Skip to content
PMTPMT DB

Takes

Push
Take Slip·Mar 19, 2021
#PMT-2021-0319-14255
PFT CommenterPFT Commenter

The NFC East is going to be dangerous this year

The entire NFC East is getting dangerous. The Beast, baby... We're Joaquin Phoenix's Joker. You guys all laughed at us last year. Now we're about to just flip out and shoot everybody.

Hot TakeFootballHotSarcastic
The division was significantly better in 2021, though PFT's extreme delivery is satirical.
Win
Take Slip·Mar 19, 2021
#PMT-2021-0319-14260
Stanford SteveStanford Steve

Baylor will beat Gonzaga for the National Championship

I have Baylor beating Gonzaga [in the final]. I actually had a bet on Baylor. I think they were getting four against Gonzaga... I think when you watch Baylor, they just have it all to me... They could guard every position. I love their guards.

Baylor dominated the championship game, winning by 16 points and ending Gonzaga's perfect season.
Win
#PMT-2021-0319-14262
Big CatBig Cat

Drew Brees will not be a good broadcaster

I got a hot take. I don't think Drew Brees is going to be that good in the booth... There's going to be a wave of people being like, and as much shit as we give Tony Romo, he's objectively good... I don't think Drew Brees has a personality. I would sell all my stock on Drew Brees being good in the booth.

Brees's tenure at NBC was widely panned, and he was not retained for the 2022 season.
Loss
Take Slip·Mar 17, 2021
#PMT-2021-0317-8982
Mark TitusMark Titus

Houston is the number one fraud team among the tournament's top five seeds

Houston is my number one fraud. They're 24 and three. One of their losses was to Wichita State, they lost to East Carolina. These are very bad losses. Houston to me is what people think Gonzaga is. That's what Houston is now.

This take was famously wrong as Houston reached the Final Four in the 2021 tournament.
Loss
Take Slip·Mar 17, 2021
#PMT-2021-0317-8984
PFT CommenterPFT Commenter

Rutgers will defeat Houston in the second round of the tournament

I am betting on Rutgers. If Rutgers wins the second round game [against Houston], I win a Bitcoin.

Rutgers lost a heartbreaker to Houston 63-60 in the second round.
Loss
Take Slip·Mar 17, 2021·FAQ
#PMT-2021-0317-8992
PFT CommenterPFT Commenter

I will cut my hair if Ryan Fitzpatrick wins a playoff game for Washington

When Ryan Fitzpatrick wins a playoff game, I will cut my hair. For the football team. I'll say it with my chest: when Ryan Fitzpatrick wins a playoff game, I will cut my hair.

Fitzpatrick never won a game for Washington, let alone a playoff game, so the hair remained long.
Win
Take Slip·Mar 15, 2021
#PMT-2021-0315-6848
Big CatBig Cat

Georgetown is not 'back' just because they won four games in the Big East tournament

The love affair with Patrick Ewing was disgusting this weekend. He got hot against a really bad Marquette team, a Nova team that basically is all injured... this idea that he's building something and this is the culmination. They had a good week. They had a good four games... I'm going to bet against Georgetown in the world.

Georgetown lost their first-round tournament game to Colorado by 23 points (96-73). Patrick Ewing was eventually fired in 2023 after several abysmal seasons following this run.
Loss
Take Slip·Mar 15, 2021
#PMT-2021-0315-6852
Jon RothsteinJon Rothstein

UC Santa Barbara will upset Creighton in the first round

I've got Santa Barbara over Creighton in the 12-5. [They have] an American Athletic Conference caliber roster at Santa Barbara. They've got high major transfers... I've got Santa Barbara over Creighton in the 12-5. That's spicy.

Creighton narrowly beat UCSB 63-62.
Loss
Take Slip·Mar 15, 2021
#PMT-2021-0315-6854
Jon RothsteinJon Rothstein

Texas will make the Final Four behind a breakout performance from Jericho Sims

I am going to go with Shaka Smart 10 years after VCU gets to the Final Four, taking Texas to the Final Four. The guy that's blossomed the last week has been Jericho Sims of Texas... If Jericho Sims can play three quarters as well as he did during the Big 12 tournament, Texas has an outstanding chance to go to a Final Four.

Texas was famously upset by 14-seed Abilene Christian in the first round.
Void
Take Slip·Mar 15, 2021
#PMT-2021-0315-6858
PFT CommenterPFT Commenter

If Baker Mayfield wins a Super Bowl for Cleveland, he will be more beloved than LeBron James

What if Baker wins a Super Bowl for the Browns? I feel like that elevates him above LeBron because he never left. Baker never left.

Baker Mayfield was traded by the Browns a year later, and the hypothetical was never tested.
Void
Take Slip·Mar 12, 2021
#PMT-2021-0312-19591
Big CatBig Cat

College basketball teams should be forced to wear practice pennies or go 'skins' if they have a bad record

I think teams should start wearing uniforms based on their records. So if you're a really, really bad team, you should actually be wearing your practice pennies. You shouldn't even get to wear real uniforms... Northwestern should just wear — they should have to be in skins against Minnesota last night.

This is a humorous proposal that will never be implemented in NCAA sports.
Loss
#PMT-2021-0312-19592
PFT CommenterPFT Commenter

Russell Wilson is going to be a Chicago Bear

Russell Wilson is going to be a Chicago Bear, Big Cat... I think that if we're looking at the teams that Russell Wilson would hypothetically want to be traded to... the Bears are far and away the most likely destination... If I were to put money on it, I would say yes, he will be a Bear.

Russell Wilson remained with the Seahawks for the 2021 season. He was traded to the Broncos in 2022. He never played for the Bears.
Void
#PMT-2021-0312-19593
Big CatBig Cat

If Russell Wilson joins the Bears, he will immediately stop caring about football to become a global celebrity

Almost instantly, he's going to put out like a double album with Ciara. And like he's going to all he's going to care about is being a celebrity and not football. And he's going to instantly just lose all his football powers. I guarantee you that's what's going to happen.

Since Wilson was never traded to the Bears, this hypothetical scenario could not be tested.
Void
Take Slip·Mar 10, 2021
#PMT-2021-0310-4519
Big CatBig Cat

I would rather have Dak Prescott's 4-year deal than Patrick Mahomes' 10-year deal

I'd rather have Dak Prescott's deal than Patrick Mahomes... [Dak] if he's good for these next four years, can get paid a ton of money again when the salary cap goes back up... He basically is giving himself another shot at it.

This is a financial theory that has played out; Mahomes' deal eventually became a bargain for the Chiefs, requiring adjustments.
Loss
Take Slip·Mar 10, 2021
#PMT-2021-0310-4526
Paul BissonnettePaul Bissonnette

Tom Wilson would have been suspended for a full year if he had hit Connor McDavid

If Tom Wilson would have done what he did to Connor McDavid, he probably would have got a full year sussy. I think it's getting to the place where they've got to really protect those guys.

While the NHL protects stars, a one-year suspension for an on-ice hit (even a dirty one) is unprecedented in the modern era.
Loss
Take Slip·Mar 10, 2021
#PMT-2021-0310-4523
Paul BissonnettePaul Bissonnette

The Toronto Maple Leafs will win the Stanley Cup this year

I truly believe with the pickups that they made and adding Joe Thornton's experience to maybe calm the young guys down... yes, I think that they're going to win the Stanley Cup.

The Maple Leafs lost in the first round of the 2021 playoffs to the Canadiens after leading the series 3-1.
Loss
Take Slip·Mar 8, 2021
#PMT-2021-0308-6435
Big CatBig Cat

The Bulls are one year away from being title contenders

Obviously, I wanted [Blake Griffin] to go to the Bulls, but I think the Bulls are probably a year away from being title contenders. Yeah, one year. One year away from being title contenders. And I still have actually enjoyed watching this Bulls team, and I have high hopes for them to make the playoffs.

The Bulls did not become title contenders in 2022; they were a 6th seed and lost in the first round.
Win
Take Slip·Mar 8, 2021
#PMT-2021-0308-6442
PFT CommenterPFT Commenter

If Gonzaga doesn't join the Pac-12 in five years, they are on a fraud countdown

I'm setting the law down right now. If Gonzaga does not go to the Pac-12, actually, within the next five years, they're on a fraud countdown. Anything longer than that, and you're doing it for your Mickey Mouse game?

Gonzaga accepted the Pac-12 invitation in October 2024, joining July 1, 2026 — within PFT's 5-year window.
Loss
Take Slip·Mar 8, 2021
#PMT-2021-0308-6449
PFT CommenterPFT Commenter

The NBA All-Star winning team should get extra salary cap space

What if it was East versus West again and the winning team got more salary cap room for the next year? Then people would play hard? They get one extra mid-level exception. One extra guy.

The NBA has not adopted cap incentives for the All-Star Game winner.
Void
#PMT-2021-0308-6452
PFT CommenterPFT Commenter

Throwing a no-hitter on LSD is the most impressive athletic feat of all time

He should try doing it on LSD like Doc Ellis did. If you want to talk about the most impressive athletic feats of all time, I'd say throwing a no-hitter on LSD is probably number one and number two.

This is a subjective ranking of athletic achievements.
Win
Take Slip·Mar 8, 2021·PR 101
#PMT-2021-0308-6453
PFT CommenterPFT Commenter

The Washington Football Team paid for Twitter bots to praise Dan Snyder

I started to notice that over the last two days, there were a shitload of accounts that had been created in October of 2020 that were all tweeting things about Dan Snyder. It'll shock you to find out that there are more than likely hundreds of bots that were all created around the same time to just heap praise on Dan Snyder. Dan Snyder, essentially, somebody in the Redskins organization paid for a shitload of Twitter bots to just do nothing all day but tweet praise for Dan Snyder.

It was later confirmed through investigative reporting (including from the Washington Post) that Snyder used bot farms and coordinated PR attacks.
Void
Take Slip·Mar 5, 2021
#PMT-2021-0305-7515
Big CatBig Cat

People who don't believe in aliens are losers.

People who don't believe in aliens are losers. Straight up. Why would you willingly convince yourself that aliens don't exist? It's like betting the under.

This is inherently a matter of belief and cannot be definitively proven or disproven yet.
Push
Take Slip·Mar 5, 2021
#PMT-2021-0305-7521
Billy FootballBilly Football

Mac Jones has the most promise of any quarterback in the 2021 draft class.

I think Mac Jones actually has the biggest promise out of all of them because he's not going to go to one of the top draft pick teams... He's going to go to a team that has a pretty good established team but needs a quarterback.

Mac Jones went to the Patriots and made the Pro Bowl as a rookie, performing better than Lawrence/Wilson initially, but has since regressed and been traded.
Void
Take Slip·Mar 3, 2021
#PMT-2021-0303-10893
Brett FavreBrett Favre

NFL players shouldn't be able to demand trades over personnel decisions

But I don't think a player should be able to demand who they want interviewed or what players they want to pick up or let go. I mean, that crosses the line... I just don't think that it's right for a player to be upset and demand a trade because they didn't interview someone he wanted to interview.

This is a subjective opinion on league dynamics.
Loss
Take Slip·Mar 1, 2021
#PMT-2021-0301-11496
Big CatBig Cat

Hunter Dickinson is the best player in college basketball

I think Hunter Dickinson is the best player in the entire country. I'm only saying that because he's an AWL.

While elite, he was not the consensus National Player of the Year; that was Luka Garza.
Loss
Take Slip·Mar 1, 2021
#PMT-2021-0301-11508
TroopzTroopz

Mikel Arteta should be fired as Arsenal manager

I am Arteta out... He needs to fuck off. If [Kroenke] doesn't spend enough money, then he needs to fuck off... This is the lowest we've ever been [as a club].

Arteta survived this period and eventually led Arsenal to multiple title races in 2023 and 2024, proving Troopz wrong in the long term.
Loss
Take Slip·Feb 26, 2021
#PMT-2021-0226-16592
Big CatBig Cat

Deshaun Watson should retire because the Texans are a franchise that can drive a player to that

I would love to see a player just be like, I truly hate them so much. I will retire. If any franchise is able to do that to a person, it would be the Houston Texans.

Watson did not retire; he sat out the 2021 season and was eventually traded to the Browns in 2022.
Void
Take Slip·Feb 26, 2021
#PMT-2021-0226-16593
PFT CommenterPFT Commenter

Roy Williams is a better coach than Coach K

And all you haters out there that told me I was an idiot when I said Roy Williams is a better coach than Coach K, he doesn't get the shine, this is just another market in my favor on this.

Highly subjective. Coach K has more wins and titles, but Roy Williams has a better tournament winning percentage and is beloved by PFT.
Loss
Take Slip·Feb 24, 2021
#PMT-2021-0224-3811
PFT CommenterPFT Commenter

The blood on Curt Schilling's sock in the 2004 ALCS was fake paint

My conspiracy is the Curt Schilling sock because there's actually some smoke to that. There's some evidence that the blood on the sock was not actually blood... I do think that it's a shitload of paint that got put back there to make Curt Schilling look like he was pitching his absolute balls off.

While widely debated, team doctors and eyewitnesses have consistently maintained it was real blood from an emergency medical procedure.
Void
Take Slip·Feb 24, 2021
#PMT-2021-0224-3812
Arian FosterArian Foster

Michael Jordan was suspended for gambling in 1993 and the league kept it under wraps

The reason why he retired originally in 93 was because he got suspended for gambling... I heard how this conspiracy goes is that they actually suspended him, but they just kept it under wraps because it would have been bad for the league.

This is a historical conspiracy theory that has never been verified and was denied by Michael Jordan and David Stern.
Void
#PMT-2021-0222-15229
Big CatBig Cat

The viral video of Cam Newton getting heckled was a PR setup

I'm woke on this Cam Newton clip... It almost feels like that was kind of set up to remind everyone how awesome Cam Newton was. We'll put out a video of Cam getting disrespected so that people are forced to recall how great he is at football. Because you're right. This is the most sympathetic press Cam Newton's got in the last year.

This is a conspiracy theory that cannot be definitively proven or disproven, though most people believe it was a genuine organic moment at a camp.
Loss
#PMT-2021-0222-15230
PFT CommenterPFT Commenter

Cam Newton isn't fully healthy because he didn't swing on the heckling kid

That's actually what's telling me that Cam Newton isn't healthy. Because if he was, he should have just swung on the kid. Where somebody's being that disrespectful... Cam, you should be able to defend yourself.

OpinionFootballHotSarcastic
Cam Newton's choice not to hit a child is likely due to maturity and legal/career awareness rather than a shoulder injury.
Void
Take Slip·Feb 22, 2021
#PMT-2021-0222-15235
Ryan WhitneyRyan Whitney

PGA Tour golfers are higher-level athletes relative to their sport than any other professional athletes

I actually say a lot that I think that PGA Tour golfers are better at their sport than any other professional athlete is at their sport, if that makes any sense. If you threw me in an NBA game, I'll look like Sean Bradley. Throw me on the tour, I'll shoot 100 and quit.

This is a subjective comparison of athletic specialization and skill gaps across different sports.
Void
Take Slip·Feb 19, 2021
#PMT-2021-0219-16005
PFT CommenterPFT Commenter

The Raiders are the biggest losers of the Wentz trade because they wouldn't part with Derek Carr

I'd say that the losers of this trade would be the Raiders. The Raiders lost this trade because the Colts tried to get Derek Carr first, and the Raiders were like, no, we're not going to part with Derek Carr. That's a loss for the Raiders right there.

Carr remained with the Raiders for two more seasons and led them to the playoffs in 2021 before his eventually rocky exit, so keeping him wasn't an immediate disaster.
Open
Take Slip·Feb 19, 2021
#PMT-2021-0219-16009
Jake MarshJake Marsh

Fernando Tatis Jr. will be a Yankee in four or five years if the Padres don't win a title

Well, I mean, the Padres, they obviously were an electric team in the shortened season last year. Slam Diego? Yeah, Slam Diego. So if they don't win a title in what? The first four or five? Then he's a Yankee.

Tatis is still with the Padres as of 2024 and is locked into his massive 14-year contract.
Loss
Take Slip·Feb 19, 2021
#PMT-2021-0219-16010
Billy FootballBilly Football

Zach Wilson's mechanics are Mahomes-esque

It's just the way [Zach Wilson] uses his base in separation to his upper body when he throws. It's very Mahomes-esque and very baseball-esque.

This is widely considered one of the worst draft comparisons in recent history as Zach Wilson struggled immensely in the NFL.
Void
#PMT-2021-0219-16022
PFT CommenterPFT Commenter

Politicians should not be allowed on Twitter at all

I do think that politicians just should not be on Twitter at all. I've seen way too much of politicians dunking on other politicians. People that are in the Senate and House of Representatives spend like 90% of their time thinking about how they can get retweets.

This is a subjective political and media critique.
Win
Take Slip·Feb 17, 2021
#PMT-2021-0217-11163
HankHank

Jalen Johnson is a quitter for opting out of the Duke season

[Jalen Johnson] is a quitter. However, as a Dookie, a diehard Cameron Crazy runs in my blood... If they had a shot, even a chance—they're clearly not going to make the tournament. They're terrible this year. If it was like they were even a bubble team or close to a bubble team and he quit now, it'd be like, alright, fuck this guy forever.

Johnson literally did quit the team mid-season, so the factual part is correct; the value judgment is subjective.
Void
#PMT-2021-0217-11170
Big CatBig Cat

LeBron James could absolutely make an NFL roster

LeBron because he would have been the best two-sport athlete of all time making a NFL roster. I actually believe him. I don't know why anyone would say, oh, LeBron couldn't make an NFL team. No, he absolutely could. Without a doubt.

This is purely hypothetical as LeBron never played in the NFL, though his athletic profile makes it a popular subjective take.
Void
Take Slip·Feb 17, 2021
#PMT-2021-0217-11172
Robert HorryRobert Horry

Players-only meetings are for losers

In my mind, team meetings are for losers because right now you're floundering in the wind, you're getting ready to point some fingers, and people's feelings get hurt in team meetings. If you just talk about it on a constant basis, you get used to it.

This is a subjective philosophy on coaching and leadership from a multi-time champion.
Void
Take Slip·Feb 17, 2021
#PMT-2021-0217-11176
Robert HorryRobert Horry

Modern NBA stars would still be considered 'soft' in the 90s era

If these guys [international players] would have came in during my era, they'd still be soft. Because there was a different era where—guys, you know, you wasn't running over to the monitor because some guys say I got a hit in the head... It makes me so mad now when you see these guys.

This is an unprovable generational comparison commonly made by retired players.
Loss
Take Slip·Feb 17, 2021·Numbers
#PMT-2021-0217-11180
Billy FootballBilly Football

Zebras run toward grass fires because they can't outrun them

Zebras run towards grass fires because they know they can run through them and get to the other side that's burnt out because they can't outrun the fire.

While some animals may flee to burnt areas to avoid predators, fire generally moves much faster than a zebra, and running into a grass fire is usually fatal. Billy likely saw a specific video or misinterpreted a fact.
Loss
Take Slip·Feb 15, 2021
#PMT-2021-0215-2784
Big CatBig Cat

Ryan Pace and the Bears will offer JJ Watt the most money on the market

Ryan Pace is going to offer him somewhere between $150 and $200 million... [Watt's] never going to be that JJ Watt anymore. So that's the perfect time for Ryan Pace to be like, yo, I'm going to give you $50 million just so I can tell people that we have Khalil Mack and JJ Watt on the same line.

The Bears did not sign JJ Watt; the Cardinals signed him for 2 years, $31M.
Loss
Take Slip·Feb 15, 2021
#PMT-2021-0215-2790
Billy FootballBilly Football

Trevor Lawrence will not bring 'electricity' to an NFL offense by himself

I don't see him just like bringing electricity to an offense. like making plays with his feet, like even when he has no blocking, you know, I just, I'm a little skeptical... the thing is he needs a supporting cast to be good.

Lawrence has shown significant playmaking ability and mobile skills (e.g., 2022 playoff comeback) even with varying levels of supporting talent.
Void
#PMT-2021-0215-2803
PFT CommenterPFT Commenter

James Harden literally ate his way out of Houston

Yeah, that is what happened, James. You got fat. James, you got fat. You ate your way out of Houston, which is very difficult to do.

Subjective but widely observed by media and fans during Harden's final weeks in Houston.
Loss
Take Slip·Feb 12, 2021
#PMT-2021-0212-6628
Big CatBig Cat

Urban Meyer will be successful in the NFL because he only cares about winning.

I now am fully changing my take on Urban Meyer. I think he's going to be very successful in Jacksonville because Urban Meyer hiring Chris Doyle and being like, 'fuck you world.' It clearly is Urban's show. He hired a dude who was fired like six months ago for very racist things in Iowa... that to me says that Urban is going to just... win football. This hire right here tells me that he has carte blanche with who he wants to hire, who he wants to bring in to just win football.

Urban Meyer was a historic failure in Jacksonville, lasting less than one season before being fired for both poor performance and personal scandals.
Void
#PMT-2021-0212-6630
PFT CommenterPFT Commenter

I will fight Darren Rovell anytime, anywhere for zero dollars.

My Fyre Fest is that Darren Rovell doesn't look like he's going to fight me anymore... I told Barstool, I said, 'I will do it for zero dollars.' And I removed all stipulations. Anytime, anywhere, I will fight Darren Rovell. Anytime, anywhere. He just loves being talked about... The only thing I will say is anytime, anywhere, if he wants to fight me, I will show up and I will kick his ass and I will do it with a smile on my face.

The fight never took place, so the outcome of PFT kicking his ass remains unverified.
Void
#PMT-2021-0210-8881
PFT CommenterPFT Commenter

NFL coaches should go for two points every single time

93% of extra points were made... 48% of two-point conversions were completed... realize that they should go for two every single time. But they won't do it... if you have a good offense, you should absolutely go for two points every single time.

The math suggests 2-point conversions are slightly more efficient over time, but situational factors (score, time) make 'every time' impractical.
Void
Take Slip·Feb 10, 2021
#PMT-2021-0210-8883
Billy FootballBilly Football

Jose Canseco didn't have any power and essentially quit the fight

Once he punched me, I realized the fucking wizard behind the curtain was fucking just a man. I fucking went after him... He didn't give me... He quit. No, he quit.

Loss
Take Slip·Feb 8, 2021
#PMT-2021-0208-12318
PFT CommenterPFT Commenter

The Patriots were holding Tom Brady back

You do have to ask if the Patriots were holding [Brady] back, Hank. You get him and Gronk into a system that centers itself around making plays between your quarterback and your tight end, and all of a sudden he's blowing teams out, blowing out one of the best quarterbacks of all time, Patrick Mahomes, in the Super Bowl.

While Brady won immediately, calling the franchise that won 6 with him 'holding him back' is satirical in nature.