Can Tiger Woods Make A Comeback at the 2026 Masters?

Summary

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PTI Podcast: "Can Tiger Woods Make A Comeback at the 2026 Masters?"

Hosts: Tony Kornheiser, Michael Wilbon (with guests Rich Eisen, Justin Verlander)
Date: February 19, 2026

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Episode Overview

Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon debate the plausibility of Tiger Woods’ return to the 2026 Masters, break down the latest Winter Olympics action, highlight major college basketball upsets, discuss the evolving role of the starting pitcher with Justin Verlander, and touch on big moves in the MLB and NFL. The tone, as always, is playful, opinionated, and sharp, with memorable banter and insightful sports analysis.

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Main Segments & Discussion Points

1. Winter Olympics Highlights (00:48–04:12)

- Mikaela Shiffrin’s Comeback

• Tony highlights Shiffrin breaking her 0-for-8 medal drought by winning the slalom, noting its significance given her struggles in recent Olympics.
  • Quote: “By winning today, that throws all the psychoanalytical stuff out the window.” – Tony (02:46)
• Mike is impressed by Shiffrin’s longevity, noting she’s both the youngest and oldest Olympic winner in her event.
• The duo compares her perseverance to that of athletes like Maddox, Kershaw, Lindsey Vonn, and Chloe Kim.

- Men’s Hockey Drama

• Mike focuses on the US/Canada overtime thrillers, emphasizing the intensity and narrow victory margins.
  • Quote: “Canada needs overtime to win in advance. And the United States is now in overtime... who knows what’s gonna happen.” – Mike (01:27)

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2. College Basketball: Court Stormings & Controversies (04:12–07:15)

- Notable Results

• Michigan crushes Purdue; Miami of Ohio remains unbeaten; three major court stormings (Arizona State, Iowa, Rhode Island).
  • Quote: “It’s a one in a thousand shot if Rhode Island storms after beating St. Louis.” – Tony (04:48)
• Mike highlights Miami of Ohio's rare undefeated status, referencing Indiana’s undefeated run 50 years ago.

- Mick Cronin Controversy

• UCLA’s coach sends his own player to the locker room for a flagrant foul (not ejected by refs), sparking debate.
  • Quote: “You take the law into your own hands... egotism. I just lost this kid.” – Tony (05:43)
• Discussion of public coaching scrutiny (comparing to Kansas State’s recent firing of their coach), and if Cronin’s action signals sportsmanship or ego.

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3. Golf: The Tiger Woods Comeback Debate (07:15–10:03)

- Is Tiger Woods’ Return Good for Golf or Too Painful to Watch?

• Mike, a lifelong Tiger devotee, says he no longer wishes to see him compete due to physical limitations. (07:38)
  • Quote: “It’s over. And I don’t want to see Tiger... what body parts are actually his?” – Mike (08:11)
• Tony likens watching Tiger to seeing a scary movie: “If I watch this, I’m gonna watch it with my hands over my face...” (08:24)
• Both express concern for Tiger’s health but acknowledge his enduring draw—especially in formats like TGL (virtual golf).
  • Quote: “He’s not actually playing. And that to me is Tiger right now.” – Tony (09:21)

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4. Five Good Minutes: Justin Verlander Interview (12:28–19:10)

- On Returning to the Tigers

• Verlander reflects on changes since his last Detroit stint—both personally and in the organization.
  • Quote: “Married, got two kids now... Life is well off outside of the field, which has really changed me... I try to be more present and enjoy the moments.” – Verlander (12:43)
• Notes the franchise rebuild and reconnecting with manager AJ Hinch.

- Mentoring Tarik Skubal

• Talks about their Cy Young bond; he’s careful not to intervene too much:
  • Quote: “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it... old dogs can still learn new tricks.” – Verlander (13:45)

- Adjusting Through Adversity

• Admits to tough stretches, mechanical adjustments, and the psychological toll of starting new spring trainings:
  • Quote: “I haven’t been confident in a single spring training my entire career.” – Verlander (15:45)
• Finds camaraderie with other top pitchers who share Spring doubts.

- The Role of Starting Pitchers and the Analytics Era

• Laments analytics devaluing the starter’s role:
  • Quote: “I think it’s something that needs to be addressed from Major League Baseball’s standpoint... managers manage the game, how guys are taught to go through the lineup.” – Verlander (16:49)
• Suggests he could expound for an entire episode.

- The (Elusive) 300 Wins Milestone

• At 266 wins (age 42), Tony asks if 300 wins motivates him.
  • Quote: “I wouldn’t say it drives me... It’s for love of the game. Play until they rip the jersey off you.” – Verlander (18:04)

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5. Rapid Fire: MLB, NBA, & NFL Headlines (21:42–25:16)

• David Stearns (Mets GM): Overhauls Met’s roster after disappointing seasons.
• NBA Flashback: Rasheed Wallace’s one-game Hawks appearance remembered.
• Injuries: Twins’ Pablo Lopez faces long recovery after a major elbow injury.
• NBA Updates: Orlando’s Franz Wagner out; Zach LaVine, Demontas Sabonis to miss season.
  • Quote: “You have to be bionic now, don’t you?” – Mike (23:43)
• NFL: Mahomes restructures deal; Bears’ Caleb Williams aims to break scoring records; Seahawks sale discussed.

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Notable Quotes & Moments

• Tony, on Shiffrin: “She has more World Cup wins than any man or any woman of all time.” (02:17)
• Mike, on Tiger: “Tiger watching and obsessing over Tiger... The only things in my life I liked as much were Muhammad Ali and Michael Jordan.” (08:01)
• Tony, on Watching Tiger: “It’s a scary movie to me... every bone in his body is fused to another bone.” (08:24)
• Verlander, on Longevity: “Every old player I’ve talked to is like: Play until the wheels fall off, play until they rip the jersey off you.” (18:04)

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Memorable Interactions

• Lighthearted Banter: Discussion of odd news stories and the cross-country rivalry between Rhode Island and St. Louis.
• Wilbon’s Reluctant Farewell: His emotional difficulty letting go of Tiger’s prime.
• Verlander’s Self-Deprecation: Open admission of nerves and self-doubt, despite a Hall of Fame career.
• Generational Reflection: Tony teases Verlander about being a “childhood idol” to players who aren’t even young anymore, drawing laughs.

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Important Timestamps

• Winter Olympics Discussion: 00:48–04:12
• College Basketball/Cronin Debate: 04:12–07:15
• Tiger Woods Debate: 07:15–10:03
• Five Good Minutes with Justin Verlander: 12:28–19:10
• Rapid Fire (MLB/NBA/NFL): 21:42–25:16

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Final Thoughts

Though Tiger Woods’ return prospects fuel the top headline, this episode stands out for its honest look at the challenges of athletic comeback stories, the shifting nature of sports roles (both players and managers), and the enduring love of competition. Verlander’s interview is both candid and relatable, setting the tone for a discussion on how sports legacies are forged and how fans, and athletes themselves, wrestle with the endings of iconic eras.

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Transcript

[Mike Wilbon]

5:00Am I'm up with a crisp Celsius energy drink running 12 miles today. Grab a green juice, quick change and head to work. Meetings, workshops. One more Celsius. No slowing down. Working late, but obviously still meeting the girls for a little dancing. Celsius Live Fit. Go grab a cold, refreshing Celsius at your local retailer or locate [e-mail]. pardon the interruption, but I'm Mike Lobontone. A naked man in Wisconsin drove off in an ambulance with a pat inside.

[Tony Kornheiser]

I'm Tony Kornheiser. What was I gonna do, kick him out?

[Mike Wilbon]

Well, probably good you didn't. What are you doing getting behind the wheel of an ambulance?

[Tony Kornheiser]

See, you accept this because it's from a Midwestern state. Had it been a man in Florida, you would have said, oh, no, I don't.

[Mike Wilbon]

You know why? Elves, cheeseheads, they do stuff.

[Tony Kornheiser]

They do this.

[Mike Wilbon]

Yeah.

[Tony Kornheiser]

They jump in an ambulance naked. Really? Welcome to pti, boys and girls. In today's episode, Michigan rolls. Tiger woods won't rule out the Masters. And Justin Verlander joins us for five good minutes. But we begin today with the Winter Olympics. Mikayla Shiffrin ended an 08 drought in the last two games by winning her best event, the slalom, today. In men's hockey, the US Is facing Sweden right now. And Canada topped Czechia in overtime. And Norway's number one cross country skier, Johannes Husflat Klabow, won his fifth gold medal in Cortina and his 10th gold overall. Only swimmer Michael Phelps has more. Wilbon, what is your biggest takeaway from today?

[Mike Wilbon]

I could say Clabo, because when you go all time, right, and it's only Michael Phelps out there in front of you, and that's in part because swimming has 435 events. Come on now, that's something to really be proud of and set yourself apart. But the hockey, Tony, I mean, Canada needs an overtime to win in advance. And the United States is now in overtime. And these are the two teams we thought we were going to have, most of us in North America rooting for that. The United States on the verge of victory. Right. We think. And so they are taking the overtime. And now, who knows, one nothing with the back. It was one nothing for the most of the game. And the United States holding an absolute advantage. I'm not gonna say dominant, but now who knows what's gonna happen in the rest of that one.

[Tony Kornheiser]

So you give me the chance then to talk about Michaela Schiffer. Of course, because I thought that what she did was the most Important thing that happened today because she had been in a situation where she had failed in recent Olympics. She was.06 or 0 for 8, whatever she was. And there was this notion that she was being intimidated by the Olympics, that she couldn't get up to speed in the Olympics. And it's not like she's not great. She's the goat. She has more World cup wins than any man or any woman of all time. And in the run up to the Olympics, she was killing it. So you had to think to yourself, maybe the moment in the Olympics is too much for her. Right. That's what you had to think by winning today. That throws all the psychoanalytical stuff out the window. It throws out the window the fact that she was terrible in the combined event when Breezy Johnson had given her a big lead and she could not do the slalom, her best race. She was terrible just a few days ago. By her standards, terrible. I think it was in the giant slalom. Now, she has won before, Mike. She'd won gold medals in 2014 and 2008, but this is a long drought. Went to China and was going through the Italian Olympics. And I would think even with those gold medals, this is the one she savors the most.

[Mike Wilbon]

Well, the amazing thing is, I mean, she's the youngest winner at 18 and the oldest winner at 30.

[Tony Kornheiser]

At 30.

[Mike Wilbon]

And so she's had, I look at this, we talked about this the other day in relationship to Maddox and who else?

[Tony Kornheiser]

And to Clayton Kershaw.

[Mike Wilbon]

And to Clayton Kershaw. And that they were great for so much of their careers. And then on this particular mom World Series with the October baseball playoffs, they weren't great. And Shifrin had the same.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Here's the difference, here's the difference between oldest and youngest. Lindsey Vonn crashes, as we know. The quad guard falls as we know. Chloe Kim Silver instead of gold. But Shifrin got a second chance, got another chance. They did not. And she made the most of it.

[Mike Wilbon]

Good for her. Let's move to some compelling college hoops results from last night. Top ranked Michigan dust at number seven Purdue in West Lafayette. Miami of Ohio State, unbeaten with a win at UMass. We had three court stormings as Arizona State beat Texas Tech, Iowa beat Nebraska and Rhode island beat St. Louis. Plus Michigan State drugged UCLA in a game in which Bruins head coach Mick Cronin sent his own player to the locker room after a flagrant foul tone. Which was most compelling to you?

[Tony Kornheiser]

Well, you know how I feel about court storming. I don't like it. But I have to say it's a one in a thousand shot if somebody says to me that Rhode island storms the court after beating St. Louis. Cuz I don't see Rhode island and St. Louis as duplicates.

[Mike Wilbon]

You don't know about.

[Tony Kornheiser]

They are separated by thousands of miles. And I didn't know it was a blood rivalry. Let me get to Mick Cronin because we are in an atmosphere here where Kansas State recently fired Jerome Taylor for being bad and critical of his players in public. Mitt Cronin last night sent his own kid to the locker room. The referees didn't send him to the locker room. They didn't throw him out of the game. Mick Cronin threw him out of the game for what you could argue, not even said to be judged to be a flagrant too.

[Mike Wilbon]

And by the way, we looked at.

[Tony Kornheiser]

That and it was fine.

[Mike Wilbon]

But you could look at that and say of Cronin, if you wanted to, you could say, well, this demonstrates some level of sportsmanship that you're doing this after a foul in the air to an opposing player.

[Tony Kornheiser]

You could make egotism. I won't. Because you take the law into your own hands. Or egotism. I just lost this kid. Now it's hard for me to imagine afterwards he got into it. He got into it with a guy questioning him in the post game and he upbraided that guy. Look, the Jerome tank firing to me looms large in this Mick Cronin. It's a tough road trip at Michigan. At Michigan State you get bombed in the.

[Mike Wilbon]

Cronin's got stature. Nobody at UCLA is even going to pick up the phone to call.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Probably Pavilion because they are nine and six in conference and he's not John Wooden. And somebody could call and say do we really need this guy? You don't think that'll happen?

[Mike Wilbon]

No. And you know, with Tang, I feel certain.

[Tony Kornheiser]

That's right.

[Mike Wilbon]

Yeah, I don't think it's going to happen. Yes, he has a healthy ego to say the least. By the way, the thing I don't want to skip over is the word in it. It means the most to me. Un defeated Miami of Ohio. Miami of Ohio. Look, I know they're not going to go through. No, but they could get to if they get to the tournament. Undefeated in the Mac. Fine. They're not playing, you know, power conferences.

[Tony Kornheiser]

I think after we win.

[Mike Wilbon]

But how cool is that? You and I remember the last time, by the way. It's been Indiana 50 years. Undefeated team Quinn Buck.

[Tony Kornheiser]

It's been A long time growing up. I'm surprised you didn't mention Michigan and Purdue. I will just say this.

[Mike Wilbon]

Oh, yeah.

[Tony Kornheiser]

And I don't want to understate Michigan winning at Purdue. That's a great win. The number one team in the country. But I want to see if they can back it up in Washington, D.C. on Saturday. When he played Duke. When they played Duke.

[Mike Wilbon]

Michigan looks like a better team right now to me. And they're ten deep.

[Rich Eisen]

They are.

[Tony Kornheiser]

That's what you want to see. Can you back it up? Let's move to golf. The elephant in the room is Tiger woods saying he has not ruled out playing in this year's Masters. The masters starts on April 9th. That's only seven weeks away. Tiger woods has not gotten on a golf course in a real tournament since the British Open in 2024. We all love Tiger. We all think he's great to watch. Wilbon, how do you feel about the potential of seeing Tiger tee it up at Augusta?

[Mike Wilbon]

I have no appetite whatsoever for watching Tiger woods play again. After what we saw lately, most recently, I have no. And look, look, look. I turned into a Golf wonk after 30 years old for one reason. Tiger Woods. Right. It changed my whole life. You know, this.

[Tony Kornheiser]

I understand. Yeah.

[Mike Wilbon]

Tiger watching and obsessing over Tiger. The only things in my life I liked as much as watching Tiger Woods. Watching Muhammad Ali.

[Tony Kornheiser]

And Michael Jordan.

[Mike Wilbon]

And Michael Jordan. That's the list.

[Rich Eisen]

I understand.

[Mike Wilbon]

But, Tony, it's over. And I don't want to see Tiger. We know how hilly Augusta national is and how difficult to walk it is. And so. Tiger. Tiger. But what body parts are actually his?

[Tony Kornheiser]

Okay? He's walked that five times as a champion. He's one in five teams. He can negotiate his way around Augusta. Look, if I watch this, I'm gonna watch it with my hands over my face and in the aperture. I'm gonna get my eye through and I'm gonna look at it. And you know why? Cause it's a scary movie to me. Yes, it is. Scream 7 or whatever they are advertising now. Tiger woods has had a million operations on his back and on his legs and his legs. He's just coming out of his seventh back surgery. Every bone in his body is fused to another bone in his body. And I don't want to see him play in play. Cause we seen that clip where he swings and he goes right down to his knees.

[Mike Wilbon]

Okay?

[Tony Kornheiser]

Because he's in the middle.

[Mike Wilbon]

You're describing a circumstance with Lindsey Vaughn. We just went through this. You want to see Tiger woods screaming in agony at the bottom of a hill.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Let me go to something that I know you will understand. Tgl. Tgl, where they play indoors and they hit balls into a bedsheet. Yeah. You don't like it and I do.

[Mike Wilbon]

No.

[Tony Kornheiser]

They are running an ad now for tgl and it says more this, more that, more the other thing. And it very specifically says more Tiger. They show Tiger in a red shirt with his arms out. More Tiger. You know why? Cuz he's there. He's physically there. He's helping his teammates, he's reading putts, he's encouraging everybody. But he's not actually playing. And that to me is Tiger right now, that he's not actually ready to play.

[Mike Wilbon]

And so therefore, we don't have any appetite for this. We don't. It's not even. Look, I know there was 2018 or 19, whenever he came back on the Masters, the most unlikely event we've ever seen. Scenes in golf. But again, now with these fake body parts.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Come on now, let's take a break. Coming up, we will ask Justin Verlander what feels different about being in Detroit for the second time around. Do we have a. I think I'm getting a. We have a score. 2, 1 win by the United States.

[Mike Wilbon]

For the United States of America.

[Tony Kornheiser]

You feel good, don't you?

[Mike Wilbon]

Two, one win. How about that? We're also going to ask him how he'd restore the prominence of starting pitcher.

[Tony Kornheiser]

So that's quick. So now they move on and Canada move on. Both in overtime.

[Mike Wilbon]

Three on, three in overtime in the Olympics.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Wow, that's like a lot of ice.

[Mike Wilbon]

Thrilling to watch.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah, well, you know, live tv ain't nothing like it. We couldn't watch it. We couldn't watch it.

[Mike Wilbon]

And nobody's airlifted out of the. Out of the three.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Oh, you're overreacting to that, Tiger. You're overreacting.

[Mike Wilbon]

Come on now.

[Tony Kornheiser]

You don't want that.

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[Tony Kornheiser]

Three times Cy Young winner Justin Verlander took a several year sabbatical from the Tigers, but now he's back with the team and with us. We welcome Justin. Let's start with this. It's early obviously, but what feels different about the organization and about you?

[Justin Verlander]

Well, I mean personally, a lot's changed. You know, married, got two kids now. You know, life is, life is well off outside of the field, which has really changed me, I think I try to be more present and just enjoy the moments a little bit more because I see how fast they go. The organization has changed drastically. Obviously. They've been through a heck of a rebuild. Pretty cool to be back with A.J. hench, who I had in Houston and always enjoyed playing for. So there's a lot of connection there. There's a couple staff members that are still around and it's been fun to connect with them. Not many though, not many, but a lot of new faces to me, that's for sure.

[Mike Wilbon]

Let's talk about one of the young bucks, a total stud, obviously, and Mr. Scubal, who sounded totally giddy talking about you, calling you a childhood idol and he said he couldn't wait to learn from you. What's it been like so far with him and what have you taught him so far, man?

[Justin Verlander]

What I taught him so far. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. I said I, I'm gonna leave you alone, man. No, it's been, it's been great to, to connect with him. I got the chance last year in San Francisco I saw him on the field, and obviously, you know, just. Just we're going to be forever linked. Cy Young winners from. From the Detroit Tigers. So I went over and said hi and introduced myself and, you know, so we had a little bit of a connection coming in and. And I think, you know, just getting to know him as a person, as a competitor, and I'm trying not to do too much. You know, I respect what he's been able to accomplish in this game, and he's been wanting to chat with me a bunch and me from him, man, you know, old dogs can still learn new tricks. So I think maybe if we could both kind of, you know, make each other incrementally better, that'd be great.

[Mike Wilbon]

You referred to the Giants, and I want to go back to that for a second, because you struggled early, as we all know, but you finished strong. What changed during that period and that transition, Justin? And, you know, do you have any doubts about sort of being able to pick up where you left off?

[Justin Verlander]

A lot changed. I made a lot of mechanical adjustments throughout the course of the season. It was one of my tougher years. There's been a couple like that throughout my career. It's kind of. It's one of those things that when you sit down at the end of the year, you kind of feel good about it, because some years, everything goes great and it's easy. And don't get me wrong, I'd rather have be that. Be that way every single time. But sometimes when it's the most difficult and you're able to kind of scratch and claw your way out of it and find something mechanically that makes it work and you're able to finish strong, you feel good about it. And that's. That's how I kind of evaluated myself after last year when I sat down and was like, man, that was a tough one.

[Rich Eisen]

But.

[Justin Verlander]

But to be able to find it still at 42 and make it click and pitch well down the stretch made all the hard work worth it in the first half. So how that carries over into this year, I. Am I confident? I'm going to be dead honest and say I haven't been confident in a single spring training my entire career.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Really.

[Justin Verlander]

It's a brand new season now. It's a brand new season. Every single year, there's new panic. Every single year, the first bullpen you throw, when the pitches aren't doing what you're used to, I'm doing, or what you want them to do, it's, you know, you go in and sit in the locker, and you're like, oh, my gosh, is this going to be the year? But that hasn't changed. Whether I was, you know, 40 plus or 25 or 30. It's been the same every year. So it's funny you asked that, because today I had my first, like, live bullpen situation, and I didn't love how it went. So I went in the locker and I'm like, oh, God, it's over. And apparently I've got a few other guys in there. I think the same way every year that are also really good. So that was fun to.

[Mike Wilbon]

One of the many reasons that I'm rooting for you is the role of a starting pitcher and how it's diminished. And it's a thing I stress out over, maybe, because until I was about 17, I thought I might be one one of these days, a starting pitcher. And it's almost like there's an extinction. Justin, how do you feel about this, and do you think baseball needs a more prominent role for the starting pitcher?

[Justin Verlander]

I think it does. I think yes. I think it's a really nuanced question, and, I mean, I could probably go on for the entirety of this show about that, but I do think it's something that needs to be addressed from Major League Baseball. Standp point. Obviously, analytics has changed the game dramatically since I've been around, and you see the way that that's affecting not only how young guys throw, how hard they're throwing, the injuries, how managers manage the game, how guys are taught to go through the lineup. You know, you don't. You don't see guys as often going through the lineup three times. It's. Analytics say that they should be out of there the third time through because it's, you know, the hitters have more chance of success. I don't know how to answer that. I mean, I've thought extensively about it, and I have some thoughts, but that would take a while.

[Tony Kornheiser]

We will get you out of here on this, by the way. I love the fact that Terry Scubal thinks of you as his childhood idol. That must hurt a little bit.

[Justin Verlander]

Childhood idol, you know, especially since he's not like. He's not like 21 years old, you know.

[Tony Kornheiser]

All right, we get you out. Speaking of how old people are, you're 42. You have 266 wins. It's the most of any active pitcher. Is 300 something that drives you?

[Justin Verlander]

I wouldn't say it drives me, but, you know, it's definitely on the horizon at this point. I think I'm very clear minded about. It's a year by year thing. If something catastrophic happens, like I'm not going to grind through a surgery or something like that to continue to play. But I haven't lost, as you say, at the drive. But it's not 4 or 300. It's for love of the game. I really do. I enjoy competing. Every old player that I've talked to is like play until the wheels fall off, play until they rip the jersey off you. You know, because once it's gone, it's gone. And I really, I really listened to them. Some people I really respect and look, if I can still play this game at a high level, you know, last year, the second half, I really proved it to myself and others. So, you know, I think it'd be a disservice to all the work I've put in in my entire career, my, you know, my entire life. I've been playing this game since I was 5 years old and that's led me to where I am. And if I were to cut that short now, I just wouldn't feel good about it.

[Tony Kornheiser]

It's a great pleasure to have you when we have you. Thank you, Jason, so much.

[Mike Wilbon]

Appreciate it.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Thank you.

[Justin Verlander]

Happy to be on. Thanks, guys.

[Tony Kornheiser]

And next time we're at Kinloch, we'll sign your number. Let's take one last break. Still to come, Caleb Williams thinks the Bears can make the scoring record theirs. Really? Really? Yeah.

[Mike Wilbon]

Well, let's talk about that in just weeks after the Seahawks rolled comes word they'll be sold. We think we knew that anyway.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Do you like people when they say that you were their childhood idol? You like that? Yeah.

[Rich Eisen]

Really?

[Mike Wilbon]

What greater flattery is there than that, huh? What greater honor is there than that?

[Tony Kornheiser]

But now they're in their 60s and they say it.

[Mike Wilbon]

No, they're not saying it in this.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yes, they're saying it in their 60s.

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[Tony Kornheiser]

Happy time people. Happy 41st birthday. David Stearns Happy Birthday. Stearns is the president of baseball operations for the New York Mets. He's the guy who gets to spend the owner Steve Cohen's money. Sterns spent a ton of it on Juan Soto last year and the Mets did not make the playoffs. Cohen said he's, quote, absolutely annoyed at that result. Cohen felt the Mets would be in the World Series within five years of him buying the team. This is year six. The Mets have only made the playoffs twice, so Stearns is overhauling the team. Pete Alonso, Edwin Diaz, Brendan Nimmo and Jeff McNeil are now playing elsewhere, and in their places are people like Bo Bichette, Freddie Peralta, Devin Williams and Marcus Simeon. Happy birthday and good luck.

[Mike Wilbon]

David Stearns I think to many of us outside the greater New York area, the Mets have now become more dislikable than the Yankees. The Mets have become the team you could just look at and go, enough. Enough of you Pete.

[Tony Kornheiser]

The team of my youth. I won't listen to that. Happy anniversary. Rasheed Wallace on this day 22 years ago in in his first and only game with the Atlanta Hawks after being traded there by Portland, Wallace scored 20 points, had six rebounds, five blocks, two assists and a steal in a close loss to the Nets. The next day, Wallace was traded to the Detroit Pistons, where he would play a pivotal role in their title run that season and their return to the NBA Finals the next season. Wallace has since turned to coaching and is now associate head coach at a Tennessee high school in the last dozen in recent years, Wallace has coached in the NBA with the Pistons, in college For Penny Hardaway at Memphis and also.

[Mike Wilbon]

In high school, his mantra has to be my team, play hard. My man, my team play hard.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Absolutely.

[Mike Wilbon]

Just one. Only need one.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Happy trails. Pablo Lopez, the Twins ace will likely miss the entire season and more if he opts for surgery to repair a significant tear to his UCLL UCL in his pitching elbow. This would be Lopez's second Tommy John surgery. He also missed much of last season with shoulder and forearm injuries. Lopez has been the Twins opening day starter the last three seasons. He'd also been scheduled to pitch for Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic.

[Mike Wilbon]

You have to be bionic now, don't you? I mean, your arm just falls off.

[Tony Kornheiser]

He's in one. And he's had other injuries as well. Because you go out there and I think you throw too hard for too long.

[Mike Wilbon]

As much torque as you can muster. Yeah, enough. Let people pitch and not throw.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Let's go to the big finish. Orlando's Franz Wagner is out indefinitely with a sore ankle, and Kings players Zach Lavine and Demonta Sabonis are out for the season after having surgery. Your thoughts?

[Mike Wilbon]

Orlando cannot be what it looks like it could be if Franz Wagner is not on the floor. He missed a lot of games. They need him out there. Kyrie will sit out the rest of the season and return next season. That makes sense, I guess.

[Tony Kornheiser]

I mean, he got hurt last March. I guess it makes sense. You don't have to rush it back. They're terrible. They're not going. No, they're not going. Patrick Mahomes restructured his contract to free up more than $43 million in salary cap space. Your thoughts?

[Mike Wilbon]

Okay, Freeing it up doesn't mean giving it away. He's going to get more money and they're going to get better because of it. On the field, Caleb Williams, my man, tells Max Crosby podcast that his goal for next season is to make the Bears the highest scoring offense in the history of the league. Doable?

[Tony Kornheiser]

No, that's not doable at all. But bringing Max Crosby over would help the Bears a lot. Last one, the Paul Allen Estate. Selling the Seahawks is that good timing?

[Mike Wilbon]

The best timing. The best possible timing. Super bowl sell.

[Tony Kornheiser]

We're out of time. We will try to do better the next time. I'm Tony Kornheim.

[Mike Wilbon]

I'm Mike Lobond. Same time tomorrow, knucklehead. Is that tampering? They can't mess with Caleb for tampering, can they?

[Tony Kornheiser]

Not on a podcast. He's not making the offer.

[Justin Verlander]

More.

[Mike Wilbon]

Max Cross, PTI from 30 for 30 podcasts.

[Justin Verlander]

Did you say someone got shot? Brian Pata, senior defensive lineman for Miami.

[Mike Wilbon]

Gunned down the key to this case.

[Tony Kornheiser]

It's Brian. An hour before he died, he was on the phone arguing with somebody.

[Rich Eisen]

This might be a hit.

[Mike Wilbon]

You want the truth? They just want a conviction.

[Justin Verlander]

Being placed under arrest.

[Mike Wilbon]

We had a killer amongst us.

[Rich Eisen]

Murder at the U.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Listen now.