Pardon My Take Podcast Summary

Episode: Joe Buck In Studio, Bears Lose MNF, CFB Talk + Guys On Chicks

Date: September 10, 2025
Hosts: Big Cat, PFT Commenter (with Hank, Memes, Max, and special guest Joe Buck)

Episode Overview

This jam-packed Wednesday episode of "Pardon My Take" dives into week one reactions in the NFL, especially the Bears' Monday Night Football (MNF) woes and a wild Bills-Ravens game. College football is on the menu, including G5 chaos, coaching hot seats, and listener questions. The episode’s highlight is a sprawling in-studio interview with legendary broadcaster Joe Buck, who gets candid about his career, viral media moments, and even his hair plugs. The show closes with the beloved "Guys on Chicks" segment—plus plenty of chaos and classic PMT humor throughout.

Key Segments & Timestamps

1. Week One NFL Reactions & Bears MNF Pain (03:46 - 29:28)
2. College Football Talk (35:33 - 58:33)
3. Hot Seat / Cool Throne (60:41 - 76:34)
4. Joe Buck In Studio Interview (78:57 - 129:35)
5. Guys on Chicks (130:32 - 140:19)

1. Week One NFL Reactions & Bears MNF Pain

03:46 – 29:28

Bills vs. Ravens: Wild Week One Thriller (03:46)

• Josh Allen's monster 4th quarter (251 yards passing).
  • "He looks like he's playing the game on easy mode." – Big Cat [05:23]
• Ravens collapse called classic "John Harbaugh loss." Stat: More double-digit leads blown since 1991 than any coach.
• Missed 4th & 2 decision by Ravens, Henry fumble: "That's the difference in the game." – Memes [04:21]

Bears MNF & Caleb Williams' Rough Start (06:05)

• Painful MNF loss dissected in detail:
  • "The Bears fucking suck again... they do not look any better this year than last year. Caleb Williams does not look better." – Big Cat [06:05]
  • Repeated frustration with play-calling and penalties.
  • Caleb’s struggles: not progressing through reads, late throws, DJ Moore miss emblematic.
    • "He's not good right now. I'm not going to pretend that he was like, ‘I saw a lot there that was exciting.'” – Big Cat [07:25]
    • Memes pushes back: notice some improvement in scrambles/checkdowns but little else.
  • Bears defense shows up first half; J.J. McCarthy turns it on in fourth.
  • Kicker issues, concern over Caleb’s mentality/attire.
• Chicago's existential discussion: How long do you give Caleb? Are they a 4-win team?
  • "...it’s looking like a four-win team and Caleb Williams is just not good." – Big Cat [07:18]
  • “Hopefully he still becomes good and you can't overreact fully to one week, but it wasn’t... I wasn’t like 'he’s fixed.'” – Big Cat [08:58]
• Vikings rave: J.J. McCarthy’s bounce-back solidifies “number one gamer” status.

Recurring PMT Bits

• Blame Pie: 80% Caleb, 10% Cairo Santos (kicker), 9% Ben Johnson (coach), jokey allocation of blame to teammates and even the ice cream guy.
• Soldier Field gripes, concert damage to field, and dream segments: Big Cat tormented by “troll dreams” of Bears futility.
• Fashion debate: Should QBs care? “He could wear nothing, he’s just not good.” – Big Cat [15:12]

2. College Football Talk

35:33 – 58:33

G5 Mania: USF the Team of the Moment (36:35)

• "USF is the best team in the country. Resume debate." – Big Cat [36:35]
  • USF beats two ranked opponents (Boise State, Florida), has a Miami showdown this week.

Florida on Fire & Spitting Discourse

• Billy Napier already on the hottest hot seat.
• “Does America have a spitting problem?” PMT tackles viral sideline spits: Dak Prescott & Jalen Carter involved in NFL, mirrored in CFB.

JMU, 2-QB Debate, and Coaching Paths (39:33)

• Heartbreak over JMU’s missed Cinderella run, high-stakes Friday night, and the “stream” path remaining.
• "If you've got two quarterbacks, you've got two..." – Big Cat [40:14]
  • Chatter about transfer portal, quarterback splits, and its effect on G5 programs.

Around the Country:

• Iowa vs. Iowa State: "Not a great football game, but those two fanbases HATE each other.” – Big Cat [44:40]
• Alabama fans’ Powerball fever: the most SEC clip ever—would use winnings to fire coach Kaylin DeBoer.
• Michigan boosters pushing for play-calling changes.
• "Wide receiver screens—get it out of the playbook." – Big Cat [58:33]
• Lane Kiffin apologizing to gamblers about Kentucky spread. Discussion about increasing openness around gambling by CFB coaches.

3. Hot Seat / Cool Throne

60:41 – 76:34

Host roundtable, classic PMT structure:

Hank

• Hot Seat: Ben Simmons, dropped by his agent.
  • “You gotta be pretty bad for your agent to fire you.” – Hank [61:23]
• Cool Throne: The Mountain (from Game of Thrones) deadlifting 1,124 lbs.

PFT Commenter

• Hot Seat: US Men’s National Soccer Team (“We are the problem,” coach’s hilarious post-loss cope.)
• Bonus Hot Seat: Jerry O'Connell, phone and fantasy football drama.
• Cool Throne: Pup Punk concert tour announcement.

Zach

• Hot Seat: Soccer spitting—Luis Suarez suspended.
• Cool Throne: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (renewed hope after Week One).

Big Cat

• Hot Seat: Mike McDaniel ("McGenius/nerd boy" slander from Rex Ryan); Bryce Young (caught distracted watching Jumbotron race instead of huddling).
• Cool Throne: Stella Blue Coffee “golden mug” contest and new flavor drop.

4. Joe Buck In-Studio Interview

78:57 – 129:35

Joe Buck: PMT’s Hall of Famer

A sprawling, highly entertaining conversation loaded with inside stories, sports broadcasting insights, and ridiculous PMT banter.

On Media, Broadcasting, & Career

• SVP "Beef" and Internet Misunderstandings (79:13)
  • "Certain portions of the Internet and social media don't really get jokes... or sarcasm." – Joe Buck [80:03]
• On replacing Pat Summerall, early mistakes
  • “I took the bait and tried to sound like Pat [Summerall]... Sometimes it was OK, but sometimes I just sounded flat and boring.” – Joe Buck [83:28]
  • "I feel like I'm a completely different announcer now than I was back then." – Joe Buck [84:23]
• Getting Better With Age: Feels he’s still improving, more comfortable being himself.
• On prepping for games: Does all research by hand—names, numbers, bios—to learn teams, “not farming it out.”
• Blowout Games: Talks about having to “call time” repeatedly during boring games ("Percy Harvin returning the kick killed the Denver comeback angle!") [106:49]

Memorable Moments & Inside Stories

• Hair Plugs, The Addiction (!):

  • “Eight different [transplant] procedures... I went to the door the next day. I know my head is chewed up and it’s all blood, but I want more.” – Joe Buck [91:00]
  • Story on losing his voice under anesthesia, and the hair plug industry’s backlash. Buck claims he’s now using the new "FUE" method.
  • “I can recreationally get a hair plug and not need to go back. They look at me like I’m a crackhead.” – Memes [92:18]

• Changing jersey numbers, how hard the NFL makes it now:

  • "I equate a lot of things with a player – the way they run, number, uniform. When they change numbers, it’s like a short circuit in my mind." – Joe Buck [100:43]
  • Worst: Tampa Bay’s unreadable digital numbers; best: Steelers’ clean look.

• Intrusive thoughts in the booth?

  • “No, but I will now.” – Joe Buck [108:18]
  • PMT proposes an explicit, unfiltered commentator stream.

• PMT’s legacy & Joe Buck’s role:

  • “Little did I know I thought I was fired the first time I came on here... I owe you a lot and how we're gonna repay you is have you write a chapter in our book.” – Big Cat [118:23]

Classic PMT Banter

• Playoff Lenny nickname origins, jinxing kickers,
• Whether he can turn off the “announcer’s brain” (“I have a tough time turning that off.” – Joe Buck [114:59])
• Joe Buck called out as a “cookie guy” after being found with a tray of cookies in Lake Tahoe [126:38]
• Commits to reading the “PMT 10th Anniversary” book audiobook, at least his chapter.

Quotes

• "You have to realize if someone's got a partner you don't like, guess what? They like the partner more than they like you." – Big Cat (Guys on Chicks) [131:01]
• "He could wear nothing. He’s just not good. You have to be better. You're the first overall pick." – Big Cat (on Caleb Williams) [15:12]

5. Guys On Chicks

130:32 – 140:19

The always-chaotic advice segment where the guys dispense tongue-in-cheek wisdom for female listeners:

• How to handle a hated boyfriend in the friend group: “You gotta suck his dick.” – Big Cat (deadpan, as usual) [131:13]
• Watching non-hometown football games: “Football. That’s a crazy question, what do you...” Football is always the right answer [132:30]
• Parenting, sports fans & petty jersey wars: Advice to do a King Solomon test with your spouse about your child’s fandom [134:55]
• Chase lounge seating drama on football Sunday: Team boyfriend—“There’s a whole couch” [137:27]

Memorable Moments & Notable Quotes

• On the Bears:
  • “The Bears fucking suck again... they do not look any better this year than last year. Caleb Williams does not look better.” – Big Cat [06:05]
• On “Jinxing” a kicker (with Joe Buck):
  • “Can you say, and he has not missed tonight, right before he kicks? Just for a little jinx.” – Memes [97:57]
  • “Can we all just grow up on that whole thing?” – Joe Buck [98:53]
• Hair Plug Confessions:
  • “It was like four [procedures]. And I was at the door the next day. I'm like, I know my head is chewed up and it's all blood. But I want more. I need more.” – Joe Buck [91:00]
• SVP “Feud” and Internet Irony:
  • “Certain portions of the Internet and social media don’t really get jokes... or sarcasm.” – Joe Buck [80:03]

Tone & Atmosphere

Classic PMT: irreverent, brutally honest, genuinely self-deprecating, and relentlessly entertaining. The episode veers effortlessly from real Xs-and-Os to idiotic bits, fevered sports fan pain, inside media baseball, and outright absurdity. Joe Buck fits perfectly as both a target and teammate.

Final Thoughts

Who Should Listen:
Fans seeking raw, conversational NFL and CFB analysis; those who want to laugh about (or commiserate with) Bears/pain; sports media junkies eager for behind-the-scenes; and anyone who loves Joe Buck or the “Pardon My Take” signature tone and attitude.

Most Memorable

• Joe Buck’s unfiltered stories and willingness to be roasted.
• Bears agony/Caleb Williams concern—Big Cat in peak existential mode.
• College football spitting incidents, Lane Kiffin betting apologies, and the “number one gamer” J.J. McCarthy meme.
• Listener segments and PMT inside jokes—with enough chaos for two episodes.

The episode is a must-listen for humor, insight, and football fan therapy—capped off by Joe Buck’s official induction into the Pardon My Take hall of fame and a truly unruly (but loving) roast.