PMT DB
PMT DB
Grit Week 2026 has officially kicked off, and Big Cat and PFT Commenter are starting with the white whale of all guests. The guys traveled to Chapel Hill to sit down with Coach Bill Belichick for an hour and forty minutes of pure football talk. Before getting to the GOAT, there was plenty of playoff action to sift through as the Cleveland Cavaliers handled the Detroit Pistons in Game 7. While the Pistons' season ended in a blowout, PFT sees the silver lining for Cade Cunningham and company.
PFT CommenterThe Detroit Pistons are moving in the right direction despite their Game 7 loss
The progression of the Pistons along the way is like, what were they, two years ago? They won like 16 or 18 games. They were so bad. Last year they had competitive series against The Knicks. Then this year, the natural progression from that is, let's take the regular season super seriously. Let's win all the games that we can get a high seed... I would say the totality of this season, we're still going the right direction in Detroit.
With the Eastern Conference Finals set, Hank is already looking past the Cavs. He’s so confident in his Knicks that he’s predicting a short series before the ball even tips.
HankThe Knicks will sweep the Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals
Will you personally be disappointed in Knicks if they don't sweep them? No, I, I know how it goes... but it's, it's Knicks in four.
The Aaron Rai Era and American Struggles
The PGA Championship at Valhalla wrapped up with Aaron Rai claiming the Wanamaker Trophy. While the guys were won over by stories of Rai’s dad cleaning his clubs and his signature two-glove look, Hank wasn't exactly thrilled with the lack of drama on Sunday. He found the finish a bit lacking compared to the star-studded leaderboard that started the day.
HankAaron Rai is a boring PGA Championship winner
Aaron Rai, nice guy, great story. Okay. Boring as hell, boring winner... Nothing happened Sunday... Great crowd, great venue, great fans, great leaderboard going into Sunday. Disappointing finish.
Big Cat, meanwhile, is starting to get concerned about the state of American sports dominance. Between a European winning the PGA and international stars sweeping the NBA awards, the vibes are a bit low for the red, white, and blue.
Big CatAmerican sports dominance is officially over
Are we as a country washed? because this also is on the heels of shams announcing SGA back to back MVP and I think it's been like nine years, I believe eight years since an American has won the NBA MVP... and Aaron Rai, it's the second European to win a major this year and Europeans are now two and oh in majors for the first time since 1934.
PFT managed to find some entertainment in the leaderboard by identifying a new archetype for Patrick Reed. After watching him fill out those tight pants on the green, PFT declared that the LIV golfer is breaking new ground in the sport's demographic history.
PFT CommenterPatrick Reed is the first PAWG in the history of professional golf.
Patrick Reed, let me tell you, I think he might be the first PAWG golfer. He is. He's thick as hell. Like he was filling out. He also wears... the tight pants... he looks like early era Meghan Trainor... He bends over. He's like, ooh.
Bill Belichick: The Football Historian
Coach Bill Belichick joined the show at UNC and it was everything a football nerd could want. He went deep on the mechanics of the game, explaining how he views the fullback position not just as a lead blocker, but as a crucial set of eyes for the tailback.
A fullback is the eyes for the running back and must be instinctive
The fullback is really the running back. He's the eyes for the running back. So he has to see the same hole that the running back sees... If the fullback makes bad decisions, then the tailback's kind of stuck with a bad picture... He actually has to be a very instinctive guy to be able to, you know, when can I go around, when can I go through.
He also cleared up a long-standing mystery regarding his wardrobe. While everyone assumes there is a tactical advantage to the cutoff hoodies, the truth is much simpler: the GOAT just has short arms and got tired of the sleeves getting in the way. The conversation took a legendary turn when Big Cat asked about his caffeine intake, leading to Belichick revealing a deep-seated loathing for coffee that outweighs even his most famous rivalries.
I absolutely hate coffee in every form
I can't stand coffee. I can't stand to look at coffee. I can't stand the taste of coffee. I can't stand the smell of coffee. I can't even eat coffee ice cream and I can eat anything that's sugar... I wouldn't drink coffee if there was nothing else to drink.
I would rather coach the New York Jets again than drink a cup of coffee.
[Gun to your head, coffee or the New York Jets?] I'd go to the Jets. Remember, undefeated, unscored-on head coach to the New York Jets twice. Yep. Never lost a game. Never gave up a point.
Behind the Scenes of the Dynasty
The interview covered the heavy hitters of the Patriots dynasty, including the arrival of Randy Moss. Belichick detailed the frantic trade with Al Davis and how Moss was actually the one who helped the coaching staff understand how to maximize his elite speed by moving him into the slot to attack safeties. He also spoke about the developmental arcs of his greatest players, reminding everyone that even the GOAT didn't start out as a legend.
Tom Brady was not even a good quarterback when he started
I always say Tom wasn't great, wasn't even really good, but he became great. He was our fourth string quarterback... he never even played, never even dressed... but by 2003, 2004, we won games because of Tom Brady... the biggest thing about Tom was he could distribute the ball with great accuracy... God knows he wasn't gaining [yards with his legs].
It wasn't just Brady who had to earn his way. Belichick shared a story about how he and Tom once had to sit down a young, mistake-prone Rob Gronkowski to tell him he was essentially too undependable to be on the field.
Rob Gronkowski was so mistake-prone early in his career that Tom Brady and I threatened to bench him.
People don't understand the process and they think that Rob Gronkowski was always great. Far from it. It was to the point where Brady and I sat him down and said, 'Rob, like we can't put you in the game. You're too undependable. You run the wrong route, you fumble the ball. You make too many mistakes. We can't play you.' Okay, what do I need to do? And then he became great where he was as dependable as any player we had.
Coach also took some time to address the 'No Days Off' mantra that became the soundtrack to several Super Bowl parades. It turns out the fans at those rallies were cheering for a philosophy they didn't quite understand.
The 'No Days Off' Patriots chant was widely misunderstood and turned into a marketing gimmick.
Most people don't really understand what that means or what it meant to us. What it meant to us was when you come to work, you go to work. You don't come to work and dilly dally around... We're not saying like, don't take a day off. We're saying don't come to the stadium and take a day off. But of course, you know, in the hype train of the Patriots, I'm sure it sold towels and some beer mugs or whatever and it was used in a different context.
Who's Back and Zac's Night Out
The show wrapped up with Who’s Back of the Week, featuring a big win for Bush in the Call of Duty Challengers division. The guys also checked in on Zac, who has been taking the advice to "get outside" a bit too literally. Zac shared the story of his solo excursion to a Chicago nightclub where he danced for two hours straight with no wingman and no agenda other than to "bust a move."
ZacGoing to a nightclub solo and dancing for two hours is a freeing experience
I went to the bar, had a couple of beers and then went to the dance club. I don't dance very well, but it's fun to bust a move once in a while... It was incredibly uncomfortable, but it was like, it felt good to just, you know, get out there a little bit. I was just dancing... not too bad.
If you see a man in the West Loop doing the sprinkler by himself at 2:00 AM, just know that’s the definition of a Grit Week butterfly emerging butterfly.
