Veteran sports labor attorney Jim Quinn joins the Chuck ToddCast with MLB barreling toward a December 2 lockout. The collective bargaining agreement expires December 1, owners are pushing a salary cap and floor — currently proposed to phase in by 2028 at roughly $258 million and $180 million — and the players’ association has vowed never to accept one. Quinn walks through the nuclear option nobody’s modeled out: if the union decertifies, it’s unclear who could stop a lockout, whether guaranteed contracts survive, and whether every superstar in the sport suddenly hits free agency. He explains why owners failed to win a cap in 1994, why MLB franchise values haven’t kept pace with other leagues because of media rights, and why Rob Manfred doesn’t want a lockout defining his legacy. Plus a detailed turn to college sports, where Quinn gives the Protect College Sports Act zero chance of passing. 

 

Timeline:

00:00 Jim Quinn joins the Chuck ToddCast

02:45 Decertification and who could stop a lockout

06:15 December lockout, ongoing talks, and the pressure on both sides

09:30 Would contracts be voided? And the superstar free agency risk

11:45 What success looks like for owners — and the 1994 precedent

18:00 Franchise values, media rights, and why MLB lags

21:30 Manfred’s legacy and whether players accept an incremental cap

26:45 The Dodgers problem and which owners can reach Manfred

33:00 Is there a revenue sharing deal to be had?

36:15 Fixing college sports’ labor structure

39:00 Why the Protect College Sports Act is dead

42:30 The NLRB’s role, mock negotiations, and the NIL correction

Veteran sports labor attorney Jim Quinn joins the Chuck ToddCast with MLB barreling toward a December 2 lockout. The collective bargaining agreement expires December 1, owners are pushing a salary cap and floor &mdash; currently proposed to phase in by 2028 at roughly $258 million and $180 million &mdash; and the players&rsquo; association has vowed never to accept one. Quinn walks through the nuclear option nobody&rsquo;s modeled out: if the union decertifies, it&rsquo;s unclear who could stop a lockout, whether guaranteed contracts survive, and whether every superstar in the sport suddenly hits free agency. He explains why owners failed to win a cap in 1994, why MLB franchise values haven&rsquo;t kept pace with other leagues because of media rights, and why Rob Manfred doesn&rsquo;t want a lockout defining his legacy. Plus a detailed turn to college sports, where Quinn gives the Protect College Sports Act zero chance of passing.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
Timeline:
00:00 Jim Quinn joins the Chuck ToddCast
02:45 Decertification and who could stop a lockout
06:15 December lockout, ongoing talks, and the pressure on both sides
09:30 Would contracts be voided? And the superstar free agency risk
11:45 What success looks like for owners &mdash; and the 1994 precedent
18:00 Franchise values, media rights, and why MLB lags
21:30 Manfred&rsquo;s legacy and whether players accept an incremental cap
26:45 The Dodgers problem and which owners can reach Manfred
33:00 Is there a revenue sharing deal to be had?
36:15 Fixing college sports&rsquo; labor structure
39:00 Why the Protect College Sports Act is dead
42:30 The NLRB&rsquo;s role, mock negotiations, and the NIL correction

The Chuck ToddCast is back! If you're looking for smart, no-nonsense political conversation, you've come to the right place. The Chuck ToddCast goes beyond the headlines, featuring conversations with top reporters, insiders, and newsmakers from D.C. to the heartland. No scripts, no spin—just real discussions about what’s shaping our politics and why it matters.

The Chuck ToddCast

Interview Only w/ Jim Quinn - The MLB Lockout Is Coming & And Nobody Knows How It Ends 

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/9f1cd2cf-06be-4084-9804-b4fe013b437f/transcript

(Note: Most of this episode was recorded prior the Wednesday’s vote in the house)

 

Chuck Todd breaks down Republicans electing John Thune and Jim Jordan to leadership — arguing Jordan is who you pick when you’ve accepted being in the minority for a while, a choice that makes the base feel better without winning anything back, with the GOP now facing a two-cycle deficit. The bulk of the episode is Thomas Massie’s impeachment resolution against Pete Hegseth over unauthorized hostilities in Iran, Venezuela and Yemen. He argues Hegseth’s press conference was performed for an audience of one, that hiding behind the troops was disgusting, and that civilian military leadership should be held to the highest account — the military belongs to all of us, not to Trump. The public deserves to hear the evidence a trial would produce, particularly on war powers and the Caribbean boat strikes. He also breaks down several important ballot measure results from across the country.





Finally, Chuck presents the ToddCast Top 5 states that will enter battleground status for the 2028 election and answers listeners’ questions in the Ask Chuck segment. 

 

Timeline:

00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction

04:00 Thune, Jordan, and what the leadership picks signal

12:00 The Hegseth impeachment push and a Pentagon in disarray

20:30 A devastated GOP conference and the vote math

27:00 Would a trial happen in this Senate or the next one?

30:00 The Mayorkas precedent and what Thune could do

37:30 Headaches for Thune and Johnson, and chaos in DC

42:15 War powers, the boat strikes, and the evidence voters deserve

45:45 The “warrior ethos” and hiding behind the troops

1:00:30 Amendment 3 and a possible rural revolt in Florida

1:02:30 Missouri rejects the map, and the fight over ballot measures

1:09:30 Ranked choice survives in Alaska

1:12:15 Tax measures fail, and Washington’s anti-trans sports bill passes 

1:21:30 ToddCast Top 5 states to end up in the fall 2028 battleground

1:22:30 #5 Minnesota

1:24:45 #4 Mississippi

1:25:45 #3 South Carolina

1:26:30 #2 Florida

1:28:15 #1 Texas

1:29:15 Honorable mentions

1:29:30 Ask Chuck

1:29:45 What happens if popular vote compact elects a Republican?

1:33:15 Should congress ask Trump for a written SOTU rather than speech?

1:34:30 Shouldn’t the Utah Utes get more love from the ToddCast

1:38:00 Election night coverage in the US versus Europe

(Note: Most of this episode was recorded prior the Wednesday&rsquo;s vote in the house)
&nbsp;
Chuck Todd breaks down Republicans electing John Thune and Jim Jordan to leadership &mdash; arguing Jordan is who you pick when you&rsquo;ve accepted being in the minority for a while, a choice that makes the base feel better without winning anything back, with the GOP now facing a two-cycle deficit. The bulk of the episode is Thomas Massie&rsquo;s impeachment resolution against Pete Hegseth over unauthorized hostilities in Iran, Venezuela and Yemen. He argues Hegseth&rsquo;s press conference was performed for an audience of one, that hiding behind the troops was disgusting, and that civilian military leadership should be held to the highest account &mdash; the military belongs to all of us, not to Trump. The public deserves to hear the evidence a trial would produce, particularly on war powers and the Caribbean boat strikes. He also breaks down several important ballot measure results from across the country.
 
Finally, Chuck presents the ToddCast Top 5 states that will enter battleground status for the 2028 election and answers listeners&rsquo; questions in the Ask Chuck segment.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
Timeline:
00:00 Chuck Todd&rsquo;s introduction
04:00 Thune, Jordan, and what the leadership picks signal
12:00 The Hegseth impeachment push and a Pentagon in disarray
20:30 A devastated GOP conference and the vote math
27:00 Would a trial happen in this Senate or the next one?
30:00 The Mayorkas precedent and what Thune could do
37:30 Headaches for Thune and Johnson, and chaos in DC
42:15 War powers, the boat strikes, and the evidence voters deserve
45:45 The &ldquo;warrior ethos&rdquo; and hiding behind the troops
1:00:30 Amendment 3 and a possible rural revolt in Florida
1:02:30 Missouri rejects the map, and the fight over ballot measures
1:09:30 Ranked choice survives in Alaska
1:12:15 Tax measures fail, and Washington&rsquo;s anti-trans sports bill passes&nbsp;
1:21:30 ToddCast Top 5 states to end up in the fall 2028 battleground
1:22:30 #5 Minnesota
1:24:45 #4 Mississippi
1:25:45 #3 South Carolina
1:26:30 #2 Florida
1:28:15 #1 Texas
1:29:15 Honorable mentions
1:29:30 Ask Chuck
1:29:45 What happens if popular vote compact elects a Republican?
1:33:15 Should congress ask Trump for a written SOTU rather than speech?
1:34:30 Shouldn&rsquo;t the Utah Utes get more love from the ToddCast
1:38:00 Election night coverage in the US versus Europe

Chuck’s Commentary - Hegseth Deserves Impeachment & We Deserve Answers + Republicans Elect New Leadership

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/3e1d4d64-b28b-4720-b9c5-b4ff00039c54/transcript

(Note: Most of this episode was recorded prior the Wednesday’s vote in the house)

Chuck Todd breaks down Republicans electing John Thune and Jim Jordan to leadership — arguing Jordan is who you pick when you’ve accepted being in the minority for a while, a choice that makes the base feel better without winning anything back, with the GOP now facing a two-cycle deficit. The bulk of the episode is Thomas Massie’s impeachment resolution against Pete Hegseth over unauthorized hostilities in Iran, Venezuela and Yemen. He argues Hegseth’s press conference was performed for an audience of one, that hiding behind the troops was disgusting, and that civilian military leadership should be held to the highest account — the military belongs to all of us, not to Trump. The public deserves to hear the evidence a trial would produce, particularly on war powers and the Caribbean boat strikes. He also breaks down several important ballot measure results from across the country.

Then, veteran sports labor attorney Jim Quinn joins the Chuck ToddCast with MLB barreling toward a December 2 lockout. The collective bargaining agreement expires December 1, owners are pushing a salary cap and floor — currently proposed to phase in by 2028 at roughly $258 million and $180 million — and the players’ association has vowed never to accept one. Quinn walks through the nuclear option nobody’s modeled out: if the union decertifies, it’s unclear who could stop a lockout, whether guaranteed contracts survive, and whether every superstar in the sport suddenly hits free agency. He explains why owners failed to win a cap in 1994, why MLB franchise values haven’t kept pace with other leagues because of media rights, and why Rob Manfred doesn’t want a lockout defining his legacy. Plus a detailed turn to college sports, where Quinn gives the Protect College Sports Act zero chance of passing.

Finally, Chuck presents the ToddCast Top 5 states that will enter battleground status for the 2028 election and answers listeners’ questions in the Ask Chuck segment. 

Timeline:

00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction

04:00 Thune, Jordan, and what the leadership picks signal

12:00 The Hegseth impeachment push and a Pentagon in disarray

20:30 A devastated GOP conference and the vote math

27:00 Would a trial happen in this Senate or the next one?

30:00 The Mayorkas precedent and what Thune could do

37:30 Headaches for Thune and Johnson, and chaos in DC

42:15 War powers, the boat strikes, and the evidence voters deserve

45:45 The “warrior ethos” and hiding behind the troops

1:00:30 Amendment 3 and a possible rural revolt in Florida

1:02:30 Missouri rejects the map, and the fight over ballot measures

1:09:30 Ranked choice survives in Alaska

1:12:15 Tax measures fail, and Washington’s anti-trans sports bill passes 

1:24:00 Jim Quinn joins the Chuck ToddCast

1:26:45 Decertification and who could stop a lockout

1:30:15 December lockout, ongoing talks, and the pressure on both sides

1:33:30 Would contracts be voided? And the superstar free agency risk

1:35:45 What success looks like for owners — and the 1994 precedent

1:42:00 Franchise values, media rights, and why MLB lags

1:45:30 Manfred’s legacy and whether players accept an incremental cap

1:50:45 The Dodgers problem and which owners can reach Manfred

1:57:00 Is there a revenue sharing deal to be had?

2:00:15 Fixing college sports’ labor structure

2:03:00 Why the Protect College Sports Act is dead

2:06:30 The NLRB’s role, mock negotiations, and the NIL correction

2:13:00 ToddCast Top 5 states to end up in the fall 2028 battleground

2:14:00 #5 Minnesota

2:16:15 #4 Mississippi

2:17:15 #3 South Carolina

2:18:00 #2 Florida

2:19:45 #1 Texas

2:20:45 Honorable mentions

2:21:00 Ask Chuck

2:21:15 What happens if popular vote compact elects a Republican?

2:24:45 Should congress ask Trump for a written SOTU rather than speech?

2:26:00 Shouldn’t the Utah Utes get more love from the ToddCast

2:29:30 Election night coverage in the US versus Europe

(Note: Most of this episode was recorded prior the Wednesday&rsquo;s vote in the house)
Chuck Todd breaks down Republicans electing John Thune and Jim Jordan to leadership &mdash; arguing Jordan is who you pick when you&rsquo;ve accepted being in the minority for a while, a choice that makes the base feel better without winning anything back, with the GOP now facing a two-cycle deficit. The bulk of the episode is Thomas Massie&rsquo;s impeachment resolution against Pete Hegseth over unauthorized hostilities in Iran, Venezuela and Yemen. He argues Hegseth&rsquo;s press conference was performed for an audience of one, that hiding behind the troops was disgusting, and that civilian military leadership should be held to the highest account &mdash; the military belongs to all of us, not to Trump. The public deserves to hear the evidence a trial would produce, particularly on war powers and the Caribbean boat strikes. He also breaks down several important ballot measure results from across the country.
Then, veteran sports labor attorney Jim Quinn joins the Chuck ToddCast with MLB barreling toward a December 2 lockout. The collective bargaining agreement expires December 1, owners are pushing a salary cap and floor &mdash; currently proposed to phase in by 2028 at roughly $258 million and $180 million &mdash; and the players&rsquo; association has vowed never to accept one. Quinn walks through the nuclear option nobody&rsquo;s modeled out: if the union decertifies, it&rsquo;s unclear who could stop a lockout, whether guaranteed contracts survive, and whether every superstar in the sport suddenly hits free agency. He explains why owners failed to win a cap in 1994, why MLB franchise values haven&rsquo;t kept pace with other leagues because of media rights, and why Rob Manfred doesn&rsquo;t want a lockout defining his legacy. Plus a detailed turn to college sports, where Quinn gives the Protect College Sports Act zero chance of passing.
Finally, Chuck presents the ToddCast Top 5 states that will enter battleground status for the 2028 election and answers listeners&rsquo; questions in the Ask Chuck segment.&nbsp;
Timeline:
00:00 Chuck Todd&rsquo;s introduction
04:00 Thune, Jordan, and what the leadership picks signal
12:00 The Hegseth impeachment push and a Pentagon in disarray
20:30 A devastated GOP conference and the vote math
27:00 Would a trial happen in this Senate or the next one?
30:00 The Mayorkas precedent and what Thune could do
37:30 Headaches for Thune and Johnson, and chaos in DC
42:15 War powers, the boat strikes, and the evidence voters deserve
45:45 The &ldquo;warrior ethos&rdquo; and hiding behind the troops
1:00:30 Amendment 3 and a possible rural revolt in Florida
1:02:30 Missouri rejects the map, and the fight over ballot measures
1:09:30 Ranked choice survives in Alaska
1:12:15 Tax measures fail, and Washington&rsquo;s anti-trans sports bill passes&nbsp;
1:24:00 Jim Quinn joins the Chuck ToddCast
1:26:45 Decertification and who could stop a lockout
1:30:15 December lockout, ongoing talks, and the pressure on both sides
1:33:30 Would contracts be voided? And the superstar free agency risk
1:35:45 What success looks like for owners &mdash; and the 1994 precedent
1:42:00 Franchise values, media rights, and why MLB lags
1:45:30 Manfred&rsquo;s legacy and whether players accept an incremental cap
1:50:45 The Dodgers problem and which owners can reach Manfred
1:57:00 Is there a revenue sharing deal to be had?
2:00:15 Fixing college sports&rsquo; labor structure
2:03:00 Why the Protect College Sports Act is dead
2:06:30 The NLRB&rsquo;s role, mock negotiations, and the NIL correction
2:13:00 ToddCast Top 5 states to end up in the fall 2028 battleground
2:14:00 #5 Minnesota
2:16:15 #4 Mississippi
2:17:15 #3 South Carolina
2:18:00 #2 Florida
2:19:45 #1 Texas
2:20:45 Honorable mentions
2:21:00 Ask Chuck
2:21:15 What happens if popular vote compact elects a Republican?
2:24:45 Should congress ask Trump for a written SOTU rather than speech?
2:26:00 Shouldn&rsquo;t the Utah Utes get more love from the ToddCast
2:29:30 Election night coverage in the US versus Europe

Full Episode - Hegseth Deserves Impeachment & We Deserve Answers + The MLB Lockout Is Coming & And Nobody Knows How It Ends 

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/b3301916-79f3-4c58-9783-b4ff0000a001/transcript

Chuck Todd argues Trump still isn’t hearing what voters said — he’s essentially telling the customer they’re wrong. The clearest evidence is Stephen Miller replacing Susie Wiles as chief of staff: Miller was the architect of the immigration backlash that helped produce the tsunami, and if you cared at all about voters’ concerns he’d be the last person you’d hire. Todd warns Wiles was among the final guardrails, that the coming months could be genuinely dangerous, and that Vance and Rubio may be all that’s left. His argument is that only Republicans can rein in a delusional Trump — and if they don’t excise him, the party dies. He sees early signs in Ted Cruz acknowledging the disconnect, and flags DeSantis’s Amendment 3 as a disaster waiting to hit rural Florida counties where local government is the biggest employer. On Democrats: tariffs first, then healthcare, investigations are mandatory, and Schumer should leave leadership on a high note. 

Finally, Chuck hops into the ToddCast Time Machine to retell a story of local government, a beached whale carcass and dynamite. He also answers listeners’ questions in the Ask Chuck segment and recaps the weekend in college football.

 

Timeline: 

00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction

04:30 Trump tells voters the customer is wrong

06:45 Every broken promise and the decisions that made it worse

10:30 The 60 Minutes answer on his own wealth

16:00 Why Stephen Miller is the tell

20:30 The architect of the backlash gets promoted

25:30 Wiles was a guardrail — what happens now

31:00 Only Republicans can rein in Trump

36:00 The GOP’s shot at a post-Trump future

42:30 Cruz, Pence, DeSantis and a civil war turning personal

58:30 Hegseth’s impeachment video and the Dana White rumor

1:01:00 Why Amendment 3 will backfire on DeSantis

1:10:00 What Democrats should do first: tariffs, healthcare, investigations

1:15:00 A change election means Schumer can’t stay 

1:22:30 A couple of Substack recommendations

1:26:00 ToddCast Time Machine

1:26:30 A beached whale in Oregon was blown up with dynamite

1:28:00 Local government thought blowing whale up was best solution

1:31:15 Explosion sent huge chunks of blubber everywhere

1:34:00 This story was internet gold before internet gold existed

1:34:45 Event was memorialized by naming a park

1:35:30 Ask Chuck

1:36:00 Will Trump be there to pass off power on inauguration day?

1:38:00 What’s happening with disputed Missouri election map?

1:40:00 Issues with majority support that wont stand test of time?

1:43:15 Will diversity of Dems elected cause infighting?

1:47:15 Will the national popular vote compact get enacted?

1:50:30 College football recap

Chuck Todd argues Trump still isn&rsquo;t hearing what voters said &mdash; he&rsquo;s essentially telling the customer they&rsquo;re wrong. The clearest evidence is Stephen Miller replacing Susie Wiles as chief of staff: Miller was the architect of the immigration backlash that helped produce the tsunami, and if you cared at all about voters&rsquo; concerns he&rsquo;d be the last person you&rsquo;d hire. Todd warns Wiles was among the final guardrails, that the coming months could be genuinely dangerous, and that Vance and Rubio may be all that&rsquo;s left. His argument is that only Republicans can rein in a delusional Trump &mdash; and if they don&rsquo;t excise him, the party dies. He sees early signs in Ted Cruz acknowledging the disconnect, and flags DeSantis&rsquo;s Amendment 3 as a disaster waiting to hit rural Florida counties where local government is the biggest employer. On Democrats: tariffs first, then healthcare, investigations are mandatory, and Schumer should leave leadership on a high note.&nbsp;
Finally, Chuck hops into the ToddCast Time Machine to retell a story of local government, a beached whale carcass and dynamite. He also answers listeners&rsquo; questions in the Ask Chuck segment and recaps the weekend in college football.
&nbsp;
Timeline:&nbsp;
00:00 Chuck Todd&rsquo;s introduction
04:30 Trump tells voters the customer is wrong
06:45 Every broken promise and the decisions that made it worse
10:30 The 60 Minutes answer on his own wealth
16:00 Why Stephen Miller is the tell
20:30 The architect of the backlash gets promoted
25:30 Wiles was a guardrail &mdash; what happens now
31:00 Only Republicans can rein in Trump
36:00 The GOP&rsquo;s shot at a post-Trump future
42:30 Cruz, Pence, DeSantis and a civil war turning personal
58:30 Hegseth&rsquo;s impeachment video and the Dana White rumor
1:01:00 Why Amendment 3 will backfire on DeSantis
1:10:00 What Democrats should do first: tariffs, healthcare, investigations
1:15:00 A change election means Schumer can&rsquo;t stay&nbsp;
1:22:30 A couple of Substack recommendations
1:26:00 ToddCast Time Machine
1:26:30 A beached whale in Oregon was blown up with dynamite
1:28:00 Local government thought blowing whale up was best solution
1:31:15 Explosion sent huge chunks of blubber everywhere
1:34:00 This story was internet gold before internet gold existed
1:34:45 Event was memorialized by naming a park
1:35:30 Ask Chuck
1:36:00 Will Trump be there to pass off power on inauguration day?
1:38:00 What&rsquo;s happening with disputed Missouri election map?
1:40:00 Issues with majority support that wont stand test of time?
1:43:15 Will diversity of Dems elected cause infighting?
1:47:15 Will the national popular vote compact get enacted?
1:50:30 College football recap

Chuck’s Commentary - Trump May Get Even More Dangerous + What Democrats Should Prioritize

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/769a2207-76ea-4150-a3a9-b4fd0019e9d8/transcript

Interview Only w/ Jim Quinn - The MLB Lockout Is Coming & And Nobody Knows How It Ends

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