MSNBC’s Hardball is no more! That was part of the somber announcement host Chris Matthews made at the top of Monday's program when he announced his retirement from the network. The move came after a week of pressure from supporters of Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and the #MeToo movement for him to be fired for controversial comments he had made. The pressure appeared so great that he wasn’t even permitted to finish the final episode of his show, with Steve Kornacki taking over.
“Let me start with my headline tonight. I'm retiring. This is the last Hardball on MSNBC, and obviously, this isn't for lack of interest in politics. As you can tell, I have loved every 20 years of my host as Hardball. Every morning I read the papers, I'm gung ho to get to work. Not many people have had this privilege,” Matthews told viewers at the top of the hour.
In recent days, Matthews was accused of making repeated sexually suggestive comments over the years. A week ago, he was on the receiving end of the wrath of the so-called Bernie Bros for comparing Sanders’s rise to the Nazis conquering France, along with other embarrassing slip-ups.
He then turned to thank his viewers:
And I love having the connection with you the good people who watch. I've learned who you are, bumping into you on the sidewalk or waiting in an airport and saying hello. You're like me. I hear it from your kids and grandchildren who say, “my dad loves you,” or “my grandmother loves you,” or “my husband watched it till the end.”
That was followed up with his explanation for why he was leaving the network. “Well, after my conversation with MSNBC, I decided tonight will be my last Hardball. So, tell you why. The younger generation’s out there ready to take the reins. We see them in politics, and the media, in fighting for their causes,” he said.
He then apologized for any inappropriate comments he had made about the appearances of women:
They are improving in the workplace. We’re talking here about better standards than we grew up with, fair standards. A lot of it has to do with how we talk to each other. Compliments on a woman's appearance that some men, including me, might have once incorrectly thought were okay were never okay. Not then and certainly not today. And for making such comments in the past, I'm sorry.
After noting what he would be doing in his retirement, Matthews returned to speaking directly his viewers with one of his usual callbacks to a classic movie. “And for those who have gotten in the habit of watching Hardball every night, I hope you're going to miss me because I'll miss you. But remember Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca, we’ll always have Hardball. Let's not say goodbye, but till we meet again,” he said as the screen faded to black and a commercial break took up the space.
The transcript is below, click "expand" to read:
MSNBC’s Hardball
March 2, 2020
7:00:27 p.m. EasternCHRIS MATTHEWS: Let me start with my headline tonight. I'm retiring. This is the last Hardball on MSNBC, and obviously this isn't for lack of interest in politics. As you can tell, I have loved every 20 years of my host as Hardball. Every morning I read the papers, I'm gung ho to get to work. Not many people have had this privilege. I love working with the producers and the discussions we have over how to report the news. And I love having the connection with you the good people who watch.
I've learned who you are, bumping into you on the sidewalk or waiting in an airport and saying hello. You're like me. I hear it from your kids and grandchildren who say, “my dad loves you,” or “my grandmother loves you,” or “my husband watched it till the end.”
Well, after my conversation with MSNBC, I decided tonight will be my last Hardball. So, tell you why. The younger generation’s out there ready to take the reins. We see them in politics, and the media, in fighting for their causes.
They are improving in the workplace. We’re talking here about better standards than we grew up with, fair standards. A lot of it has to do with how we talk to each other. Compliments on a woman's appearance that some men, including me, might have once incorrectly thought were okay were never okay. Not then and certainly not today. And for making such comments in the past, I'm sorry.
I'm very proud of the work I've done here. Long before I went on television, I worked for years in politics, was a newspaper columnist and author. I'm working on another book. I'll continue to write and talk about politics and cheer on my producers and crew here in Washington and New York and my MSNBC colleagues. They will continue to produce great journalism in the years ahead.
And for those who have gotten in the habit of watching Hardball every night, I hope you're going to miss me because I'll miss you. But remember Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca, we’ll always have Hardball. Let's not say good bye, but till we meet again.
