PMT DB
PMT DB
Greg Olsen and George Kittle on Tight End U, Ben Simmons' Allergic Reaction to Shooting, and the Death of the Process
It is officially time to pour one out for Philadelphia. After years of losing on purpose for the sake of a grand vision, the Sixers flamed out against the Hawks in a Game 7 that felt like a funeral for a philosophy. Big Cat didn't mince words about the state of the franchise now that the dust has settled on their postseason exit.
Big CatThe Process is officially dead.
Today is Monday, June 21st, and the process is dead. We had a good run. This was going to be the postseason where we judged whether or not processes actually work. Turns out they don't.
The focal point of the disaster was Ben Simmons, who spent the fourth quarter of every game seemingly terrified of the orange sphere in his hands. He finished the series with a historic inability to shoot free throws and a mental block that kept him from dunking even when he was standing directly under the rim. PFT noted that Simmons has finally found the literal interpretation of the most famous quote in sports history.
PFT CommenterBen Simmons proves that you miss 100% of the shots you don't take.
I always thought that saying the Wayne Gretzky-Michael Scott quote didn't really make that much sense. [Ben Simmons] actually proves that you do, in fact, miss 100% of the shots that you don't take.
Despite the collapse, Big Cat isn't ready to say Simmons is untradeable. In the NBA, there is always one GM who thinks they are the whisperer who can finally unlock the talent, though at this point, that talent seems to exclude actually putting the ball in the hoop.
Big CatBen Simmons will still have trade value because a team will believe they can fix him.
I think [Ben Simmons] still will have trade value because someone will think, I can fix that. I can make him better because he still has elite levels to his game. It's just the whole point of shooting a basketball into a hoop is the game, and he just doesn't want to do that.
Hank, ever the optimist when it comes to his rivals' misery, took the floor to offer a backhanded olive branch to Philly fans. He truly believes the Process will work... eventually.
HankThe 76ers will eventually make it to the Eastern Conference Finals.
I do believe, I truly believe, as much as I've said bad things about Philly, it's only been my honest opinion. And I do believe eventually they will make it to the Eastern Conference Finals.
Bucks, Nets, and the Suns Rolling
While Philly was dying, the Bucks and Nets were playing an all-time classic. Kevin Durant put the entire city of Brooklyn on his back with a 48-point performance that was inches away from being a game-winning three instead of a game-tying two. Big Cat argued that Durant actually came out of this loss looking better than ever.
Big CatKevin Durant gained respect and status from this playoff run despite losing.
Weirdly I think Kevin Durant like gained from this. Oh yeah. I mean the shot at the end of regulation was huge and just the way this... Harden going down, Kyrie going down... 48 points where he just was so incredible... I think people appreciate Kevin Durant more than they ever have, watching him play without other players and being as incredible as he is.
Out West, the Suns are simply a wagon. Even without Chris Paul, Devin Booker dropped a 40-point triple-double to keep the momentum going. Big Cat is standing by his favorite prediction for the rest of the playoffs.
Big CatSuns in four.
All I'm saying is Suns in four. Suns in four.
The U.S. Open and Bryson's Meltdown
Golf talk took a turn toward the celebratory as the guys watched Bryson DeChambeau implode on the back nine on Sunday. After holding the lead, Bryson finished tied for 26th, leading PFT to label him with the one name they hadn't used for the scientist yet.
PFT CommenterBryson DeChambeau is a mentally weak golfer and a quitter.
We call him a lot of stuff, but we've never called him a quitter until today. And he quit when his giant cleats didn't save him... At that point, Bryson was like, I don't want to be out here anymore. And he quit. He is a mentally weak golfer.
Greg Olsen and George Kittle: Tight End University
Longtime friends of the program Greg Olsen and George Kittle joined the show to discuss their new venture, Tight End University. The summit in Nashville is bringing together over 50 NFL tight ends to share secrets of the craft. George Kittle broke down why the position is the most grueling in the league, requiring a player to be a hybrid of two completely different roles.
George KittleThe hardest part about playing tight end is having to be an elite blocker and an elite receiver simultaneously.
I think it's the fact that you have to be good at everything. You can be an elite route runner. You can catch the ball really well... but then if you can't, like, hold your own in the run game and you can't, like, take a hit in the face by a 300-pound defensive end, then they kind of have to call plays around you instead of you being the focal point. You have to be very good at pass pro, running routes, setting the edge, being able to crack on a safety, being able to block a defensive end.
Of course, the conversation turned to which school can actually claim the title of TEU. Kittle stayed loyal to his Hawkeyes, citing the lineage of Dallas Clark and the recent first-round dominance of TJ Hockenson and Noah Fant.
George KittleThe University of Iowa is the real Tight End U.
It's Iowa [that is Tight End U]. I got Dallas Clark on my shirt right now for a reason, baby... I got Hawkinson. I got Fant in the first round. Never before done.
Greg Olsen wasn't having it, firing back with the Miami Hurricanes' history of producing elite talent that spans decades of NFL success.
Greg OlsenThe University of Miami is the real Tight End U.
Miami went five tight ends in a row who were drafted in the first round... The only guy who wasn't was drafted in the second round. Going back to Miami lineage, you have Bubba Franks first round, Shockey first round, Kellen Winslow [Jr.] first round... Me, first round. Since then, we've had Jimmy Graham... David Njoku... We've had dudes now.
Olsen also got real about his son TJ's recent heart transplant. In a moving segment, he talked about the resilience of kids and the incredible mix of emotions that comes with receiving a life-saving organ. It was a heavy but necessary reminder of what matters outside of the box score. To wrap up the football talk, Olsen made it clear that while he loves the game, his days of putting on the pads are over.
Greg OlsenI am completely and utterly done with football and will not come out of retirement.
I am not going to be coming out of retirement. I'm completely and utterly done. I've set a record for how many times I've broken and ruptured my feet. So I'm full-time dad and part-time broadcaster.
Who's Back and a Major Announcement
Who's Back featured the return of triple plays and Kyle Schwarber's hot streak in D.C. Big Cat has a new vision for the Olympics that would involve putting a regular guy in the pool just to show how much of a freak Michael Phelps really is.
Big CatEvery Olympic event should have a lane for a regular person to show how slow the average human is.
The Olympics, if they had a lane for just regular average people for comparison, would be so incredible. If they had the 10th lane in a swimming pool, be like, all right, let's find a 15-pound overweight guy and just let him swim just to show how slow an average person was, it would be so fascinating to watch.
To close the show, Hank shared a personal update, announcing that he and Rhea have broken up after several years together. He handled it with incredible maturity, explaining that they've simply moved into different stages of life but remain on good terms.
We love you, Hank. Go get that summer six-pack.
