Overview of Pardon My Take — Larry Fitzgerald, Food Duos, LeBron-to-Cavs Bit, World Cup Talk, and Fyre Fest
This episode mixes the show’s usual sports banter with a standout interview from Larry Fitzgerald, plenty of World Cup and soccer debate, a hilarious Mount Rushmore draft of food combinations, and several “Fyre Fest of the Week” stories ranging from travel chaos to wedding drama and a rental-car mix-up. The hosts also run with a playful, fake-breaking-news bit that LeBron James is “definitely” going back to Cleveland.
Key Topics Discussed
World Cup / Soccer Reactions
- The hosts react to France’s continued dominance, praising Kylian Mbappé as the best player in the world.
- They discuss the growing backlash toward Christian Pulisic, noting how personal the criticism has become and suggesting that the intensity may actually reflect that Americans care more about soccer than before.
- A lot of the conversation centers on:
- England’s hopes and the emotional possibility of another crushing loss
- Coach Mauricio Pochettino and whether he should stay involved with U.S. soccer
- Alexi Lalas and his contrarian, pro-capitalism soccer takes
- They also preview upcoming matches involving Spain vs. Belgium and discuss what a Belgium win would mean for U.S. soccer perception.
LeBron-to-Cavs Running Joke
- The crew jokingly claims to be “first to report” that LeBron James is returning to Cleveland.
- They debate whether this is actually the smartest fit basketball-wise versus rumored alternatives like the Warriors, Sixers, or Heat.
- The bit is presented with mock seriousness, but it’s clear the segment is mostly comedic speculation and podcast lore-building.
Stanley Cup / Tom Dundon Family Name Controversy
- The hosts react to the weird story of Tom Dundon having multiple family members’ names engraved on the Stanley Cup.
- They argue that it makes sense for the owner’s name to be on the trophy, but putting young kids on it feels absurd.
- The conversation becomes a broader rant about ownership, accountability, and what should or shouldn’t count as “part of the win.”
Larry Fitzgerald Interview Highlights
Larry Fitzgerald is the centerpiece of the episode. The interview covers his career, Hall of Fame recognition, early football memories, golf, and his relationship with the game.
Hall of Fame and Retirement
- Fitzgerald confirms he is officially retired from football, though he resists using the word “retired.”
- He says he prefers to think of it as transitioning rather than “retiring,” because he sees retirement as a phrase associated with slowing down.
- The hosts joke that he might still come back and play because he never fully says the word out loud.
Childhood, Ball Boy Days, and Randy Moss
- Fitzgerald shares how he was a ball boy growing up and got to be around legends like:
- Randy Moss
- Chris Carter
- Barry Sanders
- Jerry Rice
- Michael Irvin
- He describes the ball-boy experience as formative and says it gave him a major advantage in understanding the game.
- One of the strongest themes in the interview is how much he learned by watching elite players up close.
NFL Career and QB Connections
- Fitzgerald reflects on catching passes from a long list of quarterbacks and says he had to avoid disrespecting anyone by trying to name them all.
- The hosts note the absurd stat that some quarterbacks threw him their only career touchdown.
- He praises Kurt Warner as especially accurate and easy to catch passes from.
Playing Style and Mentality
- Fitzgerald explains that he had to develop a short memory for dropped passes and mistakes.
- He talks about how younger players sometimes don’t realize how special a playoff run or big game is until later.
- He acknowledges that managing ego is crucial for great receivers, especially when sharing targets with other stars.
Bruce Arians and Coaching
- Fitzgerald says Bruce Arians was one of the best coaches he ever played for.
- He praises Arians’ ability to call the right shot at the right time and says the offense always kept defenses honest.
- He also mentions he had great relationships with nearly all of his coaches.
Sports, School, and West Virginia Jabs
- Fitzgerald talks about being recruited on defense and how he played multiple sports in high school.
- He joins in on a classic Pitt vs. West Virginia rivalry rant, happily roasting West Virginia in the process.
- The hosts lean into the idea that Pitt has an all-time great football lineage.
Golf and Pickleball
- Fitzgerald says he’s a 6 handicap in golf and plays fast.
- He says he also plays pickleball, mostly singles, and claims he can hold his own.
- The crew’s security guy, Mike, immediately challenges that claim and questions whether Larry’s Duper rating is real.
Family, Notre Dame, and Future
- Fitzgerald talks about his son choosing Notre Dame over Pitt and says he respected the decision.
- The episode ends with a friendly bet around the Badgers vs. Notre Dame matchup.
- He also makes it clear he has no interest in politics or running for office.
Mount Rushmore: Food Duos / Food Combinations
The episode’s draft segment focuses on classic food pairings and becomes a bit chaotic due to technical disagreements over what counts as one food versus two.
Strong Picks From the Draft
- Burger and fries
- Peanut butter and jelly
- Mac and cheese
- Bacon and eggs
- Chicken wings and blue cheese
- Chicken and waffles
- Steak and eggs
- Cookies and ice cream
- Bagel and cream cheese
Honorable Mentions
- Ketchup and mustard
- Fish and chips
- Bread and butter
- Biscuits and gravy
- Grilled cheese and tomato soup
- Chicken tenders and fries
- Cheese and crackers
- Brownie and ice cream
- Turkey and stuffing
- Rice and beans
- Steak and potatoes
- Pretzel and mustard
Draft Drama
- The main tension came from whether items like burger and fries or bacon, egg, and cheese should count as one duo or multiple ingredients.
- One team got flustered and accidentally burned a pick, which became a recurring joke.
- The draft ends with some good-natured arguing about strategy and whether the list was interpreted too literally.
Fyre Fest of the Week
Hank’s Travel Nightmare
- Hank’s biggest Fire Fest was a 40-hour travel ordeal getting from a wedding to Tahoe.
- His flight chain involved:
- delayed and diverted flights
- rerouting through multiple cities
- missing connections
- sleeping in an airport
- The other hosts repeatedly teased him from Tahoe while he was stuck traveling.
The Delconte Brothers / Wedding Roasting
- The “Delente brothers” and their family repeatedly roasted Hank over:
- the Jalen Brown trade
- sports fandom
- his trip being ruined by travel chaos
- Hank felt like the jabs were too much while he was already having a rough travel day.
PFT “Stole” a Rental Car
- PFT’s Fire Fest involves accidentally taking the wrong rental car from the valet.
- He drove it to the studio and even around for a while before realizing it wasn’t theirs.
- The actual owner had reportedly been shuttled somewhere because of the mistake.
Reverse Fire Fest: Onions Redemption
- The group revisits the long-running tuna-onion restaurant dispute from a prior year.
- They get an apology and resolution, which becomes a satisfying “closure” moment.
- Shane finally gets his redemption, though the whole conversation is still full of jokes and old wounds.
Max’s Wedding
- Max admits he was a bit of a bridezilla, stressing about details during the ceremony.
- Despite that, he says the wedding and the following day were incredible.
- He also mentions that the card payment for the post-wedding outing was declined and Hank covered it.
Soccer Docs and Ronaldo
- Zach says he watched multiple soccer documentaries, including one about Jamie Vardy and a Norway World Cup qualifying doc.
- He also notes that Cristiano Ronaldo may not be done playing internationally after all, depending on future plans and coaching developments.
Notable Moments / Takeaways
- Larry Fitzgerald remains one of the classiest guests the show has ever had, but he still fits perfectly into the show’s mix of sports talk and absurdity.
- The crew continues to treat soccer discourse with both seriousness and sarcasm, which is part of the show’s charm.
- The food duo draft turned into a surprisingly heated logic puzzle.
- The episode’s best running joke may be the fake LeBron-to-Cavs report, which the hosts treat like a breaking-news scooper’s triumph.
- The show ends with the familiar PMT balance of sports analysis, prank energy, and inside-baseball friendship chaos.