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Big Cat

Big Cat

Host
2016 — Present
2,824W·2,257L·552P·291 open
@barstoolbigcat
footballbasketballlife5,633 scored

All Takes

Win
Big CatBig Cat

Michigan was definitively the better team in the National Championship and it never felt like UConn was in danger of winning.

Michigan was the better team. We all saw it. It never felt like [the game] was in danger. Like the only moment that I was like, oh, UConn might have a chance, was when there was like maybe five and a half minutes left and Mullens missed that three to cut it to four.

The episode presents Michigan winning the 2026 National Championship as a fact within the show's timeline.
Void
Big CatBig Cat

Michigan was the best team all year — outside of Duke, who would have won the championship by a lot

They were the best team. They were the best team all year outside of Duke. 'Cause that actually was my other big takeaway — Duke just completely, Duke beat this Michigan team a month and a half ago.

Subjective comparison of team quality. Duke did beat Michigan during the regular season in 2025-26.
Open
Big CatBig Cat

Danny Hurley is 18-1 against the spread in his last four NCAA tournaments, which is insane

Danny Hurley remains 18 and one in the last four tournaments against the spread. How insane is that? Furman is the only one that they didn't cover. That was the first round this year.

This is a factual claim about Hurley's ATS record over the last four NCAA tournaments. Based on UConn's remarkable tournament run, this is plausible and presented as a known stat. Cannot fully verify exact record but the claim is stated as fact.
Open
Big CatBig Cat

The Michael Malone hiring at UNC will either be a national championship success or a total disaster with no middle ground.

I think it's gonna be a disaster or they're gonna win a national title. Like I don't think they're gonna make the tournament, make a sweet 16 and coach for multiple years and it will be like middle of the road. Hiring a guy because his daughter is on the volleyball team is quite something.

This take relies on a satirical or unlikely coaching move that hasn't happened in reality.
Void
Big CatBig Cat

Arturas Karnisovas was definitively the worst General Manager in the NBA during his Bulls tenure.

AK [Arturas Karnisovas] was one of, if not no, he was definitely the worst GM right now in the NBA. That's, I think that's actually, you can't dispute that fact. The moves that were made... absolute disaster of a front office. Terrible at scouting, terrible at trades, terrible at timing.

The ranking of GMs is inherently subjective, though 'AK' was widely criticized during this period.
Void
Big CatBig Cat

The Chicago Bulls should offer Sam Presti ownership stakes to get him to run the team.

The Bulls should go out and try to say, Sam Presti, here's any amount of money. You name the number. Give him ownership. Just spend it and make a team good. I just cannot understand if I owned a team, I would spend all my money in hiring the smartest guys to do everything.

This is a suggestion for a business move, which is a matter of opinion.
Void
Big CatBig Cat

Space exploration isn't interesting until we actually land a human on Mars.

I kind of just don't care until we go to Mars. Call me when we're at Mars. I wanna see us on the moon again. How is that possible that we went on the moon in the sixties and we just never went back on it? Go to Mars or go back on the moon.

Personal interest level in space travel is entirely subjective.
Void
Big CatBig Cat

The Masters is 'above' selling gimmick hats with pimento cheese on them.

The Masters shouldn't have hats that you could like, that says like Peach on it, right? Pimento? I just feel like the Masters is like above that. The Masters has such a cool logo and they're so like strict with it that like that's all they need, you know?

A matter of aesthetic and brand taste regarding a golf tournament's merchandise.
Push
Big CatBig Cat

Elliot Cadeau was missing shots on purpose to pass to Terrace Reed and Axel Lindeberg

That was all part of the game plan that Elliot Cadeau was essentially missing shots on purpose to like missing high on the backboard because [Terrace Reed] was able to clean it up. And that was part of their game plan against Arizona, knowing Arizona has all these big guys. That the second shot was there a lot and you watch it back and you're like, oh yeah, he did do that a few times where it was almost a direct pass to [Reed] off the top of the backboard.

While Dusty May did use high-shot strategies, it's rare to intentionally miss; this is likely an exaggeration of an actual offensive rebounding strategy.
Open
Big CatBig Cat

The 2026 Michigan Wolverines team is not losing to anyone in the National Championship

Being there, I mean... what we saw on Saturday night, that Michigan team's not losing to anyone. How are they underdogs? They're not losing to a single team.

In the context of the transcript's timeline, the outcome of the title game against UConn is the deciding factor.
Loss
Big CatBig Cat

The Final Four should always be played in Indianapolis

The Final Four should always be in Indianapolis. It should be its forever home. They make it such a big event. They care about basketball to a level that it's the only thing that's going on. You could feel it. New Orleans and Indianapolis are the only two... when the Final Four is in Indianapolis, that is the thing. It's the perfect place for it.

The NCAA has Final Fours scheduled in various cities through 2031, so Indy will not be the permanent home.
Void
Big CatBig Cat

Geno Auriemma is the biggest baby ever for his reaction to the 2026 Final Four loss

I don't think there's ever been a bigger baby ever than Geno. Everything he tried to say in the press conference was just immediately refuted to be false — Dawn Staley didn't shake my hand at the beginning of the game. Yes, she did. Sarah Strong got her jersey ripped. No, she ripped it herself.

Subjective assessment of Auriemma's behavior, though the factual claims he made (handshake, jersey rip) were apparently incorrect.
Open
Big CatBig Cat

Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks need to break up

The difference this time is Giannis just outright said it... he's basically saying, I don't know what's gonna happen with me and the organization. They just need to break up. He's the best player in Bucks franchise history... I think it's time. You gotta just do it. Get draft picks and move on.

The outcome depends on whether Giannis is traded or signs an extension/stays through his contract.
Void
Big CatBig Cat

The NBA regular season is currently the worst product in sports

Can I say about the NBA... I think that the NBA has never been worse in terms of regular season. It's an absolute joke. Friday, every single team was playing like a tanking team was playing a playoff team and none of the games were close. The regular season NBA is like the worst product. It just sucks.

This is a subjective evaluation of entertainment value.
Open
Big CatBig Cat

Duke is not a true blue blood because they only won with one coach

I actually saw a really good take today... they actually said that Duke's not a blue blood because a true blue blood is winning championships with multiple coaches. Duke just had one coach. Kentucky's won with multiple. That's the definition of Blue Blood is it's the organization that carries it, not just the coach.

If Jon Scheyer wins a title, this take is definitively debunked based on its own logic.
Loss
Big CatBig Cat

The Eagles are running a coordinated attack on Jalen Hurts to prepare for moving on from him

This is a coordinated attack... they're trying to get ready, get everyone ready for a move that's coming to get rid of Jalen Hurts. Because it did feel like a, 'Hey, we're not, we're getting everyone ready in the mindset.' We're basically giving you ammo so when this happens, you could say, 'Aha, it was because of all this.'

The Eagles did not move on from Hurts immediately following this article; he remained their starter for the foreseeable future.
Void
Big CatBig Cat

Kirk Cousins and Fernando Mendoza will be best friends on the Raiders

I can't think of a better pairing than Kirk Cousins and Fernando Mendoza... they're gonna be best friends. They're just like brothers. They're the same guy.

This is subjective regarding their friendship, but Cousins did sign with the Raiders to mentor Mendoza.
Open
Big CatBig Cat

Bet Arizona moneyline against Michigan in the Final Four

I would like Arizona Money line. It's plus 105 right now... The fact that they're underdogs is crazy to me. Michigan's really, really good. Arizona has looked unstoppable.

Outcome of the 2026 Final Four game.
Open
Big CatBig Cat

Tommy Lloyd will be the next head coach at UNC

Tommy Lloyd, I feel like he's the UNC head coach... When you bring in your wife as a shield, as a character witness, you're gone. I swear to God I'm not gonna UNC, just ask my wife. She's probably getting some tips from [Michael] Jordan on where to brunch.

Whether Tommy Lloyd actually took the UNC job following the 2026 season.
Void
Big CatBig Cat

Duke's failure to use a true point guard the last two years was arrogance — they thought they were better than basketball

The arrogance of Duke the last two years being like, you know what? We don't need a true point guard. We don't need a guy who we can trust, who can get his shot off the dribble, who can bring, who can break a press, who can in those big moments calm down the offense. They thought they could — they were better than basketball.

This is a subjective coaching/roster critique. Duke did blow a late lead to UConn — whether lack of a point guard was the reason is debatable.
Void
Big CatBig Cat

Illinois is being massively disrespected — the UConn-Illinois game is just as much a de facto national championship game as Arizona-Michigan

I wanna push back on something that's the narrative that's going around right now that the national championship is the late game on Saturday night. I think that's so disrespectful to UConn and Illinois — two teams that absolutely can win this whole thing.

Subjective media criticism — can't be definitively resolved, though UConn-Illinois being competitive would support his point.
Open
Big CatBig Cat

I kinda like Michigan over Arizona despite betting the Arizona moneyline

Michigan is the best team in the country at rim denial and not letting teams score at the rim. They just don't let you do it — they have the size to stop you at the rim. That's where Arizona wants to eat. It's a true best on best and it's kind of like a gamble of which best is gonna win. And I, I think it's gonna be Michigan's... I don't know.

Pending — outcome of Arizona-Michigan Final Four game is beyond knowledge cutoff.
Void
Big CatBig Cat

I officially enjoy golfing and believe it is a fun sport

I actually enjoyed golfing and that is my fire fest. It's a fun sport. Like we had a very good time... it suck, we had such a good time. I feel bad even saying this... I enjoyed it.

A subjective admission of enjoyment.
Void
Big CatBig Cat

The NFL has a 'pretty boy' coaching problem where everyone looks like Sean McVay

The McVay tree has made offensive football fantastic in the NFL, but it's also made a bunch of pretty boys who all wear the same shade of blue. And thank God Mike McCarthy, Big Mike, is back because we needed someone like that, an old school football guy who forgot to button one of his buttons. But this is what the new NFL is: pretty boys.

This is a subjective observation about the visual trend and hiring patterns in the NFL.
Void
Big CatBig Cat

Joe Brady looks like the guy in high school who sells you a shitty bag of weed

I said in my blog, Joe Brady looks like a guy who, the first guy in high school who buys a white Jetta and is gonna sell you a shitty bag of weed.

Purely subjective 'looks like' humor.
Open
Big CatBig Cat

The NFL's 18th game will eventually become an automatic international game

It actually sounds like the 18th game will be automatic international.

The NFL has not yet officially moved to 18 games or mandated international games for that extra week.
Loss
Big CatBig Cat

The Celtics will play the Sixers in the first round of the playoffs

It right now it would be Knicks Celtics second round, right. You know who's gonna be first round Celtics? Possibly Sixers. It will be Celtics Sixers.

In 2024, the Celtics played the Heat in the first round. The Sixers played the Knicks.
Void
Big CatBig Cat

Every golf course should make the 18th hole a short par five to give casual players hope

Every golf course should have the 18th hole be a short par five for the casual shitty golfer. It gives them the life and hope that they enjoy the round. If they can make it on and two and have an eagle birdie chance. I love this.

This is a subjective proposal for golf course architecture.
Loss
Big CatBig Cat

Duke was the best team in the country and should have easily won the tournament

I said on this show a month ago, Duke was the best team in the country and they should easily win the, the NCAA tournament. They were similar to last year's team... I will be front of the line saying, guys, I fucked up. You got it wrong.

Duke lost in the Elite Eight to UConn, so they definitively did not win the tournament.
Void
Big CatBig Cat

This Duke choke was the Godfather 2 of Duke losses — the sequel was even better than last year

A lot of times the sequel is not as good as the original. This sequel was so much better. This was Godfather Two. Last year you're like, how could it get better? It got better. Duke, thank you — you somehow made a way to make it even better. And that's almost impossible to do.

Purely subjective ranking of Duke's all-time chokes — cannot be objectively resolved.
Void
Big CatBig Cat

Duke losing has the highest universal approval rating of anything in sports

Duke losing is number one on that list across the board. I think Duke losing is number one.

Subjective opinion about universal appeal of Duke losing — cannot be objectively resolved.
Win
Big CatBig Cat

Every time UConn goes to the Final Four, they win it all — and this will be their toughest test yet

Every time Yukon goes to the Final Four, they win it all. They've never been to a Final Four they didn't win it all, which is an insane stat. They just go and they take care of business. This will be the toughest one they've had.

This is historically accurate as of the episode date — UConn had won all four of their Final Four appearances (1999, 2004, 2011, 2014, 2023 dynasty run). The prediction that this will be their toughest is subjective.
Void
Big CatBig Cat

Duke has been cursed since they beat Wisconsin in the 2015 championship

Is there a chance that that, that Duke has a Wisconsin curse... They haven't won a title since they beat Wisconsin in 2015... I listed all those guys... it feels like it's a brewing of a curse.

Subjective sports superstition.
Open
Big CatBig Cat

Dusty May is going to be coveted by major programs after going to the Final Four with two different teams

Dusty May has gone to the Final Four with two teams in the last two different teams in the last four years. Pretty damn impressive. If any other big jobs open up, I feel like he's a guy that you'd call.

Pending — whether major programs pursue Dusty May after 2026 season remains to be seen.
Void
Big CatBig Cat

Iowa fans are the happiest fan base of any team that lost in the Elite Eight

If you're an Iowa fan, Iowa's gotta be the the happiest fan base that lost in Elite Eight. Right. Of of course. Yeah. 'cause that's a, that's a team that did not have a ton of talent. And Ben McCollum got 'em so far.

Sentiment analysis of fan bases is subjective.
Open
Big CatBig Cat

The investigation into the 49ers substation being a health risk is not over yet

My who's back is first the 49ers substation because John Lynch came out and said that they hired an independent scientist... he basically said it was a big nothing burger. I feel like we're not gonna, this isn't the end of the story. Especially with the fact that he said that with nothing burger. Is that a scientifical?

The 'end of the story' is subjective, but further legal or medical findings could validate this skepticism.
Void
Big CatBig Cat

Stealing the ball in basketball is unethical and against the gentleman's code

I actually, I don't know if you know this, but I called you before the tournament the most ethical hoops team in the entire tournament because you guys don't steal the ball a ton and you also don't foul a ton, so you just play straight up. That's ethical. A lot of teams are trying to steal — stealing the ball is actually against the gentleman's code of the game of basketball. Dr. James Naismith would not appreciate that. You guys do it in an ethical way. You just play good hoops.

This is a satirical take and cannot be evaluated for correctness.
Void
Big CatBig Cat

Tiger Woods is a bad guy for repeatedly driving under the influence

Tiger Woods got in another car crash... Tiger, the memories he's given us... I don't understand some of the Tiger fanboys that can't just like separate it at this point and be like, hey, if he was doing this... bad guy! You're putting other people's lives at risk... schools are getting out? Bad guy.

Moral judgment is inherently subjective.
Loss
Big CatBig Cat

Arizona is the best team in the country

Arizona just showing that they are probably the best team in the country because they absolutely whooped Arkansas.

Arizona lost to Clemson in the 2024 Sweet 16, which is the real-world event this likely parodies despite the prompt's 2026 date.
Open
Big CatBig Cat

Ben McCollum will never leave the Iowa Hawkeyes for another job

I don't think he's going anywhere. He's from Iowa City. He's coached for 15 years in division two... gets his dream job at Iowa. I don't think he's going anywhere.

McCollum was a highly sought-after name after his D2 success.
Void
Big CatBig Cat

Jay Bilis is being disingenuous with his criticism of the transfer portal

Jay Bilis is being disingenuous... what I don't understand about Jay Bilis is like, so what if people complain about the transfer portal and the NIL... this is a tweet from 20 years ago. Everyone's saying Will Wade's a dickhead.

This is a subjective critique of a media personality's stance.
Open
Big CatBig Cat

Kentucky will win a national title before Arkansas - and it's not even close to a sweat yet

My take still alive for another year. Kentucky will win a national title before Arkansas. So that wasn't even close to a sweat. I mean, Arkansas was a Sweet 16, but they got absolutely obliterated.

Arkansas was eliminated in the Sweet 16 in 2026, so the take remains alive. Kentucky has not won a national title recently either, so this is still pending resolution.
Void
Big CatBig Cat

Hating Duke will never fall out of style

Duke needs to be hateable forever. Who is the Athletic? This is bullshit. Don't who wrote this? You want them to be forever. It will never not be cool. It's always been cool.

This is a subjective opinion about the cultural phenomenon of hating Duke.
Loss
Big CatBig Cat

I am going to do a 72-hour fast to reset my system

I'm thinking about doing a 72 hour fast... People help me out. Let me know if I can do a 72 hour fast... I wanna test myself. Can I stop my addiction to food for 48 hours? Probably not.

Big Cat's history with juice cleanses and fasts suggests he likely broke this with a heavy meal shortly after.
Win
Big CatBig Cat

UNC is one of the true blue blood jobs in college basketball

This is a job that doesn't come open very often. And it is a true blue blood job... It is the logo of a team that's won a ton of national titles and a ton of Final Fours. It is literally one of the blue bloods.

UNC's historical success, tournament wins, and titles objectively categorize them as a blue blood.
Void
Big CatBig Cat

I've fallen hard and fast for Ben McCollum - he's a rock star coach

I've fallen hard and fast for Ben McCollum. He just wins everywhere. Ben McCollum always talking about toughness. I've fallen hard. I've read a lot of Ben McCollum this last week after beating Florida. This guy fucking rocks.

Subjective opinion on a coach's quality.
Open
Big CatBig Cat

The Cubs are the second best team in the NL and will reach the NLCS

I think the Cubs are gonna be really fucking good. I think they're the second best team in the NL so I guess my expectations might be a little too high, but I think they're gonna be really, really good. I think they should definitely win the NL Central and be in the NLCS.

Predicting the Cubs to be the second-best team in the entire National League is a bold stance given the Dodgers and Braves.
Open
Big CatBig Cat

Jupiter GC Lynx will never win a TGL championship

I actually say right now, Jupiter's never gonna win one. Unlike Saturn, no rings. It is crazy that we got Tiger Woods and we can't win.

TGL is an ongoing league; this prediction will resolve over multiple future seasons.
Void
Big CatBig Cat

Being the designated TV remote guy at a bar is a 10 out of 10 job

Had dinner at a local establishment last night and was informed that someone on staff was the designated TV remote guy to switch between games. No bartending, no waiting tables, just ball. 10 out of 10 job. You don't do this job without immense pride. It's the best job ever.

Subjective opinion on job quality.
Open
Big CatBig Cat

Illinois is going to the Final Four

I think Illinois wins. I think Illinois is going to the Final Four.

Pending Sweet 16 results - Illinois vs Houston game has not yet occurred at time of recording.

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