PMT DB
PMT DB
The 2019 Takies: Blake of the Year and the Westbrook Woj Bomb
It is the most important night in sports. The 2019 Takies are officially here, and the energy in the studio is electric. Big Cat, PFT, and Hank are dressed to the nines in black tie, ready to honor the best and worst of the sports year. But just as the ceremony was hitting its stride, a massive Woj Bomb derailed everything: Russell Westbrook was traded to the Houston Rockets for Chris Paul. Big Cat had already left the studio and had to call back in to process the chaos of James Harden and Russ sharing a backcourt.
Big CatRussell Westbrook and James Harden will fight over having only one ball in Houston.
There's only one ball, and I'm excited for Russell Westbrook and James Harden to fight over that ball.
Big Cat was particularly focused on the fallout for CP3, who essentially got sent to the NBA's version of the witness protection program in Oklahoma City.
Big CatChris Paul essentially has to retire now after being traded to the Thunder.
I actually think Chris Paul has to retire now, right? ... [He'll] get traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder for basically a guy who will hold the ball even more in Russell Westbrook.
They also pointed out the classic pattern of front offices lying about chemistry issues right before pullings the trigger on a massive deal.
Big CatAnytime a sports front office says a relationship is 'fine' and reports are false, they are lying.
Anytime, and this counts for coaching, front office, whatever it may be, anytime someone says our relationship is fine and these media reports are false, they are lying. They are always lying, and it always ends up being a trade. The fact that the Houston Rockets tried to convince everyone that James Harden and Chris Paul didn't hate each other's guts is absolutely laughable.
The Award Ceremony Begins
Once the NBA news settled, the awards flowed freely. We saw some heavy hitters in the Rising Star category, with Paul Pierce taking home the trophy for his legendary "the series is over" take. They also highlighted Jay Williams, who entered the elite tier of talking heads by suggesting a college team could take down a pro team.
Big CatJay Williams claiming Duke could beat the Cavs was his 'arrival moment' in the hot take industry.
The saying, 'Duke can beat the Cavs,' is like Jay Williams' arrival moment. He's just letting everyone know, hey, I'm here now to just spew some bullshit out here. I'm for real.
Boston Sports Heartbreak of the Year was a tight race, but it focused on the rare moments where New England fans actually had to feel pain. A major part of that was the temporary loss of Rob Gronkowski, though Big Cat isn't buying the retirement for a second.
Big CatRob Gronkowski is definitely coming back to the NFL.
Rob Gronkowski and his fake retirement because he's definitely coming back. Definitely coming back... Lindsey Vonn was like, oh, we're a bunch of old people. And he took great offense to that. Which means he's coming back.
Chonk Athletes and Early Celebrations
Zion Williamson dominated the Chonk Athlete of the Year category. Despite the concerns about his weight after a weekend in Vegas, the guys are all-in on the Zion experience.
Big CatZion Williamson is one bad weekend in Vegas away from becoming 'real chonk'.
I've said he's [Zion] one bad weekend in Vegas away from real chonk.
Big CatZion Williamson is the rare Duke player that everyone will root for.
Zion is like the rare dude from Duke that everyone is going to root for.
PFT even argued that Zion's mass is actually his greatest weapon on the court.
PFT CommenterZion Williamson would actually play worse if he lost weight.
I think [Zion Williamson] would actually get worse if he lost weight. There's something about his body. He's got power that he can just jump into. It doesn't look as much like an offensive foul if a fat guy runs into you as opposed to like a big jacked up dude.
In the Worst Take category, Bill Simmons received a nod for his premature victory lap on the Celtics' 67-win season that never actually happened.
PFT CommenterBill Simmons 'spiked the football' too early on the 2018-19 Celtics.
Attacking that little extra part at the end, [Bill Simmons said] 'they're going to be up 30 points in a lot of them.' In a lot of them. Yeah, that's just spiking the football when you haven't even scored yet.
Blake of the Year
The main event did not disappoint. The rules were simple: the first Blake to pick up the phone wins. Brooks Koepka was the first call and set a blistering pace of 7.9 seconds from the first ring. It felt like an unbeatable time for a first-timer.
Then Big Cat dialed Blake Griffin. In what can only be described as a Jordan-esque performance, Griffin answered in a staggering 2.8 seconds. He later revealed he had been showering with his phone and hired a dedicated staffer to hold his device during workouts just for this moment.
Blake GriffinI'd like to thank my family for believing in me while winning 'Blake of the Year' despite the haters.
First off, I'd like to thank my family for believing me this whole time. Obviously, there's been a lot of ups and downs and a lot of naysayers, a lot of haters, but somehow we made it here. I don't know, man. I'm at a loss for words.
Finally, the defending champ Blake Bortles went MIA. The call went to a generic voicemail, officially ending the Bortles dynasty and crowning Blake Griffin the 2019 Blake of the Year. It was a heartbreaking way for the boat to go out, but that's why we play the games.
Congrats to all the winners, especially the award-winning listeners who three-peated for the most prestigious honor of them all.
