Overview of Pardon My Take — “Grit Week Continues, Lane Kiffin, Blake Bortles, Wemby’s Incredible Game 1, Knicks Kill The Cavs Plus Hot Seat/Cool Throne”
This episode mixes the best parts of Grit Week with big playoff reactions, two strong interviews, and the usual chaos. The guys recap an unforgettable sports night: the Knicks’ comeback win over the Cavs and Victor Wembanyama’s monster playoff performance for the Spurs. They also share behind-the-scenes stories from traveling to LSU and Jacksonville, including a brutal hot-yoga session, a construction project for a kid fighting cancer, and a long drive in Vanny Woodhead 2. The episode features interviews with Lane Kiffin and Blake Bortles, plus a packed Hot Seat/Cool Throne segment on everything from player-fan beef to bizarre rivalries.
Playoff Takeaways
Knicks vs. Cavaliers
- The Knicks erased a 20-point fourth-quarter deficit and stole Game 1 in overtime.
- Jalen Brunson was the story: he took over late, repeatedly breaking down Cleveland’s defense.
- The crew felt Cleveland cannot lose that game if they want to win the series.
- They praised OG Anunoby’s defense and noted the Cavs looked rusty after the layoff.
- The mood in the room was basically: “series over” and “the Cavs are dead.”
Wembanyama’s breakout
- The Spurs’ Game 1 win over OKC became a full-on Wemby appreciation session.
- Wemby posted an absurd stat line: 41 points, 24 rebounds, and the guys called it a true “he’s here” playoff moment.
- They marveled at:
- his impossible deep three,
- his defensive impact,
- and how he makes the game look different because of his size and skill.
- The discussion framed this as the kind of game people will look back on as Wemby announcing himself as a superstar.
Grit Week Behind the Scenes
LSU day
- The crew spent the day at LSU, doing:
- hot yoga / conditioning,
- a bunch of sports,
- a crawfish boil,
- and an interview with Lane Kiffin.
- They repeatedly joke that Grit Week is really just an excuse to travel, eat, and do weird stuff with friends.
Jacksonville and construction
- They also worked on a play set for a young kid battling cancer through Rock Solid Foundation.
- Blake Bortles joined them for the build.
- The day became one of those classic PMT trips where the whole crew is exhausted, sweaty, and half-delirious — which somehow makes the content better.
Vanny Woodhead 2
- They were very proud that Vanny Woodhead 2 survived a huge drive and delivered them all the way through the trip.
- It became a running joke that the van was basically a character in the episode.
Interview: Lane Kiffin
Lane Kiffin gave one of the more revealing and funny interviews they’ve had with him, blending football talk with his personal routines and LSU culture.
What grit means to him
- Kiffin defined grit as the ability to keep going when things get hard.
- He explained that his workout routine is a non-negotiable:
- no bread,
- no alcohol,
- daily training,
- and a constant focus on discipline.
Hot yoga turned into full-on punishment
- The “hot yoga” session was really a brutal mix of:
- weights,
- cardio,
- and sauna-like heat.
- Kiffin said the workout has evolved over time into something much tougher than yoga.
- He likes the discomfort because it mirrors football and life.
Coaching philosophy and roster building
- He talked a lot about:
- building culture,
- getting players to buy into the team,
- and navigating the modern transfer portal/NIL era.
- His big point: players are already thinking like pros, so coaches have to meet them there.
- He emphasized:
- competitiveness,
- out-of-rhythm playmakers,
- and adapting the offense to the quarterback rather than forcing a template.
LSU culture and physicality
- Kiffin said LSU has to reclaim its reputation as a place that’s hard to play against.
- He wants the Tigers to be:
- more physical,
- tougher,
- and more intimidating in Tiger Stadium.
- He also discussed how the fan base and city make SEC football feel different — everyone knows everything, all the time.
The SEC, group chats, and coach chaos
- He described multiple SEC coach group chats, some official and some private.
- He joked about the need to keep the chats secret and how group messages become a form of coaching therapy and strategy-sharing.
- He also discussed the awkwardness of coaches being removed from group chats when they get fired.
Juice the dog is real
- Kiffin addressed the long-running question about Juice, his dog.
- He confirmed Juice is real, explained the joint-custody arrangement, and even had the guys FaceTime the dog’s caretaker to verify it.
- That bit turned into one of the funniest parts of the interview.
Interview: Blake Bortles
Blake Bortles brought a much more laid-back, off-the-cuff energy, and the interview leaned into how absurdly hot and chaotic the van was.
Retired life
- Blake said he:
- drops off his kids,
- helps with parenting duties,
- works out,
- and just lives a normal retired-athlete life.
- He admitted he knows more coaches than players now.
Golf and handedness
- He revealed he’s right-handed but plays golf left-handed, which Hank also does.
- The guys joked that Blake basically helped convert Hank into being a lefty golfer.
Athletic background
- Blake reminded everyone he was an athlete:
- he had college offers at tight end,
- and some programs thought he was better suited to that than quarterback.
- He even said he once tried to suggest he could play tight end early in his career.
Parenting and youth sports
- He talked about:
- coaching kids,
- Florida travel sports,
- and how competitive youth athletics get immediately.
- His view: ex-pro athletes are usually the most chill coaches because they know kids are mostly there to have fun.
NFL/Jaguars reflections
- He said he still roots for the Jaguars and also likes watching the Rams.
- He’s optimistic about Jacksonville’s future and the team’s direction.
- They also talked about his lingering love for football and the locker room.
Hot Seat / Cool Throne
Hot seat: people taking sports rivalries too seriously
- They defended PCA (Pete Crow-Armstrong) for telling a heckling fan to “suck his dick,” arguing that fans who talk trash should expect trash talk back.
- They also discussed the weird rumor about A.J. Brown’s wedding and whether Jalen Hurts not attending means anything. The consensus: probably don’t read too much into it.
- They joked about how messy sports friendships can get when the internet starts speculating.
Cool throne: Jalen Brown vs. Stephen A. / Kendrick Perkins
- Jalen Brown kept clapping back at Stephen A. Smith and Kendrick Perkins.
- The crew liked that Brown is willing to push back instead of just taking criticism.
- They challenged Stephen A. and Perk to actually release whatever “dirt” they claim to have.
Cool throne: bitter rivalries in tennis
- They read a wild, poetic Instagram post from Carlos Alcaraz to Jannik Sinner that sounded almost romantic.
- The guys turned it into a joke about the rivalry being so intense it’s basically sexual tension.
- They loved how personal and competitive the tennis rivalry has become.
Cool throne: Vanny Woodhead 2
- The van earned major praise for surviving a brutal road trip with no major issues.
- The only complaints were the AC quirks and a dead dashboard, which the crew treated like minor battle scars.
Notable Running Themes
- Grit Week is basically the show’s annual excuse to go on an exhausting, funny, football-adjacent adventure.
- The episode repeatedly celebrates:
- competition,
- trash talk,
- and the weird emotional highs of sports fandom.
- There’s also a strong undercurrent of “our lives are pretty awesome” as they reflect on getting paid to do wild, entertaining stuff with friends.
What to Watch / Listen For Next
- The Thursday vlog from the LSU/Jacksonville trip.
- More fallout from the Knicks’ comeback and the Cavs’ collapse.
- More Wemby playoff dominance if the Spurs keep it rolling.
- Any future updates on:
- Juice the dog,
- Lane Kiffin’s LSU season,
- and whether the crew ever recovers from this Grit Week.