PMT DB
PMT DB
Dan Haren and Kyle Long on All-Star Games and Pokemon Go
The MLB All-Star Game just wrapped up, and while most people are arguing about whether it should count for home-field advantage, Big Cat and PFT are focused on the real issues, like position players not running out the final out and why the game is stuck in a weird identity crisis. Big Cat is actually a fan of the stakes, but he thinks the execution is fundamentally broken.
Big CatThe MLB All-Star Game should either decide home field with no fan vote, or be a meaningless exhibition, but the current middle ground is the worst of both worlds
I actually don't hate that the all-star game decides this. I hate that they're kind of stuck in the middle. So if you're going to have the All-Star game decide where the World Series starts every year, eliminate the fan vote, and treat it like a real game.
Despite the flaws, Big Cat still holds the Midsummer Classic in high regard compared to the rest of the garbage All-Star exhibitions we're forced to watch. PFT, meanwhile, has some structural suggestions that would probably make the game a lot more entertaining for the casual fan.
Big CatThe MLB All-Star Game is the best All-Star game in sports
I do think the mlb all-star game is by far the best all-star game there is it's not really close.
PFT CommenterThe MLB All-Star Game should include an inning where position players pitch and pitchers play positions
The seventh inning is the position player pitching inning. Yes. And put your pitchers at position players. Mix it up a little.
Mount Rushmore of Video Games
In honor of the Pokemon Go craze sweeping the nation, the guys tackled the Mount Rushmore of video games. Hank tried to play it cool by picking a classic to start, though PFT immediately called him out for trying to win his approval.
HankNFL Blitz is a Mount Rushmore-tier video game
All right, first up, NFL Blitz. No, I played video games a lot more when I was really young, and that was my favorite one.
Big Cat went with a heavy hitter for his list, claiming the entire Madden franchise despite the occasional down year. PFT leaned into the classics that defined a generation of procrastination and elementary school computer labs.
Big CatMadden is the greatest video game franchise ever
I have Madden, the franchise. Just going to take the whole franchise. Fuck it. Mount Rushmore, you get to make your own rules.
PFT CommenterGoldenEye 007 and Oregon Trail are top-tier video games
GoldenEye is number one since you didn't take it... Number two, I have Oregon Trail.
Dan Haren and Kyle Long
Former MLB All-Star Dan Haren joined the show to give some perspective on what it's actually like in those clubhouses. He admitted that while the game "counts," players are mostly there to have a good time and check their velocity on the radar gun. Looking ahead to the second half, Haren shared some insight on where he thinks the pennant races are heading and why some pitchers might be better off staying home during the break.
Dan HarenThe Cubs will win the National League and the Blue Jays will win the American League
I like the Cubs still. I do like the Cubs... AL, I like the Blue Jays. I do like the Blue Jays, yeah... they had a little experience. They got some guys in the bullpen, pretty good starting staff, and a lineup's a joke.
Dan HarenIt is acceptable for elite pitchers like Jake Arrieta to skip the All-Star game to stay fresh for the second half
He's locked 350-plus innings in the last year and a half. So, I mean, if the guy [Jake Arrieta] doesn't want to pitch in the All-Star game and take an extra two weeks to be fresh, I think that's okay.
Switching gears from the diamond to the gridiron, Chicago Bears offensive lineman Kyle Long called in to discuss his budding addiction to Pokemon Go. While Big Cat questioned if Kyle should be spending more time in the gym than chasing Squirtles in the 7-Eleven ice cream aisle, Kyle defended the app as a true lifestyle choice. PFT found himself surprisingly relatable to Kyle's new hobby.
PFT CommenterCatching a Pokemon for the first time feels exactly like using heroin
You're always chasing that dragon, man. The first time that I caught one [Pokemon], it honestly felt like heroin to me.
Kyle LongPokemon Go is a microcosm of many things in life because it's about the chase
Here's the deal about Pokemon. And it's kind of a microcosm of a lot of things in your life. I mean, you chase the Pokemon. You throw the ball at the Pokemon. Great catch. Got one or whatever. Look at it in your inventory. Show it to your buddy. And it's like, let's go catch another Pokemon, dude.
PR 101 and Segments
In a legendary PR 101 segment, Big Cat and PFT tried to help Miko Grimes navigate her latest Twitter firestorm. After she went on a rant involving Ryan Tannehill and some very questionable comments about the Dolphins' front office, the guys offered some foolproof strategies for any professional athlete's spouse to avoid a forced apology tour.
Big CatMiko Grimes should use a foundation Twitter account to blame future controversial tweets on interns
This is a longstanding PR 101 piece. Just start a Twitter account in the foundation's name, the Miko Grimes Foundation account. Then you can say an intern was tweeting and dropping [the hard J] on everyone's face.
We also checked in with Giancarlo Stanton for a quick Thoughts and Prayers. He put on a show at the Home Run Derby, but history tells us that such a peak is usually followed by a very dark valley for a hitter's swing.
Big CatGiancarlo Stanton will suffer a massive slump after winning the Home Run Derby
Thoughts and prayers for Giancarlo Stanton's swing. He won the home run derby. So everyone knows here comes the slump. You can't win the home run... sorry, man. You're going to have a really bad second half.
Finally, the show wrapped up with a very suspicious look at the technology behind our new favorite mobile game. Big Cat isn't buying the "fun and games" narrative and is convinced there's a much darker purpose behind those virtual monsters popping up in our kitchens.
Big CatPokemon Go is a CIA government conspiracy to track data and map building interiors
Seriously, though, Pokemon Go is a government conspiracy, and I don't know why anyone... my last one was basically Pokemon Go has somewhere sitting with the CIA and they're saying, huh, how do we get inside people's buildings?... Let's just throw a squirtle right by someone's refrigerator. Picture.
If you see a 300-pound offensive lineman doing the OK sign over his head in a public library, just know he's likely hunting a Charizard.
