Barstool Sports’ Pardon My Take co-hosts Dan “Big Cat” Katz and Eric “PFT Commenter” Sollenberger are now Hall of Famers. The Illinois Broadcasters Association inducted the Barstool Sports duo Thursday night in Chicago.
What We Know: The honor came at the IBA Chicago Gala, which also presented the 2026 Silver Dome Awards. Additionally, the Hall of Fame class includes NFL legend Mike Ditka, who was inducted posthumously. Meanwhile, the IBA named its President and CEO, Dennis Lyle, the 2026 Broadcaster of the Year. WLS-TV’s Jim Rose also received the W. Russell Withers Jr. Chicago Broadcast Pioneer Award.
What They Said: (All comments via The Yak):
Dan “Big Cat” Katz on being in the Illinois Broadcasters Association Hall of Fame: “I appreciate it very much. It was cool honor. They were like, ‘you started your career in Chicago. Then you moved Pardon My Take and the Barstool [Sports] office to Chicago. That that alone makes you eligible. So, PFT [Commenter] and I were in.”
Dan “Big Cat” Katz didn’t even know there was an Illinois Broadcasters Association Hall of Fame: “We were very honored. Pretty cool. I didn’t even know this existed.”
What Remains Unclear: The IBA gala did recognize three Vanguard Award honorees: WLS-TV’s Carleen Mosbach, WRLL-AM’s Carlos Rojas and WBBM-TV’s Brian Smolik. Similarly, Sollenberger’s own reaction to the honor has not surfaced as of yet.
What It Means: Ultimately, the induction marks a notable shift in how legacy broadcast institutions view podcasting. Pardon My Take launched in 2016 as a satire of traditional sports media. Now, its hosts share a Hall of Fame class with Ditka, one of Chicago’s most iconic sports figures. As a result, the show’s move to Chicago has paid off in ways few expected.
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