PTI Podcast Summary

Episode: How Good are the Dodgers Right Now?
Date: October 16, 2025
Hosts: Tony Kornheiser, Pablo Torre (filling in for Michael Wilbon)
Special Guest: Steve Young

Episode Overview

This episode of PTI centers on the Dodgers’ dominant run in the NLCS, the resurgence of complete games in baseball playoffs, and broader questions about postseason unpredictability. The hosts also discuss the Mariners’ surprising ALCS run, significant college football coaching changes, and the impact of NCAA money on program trajectories. NFL Hall of Famer Steve Young joins for an insightful segment exploring the evolution of quarterback play, the challenges dual-threat quarterbacks face, and Baker Mayfield’s late-career resurgence. The show wraps with quick hits on other top sports headlines.

Main Topics & Key Takeaways

1. Dodgers’ NLCS Dominance & Pitching Renaissance

• Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s complete game 3-hitter sparks a 2–0 Dodgers series lead over the Brewers, defying postseason trends favoring bullpen-heavy approaches.
• Pablo Torre (01:45): “We're getting complete games in the playoffs. We have a hoss. ... We haven't seen [a starter throw a complete game in the playoffs] since, I believe, Justin Verlander in 2017.”
• The hosts marvel at the return of classic starting pitcher dominance:
  • Tony Kornheiser (03:23): “The Dodgers starters have now gone in this series 17 innings, given up four hits and struck out 17.”
• The Dodgers are described as a "likable rich team" who invest “in the right people in the right way.”
• Pablo jokes about LA’s use of international scouting:
  • (01:45) “I wanna make fun of the Dodgers for having Japan as their farm system. That’s why Yamamoto is this way.”

2. Are the Mariners’ World Series Dreams Inevitable?

• Seattle’s up 2–0 in the ALCS after sweeping Toronto on the road.
• Kornheiser tempers inevitability by noting the rarity of teams coming back from such deficits:
  • Tony Kornheiser (05:01): “Three teams in a seven game playoff ... lost the first two at home and still gone on to win since 1914.”
• Mariners’ underdog likability vs. historical curses:
  • Pablo Torre (05:59): “The Mariners to me are the most conventionally likable team available to us ... but if there is a burial ground that is cursing this Mariners team, it’s not quite over yet.”
• Home crowd advantage in Seattle’s notoriously loud stadiums is highlighted.

3. Coaching Carousel and College Football’s Changing Landscape

• James Franklin among seven big-name coaches fired early; Indiana and coach Kurt Signetti are the season’s surprise breakout.
• Discussion centers on whether Signetti should chase a bigger program or stay:
  • Pablo Torre (07:31): “I think he’s going to stay and I think it’s the right move to stay.”
  • Tony Kornheiser (08:20): “It is so romantic to think that Kurt Signetti would stay there and build this into a juggernaut ... in less than two years they’re number three in the country. That’s absolutely amazing to me.”
• Both hosts emphasize Big Ten money now allows non-traditional programs to compete.

Featured Guest Segment: Steve Young on the NFL and QBs

[11:41–18:19]

Topics Discussed

• 41-year-old Aaron Rodgers facing 40-year-old Joe Flacco:
  • Young attributes their longevity to rule changes and widened passing lanes:
    • Steve Young (12:09): “When Tom Brady ... I said, how do you feel like the game has changed? He says, look, Steve, it's amazing. The flats are always open ... The middle of the field is unpatrolled where it used to be a death zone, and no one can hit me.”
• Patrick Mahomes as the Chiefs’ leading rusher:
  • Balancing running with quarterback safety is essential:
    • Steve Young (13:44): “Patrick Mahomes cannot maintain being the leading rusher for the Chiefs and go to the super bowl, yet he has to threaten the line of scrimmage.”
• Dual-threat QB development—Justin Fields and the importance of 'owning the data':
  • Steve Young (14:55): “When your brain can slow down because you have owned all of that information reflexively, now your athleticism can come out.”
• Quarterback success and environment—Baker Mayfield’s resurgence:
  • Steve Young (17:01): “There are terrible places for quarterback. There are places that don’t understand the position the way they need to. ... The ultimate question is, how good can you get? ... Please give quarterbacks a chance to see how good they can get. And not everybody gets it.”

Notable Quotes

• Tony Kornheiser (16:39): “It’s a brilliant answer. I feel stupid asking the next question that was so brilliant.”
• Steve Young (18:19): “You guys, the questions are just out of the world. I love it. You know, I love this.”

Quick Hits & Notable Sports Headlines

Happy Time & Big Finish (21:05–25:04)

• Joe Klecko’s 72nd Birthday: Tribute to the Jets’ Hall of Fame defensive end.
  • Tony Kornheiser (21:05): “Compared to now they look like a dynasty. The current jets have the longest active playoff drought in the NFL, 14 years and at 0–6 it’s a pretty good bet it will reach 15.”
• 20th Anniversary of the “Bush Push” (USC vs. Notre Dame): Revisiting historical college football quirks.
• Alex Bregman opts out of Red Sox contract; speculation on his future.
• Jason Kidd gets extension from Mavs; Giannis talks post-NBA plans in Greece.
• NHL Rangers’ record shutouts; Russell Westbrook signs with Kings; USMNT injuries ahead of the World Cup.

Memorable Moments & Tone

• Running “fossil” gag about Tony’s age (00:42), setting a fun and irreverent mood:
  • Tony Kornheiser: “Shout out to me. I'm a fossil and I'm a Muppet.”
• Ongoing banter between Tony and Pablo about graduate degrees and law school (15:19, 18:48).
• Seamless blend of nostalgia, stats, and humor throughout segments.

Key Timestamps

| Time | Topic/Quote | |--------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 01:45 | Pablo marvels at Yamamoto’s complete game in playoffs | | 03:23 | Tony summarizes Dodgers starters’ dominance in the NLCS | | 05:01 | Kornheiser on the rarity of ALCS comebacks and Seattle’s edge | | 07:31 | Pablo argues Kurt Signetti should stay at Indiana | | 12:09 | Steve Young explains impact of NFL rule changes on veteran QB success | | 13:44 | Steve Young breaks down Patrick Mahomes and QB rushing | | 14:55 | Young on “owning the data” as an intellectual edge for quarterbacks | | 17:01 | Young discusses Baker Mayfield’s environment and potential | | 21:05 | Tribute to Joe Klecko and the Jets’ playoff drought | | 22:03 | “Bush Push” anniversary, quirky NCAA replay rule discussed |

Final Thoughts

This episode of PTI captures both the analytics and soul of sports, balancing statistical insights with historic perspective and trademark humor. Fans are treated to sharp, playful dialogue between Tony and Pablo, plus a masterclass in quarterback analysis from Steve Young, making it essential listening for baseball, football, and general sports aficionados.