Knicks To The Finals, Wemby Domination, Saints RB Travis Etienne, Saints Safety Justin Reid, Who’s Back Of The Week And More

Episode of Pardon My Take · May 26, 2026 · 3 h 1 min

The Pardon My Take crew celebrates the Knicks reaching the NBA Finals, debates the Thunder and flopping, and interviews Saints players Travis Etienne and Justin Reid.

Summary

Recorded on Memorial Day week as the New York Knicks finished a sweep of the Cleveland Cavaliers, the episode opened with Dan Katz calling Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson's claim that his team had 'analytically' won two games the biggest loser quote in sports history. The hosts praised the Knicks' 11-game win streak, Mike Brown's coaching and Landry Shamet's shooting, and PFT Commenter argued the Knicks could be 'America's team' against Oklahoma City. Turning to the tied Spurs–Thunder Western Conference finals, Katz argued that the widespread hatred of the Thunder is good for the NBA and that flopping is a league enforcement problem, while PFT Commenter proposed postgame technical fouls for egregious flops.

The crew then covered the long weekend: the USMNT notifying World Cup cuts by email, Premier League relegation, the Indy 500, the Jason Williams softball controversy, the Nationals and Cubs, and TMZ's coverage of Hank Lockwood's alleged on-air fart, which prompted a cease-and-desist. In 'Who's Back of the Week' they discussed Joey Chestnut's return, the underwhelming Enhanced Games, Bryce Harper's toothpaste technique, the Giants' new celebration, Johnny Manziel's kickboxing win, and Katz's 'summer of burgers' goal of 100 to 200 burgers.

Travis Etienne discussed choosing Clemson over LSU, the difficulty of adjusting to the NFL, learning diet discipline in Jacksonville, returning home to Louisiana, and his faith in quarterback Tyler Shough. Justin Reid described playing a full season with a torn labrum in Houston, choosing Stanford to escape his brother Eric's shadow, his chess and golf hobbies, and Steve Spagnuolo's strategy of saving opponent-specific plays for the fourth quarter. The episode closed with Knicks Finals ticket prices, a LeBron-to-the-Wizards report, and PFT Commenter forgetting producer Max Delente's birthday.

Chapters

  1. 0:00

    Intro and take buildup

    Dan Katz introduces the Grit Week interviews and promises a show full of stored-up takes.

  2. Linked moment · 3:16Skip to 3:16 using a listen link in the info box.

    3:16

    Knicks sweep and the Atkinson quote

    The hosts mock Kenny Atkinson's expected-wins comment as the Knicks close out the Cavaliers.

  3. 15:47

    Knicks Finals outlook

    Memes and the hosts discuss the Knicks' historic run, Mike Brown, and whether America would root for them.

  4. 21:48

    Spurs–Thunder and the flopping debate

    The crew reviews Wembanyama's Game 4, the San Antonio crowd, and whether hatred of the Thunder is good for the NBA.

  5. 39:31

    Weekend roundup: hockey, soccer, racing, golf

    Topics include the NHL playoffs, USMNT roster emails, Premier League relegation, the Indy 500, and the Byron Nelson.

  6. 50:23

    College softball and baseball

    The hosts defend Jason Williams in the Florida–Texas Tech softball saga and discuss the Cubs, Nationals and Christopher Sanchez.

  7. 57:31

    Hank on TMZ

    The crew recounts TMZ's stories about Hank's alleged fart and Barstool's cease-and-desist letter.

  8. 1:05:45

    Who's back of the week

    Picks include Joey Chestnut, the Enhanced Games flop, dental hygiene, and the Knicks' win-streak graphic.

  9. 1:15:36

    Summer of burgers and Manziel

    Katz declares a goal of 100 to 200 burgers and rejects smash burgers, and Zach picks Johnny Manziel's kickboxing win.

  10. 1:32:12

    Travis Etienne interview

    Etienne discusses his name, Clemson, the NFL adjustment, returning to Louisiana, game balls, and his coaches.

  11. 2:06:44

    Justin Reid interview

    Reid covers his torn labrum season, Stanford, chess, planes, kicking, the Chiefs' Super Bowls, and golf.

  12. 2:49:50

    Closing: tickets, LeBron and birthdays

    The hosts react to Knicks Finals ticket prices and a LeBron-to-the-Wizards report, then forget Max's birthday.

Key points

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

  • Dan Katz

    Katz argues that Kenny Atkinson's claim that the Cavaliers analytically won two games was the biggest loser quote in professional sports.

    “Now, I don't want to be hyperbolic here, but I think that is the biggest loser quote that has ever been uttered in professional sports”

    Listen from 5:58 · Cleveland Cavaliers

  • PFT Commenter

    PFT Commenter says the Knicks' team efficiency across these playoffs is unprecedented in NBA history.

    “I think that what they've done through the totality of this playoff has never been done before so far in the history of the NBA”

    Listen from 17:32 · New York Knicks

  • PFT Commenter

    PFT Commenter argues that in a Knicks–Thunder Finals most of the country would root for New York.

    “I think that the Knicks might be America's team”

    Listen from 19:08 · New York Knicks

  • Hank LockwoodCame true

    Hank Lockwood predicts the Knicks will win the NBA Finals in five games regardless of opponent.

    “Play your game. I think it's Knicks and five. It doesn't matter who they”

    Listen from 20:51 · 2026 NBA playoffs

  • Dan Katz

    Katz argues that widespread hatred of the Thunder is good for the NBA, contrary to discourse that they are bad for the league.

    “And I think that hate is awesome for the NBA. Because a lot of the discourse is OKC is bad for NBA”

    Listen from 30:27 · Oklahoma City Thunder

  • Dan Katz

    Katz argues that flopping is a failure of NBA officiating and enforcement rather than the players' fault.

    “As for the flopping, I always just think it's a NBA problem. It's not as much of a player”

    Listen from 32:16 · Flopping in the NBA

  • PFT Commenter

    PFT Commenter proposes issuing technical fouls after games upon review for egregious flops.

    “You've got to be able to do techs after the game, too. If it's egregious, yes, tee a guy up if it's a flop”

    Listen from 32:52 · Flopping in the NBA

  • PFT Commenter

    PFT Commenter says reaching the World Cup quarterfinals is the standard for success for the USMNT.

    “No, I'm just going to stick with it. Reaching the quarterfinals. That's what success is for this team”

    Listen from 42:50 · United States men's national soccer team

  • PFT CommenterPrediction · due Dec 2026

    PFT Commenter expects the Nationals to trade CJ Abrams this year because ownership wants to sell the team.

    “I have a feeling that we're probably going to try to trade him this year and then kind of restart everything from scratch”

    Listen from 54:40 · Washington Nationals

  • Max Delente

    Max Delente argues that Phillies pitcher Christopher Sanchez is the most underrated athlete in professional sports.

    “Yeah, Christopher Sanchez is the most underrated athlete in professional sports”

    Listen from 54:53

  • PFT Commenter

    PFT Commenter calls the Enhanced Games underwhelming, noting that doped athletes broke few records.

    “It was so underwhelming. They had all these freaks just roided up to the gills, and they were trying to present it”

    Listen from 1:07:47 · Enhanced Games

  • Dan Katz

    Katz argues that smash burgers are not real burgers and favors a traditional grilled hamburger.

    “I think smash burgers are... I think they're fake. I don't think you can. I don't think those are real burgers”

    Listen from 1:17:55 · Hamburgers

  • Travis Etienne

    Etienne says he chose Clemson over LSU because he believed LSU's offense at the time would not develop his game for the NFL.

    “I felt like I knew I had to develop ways, I had developed my game ways that LSU probably wouldn't have been able to develop my game at the time”

    Listen from 1:35:17 · Clemson Tigers football

  • Travis Etienne

    Etienne says the NFL was far harder than college football and required learning blocking schemes and playing 'above the shoulders.'

    “I feel like when I got to the NFL, that's the hardest football ever been for me”

    Listen from 1:37:42

  • Travis Etienne

    Etienne says his years in Jacksonville taught him diet discipline he will need living in Louisiana.

    “Where I understand now that your diet is very much important, just like everything else is inside of your game”

    Listen from 1:42:31 · New Orleans Saints

  • Travis Etienne

    Etienne praises quarterback Tyler Shough as a good person and leader who embraces the city.

    “that's because he is a great person first. And he's a leader, man. He's not shying away from it”

    Listen from 1:43:31 · New Orleans Saints

  • Travis Etienne

    Etienne says that for career longevity he might have played defense, since defenders are rewarded better than running backs.

    “But I feel like if you train and work hard on defense, it rewards you better in the end”

    Listen from 1:48:36

  • Justin Reid

    Reid recounts playing his entire second NFL season with the Texans on a torn labrum.

    “my second year in the league, I tore my labrum in training camp. And I played the entire season with a busted up shoulder”

    Listen from 2:07:30

  • Justin Reid

    Reid says he chose Stanford over LSU partly to make a name for himself apart from his older brother Eric Reid.

    “At this point in my life, I was always Eric Reid's little brother”

    Listen from 2:11:48

  • Justin Reid

    Reid says the Chiefs give out at most three game balls, compared with Kellen Moore's generous approach.

    “Chiefs give out three maximum. One offense, one defense, one special teams”

    Listen from 2:24:22 · Kansas City Chiefs

  • Justin Reid

    Reid describes how the Chiefs' Steve Spagnuolo installed opponent-specific plays but saved them for the fourth quarter.

    “we would install special plays for teams we played, but we would not call it to the fourth quarter”

    Listen from 2:25:47 · Kansas City Chiefs

  • Justin Reid

    Reid says that in the Chiefs' second title season Patrick Mahomes humbled himself and the team leaned on its defense.

    “in that second year, Patrick actually humbled himself. And instead of trying to be Superman, they leaned on us on the defensive side of the ball”

    Listen from 2:31:50 · Kansas City Chiefs

  • Justin Reid

    Reid says running backs with wide hips, such as Nick Chubb, are the hardest to tackle.

    “really the running backs that have really wide hips are all extremely hard to tackle. Running backs with small, narrow hips, easy to tackle”

    Listen from 2:43:12

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
  • MemesPardon My Take staffer and New York Knicks fan
  • ZachNewest Pardon My Take staff member, Knicks fan
  • Max DelentePardon My Take producer and Philadelphia 76ers fan whose bachelor party is referenced
  • Hank LockwoodPardon My Take contributor and Boston Celtics fan
  • Travis EtienneNFL running back, formerly of the Jacksonville Jaguars and Clemson, newly signed with the New Orleans Saints
  • Justin ReidNFL safety for the New Orleans Saints, two-time Super Bowl champion with the Kansas City Chiefs and Stanford engineering graduate

Discussed

Topics

More from Pardon My Take

From the publisher

The New York Knicks are headed to the NBA Finals after an absolutely ass kicking of the Cavs. Kenny Atkinson with an all time loser quote. Wemby dominates Game 4 and the WCF heads to a pivotal Game 5. Are the Thunder actually good for the NBA? (00:00:00-00:36:27) We talk about everything from the long weekend including USMNT, Hank making TMZ multiple times, Jason Williams daughter Mia being a stud and more (00:36:27-01:04:35). Who’s back of the week including Burgers and Big Cat’s quest to hit 100 (really 200 burgers) (01:04:35-01:30:53). Travis Etienne joins the show to talk about signing with the Saints, Clemson, being a running back in the league, coming home to Louisiana and more (01:30:53-02:03:35). Justin Reid joins the show to talk about the Saints, his Super Bowls with the Chiefs, going down rabbit holes and Stanford (02:03:35-02:48:29). We finish with lottery balls and Birthdays and a huge miss was had. 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: Basketball·Football·Sports