PMT DB
PMT DB
Football is officially back. Even though Big Cat and PFT had to open the show remotely on Zoom due to a chaotic start, the energy was high because Hard Knocks has returned to our screens. While the guys are fully aware that the show doesn't carry the same weight it used to, there is still something special about hearing the pads popping for the first time in August.
PFT CommenterHard Knocks kind of sucks now
Hard knocks kind of sucks now, but that doesn't matter. It doesn't matter at all. It was great to see football is a hundred percent back.
The episode featured Mike Macdonald and the Seahawks, and while Macdonald seems like a cerebral, therapist-type coach, he’s a bit of a departure from the Rex Ryans of the world. Speaking of the Super Bowl, Big Cat came out swinging with a take on the jewelry being handed out lately.
Big CatSuper Bowl rings have gotten too big and are unwearable
I have a take, I think Super Bowl rings have gotten too big. Like too big. You can't even wear that. It's pretty much a glove. I would rather have a Super Bowl ring that's really cool that you could wear all the time versus something that is... it's like a Nintendo Switch on their finger.
The Stove is Hot
Jeff Passan joined the show to recap a dizzying MLB trade deadline that saw 42 trades on deadline day alone. Passan is a firm believer that baseball handles the deadline better than any other league, mainly because the sheer volume of players in the minor league systems allows for much more creative deal-making than the NBA or NFL.
Jeff PassanMLB has the best trade deadline in sports by a mile
I believe it was 42 [trades] on Deadline Day alone. And baseball's... I don't think the NFL's trade deadline day is anything like this. The NBA's usually has at least a few big moves. But to me, baseball has the best trade deadline by a mile, even if it's a bunch of jobbers who are going back and forth.
Passan also pushed back against the "prospect hugging" that has taken over the sport. He argued that teams need to stop worrying about 2027 and start worrying about winning right now, especially in a year where the American League feels wide open.
Jeff PassanSports fans should value winning right now over potential future gratification
We've been conditioned as sports fans... to accept that now is not as important as the future. And I hate that. I hate that as a sports fan. I want executives and owners to treat this year like it's the last year that's going to be played. I want them to have reckless abandon trying to go for a championship right now. Because we don't know what the future's going to look like.
Max was significantly less enthused about the Phillies' activity. While other teams were moving big pieces, Max felt Dave Dombrowski was just doing enough to look busy while ignoring the glaring hole in the rotation.
MaxAaron Nola is statistically the worst starting pitcher in baseball and not a major league pitcher right now
We still right now have Aaron Nola pitching in the playoffs as our fourth starter who is not a major league pitcher right now. He is not a capable playoff pitcher. He's statistically like, he's statistically the worst starting pitcher in baseball right now.
Hank, on the other hand, is fully back on the Red Sox bandwagon now that the deadline has passed. To him, the regular season is just a preamble to this moment.
HankThe MLB season doesn't truly start until the trade deadline ends
I've said it on the show before. The season doesn't start till the, you know, trade deadline ends. This is where you can make a run.
QB Tiers and Jerry Jones
Big Cat and PFT went through the Athletic’s annual QB Tier list, which naturally led to some heated debates. PFT was particularly annoyed with the placement of Joe Burrow over a certain two-time MVP.
PFT CommenterLamar Jackson should be ranked ahead of Joe Burrow in QB tiers
I feel like it's gotten to the point where we can say Lamar Jackson should be ahead of Joe Burrow. Because we're doing a lot of, like Joe Burrow, if all the stars align, Joe Burrow should be top four.
This led into a discussion about the Cowboys and whether Jerry Jones is essentially fueled by the quest for one more ring. The guys speculated on what happens to Jerry if Dallas actually reaches the mountaintop.
PFT CommenterIf the Cowboys win the Super Bowl, Jerry Jones will die within two months
Do you guys think that if the Cowboys win the Super Bowl, Jerry Jones will die? I think so. I think within probably a couple months. He'll just kinda like fade out and be like, this is, this is what I was sticking around for.
Hot Seat/Cool Throne
In a bizarre turn of events, Hank put John Rahm on the Cool Throne, arguing that the LIV golfer is actually in a great position despite the league's rumored financial struggles. Hank's logic is that being owed $150 million by a potentially bankrupt entity is actually an opportunity for equity.
HankJohn Rahm is on the 'Cool Throne' because he might own 60% of LIV Golf 2.0 due to unpaid contracts
John Rahm, who is allegedly still owed as much as 150 mil. It seems like a foregone conclusion that LIV file for bankruptcy. So almost no chance Rahm and the others owed will get all the money. It could be converted into equity if they find investors for LIV 2.0. So John Rahm went from being a player in a league just getting paid a salary to he might own like 60% of LIV 2.0.
Big Cat suggested a new league-wide rule for training camp injuries after the emotional rollercoaster of seeing Bears tackle Darnell Wright go down. To avoid the heart attack of seeing a cart on the field, Big Cat wants to lower the stakes by overreacting to everything.
Big CatEvery NFL training camp injury should involve a medical cart to make the eventually good news feel better
I think we need to enact everywhere... every single injury, no matter how big or how small in training camp, cart should come out. 'Cause then when you get the news... I thought Kobe Bryant was out for the year... and then it comes back that it's eight to 10 weeks. I'm like, that's a miracle. So I think we need to just set the expectation that every injury is the worst possible and then you get the good news and it's a great relief.
Max agreed that the current way we talk about injuries is broken. He’s tired of doing mental math to figure out when "eight weeks" actually falls on the calendar.
MaxNFL teams should stop giving injury timelines in weeks and instead state exactly which week of the season the player will return
I want to go one step further and they should stop saying weeks and just saying what week of the NFL season they could return. Because eight to 10 weeks, I can't put that math together of what that actually means. Weeks three to five return is what you need to hear. 'Cause that sounds like nothing. Yeah. Eight to 10 sounds like a lot. But then there's, there's more weeks before the regular season starts.
Mount Rushmore of Places to Get Drunk That Aren't a Bar
The guys tackled one of the best topics of the summer. While weddings and tailgates were the obvious heavy hitters, the conversation took a turn when the draft reached the casino floor. Big Cat defended the idea of a dry-gambling session where the only thing you're hitting is the cocktail waitress.
Big CatGetting drunk at a casino without gambling is incredibly fun and carries the same great vibe as drinking at an airport
I personally, I love getting drunk at a casino and not gambling. That's one of my favorite things. It's like getting drunk in an airport. It's pretty much the same thing. It's so much fun.
PFT rounded out his list with a classic travel move, though Big Cat and Hank weren't entirely sold on the recovery process.
PFT CommenterDrinking on a plane is the best way to start a vacation because the altitude gets you drunk faster and you hit the ground running
If you're on your way to a vacation and you get on a plane going there and you got nothing else to do for the rest of that day... That beer turns into two beers. It hits you at altitude. So you get drunk faster. You have a great time. You're so excited about the vacation. By the time you land, you hit the ground running to start your vacation... and you're having the best time ever.
Whether you're drinking at altitude or just waiting for your team to inevitably break your heart in September, remember that we are only a few weeks away from real games that matter.
See you on Friday for the first preseason Friday.
