Pardon My Take – Episode Summary (December 10, 2025)

Episode Overview

This episode of Pardon My Take is packed with raw sports emotion, heated group chat drama, heated Eagles-Chargers postmortems, and a high-energy interview with Houston Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans. Big Cat, PFT Commenter, Hank, and Max rock through the fallout of a chaotic Monday Night Football (Chargers beating the Eagles), debate cursed objects (the infamous positivity bunny), recap Jerry O’Connell and Shane’s on-site reactions, and revel in the absurdity of Philip Rivers’ NFL comeback. The guys also deliver their iconic Hot Seat/Cool Throne, field relationship and sports agony questions on Guys on Chicks, and let the banter fly... sometimes at Max’s expense.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Monday Night Football Recap: Chargers Beat Eagles (02:26–24:50)

• Emotional Fallout: The pod opens with Max’s defection from the group text after the Eagles’ collapse, setting the tone for an episode drenched in football heartbreak and trolling (“Was your big move to just leave the group chat?” – Big Cat, 03:32).
• Game Analysis:
  • Justin Herbert’s toughness lauded (7 sacks, battered, still wins), with a broken hand and all (“Justin Herbert is an animal champion warrior legend.” – PFT, 08:21).
  • Defensive Dominance: Chargers D all over Hurts, standout coverage.
  • Historical Oddity: The wild double turnover play—first time a player commits two turnovers on one snap in NFL history (11:06).
• Eagles’ Troubles: The Max therapy session: Hurts and AJ Brown “had the worst game of their career” (12:01), offense “broken,” Max despairing about the team’s playoff future.
• Stat Battles & Blind Resumes: Hank’s blind resume segment compares Jalen Hurts’ stats (w/out Lane Johnson) unfavorably to Justin Fields (17:46).

Notable Quote:

“If they had snapped the ball to Jalen Hurts on every single play and he had puked all over himself and on the ball and ate the ball and then pooped the ball out... they would have had a 39.6 quarterback rating.”
— PFT Commenter, (16:19)

2. The Infamous Positivity Bunny & Group Chat Meltdowns (36:12–44:41)

• Max’s Meltdown: The hosts try and (fail to) cheer up Max with an army of “positivity animals” after the Eagles’ loss; instead, he destroys the bunny and storms out.
• Group-Therapy-as-Content: The studio transforms into a zoo of plushies, all named and used to mock/improve Max’s mood.
• Classic PMT Trolling: “What are we gonna do with the bunny in the Eagles locker room?” — Big Cat (37:00), as Max torches the last symbol of good vibes.

3. Monday Night Football: Live From the Stadium with Jerry O’Connell & Shane (28:12–35:44, 104:47–107:58)

• Jerry’s Field Report:
  • Tons of Eagles fans (“It was basically an Eagles home game.” – Jerry, 28:32).
  • Saw Joe Buck and Troy Aikman in person (“Troy could play for the Colts tomorrow; best shape of his life.” – Jerry, 32:31).
  • Saquon looks cooked on the interior but dangerous outside.
  • Compares the Eagles’ inability to run with his own sense of Max's gloom.
• Shane’s Take: (104:47–107:58)
  • First Chargers home game, “unreal” atmosphere.
  • Defense dominated, offense ugly, “heart was bumping” on the wild double-fumble play.
• Big Takeaway: Eagles offense stuck, Chargers D relentless, and live venue made the loss feel even more personal for Max.

4. The Philip Rivers Comeback & Colts Meltdown (47:40–50:57, 75:44–76:09)

• The News: Philip Rivers, at age 44, signs to the Colts’ practice squad to potentially start again.
• Panel Reaction:
  • Excitement (“He’s so back, I am so excited.” – PFT, 47:40), but some concern for his safety vs. Seahawks D.
  • Comparison to Colts’ chaotic “Jeff Saturday as HC” moment; “Colts chaos is our content.”
• Impact on Hall of Fame Clock: Rivers pushes off retirement and potentially puts his HoF eligibility on ice.

5. Interview: DeMeco Ryans, Head Coach, Houston Texans (66:27–92:57)

Major Themes

• Texans as the NFL’s “hottest team” – Coach isn’t fazed, stays humble (66:48).
• Rat Poison/Coach Speak: D’Amico welcomes negative bulletin board material but focuses on constant improvement: “It’s about stopping people... you win by getting critical stops.” (69:30).
• Defensive Identity: Lists “tone-setters” on defense (Lassiter, Petrie, Al-Shaair) who spark attitude.
• Turning the Season Around: Stresses resilience and young team learning to close, not folding after 0–3 start: “All we have to do is make a play here or there and we could be undefeated.” (77:56)
• Texans Playoff Outlook: Big Cat’s “pinky bet” at risk if the Texans make a Super Bowl run; Coach Ryans promises fan access if it comes to that.
• QB Room Love: High praise for backup Davis Mills and his “big neck” (84:10).
• Player Mindsets: Will Anderson’s “Terminator mode” (88:41), and how Nick Chubb leads without ever speaking.
• Coach Ryans’ Looks: Earns top three “most attractive head coach” designation; reveals hair routine (71:15–72:31).

Notable DeMeco Quotes:

“You win [games] by getting critical stops... It’s exciting for me just to see it all come together.” (69:30)
“We make that Super Bowl, you can do whatever you want, baby. You’re welcome here. Anything.” – on Super Bowl pinky promise, (79:46)

6. Hot Seat/Cool Throne (44:13–59:00)

Hank:

• Hot Seat: 76ers, now sliding in standings; Celtics rolling (45:26).
• Cool Throne: Mike Tyson, possibly prepping for another boxing spectacle (44:16).

PFT:

• Hot Seat: NFL (“Philip Rivers is back!” – 47:40).
• Cool Throne: Winning the breakup; [Notre Dame-ACC college football drama] (51:16–54:59).

Big Cat:

• Hot Seat: Colts GM Chris Ballard, under the gun for never winning AFC South (55:15).
• Cool Throne: Penn State (new coach Matt Campbell gets some positive spin – 58:49).

Zach/Max:

• Hot Seat: Oversharing on Twitter (Quentin Jammer’s “I played drunk” confessions, (60:15–61:40)).
• Cool Throne: Dodgers (after adding Edwin Diaz, world dominance discussed) (62:08–63:11).

7. Guys on Chicks (94:03–101:38)

Sample Questions & Wisdom:

• “Why is my boyfriend so bad at keeping secrets?” – Breaking down the modern engagement process, the inevitability of spoiled surprises, and guys’ psychological weakness for immediate gifts.
• “Will I ever win the emotional sports battle with my fiancé?” – Advice for suffering sports fans and their partners (“Wait ‘til you have kids, then emotional stability matters.” – Big Cat, 98:43).
• “Why are my work jokes only funny when a guy repeats them a week later?” – Delivery, physical comedy, and gender in the office. (“It means you’re too skinny.” – PFT, 100:38).

8. Lottery Ball & Outro Shenanigans (107:58–113:43)

• The usual chaos with lottery ball guessing, memes swapping favorite numbers, and the gang trying (and failing) to break the curse as Hank faces cancellation for a number “scandal.”

Notable Quotes

| Timestamp | Speaker | Quote | |-----------|---------|-------| | 08:21 | PFT | “Justin Herbert is an animal champion warrior legend. That's the first time that honor has been bestowed on a quarterback.” | | 12:01 | Max | “Two of your top three players just had the worst game of their career... and you still almost won.” | | 16:19 | PFT | “If they had snapped the ball to Jalen Hurts on every single play and he had puked all over himself... they'd have had a 39.6 quarterback rating.” | | 66:48 | DeMeco Ryans | “Maybe the hottest team, but it doesn't matter... you just got to keep going out, executing, doing what we have to do to continue to win games.” | | 69:30 | DeMeco Ryans | “It’s about stopping people. Everybody gets caught up in the offenses and scoring points... you win it by getting critical stops.” | | 71:15 | Big Cat | “We have you ranked top three most attractive head coaches in the NFL. Are you cool with that?” | | 79:46 | DeMeco Ryans | “We make that Super Bowl, you can do whatever you want, baby. You’re welcome here. Anything.” |

Highlighted Segments (Timestamps)

• Monday Night Football Recap: 02:26–24:50
• The Positivity Bunny Meltdown: 36:12–44:41
• Live at MNF: Jerry and Shane: 28:12–35:44, 104:47–107:58
• Philip Rivers Comeback Reaction: 47:40–50:57, 75:44–76:09
• DeMeco Ryans Interview: 66:27–92:57
• Hot Seat/Cool Throne: 44:13–59:00
• Guys on Chicks: 94:03–101:38
• Lottery Ball & Outro: 107:58–113:43

Episode Tone & Takeaway

The tone is quintessential PMT: part locker-room ball-busting, part therapy, part absurdist sports theater. Between memorable quotes (“Justin Herbert is an animal champion warrior legend”), inside jokes, emotional outbursts from Max, and the insightful presence of DeMeco Ryans, this episode is packed with both real NFL analysis and signature Barstool chaos. The Eagles’ pain is palpable. The Chargers get their prime time due. And somewhere, Big Cat’s pinky hangs in the balance.

For listeners: Whether laughing at the drama of group chats or genuinely learning about evolving NFL defenses from D’Amico Ryans, this episode is a classic blend of sports heartbreak therapy, top-tier trolling, and football nerd insights.