Norman Chad doesn’t mince words on Tony Kornheiser.

Tony seems like the type where when he’s done with you, he’s done with you. He’s also admitted to loving grudges.

But as he would say, the answer to all of your questions is money. Tony makes more money for ESPN and Rydholm than Norman Chad.

 

I produced Norman Chad a few times in Vegas and I have to come to his defense. They asked, he answered, and even stressed that it’s only when asked about Mr. Tony that he talks about him.
I found Norm to be genuine, funny, authentic. An open book. What you see is what you get.

 

On the other side, I worked with people that worked with Tony and they said he's a total diva and PITA (and he can't spell for shit I am told and his editors had to correct common stuff all the time).
I had a chance to sit in on a PTI taping (Wilbon, shockingly LOL, was on the road) and after the show he had me come over to say hi and get a shot of him and I at the desk. While chatting I mentioned I also worked in newspapers and used to do TV.
"Yeah, but I make waaaay more money than you do," he said with a smug grin. I just kind laughed it off, but it was a pretty dick response. Funny, but dickish. He could have asked anything about my career, just to have some small chit-chat... instead he made it about himself and how much "better" he is than me because he's, like, 30 years my senior?
I mean, I still watch PTI daily ... but, you know ... never meet your idols as they say.

 

Thank you.

 

Same here. I've met him a few times and talked face to face.
I didn't care about his height. He was a giant anyway, and fun to talk with.

Also, I denounce myself for the humblebrag. But there I was, talking baseball with Bob Costas.

 

Agreed. I don’t know why there is so much hate for that dude.

 

I wouldn’t go as far as calling the guy a douche, but he’s enamored with himself.

I attended tapings for a couple of his podcasts when he had the restaurant in D.C. He enjoys the attention and the perch he’s on. His podcast has gone downhill since he stopped having his regulars on. He says it’s about COVID and not finding a studio space, but be easily could host from home and find a way for folks to Zoom in. His son knows how to works a computer. He doesn’t want to.

Love the TK fans I’ve met, though. They are (mostly) smart and funny.

 

Stopped listening to his WTEM show years ago when it was just old guy with money whining about things in between humble bragging about the golf courses you played.

 

I'll take your humblebrag and kick it up a notch: I've seen Costas' dick.

OK to be precise, I pissed alongside him in Busch Stadium's press box men's room one day and while I can't honestly say I've seen his dick because well I'm not a side-peeper (I swear!) but I can attest to him being a dick...

A few innings before the 7th inning stretch pee-break, the official scorer of the game made some sort of questionable call on a questionable call and Costas called him out on it, across the room in the press box. I mean, he went on and on, so much so that the elderly gent (I can't recall who it was, I was 19 so he may have been 44 and seemed 94 to me at the time!) was visibly upset. Fast forward a couple of innings and there I am, taking a slash alongside Costas, when the aforementioned not-necessarily-elderly official scorer wanders into the bathroom. As soon as Costas sees him, he launches into him again about how he misinterpreted the rule, didn't see it right, should make a change, blah blah blah. I mean, he was pretty hot about it. It was bizarre enough to make a lasting impression on me, and it comes to mind now and again because stories about Costas' being less than pleasant are commonplace.

 

I am a loyal little and at one point had a couple of emails a week read. Tony is toast — the Chatter era was a wasted opportunity and the working from home has been brutal. I doubt that I listen to more than a show a week. Only so much Nats talk and stores about his son’s golf/fatherhood that I can take.

 

I haven't had a sig on my BYH2 account, but I might now!

And since we've humblebragjacked this...like many here, I've heard some tales of Costas being unpleasant, even to his hometown area. But I met him a few years ago and he couldn't have been nicer. I was introduced to him by a mutual friend and Costas says something like "Oh yeah, I know who you are" and made me part of the conversation he was having with the mutual friend. And as someone who grew up watching the ever-youthful Bob on NBC's baseball coverage and remembers why his son's middle name is Kirby, I was like, you know what, this is pretty fucking cool.

 

Again, same here. And it went off like this:

We were all, a giant bunch of media types from many different avenues, at a big banquet one night to honor a beloved Hall of Famer. And Costas was the emcee, and the dinner and then the tributes lasted about three hours and overtime, and then when it finally broke up, most people headed for the exits, and I mean quickly, but Costas came down off the stage into the big banquet area, probably just to spread his wings stretch his arms and relax for a few minutes, and that's when we saw him down there near us, so of course we bum-rushed him just for the chance at ... whatever.

Hey, we were young, and it was Bob Costas, at the height of his fame. Damn right we ran right at his face.

And Bob – may I call him that now? – anyway, Mr. Costas saw us coming at that point, and his eyes sorta rolled back in his head for a half-second, like, "JFC, here come the fanbois again," and so we all but shouted, "Wait, we're with XYYZZZ! Just wanted to say hi!"

And at that point our new pal Bob relaxed, visibly and with a short sigh of relief, as he realized we weren't autograph hounds or something dumber and worse, and he graciously allowed us effin' young studs (and a studdette!) to stand there with him for 20 minutes and just shoot the shit and ask him whatever we wanted to ask him, and so we just ate it up and we still talk about that moment, that generous and candid conversation, so many years later.

Hey, Bob Costas is not my god. But he couldn't have been a nicer guy the times we met.
Others' mileage might vary, of course. But he's not Skip Bayless, either. ... ... ... Thanks, Bob!