Pardon My Take – December 23, 2025

Episode Theme:
A jam-packed PMT episode before the holidays: Big Cat and PFT deliver their signature NFL Week 17 preview, mix in an early NHL preview with recurring champion Ryan Whitney, nerd out on music and life with Third Eye Blind’s Stephan Jenkins, and tie it all together with the usual Hot Seat/Cool Throne, best bets, and classic show banter. There’s also story time about someone sleeping in (Hank) and a peek behind the Barstool curtain.

Episode Breakdown

1. Opening: Show Schedule, Sleep-ins, and Holiday Vibes

Timestamps: 00:00 – 15:00

• Hosts acknowledge the unique release schedule around Christmas, taping early to give everyone time off.
• Show rundown: Ryan Whitney returns for a PMT-record “number one guest” recurring appearance (NHL preview), Third Eye Blind’s Stephan Jenkins joins in-studio, and they’re moving Week 17 preview up.
• Holiday gratitude: "Cherish every moment you have with your loved ones." (Dan Katz, 03:34)
• Low Man Trophy (fullback award) gets a finalist list; announcement planned around College Football Playoff (05:14)
• Sleep-in saga: Hank slept through “Advisors.” He details the pain (literally: toothache from gorging on candy, 07:00), the embarrassment, and the unexpected lack of roasting from teammates.
  • “My alarm went off for two hours. So I missed the recording this morning. My tooth still really hurts. I don’t know what I'm gonna do about that because I’m going out of the country in like three days.” (Hank, 08:11)
• Office honor: “We’re not rats. We don’t say nothing.” (Dan Katz, 11:55)
• Jerry hops in for a Steelers hype check & banter.

2. Playoff Picture & NFL Week 17 Preview

Timestamps: 20:00 – 38:00

• Playoff permutations: AFC and NFC 1-seed scenarios, Dolphins, Jets, Chargers, Patriots, Seahawks, Niners, Bears, Rams all in the mix. Hosts run through ESPN’s “percent chance” numbers.
• “Week 18 is gonna be a rough one.” (PFT, 24:19)
• Thursday Games: What looked like a stacked Christmas slate (Cowboys-Commanders, Lions-Vikings, Broncos-Chiefs) now looks “like dogshit” except the Commanders QB mystery and Lions outside shot at playoffs.
• Fun fact manager: Josh Johnson’s wild NFL resume; “You can’t tell the story of football without Josh Johnson.” (Dan Katz, 28:48)
• Saturday Games:
  • Texans-Chargers: “No quarterback has ever been sacked 50+ times and won more than 11 games in a season. Chargers have 11 wins and Herbert’s been sacked 49 times.”
  • Shane (Chargers fan) admits he can’t do playoff math: “I just look at playoff picture and do mental math.” (Shane, 30:22)
  • Debate if Justin Herbert deserves MVP: “If you don’t have Justin Herbert, the Chargers are like a four or five win team.” (Whitney, 32:01)
• Ravens-Packers: “The Ravens are on big time quit watch… Fans are ready to move on from Harbaugh.” (PFT, 34:22)
  • MRI jokes, John Harbaugh play-calling gripes, general malaise for a suddenly fragile Ravens squad.

3. Sunday NFL Early & Afternoon Slate Highlights

Timestamps: 38:00 – 65:00

• Jags-Colts: Key early game for Jags’ 1-seed hopes; “Trevor Lawrence is maybe in the MVP conversation if they get the 1 seed.” (Dan, 38:16)
• Bucs-Dolphins, Seahawks-Panthers: If the Panthers beat the Seahawks, they clinch. Bucs need to win to keep hopes alive.
• Jets Pick Watch: The Jets’ comedy of errors continues. “Hopefully someday when the Jets are good… you get to tell people, we went a whole season without an interception.” (PFT, 41:10)
• Offensive Rookie of the Year: Tyler Shough vs. Tet McMillan; “If Tyler Shough ends the year on this winning streak, it HAS to be him.”
• Giants-Raiders Number 1 Pick Bowl: “This game could shape the next decade of the NFL.” (PFT, 46:55)
• Eagles-Bills: A potentially snow-affected, low-drama game since both teams have clinched. “Once the Bears officially clinched… it takes a little pressure off. The important games are coming up.” (PFT, 48:02)
• Bears-49ers SNF: “I kind of like the over, because I don’t know if either team can get to the quarterback.” (PFT, 51:14)

4. Best Bets, Punishment Woes, and Hot Seat/Cool Throne

Timestamps: 62:00 – 80:00

• Best Bets Competition: Everyone lays down their picks for the week; ongoing jokes about how there’s STILL no punishment figured out.
  • Examples:
    • “Packers -2.5.” (PFT's pick)
    • “Broncos -12.5.” (Big Cat's pick)
    • “Chargers -2.5.” (Hank)
    • “Shuckster -2.5.” (Whitney, referring to Tyler Shough)
• Hot Seat / Cool Throne:
  • Ed Cooley (Georgetown coach) on the hot seat for chucking a water bottle into the stands and hitting a toddler.
  • LeBron’s new golf obsession as a personality bit called out as “kind of gross, honestly.”
  • Ryan Clark getting “musically profiled” in Ubers.
  • Sharon Moore’s (Michigan football interim) social media hypocrisy.
  • USA World Baseball Classic roster announced: exuberance about “a real ball club.”
• Office banter: Airport Chili’s discourse; "Don't put the restaurant there if you don't want me to eat before a flight" (PFT/Crowd)
• Low Man Trophy (Best Fullback): Five finalists named by PFT/Big Cat.

5. Celebrity Guest Interviews

Ryan Whitney (Spittin’ Chiclets, NHL/NFL Megafan)

Timestamps: 87:00 – 130:40

• Celebrates his legendary “most-appeared guest” status.
• Dishes on: The PMT-guest rivalry, Oilers’ pursuit of the Cup, future of McDavid (“3 years left, then he’s gone”), early NHL season surprises (Colorado “wagon”; Toronto a “disgrace”; Bedard’s next-level leap), why Anaheim will win a Cup in 8 years, accountability in golf (Internet Invitational drama), and random hockey/life tangents.
• “You guys could actually be the leaders...get people away from the NBA and more into the NHL. You guys refuse to do it.” (Whitney, 88:40)
• Absolute scorcher to end: “When Connor McDavid wins a Cup, I’m hosting the show.” (98:46)

Stephan Jenkins (Third Eye Blind)

Timestamps: 131:56 – 180:26

• In-studio, warm, creative, self-effacing.
• “I’m absolutely mystified as to why you’ve invited me on your show, because I know you invited me on like before the pandemic.” (Jenkins, 132:14)
• Nerds out on:
  • Warriors fandom (“Steph Curry is an artist...you get used to him” 135:51)
  • Band dynamics (“Every good record I can think of was unpleasant to make” 139:44)
  • Recording & songwriting philosophy (explains signature guitar sounds, e.g., Country Gentleman “mute lever” on Semi-Charmed Life, 153:08)
  • State of the music industry: labels, Spotify, digital copyright, AI fears
  • Live music & venues: “The goal…is to get that moment where people feel like they've come up out of themselves and they're not self-aware, even though they're all together.” (166:34)
  • Songwriting rituals: “Sometimes I'll wake up in the middle of the night and this melody will pop into my head...” (176:51)
• “Dying to get freaked” becomes a Zen Jenkins catchphrase (150:00).
• On hearing Semi-Charmed Life on the radio: “It was one of the most effusive moments…like, I can’t believe they’re playing this thing.” (172:59)

6. Guys on Chicks & Wrap-Up

Timestamps: 181:12– End
As always, audience relationship questions get the irreverent PMT spin:

• Skipping Browns-Bengals for a kids’ roller-skating party: “That sounds like you don’t love football…Some guys don’t love football.”
• Hair gel in bed, Mel Tucker vs. Sharon Moore, how to keep roast jokes within reason at the family Christmas table.
• Numbers Game: Memes keeps chasing that elusive winning number.
• Sends listeners off for the holidays with “love you guys, Merry Christmas.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On Christmas Scheduling:

• “We're taping early because we want everyone to have an actual vacation here for Christmas.” (PFT, 03:12)

On Hank's Sleep-In/Candy Meltdown:

• “We had a seven-gallon bag of Swedish Fish. I think I probably took down two of those gallons myself.” (Hank, 07:43)
• “We're not rats. We don't say nothing. You leave the office to play nine, we don't say nothing.” (Dan Katz, 11:53)

Josh Johnson, NFL Legend:

• “He's played everywhere. You can't tell the story of football without Josh Johnson.” (Dan Katz, 28:48)

On the Ravens' Vibes:

• “The Ravens are on big time quit watch…Fans are ready to move on from Harbaugh.” (PFT, 34:22)

On Bears-49ers SNF:

• “It makes winter not feel as bad...The city is 100% buzzing.” (PFT/Big Cat, 51:53)

On Hot Seat/Cool Throne:

• “Ed Cooley threw a water bottle at a child.” (Hank, 67:29)
• “LeBron is turning golf into his whole personality. It's kind of gross, honestly.” (Hank, 69:14)

Ryan Whitney on PMT's effect:

• “You guys could be the leaders, the biggest podcast in sports, and truly get people away from the NBA and more into the NHL…You refuse to do it.” (88:40)

Stephan Jenkins (Third Eye Blind):

• “Every good record that I can think of was made was unpleasant to make.”
• “When you play drums, you have to have all the parts of your body working together…rhythm is the bringing of different things together.” (155:01)
• “I'm always kind of dying to get freaked, so I don't listen to music that I know.” (150:00)
• “That first dopamine hit you get to have on people…only comes once.”

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 03:12: Christmas taping, show structure
• 07:00: Hank’s sleep-in saga & candy binge
• 11:53: “We’re not rats” (office code)
• 15:10: Jerry joins for Steelers talk
• 20:20: Week 17 playoff permutations
• 28:48: Josh Johnson appreciation
• 34:22: Ravens “quit watch”
• 46:55: Giants-Raiders #1 pick bowl
• 88:40: Ryan Whitney NHL preview
• 131:56: Stephan Jenkins interview starts
• 153:08: Explanation of iconic Third Eye Blind guitar tone
• 181:12: Guys on Chicks, show wrap

Overall Tone and Flavor

Classic PMT: a blend of chaotic banter, inside jokes, sports nerding, Christmas-fatigue delirium, and honest fandom. Plenty of irreverence, a few surprising earnest moments (especially with Jenkins), and the loose holiday energy that marks the show’s best episodes.

If you missed it:

• You get everything: NFL playoff preview, Whit’s hockey wisdom, music and creative process with Jenkins, and classic PMT bits, all wrapped up in a slightly sleep-deprived, high-on-candy, holiday fever dream.