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Logan Couture 07/22/16

Friday, July 22, 201617 takes

PFT is live from Lebron's Free Agency in Cleveland, also the RNC is discussed. Mt. Rushmore of office buzzwords. San Jose Sharks center Logan Couture joins the show to talk hockey, summer training, and what he would change in the NHL if given the power. Segments include "PR 101" for Kevin Durant Paul Ryan, "Talking Soccer", "Olympic Update, "Mike Greenberg's Dumb Rules", "Uhhhh Hey JJ" and "Jimbos Of The Week"

Logan Couture on Stanley Cup Loss, RNC Report, and Office Buzzwords

PFT is live from Cleveland, technically covering LeBron James' free agency, but mostly navigating the chaos of the Republican National Convention. While the city is buzzing, PFT is focused on the important things, like the fact that LeBron still hasn't signed his contract and the surprising professionalism of the local police horses. He also shared a theory about Bruce Arians that explains why the Cardinals coach sounds the way he does.

Void
Jul 22, 2016
#16013
PFT CommenterPFT Commenter

Bruce Arians has a unique 'locker room' accent because he gets fired so often

Arians' accent, like he's never lived in a place long enough to develop a real accent because he gets fired all the time. So his accent is just locker room. It's just like a mix of like southern good old boy, like inner city, and then a little bit of Midwestern.

This is a subjective observation about Arians' speaking style.

Before the interview, the guys checked in on the McCourty twins, who share a joint Twitter account. This led Big Cat to resurface one of his most deeply held beliefs about twins and social media habits.

Void
Big CatBig Cat

Any twins who share a Twitter account have definitely kissed each other on the lips

Now, you know my theory that all twins at some point have kissed each other on the lips, like not in a brother-brother, sister-sister way. If you share a Twitter account, I think it's basically decided that that has happened, correct?

This is an absurd, unprovable, and humorous claim.

Mount Rushmore of Office Buzzwords

Since Barstool now has a CEO, Big Cat and PFT are preparing for a more professional lifestyle by drafting the most annoying phrases heard in cubicles across America. Big Cat came out swinging against "out of pocket," a term that seems to have no actual definition yet is used as a shield for every employee who doesn't want to check their email.

Win
Big CatBig Cat

'Out of pocket' is the worst office buzzword because nobody knows what it actually means

Number one, I cannot stand when people say out of pocket. I don't even know what that means... See, this is the worst buzzword because no one even knows what it means. So when you say out of pocket, you're an asshole for this. It could also go on the Mount Rushmore of excuses. I'm out of pocket. And then when someone says, I thought you were out of pocket, you had your phone on you, said, no, I'm out of pocket. I don't have my phone. I don't have anything. I'm out of pocket.

The definition of 'out of pocket' is famously debated between meaning 'unavailable' or 'paying for something yourself', supporting his claim of its ambiguity.

They also discussed the strategic use of filler words to climb the corporate ladder. Big Cat suggested that if you simply pepper your speech with "synergy," you’ll be in the corner office by Christmas.

Void
Big CatBig Cat

Synergy is the best filler word for office life and will lead to promotions

When you're in the office, use synergy as a filler word. You'll probably get promoted four times before Christmas.

The effectiveness of using buzzwords for promotion is subjective and largely a joke.

No office draft is complete without a discussion of the breakroom. PFT introduced the "put a pin in it" strategy for killing bad ideas, while Big Cat offered some comforting advice for anyone worried about missing out on a coworker's birthday treat.

Void
Big CatBig Cat

It is okay to be late for office cake because everyone is always on a diet

It's OK to be late for the cake because everyone in an office is always on a diet. So when the cake comes out, everyone just wants a small sliver. Just want a little sliver. No, even smaller than that... There'll be 20 people eating a cake. And you'll come out. Everyone will have a slice. And there'll still be half a cake left. And you can just do whatever you want.

Observations on office social behavior are subjective but widely recognized as accurate.

To wrap up the draft, PFT shared a life hack for corporate survival. Instead of admitting you made a mistake or forgot a deadline, you simply reframe the entire reality of the situation.

Void
PFT CommenterPFT Commenter

Never say 'I didn't know' in an office; instead use 'my understanding was' to lie or look better

If you ever need to lie about something or you need to just say, oh, I didn't know about that, never say, I didn't know. It makes you look bad in the office. You always say, oh, my understanding was we didn't have to work the day after the 4th of July. It also works on basically calling someone a dumb fuck. Like, oh, my understanding of this situation was this. Like basically, hey, listen, you're so stupid you didn't realize what was going on.

This is a valid social manipulation tactic used in corporate environments.

Logan Couture on the Stanley Cup and Spoiled Fans

San Jose Sharks center Logan Couture joined the show to talk about his new website, Couture39.com, which supports brain research. This led to a very scientific discussion about how bloggers might actually be at more risk for brain damage than NHL centers.

Loss
Jul 22, 2016
#16018
Big CatBig Cat

Blogging is more harmful to the brain than contact sports because it makes the brain soft

I think blogging is more harmful to your brain than playing football or hockey or any more women's soccer... [Logan Couture]: It might be. I've tried to sit at a computer screen for an hour and I got a headache... [PFT Commenter]: Yeah, because if you play a sport and you're hitting your head, you're building a callus on your brain. When you're a blogger, you have like no contact with anything. So your brain becomes soft. That's my theory, at least.

Scientifically incorrect but comedic in intent.

Coming off a Stanley Cup Final loss to the Penguins, Logan was remarkably candid about the pain of getting that close and failing. He admitted that the sting of the Final is a different beast entirely compared to earlier playoff collapses.

Void
Jul 22, 2016
#16020
Logan CoutureLogan Couture

Losing a Stanley Cup Final is even worse than blowing a 3-0 series lead

At that point [blowing a 3-0 lead against the Kings] I said it's way worse to blow the lead but... you go all that way, and you think you're going to win it, and then it just comes crashing down... it definitely fucking sucks.

This is a subjective emotional assessment from an athlete's perspective.

Logan also touched on the environment in San Jose, noting that while the fans are great, they are definitely used to a high level of success across all Bay Area sports.

Void
Jul 22, 2016
#16023
Logan CoutureLogan Couture

Bay Area sports fans are spoiled

I think people out, the sports fans out in the Bay Area are spoiled. They obviously have the Warriors. They have the Giants who seem to win every other year. We've been pretty competitive for a while.

Subjective opinion on fan bases, though the success of the teams mentioned is factually accurate.

When asked about potential rule changes during "Mike Greenberg’s Dumb Sports Rules," Logan targeted a specific delay-of-game penalty that plagues defensemen everywhere.

Void
Jul 22, 2016
#27559
Logan CoutureLogan Couture

The NHL should remove the penalty for shooting the puck out of play

If you could change one rule in hockey, what would you change? Um, the, the shoot the puck out of play penalty. I hate it. I, I don't know why it's a penalty, honestly, because you're not shooting the puck into the stands on purpose. That's one thing that needs to change.

This is a widely debated rule in the NHL community, with many agreeing it should be a whistle but not a penalty.

PR 101 and the Olympic Update

In a special edition of PR 101, the guys tried to help Kevin Durant, who has reportedly been hiding in his room after signing with the Warriors. Logan Couture even weighed in on the KD move, expressing some skepticism about how many basketballs will be needed for that roster.

Loss
Jul 22, 2016
#16025
Logan CoutureLogan Couture

The Golden State Warriors might have chemistry issues because they have 'too many chiefs'

I don't know if they have enough shots. Everyone's going to want to shoot the ball. I don't know how it's going to work... Too many chiefs, not enough Indians. That's how I think it's going to go, but we'll see.

Incorrect. The Warriors with Durant were immediately dominant, winning the 2017 and 2018 championships with historically efficient offense.

The Olympics are right around the corner, and PFT is impressed by the marketing spin coming out of Rio. Even with reports of police officers not being paid, the PR machine is finding ways to make "terrorist cell thwarts" look like a win for brand impressions.

Void
PFT CommenterPFT Commenter

The Rio Olympics PR company is doing a great job because they successfully used a terrorist cell to get brand impressions

The Olympics, their PR company is just knocking it out of the park still, coming up with all sorts of unique visitors and brand impressions on people with all these scandals going on. They thwarted a 10-person terrorist cell. What? That's all the terrorists, so no more of them... My understanding is there are banners saying that police officers don't get paid in Rio. But somehow these guys were working for free and they broke up a major terrorist plot. So hats off.

The security concerns in Rio were real, making PFT's satirical praise for their 'PR' very sharp.

Finally, the show wrapped up with Jimbos of the Week, featuring a listener who tore an ACL while mowing the lawn and another who lost $300 in Ray-Bans. Big Cat had some harsh financial advice for anyone under 30 who thinks they are responsible enough for high-end eyewear.

Void
Jul 22, 2016·Jimbos
#16030
Big CatBig Cat

Never spend more than $50 on sunglasses if you are under 30

Little tip for everyone out there... If you're under 30 years old, never, ever, ever buy a pair of sunglasses that are more than $50. That's on you, okay? $50. I don't buy a pair unless it's under $15.

Subjective life advice, though widely considered sensible by many who frequently lose sunglasses.

Hopefully, PFT retrieves his wallet from the Q without getting detained by the Secret Service.

nhlsharksrncnbaoffice-lifebills

More Takes

Win
Jul 22, 2016
#16027
Logan CoutureLogan Couture

NHL players likely won't participate in the next Winter Olympics

You know what? I don't think NHL players are going to the next Olympics... I think most hockey players would [go], but it's like, is it worth it?

Correct. The NHL did not participate in the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics.
Win
Jul 22, 2016·PR 101
#27560
PFT CommenterPFT Commenter

Professional athletes should stay in their rooms and say nothing during the month of July to avoid headlines

Basically just don't say anything during the month of July. Like anything that any professional athlete of note has to say is going to become a headline story. So just just shut up. Just maybe here's what you should do. Just stay in your room. Lock yourself in your room. And just hang out there for a while.

OpinionMediaMediumSarcastic
The 'July sports vacuum' is a real media phenomenon where trivial stories receive outsized coverage.
Loss
PFT CommenterPFT Commenter

The NFL should implement the 'Romney Rule' requiring one white cornerback per team

There was a big report that came out in ESPN saying that professional position coaches are hired at a much lower rate to become a coordinator or a head coach if they're a minority... and I suggest in the spirit of brotherhood that we develop a Romney rule where if the president of the United States is black and therefore racism doesn't exist at the time, we can do the Rooney rule, but there should also be a rule that says every team should have one defensive back... cornerbacks specifically because there are a lot of Eric Weddle types running around out there.

The take is a parody of affirmative action policies and the racial stereotypes in NFL positions.
Win
Jul 22, 2016
#16029
Big CatBig Cat

Robert Griffin III being ranked as a top 5 Redskins QB is an insult since he only played with five

Santana Moss actually just came out with his own mini Mount Rushmore... of top five quarterbacks he played with... and RG3 came in the top five. He was five... and those were the only five he played with. But still, top five is top five.

A factual analysis of Santana Moss's specific list and the players he actually caught passes from.

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