Pardon My Take – "Final Four Weekend As Michigan And UConn Advance, John Fanta Talks CBB + Possibly Taking The UNC Job, Geno Crash Out + National Sports Podcast Topics And Who's Back"

Date: April 6, 2026
Hosts: Big Cat & PFT Commenter (Barstool Sports)
Special Guest: John Fanta (NBC Sports)

Episode Overview

This episode dives deep into the aftermath of the Final Four, breaking down Michigan and UConn's advances to the National Championship, the unexpectedly lopsided nature of both games, and what’s ahead for Monday’s title game. The crew is joined by college basketball insider John Fanta for classic banter, insight on coaching rumors (with Fanta jokingly floated as UNC’s next head coach), and reflections on the state of college hoops. Plus: NCAA expansion talk, Geno Auriemma drama, NBA dysfunction, and "Who's Back" segment.

Key Topics & Timestamps

1. Final Four Weekend Recap – Games & Weird Vibes

(02:46–44:45)

The Chain Smokers Halftime Oddity

• The guys riff on the final four festivities, roasting the Chain Smokers’ performance as awkward and out-of-place in front of a sea of "throwback Q zips."
  • Quote [04:17, PFT]: “Just imagine how many middle-aged dudes can you fit in a football stadium? That's exactly what the final four is. So then you get the smokers out there, and everyone was just looking around like, what the fuck is going on right now?”
• Paid actor hype dancers, overall confusion, and side bit about fake James Naismith.

UConn vs Illinois – Defensive Clinic

• UConn’s defense once again dismantles Illinois, with Illinois suffering brutal shot luck and constant discomfort.
  • Quote [08:31, PFT]: “Their offense will always find mismatches…It might not be pretty all the time. Their defense was very, very good all night...”
  • Quote [09:21, Big Cat]: “A combination of very, very bad luck, bad shot selection, and also just great defense by UConn.”
• Illinois’ only spark: Wagler, but couldn’t overcome UConn’s swarming defense.
• The heartbreak of leaving a Final Four city after a crushing loss, and Underwood’s post-game sadness.

Michigan vs. Arizona – Shock and Awe

• Michigan absolutely demolishes Arizona, despite Arizona being ranked #1 in analytics and favored by many.
  • Quote [17:10, PFT]: “It might just be the best team we’ve ever seen because it was an absolute demolition by Michigan…is this the most thorough beat down in a Final Four game?”
• Key moments: Arizona’s star (Lendaborg) quick foul trouble, followed by injury; “the giant Spaniard” (Mara) dominating.
• Dusty May’s courtside confidence meme and “genius” rebounding gameplan: Cado’s targeted missed shots for Mara put-backs.
  • Quote [21:35, PFT]: “That was all part of the game plan, that Elliot Cadot was essentially missing shots on purpose…because Mara was able to clean it up...And Dusty May is on an absolute heater right now.”
• The experience gap and composure: Michigan’s older roster outclassing Arizona’s talented freshmen.
• Michigan's multiple weapons, offensive depth, and shooting surge.

2. NCAA Tournament Final Preview & UConn Dynasty Talk

(44:45–1:01:07, and 1:18:31–1:26:42 w/ John Fanta)

• Michigan’s historic tournament offensive run—90+ points in every game.
• UConn’s “not the most talented” Hurley team, but the best in terms of teamwork and execution.
  • Quote [14:48, Big Cat]: “Might be the best overall, all-around team that he’s had.”
• The guys assess keys for a UConn win: three-point shooting needs, key role players like Caravan, and plot lines (Terrace Reed revenge game).
• UConn’s mystique: is it luck, or just excellent system and coaching?
  • Quote [28:02, PFT]: “They run an offense that makes you think at all times…You can’t just take possessions off.”
• Michigan’s "nine starters," roster-building via NIL, and the complaints/litigations about buying talent.

Championship Breakdown with John Fanta (See Section 6 for more detail)

3. Tournament Expansion Debate

(1:27:56–1:33:13, with John Fanta)

• Strong opposition from all: “Doesn’t need to be messed with.”
• If expanded, there’s a case for providing extra mid-major bids, but the fear is it’ll only bring in more middling power conference teams.
  • Quote [88:36, PFT]: “[If] we are losing some Cinderella…expand it to 76…But they have to be…the Indiana States, the Drakes…If they expand it and we know what's going to happen…I did not need to see 500 Indiana…play 500 Auburn.”
• Reviving "Bracket Busters" as a way to get non-majors on TV and evaluated for bubble spots.

4. Women’s Basketball: Geno Auriemma’s PR Meltdown & South Carolina

(41:35–44:48)

• Geno Auriemma slammed for postgame press conference blaming South Carolina and spinning false narratives after UConn’s loss.
  • Quote [42:34, PFT]: “He looked like a baby. The biggest baby of all time.”
• Dawn Staley’s cryptic post-loss comments and “loser quote.”
• Larger discussion: top coaches in both sports often act like “crybabies” after big losses.

5. National Sports Podcast Topics / NBA Talk

(46:48–56:59, & 58:08–59:27)

• Giannis Drama: Outspoken aftermath as he says it's a “slap in my face” to be benched for health, leading to speculation about Bucks/players ready to move on.
  • Quote [47:46, PFT]: “[Giannis] says he's healthy enough to play; the Bucks don’t want to play him...it’s like a slap in my face.”
• Doc Rivers unrest, more speculation that Giannis/Bucks will split.
• Tanking epidemic: historic blowouts, meaningless regular season, and the NBA’s inability to fix tanking.
  • Quote [53:02, PFT]: “The regular season NBA is like the worst product. It just sucks.”
• Jokic, Wemby, and Embiid storylines. Triple-doubles and the “specialized medical treatments in Europe” running joke.
• The segment veers into a discussion of stem-cell therapy and athlete recovery methods, with the PMT brand of pseudo-scientific riffing.

6. John Fanta Interview & UNC Search

(78:31–1:26:30)

Fanta’s Final Four Takeaways

• Michigan’s win “defied the basketball gods.”
  • Quote [79:07, Fanta]: “Michigan is absolutely insane and that performance against Arizona is not supposed to happen. It defied the laws of the sport.”
• UConn’s poise, experience, and "find ways to win" mentality.
• Twitter Spaces origin story: how Fanta built a cult college hoops call-in show for fans’ confessions and antics.
  • Quote [82:11, Fanta]: “It’s an open forum. But to answer your question, it was not a boss mandate…Honestly, there’s nobody that’s saying to me, hey, you have to do this…”

National Championship Matchup Preview

• Michigan likely wins 8 of 10 times, but UConn is the “Michael Myers” of March: refuse to die, always lurking.
  • Quote [95:34, Fanta]: “It’s the monster of a machine that is the Michigan Wolverines taking on the Michael Myers of March Madness.”
• Difference-makers: Can UConn disrupt Michigan’s rhythm? Can Mara stay out of foul trouble? Can UConn get hot from three? Who slows down Cado or matches up inside?
• UConn’s edge in grit; Michigan’s edge in polish and scoring.

UNC Head Coach Rumor Mill (and Fanta's Name in Jest)

• Billy Donovan is the trendy real candidate, with plenty of speculation around other college names (Buyington, Stackhouse, possible wild cards).
• Fanta, tongue-in-cheek, is floated as a candidate. The group riffs on what would happen if he took the job—creating "Fanta to UNC" memes and imagining PMT as mega-boosters for North Carolina.
• Quote [111:34, Fanta]: “…I do think John Shire will win a national championship the next three years.”
• Fanta's coaching credentials: once coached a city CYO team to the playoffs; memorable trash-talking story vs a rival beer-store dad.

7. "Who's Back of the Week" & NL Sports Odds & Ends

(60:43–76:35, 126:32–end)

• Buffalo Sabres make NHL playoffs for first time in 14 years—celebration and chicken parm jokes.
• Disbelief at the Angels’ playoff drought (11 years) despite Trout and Ohtani.
• Viral baseball moments: the Milwaukee Brewers’ "rally turtle" mascot, and Joe Adele’s three home run robberies in one game.
• Mini-golf/Masters week banter and Bubba Watson’s “Funfetti cake” champions meal.
• Quick hits: NBA standings, 76ers fandom, potential draft prospects, and a running bit about birthdays.

Notable Quotes

• [08:31, PFT] “Their offense will always find mismatches. They'll always get guys open looks…It's what UConn does.”
• [17:10, PFT] “It might just be the best team we've ever seen because it was an absolute demolition by Michigan...is this the most thorough beat down in a Final Four game?”
• [21:35, PFT] “That was all part of the game plan, that Elliot Cadot was essentially missing shots on purpose…Dusty May is on an absolute heater right now.”
• [28:02, PFT] “They run an offense that makes you think at all times…You can't just take possessions off.”
• [42:34, PFT] “He [Geno] looked like a baby. The biggest baby of all time.”
• [47:46, PFT] (On Giannis/Bucks split) “He says he’s healthy enough to play, the Bucks don't want to play him...it’s like a slap in my face.”
• [79:07, Fanta] (On Michigan) “That performance against Arizona is not supposed to happen. It defied the laws of the sport.”
• [95:34, Fanta] “It’s the monster of a machine that is the Michigan Wolverines taking on the Michael Myers of March Madness.”

Memorable Moments

• The Chain Smokers segment—cracking up about the paid “party crowd” and how out-of-place the concert was.
• PFT and Big Cat trying to force John Fanta to take the UNC job, with recurring memes about PMT as donors and a campaign for “Fanta to Chapel Hill”.
• Extended riffing on the NCAA’s inability to fix tanking (in both basketball tourney and NBA) and the futility of complaining about Final Four venues.
• Johnny Fanta’s CYO coaching story and banter about coaching virtues/tampering accusations in 8th-grade hoops.
• Geno and Gino (Hurley and Auriemma) simultaneously being “babies” about high-stakes losses.

Overall Tone & Style

• Classic PMT: Fast banter, inside jokes, affectionate mocking of guests and one another, and deep-dive sports analysis undercut with humor and accessible language.
• John Fanta brings an earnest and excitable energy, matching PMT’s tone while providing legit CBB analysis.
• Equal parts "barstool guy" absurdity, memes, and insightful commentary you won't get from legacy sports media.

Takeaways for Non-Listeners

• If you missed the games, you’ll know both were much less competitive than anticipated, with UConn and Michigan solidifying themselves as elite.
• The storylines for Monday’s final are about Michigan’s firepower versus UConn’s deep system and tournament mystique.
• The episode's best bits come from roasting sports world oddities (Chain Smokers at Final Four), college coaching rumors, tanking in pro sports, and the constant churn of the NCAA "expansion" debate.
• The PMT crew keeps it energetic and irreverent, blending sports-talk, absurdism, and a rare ability to tease guests without derailing insightful discussion.