What are Reasonable Goals for the Bears?

Summary

Podcast Summary: PTI - "What are Reasonable Goals for the Bears?"
Release Date: July 23, 2025
Hosts: Tony Kornheiser and Pablo Torre

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Introduction

In this episode of PTI, Tony Kornheiser is joined by special guest Pablo Torre in place of Michael Wilbon. The hosts delve into various sports topics, primarily focusing on the Chicago Bears' strategic goals, issues within Maryland college football, and broader discussions on collegiate and professional sports dynamics.

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1. Chicago Bears' Strategic Goals for Caleb Williams

Discussion Points:

• Caleb Williams' Performance Metrics: Bears' new coach Ben Johnson has set a target for second-year quarterback Caleb Williams to complete 70% of his passes and aim for 4,000 passing yards this season. Last season, Williams completed 62.5% of his passes, totaling 3,541 yards.

• Assessing Reasonableness of Goals:

  • Pablo Torre: Highlights that while 4,000 yards was a significant milestone in the past, the modern NFL's passing-centric approach makes it more attainable. However, he humorously notes the Bears' lack of historical 4,000-yard passers, stating, "The Bears have had as many 4,000-yard passing seasons as you and I have" ([02:33]).

  • Tony Kornheiser: Acknowledges the achievability based on last year's performances by four quarterbacks, including Jared Goff, but emphasizes the unique challenges Williams faces being on a struggling Bears team (5-12 record). Tony remarks, "It's not a walk in the park, because it is not. It is not" ([05:01]).

• Comparison to Jared Goff: Tony draws parallels between Ben Johnson's system with Jared Goff in Detroit and the potential with Caleb Williams, noting that Goff benefited from a strong tight end presence, which could be mirrored with William’s Cole Comet ([04:07]).

Notable Quotes:

• Pablo Torre: "The bar for them ain't that high. You know, Drew Brees has done it alone by himself five times. Bears zero entering 2025." ([02:33])
• Tony Kornheiser: "Only 10 lifetime have ever done this... and the Bears were 5 and 12." ([02:50])

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2. Money Issues and Locker Room Dynamics in Maryland College Football

Discussion Points:

• Mike Locksley's Admission: Maryland's head football coach Mike Locksley confessed that financial disparities led to a fractured locker room during a 4-8 season, fostering a "haves and have nots" culture. He vowed to prevent such divisions, stating, "If I have to put my desk in that locker room, I will" ([05:35]).

• Tony's Analysis: Tony criticizes Locksley's explanation, arguing that managing finances is fundamental in college football and likens Locksley’s predicament to broader systemic issues rather than personal coaching failures. He points out Maryland's struggles against top teams, emphasizing, "Maryland's a basketball school... their basketball coach... said, we don't have enough money to compete in the Big Ten" ([05:35]).

• Impact on Coaching Philosophy: Both hosts discuss how financial management in collegiate sports is overshadowing traditional coaching strengths like locker room management, with Tony noting, "A lot more like the pros... it's a lot more like the pros" ([07:46]).

Notable Quotes:

• Tony Kornheiser: "Nick Saban, if you asked him, what are some of the reasons you left? One of the reasons would be just this particular thing." ([06:47])
• Pablo Torre: "That's a bit of an existential dilemma for him..." ([07:57])

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3. Big Ten vs. SEC: Evaluating Conference Strength and Playoff Implications

Discussion Points:

• Tony Patiti's Stance: Big Ten commissioner Tony Patiti advocates for recognizing a 6-3 conference record as "great" due to the Big Ten playing nine conference games compared to the SEC's eight. He argues this showcases the Big Ten's competitiveness ([07:46]).

• Hosts' Counterpoints:

  • Tony: Disagrees with Patiti, asserting that a 6-3 record in the Big Ten isn't exceptional unless paired with victories over top-tier teams like Ohio State, Michigan, or Penn State. He criticizes Patiti's marketing tactics, stating, "6 and 3 is not a great record in the Big Ten" ([08:59]).

  • Pablo: Acknowledges the political maneuvering behind Patiti's claims, recognizing that both the Big Ten and SEC are vying for dominance in playoff selections and media attention ([09:47]).

Notable Quotes:

• Tony Kornheiser: "6 and 3 is good. It's not great." ([10:16])
• Pablo Torre: "It's political as much as it is actual merit." ([11:16])

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4. Rafael Devers' Position Change with the New York Giants

Discussion Points:

• Rafael Devers' Transition: Rafael Devers moved from the Boston Red Sox, where he refused to play first base, to the New York Giants, embracing the first base position.

• Performance Analysis: Despite Devers' struggles in San Francisco, batting .227 with two homers and 11 RBI in 30 games, Tony suggests this may be a step towards rebuilding his reputation by adapting to team needs ([14:02]).

• Relationship Dynamics: Pablo humorously likens Devers' change to an "ex-boyfriend" scenario, implying that Devers is finally complying with team expectations after prior resistance ([15:00]).

Notable Quotes:

• Tony Kornheiser: "Maybe now Devers will be a better teammate in San Francisco than he was in Boston." ([14:02])
• Pablo Torre: "This is Raphael Devers just trying to twist the resemblance of what is left of a knife in the Red Sox..." ([15:00])

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5. Venus Williams' Historic Victory at Age 45

Discussion Points:

• Historic Win: Venus Williams became the second-oldest woman to win a professional tennis match at 45, showcasing her enduring talent.

• Tournament Context: The victory occurred at a D.C. tournament that serves as a preparatory event for the US Open, featuring notable players like Naomi Osaka and Emma Navarro.

• Tony's Reflections: While skeptical about Venus' chances in subsequent rounds, Tony commends her achievement, recognizing her legacy with seven major titles ([12:03]).

Notable Quotes:

• Tony Kornheiser: "No, no, no. My word is terrific." ([16:09])
• Pablo Torre: "It is a very small special moment." ([18:09])

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6. Russell Wilson Named Starting Quarterback for the New York Giants

Discussion Points:

• Selection and Competition: Head coach Brian Daboll has designated Russell Wilson as the starting quarterback for the Giants, initiating competition with draft pick Jackson Dart, free agent Jameis Winston, and backup Tommy DeVito.

• Tony's Perspective: Tony questions the Giants' long-term commitment given Wilson's one-year deal, suggesting that Wilson serves as a short-term solution while other quarterbacks vie for supporting roles ([22:19]).

• Pablo's Insight: Emphasizes the practicality of having a competent "bridge quarterback" like Wilson, likening him to past players such as Sam Darnold with the Vikings, focusing on immediate team needs ([22:48]).

Notable Quotes:

• Tony Kornheiser: "That makes you wonder how deeply committed the Giants are if Wilson gets a off to a slow start." ([22:19])
• Pablo Torre: "Russell Wilson could be that for them." ([22:48])

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7. Justin Verlander's Season Performance

Discussion Points:

• Verlander's Struggles: At 42 years old, pitcher Justin Verlander recorded his first win of the season, bringing his record to 1-8. This highlights challenges faced by older athletes in maintaining peak performance levels.

• Hosts' Commentary: Both Tony and Pablo touch upon the rarity and significance of such performances from veteran players, acknowledging the continued physical demands of professional sports ([23:21]).

Notable Quotes:

• Tony Kornheiser: "If I say. Okay, there we go. But he's not 42, is he?" ([23:25])

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8. Additional Sports Highlights

• Jacob Young’s Catch: Highlights from Jacob Young of the Nets making a significant defensive play, demonstrating his fielding prowess despite the team's loss ([24:19]).

• Youth Sports Incident: Discussion on a 12-year-old baseball player's suspension for bat flipping, with Pablo advocating for it as an example of good parenting and discipline ([24:36]).

Notable Quotes:

• Pablo Torre: "Good parenting. A good bad flip is good parenting." ([24:36])

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Conclusion

The episode of PTI featuring Tony Kornheiser and Pablo Torre provides an in-depth look into the Chicago Bears' quarterback goals, the financial strains affecting college football programs, and various other sports narratives. Through engaging discussions and insightful commentary, the hosts offer listeners a comprehensive analysis of current sports dynamics and individual performances.

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Notable Timestamped Quotes:

• Pablo Torre: "The Bears have had as many 4,000-yard passing seasons as you and I have." ([02:33])
• Tony Kornheiser: "6 and 3 is not a great record in the Big Ten." ([08:59])
• Pablo Torre: "It is a very small special moment." ([18:09])
• Tony Kornheiser: "Maybe now Devers will be a better teammate in San Francisco than he was in Boston." ([14:02])

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This summary encapsulates the key discussions and insights from the PTI episode, providing readers with a clear understanding of the topics covered without needing to listen to the full podcast.

Transcript

[Tony Kornheiser]

Close your eyes. Exhale. Feel your body relax. And let go of whatever you're carrying today.

[Pablo Torre]

Well, I'm letting go of the worry that I wouldn't get my new contacts in time for this class. I got them delivered free from 1-800-contacts. Oh my gosh, they're so fast.

[Tony Kornheiser]

And breathe.

[Pablo Torre]

Oh, sorry.

[Unknown]

I almost couldn't breathe when I saw.

[Tony Kornheiser]

The discount they gave me on my first order.

[Pablo Torre]

Oh, sorry. Namaste.

[Unknown]

Visit 1-800-contacts.com today to save on your first order. 1-800-contacts.

[Pablo Torre]

Harden the interruption. But I'm Pablo Torre and Tony. Scientists have found that something like feathers grew from a 247 million year old reptile.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Tony Kornheiser. Hey, same here. On my inner left thigh. Something like feathers? Yeah, you should probably measure that at some point. How do they measure that? It's a 247 million year old Ripper. I mean, really.

[Pablo Torre]

I believe we're not carving.

[Tony Kornheiser]

I don't want to sound like Wilbur, but we can't be that exact. It just can't be that.

[Pablo Torre]

Come on. You're anti dinosaur analytics. Come on.

[Tony Kornheiser]

I'm not. I'm not. Well, Wilvon would be, but I'm not. I'm just questioning it. Welcome to pti, boys and girls. Wilbon has a day off. I'm joined by our great friend, the host of the podcast, Pablo Torre finds out. Mr. Pablo Torre. And we begin this all football segment with word from new Chicago Bears coach Ben Johnson that His goal for second year quarterback Caleb Williams is to complete 70% of his passes this season. Williams agreed with that and then volunteered he wanted to go for 4,000 yards. Last season, Williams passed for 3,541 yards. He completed 62.5% of his passes. The NFL produced 4,070 from four quarterbacks last season. Geno Smith, Joe Burrow, Baker Mayfield, Jared Goff. Pablo, are the Bears and Caleb Williams setting reasonable goals?

[Pablo Torre]

Yeah, I think it's reasonable because 4,000 yards, you know, again, back in my day, that was a big deal. It's less so now. A very passing heavy league that feels like it's something that's achievable. Also, 70% completion is also something that feels doable for a parallel point. But the thing about this, and why I'm so glad to be here with you as always, sitting in Mike Wilbond's chair, is that I get to be the one to say the Bears have had as many 4000 yard passing seasons as you and I have. That's right. That's the comedy of this.

[Tony Kornheiser]

That's right.

[Pablo Torre]

The bar for them ain't that high. You know, Drew Brees has done it alone by himself five times. Bears zero entering 2025. So reasonable, quietly achievable, but also very funny because of the tragicomedy of Bears quarterbacks.

[Tony Kornheiser]

I agree with all of that. I mean, it's obviously achievable because 4 guys did it last year, but only 10 lifetime have ever done this. And I would point out this, that none of the people who did it last year were in their second years as quarterbacks. And none of the people who did it last year were on a losing team. And the bears were 5 and 12. Let me check my notes. Yeah, so it's a steeper hill. It's a steeper hill for Williams. But I agree with you, this is. It's an odd context given that the Bears have never had a 4,000 yard passing season, given that the Bears are not a passing first team. Given. Given that the Bears great offensive players are usually running backs. So it's a culture shock to how we associate the Bears. And I want to concentrate on Ben Johnson for a second.

[Pablo Torre]

Yes, yes.

[Tony Kornheiser]

And I understand setting a goal of 70%. He's just spent a few years in Detroit with Jared Goff. Jared Goff is one of the four people who did this last year. I believe, and I could be mistaken, that Jared Goff has gone over 4,000 yards, I think maybe three years in a row. So I'm wondering, Pablo, does Ben Johnson have stars in his eyes? Do Ben Johnson and Caleb Williams, are they setting a realistic goal for them? That's the part I don't know.

[Pablo Torre]

Yeah, I'm checking my stats here about Ben Johnson and look, you're right. The whole thing with Ben Johnson and Jared Goff, the reason why Jared Goff was sort of reinvigorated, almost revived relative to his reputation, is because he and Matt Laporte have figured something out. You know, they have a tight end in Detroit under Ben Johnson where he was a key aspect of the passing game. And good news for Mike Wilbon is that Caleb Williams has Cole Comet. So they have the ability to do something quite parallel this season. That's why Ben Johnson should be actually quite optimistic about all of it.

[Tony Kornheiser]

And Caleb Williams can do it. We saw that at usc. But again, you got to point something out. As a rookie last year, he was overshadowed by another rookie, Jaden Daniels. And Jaden Daniels numbers were about 3,600 yards and 69% completion. So he didn't hit those numbers either. I Just don't want this to seem like a walk in the park, because it is not. It is not.

[Pablo Torre]

Well, it's not, because it's also, once again, the Chicago Bears. But I want to move to money issues at Maryland college football now. Head football coach Mike Loxley told reporters yesterday, Tony, that he lost the locker room during last year's 4 and 8 season because picking and choosing which players to spend money on led to a culture of haves and and have not. Now, he said that he will not let those divisions happen again this season, adding, quote, if I have to put my desk in that locker room, I will. End quote. So, Tony, what did you make of that explanation?

[Tony Kornheiser]

Okay, so Mike Locksley is trying to explain away a 48 season, 18 in the Big Ten. He had three winning seasons in a row, I believe, and went to three bowl games in a row now. But let's not get carried away with what that means, because he never, ever contended for the Big Ten title. And it takes a lot of gas at Maryland, by the way, because his combined record against Ohio State and Michigan and Penn State is 1 in 14. All right, so let's look at that context. But what he says merits a discussion here. He is saying, because of money, I lost this team. And this ought to be a lesson for every college football coach out there, that if you don't now that money is available, if you don't smoothly and skillfully handle the payments of that, your team could dissolve. I would think that Nick Saban, if you asked him, what are some of the reasons you left? One of the reasons would be just this particular thing. And Alabama has tons of money, and nothing matters more in the state of Alabama than college football. That's not true in Maryland. Maryland's a basketball school. In fact, their basketball coach and most recent basketball coach, Kevin Williams, quit at the end of the year because he said, we don't have enough money to compete in the Big Ten.

[Pablo Torre]

Right, Tony? I think about this the way I think about the Internet, and I think about you when I think about the Internet, because you have a position that I find to be validated every day. You hate the Internet.

[Tony Kornheiser]

It's the worst thing.

[Pablo Torre]

Tony Connor.

[Tony Kornheiser]

It's terrible.

[Pablo Torre]

Quote, you4 seconds ago. You're also not on the Internet. So that's one solution. If you want to hate the way that the world works, just get out of the business of the Internet or college football, because this is the way it's gonna be from now on. And so, for Mike Loxley, this is a Bit of an existential dilemma for him, particularly because his self appointed nickname is the Locker Room King. He calls himself this like he's the Sturgeon King and it's Barney Greengrass. Right. He's the locker Room King. And so if you're the locker room king, you should know that this is a part of the job description that is changing. There are a lot of coaches, Tony, who are great walking into living rooms, who are great managing locker rooms and all of that stuff is getting subsum by the business of dollars and cents. It's a lot more like the pros.

[Tony Kornheiser]

That's right.

[Pablo Torre]

That used to be distinguished. They're just not as relevant if that's your main thing. And so Michael Oxley. Yeah, I feel you. I just don't know what you do about it outside of leaving the business.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah, he gave himself that nickname the way Paul George gave himself Playoff P. How's that working out? It doesn't mean you can't criticize Mike Locksley's coaching from last year. But you do have to concede that once you start playing paying players, they're all going to want money and they're going to want equity, probably by position. And they're not going to understand it if somebody else is making a lot more. And so it becomes a very tough thing. And I would just say about what Loxley said, it's an astonishing comment. I never thought I would hear that from a. I never thought.

[Pablo Torre]

I agree.

[Tony Kornheiser]

We move on. We stay in college. We even stay in the Big Ten where commissioner Tony Patiti is cheerleading for more automatic bids to the College Football playoff for Big Ten teams, Big Ten teams. And he's saying a 6, 3 record in the Big Ten is, quote, a great record. Patiti says this because the big 10 plays nine conference games and the SEC plays eight. So this is a way to persuade people that the Big Ten walks a harder road. Pablo, are you with Petiti that 6 and 3 is a great record in the Big Ten?

[Pablo Torre]

I think he should make this case and I think he should make this case because he recognizes that the business of college football at the very top is the SEC in the Big Ten and there's a big drop off after that. And so the real question as the Big Ten in the SEC wonder, are we going to just go off and make a super league at some point is okay in the meantime, how do we compete with each other? And yes, he is saying when it comes to the expanded playoff field, consider a 6, 3 on a curve. Consider it in context that we are in fact a great league in which we play more games. So, hey, six wins over here, that means something quite different, as does the three losses. So I get it. Smart. It's marketing. It's the only argument he has, really, when it comes to plausibly comparing against the SEC in that way.

[Tony Kornheiser]

So let me just be definitive here. 6 and 3 is not a great record in the Big Ten. This is not a great record. Here's where it's a great record. If a Big Ten team went to the NFC north and went 6 and 3, that would be a great record. 6 and 3 in a Big Ten is good. It's not great. Who are the three you lost to? Who are the six you beat? If you pull a Maryland and you lose to Ohio State and you lose to Michigan and you lose to Penn State, then get out of here. I don't want to hear it. I don't want to hear about your wins against Northwestern and Purdue. I don't want to hear that. That's nonsense. I rather enjoy that the Big Ten in the SEC are trying to push each other off a cliff. I like that. I mean, should the SEC go out and play nine conference games just like the Big Ten? Well, maybe they should. But if I ran the sec, I would say, why don't you worry about your league and. And we'll worry about our league. The SEC for a lot of years has made a lot of money and gotten a lot of guaranteed wins by playing the Citadel. But this is an important. But they've also won a lot of national championships, and the Citadel was not in those. Not in those. In the last 20 years or so, we've seen Alabama and Auburn and Georgia and LSU and Florida, that they've won national championships in a comparable period of time. How many Big Ten teams? Probably two. Probably Ohio State and Michigan. So as Patiti is screaming, let us in. When we do well in conference, the SEC is saying, no, look at our overall ranking. So I enjoy the battle that's going on. Where I agree with you completely is they are the two best by miles. By miles.

[Pablo Torre]

Oh, yeah. These are the sorts of conferences where, again, we talked about this yesterday, it's a type of conference where you're like, please, can we pay you to be in them? That's the type of conference that these things are. And they're saying to each other, now, look, if we gotta elbow each other for those final slots at the end of the playoff field when they show that sad boardroom and everyone has to make a call in which everyone's mad. They're gonna say, remember that time I told you six three was great? That's why he's doing it. It's political as much as it is actual merit. Sure.

[Tony Kornheiser]

He's cheerleading. That's what he's doing. Let's take a break. Coming up, Rafael Devers plays first base for the Giants, something he refused to do for the Red Sox. What's the word for that?

[Pablo Torre]

And how best to describe Venus Williams becoming the second oldest woman in history to win a top tour tennis match?

[Tony Kornheiser]

Look, they should have most of the bids. Those two conferences should have most of the bids. There's no question about that. And you don't see Memphis putting up money to get into the Big Ten. They're not listening to that. No, they're not going to do that.

[Pablo Torre]

Yeah. Yeah.

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[Tony Kornheiser]

Time to get it on with Lexicon and what's the word? What's first, please?

[Unknown]

It's blank that Rafael Devers apparently enjoyed playing first base more than DHing last night.

[Tony Kornheiser]

My word is heartwarming. Can you feel the sarcasm? Because maybe now Devers will be a better teammate in San Francisco than he was in Boston, right. Maybe he'll do what is asked of him. He did not do that in Boston. He told them in Boston when they took him off third base, said, I'm not playing anywhere else. I'm just going to dh. I'm not doing anything you want me to do. So they traded him as far away physically as they could and to another league. And there are some numbers here that are consequential. Since arriving in San Francisco, DeVeres is batting.227. Even with two hits last night. He has two homers and 11 RBI in 30 games. That's not great. The Giants are 1218 with him in the lineup, and that's not great. Boston without him in the lineup is 17 and 13, and that's not great. But it's a lot better than 12 and 18. And so maybe Rafael Des has realized that he has to try to rebuild his shattered reputation.

[Pablo Torre]

That got romantic at the end. Rebuilding the shattered reputation. My word, by contrast, is ex boyfriend. Ish. This relationship, the new relationship Deveres is in, is not going well, as you surmise. And it's sort of like when the only revenge you have is to do the thing finally that your ex kept on asking you to do, that you refused to the whole time, only to reveal that I'm kind of into this now. I hate dancing. Now you're on the dance floor. I hate doing the dishes. Now you're Mr. Clean. This is Raphael Devers just trying to twist the resemblance of what is left of a knife in the Red Sox because they're thinking, this is all we wanted from you. And finally you do it. When we're apart, it's romance gone wrong. It is ex boyfriendish.

[Tony Kornheiser]

That's why you went to Harvard. That was a screenplay. You just wrote a screenplay on the PTI show. I really liked that. I'm going to shut up on the next one. What's next?

[Unknown]

It's blank that Venus Williams won a professional tennis match at the age of 45.

[Tony Kornheiser]

So my word is terrific. And most of why I say it's terrific is because my son and his wife and their boys went last night and they saw Venus Williams and they were enthralled by Venus Williams. This tournament, this D.C. tournament, is sort of a stepping stone tournament for the US Open. It's on hard court. It lasts for about two weeks and it draws some pretty big names. Francis Tiafo is in it. Ben Shelton is in it. I think Taylor Fritz is in it. Emma Navarro is in it. Jessica Pegula is in it. I think Naomi Osaka is In it. Venus is in it because she played for team tennis for the Washington Castles. And the owner of the Washington Castles, Marc Ein, runs this tournament. So they have a lot of history. Look, 45 is 45. She's not going to win the tournament. I didn't even think she'd win any matches at all. I don't think she's going to win the next one against the five seed. But she won last night and that was great because she's an all timer. She has seven majors. This is a wonderful moment.

[Pablo Torre]

Yeah, I'm going to go high finish again though. I'm going to go no hitter like. Because listening to you talk about how Michael took the family to go see this, of course in person. In person you see a no hitter and, and it's fantastic. And you say to everybody who's everybody, you know, you won't believe what I saw but then you get the push alert Tony on your phone, a little alert and says a no hitter. And you're like, there are a lot of these and you don't really think about it. No hitter like. Because what is so spectacular at this point in modernity happens often enough. 40 something year old athletes doing good things that it feels kind of almost expected. Which is kind of sad, I must admit.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Not of a 45 year old. No, no, no.

[Pablo Torre]

Oh, but we're in the era of LeBron and Tom Brady. This is the thing that makes 40s different sports.

[Tony Kornheiser]

I mean, I wish I was older.

[Pablo Torre]

In a different way, but I didn't. Yeah, no, it's objectively incredible, but I.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Think it's a very small special moment. I think that's final word. Let's take one last break. But still to come, Jacob Young and the Nats. We're doing the Nats on this show makes it a probable catch. The gnats made this show, really.

[Pablo Torre]

And Lionel Messi, meanwhile, in the real world, decides whether he'll be playing in tonight's MLS All Star game.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Have you ever been to a no hitter? Have you been a no hitter? A perfect game.

[Pablo Torre]

I've never seen a four or five game neither. I've just been without.

[Tony Kornheiser]

The earthquake in San Francisco.

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[Tony Kornheiser]

Happy Time People. Happy 64th birthday, Woody Harrelson. Here's the connection for the actor to a sports show. 1. The possibility that Cheers was a sportsman, considering Sam Malone was a former Red Sox pitcher. 2. Harrelson was tremendous in White Men Can't Jump, as was Wesley Snipes. 3. He was a bowler in that very weird movie. Kingpin Harrelson has been nominated for three Academy Awards, most recently in Three Billboards outside Ebbing, Missouri. I love Harrelson now and those commercials he does with Matthew McConaughey, particularly the one where McConaughey gets splashed by a passing car. I have no idea what product they're selling, but I really like the commercials.

[Pablo Torre]

I have no idea the product either. I just remember that we talked about magic mushrooms at the top of yesterday's PTI show. And there is a podcast in which Ted Danson and Woody Harrelson apparently reminisced around how Woody got dosed pretty heavily and loved it while Ted Danson was absolutely horrified and had a panic attack. So also happening in that universe.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah, podcast in the news. Happy Anniversary. No more Garcia Farrah. We could have done Nomar's 52nd birthday today, but instead we're doing this anniversary on this date 23 years ago, Nomar had three consecutive home runs in a span of two innings, accounting for eight RBI and a 224 drubbing of the Devil Rays. On his 29th birthday, Nomar's career batting average was.313. He won two American League batting titles, Rookie of the Year and was a six time All Star. Over a 20 year period. Beginning in the early 80s, the American League had the following people at shortstop. Cal Ripken Jr. Nomar, Garcia Parra and Derek Jeter. That's as good a group of shortstops as any league has ever had.

[Pablo Torre]

And Nomar, who I always remember for both hitting.372 at one point. Also his of course routine at the plate. Tony. And also the way that his name got pronounced by everybody in Boston, including my future father in law. It turned out it was the aesthetics at that point as well as the substance.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Nomad no Ma. No. Happy trails to a quarterback competition for the New York Giants. Head coach Brian Daboll named Russell Wilson the starting quarterback of the team today. That means that first round draft pick Jackson Dart, free agent arrival Jameis Winston and third year backup Tommy DeVito will compete for supporting roles. The 36 year old Wilson is a 10 time Pro Bowler, but he joined the Giants on a one year deal. Which makes you wonder how deeply committed the Giants are if Wilson gets a off to a slow start.

[Pablo Torre]

Yeah, look, they have options, but the whole thing with the middle class level bridge quarterback is that you can make it work. Tony, we saw this with Sam Darnold and the Vikings. You don't need him to be Mr. Forever, you just need him to be Mr. Right now. And Russell Wilson could be that for them.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah, they're playing the season this year. You don't have to worry about next year. We got one other note here, a note on 40 year olds. 42 year old Justin Verlander got his first win of the season. He is now 1 and 8. Here we go to the big finish. If we could go ahead.

[Pablo Torre]

No. You want to see another home run? Yeah.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Well if I say. Okay, there we go. But he's not 42, is he? UNC Football announce is completely sold out for Bill Belichick's first season. You impressed? Aren't you?

[Pablo Torre]

It's a 51,000 seat stadium and of course I'm obsessed with Bill Belichick. Everybody knows that Leo Messi and Jordi Alba will not be play in tonight's MLS All Star game. Tony, your thoughts.

[Tony Kornheiser]

My thoughts are the All Star game doesn't mean squat and Lionel Messi will play in whatever inter Miami game he wants to and nobody's going to tell him he can't because he is the league at the moment. TJ Watt told Graham Bensinger that it really bothers him that his Steelers teams have not won a playoff game. That makes sense, doesn't it?

[Pablo Torre]

I think it does. I mean, he's an amazing individual player, but you're going to end up getting a bit of the Lamar Jackson stuff, right if you don't actually win in the postseason. Jacob Young of the Nets robbed Will Benson of the Reds of a home run this afternoon. Are you impressed?

[Tony Kornheiser]

He's a great fielder. He climbs the wall. He brings it back. He's not a power hitter. His bobblehead for the Nets is actually him reaching out to make a catch. Last and they lost, of course. Last one. A 12 year old little Leaguer suspended from the New Jersey State final from bat flipping. Your thoughts?

[Pablo Torre]

I am told that the family is filing for a temporary restraining order, but I believe that just that's good parenting. A good bad flip is good parenting.

[Tony Kornheiser]

That's funny. We're out of time. We'll try and do better the next time. I'm Tony Kornheim.

[Pablo Torre]

And I'm Pablo Torre. Thank you for watching. Pablo Torre Finds out is the podcast.

[Unknown]

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