Rick Pitino In Studio, Super Bowl Champ Cooper DeJean, USA/Canada's Incredible Four Nations Final + Fyre Fest of The Week

Summary

Pardon My Take - Episode Summary

Podcast Title: Pardon My Take
Hosts: Big Cat & PFT Commenter
Guests: Coach Rick Pitino, Super Bowl Champion Cooper DeJean
Release Date: February 21, 2025

In this engaging episode of "Pardon My Take," hosts Big Cat and PFT Commenter explore a wide range of sports topics, featuring in-depth interviews with renowned basketball coach Rick Pitino and Super Bowl champion Cooper DeJean. The episode seamlessly blends insightful discussions, memorable quotes, and the hosts' signature humor, making it a must-listen for sports enthusiasts.

All Star Game and Four Nations Final

The episode begins with the hosts discussing the recent NBA All Star Game, highlighting the performance of Team Shaq coached by Rick Pitino. Big Cat commends the team's effort:

Big Cat [03:50]: "Shaq. We should talk about team Shaq. I know it's been a week, but we finally watched the tape. Team Shaq really put it on in the NBA All Star game. They were incredible."

PFT Commenter eagerly anticipates a rematch between Team Shaq and Team Chuck, emphasizing the intense rivalry:

PFT Commenter [04:00]: "I can't wait to see the rematch of Team Shaq and Team Chuck. Oh, rivalry."

Additionally, the hosts celebrate Canada’s victory in the Four Nations Final, with guest producer Oldie sharing his Canadian perspective:

Oldie [06:43]: "They won the overtime. First of all, it was an incredible hockey game. Like just so well played, high intensity for an All Star game."

Interview with Coach Rick Pitino

St. John's Basketball Success

Rick Pitino joins the studio to discuss the impressive performance of the St. John's basketball team. He expresses surprise and excitement over the strong fan turnout at Madison Square Garden:

Rick Pitino [33:02]: "We already moved the Seton Hall game from campus to the garden, sold 16,000 seats. So that's been the biggest surprise for me and very exciting."

Coaching Philosophy and Challenges

Pitino delves into his coaching philosophy, emphasizing toughness and resilience. He discusses the impact of the NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) regulations and the transfer portal on college basketball, outlining his strategies to maintain team cohesion and performance:

Rick Pitino [35:57]: "It was an incredible tournament. It just sucks because I wanted to see Wemby... I'm not rooting for injuries, but I also do have a Jaren Jackson defensive player of the year ticket."

He addresses criticism regarding his age and succession plans, defending his long-term commitment and ensuring a solid plan for St. John's future:

Rick Pitino [51:37]: "I do think my assistant coach, Stevie Masiello, would be a great succession to me leaving. He was my New York Knicks ball boy at age 14."

Team Performance and Statistics

Pitino highlights the team’s defensive strengths and offensive rebounding capabilities, attributing their success to disciplined practice and strategic adjustments:

Rick Pitino [38:37]: "We started working on what Kevin Durant works on, the mid-range game. And we're shooting like almost 68% from about 12 to 15 feet."

He reflects on historical team performances and adapts his coaching strategies accordingly:

Rick Pitino [40:16]: "Nothing changes if nothing changes."

Addressing Criticism and Future Plans

Responding to criticism from a college basketball expert, Pitino defends his coaching tenure and the team's growth, highlighting the significant improvements and fan support:

Big Cat [51:37]: "You literally are drawing the Garden now."

Pitino also discusses the importance of expanding the tournament and increasing TV exposure to promote March Madness:

Rick Pitino [62:00]: "If it's not broken, break it and make it better. And I don't think it hurts anything to have more TV exposure."

Interview with Cooper DeJean

Super Bowl Experience

Super Bowl champion Cooper DeJean shares his exhilarating experience of winning the Super Bowl with the Philadelphia Eagles. He narrates the pivotal moment when he returned an interception from Patrick Mahomes, which shifted the game's momentum:

Cooper DeJean [82:33]: "I caught him right when he was turning around and I was able to pick him up and put him to the ground there."

Transition to the NFL

DeJean discusses his transition from college football at Iowa to the NFL, highlighting the differences in playing styles and cultural adjustments:

Cooper DeJean [86:05]: "Being used to just playing field position and having our defense keep their offense pinned back was a little different for me."

Memorable Moments and Interactions

He recounts memorable moments from the Super Bowl parade and his interactions with teammates and fans, emphasizing the camaraderie and support he received:

Cooper DeJean [80:58]: "I got to celebrate with my family down on the field after the game. That was a pretty cool moment."

Challenges and Highlights

DeJean reflects on the challenges he faced during his rookie season and the lessons learned from his Super Bowl victory. He discusses his defensive strategies and the significance of maintaining focus during high-pressure situations:

Cooper DeJean [87:14]: "Being able to go up 17-0 after a defensive touchdown, that's huge for any team."

Fire Fest of the Week

Max's Scam Experience

Producer Max shares his unfortunate experience of being scammed through an Easy Pass text message, highlighting the prevalence of phishing attempts:

Max [107:33]: "I clicked it, put in my information... Bank of America called right away saying someone's trying to take your credit card information."

Hank's Ice Fishing Adventure

Hank narrates his adventurous ice fishing trip, complete with humorous mishaps and camaraderie with friends:

Hank [115:56]: "We were in an ice fishing cabin... one of the guys started feeling sick and went for a puke rally outside."

Memorable Quotes

• Rick Pitino [35:57]: "Nothing changes if nothing changes."
• Cooper DeJean [82:33]: "Being able to go up 17-0 after a defensive touchdown, that's huge for any team."
• Big Cat [03:50]: "Shaq. We should talk about team Shaq. We should talk about Team Shaq. It was an incredible All Star game."

Fun Interactions and Games

As the episode progresses, the hosts engage in their signature number guessing game using a lottery ball machine, adding a playful and entertaining element to the show:

Big Cat [121:02]: "So are you going four or 69?"

Hank [121:12]: "We gotta go four banger."

The episode concludes with light-hearted banter and final thoughts, maintaining the show's lively and humorous atmosphere.

Conclusion

This episode of "Pardon My Take" masterfully balances serious sports discussions with the hosts' humorous takes, providing listeners with a comprehensive and entertaining overview of current sports events. From coaching insights with Rick Pitino to the thrilling recount of Cooper DeJean's Super Bowl victory, the episode offers a compelling blend of expertise, humor, and camaraderie.

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This detailed summary captures all key points, discussions, insights, and memorable moments from the episode, structured with clear sections and proper attribution of quotes, ensuring it flows naturally and is useful for those who haven't listened to the podcast.

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. Ariat started out 30 years ago by revolutionizing cowboy boots, making them as comfortable and easy to wear as athletic shoes. Now we apply that same innovation and performance know how to industry leading work boots and workwear. We develop and test both in the lab then out in the real world on real job sites with real workers. Bottom line, these are seriously comfortable work boots and workwear that do the job so you can do yours on today's part. In my take we have a twofer for the people. We have coach Rick Pitino in studio. He stopped by on Wednesday before his game against DePaul, talking St. John's a little horse racing. We also have super bowl champ Cooper Dean. We're also going to talk some usa, Canada, Four Nations Max is on vacation after vacation week so we have guest producer Oldie in the studio. If you tuned into our stream, you.

[PFT Commenter]

Saw a lot of oldie.

[Big Cat]

You saw saw a lot of Oldie so we'll get his thoughts as well. He's from Canada. We flew him in today to watch with us and then we're going to finish up with Fyre Fest of the Week. It's all brought to you by our friends at DraftKings who's scoring big in the NBA this season. You are with the all new ways to get in on the action at DraftKings Sportsbook, an official sports betting partner of the NBA. DraftKings is home of NBA Player Props, so you can get behind your favorite players. Heading which way? From monster slams to dishing the rock to cleaning the glass, it's super easy for first timers to get started. Try betting on something simple like picking an NBA player prop. Here's something special for first timers. New DraftKings customers bet $5 to get 150 in bonus bets instantly. Take it to the rack with DraftKings Sportsbook. Every point counts. Download the DraftKings Sportsbook app. Use code TAKE. That's code TAKE. For new customers, get 150 in bonus bets when you bet just five bucks only on DraftKings, the crown is yours. Gambling problem. Call 1-800-GAMBLER in New York. Call 8778-HOPENY or text hopeny467-369 in Connecticut. Help is available for problem gambling. Call 888-789 or visit ccpg.org Please play.

[Oldie]

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[Big Cat]

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[Oldie]

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[Big Cat]

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[Oldie]

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[Big Cat]

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[Oldie]

I love guys who like football.

[Big Cat]

And guys who like football, they like me back.

[Hank]

And I like them back. And even guys that don't like football, they try to avoid me because I'm.

[Oldie]

Always trying to get them to like football.

[Cooper DeJean]

Football.

[Big Cat]

Welcome to part of my take presented by DraftKings. Take it to the rack with DraftKings Sportsbook. Every point counts. Download the DraftKings Sportsbook app. Use code TAKE. That's code TAKE for new customers. Get 150 in bonus bets when you bet just five bucks only on DraftKings. The crown is yours. Today is Friday, February 21st, and congratulations to Canada for winning the All Star Game. Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

You won the All Star Game? I don't know. Like, I saw a lot of people talking about it tonight, but, I mean, the NHL All Star Game, I think we could probably. We can just talk about. MLB is doing robot umps. You want to start with that?

[Big Cat]

Sure. I mean, I can't. I can't remember the last time an All Star winner was. Like, anyone cared. No. You know what? Also, I don't know if we said this, but congratulations to Team Shaq.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, we didn't get them.

[Big Cat]

Shaq. We should talk about team Shaq. I know it's been a week, but we finally watched the tape. Team Shaq really put it on in the NBA All Star game. They were incredible.

[PFT Commenter]

I can't wait to see the rematch of team Shaq and Team Chuck. Oh, rivalry.

[Big Cat]

And. And did the NFC win the Pro Bowl?

[PFT Commenter]

I don't know, because we boycotted that.

[Big Cat]

Okay. Because we're just doing All Star Game talk. Because that's. I mean, that's where we're at in sports. Who cares about any of these games?

[PFT Commenter]

Major League Baseball. Who can. Who can forget what happened last season?

[Big Cat]

Yeah, who could forget? Truly, I. I would never forget. Would you?

[PFT Commenter]

I mean, I. I just remember when the MLB All Star Game ended as a tie and everyone was like, good. Thankfully, this game's over. We can move on. It's an exhibition. We don't care.

[Big Cat]

Who cares? Right, Hank?

[Max]

Exactly.

[Big Cat]

This preseason football. Should we talk about that? Like, who cares?

[PFT Commenter]

No, but congratulations to Canada. It's really.

[Big Cat]

All these doing the cry, face in the behind the glass, and Max's seat.

[PFT Commenter]

Congrats to Canada. My takeaway from this game.

[Max]

Cubs won today.

[Big Cat]

Oh, yeah. There we go. Spring training. Yeah. Baseball's Back.

[PFT Commenter]

My takeaway from this game is that Austin Matthews has become too Canadian and that's why we lost the game.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Because he's a Maple Leaf and Maple Leafs never win anything. And we saw that. We saw why the Maple Leafs never win anything with Austin Matthews trying to finish in overtime. Just getting robbed glove side by Binghamton. Who. Who was the best player? Like, oh, he was the reason why.

[Big Cat]

They won the overtime. First of all, it was an incredible hockey game. Like just so well played, high intensity for an All Star game. And Biddington was just insane in the overtime because us should have won the All Star game multiple times.

[PFT Commenter]

Yes.

[Big Cat]

And we would. And if they had won the All Star game, we would have started the show the exact same way saying congrats to us for winning an all Star.

[PFT Commenter]

An exhibition game.

[Big Cat]

Right. Who cares?

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. I mean honestly, I'm looking forward to the Olympics.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

The Olympic. That's what it's. Because you know what?

[Big Cat]

Right.

[PFT Commenter]

International hockey games a little bit different. Rosters are going to be a little bit different.

[Big Cat]

Yep.

[PFT Commenter]

More spaced out.

[Big Cat]

Yep.

[PFT Commenter]

It's like that. That's true. International hockey.

[Big Cat]

Taking pictures with memes. Like he's, you know, in front of the Statue of Liberty right now. The. You. You're absolutely right. This is just, I mean as far as I'm concerned, that was game two of a three game series.

[PFT Commenter]

Well, if they really wanted, if they cared about this game, if you can just ask the players on the ice, if they really cared about who won this game, they would have fought in the first period.

[Big Cat]

Agree.

[PFT Commenter]

And in that type of game, I think the US would win.

[Big Cat]

Exactly. So we do have Oldie here. He's been with us all day. When I say all day. Literally all day. He showed up at the office at 10am Puck drop wasn't till 7:30. He is Canadian. Former trash man, blue collar guy.

[PFT Commenter]

Salt man now.

[Big Cat]

Salt man.

[PFT Commenter]

Keeping the roads clean.

[Big Cat]

Yes. Doing a little bony on the side. Doing a little zamboni. Working for the town oldie. How. How did you see that game? Give us your thoughts. Unload your thoughts on that game.

[Hank]

Well, I know we. I said like before. I knew I wasn't nervous about it. I knew the boys were going to bump and grind. I called 42 like I called 42 earlier. Manifested it. I was sitting on the couch.

[PFT Commenter]

What was the final score?

[Hank]

3 2.

[Big Cat]

Okay, so you were wrong.

[Hank]

So I was wrong. But I mean if we're counting numbers here, that's only now got to be off by one.

[Big Cat]

Right.

[Hank]

Well, I. Who was the other Pickle stick in the corner sitting behind me. Tj.

[PFT Commenter]

No, Titty boy. Mark Titus.

[Hank]

Yeah. Teddy boy. Yeah, He's. He's calling 9 3. Like we're out here playing like, a football game or something. Well, I mean, like three field. Like four field goals kicked or something. I don't know.

[PFT Commenter]

Paul Bisnet, I think he predicted 6:2, right?

[Big Cat]

6:2.

[PFT Commenter]

So he was wrong, too.

[Big Cat]

See, actually, the biggest takeaway is that, Oldie, you were wrong about this game.

[Hank]

So I lied. I straight up lied.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Hank]

Like, I'm sitting here telling you guys a whole story about four and two, and it ends up being three two. Like. Yeah, that's not what happened.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

What did you think about. About the way that it ended. McJesus.

[Big Cat]

He.

[PFT Commenter]

He won an All Star game.

[Big Cat]

Turns out he's not the biggest loser for now.

[PFT Commenter]

Talk to me when he does it in the Stanley cup finals.

[Hank]

See, the All Star Game wasn't talked about on the podcast. It was four nations. We talked about the four nations, and now all of a sudden, it's an All Star Game.

[Big Cat]

Not familiar with what you're saying.

[PFT Commenter]

Wait, was. Was Russia playing the four nations?

[Hank]

Yeah, well, you guys brought up the four nations. Four nations. Like, where are the guys? Like, you know what I mean? And then all of a sudden, now it's an All Star Game.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Hank]

What happened?

[Big Cat]

What was it?

[Hank]

Were you guys not drinking?

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

I mean, Obi wasn't playing. How serious is this tournament if you're putting the best players out there?

[Hank]

Right? But maybe you guys weren't drinking enough. Body armor. I don't tell you.

[Big Cat]

That's true. You had a lot of body armor.

[Hank]

You guys weren't getting. The energy was not there from you guys. Like, I. I had. I had P. I had pft.

[Big Cat]

No, no, go with Poly P out.

[Hank]

There sipping around and telling me, trying to shake my hand. And then he got old Brady there. Taker. Yeah, Brady to me. I don't know. I don't know, Brandon. I don't know, Brandon. So I know, Brady, if you didn't.

[PFT Commenter]

Watch the stream, I. I give it my highest possible recommendation to go back and watch at least the highlights from.

[Big Cat]

The best stream we've ever done.

[PFT Commenter]

Because oldies like we oldie put on a performance for the ages.

[Big Cat]

Oh, he has a pussy.

[PFT Commenter]

And he's got something.

[Hank]

It's a side, though, because I do have the other.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, he has a pussy.

[PFT Commenter]

He has something that grows in the front, the front of his legs that when he pulls his jeans up, looks either like two giant nuts on either side or, like, the biggest camel toe you've ever. It's a beaver toe. You gotta. You got two beaver tails sticking out.

[Hank]

They're not jeans, though, P. I gotta stop you there. They're changings.

[Big Cat]

Now, Oldie, I got a question for you from. From the Canadian perspective, like, it's your sport. You invented it. Like, do you even get credit for winning your sport? I mean, it's not even in an All Star Game. Like, you should have won.

[Hank]

Basically. It's like a wash. Right? It's like, whatever. This is what we do anyways, right? Kicking ass, sea bass, like, you know what I'm saying?

[Big Cat]

Right.

[Hank]

So it doesn't even got nothing on that.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. You guys. I mean, you barely won in your own sport in an All Star game.

[Hank]

I know. Then the worst part is, is like, oh, we're going to host the Four nations to bring us over to Boston. And then all of a sudden, the boys get slapped around in the home city. That's not nice. But, I mean, we did that to you guys. We apologize, but we did it. It has to happen.

[Big Cat]

Did apologize. Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. So that's where he won the Stanley cup, right?

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Max]

Game seven.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. Real tough. Real tough. I can't believe we kept going glove side on him. He loves glove side.

[Big Cat]

Oh, he was in overtime.

[Hank]

He was. That was. That was. That was incredible. But great back and forth. But those two glove saves got the boys juicy on the bench. And I think McJesus said, like, enough's enough.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Hank]

Like, business can't be telling him, like, he's going to be nothing There, like, in the country did not crumble. We are not the 51st state.

[PFT Commenter]

Are we the 11th province? I saw some people saying that.

[Hank]

Oh, it could be.

[PFT Commenter]

Oh, I. I reject. I. I rebel against that.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Hank]

But I would put that. I would put the lines underneath the Canada flag a bit, too.

[Big Cat]

The what?

[Hank]

The lines and. Yeah.

[Big Cat]

Oh, the lines.

[Hank]

The lines.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Hank]

No, the stripes. Yeah, you're right. And maybe just one.

[PFT Commenter]

You could have Michigan. How about that?

[Hank]

Oh, that's the shittiest state you guys own. Michigan sucks.

[Big Cat]

Really?

[Hank]

Michigan sucks.

[Big Cat]

Michigan. I like Michigan.

[Hank]

Michigan's all right.

[Big Cat]

Okay.

[Hank]

You got nowhere else if you have no other 49 states to go to.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Like, I mean, what's your favorite state?

[Hank]

Ohio, bro. Buckeye Nations. Bless you.

[Big Cat]

Okay.

[Hank]

Buckeye Nations.

[Big Cat]

That makes sense.

[Hank]

We don't talk about. We don't say is. We say ishin.

[PFT Commenter]

Do you say that team down south?

[Big Cat]

Yeah, you're so. You're a Buckeyes fan because you're best friends with Rick Nash growing up. Yeah, Rick Nash. By the way, we were FaceTiming with them in between third period and OT. He confirmed that he first saw oldies when he was six years old.

[Hank]

Wow.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

You show me yours, I'll show you mine.

[Big Cat]

That was just. That was a. At that point, a boy.

[Hank]

That's a change room talk. That's kind of. You know what I mean? What does the boys do? Like, that's why I played sports. My favorite was before and after the game.

[Oldie]

So.

[Hank]

Yandel, change room guy, all day.

[PFT Commenter]

Our friend Dan showed this video of you. I. I think it was in the. It was in the playoffs, right, where the Rangers, they. They flew you out before each game won to get the boys pumped up in the locker room. You were like. You were the entertainment in the locker room minutes before they went on the ice, right?

[Hank]

Yeah, yeah, I was the fire up guy. I was fire up guy. It's got to be. That's 10 years ago. That's 10 years ago. 2015, they won the President's cup first overall in the league, so they had home ice advantage. Round one, game one flew me out. Round. Round two, game one flew me out. Round three, game one flew me out.

[Big Cat]

Okay, we're sensing a trend here.

[Hank]

Here's the kicker. My wife was eight and a half months pregnant, and she said, you can't go. My parents said, you can't go. Everyone's like, you can't go. Text them back. Got on the next flight, had gone, sorry.

[Oldie]

For the boys.

[Big Cat]

For the boys.

[PFT Commenter]

When you texted your wife back, did you say, sorry, boys, I gotta go?

[Hank]

Oh, I just. I was gone. I just told. This is the plan. The guy texted me from the Rangers, said, hey, do you mind coming up to fire up the boys in the change room before the game? I said, absolutely. So I. That was it. That was it. Like, my parents said, no. My old lady said, no. Absolute best wife in the world. Best woman, absolute gem.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, she married a guy with a.

[Hank]

Like, I'm. Dude, she can't beat that, bro. Two for one. That's like a double token, right? You get to cake and eat it. Kind of both aspects. Yeah. So they flew me in.

[Big Cat]

They flew me in.

[Hank]

Yeah. It was a wild ride.

[PFT Commenter]

I don't know if you saw Kanye West's tweets the other day, but I. I think one would relate very closely to you. Oh, what would it say, like, if you had. If you were born a hermaphrodite, tell me you wouldn't stick your dick in your Own.

[Big Cat]

That's a good point.

[Hank]

Possibility. Yeah.

[Big Cat]

You know what I mean?

[Hank]

If you think about it, you're sitting around, well, what could happen, Right? But if you're with the boys, then all of a sudden you're solo. Dolo like now, what's up. Right.

[Big Cat]

It's a good point. All right, so you mentioned Biz. Pft. Biz got assaulted today. As our friend Ryan Whitney said. Worse than what the Irish travelers did to him because Fox News ran a clip, they wrote a story on a clip from our podcast on Wednesday saying, x Team Canada star says country will have national emergency of team USA or team loses to us in four nations final AKA the All Star game. And then he got community noted and it said Bissonnet may have played for Team Canada as a teenager in Under 18 World Championships. He was far from a star then and could be considered the pinnacle of his career. Paul Biz Nasty never played for Canada again. His famous come post career as a media personality. Brutal. Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

But fair.

[Big Cat]

Fair, because that's community notes. Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

On X. The everything app.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

It's all happening on it.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. So. But yeah, it was, it was, it was a great All Star game. It was one of my favorite all Star games, I'll say that much.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, I'd say it's probably this year. I'd say top two.

[Big Cat]

Top two. Top two. Not two.

[PFT Commenter]

I'd say. Yeah. Shaq.

[Big Cat]

Shaq. Shaq.

[PFT Commenter]

Shock. One for the agents.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. All right. So, Oldie, we're gonna talk some other sports. You can chime in whenever you want. What do you. Any thoughts on Wemby being out for the year?

[Hank]

Oh, man, that's tough, dude.

[Big Cat]

That's.

[Hank]

That's tough, man. That's tough. Like coming in as rookie, big beast like that. And then all of a sudden he gets. What do you get, a blood clot or something?

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, blood clotis in the shoulder. So they're gonna put him on blood thinners.

[Hank]

What's going on?

[Big Cat]

So bad.

[Hank]

And I think he was favorite to win rookie of the year. Correct.

[Big Cat]

He was a rookie last year.

[Oldie]

He was.

[Max]

He went to player of the year.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Max]

Yeah.

[Hank]

Sorry, player.

[PFT Commenter]

There must be some big ass clots too. And he's got very large arms.

[Big Cat]

And I immediately think of Chris Bosh because he ended up. He had an incredible career, but he had to retire at the end because of blood clots.

[PFT Commenter]

I thought those might have been in his lungs.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, but it's still serious.

[PFT Commenter]

Still serious. Still scary.

[Big Cat]

So.

[PFT Commenter]

Hope Wemby's okay.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. It just sucks because I wanted to see Wemby, you know, he's. He's having a great year. Hank, you don't root for injuries, but you also do have a Jaren Jackson defensive player of the year ticket.

[Max]

I do, but I don't root for injuries.

[PFT Commenter]

But you don't root for injuries.

[Max]

It went from plus 2200 to minus, like 180.

[Hank]

It.

[Big Cat]

You know, the spurs probably weren't going to make the playoffs, but still they were. They had a chance to, you know, maybe get into the. Sneak into the playing game. It still just sucks.

[PFT Commenter]

I think they might have gotten in the playing game, and I was just very much looking forward to watching Chris Paul losing the playoffs and blame it all on him.

[Big Cat]

And Rosillo.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, and Rosillo. But unfortunately, I don't think we'll be able to do that this year.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, it sucks. It sucks. All right. What other sports is national sports podcast? We probably shouldn't have even talked about all star games.

[PFT Commenter]

MLB does have robot umps now.

[Big Cat]

I saw that.

[PFT Commenter]

So they brought that in for. For the spring training games.

[Big Cat]

Yep.

[PFT Commenter]

And so there were a couple challenges. It has to be, I think the. The batter or the catcher. I don't know if the pitcher. Maybe the pitcher is allowed to challenge a call.

[Big Cat]

Yep.

[PFT Commenter]

So it's not coming from the dugout, which I like. I like the fact that it's on the field and those guys have to make the call and see, like, okay, does it really matter if I get the strike called against me?

[Oldie]

Right.

[PFT Commenter]

Am I that important to the team to use a challenge? Then you have to, like, tip your cap at the umpire. So you have to, like, say, you, that was a bad call in a very classy way. And then it takes, like, 10 seconds and they have the Hawkeye thing. I kind of like it.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, I. I do. I do worry, as always, that when you take away umps, you. You take away, like, 50% of the conversations guys can have with each other, and that goes for refs and. And everything in sports. If you can't complain about the calls, what are we going to talk about? It basically be like putting a ban on no discussion about the weather. Like you. What small talk can you do if. If everything is robots and it's always perfect, but it's kind of cool.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, it is. I think it's going to be fine. Especially because I think they're limiting the amount of challenges.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

So it's. It's okay. It's like you get a bonus play, like in football when they bring the chains out onto the field, you get that 10 second pause and then you get to watch it again, and then you get to react a second time to it.

[Big Cat]

Maybe what they should have done is they should have made the robot arms, but it should have just been the robot. Should have just been Joe West. Yeah, that would have been cool if. Joe. You like that one?

[Hank]

Yeah, that's a great one. I just clicked on to that.

[Big Cat]

I mean, now do you know who Joe west is?

[Hank]

Absolutely not.

[Oldie]

No.

[Hank]

You know, he's the worst dump in the league. Terrible.

[Big Cat]

Do you have a. Do you root for the Blue Jays?

[Hank]

Yeah, you gotta. It's. We only. That's the only squadron we got. We got the Blue Jays.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, Yeah.

[Hank]

I watch Blue Jays baseball. Only if it's postseason.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Hank]

I'm not a ball guy. I'm not a ball guy.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Hank]

Slow game. Slow game.

[Big Cat]

You just. Slow.

[Hank]

Slow.

[Big Cat]

Very slow.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, like.

[Hank]

Yeah, it's good. It's great. But I mean, no offense, I wish.

[PFT Commenter]

That if they had robot umps, that it's actually a robot.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Behind home plate. Like a. The Boston Dynamics dog behind home plate.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, that'd be nice.

[Hank]

That'd be sick, actually.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, you.

[Big Cat]

You said. I don't. I don't like it. It's. It's a slow game. It's a bad game, but it's an okay game. It's all right.

[Hank]

Bottom. Bottom. Of the four major sports, for sure. We'll rank them hockey, football, then to throw the NBA.

[Big Cat]

Okay.

[Hank]

And then we got to drop the MLB number four.

[PFT Commenter]

Can you explain something to us as.

[Hank]

A Canadian, an mls. What happened? I didn't do anything there.

[PFT Commenter]

As a Canadian, what is a rouge?

[Hank]

Rouge in football. A rouge?

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, Canadian football. You guys have a rouge, right? It's a way that you can score. Something to do with a punt.

[Hank]

Yeah, I don't know. I'm not a. I'm not a CFL guy.

[Big Cat]

Who's. Who's your NFL team?

[Hank]

Oh, Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

[Big Cat]

Oh, yeah, that's right.

[Hank]

What about my boy?

[Big Cat]

Nowhere, dude.

[Hank]

You can't stop that guy. My boy's a beast.

[Big Cat]

Who are you talking about? We should have played a guessing game there. I thought you were talking about Gurdon Baker.

[Hank]

Yeah. Oh, dude.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Hank]

But look at the guy's catches. He's caught from Evans. He got from Mayfield.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Hank]

Tom Brady. Okay. And then my boy Crab Steel and Jameis Winston back in college, and he went 30 for 30. You remember that?

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Hank]

Only quarterback to do that. And here I am still sitting, riding, going hard because my boy, Warren SAP you know, Mikey Allott in the middle, pumping guys. Simeon Rice.

[Oldie]

What?

[Hank]

Keyshawn Johnson on the outside. Who are we talking about? And then Alva, tell him. I'm a Bucks fan. You know, some of the boys were from Boston. They're always saying, yeah, because Brady. Because Brady. Mind your business with Brady. I was cheering on when Winston was still throwing picks. Guys. Who does that? Jamis, obviously, he's the only guy to do it still. I'm gonna do that stupid record. It's a bad record. That was almost as bad as my threes today on the one net.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Hank]

Not good.

[Big Cat]

The only other one I had, the only other sports story is Zach Martin retired. Incredible career. I saw this stat. Chase Daniel tweeted out, Zach Martin finished with more all pros 9 than holding penalties 7.

[PFT Commenter]

That's pretty incredible.

[Big Cat]

That's insane.

[PFT Commenter]

That also also tells me that he was very good at holding and getting away.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Also, Zach Martin is. I know that we've been doing this for a long time. We're coming up on a decade and you know, we've been around and, and we meet people all the time. But it still like always blows my mind when we meet a really good football player, really good, you know, sports player, and they're like, oh, yeah, I listen to you guys. And we met Zach Martin at the super bowl week. He's like, yeah, I listen to you guys all the time. I was like, really? You're Zach Martin?

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. You probably shouldn't listen.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, you're the man. So, incredible career.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. Congrats.

[Big Cat]

Incredible career.

[PFT Commenter]

I'm very glad that I don't have to play against you again.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, well. Any other stories?

[Oldie]

What?

[Big Cat]

Oh, old.

[Hank]

No, congrats. No, he's absolute weapon.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Hank]

Absolute weapon. And here he is. He's loving the boys, but you know what I mean, that just shows you. You guys are the beauts. It's not him anymore. He's wrapped up. He's putting groceries in the bags for the people at the store. A Walmart greeter. I don't know. You know, he's got to carry on. Boys, I'd love to stick around right now, but I got so much body flow. A body armor now. No, I gotta catch a quick piss break.

[Big Cat]

Okay.

[Hank]

I can't even hold. I'm gonna piss my pants here. But I can't do that though. I'm a 40 year old man. I can't do that non alcoholic either. Like that's a bad look. Give me a couple here. Don't shut her down.

[Big Cat]

Okay.

[Hank]

All right.

[Big Cat]

We won't shut her down.

[PFT Commenter]

Body armor, arms. Right of the flash IVs.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, it was a lot of body armor reads. Hey, oldie, while you're taking a piss, think of at the end of every show on Friday we do fire fest. So whatever the worst thing that happened to you this week is, or it could be the last month.

[Hank]

All right.

[Big Cat]

All right. Okay. Go take a piss.

[PFT Commenter]

Okay.

[Hank]

Love you.

[Big Cat]

He's coming.

[Max]

I thought he's going to his hotel.

[Big Cat]

I thought he was like, the guy's been here for 13 hours. I thought he was like, you know what? That's it. I've had enough. Yeah, I'm out of here.

[PFT Commenter]

He has his. His blood type is as close to cocaine as possible. Not that he's doing it.

[Big Cat]

No, he doesn't. He said he's never tried it.

[PFT Commenter]

He's. He says that he's been told his entire life. We know what you're like, never touch the stuff.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, he's. He's an incredible.

[PFT Commenter]

Acts like he just saw Josh Allen win MVP all the time.

[Big Cat]

Every single time.

[PFT Commenter]

Wild.

[Big Cat]

But yeah, he's. He was. He's an incredible, incredible dude. I've been specimen. I almost puked on the stream because I was laughing so hard when he did the handstand. That moment when he. When we first saw the side pouch and I was convinced, I was just looking at his ball sack.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

And I just couldn't. He just like, no, dude, this is. I think his words were, this could go on Disney right now.

[PFT Commenter]

This is a human body. Nothing wrong with this. Just a couple pouches for the boys. He also brought a bunch of treats for us and they were all great. That's, that's my other big takeaway from tonight is Canada. You have fantastic snack foods.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, you do.

[PFT Commenter]

Unbelievable snack foods. The coffee flavored chocolate bar, whatever that was called.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

The coffee break might be the best candy bar I've ever had. They got the all dressed chips. They've got the, the ketchup chips.

[Big Cat]

You brought Timbits.

[PFT Commenter]

Timbits. They've got the, the smarties and their Smarties are chocolate.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. I listen.

[PFT Commenter]

Incredible job by Canada with the treats.

[Big Cat]

Now that all these not here. I mean Team Canada deserved to win that game with the way Bennington played.

[PFT Commenter]

It was incredible.

[Big Cat]

It was. Yeah. And that was an awesome, awesome hockey.

[PFT Commenter]

He had three of the best saves I've seen in a long time. Just in overtime.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. And it was like incredible tournament. I hope they do that as often as possible because that was so good for hockey.

[PFT Commenter]

See in 2026 though.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, see, in 2026, we're ready to go. All right. Do we have anything else before we get to our interviews?

[Hank]

Who? Boys. Wow. Yeah, I almost never made it. And believe it, believe it or not, but somebody turned the lights off. I don't know, some kind of sick joke. But I had to, like, good thing I pissed so many times. I know where the pisser was. And I started feeling the top and I heard the metal clanging. I knew that was the top. Where you can flush it down there.

[Big Cat]

I think they're censored lights.

[Hank]

I don't think so. Dude, what's going on?

[PFT Commenter]

Are you a ghost? Do you exist?

[Hank]

I believe so. I was out here bumping and grinding. I don't know if it's just. I don't know if it's this building is two and a half star dump or what's going on, but keeps calling.

[Big Cat]

This place a two and a half star dump. He was playing hockey at like 10:30 in the morning, having the time of his life. He's like, yeah, I guess it's okay for a two and a half star.

[Hank]

Our dump just out here bumping and grinding. Like, I want a bigger ceiling fans. Kids get too hot out there, you know what I mean?

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

So, oldie, we're just talking about the great snacks that you brought. Were there any. Are there any American snacks that you don't get up in Canada that you really want?

[Hank]

Oh, dude, the Reese's Pieces pieces.

[Big Cat]

But the big lava cup.

[Hank]

The lava cup, bro. You ain't gonna deny that.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, it's incredible.

[Big Cat]

Incredible.

[Hank]

Absolutely big and juicy, bro. Like, if your mouth isn't like salvating or. What's it called there?

[Big Cat]

Yeah, yeah.

[Hank]

Ye. So good, dude. That's a nice crunch with a nice. Oh, yeah, Reese's. Throw it in there with a quick body armor. Shaboom. Shabooms. You're ready to rock and roll all night, dude. Like, you know who's the best spokesperson?

[Big Cat]

We might just hire you just to read ads.

[Hank]

Great gig. Great gig. And then what do I do? Just go back off and then go on?

[Big Cat]

Yeah, you just drink a body armor, then you come back up, have a Reese's lava cup.

[PFT Commenter]

You ever had these? Truly unruly.

[Big Cat]

Delicious.

[PFT Commenter]

You love them.

[Big Cat]

Oh, yeah.

[Hank]

You should crush one of those.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, for the boys.

[Hank]

Yeah, crushed.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, yeah, crush it. Truly unruly.

[Hank]

All right, I'm coming in.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Hank]

All right, I'm back in. Okay, see you guys in like 30 seconds.

[PFT Commenter]

Don't go anywhere.

[Big Cat]

We're not going anywhere. Oh, man. What is he doing?

[PFT Commenter]

8% alcohol. 100. Delicious.

[Big Cat]

It's the best. The absolute best.

[PFT Commenter]

It's a berry blast right there.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, have that right there.

[Hank]

There you go.

[Big Cat]

You got your berry. Wait, go back in and do it on the mic so we can hear you. Yeah.

[Hank]

Oh, you want to see the sucker chuck it back?

[Big Cat]

Yeah, yeah, don't go anywhere, right? We know where she goes. Yeah, don't go anywhere.

[PFT Commenter]

We know where she goes. Right down the belly there. Okay, now.

[Big Cat]

Oh, all right, he's back. He's back. He's got to put on his. His cans.

[Max]

Do we have a truly read?

[Big Cat]

No. Oh, we did. Well, we did. We did one during the interviews. But yeah, truly unruly is the absolute best. 8% ABV.

[Hank]

Absolutely delicious, gents. I just want to thank you very much. Appreciate that. You guys didn't take off in that 30 seconds. Yeah, that was real nice.

[Big Cat]

That would have sucked of us if we were just gone.

[Hank]

Like, that was a great. That was a great Canadian move. Like stick around for the boys. Yeah, don't bounce on them, right? Yeah, like. All right, later, oldie. And these guys are gone. Back door. And you guys stuck around like a true. Like it. Like we're going to speak here. Truly unruly. Very blast. Yeah, you hear that noise? That's noise of sweetness right there.

[Big Cat]

Oh, yeah.

[Hank]

Oh, truly in. In 4, 3, 2, 1, hatch. There it is, folks.

[Big Cat]

It's delicious, right?

[Hank]

Excuse me. Oh, I could go now. That's a berry blaster from the pastor right there.

[Big Cat]

All right, oldie, before we do our interviews, tell us real quick you drive the bony back at home?

[Hank]

Yeah, I used to drive the Boney. Now I'm pushing back snow and the old heavy 40. I bump and grind out there with the fire station to volunteer.

[Big Cat]

Oh, nice. You were a trash man before that.

[Hank]

Sanitary engineer.

[Big Cat]

Come on, sanitary engine.

[Hank]

Come on. We talked about a little more respect. Please give me some credentials.

[Big Cat]

You drove the trash truck though?

[Hank]

Yeah, I drove the trash truck for 12 years. 12 years. I used to do rear load. So we had two guys bumping and grinding. Then we had the solo dolo front end. Excuse me, guys. That's a truly burp. I apologize. You can't hide that like nothing wants staying. It's like so much liquid in there. It's like. It's like the Gulf of Mexico. It's like the Gulf of America down here.

[Big Cat]

There you go.

[Hank]

The big splash of golf America just splashing back and forth in the old ring rod there.

[Big Cat]

How. How would you Rate your bony driving. Were you the best?

[Hank]

Oh, it's got to be a solid 8.4.

[Big Cat]

Okay, okay.

[Hank]

I can't sit here and stand the cat's ass because there's gonna be bony drivers coming at me hot, dude.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, right?

[Hank]

Like, they're gonna be coming up from Canada. They're gonna be coming down here in Canada on the bonies crossing the border. Yeah, we want to get this boy. I'll show him a real flood.

[Big Cat]

Would, would, would. Would parents, though, complain about your bony driving?

[Hank]

Some would just keep looking at you like you don't know what you're doing. But when I'm running, flawless. No lines out there. Straight, clear ice. Can't beat it, dude.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

When was the last time you got a Tilly?

[Hank]

Tilly who I used to get into quite a bit.

[Big Cat]

Tilly's a fight for anyone.

[Hank]

I know that. Yeah.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, well, you said that, and I didn't know what you were talking about.

[Hank]

If no one knows Tilly, like, wake up, bro. Smell the coffee beans. You're gonna get dropped here, son. I don't want to do it to you, but you're gonna have no front grill. I don't say to you, you might give me a couple sluggers, but I'm coming in hot.

[PFT Commenter]

The reason I ask is because you. You came here prepared. You taped the wrists up tonight just in case you got in one.

[Hank]

Well, you know how it goes, Op.

[PFT Commenter]

Did you think I do? I do. Did you think you were gonna get in one tonight?

[Hank]

Well, you don't know. You don't know what happens working in the corners like that. Right?

[Big Cat]

Right.

[Hank]

One of the boys don't like it. Quick little slash, quick little hack. Couple maybe, you know, a little dirty butt end.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Hank]

Move or an elbow. You don't like it, right?

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Anybody ever uppercut you right in that pouch and get their hands stuck in there like they're reaching out to pull their leg out of quicksand?

[Hank]

No. No one's got stuck in there yet. No gander on that, though. Yeah. No, Martili is not that too much crazy. I used to play lacrosse. Used to be able to go the guy if you want. Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

I mean, if I'm looking at you, I. I can tell right off the bat that's a guy you don't want to get into Tilly with.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Hank]

And it doesn't matter the guy. Big, small, or tall. Give him a. Give him a run. Yeah. You want to go it wrong what you brung.

[PFT Commenter]

You want one.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Hank]

You know what I mean? You're Six. Four.

[Oldie]

Wrong.

[Hank]

When you're brung, you're. You're five, eight. Bring it.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Hank]

I don't know what to tell you. You know what I mean?

[Big Cat]

Ye. Exactly what you mean. All right, let's. Let's get to our interviews. Oldie's gonna stick around for fire Fest. We got Rick Patino and then super bowl champ Cooper DeJean. Okay. Before we get to coach Rick Pitino, we are brought to you by our friends at Chevy. Chevy has packed more capability in the Silverado Trail Boss so that you can pack more fun into your weekend. Have yourself a Friday, Saturday, Sunday with the truck that says no to nothing. Tailgates, spontaneous camping trips, DIY projects. Bring it on. What about a cross country road trip? Silverado is a perfect ride for last year's grit week out west. Recently, they helped us give fullbacks the recognition they deserve with the low man award. So learn more about Silverado trail [e-mail] Chevrolet together, let's drive. The Trail Boss gives you an extra 2 inch lift, so maybe Hank can finally dunk. It's also 495 pounds of torque. Learn more about the Silverado trail [e-mail] Chevrolet let's drive. We're also brought to you by our friends at Truly. Let's get unruly. We love Truly Unruly. The Strawberry Smash is my personal favorite. Truly Unruly is the first high ABV hard seltzer that actually tastes good. It tastes delicious. In fact, Truly Unruly is a hard seltzer that breaks all the rules. Drinks light, parties hard with 8% ABV. It hits hard but still tastes amazing. Comes in four fresh flavors. Tropical twist, Berry Blast, Citrus Crush, Strawberry Smash. My personal favorite. It's the official hard seltzer. Apart my take, find Truly Unruly at a store near you or visit www.trulyhardseltzer.com what's your favorite? PFT.

[PFT Commenter]

I like the Berry Smash.

[Big Cat]

Excuse me? Very Blast. And I am the Strawberry Smash. You Citrus Crush guy. Hank, I think you are. I think Hank's Citrus Crush. So we got all the flavors. Tropical twist, Berry Blast, Citrus Crush, strawberry smash. 8% ABV. Tastes absolutely delicious. It's the official hard seltzer. Pardon my take. Find Truly Unruly at a store near you or Visit truly hard seltzer.com okay, here he is, coach Rick Patino. Okay. We now welcome on a very special guest recurring guest. It is head coach of St. John's basketball, Rick Patino back in studio. Coach, thank you so much for coming back in to our office. You have the documentary, guys, the show is out now. You can watch it on Vice. I watched the first episode. It's called Red Storm Rising. It feels like since you were last year. So last year you guys didn't make the tournament. You now have a show about you. You're the 10th team in the. In the country. Feels like everything. Tino Ball is starting to work at St. John. Is that fair to say?

[Oldie]

Yeah, the biggest surprise I've had. It's very tough to pack Madison Square Garden. It's a pro town, as Chicago is, and we're like the 10th, 11th pro team. So I thought we could be competitive this year. Didn't know how good we would be. You never do with the nil stuff. But packing Madison Square Garden with all St. John's fans, not half Connecticut or 5,000 Villanova the other night was amazing to me. We already moved the Seton hall game from campus to the garden, sold 16,000 seats. So that's been the biggest surprise for me and very exciting.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

And how much access do these guys have behind the scenes with you?

[Oldie]

Oh, they're there. A couple times I've asked them to leave, but they're there. They catch it like, next episode, Talik Brown, who's the point guard of the National Championship of Connecticut team, goes off crazy. And I was in the other room and I come in and he goes berserk. And they captured the whole thing. So.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, I mean, they got a great clip of you from the other night. Was it the halftime speech?

[Oldie]

Yes.

[PFT Commenter]

At halftime, you just kind of unloaded on your team. You just let them know everything that was wrong with them. You guys need to toughen the fuck up. I think you said, did you know after you gave that speech, you're like, I nailed that.

[Oldie]

No, I wasn't thinking that way. We were down like 10, 12 points. And what's been bothering me the whole year with my team is they count their misses. So we're not the greatest three point shooting team. But if my guys miss a couple of free throws, a couple of threes, they won't take them anymore. And it drives me crazy because they're wide open. Everybody's packing the lane on us. And I keep telling them, shoot. I told them the other day, if you hear me say, shoot it or kill it, you must shoot the ball. So they kept hanging their heads every time they missed. Every time they missed a free throw, they'd hang their heads. And it got to a point I said, you guys got to toughen up, man. This Is this is not only the game of basketball. This is a game of life. You guys face a little adversity and you're wilting. It can't be. You gotta be tougher. You gotta learn. And it was from the heart. Yeah, but I was trying to win a game.

[Big Cat]

It was great. Because I do think that especially in college sports right now with the transfer portal and nil, there's a lot of people that are like, hey, tough coaching doesn't really happen as much anymore because guys are getting paid and guys can jump from one school to the next. So. So I feel like that was a pretty good promo for what you still stand for and your coaching style. And I think there are kids out there that still want that. They want to be coached hard.

[Oldie]

Well, both of you know this. Your favorite teachers are the ones that were toughest on you and taught you the most. And today, you can be tough on the team, but you can't be tough on them individually in front of the team. If you want to be tough individually, you call them in your office, you go one on one, and you tell them the way you feel and get feedback collectively as a team, you can get after them, and they'll be very receptive. Most of them will say, oh, he's not talking about me.

[Big Cat]

Right.

[Oldie]

Somebody else.

[Big Cat]

Right.

[PFT Commenter]

So did you notice a difference? Have you seen anything already since you gave them that speech, like they missed a shot?

[Oldie]

It's been a little bit about 50% better. But that part of the season, we've had some issues where we've had to correct some major, major flaws in the way we go about things. And today, in the last, like, 10 games, we've corrected them. They're confident. They're also not about themselves. It is about the team. I don't. Only Kadari, as a freshman at Syracuse, has experienced the NCAA tournament, and Zubi did at his first year at Kansas, but didn't play at all.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, I also think you're like your team defense. I love watching you guys play. The Connecticut game, I think it was two weeks ago, was a perfect example where you guys got punched in the mouth. It was a crazy crowd at stores. You're down. I think you're down like 16, 18 early. And you guys got back in that game. But watching that game, you didn't get back in the game because you started hitting shots. You got back in the game because of defense. You started. You started making everything tough for UConn and then getting, you know, getting back in the game by shutting them down. First. Which I don't feel like you see very often anymore. Yeah.

[Oldie]

Will you pick up a stat sheet with us? Sometimes I am just marveled at our guys that were winning the game the other day against creighton. We're shooting 30 something percent, 50 something percent from the foul line. I think we were poorly from the three point line as well. And we're up one.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Oldie]

Based on force turnovers and offensive rebounds. We're a great offensive rebounding team because we miss a lot.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Yeah. So wait, how do you fix that? Because I know the watching the first episode, which everyone should go watch it because it is really very well done. But I watched the first episode and there was a lot talking about Kadari Richmond, who's, you know, your star player in fixing his shot. Have you noticed that his shot has gotten better and how, how does that process even work?

[Oldie]

Like it gets better in our player development sessions, but in the game he still goes back to the little hitch that he does have. But what we're trying to do more than anything else is give them the confidence to take it. And then more than we. I've changed. Last time I was here with you, we were talking about the drills we do for three point shooting and our player development. So this year I found that we have five different shooting drills that we do and we chart each day. And it was the lowest, even lower than Iona, of all the places I've worked. So I realized at that point we weren't going to be a great three point shooting team. So we started working on what Kevin Durant works on, the mid range game. And I've gone from a big proponent of three point shot. Right now we're shooting like almost 68% from about 12 to 15ft.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Oldie]

And we've worked very hard at that. And RJ's gotten great at it. Kadari is great at it. Most of our players are really, really talented at the mid range game.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

You're playing to your strengths right now. So it's interesting you mentioned, I think you were kind of joking, but you get a lot of offense rebounds because you miss a lot of shots. There are shots though that result in a higher percentage of offensive rebounds, aren't there?

[Oldie]

I think Kelvin Sampson in Houston is the greatest proponent of that. I mean, they are unbelievable offensive rebounding team. Now he, he does have a better shooting team this year. But if you are an average shooting team, which I think we are, we're average. Sometimes we're decent. We've got to be a Great offensive rebounding team. And we also have to keep our turnovers down. The other day against Creighton, I believe we had five or six turnovers in the game.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, I, I so a quote that you had. And I love this because it is very coach speech speak. So I want, I want you to maybe tell me exactly what, what this means. But you said nothing changes if nothing changes. I liked it. It's like the standard is the standard. Football guys usually say that.

[Oldie]

Yes. I stole that from my wife's mother in law.

[Big Cat]

Okay.

[Oldie]

And it was an Irish expression she got from her mother who had an Irish brogue. And nothing's going to change if nothing changes. And I tell these guys, I tell Kedari this all the time. I said, kadari, it's not going to change. Your shot's not going to change with the 42 minutes with me. If you don't get in the gym like Donovan Mitchell got in the gym every single night to improve his arc talk. It's not changing. You're not changing bad habits just by showing up. I said, you've got to work at that and work at that and work at that. And Donovan certainly did it. And Kadari's not mastered that yet.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. I just love the quote because it's one of those, when you hear it, first you're like, that's kind of dumb. And then you're like, oh, shit, that actually means something. Nothing changes if nothing changes.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, there's two different nothing changes. Two different nothings, though. The first nothing is the one you want to change.

[Big Cat]

Right.

[PFT Commenter]

The second nothing is the work you have to, to put in to make the nothing change.

[Oldie]

Right.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Oldie]

And, and the other thing is, I've always believed coming off the 2013 championship at Louisville, you know, I was really concerned about the team and we had quite a few players back and somebody said, look, if it's not broken, stick with your game plan of 2, 2, 1 to a matchup press. I said, no, you know what? If nothing's broken, break it. You got to make it better because everybody's going to be prepared for it. Everybody's going to steal it. And that's. I believed in it as well. If nothing's broken, don't stay the same. Break it and make it better. Innovate, get creative. And I don't believe in staying the same. You've got to change. And yeah, as we get close to the tournament, we have to put in five new plays that they're not going to see come tournament time.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

So There's a stat that I saw earlier today that in the last 13 years, since 2012, there have been two teams that have made the Final four. If they're shooting, I believe under 34% from three. You coach 2012, Louisville shot 31.8 from three, got to the Final Four. 2013, Louisville 33.1 from three, got to the final Four. This year, I believe you're at 29.3. So if there's a coach that can get a team that sometimes struggles from the outside of the Final Four, it would be you. Do you feel like this team, the. The tournament format, do you feel like that sets up nicely for the style of play you guys have?

[Oldie]

Well, I think I've been blessed with so many different types of teams. My 96 championship team, I thought my second unit could have won it. We had like seven, eight pros on the team. The 2000, the 87 Providence team was Billy Donovan and a bunch of guys that were just great guys and worked hard. But we had great shooters on the wing. My 2005 team at Louisville was just great shooters on the wing. Neither team was great defensively. Then. The two teams you mentioned were great defensively. Struggled a little bit, but they were great off the bounce. Players Peyton Siever, Russ Smith, they could take Luke Hancock, they could take you off the bounce. And the same thing is true with RJ Luiz. With this team, Kadari, Richmond, Simeon Wilshire, they can take you off the bounce. So I don't worry about that stat too much. As long as we're shooting the two point shot at a high number, which we are.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Are you starting to get illusions of grandeur with this team? Because that was the other thing you said early on. You're like, I don't. I liked it. Because a lot of coaches won't be as honest as you were. Like, I don't have illusions of grandeur for these guys yet. Like, are they good? I don't know. We haven't played anyone. We got to find out. So are you starting to think, hey, this team is a dangerous team, come march.

[Oldie]

My post game speech the other night, I asked Vice to leave it. And I said, look, guys, just want to tell you right now, you have done something that I didn't think you could do. I didn't think you could pack Madison Square Garden. I didn't think would happen in two years. So all the credit goes to you. You're on top of the Big east, which is amazing. All the credit goes to you. But understand now your Life takes on a new meaning because now people want more and more and more. And I told them what you guys just repeated about some of the teams I've coached that weren't super talented team like the 96 team, and the sky's the limit, but you must do the following things. And I went through it. You must take your game now to a new level, because March Madness is right around the corner.

[Big Cat]

Right?

[Oldie]

And. And they were pumped up about it. I said, but you guys, what you're doing to me, I marvel at. And then I said something. I said, look, I don't know, guys. I'm 72. I'm having a blast. I said, if I'm blessed enough to coach three or four more years, so be it. If I go out this year and you guys make an incredible run, so be it. But I just want to let you know how gratifying it is to watch you reach these heights.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Yeah. And there is. There's something about Rick Pitino in the second years that you've been able to do it. What? What is that? Because, you know, they. They showed it in. In the first episode. But Providence, second year, you go from 17 and 14 team to a final four, Kentucky, they. People will think, oh, how can you turn around Kentucky? It's Kentucky. No, they had the death penalty. You guys were ineligible. You turned them around. Louisville, same thing. Iona, and now this second year at St. John. What is it about, like, the second year that you're able to do this and have these big bounces?

[Oldie]

I think you got to develop with a basketball team how much you hate losing. You got to develop that, how much you despise losing. And then when you lose, you're willing to do anything to correct those mistakes, and you build that. Not that you're a sore loser, but did you gotta hate losing inside, You've gotta hate to lose. So if you're down 14 with six to go, you have to have the belief you're gonna come back and win that game because you hate to lose. And I think we instill that. It takes a year to instill that, but these guys feel it right now, and they hate to lose. I told them, Today, we have DePaul tonight. I said, guys, DePaul can beat anybody in this league. They were up four at Marquette last week. Late in the game, we all saw what Connecticut did to Seton hall. And I told them, I said, let's take Connecticut as an example. If they would have lost to Seton hall, and now they have nine or 10 losses and they lose to us or somebody else, Will they go to tournament 11 and 12, and they're an outstanding team and superbly well coached. I said, so you have to understand this is just the beginning, right now with five games left.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, this might be a dumb question, but along those same lines, can a team win too much? Like, is it good? From a coach's pers. Obviously, you want to win every game you play and every game you coach. But it's useful sometimes to have a bad loss where you can light a fire to their ass. Right. So how do you keep that going if. If you're on such a great streak and you keep, you know, beating teams that maybe some people think that you shouldn't beat?

[Oldie]

Yeah, I think it's a great question. It happened to me one time in 96. Young Chicago kid named Antoine Walker. We're playing. We were on a run that was incredible. The average margin of victory, I think, in the SEC at that time was 26 points. And the SEC was very strong back then. So we were killing everybody. And we go into the tournament, we've won every year, the tournament. And I said, boy, I'd love to not win it this year because we were so invincible, beating people. And Antoine Walker, I took him out of the game. I said, great defense, Tuan, will you keep him in front of you? He said, I did. They didn't switch. He gave me a very honest answer. I said, you're done for tonight. And I knew if I kept him out, we'd have a chance of losing. So sure enough, one of the Mississippi State players sat on the ground. Now, we tried to win the game. Yeah, we did everything possible, but wasn't going to play. I forgot his name. He played in the pros. 6, 7, forward sat on the ground and shot the ball from the ground with no time. And we lost in the finals. And I was happy. I knew at that point we're going to win national championship.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. It just gives the motivation.

[Oldie]

But with this team, to answer your question, no, we had four losses. We don't need to lose.

[PFT Commenter]

You don't need that at this point. Yeah. When that shot goes in, did you have to act like you were really upset in the moment?

[Oldie]

Yeah, I was going to get all over Antoine. Antwan was great to coach. I mean, he drove me crazy because every single day he'd come up to me during practice. He was a trash talker all the time. And he would say, coach, do me a favor. Get Ron Mercer. Get. Get Ron off of me. He's going to lose. His confidence. We need him to play well next game. Put somebody else on me.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Oldie]

He would do that to me the whole practice. Coach, get him off me. You're going to kill his confidence.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. The, that, that early season loss to Baylor. I, I know that, you know, you can't comment on it, but you did cover two and a half, so thank you for that.

[Oldie]

But the ball was. What upsets me about that. The ball was in his hands.

[Big Cat]

I know.

[Oldie]

And the referee didn't have a stopwatch. Didn't take a look at that. I mean, you have to do that.

[Big Cat]

I know.

[Oldie]

So I'm counting it. That we've only had three loss.

[Big Cat]

I mean. And also very weird. I mean, you're playing in a, in like a conference room.

[Oldie]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

In the Bahamas. Yeah. In the ballroom. Yeah.

[Oldie]

I mean, it's great to play in it, but the, the courts are always slippery.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Oldie]

The clock wasn't very well adjusted.

[Big Cat]

It was a great game. I remember when I was watching the episode, I was like, I remember sitting on my couch watching this whole game back and forth, double overtime, like, awesome. Quick break from coach to talk to you about our friends at redwood outdoors. If you're like me, you've given a lot of thought on how to improve your health and wellness routine this year. I've given a lot of. I gotta get in better shape trying to. Trying to get strong again. So to help elevate your wellness routine, meet our new sponsor, redwood outdoors and experience the transformative benefits of contrast therapy with a sauna and cold plunge. A redwood outdoors backyard sauna seats two to eight and provides the ultimate in deep relaxation. Reduced muscle tension, improved circulation, improved sleep and so much more. Redwood outdoors invigorating backyard cold plunge challenges your body, boosting circulation and promoting mental clarity while invigorating your senses and boosting your mood. I'm going to be a cold plunge guy in 2025. Here, here. First, I'm going to start doing it every single day. So enhance your physical and mental wellness routines with redwood outdoors. Take advantage of special Savings today. Visit redwoodoutdoors.com use code TAKE to save $175. That's redwoodoutdoors.com code TAKE to save $175 on your order. Redwoodoutdoors.com codeTAKE become a cold plunge person. Makes you feel so alive in the morning. You get in that cold plunge. Three minutes in the cold plunge and you feel juiced up for the day. So go right now. Redwoodoutdoors.com code take for to save $175. That's redwoodoutdoors.com code take. Okay, here he is back to coach Rick Patino. I have. So you, you've been doing this for a long time. You're. No, you know, you're, you're not new to criticism. I want to read some criticism that maybe came from a college basketball expert at Barstool Sports. I want you to comment on it. Okay. This is, this is what this person said. This is from actually I think the day you were hired at St. John's he said facilities stink. Best players in area leave NYC garden doesn't draw. Haven't made conference semis since 2000. How do you fix that? Hire a 70 year old man with no successor plan. Patino will make them a story and draw attention. But this is a stopgap. That is a, that's a college basketball quote unquote expert.

[Oldie]

Look, not a lot of coaches are coaching in their 70s. You know, I do it because I love it. Tony Bennett just left a brilliant coach. Some people want to keep coaching. I, you know, I, because I sat out two years from the game, I realized I can't live without it. Being around the guys keeps you young. You're always working out to stay young. You're always doing things. You're active. I already had the experience of retirement for two years and I didn't like it too much. So I think we do have a successful plan. You know, I think my assistant coach, Stevie Masiello would be a great succession to me leaving. He was my New York Nick ball boy at age 14. He went with me at Louisville. He was going to have a great team in Manhattan before he left there. He's a New York guy. So I think we have that plan now. I don't pick that. Certainly Ed Cole, our great athletic director, will pick that. I do think I got a good run in me left, you know, I hope, God willing.

[Big Cat]

But I mean this person said Garden doesn't draw. You literally are drawing the Garden now.

[Oldie]

Yeah, I am surprised. We're selling out.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, but you proved them wrong in, in a year and a half.

[Oldie]

Yep.

[Big Cat]

So Rico Bosco guy, he's, he's. It's junk. It's junk. Take.

[PFT Commenter]

What's his name?

[Big Cat]

Rico Bosco. No, so Rico does work with us and he, we had like a big debate. He's obsessed with this succession plan thing where he's like, well, what are they going to do after Patino leaves in like six or seven years? Like, what does it matter if he, if he goes and he has a six, seven year run at St. John's and they win. You're not going to take one of the best basketball coaches of all time for those six or seven years.

[Oldie]

Well, you guys, I'll ask you a question. What's the succession plan at Virginia right now?

[Big Cat]

Right.

[Oldie]

What's the succession plan at Miami right now? Which, you know, who knows what it is?

[Big Cat]

Right. You don't know the future.

[Oldie]

And I will say this. St. John's the only mistakes they made with ADs or coaches is they. St. John's is a different job. It's an inner city, a commuter school. I believe you got to hire a northeast person who understands St. John's you have to understand, because it's different than any place I've ever worked. So it has to be a Northeastern has close ties to New York, to the Subway alumni. 50% of our season ticket holders are not alumni.

[Big Cat]

Right.

[Oldie]

So you've got to know that the nil saved St. John's probably the nil saved depaul. Because when you have the nil now. So it's not about football. It's not about the campus. It's not about. It's about playing in the biggies, playing at Madison Square Garden and your professional athlete.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Oldie]

So it helped us immensely.

[Big Cat]

Just promise me this. When Rico Bosco, when you guys make a final four run and he asked for a jumpsuit to. And jump on the bandwagon, just. You gotta. I'll give the tweet to one of your guys on staff and just. Just so you have it. And he'd be like, are you the same guy? Because he will. He'll ask to get a jumpsuit and be like, I always loved patino.

[PFT Commenter]

Well, that guy's also a Nate Oats mouthpiece.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, he is.

[PFT Commenter]

So whatever. Yeah, he's Nate Oates. Probably texted Rico.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Mind putting this.

[Big Cat]

They're worried about St. John's yeah, exactly. Yeah. Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

So how has that. That statement from Rico looked in terms of recruiting guys from New York?

[Oldie]

Well, to tell you the truth, I don't. We recruit very few guys from New York. Right now we have Kadari as a transfer from New York. I think he's our really only New Yorker. Jaden Glover lived in New Jersey. He's originally from New York. I think New York is more attractive away from New York than in New York.

[PFT Commenter]

I agree that as somebody who used to live in New York.

[Oldie]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

I like, look at it. I'm like, I could go back to the village and walk around a little bit, hit a Few bars. The second I get to Midtown, I'm like, nope, going back.

[Oldie]

Well, I grew up in New York, and I didn't want to stay in New York. I wanted to travel to another campus, another place, and go away to college. So with the NIL, it's changed the game completely. Now I like the NIL. And it's like, if you're the Philadelphia 76ers, is your money being spent wisely? They're getting knocked all the time on TV about some of the moves they made. Well, injuries are part of the game, and Embiid's been hurt. This guy's been hurt. So the money is not panning out. Where? The Oklahoma Thunder. It's really panning out. Incidentally, I show almost four times a week clips of the Oklahoma Thunder defense to our guys because I know the pro thing will really excite them. Lou Dort. Yep. And. And we show the way they play defense. The way they play defense is like college defense.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Yeah. They all. They're all over people. That's. That's a fact. So you're. You've been accepted back at Kentucky, which has to feel good because there's been a long time where that wasn't the case. And now Cal's going through the same thing where he got booed and he's on the outside. What has it been like with, you know, Mark Pope now being there? I think you even got a little criticism for maybe being too pro. Kentucky. But I thought it was cool. It was like one of those moments, like, hey, I had the heights of my success here, and I'm finally being welcomed back into Big Blue Nation.

[Oldie]

It was a great moment. You know, I made a statement that Kentucky should cheer John Calipari when he goes back. They won a national championship. And I said, because I knew firsthand how much it hurt me being booed by 24,000 people today. I understand it going to Louisville, but I didn't go from Kentucky to Louisville. I went from Kentucky to Celtics to Louisville. I understand it. But it made me feel great being welcomed back. And it wasn't taking a shot at Louisville because I root for Louisville because they have Peyton Siever on their staff, right? And I root for my players. I've always rooted for my players. I watch them on TV in the pros. I watch them coaching Mick Cronin in ucla, Billy Donovan with the Bulls. All my guys out there when Travis ford was with St. Louis, Mark Pope. Now I just. Kevin Willett at Maryland. I've just roofed for my guys.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

So there's a, an update to Joe Lunardi's bracketology that came out, I think last week. Do you pay any attention to that? When?

[Oldie]

Not this time of year. But he was wrong last year. He's usually on the money.

[PFT Commenter]

Well, he also went to sleep, right?

[Big Cat]

Yeah, he did. He went to sleep. Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

When the brackets came out, he was just like a piece of mouth.

[Big Cat]

No, it was conference championship Saturday, right?

[PFT Commenter]

It was before.

[Big Cat]

At night he's like going to bed.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

What do you mean?

[PFT Commenter]

That's the most important thing right now? To work.

[Oldie]

Yeah, right now. I don't think you can pay too much attention to it.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, well, I, I think sometimes he likes to put in these matchups that catch your eye and then you're like, oh, imagine if those teams played. I think he has you guys playing against Kentucky in the round of 32. That would be interesting.

[Oldie]

I would love it. I'd love it because we got to the 32, we got by, you know, the first round, so. No, I, I think Kentucky's probably a polar opposite basketball team than us. They are a brilliant offensive team. Although we get a lot of assists per game, we have a high number of assists. Kentucky is a five out basketball team. We're not. We're a terrific defensive team, offensive rebounding team with great off the bounce. But I would love it, obviously.

[PFT Commenter]

Can you just promise us one thing, that if, if you do end up playing against Kentucky in the tournament, you break out the white suit.

[Big Cat]

Can you.

[Oldie]

They didn't have a white out this year. That was disappointing.

[Big Cat]

Can you do the white suit?

[PFT Commenter]

The white suit against Kentucky.

[Oldie]

I've spent a lot of money. I've wore one time.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, that would be nice.

[PFT Commenter]

We need to see that.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, the white suit would be pretty cool. Break it out for old time's sake.

[PFT Commenter]

I think you should wait.

[Big Cat]

So we were talking a little bit before, but how are, how are your horses doing?

[Oldie]

So I had a win the other day. I don't own too many of them anymore and my ownership is a lot of guys we, I own. But the one horse I do own, 100 of 1 the other day, New York bred with a 92 buyer called Agalos the Great, named after my agent in Greece. And he's become like a little brother to me and Agalos the Great one. And I was super excited about that.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, that's. Where do you win? He wanted the Pegasus.

[Oldie]

Aqueduct.

[Big Cat]

Oh, okay. Aqueduct. Yeah, yeah, that's, I mean, you know.

[Oldie]

New York bred pots of substantial. So you can, if you have A good New York bread. You can make some money.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, Yeah. I was. I was in Greece this summer, and I think I was flying out on the day that you were flying in, because it was the. What tournament was that? That Greece was playing? It was. I forget. But your old team was playing, I think, and you flew.

[Oldie]

They won the championship. Panasonicos. Last year, they won the Euroleague championship.

[PFT Commenter]

There you go. So I was flying out the day you were flying in. You told us that when we had you on. On Kentucky Sports Radio. So I spent about 30 extra minutes just walking around the terminal, just seeing if I saw Rick Patino come in, like, welcome you to Greece. When you go back to Greece, how do they treat you?

[Oldie]

Oh, they treat me great. Better than even when I was a coach at Kentucky. The people there just love basketball. What I do is I take two friends of mine and we go to two different or three different islands for eight days every summer. So last year we went to Milos, Paros and Antipados, and we take. There's over 120 islands in Greece. When you go to Greece, Athens is good for one night, a day and a half. You go to Patayana and you see some of the local sites, but then you go to the islands, and that's what makes it fun.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

So what is it about Greece that has such a special basketball culture?

[Oldie]

You know, most of Europe is all soccer, and soccer is very popular in Greece, but not more popular than basketball. They rival each other because Panetonikos and Olympiacos, the two great teams that when they play each other, they put a net around the court. That's how violent it could be. And when we walk in, you'll have 50 police with shields as you walk in the building. So it's. It's one of the fiercest rivalry in all of sports, but they love it, and they. They win a lot of Euroleague championships.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. So last year, you guys obviously didn't make the tournament. Did you think you were right on that bubble and like, hey, we had a chance. How does that work on Selection Sunday where you're like, I think maybe we have a chance here?

[Oldie]

Back in the New York Post said, johnny's a dancer. We just beat Creighton. We played great. We got to the first time to the quarterfinals. We were playing great basketball. Yeah, I was. I had a little darkness of doubt. But everybody else had us in. As it turned, we weren't even close. We weren't even less far out. I was more surprised. Seton hall had 13 Big east wins, and they didn't get in.

[Big Cat]

So Max, our producer back there, he's a Villanova guy, also Italian. He claims, and I want to know what you think about this. He claims this, that. That Seton Hall, St. John's being left out, the Big east is an Italian league, and that was anti Italian discrimination. What do you think?

[Oldie]

Yeah, 100%.

[Big Cat]

Okay. All right. All right. Yeah. So he was right. He, after selection said he was like, this is just anti Italian discrimination. They just want to keep the Italians out of the tournament.

[Oldie]

Yeah. But I think Shaheen has some Italian blood. You know, I do believe. I do believe that definitely Seton hall deserved it. I thought what was amazing to me for the first time, and not because we didn't make it. I thought it was the first time. The chair of the committee knew very little about the game of basketball. I'm sure he's a fabulous ad, but I don't understand why they don't have Coach K. Roy Williams, putting basketball people in on that every year. Guys like Jim Boeheim and Roy Williams and Coach K would be happy to be on those committees. And when they're talking about Duke, Syracuse or North Carolina, they leave the room, accuse themselves. But to have those guys there, they're looking. And then I just wanted to know. So I called some people on the committee and said, okay, what metrics did you use? What am I missing? Because we were, I think, 29 in the net. I think we were like 18 or 19 in Pomeroy. And they all had different metrics that they were using. They weren't altogether using the same common denominators.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. And they probably had minus five for Italian.

[Oldie]

Yes. They bumped you down.

[PFT Commenter]

Are you in favor of expanding the tournament?

[Oldie]

I am. Because I don't think it hurts it. I don't think it hurts it. I think it getting more teams is exciting. It's the one thing. So when I was your age, back in the day, starting out as a head coach.

[Big Cat]

We're older than you think.

[PFT Commenter]

How old do you think we're older than you think.

[Big Cat]

We just turned 40.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Oldie]

So I was gonna say 35, 36.

[Big Cat]

I appreciate that.

[Oldie]

So back then, college basketball and college football was on the same level. The NBA and the NFL were on the same level. Starting at. This is like 30, 40 years ago today. A bad college football game, a mid May Ohio U playing somebody on a Saturday will outdraw an NBA playoff game.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Oldie]

Now, is that gambling? Is it? Football just marketed so much better. I don't know. But the one thing we do have Is March Madness. So anything to make it better. If it's not broken, break it and make it better. And I don't think it hurts anything to have more TV exposure.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, I mean, it is true. Football has completely consumed American culture, unlike anything we thought would be possible. And you know, like, it's the debate, is the NBA broken? Is the, is Major League Baseball broken? It's like, yeah, maybe they've gone down a little, but I think it's more that the NFL has just, just taken over everything to a level that we didn't never expected.

[Oldie]

It blows me. It really does blow me away. I'm happy about it in one sense. Disappoint in another sense. I'm a Miami Dolphins season ticket holder for those two years I was out and I had a great time going to the games with my, with my children. The bad thing, what I don't like right now is that I don't see UCLA and USC traveling to go play Penn State and Rutgers and teams like that. Makes no sense to me.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, yeah.

[Oldie]

The rivalries of UCLA and USC and some of the other programs on the west coast, to me I would never be in favor of that.

[Big Cat]

It's an odd fit, for sure. How do you feel with the Nil and transfer portal? Because it's funny, you've gone the reverse of some of your contemporaries where, like, Coach K is retired, Tony Bennett, like you mentioned, Bayheim, Roy Williams, a lot of these guys feel like they've gotten out because of the transfer portal and Nil and having to play a different game. You've kind of almost run into the fire and been like, I'm ready for it. I'm ready for the challenge.

[Oldie]

I like it because I spent 10 years in the pros and to me it's almost a carbon copy of the euroleague. The euroleague. If you sign a player for two years, that's a long time. So it's really a one year contract. You're getting different players every year. And that's the way it's with us now. Fortunately for us, we haven't lost our freshmen yet. Our freshmen have come back. So this year we're losing. We're not even looking at a high school basketball player. We're losing Aaron Scott, Kadari Richmond and Davon Smith. So we're looking for three transfer guys. And I like it. I don't get involved in the financial negotiations of any of that. But if we need more money, I'll call our guy, Mike Rapole and say, we need more money.

[Big Cat]

Yes, he's Ready to go. Wait, so you're not even looking at any college or high school kids?

[Oldie]

No, not this year.

[Big Cat]

So if a five star high school kid calls you up and is like, hey, no, you're not looking for, but I want to come to St. John's.

[Oldie]

I probably wouldn't take him because I don't think you can win and win big with high school kids.

[Big Cat]

Huh.

[Oldie]

I don't, I really don't believe it.

[PFT Commenter]

Sounds like there's one high school kid that's really good that you're right now just saying we don't even want you.

[Big Cat]

Playing hard to get. This is smart.

[PFT Commenter]

You're playing hard to get.

[Oldie]

Recruiting, I wish it was true.

[Big Cat]

Good recruiting. Yeah, that's really wrong, right? Yeah, exactly.

[Cooper DeJean]

So.

[PFT Commenter]

So that's the kind of guy that you would want, right? A guy that was that kept knocking on your door.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Nothing changes if nothing changes. So that's interesting point that you just made though. Do you think that your time in Greece has made you a better like have a leg up in the nil and transfer world in college basketball?

[Oldie]

So we all make mistakes as we talked. You make mistakes in the pros with who you draft. You know, I tried to convince the years. I begged the New York Knicks to take Donovan Mitchell, I think at 6 and not at 12. I said, look, this guy's better than you think he is. And they took Frank, Nikita or something like that from France, I think it was. So you got to really study these guys. First of all, is it just about money? Is that why they're staying in college or are they really into winning? Are they going to be part of that I hate to lose attitude? So you got to really study them. You got to talk to their trainers, you got to talk to the assistant coaches that may have moved on. You got to really do your homework and your research on this and we really do our homework on all of this.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Because it does feel like there are teams. It's kind of like free agency in sports where they've won the off season and they've got, you know, this transfer and this transfer and the parts just don't fit together.

[Oldie]

And you're in the G league and you're making 75 to $100,000. Or you can go to college and make 600,000 or 400,000.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Oldie]

So you're going to stay in college, but are you getting them for the right reasons? Okay, the money's great. And most of these guys, what I can appreciate, they help out their families. They're not Spending it on themselves. They're really helping out their families. They're getting their families into better situations. So I'm, I'm great with that. But I want to make sure we're getting guys that just, just have that design where they really, really inside, hate to lose.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, yeah. And just probably also just think about basketball all the time. What, what's a, an appropriate amount of time for like one of your star players to spend actually working on basketball.

[Oldie]

During the course of a week? Here's the greatest hypocrisy of it all. I mean, here the guys are making, I hear stories, I don't believe all of them. They're making anywhere from 1.5 million to 100,000. Now you're going to tell them they can only work 20 hours a week.

[Big Cat]

Right.

[Oldie]

I mean it's hip, the NCAA. I've always said this about them. They are never proactive, they're always reactive. Remember the young man from Connecticut? I forgot his name, that he said he was starving at night. The six foot backcourt player, I forgot his name, but he said he was starving at night and he didn't have any money for food. And now they started a refueling station where now you can have a place 24 hours a day to have food. So they reacted to his statement.

[Big Cat]

Right.

[Oldie]

And they're always reacting, they're never proactive. The fact that we have a 20 hour rule right now is absurd. Now we don't spend 20 hours now this part of the season because we don't want to get injured.

[Big Cat]

Right.

[Oldie]

But in the beginning, in the summertime, they give you five hours a week.

[Big Cat]

That's crazy.

[Oldie]

Eight hours with strength. I think it's four hours actually. Four hours of basketball. Four hours of strength training. That's absurd. Guys are there for the summer to work out, get better, improve it. It's the opposite of the Mamba mentality. I mean, Kobe Bryant, who believes in that, taking it to a new level. And that's that Mamba mentality. And I'm a firm believer in everything Kobe Bryant stood for with that.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Are your conditioning drills just as hard as they used to be?

[Oldie]

Yeah, but we condition with basketball. I'm not a big suicide guy. I'm not a big guy running on the track. Everything we do is running with a basketball. It's non stop fast break basketball. And that's the way you should condition. Yeah, because basketball is a different form of. You know, I used to be a runner. I would run six, eight miles a day and triumph for speed. And, and I'D go in the gym and play three on three. And I was exhausted.

[Big Cat]

Right.

[Oldie]

It's just a different cardiovascular.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Because your teams always are some of the best conditioned teams. I didn't know if, like, getting a little older, you. You didn't take it as hard on them. Because I would. I would hate to see that.

[Oldie]

You gotta keep them. I run the same practices. I. I think that there's certain players that I give more of a break to, like Kadari Richmond. He's not a. He's gonna save a lot of his energy for games. He's gonna save it.

[Big Cat]

He.

[Oldie]

He. He knows his body, he knows his game, so I'll take him. I said, you're going 100%. I'll get you out, but you're going 100%, right? And he gives it to me. He gives me 100.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

I know you don't yell at referees. You're pretty clear about that with us. You've never yelled at a referee once in a while. When you're coaching against, like, hypothetically, Danny Hurley, who's given the ref a piece of his mind, do you feel like you have to step up your game? Maybe occasionally. I know you never do it, but you see him doing it and you're like, I gotta.

[Oldie]

When I referee, when I refer. When I. Ref, before the game, I say this to the three guys who come to shake your hand. I said, I'm going to tell you right now, referee the game. Don't talk to me. Don't talk to him. That's all I say. Because I'm not going to watch you have debates with him the entire night while the game is going on, or we're shooting a free throw. That's the only thing I'll say to them. I said, ref, the game. Can you imagine? You guys are Wall street brokers and you sit in front of your monitor and it's very intense, and you're trading stocks and somebody's yelling at you. Every day, every play, every trade, somebody's yelling at you. That's a bullshit call, you know, and how are you going to focus in on trading that stock and matching up the buy and the sell? So I have a problem with referees because they're always. I got a technical foul, first one, I think, in a couple of years. The other day in the Seton hall game at Seton hall, because the referee was literally having a discussion with shaheen for over 45 seconds while they were at a free throw and something. They were checking the clock. I said, what are you doing? Refereed a game and he gives me a technical. Give Shaheen a technical. That's my. In the pros, they don't do that.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Oldie]

The coach will say something to the guy and they just walk away. In the pros, they don't do. I wished college officials would do. Walk away because what's happening. If you're listening, if that referee is listening to that coach, the TV audience, 18,000 people are saying that coach is getting the next call.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Does that feel a little bit good, though, to get a technical? Like, bad boy, still got it. I would feel good about that.

[Big Cat]

I would try to get a take just to fire up the guys. It doesn't.

[Oldie]

As long as it doesn't affect the game. We were up 20 at the time, so I was good.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, yeah. Fire up the guys.

[PFT Commenter]

Like sometimes getting a speeding ticket once every couple years, it's like, yeah, gotta be. Yeah, yeah.

[Big Cat]

Get the guys. Yeah. Going and just being like, look, I'm gonna fight for you. I'm gonna get a technical, maybe get thrown out of a game. When was the last time you've been thrown out of a game?

[Oldie]

Game, probably Louisville, maybe Georgia Tech. Herb Sendek, I think, was my assistant coach, and I think we won the game. Herb did a great job. Who's now at Santa Clara.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Why'd you get thrown out?

[Oldie]

I had. I had enough of them.

[PFT Commenter]

Never yell at R. Never done it before. Last year during the tournament, did you. Did you watch all the games? Like, did you experience it like we did, sitting at home on a couch, multiple TVs. What was that like for you?

[Oldie]

I told Danny when we played them, I said, you're going to win it all for a second time. And I thought he had the team. We lost 95, 90 to them. We played them better than anybody else in the tournament. But I thought, you know, he does a great coaching job and he had outstanding talent. I love the kid Castle. I love the bigs, small forwards. They were a terrific team. They scout very well. They take away your strengths. So I thought they had to win it a second time. Now you need some breaks. He didn't need them last year. But you need breaks to get to a Final Four and win it all.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Were you on the couch watching all the games like that Thursday appointment tv?

[Oldie]

Yeah, I was. I'm a big fan of March Madness. Big fan. I wasn't. I was upset that we didn't get in, but I said, look, I told the team this year we blew it because early in the year we had A bad loss against Michigan. I didn't realize that that would be a quad three or quad four loss.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Oldie]

They just. They didn't have it.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Yeah. That. It is crazy how that can all turn on you, depending on who you lose too early.

[PFT Commenter]

I do love your odds this year, though. Love them. I think you got a great team.

[Oldie]

Thank you.

[Big Cat]

I love them at 30 to 1.

[PFT Commenter]

Not that I know, but we're enamored with your team. Might have financially.

[Big Cat]

Well, yeah. I like you guys 30 to 1.

[Oldie]

You 31 to win a national championship. Yeah.

[Big Cat]

We can laugh about it at Belmont. No, this was, like, three or four weeks ago.

[Oldie]

Okay.

[Big Cat]

It might have been after the Yukon game, because, like I said, I watched that whole game, and I was just so impressed with you guys coming because I thought watching that game, the way Yukon came out, they needed that win. And I was like, there's. This is just a night where St. John's got nothing. And then you just fought back on that defensive end getting.

[Oldie]

They're good with that, you know, And. And. And I think, like, I am so worried about tonight's game with DePaul because I really like this coach from DePaul. I think he's excellent.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Oldie]

I think he gets the most out of them. They shoot it well. And coaches like that are dangerous because they get their teams, regardless of their record, to play extremely tough basketball.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. And it's a tough league. All right, I got one last question. It's a Roback question. R, H, O, B, A, C, K.com promo code. Take 20 off your first purchase. Q, zips, polos, hoodies, joggers, shorts. Roback.com promo code. Take. Make sure this stays in the Vice episode. Roback.com promo code, take. Okay, let's make a headline real quick. Have you been con. Has anyone in your world been contacted by the Indiana Hoosiers?

[Oldie]

No.

[Big Cat]

Okay.

[Oldie]

No one? No one. I've had a lot of contacts with professional teams right now from. From Europe.

[Big Cat]

Okay.

[Oldie]

Who were dying to have me back.

[Big Cat]

Got it. But the Indiana Hoosiers are looking. I mean, they. Indiana. Something about the Indiana job. Every name, every big name gets thrown out there.

[Oldie]

Can I give you my pick?

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Oldie]

Okay. So I'm gonna have some people upset at me if I was the AD at Indiana and am I friendly with this person? Yes, I am. Do I have a lot of respect for this person? Yes, I do. But I would immediately not even interview anybody else and hire one of the premier coaches in all of college basketball. And that's Chris Beard from Ole Miss. I wouldn't even think about another person. He's perfect for that job. He's a tough, hard nosed. The years I was sitting out, I got friendly with him because he asked me to. He didn't know me. I didn't know him to come out and speak to his team. He was at Texas Tech and I went out and spoke to him, but I watched two days of practice. And I always judge a coach by his practices. And I have to tell you, those are some of the best practices and meetings with his team that I've ever witnessed. So I'm a gigantic fan of Chris Beard and I think he would kill it at Indiana. He'd have him in the top five to seven every single year. Remember, he brought Texas tax to the championship game and could have won it if that young man didn't hit that from Virginia. That corner shot, great shot that he did hit. So he's a superstar. Top three coach in my estimation. I would never hire myself for that job.

[PFT Commenter]

Okay, you would never hire yourself for.

[Oldie]

That job for India.

[PFT Commenter]

Why not? Why, why would you?

[Oldie]

I belong at St. John's yes, that's a good answer.

[Big Cat]

What's. What's the sign? Last. Last question. What's the sign of a bad practice? How quickly can you know that a bad practice is occurring when the players get bored?

[Oldie]

They don't give 100% attention physically and mentally. Doesn't have to be long. It could be an hour and 20 minutes. It could be an hour. When they're all tuned in to the assignment of what the coaches are saying, and the coaches insisted. Coaches are totally engaged in every single drill and they maximize their effort with every single drill. That's a great practice.

[PFT Commenter]

Okay, I like that.

[Big Cat]

I like that. We gotta practice hard.

[PFT Commenter]

We have some bad practices here at Barcelona Sports.

[Big Cat]

Yes, we gotta practice better.

[Hank]

Better.

[Big Cat]

I mean, we have coach Gruden now. I don't know if you've seen, but he's on staff. Jon Gruden.

[Oldie]

I know John.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

And he's. He's been giving us the business because we've had some bad practices.

[Oldie]

Yeah. There's another guy should be back in the NFL.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Oldie]

Question.

[Big Cat]

Well, we like him here, so maybe a couple more years here and then.

[PFT Commenter]

Go back to maybe you part time in the NFL.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, we enjoy watching football. Yeah. Yeah. Well, coach, thank you so much for coming back. We appreciate it. And good luck the rest of the season. 30 to 1.

[Oldie]

Appreciate you having me.

[PFT Commenter]

Let's do it.

[Big Cat]

Let's make some magic.

[PFT Commenter]

We'll get to Cooper de Jean in a second. He's brought to you by our great friends over at A Roxanne. We can talk about the elephant in the room. It's erectile dysfunction. One in four men 18 years and older experience ED, which means that you or someone close to you might be experiencing it. That's why I want to tell you about this new ED treatment gel, a Roxon. It's the first ED treatment gel with clinically proven results that, that you can get over the counter. While it may not work for everyone, studies showed success in over 60% of men. The best part, no prescriptions, no online questionnaires needed. Why wait? Try a Roxon today. Available in stores and online. Visit Axon Us to learn more. That's Eroxon Us and you can learn more. Cooper's also brought to you by Simply Safe. Did you know that every 26 seconds a burglary takes place in the United States? According to FBI data, that means by the time this podcast ends, dozens of homes will have been targeted. Protect your home before it's too late. With Simply Safe's proactive security system, Simply Safe helps to stop threats before they even have the chance to break in. Traditional security systems only take action after someone has already broken in that's too late. Simply Safe's active guard outdoor protection can help prevent break ins before they happen. AI powered cameras backed by live professional monitoring agents monitor your property and detect suspicious activity. If someone's lurking around, they're acting suspiciously. Those agents see and talk to them in real time, activate spotlights and even contact the police, all before they have the chance to get inside your home. Visit simplisafe.com pmt to claim 50 off a new system with a professional monitoring plan and your first month free. That's simplisafe.com pmt there's no save Safe like Simplisafe. And now here's Cooper De Jean.

[Big Cat]

And now for something completely different. Okay, we now welcome on a very special guest. He is super bowl champion Cooper Dean. Cooper, first of all, thank you. Congratulations. Thank you for joining us. It's been what, eight, nine, ten days? Has it fully set in you just told us you're back in Iowa. Has it fully set in that every time people say your name now it's super bowl champion attached to it?

[Cooper DeJean]

It's, it's set in a little bit, I think. I think I've kind of realized that a little bit now, but it's still pretty crazy to me to think about.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Cooper DeJean]

Especially in my My first year. Getting to. Getting to win a Super bowl is pretty crazy.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. Has the hangover gone away yet?

[Cooper DeJean]

It's. It's getting there. It's getting there. Slowly recovering. Slowly recovering. So it's. It's getting there.

[Big Cat]

Wait, so. So you're back in Iowa right now. You're from a very small town. What was it like getting. Was there a parade or anything? I mean, this is. You. You're the most famous thing that's ever come out of your town, I would assume. Like, is. Is it weird being back and being like, yeah, I'm. You guys. Watch me on Super Bowl Sunday, return an interception from Patrick Mahomes to the house. Like, that's got to be kind of crazy.

[Cooper DeJean]

Yeah, there's. There's no parade. No parade. But I think I. I think I kind of snuck back into town. I don't know if. I don't know if anybody knew I was. Knew I was back.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, no, they know. Yeah, they definitely know.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, they've been set up perimeter since the super bowl so that everybody can know when she got back in there.

[Hank]

Yeah.

[Big Cat]

That's gotta be awesome, though. Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. Wait, how many people are, how many people live in your hometown?

[Cooper DeJean]

Just under. Just under a thousand.

[Big Cat]

Wow. Yeah. So, yeah, they know. They know. Are you gonna go to like a basketball game or something? Because that's. This is. This is like a storybook, like movie thing. Like small town hero comes back and you're gonna have like an insane welcome and everything.

[Cooper DeJean]

Yeah, my. My brother's got a basketball game on on Thursday.

[Big Cat]

Okay.

[Cooper DeJean]

So I'll get to get to go check that out and see what, see what kind of reception there is. There is for me there.

[PFT Commenter]

I have a prediction for the reception. I think that the population of your hometown is going to be slightly above a thousand in like nine months.

[Big Cat]

People are gonna be going nuts. Yeah. That's such a cool feeling. Oh, man. So, all right, let's talk about the game real quick. We have some other, other topics you want to hit, but the pick six, obviously, I would assume you've watched the replay a bunch, but in the moment, it felt like you're. You're like you knew exactly where you were going. It was such a great return. The pick was great, but the return was even better. Did it feel like it slowed down for you in that moment where you just kind of saw everything because you. It was a perfect return.

[Cooper DeJean]

Yeah, I mean, I think, you know the way, because it was a rollout to the right, so. And I was catching it coming Back the opposite way. So it kind of. It kind of. I kind of just, you know, fell right into the right lane there When. When I. When I caught the ball, everybody was going the opposite way, so got a. Had some big boys out in front, got me some blocks. Had to. Had to make some. Make some miss. But, yeah, I mean, it seems like it. It worked almost. Almost perfectly with. With the way I caught the ball and the way everybody else was running, so. Yeah, it worked out pretty well.

[Big Cat]

How many. How many times you watched the replay?

[Cooper DeJean]

So many times.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. I love that it showed up on my phone.

[Cooper DeJean]

So many times. I've watched it every time you got to.

[Big Cat]

I'm not even. I'm not even an Eagles fan. I. I feel like I've scrolled past it probably 50 times on Twitter and just watch it almost every time. Yeah. And then.

[Cooper DeJean]

Then there's. They had all the different. Like, different country broadcasts.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Cooper DeJean]

Like, their reactions to it, too, which was. Which was cool.

[Big Cat]

Did you have a favorite of those?

[Cooper DeJean]

What's that?

[Big Cat]

Did you have a favorite of those?

[Cooper DeJean]

I think it's, like, the. It might be, like, the. The Mexican one is pretty. Yeah, it's pretty. Pretty fun to listen to, even though I have no idea what they're saying. But. But besides my name. Yeah, but it's those. I mean, really, all of them are pretty cool to listen to.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

The Japanese ones always get me fired up. They always sound like they're having the best time in the booth.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Big time.

[PFT Commenter]

Was there a. Was there a moment where you thought, I'm actually on track to be super bowl mvp?

[Cooper DeJean]

I. I didn't ever think about that, to be honest. I didn't. I didn't see that until. Until after the game or. I didn't realize until after the game. Like, if I, like, after that, after that pick, I was probably. I was probably pretty. Pretty high on the. On the. On the list to be Super Bowl MVP at that point. But, you know, the game. Jalen had obviously.

[Big Cat]

Right.

[Cooper DeJean]

He deserved that, but I didn't even realize that until after the game. Kind of forgot all about it.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

We had some guys that we were watching with that took a flyer on you to win super bowl mvp. They were pumped. They were very, very excited.

[Big Cat]

Jersey Jerry was basically, like, every single time you guys were on defense, he's like, here comes another pick six, and I'm gonna win, you know, Super Bowl MVVP with Cooper DeJean. So he was rooting hard for it, because 1. 1 pick 6 of the super bowl, you are, like, in the discussion almost immediately and the game did turn on your pick six. Like, that's got to be a cool feeling where it was. It's not only obviously a pick six in super bowl, but that was really the moment that it was like, oh, shit, the Eagles are gonna kill the Chiefs here.

[Oldie]

Yeah.

[Cooper DeJean]

Yeah. I mean, I mean, we got up. We got up 10, 0. And then, you know, being able to, you know, anytime you get a defensive touchdown in any game like that, that changes. Changes the tide of any game. So especially in a Super bowl, being able to go up, you know, 17, 0 after a defensive touchdown, I mean, that's, that's, that's huge for, for any team. I think, I think it just, it helped us just continue to roll through. Roll through that game.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, you guys played great defense in that entire game. The week of practice leading up to it, did you think, like, we've got something here, we can, we can shut down Patrick Mahomes? Like, did you think it could be that good?

[Cooper DeJean]

I think, I think everybody had confidence that we could, we could put on a good show. And when we went out there, everybody had a lot of confidence in us. I don't know if we knew it'd be by that large of a margin, but, but, you know, just, just the week, the week of practice that we had, I think, you know, I myself was, was pretty confident in, you know, what, what we would be able to do, you know, against them defensively. And we didn't even blitz one time. We had, we had some blitzes drawn up, you know, to run and when you got those guys up front, you know, we never really, never really had to.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Yeah. All right, so I got a question. In the transition to the NFL, you get to the Eagles, your, you know, first game, let's call it first month. Nick Sirianni. It's fourth and two, it's fourth and three and you're going for it. Were you like, wait, I didn't think this was allowed because you came from Iowa and that was just punt no matter what. Was that a, Was that a culture shock? That had to have been a culture shock.

[Cooper DeJean]

Yeah, it was. It was a little different for me. A little different for me. You know, being. Being used to just playing field position and, and, you know, having our, having our defense, you know, just keep, keep their offense pinned back and, you know, flipping the field once, once we make them punt. So it was, it was a little different for me. Yeah, especially those first few weeks when we're, we're around our own 50 yard line. And we're just going for it on, on 4th and 3, 4th and 4, whatever it is. And at Iowa, like that be, that'd be a no brainer. Like, like punt. Yeah. So, yeah, it was, it was a little different, but I kind of like the switch up.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Cooper DeJean]

The aggressive style.

[Big Cat]

I, I imagine you like, like, I just, it's a stupid, obviously isn't how it works, but like you writing back to Iowa, writing a letter, being like you guys won't believe what happens here, like we don't punt.

[PFT Commenter]

I've discovered crazy, I've discovered going for it.

[Big Cat]

There's a different world out there and it doesn't involve punting. But I, I, that is Iowa and you guys do it so well. I also should say you got totally screwed in the Minnesota return.

[PFT Commenter]

Yep.

[Big Cat]

I remember I had Iowa in that game. I was very upset. That's, that's bullshit. I don't know if that's still, I don't know if the super bowl maybe makes it a little easier, but I would still be pissed about that return against Minnesota a couple of years ago.

[Cooper DeJean]

Yeah, I'm definitely still, still a little upset about, about that one.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Cooper DeJean]

Because it, it changed like we could have, it changed our season from, from a 10 win season to an 11 win season. And that like, that puts you in a whole different category. You know, at the University of Iowa at least. So it was, that was, that was tough.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Cooper DeJean]

For, for us.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. I was, I was furious as well. Did they tell you what was wrong with that with your fair catch signal?

[Cooper DeJean]

They said, they said when I was running and because I was trying to point at the ball, because whenever, whenever the ball's like away from the returner, you don't want other guys to, to get hit by it. So it's so it's a muff. So I was trying to point at the ball as I was running. My arm was swinging side to side and they said, they said that counts as a, as a invalid fair catch signal or whatever they said. But that's, that's not even why they went to review it in the, in the first place, which was the frustrating part. They, they were reviewing it to see if I stepped out of bounds and then they, they came back with that. So it was, I don't know. It was, it was pretty, pretty frustrating.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, it was, it was, we'll say it's. And then you, you go into the draft process. Were you surprised that the Eagles took you even though you didn't go to Georgia?

[Cooper DeJean]

I had, I had, I Mean, the Eagles were. Were one of the teams who I had actually thought I, I may end up with. I only met. I met with him one time on a top 30 visit there, but I actually thought I might. Might end up there. I didn't know. I didn't know it'd be the way it happened, but I'm glad it happened the way it happened. Being able to come in with, with Q and us being two rookies in the same position, I think it, I think it helped us both. It made it easier. Made the transition easier on us both.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Yeah, because there's that famous. Oh, there's the famous draft night. You're not famous, but a draft night video where the Rams traded up and they, in the Eagles brass thought that you guys, the Rams were going to pick you. And so it very well could have been like, they're like, that's it. We lost Cooper to Jean because they were. They had you got you. They had you circled. That's. That's a crazy sliding doors moment. Like, that could have been a completely different career. You would have still been great, but you wouldn't maybe won a Super bowl this year.

[Cooper DeJean]

Yeah. Yeah, it would have been. Definitely would have been a lot different playing out in la and obviously they, they had a solid season this year, but not. Not being able to win a Super bowl would have. Would have been tough, but I'm glad it happened the way it happened. Now, obviously I was back then, I was pretty, pretty frustrated having to sit and wait, wait that long. But I'm glad it happened the way it happened and, and it all worked out. Now I'm a Super bowl champion, so.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, it's pretty good. And he had a great rookie season, too. Who was the hardest guy that you had to cover in the NFL so far?

[Big Cat]

Good question.

[PFT Commenter]

Thank you.

[Cooper DeJean]

Hardest guy had to cover probably Puka Nakua from, From the Rams. He's. He's tough cover. Trying to think Jerry Judy's. He's a quick dude. Adam Thielen. Adam Thielen worked me in the week we played. We played the Panthers. I learned a lot from that game. He's just a savvy, savvy veteran guy who. He gave me, gave me some good work. It was. That was probably one of my, one of my tougher games going up, going up against him.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. So you also played obviously other sports in high school. You were a very good basketball player. Was there ever a time when you, hey, I might do basketball instead of football? I also, as an aside, I love whenever the Internet finds out like, oh, Cooper De Jean was really good at basketball. It's like, yeah, he's. He's in the NFL. He's an incredible athlete. I would expect him to also be good at other high school sports. But was there a moment where you were like, maybe basketball's the thing for.

[Cooper DeJean]

Me, yeah, I wanted to. I wanted to play basketball actually, coming into. Coming into high school. I wanted to play basketball in college, but I'm not quite. Not quite tall enough and I'm kind of built more like a football player, so. And I. I've kind of played basketball like. Like I'm a football player. Played downhill and driving to the. Driving to the hoop and trying to dunk on everybody. Yeah, but I wanted to play basketball, but clearly football. Football was the right out. Right. Right decision. And I found that out after my sophomore year.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Cooper DeJean]

Started to pick. Pick up with. With football recruiting and. And stuff like that, so. But I still play basketball every. Every once in a while. And it seems like. Seems like it's like every couple months, my. My basketball highlights will just resurface on. On Twitter, social media somewhere. Yeah, they'll go away for a little bit and then they'll pop back up.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. I mean, you, You. You. I think it's partially Will Compton's fault, but you. You do carry a. That he has put together. It's like Cooper Dean is. Is a. You're a very important piece to the puzzle.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, It's.

[Big Cat]

We need you.

[Cooper DeJean]

Me. Me and Riley Moss. My boy. My boy. Kind of shock on the outside there.

[PFT Commenter]

Because like, two years ago when this debate first started to happen, it was like, well, what are we going to do at the outside? Like, get Julian Edelman to come back and then have him play corner. And now we've got our. You guys are chess pieces out there. You're white rooks.

[Cooper DeJean]

Yeah, just plug it. Plug us in there and we're. We're ready to go.

[PFT Commenter]

I love it. So I had a question for you about the parade, because the parade looked like the best time ever. Who was the drunkest at the parade?

[Cooper DeJean]

Oh, geez. I mean, there was. I'd probably have to say Nolan Smith.

[PFT Commenter]

Yep.

[Cooper DeJean]

Nolan Smith or Q. Quinya Mitchell. One of those two guys. But I think Nolan probably. Probably takes the cake there. I mean, he couldn't even. Dude couldn't even walk straight or stand up. Might have seen him throw up one time on the road there. But yeah, it was. It was probably. Probably Nolan.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Yeah. Did you get hit by a can as well? Because I Saw Howie Roseman got hit by a can.

[Cooper DeJean]

Yeah. I had, I had this big ass Bud Light chain on my, my, around my neck and I went to, I was like throwing beer all over everybody in, in the crowd and the chain came up and hit me right in my, right, my eye, right above my eyebrow. So I gotta, got a little, got a little battle scar there. But it's, it's all good. It's. It's, it's good for the memories.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

When you saw how he get the, the canned impression, the indentation his forehead, were you like, all right, he's one of us. He's. He's basically a football guy.

[Big Cat]

Guy.

[Cooper DeJean]

Yeah, he took it. He took it like a champ. And it, he used it, he used it in his, in his speech at the end of the parade, which was, which was, which was funny. But he, he, I think he loved it actually. Loved having, having the, having the cut across his, his forehead from the parade.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. It's a battle scar. It's great. We have a, a die hard Philly fan here, Max. Even though I just want to say for the record, during games when you'd be catching punts, Max would freak out because he didn't think that you'd be able to feel the punts clean. That's not true. It is true.

[Memes]

I get nervous of all punts. Punts have to be the highest percentage of turnover play.

[Cooper DeJean]

I did drop one this year, but I didn't, didn't lose it.

[Memes]

Don't even remember it.

[Big Cat]

All right, Max, what do you got? What questions you got?

[Memes]

All right, I have a couple here. First one, I can't believe we haven't gotten to it. It Derrick Henry hit. How'd you do that? That, that didn't make any sense, but it was awesome.

[Cooper DeJean]

Yeah.

[Hank]

What were you feeling?

[Cooper DeJean]

I was just lucky that he didn't, didn't start running full speed before, before I got to him. Otherwise that it would have probably hurt even, even more. Luckily I caught him right, right when he was turning around and I was able to, to pick him up and put him to the ground there. But if, I mean that he wasn't even, he wasn't even moving full speed and that was, I mean it still hurt me. I still felt it in my, in my neck and my, my shoulder. So. But yeah, he's, he's a big ass dude. Big ass dude. But luckily he wasn't going full speed.

[Memes]

So right after that, that hit, you also did the, the big play, Selly. That kind of, that kind of went Off a little bit after that. Can you explain that? I. I don't. I've wanted to know what it is for a long time, and I don't get it.

[Cooper DeJean]

It's kind of. It's kind of more of a. More of an in house.

[PFT Commenter]

All right, you're not in house, Max.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Memes]

No, no, no, no, no, no.

[Hank]

I don't.

[Memes]

The world doesn't need to know. I don't need to know. Next thing you got. You got in the LeBron video.

[Oldie]

Does it.

[Memes]

Does it pitch you off that, like, two weeks later, you. You probably would have been like the first person he went up to explain the LeBron video.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Memes]

Everyone is sitting courtside. I think it's like you, A.J. devonte, and you're at the end of. The end of the row. You're. You can see that. You're excited to give him a dap, and he just. He just cuts you off right before it gets to you.

[Cooper DeJean]

Yeah, it was. It was. It was tough. I'm a LeBron guy too. I'm a huge LeBron fan, so it was. It was tough for me, but it's. I didn't. I didn't expect him to. To know who I was, to be honest. It was.

[Hank]

But now he would be there.

[Cooper DeJean]

Really.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Cooper DeJean]

And hoping for. For a little love, but it's. It's all good.

[PFT Commenter]

Has he apologized to you for that yet? Has he reached out and been like, hey, my bad, respect.

[Cooper DeJean]

He. Not to me directly, but he posted something on. He commented under some. Some post where someone asked me it at the Super Bowl, I think, and apologize or said. Said something about it.

[Big Cat]

Never meet your heroes, I guess.

[Memes]

No, that counts. That count. That counts.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Memes]

You basically dapped him up. Then he realizes it online.

[PFT Commenter]

Dap up. Yeah.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Yeah. All right. Any other questions?

[Memes]

Max, one last one. Do you event you played mostly nickel this year. Do you eventually want to like, move outside or do you.

[Hank]

Do you.

[Memes]

Are you comfortable in your role now in the defense?

[Cooper DeJean]

I. I like playing nickel. I like playing inside, being around all the action. Hopefully sometime at some point I can. I can move to. To one of those every down positions, whether it's outside or whether it's safety, whatever it may be. I hope some. At some point I can. I can do that, but. And do do both maybe, because I like playing nickel. I like being involved in the run game and the screen game. I feel like that's a. That's a really important position in a defense, and you can make a huge impact at that position.

[PFT Commenter]

Max just shook his head. No, he said he doesn't want you to move to safety.

[Memes]

Well, that's just the song. The song. The song says you're not a safety, so I. That would ru. That would ruin the song.

[Cooper DeJean]

Yeah, you're right. It would. It would.

[Big Cat]

That would ruin the song.

[PFT Commenter]

Were you the emergency quarterback this year?

[Cooper DeJean]

I was not. I was not. That would have been. I would have loved to do that, though, that. I was. I played a little. Little offense in. In college, obviously. Played. Played quarterback in high school. I miss slinging it around, especially. I mean, could you imagine just going out there and throwing it to AJ and devonte and those guys? I mean, that we have on offense have been. Would have been crazy.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Cooper DeJean]

That would have been sweet, though.

[PFT Commenter]

Maybe something to work up towards, like, maybe two seasons from now. That's one of your goals, become emergency quarterback.

[Cooper DeJean]

Yeah. Yeah. I have to. Have to talk to. Talk to Coach Sirianni about that one.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. What was the toughest place to play in the Big Ten?

[Cooper DeJean]

In the Big Ten, I mean, Nebraska. I wouldn't say it was. It was. I don't know how tough it was. It was just, like, really loud in there.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Cooper DeJean]

At Nebraska gets pretty loud, but once. Once you get up on them, it gets. It gets pretty quiet in there. And that. That was us quite a bit of the time there when we were playing there, so. I know Will. Will. Will appreciate that answer there. Yeah. But now Nebraska's a. It's a fun place to play, especially in a rivalry game and especially when you. When you're beating up.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. What. What does your dad say to you after. On the field? Cause that was cool. Like, it was cool seeing the. I saw the picture, you guys. Everyone got to take pictures with their family in the super bowl trophy. It just seemed very, like, a really awesome moment to have this. Your first touchdown in the super bowl, and then your parents come down. What. What do you say? Was he like, I can't believe this happened?

[Cooper DeJean]

Yeah, he was. Someone. Someone actually had taken a video of him in the stands when. When that touchdown happened. And, like, my dad had been my coach, like, since I was. I was a little kid. So, like, I. I'd never really seen him get overly excited about a. About a play I made. He was always trying to, you know, keep me humble and things like that. So I, I. So I saw the video, and I'd never seen him get that excited before about a play I made. So that was. That was pretty fun to watch. And then, you know, getting to celebrate with him and my Family down on the field after, after the game was, Was really cool just having them experience that, that moment with me. You know, my, my dad and my parents, you know, they. They both saw how, how disappointed I was on that first night of the draft. And especially my dad, you know, he. He came up to me and, and, you know, you. You remember how disappointed you were on the first night of, of the draft, and, and now look. Look where you are. So that was. That was a pretty. That was a pretty cool moment there too.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Yeah. That's a full circle moment.

[PFT Commenter]

Did he say happy birthday?

[Big Cat]

Yeah, it was your birthday too. Jesus.

[Cooper DeJean]

I know. That kind of took a back seat.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, I think.

[Cooper DeJean]

I think after, after we won. That we won the super bowl, it was. It was more like, you know, you're. You're a Super bowl champion rather than, you know, happy birthday, like, you're 22 years old now.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah. Did you get any text from anybody that just said happy birthday, that didn't know that you were playing in the Super Bowl?

[Cooper DeJean]

I don't think I did. I don't think I did. I got quite a few, so there might be some that I missed, but I don't. I don't think I did. Which was. Which was good.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. All right, I got one last question. Roback question. R H O-B-A C-K.com Roback.com promo code, take 20% off your first purchase. Q, zips, polos, hoodies, joggers, shorts. Roback.com promo code, Take. We're big, big Dom fans. When you got drafted, did he hit you up right away? He's like, listen, I got you my paisan. Has he called you your. Has he said you're Paison yet?

[Cooper DeJean]

No, he. He hasn't. Oh, no, he hasn't. But Big Dom is. Is probably. Probably the coolest dude you'll ever meet. Yeah, I saw you got. You guys were with him and at the super bowl, right?

[Big Cat]

Yeah, yeah, we came and interviewed Lane Johnson. He came and stopped by and he always ends his text to me, my paisan. I'm not Italian, but I appreciate it. I'm just honorary, so. Yeah, he's.

[Cooper DeJean]

He's one of the coolest dudes I've. I've ever met. And he. He literally runs. Runs the city of Philadelphia. Yeah, it's great to. Great to know a guy like that.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

What was his intro to you? Like? Did he describe like, hey, I'm Big Dom. This is what I do.

[Big Cat]

This is my place?

[Cooper DeJean]

I mean, kinda. He. He's he's got some, he brought me into his office, I remember, and was just telling me all kinds of crazy stories that he's, that he's, that he's heard or been a part of since he's been the security head security for, for the Eagles. And there's some, there's some crazy that, that he's, he's done and he's, he's helped guys out with. So it's, it's good to have, have a guy like him on your team.

[PFT Commenter]

He's good at what he does.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. All right, well, Cooper, thank you so much. We appreciate it. Congrats again. If you're ever in Chicago, come by the office, check us out out and we'll, we're gonna be in Philly for grit week. So we'll see you then.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Hank]

Wait.

[Cooper DeJean]

Can't wait. Appreciate you guys. Thank you.

[PFT Commenter]

Cooper, thank you for your representation.

[Big Cat]

Yes.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, yeah.

[Big Cat]

Thanks for. Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

My four year old son, Chris, he used to think he could only be a quarterback or an offensive coordinator. Now he sees you, he's like, I can be a cornerback.

[Cooper DeJean]

Get him on the outside.

[Big Cat]

All right, thanks, man. Appreciate it.

[Cooper DeJean]

Appreciate the guys.

[PFT Commenter]

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[Big Cat]

All right, let's finish up the week. We got fire fest of the week. Hank, kick us off.

[Max]

I got scammed earlier.

[PFT Commenter]

Oh, on what?

[Big Cat]

Scammed.

[Max]

I'm usually pretty good at feeling them out. Snuffing them out.

[Big Cat]

Oh, no.

[Max]

But it was, it was an easy pass. And like my easy pass. I tried to go through a tool recently. You got a text and for like I don't know if it was. My balance was down and my card wasn't set up. But it didn't. Like it was going red. It wasn't let me through. I had to pay cash.

[Big Cat]

Cash.

[Max]

So I got a text that was like, you're, you know, pay your easy pass fee. And I clicked it. The website looked like the real easy pass website. Put in my information, shout out. Bank of America, though they were on it, they called me right away and we're like someone's, you know, trying to take your credit card information. What's going on?

[Big Cat]

Wait, what. How did this start?

[Max]

It started like it's. I got a text that was like, pay your easy pass. Text your, pay your easy pass, whatever.

[PFT Commenter]

But it happened to have just driven through a tool.

[Max]

But I recently had tried to go through. I have an easy pass and it didn't let me through because of a balance thing. So I, I thought there was credibility to the text.

[Oldie]

Wow.

[Big Cat]

So they. That's a smart scam.

[Max]

Yeah, they, they. And I'm again like, I get them a lot. Everyone gets them a lot. Emails, fishing, whatever it is. And I'm, you know, I've never, I've never gotten caught before. And I got got today, thankfully.

[PFT Commenter]

How much did you pay?

[Max]

It was like $7. I thought it was a one time, like.

[PFT Commenter]

They just stole your credit card?

[Max]

Yeah, and they just stole my credit card.

[Hank]

Damn dirty.

[Big Cat]

You have to get a new one. Yeah.

[Max]

Bank of America was like. But they were, they called me right away. They said suspicious Activity. Was this you? I told them. They're like, yeah, no, that's a scam card canceled. We'll send you a new one.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, no free ads, but bank of America is pretty good at that. Or they'll hit you up and be like, hey, I think this might be a fraud. Except when they do it when you're buying something, like, totally normal. Like, one time I shopped at Lo Bean, and Bank of America called me.

[Max]

And they're like, you're shopping. You've never bought clothes in your life.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Oldie]

L.L.

[Big Cat]

Bean.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, we're detecting some highly.

[Big Cat]

Where are you, sir?

[Hank]

You brought.

[PFT Commenter]

You bought a sweater. Did it have. It had buttons?

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

This is fraud.

[Big Cat]

Oh, Hank. That's brutal. That's the worst feeling, because you're like. You don't get got, and you get got.

[Hank]

That's not nice. That's not nice. Okay, back to the tillies. That's not nice. So can we.

[Big Cat]

Okay. Can.

[Hank]

Is there any way we can find or start Googling something? Like, find these guys. Like, the All Tilly. These guys.

[Max]

Guys, I think they do this with everyone. I think. I mean, you.

[Big Cat]

I get them a lot.

[Max]

I get a lot with the emails. I get a lot of random texts.

[PFT Commenter]

Like, you have their number. They texted you, right?

[Max]

No, it was automated. It read like a.

[Hank]

Automated. Yeah, received or whatever. Received.

[Max]

No.

[Cooper DeJean]

Damn.

[Oldie]

That's crazy.

[PFT Commenter]

I'd fight these guys, Hank.

[Hank]

Like, I'll meet these guys over at the Dan Ryan express highway. I've driven that highway. Yeah, I'll go. These guys. I've been on that highway before.

[PFT Commenter]

He knows where.

[Max]

Do some research.

[Big Cat]

So those guys are dead now because Oldie's gonna go after.

[Hank]

Yeah, these guys want to meet. Tell them to meet me at the Bean. No. Yeah, I'll come on to the Silver. I'll go down to that shiny old bean down there.

[PFT Commenter]

Come get your ass kicked at the Bean.

[Hank]

Lucky doesn't come St. Patrick's Day. And the water's green down here. Yeah, he wants to play around big dog style. Let's go meet with the big dogs.

[Max]

Turn the river red.

[Cooper DeJean]

All right.

[Big Cat]

Pft.

[Cooper DeJean]

Your.

[Big Cat]

Your fire fest.

[PFT Commenter]

My fire fest of the week is that there is an asteroid heading towards Earth. Earth?

[Big Cat]

No, dude, it's.

[PFT Commenter]

It's scheduled to hit the. The planet potentially in 2032. And, like, three days ago, it was a one percent chance. Then a couple days later, it was two percent.

[Big Cat]

What month?

[PFT Commenter]

Then a couple days later, it was 3.1%.

[Max]

You know what I'll be doing in 2032?

[PFT Commenter]

What?

[Max]

Chilling.

[Big Cat]

What month? Not worrying, very important.

[PFT Commenter]

Let me look it up.

[Big Cat]

Because it can't be during football season.

[PFT Commenter]

So I agree with that. I think what I read was December, which would be.

[Big Cat]

It would be so brutal if your.

[PFT Commenter]

Team is good and you're gearing up for a playoff push. And then asteroid like this tells me this has like brown super bowl run written all over it. And then the asteroid shows up.

[Hank]

This ain't good.

[Big Cat]

No.

[PFT Commenter]

So now it's up to 3.1%.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

I mean it would be a team that like you wouldn't expect having it's fact right now. Yeah.

[Hank]

Oh man. Oh, no, no. P, just chill. Get off the Google. Don't worry about it, brother. We got you.

[Cooper DeJean]

Yes.

[Max]

Just hang strong with the boys, dude.

[Hank]

We're with your buddies. June. Just get off to Google, man. Hang with us for a couple minutes.

[Big Cat]

Yep. Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

So they said that it's going to hit either someplace in Africa, maybe some place in South America. My money's on the water. Yeah, that thing's gonna hit the water.

[Hank]

Absolutely. There's more water than land.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah, good point. We just see. We send Bennington out there and just have them catch glove saving.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Hank]

Gotta go pick it up and go freeze a wh. Listen, Pete, don't worry about that stuff. You gotta remember these are the like what you're reading right now. Like what kind of like check your facts. Who are these pickle sticks?

[PFT Commenter]

NASA. It's NASA.

[Hank]

Come on, kick rocks. Dude. This is some pickle stick behind the computer. These are like these Tommy tough guys that run their mouth behind the computer and then they want to dance and then you show them show up to the dance.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, these bullets just got to show up to the dance.

[Hank]

Show up to the dance and see if you want to. You want us? You want a salsa? You want a little side shuffle? Probably not. They're not showing up because they're sticking at home. They're trying to crushing, crushing some soda pop, some bags of chips, you know what I mean? Fingers are greasy, hammering away on the computer.

[Big Cat]

Oh, these guys.

[Hank]

That's where it's coming. He's never gonna make it. Suck off, buddy. Suck right off.

[Big Cat]

Oh. All right. My fire fest is I great vacation. Except for I had one moment I was the hottest I've ever been gambling in college basketball. And I went down with with friends, a couple, a few couples and two of my friends decided to fade me when I was 16 and 4 in college basketball. And they faded me on a pick. I ended up winning. So I went to 17 and 4.

[Hank]

Yep.

[Big Cat]

But I think I'll probably. I. I told them straight up. I was like, if our friendship was 100, it's 98 for the rest of our lives.

[PFT Commenter]

Yeah.

[Hank]

2% loss.

[Big Cat]

2% loss.

[Hank]

Not a lot. But it's. It's big in the scale.

[PFT Commenter]

That's asteroid size loss.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Hank]

Yeah, that's big in the scale. Although you said 1% and now it's going up.

[Big Cat]

Supposedly they did gain 1% back because.

[Hank]

Okay.

[Big Cat]

People seeing over my shoulder, they're probably wondering what the this is. I got. My friends gave me a gift for my 40th birthday.

[Hank]

Wicked.

[Big Cat]

It is the day I was born. January 30, 1985. Happened to be also Damarino's wedding day. So they got me a picture from Damarino's wedding day.

[Hank]

That is so incredible right there.

[Big Cat]

So I have good friends, but they. They did fade me. So we lost. Lost a little bit of friendship.

[Oldie]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

Dan Marino, his first wife.

[Big Cat]

His first wife.

[Hank]

I know Finkle is Einhorn. Einhorn is Finkel.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[PFT Commenter]

How many wives has he had?

[Big Cat]

Only one. But it is his first wife.

[Hank]

Was she covering her face? Like, kind of be embarrassed, like he never did it.

[Big Cat]

I don't know.

[Hank]

Miami, like, I don't want to bring it up, Dan. Mr. Marino laces out. He knows. He knows lace is out.

[PFT Commenter]

I'm embarrassed to be seen marrying this guy who can't win the big one.

[Big Cat]

You can't do it.

[Hank]

Like, how many opportunities you got to go to the dance, show up?

[Big Cat]

This is the only ring he'll ever get. Yeah.

[Hank]

Oh, that's why. That's why he knows Lace is out.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. Yeah. But so. So I got 1% back. So 99%. But yeah, you can't all time heater. And they were asking for my picks. They were like, give me your picks. I gave them my picks and then they faded. One of them. I can't ask for picks. And then faded.

[PFT Commenter]

I could tell Big Cat was actually mad about this. I was, because I went downstairs in this casino and I walked past their table where they were playing. I think you gu. Were playing really at the time.

[Hank]

Great game, great casino game.

[PFT Commenter]

Said, what's up to the crew? And then Big Cat saw me and the first thing he said to me was, pft. What would you rate this as? A friend move if you're hot at gambling. And then one of your friends fades you. And then his friends got very defensive about it. I could tell Big Kel is actually mad.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. I was right, though. 16 and 4 and they asked for my picks and then they fade. Listen, if someone fades me, just.

[Max]

I would never.

[Big Cat]

No, but Hank, you don't. You. When we're on the opposite side, it's not because you're asking for picks. We bet the opposite side. That's totally different. It's like they. When you ask, like, can you give me your pick?

[Hank]

Yes.

[Big Cat]

And then just go the exact opposite.

[Max]

You were 16 and 4.

[Big Cat]

You would fade me.

[Hank]

Yes.

[Big Cat]

I went to 17 and 4.

[Hank]

Wow. Yeah.

[Big Cat]

Missed out.

[Hank]

You got to understand, though, Cat, where. Where my boy Hanky's coming from. Like, think he's a troll. Yeah, but he's. You're 16 and 4, bro. You're Breaker Point at 500. Dude, you're, like, skeptical. Are you going to show us the date? Are you going to show up?

[Big Cat]

Stay. Just stay on vacation. Hold on, oldie, but here more context. They. They took the 16 and four picks like they were riding with me. So they had already won money.

[PFT Commenter]

They were trying to time the market.

[Big Cat]

Yeah, you can't do that. Like, they had already there.

[Hank]

Riding your coattail.

[Big Cat]

They're riding my coattails and they're like, ah, we're getting off right here. No, no, no, no. Oh, you got to stay on.

[Hank]

So they wanted it. They wanted to do the old, oh, I'll bet you you lose. And then you try to re bet and the guy says, no, no, no, I don't want to bet.

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Hank]

What do you mean you don't want to bet? Bet.

[Big Cat]

But they did make it back with the damn Marino.

[Hank]

It's a good picture.

[Big Cat]

I need. We need to get it signed.

[Hank]

Well, you know what? At first I was not happy with them, but I. They're back in my books.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. All right, good.

[Hank]

They're back at 99.

[Big Cat]

So, oldie, do you have a. Do you have a fire fest?

[Hank]

Oh, man, what do I got this week? What do I got this week? It's been a long, heck of a week. I've been bumping and grinding with the snowplow like 14 days straight.

[PFT Commenter]

I do have a question about that, about leaving work. So you're. You're coming down here to. To watch the game with us? Come on the podcast.

[Big Cat]

This is his show now.

[PFT Commenter]

And what'd you tell your boss?

[Hank]

I said I got. I got. I got pft coming in Cat on my show. And you know what I mean, Hank's gonna be there, but I mean, I gotta go. I got stuff to do with the boys. Yeah. So my shift, 7 to 3:30, and I looked at him about 3:12 3:14 said, Henry, I'm not here tomorrow or Friday. I got a phone call, I gotta go. What do you mean? What do you mean? I got to go. I'm out of here, bud. No problem, Ryan. No problem. Just write it down. Beauty. My boss at work, actual be. Oh yeah, he's butte like basically. I think it's kind of good for him cuz I'm not there. So it's kind of like a pro. He's like yo, this is awesome. Okay, wait, the kid's gone. We're having a. So I took off a couple Fridays ago cuz my. I had to go Friday. I think I went somewhere and obviously I went somewhere, right? Because I wasn't there. Think about it, it. So I said I got to go, I'm out of here. And he's like, well all right guys. By the way, pizza party Friday. Cuz he knew the kid wasn't in. What a move, eh? And I said enjoy boys. Enjoy the pizza. Your boy's out. I'm going ice fishing. I'm out of here. Got to go.

[Big Cat]

Okay, so it was ice fishing.

[Oldie]

Oh.

[Hank]

So that, that was a couple weeks ago. But that was the worst. The boys, we caught nine fit. The boys caught nine fish. I had the biggest fish in lake Nipissing on my line. My buddy's on the sonar watching it. Oh, oh. He sees the fish coming across the line. Oh. And I'm trolling. I'm just dipping, dipping, dipping and dunking, dipping and dunking with my rod shablams. He hits me wing the rod gallon goes right away. Brady would have loved this story. But he just catches 3.4 bassers. So my rod is wheeled. Yeah, that, yeah, it's wheeled right down. We can. I'm cranking, cranking, cranking. Bing. Right up in the air. No, no, I lost it. The biggest fish in lake Nipissing and way up north with voice devastating the whole life.

[Big Cat]

That's your fire fest.

[Hank]

Yeah, it was terrible. I had a hoot with the boys though. We had a blast out there. We were in an ice fishing cabin on the lake. I drove my truck right into the lake.

[Oldie]

Wow.

[Hank]

Left it there. Two day banger with me and the boys, my broski. Oh yeah, it was awesome.

[Big Cat]

That's incredible.

[Hank]

It was great.

[PFT Commenter]

What's the sleeping situation like in there?

[Hank]

Oh, so check this. It's like six manner in there. We got a propane tank, we got a little stove, we got a little jug thing of water. So we're sleeping on the bottom bunk. You know, the kid's a big boy out there. So we're calling bottom. No one wants to die from the top end, right? Yeah. So we're in the bottom bunk. One of the guys stayed in the top and he wasn't feeling good. It was hot as up there. Right? Because the heat rises.

[Cooper DeJean]

Yeah.

[Hank]

So the next day the guy's like. We went. He slept upstairs. And about an hour and a half in, he started feeling like he went outside. Puke rallied outside a little. Outside there's an outdoor. Went and did a puke rally. And I could hear him from the inside of the cabin. It's a 10x20 little shack and he's in a 3x3. He's got to walk out of the front to the backside and go to the 3x3. So he's in there and you just hear the puke rally, everything. And I go, jake, are you all right? My guy, he said, I'm. Oh, I don't feel good. Like I got poisoning. So I said okay. He came back in. I felt bad, so I said, I'll go in the top bunk. You ride the bottom bunke. And about an hour into my shift upstairs, I am sweaty. Sack balls. You think the pocket was something? I was juicy up there, boys. I had to get out of there. I had to get out of the shack. I went to the truck, fired her up at about 1:00. 1:30. And I slept in the truck. I hear a knock on the window. 5:30 in the morning. Oldie. Oie. Hey, what's up? How long you been in the truck for? A couple hours. Holy. It's hot in the room, eh? I said, yeah, yeah, I'm okay. Okay. Shut her off, went back in bang with the boys. Bacon and eggs. Bacon and eggs by 6:30.

[PFT Commenter]

That's awesome.

[Big Cat]

All right. That was a great fire fest.

[PFT Commenter]

Yep.

[Big Cat]

Oldie, you.

[Cooper DeJean]

You're.

[Big Cat]

You're the best, man. I don't think it's the last we'll hear from you. All right. Last thing we do, Oldie. Numbers. So this is a lottery ball machine. So we have this. We've done this for five years now. For all going on five years.

[Cooper DeJean]

All right.

[Big Cat]

Meme sitting next to you has never gotten. Gotten it. He's never gotten it. Pretty insane. But you can guess any number, oldie, from one to a hundred. I'll let you. We'll let you go first. So you just guess and then we're all gonna guess numbers.

[Cooper DeJean]

I've never gotten it. Oh, man.

[Hank]

Memes. Really?

[Big Cat]

Yeah.

[Hank]

It's a long ride, dude. Five Years and one of a hundred. Nothing. Never banged it.

[Big Cat]

Some say it's more impressive to not get it. They get all they get.

[Hank]

Oh, this is like. This is like winning the lottery. Like getting struck by, like, lightning. Said it. Win the lottery.

[PFT Commenter]

No, they get it all the time.

[Big Cat]

It's so easy.

[Oldie]

But no, it's like when people that.

[Max]

Win the lottery say that it's actually bad, but like, yeah, yeah, you'd much rather win the lottery.

[Hank]

That's just inside here.

[Big Cat]

You don't win anything.

[Hank]

Right? Well, my favorite move is stand up 69 with me on the opposite end on the backside. So, you know, like, who doesn't love that upside down? You're just hanging away.

[Big Cat]

Right?

[Hank]

But I mean, also, I'm number four guy. That's a big number for me. Like, I'm all about number four.

[Cooper DeJean]

So.

[Big Cat]

So are you going four or 69?

[Hank]

I think I got a good five on the stand up 69 right now. But I gotta go back to home base. I think sometimes the four banger.

[Big Cat]

Okay, so you're going four.

[Hank]

We gotta go four banger.

[Big Cat]

Yeah. All right, everyone else, I'll go 69. I'll go 44.

[Max]

I'll go three.

[Hank]

I like it.

[PFT Commenter]

I'll go 99.

[Max]

No, actually, I'll go 40.

[Big Cat]

40.

[PFT Commenter]

All right, I'll go 100.

[Cooper DeJean]

Pug.

[PFT Commenter]

Oh, Pug. I didn't see in there. You kept 99. I give you.

[Big Cat]

I didn't see.

[PFT Commenter]

No, no, no, it's yours. I will take 66. I'll take 99.

[Oldie]

Pug.

[PFT Commenter]

Also watch PMT, PMTV.

[Big Cat]

To watch all the behind the scenes of oldie. Yeah, Incredible. A lot of good stuff. Yeah, 44.

[Max]

Lot of liquid.

[Big Cat]

No, I have 44 white.

[Hank]

Yeah, yeah.

[Cooper DeJean]

Okay.

[Hank]

You gotta figure that out. Wiper. Great hockey.

[Cooper DeJean]

71 1.

[Big Cat]

All right, here we go.

[Hank]

Oh, this is exciting. This is like. This is a bubbler in the stomach here. Come on, four banger. Show the boys what's up.

[PFT Commenter]

Let's do this.

[Hank]

What a memes pet.

[Big Cat]

69. All right, 61. Oh, thank God.

[Hank]

My boy, Rick Nash. How do you do?

[Big Cat]

That's his number.

[Hank]

That's my boy's number. Absolutely.

[Big Cat]

You're wearing it. Come on.

[Hank]

My boy just popped up. Are you kidding me right now? I should have said Nasher. You know why I should have said nasher? Because the 2010 Gold Medal, 2014 Gold Medal Olympics tonight all star break according to some. But as we know as broadcast four nations on ESPN live. He was buggers, okay?

[Big Cat]

The. The. He was facetiming Rick Nash, who he's been childhood friends with. And Rick Nash said that he has gotten more to text today than when he won the gold medal because everyone's like, what the hell is Oldie doing at the barstool offices?

[Hank]

Like, what is happening? This is beautiful. Love it.

[Big Cat]

All right.

[PFT Commenter]

I can't believe you didn't take 61.

[Big Cat]

Beautiful.

[Hank]

Finish it off the show. I should have taken my on your back. I know, I know. And I went with my home barn number four. But great ride here tonight. Great ride.

[PFT Commenter]

Thank you, thank you, thank you. Oie. Love you guys.

[Hank]

Love you.