1 00:00:04,755 --> 00:00:08,995 Speaker 1: Countdown with Keith Olderman is a production of I Heart Radio. 2 00:00:11,315 --> 00:00:16,595 Speaker 1: On April four, the New York Yankees played an exhibition 3 00:00:16,635 --> 00:00:19,875 Speaker 1: game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium in 4 00:00:19,955 --> 00:00:23,795 Speaker 1: Los Angeles, and my friend, the Yankees play by play 5 00:00:23,835 --> 00:00:28,515 Speaker 1: announcer Michael Kay, was shaking like a leaf. He spoke 6 00:00:28,635 --> 00:00:31,515 Speaker 1: softly to me, almost in a whisper. Michael does not 7 00:00:31,715 --> 00:00:35,435 Speaker 1: speak softly. I need you to do me a favor. 8 00:00:35,835 --> 00:00:40,235 Speaker 1: I'm nervous just asking. I'm embarrassed, just asking. Can you 9 00:00:41,155 --> 00:00:44,235 Speaker 1: He sighed heavily and ran a hand through his hair. 10 00:00:44,915 --> 00:00:50,195 Speaker 1: Can you introduced me to Vince Scully. Michael Kay was 11 00:00:50,235 --> 00:00:53,755 Speaker 1: starting his eighth season that day as a Major League 12 00:00:53,795 --> 00:00:56,515 Speaker 1: baseball play by play announcer. He had that in common 13 00:00:56,555 --> 00:00:59,115 Speaker 1: with Vince Scully. They did the same job. He also 14 00:00:59,195 --> 00:01:01,955 Speaker 1: went to the same college as Vin Scully, Fordham University. 15 00:01:02,155 --> 00:01:04,595 Speaker 1: He had no reason to be nervous about meeting Vince 16 00:01:04,675 --> 00:01:10,115 Speaker 1: Gully except that's Vince Scully. I told Mike there was 17 00:01:10,155 --> 00:01:12,555 Speaker 1: no reason to be nervous, though I knew he would be. 18 00:01:12,955 --> 00:01:15,635 Speaker 1: But I also told him sincerely, there really was no 19 00:01:15,715 --> 00:01:19,155 Speaker 1: reason to be embarrassed. I first moved to Los Angeles 20 00:01:19,235 --> 00:01:23,515 Speaker 1: in August, and I went right to the top of 21 00:01:23,595 --> 00:01:26,235 Speaker 1: the guys doing sports on the local TV newscasts. They're 22 00:01:26,275 --> 00:01:28,875 Speaker 1: back when that meant something. Soon I was also on 23 00:01:28,915 --> 00:01:31,235 Speaker 1: the all news radio station during drive time, which in 24 00:01:31,355 --> 00:01:35,755 Speaker 1: l A is literally drive time. Vince Gully was technically 25 00:01:36,595 --> 00:01:40,875 Speaker 1: a colleague of mine, and that did not matter a lick. 26 00:01:41,835 --> 00:01:45,035 Speaker 1: Through the rest of the baseball season, I could not 27 00:01:45,275 --> 00:01:48,515 Speaker 1: summon the courage to go and introduce myself to Vince Gully. 28 00:01:49,555 --> 00:01:51,595 Speaker 1: Through the rest of the nineteen eight six season, I 29 00:01:51,635 --> 00:01:53,715 Speaker 1: could not summon the courage to introduce myself to and 30 00:01:53,795 --> 00:01:55,955 Speaker 1: through the rest of the nineteen eight seven season, through 31 00:01:55,995 --> 00:01:58,955 Speaker 1: almost all the nine eight season, and then late in 32 00:01:58,995 --> 00:02:01,795 Speaker 1: that year, I switched jobs got a big pay raise. 33 00:02:01,915 --> 00:02:04,875 Speaker 1: I was nearly thirty, and I said I have to 34 00:02:05,035 --> 00:02:09,395 Speaker 1: do this now. And when I finally said, excuse me, Vin, 35 00:02:10,275 --> 00:02:13,795 Speaker 1: my name is, and at that point I did not 36 00:02:13,915 --> 00:02:18,035 Speaker 1: remember what my name was, found it somewhere, blurted it out, 37 00:02:18,115 --> 00:02:22,355 Speaker 1: said something possibly in English, and Vince Scully beamed, I'm 38 00:02:22,395 --> 00:02:26,195 Speaker 1: glad you said hello. I thought I had done something 39 00:02:26,235 --> 00:02:29,795 Speaker 1: to offend you. He said, Also, I have a question 40 00:02:29,795 --> 00:02:32,235 Speaker 1: I've been meaning to ask you about baseball research. So 41 00:02:32,355 --> 00:02:37,835 Speaker 1: forgive me for not introducing myself to you. So I 42 00:02:37,875 --> 00:02:41,595 Speaker 1: don't think I've passed out, but I sure understood why 43 00:02:41,635 --> 00:02:44,355 Speaker 1: Michael was, as he put it, shaking like a leaf. 44 00:02:45,155 --> 00:02:48,035 Speaker 1: Vin shortly thereafter appeared in the Dodger dugout. I brought 45 00:02:48,075 --> 00:02:50,195 Speaker 1: the two of them together. We all chatted for ten minutes. 46 00:02:50,235 --> 00:02:51,995 Speaker 1: We got a picture. I got out of the way 47 00:02:52,035 --> 00:02:54,435 Speaker 1: and they got a picture. We talked about Fordham, where 48 00:02:54,475 --> 00:02:56,755 Speaker 1: they went to school, and where I was born. And 49 00:02:56,795 --> 00:02:59,155 Speaker 1: then Vin excused himself to go do an interview, and 50 00:02:59,275 --> 00:03:02,755 Speaker 1: Michael Kay said, God, I'm still shaking like a leaf. 51 00:03:04,355 --> 00:03:08,115 Speaker 1: That's how we all felt about him. Those of us 52 00:03:08,155 --> 00:03:11,955 Speaker 1: who with incomplete accuracy would say, we're in the same 53 00:03:11,995 --> 00:03:16,395 Speaker 1: business as Vin Scully, we were, in fact part of 54 00:03:16,515 --> 00:03:18,715 Speaker 1: to turn the phrase he always used about others who 55 00:03:18,755 --> 00:03:23,995 Speaker 1: had fans and supporters, the Vin Scully Marching and Chowder Society. 56 00:03:24,235 --> 00:03:29,115 Speaker 1: Because yeah, he was the greatest broadcaster I've ever met. 57 00:03:29,795 --> 00:03:32,675 Speaker 1: But more importantly, he was the nicest man in the world, 58 00:03:33,235 --> 00:03:39,195 Speaker 1: and also delightfully profane when he got to trust you, 59 00:03:40,155 --> 00:03:43,475 Speaker 1: and like anybody else, he could be fiercely and sometimes 60 00:03:43,595 --> 00:03:48,195 Speaker 1: bitterly territorial about his broadcasts, and he had problems with 61 00:03:48,275 --> 00:03:51,395 Speaker 1: certain players, and at least twice in the nineteen sixties 62 00:03:51,555 --> 00:03:55,075 Speaker 1: he almost left the Dodgers to go home and broadcast 63 00:03:55,155 --> 00:03:58,755 Speaker 1: for the Yankees, and he had doubts that he had 64 00:03:58,795 --> 00:04:01,715 Speaker 1: made all the right career decisions. And unless you knew 65 00:04:01,755 --> 00:04:04,115 Speaker 1: him pretty well, you would never have known any of that. 66 00:04:04,715 --> 00:04:08,715 Speaker 1: And no complaint or cuss or uncertainty ever made its 67 00:04:08,755 --> 00:04:12,355 Speaker 1: way into the public domain. And even when I had 68 00:04:12,435 --> 00:04:15,515 Speaker 1: known him thirty years and had the privilege of having 69 00:04:15,515 --> 00:04:19,115 Speaker 1: our visits start with a hug and end with dinner, 70 00:04:19,675 --> 00:04:22,595 Speaker 1: I would still think the same thing I thought every 71 00:04:22,635 --> 00:04:28,235 Speaker 1: time I ever saw him coming towards me, Well, here 72 00:04:28,275 --> 00:04:32,835 Speaker 1: comes God. And there was not one moment that he 73 00:04:32,915 --> 00:04:36,595 Speaker 1: acted like he was anything more than maybe a pretty good, 74 00:04:37,195 --> 00:04:43,475 Speaker 1: fairly popular baseball announcer. If you don't know, Vincent Edwards 75 00:04:43,555 --> 00:04:47,315 Speaker 1: Scully died yesterday. He was ninety four years old. He 76 00:04:47,395 --> 00:04:50,995 Speaker 1: spent the years, all the years between his twenty second 77 00:04:51,035 --> 00:04:54,715 Speaker 1: birthday and his eighty ninth birthday, as the play by 78 00:04:54,715 --> 00:04:58,115 Speaker 1: play announcer of the Brooklyn and then the Los Angeles Dodgers. 79 00:04:58,675 --> 00:05:01,755 Speaker 1: The day he started on the job was so long 80 00:05:01,795 --> 00:05:05,435 Speaker 1: ago it was barely three years since the Dodgers Jackie 81 00:05:05,515 --> 00:05:09,035 Speaker 1: Robinson had broken the color line in baseball, there were 82 00:05:09,075 --> 00:05:12,675 Speaker 1: just sixteen Major League Baseball teams, and the ones Furthest. 83 00:05:12,715 --> 00:05:17,235 Speaker 1: West and Furthest. South were in St. Louis, Missouri. Before 84 00:05:17,275 --> 00:05:19,635 Speaker 1: the Second World War, one of those St. Louis teams 85 00:05:19,635 --> 00:05:22,195 Speaker 1: had planned to move to Los Angeles, but the year 86 00:05:22,275 --> 00:05:28,715 Speaker 1: then started nineteen fifty, baseball in Los Angeles still seemed 87 00:05:28,755 --> 00:05:33,075 Speaker 1: like the most impractical of pipe dreams. Within eight years, 88 00:05:33,115 --> 00:05:35,955 Speaker 1: it would be Vince Scully's job to introduce Major League 89 00:05:35,995 --> 00:05:40,155 Speaker 1: Baseball to the nation's second largest metropolitan area, and in 90 00:05:40,275 --> 00:05:44,555 Speaker 1: large part also to prevent the Dodgers who just moved 91 00:05:44,595 --> 00:05:49,155 Speaker 1: in from moving out. They almost did. There was a 92 00:05:49,195 --> 00:05:51,395 Speaker 1: referendum vote on whether or not to give them the 93 00:05:51,515 --> 00:05:54,355 Speaker 1: land for their new stadium in Los Angeles, and it 94 00:05:54,395 --> 00:05:58,115 Speaker 1: was really close, and it was Vince scully sincere and 95 00:05:58,355 --> 00:06:04,315 Speaker 1: smiling salesmanship that helped Yes to win narrowly. And then 96 00:06:04,355 --> 00:06:07,835 Speaker 1: there are the many recordings still extant of games in 97 00:06:07,875 --> 00:06:11,675 Speaker 1: that new field Dodger Stadium from the nineteen sixties and 98 00:06:11,755 --> 00:06:14,675 Speaker 1: nineteen seventies. And if the recording you hear is of 99 00:06:14,715 --> 00:06:18,715 Speaker 1: the visiting team's announcers. You will hear for the length 100 00:06:18,835 --> 00:06:22,555 Speaker 1: of the game something that sounds like a very distant, 101 00:06:23,195 --> 00:06:29,675 Speaker 1: very melodic public address system. It was thousands of transistor 102 00:06:29,835 --> 00:06:34,595 Speaker 1: radios held by fans to their ears, and all of 103 00:06:34,635 --> 00:06:39,075 Speaker 1: them tuned to Vin Scully. It was not a Dodger 104 00:06:39,155 --> 00:06:43,235 Speaker 1: game unless you were listening to Vince Scully, even if 105 00:06:43,275 --> 00:06:46,515 Speaker 1: you were at the Dodger game, and that did not 106 00:06:46,755 --> 00:06:49,795 Speaker 1: end in the nineteen seventies. Between two thousand eight and 107 00:06:49,835 --> 00:06:52,555 Speaker 1: two thousand and fourteen, while visiting l A, I went 108 00:06:52,595 --> 00:06:54,475 Speaker 1: to a bunch of games at Dodger Stadium with a 109 00:06:54,475 --> 00:06:58,075 Speaker 1: big Dodger fan named Jason Bateman. I would bring my scorebook. 110 00:06:58,595 --> 00:07:02,435 Speaker 1: He would bring his earpiece so he could listen to 111 00:07:02,515 --> 00:07:09,315 Speaker 1: Vince Scully streaming. We talked during the commercial breaks. On 112 00:07:09,355 --> 00:07:12,075 Speaker 1: the occasion of Bevin's retirement in two thousand sixteen, I 113 00:07:12,115 --> 00:07:14,395 Speaker 1: wrote a long piece for g Q magazine about the 114 00:07:14,435 --> 00:07:17,595 Speaker 1: importance of not viewing him as a saint. I told 115 00:07:17,595 --> 00:07:20,515 Speaker 1: as many of the inside stories I could of the 116 00:07:20,595 --> 00:07:23,515 Speaker 1: delightful day he compared a player's haircut to that of 117 00:07:23,915 --> 00:07:29,515 Speaker 1: Charles Manson, the mass murderer, of his wonderful swearing about 118 00:07:29,515 --> 00:07:31,915 Speaker 1: a Dodger player and the reporter who broke up the 119 00:07:31,915 --> 00:07:35,235 Speaker 1: player's marriage of his inability to stomach the people at 120 00:07:35,315 --> 00:07:39,115 Speaker 1: Fox TV who tried to make his broadcast, as he said, 121 00:07:39,315 --> 00:07:43,275 Speaker 1: look just like Pittsburgh's, and their decision to remove his 122 00:07:43,315 --> 00:07:47,195 Speaker 1: friend Keith from the National Baseball broadcasts. I can't tell 123 00:07:47,235 --> 00:07:49,515 Speaker 1: all the stories here, but the article is online and 124 00:07:49,555 --> 00:07:53,355 Speaker 1: the stories are pretty good because well it was Vince Scully, 125 00:07:53,515 --> 00:07:56,195 Speaker 1: but Charles Manson clip. I still have that on my phone. 126 00:07:57,595 --> 00:08:00,395 Speaker 1: I last saw Van late in his last season two 127 00:08:00,395 --> 00:08:03,355 Speaker 1: thousand sixteen, the year he retired. We took a picture, 128 00:08:03,875 --> 00:08:06,075 Speaker 1: and as happy as I am to see him in 129 00:08:06,115 --> 00:08:10,595 Speaker 1: that picture, he looks happier to see me. And while 130 00:08:10,715 --> 00:08:14,035 Speaker 1: some of that basic, deep abiding goodness in this man 131 00:08:14,155 --> 00:08:17,675 Speaker 1: was not forced, not fake, not embellished, but maybe a 132 00:08:17,675 --> 00:08:28,155 Speaker 1: little managed, that part was one seven real, honest Vin Scully. 133 00:08:28,275 --> 00:08:36,515 Speaker 1: He was happy to see you, friend, co worker, player fan, 134 00:08:37,595 --> 00:08:39,795 Speaker 1: usually a fan about to pass out, which I saw 135 00:08:39,915 --> 00:08:41,995 Speaker 1: nearly happen when I introduced a friend of mine to 136 00:08:42,075 --> 00:08:46,555 Speaker 1: him in Grown Man, Well it's nice to meet you Andy. 137 00:08:46,635 --> 00:08:49,915 Speaker 1: Andy collapsed backwards towards a wall in the ballpark and 138 00:08:49,995 --> 00:08:55,795 Speaker 1: somehow managed to stay upright and conscious. Vin Scully stayed 139 00:08:55,795 --> 00:08:58,915 Speaker 1: in touch with me by email. I'm so proud of that. 140 00:08:59,715 --> 00:09:02,635 Speaker 1: My last exchange with him was in as the life 141 00:09:02,635 --> 00:09:06,715 Speaker 1: of his beloved wife, Sandy ebbed Way. Every time, every 142 00:09:06,755 --> 00:09:09,755 Speaker 1: time I sent him birthday wishes or I just checked in, 143 00:09:09,955 --> 00:09:12,275 Speaker 1: or when he wrote me, it was as if I 144 00:09:12,355 --> 00:09:16,835 Speaker 1: had done him some kind of honor. One email, all caps, 145 00:09:17,635 --> 00:09:22,315 Speaker 1: I have preserved them all reads high Keith. I'm at 146 00:09:22,355 --> 00:09:24,675 Speaker 1: that age when I think of someone, I try to 147 00:09:24,715 --> 00:09:31,915 Speaker 1: make contact with him. Happy Easter, blessings, then blessings Vinn. 148 00:09:32,195 --> 00:09:34,995 Speaker 1: That was him. What a wonderful habit to adopt a 149 00:09:34,995 --> 00:09:38,515 Speaker 1: friend comes to mind you reach out. Imagine my thrill 150 00:09:38,675 --> 00:09:41,235 Speaker 1: to see an email from his Dodgers team address, which 151 00:09:41,275 --> 00:09:46,875 Speaker 1: I guess I can now reveal was simply read. There 152 00:09:47,075 --> 00:09:50,155 Speaker 1: is one story I wrote about for g Q that 153 00:09:50,235 --> 00:09:52,835 Speaker 1: I love to tell about Vince Skelly above all the others, 154 00:09:52,875 --> 00:09:57,035 Speaker 1: and I feel like I should tell it here. In August, 155 00:09:57,835 --> 00:10:00,395 Speaker 1: I was watching from my TV station in l A. 156 00:10:01,195 --> 00:10:04,315 Speaker 1: It was a hot night. The Dodgers were in Cincinnati, 157 00:10:04,715 --> 00:10:08,155 Speaker 1: and Vince Scully mistakenly announced on the air that Gil 158 00:10:08,355 --> 00:10:10,995 Speaker 1: Hodges was at bat for the Dodgers, when in fact 159 00:10:10,995 --> 00:10:15,635 Speaker 1: it was Mike Sosha. Gil Hodges had retired in nineteen 160 00:10:15,675 --> 00:10:18,475 Speaker 1: sixty three, he had died in nineteen seventy two, just 161 00:10:18,555 --> 00:10:21,115 Speaker 1: went into the Baseball Hall of Fame. The l A 162 00:10:21,195 --> 00:10:24,675 Speaker 1: newspapers then began to wonder if Vince Scully had lost 163 00:10:24,715 --> 00:10:31,635 Speaker 1: it he retired in anyway. On the next night's broadcast, 164 00:10:31,715 --> 00:10:35,315 Speaker 1: Vin appeared on camera mid game and explained what happened. 165 00:10:35,355 --> 00:10:38,275 Speaker 1: This is roughly how I remember it. There is no tape. 166 00:10:38,675 --> 00:10:42,515 Speaker 1: I think I'm doing him justice, he said. More or less, 167 00:10:43,515 --> 00:10:46,475 Speaker 1: I had been thinking of the late Gil Hodges. If 168 00:10:46,475 --> 00:10:49,155 Speaker 1: you don't know, Gil Hodges was a great Dodger first 169 00:10:49,195 --> 00:10:52,155 Speaker 1: baseman and my great friend, and a great man who 170 00:10:52,235 --> 00:10:56,515 Speaker 1: was taken from us far too soon. And like Mike Sosha, 171 00:10:57,035 --> 00:11:00,435 Speaker 1: Gil war number fourteen. And it was awfully hot in 172 00:11:00,475 --> 00:11:03,195 Speaker 1: that booth, And for some reason, instead of saying two 173 00:11:03,195 --> 00:11:06,475 Speaker 1: and oh to Sosha, I said too and oh to Hodges. 174 00:11:07,475 --> 00:11:10,515 Speaker 1: But I think the weather and the uniform number were 175 00:11:10,555 --> 00:11:14,795 Speaker 1: not the only reasons I confused them. Mike reminds me 176 00:11:14,955 --> 00:11:19,835 Speaker 1: a lot of my friend Gil, and like Gil, I 177 00:11:19,875 --> 00:11:23,475 Speaker 1: think he may be a fine major League manager. Someday anyway, 178 00:11:23,595 --> 00:11:28,115 Speaker 1: I just wanted to apologize for the mistake. Beautiful there. 179 00:11:30,115 --> 00:11:33,955 Speaker 1: Then the game reappeared on the camera and Vin paused 180 00:11:33,995 --> 00:11:37,715 Speaker 1: speaking off camera, and he said something that still takes 181 00:11:37,755 --> 00:11:43,035 Speaker 1: my breath away. I wish I could bring Gil Hodges 182 00:11:43,075 --> 00:11:50,875 Speaker 1: back that easily. I am agnostic about an afterlife, but 183 00:11:50,915 --> 00:11:52,955 Speaker 1: I will confess I frequently hope with all my heart 184 00:11:52,955 --> 00:11:55,515 Speaker 1: that there is one, and this is one of those days. 185 00:11:56,115 --> 00:11:59,195 Speaker 1: So Vin can be reunited with family members whom tragedy 186 00:11:59,195 --> 00:12:02,515 Speaker 1: took too early from him, and all those players like 187 00:12:02,595 --> 00:12:06,515 Speaker 1: Gil Hodges. I'm Jackie Robinson, who saw in him what 188 00:12:06,595 --> 00:12:09,235 Speaker 1: we who watched or listened or had the privilege to 189 00:12:09,275 --> 00:12:12,955 Speaker 1: really know him also could say. Here is this deeply decent, 190 00:12:13,515 --> 00:12:17,875 Speaker 1: brilliantly talented man, and the last person to claim either 191 00:12:17,915 --> 00:12:22,675 Speaker 1: of those descriptions for himself, here is my friend Vin Scully. 192 00:12:24,275 --> 00:12:29,915 Speaker 1: So blessings, Ben, I wish I could bring you back 193 00:12:30,915 --> 00:12:41,475 Speaker 1: that easily. Just ahead of vote on a constitutional amendment 194 00:12:41,475 --> 00:12:44,515 Speaker 1: prohibiting abortion in Kansas was supposed to be a coin flip. 195 00:12:44,555 --> 00:12:47,595 Speaker 1: Turned out it wasn't. You won't believe which side one first. 196 00:12:47,675 --> 00:12:50,115 Speaker 1: In each edition of Countdown, we feature a dog in 197 00:12:50,235 --> 00:12:52,875 Speaker 1: need whom you can help. Every dog has its day. 198 00:12:53,315 --> 00:12:55,275 Speaker 1: You can help this one and all of our subjects 199 00:12:55,275 --> 00:12:57,635 Speaker 1: on my Twitter feed for pups in trouble. That's at 200 00:12:57,755 --> 00:13:01,155 Speaker 1: tom Jumbo Grumbo today. For four years now, I've been 201 00:13:01,155 --> 00:13:03,195 Speaker 1: trying to save as many dogs as I can at 202 00:13:03,235 --> 00:13:06,675 Speaker 1: the NYC a c see, which is a big euphemism 203 00:13:06,715 --> 00:13:09,115 Speaker 1: for the kill shelter here in New York. A dozen 204 00:13:09,155 --> 00:13:11,635 Speaker 1: more on the list to be killed as early as tomorrow. 205 00:13:11,995 --> 00:13:14,995 Speaker 1: There's a Kira dumped on the street in Brooklyn, three 206 00:13:15,035 --> 00:13:18,555 Speaker 1: years old, fifty six pounds, gorgeous brindle coach. She's friendly, 207 00:13:18,875 --> 00:13:22,875 Speaker 1: big wagging tail, and while on death row, she's caught pneumonia, 208 00:13:23,235 --> 00:13:26,035 Speaker 1: so they'll kill her. You can see her and pledge 209 00:13:26,035 --> 00:13:28,515 Speaker 1: a little cash to help rescue pull her out in 210 00:13:28,595 --> 00:13:32,075 Speaker 1: time on my Dogs in Need Twitter account Tom Jumbo Grumbo. 211 00:13:32,155 --> 00:13:35,795 Speaker 1: Look for Kira at Tom Jumbo Grumbo on Twitter. Thank you. 212 00:13:59,555 --> 00:14:02,475 Speaker 1: Time for postscripts to the news, some headlines, some thoughts, 213 00:14:02,475 --> 00:14:05,195 Speaker 1: some wise ass remarks. The big news turns out to 214 00:14:05,235 --> 00:14:08,915 Speaker 1: be the proposed Kansas state constitutional amendment to remove the 215 00:14:08,955 --> 00:14:14,515 Speaker 1: protections of abortion rights. There lost dateline Austin, Texas. The 216 00:14:14,555 --> 00:14:19,995 Speaker 1: Alex Jones trial or guilty by reason of insanity. Last week, 217 00:14:19,995 --> 00:14:22,715 Speaker 1: one of Jones's henchmen talked about what went on in 218 00:14:22,795 --> 00:14:24,755 Speaker 1: the courtroom, even though he had been a witness and 219 00:14:24,795 --> 00:14:27,395 Speaker 1: witnesses are warned not to talk about what went on 220 00:14:27,515 --> 00:14:31,315 Speaker 1: in the courtroom. The judge swatted his pp big time. 221 00:14:31,955 --> 00:14:34,475 Speaker 1: Now Jones, being sued for a hundred and fifty million 222 00:14:34,515 --> 00:14:38,115 Speaker 1: by two Sandy Hook parents because he claimed that never happened, 223 00:14:38,395 --> 00:14:41,315 Speaker 1: took the stand, but not before telling his audience that 224 00:14:41,355 --> 00:14:45,555 Speaker 1: the lawyers and the judge all acted quote demonically possessed. 225 00:14:46,275 --> 00:14:48,835 Speaker 1: This is a guy doesn't know where he is Earth 226 00:14:49,035 --> 00:14:52,675 Speaker 1: or Pluto twenty three hours and fifty eight minutes a day. 227 00:14:52,875 --> 00:14:56,395 Speaker 1: Maybe we can shut up with the demonically possessed nonsense. 228 00:14:57,075 --> 00:15:00,555 Speaker 1: The judge ordered Jones to stop chewing gum in court. 229 00:15:00,635 --> 00:15:04,195 Speaker 1: Jones says it wasn't gum, it was dental gauze, asked 230 00:15:04,435 --> 00:15:08,235 Speaker 1: or whackemer shaw you and opened his mouth wide. Judge 231 00:15:08,315 --> 00:15:12,115 Speaker 1: Maya Gara Gamble spoke for the Planet when she replied, 232 00:15:12,515 --> 00:15:15,635 Speaker 1: I don't want to see the inside of your mouth. Incidentally, 233 00:15:15,715 --> 00:15:17,795 Speaker 1: we also don't want to hear anything that comes out 234 00:15:17,835 --> 00:15:22,155 Speaker 1: of the inside of Alex Jones's mouth. Dateline, Phoenix. If 235 00:15:22,195 --> 00:15:24,675 Speaker 1: not funny, it's still rewarding when one of the big 236 00:15:24,755 --> 00:15:27,595 Speaker 1: lie leaders turns out to have known in advance they 237 00:15:27,595 --> 00:15:30,235 Speaker 1: were playing with fire. The New York Times as an 238 00:15:30,275 --> 00:15:33,155 Speaker 1: email from a Trump attorney to the other Trump attorneys 239 00:15:33,195 --> 00:15:36,995 Speaker 1: like wacky Rudy Giuliani in about the wackiest of the 240 00:15:37,075 --> 00:15:41,675 Speaker 1: many wackiest Arizona politicians, State geop Chack. Kelly Ward and 241 00:15:41,715 --> 00:15:45,475 Speaker 1: a colleague are mentioned in this They were worried that 242 00:15:45,555 --> 00:15:49,955 Speaker 1: the Arizona fake electors scheme might turn out to be treason. 243 00:15:50,475 --> 00:15:53,155 Speaker 1: Quoting the email, Ward in Townsend are concerned it could 244 00:15:53,155 --> 00:15:56,395 Speaker 1: appear treasons for the azy electors to vote on Monday 245 00:15:56,435 --> 00:15:59,035 Speaker 1: if there is no pending court proceeding that might eventually 246 00:15:59,075 --> 00:16:01,795 Speaker 1: lead to the electors being ratified as the legitimate ones 247 00:16:01,955 --> 00:16:06,155 Speaker 1: end quote. The lawyer put The word reason is in bold, 248 00:16:07,115 --> 00:16:10,195 Speaker 1: good old fore knowledge of guilt, good luck in the 249 00:16:10,275 --> 00:16:15,155 Speaker 1: courts mss Ward Dateline, Philadelphia. Will Bunch's new book, After 250 00:16:15,195 --> 00:16:18,435 Speaker 1: the Ivory Tower Falls, about the one point seven trillion 251 00:16:18,475 --> 00:16:21,195 Speaker 1: dollars in student loan debt and how it has helped 252 00:16:21,195 --> 00:16:24,475 Speaker 1: fracture this Country, has been published and gotten a great 253 00:16:24,475 --> 00:16:26,955 Speaker 1: review in the New York Times quote the pros is tight, 254 00:16:27,275 --> 00:16:31,035 Speaker 1: direct and often bracing, and in his newsletter yesterday, Will 255 00:16:31,075 --> 00:16:34,515 Speaker 1: Bunch added a note about his writing, quoting him. Every 256 00:16:34,595 --> 00:16:37,835 Speaker 1: journalist has a story about their very first editor. Mine 257 00:16:37,915 --> 00:16:41,795 Speaker 1: was a boisterous and cantankerous baseball fanatic who left quite 258 00:16:41,795 --> 00:16:44,155 Speaker 1: an impression on me and other folks who've dealt with 259 00:16:44,235 --> 00:16:47,715 Speaker 1: him over the years. Perhaps you've even heard of him 260 00:16:48,555 --> 00:16:54,715 Speaker 1: if Alberman, who's editing of my wretched copy for the 261 00:16:54,755 --> 00:16:58,915 Speaker 1: Hackley Dial high school newspaper in n apparently prepped him 262 00:16:58,915 --> 00:17:01,395 Speaker 1: for a career at ESPN, MSNBC and the rest of 263 00:17:01,435 --> 00:17:05,395 Speaker 1: the big media alphabet nonsense. Will bunches oros was tight, 264 00:17:05,675 --> 00:17:09,915 Speaker 1: direct and often bracing. In I Recommend his book, he 265 00:17:09,955 --> 00:17:12,835 Speaker 1: recommended this podcast, said it was the perfect format for me, 266 00:17:12,915 --> 00:17:14,475 Speaker 1: by which he means I don't have to work for 267 00:17:14,515 --> 00:17:17,315 Speaker 1: the man, and I know this sounds like log rolling, 268 00:17:17,355 --> 00:17:19,955 Speaker 1: which I guess it is. Might be that way anyway, 269 00:17:20,155 --> 00:17:22,675 Speaker 1: even if we both actually me and our compliments, which 270 00:17:22,715 --> 00:17:25,475 Speaker 1: reminds me. After two episodes, this thing is ranked number 271 00:17:25,475 --> 00:17:30,475 Speaker 1: two on Apple Podcasts list of political podcasts. It's ranked 272 00:17:30,515 --> 00:17:35,595 Speaker 1: number nine in news podcasts, number forty six overall. I 273 00:17:35,635 --> 00:17:39,875 Speaker 1: am almost humbled. Almost Maybe I should retire with these 274 00:17:39,955 --> 00:17:44,595 Speaker 1: ratings and dateline Moscow. More U S sanctions against Russian 275 00:17:44,635 --> 00:17:51,035 Speaker 1: politicians on Oligarch's including Alina Kabayeva, the former Olympic gymnasts 276 00:17:51,115 --> 00:17:54,315 Speaker 1: now member of the Russian Duma and believed to be 277 00:17:54,875 --> 00:17:59,075 Speaker 1: Vladimir Putin's girlfriend. Ah. Yes, it was just the other day, 278 00:17:59,075 --> 00:18:03,115 Speaker 1: as I remember it, when Britney Spears was singing Douma 279 00:18:03,195 --> 00:18:09,915 Speaker 1: Baby one more time. This is Sports Center. Wait, check 280 00:18:09,955 --> 00:18:31,075 Speaker 1: that not anymore. This is countdown with Keith Alberman in 281 00:18:31,235 --> 00:18:33,755 Speaker 1: sports We hit this yesterday. If you have to trade 282 00:18:33,755 --> 00:18:37,035 Speaker 1: a twenty three year old superstar today because you can't 283 00:18:37,035 --> 00:18:39,475 Speaker 1: afford his contract two years from now, get out of 284 00:18:39,475 --> 00:18:43,795 Speaker 1: the sports ball business. The Washington Nationals actually did it, 285 00:18:43,955 --> 00:18:46,955 Speaker 1: Juan Soto to the San Diego Padres for a peck 286 00:18:47,115 --> 00:18:50,475 Speaker 1: of pickled prospects, no combination of which will ever add 287 00:18:50,555 --> 00:18:53,395 Speaker 1: up to Juan Soto. And again, the Gnats have now 288 00:18:53,515 --> 00:18:57,595 Speaker 1: lost or traded Bryce Harper, Trade Turner, Max Scherzer, Anthony Rendon, 289 00:18:57,715 --> 00:19:00,675 Speaker 1: and now Soto in just the last five years. The 290 00:19:00,715 --> 00:19:02,995 Speaker 1: Gnats used to be the Montreal Expos, but they were 291 00:19:03,035 --> 00:19:05,795 Speaker 1: taken over by baseball and move to Washington when the 292 00:19:05,795 --> 00:19:09,595 Speaker 1: owners proved incapable of aunting up. This would seem to 293 00:19:09,635 --> 00:19:15,155 Speaker 1: have happened again, revoke the franchise. Among other trade deadline 294 00:19:15,195 --> 00:19:17,915 Speaker 1: deals in baseball, closer David Robertson from the Cubs to 295 00:19:17,955 --> 00:19:21,635 Speaker 1: the Phillies, outfielder Brandon marsh and picture Noah Synderguard from 296 00:19:21,635 --> 00:19:24,635 Speaker 1: the Angels to the Phillies for former number one draft 297 00:19:24,635 --> 00:19:29,115 Speaker 1: pick Mickey Moniac and others. Angels closer Rice l Iglesias 298 00:19:29,155 --> 00:19:31,755 Speaker 1: to the Braves. And yes, the Angels collapse was all 299 00:19:31,915 --> 00:19:35,675 Speaker 1: fired manager Joe Madden's fault. Clearly, they may not win 300 00:19:35,715 --> 00:19:39,355 Speaker 1: another game this year. New York City native Harrison Bader 301 00:19:39,475 --> 00:19:42,795 Speaker 1: from the Cardinals to the Yankees for Jordan Montgomery actually 302 00:19:42,795 --> 00:19:44,875 Speaker 1: went to a rival school of mine. But I guess 303 00:19:44,915 --> 00:19:46,555 Speaker 1: he's a good player. And whenever he went to some 304 00:19:46,755 --> 00:19:50,235 Speaker 1: school like Harsman or something. And Jesse Chavez the picture 305 00:19:50,595 --> 00:19:53,155 Speaker 1: dealt from the Angels to the Braves. He's played fifteen 306 00:19:53,235 --> 00:19:56,115 Speaker 1: years and he knows he's wanted. He's now been traded 307 00:19:56,515 --> 00:20:00,475 Speaker 1: ten times. I mean, he makes my resume look short. 308 00:20:01,515 --> 00:20:04,195 Speaker 1: But best of all last months, when Kansas City the 309 00:20:04,275 --> 00:20:07,155 Speaker 1: Royals went in to play Toronto in Toronto. Ten of 310 00:20:07,195 --> 00:20:10,115 Speaker 1: their guys did not go with them because they refused 311 00:20:10,115 --> 00:20:13,355 Speaker 1: to be vaccinated, and you can't enter Canada unless you 312 00:20:13,395 --> 00:20:17,315 Speaker 1: are vaccinated. The foremost of the refuse nicks second baseman 313 00:20:17,355 --> 00:20:20,115 Speaker 1: with Maryfield. He said the vaccine doesn't do what it 314 00:20:20,195 --> 00:20:23,915 Speaker 1: was supposed to. Apparently he believes it's magic, but he 315 00:20:23,955 --> 00:20:27,915 Speaker 1: said he would sell out his principles dumb as they are. Quote. 316 00:20:27,955 --> 00:20:29,955 Speaker 1: If something happens and I happen to get on a 317 00:20:30,035 --> 00:20:32,515 Speaker 1: team that has a chance to go play in Canada 318 00:20:32,595 --> 00:20:38,955 Speaker 1: and the postseason, well wit something happened. Kansas City just 319 00:20:39,035 --> 00:20:42,915 Speaker 1: traded second basement with Maryfield to Toronto. Let me see 320 00:20:42,915 --> 00:20:46,235 Speaker 1: your arms and your legs. You'll be needing four shots. 321 00:20:47,115 --> 00:20:49,955 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, and there's one actual score from last night. 322 00:20:50,515 --> 00:20:53,515 Speaker 1: Two traditions returned to the New York Mets. Jacob deGrom 323 00:20:53,675 --> 00:20:55,395 Speaker 1: started a game for them for the first time in 324 00:20:55,515 --> 00:20:58,715 Speaker 1: just under thirteen months, and the Mets promptly resumed not 325 00:20:58,835 --> 00:21:02,475 Speaker 1: getting Jacob Degram any runs. De Grom through five innings 326 00:21:02,475 --> 00:21:05,875 Speaker 1: of one hit, ball, struck out, six walked, none reached 327 00:21:05,875 --> 00:21:08,035 Speaker 1: a hundred and two miles an hour on the radar gun, 328 00:21:08,315 --> 00:21:11,035 Speaker 1: left with the score tied one one, but most importantly, 329 00:21:11,075 --> 00:21:14,675 Speaker 1: his arm did not come off at the shoulder final. 330 00:21:14,995 --> 00:21:32,555 Speaker 1: Washington's without Sotos, five New York's with the grom one. 331 00:21:35,315 --> 00:21:37,315 Speaker 1: I'll still ahead. This is the anniversary of the start 332 00:21:37,315 --> 00:21:39,235 Speaker 1: of my TV career, and I owe it all to 333 00:21:39,355 --> 00:21:42,395 Speaker 1: Lou Dobbs. But first, the daily roundup of the miscreants, 334 00:21:42,395 --> 00:21:47,515 Speaker 1: morons and dunning Krueger effect exhibits who constitute today's worst 335 00:21:47,595 --> 00:21:52,315 Speaker 1: persons in the world. The silver to the l I 336 00:21:52,395 --> 00:21:55,715 Speaker 1: V Golf Tour, the Saudi Blood Money tournaments, the most 337 00:21:55,755 --> 00:21:58,035 Speaker 1: recent of which was held at Crazy Trump's golf course 338 00:21:58,075 --> 00:22:02,035 Speaker 1: and Discount Mausoleum. Come on down just off Interstate eight 339 00:22:02,155 --> 00:22:06,075 Speaker 1: seven bed Menster, New Jersey. How I did not notice 340 00:22:06,115 --> 00:22:08,995 Speaker 1: this on Sunday, I don't know. I apologize, but there 341 00:22:08,995 --> 00:22:12,155 Speaker 1: it was yesterday on my feed. Photos of the winner, 342 00:22:12,235 --> 00:22:16,995 Speaker 1: Henrik sten Rick, whatever his name was, holding the tournament trophy, 343 00:22:17,075 --> 00:22:19,555 Speaker 1: bought and paid for by the sudis presented a few 344 00:22:19,635 --> 00:22:22,235 Speaker 1: days after Trump had said nobody had gotten to the 345 00:22:22,235 --> 00:22:26,195 Speaker 1: bottom of nine eleven, and the trophy is four long, 346 00:22:26,435 --> 00:22:31,155 Speaker 1: raised vertical bars with a kind of corrugated quality to them, 347 00:22:31,235 --> 00:22:34,075 Speaker 1: leaning off at about a sixty degree angle from the 348 00:22:34,075 --> 00:22:38,875 Speaker 1: base with four small hockey puck sized horizontal bars at 349 00:22:38,875 --> 00:22:41,115 Speaker 1: the right of the base, and that's when you realize 350 00:22:41,435 --> 00:22:44,715 Speaker 1: it looks exactly like one of the terrifying multi story 351 00:22:44,835 --> 00:22:48,715 Speaker 1: shards of the kind of corrugated vertical bars that fell 352 00:22:48,755 --> 00:22:53,875 Speaker 1: intact off the destroyed World Trade Center. On nine eleven, 353 00:22:54,755 --> 00:23:01,675 Speaker 1: Trump Saudi Arabia, you bastards. The runner up Fox Nudes 354 00:23:01,795 --> 00:23:06,035 Speaker 1: host little Jesse Waters comparing teaching kids about gender reassignment 355 00:23:06,475 --> 00:23:11,355 Speaker 1: and lgbt Q. He says, that's well, let me quote him. 356 00:23:11,395 --> 00:23:13,835 Speaker 1: I'm not alleging that this teacher or that teacher is 357 00:23:13,875 --> 00:23:16,515 Speaker 1: doing this to have sex with the child, but they're 358 00:23:16,515 --> 00:23:19,555 Speaker 1: exhibiting the same kinds of behaviors that people do use 359 00:23:19,875 --> 00:23:25,355 Speaker 1: when they do groom children to exploit them for sexual purposes. Jesse, 360 00:23:26,555 --> 00:23:31,675 Speaker 1: please exploitation for sexual purposes. You started at Fox as 361 00:23:31,715 --> 00:23:36,875 Speaker 1: a producer for Bill O'Reilly, please pick a different q 362 00:23:37,075 --> 00:23:41,195 Speaker 1: and on conspiracy than pressure for sex to pedal to 363 00:23:41,235 --> 00:23:45,595 Speaker 1: the morons, which reminds me. Lochland Cartwright at The Daily 364 00:23:45,635 --> 00:23:48,875 Speaker 1: Beast is reporting Billow is negotiating to get back on 365 00:23:48,955 --> 00:23:52,475 Speaker 1: TV at News Nation, which since you and billions of 366 00:23:52,515 --> 00:23:55,435 Speaker 1: others have never seen it, is that kind of nick 367 00:23:55,515 --> 00:23:58,355 Speaker 1: at night for x Cable news hosts. Chris Cuomo just 368 00:23:58,395 --> 00:24:02,195 Speaker 1: went there, joining Dan Abram's billow back on TV on 369 00:24:02,235 --> 00:24:05,675 Speaker 1: a network nobody watches, but still spewing out content for 370 00:24:05,715 --> 00:24:08,635 Speaker 1: worst persons in the world. I am in favor of 371 00:24:08,675 --> 00:24:12,875 Speaker 1: this right you are, Mr Mayo Hoffer, but our winner, 372 00:24:12,915 --> 00:24:18,875 Speaker 1: Alan Dershowitz canceled again, tells Gretabann suster In that people 373 00:24:18,955 --> 00:24:22,035 Speaker 1: want to hear me speak on Martha's Vineyard, but the 374 00:24:22,075 --> 00:24:26,635 Speaker 1: whole community has censored him again. That would be the 375 00:24:26,635 --> 00:24:29,195 Speaker 1: second time this summer has been canceled four times in 376 00:24:29,275 --> 00:24:32,435 Speaker 1: four years. Last year, Larry David, one of our celebrity 377 00:24:32,435 --> 00:24:36,355 Speaker 1: announcers here, canceled him by just speaking harshly to him 378 00:24:36,395 --> 00:24:41,715 Speaker 1: in the Martha's Vineyard General Store. This is countdown with Keith, 379 00:24:44,715 --> 00:24:55,835 Speaker 1: Thank you, Larry. Mr Dershowitz says this is persecution because 380 00:24:55,875 --> 00:24:58,275 Speaker 1: they will not let him speak at the chill Mark 381 00:24:58,435 --> 00:25:02,875 Speaker 1: Library or the Martha's Vineyard Community Center, the Martha's Vineyard 382 00:25:02,955 --> 00:25:06,435 Speaker 1: Hebrew Center, that they won't let him go there and 383 00:25:06,595 --> 00:25:11,235 Speaker 1: sell his latest stupid book. Alan Dershowitz is whiny and 384 00:25:11,315 --> 00:25:14,355 Speaker 1: paranoid and jumped the shark during the O. J. Simpson trial, 385 00:25:14,635 --> 00:25:17,475 Speaker 1: and there may yet be much, much worse to come 386 00:25:17,515 --> 00:25:22,155 Speaker 1: for him. Alan He's been silenced again. Can't you hear 387 00:25:22,235 --> 00:25:29,035 Speaker 1: him yelling about it? Dershowitz Today's worst Person and the 388 00:25:29,115 --> 00:25:55,515 Speaker 1: World Finally our number one story on the Countdown Things 389 00:25:55,595 --> 00:25:58,035 Speaker 1: I promised not to tell And back to my favorite 390 00:25:58,035 --> 00:26:03,035 Speaker 1: topic me. Everybody has a different career path and mind 391 00:26:03,195 --> 00:26:08,875 Speaker 1: veered sharply forty two years ago today, because Lou Dobbs 392 00:26:09,675 --> 00:26:13,635 Speaker 1: was rumored to be stepping out on his wife. I 393 00:26:13,675 --> 00:26:18,875 Speaker 1: went to work at Cable News Network CNN, then just 394 00:26:19,075 --> 00:26:21,515 Speaker 1: starting its second year on the air on the morning 395 00:26:21,515 --> 00:26:26,755 Speaker 1: of Monday, August third one, because Lou Dobbs was rumored 396 00:26:26,795 --> 00:26:30,995 Speaker 1: to be stepping out on his wife. On my first day, 397 00:26:31,235 --> 00:26:33,835 Speaker 1: my first interview was with Joe Tory, who was still 398 00:26:33,875 --> 00:26:36,715 Speaker 1: a friend. On my first day, I learned you have 399 00:26:36,875 --> 00:26:41,355 Speaker 1: to take the Lavelier microphone off your lapel before you 400 00:26:41,435 --> 00:26:44,555 Speaker 1: walk away from the camera. And on my first day 401 00:26:44,595 --> 00:26:48,355 Speaker 1: I learned that if you are videotaping near airport radar, 402 00:26:48,875 --> 00:26:52,955 Speaker 1: the cameraman has to take steps to protect the camera, 403 00:26:53,395 --> 00:26:58,195 Speaker 1: often with tinfoil. Otherwise almost everything you record will have 404 00:26:58,355 --> 00:27:03,035 Speaker 1: radar blips. Imbedded into it and be unusable. And I 405 00:27:03,115 --> 00:27:06,915 Speaker 1: learned all this all because was Lou Dobbs was rumored 406 00:27:06,955 --> 00:27:11,435 Speaker 1: to be stepping out on his wife. So I was 407 00:27:11,475 --> 00:27:15,475 Speaker 1: a radio sportscaster in twenty two years old and having 408 00:27:15,515 --> 00:27:18,635 Speaker 1: already moved from the United Press International Network, which I've 409 00:27:18,675 --> 00:27:22,075 Speaker 1: mentioned before, where my boss was as I've also mentioned before, 410 00:27:22,155 --> 00:27:24,835 Speaker 1: Sam Rosen, who has been the play by play man 411 00:27:24,835 --> 00:27:26,995 Speaker 1: of the New York Rangers for most of the forty 412 00:27:26,995 --> 00:27:30,435 Speaker 1: one years since, and I moved from working for him 413 00:27:30,435 --> 00:27:33,435 Speaker 1: to the much better paying r k OH Radio network, 414 00:27:33,475 --> 00:27:36,595 Speaker 1: where my boss was Charlie Steiner, who still does play 415 00:27:36,595 --> 00:27:40,275 Speaker 1: by play of the Los Angeles Dodgers games. But two 416 00:27:40,355 --> 00:27:43,635 Speaker 1: years into my radio career, I had almost topped out 417 00:27:43,715 --> 00:27:46,795 Speaker 1: salary wise, and my ambitions had always been to do 418 00:27:46,955 --> 00:27:50,435 Speaker 1: TV anyway, I just wasn't sure how to do it. 419 00:27:50,435 --> 00:27:53,555 Speaker 1: Turned out my career was not a question of my 420 00:27:53,795 --> 00:27:57,275 Speaker 1: doing it. It was a question of Lou Dobbs doing it. 421 00:27:58,515 --> 00:28:01,355 Speaker 1: My alma mater, Cornell University, had one of the best 422 00:28:01,475 --> 00:28:05,715 Speaker 1: student radio stations in the world, but the tire University 423 00:28:05,795 --> 00:28:08,995 Speaker 1: offered one television course and to take it you had 424 00:28:08,995 --> 00:28:11,475 Speaker 1: to rent the camera for fifty dollars an hour, and 425 00:28:11,515 --> 00:28:14,435 Speaker 1: it was black and white, and you needed three guys 426 00:28:14,515 --> 00:28:17,635 Speaker 1: to lift it. So as well as I had done 427 00:28:17,675 --> 00:28:20,715 Speaker 1: starting in network radio in New York straight out of college, 428 00:28:21,115 --> 00:28:25,475 Speaker 1: I was somewhat stymied re TV. One local news director 429 00:28:25,515 --> 00:28:27,755 Speaker 1: offered me the chance to have a kind of audition 430 00:28:27,835 --> 00:28:30,635 Speaker 1: at his station, but that never worked out. The Lou 431 00:28:30,795 --> 00:28:35,075 Speaker 1: Dobbs thing worked out. I actually interviewed with Cable News 432 00:28:35,155 --> 00:28:38,635 Speaker 1: Network twice, once in April nine eight, when they were 433 00:28:38,635 --> 00:28:40,795 Speaker 1: not on the air yet, and I saw no reason 434 00:28:40,835 --> 00:28:43,795 Speaker 1: they ever would be. Because the New York bureau consisted 435 00:28:43,795 --> 00:28:48,835 Speaker 1: of one coffee table, one coffee machine, one stairwell, one 436 00:28:48,995 --> 00:28:54,635 Speaker 1: unisex bathroom, and one staffer, the bureau chief, Mary Alice Williams. 437 00:28:55,595 --> 00:28:58,435 Speaker 1: Plus the day I went there, CNN Sports president Bill 438 00:28:58,515 --> 00:29:02,195 Speaker 1: McPhail up from Atlanta, was visiting, so it was technically 439 00:29:02,235 --> 00:29:06,595 Speaker 1: two staffers. After a law long year, my phone rang 440 00:29:06,675 --> 00:29:08,715 Speaker 1: one day and McPhail asked me to fill in for 441 00:29:08,755 --> 00:29:12,475 Speaker 1: two weeks. In two weeks for their New York sports reporter. 442 00:29:12,555 --> 00:29:16,435 Speaker 1: She was going on vacation August three, sooner, McPhail added, 443 00:29:16,715 --> 00:29:19,395 Speaker 1: if the baseball strike ended before then. Her name was 444 00:29:19,475 --> 00:29:23,515 Speaker 1: Debbie Sigura, and all I knew was vacation. Turned out 445 00:29:23,555 --> 00:29:27,475 Speaker 1: it was part vacation, part get out of town quickly, 446 00:29:27,755 --> 00:29:32,915 Speaker 1: very very quickly. See when CNN started, it wasn't just news, 447 00:29:32,915 --> 00:29:37,075 Speaker 1: news and commentary and opinion shows. There was a half 448 00:29:37,075 --> 00:29:41,275 Speaker 1: hour business show every night, and a half hour sportscast 449 00:29:41,355 --> 00:29:44,555 Speaker 1: at seven thirty and another one at eleven, and a 450 00:29:44,635 --> 00:29:50,115 Speaker 1: fashion program, an hourly stock reports and meteorologists, and short sportscasts. 451 00:29:50,755 --> 00:29:53,355 Speaker 1: And the business anchor based in the New York Bureau 452 00:29:53,475 --> 00:29:56,955 Speaker 1: in the World Trade Center was Lou Dobbs, and as 453 00:29:56,955 --> 00:29:58,915 Speaker 1: the producer they had sent up to work with me. 454 00:29:58,995 --> 00:30:02,755 Speaker 1: Phil Griffin later, the president of MSNBC, explained to me 455 00:30:02,795 --> 00:30:04,275 Speaker 1: when we got in the car to go out to 456 00:30:04,315 --> 00:30:09,435 Speaker 1: Chase Adium to interview all those Mets guys. Forty two 457 00:30:09,515 --> 00:30:12,955 Speaker 1: years ago, Lou Dobbs was rumored to be stepping out 458 00:30:12,995 --> 00:30:16,915 Speaker 1: on his wife with the CNN New York sports reporter, 459 00:30:17,035 --> 00:30:20,955 Speaker 1: Debbie and Mrs Dobbs had found out, and there was 460 00:30:20,995 --> 00:30:23,475 Speaker 1: even another rumor there was somebody else who also worked 461 00:30:23,475 --> 00:30:26,875 Speaker 1: in the CNN New York bureau. And thus Bill McPhail's 462 00:30:26,955 --> 00:30:29,555 Speaker 1: hurried call asking me to fill in for her for 463 00:30:29,715 --> 00:30:32,595 Speaker 1: two weeks in two weeks because she was going on 464 00:30:32,835 --> 00:30:40,595 Speaker 1: quote vacation unquote. Dobbs and the first Mrs Dobbs eventually split, 465 00:30:41,195 --> 00:30:45,795 Speaker 1: but apparently the ill will persisted. Everybody decided it would 466 00:30:45,795 --> 00:30:49,195 Speaker 1: be better off for all concerned if Dobbs and Debbie Cigura, 467 00:30:49,355 --> 00:30:51,995 Speaker 1: or as she was then called behind her back, Debbie 468 00:30:52,035 --> 00:30:55,355 Speaker 1: does Dobbs, if all of them and most of the 469 00:30:55,355 --> 00:31:00,315 Speaker 1: New York Bureau business staff moved to CNN headquarters in Atlanta. 470 00:31:00,675 --> 00:31:02,795 Speaker 1: This left New York without a sports reporter, and they 471 00:31:02,795 --> 00:31:04,875 Speaker 1: tried another one of the Atlanta anchors for a while, 472 00:31:04,955 --> 00:31:07,635 Speaker 1: but they kept giving him extra vacation time, so they 473 00:31:07,635 --> 00:31:09,875 Speaker 1: would have to bring me in freelance every month, and 474 00:31:09,915 --> 00:31:12,355 Speaker 1: finally the following March they offered me the job full time. 475 00:31:12,795 --> 00:31:16,395 Speaker 1: And I have not earned an honest paycheck since. And 476 00:31:16,475 --> 00:31:19,035 Speaker 1: I mean that in two ways. They were paying me 477 00:31:19,195 --> 00:31:23,595 Speaker 1: five dollars a week, which was about less than what 478 00:31:23,675 --> 00:31:26,475 Speaker 1: I made for like three days a week in radio. 479 00:31:27,315 --> 00:31:32,355 Speaker 1: I pointed this out acceptingly. I was learning how to 480 00:31:32,435 --> 00:31:36,155 Speaker 1: do TV while on TV and getting paid for it, 481 00:31:36,555 --> 00:31:38,635 Speaker 1: and that's when they told me that five dollars a 482 00:31:38,635 --> 00:31:41,835 Speaker 1: week was already more than they were paying Debbie Sigura 483 00:31:42,035 --> 00:31:44,675 Speaker 1: or the guy who was their reporter in Los Angeles. 484 00:31:45,595 --> 00:31:48,275 Speaker 1: And then Bill McPhail, the president, called and offered me 485 00:31:48,315 --> 00:31:52,395 Speaker 1: a contract for twenty five grand and I said, wait, 486 00:31:53,355 --> 00:31:57,315 Speaker 1: that's less. Why would it take less? Is their health 487 00:31:57,315 --> 00:32:01,635 Speaker 1: insurance or something? And he said no, there's just security. 488 00:32:01,795 --> 00:32:04,915 Speaker 1: And I said, I'd rather have the thousand dollars just 489 00:32:04,995 --> 00:32:07,875 Speaker 1: cut out of my salary, and they found it somewhere. 490 00:32:07,875 --> 00:32:09,915 Speaker 1: But they always reminded me how generous they'd been and 491 00:32:09,995 --> 00:32:11,875 Speaker 1: how many meetings they've had to have just to get 492 00:32:11,875 --> 00:32:15,355 Speaker 1: me the thousand dollars back. I didn't have to do 493 00:32:16,515 --> 00:32:19,715 Speaker 1: much with Dobbs in New York, but there is something 494 00:32:19,755 --> 00:32:22,355 Speaker 1: about TV. Either it's a really small world or the 495 00:32:22,475 --> 00:32:24,835 Speaker 1: people in it will do anything to stay in it. 496 00:32:25,795 --> 00:32:30,155 Speaker 1: I might be an example of the ladder. When Dobbs 497 00:32:30,195 --> 00:32:33,155 Speaker 1: moved to Atlanta, the guy who stepped up to become 498 00:32:33,235 --> 00:32:36,235 Speaker 1: CNN's number one business reporter in New York was named 499 00:32:36,275 --> 00:32:40,435 Speaker 1: Stewart Varney, and he was great to me. One night, 500 00:32:40,475 --> 00:32:44,235 Speaker 1: our sports producer in Atlanta call up around five and said, congratulations, 501 00:32:44,435 --> 00:32:46,795 Speaker 1: you get to do a commentary on the seven tonight 502 00:32:47,195 --> 00:32:50,555 Speaker 1: and I croaked, what and she said, yeah, you'll do 503 00:32:50,635 --> 00:32:53,435 Speaker 1: it live. And I said, I have no idea how 504 00:32:53,475 --> 00:32:57,435 Speaker 1: to read a teleprompter, and she said, better learn fast click, 505 00:32:58,475 --> 00:33:00,115 Speaker 1: And I told Stu, and he taught me how to 506 00:33:00,155 --> 00:33:02,555 Speaker 1: use a teleprompter in like ten minutes, and I was 507 00:33:02,595 --> 00:33:06,035 Speaker 1: always grateful. And then he had some would have religious 508 00:33:06,035 --> 00:33:10,915 Speaker 1: conversion or a hit his head on something, or we're both, 509 00:33:11,115 --> 00:33:13,435 Speaker 1: and he's still one of the most virulent fascists on 510 00:33:13,555 --> 00:33:17,515 Speaker 1: Fox Nudes. Anyway, Dobbs and Debbie got married and lou 511 00:33:17,595 --> 00:33:19,715 Speaker 1: settled in and as part of the deal, Debbie Sigura 512 00:33:19,795 --> 00:33:24,155 Speaker 1: Dobbs became a CNN sports anchor in Atlanta. Except while 513 00:33:24,275 --> 00:33:27,195 Speaker 1: she could get through those short three or in four 514 00:33:27,235 --> 00:33:29,955 Speaker 1: minutes sports updates she used to do in New York, 515 00:33:29,995 --> 00:33:34,035 Speaker 1: which I inherited during the longer half hour and hour 516 00:33:34,155 --> 00:33:37,955 Speaker 1: long shows, she could not read the prompter to save 517 00:33:38,275 --> 00:33:42,275 Speaker 1: her life. About two months into her time in Atlanta 518 00:33:42,555 --> 00:33:45,075 Speaker 1: came the night she got so lost in the tell 519 00:33:45,115 --> 00:33:48,395 Speaker 1: of prompter that about twenty minutes in, she got up 520 00:33:48,875 --> 00:33:54,035 Speaker 1: and left the studio. Her boss. By this point, my boss, 521 00:33:54,075 --> 00:33:57,235 Speaker 1: Bill McPhail, had to take her off the longer shows 522 00:33:57,475 --> 00:33:59,755 Speaker 1: and return her to doing those three minute updates. In 523 00:33:59,795 --> 00:34:03,195 Speaker 1: the middle of the afternoon. She was secretly relieved her 524 00:34:03,275 --> 00:34:07,075 Speaker 1: husband Lou Dobbs, who started MY TV career because he 525 00:34:07,115 --> 00:34:09,475 Speaker 1: was rumored to be stepping out on his first wife. 526 00:34:09,875 --> 00:34:13,675 Speaker 1: He was not relieved. He promptly went into Bill McPhail's 527 00:34:13,675 --> 00:34:16,875 Speaker 1: office and challenged him to a fist fight. I have 528 00:34:17,035 --> 00:34:20,035 Speaker 1: looked this up on the Internet. The day this happened, 529 00:34:20,115 --> 00:34:24,035 Speaker 1: Lou Dobbs was thirty six years old and Bill McPhail 530 00:34:24,595 --> 00:34:30,195 Speaker 1: was sixty one. Debbie's TV career ended not long after, 531 00:34:30,675 --> 00:34:35,715 Speaker 1: as my began. She went into horses equestrian stuff. Ultimately, 532 00:34:35,755 --> 00:34:38,195 Speaker 1: she and Dobbs made it back to the New York Bureau. 533 00:34:38,355 --> 00:34:41,395 Speaker 1: I worked with him again in two thousand one. Two. 534 00:34:42,555 --> 00:34:46,275 Speaker 1: He deteriorated into a running joke spewing anti immigrant and 535 00:34:46,395 --> 00:34:49,715 Speaker 1: anti Latino bile while she raised their family in New 536 00:34:49,795 --> 00:34:52,555 Speaker 1: Jersey and the rest of us marveled that Lou and 537 00:34:52,715 --> 00:34:56,555 Speaker 1: his Latino family made millions off his anti Latino bile. 538 00:34:57,675 --> 00:35:01,715 Speaker 1: Jersey was where Debbie Cigura Dobbs was on Tuesday January 539 00:35:01,395 --> 00:35:04,915 Speaker 1: two thousand three, when she tried to board a light 540 00:35:04,995 --> 00:35:07,715 Speaker 1: for Florida at Newark Airport and a T S A 541 00:35:07,715 --> 00:35:12,915 Speaker 1: agent found a loaded gun in her handbag. She was arrested, 542 00:35:12,955 --> 00:35:15,355 Speaker 1: released on bail. I never did hear what happened to 543 00:35:15,435 --> 00:35:18,595 Speaker 1: that charge. It carried the possibility of prison that clearly 544 00:35:18,595 --> 00:35:21,875 Speaker 1: did not happen. Can't find anything in the newspaper archives 545 00:35:21,995 --> 00:35:25,515 Speaker 1: or anywhere online. But Dobbs later explained the whole thing. 546 00:35:25,795 --> 00:35:29,915 Speaker 1: It was all a misunderstanding. He said that loaded gun 547 00:35:30,555 --> 00:35:33,555 Speaker 1: had been in his wife's handbags since the previous autumn, 548 00:35:34,075 --> 00:35:38,395 Speaker 1: and she'd just forgotten about it. Although exactly what that 549 00:35:38,595 --> 00:35:49,675 Speaker 1: explained I still haven't figured out. All right, I've done 550 00:35:49,715 --> 00:35:53,075 Speaker 1: all the damage I can do. Here The Countdown theme 551 00:35:53,115 --> 00:35:57,355 Speaker 1: from Beethoven's Ninth arranged, produced and performed by Countdown Music 552 00:35:57,395 --> 00:36:01,435 Speaker 1: directors Brian Ray and John Philip Chanelle. All orchestration and 553 00:36:01,555 --> 00:36:05,275 Speaker 1: keyboards by John Philip Chanelle. Guitars, bass and drums by 554 00:36:05,275 --> 00:36:09,195 Speaker 1: Brian Ray. Produced by t Ko Brothers. Beethoven Selections like 555 00:36:09,275 --> 00:36:12,835 Speaker 1: this one performed by No horns allowed our sports music. 556 00:36:12,995 --> 00:36:16,755 Speaker 1: The Old Berman theme written by Mitch Warren Davis courtesy 557 00:36:16,795 --> 00:36:20,475 Speaker 1: of the ESPN, Inc. Musical comments by Nancy Faus. The 558 00:36:20,635 --> 00:36:24,115 Speaker 1: best baseball stadium organist ever. Our announcer today was the 559 00:36:24,155 --> 00:36:27,715 Speaker 1: great Stevie van Zant with a cameo from Larry David. 560 00:36:27,915 --> 00:36:30,795 Speaker 1: Everything else is my fault. If you've listened this far, 561 00:36:31,195 --> 00:36:33,395 Speaker 1: you'll be as pleased as I was to discover we 562 00:36:33,435 --> 00:36:37,515 Speaker 1: are charting. So thanks for your reviews, rates, and subscriptions. 563 00:36:37,795 --> 00:36:41,155 Speaker 1: That's countdown for this the seventy four day since Donald 564 00:36:41,195 --> 00:36:43,955 Speaker 1: Trump's first attempted coup against the government of the US. 565 00:36:44,355 --> 00:36:49,475 Speaker 1: I'm Keith Olderman. Good morning, good afternoon, goodnight, and good luck. 566 00:36:57,195 --> 00:37:00,835 Speaker 1: Countdown with Keith Olderman is a production of I heart Radio. 567 00:37:01,075 --> 00:37:03,995 Speaker 1: For more podcast from I heart Radio, visit the I 568 00:37:04,115 --> 00:37:08,475 Speaker 1: heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.