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Mike Wilbon
Pardon the interruption, but I'm Mike Wilbon. It's national texture X day. Tony, have you texted any exes?
Tony Kornheiser
I'm Tony Kornheiser. I shot a sup to Dame Judy Jenks, but she's blocked me. What?
Booger McFarland
She's blocked me.
Mike Wilbon
Yeah, I mean, I know DAME Judy's like 90, 91, but she's still hot.
Kevin Clark
Yeah.
Mike Wilbon
She doesn't need you.
Tony Kornheiser
Yes.
Mike Wilbon
She's not waiting around for you.
Tony Kornheiser
Oh, no. She's dating James Bond. Right? She's involved with James Bond.
Mike Wilbon
So cool.
Tony Kornheiser
Cheers. Welcome to PTI boys and girls. In today's episode, Lamar Jackson has a sense of urgency. Austin Reaves delivers again. And Booger McFarland joins us for five good minutes. But we begin today with Toronto heading home with a 32 lead in the World Series thanks to a 61 win over the Dodgers. Last night, Blake Snell was greeted by a first pitch home run by Davis Schneider. Two pitches later, Vlad Guerrero Jr. Hit a second home run. Boom, boom. Toronto got a masterful 12 strikeout, no walk, seven innings out of rookie Trey Savage Wilbon. What did you make of your Savage's performance? Where it puts the Jays and where it leaves the Dodgers.
Mike Wilbon
You have a story of last night is your Savage story continues in this series, Tony to be of starting pitching and whoever really gets it that night. And there have been a couple of masterpieces. They seem to just take control. And that game is a wrap. And so you, Savage, you sit there and you're thinking, okay, he's not going to be able to stay in this kind of control. No walks with those strikeouts. And I know this matters to you because it matters to me. And maybe 80% of the people out there don't know who this person is. When they cut to the dashing older gentleman who looks like a Bond character who looks with the silver hair, you know, and it's Sandy F. Koufax. I'm always screaming to whoever I'm with, like to Matthew, it's Sandy Koufax. Shut up and bow your head. And they show Koufax that I know you're Savage is on the other team. But it's so cool when they do that. And you.
Booger McFarland
You.
Mike Wilbon
You put your name in the books in postseason play, specifically the World Series with Sandy Koufax. That's what I make of it. And the Dodgers are in trouble going to Toronto. That's what I make of it.
Tony Kornheiser
Yeah. So, I mean, the Dodgers say that they have to hit more. I watched Mookie Betts say that in the post game. And, yeah, because the top of the order last night, Ohtani and Will Smith and Mookie and Freddie Freeman, they were 1 for 15 and they had eight strikeouts. Yeah, they have to hit more, but it's not like you can just will that to happen. The other team's pitcher has something to do with that. Your Savage is a revelation. I mean, he started out this season. Not last season, this season in Single A in Dunedin, Florida, pitching against. Let me get this straight. The Jupiter Hammerheads. With 327 paid in attendance, he now has more starts in the postseason than had in the regular season. And that performance by a rookie in the postseason, 12 strikeouts and no walks surpasses names that we've heard of like Smokey Joe Wood, Don Newcomb, and as you're alluding to Sandy Koufax. Are you kidding me, Mike? I sit on this show a lot, and when I get something right, I said, I believe I had that. I could not have been more wrong with this. I thought Blake Snell would be terrific, and I thought your Savage would crumble under the pressure. I did. In those first two home runs, they took the air out of the balloon, you know? Now, I will say this. In the third inning, on a 32 pitch, I believe the umpire squeezed Max Muncie. The pitch was a foot and a half low, and he called it a strike. The next batter up, Kiki Hernandez gets a home run. It could have been two. Two. We could have had a different game. And I don't think. I don't think the Dodgers are necessarily out of it. I think Yamamoto gets them to Game 7. I do. But Toronto's. What were they, 54 and 27 at home in a regular season? They're good there. They're good there.
Mike Wilbon
Great home record, by the way. You were wrong by yourself. You and Derek Jeter. I mean, Jeter told us why X was going to happen, and it was the reverse of X when the game got started. The great Derek Jeter. Two.
Tony Kornheiser
Jeter number two. The captain, Derek Jeter.
Mike Wilbon
Let's move to tonight's game between the Ravens and Dolphins. Lamar Jackson returns to Baltimore after missing three games with a right hammy. The Ravens are just 2 and 5. And Jackson said this week, quote, each and every game is going to be like a win or go home game. It's do or die right now, each and every week. Close quote. Tom, you agree with that?
Tony Kornheiser
No, not at all. That division stinks. 9 and 8 can win that division. If not 8 and 9 can win that division. Cincinnati at the moment is 3 and 5 and they don't have a quarterback. Right. Flacco was hurt. They may have to go back to Jake Browning. Cleveland is 2 and 6. They supposedly have a defense. They have no offense. Third worst offense in the league, 15.8 points a game. Pittsburgh is 4 3. But have you seen them? They do not pass the eye test. They do not. So Baltimore is 2 and 5 with 10 games to go, right? 10 games to go. I. They can win seven or eight games and I believe they can win the division. And you can't have a winner go home game, you know, 10 times in a row. I just, I don't think that that's possible. You know, here, let me. Bear with me. This is who the Ravens have left at Miami tonight, at Minnesota, at Cleveland, who they've beaten already. Home, jets, home. Bengals, home. Steelers at Bengals. Patriots at home, at packers, at Steelers. Seven wins there is realistic. And even if they only win the five division games, Mike, and they set everybody else in the division back, they can still win.
Mike Wilbon
They got to get to 9 or 10. The next three are do or die. And they have to treat it like that. Look, a lot of the country may not have been paying attention to last week. I was, because they played my team. That was a playoff game. Coming off a buy without the starting quarterback for Baltimore, they passed that test. Now they got to win the next three. They win the next three, they're going to more than likely be on Pittsburgh's heels and they can be okay from there. But the next three, I think, are do or die. I think that's the only way for Baltimore to approach this. They got to get Lamar Jackson back in the form that we are accustomed seeing him, which is MVP form. You don't always jump back into that when you've missed three games.
Tony Kornheiser
I understand this. I'm just suggesting to you that. And I may have to revise this tomorrow if they lose to the Dolphins, because the Dolphins aren't very good at all.
Mike Wilbon
They're not losing.
Tony Kornheiser
The Dolphins are 21st in points scored and 26 in points allowed. If you have Lamar Jackson and he's playing and you can't beat them, then it is over. I don't think that's the case.
Mike Wilbon
They're going to win.
Tony Kornheiser
Yeah, I think so. Let's move to basketball. The Lakers last night got a buzzer beating floater from Austin Reaves to beat Minnesota at Minnesota. 116, 115. Those two points gave Reeves 28 for the game with a career high 16 assists. This game follows two games where Reaves got 51 points in Sacramento and 41 at home against Portland Wilbon. What is the word for the week that Austin Reaves is having?
Mike Wilbon
Player. Player. That's the. That's the word. Look, I was going to use breakout, but Austin Reaves did that a year ago when he averaged 20 in the NBA. But now with no LeBron and even with no Luka, this is what Reaves has to. He has to lead. And so now he's a guy who can go out there and put up 50. Are you kidding me? By the way, this is great coaching, okay, on the part of JJ Redick, who met with Reaves, I'm sure, during the summer, to say anticipating it and anticipating is part of great coaching, okay? Yeah, I know. We got LeBron and we got Luka Badude. You're no longer some guy who's out there that people are going, my God, we didn't know he could play. We know you can play. It's time to do it every night and it's time to lead, and Austin Reaves is doing that.
Tony Kornheiser
So that's fairly persuasive. I mean, the word that I would use is the word that I think most people would use. And that is really, because, you know, let's face it, he's had a great week, but he's not getting those numbers. If Luka and LeBron are playing, he's getting the 18, 20 to 22 that he gets all the time. He's a very nice player. I would love to have him. This, to me, is symptomatic of what's going on in the NBA right now. Not paying a lot of attention because the World Series is on and the NFL is on. But I am looking at scores, Mike, and it seems that every night there's three or four games that end in 140 to 130 and somebody gets 40 or 50. Austin Reaves got 51. Markkanen got 51. Aaron Gordon got 50. Luka in one of the games he played, got 49. I know you love Tyson. Rhys Maxey got 43. He's averaging 38. Giannis is averaging 36. He's a 24 point a game guy for his entire career. You know, I mean there's a lot of the wizards who are terrible, average 121 points a game and they're trying to lose. They're trying to lose and getting 121.
Mike Wilbon
Look, it's 1962 in terms of team offense, but we're talking about Reaves specifically. You mentioned Luka. Luka not out there. LeBron's not out there for the Lakers. Somebody's got to float. Somebody's got to step up there and it's reasonable.
Tony Kornheiser
I give you that. I give you that. Let's take a break. Coming up, the Chiefs and the Bills meet on Sunday. Which team has stronger prospects? We're going to ask Booger McFarlane will.
Mike Wilbon
All squad also ask him about the chaos surrounding the LSU head coaching search. I might say nonsense surrounding that search. Nonsense.
Tony Kornheiser
So only three teams aren't averaging at least 110 and one of them is Dallas. Another reason to fire Nico, I'm sure.
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Tony Kornheiser
You are watching. Pardon the interruption, presented by Twisted Tea. Hard iced tea, part of happy hour in a story we broke wide open in our first segment. Week nine of the NFL season kicks off tonight, which makes it a perfect time to welcome back our great friend ESPN NFL and college football analyst Booger McFarlane wearing a shirt from Pine Valley. And I hope you tried the turtle soup. Let's go to this. The Chiefs are at the Bills this week. Which of these teams are you more bullish on moving forward?
Booger McFarland
Well, I'm going to choose the team that has more talent, Tony, and I think that's the Kansas City Chiefs. I think if you look at them now that they're whole, now that Rasheed Rice is back in the fold, or go with Hollywood Brown, Xavier Worthy, you got Travis Kelsey. Patrick Mahomes has been playing really good football and I think it's only going to get better. And let's not forget last year they were carried by their defense and their defense hasn't quite played to that level yet. So when their defense gets back to where they were last year to go along with this offense, I think the Kansas City Chiefs are the team to beat. I will say this about the Buffalo Bills. I'm going to throw this white right in. Will Bonds lap the Buffalo Bills? Remind me a little bit of the Utah Jazz. Like they were really good. We started in Malone, but they never could get quite get over the hump. I think the Buffalo Bills are going to be that team. They're really good James Cook and Josh Allen, but I just don't know if they have enough firepower to get over the hump.
Mike Wilbon
Oh, I like that analogy, Booger. Let's go to the Broncos for a second because they're 6 and 2, but they're going to be without reigning defensive player of the year Patrick Certain with a pec strain. His defensive coordinator Vance Joseph says, quote, everything we do starts with Pat. Dude is a cornerback. Booger. Why is he ruled the chessboard?
Booger McFarland
Because he is. He's like the ultimate chess piece because he can take away one side of the field. Remember what Deion Sanders used to do and how he kind of tilted the balance of power when he went from San Francisco To Dallas, certain is not Deion, but he's in that same category of a corner that can take your best receiver and he can, wherever you put him at, he can cover him. And what that does is that now you can take the other 10 guys and you can deploy them. We're not going to count the quarterback. Then it turns into 10 on nine. And I think that's where the numbers game becomes a great advantage for Vance Joseph. Because you have a guy that almost acts as if you have two guys. We've heard people say you have to double cover some people. Well, they don't have to double cover the number one receiver because you can put the reigning defensive player of the year and it just give Vance Joseph almost a half a guy that he can put on somebody else.
Mike Wilbon
Let's move to college football. In a matchup that none of us thought in August, late August would matter like it does now. Number nine, Vandy. At number 20, Texas. I know who I'm rooting for, Vandy. As if I went there. Booger. Is this. What does this mean? I mean, I know as an SEC guy, you look at this and say, vandy, seriously, how big a matchup is this?
Booger McFarland
This is a huge matchup, Mike. If you think about it this way, Texas is favorite even though Vanderbilt is the higher ranked team. And I think perception and reality come into play right now. I think if you're Vanderbilt, for the national media to kind of take you seriously, you need one of these wins against one of the blue bloods. Yeah, you beat lsu, but it's kind of a down year for lsu. And so now you go on the road, you go to Texas, big bad archmanning and everybody there. I think Clark Lee, the head coach has done a masterful job. This quarterback, Diego Pavia, he is a force multiplier. I told you guys, he reminds me of Cam Scatterboot. Like if you put them side by side, they almost look alike. They bring the physicality to their team, their alphas. They make everybody around them better. And I think if you're Vanderbilt, the reason this game is so big, number one, it's got playoff implications on it if you want to make the postseason and get into the 12 team playoff. And number two, I think from a perception standpoint, if you're Vanderbilt and you can win on the road in the SEC against Texas, one of the greatest blue bloods we've seen, it just gives you a little bit of street cred, if you know what I mean, Mike.
Mike Wilbon
Absolutely.
Tony Kornheiser
And we will get you out of here. On this. And thank you for mentioning LSU in the lead up to it. Louisiana's governor, the governor says he will not let the LSU AD Scott Woodward hire next coach. To which I add, parenthetically, what Booger, you start at lsu, how do you feel about the school's chances of hiring someone definitely better than Brian Kelly?
Booger McFarland
Well, first of all, I didn't know the governor's plate was so empty that he can start talking about football. But he'll be on here all day if we get into that. Let's move on to the football aspect of it. You know, Brian Kelly came to LSU as a CEO head coach, and I think his biggest downfall was the reason he got the job, which is he was the opposite of Coach O. He never really had a relationship with the players. He was a CEO, a top down coach. He never got in the trenches with the guys. And so to your point, Tony, I think it's going to be a relatively tall task to maybe find a guy as maybe as organized as bk, but I think we'll find a player's coach that'll be better and will be a better fit down in Louisiana. See, when you're coaching the south, it's about fit. You have to be able to look your players in the eyes and relate to the players. I want somebody that's going to be in the locker room with me, not somebody that calls down from the fifth floor to the locker room, if you follow me. And I think when you're in the Southeastern Conference, that's the way it has to be. I know it's a lot of names being thrown around. We're a long way from this coaching search being over, but there's no doubt in my mind LSU is the best job out there. I think when it comes to finances, when it comes to facilities, when it comes to recruiting, Louisiana is in the best position. Somebody just tell the governor, hey, pipe down a little bit, worry about politics. Let the football people worry about football. But I truly believe LSU will be able to get a better coach for the reasons I laid out.
Tony Kornheiser
Booger, a pleasure as always. Thank you so much for being on Truth.
Mike Wilbon
Booger. Thank you.
Booger McFarland
Anytime, fellas. Y' all have a good one.
Tony Kornheiser
Let's take one last break. Still to come, the Nats are hiring the youngest manager in the major since 1972. Wow.
Mike Wilbon
And did Matt Rule just rule himself out of the Penn State job? Do we believe this bit of news, Tony?
Tony Kornheiser
Well, I don't know what it is yet. I'll wait for the next segment.
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Tony Kornheiser
Pardon the Interruption is presented by the refreshing taste of twisted tea. Hard iced tea. Please drink responsibly. Part of happy hour. Happy time, people. Happy 77th birthday. Mickey Rivers History lesson, kids. John Milton Rivers was a center fielder for the New York Yankees on their championship teams in 1977 and 78. Rivers was a.295 lifetime hitter who led the American League in steals once and triples twice. It's not a home run thread and was therefore lost on a team with power hitters like Reggie Jackson, Thurman Munson and Greg Nettles. But Rivers had a terrific comic touch. He once said of owner George Steinbrenner and manager Billy Martin, quote me and George and Billy, we're two of a kind, unquote. And when Reggie announced to the press he had an IQ of 160, rivers crack quote. Out of what, a thousand, unquote. In the 1978 playoffs, Rivers batted.379.
Mike Wilbon
Yeah, when you're doing that, I don't think you get lost among those power hitters. You set the table for those power hitters, and you score a lot of runs in front of those power hitters. So he, he had to have been appreciated on those Yankee squads.
Tony Kornheiser
Absolutely. Happy anniversary. Herm Edwards. On this day, 23 years ago, during a midweek press conference after his New York jets had dropped to 2 and 5, Edwards was asked whether he had to talk to his team about not giving up on the season. Yes, the jets were terrible back then, too. Edwards response became the phrase most associated with him over two decades later. Quote, you play to win the game. Edwards leaned into it, saying hello, as if the questioner was from outer space. Hello. You play to win the game. Herm Edwards was an NFL player, an NFL coach, and a college coach. He is our colleague at espn, and it goes without saying that we love him.
Mike Wilbon
I love listening to Herm Edwards, love talking to him. His presence here in the desert, where he spent some years, is missed. Tony. I think I hit a tee shot in his backyard one day, but that's another story. But, yes, more Herm Edwards is appreciated. I know you agree.
Tony Kornheiser
I do. Happy trails. Anthony Davis, Dallas's star big man, left Wednesday's win over the Pacers in the first quarter, did not return. After scoring a bucket, Davis started hobbling and soon thereafter looked like he was reaching for his left ankle area. He had been probable for the game with, quote, bilateral Achilles tendinopathy, whatever that is. I'm not that kind of doctor. But anytime an NBA player reaches for his Achilles, red flags go up. Davis played in only nine Mavs games last season after they acquired in the Luke Gancic deal. Now he's hurt again five games into the season.
Mike Wilbon
Tony, it doesn't help things in Dallas that Cooper Flagg has had like a good game and a half. Okay? He's not in the top three or four at all in Rookie of the Year. It's early, though. It's early.
Tony Kornheiser
Three games. It's three games. Let's go 25 before we make Rookie of the Year. Let's go to the big finish. Nebraska and Matt Rule agreed on a two year extension. What does that mean?
Mike Wilbon
It means he can go like, I don't know, two weeks without being asked about Penn State any longer. The Nats. Your Nats are reportedly hiring 33 year old Blake Guterra to be their manager. Does that make sense?
Tony Kornheiser
This tie is older than Blake this time. The Twins picked Derek Shelton to be their manager. Is that okay with you?
Booger McFarland
Yeah.
Mike Wilbon
He's had the requisite experiences. Managed the Pirates. Been a benchmark coach with the Twins, you know. I guess so. The NBA fine LaMelo ball 35 large for apparently flipping off a ref. Your thoughts?
Tony Kornheiser
You can say something to a ref, but when you have a gesture that everyone can see, that's no good. That fine should be higher. Higher. Last one. The four zero spurs and five and zero Thunder both play tonight. Do you like them both to win again?
Mike Wilbon
I like watching Wim Banyama. The rest of it doesn't matter. If you don't have Shohei on tonight and you don't, you ought to be able to watch Wimbanyama.
Tony Kornheiser
We are out of time. We will try to do better the next time. Here's my Binghamton doll. Harvey Stenger. You did a great job and good luck.
Mike Wilbon
Congratulations. I'm Mike Wilbot. Same time tomorrow, knuckleheads. Tony, you know you can say that to the ref. You can't show that before you go.
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Episode Title: Is Tonight The Raven's Last Chance at Saving Their Season?
Date: October 30, 2025
Hosts: Tony Kornheiser, Michael Wilbon
Special Guest: Booger McFarland (ESPN analyst)
This episode zeroes in on pivotal moments across multiple sports—an analysis of the World Series with the Toronto Blue Jays in control, a preview of the Baltimore Ravens and Miami Dolphins’ critical NFL matchup, NBA highlights from Austin Reaves, and expert NFL/college football analysis with Booger McFarland. The hosts bring their classic back-and-forth energy, combining hot takes, humor, and authoritative sports insight.
This PTI episode delivers deep dives on contemporary sporting headlines, from a rookie pitcher matching postseason legends, to pressing playoff questions facing the Ravens, to the NBA’s soaring scores, all laced with signature wit. Booger McFarland’s segment is a highlight—pairing NFL analysis with pointed college football commentary. The camaraderie and quick banter between Tony and Wilbon, combined with their direct, often humorous style ("pipe down, governor!"), make the episode both informative and engaging for fans across all sports.