Ross Tucker and Jordan Palmer on the 2018 NFL Draft
We start the show on a high note because we finally did it: we freed Meek Mill. After months of tireless advocacy (or at least mentioning it during the Super Bowl), Meek is out of jail and immediately hopped on a helicopter to ring the bell at a Sixers game. It’s the ultimate PR pivot from his previous public standing.
Meek Mill going to prison was actually great PR because it made everyone forget that Drake murdered him in a rap beef
I think this is great PR for Meek Mill. I think he's totally, like, everyone's forgotten about [the Drake beef]. ... Now he's a hero.
Speaking of people needing a fresh start, Big Cat has officially reached his breaking point with Russell Westbrook after the Thunder star got absolutely owned by a jersey-wearing Mitt Romney. Between the fashion choices and the mounting fouls, the Westbrook era in these playoffs is effectively over as far as the show is concerned.
I'm officially canceling Russell Westbrook
I've canceled Russell Westbrook. He's canceled. He's done. I, white girl, can't even with him anymore. Dude, you know how lame you have to be to get owned by Mitt Romney? I mean, and Mitt Romney owned him. He showed him how many fouls he had.
The Thunder are trash and are not legitimate competitors
I'm done with anyone talking about the Thunder. I said this pre-playoffs. I called this. I said they are trash, and I do not want to hear about the Thunder being any kind of, like, even close to a competitor.
The Capitals Psychology Experiment
PFT is entering a dangerous psychological state regarding the Washington Capitals. As they prepare to face the Penguins yet again, he’s convinced himself that being a slightly worse team than last year is actually a tactical advantage. It's the kind of logic only a tortured D.C. sports fan could conjure up.
The Washington Capitals are better this year because they are actually worse than last year
The Washington Capitals, they are better this year because they're actually worse than they were last year, okay? ... The fact that the Capitals are not as good, they're not as deep... It means that they're winning ugly is what I'm getting at. ... we've tried being by far the best team talent-wise. That hasn't worked. So let's give it a shot being a little bit shittier than them.
Meanwhile, Gary Bettman continues to prove why he’s the master of scheduling games specifically when no one can watch them, putting Game 1 of Caps-Pens directly against the first round of the NFL Draft.
Gary Bettman is an expert at drawing attention to every product except for the NHL
Gary [Bettman] is at it again. He scheduled the second round playoff game between the Penguins and the Capitals for Thursday night, right up against the NFL draft. ... He knows how to draw attention to any product but his own.
Draft Talk with Ross Tucker
Friend of the program Ross Tucker joined the show to help make sense of a top-heavy quarterback class. Ross is always great for cutting through the noise, specifically when it comes to the red flags surrounding Josh Rosen. While everyone on Twitter is arguing about Rosen's personality, Ross is looking at the medical reports.
Josh Rosen's concussion history is a major red flag for NFL teams
My biggest concern with Josh Rosen is – He had two concussions last year where he missed games, right? ... What we know about brain injuries now— If that guy, after he gets drafted third by the Jets, let's say, and it's $30 million guaranteed ... if he gets a concussion in September... I would be – there's a big risk there.
Ross also gave us his pure, unadulterated offensive lineman perspective on the draft, which involves watching tape of Notre Dame's Quentin Nelson before bed.
Quentin Nelson is the best player in the 2018 NFL Draft
I think the best player in the draft is Quentin Nelson, but I'm a biased O-line lover. ... He's a guy at night before I go to bed, I might put on some Quentin Nelson highlights just to watch him.
Josh Rosen will fall further in the draft than people think
I'm going to go with Rosen to fall. Really? I think Darnold goes one. I think maybe some Barkley or a quarterback at two. I think Mayfield at three. I think [Rosen] ends up falling faster than people think.
Inside the QB Guru's Mind
Jordan Palmer, the self-described "Quarterback Ninja," gave us the inside scoop on training the top prospects. He's been living with Sam Darnold and Josh Allen for months and revealed that the two potential top-five picks spend a staggering amount of time discussing *The Bachelor* and quoting the movie *Hot Rod*.
Sam Darnold and Josh Allen are best friends who spend most of their time quoting 'Hot Rod' and discussing 'The Bachelor'
These guys [Sam Darnold and Josh Allen], they've become best friends. ... I would say like 50% of their conversations involve a line from Hot Rod. 25% involve conversation around what happened on Monday on The Bachelor.
Jordan also broke down why mobility is no longer a luxury in the NFL, but a necessity, mostly because of how the league has changed the way teams are allowed to practice.
NFL offensive line play is getting worse every year
I wouldn't take a quarterback moving forward that couldn't [extend the play] because O-line play is starting to deteriorate. All these colleges, they get less time with the guys. NFL, the new CBA, they get less time with the guys. And the O-line play in the league as a whole is getting worse and worse every year.
The Cleveland Browns will draft Sam Darnold with the first pick
I think the Browns are going to take Sam Darnold. I think so, too. And I think it's going to be the biggest mistake of their life. I think it's going to haunt them for the next 12 months.
Hot Seat/Cool Throne and Manalytics
Hot Seat is New York sports radio because the Pope, Mike Francesa, is officially returning to the airwaves. It’s a legendary power move to retire, watch your successors struggle, and then come back as the savior.
We wrapped up with a rare moment of agreement with Colin Cowherd. While "Manalytics" is a ridiculous word, the core concept that regular-season stats don't matter once the playoff intensity ramps up is something Big Cat and PFT can actually get behind.
Colin Cowherd's theory of Manalytics is actually real
The theory behind it that the regular season doesn't matter and the playoffs get a lot harder and your flashy PER and how you score at such an insane pace in the middle of December, that doesn't matter in the playoffs. ... It sucks that we can't mock manalytics because it actually makes sense. ... manalytics are real.
Make sure to work on your fingertip speed before Thursday night.

