Tarik Skubal and Magnus Carlsen on Being the GOAT, Chess Meltdowns, and Baseball Hosses
The Florida Panthers are officially a problem. After a dominant Game 3 performance where they didn't just win on the scoreboard but seemingly won every individual fight on the ice, the Oilers are staring down a 3-0 hole. PFT thinks Edmonton missed a golden opportunity to shift the energy by not sending their goalie into the fray.
Getting into a line brawl is the best way to shift momentum when you're losing a playoff series
As a hockey expert, my plan, whenever you're getting your ass kicked in a series and you wanna shift it around, just get into a massive line brawl at the end of that game and just try to change the energies up somehow.
While the Oilers are in the ultimate must-win territory, Big Cat actually thinks the 3-0 deficit carries a weirdly better vibe than being down 3-1 because of how the pressure shifts if you can just scratch out a couple of wins.
I would rather be down 3-0 in a series than 3-1 because of the lack of pressure
It does sound stupid, but I just think vibes wise, 3-0, I know what you're saying. 3-0, you can kind of sneak up on 'em. 3-1, you can't... when you're down 3-0, if you can win game four and five, all the pressure flips back.
Tarik Skubal is a Certified Hoss
AL Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal joined the show in studio to talk about his dominant run with the Tigers and hitting 103 mph in the ninth inning of a complete game. He’s the ultimate teammate, even if his mom gets mad at him for swearing on the mound, and he firmly believes that winning is the only thing that matters when the clubhouse vibes get shaky.
Winning is a band-aid that cures everything in sports, regardless of the problem
Winning cures everything. You know, winning is, it's a band-aid that, you know, it doesn't matter if it's a bullet hole, whatever, you know, it cures everything and you just kind of go play baseball.
Skubal went deep on the strategy of pitching, his love for the city of Detroit, and his relationship with manager AJ Hinch. While everyone focuses on his fastball, Skubal wants the world to know he has a hidden talent that the analytics guys are probably overlooking.
I am officially the best bunter in Major League Baseball history because I am one-for-one
I do say this though. I do say I'm the best bunter in major league history... I had one bunt attempt got it down. So. Anytime big situations, I always say I'm the best bunter in major league history. You ready to, can't take that away from me. I'm one-for-one.
We also attempted to negotiate his next contract in real-time, settling on a cool 10 years for $425 million, provided we get a small percentage for our propaganda services. Skubal also admitted to cheating on crosswords by calling up his catcher, Jake Rogers, whenever the clues get too difficult, which is the most pitcher move of all time.
The Chess GOAT Magnus Carlsen
We finally sat down with the greatest chess player to ever live, Magnus Carlsen. For a guy who has been number one for 15 years, he’s surprisingly candid about how much he hates losing. He recently had a meltdown after a loss where he felt "washed" because he let a winning position slip away due to low blood sugar and a bad pre-game meal of Chinese takeout.
Magnus Carlsen needs to hire a suitcase-carrying snack coach to prevent blood sugar meltdowns during tournaments
I've got it is, it sounds like you beat yourself and also, yeah, you gotta have a snack coach. Yeah. You gotta have a guy that's that's at your side with a suitcase filled to pretzels, ice cream that's we can learn, we can improve from this.
Magnus discussed the state of the game and how computers have changed preparation, making it harder to set yourself apart from the field. Despite the influx of young prodigies, he still feels like he’s in a league of his own across every format.
I am currently the best at every single format of chess
At the moment I would say that I, I'm definitely the best at every, at every format that we we play. And honestly, my closest competitors are still the, the old guys, guys around my age. So yeah, the kids, they're good, but they're, they're not quite quite there yet.
He also touched on the infamous "bad boy" image, including his fine for wearing jeans to a tournament, and why he's pushing for more randomized starting positions in chess to eliminate the boredom of memorized openings. He’s not seeing anyone in the rearview mirror just yet.
There is currently no clear next dominant chess player among the younger generation
I wanna see somebody among the kids, like really stand out and be a serious threat to be that new number one guy who can actually dominate... with the kids right now, I don't, I don't see it like there are a lot of them are really talented, but it, it is not obvious that some one of them is gonna, is gonna dominate.
Hot Seat/Cool Throne
Hot Seat/Cool Throne featured a heavy dose of NFL contract drama and US Open course fear. PFT is already terrified of Pinehurst No. 2, predicting that the impossible conditions will lead to a very high winning score.
The winning score at the US Open will be over par because the course is impossible
Can we bet on the winning golfer to have a, a score that's over par? Yes... I wanna bet on winning score over par. I think this US Open is going to the course. Officially I've seen enough of the content where now I fear this course.
Big Cat suggested a new rule for sports ownership that would actually hold billionaires accountable for putrid on-field products. If you can't make the playoffs once every five years, you lose the keys to the franchise.
Sports owners should be forced to sell if their team doesn't make the playoffs for five consecutive years
I think they should have a new rule in own, in, in all sports that if, what call it five years, if you don't make the playoffs in five years, automatic sale. Like whatever the threshold is, that would be awesome. 'cause relegation is never gonna come to American sports. But if you could relegate owners that would be sick.
We wrapped up with Guys on Chicks, featuring a woman whose boyfriend became a golf addict overnight after she bought him clubs. Big Cat issued a stern warning to anyone entering a new relationship: you have to establish your level of degeneracy early.
Relationship hobbies must be established from the start because you can't add an addiction later
Before you start dating, you have to have all your hobbies set because you can't just add golf. You can add golf, but you can't add golf addict. There's a difference. There's a, you could be a golfer, but if this guy's playing seven days a week and YouTube tutorials and practicing swinging the living room, that's going to, you're gonna need to ease into that one.
If you're going to be a golf addict, you have to be one from the jump so your partner knows exactly what they're signing up for.

