PTI - The Miami Dolphins Fire Their GM!

Episode Date: October 31, 2025

Michael Wilbon and Tony Kornheiser discuss Ravens/Dolphins, Spurs/Heat, LSU, Penn State, and Bills/Chiefs. 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 James Franklin. And do you know what it's like to win 70% of your games and get fired? I'm Brian Kelly.

Yes. Yes, I do. I guess that makes us family, huh? I guess so. I guess so. I got Southern accent. I invented. Well, that wasn't quite.

From Boston. Family. Family. I'm trying. You got to get that right. Family. Welcome to the PTI Halloween special, boys and girls. Today's episode, the Blue Jays can close out the Dodgers.

Victor Wimbanyama does it again, and is Penn State or LSU the better job? But we begin today with last night's NFL game where Lamar Jackson returned to the field for Baltimore and showed no effects of the hamstring injury that had kept him on the sideline. Jackson threw four touchdown passes, no interceptions, had a monster rating of 143.2 as the Ravens destroyed Miami 28 to 6. In response, Miami has fired its general manager, Chris Greer, today. and said Mike McDaniel will stay on as coach for the rest of this season. Wilbon, where do you want to start?

Tony, the only place I care to start is Baltimore. And, you know, I did agree with Lamar Jackson to the extent that while you're not playing, you know, single elimination all season, they are playing that now. And they're playing it last week and this week and for the next three weeks. Because they need to win five in a row. They need to get back in it, get on Pittsburgh's heels. And that's all last night.

They beat a homecoming opponent in Miami. So I'm not going to go crazy about the nature of the victory. It's result-based. That's what the Ravens needed. Their defense looked like something the Ravens might be proud of over the last 25 years again. They're now averaging up over the allowing 13 points a game to last three games. And Lamar Jackson looks like the MVP he's been.

That's that. I understand that Greer's fired. He's been there a while. had a decent enough run. They're going to make changes anywhere in the NFL when you're two and seven coming off another non-playoff season. So that's what's up with Miami.

But the news here to me today competitively is all about the Ravens. I think those glasses sell you as James Franklin. I do. Good. I think those work. This doesn't sell me. Popping my sweatshirt jersey? No, no, no.

So we learned what we knew to be true that Baltimore's better with Lamar Jackson than they are without him. And he may not be much in the playoffs, but he's great in the regular season. He can be MVP every year. He's got 14 touchdown passes and one interception already this year.

14 to 1. It's a great ratio. Derek Henry may not have the amount of steps he had before, though he looked good last night. Defense isn't as good as it was before. But they're the best team in that division. Nobody's going to be surprised when they make the playoffs. Miami's a bad team.

And they make terrible mistakes. They had long gains that were taken back for stupid penalties last night. They gave up the ball in their own zone of the field last night. They were at home. They scored six points against the defense that previously was allowing 30 points a game. When I went to sleep last night, I thought Mike McDaniel would be fired when I woke up in the morning. Instead, they have fired the general manager. I don't know that I would have done that, but they had to do something.

They got a trade deadline coming up. Let's see if they're active at the trade deadline. Let's see if they're buyers or sellers. Mike, I think Miami is one of the two most disappointing teams in the league, Miami and Washington. And I'll just tell you this. Baltimore came into this game. Yeah, I do. Baltimore came into this game two and five.

And on the road, they were seven-a-half-point favorite. What does that tell you about Miami? Miami's no good. They're no good. They beat a homecoming opponent. You know, they did what they were supposed to do. If they beat the bad teams on their schedule, they'll climb just even with Pittsburgh. and then we'll see in the last three weeks.

That's the deal. So let's move to the World Series. The Blue Jays can win it tonight at home in game six, and they're sending Kevin Gossman to the mound to get it done. The Dodgers counter with the Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who's thrown complete game wins fabulously in his last two outings. Tony, what sort of chance do you give the Dodgers to force a game seven? I give him a very good chance because of Yamamoto.

as you said, two complete game wins in the playoffs in his last two outings. One, by the way, against Toronto. The last time this was done was 2001 by Kurt Schilling. The guy's thrown 18 innings recently, 15 strikeouts, one walk. You know, I mean, look, if I had to bet on anybody, he says the ERA in the postseason is 154. If I had to place a bet on anybody in this series, I would bet on Yamamoto.

Now, there is another side to this. You know, Toronto's a really good team at home during the regular season. They were 54 and 27. And there was this historical fact that I referred to last week that this is the fifth time since 1985 that one team that got into the World Series got in by sweeping its opponent in the LCS.

The other team took seven games to get into the World Series. And in all four previous times, the team that took seven won the World Series. That would be Toronto. There's another thing, Mike. The Dodgers, when they go down three, in a World Series, they lose. They're 0 and 6

in World Series when they go down 3-2. But that doesn't mean I can't bet on Yamamoto to get them into a game 7. No, true enough, Tony. I don't care anything about the statistical stuff other than the Dodgers hitters aren't hitting.

You can't go out there and strikeout 15 times. I don't give a damn about any of that other stuff. 15 strikeouts in the last game. They better cut the strikeouts of Dodgers from 15 to 5.000 to 5. five, or they have no chance tonight. I believe they will cut their strikeout. Does it mean they'll get clutch hitting?

Does it mean that moving Mookie Betts down to the four spot, the cleanup is going to somehow transform the Dodgers lineup? No. Does it mean that they don't get bombs from Shohei, all right, that the Dodgers will somehow find hitting elsewhere? No, it doesn't. And what we know is Toronto puts bat on ball. Toronto plays National League Baseball.

That's what Toronto does, and the Dodgers are playing old American League 1970s-style Earl Weaver wait for, you know, the three-run home. Tom, that's not going to work tonight. They're going to go to National League Baseball and produce some damn runs or they're going home. I heard you say you don't care at all about statistics. You only care what you care about.

Maybe you still have that job at Penn State if you cared a little more about statistics. Let's move to basketball. Victor Wembeyanama had 27 points, 18 rebounds, six assists, five blocks. As San Antonio Spurs moved to 5-0 for the first time in franchise history,

beating Miami 107-101. Willvon, you've been drooling over Wembañama all season already. Do you see Wemba Nama and the Spurs as legitimate competition for the champion Oklahoma City Thunder who won last night to go to 6-end-0? Not yet.

Not yet, Tony. And by the way, people know Wimbanyama now. They don't know Castle. They know Castle from Yukon, but they don't understand that Castle's going to be... When I saw Castle in college, I thought he's the next SGA. He's on that track. Last night, he had something like 24, 8, and 6. He's a perfect compliment to Wimbaboniyama.

He's just... And I told you before the season, not when it started. This wasn't bandwagon hopping. I told you Wynbaumia is the guy to watch. That's the deal. Shohay and Wimbanyama, these are the two transformative athletes worldwide today. My man, the 17-year-old soccer player. So, Tony, I don't think they can challenge OKC yet.

It's like watching a young Jordan's Bulls when Jordan was MVP, and he was averaging 37. Wow. The 17-year-old. Detroit. What? You're listening to me? Yeah. You mean Lamont. Yes. Yes. Thank you. Thank you. But it's like watching young Jordan when he couldn't, he could not take out Detroit.

He could not take out the bad boy pistons. I don't think, I don't think. Wimby can do that. Enough, enough. Let me say it like Brian Kelly would say, you're welcome. You know, like that southern accent. Look, the show needed that. I was amazed. I was amazed that this is the first time San Antonio was ever five and oh. You're telling me that the teams with David Robinson and Tim Duncan were not 5-0. The five championship teams, none of them were 5-0. I was absolutely floored by that. Let me just mention, look, let me mention a couple of things. I know they're statistical and I know you hate them, but let's do this.

Wembeñama, in his first 120 NBA games, has more points than LeBron. He has more blocks than a kid. team Elijah won. He has more threes than Steph Curry. They are the all-time statistical leaders in these categories, Mike. He has more rebounds than Carl Malone. Like, this is an unbelievable yet undeniable resume. And so even though the thing I hate most about the NBA is talking in October about something that might or might not happen in June, Wembe Nyama is special. I mean, I can see that, though, to be fair on one thing, Mike, to be fair on one thing, The first four teams that they beat were pretty much dogs.

Dallas fire Nico and the Pelicans and Brooklyn and Toronto combined record 3 and 16. Let's take a break. Still to come, LSU and Penn State have vacancies after firing their incredibly smart, handsome and charismatic football coaches. Come on, people. Which school has the better job? And the chiefs visit the bill Sunday. Who cares? Which team do you favor, BK?

Toss up. Is Nicky? He was not even shooting three. I thought it was Brian Kenny. Yeah, Wemagnan, oh, he's good, but don't go crazy just about him. No, there's other players, too. Come on. No, they do.

They do. I'm just saying he's the MVP right now. It's time for toss-up. Two men enter. One man leaves, finishes the show. Realizes he was in his mid-40s when the new manager of the Nationals was born. Then dry heaves in front of the bathroom mirror was first. Toss up better jump.

LSU or Penn State. I just want to say family again. I love saying family. I sound like Charles Barkley, except he was born in Alabama and I was born in Boston, Brian Kelly, born in Boston. Okay, Penn State was a very good job for a long time

because they didn't fire coaches. They didn't do that. It's amazing how quickly LSU fired guys who won national championships and in my case fired someone who did not win a national championship. But the fact of the matter is, it's easier to win a national championship at LSU.

Though I think right now, James, I think right now LSU is the worst job because the governor of Pennsylvania is not attempting to pick the next coach at Penn State. And the governor of Louisiana has set himself up as the athletic director at LSU. And you know he wants to pick the next coach. He's already forced out the AD.

I think a lot of good coaches are going to go, I don't know about that place. I think LSU really looks bad right now, but I would just ask you as the Penn State football coach, how did you lose to Northwestern? How did that happen? Tough school, smart kids, purposeful, good line play, kicked our butts in state cup.

By the way, BK, I got some candy corn. I got the brocks. Any other candy corn is fraudulent. You got to have the blocks. I don't like candy corn. Candy corn. I'm just saying the rest of it's a mess. It's the greatest candy in the world.

candy corn. The better job is Penn State. Because all you've got to beat, because there's one school that is automatically ahead of you. Only Ohio State. Don't tell me Oregon yet. I don't want to hear that. Michigan goes, you know, they go up and down, the school up north. They're not always in your face. It's Ohio State. While in the SEC, you got either Alabama or Georgia every year and sometimes both. You got Mississippi popping its name into the conversation. You got Florida, which is going to get a good coach and give you a problem. You got so many schools in the SEC that can win. In the Big Ten, you don't have that.

So, Oklahoma, Texas, you got Texas. Indiana's moving up. The Indiana is moving up. They are moving up. They're moving up. Oregon. Penn State's got one team above it. Ohio State, and I don't trust them.

So the answer is Penn State, get yourself some candy corn and a James Franklin sweatshirt. You're good. What's next? What's next? Toss up. Toss up. Who do you favor on Sunday? The Chiefs are the bills?

Okay, I am leaning towards Buffalo, and I'm leaning towards Buffalo because this is a regular season game. Josh Allen is 4 and 1 against Kansas City in regular season games. He is 0 and 4 against Kansas City in playoff. games. This is not the playoffs, right? I wish I could tell you that Josh Allen was 4 and O in Buffalo in regular season games against Kansas City. I can't. He's only one in one, which means he's 3 and 0 in Kansas City against Mahomes. I never would have bet on that. I never would have done that. I believe that this is a big game for Buffalo. I don't think it's the same for Kansas City. I think Kansas City's next big game is in a couple of weeks at Denver. So I'm going

to lean towards Buffalo without a lot of confidence. Yeah, I mean, Tony, the game doesn't matter to Kansas City as much. I don't know that this is a big game for Buffalo. It matters to Buffalo enormously, emotionally. You know what that's like up there. You know how much they care about this game in that part of New York and Bill's Mafia and all that stuff. It matters deeply to them.

Kansas City's going, yeah, whatever, we'll see what happens. February. So I, that's, it's, you know, I, I lean toward Buffalo simply because it matters more. They're going to be the more desperate team Sunday playing the home where you mentioned they've won these games. I think that's all that matters. The rest of that stuff doesn't inform me. What informs me is, I've been in Buffalo for these games that matter. It used to be, it used to be Miami. It used to be New England. It matters so largely to them. I think they're going to win, and I think you believe that BK, too, because you were up in that part of the world

at one point in your life. Yeah, that's absolutely true, and it's great to go to a game in Buffalo. I mean, it's a wonderful experience. It's the candy corn thing that's getting to me. I don't like candy corn. You are fixated on candy corn. You're fixated on it.

I just, I don't know. I don't know. I like, I'm enjoying. And Reese's. That's it. I win. Let's take one last break. Coming up, the Jaguars get bad news

about Travis, Hunter. While the Rams get some good news about Puka, you know, Wil Bond can't eat candy corn, but James Franklin can pour a bag of it down his throat. How about that? Yeah. Well, that's a great skill. You can use that as a resume builder to get the next job. You can pay me in candy corn. Happy time, people. Happy 90th birthday tomorrow, Gary Player. In the 1960s and 70s, the big three and golf were Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicholas, and Gary Player. Player won nine majors, the same number as Ben Hogan. Player's first major in the first of his three British opens was in 1959 at Newerfield in Scotland. He later won at Carnusty and at Royal Litham. Player won the U.S. Open at

Bel-Reeve and the PGA twice at Aronimink near Philadelphia and at Oakland Hills in Michigan. Player won the Masters three times in his at Augusta every year for the ceremonial first tea shot. In later years, player became known from physical fitness. and the prodigious amount of push-ups and sit-ups he does. Tony, it seems later in his life that Gary Player has become just a person of, like, magnitude, a heroic figure. I don't just mean golf, I mean across international sport, and an ambassador, if you will. He just seems like, wow, we've still got Gary Player.

We are pretty damn lucky to have him. Happy anniversary, Earl Lloyd. History lesson, kids. This is posthumous, but on this day 75 years ago, Lloyd became the first black player in the NBA. Lloyd was one of three Harlem Globetrotters to enter the league in 1950, but because of how their schedules worked out, Lloyd made his debut one day ahead of Chuck Cooper and four days before Sweetwater Clifton.

The Six Five Forward played just seven games for the Washington Capitals who folded in a couple of months. After military service, Lloyd joined the Syracuse Nationals in 1952 and played on their NBA championship team in 1955 alongside Dalh Sears and Paul Seymour. Lloyd later played for the Detroit Pistons and still later coached them. Tony, I know that you have a reverence for the Harlem Globetrotters that two generations don't really have because they don't know how great they were and you did know, you do know that. How about the other athletes who played other sports Hall of Famers, Lou Brock, Bob,

given some Fergie Jenkins and Wilk, same sport. These were all Globetrotters. people don't know they should have a sense of history about the globe travels. Yep, yep. Happy trails Travis Hunter. The Jaguar's two-way rookies suffered a non-contact knee injury while playing defense and practice on Thursday and will miss at least four games. Hunter had been moving into the team's number one receiver slot and was coming off his best offensive game in the season, eight catches for 101 yards and a touchdown against the Rams. Last year's Heisman winner has played 67% of the Jags' offensive snap.

and 36% of their defensive snaps. The team has had all sorts of injuries at receiver, and head coach Liam Cohn said, quote, it's definitely not ideal timing, unquote. Tony, the thing that surprises me in these plays so many more snaps on offense, given how he came into the league. But, Tony, the thing that worries you about this kid is the workload.

How many plays can you apply? I know what happened in practice, but the workload, the number of plays, the stress, the wearer, and tear on that body. There's a reason why nobody does this anymore. I got to ask my dear friend Roy Green out here in the desert who did it at those two positions, what that must be like today.

He came in the league wanting to do it. They're giving him the opportunity to do it. I'm sure it makes him very happy. Let's go to the big finish. The WNBA and the Players Union agreed to a 30-day extension to their CBA. Does that make sense? I don't know. I just want me to get a deal.

Just get a deal. That's all that matters to me on that issue. Puka says he feels fantastic and is ready to go Sunday against the Saints. Is that a big deal? He's a great receiver and the Saints are not going to give them hard opposition. They're 24th in the league, I believe, on defense and points of left. Deshawn Jackson and Delaware State beat Michael Vic and Norfolk State. Your thoughts happened in Philly where they played together in that city and were big stars.

That was very cool, Tom. Breeders Cup this weekend, I bet you're in treat. Yeah, sovereignty was scratched in the classic, so my friend Eddie likes Sierra Leone. That's a race I like to watch, the last great race of the year. Last one, the Bulls and Sixers, each try to get the 5-0 tonight.

You like their chances. And maybe the Sixers better. The Bulls get the Knicks in Chicago with hometown hero Jalen Brunson. It's going to be hard. I'm watching. I'm watching that. Time to get into ball night, Tony.

Come on now. We're out of time. to do better the next time. I'm Brian Kelly. And I'm James Franklin. Have a great weekend, knuckleheads.