PMT DB
PMT DB
Chris Long on Championship Sunday, Joel Embiid's 70, and Banning Analytics
Joel Embiid put on an absolute clinic against Wemby and the Spurs, dropping 70 points and making it look effortless. Big Cat was mesmerized by the performance, especially contrasted with Karl-Anthony Towns getting 62 in a loss and getting publicly roasted by his own coach for "unprofessional" basketball. The historic night also sparked a debate about how the NBA handles these massive scoring outbursts.
Big CatEvery January 22nd, all NBA teams should be required to try and break the single-game scoring record in honor of Kobe Bryant's 81-point game
Darren Rovell actually had a great idea that on February or January 22nd, every single year, the day that Kobe dropped 81 on the Raptors, every team should have to try to break the record. I like that idea. That's good.
PFT is already looking ahead to how the rest of the league responds to Embiid's dominance. While the Sixers are vibing with Pat Bev's "Belt to Ass" tour, the rest of the league's superstars are likely feeling the pressure to keep up.
PFT CommenterJames Harden will try to score 60 points in his next game to answer Joel Embiid
I'm gonna bet on James Harden in his next game to go out there and try to score like 55, 60 points. Yeah. I feel like he's got something to prove. He's got an answer for it.
Despite the scoring explosion, Big Cat isn't convinced the hardware is staying in Philly. Between the games missed and the new league rules, the MVP race is becoming a game of availability as much as talent.
Big CatJoel Embiid will not win MVP this year because he'll miss too many games
He probably won't be able to win MVP 'cause he's gonna miss too many games this year. He's already missed 11 outta 40... it will be very funny if Joel has like an even better year than last year. But because he plays like 64 games instead of 65, that'll be the quickest that everyone will turn on a rule.
The Analytics War and Sunday Cleanup
The guys took a sledgehammer to the current discourse surrounding analytics in the NFL. PFT pointed out that the word has basically become a boogeyman for fans who just hate seeing their team fail on a fourth-down conversion, regardless of whether the math actually checked out.
PFT CommenterThe word 'analytics' is used as a placeholder for any number that sports fans dislike
I have a take. And that's, people just use the word, they substitute the word analytics in whenever there's a number that they don't like and they're like, this is analytics.
Big Cat took it a step further, arguing that while spreadsheets might have sucked the soul out of the mid-range jumper in basketball or the stolen base in baseball, they are the best thing to ever happen to the gridiron.
Big CatAnalytics have ruined baseball and basketball, but they've made football more exciting
Analytics or you know, advanced statistics, Sabre metrics, all these things has in a way ruined baseball and basketball... Football is the one sport where analytics and advance like metrics has made football significantly more exciting... the nineties football and early 2000 football when it wasn't even a question. If you had a fourth and two, you'd punt. Like, why would you want that?
Speaking of the playoffs, Big Cat has officially hit a breaking point regarding his "support" for fellow NFC North teams. The Lions' magical run has been fun, but the thought of a division rival hoisting a trophy is finally too much to bear.
Big CatI am officially supporting the 49ers over the Lions because the Lions are a division rival
I've reached my limit of pulling even remotely for a division rival. I I'm done, I'm done with the lines. I think I have to just go Niners. 'cause it's just, they're, they're a division rival. I was reaching my limit and I've reached my limit.
Chris Long Joins the Show
Friend of the program Chris Long stopped by to preview Championship Sunday and give some defensive perspective on why the Ravens are so terrifying. He highlighted guys like Justin Madubuike and Kyle Hamilton who don't always get the national spotlight but are wrecking game plans weekly.
Chris LongJustin Madubuike should have been in the Defensive Player of the Year conversation for his performance with the Ravens
Justin Madubuike... that guy should have been in the conversation for defensive player of the year and he's just this kinda like short nondescript defensive tackle that doesn't have a big name and he's just taken it over.
When the conversation turned to the Bills' latest heartbreak, Chris Long wasn't interested in the Josh Allen slander. He pointed out that Allen’s postseason numbers are elite and the blame lies more with defensive injuries and a lack of depth in the receiving room. He even offered a radical solution for Buffalo's persistent "Chiefs problem."
Chris LongThe Buffalo Bills should fix their problems by moving to the NFC
Move the team to the NFC. Like on like it is dicey with the cap... You bring up a great point and obviously like digs his, his issues down the stretch... But move the team to the NFC.
The Brock Purdy discourse reached a fever pitch as well. Chris Long tried to find the middle ground between the "elite" truthers and the "system quarterback" haters, landing on a more corporate-friendly title for the Niners' signal-caller.
Chris LongBrock Purdy is a fringe top-10 quarterback, not in the elite tier yet
For me to not call Jalen Hurts one of the top five to six quarterbacks in the league, we've gotten so emotional... long story short, I think Purdy deserves a lot of credit. I think he's a fringe top 10 guy wherever you wanna put him on the, you know, on the inside of that top 10. On the outside of the top 10.
Hot Seat/Cool Throne and Listener FAQs
Hot Seat/Cool Throne featured a deep dive into Tristan Thompson's suspension, where Hank revealed some inside info from Billy Football regarding the specific... quality... of the substances involved.
HankTristan Thompson took cheap steroids intended for physical appearance rather than performance
Tristan Thompson... Got busted for steroids... I went immediately to my number one source of steroids in the world that I know named Billy Football. And he said the craziest thing is that he was taking Broke Boys steroids. Oh. Stuff Frat Boys and Talkers used to bulk up... He was doing it for the look, not for the functionality.
Hank also spent some time defending the basic fundamentals of the game, specifically the coin toss. After seeing teams choose to receive and immediately go three-and-out, he’s more convinced than ever that Belichick’s way is the only way.
HankYou must always defer the coin toss if you win it
Why would you not defer, why would you not get the ball back to, to start the second half? I just assumed that was like a, a cardinal fundamental rule. And then when you look at the stats... I think you should just defer every time.
To wrap things up, the guys hit some listener FAQs, including a trip down memory lane regarding early guests who "got" the show. They reminisced about the first time they realized Joe Buck was in on the joke and the early days of Grit Weeks when they still thought renting fan boats was a viable mode of transportation.
One thing is for sure: Big Cat and Max are fully committed to the gym life now, even if it means dodging the free office lunches to maintain their status as weapons.
Big CatLifting weights is significantly more effective for getting in shape than cardio
It's crazy how don don't know when we learned this as like kids what point we're like, oh yeah, to get in shape you gotta run. That's so wrong. Like cardio. Okay, fine... Dude. Lifting weights is the best way to get in shape. 'cause you just feel stronger and you start, your metabolism goes, it feels good.
If the Sixers actually win it all, prepare for the wettest podcast in history.
