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Jim Harbaugh, Training Camp Week, And The Mt Rushmore Of Things We Don't Understand

Monday, August 5, 201920 takes

Training Camp week is here and we have Coach Harbaugh on the show after embarrassing ourselves in his Golf tournament. PFT survived his rugby weekend and who's back of the week including Brady's contract and crazy Lolla videos ( - ). Mt Rushmore of things we don't understand ( - ). Coach Jim Harbaugh joins the show to talk about the return of Football, what this season means for his team, how he does everything (EVERYTHING) on Excel, and the "look" his brother has over him ( - ). Segments include hurt or injured Antonio Brown's feet, Stay Woke Larry Johnson, new segment Melo Dramatic, and a drunk idea.  We're going to Milwaukee tuesday and want to watch Hard Knocks at an AWL's house. Email pmtintern@barstoolsports.com

Jim Harbaugh on Excel, SpongeBob, and the Rebirth of Training Camp

Training Camp week is officially here, and the energy in the air is palpable. Big Cat and PFT are hitting the road, but first, they recap their time at Jim Harbaugh's annual golf tournament. It was a scene where the guys felt more out of place than ever, surrounded by Michigan boosters in floral shirts while Hank decided to golf in jeans. The performance on the course was predictably poor, leading to a classic Harbaugh interaction where the Coach showed genuine disgust at their scramble score of plus one.

Who's Back of the Week

Tom Brady is back after signing a two-year extension at 42 years old. Hank is still trying to figure out how the NFL salary cap works, especially since this extension somehow frees up space despite giving Brady a raise. PFT is keeping a close eye on the Washington Redskins' depth chart, where a familiar face has surfaced at the top.

Void
Aug 5, 2019·Who's Back
#20882
PFT CommenterPFT Commenter

Colt McCoy is a less sexy version of Ryan Fitzpatrick

Colt McCoy is back. He's like the less sexy version of Ryan Fitzpatrick. He pops up every couple years, has a good game. He's like Ryan Fitzpatrick if he was cleaned up for a job interview or something like that.

This is a subjective stylistic comparison between two players.

The guys also looked at the madness from Lollapalooza this weekend. Videos of teenagers bum rushing the fences went viral, and Big Cat thinks he knows exactly where they got the inspiration for that level of coordinated chaos.

Void
Aug 5, 2019·Who's Back
#11283
Big CatBig Cat

The Area 51 meme is the reason people are now bum rushing music festival gates

I blame the organizer of the Area 51 thing for just convincing people everywhere to get a big group and run through a fence. Some of these kids were jumping fences [at Lollapalooza], and I was just shocked by their athleticism.

The 'Storm Area 51' meme went viral in July 2019, just before Lollapalooza 2019. While causal links are hard to prove, the timing aligns with a trend of 'bum rushing' memes.

Mount Rushmore of Things We Don't Understand

This Mount Rushmore hit close to home because, as Big Cat admits, they aren't the smartest guys. The list ranged from the dark web and the blockchain to more relatable frustrations like how airplanes actually stay in the sky. PFT is convinced his hours of flight simulators have prepared him for a heroic moment.

Loss
PFT CommenterPFT Commenter

I honestly think I could fly a plane in an emergency based on flight simulators and 'Top Gun'

I honestly think I could fly an airplane... if the pilot becomes incapacitated during the flight. I'm going to raise my hand and be like, I have flown numerous flight simulators. I played the Top Gun video game. I've seen Top Gun like 10 times. I think I could get the plane close to landing.

OpinionLifeMediumSarcastic
While untested, it is highly unlikely a civilian with only simulator experience could safely land a commercial aircraft without professional guidance.

The guys also got into a heated debate about music and culture. While Big Cat and Hank defended some of the bangers, PFT was not having it with the 6 God.

Void
PFT CommenterPFT Commenter

Drake is not a talented rapper and has 'low T'

I don't get why Drake is pop. I don't really like his music... I don't think he's a talented rapper. They're all slow. He's low T. Drake is very low T... He does the thing where he rhymes the same word with the same word a lot. He's kind of slow. He mumbles. He's got low T. Actually, he's kind of like me.

Talent is subjective, and 'low T' is a medical claim used here as a comedic insult.

They also tackled the mysterious popularity of certain West Coast trends. Big Cat has a theory that the rest of the country is being collectively punked by California.

Loss
Big CatBig Cat

Kombucha is likely a prank started on the West Coast to see if the rest of the country would fall for it

I'm convinced there's a list of things that just start on the West Coast as pranks to see if everyone else will do it. And [Kombucha] is one of them. They're like, we'll just start saying kombucha's good and watch these fucking idiots in the rest of the country. We'll just pay way too much for this shitty tea.

Hot TakeFoodHotSarcastic
Kombucha has genuine historical roots in East Asia and is not a modern prank, though its marketing can be extreme.

Jim Harbaugh Joins the Show

Coach Jim Harbaugh makes his return to the program, and he is in mid-season form. He describes the start of training camp with a level of intensity that most people reserve for religious experiences.

Void
Aug 5, 2019
#20878
Jim HarbaughJim Harbaugh

Training camp is a rebirth akin to New Year's or the birth of Christ

There's people that think of January 1st as being the start of the new year. People that espoused Christianity, Catholicism, talk about the birth of Christ. We talk about training camp. I love it... That's the rebirth. That's coming out of the womb... Now you're in the real world. Boom. Out into the light. Out into the chaos.

This is a personal philosophical belief of Harbaugh's regarding the football calendar.

Harbaugh opened up about his process, revealing that he is a "disciple of Excel." He doesn't just use it for spreadsheets; he uses it for letters, drawing pictures, and even poetry.

Win
Aug 5, 2019
#11284
Jim HarbaughJim Harbaugh

I use Microsoft Excel for everything, including writing poems and drawing pictures

I do everything in Excel. Everything in Excel. I draw pictures in Excel. Excel is the first thing I learned, and I've stayed with it. I'm a disciple of Excel... You can format the cell and do three to four lines or six. They can overlap. It's a very versatile piece of software.

Harbaugh confirms this is his genuine personal workflow.

The conversation took a turn into his personal inspirations, including a deep dive into why a certain absorbent, yellow, and porous cartoon character is a role model for a Big Ten head coach.

Void
Aug 5, 2019
#20879
Jim HarbaughJim Harbaugh

SpongeBob SquarePants is one of my heroes because of his work ethic and enthusiasm

I love SpongeBob... Just the way [he] attacks with enthusiasm unknown to mankind at all times. He's always happy. Always positive. He's energetic... I mean, some of the times where he's flipping the burgers, like he's got four or five or six arms. He loves work. Takes pride in his job. What's there not to love about SpongeBob?

Subjective appreciation for a cartoon character's traits.

It wouldn't be a Harbaugh interview without some hard-nosed football talk. He discussed the upcoming season and the weight of the rivalry with Ohio State, while also sharing his thoughts on the modern trend of players skipping bowl games to protect their draft stock.

Void
Aug 5, 2019
#11286
Jim HarbaughJim Harbaugh

Players who sit out bowl games are damaging their legacy and their status as a competitor

I think it hurts their actual—their legacy too. Just what they're about. You know, a competitor is going to compete... Everybody talks about it. They're a competitor... But then they actually don't go play in a football game. You know, that's, to me, that's a problem. You have a problem now with who you are as a competitor and your legacy.

This is a subjective opinion on 'legacy', though the trend of sitting out has only increased since 2019 without seemingly hurting players' NFL draft stock.

Segments

In a quick 'Stay Woke,' PFT looks into Larry Johnson’s Twitter feed, which has identified some suspicious activity surrounding Patrick Mahomes and Adam Schefter. The theory involves Masonic numbers and some potential witchcraft in the NFL media world.

Loss
Aug 5, 2019·Stay Woke
#20881
PFT CommenterPFT Commenter

Adam Schefter is an undercover warlock casting spells through the media

I can't think of a story I'm rooting for more than Adam Schefter to be an undercover witch... Could you imagine if he's just casting spells on people?... Two cell phones. One of them is a magic wand. And that's why he does the whole like, oh, I have to pee every 10 minutes to make himself seem un-witch-like.

Hot TakeMediaScorchingSarcastic
Adam Schefter is a human journalist and does not possess magical powers.

Finally, the guys debut 'Melo Dramatic' to track the potential return of Carmelo Anthony. While Melo is on a media tour trying to explain his exit from Houston, Big Cat is cutting through the noise to the real reason he’s currently a free agent.

Void
Big CatBig Cat

Carmelo Anthony was cut by the Rockets because he simply wasn't good at basketball anymore

I think the money he was being paid to play basketball [was why he was cut]. To be shitty at basketball. Yeah... it's not a basketball reason if you can't play basketball anymore.

Subjective, but supported by the fact that Melo went unsigned for over a year after his 10-game stint with Houston.

If you're in Milwaukee on Tuesday and have a decent couch and HBO, check your inbox for a visit from some very hungry rugby guys.

michigan-footballnflhard-knocksmount-rushmoretraining-camp

More Takes

Loss
Aug 5, 2019
#11279
Big CatBig Cat

NBA players only hit every shot in New York City because the rims are too big

I don't know what it is about that court where every NBA player goes and plays in New York City. I think those rims might be too big because everyone hits every shot. Very soft rims.

The size of rims in professional or high-level streetball courts is standardized at 18 inches. There is no evidence NYC rims are larger, though they might be 'soft' (more forgiving).
Void
Aug 5, 2019
#11280
Big CatBig Cat

Tony Gonzalez had the worst possible timing for a tight end because Rob Gronkowski came right after him

Tony Gonzalez... He has the ultimate unfortunate timing for a tight end because he was the greatest tight end of all time. And then [Gronk] came along and the tight end position is completely changed where tight ends are basically wide receivers now... doesn't it feel like if we, you know, in 2011, it was a no-brainer Tony Gonzalez's best tight end of all time to have someone come in right at the tail end of his career and be better than him? That's got to suck.

While subjective, many analysts do rank Gronkowski's peak over Gonzalez's career longevity. Gonzalez retired in 2013, exactly when Gronk's dominance was peaking.
Void
Aug 5, 2019
#11281
Big CatBig Cat

I would rather have a Super Bowl ring than be in the Hall of Fame

Watching the Hall of Fame induction made me, for a brief moment, think that Cris Carter, when he said he'd rather be in the Hall of Fame than have a Super Bowl ring, might have been on to something, and then as soon as the season starts, I'm like, nah, Super Bowl.

Subjective preference regarding sporting honors.
Win
Aug 5, 2019
#11288
HankHank

The Red Sox season is over because they have no pitching

I'm putting the Dunchain on the Red Sox... I mean, it's about time. They got no pitching.

The 2019 Red Sox finished 84-78 and missed the postseason by 12 games, finishing 3rd in the AL East. Hank's 'Dunchain' was accurate.
Void
Big CatBig Cat

The NFL catch rule is getting more confusing and I will never understand it

Still don't understand what a catch in the NFL is. I feel like it's getting more confusing, not less confusing. And, yeah, someday I think we'll get it... if Zach Miller can break a leg in the Saints end zone and [his] broken leg lay on the ground for three seconds and still not have it be a catch, I will never understand a catch.

The catch rule is a matter of interpretation and remains one of the most debated aspects of NFL officiating.
Void
PFT CommenterPFT Commenter

Restaurants should replace gumball machines with 'Tumball' machines filled with Tums

An idea that's just, instead of a gumball machine, just out in restaurants, have it just be filled with Tums... I would take one every single time, even if I didn't have heartburn, just like knowing you might get it later... Call it a Tumball machine.

This is a product idea/opinion that has not been widely implemented.
Win
Aug 5, 2019
#11285
Jim HarbaughJim Harbaugh

Michigan's season is defined by the outcome of the Ohio State game

The last game for us defines the season... There's also 11 important games in front of that that dictate and define whether you win the Big Ten championship and whether you go to the playoffs, and then the last game defines the entire season.

Michigan lost to Ohio State in 2019 (56-27), and despite a 9-win season, it was widely viewed as a disappointment, confirming Harbaugh's logic.
Void
Aug 5, 2019
#20880
Jim HarbaughJim Harbaugh

Questioning a man's toughness is the worst thing you can do, second only to animal abuse

Questioning their toughness? It's right up there at the top. I think there's probably worse things. You know, you could accuse somebody of beating their dog or something like that. Toughness... that you cross the line, in my opinion.

This is a personal value judgment.
Win
Aug 5, 2019
#11289
Big CatBig Cat

Every report that says Antonio Brown's foot injury isn't serious actually means it is serious

Every report about Antonio Brown's feet says, couches it with, they don't think it's going to be serious. That means it's probably going to be serious.

The foot injury (frostbite from a cryotherapy chamber) combined with helmet issues led to Brown missing most of camp and eventually being released before playing a game.

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