PMT DB
PMT DB
Calvin Johnson on the Lions, Matt Stafford, and Cartoon Mount Rushmore
Football is officially back, which means training camp fights are dominating the news cycle. The New York Giants turned their practice into a scene from the Malice at the Palace, with Daniel Jones somehow finding himself at the bottom of a massive pile. While some people think it’s a sign of a gritty leader, PFT isn't buying the tough-guy act from the Giants QB.
PFT CommenterThe Giants aren't tough enough if their quarterback thinks he's even able to swing in a training camp fight
I say that I don't think that the New York Giants are tough enough if their quarterback is thinking that he's even able to swing on him... I don't think that they're tough enough if Daniel Jones thinks he's a fighter.
On the other side of the league, Dan Campbell is busy being the most Dan Campbell version of himself possible. He spent his opening statement reminiscing about rookie fights and practically begging his players to take it to the edge of a brawl. Big Cat is keeping a close eye on the Joe Judge era in New York, specifically the disciplinary tactics being used on professional athletes.
Big CatJoe Judge making NFL players do laps and push-ups after a fight will not end well
Joe Judge is dealing with it as well because part of the giant scrum... they did laps, 100-yard laps, and then he didn't like how everyone did it, so then he made everyone do push-ups. And I feel like that's not going to go over well with a bunch of millionaire athletes.
NBA Free Agency and Olympic Science
Big Cat is finally walking with his head held high because the Chicago Bulls have actually decided to try. With Lonzo Ball, Alex Caruso, and DeMar DeRozan joining the squad, the GarPax era feels like a distant, painful memory. PFT is especially high on the Caruso signing, though his evaluation of the Bald Mamba might be slightly more aggressive than the average scout.
PFT CommenterAlex Caruso is a top-five player in the Eastern Conference
Caruso is legitimately, I think, now a top five player in the East.
Over in the Lakers' camp, the arrival of Russell Westbrook and Carmelo Anthony has created the most recognizable starting five in the league. PFT has a specific vision for how the hierarchy will shift once the postseason starts.
PFT CommenterOnce the Lakers get to the playoffs, it will be Carmelo Anthony's team, not LeBron James'
I'm also rooting for the takes to start flying because when you have that many guys on a team, it's no longer LeBron James' team. I think once they get to the playoffs, it's Mello time, baby.
Shifting to the Olympics, the guys noticed that track records are falling at an insane rate in Tokyo. While most people point to new shoe technology or fast track surfaces, PFT has developed a more biological theory regarding the lack of spectators in the stands.
PFT CommenterOlympic runners are breaking world records because there are no fans to suck the oxygen out of the stadium
If there's no crowd at all, does that mean that there's more oxygen for the people to breathe on the track? ... They're sucking all the oxygen out normally, but when there's no fans there, it's a richer environment for especially distance runners to be able to breathe more efficiently.
Calvin Johnson aka Megatron
Hall of Fame week continues as the legendary Calvin Johnson joins the show. Megatron talked about the surreal feeling of getting the knock on the door from David Baker and the challenge of condensing a legendary career into an eight-minute speech. He also shared the reality of the physical toll the game took on him, noting that his body knew he was done before his mind did. Of course, you can't talk about the Lions without talking about the unique relationship that franchise has with the officiating crews.
Calvin JohnsonThe NFL referees definitely have it out for the Detroit Lions
I don't know how many times I've said that, but... I don't want to say that and be wrong, but, I mean, everybody felt like that in Detroit. It's hard not to feel like that... Yeah, they got it out for us.
Calvin went deep on his time in Detroit, specifically his connection with Matthew Stafford. Despite the years of losing, he still believes Stafford has the tools to reach the same Hall of Fame heights he just reached, provided the Rams tenure goes as planned.
Calvin JohnsonMatthew Stafford will make the Hall of Fame if he wins a Super Bowl or has several consecutive winning seasons with the Rams
It all depends how much longer Matthew intends to play. And if he gets that ring out, he's out there. You know, if he goes out there and lights it up and has consecutive, like three, four or five consecutive winning seasons, even if he don't win the Super Bowl, I think he has a chance.
He also gave some insight into the different coaching styles he played under, from the firecracker energy of Jim Schwartz (and his legendary triangular pecs) to the quiet, paternal authority of Jim Caldwell.
Calvin JohnsonJim Caldwell had a father-like ability to make players feel guilty just with a look
He [Jim Caldwell] was a high character guy, man, and he had all of us playing as if, like, you know, he's a father, you know, the kind of guilt that you get from your dad, you know, when you do something wrong. It's easy for him to leave that kind of guilt on you just by looking at you, like, with a little shake of the head... and that's all you need to say. You're like, okay, I got it together, Coach.
Mount Rushmore and Hot Seat/Cool Throne
The episode wraps up with a high-stakes Mount Rushmore of cartoon characters you want to get fucked up with. It’s a classic segment that sees the guys debating the party habits of everyone from Barney Gumble to Shaggy. In Hot Seat/Cool Throne, Andrew Cuomo finds himself on the Cool Throne for his absolutely unhinged defense strategy of releasing a collage of himself touching people to prove that he touches everyone.
We also had a Frontier Airlines traveler who learned the hard way that screaming about your parents' bank account won't stop flight attendants from duct-taping you to your seat. Billy remains skeptical that the kid's family was even rich enough to be that annoying.
Billy FootballYou need at least $50 million in the bank to successfully use your parents' wealth to get out of jail
He was screaming like, my parents have $2 million. That's a lot of money, but it's also not like... I feel like if you're trying to get out of jail for free, your parents have to have like $50 million.
If you're ever in a position where you have to mention your parents' net worth to a flight attendant, you've already lost the battle.
