PMT DB
PMT DB
Sam Dekker on March Madness, NFL Free Agency, and the Rebrand of Bobby Griffin
March Madness is officially here, and the energy is already off the charts. Big Cat and PFT Commenter kicked things off by dissecting the absolute disaster that was the Selection Sunday show. Between Charles Barkley struggling to operate a touchscreen like a grandfather trying to program a DVR and the entire bracket leaking twenty minutes into the broadcast, it was a masterclass in CBS filibustering. Big Cat is already heading into the tournament with some very specific, self-imposed rules for his sportsbook account.
Big CatI'm not betting any over-unders in the NCAA Tournament this year
I've decided that I'm not going to bet any over-unders in the March Madness tournament. I had the realization that I lose all my money just betting overs because that's all I do. I never bet unders.
They also touched on the inevitable media cycle of the tournament, where every single talking head uses the same three adjectives to describe every team in the field. Whether it’s Clark Kellogg or Dick Vitale, the consensus is that everyone is a threat.
Big CatEvery NCAA tournament team besides the 16 seeds is 'dangerous' and can 'make some noise'
The tourney is like I looked at the whole bracket besides the 16 seeds. Every team is dangerous. Every team you don't want to play. Every team can make some noise, which we will get into later. I have a list of all the make some noise teams.
PFT CommenterCincinnati is always a 'dangerous' team because their coach Bob Huggins might stab you
I think danger in general is you want to be the dangerous team... It implies that like they could either beat you in basketball or maybe stab you... Any Bob Huggins team is going to be dangerous.
PFT pointed out that some teams get to keep their 'dangerous' reputation purely based on vibes from years ago, regardless of how they actually look this season.
PFT CommenterFGCU (Dunk City) will be a 'dangerous' 16-seed because of their name brand
Dunk City, FGCU, I guarantee you there's going to be some people out there that say, watch out, this team could make some noise because you remember two years ago when they dunked on people. Even though they're going to be a 16 seed, there are going to be people out there that label them as a possible dark horse dangerous team.
Sam Dekker Breaks Down Tournament Life
Former Wisconsin Badger and current Houston Rocket Sam Dekker joined the show to give an insider's look at what it's actually like to navigate the Big Dance. He talked about the grind of travel, the 'loose' atmosphere of those back-to-back Final Four Wisconsin teams, and the very real equipment issues that bettors usually overlook. Apparently, the brand of basketball used in different arenas is a massive factor for shooters.
Sam DekkerDon't bet on teams playing on the road at Under Armour schools
If you're betting on a team on the road at an Under Armour school, don't bet on them because you can't shoot with those balls... Wilson [is] all Wilson [in the tournament], and those are the easiest balls to shoot.
Despite Big Cat’s best efforts to get him to admit that playing with Dwight Howard is a comedy nightmare, Dekker kept it professional. He did, however, offer up his pick for who cuts down the nets in Houston this year.
Sam DekkerVirginia will win the 2016 National Championship
I think Virginia [is the champion]. They're so tough. I watched them the other night, and obviously they didn't win the ACC championship, but I just think they have a good... they're a team I want to see, either Virginia or Michigan State.
NFL Free Agency and PR 101
The NFL news cycle hasn't slowed down, and the guys are particularly fascinated by the absolute basement-level state of the Cleveland Browns. Between Colin Kaepernick reportedly wanting to head to the Land and Jerry Jones being suspiciously quiet (likely locked in a basement by Stephen Jones), the league is in a weird spot.
Big CatColin Kaepernick wanting to play for the Browns is the second biggest kidnapping story behind Richard Simmons
The whole story about Richard Simmons being kidnapped in his own house, that's only second to Colin Kaepernick saying out loud he wants to go to the Browns. Someone's kidnapped Colin Kaepernick. There's no way his brain got to the point where that's such rock bottom to say, 'oh, yeah, please trade me to the Cleveland Browns.'
This led into a premiere edition of PR 101, where the guys offered some much-needed crisis management for the league's remaining free-agent quarterbacks. PFT thinks Robert Griffin III needs to start by looking the part of a corporate hire.
PFT CommenterRobert Griffin III needs to cut his hair to look professional for job interviews
If I'm Robert Griffin, I got to cut the hair at this point... You don't want to go into a job interview looking like a hippie... Cut the hair off and be clean cut. Get back to business. Let people know that you're ready to go to work.
But Big Cat went a step further, suggesting that the problem isn't just the hair—it's the entire brand. He proposed a full Texan rebrand that would make GMs salivate at the thought of a 'good old boy' leading their franchise.
Big CatRobert Griffin III should rebrand himself as 'Bobby Griffin' to save his career
I got a new quarterback. He's this kid from Texas. He went to Baylor. He won a Heisman. His name is Bobby Griffin. Tell me that guy's not electric... I think Bobby Griffin gets the juices flowing in a GM's mind because you just need to repackage yourself. I'm not RG3 anymore. I'm Bobby Griffin.
Big CatI would cut almost any quarterback for 'Bobby Griffin'
If I was the GM of basically any team, except maybe the Patriots and the Packers, I'd cut my quarterback for Bobby Griffin.
To wrap things up, PFT debuted the 'Michael Wilbon Name Drop of the Week' following his trip to South by Southwest. He spent the weekend rubbing elbows with Katie Nolan, Rachel Nichols, and Bomani Jones, even claiming to have mastered the 'cool' handshake with Bo. It’s a tough life being a superstar, but someone has to live it.
Good luck to your brackets, and remember: you're either part of the pursuit or part of the past.
