Overview of Pardon My Take with Barstool Sports
This episode mixed the usual PMT chaos with a strong basketball interview, a handful of training camp updates, a wild MLB ownership conspiracy discussion, and the weekly Mount Rushmore draft. The big featured guest was Max Strus, recorded before he was traded from the Cavaliers to the Clippers, and the crew also spent time on the NFL’s growing international ambitions, the Dodgers’ alleged financial weirdness, and several off-the-wall personal/Fyre Fest stories.
Max Strus Interview Highlights
Max Strus joined the show and came off exactly as advertised: a laid-back, regular guy who happens to be very good at basketball.
Key topics from the interview
- Pickleball charity event: Strus promoted his family foundation’s pickleball fundraiser and admitted he does not have a DUPR rating.
- Trade rumors: He talked through the awkward reality of being on the trade block, saying it’s part of the business and not something he can control.
- Path to the NBA: Strus discussed going from Division II / DePaul, to the G League, to earning a real role in the NBA.
- Heat culture: He described Miami’s standards and accountability as relentless, especially around conditioning and body fat.
- Dunk contest dream: Strus said he’d love to compete in the dunk contest someday and believes he has at least one dunk in his bag.
- Playoff mentality: He explained how he stays locked in during long playoff runs and what it’s like when a series starts slipping away.
- Teammates: He gave strong praise to players like Jimmy Butler, Donovan Mitchell, Bam Adebayo, Jared Allen, and B-Ball Paul.
Notable insight
Strus came across as the kind of player who understands the business side of the NBA but still clearly loves competing and being around good basketball people.
NFL Training Camp Talk
The show spent a lot of time on preseason buzz, camp injuries, and overreactions.
The big talking points
- Eagles camp: The hosts joked that Jalen Hurts has thrown an absurd number of interceptions in camp, while A.J. Brown has been dominating in one-on-ones and team periods.
- Training camp philosophy: The crew debated whether camp picks are encouraging development or just bad signs in August.
- Injuries everywhere: They also hit on the Texans losing a receiver and other camp injuries piling up league-wide.
- Fernando Mendoza interview clip: Mendoza’s post-practice comments were highlighted because of how polished and almost scripted he sounds.
- Colston Loveland hype: Loveland “trending” was treated like another example of camp overreaction.
NFL Expansion, International Teams, and Goodell Talk
A big chunk of the show was devoted to Roger Goodell’s continued push for international growth.
Main points
- Hank was very pro-expansion and very pro-overseas football, which annoyed the others.
- Mike Florio’s reported speculation about a future league structure with international conferences sent the crew into full sarcasm mode.
- The group joked about absurd future possibilities like:
- teams in London, Germany, Spain, Brazil, Mexico, Australia, Japan, and Malaysia
- a 40-team NFL
- a permanent international franchise
- Goodell’s quote that a city would need to host a team before hosting a Super Bowl was treated as a small win for anti-international football fans.
Dodgers Ownership Situation Gets Weirder
The crew spent a lot of time on the reporting around Mark Walter and the Dodgers’ finances.
What they discussed
- The allegations suggest Walter may have used loans and self-dealing through his business empire to fund spending.
- The hosts compared it to a kind of white-collar fraud / American Greed scenario.
- Their concern was that the Dodgers’ “they just spend because they can” story might actually be much darker.
- They debated whether:
- Walter could be forced to unwind assets
- the Dodgers might eventually need to sell
- other owners might secretly love the scrutiny because it could help drive a salary cap
- The group even joked that if this keeps going, it could turn into a major baseball labor issue.
Akron Offensive Coordinator Raffle / Fan Contest
One of the stranger running bits of the show was PFT’s attempt to become Akron’s offensive coordinator for one series after buying season tickets.
What happened
- PFT was named a finalist in the Akron raffle.
- The team is letting a ticket buyer call one offensive series in a game.
- The crew debated whether the contest is rigged, but the general consensus was that it’s just a publicity stunt and should be embraced.
- PFT said if he wins, they’ll make content around it and take the responsibility seriously.
Mount Rushmore: Skills You Could Master Overnight
The Mount Rushmore draft was the centerpiece of the middle of the show and got very literal.
Picks included
- Driving stick shift
- Shuffling a deck of cards
- Grave digging
- Coat check
- Making the perfect paper airplane
- Tying a bow tie
- Beating a video game
- CPR
- Bartending at a dive bar
- Changing a tire
- Juggling
What made it funny
- The guys kept arguing over what “master overnight” really means.
- Some picks were intentionally practical; others were basically jokes.
- Hank got heavily clowned for the draft as the group spiraled into side arguments and teasing.
Fyre Fest / Personal Chaos
The Fyre Fest segment was a classic PMT mix of petty annoyance and absurd real-life stories.
Highlights
- Max leaving for his honeymoon: The crew repeatedly joked that Max was going on a “sex vacation,” which he clearly hated.
- Hank’s phishing scare: Hank nearly got tricked by an email from his mom and realized how easy it is to fall for scams even when you’re usually careful.
- Jerry O’Connell group chat drama: PFT revived the fantasy football group chat after Jerry got a new phone, and Jerry immediately started posting celebrity photos and complaining about buy-in changes.
- Target/Barnes & Noble book-signing stop: Big Cat talked about signing books in stores and accidentally leaving with a Sharpie pack.
- Neighbor sex noises: One of the most ridiculous side stories involved someone hearing their neighbors having extremely loud sex through the walls.
- General vacation envy: Max’s upcoming honeymoon and the crew’s nonstop teasing became a running joke throughout the episode.
Final Takeaways
- Max Strus is a really likable guest and gave a good inside look at life as a role player who earned his way into the league.
- The show was heavily centered on preseason NFL overreaction, especially around the Eagles and the general stupidity of training camp discourse.
- The Dodgers ownership story may have real legs and could become a major issue if the allegations keep developing.
- The Mount Rushmore draft was one of those classic PMT arguments where everyone was both joking and weirdly serious.
- As usual, the episode was a mix of sports talk, insider jokes, and total nonsense in the best possible way.