1 00:00:04,795 --> 00:00:21,395 Speaker 1: Countdown with Keith Olderman is a production of iHeartRadio. The 2 00:00:21,555 --> 00:00:26,515 Speaker 1: thirty four counts are reportedly all felonies. Each is for 3 00:00:26,635 --> 00:00:31,035 Speaker 1: falsifying business records. Each was elevated from a misdemeanor because 4 00:00:31,035 --> 00:00:34,115 Speaker 1: of an underlying or second crime. Almost certainly the second 5 00:00:34,155 --> 00:00:37,075 Speaker 1: crime is the payoff to Stormy Daniels. He will not 6 00:00:37,755 --> 00:00:41,115 Speaker 1: have a mugshot taken. We believe he will not have 7 00:00:41,195 --> 00:00:44,195 Speaker 1: to face video cameras inside the courtroom, but there will 8 00:00:44,235 --> 00:00:47,955 Speaker 1: be one allowed in the hallway outside the courtroom. Still 9 00:00:47,995 --> 00:00:51,275 Speaker 1: photographers will be allowed in briefly to the courtroom, and 10 00:00:51,355 --> 00:00:53,955 Speaker 1: if you have ever jockeyed for position with the still 11 00:00:54,035 --> 00:00:57,435 Speaker 1: photographers of New York, you know already they will have 12 00:00:57,475 --> 00:00:59,435 Speaker 1: to be brought in early for an intensive course of 13 00:00:59,475 --> 00:01:03,075 Speaker 1: instruction on what the word briefly means. He will not 14 00:01:03,235 --> 00:01:06,435 Speaker 1: speak until he returns to Florida, at least that is 15 00:01:06,435 --> 00:01:09,355 Speaker 1: the prayer of his attorneys. He will not be kept 16 00:01:09,355 --> 00:01:12,355 Speaker 1: in a cell at any point. He will not be handcuffed, 17 00:01:12,355 --> 00:01:15,115 Speaker 1: because the only reason they handcuffed defendants is if they 18 00:01:15,195 --> 00:01:17,875 Speaker 1: pose a flight risk. And as we know, he cannot 19 00:01:18,075 --> 00:01:21,715 Speaker 1: walk down a flight of stairs or steps, let alone run, 20 00:01:22,555 --> 00:01:26,715 Speaker 1: and all of these details, except Judge Marshan's rulings about cameras, 21 00:01:27,155 --> 00:01:30,355 Speaker 1: were in the Yahoo News story by Michael Isikoff, which 22 00:01:30,435 --> 00:01:33,675 Speaker 1: dropped weight last night, and in that story they came 23 00:01:33,755 --> 00:01:38,355 Speaker 1: from We can be certain Trump himself, because minutes after Issakoff, 24 00:01:38,435 --> 00:01:41,195 Speaker 1: who was the central reporter in the Monica Lewinsky story 25 00:01:41,395 --> 00:01:44,035 Speaker 1: just a quarter of a century ago, filed his piece, 26 00:01:44,395 --> 00:01:47,755 Speaker 1: Trump went on to social media and wrote, quote, Wow, 27 00:01:48,075 --> 00:01:51,635 Speaker 1: District Attorney Bragg just illegally leaked the various points and 28 00:01:51,755 --> 00:01:56,115 Speaker 1: complete information on the pathetic indictment against me. I know 29 00:01:56,395 --> 00:02:01,115 Speaker 1: the reporter, and so unfortunately does he This means he 30 00:02:01,515 --> 00:02:05,595 Speaker 1: must be immediately indicted unquote, which of course it does 31 00:02:05,635 --> 00:02:08,275 Speaker 1: not mean in the slightest. Trump went on to insist, 32 00:02:08,435 --> 00:02:11,195 Speaker 1: if he wants to really clean up his reputation, he 33 00:02:11,235 --> 00:02:15,755 Speaker 1: will do the honorable thing and as district attorney, indict himself, 34 00:02:16,755 --> 00:02:21,235 Speaker 1: which is as embarrassingly stupid an idea as one can suggest. 35 00:02:22,435 --> 00:02:25,835 Speaker 1: When that post didn't make it all go away, Trump 36 00:02:25,875 --> 00:02:29,355 Speaker 1: wrote again, and here is where he inadvertently confessed, quote 37 00:02:29,715 --> 00:02:34,475 Speaker 1: da Bragg just illegally leaked the thirty three points of indictment. 38 00:02:34,915 --> 00:02:37,595 Speaker 1: There are no changes or surprises from those he leaked 39 00:02:37,675 --> 00:02:41,755 Speaker 1: days ago. Unquote. The Issikov story says thirty four indictments. 40 00:02:41,995 --> 00:02:45,995 Speaker 1: The previous CNN story said thirty four. Trump is saying 41 00:02:46,115 --> 00:02:49,955 Speaker 1: thirty three, which identifies him as the source, because what 42 00:02:50,115 --> 00:02:54,395 Speaker 1: reporter would change the number from thirty four to thirty three. 43 00:02:54,475 --> 00:02:57,555 Speaker 1: And if the numbers somehow really were thirty three and 44 00:02:57,675 --> 00:03:01,355 Speaker 1: Bragg somehow really were the leaker, Trump has just said 45 00:03:01,915 --> 00:03:06,595 Speaker 1: Bragg got the number of his own indictments wrong. Trump 46 00:03:06,795 --> 00:03:10,115 Speaker 1: leaked it in a last desperate attempt to get Bragg 47 00:03:10,235 --> 00:03:16,715 Speaker 1: to indict himself, or more realistically, to make Trump himself 48 00:03:16,755 --> 00:03:19,235 Speaker 1: look as he has spent his entire life trying to 49 00:03:19,275 --> 00:03:23,795 Speaker 1: look like a martyr. Judge Marsham's ruling late last night 50 00:03:23,835 --> 00:03:27,315 Speaker 1: acceded to the demand from Trump's lawyers to bar video 51 00:03:27,355 --> 00:03:30,155 Speaker 1: cameras from the courtroom for the arrangement because they would 52 00:03:30,235 --> 00:03:34,475 Speaker 1: quote create a circus like atmosphere, which is curious since 53 00:03:34,515 --> 00:03:37,395 Speaker 1: that is a description of every minute of Trump's life 54 00:03:37,435 --> 00:03:40,955 Speaker 1: as well. His lawyers also moved to keep the mug 55 00:03:40,995 --> 00:03:44,235 Speaker 1: shot from the public, which seems to contradict every minute 56 00:03:44,235 --> 00:03:47,715 Speaker 1: of Trump's life as well. The still photographers present for 57 00:03:47,755 --> 00:03:50,275 Speaker 1: what is called a spray, you take your pictures, and 58 00:03:50,275 --> 00:03:53,275 Speaker 1: then you get out before you hear anything that actually happens. 59 00:03:53,595 --> 00:03:58,035 Speaker 1: Seems an odd compromise. Now, if anybody is certain on 60 00:03:58,075 --> 00:04:00,355 Speaker 1: the mug shot thing, that person is lying to you. 61 00:04:00,715 --> 00:04:04,355 Speaker 1: Yahoo reported there will not be one time magazine reported 62 00:04:04,355 --> 00:04:08,595 Speaker 1: there would, though one of his Toady's Hogan Gidley insisted 63 00:04:09,235 --> 00:04:11,795 Speaker 1: yes he would pose for one end quote, it will 64 00:04:11,835 --> 00:04:15,315 Speaker 1: be the most manly, most masculine, most handsome mug shot 65 00:04:15,355 --> 00:04:18,315 Speaker 1: of all time. I can say that definitely before having 66 00:04:18,395 --> 00:04:21,675 Speaker 1: even seen it. And then Gidley insisted he was joking. 67 00:04:21,955 --> 00:04:23,795 Speaker 1: And we all know there is one person who will 68 00:04:23,795 --> 00:04:27,075 Speaker 1: never believe he is joking. And Trump has been roundly 69 00:04:27,115 --> 00:04:30,555 Speaker 1: advised to take a mug shot and turn it into 70 00:04:30,595 --> 00:04:33,155 Speaker 1: a campaign ad and T shirts and other things he 71 00:04:33,155 --> 00:04:35,595 Speaker 1: can make lots of money off of. And in the 72 00:04:35,675 --> 00:04:38,635 Speaker 1: early winter for hyperbolic comment of the week, if not 73 00:04:38,675 --> 00:04:42,035 Speaker 1: the year, somebody said a Trump mugshot would become the 74 00:04:42,115 --> 00:04:45,835 Speaker 1: most famous photograph of the twenty first century. And there 75 00:04:45,955 --> 00:04:48,035 Speaker 1: is no reason to believe the court would make him 76 00:04:48,075 --> 00:04:51,235 Speaker 1: take off his umpa lumpa makeup, nor wear his hair 77 00:04:51,315 --> 00:04:54,955 Speaker 1: like a normal person. Yet now we will be denied 78 00:04:54,995 --> 00:05:12,435 Speaker 1: the pleasure of to quote the song the Rough Cut Tuesday, 79 00:05:15,435 --> 00:05:18,675 Speaker 1: Thank you, Nancy Faust. There is something of a schedule 80 00:05:18,755 --> 00:05:21,995 Speaker 1: for today. At two fifteen, Trump's arraignment is scheduled to 81 00:05:22,115 --> 00:05:25,115 Speaker 1: begin at one hundred Center Street in Manhattan. By two 82 00:05:25,315 --> 00:05:27,875 Speaker 1: forty five at the latest. If it starts on time, 83 00:05:28,275 --> 00:05:30,915 Speaker 1: even with thirty four counts to go through, it will 84 00:05:30,955 --> 00:05:34,955 Speaker 1: be over two forty six. Then Trump leaves flies to 85 00:05:35,035 --> 00:05:37,995 Speaker 1: Florida to give his I Am not a Crook speech 86 00:05:38,035 --> 00:05:41,595 Speaker 1: Tomorrow night. Sometime between two forty five and three thirty, 87 00:05:41,675 --> 00:05:44,275 Speaker 1: the full indictment will be released to the public per 88 00:05:44,315 --> 00:05:47,595 Speaker 1: the court order. At three thirty, District Attorney Bragg will 89 00:05:47,635 --> 00:05:50,395 Speaker 1: hold a news conference, and that'll be a doozy up 90 00:05:50,435 --> 00:05:53,035 Speaker 1: at the level of the mister Simpson failed to turn 91 00:05:53,115 --> 00:05:59,355 Speaker 1: himself in press conference from California in ninety four, unaddressed, undecided, 92 00:05:59,395 --> 00:06:01,835 Speaker 1: but clearly not off the table. The story out of 93 00:06:01,835 --> 00:06:05,195 Speaker 1: Sunday's Daily Mail in England that Trump's lawyers were expecting 94 00:06:05,275 --> 00:06:08,515 Speaker 1: Judge Marshawn to put some sort of gag order in place. 95 00:06:08,955 --> 00:06:11,715 Speaker 1: The far right spent much more time talking about this 96 00:06:11,755 --> 00:06:15,675 Speaker 1: than did the mainstream media. Yesterday, Trump lawyer Elina Habba 97 00:06:15,795 --> 00:06:19,395 Speaker 1: made the unanswerably stupid observation that if there is a 98 00:06:19,475 --> 00:06:22,355 Speaker 1: gag order quote, you have to remember, that's putting a 99 00:06:22,395 --> 00:06:25,275 Speaker 1: gag order on a candidate for presidency so that when 100 00:06:25,275 --> 00:06:27,555 Speaker 1: he is then in a debate, he is unable to 101 00:06:27,595 --> 00:06:30,755 Speaker 1: answer questions that he needs to answer, which of course 102 00:06:30,755 --> 00:06:33,275 Speaker 1: completely ignores the opportunity Trump would then be given to 103 00:06:33,275 --> 00:06:35,755 Speaker 1: make that cute little buttoning my lips gesture with his 104 00:06:35,875 --> 00:06:40,715 Speaker 1: thumb and four finger. Custom in New York State seems 105 00:06:40,715 --> 00:06:44,155 Speaker 1: to be to rarely impose gag orders, but they could 106 00:06:44,155 --> 00:06:47,555 Speaker 1: come from anywhere. The judge can issue one himself, or 107 00:06:47,675 --> 00:06:50,515 Speaker 1: either set of attorneys can request one, and then the 108 00:06:50,595 --> 00:06:54,235 Speaker 1: judge would rule. There seemed to be a consensus building 109 00:06:54,315 --> 00:06:57,075 Speaker 1: late Monday that far more likely than a gag order 110 00:06:57,115 --> 00:07:00,275 Speaker 1: would be Judge Marshawn putting Trump's threats about death and 111 00:07:00,395 --> 00:07:03,955 Speaker 1: destruction and the menacing photo of Trump swinging the baseball 112 00:07:03,955 --> 00:07:07,915 Speaker 1: bat to the record in some way admonishing Trump for them, 113 00:07:08,075 --> 00:07:10,755 Speaker 1: reminding him of the New York laws against obstruction of 114 00:07:10,795 --> 00:07:15,355 Speaker 1: governmental administration, and giving Trump the opportunity to control himself 115 00:07:16,195 --> 00:07:18,755 Speaker 1: for the first time in his life. Marshawn would then 116 00:07:18,795 --> 00:07:21,355 Speaker 1: release a set of ground rules that would put Trump, 117 00:07:21,475 --> 00:07:24,115 Speaker 1: all of his defense lawyers, and for that matter, Da 118 00:07:24,235 --> 00:07:27,195 Speaker 1: Bragg and his staff on notice as to what they 119 00:07:27,235 --> 00:07:30,395 Speaker 1: could and could not say in public. The sword of 120 00:07:30,475 --> 00:07:34,275 Speaker 1: damocles hanging over them would be obvious. If you violate 121 00:07:34,315 --> 00:07:36,915 Speaker 1: the guidelines, we move to the gag order, or maybe 122 00:07:36,955 --> 00:07:42,675 Speaker 1: directly to charges under the governmental obstruction laws. Present to 123 00:07:42,715 --> 00:07:46,835 Speaker 1: hear any such warnings will be yet another Trump attorney. 124 00:07:46,915 --> 00:07:50,915 Speaker 1: He's hired another new one. I'll repeat my demand, my 125 00:07:51,195 --> 00:07:56,075 Speaker 1: plea that they wear numbered ear tags like cows. This 126 00:07:56,115 --> 00:07:58,835 Speaker 1: one is a curious choice, to say the least. His 127 00:07:58,955 --> 00:08:01,595 Speaker 1: name is Todd Blanche. He is a white collar crime 128 00:08:01,595 --> 00:08:05,395 Speaker 1: expert and prosecutor, formerly with the Federal Secutor's Office in 129 00:08:05,435 --> 00:08:08,795 Speaker 1: New York, not the Manhattan Day's Office. He resigned as 130 00:08:08,835 --> 00:08:12,355 Speaker 1: a partner at his private firm to explore the wonderful 131 00:08:12,435 --> 00:08:15,155 Speaker 1: chance for quick promotion in the jet sitting world of 132 00:08:15,235 --> 00:08:20,195 Speaker 1: Team Trump. Blanche currently represents trump all purpose annoyance Boris Epstein. 133 00:08:20,635 --> 00:08:24,955 Speaker 1: But more curiously, Blanche was the lawyer for Trump's free 134 00:08:25,035 --> 00:08:29,315 Speaker 1: Russian connected campaign manager, Paul Manafort. He was the lawyer 135 00:08:29,315 --> 00:08:33,315 Speaker 1: when he and Manafort lost on charges of mortgage fraud 136 00:08:33,315 --> 00:08:36,555 Speaker 1: and other felonies in twenty nineteen, crimes for which Trump 137 00:08:36,675 --> 00:08:41,195 Speaker 1: ultimately pardoned Manafort. Blanche was also the attorney for Igor Freuman, 138 00:08:41,475 --> 00:08:44,955 Speaker 1: the Russian born buddy of Rudy Giuliani. Again, he was 139 00:08:44,995 --> 00:08:49,075 Speaker 1: the attorney for Freuman when Frewman pleaded guilty to soliciting 140 00:08:49,075 --> 00:08:52,555 Speaker 1: political contributions from a foreign donor, and he was sentenced 141 00:08:52,555 --> 00:08:55,235 Speaker 1: to a year and a day in prison. Quite a 142 00:08:55,315 --> 00:08:59,475 Speaker 1: track record. Quote Todd is an excellent lawyer, said one 143 00:08:59,515 --> 00:09:03,035 Speaker 1: of Trump's other lawyers. Nobody's really sure which one he 144 00:09:03,195 --> 00:09:05,675 Speaker 1: or she did not add, even though he seems to 145 00:09:05,755 --> 00:09:09,675 Speaker 1: lose all the time. And while all of this kabuki 146 00:09:09,795 --> 00:09:12,955 Speaker 1: theater unfolds in New York today, the recent trend continues, 147 00:09:13,235 --> 00:09:16,755 Speaker 1: the more important stuff, representing the far greater threat to Trump, 148 00:09:16,995 --> 00:09:22,155 Speaker 1: continues to unfold in Washington. There this Friday, as reported 149 00:09:22,155 --> 00:09:26,595 Speaker 1: by of all organizations Fox quote news unquote, the Office 150 00:09:26,635 --> 00:09:30,675 Speaker 1: of Special Counsel Jack Smith will bring several United States 151 00:09:30,715 --> 00:09:34,595 Speaker 1: Secret Service agents in front of Smith's grand jury investigating 152 00:09:34,635 --> 00:09:39,995 Speaker 1: Trump and quiz them about the stolen classified documents at Marilago. 153 00:09:40,635 --> 00:09:43,235 Speaker 1: Already yesterday came the story of the New Paper trail 154 00:09:43,315 --> 00:09:46,635 Speaker 1: Smith had cobbled together from the texts and emails of 155 00:09:46,715 --> 00:09:51,035 Speaker 1: Trump assistant Molly Michael and Walt caught on tape Nawada. 156 00:09:51,755 --> 00:09:54,595 Speaker 1: Fox left a little wiggle room on the timing, saying 157 00:09:54,595 --> 00:09:58,755 Speaker 1: the testimony was expected Friday. ABC News reported it would 158 00:09:58,755 --> 00:10:01,755 Speaker 1: come in the next few weeks, but the idea that 159 00:10:01,795 --> 00:10:05,235 Speaker 1: when Secret Service agents would finally be called to testify 160 00:10:05,395 --> 00:10:09,075 Speaker 1: against Trump, it'd be about the documents and not what 161 00:10:09,195 --> 00:10:12,835 Speaker 1: happened on January sixth, and that it could possibly occur. 162 00:10:12,955 --> 00:10:15,915 Speaker 1: This rapidly tells you all you need to know about 163 00:10:15,955 --> 00:10:19,515 Speaker 1: where Jack Smith is at and how quickly he is 164 00:10:19,555 --> 00:10:25,595 Speaker 1: approaching the finish line. And it continues. Smith's best witness, 165 00:10:25,675 --> 00:10:27,755 Speaker 1: though he is not yet on the record, is, of course, 166 00:10:27,875 --> 00:10:31,995 Speaker 1: Trump himself. You doubtless saw the clip of Trump with Hannity. 167 00:10:32,355 --> 00:10:35,235 Speaker 1: As Hannity scoffed at the Washington Post report that Trump 168 00:10:35,275 --> 00:10:39,035 Speaker 1: lied to the authorities and withheld boxes of classified documents, 169 00:10:39,235 --> 00:10:43,675 Speaker 1: had the boxes moved around, opened them, rifled through them himself, 170 00:10:43,755 --> 00:10:47,315 Speaker 1: and pulled out items he wanted to keep. Trump decided 171 00:10:47,355 --> 00:10:50,995 Speaker 1: to blow up Hannity's attempt at a cover up. I 172 00:10:50,995 --> 00:10:54,035 Speaker 1: would have the right to do that, Trump said indignantly. 173 00:10:54,355 --> 00:10:57,195 Speaker 1: But I know you, Hannity said, trying to steer Trump away. 174 00:10:57,515 --> 00:11:00,035 Speaker 1: I don't think you would do it. Trump would not 175 00:11:00,115 --> 00:11:03,715 Speaker 1: be steered. I would do that. Trump said, all right, 176 00:11:03,915 --> 00:11:07,195 Speaker 1: let me move on, said Hannity desperately. I have the 177 00:11:07,275 --> 00:11:10,195 Speaker 1: right to take stuff. You know. They ended up paying 178 00:11:10,315 --> 00:11:13,795 Speaker 1: Nixon I think it was eighteen million for what he had, 179 00:11:14,715 --> 00:11:18,875 Speaker 1: And suddenly the whole nightmarish question of Trump's complicated evil 180 00:11:18,995 --> 00:11:23,235 Speaker 1: motives for stealing the record of another nation's defensive strategy 181 00:11:23,635 --> 00:11:28,635 Speaker 1: and another nation's nuclear capabilities became clear and precise and 182 00:11:28,835 --> 00:11:31,675 Speaker 1: so trumpish that it has to be continued on to 183 00:11:31,795 --> 00:11:36,635 Speaker 1: the next Trump. They ended up paying Nixon eighteen million 184 00:11:36,755 --> 00:11:57,155 Speaker 1: for what he had. Cheesy, greedy, little bastard. Obviously, all 185 00:11:57,155 --> 00:11:59,555 Speaker 1: this stuff will be out of date by late afternoon, 186 00:11:59,675 --> 00:12:02,075 Speaker 1: So it is my intention to update this edition of 187 00:12:02,115 --> 00:12:04,915 Speaker 1: this podcast with the full details of what happens, and 188 00:12:05,075 --> 00:12:07,955 Speaker 1: especially what's in the indictment and what gag rules or 189 00:12:08,115 --> 00:12:11,315 Speaker 1: gags suggestions will be put into place, if any. I'll 190 00:12:11,315 --> 00:12:15,155 Speaker 1: do that presumably before sunset. Check your inboxes and notifications 191 00:12:15,155 --> 00:12:19,115 Speaker 1: and whatever else happens when we hit publish. Also, of note, 192 00:12:19,155 --> 00:12:21,235 Speaker 1: here the ratings for the sixty Minutes edition, in which 193 00:12:21,315 --> 00:12:23,635 Speaker 1: Leslie Stall might as well not have done any research 194 00:12:23,675 --> 00:12:25,955 Speaker 1: at all and certainly did not seem to really comprehend 195 00:12:26,195 --> 00:12:31,435 Speaker 1: who Marjorie Barney Rubble really was, earned comparatively lousy ratings. 196 00:12:31,515 --> 00:12:34,635 Speaker 1: The Live plus DBR rating of over eight million viewers, 197 00:12:34,995 --> 00:12:37,395 Speaker 1: down by about a third from what Sixty Minutes did 198 00:12:37,395 --> 00:12:41,235 Speaker 1: the previous week. The live only viewers those who actually 199 00:12:41,235 --> 00:12:46,115 Speaker 1: watched as it happened Sunday night six point six six million. 200 00:12:48,315 --> 00:12:50,355 Speaker 1: And on the subject of TV, it was more than 201 00:12:50,395 --> 00:12:52,595 Speaker 1: just the attempt to fill time with moving pictures of 202 00:12:52,635 --> 00:12:55,795 Speaker 1: ever exciting highway traffic. The wall to wall coverage of 203 00:12:55,835 --> 00:12:58,675 Speaker 1: Trump in a car, then in a plane, then another 204 00:12:58,955 --> 00:13:01,595 Speaker 1: car on the cable networks was more than just showing 205 00:13:01,635 --> 00:13:06,155 Speaker 1: shiny objects. CNN in particular, is trying to cozy up 206 00:13:06,195 --> 00:13:09,875 Speaker 1: to the Trump audience. I have seen this before firsthand, 207 00:13:09,915 --> 00:13:13,475 Speaker 1: when executives at MSNBC tried to move to the right 208 00:13:13,595 --> 00:13:17,315 Speaker 1: of Fox. They hired a psycho named Michael Savage to 209 00:13:17,355 --> 00:13:20,835 Speaker 1: be the host. They paid the price. Things I promised 210 00:13:20,835 --> 00:13:24,435 Speaker 1: not to tell coming up and next. A sad anniversary 211 00:13:24,515 --> 00:13:28,795 Speaker 1: here April fourth, the day my mother died. That's next. 212 00:13:28,835 --> 00:13:41,875 Speaker 1: This is countdown. This is countdown with Keith Alberman, a 213 00:13:41,915 --> 00:13:45,235 Speaker 1: little different format today because you look up one day 214 00:13:45,395 --> 00:13:48,435 Speaker 1: and it turns out it's the anniversary of your mother passing, 215 00:13:48,475 --> 00:13:53,475 Speaker 1: and you do the math and it's fourteen years. My 216 00:13:53,555 --> 00:13:56,875 Speaker 1: mother died right after my fiftieth birthday. Fifty years and 217 00:13:56,995 --> 00:14:00,715 Speaker 1: she's gone nearly a third as long as she and 218 00:14:00,755 --> 00:14:05,675 Speaker 1: I were both here together. It is startling. I find 219 00:14:05,675 --> 00:14:08,435 Speaker 1: I've been bringing my mom up a lot these last 220 00:14:08,435 --> 00:14:11,915 Speaker 1: few years, mostly because any of my friends, my contemporaries 221 00:14:11,955 --> 00:14:15,435 Speaker 1: who have not yet lost both parents are sadly doing 222 00:14:15,475 --> 00:14:19,275 Speaker 1: so now. And there's something I learned when my mom 223 00:14:19,395 --> 00:14:22,195 Speaker 1: died on April fourth, two thousand and nine, and then 224 00:14:22,235 --> 00:14:24,915 Speaker 1: my dad died on March thirteenth, two ten. And if 225 00:14:24,955 --> 00:14:28,275 Speaker 1: you've gone through this lately or even not lately, and 226 00:14:28,355 --> 00:14:31,035 Speaker 1: it still hurts, this might help. If you have yet 227 00:14:31,035 --> 00:14:35,555 Speaker 1: to go through it, write this down somewhere. First of all, 228 00:14:35,835 --> 00:14:37,915 Speaker 1: you are never too old to be an orphan. Do 229 00:14:37,995 --> 00:14:42,475 Speaker 1: not be shocked if it feels like you are an orphan. Secondly, 230 00:14:42,515 --> 00:14:44,595 Speaker 1: if you think you have come to terms with the 231 00:14:44,635 --> 00:14:47,755 Speaker 1: loss of a parent and things are getting better inside, 232 00:14:48,435 --> 00:14:52,675 Speaker 1: utilize my experience In my case, neither death was a surprise. 233 00:14:52,835 --> 00:14:56,395 Speaker 1: I was prepared for both, and I leveled off from 234 00:14:56,395 --> 00:15:00,235 Speaker 1: the immediate grief surprisingly quickly, and then a week or 235 00:15:00,235 --> 00:15:05,835 Speaker 1: so later. In each case, I collapsed weeping, not when 236 00:15:05,875 --> 00:15:10,395 Speaker 1: it happened, but like ten days later. And finally, with 237 00:15:10,435 --> 00:15:14,395 Speaker 1: a little introspection, I recalled something that I have since 238 00:15:14,515 --> 00:15:16,955 Speaker 1: told a hundred people, and they've all literally said, yeah, 239 00:15:16,995 --> 00:15:20,995 Speaker 1: that's it. When you are a kid, unless you have 240 00:15:21,115 --> 00:15:27,275 Speaker 1: suffered direct trauma, death, physical harm, abuse, the first day 241 00:15:27,355 --> 00:15:31,315 Speaker 1: you actually understand that this is not the garden of Eden. 242 00:15:32,355 --> 00:15:34,395 Speaker 1: That day is when you put two and two together 243 00:15:34,435 --> 00:15:37,155 Speaker 1: and you realize that your parents are going to die, 244 00:15:38,115 --> 00:15:41,595 Speaker 1: and that that could happen at any time. It is 245 00:15:41,635 --> 00:15:44,635 Speaker 1: your original fear. It is burned into a part of 246 00:15:44,675 --> 00:15:49,035 Speaker 1: your brain that had until that moment nothing else in it. 247 00:15:50,035 --> 00:15:52,435 Speaker 1: And when it finally happens in real life, whether you 248 00:15:52,475 --> 00:15:55,595 Speaker 1: are six or you are sixty, you suffer the pain 249 00:15:55,635 --> 00:15:58,755 Speaker 1: of the event as you interpret it in real time, 250 00:15:58,795 --> 00:16:02,315 Speaker 1: hopefully as an adult, and then you also suffer the 251 00:16:02,355 --> 00:16:04,955 Speaker 1: pain that you feared first when you were four or 252 00:16:04,955 --> 00:16:07,715 Speaker 1: five or six and you realize someday it would happen. 253 00:16:08,275 --> 00:16:12,155 Speaker 1: That fear has sat untouched and unrelieved, and it is 254 00:16:12,195 --> 00:16:13,915 Speaker 1: as bad as you thought it was going to be 255 00:16:13,995 --> 00:16:18,195 Speaker 1: that childhood day so many years ago. And if you 256 00:16:18,235 --> 00:16:21,875 Speaker 1: can recognize that, it should ease a little bit, as 257 00:16:21,875 --> 00:16:25,595 Speaker 1: it did for me. Of course, you're hurting again. You 258 00:16:25,675 --> 00:16:30,715 Speaker 1: have lost mom or dad, and separately, six year old 259 00:16:30,795 --> 00:16:34,195 Speaker 1: you has lost mom or dad. Realize that, and the 260 00:16:34,315 --> 00:16:36,995 Speaker 1: childhood pain will pass, or it will lessen, or it 261 00:16:37,035 --> 00:16:39,595 Speaker 1: will just merge with the pain of today, and you 262 00:16:39,635 --> 00:16:43,155 Speaker 1: can get about the business of healing. So back to 263 00:16:43,235 --> 00:16:47,995 Speaker 1: my mom. My childhood fear was oddly a little easier 264 00:16:48,035 --> 00:16:50,715 Speaker 1: because the night before I started the fourth grade. I 265 00:16:50,755 --> 00:16:53,355 Speaker 1: swear this is true, and this makes me seven and 266 00:16:53,355 --> 00:16:56,795 Speaker 1: a half years old. I was sitting on my mom's 267 00:16:56,835 --> 00:17:00,355 Speaker 1: bed at the Dobbs Ferry Hospital north of New York City. 268 00:17:00,835 --> 00:17:03,795 Speaker 1: She had phlebitis and one leg was swollen to what 269 00:17:03,915 --> 00:17:07,515 Speaker 1: seemed to me to be the size of Manitoba in Canada. 270 00:17:07,555 --> 00:17:10,955 Speaker 1: And she said, and you will immediately recognize where I 271 00:17:11,035 --> 00:17:14,435 Speaker 1: get my sense of drama from Keith. This could be 272 00:17:14,475 --> 00:17:19,195 Speaker 1: the last time you see me alive. And I went, 273 00:17:21,435 --> 00:17:24,315 Speaker 1: I don't think so. And then in the car on 274 00:17:24,355 --> 00:17:27,835 Speaker 1: the way home, my dad reassured me, I don't think 275 00:17:27,875 --> 00:17:30,035 Speaker 1: so it's serious. I'm not going to kid if people 276 00:17:30,075 --> 00:17:33,515 Speaker 1: do die from this, she's not going to. The swelling 277 00:17:33,635 --> 00:17:36,035 Speaker 1: is like half of what it was yesterday. The doctors 278 00:17:36,115 --> 00:17:38,835 Speaker 1: told me she'll be home tomorrow or the day after. 279 00:17:39,315 --> 00:17:42,155 Speaker 1: You know her, she kind of enjoys people worrying about her, 280 00:17:42,315 --> 00:17:45,595 Speaker 1: and why not, She's your mom. Worry about her. She'll 281 00:17:45,635 --> 00:17:49,875 Speaker 1: love it, and she loved it. The damnedest thing was 282 00:17:49,955 --> 00:17:54,995 Speaker 1: that was in nineteen sixty six. Mom outlived her warning 283 00:17:55,035 --> 00:17:59,355 Speaker 1: to me by nearly forty three years. But when she died, 284 00:17:59,475 --> 00:18:04,995 Speaker 1: she died in Dobb's Ferry Hospital, the same place where 285 00:18:05,035 --> 00:18:09,355 Speaker 1: she made her warning. Of course, it was a different century. 286 00:18:09,475 --> 00:18:11,995 Speaker 1: This remembrance is not going to be her medical history, 287 00:18:11,995 --> 00:18:14,875 Speaker 1: though lord knows Mom was the world's foremost authority on 288 00:18:14,915 --> 00:18:16,915 Speaker 1: her own health. Nor is it going to consist of 289 00:18:16,955 --> 00:18:19,275 Speaker 1: me telling you she was the proverbial saint, although I 290 00:18:19,275 --> 00:18:21,475 Speaker 1: can hear her saying, go ahead, I'm not going to 291 00:18:21,555 --> 00:18:24,595 Speaker 1: disagree with you. Who's going to contradict you. It is 292 00:18:24,595 --> 00:18:27,075 Speaker 1: not going to be a full biography, Suffice to say 293 00:18:27,115 --> 00:18:30,635 Speaker 1: she was a gifted preschool teacher and a legendary authority 294 00:18:30,675 --> 00:18:34,275 Speaker 1: on opera and somewhere. She remains genuinely disappointed that I 295 00:18:34,315 --> 00:18:38,475 Speaker 1: did not get Placido Domingo to sing at her memorial service. 296 00:18:40,155 --> 00:18:43,035 Speaker 1: Instead of the full medical history, I thought that it 297 00:18:43,115 --> 00:18:45,435 Speaker 1: was best to focus on something for which she became 298 00:18:45,475 --> 00:18:48,635 Speaker 1: and remained pretty famous, literally until the day she died. 299 00:18:49,555 --> 00:18:53,715 Speaker 1: My mother was one of the best known baseball fans 300 00:18:53,835 --> 00:18:57,915 Speaker 1: in this country. She attended Yankees games from nineteen thirty 301 00:18:57,915 --> 00:19:01,075 Speaker 1: four through two thousand and four, and she watched or 302 00:19:01,155 --> 00:19:04,155 Speaker 1: listened to everyone that she did not go to up 303 00:19:04,235 --> 00:19:09,635 Speaker 1: until the last year of her life. My guess is 304 00:19:09,835 --> 00:19:13,315 Speaker 1: she went to at least fifteen hundred Yankee games, most 305 00:19:13,355 --> 00:19:17,475 Speaker 1: of them in Box forty seven E in the Yankee 306 00:19:17,475 --> 00:19:21,795 Speaker 1: Stadium that preceded the current one, and this was the effect. 307 00:19:21,875 --> 00:19:25,875 Speaker 1: In March of twenty ten, the Mets manager Jerry Manuel 308 00:19:26,195 --> 00:19:28,835 Speaker 1: came over to me before his team's exhibition game against 309 00:19:28,875 --> 00:19:32,115 Speaker 1: the Detroit Tigers in Lakeland, Florida, and he asked me, 310 00:19:32,955 --> 00:19:36,035 Speaker 1: how's your mother? And he was the fifth or sixth 311 00:19:36,035 --> 00:19:39,435 Speaker 1: active baseball figure to do so in that month. While 312 00:19:39,435 --> 00:19:44,075 Speaker 1: I was at spring training. They averaged at least one 313 00:19:44,315 --> 00:19:47,835 Speaker 1: or two a month baseball figures asking about how my 314 00:19:47,915 --> 00:19:52,755 Speaker 1: mom was for about fourteen years. One day I popped 315 00:19:52,755 --> 00:19:55,915 Speaker 1: out into the Yankees dugout before a playoff game. I'm 316 00:19:55,955 --> 00:19:57,995 Speaker 1: guessing this is two thousand and five, and there was 317 00:19:58,075 --> 00:20:00,635 Speaker 1: a lighter of the Yankees talking to two other pitchers, 318 00:20:00,835 --> 00:20:03,755 Speaker 1: Scott Procter and the future Hall of Famer Randy Johnson 319 00:20:03,915 --> 00:20:06,035 Speaker 1: and Al Sudden. He stopped and looked at me and said, 320 00:20:06,195 --> 00:20:08,915 Speaker 1: what did you hear me telling them about your mother? 321 00:20:09,875 --> 00:20:13,395 Speaker 1: Sure enough, I had interrupted him as he told Randy 322 00:20:13,475 --> 00:20:18,955 Speaker 1: Johnson and Scott Proctor the Chuck Knoblock story, which I 323 00:20:18,955 --> 00:20:20,915 Speaker 1: will tell you in a moment. But after that game 324 00:20:21,035 --> 00:20:23,555 Speaker 1: ended and the Yankees were eliminated from the playoffs. In 325 00:20:23,595 --> 00:20:25,315 Speaker 1: that game, I went into the clubhouse to wish my 326 00:20:25,355 --> 00:20:28,515 Speaker 1: friends among the players a good offseason, and Randy Johnson 327 00:20:28,515 --> 00:20:30,395 Speaker 1: shook my head and he got his a little suitcase 328 00:20:30,395 --> 00:20:33,195 Speaker 1: on wheels and he left the clubhouse. It's guy's like 329 00:20:33,195 --> 00:20:35,475 Speaker 1: eight feet tall and a little tiny suitcase on wheels, 330 00:20:35,475 --> 00:20:39,555 Speaker 1: and it looked adorable. Anyway. About ninety seconds later that 331 00:20:39,635 --> 00:20:42,155 Speaker 1: Randy Johnson comes back into the clubhouse and comes over 332 00:20:42,195 --> 00:20:44,275 Speaker 1: to me. I'm glad you're still here. I forgot to 333 00:20:44,315 --> 00:20:46,835 Speaker 1: tell you a story about your mother is wonderful and 334 00:20:46,835 --> 00:20:50,195 Speaker 1: it's very warm. It made my day. Thanks for sharing it. 335 00:20:50,275 --> 00:20:53,555 Speaker 1: Have a good winter. It was the effect that my 336 00:20:53,595 --> 00:20:57,435 Speaker 1: mother had on people. And four years later, I guess, 337 00:20:57,555 --> 00:21:01,835 Speaker 1: not six hours before Mom died, a New York Yankees 338 00:21:01,915 --> 00:21:05,075 Speaker 1: executive made reference to that which had made Mom famous 339 00:21:05,115 --> 00:21:08,835 Speaker 1: in the ballpark the day she died. And trust me, 340 00:21:09,235 --> 00:21:15,235 Speaker 1: Mom loved being famous in the ballparks. And finally, the story, 341 00:21:15,635 --> 00:21:18,315 Speaker 1: which I have not told you, not in full, my 342 00:21:18,435 --> 00:21:22,315 Speaker 1: mother's fame was achieved in the way it was on 343 00:21:22,475 --> 00:21:27,235 Speaker 1: June seventeenth, two thousand, when the sudden and growing inability 344 00:21:27,315 --> 00:21:30,835 Speaker 1: of the ill fortuned Yankees second baseman Chuck Nablock to 345 00:21:30,955 --> 00:21:34,435 Speaker 1: make any kind of successful throw easy or hard to 346 00:21:34,475 --> 00:21:38,035 Speaker 1: first base culminated in him picking up a squib off 347 00:21:38,075 --> 00:21:40,315 Speaker 1: the bat of Greg Norton of the Chicago White Sots 348 00:21:40,515 --> 00:21:43,915 Speaker 1: and throwing it not back towards first base, but instead 349 00:21:44,195 --> 00:21:47,675 Speaker 1: off the roof of the Yankees dugout, where it somehow 350 00:21:47,715 --> 00:21:50,835 Speaker 1: picked up a little reverse English and then smacked my 351 00:21:50,915 --> 00:21:54,435 Speaker 1: mother right in the bridge of her glasses as she 352 00:21:54,515 --> 00:21:58,035 Speaker 1: sat a couple of rows back of the dugout. Chuck 353 00:21:58,155 --> 00:22:00,755 Speaker 1: Nablock was in the middle of losing his beloved father 354 00:22:00,835 --> 00:22:02,675 Speaker 1: at that time, and though I thought I got what 355 00:22:02,755 --> 00:22:05,875 Speaker 1: that meant to him, I didn't really understand it until 356 00:22:06,515 --> 00:22:09,515 Speaker 1: the days I began to write this, and I struggled 357 00:22:09,515 --> 00:22:11,875 Speaker 1: to find the right keys, let alone the right words. 358 00:22:12,755 --> 00:22:15,195 Speaker 1: In any event, for those three days in the year 359 00:22:15,235 --> 00:22:18,675 Speaker 1: two thousand, Mom was on one or both of the 360 00:22:18,715 --> 00:22:21,595 Speaker 1: covers of the New York Post and the New York 361 00:22:21,675 --> 00:22:26,675 Speaker 1: Daily News and New York Newsday. She was somewhere in 362 00:22:26,875 --> 00:22:30,875 Speaker 1: almost every newspaper in America. That is not hyperbole, it 363 00:22:30,955 --> 00:22:35,755 Speaker 1: is literal fact. And all this happened while I was 364 00:22:35,795 --> 00:22:38,875 Speaker 1: the host of the Baseball Game of the Week for Fox, 365 00:22:39,715 --> 00:22:42,395 Speaker 1: literally sitting in a studio in Los Angeles, watching a 366 00:22:42,435 --> 00:22:44,915 Speaker 1: bank of monitors with a different game on every monitor, 367 00:22:45,075 --> 00:22:47,955 Speaker 1: and recognizing instantly what must have happened, based on a 368 00:22:47,955 --> 00:22:51,155 Speaker 1: lifetime of knowing. The camera angles in Yankee Stadium, the 369 00:22:51,195 --> 00:22:54,755 Speaker 1: ballpark in which I grew up. I said, maybe two, 370 00:22:54,795 --> 00:23:00,355 Speaker 1: matter of factly, that probably hit my mother. The crew laughed, 371 00:23:00,915 --> 00:23:05,155 Speaker 1: and I repeat it, that probably hit my mother more laughs. 372 00:23:05,635 --> 00:23:08,115 Speaker 1: Then the next shot was of an older woman being 373 00:23:08,195 --> 00:23:11,195 Speaker 1: led up the aisle towards an AID station, and it 374 00:23:11,235 --> 00:23:15,635 Speaker 1: was my mother. End of laughter. So moments later, when 375 00:23:15,675 --> 00:23:18,035 Speaker 1: the announcers Joe Buck and Tim McCarver through to me 376 00:23:18,075 --> 00:23:21,235 Speaker 1: for a Fox game break, I narrated that exact highlight, 377 00:23:21,475 --> 00:23:23,715 Speaker 1: and I said that Chuck now blocks throwing problems had 378 00:23:23,715 --> 00:23:27,075 Speaker 1: now gotten personal, that he had now hit my mother. 379 00:23:27,755 --> 00:23:30,355 Speaker 1: Her glasses are broken, Joe and Tim, and she's going home. 380 00:23:30,355 --> 00:23:32,595 Speaker 1: But I've just spoken to her. She's okay, Joe, Tim. 381 00:23:33,675 --> 00:23:37,515 Speaker 1: There was silence from their booth at Dodger Stadium. Finally 382 00:23:37,515 --> 00:23:42,435 Speaker 1: Tim McCarver said, huh, is that I'm speechless? Is that 383 00:23:42,515 --> 00:23:44,595 Speaker 1: one of Keith's jokes? Keith, are you still there? Was 384 00:23:44,595 --> 00:23:48,515 Speaker 1: that really your mother? I'm here, Tim? My goodness? Is Shell? 385 00:23:48,595 --> 00:23:51,075 Speaker 1: What are the odds against Tim? She's been going to 386 00:23:51,155 --> 00:23:53,755 Speaker 1: Yankee games since nineteen thirty four and nothing bad's ever 387 00:23:53,795 --> 00:23:55,915 Speaker 1: happened to her. I'd say the odds are pretty good. 388 00:23:56,275 --> 00:23:59,355 Speaker 1: But is she She's fine, She'll be back in that 389 00:23:59,395 --> 00:24:02,195 Speaker 1: same seat tomorrow. She's a gamer. Also, she asked me 390 00:24:02,235 --> 00:24:03,795 Speaker 1: to tell you she likes you better now that you're 391 00:24:03,795 --> 00:24:07,195 Speaker 1: with the Yankees and the Mets. After that, I never 392 00:24:07,235 --> 00:24:09,595 Speaker 1: saw Tim McCarver again without him asking how my mother 393 00:24:09,715 --> 00:24:12,115 Speaker 1: was In fact, he called me after his game ended 394 00:24:12,555 --> 00:24:16,875 Speaker 1: to make sure she was okay that day. The next week, 395 00:24:16,955 --> 00:24:20,155 Speaker 1: Mom and I pre taped an interview for the pregame show. 396 00:24:20,555 --> 00:24:23,275 Speaker 1: I was in our LA studios and Mom was in 397 00:24:23,355 --> 00:24:28,355 Speaker 1: my childhood home. I concluded the interview by noting my 398 00:24:28,395 --> 00:24:31,275 Speaker 1: status as a memorabilia collector, and I asked Mom if 399 00:24:31,275 --> 00:24:33,435 Speaker 1: she would give me the baseball with which she was hit. 400 00:24:34,355 --> 00:24:36,795 Speaker 1: She said I could bid on it like anybody else. 401 00:24:37,955 --> 00:24:40,795 Speaker 1: For the rest of that season of two thousand, anytime 402 00:24:40,835 --> 00:24:44,195 Speaker 1: Fox broadcast a game from Yankee Stadium, Mom got on TV. 403 00:24:44,755 --> 00:24:47,075 Speaker 1: They gave her a Fox hat to make her easier 404 00:24:47,115 --> 00:24:49,915 Speaker 1: to spot in the crowd. We even talked about her 405 00:24:49,995 --> 00:24:53,355 Speaker 1: during the World Series broadcasts that fall, during which began 406 00:24:53,435 --> 00:24:57,795 Speaker 1: the ritual that continues even to this day, fourteen years 407 00:24:57,835 --> 00:25:01,635 Speaker 1: after her death. Twenty three years after this happened. The 408 00:25:01,755 --> 00:25:05,555 Speaker 1: ritual continues players players who were at the game, players 409 00:25:05,555 --> 00:25:08,835 Speaker 1: who only heard about the game, players of all kind, 410 00:25:09,115 --> 00:25:13,035 Speaker 1: players who were not born when it happened. They asked 411 00:25:13,035 --> 00:25:18,875 Speaker 1: me about my mom and the Chuck Knoblock throw. Since 412 00:25:18,915 --> 00:25:22,035 Speaker 1: the day had happened, Chuck Nablock himself has been mortified 413 00:25:22,275 --> 00:25:25,475 Speaker 1: by it. I was told not long after that he 414 00:25:25,555 --> 00:25:28,915 Speaker 1: was really worried that I thought he had done it deliberately. 415 00:25:29,875 --> 00:25:32,235 Speaker 1: As I pointed out to him some years later when 416 00:25:32,235 --> 00:25:33,835 Speaker 1: we finally got to talk about it, if there was 417 00:25:33,875 --> 00:25:36,395 Speaker 1: one thing we could know for sure was that if 418 00:25:36,395 --> 00:25:39,155 Speaker 1: he had been aiming for my mom, he would have 419 00:25:39,235 --> 00:25:44,875 Speaker 1: missed her. Chuck laughed. I said to him, you made 420 00:25:44,875 --> 00:25:48,675 Speaker 1: her famous. She loved it. She couldn't have been happier 421 00:25:48,715 --> 00:25:52,635 Speaker 1: if they had let her pinch. Hint for you. It 422 00:25:52,675 --> 00:25:54,915 Speaker 1: was my mother who was the fan in our family. 423 00:25:54,995 --> 00:25:58,075 Speaker 1: My dad liked the game enough, but the Yankees traded 424 00:25:58,115 --> 00:26:01,675 Speaker 1: his favorite player, and on his deathbed a year later, 425 00:26:01,715 --> 00:26:04,955 Speaker 1: he was still mad at them for doing that. This 426 00:26:05,035 --> 00:26:08,875 Speaker 1: happened late in nineteen forty eight. The player's name was 427 00:26:08,915 --> 00:26:13,595 Speaker 1: Steve Suchok. My dad's next favorite player was George Sternweis. 428 00:26:13,715 --> 00:26:17,555 Speaker 1: The Yankees traded him in nineteen fifty. This led my 429 00:26:17,635 --> 00:26:20,075 Speaker 1: father to say to me, yeah, you're a Yankee fan. 430 00:26:20,155 --> 00:26:22,275 Speaker 1: Now watch out, they're going to betray you eventually, like 431 00:26:22,315 --> 00:26:27,395 Speaker 1: they'd betrayed me. Then they did. So. Dad wasn't much 432 00:26:27,395 --> 00:26:29,435 Speaker 1: of a fan, and it was mom who introduced me 433 00:26:29,475 --> 00:26:32,155 Speaker 1: to baseball, and in my teenaged years when we went 434 00:26:32,235 --> 00:26:35,075 Speaker 1: nearly every day. It was she who trundled me and 435 00:26:35,155 --> 00:26:38,195 Speaker 1: my sister to the ballparks. It was on her TV 436 00:26:38,435 --> 00:26:40,155 Speaker 1: that I came to love the sport, and by her 437 00:26:40,235 --> 00:26:42,995 Speaker 1: side that I began to understand it. And sitting next 438 00:26:43,035 --> 00:26:45,795 Speaker 1: to her, that's when I began to understand that I 439 00:26:45,835 --> 00:26:48,515 Speaker 1: was not going to be any damn good playing baseball, 440 00:26:48,555 --> 00:26:51,235 Speaker 1: and if I wanted in, maybe i'd better try talking 441 00:26:51,275 --> 00:26:55,635 Speaker 1: about it. Thus was born a career. Obviously, at least 442 00:26:55,675 --> 00:26:58,435 Speaker 1: half of the ham in me comes from her. She 443 00:26:58,675 --> 00:27:01,995 Speaker 1: was an aspiring ballerina, and when I keep talking and 444 00:27:02,035 --> 00:27:04,955 Speaker 1: talking for good or for ill, that's pretty much all her. 445 00:27:05,875 --> 00:27:08,435 Speaker 1: What I do not have evidence of are the thousand 446 00:27:08,435 --> 00:27:11,515 Speaker 1: hours she spent driving me to and from school so 447 00:27:11,555 --> 00:27:14,355 Speaker 1: I could work on the newspaper, or announce the hockey game, 448 00:27:14,795 --> 00:27:18,675 Speaker 1: or get to Yankee Stadium early to take photographs of 449 00:27:18,675 --> 00:27:21,195 Speaker 1: the players, to meet a few of them, to interview 450 00:27:21,195 --> 00:27:24,035 Speaker 1: them when I was a teenager. In retrospect, it's obvious 451 00:27:24,035 --> 00:27:30,155 Speaker 1: she was, to adapt a phrase a media mom. She 452 00:27:30,355 --> 00:27:34,115 Speaker 1: was taken by the proverbial sudden illness in the best 453 00:27:34,115 --> 00:27:37,115 Speaker 1: of senses. She had no apparent symptoms until two weeks 454 00:27:37,115 --> 00:27:39,995 Speaker 1: before she died. She was not severely afflicted until ten 455 00:27:40,075 --> 00:27:43,755 Speaker 1: days before she died. The treatment she received lessened her pain, 456 00:27:44,075 --> 00:27:47,195 Speaker 1: and she never awakened and thus never had to hear 457 00:27:47,675 --> 00:27:50,475 Speaker 1: nor did any of us have to say to her, Mom, 458 00:27:50,515 --> 00:27:55,315 Speaker 1: you have terminal cancer. I'm not going to give you 459 00:27:55,355 --> 00:27:57,755 Speaker 1: the harangue about how you need to go see your doctor, 460 00:27:57,795 --> 00:27:59,795 Speaker 1: because not feeling so bad does not mean you are 461 00:27:59,835 --> 00:28:01,835 Speaker 1: not sick, though you might want to keep that in mind. 462 00:28:02,515 --> 00:28:05,635 Speaker 1: I do have one other story about and baseball that 463 00:28:05,715 --> 00:28:07,555 Speaker 1: I loved telling, and this is the way to finish 464 00:28:07,555 --> 00:28:12,075 Speaker 1: this reminiscence on this anniversary. It's about George Steinbrenner. In 465 00:28:12,155 --> 00:28:14,515 Speaker 1: two thousand, the year Mom got hit by the throw, 466 00:28:14,595 --> 00:28:17,275 Speaker 1: I had the privilege of being the reporter for Fox 467 00:28:17,395 --> 00:28:20,675 Speaker 1: as the Commissioner Baseball presented the Yankees with their third 468 00:28:20,715 --> 00:28:23,555 Speaker 1: straight World Championship trophy after they beat the Mets in 469 00:28:23,595 --> 00:28:26,755 Speaker 1: the World Series. George Steinbrenner, who I had known since 470 00:28:26,875 --> 00:28:30,555 Speaker 1: nineteen seventy three and who had inexplicably become the kind 471 00:28:30,595 --> 00:28:33,395 Speaker 1: of friend you greet with a double handshake or a hug, 472 00:28:33,995 --> 00:28:36,315 Speaker 1: was standing next to me as we waited for an 473 00:28:36,355 --> 00:28:39,755 Speaker 1: on field interview to end, and the presentation of the 474 00:28:39,875 --> 00:28:44,715 Speaker 1: award to begin, and Steinbrenner for that year, for some reason, 475 00:28:44,875 --> 00:28:49,035 Speaker 1: was incredibly emotional. Is your mother here to see this? 476 00:28:49,355 --> 00:28:52,515 Speaker 1: He said? And I said, George, where it's Shay Stadium. 477 00:28:52,635 --> 00:28:54,955 Speaker 1: She had to drive here for two seasons in nineteen 478 00:28:54,955 --> 00:28:57,955 Speaker 1: seventy four, in nineteen seventy five when you were refurbishing 479 00:28:58,035 --> 00:29:01,835 Speaker 1: Yankee Stadium. She hates this place more than you do. 480 00:29:02,235 --> 00:29:04,555 Speaker 1: She told me she wouldn't have come here even if 481 00:29:04,795 --> 00:29:10,995 Speaker 1: Letter play third base. George's mouth shook and tears welled 482 00:29:11,035 --> 00:29:15,555 Speaker 1: in his eyes, and finally he blurted out, I love 483 00:29:15,595 --> 00:29:20,275 Speaker 1: her even more now. Mom had that kind of effect 484 00:29:20,355 --> 00:29:24,075 Speaker 1: on people. I'll be back with things I promised not 485 00:29:24,155 --> 00:29:32,835 Speaker 1: to tell after this. Still ahead on countdown. Hey, I 486 00:29:32,835 --> 00:29:35,675 Speaker 1: don't know if you heard about this, but Trump came 487 00:29:35,715 --> 00:29:38,555 Speaker 1: back into town yesterday like flew in for this indictment 488 00:29:38,635 --> 00:29:44,075 Speaker 1: court hearing. Was that on TV or anything? Oh my god, 489 00:29:44,155 --> 00:29:48,475 Speaker 1: here we go again once again. MSNBC and CNN are 490 00:29:48,475 --> 00:29:51,435 Speaker 1: both tipping their hands about their readiness to go right 491 00:29:51,475 --> 00:29:55,315 Speaker 1: wing if necessary to protect their money. I know what 492 00:29:55,435 --> 00:29:57,395 Speaker 1: I'm seeing because I was there the last time they 493 00:29:57,435 --> 00:30:01,955 Speaker 1: tried this. But Michael savage story coming up in Things 494 00:30:01,995 --> 00:30:05,275 Speaker 1: I Promised Not to Tell first, in each of the Countdown, 495 00:30:05,275 --> 00:30:07,195 Speaker 1: we feature a dog in need you can help. Every 496 00:30:07,235 --> 00:30:11,475 Speaker 1: dog has its day to South La and Kuda, a big, 497 00:30:11,595 --> 00:30:14,675 Speaker 1: happy guy even though he spent two of his three 498 00:30:14,755 --> 00:30:17,155 Speaker 1: years on this earth in that shelter, one of the 499 00:30:17,155 --> 00:30:21,115 Speaker 1: loudest and most crowded in this country. Standard tongue, hanging out, 500 00:30:21,155 --> 00:30:24,755 Speaker 1: happy big boy. But Kudah seems finally to have given up. 501 00:30:24,755 --> 00:30:27,875 Speaker 1: He's suddenly become so stressed he's spinning around in his cage. 502 00:30:28,515 --> 00:30:30,755 Speaker 1: We need to get him out of there with a 503 00:30:30,875 --> 00:30:34,235 Speaker 1: home and adopter or foster or our pledges so a 504 00:30:34,355 --> 00:30:37,275 Speaker 1: rescue will pull him and save him. Look for Kuda 505 00:30:37,355 --> 00:30:40,955 Speaker 1: on my Twitter feeds. Your retweet can also help him. 506 00:30:41,075 --> 00:30:53,235 Speaker 1: I thank you, and Kuda thanks you. Finally to the 507 00:30:53,315 --> 00:30:56,075 Speaker 1: number one story on the Countdown on my favorite topic, 508 00:30:56,155 --> 00:30:58,355 Speaker 1: me and Things I Promised not to Tell, And I've 509 00:30:58,355 --> 00:31:01,955 Speaker 1: been warning you about CNN and Chris Lick to the 510 00:31:01,955 --> 00:31:05,395 Speaker 1: former Joe Scarborough hitman who when we work together at MSNBC, 511 00:31:05,515 --> 00:31:09,235 Speaker 1: I used to think eight pacede. He was hired to 512 00:31:09,275 --> 00:31:12,115 Speaker 1: run CNN by its new right wing owners in orders 513 00:31:12,115 --> 00:31:16,275 Speaker 1: to neutralize it a maga broke into Nancy Pelosi's home, 514 00:31:16,315 --> 00:31:18,675 Speaker 1: nearly killed her husband, planned to hold her husband hostage 515 00:31:18,715 --> 00:31:22,235 Speaker 1: until she told the truth. CNN put on the Kentucky 516 00:31:22,275 --> 00:31:26,115 Speaker 1: fascist Congressman James Comer, who explained people and both parties 517 00:31:26,155 --> 00:31:31,355 Speaker 1: should tone down the rhetoric. Yesterday, Trump flies from Florida 518 00:31:31,395 --> 00:31:34,315 Speaker 1: to New York, in fact, to go to his nightmarishly 519 00:31:34,355 --> 00:31:37,995 Speaker 1: decorated crap shack a block from my back door, and 520 00:31:38,075 --> 00:31:40,875 Speaker 1: the flight takeoff and the landing and the motorcade are 521 00:31:40,875 --> 00:31:47,195 Speaker 1: covered live on CNN and MSNBC like Trump was dead. Frankly, 522 00:31:48,075 --> 00:31:50,555 Speaker 1: and I use that analogy because I was flashed back 523 00:31:50,595 --> 00:31:54,435 Speaker 1: to June fifth, two thousand and four. The then new 524 00:31:54,555 --> 00:31:57,555 Speaker 1: president of MSNBC has us all in there on a 525 00:31:57,555 --> 00:32:00,715 Speaker 1: Saturday because it's the sixtieth anniversary of D Day, the 526 00:32:00,915 --> 00:32:03,675 Speaker 1: Norman d Invasion, and he is trying to make a 527 00:32:03,795 --> 00:32:07,035 Speaker 1: name for himself. This guy Rick Kaplan is gonna kill it. 528 00:32:07,475 --> 00:32:10,195 Speaker 1: He sent me to interview Yogi Barra about being on 529 00:32:10,195 --> 00:32:12,635 Speaker 1: one of the landing crafts at Normandy, and he's got 530 00:32:12,675 --> 00:32:16,915 Speaker 1: Tom Brokaw live on Omaha Beach with somebody, and all 531 00:32:16,955 --> 00:32:19,555 Speaker 1: of us anchors are in there covering the breaking news 532 00:32:19,835 --> 00:32:22,795 Speaker 1: of something that happened sixty years earlier. And we're in 533 00:32:22,835 --> 00:32:24,995 Speaker 1: the meeting, the last meeting before we go on the 534 00:32:24,995 --> 00:32:27,955 Speaker 1: air in the afternoon, and Kaplan is just starting to 535 00:32:28,075 --> 00:32:30,395 Speaker 1: warm up and to yell at us for no reason, 536 00:32:30,435 --> 00:32:33,875 Speaker 1: which was his one play, when somebody leans in through 537 00:32:33,875 --> 00:32:38,115 Speaker 1: the door to the meeting room and says, hey, Ronald 538 00:32:38,115 --> 00:32:42,395 Speaker 1: Reagan just died, and Kaplan tries to pretend that nothing 539 00:32:42,435 --> 00:32:44,675 Speaker 1: has changed, and he goes on to explaining who we're 540 00:32:44,675 --> 00:32:46,875 Speaker 1: going to go live to Brokaw. We go live to 541 00:32:46,915 --> 00:32:50,595 Speaker 1: Brokaw while there's still some light in Normandy, he said, 542 00:32:50,635 --> 00:32:53,195 Speaker 1: and I raised my hand and I say, Rick, we 543 00:32:53,355 --> 00:32:57,155 Speaker 1: kind of gotta all go all Reagan, you know, I mean, 544 00:32:57,355 --> 00:33:00,515 Speaker 1: he was the president. And Kaplan starts arguing the point 545 00:33:00,555 --> 00:33:04,315 Speaker 1: with me, and the room just stares at him. It's 546 00:33:04,355 --> 00:33:09,515 Speaker 1: a new network, a living ex president isn't living anymore. 547 00:33:11,075 --> 00:33:13,835 Speaker 1: And then he says, how about half an hour of 548 00:33:13,915 --> 00:33:15,875 Speaker 1: Reagan and then half an hour of d Day, and 549 00:33:15,875 --> 00:33:18,195 Speaker 1: then then a half an hour of Reagan. And the 550 00:33:19,275 --> 00:33:24,355 Speaker 1: room now goes silent, finally crestfallen. And this has taken 551 00:33:24,435 --> 00:33:28,755 Speaker 1: five or ten minutes. He says, okay, oh, Reagan and 552 00:33:28,835 --> 00:33:31,075 Speaker 1: the next thing I know, I'm anchoring chopper coverage of 553 00:33:31,195 --> 00:33:35,035 Speaker 1: Ronald Reagan's dead body being driven through southern California. And 554 00:33:35,195 --> 00:33:41,515 Speaker 1: that made sense. Yesterday Trump in a car, We're actually 555 00:33:41,515 --> 00:33:43,355 Speaker 1: Trump in a car, then trumping a plane, then Trump 556 00:33:43,395 --> 00:33:48,635 Speaker 1: in another car. No traffic accidents, no protests, no crowds, 557 00:33:49,115 --> 00:33:52,435 Speaker 1: no impact on New York City at all, no actual 558 00:33:52,515 --> 00:33:54,795 Speaker 1: news out of that clown until the next day, and 559 00:33:55,395 --> 00:34:02,115 Speaker 1: you are looking live at the FDR drive Christ I'll 560 00:34:02,115 --> 00:34:07,035 Speaker 1: repeat my point. This is no boating accident. The reason 561 00:34:07,115 --> 00:34:10,635 Speaker 1: Glickt is in charge of CNN is virtually every mainstream 562 00:34:10,675 --> 00:34:13,115 Speaker 1: media organization in this country has already had the meeting 563 00:34:13,315 --> 00:34:17,155 Speaker 1: they had at CNN. Let's discuss how if America goes 564 00:34:17,195 --> 00:34:20,715 Speaker 1: fully fascist in twenty twenty five or earlier, we can 565 00:34:20,755 --> 00:34:24,675 Speaker 1: still protect this company's profits. I say this not merely 566 00:34:24,715 --> 00:34:27,515 Speaker 1: because I know most of the people running the mainstream 567 00:34:27,555 --> 00:34:32,315 Speaker 1: media organizations, but because these conversations have already happened, and 568 00:34:32,355 --> 00:34:37,395 Speaker 1: they happened long ago, largely because the first not white 569 00:34:37,395 --> 00:34:40,195 Speaker 1: guy president was elected just seven years and two months 570 00:34:40,235 --> 00:34:44,355 Speaker 1: after nine eleven. We forget how seriously and terrifyingly we 571 00:34:44,475 --> 00:34:47,875 Speaker 1: already have teetered on the edge of full fledged fascism 572 00:34:47,955 --> 00:34:50,195 Speaker 1: here after the attacks on the World Trade Center and 573 00:34:50,235 --> 00:34:54,315 Speaker 1: the Pentagon nine to eleven happened between my two ten 574 00:34:54,395 --> 00:34:57,595 Speaker 1: years at MSNBC, but I returned a year and a 575 00:34:57,675 --> 00:35:00,795 Speaker 1: half after it happened, and by then the place I 576 00:35:00,835 --> 00:35:02,875 Speaker 1: went back to work had already hired a sort of 577 00:35:03,155 --> 00:35:07,595 Speaker 1: Alex Jones pro type radio host named Michael Savage, and 578 00:35:07,675 --> 00:35:09,995 Speaker 1: it was slowly trying to build him into the host 579 00:35:10,035 --> 00:35:14,475 Speaker 1: of a weeknight show. Savage was a homophobe plus an 580 00:35:14,475 --> 00:35:18,035 Speaker 1: equal opportunity bigot. His real name was Michael Weener, and 581 00:35:18,155 --> 00:35:19,595 Speaker 1: all you need to know about him is that he 582 00:35:19,635 --> 00:35:22,315 Speaker 1: was a Wiener who pretended he was a Savage. What 583 00:35:22,435 --> 00:35:24,395 Speaker 1: happened to him when they tried to stick him into 584 00:35:24,435 --> 00:35:27,195 Speaker 1: primetime and what he said that led to his firing 585 00:35:27,435 --> 00:35:30,075 Speaker 1: and the blowing up of the let's out Fox Fox 586 00:35:30,115 --> 00:35:33,715 Speaker 1: News plan of the then NBC chairman and CEO, Bob Wright, 587 00:35:34,395 --> 00:35:36,875 Speaker 1: is a great story I will relish telling you in 588 00:35:36,915 --> 00:35:42,435 Speaker 1: a moment, but first a little context to this. MSNBC 589 00:35:42,635 --> 00:35:45,795 Speaker 1: and Fox Nudes launched within weeks of each other in 590 00:35:45,915 --> 00:35:49,715 Speaker 1: nineteen ninety six, and for a while, in fact, until 591 00:35:49,795 --> 00:35:52,715 Speaker 1: I left MSNBC in December nineteen ninety eight. We were 592 00:35:52,795 --> 00:35:57,435 Speaker 1: ahead of Fox in many time periods, though CNN crushed 593 00:35:57,515 --> 00:36:01,195 Speaker 1: us both. Then Fox ascended, then came nine to eleven, 594 00:36:01,475 --> 00:36:04,555 Speaker 1: and then Bob Wright thought he saw his opportunity. All 595 00:36:04,835 --> 00:36:06,675 Speaker 1: you need to know about him is that after he 596 00:36:06,875 --> 00:36:11,515 Speaker 1: left the position of running NBC, he became a contributor 597 00:36:11,555 --> 00:36:16,555 Speaker 1: to Fox Business. At MSNBC, right gave Oliver North his 598 00:36:16,595 --> 00:36:20,115 Speaker 1: own show and Laura Ingram her own show. He had 599 00:36:20,155 --> 00:36:23,595 Speaker 1: given a program to Alan Keyes, a Republican who somehow 600 00:36:23,635 --> 00:36:26,715 Speaker 1: managed to lose Senate races in two different states and 601 00:36:26,875 --> 00:36:31,635 Speaker 1: washed out three different times in Republican presidential primaries. His 602 00:36:31,755 --> 00:36:35,355 Speaker 1: MSNBC show consisted of him giving speeches. Though he was 603 00:36:35,395 --> 00:36:38,475 Speaker 1: alone in a studio with no audience. Alan Keys could 604 00:36:38,515 --> 00:36:41,555 Speaker 1: not break himself up his habit of spraying the room 605 00:36:41,555 --> 00:36:44,515 Speaker 1: with his eyes. The viewer at home would see him 606 00:36:44,515 --> 00:36:47,755 Speaker 1: looking off camera to his left, then looking at the camera, 607 00:36:48,035 --> 00:36:50,715 Speaker 1: then looking off camera to the right. He went back 608 00:36:50,715 --> 00:36:53,675 Speaker 1: and forth like a sprinkler. I remember once looking at 609 00:36:53,715 --> 00:36:56,755 Speaker 1: him and yelling at the TV, Hey, all over here, 610 00:36:56,795 --> 00:37:00,235 Speaker 1: I'm the one in the middle. Bob Wright also brought 611 00:37:00,235 --> 00:37:03,195 Speaker 1: in Joe Scarborough long before Scarborough knew how to disguise 612 00:37:03,315 --> 00:37:07,995 Speaker 1: much of his fascism. Bob Wright fired Phil Donahue, although 613 00:37:08,035 --> 00:37:09,795 Speaker 1: to be fair, that was really more about money than 614 00:37:09,835 --> 00:37:12,435 Speaker 1: it was about politics. But he replaced Donna Hue's show 615 00:37:12,475 --> 00:37:15,475 Speaker 1: with what was supposed to be a high speed, slightly 616 00:37:15,635 --> 00:37:19,155 Speaker 1: right leaning newscast produced by a Fox News refugee. It 617 00:37:19,195 --> 00:37:25,395 Speaker 1: was called Countdown with Sam Donaldson, and needless to say, 618 00:37:25,395 --> 00:37:28,555 Speaker 1: the right leaning idea went horribly horribly wrong after they 619 00:37:28,635 --> 00:37:34,115 Speaker 1: changed it to Countdown with Keith Olberman. MSNBC's lineup was 620 00:37:34,235 --> 00:37:38,035 Speaker 1: remarkably unstable at that time. I had hosted its eight 621 00:37:38,035 --> 00:37:41,315 Speaker 1: pm show from October first, nineteen ninety seven, through the 622 00:37:41,355 --> 00:37:43,555 Speaker 1: beginning of December nineteen ninety eight, and then I left 623 00:37:43,555 --> 00:37:47,715 Speaker 1: to go back to sports and baseball at Fox. Then 624 00:37:47,795 --> 00:37:50,755 Speaker 1: the eight pm hour was hosted by John Hockenberry for 625 00:37:50,955 --> 00:37:54,955 Speaker 1: three months, then Ali North got his shot a month later. 626 00:37:54,955 --> 00:37:57,835 Speaker 1: They started having rotating liberals co host with Ali North. 627 00:37:58,355 --> 00:38:01,635 Speaker 1: In April nineteen ninety nine, it became North and Paul Begala. 628 00:38:01,875 --> 00:38:04,595 Speaker 1: That was five shows in five months. In May they 629 00:38:04,755 --> 00:38:07,555 Speaker 1: cut North and Begala to half an hour. In June 630 00:38:07,595 --> 00:38:09,875 Speaker 1: they canceled them and replaced them with a half hour 631 00:38:09,995 --> 00:38:14,435 Speaker 1: and Curry documentary. In early two thousand, Curry was expanded 632 00:38:14,435 --> 00:38:17,155 Speaker 1: to an hour, but then in May Curry was replaced 633 00:38:17,155 --> 00:38:20,275 Speaker 1: by Lorie Doo. In August two thousand, they started their 634 00:38:20,355 --> 00:38:24,675 Speaker 1: version of Dateline called MSNBC Investigates. In September, they cut 635 00:38:24,715 --> 00:38:28,075 Speaker 1: that show to four days a week and launched a 636 00:38:28,155 --> 00:38:31,715 Speaker 1: vanished white Woman of the Week show actually called Missing 637 00:38:31,835 --> 00:38:36,395 Speaker 1: Persons with Diane Diamond, which they canceled after one episode, 638 00:38:36,915 --> 00:38:39,355 Speaker 1: and then they put MSNBC Investigates back on. Then they 639 00:38:39,395 --> 00:38:40,955 Speaker 1: canceled that a month later to make room for a 640 00:38:40,955 --> 00:38:44,035 Speaker 1: newscast with Forrest Sawyer. Then after the uncertainty of the 641 00:38:44,035 --> 00:38:47,275 Speaker 1: two thousand election, they refocused that as Decision two thousand 642 00:38:47,275 --> 00:38:50,275 Speaker 1: Worth Forrest Sawyer. In January two thousand and one, they 643 00:38:50,315 --> 00:38:53,555 Speaker 1: canceled Forrest Sawyer and put MSNBC Investigates back on for 644 00:38:53,595 --> 00:38:56,395 Speaker 1: the third different time. Then in July they moved the 645 00:38:56,435 --> 00:38:59,235 Speaker 1: News with Brian Williams from nine pm to eight pm. 646 00:38:59,395 --> 00:39:02,275 Speaker 1: Then the next September they moved Brian to CNBC and 647 00:39:02,315 --> 00:39:06,315 Speaker 1: instead launched Phil Donahue show in the eight pm MSNBC slot. 648 00:39:06,915 --> 00:39:09,075 Speaker 1: Then in March two thousand and three day off Donahue. 649 00:39:09,475 --> 00:39:13,035 Speaker 1: They started Countdown originally with Lester Holt, Pat Buchanan and 650 00:39:13,075 --> 00:39:15,795 Speaker 1: Bill Press. Then after the war started and there wasn't 651 00:39:15,835 --> 00:39:18,555 Speaker 1: anything to count Down two anymore, they hired me to 652 00:39:18,595 --> 00:39:22,515 Speaker 1: host Operation Iraqi Freedom, and after one week of that show, 653 00:39:23,315 --> 00:39:26,795 Speaker 1: they launched Countdown with Keith ol Ryman. That's twenty different 654 00:39:26,795 --> 00:39:29,395 Speaker 1: shows or four matsy in four years and four months. 655 00:39:30,515 --> 00:39:34,955 Speaker 1: So Bob Wright's next primetime ideas, and you gotta give 656 00:39:34,995 --> 00:39:37,835 Speaker 1: him this much. He had a lot of primetime ideas 657 00:39:38,115 --> 00:39:40,755 Speaker 1: and virtually all of them made it onto TV. His 658 00:39:40,995 --> 00:39:43,595 Speaker 1: next set of ideas was a primetime lineup of me 659 00:39:43,795 --> 00:39:47,595 Speaker 1: doing the news at eight, then Scarborough at nine, then 660 00:39:47,715 --> 00:39:51,435 Speaker 1: Jesse Ventura at ten, and then this Michael Savage character. 661 00:39:52,155 --> 00:39:54,995 Speaker 1: They began this plot by giving Savage his own show 662 00:39:55,155 --> 00:39:58,715 Speaker 1: an hour every Saturday afternoon on March eighth, two thousand 663 00:39:58,715 --> 00:40:05,755 Speaker 1: and three. Everybody agreed it was crap. On radio, Savage 664 00:40:05,835 --> 00:40:08,675 Speaker 1: sounded kind of threatening, I guess, a kind of red 665 00:40:08,675 --> 00:40:13,035 Speaker 1: meat fascist. But on TV taking calls from viewers in 666 00:40:13,115 --> 00:40:16,555 Speaker 1: a tiny, little cramp looking studio somewhere in the Bay Area, 667 00:40:16,755 --> 00:40:20,635 Speaker 1: he looked small and whiny and cavetchy, and he was 668 00:40:20,675 --> 00:40:23,515 Speaker 1: wearing a bad toupee and a suit that was far 669 00:40:23,595 --> 00:40:27,955 Speaker 1: worse than that. When I was negotiating my return to 670 00:40:28,075 --> 00:40:30,355 Speaker 1: MSNBC in two thousand and three, I got the executive 671 00:40:30,395 --> 00:40:32,795 Speaker 1: in charge of Primetime to put it in my contract 672 00:40:32,915 --> 00:40:36,075 Speaker 1: that Michael Savage would never appear on my newscast in 673 00:40:36,115 --> 00:40:40,595 Speaker 1: any form unless it was an obituary, open and shut. 674 00:40:41,555 --> 00:40:43,915 Speaker 1: But then on Friday, April twenty fifth, two thousand and three, 675 00:40:43,915 --> 00:40:46,315 Speaker 1: I came into work. We were about a month into 676 00:40:46,315 --> 00:40:48,875 Speaker 1: the show, and there in the computer rundown of my 677 00:40:48,915 --> 00:40:53,715 Speaker 1: newscast was a prerecorded Michael Savage commentary. As soon as 678 00:40:53,715 --> 00:40:55,955 Speaker 1: he saw I was in the office, the executive protucer 679 00:40:56,115 --> 00:40:58,835 Speaker 1: they had hired from Fox, a cross eyed chainsmoker named 680 00:40:58,875 --> 00:41:01,515 Speaker 1: Dennis Murray, pushed his way into my office and said, 681 00:41:01,835 --> 00:41:04,355 Speaker 1: we have to run a Michael Savage commentary. There's also 682 00:41:04,395 --> 00:41:07,595 Speaker 1: an inditory Matt Drudge SoundBite. This is per Phil Griffins. 683 00:41:07,635 --> 00:41:09,515 Speaker 1: Who don't think you can call Phil to get it dropped. 684 00:41:09,515 --> 00:41:12,035 Speaker 1: He's not in New York, he's not reachable, and he left. 685 00:41:13,115 --> 00:41:15,395 Speaker 1: I called my agent, I told her the story, and 686 00:41:15,435 --> 00:41:17,595 Speaker 1: I matter of factively asked if they don't drop it. 687 00:41:17,675 --> 00:41:20,115 Speaker 1: I have to walk out, don't I mind you. She 688 00:41:20,195 --> 00:41:26,555 Speaker 1: had just exhausted herself negotiating my extremely unlikely return to MSNBC. 689 00:41:27,195 --> 00:41:29,595 Speaker 1: She didn't flinch. Of course, you have to walk out, 690 00:41:29,835 --> 00:41:32,395 Speaker 1: but first call Phillow Griffin's office and tell him you're leaving. 691 00:41:32,395 --> 00:41:36,315 Speaker 1: Give him a chance. It'll help when you sue them. 692 00:41:36,475 --> 00:41:40,075 Speaker 1: It was breach of contract. I find dramatic, life changing 693 00:41:40,075 --> 00:41:43,515 Speaker 1: and potentially costly stuff like that is usually way easier 694 00:41:43,555 --> 00:41:46,435 Speaker 1: if you have the high moral ground. So I called 695 00:41:46,435 --> 00:41:49,315 Speaker 1: Griffin's office. His assistant said he was in Washington and 696 00:41:49,395 --> 00:41:50,955 Speaker 1: meetings and could not be reached. I said, well, you 697 00:41:50,995 --> 00:41:53,715 Speaker 1: should reach somebody there. Tell them I just called a 698 00:41:53,755 --> 00:41:56,115 Speaker 1: car to take me home because my contract says you 699 00:41:56,155 --> 00:41:59,035 Speaker 1: can't put Michael effing Savage on my newscast. And somebody 700 00:41:59,115 --> 00:42:01,355 Speaker 1: just did nice working with you all. And tell Phil 701 00:42:01,355 --> 00:42:07,475 Speaker 1: to give me a call sometime sometime was three minutes later. Griffin, 702 00:42:07,515 --> 00:42:11,675 Speaker 1: who frequently panicked outdid himself on this call. You would 703 00:42:11,715 --> 00:42:14,475 Speaker 1: really walk out, buddy, I said, it was in the contract. 704 00:42:14,795 --> 00:42:16,835 Speaker 1: I was putting my pens and books in a box 705 00:42:16,875 --> 00:42:21,995 Speaker 1: as we spoke. I told him. He was repeating himself Finally, 706 00:42:21,995 --> 00:42:25,915 Speaker 1: he said, okay, okay, okay, buddy, can you just can 707 00:42:25,955 --> 00:42:28,075 Speaker 1: you look at the commentary and find me a reason, 708 00:42:29,115 --> 00:42:32,035 Speaker 1: a reason it isn't about politics, why it shouldn't run. 709 00:42:32,955 --> 00:42:37,115 Speaker 1: I said, you mean, like video quality or racist language 710 00:42:37,235 --> 00:42:42,675 Speaker 1: or something. Phil Griffin's voice brightened. Yeah, good racist language 711 00:42:42,715 --> 00:42:46,275 Speaker 1: or something that would be great. Call me back the 712 00:42:46,315 --> 00:42:48,995 Speaker 1: executive producer and I went to the video edit suite 713 00:42:48,995 --> 00:42:51,195 Speaker 1: where a guy named Brendan o'melia was cutting out the 714 00:42:51,195 --> 00:42:54,355 Speaker 1: time Savage had stumbled or flubbed while recording this nonsense. 715 00:42:54,875 --> 00:42:57,635 Speaker 1: First of all, I said to the X Fox guy 716 00:42:57,635 --> 00:43:00,875 Speaker 1: who was the producer, Michael Savage is wearing a brown 717 00:43:01,475 --> 00:43:05,675 Speaker 1: shirt and a brown tie on top of his brown shirt. 718 00:43:05,875 --> 00:43:10,435 Speaker 1: He is literally dressed like a Hitler brown shirt. The 719 00:43:10,595 --> 00:43:12,995 Speaker 1: editor o'melia played the whole video for me, and as 720 00:43:12,995 --> 00:43:16,715 Speaker 1: I dialed Phil Griffin, cell I started laughing. I said, 721 00:43:16,755 --> 00:43:20,035 Speaker 1: even for racist homopho bit crap. This thing makes no sense. 722 00:43:20,075 --> 00:43:22,635 Speaker 1: He just keeps saying George W. Bush is right, because 723 00:43:22,635 --> 00:43:26,235 Speaker 1: George W. Bush, because he's right. He looks small and 724 00:43:26,275 --> 00:43:28,435 Speaker 1: whiney in Covechian. He's got a bad tupe in a 725 00:43:28,435 --> 00:43:31,275 Speaker 1: worst suit. We wouldn't run this as a SoundBite in 726 00:43:31,355 --> 00:43:34,715 Speaker 1: his obituary, and the lighting is terrible and he's dressed 727 00:43:35,035 --> 00:43:40,795 Speaker 1: as a brown shirt. Apparently that was enough. Phil Griffin 728 00:43:40,875 --> 00:43:43,915 Speaker 1: ordered the piece dropped from My show. I think they 729 00:43:44,035 --> 00:43:46,115 Speaker 1: ran it on Scarborough Show at nine pm. In fact, 730 00:43:46,155 --> 00:43:48,875 Speaker 1: I think I might be wrong. They ran two or 731 00:43:49,035 --> 00:43:53,115 Speaker 1: three Savage commentaries on Scarborough shows. I know they intended 732 00:43:53,155 --> 00:43:57,835 Speaker 1: to God knows. I never watched Scarborough Show. Happily, this 733 00:43:57,915 --> 00:44:00,995 Speaker 1: was about the time Michael Savage ended his own TV career. 734 00:44:01,595 --> 00:44:05,595 Speaker 1: On Saturday July fifth, two thousand and three, show fifteen 735 00:44:05,675 --> 00:44:10,995 Speaker 1: out of a series of checks Notes fifteen, Michael Savage 736 00:44:11,035 --> 00:44:13,795 Speaker 1: was on the air live on MSNBC when a caller 737 00:44:13,995 --> 00:44:18,355 Speaker 1: baited him about gaze. Savage replied, quote, so you're one 738 00:44:18,395 --> 00:44:22,595 Speaker 1: of them sodomists. U a sodomite. The caller said, yes, oh, 739 00:44:22,635 --> 00:44:25,555 Speaker 1: you're one of them sodomites, continuing the quote. You should 740 00:44:25,595 --> 00:44:28,155 Speaker 1: only get aids and die, you pig. How's that? Why 741 00:44:28,195 --> 00:44:30,315 Speaker 1: don't you see if you consume, you pig, you've got 742 00:44:30,315 --> 00:44:32,595 Speaker 1: nothing better to put me down, you piece of garbage. 743 00:44:32,635 --> 00:44:34,355 Speaker 1: You have nothing better to do today. Go eat a 744 00:44:34,395 --> 00:44:38,595 Speaker 1: sausage and choke on it. Get tricking noteses end quote 745 00:44:39,875 --> 00:44:43,475 Speaker 1: end Michael Savage. And by the way, that quote that 746 00:44:43,515 --> 00:44:46,195 Speaker 1: I just read that was way better than the commentary 747 00:44:46,315 --> 00:44:51,155 Speaker 1: they had him record for Countdown. Two days later, on Monday, 748 00:44:51,715 --> 00:44:54,435 Speaker 1: Eric Sorenson the president of MSNBC, and he was president 749 00:44:54,435 --> 00:44:56,395 Speaker 1: of all the boring things Bob Wright didn't want to 750 00:44:56,395 --> 00:45:01,595 Speaker 1: be bothered with at MSNBC. Eric Sorenson fired Michael Savage. Sorenson, 751 00:45:01,995 --> 00:45:04,235 Speaker 1: for whom I worked in Los Angeles in local news 752 00:45:04,235 --> 00:45:06,475 Speaker 1: and who could sulted on my show on Current TV 753 00:45:06,835 --> 00:45:09,635 Speaker 1: as recently as twenty eleven, took me for a drink 754 00:45:09,675 --> 00:45:13,155 Speaker 1: because he needed to tell somebody what happened next after 755 00:45:13,235 --> 00:45:17,315 Speaker 1: he fired Michael Savage. As soon as the Savage firing 756 00:45:17,395 --> 00:45:20,315 Speaker 1: was announced, Sorenson said, the phone rang in his office 757 00:45:20,355 --> 00:45:24,395 Speaker 1: and it was Bob Wright, the chairman of NBC. Did 758 00:45:24,395 --> 00:45:27,275 Speaker 1: you have to fire Aimeric Right asked in his nasal 759 00:45:27,355 --> 00:45:32,315 Speaker 1: long Island accent, and Sorenson said he answered, yes, I 760 00:45:32,435 --> 00:45:34,595 Speaker 1: literally had to. I had to fire him. Remember the 761 00:45:34,675 --> 00:45:37,995 Speaker 1: cause in his contract there are forty phrases he's not 762 00:45:38,035 --> 00:45:40,515 Speaker 1: allowed to use on the show. It literally says, if 763 00:45:40,555 --> 00:45:43,235 Speaker 1: you say any of the following forty things, you will 764 00:45:43,315 --> 00:45:46,915 Speaker 1: be automatically fired for cause and get no money. Remember 765 00:45:47,195 --> 00:45:50,115 Speaker 1: remember what number four on that list is. Number four 766 00:45:50,195 --> 00:45:53,795 Speaker 1: is quote, I hope you get AIDS and die unquote, 767 00:45:54,275 --> 00:45:57,635 Speaker 1: and then he said, I hope you get AIDS and die. Bob, 768 00:45:57,675 --> 00:46:01,715 Speaker 1: I literally had to fire him. I had to fire him. 769 00:46:01,875 --> 00:46:06,195 Speaker 1: It's in the contract. Eric Sorenson told me. There was 770 00:46:06,195 --> 00:46:08,755 Speaker 1: a long pause on the other end of the phone, 771 00:46:09,355 --> 00:46:12,875 Speaker 1: and then Bob Wright said, in anticipation of all that 772 00:46:12,915 --> 00:46:16,115 Speaker 1: we have seen in television news since all the meetings 773 00:46:16,155 --> 00:46:19,315 Speaker 1: about what happens if the country goes fully fascist, and 774 00:46:19,555 --> 00:46:23,235 Speaker 1: NBC and CNN and CBS and ABC all want to 775 00:46:23,275 --> 00:46:27,315 Speaker 1: protect their profits and do the devil's work, Bob Wright said, 776 00:46:27,315 --> 00:46:31,395 Speaker 1: after a long pause to Eric Sorenson, who had just 777 00:46:31,515 --> 00:46:34,315 Speaker 1: fired Michael Savage because it was in the contract. Bob 778 00:46:34,315 --> 00:46:39,075 Speaker 1: Wright said, softly and sadly, but Eric, did you have 779 00:46:39,155 --> 00:46:55,435 Speaker 1: to fire him? I've done all the damage I can 780 00:46:55,515 --> 00:46:57,995 Speaker 1: do here. Thank you for listening. There are the credits. 781 00:46:58,035 --> 00:47:00,555 Speaker 1: Most of the music was arranged, produced, and performed by 782 00:47:00,555 --> 00:47:02,915 Speaker 1: Brian Ray and John Philip Channel. They are the Countdown 783 00:47:03,035 --> 00:47:07,795 Speaker 1: musical directors. All orchestration and keyboards by John Philip Channel. Guitars, 784 00:47:07,835 --> 00:47:11,275 Speaker 1: bass and drums by Brian Ray, produced by Tko Brothers. 785 00:47:11,595 --> 00:47:15,155 Speaker 1: Other Beethoven selections, such as in our segment about the 786 00:47:15,195 --> 00:47:18,355 Speaker 1: dog in Need Kuda, have been arranged and performed by 787 00:47:18,395 --> 00:47:21,795 Speaker 1: No Horns Allowed. Sports music is the Old Woman theme 788 00:47:21,835 --> 00:47:24,595 Speaker 1: from ESPN two. It was written by Mitch Warren Davis 789 00:47:24,795 --> 00:47:28,355 Speaker 1: courtesy of the ESPN Inc. Musical comments by Nancy Faust. 790 00:47:28,435 --> 00:47:31,635 Speaker 1: The best baseball stadium organist ever. Our announcer today was 791 00:47:31,755 --> 00:47:34,955 Speaker 1: Richard Lewis. He was chosen for a reason. He once 792 00:47:34,995 --> 00:47:38,115 Speaker 1: had a very memorable phone call with my mom. Ask 793 00:47:38,235 --> 00:47:41,395 Speaker 1: him about it. Everything else is pretty much my fault. 794 00:47:41,435 --> 00:47:43,675 Speaker 1: So that's countdown for this the eight hundred and nineteenth 795 00:47:43,755 --> 00:47:47,275 Speaker 1: day since Donald Trump's first attempted coup against the democratically 796 00:47:47,275 --> 00:47:51,715 Speaker 1: elected government of the United States. Don't forget. Keep arresting 797 00:47:51,795 --> 00:47:56,275 Speaker 1: him while we still can. The next scheduled countdown is tomorrow, 798 00:47:56,315 --> 00:47:58,515 Speaker 1: but it's a good bet that I will revise this 799 00:47:58,515 --> 00:48:03,035 Speaker 1: one sometime today after the court hearing, or whenever if 800 00:48:03,035 --> 00:48:06,395 Speaker 1: he tries to flee. Who knows. So subscribe if you 801 00:48:06,435 --> 00:48:10,035 Speaker 1: are not already subscribed, and check your notifications like late 802 00:48:10,075 --> 00:48:13,275 Speaker 1: in the afternoon, and fasten your seat belts. It's going 803 00:48:13,315 --> 00:48:16,515 Speaker 1: to be a bumpy night till then. I'm Keith Alderman. 804 00:48:16,595 --> 00:48:34,435 Speaker 1: Good morning, good afternoon, goodnight, and good luck. Countdown with 805 00:48:34,555 --> 00:48:38,835 Speaker 1: Keith Alderman is a production of iHeartRadio. For more podcasts 806 00:48:38,875 --> 00:48:43,555 Speaker 1: from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever 807 00:48:43,635 --> 00:48:44,995 Speaker 1: you get your podcasts.