The Bill Simmons Podcast
Game 7 Baseball Magic, Josh Beats Pat, Seattle’s Rise, Cincy’s Fall, and Guess the Lines With Cousin Sal
03 Nov 2025
Chapter 1: What is the significance of the Dodgers' back-to-back World Series win?
The Bill Simmons Podcast brought to you by FanDuel Sportsbook. We're also brought to you by the Ringer Podcast Network, where I have new rewatchables coming for you. On Monday night, we did the Truman Show. We did it with me and Chris Ryan and a very, very special guest. It is a pretty famous celebrity. And, you know, when we have the celebrities on, you never know how it's going to go.
But this one went great. Really, really good. You're going to be surprised. So that's coming Monday night. Looking forward to that. I want to tell you about a new podcast that we're launching in November. And this is a surprising one. It is a sports and culture podcast, but mostly sports, with Max Kellerman and Rich Paul. And there's a whole story behind this that I can explain really quickly.
I'm sure we'll talk more about this over the next couple of weeks. But I've wanted to work with Max for a long, long time. And when his ESPN stuff...
went the way that it did and he was basically um he was on the sidelines there for almost a year and a half and i was waiting waiting for him to potentially um become available and when it finally happened we started talking after the uh after he did the netflix boxing thing and i was like we got to do something he was like well i'm a little bit down the road with this other idea
and it was this show that he would been thinking about with as it turned out it was rich paul and it was they've been friends for a while they've always wanted to do something uh like a back and forth kind of the kind of ringer type show that we would do like conversation show chemistry show and uh and i was like rich paul like he's running clutch he's like an entrepreneur he's doing all these different things how is he gonna have time in the wherewithal to do a podcast
so i did what i usually do in these situations i just met with them and we went out to lunch and we talked for two hours i didn't really know rich that well and i think i think he didn't think i liked him i didn't think he liked me and that got hashed out in 10 minutes and uh and more importantly just watching the way they interacted i was became convinced like oh these guys i get it these guys should have a show so uh i think it's going to be three days a week
It's going to be sports. They might have some special guests. And Max, I don't have to sell you on. I think Max is great. I'm really excited to be in a situation where we can have the kind of platform and the support. And I just always felt like if he was on the right team, he would crush. So give that piece. And then Rich's side, he's obviously a really busy guy. He's got a lot of commitments.
But there's a perspective that he has. And in chemistry, especially with Max, that I just think is really unique for a podcast and for a conversation that you'd want to listen to. If you think like the whole concept of why a podcast would work is it's like you're like a fly on a wall listening to two people who really know their shit talking about stuff and you're just kind of there listening.
And I think that's what he thinks too. That's what he wants to flip... um the sports talk thing on its head a little bit and bring some real some real thought perspective on sports business people all these different things and i think i think we all feel pretty good about how that he can do a really good podcast that um while also doing all these other jobs that he has. So I don't know.
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Chapter 2: What were the key moments in the Game 7 against the Blue Jays?
I don't know. There's a million jokes.
And then Otani, who at some point during game three, it felt like this was going to be one of the watershed months in pro sports history for an athlete. And then by the end of it, he was just kind of barely hanging out as a supporting cast member. He got bailed out. He was out 3-0. Seemed like he had multiple chances to get those runs back and couldn't. And then his team picked him up.
But it was interesting to watch his week evolve. And then my guy Mookie was the other one. They had to move him back in the batting order because he was kind of killing him. But at the same time, it's just unbelievable to me that he plays shortstop. It's kind of went from center to right to right to center to second base to shortstop. There's never been a career like this.
You have to do it if you're a Dodger. And then he gets the double play to end the series. Just ear to ear smiles as soon as he fielded the ball. Like you did feel good for him. The one more thing I want to say about that 18 inning game, as great as that was, and that that's the pinnacle of sports, 18 innings.
And you see that guy Klein who hadn't thrown 60 pitches through college and oh my God, he's just bowing these guys down. Unbelievable. There's Dodgers 10th pitcher that like the biggest difference between my team and you and the team that's in there. they have pitcher number 10 is throwing 99 on the corner. Right.
Like in the, and the announcers are barely mentioning it, but how that could have gone from great to absurd. If we saw your guy, Mookie Betts pitching the 19th inning or the 20th inning, like that would have been ridiculous. Right. Like then you're like, ah, shit, this sucks. Like, you know, imagine if Ramondre Stevenson is the quarterback of the Patriots because the game went too long, you know?
So what do you do? Do you do like,
By the 18th inning, you started a guy on second base. I don't feel like you could mess with the history of this.
I did miss the ghost runner a little bit. A little bit.
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Chapter 3: How did the Blue Jays' previous losses impact their Game 7 experience?
I mean, sitting there just watching everybody go just zeros for three solid hours was... People had a good idea.
Otani, maybe the fourth time he was intentionally walked, he can get second base. Right? At least one more base. You're not allowed to throw the first so many times. They could fudge that rule a little bit. What's the most nerve-wracking sport to you of all the sports?
Is it baseball? Um, I just think for like situation like that, or is it hockey? No, it's sudden death hockey or is it like an extra innings baseball game with everything at stake?
It's, it's gotta be hockey because there's no, you're okay. If your team's up at bat, you're not going to get scored on in baseball. Right. So you have that at least. It's end to end Russian hockey. Like you could, you could be on a power play and get scored on in three seconds, you know, because it's back and forth and back and forth.
So it has to be hockey, but the way baseball is shot and directed and the way they'll like, you know, a lot of times it's cold, the pitcher blowing on his hand, they go to the dugout, the shots of the fans. You cannot match that intensity because you have so much time in between pitches.
Yeah.
Baseball also has that unbelievable piece where it's like bases loaded. The guy throw, it's like two and O count.
Yeah.
And the announcer does the, there's nowhere to put them. And you're like, yeah, there really isn't. There's nowhere to put them. Right. Right. And hockey, I guess the version of that is the five on four, the five on three power play and OT. I still feel like I've been in the house for great games in every sport.
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Chapter 4: What lessons can be learned from the Dodgers' victory and the Blue Jays' defeat?
and he decides to try to kick a field goal to go up 10, misses it. All of a sudden, the Chiefs have the ball back. What do you do there? You punt? You punt there? Yeah, I punt. You're not going 90 yards in 20 seconds. It's not happening. Just punting out of bounds in the 10.
What was it? It was 27 seconds left, fourth and like eight. Yeah, just punting out of bounds. Yeah.
What do you want to give them the ball at the 40? That's doable. I can get a pass interference. I can get Kelsey over the middle. I can down it. It's conceivable I can get a score in three plays.
Right. Yeah. Yeah. Those just always go into the, right into the end zone, but I guess it wouldn't matter from the 20 with the, with your own 20 with 20 seconds left. You're right. I mean, we've seen my homes do it, but, uh, that was probably, but the kick just missed then. Thank God. Cause we had teasers all over the place with, Oh my God. Yeah.
I had the bills to win the game. And then at halftime I did the chief, the chief's money line. The chiefs were my, we're winning by a point in the second half.
And then we were doing a little chase and little Jamar chasing. Lions loss.
You mentioned that thing about the punting. So I thought the same thing. They're not going to do it because these teams always kick it in the end zone. What the fuck do these punters do all day and practice every day? Right. Like how many things are there to practice? It's like, all right. We're going to practice where you punt it as far as you can.
And then I thought we'd practice when you angle the punts and they don't go in the end zone. What are the other, I guess you're practicing a fake punt play every, what do punters do all day? They can't just direct a punt into the... I feel like when we were kids, punters could do this routinely. It's like how nobody can bunt anymore in baseball.
Right. Well, bunting was taken out of... Yeah, right. Exactly. But yes, the coffin corner, or at least kick it out... Coffin corner. What are you doing? You're turning your body a little bit, right? And then aiming it not directly at the sideline, but 25 yards downfield and down the sideline. So...
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Chapter 5: What technology is Bill Simmons apologizing for?
I'm sitting there like a forensic scientist in a lab trying to match up screens. You didn't know you could just press the thing? Oh, my God. That's all I do. This is great. This is unbelievable. This is a game changer. And I apologize for anything I've said to YouTube TV.
I've gotten to the point where I like, for good luck, putting the pats on the bottom left. Oh, really? So I'll keep moving the multi-views, like trying to do it until I finally get the pats on the bottom left. And then...
I'm an idiot. Bad job by me. I don't know why I did that. And I'll apologize.
I have an apology. Can I do an apology? Yeah, go ahead. Yeah. I'd like to apologize to Mike Tomlin. Really? Two weeks in a row betting against him at home in Pittsburgh as an underdog. I should have known. I should have known he was going to do all the dumb... dumb steeler shit that they do all the time. Like I just, I should have known it was, it looked too easy. Daniel Jones on grass.
This was like the exact type of situation Tomlin loves. They were just going to get six turnovers out of nowhere. I just should have known. He's just, this is who he is. He's going to be this guy until he's like 70. Just winning game. They're always going to go 9-8 or 10-7. I don't know why I went under with them. It doesn't matter who's on the team. They can have a 42-year-old QB.
They can have a defense that gives up 20 straight passes the week before. They're always going to be fine. They're always going to go 9-8 or 10-7.
Well, 9-8 was still under, wasn't it? Wasn't it 9.5? No, they were 8.5 this year.
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Chapter 6: What are the implications of Mike Tomlin's coaching?
Oh, right. That's right. If you wanted to go over. I still went under. All right. What's your last apology? One more. I just have nerd clusters. They're fantastic. I laughed at them. I'm like, you kids are wasting your time with these nerd clusters. They're all of a sudden, have you had them? They're my favorite non-chocolate candy now. They've grown on me. Is that what Brad threw on our ribs?
He just did regular nerds, but they have these clusters now. It's like in a gummy. You haven't had this? You're not living right. You're just vanilla lattes. Yeah, of course it's unhealthy. Look at me. I've been eating a lot of Kit Kats lately. I've been on a Kit Kat run. Oh, that's your thing?
Kit Kats are really good.
Chapter 7: How are the Patriots performing this season?
Well, my wife bought Halloween candy and bought the bigger Kit Kats.
Yeah. Can I tell you something? I think bigger Kit Kats are so much better than the smaller ones. And I think it has to do with the ratio. I think they make them differently. They must. I think the ratio of whatever is perfect. There's more chocolate in the bigger ones. On the big ones. Yeah.
Yeah. I'm with you. Okay, good. Pats Falcons. Pats win. Don't cover. All the Pats fans are worried about this game.
Yeah.
And yet the Pats were up 21-7 driving before halftime. At midfield, it was like 25 seconds left. It felt like 24 to seven minimum. And then May gets sacked, fumbled. Falcons come back down. Didn't even get sacked.
It was such a wuss play. Just gave the ball up. Almost like a tap. What's wrong with that guy? He's not that good. But go ahead.
Yeah. He's on pace for 4,400 yards and 34 TDs and eight picks and breaking the completion record. Completion percentage record. He actually would have the record all time in the history of the NFL right now.
I just can't believe this. I really can't believe we're doing this years later. You should have had to suffer like a Cleveland Browns. I did suffer. We suffered for half a decade. What do you want from us? Please, please. Half a decade, and then you should have stayed with Mac Jones. You shouldn't go half a decade and now have Junior Goat here. This is so stupid.
Well, he got sacked 12 times in two weeks and was under a real duress. And there's some issues with this Pats team, which we've known, but they are 7-2. They are going to, I think, be a playoff team just because of their schedule. And they do have their trade deadline coming up with like $48 million under the cap. They need a pass rusher. They need another receiver.
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Chapter 8: What insights are shared about upcoming NFL matchups?
I thought Penix was really up and down, but it came down and they missed an extra point.
Yeah, you get to play all the bad teams with all the bad coaches and all the bad quarterbacks and all the bad kickers. So it's hard to lose. And you're going to have A.J. Brown against Tampa next week.
I don't think it'll be A.J. Brown, but I am looking at those Dolphins guys. That Jalen Phillips, Hendrickson would be great. The Bengals lost again. I don't think the Raiders will trade Max Crosby.
Nah. But look at you. The rich get richer here with this team. Do you think Vrabel at 2-1 for Coach of the Year is a better bet than maybe for MVP? Because he's sneaking up there, Vrabel.
It's either Vrabel or Steichen, right?
Yeah, so that's who you'd have to beat up.
Does that come down to who has a better record? That's who wins Coach of the Year?
I think if you win the division and, you know, well... I don't know. This is some schedule. I had Bray Bull at plus 750.
You do?
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