Mark Titus 03/28/2016
The guys break down the weekend of college basketball, Wisconsin's late game collapse, and Big Cat's new friendship with JJ Watt. Mark Titus joins the show to talk about the Final Four and why Reggie Miller calls Bill Raftery "Coach". Segments include "Spoilers", "PR 101", and "Hurt or Injured?" with a spirited debate on why Coach K is such a dick.
Recap
Syracuse is a team of destiny to win the NCAA tournament
I'd probably put it on Syracuse at this point. I think they're a team of destiny. Might as well throw it some long shot odds. Have them win. I think I saw 10 to 1 to win the tournament. That's just two games. That's a nice little payday.
A heartbreaking three-point loss is more mentally devastating than a twenty-point blowout
I feel like if Wisconsin loses by three points, it's a lot worse for your psyche and your mental state than losing by 20 points because you've checked out at halftime in the UNC case.
J.J. Watt would be a likable guy if he showed any human self-awareness
I've always said if he could just have a little self-awareness, I'd quickly become Team J.J. Watt. Because if he could just laugh at himself and be like a regular person, he'd be a very likable guy. If he could just show some element of being a human being and not a superhero.
J.J. Watt will never actually come on the show
If I'm putting money on it, I'm saying that he's not going to come on the show and that he's just doing this as a one-time thing to try to get a brief amount of credit but not really following up on it.
Interview
The Big Ten hasn't been truly relevant in basketball since 2000
Midwestern people in general, we like to shit on ourselves and our situations... we know we're terrible. We haven't won a title since 2000. Every single program in the Big Ten is lost in the national championship. It's like the most devastating thing.
Tom Izzo is the only blue blood coach who gets a free pass from criticism
He's like the only blue blood coach who gets a free pass by everybody. Like he's just universally beloved. Everyone hates how [Coach K] is stuck up. Bill Self, people think he's a joker. Calipari is a sleazeball. Pitino is a sleazeball... Everyone has shitty things to say about every coach at a big-time program except Izzo.
Syracuse's defense is as unpredictable as a knuckleball pitcher
Syracuse's defense to me is like R.A. Dickey's knuckleball and – when he's got it working, it's unhittable. But then when it's not working, he just gets fucking rocked. Like, that's how I feel about Syracuse. And right now, like, the knuckleball's humming.
Buddy Hield is essentially J.J. Redick in the NBA
I think he's going to be a good pro... He can average 15 a game in the league, but... he doesn't seem that much better than J.J. Redick was though. I think Buddy will be good... but I don't know if I'd take him third.
North Carolina is untouchable if they continue to hit three-pointers
UNC, the way to beat them is that they don't make threes, and for some reason they're making threes... if they're shooting like that, yeah, no one's touching them... If they shoot like they are, they're untouchable.
Villanova will win the National Championship
I'm going to have UNC and Nova in the final. I'm going to give it to Nova. I'm going to say Nova is just going to find a way. The ghost of Rollie Massimino, even though he's not dead. I feel like we could get that going, too.
It is weird that Grant Hill calls Bill Raftery 'Coach' when Raftery hasn't coached in 35 years
Grant Hill refers to Bill Raftery as coach. This is noteworthy because Bill Raftery hasn't coached since 1981... Grant Hill was eight years old in 1981... I only call my coaches coach. It feels to me like he's mocking Raftery and Raftery just doesn't know it.
If you coach for one year, you earn the title 'Coach' for life
I think that if you coach for one year, you get to be, you get to decide if you want to be called coach or not... no one called Dick Vitale coach. So you do have a point there.
Grayson Allen has the potential to be the most hated Duke player of all time
He absolutely has the chance to be the most hated Duke player of all time. I know that's crazy to say because of Christian Laettner, but I'm talking about with internet culture, with winning a national title, with the tripping, with his face, the fact he looks like Ted Cruz.
Pr 101
Coach K is the ultimate sore loser
He basically told a kid [Dylan Brooks], don't showboat. And, like, don't show up the other team while showing up the other coach by coaching a kid that's not his kid. And that's Coach K to a T. Like, he's the sore loser.
Hurt Or Injured
You can pitch for two weeks on a torn ACL
I feel like you could pitch for, like, at least two weeks on a torn ACL... Philip Rivers played a playoff game. People forget that a lot of times. He had a torn ACL... So, like, you're a pitcher. I feel like you should be able to pitch.