PTI (Pardon the Interruption) – February 17, 2026

Hosts: Tony Kornheiser & Michael Wilbon

Main Topics: NBA All-Star Game format, Winter Olympics highlights, Pebble Beach golf drama, Daytona win for Michael Jordan’s team, Bryce Harper vs. Dave Dombrowski, Dolphins release Tyreek Hill

1. Episode Overview

This episode of PTI covers a loaded sports weekend and breaking news, with Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon debating the effectiveness of the NBA’s new All-Star Game format, the adrenaline and stories from the Winter Olympics, Colin Morikawa’s stormy victory at Pebble Beach, a dramatic Daytona 500 won by Michael Jordan’s NASCAR team, burgeoning Phillies drama between Bryce Harper and Dave Dombrowski, and the Miami Dolphins’ headline-grabbing release of superstar Tyreek Hill. The tone is freewheeling, critical, and celebratory—a classic PTI blend.

2. Key Discussion Points & Insights

NBA All-Star Game: New Format, Mixed Reviews

[00:49 – 04:49]

• NBA revamped its All-Star Game format as a three-team round robin: Young U.S. team, Old U.S. team, and a World team. The Young U.S. team won convincingly.
• Wilbon, historically harsh on the All-Star Game, begrudgingly praised aspects:

  “Did it exceed my expectations? Yes. Did I think it was pretty good? Yeah, I thought it was watchable ‘cause I watched and I didn’t think I was gonna watch.” [01:56]

• Kornheiser unimpressed, calls the format superficial:

  “If you’re going to play United States against the world, play it for 48 and make it meaningful. And this was not 48 and it was not meaningful.” [02:26]

• Both note individual exploits, highlight Kawhi Leonard’s 31-point burst (then only 1 in the next), and debate the direction of the All-Star event.
• Wilbon focuses on rising stars like Victor Wembanyama (“Ant man set the tone for this... Wembanyama said, ‘I’m going to play...’ he is the most important person in the sport of basketball” [04:07]).
• Consensus: Format is improved, but the game still lacks stakes and edge.

Winter Olympics: Danger, Drama, and New Names

[04:51 – 08:13]

• Kornheiser marvels at the physical risk in winter sports:

  “The thing that attracts me to the Winter Olympics is the ever present physical danger to the athletes... They could kill themselves for hours. They could kill me.” [05:28]

• Wilbon highlights emotional stories—Deanna “Stiletto” Dudek’s comeback at 42, and local hero Elana Meyers Taylor winning her sixth medal.
• The duo reflects on US women’s hockey’s dominance, new speed-skating phenom Jordan Stoltz, and classic Olympic thrills.

Golf: Pebble Beach Drama & Morikawa’s Comeback

[08:13 – 11:45]

• Colin Morikawa wins at Pebble Beach, his first victory in almost three years.
• Wilbon: “Morikawa...certified himself as a star on the tour, and then he hadn’t won—close a lot, but hadn’t won.”
• Kornheiser details the tense finish, with Morikawa waiting up to 40 minutes to tee off on 18 because of delays:

  “After he hits his tee shot, he has to wait 20 more minutes...It took 40 more minutes, because it did. Morikawa needing to birdie, needing to hit a second great shot, butterflies in his system, all the pressure in the world on him.” [10:37]

• Both hosts heap praise on the quality and drama of the tournament, comparing Scheffler’s excellence even in defeat to Tiger Woods.

Daytona 500: Michael Jordan’s Team Takes the Win

[14:10 – 16:41]

• Tyler Reddick wins Daytona, but focus is on Michael Jordan and Brad Daugherty as owners.
• Wilbon on Jordan:

  “Just his genuine excitement you see from him here in a sport that he challenged and said, we can be better. And he was vindicated.” [15:05]

• Kornheiser is electrified by the chaos at the finish:

  “In the last lap of that race. Twice—not once, twice—there were big wrecks right at the lead...I was thrilled by it, I loved it, I thought it was great.” [16:07]

Phillies Tension: Bryce Harper vs. Dave Dombrowski

[16:49 – 18:56]

• Kornheiser outlines the tension:

  “Dave Dombrowski said of Bryce Harper he did not have an elite season...Bryce Harper said, ‘I thought we were keeping this stuff in house.’ And a third thing he said was, ‘Yeah, I did not have an elite year’.”

• Both hosts speculate Harper could be traded:

  Wilbon: “It wouldn’t surprise me to see Bryce Harper traded before opening day.” [17:55]

• Kornheiser expresses skepticism about trading the contract but acknowledges Harper’s presence as a “dude in the clubhouse.”

NFL: Dolphins Release Tyreek Hill

[24:12 – 24:18]

• Headline buried late in the show:

  “The Dolphins released Tyreek Hill and Bradley Chubb, among others, in a salary dump. Your thoughts?”
  Wilbon: “It’s going to save them like 30 mil. I’m not sure...Not sure if either one can play anymore.”

3. Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Wilbon on the All-Star Game:

  “I stayed. Do I think it was great? No. Did it exceed my expectations? Yes...Is this enough for me? No. But I found it interesting.” [01:56]

• Kornheiser on All-Star format:

  “I don’t like games that go 12 minutes and then you move to the next game like musical chairs...Just make it meaningful. This is not meaningful. We agree.” [02:26] & [04:49]

• On Olympic Danger:

  “You look at these people on the skeleton, on the sleds and you say they could kill themselves for hours. They could kill me.” – Kornheiser [05:28] “The daredevil nature makes me admire it.” – Wilbon [06:31]

• On Morikawa’s victory:

  “His irons were that close. But he had to wait a long time...waiting for a dude out there on the beach, some place where you and I would wander, to hit a third shot...butterflies in his system, all the pressure in the world on him.” – Kornheiser [10:37]

• On Michael Jordan’s Daytona win:

  “You should see how excited he was at the end of it...Just his genuine excitement you see from him here in a sport that he challenged and said, we can be better.” – Wilbon [15:05]

• On Bryce Harper tension:

  “I will not be surprised if by the end of the year one of these guys is gone from Philadelphia.” – Kornheiser [17:43]
  “It wouldn’t surprise me to see Bryce Harper traded before opening day.” – Wilbon [17:55]

4. Timestamps for Major Segments

• NBA All-Star new format debate: [00:49 – 04:49]
• Winter Olympics (US Hockey, skiing, speed skating, danger): [04:51 – 08:13]
• Pebble Beach/Morikawa win: [08:13 – 11:45]
• Daytona 500/Jordan’s team: [14:10 – 16:41]
• Phillies (Bryce Harper/Dombrowski tension): [16:49 – 18:56]
• Dolphins release Tyreek Hill: [24:12 – 24:18]

5. Additional Notes

• The episode is fast, lively, and covers a huge range of sports with classic PTI banter and mutual ribbing.
• The big breaking NFL news (Tyreek Hill’s release) is ironically given little discussion—possibly foreshadowing major follow-ups.
• The show highlights generational shifts—rising NBA stars, the fading of sports legends, and power dynamics in teams.

Summary in a Sentence:
PTI tackles the new NBA All-Star format, winter Olympic thrill rides, dramatic golf and NASCAR finishes, baseball clubhouse friction, and the Dolphins’ bombshell move, serving it all with trademark wit, skepticism, and inside knowledge for fans who crave more than just the headlines.