JuJu Smith-Schuster on Slim Ben, Will Compton’s Grit Tips, and the 24-Hour Stream
Grit Week 2020 is reaching its peak as Big Cat and PFT prepare for a 24-hour livestream to benefit the Children's Miracle Hospital Network. Before the marathon of exhaustion begins, the guys break down the hourly challenges that will test their bodies and souls. Big Cat is taking on a culinary marathon, while PFT is focusing on hydration of a different variety.
I will eat one hot dog every hour for 24 hours during the grit stream
Big Cat's going to be eating a hot dog one hot dog every single hour. I will go back and forth between buns. I will probably more buns and last but there will definitely be some hours that I Rod... I want to eat 24 hot dogs.
I will drink one beer every hour for 24 hours during the grit stream
I have to drink a beer at the top of every hour one deer per hour. I'm still a little bit nervous about that. I don't think I've ever drank 24 beers over that long of a period of time before.
While the guys prepare to punish their livers and stomachs, the rest of the crew has their own crosses to bear. Billy Football is running a marathon on a treadmill throughout the day, which Big Cat notes is a genius way to neutralize his energy. Hank is tasked with reading a page of a book every hour—arguably the hardest task for him—while Jake Marsh will be opening packs of cards.
Hot Seat/Cool Throne
Baseball is back, but the Miami Marlins are already in the hot seat after a massive COVID outbreak. Big Cat was shocked at which team actually ended up being the first casualty of the season.
I thought the Mets would be the first team to have a massive COVID outbreak
I would have bet my ball sack it was going to be the Mets that would have all their players infected in every other team be fine. So that's actually saying what about my ball sack? Yeah... I'm shocked that it's the Marlins.
On the Cool Throne, LeBron James is catching heat for his "Taco Tuesday" lifestyle. While he claims it’s all in good fun, the statistics might suggest he’s focused more on the shell than the win.
LeBron James has played statistically worse on Tuesday nights since the start of the 'Taco Tuesday' era
He did a statistical analysis of every single LeBron James game played on a Tuesday night... he found out that pre Taco Tuesday he had win percentage that was 4% higher than normal. In the Taco Tuesday era, it's minus 2 percent. So he's doing statistically way way worse on Tuesday nights because he's eating so many tacos or maybe he's waiting to eat them till after the game and that's all he can look forward to.
Meanwhile, in the world of NFC North quarterbacks, Aaron Rodgers and Kirk Cousins are having very different offseasons. Big Cat is concerned that Rodgers is turning to the hard stuff to deal with the Packers' draft room decisions.
Aaron Rodgers used tequila to cope with the Jordan Love draft pick
Aaron Rodgers... he said that when he found out that Jordan love got drafted he used some tequila to cope. So problem drinking. I thought he said that he likes Scotch. Yeah, so he's problem Joe. He's mixing his liquor shop and he was like, I need the hard stuff. I'm going to the tequila.
Then there’s Kirk Cousins, who continues to be the most predictably "Dad" person in professional sports.
Kirk Cousins is the most consistent 'Dad' in the NFL because he wears socks with thong sandals
Kirk Cousins... he wears socks with his sandals and gives himself a toe-edgy. For Kirk Cousins, we always bash him, but he's consistent. That is a man who uses tinfoil on his grill for steaks, that is a man who is as corny as possible. I'm happy that he is consistent in what he wears.
JuJu Smith-Schuster and Slim Ben
JuJu Smith-Schuster joins the show to talk about the upcoming Steelers season and the transformation of his quarterback. Ben Roethlisberger has apparently ditched the walking boot and the extra weight, earning a new nickname in the process.
Ben Roethlisberger looks significantly skinnier heading into the 2020 season
He's actually called 'Slim Ben' now. As you guys know, he lost some weight and that's probably the better for him and better for our team. I'm super excited for what he's bringing to the table.
JuJu also weighs in on his alma mater, USC. While the Trojans have the flash and the skill players, he thinks the issues in Los Angeles start up front in the trenches.
USC's biggest problem is that they aren't recruiting well enough in the trenches
I think we just got to recruit better. The biggest part is we got to go down south and get those big guys who's going to be in the trenches. We're going to have the athletes, we're going to have the skill players... our biggest problem is I think we could be better in the trenches.
Despite the weirdness of the 2020 offseason, JuJu is high on the Steelers' chances. He didn't hesitate when Big Cat asked for a record prediction, aiming significantly higher than a standard winning season.
The Steelers will finish the 2020 season 13-3
I'm going with the Thirteen and three thirteen and three even better.
Will Compton’s Guide to the Grit
Our colleague Will Compton joins the show to share the reality of being an undrafted free agent trying to survive an NFL training camp. Will breaks down the mental warfare between the guys on the field and the guys in the front office.
NFL team scouts and players have a mutual lack of respect for each other's talent evaluation
Between players and scouting department, players think scouts suck, and scouts tell players to stick to playing. There's always like that division of who can judge talent because as a player, you're like 'I fucking do this' and then you got the scouts who judge you and people in the media who try and place you in a box.
Will shares stories of playing through a torn hamstring just to keep his spot on the roster and the lessons he learned from the legendary Bo Pelini about the importance of the process over the results.
Living a results-oriented life will lead to failure because you'll be moved by external factors
If you live in a results-oriented world you're going to fail because you're going to be moved by external factors all the time. People are going to label you and you're going to buy into it because all you gave a shit about is what results are being said to you... it's all about the fucking process.
To wrap things up, Will makes a major career announcement on the show, officially ending any speculation about his status for the upcoming season.
I am officially opting in to play the 2020 NFL season
I am officially opting into the 2020 season. Yes, my doors opened. My phone's open everyone knows where to find a mentor named going in the circuit and we got you.
If you need any more evidence that things are getting weird as the 24-hour stream approaches, Billy Football ended the episode by theorizing that aliens aren't coming from space, but are actually just our neighbors from the center of the Earth.
Don’t forget to donate to the PMT Cash App to support the Children’s Miracle Hospital Network while watching Big Cat eat 24 hot dogs.

