1 00:00:04,755 --> 00:00:08,995 Speaker 1: Countdown with Keith Olderman is a production of I Heart Radio. 2 00:00:22,795 --> 00:00:27,915 Speaker 1: This is dedicated to a dog named Sapphire. It is 3 00:00:27,955 --> 00:00:30,555 Speaker 1: hard to believe that on a day when Kevin McCarthy 4 00:00:30,995 --> 00:00:34,475 Speaker 1: took four people who tried to overthrow the President elect 5 00:00:34,595 --> 00:00:39,235 Speaker 1: of the United States, Bobert, go Sar Green, and Perry 6 00:00:39,715 --> 00:00:43,435 Speaker 1: took those four and put them on his House Star 7 00:00:43,595 --> 00:00:47,395 Speaker 1: Chamber committee dedicated to investigating the now President of the 8 00:00:47,435 --> 00:00:50,875 Speaker 1: United States, on a day when he also took this 9 00:00:51,075 --> 00:00:56,235 Speaker 1: insurrectionist one time nine eleven Truther threat to homeland security, 10 00:00:56,275 --> 00:00:59,675 Speaker 1: Marjorie Taylor Green, and put her on the committee in 11 00:00:59,755 --> 00:01:04,275 Speaker 1: favor of homeland security. On a day when all that happened, 12 00:01:04,355 --> 00:01:09,795 Speaker 1: it is hard to believe that another Republican congressman did 13 00:01:09,835 --> 00:01:14,715 Speaker 1: something worse. Yet one of them did. His name is 14 00:01:14,755 --> 00:01:20,915 Speaker 1: George Santos, or his name is Anthony Devolder, or his 15 00:01:21,035 --> 00:01:27,395 Speaker 1: name is Anthony Zabrovski, or his name is god knows what. 16 00:01:28,755 --> 00:01:31,955 Speaker 1: But yesterday we found out the details of the time 17 00:01:32,555 --> 00:01:40,155 Speaker 1: that this filth, this worm, this irredeemable trash, Santos, Devolder, Zabrovsky, 18 00:01:40,235 --> 00:01:43,995 Speaker 1: whoever he is, we learned the details of the time 19 00:01:44,035 --> 00:01:47,155 Speaker 1: when he told a homeless, disabled Navy bet that he 20 00:01:47,235 --> 00:01:51,555 Speaker 1: would raise the three thousand dollars needed for life saving 21 00:01:51,635 --> 00:01:57,755 Speaker 1: surgery for the vets service dog, and Santos raised it, 22 00:01:58,515 --> 00:02:08,715 Speaker 1: and Santos kept it, and the dog died. The hyperlocal 23 00:02:08,795 --> 00:02:12,875 Speaker 1: news source Patch for Oyster Bay, Long Island reported these 24 00:02:12,995 --> 00:02:17,035 Speaker 1: terrible details yesterday. It boils down to this, George Santos 25 00:02:17,115 --> 00:02:21,075 Speaker 1: as good as killed the disabled veterans dog for money, 26 00:02:21,275 --> 00:02:25,115 Speaker 1: and entirely apart from the great glowing mockery of our 27 00:02:25,235 --> 00:02:28,755 Speaker 1: form of government that he represents, that doubles every minute 28 00:02:28,755 --> 00:02:31,235 Speaker 1: he sits there pretending he has a right to be 29 00:02:31,315 --> 00:02:34,835 Speaker 1: in Congress, or in any decent society or in this country. 30 00:02:34,875 --> 00:02:40,355 Speaker 1: Apart from that, just for the story of Sapphire the 31 00:02:40,435 --> 00:02:46,195 Speaker 1: service dog, George Santos can burn in hell, and the 32 00:02:46,355 --> 00:02:52,355 Speaker 1: sooner the better. The Navy veterans name was rich Ostoff, 33 00:02:53,075 --> 00:02:56,955 Speaker 1: and his dog was named Sapphire. After rich Ostof was 34 00:02:56,995 --> 00:03:00,075 Speaker 1: honorably discharged in two thousand two. Things did not go 35 00:03:00,195 --> 00:03:03,675 Speaker 1: well for him, except for a day in two thousand 36 00:03:03,715 --> 00:03:07,715 Speaker 1: six that a veteran's charity gave him Sapphire. By two 37 00:03:07,755 --> 00:03:11,675 Speaker 1: thousand sixteen, they were living in a tent inside an 38 00:03:11,675 --> 00:03:16,395 Speaker 1: abandoned chicken coop in Howell, New Jersey. Ostov had broken 39 00:03:16,435 --> 00:03:19,355 Speaker 1: his leg. He could not work, he had to panhandle, 40 00:03:19,675 --> 00:03:23,875 Speaker 1: but he had Sapphire, and she was, he says, literally 41 00:03:23,915 --> 00:03:27,675 Speaker 1: the difference for him between life and death. When he 42 00:03:27,715 --> 00:03:30,035 Speaker 1: could think of no other reason to go on, he 43 00:03:30,155 --> 00:03:33,275 Speaker 1: asked himself what would happen to her if he were 44 00:03:33,355 --> 00:03:37,075 Speaker 1: no longer there? And so he would go on, and 45 00:03:37,195 --> 00:03:41,355 Speaker 1: Sapphire would go on with him. And then came the tumor. 46 00:03:42,115 --> 00:03:45,955 Speaker 1: It was in now ten year old Sapphire's stomach, and 47 00:03:45,995 --> 00:03:49,635 Speaker 1: a veterinary tech told rich Ostov that the bad news 48 00:03:49,755 --> 00:03:53,315 Speaker 1: was the surgery to remove it would cost three thousand dollars, 49 00:03:53,315 --> 00:03:56,635 Speaker 1: but the good news was the surgery would almost certainly 50 00:03:56,675 --> 00:04:00,235 Speaker 1: save Sapphire's life. And the veterinary tech added, I know 51 00:04:00,355 --> 00:04:03,875 Speaker 1: a guy who runs a pet charity who can help you. 52 00:04:05,355 --> 00:04:09,595 Speaker 1: The charity, except it was not a charity, was called 53 00:04:09,675 --> 00:04:14,795 Speaker 1: Friends of Pets United f o p U, and the 54 00:04:14,875 --> 00:04:19,675 Speaker 1: guy was named Anthony Devolder, and that Friends of Pets 55 00:04:19,755 --> 00:04:23,995 Speaker 1: United was the purported charity. George Santos made sure to 56 00:04:24,115 --> 00:04:28,755 Speaker 1: tell the voters about in two and that it was 57 00:04:28,795 --> 00:04:32,435 Speaker 1: a fraud that often held fundraisers, which always seemed to 58 00:04:32,475 --> 00:04:36,235 Speaker 1: hit some kind of wall or hitch before the recipients 59 00:04:36,235 --> 00:04:39,195 Speaker 1: got their money. We knew that that was in the 60 00:04:39,235 --> 00:04:44,915 Speaker 1: original New York Times story of December. But this, this 61 00:04:44,995 --> 00:04:51,995 Speaker 1: story about Sapphire, the murder of Sapphire, this we did 62 00:04:52,035 --> 00:04:57,675 Speaker 1: not know. By May first, two thousand sixteen, rich Ostoff 63 00:04:58,115 --> 00:05:02,915 Speaker 1: and Anthony Devolder had made contact. They talked, Ostov said 64 00:05:03,115 --> 00:05:06,315 Speaker 1: twice or maybe three times on the phone, and Devolder 65 00:05:06,395 --> 00:05:09,715 Speaker 1: immediately sprang into action. He started a go fund Me 66 00:05:09,835 --> 00:05:14,835 Speaker 1: for Sapphire. On that day, Astoff posted a photo of Sapphire, 67 00:05:15,075 --> 00:05:17,915 Speaker 1: the huge tumor obvious just in front of her back 68 00:05:18,075 --> 00:05:22,955 Speaker 1: left leg. Posted the photo on social media, Hey Facebook friends, 69 00:05:23,035 --> 00:05:27,555 Speaker 1: Astoff wrote, I'm trying to raise three K to pay 70 00:05:27,595 --> 00:05:31,275 Speaker 1: for my Pitter pups life saving tumor removal. If you 71 00:05:31,315 --> 00:05:34,355 Speaker 1: can donate or know someone who can, would you please 72 00:05:34,435 --> 00:05:38,075 Speaker 1: go to my go fund me dot com account and 73 00:05:38,155 --> 00:05:42,435 Speaker 1: there it is below Sapphire's photo. Click here to support 74 00:05:42,595 --> 00:05:50,755 Speaker 1: Sapphire the Veteran Rescue by Anthony Devolder. By the end 75 00:05:50,795 --> 00:05:54,715 Speaker 1: of June, they had raised the three thousand dollars. Rich 76 00:05:54,795 --> 00:05:57,555 Speaker 1: Austoff estimated that half of that came from his friends, 77 00:05:58,675 --> 00:06:03,075 Speaker 1: Sapphire would have her surgery, and then Anthony Devolder George 78 00:06:03,075 --> 00:06:10,955 Speaker 1: Santos revealed there was a catch. He Santos Devolder had credit, 79 00:06:11,195 --> 00:06:15,355 Speaker 1: he said, at a veterinary practice in Queens, so Astov 80 00:06:15,435 --> 00:06:18,435 Speaker 1: had to bring Sapphire there for the surgery, not to 81 00:06:18,515 --> 00:06:20,995 Speaker 1: the clinic in New Jersey that was ready to operate. 82 00:06:21,515 --> 00:06:25,395 Speaker 1: And so in August they went. The same veterinary tech 83 00:06:25,755 --> 00:06:29,675 Speaker 1: who had suggested Ostof contact Friends of Pets United in 84 00:06:29,715 --> 00:06:33,595 Speaker 1: the first place, actually drove them there. And that's when 85 00:06:33,635 --> 00:06:37,355 Speaker 1: a vet at that place briefly examined Sapphire and told 86 00:06:37,395 --> 00:06:41,355 Speaker 1: the shocked Astof that he could not operate on Sapphire's tumor. 87 00:06:42,355 --> 00:06:47,155 Speaker 1: And because George Santos's vet said he couldn't operate, rich 88 00:06:47,195 --> 00:06:51,395 Speaker 1: Austov says George Santos as Anthony Devolder then told Ostoff 89 00:06:52,035 --> 00:06:55,995 Speaker 1: that he quote didn't do things my way, and so 90 00:06:56,835 --> 00:07:02,715 Speaker 1: he Santos would be keeping the money from Sapphire's go 91 00:07:02,835 --> 00:07:06,515 Speaker 1: fund me, which he and he would use on another animal, 92 00:07:09,275 --> 00:07:12,435 Speaker 1: the navy man. Austov says he and Devolder Santos spoke 93 00:07:12,515 --> 00:07:14,995 Speaker 1: and exchange text for the last time in November two 94 00:07:15,035 --> 00:07:19,635 Speaker 1: thousand six as to Sapphire's money, quoting texts from Santos 95 00:07:19,675 --> 00:07:22,715 Speaker 1: that he showed to the Oyster Bay patch site and 96 00:07:22,875 --> 00:07:26,555 Speaker 1: of which there are screen caps. The remaining will be 97 00:07:26,675 --> 00:07:29,955 Speaker 1: used if applicable if she is a candidate for the surgery. 98 00:07:30,355 --> 00:07:34,755 Speaker 1: Keep in mind fo p U is a reputable organizations. 99 00:07:34,795 --> 00:07:39,195 Speaker 1: We care for many animals and have the upmost respect 100 00:07:39,275 --> 00:07:44,275 Speaker 1: for every single one. Ostov pleaded. The tumor he texted 101 00:07:44,315 --> 00:07:47,795 Speaker 1: Santos was quote three times the size it was in April. 102 00:07:48,835 --> 00:07:55,395 Speaker 1: This was the moment Santos chose to boast quote. Remember 103 00:07:55,835 --> 00:07:59,155 Speaker 1: it is our credibility that God go fund me them 104 00:07:59,555 --> 00:08:04,155 Speaker 1: sebs to contribute. We are audited like every five oh 105 00:08:04,195 --> 00:08:07,435 Speaker 1: one c three, and we are with the highest standards 106 00:08:07,435 --> 00:08:11,155 Speaker 1: of integrity. You have to remember every ride and every 107 00:08:11,315 --> 00:08:17,435 Speaker 1: life you take from volunteers are paid for gas, tolls, lunch, 108 00:08:17,795 --> 00:08:23,115 Speaker 1: all of that. Everyone has collaborated. The only ride he'd 109 00:08:23,155 --> 00:08:25,155 Speaker 1: gotten had been from that vet tech who had put 110 00:08:25,195 --> 00:08:27,635 Speaker 1: him in touch with George Santos in the first place. 111 00:08:28,435 --> 00:08:33,435 Speaker 1: But then Santos said he would take Sapphire for an ultrasound, 112 00:08:33,835 --> 00:08:37,755 Speaker 1: but only to the Queen's location. And then there was 113 00:08:37,875 --> 00:08:41,955 Speaker 1: another catch. He texted Astov quote, and you're not coming 114 00:08:41,995 --> 00:08:45,315 Speaker 1: for the ride fo P. You will handle this from 115 00:08:45,315 --> 00:08:48,635 Speaker 1: now on only with the animal. We do not drive 116 00:08:48,675 --> 00:08:52,195 Speaker 1: people around, nor do we give them rides. We transport 117 00:08:52,275 --> 00:08:57,595 Speaker 1: animals in need, not needy owners exclamation point. Further to 118 00:08:57,715 --> 00:09:01,115 Speaker 1: this case, Sapphire is not a candidate for surgery. The 119 00:09:01,235 --> 00:09:04,075 Speaker 1: funds are moved to the next animal in need, and 120 00:09:04,115 --> 00:09:07,955 Speaker 1: we will make sure we use of resources to keep 121 00:09:08,115 --> 00:09:12,955 Speaker 1: her comfortable. At about that point, another VET, an X 122 00:09:12,995 --> 00:09:17,115 Speaker 1: marine and retired police sergeant named Michael Bohle contacted George 123 00:09:17,115 --> 00:09:20,355 Speaker 1: Santos and tried to intervene. He says he told Santos 124 00:09:20,395 --> 00:09:22,955 Speaker 1: he was messing with a veteran and he needed to 125 00:09:22,995 --> 00:09:27,115 Speaker 1: either give ostof the money raised for Sapphire or get 126 00:09:27,235 --> 00:09:32,875 Speaker 1: him another service dog bowl, says quote. He Santos was 127 00:09:32,955 --> 00:09:37,435 Speaker 1: totally uncooperative on the phone, and that is when the 128 00:09:37,475 --> 00:09:43,915 Speaker 1: go fund Me for Sapphire was deleted. Astof went back 129 00:09:43,915 --> 00:09:48,715 Speaker 1: to Facebook on November sixteen. Quote, I'm sorry to say 130 00:09:48,755 --> 00:09:51,675 Speaker 1: that we were scammed by Anthony Devolder and Friends of 131 00:09:51,675 --> 00:09:55,555 Speaker 1: Pets United fo PU through a series of bad veterinary 132 00:09:55,595 --> 00:10:01,235 Speaker 1: contacts and subterfuge regarding payment. Sapphire has not received reveterinary care, 133 00:10:01,675 --> 00:10:04,235 Speaker 1: and her growth is three to four times bigger than 134 00:10:04,275 --> 00:10:07,595 Speaker 1: it was when the campaign was fulfilled. She is facing 135 00:10:08,475 --> 00:10:15,515 Speaker 1: euthanasia within months. Even that small piece of humanity and 136 00:10:15,555 --> 00:10:20,915 Speaker 1: dignity was denied to Sapphire because of now Congressman George Santos. 137 00:10:22,035 --> 00:10:24,515 Speaker 1: Rich Astov did not have the money for the euthan asia. 138 00:10:25,235 --> 00:10:30,835 Speaker 1: Sapphire lingered until January of two thousand seventeen. On the 139 00:10:30,915 --> 00:10:35,195 Speaker 1: fift of that month, finally somebody helped out. They euthanized her. 140 00:10:36,115 --> 00:10:39,555 Speaker 1: I love that dog so much, Astov set of Sapphire. 141 00:10:40,275 --> 00:10:47,115 Speaker 1: I inhaled her last breaths. There were, according to a 142 00:10:47,155 --> 00:10:49,955 Speaker 1: woman who worked with George Santos at the Dish Network 143 00:10:50,155 --> 00:10:54,835 Speaker 1: call center, the previous highlight of his professional career, many 144 00:10:55,075 --> 00:10:59,515 Speaker 1: many fundraisers for dogs in needs, both on the Facebook 145 00:10:59,515 --> 00:11:03,595 Speaker 1: page of Friends of Pets United, whatever that really was, 146 00:11:03,995 --> 00:11:07,915 Speaker 1: and on George santos Is personal page. The vet Tech 147 00:11:08,275 --> 00:11:12,555 Speaker 1: the initial link between Devolder Santos and rich Austov and 148 00:11:12,675 --> 00:11:15,835 Speaker 1: his late dog. Sapphire refused to comment on this story 149 00:11:15,915 --> 00:11:19,715 Speaker 1: for Patch in Oyster Bay, but something Astof texted to 150 00:11:19,875 --> 00:11:23,355 Speaker 1: Santos in November two thousand sixteen, may have summed up 151 00:11:23,395 --> 00:11:30,515 Speaker 1: this entire deplorable, despicable, in human scam. I'm starting to 152 00:11:30,635 --> 00:11:35,155 Speaker 1: feel ostof, wrote then to now Congressman George Santos, like 153 00:11:35,355 --> 00:11:42,555 Speaker 1: I was mined for my family and friends donations. That's it, 154 00:11:42,595 --> 00:11:46,155 Speaker 1: isn't it. In other words, as bad as it would 155 00:11:46,195 --> 00:11:49,355 Speaker 1: be to raise money to try to save a homeless 156 00:11:49,435 --> 00:11:53,955 Speaker 1: Navy Vets service dog and then take the money away, 157 00:11:54,195 --> 00:12:01,115 Speaker 1: this this was actually worse. George Santos, posing as good 158 00:12:01,155 --> 00:12:07,515 Speaker 1: Samaritan Anthony Devolder, went looking for dogs and dog parents 159 00:12:07,595 --> 00:12:11,715 Speaker 1: in need, and in at least one case, raised money 160 00:12:11,755 --> 00:12:15,795 Speaker 1: in that dog's name, knowing all the time that he 161 00:12:15,835 --> 00:12:19,595 Speaker 1: would make it impossible for that dog to get that money. 162 00:12:21,635 --> 00:12:27,035 Speaker 1: George Santos did not just passively aggressively kill rich Ostov's 163 00:12:27,275 --> 00:12:31,155 Speaker 1: beloved dog, Sapphire. He didn't just steal the money that 164 00:12:31,275 --> 00:12:37,595 Speaker 1: was raised to save her. This was a premeditated scam 165 00:12:37,635 --> 00:12:41,195 Speaker 1: all too well known in dog rescue circles. You step 166 00:12:41,235 --> 00:12:44,675 Speaker 1: in and make sure the only money that can be 167 00:12:44,755 --> 00:12:49,075 Speaker 1: raised for the dog never gets to the dog, so 168 00:12:49,155 --> 00:12:55,435 Speaker 1: that instead it gets to you. It is in effect 169 00:12:56,435 --> 00:13:04,035 Speaker 1: premeditated murder for money. Yesterday, the Speaker of the House 170 00:13:04,035 --> 00:13:06,875 Speaker 1: of represented. It is Kevin McCarthy who keeps refusing to 171 00:13:06,915 --> 00:13:10,395 Speaker 1: say what even other Republican Congressmen are already saying. Who 172 00:13:10,475 --> 00:13:14,195 Speaker 1: keeps refusing to call for this scumbag George Santos just 173 00:13:14,315 --> 00:13:17,595 Speaker 1: to resign from the House, never mind to go to prison. 174 00:13:18,115 --> 00:13:22,835 Speaker 1: Who keeps condescendingly invoking the will of the voters and 175 00:13:22,915 --> 00:13:27,795 Speaker 1: the lack of criminal charges and let him serve and quote, 176 00:13:27,955 --> 00:13:35,475 Speaker 1: I try to stick by the constitution. This a moral, gutless, spineless, 177 00:13:35,555 --> 00:13:43,715 Speaker 1: soul less chief political prostitute. Kevin McCarthy gave George Santos 178 00:13:43,755 --> 00:13:48,515 Speaker 1: a seat on the House Committee on Small Business and 179 00:13:48,675 --> 00:13:54,195 Speaker 1: another seat on the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology. 180 00:13:57,395 --> 00:14:00,955 Speaker 1: There must come a time in this country when we 181 00:14:00,995 --> 00:14:08,915 Speaker 1: again stop providing ways out for worthless excrement like George Santos, 182 00:14:10,355 --> 00:14:14,075 Speaker 1: and ways out for the even more worthless excrement like 183 00:14:14,275 --> 00:14:21,235 Speaker 1: Kevin McCarthy, who knowingly and willfully protect the George santos 184 00:14:21,355 --> 00:14:25,795 Speaker 1: Is of this country and enable them and cover up 185 00:14:25,835 --> 00:14:31,075 Speaker 1: for them. The politicians of this nation have never had 186 00:14:31,075 --> 00:14:35,395 Speaker 1: a surfeit of honor or respectability, but Republicans did once 187 00:14:35,515 --> 00:14:44,275 Speaker 1: have healthy, useful, answerable fear, fear of being caught, fear 188 00:14:44,315 --> 00:14:49,195 Speaker 1: of being shamed, fear of being brought down because like 189 00:14:49,275 --> 00:14:53,155 Speaker 1: George Santos, they are predators who scam homeless navy vets 190 00:14:53,355 --> 00:14:57,795 Speaker 1: and kill their dogs by proxy, or because, like Kevin McCarthy, 191 00:14:57,835 --> 00:15:01,955 Speaker 1: they need George Santos's vote so they can keep their 192 00:15:01,995 --> 00:15:06,715 Speaker 1: own worthless asses in all us two years from now. 193 00:15:09,435 --> 00:15:14,475 Speaker 1: Once well, what happened to rich Austof and poor Sapphire 194 00:15:14,995 --> 00:15:17,435 Speaker 1: may not have really mattered to most of them, or 195 00:15:17,515 --> 00:15:21,075 Speaker 1: some of them, or maybe even to any of them. 196 00:15:21,115 --> 00:15:23,715 Speaker 1: It used to really matter to them. What would happen 197 00:15:23,795 --> 00:15:32,955 Speaker 1: to them if it was obvious that they didn't care? Sincerity, shame, fear. 198 00:15:34,835 --> 00:15:38,875 Speaker 1: We need something to keep these fascist monsters minimally accountable, 199 00:15:39,035 --> 00:15:46,115 Speaker 1: to at least this minimum standard. Kevin McCarthy, pretend you 200 00:15:46,155 --> 00:15:52,035 Speaker 1: are a human being. Because today George Santos is a 201 00:15:52,075 --> 00:15:56,595 Speaker 1: Republican member in good standing and on two separate committees 202 00:15:56,955 --> 00:16:01,195 Speaker 1: of the one and eight Congress, and he is so 203 00:16:01,515 --> 00:16:06,795 Speaker 1: today and tomorrow and the day after tomorrow, and he 204 00:16:06,875 --> 00:16:10,915 Speaker 1: will be through the third of January two thousand, because 205 00:16:11,115 --> 00:16:18,275 Speaker 1: Kevin McCarthy permits it, and because Majority Leader Steve Scalise 206 00:16:18,715 --> 00:16:24,195 Speaker 1: permits it, and because Majority Whip Tom Emmer permits it, 207 00:16:25,155 --> 00:16:29,795 Speaker 1: and because House Republican Conference Chair Elease Stefanic permits it, 208 00:16:30,555 --> 00:16:35,115 Speaker 1: and because Deputy Chair Mike Johnson permits it, and because 209 00:16:35,115 --> 00:16:39,315 Speaker 1: House Republican Policy Chair Gary Palmer permits it, and because 210 00:16:39,355 --> 00:16:45,395 Speaker 1: Republican Congressional Committee Chair Richard Hudson permits it. And may 211 00:16:45,395 --> 00:16:50,715 Speaker 1: they all burn in hell. These are the men and 212 00:16:50,835 --> 00:17:02,155 Speaker 1: women without morals, without conscience, without humanity, without that useful 213 00:17:02,355 --> 00:17:07,635 Speaker 1: fear of getting caught, whose every pious pronouncement and judgment 214 00:17:07,995 --> 00:17:15,275 Speaker 1: are just shallow performances and callous play acting. And today 215 00:17:15,315 --> 00:17:21,795 Speaker 1: they will judge that this unspeakable, subhuman trash, this wretched, disgusting, 216 00:17:22,435 --> 00:17:30,235 Speaker 1: sociopathic George Santos, Anthony Devolder Zabrovski, who stole charity money, 217 00:17:30,555 --> 00:17:34,755 Speaker 1: who scammed a homeless veteran, who let the service dog 218 00:17:34,915 --> 00:17:39,915 Speaker 1: die a terrible death, they will judge that George Santos 219 00:17:40,075 --> 00:17:46,395 Speaker 1: is just fine by them. And Kevin McCarthy will lead 220 00:17:46,475 --> 00:17:53,315 Speaker 1: them as they do. He is their leader. What he 221 00:17:53,355 --> 00:17:57,155 Speaker 1: can claim he leads them in or two is anybody's guess. 222 00:17:59,475 --> 00:18:03,115 Speaker 1: And not one reporter who sees any of them, not 223 00:18:03,635 --> 00:18:10,235 Speaker 1: one will ask the question that Kevin McCarthy should have 224 00:18:10,435 --> 00:18:16,715 Speaker 1: to answer today, Mr speaker, how can you defend your 225 00:18:16,795 --> 00:18:23,315 Speaker 1: man George Santos? He ran a phony pet charity and 226 00:18:23,395 --> 00:18:27,915 Speaker 1: by proxy he killed a dog so he could keep 227 00:18:28,355 --> 00:18:34,715 Speaker 1: three thousand dollars in go fund me donations. How can 228 00:18:34,795 --> 00:18:43,995 Speaker 1: you defend him? How? Mr Speaker, can you resist spitting 229 00:18:44,075 --> 00:19:07,995 Speaker 1: in his face? In memory of Sapphire still ahead? Congressman 230 00:19:08,115 --> 00:19:13,515 Speaker 1: Eric Swalwell of California offers Senator Ted Cruz of Texas silly, 231 00:19:13,755 --> 00:19:16,315 Speaker 1: somewhat self deprecating wager on the outcome of the San 232 00:19:16,355 --> 00:19:20,595 Speaker 1: Francisco Dallas NFL playoff game. Cruisers response is a marvelous 233 00:19:20,635 --> 00:19:25,635 Speaker 1: mixture of racism and conspiracy theories. So the World Economic 234 00:19:25,675 --> 00:19:31,795 Speaker 1: Forum and Senator Kirsten Cinema and what's that smell? My god, 235 00:19:31,835 --> 00:19:35,875 Speaker 1: did something die in here? Oh? It's that large carcass 236 00:19:35,995 --> 00:19:39,835 Speaker 1: like item that Senator Cinema is wearing around her shoulders. 237 00:19:41,155 --> 00:19:43,555 Speaker 1: And first came the ten hours in a blizzard in 238 00:19:43,595 --> 00:19:46,795 Speaker 1: a car that had just had its snow tires removed 239 00:19:46,835 --> 00:19:50,355 Speaker 1: because it was April and it never snows in April. 240 00:19:51,475 --> 00:19:56,155 Speaker 1: But at its end there was the Adler letter. Nearly 241 00:19:56,195 --> 00:19:58,515 Speaker 1: forty four years later, it is still one of the 242 00:19:58,555 --> 00:20:03,155 Speaker 1: pivotal moments of my life, the Adler letter. I'll tell 243 00:20:03,155 --> 00:20:06,035 Speaker 1: you the very long, long story of April eighth nine 244 00:20:07,195 --> 00:20:10,955 Speaker 1: in Things I promised not to tell. That's next. This 245 00:20:11,115 --> 00:20:22,915 Speaker 1: is countdown. You know. This is countdown with you know 246 00:20:23,115 --> 00:20:29,555 Speaker 1: Keith still ahead. Since it was April. My friend's dad 247 00:20:29,635 --> 00:20:32,435 Speaker 1: had done him a solid and removed his snow tires, 248 00:20:32,475 --> 00:20:34,635 Speaker 1: which made our drive back to Ithaca, New York, real 249 00:20:34,755 --> 00:20:38,515 Speaker 1: interesting after the blizzard hit. But that was just the 250 00:20:38,595 --> 00:20:42,035 Speaker 1: ten hour preamble. What awaited me when we finally got 251 00:20:42,075 --> 00:20:45,475 Speaker 1: there was the lou Adler letter, the subject of today's 252 00:20:45,515 --> 00:20:48,275 Speaker 1: Things I promised not to tell. Coming up first. In 253 00:20:48,315 --> 00:20:50,595 Speaker 1: each addition of Countdown, we feature a dog in need 254 00:20:50,675 --> 00:20:53,595 Speaker 1: you can help. Every dog has its day, once again 255 00:20:53,635 --> 00:20:58,675 Speaker 1: a repetition of an unusual dog name Ravioli. This Ravioli 256 00:20:58,915 --> 00:21:02,075 Speaker 1: rescued here in Queen's By Near and Far Animal Foundation, 257 00:21:02,355 --> 00:21:06,115 Speaker 1: wandering the winter streets, emaciated, ski in raw hair sparks. 258 00:21:06,795 --> 00:21:08,515 Speaker 1: His condition was so bad they took him to the 259 00:21:08,595 --> 00:21:12,195 Speaker 1: veterinary Hospital the University of Pennsylvania. He's got so much 260 00:21:12,235 --> 00:21:14,195 Speaker 1: wrong with him that if you saw a picture, you'd 261 00:21:14,195 --> 00:21:17,755 Speaker 1: say he's a little Chihuahua mix right. Actually he's a 262 00:21:17,835 --> 00:21:22,395 Speaker 1: French bulldog, so skinny he's literally unrecognizable. They think they 263 00:21:22,435 --> 00:21:24,635 Speaker 1: can save him. It will take time and money and 264 00:21:24,755 --> 00:21:27,355 Speaker 1: near and far as doing a fundraiser for him on 265 00:21:27,595 --> 00:21:30,835 Speaker 1: Cuddly You can donate great find h Matt Cuddley or 266 00:21:30,835 --> 00:21:33,595 Speaker 1: on my Twitter feed and your retweets will help him too. 267 00:21:34,075 --> 00:21:51,635 Speaker 1: I thank you, and Ravioli thanks you. Time now for 268 00:21:51,675 --> 00:21:54,275 Speaker 1: the daily roundup of the misgrants, morons and done in 269 00:21:54,355 --> 00:21:59,715 Speaker 1: Krueger effects specimens who constitute today's worst persons in the world. 270 00:22:01,355 --> 00:22:06,555 Speaker 1: Lebronze Senator Kirsten Cinema proving her new political self identification 271 00:22:06,675 --> 00:22:10,355 Speaker 1: quote independent is just another brand name. She's at the 272 00:22:10,355 --> 00:22:15,675 Speaker 1: World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, trashing the Democrats, rationalizing, 273 00:22:15,675 --> 00:22:21,035 Speaker 1: helping to destroy democracy, and cheering on money. She was 274 00:22:21,075 --> 00:22:25,435 Speaker 1: also seeing yesterday at some sort of panel wearing some 275 00:22:25,515 --> 00:22:30,555 Speaker 1: kind of fur clothing thing might have been a mink stole, 276 00:22:31,195 --> 00:22:34,595 Speaker 1: but a mink stole from the you know, Corrella Deville collection. 277 00:22:34,795 --> 00:22:38,035 Speaker 1: But the closest comp was actually this. There were feathers 278 00:22:38,075 --> 00:22:40,195 Speaker 1: flying out of it in all directions and it was 279 00:22:40,515 --> 00:22:43,035 Speaker 1: large enough to serve as a park of for a moose, 280 00:22:43,875 --> 00:22:47,635 Speaker 1: and it really looked like Senator Cinema was wearing a 281 00:22:47,795 --> 00:22:54,995 Speaker 1: dead muppet. Anybody's seeing Grover our runner up, and combined 282 00:22:55,035 --> 00:22:57,875 Speaker 1: with the winner, we have crashed together two segments Worse 283 00:22:57,995 --> 00:23:02,275 Speaker 1: Persons and Sports Today. The silver medalist is James Doland, 284 00:23:02,315 --> 00:23:04,875 Speaker 1: owner of Madison Square Garden here in Funds at E. 285 00:23:05,435 --> 00:23:07,115 Speaker 1: He's also the owner of the New York Knicks, New 286 00:23:07,195 --> 00:23:11,275 Speaker 1: York Rangers, Radio City Music Hall, and a surreptitious facial 287 00:23:11,355 --> 00:23:15,515 Speaker 1: recognition system so sharp that it allows his minions to 288 00:23:15,715 --> 00:23:18,955 Speaker 1: spot lawyers who work for a firm representing one of 289 00:23:18,955 --> 00:23:21,915 Speaker 1: the many people who suing him and kick them out 290 00:23:21,955 --> 00:23:25,355 Speaker 1: of his buildings. I told you part of this story 291 00:23:25,395 --> 00:23:28,395 Speaker 1: in October. One attorney who's not even involved in any 292 00:23:28,515 --> 00:23:32,075 Speaker 1: of their company's lawsuits against Madman Jim. She was literally 293 00:23:32,115 --> 00:23:36,395 Speaker 1: thrown out of a Brandy Carlisle concert at MSG after 294 00:23:36,475 --> 00:23:41,275 Speaker 1: they had been admitted and seated, because facial recognition identified 295 00:23:41,355 --> 00:23:43,875 Speaker 1: her as working for a firm that had had the 296 00:23:43,995 --> 00:23:46,475 Speaker 1: nerve to sue one of Nolan's companies, so out she 297 00:23:46,595 --> 00:23:50,915 Speaker 1: and her husband went. Then last month, another lawyer escorting 298 00:23:51,075 --> 00:23:55,235 Speaker 1: girl scouts to see the Rocketts at Radio City was 299 00:23:55,315 --> 00:24:00,235 Speaker 1: denied admission same excuse the MSG spy satellite had showed 300 00:24:00,275 --> 00:24:03,875 Speaker 1: she worked for a forbidden firm. Other lawyers have been 301 00:24:03,915 --> 00:24:07,555 Speaker 1: kicked out of Nick's games and Rangers games in similar circumstances. 302 00:24:07,595 --> 00:24:13,355 Speaker 1: Since November now, eight elected government officials representing Manhattan, running 303 00:24:13,355 --> 00:24:16,235 Speaker 1: the gamut from state reps to U S Senator Chuck Schumer, 304 00:24:16,515 --> 00:24:20,235 Speaker 1: have sent Dolan and MSG a letter warning them they 305 00:24:20,235 --> 00:24:25,475 Speaker 1: are quote using facial recognition technology against its perceived legal enemies, 306 00:24:25,715 --> 00:24:28,675 Speaker 1: which is extremely problematic because of the potential to chill 307 00:24:28,755 --> 00:24:32,595 Speaker 1: free speech and access to the courts. And maybe Dolan 308 00:24:32,715 --> 00:24:36,515 Speaker 1: wants to stop this immediately because otherwise, let me translate 309 00:24:36,555 --> 00:24:39,755 Speaker 1: the note for you, the governments will all act against 310 00:24:39,955 --> 00:24:43,555 Speaker 1: you know, the liquor licenses and MSG and Radio City, 311 00:24:43,995 --> 00:24:47,915 Speaker 1: and they'll revoke the expiring permit that allows MSG to 312 00:24:47,995 --> 00:24:52,795 Speaker 1: have more than seats, and uh, what about that infamous 313 00:24:52,835 --> 00:24:57,155 Speaker 1: state tax abatement that inexplicably lets Dolan not pay the 314 00:24:57,235 --> 00:25:00,675 Speaker 1: forty three million dollars a year he otherwise would have to. 315 00:25:02,075 --> 00:25:03,755 Speaker 1: On the other hand, the Rangers have not won the 316 00:25:03,835 --> 00:25:07,195 Speaker 1: championship since and the Knicks have not once since nineteen 317 00:25:07,275 --> 00:25:10,755 Speaker 1: seventy three, So maybe the expulsions courtesy the Madison Square 318 00:25:10,755 --> 00:25:16,115 Speaker 1: Garden Stazi are not entirely a bad thing, but finally 319 00:25:16,115 --> 00:25:20,955 Speaker 1: our winner, Senator Ted Cruz, worst Person's Hall of Famer 320 00:25:21,115 --> 00:25:25,395 Speaker 1: and snot nosed little clown. In the endless tradition of 321 00:25:25,395 --> 00:25:29,955 Speaker 1: politicians making show wagers on sporting events involving their local teams, 322 00:25:30,435 --> 00:25:35,875 Speaker 1: California Congressman Eric Swalwell proposed one to Cruise about the 323 00:25:35,955 --> 00:25:39,635 Speaker 1: upcoming NFC playoff game. Quote, I will make this open 324 00:25:39,715 --> 00:25:42,635 Speaker 1: bet to Ted Cruz. If the Dallas Cowboys beat the 325 00:25:42,675 --> 00:25:45,955 Speaker 1: forty Niners, I won't tweet for the rest of January. 326 00:25:45,995 --> 00:25:48,595 Speaker 1: If the forty Niners win, you can't tweet for the 327 00:25:48,595 --> 00:25:53,315 Speaker 1: rest of January. How Texan? Are you? Ted? Deal? And 328 00:25:53,355 --> 00:25:55,795 Speaker 1: it's not a great gag, but it's not a bad one. 329 00:25:56,075 --> 00:26:01,755 Speaker 1: It tweaks Cruise, but Squalwell is also self deprecating, and Cruise, well, 330 00:26:02,635 --> 00:26:08,755 Speaker 1: he's Ted Cruz. He applied completely not in kind. How about, 331 00:26:08,995 --> 00:26:13,995 Speaker 1: he replied to Congressman Swallowell, we bet a Chinese dinner. 332 00:26:15,515 --> 00:26:17,715 Speaker 1: I don't know. Senator, Instead of that, how about if 333 00:26:17,755 --> 00:26:21,115 Speaker 1: the forty Niners beat the Cowboys, you give Swallowell your 334 00:26:21,275 --> 00:26:25,635 Speaker 1: entire collection of incest porn that America found out about 335 00:26:25,635 --> 00:26:29,795 Speaker 1: when you liked an illustrated tweet from at sexual Posts 336 00:26:30,675 --> 00:26:33,435 Speaker 1: on your personal Twitter account in two thousand seventeen and 337 00:26:33,475 --> 00:26:40,875 Speaker 1: then blamed a staffer, Ted Weasley, Little incest porn, Bastard cruise, 338 00:26:41,435 --> 00:27:06,395 Speaker 1: two Day's worst parson in. And now to the number 339 00:27:06,395 --> 00:27:08,715 Speaker 1: one story on the countdown and my favorite topic, me 340 00:27:08,795 --> 00:27:10,715 Speaker 1: and things I promised not to tell. And this is 341 00:27:10,755 --> 00:27:12,755 Speaker 1: the story, and it's a long one. As you can tell, 342 00:27:12,755 --> 00:27:16,675 Speaker 1: I'm starting it earlier than usual, the story of the 343 00:27:16,835 --> 00:27:19,995 Speaker 1: Adler Letter and the hell through which I had to 344 00:27:20,035 --> 00:27:24,235 Speaker 1: go just to read it, all of which was entirely 345 00:27:24,315 --> 00:27:27,915 Speaker 1: worth it, and has been every day of the forty 346 00:27:27,955 --> 00:27:32,955 Speaker 1: three years since the Adler Letter. Falling into my hands 347 00:27:32,955 --> 00:27:36,795 Speaker 1: on the night of Sunday, April nine was like the 348 00:27:36,835 --> 00:27:40,195 Speaker 1: PostScript to a breathless five page novel that turns out 349 00:27:40,195 --> 00:27:43,115 Speaker 1: to be a million times more exciting, more interesting, and 350 00:27:43,195 --> 00:27:47,875 Speaker 1: more important than those entire first five pages. We had 351 00:27:47,955 --> 00:27:51,995 Speaker 1: driven by that point around nine or ten hours. I 352 00:27:52,115 --> 00:27:55,515 Speaker 1: do not believe I ever actually expected to die on 353 00:27:55,555 --> 00:27:58,555 Speaker 1: the trip, but I was at least a dozen times 354 00:27:58,835 --> 00:28:01,595 Speaker 1: absolutely convinced that George and I would wind up in 355 00:28:01,635 --> 00:28:04,795 Speaker 1: the hospital he and I were college seniors, then on 356 00:28:04,875 --> 00:28:07,555 Speaker 1: home to see the defending two time world champion New 357 00:28:07,635 --> 00:28:11,595 Speaker 1: York Yankees opened the nineteen seventy nine baseball season, and 358 00:28:11,635 --> 00:28:13,915 Speaker 1: then back on the road right after that game on 359 00:28:13,995 --> 00:28:16,555 Speaker 1: Sunday for the four four and a half hour trip 360 00:28:16,595 --> 00:28:19,675 Speaker 1: from the parking garage at Yankee Stadium to the rural 361 00:28:19,835 --> 00:28:24,115 Speaker 1: wilds of Ithaca, New York in earliest springtime. We had 362 00:28:24,155 --> 00:28:26,955 Speaker 1: done this countless times over four years, but I did 363 00:28:26,995 --> 00:28:30,075 Speaker 1: not know, as I got out of my dad's car 364 00:28:30,555 --> 00:28:32,915 Speaker 1: and into George's on the way to Yankee Stadium that 365 00:28:33,035 --> 00:28:40,435 Speaker 1: this trip had two previously unimaginable components. First, already at 366 00:28:40,475 --> 00:28:43,955 Speaker 1: that hour, the Adler letter had been sitting in my 367 00:28:44,075 --> 00:28:47,915 Speaker 1: mailbox at my apartment at two and seven Delaware Avenue, Ithaca, 368 00:28:47,995 --> 00:28:52,915 Speaker 1: New York, for at least a day, perhaps two. And 369 00:28:53,075 --> 00:28:55,035 Speaker 1: I did not know the other thing, and only found 370 00:28:55,035 --> 00:28:56,915 Speaker 1: out as George told me about it at the ball 371 00:28:56,955 --> 00:28:59,875 Speaker 1: game that his father had yelled towards him as George 372 00:28:59,875 --> 00:29:03,115 Speaker 1: backed out of the driveway to go pick me up. George, 373 00:29:03,635 --> 00:29:07,995 Speaker 1: there's rain in the four cast drive. Carefully, remember I 374 00:29:08,035 --> 00:29:14,995 Speaker 1: took off your snow tires yesterday. Because it's spring. Oh. 375 00:29:15,115 --> 00:29:18,755 Speaker 1: The midpoint of the trip more or less, from Metropolitan 376 00:29:18,795 --> 00:29:22,395 Speaker 1: New York to Ithaca was a McDonald's restaurant in Liberty, 377 00:29:22,435 --> 00:29:25,635 Speaker 1: New York. And we stopped there as always and got 378 00:29:25,675 --> 00:29:28,555 Speaker 1: a late lunch. And I was sitting facing the window 379 00:29:28,635 --> 00:29:31,115 Speaker 1: as it got dark, and George was sitting facing the 380 00:29:31,155 --> 00:29:35,555 Speaker 1: counter as we ate and mumbled. I said, George, do 381 00:29:35,555 --> 00:29:38,275 Speaker 1: you have a bad case of dan druff? Or did 382 00:29:38,275 --> 00:29:44,395 Speaker 1: it just start really snowing? George wheeled around to look 383 00:29:44,435 --> 00:29:48,555 Speaker 1: out the window. Oh. We wrapped up our burgers and 384 00:29:48,595 --> 00:29:51,035 Speaker 1: took them with us and literally ran to the car. 385 00:29:51,635 --> 00:29:55,315 Speaker 1: My father and his goddamn snow tire obsession, George shouted. 386 00:29:56,395 --> 00:30:00,115 Speaker 1: Within an hour on the outskirts of Binghamton, New York, 387 00:30:00,195 --> 00:30:02,755 Speaker 1: three or four inches of snow had reduced speed to 388 00:30:02,835 --> 00:30:05,835 Speaker 1: just above single digits and visibil to next to nothing. 389 00:30:06,275 --> 00:30:10,315 Speaker 1: George was a meticulously good driver. It didn't matter. We 390 00:30:10,435 --> 00:30:14,835 Speaker 1: spun out, I mean a full three sixty. We're going north. Oops, 391 00:30:14,875 --> 00:30:17,555 Speaker 1: we're going west and on coming traffic. Ups. We're going 392 00:30:17,635 --> 00:30:20,355 Speaker 1: south into the cars behind us. Oops, we're going east 393 00:30:20,395 --> 00:30:23,635 Speaker 1: into the ditch next to the highway. Oh boy, we're 394 00:30:23,675 --> 00:30:27,595 Speaker 1: going north. Again. I think we spun out six or 395 00:30:27,675 --> 00:30:32,595 Speaker 1: seven times on the highway alone before Binghamton, and everybody 396 00:30:32,595 --> 00:30:35,555 Speaker 1: else was doing it too. George's father had removed all 397 00:30:35,595 --> 00:30:39,315 Speaker 1: of their snow tires. There was some solace in that, 398 00:30:39,435 --> 00:30:42,515 Speaker 1: seeing other cars in both directions doing exactly the same thing. 399 00:30:43,035 --> 00:30:45,115 Speaker 1: I could have swore. I heard one of the drivers 400 00:30:45,155 --> 00:30:48,795 Speaker 1: swear at George's father. In fact, we were not far 401 00:30:48,915 --> 00:30:54,115 Speaker 1: north of Binghamton. No still skidding, still spinning, George swearing NonStop. 402 00:30:54,595 --> 00:30:57,235 Speaker 1: When he interrupted himself long enough to ask me what 403 00:30:57,315 --> 00:31:00,035 Speaker 1: time it was. I had to hold my watch up 404 00:31:00,075 --> 00:31:03,075 Speaker 1: to the car window to get brief flashes of illumination 405 00:31:03,355 --> 00:31:07,235 Speaker 1: from the highway lights and the skidding driver's rocketing past 406 00:31:07,395 --> 00:31:11,555 Speaker 1: us in all directions. Little after seven, we skid it again. 407 00:31:11,955 --> 00:31:15,435 Speaker 1: George swore again put the Ranger game on. I do 408 00:31:15,515 --> 00:31:19,555 Speaker 1: it myself, but we skid it again. By now I 409 00:31:19,595 --> 00:31:21,795 Speaker 1: was getting used to it, and I turned the radio 410 00:31:21,955 --> 00:31:25,755 Speaker 1: literally before George regained control of the steering. I found 411 00:31:25,755 --> 00:31:28,395 Speaker 1: the Ranger station, the one in New York w NW. 412 00:31:29,035 --> 00:31:31,395 Speaker 1: If you had told me that night that a little 413 00:31:31,435 --> 00:31:33,955 Speaker 1: over a year later I would be broadcasting on w 414 00:31:34,155 --> 00:31:36,955 Speaker 1: n AW, my first thought would have been, so we 415 00:31:37,035 --> 00:31:39,715 Speaker 1: don't get killed tonight because George's father took off the 416 00:31:39,755 --> 00:31:42,915 Speaker 1: snow tires. That's nice. Oh and I also worked there, 417 00:31:43,755 --> 00:31:46,435 Speaker 1: and I'm not a ghost. If you had told me 418 00:31:46,515 --> 00:31:48,955 Speaker 1: that night that the Adler letter was waiting for me 419 00:31:49,035 --> 00:31:51,835 Speaker 1: back in my snow covered mailbox in Ithaca, I might 420 00:31:51,875 --> 00:31:55,755 Speaker 1: have pressed George to go faster. They might not have 421 00:31:55,875 --> 00:32:00,595 Speaker 1: even found our bodies in that eventuality. The storm, as 422 00:32:00,675 --> 00:32:03,635 Speaker 1: storms often did in those days, somehow boosted the A 423 00:32:03,875 --> 00:32:06,915 Speaker 1: M radio sick Noll, and though we were two hundred 424 00:32:06,955 --> 00:32:10,075 Speaker 1: miles away from the transmitter Marv Albert and the w 425 00:32:10,275 --> 00:32:13,515 Speaker 1: n a W New York Rangers hockey broadcast they were 426 00:32:13,555 --> 00:32:16,475 Speaker 1: not yet owned by Jim Dolan. Was clear as a bell. 427 00:32:17,315 --> 00:32:19,555 Speaker 1: The traction even seemed to get a little bit better, 428 00:32:19,835 --> 00:32:23,435 Speaker 1: But we both knew the ordeal that lay ahead. In 429 00:32:23,515 --> 00:32:29,635 Speaker 1: the personification of ordeals, the exit at Whitney Point, New York. 430 00:32:30,395 --> 00:32:33,515 Speaker 1: It amazed us, as it amazes the students there now, 431 00:32:33,595 --> 00:32:35,715 Speaker 1: as it must have amazed the students who went their 432 00:32:35,795 --> 00:32:40,355 Speaker 1: century ago. That Cornell University, which I attended, and Ithaca College, 433 00:32:40,355 --> 00:32:44,435 Speaker 1: which George attended, were both an hour's drive away from 434 00:32:44,475 --> 00:32:49,835 Speaker 1: the nearest Highway. There was, in fact, no access to Ithaca, 435 00:32:49,875 --> 00:32:52,755 Speaker 1: New York by anything more than a two lane road. 436 00:32:53,955 --> 00:32:57,235 Speaker 1: The train had stopped running some time before. It was 437 00:32:57,275 --> 00:32:59,395 Speaker 1: that or the airplanes, and I'm gonna shure you on 438 00:32:59,475 --> 00:33:03,075 Speaker 1: that night none of the airplanes were going either. It 439 00:33:03,115 --> 00:33:06,275 Speaker 1: was legendary on the Cornell campus that old Ezra Cornell, 440 00:33:06,435 --> 00:33:10,995 Speaker 1: the barely literate railroad tie preservative tycoon of the nineteenth century, 441 00:33:11,315 --> 00:33:14,355 Speaker 1: decided to give away nearly all of his fortune, which 442 00:33:14,395 --> 00:33:16,875 Speaker 1: today would have been at least a billion dollars. He 443 00:33:16,995 --> 00:33:19,235 Speaker 1: told a friend he was going to open a university 444 00:33:19,275 --> 00:33:25,115 Speaker 1: where anyone can study anything. The friend reacted in horror. 445 00:33:25,915 --> 00:33:30,835 Speaker 1: They will stampede the place, Ezra. Ezra laughed, Wait, do 446 00:33:30,875 --> 00:33:35,675 Speaker 1: you see where I put it? Ezra Cornell's little geographical 447 00:33:35,795 --> 00:33:40,795 Speaker 1: joke was still vividly alive on odd years later, as 448 00:33:40,835 --> 00:33:43,795 Speaker 1: it still is today. The easiest of the roots to 449 00:33:43,875 --> 00:33:46,395 Speaker 1: his university was the one that took you from Ithaca 450 00:33:46,435 --> 00:33:53,755 Speaker 1: to Whitney or Whitney Point or Lyle or Center Lyle, 451 00:33:54,995 --> 00:34:00,115 Speaker 1: the Whitney Point capital of the metroplex. Lyle, also known 452 00:34:00,115 --> 00:34:04,115 Speaker 1: as the Calcutta of Broome County, where nearly three thousand 453 00:34:04,115 --> 00:34:07,155 Speaker 1: people live top each other in condition so crowded that 454 00:34:07,275 --> 00:34:12,235 Speaker 1: every person barely has his own square mile. There's nobody there. 455 00:34:13,195 --> 00:34:15,795 Speaker 1: Once you get off at Whitney Point, you were at 456 00:34:15,795 --> 00:34:18,595 Speaker 1: the Mercies of Roots seventy nine, where if traffic was light, 457 00:34:18,755 --> 00:34:20,715 Speaker 1: or the driver's at Droit, you might make it back 458 00:34:20,755 --> 00:34:23,515 Speaker 1: to Ithaca in thirty minutes, but if you got stuck 459 00:34:23,635 --> 00:34:27,635 Speaker 1: behind somebody, it could take an hour. Or if there 460 00:34:27,795 --> 00:34:31,035 Speaker 1: was an April blizzard and George's father had taken off 461 00:34:31,075 --> 00:34:33,675 Speaker 1: his snout tires, it could take you longer than it 462 00:34:33,715 --> 00:34:37,675 Speaker 1: took Antarctic explorers to reach the pole, and you might 463 00:34:37,755 --> 00:34:40,995 Speaker 1: see still more snow and ice coming at you from 464 00:34:40,995 --> 00:34:44,995 Speaker 1: all directions. I believe George and I skidded making the 465 00:34:45,115 --> 00:34:48,115 Speaker 1: left turn off the highway, but he still managed to 466 00:34:48,115 --> 00:34:51,515 Speaker 1: stay on the road. The radio signal from the Rangers 467 00:34:51,555 --> 00:34:54,595 Speaker 1: game was not so fortunate. Within minutes, w n AW 468 00:34:54,755 --> 00:34:57,955 Speaker 1: began to compete for space on George's car radio with 469 00:34:58,075 --> 00:35:02,235 Speaker 1: some audible noise. It could suddenly pick up from George's 470 00:35:02,315 --> 00:35:06,795 Speaker 1: own turn signals, make a rite, and Marv Albert was 471 00:35:06,835 --> 00:35:11,955 Speaker 1: suddenly drowned out by ALLOUDI as in Rickers across the 472 00:35:12,115 --> 00:35:18,955 Speaker 1: click click pot ban slashers click click. Within minutes after 473 00:35:18,995 --> 00:35:21,875 Speaker 1: the first spin out on Roots seventy nine, mercifully with 474 00:35:21,915 --> 00:35:27,115 Speaker 1: literally no other cars on the road, the woo woo's arrived. 475 00:35:28,115 --> 00:35:31,275 Speaker 1: We never did figure out what they were, but they 476 00:35:31,355 --> 00:35:34,195 Speaker 1: waxed and waned so slowly that at first I asked 477 00:35:34,195 --> 00:35:37,795 Speaker 1: George why Ranger fans at Madison Square Garden were chanting 478 00:35:38,115 --> 00:35:43,675 Speaker 1: Woo woo. George was too busy swearing to answer. The 479 00:35:43,715 --> 00:35:46,835 Speaker 1: snow was now horizontal, and as it danced towards us 480 00:35:46,835 --> 00:35:50,915 Speaker 1: in George's headlights, it was hypnotic, and the Ranger broadcast 481 00:35:50,955 --> 00:35:55,595 Speaker 1: now sounded like this, full of click clicks and woo woo's. 482 00:35:56,075 --> 00:36:00,995 Speaker 1: The curse cross the woo woo woo pot ban slashers, 483 00:36:01,035 --> 00:36:05,035 Speaker 1: the click click click click click, damn it all the Hello. 484 00:36:05,395 --> 00:36:10,075 Speaker 1: Davidson rolls on to say whoa saliva pitch click click click, 485 00:36:10,115 --> 00:36:14,875 Speaker 1: click click. The trip from Whitney Point had taken well 486 00:36:14,955 --> 00:36:17,555 Speaker 1: over an hour, and we were not halfway there yet. 487 00:36:17,635 --> 00:36:21,555 Speaker 1: When the inevitable occurred, George kept a steady, slow paced 488 00:36:21,635 --> 00:36:25,355 Speaker 1: ten or fifteen miles an hour tops. He did not accelerate, 489 00:36:25,635 --> 00:36:28,595 Speaker 1: he did not turn. Yet all of a moment, his 490 00:36:28,715 --> 00:36:31,875 Speaker 1: green nineteen seventy, Dodge Dart decided to make an abrupt 491 00:36:31,995 --> 00:36:35,115 Speaker 1: left turn at about a forty five degree angle. We 492 00:36:35,115 --> 00:36:38,955 Speaker 1: were off the road in seconds, accelerating and headed for 493 00:36:38,995 --> 00:36:41,795 Speaker 1: an unscheduled visit to the front porch of a farmer's 494 00:36:41,875 --> 00:36:43,995 Speaker 1: house that had to have been set back at least 495 00:36:43,995 --> 00:36:48,155 Speaker 1: two hundred feet from the road. Here, finally, the heavy 496 00:36:48,195 --> 00:36:52,715 Speaker 1: snow work to our advantage. It slowed us down, then 497 00:36:52,715 --> 00:36:55,635 Speaker 1: it stopped us. It stopped us just two or three 498 00:36:55,715 --> 00:37:00,075 Speaker 1: feet before we would have plowed into the man's house. However, 499 00:37:00,595 --> 00:37:03,475 Speaker 1: since we were in Richford, New York by now birthplace 500 00:37:03,515 --> 00:37:06,435 Speaker 1: of John Rockefeller, by the way, or we were in 501 00:37:06,635 --> 00:37:11,395 Speaker 1: Caroline or Caroline Center or Slanderville Springs, or wherever the 502 00:37:11,435 --> 00:37:15,075 Speaker 1: hell we were, the homeowner emerged, bearing not a gun 503 00:37:15,515 --> 00:37:19,955 Speaker 1: nor an attitude, but genuine concern for us. In fact, 504 00:37:20,515 --> 00:37:24,035 Speaker 1: he heard the Ranger game on our radio and asked 505 00:37:24,075 --> 00:37:26,995 Speaker 1: me the score, which is when I noticed that the 506 00:37:27,035 --> 00:37:30,155 Speaker 1: moment we had left the road, the woo woos had stopped, 507 00:37:30,515 --> 00:37:33,155 Speaker 1: and the w NW signal was as good as it 508 00:37:33,235 --> 00:37:38,275 Speaker 1: must have been inside Madison Square Garden. The farmer helped 509 00:37:38,355 --> 00:37:40,555 Speaker 1: us push the car back onto route seventy nine, and 510 00:37:40,595 --> 00:37:44,035 Speaker 1: as we got in he went and said it where 511 00:37:44,235 --> 00:37:48,755 Speaker 1: snow tie. His son, George started to swear, so I 512 00:37:48,795 --> 00:37:52,115 Speaker 1: took over and explained about his father. Never been up 513 00:37:52,115 --> 00:37:56,035 Speaker 1: here has he? George started it up and now drove 514 00:37:56,115 --> 00:37:59,995 Speaker 1: even slower. Within a minute, the woo woo's were back. 515 00:38:00,275 --> 00:38:06,675 Speaker 1: Marv Albert was sel Messina where the right Drewson Islanders. Whoooo, 516 00:38:10,115 --> 00:38:13,875 Speaker 1: we got there. Finally, George was actually going to try 517 00:38:13,915 --> 00:38:16,675 Speaker 1: to drive up the hill that led to the other 518 00:38:16,795 --> 00:38:20,395 Speaker 1: hill that led to Delaware Avenue, where my apartment was. 519 00:38:21,235 --> 00:38:24,955 Speaker 1: Calculating that I had pressed my luck sufficiently, I told 520 00:38:24,995 --> 00:38:27,155 Speaker 1: him to just let me out at East State and 521 00:38:27,275 --> 00:38:30,795 Speaker 1: Mitchell and I'd make it from there on foot. Thankfully, 522 00:38:31,075 --> 00:38:34,435 Speaker 1: George's father had not removed the sure gripped souls from 523 00:38:34,435 --> 00:38:38,155 Speaker 1: my winter boots. I actually went to my radio station first. 524 00:38:38,195 --> 00:38:40,355 Speaker 1: It was literally a two minute walk from there to 525 00:38:40,435 --> 00:38:43,515 Speaker 1: my apartment. I lingered at w v b R for 526 00:38:43,555 --> 00:38:46,715 Speaker 1: fifteen or twenty minutes, and then hiked back home. The 527 00:38:46,835 --> 00:38:50,035 Speaker 1: rangers had long since one from the station. I had 528 00:38:50,075 --> 00:38:52,675 Speaker 1: called George's apartment and he had made it back there 529 00:38:52,755 --> 00:38:56,115 Speaker 1: to Ithaca College, I took my first deep breath since 530 00:38:56,155 --> 00:38:58,515 Speaker 1: the McDonald's in Liberty, and I reflected that it was 531 00:38:58,595 --> 00:39:02,435 Speaker 1: only about five and a half hours until my next class. 532 00:39:02,435 --> 00:39:05,835 Speaker 1: And guess what I was going to cut it again. 533 00:39:06,355 --> 00:39:09,595 Speaker 1: I stomped off the snow onto my porch. I opened 534 00:39:09,595 --> 00:39:11,755 Speaker 1: the door, and I dumped my bag inside, and then 535 00:39:11,795 --> 00:39:14,435 Speaker 1: reached out back into the mailbox. And I saw it 536 00:39:14,595 --> 00:39:20,075 Speaker 1: almost immediately in the upper left hand corner, in an 537 00:39:20,155 --> 00:39:28,995 Speaker 1: unmistakable font, the return address Adler w CBS, CBS Radio, 538 00:39:29,795 --> 00:39:34,715 Speaker 1: a division of CBS Inc. Fifty one West fifty Street, 539 00:39:35,315 --> 00:39:41,075 Speaker 1: New York, New York, one zero zero one nine, Adler, 540 00:39:42,315 --> 00:39:48,075 Speaker 1: Lou Adler. Lou Adler was radio news in New York City. 541 00:39:48,795 --> 00:39:55,035 Speaker 1: I could barely breathe the Adler letter. What was in 542 00:39:55,395 --> 00:40:00,515 Speaker 1: the Adler letter which explains why forty three, nearly forty 543 00:40:00,555 --> 00:40:03,755 Speaker 1: four years later, I know it by heart and I 544 00:40:03,795 --> 00:40:06,395 Speaker 1: can tell you exa actually where it is at this 545 00:40:06,515 --> 00:40:10,955 Speaker 1: exact moment. What was in that letter? Right after this, 546 00:40:12,955 --> 00:40:15,515 Speaker 1: resuming the number one story on the countdown and the 547 00:40:15,595 --> 00:40:21,275 Speaker 1: several lifetimes contained. On the date of Sunday, April nine, 548 00:40:22,075 --> 00:40:24,955 Speaker 1: I had just survived a nine or ten hour drive 549 00:40:24,995 --> 00:40:27,475 Speaker 1: in a blizzard right after my friend's Dad had helpfully 550 00:40:27,515 --> 00:40:31,595 Speaker 1: removed my friends snow tires. I had lived to resume 551 00:40:31,675 --> 00:40:35,635 Speaker 1: my desperate bid both to graduate college in two months 552 00:40:35,715 --> 00:40:38,635 Speaker 1: and get a job somewhere in radio in three months, 553 00:40:38,995 --> 00:40:42,595 Speaker 1: And against all odds, amid all the snow and mess, 554 00:40:43,435 --> 00:40:47,075 Speaker 1: there was a letter waiting for me at my apartment 555 00:40:47,555 --> 00:40:53,715 Speaker 1: in silent snow, inundated Ithaca, New York, A letter from 556 00:40:53,835 --> 00:40:58,515 Speaker 1: Lou Adler, the news director of leading all news radio 557 00:40:58,595 --> 00:41:03,835 Speaker 1: station in the country. Lou Adler had begun on w 558 00:41:03,995 --> 00:41:08,315 Speaker 1: CBS Radio the year I was born. In nine seven, 559 00:41:08,395 --> 00:41:11,595 Speaker 1: the station went all news and immediately became the best 560 00:41:11,595 --> 00:41:14,915 Speaker 1: all news station in the country. Lou Adler co anchored 561 00:41:14,955 --> 00:41:18,035 Speaker 1: the mornings, and eight years earlier he had become the 562 00:41:18,075 --> 00:41:23,275 Speaker 1: station's news director as well. He was the best. His 563 00:41:23,435 --> 00:41:28,555 Speaker 1: co anchor, Jim Donley, was the best. His sportscaster, Ed Engles, 564 00:41:28,715 --> 00:41:32,955 Speaker 1: was the best. Their reporters were the best. His weather 565 00:41:32,995 --> 00:41:36,675 Speaker 1: man was the best. His traffic guys were the best. 566 00:41:36,755 --> 00:41:42,235 Speaker 1: His jingles were the best. I listened daily in high school, 567 00:41:42,475 --> 00:41:44,915 Speaker 1: and when I was home from college, I did not 568 00:41:45,155 --> 00:41:49,355 Speaker 1: take literal notes, only mental ones. My graduation, if I 569 00:41:49,435 --> 00:41:52,035 Speaker 1: made it, was seven weeks away. I had never worked 570 00:41:52,035 --> 00:41:54,275 Speaker 1: in television in any form, but I had been on 571 00:41:54,395 --> 00:41:57,555 Speaker 1: radio two or three thousand times by that point, and 572 00:41:57,595 --> 00:42:00,075 Speaker 1: I thought I was pretty good at it. In the 573 00:42:00,155 --> 00:42:03,355 Speaker 1: preceding months, as I tried to get a job somewhere, 574 00:42:03,435 --> 00:42:06,915 Speaker 1: I had flooded every radio station in every major market 575 00:42:06,955 --> 00:42:09,995 Speaker 1: in the Northeast with a demo tape and a resume. 576 00:42:10,635 --> 00:42:13,475 Speaker 1: I figured I might as well start in my home 577 00:42:13,555 --> 00:42:16,715 Speaker 1: of New York and not eliminate a potential job, no 578 00:42:16,755 --> 00:42:18,955 Speaker 1: matter how long a long shot it might have been. 579 00:42:19,475 --> 00:42:21,355 Speaker 1: If I was not good enough to work there, I 580 00:42:21,395 --> 00:42:24,595 Speaker 1: concluded I should let the people who ran New York's 581 00:42:24,675 --> 00:42:28,315 Speaker 1: radio stations decide that, since that's what they were paid 582 00:42:28,475 --> 00:42:33,075 Speaker 1: to do. To this point, they in fact had decided 583 00:42:33,155 --> 00:42:37,955 Speaker 1: exactly that. None of them had responded. I got a 584 00:42:37,995 --> 00:42:40,635 Speaker 1: few nibbles from some of the smaller stations, but as 585 00:42:40,635 --> 00:42:44,235 Speaker 1: of April eight, and as it turned into April nine, 586 00:42:44,235 --> 00:42:49,795 Speaker 1: I had zero job prospects in local radio. Other friends 587 00:42:49,795 --> 00:42:53,515 Speaker 1: were getting offers in Waterbury, Connecticut and Laconia, New Hampshire, 588 00:42:54,035 --> 00:42:58,235 Speaker 1: the thought of which filled me with abject terror. And now, 589 00:42:58,795 --> 00:43:02,915 Speaker 1: after this ordeal by Snow, after the w n W 590 00:43:03,235 --> 00:43:06,955 Speaker 1: whose and his father's near fatal decision to remove the 591 00:43:06,955 --> 00:43:10,715 Speaker 1: winter tires. Here in my hand was a letter from 592 00:43:10,715 --> 00:43:13,515 Speaker 1: the man who was, to my mind, the best radio 593 00:43:13,635 --> 00:43:18,675 Speaker 1: newscaster I had ever heard. Obviously it would be a rejection. 594 00:43:19,315 --> 00:43:22,155 Speaker 1: But even in that moment, even at my age twenty 595 00:43:22,235 --> 00:43:26,315 Speaker 1: years two months and change, I was awe struck not 596 00:43:26,395 --> 00:43:30,355 Speaker 1: only that leu Adler had replied, but that he alone, 597 00:43:30,755 --> 00:43:35,395 Speaker 1: of all of them, had replied. I believe I did 598 00:43:35,435 --> 00:43:38,875 Speaker 1: not remove my parka before I opened the envelope. I 599 00:43:38,915 --> 00:43:42,275 Speaker 1: did put on one lamp in my apartment, and I 600 00:43:42,315 --> 00:43:47,435 Speaker 1: read on the envelope, and then in the letter. W 601 00:43:47,595 --> 00:43:51,035 Speaker 1: CBS CBS Radio, a division of CBS Inc. Fifty one 602 00:43:51,115 --> 00:43:53,715 Speaker 1: West fifty second Street, New York, New York, one double 603 00:43:53,995 --> 00:43:57,315 Speaker 1: zero one nine two one two nine seven five four 604 00:43:57,435 --> 00:44:02,075 Speaker 1: three two one April three, seventy nine, Mr Keith Alverman, 605 00:44:02,115 --> 00:44:09,395 Speaker 1: two seven Delaware Avenue, Eaco, New York, Oh, Dear Mr Olberman, 606 00:44:09,995 --> 00:44:13,435 Speaker 1: this will reply to your letter of March, with which 607 00:44:13,475 --> 00:44:15,915 Speaker 1: you included a tape of your sports work on w 608 00:44:16,155 --> 00:44:19,995 Speaker 1: v b R FM. Sometimes it's hard to know what 609 00:44:20,075 --> 00:44:24,715 Speaker 1: a man can do by listening to a brief tape. Wait, 610 00:44:24,915 --> 00:44:30,395 Speaker 1: I thought a man which which which man, oh me. 611 00:44:31,475 --> 00:44:33,595 Speaker 1: Sometimes it's hard to know what a man can do 612 00:44:33,715 --> 00:44:36,635 Speaker 1: by listening to a brief tape. But I must tell 613 00:44:36,675 --> 00:44:39,835 Speaker 1: you I was excited by what I heard of yours. 614 00:44:40,395 --> 00:44:43,955 Speaker 1: I think you have exceptional talent and poise considering your 615 00:44:43,995 --> 00:44:47,875 Speaker 1: age and experience. You read well, and you write well, 616 00:44:48,195 --> 00:44:51,035 Speaker 1: and you know how to use tape. If the short 617 00:44:51,115 --> 00:44:54,355 Speaker 1: tape is truly representative of what you can do, and 618 00:44:54,435 --> 00:44:57,635 Speaker 1: if your knowledge of sports is broad, and if you 619 00:44:57,675 --> 00:45:00,955 Speaker 1: can perform under pressure well, then I feel you have 620 00:45:01,035 --> 00:45:06,235 Speaker 1: an excellent future in this industry. By now, my heart 621 00:45:06,355 --> 00:45:09,195 Speaker 1: was beating so furiously I could hear it in my head. 622 00:45:09,595 --> 00:45:11,875 Speaker 1: I was this close to hearing it make the woo 623 00:45:11,915 --> 00:45:16,555 Speaker 1: woo sound in my head. I think it might be, 624 00:45:17,315 --> 00:45:22,195 Speaker 1: he continued, a good idea for us to meet. Let 625 00:45:22,275 --> 00:45:24,315 Speaker 1: me know when you can make it to New York. 626 00:45:25,115 --> 00:45:27,955 Speaker 1: I have nothing here for you, and I know of 627 00:45:28,075 --> 00:45:31,795 Speaker 1: nothing solid. But if I feel as strongly about your 628 00:45:31,795 --> 00:45:35,195 Speaker 1: potential after we meet as I do now, a meeting 629 00:45:35,355 --> 00:45:40,995 Speaker 1: certainly could do you no harm. Sincerely, Louis c Adler, 630 00:45:41,355 --> 00:45:50,915 Speaker 1: Director News, Operations and Programs l C A slash p P. George, 631 00:45:51,115 --> 00:45:53,275 Speaker 1: I screamed into the phone. Can we drive back to 632 00:45:53,315 --> 00:45:56,395 Speaker 1: the city right now, I'll buy a new snow tires. 633 00:45:57,955 --> 00:46:01,435 Speaker 1: George swore at me, and then I read him the letter, 634 00:46:01,955 --> 00:46:05,355 Speaker 1: and he paused, now we should and go tonight. You're 635 00:46:05,355 --> 00:46:07,195 Speaker 1: not gonna get to see him tomorrow, wait till you 636 00:46:07,235 --> 00:46:09,915 Speaker 1: get your appointment. But but Jesus, this is like the 637 00:46:09,955 --> 00:46:12,035 Speaker 1: manager of the Yankees asking you to stop by the 638 00:46:12,075 --> 00:46:14,555 Speaker 1: stadium and bring your glove and bat just in case. 639 00:46:17,835 --> 00:46:21,115 Speaker 1: I think I got to sleep at sunrise. I had 640 00:46:21,155 --> 00:46:24,995 Speaker 1: read the Adler letter by then twenty or thirty times, 641 00:46:25,035 --> 00:46:27,555 Speaker 1: and not until the fifteenth or so did I stop 642 00:46:27,635 --> 00:46:30,995 Speaker 1: expecting it to have turned back into some courteous form 643 00:46:31,155 --> 00:46:36,915 Speaker 1: letter rejection badly zeroxten slightly off center. Slowly it dawned 644 00:46:36,955 --> 00:46:39,475 Speaker 1: on me that my own assessment of my skills in 645 00:46:39,635 --> 00:46:43,555 Speaker 1: radio were not predicated on the ego I already had, 646 00:46:44,235 --> 00:46:46,515 Speaker 1: or even the context of what else I could hear 647 00:46:46,635 --> 00:46:50,915 Speaker 1: on radio in Ithaca, which was then the three hundred 648 00:46:50,955 --> 00:46:55,515 Speaker 1: and fifty first largest radio market in the country. I 649 00:46:55,595 --> 00:46:58,995 Speaker 1: cannot describe now the sense of validation, except to say 650 00:46:58,995 --> 00:47:03,235 Speaker 1: that I have seriously considered not taking Lou Adler up 651 00:47:03,235 --> 00:47:06,835 Speaker 1: on his offer to meet him at CBS World headquarters 652 00:47:07,195 --> 00:47:12,955 Speaker 1: black Rock itself, where William S. Paley would be working upstairs. 653 00:47:13,755 --> 00:47:16,515 Speaker 1: Because short of offering me a job, there really was 654 00:47:16,555 --> 00:47:19,635 Speaker 1: no chance Mr Adler could do or say anything more 655 00:47:20,235 --> 00:47:23,515 Speaker 1: that could make me feel better nor more confident that 656 00:47:23,635 --> 00:47:26,435 Speaker 1: my dream of becoming a sportscaster would not lead me 657 00:47:26,515 --> 00:47:33,635 Speaker 1: to starvation or Laconia, New Hampshire, or both. In fact, 658 00:47:33,835 --> 00:47:37,795 Speaker 1: in person, lew Adler found more things to say to me. 659 00:47:38,515 --> 00:47:41,115 Speaker 1: If I had an opening for a sportscaster right now, 660 00:47:41,195 --> 00:47:44,315 Speaker 1: I would seriously consider you for it. I would hesitate 661 00:47:44,355 --> 00:47:47,075 Speaker 1: because of your age and because of your lack of experience, 662 00:47:47,115 --> 00:47:51,875 Speaker 1: and then I'd probably do it anyway. He was as 663 00:47:51,915 --> 00:47:56,155 Speaker 1: warm and supportive and as informal as his letter had been, 664 00:47:56,195 --> 00:47:59,515 Speaker 1: structured and serious and tempered. Let me take you on 665 00:47:59,555 --> 00:48:03,435 Speaker 1: a tour. We saw the live w CBS studios, the 666 00:48:03,475 --> 00:48:07,555 Speaker 1: production studios, the writer's area. I wasn't just speechless, I 667 00:48:07,635 --> 00:48:11,395 Speaker 1: was again breathless. And you should probably recognize this man 668 00:48:11,395 --> 00:48:14,355 Speaker 1: by voice, if not by sight, Lou Adler said to me, 669 00:48:14,755 --> 00:48:17,995 Speaker 1: Keith Olberman, meet our sports director, Ed Angles. Ed this 670 00:48:18,075 --> 00:48:22,275 Speaker 1: is Keith. This is the fellow with the tape. Ed 671 00:48:22,315 --> 00:48:26,275 Speaker 1: Angles took a moment, then his eyes brightened and widened. Hi, 672 00:48:26,835 --> 00:48:30,035 Speaker 1: what a tape, Jesus, Lou, don't tell me you've hired him? 673 00:48:30,115 --> 00:48:34,835 Speaker 1: Did you fire me? And I must confess I thought 674 00:48:34,875 --> 00:48:37,235 Speaker 1: for a second it might have happened. I did not 675 00:48:37,395 --> 00:48:40,755 Speaker 1: shrink from the fantasy as much as I liked at Angles. 676 00:48:41,435 --> 00:48:46,355 Speaker 1: Adler laughed, Now, Eddie, Then he paused, not yet. We 677 00:48:46,395 --> 00:48:49,675 Speaker 1: went back to Adwer's office. Have you got any job prospects? 678 00:48:50,155 --> 00:48:52,395 Speaker 1: I explained that a month earlier, thanks to a chain 679 00:48:52,435 --> 00:48:56,035 Speaker 1: of recommendations that stretched from my internship at Channel five 680 00:48:56,075 --> 00:48:59,835 Speaker 1: Television the year before, through a young ABC Sports executive 681 00:48:59,915 --> 00:49:02,995 Speaker 1: named Bob Iger to a friend of a friend of 682 00:49:03,035 --> 00:49:05,635 Speaker 1: a friend of a friend of his. I had met 683 00:49:05,675 --> 00:49:08,955 Speaker 1: everybody at the radio network of United Press International, and 684 00:49:08,955 --> 00:49:10,955 Speaker 1: I was supposed to go back and see them about 685 00:49:10,995 --> 00:49:17,155 Speaker 1: working their freelance as summer vacation relief doing sportscasts and newscasts. 686 00:49:17,835 --> 00:49:21,155 Speaker 1: And Lou Adware said that would be ideal for you. 687 00:49:21,275 --> 00:49:24,035 Speaker 1: It is a tough place to work, and they don't pay, 688 00:49:24,155 --> 00:49:26,275 Speaker 1: but it is here in the city, and every other 689 00:49:26,355 --> 00:49:29,155 Speaker 1: radio station in this country will hear you on the feed. 690 00:49:29,835 --> 00:49:32,955 Speaker 1: And and that's where we hired at Angles from. So 691 00:49:33,075 --> 00:49:36,475 Speaker 1: if we have an opening, he smiled broadly. I can 692 00:49:36,515 --> 00:49:39,315 Speaker 1: poach you, and I can get you here in two weeks. 693 00:49:40,915 --> 00:49:43,835 Speaker 1: Lou Adware suggested the CBS station in Atlanta would be 694 00:49:43,875 --> 00:49:46,435 Speaker 1: needing a sportscast here in a few months. I'll stay 695 00:49:46,435 --> 00:49:48,475 Speaker 1: on top of that. They already have a copy of 696 00:49:48,475 --> 00:49:50,835 Speaker 1: your tape. I hope you don't mind. In fact, I 697 00:49:50,875 --> 00:49:53,395 Speaker 1: made several copies of your tape. If U p I 698 00:49:53,515 --> 00:49:55,635 Speaker 1: doesn't work out, I am confident you'll be offered that 699 00:49:55,755 --> 00:49:59,035 Speaker 1: job in Atlanta, and probably quite a few other jobs. 700 00:49:59,555 --> 00:50:01,435 Speaker 1: I hope I've been of some help. Stay in touch 701 00:50:01,955 --> 00:50:06,155 Speaker 1: one of the privileges of this job, he said, to 702 00:50:06,275 --> 00:50:09,675 Speaker 1: be able to help. And then he said, but frankly, 703 00:50:09,675 --> 00:50:12,795 Speaker 1: you're not going to need that much help. I may 704 00:50:12,795 --> 00:50:15,635 Speaker 1: have taken the train back to my folks house, or 705 00:50:15,715 --> 00:50:19,315 Speaker 1: I may have walked the twenty miles or just floated 706 00:50:20,595 --> 00:50:23,235 Speaker 1: as it worked out. The up I job worked out 707 00:50:23,715 --> 00:50:27,515 Speaker 1: full time. Two months later, at the first game I covered, 708 00:50:27,555 --> 00:50:29,715 Speaker 1: I walked into the press box at Chase Stadium and 709 00:50:29,755 --> 00:50:32,635 Speaker 1: there was ed angles from w CBS. Thank god you 710 00:50:32,675 --> 00:50:34,915 Speaker 1: went to U P I. The way Adwerd went on 711 00:50:35,035 --> 00:50:37,075 Speaker 1: about you, I seriously wondered if he was planning to 712 00:50:37,115 --> 00:50:40,515 Speaker 1: bring you in and kick me out. The Atlanta offer 713 00:50:40,555 --> 00:50:44,355 Speaker 1: that Lou Adware had arranged came, I turned it down. 714 00:50:44,795 --> 00:50:46,515 Speaker 1: About a year later, I got a call from Lou 715 00:50:46,515 --> 00:50:49,395 Speaker 1: Adward's assistant saying they were going to need a new 716 00:50:49,435 --> 00:50:52,395 Speaker 1: afternoon sportscaster at w CBS and would I send a 717 00:50:52,435 --> 00:50:56,475 Speaker 1: new tape. But by that fall, when the job finally opened, 718 00:50:57,075 --> 00:51:00,395 Speaker 1: Adwer was leaving w CBS to become news director and 719 00:51:00,555 --> 00:51:03,635 Speaker 1: vice president of another New York station, w o R. 720 00:51:04,355 --> 00:51:07,155 Speaker 1: His accessor at w CBS would choose somebody else for 721 00:51:07,235 --> 00:51:09,915 Speaker 1: their job, just as I heard from the people who 722 00:51:10,035 --> 00:51:13,315 Speaker 1: ran the radio network that the w R folks had 723 00:51:13,355 --> 00:51:18,275 Speaker 1: started the year before. That was not coincidental either, Lou 724 00:51:18,315 --> 00:51:23,915 Speaker 1: Adwer had also sent them my tape. There is inevitably 725 00:51:23,995 --> 00:51:27,395 Speaker 1: a punchline to these stories. In two thousand six or 726 00:51:27,475 --> 00:51:30,475 Speaker 1: two thousand seven, when Countdown had become the highest rated 727 00:51:30,475 --> 00:51:34,035 Speaker 1: cable news program that was not on Fox, an email 728 00:51:34,355 --> 00:51:38,195 Speaker 1: appeared in my inbox at work. I couldn't believe the 729 00:51:38,275 --> 00:51:42,435 Speaker 1: name of the sender, Lou Adler. He began just as 730 00:51:42,435 --> 00:51:45,555 Speaker 1: formally as he had in nine nine. He actually felt 731 00:51:45,555 --> 00:51:49,195 Speaker 1: it was necessary to remind me of his letter. He 732 00:51:49,235 --> 00:51:51,395 Speaker 1: said he watched the show nightly, and when he found 733 00:51:51,395 --> 00:51:54,435 Speaker 1: other viewers of the program, he told them the story proudly. 734 00:51:54,475 --> 00:52:02,595 Speaker 1: He said. He actually asked if I remembered, it still 735 00:52:02,675 --> 00:52:09,275 Speaker 1: chokes me up. Immediately, I wrote him back, remembered, remembered. 736 00:52:10,195 --> 00:52:12,235 Speaker 1: I told him I still had the letter, and I 737 00:52:12,235 --> 00:52:14,195 Speaker 1: still had the sense of confidence that had given me 738 00:52:14,435 --> 00:52:16,195 Speaker 1: that it was central to my decision to more or 739 00:52:16,275 --> 00:52:19,155 Speaker 1: less give up my sports career later at the age 740 00:52:19,155 --> 00:52:21,835 Speaker 1: of thirty eight and try news. And I told him 741 00:52:21,875 --> 00:52:24,435 Speaker 1: the whole driving back to Ithaca and the snow tires 742 00:52:24,435 --> 00:52:27,555 Speaker 1: story which I had left out in told him that 743 00:52:27,675 --> 00:52:30,955 Speaker 1: just for fun. And now Lou Adler wrote back again 744 00:52:30,995 --> 00:52:33,955 Speaker 1: within minutes. He had just retired after running the mass 745 00:52:33,955 --> 00:52:37,595 Speaker 1: communications program at Quinnipiac College, and he said that he'd 746 00:52:37,595 --> 00:52:40,715 Speaker 1: had a strong sense of his career having been nothing 747 00:52:40,755 --> 00:52:43,795 Speaker 1: more than the proverbial punch into a pail of water. 748 00:52:45,035 --> 00:52:48,435 Speaker 1: Now it was my turn to reassure him that the 749 00:52:48,515 --> 00:52:54,875 Speaker 1: people like me he supported and taught and broadcast too, 750 00:52:55,555 --> 00:53:01,915 Speaker 1: had long since begun to support and teach the next generation, 751 00:53:02,315 --> 00:53:04,795 Speaker 1: and that generation was already supporting the one. I do 752 00:53:04,915 --> 00:53:08,995 Speaker 1: that and there would be people in this business, his business, 753 00:53:09,675 --> 00:53:13,995 Speaker 1: beginning their careers after both of us were dead, who 754 00:53:14,035 --> 00:53:16,835 Speaker 1: would owe debt of gratitude, whether or not they ever 755 00:53:16,915 --> 00:53:22,515 Speaker 1: knew it to Lou Adler, a debt of gratitude the 756 00:53:22,555 --> 00:53:28,555 Speaker 1: same as I always would. Lou Adler died five years 757 00:53:28,555 --> 00:53:32,675 Speaker 1: ago last month at the age. There are letters and 758 00:53:32,795 --> 00:53:36,435 Speaker 1: photos in the hallway that leads from the front door 759 00:53:36,475 --> 00:53:42,675 Speaker 1: of my home. The letters and pictures are from Barack Obama, 760 00:53:43,275 --> 00:53:50,435 Speaker 1: Bill Clinton, Jimmy Carter, Joe Biden, and Lou Adler. M 761 00:54:05,075 --> 00:54:07,355 Speaker 1: Countdown has come to you from the studios of Alderman 762 00:54:07,395 --> 00:54:11,515 Speaker 1: Broadcasting Empire World headquarters in the Sports Capsule Building in 763 00:54:11,555 --> 00:54:14,315 Speaker 1: New York, which is eight blocks from where I met 764 00:54:14,355 --> 00:54:19,555 Speaker 1: Lou Adler in Thank you for listening. If you have 765 00:54:19,595 --> 00:54:24,115 Speaker 1: not subscribed, please do so, because we can never have 766 00:54:24,235 --> 00:54:27,275 Speaker 1: enough subscribers. Here are the credits. Most of the music, 767 00:54:27,315 --> 00:54:30,555 Speaker 1: including our theme from Beethoven's Ninth arranged, produced and performed 768 00:54:30,755 --> 00:54:34,115 Speaker 1: by Brian Ray and John Philip Channel. Bryan and John 769 00:54:34,155 --> 00:54:37,995 Speaker 1: are the Countdown musical directors. All orchestration and keyboards by 770 00:54:38,075 --> 00:54:40,915 Speaker 1: John Philip Chanelle. Guitars based on drums by Brian Ray 771 00:54:41,155 --> 00:54:44,675 Speaker 1: and produced by t k O Brothers. Other Beethoven selections 772 00:54:44,675 --> 00:54:47,635 Speaker 1: have been arranged and performed by No Horns Allowed. The 773 00:54:47,675 --> 00:54:51,075 Speaker 1: sports music is the Ulderman theme from ESPN two, and 774 00:54:51,155 --> 00:54:54,435 Speaker 1: it was written by Mitch Warren Davis courtesy of ESPN, Inc. 775 00:54:54,915 --> 00:54:58,315 Speaker 1: Musical comments from Nancy Faust The best baseball stadium organist ever. 776 00:54:58,715 --> 00:55:01,395 Speaker 1: Our announcer today was Richard Lewis, and everything else was 777 00:55:01,435 --> 00:55:04,635 Speaker 1: pretty much my fault, although some of it is Lou 778 00:55:04,675 --> 00:55:09,395 Speaker 1: Adler's responsibility. That's countdown for this the sty third day 779 00:55:09,675 --> 00:55:12,915 Speaker 1: since Donald Trump's first attempted coup against the democratically elected 780 00:55:12,915 --> 00:55:16,675 Speaker 1: government of the United States. Arrest him now while we 781 00:55:16,755 --> 00:55:21,035 Speaker 1: still can. The next scheduled countdown is tomorrow. I'm Keith Olverman. 782 00:55:21,115 --> 00:55:36,235 Speaker 1: Good morning, good afternoon, good night, and good luck. Countdown 783 00:55:36,315 --> 00:55:39,315 Speaker 1: with Keith Olderman is a production of I heart Radio. 784 00:55:39,555 --> 00:55:42,475 Speaker 1: For more podcasts from I heart Radio, visit the i 785 00:55:42,595 --> 00:55:46,955 Speaker 1: heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.