PMT DB
PMT DB
Rachel Nichols on NBA Wine Culture, Cavs Reboot, and SI Swimsuit Models
It is Valentine's Day, and Big Cat decided to celebrate by buying everyone chocolates that nobody else wanted to eat. Since it is the day of love, the show opened with a special Mount Rushmore of things we love about sports. Hank led the way by explaining that nothing beats the lingering high of a title, even if he's the only one in the room who gets to feel that on a regular basis.
HankWinning a championship can fundamentally change a fan's entire outlook on life for months
The high of a championship... if your team wins a championship, it honestly can change your whole outlook. You buzz for weeks, months, going into next year. You just feel better, you feel happier.
Big Cat took a more traditional route, focusing on the gritty details that make a game worth watching. For him, it all starts in the trenches and the commitment to the ground game, which sets up everything else a viewer wants to see.
Big CatEstablishing the run game is the foundation of all football success
Mine [Mount Rushmore] is establishing the run game. Love when a team establishes the run game. Just run, run, run, run, run. Because then you get that play-action pass and the cameraman misses. It opens things up. ... Everything starts with establishing the run. That's just a fact.
PFT rounded things out by discussing the unique pageantry of the World Cup. While most people focus on the final, he argued that the real peak of the tournament happens right at the very beginning before everyone gets tired of soccer.
PFT CommenterThe first game of the World Cup is the only one everyone genuinely gets up for
That's the one soccer game that everybody gets up for is the first one. And then after that, the novelty kind of dies off. I would say that the championship game is a little bit more fatigue. So, like, everyone's had a month of soccer already. If they're not one of your two teams in the finals, you're like, eh, I can take it or leave it.
NBA Talk with Rachel Nichols
Rachel Nichols joined the show to discuss the fallout from the trade deadline and the absolute chaos surrounding the Cleveland Cavaliers. The conversation quickly shifted to the "new look" Cavs and whether LeBron's new supporting cast is actually a threat to the Warriors. Rachel was quick to point out that while everyone thinks the season is halfway over, the reality for these teams is much more urgent.
Rachel NicholsThe NBA All-Star break is actually the two-thirds mark of the season
It is not halfway through the NBA season... it is more like two-thirds of the way through the NBA season. They've only got 28 games after the break, so... it's just trying to figure out how to put all those pieces together.
One of the bigger topics was the Isaiah Thomas disaster in Cleveland and his subsequent trade to the Lakers. Big Cat made sure to give credit where it was due regarding Thomas's reputation as a max-contract player, pointing directly at the system he left behind in Boston.
Big CatBrad Stevens is the reason the Isaiah Thomas 'Brinks truck' conversation even happened
I completely agree [with Rachel Nichols]. Brad Stevens basically has, like, he made Isaiah Thomas. I don't want to say made him who he is, but he made the conversation of a Brinks truck possible.
They also discussed the growing trend of NBA players becoming obsessed with high-end wine. Between Carmelo Anthony becoming a sommelier and LeBron James apparently having a bionic nose for grapes, the league has turned into one giant vineyard. PFT noted that LeBron’s ego extends even to the cellar.
PFT CommenterLeBron James will never allow a teammate on the roster who knows more about wine than he does
LeBron takes his wine knowledge very seriously. There's no chance he will ever have somebody on his team that knows more about wine than he does. That's his thing.
Hot Seat, Cool Throne, and Olympic Updates
In a brief Olympic update, Big Cat admitted he's struggling to get into the Winter Games because the time difference makes his brain hurt. PFT, however, found a silver lining in the aesthetic of the events, noting that everything looks significantly more legitimate once the sun goes down.
PFT CommenterSnow looks more professional when viewed at night under stadium lights
Snow just looks better at night. That's a fact. When you've got the lights popping off of it, it's all shiny, it's nice. It looks professional. During the day, it's like, oh, these are just people out for a good time on a mountain.
Moving to Hot Seat/Cool Throne, PFT put Colin Kaepernick’s lawyers on the hot seat for taking on the formidable duo of Roger Goodell's wife and the king of pizza, Papa John.
PFT CommenterColin Kaepernick's lawyers picked a fight they can't win against Roger Goodell and Papa John
My first hot seat is Colin Kaepernick's lawyers. Uh-oh. Because they picked some fights that they can't win. They're going up against Roger Goodell's two favorite people in the world, his wife and Papa John. ... They're going to ask Papa John if he gave instructions or if he was given instructions by Jerry Jones.
Big Cat put the entire Chicago Bulls front office on notice. With the tanking race heating up for the top draft pick, he suggested a foolproof strategy to ensure the Bulls end up with the worst record in the league.
Big CatThe Bulls would secure the #1 pick if they played Cameron Payne 48 minutes a night
The Bulls have a secret weapon. They're bringing back Cameron Payne, who's the best. If they just play him 48 minutes a night, the Bulls will get the first pick. I'm guaranteeing that.
Guys on Chicks with Paige Spiranac and Chase Carter
To wrap up the Valentine's Day festivities, SI Swimsuit models Paige Spiranac and Chase Carter joined the program for a special edition of Guys on Chicks. The ladies answered hard-hitting questions about whether BMW owners are losers and if women are actually playing mind games 24/7.
When the topic shifted to Markelle Fultz’s broken jump shot, PFT offered some unorthodox training advice that involves fewer shooting coaches and more domestic lagers.
PFT CommenterMarkelle Fultz should get drunk to fix his broken shooting hitch
My advice [for Markelle Fultz] would just be get drunk and start practicing. Because some people are better at beer pong when they're drunk. Some people are better at darts when they've had a couple beers in them. Just have a couple of Yeunglings before practice and just see where that goes.
Big Cat finished the segment by asking the important questions about facial hair and body types, only to realize that his personal brand might not be the most attractive thing to professional models.
If you see a Brinks truck backing up for a $2.50 delivery, mind your business.
