Podcast appearances and mentions of glenn brenner

EPISODE 160: COUNTDOWN WITH KEITH OLBERMANN A-Block (1:41) SPECIAL COMMENT: The Stormy Daniels Grand Jury reconvenes at mid-day Thursday amid a reporting consensus that one last witness will be heard, to rebut the pro-Trump attorney Robert Costello who appeared Monday. But nobody is certain if that will be a Michael Cohen redux or an entirely new witness (CNN even threw out the name Stormy Daniels). So far Costello's main contributions have been the standard Trump hyperbole about "600 pages of evidence the DA has hidden" (almost none of which seems to have any relevance to the Daniels payoff) and one of the great malapropisms of the Trump era. Costello insists he "threw a wrench into their monkey works" - which isn't a thing. The Grand Jury is not expected to do anything but hear testimony so an indictment would seem to shift to next week. But so far everything that seemed logical has proved not to be the case. Happily, the Special Counsel's push to erase Attorney-Client privilege for Trump lawyer Evan Corcoran seems to be clarifying nicely. Trump lost his appeal, seems out of position to go further up the food chain. which means that Corcoran will have to answer six lines of questioning, all of which mainlines back to whether Trump knew that the "certification document" Corcoran wrote and Christina Bobb signed last spring was going to falsely declare that Trump had returned all the Classified Documents he stole. THIS prosecution remains on course and on schedule - unless somebody throws... a monkey into the wrench works. B-Block (15:23) THE WORST PERSONS IN THE WORLD: Ted Cruz and the others who insisted DirecTV was censoring NewsMax when it was actually about money, now STILL insist it was censorship even after a dollar compromise has been reached. MSNBC follows CNN in a sudden lurch to the right as Ari Melber stands up for absolutely nothing and "welcomes" John Kasich as a paid contributor. And the Michigan GOP gets a new "Possession can be transmitted by Sex With Demons" chair and a month later they're tweeting memes of the wedding rings of thousands of Holocaust victims. (21:27) IN SPORTS: Sports Illustrated declares that local sportscasters - once gods in human form - are now dead. Not only did I used to be one of them but I wrote a piece predicting this day...in 1992! C-Block (34:30) THINGS I PROMISED NOT TO TELL: Speaking of local sportscasting: the greatest scoop I ever got while doing it was one where my only real effort was answering the phone from tipsters half a dozen times. The tale of breaking the Wayne Gretzky Trade.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Al Koken on what started his career ~ "All because I jumped out of an airplane." Al Koken, Capitals Reporter and Host, NBC Sports Washington, and host Andy Ockershausen in-studio interview Andy Ockershausen: This is a special, special treat to me on our podcast, a man, and I know that's a cliché and I'm going to say it anyway, needs no introduction, but he likes it. So I'm going to introduce you to a wonderful, wonderful great broadcaster, Smokin' Al Koken. Al Koken: We're using my biblical name then? Is that what we're doing? Andy Ockershausen: Who came up with the "Smokin'"? Glenn Brenner and a True Badge of Honor - "Smokin'Al Koken" Al Koken: It was given to me, and I wear it with a true badge of honor, by the late great Glenn Brenner. Andy Ockershausen: Glenn did that? Al Koken: When I was working with him at Channel 9, it was back in the day. Remember when the third-string quarterback held the clipboard, as opposed to being inactive? Glenn called me the clipboard guy. If he was on vacation, Ken Mease would go Monday through Friday, and I'd fill in for Ken Mease. I was kind of their third guy. Back in the day when the Redskins were on CBS as opposed to Fox, after Redskin home games they would do a Redskin post-game show with Glenn in the studio, and I would be down at RFK Stadium interviewing players. During one of the broadcasts, we come back from commercial, they're going to come down to me, and I'm going to interview a player. Glenn comes back and says, "All right, let's go back down to RFK Stadium and rejoin," and he paused. I'm thinking, did he forget my name? He goes, "Smokin' Al Koken." I kind of laughed, you know. Andy Ockershausen: First time you heard it? Al Koken: Yeah. Of course, the next day, because it was given by Glenn Brenner, people, "Hey, Smokin' Al Koken. Smokin' Al Koken." That's how it stuck, but because it was given to me by somebody who I respect and love so much- Andy Ockershausen: Everybody. Everybody loved Glenn. Al Koken: Yeah, I treat that like a real badge of honor. Andy Ockershausen: One of the things, and, this isn't at all for you, Koken, but it's important. One of the things Janice and I would really look forward to, because they were friends, was the Redskins show on Saturday night. Well, they taped it on Thursday, but John Riggins and Sonny, of course, and George. Before that it was Glenn. It was all those guys. It was about fun. It was a fun show. Stuff I'm watching now, not fun. Al Koken: Right, and directed by our great friend, Ernie Baur, and produced by Ernie Baur. He was a guy who always made sure that the best of what Glenn did, which was off-the-cuff, ad libbing, as you said, having fun, that had to shine through. You couldn't sit there with John Riggins and Sonny Jurgensen and ask serious questions and get people to watch for 30 minutes. You had to have fun with it, and the more off-script they went, the better the show. Andy Ockershausen: You were right, and it doesn't happen anymore. But Al, you are a Missourian. You're from Missouri, but you've gotta be shown. St. Louis. I remember you, we're trying to get you on the phone. They said, "Don't call him during the World Series. He's in St. Louis." That's was the first time I knew you were connected by a lot of things to St. Louis. St. Louis, Missouri Fan - Baseball, Football and Hockey Al Koken: Grew up in St. Louis, and obviously I was a huge St. Louis Baseball Cardinal fan, football fan, St. Louis Blues. That's where I really fell in love with hockey, seeing the St. Louis Blues for the first years of expansion. They came in 1967, and I remember my uncle had some season tickets, and going down and seeing the games, and just mesmerized. I tell everybody- Andy Ockershausen: You lived in the city? Movie "Back to the Future" Based on University City Al Koken: Lived just on the edge. It's called University City. In fact, I'll give you a very quick story about University City.

Gordon Peterson on conversation with colleague Glenn Brenner after they began to work together at Channel 9 ~ "He says to me one day, 'I need to talk to you. This is serious.' He says, 'I’ve been fired from every job I’ve ever had for the stuff I’m doing here and you keep throwing gasoline on the fire. I’m trying to figure out if you’re with me or against me.' I said, 'I’m with you, baby, just trust me.'" Gordon Peterson, Retired Journalist and Legendary News Anchor and Andy Ockershausen in studio interview Andy Ockershausen: This is Our Town with Andy Ockershausen. Like all the rest of us, so much of our guests have grown up in the news business here in Washington. We just decided we wanted people on that everybody knew about, so we've been trying to get this man for the last year, and we finally got it. Gordon Peterson was at one time the dean. I hate to say that, the dean of anchors, but you were. You were older than anybody except Bryson Rash, who died. But the names and people we have on the show talk about Channel 9, and they talk about Gordon Peterson, and inevitably, guys like Sonny Jurgensen who worked with you, the new chief of police is from Worcester. Gordon Peterson: I knew that. Andy Ockershausen: He told me that. I was sitting right here. Then, even your TV director, Ernie Baur. Ernie Baur on Gordon Peterson as "Guy LeGuy" Ernie Baur: So we decided, to do a show with the Caps. This is in January, or something like that. It was 7:30, live audience. Boom. It starts snowing around 9:00 in the morning. Now it's getting deeper, you know? So now I call the Caps up and I go, "You guys think you're going to be able to make it?" "Oh, yeah, yeah. We're hockey players." It's Guy Charron, Danny Belisle, I don't know. So now, we've got eight, six feet of snow, and the audience can't get there and the Caps are stuck in College Park. But we still have to do a show. So I gathered everybody in the station to be in the audience, and you see in the audience, Mike Buchanan, Pat Collins, Susan King. I don't know if Andrea Mitchell was there. You know, but all the talent- Andy Ockershausen: All the talent. Ernie Baur: And a couple of the engineers. But we have no guest. So first comes out Gordon and Glenn and Sonny and we get Gordon Barnes on, who was doing weather. And somebody throws a snowball, hits him right in the groin. "Oh, God." So now we're scrambling, you know? So Gordon Peterson, God bless him, wanders around and we said, "Why don't you come on?" So he comes on, and he comes on as Guy LeGuy. Andy Ockershausen: Yeah, world-famous. Ernie Baur: He's a Venezuelan... He's an American imitating a Venezuelan hockey player with a Swedish accent, okay? And he's Guy LeGuy. And it's great. He talks about, you know, in an accent that I can't do, you know, "It's tough to be a hockey player in Venezuela because the ice keeps melting," and all this stuff. Andy Ockershausen: Great line. Ernie Baur: Then so we... Any questions from audience? And Chris Gordon raises his hand, "Yeah, how long have you been 'Guy'?" Andy Ockershausen: Chris Gordon is still on the air. Ernie Baur: Absolutely. Andy Ockershausen: How about that, buddy? Ernie Baur: And Gordon Peterson says you know, "Of all the things I've done, this is what I'll be remembered for. Guy LeGuy." And people still tap me on the shoulder about that one. Andy Ockershausen: So here he is live and in color, the erstwhile Gordon Peterson. The Guy LeGuy Backstory Gordon Peterson: Ernie Baur was the first guy who cued me on television at Channel 9. And here's how he cued me. Just before the mic gets hot and the lights go on, he says "Hey, dummy, when I point, you talk." And he points. So the lights come on and I'm laughing. And after the broadcast, my boss says, "What was so funny at the beginning of the broadcast?" I said, "I don't know, I just was in a good mood, I guess." Now, the backstory on this thing that he told you, the studio was,

Ernie Baur is a DC TV producer who saw it all. He and Thom reminisce on his illustrious career. 6:23 how he got his start in the biz, 12:39 Hanafi Siege coverage, 16:30 Birth of Warner’s catchphrase, 21:10 working w/ Glenn Brenner, and 25:28 getting to know and become friends with Sonny Jurgensen"

From Wednesday, January 3, 2017: Ernie Baur is a DC TV producer who saw it all. He and Thom reminisce on his illustrious career. 6:23 how he got his start in the biz, 12:39 Hanafi Siege coverage, 16:30 Birth of Warner’s catchphrase, 21:10 working w/ Glenn Brenner, and 25:28 getting to know and become friends with Sonny Jurgensen.

Joël Glenn Brenner, the only journalist to gain full access to candymaker Mars, uncovers the story of chocolate rivals in The Emperors of Chocolate: Inside the Secret World of Hershey & Mars. The tale is not far off from Roald Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, which mirrors the epic rivalry between British candy companies Cadbury and Roundtree. The extraordinary relationship between main characters Forrest Mars and Milton Hershey makes for a true story almost stranger than fiction. Polar opposites yet great foils, the two men vigorously pursued success for different reasons. While Mars sought to build empires, Hershey aimed to make the world a better place. The Mars family fiercely held sole ownership and Milton Hershey gave away all his wealth during his lifetime. Mars maniacally guarded company secrets, whereas Hershey opened doors to employ virtually every member his utopian community. Mars has been notoriously tight-lipped about its efficiency of operations, putting Hershey to shame. But it was Nestle then Hershey that cracked the code for blending milk and cocoa butter. This jockeying for the top between the two behemoth chocolate makers has continued for more than a century. Although candy ingredients are limited, occasionally new candies result from fortunate accidents. Such is the story behind Reese's Peanut Butter Cup. During wartime, candy manufacturers are often given special license to make even more products to include in soldiers' rations. This creates an opportunity to do big business worldwide. Nutrition researcher Michael Levine says, “Chemically speaking, chocolate really is the world's perfect food.” American and European chocolate differ in the process and taste. Yet, people the world over continue to consume tons of chocolate. Americans love M&Ms, the all-time best-selling candy. When Mars declined the offer to showcase M&Ms in Steven Spielberg's E.T., Hershey stepped in with Reese's Pieces. This debut of "product placement" jettisoned Hershey to the top spot once again. Both companies continue to gobble up little candy companies and fight for rack space. Globally, Mars dominates the marketplace, but in America, the two firms manage to remain neck and neck. BUY The Emperors of Chocolate: Inside the Secret World of Hershey and Mars

Andy is joined by Smokin Al Koken. They cover how this St. Louis native became so involved with the Washington Capitals TV broadcast from every angle over the decades. Glenn Brenner memories, co hosting a radio show with John Thompson Jr. & more.

Andy is joined by veteran Washington TV reporter & anchor Chris Gordon.  They talk about his attempt to portray Carl Bernstein, what brought him to DC, his friendship with Glenn Brenner, working at Court TV with Johnnie Cochran, covering the Marv Albert trial and more.

The phrase “living legend” gets tossed around a lot but there is no better way to describe Ernie Baur, long-time D.C. news and sports director and producer. In this fun and story-filled interview, Andy O. and the 14-time Emmy winning reminisce about the go-go years of local television programming and the diverse personalities that made it so special. Ernie Baur - Emmy Award Winning Producer/Director Born and raised in a Bethesda that has long-since faded from memory among the concrete and steel buildings of today, Ernie attended our Lady of Lourdes until 8th grade. In 9th, grade Ernie attended Good Counsel (hitchhiking to and from the all-boys Catholic school), and ultimately graduated from the co-ed high school right behind his house, Bethesda Chevy Chase. Deciding that more school was not for him (“I went to Montgomery College for about an hour and a half”), Ernie Baur was grilling steaks at the local Bonanza when his first break in broadcasting came as a part time copy boy at Channel 9. His prowess on the football field playing with the station crew team in the local flag football beer league game earned him an invitation for a paid internship. This would be just the beginning of the important role football would play in his life and career. Among the news anchors that Ernie ran copy to in those early years at Channel 9 was Sam Donaldson, who would go on to fame as a dogged reporter covering the White House for ABC. “Donaldson, he was a heart attack waiting to happen. He did everything to the last minute . . . what a character. You know he auditioned once… at channel 7 and we didn't hire him. The opinion of the group was this guy's a jerk and yeah, I'm not gonna argue. He was high maintenance but a great broadcaster. He’d always come up to you and say ‘I'm surrounded by incompetents everyday’.” But it wasn’t just on the news broadcasts where Ernie learned his craft. As stage manager of the Saturday morning Ranger Hal show “I used to run the puppets, Hal did the voices. You get behind the screen and you put your hand up you’re Marvin Monkey, Dr. Fox, Oswald Rabbit.” And, of course, Ernie has a story or two about trying to do the show after a few late nights at The Dancing Crab. While brief, Ernie Baur got his first directing break at Channel 7, working with another DC broadcasting legend Ed Walker on AM Washington, pairing Walker with Ruth Hudgens. But Channel 9 wanted him back and they sent a very special envoy to recruit him. “Fortunately for me…the person that they hired to replace me was awful, so awful to the point that they came back to me and they had Gordon Peterson take me out and say we need to get him back. Jim Snyder was a news director Ben Schneider and John Baker was a producer they're the ones that said ‘Look we gotta get Ernie back okay and whatever it takes and so Gordon got me back.” And it was at Channel 9 the Ernie met Lucille, his wife of 43 years. Of course, one of Ernie Baur’s great contributions to DC broadcasting lore is his work with NFL football and creating “Redskins Sidelines.” But that is not the only “sidelines” Ernie worked – for 15 seasons (and including 6 Super Bowls) Ernie worked as the “glove man” – the sideline guy who wears big orange gloves and indicates timeouts on the field. “Yeah I did it for “The Catch” the famous play in 49er history by Dwight Clark (in the 1982 NFC Championship Game against the Cowboys). I was there for that.” Glenn Brenner, the quick-witted and beloved sportscaster started out as the “third-string” sports anchor on Channel 9 but within a year was the “guy.” And, the rest is history. As the “Warner Wolf Show” morphed into “Redskins Sidelines” once Wolf had left the station. Once Sonny Jurgensen joined “Sidelines”, the format was set and its popularity grew among Redskins fans. Many of the behind-the-scenes stories of “Redskins Sidelines” have passed into Washington broadcasting lore. Sobriety of the hosts and the guests could some...

Sonny Jurgensen, pro-football hall of famer, continues his intimate conversation with Our Town host Andy Ockershausen in part two of the two part series. Andy chats with Sonny about his college career at Duke University. Then lead him to a conversation about his career in Philly prior to the Redskins. When Sonny was traded by the Philadelphia Eagles to the Washington Redskins, he admits that it was a bit of a shock. He actually thought his buddies were playing an April Fool’s joke on him when he first heard the news! “But in the end, it was the best thing that could have happened to me because it gave me a chance to start over again,” Sonny tells Andy. During Sonny’s Redskins days, he was unstoppable. Sonny is remembered as more than just a great football player. He was a great student of the game. “Sonny is the best quarterback the NFL has ever seen. A more intelligent courageous leader, a more dedicated competitor, a more talented performer would be impossible to find.” In this Our Town interview, Andy Ockershausen discovers Sonny’s deep respect for coach Vince Lombardi. Sonny recalls Lombardi's great sense of humor and claims that “Lombardi did what no other coach did: Simplify the game of football. Because of that, it made it easy to play.” Andy also speaks with Sonny about his professional and personal relationship with Billy Kilmer. Sonny is still an icon in the city of Washington even for those who never saw him throw a football. Our town knows his voice, knowledge of the game and sense of humor through his TV and current radio career. During the Our Town podcast, Andy discusses the years that Sonny worked on shows about Redskins football on Channel 9. He pays high regards to George Michael and remembers times broadcasting alongside Glenn Brenner. Sonny also shares some laughs as he speaks of his radio show with Sam Huff and Frank Herzog. Andy Ockershausen concludes his interview with Sonny Jurgensen as they speak openly about their years of travel together. With their wives, the four of them have explored all parts of the globe together. It is a pure pleasure to listen to these two friends relive some of their most memorable travel experiences. Sonny has four grown sons of his own now as well as many grandchildren. He still lives in the Washington area during the Redskins' football season and resides in Naples, Florida for the rest of the year. It’s there that you might find him on the golf course with his old buddy, Billy Kilmer, who still comes to visit from time to time. We hope you have enjoyed this new episode of Our Town with Andy Ockershausen. We invite you to listen to each new episode of Our Town as they roll out over the next several months. You can subscribe to the Our Town podcast on iTunes, Google Play, or if you complete the subscription form in the sidebar to the right you will be notified by email when the next episode appears here on the website.