A Major Moment For Hockey?

Summary

Podcast Summary: PTI – "A Major Moment For Hockey?"
Release Date: February 19, 2025
Hosts: Tony Kornheiser & Michael Wilbon

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Introduction

In the February 19, 2025 episode of PTI, ESPN's Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon delve into a variety of pressing sports topics. The episode, titled "A Major Moment For Hockey?", opens with light-hearted banter before transitioning into in-depth discussions about pivotal moments in hockey, controversial changes in the NBA All-Star Weekend, significant moves in Major League Baseball, NFL player trade sentiments, college basketball standings, and notable events in NASCAR and tennis.

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A Major Moment for Hockey?

[01:45]
Tony Kornheiser introduces the primary focus of the episode: the NHL's Four Nations face-off between the United States and Canada, a rematch of last Saturday night's electrifying game where the US triumphed. Kornheiser remarks, "This game on Thursday night is special," highlighting the intense passion and competitive spirit displayed by the players.

[01:53]
Mike Wilbon adds, _"It's kind of a cool thing in that you... it's so new."_ He emphasizes the novelty of this event compared to traditional sports rivalries, noting the organic energy despite its recent inception.

[02:10]
Kornheiser and Wilbon discuss the implications of this new format, questioning its sustainability and potential to overshadow traditional All-Star games. Kornheiser expresses his astonishment, stating, _"You and I, we undersold it because we sat here on Friday and both of us said, it doesn't feel like it's going to come up to the level of a Game seven."_

[03:49]
Wilbon concurs, asserting, "It's already a sequel," and both hosts agree on the uniqueness and excitement this matchup brings to the hockey world. Kornheiser emphasizes the need for the NHL to maintain this momentum, suggesting that if the sequel matches or surpasses expectations, it should become a recurring event.

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NBA All-Star Weekend: Highs and Lows

[05:48]
Transitioning to the NBA, Wilbon critiques the recent All-Star Weekend, lamenting the shift from genuine competition to entertainment-focused events. He reflects, "Now it's such junk that they want us to care more as patrons and viewers about their product than they care that they have to now invent things." Wilbon praises Mac McClung’s performance in the dunk contest but criticizes the overall lack of enthusiasm from the players.

[07:14]
Tony Kornheiser offers a counterpoint, proposing that the NBA could take a cue from the NHL's successful format by creating more competitive and internationally inclusive all-star teams. He envisions teams such as the United States, Canada, France, and a combined European-African-Australian team, fostering a more passionate and engaging atmosphere.

[08:48]
Wilbon counters Kornheiser’s optimism by pointing out the NBA players' lack of global leverage compared to NHL players, stating, "NHL players don't have the worldwide cachet and therefore leverage the NBA players." He criticizes NBA Commissioner Adam Silver's inability to fully implement such changes due to player disinterest and public backlash.

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Baseball Updates: Mike Trout and Rafael Devers

[09:20]
The conversation shifts to Major League Baseball, focusing on Mike Trout and Rafael Devers. Wilbon highlights Trout’s position change from center field to right field aimed at reducing injury risks but points out Trout’s high number of missed games: "266 games out of a potential 648 last four years."

[10:06]
Kornheiser brings attention to Rafael Devers’ insistence on remaining at third base despite the Boston Red Sox signing Gold Glove third baseman Alex Bregman. He warns of potential team discontent, likening the situation to a Jimmy Butler scenario where a star player undermines managerial authority.

[11:02]
Wilbon suggests that the Red Sox could mitigate this tension by trading Devers, arguing, "They can work this out. One would think during the upcoming or now spring training history." Both hosts agree that the Red Sox need to proactively address these roster dynamics to maintain team harmony and performance.

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NFL Spotlight: Trevor Lawrence and the Steelers

[15:06]
Tony Kornheiser and Mike Wilbon discuss the latest rumors regarding Trevor Lawrence potentially being open to a trade to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Responding to Lawrence's public dismissal of the Steelers' interest, Wilbon praises Lawrence’s loyalty and strategic patience: "I like that he's not stirring the pot. He's saying, let's do this right here. Let's put the work in."

[16:46]
Kornheiser urges Lawrence to reconsider, referencing the past successes of Steelers quarterbacks like Terry Bradshaw and Ben Roethlisberger: "He won four [Super Bowls]." However, Wilbon commends Lawrence for handling the situation maturely despite the Steelers’ lack of recent Super Bowl appearances.

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College Basketball: Auburn's Ascendancy

[17:04]
The hosts turn their attention to men's college basketball, specifically the impressive performance of Auburn University. Kornheiser underscores Auburn’s dominance with a 23-2 record and 14 quad one wins, stating, "They have separated themselves so far."

[18:03]
Wilbon echoes this sentiment, expressing admiration for Auburn's consistent performance and their rightful claim to the number one seed. He highlights their Final Four appearance and robust record, solidifying Auburn as the team to beat in the current season.

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NASCAR Highlights and Women's College Hoops

[23:35]
In NASCAR news, Kornheiser celebrates William Byron’s impressive win at Daytona, describing it as "He pulled off an improbable win after a final lap crash." They discuss Byron’s remarkable ascent from ninth to first place in the final moments, showcasing his driving prowess.

[24:25]
Shifting to women's college basketball, the hosts commend Vandy’s Mikayla Blakes for her outstanding performance, including scoring 55 points in an overtime win over Auburn. Wilbon emphasizes the need to pay more attention to Blakes, highlighting her significant impact on the game.

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Doping Controversy in Tennis: Jannik Sinner

[22:39]
Kornheiser addresses the doping case involving Jannik Sinner, who accepted a three-month suspension after testing positive for steroids twice within eight days. Sinner claims the substance was inadvertently absorbed from his trainer’s treatment. However, Kornheiser questions the credibility of Sinner’s explanation, noting the controversies surrounding the settlement.

[23:19]
Wilbon critiques the strong public statements from fellow athletes like Novak Djokovic and Nick Kyrgios, who view the settlement as favoritism and a blow to the integrity of tennis. Both hosts express skepticism about Sinner’s account, highlighting the broader implications for trust in professional sports.

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Final Thoughts and Closing Remarks

[24:38]
As the episode wraps up, Kornheiser and Wilbon reflect on the day’s discussions, reiterating the importance of maintaining integrity and passion across all sports. They sign off with their signature camaraderie, hinting at future topics and encouraging listeners to tune in for more insightful sports analysis.

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Notable Quotes

• Tony Kornheiser [03:49]: "You and I, we undersold it because we sat here on Friday and both of us said, it doesn't feel like it's going to come up to the level of a Game seven."

• Mike Wilbon [05:48]: "Now it's such junk that they want us to care more as patrons and viewers about their product than they care that they have to now invent things."

• Tony Kornheiser [07:14]: "The NBA could take a cue from the NHL's successful format by creating more competitive and internationally inclusive all-star teams."

• Mike Wilbon [09:20]: "266 games out of a potential 648 last four years."

• Mike Wilbon [15:06]: "I like that he's not stirring the pot. He's saying, let's do this right here. Let's put the work in."

• Tony Kornheiser [17:04]: "They have separated themselves so far."

• Mike Wilbon [22:39]: "Here's my problem. I don't know whether this is, is this creatine or andro, which is it?"

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This episode of PTI offers a comprehensive and engaging exploration of significant moments and controversies across multiple sports, anchored by the insightful commentary of Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon. Whether discussing the evolving landscape of hockey, the challenges facing the NBA All-Star Weekend, or the intricate dynamics within MLB and the NFL, Kornheiser and Wilbon provide listeners with thoughtful analysis and spirited debate.

Transcript

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[Mike Wilbon]

Pardon the interruption, but I'm Mike Wilbon. Tony, are you refreshed after our three day weekend?

[Tony Kornheiser]

I'm Tony Kornhunter. We had a three day weekend. That's why nobody was here yesterday.

[Mike Wilbon]

Maybe they were afraid of all the snow that you promised me was going to come.

[Tony Kornheiser]

You promised me two days in a row.

[Mike Wilbon]

You and the Capitol Weather Gang.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Let me just say this before you malign the Capital Weather Gang who will sue you for everything you are wearing.

[Mike Wilbon]

Sue me.

[Tony Kornheiser]

They are very reticent to go with big numbers. They say here are the numbers that the models are projecting. But we're five days out. We're four days. So now they're saying it's like, well, if you live in North Carolina, apparently so. So if you buy a house today in Asheville, you're gonna get it. Welcome to pti, boys. And Charles, in today's episode, the NBA tries a new all star format. Rafael Devers wants to stay at third and Trevor Lawrence don't want to be a Steeler, but we begin today with the final game now set in the NHL's Four nations face off. It will be the United States and Canada. A rematch from last Saturday night when the US Won that punched their ticket. Notice I said punch to those who watched it.

[Mike Wilbon]

Good job.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Canada got in by beating Finland yesterday. The game will be Thursday night in Boston. Wilbon, what sort of a moment is this for hockey?

[Mike Wilbon]

It's kind of a cool thing in that you. It's a new moment. I mean, so many things in sports are great when they are of tradition and there's a connection and it goes back years, if not decades, half century stuff. In baseball, this isn't that. This is just fresh out of nowhere.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah.

[Mike Wilbon]

And it's, it's so. It's very cool in that way. I guess it can still be organic even though it's new. I don't want to see any punches. If anybody throws a punch on either team, anybody named Tkachuk wants throw a punch, you're out. You're done. Like the Olympics get out. The hockey, the competition, the skill level is great enough. The fervor, the hitting, which There was so much of legitimate clean hitting in the rest of that game. After the fighting, if there's fighting, you're done. But the rest of it, goodness. Out of nowhere.

[Tony Kornheiser]

I don't want to get carried away here.

[Mike Wilbon]

Yeah.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Because this is an invention. It is to prop up a sagging All Star Game. This is an exhibition, and we don't know if they're ever going to have it again. But I watched Saturday night, and I am sure of what I'm going to say now. You and I, we undersold it because we sat here on Friday and both of us said, it doesn't feel like it's going to come up to the level of a Game seven, any Game seven. It surpassed every Game seven except a Stanley cup final. Game seven. In terms of hitting, in terms of passion. When I watched this game and I saw the intense passion that every player out there was using. Okay. And drawing from himself. When I saw the Tkachuks deliberately get in those fights before they even dropped the puck to open the game, when I saw McDavid get the first goal and then get plastered every time he touched the puck. And cleanly. And cleanly. I understood this was special. And so I believe that this game on Thursday night is special.

[Mike Wilbon]

It's already a sequel.

[Tony Kornheiser]

To me. To me.

[Mike Wilbon]

I'm gonna watch.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Like, it doesn't get any better than the United States and Canada. First in Montreal and then in Portugal. This is all you could want.

[Mike Wilbon]

Yeah, right. Yes, it is. And by the way, if the sequel matches or even approaches what we saw Thursday night, then you have to have it again.

[Tony Kornheiser]

You have to have it again.

[Mike Wilbon]

You can't go back to shirts and skins in an All Star Game. Nobody wants to see that.

[Tony Kornheiser]

They want to see. They want to see you wearing a jersey from your country. It's a big deal.

[Mike Wilbon]

I can't. You bought in like I did. I'm a little more skeptical than you. I was wrong. Just because I think that things have to bake for a while. They do. I mean, suppose the sequel doesn't live up and then you go, all right, it was once.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Ok.

[Mike Wilbon]

I'm not, by the way. I'm not betting against it. I'm just saying show me.

[Tony Kornheiser]

I will grant that point. But I'm saying this has been so good.

[Mike Wilbon]

Yeah.

[Tony Kornheiser]

That you have to maneuver the schedule. I understand there are Olympics. I understand there are World Cups. I understand all of these things. You have to find room for this. Because your All Star Game, like other All Star Games, stun. And this is better, boys.

[Mike Wilbon]

Out Thursday night. One that could change the tenor of the game, given the level of defenseman he is. I mean, you get a 51 stinker clunker. Maybe you don't feel that way. And by the way, what happens going forward if he's out for weeks and weeks is.

[Tony Kornheiser]

This was the scary thing. This is why players don't really want to have true competition in All Star Games because they could lose a lot of stuff. Let's move. Speaking of All Star Games, let's move to the NBA all star weekend. Mac McClung was pulled out of the G League again to win his third straight dunk contest. Chris Paul and Victor Wembanyama cheated and were disqualified from the skills contest. Tyler Herro won the shooting contest, and Steph Curry was named MVP of the NBA's new All Star Tournament. Wilbon, what were the highs and lows of the weekend?

[Mike Wilbon]

I'm gonna be particularly critical now because, you know, one of my favorite things in life for about 30 years was all Star Weekend. The whole thing.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah.

[Mike Wilbon]

The shooting, the three point shooting contest, the dunk contest, the game itself, which had showmanship but also serious competitive urges. And now it's such junk that they want us to care more as patrons and viewers about their product than they care that they have to now invent things, invent ways to get people to watch because the players themselves, the All Stars, didn't care enough to play. That's an indictment. Okay, so I checked out. I didn't watch one second other than Mac McClung. I happened to land in Miami for something I was doing, and I said, let me just turn it on. And Matthew said, dad, we got to see the dunk contest is still on. I turn on and McClung's jumping over our car. And he means more to us because he's a Georgetown.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Absolutely.

[Mike Wilbon]

So that was kind of cool. And the rest of it, Tony, they lost me. Yeah, they lost me. And, you know, I love professional basketball and I love all that is attended to it. By the way, they've lost people like Draymond Green, who goes, there are people critical in the industry, all right, a lot more intimately than I am. And they're going, eh. So none of it was a high point to me except for Klung.

[Tony Kornheiser]

So, as you know, I didn't watch any of it at all.

[Mike Wilbon]

That's bad.

[Tony Kornheiser]

I was watching. I was watching the Saturday Night Live 50th anniversary specials. I watched them all weekend whenever I could see them. I will say this held no interest for me again, with Matt McClung. We saw him at Georgetown. Mack McClung. But let's be fair here. This is the NBA All Star Donkey Pajatini. He's in the G. He's not in the NBA. He's not in the NBA. Okay. What you said about Draymond Green apparently said of the NBA games, style of play, they're boring. And he said of the All Star stuff, he says it's ridiculous. That's his word. So, so let's, let's go forward for a second. I think that the NBA has to look at hockey as a model. I think that they have to try something new and they have to have the support of the players. The reason the hockey works is the players are playing passionately. NBA players haven't done that in the All Star game in a long time. They have to get rid of what you would call hocus pocus junk, which is what this is for many years. You said it should be NBA, American players. I'm going to go further. I'm going to take this hockey format. A United States team, a Canadian team, a French team, and a team composed of European and African and Australian players. If you don't have enough current NBA players, use former NBA players or people on the national teams. But we are seeing what it means in hockey that could. I'm not saying save the NBA, but the NBA players have to want it.

[Mike Wilbon]

NHL players don't have the worldwide cachet and therefore leverage the NBA players.

[Tony Kornheiser]

That's right.

[Mike Wilbon]

And NBA players, as we can see, they do exactly what they want and usually nothing more. And Adam Silver, let's be honest about this. Adam Silver tried to push this a little bit. I've asked him on camera several times on this network about us versus the world. And I know Adam was interested in it. He couldn't sell it. The players don't want to be competitive during their nine day break. And so therefore this is what they get.

[Tony Kornheiser]

That's no good.

[Mike Wilbon]

And guess what? The public is saying, no, I don't want this.

[Tony Kornheiser]

No good. It's no good.

[Mike Wilbon]

So you know what? They're not desperate enough. And so they won't do.

[Tony Kornheiser]

The NHL has found a better way. The NBA could find that better way if they wanted to.

[Mike Wilbon]

Who they're going to make do it?

[Tony Kornheiser]

3 of the best 10 players in the game didn't even play the All Star.

[Mike Wilbon]

They're going to make guys making $60 million doing it.

[Tony Kornheiser]

No, maybe not.

[Mike Wilbon]

70 million soon.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Maybe not.

[Mike Wilbon]

Let's move to baseball. Angel star Mike Trout will be Moving from center field to right in hopes of staying healthier. And Boston's Rafael Devers says he wants to stay at third base despite the team signing Gold Glover, Alex Bregman. Tone, which is the bigger news, Trout moving to right field or Devers refusing to yield third to Bregman?

[Tony Kornheiser]

It's not even close.

[Mike Wilbon]

It's not close.

[Tony Kornheiser]

By far. It is Rafael Devers saying, I am staying at third base. This can sow tremendous discontent in the Red Sox team. This is potentially a Jimmy Butler situation. Rafael Devers has undercut the authority of the manager, Alex Cora, and he's putting himself in a position where he's saying, you got to cater to me. I'm not going to dh. I'm not playing anywhere else. I'm playing third. They went out and signed, as you said, the reigning Gold Glove third baseman from the American League. That's interesting because Devers is in the American League where one defensive metric said he was ranked 36th out of 43 third basemen defensively. Now, Alex Bregman could come in and say, it's no problem, I'll play second. Or he could say, no problem, I'll dh. I'll do whatever you want me to do. But if this is allowed to stand and Bregman wants to play third, this is potentially this potentially a disaster.

[Mike Wilbon]

This potentially a disaster of what it could do to your room. But that's easily done. That's easily solved, I should say. And they traded Mookie Bets on.

[Tony Kornheiser]

You can trade him.

[Mike Wilbon]

Oh, yeah, you can trade him for nothing.

[Tony Kornheiser]

You can say, take your refuse.

[Mike Wilbon]

Take Devonshire and say, go away. Take it to Detroit. Denver is a guy who averages like 33 home runs and 105 runs better than per season. Those are his averages. So you're not talking about a scrub here. So they can work this out. One would think during the upcoming or now spring training history.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Gerard has thrown down the gauntlet, though, hadn't he?

[Mike Wilbon]

I don't think he's in the gauntlet. I don't think he wins full Jimmy Butler. I don't think he did that.

[Tony Kornheiser]

The potential is there.

[Mike Wilbon]

The potential is there. That's why the Red Sox need to get ahead of this. Because if you're talking about the difference between third baseman, it wasn't just the one year and that one metric, I mean, Devers in the last six years has ranked toward or at the bottom. And when it comes to fielding of all third bases.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Let me go back to what you just said. Not just the al, you just said that Red Sox have to get ahead of it. They're not ahead of it. They could have gotten ahead of it when they signed Bregman.

[Mike Wilbon]

They should have thought it was.

[Tony Kornheiser]

They're way behind it while he was.

[Mike Wilbon]

Choosing between the Cubs, Tigers and Red Sox. Maybe they didn't think they were going to get it.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Just to make it clear so the people at home understand the other part of this. Mike Trout's doing this to not get hurt. Mike Trout's hurt all the time. Allegedly. Theoretically, right field is easier to play than center field. Here's a number that will amaze you.

[Mike Wilbon]

The number of games he missed.

[Tony Kornheiser]

266 games out of a potential 648 last four years. The whisper, you know, you know what that. Let's raise our hands. Who that reminds us of Joel Embiid. He. He doesn't play Trout. And also, we're not going to know if it works until the middle of the year. We're not going to know. Right? We're going to know with Devon.

[Mike Wilbon]

Not a great way to start spring training.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Let's take a break. Coming up, should Trevor Lawrence be more open to a trade with the Steelers?

[Mike Wilbon]

And after knocking off Alabama, Alabama is Auburn really the team to beat in men's basketball?

[Tony Kornheiser]

Two weeks ago, if you said to Boston, get ahead of this, it might have mattered. But they're way behind it.

[Mike Wilbon]

Yeah.

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[Tony Kornheiser]

Trying to find out what's stirring the swarm in Mail time. I'll get the first one. And put on glasses. Always type so small. Here we go. Should Trevor Lawrence be more open to a trade to the Steelers?

[Mike Wilbon]

This comes up because there was some stuff on the Internet somewhere that said that the Steelers were interested in training for Trevor Lawrence, who then said in response on a podcast yesterday, I'm not interested. I mean, the Steelers are great and Mike Tomlin's great. We got unfinished business here. And that makes sense to me. I think Trevor Lawrence is a Southern boy. I mean, he's from, what, Georgia? He went to Clemson.

[Tony Kornheiser]

That's right.

[Mike Wilbon]

Drafted by Jacksonville.

[Tony Kornheiser]

It's all the same area.

[Mike Wilbon]

Whenever you see him, he seems pleasantly happy there. I know it hasn't gone as well as quickly as he would like, but, I mean, in pro football, teams go from worst to first. We just saw the Washington commanders do something similar to that. So why can't Trevor Lawrence. I sort of admire that he's not stirring the pot. He's saying, let's do this right here. Let's put the work in. I like that.

[Tony Kornheiser]

I think everything he said was 100% correct for public consumption.

[Mike Wilbon]

Yeah.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Said I want to stay.

[Mike Wilbon]

He has a no train, clean.

[Tony Kornheiser]

I don't want to go. Right. So he can veto whatever he wants. And yes, I think Jacksonville probably feels like home to him. And yes, they have a brand new coach and they're feeling optimistic. Okay. But I would point out to Trevor Lawrence that Terry Bradshaw had a pretty good run in Pittsburgh. Terry Bradshaw from Shreveport, Louisiana, went to Pittsburgh. And how many did he win?

[Mike Wilbon]

He won four.

[Tony Kornheiser]

He won four. I would point out that Ben Roethlisberger had a pretty good run in Pittsburgh. How many did he win? He won two, went to three. How many has Trevor Lawrence won so far? Zero would be the correct answer. And this is a team.

[Mike Wilbon]

In fact, he went to seven.

[Tony Kornheiser]

This is a team that's never been to the super bowl, and there's only been 59 Super Bowls. So I would just say maybe you want to reconsider privately, that's all. Reconsider?

[Mike Wilbon]

I just. I like the way he handled his situation.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Me, too.

[Mike Wilbon]

At a time where people are just demanding to get out of where they are.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Me, too. Not Jimmy Butler.

[Mike Wilbon]

No, no. Has Auburn convinced you it's the team to beat in men's college basketball? Auburn.

[Tony Kornheiser]

So let me be clear on this. I am not saying I'm picking them to win the national championship.

[Mike Wilbon]

Right.

[Tony Kornheiser]

But I am saying that so far they have earned the right to be separated from everybody else. They are 23 and 2. Nobody else has a better record than that. Right. They have been in the number one spot for X amount of weeks. Playing in the toughest conference.

[Mike Wilbon]

Yeah.

[Tony Kornheiser]

They just went to number two. Alabama one on the road, won by nine points. Started out nine nothing. Nine at the half, nine at the end. What more do you want? They have 14 quad one wins. The next highest total is eight. So I'm saying that they have separated themselves so far.

[Mike Wilbon]

They have. Look, they're a worthy number one. There's no going against that.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yes.

[Mike Wilbon]

You know, I root for Auburn sort of because of our friend Charles Wade Barkley. And that's why I root Bruce Pearl and Bruce Pearl, but Charles for me primarily.

[Tony Kornheiser]

That's right.

[Mike Wilbon]

And so it's interesting to see if they can hold onto this. Auburn has popped up. Auburn is not some flab. They were in the final four. That final four that Virginia was in. They. They were. They were in that. So they popped up and been a worthy team recently. I just don't see a great team out there.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Okay.

[Mike Wilbon]

I don't. So. So no. Favorite. Favorite to me is when I look at a team that has had a run, I didn't like the two time Florida champions that they're not either. Yukon, which is a two time defense.

[Tony Kornheiser]

But nobody is like that. But wait, wait, wait. You'd seed them number one right now, right?

[Mike Wilbon]

Yes. That's a sentence. No one's like that.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Right, but you would seed them number one right now.

[Mike Wilbon]

Yes, I would.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Right, enough email. Let's take one last break. Still to come, some top players have a problem with Jannik Sinner's light punishment for failing steroid tests.

[Mike Wilbon]

And William Byron. Lord Byron. Lord Byron pulls off an improbable win at Daytona.

[Tony Kornheiser]

The poet of the pits, I think they call them pretty good. Yeah, I just came up with that. I was an English major.

[Mike Wilbon]

I heard that somewhere. I read that.

[Tony Kornheiser]

I know how.

[Mike Wilbon]

I think I read that on page six.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Byron works.

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[Tony Kornheiser]

I don't know if you knew this, but anyone can get the same Premium Wireless for $15 a month plan that I've been enjoying. It's not just for celebrities, so do like I did and have one of your assistant's assistants switch you to Mint Mobile today. I'm told it's super easy to [e-mail] Switch upfront payment of $45 for 3 month plan equivalent to $15 per month Required intro rate first 3 months only, then full price plan options available, taxes and fees, extra fee, full [e-mail] Happy time people. Happy 40th birthday. David Stearns, the president of baseball operations for the Mets. Stearns is in charge of telling owner Steve Cohen how to spend his money. Stearns signed Juan Soto to the biggest contract in baseball history, $765 million over 15 years. But he got Pete Alonso to stay at a bargain price, 54 million or over two years. He re signed starter Sean Mania, outfielder Jesse Winker, signed relievers Clay Holmes and A.J. minter and starter Frankie Montas. Stearns went to Harvard with Pablo Torre, majored in political science and wrote sports for the Harvard Crimson.

[Mike Wilbon]

You're here.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Then he interned with the Pittsburgh Pirates, was assistant GM with the Astros and GM of the Brewers. It feels like Stern studied the road taken by Theo Epstein.

[Mike Wilbon]

Okay, yeah, but he's like three rings short of Epstein. This moment's got three right and responsible for four.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Probably the thing responsible for the health of baseball.

[Mike Wilbon]

His. He is. Yeah, his boss, Stearns's boss says today, apparently yesterday it's playoffs or bus. That's the minimum daily requirement. Now with the Mets spending that much money, got to get it right.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Happy Anniversary Alvin Robertson on this day 39 years ago, the spurs guard recorded the second ever quadruple double in NBA history. Robertson had 20 points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists, 10 steals and a win over Phoenix. Nate Thurman first accomplished this feat in 1974 in his first game ever with the Chicago Bulls. There are only four quad doubles ever. Three of them took place in Texas. Houston's Akeem Olajuwon had one in 1990. David Robinson of the spurs had one in 1994. Everybody starts out with points and rebounds, but then there's assists, steals, and from big men, blocks. Nikola Jokic, ton of triples, but career highs of only seven steals and five blocks. Russell Westbrook, eight steals, five blocks. I'm betting on Wembanyama.

[Mike Wilbon]

Oh, I think Wembanyama will be the guy.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah.

[Mike Wilbon]

By the way, Alvin Robertson, the toughest guy in the valley from my time, the previous generation. If you said you got to take one guy in the alley with you in fear, no Eve, who would that guy be? Alvin Robertson.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Happy trails. Jannik Sinner, the world's number one ranked player has accepted a three month suspension to settle the doping case against him. Sinner tested positive for steroid twice in eight days last year. He says he absorbed it when a trainer treated his own finger cut with a banned substance and then massaged Sinner. The timing conveniently allows the Australian Open champ to play in the next Grand Slam event, the French Open. Novak Djokovic said the settlement feels like favoritism. Nick Kyrgios called it a sad day for tennis. Stanwarinka said, I don't believe in a clean sport anymore.

[Mike Wilbon]

Wow.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Look. You can choose to believe Sinner didn't do this intentionally, but the explanation he has given feels non credible.

[Mike Wilbon]

Here's my problem. I don't know whether this is, is this creatine or andro, which is it? Is there a discernible advantage you gain from doing this? But I will say this, Arnold, for those guys to come out like that on the record, that strong. Strong. That swings a little bit strong.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Let's go to the big finish.

[Mike Wilbon]

Let's do it.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Your pal William Byron won a second straight Daytona 500 after a final lap crash.

[Mike Wilbon]

Your thoughts went from ninth to one. I know there were people falling out because of the crash. Ninth to one, the final lap is still pretty impressive. Draymond says the Dubs will win the title this year. Your reaction?

[Tony Kornheiser]

I love Draymond Green. I will take the under on this. I will bet against Draymond Green on this one. Your Cubs agreed to a one year deal with Justin Turner. Is that significant? He can dh.

[Mike Wilbon]

He could play third and first backup. He's a great locker room guy. But he's 40. Okay. I'm happy to have him. We got expectations this year. Women's college hoops. Notre Dame beat Duke. Yukon crushed South Carolina. The bigger deal was, oh, it's Yukon.

[Tony Kornheiser]

It'S at South Carolina. They had one 171 home. They killed them.

[Mike Wilbon]

Kill job.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Oh, wow.

[Mike Wilbon]

Kill job.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Last one. Vandy's Mikayla Blakes scored 55 in an overtime win over Auburn. You impressed?

[Mike Wilbon]

Yeah. How about that? Coming on the heels of scoring 53 at the end of January, we gotta start paying More attention to Ms. Blakes.

[Tony Kornheiser]

We're out of time. Trying to do better the next time. I'm Tony Kornheiser.

[Mike Wilbon]

I'm Mike Wilbon. Same time tomorrow, knuckleheads. You can get the podcast on the Apple or Apple podcast. I don't want to offend Charles Oakley. I do offend Charles Oakley. Toughness. I'm. Put Robertson right there. But Charles, he's there too.

[Commercial Narrator]

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