PMT DB
PMT DB
Mick Cronin on UCLA and Jay Glazer on NFL Sourcing and Grit
Grit Week 19 has officially come to a close, and while it’s sad to see the van go back into storage, we went out with a bang in Los Angeles. Big Cat and PFT are feeling the effects of a week spent doing fifteen-plus interviews, but nothing wakes you up like a fresh set of smelling salts and the realization that the Milwaukee Bucks are in serious trouble.
We finally sat down to watch some actual basketball, and the vibes in Wisconsin are at an all-time low. It all traces back to the quarterback. Watching Aaron Rodgers struggle to finish a beer while David Bakhtiari was crushing multiples in the background was a tough look for the Dairy State.
PFT CommenterThe speed at which a city's NFL players chug beer is directly correlated to the success of their local NBA/NHL teams
I said at the start of the playoffs, I was like, the speed in which your football players chug beers is directly correlated to your basketball team's success in the playoffs. And we've seen it time and again in the NHL, in the NBA. And guess what? [Aaron] Rodgers absolutely cursed [the Bucks].
PFT is convinced there is a direct scientific link between how fast your NFL stars can chug and how far your basketball team goes. Big Cat took it a step further, suggesting that Rodgers might need to find a new home if he can't figure out the mechanics of a pint.
Big CatIf you can't chug a beer in the state of Wisconsin, you should be excommunicated
There's actually no state worse to be in and not be able to chug a beer than the state of Wisconsin. If you can't chug a beer in the state of Wisconsin, you've got to get out instantly.
Mick Cronin’s West Coast Grit
New UCLA head coach Mick Cronin joined us in the van to discuss moving his Cincinnati toughness to the bright lights of Hollywood. He’s essentially a football coach trapped in a basketball body, and he’s not here for the flash. He’s looking for guys who can actually box out and play defense, even if he has to buy all new underwear because he’s been living out of a suitcase since he took the job.
Mick CroninIn college basketball, you must 'plant a flag' and never lose games at home to build a real program
You just have to set that tone like you can't lose at home. If you're going to build a real program, you've got to plant a flag in your home arena.
Cronin talked about the importance of setting a tone early and how he used to threaten his Cincinnati players with open tryouts for the football team when they played soft. He also gave us a scoop on the college game moving toward the FIBA three-point line, though he’s skeptical about what it will do for the product on the floor.
Mick CroninMoving the college three-point line back will open the floor but might make the game uglier due to poor shooting
So we're going to the FIBA line... a foot and a half [back]. So the theory is that it'll open the floor up more. I'd agree with that. But again, are you going to stretch your defense if guys can't make the shot? So you have coaches that think it's going to be great. You have coaches that think, well, it's just going to be less guys can make it. So it's going to be uglier.
We also touched on the elite talent he’s inherited and recruited, specifically looking at guys who can actually defend at a high level.
Mick CroninJrue Holiday is arguably the best defensive guard in the NBA
Drew [Jrue] Holiday... Drew might be known as maybe as the best defensive guard in the NBA. I'm glad you're on. No, I agree with that. Yeah, I absolutely agree with that. Yeah, I absolutely agree with that. Shut down Lillard in the playoffs last year.
Jay Glazer and the Odell Scoop
Jay Glazer welcomed us to his Unbreakable gym, where he immediately put Big Cat and PFT through the ringer. After some light sparring and a lot of heavy breathing, we got into the grit of NFL reporting. Jay still feels the heat from Giants fans over his Odell Beckham Jr. trade scoop, but as he pointed out, he’s in the business of being right, not being liked.
Jay GlazerThe Giants are bad at collecting accurate intel on other teams' draft boards
The Daniel Jones thing, look, I think the Giants don't do a good job of finding out accurate information that other teams can do... When he [Gettleman] talked about the Redskins and the Broncos, that's not true... I think they could have waited past six [to draft Daniel Jones].
He didn't hold back on the Giants' front office or their decision-making process during the draft. While the rest of the world is wondering if Dave Gettleman is on a short leash after taking Daniel Jones at six, Jay says the Giants simply don't move that fast.
Jay GlazerThe Giants don't operate with urgency; Gettleman isn't on the hot seat despite the Daniel Jones pick
No, because the Giants don't operate that way. Giants have more patience in the GM than any team... GMs. Their GM has always made the picks.
Beyond the Giants, Jay gave us his outlook on the Browns and whether or not Baker Mayfield can handle the influx of massive personalities in Cleveland. He’s a big believer in the kid’s ability to lead a locker room of "gangsters."
Jay GlazerBaker Mayfield is a 'gangster' who will control the Browns' big personalities
Baker Mayfield is a gangster. He's not going to handle people trying to, me, me, me, I want the ball. He's going to put it where it needs to go, and he's going to control that locker room. Baker's different, man. He's special.
Fyre Fest and Final Takes
Grit Week wouldn't be complete without some physical damage and hygiene issues. PFT is currently nursing a "pretty much broken rib" after a failed attempt at doing the worm during a Chaos Bros filming session. Hank, meanwhile, reached a new level of grit by admitting he actually shit his pants this morning while editing stool scenes. It’s the kind of honesty you only get after a week in a van that smells exclusively like In-N-Out burgers and regret.
We wrapped things up with some Sabermetrics, where Big Cat voiced his support for the old-school Triple Crown stats over the nerd-driven analytics that are currently taking over baseball.
Big CatRBIs are the most important and only truly meaningful stat in baseball
RBIs are actually the most important stat when you actually look at it... The team who has the most RBIs... I'm not even counting runs anymore.
It's been a hell of a week on the road, but we're ready to get back to New York and smell the regular trash instead of the West Coast trash.
Hopefully, someone buys Hank some new boxers before the flight.
