PMT DB
PMT DB
Zac Gallen, Merrill Kelly, and Joey Chestnut on the PMT 2025 Dingers Only Draft
Summer is officially here, and that means the NBA is once again trying to convince us that the 'Second Apron' is something we should care about while Joey Chestnut prepares to swallow a small village's worth of meat. Big Cat and PFT opened the show by trying to make sense of an underwhelming NBA free agency period that has been more about accountants than athletes.
NBA Free Agency is a Dud
Big Cat isn't buying the hype surrounding the current state of the league's off-season. Between the confusing new CBA rules and the lack of major stars moving, the energy is just off.
Big CatNBA free agency is officially a dud this year
NBA free agency has started and it's a dud. I'm gonna say it right now. It's a dud.
The guys spent a considerable amount of time mocking the league's terminology, specifically the dreaded "apron" word. Big Cat has a better solution for Adam Silver to make the stakes feel a bit more real for front offices.
Big CatThe NBA should rename the 'Second Apron' to 'Prison' to make it easier to understand
They gotta get rid of the apron word. I'm so sick of it. If they just called it jail and prison, I think it would make a lot more sense because that's really what it is. The second apron is prison. They basically, for people who don't understand what they've done with the salary cap... they restrict you. They put you in prison.
They also touched on the LeBron James situation in Los Angeles. While LeBron continues to sign massive deals and orchestrate family reunions on the roster, Big Cat thinks the rest of the league has finally stopped answering the phone when the King calls to dictate terms.
Big CatLeBron James no longer runs the NBA league
I think LeBron thinks he still runs the league and he doesn't run the league anymore. I think he was expecting every team to be like, oh shit, LeBron, we could trade for LeBron. And everyone's like, why would we wanna trade for a one year retirement tour at $53 million for a guy who is gonna basically hijack our entire franchise?
However, it's not all doom and gloom. Big Cat is planting his flag in Houston, believing that a certain veteran addition is going to change everything for the Rockets.
Big CatKevin Durant will win the title and secure a legacy year with the Rockets
I think KD's got a little fuck you going tour coming. I think he's got one more of those in him. And I think this might be the year... I think this might be a KD legacy year. I think he might win it all and then be like, now this one counts.
NFL Trades and Hot Seat/Cool Throne
The NFL gave us some actual news to chew on with the Steelers and Dolphins swapping stars. PFT noted that Adam Schefter is still the undisputed king of the notification game, even if he's baiting us into clicks.
PFT CommenterAdam Schefter uses specific character limits to bait clicks in notifications
I saw his post about a trade. It said Jalen Ramsey has been traded from the Miami Dolphins to, and then it was the...dot dot dot. It cut off right there. I think that Schefter knows exactly how many characters to use to make people actually click through and look at his tweet instead of just looking at the notification. I think that he's that good.
On Hot Seat/Cool Throne, the conversation shifted to the WNBA. While some people are pearl-clutching about how the rest of the league treats Caitlin Clark, Big Cat is leaning into the chaos. He thinks the pettiness and the hard fouls are exactly what the league needs to stay in the headlines.
Big CatWNBA players being petty toward Caitlin Clark is actually good for sports
Of course they don't like her. She's better than them and she's more popular. Like of course they're petty about it. I think that's good for sports... Kaylyn Clark will have a longer career, better career, make more money. She's gonna win in the long run. It doesn't have to be like a World War II every single time there's a slight on Kaitlyn Clark.
Diamondbacks Aces Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly
Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly stopped by the studio to talk ball, and it turns out even Cy Young contenders have their kryptonite. For Gallen, it's a specific hitter who seems to see the ball like a beachball every time they face off.
Zac GallenRaimel Tapia is the one hitter who has completely owned me throughout my career
Raimel Tapia for a while. I think last time I faced him was 2023 maybe in Milwaukee. And I, I swear to you, I think it was like he's hitting 600 off me, like 12 for like 20... I'm like, oh, at least I'd never give up a home run to him. Give up a home run to him that day. So, considerable is an understatement, I think if you ask me.
Kelly also brought some heat regarding the different environments in the MLB. While everyone complains about Coors Field, Kelly has his eyes on a different stadium that he believes is playing with the dimensions of the pitcher's mound to mess with visitors.
Merrill KellyThe Cincinnati Reds have an illegally flat pitching mound to gain an advantage
Cincinnati's tough. That mound is so flat. I know they're supposed to have regulations on how high the mound is, but whatever they're doing, they're cheating for sure. Because it's way lower. Our mound at home feels like a mountain compared to Cincinnati.
They also discussed the weirdest rules in the game, with Gallen taking particular aim at the dropped third strike. It’s hard to argue with a guy who thinks a pitcher shouldn't be punished for making a hitter look so foolish they swing at a ball in the dirt.
Zac GallenThe dropped third strike is the stupidest rule in all of baseball
The dropped third strike rule is the stupidest rule in baseball of all time. You swing in a pitch that's that bad... and then just because the ball like bounced away, you get to go to first base. It's a participation trophy. I literally made you swing at a pitch that didn't even make it to the plate. It was that bad. And you get to run to first base.
The Return of the King: Joey Chestnut
Joey Chestnut joined the show ahead of his triumphant return to Coney Island. The greatest athlete of all time gave us a peek behind the curtain of his training regimen, which apparently involves a lot more than just being hungry. It’s about the specialized conditioning of certain... internal muscles.
Joey ChestnutKnowing how to train your throat muscles is more important for competitive eating longevity than being in your physical prime
I know my body so much better now. It, it's, it's ridiculous... I also know how to train muscles in my throat and to make 'em stronger so I can just keep swallowing the meat. It's not, I'm not gonna walk away. To be the man, you gotta beat the man.
He also broke down the math of a record-breaking performance. If you're watching the clock on the 4th of July, Joey gave us a specific benchmark to look for that basically guarantees a new world record.
Joey ChestnutIf I have 50 hot dogs consumed at the five-minute mark of the Nathan's contest, 77 hot dogs for the record is a lock
If I'm at 50 hot dogs in five minutes, that, that, that's almost a lock. That, that, that means I have five minutes left. All I have to do is average just over five and a half hot dogs a minute. And then I, then I'm there.
2025 Dingers Only Draft
To wrap things up, Big Cat, PFT, Hank, Max, Brandon, Jerry, Zach, and Steven Cha gathered for the third annual Dingers Only Draft. The rules are simple: home runs are the only stat that matters. PFT tried to use "Saber Metrics" to justify his picks, focusing on volume and at-bats over raw power.
PFT CommenterCJ Abrams is the best Saber Metric pick in the Dingers Only draft because he leads off
Ideally you want your players to get as many opportunities to hit home runs as possible. Why not take a guy that hits lead off shortstop. CJ Abrams. He's gonna get like four more at bats than some of your guys' clowns.
Max is still on the hook for his pitching punishment from last year, and after some heated negotiations, we finally have a deal. He’ll be facing three innings against a college squad soon, provided he doesn't have another "accident" on the way home from the bar.
Enjoy the 4th of July and remember to keep the glitz off the buns.
