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NCAA Tournament With Mark Titus, Aaron Donald Retires, Hot Seat/Cool Throne + #MadOnline

Wednesday, March 20, 202422 takes

We’re 24 hours from the best 2 sports day of the year and we get off track with a wild Microsoft excel story. Aaron Donald retired and Anthony Edwards took a soul (-). We recap the final 2 episodes of the Dynasty documentary (-). Hot Seat/Cool Throne including Jim Harbaugh’s garage sale (-). Mark Titus joins us to break down the brackets, upsets, final four and storylines throughout the tourney plus useful tips when you’re doing your office pool (-). We finish with #MadOnline (-).

Mark Titus on Brackets, Aaron Donald Retires, and The Patriots Documentary

We are officially 24 hours away from the greatest stretch of the calendar. Big Cat and PFT are locked in for the beautiful chaos of the opening rounds, even if it means 48 hours of sitting on a couch and slowly losing their minds.

Void
Mar 20, 2024
#1247
Big CatBig Cat

Thursday and Friday of the NCAA Tournament are the best two sports days of the year

Tuesday, March 20th, and we are just 24 hours away from the best two days of the year... Thursday, Friday of, of the NCAA Tournament, because it's just all you think about the entire time.

This is a subjective value judgment shared by many sports fans, especially within the context of the show.

Before the games tipped, the NFL saw a legend walk away. Aaron Donald retired after a decade of absolute dominance, and while the Rams defense showed up in his lone Super Bowl loss, the resume speaks for itself.

Win
Mar 20, 2024
#1248
Big CatBig Cat

Aaron Donald had as close to a perfect career as you could possibly have

Aaron Donald played 10 years in the NFL. He was a pro bowler all 10 years. He won Rookie of the Year. He won three time defensive player of the year and he was an eight time first team all pro selection... Aaron Donalds as close to a perfect career as you could possibly have minus the Super Bowl loss.

The accolades mentioned (10/10 Pro Bowls, 8 All-Pros, 3 DPOYs) are factually correct.

The Dynasty or a Hit Piece?

Big Cat and Hank finally finished the Patriots documentary, and the consensus is that Robert Kraft might have been the lead editor. The final episodes felt less like a celebration of six rings and more like a coordinated effort to bury Bill Belichick. PFT pointed out that while Bill didn't help himself with his classic stonewalling in interviews, the framing was impossible to ignore.

Void
Mar 20, 2024
#1249
PFT CommenterPFT Commenter

The Patriots Dynasty documentary was a hit piece intended to bury Bill Belichick

It was very clearly pointed and it was meant to make Robert Kraft look like the, the benevolent father who kept it all together... and it made Belichick look like he was like abusive. They, they made him look like he was abusive and negligent.

The tone of the documentary was heavily criticized by former players and media for its anti-Belichick slant, supporting PFT's observation.
Void
Mar 20, 2024
#22700
PFT CommenterPFT Commenter

The Patriots documentary tried to make it look like Bill Belichick would have been fired if he lost the Super Bowl to the Rams, which is false

They also made it seem like, well, because, you know, bill did good. I had to, I told Tommy, Tommy knew like I had to sign Belichick... It made it seem like they were gonna fire Belichick if he lost that Super Bowl [to the Rams], which I don't think was ever gonna happen.

We can't know the private intentions of Robert Kraft, but Belichick remained the coach for five more years after that Super Bowl win.

Beyond the Belichick slander, the most incredible discovery was the level of pettiness Tom Brady reached regarding the Philly Special. Eagle-eyed fans noticed a very specific edit in the game audio during the documentary that scrubbed a certain backup quarterback's name from history.

Win
Mar 20, 2024
#1250
PFT CommenterPFT Commenter

Tom Brady had Nick Foles' name edited out of the Patriots documentary out of pettiness

They showed the highlights of the Super Bowl with the Eagles won and on the Philly special, they played an edited version of Al Michael's play call... They edited out the word Foles. What? ... He fucking hates Nick Foles. And he had his name edited out of this Documentary.

The audio was indeed edited in the documentary to remove 'Foles' from the Al Michaels call, though who specifically ordered the edit is speculative.

Speaking of the Patriots' internal drama, Big Cat is convinced that the mystery surrounding Malcolm Butler’s benching remains the biggest question mark of the era. If it were a minor infraction, someone would have leaked it by now. The silence from both sides is deafening.

Void
Mar 20, 2024
#22701
Big CatBig Cat

Malcolm Butler's silence on his benching suggests that he did something truly scandalous

The weird part to me is like the Malcolm Butler thing. Malcolm Butler has never said what he did. Right? So it has to be something that people would be like, 'whoa.' You know what I mean? Belichick will never say it. Malcolm Butler will never say it... doesn't it feel like if you got benched in that position and you literally did nothing, wouldn't you just be like, 'here's everything I did'?

This is a subjective theory about one of the NFL's biggest mysteries.

Mark Titus Brackets the Madness

Our good friend Mark Titus joined the show to navigate the minefield that is the 2024 bracket. The guys started in the West, a region Titus labeled the "Region of Drama" because of how little he trusts the top seeds. While everyone expects Tom Izzo to work his typical magic, Titus isn't seeing it with this specific roster.

Win
Mar 20, 2024
#22704
Mark TitusMark Titus

This Michigan State team doesn't have the best version of itself needed to go on a typical Tom Izzo run

Every other team, I felt like there have been stretches through the season where Michigan State has shown the promise and then they just put it together in March. I don't feel like this year's team has really ever shown that... It's not that Izzo goes to the final four every year. It's that you have situations like last year they had no business beating Marquette. I just think that this year's team, their best version isn't really that good.

Michigan State (a 9-seed) won their first game against Mississippi State but were eliminated in the second round by North Carolina.

Arizona fans are already sweating their draw, and rightfully so. Despite being a heavy hitter all year, the Wildcats have a nasty habit of tripping over their own shoelaces when the lights get bright.

Win
Mar 20, 2024
#22705
Mark TitusMark Titus

Arizona is the king of beating themselves in the tournament

Arizona, it is interesting because they feel like a program under Tommy Lloyd that has racked up a ton of wins... but they have underperformed in the NCAA Tournament the last few years. It does feel like a great draw for Arizona. But they can't get out of their own way. Both this particular team and them under Tommy Lloyd... they are the kings of beating themselves.

Arizona was a 2-seed in 2024 and lost in the Sweet 16 to 6-seed Clemson, continuing the trend.

Moving to the East, Titus took aim at Illinois. Despite their Big 10 Tournament title, he isn't buying the hype, pointing toward a lack of signature wins against the current top-tier teams.

Loss
Mar 20, 2024
#22706
Mark TitusMark Titus

Illinois are frauds because they haven't beaten a currently ranked team all season

I didn't realize that Illinois has not beaten a currently ranked team all season. Like Illinois? Are they frauds? Yeah, why not? Frauds. I would feel a lot more comfortable about Illinois if, if part of their path to the Big 10 title was they beat Purdue by like 10, you know? And yeah, that context you need though.

Illinois actually proved the 'fraud' label wrong by reaching the Elite Eight, defeating ranked 2-seed Iowa State along the way before losing to eventual champion UConn.

For the actual picks, Titus is leaning into the "Year of the Cold Ass White Boy" and finding value in the underdogs. He's got a specific mid-major making a massive run into the second weekend.

Loss
Mar 20, 2024
#22707
Mark TitusMark Titus

Drake is my tournament Cinderella and I have them in the Elite Eight

I took a shot at, I like the Drake. I like the idea of Drake going on a run too. Yeah. So I put Drake's my, Drake's my Cinderella of this Tournament. I have Drake in my Elite Eight just 'cause I felt like I should pick one crazy team in the elite eight and Drake was my pick.

Drake lost in the first round to Washington State, failing to meet the Cinderella expectations.
Void
Mar 20, 2024
#22709
Mark TitusMark Titus

This is the year of the 'cold ass white boy' in college basketball

I've been saying it all year about this season of college basketball. It is the year of the cold ass white boy. And if all over college basketball, there are just white dudes that can light it up. And it's not just that they score a lot... they just got a little sauce to their game.

This is an observational trend and subjective stylistic take.

When it comes to the heavy hitters, Titus is sticking with the Big 12's best to take home the hardware, even if he has to survive a potential scrap against a live underdog in the second round.

Loss
Mar 20, 2024
#1254
Mark TitusMark Titus

Houston will win the 2024 National Championship

I have Houston win at all in my bracket. Houston is my national champion... I think they can score and I just don't, I don't think they're gonna lose to inferior teams. And I don't think there are a lot of teams that are, that are better than Houston.

Houston lost in the Sweet 16 to Duke after Jamal Shead suffered an injury.

Hot Seat/Cool Throne

Hank put Boeing on the Hot Seat for some incredibly suspicious activity involving whistleblowers, while PFT placed the entire Royal Family on his Cool Throne as the world's premier group of people to mock.

Loss
HankHank

Boeing whistleblower John Barnett did not commit suicide

There was a whistleblower... John Barnett... His body was found the morning of three nine dead. He was allegedly from suicide even though he told his family, if I die, it's not suicide. He was suicided.

The official coroner's report ruled the death a suicide, but the take reflects the popular 'he was suicided' conspiracy meme.
Void
PFT CommenterPFT Commenter

The Royal Family exists solely as a group of people for everyone else to make fun of

The British people are fucking weirdos... I I kind of love the royal family because they're, they're the quintessential, like you can just make fun of 'em. Maybe that's what they're there for. They're not really there to give hope and meaning and optimism to the British people. Maybe they're just there to have like a group of people that you can just make fun of all the time.

This is a social commentary and subjective opinion.

Big Cat has Houston on the Hot Seat for a very specific, anatomical reason. If you’re a top seed playing a team with a phallic name, the history books say you’re in trouble.

Loss
Big CatBig Cat

Houston is on the Hot Seat because top seeds keep losing to teams with phallic names

The Hot Seat is Houston... In every Tournament since 2021, the top two seat has lost in the first round to a team with a phallic euphemistic name. 2021 Oral Roberts, 2022 St. Peters, 2023 Fairly Dickinson. Three times as a pattern. In 2024, Houston will face Longwood in the first round. I see two right next to each other. What about Moorhead? Yeah. Moorhead. And then Drake. Drake's very phallic.

Houston beat Longwood 86-46 in the first round, ending the 'phallic name' streak for that year.

Good luck to everyone's brackets, except for whoever is playing Wisconsin.

ncaa-tournamentmark-titusaaron-donaldbill-belichicktom-bradycollege-basketball

More Takes

Loss
Mar 20, 2024
#1256
PFT CommenterPFT Commenter

Ohio State will beat Villanova in the NIT championship

I just filled out my, my NIT bracket. Shout out NIT stew. I've got Ohio State beating Villanova in the finals.

Seton Hall defeated Indiana State in the 2024 NIT championship. Neither Ohio State nor Villanova reached the final.
Win
Mar 20, 2024·Null
#22699
Big CatBig Cat

I'm counting Anthony Edwards' dunk over John Collins as a real dunk even if the ball left his hand early

Was that a dunk? So all those dunks always inspiring. Yeah. When you, when you like zoom in, you're like, did the ball leave his hand beforehand, didn't touch the rim? I'm counting it as a dunk. Just 'cause I like cool sports moments like that where the world stopped to be like, did you see what Anthony Edwards just did?

The dunk was officially scored and universally celebrated as a dunk, though physics-sticklers debated it.
Loss
Mar 20, 2024
#1252
Jake MarshJake Marsh

North Carolina is my national champion for the 2024 tournament

[Big Cat: Who's your national champion this year?] North Carolina. So shout out to the Howard Wagner.

North Carolina lost in the Sweet 16 to Alabama.
Push
Mar 20, 2024
#1255
Mark TitusMark Titus

North Carolina is the most susceptible 1-seed in the tournament

I have North Carolina. North Carolina I think's the most susceptible one seed. Because they are, they are heavily reliant on Armando [Bacot]... and also he's not, he's just not that good... I think they're the most susceptible one.

UNC lost in the Sweet 16. While Houston also lost in the Sweet 16, UNC's loss was seen by many as confirming their volatility.
Void
Mar 20, 2024
#22708
Mark TitusMark Titus

Purdue fans are humorless goobers and dorks who have the demeanor of nerds without the intelligence

They [Purdue fans] are humorless goobers. They have the demeanor of nerds but not the intelligence. They're goobers. They're dorks. They have an inferiority complex with a superiority complex at the same time. Somehow it makes no sense... they know they're gonna fuck it up in March, but then they also puff their chest.

This is a highly subjective cultural critique based on regional rivalry.
Win
Mar 20, 2024
#1253
Big CatBig Cat

Wisconsin is in trouble against James Madison

I've looked through the Wisconsin James Madison game in depth. I think Wisconsin's fucked... I'm being completely honest and unbiased that like, this is a bad matchup.

James Madison defeated Wisconsin 72-61 on March 22, 2024, making this take correct.
Push
Mar 20, 2024
#22710
Big CatBig Cat

Texas A&M is a 'live' underdog against Houston because they can grind out low-possession games

I actually think Texas A&M might be live [against Houston]. They can get down and dirty and grind it out and play low possession games. 'Cause that's what I always look for with these upsets is like, what teams can play these low possession games where you can... make them have to execute in a half court and things won't go as well.

Texas A&M did play Houston in the second round and it was an extremely close 'live' game, with Houston eventually winning 100-95 in overtime.

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