Pardon My Take – Episode Summary

Episode: Clayton Kershaw, Joakim Noah In Studio, CFP Rankings, Eagles Big Win + Listener FAQ’s

Date: November 12, 2025
Hosts: Big Cat & PFT Commenter (Barstool Sports)
Guests: Clayton Kershaw, Joakim Noah

Overview

On this episode, Big Cat & PFT Commenter deliver their signature blend of funny, irreverent, and insightful sports commentary on a packed lineup. The show features two star guests:

• Clayton Kershaw (freshly retired, baseball legend)
• Joakim Noah (former NBA star, new travel show host, in-studio)

The episode covers the latest in the College Football Playoff (CFP) rankings, Monday Night Football (Eagles’ big win over the Packers), a whirlwind of listener FAQs, and takes from around the world of sports. As always, the hosts jump between deep sports knowledge, roast sessions, and off-the-wall tangents.

Table of Contents

1. College Football Playoff Rankings & Discussion
2. NFL: Eagles’ Win & Reactions
3. Hot Seat / Cool Throne (Hosts’ Takes)
4. Clayton Kershaw Interview
5. Joakim Noah In-Studio Interview
6. Listener FAQ’s & Final Segment

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1. College Football Playoff Rankings & Discussion

Timestamps: 03:22–17:52

Main Points

• JMU and Group of Five Debate:

  • PFT (a JMU alum) pokes fun at the CFP committee bias, citing "anti-president" discrimination and joking that “maybe the College Football Playoff committee has gone woke and they don’t want any presidents in their bracket.” (03:29)
  • Arguments over the Group of 5 playoff spot: If South Florida wins out, they deserve the spot; controversy could erupt if North Texas sneaks in after a title game upset.

• Voter Hot Takes:

  • Discussion of “ball knower” AP poll voters and goofy ballots with teams ranked strangely, e.g., Alex Taylor ranking JMU #15 and Louisville unranked—despite Louisville beating JMU. (04:41)

• Wild CFP Scenarios:

  • "If South Florida goes to the conference championship game and loses, and they put North Texas in… then we riot." – Big Cat (07:15)
  • JMU has to “beat the shit out of everybody… and that still might not be enough” to be selected, leading to frustration and high entertainment for the show.

• Power Programs & Heisman Race:

  • Top 5 unchanged: Ohio State, Indiana, Texas A&M, Alabama, Georgia.
  • Indiana-Penn State game: hosts praise the wild finish, “This is why we love college football.” – Big Cat (08:46)
  • Gus Johnson’s “give him the Heisman” call for Mendoza.

• Key Quotes:

  • “The committee’s just a bunch of losers anyway. Unless they want to put us on the committee.” – Big Cat (15:18)

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2. NFL: Eagles’ Win & Reactions

Timestamps: 31:57–47:01

Main Points

• Eagles Defeat Packers at Lambeau:

  • Big Cat acknowledges doubting the Eagles; PFT refuses to apologize for his takes.
  • Newfound "Bears-Eagles alliance" discussed—both teams helping each other in the NFC by beating common opponents.

• Game Breakdown:

  • Eagles should have won by more; Packers offense is broken—“They’re in the Bills category right now… just broken.” – Big Cat (34:49)
  • Eagles offense stagnated at times (“Either a 3-and-out, or they score a touchdown. No in-between.” – Memes at 36:26), but their defense was “insane,” with special praise for Jalen Phillips.
  • Questionable late-game coaching: Sirianni’s 4th-and-9 aggressive decision, Packers attempting a 64-yard field goal.
  • Tush Push banter, with fans calling for it to be outlawed due to the Eagles’ unique success in executing it.

• Stats & Fun Moments:

  • Packers’ first consecutive home losses in 12 years (45:49)
  • Eagles with Nick Sirianni: 55 wins in 4.5 years—more than the Giants’ entire franchise in the last 10 years.

• Giants Fire Brian Daboll:

  • Mocking the Giants’ string of disastrous post-Coughlin coaches.
  • “McAdoo by a long shot” holds the best win percentage since Coughlin.

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3. Hot Seat / Cool Throne

Timestamps: 58:45–67:12

Rapid-fire takes on who/what’s “hot” and “cool”:

• Hank’s hot seat: He’s “pretty sick”; possibly a lefty golfer now.
• PFT’s hot seat: Joe Flacco, with Joe Burrow’s return looming.
• Cool Thrones:
  • Country Roads (unexpected origin story about the song’s popularity in Germany)
  • The Niners as a playoff sleeper pick

Quotes & Moments

• “I might be a lefty golfer now…” – Hank (61:00)
• “The Bengals basically control their own desk.” – PFT (65:40)

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4. Clayton Kershaw Interview

Timestamps: 84:37–115:29

Main Points & Highlights

• Retirement Life:

  • "Zero motivation to work out at all." – Kershaw (85:11)
  • Jokes about rapidly gaining weight.

• World Series Run & Final Moments:

  • Details on the Dodgers' epic World Series—praises Yamamoto pitching on zero rest ("He's got huge balls. That's just what it comes down to." – 87:29)
  • Classic Kershaw moment: warming up, unaware Dodgers had clinched (“That’s how I found out we won. It was awesome.” – 89:09)

• Reflection on Pitching Dominance:

  • “You don’t realize you’re in the good old days while you’re doing it.” – Kershaw (91:52)
  • On aging: "I'm throwing 88… it's just time."

• Pitcher Guy Stories / Clubhouse:

  • Stories about facing certain batters: Adam Dunn, Dexter Fowler "owned me." (95:32)
  • "If my son ever asks me how to throw a changeup—I’m just gonna… I don't know." (104:59)
  • Naked introduction to Jason Bateman in the clubhouse (103:07)
  • Details the size/weight of a real pitcher’s rubber—“It’s so heavy, dude. So heavy.” (104:03)

• Funniest/Most Memorable Quote:

  • “If you want to fire up your dugout and you want to stare at the ball, I get it… but if you’re looking at me while you do it… I kinda get pissed.” On bat flips (107:03)

• Retrospective Reflections:

  • Discusses friendship with Matthew Stafford; growing up at Highland Park High.
  • Revisits the infamous viral photo with his "whitest crew of all time" at the Cy Young acceptance.

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5. Joakim Noah In-Studio Interview

Timestamps: 116:24–154:14

Main Points & Highlights

• New Show ‘Nomad’:

  • Noah’s travel show launches—first episode with Derrick Rose in Chicago; next episodes in Morocco and Jamaica.
  • "We’re traveling the world. Starting with basketball as the root, and then we’re exploring culture." – Noah (117:08)
  • Recounts working with his shaman and discusses ayahuasca experiences as therapy and self-discovery.

• On Life After Basketball:

  • The relief and new perspective of being the interviewer for a change.
  • “Everybody just wants to be heard… especially when you’re traveling.” (123:02)

• Travel Show Spoilers & Jokes:

  • Hosts urge Noah to bring ‘Nomad’ to Cleveland for maximum views and self-aware redemption for his past Cleveland roasts.
  • Love for underdogs: “If Haiti played USA, I’m for Haiti… I just know what it would do for the people.” (136:32)

• Hoops Talk:

  • Extensive praise for Victor Wembanyama (“We’re seeing something we’ve never seen before… appreciate it!” – 127:35)
  • How to attempt defending Wemby and NBA’s evolution.
  • Bulls chemistry, French basketball explosion, and the importance of team chemistry: “People always underestimate chemistry.” – Noah (151:31)

• Classic Stories:

  • The infamous Carlos Boozer hair moment
  • All-time Joakim hosting Chicago parties/advice moments

• Funniest, Most Memorable Exchanges:

  • Big Cat selling himself as a “problem” for Wemby in the paint
  • Noah’s story about being the “ratio fixer” at parties (131:44)
  • (On Giannis’ uncalled travels) “Just let it go, man. It’s not that bad.” – Noah (126:11)

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6. Listener FAQs & Final Segment

Timestamps: 155:45–174:00

Highlights

• Bar Exam Bit:

  • PFT’s lifelong bit about passing the bar exam, with increasingly convoluted logic and group debate.
  • “I just think I can do it. I have irrational confidence.” – PFT (156:48)
  • “You just have better things to do with your life.” – Big Cat

• Shoehorning in Old Show Jokes:

  • Revisiting “body wash doesn’t work on your armpits” debate (163:53)
  • Song parodies (“Drink Paint,” “Bank,” etc.)
  • "Let's get these two married" as a hated Instagram caption

• Lottery Ball Machine:

  • Banter about who will finally guess the correct number (Memes’ “cursed” losing streak), accusations of bullying, and ritual lottery draws to end the show.

Notable Quotes (with Timestamps & Attribution)

On CFP & CFB Rankings:

• “I think it’s an anti-president thing. Maybe the CFP committee’s gone woke and they don’t want any presidents in.” – PFT Commenter (03:29)
• “Then we riot. Then we go crazy, then we burn this down.” – Big Cat, on playoff snubs (07:15)

On the World Series & Kershaw’s Retirement:

• “He just says, hey, I’m good. I’m gonna do it. And he did it.” – Kershaw, on Yamamoto’s heroics (87:29)
• “Zero motivation to work out at all. Zero.” – Kershaw (85:11)
• “You don’t realize you’re in the good old days while you’re doing it.” – Kershaw (91:52)

On the Eagles, NFL Takes:

• “They’re in the Bills category. Broken right now.” – Big Cat (34:49)
• “Eagles are too good on offense to get shut out for a half.” – PFT (36:12)
• “Tush push… They love to take a shot on fourth down.” – Memes (40:36)

On Joakim Noah’s Show/Life After NBA:

• “We’re traveling the world… we’re not fucking around. Please go check out the show.” – Joakim Noah (117:08)
• “The medicine brought me places that definitely put me at peace with things I had turmoil in my system.” – Joakim Noah, on ayahuasca (120:09)
• “I like it when you talk like that.” – Joakim Noah, as Big Cat boasts about bodying up Wembanyama (129:03)

On Sports Fandom & Coaching:

• “Being great is boring. That’s the part people miss.” – Noah (148:18)
• “You just have to get back in the boat… and root for them.” – Big Cat, on supporting your team in tough stretches (28:03)

Closing Lottery Segment:

• “That’s grit. Maybe we’ll do one this year.” – Big Cat, on PMT music parodies and inside jokes (167:03)

Tone & Style

Consistent with PMT’s signature style:

• irreverent
• deeply knowledgeable on sports
• rapid-fire humor
• welcoming, “locker room” camaraderie
• lovingly roasting guests and each other

If You Only Have Time

• For college football drama and absurd playoff scenarios: 03:22–17:52
• For NFL banter and Eagles/Packers recap: 31:57–47:01
• For an all-time Kershaw interview: 84:37–115:29
• For Joakim Noah (and travel, shaman, NBA, Wemby): 116:24–154:14
• For classic PMT fan Q&A, bits, and roasts: 155:45–174:00

For more, see Pardon My Take