PTI - Weather Rescheduling Hurting Cubs?

Episode Date: September 24, 2026

Michael Wilbon and Tony Kornheiser discuss the MLB, NFL, and the upcoming Brazil Game. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Early morning on a Manhattan sidewalk, a shooting caught on surveillance video. It was an assassination style killing, and everybody saw it. A new podcast series from ABC Audio in 2020 goes inside this captivating case. I'm ABC News legal analyst Brian Buckmeyer. Listen to burden of proof Luigi Mangione, wherever you get your podcasts. Pardon the interruption, but I'm Mike Wilbon. It's National Punctuation Day, Tony. How you celebrating?

I'm Tony Kornheiser. I got my colon inspected. That's funny. That's funny. What? Did you've gotten your semi-colon inspected? I'm maybe, but I have a colon, not a semi-colon. Semi-colon is cooler.

I was trying to work in Geron, but I didn't have any line. Nobody knows Jered anymore? Really? Do kids diagram sentences anymore? No. They have no idea. They don't even actually write. There's no cursive.

They don't. They don't run. Welcome to PTI boys and girls in today's episode. Bad weather approaches Boston. Glad Jr. created a storm, and Booger McFarlane brings some sunshine to five good minutes. But we begin today with tonight's Thursday night game, Atlanta at Green Bay. Atlanta will play Michael Pennix Jr. at quarterback to try and break out of an 0-and-2 start in which they have had zero drives into the red zone.

Zero. The Packers are one-in-one, but they look bad in both games. Well, by more intriguing storyline tonight, the Packers' prospects or the fact Alkins futility. You know, any time you throw Packers out there, that's red meat for me. I understand. The Packers stink. The Packers have no running back.

They can't run the ball. Their offensive line is in shambles. They can't protect the quarterback. The Packers don't have their lead pass rusher and biggest star player on the team other than Jordan Love because he's still out. The Packers are in the shambles. And yet, remember last Thursday you said, what chance do the Lions have of beating the bills in Buffalo? And I told you none. They had no chance.

So what are you saying now? The Atlanta Falcons have no chance of beating the Green Bay Packers, none. Because, look, Michael Pinnock, who I know you liked and you liked in college and you were out there early on him, Michael Pinnock's every year, and he's easy to root force, he's engaging. Gets hurt. He's carried out every year. Every year. College and pro. And the Falcons get rid of the better players than they keep.

So why do I think they're going to win? they're not going to win. This is a 20-point Packer win minimum. So I should yell and scream here and take the other side, but I'm not going to. The Atlanta Falcons are terrible. They're awful. And it's their fault.

Let's go back into the recent history. They signed three years ago, maybe four years ago, they signed Kurt Cousins as their quarterback. In that draft, at number eight, they draft Michael Pennix, Jr., who gets hurt at that point every year in college, and it, it

sabotages Kirk Cousins, right? It's a terrible thing for Kurt Cousins. They play together, they're on the same team for two years, the Falcons go 8 and 9 and 8 and 9, they don't make the playoffs. They get rid of the coach, they get rid of the general manager, Cousins leaves,

and Pennix tears in ACL. So now they need a quarterback this year. Who did they get? They get Tua, who is almost as injury prone as Michael Benningley. Maybe even more so. Okay. So he can't play. Penix can't play to this point, and they put Cooper Rush In the meantime, what's the other guy doing out in Las Vegas?

Doing very well. Doing very well. So they have, I want to get this number right, they score 16 points so far. It's the lowest in the league. 16 points. Now they're going to turn to Pennix because he's medically cleared to play and they're going to expect some sort of miracle.

The NFL should have looked at this. They could have seen this coming 10 days ago. And they should have gone and they said, you know, Atlanta, no. You can't have a prime time spot. We're not going to allow you to stink up the airway It is incredible. They have not been in the red zone in two games. It is. And the Packers are bad.

We got to watch this. Packers are bad, but they should win. Come on now. Let's turn into one of your favorite topics. To on the weather. Yeah, I like the weather. My Cubs, who clings to playoff spot about an hour ago, finally, were supposed to play their final regular season series

in Boston, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, in Fenway. But Sunday's game is moving to Friday to avoid a forecast Nor Easter. So now there will be a double header Friday, and the team's season finale will be Saturday one day earlier than the rest of baseball, which will finish on Sunday.

Cubs manager, Craig Counsel. I love Craig Counsel. He says this hurts the Cubs. What? Okay. I understand why counsel feels this way. At the very least, he has to move up one pitcher. He gets sort of out of his rotation. He is fighting now for wild card position.

We have no rotation. He is fighting for wild card positioning, so I get it. But there is a Nor'Easter bearing down on Boston and something has to be done. Now, I wondered at first, could you move the entire series to Chicago? But if you do that, you're hurting the Red Sox. And what about the fans in Chicago that have bought tickets? So you're not going to necessarily move that. Now you're stuck in a situation where you have a double header on Friday.

It's an invented double header, right? So my position on that is. is what happens? I understand people on television need to know this. On television, even more than us, weather forecasters are wrong. We're wrong all the time. Norristers miss. You know, they do.

So what happens on Sunday, if it's a beautiful day in Boston, and it's a baseball day and there's no baseball, and the Cubs, for example, have lost this invented double-header as people try to get ahead of the rain. I have sympathy for great counsel, and I should tell people that about two hours before we went on the air, you came in the office, you said, this is the biggest choke in mankind history.

They had lost. Down one-nothing till the Marlins having lost games, one and two, the last two nights, where they couldn't score more than two runs at Wrigley. They were on the verge of gagorama. That's right. So I don't want to see the Marlins prancing around as they tried to go for a winning season around Wrigley

because the Cubs were too puny to get a third run. run in a 12- inning game in game one of that series and couldn't win game two. It was embarrassing, okay? I was very angry about it. Now, let's get to counsel. Counsel answered a question early about this before the news catches up with him. They talked about moving, or they have talked about, moving one of those games to Tampa.

And so I would say, well, any game in Tampa that's not at Fenway puts the Cubs at an advantage. But Craig Counsel didn't know that when he was answering the question. Here's the problem. Here's what I think is an actual problem. What? If you finish your season early and you're all in a wild card race and the other teams like San Diego and Philadelphia, maybe Arizona, know what you've done and now know what they have to do,

that strikes me as unfair to you. There's nothing the Cubs can do in real time. You know what you're going to do in real time? Beat the damn Marlins. I understand, but you're talking as a fan and I'm talking as a fan. No, I'm talking to somebody who looks at the standings. You know going in you're tied with San Diego and Philly. beat the Marlin.

Let's stay with baseball. As Wilbano got an iron infusion today is feisty. Vlad Guerrero Jr. is having a lousy year. He's batting 263, nine home runs, 56 RBI. Prior to the season, Vlad Jr., it averaged 288 with 26 home runs and 84 RBI. Last April, Toronto signed Vlad Jr. to a 14-year contract for $500 million, the largest deal in Blue Jays history. The other day in an interview in Spanish, Vlad Jr., said, quote, the money they gave me wasn't for what I'm going to do.

It was for what I already did. Sometimes even say to myself, bro, they gave you all that money and you're out here doing nothing. But I try, unquote. Guerrero then said in a later interview he did not regret what he had said. Wilbon, do you have any issue with Vlad Jr.'s quotes on his contract? None. I thought he was honest.

I thought he was candid. I thought he was introspective. None. And he has talked a lot more than I've seen from Kyle Tucker. and they seem to be in similar situations where they got ungodly contracts and just did not produce this year. And by the way,

Kyle Tucker could take the same position. Hey, I won an oral series. The problem is it's not the same team. It's not the same franchise because he did it for Houston and then he's not doing it for the Dodgers. No, Tony, for one, I don't pay attention to what players say anymore.

They're saying something on a podcast or interview shows or something every day. And then money I don't pay attention to anymore because we don't even understand what it means. From all appearances, Vlad Guerrero busted his butt all season to be as good as he could be, and it just didn't work. Yeah. I'm going to kill him for that? That's a lousa you.

This is kind of tricky because I agree with the notion that, yes, he is being paid, rewarded for what he had previously done. Same franchise, too. Yeah. And so I agree with that. Yeah. But it also, when they give you that money, it's because they expect you to continue to do that. It's both. And he's having his lowest numbers that he's had.

His average numbers are so much better. He's got, look, last year in the playoffs, he had eight home runs in 18 games. Fantastic. In the regular season this year, nine home runs in 152 games. Nobody's going to pay you $500 million for nine home runs. You get somebody for 30 cents for nine home runs. They pay you for lighten up a country that cares about that baseball team.

He did that. But inherent in the contract, if it was just about what you did, They would not resign you. They would say thank you, goodbye. Inherent in a new contract is, we hope you do this again. That's what we're paying for. So it's both.

I agree with a lot of that. But you know what? I spent a lot of time in Toronto when Kauai Leonard was leading the Raptors to a championship. The tone is different. It ain't the same in New York and Chicago and Washington and Boston and L.A. It isn't.

They've got this team in Toronto. And it is the feeling, the connection with that team is magical. And the same thing with the Raptors. And I bet the pressure on Vlad Guerrero is something that not everybody feels. And I'll bet you he'll bounce back. I hope he does.

I hope he does. But if you were the owner of the general manager or the manager, you would say, Vlad, we paid you for what you did. We need you to do it again. We need you to do it. He's looking for a position to take that makes sense rationally to him because he knows he's having a lousy years. He knows it.

He said it. Let's take a break. Coming up, both Ole Miss and Texas have big tests this week. Who is more vulnerable? We're going to ask program McFarland. We'll also ask him why Dallas Turner's joyless murder ball. What afraid. Has been so damn effective.

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Let's take the Cadillac. Find out more at Cadillac Canada.ca. Luxury sales claim based on S&P Global Mobility, Canadian new vehicle total registrations for calendar year 2025 for the Cadillac definition of luxury. We've got football questions for our great friend ESPN NFL and college football analyst. Mr. Bougar McFarlane, wearing a president's cup shirt

in honor of the golf in Medina. Medina, Medina, thank you. Medina, Medina, tomato. What's the difference? The Bengals held the Texans running backs. Whoa, 18 yards on 14 carries. That stinks. And they did it without stacking the box.

What do you see out of the Bengals? I see a very renewed defense. You know, they went out this offseason, and everything they tried to do was about this defense. They traded for Dexter Lawrence, who was a mountain of a man inside 6'5 and 380 pounds or whatever. They signed Jonathan Allen. They get Boye-Moffay.

They draft Cashers Howell. They got a lot of high-end, talent to go on this defense. And what you're seeing now is the dividends of all that stuff that they did this offseason coming to fruition. Their defense is better. Their defense is getting turnovers. Last year, they were minus three in turnovers, Tony.

So far this year, they're plus three. They're one of the tops in the NFL. So it is a renewed thing in Cincinnati to play defense, to try to get the ball back to Joe Burrow as many times as possible. Because if they can give Joe Burrow and Jamar Chase and T. Higgins multiple possessions per game than what they're used to having, this team is going to be really good

and they're going to go deep in the postseason. We know they know how to play defense already in Minnesota, particularly for Coach Flores. But let's go to Dallas Turner specifically Booker because he leads the league with 20 pressures in just two games. Says his approach has always been the one he had at Alabama. He calls it joyless murder ball.

I mean, besides Flores calling a defense perfectly for him, What does Dallas Turner got going on? You know, sometimes it's amazing when coaches put you in position to succeed, what that really means is they're putting you in a position to use what you have. Dallas Turner is not an overly large human being. He's 6-2, 6-3, 250 pounds, but he's got great quickness off the edge, and he's got tremendous power. So his ability to come off the edge and use his leverage and his length to get under tackles,

and his speed and his quickness to get around those tackles is paying extreme dividends right now. he did this at Alabama where he overpower people. Now after a couple years in the NFL, he's starting to figure out, you know what? I can use my power, but I got to set it up. I got to go speed the power. I got to use my lift. And so you're seeing the maturation of a guy that's coming to the NFL

that's finally comfortable, that understands that he's got just enough ability to be really dangerous. And confidence is to keep. When you get confidence, supreme confidence, it's amazing how good you can go out and play. All right, let's go to the farm. teams for a second. Big games up and down

the slate on Saturday, but let's talk about number one Texas being at Tennessee, which is 14th ranked I think right now. And Ole Miss at number four is playing on the road in the swamp against Florida, which is 21st. Either one of those higher ranked teams vulnerable, booger? You know, when you look at Texas and Tennessee,

Tennessee is playing with an 18-year-old freshman quarterback. He doesn't know what he doesn't know. I don't know if he's going to be good enough to beat Texas. Remember when Archmanning was in this situation years ago against Ohio State, or should I say last year, he was very uncomfortable. I think Tennessee's quarterback is going to be the same way. So when you ask which one is most vulnerable? I think it's got to be Ole Miss.

It was their Super Bowl last week against LSU. They had so much going on in Oxford, Mississippi. You would never believe it. And they beat Lane Kiffin. They had redemption. They were going over pointing a finger in his face. But guess what? Seven days later, they got to go to the United.

the swamp. And I don't know if you paid attention in what John Summerall has going on down there. He is a cocky guy now. He understands how to play football. He's a physical football team. And they got the best running back in America, Mike. Jaden Ball. He is the best running back in the country. And they're going to give

him the football 20, 25 times. And if he's carrying the ball, guess who doesn't have it? Trinidad Chambers. So I think if there was one of these teams that was vulnerable, for me, it would be Ole Miss after a huge win against LSU. Now they got to go to the swamp in Gainesville,

and those people in Gainesville at the swamp, they are waiting. They still remember Tim Tebow. They hadn't had a big win since then. They're trying to get back to what they used to be, and they would like none other than to knock off Ole Miss, and I think John Summorrow knows how to do it. Now, they got to go out and perform,

but Old Miss would probably be the most vulnerable team out of those two. All right, we're going to move out West for a second. Tony would never do this because it's too far off I-95, but I'm going to do it. number 12 Southern Cal hosting Oregon, which is down to number 20. Lincoln Riley's 0-1-2, though, against Oregon's has taken over at SC. What do you think of his chances this time around? You know, his chances better be good because nobody in America needs a big win like Lincoln Riley.

Like, he's been telling us all this time he's been out in Southern California that it's coming, that it's coming, that it's going to happen. When now you get the number one recruiting class in the country, you get a veteran quarterback, you get a team that you told us, not my words, your words Lincoln Riley, a team that can compete for a championship. Well, now you got Oregon coming to your house, and everybody said, Oregon, nah, not so fast. Oregon loses Oklahoma State.

Oregon's not that good. Well, Dan Lending is a really good football coach. He's going to have his team ready to play. And so if you're Lincoln Riley in a season where you got to get to the playoffs, where you got to get some big wins, you got Oregon at your house, he better have his team ready to show up and play. He's got a veteran quarterback. He's got a really good defense.

He's got Gary Patterson as a defensive coordinator. I often use this phrase. But if you're Lincoln Riley, if not now, when? At some point, you've got to show up and get one of these big ball games. We will get you out of here on this. Easy question. Please tell me no. Please tell me the answer is no.

Will Northwestern upset Indiana? Watch out now. Wow. There's so many ways I could answer this question. I'm going to start off with a simple no. Although, although, although it was a huge weekend. last week for Northwestern as they kind of spank Colorado and sent them on back out west. So I'm going to get your props for that, Mike.

Yeah, yeah. Okay, big win for Northwestern. Okay, but I think Indiana's a bit too much. I think the game will be competitive. I think the game will be a little bit closer than the experts think, as least Corso would say. But I think in the end, Indiana has too much high-end talent. So, Mike, if I were you, I'd get my popcorn ready,

and in the first half, I would lock in. And by the time, halftime, you can go tee off at some one of these nice country clubs that you belong to because I don't think it's going to be a game in the second half. We got a pretty good quarterback though, Bug. Half time. Aiden Childs looked pretty good against Deion last week, didn't he? Half time, Wilbon gets out. He goes to Medina.

He watches the end of the President's Cup. Thank you, Booger. Thank you. Appreciate you, ma'am. Anytime, man. Y'all have a good one. Let's take one last break. Still to come, Shohay Atani is back.

And did Kyle U6 touchdown celebration really deserve a fine from the national football? Ball League police, Antonio, defend the shield. Do you think that they can beat Indiana? Yeah. Really? Yeah. Are you betting they'll beat Indiana?

Nope. No. I was hoping for a loud, no. A 33%? A 33%. 33%. Happy time, people. Happy 80th birthday, Mean Joe Green.

The Hall of Fame defensive tackle won four Super Bowls and two defensive player of the year awards as an anchor of the legendary Steel Curtain Defense. The man known as Mean. one his greatest fame for his sweetness in the best sports commercial of all time. Ever. The 1979 ad featured a kid in the tunnel offering a hobbling green as Coke.

It's okay, you can have it, and green reluctantly accepting it and downing it before calling out, hey kid, catch, throwing him his jersey and breaking into a huge smile. Questions do remain, where was the training staff, security, most important,

the kid's credential. The older I get, the more I come close to weeping every time I see this, and I know you know, But you met him. It's the best. Who's nicer than Joe Green? The best. Happy anniversary, Pedro Martinez. Brawl week continues on this day 30 years ago. Pedro looking skinny and pitching for the expos, drilled Greg Jeffries of the Phillies and the elbow. When it was Pedro's turn to bat, Phillies pitcher Mike Williams buzzed them inside, earning a warning. Williams then fired his next pitch behind Pedro, who charged the mounding his helmet as a weapon. Benches clear to pile up ensued. Kurt Schilling was heated. Williams, Martinez, and Schilling were. We're all ejected. Wilbon, this was back in the day when a pitcher could face payback at the plate because they hit.

All right, I get them where I love Pedro. Yeah. I look back at these things. Pedro's like 5, 10 and a half, 511? 140 pounds. Who's tougher than Pedro? But throw it you knowing he had to go back too. A melancholy trails to Bob Pettit.

The Hall of Fame Forward has passed away at the age of 93. Petit played 11 years in the NBA and was an all-star in every one of them. He was a two-time MVP led the St. Louis Hawks to the 1958 title. over the Boston Celtics. Bill Russell once said of Pettettit, quote, as great as he was, he was always better under pressure, unquote. Pettettett had career averages of 26.4 points

and 16.2 rebounds per game. How many years ago I was lucky enough to walk into a hallway and the great Bill Russell was there? I think we were in Oakland for the Warriors playing in the championship series. And a guy came up behind him to greet him and hugged him. And I looked like he kissed him on the cheek. It's Bob Pettit.

Bob Pettett. That's like in my memory forever and ever. Bob Pettit got one. Got Russell. Got Russell. Let's go to the big finish. Let's go. The President's Cup got underway today at Medina.

Any early takeaways? You know, Tony, I want the international team to be able to really challenge. Just don't know if they can. Shohey single. And his first at bats is coming off the IL. You're impressed with that? Everything about his batting impresses me. He ended up one for four, but he'll get better.

The fever and the links go again tonight. Who do you like in this one? Links by a lot. The NFL five, Kyle Yusick. Nearly $15,000 for what it called imitation of chugging a beer? Would you pay that? I would pay it if I got fine, but I think what happened was he's going to protest and say he was chugging juice because his name sounds like juice. I wouldn't be a dime of that.

Last one, college football tonight, Liberty at Coastal Carolina, name their mascot. Shanta Clears. Shanta Clears, but I can't get Liberty. I don't know. It's Coastal Carolina and the Shanta Cleans. All right. We're doing. We're done. All right? Shout out to Charlotte FC Equipment Department. I'm Mike Loban. Same time tomorrow, knuckleheads. For 50 years, Canadians have wondered what the names of IKEA furniture mean.

Like Natopa, the guardrail for children's beds. Natopa means giving your favorite person room to grow. It means their safety and your piece of... No. In Swedish, Nat-Opa means night monkey. Mom! He's back. Ikea, 50 years of Swedishness at home. Look, he's wearing little pajamas.

So cute.