PMT DB
PMT DB
Emergency Bonus: ESPN Sends a Cease and Desist to PMT
Big Cat and PFT Commenter are officially in the crosshairs of the Worldwide Leader. Just weeks into the show's existence, the legal team at ESPN sent over a cease and desist letter, and naturally, the only logical response was to record an emergency podcast to explain why this actually makes PMT the most powerful entity in sports media. PFT is a little worried about his probation status, but the energy in the room is less "fear of God" and more "let's see how many more rakes we can make them step on."
The Legal Battle of the Century
The core of ESPN's complaint is that people might actually confuse two guys recording in a basement with the multi-million dollar production of Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon. While most people would see a legal letter from Disney and fold, Big Cat and PFT see it as a sign of weakness. They pointed out that while ESPN is busy laying off staff and dealing with cord-cutting, Barstool is flush with cash and climbing the charts.
PFT CommenterESPN definitely picked the wrong people to mess with because we have nothing to lose
I think they definitely picked the wrong people to fuck with on this one. Like we got nothing to lose.
Actually, PFT argued that the mothership should be showing a little more gratitude. If anything, the association with a top-ten podcast is the only thing keeping their legacy brands relevant in the modern age.
PFT CommenterESPN should be thanking us for elevating the brands of 'Pardon the Interruption' and 'First Take'
I would say that they should be on their hands and knees thanking us that we're doing more to elevate the Pardon the Interruption and First Take brand, because now they're affiliated with our brand.
Big Cat and PFT: Legal Scholars
To prep for this battle, the guys have been doing some heavy lifting in the library—if the library is just a collection of Netflix true crime documentaries. Big Cat is leaning on his knowledge from the OJ Simpson civil suit documentary, while PFT is bringing some "Making a Murderer" expertise to the table. They even discussed the Streisand effect, which PFT believes involves Barbra Streisand being famous despite having no talent, though the legal application remains a bit fuzzy.
PFT CommenterThe more lawsuits ESPN files against us, the stronger we get
I want to have them file lawsuits at me nonstop because the more they file, the stronger I get... the more lawsuits we have filed against us, the better we get.
Big Cat is ready to start playing the legal game at a high level. He’s taking inspiration from the movie *Spotlight* and wants to start filing motions against their motions just to see what happens.
Big CatWe should file a cease and desist against ESPN to stop them from sending us cease and desist letters
I think we can file a motion against their motion... We should file a cease and desist to them to stop sending a cease and desist letters.
Taking Down the Mothership
The guys aren't just playing defense; they're looking at the big picture. Between PFT planning to corner John Skipper at South by Southwest to settle this over a cocktail napkin and Big Cat's plan to simply pirate ESPN's own content as a form of protest, the strategy is evolving by the minute.
Big CatWe will take down ESPN by replaying recordings of 'Pardon the Interruption' on our podcast feed
Maybe we just do a show and we just replay an entire Pardon the Interruption show. Like that's the whole podcast... This is how we're going to take down ESPN.
PFT is confident that when it comes down to it, the court of public opinion—and specifically the internet—will know exactly who to root for in a fight between a massive corporation and two guys with a dream and a parody logo.
PFT CommenterThe internet will side with us over ESPN in this legal battle
If I know anything about the Internet, the Internet's going to have our back. Nobody's going to side with ESPN on this. They're going to look real bad.
If you have a law degree, or even if you just watched a few episodes of Law & Order and know what the word "law" means, the guys are officially calling for your pro bono services to help harass Bristol until they give up.
We'll see if we're still called Pardon My Take on Monday.
