Ben Johnson gets the Bears even at 2-2

Summary

Dan Bernstein Unfiltered

Episode: Ben Johnson Gets the Bears Even at 2-2
Date: September 29, 2025
Host: Dan Bernstein
Co-Host: Matt Abbatacola
Podcast: Dan Bernstein Unfiltered (312 Sports)

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Overview

This episode of Dan Bernstein Unfiltered covers a triumphant but critical breakdown of the Chicago Bears' nail-biting 25-24 victory, bringing them to 2-2 heading into the bye week. The conversation then sweeps across the Chicago Cubs' playoff outlook, White Sox "optimism," the new Bulls roster, and even a deep dive into Paul Thomas Anderson’s latest film. Sharp takes, statistical context, and the no-nonsense honesty Bernstein’s known for are front and center.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Chicago Bears: Scrappy Victory, Realistic Skepticism

The Bears Are 2-2—But Is It Sustainable?

• The episode opens with reflection on the Bears’ improbable road win, emphasizing the unsustainable formula it took.
• Broadcast banter: Briefly, the hosts marvel at the wild 40–40 tie from the night before.
• Bernstein on the win:

  “A win on the road is a testament to everybody involved and the coaches and all of that. However, this is not a recipe for victory.” (03:50)

• Historic context:

  “If you say we’re going to allow 240 yards rushing and win a game for the first time since I was 10 years old, since 1979… You can’t do that.” (03:59)

• Bears snap a streak of losses when allowing 24+ points.
• On Geno Smith’s turnovers:

  “Geno Smith… wanted to throw interception after interception after interception. It’s not a sustainable game plan.” (04:31)

• The hosts praise coaching moves, especially benching struggling left tackle Braxton Jones mid-game.
• On OL shuffle:

  “Is Braxton Jones the swing tackle or is he inactive? …This has all got to be sorted out.” (06:00)

Defensive Standouts & Coaching Decisions

• Critical run-stops at game’s end noted as rare bright spots for the run defense. Rookie Shamar Turner and safety Kevin Byard are praised.
• Byard’s impact:

  “Kevin Byard, I just want to point out, hell of a game. Two interceptions, had that huge tackle at the end…” (08:38)

• Discussion on rookie RB Ashton Genti’s difficult-to-tackle style and big performance.

Quarterback Talk: Caleb Williams’ Progress

• On Williams vs. Geno Smith:

  “Caleb Williams didn’t look very comfortable. He missed some throws, again, inconsistent, but did enough to win the game on the road… Unlike Geno Smith, Caleb Williams didn’t hurt his team.” (09:27)

• The Bears were adjudged the “better coached team,” even besting Pete Carroll’s staff.

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2. Chicago Cubs: Playoff Outlook & Lessons in Variance

• Cubs open postseason against San Diego at Wrigley.
• Player WAR leaders highlighted:
  • Pete Crow Armstrong (5.4)
  • Nico Hoerner (4.8)
  • Kyle Tucker (4.5, missed 26 games)
  • Michael Busch (3.5)
• Berstein on playoffs and regular season stats:

  “The most important aspect once you reach the playoffs is good fortune. It’s luck, it’s variance... None of that stuff matters now. Variance rules everything.” (16:58)
  “Momentum is tomorrow’s starting pitcher. Vin Scully.” (17:47)

• Cubs’ running theme: Excellent defense, no glaring weak spots, but “variance” is the name of the game now.
• Wind analysis at Wrigley: local expertise on how conditions could affect scoring.

30-30 Club & Historical Baseball Trivia

• Crow Armstrong just became only the second Cub with a 30 HR/30 SB season (after Sammy Sosa).
• Fun rundown of MLB teams that still haven’t had a 30-30 player—including the White Sox.
• Trivia:

  “The Cardinals have never had a 30, 30 guy … The Twins have never had a 30, 30 guy … and the last, the sixth team to have never had a 3030 guy: your Chicago White Sox.” (20:59)

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3. Chicago White Sox: Genuine Progress & Next Wave Hope

• Co-host:

  “They improved by 19 games, 19 wins.” (23:14)

• Praise for SS Colson Montgomery: Team WAR leader, future to build around.
• Bernstein’s wry optimism:

  “They went from: bad, unlucky, and stupid to bad, less stupid, and slightly less unlucky.” (23:18)

• “Buy the dip” for Sox fans: now’s a good time to invest emotionally in the team’s future stars.

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4. Bulls: New Roster, Sober Expectations

• 19 players in camp, training opens next day; preseason vs. Cavaliers.
• Notable names: Kobe White, Josh Giddey, Nikola Vucevic, Matas Buzelis, Kevin Herder.
• Co-host on roster:

  “The Bulls roster is bad but the Bulls roster is out.” (01:29)

• Bernstein:

  “How many superstars are on this team?” (32:00)
  Co-host: “None. Zero.” (32:03) Bernstein: “That is the correct, honest answer. That’s the unfiltered answer.”

• Real talk: Reaching the playoffs/play-in relies on young players outperforming, possible trade moves, or breakout years (e.g. Bouzelis).

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5. Blackhawks & Other Chicago Tangents

• Training camp’s underway with new coach Jeff Blashill.
• Rapid-fire banter confusing sports producers and players, adding comic relief; reminiscences about early score radio days.
• Hosts admit they’ve yet to see much of the Blackhawks and promise more coverage to come.

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6. Brief Movie Review: One Battle After Another (Paul Thomas Anderson)

• Both hosts saw the new PTA film and deliver an impassioned, spoiler-light review.
• Standouts:
  • A-list performances by DiCaprio and Sean Penn, with major props for supporting turns from Teyana Taylor, Regina Hall, and Chase Infinity.
  • Unforgettable, unique car chase sequence—ranked among the best ever by Bernstein.
  • Dynamic yet understated Johnny Greenwood score integral to the film’s energy.
• Key praise:

  Bernstein: “From the moment this movie starts, the energy that propels you through here … it never relents, even in the quiet moments. Driven by a remarkable score.” (43:02)

• Co-host on action:

  “That was one of the greatest car chases that I’ve ever seen… uniquely filmed.” (44:51)

• Both hosts celebrate how the movie lets viewers decide when to laugh, ranking it among PTA’s best.
• Special mention for realism in interrogation scenes and nuanced performances.
• Memorable moment:

  “The rule of comedy—you know, rule of three or rule of 17—he kept going. I was like, oh my God, where is it going?” (54:26)

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7. DBU Picks and Gambling Updates (Key Picks Segment)

• Parlay picks: Jets +3 at Miami, Denver -7.5 vs. Bengals. (56:21)
• Futures play: Amon-Ra St. Brown for Offensive Player of the Year at +1500. (57:53)
• Omarion Hampton tracking 2nd among rookie rushers after Ashton Genti’s big game.
• Reminders about betting promotions and live shows.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the Bears' win method:

  “If you say we’re going to allow 240 yards rushing and win a game … since 1979… You can’t do that.” – Bernstein (03:59)

• On playoff baseball:

  “The most important aspect once you reach the playoffs is good fortune. It’s luck, it’s variance... None of that stuff matters now.” – Bernstein (16:58)

• On the Bulls’ lack of star power:

  “How many superstars are on this team?” (32:00)
  “None. Zero.” – Co-host

• On the new PTA film:

  “It’s a black comedy. It is also an absolute rip roaring, non stop adventure with one of the greatest car chases that I’ve ever seen.” – Bernstein (44:51) “Unbelievable… and capturing that location… fucking phenomenal.” – Co-host (45:02)

• On consuming movies differently:

  “We consume things differently. And so I took a different approach… not just get sucked into the story … I wanted to observe different things.” – Bernstein (52:52)

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Segment Timestamps

• 00:02 – 06:00: Bears recap — victory, OL changes, defensive struggles.
• 06:00 – 11:24: Game specifics, key stops, Byard & Turner highlights, Williams vs. Geno Smith, coaching edges.
• 13:07 – 22:29: Cubs playoff preview, WAR and offensive leader breakdown, the impact of luck in the postseason.
• 22:29 – 25:05: White Sox season, “buy the dip” talk, Colson Montgomery hype.
• 29:32 – 34:42: Bulls roster reveal, realistic team outlooks, East landscape.
• 34:56 – 39:00: Blackhawks, producer tangents, and classic score radio stories.
• 40:36 – 55:03: Movie review — One Battle After Another’s pacing, score, comedic tension, standout acting and memorable set pieces.
• 56:21 – 58:44: DBU gambling picks and betting talk.
• 58:55 – end: Hampton’s rookie rush ranking and close.

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Final Notes

This episode typifies Dan Bernstein Unfiltered: top-to-bottom Chicago sports, harsh truths joined by humor and smart debate, and a willingness to step outside of sports for sharp cultural conversation. Diehard Chicago fans and pragmatic sports thinkers will find plenty to chew on—whether sizing up the Bears’ true ceiling, prepping for October baseball, or consuming a three-hour cinema epic like true critics.

Transcript

[Dan Bernstein]

Dan Bernstein unfiltered.

[Co-host]

Unfiltered on 312 sports. It's Dan Bernstein unfiltered on 312 sports. On a victory Monday, the Bears 2 and 2 going into the bye. After that shocking 2524 victory, we're still now having slept on it and having consumed that 40, 40 tie for which many of us stayed up last night.

[Dan Bernstein]

Just like I predicted, by the way.

[Co-host]

Yes, you did. I know.

[Dan Bernstein]

You said the Cowboys will be in this game. They're going to give it a run against the Packers. The packers aren't what we thought they were.

[Co-host]

I believe you said instead of boat raced. You said motor boated. You said they would somehow get motorboated.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yes.

[Co-host]

Was that score gummy, by the way? 4040 tie. Has that ever happened before in the NFL?

[Dan Bernstein]

No.

[Co-host]

No. As far as we know, whatever it was, we watched it and there it was, and the Bears are where they are. Today's episode is brought to you in partnership with my bookie. And we are packed with stuff. So thank you for joining us. As always. We have the Bears victory and current situation to digest. The Cubs are going to start the playoffs tomorrow afternoon, so we're going to look at their season and break down the possibilities. Got some thoughts on the White Sox as well. That happened, whatever this season was, and I want to just look over a little bit of White Sox optimism. Yeah, I said optimism.

[Dan Bernstein]

Okay.

[Co-host]

The Bulls roster is out. The Bulls roster is bad, but the Bulls roster is out. And I'm just going to run down these names for you.

[Dan Bernstein]

Socks. Bulls. Okay.

[Co-host]

And then, as promised. As promised, we both saw one battle after another, the Paul Thomas Anderson movie. And I just. I was compelled to get up and go on Saturday, and I did. And I'm going to tell you what I think about that.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah, no, I'm looking forward to hearing your thoughts on it. I consumed it trying to look at it through a Dan Bernstein lens.

[Co-host]

Stop saying it like that. Why? Because that presumes that I'm weird or odd or like, oh, I guess I'll look at it instead of just sitting here and having fun. Just trust your own instincts.

[Dan Bernstein]

No, I do. And first of all, don't be so defensive.

[Co-host]

Well, the whole idea is because I've talked about the fun out of the movie.

[Dan Bernstein]

No, I see. That's you saying that, not me. What I said is that we. We consume movies differently. And it's not a negative thing. It's just the reality of how things are. And when I hear you talk about a movie, I see things that I normally wouldn't see when you talk about them. So I said, all right, let's take a different approach with this movie. I knew you were excited about it, so it's not a negative thing. Don't be so defensive about it. It's just I'm looking for different things I normally wouldn't look for. Normally I go to shut down and just consume and entertain me. If I'm not entertained, I didn't enjoy it. If I was entertained, I enjoyed it. So I looked for different things this time. That's all it was.

[Co-host]

Okay. I just. I think it's also a way to do it through multiple viewings where you can see it the first time and just let it wash over you.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah, no, I don't have that time. I don't have that time to do that.

[Co-host]

Things are too important and you're.

[Dan Bernstein]

I'm just.

[Co-host]

No, I'm not going to coach Matt. He's got. He's got film to break down.

[Dan Bernstein]

I'm lucky to get to see a movie like that. He's got things at the theater. There's too much going on.

[Co-host]

I got it. I got it.

[Dan Bernstein]

So that's all it was. Don't. Don't take it the wrong way. That's not what. That's not how I mean it. It's just trying to view it differently so that we can have a conversation where I understand where you're coming from. Looking for things I think you might pick out of a movie. That's all.

[Co-host]

That's fine. We will definitely get to that as we look at a Bears team that has found a couple of wins in unsustainable fashion. I don't think that's the one thing about this, that this is not as this is. It's great that they're two and two.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yes.

[Co-host]

A win on the road is a testament to everybody involved and the coaches and all of that. However, this is not a recipe for victory.

[Dan Bernstein]

No, it's not.

[Co-host]

It's. If you say we're going to allow 240 yards rushing and win a game for the first time since I was 10 years old, since 1979. It's the first time the Bears have allowed that many yards rushing and won a game. Wow. You can't do that.

[Dan Bernstein]

No, you can't.

[Co-host]

But this does stop the streak, right? Didn't we say.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yes, it does.

[Co-host]

That they were 0 and 23 when giving up. Was it 23 or more points or 24?

[Dan Bernstein]

I mean, 24 more points.

[Co-host]

24 or more.

[Dan Bernstein]

Oh, and 24 Owen 25 did it.

[Co-host]

They gave up 24 points and they still won.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah. So. And that's the thing. The way they've beat the Cowboys, the way they beat the Raiders and thanks to Geno Smith that wanted to throw interception after interception after interception. It's not a sustainable game plan and a way to run your offense or really have your defense function.

[Co-host]

They know it. You can't be this bad at running and stopping the run. That's the biggest problem.

[Dan Bernstein]

And win football games. But. But here's the thing. That's what the NFL is. We talked about this. They're in the Blob. They're blob teams. The Raiders and the Bears are blob teams. And we'll see at the end of the season how much higher on the Blob one team is over the other and that's where it is. And that's fine because you're progressing towards something better. You're. You hope. But this isn't like an offense that you're going to go out and replicate. This isn't the way you want your defense. Right. So it's like we're. We're not. Not happy. We are happy they won, but we also need to be intelligent and look at it with a critical eye.

[Co-host]

I think it is part of good coaching.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yes. That's what I said yesterday.

[Co-host]

I think it's part of good coaching to be a Blob team that wins your Blob games.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yes. I really do.

[Co-host]

I think that you can separate yourself from other teams just by making the handful of plays in one of these games that decides win or loss or in the case of last night, tie. So it's good. I think the best thing to come out of the game is the coaching staff having the confidence to bench their incumbent starting left tackle.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yep.

[Co-host]

He was. He was benched. And now we will see two moves.

[Dan Bernstein]

They made two moves.

[Co-host]

They made two moves because they thought that Theo Benedict would be a much better bet at left tackle than Ozzy Tripillo would be. But now you got to decide. And this is what I want to see from here. Is Braxton Jones the swing tackle or is he inactive? Because that becomes a possibility, too. I don't know if they want Braxton Jones to fill in at either spot. Maybe the move would be Darnell Wright moves over and Trappillo comes in at left like this is. This has all got to be sorted out.

[Dan Bernstein]

Braxton Jones was benched.

[Co-host]

He was benched.

[Dan Bernstein]

He was benched yesterday.

[Co-host]

He was benched from the starting position and what is. But is he demoted to swing tackle? Everybody healthy?

[Dan Bernstein]

What's. What's the best way to beat Braxton Jones?

[Co-host]

Power.

[Dan Bernstein]

Power.

[Co-host]

And what's the. Hard on the right side? What are you usually facing up against a speed guy on the right side. Power off in the power.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah, Power guy on the right side. So it just, it doesn't make sense to me that you would. You would. You would bench him in the middle of a game and then say, all right, you're our backup on either side. That just doesn't make sense to me now. I mean, what's the other options? What else do you do, you know, is Darnell, right, the guy that you can move either side? I'm more comfortable with that, honestly, than Braxton Jones. I am. But can Donald, right, stay healthy enough to do that? And then what's. What's beyond Darnell Wright, you know? Yeah, I know. It's. It's a. It's a tricky situation, but again, really good job in the coaching staff to make that adjustment. Isaac Trillo may not have. He may not. I'm not sure how he graded out how he scored, but there was a difference in what Max Crosby was able to do from the third quarter. About midway through the fourth quarter, I.

[Co-host]

Want the record to reflect, too, that Shamar Turner, defensive tackle, rookie, also got in the game and was involved in some of those key run stops late that forced the 54 yard field goal. That was really interesting because as bad as the Bears run defense was all game, those stops at the end on those last few plays, when you started looking at Ashton Genti, second and six, gets three, they ended up on. It was a third and two. They called it. It was a negative one yard. Those mattered, those plays at the end, specifically forcing him back a yard before the field goal attempt.

[Dan Bernstein]

Right. That's Kevin Byard who did that. Made that tackle on third and two, forced him back, which made the field goal a little bit longer, which helps, you know, Blackwell make that block.

[Co-host]

And Turner was in. Shamar Turner was. Was playing.

[Dan Bernstein]

So Kevin Byard, I just want to point out, hell of a game. Two interceptions, had that huge tackle at the end there to force a longer field goal.

[Co-host]

Yeah. Missed the tackle on the long tackle.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah. Ashton Genti kind of. I'm going to grab and then just slide down your legs and you can just kick out and keep going.

[Co-host]

Well, even though Genti's a little dude.

[Dan Bernstein]

Oh, he's powerful.

[Co-host]

The legs don't stop and. And he showed that last night. I don't think byard approached that in the wrong way because that is what you're supposed to do is grab the waist, slide down and then wrap up and, and, and roll.

[Dan Bernstein]

He just, he broke out of it. You saw him kick his legs up and keep, keep his feet moving. A couple times he got the ball in the backfield and just disappeared in the blob of bodies and then came out because he's so tiny. He's so little. Watching. I mean, you made that comment and then watching it. The first time when he stepped out, I was like, my God, it's like a child out there.

[Co-host]

The first time I saw him, I said, oh my God, that's Ashton Genty. Yeah, but the low center of gravity.

[Dan Bernstein]

No, he runs really well. And a couple times I said, you know, gets lost in the blob and then pops out because those legs never stop running. So yeah, Bayard had the one missed tackle on the long run. I think still the longest NFL touchdown run this season from anyone. But had those two interceptions playing center field and is reading what Geno Smith was doing. One thing I will point out about Caleb Williams, he didn't look very comfortable. He missed some throws, again, inconsistent, but did enough to win the game on the road, which is key. Also, more importantly, unlike Geno Smith, Caleb Williams didn't hurt his team and allow the Raiders to take this game from the Bears. Geno Smith gave that game away and that was really, really surprising with the veteran that he is and how he's thrown the ball around the field so far this year. Those two picks to buy it is unacceptable.

[Co-host]

Well, especially the second one that was the same. Misread.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yes.

[Co-host]

The whole idea of a veteran quarterback doesn't make the same mistake twice.

[Dan Bernstein]

Well, not last night.

[Co-host]

You saw him make the same mistake twice. Same guy reading his eyes exactly the same way. And I thought the Bears were the better coached team.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yes, agreed. Even absolutely.

[Co-host]

The great ageless Pete Carroll, I don't think he had a great day yesterday.

[Dan Bernstein]

And the interception that Caleb threw was just a hell of a play for Max Crosby. And that's the book right there we're seeing right now is like, you know, on Caleb Williams, just jump up. That ball is going to be low coming out of his hands.

[Co-host]

A reminder that we're going to go in depth with all things Bears on forward progress today, including all of the injury updates we get from Hallis hall, all the sound that we get and we're going to probably hear what the plan is for. How much reward do you get for winning these two games? How much time off is there going to be and how much requirement is there going to be? Hey that. Not yet boys. Congratulations.

[Dan Bernstein]

I think he booked suites in Vegas and said stay. Yeah, hang out for the week and.

[Co-host]

I'd have a few drinks.

[Dan Bernstein]

They deserve it. They beat the Raiders.

[Co-host]

Hey, you know the one guy in the group chat that hits a five leg parlay week one speaking of Vegas and doesn't shut up about it the rest of the season. It could be you because my bookie makes it ridiculously easy to get in on the action. College ball, NFL super contest, survivor pools, whatever you like to do, however you like to do it. All the spreads, the in game lines, the player props. I like the player props. It's all you want, all under one roof. If you are new to my bookie, don't forget to use our code. It's DBU for Dan Bernstein, unfiltered. Any bet you choose up to $500 is fully covered. You make your play. If it doesn't hit, you get it right back. When you opt in using bet back bonus token, there is no better time to jump in. There is no better place to play. Football is back. So make some money. Let's all make some money with my bookie. And don't forget, we will be bringing you the Monday DBU picks. Also at the end of this show, I want to also say thanks to people who jumped on the special DBU yesterday on a whim. We just decided to do live. We, we did a DBU live on a Sunday morning. Matty texted me, said hey, you want to go on and do a thing? Sure, let's do a thing. So be ready for that. The only way to do that is to make sure you set alerts for things like that. And you can configure that when you subscribe.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah, and what you have to do is subscribe to both DBU and forward progress. So do both. So that way you're not confused about why are they on now and where's the well, post game is always forward progress. But if you subscribe to both channels, you'll have all the alerts you need. So make it real simple on yourself.

[Co-host]

The Chicago Cubs and the San Diego Padres will begin their series at Wrigley Field tomorrow. The Cubs have home field advantage in the situation and I wanted to look at the final fan graphs, numbers to let us have some conclusions here about what the Cubs have been. Before we get into this matchup with the Padres, usually you say a playoff team or a champion's got to have three five win players on there. The Cubs only had one this year amazingly. Pete Crow Armstrong finishes the year 5.4 WAR. Just a brilliant season should get MVP votes. He was a positive in runs above average as a baserunner, an offensive player and as one of the best overall defensive players in the entire game. Look at Nico Horner 4.8 WAR also a plus in all three categories measured offense, defense and base running which is pretty spectacular especially considering the defensive value of a second baseman. Kyle Tucker with all the time that he missed. He missed 26 games and finished at four and a half wins above replacements. Certainly worth the investment. You hope it pays off in the playoffs now. Michael Bush at 3.5. Ward Dansby Swanson3.3 Ian Happ with a bit of a down year so it upturned late. He had 2.8. Carson Kelly 2.6 war. Say a Suzuki 2.6 war. Can you name the Cubs best offensive player? Who is the most productive offensive player on the Cubs by weighted runs created.

[Dan Bernstein]

Plus most productive.

[Co-host]

And it's. It's really not that close. Well, I guess it is with by weighted runs created plus it is but this guy was remarkable. Michael Bush I wasn't a guest Bush.

[Dan Bernstein]

I should have just said it.

[Co-host]

Michael Bush 140 WRC plus which is pretty awesome. And even though Moises by Asteros in limited time at a 143, I am not counting him. Kyle Tucker came in at 136Pet Crow Armstrong 109, Horner 109HAP 116Carson Kelly 115 with that hot start say a Suzuki 123. Miguel Amaya limited time with a 124 WRC plus. So great work from that end. As far as the pitching goes, Matthew Boyd was the most valuable pitcher at 3.4 wins above replacement Kate Horton at 2.2 despite being their ace pitcher and now having the fractured rib that's going to keep him out of this series. Now I say this every year, but it is really important that I say this now and really important that this is understood. Other anybody who is saying otherwise, anybody who is selling you something other than what I'm about to tell you is going to make you dumber and this is all you need to know. The most important aspect once you reach the playoffs is good fortune. It's luck, it's variance. It is whatever you want to call it. Very little that happened in the regular season in the last six months has any bearing whatsoever on what's going to happen now in a Short series, you can throw it all out the window. The 162 determines who the best players are, who the best teams are. It gives you an enormous single season sample.

[Dan Bernstein]

It's a ticket to the dance.

[Co-host]

Now none of that stuff matters.

[Dan Bernstein]

Correct.

[Co-host]

Variance rules everything. Now hit it over the fence. Strike people out. Ball go far, team, go far. Joe sheehan said that 20 years ago. Hit it over the fence. Think good things are going to happen. Prevent the other team from hitting it over the fence and turn ground balls, turn balls in play into outs. The defense matters now. That's why I think the Cubs have a good shot. They have a great defense. They don't have any bad defenders anywhere. And they have a couple of superior defenders out there. The Cubs defense is really, really good and that keeps them in this. But nothing is predictive. And this is also really important. Just listen to this and heed this. Being hot going into the playoffs doesn't matter. It has no effect on anything. It doesn't matter how well this guy's got to. He's got to be in a groove going into the playoffs. It can flip off like a switch. And it happens. And it does happen. Please understand that regardless, say a Suzuki is hitting the hell out of the ball. Ian Happ is playing great. It doesn't matter once the playoffs start, it doesn't matter. Momentum is tomorrow's starting pitcher Vin Scully. And more and more and more momentum is the quality of the other team's bullpen. Now that all the high leverage bullpen arms can matter almost every single game. That's all that matters now. All that matters is now the variance. Can your good players be good? If you want to say that that clutch is the opposite of choke. There is just. If good players can be themselves and if bad players can be less bad and mediocre players can be good, you can go win the World Series.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah, you can. Anyone can win. And all 12 teams right now have a shot to win. You just have to go out and perform. And I just, you know, it's really simple. Ball, go far, team, go far. It's just. It's the easiest way to put it out there. The Cubs have three home games at Wrigley. All afternoon games with beautiful temperatures and.

[Co-host]

Sunshine the next three days and some east winds. That was the other thing I was looking at. And it's the one thing about being a local fisherman that I tend. I tend to be. Because they matter. That and I can't. Again, there's variants in that too, that I have. I've Learned to live with. But for the most part, there are. There are certain rules about what the winds do and where. So if I start looking at some of the forecasts here. Tuesday, northeast wind, 10 to 15 miles an hour.

[Dan Bernstein]

Okay.

[Co-host]

That means the wind is blowing straight in. Wednesday, east wind, 10 to 15 miles an hour. That means it's coming in from right field, but you should be okay with left field. Thursday, East Southeast wins. So that's good. That means blowing out from the right foul pole to the left foul pole. That's. That is Thursday and Friday, south wins.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah, well, they want the play or they know. Is it. Is it Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday? Right.

[Co-host]

I'm just saying in case there's a rain out. In case. In case something happens. I'm just giving you the wind patterns because that's really key for Wrigley Field. And if you are, if you like to wager, if you start looking at overs and others, that's. It's the wind patterns that define how Wrigley plays.

[Dan Bernstein]

So you mentioned Pico Armstrong had a 30, 30 season. 30 home runs, 30 stolen bases. The second Chicago Cubs player to ever do that. The other was any guess, Sammy Sosa. Sammy Sosa is correct. We're looking through. There are six major league baseball teams that have never had a 30, 30 guy.

[Co-host]

I wouldn't even know where to begin.

[Dan Bernstein]

Wouldn't know where to begin. But I'm just. I'm just going to tell you. The Cardinals have never had a 30, 30 guy.

[Co-host]

Okay.

[Dan Bernstein]

The closest was Ray Langford in 98. 31 home runs, 26 stolen bases.

[Co-host]

My guy for the Open for the Midwest League. Good dude.

[Dan Bernstein]

The Padres have never had a 30, 30 guy. Will Myers, 2016. 28 home runs, 28 stolen bases. The Rays have never had a 30, 30 guy. B.J. upton was the closest in 2012. 28 home runs, 31 stolen bases. The Tigers have never had a 30, 30guy. 1985. Kirk Gibson, 29 home runs, 30 stolen bases. Which is bizarre that he had the bases and not the home runs.

[Co-host]

Wow. Okay.

[Dan Bernstein]

The Twins have never had a 30, 30 guy. Corey Koski, 2001. 26 home runs, 27 stolen bases. And the last the six team to have never had a 3030 guy. Your Chicago White Sox.

[Co-host]

And the closest was 24 years ago. 30. I'm trying to think. It said Tim Rains wasn't ever close. Ray Durham never. No.

[Dan Bernstein]

Who 2001. Maglio 30. 30 steals, 31 and 25. 31 home runs, 25 stolen bases.

[Co-host]

Wow. Okay. I didn't know he Was that close? Good for him. Your White Sox leader in WAR this year, can you name him?

[Dan Bernstein]

Minecraft.

[Co-host]

Colson Montgomery. Oh man. 2.6 wins above replacement. A nice year certainly at age 23 is on track to be a pretty damn good baseball player. He ended up with a WRC plus of 129 to lead the team over Kyle Thiel's 125. Kyle Thiel at 1.9. War. The other material players, Miguel Vargas, 1.4 Chase My Droth, the man you call Minecraft at 1.3. As far as the pitchers go, you had Shane Smith at 2.2 and then the now departed Adrian Hauser. I mean he's not dead, he's just out of the team anymore at 1.7. So they improved by 19 games, 19 wins.

[Dan Bernstein]

That's great.

[Co-host]

It is. That is a lot.

[Dan Bernstein]

Really, really good.

[Co-host]

That's a lot. And I predicted that. I thought. I didn't know there'd be that big a number, but I knew they'd be better because they went from bad, unlucky and stupid to bad, less stupid and slightly less unlucky.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah.

[Co-host]

And that was the difference. That, that.

[Dan Bernstein]

No, that's a huge. That's a huge flip.

[Co-host]

It really is season. So it really is.

[Dan Bernstein]

Congratulations on that.

[Co-host]

It might be hard to get excited. This is the buy the dip time. Well, last year was the buy the dip time. But as a fan, if you're actually, if you've been ignoring the White Sox and maybe you went to a few games this year and you got to eat well, have the entire park to yourself if you wanted, you could probably go to the bathroom and use every urinal for every trip if you wanted. If that kind of thing floats your boat. But this was the year to say, hey, I was there to see Colson Montgomery establish himself as a major league player and as a rightfully ranked prospect for actually doing some of what he did. The dude swings hard and when he hits the ball it does go far. So he plays an important position. He's going to be a build around type of player. So go ahead and you know, buy yourself a poster. Buy yourself. If you want to go get yourself a go to Sox fest and get a game worn Colson Montgomery jersey and say that you got it when, when you could go ahead. No one's going to begrudge you.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah. And you certainly can get out to the rate. The rate guaranteed rate field or the rate.

[Co-host]

No, it's just rate field, rate field.

[Dan Bernstein]

You can certainly get out there and always great opportunities for good ticket prices and food options and beer options, if you're into that. So it's always a good time to get out and watch a baseball game. Plus, I like going there just because of the parking.

[Co-host]

It just.

[Dan Bernstein]

It's just so easy to get in, get out. It's just like. Going down to Wrigley is such a hassle. That's why we like going up to. Up to brewers games when the Cubs are there.

[Co-host]

Wrigley's not a hassle for me. You just walk.

[Dan Bernstein]

Well, I know. Okay. It's not a hassle for you, right? Yeah. I basically live in Southern Wisconsin, so.

[Co-host]

Why don't you just park in front of my house?

[Dan Bernstein]

Well, because you never let me. Remember that one time I showed up and you're like, hell, no. Get off my lawn. And I was like, okay.

[Co-host]

And I called Immigration and Border Patrol.

[Dan Bernstein]

ICE was chasing me.

[Co-host]

Oh, did you see them chase the guy on the bike?

[Dan Bernstein]

I did not.

[Co-host]

Okay.

[Dan Bernstein]

I did not. I saw your video, though, and I'm walking down Wacker.

[Co-host]

They're on Wacker.

[Dan Bernstein]

Okay.

[Co-host]

They're on Wacker. And a delivery guy, like a. Like an Uber eats or something. Whatever. A delivery guy. And they weren't even looking. Some guy, one of the ICE guys yells and get him. It was awful. Like, they just saw a brown guy on a bike and they yelled, get him. And all these big fat fucks go chasing after him. The guy turns on his bike, goes through them, and people are cheering him on, and they're all. They're huffing and puffing after him, and.

[Dan Bernstein]

The guy got away, so just called him out for.

[Co-host]

Just called him out for being brown.

[Dan Bernstein]

Okay.

[Co-host]

Watch the video. It reminds me, you know, the famous.

[Dan Bernstein]

I'll pull it up.

[Co-host]

You know, the video of the lizard running away from the snakes on the island? I think there's a version of Marshawn Lynch.

[Dan Bernstein]

I'll go take a look at it.

[Co-host]

Yeah, there's a famous, like, Blue Earth or whatever it is of David Attenborough and the lizard running away from all of these snakes. And you're rooting for the lizard. Yeah, that's exactly. Exactly what this was. The guy was like, all. He was on his bike delivering something, and they literally turn and they see a brown person, and somebody yells, get him. And one of the guys with his big, you know, Kevlar vest is wearing a cowboy hat. A big white cowboy hat.

[Dan Bernstein]

Boy, it was great.

[Co-host]

Yeah.

[Dan Bernstein]

No, I saw a video today. Walking in. I walked past cbs, and they always. They have the giant outside screen, and they're showing whatever is on. And the other day I saw Mary Kay Kleist almighty doing the weather. But they had. They had video of the ice guys, and I saw the guys in a bro. And then there was guys marching down wacker with their. With their vests on. And I know their masks, and I didn't see the cowboy hat.

[Co-host]

It was right here. Like, we can see that spot from our vantage point here. Like, thank you for. For popping in and protecting everybody from street vendors.

[Dan Bernstein]

Right. Going after the worst of the worst.

[Co-host]

Popsicle guy. Got it. Because that popsicle guy was. He was a bad hombre.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah. College loan forgiveness and 50 grand bonus. So you can protect us.

[Co-host]

There you go.

[Dan Bernstein]

Now.

[Co-host]

Now, I know how excited you are about the Bulls roster, but let me tell you first about Chicago Window Guys and Russ Armstrong, the owner of Chicago window guys. He was out at the house. He's going to be doing another series of windows in my home because, oh, my God, we need it. And you can really tell the difference. And I'm telling you from my experience, the room where we spend all our time was the first one that Russ did. And that room just.

[Dan Bernstein]

That's the bedroom.

[Co-host]

No, not in my old age. But this room, our main kitchen, great room area where everybody is and we watch tv. And this is. I mean, even if I'm in the kitchen, I can see the tv. That room has all Chicago window guys windows all the way around. And it cost me less to heat it and cool it just because the windows are so much better.

[Dan Bernstein]

That's huge.

[Co-host]

And they even. They slide better, they work better. They're just better. And now he's going to do the upstairs. And you should have Russ out, too. He comes over, he'll give you the estimate. All the windows locally made here in Chicago, there's no subcontracted labor. That's important. The crew works for us. So the same people that install my windows are the people gonna be installing your windows. So don't forget. I know it's gonna be 90 degrees out today, but it's gonna be cold soon. It's coming. So don't wait. Replace those old windows. So call Russ and maybe it's just like we do. You can do it in phases. If it's a bedroom, if it's the main room, whatever you wanna do right now, he can do. And he's gonn price you don't worry about all these gimmicks that you hear about. So whether your windows are old, cracked, falling apart, or broken, or you just want new ones Good ones. Russ at 847-302-9171 chicagowindowguys.com 847-302-9171 There's 5 star reviews you can check out at chicagowindowguys dot com so here it is, the reveal.

[Dan Bernstein]

All right, the Bulls roster.

[Co-host]

The big reveal. Now I'm hoping when we talk about the Bulls, I am hoping soon to have an official announcement for you if you are a Bulls fan about something Special here at 312Sports. So keep listening for that. Here's the roster. Tell me what you think.

[Dan Bernstein]

Okay.

[Co-host]

Okay. They got 19 players in camp. Camp begins tomorrow. It goes through October 5th. The preseason opener is going to be against the Cavaliers on October 7th. These are the invites to camp. Kobe White, Emmanuel Miller. Okay, that's a two way contract. Josh Giddy. Javon Carter, still here. Dale and Terry. Yuki Kawamura, he's so much fun. Listed at 581-5-9. No way. He's five, eight. Nikola Vucevic, Ayodesumu, Zach Collins, Kevin Herder, Matas Bouzelis, Julian Phillips, Mamadou Gaye, who is here on a camp contract. Noah sang like overnight camp just here in camp. Noah Senge, you're the rookie. Jalen Smith, Tre Jones, Isaac Okoro, Patrick Williams, and as a two way player, Lachlan Ulbricht, the Australian strongman.

[Dan Bernstein]

Okay.

[Co-host]

Pretty much all he can do is run into people.

[Dan Bernstein]

All right.

[Co-host]

All right. Yeah. So what.

[Dan Bernstein]

So what did you want me to do?

[Co-host]

Feel something? Nothing. I know you're not Mr. NBA. No, that I'm going to be handling most of.

[Dan Bernstein]

The.

[Co-host]

Most of the round ball stuff is going to be on me.

[Dan Bernstein]

But.

[Co-host]

Yeah.

[Dan Bernstein]

I mean, I'll watch games now because of this. So thank you.

[Co-host]

The good news is the east is wide open.

[Dan Bernstein]

Okay, well, keep telling yourself that.

[Co-host]

It really is.

[Dan Bernstein]

I know. I'm just saying. Keep telling yourself.

[Co-host]

I am.

[Dan Bernstein]

I just heard you read the roster.

[Co-host]

I'm going to keep telling myself that. But this is this. Yeah, we'll see if Josh Giddey can play like he did in the second half of last year.

[Dan Bernstein]

How many superstars are on this team?

[Co-host]

None.

[Dan Bernstein]

Okay.

[Co-host]

Zero.

[Dan Bernstein]

Okay.

[Co-host]

There's zero superstars on this team. That's. That is the correct, honest answer. That's the unfiltered answer. All right, Zero. But if you're looking at the next tier of really good NBA players who can affect a game, Kobe, White, maybe Matas Bouzelis.

[Dan Bernstein]

Okay, so one for sure.

[Co-host]

And second half Giddy, if you get that. Josh Giddy, who's averaging near a triple double. He was putting up LeBron numbers without the defense.

[Dan Bernstein]

So that probably gets you out of the play in tournament.

[Co-host]

No.

[Dan Bernstein]

In the playoffs. Or does it keep you in the.

[Co-host]

In the play in. Unless something weird happens in the east, moves to be made by the deadline, see if they can move Vuchevic out of there because he's bad.

[Dan Bernstein]

You got one guy that is the second tier NBA player and you have one guy that put up LeBron like numbers and you hope he can do that again and it still gets you in the same spot you're in now.

[Co-host]

Unless Modest Boozelis takes another jump, which is possible.

[Dan Bernstein]

Does that get you out of the play in tournament?

[Co-host]

Maybe.

[Dan Bernstein]

Okay.

[Co-host]

Because of the condition of the East.

[Dan Bernstein]

Okay. Yeah. So you need two of your guys to play well above their norm. Their average. What we know them to play like one guy to stay consistent. And you may get out of the play in tournament.

[Co-host]

Correct.

[Dan Bernstein]

Okay. No, that's a. I mean, that's a good, good, good preseason evaluation of where they're at. Can't wait. When's the first game?

[Co-host]

The first preseason game is October 7th.

[Dan Bernstein]

October 7th. So that's coming up because next week's the 3rd, 4th. Right. Friday, somewhere around there this week. Maybe a Monday. Is that October 7th is a Monday maybe. Sound Right.

[Co-host]

All right, here we go.

[Dan Bernstein]

All right. I'll be. I'll watch. I'm going to watch. I'm going to watch games with you. I'm excited. We'll go. We'll go to a Bulls game together. That's what we'll do. We'll do it.

[Co-host]

I'm down for. I'm going to go to multiple this year.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah, no, I'll go with you.

[Co-host]

I'm going to go to multiple.

[Dan Bernstein]

It's fun.

[Co-host]

I've been told we're welcomed. I have been instructed by the Bulls media department.

[Dan Bernstein]

That's good. No, that's good.

[Co-host]

They just said, hey, that's great. Yeah, they're not. They're not. No, they've been.

[Dan Bernstein]

They've been emailing and doing things. So thank you. Appreciate that very much.

[Co-host]

Very receptive to 312 sports. And we appreciate their receptiveness. And I, I at least am going to be enthusiastically covering your Chicago Bulls.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah. And I'll. I'll be watching.

[Co-host]

You'll be watching me or you'll be watching.

[Dan Bernstein]

Well, watching you talk about it, but no, I'll watch games.

[Co-host]

Keeping a close eye on me.

[Dan Bernstein]

I will watch games. I want to see if they can get out of the play in Tournament.

[Co-host]

Okay. All right.

[Dan Bernstein]

I'm excited about it.

[Co-host]

So I want the record to reflect on this for everybody who says, why don't you talk about this? Why don't you talk about that? We have covered on this very episode, Bears, Cubs, socks, white socks. Yeah.

[Dan Bernstein]

And Bulls.

[Co-host]

And Bulls.

[Dan Bernstein]

Oh, my.

[Co-host]

Now, I have not watched Blackhawks training camp. I have not seen the stylings of new coach Jeff Blash. Blasphel. Blashel. It's spelled Blashiel. Okay. By all accounts, he's an old TV guy. No, that's Jeff Blansey.

[Dan Bernstein]

Oh, he's not the coach?

[Co-host]

No.

[Dan Bernstein]

Okay, so it's not Jeff Blansey.

[Co-host]

It is not.

[Dan Bernstein]

Okay, hang on, let me fix.

[Co-host]

Yeah, note that. Note that. So we shall see where they are with Frank Nazar and Connor Bedard and.

[Dan Bernstein]

Frank Nazar, old score producer.

[Co-host]

No. Who are you thinking of?

[Dan Bernstein]

Oh, I think DJ Nozar.

[Co-host]

Who's that?

[Dan Bernstein]

Wasn't he an old score producer? He worked the morning show. I think you said Frank Nazar.

[Co-host]

Yeah. Wouldn't know DJ Nozar if he walked in. That wasn't the guy who used to sleep on the floor.

[Dan Bernstein]

No, no, no, no. He was good. This guy was good.

[Co-host]

What was the guy? No, the guy used to sleep on the floor. He had the curly hair.

[Dan Bernstein]

That's my guy.

[Co-host]

The Italian guy, Sal was Sal Strezzo?

[Dan Bernstein]

Yes, it was a sigh.

[Co-host]

Sigh. Strezzo.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah.

[Co-host]

Yes.

[Dan Bernstein]

He worked at a restaurant, and the restaurant was called Size, and the owner didn't want people to think he was the owner, so he made him change his name tag to Sal.

[Co-host]

That's hilarious. The worst thing that could possibly happen if somebody thinks that kid's the owner.

[Dan Bernstein]

I still. I still. I've kept in touch with Size. Size. Really? He's a good dude. Yeah, he's a good dude.

[Co-host]

What's he doing?

[Dan Bernstein]

I used to come in. He's doing sales, and I used to.

[Co-host]

Come in to do Sal with sales.

[Dan Bernstein]

The morning show. Well, the early morning show. And he was doing overnights, and so we'd always interact and, you know, he'd help out with some production stuff, but.

[Co-host]

He'D be lying on the floor like he was dead.

[Dan Bernstein]

Well, he was sleeping. It was overnight, like, right on the.

[Co-host]

Floor in the middle.

[Dan Bernstein]

He would go under the. He would go under the board? Yeah.

[Co-host]

No, he was in my office, and.

[Dan Bernstein]

Then he had a video game system he'd bring with him, hook it up to the tv, play overnight. So. No, dude, he worked overnights. Like, I know, but, man, he's lucky he didn't like, throw himself out a window.

[Co-host]

But. But just like. Like, I thought I came in. I thought it was a body in there.

[Dan Bernstein]

And then he. He worked at Dublin's when I had my. My apartment right there at Newberry Plaza, which is right in the parking lot. So we'd go in and have a couple beers and see him. But, yeah, he's a good dude. Good dude, but. So Frank Nazar is a hockey player.

[Co-host]

Yeah.

[Dan Bernstein]

Okay, so DJ Nozar was an old producer, not the same guy. And Jeff Blansey is not the head coach of the Blackhawks. Correct. Okay.

[Co-host]

Correct. So there.

[Dan Bernstein]

Got it.

[Co-host]

Now, there's your hockey thoughts.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yes, hockey.

[Co-host]

There will be. I'll have some, though. I will. I'm actually going to have some hockey thoughts.

[Dan Bernstein]

You're not going to, like, do nuts and bolts and break stuff down, are you?

[Co-host]

Oh, and F1 enters the zone, F2 comes back, begins cycling the puck from corner beneath the goal line. And then if the D1 to D2 must have D to D passing. I can do some of that.

[Dan Bernstein]

He did the Bears game yesterday.

[Co-host]

D to D passing.

[Dan Bernstein]

Oh, D to D passing.

[Co-host]

Not Spirodidis.

[Dan Bernstein]

My bad.

[Co-host]

Boy, was that broadcast. Okay, Can I just address something real quick?

[Dan Bernstein]

Yes, please do, because I was hoping you were going to.

[Co-host]

Yesterday there were several commenters saying, well, why doesn't Bernstein talk about how awful that broadcast was? Of course it was awful. They have, like, three cameras. It's the D level CBS broadcast. It's not gonna be good. They don't have the cameras. They don't have the computing power. They don't have the good truck. Be happy they got mic flags. Be happy that they've headsets that work. I don't expect anything out of a broadcast where they just. They don't have the resources or the bandwidth to do what the top broadcast do.

[Dan Bernstein]

On Friday, you mentioned who the broadcast team was, and I. You lost me at Spirodides.

[Co-host]

He's fine.

[Dan Bernstein]

No, he's fine. But I didn't hear you say Adam Archuleta.

[Co-host]

I did.

[Dan Bernstein]

I know you did, but I didn't hear it. And then when they go to the broadcast and I missed. I must have missed their introduction or seeing them, and he kept calling him Arch. And I was like, who the hell is this guy Arch? Like, I was trying to figure out who Arch was. I didn't know it was Adam Marceletta until they went to the actual. They showed them in the booth.

[Co-host]

He's got a little Adam Harris in him, doesn't he?

[Dan Bernstein]

He does a little bit Young, handsome looking guy.

[Co-host]

He's not as good looking as Adam Harris, though.

[Dan Bernstein]

Very. No, he's very, very handsome fella.

[Co-host]

Yeah, but no, Adam. Adam Harris. Because he. Adam Harris still looks like he's 12, even though he does it. Was he 40 now?

[Dan Bernstein]

He's not that old.

[Co-host]

He's probably pushing 40. I don't think so.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah, no, he's a good man living a good life.

[Co-host]

He's not a good man, but he's.

[Dan Bernstein]

Probably looks very happy. Very happy in life.

[Co-host]

I would say close. He's mid-30s.

[Dan Bernstein]

Talked to Adam a couple weeks ago.

[Co-host]

Yeah.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah, good. But, yeah, So I didn't. I didn't know it was arch, but, you know, whatever. It's just they're. To me, they're better than Tom Brady. I'll be honest with you.

[Co-host]

Well, I saw the ad again, telling me he knows football.

[Dan Bernstein]

Oh, is he going to people's houses?

[Co-host]

Go to people's houses.

[Dan Bernstein]

Ice. No, he has ice behind him. Knocks on the door.

[Co-host]

He's got the big fat bastards with.

[Dan Bernstein]

Their machine cowboy hats on.

[Co-host]

Get him. Yeah, get him.

[Dan Bernstein]

Like we have Tom Brady. Go first. That way they'll open the door that's selling popsicles.

[Co-host]

Get him. Hey, heard down the street there's a woman selling mangoes. Better send her to Costa Rica or somewhere.

[Dan Bernstein]

Well, the worst of the worst, man.

[Co-host]

Ship her away. Send her to Uganda. What was. What was the crime, Officer? Selling popsicles.

[Dan Bernstein]

Being brown.

[Co-host]

Being brown. Selling ice cream.

[Dan Bernstein]

That's the problem.

[Co-host]

Bastards.

[Dan Bernstein]

All right, so, yeah, it was a bad broadcast. You knew it was gonna be a bad broadcast going into it. But still better than Tom Brady.

[Co-host]

Yes, indeed. So Saturday I got up and I wasn't sure because I was not.

[Dan Bernstein]

You weren't sure if you were up?

[Co-host]

No, I was sure I was up, but I wasn't sure about one battle after another. I really like Paul Thomas Anderson. Boogie Nights is one of my favorite movies of all time. And I just think he is a unique filmmaker with a special talent. Not just the famous long tracking shots, but his ability to understand when the camera finds moments of truth and how to get the best out of actors, how to get the best out of ensembles, sometimes in these sprawling efforts. And I said, all right, if he's directing, I'm gonna see it. But I saw the trailers and I'm like, oh, no, this. He's out of his element. This just doesn't look right. And then people said, hey, you gotta go see this movie. So I did, and I bought my ticket. I got a senior ticket. Got my dollar off.

[Dan Bernstein]

What's the. Is it 55?

[Co-host]

I don't know. What are they gonna do? Check?

[Dan Bernstein]

Well, no, I've been saying.

[Co-host]

Is it the 15 year old scanning my phone isn't gonna card me. So you saved a do get a senior ticket. Sure, why not? And I got my seat. The one thing. It's almost a three hour movie.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yes.

[Co-host]

And including previews, it is three hours. So my worry is especially. I was worried about falling asleep. No coffee. Because usually I drink a lot of coffee in the morning.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah, pee your pants.

[Co-host]

And I'm on a diuretic. So I'm like, all right, I'm gonna do espresso. I'm just gonna do really intense coffee with less liquid. He's my guy who brings the coffee.

[Dan Bernstein]

Less liquid.

[Co-host]

Yeah, less liquid comes over to make my espresso.

[Dan Bernstein]

He's your barista.

[Co-host]

Yeah, write him down. So the. And I just said, all right, I'm just going to go to the bathroom even if I don't have to go to the bathroom because I don't want to get up in the middle of the movie. I don't want to miss anything. This is what happens when you're old. You got to time these things out. And I thought that this movie was fantastic. It was two hours and 50 minutes. That felt like a blink to me. The movie was. Oh. I said, oh, my God. That. That was. That was it. It's over already. From the moment this movie starts, the energy that propels you through here, not just the. The way it's edited, the. The overall pacing, it never relents, even in the quiet moments. Driven by a remarkable score.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah. Unbelievable.

[Co-host]

By Radiohead guitarist Johnny Greenwood. Is that his name?

[Dan Bernstein]

Sure.

[Co-host]

It's a spartan use of single instruments and skeletal piano and guitar and tones that carries this movie that just. And what I love.

[Dan Bernstein]

That's correct.

[Co-host]

Johnny Greenwood. Really the score is so important in this film. But I know there's a list actors in this. But some of the most significant performances are by people I had to look up. Leonardo DiCaprio was wonderful. Sean Penn will get a nomination for this movie.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yep. He better for supporting.

[Co-host]

Yes, he will get a supporting nomination because he's absolutely brilliant. The timeliness of the film, what it has to say, it's coming at a time when it's desperately needed, but it's not preachy. One thing about PTA is there's not. He's not like didactic, but it is saying more than it feels like it's trying to say. And much like Tarantino and Much like the Coen brothers at their best. This movie doesn't tell you whether or not to laugh. There are no cues. There are some wonderfully comic moments, painfully comic moments, darkly so. But you're not instructed. Laugh if you feel like laughing. There are some explosive shock laughs. There are some nervous laughs. It is a black comedy. It is also an absolute rip roaring, non stop adventure with one of the greatest car chases that I've ever seen.

[Dan Bernstein]

Filmed the way that was filmed.

[Co-host]

Unbelievable.

[Dan Bernstein]

Unbelievable. And capturing that location and deciding to use that location was just fucking phenomenal.

[Co-host]

And the foreshadowing, like, there are. There are two moments in the movie, and I will not spoil these, and I'm sure there are more if I saw it again. There are two moments of foreshadowing where he tells you something is coming, but when it happens, it's still so spectacular that you don't see it coming in the way that it does.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah.

[Co-host]

One is hilarious, the other is just awesome. But I would put this. I've always thought that the. My favorite car chases just off the top of my head were the Steve McQueen movie bullet.

[Dan Bernstein]

Okay.

[Co-host]

The Tarantino movie Death Proof with the muscle car chase and French Connection. This one is right up there. It's a little shorter, but the. It is so uniquely filmed.

[Dan Bernstein]

That's what it is. It's. It's the uniqueness in the filming that is just. It's unbelievable.

[Co-host]

Never, never seen anything like that. That kind of terrain used in this.

[Dan Bernstein]

It was great, just great.

[Co-host]

And there's even a little bit of Bugs Bunny, roadrunner in it pretty much. You know what I mean? Like, there's something cartoony.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah, no, because there's. There's a. There's a comical approach to it with a very tense, a very, very intense type feeling and emotion without giving away the scene. But the drivers in it, it just. It's. It's really. It's very tense. I want to give a mention to Teyana Taylor.

[Co-host]

Oh, just a ball of fire.

[Dan Bernstein]

Regina hall, obviously, just always fantastic. And Chase Infinity. Those three women, unbelievable in the film. I mean, outside of, you know, you have Leo, you have Sean Penn, Benisa Del Toro. Those three women were just phenomenal. The writing, the acting was great. So I'm glad you mentioned the car chase, because that was one. I was like, all right, Bernstein's on this. I mean, it's just like, it really gets you this.

[Co-host]

I see what you're doing with your hand, because I felt like I was in the car and I was. You know, they talk about the Edge of your seat. Like, I was literally grabbing the hand rest. I was almost standing up.

[Dan Bernstein]

And one of the theaters where, you know, all the theaters now where your feet can go up, they can. You can recline, right. Mine are down. My feet are on the ground. I'. And I'm just like, the whole time. Yep. Going with it.

[Co-host]

I was like, come on. No, Right. I felt like I was like, almost in a boat. Like, in a boat. And then I was like, oh, what? Like hitting waves.

[Dan Bernstein]

And then back to the music, though, too, because more so than just the original score and the single instruments was the song choices that we had the soundtrack of. It was so great. And it. It got me at first because there's the. The first song they do it in, Sean Penn is still talking, so there's dialogue, and they have lyrical soundtracks still underneath him. Where normally I would be like, oh, that's annoying. Like, why is that? Why is there still singing when he's like, there's dialogue happening here. But it all. It all just worked together. And they did that throughout. Throughout the movie where the soundtrack continues while there's dialogue, but it's just down enough to add to the scene and not distract from the talking. So it was really good. Really, really good. So I appreciate that about it and the car chase, too. But it was funny when I didn't expect it to be funny, which was great.

[Co-host]

I love that. I love the fact that a director respects the audience enough to allow me to decide whether or not I want to laugh and not tell me.

[Dan Bernstein]

Because seeing the trailers for it multiple times, I didn't anticipate walking into that, sitting down and laughing. I expected to feel and to have some kind of emotion brought out, but I didn't anticipate laughing as much as I did. And fuck. Benicio Del Toro should get some kind.

[Co-host]

Of nod to how much fun is he.

[Dan Bernstein]

So much fun, because again, you meet his character, you think he's one thing, and he's deeper and he's more complex and there's a lot more to it. And then when they start to reappeal back the layers of what he's doing, it's like, holy shit, this is insane. And my favorite part about it, though, and this doesn't spoil anything, because you see it in the trailer is what he does, like, up front as a sensei, it's just great. Like, why did you add that as one of the elements to his character? Because it just adds so much to it when it's all. When it's all out there for You. After you see the whole thing. It's just great. It's really, really good.

[Co-host]

I want to add. I want to credit an acting performance too, that I thought was tonally, in a way, that was a structural piece.

[Dan Bernstein]

Can I guess.

[Co-host]

To the movie?

[Dan Bernstein]

Can I guess who it was?

[Co-host]

Yes.

[Dan Bernstein]

It was the guy that does all the interrogation.

[Co-host]

Yes, yes. Jim Ratterman.

[Dan Bernstein]

Unbelievable.

[Co-host]

James Rudderman.

[Dan Bernstein]

Fucking great.

[Co-host]

Not really an actor either.

[Dan Bernstein]

So good.

[Co-host]

He was at former Secret Service and there was another governmental department for which he worked the. When he's interrogated.

[Dan Bernstein]

No shit. Right.

[Co-host]

When he's interrogated the high school students. That and the look and the tone. I thought that if they did it wrong, if they made it more sort of Hollywood, that would have been a. It would have been a perfect role for the guy from Mad Men who plays Tony Stark's dad in the Avengers.

[Dan Bernstein]

Oh, yeah, yeah.

[Co-host]

Slattery. John Slattery.

[Dan Bernstein]

John Slattery.

[Co-host]

But this guy is a. It's almost like John Slattery, but real. Cause this guy was. James Ratterman was a backbone. He was awesome for some of the.

[Dan Bernstein]

Tone of the movie, he was so good. But here's the key to that, though. What was so successful? Not just his delivery and approach to it, and obviously his life experience, but the way it was filmed.

[Co-host]

No jokes now.

[Dan Bernstein]

Where it wasn't. Where it wasn't an interrogation room. And you see that guy walks in and you're at the metal table and they're handcuffed and he sits down, he's got a f. It's a.

[Co-host]

It's good cop, bad cop. He turns off the camera.

[Dan Bernstein]

Like they're seated already. And it's all close ups. Like, you don't see the room. All you see is like, from here up.

[Co-host]

Yeah, it reminded me.

[Dan Bernstein]

It's very personal. And it just. It brings you into the emotion, the connection that they're having at that moment.

[Co-host]

Some of those interrogation scenes reminded me. Do you remember the movie Public Enemy about John Dillinger? That was Johnny Depp.

[Dan Bernstein]

Johnny Depp, yeah.

[Co-host]

And it was Stephen Lang that similarly, in those situations you're talking about those sort of across the table emotional moments where you're seeing the faces of the. And this is what I mean about PTA being able to find some of these truths. Lot of close ups. And the scene in which Willa and Lockjaw are in the church.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah, great name, too.

[Co-host]

But of course, Stephen. Colonel Stephen Lockjaw. It was loosely based on Vineland by the great Thomas Pynchon. But. And I think the more I See it, the more I'm going to appreciate it. But I walked out of there, and it stayed with me, too. I can tell in movies affect me, like, later on, if I'm still, like, getting images, like, before I go to sleep, I'm still hearing that. That soundtrack and hearing things from it. Like, that one got into my head. I will definitely see it multiple more times, but as many slices of pie as I can give that movie one battle after another, go see it.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah, it was funny. When I first saw the trailer, I was like, yeah, not interested. And then I saw it a couple more times, and I was like, all right, you know what? I think this might have something. And then when you first mentioned it that you weren't very interested, I was really. I was like, yeah, I don't know. And then I was like, you know what? Forget it. I want to see it. I think it's going to be great. And I'm really glad that we went and saw it Saturday night. So. See the. See the thing. That's what I was talking about before. The things that I noticed and watched and picked up on again were more of like, I know where Dan's going and where Dan's. That's what I meant by that. So it wasn't like.

[Co-host]

So I'll take it as a compliment.

[Dan Bernstein]

A compliment, yes. Okay. Just, we. We consume things differently. And so I took a different approach to what I was gonna notice and watch and not just get sucked into the story and watch the characters and feel the ride. I wanted to observe different things. So that's what I meant by that.

[Co-host]

Yeah. Well, that was. It's. I think one can do both. I do.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah.

[Co-host]

It's a lot of work, though, also, too.

[Dan Bernstein]

It's a lot of work. Like, I didn't have popcorn, and it was just. It's like, wow.

[Co-host]

Do you notice the. The multiple invocations of. Chekhov's rule? Chekhov's rule being don't mention the shotgun over the fireplace if it's not going to be fired by the end of the scene. Especially the little tracker things, the number of times. The rifle in the cabela's bag.

[Dan Bernstein]

Where is it?

[Co-host]

Who's got it?

[Dan Bernstein]

Who asks about it?

[Co-host]

Right.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yes.

[Co-host]

Right. So that's always something you said, like, okay, noted. There's got to be closure on that. There's got to be closure on this. You have all these open items.

[Dan Bernstein]

Another thing that was great about that. That particular scene when they're on the rooftops.

[Co-host]

Okay.

[Dan Bernstein]

And it.

[Co-host]

I was laughing, so the way the guy. The way the skateboard guys moved.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yes. It's really. That's special talent.

[Co-host]

But it's like shoot to Soleil. And they filmed it in silhouette. And then you just see these literal jumping shadows. And don't get. This is a spoiler.

[Dan Bernstein]

No, I'm not.

[Co-host]

But this was my second point about foreshadowing. So in the car chase you had. But the. Yes, in that scene.

[Dan Bernstein]

Same thing. But what I loved about it, though. Well, not only the way it ends, which is fucking fantastic, but he took the rule of comedy, you know, where.

[Co-host]

It'S like rule of three or rule of 17. Yes, yes.

[Dan Bernstein]

And it kept. And I was like, oh, my God. It just kept going.

[Co-host]

Like, where is it going? And I'm like, what was happening? What he was doing was building that tension in. So you knew. You knew something was about to happen.

[Dan Bernstein]

And the way. It's better.

[Co-host]

Yes. It's better the way it delivers.

[Dan Bernstein]

Because if it was like. If it was like two jumps. Yeah, it's like.

[Co-host]

Right. Like, it's further behind each time.

[Dan Bernstein]

Each time.

[Co-host]

Yes.

[Dan Bernstein]

Really? It's really well thought out.

[Co-host]

Yeah, it is. That's the craft. That's filmmaking.

[Dan Bernstein]

Very good. You know, that will win things and hopefully a lot of things, because it was really well worth it.

[Co-host]

It should. And you say, why is your dying of more Bears? We're going to forward progress. We have all the Bears coming up on forward progress in just a moment. And we also have DBU picks coming up in just a second. And DBU picks, as you know, are brought to you by my bookie. And college football's already cooking with upsets, blowouts, wild covers. My bookie lets you hit it all with game lines, player, props, more, everything you need. So before the pros even kick off, when Sunday rolls around, you're already up. I have a feeling here tomorrow we're going to talk a little bit more college football, because there were all sorts of things going on. My bookie's got it all under one roof. Win big on the NFL super contest and Survivor pools. And if you are new to my bookie, we have a code for you. It's DBU for Dan Bernstein. Unfiltered. Any bet you choose up to $500 is fully covered. You make your play, and if it doesn't hit, you get it right back. Make sure you opt in using your bet back bonus token on my bookie. The code dbu. My bookie is where bettors win together because bragging's good, but cashing in is better. And DBU Picks are presented by my bookie. I will defer to our executive producer who's doing a much better job helping you win money of late than I am.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah, I just wanted to tell you that I did share yesterday on our special DBU Live, our special Sunday morning live episode. I took the Bears. I went to my bookie. If you haven't done so yet, got to go there, set up your account, get your deposit in and get yourself going. I got the bears plus one and the over. Under was 48 and a half and so I took the over and the points. So the Bears won outright. But I won even more with the points and I hit on the over too. So that streak continues. So tonight I'm going to give you Monday Night Football. We have two games. I like when there's two options On Monday night. I am going to take the jets plus three for a parlay here for you. Jets plus three at Miami and Denver at home minus seven and a half on the Bengals. So it's Denver minus seven and a half hosting the Bengals, the Jets at Miami getting three. So we'll do that. We'll go jets plus three, Denver minus seven and a half. Put that together for a parlay tonight.

[Co-host]

All right. I'm going to give you a futures play, the ones I've already established, and I'm going to give you more here and there. I've got Omarion Hampton for rookie of.

[Dan Bernstein]

The offensive rookie of the Year.

[Co-host]

Offensive rookie of the year. I took, what was it, 33 to 1 and the Buccaneers winning the Super bowl.

[Dan Bernstein]

That sounds correct. 30 to 1 or 33 to 1. Yeah.

[Co-host]

So I also saw this and I'm going to grab it while I can. And this is a pick for offensive player of the year because I'm on Ross st. Brown is plus 1500.

[Dan Bernstein]

Seriously?

[Co-host]

Yeah, that didn't look right to me.

[Dan Bernstein]

That doesn't sound right.

[Co-host]

It doesn't sound right. And offensive player of the year is considered the non quarterback award. Yeah, that the quarterback is going to win mvp. Somebody other than the quarterback, a running back, a wide receiver, a tight end, will win offensive player of the year. So I just thought that number looked a little weird and I'm going to take it. I'm going to take Aman Ross St. Brown at 15 to 1.

[Dan Bernstein]

That's a really good pick. I mean that's. That dude is a stud.

[Co-host]

He's a stud and there's a lot of football left and it's basically a health bet that he's not going to just, you know, Miss a bunch of games with a sprained ankle and all of these end up being health bets in one way or another. But that number looked off. So to my untrained eye, I think I'm going to rest. Saint Brown at 15 to 1 profits player. There's a good bet. So there it is.

[Dan Bernstein]

Take it.

[Co-host]

And those are your DBU picks. Lock your picks in now with my bookie bet on anything, anywhere, anytime.

[Dan Bernstein]

So if I'm looking at this correctly, your guy Hampton is 11th overall in the NFL and rushing. And if I think I have this correct, he second in rookies. Thanks to the Bears defense, Ashton Gentry has jumped him on rushing yards for rookies. He now leads him by 12 rushing yards total after that performance that the Bears allowed yesterday. Before that, he would have been really, it would have been not even close between leading rushing yards and then second. But that huge performance, big game last night for Ashton Genti.

[Co-host]

Damn Bears gonna ruin the bet.

[Dan Bernstein]

Ruin your bet. But hey, he's still there as a second rookie right now and 11th overall in the NFL. So really good.

[Co-host]

Thank you for tuning in to today's episode of Dan Bernstein Unfiltered. A reminder. We've got a terrific jam packed forward progress coming your way as we always do. Today's episode has been brought to you in partnership with my bookie and we'll talk to you tomorrow.

[Dan Bernstein]

Dan Bernstein Unfiltered.

[Co-host]

Unfiltered on 312 Sports.