Pablo Torre Finds Out

Do we need robot umpires more than we thought? Is Netflix the Yankees of media? What's the best kind of catfishing? And have we finally evolved beyond pizza rat? Plus: Aaron Judge choking, Teanna Trump choking, an old man smoking with a crowd... and the price of free p*rn.• Vote for PTFO at The Webby Awards: Best Sports Podcast + Experimental & Innovation Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When the body of a Vegas power broker showed up in the back of a Rolls Royce in 1979, the new sports capital of America was born. Why the hell did superstar UNLV coach Jerry Tarkanian's guy really get whacked? Correspondent Sean Carey unearths police reports, a thrown fight against Sugar Ray Leonard... and a bag man on the skim who re-legitimized Sin City — and proves HBO's hit show wrong.(Additional reporting by Kris Belman) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What is a documentary now? Would you turn against your alma mater? Why did a fan throw a beer bottle at Dan Le Batard's head? And is America just Miami? Child star turned muckraker Billy Corben knows. Plus: Night Court, 2 Live Crew, Jughead Jr., corruption, cocaine... and pool boy cucking.Further content:• Watch "The U" and "The U Part 2"• Watch "30 for 30: Broke" on Netflix• Watch "Cocaine Cowboys" on Netflix• Watch "God Forbid" on Hulu• Subscribe to Billy Corben's Rakontur on YouTube• Subscribe to "The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz" Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Domonique Foxworth ran and — Mamma Mia! — lost in last week's secretive election by the NFL Players' Association. As he explains to Pablo and David Samson, unions may be more corporate than ever — but the fight against billionaires has never been more consequential. And the implications may turn nuclear for an MLB lockout.• Subscribe to "The Domonique Foxworth Show"• Subscribe to "Nothing Personal with David Samson" Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Kalshi and Polymarket have created a Wild West for sports, war and politics in a shamelessly unregulated era. But the U.S. Senator from Connecticut (and Huskies homer) tells Pablo that it's time to turn back the clock on insider trading, as leagues are "knowingly corrupting" the game. And that a return to the roots of rooting for our home teams (and families) requires Congress protecting against a profit-driven idea of America.• Previously on PTFO: The Prop-Betification of Everything, with the Forefather of Prediction Markets Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Maximum scandal, maximum secrecy. Now that the NFLPA's game of thrones has sent football back to the future, and new executive director J.C. Tretter back to office, Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio says Roger Goodell and the bean-counters at the league office are ready to pounce on an 18-game regular season — and football every night of the week.• Subscribe to PFT Live with Mike FlorioPreviously on PTFO:• Part I: The NFL's Secret Collusion Case, Revealed• Part II: We Sparked an NFL Union Crisis. Here's the Sequel.• Part III: We Followed the Money in the NFL Union Scandal. So Did the FBI.• Part IV: We Investigated the Hollywood Cover-Up the NFLPA Ignored • Part V: The Silenced Top Cop and the Cabal of "Strip-Club Dreams" Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How did a firing at ESPN birth this show? Can you be anti-establishment within the establishment? And will the principles of journalism survive, when billionaire principals keep contaminating the newsroom? Dan Le Batard and Human Battery Chris Cote join Pablo for another navel-spelunking edition of Share & Tell. Plus: making Jay Bilas play the race card, a Nazi poker hand with Joan Rivers, the O'Reilly factor, Jared from Subway... and six billboards outside Akron, Ohio.• Subscribe to "The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz"• Previously on PTFO: Le Batard's Lost Trump Tapes, Revealed Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From 9/11 and Ali to sharing a bed with Nicole Kidman and outing Kevin Spacey, he was already one of the greatest — and most confrontational — magazine writers of all time. Then Tom Junod decided to investigate his own father's "Mad Men"-Lib of a secret life. What could possibly go wrong? What would Mr. Rogers think? And what the hell was in that briefcase?• Read "In the Days of My Youth I Was Told What It Means to Be a Man: A Memoir" by Tom Junod Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As the NFLPA plots to restore its scandal-plagued leader to power, the labor group's outgoing lead security officer sits down with Pablo. And Craig Jones — the conscience of a billion-dollar union — does not hold back.Previously on PTFO:• Part I: The NFL's Secret Collusion Case Revealed• Part II: We Sparked an NFL Union Crisis. Here's the Sequel.• Part III: We Followed the Money in the NFL Union Scandal. So Did the FBI.• Part IV: The NFL Union Elected a New Leader. We Investigated the Hollywood Cover-Up They Ignored. (Pablo Torre Finds Out is independently produced by Meadowlark Media and distributed by The Athletic. The views, research and reporting expressed in this episode are solely those of Pablo Torre Finds Out and do not reflect the work or editorial input of The Athletic or its journalists.) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

He's a hedge-fund exec by day... and a blacklisted sports-betting savant by night. On the eve of your March Madness pool, Galen Hall breaks down his Oceans 11-style strategy that dominated a ruthless, $18.7 million NFL pick-'em contest — including game-theory negotiations with a multi-national syndicate and speaking through the podcast void to "Juicy K." Turns out, optimizing for underdogs across a portfolio of brackets comes down to psychology more than math.• Previously on PTFO: The Best Bettor in NBA History on How to Solve a Gambling Crisis Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Is an (alleged) MMA fighter-in-chief less bad than Evil Barbie on her love plane? Is Washington just performative sadism now? And are you still Stephen A.-curious? Plus: Chuck Lidell's workout room, a re-patriated blankie, Benihana, Huggie Bear, Bernie Sanders as a bouncer, Dean Cain as a football player... and Frank Ocean gossip.• Subscribe to The Bulwark Podcast with Tim Miller• Previously on PTFO: The Goalie Who Went to Hell and Back Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In an era devoid of accountability for the Epstein class and sports owners (and in-between), Pablo finds a kindred spirit in the OG blogger turned ESPN insider turned fellow independent muckraker who's not afraid to call out the backroom dynamics of Adam Silver during wartime: If billionaires can't police themselves, does cheating matter? Do the people who run the sport... really love the sport? If there's no effort to be decent, where do the lies end? And if Steve Ballmer's already negotiating, what is his minimum viable punishment?• Previously on PTFO: Ballmer's Tree-Money, the Whistle-Blowers and the Document You've Been Waiting For• "Bron got me on sea bass"• Subscribe to TrueHoop by Henry Abbott(Pablo Torre Finds Out is independently produced by Meadowlark Media and distributed by The Athletic. The views, research and reporting expressed in this episode are solely those of Pablo Torre Finds Out and do not reflect the work or editorial input of The Athletic or its journalists.) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How did millions travel from the Clippers to Aspiration to Kawhi Leonard? Amin Elhassan and David Samson join Pablo — live onstage at the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference, right where Adam Silver was just sitting — to examine new and extremely credible evidence.Previously on PTFO:• Part I: The Silent Superstar and the Rotten Apple Tree• Part II: An Argument with Mark Cuban• Part III: The Mystery Investor, the No-Show Payday and the "Smoking Gun"• Part IV: Steve Ballmer, the Other Cuban and the $118 Million Infusion• Part V: Steve Ballmer's "Inconceivable" Donation, the $20 Million Guarantee and a Head on a Spike• Part VI: An IRL Showdown with Mark Cuban• Part VII: The Briefcase, Ballmer's Social Network and Aspiration's House of Cards• Part VIII: Uncle Dennis, Ballmer's $50 Million Sprint and the Side Deal That Wouldn't Die• Subscribe to Pablo's newsletter for exclusive access, documents and invites• Subscribe to "Nothing Personal with David Samson"• Subscribe to "Basketball Illuminati" with Amin Elhassan(Pablo Torre Finds Out is independently produced by Meadowlark Media and distributed by The Athletic. The views, research and reporting expressed in this episode are solely those of Pablo Torre Finds Out and do not reflect the work or editorial input of The Athletic or its journalists.) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Is A.I. gonna boom, bust or just become Excel? And how screwed are we either way? Plus: Peyton Manning, Lamar Jackson, Geraldo Rivera's vault, a young Tim Pawlenty, vibe-coding NFL scouts... and Filipino Jell-O. Further content:• "A.I. as Normal Technology" (Columbia University)https://knightcolumbia.org/content/ai-as-normal-technology• "The 2028 Global Intelligence Crisis" (Citrini Research)https://www.citriniresearch.com/p/2028gic• "Nobody Knows Anything" (Derek Thompson)https://www.derekthompson.org/p/nobody-knows-anything• "This Is How the A.I. Bubble Will Pop" (Derek Thompson)https://www.derekthompson.org/p/this-is-how-the-ai-bubble-will-pop• "Fear of A.I. Eliminating Jobs Makes Its Way to Football (Mike Florio)https://www.nbcsports.com/nfl/profootballtalk/rumor-mill/news/fear-of-ai-eliminating-jobs-makes-its-way-to-football• Previously on PTFO: How Artificial Intelligence Is Already Changing Sports, with Daryl Morey and Sendhil Mullainathan• Subscribe to "The Mina Kimes Show featuring Lenny"• Subscribe to "Plain English with Derek Thompson" Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sports and comedy are America's prisms for progress, allegedly. But this queer comedian from SEC football country can smell the lies. In the locker rooms of the NFL and the NBA. In the homoeroticism of Joe Rogan's world. And in the boxes of manliness we put up all around us, more than ever. Plus: Sen. Tommy Tuberville, Caleb Williams, Derek Jeter, Timothée Chalamet, RFK Jr., butt-scouting... and the Cerebro of hook-up apps.• Watch Jay Jurden's Stand-Up Special "Yes, Ma'am"• Get Tickets to See Jay Jurden Live Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

America's podcast guest is a little burned-out. And yet the do-it-all comedian turned method unc is also a bard of modern content creation. So Roy Wood Jr. sits down with Pablo, on-stage at On Air Fest, to make sense of working under a hostile merger, while persevering the algorithm, learning from live-streamers and still focusing on himself enough to tell jokes as the chef intended — all without becoming part of somebody else's propaganda. Plus: Reading Rainbow, Street Fighter, the Dagobah system, funeral-home police scanners, murdering the defendants of slavemasters... and punching children in the face.• Watch "Have I Got News for You" with Roy Wood Jr.• Watch the "Lonely Flowers" Stand-Up Special• Read "The Man of Many Fathers" Memoir Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As Terry Rozier and Co. return to court, Pablo spans the globe — and the nether regions of the basketball internet — to reveal the unnamed player who turned a cup of coffee into the NBA's worst nightmare. Amin Elhassan helps connect government clues to red flags, obscure movie references to entourage Instagram posts... and one really dirty recruiting trip to a new guarantee in the economy of legalized gambling.Previously on PTFO:• Part One: Moose, the Money and a Garbage-Time God• Part Two: Hoopfellas• Subscribe to Pablo's newsletter for exclusive access, documents and invites• Subscribe to "Basketball Illuminati" with Amin Elhassan(Pablo Torre Finds Out is independently produced by Meadowlark Media and distributed by The Athletic. The views, research and reporting expressed in this episode are solely those of Pablo Torre Finds Out and do not reflect the work or editorial input of The Athletic or its journalists.) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Did the Olympics just restore our faith in humanity? Even though America is still the bad guy? Even though penis injections? And even if we think A.I. might just be 60 Filipino guys? Plus: Greased Lightnin', flop sweat, deposition water bottles, the Waymo of cash registers, the ephemera of pickup basketball... and other dick-related news.Further content:• "I Hacked ChatGPT and Google's AI — and It Only Took 20 minutes" (Thomas Germain)• Previously on PTFO: We Expose a Crotch Conspiracy Rocking the Olympics• Subscribe to "Casuals with Katie Nolan"• Listen to "Sorry for Your Loss" by Michael Cruz Kayne Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Is the MLBPA screwed because its (outgoing) leader allegedly had an affair with his sister-in-law? Is a salary cap a red herring? How much does winning a Super Bowl boost the valuation of the Seahawks? And can we ever stop tanking? John Skipper and David Samson return for our semi-regular panel on sports business — and taking down Big Pharma.• Subscribe to "Nothing Personal with David Samson"• Previously on PTFO: We Followed the Money in the NFL Union Scandal. So Did the F Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It was a pickup game for the ages. Finally, former Miami Heat center — and current DJ — Rony Seikaly opens up to correspondent Foster Kamer about his shocking decision to do what nobody in the NBA would, in the midst of HIV/AIDS paranoia. And how Seikaly was fated to become the person that Magic Johnson credits with changing his life.• Subscribe to Foster Kamer's Substack • Listen to "Basketball History 101" with Rick Loayza "Lose Your Love" (with Nico de Andrea), "Carrot Cake (Radio Edit)" and "Out of Time (Original Mix)" produced and performed by Rony Seikaly; used with permission by Rony Seikaly.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

He used his instinctual superpower to sign an all-star roster of everyone from Stone Temple Pilots and Katy Perry to, yes, Kid Rock. Now, record executive Jason Flom (with a little help from the spirit of Muhammad Ali) is performing a different kind of miracle, with his obsession to get innocent people out of prison. This is why the unbroken, indomitable grace of Charles Flores is far from alone inside our shocking American system — and how you can help, too.• Sign the petition to stop the execution of Charles Flores• Previously on PTFO: We Visited Death Row for the Super Bowl. You Can Help Save This Fan's Life.• Subscribe to "Wrongful Conviction" with Jason Flom Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What does the death of The Washington Post sports section mean for the future of sports, journalism and propaganda? Was "Melania" a movie — or crypto? And how does LeBron guarantee his story now? Plus: Tony Kornheiser, Paul Thomas Anderson, Nuke LaLoosh, New Yorker clickbait, Carmelite nuns, the glue of commonality... and the uselessness of despair.Further content:• "Democracy Dies in Broad Daylight" (David Remnick)• "The Crackin', Shakin', Breakin' Sounds" (Nat Hentoff, 1964)• "A Day with the Duke" (Whitney Balliett, 1970)• Subscribe to "The New Yorker Radio Hour"• Read "King of the World"• Watch "O.J.: Made in America"Previously on PTFO:• The Banned Prince Documentary: Director Ezra Edelman (Finally) Speaks Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The alleged Jon Stewart of his generation steps down from his YouTube throne and into our studio to discuss what LeBron's agent taught him; why the hell Pablo watched the Super Bowl with socialists; how it felt to audition for the role of SBF; and what PTFO revealed to his dad (about how Democrats can be evil, too). Plus: Clavicular, Bob Kraft, David Stern, Lena Dunham, the real-life Rod Tidwell... and Tony Kornheiser protesting the only thing tech has made that's good.• Subscribe to The Adam Friedland Show• Get tickets to see Adam Friedland live Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As the Clippers host NBA All-Star Weekend, Pablo's "thorough due diligence" leads down a trail of LLCs and lawsuits that Kawhi Leonard and the richest owner in sports probably don't want you to know about. David Samson and Amin Elhassan return with a new prescription and — if the Aspiration whistle blows again — judgment day.Previously on PTFO:• Part I: The Silent Superstar and the Rotten Apple Tree• Part II: An Argument with Mark Cuban• Part III: The Mystery Investor, the No-Show Payday and the "Smoking Gun"• Part IV: Steve Ballmer, the Other Cuban and the $118 Million Infusion• Part V: Steve Ballmer's "Inconceivable" Donation, the $20 Million Guarantee and a Head on a Spike• Part VI: An IRL Showdown with Mark Cuban• Part VII: The Briefcase, Ballmer's Social Network and Aspiration's House of Cards• Subscribe to Pablo's newsletter for exclusive access, documents and invites• Subscribe to "Nothing Personal with David Samson"• Subscribe to "Basketball Illuminati" with Amin Elhassan(Pablo Torre Finds Out is independently produced by Meadowlark Media and distributed by The Athletic. The views, research and reporting expressed in this episode are solely those of Pablo Torre Finds Out and do not reflect the work or editorial input of The Athletic or its journalists.) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

He is a Seattle sports legend. Also: butts. At 62 years young, the rapper reveals how a Super Bowl ad inspired "Baby Got Back," why he was live-tweeting a Seahawks comeback at 80 miles an hour... and what happened to that viral lady grinding with him at the symphony.• Previously on PTFO: The NFL Coach and Sir Mix-a-Lot's Mercedes Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A wrongfully convicted football fan is running out of time. So Pablo travels from the free world to Texas, to sit with Charles Flores for the one hour a day when he's not in solitary confinement. To learn what it feels like to watch the NFL through the bars of a super-max prison. To understand why Charles continues to await execution, a decade after the real killer went free. And to find out how the road might go on, before it's too late.• Sign the petition to stop the execution of Charles Flores• Previously on PTFO: Watching the Dallas Cowboys on Death Row"The Road Goes On Forever" written and performed by Robert Earl Keen, with permissions from Songs of Universal, Inc., and Keen Productions.(Pablo Torre Finds Out is independently produced by Meadowlark Media and distributed by The Athletic. The views, research and reporting expressed in this episode are solely those of Pablo Torre Finds Out and do not reflect the work or editorial input of The Athletic or its journalists.) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On the award-winning podcast by our friends at The Center for Investigative Journalism, Pablo sits down with host Al Letson to discuss what it’s like investigating the complicated world of sports — from financial scandals to transgender rights, to DEI and the Super Bowl halftime show and beyond.• Subscribe to "Reveal"• Previously on PTFO (with The Center for Investigative Journalism): "All-American Grift — We investigated Trump's Favorite Sports Troll"  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

He is the accidental creator of a phenomenon eating our world and wallets alive. So how does James Surowiecki feel about Kalshi, Polymarket and the wisdom of the crowd, now that even the market for a missile launch can be manipulated? On the eve of the Super Bowl, he re-traces the rise of the casino in your pocket, debunks the cult of the CEO... and forecasts the disturbing possibilities when insider trading maneuvers all the way to the White House (or at least The Dark Lord of the Pentagon).• Read "The Wisdom of Crowds"• Previously on PTFO: "The Best Bettor in NBA History on How to Solve a Gambling Crisis Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Who gets to take pride in football, even (and especially) if Sam Darnold is your quarterback? Who gets to lock the gates on excellence, even if you're snubbing Bill Belichick? Did Tom Brady only get better in the booth... because he couldn't get much worse? And do people only care when you're wrong? Plus: brrrtue-signaling, the pageantry of nonsense, The Polian Dimension and the Kraft family syndicate on Jason Whitlock's bulletin board.Further content:• "In the 'no' camp is a known liar...'" (Ollie Connolly)• "Sources: Bill Belichick will not be a first-ballot Hall of Famer" (Don Van Natta Jr. and Seth Wickersham)• "Tom Brady knew he needed to improve on TV. So he channeled his 'quarterback' days" (Andrew Marchand)• Subscribe to "The Mina Kimes Show featuring Lenny"• Take a PTFO audience survey for your chance to win a $100 Amazon gift card Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What does being Robert Pera's "co-owner" even mean? Why can't a sports executive wear his team's uniform? And what do the layoffs at The Washington Post and CBS News suggest about the business of journalism? Former Marlins president David Samson joins Pablo, one-on-one, to decode the sagas of the Memphis Grizzlies and mainstream media.• Previously on PTFO: The Invisible NBA Owner and "Crimes Against Humanity"• Subscribe to "Nothing Personal with David Samson"(Pablo Torre Finds Out is independently produced by Meadowlark Media and distributed by The Athletic. The views, research and reporting expressed in this episode are solely those of Pablo Torre Finds Out and Hunterbrook Media and do not reflect the work or editorial input of The Athletic or its journalists.) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A dunking tech bro in Memphis. A drone massacre in Ukraine. How did America's backyard beams end up in Putin's network of underground buyers? And how on Earth do Ja Morant, Justin Timberlake, Kevin Hart and "The Grindfather" get us to an illegal trade war? Hunterbrook Media's Sam Koppelman breaks down how his reporters investigated from a bird's-eye view, to a high-end Moscow dealer, to undercover calls back home — and asks what the hell Adam Silver's gonna do about another billionaire scandal hiding in plain sight.• Read the full investigation at Hunterbrook Media (Pablo Torre Finds Out is independently produced by Meadowlark Media and distributed by The Athletic. The views, research and reporting expressed in this episode are solely those of Pablo Torre Finds Out and Hunterbrook Media and do not reflect the work or editorial input of The Athletic or its journalists.) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Golf can be for the people. But politics has come to the tee-boxes of D.C., as Trump literally takes a dump on public courses, with a gilded mission to re-shape the people's fairway — and a historically Black home of the sport — in his own image. Garrett Morrison of Fried Egg Golf explains the rubber-stamp meetings, pimp-my-ride addendums and bros in the ear of a president chasing faux-luxury waterfalls, A.I. logos and... asbestos?• Read more at Fried Egg Golf: "The National Links Trust's Battle with the Trump Administration, Explained"• Subscribe to "Designing Golf" with Garrett Morrison• Previously on PTFO: Why Golf Yalta Explains Donald Trump• Take a PTFO audience survey for your chance to win a $100 Amazon gift card Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.