Overview of Matthew And Brady Tkachuk, Seth MacFarlane, Duke Is Going To Win The Natty, NFL Free Agency Looms + AWL’s Remember 10 Years
A Pardon My Take episode (Part of My Take) covering college basketball (Duke hype), upcoming NFL free agency moves and rumors, MLB/World Baseball Classic moments, plus two feature interviews — Matthew and Brady Tkachuk (gold-medal hockey) and Seth MacFarlane (Ted Season 2, Family Guy). The show runs through the regular hot-seat / cool-throne bits, listener shoutouts for the podcast’s 10-year milestone, and sponsor promos.
Key segments & guests
- Opening takes and sponsor reads (Bumble, DraftKings, Blue Diamond, etc.)
- College basketball deep dive — Duke declared overwhelming favorite and discussion of KenPom ratings
- NFL free agency chatter — tags, franchise moves, Jets/Raiders trade talk, Max Crosby futures
- Hot Seat / Cool Throne — retirements, world baseball classic, Magic City night controversy, Kentucky Colonel honors, Live Golf travel trouble, Floyd Mayweather fights, and Rams/Puka situation
- Interview 1: Matthew and Brady Kachuk — their Olympic gold experience, team chemistry, behind-the-scenes anecdotes, and their Wingmen podcast
- Interview 2: Seth MacFarlane — Ted Season 2 (Peacock), animation process, Frank Sinatra project, and creative workflow
- AWL (listener) 10-year recollections and notable listener stories
Major topics & takeaways
NCAA / College Basketball — Duke mania
- Hosts argued Duke is the national-title favorite and should “cancel the tournament” because of how dominant they’ve been.
- KenPom note: Duke is being compared to past historically dominant teams (KenPom+40 territory); hosts acknowledged inflation factors in advanced metrics (NIL/transfer portal) but still view Duke as the team to beat.
- Counterpoints: March volatility means anything can happen; other dark-horse mentions included Purdue, Michigan, Houston, Izzo’s Michigan State, Arizona.
Takeaway: Duke is the consensus favorite on the pod, but hosts respect the tournament’s unpredictability.
NFL free agency & roster rumor mill
- Seahawks reportedly not expected to tag RB Kenneth Walker III; discussion about Breece Hall / franchise-tag decisions for running backs.
- Max Crosby: markets moving — Bears were betting favorite in some books; hosts discussed fit and fan excitement if Crosby lands in Chicago.
- Trade chatter: hypothetical blockbuster trade proposals (e.g., Jets trading multiple firsts to move up for a QB prospect named Mendoza) — debated as unrealistic but illustrative of how desperate teams can get for QBs.
- Bears hit by unexpected news: center Drew Dalman announced retirement, creating a sudden OL hole and complicating plans (and potentially affecting other targets).
Takeaway: Free agency is heating up; teams face tricky decisions (franchise tags, sudden retirements) that will ripple across planned moves.
MLB / World Baseball Classic & other sport moments
- Aaron Judge’s pre-World Baseball Classic speech received criticism (too rah-rah, bad timing).
- Team USA’s WBC preparation and ceremonial moments were discussed; Canada/Team Canada quirks also mentioned.
Hot Seat / Cool Throne highlights
- Hot seats: Aaron Judge (speech), Drew Dalman’s retirement impact, Floyd Mayweather (over-fighting), Rams’ Puka Nacua for focus concerns.
- Cool thrones: Respecting women and the Luke Kornet / Hawks Magic City controversy (debate about celebrating a strip-club brand at an NBA game), Kentucky Colonel honorary commissions awarded to hosts (humorous bit), Vincent Trocheck’s son quote about the trade-deadline perspective.
Takeaway: Mix of sports, culture, and comedy — hosts balance being conspiratorial, playful, and occasionally serious on social concerns.
Interviews — what to know
Matthew & Brady Kachuk (Wingmen podcast)
- They recapped the Olympic gold experience (still glowing days later), team chemistry, village life, and how tight-knit the roster became.
- Praise for goaltender (“Helly” — Connor Hellebuyck) and his calm, clutch performance — teammates described moments they knew he was locked in.
- “Best-on-best” international hockey format was loved; players described three-on-three overtime dynamics, the Hughes brothers’ big contributions, and the lifelong camaraderie formed.
- Anecdotes: locker-room moments, national anthem scenes, celebrity/party moments (11 nightclub mention), group chats (“Golden Brothers”), and the emotional magnitude of winning.
- Call-to-action: Their podcast Wingmen comes out Wednesdays.
Takeaway: The Kachuk brothers emphasized how special the tournament was — both on-ice performance and off-ice bonding — and how the experience will resonate for years.
Seth MacFarlane (Family Guy, Ted Season 2)
- Seth promoted Ted Season 2 (Peacock, Mar 5) and spoke about Family Guy as his “mothership” that funds experimental projects.
- Animation insights: a 22-minute animated TV episode can take ~10 months–a year to produce; animation still demands massive human creative input (timing, exposure sheets, acting choices).
- Music work: discussed resurrecting unreleased Frank Sinatra material (Lush Life album), recording processes at Skywalker Ranch, and his respect for classic arrangers.
- Creative life: busy, sleep-challenged, balancing multiple projects; is open to diverse projects (Black Mirror curiosity).
- Notable joke bits: playful back-and-forth about pop culture, Monty Python, and a humorous riff on “penis songs” (comic tone).
Takeaway: MacFarlane gave a rare, practical look into animation timelines, his music project, and why Family Guy enables creative risk-taking.
Notable quotes & soundbites
- “We should cancel the tournament. Duke 2026.” — Host hyperbole about Duke dominance.
- On Hellebuyck: “He was calm and patient against McDavid — that’s confidence.” — Brady Kachuk on goalie performance.
- Seth MacFarlane on animation: “It takes about 10 months to a year to do each episode of an animated show.”
- Hot-seat/cool-throne one-liners: playful lines about being made Kentucky Colonels; “Magic City Day” debate (wings vs. ethics).
Action items / recommendations
- Listen: Wingmen with Matthew & Brady Kachuk — new episodes Wednesdays.
- Watch: Ted Season 2 on Peacock (March 5 promo).
- Betting promo: DraftKings ad read referenced — code mentioned on the episode (hosts used code TAKE).
- Mental health: BetterHelp ad mentioned — BetterHelp.com/PMT for offer.
- Retail promo: Roback (R-H-O-B-A-C-K) promo code TAKE for apparel (hoodies, shorts, joggers).
- Sponsors called: Bumble, Blue Diamond Almonds & More, DraftKings, Twisted Tea, BetterHelp, Chevy Silverado, Jose Cuervo, Morgan & Morgan, Venmo, Microsoft Copilot.
Final notes
- Episode is a mix of sports takes, pop-culture comedy, and two long-form interviews (Kachuk brothers and Seth MacFarlane) that anchor the show.
- Tone: fast, irreverent, listener-driven; segments alternate between serious sports analysis and off-the-cuff comedic bits.
- If you want the biggest value out of the episode: skip to the Kachuk interview for the Olympic recap and to Seth MacFarlane for animation/industry insight (both are substantive and personal).