World Series Champion Sal Frelick In Studio, The Bears Demolish The Seahawks, The First CFB Rankings Are Out + Plus Listener Football Takes

Episode of Pardon My Take · November 4, 2026 · 2 h 35 min

Dan Katz and PFT Commenter discuss the first College Football Playoff rankings, the Bears' win over Seattle and MLB lockout talks, then interview World Series champion Sal Frelick.

Summary

The Pardon My Take hosts opened by Zoom to critique the first College Football Playoff rankings. Dan Katz argued the committee made many baffling choices, such as Alabama at fifth ahead of Tennessee, but praised placing Notre Dame at 11th. PFT Commenter outlined MLB's proposal to delay a salary cap until 2028 while raising the proposed cap and floor, calling the talks a good development, while Max Delente viewed it as the very beginning of negotiations.

Back in studio, the hosts celebrated the Chicago Bears' 34-17 win at Seattle, crediting newly acquired Jeffrey Simmons for transforming the defense and Ben Johnson for outcoaching Mike Macdonald. Katz called the Bears a Super Bowl team and Caleb Williams a top-five quarterback; PFT Commenter argued the season should be 'Super Bowl or bust,' which Katz disputed given the team's youth. They also discussed Patrick Mahomes's record against winning teams and Kevin O'Connell's struggles in Minnesota.

The Hot Seat/Cool Throne segment covered LeBron James drinking wine mid-game, the Washington Wizards' improved start, Bill Belichick choosing football over his relationship, Worldwide Wob's retirement from NBA Twitter, Gardner Minshew being named a starter, a proposed studio urinal, and Karl Bushby's completed walk around the world.

Sal Frelick described the Brewers' World Series run, manager Pat Murphy's relationship-driven style and insistence on opposite-field hitting, the team's desire to avenge its sweep by the Dodgers, his Game 2 home run, his choice of baseball over football at Boston College, and Christian Yelich's wish to enter the Home Run Derby. The episode closed with listener takes on two-point conversions, team rebuilds, and tipping.

Chapters

  1. 2:28

    First College Football Playoff rankings

    Katz and PFT Commenter mock the committee's first rankings while praising its handling of Notre Dame.

  2. 16:56

    MLB lockout proposal

    The hosts and Max Delente parse MLB's offer to delay a salary cap until 2028 and raise the cap and floor.

  3. 22:00

    NC State coaching rumors

    Brief discussion of Philip Rivers and Russell Wilson as NC State head coaching candidates.

  4. 26:47

    Bears demolish the Seahawks

    The hosts break down Chicago's 34-17 win, Jeffrey Simmons's impact, and Caleb Williams's play.

  5. 50:05

    Chiefs stats and NFC outlook

    Discussion of Mahomes's record against winning teams, Super Bowl-or-bust teams, and the crowded NFC playoff race.

  6. Linked moment · 59:42Skip to 59:42 using a listen link in the info box.

    59:42

    Hot Seat/Cool Throne

    Segments on LeBron James, the Wizards, Belichick, Worldwide Wob, Gardner Minshew, the studio urinal, and Karl Bushby.

  7. 1:40:55

    Sal Frelick interview

    Frelick discusses the Brewers' title run, Pat Murphy, hitting approach, his background, and Yelich's Home Run Derby hopes.

  8. 2:16:36

    Listener football takes

    The hosts react to takes on going for two, rebuilds, the Steelers, and Tyler Huntley's nickname.

  9. 2:26:05

    Tipping and service work

    PFT Commenter argues everyone should work in the service industry, and the group debates tipping norms.

Key points

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

  • Dan Katz

    Katz argued the committee made many mistakes in its first rankings but appreciated the debates they created.

    “So do I actually think the committee did a good job? No, they fucked a lot of shit up”

    Listen from 3:26 · College Football Playoff

  • Dan Katz

    Katz said ranking Notre Dame 11th was the committee's one correct decision because it forces Notre Dame to win.

    “I think putting Notre Dame at 11 was the correct move. Everything else, they just basically were like, how can we piss people off and give them fodder?”

    Listen from 5:52 · College Football Playoff

  • Dan Katz

    Katz argued UCLA deserved more credit for being undefeated in a chaotic season.

    “in a year where everyone is losing left and right and there's chaos every single weekend, being undefeated should be rewarded”

    Listen from 11:46 · College Football Playoff

  • PFT Commenter

    PFT Commenter claimed any team ranked sixth through 14th could beat defending champion Indiana on a neutral field.

    “a neutral field against this Indiana team. I think any one of those teams could beat Indiana”

    Listen from 14:23 · College Football Playoff

  • Max Delente

    Max Delente viewed MLB's delayed-cap proposal as only the start of negotiations, saying players would never accept it.

    “I think that this is like the very, very beginning of the negotiation because there's no way that the players would accept a 2028 deal”

    Listen from 17:36 · Major League Baseball lockout and salary cap negotiations

  • PFT Commenter

    PFT Commenter called the ongoing MLB proposal exchange a positive sign.

    “Honestly, my takeaway from this is this is a good development that we have”

    Listen from 18:44 · Major League Baseball lockout and salary cap negotiations

  • Dan KatzPrediction · due Feb 2027

    Katz predicted the Bears will reach the Super Bowl after their win over Seattle.

    “I think they are going to be in the Super Bowl. I think they're a Super Bowl team”

    Listen from 31:06 · Chicago Bears

  • Dan Katz

    Katz called Caleb Williams a top-five NFL quarterback he would not trade for anyone.

    “he's a top five quarterback in the NFL. And I know this is going to sound crazy, and it's obviously very biased, but I wouldn't trade him for any quarterback right now”

    Listen from 34:39 · Chicago Bears

  • Hank Lockwood

    Lockwood said he does not root against Caleb Williams despite their quarterbacks being from the same draft class.

    “I think rooting against a quarterback just because you guys had quarterbacks drafted in the same class is like a salty, salty bitch move”

    Listen from 34:56 · Chicago Bears

  • PFT Commenter

    PFT Commenter argued Bears fans should treat this season as Super Bowl or bust.

    “The team is good enough, the coaching staff is good enough, where you should be disappointed if this team doesn't win a Super Bowl”

    Listen from 40:42 · Chicago Bears

  • Dan Katz

    Katz argued Kevin O'Connell should lose his reputation as an offensive guru after Minnesota's struggles.

    “You just can't say that with how J.J. McCarthy's situation went down and how this year has gone down offensively”

    Listen from 55:11 · 2026 NFL season

  • Dan KatzPrediction · due Jan 2027

    Katz predicted the Los Angeles Rams will be the good NFC team left out of the playoffs.

    “And like there's going to be a good team football team that's left out. It's going to be it's. Yeah, I think it's going to be the Rams”

    Listen from 58:59 · 2026 NFL season

  • Sal Frelick

    Frelick described Pat Murphy as a manager who treats baseball management as relationship-building.

    “he always says, you know, baseball, especially managing is a relationship game”

    Listen from 1:47:53 · Milwaukee Brewers

  • Sal Frelick

    Frelick recounted that his Boston College baseball coach persuaded him to focus on baseball rather than play football too.

    “I think you're a baseball player um i think you can play professional baseball which is something i never thought about”

    Listen from 1:56:50 · Milwaukee Brewers

  • Sal Frelick

    Frelick said Christian Yelich genuinely wants to compete in the Home Run Derby before retiring.

    “He's still got a few years for sure, and I do know that he does really want to do it before he retires”

    Listen from 2:01:44 · Home Run Derby

  • PFT Commenter

    PFT Commenter argued Yelich would have no chance of winning a Home Run Derby against younger sluggers.

    “we're talking about winning the entire home run derby against guys that are like 21, 22 years old in their prime”

    Listen from 2:02:22 · Home Run Derby

  • Sal Frelick

    Frelick said Murphy requires every Brewers hitter to be able to hit opposite-field ground balls on command.

    “Murph literally says you can't play on our team unless you can hit a backside ground ball like on command pretty much”

    Listen from 2:05:12 · Milwaukee Brewers

  • Dan Katz

    Katz argued the Brewers' dominance was legitimate and that cheating accusations stem from the Astros scandal.

    “It's okay for teams to just be dominant like I think the Astros kind of ruined it for everyone”

    Listen from 2:07:39 · 2026 Major League Baseball postseason

  • Sal Frelick

    Frelick said the Brewers wanted to face the Dodgers again out of bitterness over being swept the previous year.

    “everyone kind of felt this just, like, bitterness from getting swept by them last year that we really did, you know, want to face them again”

    Listen from 2:09:03 · 2026 Major League Baseball postseason

  • PFT Commenter

    PFT Commenter argued that everyone should be required to work in the service industry because it builds perspective.

    “Every human being should have to work minimum six months in the service industry”

    Listen from 2:26:43 · Tipping in the United States

  • Dan Katz

    Katz said point-of-sale tipping screens should include options below 20 percent.

    “I already was going to do it, but just throw in the option for 18. Just do it. That's just out of respect”

    Listen from 2:29:55 · Tipping in the United States

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
  • Sal FrelickMilwaukee Brewers outfielder and World Series champion

Discussed

Topics

More from Pardon My Take

From the publisher

The first CFB rankings are out and they intentionally trolled College Football fans to get mad about how they ranked the teams (00:00:00-00:16:14). MLB lockout maybe has a solution? (00:16:14-00:25:53) Bears dominate the Seahawks on MNF and they're looking very scary with the debut of Big Jeff Simmons. We clean up some NFL things from Sunday as well (00:25:53-00:59:59). Hot Seat/Cool Throne talking Lebron sipping mid game, Gardner Minshew named starter and more (00:59:59-01:39:23). Milwaukee Brewer Sal Frelick joins the show after winning the World Series to talk about an incredible season, what makes the Brewers approach so different, his manager Pat Murphy, and whether or not Yelich will compete in the HR Derby (01:39:23-02:14:17). We finish with listener football takes. 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 November 6, 2026. Quotes are checked word for word against the transcript.

Categories: Football·Baseball·Comedy