Bears worth $9 Billion

Summary

Dan Bernstein Unfiltered

Episode: Bears worth $9 Billion (September 25, 2025)

Host: Dan Bernstein
Executive Producer: Matt Abbatacola

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Main Theme & Purpose

This episode dives into three main topics:

• The record-setting $9 billion valuation of the Chicago Bears following an internal ownership stake sale
• On-field and off-field Bears talk, including analysis of head coach Ben Johnson’s press conference and the development of the Bears offense (especially Caleb Williams)
• A wide-reaching segment on Chicago baseball (Cubs, White Sox), with playoff updates, key player comparisons, and classic sports banter
  Interlaced are critiques of pop culture (South Park, movie trailers), and a discussion about the upcoming John Madden biopic.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Chicago Bears Valued at $9 Billion (Starts ~04:14)

• News Recap: The NFL finance committee approved the sale of 2.35% of the Bears (from the Andrew McKenna estate), placing the team’s value at $8.91 billion—a new NFL minority-stake record.
• Ownership Distribution: McCaskey family now holds 77%; Ryan family, 23%.
• Context & Comparisons:
  • Previous record: 49ers, $8.6B; Eagles, $8.3B
  • Giants seeking a $10B valuation for a 10% stake
• Soldier Field Impact: The Bears are financially hamstrung by their obsolete stadium, receiving non-optimal operating income ($80M annual—lowest among top 10 franchises).
• Public Funding Controversy:

  "This kind of equity... is not going to endear them to the constituencies of the various legislators...to bend over backwards to provide any ongoing help, because it's not gonna happen. It shouldn't." — Matt, [10:12]

• Political Optics: Dan and Matt agree that public subsidies for stadiums are harder to justify with these sky-high valuations.

2. Bears' Upcoming Game: Fan Presence & Stadium Effect (Starts ~11:00)

• Fan Breakdown: At Allegiant Stadium vs. Raiders, estimated to be 50-60% Bears fans.
• Travel & Demand: Vegas as a destination is contributing to the high percentage of visiting fans.
• Game Experience Concerns:

  "Don't be surprised when you hear some cheering at some odd times..." — Matt, [12:43]

  • Possible confusion or disruption by Bears fans at away games, especially when noise hinders their own offense.

3. Ben Johnson’s Bears Press Conference Review (Starts ~14:29)

• Opening Remarks:

  "[Max Crosby is] in my opinion...a top five player in this league on defense and probably doesn't get the recognition he deserves...you got to account for him...or else he'll get you. He wrecks drives." — Ben Johnson, [14:29]

  • Extensive praise for Raiders' defense and head coach Pete Carroll; gives no bulletin board material.
• Honest Analysis:
  • Dan/Matt note how Johnson is carefully respectful, avoiding disparagement of the opponent’s weak O-line/defense.
• Caleb Williams' Development:

  "We can load up the game plan more each week...Week three was a lot more than week one, and hopefully that's our new normal..." — Ben Johnson, [17:00]

  • Johnson describes starting from scratch with Williams, equating the process to a rebuild instead of a mere remodel.

  • "This is a start from the base of learning...regardless of everything else." — Matt, [18:16]

  • Discussion points:
    • Johnson's "blank slate" approach
    • Discrepancy between Poles' "win now" roster moves and Johnson’s slower, developmental approach

Memorable Moment

"This remodel is more of a rebuild...now mold is there...the foundation is weak." — Dan, [19:29]

4. Team Motivation & Culture

• Press Accountability:
  • Query if Johnson must keep using motivational “call-outs” after last week’s success.

  • "How many times do you want me to say it? How many times do you have to call these guys out for being lazy?" — Matt, [21:30]

  • Johnson is guarded, suggesting team buy-in following his prior public criticism.

5. Offensive Struggles: The Run Game (Starts ~22:04)

• Johnson admits the run game is still not clicking—attributes issues to lack of cohesion and execution, particularly with DeAndre Swift and new O-line combinations:

  > "Our whole goal as a coaching staff is to get [backs] up to the third level...We haven't been doing that enough." — Ben Johnson, **[23:33]**
  

  • Matt and Dan push back, arguing the line is comprised of veterans and that Swift’s decision-making is the weak link.

    "My problems with DeAndre Swift are vision and decision making..." — Matt, [25:10]

  • Neither host sees Swift as part of the Bears’ long-term plans.

6. Cubs & MLB Pennant Race (Starts ~31:53)

• Cubs: Big win, wild card magic number drops to 2. Manager Craig Counsell updates on Cade Horton’s injury status.
• Playoff Picture:
  • AL: Toronto, Yankees clinch; Detroit, Cleveland race in AL Central
  • NL: Cubs, Padres, Mets in wild card chase

  • "Nico Horner...third in hits. Four behind Trey Turner and one behind Luis Arise; he's second in average..." — Dan, [37:16]

• Player Comparisons: Moises Ballesteros likened to ex-White Sox Warren Newson ("The Deacon").
• Historic Notes: Only two active MLB players with a career .300+ average: Luis Arraez and Jose Altuve.

Notable Quotes

• "Kyle Schwarber is on a Hall of Fame track, even if his WAR may be the lowest..." — Matt, [46:54]
• "Good for you, Darwin Barney, I'm proud of you." — Dan, [50:00]

7. Pop Culture: South Park, Movie Trailers, and the Madden Biopic (Interspersed; Madden section starts ~50:31)

• Disappointment with South Park:

  "She quit. Ten minutes in. She's like, 'This sucks, I'm going upstairs.'" — Matt, [00:07]

• Movie Skepticism:
  • Concern over upcoming Paul Thomas Anderson film and reliance on dubious early reviews.
• Madden Biopic Skepticism:
  • Nicolas Cage as John Madden, Christian Bale as Al Davis, John Mulaney as Trip Hawkins.
  • Dan struggles to picture Cage as Madden:

    "I'm not going to get past the fact that it's Nicolas Cage playing John Madden. I just can't." — Dan, [52:51]

  • Matt observes the new trend of movies about the "creation of a thing" (e.g., The Social Network, Air), where acting outshines the narrative.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Bears Valuation:
  • “This doesn't help the old PR campaign when all of a sudden you’re...a $9 billion sports franchise.” — Matt, [08:36]
• On Caleb Williams' “Remedial” Handling:
  • “He’s in there and this remodel is more of a rebuild.” — Dan, [19:29]
• On DeAndre Swift:
  • “My problems with DeAndre Swift are vision and decision making and where one meets the other.” — Matt, [25:10]
• On Cubs/MLB History:
  • “Kyle Schwarber is on a Hall of Fame track...” — Matt, [46:54]
  • “Good for you, Darwin Barney, I’m proud of you.” — Dan, [50:00]
• On Madden Biopic Casting:
  • “I’m not going to get past the fact that it’s Nicolas Cage playing John Madden.” — Dan, [52:51]

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Timestamps for Key Segments

| Topic | Timestamp | |--------------------------------------------|-----------| | Bears’ $9 Billion Valuation | 04:14 | | Stadium Revenue & Public Subsidies | 09:12 | | Bears Fans in Vegas | 11:00 | | Ben Johnson Press Conference Analysis | 14:29 | | Caleb Williams’ Development | 16:25 | | Bears Run Game Critique | 22:04 | | Cubs Playoff Picture & MLB Banter | 31:53 | | Player Comparisons/WAR/Hall Discourse | 39:03 | | South Park & Movie Trailer Critique | 00:07 | | Madden Biopic Discussion | 50:31 |

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Summary Table: Franchise Value Rankings Highlight

| Team | 2025 Valuation (B) | Operating Income (M) | |------------------------|--------------------|----------------------| | Dallas Cowboys | 13 | 629 | | New York Giants | 10 (seeking stake) | N/A | | Chicago Bears | 8.9 | 80 | | 49ers | 8.6 | N/A | | Eagles | 8.3 | N/A |

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Tone & Style

Dan and Matt deliver their trademark mix of unfiltered honesty, biting humor, and deep-dive sports analysis. The episode flows freely from big-picture Bears business to chopped-up film and pop culture references, engaging both lifelong Chicago fans and national listeners.

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For Listeners Who Missed It…

• The episode is a must for anyone interested in the business of pro football, the reality of Bears fandom (both financial and on-field), and how sporting narratives weave through both tradition and today’s pop culture.
• Expect sharp, back-and-forth repartee, detailed stats, and a cascade of quotable moments.
• Bears fans, especially those tracking team ownership, stadiums, and QB development, will find actionable insights and plenty of fodder for debate.

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Additional Notes

• For more, Dan and Matt plug their “Forward Progress” podcast with special guest Mark Potash.
• Feedback Friday is previewed for tomorrow’s show, inviting listeners to engage with their commentary and mailbag.
• The show ends with quick banter on Cubs history, defensive stats, and a playful run-down of players with amusing, accidental “name” nicknames.

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Episode delivered all the “unfiltered” you’d expect, with the stats, slaps, and smarts every Chicago sports nut craves.

Transcript

[Dan Bernstein]

Dan Bernstein Unfiltered. Unfiltered on 312 Sports.

[Matt Abaticola]

Welcome to Dan Bernstein Unfiltered. Today's episode is brought to you in partnership with my bookie. I'm Dan Bernstein. That is Matt Abaticola, our executive producer. And we got a lot to discuss today. There's some Bears business stories that were eyebrow raising yesterday and I have not seen the proper attention paid to them. It's one thing we can do here is do just that. So we're going to. We've got some sound from Ben Johnson that we're going to pick through from his press conference yesterday. We will talk about the Cubs much needed victory coupled with a much needed Padres loss that dropped their magic number for the top wild card down to two last night. And some thoughts on a movie that's in production about what that might be and how they're going to do it for. First off, south park sucked last night. I was so excited for this. I was. I had gotten my, my anticipation, my eagerness up off the charts. I even called home yesterday while I was fishing to make sure. Honey, just record it. And she's like, you're not gonna forget it. Just you record it when you get home. Just do me a favor. Record it, record it. Just set it on the thing. So she sets it on the dvr. And then she said, look, I wanna watch it too. She comes down and Mike. And she quit. Ten minutes in, she's like, this sucks. I'm going upstairs. It was so bad.

[Dan Bernstein]

Well, you were too excited about it.

[Matt Abaticola]

You had two weeks. Like, they made it like, oh, we were so close to having this ready and we didn't get it in under the wire last week. And then all of the Kimmel stuff happened and it was terrible, right? It was so bad. I'm so disappointed.

[Dan Bernstein]

Well, I can delete it now without having to watch. Don't even.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah, it's, it's, it's not worth your time. I was, I was. Was underneath their standards. I don't even know yet.

[Dan Bernstein]

All.

[Matt Abaticola]

You had two weeks to come up with some. You could have scrapped the whole other thing. You did, man. I. Really, really disappointing. It's not to the point of, like, who got to them, but it was just unbelievably underwhelming. And I'm sorry. This is. It's sort of like how I felt coming out of the movie. Nope. By Jordan Peele. Not quite as disappointed. Yeah, because that movie was just a pile of ass.

[Dan Bernstein]

I still haven't seen it. I won't I won't see it.

[Matt Abaticola]

Terrible.

[Dan Bernstein]

Are you. Have you decided on him?

[Matt Abaticola]

I have not.

[Dan Bernstein]

Okay.

[Matt Abaticola]

I have not. It. The trailers. You know what else, too, And I'm really feeling bad about this. The trailers for the Paul Thomas Anderson movie look bad.

[Dan Bernstein]

Wow. Which one is that?

[Matt Abaticola]

The DiCaprio movie. One thing after another, like action comedy.

[Dan Bernstein]

I've seen it a couple times. I'll see it. I'll go see it for sure.

[Matt Abaticola]

I love pta. I mean, Boogie Nights is one of my all time favorite movies. I really liked the sort of different tone of licorice pizza. But no, this looks. I hope I'm wrong once the real reviews start coming out today and tomorrow, because now they're using all of these sketchy reviews like a movie that defines a generation. Fern Germansen from Flor magazine. And you look, you see all those things. You see the giant. The giant font. That just is the greatest movie of all time. Well, who said that?

[Dan Bernstein]

Bill? Tom? Yeah, at the bottom. I saw that. Remember, I first saw the preview and I thought, I don't know if I'll see it. And I've seen it a few times and so I'll definitely go watch it. I saw an interview with. With Leo and Benicio Del Toro, and it was funny. They were talking about when they first got started in their careers. Leonardo DiCaprio was told that his name is too ethnic and so that he had to change his name to Lenny Williams.

[Matt Abaticola]

Lenny Wilkins.

[Dan Bernstein]

Williams. Not Wilkins. No, not Lenny Wilkins, but Lenny Williams. And he told his dad, his dad's like, no, fuck that. That's not happening. And then Benicio Del Toro was told that he had to change to Benny Dell.

[Matt Abaticola]

Benny the Bull.

[Dan Bernstein]

It just Benny. Benny of the Bull.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah, but so.

[Dan Bernstein]

And they were both like, yeah, that's not gonna happen. So I'm gonna stay with Leonardo DiCaprio.

[Matt Abaticola]

Good for them.

[Dan Bernstein]

Benicio Del Toro.

[Matt Abaticola]

So I saw this story cross yesterday and I thought what? I wanted to make sure, first of all, that it was news. And it is. And it was leaked to cnbc. I'm shocked that this hasn't gotten more traction, but because we have the opportunity to give it traction, I'm going to. This broke on cnbc. Yesterday afternoon, the National Football League's finance committee approved the sale of 2.35% of the Chicago Bears to existing owners of the team. So this is an internal transfer of ownership in a deal that sets a league record and values the bears at 8.91 billion. I'm going to say that again. It values the Chicago Bears at 8.9 billion. This is according to three people familiar with the deal who asked not to be named because they were not authorized to speak publicly. The deal closed several days ago, according to one of the people, because the sale is to existing team owners. The league does not require the deal to be approved by three fourths of the NFL owners. The Bears were valued a year ago. Take a guess. Right now they're 8.9 billion in CNBC's official team valuations. Where do you think the Bears were.

[Dan Bernstein]

Valued a year ago?

[Matt Abaticola]

One year ago?

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah, I don't, I don't. I couldn't, couldn't make a guess at.

[Matt Abaticola]

It because you can.

[Dan Bernstein]

Well, we, we talked about it and the end of, at the end of August they were, they were valued at 8.2 billion. So I'm going to say, I mean, where they were at 7.9 million a year ago?

[Matt Abaticola]

6.4.

[Dan Bernstein]

Oh, 6.4. OK.

[Matt Abaticola]

That was according to the official CNBC NFL team valuations. Number 10among the 32. The team rose to 7 in their 2025 valuations. The stake of the Bears that was sold was held by the estate of Andrew McKenna, according to two people familiar with the deal. McKenna died in 2023 and Galadioto Sports Partners represented the estate in the deal, said the people who asked not to be named because they were authorized to. Not to speak. Not authorized speak publicly. Two thirds of the 2.3% sold will go to the McCaskey family and one third will go to the Ryan family. Pat Ryan leaving the former with the McCaskeys now 77% ownership and the Ryan family with 23% ownership. Neither the NFL nor Galadioto Sports Partners responded to email questions from CNBC about the sale. The previous record high valuation in the sale of a minority stake in an NFL team was 8.6 billion. That was the purchase of a stake in the Niners in May, according to a person familiar with the deal who asked not to be named. That topped the $8.3 billion valuation for an 8% stake in the Eagles at the end of 2024. The New York Giants are currently looking to sell a 10% stake at a $10 billion valuation. So how do they come up with all these numbers? So the Bears currently play at the obsolete Soldier Field. That's a very powerful adjective that they decided to put in here. They simply declared it obsolete. It was last renovated more than 20 years ago. Say the Chicago Park District gets some of the revenue from non NFL events at the stadium. The team's Exploring building a stadium in Arlington Heights, a fixed roof dome stadium would give the Bears an opportunity to host non NFL events year round to get more non NFL event revenue. Valuations for the sale of limited partner stakes do not necessarily translate to control sale prices because large LP stakes sell at discounts to control sale valuations because limited partners have no stake in how the team is run and the dollar amount to buy the stake is relatively large. In some cases, however, small LP stakes below 10% could sell at a premium. The last control sale of an NFL team we know was the Commanders when Josh Harris built them for bought them for 6.05 billion. But here are the bears now at $9 billion. And you can bet that whether it's the accountants or the PR people that all surround JB Pritzker and anybody else who has been asked by Kevin Warren, hat in hand, help us, help us, help us convene your session. We need these emergency help from our property taxes. This doesn't help the old PR campaign when all of a sudden you're. You're publicly said to be a $9 billion sports franchise.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah. So that, then that would move them up to number five on the list of valuations for NFL franchises. But you have to look at. What's more important to me is where they ranked previously in the top 10, now in the top five at the operating income, which is $80 million, which is by far the lowest in the top 10.

[Matt Abaticola]

That's a stadium function.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah.

[Matt Abaticola]

That is simply not owning your stadium and not being able to maximize that.

[Dan Bernstein]

Right. But then. But your revenue, though is 629 million with your operating cost of 80 million. Just to give you perspective here on Jerry Jones and the Dallas Cowboys, he has an operating income of 629 million, where the bears are at 80 million. His revenue is also over a billion dollars.

[Matt Abaticola]

Amazing.

[Dan Bernstein]

And they're, you know, number one franchise at 13 billion, I think, in all sports. But they are the lowest and they're. And when you go, when you look at the NFL teams as a whole, they're in the lower third of operating costs as well.

[Matt Abaticola]

Well, the Bears are looking to jumpstart all of that with the new move and the. Everything that they're going to have there. But that kind of equity, that kind of number that we're talking is not going to endear them to the constituencies of the various legislators, whether in Chicago or Downstate, to bend over backwards to provide any ongoing help, because it's not gonna happen. It shouldn't.

[Dan Bernstein]

Right.

[Matt Abaticola]

It simply shouldn't. Happen because this is not a. They don't need to be on the public dole to help increase all the numbers that you're talking about.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah. And I think when we talk about Kevin Warren, he just doesn't. He needs to realize that it's just. It's not as important to state leaders. It's just not.

[Matt Abaticola]

There's one more business note here regarding the Bears before we get to some of what Ben Johnson had to say yesterday. And I don't know if you saw this, but according to Vivid Seats. Okay. They who makes projections regarding ticket sales at NFL games, What do you think the percentage split is expected to be at Allegiance Stadium on Sunday?

[Dan Bernstein]

Oh, I'm going to. Without knowing. I'll take a guess that it's more Bears fans. I'd say it's 60, 40, 50, 50.

[Matt Abaticola]

Which is in of itself pretty amazing.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah.

[Matt Abaticola]

And we know that Vegas doesn't exactly have a huge homegrown fan base for anything.

[Dan Bernstein]

Bears fans travel.

[Matt Abaticola]

It Bears, Bears and it's Vegas. And this is maybe this was for a while once the schedule was out, the people who do one destination game a year, etc. You can get a relatively inexpensive flight from anywhere to Vegas. And the tickets are going to be expensive, but with everything else and every reason in a time of year where I don't know what the average temperatures are in Vegas right now, but it doesn't matter because people are going to sit by a pool anyway somewhere. So don't be surprised when if you had your issues about the crowd being loud at Soldier Field as the Bears are moving into the red zone and Caleb William has turned around and go, shut up. We're trying to get a play called Stop cheering. You're the home crowd.

[Dan Bernstein]

I would expect it in Vegas. But not because it's majority Bears fans, though.

[Matt Abaticola]

Just because people are drunk and stupid.

[Dan Bernstein]

Well, just because. I mean, when you're on the road and it should be loud when you're on the road, but it's going to be loud on the road because of your own fans. That's a problem.

[Matt Abaticola]

Well, just because your own fans are dumb.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yes. Right.

[Matt Abaticola]

So just don't be surprised when you hear some cheering at some odd times because we know that the Las Vegas Raider fan base perhaps isn't what it is with the remnants still of Oakland and LA and everywhere else.

[Dan Bernstein]

4Th and goal at the 8 for the Bears and they have to take.

[Matt Abaticola]

A timeout because their own fans won't.

[Dan Bernstein]

Stop because they're too loud. Yes.

[Matt Abaticola]

And I'm sure it happens Elsewhere.

[Dan Bernstein]

But I'm going to say no. I'll just go with. I'll just go with no, it doesn't.

[Matt Abaticola]

Oh, we know it does.

[Dan Bernstein]

No, I'll say Bears fans are the only ones.

[Matt Abaticola]

Fine. Okay, let's get to what Ben Johnson had to say yesterday in just a second. But first, I want to tell you about my bookie, because it is your place to do all of your sports wagering. It's got everything for you. And then you can be the guy in the group chat that doesn't shut up about your five leg parlay, your big wins. I know everybody talks about bad beats. Why don't we talk about fantastic wins instead of that, be positive about it, about pulling one out. And then you can brag to all your friends. Because my bookie makes it easy to get in on the action with college ball, NFL super contest and survivor pools, all the spreads, player props and in game lines you could want all under one roof. If you're new to my bookie, we have a code for you. It's DBU for Dan Bernstein. Unfiltered. And any bet you choose up to $500 is fully covered. The way you do this is by opting in using the bet back bonus token. And then you make your play and if it doesn't hit, you get it right back again. The code dbu. No better time to jump in. No better place to play. Football's here. Let's make some money with my bookie. Let's hear what the Bears head coach had to say yesterday. These are the opening remarks as he stood before the gathered media at Hellas Hall.

[Ben Johnson]

And really good team that we're about to face here this week. Got a lot of respect for, for their playmakers all across the field. I mean, defensively, obviously it starts with Max Crosby there. He's, I think, in my opinion, he's a top five player in this league on defense and probably doesn't get the recognition that he deserves. He's all over the place, relentless, high motor, and you got to account for him and know where he's at every single snap or else he'll get you. And he wrecks drives. That's what he does. And then they've got great team speed on that side. Those guys are flying around. Offensively, they got playmakers at every position group, quarterbacks playing at a high level. I think they're the number one team in explosive plays right now on offense. And so we got our work cut out for us. And that goes without even mentioning their head coach who I mean, I got a ton of respect for Pete Carroll. He's been doing this for almost 30 years, whether at the college level or the NFL, and I think he only has four losing seasons, so that's a credit to who he is. The teams take his identity. They play hard, they play fast, they play physical, they fly around. And I know that he'll have this group ready to go here this week. So we got to answer that call. We're still looking for our first road win, and, you know, we have yet to obviously win two games back to back, and so that's huge for us and where we're going.

[Dan Bernstein]

Correct.

[Matt Abaticola]

And their offensive line is bad and their defense is bad.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yep.

[Matt Abaticola]

But he can't say that.

[Dan Bernstein]

No, he can't.

[Matt Abaticola]

He can't say that. We're now favored to win the game in large part because it's kind of going to be a home game for us. And our opponent's offensive line is bad and their defense is kind of bad.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah, they can't run block. They can't run the ball really well. They really can't pass block. But Geno makes up for the deficiencies by being able to sling the ball all over the field.

[Matt Abaticola]

So it should be a build on your success. Game for Caleb Williams and obviously the most important player on the Bears continues to be a subject of discussion.

[Ben Johnson]

Caleb's performance and production from Sunday, what.

[Matt Abaticola]

Do you want him to carry forward with him from what he did on Sunday?

[Ben Johnson]

I think it's the comfort level right now of taking all this information over the course of the week, which is a lot. I mean, shoot, we just had a walkthrough and we screw some things up. And that's because we just talked about it for the first time and we're going to screw a couple things up in the walkthrough where we got to get better at it during practice. And then I think what I'm most impressed at with him and his process is the next day he really locks everything in from the day before and we don't have to go back and revisit it again. So he's a quick study in that regard. And because of that, we can load up the game plan more each week. Week three was a lot more than week one, and hopefully that's our new normal here going forward is not just for him but for the entire offense. We can have a little bit more in the game plan to help attack some of these defenses. And so because he's doing that and his comfort level is growing, what we're able to grow as an offense.

[Matt Abaticola]

Okay. He's very careful, very careful to talk about him in the context of developing player. It almost sounds like he's talking about a rookie.

[Dan Bernstein]

It has at times throughout, throughout the season so far. I mean. And obviously some of the accolades and the credit he's given him are not expected of a second year player.

[Matt Abaticola]

I'll tell you what.

[Dan Bernstein]

Which is fine. Again, it's the reality of the situation. It is what it is. He's had to come in with what we think is a heavier lift than what he anticipated getting in here. And he's, you know, talking about like a electronic device doing a hard reset and getting it back down to zero before he starts adding to it and building up.

[Matt Abaticola]

That's what's coming into focus for me. What is increasingly clear. And this is a theme. This is in the good and the bad and the Everything about the Caleb Williams discussion coming from the head coach is. I think you nailed it. That this is a start from the base of learning. Regardless of everything else. All the scouting reports, all of everything that we heard about what they said when he was asked to identify stuff and we talked about this stuff with about Brian Day Ball and spitting out plays and regurgitating information and all that. He seemed to pass every test except the Ben Johnson test because I don't know the Eber flu's test. I don't even know they were holding it upside down. They didn't even know enough of what they were doing for it to be a possible gate. Now we have guy who at least we trust knows what he's doing at the very least. And it seems like his project to make this right. He must feel that he has enough leeway, enough latitude and time to do this, that this really has been a break it down to its remedial components from the first day and reteach everything.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah, I think this is a situation where he came in thinking it was a remodel and it's more of a rebuild. You know, if you've ever had a project at home or you've done things on your own, you have an idea and a plan of what you want to do. When you get in there and you start tearing walls down and taking things out, you see it's a bigger project than you expected and there was things that you weren't anticipating there. Now mold is there. We didn't know that mold was there and oh, the foundation is weak. I'd replace the whole foundation. So he's in there and this remodel is more of a rebuild, but you can't really. And there's a really tough dichotomy there because Ryan Poles is drafting and spending money in free agency as if we're there to win. Now, even though his draft picks aren't playing or that successful, and Ben Johnson gets in, it's like, all right, hey, we're a little further away than I think we're all thinking as an organization.

[Matt Abaticola]

This was after Johnson had a lot more say in this draft in particular.

[Dan Bernstein]

Right.

[Matt Abaticola]

What do you need? Here's what I need, and I need a lot of now.

[Dan Bernstein]

So I would love to hear, and I don't think we'll ever learn until maybe way after the fact what the conversations are that are happening internally, that it's just, hey, no, we're this close. Not. We're actually this far. And to see where. Where they're at and, you know, if they. If they are even close to being on the same page of things.

[Matt Abaticola]

Here's more from Ben Johnson's press conference yesterday.

[Dan Bernstein]

You set a new precedent for the team. Like, do you not have to push that part anymore? Push that button in terms of keeping these guys at the effort level you want?

[Ben Johnson]

We had a really good week of preparation last week, and we need to do the same thing here this week. And if we do that, we give ourselves a chance to win the game.

[Dan Bernstein]

I love how the question's asked and it's what we touched on about.

[Matt Abaticola]

Are you going to call him out again?

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah, that, you know, throwing down that ace, you know, that ace card on the table, or, you know, breaking the glass in case of emergency. And it was like, hey, do you have to do this again? You have to push that button again. And first of all, he doesn't answer the question. He's like, we had a great week of practice, and we do it again.

[Matt Abaticola]

We'Re gonna do well by answering it that way. He's saying that me saying it once should last more than one week, we hope, but that's what he's saying. He's like, how many times do you want me to say it? How many times do you have to call these guys out for being lazy?

[Dan Bernstein]

Well, you can't. He knows that. Right? He knows that you can't. You can't go down that same road again. It's still working.

[Matt Abaticola]

That was his answer. That motivational tactic is still working. They haven't tuned me out quite yet.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yep. And we'll see what happens.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah, he didn't sound real happy to be asked.

[Dan Bernstein]

He didn't he didn't.

[Matt Abaticola]

His.

[Dan Bernstein]

His tone. The tone changed from the first. First couple answers.

[Matt Abaticola]

It did.

[Dan Bernstein]

And it kind of. It. That went in the timeline of how the questions were asked too. So. And then he has asked a question about the run game and what, what his thoughts are. How do you feel about the run game through three weeks and where can it be better? Wait, hold on.

[Matt Abaticola]

Pause it for a second. That was Courtney.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah.

[Matt Abaticola]

I keep expecting her to say so, like, how the fuck do you feel about the fucking run game, motherfucker?

[Dan Bernstein]

Just to get after it.

[Matt Abaticola]

Let's listen closely.

[Dan Bernstein]

Maybe she does swear.

[Matt Abaticola]

Okay.

[Dan Bernstein]

How do you feel about the run game through three weeks and where can it be better?

[Ben Johnson]

No, no, it can be better all over the place right now. We're very conscious of it. We watched all of our runs as a group the other day, Monday, and I think I've alluded to it in the past, that it can take a little bit of time before this all meshes and it all gels together. We got some new faces up front that haven't played a ton of ball together yet. And so that's. That's part of the process. It's also for the runners to understand what we intend to do with. With some of these play calls where we want that ball to hit. And then at the end of the day, they take their natural skill set and they. They make something big out of it. You know, our whole goal as a coaching staff is to get them up to the third level as much as we can to make these safeties and these corners tackle them one on one. We haven't been doing that enough. And so as a coaching staff, we need a sound plan. And then we need to go out there, we need to execute it just a little bit better than what we have been doing. But I'm not discouraged at all. I see how close we are to this thing really coming together. And I think that was really the point of the meeting there on Monday was those guys see the same thing.

[Matt Abaticola]

Couple of notes on that. These are vets. Braxton Jones is a vet. Joe Tooney is a vet. Drew Dahlman, vet. Jonah Jackson, vet. Darnell Wright is in his second year. Third year.

[Dan Bernstein]

Second year, right?

[Matt Abaticola]

Third year, Third year vet.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah, I just, I, I don't. I don't quite get that. Like, what, What Don't.

[Matt Abaticola]

Come on.

[Dan Bernstein]

What don't they know yet? What do they need to learn? And then you talk about the running backs come on, where they wanted to hit. What aren't you knowing?

[Matt Abaticola]

That was my second Point. That is all Swift. Yeah, he is talking about DeAndre Swift, and that's my problem with him and has been, and I think it's always been. Their problem with him is that he. In open space, he can be elusive. But these runs are designed to go to a specific spot. The blocking is very particular. Every angle matters. And if you hit it wrong, everybody looks bad if you make a wrong decision. So my, my problems with DeAndre Swift are vision and decision making and where one meets the other. Maybe you say they're the same thing, maybe you say they're not, that you can only decide based on what you see, or maybe you have to just be later to decide or be earlier to decide. And there's a semantic game played in there. But I know he can physically run fast and strong.

[Dan Bernstein]

Right.

[Matt Abaticola]

But the issue is, can you do what the play is designed to do? And I don't know how many times you got to run something in practice or how often you have to coach it. And it shouldn't be a problem. But I've seen it in practices before. I've seen guys who instinctively bounce things out or bounce things in or because of an angle will always. They'll default to one move and they'll spin when they don't have to spin that kind of thing. I'm not sure exactly what it is with Swift, but those were pointed comments. Do your job. Do this as it is designed. But I, I don't buy that this offensive line, because they haven't played together a lot, isn't executing the way he wants them to.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah. I just, I don't understand if they're doing something completely outside of their. Their normal scope of understanding that. It's like, all right, it's going to take some time for us to gel. It's like, here's the play. Here's your duty and responsibility on that play. Go execute that. Right. I mean, I mean, when it comes to run blocking, yeah. There's certain. There's certain things you can. You can do differently and make it a little more complicated, a little more complex and how you want to block, but how much different can it be? It's like, what. What more do you need to learn? What. What aren't they getting right now? So I think it's. It's more. Has to do with. With the running back room itself than the guys up front. But I, you know, I don't think he's. They haven't been great through the first three weeks. Again, they showed that drive. We're going to Run the ball. We're telling you we're going to run the ball. And they were successful running the ball. Right. You have the ability to do it. Looking at DeAndre Swift, though, on the injury report for a hip was limited in practice. Darnell Wright did not practice with an elbow. You have your tight ends also. Colson Loveland with a hip did not practice. Cole Comet with a groin was limited in practice.

[Matt Abaticola]

We'll get more information on that today.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yep.

[Matt Abaticola]

So, man, it's not the running back room. It's Swift. He's not talking to Kyle Menon guy.

[Dan Bernstein]

No, I know he's not. Yeah, I know, I know. But your running back room overall is just not good. And that all starts and basically ends with DeAndre Swift, which to me is a problem in the league. In a league right now like you, you can't just have one guy you're depending on.

[Matt Abaticola]

He should be fine, though. He should be just all you need. No, he should be.

[Dan Bernstein]

He should be fine. But is fine good enough for this team right now?

[Matt Abaticola]

On that third quarter drive in the last game, the answer was yes.

[Dan Bernstein]

Okay.

[Matt Abaticola]

Against a bad team, yes. And maybe this week, fine is good enough. But not for the next step. Absolutely not. And DeAndre Swift is not going to be here when the Bears.

[Dan Bernstein]

No, he's not. He's on. He's on my list of more than half the guys that will not be here when his team is competitive.

[Matt Abaticola]

No, you can count on one hand of the guy. Yeah, that team is competitive.

[Dan Bernstein]

I think I had five.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah. Like that's this. This is going to take a lot more remodeling.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yes. Or it's rebuilding.

[Matt Abaticola]

Or rebuilding.

[Dan Bernstein]

It's not a remodel. Yeah.

[Matt Abaticola]

So we should mention too, that we've got a guest on Forward Progress today. If you love Bears stuff, you should definitely join us because the great Mark Potash, somebody who is old enough to have been on the beat when I was on the beat and is still covering the Bears, a longtime Sun Timesman, is going to be our special guest today on Forward Progress, a Chicago Bears podcast. But for the moment.

[Dan Bernstein]

Oh, good catch, by the way, from Ben Johnson. He added a new player to our roster.

[Matt Abaticola]

Rex games. Yeah, Rex drives.

[Dan Bernstein]

Drives. Rex drives. I heard that a couple of times. It didn't register for me. But Rex drives.

[Matt Abaticola]

We got our big roster here. Yeah, that's our edge rusher is Rex Drives.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yes. And he's added to. We added a new player yesterday.

[Matt Abaticola]

Who do we have yesterday?

[Dan Bernstein]

The receiver. A mere 12 yards.

[Matt Abaticola]

A mere 12 yards. And Rex drives.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yes. Two of the newest players on our, on our team.

[Matt Abaticola]

My favorite. Remember who we had years ago? Howie handles.

[Dan Bernstein]

Oh, yeah, yeah.

[Matt Abaticola]

That was our quarterback, I think was how he handles.

[Dan Bernstein]

Oh, was it really?

[Matt Abaticola]

He should be a point guard, but I think he was our quarterback.

[Dan Bernstein]

He should be the. Yeah, he should definitely be a point.

[Matt Abaticola]

Guard on our team. Thanks to protein Bar for being part of our team. And if you haven't been to protein bar yet, you're really missing out on a place that is a panoply of options for you regardless of the time of day. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks. It is a place where you can get what you want, how you want it, with craveable and satisfying flavors and supercharged ingredients. All kinds of healthy swaps. And every entree and protein shake has 15 or more grams of protein. That is all day power. Whether it's a scramble bowl for breakfast or burritos, acai bowls. You like oatmeal for breakfast. They have protein loaded power. Oatmeal, yogurt, parfaits. I know you had the PB&J shake yesterday.

[Dan Bernstein]

I stopped there yesterday. Yeah, I love that. You can get a breakfast burrito, you can get a wrap for lunch, you can do a salad, you can do a warm bowl, you can get a shake or a smoothie. So like you said, if it's breakfast or lunch or dinner or just that snack in between meals so you're not eating some garbage, Protein Bar is the, is the place for you to go. And I'm actually, I'm gonna stop there on the way after the show today and get, I'm gonna, I'm gonna do the, not the chicken Caesar salad, but I'm gonna get a wrap this time.

[Matt Abaticola]

Okay.

[Dan Bernstein]

I, I think bring that on the train.

[Matt Abaticola]

And one of their most popular items, I know a lot of people like a lot of the fast, casual Mexican, but their Mexicali bowl is a healthy trade out because it's roasted chicken, corn, black beans, cheddar braised kale, salsa, spicy tomatillo, lime sauce, organic quinoa and chipotle Greek yogurt. With their homemade protein bar, guac and cilantro. There's 34 grams of protein in their Mexicali bowl.

[Dan Bernstein]

That sounds amazing. And I'm gonna tell you, if you haven't tried acai yet, go give it a try. Go to a protein bar and kitchen Bayou. There's one here at State and Lake if you're downtown.

[Matt Abaticola]

15 Chicagoland locations.

[Dan Bernstein]

And there's one out in Northbrook if you're out out there in the areas by me. Give it a try. And try acai. If you haven't tried it yet, it's really, really good. It's a great little in between meal type thing.

[Matt Abaticola]

Download the app. That's the first thing you should do. I did it. Download the app in the Apple Store. And as an app user, there's all kinds of free perks.

[Dan Bernstein]

I actually got a reward. Emailed me already. Bout a shake?

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah, already. That didn't take long.

[Dan Bernstein]

It didn't. It didn't take long.

[Matt Abaticola]

So protein bar and kitchen. So the next time you're thinking, boy, I'm in the mood for the Give it a shot, you will not be disappointed.

[Dan Bernstein]

Absolutely. I love it and thanks for being a part of the show. Good peoples.

[Matt Abaticola]

The Cubs get a big win yesterday and thank God. Oh, yeah, that was a relief. We were waiting to hear about the MRI on Cade Horton, and then here was Craig. Counsel sits down after the game, is like, yeah, as soon as I get done with you guys, I'm gonna go talk with the doctors about the mri. Wait, like, we're right here.

[Dan Bernstein]

Why don't you find that out first?

[Matt Abaticola]

Bring him in.

[Dan Bernstein]

Whisper.

[Matt Abaticola]

Make it like one of the congressional hearings where your counselor is whispering in your ear. You can just say he's got a torn core muscle, he's out for the year. Or you can say he's fine.

[Dan Bernstein]

Right.

[Matt Abaticola]

Either one.

[Dan Bernstein]

Just which we hope it's fine.

[Matt Abaticola]

Of course. Everybody hopes it's fine.

[Dan Bernstein]

So to me, though, I mean, I, I, I took that as not, not a huge deal. Like it's, it's what they said it was. It's not nothing to be overly concerned about. If there was more to it than just that, I think he would have had that conversation a little sooner.

[Matt Abaticola]

Or we would have been able to tell by his tone or his demeanor that something was up.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah, maybe, you know, maybe his cold's better and they gave him some antibiotics.

[Matt Abaticola]

Okay.

[Dan Bernstein]

Maybe they flew him out to Tampa and he made some potions.

[Matt Abaticola]

Kyle's guy, he got what did they call, like the spirit charm? The bag that you wear around your neck.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah, maybe he got that. Or he got some special tonics and.

[Matt Abaticola]

Tinctures, potions and lotions, salves.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah. The playoff picture is coming a little more into focus, but not so much in the American League. Dan. Seattle, the only team that has clinched their division so far. Playoff birth, though Toronto and the Yankees have clinched a playoff berth. The AL east is so fun. Toronto and Yankees are tied right now. Toronto holds the tiebreaker. Boston Is three games back, AL Central. Talk about that. Cleveland with a one game lead over Detroit right now in your wild card race. Yankees on top, Boston, the three seed Detroit or I'm sorry the five seed Detroit, the six seed with Houston one game out, looking in. So if it starts today, it's Toronto, Seattle, Cleveland, Yankees, Boston, Detroit, in that order. So you would have Cleveland and Detroit playing in the wild card round. So Detroit going to Cleveland and you'd have Boston going to New York. If that starts today, bring it now. On the National League side you have of course clinched other divisions. Milwaukee and Philadelphia playoff berths. Milwaukee, Philadelphia Cubs, San Diego and the Dodgers the NL West. The Dodgers lead the San Diego Padres by two and a half games. Wild card right now the Cubs are on top. San Diego 2 1/2 behind. The Mets have that final spot right now. Cincinnati Arizona are a game behind the reds. And the St. Louis still not technically out of it. Getting tight though with three and a half games that they're back behind the Mets. So if it starts today, it's Milwaukee, Philadelphia, the Dodgers, the Cubs, Padres, the Mets. So you'd have the Mets going to LA and San Diego going to the Cubs. But you look at the schedule, Cincinnati is hosting the Pirates. So you think that's favorable there for the Reds. Houston is at the A's, Dodgers at Arizona, Detroit at Cleveland with one more game here in that series. Yankees are one more game with the White Sox. Boston at Toronto and of course the Mets and the Cubs. Nolan McClain is pitching for the Mets tonight. If you're not familiar, he was a 2023 third round draft pick, 91 overall by the Mets. He has made his debut this past August. He's started seven games. He's four and one with four quality starts, an ERA of 1.27, 42⅔ innings pitched in those seven starts and six earned runs allowed. Again made his debut on August 16th. So off to a really nice start.

[Matt Abaticola]

That young pitcher, young Jonah Tong, looks like he's 15.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah, he does.

[Matt Abaticola]

I couldn't believe it. They showed him it. Oh, I just felt bad for him. They showed him in the dugout after he gave up all those hits. And it just, he looks, honestly, he looks younger than my son.

[Dan Bernstein]

He does.

[Matt Abaticola]

He's going to turn, about to turn 21. But I think Jason already looks kind of like a grizzled, hard living, hard bitten vet by now. I don't know why but.

[Dan Bernstein]

Well, he's a paper guy.

[Matt Abaticola]

He's a new ink stained. Yeah, he's like he's got old dude, he's got the sleeves pushed up with.

[Dan Bernstein]

A styfer coffee after the first day after you walk out of the building. You've added 10 years.

[Matt Abaticola]

Can I tell you as a newspaper editor now? He calls me the other day. I said, how are things going? He's like, nobody here can write.

[Dan Bernstein]

Oh, Jesus.

[Matt Abaticola]

I said, are you already this guy. It's like I gotta spend so much time. He even said if these people could get off their phones and learn how to write. Oh boy. Jason, you're 20.

[Dan Bernstein]

So you 20 going on 65.

[Matt Abaticola]

He already sounds like one of the guys Terry used to talk about at the Sun Times desk. He's like, yeah, I would love to write to get out there right myself, but I'm too busy cleaning up all this other stuff.

[Dan Bernstein]

Hey, I want to mention real quick while we're talking a little baseball. Nico Horner is currently fifth in Major League Baseball in hits at 175. He's going to win the batting title and in average. Where is he at? He's tied for. Is he seventh? Seventh at 301.

[Matt Abaticola]

Well, where is he in the National League though? I thought he was moving up.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah, let's see.

[Matt Abaticola]

Because a guy had the Nico Meter, like the old Shawn O meter. Somebody was. Was holding the Nico Horner. I mean nobody cares about batting average, but.

[Dan Bernstein]

Right.

[Matt Abaticola]

It's still kind of cool.

[Dan Bernstein]

So he is third in hits. He's four behind Trey Turner and one behind Luis Arise average. He's second in average at.301. 305 for Trey Turner.

[Matt Abaticola]

All right, I have another Cubs and White Sox note. Okay, that is meaningless, but it was something I was proud of thinking of last night. Okay, and tell me if this makes. I figured out who Moises Byesteros is from Chicago. Baseball memory. Who does he remind you of? This goes back a while. Not like old time. Old time.

[Dan Bernstein]

Okay.

[Matt Abaticola]

Anything, anything, anything. Who. Okay, this, this goes back to just a similar fat lefty slappy guy with an inside out swing but was a pretty dangerous hitter.

[Dan Bernstein]

A Chicago guy.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah.

[Dan Bernstein]

It's like.

[Matt Abaticola]

Okay, yeah. And I will just tell you this. In his time with the White Sox, in five seasons with the White Sox, this guy batted 257 on base.394 slugged.364 OPS plus of 109. So a pretty good little player. But short. I think he was. Yeah, he was short. Let's see. Yep, yep. This guy was listed at 571 90. But I think he was heavier than 190. He was short, fat, slappy, and his hands came through before the barrel of the bat.

[Dan Bernstein]

All right, who is it?

[Matt Abaticola]

The Deacon, Warren Newsom.

[Dan Bernstein]

Oh, geez.

[Matt Abaticola]

Does any. Am I. So help me out. I know this is like the. I gotta look it up total socks fan thing in me, but tell me if I'm right on this. I want to know it in the comments. I want you to just kind of squint at Moises Ballesteros. The way he swings, the way he looks in the batter's box. And when he hits the ball hard and like, opens his chest like that, it sort of. Sort of flips the bat at the ball. That there's. He's got a lot of the good Deacon in him. I don't know why Hawk called him the Deacon, but that was what he called Warren Newson. So I. That's. And a pretty good judge of the strike zone. Also that he was hard to strike out. He had, you know, it was pretty close to like a one to one ratio.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah, that's pretty good. That's pretty good. Yeah.

[Matt Abaticola]

Okay.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah, I see it.

[Matt Abaticola]

I loved Warren Newsom. And I didn't know it was a career on base of.374.

[Dan Bernstein]

And the.

[Matt Abaticola]

With the White Sox.394.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah.

[Matt Abaticola]

That's fantastic. Like, that's. That's great. Those on base percentages, I love that.

[Dan Bernstein]

The nickname the Deacon by Hawk, Ken Harrelson, no explanation. Which is pretty common for his nicknames.

[Matt Abaticola]

Well, some don't stick. Like. And he was trying to call Adam Dunn Canyon. Yeah, way to go, Canyon. Like, some of these are just. Just make absolutely no sense.

[Dan Bernstein]

Well, like when he came up with the. The broken bat, hit for my name. Yeah, he just.

[Matt Abaticola]

Well, people just like saying.

[Dan Bernstein]

He just liked the name.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah, it's fun to say.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah.

[Matt Abaticola]

That's a matter of Baticola.

[Dan Bernstein]

Oh, I remember the first time he did it and DJ was like, what the hell is that you talking about? Yeah. I got a quick, quick baseball question for you. Now, I was looking through stuff about. About Nico Horner today. There are currently two players in Major League Baseball, two active players that have a career batting average above.300.

[Matt Abaticola]

Luis or Ice is one. A career batting average above.300 in baseball right now? It's not.

[Dan Bernstein]

No, there's. There's other guys that may have over. Like, who's the. Who's the rookie on. Is he a rookie on the Athletics? Jacob? Was it Wilson? I mean, it's only this season.

[Matt Abaticola]

So for him.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah. Nope. Gotta have a certain number of plate appearances.

[Matt Abaticola]

Probably somebody slappy.

[Dan Bernstein]

He's, I think, on the overall list in baseball. He's like 159.

[Matt Abaticola]

I don't know.

[Dan Bernstein]

Astros. Altuve, Altuve.303 career batting average.

[Matt Abaticola]

Okay.

[Dan Bernstein]

Those are the two.

[Matt Abaticola]

And he's got.

[Dan Bernstein]

For you, getting.

[Matt Abaticola]

And got some pop.

[Dan Bernstein]

Luis arise.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah, that's. I mean, yeah, that has to be.

[Dan Bernstein]

That's his big first. That's been pretty spectacular for his career. Yeah.

[Matt Abaticola]

I love that picture that is always shared of Aaron Judge standing at second base next to Altuve.

[Dan Bernstein]

And it's just an adult child.

[Matt Abaticola]

Right. But it has, like, great players and baseball come in all shapes and sizes.

[Dan Bernstein]

It's really, really cute. It is. You know, there's one other thing, too, I was thinking about with baseball, and I said a week or two ago that Cal Raleigh should be the AL MVP.

[Matt Abaticola]

60 home runs for the big dumper.

[Dan Bernstein]

60 home runs. And I still. I'm still going to go with that. I think that. That he should only because what he does defensively as a catcher and how that adds to what his team's success has been this year and the fact that Aaron Judge. I think. I think he might even be a negative defensive WAR player. But, you know, his offensive numbers, it's not like He's. He's hit 25 home runs. What is he at 51 now?

[Matt Abaticola]

Aaron Judge judges WRC plus is 202. He is twice as good. He's twice as productive in this run environment as an average player.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah. It's just his offensive numbers are so unbelievable. And he's what, nine home runs behind.

[Matt Abaticola]

Behind Cal, but he's played in seven fewer games, too.

[Dan Bernstein]

And I get it. When he. When he does win the award, and he's going to. He will win the award, especially if his team ends up being the number one seed in the American League, which they have that shot to do.

[Matt Abaticola]

I understand if Raleigh just sort of feels like the guy.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah, I do. I do. I would if I had a chance to vote for him if, you know, I would vote for Cal. But, you know, I think. I think Aaron's going to win it. Overall, his offensive numbers are better outside of the home run numbers. And it's not like he's trailing by 30. He's, you know, nine back.

[Matt Abaticola]

And I believe this is the third season, 1990, I believe 2001. And this year with four players over 50 home runs. Cal Raleigh with 60. Kyle Schwarber 56. Shohei Ohtani 53. Aaron Judge has 51. And knocking on the door with some games left. Eugenio Suarez is at 48, but I was looking at the way the Kyle Schwaber career numbers are starting to stack up and he's now up to 340 career home runs.

[Dan Bernstein]

And what the. Oh God. What the Cubs get for him?

[Matt Abaticola]

Nothing.

[Dan Bernstein]

Oh, that's right. Shoot.

[Matt Abaticola]

The Cubs got nothing. And at an age 32, Kyle Schwaber gets to 500 homers and you start talking about everybody with 500 homers in the hall of Fame. So might he be the first where there's a question regarding his candidacy? Could he be the first 500 homer guy who. He only has 22 war.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah, he's not. I don't think he's a Hall of Fame player.

[Matt Abaticola]

Even at 500 home runs.

[Dan Bernstein]

I don't.

[Matt Abaticola]

Are you sure that's all right?

[Dan Bernstein]

What? Are there other 500 home run guys not in the hall of Fame?

[Matt Abaticola]

No, I don't really. Okay, I'll. I'll check right now, but I, I'm pretty sure that that's. If I look at the all time home run list here on fan graphs. Well, not including the guys who are out for steroid reasons.

[Dan Bernstein]

Sure, exclude those.

[Matt Abaticola]

Okay, so just your all time home run list. Bonds, Aaron Ruth, Pujols A, Rod Mays, Griffey, Tomi sosa, Frank Robinson, McGuire, Killebrew, Palmero, Reggie, Manny Ramirez, Schmidt, Ortiz, Mantle.

[Dan Bernstein]

So of those, the guys not in the hall of Fame are the steroids guys. That's the only.

[Matt Abaticola]

Let me keep going. Fox, Frank Thomas, McCovey, Ted Williams, Ernie Banks, Eddie Matthews, Miguel Cabrera, Mel Otto, Gary Sheffield, Eddie Murray.

[Dan Bernstein]

Not Eddie Murphy.

[Matt Abaticola]

No, Eddie Murphy. That's so 500. You are, you are in. Now the next group, just under Fred McGriff. No. Right. Did he get in?

[Dan Bernstein]

He's not in hall of Fame, is he?

[Matt Abaticola]

Lou Gehrig, not bad at baseball. Beltray, Musial, Stargell, Carlos Delgado at 473. Chipper Jones, Dave Winfield, Nelson Cruz, Adam Dunn, Griff got in.

[Dan Bernstein]

2023. Fred McGriff got in 2023. He was voted in by the Contemporary baseball era committee.

[Matt Abaticola]

Right. So then there's Adam Dunn, Jose Canseco, Yaz Stanton, Bagwell, Vlad Kingman, Giambi, Canerco.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah. And going back to overall big picture on hall of Fame, it's really. There's too many people in it to begin with.

[Matt Abaticola]

Sure. But so if so, then 500.

[Dan Bernstein]

Fine, put him in five.

[Matt Abaticola]

Schwarber is on a Hall of Fame track.

[Dan Bernstein]

Fine. He's in because of the home runs.

[Matt Abaticola]

He just is. He's On a Hall of Fame track, even if his WAR may be the lowest of anybody in the hall of Fame.

[Dan Bernstein]

One other.

[Matt Abaticola]

Harold Baines.

[Dan Bernstein]

One other thing on Nico. So looking at Nico's defensive war for the season, he's at like 2.2, which is in the top 10 for position players. I looked at the Cubs all time single season record. Like, I don't think you would guess what number one is overall for Cubs. Cubs single season defensive war.

[Matt Abaticola]

Cubs single season defensive war.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah, this is. This is before your time in watching, but it's a name you would know. Very famous double play.

[Matt Abaticola]

Is it Tinker?

[Dan Bernstein]

Tinker. Tinker's number one at 4.3.

[Matt Abaticola]

But not Tingle. Not our guy over here.

[Dan Bernstein]

No, not Tingle. Not Tingle, Tinker or Sherman. Okay, but Tinker.

[Matt Abaticola]

Okay. Tinker.

[Dan Bernstein]

Which, by the way, you're there tomorrow.

[Matt Abaticola]

I am.

[Dan Bernstein]

The drive.

[Matt Abaticola]

I'm going to be on the drive 8:15 tomorrow. Don't miss it. We have fun.

[Dan Bernstein]

Because how soon. How soon before you're going to leave me and go do like classic rock?

[Matt Abaticola]

Spin a little Bob Seeger for you like.

[Dan Bernstein]

Matt, I got to talk to you.

[Matt Abaticola]

Catman, dude.

[Dan Bernstein]

Oh, boy. Good luck there.

[Matt Abaticola]

I. Listen.

[Dan Bernstein]

Joe Tinker's number one. Do you know number two? You can guess. Number two.

[Matt Abaticola]

All time single season. Single season, Cubs defense.

[Dan Bernstein]

Single season.

[Matt Abaticola]

Ron Sano.

[Dan Bernstein]

Nope. More recent.

[Matt Abaticola]

Sandberg.

[Dan Bernstein]

Nope. More recent Hap. World Series.

[Matt Abaticola]

Oh, that would be the all time great defensive year that they had. Was it Addison Russell?

[Dan Bernstein]

Nope.

[Matt Abaticola]

Was it? Was it? Oh, bias.

[Dan Bernstein]

Bias. 3.9. Okay, now here's what's. Here's what stopped me dead in my tracks reading this. Number three on the list from 2012.

[Matt Abaticola]

Darwin, Barney.

[Dan Bernstein]

Darwin, Barney.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yes.

[Dan Bernstein]

Nice grab your buddy.

[Matt Abaticola]

My guy won a golden glove that year.

[Dan Bernstein]

I could not.

[Matt Abaticola]

A gold glove.

[Dan Bernstein]

It stopped me right there.

[Matt Abaticola]

Weren't you friendly?

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah, yeah, we were. Yeah, we got real. We got real tight. You had a good. He was a good dude because he. He was the guy that would share a lot of information about my year with my quaddy. That's where most of the book came from.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah, you had a. You had a couple of guys. And who was the pirate? Was it JJ for Maniac? Wasn't he a buddy of yours too?

[Dan Bernstein]

No, no, that was probably rangy. That sounds like a. Like a dirty cat salon guy.

[Matt Abaticola]

Oh, Ronji was just. He was telling me all the stories about what's his name? Makoviak.

[Dan Bernstein]

Oh, God. Rob. Yeah. Darwin Barney. 3.6, 2012. Good grab on your part there, Joe Tinker also had a couple seasons at 3.6. Ernie Banks. Jody Davis checks in at 3.3. All right. Yeah. Johnny Evers.

[Matt Abaticola]

No Frank Chance. He's gotten no chance.

[Dan Bernstein]

No chance for Frank Chase, Tinker and Evers.

[Matt Abaticola]

And no chance.

[Dan Bernstein]

And no chance, man.

[Matt Abaticola]

That's. Well, first base, but good.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah. Good for you, Darwin. Barney, I'm proud of you. Pretty good grab.

[Matt Abaticola]

Before we go, did you hear John Mulaney on with.

[Dan Bernstein]

In the booth?

[Matt Abaticola]

In the booth? I did with Boog and J.D. he was fine.

[Dan Bernstein]

He was fine.

[Matt Abaticola]

It was a little awkward.

[Dan Bernstein]

It was very awkward. I don't think it was a little. It was very awkward.

[Matt Abaticola]

Now, Mulaney also mentioned. And they.

[Dan Bernstein]

And I love John Mulaney.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah, he's good.

[Dan Bernstein]

And I love the booth.

[Matt Abaticola]

He'll be playing Wrigley Field. No comic has ever played Wrigley.

[Dan Bernstein]

I think July 11th next year.

[Matt Abaticola]

Good luck. That's a big venue for a comic that is.

[Dan Bernstein]

I think he'll be fine.

[Matt Abaticola]

An outdoors.

[Dan Bernstein]

He's very good.

[Matt Abaticola]

I know he is. It's just the outdoors throws. It makes things a little bit different when it comes to making sure everything reaches everybody. The timing of everything, the controlled atmosphere for comedy. Good luck. And he talked about being in the upcoming movie Madden. Now, you hit me to this. I didn't really know what all this was, but it's the esteemed David O. Russell.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yep.

[Matt Abaticola]

And Madden is a. It's a biopic with Nicolas Cage as John Madden, Christian Bale as Al Davis, and John Mulaney as Trip Hawkins, who is the guy, EA Sports at EA Sports that creates the Madden NFL video game series. And that's what it's about. It's about the development of Madden Football.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah. Also Katherine Hahn, Sienna Miller, Shane Gillis, curious to see what role he plays.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yes. Sienna Miller is also very funny. Al Davis's wife, Carol Davis.

[Dan Bernstein]

Carol Davis. And then Katherine Hahn is John's wife, Virginia Madden. So here's. Here's the thing. So it's obviously, as you just said, it's about the development of the NFL Madden game. And there's been a documentary done, at least one about it as well. And I think if you played video games, you played Madden at some point in your life. I know I did for years and years. My kids are playing it now. I. I have a real. I'm going to have a real hard time with it because of Nicholas Cage.

[Matt Abaticola]

Why?

[Dan Bernstein]

Because I'm just. I'm not going to be able to get away from the fact that it's Nicolas Cage.

[Matt Abaticola]

Like Christian Bale loses himself in every role.

[Dan Bernstein]

Right. So it's like he's going to play Al Davis. Great. He's going to be a more handsome version of Al Davis. Fine. Unless they can make him look.

[Matt Abaticola]

Is he going to be as scabrous?

[Dan Bernstein]

But no, you can't make him look like that unless they really go after it, because they could.

[Matt Abaticola]

Old Al Davis was like always scabby, covered in bait.

[Dan Bernstein]

You don't want to look. Yeah. So he'll be a handsome Al Davis. I'm sure he would love that were he alive. But I'm not going to get past the fact that it's Nicholas Cage playing John Madden. I just. I just can't. His career has gotten to a point where he's. He's done so many bad movies, like on streaming services. It's just. I just can't get. I'm not going to get past Nicholas Cage as John Madden.

[Matt Abaticola]

Okay, give yourself a chance.

[Dan Bernstein]

Tell me, is there. And maybe I'm missing it. Is there a role where he. Again, like you say about Christian Bale, he loses himself in the role.

[Matt Abaticola]

Daniel Day Lewis.

[Dan Bernstein]

Daniel Day Lewis loses himself in the role. You know, like you're watching that character and you don't. You don't know. You just forget it's that actor. It's the character. Has. Has Nicolas Cage done that in his career?

[Matt Abaticola]

No, because his Nicolas Cage ness that he brings, it overwhelms everything is also part of the charm of the role. Like in Raising Arizona and you know, some of the things I didn't see the one. Did he win the award? Was it Leaving Las Vegas?

[Dan Bernstein]

I believe it did.

[Matt Abaticola]

Elizabeth Shue.

[Dan Bernstein]

Very good. Very good in it. But he wasn't playing a known figure.

[Matt Abaticola]

Wilde at heart. He was brilliant.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah. I mean, he's been very good. I love him. I watch things just because it's Nicholas Cage. I just don't know if I'll get past Nicolas Cage as John Madden.

[Matt Abaticola]

I just find it interesting and maybe I'm totally wrong and maybe this has always been something and I'm just sort of feeling it now. But. But the movie's about the true story of the creation of a thing. Like just off the top of my head. The Social Network.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yep.

[Matt Abaticola]

The movie about the creation of Facebook or Air. The movie about the creation of a shoe, even to some extent Oppenheimer.

[Dan Bernstein]

Okay.

[Matt Abaticola]

Right. The movie about the creation. It happened. You know, who is involved, you know, the story, like the viewer. There's gonna be no, Obviously there's gonna be a narrative arc that includes some surprises and conflict and resolution and a climax. They have to have a story. But everyone knows that John Madden was involved in the making of a video game called Madden Football.

[Dan Bernstein]

Right. And if you've seen the documentary already.

[Matt Abaticola]

I have not.

[Dan Bernstein]

You kind of have like a background understanding of, of his involvement and how it, how it all happened and took place.

[Matt Abaticola]

It's just interesting how that becomes a story worth putting on the big screen with these actors. Academy Award winning actors.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah, I mean it's, it's. I mean, I'm not sure I had to look up what kind of revenue the video game brings in, but it's astronomical.

[Matt Abaticola]

Well, yeah, I mean, they're spending a lot on the movie too, I'm sure, but it just. The movie's about the creation of things that seems kind of mundane. Like how exciting. Whether it's a boardroom scene or a business decision, whether it's people around a conference table or somebody at a desk. Dammit, we're making this video game. Da da da.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah, but I guess, but the whole, the whole. What's successful about a movie that's about the creation of something. Are the actors themselves.

[Matt Abaticola]

Correct. The actors matter more.

[Dan Bernstein]

The actors matter more than the story.

[Matt Abaticola]

They're not going to be doing anything against a green screen where Nicolas Cage is, is jogging in Slow mo away from an exploding building.

[Dan Bernstein]

Right. So the actors.

[Matt Abaticola]

Oh, you could find a reason for that.

[Dan Bernstein]

But the actors matter more. Which again goes back to my original point. I'm gonna have a hard time getting past Nicolas Cage as John Madden.

[Matt Abaticola]

Okay.

[Dan Bernstein]

And maybe he, maybe he does a really great job. But like, you know, you brought up the Social Network like no one. Like you didn't know what's his name? Zuckerberg.

[Matt Abaticola]

Right.

[Dan Bernstein]

No one like Mark Zuckerberg wasn't a regular like known type nor the Winklevoss twins. And so the actors that portrayed them brought those characters to life for the audience. And so you completely associate the actor with the character now. But now unfortunately, Mark Zuckerberg is a pretty common figure that we.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah, yeah, he's got those cool glasses on.

[Dan Bernstein]

Okay.

[Matt Abaticola]

Did you see those? He's like, in the future, everybody will wear these.

[Dan Bernstein]

I won't wear those. Oh, are those the. Oh, the meta glasses? Yeah, like, come on, man. Yeah. Natalie, as we saw a commercial.

[Matt Abaticola]

Who was it?

[Dan Bernstein]

It was. Who was it? It was.

[Matt Abaticola]

It was Brian Arakbo.

[Dan Bernstein]

No, no, see, that's why I need to get Arakboard, because it was the guy in the Ju park movies.

[Matt Abaticola]

Sam Neill.

[Dan Bernstein]

No, the younger guy married to Schwarzenegger's daughter. Isn't he married to Arnold Schwarzenegger's daughter?

[Matt Abaticola]

Chris Pratt.

[Dan Bernstein]

Chris Pratt. It's Chris Pratt and some other famous actor who I can't remember. They need to Iraq ball them for me. And they're wearing the glasses.

[Matt Abaticola]

Well, all the Chris's. And he's like, yeah, Chris Pine.

[Dan Bernstein]

Chris Evans wants to wear those. And I'm like, I don't know. I don't. I'm not interested.

[Matt Abaticola]

I don't.

[Dan Bernstein]

I don't care to talk to my glasses.

[Matt Abaticola]

Everyone will wear these. No, they won't.

[Dan Bernstein]

So it helps. You can look at things and it helps you tell what they are. What?

[Matt Abaticola]

I don't know, maybe. Do they translate languages for you or make you smart? Or do you get like the little Terminator things like, oh, can you kill people with them?

[Dan Bernstein]

Maybe you get heat vision lasers out of them.

[Matt Abaticola]

You can see through the walls and everybody has a as. Like a heat signature.

[Dan Bernstein]

Okay.

[Matt Abaticola]

And you can shoot through the wall. I don't know. That'd be cool.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah, whatever. But anyway, I'm not sure I can see Nicholas Cage as John Madden.

[Matt Abaticola]

All right, there you have it. Oh, and as I scroll down here, interestingly enough, the role of Moises Ballesteros is being played by former White Sox outfielder Warren Newson.

[Dan Bernstein]

Oh, in this movie.

[Matt Abaticola]

I got that right.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah. I didn't.

[Matt Abaticola]

I didn't know that Moises Ballesteros mattered, but Warren Newson indeed will portray him.

[Dan Bernstein]

Well, that's great. Congratulations.

[Matt Abaticola]

That's gonna do it for Dan Bernstein. Unfiltered today. We've got a very special forward progress coming up here. A big Bears fan, so you certainly don't want to miss that and you do not want to Ms. Dbu tomorrow either. You know why? Hey, it's Feedback Friday and we've gotten a lot now that we have set up our new email boxes and we can go through a lot of the comments that come in on the YouTube channel and all that. So really looking forward to feedback Friday tomorrow and the special thing that we do on forward progress as well for the. For each Bears opponent that comes up. So thanks once again to Protein Bar and Kitchen for being a brand new sponsor and thanks for tuning in to today's episode brought to you in partnership with my bookie. We will talk to you tomorrow.

[Dan Bernstein]

Dan Bernstein, Unfiltered.

[Matt Abaticola]

Unfiltered on three.

[Dan Bernstein]

One, two, Sports.