PMT DB
PMT DB
Stephen A. Smith on the Cowboys, Skip Bayless, and Career Arc
The vibes in the studio were through the roof for a Wednesday show as Big Cat and PFT Commenter prepared for Championship Sunday. The guys started by breaking down the upcoming matchups, specifically focusing on the Mahomes versus Burrow narrative. PFT brought back a classic "embrace debate" style question about who is actually the better quarterback versus who is the better football player.
PFT CommenterJoe Burrow is the best quarterback at 'quarterbacking' while Patrick Mahomes is just a great football player who plays quarterback
I think Joe Burrow is the best quarterback at quarterbacking in the NFL right now. [Patrick Mahomes] is a very good quarterback who happens to be a football player. Joe Burrow is a great quarterback who just happens to play football, right? Patrick Mahomes is a great football player who just happens to play quarterback.
Speaking of the AFC, the defensive front is where this game might be won. While the national media has been fawning over the Bengals' offensive line performance against Buffalo, Big Cat is keeping a close eye on the interior of the Chiefs' line.
Big CatChris Jones is going to be a massive problem for the Bengals in the AFC Championship
I actually think that the conversation last week about the Bengals offensive line... this week, Chris Jones is gonna wreck some shit. Because we all watched that Bills-Bengals game and we're like, 'Wow, the Bengals offensive line played incredible.' But the Bills don't have Chris Jones. Chris Jones is gonna be a problem.
On the NFC side, the conversation revolved around the magic of Brock Purdy and whether the rookie can handle the most hostile environment in the league. Hank and Big Cat seem convinced that the ride ends at the Linc, citing the historical struggle of rookie quarterbacks in high-stakes playoff games.
HankNo rookie quarterback is going to win in the Linc against the number one seed Eagles
I just can't wrap my head around any world where a rookie quarterback goes in the Link and beats the number one seed Eagles. It's a philosophy. It's a life philosophy. It doesn't change year over year. Rookie quarterbacks in the playoffs, young quarterbacks are gonna struggle.
Hot Seat/Cool Throne
Hot Seat/Cool Throne covered a lot of ground, from the terrifying world of the Slap Fighting League to the Baseball Hall of Fame voting. Big Cat didn't hold back on the writers who keep the legends of the game out of Cooperstown, calling the entire process a joke for excluding the most dominant player of an era.
Big CatThe Baseball Hall of Fame is a joke because Barry Bonds is not in it
And Barry [Bonds] is not on there? This whole thing is a joke. The best player of all time is not in the fucking Hall of Fame. It's just funny that baseball writers take themselves so seriously. We just need all these guys to die and then maybe we can get the real players in the Hall of Fame.
PFT also placed the current state of Duke basketball on the hot seat. It turns out the post-Coach K era isn't as glamorous as Blue Devils fans hoped it would be, with the team sliding down the ACC standings.
PFT CommenterJohn Scheyer is officially on the hot seat at Duke
My hot seat is John Scheyer. I'm surprised that it's taken us this long as a podcast to put John Scheyer on the hot seat. But he's in ninth place in the ACC as Duke's head coach. And I for one, miss Coach K.
Stephen A. Smith in Studio
The main event featured Stephen A. Smith joining Big Cat and PFT in person to discuss his new book, *Straight Shooter*. Stephen A. brought the same energy you see on *First Take*, but with an added layer of introspection about his journey from a beat reporter in Philadelphia to the face of ESPN. He naturally spent a good chunk of time roasting the fan base he loves to hate the most.
Stephen A. SmithThe Dallas Cowboys are the most delusional, disgusting fan base in American history
I'm not bullshitting when I talk about Cowboy fans. I mean what I say about them. They are the most delusional, disgusting fan base in American history. It doesn't matter what happens to them. Give it 15 minutes. 'All right, we'll do it next year. We're going to win Super Bowl next year.' It's just nauseating. They don't take any time to smell their stench, which is why it's so enjoyable when they lose over and over and over again.
Stephen A. also touched on his relationship with Skip Bayless, his desire to eventually transition into late-night television, and his belief that he could dominate the podcasting space if he ever decided to go all-in on the medium. He even revisited the 2016 NBA Finals, offering a unique perspective on why that series changed his mind about ever being "wrong" about a prediction.
Stephen A. SmithThe NBA gave LeBron James a 'stimulus package' in the 2016 Finals by suspending Draymond Green
Game four, LeBron and them is about to lose the game. LeBron gets frustrated, he takes Draymond Green, throws him to the floor... Somehow some way revisionist history comes in and the NBA decides to give LeBron James and Cleveland a stimulus package. They suspend Draymond for game five... That is the one final that I will never accept being wrong about because the NBA suspended Draymond Green.
Before letting him go, Stephen A. offered his blueprint for how the Cowboys could actually fix their culture and maximize Dak Prescott's window. It involves a familiar face currently on the coaching market.
Stephen A. SmithThe Cowboys must get Sean Payton even if they have to give up a draft pick to fix the team
I had to get Sean Payton. Even if I had to give up an asset of pick for to get 'em, I'd get 'em because I, Dak Prescott is my most important player. I have to maximize his potential. And because I have to maximize his potential, who better to do it?
Guys on Chicks and Conspiracy Corner
To wrap up the show, the guys hit a few Guys on Chicks questions that veered into some dark territory involving pregnancy and cousin-best friends. However, the real highlight was Billy Football trying to keep a straight face while discussing the latest Twitter theories regarding DeMar Hamlin.
Billy FootballI looked at the evidence and it might have been a DeMar Hamlin body double at the Bills game
I don't think he's dead. But [it] was very snowy. That shot conveniently... why was he wearing goggles? He had a sheisty... I'm just saying like it was just, there was just like, I looked at the evidence. I'm just raising it so we could have the conversation.
While Big Cat and PFT immediately shot down the idea of a body double, Billy remained convinced that "the evidence" was at least worth a conversation during a snowy game in Buffalo.
If Stephen A. Smith ever does start that number one podcast, we just hope he keeps the iPhone holster on his hip for the video version.
