1 00:00:04,755 --> 00:00:08,995 Speaker 1: Countdown with Keith Olderman is a production of I Heart Radio. 2 00:00:23,835 --> 00:00:26,635 Speaker 1: If a Trump falls in the forest and no one 3 00:00:26,755 --> 00:00:30,275 Speaker 1: is around to hear, does he make a sound quote. 4 00:00:30,795 --> 00:00:34,195 Speaker 1: I think even Trump is bored with this speech. Painful 5 00:00:34,235 --> 00:00:38,555 Speaker 1: to watch. Stephanie Grisham, Trump's White House Press secretary quote, 6 00:00:38,875 --> 00:00:42,075 Speaker 1: this is one of the most low energy, uninspiring speeches 7 00:00:42,115 --> 00:00:45,555 Speaker 1: I've ever heard from Trump. Even the crowd seems bored. 8 00:00:45,795 --> 00:00:48,675 Speaker 1: Not exactly what you want when announcing a presidential run. 9 00:00:49,075 --> 00:00:52,595 Speaker 1: Sarah Matthews, Trump's deputy White House Press Secretary under Kaylee 10 00:00:52,675 --> 00:00:57,035 Speaker 1: McKinney quote. Trump midterms two d and thirty two wins 11 00:00:57,035 --> 00:01:02,595 Speaker 1: and twenty two losses. The losses included senate races in Pennsylvania, Arizona, Nevada, 12 00:01:02,635 --> 00:01:05,635 Speaker 1: and New Hampshire, and governors in Arizona, p Sylvania, and Michigan. 13 00:01:05,915 --> 00:01:11,595 Speaker 1: Wins included dog catcher in Perump, Nevada. Not the same thing, 14 00:01:11,675 --> 00:01:15,635 Speaker 1: and people know it. Mick Mulvaney, Trump's White House Chief 15 00:01:15,635 --> 00:01:20,315 Speaker 1: of Staff quote. While I will always love and support 16 00:01:20,395 --> 00:01:24,395 Speaker 1: my father going forward, I will do so outside the 17 00:01:24,395 --> 00:01:30,715 Speaker 1: political arena. Evanka Trump. Fox News bailed out, bailed out 18 00:01:30,715 --> 00:01:32,875 Speaker 1: of the live coverage. First Hannity bailed out, and then 19 00:01:33,035 --> 00:01:36,035 Speaker 1: Ingram bailed out. It was so bad that even the 20 00:01:36,075 --> 00:01:40,955 Speaker 1: new CNN cut away ABC reported that before Trump finished 21 00:01:40,955 --> 00:01:43,715 Speaker 1: the speech, there was a crowd trying to get out 22 00:01:43,715 --> 00:01:47,715 Speaker 1: of the ballroom and security would not let them leave. 23 00:01:49,915 --> 00:01:53,115 Speaker 1: Here is the gist. The speech was the usual stuff, 24 00:01:53,155 --> 00:01:55,835 Speaker 1: only it was indoors. It didn't seem like he had 25 00:01:55,955 --> 00:01:58,795 Speaker 1: preread the copy. It didn't seem like he could really 26 00:01:58,835 --> 00:02:02,515 Speaker 1: see the teleprompter. The crowd was nearly silent. The speech 27 00:02:02,555 --> 00:02:06,355 Speaker 1: was supposed to be thirty minutes and presidential. It lasted 28 00:02:06,395 --> 00:02:09,755 Speaker 1: longer than an hour. Everything bad in the world was 29 00:02:09,795 --> 00:02:12,635 Speaker 1: because he was thrown out. Everything good that's ever happened, 30 00:02:12,675 --> 00:02:17,035 Speaker 1: You're welcome. Trump's official declaration that he is running was 31 00:02:17,075 --> 00:02:20,435 Speaker 1: significant only in that it defied reality. And his problem 32 00:02:20,475 --> 00:02:23,355 Speaker 1: now is that within the Republican Party, for the first 33 00:02:23,355 --> 00:02:26,555 Speaker 1: time in seven years, reality is up off the mat 34 00:02:26,635 --> 00:02:31,995 Speaker 1: and throwing punches. He is under investigation for espionage or worse, 35 00:02:32,435 --> 00:02:35,315 Speaker 1: and he may be indicted within six weeks. And most 36 00:02:35,355 --> 00:02:40,355 Speaker 1: importantly to his cult, he lost last week and all 37 00:02:40,435 --> 00:02:44,035 Speaker 1: the loyal lunatics like Doug Mastriano and Mark Fincham went 38 00:02:44,155 --> 00:02:47,915 Speaker 1: right over the cliff and yet somehow Trump is still standing. 39 00:02:48,235 --> 00:02:51,435 Speaker 1: His hair wasn't even must Now you know what I mean. 40 00:02:52,155 --> 00:02:56,755 Speaker 1: It is hard to register just how angry the Republicans 41 00:02:56,875 --> 00:03:01,555 Speaker 1: are at Trump, not his cultists, not the fascist. The 42 00:03:01,635 --> 00:03:06,315 Speaker 1: Republicans try to take your own anger, subtract the moral 43 00:03:06,435 --> 00:03:09,835 Speaker 1: and democracy elements, and replace it with a sense that 44 00:03:09,915 --> 00:03:13,555 Speaker 1: you paid for fascism and power, and this idiot screwed 45 00:03:13,595 --> 00:03:16,315 Speaker 1: it up and just selfishly giving that speech last night, 46 00:03:16,315 --> 00:03:19,235 Speaker 1: could screw it up again in Georgia and mix in 47 00:03:19,555 --> 00:03:22,875 Speaker 1: and added strong sense that you are Karen and he 48 00:03:23,035 --> 00:03:27,155 Speaker 1: is the shift manager at the gap, and maybe you'll 49 00:03:27,155 --> 00:03:29,795 Speaker 1: get a sense of how much the fascists believe they 50 00:03:29,875 --> 00:03:34,875 Speaker 1: did not get what they paid Trump for. Fox News 51 00:03:34,955 --> 00:03:37,795 Speaker 1: carried the speech live. It was on during Sean Hannity's show, 52 00:03:37,955 --> 00:03:40,795 Speaker 1: so that saved Sean from the painful experience of thinking. 53 00:03:41,435 --> 00:03:45,515 Speaker 1: But nine hours earlier, Fox News showed a massive graphic 54 00:03:45,915 --> 00:03:51,315 Speaker 1: dwarfing the anchors in size, depicting thirteen different Republican presidential 55 00:03:51,355 --> 00:03:58,515 Speaker 1: possibilities for everybody, from Hailey to Hogan to Hutchinson. No Trump, 56 00:03:59,315 --> 00:04:03,435 Speaker 1: and do not think that disinterest escaped Trump's notice. His 57 00:04:03,515 --> 00:04:07,795 Speaker 1: spokesperson said, the refusal of any actual network except CNN 58 00:04:07,875 --> 00:04:11,555 Speaker 1: and Fox to carry the speech live. Meant the First 59 00:04:11,595 --> 00:04:13,835 Speaker 1: Amendment was under attack. And I don't have enough time 60 00:04:13,835 --> 00:04:15,915 Speaker 1: to list everything that's wrong with that statement as I 61 00:04:15,915 --> 00:04:18,315 Speaker 1: try to keep these to less than forty five minutes 62 00:04:18,315 --> 00:04:23,195 Speaker 1: in length. Republican governors met in Orlando yesterday and Chris Christie. 63 00:04:23,715 --> 00:04:25,835 Speaker 1: Do you remember Chris Christie. He hadn't even been a 64 00:04:25,875 --> 00:04:29,035 Speaker 1: governor for four years. Chris Christie got up and blamed 65 00:04:29,075 --> 00:04:32,595 Speaker 1: Trump for Republicans losing in two thousand eighteen, losing in 66 00:04:32,595 --> 00:04:35,155 Speaker 1: two thousand twenty, and losing in two thousand twenty two. 67 00:04:35,235 --> 00:04:38,275 Speaker 1: And he got a huge round of applause from the governors. 68 00:04:38,315 --> 00:04:42,795 Speaker 1: According to source reporting from Axios, heartiest of the clappers 69 00:04:43,475 --> 00:04:46,515 Speaker 1: Doug Doocey, the Republican governor of Arizona, who is not 70 00:04:46,595 --> 00:04:50,675 Speaker 1: being succeeded in that job by Dolores Umbridge Lake. In 71 00:04:50,715 --> 00:04:56,355 Speaker 1: the mid terms, Christie told them the voters quote rejected crazy. 72 00:04:56,515 --> 00:04:59,395 Speaker 1: Do not blow past that quote from Christie, the voters 73 00:04:59,435 --> 00:05:02,995 Speaker 1: rejected crazy. You may notice a theme developing in the 74 00:05:03,075 --> 00:05:07,395 Speaker 1: actively anti Trump part of that party. Sarah Longwell of 75 00:05:07,435 --> 00:05:11,475 Speaker 1: the Anti Trump Republican Accountability Pack says she did endless 76 00:05:11,515 --> 00:05:13,995 Speaker 1: focus groups during the mid terms, and the independence and 77 00:05:14,035 --> 00:05:19,315 Speaker 1: swing voters were furious and frightened about the economy, but 78 00:05:19,395 --> 00:05:22,675 Speaker 1: there was a bigger problem. Quoting her, the reason was 79 00:05:22,715 --> 00:05:31,075 Speaker 1: always that the Republican candidate was nuts, specifically election denial. Wait, 80 00:05:31,115 --> 00:05:35,635 Speaker 1: the Republicans are stealing my lines. Trump is nuts. Trump's 81 00:05:35,675 --> 00:05:40,235 Speaker 1: candidates were nuts. The voters rejected crazy. So what if 82 00:05:40,235 --> 00:05:42,675 Speaker 1: the GOP had no problem with crazy when it got 83 00:05:42,715 --> 00:05:45,115 Speaker 1: them power. So what if these words are nothing more 84 00:05:45,155 --> 00:05:49,555 Speaker 1: than catchphrases and brand names to them. Nevertheless, they are 85 00:05:49,715 --> 00:05:55,235 Speaker 1: stigmatizing nuts. This is a watershed moment. The Republicans have 86 00:05:55,315 --> 00:06:01,875 Speaker 1: embraced nuts since Nixon and Joe McCarthy before him. Moreover, 87 00:06:02,955 --> 00:06:05,515 Speaker 1: there is the suspicious behavior of the very people the 88 00:06:05,595 --> 00:06:08,355 Speaker 1: Independents were describing to the Polster when they said the 89 00:06:08,395 --> 00:06:14,515 Speaker 1: Republican candidate was nuts. These people are conceding Adam Laxalt, 90 00:06:14,875 --> 00:06:20,475 Speaker 1: Tim Michaels in Wisconsin Lake Masters, even Dug Mastriano conceded, 91 00:06:21,035 --> 00:06:25,035 Speaker 1: and yesterday alex Via Aueva, the sheriff of Los Angeles County, 92 00:06:25,195 --> 00:06:29,035 Speaker 1: who had gangs of deputies in his own department, who 93 00:06:29,115 --> 00:06:32,955 Speaker 1: retaliated against whistleblowers who tried to prosecute a reporter from 94 00:06:32,955 --> 00:06:35,315 Speaker 1: the Los Angeles Times that he did not like the 95 00:06:35,435 --> 00:06:39,995 Speaker 1: real definition of nuts, the real definition of fascism. Even this, 96 00:06:40,195 --> 00:06:46,395 Speaker 1: Viennueva conceded his reelection bid to Robert Luna, and mind you, 97 00:06:46,555 --> 00:06:48,515 Speaker 1: Villeneueva waited a week to do it, and he was 98 00:06:48,555 --> 00:06:53,315 Speaker 1: losing sixty to forty. Even he has now conceded. I 99 00:06:53,395 --> 00:06:56,275 Speaker 1: will never suggest for a moment that these people have 100 00:06:56,395 --> 00:07:00,915 Speaker 1: developed conscience or patriotism, or decency or morals, or that 101 00:07:00,995 --> 00:07:03,435 Speaker 1: they could not switch back in an hour and a 102 00:07:03,515 --> 00:07:08,035 Speaker 1: half time. But they have the survival instincts of cockroaches. 103 00:07:08,915 --> 00:07:13,955 Speaker 1: And somebody just switched on all the kitchen lights in America, 104 00:07:14,155 --> 00:07:20,155 Speaker 1: and it appears that that somebody is Donald Trump. Wendy Rogers, 105 00:07:20,675 --> 00:07:26,035 Speaker 1: the Arizona State senator who was censured in March by Republicans, 106 00:07:26,195 --> 00:07:30,875 Speaker 1: were going to a Holocaust denial conference with Nick Fuente's 107 00:07:31,035 --> 00:07:34,675 Speaker 1: who called for hanging her political enemies, who posted that 108 00:07:34,715 --> 00:07:37,675 Speaker 1: the mass shooting in the Buffalo supermarket might have been 109 00:07:37,795 --> 00:07:46,235 Speaker 1: staged by the government. Even Wendy Rogers cockroach scurried on 110 00:07:46,235 --> 00:07:49,395 Speaker 1: one of the right wing streaming shows as soon as 111 00:07:49,395 --> 00:07:52,195 Speaker 1: that light came on I'm shocked by some of these numbers. Wendy, 112 00:07:52,235 --> 00:07:54,675 Speaker 1: I gotta be honest. I mean, you know the state 113 00:07:54,715 --> 00:07:57,035 Speaker 1: really well. You've been a grassroots activist for a while. 114 00:07:58,355 --> 00:08:01,475 Speaker 1: The vibe on the ground was totally different than this, 115 00:08:01,595 --> 00:08:05,275 Speaker 1: wasn't it. Yes, Well, we wonder now if we were 116 00:08:05,355 --> 00:08:10,635 Speaker 1: in an echo chamber. I mean, look, I don't know, 117 00:08:10,835 --> 00:08:15,155 Speaker 1: I'm just beginning to get some perspective. You're wondering if 118 00:08:15,195 --> 00:08:18,755 Speaker 1: you were in an echo chamber, you think even she 119 00:08:19,035 --> 00:08:22,115 Speaker 1: and again not a moral level, not done a right 120 00:08:22,235 --> 00:08:25,035 Speaker 1: or wrong level, just on a what's in it for 121 00:08:25,115 --> 00:08:30,875 Speaker 1: me retaining power level. Even Wendy Rogers admits she's just 122 00:08:31,035 --> 00:08:37,955 Speaker 1: now getting some perspective. No, no fever has broken, no 123 00:08:38,075 --> 00:08:41,795 Speaker 1: Republican has suddenly gone saying, and no fascist has repudiated, 124 00:08:41,995 --> 00:08:45,995 Speaker 1: you know, overthrowing the government by violence. And the same 125 00:08:45,995 --> 00:08:49,555 Speaker 1: Republican Party hierarchy that fell before Trump's assaulting two thousand 126 00:08:49,635 --> 00:08:53,435 Speaker 1: fifteen and two thousand sixteen consists of the same bone 127 00:08:53,475 --> 00:08:56,995 Speaker 1: heads today. But the one part of the Trump message 128 00:08:57,035 --> 00:09:00,475 Speaker 1: that we in the Not Crazy Party have consistently and 129 00:09:00,595 --> 00:09:04,475 Speaker 1: self defeatingly ignored is that the essence of Trump for 130 00:09:04,675 --> 00:09:09,275 Speaker 1: those people who support him slavishly is the premise that 131 00:09:09,435 --> 00:09:14,475 Speaker 1: he wins, that he wins at the expense of his enemies, 132 00:09:14,515 --> 00:09:17,355 Speaker 1: and that those who support him win with him and 133 00:09:17,435 --> 00:09:21,795 Speaker 1: defeat their own enemies and claim their money and privileges 134 00:09:21,995 --> 00:09:25,515 Speaker 1: as a result of winning. And Trump has not one 135 00:09:25,635 --> 00:09:32,915 Speaker 1: crap since two thousand sixteen. This message has not resonated 136 00:09:32,955 --> 00:09:35,915 Speaker 1: everywhere yet, nor will it in the future. And hopefully 137 00:09:35,955 --> 00:09:39,155 Speaker 1: that fact will enable Trump and De Santis to bloody 138 00:09:39,235 --> 00:09:41,995 Speaker 1: each other enough so that Trump does decide to burn 139 00:09:42,035 --> 00:09:45,195 Speaker 1: the Republican Party down and run in twenty four as 140 00:09:45,235 --> 00:09:49,395 Speaker 1: an independent because there are still enough blockheads who will 141 00:09:49,475 --> 00:09:52,275 Speaker 1: vote for him anyway, even knowing it will guarantee a 142 00:09:52,355 --> 00:09:57,355 Speaker 1: Democrat in the White House. On January and I knew 143 00:09:57,395 --> 00:10:00,755 Speaker 1: I smelled something bad here in the neighborhood. Yesterday afternoon, 144 00:10:01,075 --> 00:10:04,715 Speaker 1: Freedom News TV was around the corner in front of 145 00:10:04,835 --> 00:10:09,955 Speaker 1: Trump Tower as about ten trumpeists waived flags and chanted 146 00:10:10,115 --> 00:10:13,795 Speaker 1: USA and stomped on a picture of Ron De Santis, 147 00:10:14,315 --> 00:10:17,755 Speaker 1: and one of them spoke three words which could easily 148 00:10:17,795 --> 00:10:24,035 Speaker 1: become the true Trump campaign motto. He has plenty of 149 00:10:24,115 --> 00:10:33,275 Speaker 1: time to gain Trump or death. Okay, you got it, 150 00:10:33,995 --> 00:10:36,235 Speaker 1: But who's gonna tell them. Who's gonna tell them what 151 00:10:36,315 --> 00:10:41,515 Speaker 1: the phrase this or death actually means, because you know 152 00:10:42,275 --> 00:10:45,195 Speaker 1: that they don't know that. In that construction, they are 153 00:10:45,235 --> 00:10:47,075 Speaker 1: saying that if they don't get Trump, they will take 154 00:10:47,115 --> 00:10:49,715 Speaker 1: death instead. And I guarantee you they have no clue 155 00:10:49,755 --> 00:10:56,355 Speaker 1: about that. Besides which Trump or death? I mean you 156 00:10:56,435 --> 00:11:00,595 Speaker 1: can have both. Just watch a replay and that speech 157 00:11:00,595 --> 00:11:03,555 Speaker 1: from last night that was Trump and death at the 158 00:11:03,635 --> 00:11:20,915 Speaker 1: same time for an hour still ahead, what is almost 159 00:11:20,915 --> 00:11:23,955 Speaker 1: certainly a Russian rocket or missile hit on the Polish 160 00:11:23,995 --> 00:11:27,515 Speaker 1: side of the Ukrainian border and killed two people and 161 00:11:27,635 --> 00:11:31,235 Speaker 1: leveled a silo. But is there an explanation? That's you know, 162 00:11:31,755 --> 00:11:35,995 Speaker 1: less envy of the world? E Bill O'Reilly is back 163 00:11:36,035 --> 00:11:38,195 Speaker 1: and the worst persons in the world are better for 164 00:11:38,355 --> 00:11:42,755 Speaker 1: it or or worse. And in things I promised not 165 00:11:42,875 --> 00:11:47,435 Speaker 1: to tell when MSNBC made its least respected show host 166 00:11:47,955 --> 00:11:52,875 Speaker 1: general manager of the network, and it's somehow went worse 167 00:11:53,475 --> 00:11:57,875 Speaker 1: and went worse more quickly than we all expected. It 168 00:11:57,955 --> 00:12:06,875 Speaker 1: only took a week. That's next this discountdown does is 169 00:12:06,955 --> 00:12:17,795 Speaker 1: countdown with Keith Larry David's impression of the late Yankee 170 00:12:17,795 --> 00:12:21,475 Speaker 1: Stadium announcer Bob Shepherd thank you, Larry. Still ahead on 171 00:12:21,515 --> 00:12:24,155 Speaker 1: Countdown what we know about the Russian rocket that landed 172 00:12:24,155 --> 00:12:27,915 Speaker 1: in Poland, plus the totally stupid reason a great set 173 00:12:27,955 --> 00:12:31,795 Speaker 1: of basketball uniforms can never be worn again, and Bill 174 00:12:31,835 --> 00:12:36,435 Speaker 1: O'Reilly wins Worst persons in the World. Need I say more? First, 175 00:12:36,435 --> 00:12:38,355 Speaker 1: in each edition of Countdown, we feature a dog in 176 00:12:38,355 --> 00:12:40,835 Speaker 1: need you can help. Every dog has its day. There 177 00:12:40,875 --> 00:12:43,555 Speaker 1: are bad dogs, and there are bad people, and there 178 00:12:43,595 --> 00:12:47,115 Speaker 1: are more of the ladder Else's alleged humans went to 179 00:12:47,195 --> 00:12:49,955 Speaker 1: surrender her and her brother to the pound in Brooklyn, 180 00:12:50,195 --> 00:12:53,035 Speaker 1: discovered there was a fee to do that, so they left. 181 00:12:53,675 --> 00:12:57,355 Speaker 1: Shortly thereafter, they found Elsa and her brother tied to 182 00:12:57,395 --> 00:13:00,955 Speaker 1: a fence behind the pound. Elsa is not a shrinking violet. 183 00:13:00,995 --> 00:13:03,875 Speaker 1: She's an eighty pound Shepherd mix. But she is terrified 184 00:13:03,875 --> 00:13:06,435 Speaker 1: in the pound right now. She won't allow handling and 185 00:13:06,475 --> 00:13:09,595 Speaker 1: they will kill her if a rescue does not save 186 00:13:09,635 --> 00:13:13,075 Speaker 1: her immediately. Elsa will be my pinned tweet at tom 187 00:13:13,155 --> 00:13:16,395 Speaker 1: Jumbo Grumbo and also in my regular feed. If you 188 00:13:16,395 --> 00:13:18,675 Speaker 1: can pledge to help to fray a rescues costs, it 189 00:13:18,715 --> 00:13:21,275 Speaker 1: will be a huge help. If you can't donate, a 190 00:13:21,355 --> 00:13:25,555 Speaker 1: retweet can be almost as invaluable, I thank you and 191 00:13:25,675 --> 00:13:38,075 Speaker 1: Elsa thanks you. Poscripts to the news, some headlines, some updates, 192 00:13:38,115 --> 00:13:41,875 Speaker 1: some snarks, some predictions. Dateline the Polish Ukrainian border. The 193 00:13:41,915 --> 00:13:44,435 Speaker 1: bad news is sure looks like a Russian missile blew 194 00:13:44,515 --> 00:13:48,155 Speaker 1: up a silo on Polish soil, killing at least two. 195 00:13:48,795 --> 00:13:51,875 Speaker 1: The good news is it's either an overshoot or possibly 196 00:13:51,915 --> 00:13:56,315 Speaker 1: a Russian missile or rocket intercepted and deflected by Ukrainian defense. 197 00:13:56,835 --> 00:13:58,955 Speaker 1: How could any of this be good news? Well, it 198 00:13:58,955 --> 00:14:01,515 Speaker 1: would mean it was not an attack on a NATO country, 199 00:14:01,555 --> 00:14:04,355 Speaker 1: and therefore we don't have to bomb Moscow. As one 200 00:14:04,395 --> 00:14:07,035 Speaker 1: Bridge analyst noted, if the Russians really wanted to trigger 201 00:14:07,075 --> 00:14:10,075 Speaker 1: World War three, they probably would not have targeted a 202 00:14:10,275 --> 00:14:15,515 Speaker 1: farm silo in Poland. Dateline Fulton County, Georgia. Another Trump 203 00:14:15,555 --> 00:14:19,035 Speaker 1: flunkey is ordered to testify to the grand jury investigating 204 00:14:19,075 --> 00:14:22,875 Speaker 1: his attempt to alter the election results there. This time 205 00:14:22,875 --> 00:14:25,875 Speaker 1: it is the disgraced former General Michael Flynn. He is 206 00:14:25,915 --> 00:14:30,475 Speaker 1: scheduled now to testify next Tuesday and dateline Fox News. 207 00:14:31,035 --> 00:14:34,395 Speaker 1: Funny how after his mid term guarantees turned out to 208 00:14:34,435 --> 00:14:38,635 Speaker 1: be all wrong, Tucker Carlson was again missing in action 209 00:14:38,995 --> 00:14:42,395 Speaker 1: from his Fascism Hour. Last night, the guest host was 210 00:14:42,435 --> 00:14:46,355 Speaker 1: the former ESPN King of Blandness for two years running, 211 00:14:46,395 --> 00:14:51,395 Speaker 1: Will Caine. But Monday the guest host was Tulsey Gabbard, 212 00:14:51,515 --> 00:14:56,235 Speaker 1: whom Fox identified as a former Democrat. Telsea Gabbard is 213 00:14:56,275 --> 00:15:15,475 Speaker 1: a former Democrat and always has been. This is Sports Center. Wait, 214 00:15:15,635 --> 00:15:24,395 Speaker 1: check that not anymore. This is Countdown with Keith in sports. 215 00:15:24,395 --> 00:15:27,795 Speaker 1: Baseball free agent season is under way. Tyler Anderson, pitching 216 00:15:27,835 --> 00:15:31,155 Speaker 1: for his fifth team in three seasons, makes his first 217 00:15:31,195 --> 00:15:34,155 Speaker 1: All Star team ever and has his first winning season 218 00:15:34,195 --> 00:15:37,195 Speaker 1: as a starting pitcher at age thirty two for the Dodgers, 219 00:15:37,635 --> 00:15:40,515 Speaker 1: and that gets him three years and thirty nine million 220 00:15:40,555 --> 00:15:43,875 Speaker 1: dollars out of the Angels. Now. I have no idea 221 00:15:43,915 --> 00:15:46,635 Speaker 1: why the Angels have only played three postseason games since 222 00:15:46,715 --> 00:15:49,995 Speaker 1: two thousand nine and lost all of them. The Yankees 223 00:15:50,075 --> 00:15:52,995 Speaker 1: resigned first baseman Anthony Rizzo twenty million a year for 224 00:15:53,035 --> 00:15:55,275 Speaker 1: two years. Just as important, in a year and a 225 00:15:55,315 --> 00:15:59,195 Speaker 1: half in New York, Rizzo has become tight with Yankee 226 00:15:59,235 --> 00:16:02,995 Speaker 1: free agent home run records center Aaron Judge. That is 227 00:16:03,155 --> 00:16:06,515 Speaker 1: rarely decisive among free agents, but it can't hurt College 228 00:16:06,515 --> 00:16:09,795 Speaker 1: football the one fifteen year old program at Whittier College 229 00:16:09,795 --> 00:16:14,035 Speaker 1: in California is coming to an end. Coaches fired, players notified, 230 00:16:14,195 --> 00:16:16,955 Speaker 1: but in public no comment from the school. Nobody has 231 00:16:16,955 --> 00:16:21,435 Speaker 1: made it official. Whittier started football in seven It has 232 00:16:21,435 --> 00:16:26,035 Speaker 1: won twenty six Southern California Intercollegiate Conference titles, one as 233 00:16:26,075 --> 00:16:28,915 Speaker 1: recently as two thousand seven. It was where Don kore 234 00:16:28,995 --> 00:16:32,075 Speaker 1: Yell and George Allen first coached and where they had 235 00:16:32,075 --> 00:16:37,075 Speaker 1: a tackle on the ninety two squad named Richard Millhouse Nixon, 236 00:16:37,595 --> 00:16:40,635 Speaker 1: I am not a crook. Also, I am not a 237 00:16:40,635 --> 00:16:45,115 Speaker 1: football player. And finally it happens, Sports, which is now 238 00:16:45,435 --> 00:16:49,355 Speaker 1: mostly about creating new uniforms and other junk so they 239 00:16:49,355 --> 00:16:52,555 Speaker 1: can sell you new uniforms and other junk, has finally 240 00:16:52,595 --> 00:16:56,355 Speaker 1: outsmarted itself from the city of merchandise. This news, the 241 00:16:56,475 --> 00:17:02,355 Speaker 1: NBA Milwaukee Bucks proudly debuted Cream City alternate uniforms that 242 00:17:02,475 --> 00:17:05,435 Speaker 1: honored the city's early architecture of police using off white 243 00:17:05,475 --> 00:17:09,515 Speaker 1: color that earned Milwaukee that nickname the Cream City. Turns out, 244 00:17:09,555 --> 00:17:13,195 Speaker 1: they can never wear them again because that color cream 245 00:17:13,315 --> 00:17:17,915 Speaker 1: or off white, screws with the digital technology that lets 246 00:17:17,955 --> 00:17:22,595 Speaker 1: them project advertisements onto the basketball court. On the television broadcasts. 247 00:17:22,915 --> 00:17:26,955 Speaker 1: In short, the players disappear and their bodies become part 248 00:17:27,075 --> 00:17:31,155 Speaker 1: of the advertising. And I'm sure somebody in the NBA 249 00:17:31,235 --> 00:17:34,715 Speaker 1: marketing department heard that and said, the players become part 250 00:17:34,755 --> 00:17:37,555 Speaker 1: of the advertising. And you say that like it's a 251 00:17:37,635 --> 00:17:53,995 Speaker 1: bad thing. Still ahead, I insist this is the worst 252 00:17:54,075 --> 00:17:58,755 Speaker 1: management fiasco in television history. A guy appointed general manager 253 00:17:58,835 --> 00:18:02,955 Speaker 1: of a network and a everybody at the network laughs, 254 00:18:03,075 --> 00:18:05,915 Speaker 1: and then be within a week of the announcement, they've 255 00:18:05,955 --> 00:18:09,555 Speaker 1: decided to fire him, and the guy is a lame duck. 256 00:18:09,635 --> 00:18:13,075 Speaker 1: At one week Ahead, first to daily round up of 257 00:18:13,075 --> 00:18:16,155 Speaker 1: the misgrants, morons and Donning Kruger effect specimens who constitute 258 00:18:16,155 --> 00:18:21,715 Speaker 1: today's worst persons in the world lebrons shared by Trump. 259 00:18:21,795 --> 00:18:26,035 Speaker 1: Jd Vance had bud other Republicans, including the National Republican 260 00:18:26,075 --> 00:18:31,555 Speaker 1: Senatorial Committee, and their victim was Herschel Walker. I'm actually 261 00:18:31,995 --> 00:18:36,755 Speaker 1: I'm actually defending Herschel Walker. Turns out all the leading 262 00:18:36,795 --> 00:18:39,955 Speaker 1: Republicans sent out email blitz is asking for donations for 263 00:18:40,035 --> 00:18:43,795 Speaker 1: Walker for the Georgia runoff, and in the fine print 264 00:18:43,835 --> 00:18:46,395 Speaker 1: of the Trump email praising Herschel and the jd Vance 265 00:18:46,435 --> 00:18:49,315 Speaker 1: email praising Herschel and the other emails praising Herschel the 266 00:18:49,355 --> 00:18:52,555 Speaker 1: small detail that if you donated to help Herschel, his 267 00:18:52,675 --> 00:18:56,275 Speaker 1: campaign would get ten per cent of the money you donated, 268 00:18:56,515 --> 00:18:58,675 Speaker 1: but Trump or Vance or Butt or the others would 269 00:18:58,755 --> 00:19:04,635 Speaker 1: keep for themselves. The NRSC, the committee is keeping for itself. 270 00:19:05,555 --> 00:19:08,115 Speaker 1: The Walker campaign called everybody out on this and the others, 271 00:19:08,155 --> 00:19:11,915 Speaker 1: even Trump, but not the NRSC. They backed down to fifty. 272 00:19:12,675 --> 00:19:15,715 Speaker 1: I can't imagine how Herschel Walker got out fundraised by 273 00:19:15,795 --> 00:19:20,675 Speaker 1: Raphael Warnock con Man, speaking of which, the silver Kevin 274 00:19:20,755 --> 00:19:23,555 Speaker 1: Cork and this is this is a weird story. This 275 00:19:23,595 --> 00:19:27,275 Speaker 1: guy was a SportsCenter anchor, very diligent, went to NBC 276 00:19:27,315 --> 00:19:30,075 Speaker 1: News as a correspondent, hard working, people liked him, but 277 00:19:30,195 --> 00:19:34,075 Speaker 1: the app shot at NBC was management thought he was overmatched, 278 00:19:34,315 --> 00:19:37,075 Speaker 1: let him go. He went to Fox. He was their 279 00:19:37,155 --> 00:19:40,995 Speaker 1: White House correspondent. He's now a DC News correspondent. On 280 00:19:41,035 --> 00:19:45,515 Speaker 1: their morning show yesterday, which I think is entitled Steve 281 00:19:45,635 --> 00:19:48,555 Speaker 1: Doocey and two People who are actually dumber than Steve Doocy, 282 00:19:48,595 --> 00:19:51,315 Speaker 1: I think that's what it's called. They threw to Kevin Cork, 283 00:19:51,355 --> 00:19:54,995 Speaker 1: who was considered a hard news, non opinion guy to 284 00:19:55,155 --> 00:19:58,675 Speaker 1: analyze or talk about or just fill time about Katie 285 00:19:58,755 --> 00:20:02,555 Speaker 1: Hobbs's victory in the Arizona governor's race. Cork quoted the 286 00:20:02,555 --> 00:20:05,915 Speaker 1: Hobbs tweet democracy is worth the wait. Thank you, Arizona. 287 00:20:05,915 --> 00:20:07,955 Speaker 1: I'm so honored and so proud to be your next governor, 288 00:20:08,035 --> 00:20:11,115 Speaker 1: And then Cork said, quote, but if you believe that 289 00:20:11,635 --> 00:20:14,435 Speaker 1: I got a bridge in Brooklyn to sell you, if 290 00:20:14,435 --> 00:20:17,235 Speaker 1: that is, of course you think Carrie Lake agrees, which 291 00:20:17,235 --> 00:20:22,515 Speaker 1: apparently she doesn't. She tweeted this adroitly. Arizonan's no bs. 292 00:20:22,595 --> 00:20:25,955 Speaker 1: When they see it, they sure New Cork. This is 293 00:20:25,955 --> 00:20:29,635 Speaker 1: where one of the people Fox points that when civilization says, unanimously, 294 00:20:29,995 --> 00:20:32,355 Speaker 1: why do you call yourself news when there is no news? 295 00:20:32,515 --> 00:20:34,395 Speaker 1: If you called yourself orange juice when there was no 296 00:20:34,475 --> 00:20:37,155 Speaker 1: orange in your product, you go to jail. This is 297 00:20:37,155 --> 00:20:41,195 Speaker 1: a guy supposedly limited to facts or reality, not like 298 00:20:41,315 --> 00:20:49,075 Speaker 1: our winner, billow. Oh he's back. The Daily Beast Confider 299 00:20:49,235 --> 00:20:53,555 Speaker 1: media newsletter reports that when Bill O'Reilly, Mr Falafel himself 300 00:20:53,635 --> 00:20:57,235 Speaker 1: more iced T mfer right, you are Mr Chuck may Hoffer. 301 00:20:57,835 --> 00:21:00,275 Speaker 1: When he went on Chris Cuomo's new show on the 302 00:21:00,355 --> 00:21:03,875 Speaker 1: Channel News Nation on election night, he was identified as 303 00:21:03,955 --> 00:21:08,595 Speaker 1: Bill o'rile News Nation contributor. In other words, somebody had 304 00:21:08,675 --> 00:21:12,675 Speaker 1: hired him for money, even after the debacle at Fox 305 00:21:12,715 --> 00:21:15,355 Speaker 1: News with the eleventy billion dollars he and Fox had 306 00:21:15,395 --> 00:21:18,995 Speaker 1: to pay to the two six sexual harrassment victories victims, 307 00:21:19,035 --> 00:21:21,715 Speaker 1: or however many it was. But wait, there's more to this. 308 00:21:22,115 --> 00:21:25,835 Speaker 1: On November two, a News Nation spokesperson emailed The Daily 309 00:21:25,875 --> 00:21:31,115 Speaker 1: Beast Bill O'Reilly is not a paid contributor to News Nation. 310 00:21:31,955 --> 00:21:35,155 Speaker 1: Confronted by the election night idea of him as a contributor, 311 00:21:35,195 --> 00:21:38,875 Speaker 1: the same spokesperson then again emailed that is wrong. Nothing 312 00:21:38,955 --> 00:21:45,715 Speaker 1: has changed. Well this is easily settled, Chris Cuomo. Next 313 00:21:45,755 --> 00:21:48,275 Speaker 1: time you have him on there, just run the identifying 314 00:21:48,315 --> 00:21:54,075 Speaker 1: graphic over him, reading Bill O'Reilly not wearing pats, Bill, 315 00:21:54,835 --> 00:21:57,715 Speaker 1: I'm a contributor in fact at all. Like you'll sit 316 00:21:57,755 --> 00:22:04,235 Speaker 1: around and watch as I contribute O'Reilly Today's wires Fires 317 00:22:05,955 --> 00:22:19,075 Speaker 1: in the World to the number one story on AC 318 00:22:19,115 --> 00:22:22,835 Speaker 1: countdown on my favorite topic, me and things I promised 319 00:22:22,835 --> 00:22:26,675 Speaker 1: not to tell. And with that Bill O'Reilly Chris Cuomo 320 00:22:26,835 --> 00:22:30,395 Speaker 1: thing in worse persons about that network News Nation, I 321 00:22:30,475 --> 00:22:32,795 Speaker 1: was reminded that there's another guy who has a show 322 00:22:32,875 --> 00:22:35,435 Speaker 1: on it, and if you have not seen this network, 323 00:22:35,475 --> 00:22:37,875 Speaker 1: you are among roughly eight billion people. It's kind of 324 00:22:37,915 --> 00:22:40,235 Speaker 1: like the nick at night of cable news. You turned 325 00:22:40,275 --> 00:22:41,635 Speaker 1: to it and five will get you ten that your 326 00:22:41,635 --> 00:22:44,155 Speaker 1: immediate reaction will be I didn't know he was still 327 00:22:44,195 --> 00:22:49,275 Speaker 1: alive anyway. It reminded me of this story about this 328 00:22:49,355 --> 00:22:54,795 Speaker 1: other guy. I was a witness to the greatest management 329 00:22:54,835 --> 00:22:59,795 Speaker 1: fiasco in television history, and it began on Monday, June twelve, 330 00:22:59,875 --> 00:23:04,195 Speaker 1: two thousand six. My girlfriend at the time, Katie tur 331 00:23:04,355 --> 00:23:06,395 Speaker 1: was coming in from l A for a week, and 332 00:23:06,475 --> 00:23:09,355 Speaker 1: my vacation had started the previous Friday at exactly nine 333 00:23:09,355 --> 00:23:12,595 Speaker 1: o one pm. At nine o two pm on that 334 00:23:12,635 --> 00:23:16,035 Speaker 1: Friday night, the acting chief of MSNBC, Phil Griffin, called me, 335 00:23:16,155 --> 00:23:19,475 Speaker 1: insisting that even though I was on vacation, we had 336 00:23:19,515 --> 00:23:23,795 Speaker 1: to meet for breakfast at nine thirty a m Monday. 337 00:23:23,835 --> 00:23:26,995 Speaker 1: I said that made it a not vacation, and he said, 338 00:23:26,995 --> 00:23:29,435 Speaker 1: we will give you two additional days off later. Something 339 00:23:29,555 --> 00:23:33,715 Speaker 1: is happening you need to know about first, I sighed. 340 00:23:34,915 --> 00:23:37,875 Speaker 1: The previous Wednesday, they had fired the president of MSNBC, 341 00:23:38,075 --> 00:23:40,355 Speaker 1: the one who had once chased me around our offices 342 00:23:40,395 --> 00:23:43,195 Speaker 1: in Secaucus, New Jersey, threatening to kill me because he 343 00:23:43,275 --> 00:23:46,675 Speaker 1: was squeamish about blood. See if that makes any logical 344 00:23:46,715 --> 00:23:49,635 Speaker 1: sense to you. He threatened to kill me because he 345 00:23:49,755 --> 00:23:55,075 Speaker 1: was squeamish about blood. Jeff Zucker, then the president of NBC, 346 00:23:55,595 --> 00:23:58,235 Speaker 1: had called my agent and asked how my relationship with 347 00:23:58,315 --> 00:24:01,835 Speaker 1: the aforementioned acting chief Phil Griffin was. It was obvious 348 00:24:01,835 --> 00:24:04,115 Speaker 1: they were going to put Griffin in charge, and as 349 00:24:04,155 --> 00:24:06,315 Speaker 1: the marquee anchor on the network, they needed me to 350 00:24:06,355 --> 00:24:08,635 Speaker 1: find it out from them rather than from a gossip 351 00:24:08,715 --> 00:24:12,435 Speaker 1: side or something. I could not begrudge them the courtesy. 352 00:24:12,875 --> 00:24:15,995 Speaker 1: So on the first weekday of my vacation, Griffin and 353 00:24:16,035 --> 00:24:18,155 Speaker 1: I met for breakfast, and as soon as coffee arrived, 354 00:24:18,195 --> 00:24:21,435 Speaker 1: he said, so listen, buddy, UM, I'm gonna be the 355 00:24:21,435 --> 00:24:24,035 Speaker 1: executive in charge of MSNBC, but I'm gonna be staying 356 00:24:24,075 --> 00:24:27,115 Speaker 1: here in the city, uh to oversee the Today Show. 357 00:24:27,395 --> 00:24:30,755 Speaker 1: So MSNBC will also have a general manager, uh, and 358 00:24:30,795 --> 00:24:33,675 Speaker 1: the general manager will being charge in Cacaucus, and the 359 00:24:33,675 --> 00:24:37,795 Speaker 1: new general manager will be Dan Abrams. Well, I paused 360 00:24:37,875 --> 00:24:41,115 Speaker 1: for a second and then burst into laughter. I mean 361 00:24:41,715 --> 00:24:46,155 Speaker 1: thirty seconds of a riotous belly laugh loud enough that 362 00:24:46,195 --> 00:24:51,795 Speaker 1: other people at the restaurant at Norma's in the Parker 363 00:24:51,835 --> 00:24:54,355 Speaker 1: Meridian in New York City turned around to look at 364 00:24:54,355 --> 00:24:57,395 Speaker 1: me to find out what was so funny. Then I 365 00:24:57,475 --> 00:25:02,075 Speaker 1: composed myself. Then I laughed again, then a third laugh, 366 00:25:02,155 --> 00:25:05,035 Speaker 1: then a fourth laugh. Oh my god, Phil, that is 367 00:25:05,075 --> 00:25:07,595 Speaker 1: the best. You get me to get up early on 368 00:25:07,635 --> 00:25:09,635 Speaker 1: the first day of my vacation and you hit me 369 00:25:09,755 --> 00:25:14,875 Speaker 1: with that, d Abrams running something we've known each other, 370 00:25:14,955 --> 00:25:18,555 Speaker 1: what Phil twenty five years next month? That is the 371 00:25:18,595 --> 00:25:22,115 Speaker 1: best joke you have ever told me, Dan Abrams and 372 00:25:22,195 --> 00:25:24,555 Speaker 1: I laughed again for another thirty seconds, and one of 373 00:25:24,635 --> 00:25:26,555 Speaker 1: my friends, who was a waiter there, came over and said, 374 00:25:26,555 --> 00:25:31,555 Speaker 1: everything okay. Because Phil could never interrupt anybody who was 375 00:25:31,635 --> 00:25:34,355 Speaker 1: praising him. He smiled back at me, and when I 376 00:25:34,395 --> 00:25:37,355 Speaker 1: finally stopped laughing, he said, well, well thanks, I guess, 377 00:25:37,395 --> 00:25:39,955 Speaker 1: but but I'm serious. We've been talking to Dan for 378 00:25:39,995 --> 00:25:41,955 Speaker 1: several months about this, and he just has the kind 379 00:25:41,955 --> 00:25:46,875 Speaker 1: of analytical mind that it had taken me more than 380 00:25:46,915 --> 00:25:49,555 Speaker 1: a minute to realize Griffin was serious. That he and 381 00:25:49,595 --> 00:25:52,515 Speaker 1: the president of NBC News Steve Cappus, and that President 382 00:25:52,555 --> 00:25:56,035 Speaker 1: of NBC Jeff Zucker had actually decided to take the 383 00:25:56,115 --> 00:25:59,595 Speaker 1: host of our nine PM show, which had been devoted 384 00:25:59,675 --> 00:26:06,475 Speaker 1: for years to excruciating lowest common denominator tabloid crap coverage 385 00:26:06,955 --> 00:26:10,235 Speaker 1: of the missing white woman of the week, to take 386 00:26:10,275 --> 00:26:13,675 Speaker 1: a man who had the respect of absolutely no one 387 00:26:14,275 --> 00:26:18,435 Speaker 1: on air or off at MSNBC, A man who made 388 00:26:18,515 --> 00:26:21,515 Speaker 1: me in that regard, look like St. Francis of ASSISI. 389 00:26:22,155 --> 00:26:24,715 Speaker 1: A man who had only been in television for twelve years, 390 00:26:24,915 --> 00:26:27,275 Speaker 1: a man who had never run anything in his life, 391 00:26:27,475 --> 00:26:31,875 Speaker 1: A man with indescribably bad hair that none of us 392 00:26:31,875 --> 00:26:35,315 Speaker 1: could identify. Was it a to pay? Was it a weave? 393 00:26:35,715 --> 00:26:38,515 Speaker 1: Was he hit by lightning? And that was the most 394 00:26:38,555 --> 00:26:41,835 Speaker 1: sincere thing about him? His hair? They had actually decided 395 00:26:41,875 --> 00:26:46,515 Speaker 1: to appoint this gossip monger with no experience to run 396 00:26:46,555 --> 00:26:50,475 Speaker 1: a network that was just now finally establishing itself as 397 00:26:50,515 --> 00:26:56,515 Speaker 1: a factor in American political media. Christ Phil, what are 398 00:26:56,555 --> 00:26:59,555 Speaker 1: you thinking? I said to him, He's a buffoon. I'd 399 00:26:59,635 --> 00:27:04,755 Speaker 1: rather work for Joe Scarborough. He's condescending, he insults his producers, 400 00:27:04,795 --> 00:27:08,995 Speaker 1: he insults our producers. He leaks constantly to the reporters 401 00:27:09,035 --> 00:27:12,515 Speaker 1: and the gossip blogs. Half of his exclusive sources turn 402 00:27:12,595 --> 00:27:15,755 Speaker 1: out to be wrong. And I might be the best 403 00:27:15,755 --> 00:27:20,875 Speaker 1: friend he has there. Phil Griffin chugged his coffee. Well, 404 00:27:21,115 --> 00:27:24,035 Speaker 1: I'm sorry about that. I mean, I mean, it's not 405 00:27:24,075 --> 00:27:26,635 Speaker 1: gonna make any practical difference for you. You You would countdown 406 00:27:26,635 --> 00:27:28,675 Speaker 1: will report directly to me. Dan is gonna have any 407 00:27:28,675 --> 00:27:31,435 Speaker 1: responsibilities for any of the primetime shows. He's only gonna 408 00:27:31,475 --> 00:27:33,515 Speaker 1: be hands on with the daytime shows. But but he'll 409 00:27:33,515 --> 00:27:35,155 Speaker 1: be the general manager of the network. And we think 410 00:27:35,155 --> 00:27:38,635 Speaker 1: he has a lot of exciting ideas. And I said 411 00:27:38,635 --> 00:27:44,115 Speaker 1: exciting ideas about what exciting ideas about Sean Bennett Ramsey. Phil, 412 00:27:44,755 --> 00:27:48,875 Speaker 1: we have just stopped being the running joke, the bottomless 413 00:27:48,915 --> 00:27:52,515 Speaker 1: punchline of cable news. And once this gets out, we 414 00:27:52,595 --> 00:27:55,195 Speaker 1: will be less respected than we were a year ago. 415 00:27:56,715 --> 00:28:00,155 Speaker 1: I paused, and the news bounced off the walls of 416 00:28:00,155 --> 00:28:05,715 Speaker 1: the restaurant and hit me afresh again. Dan Abram's general 417 00:28:06,195 --> 00:28:13,115 Speaker 1: manager of MSNBC. He will get you fired, Phil, I 418 00:28:13,155 --> 00:28:14,835 Speaker 1: don't know if he will get you fired because he's 419 00:28:14,835 --> 00:28:17,075 Speaker 1: trying to get you fired, or he'll get you fired 420 00:28:17,075 --> 00:28:19,595 Speaker 1: because he'll be so bad at this that everybody will quit. 421 00:28:19,875 --> 00:28:23,235 Speaker 1: But you've just committed professional suicide. U n campus and 422 00:28:23,315 --> 00:28:29,075 Speaker 1: Zooker dead men walking. Phil Griffin was now read. I 423 00:28:29,115 --> 00:28:31,595 Speaker 1: had only previously seen him read when he was very, 424 00:28:31,795 --> 00:28:34,755 Speaker 1: very drunk and we were in our twenties. I was 425 00:28:34,795 --> 00:28:36,675 Speaker 1: hoping you'd give him a chance, and I said some 426 00:28:36,795 --> 00:28:39,995 Speaker 1: very pleasant things about giving him a chance to destroy 427 00:28:40,035 --> 00:28:41,795 Speaker 1: what we had been building up for the last year. 428 00:28:42,115 --> 00:28:44,155 Speaker 1: And did Phil remember that my contract was up in 429 00:28:44,195 --> 00:28:47,075 Speaker 1: six months and CNN was already publicly courting me to 430 00:28:47,155 --> 00:28:50,315 Speaker 1: go there. I said, I'm gone. You might as well 431 00:28:50,435 --> 00:28:55,115 Speaker 1: release me from the contract right now. I'm out. And 432 00:28:55,155 --> 00:28:57,315 Speaker 1: then something else popped into my mind. Oh, and listen, 433 00:28:57,315 --> 00:28:59,595 Speaker 1: did you think there might be a problem because he 434 00:28:59,675 --> 00:29:01,795 Speaker 1: and I dated the same woman nine years ago, and 435 00:29:01,835 --> 00:29:03,635 Speaker 1: he told her she'd be making a mistake to get 436 00:29:03,635 --> 00:29:11,795 Speaker 1: involved with me. Phil's eyes widened. He had forgotten, Like 437 00:29:11,835 --> 00:29:15,115 Speaker 1: I said, he'll have nothing to do with Countdown. An 438 00:29:15,155 --> 00:29:18,115 Speaker 1: hour later, my home phone rang and it was Dan Abrams. 439 00:29:18,315 --> 00:29:20,235 Speaker 1: I just wanted to say how much I'm looking forward 440 00:29:20,235 --> 00:29:23,475 Speaker 1: to working with you on Countdown. As time goes by, 441 00:29:23,715 --> 00:29:26,155 Speaker 1: Phil will be more and more overwhelmed at the Today's show, 442 00:29:26,155 --> 00:29:28,435 Speaker 1: and I'll be making the day to day decisions. I'll 443 00:29:28,435 --> 00:29:33,035 Speaker 1: be your guy. After a few minutes of this, which 444 00:29:33,115 --> 00:29:35,755 Speaker 1: I swear I could hear his phone scratching against his 445 00:29:35,795 --> 00:29:39,475 Speaker 1: two pay and during which I said nothing, but uh huh. 446 00:29:39,835 --> 00:29:42,875 Speaker 1: My home phone rang again and it was the NBC president, 447 00:29:42,915 --> 00:29:46,635 Speaker 1: Jeff Zucker. So you guys report to Dan, and if 448 00:29:46,675 --> 00:29:48,115 Speaker 1: you need to go further, you can go to Phil. 449 00:29:48,235 --> 00:29:50,115 Speaker 1: And I said, Phil had just told me Abrams would 450 00:29:50,155 --> 00:29:52,395 Speaker 1: have nothing to do with countdown, and I intended to 451 00:29:52,395 --> 00:29:55,715 Speaker 1: make sure that was true. Zucker, showing the loyalty and 452 00:29:55,795 --> 00:29:58,915 Speaker 1: consistency that was so publicly displayed in the original Chris 453 00:29:58,955 --> 00:30:03,075 Speaker 1: Cuomo c and n Fiasco, immediately said, well, if this 454 00:30:03,115 --> 00:30:06,915 Speaker 1: doesn't work, f Dan Abrams, hell, F Phil Griffin, you 455 00:30:06,955 --> 00:30:10,395 Speaker 1: come to me. The first thing I had done when 456 00:30:10,395 --> 00:30:12,755 Speaker 1: I had gotten home was to call my executive producer, 457 00:30:12,795 --> 00:30:16,395 Speaker 1: Izzy Povich. She had been as fascinated as I had 458 00:30:16,395 --> 00:30:18,715 Speaker 1: been as to why I had to have a business 459 00:30:18,755 --> 00:30:23,195 Speaker 1: breakfast on day one of a vacation. Well, I sighed, 460 00:30:23,275 --> 00:30:27,555 Speaker 1: you'll never believe who the new general manager of MSNBC is. 461 00:30:28,795 --> 00:30:32,195 Speaker 1: She guessed Phil Griffin than me, and then the manager 462 00:30:32,235 --> 00:30:35,475 Speaker 1: of the New York Yankees, Joe Tory. I said, all 463 00:30:35,555 --> 00:30:39,355 Speaker 1: would have been better choices. I said, it's Dan Abrams. 464 00:30:40,595 --> 00:30:43,595 Speaker 1: She laughed so hard I had to pull the phone 465 00:30:43,755 --> 00:30:48,235 Speaker 1: away from my ear. After she finally calmed down, Izz, 466 00:30:48,275 --> 00:30:50,915 Speaker 1: he said, you had me going, Oh my god, what 467 00:30:50,995 --> 00:30:54,555 Speaker 1: a disaster that would be. I'm sorry I fell into 468 00:30:54,555 --> 00:30:58,595 Speaker 1: the bit. Yeah, just kidding, she laughed again. No, actually, 469 00:30:58,595 --> 00:31:00,795 Speaker 1: I'm not kidding. She laughed again and said come on, 470 00:31:01,115 --> 00:31:04,355 Speaker 1: and so I said, yeah, yeah, I'm kidding. She laughed again. 471 00:31:04,715 --> 00:31:06,595 Speaker 1: No actually I'm not kidding. Dan Abrams is the new 472 00:31:06,635 --> 00:31:10,115 Speaker 1: general manager, she laughed again. We must have done this 473 00:31:10,155 --> 00:31:13,195 Speaker 1: for two or three minutes. There was an old Eddie 474 00:31:13,235 --> 00:31:15,995 Speaker 1: Izzard bit I stole it from him about the death 475 00:31:16,075 --> 00:31:21,435 Speaker 1: of Engelbert Humperdink. I finally stopped when she said, wait, 476 00:31:22,475 --> 00:31:24,395 Speaker 1: I saw Danny Abrams getting out of his car in 477 00:31:24,435 --> 00:31:28,155 Speaker 1: the in the President's parking space this morning. Year. You're 478 00:31:28,275 --> 00:31:31,235 Speaker 1: you're you're not quit kidding. Oh my god. I have 479 00:31:31,315 --> 00:31:35,835 Speaker 1: to call my husband and tell him I'm quitting. Well, 480 00:31:35,875 --> 00:31:38,115 Speaker 1: it all worked out about as well as I had predicted. 481 00:31:38,355 --> 00:31:40,955 Speaker 1: At his first meeting with the producers, Dan Abrams revealed 482 00:31:40,995 --> 00:31:43,795 Speaker 1: his first exciting idea. He had apparently been given enough 483 00:31:43,875 --> 00:31:46,275 Speaker 1: lead time about his appointment to have made up giant 484 00:31:46,315 --> 00:31:50,315 Speaker 1: banners containing the new MSNBC network slogan, which he had 485 00:31:50,355 --> 00:31:54,075 Speaker 1: dreamed up. The banners he told the producers were going 486 00:31:54,115 --> 00:31:56,715 Speaker 1: to be hung around the studios, and in fact, we're 487 00:31:56,715 --> 00:31:59,795 Speaker 1: being hung around the studios. As they spoke, and behind 488 00:31:59,875 --> 00:32:02,155 Speaker 1: him there was one covered in a drape cloth and 489 00:32:02,195 --> 00:32:04,755 Speaker 1: he pulled the string. The cloth fell off, revealed in 490 00:32:04,875 --> 00:32:09,835 Speaker 1: his first exciting idea of the new network slogan, MSNBC 491 00:32:10,875 --> 00:32:17,195 Speaker 1: keeping it Real, keeping k E I p I n apostrophe, 492 00:32:17,315 --> 00:32:23,035 Speaker 1: no g keeping. That was the highlight of his tenure 493 00:32:23,075 --> 00:32:27,355 Speaker 1: as the general manager. The blowback against his appointment was 494 00:32:27,435 --> 00:32:32,315 Speaker 1: so universal nobody trying to hide it. Abram's first move 495 00:32:32,435 --> 00:32:34,955 Speaker 1: was to cancel a show hosted by an Xbox News 496 00:32:34,995 --> 00:32:39,675 Speaker 1: walking malaprop artist named Rita Cosby. She almost took hostages. 497 00:32:40,315 --> 00:32:44,115 Speaker 1: Abrams delayed the meeting to tell her staff from noon 498 00:32:44,315 --> 00:32:47,755 Speaker 1: until six pm. Abrams then gave an interview about his 499 00:32:47,875 --> 00:32:52,355 Speaker 1: vision for MSNBC and told the reporter quote, documentaries are 500 00:32:52,395 --> 00:32:56,755 Speaker 1: our most important programs, and the staffs of the uncancelled 501 00:32:56,875 --> 00:33:00,835 Speaker 1: prime time shows mine included nearly walked out because in 502 00:33:00,915 --> 00:33:05,115 Speaker 1: fact we were our most important programs. While Griffin vented 503 00:33:05,155 --> 00:33:09,315 Speaker 1: that mass resignation by swearing Abrams had been misquoted. Abrams 504 00:33:09,315 --> 00:33:14,755 Speaker 1: then launched a series of radio commercials for MSNBC documentaries. 505 00:33:15,915 --> 00:33:18,675 Speaker 1: Abrams tried to get a producer named Bill Wolf, who 506 00:33:18,715 --> 00:33:20,235 Speaker 1: had been told he was going to be the new 507 00:33:20,275 --> 00:33:24,315 Speaker 1: general manager, to instead host his own show. He told 508 00:33:24,355 --> 00:33:26,275 Speaker 1: me he had figured out the perfect guest host for 509 00:33:26,355 --> 00:33:29,715 Speaker 1: Countdown and was already in negotiations with him. Dan Rather, 510 00:33:30,795 --> 00:33:33,315 Speaker 1: my girlfriend Katie's father, then chimed in with a new 511 00:33:33,435 --> 00:33:38,915 Speaker 1: nickname for Abrams that spread across the television industry, Miles Miles, 512 00:33:38,955 --> 00:33:42,315 Speaker 1: as in Miles the boy producer from the sitcom Murphy Brown. 513 00:33:44,355 --> 00:33:47,555 Speaker 1: I even felt sorry for him, it was that bad, 514 00:33:47,755 --> 00:33:50,315 Speaker 1: and of course I was promptly repaid for this mistake. 515 00:33:50,435 --> 00:33:53,515 Speaker 1: A week after Abrams was hired, the cable news blogger 516 00:33:53,595 --> 00:33:56,875 Speaker 1: named Brian Stelter, who inexplicably wound up first at The 517 00:33:56,875 --> 00:33:58,555 Speaker 1: New York Times and then at CNN, and you heard 518 00:33:58,595 --> 00:34:01,635 Speaker 1: about him getting fired over the summer. Brian Stelter called 519 00:34:01,755 --> 00:34:04,155 Speaker 1: to say he had been told by a source at 520 00:34:04,275 --> 00:34:07,435 Speaker 1: NBC that I had just been fired at a meeting 521 00:34:07,515 --> 00:34:11,275 Speaker 1: an hour before by Abrams and an NBC executive named 522 00:34:11,355 --> 00:34:15,315 Speaker 1: Randy Falco. In fact, Abrams was at a meeting with 523 00:34:15,435 --> 00:34:19,035 Speaker 1: Zucker and the NBC News president campus as they desperately 524 00:34:19,075 --> 00:34:21,075 Speaker 1: tried to steer out of the fatal skid they had 525 00:34:21,115 --> 00:34:26,235 Speaker 1: all swerved into. Phil Griffin was furious. Griffin told me 526 00:34:26,275 --> 00:34:28,875 Speaker 1: he suspected Abrams had been somehow connected to this leak 527 00:34:28,995 --> 00:34:31,435 Speaker 1: about this fake story about me getting fired, and he 528 00:34:31,515 --> 00:34:35,395 Speaker 1: began an investigation of him and never trusted him again 529 00:34:36,315 --> 00:34:42,755 Speaker 1: one week appointed Monday, and a lame duck the following Monday, 530 00:34:43,075 --> 00:34:51,795 Speaker 1: keeping it real keeping. On August nine, three days shy 531 00:34:51,955 --> 00:34:54,315 Speaker 1: of the two months mark, Phil Griffin called my office 532 00:34:54,315 --> 00:34:56,395 Speaker 1: an hour and a half before my show. Okay, you 533 00:34:56,435 --> 00:34:58,635 Speaker 1: want to say I told you so. We've made it 534 00:34:58,635 --> 00:35:00,355 Speaker 1: clear to Dan that he won't be involved in any 535 00:35:00,355 --> 00:35:03,595 Speaker 1: major decisions going forward. He will remain general manager, but 536 00:35:03,635 --> 00:35:06,595 Speaker 1: I'm running everything. In a year or so, buddy, Well, 537 00:35:06,675 --> 00:35:08,995 Speaker 1: we'll say he found out he just had to go 538 00:35:09,035 --> 00:35:11,875 Speaker 1: back on the air, and he'll resign and we'll give 539 00:35:11,915 --> 00:35:14,595 Speaker 1: him the nine PM show. Probably you have to keep 540 00:35:14,595 --> 00:35:20,075 Speaker 1: this confidential. I did. I'm surprisingly good at that, at 541 00:35:20,155 --> 00:35:23,715 Speaker 1: least till I started this podcast. Fourteen months later, they 542 00:35:23,755 --> 00:35:26,555 Speaker 1: offered offed him, by which time I had already started 543 00:35:26,555 --> 00:35:28,315 Speaker 1: to lobby them to make the nine PM host not 544 00:35:28,435 --> 00:35:31,515 Speaker 1: Dan Abrams but Rachel Maddow. They finally gave into that 545 00:35:31,555 --> 00:35:34,955 Speaker 1: in September two and Dan did not have a show 546 00:35:35,115 --> 00:35:37,515 Speaker 1: or a title, and he finally got the message and 547 00:35:37,555 --> 00:35:41,235 Speaker 1: he left NBC in two thousand eleven. The last I 548 00:35:41,275 --> 00:35:44,995 Speaker 1: had heard of Dan Abrams before the News Nation retirement home. 549 00:35:45,555 --> 00:35:50,475 Speaker 1: He had launched a new website. It's called Whiskey Raiders 550 00:35:51,595 --> 00:35:58,955 Speaker 1: because it rates various brands of whiskey. You get it, Raiders, 551 00:35:59,115 --> 00:36:04,955 Speaker 1: ray Teurs, you get it. It's a pun resume of lee. 552 00:36:05,315 --> 00:36:09,275 Speaker 1: He chose that pun because somebody else had already taken 553 00:36:10,195 --> 00:36:26,435 Speaker 1: keeping it real. I've done all the damage I can 554 00:36:26,435 --> 00:36:30,755 Speaker 1: do here. Thanks for listening and keeping it real. Without 555 00:36:30,755 --> 00:36:34,075 Speaker 1: a leturgy follow this podcast if you can tell a friend. 556 00:36:34,275 --> 00:36:36,675 Speaker 1: We are number one among news and political podcasts not 557 00:36:36,715 --> 00:36:38,435 Speaker 1: produced by a network. And you know why that is. 558 00:36:38,515 --> 00:36:42,875 Speaker 1: It's because I'm putting the ass back into podcast. Here 559 00:36:42,915 --> 00:36:45,035 Speaker 1: are the credits. Most of the music, including our theme 560 00:36:45,075 --> 00:36:48,515 Speaker 1: from Beethoven's Ninth, was arranged, produced, and performed by Brian 561 00:36:48,595 --> 00:36:51,835 Speaker 1: Ray and John Philip Chanelle. There the countdown musical directors, 562 00:36:52,235 --> 00:36:55,995 Speaker 1: all orchestration and keyboards by John Philip Chanelle guitarist, bass 563 00:36:56,075 --> 00:36:59,315 Speaker 1: and drums by Brian Ray. Produced by t k O Brothers, 564 00:36:59,635 --> 00:37:02,235 Speaker 1: and Brian is also in charge of Keeping it Real. 565 00:37:03,355 --> 00:37:07,035 Speaker 1: Other Beethoven selections been arranged and performed by No Horns Allowed. 566 00:37:07,275 --> 00:37:09,995 Speaker 1: The sports music is the Olderman theme from ESPN two 567 00:37:10,035 --> 00:37:12,355 Speaker 1: and it was written by Mitch Warren Davis and it 568 00:37:12,395 --> 00:37:16,475 Speaker 1: appears here courtesy of ESPN, Inc. Musical comments by Nancy Fauss. 569 00:37:16,555 --> 00:37:19,795 Speaker 1: The best baseball stadium organist ever. Our announcer today was 570 00:37:19,875 --> 00:37:23,995 Speaker 1: Larry David. Everything else that's pretty much my fault. So 571 00:37:24,035 --> 00:37:27,715 Speaker 1: that's countdown for this the six day since Donald Trump's 572 00:37:27,715 --> 00:37:30,435 Speaker 1: first attempted coup against the democratically elected government of the 573 00:37:30,515 --> 00:37:34,635 Speaker 1: United States. Arrest him now while we still can. There 574 00:37:34,635 --> 00:37:37,235 Speaker 1: will be a new episode tomorrow. Till then, I'm Keith Alderman. 575 00:37:37,315 --> 00:37:40,795 Speaker 1: Good morning, good afternoon, goodnight, good luck, and keeping it Real. 576 00:37:44,275 --> 00:37:47,915 Speaker 1: Countdown with Keith Olderman is a production of I heart Radio. 577 00:37:48,155 --> 00:37:51,075 Speaker 1: For more podcasts from I heart Radio, visit the i 578 00:37:51,195 --> 00:37:55,555 Speaker 1: heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.