PMT DB
PMT DB
Pat McAfee on Retiring, Bill Polian, and the 13-9 Death Threats
Pardon My Take is officially on the road for Football Week, currently hunkered down in a Pittsburgh parking lot. Big Cat and PFT Commenter are live from the RV, embracing the grit of the Steel City and the "Garden of Eden" where three rivers meet. The energy is high, even if the interior of the bus is starting to smell like a locker room, as the guys gear up for a trek to Indy and eventually Buffalo.
The End of the Eli Era
The sports world stopped spinning this week because Ben McAdoo finally did the unthinkable: he benched Eli Manning. Not for a high-upside rookie, but for Geno Smith. PFT is convinced this is more than just a bad coaching move.
PFT CommenterBen McAdoo benching Eli Manning for Geno Smith is performance art
If you have fucked up your job so badly that Geno Smith is the answer to whatever your problem is... that is performance art. It is hilarious to me. So Ben McAdoo, I know you probably didn't mean to screw up this badly, but thank you for doing it.
While the Giants are in shambles, the College Football Playoff committee actually managed to do their jobs without a total meltdown. Big Cat is surprisingly content with the rankings, even if it means his beloved Badgers are sitting at number four.
Big CatThe CFP committee got the rankings exactly right
I actually think they got it exactly right. I think Wisconsin should be four. I think Alabama should be five. And that, like, Ohio State, Miami, like, it feels like all those teams, they could probably leapfrog, but they're outside looking in. Like, that's exactly where they should be.
Hot Seat/Cool Throne: Bitcoin and Lacrosse
Hot Seat/Cool Throne turned into a financial literacy seminar as Big Cat revealed he is officially a Bitcoin guy. He hasn't actually seen his Bitcoin yet, and he only bought about two "slices" of it, but he’s convinced the physical dollar is a relic of the past.
Big CatBitcoin is the future and will replace physical money
You think that the dollar bill's in your pocket right now? You think they're going to last forever? You think money's going to last forever? Okay, so Bitcoin's the future, baby. There's not going to be money in the future. There's going to be Bitcoin.
Meanwhile, Hank is bullish on a different market: the lacrosse industry. Between Phil Knight’s endorsements and the revelation that Method Man was a Long Island middie, the sport is apparently reaching new heights.
HankLacrosse is booming and the sales are up
My cool throne is lacrosse. Nike chairman Phil Knight, he was commenting on the Duke Florida game the other day, and he said, lacrosse is growing. So the sales are up. They're growing, not a show. Business is booming.
Pat McAfee Joins the Bus
Former Pro Bowl punter and current internet sensation Pat McAfee hopped on the RV in his hometown of Pittsburgh. After a dinner at Jerome Bettis' restaurant—where the urinals offer a clear view of the bar—Pat opened up about his transition from the league to the blog life. He doesn't miss the 4th-and-long pressure, but he does miss the post-workout steam room sessions where you question your own existence.
Pat McAfeeI do not miss football even one percent
Do you miss football at all? No, not even one percent. No. So I very much flipped the switch into not being in the football schedule right? I very much fell out of love with the schedule of being an NFL player.
Pat also shared some legendary stories about former Colts GM Bill Polian, who apparently scouted Pat while he was just messing around in street clothes before a bowl game. According to Pat, Polian’s evaluation process was less about 40 times and more about a mysterious personality test and whether or not a guy could jump over a garbage can. It was a stark contrast to the Ryan Grigson era, which Pat describes as a "slick-back snake oil" operation that valued speed over everything else.
Pat McAfeeTrent Richardson was not a good NFL player and only got drafted for his speed
Trent Richardson. Oh, that's two first-rounders. People don't know that. He's worth two first-rounders. Future Hall of Famer. Yeah, future Hall of Famer... He zigged every fucking time. Just a zag one time would have been nice for us.
Coaching Carousel and the Schiano Man
The college coaching world is on fire, and Big Cat thinks the smoke is starting to get to everyone's heads, especially with the rumors surrounding Arizona State.
Big CatCollege football has lost its mind if Arizona State hires Herm Edwards
College football has officially lost its mind. When Herm Edwards gets involved, college football has officially lost its mind.
To commemorate the absolute disaster that was the Tennessee coaching search, PFT debuted the song of the summer: "Schiano Man." It’s a touching tribute to Greg Schiano set to the tune of Billy Joel’s "Piano Man," featuring lyrics about diving at people's knees and losing to Navy. It’s an instant classic that will be stuck in your head until next season.
Road Trip Q&A
To wrap things up, the guys answered some road-trip-specific questions from the listeners. Big Cat shared his philosophy on the "45-minute rule" for bathroom breaks, which essentially involves lying to your passengers until they reach a breaking point.
Big CatYou have at least 45 minutes of driving left once you think you need to use the bathroom
The minute you think you have to go to the bathroom, you have at least 45 more minutes. So that's really like... if someone is a small bladder, a little pee boy... you need to just be like, listen, man, I'm just going to keep going.
Despite the smells and the 15-hour drive times, Big Cat remains a staunch advocate for the open road, believing that some things are just mandatory for the American youth.
Big CatIf you don't take a football road trip in college, you ruined your experience
If you were in college right now and listening to this... if you don't take a road trip with all your friends to an away football game, you have ruined your own college experience. That's the best time.
Keep an eye out for the "Schiano Man" music video, and we'll see you in Indy.
