Pablo Torre Finds Out
Pablo Torre takes listeners beyond the headlines in sports, culture, and politics with in-depth reported episodes and conversations. The show features 'talkumentary' style stories, interviews with figures like Sue Bird and U.S. Senators, and segments like Share & Tell with friends. It is part of The Athletic Podcast Network and has won multiple journalism awards.
Episodes
The Kelly Clarkson Tapes, Revealed: What Really Happened in That Brooklyn Store?
A beloved celebrity walks into a Brooklyn boutique, asks about a $15,000 mechanical bird, then riles millions of fans into a social-media frenzy. But since she's been gone, Pablo has obtained security footage — and more. Wyatt Cenac and Amin Elhassan take stock of a viral morality play at the intersection of class, discrimination and how to get what you want.BID IN THE AUCTION:• Win Kelly Clar
"The Biggest Scandal There's Ever Been": Dissecting the Disgrace of Manchester City
Sovereign wealth funds. Prime ministers. Fake money. Fake excuses. Fake people? If you thought the Clippers were bad, wait until you comprehend the depths of cheating that have thrown the Premier League into chaos. The Athletic's Adam Crafton explains how "sham" deals, sportswashing and one hacker's email led to a devastating verdict — and why the aftermath of Man City's &quo
"I Am a Camera": John Wilson on Magic Tricks, Nathan Fielder and How to Make a Documentary
In a crumbling empire of ludicrous wealth and slop, filmmaker John Wilson keeps showing us what it means to be human — even (and especially) when that involves poop and/or circumcision. The director of "The History of Concrete" sits down with Pablo to contemplate how A.I. is forcing Hollywood's hand, what Nathan Fielder (and the Hallmark Channel) taught him about storytelling, and wh
The Brain Collector: Meet the Ex-Pro Wrestler Fighting the NFL's Concussion "Cover-Up"
Chris Nowinski was a WWE heel. Then he got in on a secret the NFL allegedly has been trying to hide for more than a decade: There may be nothing worse you can do to your brain than play tackle football. In the wake of a landmark study of CTE, the neuroscientist sits down with Pablo about his war with the league, the effectiveness of the Guardian Cap, the last word on O.J. Simpson's brain and,
Tim Tebow, Urban Meyer and the Christian Nationalist Surge at Ohio State
When candidates cosplay as football fans and QBs become a passport to the hearts and wallets of vulnerable Americans, the wrong people can get rich and powerful off sports. Electrician turned independent journalist D.J. Byrnes has pranked Buckeyes "fan" Vivek Ramaswamy, caught Urban Meyer in a lap-dance scandal and will go to trial over Shrek's private parts in the name of free speec
The Golden Age of Scams
A.I. valuations make sports franchise valuations look like chump change and the disconnect between American voters and the tech billionaires with a batphone to the White House, has gotten scary. Yet the plugged-in MS-NOW host Stephanie Ruhle remains hopeful. Can we summon the power to say "no"? Who will expose the cruelest of scams, even and especially if they involve Tim Tebow? And what
The Moment of Troops, the Power Couple and the Clippers' Everything Connection: Kawhi-Gate, Part XVII
As Kawhi Leonard distances himself from scandal, Pablo uncovers internal financials, government records and new sources on the "no-show job" that the silent superstar... actually showed up for. Amin Elhassan and David Samson enter a captive portal of multi-million-dollar promises, while Hunterbrook Media's Sam Koppelman explains how the feds could haul in Steve Ballmer and his banned
Share & Krang & Tell with Michael Cruz Kayne and Katie Nolan
How did the trans-athlete debate rear its oligarchic head in Donald Trump Jr.'s wedding? What messes up young athletes more: private equity... or being on a Kardashian reality show? And are you the maestro of your own body? Plus: non-suntans, Harambe and how to win a Poo-litzer.• Subscribe to "But Also" with Michael Cruz Kayne• Subscribe to "Casuals" with Katie NolanFurther
We Investigated the Christian "Scam" Fronted by Tim Tebow
Tim Tebow is one of the most trusted voices in America. But the former star quarterback is also the face of a Christian roadshow that is accused of preying upon their followers' faith and financial insecurity. Kiera Butler of Mother Jones joins PTFO to investigate Life Surge and its celebrity-athlete "bait" — going inside the room, listening to victims of the "hard sell" an
The Rules of Kawhi Engagement: A Visit to Los Angeles, with Clippers Super-Fan Paul Scheer
The comedian has been living rent-free in Pablo's head for a year — and now he's got folders of his own, while asking questions on behalf of Clipper Nation: Who knew the truth on the inside? Could Steve Ballmer have vaporized this scandal from the jump? How did Kawhi Leonard get off with a slap on the wrist? Has he really excommunicated Uncle Dennis? Why is Bill Simmons so upset? And have fans bec
Share & Rot & Tell with Mina Kimes
How do football and social media combust into the mainstreaming of old-school racism? Is sports media worse for women than ever? And should our brains go on strike? Plus: woke Karl Rove, MrBeast as Scorsese, a plea to Aaron Rodgers, sympathy for Vivek... and the Disney tour-guide celebrity draft board.• Subscribe to "The Mina Kimes Show featuring Lenny"• "I've Been an American My Entire Life" (The
Steve Ballmer's Sword, the DOJ's Probe and a "Road to Jail Time": Kawhi-Gate, Part XVI
As the Clippers accept the NBA's historic punishment, a "criminal dimension" looms over the fallout. Pablo talks to owners, league officials and the commissioner himself, then asks former federal prosecutors how the government would build a case against one of the richest men alive. Amin Elhassan and David Samson help follow the money — and the Trump of it all — from "podcast court" to the Departm
The Revolution of Stavros Halkias Will Be Vindicated
The foul-mouthed comedian, actor and podcaster is everywhere — including, but not limited to, wielding a T-shirt cannon on the football sidelines. He might also represent the future of a movement that realigns our politics. Pablo enters Stavvy's world to flip the script on how private equity created a sports bubble (while ruining your chicken sandwich) and why the "soulless corporate centrists" of
The Sporting Class: Private Equity, Salary Caps and Whether Players Should Want a Piece
Franchise valuations are booming. How can labor benefit? David Samson and Domonique Foxworth consider the everyday union worker — from Aaron Rodgers and Kawhi Leonard to a fireman and his pension — in going up against the "monsters of capitalism."• Subscribe to "Nothing Personal with David Samson"• Subscribe to "The Domonique Foxworth Show" Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more informati
Inside the Billionaire Shadow League Funding American Tennis
If you thought U.S. Open prices were bad, wait until you learn how much titans of Wall Street will pay to play with the pros. The Athletic's Matthew Futterman reports — from the bromance of Frances Tiafoe and hedge-fund king Bill Ackman, to the matchmaker of the Finance Cup and the Koch family court in the Hamptons — on how American tennis became symbiotic with a new class of mega-rich benefactors
Washing Up the Clippers' Punishment, with Henry Abbott
Did ESPN get sold fake news? How much did Steve Ballmer lie? What did Kawhi really know? And what's NOT in the NBA's report? A punch-drunk Pablo calibrates his cynicism to explain unanswered questions from his former editor and fellow skeptic. Plus: The Windhole, honoring the webinar... and journalism in the shower.• Subscribe to TrueHoop by Henry Abbott• Previously on PTFO: Reacting to Clippers J
We Investigated Magic Johnson, Mark Walter... and Your Nest Egg
A mysterious billionaire sold the Lakers, as the feds closed in. But how Mark Walter bought the Dodgers — while enriching himself with the money of everyday Americans, and his own entities — reveals why franchises got so valuable, even if the sports bubble is about to pop. Pablo calls up insiders, Hunterbrook Media's Sam Koppelman sniffs out fishy documents... and a Hall-of-Famer has some explaini
Clippers Judgment Day, the NBA's Hammer and the Investigation That Never Ends: Kawhi-Gate, Part XV
As Steve Ballmer and Kawhi Leonard face historic punishments, Pablo reacts live with Amin Elhassan and David Samson to the NBA's findings — new C-suite emails, Aspiration texts, secret sponsors... and rational explanations, at long last.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 Payd
The Voice of Looney Tunes on the Horrors of Corporate Greed
Kawhi Leonard fan Eric Bauza plays Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck AND Elmer Fudd. (Really.) He can become Donald Trump. (Subconsciously, at least.) And he inhabits (at last) Wile E. Coyote in "Coyote vs. Acme" — a film that both is about and is itself the byproduct of extreme capitalism. The Filipino-Canadian voice actor turned Emmy-winning human heirloom chews on what it's like to get caught up in a Warn
The Best Streaker Ever Bares All (PTFO Vault)
He's stripped at tennis tournaments, the Super Bowl and the Olympics. But Mark Roberts is more than the world's most notorious streaker. Because his memories of mischief contain multitudes. About how to challenge authority, then laugh with the cops. About how to find yourself, lose yourself... and love what it means to be a fan all over again.(This episode originally aired September 9, 2025.)• Sub
Uncovering China's Secret War for Athlete Brainwaves (PTFO Vault)
Superstars like Jannik Sinner wear a headset to get in the zone. But a six-month investigation revealed the technology's funding by entities linked to the Chinese government. Hunterbrook Media's Sam Koppelman examines the potential impact on AI, mind control, state surveillance, cognitive warfare... and one very surprised Super Bowl champion.(This episode originally aired September 16, 2025.)• Rea
Behind the Scenes of the Yankee Wife-Swap Scandal (PTFO Vault)
In the early 1970s, two pitchers for the Yankees agreed to the wildest trade in sports history: They switched wives. And children. And furniture. And pets. David Mandel laments his big-screen adaptation that never was... even though the ultimate passion project could have starred Matt Damon and Ben Affleck.(This episode originally aired April 30, 2024.)• Subscribe to PTFO on YouTube for breaking n
Bird-Watching Will Blow Your Mind (PTFO Vault)
Parties. Orgasms. Adventure. Transcendence. Is there a sexier "sport" on planet Earth than birding? Correspondent Mickey Duzyj introduces Pablo to a nemesis, to the GOAT, to Jesus... and to David Attenborough (sorta).(This episode originally aired July 8, 2025.)• Subscribe to PTFO on YouTube for breaking news, greatest hits and live premieres with Pablo• Subscribe to Pablo's Substack for exclusive
The Case of the Stolen Dinosaur Bones (PTFO Vault)
How did a federal prosecutor end up suing a 70-million-year-old tyrannosaurus, looted from the Gobi Desert? By teaming up with The Babe Ruth of Forfeiture and a personal injury lawyer representing the president of Mongolia, naturally. What followed was a matter of international diplomacy and Florida men — of a narc at the museum and a conspicuous crate, all leading to Pablo's high school, The Grav
The Billionaire, the Billboards and the Star of the Worst Ad in Sports History (PTFO Vault)
The viral commercial has a mysteriously simple message: sportsmanship. The child actor has gotten dunked on by NBA Twitter for more than a decade. Correspondent Zach Schwartz untangles a web from Madison Avenue to the Supreme Court to Damian Lillard, in search of a boy named Alex — and the meaning of perseverance.(This episode originally aired January 7, 2025.)• Subscribe to PTFO on YouTube for br
The Jumbotron Emails, the Courtside Cabana and Ballmer's "Highest Integrity": Kawhi-Gate, Part XIV
As Kawhi Leonard resurfaces, Pablo shakes loose written proof of the Clippers trying to help make their star do something — anything — for a scoreboard company. David Samson beams in with meditations on an emergency: how the governor of Rhode Island paid hundreds for an NBA ticket, how to hide millions in a stadium construction site... and how much a billionaire owner really knows about the cost o
The Truth Behind the 49ers' Electromagnetic Injury Conspiracy
Is a mysterious substation — looming over an NFL practice facility "like The Eye of Sauron" — really causing a wave of injuries? Pablo teams up with Wendy Zukerman of the "Science Vs" podcast to map the actual electric waves, explain the cancer research and pore over the football data, to determine why the grass is always browner... on the other side of a deep story.• Subscribe to "Science Vs”• Su
"Take the Keys Away": Bill Belichick, His Exiled Consigliere and a "Sabotaging" at Carolina
The 25-year-old girlfriend is one thing. But as the greatest football coach of all time attempts to salvage his final act, the University of North Carolina is now investigating GM Michael Lombardi — aka Bill's Guy. Bruce Feldman of The Athletic explains how an old-school consigliere stepped on campus, in the middle of an already slimy era of college sports, and left Belichick a laughingstock.• "No
Share & Vore & Tell with Katie Nolan and Michael Cruz Kayne
Sophie Cunningham brought the Riley Gaines School of Victimhood to the WNBA, and then attempted to walk it back — but not before protests, counter-protests, and all the social-media engagement that hate can buy. Also, Katie Nolan and Michael Cruz Kayne react to a troubling and unbelievable fetish map of the United States.• Subscribe to "Casuals with Katie Nolan": https://www.youtube.com/katienolan
The Halo, Ballmer's Bowl and a New Crisis in the Super-System: Kawhi-Gate, Part XIII
How high up did Kawhi Leonard's silent deals go? Pablo ties a larger-than-life scoop to Steve Ballmer's "seemingly impossible aspirations," as Hunterbrook Media's Sam Koppelman follows the money from South Dakota to L.A. — and Amin Elhassan is left to deconstruct the Death Star.• Subscribe to Huntebrook Media's newsletter for more investigations• Subscribe to PTFO on YouTube for Kawhi news, greate
What Is Riley Gaines Hiding? (PTFO Vault)
She notoriously parlayed a tie for fifth into a star turn on Fox News. Now, as MAGA's top sports troll takes the WNBA's Sophie Cunningham under her wing in the trans-athlete debate, re-visit our Emmy-nominated, six-month investigation in partnership with Madison Pauly from The Center for Investigative Reporting. Who's funneling money into the radicalization of Riley Gaines? And what's her dark pas
How FIFA Tried (and Failed) to Sell the Soul of Football
The World Cup was a $15 billion jackpot. Then FIFA president Gianni Infantino overplayed his hand, with a secret plot to allegedly enrich the extended Trump family — and himself. The Athletic's Adam Crafton explains the NFL-inspired motives, political naïveté and potential downfall of the man who would be king of sport.• More from The Athletic: Inside the Week That Shook Gianni Infantino, FIFA and
Searching for a "Good" Sports Billionaire, with Henry Abbott
Fans want a "smoking gun" with Kawhi Leonard. Portland doesn't want its new owner to move the team. Even Vegas is looking to fill a C-suite. TrueHoop's Henry Abbott — the skeptic-in-chief of NBA insiders — stops by for a reality check on the state of truth, big money and basketball scandal: Should you believe Adam Silver and his lawyers, who all answer to the 1 percent? Who gets to be in the most
RIFC, the Impossible Deal and Life After Aspiration: Kawhi-Gate, Part XII
Just when you thought the Kawhi Leonard scandal was almost over, Pablo peels off another branch of the saga, with stacks of new documents and a group of reporters in tow. Amin Elhassan and David Samson reunite to trust the process of local journalism, meet another benevolent entrepreneur... and follow the public money, straight to the top — and back to The House That Ballmer Built.• Support The Ky
Share & Call the President & Tell with Brace Belden and Liz Franczak
The hosts of TrueAnon and Pablo Torre obtain Trump’s personal cell number and debate what to ask him. Plus: “FreddyLA7,” Nicholas Adamopoulos, special presidential envoys, America 250, Woke 2, Tom Brady vs. Logan Paul, Zohran Mamdani vs. The Internet, Lori Lightfoot vs. The Fridge... and whether you should autograph a bomb.• Subscribe to "TrueAnon"• Previously on PTFO: Six Degrees of Jeffrey Epste
How "The Odyssey" Outsmarts Itself, with Wesley Morris
A three-hour puzzle in IMAX makes for great storytelling, but does Christopher Nolan make going to the movies feel like homework? The New York Times critic at large joins Pablo for a (relatively spoiler-free) cinematic sparring session: What goes wrong when an auteur plays with too many Hollywood toys? What goes right when Homeric text aligns with classic Damon? Is the casting really so "woke" aft
We Go Deep with the Unlikeliest of Performance-Enhancing Drugs: Smooth Jazz
Forget hold music and Kenny G. Move over Michael Jordan and HGH. Smooth jazz — yes, smooth jazz — is the "stimulax" you've been sleeping on. From geriatric hotel ballrooms to the moneymaker-shaking high seas, correspondent Mickey Duzyj fights off the jazz police to report on the communal power of a comeback genre... then outs a closeted, world-champion super-fan.• Learn more about "Smooth World"•
"Play, Don't Pay": Meet the College-Football YouTuber Who Led a Gaming Revolt
James Bordeaux was a 23-year-old in Kentucky, playing EA Sports College Football 27 for a living. Then Electronic Arts — the $50-billion mega-developer backed by the Saudis and Jared Kushner's private-equity firm — tried to extract so-called "microtransactions" from inside his beloved video game. So the furious creator put his mouth where his money is: leading the type of organic, populist revolt
He Funded Jeffrey Epstein. Why Is This Billionaire's Name All Over College Campuses?
Victoria's Secret mogul turned mega-donor Leslie Wexner introduced Epstein to Harvard. Now, a growing protest movement to strip his name from university buildings is getting shut down. What did Epstein's money man know? When did he know it? And who really calls the shots in higher education? The Harvard Crimson's Dhruv Patel returns for Part 3 in our series on America's most prestigious school and
Decoding the Kawhi Leonard Investigation, with DeMaurice Smith
A superstar held up by the salary cap. A billionaire under the microscope. A league inquiry hidden from public view. De Smith has seen this playbook for punishment before. The former NFL union boss — and white-shoe law-firm investigator — returns to answer questions the NBA still won't: Who is "independent" when the league (and Steve Ballmer, in particular) pays the legal bill? Why would witnesses
The "Pay-to-Play" Scheme That (Almost) Ruined Video Games, with Dan Soder
Virtual currency is a new cheat code. But when EA Sports tried to squeeze extra cash out of sports fans with so-called "microtransactions" inside its latest-college football title, gamers revolted... and won? Comedian Dan Soder, who's been playing video games with a future NFL coach since childhood, takes Pablo on a journey to the seventh circle of nerddom: What does this phenomenon say about priv
The Best, Worst and Sexiest Trophies in Sports, with Legendary Art Critic Jerry Saltz
The Heisman? "An American classic." The World Cup? "Uncircumcised." A white-gloved Pablo welcomes back New York magazine's unfiltered, Pulitzer Prize-winning arbiter of taste to evaluate the history of competitive hardware as sculpture — with a curated tour of shiny balls, stolen chalices and one gigantic mystery box.• Previously on PTFO: Athlete Statues, Reviewed by Pulitzer-Winning Art Critic Je
Share & Risk & Tell with Jay Jurden and Katie Nolan
Why were Taylor Swift's wedding guests and celebrity Knicks fans assigned "risk" scores inside Madison Square Garden's secret VIP database? Who was the karaoke MVP at the wedding afterparty? And would you rather test-drive the "most potent weed beverage known to man" ... or Bill Simmons' colonoscopy? Plus: Guy Fieri, Shaboozey, Polyp George, The Mike Vrabel Sliding Scale of Chivalry, The Blandino
We Visited Death Row for the Super Bowl. You Can Help Save This Fan's Life. (PTFO Vault)
The reason for this re-air is dire: A wrongfully convicted football fan is running out of time — and legal avenues to pursue. When Pablo sat down with Cowboys superfan Charles Flores in January, Flores’ legal team was working on a Hail Mary: petitioning the U.S. Supreme Court to review his case — and to consider whether the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals had violated his right to due process. On
Uncovering Phil Mickelson's Misconduct Allegations, with Alan Shipnuck
After months of rumors, journalist Alan Shipnuck investigates why Phil Mickelson has basically vanished from the LIV Golf Tour — and social media. Leading us down a rabbit hole of hidden misconduct claims and exits from three different golf clubs. Not to mention 19 sources, an off-shore oil pipeline and an ex-friend's ex-wife: Ashley Perez.Read Alan Shipnuck’s reporting at Skratch Golf: https://ww
The Sporting Class: Hydration Breaks, FIFA Trials and a Condo Full of Cats
Ex-ESPN president John Skipper was once the most important soccer fan in America. But then he lost the World Cup to FOX — and became a federal witness. So we wanted to know what it’s been like to watch America fall in love with the very tournament Skipper wasn’t allowed to win. And whether federal corruption trials, nine figures worth of commercials and a Trump Tower apartment full of cats can slo
“Please Enjoy It Or You Are Fired”: Inside PTFO, with Dan Le Batard
PTFO keeps winning awards. But what do we do for an encore? How do you make something special without losing our standards — or our minds? Do you guys even enjoy this? Pablo visits Miami to see his friend/boss, Dan Le Batard, and Dan’s producer, Chris Cote. They discuss balancing real life; perspective in the face of grief; Oprah; and figuring out how to serve an audience without missing the point
The Missing Ambassador of the World Cup
He covered soccer before it was cool, promised to go WikiLeaks on FIFA, then got detained and mysteriously collapsed in Qatar. If there was ever someone we needed to hear from, as a global conduit during this corrupt World Cup on American soil, it's Grant Wahl. So his former co-host, Chris Wittyngham — along with his family and one of the many stars he inspired — helps Pablo listen back to Wahl's
What the World Cup Can Teach the American Fan, with John Green and Daniel Alarcón
We are numb, as Americans, to the attention of the globe and the power structures of our sports leagues. But what if love of country could be simple again? And what if fans had more power than we thought? Pablo feels the football osmosis from the (banned) bestselling author and his old friend turned MacArthur Genius, as they offer a liberal-arts education in the beautiful game — from the fault in
Sarah Jessica Parker on the Seductive Power of Sports and the City
New York is palpably horny right now. And happy. So we invited the patron saint of sex and this town to chase euphoria, appreciate the romance of the American idea, advise these young Knicks, remember the halcyon days of HBO... and make the case for reading books in the crowd.• Previously on PTFO: Celebrating These Knicks Title Vibes, with Desus Nice• Subscribe to The Athletic Hosted on Acast. See
USMNT's Tim Weah on World Cup Dreams, the American Idea... and Wu-Tang
He is the realest member of Team USA — an activist athlete, from Brooklyn and the African diaspora, choosing to represent a divisive nation as it tries bringing the globe a little closer together. In a rare sit-down ahead of the U.S. men's national team match against Australia, Timothy Weah explains the pressure of this moment, the power of soccer over politics... and why the Knicks' good-luck cha
The (Summer School) Sporting Class: Sex, Dolan and Contract Haircuts
Did the Knicks owner's pump-up speech help them win it all? Did their players stop fornicating because of it? How much do billionaires matter to championships anyway? And should superstars sacrifice millions for the greater good? David Samson and Domonique Foxworth chart the power and powerlessness of the billionaire class.• Subscribe to "The Domonique Foxworth Show"• Subscribe to "Nothing Persona
"Reverse 9/11": Celebrating These Knicks Title Vibes, with Desus Nice
Transcendence on the court. Dancing in the streets. And a drunk Instagram Live for the ages. Why wait 'til the parade? Pablo raises a glass (while devouring an egg-and-cheese) with Desus — his fellow New Yorker and bard of Knicks nation — to the commute of a champion and the beauty of a bandwagon; to the drip of Landry Shamet and the sweat of Patrick Ewing; to KAT and OG and Wu-Tang and, yes, even
UFC at the White House: How Dana White and Donald Trump Cashed In
The president's birthday-party fight card is straight out of central casting — and chock-full of political favor-trading. Who stands to gain the most? Luke Thomas unapologetically explains why everyone, from MMA fans to D.C. pundits, is missing the real story... then unearths fresh evidence of a purely transactional relationship.• Take the PTFO audience survey• Subscribe to "Morning Kombat" with L
America Signed Up for the World Cup. FIFA Stuck You with the Tab.
The biggest party in global sport is underway, and soccer's governing body stands to profit nearly $9 billion. How did FIFA squeeze U.S. taxpayers with so many hidden costs? The Athletic's Adam Crafton crunches the numbers on wasted public money, as Pablo dissects comically absurd demands upon host cities — from "clean" stadiums and super-V.I.P. treatment... to a pop-up jail.• Take the PTFO audien
Linsanity Is Dead. Long Live Linsanity: Jeremy Lin on the Finals, the Garden and the Healing Power of These Knicks
Madison Square Garden hasn't felt this alive since a little-known point guard from Harvard became the most popular person in New York City. On the occasion of his grand return, Jeremy Lin sits down with Pablo, who's been covering him since their dorm-room days, for a full-circle conversation about pressure, toughness, fleeting fame, the end of his run with the Knicks, squashing the beef with Carme
Ballmer's Secret I.O.U., Aspiration's "Web of Lies" and the Zenith of Fraud: Kawhi-Gate, Part XI
As Adam Silver calls for the NBA's Kawhi Leonard probe to wrap up and Aspiration's co-founder gets 14 years behind bars, Pablo investigates how Steve Ballmer covered his tracks on a side deal of his own — and with the SEC on the case. Former DOJ prosecutor Lou Manzo returns to make sense of the relationship between a billionaire and a fraudster, while David Samson is finally convinced that the ric
Do Not Mess with the Reporter Who Took Down Jeffrey Epstein
Julie K. Brown went from working in a bell factory to ringing the alarm on masters of the universe and (finally) winning a Pulitzer. The Miami Herald reporter visits Pablo to shed light on the culture of silence that protected Epstein for so long, the legal dream team that struck his secret deal, then how Epstein pulled out all the stops... to stop her investigation. Plus: the whistleblower who ga
Exclusive: Inside Zohran Mamdani's NYC Sports Equinox (feat. Adam Friedland)
Pablo visits the mayor of New York in his backyard, on the eve of the NBA Finals — and the cusp of heartbreak for his Arsenal F.C. — to discuss Knicks joy, soccer pain, hair loss, Donald Trump, Charles Oakley, Victor Wembanyama's Eid fit and, yes, flopping. Plus: Fellow Arsenal die-hard Adam Friedland checks in, on the state of socialism... and optimism.• Take the PTFO audience survey!• Subscribe
Share & Eat the Rich & Tell with Tim Miller and Stephanie Ruhle
Can Trump ruin these Knicks vibes? Why are billionaires so sensitive? Just how much of the White House is for sale? And is the pope radical? Or can decency levitate? Plus: the joylessness of a luxury box and… Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as a war criminal.Further content:• The White House Intervened to Get a $620 Million Deal for a Company Tied to Donald Trump Jr. (ProPublica)• The Trader in the Oval O
Exclusive: The Harambe Tapes, Revealed
Ten years ago today, one gorilla's death broke the internet, from sports and politics to million-dollar memes. But Harambe's life was a tragic battle over name, image and likeness — including files the Cincinnati Zoo worked to suppress... until now. Desus Nice and Katie Nolan help Pablo get to the bottom of what gorillas in our midst can teach us about ourselves.• Subscribe to PTFO on YouTube to w
"Celebrity Jeopardy!" Film Study (Championship Edition) with Mina Kimes and Domonique Foxworth
How is preparing for a game show like playing in the NFL? What's the first rule of "Jeopardy!" Fight Club? And why would you bet zero dollars with a million on the line? Plus: Katie Nolan's secret pep talk, Daily Double brain glitch, Spygate... and a buzzer bibliography.Previously on PTFO:• "Celebrity Jeopardy!" Film Study with Mina Kimes and Timothy Simons• Behind the Scenes of Pablo's History-Ma
Unlocking the State Secrets of College Football, with FOIAball's "King of the Bros"
He dug up Dianna Russini's playlist for Mike Vrabel. And Osama bin Laden's p*rn stash from the CIA. He even got a DM from Bill Belichick's girlfriend on the prowl. Now, David Covucci is shattering the illusion of coaches' power — and the unfathomable pastimes of the billionaire booster class — one embarrassing document bomb at a time. Pablo finds a kindred spirit... and Jessica Smetana makes histo
Share & Walk Alone & Tell with Mike Schur and Joe Posnanski
Have billionaire owners left us in the twilight of American fandom? Are crying Liverpool fans actually the cure for male loneliness? And is the NFL offseason running out of juice? Would you get married during the Super Bowl on Valentine's Day? Plus: Jim Thome's farm adjacency, Regis Philbin analytics, Gerry and the Pacemakers, institutional investors, the worst pandemic crowd... and feeding a sand
Cheap Trick: Debunking the "Magic" of Mentalist Oz Pearlman
He's wowed presidents, pro athletes and podcasters. But magicians tell us Oz Pearlman's viral act has crossed an ethical line. Stevie Baskin, after obsessively studying Pearlman's tricks, explains to Pablo how influencers from Charles Barkley to the White House were in on the act — and why he thinks this brand of "mind-reading" amounts to fraud.• Much more from Stevie Baskin's YouTube video• Previ
The Sporting Class: Is the NFL Killing the Golden Goose?
What do the tech titans of Silicon Valley and the old heads of traditional broadcast television have in common? Answer: they all need to kiss the ring of Roger Goodell. But will the NFL get too greedy in their continued pursuit of maximum return on their media rights? And why is Rupert Murdoch secretly meeting with Donald Trump? The Sporting Class — aka “Rich Guys OnlyFans” — returns…Read Vanity F
"Be Like Satoshi": We Unmask Scottie Pippen's A.I. Crypto Slop
Why is the Bulls legend hawking "the Mona Lisa of sports" as a talking Web3 meme-coin NFT? And who are the secret weapons turning the 60-year-old Hall-of-Famer into a crypto bro, with a last-ditch effort to cash in on The Last Dance? Pablo breaks out the folders for Jordan family friend Wyatt Cenac and former Pippen colleague Amin Elhassan, featuring revelations on MJ's son, Benihana, Lil Hippo...
It's the End of LIV Golf as We Knew It (and Trump Feels Fine)
The president may have ended his favorite sport's civil war — by waging a war of his own. But what did we really learn from Saudi Arabia's multibillion-dollar golf experiment? Journalist Alan Shipnuck explains what insiders are texting about but won't say out loud: that golfers are the most overpaid athletes on Earth, that peacetime is suddenly more complicated for the PGA Tour... and that sportsw
"Did You Hear That, James?" We Survived MSG Surveillance... with Edward Snowden's Lawyer
The Knicks are surging. But politicians are condemning owner James Dolan and his tax breaks, after our investigation with WIRED. So Pablo tests the limits of facial recognition with his playoff ticket plug Ben Wizner, who just happens to be the Deputy Legal Director at the ACLU — and one of America's foremost experts on modern privacy. Which makes him uniquely (if begrudgingly) qualified to break
Share & Anti-Pulitzer & Tell with Michael Cruz Kayne and Sam Reich
What does Mark Cuban think of Pablo's big Pulitzer Prize win? Did A.I. write that JPMorgan threesome lawsuit? And are the steroid Olympics in fact the Apollo mission of RFK Jr.'s America? Plus: third-tier "Mad Men" characters, self-canonization, the polymath of punch-ups, the lifespan of an inbred beagle... and Zoop.Further content:• Pablo Torre left the worldwide leader in sports to start a podca
Steve Ballmer's Victim Impact, the Man Who Prosecuted Aspiration and the Abacus of Incarceration: Kawhi-Gate, Part X
As the Clippers await punishment, their owner is big mad at Pablo — and appears worried about what Aspiration's founder might have told the NBA. So Pablo and David Samson (finally) sit down with a special guest: Lou Manzo, the former DOJ prosecutor who investigated this whole tree-planting fraud in the first place, to go inside the courtroom, comb through footnotes and focus on the end game.(Addit
Failure to Report: How Harvard Whitewashed Jeffrey Epstein's Millions (Part 2)
Epstein wasn't just funding women's sports or creeping around campus. Our new files — and Harvard's own audit — show how a billionaire pedophile used the biggest brand in academia to launder his reputation. Pablo and The Harvard Crimson's Dhruv Patel continue their investigation, with exclusive internal files, letters and interviews with athletes who say the university normalized a monster — and s
"The Jeffrey E. Epstein Fund for Women's Athletics": We Investigate Harvard's Hidden Epstein Files (Part 1)
How did an unforgettable donation from the most notorious pedophile in America get past the most prestigious university's self-investigation? And why did Harvard allegedly ask to keep it confidential? Pablo and The Harvard Crimson's Dhruv Patel unearth internal financials, the secret role of president Lawrence Summers, plus new Jeffrey Epstein correspondence — and speak to the team that "never ask
The Man Who (Relentlessly) Sued the NFL Has Receipts: A Sitdown with DeMaurice Smith
Secret salary caps. Accidental email attachments. Truth-serum texts from owners. Slide decks for ESPN. If anyone knows how to dork-out on billionaires taking your money — and documenting their greed — it's the former NFL Players Association boss who negotiated $100 billion for athletes... and sued the sh*t out of The Shield. With his union now plagued by scandal — and America as unregulated as eve
The Sporting Class: Affairs, Private Eyes and the All-Seeing Eye
What are the business ethics of sh*tting where you eat? Can you be a journalist and an "insider" at the same time? And what happened after the Knicks' owner doxxed the man threatening his arena's beer? David Samson — the Marie Kondo of sports infidelity and the watchful eye of Florida baseball — helps Pablo decode the messy stories of Dianna Russini and Mike Vrabel... and James Dolan versus his en
"Celebrity Jeopardy!" Film Study: Share & Buzz & Tell with Mina Kimes and Timothy Simons
How does the game-show game clock move so fast? Why do you become 30% dumber when the cameras roll? And is Mina part of a sociopathic conspiracy with Ken Jennings? Plus: Andy Richter, button analytics, the dais height advantage, Daily Double anxiety, tanking board games for your kids... and a Stat Boy cameo.• Subscribe to "The Mina Kimes Show featuring Lenny"• Watch "Nobody Wants This" with Timoth
Exclusive: How The Onion Finally Shut Up Alex Jones for Good
The notorious conspiracy theorist profited from his vile Sandy Hook conspiracy. Then America's finest (fake) news source decided to troll the world's greatest troll. Ben Collins — who transformed from reporting on the historic Infowars defamation trial to buying out his "ideological enemy" in a Storage Wars-style auction saga — tells Pablo why The Onion committed to the ultimate bit: doing the rig
We Got Inside Knicks Surveillance — and MSG's Deep State Is Stranger Than You Think
Tracking players. Monitoring kids. Allegedly watching a fan enter the bathroom. The panopticon of notorious owner James Dolan has been caught in glimpses. But a WIRED investigation — revealed in collaboration with PTFO — lifts the veil on the Orwellian scope (and occasional clown show) of MSG security, from The Garden and The Sphere to the streets of New York and out across America. Correspondent
The Right-Wing Takeover of Combat Sports Is Upon Us
Donald Trump's comfort zone. Coercive deals. Saudi funding. In the era of American favor-trading, a company called TKO Group Holdings is dominating the fight game. (Welcome, Zuffa Boxing.) And as longtime MMA dean Luke Thomas dares to explain, UFC boss Dana White may be in denial — and it may not be good for fans or fighters — but it pays to be in bed with a transactional regime.• Subscribe to "Mo
The Fandom of the Opera: A Linebacker, a White Whale... and a Secret
We get it: As Timothée Chalamet said, "no one cares" about opera. But you should listen, instead, to former college linebacker Brandon Jovanovich — whose impossible rise from cater waiter to Captain Ahab proves that the artform that used to rule the world has way more in common with sports than you realize. (And that's even before you realize what he's been playing through, onstage.) Also: wh
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