PTI - What Now for Giannis?!

Episode Date: December 5, 2025

Michael Wilbon and Tony Kornheiser discuss the latest around Giannis, the CFP, and the NFL. 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. Canadian police are on the lookout for two dudes who stole expensive sets of Lego from a store in British Columbia. I'm Tony Kornheiser.

But you know what was more expensive? Why? Our flights there and back. Yeah. Oh, you paid for your flight? Oh. Yeah. But I'm not, I'd be honest.

I'm not a Lego guy. No. I never was. I'm not either. Never held a Lego, never bought. went for my kid. I don't get it. I don't get the whole fascination with Legos. Sorry. My grandsons. My grandsons are starting in with Legos. They are. But I don't really understand. Welcome to PTI, boys and girls. In today's episode, Janice is out. The ACC wants two teams in the

playoff. And Bougar McFarlane joins us for five good minutes. But we begin today with tonight's Thursday night game, a real good one between the Dallas Cowboys and the Detroit Lions. Both teams are out of the playoffs right now and need this game. The Cowboys are six, five, and one. They've won three in a row. The Lions are seven and five. They've lost four of their last seven games. Wilbon, which team needs this one more? Cowboys. I know I've answered quickly and seemingly definitively, because the Cowboys have to come closer running the table. You see all these stats out there. You know how much I sort of hate these things, and I'm giving in to this one, Tony. I've seen the estimates whichever one has the Cowboys only having, being left with a 6% chance

to make the playoffs if they lose tonight. 6% come on now. And they got still a couple tough games. I know the commanders don't maybe look that tough, but the commanders are playing. They proved that to Denver. No. You're the night.

So I think the Cowboys have to win. I don't think they're going to win. I think all week they had those two great victories in five days over Kansas City and the Eagles. Great. I don't see them beating Detroit in Detroit. tonight. Maybe you see that because I know you're sort of all in on DAC. You got DAC in your top three in the MVP here on you on that Stephen A. Greeney DAC train. Good

for you guys. I'm going with Detroit heavily, decisively tonight. I basically think this is an elimination game for both teams. Both, really? I think they both need it the same. Both needed the same, as does, by the way, Kansas City on Sunday night. They need to win as well. But I have become fixated. on Dallas lately. I'm the guy. I'm the guy who thinks that history will look back kindly on Jerry Jones this year. I know he traded away Michael Parsons, which was crazy. Okay, but he brought in George Pickens for one. And right now, George Pickens and C.D. Lamb are basically all pro together. He brought in Quinn and Williams. That's, you know, from the Jets. You wouldn't think

there'd be a really good player on the Jets, but it has changed the defense. The defense has been much better. There are some numbers here. The first nine games of the season, the Cowboys allowed 143 yards rushing in each game. Now that's down to 70. And if you remember when the whole Michael Parsons thing was going on, Jerry Jones said, because I heard it, he said, we need to stop the run.

And now they seem to be stopping the run. We'll see what Jamir gives. And the other thing to point out is he may have caught lightning in a bottle with Brian Schottenheimer. I mean, he might be the right. guy for Jerry. He stays out of Jerry's way and he just coaches a team. So, yeah, I'm fixated on him. I am. I'm not saying they're going to win. I'm saying I'm fixing it on. I was going to try to pin you down. Cowboys to win for you tonight? I don't know. I don't know. Don't you

always say the same thing? Watch the game. Watch the game. I'll watch the game. I'm going to watch the game too. But let's move to Janus. The Buckstar is going to miss apparently two to four weeks after suffering a scary looking calf strain early in last night's win over the Pistons. It happened just hours after ESPN reported that Yannes and his agent have spoken to the Bucks about potentially leaving town. A report, Dr. Rivers downplayed. Tony, if Yonis is hurt and restless, where does that leave the Bucs and their star? It leaves Milwaukee now in trouble and it leaves Janus in Milwaukee because nobody is going to trade for him while he is hurt. All right. Um, Let me give you some numbers here to pay attention to.

The bucks this year are one in five when Janus doesn't play at all in the game. When he is on the court, they actually have the best offense in the entire NBA. And when he is off the court, that falls to third from last. So don't tell me that last night after he got hurt, they beat the pistons. Tell me how many games you think they're going to win in the next two to four weeks. And now to get to the larger thing, the swirl of rumors about Janus. Mike, you and I have heard these things for many months. if not years.

Yes. And I emphasize years. Yes. We have, oh, that Giannis wants to leave. We have talked on this show about where he might fit in. This is years going on.

I don't think anybody believes anymore that Yanos Santo Tocombo is going to finish his career in Milwaukee. You know, do I think he'll get traded? Yes, I do. But I don't think he's going to get traded now. Because nobody wants to buy damaged goods. You have to let him get back to playing.

Yeah, but two to four weeks, Tony, even if it's four to six, I think he's going to be traded this year. whether it could be right up to the deadline. And yes, it could go into the summer because you have all these second apron complications which go beyond the performance complications and whether or not you can give Milwaukee a hall

and still have enough in the cupboard to be a contender. Why get Yannis if you're not going to contend? But there are a couple of things out there. And you know your nicks are always in the discussion. But you have to have Jalen Brunson and Ananobe on the other side of the deal to play with Janus or what's the point? And Golden State, which is so intriguing, Tony,

look, I know that Jimmy Butler's salary is like a virtual, it's a match. But you want to have Jimmy Butler. You got to have Steph and Jimmy, right? So then there's this rumor, and I emphasize rumor, out there about Draymond going away, maybe a third team or Draymond going away in the trade,

and Kaminga going away, and you leave Janus with Steph and Jimmy Buller, which is incredibly hot, if that threesome winds up together. It's not enough. It's not enough. All right, look, remember the last time this happened with the Milwaukee Center? It was Kareem, and it was 50 years ago. And the difference was, Kareem said, I'm done here.

I want to leave. Yonis has not done that yet. And Yonis, not yet. Yonis keeps playing footsie. Keeps playing footsy. Let's go to college football in yesterday's comments by ACCCC Commissioner Jim Phillips. Phillips told the Associated Press that the ACC deserves two teams in the upcoming college football playoffs. Phillips said, quote, I have conviction and confidence in our teams starting with Miami.

The second piece of that is that the Virginia Duke winner should be absolutely in this college football playoff, unquote. Wilbon, what is the word for Phillips saying ACC deserves two bids? Before you pointed out, let's just acknowledge, you know Jim Phillips, been close with Jim Phillips for a long time. I know. I know. I know from Northwestern. I'll use this word tone. Lobbying could be the word.

If there's anybody you want lobbying, all right? In the athletic, I'm sorry, in the commissioner position, is Jim Phillips who knows what he's doing. But it's more wishful thinking, because I don't see it. I'm not going to take too many shots at Duke because there have been too many loan repayments that have gone in that direction of Durham for me

to take too many shots at Duke. But Duke can't. Can't be in there, Tom. Duke can't be in with five losses. I don't care who the losses were to, strength of loss, strength of record, as opposed to strength of schedule. It's too many.

It's a thing. It's five. It's too many. I get what Jim Phillips is doing. I hear him. This is his job, and he's damn good at it. But it's just lobbying to the rest of us, I think. This is my word. My word is insane.

And the last time I used the word insane on this show, it was about Nico Harrison trading. Luca Donchich, for which he later got correctly fired. Jim Phillips, as you know, can look in that room, or the ranking room, and know a lot of the people there, knows their faces, knows them well. And persistently this year, that room has said the ACC stinks, and we don't want anybody from the ACC. Persistently this year, they have ranked Notre Dame ahead of Miami, even though Miami beat

Notre Dame head-to-head. And persistently this year, they have ranked. haven't ranked any other ACC team within a mile of the top 12. So look, if Virginia wins, Virginia is going to go and be at the bottom, be at the bottom of the bracket. No, they're not going to, no, Mike, they're not going to put, Miami's deserving. They're not going to put them in. And part of the reason is that Jim Phillips should have fixed this before this season.

It's so convoluted the tiebreakers that they end up with Duke in there and not Miami. Miami should be in there and they would win and that would be the end of the story. happen. Let's take a break. Coming up with the committee choose, a three-loss Alabama team over two-lost Notre Dame, we will ask Booger McFarland. In Ohio State and Indiana are locked to the playoffs, so what's at stake

in the big 10th title game? I mean, Notre Dame wants to be a half-baked ACC team. They want to play the schedule or part of it, even though they don't want to be in the conference. They want to keep all the money to themselves when they have a network to themselves.

I could put... Pardon the interruption is presented by Gray Goose. Make Time Wait. Please enjoy responsibly. Part of Happy Hour. We are headed into conference championship game weekend, which makes it a perfect time to visit with our great friend ESPN NFL and college football analyst, Booger McFarland. And we start with this. Let's start with the SEC title game between Georgia and Alabama. I think the committee moved Alabama ahead of Notre Dame to set up allowing Alabama to get into the playoffs as a three-loss team over two-lossed Notre Dame. That is my feeling. What is

your feeling? Well, I think the committee kind of corrected a wrong that they did a couple of weeks ago. I think Alabama should have been ahead of Notre Dame a couple of weeks ago, but they didn't have it that way. So now, as we get to the penultimate rankings, they move Alabama ahead. And to your point about Alabama having a third loss when they play Georgia in the SEC title game, I think Alabama might get left out if different things happen. To your point, though, a third loss doesn't necessarily guarantee that. I think if you're the committee, you look at Alabama and you say this. They went on a run where they beat four ranked teams in a row.

Like, it's one of the best runs we've seen all college football season. And Notre Dame has been steady and consistent, but they haven't had a run like that all season. Now, they beat everybody by a pretty good margin. I think if you're the committee, you've got to look at Alabama and say they're one of the 12 best teams in the country. I think the question comes with Notre Dame. Let's just say BYU loses. Okay, now you have Notre Dame in Miami. They were one spot apart.

They probably will be right next to each other. And then I think it comes down to a situation where you have Notre Dame and Miami at 10 and 2, and they got to choose one. I think Alabama could be safely in, especially if they win. They may even get a buy. But I think to your point,

they gave them a little room, a little wiggle room with that third loss if they lose to Georgia. But I think we're headed to a situation where it could be Notre Dame versus Miami and get your popcorn ready on Sunday afternoon. Whoa, Booger, maybe there's a little less intrigue. But I'm fascinated.

I'm sure a lot of people are by number one Ohio State, number two, Indiana playing for the Big Ten championship. But is there anything at stake beyond pride? And yes or no, how do you see that playing out? Mike, if there's a trophy at stake, I want to win it. Like, those are some of the greatest words I've heard of other by a coach. and it's a Big Ten title on the line. And I think more than anything, it's another opportunity

for Indiana to prove they belong. Think about last year. They took on Ohio State. They played Notre Dame. They failed in those two instances. Now they come back with a better team. They got a better quarterback. Fernando Mendoza, by all accounts,

will be the number one pick in the draft. And I think if you look at Indiana, here's your third opportunity on a national stage to take on what everybody thinks is the best team in the country. So you get a third opportunity to show America just how good you are. So to your point, it may not be playoff implication

because I think both teams are going to be in the playoffs. But I think from a program standpoint, you give Kurt Signetti in what is, 11 years and 90-something million dollars. I think there's pride on the line for Indiana and Signetti

to prove they are among the big boys in college football. I can't wait for that game. I must say, even as a big tank guy, I'm in the tank for that game. Number 11, BYU, against number four, Texas,

in the big 12 championship game. Are you a believer in BYU? I mean, and do you see them having much of a chance to take down Texas Tech? They got a puncher's chance. If you think about the first game, BYU played, they went down to Texas Tech and, I mean, they got jumped on early

like they had never seen the game of football. This is going to be a neutral site. I think that'll help them a little bit, but they got to play a different style of football. You can't get into a shootout with Texas Tech. That defensive line, maybe the best defensive line in country will get after you, that quarterback Baron Morton

and the offense is high flying. If you're BYU and Kalani Sataki, you want to win this game, it's got to be a fist fight. You got to take Texas Tech into a phone booth, and you got to see who's going to come out. It's got to be a physical game.

You got to run the football. I think BYU has to have 200 plus yards rushing if they want to win this game. But I give them a puncher's chance because you know in boxing. If you get hit with one shot, you can knock somebody out.

And I think BYU has one shot and that's called running the football. We will get you out of here on this, and I will point out to viewers that over your shoulder is an LSU helmet. You are an LSU grad. How do you feel about being the next school that Lane Kiffin's going to leave? Well, listen, first of all, we automatically assume he's going to leave. Now, here's what I'll say. I don't think for any instance that LSU fans nor LSU alumni think Lane Kiffin is going to be there 20 years.

But right now, right here, I think he's the best coach for the job. Athletic director Virgilis Arsbury is set out with one goal to get the best coach for LSU. And I think he went out and got that. Lane Kiffin, I think his reputation precedes him. He's an offensive genius. And I think he did more with less in Oxford than a lot of people. Now he comes to the Mecca. And if you don't know what the Mecca means, think about this.

If you're a Catholic, you want to get to Rome to sit at the Vatican. If you're a college football fan, you want to get to Baton Rouge on a Saturday night. That's what it means. And now Lane Kiffin has the opportunity to wake up the echoes, the real echoes down in Baton Rouge. So it's a perfect fit. It's the right time. I think it's an understatement to say me as an alumni and all LSU fans are super excited. However, that comes with expectations.

I don't think 8 and 4 is going to cut it. And Lane knows that. So the expectations are high in Baton Rouge, but we couldn't be more excited to have him as our head coach. Just as long as he doesn't take out a long-term lease, because he knows. not going to be there long term. Thank you, Booger. Thanks, Bougar. Appreciate it. Anytime.

Look at you, too, guys, taking shots at my new head coach. Come on, man. Bougar, by the way, wearing a shirt from the summit in Las Vegas. So easy. Golf course that he plays. Let's take one last break still to come. Updates from Ravens practice on the status of Lamar Jackson's ankle. And soccer star, Trudity Rodman,

and was reportedly ready to resign with Tony's Washington Spirit. Could she now be headed to Europe? I'm going to LSU next year. I haven't been down there to a game on a Saturday night in 30 years. It's time. I want to go. Yeah, that's good. Look, it is the most exciting thing on a Saturday night in college sports you can do.

It's LSU. Go and pet the tiger for me. Stick your hand in the cage. Let's see how that works out. So many tiger. Pardon the Interruption is presented by Great Goose. Make Time Wait. Please enjoy responsibly part of Happy Hour.

Happy time, people. Happy 22nd birthday Jackson Holiday. The overall first pick in the 2022 baseball draft out of Stillwater High School in Oklahoma wasted little time in getting to the majors in 2024. Holiday started 139 games at second base this past season, the most among American League's second baseman. Holiday hit 242, 17 home runs, and 55 RBI, and 649 plate appearances. But he had 140 strikeouts and was worse in the second half than the first. Holiday's younger brother Ethan, a shortstop, was drafted fifth overall by the Rockies in this year's baseball draft.

Their father, Matt Holiday, was a seven-time All-Star, a World Series champion and the NLCS MVP in a career mostly with the Cardinals and the Rockies. Tony, nobody cares about strikeouts anymore. He's starting to show some power numbers with 17 and 55. And by the way, if you have two sons and they're both all-stars, That makes you the king of fatherhood, doesn't it? Two all-stars? It's not out of the possibility. I sort of rooting for that.

That'd be cool. Happy anniversary, Herschel Walker. On this day, 43 years ago, the Georgia Bulldog running back beat out John Elway and Eric Dickerson to win the Heisman trophy. Nice top three, huh? Walker had finished second the year before and third the year before that as a freshman. In 33 games at Georgia, Walker rushed for 5,259 yards, and the first year. 49 touchdowns. Yeah, 33 games. Walker entered pro football with the New Jersey generals of the USFL, who became owned by Donald Trump, whom you may have heard of. Walker went to Dallas in the

NFL. It was the trade Dallas made sending Walker to Minnesota for a cornucopia of players that helped the Cowboys become great in the 1990s. Walker now works for Trump again. He is our ambassador to the Bahamas. You'll say those three names again. Eric Dickerson, John Elway, Hershal Walker. Anybody, do you have three like that this year? We don't even know if the person who wins or any of the top three, are even going to make it in the NFL, much less be those guys. I don't know if they've ever had three quite like that.

I'm not sure. That's crazy. Happy trails to the Washington Spirit's contract offer to Trinity Rodman. The soccer team had proposed a multi-million dollar extension with the star, one that Rodman was reportedly ready to accept. But the athletic reports that NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman has vetoed it, believing the structure to violate league rules. Rodman is being courted by European teams, so if she can't get paid here, she could follow

in the recent footsteps of several other top players and she could head overseas. The union has appealed the ruling. I wish she could get the money here, no matter where she gets it great, but it's kind of cool having Trinity Rodman, a star in a town that hasn't had all that many stars in sports lately. Okay, Ovechkin, you know, it's kind of cool having her here. I don't understand. I don't understand how she can't get the money. I know.

If they've offered the money, why can't she get the money? Come on now. Let's go to the big finish. Let's do it. Lamar Jackson did not practice today. That is caused for concern, right? Yes, this has been going on for a month. Even after the injury, when he's back, is he really back?

The Ravens, meanwhile, extended tight-in and Mark Andrews. Three years, 26-milled guaranteed. Is that a big deal? He's the all-time leading receiver in the franchise. Guys, he has earned this. Your Bulls have lost five in a row, including last night to the Nets. Defend your team. I'm not going to defend.

They stink. They started the season 5 and O. Now they can't beat Charlotte and Brooklyn and New Orleans. What is going on there? Alex Ovesque scored twice last night to reach 911 career goals, 10 in the last 11 games. I know you're impressed. He's still great. He's 40.

He's still great. Last one, the LSU women. go for their ninth straight win of 30 plus points tonight. You like their chances. Kim Malky has, what, four titles? She's going for a fifth, looking at Dawn and Gino's saying, let's go. Shaping up as a great women's college group season.

We're out of time. We're trying to do better the next time. I'm Tony Cornhaj. I'm Mike Wilbon. Same time tomorrow, knuckleheads.