The Yak — "Nick Had To Sign an NDA For A Pinball Factory"
Podcast: The Yak
Host(s): Barstool Sports (Big Cat, Brandon Walker, KBNoSwag/Kyle, Kate, Francis, Ed, Danny, Che, Dante)
Date: February 12, 2026
Episode Theme: The crew dives into Valentine's Day dilemmas, grocery store nostalgia, pinball factory secrets (and NDAs), creative process struggles, friendly Barstool feuds, body goals, night terrors, bathroom confessions, and lots of classic Yak humor.
Episode Overview
This episode is a quintessential roundtable of The Yak, filled with meandering but hilarious conversations. It jumps from anxiety about Valentine's Day and relationship pressures to workplace camaraderie, stories from the early Barstool days, the surprising intensity of pinball culture, and musings on physical feats. The group’s signature irreverence and rapid-fire banter create a dynamic, free-association romp through topics unique to their world.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Valentine's Day Pressures & Traditions (03:06–09:11)
- The crew discusses Valentine’s plans, romantic gestures, and how relationship expectations shift over time.
- Big Cat confides, "Every Mother's Day, Valentine's Day, everything is amped up this year because it's also the 20th year. So I got a lot of pressure on me." (05:00)
- The group jokes about traditional and modern anniversary gifts and debates which are actually meaningful or just “cringe.”
Memorable moment:
Kate: "I think, like, flowers... just randomly, being like, I appreciate you. I actually think that's romantic." (09:16)
2. Grocery Stores: Love, Labor, and Nostalgia (10:24–15:41)
- Fond memories surface of working at grocery stores (bagging, fruit department), favorite aisles, and the special vibe of a well-run supermarket.
- Kyle: "I think [grocery stores are] up there with, like, a nice bar for, like, environment." (11:51)
- The most and least desirable supermarket jobs (verdict: bakery and flower shop are happy; dairy and stocking are rough).
3. Mississippi Scandals & Brett Favre (15:57–16:45)
- Chat about infamous local schemes, with Brett Favre and Ted DiBiase Jr.'s welfare scandal coming up.
- Big Cat: "I think [Brett Favre’s] defense was basically, 'Yeah, I didn't know where that money was coming from.'" (15:49)
4. Work Friendships & Social Awkwardness (19:35–21:14)
- Playful questioning of who truly hangs out together outside of work, with Francis and Big Cat debating whether their relationship is “real” or purely professional.
- Francis: “I will cross the desert for you. I try to be part of your life.” (20:01)
5. Writing Dave Portnoy’s Book: The Untold Struggles (21:31–29:23)
- Francis candidly shares the ups and downs of ghostwriting Dave Portnoy's memoir, and the communication breakdowns that led to his version being shelved.
- Francis: “At the beginning… I asked Dave, do you want me writing this in the language in which you blog? And he said, no, people would get tired of reading that… So I tried to find this sort of hybrid.” (21:46)
- Insights into writing for someone else's voice, the painful editing process, and his takeaways from the experience.
- Positive takeaway: “I’d never known if I could write a whole book. I did. That was cool.” (24:41)
6. Pinball Factory Tour & Secret NDA (18:18, 34:18–38:05)
- Brandon Walker describes touring a secretive pinball factory and the unexpected demand to sign a non-disclosure agreement at the door.
- Brandon: “I was hoping to have some anecdotes and stories, but I signed an NDA.” (34:18)
- Explains the world of modern pinball: high-tech machines, story modes, QR code progression, and a passionate subculture.
- The group quizzes Brandon on pinball (“Are you allowed to tilt?”), and learns about professional pinball etiquette:
- Brandon: “If you’re not tilting, you’re not trying is what they tell me.” (37:15)
7. Barstool Ventures, Candles, and Side Hustles (41:16–42:31)
- Quick banter about hypothetical Barstool business ventures: custom bowls restaurant, fertilizer (jokingly), candle-making (courtesy of Big Cat’s cousin).
8. Health Stuff: Colonoscopies, Clean Living, and Fitness Feats (43:35–59:40)
- Real talk about colonoscopies, group encouraging preventive care, and jokes about the “after-effects.”
- Francis introduces the burpee EMOM (every minute on the minute) challenge and the philosophy of doing hard things for self-improvement.
- Francis: "It's really hard... If you do five, you're in good shape. Seven—really good. Ten or more—you're like elite." (58:16)
- Kyle reflects on abandoning “life hacks” like cold showers: “I think there’s a lot of hackiness to that lifestyle.” (59:20)
- Tangents about body goals—favorite athlete bodies (Adrian Peterson, Saquon Barkley, Brad Pitt in Fight Club), and the cult of lifting.
9. Creative Success, Social Media, and Algorithms (50:01–53:39)
- Discussion about the disconnect between content creators’ feelings of quality and what the internet rewards.
- Francis: “Sometimes [the algorithms] are bullshit anyway.” (50:32)
- The group muses on the randomness of viral hits and the existential dread of online performance.
10. Night Terrors, Sleep Paralysis, and the Horror of the Mind (63:42–67:19)
- Several crew members recount hair-raising experiences with night terrors and sleep paralysis.
- Brandon: “A figure… it’s like a silhouette shape.” (64:07)
- Kate: “I had a few bouts of sleep paralysis and I was convinced it was like death was coming... I decided to join the military.” (66:32)
11. Barstool Lore, History, & Feuds (68:07–92:22)
- Nostalgic (and sometimes tension-filled) stories from Barstool’s early days, especially the Chicago expansion.
- Dante drops in with “charity case” jokes (directed at Big Cat), leading to awkward, classic Barstool banter.
- Dante: “How do you not talk to people from the, like, early early days?” (85:39)
- Arguments about writing the definitive Barstool story—whose version counts, and would an “unauthorized” audiobook be better?
12. Random Classic Yak Riffs (Animals, Gymnastics, Bathroom Confessions, Global Idiosyncrasies)
- Travel and animal trivia:
- Francis: "Do you know that in New Zealand there is not a single snake or spider in the entire country?" (74:24)
- Gymnastics admiration:
- Kyle: "Smaller dudes can do way more pull ups." (96:46)
- Barstool bathroom drama:
- Over-the-top stories of office bathroom disasters and “the loudest wiper.”
- Brandon: “Kyle’s the loudest wiper I’ve ever heard in my life.” (107:39)
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
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On Valentine’s Day Pressure:
- Big Cat, "I've got a lot of pressure on me… 20th year anniversary. I think every Mother's Day, Valentine's Day, everything is amped up this year." (05:00)
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On Pinball Secrecy:
- Brandon Walker, "I toured a pinball facility yesterday… I signed an NDA. I was hoping to have some anecdotes and stories, but I signed an NDA." (34:18)
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On Book Writing Disasters:
- Francis, “There was this lost communication… We got all the way to the end without either side realizing that there wasn’t much oversight.” (23:15–24:34)
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On Grocery Store Vibes:
- Kyle, "I think [grocery stores are] up there with, like, a nice bar for, like, environment." (11:51)
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On Health and Fitness Trends:
- Kyle, "Lifting weights is a men's beauty routine. Is a mundane health routine. It should be treated as such." (60:45)
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On Night Terrors:
- Brandon Walker, “A figure... it’s like a silhouette shape.” (64:07)
Timestamps for Key Segments
- Valentine's Day Talk: 03:06–09:11
- Grocery Store Stories: 10:24–15:41
- Mississippi Scandals & Barstool Lore: 15:57–16:45, 68:07–92:22
- Pinball Factory & NDA: 34:18–38:05
- Francis on Book Writing: 21:31–29:23
- Burpee Challenge & Fitness Philosophy: 57:52-60:45
- Night Terrors Discussion: 63:42–67:19
- Body Goals Debate: 98:07–101:14
Final Takeaway
This Yak episode is classic: rambling but never off the rails, with a blend of workplace comedy, introspection, inside Barstool references, and the kind of friend-group banter that has made the show a Barstool mainstay. Whether you love odd trivia (pinball tech, New Zealand’s lack of spiders), relate to self-improvement fads, or want inside stories from Barstool’s quirky history, there are plenty of laughs and more than a few “wait, what?” moments.