story. But I was reminded of it recently 398 00:27:24,155 --> 00:27:26,235 Speaker 1: and I laughed like hell, so I thought, maybe you 399 00:27:26,275 --> 00:27:30,355 Speaker 1: should too. I haven't seen all of them in this country, 400 00:27:30,355 --> 00:27:33,475 Speaker 1: but to my mind, the most underrated of American rivers 401 00:27:34,195 --> 00:27:36,755 Speaker 1: is the one I grew up along. The Hudson gets 402 00:27:36,755 --> 00:27:39,555 Speaker 1: a bad rap because it's associated with New York City 403 00:27:39,915 --> 00:27:43,875 Speaker 1: and the deteriorating remnants of the city's once dominant piers, 404 00:27:43,915 --> 00:27:46,595 Speaker 1: some of which have been unused and rotting for half 405 00:27:46,635 --> 00:27:50,515 Speaker 1: a century now. But further upstate, literally just past the 406 00:27:50,555 --> 00:27:54,475 Speaker 1: city line, the Hudson is a magnificent river just to watch, 407 00:27:54,835 --> 00:27:58,315 Speaker 1: never mind ride on. This is particularly true during a 408 00:27:58,355 --> 00:28:00,555 Speaker 1: stretch in which the western side of the river is 409 00:28:00,555 --> 00:28:03,235 Speaker 1: fronted by a series of sheer cliffs called the Palisades, 410 00:28:03,595 --> 00:28:08,315 Speaker 1: brownish black and striated carved as the river took shape 411 00:28:08,315 --> 00:28:10,715 Speaker 1: millions of years ago, but always looking like they had 412 00:28:10,755 --> 00:28:16,315 Speaker 1: been carefully designed for esthetic effect. Unfortunately, they are best 413 00:28:16,395 --> 00:28:19,875 Speaker 1: seen from the commuter railroad that runs along the Hudson 414 00:28:19,875 --> 00:28:22,755 Speaker 1: into Westchester County, New York, instead of a series of 415 00:28:22,795 --> 00:28:26,555 Speaker 1: parks or even private palaces. Our forefathers had the presence 416 00:28:26,555 --> 00:28:29,875 Speaker 1: of mind to build factories and copper processing plants and 417 00:28:29,995 --> 00:28:33,555 Speaker 1: other nightmares right on the Hudson because of the obvious 418 00:28:33,635 --> 00:28:37,355 Speaker 1: transportation benefits the Hudson provided, and so the train tracks 419 00:28:37,355 --> 00:28:39,315 Speaker 1: were laid out next to the river because that made 420 00:28:39,315 --> 00:28:41,755 Speaker 1: it even easier to get stuff to and from the 421 00:28:41,795 --> 00:28:44,595 Speaker 1: big city. And damn the views or the ability to 422 00:28:44,635 --> 00:28:50,675 Speaker 1: appreciate life on the water or the pollution. Still, if 423 00:28:50,715 --> 00:28:53,315 Speaker 1: you ever find yourself now taking a train from Grand 424 00:28:53,315 --> 00:28:57,755 Speaker 1: Central Station into the western half of Westchester, get a 425 00:28:57,795 --> 00:29:00,355 Speaker 1: window seat on the left side of the trainer. Better yet, 426 00:29:00,355 --> 00:29:02,915 Speaker 1: when you come back into New York City, sit on 427 00:29:02,955 --> 00:29:05,315 Speaker 1: the right side, on the river side, and you will 428 00:29:05,355 --> 00:29:09,235 Speaker 1: get fifteen minutes or more of the most magnificent view 429 00:29:09,395 --> 00:29:14,235 Speaker 1: imaginable out the big windows. Winters, spring summer or fall, 430 00:29:14,675 --> 00:29:18,275 Speaker 1: the palisades provide the Hudson with a magnificent frame that's 431 00:29:18,315 --> 00:29:23,075 Speaker 1: almost like a miniature Grand Canyon. I remember thinking of 432 00:29:23,115 --> 00:29:26,075 Speaker 1: all this that one day early in nineteen eighty I 433 00:29:26,115 --> 00:29:28,715 Speaker 1: was finally feeling a little better thanks to doctor Cecilini. 434 00:29:29,555 --> 00:29:32,195 Speaker 1: Doctor Cecillini had been my physician since I was a boy, 435 00:29:32,755 --> 00:29:35,115 Speaker 1: and he was the school doctor, and he'd been the 436 00:29:35,155 --> 00:29:39,155 Speaker 1: town doctor since about nineteen forty four, and he always 437 00:29:39,235 --> 00:29:42,595 Speaker 1: name dropped other patients I'd never heard of. And as 438 00:29:42,635 --> 00:29:45,035 Speaker 1: I finished my last growth spurt at the end of 439 00:29:45,035 --> 00:29:47,635 Speaker 1: my twentieth year, I had frequent back pain, no fun 440 00:29:47,715 --> 00:29:50,675 Speaker 1: at all, and sleeping on the floor helped a little, 441 00:29:50,675 --> 00:29:53,315 Speaker 1: but not enough. And finally Cellini, who had been a 442 00:29:53,395 --> 00:29:56,515 Speaker 1: hospital doctor during World War Two and had seen everything, 443 00:29:57,235 --> 00:30:00,995 Speaker 1: said hey, just get this prescription filled. Take one on 444 00:30:01,035 --> 00:30:02,675 Speaker 1: them every day for the next week. It's called a 445 00:30:02,755 --> 00:30:07,515 Speaker 1: muscle relaxing. No solos up your back, all this lessen 446 00:30:07,555 --> 00:30:11,555 Speaker 1: the pain. Well, bet, just don't you know, don't operate 447 00:30:11,595 --> 00:30:14,355 Speaker 1: any heavy machinery. You operate heavy machinery, and you do 448 00:30:14,355 --> 00:30:18,515 Speaker 1: those sportscast arts. Keith had a patient try to run 449 00:30:18,555 --> 00:30:20,835 Speaker 1: a processor at the Copper factory. While I took this 450 00:30:20,955 --> 00:30:24,955 Speaker 1: nineteen fifty seven lost three fingers. Leonardo ben Venuti. You 451 00:30:24,955 --> 00:30:27,075 Speaker 1: know what ben venutis used to live on William Street, 452 00:30:28,475 --> 00:30:34,155 Speaker 1: I laughed. This was him every time, the ben Venuti's 453 00:30:34,195 --> 00:30:38,755 Speaker 1: on William Street, the Smiths on William Street, the Williams 454 00:30:38,755 --> 00:30:43,155 Speaker 1: on Smith Street. Anyway, back to the muscle relaxings, I 455 00:30:43,195 --> 00:30:45,555 Speaker 1: don't think I had ever heard of them before, let 456 00:30:45,555 --> 00:30:48,955 Speaker 1: alone taken one. I took my barking back to the 457 00:30:48,995 --> 00:30:51,555 Speaker 1: pharmacy in my hometown of Hastings on Hudson, New York. 458 00:30:51,675 --> 00:30:53,835 Speaker 1: I got the prescription filled, I bought a soda at 459 00:30:53,875 --> 00:30:56,475 Speaker 1: the pizza parlor across the street, and I ambled down 460 00:30:56,475 --> 00:31:00,755 Speaker 1: the tiny village's picturesque business district. It's three blocks long, 461 00:31:01,395 --> 00:31:04,995 Speaker 1: past the statue our old neighbor Jacques Lipschitz donated, and 462 00:31:05,075 --> 00:31:08,115 Speaker 1: the ultra modern library, and right into the train station. 463 00:31:08,635 --> 00:31:11,995 Speaker 1: It was January. It was about twelve degrees and as 464 00:31:12,035 --> 00:31:13,875 Speaker 1: I waited for the train to make its forty minute 465 00:31:13,875 --> 00:31:16,195 Speaker 1: trip into the city and my job as a sportscaster 466 00:31:16,315 --> 00:31:18,995 Speaker 1: for the radio network of United Press International, I took 467 00:31:18,995 --> 00:31:23,195 Speaker 1: the pill what were they called again, muscle muscle relaxants 468 00:31:23,835 --> 00:31:27,835 Speaker 1: that doctor C had given me and given his other patient, 469 00:31:28,075 --> 00:31:30,475 Speaker 1: Rico Randazzo, Or was that some guy he mentioned in 470 00:31:30,555 --> 00:31:34,315 Speaker 1: nineteen sixty six to me? I worked the night shift 471 00:31:34,355 --> 00:31:36,795 Speaker 1: at UPI, so the train was almost always empty, and 472 00:31:36,835 --> 00:31:39,355 Speaker 1: thus I almost always had my choice of window seats. 473 00:31:40,075 --> 00:31:44,115 Speaker 1: Midday and midwinter combined to make the sun glistened with 474 00:31:44,275 --> 00:31:47,675 Speaker 1: extra sparkle off the magnificent Hudson, and the sun's angle 475 00:31:47,795 --> 00:31:52,315 Speaker 1: was such that the palisades behind them gleamed brightly as well. 476 00:31:52,875 --> 00:31:55,595 Speaker 1: And I was thinking about just how gorgeous they were, 477 00:31:55,755 --> 00:32:02,755 Speaker 1: and how underrated the Hudson was, and I felt myself 478 00:32:03,155 --> 00:32:07,635 Speaker 1: drifting away. I felt two hands, one on each shoulder, 479 00:32:07,715 --> 00:32:11,435 Speaker 1: shaking me violently. Hey buddy, Hey, Hey, hey, hey buddy. 480 00:32:11,515 --> 00:32:15,035 Speaker 1: I fought to open my eyes and to avoid the 481 00:32:15,115 --> 00:32:19,435 Speaker 1: bad breath now enveloping my face. As I finally came around, 482 00:32:19,435 --> 00:32:22,195 Speaker 1: I realized it was the conductor who had just taken 483 00:32:22,275 --> 00:32:25,795 Speaker 1: my ticket. The train wasn't moving. In fact, only half 484 00:32:25,875 --> 00:32:28,555 Speaker 1: of the lights were on in the train. The palisades 485 00:32:28,555 --> 00:32:32,395 Speaker 1: were long gone, not the Hudson nor the palisades, but 486 00:32:32,515 --> 00:32:35,875 Speaker 1: darkness came in through the windows. I was completely confused 487 00:32:36,075 --> 00:32:37,715 Speaker 1: and I'd shake it off. You got to get out 488 00:32:37,715 --> 00:32:40,155 Speaker 1: of here. This is as far as we go. Train's 489 00:32:40,195 --> 00:32:42,275 Speaker 1: going out of service. You don't get off now, you'll 490 00:32:42,315 --> 00:32:44,355 Speaker 1: be parked under thirty seventh straight for the rest of 491 00:32:44,395 --> 00:32:48,395 Speaker 1: the day. Through my fog and my haze, I finally 492 00:32:48,435 --> 00:32:51,155 Speaker 1: began to understand what had happened and where I was, 493 00:32:51,835 --> 00:32:54,075 Speaker 1: and I began to try to stand when a horrifying 494 00:32:54,115 --> 00:32:57,555 Speaker 1: awareness overtook me. I could not move the right side 495 00:32:57,595 --> 00:33:02,115 Speaker 1: of my face. What was worse, I could barely feel 496 00:33:02,155 --> 00:33:05,435 Speaker 1: the right side of my face. Good God, what had 497 00:33:05,475 --> 00:33:08,715 Speaker 1: happened to me? Was this like that haunting episode of 498 00:33:08,755 --> 00:33:11,115 Speaker 1: Alfred Hitchcock where the woman is struggling to wake up 499 00:33:11,315 --> 00:33:14,195 Speaker 1: and remembered the details of the accident out on San 500 00:33:14,235 --> 00:33:17,715 Speaker 1: Francisco Bay the night before, only as it finally comes 501 00:33:17,755 --> 00:33:20,675 Speaker 1: back to her, it turns out the accident had drowned 502 00:33:20,715 --> 00:33:23,075 Speaker 1: her boyfriend, and the reason it was so difficult to 503 00:33:23,075 --> 00:33:25,475 Speaker 1: remember was, as she realized only when she got up 504 00:33:25,475 --> 00:33:27,875 Speaker 1: and saw her reflection in a mirror, that the accident 505 00:33:27,915 --> 00:33:30,515 Speaker 1: hadn't happened last night, but it had happened in nineteen 506 00:33:30,555 --> 00:33:33,035 Speaker 1: oh five, and she'd been in an insane asylum for 507 00:33:33,115 --> 00:33:37,755 Speaker 1: half a century? Was that what had happened to me? No, Actually, 508 00:33:38,715 --> 00:33:41,795 Speaker 1: as I discovered when my struggle finally freed my face 509 00:33:41,875 --> 00:33:45,755 Speaker 1: from the train window to which it had stuck, because 510 00:33:45,795 --> 00:33:50,515 Speaker 1: I had drooled for like thirty five consecutive minutes, because 511 00:33:50,555 --> 00:33:52,755 Speaker 1: I had taken the muscle relaxing, because I had taken 512 00:33:52,795 --> 00:33:56,355 Speaker 1: an honest empty stomach, because I knew nothing about muscle relaxins. 513 00:33:56,515 --> 00:34:00,275 Speaker 1: Because I was out cold with my mouth open, pressed 514 00:34:00,315 --> 00:34:03,035 Speaker 1: up against the train window on a twelve degree day, 515 00:34:03,235 --> 00:34:09,355 Speaker 1: and I had gotten froze into the glass. Looked it 516 00:34:09,435 --> 00:34:12,075 Speaker 1: was not quite half a century in an insane asylum, 517 00:34:12,075 --> 00:34:15,675 Speaker 1: but certainly more embarrassing. It seemed like it took me 518 00:34:15,755 --> 00:34:19,835 Speaker 1: half a century to pull all of this together. I 519 00:34:19,915 --> 00:34:23,155 Speaker 1: stood up wobbly. I apologized to the conductor, and I 520 00:34:23,235 --> 00:34:28,475 Speaker 1: mumbled back back pain, new new drug. And as I 521 00:34:28,635 --> 00:34:31,275 Speaker 1: banked from one side of the doorway to the other 522 00:34:31,515 --> 00:34:35,115 Speaker 1: and bounced out onto the platform, the conductor shouted after me, 523 00:34:35,515 --> 00:34:41,195 Speaker 1: only take him at night, Huh that little saga? Yeah, Doc, 524 00:34:41,275 --> 00:34:43,275 Speaker 1: my back is better, But I left half the skin 525 00:34:43,355 --> 00:34:45,595 Speaker 1: on my right cheek frozen into the one twenty from 526 00:34:45,635 --> 00:34:50,595 Speaker 1: Hastings the Grand Central, He'd probably say, yeah, that happened 527 00:34:50,595 --> 00:34:54,315 Speaker 1: to another patient of mine, Carlo Johambardo. That reminded me 528 00:34:54,355 --> 00:34:56,635 Speaker 1: of a much later story from doctor Cecilini, and I 529 00:34:56,675 --> 00:35:00,035 Speaker 1: don't want to leave the wrong impression here. Edward Cellini 530 00:35:00,195 --> 00:35:04,155 Speaker 1: was a terrific doctor. He practiced into his nineties. He 531 00:35:04,275 --> 00:35:05,875 Speaker 1: used to tell me to come visit him at his 532 00:35:05,915 --> 00:35:08,595 Speaker 1: practice in his home on Farragut Parkway. Anytime I was 533 00:35:08,635 --> 00:35:11,035 Speaker 1: up from the city visiting my folks, well, I just 534 00:35:11,275 --> 00:35:14,675 Speaker 1: shout the raise and he'd tell me about something about 535 00:35:14,755 --> 00:35:19,115 Speaker 1: treating Umberto Flambini in the Army Hospital in nineteen forty four. 536 00:35:19,635 --> 00:35:21,275 Speaker 1: And he'd asked me if I went to school with 537 00:35:21,315 --> 00:35:23,555 Speaker 1: Marco Bartellini, and then say he had to go. He 538 00:35:23,635 --> 00:35:26,195 Speaker 1: was taking a course over at Suny Purchase about the 539 00:35:26,275 --> 00:35:29,875 Speaker 1: latest computer aided diagnostic tool. The man was ninety years old. 540 00:35:30,075 --> 00:35:35,755 Speaker 1: He never stopped learning. Great man, and did he howl 541 00:35:35,915 --> 00:35:40,395 Speaker 1: at the muscle relaxing story. So sorry I didn't warn you. 542 00:35:40,435 --> 00:35:42,835 Speaker 1: Oh wow, I just tell him at night. I had 543 00:35:42,835 --> 00:35:47,635 Speaker 1: another patient through that nineteen seventeen or in anyway. Now 544 00:35:47,635 --> 00:35:50,315 Speaker 1: it's nineteen ninety five and I'm working at ESPN and 545 00:35:50,355 --> 00:35:53,315 Speaker 1: I'm supposed to fly to Vancouver to do a cameo 546 00:35:53,435 --> 00:35:55,875 Speaker 1: in an Adam Sandler golf movie, which I suppose was 547 00:35:55,875 --> 00:35:57,955 Speaker 1: Happy Gilmour, and I didn't want to try to fly 548 00:35:58,035 --> 00:36:02,315 Speaker 1: to Chicago and then change for Vancouver after going the 549 00:36:02,315 --> 00:36:04,915 Speaker 1: two hours from the middle of Connecticut to JFK. So 550 00:36:04,955 --> 00:36:07,955 Speaker 1: I came in to my folks house the day before 551 00:36:07,995 --> 00:36:10,075 Speaker 1: I took the folks out to dinner. I stayed over 552 00:36:10,115 --> 00:36:12,195 Speaker 1: in the spare room to leave from their house to 553 00:36:12,235 --> 00:36:14,715 Speaker 1: the airport in the morning, and at some point in 554 00:36:14,715 --> 00:36:17,275 Speaker 1: the middle of the night, I began to have chest pains. 555 00:36:17,835 --> 00:36:20,355 Speaker 1: Literally the top of my ribs hurt and my breathing 556 00:36:20,435 --> 00:36:22,555 Speaker 1: was constricted, and I couldn't get back to sleep. And 557 00:36:22,595 --> 00:36:24,395 Speaker 1: now I'm thinking, I don't know what's wrong, but something 558 00:36:24,515 --> 00:36:27,875 Speaker 1: is wrong. So I canceled the trip and I head 559 00:36:27,955 --> 00:36:29,995 Speaker 1: up to doctor Cecilimini as soon as he's opened up 560 00:36:30,035 --> 00:36:32,155 Speaker 1: shop and he's eighty five now, and he gives me 561 00:36:32,195 --> 00:36:33,915 Speaker 1: the big welcome as usual, and I tell him the 562 00:36:33,915 --> 00:36:37,515 Speaker 1: story and he says, oh, yeah, to think it's not 563 00:36:37,515 --> 00:36:39,755 Speaker 1: gonna worry about, but we wish you get this on 564 00:36:39,795 --> 00:36:42,195 Speaker 1: the record just case your movie company gets fissy with 565 00:36:42,235 --> 00:36:45,475 Speaker 1: you about canceling. Dad happened to another friend of mine, 566 00:36:45,635 --> 00:36:49,835 Speaker 1: patient Francesco Lola Bridgeta. I had a cameo and Moby 567 00:36:49,875 --> 00:36:52,595 Speaker 1: Dick in nineteen fifty six. He had cancel. They wanted it, soume, 568 00:36:53,275 --> 00:36:54,995 Speaker 1: how about you get your dad, just drive you up 569 00:36:55,035 --> 00:36:57,635 Speaker 1: to the hospital Dobbs Ferry, and I'll meet you there 570 00:36:57,635 --> 00:37:00,155 Speaker 1: and I'll like half an hour hour and a half 571 00:37:00,195 --> 00:37:02,915 Speaker 1: something like that. Let me just run a couple of 572 00:37:02,915 --> 00:37:04,395 Speaker 1: tests on you when we got you up. There's no 573 00:37:04,475 --> 00:37:07,475 Speaker 1: run whatsoever. What's our now? He stares off into space 574 00:37:07,515 --> 00:37:09,635 Speaker 1: for a second, and he looks back and he says, 575 00:37:10,275 --> 00:37:13,435 Speaker 1: I gotta I got an idea a little simpler. I 576 00:37:13,515 --> 00:37:15,675 Speaker 1: have to go there later up to drop off some 577 00:37:15,675 --> 00:37:20,035 Speaker 1: paperwork on some other guy, Frisco Gaspucci. No, Frisco any 578 00:37:20,075 --> 00:37:21,795 Speaker 1: just give me a second. I'll call him. I'll tell 579 00:37:21,875 --> 00:37:23,595 Speaker 1: him we're coming up, and I just you just hop 580 00:37:23,635 --> 00:37:25,235 Speaker 1: in the car with me and go out and waiting room. 581 00:37:25,435 --> 00:37:27,795 Speaker 1: I'm gonna call him about Frisco. And I gotta worry 582 00:37:27,795 --> 00:37:32,115 Speaker 1: about doctor patient confidentiality. But about Frisco Gaspucci, Sai, you 583 00:37:32,155 --> 00:37:33,995 Speaker 1: know I gotta worry about that. So I don't want 584 00:37:34,035 --> 00:37:38,835 Speaker 1: you to listening. So now ed Cecily and he's driving 585 00:37:38,875 --> 00:37:40,875 Speaker 1: me to Dobbs Ferry Hospital and I'm thinking about how 586 00:37:40,955 --> 00:37:44,115 Speaker 1: much he defines the idea of a really dedicated doctor, 587 00:37:44,115 --> 00:37:46,075 Speaker 1: and how every other patient he's ever mentioned to me, 588 00:37:46,155 --> 00:37:49,075 Speaker 1: I've never heard of one of them. And we get 589 00:37:49,115 --> 00:37:51,595 Speaker 1: to the hospital, I don't know. We talked about baseball 590 00:37:51,755 --> 00:37:53,835 Speaker 1: or my folks or something, and he drives right up 591 00:37:53,835 --> 00:37:55,795 Speaker 1: to the er and we walk in like it's nothing, 592 00:37:55,795 --> 00:37:58,635 Speaker 1: and he waves to the admitting nurse. Hi, Shi, how's 593 00:37:58,635 --> 00:38:01,395 Speaker 1: your son Shilla? And he points at me says he's 594 00:38:01,435 --> 00:38:04,155 Speaker 1: the guy, and he says, like it was absolutely the 595 00:38:04,155 --> 00:38:06,355 Speaker 1: way they do at every hospital. You can go all 596 00:38:06,435 --> 00:38:08,395 Speaker 1: his info from him after we run this little check 597 00:38:08,435 --> 00:38:10,475 Speaker 1: on him, all right, And we go right into the 598 00:38:10,555 --> 00:38:13,475 Speaker 1: room and two nurses are in there and they say hi, 599 00:38:13,595 --> 00:38:15,235 Speaker 1: and one of them tells me to take off my shirt. 600 00:38:15,275 --> 00:38:18,075 Speaker 1: The other starts shaving places on my chest, and before 601 00:38:18,115 --> 00:38:20,115 Speaker 1: I know what's happening, I've got electrodes on me and 602 00:38:20,155 --> 00:38:22,035 Speaker 1: they're hooking me up to an EKG and they're drawing 603 00:38:22,035 --> 00:38:24,835 Speaker 1: blood in CELINI reads the start of the EKJ print 604 00:38:24,875 --> 00:38:27,355 Speaker 1: out and he smiles at me, says, I'm sorry. I 605 00:38:27,435 --> 00:38:30,475 Speaker 1: scammed you. But the way you described your chest pains, 606 00:38:30,515 --> 00:38:33,275 Speaker 1: I thought it was fifty fifty had had a heart attack. 607 00:38:33,355 --> 00:38:34,875 Speaker 1: Last thing I wanted to do is tell you that, 608 00:38:35,275 --> 00:38:36,955 Speaker 1: jessin case you had had a heart attack and then 609 00:38:36,955 --> 00:38:39,555 Speaker 1: you had another one that happened to another patient of mine, 610 00:38:39,715 --> 00:38:45,955 Speaker 1: Bernardo Petya Sante. You know Bernardo. Oh, well, I letly this. Ah, 611 00:38:45,995 --> 00:38:48,715 Speaker 1: you're fine, Let me just wait on the blood gases, 612 00:38:49,195 --> 00:38:51,435 Speaker 1: double check that, go out there and do the paperwork 613 00:38:51,555 --> 00:38:55,475 Speaker 1: ship at the desk. I think it's just a muscle problem. 614 00:38:55,595 --> 00:38:58,435 Speaker 1: The son of a gun had not only made sure 615 00:38:58,515 --> 00:39:01,355 Speaker 1: I didn't know it might be serious, it might be 616 00:39:01,435 --> 00:39:04,955 Speaker 1: heart attack serious, but he conned me into going to 617 00:39:04,995 --> 00:39:08,635 Speaker 1: the emergency room without alarming me or even letting me 618 00:39:08,715 --> 00:39:12,035 Speaker 1: know that was his plan all along. And as I'm 619 00:39:12,035 --> 00:39:14,955 Speaker 1: brushing the shaved hairs off my chest and putting my 620 00:39:14,995 --> 00:39:18,435 Speaker 1: shirt on, I say thanks, And then it hits me, Hey, 621 00:39:18,475 --> 00:39:23,395 Speaker 1: another thing, Doc, Bernardo Pietra Sante and Umberto Flambini and 622 00:39:23,395 --> 00:39:26,595 Speaker 1: all these other patients you've mentioned all these years. They 623 00:39:26,595 --> 00:39:31,275 Speaker 1: don't really exist, do they? And he says, oh, you 624 00:39:31,355 --> 00:39:33,115 Speaker 1: got me about that. I'll learn a long time ago. 625 00:39:33,275 --> 00:39:35,235 Speaker 1: Make sure your patient never feels like they're the first 626 00:39:35,275 --> 00:39:37,955 Speaker 1: idiot to have done this to themselves. Come on, I'll 627 00:39:37,955 --> 00:39:40,395 Speaker 1: give you a lift back to your folks. Might look 628 00:39:40,395 --> 00:39:42,555 Speaker 1: in and see how your dad's doing. If he's gotten moment, 629 00:39:56,235 --> 00:39:59,675 Speaker 1: how I missed. Doctor Cecilini should be a snatchoo to 630 00:39:59,795 --> 00:40:02,675 Speaker 1: him in Hastings. Thank you for listening. Countdown has come 631 00:40:02,715 --> 00:40:04,635 Speaker 1: to you from the studios of the Old Woman Broadcasting 632 00:40:04,715 --> 00:40:08,035 Speaker 1: Empire High Top, its headquarters in the Sports Capsule Building 633 00:40:08,195 --> 00:40:13,475 Speaker 1: here in New York. Executive director in Berto Flambini. Here 634 00:40:13,515 --> 00:40:15,675 Speaker 1: are the credits. Most of the music was arranged, produced 635 00:40:15,675 --> 00:40:18,275 Speaker 1: and performed by Brian Ray and John Philip Channel, who 636 00:40:18,275 --> 00:40:21,155 Speaker 1: are the Countdown musical directors. Produced by t Ko Brothers. 637 00:40:21,435 --> 00:40:25,115 Speaker 1: All orchestration and keyboards by John Philip Channel. Guitars based 638 00:40:25,115 --> 00:40:28,235 Speaker 1: on drums by Brian Ray. Other Beetsoven selections have been 639 00:40:28,315 --> 00:40:31,595 Speaker 1: arranged and performed by No Horns Allowed. The sports music 640 00:40:31,715 --> 00:40:33,915 Speaker 1: is the Olderman theme from ESPN two and it was 641 00:40:33,955 --> 00:40:37,795 Speaker 1: written by Mitch Warren Davis courtesy of ESPN, Inc. Musical 642 00:40:37,795 --> 00:40:40,755 Speaker 1: comments by Nancy Fauss. The best baseball stadium organist ever 643 00:40:41,075 --> 00:40:44,035 Speaker 1: our announcer today was Stevie Van's aunt. Everything else is 644 00:40:44,035 --> 00:40:46,395 Speaker 1: pretty much my fault. So that's countdown for this, the 645 00:40:46,435 --> 00:40:49,915 Speaker 1: seven hundred and ninetieth day since Donald Trump's first attempted 646 00:40:49,915 --> 00:40:52,515 Speaker 1: COO against the democratically elected government in the United States. 647 00:40:52,835 --> 00:40:56,675 Speaker 1: Arrest him now while we still can. The next scheduled 648 00:40:56,715 --> 00:40:59,235 Speaker 1: countdown is tomorrow. Until then, I'm Keith Oldruman. Good morning, 649 00:40:59,235 --> 00:41:09,635 Speaker 1: good afternoon, good night, and good luck. Countdown with Keith 650 00:41:09,675 --> 00:41:14,715 Speaker 1: Alerman is a production of iHeartRadio. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, 651 00:41:14,955 --> 00:41:18,915 Speaker 1: visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get 652 00:41:18,955 --> 00:41:19,835 Speaker 1: your podcasts.