PTI - Blue Jays Advance to the World Series!

Episode Date: October 21, 2025

Michael Wilbon and Tony Kornheiser discuss the Blue Jays, MNF recap, and the debut of the new NBA season. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hey, sports fans, the ESPN app has all of ESPN all in one place. The ESPN app is your home to thousands of live events, ESPN shows, and originals across every ESPN network and service. And now you can check if you already have ESPN Unlimited as part of your TV package for no additional calls. Visit activate.esPN.com to learn how to access your account or sign up, then start streaming in the ESPN app. It's all of ESPN all in one place. Sign up or activate now. Pardon the interruption, but I'm Mike Wilbon. The NBA season tips off tonight. And Donovan Mitchell says his time is now.

Tony, when was your time? I'm Tony Cornhizer, my senior prom. May of 1934. And that was my time. Okay. I went with Judy Garland. Yeah, I was going to say, remember her? I'm not a math major, but that would make you born in like 1916.

And there ain't nobody left from 1916. All right, nobody. Judy and I was great evening love it stayed out really late until about 11th welcome to PTI

boys and girls in today's episode the Lions and Seahawks win the NBA season tips off and Jeff Saturday joins us

for five good minutes but we begin today with baseball in the upcoming World Series between the Dodgers and Toronto Blue Jays the Blue Jays

got to the series last night riding a three run seventh inning home run by George Springer who now has 23 postseason

home runs last night's Homer gave the Blue Jay's, the four three lead that their bullpen protected. Wilbon, what do you make of what the Blue Jays did last night and how they did it? There's no they. There's no they.

There's no mystery. Springer hit that home run. I mean, that three run, home run. I mean, the Mariners were in control of the game and the situation. And it just felt like that. I felt like, wow, there's going to be a lot to celebrate in Seattle tonight. They're going to kick this football game off, which we'll get to. And it's just Seattle's never been.

And I don't root against, Toronto and Seattle in two of my favorite cities in North America, if not the whole world. So I don't root against either one of them. So I sat there going, okay, what am I going to do here? I'm going to root for Seattle because they've never been. Because that franchise is the only one that's never been to, forget winning, never been to the World Series.

And I like the Seattle personalities. They got some stars. I like their team. I love their ballpark. I like their city. And then Springer, who's already got. got a World Series MVP to his credit. He comes along and hits that bomb, and it's like, oh, my God, they just decimated Seattle,

and they did. And I know it's not, you know, Carter, hitting a home run, Joe Carter, to win the World Series, whatever that was, 92, 93, whatever it was. But Tony, it felt like the next best thing if you're Toronto. Wow, wow, wow. Yeah. Yeah, so I believe I had this right. You had it.

Let's go back to yesterday. When you refuse to make a pick and you told people. people to shut up and just watch the game. And I said, I favored Toronto, and here's why I favored Toronto, because it's a hitter's series, not a pitcher's series, and I think they had better hitting. It had come around that the home teams were winning games. The road team started out winning the first four, then the home teams won the next two, and obviously the next three by winning last night.

And also because twice in the series before, Mike, Toronto had fallen behind on home runs early by Seattle and had climbed back in the game and had won. won the game, which is exactly what happened last night. Julio Rodriguez hit a home run in the third inning that made it 2 to 1 in favor of Seattle. Cal Raleigh hit a home run in the fifth inning that made it 3 to 1. And then George Springer, who now is tied for third all time in postseason home runs. And who has, as you say, Scott the ring from Houston, he went boom at that point. And I'll just say this about Springer, a couple of games ago.

He took a 96-mile-an-hour fastball in the right knee. Couldn't walk. He went down like a shot. He left the game, and the people in Seattle booed him at that point. There's no better way to come back than what he did by hitting this home run. And by the way, I don't disagree with not putting your closer in in the seven-th-th-thinning. When you need eight outs. At the point, for me, Tony, I will say this, though, about Seattle.

When you got the MVP of the league next up, if you can get to him, stop swinging in questionable pitches. Stop. You can't just strike. Strike out all night long. Take a walk. Move your hip in front of a pitch and get on base. You got Cal Raleigh with a bat in his hand.

That made me feel less bad for Seattle. They didn't do what they needed to do to get to Cal Raleigh in the ninth. Last night's game seven. Swipe the spotlight away from two Monday night football games. In the first, the Lions smoked a buccaneers. 218 scrimmage yards from Jemir Gibbs. and in the latter, the Seahawks beat the Texans.

Both the Lions and Seahawks now are five and two. So, Tony, which team season impresses you the most thus far? I'm not taking anything away from the Seahawks. They're a fine team, but they beat a very mediocre team last night. Houston is two and four and a tremendous disappointment after the rookie season that C.J. Stroud had where he looked at the All-World. What Detroit has done is noteworthy. They just smothered a good team, Tampa Bay.

in one team. They smothered them. I got to get this one note here. They've got the best point differential in the NFC. They're plus 64. You have said for the first three or four weeks of the season that they were suffering from a brain drain. They lost their offensive coordinator. Yes, you did. One. They lost their offensive coordinator, Ben Johnson. He's your coach now. He's done a good job except the game that Detroit pounded him 52 to 21, right? They lost their defensive coordinator, Aaron Glenn to the Jets, where he's 0 and 7. It might be back on the sideline by December 15th, you know, patrolling for Detroit.

Look, they have lost two games this year, Mike, to really good teams at Green Bay, at Kansas City. They came back the next week after that, and their total point differential in two games where they pounded people is 76 to 30. So where exactly is this brainwave? I don't give a damn what they did the next week. What did they do when they had to play the big boys at Green Bay in Kansas City?

They got their butts handed to them, so stop slurping them. You can slurp them all you want. And I said, and I stand by it, that one week of brain drain, and then they showed they had what they needed. The other team was Sam Darnold, who the Minnesota Vikings tossed out on his ear, they're the most impressive team so far. Because they got in Jigba. And Sam Darnold, like you would have taken Sam Darnold? No, you wouldn't have. But Seattle took him.

And they've crafted something and they have something. Yes, last night's upon it was nothing. But don't give me how great Detroit is. They play two big boy teams, two teams in Division I, and they got the smack beat out of them. Detroit's real good. That's a fact. Detroit's real good.

Okay, you can dispute that if you want. Let's move to basketball. Let's move to basketball. I know you'll be receptive to that. And tonight's NBA opener is Houston at Defending Champ Oklahoma City and Golden State at the Lakers. That's a pretty loaded start. You welcome NBC.

Well, on the NBA is your league. Tell us what player and what team most intrigues you with the start. The player's easy, and you know who this is. If we were playing, you know, the match game, 1974 with Gene Rayburn. See how many people get that reference. You know where I'm going with this. It's Victor Wimbanyama.

There's just no question. And anybody who writes any name down on the card except Wimby is just being silly. teens you can take several of you already mentioned one of them Orlando is one of them you could take I'm kind of intrigued by Detroit I want to see what they're going to do is there a transition coming here because you got you got space in the east and you can have that

but Tony San Antonio is one of them I don't think San Antonio is going to win or anything like that I want to see Wimbabonyama who's had an incredible offseason and he spent the whole time with monks and Elijah Wans and all kinds of doing all kinds of stuff to get himself ready to be great. I care about him and the teams. I didn't say OKC. I didn't say them because last year was their year to be fascinated with. I'm not fascinated with them. But I'm a San Antonio, how not to be fascinated with that young cast of characters. Let me come back to you. Last year, you very loudly, very enthusiastically,

and very early declared that the Boston Celtics would not win the championship and repeat. Right. And you were right. So I ask you right now, will Oklahoma City, repeat, yes or no? No. No, they won't. No, the league's too good. They have everything. Oklahoma City has everything you can have. And now the experience, the stars, the demeanor, the coachability, the coaches, they have the defense, they have everybody back, they have the personalities, they have it all. The league's too hard. You got to go through a bunch of people. So let me tell you what's bad. Look, I don't care about the NBA right now because I care about baseball right now and football right now. And also, in the city in which I live, which is the city in

which you live, the alleged professional basketball team, the Wizards, is embarking on yet a third straight year of trying to lose every single game. And they've gotten good at it. They stink at the moment. And they are cheating all of the people who are paying money for their tickets. You know what I look forward to this season? What? I look forward to the fact that Charles is going to be on this very channel. And I'm not. I look forward to the fact that Charles is going to be on this very channel. I can sit with my grandsons and I can say, I know him. I actually know him. That'll make me very happy.

You couldn't find him on Turner to tell your grandsons, I know him. You needed him to be. I don't stream. I don't stream. It's got to be on this channel. Let's take a break. Coming up is Jonathan Taylor's huge start proof that teams can still build around running backs. We're going to ask Jeff Saturday.

I hate to let you in on this, but Turner wasn't streamed. It was on everything. We'll also ask him whether he's backing Brodery Jones or Aaron Rogers. in that Thursday night miss out. I should have mentioned Houston. Houston's worth watching. You know, they are, I mean, with a lot of attention, the Lakers are worth watching if LeBron plays, not tonight.

Is he going to play? He's not starting. Sciatica. Neither one of us is sciatica. Part in the interruption is presented by the refreshing taste of twisted tea, hard iced tea. Please drink responsibly, part of Happy Hour. You are watching.

part in the interruption, presented by Twisted Tea, hard ice tea, part of Happy Hour. All right, let's dig into the NFL trenches with our great friend ESPN NFL analyst, Jeff, Saturday. Jeff, let's start with a question about your old team of Colts. Daniel Jones gets a lot of attention and deservedly for what the Colts are doing. But Jonathan Taylor leads the NFL right now, 697 yards and total touchdowns with 11. Do you think that teams can still build around a running back? in this day and age? Well, let me see.

The last team that won the Super Bowl was last year was around a running back, me and Sequin Barclay. So absolutely. Not only do I think it can be, I think it should be done that way, right? Let's take some pressure off the quarterback and not make him have to be our hero week in and week out. You think about their scoring on 63% of their drives.

Jonathan Taylor, he's an explosive back that gets you explosive plays in the run. game that has taken so much pressure off of Daniel Jones. And whether it's, you know, Tyler Warren at the tight end position or Pittman or Alex Pierce or Josh Downs, it, everybody gets a turn. But all that starts and is predicated on the run game. Their offensive line does a fantastic job. You know, running the ball, Tony Sparano, the junior, the offensive line coach has done a great job in their run game scheme. Shane Steikin's calling these plays correctly. It can definitely be run through a running back. And John the Taylor, is having an MVP season, even though he doesn't get mentioned with all the quarterbacks.

Classic football, which we love as old people. All right, we got, I'm behavior obsessed right now, Jeff. Let me start with this. The NFL has suspended Broncos linebacker, Dre Greenlaw. One game from sportsmanlike conduct toward a referee. Okay, you had a lot of experience more than a decade, having to talk to refs in heated moments. Is there an approach? Is there a way that you approach these guys to stay away?

from 15 yards in a yellow flag. Yeah, listen, you start early in the game, right, before there's a necessity of making a call. And, you know, you get along with these guys. They're out there to do a job, too. They don't want to be the story of the game. They don't want, you know, nobody wants all that attention put on a call at some point in the game,

including the referees. And so, yeah, I think, listen, from, I don't know what was said, but to get suspended in the NFL, most referees, I don't know, I don't know the guy that he yelled at. I don't know if he's had something, but it has to be pretty bad,

because there's been some really, some really nasty things said to some referees on the sideline. I've never, it's suspending. I was like, man, whatever he said, had to have crossed some kind of line for them to suspend them. So obviously, you want to work with these guys. So when it does come down to a big time call, you know, you've gotten some goodwill with these guys.

And we all work at offensive line, defensive line, everybody's trying to befriend the referees as the game goes on. But ultimately, I think on the large scale, they do a pretty good job. So I don't know what was said, but it had to be bad to get a game suspension. This next story is so cool to me. The Baltimore Sun is reporting that the Ravens have removed a basketball hoop, ping pong table, cornhole boards, and video games from the locker room, which to me now in this day and it,

there's not a bedroom, a teenage bedroom, or a locker room that's worth the damn without these things. Jeff, is this going to work? Is this going to have influence on players in the slump the Ravens are in? I don't think one has anything to do with the other. If they were the AFs that were playing for the ASC championship a couple of years ago and as hot as they were last year

when they, you know, when they lose above a little, what's changed, right? Do they think all of a sudden that the ping pong table has manifested into some kind of, you know, some kind of thing they can't get away from or the video games or, like, come on. I mean, it's whatever it was going on the locker room, then nothing's changing. They're not playing well. They're not executing. And so if it's like punitive, right, like, we're going to punish you. If you play it well, we'll put this stuff back. Okay. But if it's like, no, we're too distracted. Like those distractions have been around the

whole time. I'm not sure what this is. But yeah, whatever guys do during their break time, I really don't care. When you show up to practice or show up to a meeting, be sharp, be a professional, have a pen in hand, paper to write on, let's get this thing done when you walk on the field. Shoes are tied, helmets buckle, we're going to work, right? But all the rest of it, it's all ancillary in my mind. I will get you out of here on this and I'll stay with the behavior theme that Wilbonne likes so much. Steelers left tackle. Broderick Jones was trying to celebrate with Aaron Rogers, accidentally tackled him, and Rogers appeared upset.

Whose side are you on in this? I'm on the old man's side. He's too old for that big human being to be laying his body on him. You know he ain't stable? We get older. We're off balance, man. Broderick don't even know what he don't know. Everything feels good to break.

He'll go play a game and we'll go play a game Wednesday. You know what I mean? We're like, hold up, bro. I got to go from Sunday to Sunday. Aaron's old. His body hurts. Here comes to big, bumping up on him. Like, you're too big to be playing with, man.

Like, settle down, dude. Take it easy on these old bodies. He had to go out west to his body guru during the off time to get himself ready. Come on, man. That's self-inflicted wounds. We can't have any of that. That's great. Jeff, pleasure as always, Jeff.

Thanks so much. I love you guys. We will take one last break still to come the Angels, hire a former player to be there next. manager, but is it the one you're thinking of? And could the cowboys trade for a huge name on defense? Aaron could just get some ayahuasca. There's got to be some in the locker room, an ayahuasca dispenser for when he gets,

you know, sort of bumped or jostled? That's sort of interesting. I can imagine if you're Aaron Rogers at 41, you're thinking, what are you doing? What are you doing? Get out of here. Don't be touching me like. Pardon the interruption is presented by the refreshing taste of. Twisted tea, hard iced tea.

Please drink responsibly. Part of Happy Hour. Happy time, people. Happy 76th birthday, Mike Keenan. The old school coach spent 20 years in the NHL coaching eight different teams, most recently Calgary in 2009. Keenan won the Stanley Cup with the New York Rangers in 1994,

the celebrated Mark Messier team. The Rangers had not won the Cup in 54 years and haven't won it since. Keenan got to the Stanley Cup final with the Philadelphia Flyers in 1985 and 1987, losing both times to the Edmonton Oilers with Wayne Gretzky and Mark Messia. He got to the cup final with the Chicago Blackhawks in 1992,

losing to Pittsburgh with Mario Lemieux and Yarmir Yager. So Keenan's teams were beaten by elite talent. He also coached Florida, Boston, Vancouver, and St. Louis. He had a way about him, Tony, and I wonder if Keenan, we just saw a clip of him screaming at a Blackhawks goaltender, I think that was 1992. Are there a legit comparison between Keenan and Billy Martin, or is that too over the top to you? It's a little over the top for me.

Maybe not for you, a little bit for me. Happy anniversary, Carlton Fisk. On this day, 50 years ago in Game 6 of the World Series, Fiske stood at home plate, famously waving his 12th inning deep fly ball fare. His home run gave the Red Sox a dramatic 7 to 6 win over Cincinnati. Boston would go on and lose Game 7 to the Big Red Machine and continue their streak without a World series titles since 1918. The Hall of Fame catcher was a beloved player on the Red Sox and the White Sox over 24 seasons. Fisk was rookie of the year, a gold glover, an 11-time All-Star, a three-time

silver slugger. That World Series featured Fisk and Johnny Bench, two of the greatest catchers ever. Tony, I bet nobody outside Chicago knows that Fisk played more games, 1,4214 for the White Sox, Then he played for the Red Sox of 178. If we go all-time catchers, all time, the names to me are Barra, Campanella, Fisk, Cochran, Dickie, Bench, and Josh Gibson. Am I missing? I can't be, maybe I'm not missing anybody, but you got bench higher, right? I got bench high-esque, usually.

But here's what you're missing. What? Cal Raleigh's on that road now. He's on the road, and we will see. Fair enough. Fair enough. Happy trails to Albert Pujos managing the Angels. The team today hired four. former catcher, Kurt Suzuki, to do it.

Pujolos once seemed like a shoe-in for the gig, but talks broke down in the interviews with the Padres tomorrow, a much better team. Pujols is said to be held in high regard by San Diego's two biggest stars, fellow Dominican's Mani Machado and Fernando Tati's Jr. Pujols just won a title as manager of a Dominican Winter League team, and the Orioles have also been interested in talking to him

about their managerial opening. I'm sorry, but if you're gonna live in Southern California and be a manager, and you're Albert Pujo. If you're not going to manage the Dodgers and ain't going to be the Angels you're going to go to San Diego with that lineup and that ballpark and all they got going on at least I would.

Yeah, they're ready to win. They're ready to win. It's the right place to go. Big finish. Here we go. Let's do it. Rick Petino told Matt and Orlando of CBS that expanding March Madness from 68 to 76 schools could only help. You surprised by that?

I don't know if I'm surprised by it, but Tony, I just don't want to see it. No more teams. Just stop. Just play the two. tournament. Jets owner Woody Johnson said he believes in Aaron Glenn and quote, it's hard when you have a quarterback with the rating that we've got, close quote, ouch, your thoughts? Yeah, I mean the owner who's not a very good owner just crushed the quarterback Justin Fields. Who put him on the team? Yeah, which coach? Who brought him in? Which owner?

Yeah. Mike Tariko interviews Michael Jordan on NBC tonight. I'll bet you're intrigued by that. I texted somebody named Michael today to say I can't wait to see this segment tonight. You can figure out who. Trey Wingo says the Cowboys have asked the Raiders about a potential trade for Max Crosby. Big deal? It would be if they made that. Would they trade him? Really? Would they trade him?

Last one, Panthers at Bruins tonight. You intrigued by that? No. No, it's like you said about the NBA. It's too early. For the NHL is too early. I peek in at all of them. Intrig.

Intrigue. Let's not get crazy. Really? Marchion going back to Boston? Really? We're out of time. Try to do better the next time. I'm Tony Kornheim.

I'm Mike Will Bond. Same time tomorrow, knuckleheads. Yes, I'm intrigued by Tarrico and Jordan. That is what I'm intrigued to watch tonight.