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Harrison Smith, Kyle Rudolph, and Blair Walsh 10/03/16

Monday, October 3, 201622 takes

Week 4 NFL Recap and the Wikipedia Club takes down Books ( - ). College football recap and the Tiger Wood Memorial Who's Back of the week. Football Guy of the week in honor of Interim Coach O ( - ). Harrison Smith, Kyle Rudolph and Blair Walsh join the show to talk about playing for the Vikings, Charlie Weis, and post Teddy B life ( - ). Segments include PR 101 for Chuck Pagano, Humans vs the Sun Ryder Cup. New segments Worst Team In Football and Tell The Truth Mondays.

Harrison Smith, Kyle Rudolph, and Blair Walsh on Vikings Life and Charlie Weis

It is officially October, which means Big Cat is dusting off his puffy vest collection and preparing for the single greatest month on the sports calendar. While PFT Commenter is holding out for June, the logic for October is bulletproof when you consider the overlap of playoff baseball, the NFL grind, and massive college football rivalry weekends.

Void
Oct 3, 2016
#529
Big CatBig Cat

October is the best month of the sports year.

It's October. Best month of the year. Sports year by far. It's the only month where all four major sports will be in action. You got the MLB playoffs. You have all of rivalry weekends coming up for NCAA football. And NFL is starting to really cook.

The sentiment that October is the best sports month is subjective, though it is factually the only month where MLB, NFL, NBA, and NHL typically all have games.

Week 4 delivered some absolute chaos, starting with the realization that the Arizona Cardinals might be in serious trouble. Carson Palmer looked every bit like a guy whose carriage just turned back into a pumpkin, while in Denver, the quarterback situation took a weird turn as Trevor Siemian got sidelined.

Loss
Oct 3, 2016
#533
PFT CommenterPFT Commenter

Trevor Siemian was 'Wally Pipped' by Paxton Lynch.

Also, did Trevor Siemian just get Wally Pipped? Ooh. I think he did. He got Wally Pipped by Bill Paxton Lynch. Put him in a twister.

Siemian remained the primary starter for most of 2016 and 2017. Paxton Lynch proved to be a major bust and never permanently took the job.

The Cult of Coach O

Football Guy of the Week was a one-man race this week. After LSU fired Les Miles, interim head coach Ed Orgeron took over and immediately turned the program into a high-energy smash-mouth factory. Big Cat and PFT Commenter are fully bought into the Coach O experience, even if PFT thinks the shelf life of an interim cult leader is notoriously short.

Loss
PFT CommenterPFT Commenter

Coach Orgeron is a cult leader whose novelty will wear off because he is not smart enough to sustain success.

The thing with Coach O is he's basically a cult leader, right? He gets in, and he gets these kids really, really fired up because he's got a huge personality... But he's too dumb to be a good cult leader. So, like, the novelty of being in a cult and really enjoying your cult status, like, it's going to wear off pretty quickly.

Coach Orgeron eventually proved he could sustain success at the highest level, leading LSU to an undefeated 15-0 season and a National Championship in 2019.

Speaking of teams "finding a way," Tennessee continues to defy the laws of physics and logic. They are currently the luckiest team in America, but as PFT points out, that luck eventually runs out hard. On the flip side, the guys are ready to declare that Washington is actually a force to be reckoned with again, and Big Cat is officially putting the Falcons back on his "Back" list after Matt Ryan and Julio Jones torched the Panthers.

Win
Oct 3, 2016·Who's Back
#27971
Big CatBig Cat

The Atlanta Falcons are officially back.

I have my who's back, the Atlanta Falcons. Falcons are back. They are back. Last week you had Matt Ryan back, right? Well, no, two weeks, three weeks ago I had Dan Quinn on my hot seat. Then I had Matt Ryan back. Now I have the Falcons back.

The Falcons went 11-5, won the NFC South, and reached Super Bowl LI.

Skol Vikes and Charlie Weis's Bling

The guys sat down with Harrison Smith and Kyle Rudolph at the Vikings facility just days after Teddy Bridgewater’s season-ending injury. The vibe was slightly depressing, but they managed to pivot to the important things: Charlie Weis’s recruiting tactics and the horror of Skyline Chili. Harrison Smith confirmed that Weis used to just drop his Super Bowl rings on the table to blind high school kids with the bling.

Kyle Rudolph tried to defend Cincinnati's favorite export, but the guys weren't having it.

Void
Oct 3, 2016
#535
PFT CommenterPFT Commenter

Skyline Chili is a prank the city of Cincinnati pulled on the rest of the world.

What do you think about my theory that the city of Cincinnati basically was like, we're going to pull a prank on the rest of the world and tell them that when they come here, they've got to try the diarrhea chili?

This is an inherently subjective take about the quality of a regional food staple, delivered as a comedic bit.

Blair Walsh also joined the show to discuss the "Kicker or Concussion" game and his Miami Heat fandom. Walsh is a true die-hard who actually believes Dwyane Wade's legacy in Miami outweighs everything LeBron James did for the city.

Void
Oct 3, 2016
#537
Blair WalshBlair Walsh

Dwyane Wade is the Heat's greatest player of all time, over LeBron James.

I think that Dwyane Wade was our best player of all time, obviously. [LeBron James] gave us two rings, even though he promised eight or seven. But Dwyane Wade was our best player.

This is a classic subjective sports debate. Wade is the 'greatest Heat player' to many fans, while LeBron is the 'best' player to ever wear the jersey.

Ryder Cup and Tell The Truth Monday

The U.S. finally won the Ryder Cup, and PFT has a very specific theory on why the Europeans folded. It wasn't the putting or the hostile crowd; it was the lack of headwear. The Americans protected their brains from the sun, while the Europeans let their foreheads bake.

Win
PFT CommenterPFT Commenter

The U.S. won the Ryder Cup because they wore hats and visors while the European team didn't.

Could not help but notice that pretty much nobody on the European team wore a hat or a visor. And the entire U.S. team... They were wearing hats, and the U.S. won... It's also probably my favorite part about golf, which is when they take their hats off... and you see the insane forehead tan.

Fact ClaimGolfMediumSarcastic
The U.S. did win the 2016 Ryder Cup, though the hats were not the cause.

To wrap things up, the guys introduced a new segment inspired by Coach O: Tell The Truth Monday. It got uncomfortable fast. Big Cat admitted to a disturbing 1.5-pint ice cream bender that he tried to hide in the trash under paper towels, but his real truth involved the looming Cubs postseason run.

Win
Oct 3, 2016·Monday Reading
#541
Big CatBig Cat

A small part of me is afraid of what happens to my identity if the Cubs actually win the World Series.

There's like a 1% of my brain that doesn't fully know what to do if the Cubs actually won the World Series. If they don't win, our identity is still intact. I'm the dog chasing a car and I don't know what I would do if I caught it.

The Cubs did win the World Series in 2016. Big Cat's identity as a 'suffering fan' did indeed change forever.

PFT followed it up with a scorched-earth take on Vin Scully’s retirement, calling the legendary announcer a coward for not staying in the booth until he reached total senility like Harry Caray.

We'll see if the show survives Turnover Wednesday after these truth bombs.

nflvikingsryder-cupmlbcollege-footballcoach-o

More Takes

Win
Oct 3, 2016
#530
Big CatBig Cat

Washington football is officially back.

Washington [Huskies] might be back. Well, they like to say like, oh yeah, Washington went to that Rose Bowl like 25 years ago.

Washington went 12-2 in 2016, won the Pac-12, and made the College Football Playoff. They were definitely 'back'.
Win
Oct 3, 2016
#531
PFT CommenterPFT Commenter

Tennessee is a lucky team that will eventually run out of luck.

Tennessee has been the Les Miles team this year. Les was good for a really long time, but then he would have four or five games that he had no business winning, that he would luck into. And then, like, you get off to a hot start, and then your luck runs out, and when it runs out, it runs out hard. Real hard.

After a 5-0 start with several miracles (App State, Georgia Hail Mary), Tennessee lost 3 straight games and finished a disappointing 9-4.
Void
PFT CommenterPFT Commenter

Wikipedia is officially back and is better than books.

Wikipedia is back in a big way. It ain't stupid. You had the head-to-head matchup, so nobody can possibly say that Wikipedia is stupid anymore. Wikipedia is back... I've always distrusted books, and now it just kind of backed me up.

This is an inherently subjective comedic opinion.
Win
Oct 3, 2016
#532
Big CatBig Cat

Carson Palmer has 'turned back into a pumpkin' and is no longer elite.

Turns out Carson Palmer... Turned back into a pumpkin. It struck midnight, and Carson Palmer turned back into a glass slipper.

Palmer struggled significantly in 2016 compared to his 2015 peak, throwing only 26 TDs to 14 INTs as the Cardinals missed the playoffs. He retired a year later.
Win
Oct 3, 2016·Who's Back
#534
PFT CommenterPFT Commenter

Jeff Fisher will lose his next two games because the Rams are in L.A.

Jeff Fisher is losing his next two games now that the Rams are in L.A. Hollywood Jeff is going to be reading the dailies. He's going to see his name and variety. And he's like 3-1, 3-1. I know another team from Golden State that was 3-1 not too long ago.

The Rams lost their next four games (Bills, Lions, Giants, Panthers) after this prediction. PFT's specific 'next two' were both losses.
Void
Oct 3, 2016
#536
Blair WalshBlair Walsh

Wearing black jerseys is a guaranteed loss for Georgia football.

It's when we pull the black jerseys out. If we pull the black jerseys out, it's a guaranteed L, so we need to stay away from that.

The 'Blackout' curse was a real fan concern, though they did eventually win games in them years later (e.g., 2021 Peach Bowl).
Void
Oct 3, 2016
#27966
Blair WalshBlair Walsh

LSU is the hardest SEC stadium to play in.

What's the hardest SEC stadium to play in? LSU. Even though we actually hung 52 on them when we played there... But they're insane. Their chants are in unison, which is really, really weird.

This is a subjective opinion based on the player's experience.
Win
Oct 3, 2016·Picks
#538
Big CatBig Cat

Andrew Luck gets a pass for mistakes because the Colts' offensive line is atrocious.

I'm done making fun of Andrew Luck. That's the worst offensive line I've ever seen. He was running for his life the entire time. I'm actually going to give him an active pass and let him know that it's okay. You can fuck up because that offensive line is atrocious.

The Colts' O-line was statistically one of the worst during this period, and Luck's career ended early due to the cumulative toll of injuries.
Loss
Oct 3, 2016
#539
PFT CommenterPFT Commenter

England shouldn't be allowed to compete for Europe in the Ryder Cup after Brexit.

What a crock of shit that England's allowed to compete with Europe even though they Brexited. Give me a break. You can't have it both ways, man.

Hot TakeGolfHotSarcastic
Brexit did not remove the UK from the continent of Europe or the European golf governing bodies.
Push
Big CatBig Cat

Charlie Strong will lose the Red River Shootout and be fired within a week.

That means he's basically got six days. That means – He's going to lose the Red River shootout and he's going to get fired... This is the worst thing to have your athletic director say. 'We will not fire him this year.' That basically says you're going to get fired in a week.

Texas did lose the Red River Shootout to Oklahoma (45-40), but Charlie Strong was not fired the following week; he coached until the end of the season.
Win
HankHank

The Cleveland Browns are the worst team in football.

Worst team in football... Cleveland Browns. They're also 0-3 against the spread.

The Browns finished the 2016 season with a league-worst 1-15 record.
Loss
Oct 3, 2016
#27970
Big CatBig Cat

The Dodgers intentionally lost to the Giants to avoid facing the Cardinals in the postseason.

Dodgers lost on purpose. They knew what would happen if they met the Cardinals in the playoffs... Dodgers lie down and roll over for the Giants, knocking the Cardinals out of the playoffs.

Fact ClaimBaseballMediumSarcastic
There is no evidence the Dodgers intentionally threw games; the Giants clinched the wildcard on merit.
Void
Oct 3, 2016·Witch Hunt
#540
PFT CommenterPFT Commenter

David Ortiz definitely used steroids in his final MLB season.

David Ortiz... obviously did steroids in his last year. It's not even a witch hunt, really. I'm rubber stamping it. Witch hunt confirmed. He hit .317. That's the third highest average he's ever had. Connect the dots, Hank. You can't get suspended for steroids if you retire.

While Ortiz had one positive test in 2003, he never failed a drug test after the MLB's joint drug agreement was implemented. PFT's claim is based on suspicion, not verified fact.
Void
Oct 3, 2016·Monday Reading
#542
PFT CommenterPFT Commenter

Vince Scully's 'retirement' is the coward's way out for an announcer.

I'm glad that Vin Scully's done. I'm just sick of hearing about the farewell tour. It's like, dude, you're just an announcer. I want my announcers like Harry Caray and Jack Buck, they need to stick around to the bitter end. Get a little senile. Vince Scully, you took the coward's way out. What real announcer retires?

This is a purely satirical and subjective take on broadcasting legacy.

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