CFB Mega Preview W/ Brandon Walker & Tom Fornelli, Waterdog CJ Kirst, Mt Rushmore Of Worst Favors, Micah Parsons Traded During Fyre Fest

Summary

Pardon My Take – College Football Mega Preview

Date: August 29, 2025
Hosts: Big Cat & PFT Commenter (Barstool Sports)
Guests: Brandon Walker, Tom Fornelli, CJ Kirst
Main Segments Covered:

• College Football Mega Preview (w/ Brandon Walker & Tom Fornelli)
• Waterdog CJ Kirst (PLL Lacrosse)
• Mt. Rushmore: Worst Favors to Be Asked
• Micah Parsons Traded During Fyre Fest

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Episode Overview

This "CFB Mega Preview" episode brings the energy as Pardon My Take kicks off the college football season. Big Cat and PFT Commenter are joined by Barstool’s CFB expert Brandon Walker and CBS’s Tom Fornelli for an extended, passionate, and very opinionated preview of the upcoming season. They dive into hot takes, playoff predictions, conference breakdowns, and bicker over last year’s expert title. The show also welcomes lacrosse phenom CJ Kirst ahead of the Waterdogs’ playoff run, debates the worst social favors to be asked on the annual Mt. Rushmore draft, and reacts live to a blockbuster NFL trade.

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Main Themes & Purposes

• Full-blown college football preview: predictions, coaching tiers, playoff picks, and wild cards.
• Entertaining, hard-won segment on the most annoying social favors.
• Exclusive player interview from up-and-coming PLL star.
• The signature PMT blend of humor, ball knowledge, tangents, and listener engagement.

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Key Discussion Points & Highlights

1. Football Is ALL the Way Back

• (03:04) Joyful football banter as PMT declares, “Football is back!”
• The hosts recount years when football’s return hit different – pandemic years, crowd comebacks, and this season’s anticipation.

2. Quick NFL & Ball Banter

• LeBron's NFL players to watch list ridiculed for being obvious.
• The crew picks their own "six players to watch," lampooning vague media tropes.
  “My NFL players to watch are all of them.” – Big Cat (13:06)
• Uniform hot takes: Hosts complain about the NBA-ification of NFL jerseys and changing color schemes.
  “The Dolphins shouldn’t wear black!” – Big Cat (19:49)
• Shoutouts and confusion about soccer fandoms, fantasy drafts, and the boys’ weekend plans.

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3. Mount Rushmore: Worst Favors to Be Asked

• (34:56) A PMT classic: four teams, snake draft of the worst social favors.
• Top picks include:
  • Picking someone up at the airport (39:23)
  • Helping someone move (40:22)
  • Babysitting kids (42:18)
  • Covering someone’s shift (48:56)
  • Writing letters of recommendation, being asked to hide a gun/body (“war stories” ensue)
• Hilarious, heated digressions:
  • Hank admits he once had to hide a gun for a neighbor fresh out of jail.
  • Debates over whether being asked to be a designated driver is a “bad” thing.
  • The absurdity of being asked to mulch, provide Wi-Fi passwords, or hold someone’s spot in a crowd.

Notable Quote:
"Helping someone move, that’s asking me to work out for seven hours for a six pack of Bud and pizza." – Big Cat (41:07)

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4. Mega College Football Preview (w/ Brandon Walker & Tom Fornelli)

Opening Spat

• Brandon is salty about not getting permanent “Expert” recognition; Tom claims responsibility for bringing him on PMT.
  “I thought I would be referred to as the reigning PMT expert... not just this once.” – Brandon Walker (64:44)
• They bicker over who “got who the job” given last season’s pick-off results.

Big Ten

• Brandon’s Hot Take: Penn State wins the title – “Most complete team, fantastic QB. Franklin can break through.” (66:42)
• Tom: Not a James Franklin believer, worries about Penn State’s big-game history and the need for more “dudes.”
  “If Penn State wins the national title, I don’t think it’s a shock – but losing key pieces is overlooked.” – Tom (69:02)
• Ohio State: New QB Julian Sayin, loaded WR core led by Jeremiah Smith. Tom expects a big step forward, but depth is a question.

SEC

• Bama doubts: “Caleb DeBoer isn’t built for Alabama. If you lose to Vandy, maybe you’re not the guy.” – Brandon (87:50)
• Grubb Factor: “Ryan Grubb could be the ‘secret sauce’” – Tom (87:58)
• Georgia: Kirby has more question marks than ever; Gunner Stockton doesn’t excite the crew.

ACC & Beyond

• Miami as a rising power, thanks to an upgraded defense and new OC.
• Clemson’s QB Cade Klubnik called good “but not elite enough for the big games” (113:01+).
• Louisville and SMU debated as darkhorses.

Big 12 Chaos

• “No idea who wins this league. It’s a dart-board.” (119:00)
• Kansas, Baylor, Utah, West Virginia: All possibilities mentioned.
• Notre Dame: Both love Jeremiah Love as a Heisman dark horse.

Notable Quotes:

• “Crimes don’t matter in the SEC if you’re winning.” – Brandon Walker (95:27)
• “There are eight or ten teams you can make a logical argument for the national title. Don’t bet the favorites.” – Tom Fornelli (89:12)

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College Football Playoff Snake Draft

• Each expert picks 12 teams likely to make the playoff; scoring system based on playoff advancement.
• Picks include: Ohio State, Penn State, Texas, Clemson, Georgia, Notre Dame, LSU, Miami, Alabama, Oregon, Boise State, Baylor, Missouri, Utah, A&M, Nebraska, Arizona State, Illinois, Washington, USC, Kansas State, Tulane, Texas Tech.

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5. CJ Kirst – Waterdogs Lacrosse Star

• (143:23) PLL rookie, national champion, and Tewaaraton winner interviewed about the pro transition.
• Talks team chemistry, playoff prep, and sibling rivalries (four brothers currently in the league).
• Shares: Fastest shot near “triple digits,” best lacrosse goal, team bug juice pregame rituals.
• PMT promises to pick up the team’s tab if they win.

Quote:
"If we win, I’d get a tattoo. Maybe shave my head." – CJ Kirst (155:43)

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6. Micah Parsons Trade – Live Fyre Fest Reaction

• (177:09+) The crew’s live reaction to news of Micah Parsons being traded from the Cowboys to the Packers.
• Big Cat, a Bears fan, spirals: “Why would you trade him in the NFC? He’s 26!”
• PFT takes joy as a Commanders fan, Hank and memes pile on, and group cope tweets are composed in real time.
• Segue into ridiculousness: K-pop Demon Hunters, Fire Fest toe injuries, Zach’s disastrous mini golf date, PFT’s run of losing three laptops in two days.

Quote:
"Why wasn’t it three first-rounders? You don’t trade Micah Parsons to the Packers!" – Big Cat (180:16)

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Notable Quotes & Moments (w/ Timestamps)

• “Football is back.” (03:55 – Big Cat)
• “My NFL players to watch are all of them.” (13:06 – Big Cat)
• “The Dolphins shouldn’t wear black!” (19:49 – Big Cat)
• “Helping someone move is… working out for 7 hours for a 6 pack of Bud and pizza.” (41:07 – Big Cat)
• “Crimes don’t matter as long as you’re winning in the SEC.” (95:27 – Brandon Walker)
• “Don’t bet the favorites, when there are so many... you can make a logical argument for.” (89:12 – Tom Fornelli)
• “If we win, I’d get a tattoo. Maybe shave my head.” (155:43 – CJ Kirst)
• “Why would you trade him in the NFC? He’s 26!” (180:16 – Big Cat)

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Important Timestamps

• 03:04–07:39 Opening football-and-vibes celebration
• 34:56–62:11 Mt. Rushmore: Worst Favors
• 63:38–140:31 CFB Mega Preview (Brandon Walker & Tom Fornelli)
• 143:23–170:32 Interview: CJ Kirst (Waterdogs)
• 177:09–190:56 Live Micah Parsons trade reaction; Fyre Fest

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Episode Tone & Style

• Signature PMT blend of sarcasm, sports adoration, inside jokes, and some off-the-rails tangents.
• Ball "guys" energy; surprised expertise spliced with humor and just the right level of sports pettiness.
• No-holds-barred commentary. Friendly arguments and ribbing abound, especially between the expert guests.

---

For Listeners Who Missed It

This episode captures everything that’s made Pardon My Take a podcast giant: massive CFB preview content, laugh-out-loud storytime, in-studio athlete perspective, and somehow even a huge NFL news event experienced live on air. If you need hot takes on playoff picks, fresh NFL and CFB snark, or to know whether you should ever help a friend move again, this one’s a must.

Transcript

[Big Cat]

Hey, pardon my take listeners. You can find every episode on Apple podcasts, Spotify or YouTube Prime. Members can listen ad free on Amazon Music.

[CJ Kirst]

Folks, it's the foreplay guys.

[Brandon Walker]

Let's talk Truly Unruly.

[Big Cat]

When you spend every day following the.

[Brandon Walker]

Countless laws of golf like us, it's.

[Big Cat]

Refreshing to get a little unruly. Whether that means using the old hand.

[Brandon Walker]

Wedge to escape the bunker or just cracking open a hard seltzer that breaks all the rules, few things feel better. Truly Unruly is the first high alk.

[Big Cat]

Seltzer that actually tastes good. It's hard hitting but still light and.

[Brandon Walker]

Refreshing, making it perfect for everything from.

[Big Cat]

The front nine to the clubhouse.

[Brandon Walker]

Find it near you at trulyhardselter.com Locations. That's trulyhardselter.com Locations Hard Seltzer Beverage Co.

[Big Cat]

Boston, MA Please drink responsibly on today's part of my take. We have an awesome show for everyone. We have our college football mega preview, Brandon Walker, our reigning college football expert, and Tom Fornelli, the greatest insider in all college football. Head to head on the couch talking everything, making their picks. We also have our 11 draft pick for the Water Dogs.

[Brandon Walker]

C.J.

[Big Cat]

Kirst in studio. He flew out here before our big semifinal game Monday. Yeah, the Water Dogs are in the semifinals. Yeah, we're kind of working on a dynasty. We are going to talk some football. We're going to do the finale of the Mount Rushmore regular season. We still could have a duel with the Mount Rushmore of worst favors to be asked. And then we're going to finish off with Fyre Fest and send you into a long weekend of football. And it's all brought to you by DraftKings. The rivalries, the marching bands, the upsets. Saturdays just got way more fun. College football's back. Think you know the game? Put your college football knowledge to the test with DraftKings sportsbook and turn your picks into big payouts. From live betting during the game to rivalry week, odds boost, and so much more, DraftKings sportsbook has everything you need to stay in the action from kickoff to the final whistle. Whether you're betting on your go to team or making moves mid game as the momentum shifts, Saturdays are yours to own with DraftKings Sportsbook. Here's something special. Special for first timers. New customers bet $5. Get $300 in bonus bets instantly. Download the DraftKings Sportsbook app. Use code TAKE. That's code TAKE for new customers to get $300 in bonus bets instantly. When you bet just five bucks. In partnership with DraftKings Sportsbook. The crown is your gambling problem. Call 1-800-GAMBLER in New York, call 877-8-HOPENY or text hopeny467-369 in Connecticut. Help is available for problem gambling. Call 888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org Please play responsibly on behalf of Boothill Casin, Kansas. Fees may apply in Illinois, 21 and over.

[Tom Fornelli]

Age and eligibility varies by jurisdiction. Boyd and Ontario.

[Big Cat]

Bonus bets expire seven days after issuance. For additional terms and responsible gaming resources, see DKNG Co Audio. Okay, let's go.

[Tom Fornelli]

I love guys who like football.

[CJ Kirst]

Guys who like football, they like me.

[Big Cat]

Back, and I like them back.

[Tom Fornelli]

And even guys that don't like football.

[CJ Kirst]

They try to avoid me because I'm always trying to get them like, football.

[Big Cat]

Football.

[Brandon Walker]

Football.

[Big Cat]

Welcome to part of my take, presented by DraftKings. Download the DraftKings Sportsbook app. Use code TAKE. That's code TAKE for new customers to get $300 in bonus bets instantly when you bet just five bucks. In partnership with DraftKings Sportsbook, the Crown is yours. Today is Friday, August 29th. Hank, can I say it finally?

[Hank]

Sure can.

[Big Cat]

Football is back.

[PFT Commenter]

We did it, guys.

[Big Cat]

It's so bad. Oh, memes is fist pumping. Fuck, yes.

[PFT Commenter]

Big, big weekend of football. Football.

[Big Cat]

So back.

[PFT Commenter]

I think it's the backest it's ever been.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Can you remember a year where it was more back?

[Big Cat]

No. When they did the. I think it was Virginia Tech played that first game.

[PFT Commenter]

No, but it. It wasn't fully back or. You're not talking about the COVID year?

[Big Cat]

No, I'm talking about the year after year after when it was. The fans were back and it was like, holy.

[PFT Commenter]

Now we're really like Virginia Tech, North Carolina State, something like that.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. And it was just. The crowd was going nuts like, holy. This is. We're so back. But, yeah, football's back. We're excited for the football weekend. We have Brandon Walker versus Tom Fornelli for like an hour talking college football. We might put together a little parlay here in a minute. We. I'm going to say it right now because it's. It popped in my head. What is it called? Intrusive thoughts. Intrusive thoughts. We're taping this in the afternoon. Wisconsin plays tonight. If something bad happens, we will have to record an update.

[PFT Commenter]

I'm rooting very hard for Wisconsin.

[Big Cat]

Yes.

[Hank]

Same, same.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, Very same. Well, Hank will be at Oasis. Yeah.

[Hank]

Blood.

[Big Cat]

That's how that's how. That's how back football is. Hank is going to a football stadium. Yep. We're not.

[PFT Commenter]

We're not doing that.

[Big Cat]

We're not going to a football stadium. You are now. It is for a conference concert and you're not going to watch any football.

[Hank]

But I'm going to be doing.

[Tom Fornelli]

No.

[Hank]

This is how back football is. I will be doing a fantasy football draft at Oasis.

[Big Cat]

In a football stadium.

[Hank]

In a football stadium.

[Big Cat]

Holy. Are you. Do you have a bucket hat?

[Hank]

Yeah, obviously.

[Tom Fornelli]

Okay.

[Big Cat]

I can. Obviously. Can you send the boys group pick? Absolutely.

[Hank]

I will. I will be doing shout out to game time. I'll be doing a gametime ad read.

[Big Cat]

Love it.

[Hank]

And I'll be in a bucket.

[PFT Commenter]

So if somebody ask you at the concert what your favorite city in Liverpool is, what's your answer?

[Hank]

I thought Liverpool was a city.

[PFT Commenter]

Okay.

[Big Cat]

So I. I don't.

[Hank]

I don't have an answer.

[Big Cat]

Okay.

[PFT Commenter]

Also shout out.

[Big Cat]

The answer would be Everton.

[Hank]

Tottenham.

[PFT Commenter]

Shout out Manu.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Hank]

All time choke.

[PFT Commenter]

Did they bottle it yesterday?

[Hank]

All time choke.

[PFT Commenter]

Big bottling. Manu lost to like a Division 3 team yesterday.

[Big Cat]

Love it. You're a Manu guy, right?

[Hank]

Z was singing a song at @m. We were doing a. A parcel after dark stream. And.

[Big Cat]

And I.

[Hank]

He taught me the lyrics of the song. We were singing it, so I was. It was a great song. He posted it. Then people were like, as a Tottenham fan, you should not be singing this song.

[Big Cat]

Wait, you're a Tottenham fan?

[Hank]

That's what I said the other.

[Big Cat]

I can't. I couldn't keep. Yeah, those Washington Huskies.

[Hank]

No, no, no, no. Unc.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

So, Hank, this weekend you're gonna be so locked in on football that you're gonna be just watching college football all day Saturday. Right?

[Hank]

I'll watch some football Saturday.

[Big Cat]

Love it.

[Hank]

Go to some season. Volleyball.

[PFT Commenter]

You'll be watching volleyball on Saturday.

[Hank]

And football.

[Big Cat]

But favorite sports.

[Hank]

Football.

[PFT Commenter]

Sandwich.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. That's just ball. You. Ball is life for you.

[PFT Commenter]

So I was looking at the schedule. I will not be leaving my couch all day Saturday. I'm gonna be watching. I might go to a bar and watch some. But I'm gonna be watching football all day. But if you had to leave for a little bit, there is a. There's a window in that would be optimal for that.

[Big Cat]

It. Basically there's a spot where. Is Alabama killing them or not?

[PFT Commenter]

Yep.

[Big Cat]

That's really what. The spot you're talking about.

[PFT Commenter]

Exactly.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. And Alabama is playing against Florida State. Thirteen and a half. I think it's the new. I think Al or Florida State was one of those teams that I feel like they have been doing construction on their stadium for about a decade, and I think it's done. Yep, it's finally done.

[PFT Commenter]

You know what I love about week one? The Buckeyes helmets. Nobody's got a sticker yet.

[Big Cat]

Yep.

[PFT Commenter]

Everything looks pristine and clean. I always thought that the Buckeyes, they should. They could play a prank on everybody, give their worst players a bunch of stickers, and then during a game, you're like, oh, we got to guard that guy. He's got a helmet full of stickers.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

And then the guy without anything, he's the good player.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. It's going to be kind of genius move. Arch's first big game on the road. Football's back, by the way. Speaking of football being back, two programming notes. One, as always, Labor Day week. So Labor Day's Monday. Remember to change your clocks. That's Sunday night, right?

[PFT Commenter]

Sunday night. Well, it's technically Monday morning.

[Big Cat]

Okay, Monday morning.

[PFT Commenter]

But it's at, like, 3am Monday morning.

[Big Cat]

We go. You change your clocks back. So make sure you do that because you don't want to miss any football. And then, so we will have shows Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, next week. We always do three shows. We keep. Put it into four days. And also, programming note, because the FS1 show is starting out of these offices, we are going to be releasing the part in my take YouTube, an hour earlier every single show day. So the YouTube will now drop at 6am Eastern, 5am Central. So it has been. I know people can have seen it. We've. It's an algorithm thing. You got to drop it at the exact same time every single show. We started doing it at 7:00am Central, 6. 6:00 clock Eastern. We're gonna move it up an hour. So that's actually confusing because you're gonna move your clock back, and then we're gonna move our YouTube back or up.

[PFT Commenter]

Well, Max just has to be concerned about that more than anybody. Yeah, he's just got to press the button one hour early.

[Big Cat]

And you know what? Let's get some people to subscribe. Let's get some subscriptions, right? Memes. We do a subathon.

[Tom Fornelli]

Everyone subscribe.

[Big Cat]

Everyone, please subscribe. Jerry o' Connell showed you that. We got to do it. Thank you, Jerry o'. Connell. Thank you for his service. We were the number one podcast on Spotify and Apple.

[PFT Commenter]

I love that. Thank you.

[Big Cat]

A lot of times. But we were specifically after Jerry.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. Also, I'd like to apologize to Stavros Stavi. Sorry. I know there was some great tape of Stavi that came out today. Did you see him? He was, like, at some sort of film festival.

[Big Cat]

Okay.

[PFT Commenter]

Rocking a tux. Two gorgeous women on each arm look great. Apparently, Travis Kelce unfollowed him.

[Big Cat]

What?

[PFT Commenter]

And it might have had to do with us repurposing the clip where he was very upset at the Chiefs.

[Big Cat]

Oh, no.

[PFT Commenter]

I think Travis needs context behind that, which is. That was fresh off the heels of beating the Ravens. Stavi was saying a lot of things.

[Big Cat]

Oh, no.

[PFT Commenter]

We were in international waters. Look at that picture. Look at that man.

[Big Cat]

He looks great.

[PFT Commenter]

That is SEC boyfriend.

[Big Cat]

He looks great.

[PFT Commenter]

That is a man of class and leisure.

[Big Cat]

Oh, no.

[PFT Commenter]

So, Travis, we're not going to ask you to. To follow us. We're not going to ask you to come on the show. Just refollow Stavi. Yeah, he was speaking from a place of pain.

[Big Cat]

Kill Trav. Come on, dude. Savvy looks great in that tux. Kind of looks like the Pringles guy. Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

No offense, you know, if the Pringles guy was also the Monopoly Man.

[Big Cat]

Bunch of pop. You can't stop. Yeah. All right. Should we talk a little football? Let's do some NFL, Then we'll do our picks for. We'll do a parlay for the people for college football. And then again, we have a mega preview. Henry. Yeah. Congratulations on Tommy DeVito.

[PFT Commenter]

Thank you. Did you know that Tommy DeVito was a patriot?

[Hank]

I did know that he was a Patriot. I did not know he was from Massachusetts.

[PFT Commenter]

Oh, okay.

[Big Cat]

I thought he was from New Jersey. I think he's from New Jersey. Are you thinking of his agent, Sean Stellato? Maybe John Salado, recurring guest of the show that was played again. Yeah, he played against McShay. Yeah. Yeah. So congrats. You're gonna get Italian on us. Nah, I. I don't. I'm.

[Hank]

I'm not. I know. This is a pro Italian podcast. I'm Irish.

[Big Cat]

Okay. So no.

[PFT Commenter]

So you hate Italians. No, I'm.

[Hank]

I'm not it. You know?

[Big Cat]

No. You are not a fan of Italians.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, I think there's one Italian that's kind of soured the whole bunch for you.

[Hank]

No, it's just. I don't know.

[Big Cat]

I'm not. I'm not.

[Hank]

I'm not gonna be. I'm not gonna be out here, you know, doing. Doing this all the time.

[PFT Commenter]

Unless.

[Hank]

Unless if he gets hurt and he's playing.

[PFT Commenter]

Yes.

[Hank]

I'll have no choice, Hank. But the second I'm not going to be a Fake. I feel like a lot of people just kind of like, fake. Do the Italian thing. Like, I'm not going to be one of those people.

[PFT Commenter]

If he gets in and he plays well, he throws a touch on your. He's not going to happen.

[Big Cat]

The best is that he gets in. We're. Oh, no offense, Tomy DeVito.

[Hank]

No offense.

[Big Cat]

The. The best is. PFT. Just said it's one Italian. You're thinking of. Our entire production staff is Italian.

[Hank]

Yeah, that. There.

[Big Cat]

We have nothing.

[Hank]

There's like 20 people you could be talking to. I'm not even sure which one.

[Big Cat]

Smack. Shane. Pug. All vowels.

[PFT Commenter]

All the henies.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. All the enemies have vowels at the end of their name.

[Hank]

A lot of Italian enemies.

[Big Cat]

I like this. You got to get a war on Italy. No, no, no. There's no beef.

[Hank]

I've done a good job not, you know, just. Just biting my tongue, but, like. Yeah, I'm not. It is what it is.

[Big Cat]

No, Hank, you're just reliving World War II. Yeah. You got. You're siding with England. You're going to go against Italy. We got to get Germany in the mix. Go against them. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Hank]

Access of evil.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

Was that access? Access. Okay.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, right.

[Big Cat]

Access, you said.

[PFT Commenter]

How do you feel about Japan?

[Hank]

Hate him.

[Big Cat]

I love it. Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

That's good. Never forget Pearl Harbor.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. All right, so Tommy DeVito is Patriots. Did you guys see LeBron's NFL players to watch this year?

[PFT Commenter]

I did not see that from LeBron.

[Big Cat]

Are you ready?

[PFT Commenter]

Surprised that did not come across my desk.

[Big Cat]

I'll say right now. LeBron not a lover of ball because my NFL players to watch are all of them.

[PFT Commenter]

Fair point.

[Big Cat]

I wouldn't you agree? His players to watch are C.J. stroud, Lamar Jackson, Debo.

[PFT Commenter]

Okay.

[Big Cat]

Lad McConkey, Kyle Hamilton, and T. Higgins.

[PFT Commenter]

Those are all good players.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, those are his players to watch.

[PFT Commenter]

Those are all. They've been really good players for a long time.

[Big Cat]

Don't know what the assignment was, but.

[Hank]

He must have just done a fantasy draft.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, but no, Kyle Hamilton's defense. True.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. Do you think he saw Debo and he was like. He reminds me of Luca for some reason.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Gotta get him shape. Yeah. But. Yeah, that I don't really understand. You know what? Let's all do six players to watch.

[PFT Commenter]

Okay, I'll start.

[Big Cat]

Caleb Williams.

[PFT Commenter]

Did you read the article today?

[Big Cat]

What was it?

[PFT Commenter]

There's an article that came out in ESPN today. It was. It was honestly eight paragraphs about why he stopped paying. Painting his nails last season.

[Big Cat]

Okay.

[PFT Commenter]

And the fact that he is back to painting his nails now.

[Big Cat]

Love that. He needs to get back to basics.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. It's like the peak.

[Big Cat]

The basics here are painting your nail.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. The fluffy feathers are puffed up again.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. All right, so Caleb Williams is my. Is my one to watch. Malik neighbors.

[PFT Commenter]

Okay.

[Big Cat]

2. Spencer Rattler.

[PFT Commenter]

Okay.

[Big Cat]

3. Starting quarterback of the Saints. Let's go. 4. RJ Harvey. 5. Although I'm kind of straying from the LeBron assignment here, he's probably. I need to pick guys that are more well known.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

Five will be Patrick Mahomes. Six. Josh Allen.

[PFT Commenter]

Damn. You took two.

[Big Cat]

Those are my players to watch.

[PFT Commenter]

I've got two of those on the list. Yeah.

[Big Cat]

Pretty good players to watch.

[PFT Commenter]

I'm going to go with Jaden Daniels.

[Big Cat]

Okay.

[PFT Commenter]

I'm going to go pick. Thank you. Thank you. You should watch him.

[Big Cat]

He's good.

[PFT Commenter]

I'm going to go Debo Samuel as well. LeBron knows.

[Big Cat]

Oh, no, you can't. You can't take LeBron.

[PFT Commenter]

Okay. Terry McLaurin.

[Big Cat]

Yep.

[PFT Commenter]

Is two. Bill Crosky. Merritt is three. Matt Gay is four.

[Big Cat]

Okay.

[PFT Commenter]

Tress Way is five. Mike Sanras still is six and Jonathan Jones is seven. I have seven on my list.

[Big Cat]

Hank, are you Googling players? Nope. You just googled players. Take away. Take that phone away. Come on, Come on. Just give us six players to watch.

[Hank]

We're going to go Stefon Diggs.

[Big Cat]

Okay.

[Hank]

We're going to go with Joe Burrow.

[Big Cat]

Yep. That's a good player to watch.

[Hank]

We're going to go Mark Andrews. We are going to go with Drake. London.

[Big Cat]

Okay.

[Hank]

We are going to go with Tua. What's. What's he going to be like this year? Is he going to be dead? Is he going to be alive? Who knows?

[PFT Commenter]

I don't think NFL fans want to watch London.

[Hank]

And then we are going to go with Christian Kirk.

[Big Cat]

Oh, okay. Interesting one. And what team is he on?

[Hank]

Christian.

[Big Cat]

Is.

[Hank]

Oh, man.

[PFT Commenter]

Is he on the Texans? Yep.

[Hank]

He is, actually.

[Big Cat]

Yep. Let's go.

[PFT Commenter]

Ball Knower, Snipe.

[Big Cat]

You know it. We're gonna do new. New. What do we always.

[PFT Commenter]

Same faces, new places.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Zach, you want to give us six players to watch? Six players you could watch this NFL season. We're gonna go with the Brock Bowers.

[PFT Commenter]

You could watch.

[Big Cat]

I like that a lot better. Yeah. There are six players. Yeah. Make the graphic. Six players you could watch.

[PFT Commenter]

Oh, I've got another. I got another iteration after Zach's done.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Brock Bowers, Bucky Irving, George Kittle, Emika Mbuka. I may have said that incorrectly. That's fine. We knew who you're talking about in C.J. stroud. Is that five? That was five.

[PFT Commenter]

But you took one of LeBron's.

[Big Cat]

You can't say C.J. stroud.

[Tom Fornelli]

I can't.

[Big Cat]

I can't.

[Brandon Walker]

I'm still.

[Big Cat]

I'm hard stuck at four. You're hard stuck at four?

[Tom Fornelli]

No.

[Big Cat]

We got 200 players to watch. Maybe. Maybe we watch Tariq Hill. If he's okay, him and the Dolphins get along. Okay. And then if Tua says healthy. Nope, That's Hanks. I'm back to five. This is not good.

[Brandon Walker]

Okay.

[Big Cat]

Hard five. Josh Allen. This is not good. Sorry. Christian McCaffrey. There we go.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, that's good.

[Big Cat]

Nice. Retired memes. You got them. Your six. You could watch Puna Ford. Yeah. Quinn and Williams.

[Tom Fornelli]

Nick Folk.

[Big Cat]

Okay. Jets kicker Quincy Williams. Okay. Brother of Quinn and Jermaine Johnson. Okay. Will McDonald. Okay. And we'll go Javante Williams. Oh, all right.

[PFT Commenter]

Good picks. Good picks. What about five players? As a podcast, we can all contribute. Five players in the NFL. You do not want to watch.

[Big Cat]

Oh, okay. I think Dak Tua.

[PFT Commenter]

Dak like players.

[Big Cat]

Spencer Rattler.

[PFT Commenter]

Rattler is a good one.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Someone who's. You're sick of.

[Big Cat]

I'm sick of their Kyler.

[PFT Commenter]

Yep.

[Big Cat]

And then we have one more.

[PFT Commenter]

Deontay Johnson.

[Big Cat]

Deontay Johnson is good. When. Although he's not on a team right now. Is he good?

[PFT Commenter]

That's why NFL is so bad, because we don't have to watch him.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, that's a good one. Deontay Johnson.

[PFT Commenter]

Johnson.

[Big Cat]

Okay. All right. That's good. There are five players that we don't want to watch. All right, the. Let's see. What else do we got? Oh, Adam Thielen's back on the Vikings.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

That was cool for him.

[PFT Commenter]

It was nice in Minnesota to just let Carolina hold him for a little bit.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Okay. Do you want to. Do you want to hold my baby? Okay. I need my baby back. Yeah, just release him. Let him go. Thanks for paying him.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Now. Now he comes. Comes home. Because Vikings need receivers. Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

It was pretty cool that his family was pumped to go back to Minnesota.

[Big Cat]

Yes. Very, very cool. We also had the new uniforms, which I. I feel like an old man. I don't like the new I. This is the NBA offication of the NFL.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. I liked kind of the Seahawks one, and I kind of like the 49ers black one.

[Big Cat]

The Seahawks was just Oregon.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. Which is why I kind of like it a little bit. And the 49ers black uniform. That's kind of cool. The one with Josh Allen holding the snowball and, like, looking all iced out. That doesn't look like Buffalo. Bring back. And I know they're. They're doing it this year, but the red helmet, blue uniform combo is elite.

[Big Cat]

I'll say it again, though. It's. So the actual jerseys that they put out there are, like, I don't like them, but they're fine. Whatever. The 49ers have a classic uniform. That is football. You close your eyes. That is football. I don't need a new 49ers uniform. The same goes for the Dolphins. I do not need, like, being like, oh, what if we made. What if we made this classic uniform, this classic franchise, and we just made their jerseys black?

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

That's what they did for the 49ers and dolphins. I don't like it.

[PFT Commenter]

The. The black Dolphins uniform looks like the Panthers.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. So that's really what it comes down to is, like, the actual uniforms. Okay. You could sell me on a couple of these being okay. I just. I covet the NFL. I want to hold it, and I don't want them to do what they do with the NBA. And you have a bunch of, you know, jerseys that don't look like the classic jerseys that we love. And also just changing color schemes. Like, the Dolphins shouldn't wear black.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. What about the Patriots, Hank?

[Big Cat]

They're all right.

[Hank]

I haven't. I, like. I haven't liked a lot of the choices they've made with their jerseys the last five or six years. They're kind of cool. I like what they did with the. The number. They kind of went to the retro, like, royal blue jerseys they Wore in the 90s. They copied that, like, italicized number style. It's cool.

[PFT Commenter]

What would you like to see them wear?

[Hank]

I want to see them go back to the throwback, like, 1990s. Drew Bledsoe, Scott Zolak, Ty Law, like, 1996 jerseys or something.

[PFT Commenter]

Like the blue ones. Or do you like the red ones?

[Hank]

The red ones. Those are, like, the 70s. They'll do those, you know, once. Once every few years, like, throwback. I think they should just, like, go back to the blue one.

[Big Cat]

It's. It's. It's crazy that teams just don't like. Teams have good jerseys in their past, and they're like, ah, you know what? Let's just make a new jersey and, oh, we can't figure it out. We'll make it black.

[Hank]

Well, I thought with the Patriots, it was like once Brady left, it was like it was time you could make a switch with jerseys where it's like the Patriots will always be remembered with the Tom Brady. Those type of jerseys. But you might as well make a switch now because.

[PFT Commenter]

They'Re also trying to do. It's. It's like a new initiative called rivalry jerseys, which is like they're. They're going to have one game a year where you wear your rival jerseys. And now that's going. You know what the week of, we're going to be all into it, but I don't know. It's rivalry jersey week, but when I.

[Big Cat]

Think of the rivalries, I want to think of the classic jerseys.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

What memes did you like? The Jets?

[PFT Commenter]

Not really.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. The. Some of them are also just too similar. Yeah. That's dark on Dark Week 14. It's. It's what's happening with, you know, the Cracker Barrel. Thankfully, they switch back.

[PFT Commenter]

Thank God.

[Big Cat]

But that's what. What all these new logo designs are. They're basically taking all of, like, the interest and uniqueness of a logo and making it this minimalist blah. And we all live in this weird, concrete world that it's apple. Apple just kind of has made everything uniform.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. These woke new jerseys.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

They stink.

[Big Cat]

It's Big Brother. They're just trying to take away any uniqueness. I don't know. I. I don't like. I don't like change.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. I also like being at a stadium and looking around and everybody's wearing more or less the same jersey.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Like. Yeah, Maybe it's from 10 years ago when it was Adidas, before it was Nike or whatever. But by and large, it is the same color scheme that everybody's wearing.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. I just like thinking of old football. I mean, we're, We're. We're gonna have Michael Irvin on next week, so people should watch the Cowboys documentary because we'll do a quick review of it. Just like listening to Pat Summerall and seeing, you know, Cowboys jersey versus the 49ers jersey. That's. That's football. That's football.

[PFT Commenter]

Now, if the Dolphins had done what the Bills did, all white uniforms, and then they've got their players holding what appears to be a giant ball of cocaine, that would have been awesome. I would be 100% in on that.

[Big Cat]

So in. Okay. Hank Ryder Cup. Yep. How do we think it went?

[Hank]

Not surprising. I was hoping Keegan was going to pick himself. He did not.

[Big Cat]

I really want him to pick himself.

[Hank]

So did I But it's exciting. It's exciting.

[CJ Kirst]

The.

[Hank]

They posted the Ryder cup did the call he had with Sam Burns. You could tell, you know, Keegan wanted to pick himself, but he's taking. It's, it's. It was the right move, I guess, to not pick himself for the team. It's better for the team and everyone can kind of rally around, like, they all know that Keegan wanted to pick himself. So it's like, you got to win one for the captain.

[Big Cat]

That's true.

[Hank]

So that I, I like that I've spun it that way in my head and I think that I, I like our chances.

[PFT Commenter]

Is it better, though? Because I feel like if he had picked himself, then 100 of the pressure is on him.

[Hank]

But if, if, you know, they're all, they're all friends and stuff, and if someone got overlooked, like, you know, people are like, oh, he should have not picked themselves. And then it becomes a distraction.

[Big Cat]

Right? Yeah, they're basically. He's basically saying, hey, guys, I took one for the team here. I could have picked myself. I didn't pick myself. Go win this for me. Yeah. Yeah, they better win.

[PFT Commenter]

I don't like Patrick Cantlay, but I kind of like the idea that he's on our side now.

[Big Cat]

Oh, yeah. We're like, cooler.

[PFT Commenter]

We get to weaponize him now.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. What weekend is the Ryder cup again?

[Hank]

It's 22nd.

[Big Cat]

So excited. That's the. I think that's the weekend with all the, like, Alabama, Georgia, LSU, Ole Miss, Ravens, Chiefs, 26, 26 to 28th. Yep. That's the weekend of everything.

[PFT Commenter]

It's going to be pants tightening.

[Big Cat]

Make sure that weekend is free. Do you guys want to do a little parlay for the people? Sure do. Okay. DraftKings. We love DraftKings. College football's back. The rivalries, the, the marching bands, the upsets. And for College Football Week 1, DraftKings sportsbook is celebrating football's return with four games of the week profit boost all weekend long. Just opt in for each of DraftKings game of the week and you'll score a single. Use profit boost token for the game. Whether you're betting on your go to team or an underdog, Saturdays are yours to own with DraftKings sportsbook. Download the DraftKings sportsbook app and use code TAKE. That's code TAKE for all customers to a special profit boost on the college game of the week in partnership with DraftKings Sportsbook. The crown is yours. Gambling problem.

[Tom Fornelli]

Call 1-800-GAMBLER in New York.

[Big Cat]

Call 8778-HOPE-&Y or text hopeny 467-369. In Connecticut, help is available for problem gambling. Call 888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org Please play.

[Tom Fornelli]

Responsibly on behalf of Boothill Casino and Resort in Kansas. Fees may apply in Illinois 21 and over. Age and eligibility varies by jurisdiction. Void in Ontario. One profit boost per customer for DK game of the week of minus 250 or longer required boost amount and maximum bet vary.

[Big Cat]

Expires at the end of the game. Boost only applies to winnings. See [e-mail] promos I'll start I'm going to go Toledo +10 going to Kentucky. Kentucky has Zach Calzada. Also Kentucky has Mark Stoops who keeps saying how motivated he is this year. So he's never been more motivated. Motivated. Mark Stoops is what they're calling him in Lexington. It's never good when you have to repeatedly tell everyone you're the most motivated. Essentially being like I want wasn't really doing last year.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. I don't I find that hard to believe that he's the most motivated right now.

[Big Cat]

Most he's most motivated he's ever been.

[PFT Commenter]

That's impossible. That's that just how how long ago did he start coaching for Kentucky?

[Big Cat]

A long time.

[PFT Commenter]

Was that I want to say 12 years, 10 years. How long?

[Big Cat]

Been a long time looking it up right now.

[PFT Commenter]

But it's just by the the way.

[Big Cat]

The human body goes 2013 so about 12 years.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. You're getting older. You were way more motivated. If you're at the same job and you've been there for 12 years, you were more motivated. Motivated six years ago.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

For sure.

[Big Cat]

And yeah, you probably had a better team too. But yeah, the motivated shout out to all the Kentucky fans motivated Stoops. Hashtag motivated Stoops. He's motivated to win. I love I just this is also the best part about like college football being back College football fan bases are back where they can get a sarcastic hashtag trending for motivated soup. So I'm taking Toledo +10. They went to they went to Mississippi State last year and won there. They ain't scared of the big badass Hank. You have your fingers stuck in a certain way.

[Hank]

I will be taking Texas Horns up. You believe in Arch money line. I believe in Arch does it doesn't want barstool. They don't want Dave. I don't want them. I want them to lose. I want them to Lose handily.

[Big Cat]

Dave's rooting for Ohio State, though.

[Hank]

I don't care.

[Big Cat]

Oh. Because the Big Ten, he's kind of patting them on their head. Yeah. Okay. Are you a little nervous that everyone in the world feels like has been on Texas? No.

[Hank]

Sometimes the hype is real. Some. You know, a lot of the times it's.

[Big Cat]

Sometimes the public wins. Yeah.

[Hank]

Especially early in the year.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, you're right. Pft.

[PFT Commenter]

I'm taking the under in Maine Liberty. Under 52 and a half.

[Hank]

Can't wait for that one.

[PFT Commenter]

Love that one.

[Big Cat]

That's a huge one.

[PFT Commenter]

I think there's gonna be a lot of stupid penalties. Maine Liberty, false flag game.

[Big Cat]

I love that.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. Think about it. I think Memes gets it.

[Big Cat]

Memes definitely gets.

[PFT Commenter]

No, I don't like Maine's offense.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, we. We're rooting for no points.

[PFT Commenter]

Yep. I mean, have you watched Maine?

[Big Cat]

Have you.

[PFT Commenter]

Have you read any of the reports coming out of their. Their camp?

[Big Cat]

It's ugly.

[PFT Commenter]

It doesn't look good.

[Big Cat]

It's ugly. I also am doing something on Saturday night that I'm going to hate myself for. I'm going to probably bet on lsu, and then when Brian Kelly does face press conference, it's Groundhog Day. Brian Kelly's going to blow this game. I'm going to bet on him. They're going to do a press conference after. He's going to be like, we just can't figure it out, all this stuff. And then on Tuesday's show, we'll roast Brian Kelly and be like, I wish anyone else but Brian Kelly coached lsu.

[PFT Commenter]

I actually think this is going to be different.

[Big Cat]

I'm betting on him, so I know I'm walking in their trap.

[PFT Commenter]

I'm full. I'm well aware of what LSU does in week one, and I'm doing it again, and they're going to win this time.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. And I, like Garrett Nussmeier and Kate Clubnik might have gotten in a car accident, which we'll get to with Brandon and Tom in a minute. All right. Anything else before we get to our Mount Rushmore? And then Brandon and Tom.

[PFT Commenter]

Any.

[Big Cat]

Any other.

[PFT Commenter]

There's a. A tennis beef going on right now. Oh, I feel like we should address it a little bit. So I'm. I don't know who these two players are, but they played yesterday at the US Open.

[Big Cat]

Wait, can I guess a name?

[PFT Commenter]

You. You're not going to guess the name.

[Big Cat]

I'm just going to guess as many tennis names as I. Alcaraz. No Center.

[PFT Commenter]

You're not going to guess this.

[Big Cat]

Medved.

[PFT Commenter]

You're not going to guess this.

[Big Cat]

That's all the names.

[PFT Commenter]

Ostapenko.

[Big Cat]

Nope.

[PFT Commenter]

What does that name mean to you?

[Big Cat]

Nothing.

[PFT Commenter]

Well, she was upset because after the match she got into a verbal dispute with her opponent because her opponent didn't properly say I'm sorry after hitting a ball that hit the net and bounced over a let. No, like in the course of play, you know. You know, like in tennis, if you hit the ball into the net and it bounces over and you score, you know, you're supposed to be like, hey, I'm sorry for that.

[Big Cat]

I personally, of all the. And I've played a lot of tennis.

[PFT Commenter]

A lot.

[Big Cat]

I will never apologize for that.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. So she was very upset about that. She wrote two pages worth of Instagram stories about it. Just a small update about the match today. After the match, I told my opponent she was very disrespectful as she hit a netball in a very deciding moment and didn't say sorry. But her answer was that she doesn't have to say sorry at all.

[Big Cat]

Exactly.

[PFT Commenter]

There are some rules in tennis which most of the players follow and it was the first time ever that this happened to me on tour. If she plays in her homeland, it doesn't mean that she can behave and do whatever she wants. In the beginning of the match, all players are supposed to start warm up on the baseline. The opponent came out and straight away she started the warm up at then. Which is very disrespectful and against the rules of a tennis match. Thank you for attention to this matter.

[Big Cat]

I gotta say, I wasn't familiar with this rule. This is by far the dumbest, like, unspoken rule of all time.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. Say I'm sorry for hitting a really.

[Big Cat]

Good shot for scoring a point.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. My bad.

[Big Cat]

Holy shit.

[PFT Commenter]

You're not sorry when you score that point.

[Big Cat]

No. You're like, you're so pumped. You're pumped.

[PFT Commenter]

You're like fooled.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Gotcha. Actually, you start trying to intentionally hit it in the net.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

The top of the net. Because the ball dies after. You're going to win all those nets, those points.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. So sorry, Ostapenko.

[Big Cat]

Oh, man, you are the softest person in the world if you have to post a note about this after. Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

And she did like a look at the font that she.

[Big Cat]

Marty Fish, text us after when you hear this part. Did you ever apologize for this? I hope not. I hope you're a man about it.

[PFT Commenter]

Look at all that stuff.

[Big Cat]

That's weird font too. Yeah, yeah. No I hate this person. I hate her hater guts. Okay, let's get to our Mount Rushmore then a mega preview of college football. And then we have our guy CJ curse one one pick for the Water Dogs getting ahead of semifinals and we'll finish with Fire Fest. Okay, before we get to our Mount Rushmore game time, college football season is back, which means tailgates, cheering crowds and the excitement of being in the stands before kickoff. We're all back to Ever find yourself at a tailgate and decide to grab tickets last minute? That's where game time comes in. The GameTime app gives the advantage back to fans. It's the hack for unlocking amazing tickets and experiences in a few taps. It's incredibly easy to use and the game time guarantee means you can Trust you'll get 100% authentic tickets on time and at the best price. Plus fees are always included. So what you see is what you pay. We're looking at tickets.

[Hank]

Hank Death Valley LSU at Clemson Battle of the Tigers $315 to get in the building.

[Big Cat]

Oh, I love it. That's gonna be a great game Saturday night. Oh man, I'm pumped for that game. Take the Guess we gotta Buying tickets College football tickets with GameTime. Download the GameTime app, create an account and use code PMT for $20 off your first purchase terms apply. Again, create an account redeem code PMT for $20 off swipe tap ticket. Go download the GameTime app today. We also are brought to you by our friends at Truly Truly Hard Seltzer. Truly Hard Seltzer is all about fun, light, refreshing variety and a bubbly effervescent style to get you and your people in a lively party mood. Truly unruly is 8% hard seltzer. Full of flavor but still light and refreshing. Gets in four flavors, Tropical Twist, Berry Blast, Citrus Crush and Strawberry Smash. You can even grab a big 24 ounce tropical twist single at convenience stores. Truly is the perfect day drink. Tailgating on the weekend, bouncing around for game day. You can't beat something as light and easy, but big on flavor is truly Truly Unruly. Drinks light parties hard get unruly with truly unruly 8% hard seltzer. You can find it anywhere. Like your favorite grocery, liquor or convenience store. Visit trulyhardselter.com and use the Truly Finder to grab it near you. Again, get unruly with truly unruly 8% hard seltzer. You can find it anywhere. Like your favorite grocery liquor or convenience store. Or visit trulyhardselter.com and use the Truly finder to grab it near you. Okay, let's get to our Mount Rushmore. Okay. Mount Rushmore time. It's the final Mount Rushmore. It's a final Rushmore. All right. Final Rushmore. The regular season.

[PFT Commenter]

This is truly a must win for me and Hank.

[Big Cat]

Yes.

[PFT Commenter]

Not a. Can't lose.

[Brandon Walker]

Here's.

[Big Cat]

Here's. Here's. Here's where we're at with the standings. Zach and I have clinched first place with 52 points. Max, thank you. Thank you, Hank. That was nice of you. Max and memes are at 47 points. PFT and Hank are at 45 points. There's now only one way for there to be a duel. That is for PFT and Hank to win this Mount Rushmore for Zach and I to finish second, and 4Max and memes to finish third.

[PFT Commenter]

There is a path.

[Hank]

There's a path on. Go to the polls if.

[Big Cat]

If. If that. If that occurs, we will be in a duel, and we will do. Do the duel next week, most likely in Wednesday's show. So what's. I'm not. Listen, we're not trying to say anything, but it'll be great for a duel.

[PFT Commenter]

No, not trying to influence the vote.

[Big Cat]

Whatsoever, but a duel last year was electric.

[PFT Commenter]

I love the duel.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. And it would be for people who missed the duel. Last year. It would. This year, it would be Zach and I coming up with Mount Rushmore topics that we then give to the boys. And they don't have any time to think or game plan. They got to go off the dome. So it'll be completely off the dome.

[Hank]

And we. We threw out the idea. I guess we can. We can confirm or deny it. I like the idea of doing between the two teams a 1v1. 1v1, and then a 2.

[Big Cat]

Ryder Cup.

[Hank]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

Yes. Yes.

[PFT Commenter]

Maybe even scramble where we take the best answer that we give you.

[Big Cat]

You. You.

[Brandon Walker]

You say the first word.

[Big Cat]

Hank says the second word.

[PFT Commenter]

Alternate word.

[Hank]

Alternate word.

[Big Cat]

An alternate word tool would be awesome.

[PFT Commenter]

That would actually be great. That should be one of the formats.

[Big Cat]

Oh, man. Okay, so for the final Mount Rushmore in the regular season, Max is via Zoom memes. Do you have the ball in this one? Yeah, but Max. Max helped. Max helped. Okay. Eddie is all right. Your mic sounds like shit. I don't know what's up with that, but that's fine. Who has a ball in your guys?

[PFT Commenter]

That's Hank.

[Big Cat]

Hank. Yeah. Hank has the ball. Okay.

[Hank]

Smith.

[PFT Commenter]

I've got so much confidence in Hank.

[Hank]

Okay, so Smith came one of the NBA.

[PFT Commenter]

I could be like Keegan Bradley. I could just pick myself and send myself out there. And I've wanted to do it my entire life. It's been my dream. But I got to go with Hank.

[Big Cat]

I think you should.

[Hank]

I think.

[Big Cat]

Okay.

[PFT Commenter]

I said, Hank, you got the ball.

[Big Cat]

All right, well, we'll see. All right, so.

[Hank]

Got to win.

[Big Cat]

We're going to do the.

[Hank]

By the way, I was winning. We never did the analytics, and I was thankful. I knew it in the back of my head, and I was just not trying to say it. I think if we looked at our stats for this Mount Rushmore season, the points per pft picking versus the points for mine is, like, double.

[Big Cat]

So you. He pity's been better than you.

[Hank]

Way better. Oh, I was waiting for someone to bring it up, and you just brought it up, but. Yeah, well, the season.

[Big Cat]

Been working on that story for an entire year.

[Hank]

But, like, I know that. I think. I think you should take the ball, but I will.

[PFT Commenter]

You know what, though? You know what, though, Hank? This is. This is leadership.

[Big Cat]

Okay?

[PFT Commenter]

I want you to do it. You know why? Because I believe in you.

[Big Cat]

Just so we're clear, though, are you. Are you saying I'm sitting out? Like, are you Scottie Pippen here? Are you.

[PFT Commenter]

No, this isn't Tony, Coach. This is. This is Keegan Bradley.

[Big Cat]

Okay.

[PFT Commenter]

This is like, I've wanted to do this. There's nothing in my life I've wanted to do more than do this Mount Rushmore, but I can't. And Hank is going to do it. I can't pick myself.

[Big Cat]

I don't know what Max is doing. He's very distracting. He's walking around. I'm panicking. I'm panicking. Okay. Okay. It is the Mount Rushmore of worth. Worst favors to be asked of you, right? Yep. Worst favors to be asked. So worst favors to basically be asked in life. And Zach and I are first. You guys are second. Yep. And then Memes and Max are third. And coming around with the snake. All right, here we go. Worst favors to be asked are. 1. 1. In my mind, there's two really good picks at the top of this, but this is one that I really. I still hate to this day. And it gets asked a lot, picking someone up at the airport. Oh, and I know. I know this is a point of contention. It was a point of contention online, I think, like, maybe a few months ago, people were debating it. Obviously, if you live in a small city, it's not a big deal. If you live in a big city, Getting asked to pick up. Pick someone up from the airport is fucking torture.

[PFT Commenter]

It can be pain in the ass. Yeah.

[Big Cat]

We have Ubers for a reason. It's like, hey, instead of me having to commute from the airport in an Uber, why don't you give up two and a half hours of your day to go there and back?

[PFT Commenter]

It's a classic favor that you. You offer as an empty promise and then say, no, I'll just take a cab.

[Big Cat]

I don't even offer anymore. And I don't even offer to take to the airport, too. When the trip's over, I'm just. I. I offer. The farthest I offer is I'll take you to the L, you'll take you to the blue line.

[PFT Commenter]

You're like Derek Jeter. Here's a gift basket.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Hank]

If they first in Chicago. I mean, Chicago airport's brutal with the traffic. Highway construction. Yeah. New York is brutal, too. I don't even have a car. But if they land. If they land after, like, 9 o' clock, and it's like, you know, it actually is 30 minutes there, 30 minutes back. That's the only way.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Hank]

You know what?

[PFT Commenter]

And as a passenger, I kind of like having that ride to myself.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, you get. You. You like your thoughts. You had shitty WI fi on the plane. Now you get to sit in an Uber, get to check up on everything.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

Let your thoughts. Yeah, I agree. All right, that's our first pick.

[PFT Commenter]

All right, Hank, we are going to.

[Hank]

Go screw this up with helping you move. Asking to help you move.

[Big Cat]

Yep.

[PFT Commenter]

That's classic.

[Big Cat]

That's a good pick, Hank.

[PFT Commenter]

Great pick.

[Big Cat]

Brutal favor to be asked.

[Hank]

And it's probably someone that you're close. Like, if you're going to ask someone to help you move, you're very close to them. So it's tough to say no because, like, you're close with them, but it's. There's nothing worse.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Hey, do you want to work out all day and get really sweaty and then just after we're done working out, you can just sit in my house that doesn't have anything set up? That's basically what you're asking.

[Big Cat]

So. Yeah. Oh, hey, don't worry, dude. I'll get us a six pack of beer and pizza. Yeah, that's not just. Just. You're an adult.

[Hank]

If I was paying for this, I'd pay the people helping me, like, 500 bucks. But. Oh, yeah, I'll get you some pizza.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, yeah, right. If I. If I actually.

[Hank]

I owe you one.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, it's you're an adult. Go do the adult thing and hire movers if you have that much stuff to move.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. Hey, you want to help me move? And then we can eat pizza on the floor.

[Big Cat]

Because you know what it is about moving to. It's always more than you think. Yep. You look in your house and you say, oh, there's not that much stuff. There's so much in your apartment or house that just, like, when you actually, like, take it. Like, you think about the plates and all that shit and, like, the closets, Everything just. It's so much.

[PFT Commenter]

We only have, really, one flight of stairs, not counting the stairs that go up into the house. That's only, like, probably five or six stairs. We don't have anything heavy.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Yeah. Right? Yeah. Don't worry. We can do this. It will only take, like, an hour or two. Okay, Memes and Max are up. Max is not here. He is here.

[PFT Commenter]

Great pick, Hank.

[Big Cat]

Memes, are you going to take Queen Latifah at any point? No, I still love her. Okay. Watch this Queen Latifah movie with me. Yeah, that movie. That's a bad favorite of. Yes. Asking for a loan or somebody asked looking to borrow money. Yeah. Okay. And can you babysit for me? Can you watch my kids or dog? That's something that you and Max have been asked a lot. Wait, no, no. You can't do both, right?

[PFT Commenter]

I asked Memes one time.

[Big Cat]

Dog or babysit isn't the same thing. Totally different. DFT references his dog as his kid. Kids. No, I have a kid, Chris. Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

And then my dog Blake.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. But you can't watch them. Dogs. Kind of fun. It's definitely kids. Yeah. Kids. Okay, kids. All right, Max, way to clean it up for Memes there. Memes. You feel a little nervous that Max had to step in there? No, I think. I think both should be okay. All right, you guys are up. Let's go.

[PFT Commenter]

Hank, what do you think?

[Hank]

This is the draft? This is the. This is the. This is the season.

[Brandon Walker]

This is.

[Big Cat]

This is a huge pick. You go.

[Hank]

You got this.

[PFT Commenter]

No, Hank, you have the ball.

[Hank]

The ball. We're going to go with asking to stay at your place for an extended period of time.

[Big Cat]

Oh, okay.

[PFT Commenter]

Great pick.

[Big Cat]

Good one.

[PFT Commenter]

Great pick. Can I crash with you even now?

[Hank]

Like, it's.

[Big Cat]

It's.

[Hank]

It's always when you're talking to your friends, you don't live in the same city. They're like, oh, yeah, I'll come stay with you. Like, great. And then when it even, like, week of or leading up to you. Like, I actually don't want to just have someone, you know, staying with me. If it's one, two days, no problem. If they're, like, coming for work or, like, oh, yeah, I'll stay with you for the week, and then we'll hang out on the weekend. It's like, oh, yeah, they're coming for six days. Like, that's a lot.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, I'll be clean. I'll clean up after myself. They never do. One time, I. I let somebody stay at my place in Austin because they were in town for a concert for, like, south by Southwest. Didn't really know the person that well. Like, an old, old high school friend came back to my house one time. They had people over. Yeah, they had, like, six people over at the house. Commanded the tv. I couldn't even watch my own tv. It's in.

[Big Cat]

It's. It. This is a. If you're, you know, college, recently graduated college. Totally understand it. There was a. There was a phase in your life. Oh, yeah. And you're, like, 23, 24. Like, I want my friends to stay. This is fun. We're just gonna kick it all weekend. Once you become a little bit more of an adult, it's like, dude, can you just get a hotel? We'll both be happier. Like, we both will have a way better time where you have your space, I have my space. We hang out all weekend. Big time. Yeah, big time. Okay, Zach, I think we got to go with seven. What do you think? Seven is good. Okay. Oh. Or what? Okay. Or 14. We really shouldn't overthink this.

[PFT Commenter]

What are your thoughts on 12?

[Big Cat]

But we'd like to finish second. 12? 12? No, I think that's a little niche, Zach. Okay. I think it's a little niche. We can maybe get to that in honorable mentions. Okay. But I think that's a little niche. Okay. You want me to just take the ball and go?

[Tom Fornelli]

You got the ball here?

[Big Cat]

Yes, sir. How about when anyone asks for you to lie for them when they're like, hey, say I was. Say I was here. Hey, don't tell. Just if you're. If your girlfriend or seeing another ass. My girlfriend or singing other. Just say we were doing this. It's like, come on, man.

[PFT Commenter]

Kind of different story when it's parents, though.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

But this is more like lied to appear.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Yeah. Really good pick. Come on. Like, why. Why are you putting me in this spot? I can't say no. But I also don't want to be, like, now I have to lie to my significant other. So can you. Can you cut, like, live. Live for me?

[PFT Commenter]

Cover for me?

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Cover for me? Yeah. Can you cover for me with a lie? That's our answer. All right, and then let's go with, this doesn't happen to us because we don't have these, But I think it happens to everyone who has it. Can I borrow your truck?

[PFT Commenter]

Yep.

[Big Cat]

I think every. Every truck owner probably has to deal with this if they have a pickup truck. You're basically a big billboard in your entire neighborhood being like, hey, if you need to go to home depot to get something, just ask me and I'll do it for you.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, well, I. So I used to have a truck, and that quickly turned into. Can you also help me move with your truck? So it was like a double whammy for me.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Yeah. So I. I think owning a truck that we're truck guys.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

But just let's normalize not asking the people with the sweet shits.

[Brandon Walker]

You know what?

[Big Cat]

Go buy your own Chevy Silverado.

[PFT Commenter]

You know what, though? As. As a multi time truck owner, you kind of feel like a man when one of your friends is like, hey, can I borrow your sweet truck? Yeah. Oh, you don't have a truck, but.

[Big Cat]

You can't really like me.

[Brandon Walker]

It's.

[Big Cat]

It's like most of these are favors where you really can't say no and you feel like you're a. Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

No one's. No one's really ever asked to borrow the El Camino, which is technically a truck.

[Big Cat]

You want me to do it sometime?

[PFT Commenter]

I mean, you don't want that.

[Big Cat]

I'll do it.

[PFT Commenter]

I actually, I. I live quite freely just parking it wherever I want, Knowing that no one's gonna be able to start it.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Like, if you get this thing turned on, good luck driving it away.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. But if you would like me to, I will ask at some point to borrow it. You can say no.

[PFT Commenter]

I'll say no. It is powerful.

[Big Cat]

But then it's been asked. You guys are up. Can I say Zach's a niche one that was honorable mention. Well, say.

[PFT Commenter]

Cause it's crazy for honorable mention.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. I just want to say it now because it's in the top of my mind, but I'll say.

[PFT Commenter]

Just make a note.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, Hank.

[PFT Commenter]

I highlighted the one that I think would be a strong choice.

[Hank]

All right, we're going to go. Similar thing. You can't feel. You really can't say no to this, but you never want to do it. Write a letter of recommendation.

[Big Cat]

Yes. We had it.

[PFT Commenter]

Yep.

[Big Cat]

Dude. Especially when you just don't know the person. When someone asks, hey, can you write my kid a letter of recommendation? It's like, I've met your kid, like, twice.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, I just. I just lie the entire time and let her. Like, I say just the nicest thing, no matter who asked me to do it. I've never said no to this favor. I probably never will. But. Yeah, you just. You just write the most glowing endorsement that you can.

[Big Cat]

What? Little life hack. Because I've done it a few times and been asked a few times. I just say, yeah, you write it, I'll sign it.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, it's a good way to do it.

[Big Cat]

Just, like, do that. But still, you know that your. Your name is now vouching for someone.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. But nobody. There's never any blowback on the person that writes the letter of recommendation.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, right.

[PFT Commenter]

Like, if you actually, let's say it's a hiring circumstance and you're asked to contact or send a letter to, like, this company, no one's ever going to go back to you later and be like, yo, what the. Why'd you write this letter? If they ask you to, like, vouch for a friend, that's when it's. That's when it becomes a problem.

[Big Cat]

Yep. Okay.

[PFT Commenter]

Good pick, Hank. Great job, Hank.

[Hank]

Thanks.

[PFT Commenter]

Our third pick.

[Big Cat]

Can you cover my shift? Okay, I'm currently doing that for Max right now. Oh, Max, you shithead. No, no, no. People have reasons, but, like, college football is on tonight. Want to watch college football?

[PFT Commenter]

By God, Cover shift, You know, pulling.

[Big Cat]

A double, Stuff like that. But, like, when you work in the restaurant industry, somebody's like, oh, you have the early shift, so I could go out at night and get fucked up. And your day is just like, your.

[Hank]

Production, but then you just do content, that type of thing.

[PFT Commenter]

No call, no show.

[Big Cat]

One of those things. It's not.

[CJ Kirst]

It's not describing me.

[Big Cat]

Okay.

[Hank]

No, no.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

That's.

[Hank]

No, no general. Like, that's a relatable thing.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. All right. Can you be the designated driver? Oh, okay. Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

I mean, Uber's was like, Uber is a 15 years ago. It's also one.

[Hank]

You can just say no.

[PFT Commenter]

You can also say yes and then drink your way out of it and be like, well, I can't do it. Yeah, sorry. Something happened. Something came up. I had to have eight beers.

[Big Cat]

I think the better pick there would have been, can you switch seats with me after you crash your car? Right. Like, that would be a terrible favor to be asked. Yeah. No, being a designated driver is bad. Okay. It's bad.

[PFT Commenter]

No, it's good.

[Hank]

It's good.

[Tom Fornelli]

Really good.

[Big Cat]

But.

[PFT Commenter]

I think it's a great favor to ask somebody because you're being responsible.

[Hank]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

And you're planning your night out.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

That's. You're saving lives.

[Big Cat]

It's not a bad favor. It's a great favor. No, it's a bad favor to be asked.

[PFT Commenter]

No, no.

[Big Cat]

Because you're showing that you're like, take this seriously.

[PFT Commenter]

You're saving lives.

[Big Cat]

You just download the Uber.

[PFT Commenter]

You're before a first responder.

[Big Cat]

Okay.

[Hank]

We are gonna go with one that seems simple but always kind of stresses you out a little bit. Can I borrow your charger?

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

You're never getting that back.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Good pick.

[Hank]

And it's like, someone you like. You like Big Cat. If I have to borrow a charger out, I can always tell. He's like. He wants to say no.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Because you sometimes don't bring it back. That's a fact.

[Hank]

But that's everyone. When someone asks me, it's the same thing. It's like, I. I guess. But also no. You can't say no to it because that's a minor thing, but you want to.

[PFT Commenter]

Did either of you boys grab the charger from the cabin at Camp Barcelona that I left?

[Big Cat]

Nope.

[PFT Commenter]

God damn it.

[Big Cat]

Can I say I had to do.

[PFT Commenter]

The thing where you buy a charger in the airport, So I bought one in the airport because I didn't have my one that I left in the cabin. Then I go to New Jersey. Then Rossini shows up to the concert. She's like, my phone's on empty. Can I borrow your charger? I'll give it back. I gave her my charger. She had a brick that was ready to plug into it. She didn't even need my charger.

[Big Cat]

Damn.

[PFT Commenter]

She asked for it. Just walked off with it. Walked off with it.

[Big Cat]

Can I say that?

[PFT Commenter]

Memes, I agree with you about receding now.

[Big Cat]

A super. A super classy move that. I think this is just a level of wealth that just exists. But I stayed at Dave, our boss's house in Saratoga. He just has a charger in every room. Like, the bedroom I stayed in already had a charger in it.

[PFT Commenter]

That's what I did.

[Big Cat]

It's like. So I. I was like, holy, this is incredible.

[PFT Commenter]

When I.

[Big Cat]

In every room I looked, there was.

[PFT Commenter]

A charger when I moved.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Hank]

I. Rich guy power moves would be a good, good m. But I also think he does the thing where he just has wardrobes at all of his houses.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. He Does.

[Hank]

So he doesn't pack. Yeah, like, that's. That's a level of wealth.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

When I moved to this new place, I put a new charger in each bedroom. The two, like, guest bedrooms. And then now those bedrooms don't have any chargers because I've borrowed those chargers from those rooms, and now they're gone.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, those are. That. That's brutal. Zach. Should we do the. I mean, this is. Do you like to. I like to. Because it is the worst favor you could ever be asked, but I. I don't know if any of us hopefully will ever be in this situation, but you should we say it. Hopefully not, but we would like to take. Hide this gun. Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

Hide this gun. Mm. That's just. I. You don't want to be asked that.

[PFT Commenter]

We had. Borrow your gun on the list. Can I borrow your guns?

[Big Cat]

Also bad. But hide a dead body. Yeah, we had hide the body. Yeah, hide that body. Is. I feel like you can. You can be like, no, I'm going to call the cops. Hide, like, hide this gun. You're like, I don't know what this is about, but I feel like that's the same thing. No. Yeah. PFT says hiding a body if bodies. Worse than gun dude body. Are we talking the same thing right now?

[Brandon Walker]

From a people?

[Big Cat]

It's the same thing. PFD says hi to body. What do you do? Okay, I.

[PFT Commenter]

What do you do, Max?

[Big Cat]

You wouldn't hide a gun to your head?

[Hank]

No. Low key. I've hidden a gun before.

[Big Cat]

This is.

[Hank]

This is a crazy story that I don't even know if I've explained.

[Big Cat]

This is. This is.

[Brandon Walker]

Look at Max's face.

[Hank]

My mom is gonna be shook right now. So when I was in. In film school, I lived in Waltham. I lived in, like, a. I had a. I had a room inside of a house. And, like, I had a bathroom. So it was like a one bedroom, little kitchen, and a bathroom. So I was secluded. I could just go in this room and be separate from the people in this house. And when me. My mom looked at it, she, like, I guess looked up the. The. The history or if there was, like, people that lived there with crimes signed moved in. And then she realized after we moved in, like, she typed in the wrong number of the house. And, like, there was a guy that lived there. It was all just public drunkenness. Like, he kind. He kind of like a homeless guy, but he was. He lived in the house. And, like, I would walk in sometimes. I was like, oh, what's that smell? That Smells weird. It was crack. Like, I literally was like, I. That's what crack smells like. So I was living in more or less a crack house or like, in a house where some guy was smoking crack.

[PFT Commenter]

Crack house.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Hank]

Then, like, halfway through, another guy moved in next door, straight out of jail. We were boys, good dude. We would hang out, drink beer sometimes, whatever. One day I'm in my room and, like, he would, you know, he would just come over, we'd hang out. No big deal. One day the, A bunch of cops show up at our house, and the guy that lived next door that just got out of jail comes running into my room and was like, I need to hide this in your room. What the. I was like, are they coming for you? He's like, no, I don't know what's going on. The cops are just coming for the other guy. So it wasn't like, it wasn't a thing where they were looking for the gun.

[Big Cat]

It wasn't a murder weapon. It was just.

[Hank]

He was just like. He's like, I'm not going back to jail. I gotta, like, I don't know why these guys are here, but, like, I gotta, I gotta put this in here.

[PFT Commenter]

But we don't know that it wasn't.

[Big Cat]

Used in a murder, correct?

[Hank]

No, we don't. We do not. But yeah, that was, that was. And like, we were, you know, we were, we were relatively friendly at the time. I was like, yeah, nope. I guess, like, I just, I, I, I, I accepted it. I had, I hid. I had the gun.

[PFT Commenter]

And then you gave it back?

[Big Cat]

I never touched it.

[Hank]

He just, he, like, came in, kind of hit it in my, in my place, went back, the cops came, took the other guy out. So once, Once they saw they were coming for the other guy, and it was just like, for like a public, public drunkenness or something. Guy was a good guy, Jimmy. It was, it wasn't a big deal, but, yeah, it was, it was quite a house, quite a living situation.

[PFT Commenter]

Kind of a power move. So that from that point on, you know that he has a gun.

[Hank]

Oh, I knew he had a gun. Yeah, he was, he would, he would, he would just come over and tell me jail stories. And, like, he really romanticized jail. Like, one time, he was like, I'll never forget it. He was like, like, telling funny stories. He's like, yeah. He's like, I'm not gonna lie. Like, I kind of had boys in jail.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Hank]

He's like, jail's kind of fun. He's like, all the. We'd all Come together, mess with the guards. Like, everyone, you know, different days, different guys would mess with the guards. I was like, this sounds fun.

[PFT Commenter]

It's kind of like high school.

[Hank]

He's like, I'm not gonna lie. He's like, I had boys in jail, and I. I was dying laughing. I was like, yeah. Hell, yeah.

[Big Cat]

So Hank hit a gun. Yeah. And apparently this makes this actually of somewhat relatable favorite. Yeah. And I was too much of a.

[Hank]

To be like, no. And, like, if I said, no, what was he.

[Brandon Walker]

What was.

[Hank]

What was gonna happen? I was just like, yeah.

[Big Cat]

None of us have been asked to hide a dead body, Zach. I'm gonna double check with you. No, sir. No. No dead body. Ever been asked to hide a gun? No gun. Okay. Are you sure? Yes. Okay. All right. That was good. Mount Rushmore we have. Do you want to hear Zach's honorable mention? Tell me what you guys think. If we had taken this with. I think you. Did he say he wanted it for the second pick? Our second pick.

[PFT Commenter]

Second pick.

[Big Cat]

Help Mulch.

[PFT Commenter]

Okay. Mulch is here.

[Big Cat]

Helping somebody mulch. In the heat of summer, it's 103 degrees outside. It's like, grab the snow shovels, get the trailer. We're going to moat. Like, we're going to the surplus spot. Let's go dump this mulch. And. And they never have one of the trailers that dump. It's always shovel work.

[PFT Commenter]

I just think that's a good.

[Big Cat]

You got to help them, because that's a good pick.

[PFT Commenter]

You get very dirty when you work with mulch.

[Big Cat]

Yes.

[PFT Commenter]

It gets everywhere, and it's in.

[Big Cat]

It's kind of the same vein of like. It's just like, we'll. We'll grab a beer after this. But it was eight hours of mulching. Most yard work is a terrible favor, like doing the hedges. You guys ever do the hedges?

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. That's like a chore.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Shoulders. Brutal. Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

We had. Let me get a hit of your vape.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Bad favor.

[Big Cat]

Can you get the drugs?

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

That's just always like, an annoying thing where it's like, dude, you're just being a. Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Will you go on my podcast?

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Yeah. What about. Oh, I. This was Zach's one that I liked when anyone asked for the WI FI password, and it's super long. Yep. That's.

[PFT Commenter]

That's a really good one.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Also, just. I didn't. We didn't know how to phrase this, because it's kind of like a feel thing, but just being asked to get anything for someone the minute you sit down. Yeah. Can you grab my. Can you grab me a water? Can you do this, like, right after you sat down?

[PFT Commenter]

Right after you get comfortable.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Switch seats on a plane. Mm. That's annoying.

[PFT Commenter]

Especially if it's a downgrade.

[Big Cat]

Yep.

[PFT Commenter]

You go to the middle seat when someone asks you if you can be a wingman on a date.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

With somebody that you really don't like.

[Big Cat]

Yep.

[PFT Commenter]

No interest in.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[CJ Kirst]

Can you get me a job?

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Can you save me a seat at a crowded bar?

[Big Cat]

Yes.

[PFT Commenter]

Where you have to be like, sorry, somebody's. They're not here yet, but they're going to be here.

[Big Cat]

Can you hold my place in line as well?

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. That's a bad one.

[Big Cat]

That's. Can you watch my stuff at an airport? I know it's like a. That's not a bad favor, but I also, like. So I'm not talking about if we were in the airport together because we, you know, are sitting and we're traveling together, but, like, that moment when I don't know if it's ever happened to you, but, like, you're sitting across from a stranger, and maybe it's more like coffee shop. And they're like, hey, can you just watch my laptop while I go to the bathroom?

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Hank]

Asking a. Borrow a laptop, too. Sucks.

[Big Cat]

Because it's like your sh.

[Hank]

It's like, not really.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Hank]

All your shit's on there.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. But the. The one I'm talking about is, like, if you play it out in your head, if someone came and took a total stranger's laptop that you've been asked to watch, I would not step in. No. I would not say anything.

[PFT Commenter]

No. I. I would wait for the person to get back. Be like, yeah, some guy took it.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Yeah. It's like.

[PFT Commenter]

I'm not gonna describe.

[Big Cat]

That's offending your laptop, dude.

[Hank]

Oh, should have. Can I. Can we. Can you. Do you mind switching seats with me on a plane?

[Big Cat]

That's what I just said. Oh, yeah.

[Hank]

Sorry. I was looking for my roommate picture.

[Big Cat]

No, that's okay.

[PFT Commenter]

All right. Will you be godparents?

[Brandon Walker]

Oh, it's like.

[Big Cat]

I like that one.

[PFT Commenter]

It feels good.

[Hank]

It's an honor.

[PFT Commenter]

It's an honor. But also, like, hey, it could be a big responsibility.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. I have a very specific one. My kids are in a certain age where they're obviously two out of three of them are out of diapers, but we're. It's a process. But can you wipe my butt? It's not fun. They get acid. I don't know. 23 times a day.

[PFT Commenter]

One time, I asked Grant Hill if he could wipe my butt. He was my preschool teacher.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

All right, what about when. When Johnny Sacks asks you to sack Little Carmine's, like, little helper cousin, and it's during his wedding when you should be asking him for a favor?

[Big Cat]

That's a good one. Yeah, that's a good one. Also, this is probably specific to us when people ask us, like, for tickets, and we're like, we don't have. We don't have, like, hookups.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

It's like, we. We actually do buy most of our tickets. I don't know about you guys.

[PFT Commenter]

There's somebody that. That will always ask me for San Francisco 49ers tickets when they're traveling to San Francisco.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

But they're like. And if you can make it, that'd be awesome.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, it's like, I don't.

[PFT Commenter]

I don't live in California.

[Big Cat]

And, like, yeah, we interviewed Kyle Shanahan, but I. I don't have his phone number.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, let me hit up real quick.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, let me just text him and. And see if he can get you tickets. All right. I think that was a really good Mount Rushmore.

[PFT Commenter]

So what if, like, when a country asks you if you can sell them, like, billions of dollars in weapons to fund their war, and you have to act like, oh, I'm not part of it, but here's all. Yeah, here's all my ammunition. Yeah, that's a bad favorite.

[Big Cat]

That's a bad favor for sure. Okay, so we'll see what happens. A duel will happen if PFT and Hank finish first. Zach and I finished second, and Max means finished third.

[PFT Commenter]

Not that we're influencing the vote.

[Big Cat]

Nope. We're just laying it out for the awls. And I would love a duel. I'll just say it.

[PFT Commenter]

What does Kornacki say about this? Max?

[Big Cat]

I got big. I don't know. I got big hat and Zach.

[Hank]

Yeah, I don't feel good about it.

[Big Cat]

Letter of recommendation. How many. How many of those you write?

[PFT Commenter]

That was us.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, I know, but I think that'll drop you down to two.

[PFT Commenter]

Oh, you're a hater.

[Big Cat]

This is this big hat, and that's really good. That was. They borrow your truck is just an alternate of moving.

[Hank]

Yeah, we're in trouble.

[Big Cat]

We'll see.

[Brandon Walker]

We'll see.

[Big Cat]

Well, I hope. I hope we're good enough to get second. That'd be nice. All right, let's get to our interviews.

[PFT Commenter]

Before we get to Brandon and Tom. They're brought to you by YouTube Football's back the only place fans can watch every game every Sunday is NFL Sunday Ticket and YouTube TV. NFL Sunday Ticket provides NFL fans with the ultimate NFL viewing experience with features like Multi View. You can watch up to four games at the exact same time, including red zone key plays to catch up or replay the biggest moments in each game and Jerry o' Connell's favorite feature, Fantasy View to track your player's scores right alongside each game. Right now, new users can score NFL Sunday ticket for eight payments of 34.50amonth. 34.50amonth. Eight payments. You get NFL Sunday tickets sign up today. YouTube.com part of my take to get started Tell them the football guys at Part of My Take sent you. Check it out YouTube.com pardon my take to get started today. New users pay 276 or 8 non cancellable payments of 34.50amonth. First charge at purchase. Availability varies with NFL Sunday Ticket for out of market games and YouTube TV base plan for local and national games. Base plan required. Device and content restrictions apply. Terms, restrictions and embargoes apply. Excludes digital only games. Commercial use excluded. No refunds. And now, here is Brandon and Tom.

[Big Cat]

Okay, it's time. Our mega college football preview with our two very special guests. It is Tom Fornelli, our good friend, and Brandon Walker, reigning college football expert on the Part of My Take podcast. Not our good friend, but he is the reigning college football expert on the Pardon My Take podcast. Brandon, you've been bitching and moaning about not getting anything for beating Tom in the pickoff last year. So here is your thing. The floor is yours first.

[Brandon Walker]

We sat here last year on this couch. You had a competition. I was. You told me. You promised me last year. You can be on the pmt. You're gonna be our expert. I walked in, you had this guy sitting there as a surprise.

[Big Cat]

Yep.

[Brandon Walker]

Ha ha funny. Yay. Everybody got to laugh. Anyway, we had a competition on that show. I want it handily. I mean handily. And we haven't mentioned it for 365 days until this moment right now.

[Tom Fornelli]

So is it like by two points? Handily?

[Big Cat]

Yeah, no, it wasn't that handy.

[Brandon Walker]

It was handily.

[PFT Commenter]

He is correct that we haven't mentioned it.

[Big Cat]

Right.

[PFT Commenter]

Do you think people wanted us to mention it?

[Brandon Walker]

I thought that's what the competition was for, that I actually won something. And I just introduced you. Yeah, but I thought I would be referred to on PMT multiple times as that. Not just the last time. We did it.

[PFT Commenter]

We did talk about the experts being trivia champions, right?

[Brandon Walker]

We did, yeah. Yeah. And I carried us to that. No, and I.

[Big Cat]

And I. I'll be honest with you, the pomp and circumstance, the parade, all that stuff, that is kept for when Tom wins this.

[Brandon Walker]

Right. I feel like. I feel like this whole thing was just a sham to hold over my head just in case I lost.

[Big Cat]

We didn't expect you to win it.

[Tom Fornelli]

The first year to fucking thank me. I'm the one who got you on the show to begin with.

[Brandon Walker]

I don't.

[Big Cat]

Good point.

[Tom Fornelli]

I was the one who contacted Dan and said we should have Brandon on.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Brandon Walker]

That just can't be what happened.

[Big Cat]

That is.

[PFT Commenter]

Tom invited you on the show.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. He's like, hey, they've never invited you on this show. Yeah, yeah, we gave Tom a plus one.

[PFT Commenter]

Tom, do you have any questions for your guest?

[Tom Fornelli]

Do you put out on the second date?

[Brandon Walker]

I won the first date. I won.

[Tom Fornelli]

No, I won the first date.

[Brandon Walker]

I won.

[PFT Commenter]

I think Tom was the better guest.

[Brandon Walker]

I don't think so.

[Tom Fornelli]

I mean, I do a hell of.

[Brandon Walker]

A job that day.

[Tom Fornelli]

I have seen like upwards of five tweets asking for Brandon to be back on the show.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, that's true.

[Brandon Walker]

Well, I think they assume. They assume I'm going to be. I was the reigning PMT college football expert.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Brandon Walker]

I think I was here on bowl season, but it was brief.

[Big Cat]

Okay.

[Brandon Walker]

Okay.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. I mean, I don't really have only.

[Tom Fornelli]

Appearance in bowl season.

[Brandon Walker]

We're going to be better this year, brother.

[Big Cat]

Better how better? Better.

[Brandon Walker]

Better in football.

[Big Cat]

How many better?

[Brandon Walker]

Not. Not that many. Schedule is you have to go to.

[Big Cat]

Your second hand to count. How better? How much better.

[Brandon Walker]

I'll just use the one for now, but. But I think we're getting further along that hand.

[Big Cat]

I like that you check that to make sure. Do I have six fingers?

[Brandon Walker]

No, we're getting further along that hand.

[Big Cat]

Okay.

[Brandon Walker]

All right.

[Big Cat]

So let's get into it. Let's just start where you guys want to start. You want to start sec. You know what? You get to decide where you want to start, Brandon, because you are the reigning college football expert on part of my take.

[Brandon Walker]

I want to start with a take that I have put out there, and everybody seems to be allergic to that. When you pick a Texas to win the national title, everybody's fine. When you pick an Ohio State to win the national title, everybody's fine. I have picked Penn State to win the national title, and all I have gotten is James Franklin can never win it. They'll never do it. They're just a joke. They'll lose to Ohio State like they always do. I think it's the most complete team. I think the quarterback is fantastic. And I think it doesn't matter that the coach has never broken through it. Never. It only matters if he can do it. I believe he can do it. And what do you think about that?

[Tom Fornelli]

I do not give a fuck about James Franklin's record in games against top five teams. I don't think that matters at all.

[Big Cat]

Can't win the big one, though. Let's just.

[Tom Fornelli]

He hasn't won the big.

[Brandon Walker]

But you know who hadn't won the big one? Ryan Day hadn't proven he could win a national title.

[PFT Commenter]

Tommy Fleetwood. Yeah.

[Brandon Walker]

Kirby Smart hadn't proven he could win the big one. He couldn't beat Alabama forever. Dabo Sweeney had never proven it until he proved it. But you never break through until you break through. I think they can do it.

[Tom Fornelli]

Penn State's not Georgia, though.

[Brandon Walker]

Penn State's pretty loaded.

[Big Cat]

And they're not.

[Brandon Walker]

But they're pretty loaded.

[PFT Commenter]

Does Penn State have the dudes that Georgia has?

[Brandon Walker]

Not the dudes that they had on the 2021, 2022 national championship?

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, we're doing a dude off, but.

[Brandon Walker]

I think they have as many dudes as anybody has this year.

[Big Cat]

Let me ask you a question about Penn State. Yeah. And either of you can answer it. I believe in Penn State. I think they'd be very good. Allers good quarterback. I like that he came back. Oh, Tom, maybe not.

[Tom Fornelli]

Just look at Drew out your stats against good team.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Tom Fornelli]

If you still think he's a good team.

[PFT Commenter]

But that's exactly what you just said about James Franklin.

[Big Cat]

But hold on, Will.

[Tom Fornelli]

James Franklin's not playing. The player is who matters.

[PFT Commenter]

So it doesn't matter against good teams when it's a coach, but it does.

[Big Cat]

Yes.

[Brandon Walker]

Yes.

[PFT Commenter]

Okay.

[Big Cat]

When Penn State needs a big play, will they be doing a bubble screen to a wide receiver?

[Brandon Walker]

So last year.

[Big Cat]

That's my only question about Penn State.

[Brandon Walker]

Yeah. Last year they had two great running backs and a great tight end. They threw the tight end often. The receivers were garbage. And the receivers being garbage, showed up the most when they were playing elite secondaries like Ohio State, Notre Dame.

[Big Cat]

You need a dude.

[Brandon Walker]

You need a dude. They didn't have any. They went out and got dudes at receiver. They got Pena from Syracuse. They got Kyron Hudson from. Kyron Hudson from usc. That is a dude and a half. And I think that's going to make the biggest difference this year. He Actually has. This is the first time in his career, four years that he's had dude receivers to throw.

[Big Cat]

Okay.

[Tom Fornelli]

If Penn State wins the national title this year, I don't think it's a tremendous upset. What I think is completely overlooked is you talked about all the guys they have coming back and I think that in this year where there's a lot of teams that we don't really have a lot of, you know, new quarterbacks, new offensive and defensive linemen, all that shit going on, we're kind of overrating the returning experience. And the thing I would point out is yeah, Penn State has a lot coming back. But you know what? They don't have their best player on their offense last year or their best player on their defense last year. So those are two significant pieces that they have to replace in Tyler Warren and Abdul Carter. That said they can win the Big Ten, their schedule is very easy. In fact, if they, if they aren't in the Big Ten championship, something went very fucking.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, their toughest game is going to Ohio State.

[Brandon Walker]

Yeah, I think they, I think their quarterback coming back for a fourth year and being a three year starter now is a big deal that can offset the loss of the tight end. And again Hudson can, I think he can equal the receiving threat that, that Tyler Warren was.

[Tom Fornelli]

He could. I don't think that's like likely.

[Brandon Walker]

And yeah, they lost their best defensive player. I also think they massively upgraded a defensive coordinator.

[Tom Fornelli]

That is a very good point.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Tom Fornelli]

So this is a huge upgrade.

[Brandon Walker]

I definitely think they.

[Big Cat]

He can win the big one.

[Brandon Walker]

There are so many he did last year with Texas, with Ohio State, with Alabama, with Georgia, with all the other big teams. They're all, they're all replacing quarterbacks. They're all Ohio State's replacing so much on defense. They all take down a little bit and that allows a Clemson and a Penn State to tick up and, and really to me, Penn State's a national champ.

[Big Cat]

Okay. So since we started with Penn State, let's, let's stay in the Big Ten. Ohio State, they obviously, you know Julian saying who's what, A redshirt freshman. But he also has an incredible receiving core and maybe the best player in all college football. And Jeremiah Smith. Do you think that that receiving core makes it like, hey, he doesn't have to be incredible. He's going to have guys open because it's Ohio State and they'll be just fine?

[Tom Fornelli]

I think to a degree because I think of how Will Howard looked at Kansas State and then I think of how Will Howard looked at Ohio State looked a lot different when you have all those guys to throw to. But I also think that if you look at the way that they work, they are so talented on both sides of the ball that Julian saying to me is he's. My concern is he's not that big and if he's taking hits and he gets hurt, then you've got to go to Lincoln Kyle Sue. The good news is at least the competition seemed to be close all fall. Going in. They weren't.

[Big Cat]

It could be bad news.

[PFT Commenter]

Which is backup quarterback's name.

[Tom Fornelli]

I will say you hear like Lincoln Kyle Holes.

[PFT Commenter]

That is the most Ohio State quarterback name I've ever heard in my life.

[Tom Fornelli]

But like you, you hear whispers like when these competitions are going on, it's like, well, it's a good competition because the backup's just playing well. Or it's. It's a competition because the starter that we got that we want to win is not playing well. From what I've heard Ohio State was because they were both playing well. So it was making the decision more difficult. And also Ryan Day is also kind of always a little ambiguous about his quarterback going in. But if I look at Ohio State, I still see the team that is going to be the most talented team on the field. Pretty much every Saturday they go out there.

[Brandon Walker]

Not as overwhelming a talent advantage as they had last year and they still managed to lose two games. And that was with a senior called load management.

[Tom Fornelli]

That's what we.

[Brandon Walker]

That's not called load.

[Tom Fornelli]

That's what now that all you guys got your playoff expansion and losses don't matter anymore. Ryan Day literally pretty much said to us it was load management. He didn't say it.

[Brandon Walker]

But not load man.

[PFT Commenter]

You don't Load man.

[Tom Fornelli]

No, they didn't lose Michigan because of it. But the way that they went about either the way they went about the regular season, they were taking, you know, they were. They were planning for the long.

[Brandon Walker]

No, he was giving Oregon and Michigan everything he had. His ego.

[Big Cat]

They beat Oregon. Yeah.

[Tom Fornelli]

And Michigan beat. Gave them everything they had. They got game.

[PFT Commenter]

Tell me about the. The quarterback coming out of high school. What were his stars like saying?

[Big Cat]

Yeah, five, five star Alabama number one quarterback. No, he's number one for like two weeks. Yeah, but Nick Saban wanted him. Is really what. What what people are going for.

[PFT Commenter]

Okay. I mean it does seem to me like I would rather have an average quarterback with the best wide receivers in college football than the other way, like have the best quarterback and then average.

[Tom Fornelli]

Wide receivers yes, like, a great quarterback can elevate mediocre receivers, but, like, great receivers can also elevate a mediocre quarterback. So I think it goes both ways. And having Jeremiah Smith and then, you know, Carnell Tate is another very good receiver who rarely gets discussed because of Jeremiah Smith's existence. And last year they still had a Mechag Buka, but he is another number two for them who would probably be the number one at 90% of the teams in the country. So they're going to be stacked, they're going to be loaded, and they've added Max Claire at tight end, and he's coming for Purdue. And if you look at Ohio State over the recent years, even when they've been really good, they've had good tight ends, but they haven't had, like, a Tyler Warren kind of tight end. Max Claire is a Tyler Warren kind of tight end, so he's going to have free reign over the middle of the field because defenses are going to be worried about Smith and Tate on the outside. So I think he's going to have a huge season. And they're just going to be even more difficult to stop offensively this year than I think they were last year. And last year worked out pretty well.

[Big Cat]

Who's going to win the game on Saturday?

[Brandon Walker]

I think Texas.

[Tom Fornelli]

I think Ohio State.

[Brandon Walker]

So when we come into this game and you have, yes, best receivers in the country, there's no doubt about that. Offensive line took a lot of lumps last year because of injury. They'll be better running backs, just kind of reload there. Like, I'm fine with all that, but if I'm looking at Arch Manning taking over the Texas offense and some things they got to replace, and Ohio State having to replace the quarterback and everything, the surest unit out of all four units, to me, is the Texas defense. I feel like they're going to be ahead of everybody. They're bringing back the most. They all got star power. So we're talking about five stars across the board, but they bring back the most proven commodities. I think that unit will be ahead of the other three units and they win a close game on Saturday. It's throwing darts at a board.

[Tom Fornelli]

It's at like, what, a two and a half point spread?

[Big Cat]

One and a half? Yes.

[Tom Fornelli]

Oh, it's not a one in really? Okay, well, I got to get on my phone here in a minute, but just like you mentioned that. But I look at Texas and all the things we say about Ohio State as far as question marks.

[Brandon Walker]

Yeah, yeah.

[Tom Fornelli]

All the exact same questions we have about Texas, but the game's being played in Columbus. Now. I know you guys can't go.

[Big Cat]

No.

[Tom Fornelli]

But a lot of Ohio State fans will be there. So it's just, it's, I think playing on the road for Arch Manning and I don't think the hype around him is solely based on his name, although I don't think that has, you know, helped him very much because Manning. But he's a very talented player. Like saying a five star quarterback coming out of high school, he hasn't been a full time starter yet. But you're going on the road and you're playing in a really difficult environment and it's the first fucking game of the year. So you aren't really in any kind of rhythm. So in a game that I expect to be close, I wouldn't be shocked if Texas gets off to a slow start and it's just too much of a hole for them to dig out.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

If we ever figure out why did Arch not go to Ole Miss.

[Brandon Walker]

Oh, probably because he's a good person.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Tom Fornelli]

Yeah. Or I mean, Texas offered more money.

[Brandon Walker]

Yeah, Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

I just want to t brand it up. That's what we do for recurring guests here.

[Big Cat]

All right.

[Tom Fornelli]

Also, no, you know, I will, I will say, if you're Manning, it's not like you're in desperate need of money.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Tom Fornelli]

You know, you're doing pretty well. So if your concern is getting to the NFL and getting the kind of coaching and all that kind of stuff, you want, you also want to sit for a while to learn and, you know, develop. Texas was a kind of a better choice for you in that aspect.

[Big Cat]

And also I think, like, just making your own legacy. Tennessee somewhere. It's kind of why Peyton went to Tennessee. Like not having to live in the shadow path. Yeah.

[Brandon Walker]

Kind of goes in that family.

[PFT Commenter]

I give Stark a lot of credit for what he did last year because everybody wanted Arch to play by the end of the year. There were some question marks with Quinn Yours. It was like, okay, we know what he can do, but we don't think that he's the guy that's going to be able to take us other way. And I think he told Quinn, like, hey, yeah, we're getting Arch in, just so you know your job is safe. I'm not going to, I'm not going to screw that around. I'm not going to sell you a bill of goods and then bench you once once things start to go bad. I like what he did. Showing the rest of the team. Like, hey, I will keep my word to you guys, even if it's kind of to the detriment of the team.

[Brandon Walker]

Well, Arch also started two games, right? He started a couple games and then he came in. I think he came in a couple games down the stretch. Like, he was probably solid, but it was clear he wasn't ready to be the guy. And Quinn, you had the fourth year senior, whatever he was, I think it was easier to Sark to go back to him than maybe we thought it was.

[Tom Fornelli]

Yeah, you're still, you were still operating with a somewhat limited playbook with Arch last year than you were. Because like, you would see when Arch did come in for those two games, it was a very, very, kind of just five or six place.

[Brandon Walker]

Way more running.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, yeah.

[Tom Fornelli]

And there's a lot more running in it. But as far as the passing game, they were much more limited in what they were doing just because Arch wasn't really ready for it.

[PFT Commenter]

I don't like how fast Arch Manning.

[Big Cat]

Is for a white guy.

[Tom Fornelli]

It's kind of off.

[PFT Commenter]

Manning should not be that fast.

[Brandon Walker]

No, but have you seen his Manning face?

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Is it good?

[Big Cat]

Pretty good.

[Brandon Walker]

It's pretty good.

[Big Cat]

We got it. We got a new crop. All right, so sticking the Big Ten, Oregon, number three, although I don't know about Dante Moore, we haven't seen him since two years ago and it was not good.

[Brandon Walker]

I think this is the team that people are just assuming is going to be top 10 because of their recruiting profile over multiple years. But they're, they're, they're kind of starting over. There's a lot of new guys here, I think, and the schedule. Sneaky, tough. That last game at Washington, like, I think Oregon, you can fuck around and look up and they're like 9 and 3 or 8 and 4 and not. Wouldn't be shocked.

[Tom Fornelli]

I have Oregon as the third best team in the Big Ten, but I feel like it's more about questions about who the fourth best team is.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, like I Give us the, give us. Illinois's in the conversation.

[Tom Fornelli]

Illinois is in the conversation. Indiana's in the conversation. Michigan, USC, Iowa, Nebraska, like Washington. There's like 15 different teams in that league who could be the fourth best team this year, I think. But with Oregon, I also feel like we're at a situation where we know Drew Aller is going to be the quarterback of Penn State. Julian Saying will be the quarterback at Ohio State, and Dante Moore is the start, but there's a kid behind him in Austin Nova. Sad. Who Oregon really likes who we've seen Dante Moore play. He started at UCLA as a freshman, wasn't you know, he was a freshman. He looked like sometimes he looked okay at others. But if he's shaky to start, I wouldn't be shocked if by the time that Ohio or the Penn State game rolls around that Nova said is the starter for them. So that's going to be an interesting situation to watch. And I also think Oregon's going to be kind of flipped on its head in that you mentioned like Lanning's been there, they've recruited very well since he showed up and this is going to be the year where those kids finally start really having the major impact. Whereas the last few years they've been reliant on transfers and like 24 year olds they don't have that anymore. I think you're going to see a very defensive team that is probably going to be running the ball a lot more. It's going to be like, you know, complimentary football but with five star talent.

[Big Cat]

All right, so you mentioned a few teams there. Illinois, Washington, usc, Michigan, Indiana, Nebraska. Of that group, who are you guys highest on? Maybe give us your two teams that you're highest on of that group because there is kind of a the Big Ten has some good density to it this year.

[Brandon Walker]

So I heft I released my playoff 12 and I got Nebraska in it. I think Nebraska is this year's Indiana in the fact that they will be better as a football team than they have been and their schedule is fantastic. I think catching Michigan at home in September if they come out of September four and oh like no she own.

[Tom Fornelli]

More in that game either I think.

[Brandon Walker]

Not that that makes a big deal. I think the Nebraska is the team quarterback has to take a big step but he's going from his first year to his second year. You kind of assume that has to happen for a five star. Anyway, I like Nebraska, I like the roster and his third year of Matt Rule everything to me adds up. Like look they got neutral side against.

[Big Cat]

Cincinnati and they go at Penn State is their toughest.

[Brandon Walker]

Yeah yeah but that's late. That's very late in the season. You can build up a 7 and 08 no start here. No problem.

[Big Cat]

Can I throw out something that I I I didn't did you see Dylan Rayola's quote the other day?

[Brandon Walker]

I Is it about Patrick Mahomes?

[Big Cat]

Yeah, yeah. He said I can't get mad at God for making me look like him. But but doesn't got it. It's a pure question he literally just. He dresses like him, he acts, making it.

[Tom Fornelli]

He was born that way.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. That's a red flag quote.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Tom Fornelli]

I mean, does it bother anybody that the expert has to look at the screen? Oh, I'm working off the dome.

[Brandon Walker]

No, no, no, no, no, no. I told you what the schedule was. Then I leaned. No, I don't need time out yet. I just leaned up to affirm. What? Because I couldn't remember. It was Houston Christian.

[Tom Fornelli]

Hey, you know what? Shout out to the guys in the booth for helping you out. That's very nice.

[Brandon Walker]

All right. Who's Nebraska's fifth game?

[Tom Fornelli]

Nebraska's fifth game. That would be Iowa. No, no, no, that's their last game. I don't know their fucking schedule.

[Big Cat]

All right, so who of that group do you like, Tom?

[Tom Fornelli]

I do like Nebraska because you mentioned Matt Rule third year. Like he was 7 and 6 at Temple, won 10 games. The next year he was 7. 6 at Baylor, won 11 games a third year and he went, went 7 and 6 last year with Nebraska. So history suggests we're going to see a leap forward. Whether it'll be enough, I don't know. But the schedule works in their favor. They have the five star quarterback, the defense, we'll see. It could be Nebraska overs might be a thing we're leaning into all season long.

[Big Cat]

I like that.

[Tom Fornelli]

I like Illinois. I think their floor is good. I don't know if the ceiling is quite as high as what we saw last year because they do lose their top two receivers and that's difficult to replace for anybody. But for Illinois, a program that has not exactly been wide receiver, you, over the years, like, like there's, there's nobody that's truly emerged as the alpha. And I think you have to have an alpha before you can be overly confident. But having a third year starter and Luke Altmire is good, having your entire offensive line back is good. And their defensive line will be one of the better units in the Big Ten again. So there's a high floor, but there are also tough road games for them at Indiana, at Duke. We'll see how it goes.

[Brandon Walker]

Let me throw something at you real quick. Throw it on Illinois. Altmeyer to me is a good, solid quarterback, but not the type of quarterback who is going to drag a mediocre receiving core to greatness like you described earlier. Like, I think he's, he's a solid guy, but I don't see there's. The ceiling isn't that high for him individually. Would you agree with that?

[Tom Fornelli]

I think he could Play his way into like a late round NFL draft.

[Brandon Walker]

Pick like a fourth, fifth, sixth, like.

[Tom Fornelli]

Yeah, somewhere in the back end.

[Big Cat]

But it's also Beelima ball. Yeah, but he doesn't have to be.

[Tom Fornelli]

But that's last year because they were.

[Big Cat]

Not a running team last year.

[Tom Fornelli]

They threw it all over the place last year. This year we could see them lean more into the run game if a receiver doesn't emerge. But we're also going to see them in more 12 personnel because they've got a tight end and the two. They've got more tight end.

[Brandon Walker]

Well, you can't play 12 guys. It's only 11 allowed to play.

[PFT Commenter]

It's very funny.

[Brandon Walker]

Thanks.

[Tom Fornelli]

Expert over here.

[Big Cat]

All right, who's going to be this?

[PFT Commenter]

How do I. How am I supposed to feel about Signetti this year? Because I'm going in this year.

[Brandon Walker]

He's an.

[PFT Commenter]

Well, I, I had to be a defender of Signetti.

[Big Cat]

Why?

[PFT Commenter]

Well, because he left you. I know. I'll explain. I'll explain that my. You can, you can call me after this if you still think that. But my theory is that I'm going to be a stepping, stepping stone school no matter what at jmu.

[Big Cat]

Right?

[PFT Commenter]

Like coaches, if they get to the College Football Playoff, if they're winning the conference in the Sun Belt, they're going to get poached eventually by a big school, by a big state school. And that's what happened. I might as well want to be the best stepping stone that there is. So you attract the next guy up, like Bob Chesney, great coach, happy to get him, him on board. But he took also a lot of JMU's players last year. So I also felt like I was rooting for JMU in a power conference. That was fun. But now that's like one year removed. I think I have to be like, fuck this guy. He's no longer Duke.

[Brandon Walker]

I think you should have done it last year because he took all your players. Yeah, they took your players and left you. You want to be the best stepping stone school. That includes having your players around for the next guy. And he took all your players, went to Indiana, played the. Played a softer schedule than you guys played last year. And acts like he's Steve Spurrier. All of a sudden he's an asshole.

[PFT Commenter]

Well, he has to do that to get attention on Indiana. That like, that's what you have to do as a coach.

[Tom Fornelli]

I don't know if this has ever happened to any of you guys, but. Fun story about Kurt Signetti. I was in Vegas Last month, and I'm taking a piss at the stall and all of a sudden, guy pulls up next to me, it's Kurt Signetti. I don't know if you guys have ever had, like, a celebrity piss next to you.

[PFT Commenter]

No. Did he. Was he able to pee?

[Tom Fornelli]

No, I wasn't. He was, yeah. Strong flow.

[PFT Commenter]

Good.

[Big Cat]

Very strong fire hose.

[PFT Commenter]

You know, Tom, that's where you and I met. It was in the bathroom at blogs. Was it blogs with balls? Yeah, I believe so.

[Tom Fornelli]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

I think I was taking a leak and you were taking a leak next to me. I said, hey, I'm PFT commenter. And you're like, holy, Good to meet you.

[Tom Fornelli]

Then we crossed swords and it's been friendship ever since.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, Brand's never done that.

[Big Cat]

Who of that group in the Big Ten is going to disappear?

[PFT Commenter]

Disappoint?

[Tom Fornelli]

It could be Indiana.

[Brandon Walker]

Could be Illinois. Oh, it could be Illinois.

[Tom Fornelli]

It couldn't be.

[Brandon Walker]

Yes, it could. And you know, you know it could.

[Tom Fornelli]

Well, to be fair, you know what disappointment looks like.

[Brandon Walker]

Oh, but I know what pure heartache looks like. You ain't been where I've been.

[Tom Fornelli]

You're gonna tell the Illinois football fan he hasn't been where you've been?

[Brandon Walker]

Listen, we played in a bowl a couple years ago and I haven't even seen. I don't even know what a bowl smells like.

[Tom Fornelli]

Who'd you beat in that bowl game?

[Brandon Walker]

We beat Illinois.

[Tom Fornelli]

Exactly. So you're going to tell me I don't know what it's like to be on that.

[Brandon Walker]

You guys have been in bowls ever since. I can't even. My coach died.

[Tom Fornelli]

You only get one more year for.

[Big Cat]

That, by the way.

[Brandon Walker]

At least I get the one.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Tom Fornelli]

So I just think with Indiana, like, we saw it with Florida State last year. When you build your team through the portal like that, it's a lottery ticket. A lot of the times and last year they caught, you know, they caught lightning. It all worked out. The schedule was great. Every single transfer hit. They've got a lot of those guys back still. But you're going back, back to the portal. You've got a brand new quarterback and you brought a new offensive lineman we saw at Florida State. If it doesn't work and shit goes south, quick, teams will check out. Like when you hire mercenaries. Mercenaries can only live to fight another day if they get the fuck off the field.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Brandon Walker]

The only thing about that is I do think the profile of the transfer quarterback they got this year is even better than the one they got last year.

[Tom Fornelli]

Yeah, but the One they got last year was very experienced. And Mendoza, and he played a weak schedule.

[Brandon Walker]

This guy doesn't get to do that.

[Tom Fornelli]

No, but Mendoza, Mandel Mendoza, I think right now is far more projection than actual production. I think people look at him, they see the size, they see the arm, and they kind of start drooling on what he can be in the NFL. I think at the college level, there's still some kinks that need to be ironed out of his game. That if you watched Cal closely last year, there were good moments, but there were also a lot of what the hell is he doing?

[Hank]

Moments.

[Tom Fornelli]

And now that Indiana is going to be more in the spotlight, that could bite them.

[PFT Commenter]

Back to Nebraska. Real quick.

[Big Cat]

Quick.

[PFT Commenter]

Dylan Raiola. Just by. Just a pure vibe, gut reaction to having your leader dress up as another human.

[Tom Fornelli]

I don't like.

[PFT Commenter]

I. I don't really like it.

[Tom Fornelli]

No, I don't like it.

[PFT Commenter]

Tribute band, fun to check out. But at least he's like Brandon last.

[Brandon Walker]

Year when he's doing Pastor Mahomes and not Taylor.

[Big Cat]

Don't say God made you that way. You're doing his celebrations. You're doing his warm ups.

[PFT Commenter]

When Desmond Watson cosplayed as you last year, how'd you feel about that?

[Big Cat]

That was good.

[Brandon Walker]

You're talking about the. The really, really fat guy.

[PFT Commenter]

The guy that didn't make the bucks.

[Brandon Walker]

Yet because he's so fat.

[PFT Commenter]

You also get upset about not making enough bucks.

[Big Cat]

You forget who he was the minute he went to the NFL.

[Brandon Walker]

No, I.

[Big Cat]

That would be an awesome bit if.

[Brandon Walker]

Like, I do sometimes.

[Big Cat]

You're like, who's that?

[Brandon Walker]

I do sometimes.

[PFT Commenter]

Not my problem.

[Brandon Walker]

He's £460.

[Big Cat]

Who's Ken Ward? All right. Want to go to SEC?

[Brandon Walker]

Can we? We've been talking about the damn Big Ten the whole time.

[Big Cat]

All right, let's start with the SEC.

[Tom Fornelli]

All right.

[Big Cat]

Talk me off of Alabama to win the national title. 10.

[Brandon Walker]

I have no problem doing this. I did it last year. Last year I sat on this couch and he.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, no, you're right. Jaylah Milro.

[Brandon Walker]

Jalen Milro. But this year, Alabama fans are going with the narrative. Yeah, well, Caleb DeBoer came here and he had to start Jaylen Milro or he was going to lose the team. And that's why we were so bad, which I remember took him to the playoff two years ago. Like he had. He had an ability as a college quarterback to do it. And for whatever reason, the coach doesn't fit Alabama. And to me, now they're turning to a guy who has been there for four years and multiple coordinators and multiple head coaches have never believed in this guy. Never once have multiple coaches and multiple coordinators looked at Ty Simpson and said that's our guy. And now all of a sudden by default he's the last one standing and we're supposed to say, oh wow, everything that went wrong last year when they got boat raced by a bad Oklahoma, they got beat by a mediocre Vanderbilt and they should have lost to South Carolina. Like everything that went wrong last year is fixed because this new quarterback that nobody's ever believed in counterpoint not happening.

[Big Cat]

Ryan Grub.

[Brandon Walker]

Ryan Grub does make me feel better.

[Big Cat]

What if he is the Kalin Debo?

[Tom Fornelli]

What if he is the secret recipe?

[Big Cat]

Yeah, he's the recipe because he's followed Kaylin DeBoer everywhere. He's gone. He obviously wasn't there last year. Now he's back with him. What if he's the offensive coordinator that.

[Tom Fornelli]

We discussed it earlier when we were talking the Big Ten? What can really great wide receivers do to an average quarterback? They can lift him up, right? What does Ty Simpson have?

[Big Cat]

Have a really, really good he has.

[Tom Fornelli]

Great receivers around him. It's not like Jeremiah Smith grabbed all the attention. But Ryan Williams is pretty good too.

[Big Cat]

So he's only 17 years old, got.

[Tom Fornelli]

Plenty of weapons around him. He's going to have a very strong offensive line and it's not like I, I know that Nick Saban changed the format towards the end where it started becoming. I've got NFL quarterbacks now, so good luck. But they won plenty of national titles at Alabama just with a game manager quarterback. I don't think Ty Simpson needs to be anything spectacular. He doesn't need to be first team.

[Brandon Walker]

All se Nick Saban ain't there anymore.

[Tom Fornelli]

Their defense is on first round.

[Brandon Walker]

Saban ain't there anymore.

[Tom Fornelli]

He just has to distribute. The Kaylin DeBoer and Ryan Grubb are very good at putting together an offense that teaches their quarterback how to distribute the ball. So he's going to be able to get it out and he's going to let his receivers do all the work. They got good running backs, they've got a good offensive line. Defensively they're still going to be really, really good. I've got them reaching the SEC title game. I don't know if they can win the national title, but I don't know. Like there are so many questions about everybody that I feel like there are eight or 10 different teams. You can make a logistical logical argument for winning a national title.

[Big Cat]

And that's kind of how I did it. Because it was. They were 10 to 1 where it's like Ohio State 6 to 1.

[Tom Fornelli]

Like, why would you want to bet the favorites when there was so many?

[Brandon Walker]

I'm fair with that. I do think there's probably eight, nine, ten teams can win it. And even in the sec, probably four or five, six teams are going to win the sec. Like, I'm good with that. But to me, there were just so many bad signs in that first year. Caleb DeBoer goes to a national title game with Washington, switches to a roster that is loaded. They were loaded last year. I know they're loaded this year. But they were loaded last year. They were loaded last year.

[Tom Fornelli]

But Jalen Milroe couldn't make the throw.

[Big Cat]

He didn't have Ryan Grubb.

[Brandon Walker]

They were loaded last year. And Caleb DeBoer figured out a way to lose to Vanderbilt. I don't care. Anything going on Alabama.

[Big Cat]

You can't.

[Brandon Walker]

You just can't let an Alabama roster lose to a Vanderbilt roster.

[Tom Fornelli]

Vanderbilt had the better quarterback. That.

[Brandon Walker]

You can't do it. You can't lose to that roster. No, I'm not.

[Tom Fornelli]

I'm not making an excuse for it. I'm just saying they had the better quarterback.

[Brandon Walker]

You can't go to Norman, Oklahoma and get beat by a mediocre team 24 to 3. Like there's something. There's a disconnect.

[Big Cat]

It.

[Brandon Walker]

It takes a different kind of human to win in the sec. I'm not saying a better coach or whatever. It takes a different kind of human. And I don't think Caleb DeBoer fits Alabama.

[Big Cat]

Ryan Grubb is the connect.

[Brandon Walker]

Maybe he have we succeed. We haven't seen him succeed.

[Big Cat]

I'm just betting on Ryan.

[Brandon Walker]

You gotta be a borderline criminal.

[PFT Commenter]

I like his game, but what do.

[Brandon Walker]

You say.

[PFT Commenter]

When you say you can't go to Alabama and lose to Venny? They did. They did that last year and.

[Brandon Walker]

Right.

[PFT Commenter]

He's still the coach this year. I feel like there's gonna be a lot more pre. Like, you can't.

[Brandon Walker]

He's nine to three this year. His ass on hot seat.

[PFT Commenter]

You can't do that this year. You get one year to figure out the essence.

[Brandon Walker]

Agreed. For sure.

[Tom Fornelli]

But I also think part of it too. Just like you look at the kids on the roster. They've gone from Saban to deboer who are two varied, different kind of personalities. I think kids were just trying to figure out what they can get away with. Last year and maybe like DeBoer wasn't.

[Brandon Walker]

Stepped out if they were doing year one.

[Tom Fornelli]

Substitute teacher energy.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

But.

[Tom Fornelli]

Well, it's the second year he's still around.

[Brandon Walker]

But if he couldn't lead them in year one, if they were trying to get away, if he had to go with the quarterback he didn't like because he didn't want to lose the team, what kind of leader is that?

[Tom Fornelli]

Well, James Franklin's past performances don't matter when you pick Penn State winning a national title. But one bad season for Caleb Moore, who's had nothing but outstanding everywhere he's fucking.

[Big Cat]

There's no way he can lead a team.

[Tom Fornelli]

He was only in the national title.

[Big Cat]

Game two years ago. How was it in the corner? Hold on.

[Brandon Walker]

It's a fair point. It's a fair point. But Caleb DeBoer has never proven it in the SEC at all. James Franklin's proven it in multiple conferences. He's already won the Big Ten once. Right. He won 2016.

[Tom Fornelli]

Yeah.

[Brandon Walker]

Like he has proven he can get to this level. He just can't open the door. Kaylin DeBoer going to the SEC, the SEC is a different monster. I understand he did it at Washington. Alabama fan base and the Alabama pressure is different and it fucks people up. And it fucked him up last year. I think it's going to fuck him up again now. He's got to go for the experience.

[Tom Fornelli]

Now he knows what to expect. He had no idea.

[Big Cat]

He's got Ryan Grubb.

[Brandon Walker]

He's not built for this.

[Big Cat]

Got Ryan Grub.

[Brandon Walker]

Ryan Grub.

[Tom Fornelli]

Ryan Grub is a human shield.

[Brandon Walker]

He will protect him from Ryan Grub.

[Big Cat]

Ryan Grub will turn off the radio.

[Brandon Walker]

When he's listening to it so he.

[Big Cat]

Doesn'T hear any of the.

[Brandon Walker]

Kaylin Dabore ain't built for this. It is a nasty.

[Tom Fornelli]

Is one of the best football coaches in the country.

[Brandon Walker]

That ain't what I said. He ain't built for Alabama. Alabama is a nightmare to coach at. Only somebody like Nick Saban could manage the expectations and the demands and all the. You got to deal with. Nick Saban's the greatest coach of all time.

[Tom Fornelli]

Agreed. We agree on that.

[PFT Commenter]

They're supposed to be sec.

[Tom Fornelli]

They supposed to be.

[PFT Commenter]

I don't know. I don't know that. Kaylin divorce, sec.

[Brandon Walker]

I don't think.

[Big Cat]

What? Is the SEC still the sec?

[Brandon Walker]

Yes. You're still competing against Kirby Smart. You're still competing against these down there.

[Big Cat]

Change it cost you.

[Brandon Walker]

Change the cost of doing business.

[Big Cat]

All right, Georgia, Gunner Stockton. We're going to talk about Heisman in at the end, but Gunner Stockton is something I've been looking at.

[Tom Fornelli]

I'm going to shift back here.

[Big Cat]

Okay?

[Tom Fornelli]

I just. I can't, you know.

[Brandon Walker]

Why did you shift in the first place?

[Big Cat]

Because you shifted. Did. Yeah.

[Brandon Walker]

Yeah, but I'm gonna shift. I'm a shifter and people know that.

[Big Cat]

Do I. Do I buy the Gunner Stockton stock? No. Well, I'm looking for. Listen, you're talking to the guys who had 40 to one Travis Hunter last year.

[Brandon Walker]

Fair enough.

[Big Cat]

You. You look like an idiot.

[Tom Fornelli]

I. I've never had more questions about Georgia under Kirby Smart than I have about them.

[Brandon Walker]

But Travis Hunter, ever.

[PFT Commenter]

I knew if he tried to talk me out of Travis, I did.

[Brandon Walker]

I said he's not going to be able to stay healthy, but he did.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, he's 41. So Gunner Stockton.

[Tom Fornelli]

Are we saying Kaylin Debor is not built for the sec, but he will.

[Big Cat]

Is gutter socks Stockton capable of Georgia team, or is it. Hey, he couldn't beat out Carson Beck, and Carson Beck stunk last year.

[Tom Fornelli]

I. I don't know. My biggest concern about Georgia, and it's not really a concern, it's just the question marks like we saw when. When they were winning the two national titles. They were the best team in the country by far. They were just able to rotate guys in and out along the lines of scrimmage because they were so fucking deep. But the one thing that the portal has done is a lot of the guys who used to be sitting on that second or third string of the depth chart have moved on to go start other places. So they don't have the same kind of depth that they've had. And now if you look at their offensive line, last year was not nearly up to your typical Georgia standard. And the best part of that line was the interior of it. The two guards in their center. Those guys are gone. So you've got pretty much a brand new offensive line as far as experience is concerned. I mean, it's Georgia, so they're not going to suck there. But are they going to be elite? I don't know. And if you don't have an elite offensive line with Gunner Stockton behind it, I just don't think the margin for error for the Bulldogs is nearly as, you know, small as it was before. I think that they could have problems. But when I say Georgia could have problems, I mean it could go 9 and 3.

[Big Cat]

Right?

[Brandon Walker]

I agree with all that. I don't.

[Big Cat]

I don't.

[Brandon Walker]

Not a big Georgia believer this year. And not only the offensive line is a good point, but Carson Beck wore it last year. But the receivers and running back average as hell. And receivers were garbage.

[Tom Fornelli]

Yeah, they had no receivers.

[Brandon Walker]

They were garbage. They led the country and dropped passes. Carson Beck was bad in his own right. He had some. Something was going on in his head or whatever. Now he's at Miami. I don't think Gunner Stockton's the answer to fix all of that in one off season. And I don't see an improved receiver room or running back room. To me they're a solid 10 and 2, 93 team that can, that can mess up somebody else in the sec. But I don't see the national title contender I saw three years ago.

[PFT Commenter]

10 and 2 is. But if Georgia finishes 10 and 2, you're a playoff team. Also where you should keep your hands on the wheel. Do they teach that at Georgia?

[Tom Fornelli]

No. Did you see like Clemson suspended a guy for a game for dui? I was wondering what Kirby Smart was thinking when he saw that.

[PFT Commenter]

At what point does it become like an accurate. That the team has to like force the guys to go to preventative driver's ed classes?

[Brandon Walker]

I don't. I, I think there would have to be multiple like murders or something. Like at some point. I don't. Kirby Smart's not going to do anything and George is not going to do anything to Kirby Smart. As long as he's winning doesn't matter. Crimes don't matter if you're winning in the SEC.

[PFT Commenter]

That's 100% true.

[Tom Fornelli]

That's. That's America. Crimes don't matter as long as you're winning.

[Brandon Walker]

If you're winning in football, crimes do not matter.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Tom Fornelli]

What even is crime? Let's ask ourselves.

[PFT Commenter]

Speaking of crime, is it criminal what Auburn did a couple weeks ago and just gave themselves like more national championships? My take is that they, you can try to pull this bullshit, but you have to do it within like two years of, of when that national championship would have been so that people can get properly mad at you. You can't claim national championships from like, I don't know, 15 plus years ago.

[Brandon Walker]

It's bullshit what they did. But it is not fair to judge Auburn through a normal lens. They share a state with the most egregious violators of this, of anybody. They live next door to Alabama who claims national titles where they finished number 20 in the AP ball. 1941, Alabama went eight and three, finished number 20. They claim a national title. Alabama's got like six or seven of those. So if you're living with them.

[Big Cat]

Fuck it.

[Brandon Walker]

Just claim whatever. Now the 93 one when they're probation. That's stupid.

[Tom Fornelli]

Yeah, I don't like. I think it's funny when schools claim national titles. So I'm not going to like get on about it, but I do think there needs to be a statute of limitations where you're claiming a title from over a century ago.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Tom Fornelli]

Because they now a computer rating of that season ran box scores through a simulation and said, oh, this team's to.

[PFT Commenter]

Going like there were some that.

[Tom Fornelli]

That's great. But it's also like, no, there were.

[PFT Commenter]

Some that they did when, when they lost to the eventual national champion and they're like, yeah, we're going to claim that one too.

[Brandon Walker]

So I, I think anything before, like 1950, I think every school should just claim at least three. Yeah, every school should claim because nobody knows.

[Big Cat]

Can we talk about Auburn real quick? Because we are the other. No, I'm saying this current, not, not 100 years ago Auburn. This current Auburn team. Yeah. Jackson Arnold is also someone I'm looking at for maybe a long shot. Heisman thoughts? I think their office is going to be good.

[Tom Fornelli]

I.

[Big Cat]

And also here. All right, so let me get State my case. Cam Coleman's very good. Yes, yes. Okay.

[Tom Fornelli]

Great receivers on that.

[Big Cat]

Okay. Jackson Arnold was in a bad situation last year against with Oklahoma.

[Brandon Walker]

Terrible situation.

[Big Cat]

And on top of all that, what is Auburn always proven to us is when you think they're down, some crazy year happens.

[Brandon Walker]

But it's been like.

[Tom Fornelli]

So if you want to.

[Big Cat]

I know.

[Tom Fornelli]

But if you want to go chaos theory. I. I could see it. But here's the thing. I was a huge Jackson Arnold guy last year. He was somebody I was very high on and I felt like Oklahoma threw him under the bus. He got blamed for a lot of the things that were wrong with that team, which were primarily all on a horrible offensive line. I have not heard anything good coming out of Auburn camp about Jackson Arnold.

[Big Cat]

Okay, so this is why we have our not expert, but insider. It's just like now wait a minute, he's our insider.

[Brandon Walker]

How did he get a title?

[Big Cat]

He just gave us a nugget.

[Tom Fornelli]

They literally give me it.

[Big Cat]

He just gave us a nugget.

[Brandon Walker]

I'm curious how you don't hear anything good out of the all Auburn because those people never say anything bad about themselves.

[Tom Fornelli]

Oh, I'm not talking to Auburn people.

[Big Cat]

I'm talking. You know, he's got inside people.

[PFT Commenter]

This is how you don't understand.

[Brandon Walker]

Even the. Oh, I understand.

[PFT Commenter]

No it sounds to me like sources.

[Tom Fornelli]

Do you want to have a source off?

[PFT Commenter]

When Brandon wants to report on a team, he just calls somebody from the team and then he just parrots whatever they tell him.

[Tom Fornelli]

He reads somebody on Twitter. Who's.

[Brandon Walker]

I read you.

[Tom Fornelli]

That's. That's your.

[Big Cat]

That's Hank. That Hank does.

[Tom Fornelli]

That Hank reads excites me. But I just, I've heard a lot of negative buzz coming out. And also Auburn, like their plan last year was to kind of load up the money cannon to go into the portal this year to kind of do what Ole Miss did last year, make a run for it. Except the kind of talent that was in the portal the last few years didn't show up in the portal this year. So they kind of blew it on multiple quarterbacks. So, like, because they've got Ashton Daniels from Stanford and who's the other kid that they got?

[Brandon Walker]

Well, they got the Deuce Knight kid out of Mississippi.

[Tom Fornelli]

Deuce Knight they paid for out of high. Yeah. So Jax, I. I don't know. You look at Hugh Freeze's history. I pair that with the kind of stuff I've heard coming out of camp. I don't know that Jackson Arnold, like it could be a quarterback carousel there. It be week to week. Hell, they've said he might play all.

[Big Cat]

Three in the first and all three coordinators.

[Tom Fornelli]

And I think, like, I forgot about.

[Brandon Walker]

They have a play caller for first down.

[Big Cat]

They have nine different combinations.

[Tom Fornelli]

You guys were trying to do the permutations. Yeah, that's not our strong suit. No. But like, I just don't know if Jackson is going to be the guy there every week. It's going to be really hard to win the Heisman if you're being, if you're getting Steve Spurrier, like rotating quarterbacks.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Brandon Walker]

I have two things about that.

[Big Cat]

Okay.

[Brandon Walker]

A, I think Hugh Freeze as a elite quarterback whisperer that he was at Ole Miss and then even at Liberty, I think it's dead. I think it's gone.

[Tom Fornelli]

You want to know what that was? People didn't know the offense yet.

[Brandon Walker]

Yeah, it's a very simple. Yeah, it's not that complicated offense. But number two, let's, let's paint the picture that Jackson Arnold at Auburn is very good and you want him to be the Heisman Trophy winner. Can I, can I even come up with a world where he's better than Arch Manning at Texas or Lagway?

[Big Cat]

Listen, these are all long shots and.

[Brandon Walker]

Come up better with than Sellers at South Carolina. I'm taking him in the top Three of the sec.

[Big Cat]

I know. I'm talking long shots. We're looking for value. I. I'm probably not going to bet. I'm just throwing these out there. It's just a thought.

[Brandon Walker]

I think a better long shot in the sec and I haven't looked at the Heisman odds as closely as I'm sure you have so far. I don't know what lagway is.

[Big Cat]

If Florida, can they get to nine wins? Can Florida gets to nine wins? You got to get to nine wins to win the Heisman.

[Tom Fornelli]

I'll give you a long shot. Quarterback in the sec. Austin Simmons at Ole Miss.

[Big Cat]

Ooh.

[Tom Fornelli]

Just because Lane Kiffin.

[Brandon Walker]

He's right.

[Tom Fornelli]

Lane Kiffin still is good at coaching quarterbacks and he also has an offense that is still very good at getting their quarterbacks to put up numbers. And if Ole Miss, like they missed out last year and it feels like they kind of missed their shot and so everybody's just kind of completely overlooked them. And I understand why, because I look at the team and it's not a perfect team, but I think that offensively they are dangerous enough that if Simmons kind of over performs what you would expect from somebody with his lack of experience at this point, like, that's a team that could surprise people. It could be in the playoff hunt like Miami was all season last year, where even if they come up short, Simmons might have an incredible season with the kind of numbers that allows him to. To, you know, end up getting in there.

[Big Cat]

Okay.

[Brandon Walker]

I don't mind that. I mean, think he's talented. He looked good against Georgia in the drive he got in. Lane can obviously coach quarterbacks, but you're kind of poo poo and something that I think is a great point. They went nine and three last year with the best roster in school history.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Brandon Walker]

And Jackson Dart put up numbers.

[Big Cat]

What?

[Brandon Walker]

He finished in the Heisman, seventh, eighth, ninth. Like he wasn't in the top echelon of Heisman. If Jackson Dart, in his last year there with a peak roster, didn't do it, I don't see Lane magically throwing quarterback dust on this guy. And first of all, I don't think they're going 9 and 3 or I think they're going 9 and 3 at the very best. And I just don't. I think he's going to be good. I don't think he rises to Heisman level. Good.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, you need. You. You do need nine wins.

[Tom Fornelli]

But he's a half shot, though. I think he's like 40 or 50 to 1.

[CJ Kirst]

Austin Simmons is 40 to 1 on the DraftKings sportsbook.

[PFT Commenter]

Okay.

[Tom Fornelli]

I didn't need to look that up, by the way. I just.

[Brandon Walker]

I do.

[Big Cat]

My. Mine is my actual Heisman pick. I think is. Is on that screen right now. Can you see it?

[Brandon Walker]

I can see the screen.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. There it is. Jeremiah Love.

[Tom Fornelli]

That's mine.

[Big Cat]

Okay. 25 to 1. The narrative doesn't. You don't have to do a narrative when it's Notre Dame.

[Tom Fornelli]

No, it's a Notre Dame running back who rushed for 17 touchdowns and over a thousand yards last year while his quarterback vultured 17 touchdowns from him.

[Big Cat]

The question is, will he get the enough carries? Yes, that's it. I think if he gets enough carries, he's electric and it's Notre Dame. And sports writers are going to go.

[Tom Fornelli]

Crazy for Notre Dame. Max, you said that's down to 25?

[Big Cat]

Yes, 25.

[Tom Fornelli]

That was 40. A week and a half.

[Big Cat]

Oh, fuck.

[PFT Commenter]

Brandon. What about Mississippi State? Are people asking if Brandon.

[Tom Fornelli]

Nobody's asking about Mississippi.

[Brandon Walker]

This number one podcast in America. He just did.

[PFT Commenter]

Let me finish my question. Is Brandon Walker to blame for Mississippi State being dog these last few years? And here's why. Brandon, you're probably what, the top. You're probably in the top 10 in terms of richest Mississippi State alumni.

[Brandon Walker]

Why would you ask this?

[PFT Commenter]

Why aren't you giving enough money to the program?

[Big Cat]

Program?

[Brandon Walker]

I'm doing what I can. I got four kids, brother. I got. I got private school to pay for my wife. Aaron signed.

[Tom Fornelli]

He's buying old newspaper machines, but he's.

[Big Cat]

Like, I don't have any money to.

[PFT Commenter]

Give to Mississippi State. Oh, we can't get a linebacker.

[Brandon Walker]

I got a good deal on that.

[Big Cat]

You have a 17th Greg Maddox memorabilia.

[PFT Commenter]

Is it like. Is it like the end of Schindler's List when you're looking around at your little chair and you're like, oh, this Ron Gant poster that could have been linebacker.

[Brandon Walker]

Not familiar with the movie. I'll watch it later.

[PFT Commenter]

But I. I wouldn't expect that you would be.

[Brandon Walker]

I just. I listen, our coach died and is that a. Is that a thing that I say on Twitter and people smile at. Yeah, sure. He died at the wrong history. Yeah, it's like right when the transfer portal and everything was happening and then we were called.

[Big Cat]

Is there ever a good time, Never.

[Brandon Walker]

A good time for your coach to die?

[PFT Commenter]

I don't think so, but this was particularly bad. Are you seeing that link?

[Tom Fornelli]

I mean, maybe if you're losing a game and he dies on the sideline and Then we come back and lose.

[Brandon Walker]

No, like the transfer portal. And then everything NIL popped off and Leech had his own way of doing recruiting. He wasn't going to play that game anyway. So now we're two or three years behind. We're fighting back. The money's a lot better. Took in 29 transfers this year.

[PFT Commenter]

You just got a new contract.

[Brandon Walker]

We got. I just got a new contract.

[PFT Commenter]

There's some money in your pocket.

[Brandon Walker]

I'm working on more Cowbell, the NIL podcast that I'm going to do with Jake Mangum of the Tampa Bay Race. Like, we're. We're fine. We're fine. Things are going in the right direction now. I don't even know if the NIL with the revenue sharing. I don't even know if the podcast needs that.

[Tom Fornelli]

I fully support your. Our coach died excuse. But again, you got one more.

[Big Cat]

One more year.

[PFT Commenter]

That should be the name of your podcast. Yeah.

[Big Cat]

All right. Top five teams in the sec.

[Brandon Walker]

I like LSU a lot.

[Big Cat]

You do?

[Brandon Walker]

I do.

[PFT Commenter]

Hot seat, though.

[Big Cat]

What about Brian Kelly being that, that.

[Brandon Walker]

That goes back to the James Franklin thing. Right. So if I, if I am going to believe James Franklin can bust through, I'm going to believe that Brian Kelly with the talent at lsu. Now the defense has to come a long way, but the receiver group, the. The quarterback. I just think a lot is lining up for lsu. They are a peaks and valleys team. When they are good, they are national title good. And then they go away for a couple years and they come back. I think this is a comeback year for them. I. Texas, obviously, and I don't really believe in Florida and I don't believe in South Carolina to the level of the P. I think South Carolina is the biggest fraud in the sec. So I would probably go chalk doing this game again. No, I'd probably go chalk there with Alabama, Georgia and then, I don't know, Ole Miss Price sneaks into that fifth spot.

[Tom Fornelli]

I picked LSU to win the national title, so I'm with you on that.

[Brandon Walker]

I picked him to win the sec.

[Tom Fornelli]

I picked. Yeah, I picked him to win the SEC too. And it's, it's kind of along with what you just said, like the way that they work. It's like, like when you don't expect them to be anything is when they're going to jump up and have a great year and they have a quarterback who might be a first round pick. They have excellent talented receiver. They got to replace damn near the entire offensive line, which could be a very big problem going up against Clemson in your very first game of the season. But I thought that defense last year was improving as the year went on under a new coordinator. You go into year two, you expect it to be better. As far as after lsu, I got Alabama second, Georgia third, Texas fourth and then fifth.

[Brandon Walker]

Yeah, I haven't thought about fifth.

[Tom Fornelli]

I. I'm still going to go with Ole Miss because I'm with you. Like Florida. Every time you talk about Florida, everybody says, well, if DJ Lagway stays healthy. DJ Lagway has never been healthy, it feels like since he showed up and it's only been a year or so.

[Brandon Walker]

But it's not healthy now.

[Tom Fornelli]

Yeah, he got hurt last year during the season, then all off season, it's like he's not able to throw in camp and then he's able to throw in camp and you head into the summer, it's like. Well, now it's like a calf injury or something. And he's not. It's just until he shows the ability to stay on the field, which he could. Could. But if he. When he does, he's very, very talented. I just need to see him stick it out before I'm going to buy into the Gators.

[Brandon Walker]

I have my fifth. I'm on fifth. Missouri. I like Missouri.

[Big Cat]

Oh, okay.

[Tom Fornelli]

I worry about their offense this year. I. You look at like, I think Eli is brilliant when it comes together to putting an offense and call, you know, just putting together a system and all that and gets the absolute most out of his guys. But they lost two guys in their offensive line, both tackles and Mizzou just does not strike me as a program right now who is in a position where they can lose those two guys and just completely pick up the slack where they were. Now they got Ahmad Hardy, the running back trans from Louisiana, Monroe, who I think is very good. So it's possible they could do like the Cody Schrader out a few years ago where they just completely lean on the run game and what should be an excellent defense. But I don't know. I just don't know if they can score enough points this year to really be the 5th best team in the SEC.

[PFT Commenter]

No mention of Oklahoma yet. How hot is that seat?

[Big Cat]

I love John Matiere.

[Brandon Walker]

This is Brent Venables last season.

[PFT Commenter]

Who's more pre fired? Brent Venables or.

[Brandon Walker]

Billy Napier?

[PFT Commenter]

Freeze Pittman.

[Brandon Walker]

Oh, I think we.

[PFT Commenter]

I think we said Pittman was gone at the start of last year.

[Big Cat]

He tried to leave.

[Brandon Walker]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

He was like, hey, just give me my buyout, I'll leave And they're like, no, no.

[Tom Fornelli]

I think it's just. They're waiting for a certain date.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Tom Fornelli]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

I think his agent literally went to Arkansas, was like, please let us just go.

[Brandon Walker]

Don't sleep on Stoops, though. Stoop. Stoops. I feel like.

[Big Cat]

Oh, yeah, they could be bad.

[Brandon Walker]

He's on, like the.

[Big Cat]

The.

[Brandon Walker]

The pony at the end of the trail just slumped over. He's been dead for.

[Big Cat]

How is Jack Calzada still.

[Brandon Walker]

I don't know.

[Tom Fornelli]

I don't fucking know.

[Big Cat]

It's crazy.

[Brandon Walker]

The list of quarterbacks throughout this country, country mediocre A and M quarterback starting in this country this year is crazy.

[Big Cat]

There's just infected the world.

[Brandon Walker]

Six of them.

[PFT Commenter]

So wait, what was the analogy for. For Stoops? He's the pony at the end.

[Brandon Walker]

He's a cowboy slumped over on his pony at the end of the trail. He's. He's dead. We just haven't. We just haven't told the herd yet.

[Tom Fornelli]

I do feel like Stoops has run his course at Kentucky. Like, I just feel like that's when.

[Brandon Walker]

The A and M thing happened. That was the.

[Tom Fornelli]

Yeah, I mean, I think he knew. Like, he understood. Like, I've taken this program to the highest. I'm going to be able to get it. And the natives are kind of getting restless because that's how it works. Like, when you're a program like Kentucky and you don't have a lot of success and then you start getting success, the fan base starts to expect that every single year. So it's like, it's really fucking hard to do that at Kentucky. So I think he was looking for a way out. I do feel like if Kirk Ference retires, it makes it really easy for both parties because Stoops can just walk out the door and head to Iowa and Kentucky can move on, and then.

[Brandon Walker]

Summer all can head to Kentucky.

[Big Cat]

Can we all.

[PFT Commenter]

Let's. Let's all just try to manifest Gruden and coach O to Arkansas.

[Tom Fornelli]

I want Gruden at Arkansas as a package deal.

[Brandon Walker]

You don't think SMU guys going to Arkansas?

[Tom Fornelli]

I don't think. I think Rhett Lashley might feel like he could get a better gig.

[Big Cat]

Is there.

[Brandon Walker]

I think. But he's an Arkansas guy.

[Tom Fornelli]

I don't think that matters that much.

[Brandon Walker]

I think it does to some.

[Tom Fornelli]

I think you can look at SMU if you're Rhett Lashley and say, I'm better off here than I would be going to Arkansas. Because if I go to Arkansas, I'm going To get fired.

[Big Cat]

Can I throw out a name for Iowa? Kirk Fern's Cars. Pathetic.

[Tom Fornelli]

That's certainly on the table now.

[Big Cat]

I mean, he's going to coach again and he's going to be good.

[Tom Fornelli]

He wants to coach again for sure. Yeah. I mean, I think that at some point he will definitely get the opportunity to do so and it makes sense like if I'm Iowa and Pat Fitzgerald is interested, I'm certainly answering the fucking phone.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Brandon Walker]

Have we properly called out the bullshit that happened to Pat Fitzgerald?

[Big Cat]

Yeah, it was bullshit.

[Tom Fornelli]

Yeah, it was. Yeah, it's horseshit. You know, theory again, you know, disclaimer, not inside info. My theory is just Northwestern wanted to get the stadium done and they did not want any of that shit possibly interfering with getting the stage.

[Brandon Walker]

That's just paranoia that's gotten rid of them.

[Big Cat]

Stupid.

[Tom Fornelli]

Yeah, I'm not saying it was smart.

[Big Cat]

Okay. Should we do acc?

[Tom Fornelli]

I mean, if you want to.

[Big Cat]

Are we worried about Cade Clubnik getting in a car accident?

[Brandon Walker]

So are LSU and Clemson engaging in who can come up with the stupidest rumor about their quarterback? Yeah, with LSU it was their torn acl and now Clemson said, well, they took the football injury. We're going to take car.

[Big Cat]

So some of us in this room might have bet LSU moneyline just on the off chance it was true.

[Brandon Walker]

I mean it might not be a bad bet anyway.

[Tom Fornelli]

Yeah, I like the bet to begin with.

[Big Cat]

There was a message board. It was two days ago. My brother is a first responder near the university and well, about 30 minutes ago now someone T boned a car at an intersection. My brother just told me that his clay Cade Clubnik inside the car. Also Spade spelled his name wrong.

[Brandon Walker]

Can you go a little. I like, I like a little bit.

[Big Cat]

More of the this that got T bone and he couldn't move his arm and shoulder right Exactly. When they got there, he didn't text me anything else. Lucky I saw it in time. I'm 57 year olds and don't carry my phone a lot. He just told me that because I'm a die hard fan and I'm heartbroken and panicking.

[Tom Fornelli]

Too much info.

[Brandon Walker]

Anytime a first responder comes to a car crash and the Carsman T bone, the first thing they check is the arm and arm and shoulder.

[Big Cat]

The only injured is arm and shoulder.

[PFT Commenter]

Your arm is broken. How's your shoulder?

[Tom Fornelli]

That's the thing though, if you're going to do that that you have to just limited info. Hey, my friend's a first responder. I heard Kate Klubnick Was in a car accident. Just, you know, really banged up. That's all I got, but just something to be on the lookout for. And then you move on ambulance. You might tell Matt, I'm 57 and I don't carry my phone around. It's like meaty. It's like, all right, this guy's full of shit.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

So Clemson, maybe Miami.

[Tom Fornelli]

I think Carson became Clemson or Miami are nobody.

[Brandon Walker]

I like my. I like Miami as the second best team in the, in the acc. I like Miami as a playoff team. I think Carson Beck is way better than Georgia fans want us to believe and that most college football fans want to believe. I think he's really, really good. Whatever happened at Georgia, his head was. He's got some shit going. He had some shit going on or whatever. I think he's really good. Now the receivers, they got to rebuild the whole room in Miami, but I think they're significantly, easily the second most talented team in that conference. And they get shit on Last year and Chris Paul hadn't made the playoff yet, but they went 10 and 2. Their defense was Syracuse. Their defense was really garbage and defense lost him a couple games. What they. They transfer portal the shit out of.

[Tom Fornelli]

That defense and they got a new coach too. So I mean it's. I look at Miami and I do feel, I mean I look at the ACC in general. To me it's a two team league. Like you can argue, you can talk about Louisville and smu. I think they're both going to be good. I don't think either team is really what you would consider like playoff caliber.

[Brandon Walker]

I think SMU is coming way back to earth.

[Tom Fornelli]

Yeah, I, I think like 8 and 4 is far more likely than SMU being in the playoff hunt again. But then after you get past those teams, I look at that league in general and I'm just like, that's so. That's not, not, not a whole lot there that I'm a big fan of. Pitts got a chance like they could be. They could be like 8 and 4 simply because the ACC sucks.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Tom Fornelli]

Like the bottom half of the league and they can just pile up on them. But I just don't look at Pitt as a team that I think is going to be any good even no matter what the record says.

[Big Cat]

I think Pitt might be the team that picks off someone to their season very well.

[Tom Fornelli]

That's a very Narduzzi thing.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, that's a Narduzzy pit thing.

[Brandon Walker]

Holstein's a great quarterback.

[Tom Fornelli]

Based on quarterback play.

[Brandon Walker]

Better cow than A quarterback Holstein isn't that good of a cow.

[PFT Commenter]

It's pretty good cow.

[Brandon Walker]

It's not that great of a cow.

[Tom Fornelli]

I mean it's a solid cow.

[Brandon Walker]

It's a solid. It's your average.

[PFT Commenter]

You don't like the spots.

[Brandon Walker]

It's an average cow. Depends on your spots.

[Tom Fornelli]

Like, you know, it could be kind of a Rorschach test.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, I like a good Holstein.

[Brandon Walker]

There are better cows, but I think that's a. When you, when it's a really good quarter.

[PFT Commenter]

When you ask a child to draw a picture of a cow, what do they draw? It's going to be a Holstein.

[Tom Fornelli]

And they're like the Norman Rockwell of cows.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Okay, so Miami, you think you're leaning Clemson over Miami?

[Tom Fornelli]

I like Miami over Clemson. I, I just, I'm not a big.

[Big Cat]

Snapped Brandon's head.

[Tom Fornelli]

I'm not a big K club Nick fan. I'm just not.

[Brandon Walker]

Why not?

[Big Cat]

Because of the car accident?

[Tom Fornelli]

Because the car accident.

[Brandon Walker]

He's really fucking good.

[Tom Fornelli]

He's okay.

[Brandon Walker]

36 touchdowns last year. Six inches playing against the ACC. I know you can't tell playing against.

[Tom Fornelli]

The ACC what happened in the Georgia game.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. And also what happened against South Carolina. What happened when he played a real team?

[Brandon Walker]

He was way better against Texas.

[Tom Fornelli]

He was better for a quarter against Texas.

[Brandon Walker]

Way better against Texas after the game.

[Tom Fornelli]

Was pretty much out of reach. He played great for a quarter.

[Brandon Walker]

I will grant you against elite competition, he has a ways to go. But with the receiver talent around him, with the offensive line talent in front of him, I think he is a terrific quarterback. And listen, we're not in the strongest quarterback year we've ever been in. Like there's a lot of turnover with the top teams. I think he's in top three quarterbacks in the country. I think he might be the best quarterback.

[Tom Fornelli]

I think he's a top three quarterback to start the season simply because nobody knows who the other quarterback. I think that by the time November rolls around Kate club Nick's like a top 10 ish.

[Big Cat]

Top 10.

[Brandon Walker]

But you don't think, you don't think quarterbacks take steps from a year to year like this is his what is.

[Tom Fornelli]

I think some do. I think more. I think more don't.

[Brandon Walker]

I think plenty do. I think that.

[Tom Fornelli]

I think there are far more examples of guys who just kind of flattened out than who actually improved steadily.

[Brandon Walker]

I think experience is a big deal. And in this transfer portal era we kind of throw development out. With the bathwater, we say like, you know, we just assume a guy who.

[Tom Fornelli]

Do we throw development out or the guys who've improved gone to the NFL?

[Brandon Walker]

I think there's still guys that stay around and develop.

[Tom Fornelli]

Not, not.

[Brandon Walker]

I mean Michael, Michael Pennix was in college.

[Tom Fornelli]

I don't think the growth between junior and senior year is very significant. I think, I think when you've been starting since you were a freshman, I.

[Brandon Walker]

Mean Kenny Pickett by the time you.

[Tom Fornelli]

Played 30 games, you can just being.

[Brandon Walker]

The best example recently, three average years and then bang.

[Tom Fornelli]

I think this, that was an offense. That wasn't Kenny Pickett.

[Brandon Walker]

That was Kenny Pickett though.

[Tom Fornelli]

That was a Walt Bell offense.

[Brandon Walker]

And that's going to be Clemson's offense.

[Tom Fornelli]

Okay. I just, I don't see it man. We've seen it for three years. Well, I haven't seen it so I, I again be clear. I don't think Clemson's gonna be bad. I just would rather have Miami if I'm picking one of those teams to win. Because I think Carson Beck last year, obviously he was banged up, didn't play great. They turns out losing lad McConkey and Brock Bowers mattered. I don't know if you watch those guys in the NFL, but they were pretty fucking decent. And I think that he kind of, you know, it just, it didn't look as good. But I think now he's going to have better talent around him. I think he's gonna have a better offensive line than he had at Clemson. And the one thing that's really sold me about Miami is defensively like the defense was horrible last year in the secondary and they had a defensive coordinator who was insisting his guys play man on every single snap even though they always showed we shouldn't be playing. Man, we are going to get beat deep every single time. They ruined a great defensive line that will be one of the best in the country again this year. They've brought in a new coordinator who understands what zone is and will actually call it sometimes. And I think that defense is going to be so much better than what we saw last year to where that offensive have to be as good as it was.

[Brandon Walker]

I like Miami, I am with you, but I just think Clemson, Clemson might have what, six first round picks. This is a loaded team.

[Tom Fornelli]

They've had a lot of draft picks in recent years.

[Brandon Walker]

They haven't had this many on one team.

[Tom Fornelli]

They went 8 and 4 last year, then they won the big 9 and 3, but they won the ACC so it's like they're going to kiss.

[Big Cat]

We're not what guys are going to.

[PFT Commenter]

You guys are Talking so much ball.

[Big Cat]

When you guys start fighting.

[Brandon Walker]

I have y' all were here, to be honest.

[Big Cat]

What about week one?

[PFT Commenter]

Miami. Miami.

[Brandon Walker]

Miami is going to beat Notre Dame.

[Tom Fornelli]

So do I.

[PFT Commenter]

We can agree on that.

[Tom Fornelli]

Experienced quarterback.

[Big Cat]

I have some breaking breaking news. There it is.

[Tom Fornelli]

That's Holstein cow.

[Big Cat]

Holstein cow. Breaking news. And this fits in perfectly because we can go to the Big 12 next. Colorado announces Ralphie Six. Its live Buffalo mascot named Ember is retiring. An indifference to running contributed to the decision. Very relatable. We all suffer from that.

[Brandon Walker]

I'm also retired.

[Big Cat]

The school is training Ralphie seven for her debut. But the team will take the field without its live mascot in the interim.

[PFT Commenter]

I don't like that.

[Tom Fornelli]

Oh, they're fade.

[Big Cat]

Colorado screw.

[PFT Commenter]

Hate that so much. Also. Yeah, People forget that Ralphie is a female Buffalo.

[Brandon Walker]

They don't have a backup.

[Big Cat]

Ralphie, you lose.

[Tom Fornelli]

Shador. Travis Hunter and Ralph.

[Big Cat]

Ralph.

[Tom Fornelli]

Yeah, they win three games. Dion should get like, coach of the year.

[Big Cat]

I love a Buffalo indifference to running. Just didn't want to run.

[Brandon Walker]

I think they're beating.

[Big Cat]

I'm a Buffalo. How do you fight?

[Brandon Walker]

Like, does the buff like, you're like.

[Tom Fornelli]

Come on, girl, let's go. And she just sits there like, no, look.

[Big Cat]

Look at that clip right there. Ralphie's walking. Yeah, walking.

[CJ Kirst]

That's the last time that Ralphie six ran. And you can tell.

[Big Cat]

Shout out, Ralph. Running sucks.

[Brandon Walker]

That could be intimidating, too.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, running sucks.

[PFT Commenter]

I love that at some point lawyers are involved in this situation. They're like, hey, we got to replace the old buffalo. It's not dangerous enough.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

And the lawyers are like, okay, I get it.

[Big Cat]

It's.

[PFT Commenter]

It's college football.

[Tom Fornelli]

It's not even entering.

[Brandon Walker]

But I would say she walked onto the field, but as soon as they turned to go off the field, she started running.

[Big Cat]

She was like, finally get to home and get.

[Brandon Walker]

Maybe she hates.

[Tom Fornelli]

Maybe she's got, like, social anxiety.

[Brandon Walker]

Yeah, maybe she just want to get the out of there.

[PFT Commenter]

I don't think she likes football.

[Big Cat]

Didn't like running. Love that. All right, so Big 12 is chaos. The chaos, which I love. I love that the Big 12 has stayed the chaos.

[PFT Commenter]

Let me ask you this, Jaylen Daniels, 60 to 1, Heisman, your thoughts.

[Tom Fornelli]

Jaylen Daniels's problem has always been staying healthy. And about four snaps or four plays into the game last week, even though they won, he's, like, limping off the field with his left arm hanging at his side like it had been dislocated already.

[Big Cat]

And they're not going to win nine games.

[Tom Fornelli]

And there's. They could. It's the Big 12. They could win 11 games. Who the fuck knows?

[PFT Commenter]

They were really good at the end of last.

[Brandon Walker]

Can I say a basic answer to that question?

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Brandon Walker]

Can you picture the Kansas quarterback winning the Heisman Trophy? Because I can't.

[Tom Fornelli]

That's a good question.

[PFT Commenter]

I just can't do it.

[Brandon Walker]

Not with so many teams. I just can't. I can't. I can't picture.

[PFT Commenter]

I'll put it this way. If Arch Manning is in New York, there's zero percent chance that Jalen Daniels wins.

[Brandon Walker]

Yeah, well, somebody like an Arch Manning is going to be in New York.

[Tom Fornelli]

60 to 1, right?

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Tom Fornelli]

Okay. Well, if you look at it from the aspect of can you bet it? And then maybe I could cash it out later. Like don't expect him to win. I'm still not sold. I just. I just.

[Brandon Walker]

Well, you set that up like you were.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, you really did. Did you know that his name sounds a lot like Jade?

[Tom Fornelli]

It does sound like Jane Danielson.

[Brandon Walker]

In fact, I thought that's who you were talking about at first.

[PFT Commenter]

He did win Heisman.

[Tom Fornelli]

Yeah, he did.

[Brandon Walker]

Yeah. Blacked out there for me.

[PFT Commenter]

Bet on him.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Brandon Walker]

All right.

[Big Cat]

So Big 12. Yeah. ASU?

[Brandon Walker]

I think not. I think.

[Big Cat]

I don't fucking know. Sam Levitt, also not a terrible Heisman pick.

[Brandon Walker]

No. And I'll tell you another one. I think Sawyer Robertson's really good at Baylor.

[Big Cat]

Yep.

[Brandon Walker]

But I got Baylor.

[Tom Fornelli]

Why didn't you guys hold on to him?

[Brandon Walker]

You're. Because Mike Leach died.

[Tom Fornelli]

That's right.

[PFT Commenter]

Brandon didn't answer that email.

[Brandon Walker]

He was the last Mike Leach.

[Tom Fornelli]

But no, but you've got. Yeah, you've got your Michael Jordan signed photo. You could have had some Sawyer Robertson.

[Brandon Walker]

I'd rather have the Michael Jordan signed photo. So I like. You're just throwing darts at the board with the big.

[Tom Fornelli]

Yes.

[Brandon Walker]

Arizona State last year. I think when we look back we remember Scatter Boo running crazy and Levitt playing well and then competing and should have beat Texas. We remember that. We remember him killing Iowa State. They also had seven one score games. They had a lot of really close games. They had a lot of tough losses like this team was rolling at the end of the season. I don't know that they're going to be able to do that for a 12 game schedule and so many close games. I think they fall down the pack a little bit. I pick Baylor, but it could be anybody. One of nine teams, 12, 10 teams.

[Tom Fornelli]

Yeah, I picked like in our preseason picks for. On the website at CBS Sports. I picked Kansas State. I'm already fucked. It feels like, because they lost last week to Iowa. They're not out of it, but they're not out of it because that's how the conference works. Like, I'm more confident that whoever ends up winning the league will have a 7 and 2 mark. Mark in conference play than I am. And who will win it? Because I do feel like that will be how it ends up. Because that's what we saw last year. There are three teams that went seven and two in the Big 12, and two of them ended up in the game. But as for Kansas State, I think has a chance. Iowa State has a chance. Baylor has a chance. Arizona State, Utah.

[Brandon Walker]

Utah.

[Tom Fornelli]

Won me money last year. Big fan of his. But.

[Big Cat]

And they don't. And they no longer have to do the will. They won't. They came rising.

[Brandon Walker]

No, that's over.

[Big Cat]

Which is. Was torture.

[Brandon Walker]

That took forever to. Forever.

[Tom Fornelli]

And you know, a team that, like, nobody's talked about in the Big 12, that I just feel like everybody's looking for this year's Indiana, this year's Indiana. Indiana. You mentioned it. Kurt Signetti leaves. James Madison. He goes to Indiana. He takes the entire fucking roster with him. Rich Rod left Jacksonville State, went to West Virginia, brought the entire fucking roster with him from Jacksonville State. And he's in a league where there really isn't an elite team.

[Brandon Walker]

I think the schedule's easy to.

[Tom Fornelli]

And the schedule is pretty easy. So I look at West Virginia like, if that's a future you want to take. Instead of taking Jalen Daniel, West Virginia.

[PFT Commenter]

To win the Big 12, what teams can't win the Big 12?

[Tom Fornelli]

I think Houston is really the only two where I want to. I would like, say that they can't win it.

[Brandon Walker]

I don't think Cincinnati's got it either.

[Tom Fornelli]

I like Brendan Soaresby. Yeah. I just. I don't know. Like, if he takes Oklahoma State. I'm not counting out Mike Gundy.

[Brandon Walker]

It would be the most able to.

[Tom Fornelli]

It would be the most Gundy thing ever, though, for him to just suddenly jump up and win 10 games again.

[Brandon Walker]

We said that, like, two years in a row now. I feel like. I feel like it's time to maybe count him out.

[Tom Fornelli]

I'm not.

[Brandon Walker]

But that's what he wants me to do.

[Big Cat]

He does.

[Brandon Walker]

That's what he wants me to do.

[Tom Fornelli]

What the fake news wants you to do.

[PFT Commenter]

Texas Tech.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, they're going to be good.

[Brandon Walker]

Yeah. Yeah, they. They should. With the roster they put together, they should be in the mix. I. It's a little. Believe it when I see it with Texas tech, because Joey McGuire seems like more. More fantasy than fact right now.

[Tom Fornelli]

I did some research this off season with Texas Tech in mind, and I was just trying to look at, like, transfer portal classes as far as like, you know, because they get ranked. It's a very, very inexact science because it's a very short track record. And the results of what I looked at were like. When you look at the teams that rank among the top 10 in these transfer classes, it's typically the teams that are already great who continue to play well with these transfer classes. When you look at, like, the middle class schools that are in the top 10, they tend to improve by a win. It's never really what you think just because we had a great transfer class. So I think when you factor in the Big 12 and that anybody can win it, yes, you have to mention Texas Tech. But when you look at how, like, going that heavy in the portal usually works for most teams of their caliber, it's like 8 and 4 is probably what you're really looking at, but 8 and 4 might be good enough.

[Big Cat]

Okay.

[PFT Commenter]

Notre Dame, independent.

[Tom Fornelli]

Great.

[PFT Commenter]

Where do we have them winning the Independence this year?

[Tom Fornelli]

I think they've got what it takes to take down UConn.

[PFT Commenter]

Okay.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, they're going to. They're going to be in the playoffs?

[Tom Fornelli]

I think so.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Brandon Walker]

I don't have them in the playoffs.

[Big Cat]

Really?

[Brandon Walker]

Yeah, I think. What? What's that?

[Tom Fornelli]

You hate Catholics.

[Brandon Walker]

I don't hate Catholics. I don't hate Notre Dame. I don't hate anybody. I'm simply.

[PFT Commenter]

That's not true.

[Tom Fornelli]

I don't know. I've got sources that tell me you hate Catholics.

[Big Cat]

This actually makes.

[Brandon Walker]

Your source says I hate Catholics.

[PFT Commenter]

You hate a lot of.

[Big Cat]

From the guy who brought you. Travis Hunter. Can't win the Heisman. I'm excited about Jared.

[Tom Fornelli]

Do you know where the Pope is from?

[Brandon Walker]

Yeah, he's from somewhere in Chicago.

[Tom Fornelli]

Yeah, I know him. He told me that you hate Catholics.

[PFT Commenter]

You don't.

[Big Cat]

You don't know.

[Tom Fornelli]

I totally know the Pope. He used to go to White Sox games.

[Brandon Walker]

You don't hang out with the Pope.

[Tom Fornelli]

Yes, I do. Well, not anymore. Now he's in the fucking Democratic.

[Brandon Walker]

This is worse than hating Catholics. You're lying about the Pope.

[Tom Fornelli]

I would never lie about. You just said I am Catholic.

[PFT Commenter]

You said Pope was slumped over on a.

[Brandon Walker]

No, that's. That. That. Stoops.

[PFT Commenter]

You were talking about the football.

[Brandon Walker]

I was talking about the football coach. Notre Dame I think last year was a perfect storm of being a really good team, having a really good coach and having an identity, that defensive identity, elite secondary. I think it was a really perfect storm of that schedule kind of nursing them back to life. They lost a Northern Illinois team and then that schedule just gave them stepping stone after stepping stone after stepping stone. And I think this one's sneaky, mean, off the rip. I think at Miami to open up, everybody's assuming they're going to win well, they're going to be breaking in a new quarterback down there. Miami defense is way, way better than it was last year. I think Miami beats them. Then they got to come home and play an A and M team who's going to be really good. That at Arkansas trip in the fourth week is really fucking tricky. I mean it's. I don't think Arkansas is an elite SEC team by any stretch of the imagination, but talent wise, that's going to be a team that is. It's certainly going to be a step up from Purdue and everything. They got Boise State on the schedule. They got at Pitt on the schedule late, when you think all the hay's in the barn, they got to go to pit. He can say what he wants. I think Holstein's a good quarterback. The receiver, the running back, they're all really good. I think that's a tricky spot. I think Notre Dame could fuck around and be a 9 and 3 team this year. In fact, I think they will be a 9 and 3 team.

[Tom Fornelli]

I don't. I look at this team compared to last year and I think that with Riley Leonard gone and now CJ Carr taking over starter, what you could possibly see is a far more dynamic offense that will actually be capable of throwing the football.

[Brandon Walker]

Are they going to let him?

[Tom Fornelli]

Yes.

[Brandon Walker]

They don't seem like the team that's just going to let him. Let him go out there and rip.

[Tom Fornelli]

I think they will. I think they haven't in the last few years because they haven't had a quarterback they felt comfortable doing.

[Brandon Walker]

So I think Sam Hartman could.

[Tom Fornelli]

Yeah, and they threw him around. But Sam Hartman's arm was not exactly what I would call NFL caliber. There's a reason he got cut today, but I think CJ Carr is an NFL caliber kind of arm and I think that they had good receivers the last years. They haven't really been able to utilize the defensive line. They got to replace some guys on. But they also brought. They've had some young talent on that side. I think they'll be fine. I think the secondary will still be fine. We talked about Jeremiah Love earlier, and I think to your point about the earlier games, I have Miami winning this week, and I wouldn't be shocked at all if Texas A and M beats him. Like, we didn't mention them, but Texas A and M could be the fifth best team in the sec, But I think that plays to their advantage because if they finish, even if they start oh and two and they win out, nobody's going to give a shit about those losses from September. By the time you get to the end of the year, it's going to be putting them in the playoff. And they're Notre Dame. So if they're 10 and 2, they're getting in no matter what, so.

[Big Cat]

And they're going to have the Heisman.

[Tom Fornelli]

And they have the Heisman.

[Brandon Walker]

They're starting out. Oh, and two, I think they're. They're. They're in some trouble.

[Tom Fornelli]

Well, they have to be perfect.

[Brandon Walker]

I think they're in some trouble. And I don't think that schedule is as forgiving as it was last year.

[Tom Fornelli]

And I said that there was no way they should be in the playoff last year after losing to Northern Illinois, and then look what happened.

[Brandon Walker]

Yeah, they almost ate it.

[Big Cat]

Is PFT going to go to the College Football Playoff? James Madison.

[PFT Commenter]

I put a bet on it earlier.

[Big Cat]

5.

[Brandon Walker]

Have you just bet on every team and ever played?

[PFT Commenter]

Listen, when you win a Tommy Fleetwood bet, you've got. You've got some stuff that you can. Yeah. Spread around a little bit. I bet on.

[Tom Fornelli]

Maybe you put that money on James Madison's nil. All the players wouldn't leave for Indiana.

[PFT Commenter]

Well, when I win this bet, then I'll. I'll kick it back in the set. I'm not a Brandon Walker.

[Brandon Walker]

Why didn't I think about that as a retort? I'm so.

[Tom Fornelli]

Because I'm smarter than you are.

[Brandon Walker]

Agreed.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. So with Jamie, I think that they've got a good shot. I really do. I think Boise State obviously is the front runner for it, but if J. MU can win the Sunbelt, I see no reason why they wouldn't be that. That 12 team.

[Tom Fornelli]

I think James Madison can win the Sunbelt. I think what you have to overcome is how the Sunbelt is viewed in a lot of ways, like with a lot of the metrics that they use to figure out the field. And I think the other thing working against you is like, week zero is week zero. You never want to take too much from it. But my one big takeaway from watching the games last Last week was the Mountain west might be truly horrible. So, like, Boise State might absolutely run to a 120 record in that conference. And if Boise State's got a great record like that, I just don't think any G5 or other G6 team is getting in.

[PFT Commenter]

What if we beat Louisville?

[Brandon Walker]

Notre Dame, by the way, what if.

[PFT Commenter]

We beat Louisville Week 2?

[Tom Fornelli]

I think that would certainly help, but you really need Louisville to be very good. And again, I'm not a huge. I'm not really high on anybody in the ACC outside those top two teams. And yes, I guess if Boise State does beat Notre Dame, that would count, but. So I'm sorry, Boise State's only 11 and one with the loss because you.

[Brandon Walker]

Did say after saying that and you.

[Tom Fornelli]

Didn'T bring up nil with him.

[Brandon Walker]

No, I, I, I.

[PFT Commenter]

Hey, I got, I got Sluka. I, I got Mr. And I, I dropped that ball.

[Brandon Walker]

But you, you made an error too.

[Tom Fornelli]

It's Luke at James Madison.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Tom Fornelli]

Oh, well, shit.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

That should put to bed all the rest of JMU's not.

[Tom Fornelli]

Better make sure that check cashes or he'll leave halfway through the season.

[PFT Commenter]

We'll pay him in meth if, if we have to. Harrisonburg. That's not a problem.

[Brandon Walker]

Get any of that out in, out in Vegas?

[PFT Commenter]

Nope.

[Big Cat]

Nope.

[Tom Fornelli]

No, it's all coke.

[PFT Commenter]

Can't do it.

[Big Cat]

Do you guys want to do your picks?

[Brandon Walker]

What are we picking?

[Big Cat]

You're the same thing as last year.

[Brandon Walker]

But that didn't matter.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, it did. One college football extra.

[Brandon Walker]

It didn't win me anything.

[Big Cat]

Yes, it did.

[Tom Fornelli]

Brandon won you a chance to come back here.

[Big Cat]

You got introduced.

[Brandon Walker]

I've worked here for six years.

[Big Cat]

You got introduced as a part of the.

[Tom Fornelli]

And it took them that long to get you in here. And who got you in here? Me.

[PFT Commenter]

What would you like?

[Tom Fornelli]

Literally been down the hall for five years before I got you in here.

[PFT Commenter]

What would you like us to put on the brand? What do you think the winner should get?

[Brandon Walker]

I. I should get.

[PFT Commenter]

No, the winner.

[Brandon Walker]

I won.

[PFT Commenter]

No. This year. What do you think the winner should get?

[Brandon Walker]

What do you think the winner should get? We're in the competition together.

[Tom Fornelli]

I think they should get a wrestling champion belt.

[Big Cat]

Okay. Tom, by the way, spirit of college football. You could just claim last year's title.

[Brandon Walker]

Don't bring.

[Tom Fornelli]

I will 20 years from now. Don't worry.

[Brandon Walker]

Don't bring up wrestling as a sore subject.

[Tom Fornelli]

Why? What's wrong with wrestling?

[Big Cat]

Brennan had a podcast that you took.

[Tom Fornelli]

It away from him.

[Big Cat]

I didn't.

[PFT Commenter]

Who took it away Hulk Hogan died, so.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. All right, so we're gonna do that.

[Tom Fornelli]

Should be the day with the podcast.

[Brandon Walker]

All of my podcasts are people that died.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. All right, so we'll finish with Roback question. RH bak.com promo code, take 20% off your first purchase. Q, zips, polos, hoodies, jogger shorts. Roback.com promo code, take. What would you like to promote? Put up for it, Brandon. What do you want to. What do you want? Like, what do you want to have?

[Brandon Walker]

I like y' all creating a championship belt.

[Big Cat]

Okay.

[Brandon Walker]

And then we have to.

[Big Cat]

Done.

[Brandon Walker]

Now I will parade it around all year.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, that's cool.

[Tom Fornelli]

I will put it on my wall behind me, so that way every time I'm on my show, you'll see it.

[Big Cat]

That's perfect.

[Brandon Walker]

I've never seen your show.

[Tom Fornelli]

I know. That's fine.

[Big Cat]

Okay.

[Tom Fornelli]

We don't. We actually. We cater our show to people who know ball.

[PFT Commenter]

Ooh, the thinking man's podcast.

[Brandon Walker]

Not me.

[Big Cat]

All right, so who wants to go? Brandon, you won.

[Brandon Walker]

I would like. I'd like to have pick second, second and two, and second and third.

[Big Cat]

Okay, that's fair. So how we did it last year, Each of the guys are going to pick 12 teams to make the College Football Playoff and win the national championship. And then what was our scoring? Was it. I can't remember it.

[Brandon Walker]

Last year was just one for one. That's what it was last year. Now, if you want to improve it.

[Tom Fornelli]

Where it nominate scoring? No, I think we did.

[Big Cat]

Do. I think we did. Wait, it.

[Brandon Walker]

It was like three and five for. Yeah, but I think anybody pass the.

[Tom Fornelli]

Semifinal, you should get extra points for getting a team that gets a point.

[Brandon Walker]

Oh, okay.

[Big Cat]

So one point for a buy, and then one point for a first round win. I like that. One point for a first round win, two points for a second round, three and then four for the nationals champion.

[Tom Fornelli]

That works for me.

[Big Cat]

Is that good? Lock it in. All right.

[Brandon Walker]

That was a camera.

[Tom Fornelli]

There we go.

[Big Cat]

All right, so here we go.

[Brandon Walker]

You put it on your knee. That was.

[Big Cat]

Here are our picks.

[CJ Kirst]

This is what we did last year.

[Big Cat]

Sorry, I just.

[PFT Commenter]

I just found it.

[Big Cat]

Okay, so it was 1 point for make playoff, 1 point for first round win, 2 points for second round win, 3 points for semifinal win, 4.

[Tom Fornelli]

Yeah, see, there's 1 point.

[Brandon Walker]

1.4 by.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, yeah. So no, I mean, you don't get a point for making the playoff. You just get a point for getting a buy.

[PFT Commenter]

But looking at this record, it looks.

[Tom Fornelli]

Like Tom get a point, but you get Technically, you would get two points for.

[Big Cat]

Got it. You.

[Brandon Walker]

You basically get.

[Big Cat]

So I. Would.

[Brandon Walker]

You get the first round win?

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. Tom had two more playoff teams than Brandon.

[Tom Fornelli]

Yeah, I know, but I didn't. I got by the scoring, but I agreed to the scoring, so I don't think.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, he was more accurate than.

[Brandon Walker]

You had five.

[PFT Commenter]

You had three.

[Brandon Walker]

That was an asterisk on it. But he. By the way. No, that didn't look right.

[Big Cat]

That looked exactly right. Pull it up again.

[PFT Commenter]

Tom had five, Brandon had three.

[Brandon Walker]

But I. I had no.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Brandon had Ohio State, Texas and Notre Dame make the playoff. Tom had Georgia, Oregon, Tennessee. My quarterback time.

[Brandon Walker]

We're just skipping Clemson. Why did. Why is Clemson not Greened.

[Big Cat]

Clemson did make the playoff.

[Brandon Walker]

Okay, see, this is how y' all do it.

[Tom Fornelli]

But see, my quarterback died, which is why I lost. Because they beat not Dame. Get to the finals.

[Big Cat]

All right. I was just looking up a reference.

[PFT Commenter]

Of what our scoring was. I wasn't looking up that.

[Brandon Walker]

You can't look up stuff around us. Shit'll go crazy.

[Big Cat]

My bad, my bad.

[Brandon Walker]

All right.

[PFT Commenter]

You don't get to yell at our producer.

[Brandon Walker]

I didn't yell at Max.

[Tom Fornelli]

You were kind of yelling at him.

[PFT Commenter]

You have lots of producers.

[Brandon Walker]

Do you feel like I yelled at you?

[PFT Commenter]

I feel all right.

[Brandon Walker]

I apologize.

[Big Cat]

Thank you.

[Hank]

I'll still take the apology.

[Tom Fornelli]

Max, I thought you were a great captain.

[Brandon Walker]

Shut the fuck up.

[PFT Commenter]

I was bad.

[Big Cat]

Okay, Tom, you have the first pick. Ohio State, Iowa State.

[Brandon Walker]

What a Made.

[Big Cat]

Pick.

[Brandon Walker]

What a bitch. Made.

[Big Cat]

Buckeye, Brandon, Penn State, Penn State and Texas. Okay, so Texas, Penn State, Ohio State off the board. Tom, you now have the next two picks.

[Tom Fornelli]

Give me Clemson in. Okay, and Georgia.

[Brandon Walker]

Why don't I pick Clemson?

[Big Cat]

I don't know.

[Tom Fornelli]

You're the Clemson guy. I thought you were going to take him.

[Brandon Walker]

I'm thinking of my. I'm thinking who I got my playoff. I'm thinking of who I got my playoff. I'm thinking of who I got my playoff. Think about who I got my goddamn playoff.

[PFT Commenter]

I feel like if you're.

[Big Cat]

You should know.

[PFT Commenter]

You're doing Bernie Mac right now.

[Brandon Walker]

Think about who.

[PFT Commenter]

I got my Bernie Mac voice.

[Brandon Walker]

I mean, I was. I was hanging out at the bar, you know, chill, chilling, all cool. Woman gonna come up to me, she gonna say, brandon. I say, yeah, that's my name. Have you heard this?

[Big Cat]

No.

[Brandon Walker]

She said, brandon does taste like pumpkin pie. So don't ask me a damn question like that. I never had no pumpkin pie.

[Big Cat]

Kick it nice.

[Brandon Walker]

All right.

[Tom Fornelli]

It's like he was in the Room.

[Big Cat]

It's like he's right here.

[PFT Commenter]

That's the most racist thing I've ever heard.

[Brandon Walker]

Oh, no, it's not.

[Big Cat]

Oh, Joe Rud is Brandon Mac.

[Brandon Walker]

Come after Brandon Mack. All right, you got Georgia. Well, now I got to pick teams that, like, I don't believe are going to make it.

[Big Cat]

Why wouldn't.

[PFT Commenter]

There's only five teams off the board.

[Brandon Walker]

Yeah, I know, I know.

[Big Cat]

This is still make it territory.

[Brandon Walker]

Give me Notre Dame.

[Big Cat]

Okay, Notre Dame.

[Brandon Walker]

But I don't think it's going to make the playoff. But there's more sure bet than like. No, no, no. Go back to Brandon. Go back to Brandon. And I'm clearly missing somebody in my mind.

[Big Cat]

Lsu. Yeah.

[Brandon Walker]

Give me lsu.

[Big Cat]

He's right.

[Brandon Walker]

That's. That's who I was.

[PFT Commenter]

Pick Big Cat.

[Big Cat]

Yep. Thank you. If LSU wins it all, I'm the college football expert.

[Tom Fornelli]

Miami and Alabama.

[Big Cat]

Miami and Alabama.

[Brandon Walker]

No, no, no, no, no.

[Big Cat]

See how ready Tom is for this? Yeah. Do you. You need.

[Tom Fornelli]

You need me to tell you the teams that are still left?

[Brandon Walker]

Oregon, Boise State.

[Tom Fornelli]

Oh, that's a good pick. That's a very solid value.

[Brandon Walker]

Yeah, thank you. I don't need your approval.

[Tom Fornelli]

You notice we're both like terrified of going to the Big 12.

[Brandon Walker]

It's just a guess. It's just a pure ass. What's he doing? That's not what he's doing at all.

[Big Cat]

If they win it all, I'm the expert.

[Tom Fornelli]

This is God damn. See, we're rating the Big Ten in the SEC because those are far and away. But it's also. I feel like game theory wise, you want to just take some shots on other teams and other conferences.

[PFT Commenter]

Max is not proficient at excel.

[Tom Fornelli]

No, I'm going to do it. Give me Michigan.

[Brandon Walker]

Okay, just forfeit your pick then.

[Tom Fornelli]

Yeah, I know teams of five star quarterbacks and. All right, I'm going to do it. I'm going to. I'm going to break the bubble. Give me Utah.

[Big Cat]

Like it? I like it.

[Brandon Walker]

Okay. Since he did it, I'll also do it. And give me. Give me Baylor.

[PFT Commenter]

Okay. It's kind of Tom's pick too, because he broke the bubble for you.

[Brandon Walker]

Yeah, well, I broke the.

[Tom Fornelli]

Once again, I am the reason he's here.

[Big Cat]

Notre Dame is also Tom's pick.

[Brandon Walker]

Not true at all.

[Big Cat]

You have two pixie made on your own.

[Brandon Walker]

None of this is true. No, that's not.

[Big Cat]

Tom and PFT used to live in Austin, so Texas is pft.

[Tom Fornelli]

I know. We're getting to the.

[Brandon Walker]

Yeah, it's getting nasty out there. Give Me a. Give me a Missouri.

[Big Cat]

It.

[Brandon Walker]

I like them to go 10 and 2.

[Big Cat]

Okay.

[Brandon Walker]

I had them last year.

[Big Cat]

I think in this we can stop it after. Oh, no. We're close.

[Brandon Walker]

Yeah. We're like 24 now.

[Tom Fornelli]

Yeah. Well, we've each got. What. How many more picks you got?

[Big Cat]

4.

[Tom Fornelli]

4.

[Big Cat]

4.

[Tom Fornelli]

Give me a and M. Which one? Texas.

[Brandon Walker]

Okay.

[Tom Fornelli]

The one in College Station.

[Brandon Walker]

I already have Texas.

[Tom Fornelli]

Okay. And then give me.

[Big Cat]

Nebraska's still out there.

[Brandon Walker]

Need me to write down some teams for you?

[Tom Fornelli]

Yeah.

[Brandon Walker]

Do you not know Arizona State? You don't know the teams, do you?

[Tom Fornelli]

I'm just trying to figure out all the SEC teams that don't have a shot. So far, I've only got Mississippi State, Ole Miss.

[Brandon Walker]

Well, obviously Kentucky doesn't have a shot.

[Tom Fornelli]

No, I mean, I feel like Kentucky's got a shot. They've won.

[Brandon Walker]

Pick Kentucky.

[Tom Fornelli]

No, no, no. Maybe in the later rounds.

[Brandon Walker]

This is a later round, Tom.

[Tom Fornelli]

This is the mid to late round.

[PFT Commenter]

10 South Carolina.

[Tom Fornelli]

Oh, no, no, no. I don't want South Carolina.

[Brandon Walker]

That.

[Tom Fornelli]

Give me. You know what? Brandon, this way. So he's right.

[Big Cat]

He.

[Tom Fornelli]

Him. Give me Nebraska.

[Brandon Walker]

I'll take you in the. Okay. Give me Arizona State and give me Illinois.

[Tom Fornelli]

That's fine. I win either way.

[PFT Commenter]

That's Tom's pick, too.

[Tom Fornelli]

Yeah. Yeah. Well, since I have a degree from there, I feel like I should get half those points.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

Yep.

[Tom Fornelli]

Those are. That's in the Bible.

[Brandon Walker]

How come all of Tom's. My picks are somebody else's?

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

All right, great question.

[Tom Fornelli]

So I've got two left here. Give me Kansas State, because I'm not totally off of them. I thought they actually played well. Even though they lost that game.

[Brandon Walker]

They certainly didn't play well.

[Tom Fornelli]

I think they played better than Iowa State.

[Brandon Walker]

Well, they didn't or they would.

[Big Cat]

Well, no, they. You can play better and lose.

[Brandon Walker]

They were down 10, especially in the Big 12.

[Tom Fornelli]

Go watch the tape, buddy. I watched the all 20.

[Brandon Walker]

I did. It was not impressive.

[Tom Fornelli]

Name four players on the team. Let's see.

[Brandon Walker]

Avery Johnson, Avery Johnson's dad, and Avery Johnson's brother.

[Tom Fornelli]

I mean, those guys are fighting for their brother. That's. That's the kind of team unity I want.

[Brandon Walker]

Dylan. Dylan Edwards and then the receiver.

[Big Cat]

So let's see.

[Tom Fornelli]

You took Illinois off the board. Give me. Give me two lane.

[Brandon Walker]

Oh, yeah. You needed to take a G5. That would have been an asshole move if you did.

[Tom Fornelli]

Yeah, it just felt like it's.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Brandon Walker]

Give me. To round it out, to finish it off, to cap it. Usc to make it Whole. Give me the Washington Huskies. You like that?

[Tom Fornelli]

I do. My. My only concern about Washington that we didn't talk about much is just. I met Demond Williams in person. Not the largest human being you're going.

[Big Cat]

To run into court.

[Brandon Walker]

They don't make big quarterbacks.

[Tom Fornelli]

He's a running quarterback, though.

[PFT Commenter]

Gotta have some meat in the bones.

[Tom Fornelli]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

Gotta have. Have some density, some heft. You.

[Brandon Walker]

You. You've. That's two.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Okay. Okay. Good job, boys.

[Tom Fornelli]

Thank you.

[Big Cat]

I think we know 11 picks each. That's.

[Brandon Walker]

That. That's 12, right?

[PFT Commenter]

Well, no, I.

[Big Cat]

That. Up first, tag Tom and Brandon.

[Tom Fornelli]

Oh, so we need one more.

[Brandon Walker]

So we had it. So it's my.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, that's true.

[Tom Fornelli]

No, you know, it's Max's fault. It's Max's fault, not ours.

[Big Cat]

Okay.

[Brandon Walker]

No, it's definitely not our fault. Well, more.

[Tom Fornelli]

Jalen hurts isn't even a top 10 NFL QB.

[Big Cat]

You know what I've been. I'm taking away all the. All the.

[Brandon Walker]

That would be my pick.

[Tom Fornelli]

I know it's tough.

[Brandon Walker]

It's. There's not you.

[Big Cat]

Why not Louisville?

[Tom Fornelli]

Oh, I don't hate it.

[Big Cat]

Take James Mad Madison.

[Tom Fornelli]

No, I just. I feel like there's. I feel like they're racist against the Sunbelt.

[Brandon Walker]

You think James Madison's racist?

[Tom Fornelli]

I think college football institution is.

[PFT Commenter]

He lived in 1700s.

[Tom Fornelli]

Yeah, like the school or the man.

[Brandon Walker]

Harrisonburg feels like a racist place.

[PFT Commenter]

I would agree with that.

[Brandon Walker]

When you drive through.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, there's some. There's some truth to that. A lot of golden corrals.

[Tom Fornelli]

That's always a sign.

[PFT Commenter]

Always a sign. They got the old cracker barrels.

[Tom Fornelli]

We're not giving up our old logo. They're holding on.

[PFT Commenter]

It's like from my dead hand.

[Tom Fornelli]

Yeah, let's see.

[Brandon Walker]

You can't name 24 teams.

[Tom Fornelli]

I'm just trying to figure out what other big 12. Give me Texas Tech. Fuck it, they sprint.

[PFT Commenter]

So no Ole Miss on there.

[Brandon Walker]

We didn't miss, like, a top five team, do we?

[Big Cat]

If we did, we'll find out. No, I don't think you guys did. I think you're good. I'm looking at the odds right now. All right, boys. Thank you. It's always great, always fun to get.

[Brandon Walker]

The invite to walk down the hall three doors to be on a show for the third time ever.

[Big Cat]

That's not true.

[Brandon Walker]

Fourth time ever.

[Big Cat]

That's not true.

[Brandon Walker]

Seventh time ever.

[Big Cat]

I don't know. You did three different.

[Tom Fornelli]

How many times have I been on?

[Big Cat]

A lot. A lot. You've been on a shit ton Plus.

[Tom Fornelli]

I'm just trying to remember my burners.

[Brandon Walker]

Used to fucking kill you.

[Tom Fornelli]

You're burning.

[PFT Commenter]

Hank's on every show, so Tom's got representation.

[Tom Fornelli]

Is Hank here, by the way? Never seen Hank.

[PFT Commenter]

Brendan, you've been on a bunch of the Takeee Awards.

[Brandon Walker]

Yeah, I was awarding things to Ben Mintz.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, no, but this year we illegally taped you and ran it.

[Tom Fornelli]

Hold on. So what you're saying is, like, the only time you're on the show is when you're connected to somebody else, correct?

[Big Cat]

Tom Fornelli. 11 times.

[Brandon Walker]

I don't stand on my own. How many times am I for real? Like 1.

[Big Cat]

5. 5.

[Brandon Walker]

I'm at 5.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, that's pretty good.

[Brandon Walker]

Dingers only has helped.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, Dingers only.

[Brandon Walker]

Which, by the way, I'm a lead at.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, you are good at it.

[Tom Fornelli]

Who's the one of you guys that drafted the utility second baseman of the Diamondbacks who was only up because the guy was injured?

[Big Cat]

That was Stephen Che, the fantasy expert. Yeah, he did it because his name. Name was funny. So. All right, boys. You're the best. Thank you both.

[Tom Fornelli]

Well, one of us is.

[PFT Commenter]

Brandon and Tom were brought to you by Nutrafol. If you're dealing with hair issues like thinning or shedding, but feel totally stuck on what to try, I get it. There's so many products out there, it's hard to know which ones are actually going to do anything. That's exactly why I gave Neutrophil a closer look. It's not just hype. It's physician formulated, clinically tested, even recommended by dermatologists. Neutrophil is the number one dermatologist recommended hair growth supplement brand trusted by over one and a half million people, you can feel great about what you're putting into your body. Since Nutrafol hair growth supplements are backed by peer reviewed studies and NSF content certified, the gold standard in third party certification for supplements. Adding Neutrophil into your daily routine is simple. Purchase online, no prescription required. Automated deliveries and free shipping keep you on track. See? Thick, thicker, stronger, faster growing hair with less shedding in just three to six months with Neutrophil for a limited time, Neutrophil is offering our listeners $10 off your first month subscription and free shipping. When you go to neutrophil.com, enter promo code Pardon. Find out why Neutrophil is the best selling hair growth supplement [e-mail] n u t r-a f o l.com promo code pardon. That's neutrophil.com promo code. Pardon. Brandon and Tom were also brought to you by our great friends at Chevy. Chevy Silverado. The best truck in the world for over a century. Chevy' building trucks that don't flinch and never quit. If you're hauling lumber on the job or trying to get the smoker, the cooler, the cornhole boards, and the whole crew to the tailgate on time, Chevy gets you there. When Chevy says most dependable truck, they're not just spec, they're not just speculating. Chevy trucks have earned more dependability awards for trucks than any other brand according to J.D. power. 2025. Sounds like they have the stats to prove it. In every Chevy truck, dependability comes standard. For more on Chevy trucks, visit chevy.comjd power.com awards for more award details. And now, here's CJ Kirst. And now for something completely different.

[Big Cat]

Okay, we now welcome on a very, very, very special guest. He is our star player from The Philadelphia Water Dogs. 11 overall from Cornell. National champion. What's the Heisman called again?

[CJ Kirst]

Torton.

[Big Cat]

There it is. So he won that. It's C.J.

[Tom Fornelli]

Kirk.

[Big Cat]

C.J. thank you for joining us. We figured maybe it's a good time to have you come in, get you pumped for the semifinals coming up. We. I don't know if you know this, but we've won a championship as owners of the Water Dogs. We'd like to add to our ring collection, even though we lost the first ring that we were given.

[PFT Commenter]

We are like Jerry Jones.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

And you are like Micah Parsons.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

So let's get a deal done.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Who. Who signs your checks at the end of the day? Does it say Paul Rabel on the check?

[CJ Kirst]

No, I don't think so.

[Big Cat]

Okay. How much more money do you want? Because we'll get it for you.

[CJ Kirst]

Kenya.

[Big Cat]

Yes. Whatever you want. Wow.

[CJ Kirst]

I would. I would love an NFL deal if that's possible.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Done. How. So how's the season going? I mean, you. You obviously like. We were very excited when we got the first overall pick. Watched you at Cornell. Incredible season. Most goals ever. Is that correct?

[CJ Kirst]

Yes, most.

[Big Cat]

Most goals ever is pretty sick.

[CJ Kirst]

Pretty cool.

[Big Cat]

But how's this season going? Has there been a transition from. From, like, college to the pros?

[CJ Kirst]

Yeah, definitely. I mean, I broke my hand towards the end of the college season, so had to take a couple. Couple weeks off once I finished up on playing in the championship and then been playing for the last five games, so was 0 for 4 to start at the end of the regular season, so wasn't really contributing. I Guess too much for the team. But then we got it done in the playoffs, so we're still dancing.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Is there a difference between College Speed and PLL?

[Brandon Walker]

Speed.

[Big Cat]

Speed. Yeah.

[CJ Kirst]

100%. There's a new shot clock, so after face off, you got 30 seconds to go take a shot, and then. And I guess a regular shot clock resets 52. And then in college, it's.

[Big Cat]

It's 80.

[CJ Kirst]

So much faster.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Do you think it's that you are so good at lacrosse, and then you also can be like, I went to an Ivy League school. Yeah.

[CJ Kirst]

I think. I mean, I guess in lacrosse, it's not the. The worst look in the world where people are like, oh, you went to an Ivy League school. But I guess compared to in the outside world, other sports people always, always give you. Give you some crap.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, you got. You got it all. You literally have it all.

[PFT Commenter]

Did they have, like, special lacrosse courses at Cornell or did you take, like, the full student load?

[CJ Kirst]

Full student load, yeah.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[CJ Kirst]

So it was tough.

[PFT Commenter]

Was that hard?

[CJ Kirst]

Yeah, I would say so. I mean, just like any other school, though, you figure out the easy classes. So I can't. Can't complain about the five years I took to graduate there.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, you guys have been. You've been on a little tear right now. Nobody wants to see the Water Dogs win. We are the underdogs right now, and we're playing Cinderella. So tell me about the matchup that we have coming up this weekend.

[CJ Kirst]

Yeah, so we're playing the New York team, and actually my roommate's on the team and a couple other Cornell guys that I've had the opportunity to play with. So, you know, a lot of. We've been talking a lot about this matchup, but we had a tough loss to them a couple weeks ago by One 2019. It was probably the coolest BLO game I've been a part of. So fired up to play them again. And in Philly, too. So home crowd?

[Big Cat]

Hopefully.

[PFT Commenter]

Yes.

[CJ Kirst]

Hopefully. A lot of purple there.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

I hate them so much. Yeah, I hate New York. It's like, I always have. I've got two favorite teams. The Water Dogs and whoever's playing New York.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Or no, whoever plays the Whip Snakes too well.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Whip Snakes. All right, so your brother. You have three brothers also in the pll.

[CJ Kirst]

Yeah, three.

[Big Cat]

Okay, so this is like a Saving Private Ryan situation. If, like, one of you goes down with an injury, then another one goes down. We got to save CJ curse. There's like, that's. That's pretty Crazy. Crazy. Four brothers in the. In the pll. Are you the best by far?

[CJ Kirst]

I wouldn't really say that.

[Big Cat]

No, you can say that. I mean, you had the best college career.

[CJ Kirst]

Yeah, I guess so.

[Big Cat]

I mean, you scored the most goals in college lacrosse history. I. I'm gonna say that you had the best college career.

[CJ Kirst]

I appreciate that.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Brandon Walker]

So.

[Big Cat]

But is it, like, are you still trying to catch your older brothers even though you've been very accomplished yourself?

[CJ Kirst]

I mean. Yeah. Now playing in pros, I mean, it's totally different. So, like, they're pretty accomplished themselves. They've been a part of world teams, so trying to try to follow their footsteps and hopefully in a couple years have a, I guess, better resume in that regard.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Where were they drafted?

[CJ Kirst]

So two of them play for the Boston Cannons and then one place for the California Redwoods.

[Big Cat]

Okay.

[PFT Commenter]

Were they also taken, like, really high up?

[CJ Kirst]

No.

[Big Cat]

Oh, but you were, so.

[CJ Kirst]

Got them on that.

[Tom Fornelli]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

One.

[Tom Fornelli]

One.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. So you are. Yeah. You're like the Rob Gronkowski of the Gronk.

[Big Cat]

Oh, wow.

[CJ Kirst]

I mean, means a lot.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Have you been in a fight this year?

[CJ Kirst]

No, I haven't. I feel like that is a level that I could definitely jump on my brothers because they play. They play indoor lacrosse as well, which is huge. And fighting, I guess, compared to some of the other styles of lacrosse. So once. Once I get to that fighting level, I think, then. Then I have a. An upper edge on them.

[PFT Commenter]

When was your last fight?

[CJ Kirst]

Last fight. Wow. I don't think I've ever. You have a legit fight.

[PFT Commenter]

You got guys that handle your business for you.

[CJ Kirst]

Of course. Yeah. That's the name of the game. That's just sports.

[Big Cat]

Are you soft?

[CJ Kirst]

No, I wouldn't. Come on, now.

[Big Cat]

Listen, we're the owners. We gotta ask the hard questions.

[PFT Commenter]

I like that response, though.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. That was a good guy. That was. Good job. And I. Obviously, you're not soft. You literally played with a broken hand and scored the most goals and won the national championship. But that was a good answer. Yeah. You got a little offended by that. I like that. Yeah. Yeah. Are you soft? To answer the question, no. Okay, good. So why aren't you fighting?

[CJ Kirst]

Because I don't want to be suspended for. I mean, come on now. I want to be playing for.

[Big Cat]

That's true. Other good answer.

[PFT Commenter]

He's too valuable.

[Big Cat]

Other good answer. That's. That's a very good answer.

[PFT Commenter]

Who's our. If you were to say we had an enforcer on the Water dogs, who would you say?

[CJ Kirst]

Enforcer?

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[CJ Kirst]

Wow. I would say a guy who's been living in the penalty box, Jimmy Free Hill, another rookie, he's trying to make. Make a name for himself by, you know, sitting in the sun bin. So it's been. It's been impressive to see.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

I like that. Every team, if you have a Michael Jordan, you have to have, like a Dennis Rodman.

[Big Cat]

Exactly.

[PFT Commenter]

Ready to throw down at all times. Yeah, I like where we're at right now. I really do. Because I feel like the rest of the league underestimated us after the regular season. What changed?

[CJ Kirst]

What changed? I would say within the older guys. I don't know if you guys are familiar with the veterans that we have on our team.

[Big Cat]

We own the champion, dude.

[CJ Kirst]

Where are the rings, though?

[Big Cat]

Well, we moved offices when we got the ring, and then we have them somewhere, I'm sure. Yeah, but, yeah, we.

[Brandon Walker]

We are.

[Big Cat]

Come on, man. We're owners. We know. We know this whole. We basically picked the roster ourselves, honestly.

[PFT Commenter]

Like, the rings are a flex for us, but we don't need to show them off all the time. Like, you guys went out there like the team earned it.

[CJ Kirst]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

So I don't need to act like I was a part of the team, even though I did put the team together and galvanize the team and give them words of inspiration and really will them to victory. I don't need to act like I'm part of the team. So, like, the rings. I want to see you guys wearing the rings.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

The most important ring for me is the next one.

[CJ Kirst]

Yeah, but you. Well said.

[Big Cat]

You were talking about our veterans. Like, you talk about, like, Mike Schlosser, Kelly ck, Zach Curry. Yeah, like, are you talking about these guys?

[CJ Kirst]

Kieran McArdle as well, Dylan Ward? Those are our guys. Those guys stepped up big.

[Big Cat]

So that's where the difference is coming.

[CJ Kirst]

That's where difference is coming. Yeah, we're. I mean, they're taking control of the locker room, and so it's. It's been a huge difference from the past couple games to now be in the playoffs.

[Big Cat]

So you guys are playing the. The semifinals on Monday. Our game is at 11am Central, noon Eastern. How, like, you played the. Have we played the Atlas? How. How have we done against the Atlas this year?

[CJ Kirst]

Yeah, so we're. We're 0 and 2. So it's.

[Big Cat]

God damn it. Yeah. Hard to be the team three times.

[CJ Kirst]

Exactly.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Brandon Walker]

So.

[CJ Kirst]

So we got that going for us. But. Yeah, no, I. I said it a little bit earlier, but we lost him 20 to 19 a couple weeks ago in Boston. So I feel like we know them well and fired up to. To play on Monday against them.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, I. I'm definitely fired up to watch. How fast can you shoot a lacrosse ball?

[Big Cat]

Wow.

[CJ Kirst]

I would like to say close to triple digits. Yeah.

[Big Cat]

Okay.

[CJ Kirst]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Do you have a. Like, a favorite goal you've ever scored?

[CJ Kirst]

Favorite goal I've ever scored in the pros.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[CJ Kirst]

Or overall?

[PFT Commenter]

It can be overall, yeah.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, Yeah.

[CJ Kirst]

I would say so. I want to say, like, my freshman year against. Against Yale, it was like, off. Off a clear. Got the ball in like a ground ball and ran a couple. Ran like 50 yards and then put in the back of the net on 1. On non. So, yeah, I'd say that that would be my favorite goal.

[PFT Commenter]

I like that. What about the longest goal you've ever scored?

[CJ Kirst]

Longest goal I've ever scored. I want to say I've scored like, a couple empty netters from like 20 yards away, but nothing. Nothing too special.

[Big Cat]

Too deep.

[CJ Kirst]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[CJ Kirst]

No two bombs yet. So I'm trying to hunt for.

[PFT Commenter]

That's coming this weekend.

[CJ Kirst]

Yeah, exactly.

[PFT Commenter]

They don't think that you can shoot from. From distance.

[CJ Kirst]

Yep.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[CJ Kirst]

It's on the scout, so we'll see.

[Big Cat]

What's the vibe in the locker room about the owners? Are we. Are they like, hey, these guys. Or are they like, hey, we love our owners? Or like, thank God they're so hands off that we never see them? Like, it's a vibe.

[CJ Kirst]

I would say the. The last part.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[CJ Kirst]

Thank God. They're just kind of pushing it to letting us run with it. And then they have conversations like this to make sure they're still in the loop at the right moment.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, I mean, we're. We're players first. We always have been players first. We, we. We take the perception here that, like, you guys are professionals, you know what to do. We're just going to step back and you guys are going to do your thing, and we're going to just do our thing and we're going to win.

[PFT Commenter]

Then we'll claim credit for it after.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, right. Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Then we'll be like, yeah, our team won. But, yeah, it's really up to you guys. Like, you guys are controlling your entire destiny right now. We don't want to interfere with anything. Everything.

[CJ Kirst]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

We're not, you know, the best lacrosse minds in the world, but we will talk. So is there anybody out there, whether it be a player or an organization or another owner, that you would like to make our enemies. We'll get. We'll get in their shirt, like, big time.

[CJ Kirst]

Yeah, no, I appreciate that and, you know, I think it's much needed at this time of the year, so. But I, I, I don't have anyone specific that comes to mind.

[Big Cat]

Okay, what about this? So we're owners of the Water Dogs. We're about to play the semifinals. We guarantee victory. We're going to keep Kick the shit out of the Atlas.

[CJ Kirst]

Hell yeah.

[Big Cat]

Okay.

[PFT Commenter]

I like that.

[Big Cat]

Print it. Put it on the paper.

[PFT Commenter]

The atlas.

[Big Cat]

The Atlas.

[PFT Commenter]

All my homies hate the.

[Big Cat]

Let's go. We just, we just wrote a check that hopefully you can cash for us.

[CJ Kirst]

Yeah, I mean, we gotta, gotta get it done, though.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Are you thinking about the Olympics at all?

[CJ Kirst]

Yeah, I would say, say that's kind of the, the biggest goal and, like, biggest dream and being a lacrosse player and hopefully have that opportunity to be pretty special.

[Big Cat]

How does, how does that process work? How are they doing, like, tryouts? Team usa. How, how does that all go down?

[CJ Kirst]

Y Kind of started last summer, just kind of, it's a new form called sixes. So they tried, you know, getting a group of guys together and figuring out what's the best way to play, play the game. So then this summer is kind of like the first real round of, of tryouts. So invite another, another group of guys down to Sparks, Maryland, where the USA Lacrosse headquarters is, and then figure it out from there. So I guess process starts and, you know, a couple weeks.

[Big Cat]

So there's a chance, it's an outside chance. We have a guy here who actually, he works down in Florida now, but he, I think, backup goalie for the Czechoslovakian team. Wow. I have privately funded the Czechoslovakian team in certain ways, and if they qualify for the Olympics, I will walk with them into the stadium in la. Is that Stolen Valor?

[CJ Kirst]

You'll be there?

[Big Cat]

I will be an Olympian. I will get the tattoo. I will be an Olympian. Is that stolen? I don't think we're, it's going to be a long road because I think there's only what, eight teams, six teams?

[CJ Kirst]

I don't know the total teams.

[Big Cat]

Actually. It's small. They kind of screwed us on that. But would you think, think like, if we're walking down the street and we both are like, hey, we're Olympians in lacrosse. Would you be like, no, this guy is, he just, he just paid a little money for the check team and I played. Would you be upset at me?

[CJ Kirst]

No, I would tip my cap. Yeah, I would say.

[Big Cat]

Anyway, you get there.

[CJ Kirst]

Yeah, I'd say respect you're doing your part.

[PFT Commenter]

I would say it's not. It's not stolen valor. It's treason. If you're funding a foreign country.

[Big Cat]

Well, they're not going to.

[PFT Commenter]

They're not going to the Olympics.

[Big Cat]

They're not going to beat. I'm a roof of the US you're.

[PFT Commenter]

Going to walk out with a still good roof. Czechoslovakian flag on your.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. To. To say that you're an Olympian. Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

I don't know about that.

[Big Cat]

I don't.

[PFT Commenter]

I don't know about funding the checks. I'd like to fund USA Lacrosse.

[CJ Kirst]

Wow.

[PFT Commenter]

How much? Five, ten dollars. What do I have to do to be able to tattoo the rings on my. On my arm?

[CJ Kirst]

I think a little bit more than that.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

We can talk about that. Do you have. Do you have like a. A thing that you would do if we won the PLL this year? Like, would you. Would you shave your head?

[Big Cat]

Head.

[PFT Commenter]

How bad do you want it?

[CJ Kirst]

I would shave my head. I would get a tattoo maybe.

[PFT Commenter]

Okay. T. I might get a tattoo if we win.

[CJ Kirst]

Would you?

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[CJ Kirst]

There's a couple guys who have from the 2022 season. It's pretty cool one, I thought. Do you guys have it?

[PFT Commenter]

Anything we didn't get?

[CJ Kirst]

Oh, you guys didn't get the image?

[PFT Commenter]

Just the ring.

[CJ Kirst]

Just the ring.

[PFT Commenter]

Just the ring. Which we took great care of.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Yeah. I'd maybe get a water dog tat. It's awesome logo.

[PFT Commenter]

It's a great.

[Tom Fornelli]

Right.

[PFT Commenter]

Do we know what kind of dog that is?

[Big Cat]

I think it's a Great Dane.

[PFT Commenter]

I think it's a Great Dane.

[CJ Kirst]

Yeah, we'll go with Great Dane.

[PFT Commenter]

It looks like a Great Dane. Dane.

[Big Cat]

If you guys do win. When do you win? Sorry, gotta talk like an owner. Here it beers on us. Full tab. Whatever we want to do. So just maybe send that back to the boys and be like, hey, listen, beers on the guys.

[Hank]

Wow.

[CJ Kirst]

We appreciate that.

[Big Cat]

And we'll give you every single member of the team a free subscription to. Pardon my take.

[CJ Kirst]

Wow.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Pretty big. Epic. Yeah. And Tusi and Tucy if you want to see.

[PFT Commenter]

If you want. You probably can't accept the 2C.

[Big Cat]

I'll.

[PFT Commenter]

I'll do the 2C for you.

[Big Cat]

All right.

[PFT Commenter]

All right. I'll celebrate for you guys.

[Big Cat]

Steve gets all the free tues.

[PFT Commenter]

I bought you a bunch of 2C. Unfortunately, it's against the law for me to give it to you. I guess I just have to do all the twosie.

[CJ Kirst]

Okay.

[PFT Commenter]

Okay. All right. So we're going up against the Atlas. Who's on the other side of the.

[CJ Kirst]

Bracket, it is the Outlaws and the Redwoods.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Okay. You knew that. Yeah, yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Who would you rather face?

[CJ Kirst]

My brother's on the Redwood, so.

[Big Cat]

Oh, yeah, I like that.

[PFT Commenter]

That'd be good. Be like the Harbaugh Super Bowl.

[CJ Kirst]

Exactly. You guys are tuned in for that? Yeah, yeah, yeah, no doubt.

[Big Cat]

What was it like? So it's five of you total, right? Your youngest brother is playing where?

[CJ Kirst]

Rutgers.

[Big Cat]

Okay.

[CJ Kirst]

Sophomore.

[Big Cat]

Is he. Is he going to get drafted, you think? Is he good enough? Hopefully.

[CJ Kirst]

He's got to earn it.

[Big Cat]

So what, what was it like growing up with like four other brothers and you guys are playing like when you were like 4 years old, you're like, I'm going to be awesome at lacrosse because all my brothers are awesome and we're just doing this together.

[CJ Kirst]

Yeah. It wasn't even just lacrosse at the start. I feel like we played everything and played basketball, football, I mean, loved playing baseball as well. So it was. It was great just having so much going on all the time. I mean, and I feel like we all enjoyed it, which is the best part. So going to sit at a field for a whole weekend just watching your brothers play, and then you get to do it the following weekend. It was pretty special. And then as we got older, everyone was taking a lot more serious, so. Yeah, it was unreal.

[Big Cat]

What's your second best sport?

[CJ Kirst]

I would say basketball.

[Big Cat]

See? All right, can I give you a little just tip here? Media triple training.

[CJ Kirst]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

You got to say lacrosse because then it's like, whoa, he's really. He's better at something else.

[PFT Commenter]

Even better.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, A little illusion, like, yeah, lacrosse is actually my second best sport. Yeah. Yeah, it's a good point. Yeah. Just say, hey, listen, we do media training for all of our players. You can see this. You're a rookie. Did you get rookie hazed at all?

[CJ Kirst]

I mean, a little bit.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[CJ Kirst]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

Good.

[CJ Kirst]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

We are pro hazing on our team.

[CJ Kirst]

Well, that's good.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[CJ Kirst]

You guys were in a party of talking to the veterans.

[Big Cat]

No, we just say we're pro hazing and just go with whatever you want.

[PFT Commenter]

We look the other way. Yeah, I mean, yeah, I. I think that there. A small amount of hazing can be good for camaraderie.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

You just got to watch out that you know what it is at the pro level. I feel like you don't ever have the guy that takes it too far, because usually the guy that would take it too far would be the guy that sucked on the team. And so he was like, okay, I'm going to nominate myself as being in charge of hazing, because that's all I'm going to do. But you don't have that when you're all really good. So with you and your brothers, where did you all go to school? What's the. What's the breakdown for colleges?

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[CJ Kirst]

So Covid kind of, like, mixed it all up. So my oldest brother Connor went to Villanova, and then fifth year at Rutgers.

[Big Cat]

Okay.

[CJ Kirst]

And then my brother Colin went to Lehigh and then went to Rutgers with Connor. And then Cole went to Lehigh, played with Colin, then went to Cuse for his fifth year. And then I went to Cornell and Caden's at Rutgers.

[Big Cat]

Okay.

[PFT Commenter]

What is historically the best college for lacrosse? Johns Hopkins. Hopkins.

[CJ Kirst]

Johns Hopkins. Very good. Syracuse. Maryland. Yeah. So I would say those. Those schools are up there.

[PFT Commenter]

Cornell's not bad, though.

[CJ Kirst]

Not.

[PFT Commenter]

Cornell's pretty good.

[CJ Kirst]

Cornell's great.

[PFT Commenter]

How often do you guys quote Andy Bernard to each other?

[CJ Kirst]

It's funny, I have people and they're asking around the office were like, oh, where'd you go? I was like, cornell. They're like, oh, there it is.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

He kind of ruined the whole Cornell thing, right?

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[CJ Kirst]

I mean, I wouldn't say ruined it, but definitely that's the first thing people think of now.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[CJ Kirst]

Which is.

[Big Cat]

All right. Yeah. Yeah.

[CJ Kirst]

Can't complain.

[Big Cat]

Why do you run around with giant spoons and what does that question mean?

[CJ Kirst]

Giant spoons?

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[CJ Kirst]

Fernal Cross sticks.

[Big Cat]

I think so.

[CJ Kirst]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

Is that. What do you guys call it? Spoons?

[CJ Kirst]

I would say it was. That was a little joke when we were. When I was younger.

[Big Cat]

Okay.

[CJ Kirst]

Calling it spoons.

[Big Cat]

Okay. Yeah. Do you have a bigger net than most guys?

[CJ Kirst]

No.

[Big Cat]

Okay. I don't know where that question was going to take a shot.

[PFT Commenter]

What about. What about the sticks? Do you guys have, like, different. Are they all the same, like. Like uniform, or are they different? Like baseball bats, where one guy's like, I like. I like a bigger stick.

[CJ Kirst]

No, they're much different. Yeah. I mean, like, people put softballs in their stick to make it wider. I use Nike. I'm a big Nike guy, so. And. But there's so many different companies with so many different styles that you can change it up. So it's kind of like a hockey stick. There's different curves on it, and people like different things, and great players use weirder things. So it's. It's impressive to see.

[Big Cat]

See. Yeah. How much does it hurt to get hit by the ball?

[CJ Kirst]

A lot. Yeah.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, I bet.

[CJ Kirst]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

It really Wasn't a good question.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, shoot it, like, at the goalie just to hurt him. Be like, I don't care if I. I just want to. I want to hurt the guy.

[CJ Kirst]

There's a couple of my buddies who are Canadian love doing that, so that's.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, yeah, it's very funny.

[PFT Commenter]

It's a great strategy.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[CJ Kirst]

No, you hit them, they're. They're hurting for the rest of the game. And it's smart. Especially when you hit. Hit him in the dome. It's like, wow, they're. They're out for it now.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, you just dome them up real quick. Then the next time you shoot, he's, like, getting out of the way. He's like, I don't want to get hit again.

[CJ Kirst]

Exactly.

[Big Cat]

Our. Our big thing is we just need to shoot more. Because I always. And this might be stupid, you can tell me if this is dumb, but I feel like you. It's really hard to save a, like a 90 mile an hour shot. Yeah, just shoot more.

[CJ Kirst]

Uhhuh. No, I'm with you. I totally agree.

[Big Cat]

Does a coach ever say that to you guys?

[CJ Kirst]

Yeah, I would say shot location's probably the more, I guess, coaching point there, but trust me, I'm a huge shooter. As much as you can.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. We want to take the analytics out of the game with the whole, like, shot location. What's a quality shot? We just want to go just. Yeah, we're a big quantity over quality guy.

[CJ Kirst]

Yeah. What would be your number in a game?

[Big Cat]

I want it. I want to say hundred shots.

[CJ Kirst]

100 shots?

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Twice.

[PFT Commenter]

How many. How much do you usually shoot?

[CJ Kirst]

Me, personally?

[PFT Commenter]

Well, your team.

[CJ Kirst]

Team. I would say around, what, 40.

[Big Cat]

So 100 seems right.

[PFT Commenter]

Minimum. Double it.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[CJ Kirst]

40 might be a lot too, but yeah. Okay.

[PFT Commenter]

Double shot, 80 shots, 80 goals. Yeah, that's. That's the team motto right now.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. All right.

[PFT Commenter]

Do you have. Do you have, like, a celebration that you're known for?

[CJ Kirst]

No, I wouldn't really say. I mean, kind of just get fired up. He just scream a little bit.

[Big Cat]

What is he gonna do? He just scored so many goals.

[PFT Commenter]

You get exhausted with all the celebrations, right? Do. Yeah, that's smart. Conserve your energy.

[CJ Kirst]

Exactly. I don't know. I mean, if you have any ideas, would love to hear them.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, maybe. I always like it when they pretend to, like, drink out of the football when they crack it open and.

[CJ Kirst]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

So maybe you could have a football with you that you could pretend to drink. Drink out of.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[CJ Kirst]

I mean, I don't have a football out there.

[PFT Commenter]

On the field, I was thinking about.

[Big Cat]

Football, maybe, like, taking the lacrosse stick as a sword.

[CJ Kirst]

Yeah, that's common.

[Big Cat]

Like, you know, stabbing the goalie in the face or something. I don't know.

[PFT Commenter]

I like it when. When Mississippi players, they crawl in all fours and then they lift up a leg and pretend to pee. That's a good one, too.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Pretend to pee on the net. This is my net now.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Bow and arrow after goalie.

[CJ Kirst]

Yeah. Yeah, bow and arrow is common.

[PFT Commenter]

Do they have, like, gun restrictions? I know in the NBA.

[CJ Kirst]

Yeah, you might get fined for that.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, we'll pay.

[Big Cat]

You got to talk to Rabel about.

[CJ Kirst]

You'll pay for that one.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[CJ Kirst]

What if you guys started picking up our fonts?

[PFT Commenter]

How much. How much is a fine for using your lacrosse stick as a gun and shooting it?

[CJ Kirst]

I mean, I haven't done it, so I don't know the number there.

[Big Cat]

What is the average fine? Because I'm actually interested in this. We could become like the. The Al Davis Raiders. Just pay all the fines.

[CJ Kirst]

I haven't been fine, but I would say a couple hundred bucks.

[Big Cat]

Oh, yeah, we'll start picking up some.

[PFT Commenter]

I'll pick up your fines in the semifinals and the final finals. If you get fined, that's coming out of our pocket. Yeah, don't worry about that. Yeah, I want you guys playing loose, not worrying about the. The man upstairs looking down, trying to nitpick your celebrations. You guys do what you do and let me and Big Cat take care of the table.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, let's. Let's get some clips going. Like, let's get some viral clips going of you guys being just cocky if we're winning this game.

[Tom Fornelli]

All right.

[CJ Kirst]

I feel like we will give us an edge now.

[Big Cat]

Yes.

[CJ Kirst]

This is what we needed.

[Big Cat]

Yes. Yes. I have a real question about your championship run with Cornell. Awesome season. Obviously, like I said, you, you know, most goals in college lacrosse history and you first championship since 1977. What was it like going into that game? Did you feel some extra pressure? Like, hey, I've had an unreal career. I've done all this stuff, but if I don't win this, it's going to be a little different. You know, the story will be different about me, for better or worse?

[CJ Kirst]

Yeah, no, I would say going into that weekend. We were there my freshman year in 2022. So we were like, as a senior class, we're like, all right, this is. This is great. Like, we're here. This is exactly we wanted to be. And, you know, in the semifinals, we beat Penn State. Which was the only loss we had that year. So then we were like, when we beat them, we're like, I think we got the momentum that we need. Everyone had a chip on their shoulder going into Maryland, who beat us in 2022 for the championship. So I would say we, we had a different, different feel and different confidence going into that game. And Coach Busick gave a pretty good speech beforehand about that, referencing that, that and yeah, one, once first whistle blew, I went off sides which kind of sucked. And then we were man down the first 10 seconds into the game. And then once we got through that, I feel like we were all knewing that we were knew that we were going to get it done.

[Big Cat]

And, and, and you played this game with a broken hand. How long were you, did you have your broken hand in the season?

[CJ Kirst]

I did it like after the third game.

[Big Cat]

Holy. Yeah. And did it hurt every like were you able. What is that like broken hand? Yeah, I just stopped playing.

[CJ Kirst]

I mean I don't know if like it's pretty common in football, but guys, guys play through injury. They get, they get some help in that regard. So. Yeah, I would say our trainers did a great job getting me ready for, for game day with some extra help.

[PFT Commenter]

You got two hands anyways.

[CJ Kirst]

Yeah, exactly.

[PFT Commenter]

That's why God gave you the second one.

[CJ Kirst]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

You'll be okay. What about, what about the color of Gatorade you guys like to drink on the sidelines? What color is that?

[CJ Kirst]

I don't know if there is was a certain color that was every time, but I would say we did a mixture every, every week. It was called bug juice.

[PFT Commenter]

Okay.

[CJ Kirst]

Yeah. So it was like, it would end up being like green like before games.

[PFT Commenter]

So what's, what's in bug juice?

[CJ Kirst]

It's just a mixture of all the Gatorade powder and like a huge five gallon bucket and our trainers just mix it up and.

[PFT Commenter]

That's sick.

[CJ Kirst]

Yeah. Sugar. So yeah, it was great.

[PFT Commenter]

That's awesome. That's like going to, to a restaurant when you're a kid and getting every.

[CJ Kirst]

711 getting all the slushies together.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Mixing all the, all the powders into 1:1 and drinking bug juice. Yeah, I like that.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Yeah. All right. I CJ this has been awesome. I have one last question. Roback question. R H O B A C K.com promo code take 20 off your first purchase. Q, zips, polos, hoodies, joggers, shorts. Rollback.com promo code take. I'm actually going to give my last question to Zach. Zach, do you Have a question for cj. Zach's in the booth. Oh, memes too. Memes. Played lacrosse. Division 1 lacrosse. I did not. Where did you. What did you play? I did not play Division 1 lacrosse. Put on those heads.

[CJ Kirst]

Oh, I gotta put these on.

[Big Cat]

Sorry. Division two, Division two, slash three. Slash three, slash three.

[PFT Commenter]

All American, though.

[Big Cat]

All American Division three lacrosse player. There you go. Yeah. How are you doing today, man? Quick question for you. I was just curious later. Have you given any thought to later on in your career, possibly getting into ownership, getting into team management and grab. Scooping up a team in the pll? Yeah.

[CJ Kirst]

I mean, you look at the ownership now in the pll, it's seems like a pretty. Pretty sweet role to have. So I feel like I would love to follow in their footsteps steps and maybe get involved and stay in the game. Feel like. Yeah, Pretty unreal.

[Big Cat]

That's a good question. You got a question about video games?

[PFT Commenter]

After a game, tough loss or a.

[Big Cat]

Great win, you got you guys heading back to the hotel or to the apartment? You guys ripping any games?

[CJ Kirst]

Video games? You're.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, if you're. Are. If you're into that.

[Tom Fornelli]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[CJ Kirst]

I mean, I don't think guys have been bringing their. Their consoles on. On the away trips to hotels, but in college. Yeah. It was more NHL at night before. Before going out.

[Big Cat]

So just a thought.

[Hank]

Could be a little bit of a.

[Big Cat]

Momentum shift, some good bonding. Four or five guys hop into a. Hopping to hop into a party afterwards. Hop on the game.

[CJ Kirst]

Yeah, I feel like that'd be huge, especially with. With being in the same hotel. I feel like that would be good team camaraderie.

[Big Cat]

Just something to think about. And it's safe, fun, keeps you inside. You know what I mean?

[CJ Kirst]

Exactly.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[CJ Kirst]

Play doing that with. Which sounds fun.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Well, us owners don't have to worry about what they're getting into if they're all just having some safe fun on a video game. Good point.

[PFT Commenter]

Zach Memes, you got a question?

[Big Cat]

Who's on your Mount Rushmore of Cornell lacrosse players? Oh, good question.

[CJ Kirst]

Wow, that's a great question.

[Big Cat]

Great question.

[CJ Kirst]

So I would put Amy McEnany. So I'm going way back to 70s. So I would put Amy McEnany. Attackman won the national championship with my second guy, Mike, French Canadian. Then I would put Rob Penelope there. Whip snake.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[CJ Kirst]

Yeah, but he was unreal player. And then I'd also put Max Seabalt. So Rob Pinel and Max Seabalt also won the Torton as well. So that's. That's My four.

[Big Cat]

What. What about yourself?

[CJ Kirst]

I mean.

[Big Cat]

No, we gotta have some confidence here. You're on the Mount Rushburg.

[CJ Kirst]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

Get yourself on there. Yeah. All right. So who's off?

[CJ Kirst]

Who's off?

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[CJ Kirst]

Snake the whip snake. Yeah, I guess so. All right.

[Big Cat]

Who's that, Paul?

[CJ Kirst]

Rob.

[Big Cat]

Rob. Rob.

[CJ Kirst]

Sorry. Rob.

[PFT Commenter]

Do you think could. Could lacrosse players from the 1970s compete with the modern day?

[CJ Kirst]

I mean, this. The game, the technology of the sticks. Night and day now, but I would say they were. They're different breeds, so, yeah, I would say athletically for sure.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

What was the difference of the game back. Back then?

[CJ Kirst]

I mean, it was no shot clock. The sticks were barely made out of plastic at that point. So. I don't know. I mean, it's just like every. I just like hockey. Like I said earlier, the sticks are just the completely different game. Change the sport.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

I feel like any sport like that back in the day, probably some really tough guys because you just get in the face, spitting out. Out teeth, spitting blood, and you're like, I don't care.

[Big Cat]

I'm.

[PFT Commenter]

I'm a lacrosse player. I'm gonna keep playing.

[CJ Kirst]

Yeah, exactly.

[PFT Commenter]

Not say you guys aren't tough right now, but it's like that whole mentality of playing back when there was, like, not any attention at all on lacrosse and doing it just for the love of it. Like, that's a different breed of guy.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[CJ Kirst]

They were all in frats at that time, too, at Cornell, so I even. I tip my cap a little bit more to. To those guys and those alums.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Yep. All right, cj. Best of luck. Monday noon, Eastern Water Dogs, Atlas semifinals. We are covering all fines that are incurred in that game. Mm. Let's go win another chip.

[CJ Kirst]

And then.

[Big Cat]

And then. And then beer's on us. The. The tab is on us if. If we can win a championship.

[CJ Kirst]

Let's do it.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Do it.

[CJ Kirst]

Thanks for having me.

[Big Cat]

All right. Thank you so much, man. Yep.

[PFT Commenter]

CJ Curse was brought to you by Mountain Dew. Mountain Dew. That was a. Dude. That was a crisp, Hank. Pop me. Oh, yeah. Pop off for the boys, Hank.

[Big Cat]

Hell yes.

[PFT Commenter]

Love Mountain Dew. Nothing says summer like daytime baseball games. Nothing says summer like going to camp. And nothing goes better with hanging out outside and hanging with your friends than the refreshing citrus kick of Mountain Dew. I've got the Mountain Dew Diesel right here. OG flavor. Beautiful can. Look at these. This retro can with the retro sunburst. It's got the mountains right there. I want to go climb a mountain. I want to drink a mountain. Dew on top of it. I want to hang out with the mountain dude. Chill, guy. That tastes so good. Mountain Dew presented Camp Barstool for us a couple weeks ago. That was the best time ever. Loved hanging out with the guys. Love competing. Love drinking Mountain Dew the entire time. The mountain's calling. Experience the refreshing citrus kick of Mountain Dew. Grab one today. And now, fire fest of the week.

[Big Cat]

Okay, Fire fest of the week. Henry.

[Hank]

Yep.

[Big Cat]

What do you got?

[Hank]

I told a story about hiding a gun on a podcast earlier there.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, it's a good story.

[PFT Commenter]

Statue of limitations.

[Hank]

Yeah, hopefully. And then yesterday we did. We did a Barcelo After Dark. We talked about it. Was it atv, the Pro Volleyball Tour? Chase Buttinger, San Diego Smash? I was like, pros, vers, Joes. We got smoked. And going into it, my whole time, I was like, I just want to not, you know, get injured. Like, we're old now. I'm always constantly thinking, is this something where if I try too hard, I could get hurt? Taking, you know, spikes from professional volleyball players was like, yeah. So I was like, I'm not going to put myself in the line of fire. Did a good job during that. At volleyball, our softball team, they needed a sub. I didn't play in the summer because we weren't here, but I was like, yeah, I'll sub in for the game. Didn't get hurt during volleyball. Went to softball, and I got stepped on. Fully stepped on with a spike. Basically punctured through my cleats and into my toes.

[Big Cat]

Toe.

[Hank]

And my toe has just been absolutely throbbing all day.

[Big Cat]

The worst.

[PFT Commenter]

Is it bleeding?

[Hank]

It was bleeding last night. It's not. It wasn't bleeding today.

[Big Cat]

How'd you get stepped on?

[PFT Commenter]

Show feet.

[Hank]

It was like. It was. I was playing first base. Memes was playing catcher. There's, you know, play it, play it first. Little bit. A little bit high. I jumped up, and when I came down, it was a bang, bang play.

[Big Cat]

Nothing.

[Hank]

The runner didn't do anything wrong, but my foot came down at the same time as the runner was running.

[PFT Commenter]

And just see the toesies.

[Big Cat]

I'm sorry, Hank, if you think that if the throw was there, would you have been okay? H. If the throw had been good, would you have been okay?

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, you got stepped on pretty good. Did memes do something to screw you over?

[Big Cat]

No, no.

[Tom Fornelli]

It was.

[Big Cat]

That's.

[Brandon Walker]

That's the game.

[Hank]

It's.

[Big Cat]

Oh, the ball slipped out of my hand, and I just immediately went, oh, no. And it went 10ft over his head, so he had to jump, come down and the camera kid went full speed into Hank. Yeah. And I then gave him a speech. Like a disappointed father. I launched it. I was like. I was like, fundamental baseball, dude. That's what I said to him on, like, literally after he threw the ball. I was like, fundamental baseball. He threw behind two runners with one out. There was a guy on second and third. Both scored. Oh, no. And then that. Then that led to, like, seven other runs we got. We were the Bad News Bears. We were the Bad News Bears. Bears. So the other team kicked our ass. But, Hank, you're gonna be okay. You're gonna make it through Oasis. Yeah, I mean, it's gonna be.

[Hank]

You know, we're gonna have to battle.

[Big Cat]

Are you gonna sing to all the songs?

[Hank]

Not all the songs. I think I. I've seen a set list. I think the last, like, 10. 10 or so. I'm not like a. I don't know. I'm going with Robbie Fox. I think he's gonna be singing every single lyric to every single song. I'm excited for the, you know, the last, like, 10.

[PFT Commenter]

What's your favorite song?

[Hank]

My favorite song, probably Master Pro playing. Oh, Master Plan. Don't Look Back in Anger.

[Big Cat]

Nice.

[Hank]

I'm.

[Big Cat]

I'm.

[Hank]

I'm fired up.

[Big Cat]

It's going to be awesome.

[Hank]

80,000 people singing these songs. It's going to be. It's going to be biblical.

[Big Cat]

And you're going to be in a football stadium.

[Hank]

Football stadium.

[Big Cat]

You're going to be as close to football. As much as you love football.

[Tom Fornelli]

You're going to be there.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Okay. Pft.

[PFT Commenter]

Bucket hat, Hank. Bucket hat. Can I. Instead of Fire fest of the week, can I do Jordana the week?

[Big Cat]

Sure.

[PFT Commenter]

It's the same Jordan that it's always been. Did you know that would be great.

[Tom Fornelli]

If it was different?

[PFT Commenter]

No, it's. It's the same Jordan. She's putting up a dynasty right now. We also. We screwed up by not talking with Tom and Brandon at all about Bill Belichick at unc, which would be a very interesting thing. Thing to follow. Jordan and Bill have trademarked the phrase gold digger. I thought that was interesting that they did that.

[Big Cat]

That. Very interesting.

[PFT Commenter]

Why do you think they did that?

[Big Cat]

I don't know.

[PFT Commenter]

Hank, do you know why they. Why would.

[Big Cat]

Can you even. Can you trademark that?

[Hank]

Yeah, they did.

[Big Cat]

No, they tried to. Did they officially do it? I don't know. File for trademark. I don't think you can just. I think. I don't think you can trademark a phrase like this. Can you? It's. Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

I mean, Kanye probably owns it.

[Big Cat]

It's very well known.

[PFT Commenter]

He's not getting along well with his lawyers, though.

[Big Cat]

No.

[PFT Commenter]

Okay, so shout out to Jordan. She's got a number of. Of things that she's filed for. They're just. They're being very industrious. Jordan's looking out for. For the future of her maybe husband.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, I feel like husband is coming soon.

[PFT Commenter]

I think they might be secret married.

[Big Cat]

Is this. Is this your addiction to secret.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

Agreements.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, secret agreements. I. I mean, Travis and Taylor were secret engaged for a couple weeks.

[Big Cat]

Weeks.

[PFT Commenter]

Terry signed the secret extension. I think maybe they're secretly married. Be classic Belichick.

[Big Cat]

Would be classic Belichick.

[PFT Commenter]

My other fire fest of the week is just that I lost three laptops within the span of about 30 hours.

[Big Cat]

How.

[PFT Commenter]

All right, so I have my original laptop back from 2016 that I got when we started. Part of my take. That's what I mean. That's what I've been using. Even though Pete's tried to give me new laptops before, I'm like. I kind of like my old one. I like the keys.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Whose laptop is this?

[PFT Commenter]

All right, so I'll get to that.

[Brandon Walker]

That.

[Big Cat]

I just noticed the stickers.

[PFT Commenter]

I'll get. I'll get to that in a second.

[Brandon Walker]

And.

[PFT Commenter]

I took that on the road with me and I left it in the hotel in New York City.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

On. On Friday. And I was already out of the city when I realized that I left that I left the laptop behind. I didn't really feel like calling the place and then having them ship it back to me because it's. And it also is a bad laptop now. It doesn't really work that well, so I just.

[Brandon Walker]

Whoa, whoa.

[Big Cat]

Breaking moves. The Cowboys traded Micah. Oh, Micah Parsons. Is this real?

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, it's real.

[Big Cat]

Micah Parsons to the green. Do you see how I thought it was fake? Because Schefter said Cowboys are trading three time all pro Micah packers to the Green Bay Packers.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. They reached an agreement on a four year, $188 million.

[Big Cat]

That's bad.

[PFT Commenter]

I'm very happy.

[Big Cat]

I am not happy.

[PFT Commenter]

I'm extremely happy.

[Big Cat]

Great.

[PFT Commenter]

Hey, great deal by Jerry Jones. Probably getting a haul back from that. Rebuild the entire franchise. Let's see what. What are they being. What are they to trying trade him for?

[Big Cat]

This is bad.

[PFT Commenter]

Highest paid non quarterback in NFL history.

[Big Cat]

This is bad.

[PFT Commenter]

This is a great, great trade by Jerry Jones.

[Big Cat]

This is bad.

[PFT Commenter]

He's done it again.

[Big Cat]

God damn it. How do you let the packers get them?

[PFT Commenter]

Packers got fleeced this is awesome. Great job, Jerry.

[Big Cat]

At least you said.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. A great trade by Jerry Jones.

[Big Cat]

How many picks?

[PFT Commenter]

I want to encourage this type of activity from him? We don't know yet.

[Big Cat]

And you know what's worse is I saw a tweet earlier today that was like Micah Parsons just started following Caleb Williams.

[PFT Commenter]

Like, literally.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, no, I. That was. Now it makes sense in the bad way.

[PFT Commenter]

So he knew where he was going to go and he started following all the ops.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. God damn it. All right. Processing. Processing. Processing. Processed bad.

[PFT Commenter]

Processed great.

[Big Cat]

You know what? They probably overpaid. That's what I'm going to say. They don't have any first round picks for the next Infinity D. Yeah. Yeah. This is bad. This is bad. Okay. All right. Yeah, that's fine. Yeah, we're fine.

[PFT Commenter]

Pick out. Do you have a fire fest?

[Big Cat]

Yeah, mine was gonna be that my daughter started watching K Pop show that's on Netflix now. And I want to kill myself. But now Michael Parson is a packer and I really want to kill myself. All right, back to the computers. God damn it. How many picks? Tell me how many picks?

[PFT Commenter]

I have a question.

[Big Cat]

How many fucking picks?

[PFT Commenter]

Do you think it's a possibility that Jerry talked to Nico?

[Big Cat]

Maybe.

[PFT Commenter]

Maybe Nico. I got a question. How do I handle this guy?

[Big Cat]

Fuck Nico.

[PFT Commenter]

How I handle this?

[Big Cat]

I haven't said it in a while.

[PFT Commenter]

There's a little rascal here.

[Big Cat]

Oh, dude. One. That's so much money. Wait, Parson has nine and that's only two first rounders. Why wasn't it three? You know what, I'm just going to. I'm going to just go. I'm just going to go with packers fleeced and just mute that tweet. Right? Yeah. Okay. Packers fleeced. Does everyone feel like that's a good cope?

[PFT Commenter]

No, that was my initial reaction because I want to encourage Jerry Jones to keep doing this stuff.

[Big Cat]

All right, everyone. Everyone agree? Memes. You cool with that? That's good. Yeah. I'm shocked. Why? I don't know why you would trade him in the NFC. Yeah. And also, like, he's really good and he's 26 years old and he's going to be really good for a while. And now these first round picks are probably going to be late round picks.

[PFT Commenter]

I want to know what other teams reached out because if it's just two first round picks, I feel like other teams would offer that.

[Big Cat]

Right. All right, I'm gonna do you know what? I'm gonna go. I'm gonna go all Caps fleeced. What do you guys think about that? Mm. And then I'm gonna follow it up with saying, yes, this is a cope. And then I'm gonna mute the whole thing.

[PFT Commenter]

This is crazy.

[Big Cat]

First, so it stands. All right. You got our live reaction. That's my fire fest. And also the K Pop stuff.

[PFT Commenter]

The K Pop stuff. It sounds tough.

[Big Cat]

It's tough.

[PFT Commenter]

Aaron was telling me about that yesterday. It's. It's his biggest enemy.

[Big Cat]

It's. I don't know why Netflix did that. They did it to all of us with children. Children. There's just a K Pop animated show that is now. What is it called? It's K Pop All Stars or something. I don't know.

[Brandon Walker]

It's.

[Big Cat]

It's. Oh, K Pop Demon Hunters. That's it.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

Hank, talk. I have the hiccups.

[PFT Commenter]

Damn.

[Big Cat]

This is Michael Parsons. The packers gave me the hiccups.

[Hank]

Michael Parsons, Luca Doncic, both 26 years old, both traded away from Dallas.

[Big Cat]

Tough.

[PFT Commenter]

That's wild.

[Hank]

Tough for Dallas.

[Big Cat]

I feel like you're gonna suck.

[PFT Commenter]

If you're Jerry Jones, you should probably want to trade him out of the conference.

[Big Cat]

You want to trade him out of the NFL?

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

We really could have used Micah Parsons on the Bears. Really could have used them. Really could have used them. Okay.

[PFT Commenter]

I feel like every team should have been calling about him.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. He's 26 years old. I said, three first rounders. No problem. It was. It was a conversation we had when this first started, when people were like, we should do the Khalil Mack thing again. Cleo Mack was good. Khalil Mack was the right move. It was the quarterback that didn't progress in the right timeline line. When you can get a player that is this good and this young, like, ask yourself this. And now I'm defending the packers, but will there be a player in the next two drafts in the. Call it 15 to 25 range, where the packers are most likely to be picking that will be better than Micah Parsons. The answer is no.

[PFT Commenter]

I got to see what Skip Bayless has to say.

[Big Cat]

Oh, yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. Let's look this up real quick. Come on, Skip.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. All right. Our good friend Tom Fornelli is texting me. He said, fuck. So there we go. We're on the same page. Okay, back to the laptops, please. Just tell me about your laptops. Let's think about something else.

[PFT Commenter]

Okay, back to the laptops. So I leave one in the hotel room in New York. It's been. I've had that laptop for the last nine years, so it's not really working that great. Leave it there. Then I'm just like, you know what? Maybe it's just meant to stay there. Maybe this is a good way for me to just move on from that laptop.

[Big Cat]

Laptop.

[PFT Commenter]

Clean break. So I just don't inquire about the laptop. Y. I think to myself, I've got another laptop that I've used from time to time back at the office.

[Big Cat]

Okay.

[PFT Commenter]

Come back to the office. I don't know where the laptop is. I don't know where I put it. Sometime in the last two weeks, I've misplaced that laptop. Then I've got a third laptop. So I'm like, okay, I've got one at home. I can bring that in. I bring it in, go to a gas station on the way in, get out, walk inside. And while I'm inside, somebody steals my laptop.

[Big Cat]

What? Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Didn't realize somebody stole it until.

[Big Cat]

Just leave it sitting on, like, the front seat.

[PFT Commenter]

It may have been very visible. I don't like to lock the El Camino.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Hank]

Can you lock the El Camino?

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, it's. Yes, you can lock the El Camino.

[Big Cat]

Good question.

[PFT Commenter]

You have to. You have to lean over and press the thing down.

[Hank]

Oh, and you can't reach.

[PFT Commenter]

And then. That's not what I meant by. It's just a pain in the ass. I can. I can. I have a wand that I use for my car lock. Wand. And so I know exactly who stole my laptop. The problem.

[Big Cat]

Oh, because you have the tracking.

[PFT Commenter]

No.

[Big Cat]

Oh.

[PFT Commenter]

The problem with me knowing exactly who stole my laptop is I don't want to describe the person to anybody because the person looks exactly like me.

[Big Cat]

Oh.

[PFT Commenter]

The guy was inside the gas station in front of me trying to return a phone charger. At least the case to a phone charger. Charger that he had removed and tried to return it to get, like, 15 bucks cash.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

From the cashier. And she was like, no, I can't take this back. You very clearly just stole the thing out of it. Now you're trying to get money out of it.

[Big Cat]

Right.

[PFT Commenter]

This guy was not. He was not there for any good reason.

[Big Cat]

Right.

[PFT Commenter]

And he looked exactly like me. And so I can't be like, yeah, be on the lookout for me. For me. A white guy, Approximately, close to 6ft tall, mustache, glasses, long hair. That's. That's your man. I can't describe that guy to anybody.

[Big Cat]

So whose laptop is this?

[PFT Commenter]

So this is a laptop that Pete gave me.

[Big Cat]

Okay.

[PFT Commenter]

To do streaming on. Probably a lot of.

[Big Cat]

Come on.

[PFT Commenter]

Back in 2020, the keys are very sticky, and nothing is saved on this, so I'm having to log out, log back into everything. So we're making do on this. This is an away game, but I think this is now my laptop that I'm going to be using.

[Big Cat]

Oh, man.

[PFT Commenter]

So that's kind of a fire fest.

[Big Cat]

That is kind of a.

[PFT Commenter]

And then I. You have that moment when you go through, like, a real bad.

[Hank]

Have your laptop or Micah Parsons on your rival team.

[PFT Commenter]

I would trade every computer I have to get Micah Parsons off my rival team.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Like, there's no.

[Hank]

Could be worse.

[PFT Commenter]

There's no better feeling in the world than when Micah Parsons leaves your rival team. It's awesome. I highly recommend to everybody out there, try it at least once. Perspective. Yeah. So, big cat, you might get that joy one day.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, true. When he's, like, 35 and a Hall of Famer.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. When he's gone.

[Big Cat]

Zach.

[PFT Commenter]

Great trade. Jerry.

[Big Cat]

My fire fest of the week. I guess a little bit of backstory. Yesterday night, I did go on a date. It was a lot of fun. We. We played mini golf, got some drinks. But my confess is that I shot a 51 on nine.

[PFT Commenter]

All right.

[Big Cat]

I went into it.

[Hank]

Solid, solid score.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

Really wanted to be like, you know, golf is a man's sport. I'll look so, so sophisticated as a man if I can sink these putts. And then I just. None of the holes went well.

[PFT Commenter]

So how was the date, though?

[Big Cat]

Date was a lot of fun. Great time. The mini golf, not so much.

[PFT Commenter]

Will there be another date?

[Big Cat]

There could possibly be another date.

[Tom Fornelli]

Yes, sir.

[PFT Commenter]

Zach, question. Yes, sir? Was this date number two, or was this date number one?

[Big Cat]

This was. This was a second. Second date.

[PFT Commenter]

Let's go. All right, so how did you manage that? Because I know that there were some questions about reaching back out to schedule the second date.

[Big Cat]

We just. There were just some scheduling conflicts. Last couple weeks, people were out of town, I was out of town. They were out of town. But they just circled back to a dateable scenario.

[PFT Commenter]

So did you. Did you apologize for not reaching back out?

[Big Cat]

Certainly. I was very transparent about being terrible at texting. And we might pivot to phone calls. Calls. Love that.

[PFT Commenter]

Smart pivot to phone calls.

[Hank]

That plays.

[Big Cat]

Maybe a FaceTime situation. The most important question here. What did she shoot? She shot. I think she had a couple rough holes as well, because the score. The digital scorecard only let you log six holes each. Each hole. But I think she was, like, high 20s, so I got smoked.

[PFT Commenter]

Okay, so, yeah, you let her win. What a Gentleman.

[Big Cat]

She beat you by 20 strokes there. There's a high teens. I don't want to say 20, but not way more strokes than you would like to get beat by in a mini golf tournament on a date. So many more strokes. Oh, man, that's good. I'm happy you went on a date.

[Tom Fornelli]

Thank you, Big cat.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

We have a. A statement from Micah Parsons now.

[Big Cat]

Okay, let's hear it.

[PFT Commenter]

Let's see. Growing up in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, I was one of the few kids in my neighborhood who cheered for the Dallas Cowboys. Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. You embrace me. My family is my own. I never wanted this chapter to end. But not everything was in my control. My. My heart has always been here. It still is. Through it all, I never made any demands. I never asked for anything more than fairness. I only asked the person I trust to negotiate my contract to be part of the process. It's a sad day, but not a bitter one. I'll never forget the joy of draft night. The adrenaline of running out of the tunnel. Or the brotherhood I shared with my teammates, coaches and staff who prepared me for every single game. Those memories are mine forever. North Texas will continue to be my home in the off season. I'll still be here, giving back to the community that gave me so much. And no matter where the next chapter takes me, the bond we've built will never break. Thank you, Cowboys Nation, for every cheer, every moment, every ounce of love you showed me. Wearing the star has been the honor of my life. With gratitude and love. 11.

[Big Cat]

Wow. Sure stayed. If you loved it so much.

[Tom Fornelli]

Just.

[PFT Commenter]

No, listen. Sometimes this is business. NFL's a business.

[Big Cat]

Cowboys are just going to suck.

[PFT Commenter]

I think. As a Cowboys fan, how does this affect you?

[Big Cat]

I think they are.

[Hank]

They're going to be terrible.

[PFT Commenter]

I don't know about terrible.

[Hank]

Good for the.

[PFT Commenter]

The offense is still good.

[Hank]

Good for the commies.

[PFT Commenter]

The offense is very good.

[Big Cat]

Take the team away from Jerry Jones. No, he's senile.

[PFT Commenter]

No, give him more responsibility.

[Big Cat]

He's senile. Take it away.

[PFT Commenter]

Let the man do what he loves, you know? You know how much money Jerry Jones has made the NFL. We have to be supportive of. Of Jerry.

[Hank]

So nice if you have a rookie QB knowing he's not in your division anymore.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Hank]

Or young qb, second year qb.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, it is. It's really good. Like there's. It's so awesome. It's so.

[Big Cat]

You laugh about memes? No.

[PFT Commenter]

Hank. Hank is making a great point.

[Tom Fornelli]

Hank's just making points.

[PFT Commenter]

Hank knows ball. This is great.

[Big Cat]

2.

[Hank]

What cuz, what was it going to be two times a year for the next.

[PFT Commenter]

Twice a year for forever? And like, that's a guy that even if you have a quarterback that you're really happy about. Like, I'm not looking forward to Dallas week. I'm not looking forward to Micah Parsons getting out.

[Hank]

Even if they're bad, Even if the team is bad.

[Big Cat]

He's numbers three. He's still.

[PFT Commenter]

He's still great. I'm gonna take 11. I'm gonna take number 11.

[Big Cat]

22. I'll allow this one.

[PFT Commenter]

No hate towards you.

[Big Cat]

Listen, college football is all I care about right now. We'll deal with this later.

[PFT Commenter]

It's a next week problem.

[Big Cat]

Totally a next week problem. I don't think we play the packers for a while anyway. Who knows?

[PFT Commenter]

All right.

[Big Cat]

What do you guys got numbers? I have three.

[PFT Commenter]

I took 11 for Micah.

[Big Cat]

I think we play. I can't remember what the first. Yeah. December 7th. And then the end of the season. We got a long time to worry about this. A long time to worry about this. I'll do 50. I see it. Behind PFT. 46. 76.

[Brandon Walker]

19.

[Big Cat]

Also found a. A home for Mr. Pair. 45. What you guess you had 46. Oh, man. So close. Tough break.

[PFT Commenter]

Love you guys. Love you, Jerry.