1 00:00:04,755 --> 00:00:08,995 Speaker 1: Countdown with Keith Oldman is a production of I Heart Radio. 2 00:00:22,875 --> 00:00:27,795 Speaker 1: We must remove Russia from the United Nations. Prutin is 3 00:00:27,835 --> 00:00:31,755 Speaker 1: doubling down in Ukraine, again targeting civilians and now positioning 4 00:00:31,795 --> 00:00:34,075 Speaker 1: himself as a victim not of the retaliations of war, 5 00:00:35,035 --> 00:00:38,235 Speaker 1: but of terrorism. And it got little attention here, but 6 00:00:38,315 --> 00:00:41,475 Speaker 1: a Russian hacker group has taken thirteen US air travel 7 00:00:41,475 --> 00:00:45,395 Speaker 1: websites offline, including the official sites for l A X 8 00:00:45,475 --> 00:00:49,675 Speaker 1: and Hartsfield in Atlanta. The distributed denial of service attacks 9 00:00:49,715 --> 00:00:52,595 Speaker 1: did no permanent damage and did not last long, but 10 00:00:52,635 --> 00:00:56,755 Speaker 1: they are the proverbial shots across the bow against this 11 00:00:56,835 --> 00:01:02,235 Speaker 1: country's bow from an increasingly desperate Vladimir Putin. Removing Russia 12 00:01:02,275 --> 00:01:04,195 Speaker 1: from the u N is, of course, a million times 13 00:01:04,195 --> 00:01:07,715 Speaker 1: easier had then done. At the u n's formation, Russia 14 00:01:07,795 --> 00:01:10,955 Speaker 1: was given veto power in the Security Council, and it 15 00:01:10,995 --> 00:01:13,195 Speaker 1: has thus stopped even the most milk toast of you 16 00:01:13,315 --> 00:01:17,355 Speaker 1: and responses about Ukraine, even after these latest atrocities. In 17 00:01:17,475 --> 00:01:22,515 Speaker 1: Russia's eight month long atrocity against Ukraine, the only way 18 00:01:22,555 --> 00:01:25,115 Speaker 1: to get rid of Russia is to dissolve the current 19 00:01:25,195 --> 00:01:29,635 Speaker 1: United Nations and form a new organization without Russia, and 20 00:01:29,755 --> 00:01:32,035 Speaker 1: that could only happen if China were to go along 21 00:01:32,035 --> 00:01:36,515 Speaker 1: with it. That is possible, given a chance to knock 22 00:01:36,595 --> 00:01:39,435 Speaker 1: Russia down in at least the formal arena of diplomacy, 23 00:01:39,475 --> 00:01:42,795 Speaker 1: the Chinese might just go for it. It still remains 24 00:01:42,795 --> 00:01:46,355 Speaker 1: the longest of long shots. The more immediate and practical 25 00:01:46,395 --> 00:01:49,795 Speaker 1: alternative is for the president to formally designate Russia as 26 00:01:49,835 --> 00:01:53,435 Speaker 1: a state sponsor of terrorism. This is one step the 27 00:01:53,515 --> 00:01:57,755 Speaker 1: Russians genuinely fear because it would not only increase sanctions 28 00:01:57,795 --> 00:02:00,915 Speaker 1: against the country and its leaders and its oligarchs, but 29 00:02:00,995 --> 00:02:04,355 Speaker 1: it would force many worldwide corporations to make a choice 30 00:02:04,795 --> 00:02:08,475 Speaker 1: do business with the United States or Russia, and indeed 31 00:02:08,475 --> 00:02:11,235 Speaker 1: it would penalize other countries for doing business with Russia. 32 00:02:12,035 --> 00:02:14,115 Speaker 1: It is a little over a month since President Biden 33 00:02:14,235 --> 00:02:18,155 Speaker 1: last dismissed the idea, saying through a spokesperson that declaring 34 00:02:18,195 --> 00:02:22,435 Speaker 1: them a terrorism sponsor could impact humanitarian efforts and perhaps 35 00:02:22,755 --> 00:02:26,795 Speaker 1: peace negotiations. Well, the humanitarian efforts are on the rocks 36 00:02:26,835 --> 00:02:29,795 Speaker 1: as it is, and if after this last weekend anybody 37 00:02:29,795 --> 00:02:33,195 Speaker 1: in the administration actually sees peace negotiations in the future, 38 00:02:33,435 --> 00:02:37,155 Speaker 1: they are hallucinating. Ukrainian President Zelinski has come out and 39 00:02:37,195 --> 00:02:39,715 Speaker 1: said it, he will never talk peace with Russia as 40 00:02:39,795 --> 00:02:43,275 Speaker 1: long as Putin is its dictator. But we need to 41 00:02:43,315 --> 00:02:46,875 Speaker 1: do something more about Russia, and obviously are We're not 42 00:02:46,915 --> 00:02:49,755 Speaker 1: going to get into a shooting war with Russia. We're 43 00:02:49,795 --> 00:02:52,795 Speaker 1: not going to cut off all diplomatic relations with Russia. 44 00:02:53,195 --> 00:02:56,595 Speaker 1: But we haven't even addressed relatively minor symbolic acts like 45 00:02:56,755 --> 00:02:59,435 Speaker 1: offering Russian athletes playing in this country at choice of 46 00:02:59,635 --> 00:03:03,635 Speaker 1: renouncing their Russian citizenships were being banned from making their 47 00:03:03,675 --> 00:03:08,595 Speaker 1: millions here. The need to do something more about Russia is, 48 00:03:08,595 --> 00:03:12,395 Speaker 1: of course not just about Russia. It's also about Elon 49 00:03:12,555 --> 00:03:17,955 Speaker 1: Musk and Tucker Carlson and Michael Flynn and see pack 50 00:03:18,955 --> 00:03:22,835 Speaker 1: Because after years of our international moral force being replaced 51 00:03:22,875 --> 00:03:28,075 Speaker 1: by Trump's international protection money NATO scheme, this country again 52 00:03:28,155 --> 00:03:30,315 Speaker 1: stood up for right against wrong. And just as we 53 00:03:30,355 --> 00:03:33,195 Speaker 1: need to make it harder for Russia to bomb playgrounds, 54 00:03:33,715 --> 00:03:35,795 Speaker 1: we need to make it harder for Musk and Carlson 55 00:03:35,835 --> 00:03:38,515 Speaker 1: and the others to supply Russian TV with an endless 56 00:03:38,515 --> 00:03:42,395 Speaker 1: stream of anti Ukrainian sound bites, which is beginning to 57 00:03:42,395 --> 00:03:46,995 Speaker 1: reach the outskirts of Tokyo. Rose territory. Like all stupid 58 00:03:47,115 --> 00:03:50,555 Speaker 1: rich men, Elon Musk has assumed that his wealth has 59 00:03:50,555 --> 00:03:54,035 Speaker 1: somehow bought him intelligence that he did not have. It 60 00:03:54,115 --> 00:03:57,675 Speaker 1: has been two days since he tweeted about the Russian conflict. 61 00:03:58,195 --> 00:04:00,715 Speaker 1: On that occasion, he repeated the old Russian fable about 62 00:04:00,715 --> 00:04:03,235 Speaker 1: the man granted a single wish, with the caveat that 63 00:04:03,315 --> 00:04:06,035 Speaker 1: whatever he gets, his neighbor will at two of In 64 00:04:06,075 --> 00:04:09,195 Speaker 1: that case, the man says, please poke one of my 65 00:04:09,315 --> 00:04:15,635 Speaker 1: eyes out Musk's insight. Inspired by that fable, his Pearl 66 00:04:15,675 --> 00:04:19,875 Speaker 1: of Wisdom to his million followers quote and I for 67 00:04:19,915 --> 00:04:23,115 Speaker 1: an eye leaves everyone blind, which is, of course the 68 00:04:23,155 --> 00:04:26,115 Speaker 1: exact opposite of the moral of the Russian fable he quotes, 69 00:04:26,395 --> 00:04:28,755 Speaker 1: which is that Russians are happy to destroy half of 70 00:04:28,835 --> 00:04:32,235 Speaker 1: their world if it would destroy all of somebody else's. 71 00:04:33,995 --> 00:04:36,315 Speaker 1: It was Musk, of course, who thought he was moving 72 00:04:36,355 --> 00:04:39,995 Speaker 1: towards Nobel Peace Prize nominations by taking the Russian demands 73 00:04:40,035 --> 00:04:43,555 Speaker 1: for Ukraine and presenting them as his own, merely because 74 00:04:43,555 --> 00:04:47,355 Speaker 1: he added United Nations supervision to annexation votes in the 75 00:04:47,355 --> 00:04:51,155 Speaker 1: region Russia has seized. Naturally, he put it out as 76 00:04:51,155 --> 00:04:56,715 Speaker 1: a Twitter poll, where it lost naturally. He then concluded 77 00:04:56,755 --> 00:05:00,275 Speaker 1: the vote had been changed by the biggest bot attack 78 00:05:00,395 --> 00:05:04,555 Speaker 1: I've ever seen. Naturally, he then followed up by representing 79 00:05:04,555 --> 00:05:09,355 Speaker 1: the same plebiscite idea, only using different words. Naturally, he 80 00:05:09,395 --> 00:05:13,995 Speaker 1: was criticized by such great actual Russian patriots and anti Putinists, 81 00:05:13,995 --> 00:05:18,595 Speaker 1: says Gary Kasparoff. Naturally, Musk responded to kaspar Off, we 82 00:05:18,795 --> 00:05:22,275 Speaker 1: gave starlinks to Ukraine and lost eighty million dollars plus 83 00:05:22,275 --> 00:05:26,555 Speaker 1: in doing so. What have you done besides tweet? And 84 00:05:26,595 --> 00:05:29,995 Speaker 1: when readers explained Kasparof was repeatedly jailed by Putin and 85 00:05:30,275 --> 00:05:35,155 Speaker 1: beaten by Russian police, Musk went silent, and everything he 86 00:05:35,195 --> 00:05:38,635 Speaker 1: writes or says winds up being played on Russian television 87 00:05:38,675 --> 00:05:42,875 Speaker 1: and given widespread coverage on the RT international channels and websites. 88 00:05:44,115 --> 00:05:47,675 Speaker 1: If Musk is motivated by money, here you'll note from 89 00:05:47,675 --> 00:05:50,195 Speaker 1: the tweet his eighty million dollars is more important to 90 00:05:50,315 --> 00:05:53,195 Speaker 1: him than Kasparof being arrested and beaten. It is more 91 00:05:53,355 --> 00:05:57,035 Speaker 1: than likely entirely his own money. But the specter of 92 00:05:57,035 --> 00:06:00,755 Speaker 1: the Russians actually paying some of the anti Ukrainian voices 93 00:06:00,795 --> 00:06:03,635 Speaker 1: in our country has been raised. It is not yet 94 00:06:03,675 --> 00:06:07,155 Speaker 1: two weeks since Sea Pack issued and then tried to 95 00:06:07,235 --> 00:06:13,115 Speaker 1: retract pure Putin propaganda quote, Vladimir Putin announces the annexation 96 00:06:13,155 --> 00:06:17,315 Speaker 1: of four Ukrainian occupied territories. Biden and the Dems continued 97 00:06:17,315 --> 00:06:21,355 Speaker 1: to send Ukraine billions of taxpayer dollars. Meanwhile, we are 98 00:06:21,515 --> 00:06:24,995 Speaker 1: under attack at our southern border. When will Democrats put 99 00:06:25,035 --> 00:06:30,195 Speaker 1: America first and end the gift giving to Ukraine. The 100 00:06:30,275 --> 00:06:34,875 Speaker 1: message was so blatant that military journalist David Larter, formerly 101 00:06:34,915 --> 00:06:38,275 Speaker 1: of Navy Times and Defense News, said that the FBI 102 00:06:38,435 --> 00:06:41,195 Speaker 1: should take a look at the money flowing into Spack 103 00:06:41,675 --> 00:06:44,195 Speaker 1: and where it's coming from, and that's not a joke 104 00:06:44,675 --> 00:06:48,995 Speaker 1: end quote. It was the former John McCain campaigner Steve 105 00:06:49,035 --> 00:06:52,155 Speaker 1: Schmidt who observed last spring that the Russians had been 106 00:06:52,195 --> 00:06:54,555 Speaker 1: trying to buy their way into the Republican Party since 107 00:06:54,595 --> 00:06:56,875 Speaker 1: at least two thousand six and two thousand seven, and 108 00:06:56,915 --> 00:07:00,475 Speaker 1: that McCain's campaign manager, Rick Davis was tied to Paul 109 00:07:00,475 --> 00:07:05,715 Speaker 1: Manafort and Oleg Deripaska and through them to Putin. Starting 110 00:07:05,795 --> 00:07:10,195 Speaker 1: more or less contemporaneously with Schmidt's observations, Tucker Carlson began 111 00:07:10,235 --> 00:07:13,315 Speaker 1: to side with Russia every night. His work was so 112 00:07:13,395 --> 00:07:17,235 Speaker 1: consistent and dependable that they began to rebroadcast entire segments 113 00:07:17,275 --> 00:07:20,595 Speaker 1: on State TV in Russia with captions, though delightfully they 114 00:07:20,675 --> 00:07:25,515 Speaker 1: got his name wrong and continually called him Tucks and Carlson. 115 00:07:26,595 --> 00:07:30,395 Speaker 1: When the nord Stream natural gas pipeline was sabotaged, Tucks 116 00:07:30,395 --> 00:07:33,595 Speaker 1: and Carlson stated, as if it were true. He said, 117 00:07:34,035 --> 00:07:37,395 Speaker 1: that is true, that we were the ones who blew 118 00:07:37,395 --> 00:07:40,075 Speaker 1: it up, that Joe Biden did it directly or through proxies, 119 00:07:40,555 --> 00:07:43,555 Speaker 1: and he continued his theme that Biden's actions for Ukraine 120 00:07:43,555 --> 00:07:47,555 Speaker 1: are actually actions against Russia quote as payback for getting 121 00:07:47,595 --> 00:07:52,195 Speaker 1: Trump elected unquote of Trump's own ties to Russia and 122 00:07:52,235 --> 00:07:54,195 Speaker 1: the lengths to which he went to bury them, the 123 00:07:54,275 --> 00:07:56,955 Speaker 1: lengths to which he is still trying to bury them. 124 00:07:56,995 --> 00:07:59,875 Speaker 1: I don't know that anything new can be said, however, 125 00:08:00,035 --> 00:08:05,075 Speaker 1: they do it. The Russians own Trump. There are others. 126 00:08:05,515 --> 00:08:08,035 Speaker 1: There is at least one host on the Real America's 127 00:08:08,115 --> 00:08:11,515 Speaker 1: voice streaming network who has praised Putin for claiming the 128 00:08:11,555 --> 00:08:15,635 Speaker 1: American left is satanic. The former u n w M 129 00:08:15,715 --> 00:08:18,355 Speaker 1: D inspector Scott Ritter is a frequent guest on Russian 130 00:08:18,355 --> 00:08:21,955 Speaker 1: television praising Putin. And I played this next clip yesterday, 131 00:08:22,035 --> 00:08:26,475 Speaker 1: but it is worth hearing again. This is the former, however, briefly, 132 00:08:26,835 --> 00:08:30,875 Speaker 1: national Security adviser to the President of the United States, 133 00:08:31,515 --> 00:08:37,315 Speaker 1: Michael Garbage Flynn, famous for attending a two thousand fifteen 134 00:08:37,355 --> 00:08:42,355 Speaker 1: Moscow gala and sitting at the head table with Vladimir Putin. 135 00:08:42,755 --> 00:08:47,075 Speaker 1: These are not shy leaders. These are bowl leaders who 136 00:08:47,355 --> 00:08:52,475 Speaker 1: have every everything at stake in terms of protecting their country. 137 00:08:52,595 --> 00:08:56,475 Speaker 1: So these these fools and I and like I said 138 00:08:56,475 --> 00:08:59,035 Speaker 1: about Zelenski and his statement about nuclear war, and people 139 00:08:59,075 --> 00:09:01,595 Speaker 1: can go to the various telegram and or my various 140 00:09:01,595 --> 00:09:04,675 Speaker 1: social media see it that that is a foolish person. 141 00:09:05,315 --> 00:09:08,795 Speaker 1: But what's more, what's more dangerous than that is a 142 00:09:09,355 --> 00:09:14,195 Speaker 1: is a dangerous fool. There is, however, some comic relief 143 00:09:14,195 --> 00:09:16,835 Speaker 1: in this whole grim business. To circle back to Tucks 144 00:09:16,835 --> 00:09:21,035 Speaker 1: and Carlson, we're Jimminy glick. Call him what you will. 145 00:09:21,835 --> 00:09:24,715 Speaker 1: Tucker Carlson has had as a hand ringing guest the 146 00:09:24,835 --> 00:09:28,715 Speaker 1: loathsome former Congresswoman Tulsea Gabbert. What you will hear next 147 00:09:28,835 --> 00:09:31,955 Speaker 1: is two commentators on Russian TV. As the clip of 148 00:09:32,035 --> 00:09:35,955 Speaker 1: Carlson and Gabbard plays, The first says her comments are 149 00:09:35,995 --> 00:09:38,955 Speaker 1: important because she is a member of the Democratic Party 150 00:09:38,995 --> 00:09:42,195 Speaker 1: and thus an internal critic of Joe Biden. The second 151 00:09:42,195 --> 00:09:46,875 Speaker 1: one says, with clear regret in his voice, Noah, sorry, 152 00:09:47,355 --> 00:09:51,955 Speaker 1: I wish, but Tulsey Gabbard blames Biden for everything all 153 00:09:51,995 --> 00:10:05,195 Speaker 1: the time, Tuli the administs. Yet, yet last, there is 154 00:10:05,235 --> 00:10:07,435 Speaker 1: no avoiding the reality that many of us now calling 155 00:10:07,475 --> 00:10:09,475 Speaker 1: to push the envelope as far as we safely can 156 00:10:09,555 --> 00:10:12,755 Speaker 1: against Russia. Find out which of its defenders here are 157 00:10:12,835 --> 00:10:16,275 Speaker 1: being paid by that nation or its intermediaries. Designate Russia 158 00:10:16,355 --> 00:10:20,835 Speaker 1: as state sponsors of terror. Reform the United Nations. Without Russia, 159 00:10:21,395 --> 00:10:24,715 Speaker 1: we are in the extraordinary position of acting against everything 160 00:10:24,795 --> 00:10:28,475 Speaker 1: we have proclaimed in the past. I grew up thinking 161 00:10:28,475 --> 00:10:30,315 Speaker 1: that the Russians were a menace only because of the 162 00:10:30,395 --> 00:10:33,475 Speaker 1: nature of their government at that time, and I really believed, 163 00:10:33,955 --> 00:10:37,475 Speaker 1: when the Soviet Union fell apart piece by piece, that 164 00:10:37,595 --> 00:10:40,595 Speaker 1: they could create and protect something very close to democracy. 165 00:10:42,475 --> 00:10:46,835 Speaker 1: Silly me. Ideally, though, I would like to be right 166 00:10:46,955 --> 00:10:51,715 Speaker 1: all the time, twenty four hours a day forever. But 167 00:10:52,475 --> 00:10:56,595 Speaker 1: as a second option, I'd rather be right right now, 168 00:11:10,235 --> 00:11:15,275 Speaker 1: still ahead, un countdown. The Ohio State Senate debate, whereas 169 00:11:15,315 --> 00:11:18,155 Speaker 1: we might call it for j. D vance Hill Billy 170 00:11:18,235 --> 00:11:23,115 Speaker 1: eulogy worst persons. They are out there defending anti Semitism 171 00:11:23,115 --> 00:11:25,675 Speaker 1: and defending Kanye West. You know, yeah, Musk says he 172 00:11:25,715 --> 00:11:28,555 Speaker 1: talked to Kanye West last night quote which I think 173 00:11:28,595 --> 00:11:32,955 Speaker 1: he took to heart. Sure, Elmo, whatever you say. And 174 00:11:33,115 --> 00:11:36,435 Speaker 1: over the years, five different baseball franchises have tried to 175 00:11:36,435 --> 00:11:40,595 Speaker 1: get me fired from various jobs. One kind of sort 176 00:11:40,635 --> 00:11:45,235 Speaker 1: of succeeded why I do not work for MLB network 177 00:11:45,915 --> 00:11:48,275 Speaker 1: and things I promised not to tell. That's next, This 178 00:11:48,475 --> 00:12:05,555 Speaker 1: dis Countdown. This is Countdown with Keith Olberman and still 179 00:12:05,555 --> 00:12:09,155 Speaker 1: ahead on Countdown. There are people defending Kanye West and 180 00:12:09,355 --> 00:12:13,235 Speaker 1: anti Semitism, and we will identify them in worse persons. First. 181 00:12:13,235 --> 00:12:15,915 Speaker 1: In each edition of Countdown, we feature a dog in 182 00:12:15,995 --> 00:12:17,995 Speaker 1: need whom you can help. Every dog has its day. 183 00:12:18,035 --> 00:12:20,835 Speaker 1: This time it's Al in Miami. Al is a French 184 00:12:20,915 --> 00:12:24,515 Speaker 1: bulldog pup. The humans must have spent thousands to buy 185 00:12:24,595 --> 00:12:26,835 Speaker 1: him from a shop or a breeder and then figured 186 00:12:27,155 --> 00:12:29,635 Speaker 1: he would just take care of himself. They made him 187 00:12:29,675 --> 00:12:32,995 Speaker 1: live outdoors, They rarely fed or watered him. They did 188 00:12:32,995 --> 00:12:36,835 Speaker 1: not clean his cage. His eyes became infected. Finally they 189 00:12:36,875 --> 00:12:39,915 Speaker 1: gave up and turned him over to Paw Patrol Rescue. 190 00:12:40,315 --> 00:12:42,555 Speaker 1: If they hadn't, Al would have been dead by now. 191 00:12:43,075 --> 00:12:45,395 Speaker 1: Paw Patrol is doing the fundraiser for this puppy and 192 00:12:45,395 --> 00:12:47,955 Speaker 1: then we'll supervise his adoption. If you can help, go 193 00:12:48,035 --> 00:12:51,235 Speaker 1: to Cuddley and search for Paw Patrol or Al or 194 00:12:52,115 --> 00:12:55,235 Speaker 1: Al will be the pinned tweet that my account for 195 00:12:55,315 --> 00:12:58,795 Speaker 1: Dogs in Need at tom Jumbo Grumbo. If you can't 196 00:12:58,835 --> 00:13:02,755 Speaker 1: pledge to help Al, just retweeting his story will help, 197 00:13:03,155 --> 00:13:25,955 Speaker 1: and thank you very much. We're doing that. We started 198 00:13:25,955 --> 00:13:29,795 Speaker 1: with postscripts to the news, some headlines, some insights, some snark. 199 00:13:30,115 --> 00:13:32,795 Speaker 1: Dateline Cleveland if you would like to know how the 200 00:13:32,875 --> 00:13:36,435 Speaker 1: only Ohio Senate debate went last night between Tim Ryan 201 00:13:36,515 --> 00:13:41,155 Speaker 1: and j d Vance. Invest one minute and listen, like 202 00:13:41,315 --> 00:13:44,635 Speaker 1: just a few weeks ago in Youngstown on the stage, 203 00:13:45,515 --> 00:13:48,875 Speaker 1: uh Donald Trump said to J d Vance, all you 204 00:13:48,955 --> 00:13:51,595 Speaker 1: do is kiss my ass to get my support. He 205 00:13:51,715 --> 00:13:55,195 Speaker 1: said that that's bad because that means J. D Vance 206 00:13:55,275 --> 00:13:57,515 Speaker 1: is going to do whatever he wants. Mr McConnell's given 207 00:13:57,595 --> 00:13:59,275 Speaker 1: him forty million, he's gonna do what he wants. And 208 00:13:59,315 --> 00:14:01,555 Speaker 1: Peter Thiel gave him a fifteen millions going to do 209 00:14:01,635 --> 00:14:04,155 Speaker 1: what he wants. And here's the thing that's most troubling 210 00:14:04,195 --> 00:14:09,355 Speaker 1: about that lack of courage is that after Trump took 211 00:14:09,475 --> 00:14:12,635 Speaker 1: Jade Vance's dignity from him on the stage in Youngstown, 212 00:14:12,915 --> 00:14:15,275 Speaker 1: Jade Vance got back up on stage and said, start 213 00:14:15,315 --> 00:14:17,995 Speaker 1: shaking his hand, take a picture, saying, Hey, are we 214 00:14:18,035 --> 00:14:20,795 Speaker 1: having a great time here tonight. I don't know anybody 215 00:14:20,835 --> 00:14:22,915 Speaker 1: I grew up with. I don't know anybody I went 216 00:14:22,995 --> 00:14:25,475 Speaker 1: to high school with that would allow somebody to take 217 00:14:25,515 --> 00:14:28,555 Speaker 1: their dignity like that and then get back up on stage. 218 00:14:28,715 --> 00:14:31,755 Speaker 1: We need leaders who have courage to take on their 219 00:14:31,795 --> 00:14:35,075 Speaker 1: own party, and I've proven that. And he was called 220 00:14:35,115 --> 00:14:37,715 Speaker 1: a nas kisser by the former president. Mr Vance was 221 00:14:37,755 --> 00:14:41,515 Speaker 1: then carried off the stage in a small bucket Dateline Washington. 222 00:14:41,595 --> 00:14:43,435 Speaker 1: One of the problems with having a hundred and seventeen 223 00:14:43,475 --> 00:14:46,235 Speaker 1: different lawyers is that sooner or later they will turn 224 00:14:46,275 --> 00:14:50,195 Speaker 1: on each other. Trump mouthpiece Christina Bobb is not taking 225 00:14:50,235 --> 00:14:55,075 Speaker 1: the fall, several news organizations reporting that she spoke voluntarily 226 00:14:55,115 --> 00:14:59,155 Speaker 1: without an immunity deal to the Justice Department last Friday. 227 00:14:59,355 --> 00:15:01,755 Speaker 1: She was explaining how she came to be the lawyer 228 00:15:01,795 --> 00:15:05,075 Speaker 1: who signed the June third document certifying that Rump had 229 00:15:05,115 --> 00:15:09,395 Speaker 1: returned all the sensitive records to the government, which she hadn't, 230 00:15:09,675 --> 00:15:12,915 Speaker 1: and she explained Trump's lawyer Boris Epstein had talked about 231 00:15:12,955 --> 00:15:15,715 Speaker 1: this thing in broad terms, and then Trump's lawyer Evan 232 00:15:15,755 --> 00:15:18,155 Speaker 1: Corcoran had drafted it and told her to sign it, 233 00:15:18,435 --> 00:15:21,075 Speaker 1: which she refused to do until they added a disclaimer 234 00:15:21,115 --> 00:15:23,795 Speaker 1: which added that she was signing it quote based upon 235 00:15:23,875 --> 00:15:28,075 Speaker 1: the information that has been provided to me. Intriguingly, Bob 236 00:15:28,235 --> 00:15:31,755 Speaker 1: still served as co host on the Right Side, broadcasting 237 00:15:31,795 --> 00:15:37,475 Speaker 1: network feed of Trump's hate Faster Marizona on Sunday Dateline London, 238 00:15:37,595 --> 00:15:41,875 Speaker 1: BBC News apparently startled Maggie where's my book deal? Haberman? 239 00:15:42,035 --> 00:15:47,315 Speaker 1: Interviewing Haberman for BBC Radio, reporter and host Zanabbadowie pressed 240 00:15:47,315 --> 00:15:49,195 Speaker 1: her about all the stuff she held back for the 241 00:15:49,235 --> 00:15:52,155 Speaker 1: book and kept out of the Times. Quote, This was 242 00:15:52,275 --> 00:15:55,995 Speaker 1: new information, wasn't it? And we have ongoing investigations. Why 243 00:15:55,995 --> 00:16:00,395 Speaker 1: did you not make this revelation available sooner? Haberman tap 244 00:16:00,475 --> 00:16:03,115 Speaker 1: danced about painting a fuller picture, But now we pressed 245 00:16:03,115 --> 00:16:06,835 Speaker 1: the point quote where you put profits before principles. By 246 00:16:06,875 --> 00:16:09,795 Speaker 1: this point Haberman was thoroughly flustered and finished up talking 247 00:16:09,795 --> 00:16:13,275 Speaker 1: about books taking time and added quote. The book is 248 00:16:13,355 --> 00:16:16,395 Speaker 1: part of journalism. The book is a work of journalism. 249 00:16:16,395 --> 00:16:20,315 Speaker 1: You know, books are part of journalism. Waiting for the 250 00:16:20,395 --> 00:16:24,115 Speaker 1: thirty nine pieces from the political media industrial complex defending 251 00:16:24,155 --> 00:16:28,115 Speaker 1: Haberman and access journalism and attacking ms Badawi of the 252 00:16:28,155 --> 00:16:31,835 Speaker 1: BBC and Dateline Los Angeles. After the leaking of a 253 00:16:31,875 --> 00:16:35,475 Speaker 1: recording filled with her racist remarks about African Americans and 254 00:16:35,595 --> 00:16:39,675 Speaker 1: Koreans and violent insults towards an infant, Nuri Martinez has 255 00:16:39,755 --> 00:16:43,355 Speaker 1: resigned as president of the Los Angeles City Council, but 256 00:16:43,475 --> 00:16:46,515 Speaker 1: she has not resigned her office on the council, at 257 00:16:46,595 --> 00:16:50,315 Speaker 1: least not so far. Nor have her fellow council members 258 00:16:50,395 --> 00:16:53,395 Speaker 1: Kevin de Leone and Gil Sadillo, who are on the 259 00:16:53,435 --> 00:16:56,595 Speaker 1: tape with her. They have held onto their seats so far, 260 00:16:57,195 --> 00:16:59,435 Speaker 1: but I'm guessing that sooner or late they will have 261 00:16:59,515 --> 00:17:16,875 Speaker 1: to kiss their seats goodbye. This is Sports Center. Wait, 262 00:17:17,075 --> 00:17:24,675 Speaker 1: check that not anymore. This is Countdown with Keith Alberman 263 00:17:25,035 --> 00:17:28,235 Speaker 1: in Sports. Three days after leading the Philadelphia Phillies to 264 00:17:28,315 --> 00:17:31,915 Speaker 1: their first playoff series victory since two thousand ten, Rob 265 00:17:31,955 --> 00:17:35,875 Speaker 1: Thompson is out as interim manager and in as the 266 00:17:35,915 --> 00:17:39,315 Speaker 1: real Thing on a two year contract for Philadelphia. Thompson 267 00:17:39,435 --> 00:17:42,835 Speaker 1: is the first Canadian born Major league skipper since ninety four. 268 00:17:43,275 --> 00:17:46,515 Speaker 1: As a player, he was a thirty second round draft 269 00:17:46,595 --> 00:17:50,115 Speaker 1: choice who never got closer to the big leagues than Lakeland, Florida. 270 00:17:50,395 --> 00:17:53,275 Speaker 1: He managed only one season in the minor leagues. Was 271 00:17:53,315 --> 00:17:57,915 Speaker 1: a Yankee staffer, instructor, and coach from through two thousand 272 00:17:58,115 --> 00:18:01,995 Speaker 1: seventeen without once getting a sniff at the managerial job. 273 00:18:02,635 --> 00:18:05,355 Speaker 1: At the other end of that mantra, and the day 274 00:18:05,395 --> 00:18:07,635 Speaker 1: you get hired is the day you're about to get fired. 275 00:18:08,075 --> 00:18:10,915 Speaker 1: Six months after the owner of the Carolina Panthers said 276 00:18:10,915 --> 00:18:12,955 Speaker 1: it could take five or six years to build an 277 00:18:13,035 --> 00:18:17,435 Speaker 1: organization capable of sustained excellence, he changed the timeline just 278 00:18:17,515 --> 00:18:20,315 Speaker 1: a little on head coach Matt Rule and fired him. 279 00:18:20,555 --> 00:18:23,355 Speaker 1: Rule wasn't even through three years of a seven year 280 00:18:23,395 --> 00:18:26,635 Speaker 1: deal worth sixty two million. The Panthers lost twenty seven 281 00:18:26,635 --> 00:18:29,435 Speaker 1: of the thirty eight games he coached. And blowback to 282 00:18:29,475 --> 00:18:33,875 Speaker 1: Alabama Senator Tommy Tubberville's racist rant about reparations and black 283 00:18:33,915 --> 00:18:37,355 Speaker 1: people as criminals at the Trump racist rally, let me 284 00:18:37,435 --> 00:18:40,715 Speaker 1: just read Roy sh Johnson's op ed for Alabama dot 285 00:18:40,755 --> 00:18:44,955 Speaker 1: Com quote. Carlos Dansby was an All America linebacker for 286 00:18:45,035 --> 00:18:49,715 Speaker 1: Tuberville at Auburn before playing fourteen stellar NFL seasons, one 287 00:18:49,755 --> 00:18:53,675 Speaker 1: of dozens upon dozens of black men upon whom Tubberville 288 00:18:53,755 --> 00:18:57,195 Speaker 1: earned upwards of twenty five million dollars as a college 289 00:18:57,235 --> 00:19:02,795 Speaker 1: head coach. Quote what he said was unnecessary, dead wrong, ugly, 290 00:19:03,275 --> 00:19:07,955 Speaker 1: Dansby told me. End quote, Well, that's why Tubberville said it. 291 00:19:08,715 --> 00:19:24,755 Speaker 1: Where he said it. Coming up, it's time for the 292 00:19:24,755 --> 00:19:27,235 Speaker 1: baseball playoffs, and finally, then it is time for me 293 00:19:27,315 --> 00:19:29,435 Speaker 1: to tell the story of the day Baseball's New York 294 00:19:29,515 --> 00:19:32,395 Speaker 1: Yankees got me fired from a job I had not 295 00:19:32,515 --> 00:19:36,835 Speaker 1: even started yet. First, the daily roundup of the miscreants, morons, 296 00:19:36,835 --> 00:19:41,235 Speaker 1: and Donning Kruger effect specimens who constitute today's worst persons 297 00:19:41,315 --> 00:19:46,275 Speaker 1: in the world. The Bronze representative Lauren Bobert. There is 298 00:19:46,315 --> 00:19:50,475 Speaker 1: a theory that she and fellow imbecile Marjorie Trailer park 299 00:19:50,555 --> 00:19:54,875 Speaker 1: Green say this stuff just to get noticed. I'm not 300 00:19:54,995 --> 00:19:59,635 Speaker 1: buying it. It's too clever, quoting her tweet, Happy Columbus Day, 301 00:19:59,675 --> 00:20:03,195 Speaker 1: Thank God for the discovery of America, the greatest country 302 00:20:03,195 --> 00:20:07,355 Speaker 1: to ever exist. Over it seems to think the country 303 00:20:07,435 --> 00:20:11,195 Speaker 1: was already here when it was discovered by Columbus or 304 00:20:11,395 --> 00:20:15,155 Speaker 1: somebody like it had been misplaced or something. Also, Columbus 305 00:20:15,195 --> 00:20:17,195 Speaker 1: never got closer to where this country is now than 306 00:20:17,235 --> 00:20:22,395 Speaker 1: the Bahamas. The Bronze to Army Secretary Christine Warmth bluntly 307 00:20:22,475 --> 00:20:26,315 Speaker 1: she needs to resign. The secretary folded to pressure from 308 00:20:26,315 --> 00:20:28,595 Speaker 1: the likes of Tucker Carlson and the other frauds at 309 00:20:28,595 --> 00:20:31,875 Speaker 1: Fox Nudes. She failed to step up for Major General 310 00:20:31,875 --> 00:20:34,595 Speaker 1: Patrick Donahoe and failed to step up for the women 311 00:20:34,595 --> 00:20:37,915 Speaker 1: in the military for whom Donahoe was stepping up. She 312 00:20:37,995 --> 00:20:40,995 Speaker 1: has told military members that her priority is quote keeping 313 00:20:41,035 --> 00:20:43,635 Speaker 1: the Army a political and keeping it out of the 314 00:20:43,635 --> 00:20:46,635 Speaker 1: culture wars, because frankly, we have got to be able 315 00:20:46,675 --> 00:20:49,395 Speaker 1: to have a broad appeal when only nine percent of 316 00:20:49,475 --> 00:20:51,955 Speaker 1: kids are interested in serving. We have got to make 317 00:20:51,955 --> 00:20:55,995 Speaker 1: sure that we are careful about not alienating wide swaths 318 00:20:56,595 --> 00:21:00,035 Speaker 1: of the American public to the army. In other words, 319 00:21:00,035 --> 00:21:02,595 Speaker 1: Secretary Warmth wants to make sure the Army can continue 320 00:21:02,595 --> 00:21:06,995 Speaker 1: to recruit Tucker Carlson fans and other fascists and then 321 00:21:07,075 --> 00:21:10,235 Speaker 1: give them training on how to kill people and then 322 00:21:10,275 --> 00:21:13,955 Speaker 1: give them weapons to hell with her. If she will 323 00:21:13,995 --> 00:21:17,675 Speaker 1: not quit, the president needs to fire. But our winner 324 00:21:17,755 --> 00:21:21,075 Speaker 1: the anti Semis who have rushed to defend fellow anti 325 00:21:21,115 --> 00:21:24,835 Speaker 1: semi Kanye West for his anti Semitic tweets about quote 326 00:21:25,035 --> 00:21:30,595 Speaker 1: going death con three on Jewish people. Candice Owens, profession clown. 327 00:21:31,235 --> 00:21:33,795 Speaker 1: Quote it's like you cannot even say the word Jewish 328 00:21:33,835 --> 00:21:39,515 Speaker 1: without people getting upset. Owen Shroyer, profession info wars, conspiracy, 329 00:21:39,635 --> 00:21:43,915 Speaker 1: fomenter and racist. He blamed the Jewish people for poverty 330 00:21:43,955 --> 00:21:47,635 Speaker 1: among African Americans. Quote when Jewish people are making out 331 00:21:47,675 --> 00:21:52,275 Speaker 1: like bandits, making millions of dollars on foreign policies and 332 00:21:52,355 --> 00:21:58,835 Speaker 1: worst of them all. Jason Whitlock, profession television whore. He's 333 00:21:58,875 --> 00:22:02,915 Speaker 1: now with the Blaze. Oh you need more information. I 334 00:22:02,995 --> 00:22:04,515 Speaker 1: was once forced to put him on a show at 335 00:22:04,755 --> 00:22:07,675 Speaker 1: ESPN before they wised up and fired him. He tweeted 336 00:22:07,715 --> 00:22:11,795 Speaker 1: that the uncrossable line nowadays was quote you can't question 337 00:22:11,915 --> 00:22:18,555 Speaker 1: black entertainers unhealthy relationship with non religious Jewish power brokers 338 00:22:18,635 --> 00:22:23,355 Speaker 1: in Hollywood. That's pure anti semitism. Jason, you ought to 339 00:22:23,435 --> 00:22:27,995 Speaker 1: leave the country. Jason Whitlock, Owens, Shroyer, and Candice Owens 340 00:22:28,035 --> 00:22:32,475 Speaker 1: participating in the attempt to mainstream anti Semitism in this country, 341 00:22:33,235 --> 00:22:35,635 Speaker 1: an attempt that might as well now be captained by 342 00:22:35,715 --> 00:22:41,235 Speaker 1: Kanye West. And they are today's worst persons in the world. 343 00:22:53,195 --> 00:22:55,195 Speaker 1: To the number one story on the Countdown and my 344 00:22:55,275 --> 00:22:58,155 Speaker 1: favorite topic, me and Things I promised not to tell. 345 00:22:58,795 --> 00:23:03,155 Speaker 1: Baseball's playoffs begin in earnest today. While executives look around 346 00:23:03,195 --> 00:23:05,755 Speaker 1: for yet another format for the wild card games, they 347 00:23:05,755 --> 00:23:07,835 Speaker 1: thought they had it nailed. Instead of just one game 348 00:23:07,955 --> 00:23:11,435 Speaker 1: per wild card round, they would play three, but the 349 00:23:11,475 --> 00:23:13,435 Speaker 1: team with the better record would get to play all 350 00:23:13,515 --> 00:23:17,035 Speaker 1: three games at home. So the four home teams in 351 00:23:17,075 --> 00:23:19,435 Speaker 1: the four wild card series probably went out and won 352 00:23:19,675 --> 00:23:22,595 Speaker 1: three games among them. Two of these teams, the Blue 353 00:23:22,635 --> 00:23:25,595 Speaker 1: Jason Cardinals, got swept and the Mets lost two out 354 00:23:25,595 --> 00:23:31,555 Speaker 1: of three. So new plan maybe. Anyway, Annually at this 355 00:23:31,595 --> 00:23:34,195 Speaker 1: time of year, somebody asks me, why aren't you at 356 00:23:34,235 --> 00:23:36,955 Speaker 1: that All Baseball Network. Seems like you'd be a natural, 357 00:23:36,995 --> 00:23:40,835 Speaker 1: And I say you mean MLB Network and they say yeah, 358 00:23:40,875 --> 00:23:43,875 Speaker 1: and I say, sit down. You gotta hear this story. 359 00:23:44,115 --> 00:23:47,555 Speaker 1: The owners of at least five different Major League Baseball 360 00:23:47,595 --> 00:23:49,915 Speaker 1: teams have tried to get me fired over the years, 361 00:23:49,955 --> 00:23:54,315 Speaker 1: and one the new York Yankees kind of succeeded. On 362 00:23:54,355 --> 00:23:58,555 Speaker 1: November two thousand twelve, why agent followed the instructions of 363 00:23:58,595 --> 00:24:02,115 Speaker 1: Tony Pettiti, than the president of the TV publicity channel 364 00:24:02,115 --> 00:24:05,475 Speaker 1: owned by Major League Baseball MLB Network, and called Petit 365 00:24:05,675 --> 00:24:07,715 Speaker 1: to finalize a deal by which I would join the 366 00:24:07,795 --> 00:24:11,555 Speaker 1: channel to do a daily show, probably at five thirty 367 00:24:11,595 --> 00:24:14,195 Speaker 1: at night. It was going to be weird. MLB Network 368 00:24:14,195 --> 00:24:17,555 Speaker 1: and its sister hockey channel, NHL Network originate in the 369 00:24:17,595 --> 00:24:22,235 Speaker 1: same studios in Caucus, New Jersey, that MSNBC used every 370 00:24:22,275 --> 00:24:26,235 Speaker 1: day from the day I started there in October through 371 00:24:26,275 --> 00:24:29,275 Speaker 1: the day in October two thousand seven when NBC finally 372 00:24:29,315 --> 00:24:32,155 Speaker 1: moved us to New York City. I had been asked 373 00:24:32,275 --> 00:24:35,395 Speaker 1: to do something for MLB Network in two thousand eight 374 00:24:35,435 --> 00:24:37,595 Speaker 1: and two thousand nine, before it ever got on the air. 375 00:24:38,075 --> 00:24:41,075 Speaker 1: The request came directly from the then Commissioner of Baseball, 376 00:24:41,075 --> 00:24:44,155 Speaker 1: Bud Seala. He also asked me to write for Baseball's 377 00:24:44,155 --> 00:24:47,555 Speaker 1: website MLB dot com, who actually got that done. But 378 00:24:47,675 --> 00:24:51,035 Speaker 1: the TV show was impossible because of my schedule until 379 00:24:51,075 --> 00:24:53,035 Speaker 1: I was a free agent in the fall of two 380 00:24:53,035 --> 00:24:56,355 Speaker 1: thousand twelve, so I was invited in the fall of 381 00:24:56,355 --> 00:24:58,715 Speaker 1: two thousand twelve to do a couple of guests appearances 382 00:24:58,755 --> 00:25:01,915 Speaker 1: at MLB Network, and they went well except for this 383 00:25:02,075 --> 00:25:04,755 Speaker 1: crazy deja vu kind of thing that hit me and 384 00:25:04,755 --> 00:25:07,155 Speaker 1: I went into the building and found that while Baseball 385 00:25:07,195 --> 00:25:10,795 Speaker 1: had spent sixty million dollars to upgrade all the technical 386 00:25:10,835 --> 00:25:14,795 Speaker 1: stuff in the studio designs, they had not touched anything 387 00:25:14,995 --> 00:25:20,915 Speaker 1: else from the MSNBC era. The carpet tiles were the same, 388 00:25:21,315 --> 00:25:24,275 Speaker 1: the ping pong table in the break room was the same. 389 00:25:24,595 --> 00:25:28,275 Speaker 1: The signs on the back of the bathroom door telling 390 00:25:28,275 --> 00:25:32,115 Speaker 1: you who to call if the John overflows were the same. 391 00:25:33,075 --> 00:25:35,715 Speaker 1: It was like having a dream where you're back in 392 00:25:35,795 --> 00:25:38,755 Speaker 1: your childhood home and everything is exactly the way it was, 393 00:25:38,835 --> 00:25:42,315 Speaker 1: including the creeks and the floorboards, except oh, by the way, 394 00:25:42,355 --> 00:25:44,715 Speaker 1: there's a nuclear reactor in the middle of your den, 395 00:25:44,795 --> 00:25:49,315 Speaker 1: and you keep saying where did that come from? Anyway, 396 00:25:49,355 --> 00:25:52,515 Speaker 1: the guest appearances on MLB Network went well, and this 397 00:25:52,555 --> 00:25:55,595 Speaker 1: guy Pettiti, the president, asked if I would fill in 398 00:25:55,635 --> 00:25:57,795 Speaker 1: for two days on their new morning show the week 399 00:25:57,795 --> 00:25:59,915 Speaker 1: of Thanksgiving two thousand twelve. I certainly knew how to 400 00:25:59,955 --> 00:26:02,355 Speaker 1: get to the building. I did the shows with Brian 401 00:26:02,435 --> 00:26:06,035 Speaker 1: Kenny and Ken Rosenthal and Bob Costas, his son Keith, 402 00:26:06,075 --> 00:26:09,035 Speaker 1: and Alana Rizzo, and we had a good time. And 403 00:26:09,275 --> 00:26:12,595 Speaker 1: Tony Pettiti, the president of MLB Network, attended the meetings 404 00:26:12,595 --> 00:26:15,395 Speaker 1: that we would have before and after each show. I 405 00:26:15,435 --> 00:26:19,195 Speaker 1: mean full staff meetings, fifteen or so people standing around 406 00:26:19,195 --> 00:26:22,955 Speaker 1: a bunch of cubicles, and in front of all of them, 407 00:26:23,075 --> 00:26:25,395 Speaker 1: Tony Pettiti began asking me if I thought my new 408 00:26:25,435 --> 00:26:27,755 Speaker 1: show for MLB Network would do better at five or 409 00:26:27,795 --> 00:26:29,835 Speaker 1: five thirty, and if I agreed with him that I 410 00:26:29,835 --> 00:26:33,235 Speaker 1: should work only during the baseball season and spring training 411 00:26:33,275 --> 00:26:36,435 Speaker 1: and playoffs and winter meetings and then stay fresh by 412 00:26:36,475 --> 00:26:39,275 Speaker 1: taking the rest of the year off. He asked me 413 00:26:39,315 --> 00:26:41,595 Speaker 1: if there were people on the staff of the morning 414 00:26:41,635 --> 00:26:43,555 Speaker 1: show who I would like to work with. I mean, 415 00:26:43,595 --> 00:26:45,395 Speaker 1: this is in front of all of the staff of 416 00:26:45,435 --> 00:26:48,555 Speaker 1: the morning show. He warned me they couldn't pay me 417 00:26:48,595 --> 00:26:50,155 Speaker 1: the kind of salary I was used to, and I 418 00:26:50,155 --> 00:26:52,115 Speaker 1: said that happily, the kind of salary I was used 419 00:26:52,155 --> 00:26:54,595 Speaker 1: to meant I did not need the kind of salary 420 00:26:54,675 --> 00:26:57,195 Speaker 1: I was used to. He told me to remind my 421 00:26:57,275 --> 00:27:00,115 Speaker 1: agent to call him the monday after Thanksgiving. He wished 422 00:27:00,115 --> 00:27:03,435 Speaker 1: me a happy turkey, and everybody left, and everybody heard 423 00:27:03,475 --> 00:27:05,995 Speaker 1: his plans, and a puple of the producers asked me 424 00:27:06,035 --> 00:27:08,795 Speaker 1: if I was recommending them to be on my new 425 00:27:08,915 --> 00:27:13,475 Speaker 1: show on MLB network. So, how come I don't have 426 00:27:13,515 --> 00:27:15,515 Speaker 1: a new show on MLB Networker, how come we're not 427 00:27:15,555 --> 00:27:19,195 Speaker 1: celebrating the tenth anniversary of my new show on MLB Network. Well, 428 00:27:19,995 --> 00:27:23,555 Speaker 1: on Monday afternoon, my agent calls me and says he's 429 00:27:23,635 --> 00:27:25,955 Speaker 1: just gotten off the phone with Tony Pettiti and it 430 00:27:26,035 --> 00:27:29,515 Speaker 1: was the strangest conversation he had had since he became 431 00:27:29,555 --> 00:27:33,515 Speaker 1: an agent. No let me rephrase that he said, because 432 00:27:33,515 --> 00:27:36,555 Speaker 1: it wasn't a conversation, it was an attempted conversation. I 433 00:27:36,635 --> 00:27:39,235 Speaker 1: kept asking him what he told me to call him about, 434 00:27:39,555 --> 00:27:44,115 Speaker 1: and he would then say nothing. Initially I did not 435 00:27:44,235 --> 00:27:47,595 Speaker 1: understand what you mean he said nothing, My agent said 436 00:27:47,635 --> 00:27:51,035 Speaker 1: he meant literally that. I say, so, Tony, what's your 437 00:27:51,035 --> 00:27:53,755 Speaker 1: offer to Keith? And then there was silence, and I 438 00:27:53,795 --> 00:27:56,395 Speaker 1: thought the phone call had dropped out. So I said, Tony, 439 00:27:56,395 --> 00:27:59,835 Speaker 1: are you there? And he say sure, am So again 440 00:27:59,875 --> 00:28:01,675 Speaker 1: I asked him, you know, what's your offer to Keith? 441 00:28:01,715 --> 00:28:05,155 Speaker 1: And again literally silence. Only the of stime. I can 442 00:28:05,195 --> 00:28:08,715 Speaker 1: hear him breathing. I tried, like ten different ways. Are 443 00:28:08,755 --> 00:28:12,715 Speaker 1: we talking about Keith? Now? Silence? Is there a reason 444 00:28:12,755 --> 00:28:16,355 Speaker 1: you're being silent about Keith? Tony silence? If I changed 445 00:28:16,395 --> 00:28:19,555 Speaker 1: the subject, talked about somebody else, he was his normal self. 446 00:28:20,155 --> 00:28:24,195 Speaker 1: If I mentioned your name, he went silent. The next day, 447 00:28:24,195 --> 00:28:27,755 Speaker 1: the agent calls me back. Fatidi just did this again 448 00:28:27,755 --> 00:28:29,635 Speaker 1: with me on the phone. He wouldn't speak, literally, wouldn't 449 00:28:29,675 --> 00:28:32,155 Speaker 1: say any words in any language if I mentioned your name. 450 00:28:34,235 --> 00:28:38,035 Speaker 1: It took me a long time to find out what 451 00:28:38,155 --> 00:28:41,515 Speaker 1: had actually happened. The next baseball season, after I'd gone 452 00:28:41,555 --> 00:28:44,875 Speaker 1: back to work at ESPN, I'm at a game. There's 453 00:28:44,875 --> 00:28:46,995 Speaker 1: one of the MLB network officials whom I had met 454 00:28:46,995 --> 00:28:49,995 Speaker 1: on my two days before Thanksgiving two thousand twelve, and 455 00:28:50,075 --> 00:28:53,435 Speaker 1: this person comes up to me and apologizes. We all 456 00:28:53,515 --> 00:28:56,835 Speaker 1: heard what happened. It's so embarrassing. Petidi is such a coward. 457 00:28:57,155 --> 00:28:59,755 Speaker 1: The Yankees got to him and another club I never 458 00:28:59,755 --> 00:29:02,195 Speaker 1: found out which one. There was some kind of conference 459 00:29:02,235 --> 00:29:05,195 Speaker 1: call on Monday after Thanksgiving to tell that teams about 460 00:29:05,195 --> 00:29:06,795 Speaker 1: your new show, and whoever was on the call for 461 00:29:06,835 --> 00:29:09,835 Speaker 1: the Yankees went ballistic. They said something like, if you 462 00:29:09,835 --> 00:29:12,395 Speaker 1: put them on MLB network, we will disable your cameras 463 00:29:12,435 --> 00:29:15,115 Speaker 1: at Yankee Stadium and never let any of you inside 464 00:29:15,115 --> 00:29:20,355 Speaker 1: the building again. Instantly I knew why the Yankees would 465 00:29:20,395 --> 00:29:24,555 Speaker 1: have done that. I was, and my father before me, 466 00:29:24,715 --> 00:29:28,235 Speaker 1: a season ticket holder for forty two years for Yankee games, 467 00:29:28,555 --> 00:29:31,035 Speaker 1: and for ten of those years, I was also one 468 00:29:31,075 --> 00:29:33,235 Speaker 1: of the two announcers who did a kind of play 469 00:29:33,235 --> 00:29:36,795 Speaker 1: by play over the public address system at Yankee Stadium 470 00:29:36,835 --> 00:29:39,875 Speaker 1: on Old Timer's Day. And then one day in two 471 00:29:39,875 --> 00:29:44,115 Speaker 1: thousand eleven, I tweeted a photo of a Yankee employee 472 00:29:44,155 --> 00:29:47,355 Speaker 1: in the stands giving some sort of hand signals to 473 00:29:47,515 --> 00:29:51,075 Speaker 1: Alex Rodriguez in the on deck circle. The guy was 474 00:29:51,115 --> 00:29:54,955 Speaker 1: clearly telling Alex Rodriguez what the last pitch had been. 475 00:29:55,595 --> 00:29:59,755 Speaker 1: It wasn't cheating, It was helping a supposed superstar who 476 00:29:59,755 --> 00:30:03,395 Speaker 1: apparently could not figure out for himself from on the 477 00:30:03,475 --> 00:30:08,315 Speaker 1: field what the last pitch had been. I tweeted the photo. 478 00:30:08,755 --> 00:30:10,955 Speaker 1: Major League Baseball called the Yankees and told them to 479 00:30:10,995 --> 00:30:13,835 Speaker 1: cut it out. The Yankees and a Rod looked stupid 480 00:30:13,835 --> 00:30:16,795 Speaker 1: in the newspapers, and the Yankees management said they were 481 00:30:16,835 --> 00:30:19,395 Speaker 1: not mad at me. And then three months later, days 482 00:30:19,435 --> 00:30:22,035 Speaker 1: before Old Timers Day, they leaked to the papers that 483 00:30:22,115 --> 00:30:25,395 Speaker 1: I had been fired as Old Timer's Day play by 484 00:30:25,435 --> 00:30:28,075 Speaker 1: play man because I had tweeted that photo of Alex 485 00:30:28,155 --> 00:30:32,915 Speaker 1: Rodriguez and the guy in the stands, so rather naturally, 486 00:30:32,995 --> 00:30:35,515 Speaker 1: my response was to not renew my season tickets. And 487 00:30:35,555 --> 00:30:37,955 Speaker 1: my tickets were right behind home plate and they cost 488 00:30:38,035 --> 00:30:41,035 Speaker 1: like four hundred thousand dollars a year, and relax, I 489 00:30:41,075 --> 00:30:44,435 Speaker 1: gave about seventy of them to make a wish. But 490 00:30:44,515 --> 00:30:47,715 Speaker 1: the Yankees, being the Yankees, were furious that I would 491 00:30:47,755 --> 00:30:51,395 Speaker 1: not give them four hundred thousand dollars a year anyway, 492 00:30:51,435 --> 00:30:54,075 Speaker 1: so they told MLB Network if MLB Network gave me 493 00:30:54,115 --> 00:30:58,395 Speaker 1: a show, they would unplug MLB networks cameras. Actually they 494 00:30:58,435 --> 00:31:01,515 Speaker 1: did more than that. I asked my friend, the MLB 495 00:31:01,635 --> 00:31:05,555 Speaker 1: network official, the real puzzler of the saga, why this 496 00:31:05,915 --> 00:31:10,235 Speaker 1: MLB Network president Tony Petiti, literally would not speak, would 497 00:31:10,235 --> 00:31:15,795 Speaker 1: not say anything, not even deals off to my agent. Oh, 498 00:31:15,835 --> 00:31:18,955 Speaker 1: the officials said, the Yankees were specific about that if 499 00:31:18,995 --> 00:31:21,195 Speaker 1: you say anything to him or his people, we will 500 00:31:21,235 --> 00:31:24,715 Speaker 1: get you fired. So Petiti took it literally. He said, 501 00:31:24,755 --> 00:31:27,595 Speaker 1: if you called or your agent called, to just give 502 00:31:27,635 --> 00:31:33,675 Speaker 1: you the silent treatment. These are adults, mind you, and 503 00:31:33,715 --> 00:31:36,595 Speaker 1: they say that on air. Talent are the prima donnas. 504 00:31:38,035 --> 00:31:40,795 Speaker 1: As I said, the Yankees are the closest of five 505 00:31:40,875 --> 00:31:43,515 Speaker 1: different teams who tried to act have actually gotten me 506 00:31:43,595 --> 00:31:46,355 Speaker 1: fired sort of. When I was in local news in 507 00:31:46,435 --> 00:31:49,275 Speaker 1: Los Angeles, Jackie Autrey, the woman who went from being 508 00:31:49,395 --> 00:31:52,555 Speaker 1: Gene Autry's banker to being his second wife, tried to 509 00:31:52,555 --> 00:31:54,755 Speaker 1: get me fired from my station in l A because 510 00:31:54,795 --> 00:31:58,155 Speaker 1: I had criticized their team, the California Angels. She tried 511 00:31:58,195 --> 00:32:00,475 Speaker 1: again a few years later after I got to ESPN. 512 00:32:01,355 --> 00:32:04,155 Speaker 1: Then there were the Tampa Bay Rays, well, the Devil 513 00:32:04,235 --> 00:32:07,155 Speaker 1: Rays at the point, whose first owner, Vince Namoli, was 514 00:32:07,195 --> 00:32:09,675 Speaker 1: convinced I had a vendetta against his team and was 515 00:32:09,755 --> 00:32:13,835 Speaker 1: making up stories about them that were accidentally true. He 516 00:32:13,875 --> 00:32:18,355 Speaker 1: could not conceive that somebody in his organization who he paid, 517 00:32:18,635 --> 00:32:21,715 Speaker 1: actually hated him so much that this person called me 518 00:32:21,835 --> 00:32:25,075 Speaker 1: up and volunteered to feed me anything bad that went 519 00:32:25,195 --> 00:32:28,875 Speaker 1: on there. But that is exactly what happened. So that's 520 00:32:28,915 --> 00:32:31,155 Speaker 1: the Yankees, the Angels, and the Rays, and there's a 521 00:32:31,195 --> 00:32:34,675 Speaker 1: mystery fifth team that was also involved in the MLB 522 00:32:34,795 --> 00:32:37,515 Speaker 1: network thing. And then there were the Chicago White Sox. 523 00:32:38,195 --> 00:32:41,275 Speaker 1: One of their co owners, Eddie Einhorn, was a big 524 00:32:41,315 --> 00:32:43,995 Speaker 1: fan of mine. But for forty four years the team 525 00:32:43,995 --> 00:32:47,035 Speaker 1: has been run by the other co owner, Jerry Ransdorff, 526 00:32:47,835 --> 00:32:50,475 Speaker 1: and Jerry Ryan'sdorff was one of the key figures in 527 00:32:50,475 --> 00:32:55,035 Speaker 1: the strike that killed the baseball season during that terrible 528 00:32:55,115 --> 00:32:58,835 Speaker 1: winter that followed, my sources in the Baseball Players Association 529 00:32:58,875 --> 00:33:01,835 Speaker 1: showed me a copy of their offer to the owners. 530 00:33:01,955 --> 00:33:05,435 Speaker 1: The owners were led by Ryan'sdorff, and in the layers offer, 531 00:33:05,795 --> 00:33:08,595 Speaker 1: they were willing to actually negotiate one of the Players 532 00:33:08,675 --> 00:33:14,035 Speaker 1: Union's sacred cows, salary arbitration. They were willing to cut 533 00:33:14,075 --> 00:33:18,395 Speaker 1: it or maybe eliminate it outright. But after complaining about 534 00:33:18,435 --> 00:33:21,955 Speaker 1: salary arbitration for twenty years, the owner's committee, led by 535 00:33:21,995 --> 00:33:27,515 Speaker 1: this Rhinsdorf idiot, turned the players down. Apparently most of 536 00:33:27,555 --> 00:33:30,075 Speaker 1: the owners did not know that rhyan Storf had passed 537 00:33:30,115 --> 00:33:33,795 Speaker 1: on a chance to eliminate salary arbitration, a kind of 538 00:33:33,835 --> 00:33:38,635 Speaker 1: automatic inflation thing within baseball contracts. And they came down 539 00:33:38,675 --> 00:33:40,595 Speaker 1: on rhine Storf like a ton of bricks. What do 540 00:33:40,635 --> 00:33:44,875 Speaker 1: you mean you turned down the chance to stop salary arbitration? 541 00:33:45,875 --> 00:33:49,435 Speaker 1: So naturally, he blamed me, and he called up ESPN 542 00:33:49,435 --> 00:33:51,635 Speaker 1: and he demanded they fire me, which to their credit, 543 00:33:51,675 --> 00:33:56,635 Speaker 1: they never did do. Revenge is a dish which people 544 00:33:56,675 --> 00:34:00,435 Speaker 1: have taste prefer to eat cold, goes the old Italian proverb. 545 00:34:00,635 --> 00:34:04,555 Speaker 1: Rhyinsdorff is today despised within baseball. He has once again 546 00:34:04,755 --> 00:34:08,355 Speaker 1: ruined the Chicago White Sox. The Tampa Bay Rays owner 547 00:34:08,515 --> 00:34:12,275 Speaker 1: named Oley sold the team unknowingly obviously to a man 548 00:34:12,395 --> 00:34:15,315 Speaker 1: named Stuart Sternberg, who turned out to be married to 549 00:34:15,355 --> 00:34:17,515 Speaker 1: a friend of mine from college. So whenever the Rays 550 00:34:17,555 --> 00:34:19,275 Speaker 1: would come into New York, I would sit with Stu 551 00:34:19,395 --> 00:34:22,035 Speaker 1: and his wife Lisa in their box. Their eldest son 552 00:34:22,155 --> 00:34:26,635 Speaker 1: interned for me. MLB Network, which started out pretty good, 553 00:34:26,995 --> 00:34:29,595 Speaker 1: is now just a propaganda machine in which every team 554 00:34:29,635 --> 00:34:32,315 Speaker 1: is unbeaten and every player is the greatest ever. And 555 00:34:32,355 --> 00:34:35,755 Speaker 1: they fired their best reporter, Ken Rosenthal, because he dared 556 00:34:35,795 --> 00:34:39,395 Speaker 1: to write something critical of the idiot Commissioner Robert Manfred 557 00:34:39,995 --> 00:34:43,915 Speaker 1: and Mr renege on the offer Pettiti, he really got 558 00:34:43,995 --> 00:34:47,555 Speaker 1: his Three years later, he was promoted to Deputy Commissioner 559 00:34:47,555 --> 00:34:51,395 Speaker 1: of Baseball, but that new Commissioner Manfred squeezed him out 560 00:34:52,115 --> 00:34:53,755 Speaker 1: and he had to go work as the president of 561 00:34:53,795 --> 00:34:57,355 Speaker 1: some e sports company in and then they offered him 562 00:34:57,355 --> 00:35:00,755 Speaker 1: a year later. And I have not heard anything about 563 00:35:00,835 --> 00:35:06,955 Speaker 1: Tony Pettiti since. Literally, it's been an absolute silence, not 564 00:35:07,075 --> 00:35:13,075 Speaker 1: a single spoken word. And why does that sound so familiar? 565 00:35:27,195 --> 00:35:29,835 Speaker 1: I've done all the damage I can do here. You 566 00:35:29,955 --> 00:35:32,635 Speaker 1: bet help me out. Subscribe to this podcast, give it 567 00:35:32,675 --> 00:35:35,995 Speaker 1: five stars. Tell a random passer by tweet it something. 568 00:35:36,715 --> 00:35:39,835 Speaker 1: John Cusack tweeted it yesterday. Thank you John. Most of 569 00:35:39,835 --> 00:35:42,715 Speaker 1: the music, including our theme from Beethoven's Ninth, was arranged, 570 00:35:42,755 --> 00:35:45,475 Speaker 1: produced and performed by Brian Ray and John Philip Shanelle, 571 00:35:45,475 --> 00:35:48,835 Speaker 1: who are the Countdown musical directors. All orchestration and keyboards 572 00:35:48,835 --> 00:35:52,355 Speaker 1: by John Philip, Channel guitarist, bass and drums by Brian Ray, 573 00:35:52,475 --> 00:35:55,435 Speaker 1: and it was produced by t k O Brothers. Other 574 00:35:55,475 --> 00:35:58,235 Speaker 1: Beethoven selections have been arranged and performed by the group 575 00:35:58,275 --> 00:36:01,715 Speaker 1: No Horns Allowed. The sports music is the Olberman theme 576 00:36:01,835 --> 00:36:05,435 Speaker 1: from ESPN two, and it was written by Mitch Warren Davis. 577 00:36:05,435 --> 00:36:09,715 Speaker 1: It appears courtesy of ESPN, Inc. Musical comments from Nancy Faust, 578 00:36:10,035 --> 00:36:13,555 Speaker 1: the best baseball stadium organist of all time. Our announcer 579 00:36:13,595 --> 00:36:16,915 Speaker 1: today was Kenny Maine. Everything else is pretty much my fault. 580 00:36:17,715 --> 00:36:21,395 Speaker 1: Let's countdown for this fourth day since Donald Trump's first 581 00:36:21,435 --> 00:36:25,195 Speaker 1: attempted coup against the democratically elected government of the United States. 582 00:36:25,595 --> 00:36:29,995 Speaker 1: Arrest him now while we still can a new episode tomorrow. 583 00:36:30,075 --> 00:36:32,835 Speaker 1: Till then, I'm Keith Olverman. Good morning, good afternoon, goodnight, 584 00:36:33,355 --> 00:36:43,555 Speaker 1: and good luck. Countdown with Keith Olverman is a production 585 00:36:43,715 --> 00:36:47,355 Speaker 1: of I heart Radio. For more podcasts from I heart Radio, 586 00:36:47,515 --> 00:36:51,035 Speaker 1: visit the i heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever 587 00:36:51,115 --> 00:36:52,475 Speaker 1: you get your podcasts.