Pablo Torre Finds Out
Episode: Share & Starfriends & Tell with Mina Kimes and Katie Nolan
Air Date: December 5, 2025
Main Theme
This episode is a playful, revealing exploration of friendship, personality, and sharing personal quirks through games. Pablo Torre sits down with Mina Kimes and Katie Nolan—two sharp, hilarious sports commentators—to play "Star Friends," a game designed to surface takes, stereotypes, and secret judgments in the friend group. Through light-hearted competition and sidelong digs, they riff on everything from fast food preferences to embarrassing habits, all within the context of discovering just how well they know each other.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. The Star Friends Game and Its Mechanics
[02:52–06:55]
- The group plays "Star Friends," a card game designed by Mina's friend Rob Dubbin at Brainfruit.
- The deck includes cards with star ratings (1–5) and cards with prompts/categories (e.g., book, character, animal).
- Gameplay involves assigning star ratings to each other and guessing how strongly friends feel about the given prompt.
- Emphasis is placed on knowing each other's "takes" rather than being competitive.
- Mina: “It’s a very unusual game for me because it’s more about friendship than it is about winning.” [04:15]
- Pablo: “I don’t believe that.” [04:23]
- The game generates organic conversation about their personalities, how well they know each other, and which stereotypes about themselves are true (e.g., Pablo loving karaoke, Mina being unable to handle spicy food).
2. Pandemic Nostalgia and Inside Jokes
[03:06–04:18]
- The trio reminisce about their time together during the pandemic, especially playing Zoom games—a period dubbed "Highly Quarantined."
- Pablo and Mina recall drawing disturbing artwork and sketching NFL logos from memory.
- Running joke: Pablo’s infamous drawing of Lenny the dog, which required censorship for being overly anatomically accurate.
3. Stereotypes and Self-Awareness
[02:07–02:52]
- The group kicks off with a round discussing stereotypes about themselves that are true.
- Mina: “Love karaoke.” [02:12]
- Pablo: “I am obsessed with grades.” [02:31]
- Mina: “Can’t handle spice at all... wish I could, hate what it says about me, but I can’t.” [02:39]
4. Gameplay Highlights – Memorable Rounds & Notable Moments
A. Character Round: The “Grief Eater” (Dan Le Batard’s alter ego)
[10:03–13:21]
- Mina selects "the Grief Eater"—a nickname for Dan Le Batard when he tries to elicit emotional revelations from colleagues.
- Katie: “I do hate it. I do hate it. But...one star feels like it ignores parts of me that, like, genuinely, feels for him.” [11:28]
- Discussion on emotional vulnerability in sports media and friendship.
B. Food Preferences: Blue Cheese Showdown
[16:26–18:44]
- Katie: “Blue cheese.” (hoping Mina loves it and Pablo hates it)
- Both Mina and Pablo reveal they love blue cheese, upending Katie’s guess.
- Mina: “If I am at a party and there’s a cheese platter... I will go for the blue cheese even knowing the conversational risk that brings to my breath.” [16:45]
- Pablo: “I also love blue cheese... I don’t even think about the conversational party foul.” [16:58]
- They riff on party cheese etiquette and Mina’s penchant for proper Italian pronunciation (“bruschetta”).
C. Fast Food Loyalty: Taco Bell as a Friendship Litmus Test
[29:29–31:15]
- Mina tries to guess the group’s feeling on Taco Bell.
- Katie: “Taco Bell would be my, like, five star... Taco Bell’s up there.” [30:05]
- Pablo: “I haven’t had Taco Bell in like 15 years. But I stop by and... glance.” [31:00]
- Katie breaks down her ideal Taco Bell order with spicy specificity—cheesy gordita crunch, no lettuce, and cinnamon twists—exposing deep fast food loyalty.
D. The Great Gum Debacle—Gross-Out Comedy Gold
[49:13–52:04]
- Pablo reveals his unrelenting hatred for gum, especially gum stuck under tables—a childhood trauma.
- Pablo: “My true zero star substance is just... gum.” [49:21]
- Katie realizes she left her own gum under Pablo’s studio desk during a past recording session—cackling, apologetic mayhem ensues.
- Pablo: “That’s disgusting, Katie, what the hell?” [50:04]
- Katie: “You guys are freaks. What were the freaks? Where are the... you guys are nuts.” [51:12]
E. Emotional Vulnerability, Group Chat Rituals & Movie Takes
[24:03–28:23] Avatar Film Franchise Round
- Pablo and Mina are revealed to be in a years-long group chat obsessing over the "Avatar" franchise, even organizing communal theater outings.
- Mina: “This game has never been more about friendship than it is in this moment.” [24:20]
- Admission: none of them actually think Avatar is “good,” but the franchise is an important shared ritual.
- Katie, somewhat left out, laments her limited knowledge of the sequels and the in-group lore.
F. Other Memorable Pop Culture and Snack Takes
- Mall Food Court Rankings: Auntie Anne’s, Sbarro, Panda Express, and more. [31:17–32:09]
- Sweet & Sour Sauce at McDonald’s: Pablo and Katie agree it’s the best all-purpose sauce. [32:09–32:16]
Notable Quotes & Memorable Exchanges
Stereotypes and Takes
- Mina: “I cannot handle [spicy food]. Wish I could—hate what it says about me.” [02:44]
- Pablo (about grades): “I am obsessed... with grades.” [02:31]
On Blue Cheese
- Mina: “I will make that little perfect [bruschetta] bite for myself.” [17:58]
- Pablo: “If you’re serving cheese at a party, you gotta put it on a table and let it sweat.” [17:19]
On Emotional Manipulation
- Mina: “The Grief Eater isn’t about Dan being sad. It’s about him getting that out of others...” [13:04]
On Gross Habits and Friendship
- Pablo: “My true zero star substance is... gum.” [49:21]
- Katie: “If there was gum there, it was me... I said out loud, I’m putting this under the table—remind me to get it later. And I never got it.” [49:35]
- Pablo: “That’s disgusting, Katie. What the hell?” [50:04]
- Katie: “You guys are freaks. What... you guys are nuts.” [51:12]
Timestamps for Important Segments
- Stereotypes About Ourselves: [02:07]
- Introduction to the Star Friends Game: [04:23]
- Pandemic Nostalgia & Drawing Games: [03:06]
- Character Category & “Grief Eater” Discussion: [10:03]
- Blue Cheese Debate: [16:26]
- Taco Bell Loyalty Test: [29:29]
- Avatar Group Chat Revealed: [24:03]
- Mall Food Court and McDonald's Sauce Chat: [31:17 / 32:09]
- Gum Under the Desk Chaos: [49:13–52:04]
Tone & Atmosphere
The episode is playful, meandering, and delightfully self-deprecating—each member quick to roast and celebrate their own quirks as well as their friends’. The conversational cadence is rapid-fire, full of callbacks, and brimming with warmth and gentle mockery. They let inside jokes surface naturally, but always find ways to loop the listener in. The tone is honest, unpretentious, and distinctly reminiscent of a close-knit group hanging out long after the party should have ended.
Takeaway
This episode is a love letter to the unfiltered, often embarrassing realities of real friendship—how the most trivial debates and gross-out moments can reveal the deepest understanding among people who know each other best. Sharing takes, food preferences, and emotional vulnerabilities isn’t just a podcast game—it’s the fabric of their connection.
If you want to feel like a fly on the wall of sports media’s funniest and most candid trio, this one’s a can’t-miss.
All timestamps per original transcript. Content sections, ad reads, and promos skipped as per guidelines.