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[00:01]
A
This episode is brought to you by Google Chrome. You think you know a browser, but Gemini and Chrome, that's new. It can help you with practically anything on the web, like restoring a vintage motorcycle from a 50 page restoration block. Or finally break down that long article you've had open for weeks. Gemini and Chrome is here for it, ready to make anything online make sense. There's no place like Chrome. Check responses set up, required compatibility and availability various 18.
[00:27]
B
Pardon the interruption, but I'm Mike Wilbon. It's International Friendship Day. Tony, what do you look for in a friend?
[00:35]
C
I'm Tony Kornheiser. Kindness, loyalty, top golf course memberships, very important.
[00:41]
B
I'd like to disagree with you, but I'm not gonna disagree with you.
[00:45]
C
No, I know.
[00:45]
B
No, I know.
[00:46]
C
I know.
[00:47]
B
No, you like to go hit it someplace nice every now and then or every weekend. Yeah, somebody's loaded.
[00:53]
C
That's why people are your friends, because you belong to a bunch of great. Welcome to pti, boys and girls. In today's episode, Luka Doncic invites the Lakers to Slovenia. Josh Pastner clarifies his comments. And Eduardo Perez joins us for five good minutes. But we begin today with Philadelphia Phillies interim manager Don Mattingly clapping back at Bryce Harper's suggestion. The Phillies need to get, quote, some help at the trade deadline. Mattingly said, quote, players like being GMs and spending other people's money. So I just let it go at that. I mean, Dave Dombrowski's been doing this for a while. Bryce is Bryce. He's going to say what he wants. I kind of take it with a grain of salt, unquote. It must be pointed out that Mattingly's son Preston is the titular GM of the Phillies Will bond. What do you make of Mattingly siding with the front office over Harper?
[01:45]
B
Tony, every like 30 minutes, I change my mind on this. You know, I'm having a hard time coming to sort of a consensus. And I think what I make of it is Mattingly is going to be very popular in that clubhouse because he basically took the side of the players, even though he was siding with management by doing so. He says to Bryce Harper, throws a little brush back and says, stop. You're basically calling out your teammates. You don't want to do that. And it does seem sort of like Bryce Harperish that when he said what he said, and I lauded it a couple of days ago as being honest and frank, and I believe he was. It also calls your teammates into question. It also says, hey, you know the guys in the room Right here. They're not. They're not good enough. We need something a little better. We need another bat, we need another arm because these guys aren't quite good enough. Don Mattingly comes to the rescue. The clubhouse has to. Even though he sided with his, with management, which includes his son, he also sided with the clubhouse.
[02:51]
C
Yeah. I'm going to tell you what I make of it. I make of it that Bryce Harper may not be with the Philadelphia Phillies much longer.
[02:57]
B
Wow.
[02:58]
C
I'm not saying he's going out on the trade deadline, which would be a boom, but it's not going to surprise me if he's not there next year. Bryce Harper is still, in my mind, a great hitter. He is a team leader. But he's batting, I think, 169 in July to this point. And this is the second time he's had an issue with the front office. If you remember last year and after the season, for reasons that I did not understand, Dave Dombrowski came out and questioned whether Bryce Harper was still an elite player. He didn't have to do that. He chose to do that. Now Bryce Harper comes back and says, why don't you get us some better players so that we can win this thing? I mean, to me you had. And then you have Don Mattingly with one foot in the dugout and one foot in the front office because of his son being the GM of the team. This feels like the shootout at the OK Corral. I'm going to go on for about 30 seconds here and then I'll get out. When Bryce Harper signed that contract, it was the most lucrative contract in toto in the history of baseball. I think it averaged $27 million for 13 years. That was 2018.
[04:03]
D
All right.
[04:04]
C
Bryce Harper, right now Mike's 25th highest paid player in the league. Next year, he's the 34th. You can move him. You can move him now if you choose to.
[04:13]
B
Well, especially Tony. They've gotten close. Bryce Harper was not on the Nats,
[04:19]
C
had not won a World Series.
[04:20]
B
World Series team.
[04:22]
C
He doesn't have a ring.
[04:22]
B
He left, doesn't have a ring on his own. He said later, I'm going down the street to play for a Hayden rival. You know how I feel about this? I sort of like that that he's left out in the cold. Let's move to the NBA. As Luka Doncic attempts to fill the leadership void that LeBron left in LA. Luka's first big move, a four day team minicamp in his native Slovenia slated for August. All On Luka's dime, the Lakers added a bevy of new players this offseason. Tone, does this minicamp make you more bullish on their upcoming season?
[05:00]
C
My short answer is no. Because they don't have LeBron James anymore. Perhaps you read about that, that he's not there anym. I don't think anybody collectively that they have brought in can actually balance that out. I don't. But I think the subtext here is the lakers are saying LeBron is now gone. This is Lucas team. All right, so we're gonna have this Lucas European summer adventure. We're all gonna go to Slovenia. We're gonna play a little bit of golf, we're gonna do a little bit of tourism, we're gonna eat some good food. Lucas gonna spring for all the money here. We're gonna have a fabulous bonding experience. And it's Luca, it's not LeBron. We're going to have a new day and a new team. Who wants some Slovenian sausages? Now to answer the question directly, I mean maybe, maybe the players will be happier this year. Maybe they will be closer this year. LeBron won't be there to berate them if he ever berated them. It's, it's Lucas deal right now. But you know to the answer to it make me more bullish on him. No, it does not.
[06:02]
B
Yeah, no Tony, it doesn't. Because when they tip it off at 7:30 and whatever night in October, they tip it off, who's going to play defense on that team? It ain't going to be Luka and it ain't going to be Austin Reaves. And that's where we start with the Lakers now. Yeah, the big boy they just got from Utah, he's a nice defensive player. He can rebound. But the Lakers are not a threat to me, not a threat to okc, not a threat to San Antonio. And that's where you start with the Western Conference. And even though Minnesota to me is worse, even though Houston is eh, not as good, even though teams in the west other than San Antonio and OKC have taken a dive. I agree with everything you said. So I'm going to go to a quick story about Luka and the Lakers. So Luka's playing for Dallas early in his career, very early. And at one point somebody sitting behind Luca on the front row, a trillionaires row. And then Staples center starts to speak Slovenian to Luka, Talk a little trash. Luka's irritated. He turns around and talking trash to him in Slovenian is Kobe Bean Bryant. How great is that right. Kobe, who spoke like five languages anyway, had decided before the game, let me do a little something to Luka. One of the trillion reasons that the league and the world and we all miss Kobe Bean Bryant. But you know, Lucas Luca needs to do this. Tony, I think it's a smart thing. Build the bonding out. Even if you can't defend, you can be close bonding.
[07:35]
C
Well, you hate Luka as a player. You know that's right. Let's move to college basketball. And a flippant remark last week by UNLV coach Josh Pastner, who suggested that potential owners of an expansion NBA team in Las Vegas might instead buy the UNLV team. Pastor said, quote, you don't have to spend $10 billion to own our team. You still get a great tax write off and you can be as involved as you want and you can tell everyone you're the owner of the team, unquote. Pastner later said he wasn't serious. He said, quote, we need support, but we're not really for sale, unquote. But Wilbon Yahoo dealt with this and asked, is it really that far fetched? And I ask you, is it?
[08:13]
B
It's not only not far fetched, it's real. He may have been joking, but he wasn't joking. You know what I'm saying? I mean, every school, mine included, we're all looking for sugar daddies. We're looking for somebody who wants to come in and provide that kind of resources. All right? At that level, Tony, it takes 10 to 15 million dollars to put an even competitive men's basketball team, Power Four, on the court today. For those who want to win those conferences and maybe have a decent seating in the tournament. In the tournament, it's going to cost you upwards of 20, 22 million dollars. I know that for a fact. So since you've got Tony, teams are selling patches. Teams are entering into all sorts of agreements that bring in millions of dollars. Yes, they're all for sale. And they're all for sale today.
[09:13]
C
Yeah, I mean, there is no regulation at the moment that tells you how to funnel the nil money. And without regulations like that, I can see possibly that a team is actually for sale. Let me go down a different road here. Let's say you've got a really good chemistry department. And Dow Chemicals says we want to help and invest in young future chemists. So we're going to offer this school $100 million to buy the chemistry department. Just that. Now let's remember here, the chemistry department is not basketball or football. It is not revenue producing. CBS doesn't go to the chemistry department and offer a billion dollars to televise the laboratory practicals. That's not what happens. So it seems to me conceivable that you could actually sell a team. Mike, I never thought, I never thought the NFL or the NBA would endorse gambling. Never. And they are right in the thick of it now. So things change. It strikes me as actually possible that a school could sell a team not tomorrow, but down to its own.
[10:19]
B
They're all for sale. We are all for sale. And anybody who sits back and says, oh no, you're exact, no, that's the deal.
[10:28]
C
If you open for business to an nil guy. If you said to an nil guy, we're going to give you the T shirt, we're going to give you a better seat, but we're going to reward your investment. This is what I'm saying, that a financial company could actually buy a team. I don't think it's impossible. Let's take a break. But coming up, could Tarik Skubal actually become a brave? We will ask ESPN MLB analyst Eduardo Perez.
[10:52]
B
We'll also ask him about how much harder it is to hit pitching now then when he played. Nobody has to.
[10:59]
C
I mean if they say if we make money, you can make money.
[11:04]
B
Yes.
[11:04]
C
Private equity would buy a team. They buy Northwestern.
[11:09]
B
Yes, yes. And I'll fly them there. Yeah.
[11:12]
D
Rich Eisen here with some advice. If high interest credit card debt is grinding you down, it might be time to call an audible. With a SOFI personal loan, it consolidates your debt into one low monthly payment with no fees required. And with as soon as the same day funding, you can make the right play fast. Call an audible on your debt today@sofi.com debtplay loans originated by sofi bank na member fdic terms and conditions apply. Nmls 696891 fast funds terms apply@sofi.com debtplay
[11:42]
E
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[12:19]
C
Baseball's trade deadline is just a few days away, which makes it a perfect time for a visit from ESPN baseball analyst Eduardo Perez. You are in Atlanta for the Nats and the Braves tonight, I will watch because I'm a Nats fan. I'm sure it's hot. You're out in the sun. So let's go to this. Do you think that the Braves might make a serious bid for Tarek Skubal to pair on the top of their rotation with Chris Sale?
[12:44]
E
100%, yes. And I think it's not only the Braves, it's everyone that is at least four and a half to five games out. Why wouldn't you? When you have a two time reigning Cy Young Award winner, a guy that had six weeks off because of an elbow surgery, that was pretty simple. And he's come back strong. He's going to be strong through not only the rest of the season, but in the postseason as well. This would be a great one, two punch with Chris Sale if you can get him there. But look, there are a lot of great one, two punches. If Milwaukee gets them, then you're looking at Jacob Misarowski and and Tarik Schoolboul together. You go anywhere you can. This guy will make a difference on any team. And Alex Anthopoulos, I guarantee you, is right there at the top.
[13:29]
C
Ooh.
[13:30]
B
All right, let's follow up. Because of everything you just said, Eduardo, do the Dodgers prohibited favors from the day we started spring training. Do the Dodgers say, no, no, no, no, no, we're going to. Even if we don't necessarily need them, we're going to going to block him from the Braves, from the brewers, from the Cubs, from anybody. Are the Dodgers that big and bad?
[13:54]
E
C, C, C, C, C. Yes. You might say on the nose. I'm absolutely on board with that because this is the nature of the beast. And I think the Dodgers know in a short series, anything can happen and great pitching will neutralize great hitting. It has been the history of the game for a long time. And right now the Milwaukee brewers, with the best record in the National League have the opportunity, if they go out and let's say get that one, two punch, it is hard to beat in a seven game series. A team like that, that last year was embarrassed by the Dodgers. You can look at any other team that has a great number one, Chris Sale, Adam to the group. Yes. So that's why the Dodgers, knowing that they don't and probably we don't know yet with Shohio Tani down the stretch, if you can get a guy like this and add him to the rotation again. Andrew Friedman has been known to do things like this.
[14:49]
B
All right, we're going to. Everything becomes dodger centric. Because it has to. You have seen everybody up close and personal already this season. Who do you like most in the National League right now? As to as a serious challenger to the Dodgers?
[15:06]
E
I would, I would go with two teams in the National League Central. One is the Milwaukee brewers because of Jacob Misarowski and the way that they can put the ball in play. They can beat you in so many ways. This is a team that was not slugging and still they were winning games. They do the small things, right? And in the postseason the small things work. And the Chicago cubs, we've seen two already 10 game losses in a row by the Cubs. Yet they are a team that can turn it on in a heartbeat and be great. And they can hit and they hit early, they hit often and they have PCA at the top. That's one of the reasons why, going back to question number two of trying to block Terry School from, let's say going to the Chicago Cubs. They have a weakness. They know it. If they address it, the Cubs can also be contenders.
[15:56]
C
How much did Wilbon pay you to mention the Cubs? I can't believe this, that the Cubs are part of this discussion slipped or something. All right, let me get you out of here on this.
[16:07]
E
Know your audience good.
[16:10]
C
Okay. Okay, here we go. We get you out of here. In addition to being an analyst, I think people know this. You played in the majors for 13 years. Your dad played in the majors for 23 years. That's a lot of at bats over a lot of years. How is hitting different now than it was during both of your careers? And I bring this up because pitchers now, it seems, go all out to throw 104 on every single pitch. Has that change hitting Eduardo?
[16:37]
E
Well, it has, it has. And look. And a lot of people say, well, it's damaged. No, it's not. This is where the game is right now. Just like when the three point line was put in basketball, it changed. The game changed. Look, before it was, you had to have the ability to be able to hit the ground the other way, to move the runner to third base, to be able to create and get that sac fly or to be able to hit the ball on the ground when the infield was back. Right now, I think at a younger stage, we're so infatuated and we're so in love with the exit velocity, with the launch angle, with making sure that those numbers are right so the kids can get signed, so they can go to college, that we're not looking at the athletic ability of a kid that has great hand eye coordination and can win ball games. And that's what you're looking for, winners. You look at the Cleveland Guardians, for example. They have a pretty good one in Mr. Ramirez at third base. He can do all the little things, right. That's one of the reasons why the Guardians are always in contention. Yes, he can hit the ball out of the air. He can hit the ball out of the ballpark. But he can also move the runner over when he needs to on the ground. He can steal a base and he catches the ball, he throws it. Hitting his changed in so many ways for the better. That's up for discussion. The veteran guy will say it's worse. The contemporary guy says, look, baseball is harder than ever right now.
[17:58]
B
It's great.
[17:58]
C
It's a great pleasure to have you.
[18:00]
B
Thank you for being with us. Thank you so much.
[18:02]
C
Thank you.
[18:04]
E
You see, I can get invited back because I mentioned the Cubs.
[18:07]
B
Here we go. There we go. Even though we lost that game in St. Louis last night.
[18:11]
C
I'll be off the show if you come back for the Cubs. I'm doing. I'm taking vacation. You can catch more Eduardo on the broadcast of tonight's Nats Braves game at 7pm on ESPN. I will watch that because the Nats are in it. Let's take one last break. Still to come, soccer teams like Spain, England and France are threatening to boycott future World Cups. We'll tell you why. Somebody's got to tell me why.
[18:34]
D
That'll be because I don't know that.
[18:35]
B
And the WNBA has a sports betting season snafu that features two of its biggest stars. Cubs had a tough loss. Tony after PCA goes deep 2 nothing cardinals in St. Louis as you know,
[18:51]
A
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[19:20]
D
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[19:57]
C
Happy time, people. Happy 78th birthday, Billy Paul History lesson, kids. The Whopper was a 6' 11 center for the New York Nets when they were in the ABA and played on Long Island. I covered Paultz when I worked at Newsday. Liked him very much. He was a seventh round draft pick out of St. John's where he played for Lou Carnesecca who would coach him in the pros as well. Paul was on the nets 1974 ABA championship team with Julius Irving, Larry Keenan, Brian Taylor and John Roach. Paul's also played on the nets 191972 team with Rick Barry and Bill Melchioni that got to the ABA Finals. Paul's played in the NBA in San Antonio, Houston, Atlanta and Utah. But I remember him Most from the ABA where he averaged 16 and 11. Well, Vaughn, he owned a restaurant near the Nassau Coliseum called the Salty Dog.
[20:44]
B
Must have been pretty good, Tony. I only remember him in the NBA because the ABA didn't really have any kind of substantial national presence. Don't even know if they had a national TV contract that lasted long. Couldn't see Julius Irving in Chicago. You could sneak across state lines and maybe catch the Pacers here and there, but that was it. We didn't see those guys. A lost generation.
[21:05]
C
For some of us, it was great fun. I love the ABA. Happy anniversary, Sidney Crosby. On this day 21 years ago, the Pittsburgh Penguins selected Sid the kid with the number one overall pick in the NHL Draft. How'd that work out? Crosby, who turns 39 next week, helped Pittsburgh to three Stanley Cups and helped Canada to two Olympic gold medals this past season. Crosby was very good when he was healthy, scoring 29 goals and 74 points in 68 games. The great story about Crosby is that after he was drafted by the Penguins, then owned by Mario Lemieux, Crosby lived in Lemieux's house for five years. And the four Lemieux children reportedly treat Crosby like a sibling. Lemieux and Crosby have been named the two top number one draft picks since 1980.
[21:51]
B
How about this? The year before Crosby was taken number one, Pittsburgh took Evgenie Malkin number two. Those guys have been there forever and ever. Forever and ever.
[22:01]
C
Yes. Pretty good. Pretty good. Traffics Happy trails to UEFA teams participating in the World Cup. The European Federation today rejected FIFA's plan to sell shares of the international governing body to private investors for billions of adding it would boycott all FIFA events until that proposal is dropped and FIFA agrees to never raise it again. This would mean that teams like Spain and France and England and Germany would refuse to participate in the men's or women's World Cups, said UEFA. There are moments when institutions are judged not by what they are prepared to accept, but by what they refuse to compromise. This is one of the those moments. The FIFA World cup belongs to football. It always will. And so long as Europe has a voice, it will never be for sale. Unquote.
[22:51]
B
That sounds nice. That's garbage. As I said once early in this show, everybody's open for business. Suppose some of that money starts to trickle down to the players. How you think they gonna feel about that? What a. What a lie. What a big fat lie. Let's go to the beat.
[23:07]
C
Quickly.
[23:08]
B
Let's do it quickly.
[23:09]
C
Quickly. Kurt Signetti said today we don't run a hype machine up here in the Midwest. When we fall short, we say we fall short. When we don't win, we don't cry a river. That's why we're the best. Analyze that. Mr. Big Ten sounds good, too.
[23:23]
B
Taysom Hill will not be returning to the Saints. Your thoughts?
[23:27]
C
He's a very valuable player. I don't understand that. Jackson Coyban shot minus one at the Rocket Classic today. You impressed?
[23:33]
B
I was going to crawl, but Peter Malnati is shot of 61. So? So he's like Adolph.
[23:37]
C
The lead.
[23:37]
B
WNBA said it's post that show Paige Beckers and Angel Reese betting $400 on a game between them. Missed the mark. I think you agree with that, don't you?
[23:49]
C
Missed by 1,000 miles.
[23:50]
B
You can't do that.
[23:51]
C
Last one. Astros have won eight out of nine. Is that a big deal?
[23:55]
B
Astros getting hot. It's still early series with the Rangers coming up.
[24:00]
C
We're out of time. Try to do better the next time. I'm Tony Kornheim.
[24:03]
B
I'm Mike Wilbon. Same time tomorrow, knuckleheads. Remember, boys and girls, open for business.
[24:10]
A
As you know, managing maintenance, repair and operations is never easy. But for the ones who always rise to the challenge, Grainger has your back. From professional grade products you can count on to fast, dependable delivery. They're there to help you keep things running smoothly. Plus, their technical product specialists are here to help answer your toughest questions. And because Grainger knows safety is always a priority, they're committed to being your partner in protecting both your people and your facilities. Call 1-800-GRANGER-GREEGRANGER.com or just stop by.

Summary6 min read

PTI Podcast Summary

Episode: "Could College Teams Soon Have Owners?!"

Hosts: Tony Kornheiser, Michael Wilbon
Air Date: July 30, 2026

Overview

In this lively PTI episode, Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon tackle the day’s hottest topics in sports, centering on the provocative notion that college sports teams could soon have “owners.” The hosts discuss breaking news and debates in MLB, NBA, and NCAA basketball, analyze shifting dynamics in sports management and ownership, and host ESPN MLB analyst Eduardo Perez for “Five Good Minutes.” The show is marked by the duo’s classic banter, industry knowledge, and memorable quips.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Phillies Clubhouse Drama: Mattingly vs. Harper

[00:53 – 04:22]

Context: Don Mattingly, interim manager for the Phillies, responded to star Bryce Harper's public suggestion that the team needs to “get some help” at the trade deadline.
Mattingly's Quote: “Players like being GMs and spending other people’s money. So I just let it go at that… Bryce is Bryce. He’s going to say what he wants. I kind of take it with a grain of salt.” (Tony quoting Mattingly)
Wilbon’s Take: Mattingly manages to back both the players and the front office, subtly rebuking Harper for calling out teammates.
- “You’re basically calling out your teammates. You don’t want to do that. It does seem sort of like Bryce Harperish… It calls your teammates into question.” (01:44)
Tony's Bold Prediction: Raises possibility Harper won’t be with the Phillies much longer due to repeated friction with management:
- “This feels like the shootout at the OK Corral… It’s not going to surprise me if he’s not there next year.” (02:50)
- He notes Harper’s declining relative salary and trade flexibility: “Bryce Harper, right now, is the 25th highest paid player in the league. Next year, he’s the 34th. You can move him now if you choose to.” (04:03)

2. NBA: Luka's Lakers Era Begins with Slovenian Mini-Camp

[04:22 – 07:35]

Context: With LeBron James gone, Luka Doncic organizes an offseason team camp for the Lakers in Slovenia, at his own expense.
Tony: Unmoved in terms of expectations, noting, “Because they don’t have LeBron James anymore… I think the subtext here is the Lakers are saying LeBron is now gone. This is Luka’s team.” (05:00)
- “Who wants some Slovenian sausages?” (Tony, 05:39)
Wilbon: Doubts on-court impact, particularly the team’s defense: “When they tip off… Who’s going to play defense on that team? It ain’t going to be Luka and it ain’t going to be Austin Reaves.” (06:02)
- Shares a personal Kobe/Luka anecdote: “Somebody starts to speak Slovenian to Luka… Talking trash to him in Slovenian is Kobe Bean Bryant. How great is that?” (06:23)
Bottom Line: Camp fosters bonding, but hosts remain pessimistic about the Lakers’ competitive prospects without LeBron.

3. Could College Teams Soon Be "Owned"?

[07:35 – 10:51]

Context: UNLV coach Josh Pastner jokes NBA team owners should just "buy" a college team like UNLV for far less than the $10 billion NBA expansion cost. Pastner later clarifies he was not serious.
Wilbon: Argues it’s only partly a joke; substantial private support is already essential:
- “Every school, mine included, we’re all looking for sugar daddies… It takes $10 to $15 million to put even a competitive men’s basketball team [on the court]… They’re all for sale.” (08:13)
Tony: Sees it as plausible, particularly due to lack of regulation around NIL (name, image, likeness) money:
- “There is no regulation at the moment… A financial company could actually buy a team. I don’t think it’s impossible.” (10:27)
- “I never thought the NFL or NBA would endorse gambling. And they are right in the thick of it now. So things change.” (09:13)
Wilbon, summarizing: “We are all for sale. And anybody who sits back and says, ‘Oh no’… no, that’s the deal.” (10:18)
Key Quote:
- Tony: “Private equity would buy a team. They’d buy Northwestern.” (11:04)

4. Five Good Minutes with Eduardo Perez (MLB)

[12:18 – 17:58]

Trade Deadline Moves: Could the Braves Get Skubal?
- Eduardo Perez: Braves would definitely try: “100%, yes… This guy will make a difference on any team. Alex Anthopoulos [Braves’ GM] is right there at the top.” (12:43)
Dodgers’ Machinations:
- Dodgers are likely to block rivals from key trades, even if not acutely needed:
  - “Yes… The Dodgers know in a short series, anything can happen and great pitching will neutralize great hitting.” (13:54)
National League Challengers:
- Names Brewers and Cubs as top threats:
  - “One is the Milwaukee Brewers because of Jacob Misarowski… The Cubs are a team that can turn it on in a heartbeat… They have a weakness, they know it, if they address it… [they] can also be contenders.” (15:06)
“How Much Harder is Hitting Now?”
- Perez: Modern emphasis on velocity and launch angle changes the game:
  - “At a younger stage, we’re so infatuated with exit velocity, with launch angle, with making sure those numbers are right… that we're not looking at the athletic ability… that can win ballgames.” (16:37)
  - “Hitting has changed in so many ways—for the better? That’s up for discussion. The veteran will say it’s worse. The contemporary guy says, look, baseball is harder than ever right now.”
Signature Moment: The Cubs’ routine mention secures Perez a future PTI return:
- Perez: “You see, I can get invited back because I mentioned the Cubs.” (18:03)

5. Rapid-Fire Sports Roundup (“Happy Time” and “The Beat”)

[19:57 – 23:54]

Sidney Crosby Anniversary: 21 years since Penguins drafted him.
World Cup Boycott: UEFA teams (Spain, England, France, Germany) threaten FIFA boycott over private investment plan in FIFA.
- UEFA Statement: “There are moments when institutions are judged not by what they are prepared to accept, but by what they refuse to compromise. This is one of those moments… The FIFA World Cup belongs to football. It always will. And so long as Europe has a voice, it will never be for sale.” (22:35)
- Wilbon skeptically: “That sounds nice. That’s garbage… Everybody’s open for business.” (22:50)
Witty Closings:
- Wilbon (on saleability): “Open for business.” (24:03)
- Quick hits on golf, WNBA betting controversy, Astros’ hot streak.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

“This feels like the shootout at the OK Corral.” — Tony Kornheiser, on Phillies-Front Office-Harper tension (02:57)
“You know, we’re all looking for sugar daddies… they’re all for sale today.” — Mike Wilbon, on collegiate sports funding (08:13)
“Private equity would buy a team. They’d buy Northwestern.” — Tony Kornheiser (11:04)
“Who wants some Slovenian sausages?” — Tony Kornheiser, on Lakers minicamp escapade (05:39)
“Everybody’s open for business.” — Mike Wilbon, on European soccer’s stand against FIFA’s private investment (22:50)
“You see, I can get invited back because I mentioned the Cubs.” — Eduardo Perez (18:03)
“Hitting has changed in so many ways—for the better? That’s up for discussion. The veteran will say it’s worse. The contemporary guy says, look, baseball is harder than ever right now.” — Eduardo Perez (17:56)

Timestamps for Key Segments

Phillies/Harper/Mattingly: [00:53 - 04:22]
Luka's Lakers/Minicamp: [04:22 - 07:35]
College Teams "for Sale": [07:35 - 10:51]
Eduardo Perez MLB Interview: [12:18 - 17:58]
World Cup, UEFA Boycott: [22:00 - 22:50]
Rapid-Fire Q&A (“The Beat”): [23:07 - 23:54]

Tone & Style

The episode maintains PTI’s trademark energetic, informal, and witty style, balancing reasoned argument with playful jabs and anecdotes. Kornheiser and Wilbon seamlessly blend veteran reporting expertise with humor and skepticism, always keeping the discussion lively and audience-friendly.

Loading summary

Transcript77 lines

[00:01]
A
This episode is brought to you by Google Chrome. You think you know a browser, but Gemini and Chrome, that's new. It can help you with practically anything on the web, like restoring a vintage motorcycle from a 50 page restoration block. Or finally break down that long article you've had open for weeks. Gemini and Chrome is here for it, ready to make anything online make sense. There's no place like Chrome. Check responses set up, required compatibility and availability various 18.
[00:27]
B
Pardon the interruption, but I'm Mike Wilbon. It's International Friendship Day. Tony, what do you look for in a friend?
[00:35]
C
I'm Tony Kornheiser. Kindness, loyalty, top golf course memberships, very important.
[00:41]
B
I'd like to disagree with you, but I'm not gonna disagree with you.
[00:45]
C
No, I know.
[00:45]
B
No, I know.
[00:46]
C
I know.
[00:47]
B
No, you like to go hit it someplace nice every now and then or every weekend. Yeah, somebody's loaded.
[00:53]
C
That's why people are your friends, because you belong to a bunch of great. Welcome to pti, boys and girls. In today's episode, Luka Doncic invites the Lakers to Slovenia. Josh Pastner clarifies his comments. And Eduardo Perez joins us for five good minutes. But we begin today with Philadelphia Phillies interim manager Don Mattingly clapping back at Bryce Harper's suggestion. The Phillies need to get, quote, some help at the trade deadline. Mattingly said, quote, players like being GMs and spending other people's money. So I just let it go at that. I mean, Dave Dombrowski's been doing this for a while. Bryce is Bryce. He's going to say what he wants. I kind of take it with a grain of salt, unquote. It must be pointed out that Mattingly's son Preston is the titular GM of the Phillies Will bond. What do you make of Mattingly siding with the front office over Harper?
[01:45]
B
Tony, every like 30 minutes, I change my mind on this. You know, I'm having a hard time coming to sort of a consensus. And I think what I make of it is Mattingly is going to be very popular in that clubhouse because he basically took the side of the players, even though he was siding with management by doing so. He says to Bryce Harper, throws a little brush back and says, stop. You're basically calling out your teammates. You don't want to do that. And it does seem sort of like Bryce Harperish that when he said what he said, and I lauded it a couple of days ago as being honest and frank, and I believe he was. It also calls your teammates into question. It also says, hey, you know the guys in the room Right here. They're not. They're not good enough. We need something a little better. We need another bat, we need another arm because these guys aren't quite good enough. Don Mattingly comes to the rescue. The clubhouse has to. Even though he sided with his, with management, which includes his son, he also sided with the clubhouse.
[02:51]
C
Yeah. I'm going to tell you what I make of it. I make of it that Bryce Harper may not be with the Philadelphia Phillies much longer.
[02:57]
B
Wow.
[02:58]
C
I'm not saying he's going out on the trade deadline, which would be a boom, but it's not going to surprise me if he's not there next year. Bryce Harper is still, in my mind, a great hitter. He is a team leader. But he's batting, I think, 169 in July to this point. And this is the second time he's had an issue with the front office. If you remember last year and after the season, for reasons that I did not understand, Dave Dombrowski came out and questioned whether Bryce Harper was still an elite player. He didn't have to do that. He chose to do that. Now Bryce Harper comes back and says, why don't you get us some better players so that we can win this thing? I mean, to me you had. And then you have Don Mattingly with one foot in the dugout and one foot in the front office because of his son being the GM of the team. This feels like the shootout at the OK Corral. I'm going to go on for about 30 seconds here and then I'll get out. When Bryce Harper signed that contract, it was the most lucrative contract in toto in the history of baseball. I think it averaged $27 million for 13 years. That was 2018.
[04:03]
D
All right.
[04:04]
C
Bryce Harper, right now Mike's 25th highest paid player in the league. Next year, he's the 34th. You can move him. You can move him now if you choose to.
[04:13]
B
Well, especially Tony. They've gotten close. Bryce Harper was not on the Nats,
[04:19]
C
had not won a World Series.
[04:20]
B
World Series team.
[04:22]
C
He doesn't have a ring.
[04:22]
B
He left, doesn't have a ring on his own. He said later, I'm going down the street to play for a Hayden rival. You know how I feel about this? I sort of like that that he's left out in the cold. Let's move to the NBA. As Luka Doncic attempts to fill the leadership void that LeBron left in LA. Luka's first big move, a four day team minicamp in his native Slovenia slated for August. All On Luka's dime, the Lakers added a bevy of new players this offseason. Tone, does this minicamp make you more bullish on their upcoming season?
[05:00]
C
My short answer is no. Because they don't have LeBron James anymore. Perhaps you read about that, that he's not there anym. I don't think anybody collectively that they have brought in can actually balance that out. I don't. But I think the subtext here is the lakers are saying LeBron is now gone. This is Lucas team. All right, so we're gonna have this Lucas European summer adventure. We're all gonna go to Slovenia. We're gonna play a little bit of golf, we're gonna do a little bit of tourism, we're gonna eat some good food. Lucas gonna spring for all the money here. We're gonna have a fabulous bonding experience. And it's Luca, it's not LeBron. We're going to have a new day and a new team. Who wants some Slovenian sausages? Now to answer the question directly, I mean maybe, maybe the players will be happier this year. Maybe they will be closer this year. LeBron won't be there to berate them if he ever berated them. It's, it's Lucas deal right now. But you know to the answer to it make me more bullish on him. No, it does not.
[06:02]
B
Yeah, no Tony, it doesn't. Because when they tip it off at 7:30 and whatever night in October, they tip it off, who's going to play defense on that team? It ain't going to be Luka and it ain't going to be Austin Reaves. And that's where we start with the Lakers now. Yeah, the big boy they just got from Utah, he's a nice defensive player. He can rebound. But the Lakers are not a threat to me, not a threat to okc, not a threat to San Antonio. And that's where you start with the Western Conference. And even though Minnesota to me is worse, even though Houston is eh, not as good, even though teams in the west other than San Antonio and OKC have taken a dive. I agree with everything you said. So I'm going to go to a quick story about Luka and the Lakers. So Luka's playing for Dallas early in his career, very early. And at one point somebody sitting behind Luca on the front row, a trillionaires row. And then Staples center starts to speak Slovenian to Luka, Talk a little trash. Luka's irritated. He turns around and talking trash to him in Slovenian is Kobe Bean Bryant. How great is that right. Kobe, who spoke like five languages anyway, had decided before the game, let me do a little something to Luka. One of the trillion reasons that the league and the world and we all miss Kobe Bean Bryant. But you know, Lucas Luca needs to do this. Tony, I think it's a smart thing. Build the bonding out. Even if you can't defend, you can be close bonding.
[07:35]
C
Well, you hate Luka as a player. You know that's right. Let's move to college basketball. And a flippant remark last week by UNLV coach Josh Pastner, who suggested that potential owners of an expansion NBA team in Las Vegas might instead buy the UNLV team. Pastor said, quote, you don't have to spend $10 billion to own our team. You still get a great tax write off and you can be as involved as you want and you can tell everyone you're the owner of the team, unquote. Pastner later said he wasn't serious. He said, quote, we need support, but we're not really for sale, unquote. But Wilbon Yahoo dealt with this and asked, is it really that far fetched? And I ask you, is it?
[08:13]
B
It's not only not far fetched, it's real. He may have been joking, but he wasn't joking. You know what I'm saying? I mean, every school, mine included, we're all looking for sugar daddies. We're looking for somebody who wants to come in and provide that kind of resources. All right? At that level, Tony, it takes 10 to 15 million dollars to put an even competitive men's basketball team, Power Four, on the court today. For those who want to win those conferences and maybe have a decent seating in the tournament. In the tournament, it's going to cost you upwards of 20, 22 million dollars. I know that for a fact. So since you've got Tony, teams are selling patches. Teams are entering into all sorts of agreements that bring in millions of dollars. Yes, they're all for sale. And they're all for sale today.
[09:13]
C
Yeah, I mean, there is no regulation at the moment that tells you how to funnel the nil money. And without regulations like that, I can see possibly that a team is actually for sale. Let me go down a different road here. Let's say you've got a really good chemistry department. And Dow Chemicals says we want to help and invest in young future chemists. So we're going to offer this school $100 million to buy the chemistry department. Just that. Now let's remember here, the chemistry department is not basketball or football. It is not revenue producing. CBS doesn't go to the chemistry department and offer a billion dollars to televise the laboratory practicals. That's not what happens. So it seems to me conceivable that you could actually sell a team. Mike, I never thought, I never thought the NFL or the NBA would endorse gambling. Never. And they are right in the thick of it now. So things change. It strikes me as actually possible that a school could sell a team not tomorrow, but down to its own.
[10:19]
B
They're all for sale. We are all for sale. And anybody who sits back and says, oh no, you're exact, no, that's the deal.
[10:28]
C
If you open for business to an nil guy. If you said to an nil guy, we're going to give you the T shirt, we're going to give you a better seat, but we're going to reward your investment. This is what I'm saying, that a financial company could actually buy a team. I don't think it's impossible. Let's take a break. But coming up, could Tarik Skubal actually become a brave? We will ask ESPN MLB analyst Eduardo Perez.
[10:52]
B
We'll also ask him about how much harder it is to hit pitching now then when he played. Nobody has to.
[10:59]
C
I mean if they say if we make money, you can make money.
[11:04]
B
Yes.
[11:04]
C
Private equity would buy a team. They buy Northwestern.
[11:09]
B
Yes, yes. And I'll fly them there. Yeah.
[11:12]
D
Rich Eisen here with some advice. If high interest credit card debt is grinding you down, it might be time to call an audible. With a SOFI personal loan, it consolidates your debt into one low monthly payment with no fees required. And with as soon as the same day funding, you can make the right play fast. Call an audible on your debt today@sofi.com debtplay loans originated by sofi bank na member fdic terms and conditions apply. Nmls 696891 fast funds terms apply@sofi.com debtplay
[11:42]
E
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[12:19]
C
Baseball's trade deadline is just a few days away, which makes it a perfect time for a visit from ESPN baseball analyst Eduardo Perez. You are in Atlanta for the Nats and the Braves tonight, I will watch because I'm a Nats fan. I'm sure it's hot. You're out in the sun. So let's go to this. Do you think that the Braves might make a serious bid for Tarek Skubal to pair on the top of their rotation with Chris Sale?
[12:44]
E
100%, yes. And I think it's not only the Braves, it's everyone that is at least four and a half to five games out. Why wouldn't you? When you have a two time reigning Cy Young Award winner, a guy that had six weeks off because of an elbow surgery, that was pretty simple. And he's come back strong. He's going to be strong through not only the rest of the season, but in the postseason as well. This would be a great one, two punch with Chris Sale if you can get him there. But look, there are a lot of great one, two punches. If Milwaukee gets them, then you're looking at Jacob Misarowski and and Tarik Schoolboul together. You go anywhere you can. This guy will make a difference on any team. And Alex Anthopoulos, I guarantee you, is right there at the top.
[13:29]
C
Ooh.
[13:30]
B
All right, let's follow up. Because of everything you just said, Eduardo, do the Dodgers prohibited favors from the day we started spring training. Do the Dodgers say, no, no, no, no, no, we're going to. Even if we don't necessarily need them, we're going to going to block him from the Braves, from the brewers, from the Cubs, from anybody. Are the Dodgers that big and bad?
[13:54]
E
C, C, C, C, C. Yes. You might say on the nose. I'm absolutely on board with that because this is the nature of the beast. And I think the Dodgers know in a short series, anything can happen and great pitching will neutralize great hitting. It has been the history of the game for a long time. And right now the Milwaukee brewers, with the best record in the National League have the opportunity, if they go out and let's say get that one, two punch, it is hard to beat in a seven game series. A team like that, that last year was embarrassed by the Dodgers. You can look at any other team that has a great number one, Chris Sale, Adam to the group. Yes. So that's why the Dodgers, knowing that they don't and probably we don't know yet with Shohio Tani down the stretch, if you can get a guy like this and add him to the rotation again. Andrew Friedman has been known to do things like this.
[14:49]
B
All right, we're going to. Everything becomes dodger centric. Because it has to. You have seen everybody up close and personal already this season. Who do you like most in the National League right now? As to as a serious challenger to the Dodgers?
[15:06]
E
I would, I would go with two teams in the National League Central. One is the Milwaukee brewers because of Jacob Misarowski and the way that they can put the ball in play. They can beat you in so many ways. This is a team that was not slugging and still they were winning games. They do the small things, right? And in the postseason the small things work. And the Chicago cubs, we've seen two already 10 game losses in a row by the Cubs. Yet they are a team that can turn it on in a heartbeat and be great. And they can hit and they hit early, they hit often and they have PCA at the top. That's one of the reasons why, going back to question number two of trying to block Terry School from, let's say going to the Chicago Cubs. They have a weakness. They know it. If they address it, the Cubs can also be contenders.
[15:56]
C
How much did Wilbon pay you to mention the Cubs? I can't believe this, that the Cubs are part of this discussion slipped or something. All right, let me get you out of here on this.
[16:07]
E
Know your audience good.
[16:10]
C
Okay. Okay, here we go. We get you out of here. In addition to being an analyst, I think people know this. You played in the majors for 13 years. Your dad played in the majors for 23 years. That's a lot of at bats over a lot of years. How is hitting different now than it was during both of your careers? And I bring this up because pitchers now, it seems, go all out to throw 104 on every single pitch. Has that change hitting Eduardo?
[16:37]
E
Well, it has, it has. And look. And a lot of people say, well, it's damaged. No, it's not. This is where the game is right now. Just like when the three point line was put in basketball, it changed. The game changed. Look, before it was, you had to have the ability to be able to hit the ground the other way, to move the runner to third base, to be able to create and get that sac fly or to be able to hit the ball on the ground when the infield was back. Right now, I think at a younger stage, we're so infatuated and we're so in love with the exit velocity, with the launch angle, with making sure that those numbers are right so the kids can get signed, so they can go to college, that we're not looking at the athletic ability of a kid that has great hand eye coordination and can win ball games. And that's what you're looking for, winners. You look at the Cleveland Guardians, for example. They have a pretty good one in Mr. Ramirez at third base. He can do all the little things, right. That's one of the reasons why the Guardians are always in contention. Yes, he can hit the ball out of the air. He can hit the ball out of the ballpark. But he can also move the runner over when he needs to on the ground. He can steal a base and he catches the ball, he throws it. Hitting his changed in so many ways for the better. That's up for discussion. The veteran guy will say it's worse. The contemporary guy says, look, baseball is harder than ever right now.
[17:58]
B
It's great.
[17:58]
C
It's a great pleasure to have you.
[18:00]
B
Thank you for being with us. Thank you so much.
[18:02]
C
Thank you.
[18:04]
E
You see, I can get invited back because I mentioned the Cubs.
[18:07]
B
Here we go. There we go. Even though we lost that game in St. Louis last night.
[18:11]
C
I'll be off the show if you come back for the Cubs. I'm doing. I'm taking vacation. You can catch more Eduardo on the broadcast of tonight's Nats Braves game at 7pm on ESPN. I will watch that because the Nats are in it. Let's take one last break. Still to come, soccer teams like Spain, England and France are threatening to boycott future World Cups. We'll tell you why. Somebody's got to tell me why.
[18:34]
D
That'll be because I don't know that.
[18:35]
B
And the WNBA has a sports betting season snafu that features two of its biggest stars. Cubs had a tough loss. Tony after PCA goes deep 2 nothing cardinals in St. Louis as you know,
[18:51]
A
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[19:20]
D
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[19:57]
C
Happy time, people. Happy 78th birthday, Billy Paul History lesson, kids. The Whopper was a 6' 11 center for the New York Nets when they were in the ABA and played on Long Island. I covered Paultz when I worked at Newsday. Liked him very much. He was a seventh round draft pick out of St. John's where he played for Lou Carnesecca who would coach him in the pros as well. Paul was on the nets 1974 ABA championship team with Julius Irving, Larry Keenan, Brian Taylor and John Roach. Paul's also played on the nets 191972 team with Rick Barry and Bill Melchioni that got to the ABA Finals. Paul's played in the NBA in San Antonio, Houston, Atlanta and Utah. But I remember him Most from the ABA where he averaged 16 and 11. Well, Vaughn, he owned a restaurant near the Nassau Coliseum called the Salty Dog.
[20:44]
B
Must have been pretty good, Tony. I only remember him in the NBA because the ABA didn't really have any kind of substantial national presence. Don't even know if they had a national TV contract that lasted long. Couldn't see Julius Irving in Chicago. You could sneak across state lines and maybe catch the Pacers here and there, but that was it. We didn't see those guys. A lost generation.
[21:05]
C
For some of us, it was great fun. I love the ABA. Happy anniversary, Sidney Crosby. On this day 21 years ago, the Pittsburgh Penguins selected Sid the kid with the number one overall pick in the NHL Draft. How'd that work out? Crosby, who turns 39 next week, helped Pittsburgh to three Stanley Cups and helped Canada to two Olympic gold medals this past season. Crosby was very good when he was healthy, scoring 29 goals and 74 points in 68 games. The great story about Crosby is that after he was drafted by the Penguins, then owned by Mario Lemieux, Crosby lived in Lemieux's house for five years. And the four Lemieux children reportedly treat Crosby like a sibling. Lemieux and Crosby have been named the two top number one draft picks since 1980.
[21:51]
B
How about this? The year before Crosby was taken number one, Pittsburgh took Evgenie Malkin number two. Those guys have been there forever and ever. Forever and ever.
[22:01]
C
Yes. Pretty good. Pretty good. Traffics Happy trails to UEFA teams participating in the World Cup. The European Federation today rejected FIFA's plan to sell shares of the international governing body to private investors for billions of adding it would boycott all FIFA events until that proposal is dropped and FIFA agrees to never raise it again. This would mean that teams like Spain and France and England and Germany would refuse to participate in the men's or women's World Cups, said UEFA. There are moments when institutions are judged not by what they are prepared to accept, but by what they refuse to compromise. This is one of the those moments. The FIFA World cup belongs to football. It always will. And so long as Europe has a voice, it will never be for sale. Unquote.
[22:51]
B
That sounds nice. That's garbage. As I said once early in this show, everybody's open for business. Suppose some of that money starts to trickle down to the players. How you think they gonna feel about that? What a. What a lie. What a big fat lie. Let's go to the beat.
[23:07]
C
Quickly.
[23:08]
B
Let's do it quickly.
[23:09]
C
Quickly. Kurt Signetti said today we don't run a hype machine up here in the Midwest. When we fall short, we say we fall short. When we don't win, we don't cry a river. That's why we're the best. Analyze that. Mr. Big Ten sounds good, too.
[23:23]
B
Taysom Hill will not be returning to the Saints. Your thoughts?
[23:27]
C
He's a very valuable player. I don't understand that. Jackson Coyban shot minus one at the Rocket Classic today. You impressed?
[23:33]
B
I was going to crawl, but Peter Malnati is shot of 61. So? So he's like Adolph.
[23:37]
C
The lead.
[23:37]
B
WNBA said it's post that show Paige Beckers and Angel Reese betting $400 on a game between them. Missed the mark. I think you agree with that, don't you?
[23:49]
C
Missed by 1,000 miles.
[23:50]
B
You can't do that.
[23:51]
C
Last one. Astros have won eight out of nine. Is that a big deal?
[23:55]
B
Astros getting hot. It's still early series with the Rangers coming up.
[24:00]
C
We're out of time. Try to do better the next time. I'm Tony Kornheim.
[24:03]
B
I'm Mike Wilbon. Same time tomorrow, knuckleheads. Remember, boys and girls, open for business.
[24:10]
A
As you know, managing maintenance, repair and operations is never easy. But for the ones who always rise to the challenge, Grainger has your back. From professional grade products you can count on to fast, dependable delivery. They're there to help you keep things running smoothly. Plus, their technical product specialists are here to help answer your toughest questions. And because Grainger knows safety is always a priority, they're committed to being your partner in protecting both your people and your facilities. Call 1-800-GRANGER-GREEGRANGER.com or just stop by.