Caleb Williams looks to lead Bears on a playoff run

Summary

Podcast Summary: "Caleb Williams Looks to Lead Bears on a Playoff Run"

Dan Bernstein Unfiltered on 312 Sports
Release Date: December 30, 2025
Host: Dan Bernstein
Co-host: Matt Abbatacola

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Episode Overview

This episode centers on the Chicago Bears’ playoff push, the language (or lack thereof) around championship aspirations in the organization, and a broader discussion of sports culture—from Bears management's messaging, to Bulls injury woes, to the cultural influence of the new HBO series "Heated Rivalry." As always, Bernstein provides unfiltered Chicago sports analysis, challenging the norms and exploring the deeper narratives.

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Main Theme

Why don’t the Bears say “Super Bowl”?
Dan Bernstein is struck by rookie quarterback Caleb Williams’ press conference wording—how he hinted at big goals but avoided directly naming the “Super Bowl.” Bernstein uses this to launch a discussion on organizational language, mindset, and whether it matters if teams vocalize championship aspirations.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Caleb Williams & the Unspoken Super Bowl (00:29–14:18)

• Dan notices Williams danced around directly saying “Super Bowl,” instead talking about “getting on a run in the playoffs.”
• Dan Bernstein (03:00):
  “A run through the playoffs, well, where does that lead you? …through the Super Bowl and winning a championship. So I realized, ‘Aha!’ That’s why that stuck with me.”
• The hosts reminisce on when Bears officials last explicitly used championship language and contrast it with other organizations (e.g., Theo Epstein with the Cubs).
• Bernstein: “Never be afraid of it… The ring's the thing, as they say.” (04:32)
• The current regime (Coach Ben Johnson, QB Caleb Williams, GM Ryan Poles) focuses on “week-to-week,” “one-and-oh” language, avoiding big-picture talk.
• Conversation about whether this language signals humility, focus, or a lack of boldness.
• Ben Johnson, earlier in the year, did call out the team for not practicing “like a championship team” (11:02), but rarely goes further.

2. Locker Room Messaging & Culture (08:15–14:18)

• The co-host and Dan probe why coaches like Johnson (and, by extension, Williams) are cautious about talking championships.
• Bernstein:
  “Why are we scared of saying that’s what this is all about?” (13:50)
• The hosts discuss whether focusing only on the next game is helpful, and when it becomes appropriate to talk about bigger goals.

3. Side Tangent: Colts, Old Quarterbacks & Chicken Wings (14:18–22:34)

• Relaxed banter about the Colts’ struggles, aging quarterbacks, and NFL locker room culture.
• Degenerates into discussion of wing joints, the superiority of flats vs drums, and Chicago’s best wing spots—a trademark Bernstein sidetrack with local flavor.

4. Bulls’ Injury Woes & Trade Market Challenges (25:28–34:22)

• Discussion jumps to the injury-riddled Chicago Bulls.
• Kobe White’s recurring calf injuries make him “untradeable,” tanking his value and raising questions about Bulls’ conditioning and training staff.
• Entertaining deep dive into the revolving door of G-league callups, soft tissue injuries, and the unpredictability of NBA rosters.

5. NHL, Representation, and the Impact of 'Heated Rivalry' (34:22–48:22)

• Discussion shifts to the surprising cultural impact of “Heated Rivalry,” a new Canadian hockey romance series on HBO.
  • The show focuses on two male hockey stars—loosely based on Crosby and Ovechkin—exploring LGBTQ+ themes in a traditionally conservative culture.
  • Bernstein:
    “If people are being made uncomfortable by art, that means it’s affecting the way people think and feel... and forcing people to ask why it makes them uncomfortable.” (46:22)
• Bernstein describes his personal connection to hockey inclusion efforts via his son, local teams, and experiences with the You Can Play foundation.
• Criticism of the NHL’s wavering commitment to Pride initiatives, calling out relenting to “hateful, loud people” (43:36).
• The show’s popularity is growing in “certain circles” but its potential for mainstream breakthrough is debated.

6. Tiger Woods Turns 50 & Generational Reflection (52:52–56:09)

• Noting the milestone birthday of Tiger Woods and reminiscing over his transformative effect on golf.
• Bernstein and the co-host contemplate aging, legacy, and the bizarre feeling of watching athletes younger than oneself grow older.

7. Comedy, Sportswashing & Ben Johnson’s Notable Quote (56:32–58:23)

• Short exchange on comics performing in Saudi Arabia and the ethical dilemmas (“comedy-washing” like “sportswashing”).
• Return to Bears talk: Ben Johnson, on a podcast, joked he’d “cut off his testicles” for a Bears Super Bowl win.
  • Co-host (57:43):
    “Apparently, back in March, [Johnson] talked about what he would be willing to do to win a Super Bowl. He would be willing to cut off his testicles for Chicago to win a Super Bowl.”

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Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• Dan Bernstein (03:00):
  “A run through the playoffs, well, where does that lead you? A run through the playoffs leads you to and through the Super Bowl and winning a championship.”

• Dan Bernstein (04:29):
  “Never be afraid of it. Never fear that because it’s professional sports. It’s what you do, it’s what you’re here for. The ring’s the thing, as they say.”

• Co-host (11:02):
  “Ben Johnson criticized his team for not practicing hard enough. They weren't practicing like a championship team.”

• Dan Bernstein (13:50):
  “There’s nothing wrong with them talking title run or at least putting it out there… Why are we scared of saying it?”

• Dan Bernstein (46:22):
  “If people are being made uncomfortable by art, that means it’s... affecting the way people think and feel and ideally forcing people to ask why it makes them uncomfortable.”

• Co-host (57:43):
  “He would be willing to cut off his testicles for Chicago to win a Super Bowl.”

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:29–14:18: Bears playoff outlook, language around the Super Bowl, and organizational mindset
• 14:18–22:34: Colts, aging QBs, humorous local wing joint debate
• 25:28–34:22: Bulls’ injury crisis, Kobe White’s diminished trade value
• 34:22–48:22: "Heated Rivalry" HBO show, NHL/LGBTQ inclusion, personal stories
• 52:52–56:09: Tiger Woods turns 50, generational moments in sports
• 56:32–58:23: Comedy sportswashing, recalling Ben Johnson’s colorful pledge

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Final Thoughts

The episode delves deeply into language, culture, and leadership in professional sports, using the Chicago Bears' playoff run as a launching pad for broader questions about ambition, honesty, and changing times. True to the show’s “unfiltered” branding, Bernstein pushes back against institutional blandness—whether it’s dodging the “Super Bowl” word, resisting social inclusion in sports, or ignoring hard questions about athlete health.

For Bears and Chicago sports fans, this episode will feel like a classic, mixing humor, sharp observation, local flavor, and a willingness to confront the status quo.

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Transcript

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[Dan Bernstein]

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[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

So the question, the original question, it's the first one of the press conference, it was about like the disappointment and feelings about losing that game 49ers, about.

[Dan Bernstein]

What it felt like to lose to the 49ers and he starts going a little larger picture here. So just, just work with me on this because I have, trust me, I have a point. Okay, so this was Caleb Williams.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

We got a great shot at the. At the end of the season to put ourselves in, you know, in a good spot, but also, you know, to.

[Dan Bernstein]

Get back on a roll and get.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

Back on a run here through the playoffs. And that's, you know, that's what you're focused on.

[Dan Bernstein]

Okay? Get back. Not just that, but, you know, get back on a roll, get back on a run through the playoffs.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

A run through the playoffs.

[Dan Bernstein]

And I'm not going to start singing Run through the Jungle, but a run through the playoffs, well, where does that lead you? A run through the playoffs leads you to and through the super bowl and winning a championship. So I realized, aha, that's why that stuck with me. We listen to a lot of sound, right? There isn't a lot. I mean we miss stuff, but there isn't a lot that we miss. Talking Bears, between this show forward progress and all the stuff that we do, and in our daily lives living in this football crazed town, when is the last time a Bears principal mentioned win the super bowl, win a title, win the championship. When, when is the last time you remember somebody saying that publicly?

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

Well, did Ben say it at his initial opening press conference?

[Dan Bernstein]

Maybe. I know Ryan Polls has said it.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

The whole, I mean, Ben, I remember very clearly Ben saying that. What, you know, why can't we win now or we're going to win now? Something along those lines.

[Dan Bernstein]

I don't mean that.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

I mean, I know, I know, but.

[Dan Bernstein]

Use the words super bowl or championship or title, like really state what the actual goal is. Usually when somebody takes a job, they'll that, that's when it's, it's easier, right.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

To, to say I'm here to win.

[Dan Bernstein]

A Super bowl, we're here to win a Super bowl, we're here to win multiple Super Bowls, we're here to win Super Bowls. And people, until people stop us from winning Super Bowls. And that stuff is said. So how many times did Theo Epstein say it? I think he did. I think Theo said that he said championships a lot. Yeah, I do think there have been times where it's said and I've always been for that. Never be afraid of it. Never fear that because it's professional sports. It's what you do, it's what you're here for. The ring's the thing, as they say, to the point where it does overshadow other things. And the way I think I have aged and I think become a little bit wiser is understanding that it doesn't mean even if you failed to win a championship and technically your season is a failure and only One team has a successful season, it doesn't mean you can't enjoy the chase. It doesn't mean there isn't things to be learned along the way. It's the journey that matters. And whatever cliche, whatever idiom you want to use, it doesn't take away from the fact that that's what you're here for. You're here for the parade. You're here to win it. When's the last time either Ben Johnson or Caleb Williams or Ryan poles or George McCaskey or Kevin Warren. Has Kevin Warren mentioned it? Like, actually, when is the last time the Bears mentioned and made it clear that their goal is to win the super bowl every year? Do you remember?

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

I don't.

[Dan Bernstein]

I don't either. There may be an easy answer to this, but if not now, if they can't talk about it now or won't talk about it now or mention it now, when and why won't they. So I don't want you to put a headline on this. Like, I don't want to, you know, an hour from now. I don't want to look at the thumbnail and say, it's like Bernstein says. Bears won't say Super Bowl Done. Just type it up. Please don't do that. This isn't really a hot take because I'm bad at hot takes. But the.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

Well, I think for this current iteration of the Bears, they're. They're really focused again. And I think we've talked about this maybe off. Off a show. They're just really focused on week to week going teams going one and. Oh, I know. But, but, but Ben Johnson seems to take it to. And, and maybe, maybe so, because I just don't monitor other coaches as closely as this team. But they're really focused on going one and.

[Dan Bernstein]

Oh, you know, I get it. Of course. Of course they are. But at some point this season, you're 11 and five, man.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

Yeah.

[Dan Bernstein]

You're going to be a top three seed.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

Yeah. And I know that every team focuses on. Every coach focuses on the next opponent, but usually coaches talk about. And Lovey was notorious for this about talking about quarters, you know, the quarters. And Ben does it, too, but Ben breaks it down further with going one and. Oh. Because we hear Caleb say that a lot, and that's not him originating that thought or idea.

[Dan Bernstein]

Well, and that's why I'm listening to what players say, because if Ben Johnson were standing in front of the team saying, I want to win the super bowl this year, we're going to do everything we can do to win the super bowl this year and every year we'd hear it.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

See, I think that they don't talk big picture like that, at least not right now. Which is why Caleb said the. He said that the way he said it.

[Dan Bernstein]

Go on a run.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

He got to dance towards it.

[Dan Bernstein]

And then that's why. That's why it stood out to you. That's why it stuck. Because I'm like, oh, where He's. He's going somewhere here. He started talking about what our larger goals are, but he. He made it very clear that he was. Was tapping the brakes verbally.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

We want to get on a run.

[Dan Bernstein]

We'Re going to get on a run.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

We got a great shot at the. At the end of the season to put ourselves in, you know, in a good spot, but also, you know, to.

[Dan Bernstein]

Get back on a roll and get.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

Back on a run here through the playoffs. And that's, you know, that's what your focus on. Yeah.

[Dan Bernstein]

Focused on a run here through the playoffs and AKA winning a championship.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

Yeah. Big shot here, that is. Beat the Lions, secure the two seed. That's your.

[Dan Bernstein]

That's your best shot.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

Your more. More desirable favorable route to the playoffs of winning a Super Bowl.

[Dan Bernstein]

Correct.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

Right. And yet, because like we talked about, at the two seed, you're a one seed away from losing to become the home field team throughout.

[Dan Bernstein]

There are also coaches and general managers who will take the opposite tack and will. Will say, oh, well, of course we want to win the Super Bowl. They'll say it enough that it doesn't matter anymore. They sort of render it meaningless.

[Commercial Announcer]

Right.

[Dan Bernstein]

If you constantly are saying it and just as a matter of course and like a rote repetition to say, what's our goal every year is obviously to win the Super Bowl. And they sort of put it away that way.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

Right.

[Dan Bernstein]

But because the Bears haven't mentioned it and now have a legitimate shot at winning one at some point. I'm not asking you to be the 85 Bears.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

Right. And, yeah, they don't need to go.

[Dan Bernstein]

Out in the middle of the season.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

Do a Super bowl Shuffle, Part 2.

[Dan Bernstein]

Here's what we're going to do. We're going to record a horrible rap song where we're going to tell the world that we're doing a dance about winning the Super Bowl.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

Please watch that documentary soon.

[Dan Bernstein]

I'm going to.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

It's. It's good.

[Dan Bernstein]

I have to.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

I think that we won't hear Ben Johnson talk about it or get a video of it from the locker room until they Win the NFC Championship game if they were to get to that point. I really don't, I don't see Ben Johnson talking about the Super Bowl.

[Dan Bernstein]

So the questions are then of course, the questions are, well, one is going to be, who cares? Shut up. Right, right. And. And another question is going to be what does it matter?

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

Right.

[Dan Bernstein]

All that matters is blocking and tackling and let their play speak for itself.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

Well, doesn't it have to do with the fact that early in the year, I mean, Ben Johnson criticized his team for not practicing hard enough? They weren't practicing like a championship team. He mentioned. And we have.

[Dan Bernstein]

Did he say that? Yes, I think he did.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

He did say that.

[Dan Bernstein]

I think you're right.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

He did say that.

[Dan Bernstein]

Good guess.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

We're practicing like a championship team. And he now when we have some audio that we're going to play in Ford progress today, he talks about how the offense has developed and grown and the progression and that the training wheels are off.

[Dan Bernstein]

Okay, now then. So it would be on me as a reporter to then say, Ben, you mentioned earlier about what it meant to practice like a championship team. Is your team now practicing like a championship team?

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

Yeah, that's a perfect, That's a great, great follow up.

[Dan Bernstein]

That's a perfect. Several weeks ago, fair question. That is an absolutely reasonable question asked the head coach of the Chicago Bears.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

Yeah, so. And now I was stating about the fact that he said that the offenses that removed the training wheels, those are his words. I want to know, like in his mind, when did that occur? Was it a slower progression or was it, hey, we took the training wheels off.

[Dan Bernstein]

Was there a step back?

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

And if that's the case, like, are they now that caliber team of winning a championship because the training wheels are off? And if the training wheels are off, is that, are you at your full playbook of what you can do?

[Dan Bernstein]

These are all really good questions and I tend to think it's time to start asking about it.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

Oh, so I'm sorry. So my, my progression and I thought was the fact that since he first thought his team wasn't even practicing like practicing like a championship caliber team and that he was recognizing that from his offense there was training wheels on the bike. How could he even think about super bowl when that's where he was in that moment? They weren't, they weren't even practicing like a championship team. I couldn't even take the training wheels off the offense to start. So how could he in his mind have that kind of conversation or say those words to his team about winning A Super bowl when they couldn't get through a goddamn practice week looking like a winning team.

[Dan Bernstein]

And they've had what, two. What? A five game win streak and a two. They've strung these wins together.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

Yeah, they've gone. Lost 21 4, lost 11 5, lost 11 2, lost 1. And now they got to beat the Lions, get the two seed and then that would be a five game win streak through the Super Bowl.

[Dan Bernstein]

How, how many teams that had a four game winning streak and a five game winning streak in the same season haven't been in the. Either in the playoffs or a reasonable championship discussion. Like you're there. Say what?

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

Any.

[Dan Bernstein]

You can listen to anybody, any Caleb critic, any of us who are concerned about the defense being bad. And we're all right here. But the objective fact is there's nothing wrong with them talking title run or at least putting it out there that that's what we're doing right now. Why, why are we scared of saying it? Why are we scared of saying that? That's what this, everything we're talking about is about. That.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

Well, the Colts this year, they had a three game and a four game.

[Dan Bernstein]

I didn't say three and four.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

I know, I know.

[Dan Bernstein]

How about.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

But they were immediately came to my brain here as they have now lost 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 in a row.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah. And then they bring, you know, Charles Durning out to play quarterback for them.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

Old man Rivers, big old fat guy, old man fatty.

[Dan Bernstein]

And he. Did you hear? He was like, I've had a blast. This was awesome.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

Of course he did.

[Dan Bernstein]

I had a great time. If you're one of his teammates, NFL.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

Insurance, kickback back in for his family.

[Dan Bernstein]

If you're another cult, like, I'm glad you had fun. If you're Riley.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

That's what I was saying yesterday, dude. If I like from the outside.

[Dan Bernstein]

If you're Riley Leonard and you just be like great. Like if you're gramps, glad you enjoyed yourself.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

Like for us, it's a cute story. It was a fun story. But if you're a Colts fan, aren't.

[Dan Bernstein]

You shared their season, right? Yeah.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

Like, why'd you draft this kid?

[Dan Bernstein]

You might have lost anyway, but Riley loves. Hey, I'm right. How do you go back to him now? Be like, well, you're our backup for next year. Why you didn't. You didn't trust. You had to. You had to bring this. Your buddy over. Well, either that or the guy sitting next to you at the bar, like, did he really?

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

Because I mean they Brought him in because he knew the offense so well.

[Dan Bernstein]

Did Riley Leonard not.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

Do you not know the offense that well? Like, is that an indictment against him?

[Dan Bernstein]

Right. It's just. What message are you sending? That guy's like, yeah, you know, you've been on the roster all year. You've been at every practice. You don't know shit, though. Doing all the homework, but, sorry, we can't trust you.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

Now, let's call this guy because he uses our offense with his high school team in Alabama.

[Dan Bernstein]

Hi, everybody. Right? He shows up and he plays three games and he sucks ass and then he leaves and he's all happy.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

It was a great time. Thanks for the buffet. Buffet was great.

[Dan Bernstein]

The guy's got a chicken wing in either hand.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

He's got one of those Styrofoam containers he took to go. Food.

[Dan Bernstein]

Came over, got his lemon pepper, all flats, and he's heading home. Got a big banquet tray, by the way. All flats. Wrong call.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

Yeah, I prefer. I'll eat either, but I prefer the.

[Dan Bernstein]

It's got to be a mix.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

Yeah.

[Dan Bernstein]

If you know how you're setting up your wing consumption.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

If you're forced to get one or the other, what are you picking?

[Dan Bernstein]

If I had to do all flats or all drums.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

Yeah, if you have to pick one or the other, like force. I'm picking drum, all drums.

[Dan Bernstein]

And probably not because of the skin to meat ratio. And a properly fried wing that I also. And this is why you can't watch me eat a wing.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

No, it's like a horror movie with a flat.

[Dan Bernstein]

I'll put the whole thing in my mouth and then pull out the. All known. The radius.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

Yeah.

[Dan Bernstein]

And then use my teeth to crack that last knuckle.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

Yep.

[Dan Bernstein]

It's like a rib tip. Yeah, it's like a rib tip. You put the whole thing in and you spit out what's inedible.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

You're like a wild animal.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

All right, so anyway. Answer the question. Yeah, you're forced to pick one.

[Dan Bernstein]

Flats.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

Flats. Okay.

[Dan Bernstein]

But forced. I prefer to have maybe a ratio of two flats to every drum. Two to one.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

Yeah.

[Dan Bernstein]

In the mix.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

Oh, you know what? So Henry loves wings. Loves them. And now I just. Now I have a taste for them. And have you ever had franks for the memories? They're up in Mundelein, up by me. No, dude from Buffalo. Opened his place decades ago up in that area. They're fucking.

[Dan Bernstein]

They're.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

They're so good. I might have to do that now, tonight.

[Dan Bernstein]

Did you know that? Because Mom's from Buffalo.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

Your mom's from Buffalo.

[Dan Bernstein]

We had the. Before they were ubiquitous. We would. When Buffalo Joe's opened in Evanston, she would drive down from Deerfield to get. To get to Buffalo Joe's because we would go. When we would go and visit my grandparents from the airport, before we even got to their house, we'd go to the. We'd land at the Buffalo airport and we would go immediately to Duff's or to sit.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

Wings. Really?

[Dan Bernstein]

And sit and get wings before you.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

See Grandma and Grandpa.

[Dan Bernstein]

Oh, yeah.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

Would you bring them any or do you just.

[Dan Bernstein]

No, they live there. But we would stop like, hey, Grandma, we'll see you in a bit. We're stopping at Duffs.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

Yeah. So they're probably Frank's for the memories is probably the best. Best ones I've ever had.

[Dan Bernstein]

Okay.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

Without being in the Buffalo area.

[Dan Bernstein]

All right.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

Yeah, I'm gonna do that tonight now. All right. Well, that's not why you called.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yaxis are really good.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

What were you. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. Yaxis. They're very good. Oh, yeah, they're excellent.

[Dan Bernstein]

I would say in the city, Yaxies for sure. Yeah.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

I loved when I would get stuck doing a remote there or promotional appearance.

[Dan Bernstein]

Oh, no, I'm stuck at Yaxies again. It would be like the XRT day where it's like, wait a second, it's Cubs opening day. Oh, gee. The English Beat is playing at Yaxies. And I'm sitting here with all the wings I can eat and a free VIP seat at an English Beat concert. That's Dave Wakeling right there.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

I did a promotion for. Who was I doing a promotion for?

[Dan Bernstein]

Maybe.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

Maybe Jim Beam. I did Jim Beam 2016, and I was at one of the spots was the Axies. So it was like, ideal. And they were like. They had a corner of the bar. They're like, here, this is your space.

[Dan Bernstein]

The best breakfast, too. Like, right out of bed. First thing you eat are. And not leftovers, like, made right there. Fresh oil, good wings just tossed in there. Not too hot. Like medium, not mild. Just. Just a good medium wing is ideal for me. And I.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

And I. Yeah, I agree. I don't. I don't. I don't want to be uncomfortable.

[Dan Bernstein]

No, I don't mean comfortable.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

And I.

[Dan Bernstein]

And it's got to be enough. Enough excitement in my. In my whole face. I got to feel it. But not. Not crazy. What?

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

Seattle last year had a. They had a three game, four game, three game win streak.

[Dan Bernstein]

Okay, but I'm saying.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

I know what you're saying.

[Dan Bernstein]

Talk, talk Super Bowl. Why not? Why not say it? These Bears are scared. Don't. Don't make this into something it's not. Please. I know what you're doing. How dare you tell the Bears what to say. They're infallible.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

I just think it's Ben Johnson and that's his. Obviously he leads the charge and all the messaging.

[Dan Bernstein]

So when.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

Yeah, I don't know.

[Dan Bernstein]

At the eve of the playoffs.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

I think for him, after they. No, I think when they win the NFC Championship game, if they do his good, better, best, will have some kind of talk about the super bowl into it.

[Dan Bernstein]

Or are they going to wait until the end of the parade when everybody goes home?

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

He never refers to it. He just keeps calling it the biggest.

[Dan Bernstein]

Whatever this was. Like, they don't have legal license to do it. They've got a copyright issue. Yeah.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

Morning of the big game. Come on, guys.

[Dan Bernstein]

What do you think? Today, Chicago, right?

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

They even say Bears.

[Dan Bernstein]

They use the synecdoche. Yes.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

All right, guys. Today Chicago's in the big game. Give me your good, better, best.

[Dan Bernstein]

Today we have arrived at the big professional football event. What's he talking about? Where are we? I thought this was just a regular season game.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

So that's my.

[Dan Bernstein]

I didn't know what this was.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

So my thumbnail is going to be. Johnson refuses to say Super Bowl.

[Dan Bernstein]

Right. How dare he? Right? Cowardly Johnson. Bernstein. Bernstein. Colon. Cowardly Johnson refuses to say Super Bowl.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

That was the name of the cook on the wagon trail I was on.

[Dan Bernstein]

Cowardly Johnson.

[Commercial Announcer]

Yeah.

[Dan Bernstein]

Oh, I don't know about this chili. I don't know why he talks like that.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

Yeah, like, go try it. He was too afraid to try his own food, right?

[Dan Bernstein]

Oh, too spicy for me. I don't have the constitution for it.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

He's almost like Mr. Bill.

[Dan Bernstein]

I'll just have a salad. I'll just have my regular salad. But it's actually. It's actually a really complicated salad like everybody else. Everybody else is slopping the chili into their metal bowls and he has like frise with a poached egg every night. Little lardon, just perfect.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

Slightly seared tuna.

[Dan Bernstein]

Nicoise salad.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

Yes. Nishwa salad.

[Dan Bernstein]

He always has nicoise salad. Well, well, Cookie, you sure like that fancy stuff.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

Oh, boy. Well, it's 10:07.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah. You said, are you ready? And I said yes.

[Commercial Announcer]

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[Dan Bernstein]

I don't know if I am or.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

Not marking it down where it's gone.

[Dan Bernstein]

Alright, fine, great. December does not have to be the most expensive month of the year. If you're betting with my bookie, 12 Days of Christmas is coming soon. Daily offers. It's actually here, I keep saying that we're in the middle of it. We got offers every single day across sports and casino. And that means when you sign in, all of a sudden, boom. There's free spins, there's profit boosts, there's bet and gets. And if you're using on social or telegram, there's all kinds of stuff. Surprise drops just for you. December's full of opportunities, it's bowl season, it's NFL games. We're talking about college, hoops, NBA, all chances for you to cash. So go to my bookie right now. Punch in our code. You're listening to Dan Bernstein unfiltered. The first letters of which are DB and U. Those three letters, dbu. That's the code. See, it's difficult. You get your first bet covered up to $500. You go big and you miss on the first bet. Then you didn't really miss because you have a bet back bonus token and you can run it back bet on anything, anywhere, anytime. Only with my bookie.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

I've really enjoyed my bookie and using the the app for the season. It's been a lot of fun and a lot more fun to watch in other games outside the Bears. Yeah. You know, I never knew what telegram was. Yeah, I didn't. I.

[Dan Bernstein]

Is it an encrypted social medium? Is it like signal?

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

It's like a Messenger.

[Dan Bernstein]

It's like WhatsApp, I guess as a.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

Cloud based mobile and desktop messaging app. Yeah, there you go.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah, I think it's encrypted.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

I didn't know what it was.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah, I think so. So like when you're sending out secret war plans and you want to send it to a member of the media.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

You want to include your buddies.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah. Hey, by the way, we're bombing Yemen. So if you want to. If you want to bomb Yemen, just, you know, let me know.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

Okay, I'll text.

[Dan Bernstein]

I mean, I'm not really gonna act on it, but just be nice. If I'm oppressed.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

I'll send it to the group chat.

[Dan Bernstein]

Put it in the group chat indeed. What the hell happened in the Bulls game last night? What are we watching? Why can't anybody stay healthy? And I saw that Nikola Jokic hurt his knee non contact, and he's getting an MRI today. But that's neither here nor there, which would be so awful because what he's doing is absolutely insane. He's one of the greatest basketball players who's ever walked the planet. And right now, until wembanyama becomes full fledged. Yeah, that's the best player on the planet in Jokic.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

I saw a statistical comparison of his season, And I think Jordan's 98 MVP season.

[Dan Bernstein]

88 or 98?

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

98. Yeah. And it's. He's beating him in every category. It's crazy.

[Dan Bernstein]

No one's ever seen anything like this before. But the Bulls game last night, I turn it on and I say, okay, well, this should be fun. Here's a good team coming to town. I love watching Ant man, and I love watching Julius Randall. Now, have you seen him? He. He got in shape. Julius Randle is not carrying any of that extra padding. He looks like he's. He's slimmed down 20 pounds, and he is moving out there. That's a. That's a tough team.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

That.

[Dan Bernstein]

That is a well coached, really, really good team. And now that they realize how good Nas Reed is, I don't think the Bulls realize that they got to close out on him because he can really shoot it like you've never seen him before. But Kobe White leaves in the first five minutes with another calf strain, and we are recording OWC today, so we're going to get into all of this. I understand you're careful with Kobe White's calves because it can be predictive or correlative to Achilles injuries. So he had the bad calf, he came back, and then his other calf started to hurt and he was out, and he came back again, and. And there he is last night. And he leaves another castran, goes right into the locker room. All right, too bad. Whatever. He'll be out for a while. First of all, with him. You're trying to trade him. Ideally, he's going to be a free agent. You're not going to keep everybody. There are teams interested in him. He's not playing that well. Numbers are down, shooting is down. And he also, if you're scouting him, he's playing sometimes too slow and sometimes too fast and not enough at the right pace. He's hurrying places. He's getting into the lane and jumping up and trying to draw files that aren't being called. The refs are onto him with the head bob. He's. He learned if he grows his hair way out and he dribbles past somebody and snaps his head back and it looks like a foul and refs are onto that now. So he's not getting it every time. It still works sometimes. Even Dale and Terry is trying it now because he learned it from Kobe. But you really need the big hair to do it. And you would be trading him now at the absolute worst time, when any team dealing for him thinks they might be inheriting somebody who's about to tear his Achilles, I don't think he's tradable. And even if he were, he's at a low point. This is the wrong time and now you're stuck. Then, then Josh Giddey hurts his hamstring just as they're talking about everything that's going on. What's his name? You. You lose how many guys this year? I'm trying to think Nick Collins. Yeah, Nick Collins was out with a toe, but they think that's not that big a deal. A sprained toe. Maybe the week he'd be out. So you've had any number of guys. You've been calling up two way guys all year. You're going to bring Lachlan Olbrich back now because you need another. Mac McClung is on windy City right now. Is that right? I think you can call it Mac McClung.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

Ulbricht's Australian guy, right?

[Dan Bernstein]

Still Australian. Yeah.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

And I think. I think it all like in the. Like the list of Australian players. I think he's last in scoring ever. Ever.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah. Of Australian NBA players or all Australian basketball players ever NBA players last in.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

Scoring at the moment came up in one of an OWC a few weeks back.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah, it did. Because we were talking about whether or not he and Giddy have a secret language.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

Yeah. I looked up his numbers and I think he had like two points.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah, he's bad.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

Yeah. He's bringing back.

[Dan Bernstein]

Well, they're going to have to bring back some Bad, because some of the good keeps getting hurt. And if Giddy's out, you don't really have any downhill anything. You don't have anything to move your offense.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

Well, this means Trey Jones can shoot more.

[Dan Bernstein]

Not going to go in.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

I mean, we just want more threes. I like when he shoots threes.

[Dan Bernstein]

I like when he attacks the basket.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

It looks very heavy, very hard.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah, well, that's how it looks when you can't shoot. And he's. He's a nice little backup point guard, but he can't shoot. I. I don't know if they need to look at nutrition, strength and conditioning, athletic training. What are they doing on their own? Are they doing. I have no clue if any of this is random or it's predictable, predictive. I have no idea why so many guys keep getting hurt with some of these soft tissue injuries. It makes no sense. And it shouldn't be because everybody. Teams are playing at a higher pace. You've got the stat cast technology that tells you exactly how fast everybody runs, exactly how many miles per game everybody runs. I don't want to hear about this pace. This pace that, you know the distances. It used to be. What was it, Joachim? Noah, back in the day, ran and ran and ran and ran and ran, ran, ran. And then he had the. They said it was his shoes. He kept having plantar fasciitis issues because he was wearing those Lecoq Sportif French shoes that his father would endorse. And they said, well, that's the problem. It's his bad French shoes. And sometimes you're just. You're. You're. You're running up and down on hardwood.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

Yeah.

[Dan Bernstein]

And your feet hurt.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

It's a tough game on your feet.

[Dan Bernstein]

And you're seven feet tall and you weigh 250 pounds. And it's tough on your body. But if there is something, figure it out, because you can't. You can't ask a coach, you can't ask a team to be going 16, 17, 18 deep into whatever your roster is, and you can't even develop. Noah Sange, he's out for the year. It was so funny when the bench is emptied at the end of the Bucs game and they're all doing their pretend. Oh, you hold me back. Oh, you. And Isenge is just kind of standing, looking. What? He didn't know what he was supposed to do. It was really sad. He's wearing a sling. He's kind of looking around. I can't get involved. He's just kind of waiting for Somebody to tell him how this all works. But I'm very concerned about what. What the. It was giddy going after an All Star spot for the world team. I think that's how they're doing it this year. Right. You got a US Team and you got a world team and he's definitely one of the top 12.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

They were doing. I thought they were doing three teams.

[Dan Bernstein]

Is there any international. He's a. He's a. He's a international level all star.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

Yeah, there are three teams are doing in that like round robin thing. We talked about that.

[Dan Bernstein]

Okay. The All Star, that's NBA, right? Yeah, I think so.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

Yeah. Yeah. You remember when you went through it, it was terrible.

[Dan Bernstein]

But like last year they had like Shaq's team and Candace Parker's team and they all drafted different teams, but it's still a big deal. It's hard to make an all star team in the NBA. It's not like baseball. It's not like baseball. It's not like the old Pro Bowls where guys will. You'll have your first teamers and then you'll have all your backups and your alternates that become the full timers and actually participate. It's a big deal to make a. Make an All Star team, but the Bulls need to get themselves right and figure out what's going on. And it just. The worst thing is it takes Kobe White off the trade market essentially. Guys had both calves hurt. And if you are an opposing team that might say, hey, this guy's going to help us, well, he can't help you right now. And you might be training for a guy right before something even worse happens. So it sucks. It just. It sucks. And it wasn't just the loss last night. It was everything else going on with the Bulls. You figure I. But you know, everybody there was having fun and Rudy Gobert missed two free throws. So people got free hot dogs or something and everybody was happy because nothing else mattered. Once you're in the building that night, very little else matters. There is something going on in hockey and I know I'm going to get talk more hockey. Stop talking hockey.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

Yeah, sorry. There's three teams, two US Teams and one world Team.

[Dan Bernstein]

Okay.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

We'll compete in a round robin tournament. Yeah, I remember when we talked about it, it was. When they announced it, it was. It was in a start. It was going to be a lead in from a Olympic hockey game. Oh, yeah. Remember into the All Star.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah. I don't think you're going to be there.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

We talked about the Crossover yachting.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah, we did. We did talk about that.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

So two U.S. teams, one World team. Oh, God, it was so memorable.

[Dan Bernstein]

You know, I don't even remember what we talk about. So. Have you seen this show that's on HBO called Heated Rivalry?

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

So I haven't. But you brought it up the other day. I mentioned it to Natalie, and she wants. Wants to watch it.

[Dan Bernstein]

Okay, I have not seen it. Let me say that first. I have not seen it. But Beth is so into this show. She says it's one of the best television shows she's ever seen. She has watched every episode of every season, like, three times. I don't know how many. Is this the first season? Is this. She keeps watching it over and over again. It's a Canadian show that apparently debuted on the Crave network in Canada.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

Good people, the Canadians.

[Dan Bernstein]

And Jacob Tierney is the showrunner. He's the guy behind Letterkenny, and I've seen some episodes of Letterkenny and of Shoresy, and I've seen all the supercuts of the Shoresy chirps and all that. Letterkenny's hilarious.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

Well, if I'm correct here. Yeah. Number of seasons, one, six episodes. Your wife is watching the same six episodes.

[Dan Bernstein]

She's watched the same six episodes four times.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

Okay.

[Dan Bernstein]

And she's like, I went upstairs and she was crying. Like, why are you crying? It's like, this show's so good and it's so sweet. It's so adorable. It's a romance.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

Okay.

[Dan Bernstein]

I have not seen it, but the reason I bring it up is it's.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

On hbo, Max, right now.

[Dan Bernstein]

It is a romance about a Russian player, Ilya Rosanov, and a Canadian player, Shane Hollander, who are drafted 1, 2. They can't say NHL, so they make up their own league.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

Montreal Metros and the Boston Raiders.

[Dan Bernstein]

Raiders. And they call it Major League Hockey. So it's clearly the NHL. They're drafted 1, 2. And it's a love story. It's a romance about these top two draft picks, and it takes. Takes them from the moment they're drafted out of juniors through the rookie season, the All Star Game, the whole thing. And it is. It's a romance. So it came up when we were having dinner last night because we were talking about. Because Beth just can't stop talking about the show.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

Okay.

[Dan Bernstein]

And what Jason told me was it's fanfic. This came out of fan fiction regarding Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin. It's completely. That's why. That's why one is American, one is Russian. They're drafted one, two. That this was just something they kind of created where the illusions are supposed to be obvious, but it's not real. It's not based in truth, it's not a true story, but it's just fanfic and it's supposed to be. Apparently the guy who plays Rozanoff is an actor named Connor Story, and Russian people thought he was Russian because there are so many scenes and lines that have to be delivered. There's full monologues he gives in Russian that are subtitled conversations that he has with family and friends in Russian. It is apparently so accentless, like Muscovite Russian. Perfect. That actual Russians didn't realize this kid was from Texas. Oh. And it's like I say, I haven't seen it, and I'm bringing it up for a reason. Okay. And the reason I'm bringing it up is it's starting to get some traction now. It is so popular in certain circles, I guess, apparently. Like, how are they. Like, Beth and her friends from SoulCycle are all so into it that they're talking to each other and they're, like, messaging each other about every episode. And there's. I think they're already making plans that there's going to be, like, she and her friends are doing a group in the Pride Parade or they're going with either Chicago Gay Hockey or Pride tape or something because of this show. And they're. That the NHL itself has taken notice of it. And if. If somewhere you're thinking, wait a second, here are. This doesn't seem right. Or this seems a little at odds with what I remember some things going on in the NHL. Aha. You're right. So let me take you back a little bit about why this means something to me. Why the NHL and their relationship to LGBTQ is important to me. And they've always been. They were. The NHL was for a long time ahead of other leagues in outreach, Pride nights, inclusion. For a while, they were doing a really good job. As atavistic and backwards as hockey culture can be, it was. The internationalization of it, in a way, was more helpful. It was just. Hockey was just nicer than other sports in that regard. And it was. It hit home because when Jason got involved in hockey, one of his first coaches, maybe his most formative coach, the coach that actually helped him make the transition to goalie and was really supportive of that and helpful and helped guide him deciding to become a goaltender, is a young man, a great guy who was. Is openly gay. And it was just it was never a big deal. He would be there with his husband and their kids. And one of the kids was Jason's teammate at games. And it was just, you know, it just was. And they didn't really think about it because the kids were too young to know any differently. They didn't care. They didn't know that it was in any way controversial in hockey or so. And this was when they were like 8, 7 and 8. From the second year of mites into first year squirts. I think it was the squirt team that he coached, that first year squirt team. And it was also one of their spring coaches and they coached him again in peewees. So when Jason got older for his bar mitzvah, his service project was to raise awareness for inclusion in hockey. And it was awesome. And they did an exhibition game in Skokie with all of his friends. And we had Pride tape involved, which is the rainbow hockey tape called Pride Tape. They sent us boxes, rolls and rolls and rolls of Pride Tape. And they were involved. The youe Can Play organization sent a representative there and we did a whole hashtags on social media and tried to drive all the hashtagging at the time. There's pictures still on Twitter, I'm sure. We marched that year in the Pride parade with you Can Play and with Pride Tape in their group wearing our McFetridge uniforms. And he, you know, and teammates and everybody. And that was. That was kind of the thing. Everybody was awesome. And the Blackhawks sent a guy, you know, Adam Roguen from the Blackhawks. And it was good man, Adam Roguen. Oh, great dude. And they sent. Why can't I remember the hockey player he was on the Hawks, Stan Makita. No, it was a third line guy. He was awesome. I'll remember it. And it was just. It was a great day, great thing. And what happened was recently the NHL has faced some blowback, largely, interestingly enough, from Russian players and players who were doing the stupid homophobic baseball thing. Like, my religion says I can't support this. Like all those jack offs on the Tampa Bay Rays, you know, Clayton Kershaw, who had to write the Bible verse next to the rainbow about taking back the rainbow from the horrible gays. You know, all these. All of these brutes that decided to do that because, well, my religion in Russia, we can't do this because Putin will send people after us. So the NHL, of course, not having any balls. The NHL relented and said, well, no more. We can do Pride Nights. But no More special jerseys or sweaters or anything during the warmup skate, because that's where people were doing it. They then got rid of pride tape to remember that. And the NHL said, no pride tape. And some players said, hell with you. What are you going to do? Suspend me? And they put pride tape on their sticks. Connor Bedard, I think was one of them. And then the NHL relented and said, well, okay, I guess you could put pride tape on your stick. So when the pendulum started to swing back because the NHL got scared and they were scared of homophobes and they were scared of hateful, loud people and it sucked and we called them out. So NHL now, now this show heated rivalry is getting really popular.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

So Forbes has it listed as one of the top 10 shows of the year. Says that you should watch. It was also become one of the highest scored series of the year. Yep. From hbo Max, there is a season two, has renewed for season two, but the creator says that probably won't come out till 2027. So Beth will have to wait. And it is. It will not be up for any, any recognition or honors.

[Dan Bernstein]

Because it's Canadian.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

Because it's Canadian and HBO is just a distributor and doesn't want to get involved in financing and being a part of it. And it has to be part of a US collaboration to get recognized for awards, Right?

[Dan Bernstein]

It'll win Canadian awards.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

So it won't win any like Emmys, right?

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah, it won't. But you wait because this is really popular and it hasn't hit the mainstream yet. It is, it is. It's popular in certain circles. But you know, I've been. I was kind of tuned into this. Like, is this really that. Because she started talking about like, this show's really good. And then she's like, no, this show's really, really good. How.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

How popular do you think it will get within the mainstream? You say it's popular within certain circles.

[Dan Bernstein]

I don't know.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

Because it's. It's based around hockey and like. Well, that. Would that be a detriment to.

[Dan Bernstein]

It's Canadian. It's based around hockey.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

Yeah.

[Dan Bernstein]

And the sex is graphic. It's not implied. I mean, it's not pornographic.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

Right.

[Dan Bernstein]

But it is a. It's more than you might expect.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

Yeah.

[Dan Bernstein]

And it might make some people uncomfortable, which is probably a good thing. If people are being made uncomfortable by art, that means it's. It's affecting the way people think and feel and ideally forcing people to ask why it makes them uncomfortable. And ask some of these Questions. But that's the other aspect to it. Is there going to be people who are drawn to it, say, oh, I heard about this HBO hockey love story, and then they're going to realize, you got a. It's a romance. Yeah, it is a real romance. It just happens to be two men who play hockey. But it's a romance. And I'm very interested to see how this plays out because I want to watch what the NHL does and I want to watch where they tiptoe here and if they think it can make them money, the moment they think, oh, now we'll be on the right side, Maybe, maybe we should lean into this. People are liking this. Maybe there's some new fans who are learning about hockey or understanding that our players are complicated and interesting. And I'm just keeping a close eye because I hope, I hope this forces hockey as a culture into some difficult positions and some difficult reckonings. I hope it forces the NHL into some difficult positions and difficult reckoning. Can't wear pride tape. My religion says I can't do that. Well, then screw you and screw your stupid religion that makes you into a bigot. And if your country, if you're a Russian, we can't do this in our country, well, then your country sucks too.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

And apparently Heated Rivalry is an adaptation from books. I don't know if you knew that.

[Dan Bernstein]

It is a series of. Is a series of books yes or a yes.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

Series of books?

[Dan Bernstein]

Rachel Reed wrote a series of books called Game Changers. So it's a series of hockey themed gay romance novels.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

So yes, season two will be out in 2027, most likely.

[Dan Bernstein]

Well, I would just say keep a close eye on this because we've got. And we all have our hypocrisies. But this is one where I want to see if ideally the backwards culture of hockey finds a way to use this to evolve more because it's in fits and starts. We were in a real good place in the mid 2010s, real good place in that regard. And gee, I wonder what happened to tie him up with that. That made the world a more hateful, an exclusionary place. Gee, must have been a coincidence that things got more hateful and exclusionary. And maybe, maybe it starts to bend back a little bit. And maybe this is a sign of green shoots from a larger perspective. Maybe the world being a less hateful and more inclusive place. Hmm. Wouldn't that be nice? So I'm looking forward to watching it and I'm looking forward to seeing sort of where this, where this Goes as a thing. And if you want to look up old photos of me with the hockey people at the Pride parade, I can tell you this has been important to me for a while. And it's like I said, I didn't know anything about hockey culture. I didn't play hockey. And when your kids get involved in a sport, you get immersed in it. So we spent the better part of six, you know, 12, 13 years in hockey and around hockey and of hockey and driving everywhere and flying places and doing things and getting a real look at the culture. And luckily, luckily, our program at McFetridge, the way things were done at the Meteors program, and then especially when we became Chicago south and became the Eagles and Beth took it over. Beth was president of our hockey club. We actually had a board that was all women. I think we were the only USA Hockey club where our board was all women. And it was great. It was a wonderful experience. So I'm just. I want to see culturally what the effect of heated rivalry ultimately is once more people see it. And I hope more people are willing to give it a shot. I'm not telling you I'll like it. Maybe you won't like it. I don't know. But I'm gonna. I'm gonna give it a shot. So if I'm just curious to see what you think, I'm. There's only. There's a. There's a handful episodes I'm looking forward to, and I'm going to do that. So we're watching you NHL. We're watching to see how you behave on this one. December does not have to be your most expensive month of the year. If you're betting with my bookie, 12 Days of Christmas is right here. We're in the middle of it. Daily offers are dropping back to back across sports, across casino. There's bet and gets. There's profit boosts, there's free spins, there's surprise drops. For social and telegram users. We know Matty is one of them because he has to tell us when we're bombing different countries on telegram or signal. December's full of stuff. NFL bowl season, college hoops, Every one of these, you've got market inefficiencies. You've got these small betting pools. Maybe for some of these games where you say, ooh, there's a number here that people haven't bet down yet. That's you can grab. And when you go to my bookie right now and use our code DBU, your first bets covered up to $500 so you can you register, you make your deposit, you put in dbu that gives you something called a bet back bonus token. And then you can run it back if you miss, and then you're not out $500. You still have it. Amazing. Have your cake and eat it, too. Bet on anything, anywhere, anytime. Only with my bookie. I've got a happy birthday wish today. Actually, I have two. My cousin Brian. It's his birthday today. It is also the 50th birthday of Tiger Woods. Oh, is it really? Now I'm going to let that resonate. Tiger woods is 50.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

Wow. 50.

[Dan Bernstein]

Half a century old. He is now eligible for the Senior Tour. There was a time when everybody was thinking, who. Once this guy gets on the Senior Tour, forget it. It's over until he's 65. Yeah, he's not playing golf right now. His body doesn't work. The moment he was hurt, he had the car accident. He came back, and then he tore his Achilles. And now he's just trying to lead a normal life right now, be able to play with his son and get out there and hack it around. I don't know what his intentions are.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

Well, he's already said that he comes back, he intends to play, that he's had. Yes. He's had additional surgeries, and he is rehabbing, and he intends to go back to the PGA Tour.

[Dan Bernstein]

PGA or Senior Tour?

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

He said pga.

[Dan Bernstein]

Well, if he gets back to competitive golf and is competitive even at the senior level, that would be pretty amazing considering all that he's been through. And the Senior Tour would have to really figure it out if he's going to do that. That's a big undertaking for that Tour because you're going to different cities, smaller venues that haven't experienced a Tiger appearance there. So that's going to. The Senior Drew it, obviously. Are you kidding? It's just such a shot in the arm for him to show up there and compete.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

I can't believe he's 50. I know.

[Dan Bernstein]

That's why he's 50. It seems like yesterday that this unstoppable kid was tearing up Augusta, tearing up the Masters to the point where, well, he's obsoleted the course. That's it. We got to change the course. We got a Tiger proof. Everything he spawned. We're now at the tail end of the next generation of golfers because of him, who are already now past their prime, who began. Started. Began playing because of Tiger. Elevating the level of play on the Tour to the point where you got guys up and down these leaderboards, guys who are getting cut, who the next week can come back and win it.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

The 97 masters. It seems like yesterday.

[Dan Bernstein]

I know. When he's. He was obsolete in courses, changing the.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

Game.

[Dan Bernstein]

Putting Nike on the map as a manufacturer of golf equipment. I mean, everything that was done. He's 50.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

Wow.

[Dan Bernstein]

So I don't know. That makes you feel other than old, but pretty amazing that any.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

I guess just watching him, because I've watched his whole career, he just. He seems much younger.

[Dan Bernstein]

You've seen him lately?

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

No, but compared, like, I. Like, we're only two years in difference, and I thought it was a lot more than that.

[Dan Bernstein]

He just.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

He seems a lot younger than me.

[Dan Bernstein]

You picture him as younger than you if he were sitting in front of you?

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

Oh, no, he looks. He doesn't look good.

[Dan Bernstein]

I don't think you'd say that. No. But it's like it all caught up with him fast.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

I mean, just as he started winning, I was like, oh, he's just a kid. He was two years younger than me. It's crazy.

[Dan Bernstein]

It's like. I remember you always have that moment, and my moment was when Ken Griffey Jr. Was drafted first overall.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

Yeah.

[Dan Bernstein]

I said, we're the same age. I thought, oh, my God, that guy's my age.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

Tiger's 50.

[Dan Bernstein]

Tiger. Tiger is 50.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

You know, I just watched a special from Tom Segura.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah? How is it?

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

Oh, my God, it's so funny. And the bit he does about Augusta.

[Dan Bernstein]

Okay, don't spoil it.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

I wouldn't even try because it's just. It's so funny.

[Dan Bernstein]

Is he one of the guys that took the Saudi money? Segura. Remember when they all went over the whole comedy washing, like, sports washing and. I don't know.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

Did he really?

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah. The Saudi sovereign fund, they paid like it was Kevin Hart. It was Chappelle. I think he might have been one of them. And everybody involved in that, you know, Bill Burr was one. So that whole group kind of dropped in my eyes a little bit. I know there's always a number, but it just kind of felt icky.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

Oh, the Riyadh Comedy Festival. Yeah. Apparently, he. He was one of them, if I'm reading this correct. Yeah.

[Dan Bernstein]

Apparently I have to see this Anthony Jeselnik special.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

Yeah.

[Dan Bernstein]

It's supposed to be amazing. Not familiar, but supposed to be incredible.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

Watch the cigar one.

[Dan Bernstein]

It's okay, because I generally like him. Yeah.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

Again, his thing about the Masters or about Augusta.

[Dan Bernstein]

Okay.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

It's really fucking fun.

[Dan Bernstein]

Okay, good. Good.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

One final thing on Ben Johnson.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yes.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

Apparently, back in March, he was on a podcast and he was. He talked about what he would be willing to do to win a Super Bowl. So Johnson carefully, colorfully put it, he would be willing to cut off his testicles for Chicago to win a Super Bowl.

[Dan Bernstein]

I don't want that to have to happen.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

It was said on a podcast on Pardon My Take of the Barstool podcast. He says, I've already got three kids.

[Dan Bernstein]

Good, better, best. Never let it rest, Mickey Mouse, till your good gets better and your better gets best. Way to go, guys.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

There you go. I was just trying to find. Last time he talked about the Super Bowl. So there you go.

[Dan Bernstein]

Anytime, anytime. It's okay. I'm saying it's all right. You can. You're 11 and 5. It's okay.

[Co-host or Guest Analyst]

Yeah. Again, I don't think we'll hear about it till championship weekend.

[Dan Bernstein]

That is DBU brought to you in partnership with my bookie, Dan Bernstein. Unfiltered. Unfiltered on 312Sports.