Norman Chad joins the show to wamboozle us (yep, did it) with his thoughts on the current state of poker, his relationship with the poker brass (and all the backlash for the wife jokes) and his future with ESPN and the WSOP.

We ask Norman about the controversial decision to move the Main Event final table to November (the rest is played in July) and if he thinks the poker boom is over and the game has found its final resting place in the market.

We then keep him on the line to talk about his widely-read weekly column, his $1.25 payouts and if he thinks the demise of newspapers will help his syndication, or hurt it.

Then, in a shock to us, we find out that Norman’s rift with Tony Kornheiser is real.  We brought up Tony as the Orange One retired from the Post yesterday, and Norman gives him one hell of a ‘via con Dios.’  Just.....wow, what you think is media schtick – but these two worked together for a long time, and Norman explains why he feels a bit betrayed.  He even goes so far as to drop a big Sopranos reference, and that can never be good for a relationship.

“With Tony it’s been more problematic and it goes beyond that, but as I like to tell people about Tony, who I’ve known forever and haven’t now for, actually, several months – if not more than a year – to paraphrase Tony Soprano in The Sopranos, about his mother, ‘Tony is dead to me.’

WOW.

Moving on...we also get Norman’s thoughts on Costas Now, and the fallout from Buzz Bissinger (I know, who cares at this point, but he was on the show, so it’s pertinent).  He has some interesting things to say about the subject, as well as some thoughts on Deadspin and Will Leitch - including his response to the column he wrote about watching 24-hours of ESPN.   He had some Deadspin readers come at him a bit after that, so he explains to us, and them, the circumstances.

We end with his likes and dislikes in the sports media world and remind people he does have a book out there, somewhere. 

Honestly, this was the most fascinating and fulfilling telephone conversation I’ve ever been a part of, and my wife lived in California for a year.  Oh, and I think next time he’s in town...we’re going to lunch.

Link to this:

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