Takes

Croatia will beat England in the World Cup semi-final

England has a lot of experience in losing big games. I kind of like them to lose this one to Croatia. I like how scraggly the Croatian players are. They just have that element of a little bit of slime to them... I just think Croatia is going to be a little bit too slimy for the Brits to grab onto.

LeBron James will not make the Finals with the Lakers this year

I'm psyched for LeBron to be a Laker. It does throw into jeopardy his attempt at getting 10 Finals losses because he's not going to make the Finals.

LeBron James will fake an injury and tank his first season with the Lakers to wait for Kawhi Leonard

I think LeBron, this is going to be a year... and then LeBron is going to do his first year where he fakes an injury. Pretty much broken hand. tanks, and then comes back. Saves it all up. That's why they signed Lance Stevenson... he just stacked the team with a bunch of guys who aren't really going to do anything, and LeBron can sit out for a year.

Phil Jackson will return to coach the Lakers after LeBron's first year

Phil wouldn't come back this year, but maybe once they add another piece or two and LeBron gets his one year of a fake injury out of the way, that is a prime Phil Jackson move to swoop in on an already established, really good team.

The 2022 World Cup will be the 'fall of sports' due to the overlap with the NFL season

I'm calling it right now. It's going to be the fall of sports. It's going to be nonstop sports all the time.

The 2018 Cleveland Browns will win 6 to 8 games and potentially make the playoffs

I'm calling it right now six to eight wins. We may be able to go nine and seven and sneak in as a wild card.

LeBron James will beat up Skip Bayless at some point this year

There's a good chance that LeBron beats up Skip Bayless at some point this year.

Dwight Howard's career will end with him dominating in China

This is just one step closer to Dwight Howard's perfect ending of his career, and that's just dominating in China... Dwight Howard will go to China and be like yeah everyone loves me no one has told me to fuck off in English.

There is a 100% chance I am doing some sort of fantasy football or pick-em game this year

there's 100% chance I'm doing some sort of fantasy or pick-em or some fun game. I've got to do something, right?

We will travel to Baton Rouge for the LSU-Alabama game if a video of a bar singing 'Down in the Bayou' surfaces

If at some point during the fall... somebody sends us a video in Tigerland or at a bar in Baton Rouge of the whole bar singing Coach O down in the bayou to drink paint, we will come down there for that Saturday night game. I promise you.

I will win a National Championship for the state of Louisiana

I want a national championship for the state of Louisiana, for these players. They yearn for it. They work for it. And I want to win a national championship there.

I will announce my NFL retirement on Pardon My Take

Lane Johnson will announce his retirement at some point on Pardon My Take. Okay. We want to shake hands on this? Yeah. Okay, let's shake hands. We will do this.

I have about 10 years of football left in me

I probably got, like, 10 more [years]... I probably got, like, six or, like, seven, like, real years in me. Then the last three, I just steal... Dwight Freeney style. Just, like, be a mercenary in the middle of the year.

Uruguay and Argentina will advance in the World Cup

I'm going to go Uruguay and Argentina [to win their knockout games].

Russia will defeat Spain in the World Cup knockout stage

On Sunday it is España versus Russia... Russia for sure.

Brazil will dominate Mexico in their World Cup match

I'm on the record as being a Mexico fan, but I think that Brazil is going to knock the shit out of [Mexico].

Bike sharing programs are an eyesore and will block sidewalks

In my town, you're done with it, you leave it. Doesn't matter where... Just throw it on the side of the road... You can't even walk on the sidewalk... You will eventually have to jump over these.

Digital menus where you touch items to see pictures are the future of dining

Here's what's going to happen with digital menus... We're going to look at a menu. We're going to see stuff listed... When I touch the item, I'll see the picture... and then it'll disappear... so I can see it when I want to.

LeBron James will sign with the Lakers

Kawhi's going to get traded to the Lakers. LeBron's going to sign with the Lakers. Paul George is going to stay in Oklahoma. No, I think playoff P is going to L.A.

Germany will score a billion goals against South Korea and advance in the World Cup

Germany, of course, is going to advance. They're going to score a billion goals against whichever team they're playing... South Korea? They'll score a million goals. Germany will advance.

Paul George is going to sign with the Lakers

[Speaker 3] (25:30-25:31) My cool throne is the Lakers. [Speaker 3] (25:34-25:38) And Paul George is going to L.A. to take a meeting. [Speaker 3] (27:55-27:58) Yeah, I think Paul George is going to L.A.

LeBron James will sign with the Lakers if Paul George goes there first

[Speaker 3] (27:58-28:02) I think if Paul George goes to L.A., LeBron is very fast behind him. [Speaker 3] (28:13-28:18) But the minute one of those two guys [George or Kawhi] goes to L.A., [LeBron] is going to L.A.

LeBron is definitely going to the Lakers

LeBron's really good friend, Cuffs the Legend... Tonight he has tweeted... staying up late for West Coast NBA games is going to take some time to adapt to... LeBron to L.A. That's all we'll say. As first reported by us.

History will remember Carmelo Anthony as someone who sucked, forgetting how good he actually was

Here's what's going to happen to Melo, which kind of sucks. Because Melo, I mean, all-time scorer... He's definitely going to play for a couple more years, and everyone's going to look back and be like, Melo sucked. They will not remember that Melo was very, very good.

Baggy clothes will eventually come back into fashion

Everything is going to come full circle. The baggy clothes... I still have my Coogee sweaters. And they're starting to slowly come back. It's going to all come back, bro.

I will play in the NBA for only one more season

[Question: How many more years you got?] One. That's it? Yes.

Luka Doncic dominated the second best league in the world and will be very good

Luka Doncic, I think, will be very good. He dominated the Spanish League. That's the second best league in the world. He's 18 years old. He won the MVP of the Spanish League in his 18. That's pretty fucking good.

Duke will win the National Championship if the players buy in and avoid egos

This depends on if everybody buys in. They definitely have the talent. There's no doubt about that, but as long as they don't let Egos get involved, they shouldn't be beat, honestly.

The Cleveland Browns have found their quarterback in Baker Mayfield

I love Baker Mayfield... he was so calm and cool about it like he didn't get mad he was just like you're a fucking idiot man and so Cleveland I think you found your quarterback.

Puma is on a five-year comeback in the sports world

I think Puma's going to be on the comeback. Remember when players started going to Adidas a few years ago? Everyone was kind of shitting on it... Now Adidas is back. Puma's on the five-year come-up.

A team outside of the lottery will trade up to draft Luka Doncic

A team outside of the lottery trades up for Doncic. [Big Cat: Ooh, I like that.]

LeBron James will not go to the Western Conference because he wants to make the Finals every year

I'm not buying the idea that LeBron wants to play in the West. I think that it's still very – LeBron's, like, claim to fame is that he always makes the finals. And that's very much in jeopardy.

Don't bet against Russia in the World Cup because FIFA always lets host dictators win for propaganda

I wouldn't bet against Russia. ... FIFA... they've got a history of dropping [the World Cup] into the hornet's nest of dictators looking for an easy propaganda win.

Spain will win the 2018 World Cup

America will love the circus. So who's going to win? Spain will win. Spain's going to win.

Andrew Luck is never actually going to throw an NFL football again

Andrew Luck is proving our theory of that arrow paradox, the Schrodinger's arrow. He's never going to actually throw a football. He's just getting incrementally closer and closer and closer to throwing NFL football.

LeBron James will not sign with the Houston Rockets because he hates the city

Houston is my hot seat because the word on the street from, directly from LeBron James' lips. During the season when they were in Houston, he hates Houston as a city... The strip malls? The congestion? When you pull up Google Maps and it's just a ring of red... I believe that he hates Houston. I'm taking them off. We're officially taking them off the Pardon My Take big board for LeBron.

LeBron James is signing with the Lakers now that Bronny has enrolled in an LA school

Gary Payton, recurring guest Gary Payton, is saying that LeBron, Bronnie Jr. has enrolled at a school, private school in L.A... My two favorite things about free agency... is school updates where the kids are going to go to school and then realtor updates. Who's looking for houses where?

The Ravens are using a two-QB package as a passive-aggressive way to bench Joe Flacco

The Ravens just blew our minds. They're working on a package that has two quarterbacks on the field at the same time... This is the passive-aggressive Ravens way of just like, kind of easing [Joe Flacco] out. Just like having the formation change slowly until Lamar Jackson is standing directly in front of him on every snap.

Drake is laying low following the Pusha T beef and will likely return with a response

[Drake] could use a friend right now. I wouldn't say he's dead. I would say he's probably laying low... I definitely feel in his defense that something was either made or another track was either made in the process and something is like—you've got to look at it as a business too. Is it even worth kind of replying back to Pusha T?

The Cleveland Browns will be an exciting team this season with Baker Mayfield

Cleveland might be one of the most exciting teams in football this year just because they've got so much going on and then they get Baker potentially... If they go 7-9 this year versus, but if they go 2-14, it's kind of as expected.

Kyrie Irving wants to leave Boston for the New York Knicks

There's a lot of rumblings coming out of Boston right now that Kyrie Irving might be thinking about going somewhere else after next season... Kyrie has always had his eyes on New York, and so he's always wanted to be a Nick.

Uruguay will win the 2018 World Cup

I'll take Uruguay. Luis Suarez. I actually put a little money on that, so we'll see how that goes.

Russia will win the 2018 World Cup

I got Russia.

The Capitals are going to win only nine games next year and I am fine with it

I wouldn't be surprised if the Washington Capitals won nine games next year. And I'm totally fine with that. I am 100% fine with them absolutely crapping themselves because it was all worth it.

The Colts are favorites to finish second in the AFC South behind the Jaguars

the Colts, just in general, are back this year. I think you've got to pencil them in as favorites to come in second in that division behind the Jaguars.

If Kevin Durant and LeBron James switched teams, the Warriors would still sweep the Finals

I think the Warriors win the title and sweep in the finals.

Colin Sexton will be a better NBA point guard than Trae Young

It hurts me to say it, but probably Colin Sexton. Just because Colin Sexton, that dude... he has that drive and the intangibles and all that kind of stuff that people go nuts for. Manalytics... Failure is not an option. I really like Trae Young. I hope it works out... but everyone thinks Trae Young is going to be Steph Curry again, and the margin of error is, I don't think you understand how hard it is to be Steph Curry.

Mikal Bridges will be the 'Donovan Mitchell' of the 2018 draft who steps in and doesn't miss a beat

I would say Mikal Bridges is the best that could probably step in and he's not going to be like as good as Jason Tatum or Donovan Mitchell probably. But, uh, I don't know. He can give you something like right away and you can like see, see it right away... that guy could jump on an NBA court right this second and not miss a beat.

The Warriors will win the next three NBA championships

I hate to be that college basketball fan of bitches about the NBA, but they really are just going to win it again. They're going to win the next three.

Something will eventually break up the Warriors dynasty, like a Steph Curry injury or a Draymond Green suspension

I think eventually one of these Steph injuries is going to catch up to them. Something's going to happen. Draymond is going to get suspended for a whole season for kicking everyone's balls. Something's going to happen that will break them up.