Grit Week Finale, Coach O, Saints HC Kellen Moore, Knicks Up 2-0 And Fyre Fest of The Week

Episode of Pardon My Take · May 22, 2026 · 2 h 49 min

Big Cat and PFT Commenter discuss the Knicks' 2-0 lead and Thunder–Spurs refereeing, recap Grit Week, and interview Ed Orgeron and Saints coach Kellen Moore.

Summary

The Grit Week finale of Pardon My Take opened in the Chicago studio with Dan Katz (Big Cat) and PFT Commenter discussing the New York Knicks' Game 2 win over Cleveland, James Harden's defensive struggles, and the physical, officiating-heavy Western Conference Finals between Oklahoma City and San Antonio. Katz argued that criticism of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's flopping was overstated and that he was mostly seen as boring, while PFT said he wanted the Thunder to win so he could enjoy Victor Wembanyama longer before fans turned on him. The hosts also covered the NHL playoffs, mourned NASCAR driver Kyle Busch, read tweets, and addressed a radio feud with Boston's Toucher & Hardy over their Bill Belichick interview.

Back on the Grit Week bus, the crew recapped a day at the New Orleans Saints facility, catching passes from Tyler Shough, building a playset for a child with cancer with Blake Bortles and the Rock Solid Foundation, and meeting fans on Bourbon Street.

Ed Orgeron, interviewed a day before his return to LSU was announced, defined grit, praised Miami's defensive line and Mario Cristobal's program, advised Lane Kiffin to embrace the people of Louisiana, criticized his successor Brian Kelly's approach, and recounted how Joe Brady and the spread offense powered the 2019 national title team. Saints head coach Kellen Moore discussed his first season, Tyler Shough, collaborating with players on game plans, Boise State's blue turf, his habit of handing out many game balls, and Mike McCarthy's watermelon-smashing meeting; the interview was interrupted by Hank Lockwood's audible flatulence, which dominated the closing Fyre Fest of the Week segment along with stories about workouts with LSU and a softball game against Lane Kiffin's staff.

Chapters

  1. 3:09

    Knicks up 2-0 on the Cavaliers

    The hosts react to the Knicks' Game 2 win, Cleveland's missed threes, and James Harden's defense.

  2. 13:07

    Thunder–Spurs and the referee discourse

    Discussion of the physical Western Conference Finals, injuries, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's flopping reputation, plus a call from Jerry.

  3. 23:53

    NHL playoffs, Coach O's return, and Kyle Busch

    The hosts cover the Canadiens and Golden Knights, preview the Coach O interview, and mourn Kyle Busch.

  4. 32:28

    Tweets and the Toucher & Hardy beef

    The crew reads tweets about Brock Bowers, Joey Chestnut, and Jason Kidd, then addresses Boston radio criticism of their Belichick interview.

  5. 41:56

    Grit Week recap

    The crew recaps Waffle House, the Saints facility visit, catching Tyler Shough passes, the Rock Solid playset build, and fan meetups.

  6. 1:00:43

    Coach O interview

    Ed Orgeron discusses grit, Miami football, LSU culture, Brian Kelly, Joe Brady, and the 2019 title run.

  7. 1:39:34

    Kellen Moore interview

    The Saints head coach discusses his first season, Tyler Shough, Boise State, game balls, analytics, and Mike McCarthy.

  8. 2:15:28

    Fyre Fest of the Week

    The crew roasts Hank's interview incident, recounts workouts and softball with LSU, and wraps with lottery balls and birthdays.

Key points

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

  • PFT CommenterCame true

    PFT Commenter predicted the Knicks would beat the Cavaliers in five games, possibly a sweep.

    “I still think that the Knicks are probably going to win in five”

    Listen from 5:43 · New York Knicks

  • Hank LockwoodCame true

    Hank Lockwood predicted the Spurs–Thunder series would go at least six and probably seven games.

    “The Spurs Thunder Series looks like it's going at least six, probably seven”

    Listen from 11:47 · 2026 NBA playoffs

  • PFT Commenter

    PFT Commenter said he wanted the Thunder to win so fans could enjoy Wembanyama longer before inevitably turning on him.

    “And the reason why I want the Thunder to win this series is because I think if the Thunder win”

    Listen from 15:25 · San Antonio Spurs

  • Dan Katz

    Dan Katz claimed Wembanyama is already better than LeBron James.

    “I'm going to enjoy him because he's, like I said on Wednesday's show, he's already better than LeBron”

    Listen from 16:11 · San Antonio Spurs

  • Dan Katz

    Katz argued that fans' real problem with Gilgeous-Alexander is that his mid-range style is boring, not only his flopping.

    “more than anything, he's boring because he's a lethal mid-range guy. He doesn't have flashy dunks”

    Listen from 20:47 · Flopping in basketball

  • PFT Commenter

    PFT Commenter proposed that the league review games afterward and issue technical fouls for egregious dives.

    “they should be able to issue technical fouls for clearly diving if they missed it during the game”

    Listen from 22:14 · Flopping in basketball

  • Dan Katz

    Katz cited a breakdown showing Gilgeous-Alexander fell on only about a quarter of his shots, arguing the narrative was exaggerated.

    “He has fallen to the floor in 27% of his shots”

    Listen from 22:45 · Flopping in basketball

  • Ed Orgeron

    Orgeron said he did not understand why Rueben Bain Jr. fell in the draft and expected him to be a top-ten pick.

    “I don't know why he dropped to Tampa Bay. I thought he was going to go top ten”

    Listen from 1:07:07 · Miami Hurricanes football

  • Ed Orgeron

    Orgeron praised Mario Cristobal's Miami program for discipline, saying NIL and transfer-portal distractions are absent at practice.

    “The thing about paying players and transfer portal and NIL, you hear none of that at Miami”

    Listen from 1:09:40 · Miami Hurricanes football

  • Linked moment · 1:12:17Skip to 1:12:17 using a listen link in the info box.

    Ed Orgeron

    Orgeron's advice to Lane Kiffin was to embrace Louisiana's people and use their passion as a recruiting advantage.

    “Embrace the state of Louisiana and its people. Use it as your advantage. Recruit them. Love them”

    Listen from 1:12:17 · LSU Tigers football

  • Ed Orgeron

    Orgeron criticized his predecessor at LSU for failing to connect with Louisiana's people.

    “The guy before didn't do it. And you cannot disassociate yourself with these people because this is their life”

    Listen from 1:14:19 · LSU Tigers football

  • Ed Orgeron

    Orgeron said that when Brian Kelly first appeared on the basketball court, he knew Kelly had no chance, and that players saw it too.

    “It's over. You ain't got a chance. You ain't got a chance, man. And not only do the fans see it, the players see that”

    Listen from 1:18:26 · LSU Tigers football

  • Ed Orgeron

    Orgeron recounted persuading Steve Ensminger to switch LSU to the spread offense and hiring Joe Brady to teach it.

    “Steve, I've been mistaken. I thought we had to match Alabama's physicality. I said, Steve, let's go to the spread”

    Listen from 1:19:57 · 2019 LSU Tigers football team

  • Ed Orgeron

    Orgeron advised young coaches to work early, stay quiet, take notes, and learn from the winners on staff.

    “go to work early, keep your mouth shut, take notes, listen, find the winners on the staff”

    Listen from 1:34:06 · LSU Tigers football

  • Kellen Moore

    Moore said Saquon Barkley's snow touchdown was drawn up on the sideline by Barkley and the offensive line.

    “that play pretty much was drawn up in the dirt on the sideline by Saquon and the other line”

    Listen from 1:45:13

  • Kellen Moore

    Moore said he treats game planning as a collaboration with players, since committed players find ways to make ideas work.

    “I think the goal is a collaboration because ultimately these guys are the guys performing on the field”

    Listen from 1:45:47 · New Orleans Saints

  • Kellen Moore

    Moore said he originally aspired to coach college football before his Dallas experience steered him into NFL coaching.

    “Yeah, I always wanted to be a college football coach, to be honest. That was always my goal and aspiration”

    Listen from 1:48:32

  • Kellen Moore

    Moore explained that analytics decisions such as going for two also depend on having a play the team is confident executing.

    “there's a decision and then there's actually like the play you have to run”

    Listen from 1:59:40

  • PFT Commenter

    PFT Commenter argued Kellen Moore belongs in the College Football Hall of Fame.

    “get off your ass and put Kellen Moore on the College Football Hall of Fame”

    Listen from 2:01:22 · Boise State Broncos football

  • Kellen Moore

    Moore said the key lesson from Mike McCarthy was staying steady, since consistent teams succeed late in seasons.

    “the teams that can kind of stay steady uh those are the teams that have success towards the end”

    Listen from 2:10:11 · New Orleans Saints

  • Kellen Moore

    Moore said the Saints aim to improve their running game and start games better this season.

    “We didn't run the ball great last year. We're going to run the ball a little bit better”

    Listen from 2:13:38 · New Orleans Saints

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
  • Hank LockwoodPardon My Take contributor and Boston Celtics fan
  • Max DelentePardon My Take producer and Philadelphia 76ers fan whose bachelor party is referenced
  • ZachNewest Pardon My Take staff member, Knicks fan
  • MemesPardon My Take staffer and New York Knicks fan
  • Ed OrgeronFormer LSU head football coach known as Coach O, national champion in 2019
  • Kellen MooreHead coach of the New Orleans Saints and former Boise State quarterback

Discussed

Topics

More from Pardon My Take

From the publisher

Grit Week finale, we start the first 10 minutes of the show back in studio after the Knicks Game 2 win and the Ref discourse between San Antonio and OKC has gotten annoying (00:00:00-00:30:42). Back in our bus we recap all of Grit Week, our day with the Saints, building a playground set for a kid with cancer, fan meet ups and more (00:30:42-00:58:55). Coach O joins the show right before he was signed back with LSU to talk Grit, football, the state of Louisiana and what the Tigers mean to the people, Brian Kelly's failures and more (00:58:55-01:37:33). Saints Head Coach Kellen Moore joins the show to talk about his first year as Head Coach, Tyler Shough, giving out too many gameballs, the Boise blue turf, and we have an all time Hank moment mid interview (01:37:33-02:13:33). We finish with Fyre Fest of the Week. 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 September 28, 2026. Quotes are checked word for word against the transcript.

Categories: Football·Basketball·Comedy Interviews