Overview of Pardon My Take — LeBron Free Agency, World Cup Stakes, John Smoltz, and the Return of Dingers Only
Barstool’s Pardon My Take episode covered a busy sports day: LeBron James opting out of his Lakers deal and becoming a free agent again, the latest NBA rumor mill around Kawhi Leonard and possible landing spots, a high-stakes U.S. Men’s National Team World Cup knockout game, an interview with John Smoltz about pitching, analytics, and the American Century Championship, plus the return of the show’s midseason fantasy baseball league, Dingers Only.
LeBron James, Kawhi, and NBA Free Agency Chaos
LeBron’s next move
- LeBron officially informed the Lakers that they can “look elsewhere,” making him a free agent again.
- The hosts joked about “Decision 2026” and treated it like the latest chapter in the long-running LeBron free agency saga.
- They ranked possible destinations:
- Golden State was discussed as the most likely, but also the most controversial.
- Cleveland was framed as the ideal, sentimental ending to his career.
- Other possible but less appealing options included Miami, San Antonio, the Spurs, and even the Clippers.
- The crew also noted LeBron’s “dad” timing: he waited until after Bronny’s contract was guaranteed before making his move.
Kawhi and other NBA notes
- Kawhi Leonard-to-Toronto talk came up, with the panel largely viewing it as a “makes sense” move if it happened.
- They also touched on:
- John Morant being dealt to Portland
- The Blazers possibly being in a weird long-term situation with ownership
- Jalen Duren, Mitchell Robinson, Landry Shamet, Jose Alvarado, and other smaller offseason moves
- There was some criticism of NBA insider tweet formatting, especially when Shams includes agents’ names in contract news.
U.S. Soccer: A Must-Win World Cup Match
Bosnia and Herzegovina in the knockout round
- PFT explained why the U.S. match against Bosnia and Herzegovina was a must-win.
- He stressed that:
- The U.S. was heavily favored, which is rare for a knockout game.
- Anything can happen in tournament soccer, especially if a team forces extra time or penalties.
- Losing would be a major disappointment and would make the team’s progress feel incomplete.
World Cup takeaways
- The crew discussed the beauty of penalty kicks and how much pressure they create.
- They also noted how dominant France looked and how strong some European teams remain in general.
- The World Cup was described as one of the best events of the summer because it gives fans meaningful games during the day.
Freddie the German fan
- The panel also spent time on Freddie, the viral German fan who posted about American culture and became a mini-celebrity online.
- They defended him a bit against internet cynicism and argued that people got too worked up once brands and PR accounts latched onto his popularity.
John Smoltz on Pitching, Analytics, and Tahoe
American Century Championship
- Smoltz said the Tahoe celebrity golf event is one of the best weeks of the year because of the atmosphere, the crowd, and the mix of athletes and celebrities.
- He talked about the pressure of the format and how tournament golf compares to pitching under pressure.
Baseball thoughts
Smoltz gave a long, thoughtful baseball discussion centered on:
- The Dodgers and Braves as contenders
- Teams that could become buyers or sellers at the deadline
- How much injuries shape modern baseball
- The value of acquiring elite pitchers like Tarik Skubal
Pitching, velocity, and misuse of arms
Smoltz was especially strong on the modern pitching landscape:
- He argued that today’s game overvalues max velocity and underemphasizes durability and pitchability.
- He said baseball is manufacturing too many “factory arms” and burning pitchers out too quickly.
- He believes the sport needs structural changes to reward starters who go deeper into games.
Tommy John surgery
- Smoltz pushed back on the common belief that Tommy John surgery is a simple reset.
- His point:
- It doesn’t guarantee improvement
- Young pitchers are now conditioned to expect surgery as part of the process
- The industry has normalized something that should still be viewed as serious
The opener problem
- He strongly disliked the opener strategy.
- In his view, it tells a starting pitcher he’s not good enough to face the lineup multiple times and damages roster construction.
A smarter way to measure players
- Smoltz criticized “expected” stats and some forms of analytics.
- He liked the idea of more complete, contextual measures—like average exit velocity including strikeouts—rather than cherry-picked numbers.
- His overall stance was not anti-analytics, but anti-analytics-as-the-only-lens.
Dingers Only Fantasy Baseball Draft
What the league is
- The show revived its midseason fantasy baseball league, Dingers Only.
- Rules:
- Draft happens in the middle of the season
- The only stat that matters is home runs
- No pitchers
- The league includes the PMT crew plus Brandon Walker, Jersey Jerry, and Steven Cheah.
Draft themes
- The draft was chaotic, funny, and heavily focused on power bats.
- Several players were drafted while injured or on the verge of returning, since the format only cares about future dingers.
- The show had a few phone calls to players as they were being selected, including Matt Olson and Gunnar Henderson.
Notable picks and team shapes
- Picks included stars like:
- Aaron Judge
- Shohei Ohtani
- Juan Soto
- Kyle Schwarber
- Ronald Acuña Jr.
- Bobby Witt Jr.
- Fernando Tatis Jr.
- Elly De La Cruz
- Pete Alonso
- Rafael Devers
- Freddie Freeman
- The teams leaned heavily into power, barrel rate, and “future home run upside.”
Stakes
- The league has a cash pot this year, with the crew eventually agreeing to a pooled prize.
- The last-place punishment remains the same: the loser has to pitch against a college-level baseball team.
Hot Seat / Cool Throne Highlights
Hot seat
- Serena Williams: for losing in Wimbledon return action
- Jalen Brown: trade speculation and the possibility that the Celtics won’t get the return they expected
- Malik Beasley: after gambling-related trouble
- Josh Naylor: because of a wild story from a former teammate alleging he once jumped out of a closet with a knife as a prank
Cool throne
- Playing victim in the Caitlin Clark WNBA discourse, since the league still seems unable to balance promotion, rivalries, and protection around her
- Ben Simmons for once again generating offseason comeback hype
- Mexico fans for aggressively supporting their team outside Ecuador’s hotel with fireworks and noise
- Nick Saban for publicly defending former player Terrion Arnold amid off-field allegations
Final Takeaway
This episode mixed the usual PMT sports chaos with a few bigger-picture conversations:
- LeBron’s next move could reshape the NBA’s offseason narrative.
- The U.S. soccer team faced a real knockout-round test.
- John Smoltz delivered a strong, old-school-meets-modern critique of pitching and analytics.
- And Dingers Only returned as one of the show’s funniest recurring bits, with everyone building rosters entirely around home run upside.