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- [00:01]
TaxAct Representative
Taxact knows filing taxes can be confusing. So we have live experts on hand who can help answer any questions you may have. Questions like can I claim my SUV is my home office? If I answer work emails in my car? If I adopted 12 dogs this year, can I list them as dependents and am I doing this right or am I doing this very, very wrong? Our experts have the answers to those questions and many others. Tax Act. Let's get them over with.
- [00:32]
Mike Wilbon
Pardon the interruption, but I'm Mike Wilbon. It's World Math Day. Tony, you don't like doing math, do you?
- [00:40]
Tony Kornheiser
Sometimes I like it. In fact, I just added our ages together and I came up with 312. Mike. 312.
- [00:47]
Mike Wilbon
I like 312. That's a good number for Chicagoans. Tony, anybody who wrote for a living professionally like we did, we're obliged to hate math. I'm bad at it and I hate it.
- [01:01]
Tony Kornheiser
I am bad at it and I hate it. It taught me two things. Figure out batting average and figure out era. And other than that, it was useless to me. Welcome to pti, boys and girls. In today's episode, Damian Lillard goes out, Alex Ovechkin scores again and Tim Kirchen joins us ahead of baseball's opening day. But we begin today with the NFL and free agent. So signings. Quarterback Russell Wilson has signed a one year deal with the New York Football Giants. Wide receiver Stefan Diggs has signed a three year deal with the New England Patriots. Wilbon, you've been studying the draft boards and all the NFL off season moves. I know you. So which of these signings is the bigger deal?
- [01:39]
Mike Wilbon
Russell Wilson. It takes. There's no hesitation. He's a quarterback. He gets the ball every snap. Stephan Diggs, who's been terrific in the NFL, look what five or six straight thousand yard season we Stefan Dig's local for us. We know how impactful he can be but he's a dependent player and he's dependent in the situation. We don't know. While the New England Patriots seem to have a fine young quarterback, we don't know that for sure. Russell Wilson at least going to start the season getting every snap until he's injured. I hope he's not. Or benched and replaced by Jameis Winston that it's Russell Wilson. And by the way Tone, I don't know that either of them will have actual impact anymore. You get to a point in football where injuries start to, you know, make you decline from the form. That might have been a Hall of Fame form for each of These gentlemen when they were in their twenties. But now I think we're going to wind up with Russell Wilson saying every week people are going to be looking at because he's in New York. You know, is Russ going to turn the Giants around? If he has two good games in a row, people are going to go crazy and start comparing him to some Eli Manning season. But ultimately it's going to be like, you know, 8 and 9 or 9 and 8, if that.
- [02:55]
Tony Kornheiser
It's not even going to be that. And I would say to you from the top, I don't believe that either of these signings is important at all. I mean, I think getting Russell Wilson on a one year deal is almost meaningless. The Giants stink. Can he make them a little bit better? Maybe marginally better? He lost his last five games last year as a starter for Pittsburgh, five in a row. He's had three bad seasons in a row and this is a one year deal. So I mean, it feels to me like he's a placeholder for whoever the next quarterback is going to be on the Giants. They either draft them this year or they draft him next year.
- [03:34]
Mike Wilbon
And by the way, who have the next coach?
- [03:36]
Tony Kornheiser
Well, that's what I'm going to get to because if they win three or four, which is what people think, everybody's out, GM is out, coach is out, quarterback is out. So by default, I think it's Stefon Diggs. And now he's going to be on his third team in three years. And as you alluded to, as good as he is, he gets hurt a lot lately and he's probably closer to his prime than Russell Wilson is. But they stink, too. New England's a terrible team. New England won four games last year, the Giants won three. So it's essentially a coin flip. We're a long way from Tom Brady against Eli Manning for those teams. Right. I just. I know you don't want to hear this. The only free agent signing that means anything is Aaron Rodgers. Now this is. We're talking about this today because it's a slow.
- [04:22]
Mike Wilbon
He didn't mean anything either. He'll be wildly overstated.
- [04:26]
Tony Kornheiser
We had sweet 16 games last night. These two people wouldn't be in the show. Let's move to the NBA. Milwaukee's point guard Damian Lillard will be out for an indefinite amount of time because of deep vein thrombosis in his right calf. This is a blood clot situation, perhaps similar to the one that has sidelined Victor Wembanyama for the rest of this Season. Wilbur, what does this mean for Lillard and for the Bucs?
- [04:50]
Mike Wilbon
Well, I know, Tony, get a sense from talking to people around the league that, that the Bucks are, are more optimistic. They are optimistic that Dame will be able to hopefully, hopefully get back and play in the upcoming playoffs. At the very least, maybe even sooner. But even though they're only 10 or 11 games left in a regular season, for most teams, for the Bucks, they have to have Dane Lillard. And the Bucks have been undone by injuries since winning A championship in 2021. And it's been Giannis. I mean, essentially it's been Giannis multiple times. Even though brief injuries in the postseason, missed two games of the playoffs, oops, they're down in the series, they can't come back. And they got Dame Lillard to be with Giannis. And when they're out there together, they lead the league. I believe in scoring as a tandem. I mean, these guys are up there, Tony. They're like 55 or 56 points a game, maybe more than that between the two of them. But if you don't have Dame hole, you're not going to win. They're just going to be getting Bobby Portis back, we guess. Presumably you got to have a whole team out there, even in the east, because you're not catching Cleveland and Boston and maybe not even the Knicks, maybe not even the Pacers if you don't have Dame Lillard.
- [06:05]
Tony Kornheiser
So we have no timeline here. He could be out for three games, he could be out for three months. We have no assurances here. I'm going to go differently than you, and I'm going to assume it's going to be longer rather than shorter. And if that is the case, it's terrible blow to Milwaukee because He is their second leading scorer. He's getting them almost 25 points a game. Where are they going to get that from? Sidney Moncrief is not walking through that door. And in terms, in terms of what happens personally here, if I'm not mistaken, Dame lillard will be 35 years old this summer. That is the end of middle age, maybe the beginning of old age in the NBA. He has never won a ring. He has never been to a finals. He has been to one conference finals with Portland in 2019 and got swept out. So if this is a lingering, debilitating injury, Mike, this could be the end of his career. I'm not saying the Bucs are really good right now, but after the 2 and 8, there's something like 38, 23. But you take him out, they're done. It's not sustainable.
- [07:10]
Mike Wilbon
Gotta have him. That's why they went and made that deal. And Dame Lillard still has that kind of impact. We see when they got to those conference finals about six years ago, got swept by Steph Curry and Klay Thompson and Draymond and the Warriors. I mean, Dame was what that team had. And so now he's trying to make that push to get to that finals that you mentioned. He hasn't been to yet. And I hope you see him out there.
- [07:31]
Tony Kornheiser
There.
- [07:32]
Mike Wilbon
And now to the NHL and last night's matchup between the top two teams in the NHL. The east leading Washington Capitals pushed the west leading Winnipeg jets to overtime when Alex Oveskin scored from essentially his spot with four minutes to play in regulation. But the jets won on a partial breakaway in ot. So, tone, is the headline, the jets winning this game or Ovechkin scoring a goal in this game?
- [08:02]
Tony Kornheiser
So you're asking me to put on the newspaper sportswriter hat that both of us have worn for many years. And I will do that. And so I will. I will say that this is a possible preview of the NHL Stanley Cup Final because Winnipeg is ahead in its conference and Washington is ahead in its conference. This is the second and last regular season game they will play. And both games went to overtime, and Winnipeg won both games. So under normal circumstances, I would tell you the headline is, jets beat Caps again. Are they the Stanley cup favorite? But these are not normal circumstances, okay? Because the Great Eight is now, I think, five goals away from tying the Great One and six goals away from breaking the record. Wayne Gretzky. Bobby, you are not withstanding. Wayne Gretzky is the greatest hockey player who ever lived. He is Babe Ruth. And his goal scoring record, much like Ruth's home run record, is something that people thought was unapproachable. And now Ovechkin is breathing down his neck. So if I'm a sports editor, Mike, as soon as Ovechkin got to within 10 goals, every single time he scores, that's the headline. That is Sports Journalism 101.
- [09:18]
Mike Wilbon
And if I was the editor, I would pick up the phone and call you in the press box like George Solomon might in the old days call you and me, and I would say, hey, get me rewrite son. Come on, Tony. I knew you're gonna take the homer route. If you're writing that for the Washington Post, it is Ovechkin. Everybody else, it is. And here's why it's inevitable. It's like Will Steph Curry get 4,000 of this? Will LeBron James get 50,000 of that? These countdowns are essentially worthless. They don't sell newspapers. They don't get eyeballs. They satisfy a sycophantic sort of section of the sports fandom.
- [09:56]
Tony Kornheiser
Unbelievable.
- [09:57]
Mike Wilbon
The story is the Winnipeg jets staying.
- [10:00]
Tim Kirchen
Ahead of the time on that story.
- [10:02]
Mike Wilbon
Mike, it's inevitable.
- [10:05]
Tony Kornheiser
We have time on that story. There's no urgency on that story. There's urgency on Ovechkin. And for you to pooh, pooh this and say it's inevitable. It wasn't inevitable for anyone else ever. And it wasn't inevitable until a year ago when, or maybe even this year. Good. So let's celebrate it. Let's take a break.
- [10:22]
Mike Wilbon
Get me rebound.
- [10:23]
Tony Kornheiser
Coming up, Mookie Betts returns for the Dodgers. What else do they have to be concerned about? Ahead of tomorrow's official opening day? We're gonna ask Tim Kirchen.
- [10:32]
Mike Wilbon
We'll also ask him about the kid the Astros got from my Cubs, who's gonna start in right field even though he's only had 32 games in the minors. What did you ever have to rewrite? You ever have to rewrite a big.
- [10:45]
Tony Kornheiser
Babe Ruth's record like Henry Aaron did? You didn't poo poo that. Don't poo poo this. It's fantastic.
- [10:52]
Mike Wilbon
Come on, now. It ain't Ruth.
- [10:54]
Tony Kornheiser
It is fantastic.
- [10:55]
Mike Wilbon
It's great. It's an important record. It is. It's an important record. It's inevitable.
- [11:00]
Toyota Advertiser
Ruth, in case you didn't know, these young men are driven. They are prodigies, the savants, the ones we've been waiting for, like Damian Lillard, for instance. He doesn't seek guidance or mentorship. He's a leader. He isn't waiting for the baton to be passed to him. He's taking it for himself. He's relentless in a pursuit of greatness, always pushing to one up himself. He is accomplished, but far from satisfied. He embodies what it means to have an unstoppable drive and are shaking up the status quo in their community and beyond. And Damian Lillard drives a Toyota. A new generation of Toyota drivers are here, and they want you to know one thing. You can't stop my drive.
- [11:37]
TaxAct Representative
TaxAct knows filing your taxes can be complicated. And that's why we have live experts to help you with any questions. They can hold your hand through the process, beginning to end, metaphorically, of course. I mean, they can't actually hold your hand in person. I suppose you could hold your Computer mouse while you chat with the expert about capital gains or whatever, which is sort of like holding hands. Sorry. Point is, our tax experts can make filing easier. Tax Act. Let's get them over with.
- [12:13]
Tony Kornheiser
Tomorrow is baseball's official opening day, which makes it a perfect time to bring in our great friend, ESPN baseball analyst Tim Kirchen. Tim, let's start with this. Mookie Betts played yesterday after not being able to keep food down for two weeks and losing something like £25. With that concern apparently alleviated for the Dodgers. Now, do you see any vulnerabilities on this Dodgers team?
- [12:41]
Tim Kirchen
You know, I really don't, Tony. They are so deep in the starting lineup, it's absolutely ridiculous. I mean, Miguel Roas is a shortstop who can replace Mookie Betts, and he's an elite defender. Tommy Edmond can play shortstop every day in the big leagues and be really good. And then you look at the depth of their starting rotation. It is ridiculous how many great arms they have in that rotation. The only thing that makes them vulnerable is what happened last year. A bunch of their starters, Yamamoto, Tyler, Glass, now got hurt. If they have injuries to that rotation, that's about the only thing that can hold them back. That team is loaded beyond words.
- [13:24]
Mike Wilbon
I'm glad we're on the subject of young, talented arms, because I want to ask you about Paul Skeens, who I hate having to face as a fan of the Cubs, but who I love when we get to the dynamic of starting pitching and the throwback nature of him in his game. So, Tim, are there others like him? Even one more, as some of us look to get starting pitching back on an important level in Major League Baseball.
- [13:53]
Tim Kirchen
Look, there's nobody like Paul Skeens. When he came up last year, he was the best pitcher in baseball from the moment he showed up for the rest of the season. He throws 100 miles an hour. He's gigantic. He's imposing. He's really smart, he's wildly competitive. And he added a cutter in the offseason. I saw him pitch in Sarasota this year. It's not even fair how good he is. There's nobody like him. But keep an eye on Jackson Jobe of the Tigers. He came up last year. They pitched him in the playoffs. He throws really hard. He's in the rotation. He's a really good young pitcher to keep your eye on.
- [14:32]
Mike Wilbon
That's. That's good again. And it's not so good to be a Cubs fan, which is going to lead me to something else. The Astros Got prospect, Uber prospect Cam Smith from my Cubbies in the Kyle Tucker deal and are starting him in right field after only 32 games in the minors. Are the Cubs going to look silly for making this deal, Tim? Especially if they don't keep talking for very long, right?
- [14:56]
Tim Kirchen
It's a little early for that. Look, this kid had a great spring. Everyone who sees him says he's got star written all over him. However, he's playing a really hard game and he's going to have to learn how to play it on the major league level. So let's give this a little bit of time. The Cubs went and got Kyle Tucker because he's a perennial all star and he's a free agent at the end of the season, meaning he has a lot to play for this year. So I think the Cubs did the right thing going to get a veteran guy who could help them win the division this year. But sometimes when you give up a young guy, you go pay for it later.
- [15:35]
Mike Wilbon
Yeah. Worried about it.
- [15:36]
Tony Kornheiser
I know what you're saying when you talk about give people a little bit of time, but the three of us are old enough to remember Mickey Mantle and Willie Mays and by the time they were 20 at 21 at the latest, they were bonafide stars. We will get you out of here on this. Entering this season, are there any, you know, lesser followed storylines? Not the Dodgers, not the Yankees, not pitching. That goes bad. Lesser followed storylines that you're particularly intrigued by?
- [16:06]
Tim Kirchen
Yeah, I'm fascinated by Tito Francona coming back to manage after missing some time because of illness. He's a Hall of Fame manager. The minute he walks into the Reds clubhouse, everything changes. Because of his track record. They have a really interesting team there. Ellie De La Cruz, their everyday shortstop. Never seen anybody like him. That big, that fast, that strong. And four times early in spring training, Tito told me Ellie De La Cruz just came into Tito's office, sat down and wanted to talk to the manager about baseball. I think that's a really encouraging sign. I think the Reds are that one team you can look at and say hey, they may be the dark horse team that comes from not nowhere but makes the playoffs.
- [16:56]
Tony Kornheiser
Thank you as always, Tim and I know you're appreciate it. Starting for real.
- [17:00]
Mike Wilbon
Play ball.
- [17:02]
Tim Kirchen
Yeah, that's when the games matter. Everything changes. Can't wait.
- [17:08]
Tony Kornheiser
Let's take one last break. Still to come, a TGL moment even Wilbon might appreciate.
- [17:13]
Mike Wilbon
Oh, you better try really hard. Real hard. Like baseball in March. I don't like that either. Are the Lakers gonna fall for the fourth straight time tonight after getting blowed out in the previous three.
- [17:26]
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- [17:59]
Toyota Advertiser
Diddy Combs was a king maker. He had wealth, fame and power.
- [18:04]
Mike Wilbon
What's up? Welcome to New York.
- [18:06]
Toyota Advertiser
Until it all came crashing down.
- [18:08]
Brad Milke
Federal investigators raiding two homes owned by hip hop mogul Sean Diddy Combs.
- [18:13]
Toyota Advertiser
I'm Brian Buckmire, an ABC News legal contributor. As Diddy heads to trial, we trace his remarkable rise and fall. And what could be next? Listen to Bad Rap the Case Against Diddy, a new series from ABC Audio.
- [18:27]
Mike Wilbon
Listen now wherever you get your podcasts.
- [18:41]
Tony Kornheiser
Happy time people. Happy 70th birthday. Ann Meyers Drysdale Wilbourne. You talk about the great women basketball players from an historic view. You always mention Cheryl Miller and you also always mention Annie Myers. Like Miller and her famous brother Reggie Myers had a famous brother, David, who was a star at ucla and a fine NBA player. Dave Myers was once traded as part of a package for Kareem Abdul Jabbar. Annie Meyers was the first woman player to be signed to a four year college scholarship when she played at ucla. She was also the second woman to sign an NBA contract, which she did with the Indiana Pacers. She is the widow of hall of Fame pitcher Dawn Drysdale and she has worked as an executive and a broadcaster for the Phoenix Mercury. And she also broadcasts Phoenix Suns games as well.
- [19:28]
Mike Wilbon
And she also will beat either one of us now on the golf course. Tony Macy, Annie there later. Who knows? Today she is such a terrific broadcaster on the Suns games. A good golfer.
- [19:39]
Tim Kirchen
Now.
- [19:39]
Mike Wilbon
I saw her at the USC UCLA game in Pauley Pavilion a couple of weeks ago. How cool was that?
- [19:46]
Tony Kornheiser
Happy anniversary to two classic NCAA final games. This is now sadly posthumous, but on this day 52 years ago, Bill Walton made 21 of 22 field goal appearances attempts, scored 44 points to lead UCLA past Memphis State in St. Louis for the Bruins seventh straight national championship. Those 44 points are still the NCAA final game record. And on this day, 46 years ago, magic Johnson's Michigan State team beat Larry Bird's Indiana state team to win the national championship. This was Birds and Magic's first game against each other. They would go into the NBA with Boston and Los Angeles and create perhaps the greatest star rivalry in league history. Between them, they would win eight championships. Magic had five, Bird had three. No two players this great ever entered the league at the same time.
- [20:40]
Mike Wilbon
And let me remind all you little punks who don't want to deal with history that before those guys came into the league together, you know what? The NBA playoffs finals were on something called tape delay. You couldn't even see it live. You had to come home and say, oh, wait, has the game been on yet? Even though it's been over three hours, Magic and Bird did that. They are great friends and they got the largest audience ever to watch a college basketball game. Still, social media that.
- [21:11]
Tony Kornheiser
Happy trails to the first TGL title for the New York Golf Club. Wilba knew you don't watch TGL, so you missed a dramatic 18 foot putt by Billy Horschel that ultimately won the inaugural league championship for the Atlanta Drive. Horschel celebrated like he'd won a major, which he has yet to do. Horsham said he blacked out as he ran around yelling, this is my bleep in house. It was reminiscent of Pete Weber Jr. Celebrating the strike that sealed the 2012 US Open of bowling by yelling, who do you think you are?
- [21:42]
Tim Kirchen
I am.
- [21:45]
Mike Wilbon
Yeah. There might have been about the same number of people in attendance at that bowling alley and at that TGL match last night. Let me ask them. Did it win the Masters? Did it win the US Open? Did it win the Open Championship? Did it win in Atlanta? Did it win the pga? What? Did it win the players? Any of that?
- [22:03]
Tim Kirchen
Huh?
- [22:04]
Tony Kornheiser
Didn't win that one. It was a great putt at the end. The putt goes the other way. It's really exciting. It was very exciting to watch. Well, I don't know, because you gotta chip. You can't chip at putt putt. If you chip at putt putt, you're gonna kill someone on the next hole. Let's go to the big finish if we could. Jimmy Butler, your boy and the warriors lost to the Heat in his return to Miami. Your thoughts?
- [22:27]
Mike Wilbon
There was no Steph Curry. I think he'll be back the next game or either the winner after that. They need him back because I think what? They lost three or four. Now they need Steph Curry and Jimmy Butler. Not either or 19 year old Filipina Alexandra Iala beat Iga Swiatek to make the semis of the Miami Open. Is that a big deal?
- [22:47]
Tony Kornheiser
Look, beating Phionic is a big deal, but to quote you from 20 seconds ago, is it the U.S. open, some Miami Open? Is it British Open? Is it, you know, Wimbledon? What is it? You got to do it in an Open and, you know, in a major. Gary Danielson, who I love, he's going to retire as CBS lead college football analyst after the upcoming season. Your reaction?
- [23:08]
Mike Wilbon
That makes two of us. I get it. He's earned the right. But I love hearing Danielson on a Saturday afternoon. Big Ten boy at that, too. At Purdue. Tony. Richard Pitino reportedly leaving New Mexico for Xavier. Phil Martelli Jr. Expected to leave Bryant for Virginia Commonwealth. What's the bigger deal?
- [23:28]
Tony Kornheiser
Richard Pitino gets a coach against him. His dad in the Big East. That's a bigger deal. That'll be fun. Last one. Lakers and Pacers tonight. We're out of time. Will the Lakers lose their fourth in a row?
- [23:37]
Mike Wilbon
Yeah. Pacers stay hot and go for six straight tonight.
- [23:40]
Tony Kornheiser
Out of time, as I said, try to do better next time. I'm Tony Kornheim.
- [23:45]
Mike Wilbon
I'm Mike Wilbon. Same time tomorrow, knuckleheads. Congratulations to Northwestern women's basketball coach Joe McEwen. Tony and I are resentful. You're retiring. We're going to have one more good season.
- [23:54]
Toyota Advertiser
Before you go, in case you didn't know, these young men are driven. They are prodigies, the savants, the ones we've been waiting for. Like Damian Lillard, for instance. He doesn't seek guidance or mentorship. He's a leader. He isn't waiting for the baton to be passed to him. He's taking it for himself. He's relentless in a pursuit of greatness, always pushing to one up himself. He is accomplished, but far from satisfied. He embodies what it means to have an unstoppable drive and are shaking up the status quo in their community and beyond. And Damian Lillard drives a Toyota. A new generation of Toyota drivers are here and they want you to know one thing. You can't stop my drive.
- [24:30]
Brad Milke
Hey, I'm Brad Milke. You may know me as the host of ABC Audio's daily news podcast, Start Here. But I'd like to add aspiring true crime expert to my resume. And here's how I'm gonna make it happen. Every week, I'm gonna unpack the biggest true crime story that everyone is talking about. ABC's got some unique access here. So I'll talk to the reporters and producers who have followed these cases for months, sometimes years. We'll bring you the latest developments and the larger context on the true crime stories you've been hearing about. Follow the crime scene for special access to the people who know these stories best.