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Mark Titus 03/28/2016

Monday, March 28, 201615 takes

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

Loss
Take Slip·Mar 28, 2016
#PMT-2016-0328-20423
Big CatBig Cat

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.

Syracuse lost to North Carolina in the Final Four on April 2, 2016.
Void
Take Slip·Mar 28, 2016
#PMT-2016-0328-20424
PFT CommenterPFT Commenter

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.

This is a subjective psychological assessment of fan misery.
Void
Take Slip·Mar 28, 2016
#PMT-2016-0328-20425
Big CatBig Cat

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.

This is a subjective opinion on personality and likability.
Win
Take Slip·Mar 28, 2016
#PMT-2016-0328-20426
PFT CommenterPFT Commenter

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.

J.J. Watt did not appear on PMT for years, eventually appearing much later in his career/retirement.

Interview

Win
Take Slip·Mar 28, 2016
#PMT-2016-0328-20427
Mark TitusMark Titus

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.

At the time of the take, it was factually correct that the Big Ten's last title was Michigan State in 2000.
Void
Take Slip·Mar 28, 2016
#PMT-2016-0328-20428
Mark TitusMark Titus

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.

Subjective opinion on public perception and media treatment.
Void
Take Slip·Mar 28, 2016
#PMT-2016-0328-20429
Mark TitusMark Titus

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.

Syracuse's zone was famously effective in short bursts during tournament runs.
Win
Take Slip·Mar 28, 2016
#PMT-2016-0328-20430
Mark TitusMark Titus

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.

Hield has averaged 15.5 PPG in his career and followed a similar path to Redick as a high-level shooter, making this a very accurate comparison.
Push
Take Slip·Mar 28, 2016
#PMT-2016-0328-20431
Mark TitusMark Titus

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.

UNC shot well until the championship game against Villanova, where they lost on a buzzer-beater.
Win
Take Slip·Mar 28, 2016
#PMT-2016-0328-20432
Big CatBig Cat

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.

Villanova defeated UNC in the championship game 77-74 on April 4, 2016.
Void
Take Slip·Mar 28, 2016
#PMT-2016-0328-20433
Mark TitusMark Titus

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.

This is a social take on etiquette and intent.
Void
Take Slip·Mar 28, 2016
#PMT-2016-0328-20434
Big CatBig Cat

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.

Subjective social rule.
Win
Take Slip·Mar 28, 2016
#PMT-2016-0328-20435
Big CatBig Cat

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.

Grayson Allen became a multi-year national villain for his repeated tripping incidents and is frequently cited alongside Laettner and Redick as the most hated Duke players.

Pr 101

Void
Take Slip·Mar 28, 2016·PR 101
#PMT-2016-0328-20436
Big CatBig Cat

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.

Subjective opinion on Coach K's character.

Hurt Or Injured

Loss
Take Slip·Mar 28, 2016·Hurt or Injured
#PMT-2016-0328-20437
PFT CommenterPFT Commenter

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.

Hot TakeBaseballHotSarcastic
While Rivers did it, pitching involves heavy leg drive and torque that would be physically impossible or extremely dangerous with a fresh tear, making this a classic satirical 'grit' take.