Not sure if I read this the same way you did. At least, this didn't read at all to me as "talking shit," but rather sharing their professional opinion on the (un)likely success of the project. Keeping thoughts to yourself isn't professional, it's avoidant. Especially when it has the chance to directly affect you.
Zero technical debt certainly is... ambitious. Sure, if we knew _what_ to build the first time around this would be possible. From my experience, the majority of technical debt is sourced from product requirement changes coupled with tight deadlines. I think even the most ardent follower of Tiger Style is going to find this nigh impossible.
I think the difference here is that Penn and Teller are just as much historians of magic as they are magicians themselves. Accepting the honor is also accepting that the history is still relevant and worth celebrating. Making this into an ego thing misses the point a bit, I think.