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CNN Sunday Morning

Interview With Michael Smerconish, Victoria Jones

Aired February 23, 2003 - 08:13   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: That tattoo of Tyson's is getting a lot of attention though, lately. Then there's another Mike. Michael Jackson, who is also getting lots of buzz. Their antics make for very interesting conversations on talk radio, no doubt. For the feedback on the airways we are joined this morning by Victoria Jones, a host with Talk Radio News Service in Washington. Good morning to you, Victoria.
VICTORIA JONES, TALK RADIO NEWS SERVICE TALK SHOW HOST: Good morning.

COLLINS: And Michael Smerconish, a CNN contributor who hosts a show on 1210 Radio in Philadelphia. Good morning, Michael.

MICHAEL SMERCONISH, RADIO TALK SHOW HOST: Hi, Heidi.

COLLINS: We have a lot of really important stuff to talk about this morning. So let's just get straight to it. Are we supposed to feel sorry for these guys in any way, shape or form? Victoria, what do you think?

JONES: No. I don't think we're supposed to feel sorry for them. I don't think they even want us to feel sorry for them, although Mike Tyson does do things like, yes, I really need help because I'm insane. No, I think they're weird. I think we're just supposed to watch. And by the way, that's the one thing that Mike Tyson says that's absolutely correct. He does need help. He is nearly insane.

COLLINS: Michael, what do you think?

SMERCONISH: I think it's escapism. I mean, I think it has a lot to do with what's going on in the world today. And I confess, I'm part of the problem. I watched Michael Jackson. Yes, I was interested.

COLLINS: No!

SMERCONISH: Yes. I was interested in how many nose jobs he's had. I actually wanted to know the answer. I paid $35 last night, woke up my wife at about quarter of 11 and watched that Mike Tyson fight.

COLLINS: Now, wait a minute, let me stop you right there, Michael. Do you know that some people paid $1,400 to see that fight?

JONES: Unbelievable. SMERCONISH: Well, they're nuts.

COLLINS: And let's do this. I just want to show you, because of how quick this fight was. We have a little stop clocker, a stop watch we're going to put up in the corner of the screen, and we're going to continue our conversation. But I want to let everybody know just how long 49 seconds really is, for $1,400 a ticket.

SMERCONISH: Hey, Heidi, while we're watching this...

COLLINS: Let's go ahead and start the clock. OK, we already did.

SMERCONISH: I want to make a point while we're watching it, because there's something about the fight that bothered me. At the very end when Tyson knocks this guy out, he pulls out his mouthpiece and then he lays on the canvas. And then I'm saying to myself, what was that all about?

COLLINS: Right. It looks like it was a very civil sort of hit, and then he just carefully took out his mouthpiece and (UNINTELLIGIBLE). Here it comes. Oh, I'm done.

SMERCONISH: He went down pretty easily -- watch this now. And pulls out -- and now he lays down. What's that all about?

(CROSSTALK)

JONES: Exactly. He looks very comfortable, and gosh, we couldn't possibly think that boxing is a crooked sport, could we? Or that something could have been fixed? It never happened.

COLLINS: Quickly, the time is up, in that tiny little bit of conversation that we just had, you know, 49 seconds just really doesn't take a whole lot of time, does it? So unfortunately the people who went to that fight were probably not so very happy. But needless to say, all right, let's move on to the other Michael. Michael Jackson. We have seen several different television specials now about his side of the story and the reporter's side of the story. Where do you fall on this? Michael, why don't you go ahead and start on that one?

SMERCONISH: Well, I think that because he has money and because he's a little bit off, we call him eccentric. If he were some random guy in America and had no money and he exhibited this behavior, we'd say that he's stone cold crazy, and we'd have the local authorities investigating his parenting skills. But he gets a free ride of sorts because he's Michael Jackson. He wants to tell you that he's victimized because he's Michael Jackson. I would say that the only reason that those kids with the veils are still in his custody is because he's rich and famous.

COLLINS: And Victoria?

JONES: I think there's absolutely no doubt about that. I mean, if he was poor and on the street, they'd be checking to see whether he's taking his meds. This is a very weird guy. I mean, I think he goes beyond odd. I think he's odder than Mike Tyson. I think Mike Tyson has got arrested development. This guy, has, too, but he's got these all these other weirdo things going on, including the child abuse allegations. But you know, with Michael Jackson, part of it is certainly self-manufactured. He likes it.

COLLINS: And so the reason that they're so fascinating is what? Is it just because they're just completely out there? I mean, is that it?

JONES: It's a freak show. We've also had them. We used to have real freak shows. We don't have them anymore, but it also is the "Joe Millionaire" type thing. Did you watch that too, Mike?

SMERCONISH: Which one?

JONES: "Joe Millionaire." Did you watch that this week?

SMERCONISH: I feel embarrassed to admit that I've watched all these things -- yes, I watched it.

JONES: I was glued. Yes.

SMERCONISH: But Heidi, you know what? We can only take so much Osama bin Laden and Saddam Hussein and North Korea, and maybe the one way to put an OK face on this is to say that for an hour at a time, it's good to get away from all the serious stuff in the world.

JONES: And yet we've been interested in them for years and years and years, even before things got this bad in the world, and I totally agree with Mike. I think another part of it is that both these guys very early in their lives seemed to peak in their careers, and we keep waiting to see is there more that they can give? And we don't know. Of course, Tyson just won, so maybe there is.

COLLINS: All right, guys, we're going to have to leave it there. We do appreciate all of your comments this morning. Victoria Jones and Michael Smerconish. And I should let you know very quickly before we go, though Mike Tyson won last night, Tonya Harding did not. So thanks again, guys.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com







Aired February 23, 2003 - 08:13   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: That tattoo of Tyson's is getting a lot of attention though, lately. Then there's another Mike. Michael Jackson, who is also getting lots of buzz. Their antics make for very interesting conversations on talk radio, no doubt. For the feedback on the airways we are joined this morning by Victoria Jones, a host with Talk Radio News Service in Washington. Good morning to you, Victoria.
VICTORIA JONES, TALK RADIO NEWS SERVICE TALK SHOW HOST: Good morning.

COLLINS: And Michael Smerconish, a CNN contributor who hosts a show on 1210 Radio in Philadelphia. Good morning, Michael.

MICHAEL SMERCONISH, RADIO TALK SHOW HOST: Hi, Heidi.

COLLINS: We have a lot of really important stuff to talk about this morning. So let's just get straight to it. Are we supposed to feel sorry for these guys in any way, shape or form? Victoria, what do you think?

JONES: No. I don't think we're supposed to feel sorry for them. I don't think they even want us to feel sorry for them, although Mike Tyson does do things like, yes, I really need help because I'm insane. No, I think they're weird. I think we're just supposed to watch. And by the way, that's the one thing that Mike Tyson says that's absolutely correct. He does need help. He is nearly insane.

COLLINS: Michael, what do you think?

SMERCONISH: I think it's escapism. I mean, I think it has a lot to do with what's going on in the world today. And I confess, I'm part of the problem. I watched Michael Jackson. Yes, I was interested.

COLLINS: No!

SMERCONISH: Yes. I was interested in how many nose jobs he's had. I actually wanted to know the answer. I paid $35 last night, woke up my wife at about quarter of 11 and watched that Mike Tyson fight.

COLLINS: Now, wait a minute, let me stop you right there, Michael. Do you know that some people paid $1,400 to see that fight?

JONES: Unbelievable. SMERCONISH: Well, they're nuts.

COLLINS: And let's do this. I just want to show you, because of how quick this fight was. We have a little stop clocker, a stop watch we're going to put up in the corner of the screen, and we're going to continue our conversation. But I want to let everybody know just how long 49 seconds really is, for $1,400 a ticket.

SMERCONISH: Hey, Heidi, while we're watching this...

COLLINS: Let's go ahead and start the clock. OK, we already did.

SMERCONISH: I want to make a point while we're watching it, because there's something about the fight that bothered me. At the very end when Tyson knocks this guy out, he pulls out his mouthpiece and then he lays on the canvas. And then I'm saying to myself, what was that all about?

COLLINS: Right. It looks like it was a very civil sort of hit, and then he just carefully took out his mouthpiece and (UNINTELLIGIBLE). Here it comes. Oh, I'm done.

SMERCONISH: He went down pretty easily -- watch this now. And pulls out -- and now he lays down. What's that all about?

(CROSSTALK)

JONES: Exactly. He looks very comfortable, and gosh, we couldn't possibly think that boxing is a crooked sport, could we? Or that something could have been fixed? It never happened.

COLLINS: Quickly, the time is up, in that tiny little bit of conversation that we just had, you know, 49 seconds just really doesn't take a whole lot of time, does it? So unfortunately the people who went to that fight were probably not so very happy. But needless to say, all right, let's move on to the other Michael. Michael Jackson. We have seen several different television specials now about his side of the story and the reporter's side of the story. Where do you fall on this? Michael, why don't you go ahead and start on that one?

SMERCONISH: Well, I think that because he has money and because he's a little bit off, we call him eccentric. If he were some random guy in America and had no money and he exhibited this behavior, we'd say that he's stone cold crazy, and we'd have the local authorities investigating his parenting skills. But he gets a free ride of sorts because he's Michael Jackson. He wants to tell you that he's victimized because he's Michael Jackson. I would say that the only reason that those kids with the veils are still in his custody is because he's rich and famous.

COLLINS: And Victoria?

JONES: I think there's absolutely no doubt about that. I mean, if he was poor and on the street, they'd be checking to see whether he's taking his meds. This is a very weird guy. I mean, I think he goes beyond odd. I think he's odder than Mike Tyson. I think Mike Tyson has got arrested development. This guy, has, too, but he's got these all these other weirdo things going on, including the child abuse allegations. But you know, with Michael Jackson, part of it is certainly self-manufactured. He likes it.

COLLINS: And so the reason that they're so fascinating is what? Is it just because they're just completely out there? I mean, is that it?

JONES: It's a freak show. We've also had them. We used to have real freak shows. We don't have them anymore, but it also is the "Joe Millionaire" type thing. Did you watch that too, Mike?

SMERCONISH: Which one?

JONES: "Joe Millionaire." Did you watch that this week?

SMERCONISH: I feel embarrassed to admit that I've watched all these things -- yes, I watched it.

JONES: I was glued. Yes.

SMERCONISH: But Heidi, you know what? We can only take so much Osama bin Laden and Saddam Hussein and North Korea, and maybe the one way to put an OK face on this is to say that for an hour at a time, it's good to get away from all the serious stuff in the world.

JONES: And yet we've been interested in them for years and years and years, even before things got this bad in the world, and I totally agree with Mike. I think another part of it is that both these guys very early in their lives seemed to peak in their careers, and we keep waiting to see is there more that they can give? And we don't know. Of course, Tyson just won, so maybe there is.

COLLINS: All right, guys, we're going to have to leave it there. We do appreciate all of your comments this morning. Victoria Jones and Michael Smerconish. And I should let you know very quickly before we go, though Mike Tyson won last night, Tonya Harding did not. So thanks again, guys.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com