1 00:00:04,835 --> 00:00:17,195 Speaker 1: Countdown with Keith Olderman is a production of iHeartRadio. 2 00:00:20,515 --> 00:00:22,755 Speaker 2: No Risk, All Reward. 3 00:00:23,755 --> 00:00:26,875 Speaker 1: Kamala Harris doing an interview on Fox with Brett Bhair 4 00:00:26,995 --> 00:00:32,595 Speaker 1: Tomorrow Night, pushes all the fascist buttons, all at once, 5 00:00:33,475 --> 00:00:39,075 Speaker 1: all on Trump, and she especially pushes the one button 6 00:00:39,155 --> 00:00:42,075 Speaker 1: that proves that. Would you like me to give the 7 00:00:42,075 --> 00:00:46,075 Speaker 1: direct quote? Yeah, please excuse my language, this is a 8 00:00:46,115 --> 00:00:49,035 Speaker 1: direct quote. But Chrissy Teagan referred to Donald Trump as 9 00:00:49,075 --> 00:00:53,275 Speaker 1: a pussy ass bitch. Harris goes on FNC, Trump is 10 00:00:53,315 --> 00:00:59,195 Speaker 1: again a pab Thank you, MVP. Can you imagine Trump 11 00:00:59,315 --> 00:01:02,395 Speaker 1: sitting down to be interviewed by Maddow or, for God's sakes, 12 00:01:02,435 --> 00:01:06,955 Speaker 1: even Andrea Mitchell or the Midas Network guys or me. 13 00:01:08,315 --> 00:01:13,395 Speaker 1: This is perfect. First of all, it will enrage Trump, 14 00:01:13,475 --> 00:01:16,035 Speaker 1: not just now, not just tomorrow, but for the rest 15 00:01:16,075 --> 00:01:19,435 Speaker 1: of the campaign, every moment. He cannot stop it. He 16 00:01:19,475 --> 00:01:22,835 Speaker 1: cannot stop his own insanity, He cannot hope to contain it. 17 00:01:23,195 --> 00:01:25,555 Speaker 1: There is an excellent chance it will literally push him 18 00:01:25,595 --> 00:01:28,275 Speaker 1: fully over the edge and he will start dropping n 19 00:01:28,355 --> 00:01:31,675 Speaker 1: words or speaking in a language of his own invention. 20 00:01:32,275 --> 00:01:34,995 Speaker 1: I mean entirely of his own invention, not the thirty 21 00:01:35,035 --> 00:01:40,315 Speaker 1: to thirty five percent unintelligible gibberish he speaks now. Trump 22 00:01:40,395 --> 00:01:43,635 Speaker 1: only found out about this in late afternoon yesterday, and 23 00:01:43,715 --> 00:01:47,835 Speaker 1: he promptly lost it. He attacked Fox as weak and soft, 24 00:01:48,075 --> 00:01:51,075 Speaker 1: He called Brettbear fair and balanced, and meant it as 25 00:01:51,115 --> 00:01:54,795 Speaker 1: an insult. On top of which Trump had already been 26 00:01:54,875 --> 00:01:58,475 Speaker 1: raging about Fox, letting liberals on its network think of it. 27 00:01:58,795 --> 00:02:01,955 Speaker 1: He wrote, I spend an hour with the wonderful Maria 28 00:02:02,035 --> 00:02:05,835 Speaker 1: Bardawomo to a beautiful job. And then a followed up 29 00:02:05,875 --> 00:02:10,235 Speaker 1: all day long by one sided negative Democrats, including Ian Sam's, 30 00:02:10,235 --> 00:02:15,355 Speaker 1: who virtually owns the network. Quote, you don't know who 31 00:02:15,395 --> 00:02:19,235 Speaker 1: Ian SAMs is? Do you? Well? You know who he 32 00:02:19,355 --> 00:02:22,715 Speaker 1: is now. He's senior advisor to the Harris campaign and 33 00:02:22,795 --> 00:02:29,155 Speaker 1: often the spokesperson, and he enrages Trump on top on 34 00:02:29,275 --> 00:02:32,395 Speaker 1: top of which Trump had in the wee hours of 35 00:02:32,475 --> 00:02:37,675 Speaker 1: Monday morning, at one twelve am on Columbus Day, he 36 00:02:37,755 --> 00:02:41,835 Speaker 1: had attacked the Vice president for not doing interviews and 37 00:02:41,875 --> 00:02:44,595 Speaker 1: not doing them well. I believe it is very important 38 00:02:44,595 --> 00:02:48,515 Speaker 1: that Kamala Harris pass a test on cognitive stamina and agility. 39 00:02:49,555 --> 00:02:52,395 Speaker 1: Her actions have led many to believe that there could 40 00:02:52,435 --> 00:02:55,275 Speaker 1: be something very wrong with her even sixty minutes and 41 00:02:55,395 --> 00:02:59,475 Speaker 1: CBS in order to protect Lion Kamalay illegally and unscrupulously 42 00:02:59,515 --> 00:03:02,315 Speaker 1: replaced an answer she had given, which was totally bonkers, 43 00:03:02,315 --> 00:03:05,075 Speaker 1: with another answer that had nothing to do with a question. Also, 44 00:03:05,155 --> 00:03:08,075 Speaker 1: she is slow and lethargic and answering even the easiest 45 00:03:08,075 --> 00:03:14,275 Speaker 1: of questions. I know, I know. Every Trump accusation is 46 00:03:14,315 --> 00:03:20,155 Speaker 1: a confession, slow and lethargic. You say, Sonny, and the 47 00:03:20,235 --> 00:03:24,075 Speaker 1: tell is always the same. It's usually everybody knows. But 48 00:03:24,395 --> 00:03:28,035 Speaker 1: the secondary tell when he needs something a little darker 49 00:03:28,795 --> 00:03:32,195 Speaker 1: and more mysterious and certainly more formal, is have led 50 00:03:32,275 --> 00:03:36,195 Speaker 1: many to believe. Her actions have led many to believable 51 00:03:36,235 --> 00:03:40,035 Speaker 1: there it is. Trump is so messing his pants that 52 00:03:40,355 --> 00:03:45,675 Speaker 1: no diaper can save him. Now and now there is 53 00:03:45,715 --> 00:03:48,235 Speaker 1: a chance that even the Washington Post in New York 54 00:03:48,275 --> 00:03:52,995 Speaker 1: Times political reporters will skip whatever DC cocktail party they 55 00:03:52,995 --> 00:03:55,395 Speaker 1: were going to on Wednesday nights in hopes of getting 56 00:03:55,435 --> 00:04:00,675 Speaker 1: into Politico's spotted column and start asking the Trump mouthpieces 57 00:04:00,715 --> 00:04:04,475 Speaker 1: and the Republicans why if she can go on Fox, 58 00:04:05,035 --> 00:04:10,435 Speaker 1: he can't go on MSNBC or the Washington Post Live 59 00:04:11,035 --> 00:04:13,875 Speaker 1: or to a New York Times cocktail party with Joe 60 00:04:13,875 --> 00:04:18,155 Speaker 1: and ag. This also, I think, finally puts a stake 61 00:04:18,195 --> 00:04:22,995 Speaker 1: through the she's not doing interviews Gnard. It's getting to 62 00:04:23,035 --> 00:04:27,395 Speaker 1: be almost annoying. She's doing too many interviews. In any event, 63 00:04:27,395 --> 00:04:31,835 Speaker 1: it transforms that entire issue into a journalistic bidding war. No, 64 00:04:31,955 --> 00:04:34,435 Speaker 1: there has been no sit down with the Post or 65 00:04:34,475 --> 00:04:37,435 Speaker 1: the New York Times editorial board or live with one 66 00:04:37,475 --> 00:04:41,395 Speaker 1: of the Sunday shows. But she's going on Fox. One 67 00:04:41,435 --> 00:04:46,035 Speaker 1: presumes editor con and publisher Salzburger of the Times are 68 00:04:46,195 --> 00:04:49,555 Speaker 1: just now being resuscitated after an attack of the vapors. 69 00:04:51,075 --> 00:04:54,555 Speaker 1: The approach to Vice President Harris now has to change 70 00:04:54,595 --> 00:04:57,115 Speaker 1: from bullying her, which is what the media has been 71 00:04:57,155 --> 00:05:00,995 Speaker 1: doing since the moment she became the nominee, to making 72 00:05:01,035 --> 00:05:05,795 Speaker 1: the best offer and pleading. Whatever that is to the 73 00:05:05,835 --> 00:05:08,915 Speaker 1: Harris campaign is almost irrelevant. She just accepted an interview 74 00:05:08,915 --> 00:05:14,315 Speaker 1: on fixed news. How demanding could she possibly be? Ironically, 75 00:05:15,515 --> 00:05:19,355 Speaker 1: there is a glimmer of sanity in the Trump response 76 00:05:19,435 --> 00:05:23,315 Speaker 1: to this news. He writes that the vice president quote 77 00:05:23,395 --> 00:05:30,995 Speaker 1: has wisely chosen Brent Baher. He's right, I'm not going 78 00:05:31,035 --> 00:05:35,195 Speaker 1: to say that again. I know this man, like all 79 00:05:35,235 --> 00:05:38,475 Speaker 1: of them, Brett Baar does not do his pretend newscast 80 00:05:38,555 --> 00:05:42,035 Speaker 1: every night just for the money, not even just for 81 00:05:42,075 --> 00:05:46,875 Speaker 1: the renown. He has a political agenda and the discovery 82 00:05:46,875 --> 00:05:49,595 Speaker 1: in Fox's disastrous seven hundred and eighty seven million dollar 83 00:05:49,675 --> 00:05:53,275 Speaker 1: dominion case, in which, for reasons of ratings and fascist waring, 84 00:05:53,515 --> 00:05:56,795 Speaker 1: Brett Bhaar insisted that after Fox called Arizona for Biden, 85 00:05:56,995 --> 00:06:00,235 Speaker 1: he demanded in a never denied email that it be rescinded. 86 00:06:00,475 --> 00:06:02,555 Speaker 1: It's hurting us. The sooner we pull it, even if 87 00:06:02,595 --> 00:06:05,235 Speaker 1: it gives us a major egg and put it back 88 00:06:05,275 --> 00:06:07,515 Speaker 1: in Trump's column, the better we are, in my opinion. 89 00:06:09,395 --> 00:06:13,235 Speaker 1: In other words, Bear wasn't just a contaminated ex journalist 90 00:06:13,235 --> 00:06:18,235 Speaker 1: on election night. He was a conspiracy theorist who just 91 00:06:18,315 --> 00:06:21,555 Speaker 1: knew Trump couldn't have lost Arizona and that Fox needed 92 00:06:21,555 --> 00:06:24,275 Speaker 1: to put the state back in Trump's column, even though 93 00:06:24,275 --> 00:06:26,875 Speaker 1: it had never been in Trump's column, no matter how 94 00:06:26,875 --> 00:06:31,555 Speaker 1: many egg it produced. But as I say, I know 95 00:06:31,675 --> 00:06:36,275 Speaker 1: this man. We have had conversations. He thinks he's Walter 96 00:06:36,355 --> 00:06:42,995 Speaker 1: Cronkite offered a broadcast Network nightly newscast, if there still 97 00:06:42,995 --> 00:06:46,315 Speaker 1: are any I didn't watch last night, he would leave Fox, 98 00:06:46,395 --> 00:06:49,795 Speaker 1: so fast that his three piece suit would still be 99 00:06:49,875 --> 00:06:53,115 Speaker 1: standing there on the Fox set in DC while he 100 00:06:53,195 --> 00:06:58,155 Speaker 1: was getting into a cab naked. He thinks he's Walter Cronkite. 101 00:06:58,235 --> 00:07:01,195 Speaker 1: He thinks he was viewed as Walter Cronkite, and then 102 00:07:01,195 --> 00:07:03,955 Speaker 1: this email came out and now fewer people think he's 103 00:07:03,955 --> 00:07:08,035 Speaker 1: Walter Cronkite. And interviewing the Democratic presidential candidate twenty days 104 00:07:08,035 --> 00:07:11,675 Speaker 1: before the election will make more people think he's Walter Cronkite. No, 105 00:07:11,755 --> 00:07:15,035 Speaker 1: by the way, the person Brett Bear most wants to think, 106 00:07:15,275 --> 00:07:20,955 Speaker 1: Brett Behar is Walter Cronkite, is Brett bar He's not 107 00:07:21,035 --> 00:07:26,195 Speaker 1: going to softball her, and he may QAnon her. But 108 00:07:26,315 --> 00:07:30,235 Speaker 1: here's the other thing. He has spent twenty five years 109 00:07:30,315 --> 00:07:35,035 Speaker 1: at Fox and fifteen years anchoring what the Foxes think 110 00:07:35,795 --> 00:07:40,155 Speaker 1: is the evening news, and he wants to be seen 111 00:07:40,315 --> 00:07:45,795 Speaker 1: as more presidential than Kamala Harris. He's Walter Cronkite, after all. 112 00:07:47,195 --> 00:07:49,715 Speaker 1: He wants to be seen as fair, even if he 113 00:07:49,755 --> 00:07:55,195 Speaker 1: doesn't know how to be fair. Plus twenty five years 114 00:07:55,235 --> 00:08:00,355 Speaker 1: at Fox like being locked in a cave, Robinson Crusoe 115 00:08:00,395 --> 00:08:03,835 Speaker 1: got home faster. How many times in twenty five years 116 00:08:03,915 --> 00:08:07,915 Speaker 1: do you think Brett Bear has interviewed anybody, let alone 117 00:08:07,955 --> 00:08:11,795 Speaker 1: a presidential candidate from the other party, who did not 118 00:08:12,075 --> 00:08:15,235 Speaker 1: defer to him or at least to his network or 119 00:08:15,315 --> 00:08:19,235 Speaker 1: pulled punches. I mean, it's one thing to juggle chainsaws. 120 00:08:19,795 --> 00:08:23,555 Speaker 1: Live TV every night for years is juggling chainsaws. It's 121 00:08:23,675 --> 00:08:27,995 Speaker 1: quite another thing to juggle chainsaws while they are on 122 00:08:28,115 --> 00:08:32,555 Speaker 1: fire and somebody is trying to prevent you from catching them. 123 00:08:35,075 --> 00:08:37,755 Speaker 1: And if you're wondering if Bear might trip up Harris, 124 00:08:38,275 --> 00:08:42,595 Speaker 1: worry more about Harris tripping up Bear, Madam Vice President. 125 00:08:42,755 --> 00:08:47,835 Speaker 1: If I may ask him some questions, what's he going 126 00:08:47,875 --> 00:08:51,195 Speaker 1: to do? Stop the interview? Ask him where Fox is 127 00:08:51,235 --> 00:08:54,635 Speaker 1: about covering the guys who joined Lara Trump's boat parade 128 00:08:55,075 --> 00:09:00,515 Speaker 1: while flying Trump flags and Nazi flags with swastikas on them. 129 00:09:00,995 --> 00:09:04,315 Speaker 1: Ask him where Fox is covering Trump's obvious mental decline, 130 00:09:04,715 --> 00:09:06,835 Speaker 1: whether he's had a stroke or he has a tumor. 131 00:09:07,195 --> 00:09:09,635 Speaker 1: Ask him where Fox is about Trump saying the military 132 00:09:09,635 --> 00:09:12,715 Speaker 1: should be deployed against his enemies, and that the military 133 00:09:12,755 --> 00:09:15,555 Speaker 1: should be deployed at the election three weeks from now. 134 00:09:15,835 --> 00:09:20,315 Speaker 1: Ask him where Fox is covering Trump's promise to invoke 135 00:09:20,395 --> 00:09:23,595 Speaker 1: the law that would let him imprison or expel all 136 00:09:23,795 --> 00:09:28,035 Speaker 1: Hispanics in this country based only on their race, or 137 00:09:28,075 --> 00:09:33,315 Speaker 1: imprison and expel all African Americans, or imprison and expel 138 00:09:33,395 --> 00:09:40,675 Speaker 1: all German Irish Americans named Bear. Come on, have a 139 00:09:40,715 --> 00:09:45,875 Speaker 1: little fun on behalf of the rest of us. Literally 140 00:09:46,475 --> 00:09:52,115 Speaker 1: poke the bear. There's something else in play here too, 141 00:09:52,195 --> 00:09:55,835 Speaker 1: in fascist world that Harris agreed to go on. Fox 142 00:09:56,115 --> 00:10:01,515 Speaker 1: just does not compute spontaneous combustion, the theory of human 143 00:10:01,555 --> 00:10:05,195 Speaker 1: spontaneous combustion. I'm betting by tomorrow we hear three hundred 144 00:10:05,195 --> 00:10:09,435 Speaker 1: and seventy eight incidents of it nationwide, All of them Maga, 145 00:10:09,675 --> 00:10:12,875 Speaker 1: the Jesse Waters and the gut Gregfelds of this world 146 00:10:13,075 --> 00:10:19,555 Speaker 1: cannot process this. They have to sell Fox, no Fox, 147 00:10:19,635 --> 00:10:23,275 Speaker 1: and they have no careers. I mean all the food 148 00:10:23,355 --> 00:10:26,795 Speaker 1: carts around Fox headquarters on Sixth Avenue, all those who 149 00:10:26,795 --> 00:10:29,715 Speaker 1: are already taken. There's nothing for Gutfeld or Waters to do. 150 00:10:31,035 --> 00:10:37,115 Speaker 1: But can they promote this interview? Can they mock her 151 00:10:37,195 --> 00:10:39,955 Speaker 1: without mocking Brett behar and the fabric of the network. 152 00:10:39,995 --> 00:10:46,515 Speaker 1: Can they insult her without hurting the ratings? These idiots 153 00:10:46,595 --> 00:10:49,475 Speaker 1: believe in dictatorship and in Trump, but not if it's 154 00:10:49,475 --> 00:10:54,235 Speaker 1: going to cost them their car service. Trust me. MSNBC 155 00:10:54,475 --> 00:10:58,675 Speaker 1: is full of these people too. They have to be 156 00:10:58,795 --> 00:11:03,595 Speaker 1: on TV. It has yet to be recognized officially, but 157 00:11:03,715 --> 00:11:08,875 Speaker 1: it is still an addiction. And as to their audience, 158 00:11:09,075 --> 00:11:12,875 Speaker 1: another win for Kamala Harris. They either know the vice 159 00:11:12,915 --> 00:11:14,795 Speaker 1: president is smart and quick. 160 00:11:14,675 --> 00:11:17,115 Speaker 2: Or they believe the world. 161 00:11:16,835 --> 00:11:21,155 Speaker 1: Has been fixed to make her look smart and quick. Fixed. 162 00:11:21,395 --> 00:11:24,195 Speaker 1: All of it's fixed, including the weather being controlled, but 163 00:11:24,275 --> 00:11:30,195 Speaker 1: only by the Democrats. The conspiracy theories were in full 164 00:11:30,235 --> 00:11:35,275 Speaker 1: blossom yesterday, long before Trump so belatedly responded to the news. 165 00:11:35,795 --> 00:11:39,195 Speaker 1: They'll give her the questions, she'll write the questions. There 166 00:11:39,235 --> 00:11:42,515 Speaker 1: won't be any questions. It's a body double. No, it's 167 00:11:42,555 --> 00:11:44,915 Speaker 1: a double of a body double. And Brett Bher that's 168 00:11:44,915 --> 00:11:47,075 Speaker 1: not Brett bhar that's also a body double. It's a 169 00:11:47,235 --> 00:11:53,715 Speaker 1: double body double. The likeliest outcome, of course, is that 170 00:11:53,835 --> 00:11:57,595 Speaker 1: the fact of the interview will continue to exceed anything 171 00:11:57,675 --> 00:12:05,915 Speaker 1: said in the interview. She went on Fox. Wow is fine. 172 00:12:06,115 --> 00:12:10,355 Speaker 1: That still makes it a win win win win win 173 00:12:10,395 --> 00:12:15,235 Speaker 1: win win win win win win win, And every minute 174 00:12:15,355 --> 00:12:18,435 Speaker 1: leading up to it, and every minute for days and 175 00:12:18,515 --> 00:12:21,755 Speaker 1: maybe weeks after it. We'll send us all back to 176 00:12:21,835 --> 00:12:26,315 Speaker 1: February eighth, twenty twenty three, a date which will live 177 00:12:26,755 --> 00:12:31,315 Speaker 1: in infamy if you're Trump. That was the day Congressman 178 00:12:31,395 --> 00:12:36,235 Speaker 1: Maxwell Frost blew up the Jamie Comer Twitter censors Conservatives 179 00:12:36,275 --> 00:12:42,915 Speaker 1: hearing starring Matt Freakin' Tayebi by making the unfortunate. Former 180 00:12:42,955 --> 00:12:48,395 Speaker 1: Twitter Content Moderation team member Anika Collier Nabaroli confirm that 181 00:12:48,435 --> 00:12:52,475 Speaker 1: within minutes of it being posted, Trump's White House demanded 182 00:12:52,475 --> 00:12:59,475 Speaker 1: the Twitter take down a Chrissy Teagan tweet, which Chrissy 183 00:12:59,595 --> 00:13:02,915 Speaker 1: Tagan tweet was that again, Chrissy Teagan referred to Donald 184 00:13:02,955 --> 00:13:16,915 Speaker 1: Trump as a pussy, as bitch, wiss, as glitch. Trump 185 00:13:16,915 --> 00:13:20,235 Speaker 1: also might be having some ground game problems. Hugo Lowell 186 00:13:20,315 --> 00:13:24,475 Speaker 1: from The Guardian reports the campaign sidekick app, which is 187 00:13:24,475 --> 00:13:29,195 Speaker 1: apparently what Trump ground game people are using, forces canvassers 188 00:13:29,195 --> 00:13:33,195 Speaker 1: who have slow Internet to use quote offline walk books, 189 00:13:33,715 --> 00:13:37,275 Speaker 1: which have no geo tracking feature. As a result, the 190 00:13:37,275 --> 00:13:40,315 Speaker 1: Trump campaign and America Pack have little way to know 191 00:13:40,995 --> 00:13:47,475 Speaker 1: whether canvassers are actually knocking on doors or cheating. Huh. 192 00:13:48,875 --> 00:13:52,355 Speaker 1: Right wingers trying to get away with not doing work 193 00:13:52,355 --> 00:13:57,315 Speaker 1: and claiming they did. That's unpossible and a slightly bigger 194 00:13:57,355 --> 00:14:00,315 Speaker 1: problem if you missed it. George Conway has now posted 195 00:14:00,355 --> 00:14:03,915 Speaker 1: the link to sign up to be admitted to Trump's 196 00:14:03,995 --> 00:14:08,315 Speaker 1: rally at Madison Square Garden here in Fun City, a 197 00:14:08,315 --> 00:14:12,155 Speaker 1: week from next Sunday. It would be a shame if 198 00:14:12,195 --> 00:14:15,275 Speaker 1: all twenty thousand reservations were filled up by people who 199 00:14:15,315 --> 00:14:21,795 Speaker 1: were then mysteriously and unanimously unavoidably detained and couldn't go, 200 00:14:22,635 --> 00:14:25,475 Speaker 1: and they had five hundred people in the garden, when 201 00:14:25,515 --> 00:14:27,795 Speaker 1: five hundred people in the garden looks like the raisins 202 00:14:27,835 --> 00:14:32,715 Speaker 1: in rice pudding at a cheap diner. More importantly, The 203 00:14:32,755 --> 00:14:35,035 Speaker 1: New York Times notes there is a reason Trump is 204 00:14:35,075 --> 00:14:38,915 Speaker 1: going to be in the James Dolan German American Buned 205 00:14:38,995 --> 00:14:42,915 Speaker 1: nineteen thirty nine Nazi Hitler Rally Memorial Garden a weekend 206 00:14:42,955 --> 00:14:45,715 Speaker 1: two days before the election, when New York is not 207 00:14:45,795 --> 00:14:48,355 Speaker 1: in play. No matter how often he says it, New 208 00:14:48,435 --> 00:14:54,715 Speaker 1: York is not in play. Nuremberg Stock turns out not 209 00:14:54,875 --> 00:14:57,835 Speaker 1: to just be for you, unwashed civilians. There is a 210 00:14:57,915 --> 00:15:04,475 Speaker 1: Trump fundraiser within the Madison Square Nazi Garden rally, like 211 00:15:04,715 --> 00:15:10,475 Speaker 1: special seats and potential access to his sharpness himself. And 212 00:15:10,515 --> 00:15:12,435 Speaker 1: I mean, if you have to spend the day in 213 00:15:12,475 --> 00:15:18,475 Speaker 1: a non competitive state two Sundays before the election fundraising, 214 00:15:19,195 --> 00:15:28,075 Speaker 1: guess what you're losing plus these price points, Holy guacamole. 215 00:15:28,955 --> 00:15:33,155 Speaker 1: Five thousand dollars for the President's Club experience so called 216 00:15:33,195 --> 00:15:36,515 Speaker 1: because you get clubbed by the ex president, thirty five 217 00:15:36,595 --> 00:15:41,635 Speaker 1: thousand dollars for the MAGA twenty four experience. You can 218 00:15:41,675 --> 00:15:46,195 Speaker 1: talk economic anxieties with twenty three other magas and you 219 00:15:46,195 --> 00:15:48,195 Speaker 1: can all tell each other that they are the fault 220 00:15:48,235 --> 00:15:53,155 Speaker 1: of the brown people. Fifty thousand dollars or raising seventy 221 00:15:53,235 --> 00:15:57,115 Speaker 1: thousand dollars for the Club forty seven experience. And this 222 00:15:57,235 --> 00:16:00,035 Speaker 1: is what I almost feel sorry about for the ones 223 00:16:00,035 --> 00:16:02,755 Speaker 1: who buy it. Sad to say, that's just a picture 224 00:16:02,755 --> 00:16:08,515 Speaker 1: with the forty seventh President at her inauguration. One hundred 225 00:16:08,635 --> 00:16:13,955 Speaker 1: thousand dollars per ticket, or twice that raised. Two hundred 226 00:16:13,995 --> 00:16:20,915 Speaker 1: thousand dollars for Team America First Experience, Team America World 227 00:16:20,955 --> 00:16:27,075 Speaker 1: Police ef Ye free humping Marionettes for the kids, two 228 00:16:27,275 --> 00:16:30,235 Speaker 1: hundred and fifty thousand dollars, or twice that raised for 229 00:16:30,475 --> 00:16:35,475 Speaker 1: Team Trump twenty twenty four experience. And remember Team Trump 230 00:16:35,515 --> 00:16:40,275 Speaker 1: twenty twenty experience was the one Mike Pence bought. And lastly, 231 00:16:40,835 --> 00:16:44,275 Speaker 1: nine hundred and twenty four thousand, six hundred dollars for 232 00:16:44,555 --> 00:16:50,075 Speaker 1: the Ultramaga Experience, which lets you stand so close to 233 00:16:50,195 --> 00:16:56,035 Speaker 1: Trump that you can actually see how badly the furor 234 00:16:56,195 --> 00:17:04,235 Speaker 1: has put his makeup on. Also of interest here, so 235 00:17:04,355 --> 00:17:06,915 Speaker 1: maybe you know the names of the National Football League 236 00:17:06,915 --> 00:17:10,715 Speaker 1: teams in Pennsylvania, and maybe you don't. Maybe you know 237 00:17:10,755 --> 00:17:14,435 Speaker 1: the Pittsburgh Steelers play in Pittsburgh and the Philadelphia Eagles 238 00:17:14,475 --> 00:17:20,755 Speaker 1: play in Philadelphia. See how this works. But if you're 239 00:17:20,795 --> 00:17:23,955 Speaker 1: the Republican nominee for the Senate in Pennsylvania, shouldn't you check? 240 00:17:24,355 --> 00:17:26,795 Speaker 1: Shouldn't you be able to keep those two teams straight? 241 00:17:27,155 --> 00:17:29,435 Speaker 1: Shouldn't you be able to tell which is which? Shouldn't 242 00:17:29,475 --> 00:17:32,035 Speaker 1: you make sure there's never any doubt that you can 243 00:17:32,035 --> 00:17:37,115 Speaker 1: tell which team is which. Photos show the Eagles. Your 244 00:17:37,235 --> 00:17:44,395 Speaker 1: text goes here and it's about the Steelers. Oops, that's 245 00:17:44,435 --> 00:17:49,275 Speaker 1: next on this big show. I'm sorry, flashback, that's next. 246 00:17:49,435 --> 00:17:50,395 Speaker 1: This is countdown. 247 00:17:52,955 --> 00:18:36,915 Speaker 3: There's his countdown with Keith old Woman's. 248 00:18:16,035 --> 00:18:18,315 Speaker 1: Telling ahead of us on this editionive countdown. While there 249 00:18:18,355 --> 00:18:22,435 Speaker 1: is still a chance that there will be another Subway Series, 250 00:18:22,515 --> 00:18:26,355 Speaker 1: another World Series of baseball between the New York Mets 251 00:18:26,355 --> 00:18:29,995 Speaker 1: and the New York Yankees, even though America collectively yawned 252 00:18:29,995 --> 00:18:31,875 Speaker 1: at the last one twenty four years ago when the 253 00:18:31,915 --> 00:18:35,515 Speaker 1: World Series was still a thing. While there's still a chance, 254 00:18:36,595 --> 00:18:39,475 Speaker 1: I'm going to tell the story now of my role 255 00:18:40,475 --> 00:18:43,475 Speaker 1: at the perimeters of the most famous event of that 256 00:18:43,595 --> 00:18:47,195 Speaker 1: last Subway Series, the night Roger Clemens of the Yankees 257 00:18:47,715 --> 00:18:51,915 Speaker 1: through the razors sharp end of Mike Piazza's broken bat 258 00:18:52,235 --> 00:18:55,835 Speaker 1: at Piazza in an attempt to kill him. That's if 259 00:18:55,835 --> 00:18:58,035 Speaker 1: you're a Mets fan, or he did no such thing 260 00:18:58,075 --> 00:19:00,755 Speaker 1: and simply mistook that piece of shattered bat for a 261 00:19:00,795 --> 00:19:03,475 Speaker 1: baseball and was getting it out of the way. If 262 00:19:03,515 --> 00:19:06,915 Speaker 1: you're a Yankee fan, or if like me, you were 263 00:19:06,955 --> 00:19:11,195 Speaker 1: in the dugout and Clemens actually more or less through 264 00:19:11,235 --> 00:19:15,835 Speaker 1: the bats straight at you, and then Piazza threatened to 265 00:19:15,875 --> 00:19:20,115 Speaker 1: sue you over the bat. That's just the beginning coming up, 266 00:19:20,115 --> 00:19:24,595 Speaker 1: the details in more things I promised not to tell. First, 267 00:19:24,955 --> 00:19:27,875 Speaker 1: there are still more new idiots to talk about. The 268 00:19:27,995 --> 00:19:30,715 Speaker 1: daily roundup of the mis grants, morons and Dunning kruegriff 269 00:19:30,795 --> 00:19:37,355 Speaker 1: X specimens who constitute two days. Worst persons persons in 270 00:19:37,395 --> 00:19:41,075 Speaker 1: the world. It's my impression of the PA announcer at 271 00:19:41,115 --> 00:19:46,875 Speaker 1: Yankee Stadium. Get get out of the way, way the bronze. 272 00:19:47,355 --> 00:19:51,155 Speaker 1: The British NHS, the National Health Service. There are bad 273 00:19:51,195 --> 00:19:54,115 Speaker 1: ideas that can be explained, and bad ideas that can 274 00:19:54,155 --> 00:19:57,235 Speaker 1: be finessed, and bad ideas that can be taken back 275 00:19:57,275 --> 00:19:59,195 Speaker 1: to the drawing board and tried again. And then there 276 00:19:59,195 --> 00:20:01,355 Speaker 1: are the bad ideas that are so bad that you 277 00:20:01,435 --> 00:20:05,915 Speaker 1: have to stop them immediately, call a gigant antic news conference, 278 00:20:06,395 --> 00:20:10,395 Speaker 1: publicly shame and fire everybody connected to them, and then 279 00:20:10,475 --> 00:20:15,195 Speaker 1: stage a ceremonial bonfire in which you destroy all the 280 00:20:15,275 --> 00:20:19,355 Speaker 1: evidence that your bad idea ever happened. This is one 281 00:20:19,395 --> 00:20:23,995 Speaker 1: of the latter ones. King's College Hospital in Lambeth in 282 00:20:24,035 --> 00:20:30,475 Speaker 1: London has given a contract to rent patience wheelchairs. 283 00:20:31,635 --> 00:20:32,195 Speaker 2: You heard me. 284 00:20:32,715 --> 00:20:38,115 Speaker 1: They are renting wheelchairs to patients at the hospital. If 285 00:20:38,155 --> 00:20:41,515 Speaker 1: you come in in an ambulance you can use one 286 00:20:41,515 --> 00:20:47,915 Speaker 1: of the hospital's wheelchairs, that's okay. But if you stagger 287 00:20:47,955 --> 00:20:51,755 Speaker 1: in on your own, like after getting stabbed or shot 288 00:20:51,835 --> 00:20:55,035 Speaker 1: or run over or I don't know too much. Sardonic 289 00:20:55,075 --> 00:20:58,875 Speaker 1: British humor caused you to collapse or your neighbors drag 290 00:20:58,995 --> 00:21:01,195 Speaker 1: you in and leave you there and you can't walk. 291 00:21:02,515 --> 00:21:04,635 Speaker 1: They will not put you in a wheelchair. You get 292 00:21:04,755 --> 00:21:07,555 Speaker 1: pointed to what looks like a bike rack from say 293 00:21:07,795 --> 00:21:10,915 Speaker 1: City Bike in New York, or Bay Wheels in San Francisco, 294 00:21:11,275 --> 00:21:16,315 Speaker 1: or the luggage cart rental outfits at airports only for wheelchairs. 295 00:21:17,675 --> 00:21:20,675 Speaker 1: You have to have a credit card to unlock a 296 00:21:20,715 --> 00:21:26,715 Speaker 1: wheelchair or guess what you're crawling first four hours if 297 00:21:26,755 --> 00:21:29,195 Speaker 1: your wheelchair are free, but they do have your credit 298 00:21:29,235 --> 00:21:33,515 Speaker 1: card number, after which it's two pounds per hour. Since 299 00:21:33,555 --> 00:21:36,755 Speaker 1: after a fourteen year run of fascist rule in England, 300 00:21:36,995 --> 00:21:40,235 Speaker 1: waiting times at the NHS at King's College are up 301 00:21:40,235 --> 00:21:44,595 Speaker 1: to twelve hours. You are probably paying thirty two pounds 302 00:21:44,915 --> 00:21:49,715 Speaker 1: for a wheelchair, or you're hijacking a gurnee or something, 303 00:21:50,755 --> 00:21:54,115 Speaker 1: or buying one used on the street for thirty pounds. 304 00:21:54,675 --> 00:21:58,275 Speaker 1: The company involved in this wheel share, if you're looking 305 00:21:58,275 --> 00:22:02,795 Speaker 1: for them, it's wh e E l Share and the 306 00:22:02,795 --> 00:22:05,555 Speaker 1: hospital and the NHS have come up with the perfect 307 00:22:05,595 --> 00:22:11,315 Speaker 1: solution to the understandably bad publicity here. Wheelshare is letting 308 00:22:11,315 --> 00:22:13,275 Speaker 1: it be known that it will soon be adding value 309 00:22:13,275 --> 00:22:16,315 Speaker 1: to its pay or crawl service. It will soon be 310 00:22:16,395 --> 00:22:22,035 Speaker 1: covering its rent to chairs with corporate advertisements and logos 311 00:22:23,035 --> 00:22:28,995 Speaker 1: available at popular prices. As I said, fire everybody in public, 312 00:22:29,595 --> 00:22:33,595 Speaker 1: refund every charge and burn all of it. 313 00:22:34,715 --> 00:22:35,315 Speaker 2: Thrown her up. 314 00:22:35,355 --> 00:22:41,635 Speaker 1: Worser Hockey's Ottawa Senators who let down an entire nation yesterday, Well, 315 00:22:41,675 --> 00:22:45,875 Speaker 1: they only have partial responsibility for this. It's a doc 316 00:22:45,955 --> 00:22:50,275 Speaker 1: strike in Nova Scotia, That's part of it. But Ottawa 317 00:22:50,435 --> 00:22:53,275 Speaker 1: who told you to have your things shipped in from 318 00:22:53,275 --> 00:22:57,275 Speaker 1: some foreign country rather than have them made in Canada. 319 00:22:59,515 --> 00:23:03,435 Speaker 1: Yesterday was Canadian Thanksgiving because well, because our Thanksgiving is 320 00:23:03,435 --> 00:23:05,875 Speaker 1: Canadian fourth of July or something. I don't know. I 321 00:23:05,955 --> 00:23:09,035 Speaker 1: can't I can't keep it straight. And the Senators who 322 00:23:09,035 --> 00:23:12,435 Speaker 1: had the lone matinee on the national holiday had promised 323 00:23:12,435 --> 00:23:15,035 Speaker 1: their fans who went to their game a natural and 324 00:23:15,115 --> 00:23:19,515 Speaker 1: lovely celebration of the true meaning of Thanksgiving. A gravy boat. 325 00:23:19,995 --> 00:23:23,155 Speaker 1: A gravy boat that looks like the Ottawa senators Zamboni 326 00:23:23,315 --> 00:23:26,555 Speaker 1: ice cleaning machine. You got the picture in your mind, 327 00:23:27,715 --> 00:23:30,515 Speaker 1: like a Zamboni machine, A little Zamboni machine, only with 328 00:23:30,555 --> 00:23:33,635 Speaker 1: a little, tiny handle, a little circular thing you could 329 00:23:33,635 --> 00:23:36,875 Speaker 1: hold with your fingers and it's full of gravy. How Canadian. 330 00:23:37,275 --> 00:23:42,395 Speaker 1: But the Senators missed the goddamned boat. Apparently this is 331 00:23:42,435 --> 00:23:45,355 Speaker 1: a thing. It turns out NHL teams have been giving 332 00:23:45,355 --> 00:23:48,675 Speaker 1: out gravy boats that look like Zamboni ice cleaning machines 333 00:23:48,795 --> 00:23:51,515 Speaker 1: since at least twenty eighteen, when Chicago did it. There 334 00:23:51,515 --> 00:23:55,235 Speaker 1: are also ones from Nashville, from Detroit, Anaheim, La Washington. 335 00:23:55,475 --> 00:23:57,995 Speaker 1: But apparently this was going to be the first ever 336 00:23:58,315 --> 00:24:05,475 Speaker 1: Canadian Zamboni gravy boat. Ten thousand Ottawa senators gravy boats 337 00:24:05,675 --> 00:24:08,995 Speaker 1: are still in Halifax, sitting on the dock of the 338 00:24:09,035 --> 00:24:14,915 Speaker 1: bay watching the promotional opportunities roll away. And this promotional 339 00:24:14,915 --> 00:24:18,595 Speaker 1: opportunity ran aground, as it were, due to labor troubles. 340 00:24:18,635 --> 00:24:22,475 Speaker 1: And that's labor with a U call me ishmael. My 341 00:24:22,595 --> 00:24:26,035 Speaker 1: boat sank. The gravy boats didn't get there the end. 342 00:24:26,315 --> 00:24:30,915 Speaker 1: The Senators say, if they arrive in time, they'll give 343 00:24:30,955 --> 00:24:34,995 Speaker 1: them out for Christmas. But of course anything that soon 344 00:24:35,035 --> 00:24:39,675 Speaker 1: would be gravy. Fans at yesterday's game got instead of 345 00:24:39,675 --> 00:24:42,795 Speaker 1: the gravy boat a voucher for a coke and some popcorn, 346 00:24:42,835 --> 00:24:43,755 Speaker 1: which bluntly. 347 00:24:43,595 --> 00:24:45,155 Speaker 2: Is not the same goddamn thing. 348 00:24:46,235 --> 00:24:47,915 Speaker 1: I mean, how am I supposed to use a coke 349 00:24:47,955 --> 00:24:51,315 Speaker 1: and some popcorn to pour my gravy on top after 350 00:24:51,395 --> 00:24:56,515 Speaker 1: I put the biscuit in the basket? But the winner 351 00:24:57,155 --> 00:25:02,555 Speaker 1: worst also kind of SPORTSI ish Dave McCormick, the Connecticut 352 00:25:02,595 --> 00:25:05,915 Speaker 1: guy who is somehow the republic candidate for the Senate 353 00:25:05,915 --> 00:25:09,955 Speaker 1: in Pennsylvania, probably because their last candidate for Senate in 354 00:25:09,955 --> 00:25:13,235 Speaker 1: Pennsylvania was doctor Oz, who lost over the issue of 355 00:25:13,315 --> 00:25:17,035 Speaker 1: the crud Ye Tay vegetable plate and lost to the 356 00:25:17,075 --> 00:25:20,275 Speaker 1: guy from the Twilight Zone episode Who's here to Serve Man. 357 00:25:21,875 --> 00:25:24,275 Speaker 1: Like every candidate ever, McCormick has made a pitch for 358 00:25:24,355 --> 00:25:28,155 Speaker 1: sports fans in his state, well the state he's running in, 359 00:25:28,275 --> 00:25:30,875 Speaker 1: it's not his state, and it did not go well. 360 00:25:31,475 --> 00:25:33,835 Speaker 1: Let me preface this in case you don't know, the 361 00:25:33,875 --> 00:25:37,315 Speaker 1: state of Pennsylvania has two National Football League teams, the 362 00:25:37,315 --> 00:25:43,195 Speaker 1: Philadelphia Eagles and the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Philadelphia Eagles play 363 00:25:43,635 --> 00:25:50,355 Speaker 1: in Philadelphia. The Pittsburgh Steelers play right in Pittsburgh. And 364 00:25:50,395 --> 00:25:53,555 Speaker 1: that's all you really need to know. I mean, maybe 365 00:25:53,595 --> 00:25:55,955 Speaker 1: it's important that the Pittsburgh Steelers used to be the 366 00:25:55,995 --> 00:26:00,955 Speaker 1: Pittsburgh Football Pirates. But not really. This is what David 367 00:26:00,995 --> 00:26:05,315 Speaker 1: McCormick posted. Four photos of him at a time tailgate, 368 00:26:05,395 --> 00:26:07,835 Speaker 1: you know, the real purpose of football, to go out 369 00:26:07,875 --> 00:26:10,315 Speaker 1: and get drunk before the game in the parking lot. 370 00:26:11,915 --> 00:26:14,915 Speaker 1: And it's McCormick with a bunch of people in Eagles 371 00:26:14,995 --> 00:26:18,635 Speaker 1: green T shirts and Eagles dark green uniforms, and there're 372 00:26:18,675 --> 00:26:20,715 Speaker 1: men and their women, and there's him waving in him 373 00:26:20,755 --> 00:26:24,915 Speaker 1: wearing a Maga cat. Well, I met Maga cap. But 374 00:26:24,995 --> 00:26:27,515 Speaker 1: it could be he's wearing a Maga cat. These guys 375 00:26:27,515 --> 00:26:31,835 Speaker 1: would wear dead cats on their heads, wouldn't they. Anyway, 376 00:26:31,915 --> 00:26:35,275 Speaker 1: Pictures of him with Eagles fans, smiling and being an 377 00:26:35,315 --> 00:26:39,675 Speaker 1: Eagles fan, and he's wearing an Eagles fleece of some sort, 378 00:26:40,915 --> 00:26:46,555 Speaker 1: and it says fun tailgate in Philly today football emoji 379 00:26:46,995 --> 00:26:54,075 Speaker 1: excited to watch the Steelers throttle the Raiders. Well that's 380 00:26:54,155 --> 00:26:57,635 Speaker 1: the Philadelphia Eagles. The Steelers play in Pittsburgh. I just 381 00:26:57,675 --> 00:27:02,355 Speaker 1: told you this. You said you understood McCormick. Now, this 382 00:27:02,635 --> 00:27:05,075 Speaker 1: is as stupid as it sounds, but perhaps not for 383 00:27:05,075 --> 00:27:07,795 Speaker 1: the reasons that first come to mind. It is possible 384 00:27:08,395 --> 00:27:11,595 Speaker 1: that this latest idiot fascist McCormick thinks he was at 385 00:27:11,635 --> 00:27:14,915 Speaker 1: a Philadelphia Steelers game. It's possible, I don't know. He 386 00:27:15,035 --> 00:27:17,715 Speaker 1: later finessed this to suggest he was going to go 387 00:27:17,835 --> 00:27:21,875 Speaker 1: tailgate with the Eagles fans and then go watch the 388 00:27:21,955 --> 00:27:26,995 Speaker 1: Steelers on TV in their game at Las Vegas. The 389 00:27:27,035 --> 00:27:30,595 Speaker 1: timing of his tweet actually supports this. He tweeted those 390 00:27:30,595 --> 00:27:33,555 Speaker 1: photos and the reference to the wrong team at four 391 00:27:33,635 --> 00:27:36,395 Speaker 1: thirty six pm Eastern. The Eagles had played at one 392 00:27:36,475 --> 00:27:40,555 Speaker 1: pm in Philadelphia and the Steelers were playing in Nevada 393 00:27:40,595 --> 00:27:44,355 Speaker 1: at four pm Eastern time. But the point is, even 394 00:27:44,355 --> 00:27:47,195 Speaker 1: if you aren't such a carpetbagger who isn't actually from 395 00:27:47,275 --> 00:27:49,835 Speaker 1: Pennsylvania that you think that the Pittsburgh team is the 396 00:27:49,835 --> 00:27:52,995 Speaker 1: same as the Philadelphia team and it's all sports ball, 397 00:27:53,715 --> 00:27:56,235 Speaker 1: why would you be so stupid as to post a 398 00:27:56,235 --> 00:27:58,955 Speaker 1: bunch of pictures with Eagles fans and not mention the 399 00:27:59,035 --> 00:28:03,515 Speaker 1: Eagles but only the Steelers. I mean, among other things, 400 00:28:03,555 --> 00:28:08,995 Speaker 1: Eagles fans hate Steelers fans. Even if you're not a moron, 401 00:28:09,355 --> 00:28:15,115 Speaker 1: you'll look like a moron. Republican Pennsylvania Senate candidate from 402 00:28:15,195 --> 00:28:18,395 Speaker 1: Connecticut David by the way, for next time. The Steelers 403 00:28:18,395 --> 00:28:21,955 Speaker 1: and Eagles merged during World War two and they spent 404 00:28:21,995 --> 00:28:25,635 Speaker 1: the nineteen forty three season as the Steegles. So whatever 405 00:28:25,635 --> 00:28:28,235 Speaker 1: you do, don't call either one of the teams the Steegles. 406 00:28:28,835 --> 00:28:31,275 Speaker 1: And there used to be NFL teams in the Frankfort 407 00:28:31,355 --> 00:28:34,315 Speaker 1: section of Philly, and there was another one in Pottstown, PA. 408 00:28:34,715 --> 00:28:37,995 Speaker 1: And the bankrupt nineteen fifty two Dallas Texans eventually moved 409 00:28:38,035 --> 00:28:40,995 Speaker 1: their base of operations to Hershey, Pennsylvania. So don't mention 410 00:28:41,115 --> 00:28:45,635 Speaker 1: any of them. Please. How about this. How about when 411 00:28:45,675 --> 00:28:49,275 Speaker 1: you're unfamiliar with the state as you are with Pennsylvania, 412 00:28:49,475 --> 00:28:51,515 Speaker 1: next time you run in the damn state in which 413 00:28:51,555 --> 00:29:08,955 Speaker 1: you actually live. McCormick two days worse, Parson, And it 414 00:29:09,075 --> 00:29:12,755 Speaker 1: started on the night of October twenty second, two thousand 415 00:29:13,395 --> 00:29:16,075 Speaker 1: and it ended well, I'll let you know if and 416 00:29:16,115 --> 00:29:19,235 Speaker 1: when it ever ends. I was enjoying the second night 417 00:29:19,235 --> 00:29:22,275 Speaker 1: of one of my childhood dreams come true. I was 418 00:29:22,315 --> 00:29:25,115 Speaker 1: the host, not just of the telecast of the world series, 419 00:29:25,355 --> 00:29:27,715 Speaker 1: but it was an all New York City series, a 420 00:29:27,755 --> 00:29:32,275 Speaker 1: Mets versus Yankee series, a Subway series. I'd literally dreamt 421 00:29:32,275 --> 00:29:35,795 Speaker 1: of it since nineteen sixty seven. The manager of the 422 00:29:35,875 --> 00:29:38,675 Speaker 1: Yankees had been the first person I ever interviewed on 423 00:29:38,755 --> 00:29:42,515 Speaker 1: TV fifteen years earlier. I had worked with him in TV. 424 00:29:42,675 --> 00:29:45,555 Speaker 1: He was a friend of mine. I had just covered 425 00:29:45,555 --> 00:29:47,755 Speaker 1: the Mets through their playoff run and knew all of 426 00:29:47,755 --> 00:29:50,875 Speaker 1: their players. My face had been on an advertisement in 427 00:29:50,995 --> 00:29:53,955 Speaker 1: dead center field in the Mets Stadium for the entirety 428 00:29:53,995 --> 00:29:56,115 Speaker 1: of the year before, and the players. 429 00:29:55,795 --> 00:29:57,035 Speaker 2: All knew me my name. 430 00:29:58,235 --> 00:30:00,715 Speaker 1: Where we were that night, Yankee Stadium was not only 431 00:30:00,795 --> 00:30:03,275 Speaker 1: where I saw my first baseball game, but was about 432 00:30:03,315 --> 00:30:05,275 Speaker 1: seven eighths of a mile from the the hospital in 433 00:30:05,315 --> 00:30:09,195 Speaker 1: which I had been born, and my first home was 434 00:30:09,355 --> 00:30:13,995 Speaker 1: four subway stops away. The night before this event, as 435 00:30:14,035 --> 00:30:15,875 Speaker 1: I hosted the start of the first game of this 436 00:30:16,515 --> 00:30:19,115 Speaker 1: Keith of palooza, I was supposed to introduce the public 437 00:30:19,115 --> 00:30:22,915 Speaker 1: a dress anouncer of Yankee Stadium, Bob Sheppard, whose voice 438 00:30:22,995 --> 00:30:25,875 Speaker 1: I had heard nearly every day since I was eight 439 00:30:25,995 --> 00:30:29,035 Speaker 1: years old, so he could then introduce the players and 440 00:30:29,115 --> 00:30:31,435 Speaker 1: this epic world series would begin. And it dawned on 441 00:30:31,515 --> 00:30:34,115 Speaker 1: me in the seconds before I was supposed to do 442 00:30:34,155 --> 00:30:37,475 Speaker 1: this that I literally had the power to stop the 443 00:30:37,515 --> 00:30:40,635 Speaker 1: two thousand World Series from ever happening if I just 444 00:30:40,795 --> 00:30:45,995 Speaker 1: kept talking and never actually said here is Bob Shephard, Well, 445 00:30:46,035 --> 00:30:48,035 Speaker 1: I could delay it briefly until they cut my mic 446 00:30:48,075 --> 00:30:50,395 Speaker 1: off and then fired me on the spot. Anyway, this 447 00:30:50,555 --> 00:30:53,875 Speaker 1: was Game two, and now that our pregame show was over, 448 00:30:53,955 --> 00:30:56,115 Speaker 1: and I had waved to my mother, who had seen 449 00:30:56,115 --> 00:30:59,355 Speaker 1: her first game at Yankee Stadium just ooh sixty six 450 00:30:59,435 --> 00:31:02,195 Speaker 1: years previously, and she was seated in the family seats 451 00:31:02,235 --> 00:31:05,315 Speaker 1: that were just nine rows up from our on field set. 452 00:31:05,915 --> 00:31:08,155 Speaker 1: I had crawled into the position I would assume for 453 00:31:08,195 --> 00:31:11,395 Speaker 1: the entire game as the dugout reporter. I was hunched 454 00:31:11,395 --> 00:31:14,235 Speaker 1: over on a stool squeezed between the far end of 455 00:31:14,235 --> 00:31:17,555 Speaker 1: the Yankee dugout and our Fox Sports first base camera. 456 00:31:18,075 --> 00:31:21,635 Speaker 1: A thin chicken wire fence separated me from the dugout himself. 457 00:31:21,955 --> 00:31:24,235 Speaker 1: In fact, it was a formality. I was more or 458 00:31:24,315 --> 00:31:27,195 Speaker 1: less in the dugout players, coaches, and that night, as 459 00:31:27,195 --> 00:31:29,355 Speaker 1: I settled in, my friend, the Yankee manager all came 460 00:31:29,395 --> 00:31:33,515 Speaker 1: over to say hello, Roger Clemens of the Yankees, who 461 00:31:33,515 --> 00:31:35,755 Speaker 1: I had also known since we were both rookies in 462 00:31:35,835 --> 00:31:39,995 Speaker 1: Boston Sports in nineteen eighty four. He lasted, I didn't. 463 00:31:40,595 --> 00:31:43,355 Speaker 1: Roger Clemens had struck out the first two Mets hitters, 464 00:31:43,795 --> 00:31:46,235 Speaker 1: Clemens was a strange man about whom I had heard 465 00:31:46,235 --> 00:31:49,555 Speaker 1: a strange tale of teammates in a college summer baseball 466 00:31:49,635 --> 00:31:53,515 Speaker 1: league who were all wearing their wallets in their uniform 467 00:31:53,635 --> 00:31:57,315 Speaker 1: pants back pockets during a game, because one of them 468 00:31:57,395 --> 00:31:59,955 Speaker 1: explained to a friend of mine, we have this crazy 469 00:32:00,035 --> 00:32:02,475 Speaker 1: kid Clemens from Texas on this team, and we don't 470 00:32:02,475 --> 00:32:06,635 Speaker 1: trust him. In I had found him a little nervous, 471 00:32:07,075 --> 00:32:10,555 Speaker 1: little standoffish, but doing his best to be professional. But 472 00:32:10,675 --> 00:32:14,275 Speaker 1: by now there were rumors swirling around Roger Clemens about 473 00:32:14,275 --> 00:32:17,755 Speaker 1: amphetamines and performance enhancing drugs, and you knew not to 474 00:32:17,795 --> 00:32:19,995 Speaker 1: talk to him before or after a game unless you 475 00:32:20,075 --> 00:32:22,355 Speaker 1: had to, and if you had to, you chose your 476 00:32:22,355 --> 00:32:25,995 Speaker 1: words very carefully, then made sure that whatever you did, 477 00:32:25,995 --> 00:32:29,235 Speaker 1: you had to start with something mundane, like the score 478 00:32:29,275 --> 00:32:32,155 Speaker 1: of the game, and if you could let him bring 479 00:32:32,275 --> 00:32:37,475 Speaker 1: up anything controversial or complex, he would then probably do it. 480 00:32:38,395 --> 00:32:41,235 Speaker 1: So now, as this game continued, after two batters had 481 00:32:41,235 --> 00:32:44,755 Speaker 1: struck out, Lee Mazilli, the former Mets star now Yankees coach, 482 00:32:44,795 --> 00:32:46,955 Speaker 1: another friend of mine was on the other side of 483 00:32:47,395 --> 00:32:50,995 Speaker 1: a little fence, and as Mets superstar Mike Piazza stepped 484 00:32:50,995 --> 00:32:53,195 Speaker 1: in as the third batter of the game, Mozilly leaned 485 00:32:53,235 --> 00:32:56,755 Speaker 1: in and said, conspiratorily, let's see if Roger flips him again. 486 00:32:57,595 --> 00:33:00,755 Speaker 1: In Midsummer two thousand, Roger Clemens had beamed Mike Piazza 487 00:33:00,795 --> 00:33:05,075 Speaker 1: with a fastball. There was a hospital visit involved. Nobody 488 00:33:05,115 --> 00:33:07,715 Speaker 1: was convinced it had not been intentional, or that Clemens 489 00:33:07,755 --> 00:33:09,195 Speaker 1: would not do it again, even though it was the 490 00:33:09,195 --> 00:33:13,235 Speaker 1: World Series. Mozilli and I leaned forward. Piazza was a 491 00:33:13,275 --> 00:33:16,595 Speaker 1: deeply complicated guy too. During the playoffs, he had walked 492 00:33:16,635 --> 00:33:17,955 Speaker 1: up to me and asked me if it was true 493 00:33:17,995 --> 00:33:19,595 Speaker 1: I was from New York, and then he quizzed me 494 00:33:19,595 --> 00:33:21,875 Speaker 1: about the relative merits of the suburbs, and then he 495 00:33:21,915 --> 00:33:24,075 Speaker 1: wanted to know if I had really taken up residence 496 00:33:24,395 --> 00:33:27,355 Speaker 1: in his favorite southern California hotel. And we talked for 497 00:33:27,395 --> 00:33:30,795 Speaker 1: fifteen minutes about that. The next night I saw him, smiled, 498 00:33:30,835 --> 00:33:32,835 Speaker 1: said hello, and he looked at me like I had 499 00:33:32,915 --> 00:33:36,755 Speaker 1: just sworn a vendetta against his family. For a long 500 00:33:36,835 --> 00:33:39,395 Speaker 1: time I thought it was me, until about ten years later, 501 00:33:39,675 --> 00:33:42,675 Speaker 1: the great Vin Scully said that Piazza was with the Dodgers, 502 00:33:43,235 --> 00:33:45,635 Speaker 1: and when they were both together there in Los Angeles, 503 00:33:45,875 --> 00:33:49,035 Speaker 1: Vin had had the identical experience with Piazza. Best friends 504 00:33:49,075 --> 00:33:52,155 Speaker 1: on the team bus one day, and then no indication 505 00:33:52,275 --> 00:33:55,075 Speaker 1: Piazza remembered even meeting him the next I mean that 506 00:33:55,235 --> 00:33:59,115 Speaker 1: was Ben Scully. Clemens, as it turned out, did not 507 00:33:59,315 --> 00:34:02,355 Speaker 1: throw a baseball at Piazza, but instead pitched him inside 508 00:34:02,395 --> 00:34:05,195 Speaker 1: in on his hands, and Piazza tried to stop a 509 00:34:05,275 --> 00:34:08,315 Speaker 1: swing that was half self defense, but instead the odd 510 00:34:08,355 --> 00:34:11,275 Speaker 1: angle and the force of the pitch shattered Piazza's bat. 511 00:34:11,715 --> 00:34:14,275 Speaker 1: The ball veered to the right, describing a circle into 512 00:34:14,315 --> 00:34:17,595 Speaker 1: foul territory. The head of the bat shot out towards 513 00:34:17,675 --> 00:34:21,715 Speaker 1: Clemens on the mound. A second piece flew briefly into 514 00:34:21,755 --> 00:34:25,075 Speaker 1: the infield. Piazza was left holding just the handle. And 515 00:34:25,155 --> 00:34:27,715 Speaker 1: it looked as foolish as that sounds, but lost in 516 00:34:27,755 --> 00:34:29,715 Speaker 1: this descriptions the fact that that all happened at once, 517 00:34:30,315 --> 00:34:33,235 Speaker 1: and even from our sign angle in the Yankee dugout, 518 00:34:33,275 --> 00:34:36,275 Speaker 1: it looked a mozillion me as if Piazza's bat had 519 00:34:36,315 --> 00:34:40,555 Speaker 1: simply exploded, like it was a trick device of some sort. 520 00:34:41,235 --> 00:34:44,195 Speaker 1: I saw Clemens reach for the baseball. I thought it 521 00:34:44,275 --> 00:34:46,315 Speaker 1: was the baseball right in front of him, and then 522 00:34:46,435 --> 00:34:48,835 Speaker 1: just as quickly, He and I at the same moment, 523 00:34:48,955 --> 00:34:51,235 Speaker 1: realized it was not the baseball. It was the barrel 524 00:34:51,315 --> 00:34:53,755 Speaker 1: of the bat, which was slightly rounded, just a little 525 00:34:53,835 --> 00:34:56,035 Speaker 1: darker than a baseball, but could in the heat of 526 00:34:56,075 --> 00:35:00,075 Speaker 1: an instant following a bat explosion, it could be mistaken 527 00:35:00,075 --> 00:35:04,675 Speaker 1: for a ball. So far, so good. But right then Clemens, 528 00:35:04,995 --> 00:35:07,915 Speaker 1: realizing it was part of a bat and not a ball, 529 00:35:08,035 --> 00:35:12,715 Speaker 1: promptly threw that part of the bat at me. Jesus Mas, 530 00:35:12,995 --> 00:35:15,195 Speaker 1: I said to Mizilly, why did Clemens throw that bat 531 00:35:15,195 --> 00:35:18,435 Speaker 1: barrel at me? The Yankee coach looked incredulously at me. 532 00:35:18,475 --> 00:35:19,995 Speaker 1: He didn't throw it you. He throw it at me. 533 00:35:21,315 --> 00:35:24,635 Speaker 1: That's what it looked like. We were lined up perfectly. 534 00:35:24,675 --> 00:35:28,235 Speaker 1: If Roger Clemens had thrown the barrel of Mike Piazza's bat, say, 535 00:35:28,275 --> 00:35:30,995 Speaker 1: one hundred and twenty feet instead of just six or 536 00:35:31,075 --> 00:35:34,795 Speaker 1: seven feet, he would have hit either me or Lee Mozilly. 537 00:35:34,875 --> 00:35:38,995 Speaker 1: In the Yankee dugout. As it was, since nobody knew 538 00:35:39,035 --> 00:35:42,315 Speaker 1: exactly what was happening, Piazza had started to run down 539 00:35:42,315 --> 00:35:45,155 Speaker 1: to first base in case the ball was fair. He 540 00:35:45,195 --> 00:35:48,035 Speaker 1: didn't know where the ball was either. For that initial 541 00:35:48,075 --> 00:35:52,635 Speaker 1: split second, you really couldn't tell which flying object was 542 00:35:52,675 --> 00:35:56,355 Speaker 1: the ball, and also whether the ball was fair or foul. 543 00:35:57,235 --> 00:36:01,315 Speaker 1: So Roger Clemens's throw certainly looked like it was aimed 544 00:36:01,395 --> 00:36:04,355 Speaker 1: at Piazza as Piazza went down the first baseline, and 545 00:36:04,795 --> 00:36:07,795 Speaker 1: Piazza took umbrage, And there was another split second of 546 00:36:07,835 --> 00:36:10,075 Speaker 1: confusion when it looked like Piazza might charge out to 547 00:36:10,115 --> 00:36:12,515 Speaker 1: the mound to try to sock Clemens for this and 548 00:36:12,595 --> 00:36:15,675 Speaker 1: for the Midsummer beating. I said to Missilly, wait, did 549 00:36:15,715 --> 00:36:20,235 Speaker 1: he throw that bat at Piazza? Misilly just shook his head. 550 00:36:20,435 --> 00:36:23,115 Speaker 1: I don't think so. Hun Hell knows he's been here 551 00:36:23,155 --> 00:36:25,555 Speaker 1: two years. I haven't figured out anything he's done so far. 552 00:36:26,955 --> 00:36:30,195 Speaker 1: As the umpires then got involved, Clemens repeatedly tapped his 553 00:36:30,275 --> 00:36:33,275 Speaker 1: own chest, and not in a bragging way, but in 554 00:36:33,315 --> 00:36:36,635 Speaker 1: a kind of what looked like that's on me way. 555 00:36:37,355 --> 00:36:39,915 Speaker 1: Two bat boys collected the three main pieces of the 556 00:36:39,955 --> 00:36:42,195 Speaker 1: bat and a bunch of smaller shards, some of them 557 00:36:42,235 --> 00:36:45,635 Speaker 1: smaller than a toothpick. The Fox play by play man 558 00:36:45,715 --> 00:36:48,235 Speaker 1: threw it to me in the dugout well. I said, 559 00:36:48,235 --> 00:36:49,915 Speaker 1: I can tell you the Yankee dugout doesn't know what 560 00:36:49,955 --> 00:36:53,715 Speaker 1: happened or why Joe. Missilly laughed quietly and then hit 561 00:36:53,755 --> 00:36:55,195 Speaker 1: me in the arm. While I was on the air, 562 00:36:55,355 --> 00:36:57,875 Speaker 1: I postulated that Clemens was looking for a ball hit 563 00:36:57,955 --> 00:37:00,915 Speaker 1: back to him, instead found the piece of the bat 564 00:37:00,955 --> 00:37:02,675 Speaker 1: and then discarded that piece of the bats so we 565 00:37:02,715 --> 00:37:05,435 Speaker 1: could keep looking for the ball that he discarded, it 566 00:37:05,515 --> 00:37:08,595 Speaker 1: kind of where Piazza was running, might have been delivered, 567 00:37:08,755 --> 00:37:11,915 Speaker 1: might have been a coincidence. I do remember suggesting that 568 00:37:12,235 --> 00:37:15,395 Speaker 1: if Clemens had really aimed the bat at Piazza, that 569 00:37:15,475 --> 00:37:18,515 Speaker 1: from that distance, with the strength and accuracy of a 570 00:37:18,515 --> 00:37:20,915 Speaker 1: major league pitcher, he clearly would have hit him with it. 571 00:37:21,875 --> 00:37:24,435 Speaker 1: Piazza then promptly grounded out to end the inning, and 572 00:37:24,435 --> 00:37:27,235 Speaker 1: as Clemens came back towards the Yankee dugout where Mozilli 573 00:37:27,315 --> 00:37:30,155 Speaker 1: and I were, he again stopped to talk to the umpire, 574 00:37:30,155 --> 00:37:33,595 Speaker 1: who was Charlie Reliford. Over the noise of fifty six 575 00:37:33,675 --> 00:37:36,275 Speaker 1: thousand fans at Yankee Stadium, I couldn't hear a damn thing, 576 00:37:36,555 --> 00:37:39,275 Speaker 1: but it sure looked like Clemens was again saying that 577 00:37:39,555 --> 00:37:42,355 Speaker 1: was on me. I asked missillly if he could find 578 00:37:42,355 --> 00:37:44,435 Speaker 1: out if that's what Clemens was doing, and half an 579 00:37:44,475 --> 00:37:47,555 Speaker 1: inning later, Missilly reported that Clemens indeed thought for a 580 00:37:47,595 --> 00:37:49,635 Speaker 1: second it was the ball, and that he threw it 581 00:37:49,915 --> 00:37:51,555 Speaker 1: and then it was on him, and that it was 582 00:37:51,595 --> 00:37:55,555 Speaker 1: not intentional and it was not directed at Piazza. Now 583 00:37:55,595 --> 00:37:58,275 Speaker 1: I did something kind of stupid. I suggested to my 584 00:37:58,395 --> 00:38:01,955 Speaker 1: bosses that I should go ask the commissioner Baseball, who 585 00:38:01,955 --> 00:38:04,235 Speaker 1: in a World Series game had the power to eject 586 00:38:04,315 --> 00:38:07,155 Speaker 1: any place for any reason, although that power had not 587 00:38:07,155 --> 00:38:10,315 Speaker 1: actually been used since nineteen thirty four. What he thought 588 00:38:10,315 --> 00:38:13,395 Speaker 1: of all this? The producer said yes, And I thought 589 00:38:13,755 --> 00:38:17,195 Speaker 1: me and my big mouth, I now had to crawl 590 00:38:17,275 --> 00:38:20,315 Speaker 1: out of that little space between camera and dugout, and 591 00:38:20,315 --> 00:38:24,915 Speaker 1: I mean literally crawl hands and knees to exit back 592 00:38:24,955 --> 00:38:28,355 Speaker 1: into the seats via where the groundskeepers kept all the 593 00:38:28,475 --> 00:38:32,115 Speaker 1: extra dirt. I knew where in the stands the commissioner 594 00:38:32,155 --> 00:38:34,835 Speaker 1: was sitting. I went there. I got to him, I 595 00:38:34,955 --> 00:38:37,795 Speaker 1: asked him. He assured me there was no discipline coming 596 00:38:37,835 --> 00:38:39,875 Speaker 1: for Clemens, and they'd look at the tape of the 597 00:38:39,915 --> 00:38:41,915 Speaker 1: game again that night or in the morning, but he 598 00:38:41,955 --> 00:38:44,115 Speaker 1: really didn't think Clemens had tried to hit Piazza with 599 00:38:44,155 --> 00:38:46,235 Speaker 1: the bat. Well, they would look at the tape, and 600 00:38:46,275 --> 00:38:48,315 Speaker 1: they decided both that Clemens did not try to hit 601 00:38:48,355 --> 00:38:51,355 Speaker 1: Piazza with the bat, and that he should be fined 602 00:38:51,395 --> 00:38:55,115 Speaker 1: fifty thousand dollars for I don't know, not trying to 603 00:38:55,195 --> 00:38:58,155 Speaker 1: hit him with the bat. So I made it back 604 00:38:58,195 --> 00:39:01,835 Speaker 1: to the dugout, reversing my crawl like I was recreating 605 00:39:01,835 --> 00:39:06,075 Speaker 1: the movie The Great Escape. As it turned out, Piazza's 606 00:39:06,075 --> 00:39:08,675 Speaker 1: little squib shot that caused all the trouble with the 607 00:39:08,755 --> 00:39:11,755 Speaker 1: exploding bat was about the hardest thing they hit off 608 00:39:11,835 --> 00:39:15,235 Speaker 1: Clemens all night. Over eight innings, he struck out nine 609 00:39:15,355 --> 00:39:18,435 Speaker 1: Mets batters, he walked none, he gave up only two hits, 610 00:39:18,435 --> 00:39:21,595 Speaker 1: and he only hit one batter. And then, incredibly, after 611 00:39:21,635 --> 00:39:25,195 Speaker 1: Clemens left the game, the Yankees almost blew a six 612 00:39:25,235 --> 00:39:28,355 Speaker 1: to nothing lead. In the ninth inning, a Met outfielder 613 00:39:28,435 --> 00:39:31,515 Speaker 1: named Jay Payton hit a three run homer off future 614 00:39:31,555 --> 00:39:34,635 Speaker 1: Hall of Famer Mariano Rivera, and the Mets had a 615 00:39:34,755 --> 00:39:37,595 Speaker 1: chance to tie the game or go ahead off Rivera 616 00:39:37,635 --> 00:39:39,755 Speaker 1: in the top of the ninth And then he got 617 00:39:39,755 --> 00:39:41,115 Speaker 1: out of it, and the final score was six to 618 00:39:41,155 --> 00:39:43,435 Speaker 1: five Yankees. And with the game over now it was 619 00:39:43,835 --> 00:39:47,875 Speaker 1: Keith interviews Clemens' time. I went to the pre arranged 620 00:39:47,995 --> 00:39:50,275 Speaker 1: spot at the other end of the Yankee Dugout, where 621 00:39:50,315 --> 00:39:53,835 Speaker 1: another friend of mine, the Yankees pr director, had guaranteed 622 00:39:53,835 --> 00:39:55,835 Speaker 1: me he would go and get Clemens and they would 623 00:39:55,915 --> 00:39:59,195 Speaker 1: emerge after Clemens left the clubhouse to do what was 624 00:39:59,515 --> 00:40:05,395 Speaker 1: a contractually obligated interview with Fox and me. Aparently, Roger 625 00:40:05,435 --> 00:40:07,915 Speaker 1: Clemens started making his way towards me the moment the 626 00:40:07,995 --> 00:40:11,995 Speaker 1: Yankees finally won that game. Unfortunately, at that exact moment, 627 00:40:12,595 --> 00:40:16,675 Speaker 1: security closed the only runway from the Yankee Dugout to 628 00:40:16,795 --> 00:40:19,835 Speaker 1: the clubhouse so that a dignitary could use it as 629 00:40:19,875 --> 00:40:25,995 Speaker 1: an exit from his seats. The dignitary was Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, 630 00:40:26,635 --> 00:40:31,195 Speaker 1: noted front running Yankees fan and ticket freeloader. And while 631 00:40:31,275 --> 00:40:34,035 Speaker 1: Fox literally delayed the start of every newscast on every 632 00:40:34,035 --> 00:40:35,915 Speaker 1: one of its stations in the country, even on the 633 00:40:35,915 --> 00:40:38,835 Speaker 1: West Coast, and Joe Buck and Tim McCarver kept showing 634 00:40:38,835 --> 00:40:42,515 Speaker 1: replays again and again and promising my interview with Roger Clemens, 635 00:40:43,155 --> 00:40:47,475 Speaker 1: Rudy Giuliani took his goddamn time leaving the field. His 636 00:40:47,635 --> 00:40:50,755 Speaker 1: idiot son Andrew grabbed some dirt from the field. I 637 00:40:50,795 --> 00:40:53,435 Speaker 1: half expected him to eat it. Instead, he stuffed it 638 00:40:53,435 --> 00:40:58,235 Speaker 1: in his jacket pockets. Juliani now waited for his entire entourage, 639 00:40:58,675 --> 00:41:01,595 Speaker 1: one of his wives, some of his I guess they 640 00:41:01,595 --> 00:41:05,875 Speaker 1: were friends, assorted political riff raff, and as my producer 641 00:41:05,995 --> 00:41:10,035 Speaker 1: screamed in my ear, where is Clemens? Giuliani waited until 642 00:41:10,035 --> 00:41:13,555 Speaker 1: they were all together on the field, and finally he 643 00:41:13,595 --> 00:41:16,115 Speaker 1: marched them down into the dugout and up through the runway. 644 00:41:16,675 --> 00:41:20,075 Speaker 1: And after all this delay, Clemens came out and finally 645 00:41:20,115 --> 00:41:22,435 Speaker 1: I could ask him about throwing the bat shard at 646 00:41:22,515 --> 00:41:25,995 Speaker 1: or near piazza. And at that moment I remembered what 647 00:41:26,035 --> 00:41:28,715 Speaker 1: I had learned about Clemens in Boston. If you started 648 00:41:28,755 --> 00:41:33,595 Speaker 1: an interview with something controversial, he might very well walk away. If, 649 00:41:33,715 --> 00:41:36,955 Speaker 1: on the other hand, you did the boring game outcome question, 650 00:41:37,075 --> 00:41:39,035 Speaker 1: he would answer anything you asked, and he might even 651 00:41:39,075 --> 00:41:41,555 Speaker 1: bring up anything controversial himself. But you had to do 652 00:41:41,915 --> 00:41:46,395 Speaker 1: the stupid game stuff first, So which was harder work? 653 00:41:46,475 --> 00:41:49,515 Speaker 1: Roger I asked eight innings of two hit ball or 654 00:41:49,555 --> 00:41:52,595 Speaker 1: watching the Mets nearly tie it in the ninth. His 655 00:41:52,675 --> 00:41:54,555 Speaker 1: answer was not bad, but he did not bring up 656 00:41:54,555 --> 00:41:56,355 Speaker 1: the bats. So I asked another question about what he 657 00:41:56,475 --> 00:41:59,555 Speaker 1: thought of his performance in that game. Well, that did it. 658 00:41:59,835 --> 00:42:03,555 Speaker 1: He started talking about having to overcome his emotions in 659 00:42:03,595 --> 00:42:05,755 Speaker 1: the first inning, and I could say, well, since you 660 00:42:05,835 --> 00:42:09,835 Speaker 1: brought up the emotions the bat throwing incident, did you 661 00:42:09,915 --> 00:42:13,395 Speaker 1: throw that piece of broken bat at Mike Piazza. There 662 00:42:13,475 --> 00:42:15,955 Speaker 1: is a freeze frame from that interview in which Roger 663 00:42:15,995 --> 00:42:21,915 Speaker 1: Clemens eyes are bugged wide open. Well, Glemmons basically confirmed 664 00:42:21,915 --> 00:42:23,675 Speaker 1: what the guys in the dugout had told me. He 665 00:42:23,715 --> 00:42:25,755 Speaker 1: had told them. You can believe him or not, but 666 00:42:25,875 --> 00:42:28,315 Speaker 1: he thought the thing he grabbed was the ball, and 667 00:42:28,355 --> 00:42:30,675 Speaker 1: when it wasn't, he threw it away just in case 668 00:42:30,715 --> 00:42:32,795 Speaker 1: the ball was somewhere else near him and he had 669 00:42:32,795 --> 00:42:34,995 Speaker 1: to have a free hand with which to pick it up. 670 00:42:35,515 --> 00:42:37,755 Speaker 1: He explained the chest taps. He was indeed saying to 671 00:42:37,795 --> 00:42:42,035 Speaker 1: the umpire Umpire Charlie, as Clemens called him, accompanying his 672 00:42:42,115 --> 00:42:44,435 Speaker 1: apologies to the umps for throwing the bat. He said 673 00:42:44,435 --> 00:42:46,515 Speaker 1: he didn't even know where Piazza was at the point 674 00:42:46,515 --> 00:42:50,235 Speaker 1: he threw the bat. It was as straight and nonpartisan 675 00:42:50,435 --> 00:42:55,315 Speaker 1: and frankly as informative an interview as I've ever conducted. Meanwhile, 676 00:42:55,875 --> 00:42:59,515 Speaker 1: everybody else in that stadium, everybody else in that city, 677 00:42:59,875 --> 00:43:02,915 Speaker 1: everybody else in the Tri State area was convinced of 678 00:43:02,995 --> 00:43:05,995 Speaker 1: one of only two things. Roger Clemens had tried to 679 00:43:06,075 --> 00:43:10,035 Speaker 1: impale Mike Piazza with a shard of his own bat, 680 00:43:10,715 --> 00:43:13,795 Speaker 1: or the Mets were crybabies who could not tell that 681 00:43:13,835 --> 00:43:16,795 Speaker 1: Clemens obviously did not try to impale Mike Piazza with 682 00:43:16,835 --> 00:43:20,635 Speaker 1: his own bat. There was no middle ground. I found 683 00:43:20,675 --> 00:43:23,835 Speaker 1: this out specifically the next day when the TV sports 684 00:43:23,875 --> 00:43:26,155 Speaker 1: columnist of the New York Times, Rich Sandomir, who was 685 00:43:26,195 --> 00:43:28,995 Speaker 1: a friend of mine, called to interview me about the interview. 686 00:43:29,275 --> 00:43:31,355 Speaker 1: Why didn't you ask him about the bat first? Nobody 687 00:43:31,395 --> 00:43:34,675 Speaker 1: cared about how he pitched? He threw a bat at Piazza. 688 00:43:35,435 --> 00:43:38,275 Speaker 1: I said, you're a Met fan, and I explained the 689 00:43:38,275 --> 00:43:40,715 Speaker 1: theory of not making Clemens end an interview before he 690 00:43:40,715 --> 00:43:42,355 Speaker 1: said what you needed to know. I went through the 691 00:43:42,395 --> 00:43:45,155 Speaker 1: whole thing I just recited here. It was amazing to 692 00:43:45,195 --> 00:43:49,835 Speaker 1: see those few days how every sports reporter and columnist 693 00:43:49,875 --> 00:43:53,075 Speaker 1: in New York self identified as either a Met fan 694 00:43:53,155 --> 00:43:55,795 Speaker 1: or ex Met fan, or a Yankee fan or x 695 00:43:55,875 --> 00:43:58,795 Speaker 1: Yankee fan. And you can still see it today, as 696 00:43:58,875 --> 00:44:01,795 Speaker 1: this story from twenty two years ago is recollected by 697 00:44:01,835 --> 00:44:06,795 Speaker 1: others they wrote what they felt as kids Clemens was 698 00:44:06,835 --> 00:44:12,675 Speaker 1: the victim, or Clemens tried to kill Mike Piazza like 699 00:44:12,795 --> 00:44:16,515 Speaker 1: he was a dracula, and they had the wooden steak 700 00:44:16,635 --> 00:44:21,275 Speaker 1: to go through his heart. Meanwhile, we learned recently from 701 00:44:21,355 --> 00:44:23,835 Speaker 1: Joe Torre, the Yankee manager, another one of my friends, 702 00:44:23,915 --> 00:44:26,515 Speaker 1: that they all hid something from us that night, the 703 00:44:26,595 --> 00:44:30,075 Speaker 1: thing about emotions. After the incident in the first inning, 704 00:44:30,155 --> 00:44:33,155 Speaker 1: Roger Clemens went back to the Yankee clubhouse and started 705 00:44:33,155 --> 00:44:36,715 Speaker 1: to cry. This might have had something to do with 706 00:44:36,795 --> 00:44:39,715 Speaker 1: embarrassment or grief, But since he had noted that he 707 00:44:39,755 --> 00:44:42,795 Speaker 1: had had to check his emotions, I always thought, well, 708 00:44:42,835 --> 00:44:45,875 Speaker 1: he might have been a little overamped for that game, 709 00:44:46,915 --> 00:44:52,275 Speaker 1: naturally or otherwise. All right, So before I present anything 710 00:44:52,315 --> 00:44:54,635 Speaker 1: else out of chronological order, let me go back to 711 00:44:54,675 --> 00:44:57,275 Speaker 1: the moment. I thanked Roger Clemens for the interview and 712 00:44:57,355 --> 00:44:59,475 Speaker 1: threw it back to Joe Buck and Tim McCarver in 713 00:44:59,515 --> 00:45:03,155 Speaker 1: the Fox booth. Because this is when the real trouble started. 714 00:45:04,075 --> 00:45:05,875 Speaker 1: They were pretty much done for the night, but I 715 00:45:05,915 --> 00:45:08,755 Speaker 1: had another two hours to go in a live postgame 716 00:45:08,835 --> 00:45:12,355 Speaker 1: show on Fox's cable sports network. We had about four 717 00:45:12,355 --> 00:45:14,835 Speaker 1: minutes until that show started and it suddenly occurred to 718 00:45:14,835 --> 00:45:16,755 Speaker 1: me that although this was not the most important event 719 00:45:16,795 --> 00:45:18,955 Speaker 1: in the history of the World Series, the bat would 720 00:45:18,995 --> 00:45:23,115 Speaker 1: become part of the iconography of baseball. I had been 721 00:45:23,155 --> 00:45:25,635 Speaker 1: at Yankee Stadium often enough over the years to know 722 00:45:26,195 --> 00:45:29,355 Speaker 1: the two kids who ran the visiting clubhouse, and right 723 00:45:29,395 --> 00:45:31,875 Speaker 1: then they were still packing up the Mets bats and 724 00:45:31,875 --> 00:45:34,715 Speaker 1: equipment and the Mets dugout. So I ran over and 725 00:45:34,795 --> 00:45:38,195 Speaker 1: asked the senior of them what happened to the pieces 726 00:45:38,235 --> 00:45:42,155 Speaker 1: of the piazza bat well. The guy explained that Bobby Valentine, 727 00:45:42,155 --> 00:45:45,035 Speaker 1: the Mets manager, had asked that one of the pieces 728 00:45:45,075 --> 00:45:47,995 Speaker 1: go to a friend of his in the stands, and he, 729 00:45:48,235 --> 00:45:51,315 Speaker 1: the clubhouse attendant, had handed it to the guy. A 730 00:45:51,395 --> 00:45:53,835 Speaker 1: second piece he believed was kept by the Yankees. He 731 00:45:53,955 --> 00:45:56,955 Speaker 1: wasn't sure about that. The third piece, the handle was 732 00:45:57,675 --> 00:46:00,355 Speaker 1: where was it? Where is it? He asked the other attendant. 733 00:46:00,955 --> 00:46:03,675 Speaker 1: It's here in the garbage, the kids said. I did 734 00:46:03,675 --> 00:46:06,875 Speaker 1: a double take. Garbage, Yeah, the kid said, under the 735 00:46:06,955 --> 00:46:09,875 Speaker 1: dugout bench, and there it was, stuffed in amid all 736 00:46:09,875 --> 00:46:13,555 Speaker 1: the empty bags of sunflower seeds and the crushed gatorade cups. 737 00:46:13,675 --> 00:46:16,235 Speaker 1: I said, what happens to it now gets thrown out. 738 00:46:16,355 --> 00:46:19,875 Speaker 1: They clean out the dugouts first. So I said, look, 739 00:46:19,915 --> 00:46:22,355 Speaker 1: can I borrow it? This would make a great prop 740 00:46:22,395 --> 00:46:26,155 Speaker 1: for our postgame show. And the attendant says sure, and 741 00:46:26,195 --> 00:46:27,995 Speaker 1: he pulls it out of the pile and hands it 742 00:46:27,995 --> 00:46:30,515 Speaker 1: to him, just about seven inches of a baseball bat, 743 00:46:30,755 --> 00:46:33,315 Speaker 1: and all there is is Piazza's uniform number thirty one 744 00:46:33,355 --> 00:46:36,395 Speaker 1: written in magic marker on the bottom. Listen. I said, 745 00:46:36,555 --> 00:46:38,075 Speaker 1: I won't be able to bring this back to you 746 00:46:38,115 --> 00:46:40,275 Speaker 1: for like two hours. We're on for two hours. Will 747 00:46:40,275 --> 00:46:42,155 Speaker 1: you still be in the clubhouse? And he said, are 748 00:46:42,155 --> 00:46:44,995 Speaker 1: you kidding? We have to be here at eight He 749 00:46:45,075 --> 00:46:47,275 Speaker 1: and I'll be out of here in ten minutes. And 750 00:46:47,315 --> 00:46:49,075 Speaker 1: I said, you want me to bring it back to 751 00:46:49,115 --> 00:46:52,155 Speaker 1: you for Game three? And he says, garbage. You're going 752 00:46:52,195 --> 00:46:54,715 Speaker 1: to bring back garbage, throw it out, keep it whatever, 753 00:46:54,795 --> 00:46:59,315 Speaker 1: what do I care? So I use the bat fragment 754 00:46:59,395 --> 00:47:02,275 Speaker 1: as a prop in the show repeatedly, and I stuck 755 00:47:02,315 --> 00:47:04,115 Speaker 1: it in my shoulder bag and I thought, I'm not 756 00:47:04,155 --> 00:47:07,715 Speaker 1: a scround, but this is a valuable piece of memorabilia 757 00:47:08,235 --> 00:47:11,075 Speaker 1: and I'd like to keep it. So either I'll auction 758 00:47:11,155 --> 00:47:14,395 Speaker 1: it off for charity and bid against myself or something, 759 00:47:14,475 --> 00:47:16,475 Speaker 1: or I'll make a donation to a baseball charity and 760 00:47:16,515 --> 00:47:19,275 Speaker 1: I'll keep it. And that was it. And two days later, 761 00:47:19,755 --> 00:47:22,475 Speaker 1: as the World Series shifted from Yankee Stadium to Shaye Stadium, 762 00:47:22,515 --> 00:47:24,475 Speaker 1: I got a phone call from one of the PR 763 00:47:24,555 --> 00:47:27,435 Speaker 1: guys at Fox Sports. Did you see the paper? And 764 00:47:27,515 --> 00:47:29,915 Speaker 1: I said, no, not yet, And he says, Piazza told 765 00:47:29,915 --> 00:47:32,955 Speaker 1: the guy from Newsday that you stole his back and 766 00:47:32,995 --> 00:47:36,915 Speaker 1: he wants it back. And I said, what if I 767 00:47:36,955 --> 00:47:39,115 Speaker 1: hadn't asked about it, it would be on a garbage scale 768 00:47:39,195 --> 00:47:40,995 Speaker 1: right now, being towed out to be dumped in the 769 00:47:41,035 --> 00:47:44,475 Speaker 1: Atlantic Ocean. And he says maybe, but Piazza told this 770 00:47:44,595 --> 00:47:46,595 Speaker 1: John Hayman, he's going to sue you to get it back. 771 00:47:48,475 --> 00:47:50,995 Speaker 1: So now I go to the ballpark with extra excitement 772 00:47:51,075 --> 00:47:53,675 Speaker 1: on my plate. I'm waiting for Mike Piazza to tell 773 00:47:53,675 --> 00:47:55,915 Speaker 1: me he's going to sue me. So I go out 774 00:47:55,955 --> 00:47:58,115 Speaker 1: onto the field. I'm wondering how long it's going to 775 00:47:58,115 --> 00:48:00,195 Speaker 1: be before I run into Piazza. And like two minutes 776 00:48:00,235 --> 00:48:01,835 Speaker 1: after I step on the field, I turn around and 777 00:48:01,875 --> 00:48:03,515 Speaker 1: he's walking towards me, and he looks at me and 778 00:48:03,555 --> 00:48:07,155 Speaker 1: he says, hey, wild one the other night. Huh, say, listen, 779 00:48:07,195 --> 00:48:09,275 Speaker 1: when you lived at Shutters, did you ever eat at 780 00:48:09,315 --> 00:48:13,395 Speaker 1: Ivy at the Shore in Santa Monica? Nothing about the bat. 781 00:48:13,715 --> 00:48:17,475 Speaker 1: We're talking about restaurants in Santa Monica, California. And I say, well, yeah, 782 00:48:17,475 --> 00:48:19,515 Speaker 1: but did you ever eat at Shae Jay's. And a 783 00:48:19,675 --> 00:48:22,395 Speaker 1: big smile from Piazza. Oh, man, I love Shade Jay's. 784 00:48:22,435 --> 00:48:24,835 Speaker 1: I love Jay. Give me your number this winner. When 785 00:48:24,835 --> 00:48:27,435 Speaker 1: I'm home, let's go eat at Shaye Jay's. And I said, 786 00:48:27,475 --> 00:48:29,435 Speaker 1: I'll pay for it and I'll order the sand dabs. 787 00:48:29,795 --> 00:48:32,515 Speaker 1: Now we're talking about sand dabs, how to prepare sand 788 00:48:32,595 --> 00:48:35,395 Speaker 1: dabs at a restaurant. And then he says, hey, sorry, 789 00:48:35,395 --> 00:48:38,955 Speaker 1: I gotta go ahead, have a good show. That was it. 790 00:48:39,875 --> 00:48:43,115 Speaker 1: He's in the paper threatening to sue me. We see 791 00:48:43,155 --> 00:48:46,595 Speaker 1: each other on the field, he starts the conversation. No 792 00:48:46,755 --> 00:48:50,475 Speaker 1: mention of suing me, not one word. Next day in 793 00:48:50,515 --> 00:48:53,115 Speaker 1: the paper, more Piazza quotes about how he's going to 794 00:48:53,155 --> 00:48:55,995 Speaker 1: sue me for stealing his bat. Next night, Game four 795 00:48:55,995 --> 00:48:57,915 Speaker 1: of the World Series, We're just about to go on 796 00:48:57,995 --> 00:48:59,955 Speaker 1: the air at the pregame show, and now Piazza comes 797 00:49:00,035 --> 00:49:02,275 Speaker 1: over again, coming in from the outfield. To the dugout, 798 00:49:02,315 --> 00:49:04,195 Speaker 1: and he says, Hey, this must be really cool to 799 00:49:04,195 --> 00:49:06,275 Speaker 1: do what you got are doing. Have a great show, 800 00:49:07,235 --> 00:49:08,755 Speaker 1: and by now the only thing I can think of. 801 00:49:09,075 --> 00:49:11,795 Speaker 1: He does not know I'm the same Keith Olderman. He 802 00:49:11,875 --> 00:49:15,715 Speaker 1: keeps threatening to sue. So the World Series ends and 803 00:49:15,755 --> 00:49:18,115 Speaker 1: the Yankees beat the Mets, and if you look for it, 804 00:49:18,115 --> 00:49:20,995 Speaker 1: there's this photo of the traditional postgame awarding of the 805 00:49:20,995 --> 00:49:24,675 Speaker 1: World Series Trophy and the Most Valuable Player award and 806 00:49:24,755 --> 00:49:27,755 Speaker 1: its commissioner, Bud Selig and Derek Jeter, the Yankees and me, 807 00:49:28,355 --> 00:49:30,835 Speaker 1: and just before it happened, George Steinbrenner was the owner 808 00:49:30,875 --> 00:49:34,675 Speaker 1: of the Yankees. He's crying, leans in and I give 809 00:49:34,755 --> 00:49:36,715 Speaker 1: him a hug and reassure him. And he asked me 810 00:49:36,755 --> 00:49:38,755 Speaker 1: if my mother went to the game, and I said, 811 00:49:38,755 --> 00:49:40,835 Speaker 1: you know my mother, she'd never come to Shay Stadium. 812 00:49:40,835 --> 00:49:43,075 Speaker 1: She hates it more than you do. And he says, 813 00:49:43,595 --> 00:49:45,355 Speaker 1: I love her more than ever before. 814 00:49:45,475 --> 00:49:45,795 Speaker 2: Now. 815 00:49:47,115 --> 00:49:49,915 Speaker 1: So the series ends, and it's not been that greatest series, 816 00:49:49,955 --> 00:49:52,555 Speaker 1: but it's been exciting, and it was the dream from 817 00:49:52,555 --> 00:49:55,555 Speaker 1: my childhood. And the Yankees have won and my friends 818 00:49:55,595 --> 00:49:58,955 Speaker 1: are happy, and I've not heard another word about this lawsuit. 819 00:49:59,595 --> 00:50:03,035 Speaker 1: Nothing for Mike Piazza. And I told the Fox people, well, 820 00:50:03,075 --> 00:50:04,595 Speaker 1: if I'm not going to hear anything more from that, 821 00:50:04,875 --> 00:50:07,115 Speaker 1: it's easy. I'm going to keep the bat and I'm 822 00:50:07,155 --> 00:50:10,475 Speaker 1: going to donate twenty five thousand dollars to this charity, 823 00:50:10,475 --> 00:50:13,435 Speaker 1: the Baseball Assistance Team, which helps ex ball players in 824 00:50:13,475 --> 00:50:17,235 Speaker 1: financial need, because A I'm not a scrounger. B it's 825 00:50:17,275 --> 00:50:20,555 Speaker 1: a great cause. C that's actually much more than the 826 00:50:20,555 --> 00:50:22,635 Speaker 1: bat handle would be worth on the open market. And 827 00:50:22,755 --> 00:50:26,875 Speaker 1: D the acronym for the Baseball Assistance Team is bat 828 00:50:27,595 --> 00:50:31,675 Speaker 1: bat and that's perfect. It's about Piazza's bat, you get it. 829 00:50:33,075 --> 00:50:37,035 Speaker 1: And then nothing for a month, whereupon Fox gets another letter, 830 00:50:37,075 --> 00:50:40,795 Speaker 1: now from Piazza's agent fellow named Monzon, and he threatens 831 00:50:40,835 --> 00:50:43,315 Speaker 1: to sue again, and that's the end of it. Never 832 00:50:43,355 --> 00:50:46,235 Speaker 1: heard from him again. So now it's the next year, 833 00:50:46,275 --> 00:50:47,915 Speaker 1: two thousand and one, and I'm back in New York 834 00:50:48,035 --> 00:50:50,435 Speaker 1: working for CNN doing the news, and I go to 835 00:50:50,515 --> 00:50:52,555 Speaker 1: a Mets game and I see Piazza and I give 836 00:50:52,635 --> 00:50:54,395 Speaker 1: him a big smile and I offer my hand and 837 00:50:54,435 --> 00:50:56,795 Speaker 1: I say, still any of those sand dabs from shayj 838 00:50:57,155 --> 00:50:59,755 Speaker 1: And he just stares at me and walks right past me, 839 00:51:00,515 --> 00:51:02,315 Speaker 1: and I see a cop I know who works next 840 00:51:02,355 --> 00:51:04,835 Speaker 1: to the Mets dugout, and the cop says, Mike has 841 00:51:04,835 --> 00:51:08,355 Speaker 1: been asking him about me, Zach Keith Olderman, the one 842 00:51:08,355 --> 00:51:12,875 Speaker 1: who stole my bat. So now I'm not just keeping 843 00:51:12,915 --> 00:51:17,395 Speaker 1: the bat. I want to sue Mike Piazza for being 844 00:51:17,675 --> 00:51:21,315 Speaker 1: a pain in the ass. And then nine to eleven happens, 845 00:51:21,995 --> 00:51:25,075 Speaker 1: and ball players are doing charity things, and sportscasters and 846 00:51:25,155 --> 00:51:28,435 Speaker 1: newscasters are doing charity things, and I think, well, this 847 00:51:28,595 --> 00:51:31,555 Speaker 1: is the time when the baseball season resumes. I throw 848 00:51:31,595 --> 00:51:33,275 Speaker 1: the bat handle in my bag and I go out 849 00:51:33,315 --> 00:51:35,555 Speaker 1: to a Mets game and I go up to Piazza's 850 00:51:35,595 --> 00:51:37,595 Speaker 1: locker before the game and I pull the bat chard 851 00:51:37,635 --> 00:51:40,595 Speaker 1: out and I say, take this, Mike, auction it off 852 00:51:40,595 --> 00:51:42,555 Speaker 1: for charity. Let's do some good with this. Or if 853 00:51:42,595 --> 00:51:45,435 Speaker 1: it's too much trouble, you sign it and I'll auction 854 00:51:45,515 --> 00:51:46,955 Speaker 1: it off. We can leave my name out of it, 855 00:51:46,995 --> 00:51:49,475 Speaker 1: whatever you want, however you want to do it. And 856 00:51:49,515 --> 00:51:52,155 Speaker 1: he looks at me like I've just insulted his mother 857 00:51:52,395 --> 00:51:55,235 Speaker 1: and says, no, it's too complicated, and he turns away, 858 00:51:55,875 --> 00:52:00,515 Speaker 1: and I think to myself, this is the strangest athlete 859 00:52:00,635 --> 00:52:04,395 Speaker 1: I have ever met. And just before the season ends, 860 00:52:04,435 --> 00:52:06,795 Speaker 1: I go to another Mets game. Now, this time it's 861 00:52:06,795 --> 00:52:08,835 Speaker 1: one of his teammates who takes me aside and says, 862 00:52:09,075 --> 00:52:11,635 Speaker 1: you know, Piazza never stops talking about you stealing his 863 00:52:11,675 --> 00:52:13,915 Speaker 1: bat from the Clemens game last year. He says, he 864 00:52:13,955 --> 00:52:17,315 Speaker 1: still wants to sue you. Didn't you try to give 865 00:52:17,395 --> 00:52:19,595 Speaker 1: him the back back in the clubhouse to auction off. 866 00:52:19,635 --> 00:52:21,915 Speaker 1: Didn't I see that? And I say, yeah I did, 867 00:52:22,115 --> 00:52:24,355 Speaker 1: and he refused to take it, And the guy laughs 868 00:52:24,355 --> 00:52:27,715 Speaker 1: and he says, great player, excellent catcher. I love him, 869 00:52:28,115 --> 00:52:31,995 Speaker 1: strangest player I have ever met. Comes two thousand and two, 870 00:52:32,395 --> 00:52:35,995 Speaker 1: nothing happens. See Piazza at several Mets games. Nothing happens. 871 00:52:35,995 --> 00:52:37,795 Speaker 1: Two thousand and three, nothing happens. 872 00:52:38,235 --> 00:52:38,395 Speaker 3: Now. 873 00:52:38,435 --> 00:52:40,795 Speaker 1: I can't pin the year down on this. It's one 874 00:52:40,795 --> 00:52:43,875 Speaker 1: of the Red Sox Yankees playoff series, either two thousand 875 00:52:43,875 --> 00:52:46,035 Speaker 1: and three or two thousand and four. And I'm leaving 876 00:52:46,075 --> 00:52:48,915 Speaker 1: the field as they're clearing the media off just before 877 00:52:48,955 --> 00:52:50,995 Speaker 1: the game starts, and I'm going out through the Red 878 00:52:51,035 --> 00:52:54,235 Speaker 1: Sox dugout literally at the same spot where the kid 879 00:52:54,275 --> 00:52:57,715 Speaker 1: handed me Piazza's bat handle. Three or four years earlier 880 00:52:57,835 --> 00:53:01,035 Speaker 1: where the trouble all began. And I see the new 881 00:53:01,075 --> 00:53:03,275 Speaker 1: owner of the Red Sox team approaching from the other 882 00:53:03,395 --> 00:53:06,475 Speaker 1: end of the dugout Keith John Henry, Nice to meet you. 883 00:53:06,755 --> 00:53:09,795 Speaker 1: Have you got a minute? And I said, well, yeah, 884 00:53:09,795 --> 00:53:12,035 Speaker 1: they're kicking the media off the field, so and he 885 00:53:12,115 --> 00:53:13,835 Speaker 1: laughs and he says I can take care of that, 886 00:53:13,875 --> 00:53:16,115 Speaker 1: and he yells at the plane closes cop and he 887 00:53:16,115 --> 00:53:19,075 Speaker 1: says he's with me, and the cop nods and John Henry, 888 00:53:19,075 --> 00:53:20,955 Speaker 1: the owner of the Red Sox, and I sit down 889 00:53:20,995 --> 00:53:22,955 Speaker 1: on the Red Sox bench before the start of a 890 00:53:22,955 --> 00:53:25,355 Speaker 1: Red Sox Yankees playoff game, and there are no other 891 00:53:25,395 --> 00:53:27,995 Speaker 1: reporters out there, and I think, Okay, what did I 892 00:53:28,035 --> 00:53:32,115 Speaker 1: say about the Red Sox? What is he pissed off about? Instead? 893 00:53:32,755 --> 00:53:36,355 Speaker 1: John Henry says, can I ask you about Mike Piazza? 894 00:53:37,675 --> 00:53:41,875 Speaker 1: And I laugh and I say, sure, what about him? 895 00:53:42,395 --> 00:53:44,915 Speaker 1: And he says, you have part of his bat from 896 00:53:44,915 --> 00:53:47,595 Speaker 1: the World Series with Clemens right, And I say yeah, 897 00:53:47,635 --> 00:53:50,595 Speaker 1: and he says, tell me the whole story. So I 898 00:53:50,675 --> 00:53:54,195 Speaker 1: do what you've just heard, and John Henry says, that's 899 00:53:54,195 --> 00:53:57,275 Speaker 1: what I was told, Thank you, Huh. I thought it 900 00:53:57,315 --> 00:53:59,795 Speaker 1: was me, so that other piece of the bat that 901 00:53:59,875 --> 00:54:02,355 Speaker 1: was handed to a friend of Bobby Valentine's during that game. 902 00:54:02,475 --> 00:54:04,235 Speaker 1: That friend is a great friend of mine, and after 903 00:54:04,275 --> 00:54:06,035 Speaker 1: nine elevee and he said, wouldn't it be great to 904 00:54:06,035 --> 00:54:08,235 Speaker 1: get Mike Piazza to sign this and then we can 905 00:54:08,275 --> 00:54:10,515 Speaker 1: auction it off for the victims' families or the cops 906 00:54:10,595 --> 00:54:13,355 Speaker 1: or some other charity. And he gives me the bat, 907 00:54:13,395 --> 00:54:15,115 Speaker 1: and I call the Mets and they approach Mike and 908 00:54:15,155 --> 00:54:17,115 Speaker 1: they call me and they say, Mike loves the idea 909 00:54:17,155 --> 00:54:18,595 Speaker 1: and I should come to one of the spring training 910 00:54:18,635 --> 00:54:21,075 Speaker 1: games and he'll sign it. So the next March, I 911 00:54:21,115 --> 00:54:22,955 Speaker 1: go to one of the Mets spring training games and 912 00:54:22,995 --> 00:54:24,355 Speaker 1: I go up to him in the clubhouse and I 913 00:54:24,355 --> 00:54:27,195 Speaker 1: introduce myself and he looks at me like I'm from Mars, 914 00:54:27,675 --> 00:54:29,515 Speaker 1: and I say, well, I brought the bat, and he says, 915 00:54:29,555 --> 00:54:32,075 Speaker 1: what bat? And I explained that we had arranged to 916 00:54:32,155 --> 00:54:34,715 Speaker 1: have him sign the bat from the World Series for 917 00:54:34,795 --> 00:54:36,835 Speaker 1: a nine to eleven charity and he erupts at me, 918 00:54:36,995 --> 00:54:39,915 Speaker 1: I'm not signing that bat sure for charity? You think 919 00:54:39,915 --> 00:54:44,035 Speaker 1: I was born yesterday? And now I say something to 920 00:54:44,115 --> 00:54:46,675 Speaker 1: John Henry, owner of the Red SOX like, welcome to 921 00:54:46,715 --> 00:54:49,875 Speaker 1: the club. Did he threaten to sue you too? And 922 00:54:49,915 --> 00:54:52,435 Speaker 1: he laughs and says yes. That's the next part of 923 00:54:52,435 --> 00:54:55,395 Speaker 1: the story. So while we're trying to straighten that out, 924 00:54:55,995 --> 00:54:58,115 Speaker 1: his agent calls me and asks if I will give 925 00:54:58,155 --> 00:55:00,275 Speaker 1: them the bat to auction off for charity. And I 926 00:55:00,355 --> 00:55:03,915 Speaker 1: say sure, and I go to another Mets game and 927 00:55:03,955 --> 00:55:06,115 Speaker 1: I go to the club and I have the bat again. 928 00:55:06,235 --> 00:55:09,075 Speaker 1: Now Piazza says, no, I can't take the bat because 929 00:55:09,115 --> 00:55:13,115 Speaker 1: of pending litigation, but if I want him to, he'll 930 00:55:13,155 --> 00:55:15,275 Speaker 1: sign it for me. All I have to do is 931 00:55:15,355 --> 00:55:18,595 Speaker 1: come back a couple of weeks later. So this is 932 00:55:18,635 --> 00:55:21,955 Speaker 1: what I wanted to ask Keith. Is he the strangest 933 00:55:21,995 --> 00:55:26,795 Speaker 1: ballplayer you've ever met? Or is it just me? There's 934 00:55:26,795 --> 00:55:31,115 Speaker 1: one more part to this. Flash forward to twenty fourteen. 935 00:55:32,955 --> 00:55:36,155 Speaker 1: I still have the Piazza batthandle the one I unsuccessfully 936 00:55:36,155 --> 00:55:38,875 Speaker 1: tried to give back to Piazza. The middle portion, the 937 00:55:38,875 --> 00:55:41,715 Speaker 1: one John Henry unsuccessfully tried to give back to Piazza, 938 00:55:42,075 --> 00:55:45,595 Speaker 1: has been sold, with the proceeds going to charity. So 939 00:55:45,715 --> 00:55:48,355 Speaker 1: where is the third piece, the barrel of the bat, 940 00:55:48,515 --> 00:55:50,675 Speaker 1: the part that Clemens threw at Piazza if you're a 941 00:55:50,675 --> 00:55:53,715 Speaker 1: Met fan, or was unfairly accused of throwing at Piazza 942 00:55:53,835 --> 00:55:56,555 Speaker 1: if you're not a Met fan, And the answer finally 943 00:55:56,635 --> 00:56:00,315 Speaker 1: arrives in a sports memorabilia auction catalog that year, while 944 00:56:00,355 --> 00:56:02,715 Speaker 1: one of the visiting bat boys was handing the middle 945 00:56:02,755 --> 00:56:05,475 Speaker 1: part of the bat to a friend of Hobby Valentine 946 00:56:05,475 --> 00:56:09,115 Speaker 1: and John Henry's in the stands, the barrel, which landed 947 00:56:09,195 --> 00:56:11,715 Speaker 1: near the Yankee dugout, was scooped up by the Yankee 948 00:56:11,755 --> 00:56:14,515 Speaker 1: bat boy who put it in the pile of Yankee 949 00:56:14,555 --> 00:56:17,755 Speaker 1: broken bats. And as it turned out right at that point, 950 00:56:17,795 --> 00:56:21,315 Speaker 1: the Yankee strengthened conditioning coach Jeff Mangold, who was on 951 00:56:21,355 --> 00:56:24,195 Speaker 1: the bench, said, wait a minute, that's the pile of 952 00:56:24,195 --> 00:56:26,675 Speaker 1: broken bats they're going to throw out. They shouldn't throw 953 00:56:26,715 --> 00:56:29,395 Speaker 1: it out. It's history. And he grabs that part of 954 00:56:29,395 --> 00:56:31,875 Speaker 1: the Piazza bat and puts it up in his home office. 955 00:56:31,875 --> 00:56:34,035 Speaker 1: And now it's fourteen years later and he wants to 956 00:56:34,075 --> 00:56:36,795 Speaker 1: auction it off for charity. So he auctions it off, 957 00:56:36,795 --> 00:56:39,635 Speaker 1: and I think, well, hell, it should be alongside the 958 00:56:39,675 --> 00:56:41,995 Speaker 1: other piece of the bat. My other piece of the bat, 959 00:56:42,115 --> 00:56:45,875 Speaker 1: the handle, So I win the auction. There it is 960 00:56:45,875 --> 00:56:49,115 Speaker 1: on my wall, complete with a baseball card showing Roger 961 00:56:49,155 --> 00:56:53,355 Speaker 1: Clemens about to throw the barrel. Reasons left to your imagination. 962 00:56:53,715 --> 00:56:58,075 Speaker 1: Two thirds of the famous bat. I'll sell it someday, 963 00:56:58,115 --> 00:57:02,235 Speaker 1: I'm sure, but I'll always have the memories, my memories 964 00:57:02,795 --> 00:57:06,075 Speaker 1: and John Henry's memories. And if you're wondering, No, unlike 965 00:57:06,155 --> 00:57:08,875 Speaker 1: John Henry and I, that Yankee strength coach, Jeff Mangold 966 00:57:09,275 --> 00:57:11,395 Speaker 1: never tried to give it back to Piazza or get 967 00:57:11,395 --> 00:57:14,435 Speaker 1: it signed by Piazza or auctioned off for charity with Piazza, 968 00:57:14,595 --> 00:57:18,115 Speaker 1: which means that, on top of everything else, Jeff Mangold 969 00:57:18,555 --> 00:57:34,995 Speaker 1: is smarter than John Henry and I put together. I've 970 00:57:35,035 --> 00:57:36,715 Speaker 1: done all the damage I can do here. Thank you 971 00:57:36,755 --> 00:57:39,155 Speaker 1: for listening. We're now back to five episodes a week, 972 00:57:39,195 --> 00:57:42,755 Speaker 1: posting nightly just after midnight Eastern. Yeah, I still have 973 00:57:42,795 --> 00:57:48,915 Speaker 1: the bat. Follow me for the podcast promo videos on TikTok, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, x, Instagram, 974 00:57:48,955 --> 00:57:52,755 Speaker 1: and face twit. Once again, there is a Monday countdown 975 00:57:52,795 --> 00:57:55,635 Speaker 1: to write that down and please send this edition to 976 00:57:55,675 --> 00:57:57,635 Speaker 1: the podcast to somebody who does not know that they 977 00:57:57,635 --> 00:58:00,955 Speaker 1: need to listen, but they need to listen Brian Ray 978 00:58:00,995 --> 00:58:04,475 Speaker 1: and John Phillip Shaneil. The musical directors have Countdown, arranged, produced, 979 00:58:04,475 --> 00:58:07,355 Speaker 1: and formed most of our music. Mister Chanelle was on 980 00:58:07,475 --> 00:58:11,315 Speaker 1: orchestration and keyboards. Mister Ray was on guitars, bass and drums. 981 00:58:11,915 --> 00:58:15,235 Speaker 1: I'm not sure who did the typewriter. It was produced 982 00:58:15,275 --> 00:58:18,635 Speaker 1: by Tko Brothers. Our satirical and pithy musical comments are 983 00:58:18,635 --> 00:58:21,635 Speaker 1: by the best baseball stadium organist ever, Nancy Faust. The 984 00:58:21,675 --> 00:58:25,475 Speaker 1: sports music is the Olderman theme from ESPN two and 985 00:58:25,515 --> 00:58:28,795 Speaker 1: it was written by Mitch Warren Davis courtesy of ESPN Inc. 986 00:58:29,835 --> 00:58:32,155 Speaker 1: I mean the composition is Curtesy of ESPN Inc. I 987 00:58:32,195 --> 00:58:34,555 Speaker 1: don't think Mitch Warren Davis is courtesy of ESPN Inc. 988 00:58:35,515 --> 00:58:38,275 Speaker 1: AnyWho other music arranged and performed by the group No 989 00:58:38,355 --> 00:58:41,475 Speaker 1: Horns Allowed. My announcer today was my friend Jonathan Banks. 990 00:58:41,755 --> 00:58:46,075 Speaker 1: Everything else was pretty much my fault. So that's countdown 991 00:58:46,115 --> 00:58:49,835 Speaker 1: for today. Three weeks until the twenty twenty four presidential 992 00:58:49,835 --> 00:58:55,315 Speaker 1: election and the seventy ninth day since convicted felon dementia 993 00:58:55,395 --> 00:58:59,355 Speaker 1: J Trump's first attempted coup against the democratically elected government 994 00:58:59,395 --> 00:59:02,755 Speaker 1: of the United States. Use the election, use the mental 995 00:59:02,795 --> 00:59:07,315 Speaker 1: health system, use presidential community to keep him from doing 996 00:59:07,355 --> 00:59:13,555 Speaker 1: it again while we still can. The next scheduled countdown 997 00:59:13,595 --> 00:59:16,675 Speaker 1: is tomorrow. Bulletin says the news requires till then, I'm 998 00:59:16,755 --> 00:59:20,355 Speaker 1: Keith Olberman. Good morning, good afternoon, goodnight, and good luck. 999 00:59:31,315 --> 00:59:35,275 Speaker 1: Countdown with Keith Olderman is a production of iHeartRadio. For 1000 00:59:35,435 --> 00:59:40,355 Speaker 1: more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, 1001 00:59:40,595 --> 00:59:42,795 Speaker 1: or wherever you get your podcasts.