1 00:00:04,795 --> 00:00:21,675 Speaker 1: Countdown with Keith Olderman is a production of iHeartRadio. Trump's 2 00:00:21,875 --> 00:00:25,595 Speaker 1: lawyers think we are at the endgame, and Trump thinks 3 00:00:25,635 --> 00:00:28,075 Speaker 1: we are at the endgame. And the New York Times, 4 00:00:28,075 --> 00:00:31,035 Speaker 1: the Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal, and CNN all 5 00:00:31,075 --> 00:00:33,995 Speaker 1: think we are at the endgame, and I sure as 6 00:00:34,035 --> 00:00:36,875 Speaker 1: hell think we are at the endgame. And the real 7 00:00:36,955 --> 00:00:40,435 Speaker 1: headline from where we all sit in Jack Smith's waiting 8 00:00:40,515 --> 00:00:44,275 Speaker 1: room kind of implies we are at the endgame. And 9 00:00:44,435 --> 00:00:47,235 Speaker 1: it was noted by the former District of Columbia federal 10 00:00:47,275 --> 00:00:51,755 Speaker 1: prosecutor and now TV legal analyst Glenn Kirshner. The headline 11 00:00:51,795 --> 00:00:56,555 Speaker 1: is this, we actually now know one thing for certain. 12 00:00:57,035 --> 00:01:00,395 Speaker 1: There clearly has been no decision by the Special counsel 13 00:01:00,595 --> 00:01:05,195 Speaker 1: or the Attorney General to not charge Trump for the 14 00:01:05,195 --> 00:01:09,275 Speaker 1: theft of the classified documents. If all of this wrapping 15 00:01:09,355 --> 00:01:13,195 Speaker 1: up of testimony and investigations and grand jury recalls had 16 00:01:13,275 --> 00:01:16,555 Speaker 1: led to a conclusion not to indict Trump, there would 17 00:01:16,595 --> 00:01:21,035 Speaker 1: have been no reason for Smith and an unidentified DOJ 18 00:01:21,235 --> 00:01:24,955 Speaker 1: career official to have had that meeting with Trump attorneys 19 00:01:25,115 --> 00:01:29,555 Speaker 1: Jim Trusty, John Rowley, and Lindsay Halligan yesterday. And it's 20 00:01:29,595 --> 00:01:34,315 Speaker 1: not just proving the negative. It's not a no, and 21 00:01:34,435 --> 00:01:41,195 Speaker 1: it's pretty certainly not an undecided, which leaves uh with 22 00:01:41,275 --> 00:01:46,515 Speaker 1: me a yes. Kirshner quote. The last thing federal prosecutors 23 00:01:46,555 --> 00:01:49,595 Speaker 1: often do before indicting is to meet the target's defense 24 00:01:49,675 --> 00:01:53,155 Speaker 1: team and give them an opportunity to present any evidence 25 00:01:53,235 --> 00:01:57,595 Speaker 1: or arguments they want to offer. The Washington Post presented 26 00:01:57,635 --> 00:02:00,835 Speaker 1: the same thought. It is not uncommon in high profile 27 00:02:00,955 --> 00:02:03,675 Speaker 1: cases for defense lawyers to get such a meeting with 28 00:02:03,915 --> 00:02:09,035 Speaker 1: Justice Department officials toward the end of an investigation. And 29 00:02:09,115 --> 00:02:12,675 Speaker 1: there is a second fact, a new one. Jack Smith 30 00:02:12,755 --> 00:02:16,035 Speaker 1: has had another grand jury working on the document's case 31 00:02:16,235 --> 00:02:20,315 Speaker 1: in Florida, in the West Palm area, in the jurisdiction 32 00:02:20,715 --> 00:02:24,395 Speaker 1: covering Mari Lago itself. I had heard this last week 33 00:02:24,435 --> 00:02:28,195 Speaker 1: but couldn't confirm it. The Wall Street Journal confirmed it first. 34 00:02:28,355 --> 00:02:31,035 Speaker 1: The New York Times says there is at least one 35 00:02:31,075 --> 00:02:33,955 Speaker 1: more witness going to testify to that Florida grand jury 36 00:02:34,075 --> 00:02:37,835 Speaker 1: later this week, like everybody else, though the Times writers 37 00:02:37,875 --> 00:02:41,315 Speaker 1: confess it is not clear why a second grand jury 38 00:02:41,355 --> 00:02:45,595 Speaker 1: is taking testimony in Florida because it isn't, although some 39 00:02:45,755 --> 00:02:48,955 Speaker 1: legal analysts suggested it gives Smith the flexibility to try 40 00:02:48,955 --> 00:02:52,795 Speaker 1: the case in Washington or West Palm, depending on how 41 00:02:52,795 --> 00:02:57,675 Speaker 1: the juries land. We can also infer a third fact 42 00:02:57,755 --> 00:03:03,475 Speaker 1: from the least likely and usually least reliable source. Trump himself. Literally, 43 00:03:03,635 --> 00:03:07,195 Speaker 1: just minutes after his latest lawyers left the department headquarters 44 00:03:07,195 --> 00:03:11,675 Speaker 1: on Pennsylvania Avenue between ninth and tenth Northwest, Trump erupted 45 00:03:11,715 --> 00:03:15,075 Speaker 1: on social media and gave away what he was still 46 00:03:15,115 --> 00:03:18,075 Speaker 1: hoping for, is still hoping for, must remain hoping for, 47 00:03:18,275 --> 00:03:22,595 Speaker 1: because his world of self delusion depends on this that 48 00:03:22,795 --> 00:03:29,235 Speaker 1: for some reason they will not indict him just cuz quote, 49 00:03:29,315 --> 00:03:33,435 Speaker 1: how can doj possibly charge me who did nothing wrong? 50 00:03:33,635 --> 00:03:37,355 Speaker 1: When no other presidents were charged? When blah blah blah 51 00:03:37,355 --> 00:03:40,995 Speaker 1: blah blah, And then the usual psychotic meanderings through Biden 52 00:03:41,075 --> 00:03:44,995 Speaker 1: this and Hillary's emails that and which hunt, which hunt? 53 00:03:44,995 --> 00:03:50,915 Speaker 1: Which hunt? I think we can reconstruct yesterday's meeting. Smith there, 54 00:03:51,315 --> 00:03:55,155 Speaker 1: but Attorney General Garland and Deputy Attorney General Monacote not there. 55 00:03:55,635 --> 00:03:59,675 Speaker 1: The Trump team goes in complains, as instructed by their client, 56 00:03:59,715 --> 00:04:03,035 Speaker 1: about the rare piercing of attorney client privilege in the 57 00:04:03,075 --> 00:04:06,875 Speaker 1: case of Evan Corcoran gets nowhere, stretches it out for 58 00:04:06,955 --> 00:04:10,035 Speaker 1: two hours according to most reports, ninety minutes according to 59 00:04:10,035 --> 00:04:13,475 Speaker 1: at least one other report, and then leaves, and then, 60 00:04:13,515 --> 00:04:16,155 Speaker 1: presumably trust he gets the pleasure of calling Trump and 61 00:04:16,195 --> 00:04:19,075 Speaker 1: telling him no, you know what, he wouldn't promise not 62 00:04:19,155 --> 00:04:22,795 Speaker 1: to indicte you, or call you innocent publicly, or accept 63 00:04:22,795 --> 00:04:26,035 Speaker 1: your offer to become attorney general in twenty twenty five. 64 00:04:26,515 --> 00:04:29,515 Speaker 1: And then Trump loses his fragile self control because again, 65 00:04:29,595 --> 00:04:34,475 Speaker 1: deep down, he believes he is immortal and untouchable. ABC 66 00:04:34,675 --> 00:04:37,715 Speaker 1: News did provide a valuable sidelight on that meeting and 67 00:04:37,795 --> 00:04:40,235 Speaker 1: on why it would have taken ninety minutes to two 68 00:04:40,315 --> 00:04:43,955 Speaker 1: hours reporting to the meeting. Quote focused mostly on process 69 00:04:44,715 --> 00:04:47,875 Speaker 1: and very little on the legal matters central to the 70 00:04:47,915 --> 00:04:51,435 Speaker 1: document's probe. Trump's lawyer's got no indication of any potential 71 00:04:51,555 --> 00:04:56,755 Speaker 1: charges or timing associated with any possible indictment end quote. 72 00:04:57,275 --> 00:05:00,475 Speaker 1: The word process here would be that whole attorney client 73 00:05:00,635 --> 00:05:05,035 Speaker 1: thing and the other prosecutorial anomalies real or imagined, the 74 00:05:05,075 --> 00:05:09,755 Speaker 1: standard technicalities and loopholes. Trump has spent his life wriggling through, around, 75 00:05:09,835 --> 00:05:14,075 Speaker 1: and under like a bulbous but surprisingly nimble limbo dancer. 76 00:05:15,355 --> 00:05:19,275 Speaker 1: The bigger picture continues to be Yeah, we're at the endgame, 77 00:05:19,875 --> 00:05:23,395 Speaker 1: The Times. The visit came amid indications that prosecutors in 78 00:05:23,395 --> 00:05:26,275 Speaker 1: the Special Council's Office were approaching the end of their 79 00:05:26,355 --> 00:05:29,755 Speaker 1: documents inquiry. It also came at a time when mister 80 00:05:29,755 --> 00:05:32,835 Speaker 1: Trump's advisors have concluded that there might not be much 81 00:05:32,875 --> 00:05:37,555 Speaker 1: more time to stave off charges. Trump expects to face charges, 82 00:05:37,635 --> 00:05:40,435 Speaker 1: The Times Rights, according to people who have spoken to him, 83 00:05:40,835 --> 00:05:43,155 Speaker 1: although that does not mean he has been assured that 84 00:05:43,315 --> 00:05:48,515 Speaker 1: charges are pending. From the post. Two Trump advisors briefed 85 00:05:48,555 --> 00:05:51,315 Speaker 1: on Monday's meetings said they continue to believe Smith will 86 00:05:51,355 --> 00:05:56,315 Speaker 1: finalize a charging decision in coming weeks. The advisers said 87 00:05:56,315 --> 00:05:59,275 Speaker 1: they are preparing for a potential indictment of the former president, 88 00:05:59,515 --> 00:06:02,955 Speaker 1: and the meeting did not change their expectations. The Journal's 89 00:06:03,235 --> 00:06:07,315 Speaker 1: second sentence, the meeting is the latest indication that Smith 90 00:06:07,395 --> 00:06:12,715 Speaker 1: has all but wrapped up his investigation. CNN's second sentence, 91 00:06:13,235 --> 00:06:18,955 Speaker 1: It appears to be nearing its final stage. There did 92 00:06:18,995 --> 00:06:22,275 Speaker 1: not seem to be anything new on the reported reconvening 93 00:06:22,315 --> 00:06:24,715 Speaker 1: of the grand jury this week, nor what it would 94 00:06:24,715 --> 00:06:29,275 Speaker 1: be reconvening. For nearly every report contained a useful reminder, 95 00:06:29,315 --> 00:06:32,435 Speaker 1: though for all of us that whatever happens on this 96 00:06:32,515 --> 00:06:35,595 Speaker 1: document's case, and whenever it happens, Jack Smith will then 97 00:06:35,715 --> 00:06:39,995 Speaker 1: pivot to focusing particularly on January sixth, And as we've 98 00:06:39,995 --> 00:06:43,955 Speaker 1: discussed previously, the easier to prove elements of fraud raising 99 00:06:43,995 --> 00:06:47,595 Speaker 1: funds for a stolen election Trump knew wasn't stolen. So 100 00:06:47,795 --> 00:06:51,875 Speaker 1: if we are expecting indictments, we are expecting them in stages. 101 00:06:53,715 --> 00:06:58,155 Speaker 1: On the twelfth day of Christmas. There is a solid 102 00:06:58,315 --> 00:07:01,915 Speaker 1: joke about the damaged marri Lago security video story that 103 00:07:02,035 --> 00:07:06,995 Speaker 1: came out yesterday. Jack Smith isn't king, but Trump's pool is. 104 00:07:07,875 --> 00:07:12,995 Speaker 1: And so we turn to a leak about leaking, which, 105 00:07:12,995 --> 00:07:16,355 Speaker 1: if I remember correctly, was one of the very first 106 00:07:16,355 --> 00:07:18,955 Speaker 1: things we all tried to get Trump investigated over in 107 00:07:18,995 --> 00:07:26,875 Speaker 1: twenty sixteen. Think about it. We may have an answer 108 00:07:27,115 --> 00:07:29,475 Speaker 1: as to what that second grand jury is looking at 109 00:07:29,475 --> 00:07:31,795 Speaker 1: in Florida, and we probably have the answer as to 110 00:07:31,835 --> 00:07:35,115 Speaker 1: why the Special Council seemed so obsessed with not just 111 00:07:35,355 --> 00:07:38,515 Speaker 1: staffers moving boxes in and out of the storage room 112 00:07:38,515 --> 00:07:41,595 Speaker 1: at mar A Lago, and not just security video of 113 00:07:41,635 --> 00:07:43,955 Speaker 1: staffers moving boxes in and out of the storage room, 114 00:07:44,155 --> 00:07:48,875 Speaker 1: but vaguely worded hints about glitches on the security video. 115 00:07:49,115 --> 00:07:52,475 Speaker 1: And finally, the hilarious report that the marri a Lago 116 00:07:52,555 --> 00:07:56,115 Speaker 1: staffer who helped Walt Naouda with the heavy lifting actually 117 00:07:56,155 --> 00:07:58,875 Speaker 1: went to the IT guy at marri Lago and asked 118 00:07:58,955 --> 00:08:02,995 Speaker 1: him how soon before the CCTV system would delete video 119 00:08:03,275 --> 00:08:13,035 Speaker 1: of uh say, just as a hypothetical himself quote. An 120 00:08:13,035 --> 00:08:16,955 Speaker 1: employee at Donald Trump's Marri Lago Residents drained the resort's 121 00:08:17,195 --> 00:08:21,355 Speaker 1: swimming pool last October and ended up flooding a room 122 00:08:21,795 --> 00:08:28,955 Speaker 1: where computer servers containing surveillance video logs were kept. What 123 00:08:29,035 --> 00:08:33,075 Speaker 1: are the odds against that? The punchline of courses that 124 00:08:33,195 --> 00:08:36,675 Speaker 1: CNN identifies the guy who drained the pool as the 125 00:08:36,715 --> 00:08:41,635 Speaker 1: same guy who helped Walt Naota move the boxes, coincidence, 126 00:08:42,075 --> 00:08:46,955 Speaker 1: no doubt. CNN reports at least one grand jury witness 127 00:08:46,995 --> 00:08:49,435 Speaker 1: has been asked about the washout. It is not clear 128 00:08:49,475 --> 00:08:51,955 Speaker 1: if it was accidental or deliberate. It seems to be 129 00:08:52,035 --> 00:08:55,875 Speaker 1: clear that the IT equipment in that room was not damaged, 130 00:08:56,475 --> 00:08:59,115 Speaker 1: but the whole thing is obviously focused on weather. Like 131 00:08:59,155 --> 00:09:01,155 Speaker 1: the eighteen and a half minute gap on one of 132 00:09:01,235 --> 00:09:05,875 Speaker 1: Nixon's Watergate tapes, somebody had deliberately tried to destroy evidence 133 00:09:05,915 --> 00:09:12,155 Speaker 1: by destroying recordings by draining a swimming pool, and there 134 00:09:12,155 --> 00:09:15,635 Speaker 1: are all the seeming cosmic callbacks in this idea that 135 00:09:15,675 --> 00:09:19,555 Speaker 1: the draining of a country club swimming pool might be 136 00:09:19,635 --> 00:09:22,875 Speaker 1: of critical importance in the revelation of the crimes of 137 00:09:22,915 --> 00:09:27,795 Speaker 1: a president. The Watergate break in itself was uncovered in 138 00:09:27,955 --> 00:09:33,635 Speaker 1: progress because of what first looked like trivial routine building maintenance. 139 00:09:33,755 --> 00:09:37,235 Speaker 1: When the burglars use duct tape to keep a stairwell 140 00:09:37,315 --> 00:09:41,075 Speaker 1: door from locking behind them. The night watchman Frank Wills 141 00:09:41,155 --> 00:09:43,995 Speaker 1: removed the tape, but the next time he passed that 142 00:09:44,115 --> 00:09:48,275 Speaker 1: same door, he saw more tape had been applied to 143 00:09:48,315 --> 00:09:52,995 Speaker 1: cover the lock. That's when he called the cops. More recently, 144 00:09:53,515 --> 00:09:56,435 Speaker 1: we have seen Trump move from drain the swamp to 145 00:09:56,715 --> 00:10:00,155 Speaker 1: drain the pool, and of course, draining a swimming pool 146 00:10:00,195 --> 00:10:03,395 Speaker 1: at a country club well, that's also a callback for 147 00:10:03,915 --> 00:10:08,075 Speaker 1: yes right out the script for the movie Caddyshack, Where's 148 00:10:08,115 --> 00:10:11,595 Speaker 1: that Baby Ruth Candy Bar? And of course there is 149 00:10:11,635 --> 00:10:17,155 Speaker 1: the ultimate Trump callback. To paraphrase what Frank Lesser writes 150 00:10:17,195 --> 00:10:20,995 Speaker 1: on Twitter, how this won't be the first time Trump 151 00:10:21,115 --> 00:10:33,195 Speaker 1: denies causing water damage at a hotel. Also of note, today, 152 00:10:33,275 --> 00:10:35,595 Speaker 1: I may have been the first person with any kind 153 00:10:35,635 --> 00:10:38,835 Speaker 1: of national platform to suggest that Chris licked was going 154 00:10:38,915 --> 00:10:42,875 Speaker 1: to destroy CNN. And I must tell you I really 155 00:10:42,915 --> 00:10:45,635 Speaker 1: did hope it was just my inability to override my 156 00:10:45,875 --> 00:10:49,635 Speaker 1: vivid memories of seeing his worminess up close and personal 157 00:10:49,635 --> 00:10:53,355 Speaker 1: when we were at MSNBC. But even I am beginning 158 00:10:53,435 --> 00:10:58,195 Speaker 1: to wonder if defenestrating him then going downstairs and bringing 159 00:10:58,235 --> 00:11:01,715 Speaker 1: him back upstairs and defenestrating him again, is you know, 160 00:11:01,875 --> 00:11:07,595 Speaker 1: really fair to let's go down and get him again. 161 00:11:09,275 --> 00:11:13,355 Speaker 1: Lichts apology to his staff yesterday has only made things worse. 162 00:11:13,995 --> 00:11:17,155 Speaker 1: It earned him praise not from his own people, but 163 00:11:17,315 --> 00:11:20,075 Speaker 1: from only a couple of horrible human beings who work 164 00:11:20,195 --> 00:11:25,275 Speaker 1: at MSNBC and the one remaining kind of feel good 165 00:11:25,355 --> 00:11:28,995 Speaker 1: part of that whole nightmarish magazine story In The Atlantic, 166 00:11:29,515 --> 00:11:33,195 Speaker 1: lickts dedication to working out and getting healthy with a 167 00:11:33,315 --> 00:11:37,995 Speaker 1: trainer that was blown up yesterday by one tabloid headline 168 00:11:38,355 --> 00:11:42,755 Speaker 1: quote say an ND boss Chris Lickt bragged about taking 169 00:11:43,275 --> 00:11:48,635 Speaker 1: ozempic for weight loss. Side effects of OSIMI concluded nausea, diarrhea, 170 00:11:48,715 --> 00:11:51,435 Speaker 1: and loss of any remaining credibility as a newsman. That's next. 171 00:11:51,515 --> 00:12:01,595 Speaker 1: This is countdown. This is countdown with Keith Albern. Postscripts 172 00:12:01,635 --> 00:12:05,875 Speaker 1: to the news, some headlines, some updates, some snarks, some predictions. Dateline, 173 00:12:05,955 --> 00:12:10,675 Speaker 1: CNN Headquarters, Hudson Yards, New York. I believe the Simpsons 174 00:12:10,755 --> 00:12:16,835 Speaker 1: meme applies here. Stop stop, He's already dead. Yesterday began 175 00:12:16,995 --> 00:12:21,035 Speaker 1: with CNN's Chris Licked being raked over the coals because 176 00:12:21,115 --> 00:12:23,835 Speaker 1: having destroyed most of the network in the live Trump 177 00:12:23,955 --> 00:12:28,275 Speaker 1: CNN town Hall moderated by the hopelessly outmatched Caitlin Collins, 178 00:12:28,755 --> 00:12:31,715 Speaker 1: he had pretty much finished off the self destruction job 179 00:12:31,795 --> 00:12:35,515 Speaker 1: during the live Nikki Haley CNN town Hall on Sunday night, 180 00:12:35,555 --> 00:12:39,115 Speaker 1: in which Jake Tapper, apparently too bored or too burned 181 00:12:39,155 --> 00:12:42,035 Speaker 1: out to give a damn, never pushed back when Haley, 182 00:12:42,355 --> 00:12:45,555 Speaker 1: who is a genuinely stupid person with no principles she 183 00:12:45,595 --> 00:12:48,715 Speaker 1: would not sell out for money or power, actually tried 184 00:12:48,755 --> 00:12:53,435 Speaker 1: to blame suicides by teenaged girls in this country on 185 00:12:53,515 --> 00:12:57,435 Speaker 1: the idea that they might have to deal with transgendered 186 00:12:57,475 --> 00:13:01,555 Speaker 1: girls in the bathroom or on the sports field, something 187 00:13:01,555 --> 00:13:04,715 Speaker 1: of which the number of reported examples is approximately the 188 00:13:05,395 --> 00:13:10,515 Speaker 1: more or less zero that repeat in miniature of the 189 00:13:10,555 --> 00:13:14,875 Speaker 1: blowback against Lickt after the Trump Hendenburg disaster was still 190 00:13:14,915 --> 00:13:18,315 Speaker 1: in progress when Chris Licht got onto the CNN nine 191 00:13:18,315 --> 00:13:22,275 Speaker 1: am internal conference call and tried to apologize to everybody, 192 00:13:22,355 --> 00:13:25,275 Speaker 1: and by ten am all the quotes were all over 193 00:13:25,315 --> 00:13:30,515 Speaker 1: the place. First, Lickt praised the Haley town hall debacle, 194 00:13:30,795 --> 00:13:33,875 Speaker 1: then went off on a monologue that did almost as 195 00:13:33,955 --> 00:13:36,555 Speaker 1: much damage to himself and his network as the piece 196 00:13:36,595 --> 00:13:39,155 Speaker 1: by Tim Alberta in The Atlantic did. To begin with, 197 00:13:39,995 --> 00:13:43,835 Speaker 1: let me quote and translate as we go along, all right, 198 00:13:43,955 --> 00:13:47,355 Speaker 1: quoting Lickt. I know these past few days have been 199 00:13:47,515 --> 00:13:52,155 Speaker 1: very hard for this group unquote wait days. Since Lickt 200 00:13:52,235 --> 00:13:54,795 Speaker 1: took over CNN a year ago, the network has been 201 00:13:54,835 --> 00:13:58,515 Speaker 1: a real life version of the legend of Sisiphus, Only 202 00:13:58,555 --> 00:14:01,315 Speaker 1: it's the actual journalists there who've had to try to 203 00:14:01,315 --> 00:14:03,875 Speaker 1: push the damn rock back up the hill every day 204 00:14:04,155 --> 00:14:07,475 Speaker 1: while it's Licked, who has then deliberately rolled it back 205 00:14:07,555 --> 00:14:14,315 Speaker 1: down every night days. Try month's pace, boy, quoting Licked again. 206 00:14:14,595 --> 00:14:17,355 Speaker 1: I fully recognize that this news cycle and my role 207 00:14:17,395 --> 00:14:20,355 Speaker 1: in it, overshadowed the incredible week of reporting that we 208 00:14:20,555 --> 00:14:24,075 Speaker 1: just had and distracted from the work of every single 209 00:14:24,235 --> 00:14:29,435 Speaker 1: journalist in this organization, and for that, I'm sorry. Unquote. 210 00:14:29,715 --> 00:14:33,915 Speaker 1: First of all, he's not sorry, he's sorry he's getting criticized. 211 00:14:34,595 --> 00:14:38,355 Speaker 1: The reporting he's talking about is CNN's continuing breaking of 212 00:14:38,395 --> 00:14:41,475 Speaker 1: Trump's Special Council stories like the flooding of the IT 213 00:14:41,995 --> 00:14:45,715 Speaker 1: room I mentioned. And remember Chris Lick was hired by 214 00:14:45,835 --> 00:14:51,475 Speaker 1: David Zaslav and John Malone so he would overshadow bad 215 00:14:51,555 --> 00:14:56,035 Speaker 1: stories about Trump and Republicans, overshadow them or keep them 216 00:14:56,035 --> 00:15:00,395 Speaker 1: off the CNN air quote. As I read that article, 217 00:15:00,435 --> 00:15:04,755 Speaker 1: I found myself thinking, CNN is not about me. I 218 00:15:04,795 --> 00:15:08,115 Speaker 1: should not be in the news unless it's taking arrows 219 00:15:08,195 --> 00:15:12,715 Speaker 1: for you. Your work is what should be written about. Unquote. 220 00:15:13,715 --> 00:15:17,155 Speaker 1: Well that's the biggest bullspit in this vast pile of bullspit. 221 00:15:17,275 --> 00:15:22,115 Speaker 1: That is Chris Licked. He has always metaphorically jumped in 222 00:15:22,155 --> 00:15:26,795 Speaker 1: front of somebody else's camera shot Joe Scarborough publicity. Licked 223 00:15:26,835 --> 00:15:29,795 Speaker 1: made sure he was in it too, Gail King, publicity, 224 00:15:30,115 --> 00:15:35,275 Speaker 1: Gail King and lickt. Stephen Colbert saved by Chris lickt 225 00:15:35,435 --> 00:15:40,595 Speaker 1: the new, old, old new whatever it is CNN. Remember 226 00:15:41,075 --> 00:15:46,995 Speaker 1: you can't spell CNN without Chris Licked. I mean, the 227 00:15:47,035 --> 00:15:52,035 Speaker 1: publicity generation of Chris Lickt is so institutionalized now that 228 00:15:52,195 --> 00:15:55,675 Speaker 1: maybe before the CNN nine am call yesterday was even 229 00:15:55,755 --> 00:16:01,235 Speaker 1: over Joe Scarborough the most despicable scumbag I have ever 230 00:16:01,315 --> 00:16:05,915 Speaker 1: worked with, and I've worked with Chris Myers. Joe Scarborough 231 00:16:06,075 --> 00:16:10,475 Speaker 1: was already reading those quotes from another network's internal phone 232 00:16:10,515 --> 00:16:15,315 Speaker 1: call and defending his former producer live on MSNBC and 233 00:16:15,435 --> 00:16:20,155 Speaker 1: one of Scarborough's on air sickophants on MSNBC, the ridiculous 234 00:16:20,235 --> 00:16:24,595 Speaker 1: Donnie Deutsch, said I would never bet against Chris Licht, 235 00:16:25,235 --> 00:16:28,235 Speaker 1: even though it was reportedly Chris Lickt who told Deutsch 236 00:16:28,675 --> 00:16:31,755 Speaker 1: when he was filling in as an MSNBC anchor years ago, 237 00:16:31,955 --> 00:16:33,835 Speaker 1: that a good idea for a show would be to 238 00:16:33,875 --> 00:16:37,075 Speaker 1: criticize me on the air. I mean, I never even 239 00:16:37,115 --> 00:16:40,155 Speaker 1: heard about it until after management came in and apologized 240 00:16:40,195 --> 00:16:42,595 Speaker 1: and told me Deutsch had been suspended and would not 241 00:16:42,675 --> 00:16:47,675 Speaker 1: be anchoring again. And if anything defines the seriousness of 242 00:16:47,795 --> 00:16:51,475 Speaker 1: Licht's series of disasters better than that, I don't know 243 00:16:51,515 --> 00:16:55,635 Speaker 1: what it could be. Daintily vilified by CNN's Christiana I'm 244 00:16:55,675 --> 00:17:01,195 Speaker 1: onpour flacidly badly defended by Anderson Cooper of CNN shot 245 00:17:01,235 --> 00:17:04,595 Speaker 1: fall holes by dozens of off the record CNN people. 246 00:17:04,955 --> 00:17:09,195 Speaker 1: Chris licks only on the record defense in the entire 247 00:17:09,315 --> 00:17:14,515 Speaker 1: television industry has now come from two guys on one 248 00:17:14,555 --> 00:17:20,315 Speaker 1: of the networks he is supposed to be destroying. One 249 00:17:20,355 --> 00:17:23,795 Speaker 1: more quote from the apology tour to those whose trust 250 00:17:23,835 --> 00:17:26,515 Speaker 1: I've lost, I will fight like hell to win it back, 251 00:17:26,595 --> 00:17:30,075 Speaker 1: because you deserve a leader who will be in the 252 00:17:30,155 --> 00:17:35,555 Speaker 1: trenches unquote. He'll be in the trenches, all right, and 253 00:17:35,595 --> 00:17:38,755 Speaker 1: then metaphorically they will bury him in the trenches because 254 00:17:38,955 --> 00:17:42,835 Speaker 1: Warner Bros. Discovery may not actually fire Chris Lickt, but 255 00:17:42,915 --> 00:17:46,435 Speaker 1: he will not be running CNN by autumn at the latest. 256 00:17:47,035 --> 00:17:50,155 Speaker 1: And the second half of that last quote in the 257 00:17:50,195 --> 00:17:54,955 Speaker 1: trenches fighting to ensure CNN remains the world's most trusted 258 00:17:55,075 --> 00:18:02,275 Speaker 1: name in news unquote, most trusted, least watched. So let's 259 00:18:02,315 --> 00:18:05,875 Speaker 1: see how Lickts pretend humility played out there in the 260 00:18:05,915 --> 00:18:08,875 Speaker 1: real world, shall we off the record quotes to the 261 00:18:08,915 --> 00:18:14,075 Speaker 1: first guy licked fired for liberaling while broadcasting Brian Stelter quote, 262 00:18:14,275 --> 00:18:19,315 Speaker 1: he's over quote there's no coming back from that profile. Quote. 263 00:18:19,555 --> 00:18:22,195 Speaker 1: If he's so concerned with the CNN brand, what is 264 00:18:22,275 --> 00:18:25,435 Speaker 1: the point of saying any of this stuff publicly, and 265 00:18:25,515 --> 00:18:28,675 Speaker 1: somebody else said Lickt told him the fight like hell quote, 266 00:18:28,675 --> 00:18:33,155 Speaker 1: but added I've got nothing to lose now, which just 267 00:18:33,195 --> 00:18:35,995 Speaker 1: shows Lickt is still delusional. He's got a lot to 268 00:18:36,075 --> 00:18:40,035 Speaker 1: lose now. To the Washington Post, a CNN anchor added, 269 00:18:40,715 --> 00:18:45,675 Speaker 1: this just seems unsustainable unquote. Also, the Post article had 270 00:18:45,715 --> 00:18:48,795 Speaker 1: one more quote from that Lickt apology on the conference call, 271 00:18:48,955 --> 00:18:54,395 Speaker 1: which doesn't need much amplification or explanation. They say, he said, quote, 272 00:18:54,995 --> 00:19:02,515 Speaker 1: this experience has been tremendously humbling. I bet it has. So. 273 00:19:02,555 --> 00:19:05,315 Speaker 1: That seemed to be it for day twenty seven of 274 00:19:05,395 --> 00:19:08,235 Speaker 1: Chris Licked in crisis, and then came the moment when 275 00:19:08,235 --> 00:19:12,395 Speaker 1: it was obvious that everybody Chris Licked ever tried to 276 00:19:12,595 --> 00:19:17,115 Speaker 1: damage or hurt or interfere with, they were going to 277 00:19:17,155 --> 00:19:20,715 Speaker 1: get in one last shot while he was still breathing. 278 00:19:21,915 --> 00:19:25,155 Speaker 1: The saddest truth about the piece in the Atlantic, the 279 00:19:25,195 --> 00:19:31,395 Speaker 1: one moment when some of us had a moment of pity, empathy, 280 00:19:32,435 --> 00:19:36,915 Speaker 1: felt bad about feeling so good reading it. That saddest 281 00:19:36,955 --> 00:19:40,395 Speaker 1: truth was that, basically the only person who would go 282 00:19:40,515 --> 00:19:43,675 Speaker 1: on the record to the Atlantic writer praising Chris Licked 283 00:19:43,955 --> 00:19:48,635 Speaker 1: was his personal trainer, though the fact that Licked looked 284 00:19:48,675 --> 00:19:52,595 Speaker 1: so desperate that he would magazine writer watch his five 285 00:19:52,635 --> 00:19:55,635 Speaker 1: am workouts and when he finished a bunch of squats 286 00:19:55,675 --> 00:19:58,515 Speaker 1: while he was humping a rope or whatever it was, 287 00:19:58,755 --> 00:20:04,155 Speaker 1: he shouted, Jeff Zucker couldn't do this spit. He had 288 00:20:04,195 --> 00:20:07,915 Speaker 1: at least managed to lose fifty pounds and get in shape. 289 00:20:07,955 --> 00:20:10,595 Speaker 1: This was a guy who had a brain problem. Stay 290 00:20:10,595 --> 00:20:14,755 Speaker 1: in shape, Stay in shape while destroying your television network. 291 00:20:16,075 --> 00:20:19,675 Speaker 1: And then it comes from the London tabloid rag, The 292 00:20:19,835 --> 00:20:23,235 Speaker 1: Daily Mail and The Daily Beast had this story too, 293 00:20:23,275 --> 00:20:27,555 Speaker 1: They just didn't get it published fast enough. Headline exclusive 294 00:20:28,195 --> 00:20:34,395 Speaker 1: CNN boss Chris Lickt bragged about taking ozempic for weight loss. 295 00:20:34,955 --> 00:20:42,235 Speaker 1: Oh oh oh quote. Multiple sources tell dailymail dot com 296 00:20:42,235 --> 00:20:46,755 Speaker 1: that the self proclaimed meal skipping machine actually bragged about 297 00:20:46,875 --> 00:20:51,275 Speaker 1: using the diabetes drug turned weight loss miracle ozempic before 298 00:20:51,315 --> 00:20:55,355 Speaker 1: it became popular among a listers earlier this year. I 299 00:20:55,435 --> 00:20:58,635 Speaker 1: heard about ozempic from Chris, a close friend of Lickt 300 00:20:58,635 --> 00:21:01,475 Speaker 1: told dailymail dot Com when he was at Colbert. He 301 00:21:01,515 --> 00:21:03,835 Speaker 1: explained that he was a huge fan of it and 302 00:21:03,915 --> 00:21:06,115 Speaker 1: he'd been using it to get his weight under control. 303 00:21:06,315 --> 00:21:09,675 Speaker 1: This was back in twenty twenty one, so I was 304 00:21:09,715 --> 00:21:11,675 Speaker 1: shocked when I read the Atlantic story and he was 305 00:21:11,715 --> 00:21:14,155 Speaker 1: claiming it was due to a trainer and cutting meals. 306 00:21:15,035 --> 00:21:21,075 Speaker 1: Paul Lees. He told me point blank he uses it unquote. 307 00:21:21,715 --> 00:21:28,235 Speaker 1: Oh god, ozempic Jeff Zucker couldn't do that spit either, 308 00:21:41,675 --> 00:21:43,475 Speaker 1: Still ahead on countdown. All I had to do in 309 00:21:43,555 --> 00:21:46,435 Speaker 1: the commercial was stride over into the newsroom, grab the 310 00:21:46,475 --> 00:21:49,675 Speaker 1: guy's guitar and smash it against a room divider. The 311 00:21:49,755 --> 00:21:53,235 Speaker 1: trick was, we didn't tell anybody in the newsroom first, 312 00:21:53,595 --> 00:21:57,195 Speaker 1: and a mighty roar went up from the crowd coming 313 00:21:57,275 --> 00:21:58,995 Speaker 1: up first. The day he wrote up with the miss Grants, 314 00:21:58,995 --> 00:22:02,315 Speaker 1: morons and Dunning Kruger Effets specimens who constitute today's worst 315 00:22:02,355 --> 00:22:05,915 Speaker 1: persons in the world. The Bronze Day Begley, an attorney 316 00:22:05,915 --> 00:22:09,035 Speaker 1: in Omaha who did not like the fact that Nebraska 317 00:22:09,075 --> 00:22:13,875 Speaker 1: State Senator Meghan Hunt voted against the creeping meatballism in 318 00:22:13,915 --> 00:22:17,635 Speaker 1: his state, in this case, Legislative Bill five seventy four, 319 00:22:18,075 --> 00:22:21,435 Speaker 1: which would have further restricted gender affirming care in Nebraska. 320 00:22:21,795 --> 00:22:26,515 Speaker 1: So he filed a conflict of interest complaint against Senator Hunt. 321 00:22:27,355 --> 00:22:31,035 Speaker 1: Why because Senator Hunt has a transgender son, and even 322 00:22:31,075 --> 00:22:34,395 Speaker 1: though Medicaid doesn't pay for transgender care, David Begley said 323 00:22:34,395 --> 00:22:37,715 Speaker 1: her family might get money someday from Medicaid because of it, 324 00:22:37,995 --> 00:22:40,795 Speaker 1: and she should have had to disclose this before the vote, 325 00:22:40,875 --> 00:22:43,355 Speaker 1: even though her side lost and her chances of getting 326 00:22:43,355 --> 00:22:45,835 Speaker 1: Medicaid for this are about as big as this worm. 327 00:22:45,955 --> 00:22:51,235 Speaker 1: Begley now growing a soul. The Nebraska Accountability and Disclosure 328 00:22:51,315 --> 00:22:55,075 Speaker 1: Commission began an investigation into this Begley guy's attempt to 329 00:22:55,115 --> 00:22:59,475 Speaker 1: stop legislators from voting unless they agree with him. They've 330 00:22:59,515 --> 00:23:03,595 Speaker 1: now dismissed his complaint. They spent taxpayer money on this. Frankly, 331 00:23:03,635 --> 00:23:08,435 Speaker 1: they should charge because this was intimidation and transphobia and 332 00:23:08,515 --> 00:23:11,355 Speaker 1: it was funded by the taxpayers of Nebraska, and he 333 00:23:11,435 --> 00:23:14,835 Speaker 1: had Begley's office is in the phone book. The runner 334 00:23:14,915 --> 00:23:20,595 Speaker 1: up Spacecaren again Elmo muskrat joined in a space's conversation 335 00:23:20,675 --> 00:23:24,395 Speaker 1: by the decaying remains of Robert F. Kennedy Junior. The 336 00:23:24,435 --> 00:23:27,075 Speaker 1: good news is the thing did not crash this time 337 00:23:27,155 --> 00:23:30,675 Speaker 1: like I did with DeSantis. The bad news, Elmo yesterday 338 00:23:30,715 --> 00:23:33,675 Speaker 1: pushed he had another conspiracy theory in this one. The 339 00:23:33,715 --> 00:23:39,155 Speaker 1: conspiracy is against him. Musk said half of advertising disappeared 340 00:23:39,155 --> 00:23:42,715 Speaker 1: from Twitter overnight because we're insisting on free speech and 341 00:23:43,075 --> 00:23:46,595 Speaker 1: they're literally trying to drive Twitter bankrupt. And when he 342 00:23:46,635 --> 00:23:50,635 Speaker 1: says they, of course, he means I'm driving Twitter bankrupt 343 00:23:50,675 --> 00:23:53,195 Speaker 1: because I have no idea how life works when somebody 344 00:23:53,195 --> 00:23:55,715 Speaker 1: take this goddamn thing away from me, And he might 345 00:23:55,755 --> 00:24:00,715 Speaker 1: as well say, go anti woke, go broke. By the way, 346 00:24:00,795 --> 00:24:03,075 Speaker 1: is there a way we could do that? Is there 347 00:24:03,115 --> 00:24:06,835 Speaker 1: some legal construction in which twin being online and using 348 00:24:07,035 --> 00:24:11,115 Speaker 1: public bandwidth than such is declared a public communications medium, 349 00:24:11,515 --> 00:24:13,515 Speaker 1: and you could take it away from this idiot Musk 350 00:24:13,595 --> 00:24:15,795 Speaker 1: the way the FCC could take a local TV station 351 00:24:15,835 --> 00:24:21,155 Speaker 1: away from inappropriate owners. Just a thought, but our winner, 352 00:24:21,195 --> 00:24:24,195 Speaker 1: good old Congressman Jamie Comer of Kentucky, Chairman of the 353 00:24:24,195 --> 00:24:28,875 Speaker 1: House Committee for Wasting Time. I think that's the title 354 00:24:28,915 --> 00:24:32,315 Speaker 1: of it, the one pursuing the Biden whistleblower complaint that 355 00:24:32,355 --> 00:24:35,995 Speaker 1: turns out to actually have originated with Rudy Giuliani. Rudy 356 00:24:36,035 --> 00:24:38,155 Speaker 1: Giuliani is the guy at the heart of this whole 357 00:24:38,515 --> 00:24:42,755 Speaker 1: whistleblower crap. This is the memo Republicans say is more 358 00:24:42,795 --> 00:24:45,315 Speaker 1: important than whether or not anything alleged in the memo 359 00:24:45,435 --> 00:24:49,475 Speaker 1: is true. Well, yesterday the FBI briefed Jamie and Jamie 360 00:24:49,675 --> 00:24:52,875 Speaker 1: Comer and the ranking Committee Democrat Jamie Raskin, and the 361 00:24:52,915 --> 00:24:55,395 Speaker 1: two emerged from the briefing, and Comer had the gall 362 00:24:55,475 --> 00:24:59,435 Speaker 1: to say the allegation quote has not been disproven, and 363 00:24:59,555 --> 00:25:02,835 Speaker 1: Raskin just looked at him and said, yad had quote. 364 00:25:02,955 --> 00:25:06,115 Speaker 1: The FBI, the Department of Justice team under William Barr 365 00:25:06,155 --> 00:25:09,635 Speaker 1: and Brady terminated the investigation. They said there were no 366 00:25:09,755 --> 00:25:14,395 Speaker 1: grounds for further investigative steps. Can we please just start 367 00:25:14,435 --> 00:25:19,275 Speaker 1: calling this what it is? This partner abuse allegation, skating yokel. 368 00:25:19,355 --> 00:25:22,595 Speaker 1: Comber is making this crap up as he goes along, 369 00:25:22,875 --> 00:25:26,515 Speaker 1: and he should be treated as the semi sentient fire 370 00:25:26,635 --> 00:25:30,635 Speaker 1: hydrant that he is representative. Jamie, you know what else 371 00:25:30,675 --> 00:25:34,035 Speaker 1: has not been disproven? Your college girlfriend's allegation that you 372 00:25:34,115 --> 00:25:36,515 Speaker 1: hit her and took her to her abortion and threatened 373 00:25:36,555 --> 00:25:42,035 Speaker 1: to kill her. Comber two days worst person in the 374 00:25:42,155 --> 00:25:55,155 Speaker 1: world still ahead of here on countdown. Somebody asked me 375 00:25:55,155 --> 00:25:57,435 Speaker 1: about the old This is Sports Center commercials the other 376 00:25:57,515 --> 00:25:59,595 Speaker 1: day and if I had a favorite, and I had 377 00:25:59,715 --> 00:26:02,795 Speaker 1: three and they all have great stories, but the Alexi 378 00:26:02,875 --> 00:26:06,395 Speaker 1: Lallas guitar story is probably the best of them. Things 379 00:26:06,435 --> 00:26:09,555 Speaker 1: I promise not to tell next. First, in each tradition 380 00:26:09,595 --> 00:26:11,995 Speaker 1: of Countdown, we feature a dog in need you can help. 381 00:26:12,035 --> 00:26:15,475 Speaker 1: Every dog has its day. This is about Lee Lou 382 00:26:15,835 --> 00:26:19,115 Speaker 1: and Powty Cake Rescue, which saves dogs in the Bahamas. 383 00:26:19,875 --> 00:26:22,435 Speaker 1: Powty Cake Rescue had to close recently because it has 384 00:26:22,475 --> 00:26:26,595 Speaker 1: to change buildings, but try explaining that to dogs in trouble. 385 00:26:27,195 --> 00:26:30,515 Speaker 1: The woman in charge of Pottycake saw Leelu and knew 386 00:26:30,555 --> 00:26:33,595 Speaker 1: she really needed help. She was hiding in a schools 387 00:26:33,635 --> 00:26:35,875 Speaker 1: the white mutt with ears as big as her face 388 00:26:35,915 --> 00:26:39,195 Speaker 1: and clearly some kind of neurological problem. She was having 389 00:26:39,195 --> 00:26:43,355 Speaker 1: trouble standing and keeping standing, so if she fell while 390 00:26:43,355 --> 00:26:45,395 Speaker 1: trying to cross the road, she would never make it 391 00:26:45,435 --> 00:26:47,715 Speaker 1: to the other side. So they rescue her and they're 392 00:26:47,715 --> 00:26:49,795 Speaker 1: trying to raise funds to get her treated and placed 393 00:26:49,835 --> 00:26:52,235 Speaker 1: in a foster home. They've set up a grid giving 394 00:26:52,315 --> 00:26:54,755 Speaker 1: grid page and you can find her on there. Leelu 395 00:26:55,155 --> 00:26:58,515 Speaker 1: Llou and you can find her on my Twitter feeds. 396 00:26:58,555 --> 00:27:01,835 Speaker 1: If you can donate, please do and your retweet will 397 00:27:01,835 --> 00:27:15,515 Speaker 1: also help. I thank you and Leelu, thanks you. The 398 00:27:15,635 --> 00:27:18,195 Speaker 1: nineteen ninety four World Cup did not really do that 399 00:27:18,355 --> 00:27:21,675 Speaker 1: much for American soccer, which as you know, is the 400 00:27:21,715 --> 00:27:25,155 Speaker 1: sport of the future in this country and always will be. 401 00:27:26,195 --> 00:27:28,955 Speaker 1: It did make a lot of Americans into fans, but 402 00:27:29,235 --> 00:27:32,795 Speaker 1: fans of European clubs, especially the British clubs. But for 403 00:27:32,835 --> 00:27:36,075 Speaker 1: a while, alexey Lalis, with his shoulder length reddish blonde 404 00:27:36,075 --> 00:27:39,915 Speaker 1: hair and his billy goat beard and his anti establishment vibe, 405 00:27:40,035 --> 00:27:43,395 Speaker 1: he was on the front burners of American sports. So 406 00:27:43,515 --> 00:27:48,395 Speaker 1: naturally ESPN wanted him for the surrealist fake documentary commercials 407 00:27:48,395 --> 00:27:51,195 Speaker 1: called this his Sports Center, and sure enough he came 408 00:27:51,235 --> 00:27:54,395 Speaker 1: to Bristol and they devised a bit in which Gary 409 00:27:54,435 --> 00:27:58,435 Speaker 1: Miller John Luca Palyucca's Gary Miller would be sitting at 410 00:27:58,435 --> 00:28:01,195 Speaker 1: a desk in the sports Center newsroom. As atop the 411 00:28:01,195 --> 00:28:06,555 Speaker 1: adjoining desk, Lalas sat crosslegged, philosophy on relaxation and vibes, 412 00:28:06,595 --> 00:28:10,995 Speaker 1: and finally playing Michael Row the boat Ashore on his guitar. 413 00:28:11,955 --> 00:28:13,955 Speaker 1: At that point the commercial turned into one of the 414 00:28:13,955 --> 00:28:19,475 Speaker 1: classic scenes from John Belushi's Animal House film. Another sportscaster 415 00:28:19,755 --> 00:28:22,195 Speaker 1: was to storm into the newsroom pull the guitar out 416 00:28:22,235 --> 00:28:26,075 Speaker 1: of Lalas's hands and then smash it against a cubicle 417 00:28:26,155 --> 00:28:29,555 Speaker 1: wall with the greatest grunt he could achieve, and then 418 00:28:29,675 --> 00:28:33,115 Speaker 1: hand Lalis back whatever was left of the guitar, and 419 00:28:33,475 --> 00:28:39,515 Speaker 1: like Belushi, say sorry, Well, they asked me to be 420 00:28:39,595 --> 00:28:43,195 Speaker 1: the other sportscaster who smashes the guitar. So picture that 421 00:28:43,395 --> 00:28:46,755 Speaker 1: in your mind as I play what it sounded like 422 00:28:46,995 --> 00:28:50,235 Speaker 1: for twenty seconds or so. And then I have what 423 00:28:50,315 --> 00:28:53,795 Speaker 1: I think is a really good backstory about the filming 424 00:28:53,875 --> 00:28:54,435 Speaker 1: of this one. 425 00:28:54,915 --> 00:28:57,235 Speaker 2: And I'm talking to you all afternoon about the tension, 426 00:28:57,315 --> 00:29:12,235 Speaker 2: about the darkness. We gotta do something about that, Michael, 427 00:29:18,715 --> 00:29:22,155 Speaker 2: for time's sake, the word sorry didn't make it. 428 00:29:22,795 --> 00:29:26,115 Speaker 1: So the backstory, and it's out of chronological order. The 429 00:29:26,155 --> 00:29:28,875 Speaker 1: guitar that Alexei Lawis was playing was not the one 430 00:29:28,915 --> 00:29:32,195 Speaker 1: I smashed. There was an exact duplicate that had been bought. 431 00:29:32,275 --> 00:29:35,235 Speaker 1: It had been taken apart, it had been sawed, and 432 00:29:35,275 --> 00:29:37,955 Speaker 1: basically it was put back together with scotch tape. It 433 00:29:37,995 --> 00:29:40,715 Speaker 1: would hold together long enough for him to strum a 434 00:29:40,715 --> 00:29:43,475 Speaker 1: few sour notes on it, and then for me to 435 00:29:43,595 --> 00:29:46,555 Speaker 1: grab it and smash it. They were confident it would 436 00:29:46,595 --> 00:29:50,035 Speaker 1: not fly apart until I hit the cubicle wall with it, 437 00:29:50,075 --> 00:29:52,915 Speaker 1: But they still told me to simply grab it, not 438 00:29:53,235 --> 00:29:56,115 Speaker 1: yanked out of his hands, or I might be left 439 00:29:56,155 --> 00:29:58,595 Speaker 1: holding the neck of the guitar and Alexey holding the 440 00:29:58,595 --> 00:30:03,475 Speaker 1: rest of it. This was especially problematic because we only 441 00:30:03,515 --> 00:30:07,355 Speaker 1: had the one prop guitar. That's right, we made the 442 00:30:07,395 --> 00:30:11,155 Speaker 1: business end of that commercial in one take. This is 443 00:30:11,235 --> 00:30:15,635 Speaker 1: SportsCenter campaign not only freakly achieved something approaching genius levels 444 00:30:15,675 --> 00:30:19,315 Speaker 1: of originality and creativity, but they were all done cheaper 445 00:30:19,355 --> 00:30:24,755 Speaker 1: than local news promos. In Burlington, Vermont in nineteen eighty two. 446 00:30:25,275 --> 00:30:28,635 Speaker 1: We often shot three of these commercials in one day, 447 00:30:29,595 --> 00:30:32,115 Speaker 1: and it wasn't until the second series of ads did 448 00:30:32,115 --> 00:30:34,755 Speaker 1: the Sports Center anchors who started in one, or two 449 00:30:34,955 --> 00:30:38,995 Speaker 1: or three even get credit for a day off. In 450 00:30:39,035 --> 00:30:41,155 Speaker 1: one of them, Charlie Steiner is trying to get his 451 00:30:41,235 --> 00:30:44,555 Speaker 1: tape of highlights back from the Harlem Globetrotters who are 452 00:30:44,635 --> 00:30:47,035 Speaker 1: passing it around like a basketball, and he says, can 453 00:30:47,115 --> 00:30:49,395 Speaker 1: he have a little help? And I'm typing away at 454 00:30:49,395 --> 00:30:51,875 Speaker 1: my computer and I say sure, Charlie, and I don't 455 00:30:51,875 --> 00:30:54,355 Speaker 1: even look at him, let alone stop typing let alone 456 00:30:54,395 --> 00:30:57,995 Speaker 1: give him any help. And that's done because the commercial 457 00:30:58,115 --> 00:31:01,795 Speaker 1: was shot in the area right behind my desk, because 458 00:31:01,795 --> 00:31:04,955 Speaker 1: nobody was working there that day except me. It was 459 00:31:04,995 --> 00:31:08,155 Speaker 1: around five PM, and I was in fact sitting at 460 00:31:08,155 --> 00:31:11,675 Speaker 1: my desk writing the eleven PM Sports Center script. And 461 00:31:11,755 --> 00:31:14,075 Speaker 1: the original commercial script did not call for me to 462 00:31:14,155 --> 00:31:17,195 Speaker 1: even be in Charlie's commercial. But on the fly the 463 00:31:17,235 --> 00:31:19,635 Speaker 1: writer said, hey, Keith, can you give us one line? 464 00:31:20,115 --> 00:31:21,875 Speaker 1: And I said, as long as I can keep writing, 465 00:31:22,235 --> 00:31:26,635 Speaker 1: and they said perfect. And by the way, Charlie did 466 00:31:26,715 --> 00:31:30,195 Speaker 1: the commercial around five o'clock or so and then went 467 00:31:30,235 --> 00:31:33,955 Speaker 1: and anchored the six thirty PM Sports Center. The spot 468 00:31:34,035 --> 00:31:36,795 Speaker 1: we did where hockey legend Gordy Howe beats me up 469 00:31:37,075 --> 00:31:39,755 Speaker 1: while I am trying to read through a script also 470 00:31:39,835 --> 00:31:42,235 Speaker 1: shot at my desk, also on a day I was 471 00:31:42,275 --> 00:31:47,195 Speaker 1: anchoring the show, and that was my real script. Anyway, 472 00:31:47,235 --> 00:31:50,355 Speaker 1: back to alex A. Lallis and the guitar, so we 473 00:31:50,395 --> 00:31:52,595 Speaker 1: only had the one prop guitar, and so we only 474 00:31:52,595 --> 00:31:54,515 Speaker 1: had the one take, and we were shooting it in 475 00:31:54,555 --> 00:31:57,875 Speaker 1: the actual Sports Center newsroom of course, in fact, they 476 00:31:57,915 --> 00:32:00,995 Speaker 1: were remodeling the real newsroom to accommodate the launch of 477 00:32:01,035 --> 00:32:05,715 Speaker 1: the new ESPN News Network. So this was the temporary 478 00:32:06,195 --> 00:32:10,115 Speaker 1: even more crowded than usual newsroom. So the cameraman and 479 00:32:10,155 --> 00:32:12,195 Speaker 1: the producer and the writer and I walked through how 480 00:32:12,235 --> 00:32:14,395 Speaker 1: they thought it would work best, since I would have 481 00:32:14,435 --> 00:32:17,435 Speaker 1: to weave past people who were really doing their jobs 482 00:32:17,475 --> 00:32:20,155 Speaker 1: and going to other desks and talking to people and stuff. 483 00:32:20,875 --> 00:32:23,835 Speaker 1: They had two cameras in the little hallway that constituted 484 00:32:23,875 --> 00:32:27,475 Speaker 1: the temporary newsroom's northern border, and they put a third, 485 00:32:27,555 --> 00:32:30,035 Speaker 1: smaller camera on the floor where they guessed that a 486 00:32:30,035 --> 00:32:33,235 Speaker 1: piece of the guitar might land after I smashed it. 487 00:32:34,115 --> 00:32:35,915 Speaker 1: See if you can get the fret or something to 488 00:32:35,955 --> 00:32:38,795 Speaker 1: go here. The producer said that would make a great shot. 489 00:32:39,755 --> 00:32:41,235 Speaker 1: I asked him how in the hell I was supposed 490 00:32:41,275 --> 00:32:43,995 Speaker 1: to do that since we couldn't even practice the smash, 491 00:32:43,995 --> 00:32:47,435 Speaker 1: and he said, well, honestly, I don't know. Telepathy. Maybe 492 00:32:49,115 --> 00:32:52,795 Speaker 1: that was the other salient part of the backstory, since 493 00:32:52,835 --> 00:32:54,915 Speaker 1: we only had the one take and we wouldn't even 494 00:32:54,955 --> 00:32:56,755 Speaker 1: be doing a dry run because they didn't want the 495 00:32:56,755 --> 00:32:59,595 Speaker 1: guitar to fall apart in my hands. I would say 496 00:32:59,635 --> 00:33:03,115 Speaker 1: less than half the people crowded into the temporary newsroom 497 00:33:03,355 --> 00:33:06,835 Speaker 1: had any idea that when I came in, I was 498 00:33:06,875 --> 00:33:09,475 Speaker 1: in the commercial let alone that I was going to 499 00:33:09,555 --> 00:33:13,955 Speaker 1: actually and loudly destroy a guitar by smashing it against 500 00:33:13,995 --> 00:33:17,835 Speaker 1: a low cubicle wall. Even if the guitar has been 501 00:33:17,875 --> 00:33:20,475 Speaker 1: pre broken and taped back together, as that one was, 502 00:33:20,515 --> 00:33:24,115 Speaker 1: it is still going to make a lot of noise. Wait, 503 00:33:24,635 --> 00:33:27,115 Speaker 1: I said to my friend Hank, who wrote it. You're 504 00:33:27,115 --> 00:33:30,395 Speaker 1: not warning anybody, are you, your little devil? Hank got 505 00:33:30,395 --> 00:33:33,915 Speaker 1: a gleeful, evil glazed look in his eyes. No, isn't 506 00:33:33,955 --> 00:33:37,355 Speaker 1: that great. So they filmed the closeups of Gary, and 507 00:33:37,435 --> 00:33:39,555 Speaker 1: they filmed the closeups of Alexi, and then they set 508 00:33:39,595 --> 00:33:42,315 Speaker 1: me up to enter from a vestibule through two swinging 509 00:33:42,355 --> 00:33:45,315 Speaker 1: doors with windows in them, which was along the periphery 510 00:33:45,315 --> 00:33:48,755 Speaker 1: of the temporary newsroom. Then a right turn, and then about no, no, no, 511 00:33:48,875 --> 00:33:51,835 Speaker 1: fifteen twenty feet to where Alexei and Gary were still sitting. 512 00:33:52,475 --> 00:33:55,355 Speaker 1: My target for exactly where I should hit the guitar 513 00:33:55,875 --> 00:33:58,315 Speaker 1: was clearly marked on the cubicle wall, and they even 514 00:33:58,315 --> 00:34:01,115 Speaker 1: put marks on the carpet of where a couple of 515 00:34:01,115 --> 00:34:03,275 Speaker 1: practice walks had shown would give me the best chance 516 00:34:03,435 --> 00:34:06,755 Speaker 1: at a solid stamp. That's when I swung the guitar 517 00:34:07,155 --> 00:34:11,555 Speaker 1: and sent it el kabonging to its doom, and nobody 518 00:34:11,555 --> 00:34:16,115 Speaker 1: ever said quiet or roll or here we go. They 519 00:34:16,195 --> 00:34:18,235 Speaker 1: told people in the room that they were just shooting 520 00:34:18,315 --> 00:34:21,955 Speaker 1: some cover angles on Gary and Alexi, and people could 521 00:34:21,955 --> 00:34:25,475 Speaker 1: say or move whatever and wherever they wanted to, just 522 00:34:25,475 --> 00:34:28,555 Speaker 1: so long they didn't get away of the cameras. Then 523 00:34:28,595 --> 00:34:31,555 Speaker 1: they just tapped the desks for Alexa and Gary to start, 524 00:34:31,875 --> 00:34:34,355 Speaker 1: and the producer waved to me and in I went, 525 00:34:34,675 --> 00:34:37,075 Speaker 1: trying to channel John Belushi when he takes the guitar 526 00:34:37,115 --> 00:34:39,075 Speaker 1: away from Stephen Bishop on the stairs of the Front 527 00:34:39,075 --> 00:34:42,755 Speaker 1: House and Animal House. I furrowed my brow and I 528 00:34:42,835 --> 00:34:46,915 Speaker 1: tried to fake some venom towards Alexei Lalas. I found 529 00:34:46,915 --> 00:34:49,635 Speaker 1: the emotion as I came through the doors. I kept 530 00:34:49,635 --> 00:34:51,955 Speaker 1: thinking that since I had been eight years old, I 531 00:34:51,995 --> 00:34:54,355 Speaker 1: had heard people call soccer the sport of the future 532 00:34:54,395 --> 00:34:56,515 Speaker 1: here and I was now thirty seven, and I was 533 00:34:56,595 --> 00:35:00,635 Speaker 1: damn tired of hearing it. Lalas was strumming on the 534 00:35:00,675 --> 00:35:05,115 Speaker 1: nearly neutered prop guitar. It made a sick sound. I 535 00:35:05,155 --> 00:35:07,475 Speaker 1: took my strides, I hit the marks, I grabbed the 536 00:35:07,515 --> 00:35:10,315 Speaker 1: guitar by the neck, with my right hand and simultaneously 537 00:35:10,355 --> 00:35:13,435 Speaker 1: Alexey let go, and then with both hands, I swung 538 00:35:13,475 --> 00:35:15,915 Speaker 1: the guitar back over my head and smashed it right 539 00:35:15,955 --> 00:35:20,195 Speaker 1: on the mark as you heard Michael. 540 00:35:21,915 --> 00:35:22,195 Speaker 2: Show. 541 00:35:32,675 --> 00:35:37,435 Speaker 1: The SportsCenter newsroom promptly went silent for several seconds. The 542 00:35:37,475 --> 00:35:40,515 Speaker 1: reaction was identical to what it would have been had 543 00:35:40,515 --> 00:35:43,635 Speaker 1: there been no commercial being made and no cameras present. 544 00:35:43,675 --> 00:35:46,395 Speaker 1: And I had just walked in and destroyed somebody's guitar, 545 00:35:47,395 --> 00:35:49,355 Speaker 1: which I guess a lot of people expect that I 546 00:35:49,435 --> 00:35:52,755 Speaker 1: might do someday, because even a lot of the people 547 00:35:52,795 --> 00:35:57,475 Speaker 1: who were surprised were not surprised surprised. Craig Wax, the 548 00:35:57,515 --> 00:36:00,555 Speaker 1: skinny research guy, can be seen in the finished commercial, 549 00:36:00,555 --> 00:36:04,515 Speaker 1: which is on YouTube, for a second far left, just 550 00:36:04,755 --> 00:36:07,515 Speaker 1: staring at me like, yeah, well, we always knew Keith 551 00:36:07,515 --> 00:36:10,955 Speaker 1: would do something like that. After I'd destroyed the guitar, 552 00:36:11,035 --> 00:36:12,995 Speaker 1: and I have to say, I did it really well. 553 00:36:13,475 --> 00:36:16,915 Speaker 1: I kept moving for the plan until I walked back 554 00:36:16,915 --> 00:36:19,955 Speaker 1: through the swinging doors and out of shot. The director 555 00:36:20,035 --> 00:36:23,155 Speaker 1: shouted cut. I walked back in, and the crew gave 556 00:36:23,235 --> 00:36:25,675 Speaker 1: me a round of applause, and a couple of them 557 00:36:25,675 --> 00:36:27,835 Speaker 1: were cheering out of all proportion, even if I had 558 00:36:27,875 --> 00:36:30,355 Speaker 1: done is good of a job as I thought, Come here, 559 00:36:30,395 --> 00:36:34,075 Speaker 1: Come here. The cameraman kept saying, come here. That extra 560 00:36:34,195 --> 00:36:38,155 Speaker 1: camera on the floor. They backed the videotape up from it, 561 00:36:38,475 --> 00:36:41,275 Speaker 1: and they showed it to me. When I smashed the guitar, 562 00:36:42,035 --> 00:36:45,435 Speaker 1: the fretboard, the actual wood and metal piece on the 563 00:36:45,475 --> 00:36:49,115 Speaker 1: neck flew off and not only landed near the third 564 00:36:49,155 --> 00:36:51,995 Speaker 1: camera's lens, it hit it on the fly and it 565 00:36:52,195 --> 00:36:55,795 Speaker 1: stuck there. They were as happy as if they were 566 00:36:55,835 --> 00:36:58,875 Speaker 1: engineers imploding a building for the first time and it 567 00:36:58,955 --> 00:37:02,315 Speaker 1: had fallen exactly as they had hoped. Plus they showed 568 00:37:02,315 --> 00:37:05,515 Speaker 1: me the playback from the first camera was an assignment 569 00:37:05,555 --> 00:37:07,995 Speaker 1: desk editor with her back to the action on the phone, 570 00:37:08,235 --> 00:37:11,115 Speaker 1: completely unaware of what was happening or even that they 571 00:37:11,115 --> 00:37:15,595 Speaker 1: were rolling film and videotape, and she literally jumped several 572 00:37:15,635 --> 00:37:20,195 Speaker 1: inches out of her seat of her chair. But to me, 573 00:37:20,275 --> 00:37:23,115 Speaker 1: the best part of this thing is Gary Miller. Even 574 00:37:23,275 --> 00:37:26,435 Speaker 1: if you know a loud noise is coming, it is 575 00:37:26,515 --> 00:37:29,035 Speaker 1: quite the effort to not flinch a little when it 576 00:37:29,075 --> 00:37:32,995 Speaker 1: happens basically right over your shoulder. I mean, ask the 577 00:37:33,075 --> 00:37:37,675 Speaker 1: little kid in the movie North By Northwest, where Iva, 578 00:37:37,715 --> 00:37:42,075 Speaker 1: Marie Saint shoots Carrie Grant and he sticks his fingers 579 00:37:42,075 --> 00:37:44,195 Speaker 1: in his ears because it's take thirty seven and he 580 00:37:44,275 --> 00:37:48,235 Speaker 1: knows the noise is coming. I mean, you're aware of 581 00:37:48,275 --> 00:37:51,635 Speaker 1: it just for the possibility that somebody will screw it 582 00:37:51,715 --> 00:37:54,995 Speaker 1: up like me and debris will fly into the back 583 00:37:55,035 --> 00:37:57,995 Speaker 1: of your head. But if you watch Gary Miller in 584 00:37:58,035 --> 00:38:00,755 Speaker 1: this Sports Center commercial, he doesn't even blink, just a 585 00:38:00,755 --> 00:38:06,635 Speaker 1: little dead pan head jerk. It's perfect. What also amazes 586 00:38:06,675 --> 00:38:08,595 Speaker 1: me is that we got all this done in twenty 587 00:38:08,595 --> 00:38:12,155 Speaker 1: four seconds of running time. Alexei goes on about negativity. 588 00:38:11,835 --> 00:38:13,955 Speaker 1: I have to do something about it. He plays enough 589 00:38:13,955 --> 00:38:15,675 Speaker 1: of the song that you recognize it. You get a 590 00:38:15,675 --> 00:38:18,835 Speaker 1: shot at cheerleaders incongruously in the middle of the background. 591 00:38:19,195 --> 00:38:21,955 Speaker 1: I appear from nowhere, move over there, smash the guitar 592 00:38:22,035 --> 00:38:25,275 Speaker 1: while roaring spectacularly. I give him back the neck of 593 00:38:25,315 --> 00:38:27,915 Speaker 1: the thing. The only thing missing is that shot from 594 00:38:27,995 --> 00:38:30,595 Speaker 1: the fretbar flying into camera three. They explained they didn't 595 00:38:30,635 --> 00:38:36,875 Speaker 1: have the extra two seconds scene. I remember enjoying doing 596 00:38:36,915 --> 00:38:39,235 Speaker 1: this so much that I asked them for the front 597 00:38:39,315 --> 00:38:41,835 Speaker 1: of the body of the guitar, and I had Alexi 598 00:38:41,915 --> 00:38:44,995 Speaker 1: sign it to me on the spot. It hung framed 599 00:38:45,075 --> 00:38:49,995 Speaker 1: in my various offices for about fifteen years. In twenty fourteen, 600 00:38:50,075 --> 00:38:53,435 Speaker 1: I was leaving the recording of Stephen Colbert's final episode 601 00:38:53,435 --> 00:38:55,715 Speaker 1: for Comedy Central. I was one of one hundred guests, 602 00:38:56,155 --> 00:38:57,875 Speaker 1: and I went out onto the street to find a 603 00:38:57,915 --> 00:39:00,915 Speaker 1: cab home and I got one, and in getting into it, 604 00:39:00,915 --> 00:39:03,915 Speaker 1: I nearly ran into Alexei Lalas, who was one of 605 00:39:03,955 --> 00:39:06,715 Speaker 1: the other one hundred guests. I laughed, He laughed, and 606 00:39:06,755 --> 00:39:08,435 Speaker 1: he said, and I don't even have my guitar with me. 607 00:39:09,915 --> 00:39:12,515 Speaker 1: And one last note, I doubt this will be of 608 00:39:12,555 --> 00:39:15,915 Speaker 1: any practical use to you, but I must say as 609 00:39:15,955 --> 00:39:19,355 Speaker 1: somebody who was accorded this rare privilege, not only of 610 00:39:19,435 --> 00:39:23,235 Speaker 1: doing this, but of doing this with impunity, and doing 611 00:39:23,275 --> 00:39:27,675 Speaker 1: this to applause. If you are trying to HEALTHI event 612 00:39:28,155 --> 00:39:32,995 Speaker 1: any frustrations or anger in your life, smashing a guitar 613 00:39:33,115 --> 00:39:38,595 Speaker 1: against a workplace cubicle wall is exactly as satisfying as 614 00:39:38,635 --> 00:39:54,355 Speaker 1: you would expect it would be. I've done all the 615 00:39:54,395 --> 00:39:56,555 Speaker 1: damage I can do here. Countdown has come to you 616 00:39:56,595 --> 00:39:59,155 Speaker 1: from the Vin Scully Studio at the world headquarters of 617 00:39:59,195 --> 00:40:03,115 Speaker 1: the Old Women Broadcasting Empire. Sports Capsule Building, New York. 618 00:40:04,075 --> 00:40:06,515 Speaker 1: Here the credit. Most of the music was arranged, produced, 619 00:40:06,555 --> 00:40:08,955 Speaker 1: and performed by Brian Ray and John Phillip Schhanel. The 620 00:40:08,995 --> 00:40:13,955 Speaker 1: Countdown musical directors. All orchestration and keyboards by John Phillip Chanel, guitars, 621 00:40:13,995 --> 00:40:17,075 Speaker 1: bass and drums by Brian Ray, and it was produced 622 00:40:17,075 --> 00:40:20,515 Speaker 1: by Tko Brothers. Other Beethoven selections have been arranged and 623 00:40:20,555 --> 00:40:23,555 Speaker 1: performed by the group No Horns Allowed. The sports music 624 00:40:23,715 --> 00:40:25,915 Speaker 1: is the Olberman theme from ESPN two and it was 625 00:40:25,915 --> 00:40:29,675 Speaker 1: written by Mitch Warren Davis courtesy of ESPN Inc. Musical 626 00:40:29,675 --> 00:40:32,755 Speaker 1: comments by Nancy Fauss. The best baseball stadium organist ever. 627 00:40:32,995 --> 00:40:35,955 Speaker 1: Our announcer today was my friend Tony Kornheiser, and everything 628 00:40:35,955 --> 00:40:38,795 Speaker 1: else was pretty much my fault. That's countdown for this 629 00:40:38,835 --> 00:40:41,395 Speaker 1: the eight hundred and eighty second day since Donald Trump's 630 00:40:41,435 --> 00:40:44,675 Speaker 1: first attempted coup against the democratically elected government of the 631 00:40:44,755 --> 00:40:47,915 Speaker 1: United States. Don't forget to keep arresting him while we 632 00:40:47,995 --> 00:40:51,235 Speaker 1: still can. The next scheduled countdown is tomorrow. Until then, 633 00:40:51,235 --> 00:40:54,235 Speaker 1: I'm Keith Olderman. Good morning, good afternoon, good night, and 634 00:40:54,715 --> 00:41:04,195 Speaker 1: good luck. Countdown with Keith Olderman is a production of 635 00:41:04,275 --> 00:41:09,435 Speaker 1: iHeart for more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, 636 00:41:09,515 --> 00:41:12,875 Speaker 1: Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.