C (2:41)

I basically think this is an elimination game for both teams. Both really. So I think they both needed the same. Both needed the same, as does, by the way, Kansas City on Sunday night. They need to win as well. But I have become fixated on Dallas.

B (2:55)

Yes, you have.

C (2:55)

I'm the guy. I'm the guy who thinks that history will look back kindly on Jerry Jones this year. I know he traded away Michael Parsons, which was crazy, okay? But he brought in George Pickens for one. And right now George Pickens and CD Lamb are basically all probably together. He brought in Quinn and Williams, that's, you know, from the Jets. You wouldn't think there'd be a really good player on the jets, but it has changed the defense. The defense has been much better. There are some numbers here. The first nine games of the season, the Cowboys allowed 143 yards rushing in each game. Now that's down to 70. And if you remember when the whole Michael Parsons thing was going on, Jerry Jones said, because I heard it, he said, we need to stop the run. And now they seem to be stopping the run. We'll see what Jameer gives. And the other thing to point out is he may have caught lightning in a bottle with Brian Schottenheimer. I mean, he might. He might be the right guy for Jerry. He stays out of Jerry's way and he just coaches a team. So, yeah, I'm fixated on him. I am. I'm not saying they're going to win. I'm saying.

B (4:00)

I was going to say I was going to try to pin you down. Cowboys to win for you tonight?

C (4:05)

I don't know.

E (4:06)

I don't know.

C (4:07)

Don't you always say the same thing? Watch the game.

B (4:09)

He's watching.

C (4:10)

I'll watch the game.

B (4:11)

I'm going to watch the. But let's move to Giannis. The Bucks star is going To Ms. Apparently two to four weeks after suffering a scary looking calf strain early in last night's win over the Pistons. It happened just hours after ESPN reported that Giannis and his agent have spoken to the Bucks about potentially leaving town. A report Doc Rivers downplayed. Tony, if Giannis is hurt and restless, where does that leave the Bucs and their star?

C (4:43)

It leaves Milwaukee now in trouble, and it leaves Giannis in Milwaukee because nobody is going to trade for him. While he is hurt. All right, let me give you some numbers here to pay attention to. The Bucs this year are one in five when Giannis doesn't play at all in the game. All right. When he is on the court, they actually have the best offense in the entire NBA. And when he is off the court, that falls to third from last. So don't tell me that last night after he got hurt, they beat the Pistons. Tell me how many games you think they're going to win in the next two to four weeks. And now to get to the larger thing, the swirl of rumors about Giannis. Mike, you and I have heard these things for many months, if not years.

B (5:24)

Yes.

C (5:25)

And I emphasize years. Yes, we have that Giannis wants to lead. We have talked on this show about where he might fit in. This is years going on. I don't think anybody believes anymore that that Giannis Antetokounmpo is going to finish his career in Milwaukee. You know, do I think he'll get traded? Yes, I do, but I don't think he's going to get traded now because nobody wants to buy damaged goods. You have to let him get back to playing.

B (5:48)

Yeah, but two to four weeks, Tony, even if it's four to six, I think he's going to be traded this year. Whether it's could be right up to the deadline, and yes, it could go into the summer because you have all these second apron complications which go beyond the performance complications, and whether or not you can give Milwaukee a haul and still have enough in the cupboard to be a contender. Why get Giannis if you're not going to contend? But there are a couple of things out there, and you know your Knicks are always in the discussion, but you have to have Jalen Brunson and Anunoby on the other side of the deal to play with Giannis or what's the point? And Golden State, which is so intriguing, Tony, Look, I know that Jimmy Butler's salary is like a virtual. It's a match. But you want to have Jimmy Butler, you got to have Steph and Jimmy, right? So then there's this rumor, and I emphasize rumor out there, about Draymond going away, maybe a third team, or Draymond going away in the trade and Kaminga going away, and you leave Giannis with Steph and Jimmy Butler, which is incredibly hot. If that three lines up together.

C (6:59)

It's not enough. It's not enough. All right, look, remember the last time this happened with a Milwaukee center? It was Kareem and it was 50 years ago. And the difference was Kareem said. I'm done.

B (7:10)

I want to go.

C (7:11)

I want to go.

B (7:11)

Giannis has not done that yet.

C (7:12)

Giannis. Giannis keeps playing footsie. Keeps playing footsie. Let's go to college football and yesterday's comments by ACC commissioner Jim Phillips. Phillips told the Associated Press that the ACC deserves two teams in the upcoming college football playoffs. Phillips said, quote, I have conviction and confidence in our teams, starting with Miami. The second piece of that is that the Virginia Duke winner should be absolutely in this college football playoff, unquote. Wilbaugh. What is the word for Phillips saying ACC deserves two bids?

B (7:44)

Before you point it out, let's just acknowledge, you know, Jim Phillips been close with Jim Phillips for a long time. I know if there's anybody who wants. I'll use this word, tone. Lobbying could be the word. If there's anybody you want. Lobbying. All right. In the athletic, I'm sorry, in the commissioner position is Jim Phillips, who knows what he's doing. But it's more wishful thinking, cuz I don't see it. I'm not gonna take too many shots at Duke Cause there've been too many loan repayments that have gone in that direction of Durham for me to take too many shots at Duke. But Duke can't be in there, Tone. Duke can't be in with five losses. I don't care who the losses were to. Strength of loss, strength of record, as opposed to strength of schedule. It's too many, which is the thing.

C (8:31)

It's five.

B (8:33)

I get what Jim Phillips is doing. I hear him. This is his job and he's damn good at it. But it's just lobbying to the rest.

C (8:42)

Of us, I think this is my word. My word is insane. And the last time I used the word insane on this show, it was about Nico Harrison trading Luka Doncic, for which he later got correctly fired. Jim Phillips, as you know, can look in that room or the ranking room and know a lot of the people there knows their faces, knows well and persistently this year that room has said the ACC stinks and we don't want anybody from the ACC persistently this year they have ranked Notre Dame ahead of Miami even though Miami beat Notre Dame head to head. And persistently this year, they haven't ranked any other ACC team within a mile of the top 12. So look, if Virginia wins, Virginia is going to go and be at the bottom. Be at the bottom of the bracket. No, they're not. No, Mike, they're not going to put Miami's deserving. They're not going to put them in. And part of the reason is that Jim Phillips should have fixed this before this season. It's so convoluted, the tiebreakers that they end up with Duke in there and not Miami. Miami should be in there and they would win and that would be the end of the story. And it didn't happen. Let's take a break. Coming up, would the committee choose a three loss Alabama team over two loss Notre Dame? We will ask Booger McFarland and Ohio.

B (9:59)

State and Indiana are locked to the playoffs. So what's at stake in the Big Ten title game? I mean Notre Dame wants to be a half baked ACC team. They want to, they want to play the schedule and or part of it. Oh no. Even though they don't want to be.

C (10:12)

In the country, they want to keep all the money to themselves when they have a network to themselves.

D (10:18)

I could put Pardon the Interruption is presented by Grey Goose make time Wait. Please enjoy responsibly Part of happy hour.

A (10:27)

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C (11:53)

We are headed into conference championship game weekend which makes it a perfect time to visit with our great friend ESPN, NFL and college football analyst Booger McFarland. And we start with this. Let's start with the SEC title game between Georgia and Alabama. I think the committee moved Alabama ahead of Notre Dame to set up allowing Alabama to get into the playoffs as a three loss team over two loss Notre Dame. That is my feeling. What is your feeling?

E (12:27)

Well, I think the committee kind of corrected a wrong that they did a couple of weeks ago. I think Alabama should have been ahead of Notre Dame a couple of weeks ago, but they didn't have it that way. So now as we get to the penultimate rankings, they move Alabama ahead. And to your point about Alabama having a 3 3rd loss when they play Georgia in the SEC title game, I think Alabama might get left out if different things happen. To your point though, a third loss doesn't necessarily guarantee that. I think if you're the committee, you look at Alabama, you say this. They went on a run where they beat four ranked teams in a row. Like it's one of the best runs we've seen all college football season. And Notre Dame has been steady and consistent, but they haven't had a run like that all season. Now they beat everybody by a pretty good margin. I think if you're the committee, you got to look at Alabama and say they're one of the 12 best teams in the country. I think the question comes with Notre Dame. Let's just say BYU loses, okay? Now you have Notre Dame and Miami. They were one spot apart. They probably will be right next to each other. And then I think it comes down to a situation where you have Notre Dame and Miami at 10 and 2 and they got to choose one. I think Alabama could be safely in, especially if they win. They may even get a buy. But I think to your point, they gave them a little room, a little wiggle room with that third loss if they lose to Georgia. But I think we're headed to a situation where it could be Notre Dame versus Miami. And get your popcorn ready on Sunday.

B (13:47)

Afternoon, Booker, maybe there's a little less intrigue, but I'm fascinated. I'm sure a lot of people are by number one Ohio State, number two Indiana, playing for the Big Ten championship. But is there anything at stake beyond pride? And yes or no, how do you see that playing out?

E (14:08)

Mike, if there's a trophy at stake, I want to win it. Like, those are some of the greatest words I've heard uttered by a coach. And it's a Big Ten title on the line. And I think more than anything, it's another Opportunity for Indiana to prove they belong. And think about last year. They took on Ohio State, they played Notre Dame. They failed in those two instances. Now they come back with a better team, they got a better quarterback. Fernando Mendoza, by all accounts will be the number one pick in the draft. And I think if you look at Indiana, here's your third opportunity on a national stage to take on what everybody thinks is the best team in the country. So you get a third opportunity to show America just how good you are. So to your point, it may not be playoff implication because I think both teams are going to be in the playoffs. But I think from a program standpoint, you give Kurt Signetti, what is it, 11 years and 90 something million dollars. I think there's pride on the line for Indiana and Signetti to prove they are among the big boys in college football.

B (15:03)

I can't wait for that game, I must say. All right, even as a Big Ten guy, I'm in the tank for that game. Number 11, BYU against number four, Texas Tech in the Big 12 championship game. Are you a believer in BYU? I mean, and do you see them having much of a chance to take down Texas Tech?

E (15:23)

They got a puncher's chance. If you think about the first game BYU played, they went down to Texas Tech and I mean, they got jumped on early like they had never seen the game of football. This is going to be a neutral site. I think that'll help them a little bit. But they got to play a different style of football. You can't get into a shootout with Texas Tech. That defensive line, maybe the best defensive line in the country will get after you. That quarterback Baron Morton and the offense is high flying. If you're BYU and Kalani satake you want to win this game, it's got to be a fist fight. You got to take Texas Tech into a phone booth and you got to see who's going to come out. It's got to be a physical game. You got to run the football. I think BYU has to have 200 plus yards rushing if they want to win this game. But I give them a puncher's chance. Because, you know, in boxing, if you get hit with one shot, you can knock somebody out. And I think BYU has one shot and that's called running the football.

C (16:15)

We will get you out of here on this. And I will point out to viewers that over your shoulder is an LSU helmet. You are an LSU grad. How do you feel about being the next school that Lane Kiffin's gonna leave?

E (16:30)

Well, listen, first of all, we automatically assume he's gonna leave. Now here's what I'll say. I don't think for any, any instance that LSU fans nor LSU alumni think Lane Kiffin is going to be there 20 years. But right now, right here, I think he's the best coach for the job. Athletic director Verge Alsbury set out with one goal to get the best coach for lsu and I think he went out and got that. Lane Kiffin, I think his reputation precedes him. He's an offensive genius and I think he did more with less in Oxford than a lot of people. I. Now he comes to the Mecca. And if you don't know what the Mecca means, think about this. If you're a Catholic, you want to get to Rome to sit, to sit at the Vatican. If you're a college football fan, you want to get to Baton Rouge on a Saturday night. That's what it means. And now Lane Kiffin has the opportunity to wake up the echoes, the real echoes down in Baton Rouge. So it's a perfect fit. It's the right time. I think it's an understatement to say me as an alumni and all LSU fans are super excited. However, that comes with expectations. I don't think 8 and 4 is going to cut it and Lane knows that. So the expectations are high in Baton Rouge, but we couldn't be more excited to have him as our head coach.

C (17:39)

Just as long as he doesn't take out a long term lease because he's not going to be there long term. Thank you, Booger.

E (17:45)

Thanks, Booger.

B (17:46)

Appreciate it.

E (17:48)

Anytime. Look at you two guys taking shots at my new head coach. Come on, man.

C (17:55)

Booker, by the way, wearing a shirt from the Summit in Las Vegas golf course that he plays. Let's take one last break. Still to come, updates from Ravens practice on the status of Lamar Jackson's ankle.

B (18:05)

And soccer star Trinity Rodman was reportedly ready to re sign with Tony's Washington spirit. Could she now be headed to Europe? I'm going to LSU next year. I want to. I haven't been down there to a game on a Saturday night in 30 years. It's time. I want to go.

C (18:22)

Yeah, that's good.

B (18:23)

Look, it is the most exciting thing on a Saturday night in college sports. You can do. It's lsu.

C (18:28)

Go and pet the tiger for me. Stick your hand in the cage.

B (18:32)

Yes.

C (18:32)

See how that works out.

A (18:34)

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D (20:48)

Pardon the interruption is presented by Great Goose. Make time Wait. Please enjoy responsibly. Part of happy hour.

C (20:58)

Happy time people. Happy 22nd birthday Jackson Holiday the overall first pick in the 2022 baseball draft out of Stillwater High School in Oklahoma, wasted little time in getting to the majors in 2024. Holidays started 13039 games at second base this past season, the most among American League second basemen. Holliday hit 24217 home runs and 55 RBI and 649 plate appearances. But he had 140 strikeouts and was worse in the second half than the first. Holliday's younger brother Ethan, a shortstop, was drafted fifth overall by the Rockies in this year's baseball draft. Their father, Matt Holliday, was a seven time All Star, a World Series champion and the NLCS MVP in a career mostly with the Cardinals and the Rockies.

B (21:45)

Tony, nobody cares about strikeouts anymore. He's starting to show some power numbers with 17 and 55. And by the way, if you have two sons and they're both All Stars, that makes you the king of fatherhood, doesn't it? Two All Stars.

C (21:59)

Sure does.

B (21:59)

It's not out of the possibility. I'm sort of rooting for that. That'd be cool.

C (22:04)

Yeah. Happy anniversary, Herschel Walker. On this day 43 years ago, the Georgia Bulldog running back beat out John Elway and Eric Dickerson to win the Heisman trophy. Nice top three, huh? Walker had finished second the year before and third the year before that. As a freshman in 33 games at Georgia, Walker rushed for 5,259 yards and 49 touchdowns. Yeah, 33 games. Walker entered pro football with the New Jersey Generals of the the usfl, who became owned by Donald Trump, whom you may have heard of. Walker went to Dallas in the NFL. It was the trade Dallas made sending Walker to Minnesota for a cornucopia of players that helped the Cowboys become great in the 1990s. Walker now works for Trump again. He is our ambassador to the Bahamas.

B (22:50)

You say those three names again. Eric Dickerson, John Elway, Herschel Walker, Anybody? Do you have three like that this year? We don't even know if the person who wins or any of the top three even gonna make it in the NFL, much less be those guys.

C (23:05)

I don't know if they've ever had three quite like that.

E (23:08)

I'm not sure.

C (23:09)

Happy trails to the Washington Spirits. Contract offer to Trinity Rodman. The soccer team had proposed a multi million dollar extension with the star, one that Rodman was reportedly ready to accept. But the athletic reports that NWSL Commissioner Jessica Berman has vetoed, believing the structure to violate league rules. Rodman is being courted by European teams, so if she can't get paid here, she could follow in the recent footsteps of several other top players and she could head overseas. The union has appealed the ruling.

B (23:39)

I wish she could get the money here, no matter where she gets it. Great. But it's kind of cool having Trinity Rodman a star in a town that hasn't had all that many stars in sports lately. Okay, Ovechkin. You know, it's kind of cool having her here.

C (23:54)

I hope it will understand here. I don't understand how she can't get the money.

B (23:58)

I know.

C (23:59)

If they've offered the money, why can't she get the money?

B (24:01)

Come on now.

C (24:01)

Let's go to the big finish.

B (24:02)

Let's do it.

C (24:03)

Lamar Jackson did not practice today. That is cause for concern, right?

B (24:07)

Yes. This has been going on for a month, even after the injury. When he's back, is he really back? The Ravens, meanwhile, extended tight end Mark Andrews three years, 26 miles guaranteed. Is that a big deal?

C (24:21)

He's the all time leading receiver in the franchise. He has earned this. Your Bulls have lost five in a row, including last night to the Nets. Defend your team.

B (24:29)

They're not going to defend. They stink. They started the season 5 and 0. Now they can't beat Charlotte and Brooklyn and New Orleans. What is going on there? Alex Oveskin scored twice last night to reach 911 career goals. 10 in the last 11 games. I know you're impressed.

C (24:49)

He's still great. He's 40. He's still great. Last one. The LSU women go for their ninth straight win of 30 plus points tonight. Do you like their chances?

B (24:57)

Kim Mulkey has what, four titles? She's going for fifth. Looking at dawn and Gino saying let's go. Shaping up was a great women's college group season.

C (25:07)

We're out of time. We're trying to do better the next time.

B (25:10)

Time.

C (25:10)

I'm Tony Kornheiser.

B (25:11)

I'm Mike Wilbon. Same time tomorrow, Knuckleheads. Pti.

A (25:17)

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