CFB With Andy Staples, Lions TE Sam LaPorta, Rays In The WS, Commanders Lose To The Niners Plus Listener FAQ’s

Episode of Pardon My Take · October 21, 2026 · 2 h 42 min

The Pardon My Take hosts discuss the Rays-Brewers World Series, the Commanders' loss to the 49ers, and Jalen Hurts, then interview Andy Staples and Sam LaPorta.

Summary

The hosts opened with the Tampa Bay Rays reaching the World Series against the Milwaukee Brewers, which PFT Commenter called a coronation of analytics in baseball, and debated Junior Caminero's 38-second home run trot. They then reviewed Monday Night Football, where the San Francisco 49ers beat the Washington Commanders; PFT Commenter called Brock Purdy the league MVP, criticized Jayden Daniels and Dan Quinn over a fourth-down throwaway, and argued Quinn should be fired. The group also discussed conflicting reports about Jalen Hurts playing with blood clots, with Max Delente suggesting the parties were protecting themselves.

In Hot Seat/Cool Throne they covered the awkward Troy Aikman–Joe Buck broadcast, Jay-Z booking himself for the Super Bowl halftime show, U2's Thanksgiving Eve performance, the Colts' firing of Chris Ballard, a sports card heist and NBA title picks.

Andy Staples recapped a chaotic Week 7 of college football, including BYU's win over Notre Dame and Texas's loss to Florida. He argued Arch Manning is not a strong processor and that Steve Sarkisian would likely be pushed to hire an offensive coordinator rather than be fired, and he criticized the planned 24-team playoff while conceding it would not kill the sport.

Sam LaPorta discussed Iowa's tight end pipeline, Ben Johnson's offense and the 'stumble bumble' play, Dan Campbell's fourth-down aggressiveness, his back surgery, his contract situation and his interest in playing for Italy's Olympic flag football team. The episode closed with listener questions about shelved interviews, sleep and pre-show rituals.

Chapters

2:53
Rays reach the World Series
The hosts discuss the Rays-Brewers analytics World Series, the Brewers' ticket controversy and Junior Caminero's long home run trot.
14:52
49ers beat the Commanders
PFT Commenter dissects Jayden Daniels's fourth-down throwaway, Dan Quinn's future and Daniels's trade value.
38:45
Jalen Hurts and blood clots
The group debates shifting reports about Hurts playing with blood clots and the Eagles' season from hell.
50:08
Hot Seat/Cool Throne
Topics include Aikman and Buck, Jay-Z's halftime show, U2, a Twitter doctor, Chris Ballard's firing and NBA title picks.
1:12:06
Andy Staples on college football Week 7
Staples covers Ohio State's schedule, Texas and Arch Manning, BYU's win, the SEC and Big 12 playoff pictures.
1:31:15
Debating the 24-team playoff
Staples and Katz argue over whether playoff expansion diminishes the regular season.
1:57:38
Sam LaPorta interview
LaPorta discusses Iowa tight ends, Ben Johnson, Dan Campbell's aggressiveness, Jared Goff and his contract.
2:27:38
Listener FAQs
The hosts argue about Bo Nix, split-screen TV, shelved interviews, sleep and pre-show rituals.

Key points

What was said, by whom, with the exact words. Timestamps jump to the moment.

PFT Commenter
PFT Commenter argued the 49ers are the best team in football and Brock Purdy is the current league MVP.
“But yeah, the 49ers are, I think, the best team in football. I don't think that's controversial to say. I think Brock Purdy, right now, is the league MVP”
Listen from 16:10 · San Francisco 49ers
PFT Commenter Prediction · due Oct 2026
PFT Commenter predicted Dan Quinn would still be fired that week despite the second-half comeback.
“I don't think that it saved his job. I think Dan Quinn's probably still fired this week, and rightfully so”
Listen from 20:42 · Washington Commanders
Linked moment · 26:08Skip to 26:08 using a listen link in the info box.
Dan Katz
Katz defended Jayden Daniels's late intentional grounding, blaming the offensive coordinator for the lack of an underneath route.
“I'll back up Jaden Daniels on the intentional grounding. I actually think he had. That's an OC problem because there's no underneath route”
Listen from 26:08 · Washington Commanders
PFT Commenter
PFT Commenter argued that Dan Quinn's defenses perform poorly whenever he is a head coach despite his success as a coordinator.
“When he's a head coach, even his specialty, which is defense, that always finishes in the bottom five, bottom ten in the league”
Listen from 32:33 · Washington Commanders
Max Delente
Delente suggested the shifting reports on Hurts's blood clots reflected parties trying to protect themselves.
“The one thing that it looks like is that everyone's kind of just trying to save their ass”
Listen from 40:05 · Jalen Hurts blood clot injury
Dan Katz
Katz speculated Hurts was informed of the risks and chose to play, as NFL players often risk long-term health.
“They will go to lengths to put long-term health at risk to play football. That is part of what happens in the NFL”
Listen from 43:16 · Jalen Hurts blood clot injury
Dan Katz
Katz argued play-by-play broadcasters like Joe Buck inevitably outlast their color analysts.
“Joe Buck's career will always last longer than the color analyst's career”
Listen from 53:00 · Troy Aikman and Joe Buck broadcast partnership
Dan Katz
Katz praised the Colts' firing of Chris Ballard, citing his lack of division titles in a decade.
“Chris Ballard, was there for 10 years, never won an AFC South”
Listen from 1:04:51 · Indianapolis Colts
PFT Commenter Prediction · due Jun 2027
PFT Commenter predicted the Spurs would beat the Wizards in the NBA Finals.
“I got the Spurs and the Wizards. And we got Sar versus Wimby. A couple French guys going at it. And Spurs win this one”
Listen from 1:06:31
Hank Lockwood Prediction · due Jun 2027
Lockwood predicted the Celtics would beat the Thunder in the NBA Finals.
“I got the Celtics over Thunder. Team of the decade”
Listen from 1:06:51
Andy Staples
Staples doubted Ohio State would make the playoff if forced to start backup Luke Fahey the rest of the season.
“If Ohio state is playing Luke Fahey the rest of the year, I don't know if they survive this”
Listen from 1:16:13 · College Football Playoff
Andy Staples
Staples argued Arch Manning's struggles stem partly from weak processing, not just Sarkisian's play-calling.
“But I would also argue that Arch is not the best processor”
Listen from 1:21:52 · Texas Longhorns football
Andy Staples
Staples argued Steve Sarkisian would not be fired but would be pressured to hire an offensive coordinator.
“I don't think Sark's in a position where he'd get fired. I think Sark's in a position where they would demand that he hire an offensive coordinator”
Listen from 1:22:19 · Texas Longhorns football
Andy Staples
Staples said BYU's win over Notre Dame gave the Big 12 a needed signature non-conference win for the playoff committee.
“The Big 12 needed that for its reputation, for how the playoff committee will view those teams once they start meeting”
Listen from 1:28:17 · BYU vs. Notre Dame (2026)
Andy Staples
Staples argued the 24-team playoff serves coaches, athletic directors and TV networks rather than fans.
“Nobody wants this except coaches who don't want to get fired, ADs who want to justify the money they're spending”
Listen from 1:31:37 · College Football Playoff
Dan Katz
Katz argued playoff expansion erodes the do-or-die stakes that distinguish college football from the NFL.
“The feeling of do or die every Saturday is a feature of college football that the NFL doesn't have as much”
Listen from 1:32:52 · College Football Playoff
Andy Staples
Staples argued the 12-team playoff is far better than the old bowl system, BCS and four-team format.
“The old bowl system sucked. The BCS sucked. The four teams sucked. You may have pleasant memories of it because you didn't know any better”
Listen from 1:37:09 · College Football Playoff
Andy Staples Prediction · due Dec 2026
Staples predicted UCLA would comfortably make the playoff field from the Big Ten.
“But yeah, UCLA, I'll say they're in comfortably”
Listen from 1:44:40 · College Football Playoff
Sam LaPorta
LaPorta said Iowa recruits high school receivers and teaches them toughness, while route craft is more innate.
“they recruit high school receivers. They teach them how to be tough at Iowa. And I think the toughness part you can learn”
Listen from 2:01:08 · Iowa Hawkeyes tight ends
Sam LaPorta
LaPorta recounted Dan Campbell telling the team in some weeks they would go for it on fourth down anywhere on the field.
“If it's fourth and eight on the minus 20, we're going for it”
Listen from 2:04:46 · Fourth down aggressiveness in the NFL
Sam LaPorta
LaPorta said he submitted his name to play for Italy's flag football team at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
“I did put in my name for the Italian flag football team for the L.A. Olympics in 28”
Listen from 2:13:06
Sam LaPorta
LaPorta said he would accept leaving the Lions if no extension is reached, after breaking his back for the team.
“And in three months, if I don't get to wear the Honolulu blue and play for the Lions anymore, it's going to be all good”
Listen from 2:17:55 · Detroit Lions
Sam LaPorta
LaPorta said Ben Johnson recreated the 'stumble bumble' play from a Bears-Packers fumble and called it genius.
“So he basically said that we're going to recreate that. And I was like, that is fucking genius”
Listen from 2:20:35 · Detroit Lions
Sam LaPorta
LaPorta called Matt Eberflus's failure to call a timeout on Thanksgiving the worst botch he has seen as a player.
“Probably the worst botch I've ever seen, at least in my playing career”
Listen from 2:21:46 · Detroit Lions

People

In the conversation

Dan KatzBarstool Sports personality known as Big Cat, co-host of Pardon My Take
PFT CommenterBarstool Sports writer and co-host of Pardon My Take
Max DelentePardon My Take producer and Philadelphia 76ers fan whose bachelor party is referenced
Hank LockwoodPardon My Take contributor and Boston Celtics fan
ZachNewest Pardon My Take staff member, Knicks fan
Andy StaplesCollege football writer and podcaster for On3 and Yahoo's College Football Inquirer
Sam LaPortaDetroit Lions tight end and former Iowa Hawkeye

Discussed

Jayden DanielsWashington Commanders starting quarterback, injured
Dan QuinnWashington Commanders head coach
Brock PurdySan Francisco 49ers quarterback
Jalen HurtsPhiladelphia Eagles quarterback
Nick SirianniPhiladelphia Eagles head coach
Troy AikmanFormer Cowboys quarterback and NFL broadcaster
Joe BuckNFL play-by-play broadcaster
Jay-ZRapper and businessman
Chris BallardIndianapolis Colts general manager
Arch ManningTexas Longhorns quarterback
Steve SarkisianHead football coach at the University of Texas
Ben JohnsonChicago Bears head coach
Dan CampbellDetroit Lions head coach and Romo's former teammate
Jared GoffDetroit Lions quarterback
Junior CamineroTampa Bay Rays infielder
Matt EberflusFormer Chicago Bears head coach

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From the publisher

The Rays are in the World Series after beating the Guardians in 6 and setting up the analytics World Series with the Brewers (00:00:00-00:13:06). MNF and the Niners stay undefeated while Jayden Daniels had an up and down game and another weird situation with him and Dan Quinn (00:13:06-00:37:07). Jalen Hurts put on season ending IR with some confusing timelines (00:37:07-00:48:26). Hot Seat/Cool Throne including the return of NBA, Colts fire Chris Ballard and more (00:48:26-01:10:37). Andy Staples joins the show to recap an incredible Week 7 in CFB, BYU taking down Notre Dame, who’s to blame for the failures in Texas, wide open Big Ten and SEC and more (01:10:37-01:53:31). Lions Tight End Sam LaPorta joins the show to talk ball, the Iowa Tight End factory, Jared Goff, Ben Johnson and more (01:53:31-02:23:26). We finish with listener submitted FAQ’s. You can find every episode of this show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Netflix. Prime Members can listen ad-free on Amazon Music. For more, visit barstool.link/pardon-my-take

Summary, chapters and key points were generated from the episode transcript on October 22, 2026. Quotes are checked word for word against the transcript.

Categories: Football·Baseball·Comedy