Caleb Williams, Joel Klatt, USMNT Loses To Turkey, National Sports Podcast Rapid Fire, Mt Rushmore Of Household Appliances + Fyre Fest Of The Week

Caleb Williams, Joel Klatt, USMNT Loses To Turkey, National Sports Podcast Rapid Fire, Mt Rushmore Of Household Appliances + Fyre Fest Of The Week

Caleb Williams says he throws away the ball more than any QB to stay out of bad situations — and plans to prove all his haters wrong by bumping his completion percentage to match Peyton, Tom, and Patrick.

Jun 26, 2026 2:30:24 Difficulty: Beginner Played

TL;DR

Pardon My Take records live during the USMNT's 2-2 loss to Turkey, then dives into rapid-fire takes on the LaMelo Ball trade, MLB lockout fears, and Caitlin Clark discourse. The Mount Rushmore of Household Appliances sparks genuine debate — AC vs. fridge as the true #1. Chicago Bears QB Caleb Williams talks Madden 27 cover, his 2025 playoff run, and how haters fuel him. Fox Sports CFB analyst Joel Klatt discusses voicing College Football 27, the Brennan Sorsby gambling controversy, CFP expansion to 24 teams, and his eight national title contenders. Best takeaway: trust your coach through the 0-2 start.

#Chicago Bears #Caleb Williams Madden cover #LaMelo Ball trade #USMNT World Cup 2026 #CFP expansion to 24 teams #Brennan Sorsby gambling case #college football antitrust #Ben Johnson coaching style #Joel Klatt College Football 27 #MLB CBA lockout fears #Mount Rushmore household appliances #Brandon Aiyuk Commanders interest #Caitlin Clark WNBA discourse #NIL era college football #transfer portal quarterbacks #Caleb Williams #Joel Klatt #USMNT #College Football 27 #Madden 27 #LaMelo Ball #Timberwolves #Mount Rushmore #Ben Johnson #CFP expansion #Brennan Sorsby #antitrust #Brandon Aiyuk #household appliances #World Cup #air conditioning #MLB lockout

Pardon My Take covers the live USMNT-Turkey result, rapid-fire takes including LaMelo Ball's trade and MLB lockout fears, the Mount Rushmore of Household Appliances, a full interview with Bears QB Caleb Williams, an interview with Joel Klatt on College Football 27 and CFB governance, and Fyre Fest of the Week.

Chapter list
  • The rapid-fire segment opens with the LaMelo Ball trade to the Timberwolves, which Big Cat argues solves Anthony Edwards's double-team problem but comes with injury risk. Zach's affection for LaMelo is noted, while PFT points out the irony of trading away the steady Nas Reid who would have been a perfect fit. The Travis Kelce-Taylor Swift MSG wedding discussion draws a distinction between the ceremony and the party — apparently MSG is tacky for a ceremony but fine for a reception. Austin Reeves' $185 million max deal is announced mid-segment, with PFT defending the potentially rich contract. The crew also spars over whether Wendy's prediction that the contract is tradeable for a second-round pick will age well.

  • Big Cat reads through the alarming details of MLB owners' CBA proposal — hard cap, five-year max contracts, no deferred money — and the crew agrees a lockout seems inevitable with no summer sport to replace baseball. Hank stuns the room by deploying the same 'they haven't won anything' logic against Caitlin Clark discourse that PFT always uses against US soccer, briefly winning the segment before PFT calls it a straw man. The Terrion Arnold kidnapping situation is addressed briefly (anti-kidnapping podcast disclaimers ensue). Brian Kelly taking a Mountain West broadcast role is mocked, though Big Cat allows that a grumpy-coach-who-hates-the-media persona could work — citing Jim Boeheim as the template. The crew also debates whether A-Rod's ownership style drove the Timberwolves to make a splash move.

  • Sponsored by Microsoft 365 Copilot, the Mount Rushmore is a three-team draft: Hank/Zach vs. PFT vs. Big Cat/Max. Hank's team opens with the refrigerator; PFT counters immediately with air conditioning, calling it possibly the greatest invention of all time. The debate over which is more essential runs for nearly ten minutes, with Hank — who grew up without AC — standing firm that industrial fans suffice, while PFT claims 40 percent of listeners would die without air conditioning. Big Cat and Max take microwave and grill; PFT adds stove and garbage disposal; Hank's team adds dishwasher and vacuum (mocked mercilessly). The air fryer, hot tub, coffee maker, and washer-dryer round out the picks. Big Cat lobbies passionately for a garage fridge as a distinct appliance and is shot down. Microsoft Copilot's picks — fridge, stove, washing machine, vacuum — are revealed at the end, vindicating Hank and cementing the bit.

  • Big Cat opens by fangirling out about Caleb Williams, who good-naturedly plays along. Williams describes getting the Madden 27 cover call as a childhood dream — he tried to play it cool on the phone and immediately called his closest friends after. He dismisses the Madden curse without hesitation. The conversation shifts to his working relationship with Ben Johnson: during OTAs they meet weekly, but in season, those meetings happen every day for up to two and a half hours. Williams traces the trust built with Johnson specifically to the aftermath of the Bears' 0-2 start, when the coach's calm and direct communication changed the dynamic entirely. The offense itself, he says, didn't click until midway through the season. PFT asks about haters, and Williams delivers one of the episode's best lines: 'I love them. It's my favorite thing.' He defends his low completion percentage by explaining that his intentional throwaway rate is higher than any other QB, and reveals he has researched Peyton, Tom, and Patrick's career numbers as benchmarks.

  • Big Cat introduces the Brennan Sorsby situation — the Texas Tech QB who was briefly reinstated by a local judge after a gambling suspension — and Klatt does not hold back. He calls it a total disaster, noting it violated one of sports' longest-standing rules (going back to Shoeless Joe and Pete Rose) and that local judges giving favorable rulings to local teams destroys any semblance of rule enforcement. Crucially, Klatt argues this wasn't uniquely Texas Tech — he believes most programs would act similarly when their own interests are threatened. The silver lining: the chaos has accelerated a Senate bill that could grant antitrust protection to college sports enforcement bodies. Without that protection, Klatt argues, any enforcement entity is toothless. He goes further: he personally believes college football needs to collectively bargain with players, and without a CBA, legal challenges will continue indefinitely. PFT agrees, calling any legislative fix without a CBA mere window dressing.

  • Hank's Fyre Fest: a routine dental crown appointment reduced him to a tense, tensed-up mess who the dentist had to repeatedly tell to stop tensing. PFT's Fyre Fest: Brandon Aiyuk's relentless social media lobbying to join the Washington Commanders has crossed into stalker territory — PFT now yearns for the mental stability and groundedness of Stefon Diggs. Zach's Fyre Fest: he is moving to a new apartment 800 feet away, has no car, no couch (he's leaving it), and what he calls a 'dolly' is actually an industrial laundry basket with wheels. The crew immediately volunteers a PMT TV episode where all nine of them physically walk his belongings down the street. Big Cat closes with the end of Pug softball season — undefeated in the playoffs, 8-1 on the year, rained out before the semifinals, channeling a Florida State 'we're the champions' energy despite not finishing.

CBA (Collective Bargaining Agreement)
A contract negotiated between an employer (league/owners) and a union (players) setting wages, rules, and working conditions; referenced in the context of both MLB's looming labor dispute and college football governance.
Antitrust protection
Legal exemption from antitrust laws that would allow a governing body like the NCAA to enforce eligibility and conduct rules without being sued; Joel Klatt argues college football desperately needs this from Congress.
NIL (Name, Image, Likeness)
The right of college athletes to earn money from endorsements and sponsorships using their own identity; referenced as a key driver of escalating roster costs in college football.
Transfer portal
The NCAA database through which college athletes declare their intention to transfer to another school; a central mechanism of modern college football roster construction.
RPO (Run-Pass Option)
A play design in football where the quarterback reads a defender post-snap and chooses to hand off, run, or pass; Joel Klatt cited RPO volume as a key reason Josh Hoover fits Indiana's system.
Love bombing
Overwhelming someone with excessive affection or attention, often as a manipulation tactic; PFT Commenter used it humorously to describe Brandon Aiyuk's relentless public campaign to join the Washington Commanders.
Kumbaya
A spirit of harmony and agreement; used by the hosts to describe the intended cooperative format of the Mount Rushmore game before it broke down into argument.
Patch (video game)
A software update released after a game launches to fix bugs or add new content; Joel Klatt explained that EA Sports releases patches every 30–45 days for College Football 27 requiring additional voiceover recording.
Thermal shock
A purported physical reaction to a sudden temperature change; PFT Commenter cited the European belief that entering air conditioning when it's much hotter outside can cause heart problems.
Panini maker
A countertop appliance that grills and presses sandwiches; briefly considered and rejected as a Mount Rushmore pick.
Pump down
Caleb Williams' term for his pre-game music philosophy of listening to calm, slow music to achieve mental evenness rather than hyping himself up.
Straw man
A misrepresentation of someone's argument that is easier to attack; PFT Commenter accused Hank of constructing a straw man version of the hosts' US soccer optimism.
Automatic qualifier (AQ)
A guaranteed playoff berth for conference champions or division winners without needing a selection committee's approval; Joel Klatt advocates for AQs in the CFP to give more programs a defined path.
Fruitist
A premium berry brand in which Caleb Williams is an investor, known for large, firm blueberries grown on farms including one in Peru.
Gaslighting
A form of psychological manipulation where someone causes another person to question their own memory or perception; both PFT and Hank accuse each other of gaslighting during the soccer dispute.
Lumumba
Patrice Lumumba, the first democratically elected Prime Minister of the Democratic Republic of Congo, whose assassination by Belgian-backed forces became iconic; a Congolese World Cup fan channels his spirit by standing perfectly still during matches.
Marie Kondo
A Japanese organizing consultant and author known for her 'KonMari' method of decluttering by keeping only items that 'spark joy'; PFT recommended her Netflix show to Zach as a solution to his hoarding problem.
Dolly (moving)
A flat platform on wheels used to transport heavy boxes or furniture; Zach admitted he used the term loosely and his 'dolly' is actually an industrial laundry basket with wheels.
Iceman
A nickname Caleb Williams earned near the end of the 2025 Bears season for his composure under pressure; also the title of a Drake album Caleb wondered might reference him given his connection to Drake's circle.
Kegerator
A refrigerator modified to store and dispense a keg of beer on tap; briefly floated as a distinct Mount Rushmore appliance pick before being ruled a fridge variant.

Chapter 1 · 00:00

USMNT vs Turkey Live + Rapid Fire

The rapid-fire segment opens with the LaMelo Ball trade to the Timberwolves, which Big Cat argues solves Anthony Edwards's double-team problem but comes with injury risk. Zach's affection for LaMelo is noted, while PFT points out the irony of trading away the steady Nas Reid who would have been a perfect fit. The Travis Kelce-Taylor Swift MSG wedding discussion draws a distinction between the ceremony and the party — apparently MSG is tacky for a ceremony but fine for a reception. Austin Reeves' $185 million max deal is announced mid-segment, with PFT defending the potentially rich contract. The crew also spars over whether Wendy's prediction that the contract is tradeable for a second-round pick will age well.

Claims made here

LaMelo Ball's trade to the Timberwolves included Nas Reid going to Charlotte and pick swaps extending as far as 2030 and 2032.

PFT Commenter no source cited

Austin Reeves signed a $185 million max contract with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Big Cat no source cited

Patrice Lumumba's body was dissolved in a vat of acid after his assassination, and only a single tooth was ever recovered.

PFT Commenter no source cited

Chapter 2 · 17:56

USMNT Loss Reaction + Hank Soccer Debate

Big Cat reads through the alarming details of MLB owners' CBA proposal — hard cap, five-year max contracts, no deferred money — and the crew agrees a lockout seems inevitable with no summer sport to replace baseball. Hank stuns the room by deploying the same 'they haven't won anything' logic against Caitlin Clark discourse that PFT always uses against US soccer, briefly winning the segment before PFT calls it a straw man. The Terrion Arnold kidnapping situation is addressed briefly (anti-kidnapping podcast disclaimers ensue). Brian Kelly taking a Mountain West broadcast role is mocked, though Big Cat allows that a grumpy-coach-who-hates-the-media persona could work — citing Jim Boeheim as the template. The crew also debates whether A-Rod's ownership style drove the Timberwolves to make a splash move.

Claims made here

MLB owners proposed a CBA with a hard salary cap, max 5-year contracts for free agents switching teams, 6-year retention for own players, no deferred contracts, no qualifying offers, and 5-year free agency for players aged 30 or older.

Big Cat no source cited

Chapter 3 · 30:16

Mount Rushmore of Household Appliances

Sponsored by Microsoft 365 Copilot, the Mount Rushmore is a three-team draft: Hank/Zach vs. PFT vs. Big Cat/Max. Hank's team opens with the refrigerator; PFT counters immediately with air conditioning, calling it possibly the greatest invention of all time. The debate over which is more essential runs for nearly ten minutes, with Hank — who grew up without AC — standing firm that industrial fans suffice, while PFT claims 40 percent of listeners would die without air conditioning. Big Cat and Max take microwave and grill; PFT adds stove and garbage disposal; Hank's team adds dishwasher and vacuum (mocked mercilessly). The air fryer, hot tub, coffee maker, and washer-dryer round out the picks. Big Cat lobbies passionately for a garage fridge as a distinct appliance and is shot down. Microsoft Copilot's picks — fridge, stove, washing machine, vacuum — are revealed at the end, vindicating Hank and cementing the bit.

Chapter 4 · 57:05

Caleb Williams Interview

Big Cat opens by fangirling out about Caleb Williams, who good-naturedly plays along. Williams describes getting the Madden 27 cover call as a childhood dream — he tried to play it cool on the phone and immediately called his closest friends after. He dismisses the Madden curse without hesitation. The conversation shifts to his working relationship with Ben Johnson: during OTAs they meet weekly, but in season, those meetings happen every day for up to two and a half hours. Williams traces the trust built with Johnson specifically to the aftermath of the Bears' 0-2 start, when the coach's calm and direct communication changed the dynamic entirely. The offense itself, he says, didn't click until midway through the season. PFT asks about haters, and Williams delivers one of the episode's best lines: 'I love them. It's my favorite thing.' He defends his low completion percentage by explaining that his intentional throwaway rate is higher than any other QB, and reveals he has researched Peyton, Tom, and Patrick's career numbers as benchmarks.

Claims made here

Pepsi Zero Sugar was preferred by nearly two-thirds of Americans in a nationwide blind taste test.

PFT Commenter Nationwide blind taste test cited in Pepsi advertising

Caleb Williams throws the ball away more than any other NFL quarterback as a deliberate strategy to maintain advantageous down-and-distance situations.

Caleb Williams no source cited

Chapter 5 · 1:33:55

Joel Klatt Interview

Big Cat introduces the Brennan Sorsby situation — the Texas Tech QB who was briefly reinstated by a local judge after a gambling suspension — and Klatt does not hold back. He calls it a total disaster, noting it violated one of sports' longest-standing rules (going back to Shoeless Joe and Pete Rose) and that local judges giving favorable rulings to local teams destroys any semblance of rule enforcement. Crucially, Klatt argues this wasn't uniquely Texas Tech — he believes most programs would act similarly when their own interests are threatened. The silver lining: the chaos has accelerated a Senate bill that could grant antitrust protection to college sports enforcement bodies. Without that protection, Klatt argues, any enforcement entity is toothless. He goes further: he personally believes college football needs to collectively bargain with players, and without a CBA, legal challenges will continue indefinitely. PFT agrees, calling any legislative fix without a CBA mere window dressing.

Claims made here

Elite NFL quarterbacks like Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, and Patrick Mahomes complete between 62 and 65 percent of their passes on average, only 2–3 percentage points above Caleb Williams's current rate.

Caleb Williams no source cited

Joel Klatt recorded close to 90 hours and approximately 3,500 to 4,000 individual commentary lines for EA Sports College Football 27, with no AI-generated lines.

Joel Klatt no source cited

Joel Klatt believes the College Football Playoff will eventually expand to 24 teams.

Joel Klatt no source cited

Fernando Mendoza at Indiana threw the most RPO passes in all of college football last year, and Josh Hoover at TCU threw the second most.

Joel Klatt no source cited

Notre Dame has the highest season win over-under in college football at 11.5 wins for the 2025 season.

Joel Klatt no source cited

In a hypothetical 2014-style playoff expansion model, 81 teams would have made at least one CFP appearance.

Joel Klatt no source cited

Chapter 6 · 2:11:58

Fyre Fest of the Week

Hank's Fyre Fest: a routine dental crown appointment reduced him to a tense, tensed-up mess who the dentist had to repeatedly tell to stop tensing. PFT's Fyre Fest: Brandon Aiyuk's relentless social media lobbying to join the Washington Commanders has crossed into stalker territory — PFT now yearns for the mental stability and groundedness of Stefon Diggs. Zach's Fyre Fest: he is moving to a new apartment 800 feet away, has no car, no couch (he's leaving it), and what he calls a 'dolly' is actually an industrial laundry basket with wheels. The crew immediately volunteers a PMT TV episode where all nine of them physically walk his belongings down the street. Big Cat closes with the end of Pug softball season — undefeated in the playoffs, 8-1 on the year, rained out before the semifinals, channeling a Florida State 'we're the champions' energy despite not finishing.

Claims made here

Caleb Williams has listened to John Legend's 'Ordinary People' immediately before every game for the past six or seven years.

Caleb Williams no source cited

BetterHelp is the world's largest online therapy platform with over 30,000 therapists, has served more than 6 million people globally, and holds a 4.9 out of 5 average rating from over 1.7 million client reviews.

PFT Commenter BetterHelp advertising materials

Health & Fitness
Data point 6M

Caleb Williams, Joel Klatt, USMNT Loses To Turkey, National… · Jun 26, 2026

BetterHelp, the world's largest online therapy platform with over 30,000 therapists, has served more than 6 million people globally and holds a 4.9/5 average rating from 1.7 million client reviews.

No indexed bits in this chapter.

Show stoppers

Snapshots ()

Key Quotes ()

This episode

Cast

  • Track

Stats

Episode stats

Insight Overview

insights
chapters

Insight distribution

Sub-Categories

Speaker breakdown

Talk Time

This episode

Claims & Sources

2 / 14 cited (14%)

Factual claims made this episode, and whether a source was named.

Caleb Williams throws the ball away more than any other NFL quarterback as a deliberate strategy to maintain advantageous down-and-distance situations.

Caleb Williams no source cited

Elite NFL quarterbacks like Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, and Patrick Mahomes complete between 62 and 65 percent of their passes on average, only 2–3 percentage points above Caleb Williams's current rate.

Caleb Williams no source cited

Joel Klatt recorded close to 90 hours and approximately 3,500 to 4,000 individual commentary lines for EA Sports College Football 27, with no AI-generated lines.

Joel Klatt no source cited

LaMelo Ball's trade to the Timberwolves included Nas Reid going to Charlotte and pick swaps extending as far as 2030 and 2032.

PFT Commenter no source cited

Austin Reeves signed a $185 million max contract with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Big Cat no source cited

MLB owners proposed a CBA with a hard salary cap, max 5-year contracts for free agents switching teams, 6-year retention for own players, no deferred contracts, no qualifying offers, and 5-year free agency for players aged 30 or older.

Big Cat no source cited

BetterHelp is the world's largest online therapy platform with over 30,000 therapists, has served more than 6 million people globally, and holds a 4.9 out of 5 average rating from over 1.7 million client reviews.

PFT Commenter BetterHelp advertising materials

Joel Klatt believes the College Football Playoff will eventually expand to 24 teams.

Joel Klatt no source cited

In a hypothetical 2014-style playoff expansion model, 81 teams would have made at least one CFP appearance.

Joel Klatt no source cited

Notre Dame has the highest season win over-under in college football at 11.5 wins for the 2025 season.

Joel Klatt no source cited

Fernando Mendoza at Indiana threw the most RPO passes in all of college football last year, and Josh Hoover at TCU threw the second most.

Joel Klatt no source cited

Patrice Lumumba's body was dissolved in a vat of acid after his assassination, and only a single tooth was ever recovered.

PFT Commenter no source cited

Pepsi Zero Sugar was preferred by nearly two-thirds of Americans in a nationwide blind taste test.

PFT Commenter Nationwide blind taste test cited in Pepsi advertising

Caleb Williams has listened to John Legend's 'Ordinary People' immediately before every game for the past six or seven years.

Caleb Williams no source cited