Pablo Torre Finds Out

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 information.

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 Judgment DayFurther reading:• "Pablo Torre 1, Mark Cuban 0" (The Wall Street Journal)• "Sources: NBA has no evidence Ballmer funneled money to Leonard via sponsors" (ESPN)• "Summary Report of Independent Investigators Concerning the LA Clippers and Kawhi Leonard" (Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz)(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.

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 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• Part IX: Ballmer's Tree Money, the Whistle-Blowers and the Document You've Been Waiting For• Part X: Steve Ballmer's Victim Impact, the Man Who Prosecuted Aspiration and the Abacus of Incarceration• Part XI: Ballmer's Secret I.O.U., Aspiration's "Web of Lies" and the Zenith of Fraud• Part XII: RIFC, the Impossible Deal and Life After Aspiration• Part XIII: The Halo, Ballmer's Bowl and a New Crisis in the Super-System• Part XIV: The Jumbotron Emails, the Courtside Cabana and Ballmer's "Highest Integrity"(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 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.)• Subscribe to PTFO on YouTube for breaking news, greatest hits and live premieres with Pablo• Subscribe to Pablo's Substack for exclusive access, documents and invites Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 news, greatest hits and live premieres with Pablo• Subscribe to Pablo's Substack for exclusive access, documents and invites Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 Graveyard of the Oviraptor... and, of course, Nicolas Cage.(This episode originally aired April 15, 2025.)• Subscribe to PTFO on YouTube for breaking news, greatest hits and live premieres with Pablo• Subscribe to Pablo's Substack for exclusive access, documents and invites Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 of doing business.• More from WPRI on the governor and the Clippers game• Subscribe to Huntebrook Media's newsletter for more investigations• Subscribe to PTFO on YouTube for breaking news, greatest hits and live premieres with PabloPreviously 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• Part IX: Ballmer's Tree Money, the Whistle-Blowers and the Document You've Been Waiting For• Part X: Steve Ballmer's Victim Impact, the Man Who Prosecuted Aspiration and the Abacus of Incarceration• Part XI: Ballmer's Secret I.O.U., Aspiration's "Web of Lies" and the Zenith of Fraud• Part XII: RIFC, the Impossible Deal and Life After Aspiration• Part XIII: The Halo, Ballmer's Bowl and a New Crisis in the Super-System Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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.• "North Carolina put Michael Lombardi on leave. The Bill Belichick era has reached a crisis point" (Bruce Feldman)• Subscribe to "The Audible" with Bruce Feldman • Previously on PTFO: Debunking the Myth of Bill Belichick's Consigliere Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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, greatest hits and morePreviously 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• Part IX: Ballmer's Tree Money, the Whistle-Blowers and the Document You've Been Waiting For• Part X: Steve Ballmer's Victim Impact, the Man Who Prosecuted Aspiration and the Abacus of Incarceration• Part XI: Ballmer's Secret I.O.U., Aspiration's "Web of Lies" and the Zenith of Fraud• Part XII: RIFC, the Impossible Deal and Life After Aspiration(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.

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 the Football World• Previously on PTFO: America Signed Up for the World Cup. FIFA Stuck You with the Tab.• Subscribe to "The Athletic FC Podcast" with Adam Crafton• Subscribe to The Athletic Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 Kyra Fund• Read much more about RIFC at WPRIPreviously 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• Part IX: Ballmer's Tree Money, the Whistle-Blowers and the Document You've Been Waiting For• Part X: Steve Ballmer's Victim Impact, the Man Who Prosecuted Aspiration and the Abacus of Incarceration• Part XI: Ballmer's Secret I.O.U., Aspiration's "Web of Lies" and the Zenith of Fraud(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 WPRI-TV 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 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" after all? And why were those Greek islands so... neutered?• Subscribe to "Cannonball with Wesley Morris"• Subscribe to PTFO on YouTube• Subscribe to The Athletic Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.