Pardon My Take – Episode Summary

Date: January 23, 2026
Hosts: Big Cat & PFT Commenter (Barstool Sports)
Guest: Mark Schlereth
Main Theme: NFL Conference Championship Preview, Coaching News, Bills' Press Conference Fallout, and Fyre Fest of the Week

Episode Overview

This episode finds Big Cat and PFT Commenter energized for NFL Conference Championship weekend, breaking down both title games (Patriots/Broncos in the AFC and Rams/Seahawks in the NFC). Along with banter and heated debates, the show tackles coaching carousel updates, recaps the Buffalo Bills' bizarre press conference, witty back-and-forths on fan bases and pressure, and wraps up with classic PMT segments like Fyre Fest.

Former NFL guard and recurring guest Mark Schlereth (“Stink”) drops in for genuine football insight, recalling his own championship experiences and analyzing the weekend’s pivotal games.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. NFL Conference Championship Weekend Hype

• Super Bowl Number Confusion: The episode humorously opens with hosts debating which Super Bowl is upcoming (“Is it 60?”) before lamenting their lack of Roman numeral knowledge.
  • "This is bad by us... it's like we don't know Roman numerals." – Big Cat (01:08)
• Games Preview Agenda:
  • AFC Championship: Patriots @ Broncos (Drake May vs. Jarrett Stidham)
  • NFC Championship: Rams @ Seahawks (Stafford vs. Darnold); both teams among highest DVOA in 30 years.

2. Buffalo Bills Press Conference Disaster

• The hosts recap a Bills presser that followed Sean McDermott’s firing, noting the ownership/GM did little to project “organizational stability.”
  • "The goal... is always to give confidence that the process is going the correct way... They did the exact opposite." – Big Cat (04:16)
• Takeaways:
  • The owner, Terry Pegula, awkwardly referenced his daughter’s tennis career.
  • The Keon Coleman draft decision blame game: confusion over who chose whom, undermining confidence in leadership.
  • Admission that McDermott was fired in a locker room moment after a "sad loss" set off alarms on process and emotional leadership.
  • "You need a process. The process concluded and we determined we had to move in a different direction." – PFT (14:33)

3. Eagles' Offensive Coordinator Search & Fan Brutality

• McDaniel & Dable reportedly uninterested; fan intensity in Philly blamed for scaring potential hires.
  • "There’s guys that can coach in Philly and there’s guys that can’t. If you’re not a guy that can’t coach in Philly, don’t come here." – Max (19:18)
  • House egging and fan abuse is debated as a disincentive.
  • Max, the resident Eagles fan, eventually throws up his hands in trust of the front office, vowing to withhold opinion.

4. Patriots vs. Broncos – Deep-Dive Preview & Heated Debate

• Panel’s Perspectives:
  • Hank (Patriots fan) is confident, lays out reasons why NE has the edge in most areas, but worries about “the air” in Denver.
  • PFT, pressed for Broncos optimism, delivers a long, comical “Stidham vs May” segment, comparing stats, high school championships, and, absurdly, rumors that Jarrett Stidham has a tail.
  • Stats like “Patriots D better than Broncos D in the last 9 weeks (per DVOA)” discussed (46:58).
  • Both admit Broncos need a few wild plays (turnover, special teams) to win.
  • The group generally agrees: expect a close game, mild edge to Patriots.
  • Notable banter around schedule strength and each team’s “realness.”

Memorable Exchange: Stidham’s Alleged Tail

• PFT (59:20): “Jared Stidham might have a tail.”
  • PFT shares various internet rumors about Stidham allegedly having a “vestigial tail,” spins this into a hilarious, over-the-top hypothetical about the athletic advantages it might bring.
    • "Who would benefit most from that would be an athlete. If you have a tail, it acts like a stabilizer when you're twisting, when you're throwing. It's a biological gyroscope."
  • Hank responds, exasperated: “You have two options and it’s me or whatever PFT just said in the other corner.”
  • Consensus: Patriots by 10, but “don’t sleep on the tail.”

5. Rams vs. Seahawks Game Discussion

• Advanced Stat: The highest combined DVOA Conference Championship in 30 years.
• Extremely Even Matchup:
  • Both teams well-matched historically (series split 29-28; 1-point total score difference).
  • Rams haven’t lost an NFC title game since 1990; Seahawks riding major home field streak.
  • McVay vs. Mike Macdonald seen as a “mental chess match” with risks of overthinking.
  • Handicap factors: Rams’ run game inconsistency; Seahawks’ tackling/schemes.
  • The booth leans Rams due to Stafford/McVay's experience, but see it as a coin flip.

6. Coaching Carousel News and Miscellaneous Sports Topics

• Mike McCarthy interviews for Steelers; fanbase melts down.
• Chargers offense gets a shake-up with Mike McDaniel; debate if “soft coaches” avoid Philly due to fan pressure.
• Quick hits on Mac Jones, the Nats trade, mascot costumes (PFT is obsessed), and “greatest hires in history” lists.
• Ever-present Barstool and DraftKings synergy with promotional segments.

Mark Schlereth – Interview Highlights

[87:08–127:41]

- Championship Memories:

- Recalls the Broncos’ first AFC title, sealing win over Pittsburgh with a play not practiced that week; the magnitude hits hardest during the week, less so during the game itself.
    - **"Once you start the game, you don't think about any of that stuff... you just go out and execute."** (90:55)
- Remembers the sharp pain of the Jacksonville playoff loss and how it fueled Broncos’ later Super Bowls.

- Patriots vs. Broncos Preview:

- Less concerned about Stidham than Denver’s defense, which got “out-executed, out game planned, out-schemed” by the Bills while Josh Allen played “the worst playoff game he’s ever played and had three touchdowns.”
- Defense seems worn down by season-long attrition; also affected by crowd noise in Buffalo.

- Sea Level/Altitude Impact:

- Altitude disadvantage real for visiting QBs like Drake May; less fatigue for home teams.
- Teams NOT built to run the ball (like this year’s Broncos) lose the edge.

- Seahawks vs. Rams:

- Praises both teams as potential “best in football,” especially the Seahawks’ tackling and Mike Macdonald’s defensive schemes.
- On Sam Darnold: Details his difficult QB journey, now showing maturity and taking sacks/throwaways that “young Sam Darnold” wouldn’t have.
- On O-line injuries: Good coaches mitigate weaknesses with scheme—short passes, tight ends, shifting protection.
- Calls for McVay to stick to 12/13 personnel run schemes, not overthink it.

- Historic QB Toughness:

- Loves Elway documentary: marvels at the toughness QBs used to endure, the confidence Elway brought to the huddle, and the difference in officiating and injuries today.
- Shared trivia: Elway played without an ACL.

- Plane Bathroom Etiquette Question: (for laughs)

- Confesses to “shaking off” in airplane bathrooms to keep barefoot, sock-wearing flyers honest.
    - **"I feel it's my duty to... just shake it up. If you wear your socks in there, you're coming home with urine on them."** (126:31)

Fyre Fest of the Week [129:02+]

• Hank: Annoyed at yet another Derrick Rose Night in Chicago, inflated ticket prices.
• PFT: Claims a “clean week,” but admits to a growing, financially-ruinous mascot costume addiction.
  • "I will never financially recover from finding a website that will sell me mascot costumes."
• Big Cat: Feels a kidney stone coming on; issues as intramural basketball coach (players not listening, team still winless); Hank critiques his coaching strategy.
• Zach: Orders healthy prepped meals only to discover they all arrive "wet" (never checks the “wet” box when ordering).

Notable recurring bits:

• Running gag about insults, past competition losses, dense arguments about nothing, “breaking moves,” and incorrect breaking news (deadpan “Bo Nix, broken leg” bit).

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [03:44] – Bills’ weird press conference breakdown
• [15:10] – Coaching carousel news (Chargers, Eagles, etc.)
• [34:23] – Patriots vs. Broncos preview begins
• [47:47] – Patriots DVOA stats / in-depth debate
• [59:20] – The "Jarrett Stidham has a tail" monologue (PFT)
• [68:22] – Rams vs. Seahawks analytic breakdown
• [87:08] – Mark Schlereth interview
• [129:02] – Fyre Fest of the Week
• [154:48] – Lottery Ball drawing

Notable Quotes

• "The team that settles into just playing a game... is the team that's probably going to win." – Mark Schlereth (90:55)
• "You just listen to the guy with a tail." – Big Cat (62:58)
• "This match has the two highest DVOA teams in 30 years." – Big Cat (68:22)
• "If you have a tail, it acts like a stabilizer... it's a biological gyroscope." – PFT (61:24)
• "Rams have not lost an NFC championship since 1990." – PFT (69:16)

Tone & Style

The episode is characterized by irreverent, witty, and sometimes chaotic banter. The hosts’ style is a mix of wild hypotheticals (tails for QBs), gleeful antagonism (towards each other and guests), genuine football nerdery (DVOA, defensive fronts, O-line play), and sharp observational humor. Mark Schlereth grounds the show with real locker room insight and football wisdom but fully participates in the fun.

Conclusion

This PMT episode is a quintessential Conference Championship week ride, blending earnest football analysis with the hosts’ trademark absurdity. Listeners walk away ready for the weekend’s NFL action, newly schooled on uncommon stats, inside-the-locker-room stories, and the existential terror of “wet” meal prep. The episode sits at the intersection of sports obsession, parody, and the ongoing search for “the loudest and most correct” take in podcasting.