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Barry Zito, Texans Will Fuller, Playoff Kershaw + NFL Week 6 Preview

Friday, October 11, 201915 takes

Playoff Kershaw strikes again and the Nats are on to the NLCS. Atlanta sports misery deserves its moment in the sun.(-) NFL Week 6 picks and preview of the weekend slate. (-) Fantasy Fuccbois.(-) Former MLB pitcher Barry Zito joins the show to talk about his career, the pressures of playing for a big contract, ups and downs and coming to peace with the player he was. (-) Texans WR Will Fuller joins the show to talk about his huge Week 5 and how special Deshaun Watson is. (-)Segments include Fyre Fest of the week,(-) Talking Soccer for Wayne Rooney and the Instagram controversy,(- and FAQ's (-)

Big Cat (5)PFT Commenter (4)Hank (2)Barry Zito (2)Will Fuller (2)

Barry Zito and Will Fuller on Playoff Misery and the Art of the Curveball

The postseason is in full swing, and that means we get to witness the annual tradition of the Dodgers imploding. Big Cat and PFT Commenter didn't hold back on Dave Roberts for going heart-over-head by putting Clayton Kershaw in a position to fail against the Nationals. At this point, it is less about stats and more about the heavy mental toll of being a generational talent who simply cannot find the strike zone when the lights are brightest.

Loss
Oct 11, 2019
#2976
Big CatBig Cat

Clayton Kershaw is not a dominant playoff pitcher

I am starting to think that Clayton Kershaw is not good in the playoffs. Kershaw, yikes... He's not dominant Clayton Kershaw anymore. Still very, very good, but he's not like Clayton Kershaw of five years ago.

OpinionBaseballMedium
While Kershaw struggled in 2019, he eventually won a World Series title in 2020, pitching two gems in the World Series and shedding the 'choker' label.

PFT has a radical solution for Kershaw to shake the October demons. Since God clearly isn't helping him out on the mound lately, it might be time to look for a different kind of spiritual advisor.

Loss
Oct 11, 2019
#2978
PFT CommenterPFT Commenter

Clayton Kershaw should embrace Satan to fix his playoff struggles

There's only one more thing for [Clayton Kershaw] to do to try to turn this around and that's go completely satanic. Flip the script. Embrace Satan. Become goth Clayton Kershaw. Cornrows... mascara... black lipstick. Just like flip the script on God entirely. See if Satan will give you a hand.

Hot TakeBaseballScorchingSarcastic
Kershaw did not, in fact, become a goth or embrace Satanism to improve his pitching.

Speaking of misery, Atlanta fans had to endure a first inning against the Cardinals that looked more like a slow-pitch softball game than a Division Series clincher. Between the Braves' collapse, the Falcons' 28-3 trauma, and Georgia's annual heartbreak, Big Cat and PFT are ready to crown a new champion of sadness.

Void
Oct 11, 2019
#2980
Big CatBig Cat

Atlanta is the saddest sports city on Earth

Atlanta is truly the saddest place on Earth with sports... They gave up 10 runs first inning. I've never seen anything like that... 28 to 3 Super Bowl, which is the biggest collapse maybe in sports history... The Braves won 14 straight division titles and they had one World Series to show for it.

OpinionFootballMediumSubjective
While subjective, the 'Atlanta sports curse' narrative was extremely strong in 2019, though the Braves did eventually win another World Series in 2021 and Georgia won back-to-back titles.

NFL Week 6 Preview and Picks

Turning to the gridiron, the guys looked ahead to a Week 6 slate that features some truly elite "toilet bowls." Big Cat is feeling dangerous this week with a parlay he claims is physically impossible to lose, featuring the Rams, Ravens, and Cowboys.

Loss
Oct 11, 2019·Picks
#2985
Big CatBig Cat

The Rams, Ravens, and Cowboys moneyline parlay is a lock

My can't-lose parlay: the Rams moneyline, the Ravens moneyline, the Cowboys moneyline. I think that's plus odds... I don't see how a single one of those loses.

PredictionFootballMild
The Rams lost to the 49ers and the Cowboys lost to the Jets on Sunday, October 13, 2019.

Hank and PFT had some strong feelings about the spreads this week, specifically regarding the mess in D.C. and the battle in Minnesota. While Big Cat is looking at the Broncos and Titans as a survival match, PFT thinks the Eagles are catching Kirk Cousins at the perfect time.

Loss
Oct 11, 2019·Picks
#21876
PFT CommenterPFT Commenter

The Eagles will cover against the Vikings because Kirk Cousins will be overconfident after beating the Giants

My underdog is Philly +3 at Minnesota. I love this. This feels like the Kirk Cousins wins a 'big game' but it's not really a big game because it's one o'clock on a Sunday so he can say well Kirk Cousins won the big game just to fool everyone a little bit more. He beat the Giants on the road... I feel like he's overlooking the Eagles at home.

PredictionFootballMild
The Vikings beat the Eagles 38-20, meaning the Eagles did not cover the +3 spread.
Win
Oct 11, 2019·Picks
#2988
HankHank

The Redskins should never be favored by more than 3 points against any NFL team

The Redskins shouldn't be three and a half point favorites against anyone. And then you can make yours even if you lose and the Redskins win by 14 you'd be like: Guess what? I'd do it again.

OpinionFootballMedium
The Redskins beat the Dolphins 17-16, failing to cover the 3.5-point spread.

Barry Zito and Will Fuller

Former Cy Young winner Barry Zito joined the show to discuss his new book, *Curveball*. It was a refreshingly honest look at the psychology of a big-money athlete. Zito opened up about the pressure of his $126 million contract with the Giants and the dark reality of how competitive athletes feel when they are sidelined during a championship run.

Win
Oct 11, 2019
#21877
Barry ZitoBarry Zito

Pro athletes often secretly root against their own team when they are benched or injured

This is a phenomenon that does happen. You're right. I'm just going to be honest... in pro ball you become an independent contractor... I'm thinking if they can lose this, it proves they don't need me. So I'm hoping that they lose. And also I was so miserable being in the dugout watching them [the 2010 Giants]. It was a nightmare.

Fact ClaimBaseballHot
This is a first-hand account of Zito's own feelings and his observations of peers in the industry.

Zito also touched on the physical toll of the game, debunking some long-held myths about which pitches actually ruin a young arm. According to his research, the curveball isn't the villain everyone thinks it is.

Win
Oct 11, 2019
#2989
Barry ZitoBarry Zito

Fastball torque is the primary cause of Tommy John surgeries

They just found out that fastballs are the main reason for all these Tommy John's now. It's actually not curveballs and sliders like they were talking about... They did this whole study on all these Tommy John's and they're saying it's fastball torque. So really I don't have to worry about that.

Fact ClaimBaseballMedium
Modern research generally agrees that high-velocity fastballs place the most stress on the UCL compared to other pitches.

Texans wideout Will Fuller also hopped on after a massive 217-yard performance to claim his Snickers Hungry Player of the Week chain. He gave Deshaun Watson his flowers and made a massive claim about his teammate DeAndre Hopkins' place in NFL history.

Void
Oct 11, 2019
#2990
Will FullerWill Fuller

DeAndre Hopkins has the best hands in NFL history

Definitely my boy [DeAndre Hopkins] man. I mean, there ain't nobody in the game—I don't think anybody in history—got better hands than [Hopkins]. He's the only receiver ever done it when he had zero drops in one season, 115 catches. That's pretty crazy.

OpinionFootballHotSubjective
While Hopkins is legendary for his hands, the 'best in history' claim is inherently subjective and debatable against players like Jerry Rice or Larry Fitzgerald.

Fyre Fest and Talking Soccer

The show wrapped up with a legendary edition of Talking Soccer featuring the "Wagatha Christie" drama between Coleen Rooney and Rebekah Vardy. It is a tale of Instagram stings, leaked stories to the Sun, and the kind of petty brilliance we usually only see in the NBA. Plus, Big Cat reminds everyone that despite the rumors, Dan Snyder isn't going anywhere anytime soon.

Loss
Oct 11, 2019·FAQ
#21879
Big CatBig Cat

Dan Snyder will outlive me as the owner of the Redskins

Dan Snyder... is going to outlive me. I've accepted it. He's either made a deal with the devil or he's got like a blood-sucking operation where he gets rejuvenated with the blood of 13-year-olds every two weeks.

OpinionFootballMediumSarcastic
Snyder sold the team in 2023, while Big Cat is still alive and well, proving Snyder did not literally outlive him as owner.

Maybe the real nine-dash line was the friends we made along the way.

mlb-playoffsnfl-week-6clayton-kershawatlanta-braveshouston-texans

More Takes

Win
Oct 11, 2019
#2982
PFT CommenterPFT Commenter

MLB changed the baseballs for the playoffs to reduce home runs

The baseballs are not going as far in the playoffs. There's a measurable wind resistance factor that was not there during the regular season... What they're saying on Baseball Prospectus is that they change the balls before the playoffs. Raise the seams... Get everyone to tune in for the explosive regular season and then they kind of have a sense of guilt like we're ruining baseball.

Fact ClaimBaseballMedium
MLB eventually acknowledged that the balls in the 2019 postseason had more drag than the regular season balls, confirming the spirit of the take.
Loss
Oct 11, 2019·Picks
#21875
Big CatBig Cat

The loser of the Broncos-Titans game will see their season officially end

Loser leaves town: Broncos Titans. Season is over for the loser of this. I think the Broncos season is already over... [but] if the Titans lose this game, it feels a little bleak. I think they're done.

PredictionFootballMedium
The Titans lost the game, but their season was far from over; they eventually made it to the AFC Championship game later that season.
Loss
Oct 11, 2019·Picks
#2986
HankHank

The 49ers will struggle to maintain their offense without fullback Kyle Juszczyk

The 49ers lost a very key component to their attack in Monday night. They lost their fullback Kyle Juszczyk... they're going to struggle to fill that role because Juszczyk is really, really good.

OpinionFootballMedium
The 49ers did not struggle, going 13-3 and reaching Super Bowl LIV.
Push
Oct 11, 2019
#2991
Will FullerWill Fuller

Notre Dame is officially back

I think that just showed the world that we [Notre Dame] that we are contenders, we could play anybody... like you said, we back now, we playing good now.

OpinionCFBMild
Notre Dame remained a consistent top-10 team but failed to win a national championship during this era, often struggling in major playoff games.
Win
Oct 11, 2019·FAQ
#21878
PFT CommenterPFT Commenter

ESPN essentially gifted China territorial rights to an island by using an inaccurate map

The map that ESPN showed had the nine-dash line at the bottom right corner of China... which isn't on a map and it's not even a real thing. But the fact that they were fed this map means that ESPN is now giving territorial rights to the South China Sea to China, which they don't own. So ESPN just basically gifted China an island on national television today.

OpinionMediaHot
ESPN did face significant backlash for using a map that included the 'nine-dash line' during the controversy.
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