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Disgraced NBA Ref Tim Donaghy, Phil Rivers Career May Be Done + The Internet Is Poisoning Our Brains

Wednesday, November 20, 201916 takes

Phil Rivers put on a CLASSIC Phil Rivers performance and we may be nearing the end. Losing our heroes and the Chiefs look a little off (- ). Hot Seat/Cool Throne including a breakdown of how the Internet is poisoning all of our brains beyond belief ( - ). Disgraced NBA Ref Tim Donaghy joins the show to talk about his career as a ref, prison,  the gambling scheme that took him down, and reffing the Malice at the Palace ( - ). Segments include Sabermetrics for Carmelo switching to 00, sorry not sorry Antonio Brown, and Guys on Chicks.

Tim Donaghy on NBA Fixing, Philip Rivers' Career, and Internet Poison

Philip Rivers put on a clinic in Mexico City, but not the kind that wins football games. After watching him toss four interceptions and gasp for air in the thin altitude, Big Cat is ready to call it. It was the 61st loss by seven or fewer points for Rivers, a Super Bowl era record that feels like a heavy anchor on a Hall of Fame resume.

Push
Nov 20, 2019
#3487
Big CatBig Cat

Philip Rivers' career is over

Philip Rivers is done. D-O-N-E, done. D-E-A-D, dead. It's over. I said to myself, this is sad. And I think it might be over. Because there's something about it that feels different. The arm is just not there. And it just can't. It will never come back.

Rivers played one more mediocre year with the Chargers and one solid final year with the Colts in 2020 before retiring. He wasn't 'dead' yet, but the end was near.

PFT brought some advanced metrics to the table to explain why Rivers' supposedly decent record in one-score games is actually a total mirage. It’s the classic Rivers experience: move the ball just enough to give fans hope, then throw a back-breaking pick-six that technically makes it a two-possession game.

Void
Nov 20, 2019
#3488
PFT CommenterPFT Commenter

Philip Rivers' winning record in one-possession games is misleading because he turns them into two-possession games at the end

Philip Rivers actually has a winning record in one possession games. The only way I can think of to explain that is he's had so many fourth quarter drives where he has been trailing by one possession, where he's thrown a pick six or an interception that's led to an easy six points or three points on the other end, which makes the final score a two possession game.

This is a satirical theory about how game margins work, though Rivers' reputation for back-breaking late interceptions is factual.

With the 2004 draft class fading away, Big Cat and PFT are looking toward the future of the position. While Rivers is hitting the "dag nabbit" stage of his career, Big Ben is apparently entering his mountain man era. PFT has heard rumblings that the Steelers' QB is committed to a very specific grooming regimen until he's back on the field.

Win
Nov 20, 2019
#25932
PFT CommenterPFT Commenter

Ben Roethlisberger is growing his beard out until he throws another NFL pass

I heard a rumor that Big Ben... is growing that beard out until he throws another NFL pass. How great would that be to have Ben show up for training camp next year with just a full bush?

Roethlisberger did return to play for the Steelers in 2020 and 2021 before retiring.

Hot Seat/Cool Throne

Hank’s Hot Seat is himself and every other Patriots fan who fell for the Gronk comeback rumors. After weeks of teasing a big announcement, it turns out the greatest tight end of all time is just throwing a party in Miami.

Win
HankHank

Gronk will not return to the Patriots this season

My hot seat is anyone who actually thought Gronk was coming back to the Patriots. He did a little teaser similar to when he was on this show. It was like, I have a big announcement tomorrow. Turned out he's just doing a party in Miami... he's not coming back to the Patriots this year, which is sad.

Gronkowski stayed retired for the 2019 season, eventually returning to play for Tampa Bay in 2020.

Speaking of the Patriots, the guys shifted to the other big retirement/non-retirement saga: Antonio Brown. After AB issued a semicolon-heavy apology to Robert Kraft, the guys are wondering if the door is actually cracked open for a return to Foxborough.

Loss
HankHank

Antonio Brown will return to the Patriots following his apology to Robert Kraft

Did you see that every single Patriot basically liked it? And he used a semicolon, which means there's a chance that someone wrote it for him, which means that it was like, hey, post this apology. And maybe you'll come back... do you guys think it's a coincidence that after the Patriots' offensive performance on Sunday that this all of a sudden comes very early the next week?

Antonio Brown never played for the Patriots again after his release in September 2019. He eventually joined the Buccaneers in 2020.

In a more serious turn, Big Cat declared that the internet has officially poisoned our brains beyond repair. Between the "OK Boomer" trend and fighting with straw men on Twitter, we’ve reached a point where we aren't even arguing with real people anymore.

Void
Big CatBig Cat

The 'OK Boomer' trend is dead because internet users are fighting with straw men

The boomer thing is done. It's too much... there are no baby boomers on Twitter. There's like a few people who write like op-eds in New York Times, but we're really arguing with no one... we have created straw men all around us and we're just whacking at it with a machete.

Tim Donaghy: Inside the NBA Scandal

Disgraced NBA referee Tim Donaghy joined the show to discuss his career, his time in prison, and his new movie *Inside Game*. Donaghy was adamant that the popular perception of him "shaving points" isn't quite right. Instead, he claims he was simply betting based on how the league office wanted games to be called.

Void
Nov 20, 2019
#3495
Tim DonaghyTim Donaghy

NBA games were manipulated by refs based on points of emphasis, not by direct point shaving

Fixing games. I mean, some people think that I went out there and put Shaquille O'Neal to the bench or LeBron James to the bench so that some of these bets won. That's really not what happened. I picked the games based on relationships that existed between referees and players, referees and coaches, and referees and owners, and what took place in the morning meetings with the referees and what was going to be called that night and how a team was going to be put at an advantage or disadvantage.

The NBA and FBI dispute aspects of Donaghy's story, but his claim remains his official stance. It cannot be fully verified beyond his own testimony.

Donaghy didn't hold back on the league's history of manipulation, specifically calling out the infamous 2002 Western Conference Finals. He alleged that veteran refs like Dick Bavetta were the league's designated "fixers" when a series needed to be extended for ratings and revenue.

Void
Nov 20, 2019
#3498
Tim DonaghyTim Donaghy

Officiating in the 2002 Lakers-Kings series was manipulated to ensure it went to Game 7

Definitely manipulate it when you talk about Dick Bavetta at the in 2002... the famous Lakers Sacramento Game 6. He openly said to a lot of us that he was the NBA's go-to guy. He was put on Game 6s to make sure they went to a Game 7 and that was one of the most fucked up games in the history of the NBA.

While widely suspected by fans and media, the NBA has never admitted to this, and Bavetta has denied it. It remains a claim of a disgraced official.

Perhaps the most shocking claim from the interview was just how widespread the gambling culture was among the officiating staff. According to Donaghy, once David Stern actually started looking into the problem, he realized he couldn't fire everyone without collapsing the league's ability to function.

Push
Nov 20, 2019
#3500
Tim DonaghyTim Donaghy

55 out of 58 NBA referees were gambling in violation of their contracts

Then [David Stern] did an investigation and found out 55 out of 58 NBA referees were gambling, going to casinos, betting on football, betting on golf, couldn't fire everybody, and immediately started to backtrack that whole thing.

The NBA's internal Pedowitz Report acknowledged that many refs gambled in ways that violated league rules, but the exact number remains disputed.

Segments

Carmelo Anthony is back in the NBA with the Trail Blazers and he’s rocking the double-zero. Melo provided a pseudo-intellectual breakdown of why he chose the number, involving infinity symbols and mysticism, which Big Cat promptly shredded. However, the guys did agree on one thing: Luka Doncic is currently breaking the sport of basketball.

Loss
Nov 20, 2019·Sabermetrics
#3504
Big CatBig Cat

Luka Doncic is the best player of all time

Is Luka Doncic the best player of all time? Yes. I think so. I think he's going to be—he's really good. Of all time. He's crazy. 42 point triple double.

Luka is a generational talent, but calling him the GOAT after one season is hyperbolic and currently incorrect.

To wrap things up, Guys on Chicks featured a listener asking how to handle a sudden breakup where her ex blocked her on every platform. While it feels harsh, Big Cat thinks it might actually be the most well-adjusted move you can make in the digital age.

Void
Big CatBig Cat

The 'full block' on social media is the healthiest way to handle a breakup in 2019

I think that the full block on social media for everything is a healthy way to move on. Because if you break up with someone, you're going to go creeping on their stuff... so to go clean slate, I'm just going to like remove everything. I think that's a healthy way to deal with the breakup.

If you're going to get dumped, just make sure you slash at least one tire on your way out for the inconvenience.

nflnbaphilip-riversgamblinghot-seat-cool-throne

More Takes

Void
Big CatBig Cat

Ken Jennings is likely a 'soaker' because he's from Utah

I don't know. I think [Ken Jennings] is from Utah. Yeah, so everyone from Utah. I just assumed he soaked. He seems like a guy who soaks.

This is an absurd personal speculation based on a meme about Utah culture.
Void
PFT CommenterPFT Commenter

Joe Biden lost the youth vote by calling marijuana a 'gateway drug'

Joe Biden, he's running to be commander in chief, but he doesn't like weed. He says that it should remain illegal at the federal level because it's a gateway drug. Yeah, so he just lost the youth vote.

While Biden won the 2020 election, his stance on weed remains a point of contention with younger voters.
Win
Big CatBig Cat

Booger McFarland is the new Jason Witten for NFL fan criticism

Jason Witten is on my cool throne because the internet has finally come for Booger McFarland. I think Booger had that nice spot where he came in after Jason Witten, so it was like no one was paying attention for a little bit, and now people are starting to listen to what he says... he's getting roasted. The internet is coming for him.

Booger McFarland was replaced on Monday Night Football after only one season as the lead analyst due to heavy criticism.
Void
Nov 20, 2019
#25934
Tim DonaghyTim Donaghy

NBA officiating in the playoffs is manipulated to extend series for revenue

When you talk about the way the business was operated and how they were dictating what the referees were calling, especially during the playoffs, I think there's some culpability there... you're not fixing these games, but you're manipulating them for the bottom line of going five, six, and seven games.

The NBA has always vehemently denied these claims, but the take is a core part of the Donaghy 'story.'
Void
Nov 20, 2019
#3502
Tim DonaghyTim Donaghy

James Harden travels are intentionally ignored because the NBA wants the highlights

The thing is that the NBA doesn't want that travel called. And when [James Harden] does travel, and even when it's obvious, they'll come out and say it has something to do with the gather, the Eurostep, the way the rule is written. It's just a bunch of bullshit to protect the fact that nobody called the travel.

While Harden's 'gather' was technically within the rules for years, the NBA did eventually clarify rules and points of emphasis to limit his specific step-back move.

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