February 20, 2007
Mister Tony Rides Again
After a 295-day hiatus, Tony Kornheiser is back live on the Washington airwaves. This morning, The Tony Kornheiser Show aired on Washington Post Radio (WTWP, 1500 AM and 107.7 FM). Kornheiser was lured away from Sports Talk 980 (his previous employer) and Dan Snyder's Red Zebra Broadcasting by a generous 3-year contract from WTWP. His return is expected not only to boost WaPo Radio's sagging ratings, but to bring some life to a moribund D.C. radio scene.
Tony picked up where he left off, with his familiar theme music leading into a discussion of Barack Obama's smoking habit.
Smoking is good. Smoking and drinking. I love chicks who smoke and drink.
TK seemed genuinely enthused to get back to radio. During an up-and-down season on Monday Night Football, he never really seemed to find his groove; his exchanges with Mike Tirico and Joe Theismann always exuded varying degrees of restraint, awkwardness, and uncertainty. In contrast, Kornheiser's comfort and confidence were evident from the opening minutes of this morning's program.
Without the eyes of eight-or-so million MNF viewers on him, TK was at his best. True to form, he meandered his way through his WTWP debut before finally approaching actual sports talk at the 24-minute mark. Familiar voices Mike Wilbon and Bob Ryan checked in, although frequent cohort Andy Polley was absent due to contractual obligations.
Though Kornheiser will likely be back on MNF this fall, he is expected to continue his radio show. Welcome back, Tony; your trademark irreverence was sorely missed.
|
I love TK, but he's got to be one of the ugliest people ever allowed on TV regularly.
As TK says, he's got a "face for radio."
I was so surprised this morning when I heard what I thought was a familiar voice coming from the next cubicle over — from the computer of someone who is usually listening to NPR, not sports. So I said casually, "what are you listening to today?"
Made my return from the three-day weekend much more enjoyable, that's for sure! Hooray to TK and to us. "His Show Stinks" better than anyone else!
am i the only person who thinks tony kornheiser sucks?
Skaterboy, you are not at all the only one who thinks TK sucks.
I barely care what he thinks about sports (and seriously, what kind of sports writer actually takes pride in the fact that he knows nothing at all about so many sports-- is it because he's so uncool that he has to be so agressively macho in the sorts he does care about?). I do not care at all what he thinks about chicks who smoke and drink (again with the macho posturing). Or, really, anything else.
Ugh.
I don't think I'm sicker of anyone in Washington.
Kornheiser has already stated that his radio show will go on hiatus during football season, then resume afterward.
As for the man being hated, so is any good radio host. The question is whether there are still fans who will like and support him.
Tony makes the morning fly by. I missed him.