PMT DB
PMT DB
Mark Titus on Final Four, J.J. Watt’s New Best Friend, and Coach K’s Lies
Big Cat is currently experiencing the duality of man. On one hand, his beloved Wisconsin Badgers suffered one of the most soul-crushing tournament collapses in recent memory. On the other hand, he has officially ascended to a new tax bracket of friendship because J.J. Watt tweeted at him. PFT Commenter was quick to point out that a close loss is actually a greater psychological torture than getting blown out, which is why we saw Suicidal Big Cat on Friday night.
PFT CommenterA 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.
The J.J. Watt situation is evolving at a rapid pace. After years of Big Cat and PFT Commenter chirping him for his lack of self-awareness and superhero persona, Watt finally cracked a joke about chopping wood and hitting the gym to gain some perspective.
Big CatJ.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.
While Big Cat is optimistic that this could be the start of a beautiful relationship, PFT Commenter isn't buying it. He’s already been left on read by Watt four times in the past and is convinced this is a one-time play for social media credit.
Big CatThere is a 42% chance J.J. Watt will eventually appear on Pardon My Take
I'll split the difference. I'm going to say there's like a—I guess it wouldn't be splitting the difference, but 42% chance he's going to come on.
Mark Titus on the Final Four
Friend of the program Mark Titus made his triumphant return to break down the wreckage of the NCAA tournament. As a Big Ten guy, Titus didn't hold back on the conference’s inability to actually win a title, noting that every single program in the conference has found a way to lose a national championship game since 2000.
Mark TitusThe 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.
The conversation shifted to the weirdest power dynamic in college sports: why everyone is afraid to criticize Tom Izzo. While guys like Coach K and John Calipari are national villains, Izzo remains the untouchable king of East Lansing.
Mark TitusTom 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.
Titus also broke down why Syracuse is the ultimate wild card. They shouldn't have been in the tournament, yet they've managed to knuckleball their way into the Final Four by making elite teams like Virginia completely forget how to play basketball.
Mark TitusSyracuse'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.
As for the actual champion, Big Cat is officially joining Villanova Nation to carry them to a title, while Titus is skeptical that this current Nova squad is actually better than the version that got bounced early last year.
Mark TitusThe 2015 Villanova team was better than the 2016 Final Four team
I think last year's [Villanova] team beats this year's team... They don't have Pinkston or Hilliard now. Just to me, they're the same team, they just lost two seniors who were great.
PR 101: Coach K
The guys took a deep dive into the absolute PR disaster involving Mike Krzyzewski and Oregon's Dylan Brooks. After Brooks hit a late three, Coach K decided to lecture a kid that wasn't his, then lied about it in the press conference, only to be caught by CBS cameras and audio.
Big CatCoach 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.
PFT Commenter is convinced that this is just the tip of the iceberg and that the Duke program has been hiding bodies for decades under the guise of being "squeaky clean."
PFT CommenterThere is 'no chance' Coach K's program at Duke has been run as squeaky clean as people believe
There's got to be dozens of Coach K scandals that have been covered up over the past 20 years, right? There's no chance that his program has been run as squeaky clean as we've been led to believe that it has.
Hurt or Injured?
Segments included a look at Brewers pitcher Will Smith tearing his knee while taking off his shoes. Big Cat and PFT Commenter debated whether this counts as a real injury, with PFT suggesting that pitchers should be able to gut out a torn ACL for at least a few weeks.
PFT CommenterYou 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.
They also revisited the Mt. Rushmore of weird baseball injuries, ranging from Sammy Sosa’s violent sneeze to guys burning themselves while ironing shirts they were currently wearing.
Big CatBaseball players are the best at suffering bizarre, non-game injuries
Baseball players are the best at this. This is a classic spring training. Baseball players hurt or injured. Chris Sale did it last year getting off his truck... Sammy Sosa tore his back with a sneeze.
Next time you feel like you’re having a bad day, just remember that Rick Reilly took 24 hours to workshop an Oprah giveaway joke.
