PMT DB
PMT DB
Keith Yandle on NHL Playoffs, Fixing the All-Star Game, and Hank’s $10k Bet
Big Cat and PFT are back in the studio after a brief vacation, and they didn't miss a beat when it came to the disgraceful performance at the NBA All-Star Game. While Bob Ryan was tweeting into the void about the lack of fundamental basketball, the guys came up with some actual solutions to make the players care. Beyond just the usual suggestions of playing for charity or home-court advantage, Big Cat thinks the only way to get these guys to stop treating the game like a layup line is to hit them where it actually hurts: their bank accounts.
Big CatTo fix the All-Star game, the losing team should pay the winning team $10,000 per point scored
Losing team has to pay winning team $10,000 per point. Because now you play defense. You play defense. And it doesn't matter if you're losing, you still try. Damian Lillard would've gotten $500,000 [from them].
They also touched on the mess in Milwaukee, where Doc Rivers has managed to turn a championship contender into a walking quote machine of excuses. Big Cat wasn't buying any of the "tough schedule" talk from a guy who basically campaigned for the job while the previous coach was still in the building.
Big CatDoc Rivers is an unlikable snake who stabbed Adrian Griffin in the back
Doc Rivers is really unlikable. He had the balls to, after taking someone's job and saying he was working for the Bucks as an analyst... You can't complain about a job that you stabbed somebody in the back for.
Hot Seat/Cool Throne
Hot Seat/Cool Throne featured a deep dive into the mind of Anthony Rendon, who continues to be the most honest man in baseball by admitting he’d rather be doing literally anything else. Big Cat defended the honesty, noting that most people also view their multi-million dollar jobs as just a way to pay the bills. Meanwhile, PFT is convinced that the TSA and Clear are running a racket to keep everyone upgrading to the next tier of "Plus" memberships just to avoid a three-hour wait.
PFT CommenterClear and TSA are intentionally making security lines longer and more difficult so they can force people to buy more expensive tiers like 'Clear Plus'
They're rebranding Clear as now Clear Plus. That implies another level coming... They're intentionally making it harder for TSA and Clear so that we are going to buy a new one. It's smart. Savvy by them.
Speaking of the Chicago sports scene, the Justin Fields era feels like it's reaching its final chapter. After the quarterback unfollowed the team on social media, the writing is on the wall for a trade to make room for Caleb Williams. Big Cat is already bracing for the inevitable heartbreak.
Big CatJustin Fields is probably going to get traded by the Bears
Justin Fields did unfollow the Bears. I don't think it's, I think he's probably gonna get traded. So that's what's, like I said, I mean it could mean literally anything.
Keith Yandle Joins the Show
16-year NHL veteran and friend of the program Keith Yandle hopped on to talk shop and drop the bombshell that he has never owned a computer in his entire life. Between stories of Jaromir Jagr taping potatoes to his knees for healing and eating muffins on the back of the team bus, Yandle broke down the upcoming playoff picture. He’s high on the Florida Panthers' grit and thinks the Rangers have the depth to make a real run in the East.
Keith YandleFlorida and the Rangers are the favorites to win the Stanley Cup in the East
I'm gonna do Florida. I think that especially what they did last year... hard team to play against. And the Rangers coming out of the East. Goal tending has been... I think Shesterkin could be a little better, but it's one of those things when you get into playoffs.
When the conversation shifted to the North, Yandle didn't have much hope for the Stanley Cup returning to Canada anytime soon. He pointed to the intense pressure from the Toronto fan base as a major reason why the Maple Leafs can't seem to get over the hump when it matters most.
Keith YandleThe Maple Leafs won't win a Cup because their fans are mean to them
I think it would strictly be because their fan base is too hard on them... They have one bad period or one bad game, they're sell the farm, get rid of everyone. I think their fans just need to be a little bit nicer than the players.
He also gave some veteran advice to the younger stars in the league, specifically regarding the physical toll of the game. Yandle noted that while fighting is a part of the sport's self-policing nature, guys like Brady Tkachuk are too valuable to be spending that much time in the box.
Keith YandleBrady Tkachuk is a top 15 player in the NHL and he needs to stop fighting
Brady Tkachuk... I'm like, Brady, you gotta stop fighting, man. Like, I know you're tough. He's a top 10, 15 player in the league. I'm like, you gotta stop fighting, man.
Hank’s Delusion Reaches a New Peak
To wrap up the show, the guys discussed life after football and what hobbies they’re picking up. Hank, in a moment of pure, unadulterated delusion, decided that 2024 is the year he finally becomes an elite athlete. Despite having "chicken legs" and currently being several inches away from even touching the rim, Hank put $10,000 on the line to prove he can dunk a men’s basketball by the end of the year.
HankI bet $10,000 that I can dunk a men's basketball on a 10-foot rim by the end of 2024
I'll bet you $10,000. You can't do it by the end of the year. Yeah, I'll match... Men's basketball, 10 foot rim... Deal, deal, deal... I'm due to follow up on one of these things and make it happen.
Big Cat and PFT immediately jumped on the action, practically salivating at the thought of a five-figure payday courtesy of Hank’s vertical leap—or lack thereof. If Hank actually pulls this off, it will be the greatest upset in the history of the program, but for now, we’re all just waiting for the first training montage of him failing to reach the net.
We’ll see you on Friday to find out who made number five on Hank's Patriots list.
