Rodgers FINALLY Signs With the Steelers

Summary

PTI Podcast Episode Summary

Title: Rodgers FINALLY Signs With the Steelers
Hosts: Pablo Torre and Tony Kornheiser
Release Date: June 5, 2025
Description: Tony Kornheiser and Pablo Torre delve into the day's hottest topics, including Aaron Rodgers' much-anticipated signing with the Steelers, NBA and NHL finals, tennis highlights, and more.

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Aaron Rodgers Signs with the Steelers

The episode kicks off with the breaking news that Aaron Rodgers has decided to sign with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Both hosts express their excitement and analyze the potential impact of this significant move.

• Pablo Torre (01:24):
  "My reaction is that 2024, Pablo would have loved, loved to get an alert on his cell phone saying Aaron Rodgers signs with an NFL team just doesn't hit the same."

• Tony Kornheiser (02:03):
  "I think the best place for Aaron Rodgers is a team coached by Mike Tomlin, who has watched him for an awful lot of years."

Discussion Points:

• Risk vs. Reward: The Steelers’ decision is characterized as a "high variance" move, meaning Rodgers could elevate the team to new heights or not deliver the expected results.
• Division Competitiveness: With quarterbacks like Joe Burrow, Lamar Jackson, and now Aaron Rodgers in the AFC North, the division is set to be one of the most competitive in the league.
• Team Dynamics: Concerns about how Rodgers will fit into the Steelers’ system, including his rapport with teammates and the existing offensive strategy.

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NBA Finals Preview: Thunder vs. Pacers

Shifting gears to the NBA Finals, Tony and Pablo discuss the upcoming series between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Indiana Pacers, providing their predictions and insights.

• Pablo Torre (04:12):
  "I'm giving them a little chance. And I say that because the way they play on offense has been impressive."

• Tony Kornheiser (04:32):
  "Oklahoma City has the best defense in the league. If they figure out Indiana early on, I don't know where Indiana goes."

Discussion Points:

• Team Strengths: Oklahoma City is lauded for its defensive prowess, while Indiana's offense is both organized and dynamic.
• Series Duration Prediction: Pablo anticipates a longer series, possibly extending to six games, rather than a quick sweep by Oklahoma City.
• Kendrick Perkins' Insights (14:34): The conversation includes expert commentary from Kendrick Perkins, who emphasizes the importance of Oklahoma City maintaining focus and limiting distractions to secure the championship.

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Stanley Cup Final Highlights

The hosts recap the thrilling Stanley Cup Final game where the Edmonton Oilers staged a comeback against the Florida Panthers.

• Tony Kornheiser (06:44):
  "Leon Draisaitl won it in overtime. All these signs are very good for Edmonton."

• Pablo Torre (07:55):
  "The biggest criticism of the Florida Panthers is they have won so much, been to so many consecutive finals that they might be tired now."

Discussion Points:

• Edmonton's Resilience: Edmonton’s ability to overturn a 3-1 deficit showcases their championship potential, especially with stars like McDavid and Draisaitl in peak form.
• Florida Panthers' Streak: While Florida remains a formidable team with consistent finals appearances, their depth and experience are under scrutiny.

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French Open Highlights

Tony and Pablo switch focus to tennis, discussing Novak Djokovic’s remarkable semifinal performance and other standout moments from the tournament.

• Tony Kornheiser (09:08):
  "If we're going to get Sinner and Djokovic in the semifinal tomorrow, we're going to get that. And it's split. But Sinner's won the last three, like Djokovic in winter."

• Pablo Torre (09:14):
  "I want to tip my cap to Coco Gauff for that reason. But I cannot shake the idea that Novak Djokovic... might be entering his last dance mode."

Discussion Points:

• Djokovic’s Longevity: At 38, Djokovic continues to defy age expectations, reaching his 54th major semifinal, the most ever.
• Coco Gauff's Rise: Highlighting Gauff’s rapid ascent in the tennis world, making significant strides in her performance and ranking.
• Potential Matchups: Speculation on the upcoming semifinal between Djokovic and Sinner, discussing the implications for Djokovic's legacy.

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Interview with Kendrick Perkins: NBA Finals Focus

The podcast features an insightful interview with former NBA player Kendrick Perkins, who shares his expertise on the NBA Finals.

• Kendrick Perkins (15:56):
  "This is easy. This is an easy one for me. And there's no disrespect to Tyrese Halliburton, but I'm going with SGA all day..."

• Tony Kornheiser (17:56):
  "If the Pacers do stand a chance at winning this series, the slight chance that I give them, they would have. This is a must-win Game one..."

Discussion Points:

• Player Highlights: Perkins praises SGA (Shai Gilgeous-Alexander) for his outstanding performance and leadership, deeming him the best perimeter player in basketball.
• Pacers’ Strategy: Emphasis on Miles Turner as the key player for the Pacers to dominate both offensively and defensively.
• Series Prediction: Perkins maintains that Oklahoma City will win the series, originally predicting six games, but hints it could conclude in five if Oklahoma City dominates early.

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Sam Darnold’s Career Turnaround

Tony celebrates Sam Darnold’s birthday and discusses his tumultuous career trajectory, highlighting his recent signing with Seattle.

• Tony Kornheiser (20:36):
  "Happy 28th birthday, Sam Darnold. Darnold was a bust with the Jets... But Darnold found great success in Minnesota last season."

• Pablo Torre (21:21):
  "The fact that that guy was so good in Minnesota and has another second third act, it's just a remarkable thing..."

Discussion Points:

• Career Resilience: Darnold’s ability to bounce back after underwhelming performances with the Jets and 49ers, leading to a lucrative deal with Seattle.
• Future Prospects: Optimism about Darnold’s potential to thrive as the starting quarterback for the Seahawks under the support of Coach Mike McDonald.

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Pat Venditte’s Anniversary and Ambidextrous Pitching

The hosts reflect on Pat Venditte’s innovative pitching style anniversary and discuss the implications of ambidextrous pitchers in baseball.

• Tony Kornheiser (21:49):
  "Happy Anniversary, Pat Venditti... A rule was created colloquially known as The Pat Venditti rule requiring an ambidextrous pitcher to declare which hand he will use to pitch to a batter before the at bat starts."

• Pablo Torre (22:31):
  "I worship at the altar of Ohtani, but this specific thing... Yeah, there should be a rule that you can't make a rule named after a guy when that's the only guy who does this."

Discussion Points:

• Venditte’s Legacy: Celebrating Venditte as the first modern ambidextrous pitcher and the subsequent rule that governs such unique pitching strategies.
• Rule Debates: Critique of the "Pat Venditti rule" as unnecessarily restrictive, questioning its fairness and practicality in the sport.

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Other Sports Highlights and Updates

Women's College World Series:
Tony recounts the dramatic Game One loss for Texas Tech against the Texas All-American Reese Atwood, emphasizing the high stakes and strategic errors made by pitcher Tony Kennedy.

• Tony Kornheiser (22:46):
  "Let me go to the umpire and say, just let her go to first like they do in bigs... Let's go to the big finish if we could."

Derek Carr’s Retirement:
Discussion on Derek Carr’s decision to retire to avoid surgery and his reflections on his career.

• Tony Kornheiser (23:42):
  "Derek Carr told Front Office Sports he retired because he didn't want to have surgery, quote, and just sit there and take the Saints money, unquote."

Rick Pitino and Knicks Coaching Rumors:
Tony and Pablo address Rick Pitino’s disinterest in coaching the Knicks and Anthony Richardson’s injury concerns affecting the Indianapolis Colts.

• Tony Kornheiser (24:25):
  "Jerry Reinsdorf has an agreement with billionaire Justin Ishbia that could see Ishbia eventually own the White Sox. Your thoughts?"

New York Liberty vs. Washington Mystics:
A brief debate ensues about the upcoming game between the New York Liberty and Washington Mystics.

• Pablo Torre (24:51):
  "My New York Liberty are gonna defeat your Washington Mystics, Tony. That's right. Eight and O. Eat that."

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Closing Remarks

As the podcast wraps up, Tony and Pablo reflect on the diverse range of sports topics covered, from NFL signings to international tennis events, and express their anticipation for future discussions.

• Tony Kornheiser (25:00):
  "We're out of time. We'll try and do better the next time. I'm Tony Kornheiser."

• Pablo Torre (25:04):
  "And I'm Pablo Torre. The host of Pablo Torre finds out a podcast that Tony apparently listens to."

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Conclusion:

This episode of PTI provides a comprehensive overview of major sports events and updates, with insightful analysis from Tony Kornheiser and Pablo Torre. From Aaron Rodgers' strategic move to the Steelers to thrilling finals across the NBA, NHL, and tennis, listeners are treated to in-depth discussions enriched with expert opinions and memorable quotes.

Transcript

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[Pablo Torre]

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[Pablo Torre]

Pardon the interruption, but I'm Pablo Torre and it is great to host with you today, Tony.

[Tony Kornheiser]

I'm Tony Kornheiser. Hosting is fine. Just don't investigate me. You've been in the news lately. People are talking about you.

[Pablo Torre]

I have a rep. Simmons says I have a rep. Apparently. Yeah, I don't, you know, Bill, Remember.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Bill, just don't investigate me. You know what I've done? I mean, I've covered up, you know, my ring thing at the front of the house. Welcome to pti, boys and girls. Wilburn has. As the day off, I am joined by our great friend, the host of the podcast, Pablo Torre finds out. Mr. Pablo Torre. That's nice. And we begin today with the long awaited and expected report that Aaron Rodgers plans to sign with the Steelers. The 41 year old Rodgers has timed his decision to come after this week's voluntary OTAs, but prior to next week's mandatory minicamp. Pablo, what is your reaction to this news?

[Pablo Torre]

My reaction is that 2024, Pablo would have loved, loved to get an alert on his cell phone saying Aaron Rodgers signs with an NFL team just doesn't hit the same. Tony and I understand that the Steelers, they're trying to do a thing that in sports nerd conferences they refer to as high variance. Aaron Rodgers has a very high ceiling. He could be the greatest quarterback in the league. The floor, though, gets everybody fired. And so it's just funny. It's funny that the Steelers are in a place where all the breadcrumbs lead to Aaron Rodgers. We knew it was coming and yet the risk is as stated.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah, I'm not going to disagree with that. Although I'm going to say that the best place for Aaron Rodgers is a team coached by Mike Tomlin, who has watched him for an awful lot of years. And I think they will come to a behavioral detente very soon. I'm, you know, I'm one of those guys who thinks that Aaron Rodgers can still throw it. I watched him with the Jets. I mean, I think this is the best spot for him. And there are two things that I would say. First of all, Right now, three of the starting quarterbacks in that division are Joe Burrow, Aaron Rodgers and Lamar Jackson. There's no division like that. There's no division like that in the league. The second thing is, I want to know who's going to be the first person who goes to Aaron Rodgers locker and hands him bark to chew on. That's when you know Aaron Rodgers is okay with that squad. Who when that happens, Tony?

[Pablo Torre]

I just like how we have to speak in the language of Detentes, as if Aaron Rodgers is, you know, on the road to Yalta. Like that's part of his story now is that it's always diplomacy. Who's going to be in charge, who's not. And look, when you say that he might be, well, he certainly is a guy who can still throw it. The question to me also is like, well, who's he throwing to? The Steelers have that all figured out yet. I mean, they have DK Metcalf, that's good. Pat Freierbooth, you know. Okay, well, what happens now? What happens now? Like, you're right, the AFC north is really, really tough when it comes to the quarterbacks.

[Tony Kornheiser]

It's loaded, it's loaded.

[Pablo Torre]

I just haven't seen Aaron Rodgers be anywhere close to the guy that can hang with the caliber of names that you mentioned.

[Tony Kornheiser]

And I understand that. And he's brought that upon himself in the last couple of years and the behavior has made him the object of derision. I'm just telling you that if you stand there and you don't know it's Aaron Rodgers and you see him throw it, you go, wow, he can still throw it. That's what I feel. We move to the NBA Finals, which start tonight in Oklahoma city between the 68 win Thunder and the 50 win Indiana Pacers. Oklahoma City is a substantial favorite, having led the league in regular season victories, including both games they played against Indiana. Pablo, are you giving the Pacers a big chance, a little chance or no chance at all?

[Pablo Torre]

I'm giving them a little chance. And I say that because the way they play on offense has been impressive. Watching that whole Knicks series, they are organized chaos and they're really stylistically fun to watch. Now, the problem with all of this is that the Thunder are as good defensively as any team I think we've ever seen by the metrics.

[Tony Kornheiser]

That's right.

[Pablo Torre]

So they are equipped uniquely to stop the Pacers, but top to bottom, they're deep, they run, they are young, and I enjoy watching them. I expect this to be a longer series. I Don't think this is going to be a sweep. I think this is going to be a, a six game sort of operation.

[Kendrick Perkins]

Hmm.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Okay, so let me first divest myself of my prejudices here. I covered Rick Carlisle when he played in college at Virginia and I have followed his coaching career with admiration and affection. You know, I find myself rooting for him. But I do believe that in this particular case, he is the decided underdog. I mean, Indiana is a fast break run up and down the core team. And as you're saying, Oklahoma City has the best defense in the league. They like in every single category, they've got the best defense in the league. And if so, if they figure out Indiana early on, I don't know where Indiana goes. I mean, if you're asking me to pick Indiana, I would do it in seven games. If you allowed me, I'd pick it in nine games. But on the other hand, I'm looking at Oklahoma City as a team that is really good, really good. And I would pick them in four or five. And without any compunction about that. I mean, I believe this game tonight is worth watching for these reasons. It's a game about Indiana. What does Indiana have up its sleeves tonight? How close can they hang with Oklahoma City? Because, Pablo, Oklahoma City is a juggernaut at home. They're 437 at home, counting the playoffs. You know, what do you do with that toad?

[Pablo Torre]

I just like how you say with no compunction. All your arguments so far have been compunctions. If Aaron Rodgers was not actually Aaron Rodgers, if this seven game series was a nine game series, you'd give the Pacers a shot. And we can agree that a little compunction is in the room with us right now. But I want to move to game one of the Stanley Cup Final because the Florida Panthers jumped out to a 31 lead early in the second period in Edmonton, but the Oilers came back to tie the game in regulation and then Leon Draisaitl won it in overtime. And so what did last night's results say to you, Tony, about this year's rematch?

[Tony Kornheiser]

It's an enormous boost for Edmonton. I mean, you know, Florida was up 2 to 1 in the first period. Florida was up 3 to 1 early in the second period. They beat a Florida team. This is a great statistic that the Florida Panthers have been 180 in road playoff games under Paul Maurice. When they took a lead out of the second period, you don't catch them and pass them. And that is what happened last night. I don't think this is tragic for Florida. This is Florida's third straight trip to the finals. You know, they know who they are. They can lose a game, it doesn't matter. It's not their first rodeo. But on the other hand, had Edmonton lost this game at home, people would immediately have started to say, oh, here we go again. The fact that they won it at home and that McDavid and Draisaitl were the biggest part of it is very important. There's air underneath their skates now. Draisaitl did not score any goals in the seven game Stanley Cup Final last year. He opened the scoring with a goal and he closed the scoring with a goal. All these signs are very good for Edmonton.

[Pablo Torre]

Yeah, this was clearly bigger for Edmonton than it was damaging for Florida. And it's just funny when the biggest criticism of the Florida Panthers is they have won so much, been to so many consecutive finals that they might be tired now. I like that as the Achilles heel. I like that two series ago the Maple Leafs were up 20 and the Panthers came back. I like that the Panthers are actually right now eight and three on the road. I like that they have every bit of experience. That makes them very bizarrely for me, yes, the veteran incumbent in this, I mean, it's Tony. I just think there's so much better than a game one loss should cause us to be worried about.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Let us move to the French Open. Pablo, I know you're a tennis fan. Last night, Novak Djokovic, at 38 years old, made the semifinals by beating Alexander Zverev in four sets, winning the last three in a row. This will be Djokovic's 54th major semifinal, the most ever. Today, Irina Sabulinka, the number one seed, beat three time defending French Open champion Igor Witek. And Coco Gauff and I watched this, needed only 70 minutes to beat French sensation Louise Boisson. How'd I do on that pronunciation, Pablo?

[Pablo Torre]

That's pretty good.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Pablo. What's the bigger deal? What Djokovic did yesterday or what happened today?

[Pablo Torre]

There's a certain je ne sais quoi. If I may extend the Frank affiliate here.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Good job.

[Pablo Torre]

To Coco Gauff. I've watched her at the US Open when she was even younger than she is now and was impressed. And now we see this flower in bloom. I want to say Coco Gauff for that reason. I want to tip my cap to her for that reason. But I cannot shake the idea that Novak Djokovic, arguably the greatest player of all time, and I'm sure You have arguments about that. Might be entering his last dance mode. And if we're going to get Sinner and Djokovic in the semifinal tomorrow, Tony, we're going to get that. And it's four and four. It's split. But Sinner's won the last three, like Djokovic in winter. To me, that is the headline here.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah. So if Poisson had won, I would say what happened today was most important because she's ranked 361st in the world and nobody had even heard of her three days ago. And then she beat Pegula and she beat a couple of. She would have beaten Coco Gauff today. Okay. And she's French, but it didn't happen. Now, I can still make the case that what happened today is more important. Cuz we have a final. Djokovic is in the semifinals. And if Sinner blows his doors off, then what are we talking about? And Sinner, I believe, has won his last 19 matches in majors and including a final at the US Open and the final at the Australian Open. But as you know, as they say in the plays, attention must be paid. This guy. Yeah, I don't like Djokovic. And I watched the end of that. I got off my couch and I stood up and I applauded. At 38 years old, everybody was writing his obituary for this tournament and now everybody is busy deleting that Pablo, if he wins this thing, he's going to have to go through Zverev, he's going to have to go through Sinner and likely go through Alcaraz. They are. Alcaraz and sinner are 15 years younger than him. Zverev is 10 years younger than him. I think it would be one of the great runs in tennis history.

[Pablo Torre]

Agreed?

[Tony Kornheiser]

Absolutely. Come on, 38. Come on, let's take a break. Coming up, where do the Pacers have the advantage over the Thunder, if indeed they do? We will ask Kendrick Perkins and we.

[Pablo Torre]

Will also ask him what he'd tell this young Thunder team about playing in the NBA finals.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Four stories in the A's, Pablo. We were flying.

[Pablo Torre]

I just realized four stories that as a 39 year old I might be in winter. Now this is all a bit existential.

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[Tony Kornheiser]

Let'S dig back into the NBA Finals with a man who's in the arena. From NBA Today, an NBA Countdown, our great friend Kendrick Perkins. We're going to start with this. You won a Title with the Celtics. You made it back to the NBA finals a few years later with the Thunder. What would you tell this Thunder team about playing in the NBA Finals which they have not done?

[Kendrick Perkins]

Well, the first thing I would tell them to do is cherish this moment. But with that being said, Tony, I got to tell them, have no regrets, limit distractions and keep the main thing. The main thing. And the main thing is playing basketball between these lines. But because the finals, your first time here, could be overwhelming, right? You could get caught up in everything, the media, you got family members flying in tickets, all this is going about the interviews and you forget that you here to play basketball and all of a sudden you get punched in the mouth or you let one slip away from you. If I had a message to the Oklahoma City Thunder, this young team, this young group, I would tell them, make sure you keep the main thing. The main thing, limit the distractions and most importantly, no regrets whatsoever. You don't want to look down five, six, ten years down the line and say, man, I wish we would have done this in this NBA finals and not got the job done.

[Pablo Torre]

Well, perk, in terms of the main attractions, we're looking at Halliburton, we're looking at sga. Who would you rather have of those two guys?

[Kendrick Perkins]

This is easy. This is an easy one for me. And there's no disrespect to Tyrese Halliburton, but I'm going with SGA all day. He's the best perimeter player in basketball, knocking at the door, becoming the best player in basketball. Do you see his numbers right now? Not only did he win the conference MVP and MVP and you know, had the best record in the league, title scoring title, but he's sitting at different tables right now with all time greats from AI to Shaq to Jordan, bro, like, and when you start, when he's, when you start entering those conversations, that means you're doing something special on the floor. And the great thing about SGA is he has no flaws right? Offensively he don't live by the three and die by the three. He's mastered the mid range game, which reminds me a lot of MJ and Kobe because he's so efficient when it comes down to the comparison of Jordan in the mid range game and now he's making others around him better. It's one thing for you to go out there and get 30 or 40, but it's another thing when guys like Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren is still, is still able to get off as well.

[Pablo Torre]

But if you turn the camera on the Pacers for a second year, perk directly on them. Are there any areas where you think the Indiana Pacers have an advantage over the Thunder?

[Kendrick Perkins]

I think. I wouldn't say. I would say no to that. But I will say this to me, Miles Turner is the X factor and most important player for the Pacers. If they tend, if they're trying to win this series, I think he has to be dominant on both ends. We need to see the Miles Turner that we saw in the first, in the first series and the second series of this postseason. And that's a player that creates mismatches on the low block because of his ability to set good screens and roll to the basket. Also a guy that can stretch the floor defensively, they're going to need him more now more than ever when it comes down to him being the best shot blocker in the postseason. That needs to show up if they want to have a chance of winning and beating this Oklahoma City team and bringing home a championship.

[Tony Kornheiser]

All right, we will get you out of here on this. You have publicly said that you believe Oklahoma City will win and win in six. Would that prediction change and would it change drastically if Indiana were to win Game one on the road?

[Kendrick Perkins]

Well, Tony, if. If was a fifth, we all be drunk. All right, let's.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Let me say that to you, okay?

[Kendrick Perkins]

If was a fifth, we all be drunk. They're not winning. They're not winning in this arena. This is a dangerous place to play in and shout out to the Oklahoma City Thunder. They made this a dangerous territory. Here's the thing. Believe that if the Pacers do stand a chance at winning this series, the slight chance that I give them, they would have. This is a must win Game one, because by the time that's this Thunder team defensively figure you out in Game 2 is going to be too late. So you might want to try to catch them slipping after a long break and hopefully they get caught up in being in the NBA Finals and you could come in here and steal one. But if you don't get Game one, I said in six, it might be at five.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah, yeah, I understand that. Thank you, Perk, as always. You look good, by the way. I know.

[Pablo Torre]

Jacket.

[Tony Kornheiser]

You look good.

[Kendrick Perkins]

I appreciate it, Tony.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Looks good.

[Kendrick Perkins]

Appreciate it, Tony Pablo. Appreciate you.

[Tony Kornheiser]

NBA Countdown begins tonight at 8pm Eastern on ABC, directly followed by game one at 8:30. Let's take one last break. But still to come, a setback for Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson and Rick Pitino.

[Pablo Torre]

Tony, he weighs in on his interest in the Knicks job, which is you.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Know I can't wait.

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[Tony Kornheiser]

Happy time people. Happy 28th birthday, Sam Darnold Darnold was a bust with the jets after coming out of us as the third overall pick in 2018. By 2021, Darnold was in Carolina, where it didn't go much better. Then he backed up Brock Purdy in San Francisco. But Darnold found great success in Minnesota last season, throwing 35 touchdowns with a rating of 102.5. Darnold was riding 14. 2 as a starter, but had a bad final regular season game against Detroit and then a bad playoff game against the Rams, casting doubt about his future. Darnold signed a three year, $100 million deal with Seattle. And just the other day Seattle coach Mike McDonald said, quote, Sam is our starting quarterback. We love him. Unquote.

[Pablo Torre]

Tony the win is that you just did a whole thing on Sam Darnold and didn't even quote the whole I'm seeing ghosts thing. Just a remarkable turnaround. I'm not even being sarcastic about this. The fact that that guy was so good in Minnesota and has another second third act, it's just a remarkable thing for a guy who we had written off because he was caught on a live mic saying that he was hallucinating, only to then prove to us that maybe we were seeing him incorrectly the whole time.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Happy Anniversary, Pat Venditti on this day 10 years ago, the Oakland A's reliever became the first ambidextrous pitcher in the modern era, tossing two scoreless innings against the Red Sox. A rule was created colloquially known as The Pat Venditti rule requiring an ambidextrous pitcher to declare which hand he will use to pitch to a batter before the at bat starts and then to throw with that hand throughout the at bat. This feels totally unnecessary to me. Let him pitch with whatever hand he wants if he can, then. Diddy pitched for six different teams through 2020 with a career record of 22 and a 473 ERA. I find it amazing you can be ambidextrous as a pitcher.

[Pablo Torre]

Yes. Look, I worship at the altar of Ohtani, but this specific thing. Yeah, there should be a rule that you can't make a rule named after a guy when that's the only guy who does this. It's like, what are you guarding against?

[Kendrick Perkins]

Who?

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Who else does this?

[Tony Kornheiser]

Stop it. Happy trails, Texas Tech. The Red Raiders fell in memorable fashion in last night's Game one of the Women's College World Series finals. Tech's reigning college player of the year, Nijah Canady, was pitching a shutout in the bottom of the sixth when the call came to intentionally walk Texas All American Reese Atwood. Made sense, as Atwood is hitting.398 and there were two out and two on with first base open. But Kennedy hadn't walked anyone intentionally all season, and it showed. She left what would have been ball four out over the plate and Atwood smacked it to left, giving Texas a 2 to 1 lead, which is how it ended.

[Pablo Torre]

It's a remarkable video we just saw. Tony Kennedy, by the way. She got a million dollars to leave Stanford, went to Texas Tech back on the mound tonight for game two. Got to even it up. It's a best of three series. But that she's so good that she didn't know how to do an intentional walk is also just funny to me.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Got to go to the umpire and say, just. Just let her go to first like they do in bigs, you know, don't have to throw the ball. Let's go to the big finish if we could. Derek Carr told Front Office Sports he retired because he didn't want to have surgery, quote, and just sit there and take the Saints money, unquote. Do you find that admirable?

[Pablo Torre]

I suppose so. But all the credit he's going to get is me saying yes, I suppose, on an episode of pti. So Rick Pitino, meanwhile, says he is, quote, absolutely not interested in coaching the Knicks. Disappointed by that?

[Tony Kornheiser]

No, I'm not. And what makes him think. Think they're interested in him? I mean, I didn't see that going on at all. I didn't. Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson is dealing with a shoulder injury, will not participate in minicamp next week. Is that a big deal?

[Pablo Torre]

Of course he's polling terribly in Indianapolis. Apparently, of course, Daniel Jones fighting him for the starting job. But Jerry Reinsdorf has an agreement with billionaire Justin Ishbia that could see Ishbia eventually own the White Sox. Your thoughts?

[Tony Kornheiser]

My thoughts are how many billionaires are there in that family? His brother owns the Phoenix Suns and so far, everything he's done hasn't worked out at all. Last one Liberty at Mystics tonight. Will the Liberty move to eight? Zero?

[Pablo Torre]

Yes. My New York Liberty are gonna defeat your Washington Mystics, Tony. That's right. Eight and O. Eat that.

[Tony Kornheiser]

We're out of time. We'll try and do better the next time. I'm Tony Kornheiser.

[Pablo Torre]

And I'm Pablo Torre. The host of Pablo Torre finds out a podcast that Tony apparently listens to.