Bill Belichick Love Fest = bad football. It's Bears silly season and a former Cub pitcher in the news

Summary

Dan Bernstein Unfiltered – Episode Summary

Episode: "Bill Belichick Love Fest = Bad Football. It's Bears silly season and a former Cub pitcher in the news"

Date: September 2, 2025
Host: Dan Bernstein (A), with Executive Producer Matt Abbatacola (B)
Podcast: Dan Bernstein Unfiltered (312 Sports)

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Episode Overview

This episode dives into the media's over-the-top celebration of Bill Belichick amid a bad football showing, the onset of Chicago Bears "silly season" due to the lull before the NFL’s opening week, a petty jersey spat between Northwestern and Tulane, and an unexpected resurgence by former Cubs closer Aroldis Chapman. The hosts also share quirky observations about Michigan cannabis dispensaries and touch on culinary detours.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. ESPN's Bill Belichick Obsession and Bad Football Coverage

• Main Argument: ESPN’s "love fest" for Bill Belichick is disconnected from reality, especially when his team plays terribly.
• Dan’s Take: Instead of honest analysis, the coverage is a cringeworthy parade of personal friendships and sycophancy.
  • "Stop glazing Bill Belichick for no reason. It doesn't get you anywhere." (04:21)
• Matt’s Observation: This mirrors the previous year's media hype over Deion "Coach Prime" Sanders—manufactured storylines for ratings regardless of substance.
  • "No one outside of the New England area likes Bill Belichick. No one's going to want to watch North Carolina football because of..." (07:15)
• Dynamic with Nick Saban and Coach Prime: Dan bemoans referring to coaches by their monikers and not their names, emphasizing the artificiality of ‘Coach Prime’ and the cult of personality.
  • "Why can't you say Deion Sanders? Every other coach has a name. Why is he allowed to say, oh, no, no, no, I'm Coach Prime. Just call him Deion Sanders. That is his name." (05:18)
• Memorable Moment: Heated, comedic riff on stacking multiple left tackles ("Master Blasters") to accentuate absurd coverage.
  • "Would you... do one behind, the other one next to the—oh, no, no, no, no. One on top. Shoulders. Like Master Blasters." (13:48)
• Timestamps:
  • ESPN/Belichick coverage: [02:10] – [10:00]
  • Coach Name Rant: [03:16] – [05:18]

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2. Bears 'Silly Season': Media Filling Dead Air Before Week One

• Context: No games, surplus of reporters, the challenge of manufacturing news and column inches before kickoff.
  • "The space that is required to fill for the Bears this week is 20 times the content..." (12:00)
  • "There is not going to be a stone unturned when it comes to your Bears coverage this week..." (12:06)
• Host Admission: Dan & Matt acknowledge they'll also feed into this cycle, making fun of potential non-stories while planning “Bears Silly Week” content.
• Running Joke: “Plausible vs. Implausible Bears Story” bit in the works.
• Timestamps:
  • Bears Silly Season: [10:00] – [16:00]
  • Silly positional debates: [13:02] – [14:11]

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3. Northwestern vs. Tulane: The Jersey Debacle

• Story Recap: Tulane wanted to wear white jerseys to honor their 2005 post-Katrina team; Northwestern refused, citing prior agreement and "insufficient time" (two weeks) for a switch.
  • "Somebody tell me how... just wear a different shirt. Pack a different shirt." (25:59)
• Moral Argument: Both hosts find this move tone-deaf and bureaucratic; Northwestern coach references his own Katrina volunteer work, but that rings hollow.
  • "If he saw it firsthand, why wouldn't he have just said, yeah, of course we'll wear a different jersey. Big deal." (26:48)
  • "It's just really stupid. I mean, it's 20 years since Katrina hit New Orleans..." (26:08)
• Humor/Tradition: Tulane’s “throw-empty-beer-cans-after-first-TD” tradition lampooned as “dumbest college football tradition.”
  • "That's a really dumb tradition. Just throw beer cans at people. But you know, they're college students, so most of them are stupid, right? Even there, I guess..." (23:11)
• Timestamps:
  • Jersey story intro: [20:31]
  • Host incredulity & aftermath: [24:19] – [28:15]

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4. Cubs Check-In & Aroldis Chapman’s Historic Hot Streak

• Cubs’ Playoff Push:
  • Cubs still in top wild card position. Goal: 19–10 down the stretch remains possible despite hiccups in Colorado.
  • Carlos Santana joins the team; sentimental story vs. on-field result (three-pitch strikeout in first AB).
  • Player fatigue and media overexposure discussed for star outfielder PCA.
• Aroldis Chapman:
  • The ex-Cub closer is on a historic roll: 16 consecutive innings without allowing a hit, tying for second all-time.
  • Dan and Matt run through comparable streaks; Dennis Eckersley holds the record with 21.
  • Complicated legacy: Chapman’s talent vs. off-field/the World Series trade dilemma.
  • "He's learned to use some other pitches. Boy, you start thinking about hall of fame for him..." (39:09)
• Timestamps:
  • Cubs roundup: [29:48] – [34:03]
  • Chapman analysis: [34:14] – [40:58]

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5. Quick Hits: Food Network, Michigan Cannabis Dispensaries, and Social Observations

• Guy Fieri Wedding: Extended tangent on which celebrity chef would cook at Guy Fieri’s son’s wedding (Antonia Lofaso among others), leading to talk of unhinged Food Network fandom and anticipation for new show “Guy’s Flavortown Games.”
  • "If someone needs to be on Guys Flavortown Games, it's you..." (19:25)
• Weed Dispensaries in Michigan:
  • Dan’s bemused, incredulous take on the glut of oddly-branded, mostly empty cannabis shops just over the Indiana border.
  • "Some of these look like they're aimed at high school kids...can't even figure out what the vibe is..." (51:04)
  • Both comment on architectural oddities and questionable business logic.
• Random Italy Observations: Matt surprised by how much smoking persists in Europe, especially Italy.
• Social Media/Selfie Culture: Riff on the absurdity of constant selfies, tied to a real-life restaurant story in Bari.
  • "All I kept hearing is click, click, click, click..." (44:14)
• Timestamps:
  • Guy Fieri segment: [16:09] – [20:04]
  • Cannabis dispensary riff: [48:16] – [55:21]
  • Selfie/Italy bits: [43:53] – [44:33]

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6. Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On ESPN & Belichick:
  • "Just call it, watch it. Maybe they want... a short-term bump with the same thing. He’ll win this game. We’ll do some sports stupid. Because that’s what it is." (05:01)
• Coach Prime vs. Belichick:
  • Matt: "I liked Deion Sanders. It got me into Colorado football. I watched. It’s a situation where you’ve got a guy who isn’t really interesting or likable. Correct." (07:20)
• Cubs Fan Dilemma on Chapman:
  • Dan: "What I remember about Aroldis Chapman was...you’re rooting for someone you don’t like and ideally, you never want that to happen. But I think that was a reconciliation for better or worse, for a lot of Chicago sports fans to say...alright, if we’re going to win this thing..." (38:30)
• On Michigan Cannabis Shops:
  • Dan: "Every billboard headed that direction and some...the other direction saying turn around and go back and get weed. You missed it. I did." (50:19)
• On Northwestern-Tulane:
  • "Somebody tell me how it’s just wear a different shirt, Pack a different shirt." (25:59)

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Important Segments – Timestamps

• Belichick/ESPN segment: [02:10] – [10:00]
• Bears Silly Season: [10:00] – [16:00]
• Guy Fieri wedding/Food Network: [16:09] – [20:04]
• NW-Tulane jersey: [20:31] – [28:15]
• Cubs/Chapman: [29:48] – [40:58]
• Cannabis Dispensary Rant: [48:16] – [55:21]

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Tone & Style

• Authentically “Unfiltered”: Sarcastic, sometimes exasperated, always candid.
• Conversational: Frequent asides, off-topic riffs, and humorous interplay.
• Inside-Jokes Galore: Running gags on media tropes and sports clichés.
• Chicago-centric: Strong focus on the local teams but tied to national sports narratives.

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Coming Up

• Next Episode: Tease for a full hour with legendary Chicago radio host Terry Boers—expect stories, life/football discussion, and classic banter.
  • "Tomorrow we're gonna be joined by Terry Boers on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered." (15:54)

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For Listeners Who Missed the Episode

This episode paints a picture of sports media's bluster (especially around Belichick), Chicago's obsessive Bears coverage in the season build-up, the pettiness of college football politics, and the ongoing grind and quirks of pro sports. It’s punctuated by deeply local observations, off-the-cuff humor, and a healthy skepticism about business trends both in media and beyond. Perfect for a Chicago sports fan who likes their analysis critical and their laughs frequent.

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Transcript

[A]

This message is sponsored by Greenlight. With school out, summer is the perfect time to teach our kids real world money skills they'll use forever. Greenlight is a debit card and the number one family finance and safety app used by millions of families helping kids learn how to save, invest and spend wisely. Parents can send their kids money and track their spending and saving while kids build money, confidence and skills in fun ways. Start your risk free Greenlight trial [e-mail] wondery that's greenlight.com wondery dan bernstein unfiltered unfiltered on 312 sports unfiltered happy meteorological Autumn Happy post Labor Day we are ready to go. It feels like football season. It's now September. That means it's getting very footbally. And we are going to talk some football today on this episode of DBU that is brought to you in partnership with my bookie. We have a lot more to discuss as well on our list of things to our left. I want to talk about what we saw on ESPN last night and just what the hell that was all the way around. Want to discuss what this week is going to be for your Chicago Bears with a lot of space to fill and not a lot of news.

[B]

I need a game.

[A]

We are going to discuss the controversy between Northwestern and Tulane regarding a Jersey choice that should not have gotten to this point. There were some bad decisions that were made. Matt, he's got some baseball stuff for us. We are going to give you brand new DBU picks brought to you by my bookie. And also an observation from my weekend that I am trying to figure out. Maybe you've noticed this too. I just need some help with trying to understand a certain business proposition that doesn't seem to make a whole lot of sen to me. But I'm an idiot. Remember that. There may be something obvious that I don't understand and somebody is going to knock on the side of my head and say idiot. That's what this is. So maybe, maybe you can be that person.

[B]

I will happily call you an idiot. I know that that's not not an issue.

[A]

Is Matt Abaticola and I am the DB of dbu. ESPN absolutely embarrassed itself last night. I look, I get it that you are a marketing arm of a of an entertainment company. I understand that. But you're as in the tank as you can possibly be for Bill Belichick. Like what are we. What. What was that? What went into all of the buildup? Everything different then. Well, he's my friend and I'M picking him. Well, he's my good friend and I'm. And I never watched pregame, but I did because I was.

[B]

No, I usually save yourself a lot of problems by not watching.

[A]

It makes me angry. Pregame makes me angry. And it did again last night. And I need to look, you know, I have to try to not make myself angry. It's bad for me. I know now things are. Certain things are bad for me.

[B]

You know, you're not gonna like it when he's.

[A]

Twitter's bad for me. Pregame is bad for you. Especially Nespn. Yeah, Stop calling Nick Saban coach. His name is Nick. It's his name. He's a human being. He has a name. And I don't understand what some people are actually doing there and how it's all supposed to work. But I was cooking, I was making a love. I happened upon this awesome pasta dish that Beth and Zoe really, really like. You'd like it. It's a, it's a goat cheese, lemon arugula pasta. So it's a really good sort of summer.

[B]

What kind of pasta do you use?

[A]

Last night I used shells, medium sized shells, because I like the fact that when I put them in the sauce, they keep a little bit of pasta water in them and it makes it sort of. I don't have to. It makes everything kind of creamy at the end with the goat cheese and all that. But I was cooking, I had it on and all I was doing was seething over all this stuff. Stop glazing Bill Belichick for no reason. It doesn't get you anywhere.

[B]

We talked about this a little bit last week when you mentioned the old Patriot weirdness. And it just, it's continuing on. And you know, over the weekend on Fox, I saw a commercial, Fox NFL ran a commercial promoting Tom Brady's football knowledge. Like, have you ever seen an NFL analyst have a commercial to promote their.

[A]

Football knowledge, even though it doesn't seem to have any, that he wants to give anyone.

[B]

But they're trying to sell you on the fact that he doesn't have it.

[A]

I know we talked about this. Yes. But last night was strange, off putting. And then they couldn't hide from the fact that he's getting his ass kicked and his team is playing like horseshit. Where do you go from there? And there's this. Then they show Mike Lombardi sitting in there with his bowl haircut, scowling at everyone with his little binoculars or whatever you're doing. It was just weird. You don't have to do it cover the game. And then it reminded me of all the Coach prime garbage. And they keep calling him. His name is Deion Sanders. Why can't you say Deion Sanders? Every other coach has a name. Why is he allowed to say, oh, no, no, no, no, I'm Coach Prime. Just call him Deion Sanders. That is his name. Bill Belichick has a name. Deion Sanders has a name. Call him by his name. But after a while, it just laid bare all of the ass licking that's going on. Just call it, watch it. Maybe they want. They saw last year's numbers, they saw the Colorado silliness from last year and figured, well, at least we can get a short term bump with the same thing. He'll win this game. We'll do some sports stupid. Because that's what it is. Which I was thinking about. And I want to bring this back next week. Did you see who retired over the weekend?

[B]

No.

[A]

Jeremy Lynn.

[B]

Oh, did he really?

[A]

And I always think of great moments in sports stupid.

[B]

Yeah. And that was one of them.

[A]

Who was that? That and the Tim Tebow stuff. That somehow the Lord Jesus has come down and changed football forever.

[B]

Forever.

[A]

But this is. Now, it's one thing to roll with a little bit of sport stupid. It's another thing to go out of your way to use every. To pull every lever to create it.

[B]

See, here's the thing, though, and it's interesting because I bought into it with the Coach prime stuff and not bought into where I was there and at every game. But I checked out Colorado football deliberately because of the Coach Prime. Stuff like that got me into it. But here's the thing.

[A]

But I did too, because as a Heisman voter, they got two guys who you got to watch.

[B]

But I'm not. I'm not a Heisman voter. I just. I got into it because I liked Deion Sanders. I like his character. I liked him. I liked him as an athlete.

[A]

Watching him as a kid call him Coach Prime.

[B]

Yeah, but here's the. Here's the difference with Belichick.

[A]

No one outside of the New England.

[B]

Area likes Bill Belichick. No one's going to want to watch North Carolina football because of. I deliberately want to stay away even further from North Carolina football because of Bill Belichick. I liked Deion Sanders. It got me into Colorado football. I watched.

[A]

It's a situation where you've got a guy who isn't really interesting or likable. Correct. And at least, I mean, at least Tom Brady, he went out of his.

[B]

Way to not Be likable.

[A]

Yeah, Tom Brady is likable, but not interesting. And that's the problem that they have not human in all of the Patriots weirdness issues.

[B]

His face is going to fall off during a broadcast one day and it's going to be all wires and, and yeah, like Westworld.

[A]

Yes, right. I am. Don't make me hate college football because of what you're doing. Just don't make me cringe every time I feel like I have to watch the TV with like one eye closed just in case. You're gonna spend 20 minutes talking about Bill Belichick in North Carolina. And before you even say I, I don't have a Duke rooting interest. This has nothing to do. I like North. I've always liked the University of North Carolina. Always?

[B]

Yeah, always.

[A]

To the fact where by senior year we were living halfway down 15501 almost so we could spend all our time in Chapel Hill.

[B]

Oh really?

[A]

This is. When I was a student at Duke, we didn't want to be in Durham. We wanted to hang out. Friends over. It's better. Chapel Hill is better. I'd rather go to Duke, but Chapel Hill is just better. And everybody in Northgate. We never had a problem with anyone there. The whole rivalry thing, sure, you wanted.

[B]

To win, but that wasn't a thing. It wasn't like a big. It wasn't like a real thing. It was more.

[A]

It was for some people, I don't know. But hanging out in Chapel Hill, it's better. The restaurants were better. I think things have changed a little bit now. But it's where you want it to be.

[B]

Yeah, Yeah. I just, I, I'll watch any North Carolina basketball game and I always have, you know. You know, but it's like I just, I don't care about North Carolina football and now I care even less because of Bill Belichick.

[A]

It's your just enjoy it is going to be forced down your throat. And everybody, they were admittedly in the tank for him. Well, he's my friend and I, I got to root for him. I'm going to pick my friend because he's my friend. All right, well, can somebody else cover the game for me and tell me what's actually happening out there? And then they did another pre games like, well, we got to work in fundamentals. I see you're wearing a cut off hoodie. That's kind of my thing.

[B]

I, I just, I have zero interest. There's nothing about the guy like I want to hear from him on anything.

[A]

I just don't I'm keeping close tabs on that situation. I hope it doesn't get too crazy speaking.

[B]

It's going to be. It's going to get worse.

[A]

Speaking of which, the same is going to be this week for the Bears, and we're probably going to be guilty of contributing to it. So I want to talk about that as well. But you know that one guy in your group chat who hits the five leg parlay, and after week one, you don't stop hearing about it the rest of the season and you're pissed off at that guy. But you know what? You want to be that person. And it could be you with my bookie, because my bookie makes it insanely easy to get in on the action. College ball, NFL super contest, Survivor pools, all the spreads, player props in game lines, everything you want. It's all right there under one roof. And this deal actually had somebody send me a note that said they used this with our code. A $500 bet. And it hit.

[B]

Oh, wow.

[A]

Because right now, if you're new, if you use the code DBU, 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 your bet back bonus token. So we do have officially at least one winner of that bet to our credit. There's no better time to jump in. No better place to play with the code. CBU for Dan Bernstein. Unfiltered football's back. Make some money with my bookie. This is Bears silly week. Here's why there was no exhibition game. Are you opening a. What is that?

[B]

It's a peach Waterloo.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

Sorry.

[A]

Don't apologize.

[B]

All right.

[A]

You love those.

[B]

I do. I drink them all the time. All day long. Yeah, I brought a case here last week and left it in the fridge. And then I came back from Italy and it was gone.

[A]

Was it? Find out who's taken the.

[B]

No.

[A]

I hate that.

[B]

I know, but it's. Now I just. I leave it warm on my desk.

[A]

Workplace fridge Pirates. Yar. Workplace fridge Pirates. Raise the jolly. Jolly Roger. The space that is required to fill for the Bears this week is 20 times the content.

[B]

Yeah, it's just. It's. It's hard. It's hard. It's hard getting to that first game.

[A]

Oh, boy. Are we going to hear. There is not going to be a stone unturned when it comes to your Bears coverage this week because there are going to be a lot of people in that Bears media room at House hall looking at each other.

[B]

It's like. Yep. I mean, you have to go an extra day to. You have to get till Monday looking at each other. Like, got to find stories. Like, I read a story this morning about why people don't like Caleb Williams. Like. I know. I get it. I get it, though. I feel bad.

[A]

I'm working on a bit. So just sometime this week, remind me to do my bit on this because I'm compiling ideas here.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

For potential bears Silly week stories.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

Then you gotta decide if it is a plausible bears story or an implausible bears story.

[B]

Oh, yeah.

[A]

Like, how far can we push it before something gets completely ridiculous? It's just we're out of stuff because we've seen everything. Oh, today might be the day, though.

[B]

But no, yeah, there. Say there. There is one thing left.

[A]

Today might be the day when they finally announce that Braxton Jones is the starting left tackle.

[B]

Well, they're not sure yet because they need someone to step up and take that spot.

[A]

Yeah, they want to make sure that somebody. Somebody slams that door.

[B]

Like, they haven't named it yet, right?

[A]

I don't think so.

[B]

Like, officially.

[A]

I don't think so.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

It's gonna be Pope Bob.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

I'm wondering.

[B]

Wondering who it is. I'm really excited to hear.

[A]

I know you are. It's obviously Braxton Jones. But they still haven't said. Well, we haven't.

[B]

Never know.

[A]

And at least they're not doing the thing with the depth chart where they name co starters every. Ooh, the skullduggery. Now you're gonna. Now you've got an advantage in the game because you've named.

[B]

If you named co starters. Could they both be out there at the same time, though? Because that'd be a way to go at left tackle.

[A]

Two of them.

[B]

Have two of them.

[A]

Would you. Now if you could do that, would you do one behind, the other one next to the.

[B]

Oh, no, no, no, no.

[A]

One on top.

[B]

Shoulders. Yeah.

[A]

Like Master Blasters.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

Like chicken fighting.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

Like this big. This 600 pound.

[B]

That's intimidating.

[A]

Nine foot tall. Yeah, well, see, no, no.

[B]

Nine foot. So they're. They're both four and a half feet tall.

[A]

No, if the guy's sitting, he's not standing on his shoulders. He's sitting.

[B]

Oh, no, I want him to stand.

[A]

He can't stand. Well, he does. Wearing shoulder pads.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

That doesn't help you. Then you're like circus act, but it doesn't help you win. I think if.

[B]

No, it's intimidating.

[A]

I say next to each Other.

[B]

Because imagine Micah Parsons, like coach. How am I supposed to go against that guy?

[A]

He's hurt already.

[B]

Oh, is he really?

[A]

Yeah. He said that he needs an epidural injection to be able to play.

[B]

Is he giving birth?

[A]

That's what I thought, too. Like, usually that's an epidural block where you can't. Oh, you can't feel it in the lower half. Unless it's the old Blackhawks physician. Remember that, Dr. Cole?

[B]

That wasn't a needle.

[A]

No. Do you remember that was it. It was Chelios, right before a playoff game. And he needed.

[B]

Probably. It sounds like something Chelios would do.

[A]

And he gave him a shot and he deadened his entire leg. Thanks, Doc.

[B]

Does that make it better to skate?

[A]

No, it was. That's the. That's on the hall of Fame list of pregame doctor mistakes. Except for the guy that punctured the quarterback's lung.

[B]

Oh, yeah, that's right. That was a bad thing to do. I think the 85 team took those shots right in the neck, and it kind of deadened everything up.

[A]

Back in our day, everybody got a shot in the neck and we didn't.

[B]

Want to think or feel, and we.

[A]

Didn'T even use doctors. The CO Gave all the shots. Line up. Gang of Merlot.

[B]

Wait, what are we not going to do? Bears headlines, though, because I. I gotta save them. I got a good.

[A]

I got. I got several, but my list isn't. Isn't quite cooked up yet.

[B]

Okay. All right.

[A]

I was thinking tomorrow. We can't do it tomorrow because we have a special guest tomorrow.

[B]

We do have a special guest tomorrow. When are you gonna announce that?

[A]

Right now.

[B]

You sure?

[A]

Is that okay?

[B]

Yeah. It's up to you.

[A]

Yeah. Tomorrow we're gonna be joined by Terry Bors on Dan Bernstein. Unfiltered.

[B]

Yeah. That'll be the whole episode.

[A]

Yep.

[B]

A little visit with Uncle Terry.

[A]

Hang out and talk about life and things, and it'll be fun. Why does the board say Guy Fieri on it?

[B]

So did you know that Hunter Fieri, who is Guy's son, he got married over the weekend? Okay, so I'm reading this story about the wedding and really interesting stuff. But the reason I want to get to it, because they buried the lead in the story in the very final line of the story itself. But if Guy Fieri's kid is getting married, who do you think made the food for the wedding? Have any guesses?

[A]

If Guy Fieri's kid.

[B]

I mean, this is, as he put it, it's pretty baller. And it is pretty baller.

[A]

Okay. Are you asking who I would pick among all of the Food Network? Is it a Food Network chef?

[B]

There's. Well, there are several people that were involved, so there was one particular chef who did the rehearsal dinner.

[A]

Okay, let me. Oh, boy. I think you have to.

[B]

You have to think. Think to. And this the rehearsal chef I'm gonna give you because you wouldn't guess. This is Chef Lorena Garcia.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

So she's. I mean, she's a Food Network, but she's not, you know, like that. You have to think to the games or the shows that he hosts and the chefs that he's tight with that are always on those shows. I know. Grocery games. I don't think that I know it well enough, but I cook at Guy's Ranch.

[A]

Okay. I would say my first choice. Even though I think he's moved past his D bag phase, my first choice be Bobby Flay.

[B]

Oh, yeah. But I don't him and I don't. I don't think he and Bobby are that tight.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

But I'll get. What about. I would. I want to do brunch at Bobby's house. I bet it's great in New York. Just hang out. I bet it's great and just have a day.

[A]

What about Michael Simon?

[B]

Michael Simon? No. Michael Simon and Bobby Flay are best buds.

[A]

Okay, well, I'm just trying to think of whose food I would like. I think you would like Jeffrey Zakarian.

[B]

Oh, another. Another great guest. No, he's. He's buddies with the. He's on the Kitchen. Right. Isn't that the show they're on?

[A]

I just think he's awesome with our guy, Jeff Morrow. Oh, but what about your. Your crush?

[B]

Who? Which one?

[A]

Amanda Freitag.

[B]

Oh, no, she wasn't in it, but she. They're pals. I thought you meant Ina Garten. That's my real crush.

[A]

I know. You're gonna elbow Jeffrey out of the way.

[B]

No, I want to keep Jeffrey there and hang out. Their place in Nantucket.

[A]

No, it's a Long Island.

[B]

Are they. Don't they.

[A]

They're in the Hamptons.

[B]

Oh, they are. Okay.

[A]

I'm sure they have a place in Hampton. Three places in Nantucket.

[B]

No. So, Antonio, about that Antonio Lofaso cook for the wedding, Aaron May. And then Sonoma County Catering chef Caesar Orozco. So they. They did the wedding, but very. I mean, Antonio Lafassa. I mean, she just won his. That game show. They do that Tournament of Champions. I would.

[A]

Well, you watch a Lot of Food Network.

[B]

I do. And I watch a lot of Guy Fieri. So anyway, here's the whole. So I'm reading about the wedding. Great. Good luck to the kid Hunter. He got me. You know, he got married. But the bottom line. Yes. Very final line of the entire thing is why we really needed to hear is he has a new competition series coming out. It's coming out in 2026 on Food Network and HBO Max, and it's called Guys Flavortown Games. Ooh. So if this is.

[A]

Do we get to go to Flavor.

[B]

Well, here's the thing. If this is a, like, a regular person competition, like a regular Guy Average.

[A]

Joe, you're going to apply.

[B]

I am going for it. If someone needs to be on Guys Flavortown Games.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

It's you with my. I mean that. My supplies of Guys Waterloo flavors. Yeah, you were.

[A]

It was meant to be.

[B]

Yes. So, yeah, that's. That was all I wanted to share with you because I'm very excited about Guys Flavortown Games. Imagine how big the flavors will be at Flavortown.

[A]

Almost incomprehensible when you handle it.

[B]

When you export flavors from Flavortown into regular town.

[A]

I'm going to tariff the shit out of it, though.

[B]

But.

[A]

I'm gonna slap tariffs on Flavortown like you wouldn't believe. I'm gonna tariff Flavortown back to the stone age.

[B]

It's gonna cost a lot.

[A]

There's gonna be no flavors left. Big, beautiful tariffs. Yeah.

[B]

Do you tariff it with flavor, or do you tariff it with money?

[A]

I tarif there. No, they're gonna have to pay. Everything's gonna cost more here. And I'm gonna take the money because people so crave the flavor from Flavortown that people are going to. Are going to. Are going to cough up their money.

[B]

Once you've had flavor from Flavortown, you never want to go back.

[A]

I'm trying to figure out what happened between Northwestern and Tulane other than the fact that somebody. Somebody might have given you that. Gave you the starting quarterback for the old Green Wave, gave you that. Minus four that ended up being an easy cover.

[B]

You actually know what you're talking about.

[A]

Well, it's a very thin slice of the sports pie. That's another episode, another podcast. The Sports Pie. Hello. Hello there.

[B]

Give it five.

[A]

I don't know, five slices. I don't know, five slices. Maybe seven. But what has happened in the aftermath now still raises questions about why Northwestern didn't agree to wear something other than their white jerseys. If you're just following Tulane coach John Sumrall made A motivational speech to his team out of the fact that Northwestern denied Tulane their request to wear their white jerseys. And the reason they wanted to wear their white jerseys was to honor the 2005 team that played right after Hurricane Katrina. They hold the green helmets with no decals, but they couldn't wear their white jerseys. They wanted to, but Northwestern said, no, you can't because we get to where we have right of first refusal on white jerseys. We are wearing the white jerseys. And Sumrall said they're disrespecting New Orleans, they're disrespecting everyone who lived here. And to whatever extent it worked, we don't know, maybe they were going to beat him no matter what they were wearing. Because their quarterback.

[B]

Because they're better.

[A]

Because the Northwestern quarterback kept throwing it to two lane defensive backs. And by the way, two lane defensive backs have better hands than two lane wide receivers because the wide receivers were dropping every. That would have been 40 of 3 if they'd held on to a damn pass. Sorry. I was watching the game very, very closely.

[B]

Yes. And invested emotionally.

[A]

Well, this is happening now because I.

[B]

Know, I know it's it. That's the way it goes. I told you. Like when Lipscomb made the tournament against North Carolina, I was out watching the 16 verse or 15 verse 2 cheering for Lipscomb against North Carolina in basketball. Come on.

[A]

Jason was there. My son Jason is a junior at Tulane and he in the student section there. Talk about. This is the dumbest college football tradition, by the way. First touchdown.

[B]

That's a whole list.

[A]

Everyone throws empty beer cans from, into and at the student section.

[B]

Empty beer cans?

[A]

Apparently, yes. Or half full. All I know is I was in the student section.

[B]

Well, that's a waste of beer.

[A]

And I was asking why beer cans were raining down on our heads. Oh, it's traditional. That's a really dumb tradition. Just throw beer cans at people. But you know, they're college students, so most of them are stupid, right? Even there, I guess. At least on game day. And drunk, Right. Everybody drunk for an 11:00am kickoff and then they nap.

[B]

Oh, that's probably a 7:00 clock starter. Oh, you start at 7:00am 6 or 7.

[A]

Yeah, I couldn't do that. I tried that once in college once. All these Southern gentlemen out there with their girlfriends with their hairspray and these guys in tweed jackets with the elbow patches.

[B]

Where at?

[A]

Drinking in the parking lot at Duke. All drinking their bourbon and Cokes. I was like, I'll try this. And Berto, where's Bernstein? He's over there throwing up.

[B]

So dumb.

[A]

It's too early in the day.

[B]

I know. Now I dislike Duke even more.

[A]

Oh, that's nothing compared to, like, the real Southern university. When everybody's out there drinking, just have.

[B]

A beer and put a hoodie on and. Seriously?

[A]

Oh, no. The fraternities and sororities. No, thank you. The whole thing. So anyway, why didn't Northwestern just say, sure?

[B]

Why? I mean, that's the whole idea of we have the right of first, like, let him wear it. It was for Katrina. I mean, they wanted to honor a team.

[A]

But the aftermath is making it even worse because apparently David Braun, the head coach at Northwestern, is saying, look, I understand what happened with New Orleans. He mentioned that he and his teammates from Winona State went there in 2006 and they volunte digging houses out of the muck. So he knew he saw firsthand. Well, then he should have been more.

[B]

Open to the idea.

[A]

Exactly. It sounds like it might have been above his head because, you know, most of these universities have a uniform czar. Oregon started it. Oregon and Phil Knight. And they hired. Remember the golfer Casey Martin?

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Who was allowed to use a car because you have the degenerative foot condition. Casey Martin was making like a million dollars a year. He might still be there, I don't know. But they now all schools have a uniform coordinator, fashion person. And it may just been at that level, but what they're saying is that Northwestern said teams had agreed on which uniforms, but Tulane then asked on August 17 to switch to white jerseys. They said such decisions are made months in advance. And given the short window of time for their equipment staff to make the change, the request was denied in two weeks. You can't wear a different jersey. Somebody explain this to me. Somebody tell me how it's just wear a different shirt, Pack a different shirt.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

What takes two weeks?

[B]

I don't know if you're trying to be too footbally and try to take every advantage and like, oh, they really want to wear the white jersey.

[A]

Let's boomerang down them if that's the case.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And they should have seen that come.

[B]

It's just. It's really stupid. I mean, it's. It's 20 years since Katrina hit New Orleans and decimated the city of New Orleans and has ruined so many lives and killed, what, near almost 2,000 people, and they wanted to honor the football team. They just let them wear the jersey. What's the big deal?

[A]

Yeah, I don't. I don't get it. I don't understand, first of all, what takes two weeks? Well, we would have done it, but, boy, we didn't have enough time. Two weeks to wear a different jersey. Come on. Like, it almost makes it worse.

[B]

Yeah. To say that as your excuse.

[A]

Why. And if in fact, your head coach did actually have this kind of empathy.

[B]

Right.

[A]

If he saw it firsthand, why wouldn't he have just said, yeah, of course we'll wear a different jersey. Big deal.

[B]

Yeah. And then. And then you actually, you use that as an opportunity to put yourself in a position to look even better than you are outside of just the football realm of things and say, let's take a moment to, you know, to honor the memories of those that were lost in such a horrific disaster catastrophe that the government didn't do shit for days to help him with. For anything.

[A]

But that's okay because. Because FEMA now is stripped down to about a twentieth of what it was. So if you thought heck of a job, Brownie was a thing, just you wait. So Braun said, understand where he's coming from. He did a great job of utilizing that to really motivate his team. So even there, he's kind of taking a shot at.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Like, why was this nothing little thing? And he used it to motivate his team. And why don't you lead with the fact that you were digging out homes? You, yourself and your teammates.

[B]

We went there were down there in.

[A]

2006, digging out homes. Lead with that. Don't. Well, he did a great job motivating his team, I guess. Come on, man. Yeah, just be cooler. Be nicer.

[B]

Really dumb.

[A]

Just be nicer. Sure. I think somehow in the next two weeks, we'll figure out how to be able to pack and wear a different jersey. We could probably do that.

[B]

Unless I just, like, it's that hard. Like, are they required to, like, get their jersey set three weeks ahead of time and sent to the stadium and in the locker room and. I mean, I don't get it. It doesn't make any sense. Like, as that. As that being your number one excuse. It's just really stupid.

[A]

Right.

[B]

And I would totally recommend on Netflix the Spike Lee documentary that's out about Katrina right now. It was. We watched over the weekend and it was heartbreaking and infuriating, and it's just. It's unbelievable that that was our country 20 years ago.

[A]

If you need windows, you know who to call. Russ Armstrong. My guy. He is Chicago Window guys, and he comes to your house, he'll give you the estimate just like he did for me. And as he said to me, he'll look it over, he'll do some measurements and then he makes the windows. He custom makes the windows and then when they're ready to install, his people come out and do it. He doesn't use any subcontracted labor. The crew works for him. So the same people that installed my windows and made everything perfect and clean will install your windows. And one thing you can do is when you are getting quotes and trying to compare prices, make sure you ask anybody else who is going to be in my house and outside my house and around my house installing these windows and they won't be able to tell you because they use subcontracted labor and that's a tell that they do. And also when you're getting quotes, you'll understand. And Russell, explain why some of these offers aren't real and he'll match any price so you don't have to worry about that. Call him 847-302-9171 and check out all the five star [e-mail] he is Russ Armstrong. He is waiting for your call 847-302-9171.

[B]

So real quick, I want to just go back on what we talked about with the Cubs last week. We looked at the Cubs, talked about the fact that they were the fourth team in the playoffs, number one wild card team. Got to keep that position. We're done looking at the actual division itself. You know, if something were to happen, complete disaster for the Brewers. But stay, stay the four seat. Stay the number one wild card team. So we looked at the last 29 games and looked at the schedule and said what would be reasonable for this team, their ability to play defense and to pitch and to hit 19 and 10 is what we said. 19 and 10 would be a reasonable. Yeah. Rather lofty expectations for a baseball team. But for this team that was the best in the first half of the.

[A]

Season and they gave one away over the weekend in Colorado.

[B]

Right.

[A]

And then they got it back I thought yesterday.

[B]

Yeah. So they, they lost the final game of that Giant series which was, which completed the sweep, which was awful. Needed to sweep against Colorado, take two or three and then last night losing six to four come back and they, and they win seven to six in extras. So get that back. So after five games right now, three and two on their pace for that, that 19 and 10, still three games ahead of San Diego, who is in the fifth spot with the Mets in the sixth spot.

[A]

And we had the extra additions to the roster.

[B]

Yeah. So they added Carlos Santana. Oh my God. I was reading a story about Santana. I don't know if you saw this, how excited he was. And he. It's been a lifelong dream. And he, you know, remembers playing in the World Series against the Cubs and just to be here and he wants to win a championship with the Cubs. It's a dream to play in Wrigley Field. And you read this beautiful story and you're feeling really good about the story and then it's like his first at bat, he struck out in three pitches.

[A]

Still happy though?

[B]

Yeah, no, still very happy. Just. Just didn't go for it like you wanted to be like, oh, he hit the game winning home run or the game winning head. Oh, no, he struck out in three pitches. But he's still happy to be here.

[A]

He's still a good fielder. He's not the hitter he was, but there this is. Can't hurt. Could help.

[B]

Right.

[A]

And Kevin Alcantara, better experience is up too. So I, I'm a little surprised that they sent down Owen Casey. But you figure Alcantara is going to spell PCA and center field, maybe give him a rest against lefties because PCA may be getting a little physically tired.

[B]

Yeah, maybe. Seems like it seems that way. I mean, his frustrations getting. Getting greater and deeper, more significant and at bats.

[A]

I'm also told that mentally he might need a little bit of a break as well. Like remember to start the year how available he was doing every interview and.

[B]

I guess meeting with the ushers and.

[A]

Yeah, I think that as tends to happen sometimes in major markets, people take advantage of somebody being available and nice and it burns them out.

[B]

He has to learn.

[A]

Yeah, I think he needs to be. Maybe learn how to budget his, his availability so he doesn't get, get tired of some of that stuff.

[B]

Yeah, because. Well, that's all genuine and real though from him, which is why he totally did all of that stuff.

[A]

I'm not mad at him. I'm not saying he's hiding, but it's hard.

[B]

It's a lot. That's a grind. That's a, that's a long season to get through and to start out where he started out. And there was MVP talk early on in the year and I mean, is he still two and more in baseball? I mean, he was right behind Aaron Judge, I think, I think he, I mean, I think, I think he's still second in baseball and war.

[A]

Well, he is one of the. Now he's like the new trout in that because his Defense is so good, he accrues WAR the moment he takes the field. So as of right now, he is eighth in F War. Judge Cal Raleigh, Bobby Witt Jr. Trey Turner, Shohei Ohtani, Corbin Carroll, Geraldo Per Domo and pca.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

Which is actually a fairly big drop. But his defense number of runs above average, 17.9, which is just incredible. Like, he is one of the single best defensive players in the whole game.

[B]

Yeah. And then Cubs and Braves tonight out at Wrigley. And it's, it's showtime with Showta on the mound. And again, you can't lose. And that game you gave away in Colorado, you have to, you have to pick it up somewhere and you couldn't, you couldn't lose that game.

[A]

There's a former Cub that is absolutely doing ridiculous things right now that you one would not have expected based on his career arc and his age.

[B]

Yeah, it's insane. What if you haven't seen what Araldis Chapman is doing in. In Boston, he's actually, he's tied now for second all time on consecutive innings pitch without giving up a hit. So he's at 16 innings pitched without giving up a hit. His last, his last time he gave up a hit was July 23rd. So he's gone 16 appearances. He's faced 45 batters. He struck out 17. He's dropped his ERA from 1.31, which is insane, down to an even one in that time period. Of 16 appearances, he's gotten 10 saves, one win and one hold, but has not given up a hit in 16. And that, that ties him for second place all time. Now, do you know who the all time leader is at 21 innings pitched.

[A]

21 innings without giving up a hit.

[B]

Without giving away hit. And this goes back to 1977. And it's a, it's a familiar name in Chicago.

[A]

Suter.

[B]

No, north side.

[A]

So it is someone who played for the Cubs. Played for the Cubs and 21 in 1977.

[B]

He was pitching for Cleveland at the time.

[A]

Jim Kern, I'm sure. 70. So was a reliever.

[B]

It's Dennis Eckerson. Yeah.

[A]

As a starter.

[B]

Yeah, as a starter.

[A]

As a drunk starter.

[B]

Not anymore. Not anymore. At the time. Yes. At the time. Yeah. 21 innings.

[A]

I would never have gotten.

[B]

Never gotten that right. No, I was looking at the list and, and I, I had to double check. I was seeing it correctly. The year. That is.

[A]

That's wild. I wonder how that was. I'd love to see how that was. Spread out.

[B]

Yeah, we'll pull it Up. I can pull it up and take a look at it. And so then you have one, two, three trivia question. Yeah. Five. Now there's six with Chapman. There's six guys tied at second with 16.

[A]

16.

[B]

So one guy, Washington without a hit. 2015 Strasburg starter, Max Scherzer. Okay, then we go to 1996 New York Yankees. He had a. Maybe Rivera. No, I wasn't gonna say something. Maybe he was the wrong guy. I think I. That would have been bad if I said that clue. It was Dwight Gooden.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

Doc Gooden. 16. Now here's a name. 1986 from the Houston Astros, Mike Scott. Yes, Mike Scott. Very good. Cheating 19.

[A]

Guy was cutting up baseballs.

[B]

Oh, was he really?

[A]

That was like the dude in Naked Gun when they go out and he's got the belt sander on him.

[B]

1974 Kansas City Royals.

[A]

Oh, 74 Kansas City. Paul Splittorff.

[B]

No.

[A]

Dennis Leonard.

[B]

No, no.

[A]

74 Royals.

[B]

You named two is impressive.

[A]

Give me his initials.

[B]

SB.

[A]

It's not Steve Bedrock Bedrosian.

[B]

No, but it's Steve Stosh.

[A]

Bonson. Steve.

[B]

Steve Berrivin. Busby. Steve.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

All right. And then the last one before we get to Chapman. This is an Easy 1. Angels 73 year old Ryan Nolan Ryan. So Dennis Ackersley, Max Scherzer, Dwight Gooden, Mike Scott, Steve Busby, Nolan Ryan, and now Roldus Chapman has not given up a hit since July 23rd. 16 appearances, 16 innings pitched, 45 batters, 17k, 10 saves, one win, one hold, 131 ERA down to an even one. That is unbelievable.

[A]

Run. It's also. It's sort of how he's doing it, where he's not only still throwing at that ridiculous velocity, he's finally got secondary and tertiary stuff that's working and maybe credit to him, even though he's a piece of garbage that we should say that. Of course, that what I'll remember.

[B]

I figured you'd get to it.

[A]

Well, what I remember about Araldus Chapman was that's the first time with that World Series team that you had to make that the sports confrontation of you're rooting for someone you don't like and ideally, you never want that to happen. But I think that was a reconciliation for better or for worse, for a lot of Chicago sports fans to say. All right, well, you know, if we're going to win this thing, that they're going to do this dispassionately and Theo Epstein isn't going to try to pretend. You got to like everybody but he's eligible and he's good, and they're going to try to win some ball games, even though Joe Madden probably misused him and almost lost the World Series because of it.

[B]

Overused him.

[A]

Yeah. And he was a marking point, I think, for people to be like, well, all right, I guess we got to carve out a little bit of room here in our brains to try to reconcile some of this stuff. But he's learned to use some other pitches. Boy, you start thinking about hall of Fame for him. And I guess now that the rules are starting to take shape for how closers get in and how we define them, when you look at late career peaks or late career sort of aggrandizements and burnishments of hall of Fame credentials, this is certainly up there. So we shall see. But Dennis Eckersley. Yeah.

[B]

So Eckersley won 21 innings without a hit on May 25, 1977. He pitched against Cleveland Indians. He allowed only one hit in that span, 21 innings. So May of 1977. Let's pull up, take a look and see.

[A]

That's wild. And to do that, like, after a half a bottle of Jim Beam, pretty good. No, I'm not saying he pitched drunk. He just. He.

[B]

No, he. No, I think he admitted to that.

[A]

Oh, really?

[B]

I think he may have. Or maybe it was just immediately after games or he would. I mean, he would definitely show up to games, feeling the effects of. Of throwing it down.

[A]

But still, everybody did.

[B]

But I mean, not. I'm not sure at his level, though.

[A]

No. But in. In 77, was that when they were.

[B]

Taking greenies or is that like the regular coffee? Oh, okay.

[A]

No, that. That was.

[B]

Yeah, there was no cocaine in the coffee. That was just in the club.

[A]

No, you were getting into 77 was like the start of. Of the cocaine era, when everybody was. Was doing that all the time. So I think that helped you as much as the nitro coffee or whatever they had going.

[B]

Yeah, they would just put the greenies in the coffee. Right.

[A]

They called unleaded and leaded. They always had some sort of cute little code word for it. Yeah, your Chicago Cubs were the. They loved that.

[B]

I just liked. I always enjoyed the guys that smoked cigarettes in the dugout. I was really surprised by the amount of smoking in Italy.

[A]

The lack of it.

[B]

No, the amount of it. Yeah. Tons of cigarettes.

[A]

Yeah. I mean, Europe still enjoys.

[B]

There's a lot of it. And like the booths in the glass booths in the airport. The smoking booths, you see those. Oh, the slider goes in you walk in and it just smoke comes billowing out.

[A]

Speaking of which, should we let's do our picks first because I have a non sports observation that I mentioned at the top that I want to get into here that I'm trying to figure out. This is sort of the fact that I have a bad business mind.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

But let the record show both our, both our picks came in. When we talk about our DBU picks presented by my bookie. And when we last left you, I gave you, I not only gave you the two lane starting quarterback, that Jake Retzlaff, the former by Jew now enrolled at Julian University. Ideally that he was going to be the guy and that minus 4 was too light. And you gave us Illinois.

[B]

I gave you Illinois at minus 45 and a half and they rolled Western Illinois 52 to 3. So I knew they would take care of that.

[A]

That's hard though because you never know. They call off the dogs and they put some guys in at the end that you're not sure. Just like when North Carolina yesterday put in their 24 year old backup car quarterback who's the same age as his girlfriend, as the coach's girlfriend.

[B]

Is that like her ex boyfriend?

[A]

Oh, it's so weird.

[B]

That'd be good if it was make for a good story.

[A]

I was thinking about this. She's almost the same age as my daughter.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Could you imagine? Hey dad, I wanted my, my boyfriend's coming over, I want you to meet him. And it's that guy and it's Bill Belichick.

[B]

Well, I mean I, I, I'm 52. You're, what are you?

[A]

56?

[B]

6. Could you imagine like dating a 24 year old? No, no, like there'd be zero interest.

[A]

No, no.

[B]

I'd be like what, what the hell are you saying? What is, what are the words coming out of your mouth? I don't understand anything that you're saying.

[A]

Phone down. Stop taking pictures of yourself.

[B]

Right.

[A]

Is there. Could you please stop taking Pictures of yourself 21 hours a day? 21 hours a day. All you're doing is making a weird duck face at a camera taking pictures of yourself. Stop it. And put some damn clothes on. That's what I would be saying all the time.

[B]

We were in Bari and the table next to us, it was mom and a dad and probably a five year old girl and the mom was doing that and she was taking selfies, holding her aperol spritz and posing and I mean and the volume was really loud. So you heard the camera clicking sound and it Just kept going. And we were. I mean, it's a.

[A]

We're pasta, for Christ's sake.

[B]

She didn't have food yet. It was just her and her apparel spritz. And the tables are so close. I could have reached out and touched her. It was. And all I. All I kept hearing is click, click, click, click.

[A]

And I'm looking over, like, should have photobombed her.

[B]

Oh, yeah. No, I mean, her husband was big.

[A]

Do not photobomb my wife.

[B]

Yeah. I didn't let it.

[A]

I must break you.

[B]

Yeah. Ivan Drago. No, but I mean.

[A]

No, I was picturing Jokic or Jokic's brother. You ever seen the big brother?

[B]

No.

[A]

Oh, look up. Jokic's. He's got a brother who is the brute squad.

[B]

Oh, really? You are the brute squad, right?

[A]

He's like £450.

[B]

Oh, really?

[A]

610. And he's got fists like canned hams.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

He looks like, what? Juggernaut. Oh, from Deadpool. Ever Juggernaut.

[B]

Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[A]

It's just ridiculously massive. It's insane. But, yeah. This is my boyfriend. He's 75 and he's weird and he's wearing a sweatshirt.

[B]

So weird. Like. Okay, let's do your picks.

[A]

All right, so take pictures of yourself and put a sweatshirt on.

[B]

We had great picks last week. Let's keep that rolling. What do you have today?

[A]

I've got a futures pick today.

[B]

Okay.

[A]

And only because it's a long shot, but I kind of want to think I want to have it in my back pocket. Don't ask me why, because I don't. My self esteem. And I'm gonna say this every time when it comes to picks, I don't. You don't need to say you got it wrong, Bernstein. I know I get it wrong. It's fine.

[B]

You don't research. You don't do things. You. You.

[A]

You pick with your heart, so.

[B]

Because that's the kind of guy you are.

[A]

I want to have in my back pocket the Buccaneers at 27 to 1 to win the Super Bowl.

[B]

To win the Super Bowl.

[A]

I just think that that's. I like the number on that. I like the number. For whatever reason, it jumped out to me. And I obviously know I could be wrong, but I'm going to have that ticket on my refrigerator with a magnet and just say, buccaneers plus 2,700.

[B]

So your pick is Buccaneers to win the Super Bowl.

[A]

I didn't say that. I didn't pick them to win the Super Bowl. This is how dumb Shit happens. I did not pick them to win the super bowl, okay? I just said I'm. I want to have that in my portfolio.

[B]

Bernstein hates the Bears. Oh God, he loves the Buccaneers. He's a Buccaneer fan.

[A]

I knew it. Why do you hate Lou all dang? I just said he's not good at dribbling.

[B]

All right, here's my pick. I'm gonna have a little fun tonight. And listen, if you haven't made your account yet at my bookie, you've got to do it. Let's start there. Go to my bookie, create your account. Great opportunities for, you know, first time betters being new to the account. Go ahead and do that. Have a little fun with the Cubs game tonight. I'm never going to pick an outcome of a team that I'm rooting for, but if I'm going to watch a game, I want to have a little something on it. And I went for tonight. First run, first run scored at plus 480. First run scored will be in the third inning. So that's my little, my little fun wager for watching. Cubs braves Showtime tonight. First run in third inning at plus 480. By the way, my guy, Diego Pavia. Vanderbilt. Yes, the Doors. Yes, they blew the Doors off. Charleston Southern, 45 to 3 deep. Papavia. 20 of 25, 275 yards, 3 touchdowns, 8 rushes for 44 yards in an easy win for my Commodores.

[A]

Lock in your picks now with my bookie. Bet on anything, anywhere, anytime. All right, help me. I'm going to give you a list and you tell me this is fairly easy, but I'm going to give you a list of 21 things and then I want you to tell me what they have in common.

[B]

Okay?

[A]

All right. This is just what I wrote down. I kept this because I found this interesting. Vibe Jars. Super good. The Refinery, The Plug Information. Entropy Mint, High Society, Timber, Elevated Exotics. Trap Stars. Farmhouse With a ph. The Bloomery King of Buds. Border Buds, Rolling Embers, Urb. The Flower Bowl. Harbor Country Collective. And now I'm going to give it away. The last two of the 21 cannabis club and Pure Cannabis.

[B]

So did you actually see these signs?

[A]

Not only did I see the signs for these on the way to harbor country in Michigan where we spent much of the weekend on Red Arrow highway and off of 94. I saw almost all of these. I saw 19 of 21. And seeing them is part of this. What these are, are dispensaries just over the Michigan border. These are Michigan based dispensaries just over the northeastern border of Indiana.

[B]

It's one thing, like as you mentioned, to see the sign, but then to be able to see, like to get right off the highway and you're right.

[A]

There and there's one where all four, every corner has one. And the architecture is bizarre. There is no consistency to what these cannabis dispensaries are trying to do other than sell you weed. Every billboard headed that direction and some the other direction saying turn around and go back and get weed.

[B]

You missed it. You missed it.

[A]

I did. But every billboard, free ounce, free this, free that. And all the parking lots are almost empty. There's nobody there. This is Labor Day weekend. Where is everybody? And some are saying there's a lounge, a consumption lounge. There's one that has an outdoor dining area that's got umbrellas and outdoor space.

[B]

Like it's a cafe. Yeah, it's a weed cafe.

[A]

And everything. The architecture is strange. Like everything was planted down there. Some are. There's one I didn't even write down. Kush. E Mart. There's 22 then.

[B]

Kush.

[A]

Yes, yes, like quick. E Mart.

[B]

Cute.

[A]

Hahaha.

[B]

Kush here.

[A]

And some of. Some of these look like they're aimed at high school kids. Some of them are much more medicinal information, entropy medicine. Some look like there should be somebody in a white lab coat. You know, they can't even figure out what the vibe is. Maybe vibe can because when you, when you.

[B]

It's funny you say that because it sparked something when you said that. The architecture is weird. There. There's a dispensary in, in Wheeling and I've driven past it a bunch of times on the way to baseball games. And it stands out because it's. It's like a large purpley blue building. And the architecture is really weird. I never really knew what it was until I coming back around, going back home, I was able to see the sign for it and. But it's like. Yeah, there was a lounge. Why'd you say the architecture weird? Because it like because this is.

[A]

First of all, when you go to Michigan for a weekend, you're headed to Saugatuck or you're. You. You're thinking like tulips and yeah, you're thinking vacationy stuff. And everything is rustic and it's bed and breakfasts and it's apple picking.

[B]

Now it's weed and cherries, which is.

[A]

Fine, but everything looks ridiculously out of place, especially along the Red Arrow Highway. That's where you've got the little breakfast places. And the farmer's markets. And all of a sudden there's this big ultra modern looking glass and steel industrial. It's all weird. And explain to me like, if you live in Indiana and what's the bet? The bet is, boy, people in Indiana, they're gonna flock over here in Illinois. We have it everywhere. It's on every block.

[B]

Yeah, they're all over.

[A]

First of all, most of the people vacationing there are from Chicago.

[B]

Right.

[A]

So they don't need to stock up and they're bringing it with them. Are you. Were you really counting on a daily exodus of people from Indiana coming over? Well, honey, did you stop for weed today? We gotta pile up all our weed. Even, even if you were an everyday consumer, you'd go once a month and you get your edibles and you get your whatevers and whatever you need medicinally and your CBD stuff. These giant parking lots. How many people. And at what point did some one of these national companies be like, that market's saturated and there's probably more. That's 22 that I found. And there are probably more, but I could not believe it. Yeah, I couldn't believe. And we saw. We're already seeing contraction in micro brewing, like the alcohol industry in general. Fewer people are drinking. The GLP1s have really changed that business too. And for health reasons that those microbrews closing right and left. And the other thing about that area of Michigan is people got into hop farming and devoted some arable land to hop farming. And that was ill timed because there's no place to sell those hops right now because the macrobrews that are still doing okay don't need those hops. And that industry is really struggling in general. But how many of these are gonna survive? They didn't show up.

[B]

Especially that area where you have on the four corners. That's. That seems like a bit much.

[A]

But even so, at some point the math said to all of these companies, we must put a place here as quickly as possible.

[B]

Right.

[A]

And they all did. But I would love to see their. Show me your work. I would love to see what explained that they thought that there was gonna be this business there.

[B]

It's really interesting that you say how, how much of a contrast it is to see it. And particularly in that area, that makes a lot of a great, a great deal of sense because it even, like I mentioned that one in Wheeling, it really stands out. And this is in front of a Westin Hotel, there's a strip mall.

[A]

Yeah, I know exactly what you're talking about there.

[B]

Yeah. So. And. But it just. It stands out. And it's. It's right in the middle of a very busy business district, and yet it still stands out. I couldn't imagine, like, here you're on your way to, like, bed and breakfast country.

[A]

Yes.

[B]

That really. It's got to stand out.

[A]

It seems to be beachy and you're there to. To relax in the woods and do all that, and we did, and it was lovely. Yeah, we had a terrific. And when I drove by our friends, my guy John at Beer Church Brewery in New Buffalo, I drove by there. Packed.

[B]

Oh, yeah.

[A]

The multi levels of the outdoor thing. People spilling out of there. So.

[B]

Yeah, absolutely. Last venture of summer for the weekend.

[A]

Oh, and the weather was just impossibly nice. Yeah, the weather was so glorious. We made a giant bonfire. And my cousin has.

[B]

Oh, you're with cousin Asker. You with you. So you're with cousins and with the Blacks. Oh, you were. Okay.

[A]

Yep. We're with the Blacks. And he's. They've got these cool marshmallow toasting sticks that are made from repurposed putters.

[B]

Oh.

[A]

So they have the grip on there.

[B]

Oh, wow.

[A]

They're all repurposed putters with either a dual fork or an actual, like, table fork.

[B]

Are these the ones he bought or.

[A]

Soldered to the end? I don't know where they find. You know, he's got stuff. There's just stuff that they find.

[B]

Looks for ways to spend money.

[A]

But it's. It's so cool, though. It's so cool to not have an actual stick thing.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

And, you know, I get impatient. I always have to balance. Like, how badly do I want the s' more now? Do I get a little char on it? I like a little. Mostly golden brown, tiny bit of char. If you blow it up.

[B]

I don't. I don't. I don't even toast them. I'm not interested in that. I just don't do it.

[A]

Why? You're too good. You're too good to toast a damn marshmallow.

[B]

Whatever. I like. The kids do it. All the boys do it. And they make them black. I mean, it's disgusting.

[A]

You make the boys black.

[B]

No, the marshmallows. When we do s'.

[A]

Mores. Marshmallows.

[B]

No, I don't make the boys black, but they make the marshmallows.

[A]

You're taking this football coaching very seriously.

[B]

Well, yeah, we all. We had our.

[A]

Here's our plan.

[B]

We had a. We had a tough game in Barrington. Barrington had a.

[A]

They had a I'm sorry, Coach Belichick.

[B]

Yeah, we know we took a loss in our first in our opening weekend. That's fine. We'll bounce back this week at home against Huntley.

[A]

So you learn more from a bad day than a good day.

[B]

Yeah, I guess.

[A]

Who told me that?

[B]

Who?

[A]

Terry. Boys.

[B]

Bill Belichick.

[A]

Terry?

[B]

Really?

[A]

Terry Boris told me that you learned and it was, it actually became a watchword for parenting of the second kid. Zoe didn't want to hear it. She's like, oh, stop with those stupid ass cliches. But, you know, when the kids in sports and, you know, T ball, you have a rough one, you're. You got the sniffles in the car and you're sad about it. You'll learn more from a bad day than a good day.

[B]

Well, that's absolutely true in life. And you know, speaking of Terry Boers, I. One quick final Football. College football. Thought I watched college game day because I wanted to see the Lee Corso stuff because he made us. He made his final headgear pick.

[A]

There's a burial shroud and.

[B]

Oh, buddy, Buddy. The, the lead up into it and like the video messages, it was, it was really, it was really emotional. It was impactful. I mean, I got, I got, I got a little teary eyed watching it because it was really good.

[A]

I've never.

[B]

But then, then they bring him out and he can barely talk and it, like, at a point I felt, it felt like elder abuse. And they made him put the buckeye hat on and he, you know, the helmet, the whole headgear thing. And it just, it went, it went from being really sweet to like, I'm really glad I watched this and saw it in person to. This is really uncomfortable and someone should, like, do something and get him off stage.

[A]

I was expecting them to do that with Trump over the weekend because for. It was so weird that he disappeared for a few days.

[B]

I heard that he had a stroke or something on social media.

[A]

Yeah, everybody. Like, I came downstairs and my daughter says that my wife said something like, hey, they think he might be dead. He's not dead. And then they showed the picture of him and he didn't look great. So.

[B]

Well, I mean, never looks great. I know, but it was something like.

[A]

He didn't put the orange stuff on and he's wearing the hat because he doesn't want to put his head in the, in the hair machine.

[B]

Yeah, I heard there was. They used, they used an after. Like, does like, they change.

[A]

I want to bring that back, by the way. I can't stop doing Sack machine.

[B]

Oh, you know, the. There's a. The Walgreens by my house that I always go to. Do you remember the name, the caller? Wonder if Terry will tomorrow, because Terry Bore's.

[A]

Terry Bohr's joining us tomorrow.

[B]

It's the whole show, the whole show. Danzy from Waukegan. Remember that name?

[A]

I remember Danzy. So, yeah, sure.

[B]

He works at the Walgreens by my house, and so I see him all the time, and so, you know, we'll always chat. And I mentioned to him about. About Dan Burnson, unfiltered and forward progress. And he was like, oh, yeah. He goes, I saw that on my phone. And I'm like, yeah.

[A]

You go, you should.

[B]

I go, you should check it out. He goes, I'm really happy for you guys. He shook my hand. He goes, hey, let me ask you. I'm like, okay, here comes the question. He goes, what's Mike north up to? No, I swear to God, dude. He said, what's Mike north up to? Then he goes, hey, tell Terry Boers I said hello.

[A]

Okay.

[B]

Yeah, nothing for me. Nothing for you. He just said, tell Terry Bors hello. What's Mike north up to? That guy was hysterical. That's what he said.

[A]

Well, he still is.

[B]

That's our guy Dansey in Waukegan. So that's my guy I see all the time.

[A]

If you're waiting for Sunday to start betting, you're missing half the fun and half the money. So don't do that anymore. College football is already cooking. Hell, we've been talking about it. Upsets blowouts, wild covers, and my bookie lets you hit it all with game lines, with player props and more. It's everything you need before the pros even kick off. And that way, when Sunday rolls around, you're already sitting pretty, you're already up. You got house money. My bookie's got it all under one roof. You can win big on their NFL super contest and Survivor pools. And this is key. This is a great deal if you know such things, and I think you do. If you're new to my bookie, use our code DBU for Dan Bernstein. Unfiltered. Any bet you choose up to 500 bucks is fully covered. Make your play. If it doesn't hit, you get it right back. Make sure you opt in using your bet back bonus token with the code dbu. It's my bookie. Where betters win together. Because bragging's good, but cashing in is better.

[B]

Better. Remember tomorrow, dbu, Terry Boers will join the show. I'm very excited to talk to Uncle Terry.

[A]

As am I. I think it's going to be a lovely time and we'll find out what he's up to, what he's thinking. We'll get his football information, get him in the building, get his football information.

[B]

Bears Silly. Bears Silly season.

[A]

The perfect time for Bears Silly Week. And here's the thing too, we're going to end up contributing to Bears Silly Week.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

And if you like the Bears, you also have to tune in to our Bears Only podcast and that is Forward Progress, a Chicago Bears podcast which we host as well, Matt Abaticola and I. So make sure you grab that. There's going to be a new episode posting today later today.

[B]

Correct.

[A]

Today's Dan Bernstein Unfiltered has been brought to you in partnership with my bookie. We will talk to you tomorrow.

[B]

Dan Bernstein, unfiltered unfiltered on 312 Sports.