The Yak: "Big Cat and All Business Pete Are Going Curling" (2/19/26)

Podcast Overview
This episode of The Yak revolves around two main themes: an upcoming Barstool curling stream featuring Big Cat and All Business Pete, and an eclectic, hilarious group conversation that ranges from curling culture, Olympic stories, sports stadium debates, odd personal quirks, and the surprisingly emotional reveal of "compression sock guy." With their signature chaotic banter, the crew dives deep into curling fandom and the quirks of daily life while teasing one another mercilessly.

Main Topics & Key Insights

1. Barstool Curling Stream: Anticipation and Challenges

• Big Cat and Pete’s Night of Curling: The hosts discuss their plan for a live curling stream, complete with Stella Blue Coffee giveaways and a spinning wheel filled with fan prizes and wild "punishments" for the curlers.
• Curling as a "Hard" Sport: Discussion centers on how surprisingly difficult curling can be, with Pete (the in-house superfan) explaining the technical nuances and the steep learning curve.
• Punishments and Stakes: For every $1,000 in sales, the wheel spins: some fans win $200, others see the panel face punishments (including "10 minutes on ice without shoes”).

Notable Quotes

• Big Cat: “I think I’m going to be curling for like seven hours, so I think there’s just no chance that I won’t be slipping multiple times.” (02:09)
• Pete: “You just need weight because you’re shaving down the pebbles. It makes the rock go straighter and farther.” (20:11)
• Pete, on his curling credentials: “I’ve been watching for 20 years… but I’ve only played once.” (08:33)

2. The John Shuster Olympic Curling Redemption Story

• The panel discusses John Shuster, the much-maligned US curling skip who transformed from national punchline to Olympic gold medal hero in 2018.
• They marvel at his underdog narrative and compare it to redemption arcs in bigger sports.
• Pete excitedly reveals he was asked to appear as a sportscaster in a new movie based on Shuster’s story.

Notable Quotes

• C: “His face would appear on TV and it just involuntary, you’d start laughing. You’re like, this guy’s gonna f— it up. And then he won the gold. It was crazy.” (03:30–03:50)
• Pete: “If what Shuster did for curling, he did for basketball or track and field, it would be the greatest redemption story in Olympic history.” (03:48)

3. All Business Pete: The Man, The Mystery, The Socks

• Pete’s intense but oddly joyless curling fandom is roasted by everyone.
• He becomes the subject of an epic live reveal: his notorious black, knee-high compression socks, which shocks and amuses the whole desk. The moment devolves into a full-scale roast about the culture and shame of compression socks.
• The group speculates on Pete’s home life, habits, and what brings him joy—a good dinner and "grinding away" are about all he’ll cop to.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• The Socks Reveal:
  • Pete, upon unveiling his socks: “My long compression socks. Keep the circulation in the couch.” (30:22)
  • B: “You’re wearing tights, dude.” (32:38)
  • A: “I think it would be less embarrassing if he was wearing a bra.” (34:15)
• On Pete’s home life:
  • B: “Don’t take this the wrong way, but I think I’d kill myself.” (26:36)
  • Pete: “It’s probably pretty heroic, you know, you are silent…get up and put one foot in front of the other every day.” (26:44)

4. Curling Culture & Olympic Discourses

• Pete explains the structure of US curling, gender divisions, and how punishingly difficult it is to "just make" an Olympic team.
• The crew muses about whether a group of them, with a week’s training, could even score against an Olympic team (answer: not a chance, says Pete).

Notable Quotes

• Pete: “A 56-year-old man who’s a full-time attorney is in. He worked very hard to get there.” (12:28)
• C: “There’s something mesmerizing about it. The sounds…” (24:01)

5. Stadiums, Cities, and Sports Nostalgia

• Lively debate over which US cities have the best sports stadium setups, with passionate Philly, Chicago, and Cleveland defenses.
• The group reminiscences about old school stadiums being embedded in urban neighborhoods, versus faceless new complexes designed for Super Bowls.

Notable Quotes

• B: “Pull up a night photo of Wrigley’s, like aerial going south. It’s the coolest picture possible…Beautiful green grass.” (59:03–60:02)
• J: (defending Philly’s complex) “It is the heart of Italians in Philadelphia.” (66:14)

6. Personal Histories, Internet Oddities, and Barstool Drama

• Katie tells a darkly funny story of letting her kids eat "window cookies" from a massage parlor.
• The hosts discuss colleagues’ social media habits, weight loss competition, and “hate” lists.
• Dante’s “Lent” social media hiatus is dissected, causing consternation for the content-obsessed group.

Notable Quotes

• B: “Like, you can’t just quit your job for Lent.” (95:00)

7. Group Riffing: Styles, Trends, and Relics

• Epic banter on which dead trends should come back—rat tails, big hair, chain wallets, cargo shorts—and the strange pride found in awkward, unfashionable habits.

Notable Quotes

• B: “I kind of want rat tails to come back.” (107:22)
• F: “I want middle-aged women to have a middle-aged haircut again… No one’s maternal enough to me anymore.” (107:35)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments with Timestamps

• On Curling Difficulties & Stakes
  • “I think we’ll be able to dial it in.” (21:21)
  • “I’m worried about you because you’re a choke artist.” (21:30)
• On Stadium Nostalgia
  • “The Brewer Stadium just has no soul.” (59:20)
  • “Stadiums in cities are awesome.” (58:39)
• On The Sock Reveal
  • “What a reveal. Alltime reveal. All time reveal.” (30:31)
  • “He’s got sock marks till 2am.” (35:30)

Significant Segments (Timestamps)

• 01:11–02:40: Curling stream plans, coffee giveaway, punishments announced
• 03:11–05:50: John Shuster Olympic curling redemption story
• 29:30–35:55: Epic compression sock reveal & relentless roasting
• 43:15–47:00: Stadium/city setup debate: Chicago, Philly, Cleveland
• 87:00–89:37: Rapid-fire, nostalgic riffing on sports uniforms, chain wallets, hair, pegs, Old Navy, McDonald’s Monopoly, etc.
• 95:00–96:50: Dante quitting social media for Lent sparks incredulity
• 26:36–26:44: Existential riffs on Pete’s “heroic” daily grind

Overall Tone and Energy

• The Yak brings a blend of absurd, irreverent humor and authentic friendship, with everyone unafraid to roast each other’s quirks.
• The tone swings from giddy anticipation (curling, socks) to faux-existential, to deeply nostalgic, and always returns to self-aware self-mockery.

Final Thoughts

• This episode is classic Yak: wild digressions, running jokes, inside barstool drama, and a big build-up for a curling stream that’s part athletic event, part slapstick punishment hour.
• The now-legendary “compression sock reveal” stands out as a truly viral, signature moment.

For full context, start at [29:30] for the socks, [01:11] for the curling, and [43:15] for the stadium discussion. If you’re looking for laughs and raucous group chemistry, this is a prime Yak episode.