Ryen Russillo In Studio, NFL Schedule Release, Zoo Trades, Playoffs And Fyre Fest

Episode of Pardon My Take · May 15, 2026 · 2 h 30 min

The Pardon My Take crew reacts to the NFL schedule, PGA Championship and a zoo gorilla trade, then Ryen Russillo discusses the NBA playoffs, the draft and solo travel.

Summary

The episode opened with the hosts reacting to the 2026 NFL schedule release, which Dan Katz called overhyped. The group reviewed opening games, the Thanksgiving slate, the Australia game between the Rams and 49ers, and each staffer's team schedule, while teasing Hank Lockwood about his enthusiasm for international games. They then covered the first round of the PGA Championship, including Garrick Higgo's two-stroke penalty for a late tee time, Brooks Koepka's putting woes, and Rory McIlroy's blister, before discussing the Cavaliers' overtime win over the Pistons, the Avalanche eliminating the Wild, PFT Commenter's idea that the Preakness should be scheduled before the Kentucky Derby, and a gorilla swap between Boston's Franklin Park Zoo and the Pittsburgh Zoo.

Ryen Russillo joined in studio during the NBA Combine. He credited James Harden's recent play but declined to declare him redeemed, criticized the officiating in game five, and argued Cleveland's talent should have beaten a Detroit team with a structural offensive flaw. He discussed the weakness of the Eastern Conference, the Spurs' young core and Victor Wembanyama, saying he believed San Antonio could beat Oklahoma City but would not pick them. In an 'are they screwed' segment he assessed the Lakers, Nuggets and Rockets, and he said the Wizards should make the East's top eight if their two key players stay healthy. He also questioned the emerging consensus favoring AJ Dybantsa over Darryn Peterson as the top draft pick.

Katz gave Russillo a 14-foot NBA Finals concourse banner from Phoenix's 2021 Finals, Chris Paul's only Finals appearance. Russillo admitted his solo travel logs may be an excuse to be alone and advised Zach that Chicago offers the most approachable dating scene. The episode closed with Fyre Fest of the week, in which PFT Commenter proposed a breathalyzer experiment on buzzed athletic performance, Zach described his knish obsession, and Katz and Max Delente argued at length over Katz telling Delente he swings too hard in 16-inch softball.

Chapters

  1. 2:08

    NFL schedule release

    The hosts mock the drawn-out schedule release and review openers, international games, Thanksgiving and each team's slate.

  2. 18:14

    PGA Championship first round

    Discussion of Garrick Higgo's late tee-time penalty, Brooks Koepka's putting, Rory McIlroy's blister and Blocky's antics.

  3. 25:20

    Cavs-Pistons, Avs and the Preakness

    The group recaps Cleveland's overtime win, Colorado eliminating Minnesota, and floats rescheduling the Preakness before the Derby.

  4. 34:32

    The zoo gorilla trade

    The hosts treat a Boston-Pittsburgh gorilla swap like a sports trade and debate who won it.

  5. 46:43

    Russillo on Harden and the East

    Ryen Russillo assesses James Harden, the officiating, Detroit's offensive flaws and the Knicks' chances.

  6. 59:03

    Spurs, Thunder and Wembanyama

    Russillo and the hosts discuss rest versus rust, the Spurs' young core and whether San Antonio can beat OKC.

  7. 1:12:11

    Are they screwed: Lakers, Nuggets, Rockets

    Russillo evaluates the offseason outlooks of the Lakers, LeBron James, Denver and Houston.

  8. 1:23:31

    The NBA Finals banner gift

    Big Cat presents Russillo with a Phoenix Suns 2021 NBA Finals concourse banner bought on eBay.

  9. 1:33:41

    Solo travel and dating

    Russillo discusses marriage, a hypothetical bachelor party and admits his travel logs may be an excuse to be alone.

  10. 1:38:11

    Wizards outlook and the NBA draft

    Russillo backs PFT's bet that Washington makes the East top eight and questions the Dybantsa-over-Peterson consensus.

  11. 1:47:52

    Zach's life advice question

    Russillo advises Zach to date domestically and praises Chicago's dating scene.

  12. 1:52:41

    Fyre Fest of the week

    Hank reports a good week, PFT proposes a buzzed-performance experiment, and Big Cat and Max argue about softball swings before Zach's knish obsession.

Key points

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

  • Dan Katz

    Katz argues the NFL schedule release and its leaks are overhyped and annoying.

    “the schedule release is way too overhyped and annoying and that the leaks are annoying”

    Listen from 2:44 · NFL scheduling and season expansion

  • PFT Commenter

    PFT Commenter argues it is unreasonable to make the 49ers and Rams fly to Australia for one game.

    “it's crazy that we're asking the 49ers and the rams to fly all the way to australia”

    Listen from 5:13 · NFL scheduling and season expansion

  • PFT Commenter

    PFT Commenter proposes the Preakness schedule its race before the Kentucky Derby to avoid losing the Derby winner.

    “Why doesn't the Preakness just say, screw it to the Kentucky Derby and schedule their main race for like three weeks before the Kentucky Derby?”

    Listen from 33:53 · Preakness Stakes

  • Dan Katz

    Katz argues Boston lost the gorilla trade because it should have acquired a female to breed.

    “Boston should have traded for a female gorilla. To make more gorillas”

    Listen from 36:53 · Franklin Park Zoo–Pittsburgh Zoo gorilla trade

  • Ryen Russillo

    Russillo says he was troubled by how Harden is officiated and viewed Detroit as a mess offensively.

    “But, look, I just have a super hard time with the way he's officiated, and I thought Detroit's a mess offensively, as we saw”

    Listen from 48:14 · James Harden playoff legacy

  • Ryen Russillo

    Russillo criticizes teams resting top players in marquee regular-season games as gamesmanship.

    “I think they took out their top 10 guys in that fifth game, which I'm just so tired of that gamesmanship stuff”

    Listen from 53:35 · Oklahoma City Thunder

  • Ryen Russillo

    Russillo argues Cleveland is more talented and should have beaten Detroit convincingly.

    “Cleveland's talent's better. Like this series, I really think Cleveland should have won pretty convincingly because of this offensive flaw that Detroit has had all season long”

    Listen from 57:03 · Cleveland Cavaliers

  • Dan Katz

    Katz contends Cade Cunningham is a future superstar and Detroit just needs to build scoring around him.

    “he has the makings of a superstar you just got to build like you've you've you've stamped that part”

    Listen from 57:45 · Detroit Pistons

  • PFT Commenter

    PFT Commenter says Wembanyama's defense is unlike anything seen before.

    “his defense is just absolutely incredible to a point that, We've never seen anything like it before”

    Listen from 1:06:41 · San Antonio Spurs

  • Ryen Russillo

    Russillo says he will pick OKC over the Spurs because the Thunder have more playoff experience.

    “I wish I had something cooler to say other than, hey, OKC's been through it a little bit more”

    Listen from 1:07:21 · Oklahoma City Thunder

  • Ryen Russillo

    Russillo believes Wembanyama will eventually win a championship.

    “Wemby feels like it's a guarantee at some point, but say they don't get through OKC this year”

    Listen from 1:08:49 · San Antonio Spurs

  • PFT Commenter

    PFT Commenter suggests Dylan Harper may be the Spurs' best guard in these playoffs.

    “throughout these playoffs, I think Dylan Harper might be the best guard that they have”

    Listen from 1:09:28 · San Antonio Spurs

  • Linked moment · 1:13:38Skip to 1:13:38 using a listen link in the info box.

    Ryen Russillo

    Russillo says Deandre Ayton is talented but not reliable in tough playoff situations.

    “He's an incredibly talented guy. But he's just not a foxhole guy at all”

    Listen from 1:13:38 · Los Angeles Lakers

  • Ryen Russillo

    Russillo criticizes Denver's reluctance to pay the luxury tax while having Nikola Jokić.

    “if you're going to pay the tax it should be when you have yeah one of the greatest players in the history of the game”

    Listen from 1:21:40 · 2026 NBA playoffs

  • Ryen Russillo

    Russillo admits his solo travel logs may be a way to justify traveling alone.

    “sometimes I wonder if I do the travel logs because it's an excuse to be by yourself”

    Listen from 1:36:43

  • PFT CommenterPrediction · due Apr 2027

    PFT Commenter predicts, via a bet with Hank, that the Wizards will finish in the East's top eight next season.

    “We made a bet that the Wizards are going to finish, I think, in the top eight next year”

    Listen from 1:38:59 · Washington Wizards

  • Ryen Russillo

    Russillo agrees the Wizards should be a top-eight team if their two key players stay healthy.

    “Look, if those two guys are healthy, they should be in the top eight”

    Listen from 1:39:33 · Washington Wizards

  • Ryen Russillo

    Russillo says Cade Cunningham could become the NBA's best point guard.

    “hey, Cade could end up becoming the best point guard in the NBA”

    Listen from 1:39:45 · Detroit Pistons

  • Ryen Russillo

    Russillo questions the consensus favoring AJ Dybantsa, saying Darryn Peterson outplayed him head-to-head.

    “Peterson is so much better than DeBonson when they played against each other”

    Listen from 1:44:13 · 2026 NBA draft

  • Ryen Russillo

    Russillo picks Wagler over Acuff for the better career, citing his composure and control.

    “I think Wagler has some of that stuff in where once they just gave him the keys to that team, like that guy was unbelievable”

    Listen from 1:47:24 · 2026 NBA draft

  • Ryen Russillo

    Russillo advises Zach that Chicago has the most approachable dating scene of major U.S. cities.

    “Midwest values, Midwest sensibilities, and girls that are cute that you can actually talk to”

    Listen from 1:51:02

  • PFT Commenter

    PFT Commenter hypothesizes that peak performance in bar games occurs at a blood alcohol level of .04 to .06.

    “My hypothesis is that you have to be between a .04 and a .06, and that's when you achieve the best results”

    Listen from 1:59:28

  • Dan Katz

    Katz argues swinging as hard as possible at a 16-inch softball produces poor results.

    “If you swing as hard as you can against a 16-inch softball, it will always end up bad for them”

    Listen from 2:04:53 · 16-inch softball

  • Max Delente

    Delente rejects Katz's advice, saying people who warn against swinging too hard are wrong.

    “Anyone who tells you that you swing too hard is a fucking loser”

    Listen from 2:06:23 · 16-inch softball

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
  • Ryen RussilloSports broadcaster and host of The Ryen Russillo Podcast

Discussed

Topics

More from Pardon My Take

From the publisher

Football is back, sort of. As we finally have a full schedule after a week of teases (00:00:00-00:17:46). PGA Championship and Scottie is hot, Rory is not and Blocky loves the camera (00:17:46-00:25:45). Cavs win a great OT game on Wednesday, Avs are going to win the Cup and we have a Zoo trade (00:25:45-00:47:50). Ryen Russillo joins the show to talk playoff hoops, traveling alone, Big Cat gives him a sentimental gift and more (00:47:50-01:53:09). 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: Basketball·Football·Comedy