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
- 2:08
NFL schedule release
The hosts mock the drawn-out schedule release and review openers, international games, Thanksgiving and each team's slate.
- 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.
- 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.
- 34:32
The zoo gorilla trade
The hosts treat a Boston-Pittsburgh gorilla swap like a sports trade and debate who won it.
- 46:43
Russillo on Harden and the East
Ryen Russillo assesses James Harden, the officiating, Detroit's offensive flaws and the Knicks' chances.
- 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.
- 1:12:11
Are they screwed: Lakers, Nuggets, Rockets
Russillo evaluates the offseason outlooks of the Lakers, LeBron James, Denver and Houston.
- 1:23:31
The NBA Finals banner gift
Big Cat presents Russillo with a Phoenix Suns 2021 NBA Finals concourse banner bought on eBay.
Linked moment · 1:33:41Skip to 1:33:41 using a listen link in the info box.
1:33:41Solo travel and dating
Russillo discusses marriage, a hypothetical bachelor party and admits his travel logs may be an excuse to be alone.
- 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.
- 1:47:52
Zach's life advice question
Russillo advises Zach to date domestically and praises Chicago's dating scene.
- 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”
- 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”
- 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?”
- 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”
- 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”
- 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”
- 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”
- 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”
- 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”
- 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”
- 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”
- 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”
- 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”
- 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”
- 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”
- 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”
- 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”
- 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”
- 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”
- 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”
- 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”
- 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”
- 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”
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
- James HardenGuard traded to Cleveland during the season
- Victor WembanyamaSan Antonio Spurs center and MVP candidate
- Cade CunninghamDetroit Pistons guard sidelined by injury
- LeBron JamesLos Angeles Lakers forward cited as a longevity outlier
- Dylan HarperSan Antonio Spurs rookie guard
- Kevin DurantHouston Rockets forward cited as both a scorer and an aging outlier
- Chris PaulVeteran guard waived by the Clippers who then retired
- Garrick HiggoSouth African golfer penalized for missing his PGA Championship tee time
- Brooks KoepkaAmerican professional golfer and five-time major champion
- Nathan MacKinnonColorado Avalanche star center
- Deandre AytonLos Angeles Lakers center
- AJ DybantsaBYU forward projected as the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NBA draft
- Darryn PetersonKansas guard and top 2026 NBA draft prospect
- Nick SirianniPhiladelphia Eagles head coach
- Shai Gilgeous-AlexanderOklahoma City Thunder guard and reigning MVP
Topics
- 2026 NBA playoffs
- NFL scheduling and season expansion
- James Harden playoff legacy
- Cleveland Cavaliers
- Detroit Pistons
- San Antonio Spurs
- Oklahoma City Thunder
- Washington Wizards
- 2026 NBA draft
- Franklin Park Zoo–Pittsburgh Zoo gorilla trade
- 16-inch softball
- 2026 PGA Championship
- Los Angeles Lakers
- 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs
- Preakness Stakes
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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.