PTI - What is Texas Tech's plan without Brendan Sorsby?

Episode Date: June 16, 2026

Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon discuss Brendan Sorsby, the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade rumors, and the World Cup. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Pardon the interruption, but I'm Mike Wilbon. It's National Wish Fulfillment Day, Tony. Do you have any wishes you'd like fulfilled? I'm Tony Kornheiser. Peace on Earth, good fortune for all. A big box of gourmet coffee, ice cream packed in dry ice, and shipped to me for free. Well, that's very specific. I was like that.

I just want to out drive my kid again. I want to out drive him. I just want that. Well, that's not going to happen. Well, that's not going to happen. That's not even going to happen if you use a kid. a wood and he uses a six iron. That's gone. God. You can't. You cannot worry about that. It happened to me when my kid was 13 years old. Your kid's 18 years old. You have no chance. Welcome to PTI,

boys and girls. In today's episode, trade offers for Janus, a World Cup opener for Leonel Messi, and five good minutes with Tim Kircham. But we begin today with the announcement that embattled Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby will forego playing at Texas Tech this season and stopped instead to apply for the NFL's supplemental draft. This comes after the Big 12 announced it would seek to discipline Soresby and Texas Tech if he played. Sorsby had won in a Texas court the right to play for the Red Raiders this season, causing an uproar in the Big 12 conference and throughout college football. Wilbon, what does this decision say to you and what do you think it means for Sorsby's future and Texas Techs?

You know, Tony, I don't know what it says to me because I, you know, I'm close enough to college football. industry of it to have no idea what's going on from week to week, and I defy people to really know what's going on week to week. So I'm going to get to the future of this kid, which Tony is like a trip back in time. It's a flashback to another time. Supplemental draft. We're talking about the Walsh kid from Miami back, you know, like 30 years ago. So supplemental draft, you've got to decide blindly sort of what pick if you want to bid on this kid you'd like to give up. Now I've heard speculation about third and fourth round, but suppose you really, really want him.

He's 6.3, 2.35. A lot of people think that he was the second most talented quarterback in the last draft had he been in it. Yeah. Do you go to a two? And if you then find out later, and I don't know if the NFL ever announces, then nobody else bid anything higher than a five.

Do you feel like a fool because you've been a two? How good is this kid supplemental draft? He's going to get the chance to play in the NFL. and maybe he should like it if nobody drafts him supplementally and he gets to be an undrafted, a free agent, go where he goes where he wants. That might be his best option. I'm pretty sure that Bernie Cozhar was a supplemental draft pick.

He was a supplemental as well. By the Cleveland Browns. And I think it's possible. Somebody can get in my ear. I think maybe Steve Young came into the NFL as a supplemental draft pick. So it's been around. Let me go a different way here.

I think this is the best possible outcome. All right. the Big 12 no longer has to litigate against one of its members. That member Texas Tech no longer has to be a pariah in the Big 12. And Sorsby's going to walk away with the $5 million that Texas Tech has paid him. So everybody is whole. And Sorsby has a chance for a career path here. The biggest question is, will the NFL let him in? Because he bet so much money while he was in college on football. I mean, I understand that the NFL, like the NBA, like the NHL, like Major League Baseball. I understand they have gambling partners, but you may not want a guy who bet on football. My feelings that the NFL is going to look at this and say, they're very

happy that he's in a rehabilitation program for gambling addiction. And what they have done with other players who did not bet while they were in the NFL is say, hey, we're going to give you a chance here. We're not going to suspend you. We're going to warn you. We're going to monitor you. But we're going to let you in because you haven't bet in the NFL. The other thing that I think is going to happen here is I think Texas Tech will look for another conference. I think that this has been very wounding of Texas Tech, and I think they may end up in the SEC or the ACC, because they're a football school. They were in the playoffs last year. They're going to be attractive. Doesn't the gambling part of this seem wildly hypocritical to you if the NFL does anything to this

kid, if they were to suspend him even on the way in without playing game? Does it, given the relationship that you outlined between these leagues and gambling. I don't think they will. And if you're worried that no team will want them, this is a league where Deshawn Watson got a huge contract in Cleveland. So somebody is going to want. I would think so, Tom. I would think so.

With the actual NBA season now over, Yonis talk is back in the headlines. Mark Stein is reporting that the heat has made an offer for the forward that includes Tyler Hero, Khalil Ware, and Jaime Hockes Jr. And Bill Simmons says he's heard the Celtics have also made a bid and that he believes Janus will be a Celtic within the week. Tom, which of these two potential trade partners makes more sense to you?

I mean, I don't even think this is close in terms of the basketball aspect of this. You go to Boston. It's that better landing spot is Boston. They were champions just two years ago. Jason Tatum is coming back completely whole next year. then they need a big man, right? They need a big man. Janice qualifies as a big man.

If you have to trade Jalen Brown for him, and I thought Jalen Brown was the MVP this year, but I would make to trade Jalen Brown for Janus 100 times in a row. I would do that. Miami finished 10th last year in the East. They got knocked out of the play-in. They got Bam out of Bayou,

and I don't really know who else that I think is any good. Otabio scored 83 in a game last year, but it was against the Wizards. It doesn't count because they were trying to lose. The thing about this is, Mike, And you can speak to this. If Janus, as reported, wants to go to Miami, that's where he's going to go. He's a star.

He's a former MVP. He's a former champion. I mean, this is why it works out for Kevin Durant, wherever he wants to go. It works out for James Harden, and he's not a champion. So if he wants to go to Miami, he will go. Yeah, Tony, you know, this is interesting to me because I don't believe in Janus anymore. Janus is a rumor. Janus hadn't done Jack in the months that matter.

which would be May and June since 2021. Five years is forever in professional sports. Yannis is a multiple-time MVP, a great player, a Hall of Famer, and as you said, a champion, he was that. I ain't seen evidence of it. Sorry, a league can now, particularly the NBA, it can pass you by. And with a ton of wings who are six-nine, six-ten sort of size,

DeBanza and Caleb Wilson and those kids coming in the league, Janus can look obsolete fairly quickly if he can't get his butt out there and contribute heavily, massively in May June. And I don't know that. I would not rearrange my franchise for Janice. Tyler Hero leads his team in scoring.

He's an all-star. I know he's had some injury issues at times, but he plays more than Janus lately and he doesn't seem to be the diva that Janus is. So if it sounds like I'm piling on Janus, yeah, a little bit for a guy as a player I used to love. I love him less now because I ain't seen nothing lately. I don't know that I want to give up Jalen Brown for him because Tatum has to show me that he is truly completely healthy. And we don't know that just yet. It's interesting.

I'm not going to go into great detail here, but you've also just described basically the center at Philadelphia, who never really played. That's true. That hasn't done anything in May in June. And I know you don't think that the league's passed him by. You may be right about it. He's passed him by. I love him, but it passed him by.

He can fire coaches. He can fire coaches. He's good at that. Let's go to soccer. Argentina makes its World Cup debut tonight against Algeria in Kansas City. Leonel Messi, who will turn 39 next week, is on the team and is their acknowledged leader. He led Argentina to the World Cup title four years ago. Wilbon, what would a second World Cup do for Messi?

Well, for the people who already have Messi as the goat, they'll just go crazy. They'll be partying in the streets from Argentina to, you know, Norway. For the people who have that. For those of us who look at Palais's career and say, you know what, three World Cups is a lot more than one. I understand that Palais didn't have a club career like Messi because club life and club culture didn't exist for a South American, a Brazilian like that, like it existed for Messi,

different time, different people. So I understand what it does for Messi in terms of those who are already saying he's the goat. By the way, you know, Ronaldo has a chance to play like Messi in a sixth World Cup and I don't know if there's anything Ronaldo can do at this stage, nearly as old as Messi,

to make up whatever ground those who think Messi is ahead of him to catch up. But that's what it would do, tone. Plain and simple, that's what it would do for Messi to me. This makes me. so happy because you were never a messy guy for years and years. You were a Ronaldo guy, then you're an Mbappe guy. Yes, now you're a Mbapri's court today, by the way. We'll get to that.

Yeah. Yeah. And the only reason you like Messi is because finally he won a World Cup so you can stand and say that's pretty good. I think in the United States, if the United States team were not to win and we don't think it's going to win, people here would be most happy if Messi won again. because he's the biggest soccer star in the United States by virtue of the MLS and the pink shirts. He fills more arenas than Taylor Swift. He got 88,000 people in a football stadium at Auburn in Alabama, and they let the War Eagle go.

They didn't do that for football. They did that for Messi. That was a really big deal. Now, the truth is, Mike, last people to repeat, you're asking if Messi repeats, the last repeater was Brazil, let me get the years, 58 and

1962, and that was Pele. And so you bring Pele up because he's the goat. And you compare Messi to him, and you want to know. Now, if Messi wins a second in a row, and he breaks the all-time scoring record for goals in World Cup matches, and he's got that club career,

then it becomes very close. It becomes very close. I'll give you that, but let me ask you this. I would go, Pelele. And Bopi just scored his second goal. Two goals today. Right. And Bopi's got 14 goals in 15 World Cup games. And Messi has 13 at the moment.

In 206 games. And Bopi's 25 or 26. Suppose Mbapin goes to like three or four World Cups. He can certainly get his second now. France has got more talent to anybody. Then what? At that point, if that happens, then he becomes the standard

against which Pelle is measured. And they do the goat thing. It's who holds the records and who's got the most World Cup. I agree with that. Let's take a record. break. Coming up is the

Mizz, the best starting pitcher in all the baseball. We're going to ask Tim Kirchard. We'll also ask him why the once sad

White Sox are winning while the Rockies are just still sad. Was I right about Steve Young and Bernie Cozor?

Yeah. Nobody got in my ear. Oh, they just said yes. The magic thing, yes. I was right about that. Supplemental.

Ah. Mbappe. Mbapap. He doesn't, Impapes like Kepka. He doesn't seem to care about the

regular season club stuff. Get me to the world. This spring, denim gets a softer, lighter update. Introducing Old Navy's drapey denim wide leg, a new fit that moves with you. It's everything you want denim to feel like for summer. Easy, breathable, and effortlessly cool. With a fit that creates natural movement and a wide leg that feels modern, not overwhelming. Plus, that signature, wait, for this price, moment.

Old Navy's drapey denim. We've got some baseball questions for our great friend ESPN baseball analyst and avocado expert, Mr. Tim Kirk. Let us start with this. What are we seeing with the Ms. right now? And do you put him above the other top starters, dominating starters in the National League, like Skeens and Sanchez and Otani in Sale? It's the greatest collection of Cy Young contenders that I've ever seen.

and Mizorowski basically has to be at the top right now. Fellas, in his last eight starts, he's allowed one earned run and struck out 80. In his last start, he struck out 15, and he threw only 95 pitches. We've been charting this stuff for 26 years. No one's ever done that before. And we've never seen anybody quite like this throwing this hard. He's six, seven. He throws 104 miles an hour.

and the ball comes out of that arm slot that is really difficult for the pitcher, the hitter to pick up. So this guy is the best pitcher in baseball at the moment and no one has had a good swing against him in eight starts. See, Tony, I told you I would take the cheesehead over schemes. I told you that a year ago and you weren't willing to listen to me. Tim, the White Sox and Rockies have been dreadful in recent years, but the White Sox are now, you know, succeeding

first place in their division, while the Rockies continue to stink. What's the difference here? Well, when the White Sox had to rebuild, they drafted and developed very well and made some astute trades. And now they hit the ball out of the ballpark, which is how you have to play if you're going to win games. Meanwhile, the Rockies haven't drafted and developed very well and haven't signed the right people. fellas, they have a 563 ERA. That's almost three and a half runs higher than that of the Braves. And it's almost a half a run higher than the next worst ERA of the Astros in Major League Baseball.

It is a really bad pitching team. And I used to give them the benefit of the doubt playing in altitude playing in that ballpark. But sorry, excuses are over. They got to get way better than this if they're going to move forward. And you like the White Sox, don't you, Tim? I do. I think they're in this for the long haul in a very ordinary American league. They can pitch, that Davis Martin guy is really good. But I repeat, when you are hitting the ball out of the ballpark,

they were fourth in home runs in the major leagues as of the other day. You hit it out of the ballpark and you're a young, hungry team that's tired of losing. Watch out for that. One year after the Raphael Devers trade, both the Giants and Red Sox are struggling, Do you expect significant changes with either club? I think both teams are going to look at that, but I think the Giants are much more logical to make some major trades. Devers is, in theory, on the trade block.

Matt Chapman, Willie Adomas, Arbuster, only said all three of those guys are available. The question is, who is going to go after those guys with all the money that is tied up in those contracts? My guess is they're going to have to pick up a lot of money if they're going to trade any of them, even though all three of them were still are pretty good players. But the Giants have been shut out eight times, fellas. They just don't score runs anymore. And they're in the wrong division and the wrong league. There are 14 games under 500.

They've been outscored by 56 runs this year. They're not going to the playoffs for sure. All right, Tim, this is a pet peeve of mine. We'll get you out of here on this. We talked about it yesterday. that ballpark in Las Vegas. The A's and their opponents hit 35 home runs, 35 over six games in Las Vegas.

Will that carry forward to their new stadium when that opens in two seasons? Tony, there have been eight home runs hit this year, 460 feet or farther, and five of them were hit during the six-game series in Las Vegas. Now, the new stadium is going to have a dome, and that's going to make a big difference. But the ball is going to fly no matter what, indoors or outdoors in Las Vegas.

And the A's are going to hit a ton of homers because they have great power on that team. But they had better upgrade their pitching if they're going to keep the ball in the ballpark, even in a dome stadium. Yeah, I mean, it's a launching pad. It's a launching pad. Thank you, Tim. Thanks, Tim. Appreciate it.

Thank you, Michael. Thank you, Tony. Let's take one last break, but still to come the goal. The Golden Knights decide whether or not to keep torts. And Tunisia has played only one game, but it's already seen enough of its manager. Tony, I've told you, when you're way above sea level, when you get to stuff, you know, in Arizona and in Nevada,

you're going to have stuff flying around. Happy time, people. Happy 68th birthday, Darrell Griffith. Griffith was a more dominant player in college than in the NBA. He led Louisville to the national championship in 1980. when he was nicknamed Dr. Duncanstein. Griffith was the second overall draft pick and went to Utah where he played his entire 10-year NBA career.

He was rookie of the year, averaging 20.6 points per game. Griffith was a better three-point shooter than anyone nicknamed Dr. Duncanstein figured to be. He led the NBA and three-pointers made twice in 1984 and 1985. Wow. Griffith's 91-3s in 1994, and his 92-3s in 1995 were NBA records in the pre-Stef era. Over the length of his career, Griffith averaged 16.2 points per game. Yeah, he led a victory over Luke Olson's Iowa squad back there with my homies,

Kenny Arnold and Ronnie Lester. Painful loss back there, but it was great watching Daryl Griffin. Wasn't it tone? Yeah, he was a very exciting player. He, you know, he jumped out of the building. Come on. Everybody loved it. Happy anniversary, Derek Lee and Chris Young. On this day, 19 years ago, after Padre's pitcher Young plunked Lee with a heater underneath his chin, the duo exchanged actual punches

before Cubs manager Lou Pinella attempted to break up the fight leading to a bench-clearing brawl. In 2025, Lee was inducted into the Cubs Hall of Fame. He was a lifetime 281 hitter with 331 home runs over 15 big league seasons. Lee won a batting title with the Cubs in 2005, hitting 335. The 6'10 Young, who was Ivy League rookie of the year at Princeton in both baseball and basketball, went 79 and 67 with a 39-5 ERA over 13 big league seasons. He's now president of Texas Rangers and built the Rangers' World Series champions in 2023. Thankfully, I don't think either one of those big punches landed from those guys. D. Lee, not small himself. It wasn't 610, but I think he was about 6'5.

One of my 10 to 12 favorite Cubs of all time, D. Lee. Very underrated career in Chicago. Yes, absolutely. Really? So he's ahead of Kyle Tucker for you. Happy trails to Tunisia's manager. The wonderfully named Eagles of Carthage fired Sabri Lamucci after losing to Sweden in the World Cup opener 5 to 1.

Sweden entered the tournament as the 38th ranked team in the world, while Tunisia was 45th. Tunisian media reported that several physical altercations broke out in the team's camp afterward, leading to the firing. Tunisia has done this before, firing its manager two losses

into the 1998 World Cup. Tunisia now faces Japan and the Netherlands in group play, both of whom are ranked substantially higher than Sweden. Who's running that Tunisia outfit? Lou Lamarillo? Just dump people right,

you know, in the playoffs? Is they in the postseason? What? I don't like their chances of getting out of group. Let's go to the big finish. Your boy, Pete Crow Armstrong, hit for the cycle in the Cubs win yesterday. Is he coming around? He'll be fine.

If he can pitch and do that the rest of the year, I mean, you know, anything's possible. The Vegas Golden Knights won't be bringing torts back next season. Wow, you've got to be surprised, too. What? He took them to the Stanley Cup final. What? Man. This and Serena will play doubles together at Wimbledon.

Is that significant? Every day we talk about this, I tell you what is going to wind up for Serena. You know, there's one wild car spot apparently left for Wimbledon. That seems a little early, but at some point, Cal Raleigh returns for the Mariners tonight. Is that a big deal? Hasn't played since May 14th. It's 60 home runs last year. It was the story of baseball, yeah.

Last one, Cam Jordan finalizing a one-year deal with the Saints. Is that all right with you? It is. It would have been better if he'd wandered straight north and played for his former coach who happens to be in Chicago. but that's for another goal. Good thing. We're out of time.

We'll try to do better the next time. And I'm Tony Cornhild. I'm Mike Wilbon. Same time tomorrow, knuckleheads.