Speaker
Shane Bacon
Appearances over time
1 episodes
Episodes
1
Podcasts
Quotes & moments
The Open Championship has had 12 consecutive winners who had never previously won the Open, a streak dating back to Phil Mickelson in 2013.
No Englishman has won the Open Championship since 1992, a drought that Tommy Fleetwood and Tyrell Hatton could end at Royal Birkdale.
Royal Birkdale has 108 bunkers, though none are deep greenside bunkers — they are positioned around the approaches to greens.
Tommy Fleetwood has gone 10 consecutive major championships without a top-10 finish, a drought after his strong 2022-24 major run.
Jordan Walker won the 2026 MLB Home Run Derby in front of a hostile Philadelphia crowd that was booing his every pitch taken. Making roughly $800,000 a year, he pocketed $1 million in prize money with an incredible late surge that left Schwarber and the Philly faithful stunned.
Spain dismantled France in the World Cup semifinal, with Lamine Yamal serving as the ultimate Mbappe stopper — owning him 11 of 13 head-to-head matchups. The hosts debate whether Spain's favorable draw (6 of 7 games in air-conditioned venues) gave them a hidden edge.
Cubs/White Sox reporter Bruce Levine accidentally tweeted a message meant to be a private DM, sucking up to a coach while calling GMs Jed Hoyer and Carter Hawkins 'Twinkle Dee and Twinkle Dumb.' He also misspelled Tweedledee and Tweedledum from Alice in Wonderland. A classic text-to-tweet disaster that went up for 20 minutes before deletion.
Clemens called 95% of his pitches himself — and his tell for the splitter was simply hitching his pants. Nobody ever cracked it. He also caught opponents tipping their pitches through sleeve lengths, glove fans, and facial expressions, with pitch-tipping turning a .250 hitter into a .350 hitter.
Shane Bacon breaks down the five key storylines heading into the 2026 Open at Royal Birkdale: a strangely random major season, a 12-game streak of first-time Open winners, Bryson DeChambeau's missed-cut slam attempt, the year of the comeback (Anthony Kim, Gary Woodland), and which big name finally saves a lost season.
Tommy Fleetwood grew up three miles from Royal Birkdale and used to sneak onto the course during twilight with his father to practice. He's now one of the favorites to win the 2026 Open on that same turf. The hosts immediately start dreaming about the 18th-hole telecast.
Clemens' mother passed away during the 2005 World Series while he was scheduled to pitch. The team offered to send a plane. He refused, saying he needed two hours to drive and clear his mind — and his mother would have wanted him to pitch. His sisters were there when she took her last breath. He still thinks about her when he feels lethargic on the mound.
Buster Olney's stats show the new clock-free HR Derby produced 131 homers versus a 5-year average of 275 under the old format. But PFT argues the real improvement is simply being able to watch the ball land — treating it like an actual sport instead of a camera-cut highlight reel.
Clemens says the bat broke in four pieces, bounced directly into his hands on the mound, and he instinctively threw it — not at Piazza, but toward the on-deck circle where Mike happened to be jogging. He was 15 feet away. If he wanted to hit him, he wouldn't have thrown it. He frames it as the best fielding form of his career — a two-bounce perfect catch and release.
Clemens says he quit caring after year one of being eligible, because you have no control over it. He played to change his family's financial situation and win championships — not to get into the Hall. He notes the process is broken: writers voted against Derek Jeter. His real legacy lives in Cooperstown regardless, on loan for the fans.
From a tangent about athlete legacies, the crew discovers George 'Mule' Suttles — a Negro Leagues slugger who swung a 50-ounce bat (Bryce Harper uses 35), hit a ball over the center field fence into what looked like an ocean, and was a coal miner in the offseason. His teammates would yell 'Kick, Mule, kick!' to fire him up in big moments.
Hovland spent months trying to gain distance off the tee and somehow lost distance instead. But his driver has returned in the last two weeks — he was top 10 in driving at the Scottish Open. He beats Scheffler, rides the confidence wave, and has three top-15 finishes in five Open Championship starts. Shane says he's the open champion.
The Pardon My Take crew debates the best stores and restaurants to live in forever. Costco wins unanimous first-pick status (food, alcohol, exercise equipment, trampolines). Dave and Buster's, Walmart, Dick's Sporting Goods, AMC Theaters, Magic City, Bass Pro Shop, and Mattress Firm all make the final rosters. Shane the producer suggests Blockbuster and gets destroyed.
In 2007, Cashman called Clemens and said 'How long will it take you to get ready?' Clemens agreed to train for two weeks secretly in Houston, then was marched out to George Steinbrenner's box at Yankee Stadium for a theatrical announcement he never wanted. He drove himself to Tampa that same day — car still running in the parking lot.
Clemens idolized Reggie Jackson growing up and dreamed of facing him. When it finally happened, Clemens was sitting at 93-94 mph — then Reggie stepped into the box, pulled out his handkerchief to clean his glasses, and Clemens suddenly found 98. He struck him out. Reggie pulling out the handkerchief told Clemens he couldn't see his pitches.
Analysis
What they talk about
- Society & Culture 50%
- Sports 50%
Connections
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