Overview of Pardon My Take
Pardon My Take kicks off football season mode with “Big Ten Media Week” energy, a lot of camp gossip, and three strong interviews with Luke Fickell (Wisconsin), Lincoln Riley (USC), and Greg Schiano (Rutgers). The crew also riffs on the NFL’s most meaningless training camp storylines, MLB labor doom, LeBron’s Philadelphia/Jersey life, LIV Golf’s future, and a lively “Mount Rushmore” of things you hated as a kid but love as an adult.
Biggest Non-Interview Takeaways
Football is officially back
- The show leans hard into the first days of camp:
- CJ Stroud’s walk-in outfit gets roasted.
- Jalen Carter re-signing is treated as an easy win.
- Jerry Jones wants to trade future assets “to win now.”
- Brandon Aiyuk speculation continues.
- Baker Mayfield gets a long-term extension conversation, with Todd Bowles getting blamed for the vibes in Tampa.
- They also laugh at the absurdity of camp content: walk-ins, fits, and body language are the big stories right now.
MLB labor fears are getting real
- Jeff Passan’s reporting that some owners think there’s a 0% chance of a deal next year sparks a full panic session.
- The guys brainstorm ridiculous contingency plans:
- “dingers only” baseball
- coin flips to decide the CBA
- MLBPA assessments to fund a Dodgers bet
- basically anything to avoid a lockout
- The underlying point: if baseball disappears for any length of time, the sports calendar gets ugly.
LeBron as a 76er becomes a running bit
- They keep joking about LeBron “living in New York” while being tied to Philly.
- The crew speculates on where he’d live, whether he’d take the train, and whether he should buy out entire train cars.
- This turns into an extended joke about “cucked behavior” from Philly fans embracing LeBron.
Other quick hits
- Draymond Green re-signing with the Warriors is framed as bad news for Steph’s future.
- LIV Golf gets mocked after another event cancellation, with the group wondering if the league is quietly dying.
- College football jersey patches from sponsors like SoFi and Chase are treated as the next inevitable money grab.
Hot Seat / Cool Throne
Hot seats
- Jets: Plaxico Burress says playing for the Jets felt like prison; the quote lands as brutal and funny.
- Cardinals: Their win total and general outlook look bleak.
- LIV Golf: Cancellation chatter makes it feel like the league may not survive long-term.
- Patriots fans: Zach jokes that A.J. Brown may not have it after seeing camp clips, mostly to troll New England.
Cool thrones
- Justin Herbert / Madison Beer: The engagement joke writes itself, and the crew goes hard on the “Herbert Beer” nickname possibilities.
- Making money: Especially college football teams selling jersey patches.
- Jokic: Another horse-racing win gets celebrated like a major title.
Mount Rushmore: Things You Hated as a Kid but Love as an Adult
The draft gets a little chaotic but the core theme is clear: adult life flips your childhood opinions.
Notable picks and themes
- Going to sleep / bedtime
- Taste of alcohol
- Hanging out with your parents
- Alone time
- Chicks
- Coffee
- Spanking
- Being a kid / youth
- Cutting the grass / mowing the lawn
- Naps
- Bathing / showers
- Watching golf on TV
Best recurring joke from the segment
- The crew gets hung up on whether some picks are “the same thing,” which becomes a classic PMT semantics fight.
- The “girls/chicks” discussion causes the usual awkwardness and laughter.
Coach Luke Fickell Interview: Wisconsin
Fickell comes off thoughtful, intense, and very committed to stabilizing Wisconsin.
Main points
- He explains that during a rough stretch, he had to decide whether to walk away or fully commit to fixing Wisconsin.
- He describes the decision as a family and program-wide commitment, not a quick emotional reaction.
- He emphasizes adapting Wisconsin’s identity:
- more flexibility offensively
- more ability to play under center and from shotgun
- keeping the program’s physical identity without being stuck in the past
Wisconsin-specific notes
- He’s excited about having actual fullbacks on the roster again.
- He says the quarterback room is deeper and more competitive than before.
- He credits last year’s growth to a youth movement and better leadership.
- He talks about:
- improving in-state recruiting
- respecting Wisconsin’s tradition
- balancing old-school Badgers football with modern football realities
- He confirms he’s still not sure about the vest; the crew strongly advises he ditch it.
- He also mentions bow fishing and team bonding attempts that failed because it was too cold and somebody fell in the water.
Coach Lincoln Riley Interview: USC
Riley is relaxed, sharp, and very comfortable talking quarterbacks.
Main points
- He says USC has become more normalized in the Big Ten, and he likes the national feel of the league.
- He jokes about needing to “get fat” to fit in with Big Ten stereotypes, but says USC’s food is too healthy for that.
- He tells the story behind his famous brisket photo, saying the Worcestershire bath made it look gray but it tasted great.
Quarterback talk
- The show asks whether he’s a QB whisperer or guru; he mostly rejects both labels.
- He emphasizes that his QB success is tied to:
- recruiting
- development
- surrounding talent
- team success, not just quarterback hype
- He says Baker Mayfield is at his best when he has a chip on his shoulder and something to hate.
Mike Leach stories
- Riley shares a classic Mike Leach story about a giant Copenhagen dip and a long tangent on how dip is made.
- He credits Leach with:
- hiring great people
- ignoring outside opinion
- spotting hidden talent
- talking to everybody
- He says Leach’s tree is partly about the offense, but even more about being an elite evaluator and hirer.
Other USC notes
- Riley says he values finding players who fit USC socially, academically, and in a high-visibility environment.
- Zach asks a strong recruiting question about what character trait Riley looks for that others miss.
- Riley says this era of paying players is now another evaluation tool: how guys handle business matters reveals a lot about them.
Coach Greg Schiano Interview: Rutgers
Schiano delivers the most classic football-coach energy of the day.
Main points
- He says training camp is the only time of year where the team is fully his.
- He defines a “Shiano man” as a stand-up guy who loves football and family.
- He teases the show for not paying him enough in “Shiano Man” residuals.
The chop
- He tells the origin story of the chop:
- inspired by a survival metaphor from Dr. Kevin Elko
- revived after a bad loss
- became a Rutgers identity piece
- He emphasizes that players need to be all-in and willing to keep chopping.
Rutgers and the state
- He explains the importance of the state of Rutgers:
- New Jersey
- New York
- Delaware
- the recruiting footprint around Newark
- He says Rutgers now has better alignment and actual resources to match expectations.
Personal and program notes
- He misses the dog Fumble, who passed away.
- His household is now full of cats, which he jokes about but also says he’s allergic to.
- He shares a strong Doug Martin story from his Tampa Bay days.
- He and the crew revisit:
- the old James Gandolfini sideline memory
- Rutgers’ historic football roots
- his appreciation for hard-nosed, football-first players
Guys on Chicks
A few advice questions close the show:
- Friend who’s known as a hoe: They say people usually read the room; if you’re not the sloppy one, you’ll usually be fine.
- Boyfriend saying the “right” thing: The crew says he may be trying to avoid a fight, but that doesn’t mean he’s lying.
- Wedding day TV during Week 1 of college football: The answer is yes, but keep it no sound. That way it’s more like background art than a full football shrine.
Bottom Line
This episode is a perfect “football is back” kickoff:
- camp drama
- coach interviews
- roster/building talk
- old-school football stories
- and plenty of off-the-wall jokes about everything from cats to brisket to LeBron.
The biggest practical takeaways:
- Wisconsin feels like it’s trying to re-center around its identity.
- USC is comfortable in the Big Ten and still produces elite QB discourse.
- Rutgers is leaning into resources, recruiting, and Schiano-style toughness.
- And the sports calendar is in that dangerous late-summer zone where meaningless details feel huge.