After Pollin announced last month that he wouldn’t be getting a new contract, Kornheiser offered something of a tribute to his friend on his daily podcast. He pointed out that Pollin has been in D.C. sports radio “continuously, since the beginning.” He said Pollin’s Monday morning Redskins rewind show was “the best thing on the air, whenever it was on — no matter what else was on, including this show, my show; that was the best thing on the air.” He said Pollin is “without ego,” and that “if he was there to be my sidekick, that’s all he would do. I mean, he was so supportive, so loyal and supportive.”

And Kornheiser said Pollin is just “really good” at radio, and that he loves him.

“When our station started, Andy said to me we’ll be off in two years, we’ll be fired, we’ll be lucky to get two years in,” Kornheiser recalled. “[But] that would be the greatest thing in the world, Andy said, if I get two years here. And it’s 25 years. It’s 25 years. And he is beloved, and should be beloved. He deserves it. He’s a fine person.”

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Kornheiser also said it was to Pollin’s credit that he never pulled his punches despite working for a station owned by team owner Daniel Snyder.

“It needs to also be said that Dan Snyder, who meddled in his own team’s affairs as much as any owner in the history of sports, never once said anything to Andy Pollin about you’re too harsh on the team,” Kornheiser said. “They both actually were coated in glory as a result of that.”

Kornheiser contributor Gary Braun, an early WTEM employee, also offered some kind words of his own about Pollin’s importance in this market.

“I do not think this can be overstated,” he said. “We forget where we came from sometimes and what the whole sports radio thing has grown into, but in 1992…there were three or four sports radio stations in the world, all right. And Andy started this one, 980 — which was then 570 — and in that regard, was an absolute pioneer. And there is no one in this market — and I mean no one, including everyone in this room — that doesn’t owe something to Andy. Because he either paved the way, or he helped us.”

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Braun also echoed many people I’ve heard from in arguing it was a shame Pollin wasn’t offered a chance to say an on-air farewell.

“Let me just say, and I don’t mean to editorialize here, but that guy had earned more,” Braun said, to agreement. “He earned the right to go on and say goodbye.”

Pollin could yet resurface on other local outlets, but Kornheiser also suggested several times that his planned podcast studio — “unrivaled in this area” — could offer a future outlet for his former colleague. Here’s hoping someone will see fit to transcribe it.