Takes

The first round of the NBA playoffs is terrible

I hate the NBA playoffs first round. So we'll talk about that.

Conor McGregor's retirement tweet was a brilliant marketing move to generate buzz

Excellent marketing move on his part... we were all talking about MMA, like in the offseason of MMA, pretty much. So, yeah. Excellent marketing move on his part.

Rob Ryan sleeping at the Bills facility is a bigger 'Football Guy' move than Dan Mullen's marathon

Without a doubt, Rob Ryan's sleeping at the facility. And here's why. Rex Ryan, now that he's got his brother in town, they're doing nothing but hanging out at the Bills facility, drinking Fireball and just like sleeping on cots. And to them, that's like summer camp. So that is a football guy move. Dan Mullen running a long distance and like showing off about it. That's more of a basketball lifer move.

The NHL first round is much better than the NBA first round

The major stories all come from the playoffs starting and the stark difference between how much fun the NHL first round is and how awful the NBA first round is. It's incredible to watch. If you are the eighth seed, if you're the seventh seed, what's even the point of being in the playoffs? Whereas the NHL seeds all across the board win playoff series.

Setting the tone is the most important part of being successful in the hockey playoffs

Setting the tone is so important in hockey playoffs. That's what everyone said. You have to set the tone. It's a very big part of being successful in hockey is setting the tone.

Being a left-handed pitcher is a massive advantage in sports that other athletes don't have

The overwhelming thing that was in the favor of baseball was I was a left-handed pitcher. I just felt like being a left-handed pitcher I had a big advantage in baseball that I didn't have in hockey. Left-handed pitchers, everybody's looking for them.

Leicester City converted a penalty in the 93rd minute to salvage their Cinderella story

The Cinderella story, Leicester, they were losing today, and they were playing with 10 men, and then they got a penalty called in the 93rd minute, and they converted to salvage a point.

NFL primetime games in late December are always horrendous

I do know that we will have at least three or four primetime games in like late December that are horrendous because that happens without fail. The Monday night games. There will be a game where Gruden will have to tell out the world that like some awful quarterback is good.

Scottish Twitter is the funniest part of social media

Scottish Twitter is pretty good because it takes you like three or four reads to figure out what they're saying but it's laugh out loud funny every time.

The hip is the dividing line between an upper and lower body injury in hockey

I would think it would be hip, wouldn't you all? I mean somewhere below the hip since all the hip checking and the broken legs... That [the hip] would be lower.

I have become a whiz at the computer recently

I've become a wizard at the computer. I really have. I turn it on. I can shut it off. I did something because I'm up at five o'clock in the morning and I bet neither one of you would realize that I have Wi-Fi in this condo.

Jay Mariotti and Woody Page have officially broken up

PFT... broke the heartbreaking news that Jay Mariotti and Woody Page have broken up... For the last couple of shows, it's just been Jay. Strictly Mariotti. No, there hasn't been an announcement... I needed Woody to counterbalance Jay.

Indianapolis is a test ground for most chain restaurants

Indianapolis is actually a test ground for most chain restaurants. Literally everything is there, except for In-N-Out.

Buffalo Wild Wings' wings are finally getting good again

Their wings got bad there for a little while. They're coming back, though. The wings are good. They got bigger wings.

The 2016 Warriors will win the NBA title

The Golden State Warriors won their 72nd game last night against the Spurs. So now they are an all-time team. Unless they don't win the title. If they don't win the title, then it really doesn't matter. But we all kind of assume they will win the title.

Power ranking of sports figures: 1. Football Guy, 2. Hockey Lifer, 3. Baseball Man, 4. Basketball Mind

Football guy number one. We got to go hockey lifer number two because that guy's seen some shit. You have to cross the border 20 times a year. He knows all the smuggling tricks. Hockey lifer's number two. Baseball man, number three. And then basketball mind, number four in my book.

Rage Against the Machine's debut self-titled album is their best

I would go, to be honest, their first album might be the best, to be honest. You don't skip a song on that album. You don't. Yeah, absolutely true. You can just throw it on. It's a perfect workout music.

It only counts as Opening Day if you can skip work and get drunk during the day

I only count it as opening day if you can skip work and get drunk during the day and watch baseball. Otherwise, like a Sunday night, I could do that any other week of the year.

Roy Williams is legitimately smarter about basketball than any sports reporter

As crazy as it is for Roy to be this surly to everyone, especially after a win, he's not wrong. He does know way more about basketball than we do. So when you second guess him on that stuff... in terms of X's and O's, I don't know... he's smarter.

Everyone in the NBA is tradable

I played this game. Everybody's tradable. It's not like – You know, some guys, you know, when you're a broadcaster, you never played. I played in the NBA. I've been traded. So it happens. It's a business.

Kansas will win the 2016 National Championship

I thought it was going to be Michigan State and North Kansas. And I like Kansas to win. I liked them before the tournament. I like them now.

Life's too short to bet the unders

I obviously bet overs today. I lasted two games before I broke my one rule that I had spent the entire week pep talking myself into... life's too short to bet the unders in life.

Cincinnati will beat St. Joe's because they are too big and physical

I think Cincinnati, too big and too physical for St. Joe's. St. Joe's wants to play on the perimeter. Cincinnati will beat you up physically. They're not going to wow you with their jump-shooting ability, but I think they'll be able to get easy buckets. So I like Cincinnati in that game, laying the 2, 2.5.

LeBron James is passive-aggressive and can't spell his own metaphors

That's LeBron James because J.J. Watt would never tweet anything as passive-aggressive as that... He also did spell it wrong. He said, you can't accomplish the dream if everyone isn't dreaming the same thing every day.

The 'suh dude' trend will last until the end of the school year

I got to say at least until the end of the school year because it's already second semester and usually that won't wear off until the end.

Howie Long is one of the most intimidating grandfathers in the world

I think he's up there, but you know, like, Laurinaitis, his dad is, like, one of the road warriors, so... I got my dad in a Mortal Kombat situation over James' dad, but I'm just biased.

Joey Bosa is more gifted than I was as a prospect

I think he's [Joey Bosa] a little bit more gifted than me. But you got to stick to the rules.

Disney and ESPN have the power to push Pardon My Take around as a 'big guy' vs 'little guy' dynamic

Oh, it's definitely ESPN and Disney pushing around the little guy, but they have the ability to push you around. That's what big guys do to little guys. That's what the economy and life is all about, I guess. ... This isn't going to go away unless something is done. I don't think you can keep in the posture that you're in right now and basically get back to them and say, F you. I don't think that's going to get you very far.