Overview of Pardon My Take with Dave Portnoy and Zach Top
This episode mixes World Cup banter, a deep-dive interview with Barstool founder Dave Portnoy about his new book Cancel Me If You Can, and a wide-ranging sit-down with country singer Zach Top. The hosts also run through Phil Mickelson gossip, MLB/NBA notes, a chaotic “Mount Rushmore” draft of American attractions foreigners should visit, and their weekly “Who’s Back” picks.
World Cup, Bracket Talk, and Knockout Stage Reactions
The show opens with heavy World Cup conversation as the knockout bracket takes shape.
- The hosts are energized by seeing the bracket and start previewing possible U.S. matchups.
- They downplay the U.S. loss to Turkey, arguing it didn’t matter because the team had already advanced.
- There’s a lot of discussion about:
- VAR and offsides issues
- A controversial toe/pinky-toe offside call
- Messi’s scoring streak
- Ronaldo slander and the joke that he’s washed
- They also recap:
- Algeria vs. Austria being decided in stoppage time
- Uruguay’s meltdown after elimination
- Canada’s win
- A rant about how some countries have to play in less favorable conditions
Dave Portnoy Interview: Barstool History, Business, and the New Book
Dave Portnoy joins for a long interview centered on his memoir, Cancel Me If You Can.
Main themes of the conversation
- The rise of Barstool Sports
- Big “sliding doors” moments in the company’s history
- The ESPN fallout and how it helped unify the company
- The Churnin/Penn business transitions
- How sports gambling legalization changed Barstool’s trajectory
- His view that people underestimate how much loyalty and teamwork hold the company together
Notable bits
- Dave says the book is a real history of Barstool and that he wanted it to be both accurate and entertaining.
- He talks about how writing the book made him re-live old memories and “unlock” forgotten details.
- He describes Barstool criticism as something that feels personal because it’s tied to his whole life’s work.
- He and the hosts joke about:
- Hank’s early days at Barstool
- Dave thinking Hank might quit
- The absurdity of some early Barstool hires and fake resumes
- Dave also talks about:
- The newspaper era
- Old Barstool writers and fake bylines
- How the company’s growth depended on a mix of luck, timing, and the right people
Good quote/theme
- Dave’s core idea: attacks on Barstool feel like attacks on his life, not just a company.
Zach Top Interview: Traditional Country, TikTok, and the Road to Success
Country singer Zach Top comes in for a fun, detailed interview about his rise in country music.
What they cover
- Winning a Grammy for Best Traditional Country Album
- His path from:
- construction work
- posting songs on Facebook and TikTok
- moving to Nashville
- landing publishing and recording opportunities
- His sound, which intentionally leans toward classic ’90s country and older traditional country influences
Influences and style
- He cites influences like:
- George Jones
- George Strait
- Alan Jackson
- Randy Travis
- older bluegrass/country traditions
- He explains that he doesn’t see his style as a calculated move — it’s just what naturally comes out of him.
Sports and personal life
- He’s a big Seahawks and Mariners fan.
- He sang the anthem at a Seahawks game and talks about how nerve-racking it was.
- He walks through how surreal it was to hear Cal Raleigh use one of his songs as a walk-up song.
- He also talks about doing music with Billy Strings and wanting to return to more bluegrass work eventually.
A few memorable moments
- He beat Willie Nelson for the Grammy and jokes about how wrong that feels.
- He says he’s “not a cowboy,” but he respects real cowboys and grew up around that world.
- He describes songwriting as both a job and a creative release, especially when writing on retreats away from Nashville.
Phil Mickelson Gossip and Golf Talk
The hosts react to a long article on Phil Mickelson and laugh/cringe through the allegations.
- Phil is accused of bizarre off-course behavior, including:
- hiding his location from his wife by letting a kid drive around with his phone
- showing a friend’s wife a naked, flexing, boner pic
- The discussion turns into a broader conversation about how golf’s “polite” culture may produce weird off-course behavior.
- They compare Phil and Tiger Woods as two childhood golf icons who ended up with messy reputations.
Who’s Back of the Week
The segment highlights a few recurring sports/media storylines:
- Stats and analytics getting roasted again, after a comment allegedly ranking Jalen Brown absurdly low
- Philadelphia poop incident at a Noah Kahan concert, which becomes a gross but funny city-specific story
- Optic Texas winning a major esports event after several near-misses
- Messi’s free kick as a “who’s back” style moment in the World Cup discussion
Mount Rushmore of American Attractions Foreigners Should Visit
The Mount Rushmore draft becomes a chaotic, funny debate about what foreigners should see in America.
Big picks and honorable mentions
- SEC football game
- Las Vegas Strip
- Bass Pro Shops Pyramid
- Waffle House
- Rodeo
- Buc-ee’s
- Daytona 500 infield
- Chili’s
- Also mentioned:
- Grand Canyon
- Statue of Liberty
- Rose Bowl
- Wrigley Field
- Mall of America
- Medieval Times
- Texas State Fair
- Sphere
- Wawa
- Rainforest Cafe
What they were really arguing
The joke was that the most “American” attractions are not necessarily monuments, but places that reflect U.S. culture at its most exaggerated, chaotic, or fun.
Takeaways
- The episode is a strong mix of sports talk, business history, and guest interviews.
- Dave Portnoy’s segment is especially important for anyone interested in Barstool’s origin story and growth.
- Zach Top comes across as a rising star who’s deliberately keeping traditional country music alive while building a modern audience.
- The show leans hard into its usual strengths: inside jokes, rapid-fire sports opinions, and absurd but insightful debates.