PMT DB
PMT DB
Robert Iler (AJ Soprano) on Poker, James Gandolfini, and NFL Week 9
Thursday Night Football was an absolute disaster that felt more like a Week 4 preseason game than actual NFL football. America lost watching the 49ers practice squad get dismantled by Green Bay, but Big Cat noticed something suspicious about the Packers' personnel management. With the game well in hand, it seemed like the perfect time to give the rookie some reps, but Aaron Rodgers had other plans.
Big CatAaron Rodgers blocked Jordan Love from playing in the 49ers game because of his ego.
[Aaron Rodgers] didn't need this [game]... this would have been the perfect time for Jordan Love to get out there and get some reps in. My conspiracy theorist tinfoil hat says Aaron Rodgers put the kibosh on that.
PFT noticed that Rodgers was sporting a clean-shaven look that usually signals a deeper psychological shift. When a quarterback starts looking like a baby-faced teenager out of nowhere, you have to wonder where his head is at.
PFT CommenterAaron Rodgers has a baby face and is going through a mental breakdown similar to Britney Spears shaving her head
Rogers he he also shaved. I don't know if you noticed that he's like a little baby face out there... it's like when Britney Spears shaved her head when she was having a nervous breakdown some people do that. They just have know what I'm going to cut my bangs... Rogers going through a mental crisis right now.
NFL Week 9 Preview and The Tanking Arts
Looking ahead to the weekend, the guys broke down a slate that features some massive spreads and even bigger questions. PFT is convinced that Bill Belichick has already checked out of 2020 and is playing a much longer game than the rest of the league. It's a masterclass in losing that only the GOAT could pull off.
PFT CommenterBill Belichick knew this season was a wash and is tanking on purpose to reset.
Belichick knew that this season was going to be a garbage season that was going to get thrown away by the history books and forgotten as being like a fake season. So he's planned accordingly and [is] tanking on purpose this entire time.
While the Patriots are tanking with dignity, the Jets are doing it by simply existing. Big Cat pointed out that keeping Adam Gase is actually a genius move by Joe Douglas because Gase provides the perfect cover for a franchise that clearly wants to secure the number one overall pick without the league office getting suspicious.
Big CatKeeping Adam Gase is the smartest move for the Jets because he is a 'tank' that can't be accused of tanking
Keeping Adam Gase is the smartest thing you can do is GM because... it actually Adam Gase is your tank like he is your tank but not tanking. You can't be accused of tanking, but you are tanking when you have Adam Gase there.
In Seattle, the defense has been a sieve all year, but Jamal Adams returning might be the catalyst for change. PFT is ready to plant his flag on the Seahawks' turnaround before the rest of the media catches on.
PFT CommenterThe Seahawks defense will start turning a corner and stop being a liability within five weeks
Jamal Adams is going to be back. I think that the Seahawks defense is going to start turning a corner here playing well and it's going to take a little bit of time for people to catch up to it. But like in like three four weeks we're going to be sitting here being like, you know, who's really playing well to Seahawks defense.
As for the Titans, Big Cat isn't buying the hype around their signal-caller despite the efficiency metrics. He’s going back to his roots and trusting his eyes over the analytics.
Big CatRyan Tannehill is a great quarterback, but he still actually stinks
Ryan Tannehill still stinks. I don't have anything beyond my eyes that told me that he still deserves not to be honest my guts right. It's my guts that are telling me that he still stinks. I just I still don't trust him. I've never trusted Ryan Tannehill... he is just been delaying the stinking.
AJ Soprano on Life After the Mob
Robert Iler, better known as AJ Soprano, joined the show for an incredible interview about growing up on the most iconic set in TV history. He was refreshingly honest about his character's reputation as one of the most frustrating people on screen. He knew exactly what the writers were doing with AJ, even if it meant he never got to be the "cool" kid.
Robert IlerEvery time I got a script for The Sopranos, I was disappointed because AJ was always written to be a douche.
Every time you get the script, you're like, 'God I have to be a douche again.' There was no... you almost think he's gonna do something cool that he just miserably fails at whatever he's trying to do... [AJ] was written that way of like as a viewer you're constantly frustrated in him.
Robert shared some legendary stories about the cast, particularly Tony Sirico (Paulie Walnuts), who apparently lived the gimmick 24/7 and treated Robert like family even off-camera.
Robert IlerTony Sirico (Paulie Walnuts) was the funniest person on the set of The Sopranos 'by far'.
I can't believe when you said who's the funniest guy? He's [Tony Sirico] the funniest guy by far... he was just hilarious being himself because he was, you know, Paulie Walnuts... he was just hilarious being himself.
After the show ended, Robert disappeared into the world of professional poker in Las Vegas. While he spent years at the tables, he’s not a fan of where the game has gone recently. The shift from personality-driven gambling to math-heavy simulators has sucked the life out of the room.
Robert IlerModern poker is no longer fun because it has been solved by mathematical models and GTO
13 years ago poker was different than it is now, you know, they figured it out with solvers and computers... it just it makes it a lot harder it makes it also a lot less fun. You know People are just sitting there not talking figuring out like mathematical equations in their head where when I was when I moved to Vegas everybody was drinking and laughing and the poker table was like a party, you know, where now it's like a classroom.
Perhaps the most relatable story Robert shared involved his clever way of avoiding civil duties. Most people try to fake a move or a family emergency, but when you're a former HBO star, you can just call your agent for a quick booking.
Robert IlerI took a guest role on Law & Order specifically to avoid having to go to jury duty.
I got the phone call and they were like, 'hey, you have to come down to Center Street'... so I called my manager and I'm like, 'can you get me a job to get out of jury duty next week?' He called me back and is like, 'yeah, I have a job for you on Law and Order.' If you do the episode of Law & Order, they'll send a letter in that you're working and you can't make jury duty.
Fyre Fest of the Week
Fyre Fest took a dark turn when Billy Football’s internet history became the center of attention. Billy tweeted out a request for "sub-adult hens," which immediately sent off every red flag imaginable. PFT is convinced the FBI is already monitoring Billy's hen-house construction, and Big Cat reported seeing a suspicious Ford Taurus outside his own home just because he's associated with the program. We also learned that Hank's dog Norman is apparently a local celebrity for his physical attributes, which is exactly how you want a Friday show to end.
If you see Hank in the street, remember that the compliment is for the dog, not for him.
