PMT DB
PMT DB
Joakim Noah on Bulls Memories, New York Dark Times, and Rob Manfred's Piece of Metal
We are working on President's Day because we are heroes, or at least that's what Big Cat is telling everyone so we get extra credit. It’s a special podcast event, featuring inflatable tube men outside the studio and a massive slate of topics ranging from the never-ending Astros cheating scandal to the NBA All-Star festivities in Chicago.
The Piece of Metal Scandal
Baseball is somehow in a worse spot now than it was a week ago, mostly because Rob Manfred decided to speak. The Commissioner managed to alienate every person who ever cared about a trophy by referring to the World Series prize as a mere "piece of metal." PFT and Big Cat are baffled by how poorly this is being handled, especially since the players involved seem to be escaping any actual punishment while the league essentially asks fans and Twitter to do the disciplining for them.
PFT CommenterMLB Commissioner Rob Manfred's comments about the World Series trophy made the Astros scandal significantly worse.
Rob Manfred the commissioner made it even worse by getting in front of reporters and saying the idea of an asterisks or asking for a piece of metal [the World Series trophy] back seems like a futile act... he called the World Series trophy a piece of metal which is not... most dangerous trophy in all sports.
The Astros are also doing themselves no favors. Jose Altuve's "unfinished tattoo" excuse for not wanting his jersey ripped off is the most suspicious thing in sports history. PFT thinks Altuve could have gone a different route with his PR strategy to make it more believable.
PFT CommenterJose Altuve should have claimed he had steroid-induced back acne instead of an 'unfinished tattoo' to explain his jersey-ripping controversy.
No, it wasn't a tattoo. I was just embarrassed because I had a ton of bacne from all the steroids I was taking. Reframe the conversation. Type of cheating... I was cheating by ingesting substances the cheating that's allowed.
It feels like this story is going to linger for a decade because there were no real consequences. If the league had just handed out some actual suspensions, we might be talking about spring training instead of trash cans and buzzers.
PFT CommenterMLB would have moved past the Astros scandal if they had just suspended players for 50 games.
If they had just suspended some of these players for 50 games or something, whatever it may be, it probably would have somewhat gone away. They didn't do anything correctly and it's just going to keep lingering.
All-Star Weekend and the Dunk Contest Snub
Chicago hosted the All-Star game, and while the city looked great, the Dunk Contest ended in total chaos. Aaron Gordon got robbed again, and Big Cat has a very specific theory about why Dwyane Wade gave him a 9 on that final dunk over Taco Fall.
Big CatDwyane Wade intentionally gave Aaron Gordon lower scores in the 2020 Slam Dunk Contest because of the Heat-Magic rivalry.
Dwyane Wade knows that classic Heat versus Magic... only big enough for one of us... that took over and that's why he had Aaron Gordon not win. The rivalry is back on.
Despite the judging controversy, the actual All-Star Game was a revelation. The new Elam Ending format—where teams play to a target score—actually forced the best players in the world to play defense for the first time in our lives. It looked like a high-stakes pickup game at a local Y, and Big Cat thinks Adam Silver might have actually fixed something.
Big CatThe new 'Elam Ending' format for the NBA All-Star game made it the coolest ending in years.
That was the coolest ending we've had in an All-Star Game in a long time. It was essentially like the best players in the world playing a sloppy pickup game on a Saturday or Sunday morning... but then it actually got really fun. Adam Silver actually did a good job on this one.
Joakim Noah in Studio
The heart and soul of the 2010s Bulls, Joakim Noah, joined us to talk about his career and his desire to get back into the league. He didn't hold back on the "what-ifs" of that Chicago era, specifically the 2012 season where it felt like the Bulls were destined for a title before disaster struck.
Joakim NoahThe Chicago Bulls would have won the 2012 NBA Championship if Derrick Rose hadn't suffered an ACL injury.
If Derrick Rose doesn't go down... I think we're holding the trophy. We're the best team in the league. We got the job in my mind still to this day. There's no question. Nobody was fucking with us.
Joakim also got real about his time in New York. While he made a lot of money, he admitted it was a dark period in his life where he wasn't playing and found himself getting caught up in the city's distractions. He used the phrase "too lit" to describe his hometown tenure, which is about as honest as an athlete can get.
Joakim NoahMy tenure with the New York Knicks failed because I was 'too lit' to play in my hometown.
I was in New York City getting paid. What do you want me to do? Sorry, I was lit. It didn't work out for a lot of reasons, but it was a dark time, not a good time in my life. I wanted to bring something to my hometown and it didn't work out.
One of the best stories involves his idol, Kevin Garnett. Joakim grew up with KG posters on his wall, but when he finally shared a court with him and tried to be friendly, the Big Ticket showed him why he's the most terrifying person in the league. That interaction served as a wake-up call that changed Joakim's entire approach to the game.
Joakim NoahKevin Garnett's refusal to be friendly on the court changed Joakim Noah's career and taught him 'no love in battle'.
I remember asking [KG] a question... just trying to be cool like I would just wanted to be I just want to say something to my idol and he just like looked over and he was like... who the fuck you think you talking to... that moment right there changed everything... I learned that there's no love in battle.
Big Cat made the case that Joakim is a lock for the Hall of Fame, pointing out that he's in an elite group of only five players to achieve a specific set of accolades alongside legends like Hakeem Olajuwon and Bill Walton.
Big CatJoakim Noah is an NBA Hall of Famer.
There you are one of only five players to have a final four MVP, all-nba first team, all-defensive first team... Hakeem and Anthony Davis, Bill Walton, Jerry West... I think you're a Hall of Famer.
Talking XFL and Simp Life
PFT is still all-in on the DC Defenders, who are currently the class of the XFL. He’s so confident in their dominance that he’s ready to put them up against actual NFL competition.
PFT CommenterThe DC Defenders are a 'wagon' and will win the XFL Championship.
I'm going to tell you right now. The DC Defenders are a wagon, not your goddamn wagon. There's no one getting in between them and whatever trophy is called for the XFL Championship.
PFT CommenterThe DC Defenders could beat the Washington Redskins right now.
I'm actually saying that I think that the Defenders could beat the Redskins, but right now I'm saying like the Redskins roster as it stands. They all had to show off. They just showed up. The stadium fair without practicing.
Meanwhile, Landry Jones is back playing for the Renegades, but his sideline interviews are so polished that PFT thinks he's already looking for his next career move.
PFT CommenterXFL quarterback Landry Jones will be an NFL or college football broadcaster within a year and a half.
I think that he [Landry Jones] wants to get a gig being an analyst or being in the booth next year. I think that's what he's angling for because he's being like super Pro... you will see Landry Jones in some sort of Booth or behind a desk within the next year and a half.
To wrap things up, Hank brought "Simp" to the table for Hot in the Streets. Big Cat and PFT tried to wrap their heads around the term, eventually deciding that the most Alpha thing you can do is actually support a Simp in their quest for love.
Big CatAcknowledging and rooting for a 'simp' is actually an alpha move.
I feel like it's almost more of an alpha move to be able to acknowledge that you root on a simp. It's like when a coach puts in an equipment manager for one touchdown run at the end of the year. That coach is an alpha by showing what a good person they are.
If you see Joakim Noah at a casino in Cleveland, just know he's only there because he was forced.
