OKC Thunder’s Alex Caruso, Maxx Crosby Is A Raven, Jayson Tatum Is Back, CBB Regular Season Finale And LIV Golf Conspiracy

Summary

Pardon My Take – Episode Summary

Episode Title: OKC Thunder’s Alex Caruso, Maxx Crosby Is A Raven, Jayson Tatum Is Back, CBB Regular Season Finale And LIV Golf Conspiracy
Date: March 9, 2026
Hosts: Big Cat & PFT Commenter (Barstool Sports)
Special Guest: Alex Caruso (OKC Thunder, NBA Role Player)

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Episode Overview

This Monday episode of Pardon My Take kicks off a week defined by NFL free agency rumors, NBA injury returns, and March Madness fever. Big Cat and PFT Commenter recap major sports headlines—most notably, Maxx Crosby’s blockbuster move to the Ravens, dissect fallout from Dak Prescott’s public breakup, and debate the chaos currently enveloping college basketball’s bubble. The show features an in-depth and lively studio interview with OKC Thunder’s Alex Caruso, who reflects on his role in the Thunder’s success, playing style, and the journey to becoming the ultimate NBA role player.

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Key Discussion Points & Timestamps

1. NFL Free Agency: Maxx Crosby to the Ravens

[02:48 - 07:57]

• Big Cat & PFT dissect the Maxx Crosby trade:
  • Ravens acquire superstar pass rusher Maxx Crosby from the Raiders for two first-round picks.
  • PFT (02:48): “When this happened, the first thing I actually thought of was—what is John Harbaugh doing right now? He’s gotta be fuming.”
  • Discussion of how the Raiders hit a franchise crossroads and whether the Ravens are pivoting to a full-on “win now” window around Lamar Jackson.
• Big Cat: “You’re kinda forking the road—stash draft capital or go all-in with Lamar?”

2. Cowboys, Patriots, and Tom Brady Ownership Conspiracy

[07:05 - 11:15]

• Jokes about the Cowboys endlessly “monitoring” every free agent and trade rumor.
• Debate regarding whether Tom Brady may have blocked the Patriots from getting Crosby, referencing vague ESPN “sourcing” and poking fun at the media rumor mill:
  • Hank (08:45): “The way Brady’s last year went—you can believe anything at this point.”
• Banter on Brady’s post-retirement life, tongue-in-cheek jokes about him and Mark Davis assembling a “pussy patrol” in Vegas.

3. NFL Free Agency Rundown & QB Carousel

[11:32 - 18:54]

• Notable signings: Khalil Mack back to Chargers; Bills and Packers shore up the center position—Big Cat: “The center market is the hottest market out there.”
• Wild speculation about Geno Smith, Carson Wentz, Andy Dalton, Jacoby Brissett, and other second-tier QBs landing new gigs.
• PFT (19:00): Joke: “I want to see Russ cold calling teams like a boiler room—‘can I interest you in a Super Bowl champion QB?’”

4. Dak Prescott’s Broken Engagement and Combos Gone Wrong

[19:39 - 24:55]

• Discussion of Dak’s breakup with his fiancé after a joint bachelor/bachelorette party ended in disaster.
  • Big Cat (20:11): “If you do a joint bachelor/bachelorette party, that’s pre-crime. That’s the most insane thing possible.”
  • Rumors swirl about whether a prenup, strip club dispute, or friends’ drama were the culprit.
• Debate on the proper QB1 approach to off-field life and the hazards of public relationships.

5. NBA Catch-up: Jayson Tatum Returns

[26:38 - 29:56]

• Celtics’ Tatum returns from injury with no minutes restriction.
  • Hank (27:01): “It’s crazy that he’s back this fast and looks completely fine.”
• Lighthearted argument over postseason futures, Celtics-Sixers rivalry, and Jalen Brown’s claim to “best human two-way player.”
  • Big Cat (30:10): “Wemby’s not a human.”

6. College Basketball: Bubble Chaos & Tournament Talk

[32:40 - 51:01]

• Mass carnage on the bubble as key teams (Auburn, Indiana, Virginia Tech, etc.) lose critical games before conference tournaments.
  • Big Cat (33:37): “Now it’s a slop fest to see who gets in.”
• Spirited defense of automatic bids, Cinderella stories, and the “chaos” formula that makes March infamously fun.
  • PFT (35:31): “Chaos is what makes March March.”
• Debate over Miami (OH)’s weak non-conference schedule despite unbeaten conference run, and rightful place in the bracket.
  • Big Cat (37:56): “I don’t care if they played nobody. If you win every game, you should be in.”
• NCAA seeding quirks, dangers of 8/9 lines, Cinderella probabilities, and the path to the Final Four.

7. Golf: LIV, Conspiracies, and Arnold Palmer’s Umbrella

[50:12 - 52:57]

• Arnie Palmer’s classic umbrella logo origin (a story that involves a “hot chick”).
• LIV Golf’s rumored “scripted” victories: John Rahm finally wins after public speculation, sparking jokes about “magnetized” golf balls and Saudi influence.
  • Big Cat (58:03): “How long before President Trump wins a LIV event?”
  • PFT (59:15): “54 holes and shorts—that’s LIV to me…”
• Side tangent: viral left-handed golf content and the theory that discussion of certain players (Four Aces) on PMT leads to their real-life wins.

8. World Baseball Classic & International Sports

[65:46 - 67:56]

• High praise for the energy, fan engagement, and “real stakes” of the WBC.
• Tangent on Taiwan’s baseball dominance at youth level vs. pro level.
• Big Cat (66:51): “Selection Sunday, semifinals, final—then March Madness. It’s perfect.”

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Joint Bachelor/Bachelorette Parties:
  • Big Cat (20:11): “That’s pre-crime. That’s the most insane thing possible.”
• Maxx Crosby Trade:
  • PFT (02:48): “Crosby handled the trade request the best way any superstar ever has.”
• On Miami (OH)’s Cinderella Profile:
  • Big Cat (37:56): "They deserve to be in—played a shitty schedule, but not their fault. Give them a 1-seed for the comedy."
• On NBA Tanking:
  • Alex Caruso (100:45): “The reality is, the way the league’s set up—you have to tank if you want to get good.”
• LIV Golf Conspiracy:
  • Big Cat (58:03): “How long before President Trump wins a LIV event? It’s gotta be coming, right?”
• On Headbands:
  • Alex Caruso (104:07): “I sweat a lot… After a game, kids love my sweatband, they don’t even care.”
• On March Madness as a Pro:
  • Big Cat (91:09): “Does it suck not being able to watch all of March Madness?”
  • Caruso: “Those are the days… 8 AM to whenever, wall-to-wall games—it does sting missing it.”

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Special Guest Interview: Alex Caruso (OKC Thunder)

[76:40 - 119:00]

Highlights:

• On Role Player Excellence:
  • Big Cat: “You’ve entered all-time role player level. That’s a compliment.”
• Game Prep & Secret Weapon Status:
  • Caruso details how his minutes vary by matchup and “mini playoff games,” especially in high-leverage nationally televised showdowns.
• Stealing Transition Turnovers:
  • “It’s part anticipation, part film—like a defensive back in football.”
• NBA Cup & Midseason Motivation:
  • Caruso laments falling short in the NBA Cup, jokes about the need for road trip “motivation” vs. tanking teams, and offers to throw in special “bounce pass assists” for PMT listeners.
• Golf Fandom & Charles Barkley's Surprise:
  • Humorous retelling of Barkley’s “miracle” golf round overshadowing Caruso’s best-ever 74 at Tahoe.
• Tanking & League Structure:
  • A frank assessment: “It works… If you don’t draft well, you’re stuck in a losing revolution.”
• Team Vet Life:
  • Details on being the “old guy” among Thunder youth, getting ribbed for being “ancient” at 30, and road life mishaps (hotel key mix-ups, confusing cities).
• TikTok Dance Ultimatums:
  • Caruso jokes about possibly having to do a TikTok dance with Jared McCain if the rookie threatens to “guarantee a title” online.
• On NBA Cups:
  • Lighthearted refusal to “guarantee a title”—“Anyone can win one or one-and-a-half, but the NBA Cup? That’s a different beast.”

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Other Running Themes & Sidebars

• Banter about sports media rumors, NFL ownership drama, and the “script” of professional sports.
• Jokes about podcast “influence”—Hank’s passionate left-handed golf journey, PMT’s supposed impact on real sports outcomes.
• Emphasis on the emotional experience of sports as both fans and professional athletes, especially around March and playoff time.

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Episode Conclusion

The show wraps up with “Who’s Back?” segments (including Four Aces, Logan Paul, and the World Baseball Classic), rapid-fire debate about half marathons, and the ongoing PMT tradition of trying to hit the mystical correct “random number.” As always, it’s a blend of sharp sports analysis, self-aware comedy, and deep-dive conversation with legendary role players—perfect for sports fans looking for laughs and context on the week’s hottest topics.

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Quick Reference Timestamps

• Maxx Crosby Trade & Harbaugh Reactions: 02:48
• Cowboys Drama & Brady Rumors: 07:05
• QB Rumor Roundup: 11:32
• Dak Prescott Breakup: 19:39
• NBA (Tatum Returns, Wemby Tears Up): 26:38, 30:30
• CBB Bubble Chaos: 33:29
• LIV Golf & Conspiracy: 50:12, 58:03
• Alex Caruso Interview: 76:40 – 119:00

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“If you do a joint bachelor/bachelorette party, that’s pre-crime. That’s the most insane thing possible.”

—Big Cat (20:11)

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For further context, listen to the full episode on your preferred podcast platform or visit barstool.link/pardon-my-take.

Transcript

[Big Cat]

Hey, pardon my take listeners. You can find every episode on Apple Podcasts and Spotify Prime. Members can listen ad free on Amazon Music. Let's talk about a beauty Must have Batiste Dry Shampoo. It's the award winning number one dry shampoo in the US and worldwide and honestly, it earns the hype. Batiste instantly refreshes your hair by absorbing oil and grease, leaving it cleaner looking with added volume and texture. You get that fresh blowout look without the blowout price. In fact, Batiste works better than the leading competitor even compared to brands that cost up to twice as much. A cult classic for a reason and perfect for all hair types, Grab Batiste Dry Shampoo online or in store at your nearest retailer. Today on today's part of my take presented by DraftKings. We have our good friend one and a half time NBA champion Alex Crusoe in studio. Great time catching up with him. Talking some ball as the season winds down. Talk about winning one and a half championships. Being on the COVID of our book. We're also going to talk some NFL moves that have happened. Max Crosby, you are a Raven College Basketball March Madness Conference Championship last weekend of the regular season. Jason Tatum has returned. Who's back of the Week? It's going to be a great Monday show and it's all brought to you. This episode is brought to you by Body Armor Flash iv. The the official rapid rehydration drink of March Madness. Flash IV is packed with electrolytes delivering faster, longer lasting hydration without any artificial dyes, flavors or sweeteners. Whether you're training, traveling or just feeling the heat, work hard, hydrate hard with body armor flash IV. Grab yours today at 7:11. Look, this next week and the week after is going to be wall to wall college basketball action. We're going to be in the gambling cave. We're going to be watching every game and we need our Body Armor Flash IV so that you can rebound correctly after hours and hours and hours of watching college basketball. So go get your body armor flash IV. Work hard, hydrate hard with body armor flash IV. Grab yours today at 7:11. Okay, let's go. My take part. Welcome to part of my take presented by DraftKings. The crown is yours. Today is Monday, March 9th and Max Crosby, you are a Baltimore Raven.

[PFT Commenter]

Congrats to the Ravens. Congrats to to Jesse Mentor. Yep, this is a good a great move. I I when this happened the first thing I actually thought of like what is John Harbaugh doing right now and how upset is he? He's like, I leave and then they go out and they, they make a move with the first round pick and they get a stud. Obviously, like, Max Crosby again wanted to be a red. Max Crosby, I think, handled the trade request the best way possible for any superstar to ever do it.

[Big Cat]

Given how bad the Raiders are as well.

[PFT Commenter]

Given how bad the Raiders are. Like, they had. They had no choice. Max eventually reached the end of his road, and the end of his road was not letting him play for a shitty team.

[Big Cat]

Yep.

[PFT Commenter]

When they benched him, when they said, you're not allowed to play for a shitty Raiders team because we want to get a higher draft pick, he said, that is a bridge too far. Trade me out of town. And. And I mean, if you're the Raiders, good for you. You got two first round.

[Big Cat]

Two first round picks. Yep. You're going to. You're going to pick twice in the first round this year, twice in the first round next year. There's a lot of teams now have two first round picks. It is interesting because the Ravens feel like the team for however long, I mean, pretty much their entire history, it's like what they do is they draft really well. They don't have to do these type of moves. And then they do this move after John Harbaugh's, you know, fired or whatever, the parting of ways, Jesse Minters there. And it's interesting to see. Cause it's like, oh, yeah, maybe the Ravens haven't drafted as well recently. So now they do have to do that. They have to join everyone else and be these guys. Their defense is going to be scary. I love the transition from Max Crosby was always meant to be playing in a badass uniform. So Raiders to Ravens, it's like, okay, that's like, if he went to the Dolphins, I would have been upset.

[PFT Commenter]

It's going to look really, really weird. Yeah, but it's going to look awesome. Like the purple Ravens uniform with Max Crosby. Actually, it's going to be really weird for Pittsburgh fans to be booing a guy named Crosby.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. There's a lot of memes going around. Joe Burrow having to face Max Crosby, miles Garrett and T.J. watt. He. He then went on a possible date with Jessica Alba. So good job. Joe Burrow. Yeah, I. So I want to.

[PFT Commenter]

Went on a possible date.

[Big Cat]

Possible date. It was at a blackjack table, so I don't know if it was. I don't know if that's a. They happen to be there at the same time.

[PFT Commenter]

Okay.

[Big Cat]

I, I would put that under a possible date. Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Late night.

[Big Cat]

I think it was late night. Yeah, I think it was late night. So possible date. Yeah. Joe. Bro. And just Galba playing late night blackjack.

[PFT Commenter]

That's good. It's down the road in Cleveland. There's a quarterback that always hits on 17.

[Big Cat]

I. The, the. I was. I, like, had to zoom in because I was like, is that actually Joe Burrow?

[Alex Caruso]

He.

[Big Cat]

Joe Burrow can look different in every picture.

[PFT Commenter]

He has, well, the hair just always. He always has a different hairstyle, and it's always a great hairstyle.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Yeah. So. All right, so Max Crosby. I. I wanted Max Crosby on the Bears. And I think that we as fans do this thing where if you don't get the guy you want, you immediately say, well, two first rounds. I'm so happy we didn't get Max Crosby. I think it's okay to say, hey, you know what? I really wanted Max Crosby on the Bears. Yeah, I did.

[PFT Commenter]

Every team should want Max.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. But you know how. How you immediately cope and you're like, oh, well, I would never have traded two first rounders. No, Max Crosby is really good, and it would have been awesome to have Max Crosby playing on the Bears. Now you got to do it the other way. You gotta, you gotta. You gotta nail your draft picks. And the Ravens. The Ravens now have to. Like, I. The question I have for UPFD is, are the Ravens basically saying Lamar Jackson, he's 29, he's got. We got like a three, four year window where we're going to have to go all in here. Because it does.

[Alex Caruso]

You're.

[Big Cat]

You're kind of. You, you're, you're like forking the road. Are you trying, Are you trying to keep your draft capital to keep reloading around Lamar Jackson? Are you like, hey, let's go win this right now?

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. I think that what they're doing is with a new head coach. They promised their new head coach they're going to be aggressive.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

And now they're being aggressive for him. Like, that's why I'm saying, like, I thought of Harbaugh at first because, like, this is something that every coach in the NFL should want to.

[Big Cat]

Yes.

[PFT Commenter]

And so I think with mentor, they're, they're like. Because there are other teams that wanted him as their head coach. Yep. I think they said, come to Baltimore. We've got Lamar Jackson and he will be here for the foreseeable future. But also, like, if you come here, we promise that we're going to be aggressive.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

We're going to try to win Asap So that's what they're doing. And yeah, I think that, yes, the Bears did want Crosby.

[Big Cat]

A lot of teams want Crosby, really.

[PFT Commenter]

Thoughts and prayers to the Dallas Cowboys, who are now leading the NFL in number of guys that they're monitoring.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, well, they were not only for

[PFT Commenter]

trades, but for also free agency. They've been monitoring every situation. So they were monitoring the Crosby situation extremely closely, and they're very disappointed that they did not get Max Crosby, despite the fact that they're monitoring.

[Big Cat]

They offered a first and a second is what was said.

[PFT Commenter]

They said devastated. They're devastated they didn't get them.

[Big Cat]

Which would have been actually like an incredible move for the Cowboys to basically get Quinn and Williams and Max Crosby, trade Micah Parsons and still kind of net out ahead. But, yeah, then the price got too high because it was two first.

[PFT Commenter]

I have a question for you, Hank.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Did you want Max Crosby, of course. On the Patriots? Would it surprise you says no to Max Crosby?

[Big Cat]

Agreed. Yeah, I wanted Max Crosby back.

[PFT Commenter]

Would it surprise you to know that Tom Brady did not want Max Crosby on the Patriots?

[Big Cat]

No, it wouldn't surprise you.

[Hank]

It would not.

[PFT Commenter]

It wouldn't surprise you to know that he. He actively may have been the one that prevented him from going to the Patriots.

[Big Cat]

Per who.

[PFT Commenter]

This is per A source on ESPN.com that talked to, I believe, Jeremy Fowler.

[Big Cat]

I saw Mike. Mike Florio was reporting.

[PFT Commenter]

He wrote an article about the article. That's what Mike does. So he's an aggregator and sounds like a tall tale. A tall tale. Okay, here's the exact quote. One person involved in the trade made an interesting point about the Patriots chances at Crosby. No way. Tom was sending Max to Variable.

[Alex Caruso]

Hmm.

[Hank]

Why wouldn't that person name. Why wouldn't they reveal their source name?

[Big Cat]

What?

[PFT Commenter]

Because if you're journalist, you don't reveal your source name. It's a tall tale because then people won't talk to you.

[Big Cat]

And there's probably, like a pretty high chance it was just Alex Guerrero. Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Do you think. But I don't think Alex Guerrero would say that about Tom, would he?

[Big Cat]

No, he. No, he would. Alex Gro might just be the source of. On every leak.

[PFT Commenter]

Every. Okay.

[Alex Caruso]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

You know what I'm saying?

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

He's just talking to everyone.

[Hank]

No, I mean, the. The way Brady, like, the last year went was a little weird with. With how he talks about Drake, May and the Patriots. So that doesn't shock me if it were true. I'm not confirmed. I don't believe that it is true.

[Big Cat]

Are you mad if it's true, are you mad?

[Alex Caruso]

No.

[PFT Commenter]

Okay, so you don't.

[Big Cat]

If it's not true, are you mad?

[Alex Caruso]

Yes.

[Big Cat]

Oh, you're. If it's not true, you're mad.

[PFT Commenter]

It's not true.

[Hank]

I'm mad that the media is once again trying to.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Hank]

Drama.

[PFT Commenter]

Hank is saying, like, it's. That they made this up, but even if they made it up, I don't care.

[Big Cat]

Right.

[PFT Commenter]

Got it.

[Big Cat]

You're mad.

[PFT Commenter]

That's what you just said.

[Hank]

I made it up. I care if it's true. I don't care.

[Big Cat]

Right.

[PFT Commenter]

But that's what I said.

[Hank]

No, it feels like if they made it up, I don't care. Which is not true.

[Big Cat]

But if it was. If it were true, you don't care at all.

[PFT Commenter]

No.

[Hank]

I mean, there's clearly something.

[PFT Commenter]

There's.

[Big Cat]

It's.

[Hank]

There's a. There's a little bit of weird energy around Brady, Kraft, Belichick, everything. But we're not. Like, we're focused on Vrabel, May, and the team in front of us.

[PFT Commenter]

Do you think that it's because Brady wanted to buy part of the New England Patriots?

[Hank]

Could be.

[PFT Commenter]

And Robert Kraft said, I would prefer not to sell you part of the team because that would be a lot of money, and you can't afford it.

[Big Cat]

Broke boy. Call him a broke boy. Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

And then, Mark, according to Florida, I will give you a hometown discount.

[Big Cat]

Well, Mark Davis is, like, as a broke boy.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

I'm happy to. For you to join the broke boy crew.

[PFT Commenter]

Or it's just like, we're assembling a team of lady killers out here in the desert.

[Big Cat]

Hot boys.

[Hank]

The Raiders aren't getting sold soon.

[PFT Commenter]

Well, he's making so many savvy business moves saying that he might be able to afford the inherited sex.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. The. Mark Davis was just like, hey, Brady, we're gonna. We're gonna be putting together a pussy patrol out here. You want in? He's like, yeah, yeah. So, like, Mark Davis walking around being like, yeah, we're. We're actually dating. Alex Earl.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. It's just a bull.

[Big Cat]

He's counting that as a crew. It's a win. It's a win.

[Hank]

You know, I also think Brady. Brady's a smart guy.

[Alex Caruso]

If the.

[Hank]

If the deal was just as good, if not better, like, he would have taken it. He might not have, like, wanted to deal with the Patriots, but if, like, yeah, it was a good deal, he would have done it.

[Big Cat]

Do you think Mark Davis, you remember Mike McDonald at the end of the year, showed that he had A. A big spike. And it was just all the helmets of the teams they built. I think Mark Davis has that with all the. The chicks he and Tom Brady are slaying.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, probably.

[Big Cat]

He probably does. In his office, he's just go.

[PFT Commenter]

He's got a actual notch that he puts on his bedpost. Whenever Brady banks a chick, he's.

[Big Cat]

He's not doing any of the banging. But Brady's out there for him.

[PFT Commenter]

He hangs Brady's tie up on his. On his office door.

[Big Cat]

A great. My great pickup.

[PFT Commenter]

We got some last night.

[Big Cat]

Are the cameras okay? Cameras are wilding out right now.

[PFT Commenter]

No cameras. Cameras are good.

[Big Cat]

I've just been seeing them going in all different directions.

[PFT Commenter]

What was up with the one that was just staring straight down at. At Henry?

[Hank]

There was.

[Alex Caruso]

We were just.

[PFT Commenter]

We were just going for a new

[Alex Caruso]

angle for Hank there.

[Big Cat]

Oh, nice.

[PFT Commenter]

How does the angle.

[Alex Caruso]

It looks good.

[PFT Commenter]

It looks artistic and nice watch tank.

[Big Cat]

Nice. Okay, so we also had Khil Max signed back with the Chargers. Tyler Biotich went signed with the Chargers as well. That's another center off.

[PFT Commenter]

He's a very good player.

[Big Cat]

The Bills resigned their center. So the center market actually feels like it's the hottest market out there. The. The packers signed their center who started seven games, signed them for 11 million a year.

[Alex Caruso]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Linderbaum might get every penny of what he's asking.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Like, this might be the craziest center market ever. I. I saw one tweet. I forget who had it, but it made me laugh when. When the news about Dolman came out last week. That was like, first of all, I hope he's okay. Second of all, there has to be some recourse that we can have at fans.

[Big Cat]

Yes.

[PFT Commenter]

Players do this.

[Big Cat]

Yes. We need to have something.

[PFT Commenter]

And so what. What is that guy talking about? Do you think? Prison. Do you think he's talking about sending a guy to jail?

[Big Cat]

I think he just wants all the money back. Every. And the feelings too. Draft picks, compensation.

[PFT Commenter]

Like you should.

[Big Cat]

Reparations.

[PFT Commenter]

Take out a pay. Whatever happened to taking out a full page in a newspaper?

[Big Cat]

Yeah, we need reparations.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. Thanking. Thanking all the fans. I agree with that guy.

[Big Cat]

Maybe he has to give away like 100 footballs or something. Sign footballs. Yeah, something like that. But yeah. So Connor McGovern resigned with the Bills and yeah, the center market. Like the. Garrett Bradbury. I think the trade happened on Friday. Garrett Bradbury was traded from the Patriots to. To the Bears. And I was thinking the whole time, like, this can't be the answer at center for the Bears. But then you see the other moves. Like the center market just might be the hottest market in the world.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, dude.

[Big Cat]

So it's a good move by polls.

[PFT Commenter]

Dudes don't play center anymore.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

It's crazy. I. I don't know who the. Besides Linderbaum. And there's gonna be like five teams that are going after Linderbaum. I don't know what the plan is for the commanders. It's weird that we moved on from Yadish because he's. He was a really good player for us.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

And he's just a great center. And you saw like a lot of teams were interested in him.

[Big Cat]

You got 30 million. I don't know.

[PFT Commenter]

I don't know what the plan is. If it's because of what we're trying to do, like with David Blau's high octane offense.

[Big Cat]

That's true. Maybe no center.

[PFT Commenter]

Maybe no center. About positionless offensive line. I don't know. Anything could happen with. With David Blau. That's. That's the one thing that's for certain. Yeah. What other.

[Big Cat]

What other big. Were there any other big sign? I mean we. Free agency basically starts as you're listening this today at noon.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

Non tampering. Which is going to be totally tampering. Yeah. But was there any other big. Oh yeah. Jordan Davis got resigned. Is Jalen Carter on the market? Max.

[PFT Commenter]

Nah, that's Florio.

[Big Cat]

Oh, that's. You got Florio. Okay.

[PFT Commenter]

What about this memes? Is this a Florioing or is this a real. A real take.

[Big Cat]

I don't want to.

[PFT Commenter]

Is Geno Smith returning to the Jets a possibility, by the way?

[Big Cat]

I don't hate that one. Before you answer this, the fact that we went on on Thursday, a hypothetical what? Saturn Carr. And then immediately after they're like actually Carson Wentz.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

And Geno Smith. I apologize to. Like that was. That got even worse. That got darker. Gino. Maybe not, but Carson Wentz got. That got dark.

[PFT Commenter]

Although Max likes to pretend that he still likes Carson Wentz still got some.

[Big Cat]

Some.

[PFT Commenter]

What about Gina? You're not looking for. You're not opposed to Gino.

[Big Cat]

Not opposed to Gino.

[PFT Commenter]

I saw one stat that showed he did something good last year.

[Big Cat]

Oh. It was like when receivers were open.

[PFT Commenter]

I'd. I'd have to find the exact.

[Big Cat]

He threw the ball when receivers open.

[PFT Commenter]

He's good. He was good at hitting him.

[Big Cat]

He was behind Josh Allen and Caleb Williams.

[PFT Commenter]

Okay.

[Big Cat]

When.

[PFT Commenter]

When he had wide open receivers or.

[Big Cat]

No, when he wasn't rushed in The. In the pocket.

[PFT Commenter]

Okay. I gotta find the stat. Yeah, yeah.

[Big Cat]

Wide open receivers. We gotta get this.

[PFT Commenter]

The jets don't have IK in Empire. Whatever his last name is on the roster, and so that's. Oh, whoa. That's a good.

[Big Cat]

Take it easy, Drew Ski.

[PFT Commenter]

Wait, that's What?

[Big Cat]

No, that was, like, the big controversy. He messed up Jackson Smith Najigba's last name at the NFL honors. Everyone's like, you stole this moment from him.

[PFT Commenter]

Oh, well, yeah. I mean, but the guy. The guy. It's either somebod mispronouncing his last name or the guy that broke Geno Smith's jaw. Yeah, whichever way you want to go with that guy.

[Big Cat]

What do you. I just watched memes type in Geno Smith. Josh Allen. Okay.

[PFT Commenter]

I was trying to figure out a way that I could possibly search this.

[Big Cat]

Okay, so you're gonna. How are you. What do you. What do you. Well, he said it was behind Josh

[PFT Commenter]

Allen and Caleb Williams, so if we said, like.

[Big Cat]

Got it. We need to find this stat. Stat. So, yes. On Gino. Yeah. Why not?

[PFT Commenter]

Redemption story.

[Big Cat]

Start his career here. I'm Coming Home Video home. Yeah. That would rock.

[PFT Commenter]

Anything's better than Carson Wentz. That. That is true.

[Big Cat]

But. Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Can I interest you in Andy Dalton?

[Big Cat]

Nope. Actually.

[PFT Commenter]

Whoa. Andy Dalton. Gun to your head. Andy Dalton and Carson Wentz. O.

[Big Cat]

Gun to my head.

[PFT Commenter]

Carson Wentz. That's. That's also incorrect.

[Big Cat]

I'm going to give you. Actually, he had his best year under Frank Reich. I'm gonna give the Jets a big comp in here. This is just an incredible way for them to anchor negotiations where they can, like, Carson Wentz gets you as low as possible, then you're in for Geno Smith. It's kind of like the Bears Stadium situation, which I've been saying all along. Like, when they first said Arlington Heights, everyone's like, you can't move the Bears out of Chicago. Then they're like, what about Indiana? No, you can't move them out of state. Okay. What about Arlington? Oh, that's sick. They're basically saying, hey, Carson Wentz. No, we can't have Carson Wentz. Okay, what about Geno Smith? Oh, actually, that's pretty good compared to Carson Wentz. Smart.

[PFT Commenter]

No, you're correct.

[Big Cat]

I just don't think Aaron Glenn, who's probably going to get fired at the end of this year, is going to risk his. He's pre fired.

[PFT Commenter]

I think so. I think he's dead man walking.

[Big Cat]

Sleeping man. Yeah, Sleeping man walking.

[PFT Commenter]

But if I had to guess it would be Jacoby preset and Ty Simpson

[Big Cat]

going into the season. Oh, I actually. I actually Ty Simpson is worth it, like seeing what's. What's up.

[PFT Commenter]

Kick the tires.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, absolutely. Yeah, we'll see. But that's. That's what I've been seeing on.

[PFT Commenter]

On the old X app. So the. The Raiders haven't. They haven't released Geno yet, have they?

[Big Cat]

No, I don't think you can until the league new league year starts.

[PFT Commenter]

Do you think there's any chance that Tom Brady, pretty much the president of the Raiders is going to be like, geno Smith is so good. I'm going to trade him to the jets just that he can beat the Patriots twice every year.

[Big Cat]

No.

[PFT Commenter]

Okay.

[Big Cat]

But maybe the shadow commissioner.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

Tom Brady.

[PFT Commenter]

Every. I'm going to look at every. Every transaction that the Raiders make in the. In the light of will this hurt the Patriots or not?

[Big Cat]

That's all he's thinking.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

That's all he does.

[PFT Commenter]

He's not. He's not managing the Raiders as much as he is just like anti matter to the New England Patriots right now. Yeah.

[Big Cat]

I'm wondering what, like, is there going to be anything that's truly shocking us on. On when free agency starts? I think it feels like a lot of quarterbacks where you're going to have to sell yourself on Trading Places.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

And Tyler Linda bomb will be big, I think.

[PFT Commenter]

I think where Kyler decides to go is going to be very interesting.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Because no matter where he goes, I think we'll be able to say some very definitive statements about Kyler that might. Might be wrong, but we'll definitely say them if it happens. Like, if he goes to Minnesota, we'll be like, oh, he's fixed. Yeah. His career is awesome. Kyler's great.

[Big Cat]

He's gonna walk off the airplane and be better.

[PFT Commenter]

Right. If he goes to the jets, it's like, oh, Kyler wanted to take a paycheck.

[Big Cat]

Right.

[PFT Commenter]

And he still doesn't care about football.

[Big Cat]

Right.

[PFT Commenter]

And then we might be wrong. We might be right. But yeah, that's what I'm really interested to see where he ends up.

[Big Cat]

Do you think. Do you think Russ is just sitting. Being like, free agency about to start, see how this goes?

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

Gonna get some calls.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, he might.

[Big Cat]

Joe Flacco said he wants to compete to be a starter. I want him to compete to be a starter, too.

[PFT Commenter]

I want him to want that.

[Alex Caruso]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

I. I want to see Russ, like, cold calling teams, like, sitting down in a boiler room.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Like, hey, can I Interest you, sir? I'm calling about your extended warranty on your quarterback. Can I interest you in a young super bowl champion quarterback? Young in terms of globally young.

[Big Cat]

Yes. Can I have you. I have noticed that your team is operating under a limited mindset. Could I interest you in someone who could be unlimited?

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, I'm interested to see what the Cowboys do because again, like, if you've paid attention what they keep saying, Jerry Jones is monitoring everything at all times.

[Big Cat]

Can we talk?

[PFT Commenter]

He's got a situation room.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, I was just saying we talk about the Cowboys big story this weekend. So I don't know how much this is true, but Dak and his fiance have called it off a month before the wedding. And it happened during combo bachelor and bachelorette parties.

[Hank]

I didn't know it was a combo.

[Big Cat]

I think it was a combo joint.

[Hank]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

Joint bachelor right there is where you fuck like that is the. I can't stress this enough. If you do a joint bachelor bachelorette party, you just. That's pre crime. That's the most insane thing possible.

[Hank]

I didn't realize it was joint. That's insane.

[PFT Commenter]

I like, I don't think it's necessarily pre crime, but it is certainly not QB1 behavior.

[Big Cat]

It's. It's, it's not. It's bad. Bad behavior. It's. It's. That means you just don't trust each other. And also it's weird. And it's going to be a weird. The entire party's going to suck because you're going to like, oh, yeah, the boys are doing this today and the girls are doing that. Then we're going to meet for dinner. What? No, that's not how it works. That's crazy. Ban it. You shouldn't be allowed to get married.

[Hank]

Well, they're not getting married.

[Big Cat]

Well, yeah, no. So maybe that's. Maybe someone stepped in. They're like, oh, you guys are doing this joint. So wait, Dak Prescott splits from fiance just one month before their wedding after blow up argument on joint bachelor and bachelorette party. No duh. You can't do that. You can't do the joints. That's crazy.

[PFT Commenter]

So apparently she invited a bunch of other wives and girlfriends from the Cowboys. Like other players on the Cowboys. Yeah, their significant others were hanging out with them.

[Big Cat]

He was.

[PFT Commenter]

It was like the Dallas Cowboys. And then Dax girlfriend's friends who are also Cowboys players. Girlfriend.

[Big Cat]

I gotta know what the argument was about.

[Hank]

I heard it was about a prenup.

[Big Cat]

Oh, I thought it was about like, hey, we're not going to the strip club tonight or. No, we don't want to play beer pong anymore. Because that's what I would imagine is the starter of every joint bachelor bachelorette party fight.

[Alex Caruso]

Right?

[PFT Commenter]

It's either that or steakhouse or pasta.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Steakhouse or Italian.

[Hank]

I truly believe you can get through anything in life as long as you have really great friends. I love these girls so much. She posted that two days ago with a picture of the party or not.

[Big Cat]

Was that post breakup or during post? And they stayed up. I got to know also what. At what point in the weekend did they break up? Because then it just becomes a awesome weekend. If the breakup is official, then you go your separate ways and you have a great time. That might have been the move. Maybe Dak actually is genius because he's like, yeah, she dragged me to a. She. She insisted on a joint bachelor bachelorette party. This is going to suck. But what I'm going to do is I'm going to break up with her on Friday, have my bachelor party, and then we'll get back together on Tuesday. That's a. That's. That's got to be what happened. I'm going to. As a. As a guy who believes Dak is the 17th best quarterback in the NFL, I'm going to say that's probably what happened. I. I defend Dak.

[PFT Commenter]

I question his decision making just from the start on this.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

QB1, you do. You do your own bachelor party or better yet, you just. Your bachelor party is just training. Just meet up with the boys out in Arizona and just practicing for a week.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Play the best golf club. And he proposed.

[Hank]

She's a big golfer.

[Big Cat]

Oh, really?

[Hank]

He proposed with a ring in a fake golf ball?

[Big Cat]

I love that that story got on your radar.

[Hank]

I was just reading it in the breakup post.

[PFT Commenter]

It was. It was a ring inside of a fake.

[Big Cat]

Wow.

[Hank]

I hid the ring in a fake golf ball. I dropped it. She almost hit it. I'm just glad she said, yeah, super blessed.

[Big Cat]

There's no way she almost hit it. Those fake golf balls all look so fake.

[PFT Commenter]

So he. I don't understand the concept of the fake golf ball. He, like, he teed up for her.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Or just dropped it on the. On the green.

[PFT Commenter]

I found your ball. And she's like, wait, are you.

[Big Cat]

Are.

[PFT Commenter]

You're already cheating.

[Big Cat]

Oh, wow. It's not a ball. It's an engagement ring. Gotcha. This was doomed. They. If they. Ow.

[PFT Commenter]

Man.

[Big Cat]

Awkward. For people who were planning to go to the wedding, less of kids. Oh, okay. Okay. I didn't Know that a little messier put that disclaimer at the start of this conversation.

[PFT Commenter]

Did not.

[Big Cat]

Did not realize that that sucks. They'll probably be good athletes.

[PFT Commenter]

So she is a certified wine and spirit specialist. That's a great job.

[Big Cat]

She's got a great career there.

[PFT Commenter]

She's got a good career. Yeah. So why. Why are we believing this nonsense about a prenup? It sounds like she's independently wealthy.

[Big Cat]

My. My hand up. I want to say part of the laugh was when you said wine and spirits. I forgot spirits or alcohol. But it. It would also be funny if it was wine and like, spiritual spirituality.

[PFT Commenter]

Wine and ghost. Yeah.

[Big Cat]

She just. Faith based wine sales.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. Or just like. Yeah, wine and crystals. Like healing power.

[Big Cat]

Okay, so that's a big Dallas Cowboys movie. I do think they have to figure that out before they even dip their toe in free agency. Like, Dak, what's going on here? Talk us through this. Let's watch the tape. Maybe that's what they need. Need to do is Schonheimer has to sit in like it's a true, like, Monday morning film session and be like, all right, here's a picture of you guys on the boat. Here's a picture you guys at dinner.

[Alex Caruso]

What.

[Big Cat]

What was going through your head? Why.

[Alex Caruso]

What.

[Big Cat]

What made you make this decision to do this joint bachelor party?

[PFT Commenter]

Listen, I'm gonna wait for all the facts to come out. And by facts, I mean I'm gonna wait to see what Skip Bayless says.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

About the situation. Because him and Ernestine broke down the Iran war.

[Big Cat]

I saw that.

[PFT Commenter]

It was really. It was compelling stuff. And when I say skip and Ernestine broke it down. Ernestine was like, let's talk about the war in Iran. And then skip talk for like seven minutes.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

But whatever he said, he still got it.

[Big Cat]

They are skipping. Ernest scene are. Are very like the 101 Dalmatians. You know the opening scene when every owner looks like their dog? They're getting. They're starting to look a lot alike.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. Their takes are almost too similar.

[Big Cat]

Too a lot alike. Okay, let's talk some other stuff. DraftKings basketball is a game of runs, and it moves fast. That's why DraftKings sportsbook is built for live betting. From tip off to final buzzer. Live betting lets you react when momentum shifts. You can adjust in real time, possession by possession, play by play with prop sides and next play markets as the action unfolds. DraftKings also has you covered with early exit protection. If you place a pregame player prop and your player Starts the game but gets injured in the first half and can't return, you'll get your original bet back in cash. No bonus bets, just real protection when the unexpected happens. New to DraftKings. Bet just $5 and get 200 in bonus bets instantly. Download the DraftKings sportsbook app now. Use code TAKE. That's code TAKE to turn five bucks into 200 in bonus bets instantly in partnership with DraftKings. The crown is yours. Gambling problem. Call 1-800-GAMBLER or 1-800-MERNET NEW YORK.

[Alex Caruso]

Call 877-8-HOPE and WHY or text HOPE and WHY CONNECTICUT. Call 888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org on behalf of Boot Hill Casino in Kansas.

[Big Cat]

Wager tax, pass through.

[Alex Caruso]

May apply in Illinois, 21 and over in most states. Void in Ontario restrictions apply.

[Big Cat]

Bonus bets expire seven days.

[Alex Caruso]

For additional terms or responsible gaming resources,

[Big Cat]

see sportsbook.draftkings.com promos Limited time offer. Okay. Speaking of NBA and basketball, Hank Jason Tatum returns.

[Hank]

Return, no minutes restriction.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, some was like they were just not telling us the truth. He was fine. He's fine. He was a little.

[Hank]

I mean, he took him like a half to truly get warmed up. He, he did have like a blow by dunk that he just got stuffed by the rim. But that, that kind of comes with with time and minutes played. He looked good, though.

[Big Cat]

He was still being honest on the injury report.

[Alex Caruso]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

Okay.

[Hank]

Well, he's out. They said he was out.

[Alex Caruso]

Yeah.

[Hank]

So. Yeah.

[Big Cat]

Okay. It's crazy that he's back this fast and looked completely fine.

[Hank]

Yeah, he looked good. I love the fact that he was kind of traveling. He spent the whole year traveling with the team, being around the boys.

[Big Cat]

Traveling with the team.

[Hank]

No, traveling and traveling with the team.

[Big Cat]

I thought they were. I thought he came back. He was just traveling.

[PFT Commenter]

He's been establishing his pivot foot.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Gather stuff.

[Hank]

It's just, he looks so good. The Celtics look so good. They're.

[PFT Commenter]

Congratulations.

[Big Cat]

He's got a little shine on you. If you were, you know, if you're a guy. Yeah.

[Hank]

If you're a guy that had a 15 to 1 future 14 one, something like that, you're probably sitting pretty right now. It's all the way down to five and a half to one.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, I was very sharp play. I cashed out because Hank immediately was like, I can't believe that he's doing this to me again. And I didn't want to see my boy Hank go through. I listen, I beat up on Hank pretty good. During the super bowl run, like, I. I broke him, and I didn't want to continue doing that. I like how Hank and I, our relationship has gotten better since the Super Bowl. I. I didn't want to go down that road. I want this to be a spring of friendship so I cash out of the. Oh, it's back on.

[Big Cat]

But it's gonna be called you a coward.

[PFT Commenter]

It's gonna be back on in much, much worse ways. I just want you to know that, like, it's. It'll get worse.

[Big Cat]

It's gonna get worse.

[PFT Commenter]

It's gonna get worse.

[Big Cat]

What's the worst ways?

[PFT Commenter]

I mean, I'm not gonna tell him.

[Big Cat]

Okay.

[PFT Commenter]

I just want you to agree to it getting worse.

[Hank]

I don't agree to anything. I didn't agree to you or disagree with, like, you taking the future.

[Big Cat]

But you called you a coward.

[Hank]

You cash out. That was a coward.

[PFT Commenter]

I cash out the next day. Cuz you were crying about it.

[Hank]

I was not crying about it.

[PFT Commenter]

Hank was crying about it.

[Hank]

Was not crying.

[Big Cat]

So you think it's Soupy Zach?

[PFT Commenter]

He was crying, wasn't he? You saw him cry?

[Big Cat]

I didn't see any. He might have cried, I don't know. But there's been false claims of crying before and like, so he could have not been crying. Yeah. Are you thinking. Are you thinking championship and you got it. I mean, the way he came back and looks, it's not that he's back. Like, the fact that he's back is nuts. Fact he's back and also looks like the same guy is mind boggling.

[Hank]

He looks the same. And they're obviously already second in the East. Missoula is such a good coach. And like I said, I think the fact. It's not like some players, they get injured, they have a big injury like that, they kind of go away from the team. He's been around the team. He's been watching every game. He's been in the locker room, been in the film. He's been able to see kind of how he can step in and still help the team get better, which is huge. I think he's. He was facilitating well. He's going to, you know, be able to step up and have his moments, but he's also not forcing it and like, trying to take over. Because when your team's already second in the east, you don't need to come back and be a superstar. Brown's team come back and help facilitate Jalen Brown.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, but actually, I think the funniest now would be if he, like, if he gets, if the Celtics win the NBA championship and he gets finals mvp, then Jalen Brown's out. Like, Jalen Brown's not going to handle that well.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Did you see Jalen Brown.

[Hank]

I disagree. I love Jalen Brown talking about it. It's like they're in lockstep. They, they, they don't listen to the media at all. And it's just great to, to see them talk about it because it's like he's just happy to see his friend back doing what he loves.

[Big Cat]

Did you see Jalen Brown's quote about how he thinks he's the best two way player in the, in the NBA?

[Hank]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

So good. He said, when I say I'm the best two way player in the league, it's not counting Wemby. He's not even human. I'm the best human player. It's a great quote. Yeah, he is. He's the best human player. Wemby is not a human.

[PFT Commenter]

Like he's a regular guy.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Wemby, by the way, that was awesome on Friday night.

[Hank]

Talk about crying.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, I liked it.

[PFT Commenter]

Same.

[Big Cat]

I thought it was cool. So Wemby, they, they had back to back games. Wemby also had earlier in the week, like one of his best friends went missing for I think it was like maybe 12, 24 hours. He was, he was actually in Chicago, got dropped off the airport, didn't board his flight. Like kind of, you know, scary. Wemby was posting about it. So his friend got found on Tuesday, played on Thursday, one played on Friday. They were down 25, come back and win. And he was crying after. It was like, this is awesome. Because he just seems like the, a guy who just loves basketball and he's an alien. Absolute alien. Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

I was actually looking at the MVP regular season MVP odds. There's a good chance that like the top two guys or the top three guys aren't eligible.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, they're eligible.

[PFT Commenter]

Like we're on, we're on games missed.

[Big Cat]

Watch. Oh yeah. Big time.

[PFT Commenter]

For like what, Shea Wimby and Jokic, right?

[Big Cat]

Yep. That's why Cage is, I think, pretty high up in the odds.

[PFT Commenter]

Do you guys trust the Pistons? No, I don't trust him. But here, here's my one big desire for the NBA postseason this year. I just, I would love to see the Celtics and the Sixers go at it again. I think that would be great.

[Hank]

I'm down.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. The whole team's hurt. Two to the head.

[PFT Commenter]

I would just love that.

[Big Cat]

Two to the head.

[PFT Commenter]

I love it.

[Big Cat]

Is There a world where that can happen.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Alex Caruso]

The Sixers are.

[Hank]

They make. They make it.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. They might not make it. Oh, playing Max? Yeah, they're playing. If the Sixers are on the plan, would you prefer that they just lose that? What's the implication for your draft picks? Because I know you and OKC have something.

[Big Cat]

Dude, the plan's fun. It's so fun.

[PFT Commenter]

Playing is not fun. You complain about the plan every year. I would like to not be in the plan.

[Big Cat]

The plan is so fun, dude, because you get to play in and then get your ass kicked.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, like, the Sixers suck playing Paul George. Honestly, playing. Losing Paul George is, like, ruined the season.

[Big Cat]

He'll be back, I guess. Yeah. He's suspended. He's not hurt.

[PFT Commenter]

They suck.

[Hank]

Terry McCain's ballin'.

[PFT Commenter]

He is ballin'. I never wanted to get rid of Jared McCain.

[Big Cat]

We're gonna talk about it with Alex Crusoe and whether he'll do a tick tock with him in our interview coming up.

[PFT Commenter]

All right.

[Big Cat]

Should we talk some. Oh, wow. I would just hit a three to tie it against Nebraska. That's a good game. The college basketball, the bubble. The bubble is bursting. Everyone on the bubble on Saturday, final regular season, weekend of the year, pretty much everyone who was on the bubble lost. And now it's becoming a slop fest to see who's going to get in the. The tournament. Auburn at 16 and 15 is just like the. The. The. Basically the poster boy of, we don't need more of this. Yet they keep somehow surviving all these teams losing and. And being, you know, somewhat still alive. So on Saturday, it was Virginia Tech, Missouri, smu, Cincinnati Cow, New Mexico, Indiana and Auburn, all loss. All firm bubble teams, both on the right and wrong side. And now we have a mess.

[PFT Commenter]

Indiana's on the right side, though.

[Alex Caruso]

Right.

[PFT Commenter]

Wrong side. India's on the wrong side.

[Big Cat]

Oh, yeah. Yeah, They're. They're. They're in trouble. They're in trouble.

[PFT Commenter]

The monkey's paw.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

It's curling up in Bloomington when they're like, I. I hope that my team is good at football for once. And it's like, what's the cost gonna be? Yeah, well, you're just not gonna make the dance.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. But we have. We have some conference tournaments that are happening, which is awesome. We had the LIU Fins up. They're officially in the dance because they get in on the stupidest technicality in all sports. They're playing in the championship game against Mercy Hurst, but Mercy Hearse is a Division 1 team as of like a year ago. So they can't be in Fins up. We had. I think it was Northern Iowa's back in the dance for. I love. I love school. This is what I love about March, too, is when you have a team that has done one big thing at any point in their history, it just. The nostalgia comes, like, washing back. Like, if Valpo gets in, you're like, oh, Valpo's in. Northern Iowa's in that category. Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

When they're in. Yeah.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. It's just like, this is fun because you just know, like, there. There's memories to be had.

[PFT Commenter]

San Diego State.

[Big Cat]

Yep. But there's. But yeah, I mean, San Diego State very, you know, Final Four, but yeah, Northern Iowa. And we're gonna get to relive all that they had. So they're in a bunch of. A bunch of teams have. Have gotten in. And now we have conference championship week, which I'm very excited for.

[Hank]

What did you think about the clock operator in the BU game?

[Big Cat]

I thought it was more crazy that Navy just didn't play defense on the. On the final possession. But yeah. And now there's a lot of people complaining about the. This is. This is something that I've noticed that has jumped up this year. I don't really take it too much credence into it, but people complaining about teams, conferences, one bid, conferences not sending their best team because their best team gets upset in the conference tournament and being like, we got to rework this. Why? Yeah, that's the best part. Yeah, you can just win. Everyone's still eligible. All throughout the season. You can still get in. Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Chaos is what makes. That's what makes March March. We're not going to be missing out on any of the teams that can win the championship, but we might get some crazy ones in there that really have no business being in the tournament. But that's fun. That's what makes sports fun. That's what makes March fun. I like how upset Miami is making people. Continues to make people.

[Big Cat]

So Miami, first of all, that game Friday night was unbelievable. Miami Ohio versus Ohio, like, just everything. You want action, high scoring, middle fingers, big intensity. Yeah, I don't know about the middle fingers. If you're. If you're a guy didn't play in the game, I think that's too much.

[PFT Commenter]

Pinch mob, whatever. Yeah, it's the most aggressive bench mob

[Hank]

in the rivalry game.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, rivalry game. The Miami Ohio is so simple to me in that they should 100% be in. Now they've run the table and won they're 310 and they won every conference game. It's also okay to say they've played absolutely no one.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

Which is totally fine. They're. They're not. They're non conference schedule was dog. But it doesn't matter to me. It doesn't matter how many. If you, if you win every game in your conference and you're 310 on the last weekend of regular season, you should be in no matter what happens in the conference tournament. They're not even favorites to win the Mac conference tournament. Acoust.

[PFT Commenter]

They keep beating bad, really bad teams by very small margins.

[Big Cat]

They've.

[PFT Commenter]

They've won a lot of games against awful teams by small margins at home. Even this year. How many teams in the top 200 have they played this year?

[Big Cat]

Let's see. I'll pull it up right now. They, I mean I know their strength. Their non conference schedule was very bad. They're 90th on Ken Palm. Yeah. In the top 200 or top 100?

[PFT Commenter]

Top 200. Yeah.

[Big Cat]

Because they haven't played a team in the top one.

[PFT Commenter]

Oh no.

[Big Cat]

Akron is a top 100 team. So they did beat Akron. Top 100 team. Top 200. They Wright State 1, 2, 3. Now we're doing the Francesa 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. Eight teams in the top 200.

[PFT Commenter]

That's pretty hilarious.

[Big Cat]

And like I said, only one team in the top 100. Their. Their non conference schedule. They beat teams like Trinity Christian, Indiana east and Milligan.

[PFT Commenter]

Listen, one thing we're not going to do on part.

[Big Cat]

But I don't care. They should be it. I do not care.

[PFT Commenter]

One thing we're not going to do is insult a team for having beaten a bunch of terrible, terrible teams when it comes playoff time. That's not, that's not in the DNA of the show.

[Big Cat]

But it's so funny because everyone, everyone's in fits where it's like you have to. You have to decide which. Which side you are on here. And I feel like you don't. You could just say Miami Ohio deserves to be in 100% deserves to be in the tournament. I actually think it'd be really funny if they gave him a one seed being like they're undefeated but they deserve to be in. They also played a shitty schedule and it, a lot of it wasn't their fault. They tried to schedule a bunch of these teams and they didn't.

[PFT Commenter]

They said no, we could have Miami Miami in the first round of the playoff.

[Big Cat]

Right? Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Like the way that these two teams are shaking out of the bracketology.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. I think, I don't know where. I think my, yeah, maybe in second round.

[PFT Commenter]

Miami. Ohio is 11 right now and Miami is 8. So now things would have to.

[Big Cat]

Well, Ohio wins their, the Mac. They might get up to a nine.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, that would be, I would like

[Big Cat]

and I also, I hate like people being like, can't wait for them to get their asses kicked in the tournament. Why? They're a fun story. This is, we've lost our love for March. I don't like it. I saw someone throw out a crazy take that was like, we should make the tournament 32 teams because the other 32 have no business being in it. And it's, it's, the whole idea is to decide a champion. Not Cinderella's.

[PFT Commenter]

Like, no, no, no, that's not it.

[Big Cat]

Absolutely not.

[PFT Commenter]

That's not it. It is different from football. Like, it's much, you can have a much worse team. Like any given game in the tournament, you catch fire.

[Big Cat]

It's all, that's, that's, that is literally

[PFT Commenter]

why we love March.

[Big Cat]

Upsets early, good teams late. Give it to us. I'm a little worried though because we are getting some, some back to the conversation about the conference should be sending their best teams. It is like having these moments early on where you have some big time upsets in the conference tournament. It does make it a little bit easier for the like first four seeds in, in the first round because you just have, you got, you get like a 14 and 15 team as the, as the 15 seed. Like they're not going to win a game.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. And is it the stat? I think I, I, I pulled it up here the other day. Yeah, I got it right here. You want to be, if you're thinking about like second round wins, you would much rather be a 10 or an 11 than you would be. Oh yeah, a nine seed.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, I mean that's, that's, or an eight seed. I mean that makes perfect sense. You don't have to play the, the number one seed. Yeah, yeah. I saw someone saying that. Like, it was novel and being like, wow, I've, I've just found this crazy thing. You don't want to be on the 8, 9 line.

[PFT Commenter]

No, you don't. It's terrible. But yeah, I, I pulled up the,

[Big Cat]

I mean, there have been times when, you know, the one seed loses in the second round.

[PFT Commenter]

Now you do want to be an eight seed.

[Big Cat]

Like that does happen if you're in the final. Right, Max?

[PFT Commenter]

If you want to be.

[Big Cat]

It does happen.

[PFT Commenter]

Where was that.

[Big Cat]

Where was that? I can't even.

[Hank]

Oh, right.

[Big Cat]

That was sandwiched between two national champions. Wisconsin beat. Beat Villanova when they were one seed,

[PFT Commenter]

and it was the year before they won a national.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, no, I know. I, I, it was stupid of me

[PFT Commenter]

to take a shot there, but I, I think. I think eight seeds have, like, a great record in the Final Four. Once you get to the Final Four.

[Big Cat]

What do you mean, like, once? Just because of Villanova?

[PFT Commenter]

Just because of weird luck over the years. Yeah. Eight seeds, I think, have, like, a.

[Big Cat]

Well, I think it's just because of Villanova in 1985. Five. Right.

[PFT Commenter]

I think there have been a couple other eight seeds. I'm pretty sure UNC was an eight seed. Right.

[Big Cat]

To win it all.

[Hank]

Nuclear 2011, Kentucky, 2014, North Carolina, 2012.

[Big Cat]

But those teams didn't win it again.

[Hank]

Is Villanova.

[Big Cat]

Oh, to get to the Final Four.

[PFT Commenter]

No, to. To play once you're in the Final Four. Yeah. You're the semifinal game.

[Hank]

Butler, Kentucky, North Carolina, they all won

[Big Cat]

as eight seeds in the Final Four. Yeah. Okay.

[Alex Caruso]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

So there you go. So you just got to get there.

[PFT Commenter]

You just got to survive, and you

[Big Cat]

got to get to the point, and

[PFT Commenter]

then you're guaranteed to win as an eight seed.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Sorry about Caleb Foster.

[PFT Commenter]

Walking.

[Big Cat]

Are you walking? I'm talking to you, or do you.

[Alex Caruso]

Are you.

[Big Cat]

Do you accept my sorry?

[Hank]

I don't, but I guess I will because it's not true.

[Big Cat]

What do you mean it's not true? What's not true?

[PFT Commenter]

He's going to be out for.

[Big Cat]

I'm sorry about. He got hurt.

[Hank]

You can't even say it was a straight face.

[PFT Commenter]

What do you mean? It's not.

[Big Cat]

What do you mean, Dude, I want to turn it. Nolan Winter got hurt, and, yeah, the Badgers did just go and win in Purdue, and that was cool. Without Nolan Winter. Hopefully gets better, but I want injuries off, dude.

[Hank]

All right, then I accept it.

[Alex Caruso]

Okay.

[Hank]

I don't believe it.

[Big Cat]

I want injuries.

[PFT Commenter]

I think Shar, he's going to be out for the entire conference tournament.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

At least, right?

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

So what do you mean it's not true?

[Hank]

Big cat.

[Big Cat]

No, he's saying sorry.

[Hank]

It's not true.

[PFT Commenter]

I apologize. He said he was sorry. What are you, mind reader?

[Hank]

I am a face reader. And he's a hater.

[Big Cat]

I mean, Duke is so good. It doesn't matter, but I'm sorry.

[PFT Commenter]

They got two guys in walking boots right now.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

You won't put me on. Oh, my God.

[Big Cat]

I got punched.

[PFT Commenter]

If you don't put your foot in me. My dad's a lawyer.

[Big Cat]

I'll sue you. Can you arrest a ghost? I apologize.

[PFT Commenter]

Duck look great yesterday. Even without Foster for most of the second half.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, they're awesome.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

And it does in the big story in terms of seating is UConn is probably, probably lost their chance at a one seed.

[Hank]

Marquette.

[Big Cat]

Marquette. Hank called it. He did. You did call it.

[Hank]

They go on a rock.

[Big Cat]

Credit to you. I love when you do this where it's like, yeah, Eddie Cole. You just throw a take out there. I don't even know why you said

[Hank]

Marquette Max was looking for value and

[Big Cat]

they were and then boom. Right away. Hank's right. They beat. They beat Yukon.

[Hank]

The guys laughed at you guys laughed in my.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, we did. I did bet Marquette yesterday. So I at least came around before tip off. I didn't. I bet him against spread. I didn't take. I didn't have the balls to do money line. The Hurley double box. Just both of them freaking out at the same time was great.

[PFT Commenter]

I love the angle that, that Dan Hurley took when he was getting in the ref's face fully lean over. I think he was putting like 50% of his body weight via his forehead on the the back of the ref's head. And then his explanation after the game was great. He's like, I was just screaming into the back of his head. I didn't know that we weren't allowed to do that. Yeah, I didn't see what the problem was there.

[Big Cat]

He should have gone to Tech earlier. He got it with like less than a second left.

[PFT Commenter]

He was doing help. He was doing the smooth criminal into the back of the ref's head.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

I love it. I, I, I love it when the Hurley get this fired up.

[Big Cat]

Oh man. So yeah, that was the big shakeup though because now it feels like Yukon's gonna go to the two seed line. Floor is gonna be a one seed and conference championship week. Just so excited. You guys also see the celebration that is probably going to be replicated many, many times. The three pointer and then shotgunning. The three pointer. Yeah, that was, that was by Kansas bench guy. While Wilder Evers, who's perfect name for Kansas, I think he's played in six games this year. But he shotgunned his three pointer.

[PFT Commenter]

Is he from Kansas?

[Big Cat]

I don't know.

[PFT Commenter]

It's a great Kansas name.

[Big Cat]

Wilder Evers. Yeah, that one's gonna go. That one's gonna go Georgia.

[PFT Commenter]

That could be a good Georgia name.

[Big Cat]

Wilder Ever. Let's see where he is from Alabama Birmingham, Alabama. Wilder Evers played six games this year, is averaging 2.8 minutes, and I think that was his second bucket of the year. That's pretty cool. Yeah, he's. Dude, it's got to be so sick to be like the 14th guy, the 15th guy on Kansas.

[PFT Commenter]

How awesome would that be, especially this time of year.

[Big Cat]

Well, just think about it. You're gonna.

[PFT Commenter]

We could.

[Hank]

We got a guy here we could talk to about.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, yeah, you're good. You're gonna get just, like, watch a shitload of college basketball games for free. Not only that, but you like really good games.

[Big Cat]

But if you go to, like, a Kansas or Kentucky or Duke or unc, like, there's a. As long as you're a decent hang, you're gonna be best friends with an NBA superstar.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

You know what I mean? Like, he's. For the rest of your life, you're gonna be like, oh, yeah, I got his name. Yeah, like his number.

[PFT Commenter]

We were at the. At the Final Four, I think that was in Arizona a few years ago, and I had taken a lot of mushrooms that night, and I was. I was tripping pretty bad. We were out at the bar, and then all of a sudden, Greg Odin just pulled up to hang out with Titus.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

And meeting Greg Odin for the first time when you're on mushrooms is not a great. It's not a wonderful experience to tell you that.

[Big Cat]

No, it's very, very concerned. By the way, I think Nebraska is now doing fins up. You can't do fins up. I mean, they are doing fins up.

[PFT Commenter]

You know, I know a couple guys. I went to Nebraska. I don't think it's beneath them to be copying.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, that's true. This is very. This is. They're doing fins up for the free throws.

[PFT Commenter]

Will Compton just hit up. The section was like, fellas, I just invented. Great idea.

[Big Cat]

It's called fins up. We should try it. It seems so sick.

[PFT Commenter]

I love Will.

[Big Cat]

What. What else we got for college basketball? Max, where's your. Where are you at? We. You feel good about Villanova going?

[PFT Commenter]

I mean, they're fine.

[Big Cat]

I kind of want to bet. If anyone wants to bet. Make any noise, but Villanova to win the biggest Biggie's tournament.

[PFT Commenter]

I'm done with troll bats because. No, because it'll make people cry.

[Hank]

This is also was a troll bet.

[PFT Commenter]

Oh, yeah. No, no, Hank.

[Hank]

Well, it was a great bet that you just lost money on, so.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, this is not a troll bet because I talked Max and I talked talk ball a lot, and I was talking to him before. And I said, I. I feel like they have a great draw, and you can't take one of the favorites. So I was like, yeah, I might sprinkle a little Nova to win the Big East.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, I like it.

[Big Cat]

They can't beat St. John's so the

[PFT Commenter]

only way they can win is if St. John's doesn't make.

[Big Cat]

They can beat UConn.

[PFT Commenter]

They can't beat St. John's they just match up so poorly.

[Big Cat]

What about if Rick Patino doesn't do the white suit?

[PFT Commenter]

They killed us twice this year.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, it's good counterpoint. That's good counterpoint. I just want to. I wanted something broad. I'm excited to see Matt. I'm excited to see you back in the action, Max.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, I'm excited. I'm excited for real Villanova basketball. I'm excited for the tournament. Real Nova basketball.

[Big Cat]

And I was saying earlier that, like, I'm now at a place because Wisconsin winning on. On Saturday was awesome. Not ex. Like, I didn't really expect it because Nolan Winter is out, and he's very important, but Wisconsin. Do you tell me they go to the Final Four because they just torched everyone from three or they lose in the first round because they hit four. They went four for 40. And I'd be like, yeah, I could believe either. I. But I'm so. They're such a joy to watch. I don't care. Boyd is such an animal. He just took over the game late. And Blackwell as well. Like, they're just. It's fun.

[PFT Commenter]

It doesn't make sense that you've got Braden Smith and Lawyer Fletcher still playing basketball. Yeah, it doesn't make sense, but I thought Senior Day. That was kind of nice.

[Big Cat]

That was pretty nice.

[PFT Commenter]

This better be the last. We're not getting any more of them, right?

[Big Cat]

I don't think so.

[PFT Commenter]

Coming back next year, this.

[Big Cat]

Kaufman Ren too. Pushing people into screens then pretending he did nothing. Yeah, it's fun. Although it did. It did feel a little bit like Purdue has. I think they lost five home games this year. So it's. It really doesn't. Like, you're like the last of the party. You last. The gang bang. Yeah, we showed up. We should. We're like. We're like Team125 to the Bonnie Blue Gang bang with Purdue this year. Everyone had their fun with Purdue at home.

[PFT Commenter]

Doesn't matter. Had sex.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Did it ever. Everyone had a good time in Mac. Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

You can count. You. You. Check that. That is a notch. That's Mark Davis's notch on your bedpost.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, but. Yeah, I mean, listen, Wisconsin has three of the best wins of the year probably, so play with anyone. That. That was also funny watching Stephen Pearl. He basically is 16 and 15 Auburn. He's just like, we beat Florida.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. I mean, which. Which is true.

[Big Cat]

He did. They. Did they beat Florida.

[PFT Commenter]

You just need to keep reminding people that you beat Florida.

[Big Cat]

There was a time.

[PFT Commenter]

Honestly, that's. That's a hell of a point. Yeah, you can make.

[Big Cat]

You. You did beat Florida right before Florida got figured it all out. You beat the shit. Well, no, you won by like two, but you beat Florida.

[PFT Commenter]

You beat Florida. And then. And then Florida was like, okay, fuck this.

[Big Cat]

No, they were. They won by. They won by nine. I take that back. Yeah. Florida has just demolished everyone since that point.

[PFT Commenter]

So in watching Florida, you're right, big cat. They are dominant. They've been. They've been just crushing.

[Big Cat]

I love watching them play ball.

[PFT Commenter]

Do. Do you think that their style is turning? Ready?

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

You do?

[Big Cat]

Yeah, 100%.

[PFT Commenter]

They don't have. They don't have the guys that hit from the outside like they did last year.

[Big Cat]

They've gotten significantly better as the months have gone along. They were hitting like 27% from 3 in November. They're now back up. They're up to like 36%. They got. They had a transfer from the Ivy League, Xavian Lee, who looked like he was overwhelmed early in the year. Now he's come back around. Boogie Flan. Like, they have guys, all they have to do is hit. I know it's not all yet, but like, 35% is not crazy. If they hit 35%, I think they will be in the final four. I really do.

[PFT Commenter]

In every line.

[Big Cat]

Is that. Is that. Is that good? Well, I mean, they probably don't have to do it in the first, right? First round, maybe not even the second round because they're so overwhelming. Okay. Any other. Any other stories? Do you want to talk a little golf? The Arnie Burger. That was sad. Sad.

[PFT Commenter]

It happens.

[Big Cat]

He led wire to wire and then lost.

[Hank]

He led wire to wire, actually tied it up on 17 and then won

[PFT Commenter]

in the playoff at the sixth major.

[Hank]

I don't know if it's the sixth major. Fifth major coming up this week. Players actually only 24. Scotty didn't get his first win until he was 25.

[Big Cat]

Okay, so he's next up.

[Hank]

Yeah, he's. He went pro right after high school, so he's been on tour for a while. But that's.

[PFT Commenter]

That's impressive.

[Hank]

I Like this lefty's on top.

[PFT Commenter]

I like the golf course. I like the umbrellas everywhere. I actually looked that up because I didn't understand, like, what did Arnold Palmer have to do with umbrellas? Why is that his logo? Do you know why?

[Hank]

I don't. I know I bought it or just played it in like the 60s. I was like, I want to buy this.

[PFT Commenter]

Oh, you mean the piece of land?

[Big Cat]

Yeah, yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Oh, it's a up demented golf course that they just build holes around lakes and they're like, try to cut these corners. You can't. But I, I was interested to see why. Why that's his, like, brand logo, the umbrella. So I looked it up and he was having a meeting with some executives back in like the 60s, and they were trying to establish Arnold Palmer Enterprises. Like, what are you going to do in terms of golf course development, your branding, etc. Etc. And they suggested like two golf clubs that crossed, which I think is what Bryson ended up using way later. And then another one that was like a forest, and he was like, I don't like these. So they said, okay, well, let's take a break and when we come back, we'll do some more brainstorming. Arnold Palmer stood up and then he looked outside. He saw a really hot chick getting out of the car and she had an umbrella. And he's like, fellas, I've got it. Umbrellas. We got to do umbrellas. So he just got horny. He got horny for a chick he happened to see and he's like, we're doing umbrellas. Put that down and let's move on. And it's been a hell of a logo. It's a good logo.

[Big Cat]

You.

[PFT Commenter]

You recognize the logo.

[Big Cat]

So, Akshay, next up, don't feel bad for Daniel Burger.

[Hank]

Nah, I mean, it's golf. It's, it's.

[Big Cat]

It's.

[Hank]

You got, you gotta. You gotta. You gotta close it out.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. I love Good Guy. I loved the Four Aces. Them quizzing.

[Hank]

Yeah. Doesn't mean my who's back? But yeah, that. I mean, Four Aces, they're all the way back.

[Big Cat]

We could save it. Okay, we'd save it. By the way, I wanted to shout out one, maybe our next goalkee, depending on how they do from High Point. You guys see this kid, Chase Johnston? He is shooting 48 from three this year. And so he's 64 for 132 from three. He's 0 for 4 in two point field goals.

[PFT Commenter]

I love it.

[Big Cat]

He's taking four shots inside the Arc.

[PFT Commenter]

It doesn't.

[Big Cat]

How awesome is that guy?

[PFT Commenter]

It doesn't feel right.

[Big Cat]

I need him to just go nuclear.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. His name translates to Bonnie Blue. I'm curious of how many of those were, like, threes where his foot was on the line.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, I hope. I hope all of them. Or it would be even funnier if it was, like, a wide open layup and he couldn't hit it. He just can't. What's that? Perception is off.

[PFT Commenter]

What's his free throw?

[Big Cat]

Free throw percentage for this guy?

[Alex Caruso]

Free throw.

[Big Cat]

This is like our guy Scott Morris from. From Unh. Remember?

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

For the free throw contest when we looked up his stats and we're like, oh, he sucked at free throws. He's like, dude, they never let me go inside the arc.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

His free throw percentage is 100% this year.

[PFT Commenter]

Okay.

[Big Cat]

And I don't know how many home. Let me see. Let me see how many he's taken. He has taken. It looks like he is 4 for 4 on free throws.

[PFT Commenter]

So he doesn't get to the line.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, because he's always out there. That's awesome. He's taking four free throws all year, and he, you know, he plays like 10, 15 minutes a game, but still. That's so sick.

[PFT Commenter]

This guy's life is pretty sweet.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Just go to practice, stand in the corner, and just get. Get wet, buddy.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Okay, let's do our who's back of the Week, and then we will get to a great interview with Alex Caruso in studio before we do who's back of the week? State Farm. In basketball, the great players don't just go it alone. They have teammates, coaches, and a solid support system behind them. It's kind of like insurance because, let's face it, a lot of us probably aren't great at doing that alone either. And that's where State Farm comes in. State Farm is a teammate always ready to assist, help you find the coverage you need and help you recover from the unexpected. From fender benders to storm damage, or even just a question about your policy, State Farm is there to help provide an assist when you need it through the State Farm mobile app, a network of 19, 000 local agents and online@state farm.com so don't just go to loan. When you need help protecting what matters most, State Farm is there. State Farm with the assist. Coverage options are selected by the customer. Availability and eligibility vary by state. Who's back of the week is brought to you by Twisted Tea, our good friends at Twisted Tea. Twisted Tea is refreshing, hard Iced tea made with real brewed tea and 5% alcohol. Actually had a couple twisted teas on Friday night. Got my friends onto some twisted teas. They're like, ooh, this is absolutely delicious. Twisted tea is the perfect drink to keep the good times going all day and all season long. Whether you're hanging out at a friend's house, catching a game at the stadium or at the bar, or day drinking with friends, twisted tea is there to turn your day up a notch and make a good time, a great time. Grab a refreshing twisted tea today. Hank. Who's back of the week?

[Hank]

Yeah, but who's back of the week is the Four Aces.

[Big Cat]

I love that. Didn't see that one coming live.

[Hank]

Hong Kong.

[Big Cat]

Who are.

[PFT Commenter]

Who are the Four Aces?

[Hank]

I got all the four Aces.

[Big Cat]

So they got them all.

[Hank]

They won the. The team tournament or the team event? John Rom won the individual event. First time winning on live. Huge.

[PFT Commenter]

Wow.

[Hank]

Huge for him.

[PFT Commenter]

You can't overstate that.

[Big Cat]

That's a coincidence.

[Hank]

And the fight, isn't it? What?

[Big Cat]

He's like, kind of been rumoring that he's unhappy.

[PFT Commenter]

He committed. He recommitted to live and then won and then leave.

[Big Cat]

And then all of a sudden he's like, oh, yeah, I won.

[PFT Commenter]

No, it is. It's interesting.

[Big Cat]

It's a coincidence. It's not. No, that's not a coincidence.

[Hank]

I don't understand.

[Big Cat]

I. He was.

[Hank]

He's the best player on the tour,

[Big Cat]

but he hadn't won yet.

[Hank]

No.

[Big Cat]

And then he said he was upset and really didn't want to be here anymore. And then he was like, you know where. Wait, he did not say that. No. Well, no, we picked up on the body.

[Hank]

No, he didn't not say that.

[Big Cat]

He did not say that. He chose to stay on.

[PFT Commenter]

Highly speculate that he'd be leaving.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. And then he's like, no, actually, I'm staying. Oh, weird. I just won my first one.

[Hank]

I don't. I don't understand where you're going with that.

[Big Cat]

He's not, you know exactly where I'm

[Hank]

going, but yeah, he won.

[PFT Commenter]

It sounds like they're keeping him happy.

[Hank]

So you're saying all the other players.

[Big Cat]

The Saudis did in the event. Magnets in the balls, maybe.

[Hank]

Who knows?

[PFT Commenter]

Maybe they had some rings in them.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, really sad. The fanatics flag football thing isn't happening in Saudi Arabia anymore.

[PFT Commenter]

That's tough.

[Hank]

I don't know what happened.

[PFT Commenter]

It's in LA now. Yeah.

[Big Cat]

A lot of things.

[PFT Commenter]

A lot of stuff going on.

[Big Cat]

A lot of things happen.

[PFT Commenter]

We can get into it.

[Hank]

Damn.

[PFT Commenter]

Some trouble in the skies over Kuwait, tell you that much right now.

[Hank]

Friendly fire, perhaps.

[PFT Commenter]

The 15 Eagles now 104 and three. Oh, hey. We're having the perfect season.

[Big Cat]

Like Lenny Dykstra's stock pick.

[PFT Commenter]

We're having the perfect season. 104. 0 lifetime. All goes away on the blink of an eye.

[Big Cat]

All right, so live for not coincidence. The John Rom one.

[Hank]

Definitely not a coincidence.

[Big Cat]

And not. Yeah. Now that we're talking about it. Yep.

[Hank]

Well, no, we were talking about the Four Aces.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. But if someone else wins on the.

[Hank]

So who, like, we would not have won the other.

[Big Cat]

Who won a couple weeks ago.

[Hank]

Anthony Kim.

[Big Cat]

Oh, that's interesting, too.

[PFT Commenter]

So then let's see. Who would the next interesting one be?

[Big Cat]

Dustin Johnson's gotta win.

[PFT Commenter]

Johnson. Johnson might win.

[Hank]

You see Tiger's team get the hole in one at the tgl.

[Big Cat]

The best golfer of all time. Yeah. And our friend Max Homo on that team. Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

I mean, Max's team.

[Big Cat]

Max's team. Yeah. Jupiter Max is he, he can get any team to the victory.

[PFT Commenter]

Jupiter gc. That's who I represent.

[Alex Caruso]

Okay.

[PFT Commenter]

I'm a Jupiter. Never mind. I'm not going to say the name of the, the fan group that I was inventing.

[Big Cat]

What week do you think

[PFT Commenter]

I, I, I decided not the big red spots. That's what we call ourselves.

[Big Cat]

What, what do you think? What week do you think President Trump's gonna win a live golf event? It's got to be coming, right?

[PFT Commenter]

Well, I think I show speed would probably get more.

[Big Cat]

Yeah,

[Hank]

that's up.

[Big Cat]

So you just hate Guy.

[Hank]

Guy comes back one of the greatest.

[Big Cat]

No, I don't hate John Robinson on the show.

[Hank]

And with Anthony Kim, you guys are

[Alex Caruso]

like, oh, great story.

[Big Cat]

I don't hate John Rom at all. I'm just saying. Is it, It's a little, the timing is a little bit interesting that Liv is struggling. Who said struggling?

[Hank]

Lives is buzzing.

[Big Cat]

Everything never been better. Dust is settled.

[PFT Commenter]

Never been better.

[Big Cat]

Brooks comes back. We our guys come home. And then. Oh, now it's just the most remarkable. Oh, John Rom, first ever win on live. Oh, Anthony Kim hasn't won in 50 years. He hasn't played.

[PFT Commenter]

I think there should be asterisks on all these because they're playing 72 holes now. Like, that's not live golf. Live golf, when I used to enjoy the sport was 54 holes and shorts. Yeah, and shorts. Yeah.

[Big Cat]

Who can show me who's playing? And live right now, I'll pick the next one.

[PFT Commenter]

Who is the winner after 54 holes.

[Alex Caruso]

I'll.

[Big Cat]

I'll pick the next winner.

[Hank]

We're here to talk about the 4 8.

[Big Cat]

Oh, Phil Mickelson's gonna win one.

[PFT Commenter]

No, he didn't play this week.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, I know. That's exactly. They're getting them ready to. Oh, Bryson. Yeah, Bryson's got to win one. For sure. Phil's going to win. Phil's going to win one this year.

[PFT Commenter]

What about. What's his name? Cam Smith. Cam Smith will probably win one because he's kind of the John Rom situation.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

People thought he would leave. He's like, no, I'm gonna.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. If you. If you just say you want to leave, they'll just give you a win.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

That's live golf, baby.

[Hank]

Crazy. He never said he wanted to leave.

[PFT Commenter]

You know what? I'm thinking about leaving live golf.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, I've heard the same thing.

[PFT Commenter]

I've heard the same thing about taking my talents.

[Hank]

We're here to talk about the Four Aces.

[PFT Commenter]

Okay.

[Hank]

And the fact they won team championship first time in a few years they were getting interviewed.

[Big Cat]

Oh, that's interesting. The Four Aces. First time, the Four Aces that get talked about an insane amount on the number one sports podcast. They also won. Yeah. Oh, that's interesting, huh? The script writers are going crazy.

[PFT Commenter]

So who are the current Four Aces again?

[Hank]

It's Dustin Johnson.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Hank]

Anthony Kim and the twin Todd Toms.

[PFT Commenter]

Okay.

[Big Cat]

Wow. Easy.

[Hank]

Easy to remember.

[PFT Commenter]

Hey, who are the Twin Toms?

[Hank]

Thomas Peters. Thomas Dietri.

[PFT Commenter]

Okay, Twin Toms. The twin Tomers.

[Hank]

But after the round, after the. The win, they're doing a celebratory press conference. I'm assuming it was the Awl reporter asked Dustin Johnson, first time you've won since like 2023. Can you name the four aces on that team?

[Big Cat]

Interesting.

[Hank]

And.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Hank]

Can we just play the clip? Dustin Johnson had no idea. He's like, ah, was the most relatable. I woke up and saw that clip and. And I've never related more to a golfer in my life.

[Big Cat]

And none of this is interesting.

[Hank]

Being like Patrick Reed, shout out to him.

[Big Cat]

None of this is interesting to you? No. Okay.

[Hank]

I think you're giving yourself too much credit.

[Big Cat]

I know.

[PFT Commenter]

We're giving you too much.

[Big Cat]

You. You're the guy.

[PFT Commenter]

You're the Four Aces guy.

[Big Cat]

You're the Four Aces guy. You're the live golf guy.

[PFT Commenter]

What Percentage of 4 ACEs Discussion do you think has been brought to the table by. By myself or Big Cat in the history of this show?

[Hank]

Most of it.

[PFT Commenter]

Now, that's just.

[Big Cat]

We just ask you yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Well you're.

[Big Cat]

You bring up the live topic.

[PFT Commenter]

You bring up the four aces. And then we ask a very simple question.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Which is who are the guys on this team? And you're probably like one for. Well before the Twin Tomers era, I would say you're probably like one for 30.

[Big Cat]

And then. And then knowing all that history live golf and the John Rom history, live golf was like, let's have John Rom win. And also the four Aces. And then a question about who are the four aces. That last one. Huh.

[PFT Commenter]

And then also I think that Liv Golf engineered two guys being named Tom to be on. So Hank only had to remember three.

[Big Cat]

Yes. So.

[PFT Commenter]

Huh.

[Big Cat]

Whatever.

[Hank]

Four aces on it was such a lady's on top.

[Big Cat]

It was such a funny clip because it really was just our podcast.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

Can you play it? The audio?

[PFT Commenter]

So dj, you may not even remember

[Alex Caruso]

who you won with in 2023.

[Big Cat]

It's changed so much. Yeah.

[Alex Caruso]

Who was it? Come on. In 2023, Pete Reed was one of them.

[PFT Commenter]

Sorry to see him go. Yeah. Two more.

[Alex Caruso]

Come on.

[Big Cat]

Yes. Let's just.

[PFT Commenter]

Hey, hey.

[Hank]

Cavern and a lefty golfer. One PGA Tours. Huge.

[Alex Caruso]

Yeah.

[Hank]

Coincidence too.

[Big Cat]

No, that has. No, no.

[PFT Commenter]

Okay.

[Big Cat]

No.

[PFT Commenter]

Does anybody. We don't talk about lefty golfers on this. Yeah. Got it.

[Big Cat]

We're talking about the lift.

[PFT Commenter]

There's a good video out though with lefty Lockwood.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Are people being nice in the comment section?

[Hank]

I think so. I think it's. It's fair.

[Alex Caruso]

Fair.

[Hank]

Half mean half. Half somewhat nice.

[Big Cat]

That's all you can write? Yeah. Okay. Pft. Your who's back?

[PFT Commenter]

My who's back of the week is wait.

[Big Cat]

Oh yeah, that's nice. People are being nice. The camera work is like the Blair Witch Project who did.

[PFT Commenter]

Oh, nice people are being mean to me.

[Big Cat]

Has Max ever operated a camera before? Oh, is Matt like he was live streaming an earthquake?

[PFT Commenter]

Is Max also going left handed for this video? I am left handed. Kind of.

[Big Cat]

We got some. We got some interesting half lefties.

[PFT Commenter]

People are right. Hank swing does look better. Lefty.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

He's not a better golfer yet. Left handed. But he will be a better golfer one day.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Hank]

Facts.

[PFT Commenter]

And then there's a lot of stuff because I am. I'm. I am supporting my boy Hank Lockwood in his journey to being a left handed golfer. There's a lot of really nice stuff that I want to say about Hank that I'm not allowed to say about Hank because he got very upset at me for saying nice things about him in this video and he had them edited out and they were very nice things.

[Big Cat]

Is that true?

[PFT Commenter]

I was being nice.

[Big Cat]

We had a.

[PFT Commenter]

We had.

[Hank]

I mean, there's a pretty. Pretty fine line. We've. We've done the show for 10 years where it's like, when we say things before we say them, like, hey, this is off the record. Like, not for. For content. Yeah, that's a preface.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. And then PFT broke that.

[PFT Commenter]

I was.

[Hank]

I was going through the video is

[PFT Commenter]

literally the start of the video. But it was a very nice thing. Right.

[Hank]

But, like, it's not.

[PFT Commenter]

I wouldn't have said.

[Hank]

I would not have said, hey, let's not say this on air. This is not for content. And have you agree if I thought

[PFT Commenter]

you were gonna say it for the record, I said it because I knew you were going to see. Right. And then you were gonna be like, yeah, I specifically told you not to say that. Yeah.

[Big Cat]

Okay.

[PFT Commenter]

My. Who's back of the week? Is Logan Paul backing out of stuff? Yeah, he's backing out of this fight against Le'Veon Bell because he's saying that WWE has a problem with him getting into celebrity boxing matches. I think this is still part of the big work that he's putting on. And WWE is going to be like, yes, you. You certainly can do this. Let's also get him involved in the wrestling storyline.

[Big Cat]

It did seem a little.

[PFT Commenter]

Everything is a work. Everything. Everything in the news with if your last name's Paul, even the Tom Brady stuff, like when Tom Brady was talking to Logan Paul, we're all being worked all the time. So anything that comes out from a Paul brother, if he's talking about baseball cards, he captured Pokemon, he captured the

[Big Cat]

Internet for a few days, and then weirdly, got a call when he was live on air from Triple H. Being like, you can't do it.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, we're. We're all being worked all the time. So he's. He's backing out of this, but then he's going to back out of backing out on this, and then the fight's going to happen. The fight's going to suck, and he's probably going to win the fight. And then he's going to be like, see, I beat a real boxer. And then rinse and repeat six months from now.

[Big Cat]

Yep, yep.

[PFT Commenter]

So we can just fast forward the other. Who's back of the week is baseball.

[Big Cat]

Oh, yeah, that was mine. Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Okay. World baseball class do yours.

[Big Cat]

Awesome.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

Schwarber. Schwarber hitting a home run got me in my. Feels like this actually rocks. And then like, Dominican. I think it was Puerto Rico, too. Like, the dances and just the fans going nuts. The crowds in Japan also. I don't understand why Chinese Taipei just has the best.

[PFT Commenter]

Taiwan.

[Big Cat]

Taiwan. Oh, yeah, Sorry. Taiwan has the best Little League team every year, and then their pros just suck.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

I don't get that.

[PFT Commenter]

It is interesting, but, yeah, like, this.

[Big Cat]

This moment, like, there's just been. Was that. That was the Dominican and Nicaragua game. It's been. It's been awesome. And they also. Did the schedule crack. I looked ahead. The semifinals and finals are on the Monday and Tuesday before March Madness begins.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

Which is perfect.

[PFT Commenter]

Which is great.

[Big Cat]

What? What?

[PFT Commenter]

It's beautiful.

[Big Cat]

Beautiful.

[PFT Commenter]

You. You rarely see it in sports where

[Big Cat]

they actually time it up. Well, that. It goes Selection Sunday, semis, final March.

[PFT Commenter]

Like that.

[Big Cat]

Because you're. You need something.

[Alex Caruso]

Those.

[Big Cat]

Those two days to get you.

[PFT Commenter]

To get you to March Madness. Perfect. It's great having that there. Would you like it better if the All Star break was a little bit longer and this happened in the middle of the summertime?

[Big Cat]

Yes.

[PFT Commenter]

I think that would be a better schedule.

[Big Cat]

Just because guys would be better, too. Yeah.

[Hank]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Well, that's what they need to do for the Olympics. And Scuba.

[Big Cat]

Is Scuba coming back? He. I saw that. He went. He went. He pitched his inning or two, and then he was like, I had feelings that I didn't know I had about the country.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

And he's now trying to talk Scott, Boris, and the Tigers into letting him pitch more.

[PFT Commenter]

So.

[Big Cat]

Which would be awesome. We.

[PFT Commenter]

We all love the World Baseball Classic until somebody gets hurt. And then. And then people turn on it.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

And then it's like, why are we doing this?

[Big Cat]

School said. I didn't expect these type of emotions to run through my brain or my thoughts to differ. I was committed to making a start and getting back to camp. Things have changed. Obviously. I'm going to have some conversation and try to figure out a plan. Love that. Need him. Need. I want to win this thing. I want to win this thing.

[PFT Commenter]

I would like to win it. But it's also good to have Aaron judge as a scapegoat in case we lose. It's all his fault.

[Big Cat]

Yep.

[PFT Commenter]

And just prepare yourself. Like, if we do win, don't let that deceive you into thinking that Aaron. He has not earned his pinstripes from this. He's earned stripes from the horizontal stripes. Red and white stripes is what he will earn. Yes, but not the pinstripes.

[Big Cat]

But yeah. The World Baseball Classic rocks.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

Big, big fan.

[PFT Commenter]

I mean, the walk Offs. It all comes down to the players caring about it. Yeah. And if the players care about it, then I care about it.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, absolutely. And a lot. I mean, the guys who are not MLB players playing for their country care a lot.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

That's where it gets, like, very exciting. Okay, Zach, you're. Who's back, by the way, Zach, how to go. How to go on the Internet on Friday? I signed off for a little bit. I signed back on, though, today, and we're back online. People have different opinions on all sorts of stuff. We're talking fame, infamy. It was. It was good. It was a good weekend on the Internet. A lot of guys had a lot of opinions, and I respect all those opinions.

[PFT Commenter]

That's what the Internet's all about.

[Big Cat]

Were there some hurtful tweets? Yeah, there's some. Yeah, there's some, like, words regularly used, like cop. It felt like copy and pasted from, like, guys saying the same thing. I. I'm not gonna say what they were saying. I retweeted this one from Talia B. Who's a sports reporter for Notre Dame. She said, just listen to the most popular sports podcast in the US for the first time. And they spent a solid 20 minutes arguing about whether I show speed or Trump is more famous.

[Hank]

That wasn't her first time.

[Big Cat]

Also not your first time. And second of all, that we didn't argue. Zach tried to argue. We. We said what the facts are.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. We just established a baseline of what I think any independent journalist such as yourself would understand as being our responsibility as journalists to just counter his claims with facts.

[Big Cat]

I think. Exactly. Get ready for Mount Rushmore season.

[Hank]

Like, had, like, a face to face at, like, dinner or something. He could. He could convince her, oh, yeah, you

[Big Cat]

should go on a date with her. Sometimes you got to embrace debate. Would you be open to a date with Talia? I'm. If Talia was open.

[PFT Commenter]

Let's start with the conversation.

[Big Cat]

Conversation. Let's have a debate.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. We're not calling it a day.

[Big Cat]

It sounded like she. I'm just picking up the vibes. Sound like she wanted to continue the debate. She liked it so much. I. I'm always on embrace debate. For sure.

[PFT Commenter]

I think she might be intimidated by how intelligent you are.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. The integrity of opposing viewpoints is always fun. Yeah. That's the other part about Zach is like. It's the. I think part of the reason why it went so long is because Zach is the nicest person in the world to debate with.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

He doesn't. Nothing gets Mean, he just keeps saying, like, we all have differing viewpoints, but he's also tenacious. Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Is the thing.

[Big Cat]

Sometimes we're not gonna be able to

[PFT Commenter]

convince each other of the other side.

[Hank]

Right.

[Big Cat]

We're throwing each other out. You know what I mean? Which is kind of what he's doing because he's almost. He's. He's basically making us feel like he's gaslighting us to be like, hey, it's an even debate. It's not. Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Zach, let me ask you this. If I show. I don't know if I show. Speed had a sports roundtable where he tried to fix college sports. What kind of names do you think he could get to show up for that?

[Big Cat]

Ronaldo. Ronaldo.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

Messi. Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

So like the biggest name.

[Hank]

Durant.

[PFT Commenter]

Kevin Durant.

[Big Cat]

Katie.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

Spent a good amount of time together.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

That's a good interview as well, if you guys want to check that out. Yeah. He'd have some guy. It wouldn't. I don't know if the table be round. Might be some video with Brady Big.

[PFT Commenter]

Big three in Speed and. And Tom Brady.

[Hank]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

So it sounds like.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

I. I mean, Zach might be winning me over Suny Lee. I'm looking forward to seeing what the executive order to fix sports is going to actually say. That's going to be a good one.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. I feel like it might be a lot of pages, though. Might be a lot of pages that

[PFT Commenter]

when it comes out.

[Alex Caruso]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

Someone's going to have to put in a tweet for us. I can do Spark Notes, maybe.

[Alex Caruso]

Okay.

[Big Cat]

I kind of like some heavy hitting bullet points.

[PFT Commenter]

I'd like. When that. When that comes out, I would like you to distill it. I'm not going to read it. I'm not going to read any articles about it. I want you to tell us how college sports will be fixed.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Alex Caruso]

Okay.

[PFT Commenter]

I can do that for when it comes out. Thank you, sir.

[Big Cat]

Okay, what do you got for who's back? My who's back of the week is also a little bit World Baseball Classic adjacent. More so for the attendees because. Have you guys seen. Yes. The Tokyo Dome sandwich. Oh, yes. The ice cream sandwich. Yes. How do you. How are they wrapping the cone around the ice cream? 100%. I. That's a question for you, pal. Is it injected, you think? No, that's a question that you're gonna have to figure out because I want one and you gotta get it. You see how the bite, too. You go all the way through. So, like the middle is not like the toughest ice cream.

[Hank]

Wait, can you describe this for the listeners and myself?

[Big Cat]

Look at it, Hank.

[PFT Commenter]

It's uncrustable with cone on the outside and ice cream on the inside.

[Big Cat]

It's almost like a Klondike bar. Swap the chocolate for a cone. Yeah, it's perfect. So get in the lab. Yeah, we'll get in. You can buy a waffle iron. Like whatever you need.

[PFT Commenter]

Okay, we'll do.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, we'll get. Yeah, we'll get tasty. Well, yeah, I mean, I assume you're going to have to have.

[Hank]

I think you need to put that in the.

[Big Cat]

I think you're going to.

[Hank]

Then.

[Big Cat]

No, I think he's going to have to. Yeah, that melt. I think you're going to have to make custom sandwich like waffle iron. That. That's the only way to do it. Right. I think we have to build a mold. Yeah, right. I'm not sure to go about that, but we'll find out for you now.

[PFT Commenter]

But that's not.

[Big Cat]

What are you looking at me?

[Hank]

I can't.

[Big Cat]

He's got to build a mold.

[PFT Commenter]

It's not ice. It's not soft serve though.

[Hank]

But how do you get the bread around the ice cream?

[Big Cat]

That's what we're trying to figure out.

[PFT Commenter]

I know it's two halves, but it doesn't seem. Coming apart a little bit.

[Big Cat]

There's a seam. Yeah, there's a seam. Get to work. That does seem to be like a softer exterior. Right. I'm going to give you till the

[Hank]

end of the world baseball Classic.

[Big Cat]

I was gonna say next Monday. Yeah. Okay. End of the world baseball Classic. That's next Tuesday.

[PFT Commenter]

Yes, sir.

[Alex Caruso]

We can do that.

[Big Cat]

I want it. I want. We. We're gonna. I want a prototype, but I don't want it to be the first. I want it like. I want a good one. I want it bad. We'll get the best guys on the case. That's you, Jacob, Owen, myself. Yeah. Three ice cream guys. See, Talia, this is what you're signing up for. For. This guy's got. He's a problem solver.

[PFT Commenter]

Oh, that looks so good.

[Big Cat]

So good, so good.

[PFT Commenter]

Oh my God.

[Alex Caruso]

It looks good.

[Big Cat]

Okay, let's get to our interview with Alex Caruso.

[PFT Commenter]

Before we get to Alex Caruso. He's brought to you by our great friends at McDonald's. The new big arches here. I've got it right in front of me. It's beautiful. It's the most McDonald's McDonald's burger yet. It's two quarter pound patties. Three slices of cheese, tangy Big Arch sauce, lettuce, pickles, crispy and slivered onions and a poppy and sesame seed bun. The best bun. It's everything you love about McDonald's burgers. Between two buns, the new Big Arch sauce is tangy, creamy. It's perfect pair to the Big Arch burger. What's your favorite Big Arch ingredient? Mine is probably the pickles. I love the pickles. I also like the Big Arch sauce and also three slices of cheese. Kind of running up the score with the cheese, but I don't hate it. How many bites do you think it would take to finish a Big Arch? I think seven. Seven bites? Nine. Seven to nine bites. The Big Arch burger is beefy, saucy, cheesy, and did we mention it's big or the new Big arch? The most McDonald's McDonald's burger yet for a limited time. I participate in McDonald's for a limited time while supplies last. I'm gonna take a bite right here live for the first time. It's out of bounds.

[Big Cat]

It is. Looks so good. I had to bite before because I couldn't say we, we bought a bunch. And I was like, I can't. I can't have the Big Arch around and not have some.

[PFT Commenter]

You gotta taste it.

[Big Cat]

It was so good.

[PFT Commenter]

Caruso is also brought to you by Slim Jim. We got some big news to report. Breaking moose. Breaking moose, Hank. Actually, can it be a breaking news chicken? That was really good. That's a terrible chicken.

[Big Cat]

Sounds like that sounds like a cow trying to be a chicken.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. That was great. That was much better. Thank you. But it's huge news from Slim Jim. They've got a new brand new chicken stick. They're teamed up with Buffalo Wild Wings. Slim Jim has made something clutch the brand new chicken stick. It's not your run of the bill meat stick. It's everything that you love about chicken wings. And it's packed into a convenient snack stick ready for you to take on the go. It's bold, it's tangy, mouth watering chicken flavor anytime anywhere. Each juicy, tender bite delivers a big win. New Buffalo Wild Wings chicken sticks from Slim Jim. Available in two delicious flavors. You got buffalo or hot. It's different from regular Slim Jim. It's more juicy, it's tender. You're gonna love it. Hank. Give the people one more chicken. You know the rules. If the game's on, you gotta be locked in with snacks on deck. So stock up for game day. Tear into new Buffalo wild wing chicken sticks from Slim Jim and Now here's Alex Caruso.

[Big Cat]

Okay. We now welcome on a very, very, very, very, very special guest. Recurring guest, one and a half time NBA champion Alex Caruso in studio. And I gotta ask, you've won one and a half NBA titles, but would you say that making the COVID of Pardon my book, the 10 Year Anniversary of Pardon My Take, that's coming out in August. Is that a higher.

[Alex Caruso]

Is this the official announcement for that?

[Big Cat]

Yeah, no, you're on it. You're on the back. Amazing.

[Alex Caruso]

Wow. Yeah. Oh, back cover. So I mean, we'll put it second. Second between the two championships.

[Big Cat]

I just double checked and you're on it.

[PFT Commenter]

Zach, are you wearing it on your shirt right now?

[Big Cat]

He's not. He doesn't have the shirt on anymore.

[PFT Commenter]

Don't have the shirt.

[Big Cat]

But you are officially on the COVID I'll send you the pick. You, you are on the COVID I think it's you in, in Thunder gear. We would never put you in Lakers gear. Of course you're on the COVID So that's pretty cool. You're right next to Adam Morrison.

[Alex Caruso]

Oh, yeah. That's like almost a Mount Rushmore of white guy basketball.

[Big Cat]

Well, I was gonna say it actually was, it was tough to make the COVID because like, you know, we got a lot of white guys, so we're like, oh shit, we gotta make a cut somewhere. But you're on there, so congratulations.

[Alex Caruso]

Thank you. Thank you. That's probably the. Made the biggest announcement of 2026 for me so far.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, easily.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. So how has this year been? I feel like this has been a pretty good six months for you.

[Alex Caruso]

Yeah, I mean, honestly, it's, it's. We're winning basketball games. Winning games when you're a professional athlete makes life a lot easier. Yeah, you do that. It's like just, you know, get, stay healthy, get to ulcer break, play some golf and now it's time to try and like ramp it up.

[PFT Commenter]

But are you guys bad for basketball?

[Alex Caruso]

Bad at like the Thunder?

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. Are you bad for basketball? For the sport too?

[Big Cat]

Good.

[Alex Caruso]

No, no, no, no, no. We went to seven games twice last year, so it's not like, you know, we didn't, you know, 2000s Lakers won in like 17 games, the warriors winning whatever. We're, we're like just the right amount of good for basketball.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, but that was, that was the

[PFT Commenter]

worst team that you're going to have in this dynasty.

[Alex Caruso]

Yeah, yeah. Last time, didn't we.

[Big Cat]

I have a, I have a statement I would like to make that I think is a compliment but you can tell me if this is. Is so not a compliment.

[Alex Caruso]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

Oh, no, no. I think it is.

[Alex Caruso]

Okay. Okay.

[Big Cat]

I think you have entered into all time role player level.

[Alex Caruso]

Ooh, that's a good conversation.

[Big Cat]

Is that a good.

[Alex Caruso]

That's a compliment. It's a major compliment. Yes.

[Big Cat]

And I mean this in the fact that you can even see it in this year's Thunder team and just basketball or like all of maybe everything, you can make your case for everything. But for basketball, I think that you are in that level now where you are such a weapon and the way you're used to, you know, create energy, turnovers, chaos, hit threes. That Nuggets game a couple nights ago, which I want to talk about the Jokic fight. I know you would have fucked him up if you were. You weren't on the court, right?

[Alex Caruso]

No, I wasn't.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, you would have fucked him up. We know that.

[Alex Caruso]

Save your money, but don't run on

[Big Cat]

the court the way you're able to change a game. And tell me if this is wrong, but I think my theory is you've been used this year. Like, I was looking at your minutes and it was like somewhere like 18, 19 minutes a game. And then if it's a big game, it's like 23, 24 minutes. You're the secret weapon for the Thunder.

[Alex Caruso]

You're giving away the game plan now. So I'm just saying we talk about, you know, I mean, that's, that's a great conversation to have for basketball, for sure. I think I can, I can sneak my way into over Mount Rushmore. Yeah, like a couple of championships and a couple. All like personal accolades. I think that gets you onto the, onto the role player conversation for all of sports. That's tough because. Yeah, that's. There's a lot of sports, there's a lot of support.

[PFT Commenter]

I mean, you're trying. Trying to think just off the top of my head, like we talk about like the. The best role players in basketball history. I. I don't know if I would consider a guy like Dennis Rodman to be a role player because he's like too good at what he does, really, at his one specialty. He's like.

[Alex Caruso]

I would say. I would say he is. But like, it's like, I think anybody who's not a 30 point a game scorer, you know, like the 20 to 30, like takes most of the shots.

[Big Cat]

Right.

[Alex Caruso]

Is pretty much a role player.

[Big Cat]

I mean, Robert Ory would be like the top.

[Alex Caruso]

Robert or is the first one that came to mind.

[Big Cat]

Right.

[Alex Caruso]

Just because of clutchness.

[Big Cat]

Steve Kerr.

[Alex Caruso]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

The spurs and the Bulls.

[Hank]

Yeah.

[Alex Caruso]

Steve Kerr is a good shout too. You basically have to look at the teams that have won.

[Big Cat]

Right.

[Alex Caruso]

You know, like, Derek Fisher might be over Steve Kerr for me, and, and

[Big Cat]

like the teams that have won and. And knowing that if you take that guy off the team, he's not the best player on the team, but if you take that guy off the team, it actually like, significantly hurts them.

[Alex Caruso]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

And I think that's where you're at with the Thunder. So the question though is I. I have the sneaking suspicion that you've been used as. As a secret weapon. Do you. Wait, like, does coach tell you before a game? Yeah, but no. Does coach tell you before a game, hey, this is gonna be like a playoff atmosphere. Because there are certain games, the Nuggets game is a specific one, where it's like, nuggets Thunder, Friday night.

[Alex Caruso]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

Big game atmosphere, TV game. And he whispers in your ear, he's like, hey, this is like a playoff game. And then the light bulb goes off and you're like, all right, I got ready. Yeah, I'm gonna this up.

[Alex Caruso]

No, I mean, you. You know, certain matchups are going to be elevated just based off of, you know, competition and talent. Like, anytime you play somebody that's like a top six team in the west, it's like, it's gonna be a brawl. Like, show up, be ready and then TV game. But that one the other night had like a. Had a special feeling around it in the. And like, lead up to the game, it felt like a, like. Kind of like a mini playoff game. And K. Rich Kenrich Williams told like, we were on the end of the bench before Tip and he, like, I. To me, it hadn't really clicked. Like, I was just going through my routine of like, what I do before the game. Handshake, sit down and he goes, he goes. Kind of feels like playoff game here. And I look around and I was like, you're kind of right. And like, you don't recognize it until, like, you know, we played Dallas last night and like, they're half. They're not even half their team. 75 of team isn't playing right, and the atmosphere is completely different. You're like, oh, yeah, that was kind of like that. That makes it stand out even more. But yeah, I. Mark will tell me when I'm gonna go in the game after we drop our first play and I go to like, the scores table to do handshakes with everybody. He'll look at me and Tell me when I'm gonna go in.

[Big Cat]

And he's like, secret weapon.

[Alex Caruso]

And depending on what time in the first quarter, I'm gonna go in. That's how I know. All right, tonight's gonna be, you know, a couple more minutes versus the 18, 19.

[Big Cat]

And. And that game specifically, like, SGA's on a minutes restrictions. So then you have to close the game.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Alex Caruso]

I don't think we knew that. I. I didn't know that. We. We go to. We're not. Do we. Like, I missed. I missed a shot to. To. To win the game in regulation. And Chet gets it, misses it. We go to the bench, and in my head, I'm just like, all right, like, we're gonna go win the game. Whatever. Like, this is like, we. We're gonna have a minute. We got Shay. It's gonna be fine. And then Mark comes to the bench and he's like. He said he's done. He's done. He's like, you're in. He's like, j Will, you're in. I think it was. I. Joe came in for us too, and we're just like, oh, okay, cool.

[Big Cat]

He's done. Yeah.

[Alex Caruso]

It was a weird feeling, though, because we've been playing without him for the last, like, month and a half, however long it's been. We had this, like, weird confidence over, like, oh, we're. We're just. We're gonna go win the game now.

[Big Cat]

Right.

[Alex Caruso]

And then we scored, like, the first seven points of overtime just running.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Alex Caruso]

It was like, that's exactly how this team is played.

[Big Cat]

Didn't cover the spread. But that's neither here nor there. The other question off of the game, how are you so good at forcing turnovers on transition? Because I think that's a superpower you have.

[Alex Caruso]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

That. I don't. You. I don't think there's anyone who's doing it. You're at your level where if a team has a transition and they're making an extra pass or whatever it may be, you just always are in the right spot. I think it happened twice in that game. Late.

[Alex Caruso]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

Where you like them up and they look like they were gonna get an easy bucket. And then your hands are everywhere and it's like, oh, no. Crusoe did it again.

[Alex Caruso]

Yeah. I. I don't know where, you know, like, that. I don't know if that's like, it's not a skill that you, like, go in the summer and, like, work on. Like, obviously some of that is like, God given talent. Where I'm Just, like, able to process and anticipate stuff. Also, just, like, knowing personnel, knowing who guys are. Like, one of them. Christian Brown was gonna go up for layup. Like, I knew pretty much he was gonna either try and use his right hand or, like, load up big to go for a donk. So it's like, just time it and gamble and go for the steel chats there. If you miss it, he'll probably block it.

[Big Cat]

Is that. Is that film work?

[Alex Caruso]

Yes. I mean, some of that. Some of that, like, knowing tendencies and knowing who players are and, like, what they like to do. Like, the second one with. With Hardaway, where he, like, jumped in the air is like, I'm just gonna kind of see if he'll go finish the layup and, like, just go play the guy in the past. And then I saw Christian Brown's face light up, so I was like, surely the ball is there. You just, you know, throw your hand up. And he threw it to my hand. Like. Yeah, everyone's making this deal. Like, I made, like, a great place. Like, I put my hand up.

[Big Cat]

No, but that's. That's interesting. Like. Like, it's almost like a defensive back in football.

[Alex Caruso]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

Reading the other person's body language.

[Alex Caruso]

It is. And it's like, space, spatial awareness, anticipation of stuff. You know, some of it is. Is. I love soccer. Like, I watch Premier league for, like, 15 years now, and there's a lot of that, like, element of matching up man to man versus ball movement and, like, finding space and, like, where's the danger going to be? So maybe some of that. Playing a lot of FIFA, you know, who's the team, man? City.

[Big Cat]

Okay.

[PFT Commenter]

All right.

[Alex Caruso]

I got a lot of heat for that, but I've been watching them since, like, 20.

[Big Cat]

Since they won, like, five in a row.

[PFT Commenter]

Are there other guys in the NBA that watch a lot of epl?

[Alex Caruso]

Yeah, there are. I think. I know. Well, I know Larry Nance and TJ McConnell are both leads guys, but I think they have ownership in the team that helps push them towards that. I know some guys are, like, most of the big teams. I don't know anybody that. That has like, a. Like a West Ham or Wolverhampton. Like, it's all, like, United, Chelsea, Arsenal.

[PFT Commenter]

Arsenal.

[Alex Caruso]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Have you seen. Have you seen the draw Arsenal got in the.

[Alex Caruso]

Yeah, of course.

[PFT Commenter]

It's a crazy draw. They're playing against some team in Norway that doesn't. They were well beat.

[Alex Caruso]

City 21 on the road in one of the Champions League matchups. We didn't have a couple guys because we were suspended, and that was when all our center backs were hurt, too. But, yeah, it's looking favorable. Like, they're what they say. The last. The last winner from, like, the last 12 years from champions League, I think, is on the left side.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. You just get a cakewalk.

[Alex Caruso]

It's on the left side.

[PFT Commenter]

It's easy.

[Alex Caruso]

Yeah. It's like city and. City and Madrid, like, real. They're going to play each other, and the winner's going to play Bayern Munich.

[PFT Commenter]

Battle tested.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Do you guys have. Do you guys have a Spurs problem?

[Alex Caruso]

A Spurs problem?

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. Does Oklahoma City have a Spurs problem?

[Hank]

Ooh.

[Alex Caruso]

There aren't spurs in. In Oklahoma City. It's like these little tumbleweed things that.

[PFT Commenter]

I'm just saying, like, I'm looking at the NBA Cup.

[Alex Caruso]

Yeah. No. Yeah. We probably should have won that game. I think we played better in the NBA cup game. We do. We can't win the cup. I'm so annoyed because, like, we go to Vegas two years in a row, and, like, I really want. One, you get paid like that. Yeah. But two, it's like, there's a trophy and, like, there's some, like, pride to it. And then there's that. What was there was that clip of me, like, bitching in the. In the. In the hallway, going back to the locker room, and then everybody started calling me, like, a sore loser. Yeah. Yeah, yeah. The NBA Cups losing, when I supposed to be. I'm supposed to be happy that we just lost.

[PFT Commenter]

I like that, though, because it's the Cup. Like, the cup means. Did you notice that, like, other teams

[Alex Caruso]

we talked about, like, as a team, like, we want to win everything. Like, that's like, the mindset. So, like, if we're playing in the cup games, like, we want to go and win the cup, and we just. For whatever reason, maybe, like, the atmosphere in Vegas just, like, kind of throws it off because it's. It's pretty neutral and they dim the lights. Like Staples center. And it's not like. Like, I think this is my hot take of the day. I think it would be much better if they just did it, like, playoff series where they just had, you know, whatever the tiebreakers are and just have the better, like, whatever team is ranked higher, post the game all the way. Even. Even through the championship game. Like, yeah, I. Like, maybe the. Maybe the championship. You do neutral site. Like how the Super Bowl. Yeah, yeah. Like super bowl or like, the Premier League. Like, the FA cup and all that. They go to Wembley. Like, maybe the last game you do in neutral site. But like leading up to it, like, the best games in the cup are the. Are the games that lead up to Vegas.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Alex Caruso]

After pool play, the first couple bracket play games. Like, those are the best ones.

[Big Cat]

Do the crazy courts ever fuck you up?

[Alex Caruso]

No, I kind of like them.

[Big Cat]

Okay.

[Alex Caruso]

I haven't played on one that I think was terrible. Like, I think probably the. The. The worst one was maybe the one here in Chicago the first year when it was just like blood red.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Alex Caruso]

But even then it was like kind of cool.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Kind of cool for one off. So if you don't win an NBA

[Alex Caruso]

cup in your career, I can't move the. I can't be on the role player.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, no, we will. We will ding you for that.

[Hank]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

Dude could never get it done in mid to December.

[Alex Caruso]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

The big one.

[Big Cat]

Say what you want about Alex Crusoe, but he choked away multiple NBA cups. Do you know. Do you know how much money you've made in the NBA? It's pretty awesome right now. Yeah. Or like for the rest of your career if you play.

[Alex Caruso]

I know I've made like guaranteed money. I made like five and a half and then like 39. So we'll just run out to 40 and 80. So like 115.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, you'd be 123.

[Alex Caruso]

Oh, nice.

[PFT Commenter]

That's pretty.

[Big Cat]

Pretty sick. That's awesome.

[Alex Caruso]

That's pretty sick. Yeah. I mean, that and I got to win a couple things. Now we're talking about role player Mount Rushmore.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. It's not even a question. It was just more like. That was.

[Alex Caruso]

Yeah, no, I know that wasn't a question. By the way you came in.

[Big Cat]

We did that with Blake Portals once and he was just like, oh, I remember that. So sick.

[Alex Caruso]

But he's much more nonchalant.

[Big Cat]

He had no idea. He was like, oh, I made 50 mil. That's so awesome.

[Alex Caruso]

Pretty cool.

[PFT Commenter]

You ever just like, look at your bank account? You're like, oh, yeah, yeah, that's pretty cool.

[Alex Caruso]

Honestly, no. Because I have a guy for that that is much smarter than me. Yeah, let him handle that. Yeah, yeah.

[Big Cat]

Have you become a better basketball player since you got married?

[Alex Caruso]

Yeah, I mean, I've. I think I've gotten better since August.

[Big Cat]

Love that.

[Alex Caruso]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

Shout out to that.

[PFT Commenter]

What have you gotten better at?

[Alex Caruso]

I'm a lot more patient on the court, you know, a lot more understanding. Yeah. More team oriented.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Alex Caruso]

You know?

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Learn lessons off the court that translates. Yeah. Like, you'll do the dirty work great at home.

[Alex Caruso]

Lessons that I Carry over.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. You take out the trash on the court. It's like the dirty work also do that.

[Alex Caruso]

But I was doing that before.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Alex Caruso]

Married, anyways.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Role player. Every husband's a role player.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. This is a dumb question, but we're getting up to March Madness. Does it suck?

[Alex Caruso]

March?

[Big Cat]

Yeah, it's this March. Does it suck not being able to watch all March Madness? Yeah.

[Alex Caruso]

Honestly, those days. Those days. Like, because it's. It's the first weekend at least.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Alex Caruso]

Like, first weekend's the big one. Like, that's the one where you're like 8:00am to.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. And you. You have to like, work.

[Alex Caruso]

Yeah. Depending on the schedule. I haven't even looked.

[Big Cat]

This is why I would never be in the NBA. I would never give up watching.

[Alex Caruso]

Two weeks away.

[Big Cat]

Yes. Two weeks away.

[Alex Caruso]

I'll look, but I don't know what our schedule is. I think we might be on the road.

[Big Cat]

I'm going to tell you right now, I'm going to bum you out. Same with football, too. You can't watch football sometimes.

[Alex Caruso]

Yeah. Sundays are tough when you're traveling.

[Big Cat]

Dude. This is this NBA thing. That's not worth.

[Alex Caruso]

It's really good.

[Big Cat]

You did. I'm telling you, man.

[PFT Commenter]

You did watch baseball. Because I saw. I saw you tweeted out. I remember it was like game seven. You tweeted out. Imagine not liking sports.

[Alex Caruso]

Yeah, dude. Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

And then LeBron, I think he replied. I think he was like, yeah, that would suck, dude.

[Alex Caruso]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Like, you guys. You guys still keep in touch.

[Alex Caruso]

That was probably the last time before I saw this year.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Alex Caruso]

That we talked.

[PFT Commenter]

He's like, I love sports too, man. I saw that. He's getting really into YouTube Golf recently.

[Alex Caruso]

Yeah, dude. Golf in general, but YouTube Golf for sure.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. There was a very funny video of him before the. Was it before the game against the Warriors?

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

He's on the course at Olympic. Have you seen that yet?

[Alex Caruso]

No.

[PFT Commenter]

Can we bring that video up of LeBron golfing before the game against the Warriors? By the way, somebody snuck a phone onto the course.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

And took a very mean long distance shot of him hitting like a three wood off the deck.

[Alex Caruso]

Does it not go well?

[PFT Commenter]

It's not. Not a great look. I mean, but LeBron has to realize this is the game that you get into with YouTube Golf. Is there?

[Alex Caruso]

Oh, yeah, for sure. It's everything. I mean, golf in general.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. People love to laugh at you.

[Hank]

Yeah.

[Alex Caruso]

Your misfortune, demise. Yeah.

[Big Cat]

By the way, you're good for the schedule. You have a game on Wednesday of opening Round and then you have a game. No game Thursday Friday, game Saturday, no game Sunday.

[Alex Caruso]

That's big time.

[Big Cat]

And the game Saturday is the Wizards at 4 o'. Clock. So that's something.

[PFT Commenter]

Doesn't really count.

[Alex Caruso]

Yeah. 4 o' clock with your eyes closed. Probably. Yeah. I'm gonna get the morning slate.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Is it.

[Alex Caruso]

That's a. That's the best I've had. Yeah, that's the best.

[Big Cat]

You're gonna do it. All right. Maybe the 123 makes sense.

[Alex Caruso]

It's like, I'm not going anywhere in New York.

[Big Cat]

Here's LeBron.

[PFT Commenter]

Let's get your, your feedback on LeBron's swing here.

[Big Cat]

Wait, he. You got to go out there with him. You got to fix him up.

[Alex Caruso]

I played Olympic club last year.

[PFT Commenter]

Caught that.

[Alex Caruso]

A little at the top.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. A little of a top. Little fat.

[Alex Caruso]

Didn't move the body very much. Classic mistakes.

[Big Cat]

What is.

[Alex Caruso]

Actually, he rotated pretty well for a big man.

[PFT Commenter]

He does.

[Alex Caruso]

Yeah. I mean, you given the. One of the best athletes to ever play sports that much credit, you know? Yeah, he should be doing that.

[PFT Commenter]

He's pretty good at sports overall.

[Big Cat]

What is. What's your handicap right now?

[Alex Caruso]

Right now is probably not a true tell, but I got down to like a two last summer. Damn. Yeah, I played over all star break. I played better than expected. Like, I. I played. We went to Scottsdale, so we. I've been to Scottsdale with my boys because we go play TPC because they have all the stuff. It's a week after the tournament.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Alex Caruso]

So they got all the, the stuff still up. And then we go out there and play grass clippings. Actually this par three course, the little night par three course. That place is amazing. And then Silverleaf Club try to get out there and play.

[Big Cat]

That's awesome.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. We always laugh at people that are like, seeing Cancun loser. Like the fans that talk.

[Alex Caruso]

Yeah. Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

The players are like, cancun, have fun, idiot.

[Big Cat]

You lost.

[Alex Caruso]

Yeah. Okay.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

I'm in the prime of my life. I have billions of dollars. I'm gonna go to Cancun and have maybe the best week life. I'm going to very much enjoy that. So you guys missed out on. On some of your summer. That's. That's kind of like an under discussed thing in the NBA is like the better you are as a team, the longer your season becomes.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Less of an off season.

[Alex Caruso]

Just gotta make sure you win, you know, because like, like so. So when I saw y' all out at Tahoe. Right.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Alex Caruso]

That's like, two weeks after the championship, two and a half weeks after the. After we won. And I think it was after the Wednesday or Thursday practice round that I played with with some of the, you know, the people who pay for whatever the scramble teams. My dad looks at me because there's so many people out there, right. There's so many fans, and they're like, congrats, like, you won a championship. Great season. Yeah. I was like. He said, imagine if you would have lost and had to come.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Alex Caruso]

And everybody would have just been like, dude, tough one, great season, but maybe you'll get them next year. And so now I'm just reliving this, like, two weeks. I probably would have started to, like, slowly get over it. It's like, that could have been much a. Much, much worse two and a half, three months if we would have lost.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. It was crazy about that tournament. Was Charles Barkley kind of got good at golf again?

[Alex Caruso]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

You remember that? Like.

[Alex Caruso]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

He.

[Alex Caruso]

What he. He hold out for.

[PFT Commenter]

For eagle?

[Big Cat]

Something happened.

[Alex Caruso]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

Where he just got good the first day.

[PFT Commenter]

He was like. I think he was top 25.

[Alex Caruso]

Really rude, him, to be honest, to overshadow my first day.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Alex Caruso]

Which was just phenomenal.

[PFT Commenter]

Would you shoot?

[Alex Caruso]

I shot 74. It's like the best round I've ever shot in my life. Yeah. Nobody talked about it ball and hole, and I, you know, they quickly breezed

[Big Cat]

over it because it's like Charles shot,

[Alex Caruso]

didn't know how to play golf. All of a sudden was. Yeah. Shot 85 and hold out from the fairway.

[Big Cat]

We got to talk about it more.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. It was amazing. Yeah.

[Big Cat]

People. People still talking about that. Alex Crusoe, 70.

[Alex Caruso]

You know, it's. You know, it's hilarious about that, too, is I played so well the first day, and then the second day I get out and I'm playing with. Playing with Adam Thielen and Taylor Swallman, and, like, they both played very well.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, Taylor was, like, in it.

[Alex Caruso]

He's like, really good player, apparently. Yeah, he was. They were striping all day, but I get up there on the. On the first tee box after going, you know, tied career best low round with in tournament place. Like, I count that as the best round of golf I've ever played. I just cold top it on this. On the first tee box in front of, like, you know, 400 people. Luckily, I did just, like. I shook it off, hit one, got on the green, made the bogey putt, and got out of there with, like, zero points. So it's a Little bit of confidence booster. But the. The topping it in front of, you know, a couple hundred people after they do the whole intro thing.

[Big Cat]

I don't know how you guys do it.

[Alex Caruso]

Like, it's tough out there. I'm not gonna lie.

[Big Cat]

It's got to be more nerve wracking than playing an NBA. Yeah.

[Alex Caruso]

100 up until you make. I made my putt. I made par on hole two every day. I made like a three footer on. On two. That was the putt both days that like, kind of calm me down. But before that, the first seven, six. Seven shots that I took was like full, like arms not connected to the body.

[Big Cat]

The boys did the six. Seven in the booth. Yeah.

[Alex Caruso]

Yeah. That's a tough look, dude. It's, it's. It doesn't even compare to anything I've ever done sports wise.

[Big Cat]

Quick break from Alex Crusoe to talk to you about Lucy. Lucy's the obvious choice for the true nicotine pouch connoisseurs. That's why they're the official nicotine pouch partner. Barstool sports. Every other pouch is the same. Lucy Breaker is the only ones doing it differently. To give you the longest lasting flavor in pouches. Lucy pouches go up to 12 milligram strength and have a unique shape that feels great. Lucy is in stores nationwide now. Or get Lucy delivered to you ASAP on apps like DoorDash and GoPuff. I got the Lucy Wintergreen. They're great. Lucy's the only pouch delivers long lasting, on demand flavor. Find a store near you at Lucy Co stores or get a ship with 20 off your first order at Lucy Co PMT using code PMT. Lucy products are only for adults of legal age and every customer's age. Verified warning. This product contains nicotine, and nicotine is an addictive chemical. Okay, back to Alex Crusoe. Do you still get nervous before NBA games?

[Alex Caruso]

No, I don't get nervous. I will get, like, too excited. Like, too much adrenaline going through me. Like before, you know, game seven, Denver. Game seven in the finals, obviously, like those two games. Like, I have a pretty strict standard routine that, like I do before all the games where it's like, come home, nap, eat, whatever. I couldn't really nap. Like, I took like a 20 minute nap and I was just like, I'm not gonna be able to sleep. Yeah, I'm just gonna get up.

[Big Cat]

Would you. If you could go back game seven NBA finals, would you and you could make it so that Tyrese Halberton doesn't get hurt, would you do that.

[Alex Caruso]

Sure.

[Big Cat]

Wow. That's a. You're incredible guy.

[Alex Caruso]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

You're an incredible guy.

[PFT Commenter]

You want to beat the best two points.

[Alex Caruso]

1. I think we would have won regardless.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Alex Caruso]

But still, I. He doesn't tear his Achilles.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, I know. That's. You're an incredible guy.

[PFT Commenter]

You would want that because now they're. The Pacers are going to get a great draft pick and they're going to be the best team ever, and then they'll come and kick your ass later because he got hurt in game.

[Alex Caruso]

I don't want. I was. I was going to make a joke. I was like, it's the best tanking strategy ever. But, like, that's pretty detrimental to your. All your players.

[Big Cat]

For your best player to tears. Achilles, that sucks.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. The biggest mind ever.

[Alex Caruso]

They're talking through that in the war room as a organization, like, I don't know, we could just, like, not win games or have our best player be out for a whole year.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. How weird is it playing against tanking teams? Like, is it. Can you feel the vibe? Or they. It's just got to be like. There's been a lot of discussion about the NBA.

[Alex Caruso]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

The fact that Too many teams tanking right now. Yeah. Trying to fix that. But when you're actually playing a tanking team, I'd imagine it's a little harder to get up for a team that's, like, actively not trying to win games.

[Alex Caruso]

Yeah. I mean, at that point, it just becomes like, you got to find different things to, like, play for, you know? Like, you're like, do you play for us?

[Big Cat]

I can do that on the Wizards game.

[Alex Caruso]

Okay, I'll do that. I'll do that.

[Big Cat]

Specifically for us.

[PFT Commenter]

I would like to see a. I would like to see two bounce pass assists from you.

[Alex Caruso]

Okay. That's how you'll know.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, I know. Yeah.

[Alex Caruso]

And I'll point to the camera.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

We actually will be watching March Madness, so we won't even know.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Alex Caruso]

But sure.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, it would be nice to highlight.

[Alex Caruso]

We'll get it. We'll get the clip and I'll send it to you. Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

It's like little Timmy in the hospital. Babe Ruth hitting two home runs for him. It's like two fundamentally sound, like three quarters. Bounce passes.

[Alex Caruso]

Yes. Left foot forward.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. They interview you after. It's like you. You put in a solid, like, eight, four and four. You're like, yeah, I did that for the PMT guys.

[Alex Caruso]

I'll do that for sure. That's. That's easy.

[Big Cat]

That's easy.

[Alex Caruso]

One.

[PFT Commenter]

I mean is.

[Big Cat]

Is.

[PFT Commenter]

Is there a way to prevent tanking? I don't think that there is. That's the thing is like we can have this discussion and try to figure out how to, how to have the most competitive games that we can get, but the reality is the way that the league's set up, you kind of have to tank if you want to get good.

[Alex Caruso]

Yeah. I mean that's the big issue is like it's proven to be successful and so like in, in some instances, like some teams just can't get it right and they're just like forever.

[PFT Commenter]

You know, we have to hit the picks. So like if you have a, you have to first overall pick.

[Alex Caruso]

Yeah, that's the biggest are still messing it up is like they're not drafting well and it's like if you're gonna like, you just get stuck in, you know, the revolution. If you don't draft well and then you try to lose again, then you don't draft. Like, you like that's part of it for us is like we've had great picks. You know, some of our guys on our team, like AJ Mitchell, Jalen Williams, Aaron Wiggins obviously traded for Shay Me heart. Like there's just, there's Isaiah, Joe. Like we've, we've found different ways to like build a team that's really good and it hasn't just been, you know, lose a ton of games and then have a top three pick for five years in a row.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Alex Caruso]

I don't know how you fix it. Like every, every one of these, like, you know, you've seen like a couple different examples or options that people have brought up of like what to do. It's like there's always a flaw.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. There's always a loophole that someone will.

[Alex Caruso]

Yeah, there's always one that's like, it's like that, that doesn't. It looks good on paper until you like really like think it through and talk about it and like put it into like real world perspective. I, I don't know how you do that.

[Big Cat]

And you also don't want to have a situation where you, you make it so bad teams can just never get good again.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Alex Caruso]

I mean, well, that's the, that's the fine line is like making it competitive and even for like, you know, you want small market teams to be able to like have good players and keep good players, but you don't want to make it to where you know there's a competitive advantage too much one way for, for the draft, like it's it's. Like I said, it's just. It's a difficult thing to do.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

I get a dumb question for you. Do they give you different thickness of headbands or do you just have the extra thick ones?

[Alex Caruso]

No, no, no. It's just the same ones. Those. There's two different ones. There's like a. There's like a spandex, like, you know, like a. Was it polyester?

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Alex Caruso]

And then there's like the. The cotton, almost like it's like elastic cotton. Like, it's got some stretch to it. That's the one I have.

[PFT Commenter]

Okay.

[Big Cat]

People.

[Alex Caruso]

People think that it's like a fashion statement. I sweat a lot. Like, the other night, they heart. After the Denver game, took my Hartenstein, took my headband off and put it on our. Our. Our team TV guy, Nick Gallo. And I'm looking at him, and as soon as he tooks it off and goes towards him, like, dude, I was like, don't put that on him. Yeah, you don't want. Like, we just. I just played a whole second half in overtime with that.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Alex Caruso]

Like 28 minutes and we're. I switch it half time.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Alex Caruso]

I switch it after.

[Big Cat]

Oh, you switch.

[Alex Caruso]

It's so sweaty. Yeah, it's so sweaty. I have to. He put it on him and immediately when he took it off and gave it back to me, like, walk off and like, give to a kid. I like, dude, that's disgusting. I, like, squeeze a little and sweat comes out of it. Like, it's. It's drenched.

[Hank]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

So after game, you'll give it to a kid. Do you feel bad about giving a sweaty headband?

[Alex Caruso]

No, the kids love it. But there are some sometimes where, like, I'll, like, You know, you give a little, like, a toss where it's not a handoff.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Alex Caruso]

And the kid will have, like, an outstretched hand to grab it, and the sweat will just fly off behind them in their face. And it's like, I feel terrible. But, you know, the kids, apparently, they are just so excited to have a sweatman. They don't even.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, they're like, I'm never late.

[Alex Caruso]

That's like sweat coming off of my head. Into the. Yeah, into the sweat, man.

[PFT Commenter]

Do you sweat more with a bald head?

[Alex Caruso]

Yeah, when I. Well, when I had hair, the hair caught everything.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, well, it kind of. You didn't have a lot of hair.

[Alex Caruso]

Well, but it is enough.

[Big Cat]

Would you go to Turkey?

[Alex Caruso]

No. Imagine I came out, like, post retirement.

[Big Cat]

It would be awesome, actually.

[PFT Commenter]

No, not post retirement. Like, just. Yeah, yeah.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Like opening night. Imagine I come out next year.

[Alex Caruso]

It's just a fade.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Imagine if you had done it right after you won, and then like, banner night.

[Alex Caruso]

How long does it step out of it? How long does it take to recover from that stuff? I think a couple months.

[Big Cat]

I think it's like a. Like a couple weeks. Oh, you can't, like, do stuff like

[Alex Caruso]

sweat or get wet. Yeah, yeah.

[Big Cat]

And then after that, I mean, most of the guys, like, in a few months, they look normal.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Alex Caruso]

We could have done it.

[PFT Commenter]

That had been such a good look.

[Big Cat]

You should do it.

[PFT Commenter]

Banner night. You walk out there, Championship hair. Yeah.

[Big Cat]

Did you see, by the way, that

[Alex Caruso]

would be so funny.

[Big Cat]

Jalen Suggs kind of stole your look.

[Alex Caruso]

Yeah, no, he did. He went. He. He came back from. From All Ser Rake with the.

[Big Cat]

With this full shaved.

[Alex Caruso]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

All right, so there's motivation when you play the magic.

[Alex Caruso]

We got one more game to see that. That trip before March Madness we're playing.

[Big Cat]

Okay, so there's your motivation. Find that they're not tanking, but still you got to find it.

[Alex Caruso]

Just need to win. They're going to try and win the game.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. I mentioned the Jokic thing. You would have him up, right?

[Alex Caruso]

Yeah, for sure. Yeah. 100 something pounds and like a foot taller than me. Wouldn't have mattered.

[Big Cat]

What was the conversation in the locker room after? I would imagine it was a lot of, you know, like, if you get in a bar fight with your boys, you're like, yeah. You see what I see the move I pulled?

[Alex Caruso]

Oh, yeah. There's. There's a lot of. There's a lot of talk about what somebody would have done who, like, wasn't out there. That's like the running joke on our team is like, whoever's not in the game, if somebody doesn't handle it the right way, it's like, you know, you just shit on the whole time.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Alex Caruso]

It's like, oh, dude, you're soft. Like, you. You didn't even get in the mix. Something like that.

[Big Cat]

So who. Who. Who didn't get in the mixing up?

[Alex Caruso]

Oh, no, that. That was perfect. Well, Lou would have, but he thought he wasn't going to get ejected, and he got ejected. So he didn't get his money's worth.

[Big Cat]

Okay.

[Alex Caruso]

It's like, that's like NBA rule number one. Like, if you know you're gonna get ejected or you know you're gonna get like, a second tech, like, you just.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Alex Caruso]

You go all in.

[Big Cat]

Keep going. Yeah.

[Alex Caruso]

Of like, the guys who, like, go up to the refs individually when they're like, they've gotten a second tech and they're just fu. Fu. Yeah. It's like, that's what you got to do.

[Big Cat]

Make it worth it. Yeah, absolutely.

[PFT Commenter]

Did you know that the. The finals game seven averaged 2.4 billion viewers?

[Alex Caruso]

I did not.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Alex Caruso]

Good.

[PFT Commenter]

It's pretty crazy.

[Alex Caruso]

That's good for us on abc.

[PFT Commenter]

That's like.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

A third of the world tuned into that game. I might have gotten settled when I saw that, and I was like, yeah, it makes sense because Caruso is.

[Alex Caruso]

How many of those do we think are bot streams from, like, India?

[PFT Commenter]

Probably a lot.

[Alex Caruso]

Probably like, one.

[PFT Commenter]

But I do feel like the. The product. I don't want to speak for the league as a whole, but I enjoy watching Thunder games.

[Alex Caruso]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

You guys play a very entertaining style of basketball. Is it. Is it. It's fun to watch as a viewer. Is it more fun to play this style as a player?

[Alex Caruso]

Yeah, I mean, I love the way we play. Obviously, a lot goes into that. Like, you need to have good players to, like, play well in the NBA, pro sports in general. Right. Like, you got to have good players.

[Hank]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

I mean, pretty good analysis, bringing good players.

[Alex Caruso]

You're gonna win. But now I love it. I mean, I love. You know, there's a lot. Like I said, there's a lot of stuff that goes into it, but, like, the way we play is just fun. You know, it's entertaining, and the guys are, like, competitive, so that makes it fun. But, like, to. To the point of the Finals, like, I think that's, you know, even though it was obviously Game seven is going to be Game seven, people are tuning just because of the name, the. The label of a Game seven. But, like, the. The Pacers last year in the playoffs, like, they played how we played.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Alex Caruso]

They were, like, random offensively, super aggressive, physical defensively. And I think that's why, you know, there was so much success with the finals in the playoffs last year in general, because the basketball, like, say what you want during the regular season, you know, like, guys don't play. You can't play at playoff level for however many games. 82 games or however many games you play 70 games. But, like, once you get to the playoffs, like, the basketball is pure. Like, yeah, if you. If it's not, you lose.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Alex Caruso]

Like, if you don't play good hoops and, like, have you say ethical hoops, like, if you're not, like, taking care of fundamentals, playing hard as, like, competing at the highest level, like, you go Home. And I think that's probably why people tune in so much to, like, playoffs in general for any sport is because they know it's going to be like, the highest level in purest form.

[Big Cat]

Well, and I also think, like, the. The playoffs. I love the NBA playoffs because it. It is very like, you have to go and take your lumps to then get over the mountain.

[Alex Caruso]

And like, even you can't luck into it. It's a series like you've got four games against somebody.

[Big Cat]

Even. Even last year, you best team and you go to seven games against the Nuggets and seven games against the Pacers. It felt like there were moments that you guys were learning how to win that championship along the way where it's like, yeah, it takes that. Do you feel like you guys are the hunted this year? Do you feel like you have a bullseye?

[Alex Caruso]

Yeah, for sure. But like, that's. That's a good thing. Yeah. Like, you wouldn't. It would be weird if you won the championship and everybody was like, nah, we don't believe. Like, that's like. We don't think they're actually that good.

[Big Cat]

Right.

[Alex Caruso]

Yeah, but yeah, I mean, like, the fake bubble championship. Yeah, like that.

[Big Cat]

Wherever it was, like, did we even have it?

[Alex Caruso]

Yeah, they forgot to even have it.

[PFT Commenter]

I actually. I would put the NBA cup over the bubble. Championship.

[Big Cat]

Oh, easily.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Alex Caruso]

Well, we said. What was the. The. The book cover is. Is 2 on that list of. Yeah, we go. Right. We go Thunder championship book cover. La.

[PFT Commenter]

I have heard.

[Big Cat]

No, I think it goes Thunder championship book cover. NBA cup second place, second place, second place, NBA cup, third place.

[Alex Caruso]

Oh, even the third bubble. Okay, that's fair.

[PFT Commenter]

First team, all defense.

[Alex Caruso]

Yeah. Yeah. I'd put a bunch of personal accolades.

[Big Cat]

The 74.

[Alex Caruso]

It's up above the cup games.

[Big Cat]

People got to talk about it more.

[PFT Commenter]

I did. I just watched this video of. Of Hartenstein taking your headband. That. That's a gross headband. You can, like, your head is very, very sweaty.

[Big Cat]

It's.

[Alex Caruso]

Yeah, it's sweaty. That's 10 seconds after. Like, I mean, yeah, it's. That's a tough one.

[PFT Commenter]

You're like, sorry, man, but you're a real pro. You continue doing the interview. He wants you to continue.

[Alex Caruso]

He does. And that's. You all respect the Nick. Like, that's. That's for him, you know, like, he. He is. I don't know. He. He's uncrackable. Like, we've done so many different things to him. Like put like, people put their chains on him. Yeah, we've put like 30 towels on him before. He's unwaverable. Like he's locked once he gets the mic in his hand.

[PFT Commenter]

So earlier you were saying that you know when you're going to play against the Magic again. Do you know, do you have like the rest of your schedule memorized?

[Alex Caruso]

No, I just know that because that's part of that long road trip. And you look at a long road trip in March and you're just like, ew. It's just kind of gross.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Alex Caruso]

East game. East coast road trip. Now, I usually go like two or three games at a time, like increments.

[Big Cat]

Do you ever wake up in a city and you're like, wait, where am I again?

[Alex Caruso]

Yeah, occasionally, like once or twice. Once or twice a season. And it's usually like into December, January,

[Big Cat]

everything looks the same.

[Alex Caruso]

Yeah. Where like you forget your hotel room number. Like, you go to the. You go to the hotel room from the last road trip. That much 5 12. You go to like, you know, 10, 8, 10 08, something like that. It's like you're doing the key and like, why is it not working? And then it hits you. You're like, I'm an idiot.

[PFT Commenter]

What about like walking out of your hotel room in the morning and knowing which direction to go for the elevator?

[Alex Caruso]

Yeah, there's some, there are some that are like the, the, the hotel here, the elevator, it's not just like elevator two long hallways. Yeah, it's like elevator two long hallways, but then there's an opening to go to a back hallway that's also connected. It's like, like you wake up after you get in at 3am and you gotta like go somewhere. One eye is open.

[PFT Commenter]

You're just hoping to make it $100 million. It's tough.

[Alex Caruso]

Yeah. That's the only reason you could make it through.

[Big Cat]

What's your guys plane situation? We're having this debate the other day. Is it all. Is it all first class? Yeah. So is it a plane? Just a first class?

[Alex Caruso]

Yeah. Delta is like the sponsor for the team. Like there is a. They put in a rule a couple years ago that they grandfathered anybody in. But like no personal team jets because they said it was like unfair advantage to have, you know, special whatever that you can. Like some owners are richer than others.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Alex Caruso]

Pay for it. But, but league mandate is like Delta charters and it's first class all the way through.

[Big Cat]

Okay.

[PFT Commenter]

What's, what's your go to card game on the plan?

[Alex Caruso]

Blu ray.

[PFT Commenter]

Are you good?

[Alex Caruso]

Yeah. I mean, I know how to Play who's the best. I mean there's a lot of luck involved. I don't know if you can say who's the.

[Big Cat]

Who's winning. Who's up the most this year?

[Alex Caruso]

Probably me or J. Will. Oh, we sit next to each other on the.

[Big Cat]

You gotta target.

[PFT Commenter]

Do you guys have like communication like you, you don't need to talk non verbal.

[Alex Caruso]

I mean we know how to play the game. So like. Yeah, like we understand. You understand when to go for a tie and when you should try to like boo somebody and go for the win.

[PFT Commenter]

Are there, is there anybody on the team? That's not good. It's like we're gonna take his money.

[Alex Caruso]

Chat's down.

[Big Cat]

Yeah,

[Alex Caruso]

this team doesn't play for like, like high stakes. Like this is, this is the most calm at least like monetary wise. Blu ray. But he's. He's down.

[Big Cat]

He's down. What's it like being you're. I mean you're officially the vet on the team, right?

[Alex Caruso]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Big Cat]

Is it, is it weird like having guys that are all. You know, there's some guys that are 10 years younger than you.

[Alex Caruso]

It, it feels normal until like once a week where it's like they have a conversation about something or in somebody and I'm just like, like I would never talk about that. Like, it's like nothing that even crosses my, the scope of reality for me.

[Big Cat]

And it's also probably you've played so many guys like with or against so many guys. They're like, oh, that guy I remember watching.

[Alex Caruso]

Yeah. That's also like the running joke is like whenever they, they'll be, you know, they'll see any old player, like they could play from the 70s and Kayson does this a lot. Casen Wallace would be like, you play with him. We did a, we did like a, like our tick tock. Our social media before we got on the plane. We traveled on my birthday and they had like a little Bundt cake for me and everybody else. I thought that was it. Like that was it that I was the only one for the, the day. But they did like birthday messages and anybody that wished me a happy birthday, like with a number, it was 45 to 60. Somewhere between 45 and 60 was the number. Like happy 48th birthday. It's, it's like, come on, dude.

[Big Cat]

Hank does that to us all the time. He had us at, we're 41. He had us at 4:40 for like the last eight years.

[Alex Caruso]

Yeah, well that's, that's the other thing is people are younger they just bump you up to the next.

[Big Cat]

I know we're gonna be 50 now in a minute.

[PFT Commenter]

Pretty much, you're 41, you're 50. Yeah, it's, it's pretty much the same thing.

[Alex Caruso]

Those are pretty much the same.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, I, I, I just had an idea. We were talking about Boo a second ago. Doing it like a World Series of Poker, but an NBA cup for Bou Ray between the teams. I feel like that would get a lot of views during All Star.

[Alex Caruso]

Oh, that would get, that would, that would do. Numbers.

[Big Cat]

If you have slam dunk. Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

It says slam dunk. You have like, team, like best two from each team.

[Alex Caruso]

So, like, what's the buy in for, like, each player?

[Big Cat]

I don't know.

[PFT Commenter]

What do you think it would have to be to get people interested?

[Alex Caruso]

Well, I know that some people in the league, like, I've heard, I've heard some astronomical numbers. Like, people gamble way too much money for, for teammates. Like.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Alex Caruso]

And they're not as nice. Like, we do it for more of like past the time camaraderie, just like play cards on the flight talk. I know some people that, like, they gamble, Gamble like there's like tens of thousands of dollars being things exchanged.

[PFT Commenter]

I mean, if we get it during All Star, like the All Star week,

[Alex Caruso]

like a 20k buy in.

[PFT Commenter]

All right. I was gonna say more like a hundred thousand. A hundred thousand buy in.

[Alex Caruso]

You can probably find 10 guys in a league that will do.

[PFT Commenter]

That's what I'm saying. And then the trash talk of that table would be pretty intense. I feel like people compete harder at that than they would in the All Star game.

[Alex Caruso]

Oh, yeah. Well, you put that much money on it, for sure.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Alex Caruso]

Because that's their money going to somebody else. That's like, that's like gambling in general at, like, the casino. It's like, I don't get how people go to the casino and play poker.

[Big Cat]

Crazy.

[Alex Caruso]

Like, if I lose the house. Cool. Lost the house. You're supposed to lose. House is going to take so many money if I am playing poker at the table with y' all and you take my money.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. I'd rather just do it at home with friends.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Alex Caruso]

I get why those videos, you see the videos in the casinos where, like, guys will stand up and just like, somebody's getting knocked out. Yeah, I get it.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Alex Caruso]

Somebody probably said some sly shit took, took two grand from this guy that, like, is working paycheck to paycheck.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Alex Caruso]

And now they have real beef in real life.

[Big Cat]

Right. Agreed. Agreed. All right. I have one last question for you. This has been awesome. Great to have you back. Miss you.

[Alex Caruso]

That's good.

[Big Cat]

We'll see you.

[Alex Caruso]

Sun's out today in Chicago. What a treat.

[Big Cat]

Are you going to be in Tahoe this year?

[Alex Caruso]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

That's not the last question. All right, so we'll see you in time.

[Alex Caruso]

Two questions.

[Big Cat]

Roback question. Rho, B, A, C, K.com promo code. Take 20 off your first purchase. Q, zips, polos, hoodies, joggers, shorts. Roback.com promo code, take. Do you want to guarantee another title?

[Alex Caruso]

No, I don't, but I.

[Big Cat]

You thought about it, though, for a second.

[Alex Caruso]

That was the quickest response.

[Big Cat]

No, I think there was a little bit of hesitation.

[PFT Commenter]

Anyone can win one. You know, that's a flu.

[Alex Caruso]

Anybody can win one and a half.

[PFT Commenter]

No one. One total.

[Big Cat]

Let me ask it a different way. Who on the team would you guys be most pissed about if they went on a podcast and guaranteed a title?

[Alex Caruso]

That's a great question.

[Big Cat]

Thank you.

[Alex Caruso]

Who's most likely or who would be the most? You could do both.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Alex Caruso]

Honestly, I don't think anybody's likely to. Like, they're, they're. They're young, but they're very, well.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Alex Caruso]

Media trained. I don't think anybody would slip up. Who would be most pissed about it? It would have to be somebody that's like. That doesn't play.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Alex Caruso]

You know, it'd have to be somebody that doesn't have, like an actual influence. So we'd have to do like one of the young guys on our team.

[PFT Commenter]

That would be Jared McCain.

[Big Cat]

Oh, they did in a tick tock.

[PFT Commenter]

If Jared McCain.

[Alex Caruso]

So new.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, Right. If he did a tik tok, like, why the Thunder gonna win the title?

[PFT Commenter]

That almost be.

[Alex Caruso]

Yeah, that would be the worst. Yeah, that would probably be the one.

[Big Cat]

Will you do a tik tok with him if he asks?

[Alex Caruso]

Maybe.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, that's. Come on, you gotta say yes.

[Alex Caruso]

No, I mean, I'm not a big tik tok guy in general.

[Big Cat]

You don't have to be on tik tok. He just records it.

[Alex Caruso]

But that's what I'm saying. Like, it depends what it is.

[Big Cat]

It's a dance.

[Alex Caruso]

Like, I'm not dancing. I.

[Big Cat]

You have to dance.

[Alex Caruso]

That's not my genre of tik tok. I'm. I'm. I'm not.

[Big Cat]

What if he came up to you and was like, hey, if you don't do this TikTok with me dancing, I'm gonna do a tick tock guaranteeing a title.

[PFT Commenter]

This whole new house.

[Big Cat]

I got you now.

[Alex Caruso]

You didn't think you're gonna get this line of question. That's a tough one.

[Big Cat]

He's like, I'm. I'm ready to go. Locked and loaded.

[Alex Caruso]

No, I mean, at that. At that point, I'd probably just do it.

[Big Cat]

Okay.

[Alex Caruso]

I'm a good teammate.

[Big Cat]

All right. So Jerry McCabe, if it came to that.

[Alex Caruso]

Yeah, he asked me that in real, like, in reality, I'd be like, we gotta talk about some stuff. I'm being held. Awesome. I'll gunpoint it to do a tick tock. Or you're gonna.

[Big Cat]

You'd have to do it. You'd have to do it.

[Alex Caruso]

No, it would be. It would be. It would be much easier than. Than that.

[PFT Commenter]

All right.

[Alex Caruso]

Jay, Will did one the other day, but like, he did it and they're just standing in the background. I was like, this isn't even.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, you could do.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, you could just be a background dancer.

[Alex Caruso]

Yeah, they don't even dance.

[Big Cat]

They're just standing.

[Alex Caruso]

They're just standing there.

[Big Cat]

Just do a standing tick tock back.

[Alex Caruso]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

All right. Well, Alex, thank you so much. We love having you on. We'll have you on after you win the title again this year.

[Alex Caruso]

Yeah, we'll do it. We'll do a championship. A double championship. Tahoe and.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Alex Caruso]

And NBA.

[Big Cat]

Oh, so you kind of guarantee that I will?

[Alex Caruso]

Yeah, that. I'm much more comfortable saying I'll guarantee you because I don't think it'll happen.

[Big Cat]

Okay. Winning the Tahoe championship as well. That's 74.

[PFT Commenter]

Would you guarantee an NBA cup for next year?

[Alex Caruso]

Oh, I'm owing to Owen.

[PFT Commenter]

But you've never guaranteed. I don't think anybody's ever guaranteed.

[Alex Caruso]

You think that's our issues? Yeah. We need the more pressure.

[Big Cat]

Say we're gonna win the NBA cup next year.

[Alex Caruso]

I hope we're gonna win them.

[Big Cat]

No, no.

[PFT Commenter]

You have to get a lock in.

[Big Cat]

I really hope NBA cup.

[PFT Commenter]

You don't. You have to feel like you're the hunted. You're not the hunted in the NBA.

[Alex Caruso]

That's why we haven't made it to the finish line.

[Big Cat]

Alex Russo, great player. Could never do it for the NBA Cup.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Alex Caruso]

Can't get it done in December.

[PFT Commenter]

You can't win the mid one.

[Big Cat]

When the lights get as bright as possible in the NBA cup, he chokes your choker.

[Alex Caruso]

When the stage is at its midst, he cannot step up to the plate.

[PFT Commenter]

All right, man.

[Big Cat]

Thanks so much.

[Alex Caruso]

Yeah. Great time.

[PFT Commenter]

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[Big Cat]

wrap up the show. Good show, boys. Numbers can we get one this time? Can we just do it?

[PFT Commenter]

Go 56.

[Big Cat]

Big week this week. Conference championship week get excited.

[PFT Commenter]

What's that? What was that noise? Sounds like there's a bird in here.

[Big Cat]

I also say, you guys see that some dude broke the record for the half marathon today. Don't care.

[PFT Commenter]

You don't care about that at all.

[Big Cat]

Half marathon. It's gotta be the lamest thing to break.

[Hank]

He ran a 422mile for exactly 13 miles.

[Big Cat]

But do, like. Is it. Is it like the 10,422 mile?

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. No, I agree, Big Cat. If this was called the length of the race. Yeah. Then like, the 13 point, his 200, like the.

[Hank]

The 13 point he ran 200 meters, is faster than you could run 200 meters right now for 13 miles straight.

[Big Cat]

Correct? Well, yeah, I'm slow.

[PFT Commenter]

Correct. But I don't like that. It's called a half marathon, but that's it.

[Hank]

You could sprint a 200.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, but, dude, call it a 10,000. What is it? 10,000 meters.

[Hank]

You should be able to run 200 faster than a marathon. Runners running.

[Big Cat]

No, that's just not true. What? What are you talking about? Marathoners are so fast, dude. You see.

[PFT Commenter]

You see the finish of the LA Marathon.

[Big Cat]

You wait. You think you should be able to run fast. Faster than, like, the fastest marathoner, like,

[Hank]

for a 200, like sprinting.

[Big Cat]

They. Their pace is sprinting.

[PFT Commenter]

They just sprint for.

[Big Cat]

They just look better doing sprints.

[PFT Commenter]

Watch the end of the Los Angeles Marathon today. This is insane.

[Big Cat]

Guys talking. Running.

[PFT Commenter]

Look at.

[Big Cat]

So. Oh, gets caught.

[PFT Commenter]

There's a guy that was like. He looked like he was about 50 yards ahead. Oh, 100 yards left.

[Big Cat]

Did he catch him?

[PFT Commenter]

And he catches him.

[Big Cat]

Oh, that's incredible.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

Hank, I don't think you understand how fast these guys.

[PFT Commenter]

I would never let that I. You don't understand.

[Hank]

He said you don't care.

[Big Cat]

I don't.

[Hank]

You don't care about speed.

[Big Cat]

No. You did this with. No, you guys didn't get.

[Hank]

You said it was.

[Big Cat]

Zach.

[Hank]

You said it with the Olympic sprinters. You guys don't care.

[PFT Commenter]

You have no respect for.

[Big Cat]

You're not understanding my argument for speed. You're. You're not. You're. You're. Dumb little brain can't understand my argument because it's not. We're not talking about golf right now. We're talking about.

[Hank]

Would you say you'd rather be a figure skater than a sprinter?

[Big Cat]

What?

[Hank]

Going back to the Olympic Games, Speed skating?

[Big Cat]

Well, that was. That one got a little confusing because then we also made it so, like, you couldn't run anywhere but a track, but you could also figure Skate everywhere.

[PFT Commenter]

The debate got very concerned.

[Hank]

Being fast is impressive.

[Big Cat]

Yes, I. Dude, they are really, really fast. You saying that like, oh, you should be able to run faster than a marathoner, pace wise for 200 meters. No, they're so fast. What they're doing is. That's what our sprint is. It's faster than our sprint.

[PFT Commenter]

What. What is the actual pace on their. On their.

[Big Cat]

Our marathon is bullshit. Make it a full marathon or make it a 10k or whatever. It's just a half marathon. Just sounds ridiculous, does it not?

[PFT Commenter]

No, it's.

[Big Cat]

No. What's different?

[PFT Commenter]

I'm way more impressed if somebody says I set the world record in the 800 meters than I am.

[Big Cat]

Exactly.

[PFT Commenter]

If somebody says I set the world record in the half mile, I have

[Big Cat]

no IDEA how many. 10. How. How long 10,000 meters is. But if someone told me they. They set the record for it, I'd be like, holy, dude. That's insane. I will say that marathon is like a. It's like a joke. It's like a joke sport thing that, like, people who can't commit to a full marathon run a half marathon.

[PFT Commenter]

I will say that the guy that sets the record should be the only person that's allowed to put the 13.1 back of their car.

[Big Cat]

But I didn't even know they ran competitive half marathons. I didn't.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, they're usually like, you get. You throw, like, a bunch of color dust on you.

[Big Cat]

You just stopped listening after we started making our point.

[Hank]

I don't like. I respect speed, but I.

[Big Cat]

So you did stop listening after we started marathon.

[Hank]

It should be a marathon or no marathon. Once you say it's a half, it's

[Big Cat]

nothing to do with speed. I respect the.

[PFT Commenter]

Out of the number one marathon and half marathon respecter. Who's your favorite marathoner?

[Big Cat]

You didn't even tweet about it, so I love what people get. Just one that, though. You even tweet about the fucking women's winning the gold medal.

[Hank]

I don't fucking know anymore. I'm not.

[PFT Commenter]

I. I. Oh, I do.

[Big Cat]

Awesome.

[PFT Commenter]

I guess I respect speed more than you.

[Big Cat]

I. Hank, you're talking to a guy.

[Hank]

Respect endurance.

[Big Cat]

Half of the time we have an athlete on. I say, how sick is it to be fast?

[Hank]

Oh, Craig Engels.

[PFT Commenter]

Let's do the numbers. Okay.

[Big Cat]

What are we even talking about? I'm happy we brought this up. No, it's good debate, but Hank's just. He won't listen to what I'm saying. It has nothing to do with speed. It has to do with the fact that the half marathon, in principle, is a joke. That's a joke of a race. It is.

[Hank]

That's your take.

[Big Cat]

Well, so if someone has the fastest turkey trot, are you gonna be like, wow, that's incredible?

[Hank]

If it's really fast, yeah. See, I'll respect it.

[Big Cat]

All right, 23.

[PFT Commenter]

Can do. 48.

[Big Cat]

56. 13.1.

[PFT Commenter]

86, 77.

[Big Cat]

I hope this is 13, because then I'm not gonna give it to you. This is the longest one of all time. 75. Anyone got 75?

[PFT Commenter]

75.

[Big Cat]

Once. Going twice. One more, one more, one more, one more. Same numbers. I'm dying for it to be 13. A lot of people said the last one was rigged. What? The machine. Machine.

[PFT Commenter]

Remember Matt made that claim? Nobody's gotten it out here.

[Alex Caruso]

98.

[Big Cat]

98. 98.

[PFT Commenter]

I'm gonna be upset when a 99 comes out.

[Big Cat]

98. Yeah, I am, too.

[PFT Commenter]

Love you guys. Happy birthday, by the way, to Savasier, Dennis and Naji Harris. Careful with the celebrations, Naji.