Pardon My Take — September 5, 2025

Episode: "Eli Manning In Studio, Howie Long, Eagles Win Opening Night After A Spit Off, NFL Week 1 Picks And Preview + Fyre Fest"

Overview of the Episode

Football season is finally back, and Big Cat, PFT Commenter, and the PMT crew celebrate with a jam-packed episode that covers the Eagles’ wild opening night win (featuring a “spit off” between Jalen Carter and Dak Prescott), a furious breakdown of every NFL week 1 matchup, deep dives into dumb stats/trends, and a mix of interviews and recurring PMT fun like Firefest and weight-loss bets. Special guests include Eli Manning (in studio for Kings Hawaiian) and Howie Long, offering both essential football insight and plenty of classic PMT banter.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. #### Thursday Night Football Recap: Eagles 1-0 After “Spit Off”

• Wild Opener: The crew recaps the excitement of football returning, comparing it to “Christmas morning for guys like us” (Big Cat, 04:11). The Eagles beat the Cowboys in a dramatic game that featured an unprecedented “spit off.”

• The Spit Incident (03:41 – 08:34):

  • Jalen Carter is ejected without playing a snap after spitting on Dak Prescott, in response to Dak initially spitting near Carter.
  • Debate over whether Carter’s act was “self-defense”:
    • “I think that a second spit is self-defense.” — Zach (04:59)
    • Discussion ensues over NFL media bias towards the Cowboys, delayed broadcast of Dak’s initiating spit, and “Mississippi State alumni code.”
  • Analysis of team reactions and implications for team toughness and unity.

• Game Analysis (08:34 – 11:34):

  • First half a “perfect football” showcase; Eagles offense shined, but both defenses struggled.
  • Lightning delay disrupts rhythm; Eagles OL injuries become a factor.
  • Jalen Hurts’ control praised; questions about chemistry with A.J. Brown resurface (“Are they okay?” running joke, 09:39).
  • CeeDee Lamb’s crucial drops dissected.
  • Discussion on Cowboys’ prospects without Micah Parsons, Eagles’ defensive secondary struggles.

Memorable Moment:

• “The one thing worse than getting ejected for spitting on an opponent before you even take a snap is … the spit not really being good.” — Big Cat (06:37)

2. #### NFL Storylines: Kawhi, Ballmer & Cap Circumvention

• Kawhi Leonard & Tree Company Scandal (14:51 – 18:29):

  • Pablo Torre’s reporting that a tree-planting company with ties to the Clippers may have been a vehicle for funneling money to Kawhi.
  • Gags about no-show jobs and Sopranos memes: “I thought his no-show job was playing basketball in the playoffs.” — Big Cat (15:49)
  • Ballmer’s aggressive denial, NBA culture of player-company marketing deals.

• Broader Implications (18:29 – 20:17):

  • Wishes their team owners were as creative: “Goddamn, I wish my owners did that.” — Big Cat (17:46)
  • Speculation that such shady deals happen everywhere except MLB (“There’s no salary cap!” — Max, 18:39).
  • Joke about crypto: “Doesn’t bitcoin exist for this exact purpose?” — Big Cat (19:16)

3. #### Mount Rushmore Results, Office Poker, Streaming Virality

• Mount Rushmore Segment:
  • Side note on losing to Max, West Coast audience missing a poll, chaos of content recording week.
  • Debrief on chaotic office poker tourney: PFT gets first win, described as a “shark” reading people not the cards (“There’s too much math in poker.” — PFT, 23:34).
• Streaming Discussion:
  • “Fake podcasts” and the ecosystem of “clipper” accounts to manufacture viral moments (25:30 – 26:42).
  • The crew’s bemusement at online video trends bleeding into fake virality.

4. #### NFL Week 1 Picks & Preview – Game-by-Game Breakdown

Overarching Themes

• Caution: “Week 1 is always tough” — anything can (and will) happen, and “we don’t know anything.”
• Dumb Trends & Stats:
  • Divisional home underdogs are 23–7 ATS in week 1 since 2010.
  • Underdogs of 6½+ are 49–27 ATS since 2006.

Highlighted Games & Takes

• Chiefs vs Chargers (in Brazil)
  • Complaints about Friday night scheduling.
  • Chiefs “hangover” potential & the Mahomes/Kelce time zone jokes.
  • Panel splits: Big Cat picks Chiefs for the AFC West, others like Broncos as contenders.
• Bucks/Falcons — Kyle Pitts Hope Springs Eternal (48:58):
  • “I’m officially back in on Kyle Pitts.” — Zach (49:05), citing the new QB.
  • Big Cat: If Kyle Pitts can keep his 1-2-3-4 TD sequence, “the back half of his career will be MVP, Hall of Fame-worthy.”
• Giants vs Commanders (71:31):
  • Metacommentary on being the “muck it up” team.
  • PFT vacillates between excitement and dread for his team’s season (“The last time I had expectations was 2006. Didn’t end well.” — Zach, 73:56).
  • Giants’ QB situation fascination, draftee autograph drama (“His signature is just the ‘@’ sign”—Zach, 71:49).
• Packers with Micah Parsons:
  • Howie Long details impact of a transcendent pass rusher and draws analogies to Reggie White (170:49).
  • “That might be the move that puts them over the top.” — Big Cat (170:49)

General PMT Game Analysis Style:

• Deep dives include jokes, “dumb stats,” wild overreactions (e.g. declaring the Packers the best team ever, only to be “first in line saying I was wrong” if/when it fails—Big Cat, 91:59).
• Panel bans RedZone commercials, advocates a “boycott” and exaggerated righteous indignation about commercial-free football.

5. #### NFL Guests: Eli Manning (In Studio) & Howie Long

Eli Manning (108:16 – 157:29)

• Discusses new gig with Kings Hawaiian ("Slider Sunday"), adjusting to NFL Sundays as a retiree, and being happy simply watching games.
• Talks Hall of Fame candidacy (“I don’t think that’s my personality” [to complain] — Eli, 114:20, but Big Cat eggs him on to do a heel turn at some point).
• Preparing for ManningCast, Peyton’s rambling voice memos (“I’ve had 35 minute voice memos” — Eli, 117:04), and how Eli preps by brainstorming ways to bust Peyton’s balls.
• Quarterbacking and life: handling injury, taking blame for others’ mistakes, and finding his leadership voice in a Super Bowl-winning locker room.
• Advice to nephew Arch (Texas QB): never take a picture with a beer.
• Why he didn’t chase the “one more year” with another team.
• On the art of the “self sack,” how to master dummy/hard counts, and how to fall and avoid hits as a QB.

Memorable Eli Manning Quotes:

• “I told Peyton, I need the Cliff Notes of your voicemail…” (118:01)
• “Take the heat, let (your teammate) get through the media. You owe me now — you gotta make a play for me.” (127:45)

Howie Long (158:53+)

• Breaks down impact of Micah Parsons’ trade to Packers, calls him “generational” and “positionless.”
• Talks Ben Johnson’s arrival in Chicago—what he brings to Caleb Williams, and the patience needed for young QBs.
• On the PMT/Fox NFL Sunday chemistry: “We call lightning in a bottle…You don’t know until you know. And we knew right away.”
• On pass rush vs coverage: “It’s not the sacks, it’s the pressure … It answers the question for Green Bay.” (175:08)
• Makes the case for teams: Buffalo as AFC favorite (“the gods, maybe, are kind to those fans up in Buffalo”), Philly as NFC dark horse, Tampa Bay as a “quiet” threat.
• On TV’s “walk around coach”: not a play caller, but the guy who sets the agenda and “can step in and say, run it three times and let’s get out of here.”

6. #### PMT Fun & Recurring Segments

• Mount Rushmore, Poker, and Streaming Talk: Recaps of internal show competitions, office poker hijinks, and satirical tips for going viral.
• Firefest: The crew’s weekly segment sharing personal mishaps—ranging from overdue bets, golf beefs (the infamous $9,000 debt Hank owes PFT), to “lying to kids about the office rabbit.”
• Weight Loss Challenge: Team bet to lose 60–80 pounds combined; Max’s “air fryer for health” plan ridiculed, but Big Cat offers “financial support for healthy snacks,” predicting inevitable PMT-style backsliding.

Notable Quotes (with Timestamps)

• On Thursday Night Nerves:
  “I’ve never driven home from the hospital with a baby, but my drive into work before the opening game of the NFL — that was my own personal drive home from the hospital with a baby. I was terrified.” — Zach (03:41)

• On Spitgate:
  “I think that a second spit is self-defense.” — Zach (04:59)

• On RedZone Adding Commercials:
  “Scott Hansen not saying ‘commercial free football’ is bullshit. Scott Hansen did nothing wrong here. I hate it. I stand with the people.” — Big Cat (32:03)

• On Owner Shadiness:
  “God damn it, I wish my owners did that.” — Big Cat, on Ballmer allegedly funneling money through a tree company (17:46)

• On Packers with Micah Parsons:
  “That might be the move that puts them over the top.” — Big Cat to Howie Long (170:49)

• On Taking Blame as QB:
  “Let me take the heat, let him get through the media, be fine. And now, hey — we have a little trust here. You owe me now.” — Eli Manning (127:45)

• On Peyton Manning’s Voice Memos:
  “I’ve had 35 minute voice memos… I don’t have time to listen — I need the Cliff Notes.” — Eli (117:04)

Timestamps for Major Segments

• 00:52: Episode topic overview
• 03:41 – 11:34: Eagles/Cowboys recap + Spitgate
• 14:51 – 18:29: Kawhi/Ballmer/"tree company" NBA scandal
• 31:09 – 46:49: NFL Week 1 Preview, panel bets & dumb stats
• 48:58: Return of “Kyle Pitts Hope”
• 71:31: Commanders/Giants deep dive
• 91:59 – 93:06: Packers with Micah Parsons debate
• 108:16 – 157:29: Eli Manning interview
• 158:53+: Howie Long interview
• 196:41: Firefest of the Week

Episode Tone and Vibe

PMT maintains its hallmark blend of irreverence and authentic football nerdery. Big Cat and PFT are excitable, playful, and unafraid to go down weird rabbit holes, but also drop insightful analysis. The interviews with Eli and Howie are warm and respect their guests’ expertise while still peppering them with signature PMT jokes. The show’s running gags — weight loss bets, fantasy football heartbreaks, “hand up, I was wrong!” — keep things both relatable and hilarious for longtime listeners.

Final Takeaway

It’s football Christmas and PMT is back in full stride — covering on-field drama, off-field scandals, fan rituals, and the entire week 1 NFL slate with celebrated guests and trademark chaos. Whether you’re an obsessive NFL fan or a casual observer, this episode sets the tone for the 2025 season and delivers everything you’d want from “the loudest and most correct sports takes” in podcasting.