Pablo Torre Finds Out

As a teenage prankster crashing the football transfer window, Kieran Morris juiced the Wikipedia page for an obscure player across the globe, and word spread from London to the MLS of a legend in the making: The Honduran Maradona. Ten years later, our correspondent finds out what really happened to Alexander Lopez.(Adapted from an episode of Sports Explains the World)Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/-QzVmd8TEjw Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hersh Goldberg-Polin was devoted to an Israeli football club fighting for peace. Supporters of its rival include far-right Israeli politicians like a national-security minister hellbent on war — and a racist mob. If you want help understanding the Israel-Hamas conflict, Hersh's abduction by terrorists is a window to the world. Correspondent Amos Barshad interviews his loved ones and finds a silver lining.(Read the companion article at The Lever)Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/R0IoouIfXNc Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Why are we allowing the most flagrant liar in American politics to shamelessly Cameo-wash himself with direct-to-consumer content? Is it so unreasonable that Shohei Ohtani isn't handling his free agency like the American sports media wants him to? And about that sports media: Are the olds — and words — about to get left behind? (Plus: farts in a jar and the ballad of the teacup Maltese.)PTFO-approved reading:Shohei Ohtani's Secretive Free Agency Is a Missed Opportunity for Him and MLB (Buster Olney)How Gen Z Is Killing Sports Media as We Know It (Alex Reimer)Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/puOmElQS7R8 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The comic, actor, and Daily Show correspondent/president shovels out content with the best of 'em. But he also believes in bombing onstage to learn the optimum level of failure. He believes in using anger to win over an audience — or to find a new favorite team, or to find love. Ronny Chieng believes. Also: watching thousands of hours of Patriots documentaries, torrenting "Around the Horn," dialing up NBA Live, getting Covid based on your fandom... and the best foul-mouthed Bill Belichick impersonation you've ever heard.Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/fX5AnWhP65s Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A fierce debate — about no less than the meaning of intelligence itself — has broken out in the world of football scouting, as star quarterback C.J. Stroud puts together one of the best rookie QB seasons ever... after bombing the new Wonderlic test. But can this S2 Cognition exam actually predict how your brain impacts athletic performance? Pablo puts himself to the ultimate test of mental agility, with a little help from Alex Smith — and with a LOT of expletives.Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/inuwR73XKw0 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

No conference-championship weekend in the history of the College Football Playoff has higher stakes than the one upon us right now. And so we turn to John Urschel — newly liberated CFP selection committee member; ex-NFL lineman; and current MIT mathematician — to shed the cloak and drop the dagger. And we learn what actually happens, behind closed doors, as hordes of furious fans demand the favor of a cabal that might be more Office Space than Eyes Wide Shut.Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/EjkxEv7nIBY Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Is the Sports Illustrated A.I. scandal dystopian, funny, or just plain sad? Depends whether you think art has a soul. Are champion athletes predisposed to addictive tendencies? Depends if you think you've gotta be a workaholic a$$hole to create great art. And what's with that commercial for a futuristic hostel on the NFL games? Depends if you're willing to live in a fake utopia. Plus: powdered wigs, Piña coladas, chum buckets, bone saws, flying cars, Faulkner, DiMaggio, the Michael Jordan of being present, and a parliament of owls.Further PTFO-approved content:Sports Illustrated Published Articles by Fake, AI-Generated Writers (Futurism)An Addictive Personality Can Facilitate Sporting Greatness — but What Are the Consequences? (The Athletic)This Is NEOM (YouTube)Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/8FFp_wqjs5o Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Who runs Magic's extraordinarily earnest Twitter account? Is Wu-Tang really that good at chess? Just how racist is the Oklahoma Sooner mascot? Is Victor Wembanyama the end of human evolution? Also: cotton balls, buttholes, and trolls. You asked, we investigated — with a little help from Rob Lowe, Method Man, Masta Killa, and Killers of the Flower Moon author David Grann.Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/zAJhIrX1vBs Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Politicians don't want transgender people dominating girls' sports. But Ember Zelch just wanted to play softball, and nobody else seemed to mind. She was, after all, the ONLY trans girl officially even PLAYING girls' varsity sports in her ENTIRE state. Pablo travels to Ohio to learn why Ember fought for her right to love sports anyway. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Pablo investigates a story including, but not limited to, a Duke basketball champion, a World War II treasure hunt, an alleged con man, Bob Marley, Dan Snyder, and an attempt to make history by purchasing the Washington Commanders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The FTX founder was a "martian" to the sports world. Why did he spend so much on arena naming rights and superstar endorsements? And how the hell did SBF become friends with TB12? Authors Michael Lewis (Going Infinite) and Zeke Faux (Number Go Up) witnessed the rise and fall of a crypto king. Now we can do the postmortem: “Moneyball, on steroids, gone wrong.” Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Is Bill Belichick now the grandfather you need to take the car keys away from? Is OnlyFans just selling loneliness? Is OnlyDans a thing? And how close did Dan get to death's door on ketamine? Also: a rooting baby, the jist, and premature dismounts. PTFO-approved reading:Inside an OnlyFans empire: Sex, influence and the new American DreamBill Belichick Is About to Get Fired, and Nobody CaresWhat If Psychedelics’ Hallucinations Are Just a Side Effect?Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/xpwLxtAbVnU Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What happens when restaurants become gas stations and farts disappear? You don't take food or fragrance for granted, especially around Thanksgiving. David Samson — host of Nothing Personal, gourmand, notorious lover of candy — didn't back down when Covid robbed him of his senses. He adapted, with phantom taste buds and a hedonistic calculus change to make his brain start tasting for him. He even took a Michelin-star vacation to Italy. And he put hot sauce on pretty much everything. So, of course, Pablo challenged him to the ultimate tasteless taste test, courtesy of Hot Ones.Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/f3udcjwHpHU Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The former co-host of Desus & Mero is also a former strip-club manager, crackhouse re-builder, domain-name seller, dead-rat picker-upper, and, by his own admission, a bit of a sad clown. Now, after the end of a beloved duo, "Hollywood Desus" wants to do every job in entertainment as a soloist. Plus: joints in the stairwell, porn in the library, NYC mayor Eric Adams in the club, robots in the kitty litter, how to use therapy as an operating system, and how to export the misery of being a Knicks fan.Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/YhydpKJHrkE Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Action Bronson raps, cooks, paints, hosts, and acts (for Martin Scorsese, at least). He also has philosophical explanations for why A) he never wears pants, B) his go-to move is the headbutt, and C) nothing is better than a VHS tape. But Action Bronson had still never heard of the Accidental Bronson tribute account. Until now. Plus: AOL screennames, robot vacuum murder, and saggy balls.Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/Y8o52aFn1Wc Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Can magic mushrooms help you see God? Are parents more of a danger to their kids than the world? Are we creating a garbage patch in space? Plus: Courtside seats with Jesus, CrossFit vs. witchcraft, bunnies vs. predators, Master Splinter, and mattresses. Lots and lots of mattresses. Also: When we flush, where does the poop go?Further reading:God, Magic Mushrooms, and Me (Esquire)Childhood Independence Is a Mental-Health Issue (The Cut)Befouling the Final Frontier (The New York Times Magazine)Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/QUDvY5Ls_Eo Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Johnny McEntee went viral before virality, as a trick-shot QB at UConn. He foresaw the rise of Donald Trump, while ordering him KFC on the campaign trail. He was straight out of central casting, but suddenly "Johnny Mac" the quarterback became enforcer-in-chief for the commander-in-chief, running a presidential "Gestapo" and hand-picking cabinet secretaries. Correspondent Devin Gordon meets a Trumpworld action figure and asks: How did this in-over-his-head loyalist get so powerful? And could it happen again?Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/JZGb3Z3Qk68 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Would you clone your dying dog? Why are burner accounts still a thing? And how much do you REALLY care about what other people think about you? Also: Stephen A. Smith mispronouncing Pablo's name (twice), Dan sobbing shirtless in a convertible, and Pablo defending the relative scale of his narcissistic, psychopathic Machiavellianism.Further reading:Are Pet Cloners Happy With Their Choice? The AtlanticHBO Bosses Used ‘Secret’ Fake Accounts to Troll TV Critics Rolling StoneThe Sociopaths Among Us — and How to Avoid Them The AtlanticDark Triad Personality Test (If You Dare)Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/xZvtRCuNdPs Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This fall, Emmy-winning screenwriter Cord Jefferson (Watchmen, Succession, The Good Place, Master of None) has become a major Oscar contender for his directorial debut movie, the forthcoming (and deeply funny) American Fiction. So we wanted to ask Cord the truth about awards, competitiveness, race, external validation, and happiness. Also, the Men In Black soundtrack.Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/4O3jaJ1TN94 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's Shakespearean. It's Freudian. It's a Greek myth with a Real Housewife. Yes, sports fans: Marcus Jordan and Larsa Pippen are getting married. But are they just a reality-TV couple engineered to goose the algorithm? Or is this true romance? Pablo, Cortes, and "Oddball" host Charlotte Wilder listen to their podcast so you don't have to... then confront the Romeo and Juliet of our time with the awkward and essential questions about Michael and Scottie.Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/VOaPwe6d0W8 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Is the NBA's TV bubble about to burst? Is how we consume sports about to change forever? Hear from the man who reshaped the business itself. Plus: Who’s to blame for our misinformation minefield? And what the hell happened to retirement? The jamokes from The Sporting Class explain.PTFO-approved reading: House of Strauss: I'm Not Sure How the NBA Triples Its Rights Fees in a TV Recession https://www.houseofstrauss.com/p/im-not-sure-how-the-nba-triples-itsVanity Fair: Inside the New York Times Debate Over Its Gaza Hospital Bombing Coverage https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2023/10/new-york-times-gaza-hospital-storyThe Washington Post: Older Americans Are Dominating Like Never Before, but What Comes Next? https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2023/10/24/older-americans-working-longer-aging-impact/Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/GsSzvwXkpLE Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Next week, the White House is releasing the first executive order on A.I. in U.S. history. So we asked David Epstein, bestselling author of Range and the best sports-science writer in America, to explain the state of our union. And what humans can do that the best computers still cannot. Even though A.I. still might, uh, wipe out 10 percent of the global population. Plus: Why robots need to be more like First Take — and why our future depends not on humans or computers... but a centaur playing chess.PTFO-approved readingDavid Epstein's Range: https://bookshop.org/p/books/range-why-generalists-triumph-in-a-specialized-world-david-epstein/12472879Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/zbgKzE7SztI Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The most important Joker on the court isn't Nikola Jokic or Novak Djokovic. Indeed, the most popular tattoo among our sports heroes is a villain, and PTFO correspondent Wyatt Cenac is here to interview them about it... as Batman… with a mask on. Could Joker Mode become the new Mamba Mentality?Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/Sc3d9M3jLGI Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Why did Ariel Helwani, our planet’s leading combat sports reporter, use ring girls as human shields at a televised Logan Paul melee? What video game is Katie Nolan mostly living inside? Do you remember the time The Rock actually broke the news that Osama bin Laden had been assassinated? And more.PTFO-approved content:https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/shams-charania-nba-insider-the-athletic-new-york-times-profile.htmlhttps://www.theparisreview.org/blog/2023/10/16/were-more-ghosts-than-people/https://arielhelwani.substack.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The author of the definitive new book on gender in sports, Katie Barnes, explores how The Right ran up the score on progressives in a political messaging war — then offers a modest proposal, from pronouns to hormones and statehouses to schools, that most sane people can agree upon. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Michael Schur is a legendary comedy writer who calls his TV reboot of the classic baseball film "the best thing I've ever written." (He's written for SNL, The Simpsons, The Office, Parks and Rec, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, The Good Place...) So why didn't his version of "Field of Dreams" ever get made? Also: what happened to the actual baseball field that he built, out there in the cornfields of Iowa? Sports-movie nostalgia has never felt quite so painful. Or surreal. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What does it feel like to kick a$$ on a game show? Like an athlete in the Albanian brain zone who can't do math. Why doesn't Bill Belichick have to defend his conditional genius? Because we owe him the benefit of sudden doubt. Are you convincing yourself that you don't need therapy? You gotta place your vulnerability somewhere, you know. Plus: Pablo's Process (again), Christopher Meloni's mad energy, Dan's digestive tract... and some tears.PTFO-approved content:Final Jeopardy!: Rallying Crieshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8YEqEYAxvo4If You Think Robert Kraft Wouldn't Fire Bill Belichick, You're Wronghttps://theathletic.com/4950228/2023/10/11/new-england-patriots-bill-belichick-robert-kraft/What I've Learned: Patrick Stewarthttps://www.esquire.com/entertainment/books/a45328198/patrick-stewart-what-ive-learned/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

You may remember him as the paternity-test king of fever-pitch daytime television. But this renaissance man has seen it all — the JFK assassination, Waco, a woman who's afraid of aluminum foil — and he has emerged an optimist. Climb into your TV for wisdom on courage, vulnerability, and reassurance from the OG who held up Pro Bowlers at practice... and introduced the world to Cotton Ball Man. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Quarterbacks yell it. Gamers revel in it. Bros text memes and hashtags of it. Even Travis Kelce's girlfriend loves it. How did a simple phrase transform from a Jumbotron clap-along into such a ubiquitous exclamation? With apologies to Tom Brady and Lil Jon, correspondent Jeremy Taché searches for the real GOAT of "Let's Go!" Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What really makes coaches good at motivating players? Why does Captain America long to be a dog? And how infuriated is Domonique by Pablo’s case of Content Brain? Also: secret notebooks, celebrity friendships, and (figurative) ball-licking.PTFO-approved reading:https://theathletic.com/4926881/2023/10/03/alabama-football-nick-saban-coaching-style-players/ (Kennington Smith III)https://www.gq.com/story/chris-evans-october-cover-profile-2023 (Zach Baron) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

That guy from Parks & Rec, The Afterparty, and Sonic the Hedgehog has a side-hustle superpower: playing point guard at long-form improvisation. He and Pablo also happened to lose way too much money on NBA Top Shots of Miles Bridges and Bismack Biyombo. Plus: Why Blake Griffin isn’t just funny for an athlete and why Kobe never would’ve made it in comedy. Oh, and a mid-interview poo … and a post-coital orgy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the inaugural edition of our non-mailbag mailbag, Pablo answers audience voicemails with the truth about his TV doppelgänger, Stugotz's bong hits, A-Rod's centaur, Stanford's mascot, poisoned Miami Heat fans, and one of the greatest sports tweets of all time.Are you looking for answers? Call (513) 85-PABLO Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

One year ago, Draymond Green detonated the Golden State Warriors dynasty with a single punch at practice that left a million takes in its wake. Now, Oscar-winning filmmaker Ezra Edelman has an explosive "tip" — the insult you can't hear in TMZ's viral video — to test the bounds of Pablo's journalistic ethics... and set off the sports-media screaming machine all over again. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What does it feel like to watch football at an NFL head coach's house? Should you really be posting photos of your kid? And... all praise to the scammers? Also: ghost takes, flying slices of cheese, swampa$$ as a resting state, and what happens to the food on reality shows.PTFO-approved reading:If I Embarrass My Baby on TikTok, Will He Stay My Baby Forever? (Amanda Hess)https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/25/arts/babies-cheese-eggs-tiktok.htmlGen Z Falls for Online Scams More Than Their Boomer Grandparents Do (A.W. Ohlheiser)https://www.vox.com/technology/23882304/gen-z-vs-boomers-scams-hacks Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As the Denver Broncos crumble all around Russell Wilson, the superstar quarterback has never been more fascinating. Or more unknowable. But Nate Tice was Wilson’s backup, roommate, and occasional speechwriter at the University of Wisconsin. And to hear these college confessions — about a shirt-tucked, Timberlake-loving try-hard, who is possibly from outer space — is to finally understand the weirdest athlete on Planet Earth. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Deshaun Watson is playing terribly. Does that make it easier to talk about his sexual-misconduct scandal again? Russell Brand is mid-scandal right now. Will his following follow him everywhere? And in happier news: Yes, even if you don't have a kid, you can still be friends with people who do.Further reading:Deshaun Watson Not Acting or Playing Like a Franchise Quarterback (Michael Rosenberg)https://www.si.com/nfl/2023/09/20/browns-deshaun-watson-not-acting-playing-like-franchise-quarterbackThe Uncomfortable Reality of Tyreek Hill's Success (Mina Kimes)https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/18446978/the-unavoidable-dilemma-talking-kansas-city-chiefs-tyreek-hillCan Parents and Childless People Be Friends? (Allison P. Davis)https://www.thecut.com/article/adult-friendships-vs-kids.htmlRussell Brand Accused of Rape, Sexual Assaults and Abuse (Rosamund Urwin, Charlotte Wace, Paul Morgan-Bentley)https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/russell-brand-rape-sexual-assault-abuse-allegations-investigation-v5hxdlmb6Russell Brand: In Plain Sight (Dispatches)https://www.channel4.com/programmes/russell-brand-in-plain-sight-dispatches Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The ESPN host and ex-NFL union president explains why he's not worried about his eulogy, what happened to his candidacy for NFLPA executive director, and what he learned at Harvard Business School. Also: the milk check, the original MySpace, expensive mahogany, and more of Pablo's tortured metaphors. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Politicians don't want transgender people dominating girls' sports. But Ember Zelch just wanted to play softball, and nobody else seemed to mind. She was, after all, the ONLY trans girl officially even PLAYING girls' varsity sports in her ENTIRE state. Pablo travels to Ohio to learn why Ember fought for her right to love sports anyway. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Are you part of the silent majority of bad sleepers? Try dressing up like Darth Vader already! What ever happened to the steroid police? We are here for a lower moral high ground! And are you, by chance, cinematically in love? Because the hardest things in life make you feel right. Also: centaur portraits, mouth-breathers, A-Rod’s teeth, and holes.Further reading:Why sportspeople are taping over their mouths (Sarah Shephard)https://theathletic.com/4844743/2023/09/11/why-sportspeople-taping-over-mouths/The Biogenesis Files (Mike Fish)https://www.espn.com/espn/feature/story/_/id/36055058/biogenesis-america-tony-bosch-peds-fallout-10-years-later Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

PTFO SOURCES: The new Lando show isn't actually a show. Pablo hangs with the screenwriter and rapper to find out how real life inspired he and his brother Donald's award-winning art — and why they're not afraid of internet backlash. Also: evil fortune-tellers, jail baloney, Spider-Man Cartoon Maker, and Jim Carrey's Riddler. Hollywood! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We found the guy who kicked Mark Zuckerberg’s a$$ on viral video — and the trainers who might've tried to overturn the ref's decision. But did the most powerful unelected man in America really get choked unconscious? And how did Silicon Valley fall in love with Brazilian jiu-jitsu? PTFO correspondent Jay Caspian Kang reports. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Pablo investigates a story including, but not limited to, a Duke basketball champion, a World War II treasure hunt, an alleged con man, Bob Marley, Dan Snyder, and an attempt to make history by purchasing the Washington Commanders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What happens when the guy you played Madden against in high school… is actually *in* Madden? Why does the U.S. Open smell like weed? And who the hell is Pinkydoll? Also: huge calves, saucy shoes, and Dan Le Batard’s wedding. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Did you know that before Donald Trump was president, he was Dan Le Batard’s alleged long-time viewer and first-time caller? Pablo debuts his show on the third rail by confronting Dan — for the first time — with their company’s missing vault of interviews featuring Donald from Queens. And these tapes are as prophetic (cough cough pee tape cough) as they are humiliating. Journalism! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Are the Arizona Cardinals constructing the most blatant tank job in the history of tank jobs? Are weight loss drugs the future of dieting? And are those noises you’re hearing coming from the depths of hell, or is it just the sounds of the latest episode of Undisputed? Here’s a 2nd sneak preview of “Pablo Torre Finds Out,” coming September 5. Show Notes www.pablo.show https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/17/health/weight-loss-drugs-obesity-ozempic-wegovy.html https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nfl/news/undisputed-hosts-skip-bayless-shannon-sharpe/atobdzudpu86qodnxfy5cvh7 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Is James Harden playing 4-D chess? Will A.I. steal your job? Can Dan trick Mina into pissing off Dolphins fans? Here's a sneak preview of "Pablo Torre Finds Out," coming September 5. (Also: Daryl Morey singing.)Show Noteshttps://www.pablo.show/https://time.com/6301288/the-ai-jokes-that-give-me-nightmares/https://theathletic.com/4765589/2023/08/14/tua-tagovailoa-dolphins-jiu-jitsu-training/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

So, Pablo Torre has a new podcast. It's all about f**king around — but also finding out, by exploring sports rabbit holes and journalistic curiosities with his friends... and occasional enemies. Here's how a surprising celebrity helped inspire the name for Pablo Torre Finds Out, coming soon wherever you get your podcasts.To find out even more, sign up for Pablo's free (!!!) newsletter at WWW.PABLO.SHOW Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.