Tony Kornheiser announced on his radio show this morning that he has accepted a buyout from the Washington Post, effectively retiring him as a newspaper writer/worker. Kornheiser has been at the Post since 1979 and for a pair of generations -- ours and our parents -- is probably considered the most important sports journalism voice from the Capitol area. Kornheiser sounded (as transcribed by Dan Steinberg) melancholy about his departure.
"All I ever wanted to be was a newspaper writer," he said, which is likely not something that anyone under the age of 30 will ever say again. "This other stuff is great, but I don't care about it," he continued. "In my mind that's what it says on the headstone, it says 'newspaper guy.' "Wow. I know that last sentence is not word-for-word from Tony's mouth, but what does that say about his relationship with ESPN? Lacks moral high ground but involves a ton of money? Maybe. If that's the case, and I sense that plugging every ABC/Disney product in sight is not his idea of "moral high ground", then it's kind of sad to think that Kornheiser will eventually be known for that work and not his WaPo writing.
But he also said he signed the papers to take the Post's buyout last night, after working here for, I believe, 29 years. He said he still might contract with The Post to do his Talking Points videos and his Page 2 excerpts, and he said some people in the leadership asked him to stay but didn't really insist, and even though he'll keep doing PTI and the radio show and MNF, he said he feared he'd never have the moral high ground again.
Don't get me wrong -- this has been coming fro some time now. TK has always been a "superstar" sports journalist in the print world, but he didn't become a household name until he and Michael Wilbon brought Pardon the Interruption to the brain numbing airwaves of future generations in 2001. So to think that the the Post could keep him on forever, especially with his activities there dwindling in comparison to his work at the WWL and budgets at newspapers getting consistently trimmed, this is no huge shock.
The sad thing isn't that the Around the Horn evil-spinoff-spawn type shows and the Monday Night Football announcing will taint Tony's legacy. I don't think they will. The sad thing is that America, because we have short attention spans and are obsessed with this "final legacy" idea, will remember him as a TV guy simply because his career will end at ESPN instead of the Washington Post.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
5-14-2008 @ 12:13PM
Dan said...
The moral high ground? He's been on TV for years now; he gave up that moral high ground a long, long time ago. In addition, he hasn't been a "newspaper guy" for what feels like eons. He occasionally writes for the Post, but they're the tiniest, skimpiest snippets you'll ever find - hardly worth the trouble, and so short as to be lacking insight or real humor.
If he wanted to be a newspaper guy, he'd have given up some TV/radio and, I dunno, contributed to a newspaper instead of stealing their money for the past few years. It's a shame, because he's far more likeable and respectable in print than he is on the air.
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5-14-2008 @ 12:33PM
Amy said...
Don't be hatin' on Tony. I LOVE PTI. Tony and Wilbon are the best!
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5-14-2008 @ 2:36PM
john said...
Get Tony Kornholer off the air and out of print. He is such a bore and hard to look at!
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5-17-2008 @ 2:20AM
Steve said...
What a piece of shit this Toni Kornholer!!!!
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5-15-2008 @ 12:33PM
Don Hodshire said...
I am not a 24/7 sports guy, but it's interesting to put a face to a name thanks to ESPN. I have know TK for some time in the print media. Another face/name is Bill Platsski (YES, I spelled it wrong!) from the LA Times. Living in the Mountain time zone, you know that void between Chicago and LA I have become a fan of his writing. I look forward y'alls comments.
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5-15-2008 @ 10:58PM
Jim said...
I used to listen to Tony when he was on in Chicago, and he is a broadcasting genius. His rants were legendary, and I've often thought he had the best sportstalk radio show I've ever heard. Most of what's available in Chicago is this local dreck that gets shoveled down our throats, loud, obnoxious idiots who get airplay because they have Chicago connections, and that's a shame. Tony rubs some people the wrong way, but he's an interesting guy who is not afraid to be self-deprecating or rebellious. I still remember his standoff with ESPN radio that ultimately led to his dismissal. Unlike most people who work there, he didn't back down, and it cost him his job. He's a cool guy.
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5-15-2008 @ 12:32PM
MaryRuth Smith said...
I'm so glad you are on the radio, Channel 144 on XM.
Yet I dialed in because you are the English Major who wrote for the Post and indeed sports was only the back drop for all the rest of your interests and humor. The other day you were talking about having the "clicker" and I knew exactly what you meant.
Let us all know when you get your OPN up and going.
What a tremendous idea! Even the youngsters around
fifty will want to know what's ahead for them as you shout out "When did that happen?" and "What am I supposed to do with it?"
Tony and his cohorts on a riff makes my day which I often will retell at the supper table for others in my family to hear.
A 66year old white woman who like you doesn't work too hard,
MaryRuth
P.S. By the way, David DuPree has an aunt Catherine
by marriage in PA and Catherine and I are best friends so I was the first to tell her David has a new car, a Hybrid, of course!
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