PTI – September 19, 2025

Host: Tony Kornheiser and Pablo Torre (guest co-host)
Main Theme: Pablo Torre joins Tony Kornheiser to break down “Kawhi-Gate” and discuss the day’s biggest sports stories, including NFL Week 3 fallout, MLB wild card races, and the implications of the Steve Ballmer/Kawhi Leonard controversy for the NBA and Adam Silver.

Episode Overview

This episode features Pablo Torre stepping in as co-host with Tony Kornheiser for a lively, sometimes tongue-in-cheek take on current sports headlines. The primary focus is the evolving controversy dubbed “Kawhi-Gate” — allegations of the LA Clippers’ owner Steve Ballmer circumventing the NBA salary cap to pay Kawhi Leonard through a no-show endorsement deal. Pablo breaks down his reporting on the topic, and the duo dive into the implications for NBA Commissioner Adam Silver.

Alongside “Kawhi-Gate,” the show weaves through NFL reactions (Bills-Dolphins), intriguing matchups for the upcoming football weekend, key MLB wild card battles, and quick-hitting takes on notable performances and personalities across sports.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. NFL – Bills vs. Dolphins and Mike McDaniel’s Hot Seat

• Takeaway:
  The Bills win over the Dolphins (31–21) is scrutinized for what it reveals about Miami’s coaching situation, especially head coach Mike McDaniel’s increasing job insecurity.

• Pablo Torre [01:38]:

  • Acknowledges the narrative around Miami’s coach:

    “It is actually a closer game than the score indicates...the reason the seat is hot is because he is 3 and 14 against teams with winning records.”

  • For Buffalo:

    “This is exactly what you expect out of Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills. But McDaniel, to me, that’s where the story is.”

• Tony Kornheiser [02:19]:

  • Expresses doubt about Miami’s playoff prospects:

    “I never really thought that the Dolphins could win that game...Miami isn’t very good. The 3-14 record we’ve referenced already, the coach at Buffalo is now 16-2 against Miami...”
    “I think Miami is cooked...107 teams since 2000 have started 0-3, one has made the playoffs.”

  • Points out Buffalo’s easy early schedule:

    “They don’t have to extend themselves...Jets, Dolphins, Saints, Patriots, Atlanta, Carolina – that feels like 7–0 to me without being tested.”

• Pablo, on moral victories [05:05]:

  “Here’s my advice for Mike McDaniel. Take the moral victory. I don’t know if you’ll get a real one.”

2. NFL Weekend Preview – Curiosities and Key Games

• Tony [05:29–06:58]:

  • Shares a list of games he’s “curious” about, including:
    • Indianapolis at Tennessee (“semi-respect” if Indy wins),
    • Cincinnati at Minnesota (QB replacements),
    • Pittsburgh at New England,
    • Dallas at Chicago (“would gall Wilbon so much” if Dallas wins),
    • Kansas City at NY Giants (potential KC collapse if Giants win).

• Pablo [06:58]:

  • Plays with Tony’s “levels of curiosity,” settles on being “perversely tickled” by Bengals-Vikings because of Jake Browning vs. Carson Wentz as replacement QBs:

    “In the poo poo platter, there can be one of those pieces of chicken where you’re like, is this edible? And then you’re like, this kind of tastes good. I think Jake Browning is that piece of chicken.”

  • Discussion pivots to Justin Herbert and the Chargers’ legitimacy; a recurring question:

    “Are we seeing the hype become real?”

3. “Kawhi-Gate” – Steve Ballmer, the Clippers, and the NBA’s Integrity Crisis

• Context [08:36]:
  Tony introduces the story, referencing Pablo’s investigation (on “Pablo Torre Finds Out”) that suggests Ballmer may have used Aspiration, a company tied to the Clippers, to pay Kawhi Leonard “off the books,” circumventing the NBA’s salary cap with $48 million in additional payments.

• Pablo Torre [09:13]:

  • Calls this the defining test for Adam Silver as commissioner:

    “He came in with Donald Sterling... Ballmer now being at the heart of a story... in which he poured in $118 million... tracking alongside secret payments no one knew about to Kawhi Leonard totaling $28 million in a no-show endorsement contract and $20 million more in a stock deal... The question for Adam Silver to be blunt about this is, do the rules matter? You’re a steward of integrity.”

    • “What did you know and when did you know it?” invoking the Watergate phrase.

• Tony [10:28]:

  • Acknowledges the gravity if the allegations are true:

    “If this is provable, you have to throw the book at the Clippers.”

  • Quotes Silver’s statement:

    “Burden of proof is not on the Clippers... It’s on the league to establish their guilt.”

• Pablo [11:17]:

  • Highlights league priorities and the controversy’s impact:

    “Shrinking the PR problem is my default assumption for what the goal is... this story has been shocking to me in terms of its resonance, not just among the board of governors... with the fans, there’s a credibility question around do you actually care about the integrity of your game?”

    • Quotes the CBA: Evidence can be direct or circumstantial, and “you must explain it... ‘rationally.’”

    “No one has explained why that deal was never announced and why [Kawhi] didn’t have to do a single thing for it.”

• Tony [12:26]: jokingly:

  “On the other hand, who wouldn’t want a deal like that? A no-show job for millions of dollars.”

• Quick Note [12:44]:

  • NBA All-Star Game next year is at Ballmer’s new arena — Pablo confirms “that is an important consideration in the investigation.”

4. Toss Up – MLB Playoff Race: Mariners vs. Astros; Red Sox vs. Guardians

(A) Mariners vs. Astros [14:22–16:21]

• Tony:

  “I respect the Astros... But I find Cal Rawley and the Seattle Mariners right now completely irresistible... I like when he carries the trident around in the dugout.”

  • Reflects on Seattle’s long playoff drought and America’s lack of attention since 2001.

• Pablo:

  • Praises the Astros' resilience and management:

    “Maybe it’s because I have fair play and alleged cheating on the brain, but what’s so impressive is that it’s clear they didn’t need to cheat... They are so well stocked via the farm system... I want them to win to prove... that they tried to cheat in order to be as good as they actually are.”

(B) Wild Card – Red Sox vs. Guardians [16:23–18:33]

• Tony:
  • Favors Guardians’ pitching as the key:

    “Their run differential is minus 23. They probably shouldn’t even have a winning record. But they can pitch. In the last two weeks, their collective ERA is 1.30... 12 out of 13 games won.”

• Pablo:
  • Leans Red Sox, but with a numerical argument:

    “I will go Red Sox because... advanced numbers suggest that the Guardians must regress to the mean at some point... The Red Sox… have the fifth easiest schedule remaining.”

• Tony (fact-checking):

  “Red Sox have the fifth hardest schedule remaining. Not the fifth easiest. Harvard.”

5. Quick Hits & “Happy Time” (Notable Moments)

(Timestamps approximate, 21:00–24:46)

• Trae Young’s 27th birthday

  • Tony: Young’s legacy tied to not being Luka Doncic.
  • Pablo:

    “He is not the player Luka is, but he is... a better TV show.”

• Shohei Ohtani Anniversary

  • Ohtani: 50 HR/50 SB milestone revisited; his shift to pitching viewed as limiting steals.
  • Pablo:

    “I'd like him to do the unprecedented again.”

• WNBA Playoff Update

  • Dream & Storm eliminated; Kaitlin Clark still sidelined.
  • Pablo:

    “We're now getting this era in which the marquee franchises are emerging without Caitlin Clark. We're still getting the Fever. That's the surprise.”

• Big Finish/Lightning Round:

  • NFL officiating on the “tush push” play
  • Washington Commanders starting Marcus Mariota
  • Tyler Herro injury (“snakebitten”)
  • Noah Lyles wins 4th straight 200m title
  • Clayton Kershaw’s final regular season home start

Notable Quotes by Timestamp

• Pablo (on Ballmer/Silver) [09:13]:

  “Do the rules matter? You’re a steward of integrity... What did you know and when did you know it? That question applies to the commissioner.”

• Tony (on the Dolphin’s playoff hopes) [02:19]:

  “I think Miami is cooked... Since 2000, 107 teams have started 0-3. One has made the playoffs.”

• Tony (on the Clippers investigation) [10:51]:

  “Innocent until proven guilty. That is the American judicial system. And that’s fine. But the NBA is not the FBI.”

• Pablo (on Guardians vs. Red Sox) [17:23]:

  “My word cloud for the Guardians is Jose Ramirez in giant font and then a lot of smaller words.”

• Tony (correcting Pablo) [23:34]:

  “The Red Sox have the fifth hardest schedule remaining. Not the fifth easiest. Harvard.”

Memorable Moments

• Pablo’s “perversely tickled” analogy for “Jake Browning as the piece of chicken in the poo poo platter” [06:58].
• Tony congratulating Pablo for introducing the phrase “poo poo platter” to PTI [08:36].
• Pablo’s Watergate reference about Adam Silver:

  “What did you know and when did you know it?” [09:13]

• Tony’s joke about the Red Sox’ remaining schedule (“Harvard”) and Harvard/Pablo’s data-driven approach [23:40].

Episode Structure & Flow

• Fast-paced and humorous banter is maintained throughout, with Pablo matching Tony’s wit and adopting the PTI blend of statistical analysis and old-school eye tests.
• Clear segmentation: NFL opening segment, NBA deep dive, MLB “Toss-Up”, “Happy Time” news items, “Big Finish” lightning round.
• Strong emphasis on controversy and integrity: especially regarding the Clippers and Adam Silver.

For Listeners Who Missed It

• You’ll get a concise primer on “Kawhi-Gate” and why it’s more than a niche NBA scandal — it’s about the league’s fundamental integrity and Silver’s legacy.
• The NFL and MLB discussions provide both comedy and insight, flagging which coaches and teams are on the hot seat as September grinds on.
• Expect playful stats debates and the sharpest analogies only PTI can deliver (“poo poo platter”, number clouds, Harvard).
• The episode is essential for fans tracking how real-life investigative reporting (Pablo’s work) is colliding with sports business and league governance at the highest level.