Orlando Magic's Paolo Banchero, Yankees Have Life And Their Fans Are Grabbing Balls, College Football Talk + Listener Submitted FAQ's

Summary

Pardon My Take: Episode Summary

Episode Title: Orlando Magic's Paolo Banchero, Yankees Have Life And Their Fans Are Grabbing Balls, College Football Talk + Listener Submitted FAQ's
Host: Barstool Sports – Big Cat & PFT Commenter
Guests: Paolo Banchero (Orlando Magic)

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1. New York Yankees Fans Stirring Up the Game

[03:54]
The hosts dive into the recent antics of two New York Yankees fans, the Capo Bianco brothers, who disrupted a game by grabbing baseballs in the stands. This bold move injected excitement and energy into the Yankees' performance, leading to a revitalized batting lineup.

PFT Commenter: "That's maybe the Most well spent $5,000 of all time for those guys."
Big Cat: "I think they would be like, yeah, of course we are."

[04:48]
Discussion highlights the mixed reactions to the fans' actions, acknowledging both the humor and the illegality of interfering with the game. The hosts commend the fans for reigniting the team's spirit but note their ejection and possible fines.

PFT Commenter: "He swore at us. Not good."
Big Cat: "The Yankees have life."

2. NFL Quarterback Dynamics and Team Strategies

[11:12]
The conversation shifts to the Indianapolis Colts' decision to bench Anthony Richardson in favor of veteran Joe Flacco. The hosts debate the rationale behind the move, considering the team's playoff aspirations and Richardson's development.

Big Cat: "Do they have great pitching and a loose team."
PFT Commenter: "You're not wasting what could be a playoff season."

[17:01]
Stefan Diggs' season-ending injury for the Houston Texans is discussed, emphasizing its impact on the team's offensive capabilities and the broader AFC landscape.

Big Cat: "Their defensive line is elite."
PFT Commenter: "Great player."

3. College Football Insights and Team Performances

[49:29]
Hosts explore the surge of teams like BYU and Texas A&M in the college football season. They analyze key games, player performances, and coaching decisions that have shaped the standings.

PFT Commenter: "I think it's smart to switch quarterbacks."
Big Cat: "Way harder than you think."

[58:52]
Discussion on unusual accolades, such as a player potentially winning both offensive and defensive player of the week in the same season, highlighting exceptional versatility in college athletes.

Big Cat: "That's crazy."
PFT Commenter: "He had over 100 yards receiving and four pass breakups."

4. Interview with Paolo Banchero: Rising Star in the NBA

[90:03] – [133:59]
Paolo Banchero, the Orlando Magic's star forward, joins the show to discuss his remarkable performance, including a game where he scored 50 points. The conversation delves into his mindset during the game, his transition from college to the NBA, and his interactions with basketball legends.

[91:24]
Paolo Banchero: "It's all about chasing perfection and striving to improve every year."

[103:07]
Paolo Banchero: "Coach K taught me to stay hungry and lead by example."

[114:25]
Paolo Banchero: "The playoffs are a hell of a journey, both mentally and physically."

Key Insights:

• Performance Zone: Banchero explains how he enters a "zone" where everything flows naturally, allowing him to perform exceptionally.
• Leadership Development: Under Coach K at Duke, Paolo learned the importance of being a vocal leader and taking initiative on the court.
• Transition Challenges: Moving from college to the NBA presented physical and mental challenges, particularly against seasoned veterans like LeBron James.
• Future Aspirations: Paolo is focused on continuous improvement and aims to lead his team to future successes, including playoff victories and potential MVP accolades.

5. Listener Submitted FAQs and Comedy Segments

[135:59] – [144:35]
The hosts engage in humorous interactions, addressing listener questions and sharing personal anecdotes. Topics range from managing credit card fraud humorously to playful banter about sports legends and personal mishaps.

Notable Moments:

• Golf Mishap: Hank recounts accidentally hitting a listener's car with a golf ball, leading to comedic exchanges about handling such situations.
• Memes and Pop Culture: The hosts discuss popular memes, including reactions to players and coaches, blending sports talk with internet humor.

6. Concluding Remarks and Promotions

Throughout the episode, the hosts integrate promotional segments seamlessly into the conversation, endorsing brands like DraftKings, Chevy, Morgan and Morgan, and Simply Safe. They maintain a balance between sponsorships and content, ensuring listener engagement remains high.

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Notable Quotes:

• Big Cat: "The Yankees have life."
• PFT Commenter: "That's maybe the Most well spent $5,000 of all time for those guys." [04:08]
• Paolo Banchero: "It's all about chasing perfection and striving to improve every year." [91:24]

Timestamp Highlights:

• 04:08: Discussion on Yankees fans' influence.
• 11:12: Colts' quarterback strategy.
• 49:29: College football team performances.
• 90:03: Introduction of Paolo Banchero.
• 103:07: Banchero on leadership and Coach K.
• 114:25: Playoff journey insights from Banchero.
• 135:59: Listener stories and humorous segments.

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Final Thoughts

This episode of "Pardon My Take" offers a blend of high-energy sports analysis, humorous banter, and insightful interviews. From the electrifying actions of Yankee fans to the rising trajectory of Paolo Banchero in the NBA, the hosts provide comprehensive coverage of current sports narratives while maintaining their signature comedic style. Whether discussing intricate NFL strategies or sharing lighthearted personal stories, Big Cat & PFT Commenter ensure an engaging and entertaining listening experience.

Transcript

[Big Cat]

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

[Paolo Banchero]

What's the five dollar meal deal at McDonald's?

[Big Cat]

You pick a McDouble or a McChicken, then get a small fry, a small drink and a four piece McNuggets. That's a lot of McDonald's for not a lot of money.

[Max]

Price and participation may vary.

[Big Cat]

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[Paolo Banchero]

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[Big Cat]

See [e-mail] promos okay, let's go. Welcome to part in my take presented by DraftKings. Hoop it up all season long with the newest, most fun way to play fantasy sports. Pick six from DraftKings. Download the DraftKings Pick Six app now. Use code TAKE. That's code TAKE for new customers to play $5 and get $50 in Pick Six credits only on DraftKings. The crown is yours. Today is Wednesday, October 30th, and the New York Yankees have life thanks to two scumbag fans that took over the Internet that we tried to get on this show, but holy shit, the Capabianco brothers stole the show. And the Yankees bats finally woke up. And the Bronx is burning.

[PFT Commenter]

It was awesome. Good for those guys. I mean, you go to that game and I saw people clowning him online saying, you spent $5,000 for front row seats just to get kicked out. No, that's. That's maybe the Most well spent $5,000 of all time for those guys.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, they're heroes.

[PFT Commenter]

If the Yankees, Yankees turn this around and win the World Series, I don't know what the new regime is going to do. George Steinbrenner would put them in Monument Park. He would just like, encase their bodies still alive in bronze and then put them out in the outfield. That's the best use of $5,000. And it's funny because, you know, of course you shouldn't interfere with the ball in play. But at the same time, the fact that these two guys were straight out of central casting in terms of like, scumbag Yankee fans makes it hilarious. Like, reaching into Mookie Betts glove, trying to pry it off, reaching and taking the ball out and then like, holding their hands up like, we. We ain't doing. We didn't do nothing.

[Big Cat]

The, the. When I say scumbag, I mean it in, like, a loving term because that's what they are. And I think they would be like, yeah, of course we are. They. If for people who missed it, it was one of the funniest things I know. Again, you shouldn't reach into the stands. And I didn't like when they grabbed Mookie's arm. That was a little too Far. But my. There was a couple moments that were. Laugh out loud. Funny. One, obviously just trying to grab the ball out. Like the ump isn't standing right there. And there's not a million replays. 2. One of the Capio Bianco brothers did like an invisible line where. Where the. Where the wall is. As almost as if Mookie Betts is not allowed to put his glove past that line. Like, this is our house. This is our territory. You're not allowed to do. To make a play here. Like it was going to actually the. The. The ump was going to be like, oh, yeah, you know what? You're right. That's not good call, boys. He crossed the. He crossed the threshold.

[PFT Commenter]

It's like you're in the backseat of a car and your brother comes across the center line. You get to hit him. He was on my side. That's what they did with Milky Betts. It's like, no, I can reach into that glove. They tried to crack it open. It looked like they were trying to crack open a. To pick the lungs and meat out. It was just like. Put two hands on the glove separating it. And then the one dude with. I mean, who wears sunglasses at night, like a real piece of like that guy. Yeah, but he reached over and he had a sliding mitt on.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, he had a sliding mitt on.

[Hank]

And he.

[Big Cat]

It's. Listen again, don't do that. But the Yankees were desperate. They needed something. Those guys sparked the Yankees. Like, I believe that those guys are responsible for this win in those bats waking up. Because basically the. All the Yankee fans sitting in. In Yankee Stadium tonight, we're like, do something. And the Capo Bianco brothers are like, you know what? We'll do something. We're going to take matters into our own hands. We also. Pfd. You mentioned the seats and how expensive they are. So obviously the. The. The paper had their name and they were posted everywhere. They do. Follow us. So shout out these guys. They're probably awls. The one of them has in his bio work way too hard. But I'm blessed with season tickets to the best team in the world because of it. And New York Yankees let go. And then to quote in the paper, because they got. They. They. They were. I think they got fined $1,000 a piece or. No, they got. They got ejected. I don't know if they got fined. The tickets were $1,000 a piece. Darren Capo Biano, when he was. When the Athletic reached out for comment, he said, I just see the ball Kind of. I don't, I don't want to say go up for grabs, if that makes sense. And then Mookie was swearing at us. Not good.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, Mookie swear at me after, After I try to punch his arm off the ball.

[Big Cat]

Not good.

[PFT Commenter]

Listen, again, that's. It's the best use of money that you could have as a fan. I 100% believe that, like, you turned around the vibes of World Series game. That's as good as you can get for those tickets. So, so congratulations to them. And then also, I guess a little bit of credit to Volpe too, because he played his dick off tonight. You know, if Aaron Judge showed half, half the, the resolve and fight that the Capo Bianco brothers did this, this series would be over. It would have been a sweep tonight.

[Big Cat]

Aaron Judge is getting so now he did have a hit tonight. He had a hit in an rbi and I think he had a walk as well. But it's getting so sad for Aaron Judge. He was up in the 8th or 7th one of the later innings and John Smoltz was like, you can see he's a lot less jumpy at the plate. That's what we're. That's basically where Aaron Judge is at. Was like, he, he, he looks a little more. And then he immediately flied out. But it is. I'm just happy we get more World Series. This was supposed to be an all time World Series. It looked like it was going to be a sweep. The Dodgers are so goddamn good. Freddy Freeman has homered in six straight World Series games. It's insane. And I do think the Dodgers are going to win this series, but at least we get, at least we get a little fight out of the Yankees by their fans, by the, by the stands. And Ashanti. Great national anthem shout out biz and wit. They, they, they had Ashanti dead earlier this morning in a podcast clip, but they, they they got it confused with Aaliyah. Those guys are the best. And so I bet, I bet the Yankees say. Cause I was like, Ashanti game have to do it. And the Yankees have life.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

Good.

[PFT Commenter]

I'm glad. More baseball, more Equinox. Good for everybody.

[Big Cat]

Yes. So I do, I mean, hey, guess what? Listen, Garrett Cole is going tonight. Like, the Yankees aren't dead if Garrett Cole's on the mound. That's why you pay him so much money. He's supposed to be the guy that goes out there and shoves. So, Max, do you have any comment about the heritage of the Capo Bianco? Brothers.

[Max]

What Italians? Yeah, passionate guys.

[PFT Commenter]

Also doesn't Bianco. Does that mean like head Bianco? They're like the top biancos.

[Big Cat]

The bianco might mean white.

[PFT Commenter]

They're the top whites.

[Big Cat]

Top whites, yeah. Yeah, that definitely checks out.

[PFT Commenter]

Those are, those are the whitest guys in America right now.

[Big Cat]

Our good friend Tom Frenelli texted me. Cause he, he when we were trying to get these guys on, which we, I mean maybe we'll still get them on if they want to come on, on on Thursday. I hope they go to the stream in New York City at Barstool hq. Cause I, I, that's my next goal. Like I, we were trying to get them on. The window was small now that they couldn't come on tonight, I want them sitting next to Tommy Smokes in hubs. And Marty, I wanna, I want them on stream just screaming because I don't think they're allowed back in Yankee Stadium. But our good friend Tom Frenelli text me, he's like, if you do get them on, please ask them how they ended up with the name Austin Capo Bianco, because that does feel like a miss. That was, they went like Gen Z Nate, first name and Capo Bianco that, that he, they need to be Salvatore and Tony Joey. Yeah, something like that. But the Capo Bianco brothers, they, they deserve a statue if they win this, if they win the World Series.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. Literally put them in Monument Park. Yeah, it's easy if you're the Yankees and have them in the ticker tape parade going down the canyon of champions or whatever the fuck they call it. Yeah, I listen, I don't like the Yankees. I, it's hard to root for the Yankees.

[Big Cat]

Right.

[PFT Commenter]

I think we can all agree on that. But Hank, do you have any advice to the Yankees on how to battle back from being down 30 in a baseball series?

[Hank]

You got to have great pitching and you got to have a loose, a loose team. You got to have your stars playing well. Garrett Cole, I think they're screwed.

[Big Cat]

So they're screwed.

[PFT Commenter]

Then we got Garrett Cole on the bump.

[Big Cat]

I'm rooting for the Dodgers, but I was rooting for the Yankees tonight, not just because I bet them, but because I wanted more baseball. I wanted more World Series. And as soon as the Capo Bianco brothers came out, it's like, you have to win for them. You have to win for them. Yeah, he swore at them. Not good.

[PFT Commenter]

And also he went into their space. It's like, it's like they Call it the Bronx Zoo. Right. So you're at the Bronx Zoo. If you don't stick your hand into the tiger cage and think that you're not going to get bit.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. There also was some fake reports going around that they were yelling. That was fake, right?

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, that was a fake.

[Big Cat]

Fake report, Fake account. Yeah, because there was fake accounts. Making up some stories about them. Listen, we don't know them, but as far as we know, those were fake, the stories that were being tweeted about them. And. Yeah, not good.

[PFT Commenter]

Whatever problematic statements they've made in the past, I want to go ahead and pre disavow before they come out. But we don't know if they've actually said anything bad. But if they have, just know that we do not, on part of my take, condone that part of their bad behavior. We do condone the bad behavior along the right field line.

[Big Cat]

Well, Mookie. Beth Swarth. Not good.

[PFT Commenter]

True. I love that he said, I don't want to say. But anytime somebody starts a sentence by saying I don't want to say it's about to be a fucking banger, that. That sentence about to go triple Platinum.

[Big Cat]

I want to read the whole quote again. I just see the ball kind of. I don't want to say. Up for grabs, if that makes sense. And then Mookie was swearing at us. Not good.

[PFT Commenter]

Did you see the security guard who kicked him out too?

[Big Cat]

Yeah, yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Video of the guy wearing like the full Italian silk suit with the non existent Don Mattingly sideburns and the flat top kicking them out.

[Big Cat]

That rock. That was awesome, man. They did. I think the other brother said they. When they was reached for comedy. He's like, we're just trying to enjoy the game. Like. Like they were watching the game somewhere. They probably got a hero's welcome at Billy's Tavern or whatever it's called. So. All right. Other quick things before we kick it back to ourselves and talk some football and have Paolo Banchero. Joe Flacco is back. Officially, Anthony Richardson has been benched. This is a move that is a. I don't know. I. I like keep struggling with it because again, we've. We've talked about this. I feel like every single week, if you draft Anthony Richardson 4, you gotta play him. Cause you gotta see what he is. But it feels like the Colts might have just said, hey, we have a chance to maybe make the playoffs. If we win a couple games here. Joe Flacco can win a couple games. And thank you to the Colts because they play on Sunday Night Football this week. And that would have sucked if it was Anthony Richardson. And they're like, hey, let's put Joe Flacco in and give America a little treat.

[PFT Commenter]

This might be our last Flacco in primetime game. Just know that. So, so make sure to tune in, tell everybody, tell a friend to tune in and watch Sunday Night Football because like we said, you got to cherish every single Joe Flacco start that you get. And, yeah, I'm going to make sure to do that. As far as the Anthony Richardson thing goes, it's the fact that they kept losing every game within one score. Like, all their losses within one score, that's what did it. If you're getting blown out, then you can probably still say, we're going to start Anthony Richardson and see if we can work with him developing. But the fact that you're so close in all these games, if you're the head coach, if you're Shane Steichen, you have to start him because you're wasting what could be a playoff season. And also, you also risk losing the locker room when all the other guys are dependent on the quarterback for the salary. They're not getting the ball, the offense isn't moving. All those other guys then are like, hey, dude, what the fuck? I'm playing really hard. And, and you're absolutely tanking my chances at future contracts here. So I get why, I get why it had to be done, but at the same time, I also think that, like, this is. It's, it's not good. And you're. You're essentially giving up on a very, very high draft pick from just last year.

[Big Cat]

And this is, I mean, this is how the NFL works now. It's the teams. I feel like the leash for a quarterback is. I mean, I, I'm trying to think. I. Josh Rosen probably was the first one, but it's, it's. It feels like if you don't, if you don't show anything for whatever, 10 games a season. Ian Richardson has played less than 10 games because he was injured last year, but Bryce Young's the other one. I, And I don't totally disagree with it in the fact that if you think it's never going to work, you. It's, it's better to move on quickly, to compound the mistake and just keep trying to do it even though you know it's not going to work.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, no, I agree. And I think that we've seen, we've seen a lot of plays from Anthony Richardson where it's like, that is not a play that a good quarterback makes.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Hopefully he figures it out on the bench and learns from Joe Flacco and he has another chance because I would like to see him get another chance. The other news was Stefan Diggs is out for the season for the Texans, which the Texans are a little snake bitten right now. They need Nico Collins back real bad. But that was, that's tough for Stefan Diggs to be out for the year. And now they're down to. I mean, Tank Dell's the guy right now and I don't know, I don't know. That offense looks not great all season. I mean look okay when Nico was playing, but it has looked clunky a lot of times and they lose a big weapon in Stefan Diggs. I don't know. I mean, the AFC feels like it maybe got a little bit easier mixing playing helps though.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, it definitely helps the offense. And Tank Dell is a very, very good player.

[Big Cat]

And their defense is still very, very good. Yeah. Their defensive line is. Is elite and, and they'll still be in games and CJ Stroud will figure it out. It's just like if you were. If your goal was to win a Super Bowl, Stefan Diggs being out might hurt that goal.

[PFT Commenter]

Yo. Yeah, for sure. And. And I think Diggs is on a one year contract too. So he's going to be a free agent again this off season. All I know is I am. I'm thinking about laying a hammer down on the Jets.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. No, hell no.

[PFT Commenter]

I'm thinking about doing it. You saw their uniforms.

[Big Cat]

Oh, yeah. We're going to talk about them in a second. I don't know. Pft. That feels like the biggest trap ever because they're. The jets are just going to be the team that all season were like, well, this is the game. They'll prove it.

[PFT Commenter]

Yep.

[Big Cat]

And then they just won't. And we'll just keep doing it and saying this will be the game. I mean, it's Aaron Rodgers derangement syndrome. I'm the. I am the leading case of it in America.

[PFT Commenter]

My theory is that they will not get any lower than they are right now. Like, everyone's shitting on the Jets. Everyone is shitting on the Jets. Aaron Rodgers is drinking water with cayenne pepper in it. I think it's turning around.

[Big Cat]

It's been pretty low. Okay, we have anything else? Was there anything else that happened between when we recorded this afternoon and now?

[PFT Commenter]

There's one piece of news. Oh, snubbed again. Part of my take.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

For the Eighth year in a row we did not win people awards. Sexiest Podcast award. And I just want to say that they got it right.

[Big Cat]

I think maybe for our 10th year, which we got to start thinking about. Boys. We're. We're at 15 months away from. From the 10 year anniversary. 16 months away. That's pretty crazy to think about. Yeah, we are, Hank. Are we not?

[Paolo Banchero]

No, we are.

[Hank]

It's crazy to think about.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. 16 months away. I think we. I think the boys just go fucking crazy on some plastic surgery and try to win this award. One year.

[PFT Commenter]

Listen, just.

[Big Cat]

Just butcher our faces. Just look like completely different human beings.

[PFT Commenter]

I'll do a lot of things. I don't think I'm ever going to take a surgical option to make my appearance improve at all.

[Big Cat]

It would be great if we could do plastic sur. Temporary plastic surgery. Yeah. Like, if we just have a. Like a month where we just looked like completely different human beings and super hot. What? Botox? I don't know. I ain't doing that. I put a needle in my face.

[Max]

I'm down for Ozempic.

[Big Cat]

What? We all get on Ozempic. Yeah. Yeah. We just get super hot, super jacked. Yeah. Get, get. Like, I don't even know what. What other Botox.

[PFT Commenter]

I don't know.

[Big Cat]

Lip filler. I already have full lips. I don't know what I have to do.

[PFT Commenter]

Lip filler would rock. Maybe raising your ears, the facelift. Tummy tuck.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. I could use the chin.

[PFT Commenter]

I could get the shin lengthening surgery. Get like 6 inches added. That would rock.

[Big Cat]

I get my. I could get a breast reduction.

[PFT Commenter]

Maybe I'll do. I'll just get my entire face changed and I'll say it's because I had a broken nose and I. I was snoring too much at night, so I had to get nose surgery. And no, it's not plastic surgery, but then come out of it looking like a totally different human.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, we should do it. Or we could just hire two super hot interns and just have them be on the COVID art.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

Catfish.

[PFT Commenter]

Like. Like Milli Vanilla.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Sync the podcast.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Okay, before we talk, some Monday night football. College football. We're brought to you by Chevy. There's a reason we've never done a Mount Rushmore of pickup trucks, and that's because, for pardon my take, there's only one pickup truck. The Chevy Silverado. Why is that? Silverado is a partner. A partner you can depend on. We've all spent time driving and using the Silverado for all kinds of part of My take jobs, ventures and other shenanigans. Silverado has been our ride for a cross country trip to the Super Bowl. Silverado helped us dig the biggest hole ever in the state of Ohio last year Grit Week. Silverado helped us give fullbacks the recognition they deserve with the Low man award. And this year Silverado was out west with us for our latest Grit Week. Silverado brings the grit too. Legendary grit paired with modern truck tech inside and out. Massive screens, up to eight cameras with 14 different views to help make driving, towing and parking all easier. We love the bold, blacked out look of the new Silverado HD trail boss. So head on over to Chevy.com and build your own Silverado or Silverado HD and check out all the current offers on Silverado. Discover a world of strength and capability all behind the wheel of our favorite truck, the Chevy Silverado. Monday Night Football I can't believe that I ever doubted Mike Tomlin again. After coming to the conclusion that Mike Tomlin is a top five coach in the NFL. I know he hasn't won a playoff game in a very long time, but all he does is run a great locker room and have a competitive team every year. But Mike Tomlin, my apologies. Putting in Russell Wilson was the right move.

[PFT Commenter]

That's a crazy, ballsy move that he made too.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

And so for all the hate that he gets being mediocre Mike, and also I think there's like two things about Mike Tomlin that are true always, every year. One, people call mediocre Mike. Two, people also say like, this might be Mike Tomlin's best coaching job. Yeah, they say that every single year about Mike Tomlin.

[Big Cat]

Just depends on the week.

[PFT Commenter]

But this was a ballsy move that he made. It's a very ballsy move. And if you've watched the Steelers the last two weeks and we don't know like primetime games, I've learned that this year. I'm trying to absorb that into my. Into every core fiber of my body. That just because a game happens in prime time doesn't mean that it means anything more. Well, it does, but it's at night. Yeah, it's at night. And the terrible towels are going and Renegades playing and it's a whole thing. And they've won 22 straight on Monday Night Football at home. They did lose a Monday afternoon game in 2020 on Wednesday.

[Big Cat]

No, it was a Wednesday.

[PFT Commenter]

No, it was a Monday. It was a. I think. No, that might have been a different game. They lost to the commanders in 2020. I think it was Supposed to be a Sunday game. It got postponed to Monday afternoon at.

[Big Cat]

5:00Pm oh, that was the Monday.

[PFT Commenter]

But they also had a Wednesday football game and I think that was the Ravens maybe.

[Big Cat]

Okay, it was.

[Hank]

They definitely had both.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. Covid everything up and then. And then Monday. Yes, but when it's Monday night football Games played after 5:01pm on Monday night, they just don't win. That might be the craziest record in sport. The craziest streak in sports.

[Big Cat]

Well, there's a crazier one. Daniel Jones is now 1 in 15 in prime time games. Yeah, that is quite something. By the way, the, the other part of the Mike Tomlin switching to Russell Wilson, which it is nuts. I know they gave the job to Russell Wilson before the season and then he got hurt and you can all do the whole thing. You know, you never lose your job to injuries, but still they were 4 and 2 and you're making a switch at quarterback. I thought it was crazy. It turns out I'm the crazy one. Mike Tomlin's a smart one because here's the other thing that happened. They got one of the best free agent picks or trade deadline pickups in George Pickens because he looks like he actually cares. And that's completely unlocked with Russell Wilson.

[PFT Commenter]

This is, this is what's awesome about George Pickens because you have, you have him doing hilarious. He's the James Winston of wide receivers.

[Big Cat]

Correct.

[PFT Commenter]

Is what he is. So he'll make spectacular catches. He'll just like get one foot down. He'll make a spectacular catch. He'll get hit and then he'll get up and throw one of his six mouthpieces at the cornerback. He'll try to drop off somebody on the top rope like he did yesterday, which was just an insane play.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, the turnaround was so great too. Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

He's like if you gave, if you gave a six year old exceptional athleticism, that's how he acts on like a 6 year old that's on a sugar rush from drinking like too much sugary drinks. And then you put him on a football field.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, he's just going to start skipping halfway through his route sometimes. But this was George Pickens two weeks ago. We were watching tape of him not even trying.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

And now Russell Wilson is throwing moon balls to him and he's completely unlocked. And the Steelers are. And here's the other thing. That was just a classic TJ Watt game where he is the closer for that team, where if you get it, if the Steelers can get the game script Going where they're up late in the fourth quarter, TJ Watt will just end the game. And unfortunately for the Giants right tackle, Jermaine Element. El Menor. I don't know how to say his last name. El Menor. All time bad quote. Because during the week he said he wanted to be left on an island against T.J. watt.

[PFT Commenter]

Maybe he just meant like, jersey, Jerry wants to be left on an island. Just hanging out.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, that's a log cabin.

[PFT Commenter]

Desert island.

[Big Cat]

A log cabin? Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Or some place up in. Up in the Rocky Mountains.

[Big Cat]

Should the Giants sell now? I think they should because Mr. Mara has already said, and I actually believe him, that they're not going to make any changes to the front office and coaching staff. So if you are the front office and you're not going to get fired, why wouldn't you try to trade anything you can for draft picks and then extend your stay? Because you're like, well, we have draft picks and we got to see how they turn out.

[PFT Commenter]

So I would believe Mr. Mara. But the last two times he did that, he went back on it.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

So he did that to Joe Judge. I think it was in November of Joe Judge's last year. He said, he's our coach. We're not making a change. And then three weeks later, he made a change. Yep, he did that. Was it McAdoo?

[Big Cat]

Probably McAdoo. He told.

[PFT Commenter]

He told the press, like, McAdoo is our coach. We're not going to make a change. We're not firing him. And then like two weeks later after that, they fired him.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

So like the last two times he's said that about a coach.

[Big Cat]

Now, Brian Table's better than both those guys.

[PFT Commenter]

And again, like, I've said that they should keep him.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, I. They should not keep Daniel Jones. I don't really know how Daniel. Daniel Jones is. Like, we're going to look back and be like, this guy started in the NFL for six years.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

It's pretty remarkable because it's just he has not changed. It feels like at all. He had that one year that the first year with Brian Dable that he was kind of unlocked. But yeah, it's. Every game feels like the same one in 15 in prime time games. He needs to. Daniel Jones actually might be a good quarterback for like the Carolina Panthers or the Jacksonville Jaguars who don't play prime time games. Yeah. Like, he got the worst marriage in being on the New York Giants, who are guaranteed five prime time games a year, and the guy can't win in primetime.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. It Was sad after the game because I think Dabel was saying in his post game interview, like, I really liked the emotion. That was good progress that we saw from, from Daniel Jones showing emotion during this game. It's like that's. If that's the highlight that you have talking about your quarterback who's been your starter for six years.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Saying I like that he's starting to show emotion out there. That's bad. And then.

[Big Cat]

But maybe he was saying he was.

[PFT Commenter]

Angry this weekend they're going to Germany.

[Big Cat]

Wait, no, I thought that next week. Commanders this weekend.

[PFT Commenter]

Oh, that's right. Commanders. And then Germany is going to be next up.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Against the Panthers. That might be Brian Dable. That might be Daniel Jones. Best game of the season.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

The most. Like the least prime time game possible.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. The least prime time game. Especially against the Panthers. Yeah. I think the Giants should sell. And I don't know if you're a Giants fan going with like Daniel Jones has to just, it has to drive you nuts. It has to like it just the same week, week to week. It's exactly the same. I did, I did the RAV4 Todd Bowles the other day. I saw another one. A Giants fan. Big Mac Meal versus Daniel Jones. Big Mac Meal is 1269. Can't play football, can't read a defense, makes people happy. Daniel Jones is $160 million. Can't play football, can't read a defense, makes people mad.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

So take the Big Mac meal.

[PFT Commenter]

Big Mac's got that special sauce.

[Big Cat]

Shout out G men Galaxy.

[PFT Commenter]

I think that the, I think the Steelers are actually very good, though.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

I think what Russell Wilson's done, the offense, it's a combination of not having Matt Canada and now having a quarterback that can throw the ball to the middle of the field and that can actually trust his receivers to go make a play. I think that the Steelers are one of the best teams in the afc.

[Big Cat]

Does Russell Wilson. Because I was wrong. I thought Russell Wilson was cooked. Is it Russell Wilson got a little humble pie or not to kick a man when he's down. But it just further proves that Nathaniel Hackett might have been so, so, so, so bad.

[PFT Commenter]

That's also good. It's one way you can look at.

[Big Cat]

I think you, you, you kind of felt the same way where it's like Russell Wilson's cooked. Like he's, he's old, he's. He hasn't been good in a couple years but now. And it's not like he's prime. Russell Wilson. I'm not Going to get ahead of myself. But he clearly has something left in the tank, and he clearly adds element to the Steelers offense that was missing in George Pickens.

[PFT Commenter]

I also think that Sean Payton and Russell Wilson was a marriage that's never going to work.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. I didn't even count that year because that was like a million years. That was also a forced marriage. They didn't. They didn't want each other.

[PFT Commenter]

Never in a million years was that going to. Was he going to look halfway decent working for Sean Payton. Like, Sean Payton hated everything about Russell Wilson.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Basically, Sean Payton's Year one job was to just alienate Russell Willis as much as possible and treat him like shit.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Yeah. Okay. So other things. I dealt with a very bad day on Monday. Here's how my Monday went. Pft. I'm sure you had a great day because you got to watch all the highlights. I thought I was over the Hail Mary. And then I took my two oldest kids out to dinner last night, and getting into the car, I was strapping them into their car seats. A guy parked a couple spots away from me was like, hey, what's up, big cat? And then we spent probably 10 minutes in the parking lot talking about the Hail Mary and how much that sucked. And then it was. It was basically my whole life of suck all in one. Because then at the end, I didn't catch this guy's name, but he was like, yeah, my son is actually the highest rated quarterback in Illinois right now. He's committed to Oregon. And then I spent another five minutes trying to flip him to Wisconsin via Stella Blue deals. So it was. I don't know why God just put that man there to have that conversation. It didn't work. Oregon has a little bit. Phil Knight has a little more money than Stella Blue Coffee.

[PFT Commenter]

Probably the uniform.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. But it was. It was like, God, I got in the car, my kids were just like, daddy, let's go, let's go, let's go. It's like, I'm. Hold on one sec. We're trying to get a quarterback here.

[PFT Commenter]

Trying to close the deal out.

[Big Cat]

But it was like everything summed up in one 10 minute random exchange with a stranger being like, holy shit, did that suck.

[PFT Commenter]

If your kids just knew how much happier Daddy would be if that guy's son went to Wisconsin. They would be like, no, take your time.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, right? Yeah. I should have just been like, bucky, will. Will come to your birthday party. But I. Now that we've gone. So yesterday sucked. Today is getting a little better because this might have been a silver lining in the fact that it seems like the Bears players are finally turning on Matt Eberflusse, which has not happened until this moment. And they are. We had Jalen Johnson come out and he's like, if Tyreek Stevenson had been doing his job, there's a 0% chance that because Tyreek Stevenson was supposed to be on Noah Brown, there's a zero percent chance that works. He also said that they should have called the time out because it was chaotic. Yeah, that's something the head coach should work or should figure out. Kevin Bayard was asked about the play before where Matty Berflus just gave up 14 yards for free. He was like, yeah, I don't know why we were doing that. We did sideline defense at the end of the first half. I don't know why we didn't do it at the end of the game. And then Cole Comet talked about self discipline and guys holding each other accountable. And basically all of this adds up to Matt Eberfluss is to blame for this, which I came to that conclusion on Sunday night. But it's good to hear the players back it up. And then on top of all of that, we had a report just a couple hours ago that apparently Ben Johnson was interested in the Bears job last year. And that was the people are saying that's the one he wanted. So pack your bags, Matt Eberflusse. Thank you. Pft. You got the guy out of town.

[PFT Commenter]

So. So I heard, I heard about Ben Johnson. I also heard that Ben Johnson wanted like $15 million a year.

[Big Cat]

Done. Which sell blue coffee.

[PFT Commenter]

Which if you're most franchises, I think if you're an owner that really wants to win, says that they want to win, you're like, okay, that's a lot of money. However, I think Ben Johnson might be the real deal. And if you're getting a rookie quarterback, that's the thing about bringing Caleb in and not switching up anything ahead. Coaching staff. And we said this, I've said this many times about, about the Bears. You double fucked yourself. You got double fucked because number one, you, you didn't bring in a new guy with your new quarterback, meaning that there's a good chance that he'll have to experience two coaching staffs in his first two years. And also double fucked is you weren't able to attract a great offensive coordinator because any offensive coordinator that would take that job would say, hey, if we don't do exceptionally well this first year, then that's going to be a one Year gig for me as an offensive coordinator.

[Big Cat]

The good news is. Pft. It's, it's. The Bears are just learning that they double fucked themselves. It's not like they've ever done this before.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

Oh, wait. They literally did the exact same thing when they drafted Mr. Risky with John Fox and then had Matt Nagy come in on year two and then did the exact same thing with Justin Fields. When they drafted Justin Fields with Matt Nagy and had Matt Eberflusse come in year two. Yeah, they just keep doing it.

[PFT Commenter]

It's a pattern. If you're going to bring in a new quarterback that's highly drafted, it's probably a good idea. I would say an exception to that could be the Giants.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Because I think that Dable is a good offensive coach.

[Big Cat]

But it's just so as much as yesterday sucked because it was. Literally everyone wanted to talk about it and you could see it on someone's face when they saw me. I walked in the office at like 9:30 in the morning and Fasoli, I think he had been sitting there since like midnight with the camera ready to go. So it was just one of those torturous, torturous days. But the silver lining is it feels like they're finally realizing this is the first time that there has been players calling out Matt Eberflusse and players being like, hey, that was a winnable game that we completely fucked up at the end.

[Hank]

What is the path to getting him gone the quickest?

[Big Cat]

I think anything, I think anything besides an NFC championship run is probably gone.

[Hank]

But you think he's going to be the whole season?

[Big Cat]

I think he's going to be. The Bears don't fight. They've never in the history. They don't do that. They would.

[Hank]

Rainy was going off.

[Big Cat]

They wouldn't fire him in the middle of the seat.

[Hank]

Did you see the Greeny clip?

[Big Cat]

No.

[PFT Commenter]

Well, what's.

[Hank]

It was some of the most rex heated language I've ever heard him say, by the way. That was the dumbest thing I've ever seen. It was, it was.

[Big Cat]

We had all the time. We had time out, we had. We, we gave up 15 yards for free to play on the play before.

[PFT Commenter]

The play before the Hail Mary was just dumb. And his explanation afterwards was even dumber. He was like, I don't really see much of a difference between throwing the ball 65 yards in the air and having him try to throw the ball 80 yards in the air. It's like that's, that's a pretty big difference.

[Big Cat]

And that's, that's where this feels like. It's, It's. It's a significant shift in, in the narrative because Matt Eberflusse is a guy who will get up in front of the. The microphone after game and just never take blame for anything and just be like, we got to look at the positives. Having the players say, hey, there were some negatives there, which was very obvious to literally everyone with eyes and a brain in their skull finally feels like, okay, it's not. He's kind of losing it here. And it feels, and it feels like the Bears locker room is sitting there being like, we're. We are talented enough to be a six and one team. You know, the. Blowing that game at the end with the Hail Mary, the Colts game, and yet we're sitting here four and three, wondering what the fuck has happened. I, I'm. I'm excited that maybe this is. They're going to make the right choice, but again, it's the Bears, so they probably won't.

[PFT Commenter]

So Rex Ryan has made it very clear that he's willing to coach again.

[Big Cat]

He's doing that. I'm not interested.

[PFT Commenter]

Rex is doing that big time.

[Big Cat]

He's.

[PFT Commenter]

No, he's putting his name on a lot of people's desks. He would coach the Jets. He said he would coach the Bears. Yeah, the play before the play was very bad. I'm going to use the word malpractice. I think it was coaching malpractice. And then the players after. I think it was either yesterday, maybe this morning. Some of the players are saying, like, we want to be coached harder. Yeah, it's okay if you.

[Big Cat]

That's basically what Cole Comet said.

[PFT Commenter]

It's okay if you coach us harder because we need that. I don't know what they're going to do with the cornerback situation, because that would. That would be a good cut. That would be a good.

[Big Cat]

Stevenson's good, though. That's the problem.

[PFT Commenter]

I know, I know. But, like, a real football guy coach would just be like, don't even, don't even comment.

[Big Cat]

I don't think you can cut him, but especially because we have some injuries there. But I. He. He's a good player. He made a very, very bad mistake. I think all the other players are going to hold him accountable. The problem is I don't think Matt Eberfus is holding him accountable. And that's. That's where the divide comes from. So. And it is like them talking about it after Jalen Johnson said, he's like, yeah, his Responsibility was Noah Brown, and that's why that happened. And he instead ran into the scrum and hit the ball in the air. So it's just. It's crazy.

[PFT Commenter]

Do you think that was a good throw or a bad throw that Jaden had on the Hail Mary?

[Big Cat]

I think it was a good throw.

[PFT Commenter]

Okay, interesting, because Max and I had a deep conversation about that, and there was an unfortunate clip that got resurfaced. So during. During Sunday night show, Max made the point like any quarterback in the NFL can make that throw. And it just so happens there was a quarterback that tried to make that throw in the super bowl on the very last play of the game. And I believe he threw the ball about 46 yards in the air. That quarterback stepped on his foot. That quarterback was. Was Jalen Hurts.

[Big Cat]

It was a good story. It was short, but it was a good throw. A good spiral.

[PFT Commenter]

Good spiral.

[Max]

If I have a question for you. If Jaden.

[Big Cat]

What?

[Hank]

Hail Mary isn't lucky.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Yeah. They all are.

[Hank]

Yeah, but you're saying that like it's.

[PFT Commenter]

Like a. I agree with this. I agree with this. Like, there's. It's not like you can be a great Hail Mary quarterback. I mean, some are a little Aaron Rodgers, maybe. Some are a little bit better than others, but a Hail Mary is a very lucky play. But that entire drive that led up to the Hail Mary, he made a few big passes that there.

[Big Cat]

No, that was only one pass on that drive.

[PFT Commenter]

I think there were two.

[Big Cat]

The one that was wide open.

[PFT Commenter]

I think there were two.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. I mean, that wasn't. I don't want to get it back in the weeds, but that.

[PFT Commenter]

I'm pretty sure that.

[Big Cat]

But they literally let him. That was a whole Matt Eberfluss thing. They let him.

[Max]

He had one throw to start the drive. He threw at his fucking feet.

[Big Cat]

That.

[PFT Commenter]

I thought that he had two completions on that drive before the Hail Mary.

[Hank]

I think he did.

[Big Cat]

I mean, he might have, but one of them was literally. Maddie Eberflusse is a fucking moron.

[PFT Commenter]

Yes. And I'm not saying that that means that Jaden's an awesome quarterback. Is that he threw a Hail Mary. Every quarterback can try to throw the ball that far, and a lot of them, you know, like, it's. It's a crap shoot at the end. It was still a good play. Everything that happened on that play before he made the throw, scrambling around the pocket and getting himself in good.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. We should have rushed more. It was stupid.

[PFT Commenter]

That's. I mean, he did what he had to do and it was a great play. But I'm not saying he made two completions.

[Big Cat]

One was the one that they were. Or he had one incompletion. One. Then he completed one to Zach Hertz. Then the one that was just given to you. Yeah, so.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, so he had two completions and then the Hail Mary on that drive.

[Hank]

A good quarterback puts their team in a spot where they can get lucky.

[PFT Commenter]

Right?

[Hank]

Jalen hurts his throw. There was no chance Jason Kelsey stepped on his foot.

[PFT Commenter]

Just saying that's that. That's part of moving around in the pocket.

[Max]

350 yards and three touchdowns against Patrick Mahomes in the super bowl in that game. How's that not putting him in a good situation to win? He threw an absolute dime on the drive before to tie the game up. And then JuJu Smith Schuster gets away with a stupid holding call. That's putting yourself in a position to win.

[PFT Commenter]

Hank, listen, listen. Max is right.

[Hank]

I didn't say putting. I said give them the Hail Mary situational win. No, give them a chance. Give them a chance to make the get lucky.

[Big Cat]

Max is right.

[PFT Commenter]

Jalen hurts had a. Had a great game except for that fumble and he had a great season that year. I'm not saying that Jaden is on that level that Jalen played that year. I'm just saying like let's not take away from fact.

[Hank]

Higher level.

[PFT Commenter]

No, I'm not saying that yet. Let's not take away from the fact he. He had a good drive to get them into position and then he had a good play. I don't where he scrambled. He scrambled around the pocket and then threw a great ball for a Hail Mary. Let's not take any way anything away from this young man. Max, you're the one who brought this up. Well, because you brought it up on Sunday.

[Max]

Oh, yes. I have a question for you. If Jaden Daniels throws an interception on that. On that Hail Mary, are you claiming that it's crapshoot?

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, that plays a crapshoot. Yeah. That interception doesn't count. At the end of the season. I will make sure to go back and tell everyone he actually had one less interception than you think he did.

[Big Cat]

I think I just. I hated that game. That game sucked because it was also. It was just. The Bears are have. I've watched that game a million times. The Bears are in an offensive slog and can't do anything. And then Caleb Williams got him out of it and it was a game they should never have won that they were going to somehow win and yeah. Sucked.

[PFT Commenter]

I also after watching it again, Dan Quinn tried to give that game away, too. Dan Quinn tried very, very hard with not going Forward on like 4th and inches.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

And giving the Bears the ball back and then just absolutely killing whatever time we had left. I would much rather the Bears scored with with two minutes, two and a half minutes left on the clock than with 25 seconds. And who cares if you give the ball up in your own territory at that point.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. This sucked. I'm. Whatever. It's. The Bears have to win against the Cardinals. That's the thing is they have no margin of for error anymore. And I'm just. Again, I'm. The silver lining in all of this is Matt Eberflusse is being exposed for what we all knew, but the vibes were high enough that no one was going to speak out against him in the Bears locker room. And now that you have a loss like that that is so inexcusable with how it went down. He's getting exposed. And that's, I think, a good thing.

[PFT Commenter]

Did you see the.

[Big Cat]

Think a good thing? It was Ben Johnson hit me up.

[PFT Commenter]

Was it 9, 9 at halftime last night? Two great offenses going at it Sunday. Football.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Kicking field goals.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, it was. It was fantastic.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. The Giants and Steelers, known for their offense.

[PFT Commenter]

Great offenses.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Moving the ball.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Moving the ball.

[PFT Commenter]

Between the 20 kicking field goals.

[Big Cat]

It's the way to go. All right, memes real quick. I have two things for memes. Yeah. I like the jets fan that retired. Did you guys see this? This was from Igor 2H, AHL, depressed Jets fan. He said, due to recent struggles and constant pain suffered from the New York Jets, I've ultimately decided that I'm going to step away from the game I have once loved. I'm not sure when I'll be back, but I can no longer endure the constant torture and pain the New York jets give me.

[PFT Commenter]

Spend more time with the family.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, he's. He did a for real retirement and I. He did this on Monday. I think he should have waited a day because I don't know if you guys saw, but the jets have their solution to fix the season. Changing their uniforms again.

[PFT Commenter]

Oh, I like that.

[Big Cat]

They're going the All Blacks for Halloween. So, memes, you're kind of back. I don't think we're back. I think we're gonna get smoked on Thursday and then everybody's gonna get traded on Friday. Everyone's gonna get traded. Yeah. Who's gonna get traded, man?

[PFT Commenter]

Devontae?

[Big Cat]

Everyone. Everyone.

[Paolo Banchero]

Everyone.

[Big Cat]

Literally Literally everyone.

[PFT Commenter]

Everyone.

[Big Cat]

Literally every person, every player.

[PFT Commenter]

I was thinking about the whole. Don't rent an old quarterback to try to make your team good and put super bowl aspirations on them. I was thinking about that. The stats actually show that maybe you should try to rent an old ass quarterback. If you don't have like a. If you don't have a top two quarterback of all time like Patrick Mahomes or Tom Brady with the Patriots. If you look back at the last 10 years, it's happened three times. Peyton Manning, Tom Brady with the. With the Bucks, and Matt Stafford.

[Big Cat]

Peyton Manning's a little bit of a different one just because he won the Super Bowl. No longer being Peyton Manning. But yes, he's. His best season was before the super bowl season. Yeah. The defense won that Super Bowl. Yeah. Yeah. I mean.

[PFT Commenter]

I mean that the last. The jets would have been happy having their great defense.

[Big Cat]

Correct.

[PFT Commenter]

And then. And then Aaron Rodgers playing, like, average to slightly above.

[Big Cat]

Correct. That was the plan.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. So it's actually not.

[Big Cat]

His Achilles blew up.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. It's actually not that stupid of an idea, but when it doesn't work, it looks really, really dumb.

[Big Cat]

It looks. Yeah. If it. If it doesn't work, it's Cam Newton on the Patriots or Matt Ryan on the Colts.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. Memes.

[Big Cat]

You.

[PFT Commenter]

What? You care to explain this meme that you just posted? I saw you pull it up when you. When you were scrolling Twitter over there telling my kids, this is Big Cat Max and pft and it's aj, Big boss, our boys and. And the Rizzler.

[Big Cat]

I love it.

[PFT Commenter]

So which who's who?

[Big Cat]

I think it's in order. Right? Yep. Left or right? So I'm. I'm. I'm a. I'm Big Justice Max is aj. And then PFT would be the wrist.

[PFT Commenter]

I'm the Rizzler. All right.

[Max]

You make out like a bandit there. Pfd. Why are you the best?

[Big Cat]

You're the Rizzler.

[PFT Commenter]

The Rizzler is the best.

[Big Cat]

I feel like the whole squad won when they went on Fallon. He's just. Rizzler's got the. He's just got all the swag.

[PFT Commenter]

I actually. I dress pretty similar to the Rizzler.

[Big Cat]

Why. Why isn't that one on the main? I think you have those shoes.

[PFT Commenter]

I think I do, too.

[Big Cat]

Post that one on the main. All right. That's a great meme.

[Max]

I also have.

[Hank]

I've come all the way around on those guys, by the way.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. How can you. Here's the thing. The Rizzlers, they just.

[Hank]

They just do it like. Yeah, they've just beat you into submission with same video. And then eventually you're like, all right, the song. Is it gonna be the same video? Yep, yep. Just a couple different.

[Big Cat]

And the Rizzler's gonna do the thing where he does his chin like it's. Yeah, it. They're. They're the best. I've. I've been a Costco guy from day one.

[Hank]

That's bad.

[PFT Commenter]

Was that bad? Why was that bad?

[Hank]

You got to be like, mad.

[PFT Commenter]

Okay.

[Big Cat]

You got to kind of furrow your brow. You got to furrow your brow a little. Yeah. That's a very funny picture and a very funny. Yeah. The boys, that. That was a team win. Having the. Having those guys on Fallon.

[PFT Commenter]

The Rizzler likes the chicken bakes.

[Big Cat]

The Rizzler's not as much of a Costco guy as. He's just in the cinematic universe, but he also is kind of the star.

[PFT Commenter]

Got it.

[Big Cat]

He does a trick on his bike. No hands.

[PFT Commenter]

I can't do that.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. He actually just lifts him up for like a split second. It's fucking awesome.

[Max]

I have a question about the Jets.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Max]

Memes sparked my attention when he talked about being a seller. Has there, in any sport, has there ever been a team that was the biggest buyer and the biggest seller in the same season?

[PFT Commenter]

I'm sure it's happened. Yeah.

[Big Cat]

The jets are basically giving within the trade deadline period. Yeah. The jets are giving the Dream Team, Eagles, the Steve Nash, Dwight Howard, Lakers. That's the vibes that they're like, you know, no one's going to stop them.

[Hank]

And then the Padres kind of do that.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, the Padres did that. Yeah. Where it's like, on paper, this is the greatest team ever assembled. And then they started playing games like, whoops.

[PFT Commenter]

Trying to think who else could have done it in the NBA.

[Hank]

People in the net.

[Max]

This is going to be one of those things that tomorrow morning, people.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

If I. If I had 10 minutes to think about it.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

I don't know. I don't know about the NFL, though.

[Max]

Because in season, Devonte Adams is definitely the biggest buy move of the year.

[PFT Commenter]

It's a big buy and move.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

So with the Eagles, Dream Team, what was that?

[Max]

That was all before the season.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, it was before the season. Vince Young said that as the backup quarterback, before the season even started, there's usually.

[Hank]

There's just not a lot. There's not teams that load up in the NFL, like, yeah, it's hard to load up in the NFL in the NBA and mlb. Teams will get stacked. Teams? Yeah, the NFL, they'll pick up one like one big signing.

[PFT Commenter]

What teams are known for winning the off season Super Bowl.

[Big Cat]

Now this is going to be fun. That was the title of the Lakers. Sports Illustrated. Famous Sports Illustrated.

[PFT Commenter]

It was fun.

[Big Cat]

It was fun for us. Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's hard. I mean, I don't know if the jets are going to be full sellers, are they? I mean, they do have a shitload of holes. What if they win on Thursday? If. I mean, if they win on Thursday, then that's the biggest.

[Paolo Banchero]

We're not gonna win.

[Big Cat]

We're not gonna win. It's the biggest trap line of all time. But Stefan Diggs and Nico are out. Yeah, but Joe makes is gonna run for 200 yards. Oh, yeah, I forgot about Joe Mixon. But what if Aaron Rodgers does something crazy?

[PFT Commenter]

That would be sick. Yeah, I mean, I don't think no means. Let me, let me see the uniforms.

[Big Cat]

On Halloween night, we could be back.

[PFT Commenter]

Depending on what uniforms? These are all black on. How black are they?

[Big Cat]

We wear the stealth black neon.

[PFT Commenter]

I like stealth black.

[Big Cat]

Ah, you might be back.

[PFT Commenter]

They're off the radar.

[Big Cat]

You might be back.

[PFT Commenter]

This is like Aaron Rodgers is wearing a darkness retreat.

[Big Cat]

Oh, you might be back. And who do you have next after you get a mini buy after playing Thursday Night Football? And then the Cardinals.

[PFT Commenter]

Wait, wait.

[Big Cat]

And then the Colts.

[PFT Commenter]

Memes stay on that picture right there because they're showing the difference between the old black uniforms and the new black uniforms. They're the same.

[Big Cat]

No, no, no. There's two lines. There's two lines. Memes. I'm looking at the schedule right now. If we're just talking about the peak jets on paper, they might run the table. We gotta win Thursday.

[PFT Commenter]

They're the same uniform.

[Paolo Banchero]

They're not.

[Big Cat]

The jets love doing this. They're just fixing everything with uniforms.

[PFT Commenter]

Now this on Halloween. I. I could see the jets winning this game.

[Big Cat]

I fuck around with this. Yeah. Should we talk a little college football? Yeah, let's talk a little college football. So we're getting into November. We have some awesome stories of undefeated teams. Maybe one of the best stories is byu. And byu. Their quarterback, when he decided to commit.

[PFT Commenter]

Did he have like different colored yarmulkes on the table?

[Big Cat]

I don't know. It's. It's a crazy. There's three Jewish students at BYU and he's one of them.

[PFT Commenter]

That's awesome.

[Big Cat]

It's crazy. But yeah, the BYU story is incredible. We got some teams lurking that were dead like Clemson, you know, off the week. Clemson and Texas A and M are the two biggest. Like, hey, this is a long season. Because what Texas A and M did to LSU in the second half on Saturday night was incredible. They had, they had, they had Nussmeyer seeing straight up ghosts. Like he looked like he was going to cry.

[PFT Commenter]

Well, that's what, that's what you get at A and M. You're always going to have a great defensive line.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

You're going to have guys that can get after the quarterback. And then making the quarterback switch was a ballsy call too. And it's definitely the right call for A and M. I don't know if.

[Big Cat]

It'S going to be a full switch.

[PFT Commenter]

You don't think so?

[Big Cat]

No.

[PFT Commenter]

Who's their offense coordinator again?

[Big Cat]

Well, I don't think it's going to be a full switch because they're. I think they should do. If A and M is smart, they do literally a two back two quarterback situation which can work in college football. Like they're playing South Carolina next week or this week. South Carolina has one of the best defensive lines in college football. South Carolina could probably bottle up Reed. South Carolina's secondary is not the best. So Wegman could probably carve them up. Like it could be a situation that they do two quarterbacks and it works. That's right.

[PFT Commenter]

It's Colin Klein. Yeah, I knew that. So Colin Klein, K State. He's caught. I think he likes calling offenses for guys that remind him of his skill set.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. But I actually think they might. And I could be way wrong. We could, we could, you know, two. Saturday comes around and it's just like they have one starter and that's it. But I think there's a chance they might go game to game, drive to drive with both their quarterbacks because what Marcel Reed did in the second half was incredible. He's not like an incredible passer. And then. So when you play teams that don't have great secondaries, you just switch it up.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. So after the game, Mike Elko, I loved his comments after the game. So now we're playing a big guessing game on who he was talking about because it's like a litmus test. Which way did you see this go when he said about the culture at A M? This is a real program. It's not fake. It's not a politician running this program.

[Big Cat]

Brian Kelly, I thought, then I thought.

[PFT Commenter]

Brian Kelly, then Jimbo, I thought Brian Kelly immediately.

[Big Cat]

He did, he did the double. I think not a politician running this program is Brian Kelly.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

And then Talking fast and being BSing everybody. Is Jimbo.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. Because Brian Kelly's not a fast talker. No, but he is a politician talking.

[Big Cat]

And Jimbo is BSing everybody.

[PFT Commenter]

Isn't Brian Kelly's dad like a congressperson or something? Yeah. So I thought that was at Brian Kelly, the BSing everybody. Then he had to come out and clarify that he wasn't talking about anybody, he was just talking about his program.

[Big Cat]

It's a great reminder though for Texas A and M, who did the let's get Jimbo Fisher and pay him a million, $100 million. And that will solve everything. Sometimes in college football, Mike Elko was not the sexy hire. He was a Duke. He was, he's just a very good, competent, like nuts and bolts football.

[PFT Commenter]

Solid B cups.

[Big Cat]

That's what he does. He's gonna, he's gonna make sure that your team is playing at a level that doesn't dip. And it's not talking about recruiting class and all that. And it's a great reminder that sometimes just fire. Hire the best football coach. And Mike Elko is a great football coach. And Texas A and M, after their week one loss and everyone's like, oh man, this is going to work out. Are undefeated in the SEC schedule. Now they do have again, this, this South Carolina game is not like people will look at it and say Texas A and M ranked, South Carolina not ranked. Ooh, they'll kill them. South Carolina is not to be looked past. And then they also finished the season with Texas. But they're in the driver's seat where they control their own destiny. Not only to go to the SEC championship game, but the College Football Playoff. And so is Notre Dame, which Notre Dame is now benefiting from. Texas A and M being awesome because their win week one looks even better.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. So it also goes to show you what a great thing it is to have a bunch of people who are absurdly wealth because they struck it rich in a particular industry controlling your program. Because they, the, the Texas oil people use their money to be able to afford jimbo fishers. What, 70 million dollar buyout.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

No other university would do that. But Texas A and M, they're like, we got you money. We might as well say you to somebody. Yeah. That's the point of having it if you're not going to use it.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

And so they, they were able to buy them out. It goes to show you that if, if the nerds that graduate from Stanford, they got really rich on crypto, if they cared 1% about football, they don't which they don't. Stanford would be a powerhouse.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Just put all your money into just having a good football team. That's what you should be doing with that money.

[Big Cat]

Bring Harbaugh back.

[PFT Commenter]

It's a. Yeah, it was a. Turns out a great firing, if you can afford it. And Elko, I like Elko. I don't know if he's playing the game of saying something and then being like, oh, shucks, I didn't mean what you guys all thought that. Because it felt pointed at the time.

[Big Cat]

Oh, it definitely.

[PFT Commenter]

I was thinking about Brian Kelly trying to recruit Wegman in the transfer portal and trying to figure out what accent he should use to talk to.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. No, it was definitely a direct shot. But Mike Elko is a good football coach who has his team playing good football. And it was. It's just. It goes back to this season being a lot of fun because you have. It feels like more parody. And then the other teams I was going to mention is. Indiana just keeps rolling. Everyone. They just. That was. They. That scene in Bloomington is just on fire. They had game day this week. And like, I don't know if you guys saw the pick six. It was one of the coolest camera shots I've ever seen where the cameraman zoomed out at the perfect time. And so, like, because they had a pick six early in the game where the cornerback intercepted it and it was so clear that there was no one close. So as he's running, like, across the 30, the cameraman zoomed out and it was just this packed crowd that looked just absolutely on fire. It was like, this is why college football rocks. But Indiana, they. I mean, Michigan State's going to be not. You can't. It's not a cakewalk going to East Lansing because they've been frisky this year. And then you have a big date against Ohio State, who. Ohio State looks very human with some of their injuries on the offensive line.

[PFT Commenter]

They can't run.

[Big Cat]

They. I mean, they lost their left tackle and for the season. And they look. And I think his backup got hurt, too, during the game. They look mortal.

[PFT Commenter]

I think Penn State.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Well, Penn State has a quarterback contrary. So, Max, how'd you. How'd you like Madison?

[Max]

Madison Rock. Love the people of Wisconsin, Matt.

[Big Cat]

I mean, it is.

[Hank]

Do the people Wisconsin like you?

[Paolo Banchero]

They.

[Max]

They're very friendly.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Max]

Much friendlier than they. Than they should be.

[PFT Commenter]

But why. I heard there were rumors that Max doesn't like Wisconsin.

[Big Cat]

No. No. He didn't, like, jump around because they didn't let him jump.

[Max]

No, that's not true. Yeah, I thought jump around was a little underwhelming. I was excited for jump around because.

[Big Cat]

They didn't let him jump.

[Max]

That's incorrect.

[Big Cat]

Did you go on State Street?

[Max]

I. I don't know. I went on streets.

[Paolo Banchero]

I don't know where the.

[Big Cat]

Lot of bars.

[Max]

There's a lot.

[Big Cat]

Yes. There.

[Max]

I went on a street that had a lot of bars.

[Big Cat]

Oh, you've been to Madison.

[Hank]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

Though it is the perfect college town in terms of setup, like the bars and everything. And it's just. It's all right.

[Max]

There's a bunch of bars that are just part, like in parking lots, which.

[Big Cat]

Is right by the stadium. Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

I got a question. Why do they call it Camp Rank?

[Big Cat]

It was a Civil War camp. I want to believe for the stadium. I hope I have that right, but I'm pretty sure I do. Yeah. I believe it was a place where they trained people during the Civil War. Yeah. Nailed.

[PFT Commenter]

It was a satellite.

[Big Cat]

Let's go. That would have been embarrassing, but I didn't get it. It was. The stadium lies in the grounds of Camp Randall, a Union army training camp during the Civil War. Fuck yes. This brain. Still got it a little bit.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

That was gonna suck if I was.

[PFT Commenter]

Just way off the monkey bars out there. The ropes and the walls.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. There. But it was. Yeah. Penn State. Look, I. I was thinking we had a chance to have an upset there and then that pick six. I really do think the Badgers potentially could have just punted and played defense for the rest of the game. Then the pick six happened and was like, that's it. It's over. There's just no way you can come back from that. We're not an offense that can do that.

[Max]

And that's all. Yeah. That's also how every Penn State game goes, is that they go down big in the first half and then the second they just turn it on and then beat the shit out of teams.

[PFT Commenter]

In the second half. Max. Am I crazy to think that Penn State could beat Ohio State?

[Big Cat]

They definitely can.

[Max]

I think it's only 4.4 points, right?

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

I like them in that game.

[Big Cat]

Bo, are we go. Yeah. Are we going to start Boulevard?

[Max]

I think Drew Aller is going to be a game time decision, which makes me think that he's probably going to.

[Big Cat]

Play, but that's another one. Why don't I have some packages in? Yeah, because it's not like I don't. I'm not going to be crazy and be like, oh, Wisconsin wins. That game with Drew Alleren. But it was very clear that when Bo Pebula came in the defense wasn't ready for the type of quarterback he was that was different than Drew Aller.

[Max]

Bo Prabula is exactly. Trace McSorley.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Max]

They wear the same number. They look the same.

[Big Cat]

They.

[Max]

He has the exact same game. He's very mobile.

[Big Cat]

He's.

[Max]

He. He's like a home run hitter. And Drew Aller is like a pocket passer. Like NFL style quarterback.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Max]

So they do have that sort of like you said, yin and yang of kind of uk. And they both are. Bulo will play a couple plays a game.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. I liked what I saw. I was like, this kid has got something. He's. There's something about a college quarterback who's like, you watch him and you're like, he's probably not an NFL quarterback, but he's a peak college quarterback, you know.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Max]

So I, I think that they'll. They'll put Aller. They'll play Aller, but I think Bo will also will also get some packages in that game.

[Big Cat]

Got it. So that, that's a big game. And then we like SMU pit, but Pitt is undefeated. SMU only has one loss against byu. There's so many games that are. It just. There's. There's a lot of teams. It's all going to shake out. But we have great parity.

[PFT Commenter]

We have a doomsday scenario that's loading in the SEC though.

[Big Cat]

What's that?

[PFT Commenter]

And only two things have to happen. So I was looking at this calculator online like it's an SEC calculator for the championship game. And the doomsday scenario. It all hinges on lsu. Alabama.

[Big Cat]

Okay.

[PFT Commenter]

If LSU beats Alabama, I think they're both coming off buys. If LSU beats the Tide and the good teams stay good, Texas could then fuck things up if they beat A and M in their game. If that happened. I think this was. This is MrEd's college football SEC calculator. They looked on if those two things happen. LSU wins against Alabama and Texas beats A and M. It would be LSU and Texas. A and M in the SEC championship game. It would not be Texas. It would not be Texas. It would not be Georgia.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Because they do a lot of these tiebreakers are your strength of schedule.

[PFT Commenter]

It has to do with strength of schedule. And they try to do a round robin thing. But if you don't all play each other, it doesn't matter in the SEC because it's so big now.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

They don't all play each other and having in that event, it would be LSU in Texas in the SEC championship. And then you would have Georgia playing a home game, round one of the college football playoffs.

[Big Cat]

There's another one like that in the Big Ten. It's essentially if Indiana, if, if Ohio State beats Penn State and Indiana beats or in Ohio State beats Indiana, I think that it would be Ohio State, Indiana, Penn State and oh, I guess Oregon would have to lose a game, but they would all have one loss and Oregon would not make it to the Big Ten championship. It would be like Ohio State and Penn State even though Oregon beat Ohio State.

[Paolo Banchero]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

I love doomsday scenarios. And 90% of the time they don't happen. They don't become close to happening. But I like looking at like how. How chaotic could my future be?

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Max]

Memes also knows another.

[Big Cat]

There's another big scenario.

[PFT Commenter]

All right, give me a doomsday. So send me all your doomsday scenarios.

[Big Cat]

By the way, there's a possibility of Oregon, Indiana and Penn State going undefeated. Penn State has to beat Ohio State by more than one and Indiana has to beat Ohio State by more than one. And then Indiana and Penn State will play each other in the Big Ten championship. And Oregon would be left out. Why would Oregon be left out? Because I think the tiebreakers strength the schedule, same opponents. Oh, is that the first tiebreaker? One of the. Yeah, it's all without the divisions anymore in any of these conferences. It's crazy.

[PFT Commenter]

And also every conferen, the way that they write it up.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, I. But I'm excited for. Yeah, you're right. None of these ever happen. So it's head to head record against all common conference opponents, which would be the same because they would all be undefeated and record against mutual conference opponents with best record. We're all undefeated. Big Ten winning percentage of conference opponents. So I don't know if Indiana would. I think it would maybe be Oregon Penn State in that because I think Indiana's strength of schedule is not that great.

[PFT Commenter]

It's just put up to a fan vote.

[Hank]

I have a question.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Hank]

And this is. This could be very off base because I fell down. I don't know how I ended up in a Iowa State pro rabbit hole.

[Big Cat]

But I say it's very good.

[Hank]

It was a fair question. How. How does Notre Dame lose at home to niu?

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Hank]

And they're ranked higher than Iowa State.

[PFT Commenter]

And then it now uses loses to Ball State.

[Big Cat]

Right.

[Hank]

It's a fair. Like I again, I could have been. I was very in a Very biased thread. But out in my head I was like, yeah, that makes no sense.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, it does. It does.

[Hank]

Losing at NIU at home mean nothing?

[Big Cat]

I think it's so. I think a lot of it is the win against Texas A and M and then they beat Navy, who they killed. That was. I saw that one coming. I had some Navy fans mad at me because I suggested that their defense wasn't very good, and then it was.

[Hank]

14 nothing with 1 second in the game.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, I mean, they did turn the ball over a bunch, but I think that probably has more to do with Texas A and M having their. Or, sorry, Notre Dame having their best win is a road win against Texas A and M. And Iowa State's best win is at Iowa, who I don't believe is ranked anymore.

[PFT Commenter]

So Brian Kelly's out there still improving. Notre Dame.

[Big Cat]

By the way, I'm on your side. Iowa State should be ranked higher. You should. I always think that at least in the Power 5 schools, if you're undefeated, it should just be all the undefeated teams. Then the one loss teams that you play the games for a reason.

[Hank]

Especially if you're one loss, that's a bad loss.

[Big Cat]

That's the Florida State thing last year where it's like, yeah, if you win all your games, it should work out. But yeah, Iowa State's very good and they hopefully will get into the playoff. But the last thing we should talk about. Does anyone know if a player in college football has won offensive and defensive player of the week in the same season?

[Hank]

Is that even possible?

[PFT Commenter]

You mean like all time?

[Big Cat]

Yeah. In the same season they've won offensive player of the week, and then another week they won defensive player of the week.

[PFT Commenter]

I'm going back. Charles Woodson was pretty good. He might have done it, but I mean, he was an outlier because he's the kind of guy that would win the Heisman.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, Max, I think that guy from.

[Max]

Colorado did it, right.

[Big Cat]

Oh, Travis Hunter. He won offensive player this week and he had won defensive player earlier this season.

[PFT Commenter]

Oh, that's crazy. Wait, he won an offensive player of the year?

[Big Cat]

Yeah, offensive player of the week this week and defensive player of the week earlier in the season.

[PFT Commenter]

Conan O'Brien meme. Travis Hunter. You mean the cornerback?

[Big Cat]

Yeah, I mean the wide receiver.

[PFT Commenter]

Whoa.

[Big Cat]

Holy. You were back, boys. We're all the way back.

[PFT Commenter]

Well, he probably plays like. He probably plays like defensive tackle and then he's probably, you know, fullback. As a fullback occasionally, right?

[Big Cat]

No, he's a wide receiver and he had over 100 yards receiving and two touchdowns that had four pass breakups and played 140 snaps.

[PFT Commenter]

He's also the best cornerback in college football.

[Big Cat]

Oh, my. My God.

[PFT Commenter]

That's crazy.

[Big Cat]

And I'm not going to do the negative campaign about that guy. Yeah. I'm not going to do a negative campaign of trying to talk down. We're not, we're not doing negative campaigns against anyone else. Like, I wouldn't.

[PFT Commenter]

Every, every campaign says.

[Big Cat]

I wouldn't say like Cam Ward played a hapless Florida State team and was okay, but not like, you know, eight.

[PFT Commenter]

Touchdowns, a crying Cam Ward.

[Big Cat]

I wouldn't, I wouldn't go out there and say that. You know, Ash and Genty. Everyone keeps talking about Barry Sanders record. Look up how many games Barry Sanders played. He played 11. Ash and Jenn, he's about to play 13.

[PFT Commenter]

You're talking about crooked Ashton.

[Big Cat]

I'm talking about 3.9 yards per carry. Ashton against UNLV. I'm not doing negative campaigns.

[PFT Commenter]

You're right.

[Big Cat]

I had no idea. I had no idea. Max, that's crazy.

[PFT Commenter]

I think, I think if you're just basing this off who's the best football player, that's a criteria, right?

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Who's the best football player in the country?

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

I don't think that it's up for debate.

[Big Cat]

I do like a couple. I'll still get a couple awls. Being like, you're only saying this because you bet on them. You know what?

[PFT Commenter]

You know what? Since it's. Since it's actually a campaign.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

I bet you Travis Hunter would go on Joe Rogan. Yeah, go on Joe.

[Big Cat]

Get him on.

[PFT Commenter]

Talk to Joe. Joe would talk to you. Get the word out there.

[Big Cat]

Travis Hunter for Heisman and Colorado is. I know people. There's a lot of people out there who didn't like Dion. And last year was probably a little too much too fast in terms of, you know, the hype and then them not being a good team. They are bowl eligible for the first time in forever. They're 6 and 2 and they have some winnable games down the stretch. And they're a good football team and.

[PFT Commenter]

People were burying them earlier.

[Big Cat]

Well, the Nebraska game, which doesn't look.

[PFT Commenter]

Great in retrospect, things happen sometimes.

[Big Cat]

Patrick Mahomes should be upset at Dylan Rayola at this point.

[PFT Commenter]

Well, maybe that's why Patrick Mahomes is starting to throw more interceptions.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, maybe that's why Dylan Raul is.

[PFT Commenter]

Throwing interceptions, is because he sees Patrick.

[Big Cat]

He saw. And he's just like, my hero.

[PFT Commenter]

This is how you win Football games. Do we think the wheels are coming off at USC banning media from practice? I think this is a story that only the media cares about.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. I don't know. You can't really get rid of Lincoln Riley, but he is his night. His name does rhyme with stinking.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, and that's.

[Big Cat]

You can't just ignore that part.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, Stinking Riley.

[Big Cat]

Next week we have Maxion finally back. So excited. That's going to be the. That's the big news. Next Tuesday night. Maxions back, and we had.

[PFT Commenter]

This is maybe our last sports equinox night of the year. Yeah, I love equinoxes.

[Big Cat]

They're the best. What?

[Hank]

It's not.

[PFT Commenter]

It's not.

[Hank]

Well, we know football. Football.

[Big Cat]

No, there's football. There's Conference usa, dude.

[Hank]

Oh, come on.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, they've been playing on Tuesday nights. You don't know every Conference USA game ever.

[Hank]

All right, so who's the pick?

[Big Cat]

Sam Houston.

[Hank]

All right.

[PFT Commenter]

Hank doesn't know.

[Big Cat]

I've lost every conference US game, every single night, every single week. I don't know why. I don't even why I'm betting on Kennesaw State and Sam Houston and Louisiana Tech. They put it on TV and I watched it. Yeah, you don't even know. Come on. What are you laughing about? Max?

[Max]

The way you said that was funny.

[Big Cat]

What? I just.

[Paolo Banchero]

I do.

[Big Cat]

I. And it's like, there's something extra, just, like, sick and perverted about being like, what? Oh. Why are you upset? I bet on Louisiana Tech. Can you name one player on that team? No. Oh, I bet Sam Houston State. The Bearcats. They. It's a K instead of a C.

[PFT Commenter]

I was watching some of the bad beats from SVP last night. Some of the schools that they show. How do they even get those tickets that are sending, like, who is watching, like, the Fordham game everywhere? And there's some.

[Big Cat]

Everywhere.

[PFT Commenter]

Those. The shitty, like, Tuesday, Thursday night games that you get sometimes where the cameras are, like, on the moon, basically, like in zone camp. They're taping them from a blimp as they float above these games. But people are out there betting on God Bless America.

[Big Cat]

Shout DraftKings. Ebo, our guy Ebo, who people might not know, but he's one of our colleagues here. Great dude. JMU sent me a jmu. He sent me an FCS game on Saturday morning, and I personally moved the line by two points.

[PFT Commenter]

That's good.

[Max]

It also was the worst pick ever. And he's a scumbag. And I've been telling him all week he's A scumbag because he specifically texted people saying, this is my fcs.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Today he's sexually. And it wasn't even close. He says it all.

[Max]

He wasn't even close.

[Big Cat]

You can't even watch it.

[PFT Commenter]

He's probably doing that trying to move the line so he can take the other side.

[Big Cat]

He might have, he might have said that. He might have trapped me.

[Max]

We said next time Big cat isn't allowed to take it until everyone else does.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, smart guy.

[Big Cat]

All right, let's do Hot Seat, Cool Throne. Then we got Paolo Bano on the show in studio. Hot Seat, Cool Throne brought to you by our friends at Coors Light. So you might have heard the Coors Light, Coors Light last call on Monday night in Pittsburgh. Coors Light took that and ran with it dropping these collectible commemorative cans that say Coors Light, Coors Light on them. The Pittsburgh quarterback doing an audible with Coors Light. We love it. So it's a double Coors Light can. They are sweet and are perfect for any Pittsburgh fans. They're only making 150 of these collectible cans. So keep your eyes on Coors Light Instagram to see how to get them. Get Coors Light delivered straight to your door, visit coorslite.com take or you can find it pretty much anywhere that sells beer. That's coorslite.com take celebrate responsibly. Coors Brewing Company, Golden Colorado. Coors Light. Coors Light. That was a great audible call by the Pittsburgh quarterback. Get Coors Light again delivered straight to your door, visit coorslite.com take or you can find it pretty much anywhere that sells beer. That's coorslite.com/take Hank. Hot seat, Cool Throne.

[Hank]

My hot seat is Doc Rivers.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Hank]

Oh, they lost last night to the Celtics. They are one in three on the season, 18 and 22 in the Doc Rivers era. And Giannis was talking in the post game and said right now we don't have an identity. How are we going to win the game? Are we going to defend for 48 minutes? Are we going to move the ball for 48 minutes? Are we going to attack? We've got to find an identity. We don't have that right now.

[PFT Commenter]

Ooh.

[Big Cat]

No identity is bad.

[Hank]

No identity is bad.

[PFT Commenter]

That seems like that a coaching thing.

[Hank]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

And I, I saw the clip that you posted Hank with Doc Rivers like just bent over assuming the, the Spike Lee half court position after it was Peyton Pritchard. He had an end of quarter three pointer and Doc, you could tell he's like we worked on this.

[Hank]

But he said it after the game. He's like, I circled and, and Peyton Pritchard had like 28 points.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Hank]

And he said after the game he's like, I had Peyton Pritchard circled like they were keyed in on him before the game and he still went off.

[Big Cat]

Probably need pep ep bring him back. Yeah.

[Hank]

I don't know. It seems like there's, there's Dame Lillard and Giannis. Like that's not working.

[Big Cat]

No, never saw that coming.

[PFT Commenter]

I mean, you see that block that, that Derek White had that was. Is that an identity problem for the Milwaukee Bucks?

[Hank]

No, it's just Derek White.

[PFT Commenter]

If you're Giannis getting. Getting rejected at the rim on a. By Derek White, I mean, Derek White.

[Hank]

Defensive player of the year, potentially.

[PFT Commenter]

So would we have the Celtics record out there four zero now, right?

[Paolo Banchero]

Four.

[Big Cat]

No. So what's 74 and 80 cents? 74 and eight.

[Hank]

I want 74 and eight.

[PFT Commenter]

Okay.

[Hank]

I forgot someone. I think if they win the playing tournament though, they can get an extra win.

[Big Cat]

What? That's an actual. It's 83 games.

[Hank]

I think so. Oh, that was just. I tweeted 74 and 8 and someone replied to me with that if they.

[PFT Commenter]

Win the plan tournament. But they probably wouldn't.

[Big Cat]

No, not. No, no. The, the mid season tournament got you the NBA Cup. Yeah, yeah, yeah. That thing that we all care about.

[PFT Commenter]

It's the NBA cup. I care very deeply about it.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Different courts. It's color rush.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Okay. Cool throne.

[Hank]

My cool throne is the AWW's award winning watchers. Award winning watchers.

[Big Cat]

Oh.

[Hank]

We have alluded to it the past few weeks. You guys had the great time. We all had a great time with Bob Doe Sports guys, that video is coming out Tuesday night. It'll be out today when you're awesome. Hell yeah. And yeah, if you. If you don't like me and you enjoy, you know, seeing my misery.

[Big Cat]

And I forgot about this big cat.

[Hank]

Relish in my misery. You know, make sure you tune in.

[PFT Commenter]

Ah, it was a tough day.

[Hank]

It was a great day. I mean like that. It is one of those.

[Big Cat]

But the, the last nine holes for.

[Hank]

You were last few holes. Yeah, I mean I. It's something that, you know, we've been looking forward to for a long time. I love those guys.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Hank]

Overthought it a lot and could have been worse. I was down tremendously, tremendously, tremendously. And then all the Hank haters remind myself like, who cares? We're just playing golf with our friends. But that Monday night after was like. It was tough.

[PFT Commenter]

And I was.

[Hank]

I was like. I talked to someone. I was like, I'm. I'm in a bad spot. And then I kind of realized, like, what are we talking about? It's a golf video.

[PFT Commenter]

Did you ever find out whose car you hit?

[Hank]

It was your car. I have. I have. I'm putting the footage out because people have been coming up to me.

[Paolo Banchero]

They.

[Hank]

That was Bob to sports. I want to blame memes, but I can't. The clip they posted from the video, the first video, which is on their channel. I had a bad tee shot. It went in the road, and then. Pft. Hit a car.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Hank]

Well, we pulled up and. But they only posted. They didn't show the whole clip. In the whole clip. We pulled up. There's a woman on the side, has no idea who we are, no idea what's going on. She's like, hey, someone hit my car. Pft. Without even thinking or blinking, was like, oh, no. Oh, that was Hank's ball. As if she was gonna make. Oh, Hank. All right, let me talk to Hank.

[PFT Commenter]

No, I said. I said it was that man right over there, ma'am. That's. That's.

[Hank]

That was Hanks.

[Max]

You definitely said that was.

[PFT Commenter]

That man. I mean, I was pointing directly. I. I immediately.

[Paolo Banchero]

You did.

[Hank]

You did.

[Big Cat]

You did.

[PFT Commenter]

Immediately.

[Hank]

Someone hit your car. You must be looking for Hank.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Hank]

And then come to find out it was you.

[PFT Commenter]

To be fair, Hank also hit a car on that tee shot.

[Hank]

I didn't false.

[PFT Commenter]

Well, you did. It was very loud noise, but somewhere out there, there's a person driving around Chicago with a golf ball dent in.

[Big Cat]

Their car and 300 in their pocket. Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Because I.

[Big Cat]

You gave him 100. And I was like, you know what? She like, kind of lingered after you gave her 100. I was like, here, take a couple more.

[PFT Commenter]

I just had a hundred in my pocket. And then big cat was like, yeah, take. Take 300. And then I thought about that the other day. I was like, do you think it'd be a good racket to just hang out next to a golf course?

[Big Cat]

Yes.

[PFT Commenter]

And say, excuse me, your ball struck my car. Because she had the whole story. She was like, I just got it fixed. It's my birthday.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

She said it was her birthday. Yeah, like that.

[Big Cat]

That's. I think when I added the 200, when she said it was her birthday.

[PFT Commenter]

That would be a good gig. A good side gig to just hang out and say that your car got smashed by a golf ball.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Just wait for someone to hit a. Hit a nasty hook and you just. Just bang on the top of your car. Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

If somebody followed me around every time I played golf, they would probably make like $5,000 a month.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

Okay, so tune into that PFD.

[PFT Commenter]

Your hot sequel to my hot seat is somebody in Georgia is using my credit card right now and I have.

[Hank]

To order food to the wrong address.

[PFT Commenter]

Okay, thank you, Hank. I did. I did do that again.

[Big Cat]

That was nice.

[PFT Commenter]

I had a seven day streak of not ordering food to the wrong address. And then last night during Monday Night Football, I ordered. Ordered Korean food and it went to the office I got. People are like, why didn't you change the address? You can change the address. I'm aware of that. I got the phone call as the person was outside the office again. And then I was like, you can just leave it there and then Pug will get it. Pug got it.

[Big Cat]

PFC is down bad about this. We were just sitting in the. In the studio before we started taping. I was like, why don't you just double check? He's like, I know.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. I mean, that's. That's the easiest thing.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Why don't you just not do that? I know it's a problem, and people are accusing me of doing it as a bit.

[Big Cat]

This.

[PFT Commenter]

It would be the worst bit of all time if I was just doing this.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, I would.

[Paolo Banchero]

It would.

[PFT Commenter]

Would. So I think I've now done it four times in the last three weeks. It's not good. And so I think I just have to use different apps at work and different apps at home.

[Hank]

You could just double check.

[Big Cat]

I did say the up, Hank. It is something that I me, I'm a double check guy.

[PFT Commenter]

I'm not. I'm not. Nothing about me is double check. But then also on the financial side of things, somebody in Georgia is using my credit card right now, and I think I might just let it play out because they're being cool about it. So I got the notification Yesterday. They spent $22 at Pizza Hut.

[Big Cat]

Okay.

[PFT Commenter]

And I'm like, okay, that's cool.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Like, enjoy your pizza. I'm going to actively monitor it and see what else they're buying.

[Big Cat]

Don't get crazy.

[PFT Commenter]

And don't get crazy. If it's you out there, like, be cool. Like, go out to Dave and Buster's, maybe. Have a good time.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

If I see like a couple bar tabs here and there on a weekend, just keep it reasonable.

[Hank]

Wait, but is it your physical card?

[PFT Commenter]

No, not. I Have my physical card on me. They've got my number, so I don't know.

[Hank]

I don't know. Maybe they ordered it online.

[PFT Commenter]

They might have done it online. Just be cool. Just be cool and we'll see if you can. We'll see if you can handle the responsibility.

[Big Cat]

Dumbest thing.

[Max]

This is the dumbest thing I've ever heard.

[PFT Commenter]

Why?

[Max]

Why?

[PFT Commenter]

If whoever it is spends $22 a week on pizza in Georgia, that's a cool thief.

[Big Cat]

Differently. Yeah.

[Max]

But eventually. He's probably testing the waters right now.

[PFT Commenter]

And then I'll be like, fraud.

[Hank]

But they already alerted you to potential fraud.

[PFT Commenter]

I got alerted to potential fraud.

[Hank]

So that's the thing. If they.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, if they.

[Hank]

They're establishing residency.

[Big Cat]

You have a squatter on your.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, I got squared. But I'm being a cool. I'm alerted to you. I'm not like all the other card holders. I'm a cool card holder.

[Hank]

Yeah, you're setting yourself up.

[Max]

You just don't feel like going through the process of getting a new credit.

[PFT Commenter]

Although it is kind of a nice thing to just get rid of all your unwanted subscriptions when they all go to autopay and it's like that card doesn't exist anymore.

[Big Cat]

Yes.

[PFT Commenter]

That's. That's a good thing. So Max is. Max is right about that. But if he does, whoever it is, he or she. If you start around, I feel like I'm a dad who's. Whose son is at college right now, and I'm monitoring the statement. If you around and spend it on things that you shouldn't be spending it on, then we're going to have problems.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. And if you do, like get an emergency, just put a note in it.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

Like it was an Emergency. Needed. Needed. $3,000 worth of gas.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. CVS. Six orders of plan B. All right, listen. Better you spin it now than I'm gonna have to spend more later on you.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

I'm gonna end up paying for this kid's like, education.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

And then my cool throne is statues. Statues are back.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Big way we fucked up on Sunday by not talking about this. We were just talking about football the whole time. But the Dwyane Wade statue got unveiled on Sunday down in Miami. And it. It's an all time statue.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

He looks like he's about 65 years old in it. He's doing a weird pose where he's like pointing down and they. They showed Dwayne the statue. They took the curtain off and then the look on his face was just priceless. Because he was, like, trying to act like it was a cool statue. Trying to act like, what an honor this is. But at the same time, he was looking at his buddies, he's like, what the. Did they do so bad? What did they do to me?

[Big Cat]

Yeah, it was so bad.

[PFT Commenter]

Is this an insult statue that they made me? Like, that's the. That's the best thing you could do to. With somebody that you didn't like is erect statues that look like utter of them.

[Big Cat]

How is this keep happening? I. I don't understand it.

[PFT Commenter]

Statue making might be harder than we think it is, I guess.

[Big Cat]

But isn't there just. Can. Can there just be one guy who's really good at statues? How is.

[Hank]

How could they do it better in the, like, 1400s or even before that?

[PFT Commenter]

I think there were more statue makers in the 1400s.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

And now people don't, I guess.

[Hank]

Yeah. It's like cartoons, too.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

People aren't growing up making statues. We got a statue problem.

[Big Cat]

We got to figure that out. Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Or you could 3D print them.

[Hank]

I liked his response, though. He said, it's an artistic representation.

[Big Cat]

Okay.

[Hank]

That's an easy if.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Hank]

If Bad art. You can be like, what's art? Art?

[PFT Commenter]

I think the problem with statue makers is they don't let anybody see their statue until it's done.

[Hank]

No, he saw it. Oh, yeah, there's. There is. I think it was the artist or someone that works with the artist tweeted pictures of him, like, in the warehouse looking at it long before.

[PFT Commenter]

Oh, yeah. People are comparing it to the Cristiano Ronaldo statue, which that was maybe the.

[Big Cat]

Worst of all time.

[PFT Commenter]

That's a great one. Apparently, they fixed that one.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, they did.

[PFT Commenter]

I don't like that.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Hank]

Did they make AI bigger yet?

[Big Cat]

Oh, no. Philly still has miniature statues that.

[Max]

I mean, that has nothing to do with A.I.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

You thought we were talking about computers.

[Max]

No, I knew you're.

[Big Cat]

What exactly.

[Max]

You were talking about all of the statues that are going into the practice facility are miniatures.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. They made AI So small.

[PFT Commenter]

I had your back on the rundown, Max. They tried to bring up the AI Statue, and I was like, that's. That's fake news. You're getting fake news right now because all their statues are like that. Yeah.

[Max]

Thank you.

[Big Cat]

Thank you. All right. My hot seat is altitude, because altitude might be making the boys gay. So this was Earl E. Lunch, blimp, brisket on Twitter.

[PFT Commenter]

Early lunch.

[Big Cat]

Early lunch. Blimp. Brisket is his handle. Sent this to us. It's from The Reddit am I the asshole? And it says, am I the asshole for not believing my boyfriend that suddenly became gay due to altitude difference? So she writes, I can hardly believe that I'm writing this or that it happened, but I am and it did. Sorry, but I am and it did. So here we go. I, 28 years old, female, have been with my boyfriend, 29 year year old male, for three years. Every now and then he has to go to Utah for a few days because his team has a customer service branch that operates out there. I got a text from one of his co workers who has become a friend of ours and it said that on the trip my boyfriend cheated on me with some guy on the customer care team. Team, by the way, what a narc. I do not. I did not believe it at first because first of all, my boyfriend has always identified as straight. And second of all, I just couldn't believe it. When he got home I asked him about it, basically expecting him to confirm it was nonsense. Instead he got a real quiet and had a sit down and said he had to tell me something. He said it was true. He did have a one night stand with a guy. I couldn't believe it. I asked him if he was telling me if he was gay or bisexual. And regardless, cheating is cheating. He insisted he was not gay at all. But the strangest thing happened. He said that when he was at dinner with his Utah co workers, he suddenly became gay. I was like, what? And he said what the fuck? And he said he thinks it was due to the altitude.

[PFT Commenter]

I believe this guy.

[Big Cat]

What an all time panic. I got to think of something. Move. It's. Everyone's been in a spot where they got to panic and think of something. Altitude. You think altitude made me suck that guy's dick?

[PFT Commenter]

You think he had this plan or you think that was just spur of.

[Big Cat]

The moment when totally, no, totally spur of the moment. He, he had none of this planned. He, I mean, he cheated. He's probably bisexual. And then when he was called out on it, he's like, what the fuck do I do? Altitude.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. I'm never going to go to Utah and find out though.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Hank]

I also feel like a girlfriend saying my boyfriend's always identified as straight is not like that's most ringing endorsement. It's like point. My boyfriend's definitely straight.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Hank]

Not like, oh, he identifies as straight.

[PFT Commenter]

My boyfriend has, has told me in the past that he's straight.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Like if you've had a. In the past, like if you're dating somebody and you know, because you've asked them, hey, are you straight while you're dating? That while you're dating them, they might kind of have other inclinations.

[Big Cat]

Right?

[Paolo Banchero]

Yeah.

[Hank]

And you should have to identify to you how they feel.

[Big Cat]

I just, I. This guy listened. He. He was in a scramble drill and he's like, this is gonna work.

[PFT Commenter]

So is he saying like lack of oxygen to the brain?

[Big Cat]

Yeah, I guess. Altitude. I mean, people get altitude sickness.

[Hank]

Can you read that? I just became gay.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, he insisted he was not gay at all. But was the strangest thing happened that when he was at dinner with his Utah co workers, he suddenly became gay. Yeah, he just had a couple drinks. Altitude. Yeah, he's exper.

[Hank]

All of a sudden I was gay.

[Big Cat]

Couple beers, Altitude, bang, you're gay. Next thing you know, gay. It's crazy. Could happen to the best of us. I still think shout out our guy. He's not a segue because he's not gay, but. Or shout out our guy Buda. Ben, who got altitude sickness had to be driven out of Colorado. Remember that?

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, yeah.

[Big Cat]

Altitude sickness is real.

[PFT Commenter]

Oh yeah.

[Big Cat]

Like you can get that shit.

[PFT Commenter]

I was there for a basketball party a couple years ago and just walking to the top of the stairs in a townhouse, it's like, what. What's going on?

[Big Cat]

Next thing you know, you're sucking a guy's dick.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, well, there was a naked dude up there and I was like, what's going on? Why am I up here?

[Big Cat]

I became gay, so. Became gay.

[Hank]

Altitude said, was that okay? Not like when he. When he. The walking into the house. House.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. What?

[Hank]

Altitude.

[PFT Commenter]

That's a question we need to ask. Was a. Was it the house of another man?

[Big Cat]

Oh, in Montana. Yeah. Yeah, yeah. Oh yeah. That was altitude sickness.

[PFT Commenter]

Brazil's a big Equinox guy too.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, he was just looking for it. The altitude sickness. If anyone else has a experience of just being straight at sea level and gay at high altitude, let us know.

[PFT Commenter]

Is that the plot of Brokeback Mountain?

[Big Cat]

Kind of, yeah. They just kept on going up and up.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, Yeah.

[Big Cat]

I never saw that movie.

[PFT Commenter]

I never did either, but.

[Big Cat]

Cuz I've always lived at se.

[PFT Commenter]

I did see. I saw Max and Hank reenacted on live stream one time.

[Big Cat]

That's true. Yeah. And then my cool throne is love, love. Giselle is pregnant.

[PFT Commenter]

Oh, that's nice.

[Big Cat]

With the karate instructor.

[PFT Commenter]

Jiu jitsu.

[Big Cat]

Karate. Jiu jitsu. Same thing. Capoeira.

[PFT Commenter]

Capoeira. Dance fighting.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Henry, thoughts?

[Hank]

I feel, I feel for my guy. He posted a Picture of the sunset last night with Landslide playing what?

[PFT Commenter]

He went Fleetwood Mac.

[Big Cat]

He went landslide.

[Hank]

And I felt. I felt like. I just felt.

[Big Cat]

Oh, my God.

[PFT Commenter]

Down bad.

[Big Cat]

The landslide. You only use for down. It's.

[Paolo Banchero]

It's.

[Big Cat]

That is a. Holy shit.

[PFT Commenter]

You play when you want to cry.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, yeah, for sure.

[PFT Commenter]

And he was crying when he sent that. For sure. Yeah, yeah.

[Hank]

Oh, yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

So are they. Are they getting married? Is this just like a. A training related injury that she's got?

[Hank]

I don't know. I just feel. I, I. My. My take is I feel. I feel for my guy. The land side. Like, I. I got. I almost cried.

[PFT Commenter]

Listen, you'd rather get divorced one year too early than one year too late, right?

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

So it's good that it's good.

[Hank]

At least the sequence events wasn't like pregnant then divorced.

[Big Cat]

You know what Tom Brady to get. To get back at Giselle, he should get this unborn child addicted to playing football. And then the unborn child becomes. Loves football more than his mom.

[PFT Commenter]

Dad hugs her.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Because, I mean, that was kind of how the relationship. You know, Tom Brady was addicted to football. Football. Just be like, you got a Max.

[PFT Commenter]

Now it's a jujitsu instructor. So you know that thing's gonna be kicking in the womb. Yeah, yeah.

[Big Cat]

All that. That's tough. I feel like you're down bad.

[Hank]

I. Yeah, I. I was.

[Big Cat]

You should do the Landslide.

[PFT Commenter]

Because I thought about it. Tom was team Hank, so you gotta be.

[Big Cat]

You're.

[PFT Commenter]

You gotta be team Thomas, man. Yeah.

[Big Cat]

Do you think he's gonna be team Jiu Jitsu? Hi. Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. This is. It's not good.

[Big Cat]

We should take a karate class for a video. That would be fun.

[PFT Commenter]

You want to just fight?

[Big Cat]

I'd like to see Max just in the.

[Hank]

Donnie does. Does jujitsu around here.

[Big Cat]

Do breakfast, Donnie.

[Hank]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

I don't know if I want to do Jiu Jitsu, though, because that's the one where you like, another man has your back and you're getting choked.

[Big Cat]

No, I want to do.

[PFT Commenter]

I want to miss a little. I'll let him choke me out. I want mountains, but, yeah, breaking boards would be.

[Hank]

I'll let him choke me out on sea level. I don't care.

[Big Cat]

Hell yes. Hey, think. Hell yes. Well, I mean, when you get choked out, you're technically just turning into gay because you're getting less oxygen in your brain. He's. He's choking you out from straight to gay.

[PFT Commenter]

Every. Every dead person's actually gay.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, you. You. When you. Joe Missoula is going to choke you out. You're gonna wake up and you're just gonna be gay. That's how it works, fellas.

[PFT Commenter]

Is it gay to get killed?

[Big Cat]

I suddenly became gay. Nice try, dude. Okay, let's get to Paolo Bano in studio. Before we do that, we have a couple ads.

[PFT Commenter]

Before we get to Paulo Banchero, he's brought to you by our good friends over at Morgan and Morgan. Morgan. Morgan is America's top injury law firm. We all know 2024 has been wild so far, so let's talk about something important. If you're injured by a person, place, or thing, you deserve to get paid. Life can be crazy sometimes. One person's negligence can result in another settlement. Settlement. If you're in an accident, not calling a lawyer means you could be leaving money on the table. When you're seriously hurt, your injury could be worth millions. If you're ever injured, you can check out Morgan and Morgan. Morgan. Morgan is America's largest injury law firm. They have over a hundred offices nationwide and more than a thousand lawyers. With over $20 billion recovered for over 500,000 clients, Morgan and Morgan has a proven track record of fighting to get you full and fair compensation. Submitting. Submitting an injury claim with Morgan and Morgan is so easy. Throwing a hail Mary is hard. Submitting an injury claim with Morgan and Morgan is easy. If you're ever injured, you can check out Morgan and Morgan. Their fee is free unless they win. For more information, go to forthepeople.com pmt or dial pound law pound 529 from your cell phone. That's for the people.com pmt or pound law pound 529 from your cell. This is a paid advertisement. And now here's Paolo Banquero.

[Big Cat]

Okay, we now welcome on a very, very, very special guest is Paulo Banchero, fresh off 50 points. We actually. Paolo, first of all, thank you for coming to the office. Yes, we appreciate it. We were so. It's obviously football season, so we're like, oh, this is gonna be great. We're gonna have Paolo in. We can save it for when we need an interview. And then you decided to drop 50 on Monday night. We're like, well, we have to run this right away. Because. Because for. I mean, we'll start there. What was it like being in the zone? You were in the zone 37 and a half.

[Paolo Banchero]

Yeah. Yeah, I was in the zone, man. It was just one of those games where, like, you make your first couple shots and you just get lost in it, and then you just Keep going. You know, you're not even worried about, you know, how many points you are scoring. You just. You know, you don't. You don't. You don't want to stop, so. It was. It was fun, man. I've been. I've had a couple big games in the league, you know, and playoffs, whatnot, but, like, that was probably definitely, like, the standalone game where it just. It was just like a Avalanche or, like, kept going.

[Big Cat]

Did you actually feel like everything you threw at the hoop was going in no matter what?

[Paolo Banchero]

Yeah, for sure.

[Big Cat]

That's awesome.

[Paolo Banchero]

And just when you get to that point, you know, it's like your instincts take over, and so you just start doing stuff that you worked on in the summer. You know, shots that, you know, you practice that maybe you wouldn't, you know, shoot every game, but, like, you're feeling good, so you're gonna let that one fly, so. It was fun, man.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

What does it feel like?

[Big Cat]

And.

[PFT Commenter]

And have you figured out, like, have you. Have you thought about how to recreate that feeling?

[Paolo Banchero]

Yeah, for sure. That's all I. That's all I ever think about is, you know, how can I get in that zone as often as possible? And I think it's just, like I said, trusting your instincts. When you go out there being aggressive, having, like, you know, an aggressive mindset, but also not trying to press and force it. Like, I don't think anything or any bucket I had in that game was. Was forced or was a forced shot. I think I just let the game come to me. You know, it was. Everything was happening. Happening so naturally, and it was. It was flowing. So it was really. It was really fun, though.

[PFT Commenter]

What if that's just how good you are now?

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

You go out tomorrow night, and it's like, 50.

[Paolo Banchero]

Yeah. I mean, that's. That's kind of. That's like, what I think in my head is like, you know, why can't I do it again? Obviously, you're not Gonna put up 50 every night, but, like, not with that mindset.

[Big Cat]

No. I mean, like, you. What if you're still in the zone? Yeah, no, you could still be in the zone.

[Paolo Banchero]

Yeah, I'm very much still in the zone, for sure. It's only game four, you know, So I felt like I got off to a great start in Miami, and I was in that zone, and I felt like I left a lot of points on the board in that game. And so these. The two after that was like, you know, I was chilling a little bit, Wasn't as happy with My performance. And then, you know, that fourth game, like, I was like, oh, okay, so this is what it looks like. If I kind of of put it all together and I still left, you know, I missed a bunch of free throws, you know, a couple shots I could have made. So, like, it just makes it fun for me because I know there's more. You know, I don't feel like, oh, man, I. I gave everything I had. I can't go any, you know, further than that. It's like, nah, man. I feel like I can, you know, go get 60, 70.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, that's got to be the best feeling ever.

[PFT Commenter]

Are you going to eat the same meal before, before the game, like, do everything the same way?

[Paolo Banchero]

No, no, I'm not that superstitious. Just, I would say, you know what, what I eat is not necessarily most about what I eat, but like, the amount of calories I get, like, I just gotta eat a ton of food before the game just so I have, you know, energy.

[Big Cat]

So I, I saw that online that you lose seven pounds of sweat. Is that true?

[Paolo Banchero]

During the game there was some. It's like it got the way it got reported. And when I was in college, it was like a little walkie.

[Big Cat]

Okay.

[Paolo Banchero]

But yeah, basically, like there would be practices, you weigh in before, way out after. And so I'd weigh in at, you know, a certain weight. And then after practice I'd be, you know, seven, eight pounds lighter. And so they like, you know, they were all like amazed by that. But I just sweat a ton. And so then I started cramping at the start of my freshman year, a couple games, and they kind of made it a big deal when really, honestly, people don't really know. Well, I think I said it, but like, at that time in my life, I didn't really have an idea of like, electrolytes and like.

[Big Cat]

Right.

[Paolo Banchero]

Like the fact that you need them every single game. Yeah, because like I was just drinking water, a little Gatorade, but I wasn't drinking like electrolyte constant like, you know, Pedialyte or something like that. So I was going into these games, like super high intensity game, like stuff that I've never felt before. And like my body was like just locking up. So I was like, you know, tripping at first, but once I started drinking Pedialyte and electrolytes, stuff like that, I got. I got right.

[Big Cat]

So was there like a. I always am fascinated the. The jump of college to pros. And then you, you go from being a student and you know, you're. You're in college, you don't have millions of dollars, then you're a pro, and now you're spending money on your body and stuff. Have you noticed that for your body, where it's like the amount that you put in off season training, just how to deal with it, like you're just that much stronger and better?

[Paolo Banchero]

Yeah, for sure. I think. Think you don't really pay attention to what you eat. Or at least I didn't when I was a kid or teenager. You know, I was kind of eating whatever. I was always in pretty good shape. But, you know, once you get older and start playing at a higher level, you realize that, you know, certain stuff makes you feel certain ways. And like, you know, for a game, you know, I gotta load up on a bunch of stuff because I know I'm gonna, you know, I'm out there trying to go 100% the whole game, you know, for 40 plus minutes if I have to. So I know how much energy that takes out of me, especially me being, you know, my size and trying to move as much as I do, you know, it takes a lot of energy. And so, like, you know, you realize that, you know, you gotta eat, you know, whether you're hungry or not. Sometimes, like, sometimes I'm not even hungry, but I know I gotta get these meals in order to.

[PFT Commenter]

I feel the same way.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, you gotta eat.

[PFT Commenter]

I think it's interesting that Duke doesn't provide adequate nutrition for their players and they also make you weigh in all the time. It's like, it gives you bad body image there. Yeah, it doesn't sound healthy mentally.

[Big Cat]

Do you want to do the Duke stuff now?

[Paolo Banchero]

Yeah, let's get it out the way.

[Big Cat]

Okay. So when you sat down, I told you, I was like, hey, look, I'm just so, you know, I'm. I'm a very big Duke hater.

[Paolo Banchero]

Yeah. So let me, let me rewind a little bit on, like when I was talking about this podcast.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Paolo Banchero]

So they were like a boss to a big cat. Yeah, it's the. Is the guy who's running it. And I was like, hold on. Like, why is that Nick? Or why does that username sound familiar? And I just remembered being in college, Coach K's last year, and I always saw, like, on Twitter and by the way, going to Duke taught me to like, stay off Twitter.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, yeah. People, guys like me are on those. It's not for you.

[Paolo Banchero]

Yeah, it made me realize, like, you know, stay off Twitter during the season. Like, just focus. But anyway, my whole freshman season, every time we Lose or have a bad game, it'd be barstool, fucking big cat talking shit. And I'll be like, who runs this account, though? I'm like, who is this dude? Like, he's on, you know, us. Coach K. And I just. It would piss me off. So kind of circled back.

[PFT Commenter]

It feels good.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Yeah. So I. So I'll tell you my trauma real quick. I. I went to the University of Wisconsin. I don't think they'll ever win a national championship in anything. They were up at half against Duke in 2015. From that moment forward, it was like, I never. I never liked Duke, but that was like I.

[Paolo Banchero]

That was it.

[Big Cat]

They. A part of my soul is still in Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

[Paolo Banchero]

You were there?

[Big Cat]

I was there. A part of my soul is sitting there in the seats, and it's just never coming back. So when Coach K said that he was going to retire, and he made sure that he let everyone know that he was going to retire 12 months before he was going to retire, and we all had to, you know, suck his dick for a year, I decided that I was making a personal mission to just be on his ass the whole time. So you were actually. You kind of were like a casualty of war, because it wasn't like a personal hatred towards you. It was Coach K. You just happened to be on the last Duke team with Coach K. So that last game in Cameron, that was awesome.

[Paolo Banchero]

Man. That was some bullshit. That's what that was. That was. That was. That. That was.

[Big Cat]

Man, I feel like you guys were put in a bad spot. From a player's. I listen, I loved it. I loved every second of that game. But from a player's perspective, to be honest with you, the pomp and circumstance, and when they roll out, like, 90 dudes who went to Duke and were. Coach Kate, like, the pressure that was on you guys was not fair. I feel like. Is that. Is that a accurate statement?

[Paolo Banchero]

I don't. I wouldn't say it's not fair. I think that's why you go to Duke, to play those type of games.

[Big Cat]

The brotherhood.

[Paolo Banchero]

Yeah. I mean, Coach K told me before I even got to Duke that my year was going to be his last year. So I came in already knowing that every game we played was going to be a big deal because of him, and it was his last game, so. And everyone knew that last game in Cameron was like, you know, before the season even started. You knew that was going to be the game. Yeah, the game. You know, we. Everyone was talking about that the whole season like, man, what's going to happen? Who's going to be there? Like it was already being talked about the whole season. So you can't. I wouldn't say it was unfair because we knew what was.

[Big Cat]

But then what about when you get in the tournament and the pressure of the tournament, knowing it's his last tournament? It's. That's got to be a lot. I mean, you guys are, you know, 18, 19 year old kids. You go to the Final Four, you had a good tournament run. I can't. Did you guys. Who'd you guys lose to?

[Paolo Banchero]

You know who. We lost.

[Big Cat]

Okay. I was there for that. No, no, I was there.

[PFT Commenter]

I, I remember that they lost to UNC in the last home game.

[Big Cat]

They didn't lose UNC in the tournament.

[PFT Commenter]

No, no, that was the last home game. So who did you guys lose?

[Paolo Banchero]

We lost.

[PFT Commenter]

Same team.

[Paolo Banchero]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Damn.

[Paolo Banchero]

Yeah, we know.

[Big Cat]

This is the beauty of our podcast, by the way, just to like break character for a second. You just put up 50 in an NBA game and you're like, you know, $100 million, one of the best players in the NBA and we're sitting here being like, haha, you lost the unc.

[Paolo Banchero]

I mean, that's what. I get that all the time though. I mean, like I said, I have like that I loved my college career. Like I thought it was awesome. But like that will forever be a stainless, you know, is losing those two games to that school obviously, because we were. It's hard.

[Big Cat]

Let it out, let it out.

[Paolo Banchero]

And they beat us twice. So credit to them. They beat us twice. Two out of three times. They were the better team in those two games, but we were so much better than them, man, as a team, like we were so much black. We went in there the first time we played them, we walked into Dean Dome and beat them by 30, right? And like, and took their, like, you could just tell we was just a better team.

[PFT Commenter]

I feel like if that second game.

[Paolo Banchero]

Was once a team in college though, like once a team. Any team in any sport is playing hard and you know, on a, you know, you can call a Cinderella run like that, it's. They're hard to be. So yeah, guys on their team made a lot of shots, but it doesn't, It'll never, you know, I'll never be convinced that we weren't just hands down better than them. I just think in the, when the moment was there, when it was the moment, they had guys that stepped up and made plays in the moment. So you got to give them credit.

[Big Cat]

Did You. Were you thinking about going anywhere else besides Duke? Were you thinking about maybe staying at Washington? Our guy, Spencer Hawes would have been happy about that. Yeah.

[Paolo Banchero]

You guys know Space?

[Big Cat]

Yeah, he's a good friend of.

[PFT Commenter]

He actually told me to tell you that's my.

[Paolo Banchero]

That's my big bro.

[PFT Commenter]

He wants his golf clubs back.

[Paolo Banchero]

Yeah. Oh, yeah, they're in Seattle. He got to get on. He got to text my dad about that. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But no. Yeah, I thought about going to a few different schools, man. Honestly, like, Duke wasn't even, you know, probably a top two or three until Covid hit. Because I remember going on. I went on five official visits my junior year before COVID and everything. And so I went to Duke, unc, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Gonzaga, and I had a blast on four out of five, and Duke was the one I actually had. You know, it was. It was a great experience, you know, being around the campus, but, like, I didn't have a fun time. Like, it wasn't that fun.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Paolo Banchero]

And so I kind of had. It was like, ah, you know, not really feeling it. But once Covid hit and everything shut down, like. Like, you know, I just kind of started thinking about it even more and more. And that's when Coach K, like, you know, you. You would expect a guy like him, the. The, you know, the. The goat to not be so, you know, anxious to talk to me every single day. But he was like, by far out of any coach, you know, calling me the most, texting me the most throughout the pandemic.

[Big Cat]

Sounds like a violation.

[Paolo Banchero]

No, no, no.

[Big Cat]

He was calling you. And I'll open up the file again.

[PFT Commenter]

So he didn't really want to go to Duke and then win. When the country shut down, all the investigative parts of the NCAA shut down. He started being in touch with you and then.

[Paolo Banchero]

No, I think what happened was.

[PFT Commenter]

Dropped a bag.

[Paolo Banchero]

16 year old kid taking visits. And I was caught up in. Oh, I didn't have that much fun on this Duke visit.

[Big Cat]

Right.

[Paolo Banchero]

Yeah, they're not that high up on my list. And then Covid kind of brought me back down to earth and I realized, look, I'm trying to go to the NBA to be the number one pick, so I need to go to where I have the best opportunity.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. So obviously. Listen, I don't like Coach K. I don't like Duke, but I can admit that he's the best college coach of all.

[Paolo Banchero]

That's.

[Big Cat]

He won every. In every decade. It was crazy. All he did was win. It was. It pissed me off. What Was it about him though? Like when, when you got there and you started getting into Coach K practices that made him different or how he pushed you guys? Because I. I do respect the fact that he's a great coach. I don't like him otherwise, but I can say that much.

[Paolo Banchero]

Yeah, I mean, he's just really like, probably the best motivator I ever been around. He just knows how to push your buttons and get the best out of you, no matter who it is. Like, he's just so, you know, he's so good at knowing how to communicate with each and every person on the team. You know, he communicates to everyone differently. And so I think for him, with me, it was like he saw how talented I was, but he knew that I had to become more of a leader and more of a voice, you know, because I used to, you know, I was really one of those guys that just kind of let this play, do the talking, you know, lead by example type of guy. Like, I wasn't very vocally, you know, active and coming in as a freshman, like, you know, he would let me know, like, man, it doesn't matter that you're a freshman. You gotta, if you're the best player on the team, you gotta be the leader, you gotta be the vocal leader, you know, or you're never. The team's never gonna be what it should be if you're not leading it. And so like, I struggled, you know, understanding that at times back then, but like now, three years later when I'm in the NBA, like I fully understand and like, it's crazy, cuz everything he's ever told me or like everything he ever said was going to happen if I did this or did that, like it's happened.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Paolo Banchero]

So like, when I look back and think about all the stuff he's ever told me or got on me about, it's all like, true and all it's came to, came to fruition. So yeah, it's crazy.

[Big Cat]

That's pretty cool.

[PFT Commenter]

I read a story that he called your mom one time and he told your mom, I'm going to read the quote here, Paulo's going to call you tomorrow because I'm about to get in his ass. And then your mom said, I promise you he's not going to call this house. It's not a soft place to land. And Coach K said, I've been trying to talk to him and I can tell he's mad, but I'm trying to be nice. And then your mom told Coach K that if you want him to get pissed. If you want him to do what you want him to do, ream his ass, then kick him out of practice. Don't kick him out where he can sit in the locker room. Kick him out of the building. So your mom was coaching Coach K on how to coach you.

[Paolo Banchero]

Get through to me.

[PFT Commenter]

How crazy is that?

[Paolo Banchero]

That sounds like my mom right there.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

And she was an unbelievable basketball player herself, right?

[Paolo Banchero]

Yeah, she. She's an unbelievable player. And she was a coach too, for like the, like up till I was probably 13, 14. She was a coach.

[Big Cat]

Oh, wow.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. And wait, did you never want to play football? Cause your dad played football?

[Paolo Banchero]

No, I played football.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Paolo Banchero]

I was like my first love.

[Big Cat]

Were you obviously an incredible football player too?

[Paolo Banchero]

Yeah, I was. I was legit. Yeah, I was legit. And then I would say I hit a. I started hitting my growth spurt and you know, once you get to above like 6, 6 in football, it gets kind of hard.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, yeah.

[Paolo Banchero]

Guys, you know, it's hard to get low, you know, But I love football, man. I was like my first love, my dad, I remember him taking me out back to the backyard when I was like 6 years old. Working on hitting. Like, I love football. I still watch football religiously. Study it, follow it, you know, college and NFL. So my little brother plays receiver, you know, so where's he play? He plays. He's a junior in high school.

[Big Cat]

Oh, nice. Oh, okay.

[Paolo Banchero]

So, yeah, trying to get him. Trying to get him to college. He should be. He should be good, though.

[PFT Commenter]

Okay, so you're a Seahawks fan.

[Paolo Banchero]

Yep.

[PFT Commenter]

All right, that's you. You had a pretty good experience growing up then.

[Paolo Banchero]

Yes, that was the golden age, man.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Paolo Banchero]

That was like prime Seattle.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

So Marshawn lynch guy, Huge Marshawn Lynch.

[Paolo Banchero]

Legion of boom, all that. Pete Carroll.

[Big Cat]

Wait, where do you land on the Anthony Edwards who can play in the NFL?

[Paolo Banchero]

Yeah, someone else asked me about that. I said that I think he would do it until he took a. Took a real hit. And I think. I think he want to go back play basketball.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I think that's fair. The minute you go over the middle, it's like. Okay. It was pretty nice making hundreds of millions of dollars guaranteed money in the NBA.

[Paolo Banchero]

Exactly.

[Big Cat]

That's a big thing.

[PFT Commenter]

I also feel like you could just be a tight end on goal line packages.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Paolo Banchero]

Oh, yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Just throw a jump ball up. They don't have to put you in where you're going to get hit.

[Paolo Banchero]

Yeah. Nami. I could play receiver.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, yeah. For Sure, I would like to see that. I would like to see another two sports, but this time basketball.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

And football. I think it'd be good for both sports. So you said at one point that you're delusional, that you don't think you have any weaknesses in your game.

[Big Cat]

I like that.

[PFT Commenter]

I like that a lot. And I can tell that you get like, even just talking about the UNC stuff and Duke, you have a chip on your shoulder.

[Paolo Banchero]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Where you like, you're still pissed off about that. And you carry that forward. You probably use that to make you better. But if you think that you're. If you're like self admitted delusional and you think that there are no weaknesses in your game, how then do you figure out what you have to improve on?

[Paolo Banchero]

By just realizing that I'm not perfect. I'm really never gonna be perfect. So I think just doing whatever I can to chase perfection, like, or strive for it. You know, I think if you can strive for it, you'll land somewhere close to it. And so just whatever I can do. I mean, obviously, like, I'm only in my third year, so every year has been something that I can improve on. Like, nothing I feel is a weakness. Cause I feel like I can do everything. But there are certain areas that, you know, I can get better at or that I can improve on. Especially, you know, coming into the NBA. You know, it's a different game, better players. So you have to sharpen up on a lot of stuff that, you know, in high school and college you can physically dominate guys. And so I was so used to that, you know, high school, it was really no challenges. College, it was, you know, challenges, but it was, you know, pretty, pretty easy for the most part.

[Big Cat]

You.

[Paolo Banchero]

Yeah, but even UNC wasn't doing nothing. I had 20 and 10. They wasn't stopping nothing. But yeah, I think every, every level, I think to be the best, you. You can't just stop working or you can't ever, you know, stay in one place. I think you just have to always add something or sharpen something.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. So you were, I mean, you were good right away in the NBA, but you were also a teenager to start in the NBA. Was there any moment where you're like, this is grown men, like, not a welcome to the NBA moments. I. You had a ferocious dunk like one of your first couple games. Yeah, but was there any moment where you're like, oh, like, this is man strength verse. I gotta, I gotta get my weight up.

[Paolo Banchero]

Yeah, my first. People always talk about like, the first regular season game being, like, the thing, but, like, for me, it was preseason because that's. I mean, it's live action, right? So we played. We played at Memphis. Our. My first ever NBA action was at Memphis. And that was. They had a good unit. That was when they had Jod Bane Brooks, Steven Adams, Jaren Jackson. Jackson. And so, yeah, I was on Steven Adams a couple times, and, like, I tried to free throw line, box out, and I'm trying to box him out, and he just, like, nudged me with one arm all the way under the hoop, and it was just like nothing you could do.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Paolo Banchero]

And I didn't have a very good game. And so I just remember being like, oh, yeah, that was different. Like, that was not, you know, college. That was not anything like, that was. That was a different speed, different strength, like, all over the floor. Floor. And so I think those preseason games helped me. So then when that first regular season came, you know, I was already kind of adjusted to it. But, like, my first taste of the. Of the NBA was like. It was. It was rough. Like, I. I don't think I scored more than eight, you know, seven. Eight points that game.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. So. So when you get to the NBA, obviously your number one pick, everyone knows you're incredible basketball player. But was there ever a moment where you get on the court with someone you watched and you're. You had like, a second where you're like, oh, that's Kevin Durant. Oh, damn, that's LeBron. Where you had to, like, almost snap out of him, be like, wait, no, I'm Powell, Ben Carroll. I got to play in this game.

[Paolo Banchero]

Yeah. I say every. Every star that I. Or every superstar I say that I played against in my rookie year, I had a decent game, except LeBron, like, KD, you know, I played well. We battled. He had 40 on my head, but, like, I had, like, 20. Something. Like, I felt like I played all right. But, like, Bron. I remember the first time we played Braun in Orlando, and I was just starstruck. In my rookie year, I had a terrible game, too. I had, like, two points fouled out. Like, probably my worst. One of my worst games in the NBA, and I was just. But the whole time, it was like I couldn't. I was like, damn, like, bronze out here, and I'm out here, and I couldn't just. I couldn't get past it. I couldn't even think straight.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Have you gotten, like, words of encouragement from somebody that you grew up, like, idolizing somebody that you grew up As a fan of. And they see you and they recognize you, and they come over to you and, like, let, you know, like, hey, you're going to be great.

[Paolo Banchero]

Yeah, I mean, it's happened a lot, you know, up to now, but I would say, like, you know, hearing it from kd, Carmela, those two right there, you know, I saw them my rookie year All Star break, and we were in an event, and I was in the same event, and they both pulled me to the side, and we were all having a conversation, and basically they were just telling me, you know, you know, I'm one of those guys, I just gotta, you know, stay. Stay hungry, stay in the gym. And so my rookie year, hearing that from those two, it was like, that was all I needed to hear. I didn't need no other, you know, validation from anybody else. Like, those are two. Two of my, you know, probably top three, four favorite guys ever. So I would say that moment.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, it's gotta be cool.

[Big Cat]

That'd be awesome.

[PFT Commenter]

One day you'll get a statue.

[Paolo Banchero]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

You want a statue like Dwayne?

[Paolo Banchero]

I mean, there's a picture or you talking about a statue from. Of me?

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, yeah.

[Paolo Banchero]

I mean, hell, yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I think a statue would be dope. Obviously, I. I wanted to be a pretty good resemblance of me, though. I think I've been seeing a couple statues that have been a little. Little.

[PFT Commenter]

If you got to be involved in the sculpting process the entire way, I don't want to be surprised.

[Paolo Banchero]

Prove it.

[Big Cat]

For sure, you got to see it. So this last year, you guys go to the playoffs. The Magic are a really young team, fun team. You go to the playoffs, you go to seven against the Cavs. Was. Was it. Could you feel the difference playing in playoff basketball? Like, the intensity? And also, was there ever a moment where you're like, damn, these games suck, because there were a couple games that were tough.

[Paolo Banchero]

Yeah, I think both sides. Yeah, I think definitely feel a difference. Yeah, 100%. You feel a difference. Just with everything, the atmosphere, the buildup, the ref, the refereeing, you know, everything is just different. The trash talk, you know, everything is just elevated in the playoffs. And then, yeah, I think those first two games, games were, like, pretty shitty because it was our first two games ever in the playoffs as a team. And I just remember Cleveland was talking so much shit, like, you know, telling us we wasn't ready for this, and, like, they're beating us, so we can't really talk. And then I just remember winning those next two at home. And like, we all kind of felt like, nah, we belong here. You know what I'm saying? And then we, you know, game five is the one that hurts for me because. Because I was so sure that we was going to win that game. And so when we didn't, I feel like that, you know, that game, if we win that game, I think we win the series in game six. So when we lost that game, I think we lost about one or two at the last second. You know, that was tough. And then game six won that. That was a hell of a game in Orlando. Just doing that in front of the fans, forcing game seven. That was like, big for the city, I think, just doing that, you know, not going home, fighting another, live another day. And then game seven was tough too, man, because we were up, you know, 18, I think. And we just felt, you felt it for a second, like, we're about to do this. Like, it felt like that for a second, and then that just went away in the second half.

[Big Cat]

But that's also the. The kind of. The beauty of the NBA is like, you never young teams are so much fun because they have to go through, like, the pains and they have to build up. So it's like you guys kind of earn your stripes last year. Do you feel that coming back this year where it's like, we. We went to the playoffs, we went to a game seven. Yeah. We didn't advance, but we know what it takes to get back to that spot. Next year, it's going to be different.

[Paolo Banchero]

Yeah, 100%. I think that's just the attitude with every. Everyone. I think the whole summer, I think leaving. Leaving after that game seven loss, I think that was just the whole vibe was like, this is just the beginning. Like we're. We're going to be back here and it won't be the same result. So I think that just motivated everyone on the team throughout the summer. And you just saw guys working and getting better. And, you know, when we came back for training camp, we had a pretty intense training camp. Probably the best or not probably. Definitely the best camp I've been a part of since being with the Magic in the NBA. And I think, you know, everyone's kind of poised right now and just trying to stay steady throughout this early season and realizing how important this early season is too, because that's what helped us last year was having such a good start. So I think, yeah, everyone's just in a good mind frame.

[PFT Commenter]

I feel like the NBA playoffs, we don't talk about how long it is Enough and how many games you have to play.

[Paolo Banchero]

Sometimes it's a hell of a. It's a hell of a journey. Like, I remember just thinking after game seven, like, I'm spent right now mentally and physically. Like, I couldn't imagine having to get it together, go play in two days at Boston and start a whole nother, you know, series.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, especially you got like three more series after that.

[Paolo Banchero]

Exactly.

[Big Cat]

And.

[PFT Commenter]

And to be able to win a championship is like, that does seem to me like. We talk about hockey being so hard. We talk about the NFL if you have to go on the road a few times playing one game a week. But in NBA postseason, you're adding on like an extra two and a half months of your season.

[Paolo Banchero]

Yeah, no, it's. It's a full blown second season. That's what it feels like.

[PFT Commenter]

But what about the NBA Cup? Maybe third season. How focused are you right now on the NBA Cup?

[Paolo Banchero]

I think, I think the NBA Cups are good. I think I like it. We. We had a chance to make it last year. We lost a tiebreaker or else we would have been, you know, in Vegas. But I think it's dope for the league to like, have something early in the year that fans can be drawn to. And, you know, you can win some money in a trophy. And it's also, you know, certain, certain bragging rights are part of it, I think as well, where you got these pools with teams and you got the, you know, the NBA cup showdown in Las Vegas. Like, I think it's all, it's all cool.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Thinking about going heavy on the Magic for the NBA Cup. To me, that's like how you guys learn how to win.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Cup. That's basically a playoff series.

[Paolo Banchero]

Yeah, it can be. Yeah.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

We'll get back to Paolo Banchero in a second. He's being brought to you by. Hey dude. Wendy and Wally are the original iconic styles that are the foundation of company Comfy at Hey dude. They're beloved for the most cushioned insole ever. Wally and Wendy are ridiculously lightweight and bring a ton of fun with mix and match materials that complete any outfit. I've got some hey dudes right here. I've actually got them behind me. I wear them around the office a lot. I wear them at home all the time. Perfect shoes to just wear around the house. Perfect shoes. Take the dog outside on a quick walk, Go out, check the mail, Go out, get the food, go out, get. Get the paper. Hey dude. Are the most comfortable shoes in the world. The franchise is always Evolving and growing from classic all white to camo or fleece. There's a Wally or a Wendy that's perfect for everyone. Buy your Wendy and Wally's [e-mail] or head to local Dick Sporting Goods to find them in person. Check them out, heydude.com and now here's more. Paolo Banquero.

[Big Cat]

Hey, are you gonna ever play for Team Italy? You have Italian. You have an Italian passport, right?

[Paolo Banchero]

Yeah, yeah, I'm a citizen.

[Big Cat]

Listen, I'm. I'm. I'm not Italian, but my. My kids are Italian, so I'm supportive Italian father, so I am supportive of your culture. With Max in the booth there, He's. He's full Italian, kind of crazy, angry and all that stuff. So are you gonna do it, though?

[Paolo Banchero]

Well, I was.

[Big Cat]

And then now you're gonna play for.

[Paolo Banchero]

Team USA Well, I already did play for Team usa but I'm saying.

[Big Cat]

Wait, were you in this Olympics?

[Paolo Banchero]

No, no, no, no. I was in the World Cup.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, but. So the next Olympics, you're in Team USA So even if Italy drops a bag, what if Italy's like, paulo, you're our guy. 100 mil.

[PFT Commenter]

Put a horse head in your bed.

[Paolo Banchero]

Sheesh. 100 million.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, I don't.

[Paolo Banchero]

I don't know if I could turn that down.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, you can't turn that down.

[Paolo Banchero]

Yeah, I don't think I could turn that.

[Big Cat]

What if it's guys like us playing on the team with you?

[Paolo Banchero]

I mean, I. I've seen their team. We played against them. Actually, when I played for usa, we played against Italy in the quarterfinals, and.

[Big Cat]

They were pretty good.

[Paolo Banchero]

No, we won by 40. We won by 40. But, like, it was a. It was a fun game. You know, they were. They were heckling me a little bit, so, like, I felt like it was dope. It was dope. Like, having that international, like, you know, they didn't really like me, but it was like, I embraced it. It was cool. And all the players and coaches showed love. It was the fans. So, you know, it was. That was a. That was a hell of a process, man. That was a hell of a process. Like, that whole. That was after my rookie year. Like, it was when I had to make the decision. And I had been talking to ILY for a while because they reached out to me when I was, like, 16 years old, reached out to my dad, and I'm sure they saw my name and was like, who the hell is this kid?

[Big Cat]

He's got an O on the end of his name.

[Paolo Banchero]

Yeah, with this Italian Name. And so at the time, I had been trying out for USA's junior teams and I got cut. So I wasn't really rocking with the whole USA anything because I was salty about getting cut. And so I committed to play for Italy, and they were going to put me right onto the national team as a 16, 17 year old. And, you know, I was gonna play until Covet. Like, if I. If Covet never happened. If Covet never happened, I would have played in 2020.

[Big Cat]

You wouldn't have gone to Duke and you would have been an Italian hero.

[Paolo Banchero]

I probably would have still went to Duke.

[Big Cat]

You kind of said he didn't. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I would have.

[Paolo Banchero]

That went to Duke, though.

[Big Cat]

Italian hero. Yeah. I mean, you're gonna. I. I assume the next Olympics, your eyes are on Team USA and wanted to be in the Olympics. I mean, you should be.

[Paolo Banchero]

Yeah, I think that would be cool, especially being in la.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Paolo Banchero]

But who. That's a long ways away.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, that is a long ways away. But I. I'm gonna vote for you. I think it's a fan vote and I'll put you. I'll fan vote you in.

[Paolo Banchero]

I appreciate that. Yeah, it was fun watching. It was fun watching the Olympics this summer from. From. I was back home. It was fun watching it.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Did you see our mutual friend Donnie McGrath partying with the team? Appreciate after.

[Paolo Banchero]

No, I did.

[Big Cat]

I'll show you that video after.

[Paolo Banchero]

I didn't see that.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Paolo Banchero]

Damn. Oh, wait, you know what? He was in Paris during that time.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, he was. Yeah. Donnie's a former teammate of mine.

[Paolo Banchero]

Yeah, sounds about right.

[Big Cat]

Tbt.

[Paolo Banchero]

That's what Donnie. That's. That's. That's Donnie, right?

[Big Cat]

He's the best. Yeah. With. With Lyft. You guys are. They're. They're crushing it.

[Paolo Banchero]

Yes, sir. They're doing great things right now.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, they're the best.

[PFT Commenter]

I feel like that would be a. It'd be an awesome honor to represent the United States at the Olympics. But at the same time, you probably want a break from taking basketball. Right. Like, give me my off season.

[Paolo Banchero]

Well, yeah, I mean, that was. Yeah, I think definitely. Well, I don't think there's any international competitions leading up to it, so if that was to present itself, I think, you know, being a part of that is probably a dope experience. I was on the World cup team, you know, that was a little different. You know, we didn't meddle or anything, so that was like a shitty experience. But I think if you win gold, though, it's worth. Worth It.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Paolo Banchero]

But if you lose though, it's like you should.

[PFT Commenter]

There's really no win. It's like the US you should win a basketball.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. What's the one thing I feel like all sports culture has kind of gotten a little weird with fans. We're idiots. We sit on the couch or like, oh, we could do that. What's the one thing that fans think that like, is easy in basketball? You're like, you have no idea. Because there are guys who like, yeah, you know, who rip a NBA player. It's like you don't understand. Even the NFL, NBA debates. Like, you don't understand how good NBA players are. Even the last guy on the bench.

[Paolo Banchero]

Yeah, no, I think, I think, I mean fans, fans I think are really emotional, obviously act off emotion. So when you see someone have a bad game, you know, they suck automatically. But one, I think they don't realize for basketball players how tough it is to play 82 games or be in an 82 game season. You know, just with the traveling, you know, getting in, let's late 3, 4am, having to wake up the next day and play, you know, and then get, and then fly out and play the next day. You know, it's like there's, there's certain stretches of the season where, you know it's going to get to anybody.

[Big Cat]

Right?

[Paolo Banchero]

And so obviously fans, you know, want to see their team win no matter what. But I think there's certain parts of the season where, you know, guys are starting to feel fatigued and mentally, physically. And then I think just on the court probably just, just, man, it's hard to do. It's hard. The NBA is the hardest league in the world. Like, it's hard to do anything in the NBA. I think that's something that a lot of people even like Hoopers that aren't in the NBA, you know, they say, oh, the NBA, so much space is so easy. Like, it's only easy if you're like, good as, like, right? You have, you have to be like one of those guys and you have to like, have a crazy work ethic, take care of your body, like, or just be the most talented guy in the world to even put up those type of numbers. Numbers. So when you see guys like Luca making it look all easy or like me or whoever, like, yeah, it looks easy on this, on this, you know, Instagram reel. But like, this is hard, man.

[Big Cat]

That's like J.J. reddick said it a couple years ago, which I never really thought about until he mentioned he's like everyone's like, oh, yeah, the NBA, they don't play defense. Like, no, the offense is so goddamn good that even if you play perfect defense, like Kevin Durant or Palo Ben Car Arrow, they're Gonna still score 25.

[Paolo Banchero]

Oh, yeah. No, it's this. I mean, you come into it like the best players. Like, you're not stopping certain guys from getting, you know, 30. 25, 30 points. Like.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Paolo Banchero]

You know, you can make it hard and hopefully, you know, get a couple of clutch stops, you know, when you need to. But, like, you know, certain dudes, you're not stopping.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

I do love the. The mentality, though, of the average hater online. Like, somebody that's that divorced from reality that they're like, dude, you suck.

[Paolo Banchero]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

So if you took, like, the hat. The average hater online and you said. Said lock them in a gym with you, and they have two days to score one basket, and only one of you can leave. Like, if he scores the basket, you have to stay in that gym for the rest of your life.

[Paolo Banchero]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

And vice versa. Do you think. You think someone could score on you in two days?

[Paolo Banchero]

Hell, no.

[PFT Commenter]

Average player.

[Paolo Banchero]

No. Like. No. You talking about, like, the average person.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Just one basket.

[Paolo Banchero]

No.

[PFT Commenter]

At any time. Like, if you fall asleep, he can dribble up to the basket.

[Paolo Banchero]

If it's two days straight, no rest.

[Big Cat]

Yes.

[Paolo Banchero]

No. If. If I got it. If I'm. If I lose, I got to stay in the rest of my life.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. You wouldn't sleep.

[Paolo Banchero]

No, I wouldn't sleep.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Just lock him down.

[Paolo Banchero]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

Not even be able to throw it up. You don't think you'd be able to throw one up when you're.

[Paolo Banchero]

No, I just hound him.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

I could score on you, I think, if you.

[Paolo Banchero]

If you had 48 hours.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, 48 hours. But I'm. I would trick you.

[Paolo Banchero]

You would have to. No, you'd have to check the ball up every time, though. You can't just go. Go throw it in the basket. It has to be some type.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Check ball at the top.

[PFT Commenter]

I would just. I would start to dribble and just throw it behind my. My head and then hope that you didn't see me about to shoot it. And one of those is going to go in one of them.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

No, you probably swat that in the fourth, bro. Be a bad time.

[Big Cat]

Last Duke question. Are you in the brotherhood?

[Paolo Banchero]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

Okay. What do you have to do to be in the brotherhood? Like, what do you have to say? Do you. Do you have meetings and stuff? What goes on?

[Paolo Banchero]

It's It's. It can't. It's. It can't be explained, man. Yeah, you got to be there to be a part of it.

[Big Cat]

Does. Does it. When you are part of the brotherhood, does anyone ever bring up the name Pete Gaudette?

[Paolo Banchero]

No.

[Big Cat]

Okay. All right. Yeah, I figured that that's the guy that when Coach K faked an injury because he had a bad team and he made Pete Gaudette take all his losses that season.

[Paolo Banchero]

Well, I don't even know.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, I know. I'll tell you. I'll tell you all about.

[Paolo Banchero]

After.

[PFT Commenter]

They don't let Pete around practice much more. What about JJ? Is he still the brotherhood?

[Paolo Banchero]

JJ? 100%. He came to a few games when I was there with his. With his sons.

[PFT Commenter]

You guys have a group chat?

[Paolo Banchero]

Do we have a group chat?

[Big Cat]

Oh, yeah. Is there a brotherhood group chat?

[Hank]

No.

[Big Cat]

Okay.

[Paolo Banchero]

No, I mean, I have a. We have a group chat with my. With my team.

[Big Cat]

With your guys. My current.

[Paolo Banchero]

My. My team.

[Big Cat]

20.

[Paolo Banchero]

The 22 team. Yeah.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Does it. I mean, when you get to the NBA, do people still care where you went to college? Do they still talk or. No.

[Paolo Banchero]

Yeah. I mean, whenever I go to Shark Charlotte, it's always funny because I got a bunch of people in there who are Duke, and they're all loving, showing love. And then there's always some UNC fans who are giving me shit about losing.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Paolo Banchero]

So whenever I go to Charlotte, I'm hearing that. And then, yeah, different. Different places there'll be a Duke fan or sometimes someone let me know, hey, you guys lost to Carolina. Like, I get that all the time.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Yeah. Even when you're sitting doing a podcast.

[Paolo Banchero]

Exactly.

[PFT Commenter]

One thing I love about the Magic is just their throwback uniform. You ever push to be like, hey, can we. Can we wear the penny uniforms more?

[Paolo Banchero]

Yeah, I was. I was sick that they took them away this year. Those. Those was like, that jersey is a staple, I think. Just.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Paolo Banchero]

The Magic and obviously the old school, new school vibe. Like, I wish we could have kept wearing those.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, they gotta bring that back. When you. When you moved to Orlando, were you blown away by the majesty of the city?

[Paolo Banchero]

I was. I was like, yeah, that. That messed me up a little bit. I'm not gonna lie. I hadn't been to Orlando before, so I. I'm from Seattle, so in my head, I just thought, orlando's where Disney World is. Orlando, Magic. Like, Orlando's gotta be a big city. And so when I got there, never been, and I was like, wow, this is super Small, like. Yeah, way smaller than Seattle. And so it was, like, weird at first, but now I'm like, I love it there now. Like, it's paradise.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Paolo Banchero]

It's sunny, chill. There's, like, nice little dinner spots and stuff.

[PFT Commenter]

Like Medieval Times.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Paolo Banchero]

Not too much going on.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

With your ME they got a great Medieval Times there.

[Big Cat]

Have you. Have you been to the chilies in the airport?

[Paolo Banchero]

No.

[Big Cat]

You haven't?

[Paolo Banchero]

No, I. I ain't going to lie. The airport is. The airport is rough, though.

[Big Cat]

Well, not the Chili's. Chili's is great.

[PFT Commenter]

You're getting rid of the chilies, though.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. There's an escalator goes up to it. Stairway to heaven.

[Paolo Banchero]

I don't like eating in airports, though, so.

[Big Cat]

Nah, go to that Chili's. Change your mind.

[PFT Commenter]

You kind of breeze by the Medieval Time. You never been to Medieval Times?

[Paolo Banchero]

No. You got to tell. You got to tell me about that.

[PFT Commenter]

Oh, it's dinner. And you also get to watch a bunch of knights, like, joust each other and fight each other with swords and.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, really, It's a great time.

[Paolo Banchero]

Maybe we should do a team dinner there or something.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, that would rock.

[Paolo Banchero]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

Yes. That would be awesome.

[PFT Commenter]

If you do a team dinner at Medieval Times, you guys are definitely winning the NBA Cup.

[Big Cat]

I can guarantee team chemistry. Yeah, that's like. At the end, they're like, how'd you guys do it? It's like, well, we actually went to medieval medieval times, like, three months ago, and it was awesome.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, I do. I did find a couple weaknesses in your game. I know you said that. You're delusional and there's no weaknesses in your game, but I got a couple. One is you currently lead the league in interceptions year.

[Paolo Banchero]

What you mean?

[PFT Commenter]

Oh, there's a Patrick Mahomes question.

[Big Cat]

Oh, yeah, that was.

[PFT Commenter]

That was a weird moment, wasn't it?

[Paolo Banchero]

Yeah, that was. Yeah. That was like a. That was like. That, like, introduced me to the world in a way. It was weird. It was so weird, man. Like, it was. It was crazy because I'm on the track, right? And at the time, I'm not even in the NBA yet.

[Big Cat]

It's the F1 race. In my F1 race.

[Paolo Banchero]

And so I'm on the track and I'm just taking it all in. I know. Ever. I actually love. I used to love nascar, so I always love cars racing and stuff. So the F1 thing was dope to be there. And I just remember walking, bro, and I just kept hearing, Patrick, Patrick, Patrick. And I'm like, man, no, I Wonder who Patrick is. Like, whoever is Patrick is, someone needs to get Patrick. And then, like, I hear Patrick, and then someone hits me on the back. And I'm like, what? And I look, and it's like this camera and this in the Martin Brunson bundle. And this is. The camera's in my face. And I'm like, wait. Huh? And so I'm not even realizing that this is like a world broadcasted, you know, interview. I'm thinking this is like, local channel or. I don't know what it is. I've never been to F1, so I'm like, you know, I'm lost. And he's like, patrick, you know, what is. What is it about being here? And so I just answer his question. And I think he kind of realized, like, in the middle of the interview that I wasn't who he. Who I thought or who he thought I was. And so, like, it was like a 45 second interview. And he walked off. I walked off. And then, like, right after that, like, my phone just started going nuts, like, so funny. Everyone started blowing me like, yo, yo, you was just on tv, bro. He just thought you were Patrick Mahomes. He just chased you. He just chased you for like a minute, you know, and thought you were Patrick Mahomes. And so that was like the running joke. And then the next year at F1, I actually, you know, hung out with Pat Mahomes a little bit. So we.

[Big Cat]

Oh, perfect.

[Paolo Banchero]

It was cool.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, that's perfect. All right. Well, Paulo, this has been awesome. I got one last question for you. It's Roback question. Rho B A C K.com promo code. Take 20% off your first purchase. Qzips, polos, hoodies, joggers, shorts. Roback.com so, rookie of the rookie of the year, all star. Do we want to say that you're going to win an MVP at some point? Be the first to report it. Could we be the first to report that Paul Ben Carroll is going to win the MVP one year?

[Paolo Banchero]

Yeah, I definitely think that.

[Big Cat]

Okay, there it is.

[PFT Commenter]

Exclusive.

[Big Cat]

Yes. Exclusive to. We got the exclusive inside scoop. Powell, bench MVP at some point. Can't tell you secret.

[PFT Commenter]

I think it might be this year.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. You thinking that you might still be in the zone?

[Paolo Banchero]

It's not impossible.

[Big Cat]

It's. It's.

[Paolo Banchero]

It can happen. It's only game four, but I. I don't put anything past myself.

[PFT Commenter]

If the season ended today, would you be mvp? I think you would.

[Big Cat]

I think you would.

[Paolo Banchero]

Four games up.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. That would be a crazy season.

[Paolo Banchero]

Crazy season.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Well, we're going to root for you now. I'll put the Duke aside. Side.

[Paolo Banchero]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

We're gonna be palo guys through and through, so we got your back. You just have to come on. Anytime you're in Chicago, we're gonna join. And it's perfect because you, obviously. I think you went on Rosillo's podcast. He's kind of borderline, like, obsessed with you in a weird way. Ryan Rossillo.

[Paolo Banchero]

Did I probably. I did. Is he. Is he a magic.

[Big Cat]

No, he's Ryan Rosso. He lives out in the. He lives out in la. The ring.

[PFT Commenter]

Shaved head.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Strong guy.

[Paolo Banchero]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

You've been on his show?

[Paolo Banchero]

He, like, have I been on the show?

[Big Cat]

Yes. Yes. Yeah, you've been on his show. He. He would, like, die for you. He. He's Apollo Rider. And so now we're gonna just go onto his block and we're gonna take it over, so we'll be with him, but we're gonna. We're gonna say we were there first.

[Paolo Banchero]

Okay.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

We got your back. We'll beat the. Out of.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, we don't want to.

[PFT Commenter]

To get his stink on you.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, no, he. I.

[Paolo Banchero]

He.

[Big Cat]

He.

[PFT Commenter]

He gets obsessed with guys.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. And he's one of your guys, so it's good to have, like, media people. There's a couple media people who have. Have your back, I would assume.

[Paolo Banchero]

Yeah. I mean. Yeah. You guys are the ones that reach everybody, you know, you get people. Listen to what you guys say, man.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Scary. That's a scary thing to think about.

[PFT Commenter]

I'm already willing to go to war for you. Do you have any enemies out there?

[Paolo Banchero]

None that you got to take care of, man.

[Big Cat]

All right, you let us know.

[Paolo Banchero]

Yeah, yeah.

[Big Cat]

If it pops up, let us know.

[Paolo Banchero]

No, I will. Yeah, I will.

[Big Cat]

Because I don't. I mean, I'll show you later. What? I made a little card for all my Coach K slander facts, and I was handing them out New Orleans so I can get to work for you. I. You give me the name.

[Paolo Banchero]

You know what, did you make a video doing that?

[Big Cat]

Yeah, I was just handing.

[Paolo Banchero]

I think I saw that.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Paolo Banchero]

All those crazy.

[Big Cat]

I was handing it to, like, like, old ladies, and they were just like, whoa. I didn't know Coach K. Pete got debt. I didn't know that he did this. This. Yeah, it was. I was opening minds.

[PFT Commenter]

We're probably the best that you can have in your corner online. I bullied a horse off Twitter one time.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Kentucky Derby.

[PFT Commenter]

Nyquist. Nyquist winner. Yeah, that Fat won the Kentucky Derby. Then he got fat and out of shape and did load management.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

And didn't even compete in is the prickness he bowed out of.

[Big Cat]

So we got him off.

[PFT Commenter]

He didn't have that dog.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

And then he. He logged offline.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Gone.

[PFT Commenter]

So, yeah, if you need anybody to log off, you let us know.

[Big Cat]

We're on it. We're on it.

[Paolo Banchero]

That's what you all do. I got it.

[Big Cat]

Well, Paolo, thanks so much, man. We really appreciate you coming by. And anytime you're in. In Chicago, we'd love to have you on. So again, so you're a recurring guest. You actually have to legally.

[Paolo Banchero]

That's. That's the deal.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. No, once you come on. Once you legally have to come on.

[Paolo Banchero]

Well, I actually enjoyed this, man.

[Big Cat]

Oh, okay. There we go. I love that.

[Paolo Banchero]

We could rock with this.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

If like Rosillo asks you in the future, like, you've been on part of my take, you guys say, yeah, I know those guys.

[Paolo Banchero]

I love those guys. I definitely, definitely. I mean, this is like a whole thing right here. So.

[Big Cat]

And we don't really ask normal questions, I would say for the most part, because we're stupid. So that's how this one goes. That's how the. These interviews.

[PFT Commenter]

Very dumb.

[Big Cat]

But yeah. Thank you so much, man.

[Paolo Banchero]

Appreciate it. Appreciate you guys.

[PFT Commenter]

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[Big Cat]

Okay, let's finish up. We got FAQs. Hank. Yeah, Hank.

[Hank]

I still agree with. I don't know if this is a. There's a follow up. Hey, PMT team. I noticed whenever an interviewee says great question, whoever didn't ask echoes that statement. Cracks me up every time. I was curious why slash when you started doing that.

[Big Cat]

Just boosting your boys up.

[PFT Commenter]

I don't know. Yeah, we're just. Listen, we're just a team here.

[Big Cat]

Great question.

[PFT Commenter]

That's a good question.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, just boost. Just. Just lifting up our brothers. It's a hard game out here.

[PFT Commenter]

I don't know what. What the first great question was that we should go back and try to find that out.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. The origin of the great question.

[Hank]

What came first?

[Big Cat]

Great question.

[Hank]

Chicken or the egg?

[Big Cat]

Great question.

[PFT Commenter]

Great question. The chicken.

[Big Cat]

Great question.

[Hank]

What's up, boys? You guys have been all over for various sporting events. What is your favorite city to go to for a big sporting.

[PFT Commenter]

New Orleans. New Orleans.

[Big Cat]

New Orleans is up there. I always throw Indy in there. I mean, the Vegas super bowl was incredible. I would like to do Vegas. Should have the super bowl every year. Yeah, Vegas should have the super bowl every year.

[PFT Commenter]

Vegas is good to go to when they have like just any good big sporting event because it gives you an excuse just to be in Vegas.

[Big Cat]

It's the perfect they because you know, you have a ton of hotel rooms. You know you're going to have fun. Fun. It's perfect.

[Hank]

Tons of food, nightlife, clubs like that Vegas Super Bowl. We did a bunch of interviews. Went to casino, went to the club.

[Big Cat]

The Sphere.

[Hank]

Went to dinner. The Sphere. They have it all. F1 is there F1.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Hank]

Of the month.

[Big Cat]

Yep. That. And guess what? It will rock. Because that's what Vegas does. It's the. I think Vegas might be back.

[PFT Commenter]

What did it ever leave?

[Big Cat]

I think it left for a little bit and now it's all the way back.

[Hank]

I missed the tunnel of chaos.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

The tunnel of chaos. Pretty good.

[Big Cat]

Oh, they should name. I Wonder if the F1 track has a tunnel in any of them. Making the name of the tunnel chaos. Go through the tunnel money. Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Dana White's just on top of a bridge throwing buckets of cash on the drivers.

[Hank]

Yeah, they. The race is going through the strip. Oh, and it might be a championship race.

[Big Cat]

Hell, yeah.

[Hank]

The season. Season's coming to an end, so that might be the deciding race. If you're in Vegas, you could see, you know, either. What is it? The Daniel Ricardo, Constructors championship.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Hank]

Or the individual championship.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Max]

Daniel Ricardo also retired.

[PFT Commenter]

You never know.

[Max]

He could be there.

[Big Cat]

Never know.

[Hank]

Brett Farr, Danny, Rick Lando.

[Big Cat]

He's back.

[Hank]

It's Lando's year.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Hank]

Question not for PFT, but about pft. Has the glimmer of possible competence through eight weeks for the commanders turned PFT into a completely delusional football in. Yes. Let's look at the wins. Giants ass, Bengals ass, Cardinals ass. But frisky Browns with the Sean ass, Panthers, mega ass, Bears, loser franchise. Are the commanders good or just an easy schedule?

[PFT Commenter]

It's not for me. I can't answer this.

[Paolo Banchero]

I can.

[Big Cat]

Yes, I think they're good. You can answer it.

[Hank]

Well, the question was has this commander's team turned PFT into a completely delusional football fan?

[PFT Commenter]

Uh huh.

[Big Cat]

Guess what? The commanders also the rest of their schedules got a lot of ass on it too.

[PFT Commenter]

There's a lot of ass in the NFL right now.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, they have the Giants, the Steelers. Those are tough game. Or the Steelers will be a tough game. Eagles tough game. Then they play the Cowboys, Titans, Saints, I mean they're. I see. I see the. And then they finish with the Eagles, Falcons, Cowboys. I see a bare minimum. Another four wins easy.

[PFT Commenter]

Don't say bare minimum.

[Big Cat]

Okay.

[PFT Commenter]

I don't think I'm delusional. I know the question's not for me. I don't think I'm delusional. I just think that I know that you have a guy when you got a guy and I think that we got a guy and I think that this guy. That's why I said I'm not saying super bowl this season. I'm saying we could win a playoff game this season. I don't think we're a Super bowl team. I think that the super bowl window is open because we have a guy and he's the guy guy and he's on his rookie contract and we've got one of the. I don't know if we have the most cap space, but definitely top five.

[Big Cat]

Cap space in the NFL or two.

[PFT Commenter]

And yeah, and then we're going to get a new stadium in the next like four years. So. Yeah, I think, I don't think it's delusional to say that I am. I'm existing inside of a Super bowl window right now.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, you're inside. You are inside a Super Bowl.

[PFT Commenter]

I haven't jumped out yet next year, but the wind. But the window based on plans next year. But we should operate as if the window is open.

[Big Cat]

Operate under the window being open.

[PFT Commenter]

The window is cracked right now and I'm thinking about opening it up. There's a nice draft that's coming through.

[Hank]

Sup, boys? Not an faq, but I am a disgruntled Giants fan reliving the same torture season over and over again. Was thinking about this today as now the jets collapse is official too. Do you think if the jets and Giants combined rosters, they would win the Super Super Bowl? I like to think yes, but these franchises are so cursed, I don't know anymore.

[PFT Commenter]

Whose helmets do they wear? Giants, probably. Yeah, maybe. Who's the quarterback? Rogers. Okay. Who's the coach? Rogers Table.

[Big Cat]

I. I mean, Dexter Lawrence on that defensive line would stop a lot of those run problems.

[PFT Commenter]

Malik Neighbors finally get the jets some help at wide receiver favor.

[Big Cat]

I think they could. Yeah, they go to the afc. Well, they go to the AFC and NFC championship game. I guess they could. I mean, add Notre Dame in there because Notre Dame has more touchdowns than the jets and Giants in MetLife Stadium this year. I don't know if you guys saw that stat. I did not see insult stack going around. Did you see that memes? Did you see that stat? I seen it. We haven't played many home games. Yeah, I think it was seven for Notre Dame. I think it was five for the Jets.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

Jets have five and Giants have one.

[PFT Commenter]

I think two.

[Big Cat]

Two.

[PFT Commenter]

Who owns the team in this scenario? Mr. Mara or Mr. Johnson?

[Big Cat]

Has to be. Mr. Mara. Has to be.

[PFT Commenter]

Mr. Johnson can't own this team.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, I think Belichick to coach. They'd be pretty good.

[PFT Commenter]

They'd be pretty coach for half the game.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, they'd be pretty good. All right, last. Anyone? Last one.

[Hank]

If the Bears or Commanders don't win a Super bowl until after y'all have retired from the show, will we get a one night only live reaction?

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, I'll do it.

[Big Cat]

Guaranteed. Guaranteed.

[PFT Commenter]

I'll do it. Yeah, There should be a window, though, actually. No, no, no.

[Big Cat]

80 years old.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, 80 years old. Yeah, we'll do it. We'll do it.

[Big Cat]

Yes. Just put one up. That would be fun.

[PFT Commenter]

What about if we lose a Super Bowl? I think we should do that, too.

[Big Cat]

Also that.

[PFT Commenter]

Also that there will be a postmortem if the.

[Big Cat]

If the. If the Bears or Commanders are in the super bowl, you'll get a podcast no matter how old we are.

[PFT Commenter]

Mm.

[Big Cat]

That's fair.

[PFT Commenter]

But you have to say you have to stay subscribed to part of my take.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Never unsubscribe.

[Big Cat]

Just Pop it up. A ghost podcast.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

Oh, I thought these guys were dead.

[PFT Commenter]

Memes is saying something.

[Big Cat]

What are you saying? Memes. We need people to start subscribing again. There's a new tab on Apple podcasts that's like most subscribed shows and we're not in the top 100.

[PFT Commenter]

Oh, okay.

[Big Cat]

So let's subscribe. We need everybody to subscribe.

[PFT Commenter]

Subscribe. Let's bring back roast for a little bit.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. How about that Next week, subscribe.

[PFT Commenter]

Leave a five star roast on the podcast.

[Big Cat]

Yep.

[PFT Commenter]

Our five star rating on the podcast in the comment for it. Just roast the out of us.

[Big Cat]

Yep.

[PFT Commenter]

And we will read the funniest roast.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Love that. Love that. Okay. Good show, boys. All right. Today's Lottery ball segment is brought to you by Jack Pocket, America's number one lottery app. Order Mega Millions, Powerball and other official state lottery games on your phone with Jack Pocket. New customers get a free ticket using code pmt. That's code pmt. Download the Jack Pocket lottery app today. It's super easy. And you could maybe win some Mega Millions or Powerball with Jack Pocket. It's an app on your phone and you can get their free ticket using code PMT. GAMBLING PROBLEM. Call 1-800-GAMBLER NEW YORK Call 877-8-HOPE NY or text HOPE NY 18 or older, 19 plus in Nebraska, 21 plus in Arizona. Void where prohibited. Promo code required for two dollar non withdrawable credit. Prize amount may differ at time of drawings terms. Jackpocket.com to free ticket promo slash.

[PFT Commenter]

All right, numbers. Let me get five. I got three on it.

[Big Cat]

You technically said five before I said numbers. Anyone would like five? They can take five. Would anyone like five? Five. Oh, Max, I knew you'd do that.

[Paolo Banchero]

Three.

[PFT Commenter]

I know you want five. I'll take one.

[Big Cat]

Hank, what do you got? 19, 21, 90. Oh, that would have been great if it was five. See you guys.

[PFT Commenter]

Love you guys.