Patrick Kane revealed that Danny Wirtz told him returning to Chicago "would be nothing like the city has ever seen before" — and that emotional call is what convinced him to come back to the Blackhawks.
Pardon My Take
Patrick Kane revealed that Danny Wirtz told him returning to Chicago "would be nothing like the city has ever seen before" — and that emotional call is what convinced him to come back to the Blackhawks.
TL;DR
LeBron James signing with the Philadelphia 76ers on a veteran minimum deal dominates the first half of the show, with co-hosts debating whether it's truly "championship or bust" for a stacked Sixers roster and ribbing Philly-native Max about his newfound LeBron fandom [1] — Big Cat "LeBron James chose the Philadelphia 76ers on the veteran minimum, and the entire show agrees: it's championship or bust. The Sixers startin…" 03:34 . Patrick Kane sits down in studio fresh off his press conference announcing his return to the Chicago Blackhawks, recounting Stanley Cup memories, the emotional call from Danny Wirtz, and his excitement to play alongside Connor Bedard [2] — Patrick Kane "Patrick Kane sat down in studio just hours after his press conference announcing his return to the Chicago Blackhawks. He described the emo…" 1:10:44 . The crew closes with a Who's Back segment covering Tony Romo's OWI arrest and the NFL's training camp return, then debates the Mount Rushmore of foods eaten with a spoon.
LeBron James signs with the Philadelphia 76ers on the veteran minimum, sparking a championship-or-bust debate. Patrick Kane joins in studio after announcing his return to the Blackhawks. Who's Back covers Tony Romo's OWI and NFL training camp. Mount Rushmore of foods eaten with a spoon closes the show.
The LeBron discussion reaches its natural resolution as the crew forces Max to rank who the team actually belongs to: LeBron first, Embiid second, Maxey and Brown interchangeable third and fourth. Big Cat raises the nightmare scenario for Hank — what if the Sixers actually win? Hank's response is visceral: it would break him. Twenty-five games of hate-watching to see Philadelphia celebrate a title would be devastating. PFT reframes it perfectly: for Max it's championship or bust, for Hank it's bust or bust. Max is eventually pushed by peer pressure to accept the 'championship or bust' framing, closing the loop on the segment. The show has successfully set up the entire Celtics-Sixers rivalry dynamic and Max's personal journey as a reluctant LeBron convert for the upcoming season.
Zach's Who's Back is a full-blown comedy short story. It begins with a nautical movie screening — watching the film Mutiny on an actual boat with boat sounds — paired with 'social drinks,' escalates through an impromptu bar crawl, detours through a previously undiscovered nightclub, arrives at Taco Bell, and ends with Zach falling asleep mid-sip of a 24-ounce Diet Pepsi and waking up drenched in it. He then came to work without showering. The crew is equal parts horrified and delighted. A secondary Who's Back involves new Giants head coach Mike Vrabel carrying a dog to his first media availability, which PFT notes was transparently designed as a PR shield for a coach with a complicated recent reputation — but which everyone agrees was genius.
Patrick Kane joins the show in person — a genuine scoop, taped just 24 hours after the announcement. Kane describes the surreal experience of the announcement: waking up, going to the gym, driving to the skate, and walking in to find all his gear switched from Red Wings colors to Blackhawks colors. The city's response — a Wrigley Field billboard welcoming back number 88 — visibly moves him. He walks through his free agency process: taking his time despite pressure from teams wanting quick answers, eventually narrowing it down to Buffalo and Chicago. The pivotal moment was Danny Wirtz's emotional call at 11:03 AM on July 1st, during which Wirtz told Kane that his return 'would be nothing like the city's ever seen before' — a line that hit Kane hard. He also confirms Connor Bedard personally reached out to say he'd love to have Kane there.
The Mount Rushmore segment begins with a brief kumbaya dispute from the previous Friday's taping, then launches into the draft. Big Cat and Max lead off with ice cream — the obvious first pick, no discussion required. Hank and Zach take all of soup with the second pick. PFT then commits the draft's defining mistake: passing on cereal — which he admits didn't 'pop' — to take gelato (which Max immediately challenges as just ice cream), then pivoting to mashed potatoes. Hank and Zach steal cereal, which everyone immediately recognizes as the true third pick. The subsequent rounds feature chili, peanut butter, mac and cheese, yogurt, applesauce, pudding, and fried rice. The post-draft debate is lively: is cereal a type of soup? (PFT says yes; the group mostly disagrees.) Is chili a soup? (The hosts split.) The segment closes with the show's numbers game, birthday shout-outs — including Uncle Chaps and Nikki Smokes — and the traditional episode sign-off.
Chapter 1 · 00:00
The LeBron discussion reaches its natural resolution as the crew forces Max to rank who the team actually belongs to: LeBron first, Embiid second, Maxey and Brown interchangeable third and fourth. Big Cat raises the nightmare scenario for Hank — what if the Sixers actually win? Hank's response is visceral: it would break him. Twenty-five games of hate-watching to see Philadelphia celebrate a title would be devastating. PFT reframes it perfectly: for Max it's championship or bust, for Hank it's bust or bust. Max is eventually pushed by peer pressure to accept the 'championship or bust' framing, closing the loop on the segment. The show has successfully set up the entire Celtics-Sixers rivalry dynamic and Max's personal journey as a reluctant LeBron convert for the upcoming season.
LeBron James chose the Philadelphia 76ers on the veteran minimum, and the entire show agrees: it's championship or bust. The Sixers starting five on paper is stacked — but there's only one ball and several alpha scorers who all want it.
Max, a lifelong 76ers die-hard, refuses to say he'll boo LeBron James if he underperforms — because he's on the veteran minimum. The crew mercilessly points out that LeBron has completely neutered Philly's most vocal fan before a single game is played.
LeBron James signed with the Philadelphia 76ers on the veteran minimum contract, roughly $3.9 million, which Max used to argue expectations should be tempered.
LeBron signed with the Sixers on the 24th day of his 24th season, with a deal worth $8 million per year — a numerological connection to Kobe Bryant.
LeBron James joining the Philadelphia 76ers marks his fourth different NBA franchise, which the hosts note is unusual for a player considered the GOAT.
LeBron debuted when Big Cat and PFT were freshmen in college. Now there are 140 active NBA players born after his debut, he's played against 37% of all players in NBA history, and he's older than 6 active head coaches. The numbers are genuinely staggering.
There are 140 active NBA players born after LeBron James made his NBA debut, illustrating his extraordinary longevity.
LeBron has played against 37% of all players in NBA history, spanning opponents born from 1962 to 2006.
LeBron James has faced 1,857 different opponents and played with 250 different teammates across his NBA career.
Hank finds a way to spin LeBron joining the Sixers as an opportunity. Rather than being crushed, he sees a chance for the Celtics to be the team that retires LeBron James — and he wants to be the one to do it personally.
Big Cat makes the sharpest observation about the LeBron signing: Joel Embiid is now the only person on the 76ers who will bear the full weight of failure. Every other star has cover — youth, championships, or the LeBron halo. Embiid has none of that.
Chapter 2 · 50:36
Zach's Who's Back is a full-blown comedy short story. It begins with a nautical movie screening — watching the film Mutiny on an actual boat with boat sounds — paired with 'social drinks,' escalates through an impromptu bar crawl, detours through a previously undiscovered nightclub, arrives at Taco Bell, and ends with Zach falling asleep mid-sip of a 24-ounce Diet Pepsi and waking up drenched in it. He then came to work without showering. The crew is equal parts horrified and delighted. A secondary Who's Back involves new Giants head coach Mike Vrabel carrying a dog to his first media availability, which PFT notes was transparently designed as a PR shield for a coach with a complicated recent reputation — but which everyone agrees was genius.
Tony Romo was arrested for an OWI in Milwaukee while competing in the Wisconsin Amateur golf tournament, where he shot 35-over. PFT brilliantly notes Wisconsin's first OWI is only a civil fine — making it 'Fisher-Price, My First DUI.'
Tony Romo was arrested for an OWI (operating while intoxicated) in Milwaukee while competing in the Wisconsin Amateur golf tournament, where he shot 35-over.
In Wisconsin, a first OWI offense is merely a civil penalty — a fine, not a criminal charge — which the hosts humorously called 'Fisher-Price, My First DUI.'
49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan was involved in a serious car crash on July 14th, suffering broken ribs and a severe concussion, but the news was withheld for nearly two weeks.
The NFL is officially back. PFT declares this the last Monday show without on-field football until after the Super Bowl. Meanwhile, Patrick Mahomes's rehabbing left knee looks noticeably smaller than his right, and Brandon Aiyuk bought a $10M house in Northern Virginia for no apparent reason.
Zach went to a boat movie, had 'social drinks,' did a bar crawl home, hit a nightclub he'd never been to, got Taco Bell, popped a nicotine pouch, cracked a Diet Pepsi in bed — and woke up soaked in it with sticky sheets and his phone wet, then came straight to work without showering.
Chapter 3 · 1:10:17
Patrick Kane joins the show in person — a genuine scoop, taped just 24 hours after the announcement. Kane describes the surreal experience of the announcement: waking up, going to the gym, driving to the skate, and walking in to find all his gear switched from Red Wings colors to Blackhawks colors. The city's response — a Wrigley Field billboard welcoming back number 88 — visibly moves him. He walks through his free agency process: taking his time despite pressure from teams wanting quick answers, eventually narrowing it down to Buffalo and Chicago. The pivotal moment was Danny Wirtz's emotional call at 11:03 AM on July 1st, during which Wirtz told Kane that his return 'would be nothing like the city's ever seen before' — a line that hit Kane hard. He also confirms Connor Bedard personally reached out to say he'd love to have Kane there.
Patrick Kane sat down in studio just hours after his press conference announcing his return to the Chicago Blackhawks. He described the emotional call from owner Danny Wirtz, the equipment switch from Red Wings to Blackhawks gear, and why Chicago ultimately won out over Buffalo.
Patrick Kane said it took about two to two-and-a-half years after his hip resurfacing surgery to feel like his own hip again and be fully comfortable.
Patrick Kane recalls the 2010 Stanley Cup-winning goal in Game 6 in Philadelphia. He was the only person who knew the puck had gone in — it lodged in Michael Leighton's back pad. He celebrated alone while his teammates checked with the referee, and he still has nightmares where the puck doesn't go in.
Patrick Kane described his 2010 Stanley Cup-winning goal — he was the only player who knew the puck was in the net, as it lodged in the back of the goalie's pad.
Patrick Kane breaks down the emotional texture of each of the Blackhawks' three Stanley Cup championships. The 2013 down-3-1 comeback was special. The 2015 win at home was unforgettable. But all three had near-misses that could have gone the other way.
The 2013 lockout-shortened Blackhawks went 21-0-3 to open the season, meaning they went unbeaten for half of the 48-game schedule.
The 2013 Blackhawks came back from a 3-1 series deficit against Detroit before winning the Stanley Cup that year.
Patrick Kane's hip resurfacing surgery was not a full replacement — they capped the femur head to eliminate arthritis while preserving the bone. He felt better the moment he woke up from surgery. But it took two-and-a-half years before the joint felt truly like his own.
Kane recalls that when he was drafted first overall, Blackhawks preseason games had just 3,000 fans — and he could sit in the crowd unnoticed. By Christmas that year, games were selling out. Within two years they signed Hossa and won the Cup. They were too young and naive to fully appreciate it.
Patrick Kane reveals the exact moment the Blackhawks return became real: owner Danny Wirtz called him at 11:03 AM on July 1st the instant free agency opened. Wirtz's voice was emotional, and his line — 'it would be nothing like the city's ever seen before' — hit Kane harder than any free agent pitch could.
Patrick Kane's father drove 8 hours round-trip from Buffalo to attend all 41 Blackhawks home games in a single season, staying in Kane's Chicago apartment.
The Blackhawks' playoff Mario Kart hierarchy gets full reveal: Kane was King Boo, Seabrook was Bowser, Toews was Waluigi, and Sharp was Princess Peach. There was an A-game and B-game, and Jörmerson was the best player. Kane wants to bring it back this playoff run.
Patrick Kane, age 37 turning 38, signed a two-year contract with the Blackhawks — his first multi-year deal in three years, as prior contracts were all one-year deals.
Chapter 4 · 2:03:33
The Mount Rushmore segment begins with a brief kumbaya dispute from the previous Friday's taping, then launches into the draft. Big Cat and Max lead off with ice cream — the obvious first pick, no discussion required. Hank and Zach take all of soup with the second pick. PFT then commits the draft's defining mistake: passing on cereal — which he admits didn't 'pop' — to take gelato (which Max immediately challenges as just ice cream), then pivoting to mashed potatoes. Hank and Zach steal cereal, which everyone immediately recognizes as the true third pick. The subsequent rounds feature chili, peanut butter, mac and cheese, yogurt, applesauce, pudding, and fried rice. The post-draft debate is lively: is cereal a type of soup? (PFT says yes; the group mostly disagrees.) Is chili a soup? (The hosts split.) The segment closes with the show's numbers game, birthday shout-outs — including Uncle Chaps and Nikki Smokes — and the traditional episode sign-off.
The crew drafts their Mount Rushmore of spoon foods. Ice cream goes first overall, soup goes second, and PFT shockingly passes on cereal to take gelato (then mashed potatoes), letting Hank and Zach steal cereal in the third round — a mistake PFT immediately regrets.
No indexed bits in this chapter.
Patrick Kane recalls the 2010 Stanley Cup-winning goal in Game 6 in Philadelphia. He was the only person who knew the puck had gone in — it lodged in Michael Leighton's back pad. He celebrated alone while his teammates checked with the referee, and he still has nightmares where the puck doesn't go in.
Patrick Kane's hip resurfacing surgery was not a full replacement — they capped the femur head to eliminate arthritis while preserving the bone. He felt better the moment he woke up from surgery. But it took two-and-a-half years before the joint felt truly like his own.
LeBron James chose the Philadelphia 76ers on the veteran minimum, and the entire show agrees: it's championship or bust. The Sixers starting five on paper is stacked — but there's only one ball and several alpha scorers who all want it.
This episode
Factual claims made this episode, and whether a source was named.
LeBron James signed with the Philadelphia 76ers on the veteran minimum contract, worth approximately $3.9 million.
There are 140 active NBA players who were born after LeBron James made his NBA debut.
LeBron James has played against 37% of all players in NBA history.
LeBron James has played against 1,857 different opponents and played with 250 different teammates.
LeBron James is older than 6 active NBA head coaches and has played against 5 current active head coaches.
LeBron James signed with the 76ers on the 24th day of his 24th season, signing for $8 million per year.
The Washington Wizards are +310 to make the NBA playoffs next year according to DraftKings Sportsbook.
The Boston Celtics have the third-best odds to win the Eastern Conference according to DraftKings.
Tony Romo was arrested for an OWI in Milwaukee while competing in the Wisconsin Amateur golf tournament and was 35-over after four rounds.
In Wisconsin, a first OWI offense is only a civil penalty — a fine — and does not result in criminal charges or jail time.
Kyle Shanahan suffered broken ribs and a severe concussion in a car crash on July 14th, and the news was not reported for nearly two weeks.
Jacoby Brissett had the highest yards per game among NFL quarterbacks last season thanks to garbage time with the Arizona Cardinals.
The 2013 Chicago Blackhawks went 21-0-3 to open a 48-game lockout-shortened season, going unbeaten for half the schedule.
Patrick Kane signed a two-year contract with the Chicago Blackhawks at age 37, turning 38 this year.
Patrick Kane said it took approximately two to two-and-a-half years after his hip resurfacing surgery for the joint to feel completely natural.
Patrick Kane had 10 teams inquiring during his free agency period before signing with Chicago.
Brandon Aiyuk purchased a $10 million house in Northern Virginia despite playing for the San Francisco 49ers.
Tyrese Maxey led the NBA in minutes played last season and Jaylen Brown did not miss a single game.
This episode
The central subject of the first half of the episode; discussed after signing with the Philadelphia 76ers on the veteran minimum for his 24th season.
Philadelphia 76ers center whose health is identified as the key variable for the team's championship chances, and who Big Cat argues will bear the disproportionate blame if the team fails.
All-Star guard traded by the Boston Celtics to the 76ers, whose arrival reportedly triggered LeBron James to seriously consider Philadelphia.
The young Blackhawks franchise center whose presence and personal outreach to Kane was a factor in Kane choosing to return to Chicago.
Philadelphia 76ers guard who led the league in minutes the prior season and was excited about LeBron's signing.
Boston Celtics GM credited with engineering the Jaylen Brown trade to Philadelphia, which Hank theorizes was a masterful '4D chess' move to create chaos on the Sixers.
Former NFL quarterback and CBS analyst who was arrested for an OWI in Milwaukee while competing in the Wisconsin Amateur golf tournament.
Chicago Blackhawks owner who made an emotional phone call to Patrick Kane at the moment free agency opened, telling him his return would be 'nothing like the city has ever seen before.'
Young Philadelphia 76ers guard whose development the hosts worry may be stunted by the arrival of multiple star players ahead of him in the rotation.
Owner of the Philadelphia 76ers (and other teams) who LeBron James reportedly trusted with the end of his career.
San Francisco 49ers head coach who suffered broken ribs and a severe concussion in a car crash on July 14th, news that was not publicly released for nearly two weeks.
Described by Patrick Kane as one of the greatest free agent signings in Chicago sports history, his arrival helping set up the Blackhawks' dynasty.
LeBron James's agent and founder of Clutch Sports, whose client relationships with players like Nick Nurse are discussed in the context of team control.
WNBA star whose every action continues to generate irrational media coverage, exemplified by a USA Today article falsely accusing her of skipping an event to get a haircut.
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback discussed at NFL training camp, with concern noted about visible atrophy in his rehabbing left knee.
The NBA franchise LeBron James signed with, triggering extensive debate about championship expectations, roster dynamics, and fan identity.
The NHL franchise Patrick Kane returned to after stints with the Rangers and Red Wings, announced via press conference the day the episode was taped.
The defending conference contender whose GM Brad Stevens traded Jaylen Brown to the Sixers, inadvertently setting off the chain of events that brought LeBron to Philadelphia.
The reigning NBA champions who reportedly rejected LeBron's overtures before he signed with Philadelphia, discussed as a rival to the Sixers in the East.
Chicago Blackhawks arena where Patrick Kane reflected on the electric atmosphere he may have taken for granted during his 16 years as a Blackhawk.
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