ABOUT THE MAN
Looking for an out-of-the-box TK bio, I found this on the Official PTI page on ESPN. I post it verbatim:
Now, the problem is, this is old, as TK is no longer on ESPN Radio, and it’s inaccurate, as TK has written four books (although the first book, “The Baby Chase” was only printed in limited quanities and was not a comedy book). So let’s update this bio. Mr. Tony has had a radio show in one form or another since 1992, with a well publicized “vacation” in July, 2002 and a respite from March to November of 2004. His latest radio show ended on April 28th, 2006 so he could prepare for his job on Monday Night Football as a color analyst. The Man Who Would Be Satchmo has become a quasi-media mogul, competing in all sorts of mediums. TK had a foray is “Listen Up” (CBS, 8:30PM ET Mondays), which he has nothing to do with, but claims two credits. The show is based on his columns, even though the credit says it’s based on his books. The show lasted for one season. A medium Mr. Tony also had a hand in is Satellite Radio, where his show debuted on Feburary 28th, 2005 on XM Channel 152. His last show was April 28th, 2006. Starting in August, 2006, Mr. Tony begins his latest job as a Monday Night Football color analyst alongside Mike Tirico and Joe Theismann. Monday Night Football will air on ESPN. Yeah, that didn’t last long, did it? Starting in September 2016, Tony started his own Podcast show, which used to be broadcast from an undisclosed location. Now it’s done at his restaurant, Chatter.
ABOUT THE BOOKSOK, they’re not books… They’re compilations of Tony’s Style Columns from the Washington Post. They’re very entertaining and I suggest you go pick one up at a trendy bookstore like Barnes and Noble or Borders… Or heck, go to the library… You know what a library is, right? It’s a big building with books. It was like a big old Internet before the Internet was prevalent. Did you know people used to have library cards, too? I’m not kidding. You’d be able to get books for free, but you had to bring them back or pay late fees! But I digress…
Pumping Irony: Working Out The Angst of a LifetimeThe first of Tony’s collections is filled with laughs and chuckles. It’s vintage Mr. Tony at a not so vintage price. The problem is, this book is out of print, so finding it may be difficult. Here are some links that can help you out. Barnes and Noble Search
Bald As I Wanna BeThe title of this book is based on the best selling book Bad As I Wanna Be by Dennis Rodman where Dennis posed nude on a motorcycle. Thankfully, Mr. Tony posed fully clothed. It’s rumored that this was done to make the book sellable. Another major difference between this book and Rodman’s book is that Tony’s book is written in English. Teachers hail this as a major plus. This compilation continues with more fine columns from Mr. Tony’s style section. It’s a good read, and I suggest you pick it up today.
I’m Back for More Cash: A Tony Kornheiser Collection (Because You Can’t Take Two Hundred Newspapers into the Bathroom)Such a long title for so little entertainment! You know, I wrote a review on Amazon.com for this book. Here it is: ———- Tony Kornheiser reissuing his mildly amusing columns in book form for the American public: Classic! Tony Kornheiser consistently shilling his wares ad nausem to the point of submission: Not Classic! I was flipping through the channels a couple of months ago when I landed on a show called “Pardon the Interruption” (heretofore known as PTI). I found myself captivated by the orange talking head we all know as Tony. His sparring sessions with Michael Wilbon were so entertaining, I automatically set the TiVo to tape this show every day so when I got home from work, I could see these two bicker until their heads spin. About a month later, I found Tony’s show on ESPN Radio. This show is even better than the PTI show, because it’s just Tony whining and complaining about every little thing (similar to another person I’m a big fan of, David Letterman, except in a more incessant, New Yorker tone). Finding out that Mr. Tony is also a fellow displaced Long Islander, I became an instant fan. I also noticed that Tony had three books in publication. I’ve read two of them (Bald As I Wanna Be and Pumping Irony), and I found them to be endlessly entertaining, albeit a little dated. I’m sure some of these columns from “I’m Back For More Cash” (credit Denis Horgan, Jr. for that one) will seem a little dated (I mean, how long ago was that Clinton stuff?), but I’m sure you’ll still be able to find a laugh in every page, like Larry King did in “Bald as I Wanna Be” (Which I’m still fact checking to see if his recommendation might have been a little flawed). And since Mr. Tony has consistently shilled his book on his radio program, you have no choice but to purchase this book. He’s brainwashed us all. The next thing he’ll want you to do is buy merchandise with his name on it… Oh wait, it’s too late! Get this book, because you should be entertained by it. Rack it. I’m out.
About The Website
The website can thank Brendon Steenbergen for the inspiration for its creation. His old site, AndyPolley.com (which can be found on the Internet WayBack Machine) was the standard bearer. It is the hope of the webmaster to try and recapture that site’s former glory, while adding some features that fans of the show remember from the good ol’ ESPN Message Board days (See Andy Polley’s Happy Fun Time Message Board Extravaganza!). In January, 2006, the website departed from it’s old layout to another layout and color scheme. In September of 2007, the website upgraded with an entirely new look and feel, streamling the most popular features of the board. In September of 2016, the website converted to a WordPress theme to coincide with the new Podcast show.
About the Message Board
for the ridiculous title of Andy Pollin’s SportsCenter report, which Tony won’t call SportsCenter since he believes that’s ESPN’s name. Fans of the show can congregate on the message board and post like they used to in the old ESPN Message Board days, with the difference being that it’s mostly unedited. Overly offensive content, links, images and avatars without the Not Safe For Work denotation (NSFW) will be deleted, but everything else is free reign. The Message Board itself is an upgrade to the old ESPN days. Powered by Snitz Forums 2000, a free message board tool, users can post in multiple boards with graphics, links and forum code. Registration is required to post on the board, but registration is, and always will be, free. The board has gone through several upgrades and iterations. The “paint job” has been updated 3 times over the past year to keep the site fresh. Functionality such as private messaging, polls, Custom Emoticons and Active Users have been added within the past year. In September of 2007, the message board went though a dramatic overhaul to meet with the growing popularity of the site and to take advantage of new Internet technologies. The current framework for the message board uses code from Simple Machines. Several years later, Bill Lehecka realized what a pain SimpleMachines was and converted to a Xenforo board. And there was much rejoicing. Have you stopped in to say hi yet? Well, what are you waiting for?
About The WebmasterBill Lehecka started e-mailing the show regularly In January of 2002 after becoming a regular viewer of the popular ESPN show Pardon the Interruption. After several lame e-mails, Lehecka entered a new realm of annoyance after one particular email which became the basis for his e-mail and message board signature. In June of 2003, Lehecka took the bold step of visiting the WTEM (SportsTalk 980) studios in Silver Spring, MD to visit with Mr. Tony and Andy. The visit wasn’t a total train wreck. Here are some highlights:
On February 15th, 2005, Lehecka opened up This Website Stinks to the public, offering sound clip downloads, a message board, and ways to keep up with the show for non-hardcore listeners. Starting in January, 2006, Lehecka hosted a Podcast highlighting the past events of the week on the site, the message board and the show. But no one liked it, so that was canceled quickly.
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