The Yak - "Big Cat and All Business Pete Led Us To Victory"

Date: February 20, 2026
Podcast: The Yak – Barstool Sports
Host: Big Cat, plus recurring crew (KBNoSwag, Kate, Titus, Dana, Mikey Betts, Whitney, Nick, Mincy, & more)

Episode Overview

This high-spirited episode of The Yak captures the post-glow and fallout from an epic Barstool curling stream, discusses hair transplants and international travel misadventures, and features a marathon "Hate List" segment by Mikey Betts, ranging from pop culture to urban gripes. Longtime running bits involving camaraderie, Chicago food takes, and debate over introvert/extrovert labels weave through, while playful ribbing, irreverence, and authentic crew chemistry are on full display.

Key Segments & Topics

Curling Recap: Pete’s Schuster Moment

Timestamps: 00:33–13:54

• Main Theme: Post-curling stream debrief; Big Cat, Dana, and others relive the event, acknowledging their underestimation of curling’s challenge and Pete’s star turn.
• Physical Fallout: The crew discusses being sore, and jokes about low-impact workouts breaking them (01:16).
• Pete’s “Victory”:
  • Pete was the star, achieving a legendary curling run (07:15–08:12).
  • “He’s been obsessed with curling for two decades. This was the second time in his life he’s ever curled.” — Big Cat (10:08)
  • “Take it to the hog!” – Pete’s stream catchphrase (02:38)
• Rule Changes and Stream Evolution:
  • Trying to sink 10 in a row proved impossible—“In two hours, we got three in a row.” (06:36)
  • The crew admitted to changing rules to make the stream watchable/fun for viewers.
  • “Rules changes that actually make it a more watchable stream should always be open… the viewer is the one that I’m worried about.” — Big Cat (08:22)

Notable Moment:

• Multiple fart jokes about Dana’s post-mukbang GI tract and egg roll-eating on the ice (04:22–06:05).

Hair Transplants & The Istanbul Crew

Timestamps: 13:54–31:12

• Hair Transplant Adventures:
  • Mincy, Mikey Betts, and crew recently went to Istanbul, Turkey, for hair transplants.
  • Mishaps include travel woes, confusion about city names (“Instant bull” vs “Istanbul”), dodgy food opinions (“food sucked...awful food”—Mikey Betts 26:28), and being called fat in the Grand Bazaar.
  • "I thought Asia in Turkey would be like China." "...I was just excited to go to Asia and was a little disappointed when I stepped off and it just wasn’t a bunch of Chinese people." — Mikey Betts (27:12–27:28)
  • Hair procedures involved “3,800 grafts,” stem cell pain, and a “no cumming for two weeks” rule (31:22–31:39).
• Introspective on Turkish Hospitality, White Sox Dave’s Mayoral Status:
  • “He’s the Elvis Presley of Istanbul.” — Mikey Betts (25:38)
  • Cultural mishaps, including odd remarks about European and Turkish cultures.

The Legendary "Hate List" By Mikey Betts

Timestamps: 32:33–69:40

• Purpose:
  • Mikey Betts, left out from the regular "Haters Ball," presents a sprawling hate list, covering pet peeves, cultural annoyances, food hot takes, sports gripes, and more.
• Structure: Rapid-fire, organized by page (Sharpie bled through, lots of pages).
• Notable Gripes Include:
  • Raw oysters (“taste like mucus”) (32:51), NBA All-Star Game decline, parents not controlling kids on planes (“I grabbed the kid’s balloon, turned it into a rat, gave it back”—33:01)
  • Gypsies/rats selling fake stuff (34:40+), division rivalry apathy in the NBA, deep dish pizza perceptions, Chicago traffic cams, left-handed discrimination, “America is the best” but be open to other cultures, among dozens more.
• Memorable Quotes:
  • “You know what I hate? That I just have one: orange peeling. With your hands. It’s so hard.” — Dana (75:31)
  • “I hate that everyone victims themself when left-handed people literally get told it’s righty’s world.” — Mikey Betts (54:10)
• Comedic Exchanges:
  • The entire crew debates whether Mikey is truly an introvert or extrovert, concluded as “absolutely not an introvert”—supported by his love of parties and confrontation (60:02–64:09).

Chicago & Barstool Community Bits

Timestamps: 49:03–116:00

• Chicago Food Debates:
  • Deep dish pizza (“Once a month...hits the spot”—49:56), Italian beef needing a cultural rebrand, green relish and the “Chicago Dog” experience, bagels and “bagel lotteries,” cracker preferences.
• Local Rivalries & Urban Observations:
  • Bears possibly moving to Indiana, Bulls/Pacers rivalries, disdain for diluted league play in sports.
• Office Dynamics:
  • Debate over introversion/extroversion, pop-in guests, neighborhood and party etiquette, and nostalgia for communal housing.
• Dynamic with Mincy:
  • Crowd debates his inability to make eye contact if someone isn’t declared his boss, spitballing content bits to expose it (101:35–102:09).

“Pathetic Titans After Dark” Planning

Timestamps: 129:28–131:43

• Upcoming Content:
  • Announcements about the next After Dark stream, laughs about camaraderie driving good content—even when events veer toward self-inflicted pain (like food challenges).
  • Discussion about the “Pathetic Titans” group and its joyful, miserable barstool chemistry.

Jazzercise, Deviled Eggs, & Playground Nostalgia

Timestamps: 113:13–125:00

• Fitness Bit:
  • Dana and others work out on camera following a “Chinese old man jazzercise” routine; Spider fails spectacularly at the leg lifts, everyone sweats and jokes about post-exercise ice cream.
• Food & Childhood:
  • Digressions into the best crackers, tricks for peeling oranges and eggs, Chicago food institutions, and playground equipment nostalgia (fireman’s pole, bridges, tunnels, etc.).

Standout Quotes & Moments

"He pushed his body to the limit. He basically...three days of doing low-impact, old, ancient Chinese workout is no different than him doing like a triathlon." — Big Cat (01:16)

"Pete is going to Zoom in, I think, when he lands. He got a Schuster moment. I've never seen him so happy. So, like, locked in." — Big Cat (02:30–02:37)

"He was the Elvis Presley of Istanbul. It was crazy." — Mikey Betts (25:38)

"I like the camaraderie...Just chilling with the guys, getting to know people, having drinks and some beers." — Mikey Betts (26:41)

"Rules changes that actually make it a more watchable stream should always be open...the viewer is the one I'm worried about." — Big Cat (08:22)

"Your brain is so good." — Whitney, after a classic barstool cross-talk (23:06)

"Monday Night Football, you go to the bar every Monday. That is the most extrovert thing you could possibly do." — Big Cat (67:12)

"He loved the horses. He loved the animals. Murdered human beings." — Big Cat, on Tony Soprano (69:47)

Table of Noteworthy Timestamps

• Curling Stream Recap: 00:33–13:54
• Hair Transplant/Istanbul Recap: 13:54–31:12
• Mikey Betts Hate List: 32:33–69:40
• Chicago Food/Culture Debates & Barstool Community Bits: 49:03–116:00
• Office Exercise Routine: 113:13–125:00
• Playground & Childhood: 115:01–118:36
• Upcoming Pathetic Titans Content: 129:28–131:43

Episode Tone & Style

Barstool Yak’s signature tone prevails: chaotic, self-deprecating, unfiltered camaraderie. Recurring bits, escalating tangents, and brutal honesty take precedence over structure, with humor always prioritized—whether discussing niche sports, bodily functions, or international travel. The episode is relentless, with barely a pause in the banter, highlighting each cast member’s personality and quirks.

Summary

This episode is required listening for fans of Barstool inside jokes, group dynamics, and Chicago food discourse. Core threads include Pete’s unexpected curling stardom, cultural confusion and mishap-laden hair transplants, and Mikey Betts’s all-encompassing, joke-studded hate list. The crew’s evolving fitness bit, ongoing debates about introvert/extrovert identities, and unwavering focus on entertainment-over-tradition in their content form the backbone of this jam-packed episode. Expect genuine laughs, sharp irreverence, and a slew of quotable moments.