Barstool Sports’ Big Cat and PFT Commenter probably could have successful solo careers, but they know nothing will ever top working together on Pardon My Take.
It’s been nine years since Dan “Big Cat” Katz and Eric “PFT Commenter” Sollenberger created an instant hit by launching Pardon My Take. And nine years later, they have no plans on messing with success.
Big Cat and PFT joined a recent episode of Bussin’ with the Boys, a podcast that recently announced their departure from Barstool Sports. During the interview, Katz and PFT made it clear they have no desire to end Pardon My Take in search of solo ventures.
Big Cat & PFT know they are stronger together than on their own pic.twitter.com/yEVhfMndr8
— Bussin’ With The Boys (@BussinWTB) February 4, 2025
“All these break ups, you can see exactly what happens,” Katz said. “There’s one person that thinks they’re the star. ‘I want to go get my thing, I’m bigger than you and this.’ Whereas, I know, and I think PFT feels the same way, if we split up, will I be able to have a successful podcast? Yeah. But it would be like, 60% or 50% or 40% of what Pardon My Take is. We would never separately be able to reach 100% of what Pardon My Take is.”
Katz added that he knows they would both get a large portion of their audience to follow their solo ventures if they went that route, but they would be able to recreate Pardon My Take’s listenership. And PFT agreed.
“If I were to leave, I could start a show, it could be good. Honestly, it would never surpass what Pardon My Take was,” PFT said. “And I would always be trying to chase that. And that’s not a healthy place to be mentally.”
Katz is right. Mike and the Mad Dog, Mike and Mike, Stephen A. Smith and Skip Bayless, Call Her Daddy, famous duos and co-hosts rarely stay their entire careers together. Sometimes ego drives them apart, but most of the time it’s money.
Mike Francesa and Christopher “Mad Dog” Russo will both agree that Mike and the Mad Dog was the highlight of their careers. Francesa solo and Russo on SiriusXM were both highly successful ventures, but it never matched what Mike and the Mad Dog was.
Great co-hosts still break up knowing they’re solo ventures probably won’t match their success together. But sometimes it’s hard to pass up the money. It’s great that Big Cat and PFT recognize they’re better together, but what happens when a company comes and offers to double one of their salaries for a solo project? Maybe it’s not a lure right now. But doing a show that’s 60% as good as Pardon My Take while making a salary that’s 100% more, might be a lure at some point in their futures.