Mark Schlereth on NFL Week 7 Picks and the 'Points-a-Palooza'
David Price has finally exercised his demons by winning a road playoff game, though PFT isn't ready to hand out the participation trophy just yet.
David Price's postseason demons won't be fully exercised until he wins in the World Series
I'm not ready to declare the demons exercised. The demons are warmed up. They're jazzercising right now. To be fully exercised, it has to be in the World Series.
The Red Sox are heading to the World Series, and while the Bryce Harper sweepstakes are looming for every big-market team, the guys think Boston might be the one spot where a superstar addition would actually hurt.
The Bryce Harper sweepstakes is over for the Red Sox because of their current outfield chemistry
So can we put the Dunn chain on the Red Sox in terms of being in the Bryce Harper sweepstakes next year? Ooh, you don't want to mess up with that chemistry of a team that went to the World Series.
NFL Week 7 Preview and Fantasy Fuccbois
Turning to the gridiron, Thursday Night Football was a certified stinker between the Broncos and Cardinals. Big Cat is already putting the head coaching seat in Arizona on a permanent broil, predicting that Steve Wilks won't even make it through his rookie season.
Steve Wilks will be the first NFL coach fired in 2018
I think it is now official that Steve Wilks might be the first coach to be fired... Just fire him and then pretend it never happened. You could easily do it right now. We'll all forget.
PFT is also ready to pack Larry Fitzgerald’s bags for him, suggesting that the legendary receiver's presence is actually a net negative for the rebuilding franchise.
Larry Fitzgerald is holding the Cardinals back and should retire
I think Larry Fitzgerald is holding the Cardinals back by not retiring. He's the captain, and he's taking shine away from his rookie QB... He's doing the saddest retirement tour.
In the Sunday slate, Big Cat is circling the Patriots vs. Bears matchup as the moment of truth for his squad. He's been refreshing Twitter every ten seconds for Khalil Mack ankle updates, knowing exactly what's on the line.
The Bears are officially good if they can beat the Patriots
If the Bears can beat the Patriots, then they're officially good. It's going to be a big test.
Hank, meanwhile, is looking for a massive upset in Kansas City. Despite Patrick Mahomes looking like a video game character come to life, Hank thinks the Bengals are the team to finally ground the high-flying Chiefs.
The Chiefs will have a come-down-to-earth game against the Bengals
I think this is going to be the week where everything comes back down to earth. It's a little bit sloppy. They might lose, but they're probably going to be within the record.
Mark Schlereth Joins the Studio
Our friend Mark Schlereth (aka Stink) stopped by to bring some much-needed offensive line perspective to the show. He broke down why the current NFL feels more like a 7-on-7 tournament than the league he played in, noting that the league has leaned into the fantasy football generation.
The NFL is tailoring the game to fantasy football fans by creating 'Points-a-Palooza'
We've created a generation of people who have watched football based on fantasy football... and the NFL is actually going, okay, you love fantasy football? Here it is. Here's fantasy football for you. People are digging it.
Schlereth didn't hold back on the current state of the Broncos or his relationship with John Elway. He explained that Elway has definitely called him to complain about his radio takes, specifically when Stink calls the Broncos' front office out for their quarterback misses and draft blunders.
Case Keenum is missing wide-open targets because of bad footwork
He [Case Keenum] just hasn't been very good. He's missed a bunch of wide-open targets... part of it is your offensive line stinks, and so you speed up your footwork... and the ball just gets out of your hands. The timing of your footwork and the routes don't line up.
He also gave us the definitive breakdown of the 'never played' card. While Schlereth respects the greats like Bill Belichick, he insists there is a physical sensation of pressure that a coach or a fan simply cannot comprehend without having been in the trenches.
Bill Belichick cannot truly understand the pressure of a 3rd and 12 from your own goal line because he never played
Bill Belichick has no idea what – he's the greatest football coach we've ever been around... He has no idea the ass pucker you get third down and 12 from your own six-yard line right in the shadow of your own end zone... I've been there. He can't.
We also got some incredible Hollywood stories from Stink, including how he managed to get ghosted by The Rock and Kevin Costner. Apparently, Schlereth moves from 'acquaintance' to 'ball-busting friend' a little too fast for the A-list crowd. He also gave us a masterclass in the difference between being hurt and being injured.
You can only play with a back fracture in hockey and football
The only sports that you can play with a small back fracture are hockey and football... Injured is when you have to have surgery that holds you out. You have to play injured [in the NFL]. And more importantly, you have to play well injured.
NBA Hmmm and the Grab Bag
In a classic 'Hmmm' segment, Big Cat analyzed an Instagram comment from Kevin Durant's brother that seems to point toward KD’s imminent departure from the Bay Area.
Kevin Durant is getting one more ring and then leaving the Golden State Warriors
Kevin Durant, baby back bitch, tweeted... 'one down, 81 more, what a night.' His brother, Tony, Tony Durant, replied... 'fill in the hand up before we get out of here.' Hmm. So it looks like he's going to L.A. So he's getting another ring, and then he's getting the fuck out.
This led to a full-blown strategy session on how the internet can troll Durant into joining the Knicks. Big Cat is even willing to offer a peace treaty to the 'Baby Back Bitch' if he decides to move to the Garden.
I will stop calling Kevin Durant a 'baby back bitch' if he signs with the New York Knicks
If he goes to the Knicks, I've got his baby back. We will take away the triple B if he goes to the Knicks. So here we go. Kevin Durant, when you put your pros and cons on a sheet this summer, Just put in the pro, pardon my take, will stop calling me a baby back bitch.
Hank closed out the show with a Grab Bag that included deep philosophical questions about where poop goes after you flush and why we call people caregivers. PFT also explained his scientific theory on why the wind never actually stops.
The wind is a continuous circle caused by the Earth turning
Wind... It doesn't [stop], that's because it's a circle. It just goes forever. The earth keeps, well, the wind is caused by the earth turning.
Don't let your dog out during the 9:00 AM London game unless you want it to become a stray.

