Late night talk show legends Larry King and Conan O'Brien discuss Dodgers, TVand the future of baseball in exclusive, candid interview on SportsNet LA
SportsNet LA is the exclusive new 24/7 TV network of the Los Angeles Dodgers that takes fans behind-the-scenes of the team and offers in-depth access into the organization, providing an immersive experience with never-before-seen content and thousands of hours of comprehensive Dodger programming. This Sunday, the newest edition of "Larry King At Bat" will feature King sitting down with talk show host and comedian Conan O'Brien for a candid interview that touches on the Dodgers, sports and much more. The hour-long conversation between the two late night legends debuts this Sunday, June 8 at 5:00 p.m. following SportsNet LA's live coverage of the Dodgers game against the Rockies.
In the interview, O'Brien talks about his fan allegiances, years at Harvard and ideas for the future of baseball. King and O'Brien also discuss working in cable, the Kardashians and how the TV industry has evolved, and O'Brien makes his World Series picks.
O'Brien currently hosts "Conan" on TBS and has hosted late night television shows for more than 20 years. He got his start in TV writing for "Saturday Night Live" and "The Simpsons," has also produced numerous television shows and movies and hosted the Emmy Awards three times. The award-winning comedian and television personality is originally from Boston and currently resides in Los Angeles.
Quote excerpts from the episode include:
On who he roots for: "If Boston is out, I'll root for the Dodgers. I will. As a resident of Los Angeles, as a taxpayer, as someone who consumes the water that we so desperately need, I feel that it is my duty to root for the Dodgers."
On Bucky Dent's home run: "Our Spanish teacher had told us that if the Red Sox win this game and they go onto the playoffs, we won't have our test tomorrow. But if they lose the game, the test is tomorrow morning. So I remember watching that game and, on top of all the other pain, when Bucky Dent hit the home run I had to go upstairs and go crack a Spanish book, memorize the conjugations of the verb tener. So it was a double blow to me."
On Dodger Stadium: "I went to a Dodgers game, I think in 1986, when I first came out here and I remember thinking, 'This is a futuristic stadium.' To think now it is the third oldest is unbelievable to me. But, the times that I have been there, I absolutely love it."
On live TV : "Half the people who watch the Super Bowl don't even care about the game, but they know it's an event. They know there will be commercials; they know there will be a half time show. There is still a yearning for people to be able to say that they all saw the same thing at the same time."
On being a celebrity: "I don't want to be King Lear yelling at the wind."
On if he'd be interesting in owning a Minor League Baseball team with Jack White: "I would like to own a team…Between Jack White and I, we would have crazy ideas. They have to wear short shorts, they have to wear fanny packs, they have to be applying chap stick as they field the ball with one hand."
On changing baseball's rules: "Listen to this. When you hit the ball you have the option, you don't have to run from home to first, you can choose to run from home to third. But once you establish that direction you have to stick with that direction. Think of what that does."
The "Larry King At Bat" series features the iconic, award-winning TV and radio personality and lifelong Los Angeles Dodgers fan interviewing celebrities, baseball legends, Dodger personalities and other luminaries. Subjects to date have included Tommy Lasorda, Orel Hershiser and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.