PMT DB
PMT DB
We are officially live from Barstool Camp, and between the fishing and the card games, the NFL news cycle refused to take a vacation. Big Cat and PFT opened the show addressing the absolute insanity coming out of Ohio involving 49ers owner Jed York. Apparently, being adjacent to a famous substation in Youngstown does things to a man's brain, leading to an arrest in a trailer park that had PFT questioning the logistics of billionaire horniness.
Speaking of dysfunctional franchises, the Cleveland Browns officially named Deshaun Watson their starter, a move that felt more like a hostage situation than a football decision. Big Cat is already looking toward the future, suggesting the Browns might have been better off looking at the college ranks for a fresh start.
Big CatThe Browns should have washed their hands of Deshaun Watson and moved on to Shedeur Sanders.
I feel bad for Browns fans. I know that Deshaun, I guess could potentially be better than Shedeur Sanders, but I would just much rather just wash your hands. Especially after his press conference. Like, just be like, dude, we're done with this. You suck. You don't want to be here.
PFT doesn't see this ending well for anyone involved in Cleveland. Between the guaranteed money and the lack of production, the leash is short, and the injury excuses are likely already being drafted.
PFT CommenterDeshaun Watson won't last more than five or six games as the Browns' starter.
I'd say no more than like five or six games probably. The first sign of pain of an injury, Deshaun Watson's gonna be like, yeah, fuck that. He's got guaranteed money. He doesn't really feel like playing for that franchise anymore. So he'll, he'll take himself out.
Jersey Burnout and Camp Vibes
The guys also touched on the latest NFL uniform drops, and let's just say the reviews weren't glowing. Big Cat is officially at his breaking point with the league trying to reinvent the wheel every Tuesday, especially when it comes to the classics.
Big CatThe Detroit Lions' new alternate uniforms look exactly like the Carolina Panthers.
The Lions turned into the Panthers. Yeah. Did you see their helmet in their color scheme? [...] Oh my God. Those panthers. The lions turned into the Panthers. How stupid is that?
While Shane was ready to sprint to his computer to analyze the threading, Big Cat made it clear that some traditions shouldn't be messed with for the sake of merchandise sales.
Big CatIconic rivalries like the Bears and Packers should never have alternate jerseys.
The Bears playing the Packers... it doesn't need a new jersey. That rivalry does not need a new jersey. Agreed. They have jerseys that are iconic and have history. You do not have to rethink the wheel. I am just... it's not even that I think these are so horrific. It's more just I'm tired of new jerseys.
Hot Seat/Cool Throne & Mt. Rushmore
Hot Seat/Cool Throne covered everything from the SEC's selective moral compass regarding former pros returning to college to LeBron James' massive off-court loans. Big Cat thinks the SEC is just playing catch-up in an arms race.
Big CatThe SEC is only refusing to ban former pro players from returning to college so they can keep up with the Big 10.
It is sad to me that the SEC doesn't go all the way to banning it because they know they probably are gonna need this to compete with the Big 10. So yeah. If we're being honest, they need anything they can get at this point.
PFT brought some heat to the LeBron discussion, wondering if a massive $300 million loan from a company tied to Dodgers and Lakers ownership might raise a few eyebrows at the league office.
PFT CommenterThe NBA should investigate the $300 million loan LeBron James received from a Guggenheim-affiliated company.
LeBron James, when he was signing with the Los Angeles Lakers... signed a $154 million contract with the Lakers that actually was only half as big as the deal that he had just signed with a Midwest life insurance company for a $300 million loan. [...] I think it's interesting... So yeah. LeBron might not play next year.
The Mount Rushmore of Non-Ball Sport Items featured a heated draft where PFT attempted to claim a swimming pool and a race car while Big Cat and Hank stuck to more traditional gear like helmets and gloves. The tension of the season standings is palpable as PFT continues his quest for the champagne toast.
Chris Long Joins the Show
Our good friend Chris Long hopped on to talk shop and get us ready for the season. He broke down the challenges of new defensive coordinators and why we shouldn't overreact to one-on-one clips from joint practices. When it came to predictions, Big Cat admitted he’s doing the unthinkable and buying into the star in Dallas.
Big CatThe Dallas Cowboys will make the playoffs this year and have a top-three offense.
I hate that I am buying into the Cowboys hype, but I think their offense is going to be, you know, top three. If everyone stays healthy and their defense is going to get a lot better than it was. [...] every year there's a couple teams that go non playoffs to playoffs. It's like, why, why are the Cowboys not that team?
Chris isn't quite as high on the 49ers this year, citing the massive amount of off-field distractions and coaching departures as a reason for a potential dip.
Chris LongThe 49ers will take a step back this season because of coaching changes and ownership drama.
I don't know how the Niners... I really respect the program, but you lose [Robert] Saleh, you're changing the defense up a little bit with Raheem coming into town and you know, you've got injuries up front... The Aiyuk situation was bizarre. I don't know how they don't take a little step back.
However, he is all-in on the Houston Texans, specifically noting that their defensive unit has become a terrifying prospect for the rest of the league.
Chris LongThe Houston Texans' defense does not have a single weakness.
That defense is so fun to watch. They really don't have weaknesses defensively. I can't say that about another team in the NFL. And so that's a major strength.
Seth Wickersham on the NFL's Inner Workings
Seth Wickersham joined to discuss his new book, "Beyond That Hill," and his career reporting on the most powerful figures in sports. He gave us the inside scoop on the fall of Dan Snyder and how the owners' code of silence finally broke.
The NFL owners only turned on Dan Snyder once it became clear he was targeting them and Roger Goodell directly.
Snyder was a great example of that because the Washington Post did all their stories about the workplace atmosphere... and he survived it. It had gone away. Everyone knew that. And then it was our story where it came out that he really was going after his colleagues. And Roger that I think, you know, was like, we're done with this guy.
Seth also provided a fascinating look at the power dynamics in the modern NFL, explaining that while names like Jerry Jones and Robert Kraft get the headlines, the man in the center office holds the most weight.
Roger Goodell is effectively the most powerful 'owner' in the NFL.
I think the most powerful owner isn't an owner. And that's Roger. I think that [Robert] Kraft and Jerry [Jones], they care, but Roger is an incredible... Roger is making big decisions for the league and is able to get owners on board rather than kind of just taking bullets for them. It's Roger's league.
To wrap up, Seth reflected on the current coaching landscape and the bizarre reality that the greatest coach to ever do it is currently on the outside looking in.
It is an embarrassing reflection on the NFL that Bill Belichick cannot find a head coaching job.
Bill Belichick couldn't find a job in the NFL as a sentence that makes no sense. Bill Belichick wasn't a first ballot hall of famer is a sentence that makes no sense. And yet they're true.
Just remember, if you see Jed York in a mobile home community at 4:00 AM, he’s probably just looking for his criminal tools.
