Caleb's Late Game Heroics Saves Bears

Summary

Dan Bernstein Unfiltered – “Caleb’s Late Game Heroics Saves Bears”

Podcast: Dan Bernstein Unfiltered
Host: Dan Bernstein with Matt Abbatacola
Episode Date: November 10, 2025

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Main Theme / Purpose

On this episode, Dan and Matt break down the Chicago Bears’ continued success following a dramatic win—anchored by rookie quarterback Caleb Williams’ late-game heroics. They evaluate what the 6-3 record truly means considering the quality of the opposition, dive deep into Bears-specific positives and concerns, discuss growth from Caleb Williams, and examine broader sports topics—MLB gambling scandals, college football playoff intrigue, and Chicago Bulls updates. They keep things sharp, candid, and genuinely Chicago, with asides on pizza, sports broadcasting, and plenty of humor.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

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Bears’ 6-3 Start – What Does It Mean?

[01:18–08:19]

• Dan opens by marveling at the Bears’ 6-3 record and signalling a crowded, competitive NFC North (“The Bears are 6-3… what that means we will discuss”).
• Quality of Wins:
  • The best team the Bears have beaten is the Cowboys, who are 3-5-1.
    Dan: “The best record, I believe, of any team they've beaten is the Cowboys at 3-5-1.” [07:09]
  • Both hosts stress that “a win is a win,” but they can’t ignore that Chicago’s schedule has been forgiving.
  • Matt highlights the paradox: Enjoying the growth and excitement, while insisting the Bears still aren’t beyond criticism—especially Caleb (“It’s amazing … to see some growth from Caleb Williams and to still have high expectations for him. Like, that’s the way it should be.” [08:02])
• The mood:
  • The Bears believe they’re good, and team energy and locker room passion matter—but the real test will come against stronger competition, especially within the division.
  • C.J. Gardner-Johnson’s high-impact play sparks debate for Defensive Player of the Week (“He makes a real argument for being Defensive Player of the Week in the NFC.” – Dan [06:00]).

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Caleb Williams’ Performance & Growth – Balancing Excitement and Critique

[08:19–12:25]

• Caleb’s escapability:
  • Dan admires it but wants to see less reliance:
    “As much as I love Caleb Williams’s escapability, I would like to see less of it. He is amazing at teleporting while under duress…but I would like to see him do it less often.” [08:58]
• Drop Issues & Passing Critique:
  • Matt rewatched each offensive play and notes Williams’s best throw on the run yet, but also flags the high number of drops (six) and a few bad throws:
    “There was one particular play and it was the throw to Rome that gets off of Rome’s hands… That was easily the best throw that he’s made while on the run.” [09:35]
  • The hosts clarify drops aren’t officially tracked by the NFL stat crew, often leaving NextGen, PFF, or teams to decide.
  • Impact: Bears “cost themselves two touchdowns, period…But six drops from going back and watching this morning.” – Matt [11:57]
• Growth Acceptance:
  • Enjoyment is high, but they aren’t ready to anoint the team or the QB just yet.

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NFL and Playoff Landscape

[12:25–13:54]

• Standing in Playoffs:
  • If the season ended now, three NFC North teams (Packers, Lions, Bears) would be in the playoffs.
  • More scrutiny is coming – each game now is a test of team quality due to lingering uncertainty.

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College Football – Heisman Moments & Playoff Speculation

[15:04–21:04]

• Heisman Watch - Fernando Mendoza’s Bounce Back & Omar Cooper Jr.'s Catch:
  • Dan recounts witnessing Mendoza’s interception, then resilience:
    “He just started firing away down the field, undeterred… culminating in inarguably one of the most spectacular catches you could possibly dream of seeing.” [17:00]
  • “Gus Johnson passed out”—Matt deadpans about the broadcaster’s reaction [17:29].
  • The call and catch are likened by Dan to the “dementor” sucking out 100,000 Penn State fans’ joy.
    “There’s nothing like hot cockles, as I have long said.” [18:29]
• Playoff Rank Tweaks:
  • Matt expects major changes after the reveal of the new bracket, arguing some teams don’t deserve top-10 consideration.

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Broadcasting Highs and Lows – The Gus Johnson Debate

[21:01–24:18]

• Dan launches into a mini-rant about emotional range in sports broadcasting, saying Gus Johnson’s constant “at 10” approach means he maxes out when moments really do deserve it:
  “When every positive play is the end of the world, it doesn’t give you anywhere to go when it deserves it…He broke because he maxed out.” [21:04]
• Broadcasting philosophy: You need to “budget your energy and budget your intensity…great advice when I first did play-by-play.” [23:31]

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MLB Gambling Scandal – Ban for Life?

[27:23–34:32]

• Scandal Details:
  • MLB’s Emmanuel Clase, Luis Ortiz (and broader pro sports) indicted for game-fixing, fraud, and conspiracy; the discovery is made almost comically easy because participants were so brazen and obvious.
  • “It’s easy to get stupid people. And it seems that the ham-handed gamblers and fraudsters are being picked up easily by the fail-safes that are built into the system.” – Dan [28:26]
• Worry Over Sophisticated Schemes:
  • Dan wonders out loud how many “smarter” operations are undetected.
  • Both agree: Leagues must act with “immediate and irretrievable ban for life…automatic, no reinstatement.” – Dan [30:22]
• Debate on Consequence Effectiveness:
  • Even a lifetime ban may not deter—addiction and the “rush” or potential extortion from criminal groups muddy the issue.

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Chicago Bulls & NBA Check-In

[37:32–44:08]

• Dan excited to scout Victor Wembanyama at United Center.
  • Reminisces about physically towering athletes he’s known, likening Wemby to Chuck Nevitt and Ralph Sampson, “but Wemby’s a guard, which is insane.” – Dan [40:27]
• Bulls’ Weak Spots:
  • “They need rim protection and they need shot creation. Kobe White, when he comes back, will…help with shot creation. …But they have no rim protection at all.” – Dan [42:39]
• Josh Giddey Ankle-Breaking:
  • Matt and Dan reflect on Josh Giddey’s going viral after getting crossed up by DeAndre Hunter. Thomas Bryant’s sideline antics are deemed “bush league…Pick your spots a little better for what you’re celebrating.” – Dan [44:12]

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

Bears & Caleb Williams

• “It doesn't matter how good I think the Bears are right now… What matters is at the moment, and it's cool the Bears think they're good and I think that that kind of matters.”
  — Dan [05:14]
• “It's amazing that it's a really enjoyable season to see some growth from Caleb Williams and to still have high expectations for him. Like that's the way it should be.”
  — Matt [08:05]
• “As much as I love Caleb Williams's escapability, I would like to see less of it.”
  — Dan [08:58]
• “There was one particular play… the throw to Rome that gets off of Rome's hands… easily the best throw that he's made while on the run….”
  — Matt [09:35]
• “In those bad throws, in the drops, the Bears cost themselves two touchdowns, period.”
  — Matt [11:57]

Broadcasting, Media, and Humor

• On Gus Johnson:
  “When every positive play is the end of the world, it doesn’t give you anywhere to go when it deserves it…He broke because he maxed out.”
  — Dan [21:04]
• On Chris Collinsworth’s phrasing:
  “He's the most chipped human being on earth when it comes to football.”
  — Chris Collinsworth (relayed by Dan, [47:24])
• On what ‘most chipped’ could mean outside football:
  “The third one, and that is Steve Buscemi's character in Fargo, where he was actually placed head first into a wood chipper.”
  — Dan [49:42]

Pizza, Food, and Lighter Moments

• Beer Church Margherita Pizza Review:
  “The margherita pizza that I had at Beer church, brewery—the Naples pizza, 1A. The Beer Church pizzeria, 1B.”
  — Matt [59:18]
• “If you have had real Neapolitan pizza, this is the real deal. Okay?”
  — Matt [60:04]
• On Hostess Cupcakes’ shrinkflation:
  “They're way smaller. I rescued a box from the back of Mariano's for $2.40…And they're one bite.”
  — Dan [04:20]

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Timestamps for Important Segments

| Segment | Timestamp Start | Notes | |------------------------------------------------|---------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | Bears’ 6-3 record & playoff meaning | 01:18 | Main theme introduction | | C.J. Gardner-Johnson, DEF Player debate | 05:14 | First player highlights, “found a home”—Dan | | Schedule strength, “win is a win” | 07:08 | Matt’s schedule take | | Caleb Williams critique & growth | 08:19 | Balancing excitement vs. development | | Six drops, offensive miscues | 11:57 | Matt’s film rewatch count of drops | | College Football: Heisman & Mendoza’s comeback | 17:00 | Dramatic catch and broadcast moment | | Gus Johnson “boy who cried wolf” rant | 21:04 | Broadcasting philosophy | | MLB gambling scandal – ban for life | 27:23 | Setting the standard, examining the risk | | Bulls preview: Wemby in town | 37:32 | Wembanyama excitement, Bulls’ needs | | Thomas Bryant “bush league” meme | 44:12 | On professional etiquette and basketball karma | | Collinsworth “most chipped” quote / Fargo riff | 47:24 | Segment of comic relief | | Beer Church pizza review | 54:45 | Enthusiastic food breakdown | | Final picks and wrap-up | 62:20 | DBU picks – Eagles +1, Saquon Barkley receiving yards |

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Summary Table: Notable Quotes With Timestamps

| Quote | Speaker | Timestamp | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------|---------------| | “The Bears are 6 and 3. What that means, we will discuss.” | Dan | 01:18 | | "He makes a real argument for being Defensive Player of the Week in the NFC." | Dan | 06:00 | | "It's amazing that it's a really enjoyable season to see some growth from Caleb Williams and to still have high expectations for him. Like that's the way it should be." | Matt | 08:05 | | “As much as I love Caleb Williams’s escapability, I would like to see less of it.” | Dan | 08:58 | | “In those bad throws, in the drops, the Bears cost themselves two touchdowns, period.” | Matt | 11:57 | | “When every positive play…is the end of the world, it doesn’t give you anywhere to go when it deserves it…He broke because he maxed out.” | Dan | 21:04 | | “He's the most chipped human being on earth when it comes to football.” | Chris Collinsworth (via Dan) | 47:24 | | "The margherita pizza that I had at Beer church, brewery—the Naples pizza, 1A. The Beer Church pizzeria, 1B." | Matt | 59:18 |

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Tone

• Direct, sharp, unfiltered—a classic Dan Bernstein product, with Matt serving as both sounding board and food critique specialist. The episode balances analytical sports debate, irreverence, and off-the-cuff cultural commentary.

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For New Listeners

This episode is a quintessential Chicago sports dissection. You get:

• Bears analysis that’s clear-eyed: Not just “homer” optimism, but also legitimate excitement at the team’s direction and Caleb Williams’ highs and growing pains.
• Wider sports conversations: MLB cheating scandals, college football drama, broadcast quirks, and NBA check-ins.
• Signature banter: Irreverent riffs on food, viral moments, and infamous TV quotes.
• Local flavor: Pizza reviews, Chicago-centric humor, and a pulse on what matters to local fans.

If you want both insight and entertainment—with a dose of real Chicago sports fan reality—this one’s for you.

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Transcript

[Dan Bernstein]

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[Matt Abaticola]

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[Dan Bernstein]

Dan Bernstein Unfiltered Unfiltered on 312 Sports it is a busy DBU we have scheduled for you on this Monday here on 312 Sports. I'm Dan Bernstein, that is our executive producer Matt Abaticola. We are brought to you in partnership with my bookie the bears are 6 and 3. The bears are 6 and 3. What that means we will discuss. I can tell you how I feel about it, looking at this schedule and where they are, and we are going to also discuss some college football stuff. I happen to turn on the TV at a really opportune time on Saturday, especially as a Heisman voter. We have some goings on in MLB that are unsavory to say the least, and a lot of what's happening in sports, while probably inevitable, is also raising more questions. Watched a lot of Bulls basketball over the weekend. I'll be watching more tonight at the United center with Victor Wembanyama in town. The Bulls also six and three and we'll figure out what that means. I have something I wrote down that I'm calling the quote of the weekend apropos of nothing and you can tell me what you think of it. I just. I had to go back and make sure I heard it correctly and I. I did. I'm also really looking forward to something that I saw promised on social media over the weekend, and that is the Matt Abaticola official review of Beer, Church, Brewery and pizza School. You made your trip. You had multiple meals there. I can't wait to hear all about it because the pictures were enough to have me salivating.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah. Just wanted to tease you a little bit with the photos. I haven't shared anything with you at all. No thoughts. Saving it for the official review and I know you're anticipating it. Did you end up eating pie last night?

[Dan Bernstein]

Because I did end up having pizza I didn't order just because I knew there was snow coming and I didn't want to mess with delivery. So I went out and I got a frozen UNO's that I then sort of. I docked her a little bit. Yeah. What, what, what was her name? The. The blonde woman on Food Network. Semi homemade that I. Sandra. Sandra Lee.

[Matt Abaticola]

Lee.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah. And I, I drizzled it with good olive oil. I put a little bit of basil on there. I put a little know on there, some extra Romano cheese. Let it sit, you know, let it rest out of the oven. And it was, it was delightful. And I polished it off. I polish it off with four Hostess cupcakes too.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah, I mentioned the, the cupcakes. I love it. The. The old. And you're, you're like, I think they're smaller now. I think maybe you're just bigger. Maybe your mirror. Nope.

[Dan Bernstein]

Is bigger.

[Matt Abaticola]

Nope. Nope.

[Dan Bernstein]

I. Okay. And I bet my life on it.

[Matt Abaticola]

So that's one. A one bite cupcake now.

[Dan Bernstein]

They're. They're way smaller. I rescued a box from the back of Mariano's for $2.40 or whatever it was. So I had eight of these and I ate four of them. And they're. They're one bite. Okay. I remember getting the big two pack of Hostess cupcakes and having like a handful.

[Matt Abaticola]

Well, you're also a child too, at the time.

[Dan Bernstein]

No, I was in high school or college. Not significantly smaller.

[Matt Abaticola]

Okay. I saw an old video of semi homemade the other day, actually. It's funny that you brought her up and she was making coffee and so she had a pot of coffee that probably had four cups of coffee in it. And to that she added one cup of vanilla rum, one cup of some kind of vanilla vodka, and then like one cup of Irish cream. Irish cream. She's like, this is the way I like to start my day with my coffee. I'm like, it's also the way you like to end your day too.

[Dan Bernstein]

Last 10 minutes of the show. She's on the couch with sweatpants on, flipping channel eating leftovers. Well, the I mentioned yesterday and I'm going to stick with this. It doesn't matter how good I think the Bears are right now. It doesn't really matter how good you think the Bears are right now. What matters is at the moment, and it's cool the Bears think they're good and I think that that kind of matters. I'm not sure to what extent, but I like to think that all of that excitement in the post game locker room, all of the good, better, best and everything, all the Ben Johnson intense screaming and everything that we hear matters to them. I think it's really neat that CJ Gardner Johnson seems to feel like he found a home. I think he leads all NFL defensive backs in sacks in two games. He leads the entire league's defensive backs with three sacks now. And I think you brought it up yesterday and forward progress that he should be. He makes a real argument for being defensive player of the week in the nfc.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah, for sure.

[Dan Bernstein]

No doubt with. Especially with the forced fumble, the sacks and everything else that he's doing. But the Bears cannot continue to play these exciting football games against good teams. They have to play more consistent in every phase of the game if they're going to play better within the division. And against the Eagles, the, the best record, I believe, of any team they've beaten is the Cowboys at 3, 5 and 1.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah, that sounds about correct.

[Dan Bernstein]

Okay. Yeah, that's the best team they've beaten. So.

[Matt Abaticola]

And again, that's not any kind of indictment against the team, the schedule, schedule. And you can't, you know, you're not picking your own schedule and you're not, you know, creating the idea the whole season of who you want to play, who you get to play, where you get to play them. You play who's on the schedule. And like we've said this number of times so far this season, a win is a win is a win. And it doesn't look different on the win loss record. A win to a good team is just still worth one. Loss to a bad team is still worth one. So, you know, it's all the same. It's all the same. And it's still fascinating to me that you cannot have any critical thoughts of this team or of Caleb Williams. It's just, it's really fascinating. I love that they're six and three. I could not be more excited. I'm still a little angry about that Vikings loss and the collapse in the fourth quarter. And I'll eventually let it go once they beat the Vikings this weekend, and they will. But it's just. It's amazing that it's a really enjoyable season to see some growth from Caleb Williams and to still have high expectations for him. Like that's the way it should be.

[Dan Bernstein]

I look at it this way.

[Matt Abaticola]

We can still be critical of Caleb Williams and love everything he's doing.

[Dan Bernstein]

We don't need to waste time defending our.

[Matt Abaticola]

I'm not defending anything. It's just fascinating me how dumb people are. What I would suggest is maybe, maybe drink less or eat less while watching Bears games. That's all.

[Dan Bernstein]

It's the nature of what we do. I'm. I'm at peace with that. Knowing that it's usually a good sign if there are a lot of people saying you, you hate the Bears because. Because discourse, immediate sports discourse has gotten dumber. And that's. That's okay. We can still fight.

[Matt Abaticola]

We know that you hate Luol Dang.

[Dan Bernstein]

And South Sudanese basketball.

[Matt Abaticola]

Basketball. That's correct. The Bears. You've never claimed to hate the Bears.

[Dan Bernstein]

So it's certainly not. I. And I'll say this, as much as I love Caleb Williams escapability, I would like to see less of it. He's. He is. He's amazing at teleporting while under duress in the pocket and wiggling his way out of trouble. I would like to see him do it less often.

[Matt Abaticola]

I don't need.

[Dan Bernstein]

I don't need that superpower engaged with all the time. I don't need escapability activate. I would like to see him.

[Matt Abaticola]

It's great to have it.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yes, yes.

[Matt Abaticola]

But you down on every play when it breaks down and they're, you know. So Dan, I went back through this morning and I watched every Bears offensive play specifically to watch his passes. Like the run game, I wasn't concerned with really rewatching, but watching his past thing. And we'll get into it in greater detail in progress. But there, there was one particular play and it was the throw to Rome that gets off of Rome's hands. And we discussed it last night in the post game show and we kind of made it like a 60, 40 kind of a split as far as what should have happened. I've kind of. I've reversed a little bit on that, rewatching it and watching it a few times over. And I will say that we've talked about Caleb's, talked about. Ben Johnson's talked about Caleb's inaccuracy on the run. That was Easily the best throw that he's made while on the run, particularly moving to his right. It was, it was easily one of two best throws. The one that Rome Vikings. That bullet to the Vikings the opener. That, that was number one.

[Dan Bernstein]

This first drive in the opener. Yep.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah. This was number two. It was, it was an unbelievably great throw from Caleb Williams.

[Dan Bernstein]

And we've gotten all kinds of answers regarding how drops are calculated and or awarded assigned. I should say apparently in the NFL that it's, it's not necessarily done because I got a note from an NFL statistician that says we do not input drops for the NFL during games. This is from an actual NFL stat crew member who also does this for college games who says there is a dropped pass command in the NCAA software, but the NCAA doesn't track it cumulatively that it is not input during NFL games. So whether it was six, seven, eight drops is going to remain the purview of next gen. Pff. The teams themselves. It's the most that I've seen. It's certainly the most that I can remember in a given Bears game.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah. And again, we'll get into it in greater detail on forward progress and from my count rewatching this morning, there was six drops in the game yesterday. Six drops. And then again we'll, we'll look at it. And there was some off target throws, some clearly bad throws by Caleb as well. But in those bad throws, in the drops, the Bears, the Bears cost themselves to two touchdowns, period. But six drops from going back and watching this morning.

[Dan Bernstein]

These are fun times. These are heady times to be a fan of the Bears. And what's cool is this idea of every game now measuring them more because of the uncertainty over their actual quality. And, and that's across the entire league right now that we're all kind of floating in the blob. As critics, we are too. Because when it's our job to assess how good are the Bears, it's very difficult to find, find solid ground. And I admit that. So it does make it fun. It makes every game feel like it matters a little bit more. When we start getting into this idea of well, this team beat this team and who was healthy for this game. So what I'm defaulting to is just to enjoy it. As of right now, you are what your record says you are and you are also what your opponent's record may say you are in the quality of those wins because they haven't beaten a good team yet.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah. And that's okay. I mean this is the schedule that they have and as it sits right now, the playoffs start today. You have three teams from the NFC north in the playoffs, the Bears being one of them with the obviously the packers at top of the division right now playing the Eagles tonight, Lions in the sixth seed and the Bears in the seven seed.

[Dan Bernstein]

So keep in mind that we will have full deep Bears coverage in today's forward progress and make sure that you are a part of that as well as dbu.

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[Dan Bernstein]

Hung 40 or more on the board this year and the overs are printing. And my bookie is where you and your boys are cashing in on every one of them. Those with game lines, with player props, with same game parlays. Whatever you're writing, my bookie has it right now listen up. You can unlock a special promotion at MyBookie AG. Use my code DBU. I should say our code. DBU for Dan Bernstein. Unfiltered when you sign up, when you deposit and you will receive a bonus bet credit. Whether you're building your bankroll or you're looking to hit the lotto with Moneybag, you can bet on anything, anytime, anywhere with my bookie at mybookie Ag. Again, the promo code for your special bonus bet credit is just three letters. Dbu. So I had the rare lazy Saturday after Now that fishing season has wound down and now that we've got what, six inches of snow and still falling on the ground for now that I flip on the television after sleeping in late and wandering around scratching myself and it is just in time to see what is going on in the Indiana Penn State game. And when Fernando Mendoza threw that interception, and I thought, well, here it is. This is when you get tagged. This was coming. It was a matter of time. You had. You know, there's 100,000 people in that building who feel now that James Franklin is gone and a new day has dawned, that there is a reason to believe, even though their team isn't all that good. And I don't know anything about the interim coach, so he throws the pick. And the first thought in the back of my head was, well, that a. Your. Your Heisman Trophy guy who.

[Matt Abaticola]

Who.

[Dan Bernstein]

You're trying to find a narrative. And that was spit in the bit. That's just not how it looks. And I'll be damned if Mendoza didn't just start firing away down the field, undeterred by that initial sack, culminating in inarguably one of the most spectacular catches you could possibly dream of seeing.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah, absolutely. I think Gus Johnson passed out.

[Dan Bernstein]

Well, I want to get to that in a second, but because that's its own topic in a way, because it brings up something I've long said about. About where the Gus Johnson thing is right now.

[Matt Abaticola]

Okay. All right.

[Dan Bernstein]

But. But that catch by Omar Cooper Jr. When. When a catch looks bad, better the slower you see it. First of all, outstanding job by the back judge. Absolutely. Tremendous job by the back judge. Being right there. You saw where his eyes went. That. That was an officiating clinic. And it reminded me of Antonio Brown of the Steelers. The end zone catch in the super bowl against the Cardinals.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yep.

[Dan Bernstein]

Where his. He had one foot on top of the other foot. And there was. There was a whole controversy as to whether or not the other foot actually touched. Etc. Did it count because he was touching his other foot? That was a. It was. It was almost too perfect because his. His entire body seemed to freeze in midair. It was Matrix style. And then as he reached back, almost going against physics, while his body was being carried out of bounds underneath the goalpost, he somehow reached back and established. And when I get to see 100,000 Penn State fans have the happiness sucked out of them as if by dementors, that makes me feel good. I like that. It warmed the cockles of my heart. And there's nothing, nothing like hot cockles, as I have long said. So thanks to Fernando Mendoza and to Omar Cooper Jr. Because he certainly re. Established himself in my eyes as a more than viable Heisman vote candidate. And that's probably.

[Matt Abaticola]

I'm looking forward to tomorrow. The committee releases their second playoff bracket as we're getting closer and closer to what's actually going to. To take place. And there are a couple teams that currently sit in the top 10 in rankings which should not. They should not be in the top 10, first of all. And, and it's got nothing to do with Vanderbilt. It's just. It's all.

[Dan Bernstein]

Roads lead back to Vanderbilt for you.

[Matt Abaticola]

Because I saw the smile on your face. And that's not, that's not why it is. I, I don't think. I don't think Vanderbilt should be in right now either. And there's two teams in the top 10 right now that should not be in the top 10. And I look forward to seeing what they actually release in their second version of the bracket tomorrow and. And be able to discuss that as well.

[Dan Bernstein]

All right. So when I do come in in one of my Tulane hoodies this week, it also should be noted that that win at Memphis did propel Tulane back into the realm of possibility. They don't have the highest odds of being the group of five winner, but they're definitely back in it. So keep an eye roll wave. Keep an eye on the green wave. At this point, as John Sumrall is busy sorting through offers from massive programs to make a gazillion dollars wherever he inevitably goes. And he is.

[Matt Abaticola]

That's a good number.

[Dan Bernstein]

Make no mistake, he is going somewhere for a lot of money. You brought up Gus Johnson.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah.

[Dan Bernstein]

You gotta leave yourself somewhere to go emotionally. You have to. When every positive play that happens for anybody is the end of the world, it doesn't give you anywhere to go when it deserves it. And it's a classic example of the boy who cried wolf parable of the idea of if you're always at 10, you're always at 10, and you don't have Nigel Tufnell's special amplifier that goes to 11. That play deserved it. That play deserved even the most stoic broadcaster's most emotional call, and he couldn't get there. He broke because he maxed out his. He shorted out. His circuit breaker. Blew. Yeah. Because when. When you treat mundane things as deserving of over the top treatment, it's fun. And some people like it. It's sort of, you know, Eric Collins does it with the Carolina Panthers and with the, the Hornets and some people like that stuff. But after a while, it's fun as if you're watching it from a different market and you're just out of town saying, oh, look at this crazy dude. But if you're the main guy In a national game. I know it's his, it's his bit, it's his brand. But that was the rare case where you see the limitations of being that guy.

[Matt Abaticola]

So it doesn't add to the actual moment itself because there have been 10 of those earlier in the game.

[Dan Bernstein]

Or what he can do is just lay out, oh yeah, and it's just.

[Matt Abaticola]

Step away and let the play do itself.

[Dan Bernstein]

Just zag instead of zig and just underplay at some point. But it's one thing if he were one of these young broadcasters out of Syracuse trying to find his voice. He's 60. This is, this is not somebody who's figuring out his, his limits and figuring out where this, where the sort of the gain level is. He's 60, so it's kind of what he does and he's gotten plenty of attention for it. It's, and if it's your cup of tea, that's fine that I'm not yucking your yum. I'm just telling that for, for my, for my preferences and for what I was taught. It was always, and I had to learn it as a play by play guy. And I had people when I first started say, hey, I love your energy level, but you gotta leave yourself somewhere to go when, when the games start to matter more. You know, you, when, you know, we, I was, I was at the same emotional level when a team is down 15 in the fourth quarter in a regular season game. And I had people tell me, hey, you know, once you get into the playoffs, think you're gonna, it's gonna get even more intense. You gotta, you've got to know how to budget your energy and budget your intensity. And it was great advice.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah. Maybe he could go back and watch the Commander's game and take some advice from, from Donald J. I mean, he did a really good job as a new Fox analyst still, I mean, it was really good call. I mean, really. So if you're a young broadcaster out there, I would suggest going back and, and checking out the Commander's game. If you miss it, I'm sure you can find it online if you want to know just exactly what to do, how to do it, how to sound. It's just, it's good stuff. I, I wish I'd heard that, you know, 10, 15 years ago. That would be.

[Dan Bernstein]

I, I just, I just love the crowd's response. That was very nicely done. I thought that was well handled.

[Matt Abaticola]

Number one. Number. Number one in their hearts.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yes. There was a lot of expression, of a feeling of, of number One, no doubt with all of this weather swirling around us right now, you should be reminded that your windows probably need replacing. And I'm reminded of that every so often. I was when Russ Armstrong and Chicago window guys first came out and took care of our main room on the first floor and some of the windows around it. And I noted since then that the room held its temperature better when I would set it on the thermostat. And then I had Russ out again recently and he is in the process of making more windows this time the upstairs. So that's the bedrooms and that's going to be a much warmer place this winter. You should think the same thing and just call Russ and have him out. You don't have to do the entire house at once. Just know where you spend most of your time. And that can make an enormous difference. Just swapping out a few windows for the good stuff. And that's what Russ has because he, he makes these windows, custom makes these low emissivity, double paned, double hung with the special polymer spacers that always, they never rust out. They maintain their flexibility. I, believe me, I've had a crash course in windows. I know more about windows than I ever thought I would because Russ is a great windows teacher and he can explain to you what's a good deal, what's a bad deal. And then he gives you the best deal with his price match guarantee. 847-302-9171. He's got five star [e-mail] there's no subcontracted labor here. These aren't randos in and around your house. It's Russ's crew that's going to install your windows. And as you're getting quotes, there's nothing wrong with getting quotes. But ask those other sales reps who's installing the windows and if they answer honestly, they're going to say they don't know because they're using subcontracted labor and Russ is not. There is a guarantee that Russ will give you a lifetime guarantee on parts and labor. So if you, if your kid is playing catch out front and breaks the glass, Russ will replace it absolutely free. Replace your kid, nobody else. Yeah, he replace your kid. Get a kid with better aim and a better arm. So he promises he will do that as well.

[Matt Abaticola]

It's a nice touch, Russ. I like it.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah.

[Matt Abaticola]

Let's go. Come on, kid. That's good business.

[Dan Bernstein]

Swap that kid out.

[Matt Abaticola]

8, 4, 7. How you doing? How are you?

[Dan Bernstein]

847-30-2917. 1 and check out his five star reviews. Sorry Chicago window guys.com the the issue with professional sports gambling has now stretched well beyond the the college football and yes, I count that as pro sports and the NBA. It is now in mlb we thought that there was something fishy going on when MLB suspended Emmanuel Class A Luis Ortiz. And now the other shoe has dropped. The two have been charged with fraud, conspiracy and bribery stemming from this alleged scheme rigging pitches, the velocity, the location. And they have been indicted by federal prosecutors in the Eastern District of New York. The U.S. attorney's office based in Brooklyn. And this was a. We thought this was coming. And I guess my takeaway on this, now that we've read all the details about how little money was actually made and how overtly they were texting about it even during games. This is the low hanging fruit. It's easy to get stupid people. And it seems that the ham handed gamblers and fraudsters are being picked up easily by the fail safes that are built into the system by the books themselves and or by however they need to start flipping people who are involved. What I'm wondering is how many more sophisticated, more intelligent operations are going on that they haven't gotten yet. There was the incredibly stupid college baseball scandal where the actual texts on the phone were visible to cameras in the casino. And if they're getting these text and emojis that are sent during games because of a spiked pitch that was then fouled off and they're sending sad emojis that they're, that their scam didn't work. This is the easy stuff. This is, this is the first part of this. And I'm just wondering how the leagues, the sports books and law enforcement can get out ahead with transparency to limit this as it gets more sophisticated. I don't know.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah, no, I'm sure that there are more operations out there. It just, I think it really depends, Dan, on how much they want to find them. Like there's what, what's the, what's the, what's the genesis of searching after this type of gambling scheme?

[Dan Bernstein]

Well, the leagues have to.

[Matt Abaticola]

But if the leagues don't care, they do.

[Dan Bernstein]

The leagues have to care. And I'm not saying the leagues have to staff up because they don't have, they don't have subpoena power, they don't have any actual investigative wherewithal other than just kind of asking questions here. But the leagues have to care deeply about this. So what they can do is immediate and irretrievable ban for life. This has to be automatic, no reinstatement. Guys like klasse Ortiz, Terry rozier, anybody involved. It has to be as far as NBA, NFL, mlb, all the major, whatever governing bodies exist. FIFA, I know tennis has dealt with this. This has to be, once past a certain threshold of proof, absolutely 100% rock solid, banned forever.

[Matt Abaticola]

But isn't it, isn't that the standard anyway? I mean, if you're impacting outcomes of games and deliberately doing. Isn't that, isn't that pretty much a given?

[Dan Bernstein]

I don't know what the reinstatement possibilities are. I believe any commissioner withholds the right to wave a magic wand, But I think short of somebody being completely framed, short of anything that is pure 100% exoneration, that that has to be the standard. There has to be. I know people talk about zero tolerance, and there are multiple levels of potential reinstatement and ability to atone, and I'm certainly a believer in people being able to change. But this has to be a hard, hard, hard standard. That there is one and done when it comes to proof of actually affecting outcomes of games for gamblers.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah. And I would think a commissioner has the opportunity, like you said, to wave the magic wand and everything's good to go. But I would assume the standard is if you're doing things to impact the outcome of games, you're automatically done. And I still don't think that would prevent people from participating in these gambling scandals because people love it. And that rush that people get and that addiction that people have to. It is greater than the actual consequences they could face.

[Dan Bernstein]

It must be because it's hard to make sense of somebody that makes the money that Emmanuel class a does in his current guaranteed deal. Is what, 20 million still coming his way? And these were. Each pitch was 4,000, 5,000.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah.

[Dan Bernstein]

And this was over three years. That and even down to the evidence that they have of how he wanted the money sent to his friends and places in the Dominican republic, what we will never know is if someone is doing this because they're being extorted, that if there are pictures of someone's grandmother in their home country tied up with a gun to her head, you know, there, there are, there are potential horrors involved here that, that will, will never understand because this isn't all u. S. Law enforcement.

[Matt Abaticola]

Right.

[Dan Bernstein]

That we're talking about. And so I, I, yeah, I don't know.

[Matt Abaticola]

That's a good, good scenario to bring up and point out because that is a situation that could happen obviously outside the United States. You just don't know how that individual's family could be impacted by not following through. And who knows what's behind the actual extortion. You know, you could have some real deadly groups, really dangerous groups that are. That are making this happen. So, yeah, I know that's something to take in consideration, but I would think automatically if you're doing anything to impact the outcome of games, it's a lifetime ban. And I still believe, you know, take, take out those really extreme situations like that there are people that will still risk it because that, that's the rush they get from the addiction.

[Dan Bernstein]

There is that and there it's also greed. That if we just want to keep it really mundane, that, you know, that it's never enough money. No matter how much you make, it's never enough money. And it seems easy. And there are a lot of charismatic, influential people that can make a case. They call it. The word con comes from confidence. And there are a lot of people very good at instilling that kind of confidence. So this isn't the end of it. This is going to be an evolution of sort of enforcement and detection trying to outstrip those trying to get over on it. And it's a matter of just where we are. We're still in the early stages of it, but usually more transparency is for everyone's benefit. But I think that there's a caveat emptor when it comes to engaging in some of these things. But it is critical for the leagues to establish their prioritization of everything being on the up and up, or they're in danger of losing a lot of belief and a lot of attention.

[Matt Abaticola]

Hi, Dan. Well, I switched up my breakfast routine again, and it's all because of my Huel products. Now I'm actually eating breakfast now, which I wasn't a few weeks ago. Now I'm doing it. That's a smart thing to do. But along with something small and light in the morning, before I head out the door, I'm drinking one of my Huel daily greens. And I know that you loved it too, when I shared it with you, how good it tastes right now. I had apple this morning, which is my favorite one, but they're all so good. Now, the Huel daily greens were developed by by registered nutritionists and dieticians with 42 vitamins, minerals and superfoods. They have 25 calories, 4 grams of fiber, only 1 gram of sugar. Now, I love adding daily greens to my new breakfast routine. And Dan can vouch for it. They do taste delicious. So now I take my ready to drink meal for lunch. So I was doing that for breakfast. Now I have that for lunch. Usually on the train heading back from the city. The flavors are awesome and, and I'm still loving the chocolate peanut butter. It's kind of chasing away from all the rest of the flavors. I love it so much, but they're all so good. With 35 grams of protein, 27 essential vitamins and minerals, no artificial sweeteners. They are gluten free. The Huel Ready to Drink meals are an awesome way to add to your workouts as well, either pre or post. And big news for you. Huel has launched into all Target stores nationwide. So you can go in there and pick some up if you want. But today you can do something even easier and better. Get Huel for 15% off with our exclusive offer for new customers only with the code [e-mail] dbu go to h u e l.com use our code dbu for 15% off. Again, that's huell.com dbu I can't wait.

[Dan Bernstein]

To go to the Bulls game tonight. And my goal is during warmups. I'm going to get there very, very early. And I like, I like to stand on the floor and watch guys warm up. I learn a lot in warmups. I really do. It's a great time to see players you haven't seen, especially rookies. I love to see players routines. I like to when you can learn a lot from a player based on the shots on which they're working, especially if they're working with an assistant coach, it's a really good time to get there early. When you can see end of the bench guys, you can see prospects, developmental players getting in their work and it's always a clue as to what they're going to be expected to do or be. When you see the paces that their assigned assistants are putting them through. And I also get a sense of what guys real heights and weights are. So I want to really get some eyes on Victor Wembanyama tonight.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah, I'm not sure if you can, if you can recall this, if you would even remember in your, in your lifetime of covering sports, the the tallest guy that you've interviewed or stood next to talked to, who's the tallest?

[Dan Bernstein]

At the moment it is Chuck Nevitt. Who I wasn't. He was, he was sitting next to me in my car in my 1988 Acura Integra.

[Matt Abaticola]

He was inside your car with you?

[Dan Bernstein]

He was folding. He's one of two people 74 or taller who has been in the front seat of my car while I've been driving. He didn't. Okay, But Chuck Nevitt, who was a former Bull, he went to NC State. He played, I think, two games for the Bulls and was the starting center for the Raleigh Bullfrogs. And just a sweetheart of a guy, just a terrific guy. Not the most skilled player in the world, but it's at seven foot five.

[Matt Abaticola]

Okay, so you. You've. You've been with seven foot and seven.

[Dan Bernstein]

Foot five inch guy and seven. And Ralph Sampson. Ralph Sampson, who was our assistant coach with the Rockford Lightning, who was. I. I had to drive him around to various places. He would fold himself into my car as well. So I've had 75 and 74 in that tiny little coop.

[Matt Abaticola]

All right, you and Chuck Nevitt. What was the destination of that drive? Because I'm guessing there's something at the end of it that was cold and tasty.

[Dan Bernstein]

No, it was to or from an airport. It was. Believe me, it was. It was. Or we were going to a radio station or a TV station. As play by play guy and PR director, I was also the limo driver when it came to getting people places. But Chuck's own car was a giant, like, Ford Econoline van with, like, the running boards.

[Matt Abaticola]

Okay.

[Dan Bernstein]

It was the only thing he could fit into, and he would. And even that, he had to duck his head to get in there because they didn't custom make like Wilt Chamberlain had the custom made. I think it was a Corvette, where they moved his seat to the back seat and he actually drove from the back seat. But Wemby is also 75 and. But I want to see the. Here's the difference. Wemby's a guard, which is insane. He's a guard. That's the difference. And I'm looking forward to seeing if the Bulls follow what some spurs opponents have been doing, which is just sending everybody at him and just treating him like. Like the. What the Lilliputians did in Gulliver's Travels. I picture them, like, putting strings and cords across, holding him down because it's hard to do. They're trying to make him more of a point guard. They're trying to sort of run people around the Maypole and let him be a facilitator rather than an attacker. So it's going to be very interesting to see what the Bulls do. Now. In the last two games against both Milwaukee and Cleveland, in which the Bulls held leads and were ultimately undone, a couple things got exposed That I just think big picture with the Bulls. We're going to get into this tomorrow afternoon in fine detail on organizations win championships and can't wait to do that. And I'll have all those observations from tonight on there. But the Bulls need two things if they want to be better right now. They need rim protection and they need shot creation. Kobe White, when he comes back, will obviously help with. With shot creation. I think he'll fit really nicely with Josh Giddey, but they have no rim protection at all. The. The perimeter defense is really good. They're doing a nice job on ball screens. They're doing a decent job helping out even on some of the drop defenses that they're playing. Poor Vuch is trying to move his feet, but he's still getting exposed. They just need help on the baselines and close to the basket because when it mattered, nobody could stop Giannis. And there were some moments in the game where they were getting. They were. Cleveland was getting kickouts based on some stuff that they went when they were able to get it in and then out with a. With both Mobley and Jared Allen. So we'll see. I don't know if the Bulls are going to move for anything like that this year. Getting Zach Collins back is obviously going to help, but they just. They need somebody to help determine some of the baseline stuff and close to the basket.

[Matt Abaticola]

And what is. Collins is what, two, three weeks away?

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah. From the reevaluation. I believe. I believe is a week away from reevaluation, and then we'll see. It's obviously going to take. What. What is interesting about the way the Bulls play, that the concept of game shape, of having somebody ready to play, is harder now for them because of the pace at which they play. The expectation, the minimum level of cardiovascular ability is much higher now in the last two seasons because of their pace. That it's going to get somebody's legs to get their wind to get them where they have to be. It's. It takes a lot more work. That's a steeper slope because of where they expect you to have to be as hard as they're playing and as fast as they're playing now. Got to note this Josh Giddey became a meme over the weekend. I don't know if you saw the play.

[Matt Abaticola]

I did. Yeah. My kids made sure I saw it over and over and over again.

[Dan Bernstein]

My man. My man. That, that, that when you and everybody made the same joke we all did. To actually have your ankles broken.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah.

[Dan Bernstein]

DeAndre Hunter put him to the floor. If you haven't seen the play, DeAndre Hunter faked Josh Giddey into an ankle sprain. There was no contact. He didn't stick his foot out. He didn't step on somebody's foot. Just in his effort to try to stay with a ball handler, Josh Giddey sprained his own ankle. It was that bad, and everybody knew it but Thomas Bryant, the dancing around. And I get it when they showed the replay that. That is a. If you're sitting at home or you're on your phone after the game and you want to do the whole woohoo, broke his ankles, make fun of him. What goes around comes around. And basketball karma has a way of finding you. You don't make fun of another professional player about one of your union brothers. You don't do that during a game. You're Thomas Bryant. You're a towel waiver. Go to the end of the bench, keep your sweats on, wave your towel, do your little dance. But I just thought that was bush league. I thought the making fun. Yeah, it was nasty. He got clowned. No doubt. Dude got clowned. But know who you are. And I just thought it was a bad look for Thomas Bryant. I thought in the moment that, you know, pick your spots a little bit better for what you're celebrating and when you're celebrating it. All right, that's all. And that. That's it.

[Matt Abaticola]

Phone call over.

[Dan Bernstein]

Phone call over. We're gonna give you our. Our DBU picks coming up in just a little bit, but know that my bookie is your place to go, especially for overs. Right now that the 14 teams have put up 40 burgers, overs are going crazy. My bookie is where you got to be right now to cash in on whatever you like. Player props, game lines, same game parlays. No matter what you're writing, my bookie has it for you. We got a special promotion for you right now. This is just updated. We just got this from network Unlock, a Special Promotion at MyBookie AG. Our code is DBU. When you sign up, when you make your deposit to receive a bonus bet credit, signing up is so easy. And then you get that deposit in, and it just. It makes things fun. I've really been enjoying what we've been doing with DBU picks. I didn't enjoy my pick of DJ Moore on the over receiving yards, but, hey, my bad. Whether you're building a bankroll or you're looking to hit the lotto with Moneybag, you can bet on anything, anytime, anywhere with My bookie. Before we get to your review of Beer Church, and I cede the floor to you, can I give you the quote of the weekend?

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah. I'm curious to hear what this is.

[Dan Bernstein]

Okay, Now, I rewound this because it would be really stupid if I got this wrong.

[Matt Abaticola]

Okay.

[Dan Bernstein]

And I wrote it down, like, wait a second. I got to make sure I heard this correctly. And I did. And it was last night on Sunday Night Football. It was our guy, Chris Collinsworth was watching and critiquing a TJ Watt pass rush. And all of the attention paid to TJ Watt to make sure he couldn't disrupt. And there was blocking help on him. And he said the following. And I'm not going to do too much. I'm not going to Collins worth it up here. But he said he's the most chipped human being on earth when it comes to football. Dan.

[Matt Abaticola]

I heard. I heard him say that, and it stopped me in the broadcast.

[Dan Bernstein]

I was like, okay, it was fine. Everything was fine. Until that. The clause after the comma. He's the most chipped human being on earth when it comes to football. So then I thought, well, that got me to thinking, who ranks above him in being chipped outside of football?

[Matt Abaticola]

Outside of football?

[Dan Bernstein]

And what constitutes being chipped outside of football? And all I can think of. I thought of several things. I thought of being being given snack. Chips of some kind. Potato chips, sun chips, corn chips. And maybe you could constitute being chipped. Hey, chip me, chip me. Send me. Send me that big bowl of chips. I'm very chipped.

[Matt Abaticola]

That's a good thought. Yep. I like it. Okay.

[Dan Bernstein]

The other one I thought of was maybe you're at a casino and.

[Matt Abaticola]

You'Re.

[Dan Bernstein]

Raking in a big pot of chips at the poker table. Or maybe the croupier is sweeping over your chips in a table game and you're the most chipped. Or maybe you're just cashing in a.

[Matt Abaticola]

Lot of cash, or you're losing a lot and you're just getting chipped after.

[Dan Bernstein]

Chips, chips.

[Matt Abaticola]

And you're the most chipped.

[Dan Bernstein]

And then I went to the third one, and that is Steve Buscemi's character in Fargo, okay. Where he was actually placed head first into a wood chipper. Ooh, I guess that's your accomplice over there in the wood chipper. Yeah, yeah.

[Matt Abaticola]

He would definitely be the most chipped person.

[Dan Bernstein]

So the most. The most chipped outside of would be who? I don't. I forgot. I believe his. The guy Peter Stormar played gyre Grimsrud. And I don't have. Would you do me a favor and quickly look up the. The, the, the cast of Fargo and let me know the name of Steve Buscemi's character? Because I'm. I'm fairly sure the person wood chipping him was Geir Grimsrud. Pancakes House Ungwent. Need ungwent. One of the great movies ever made. But if anybody out being chipped, anybody being the most chipped human being on earth outside of football goes to that man.

[Matt Abaticola]

All right. Steve Buscemi's character was Carl Showalter.

[Dan Bernstein]

Carl Showalter. That would be the answer to Chris Collinsworth's open ended point. If TJ Watt is the most chipped human being on earth when it comes to football, I nominate the. The fictional human being on earth, Carl Showalter, as being the one outside of football who is the most chipped.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah. That's really good. And I love your. Your thought there on it. But yeah, I'm so glad that you brought that up because I heard it and it stopped me and I'm like, what. What the hell did he just say? Talking about outside of football. So then I immediately thought of like a really. And I just. I went back to my. My visit almost a year ago now. To New York City.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yes.

[Matt Abaticola]

And walking down a really busy New York sidewalk.

[Dan Bernstein]

Oh, so you give you like, little shoulders. Yeah.

[Matt Abaticola]

And like, you know, it's not deliberate and malicious, but it happens a lot.

[Dan Bernstein]

As you're walking, you know, what. High school hallway. Yeah.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah.

[Dan Bernstein]

And that's like trying to get to class.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah. So that, that's what I thought of. And I'm like, all right, maybe he's just used to being bumped in the sidewalks, walking through all these cities he goes to. I don't know.

[Dan Bernstein]

But the most chipped human on earth outside of football. Yep. Sorry.

[Matt Abaticola]

That's so funny that you brought that up. That's so good. Because I was like, what?

[Dan Bernstein]

And sometimes I hear things and I'm wrong.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah.

[Dan Bernstein]

And I have to. Did I hear that correctly? Because sometimes things. My brain is weird and my brain processes things oddly.

[Matt Abaticola]

Oh, that's really. I love that you're thinking, what does it mean? And like potato chips and then casino chips. No, the wood chipper guy.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah. He had to have something in his head.

[Matt Abaticola]

Maybe.

[Dan Bernstein]

Maybe he and his family have a different way of talking about chips. I. I don't know. In England, a chip is a French fry. Maybe. Maybe gets a lot of French fries.

[Matt Abaticola]

A lot of fries.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah. I don't know. I don't know. But there. That. That is. That is my completely meaningless, ridiculous observation of the day.

[Matt Abaticola]

Very good. Very funny. I love it. I love it. All right, so here's what we did this weekend. We. We took a little weekend getaway. Rented a place in New Buffalo. Just Natalie and I. We took the. We took the dogs with us, too. Got to take them on some long walks, which is really fun because, you know, Frank.

[Dan Bernstein]

Frank loves his walk.

[Matt Abaticola]

He did. Oh, he loved it. And he loves the colder weather. And we had. So Friday we had. It was like a nice day. Like a nice late, you know, early autumn day in October. It was really nice weather. Saturday was all right. You're getting into November and it's getting a little chilly. And Frank loved going for the walk. And then Sunday morning we wake up to snow driving out of Michigan. So we woke up and it was. It was, you know, winter time. He loved the walks. Izzy, who doesn't like being outside of her normal comfort zone, gets very anxious. So she would, like the entire walk was like, just looking everywhere. Like I was waiting for her to stop and light up a cigarette. I mean, she was just so not herself. But the food, okay, so the whole point of going was to go see John at beer church. I'd never eaten there before. So we go Friday, and there's a table for us right by the kitchen in the main area. And I'm staring right at the pizza oven the entire time. So John comes and he sits down with us and we meet him and we're talking and this is a delightful, lovely man. And he said, oh, I hope you don't mind, I have some appetizers coming out for you. And some pizzas, like. Okay, sounds good. So we started with the meatballs. We had the sausage. The house made sausage, stuffed banana peppers.

[Dan Bernstein]

Unbelievable. Had a Caesar salad, also unbelievable.

[Matt Abaticola]

Communion bread with the buffalo mozzarella. Then we had the.

[Dan Bernstein]

And I want the record to show that when he says he doesn't mean, like buffalo sauce. Actual mozzarella di bufalo. Yeah. Actual bison milk from Italy. Yes.

[Matt Abaticola]

And then we had two pizzas. We had the pistachio cream with the house made fennel sausage, and we had the margherita pizza.

[Dan Bernstein]

That's my favorite.

[Matt Abaticola]

Okay, first of all, there's four things I want to. I want to. First of all, everything was fantastic. Okay? I mean, it was just absolutely fantastic. But there are a few things I want to highlight from that meal. Number one, the house made sausage is unbelievable. And I love, like, if I Do homemade sausage. I do a lot of. Lot of fennel because I love a very heavy fennel. Fennel forward sausage. And this hits the note every single time. And it's nice and it's juicy on the inside, the crumbles, but there's also the little crispy bits on the outside. So they do it right. They do it really right. Those sausage stuffed banana peppers with the San Marzano.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah. It's the quality of the tomato sauce.

[Matt Abaticola]

Out of this world. Okay, so good. And you know how much I love my Caesar salads. My favorite Caesar salad I've ever had.

[Dan Bernstein]

Really?

[Matt Abaticola]

Yes. Okay. So they make all their own bread in house, obviously with the. With the pizza, with the dough. But all their bread, all the bread on the menu is made in house as well. They do like a garlic bread that they turn into a crumble, which is. It's not croutons, but it's more of like a pulverized bread, like in a food processor that they sprinkle all over the top. And it adds such a wonderful element to the salad. The house made Caesar dressing is awesome.

[Dan Bernstein]

Whenever I make it, they don't skimp on the anchovy, which is.

[Matt Abaticola]

They don't. That's what you have to have. But when I make a Caesar at home, I do a lot of cheese. Like, I probably put more cheese on top than most people would want because you can't have enough. And theirs is just loaded with cheese. And it's dressed properly.

[Dan Bernstein]

And it's shaved too.

[Matt Abaticola]

It's really shaved.

[Dan Bernstein]

It's not grated. Yep.

[Matt Abaticola]

Oh, dude, it's so good. Okay, let me get to the pizzas. The pistachio cream, excellent with the sausage and the mozzarella is just. It's, it's. It's authentic. It's real. Like, like it's so good. The flavor of it. The crust is unbelievable.

[Dan Bernstein]

You gotta look at it when you see the blistering and how hot that oven is to get the bubbles in the dough to come out and blacken over on the edges. Oh.

[Matt Abaticola]

So I was able to see my margarita go in because I was sitting that close to it. And I knew we put the order in. I saw the order go back, and then I see them stretching the dough and they're topping it. And I watched it go in, and it was about 2 minutes and 20 seconds in the oven. Okay. And people say, oh, but you know, there's other places. Yeah. This oven, though, is packed the entire time. That. That dude working the oven was a magician. Okay. Moving things around and the rotation of where things went to get certain spots in the oven before he pulled them out so the margarita comes out. Dan and I told you this the other day less than three months ago. We were in Italy. We were in Naples. One of the oldest pizzerias in the country of Naples is where we ate. Okay.

[Dan Bernstein]

And the pizza, which makes it one of the originals. In the world.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yes, in the world. And the master pizziola came out there and did a demonstration for us with the dough and the San Marzano and the mozzarella and the fresh basil. So I still have that as a very vivid memory, eating that pizza in Naples, which changed me and changed pizza for me from that day. I'm going to say this, and I mean this with all honesty. The margarita pizza that I had at Beer church, brewery, The Naples Pizza, 1A. The Beer Church Pizzeria, 1B.

[Dan Bernstein]

Wow.

[Matt Abaticola]

And the only. And I think the difference was. And Natalie said this too, and she agrees with me, 1A. 1B. That we were sitting in Naples looking out of a window in a pizzeria that's one of the oldest in the country, looking out onto Naples. Okay. And the other. The other difference is I'm in New Buffalo, Michigan. I think that's the only reason why there's that slight. Because I was in Italy. You know, like, you're in Italy eating Naples.

[Dan Bernstein]

You're breathing that air. Yes, yes.

[Matt Abaticola]

And I'm telling you, Dan, it was. It. It's 1A. 1B. And I'm not. I'm not just saying that because of John or because of the podcast. If you have had real Neapolitan pizza, this is the real deal. Okay.

[Dan Bernstein]

And I made my own.

[Matt Abaticola]

The basil is not from a package. It's. It's like. It's from a garden. The mozzarella, the San Marzano tomatoes. It's not. It's not that. You don't need to dress sand. Like, if you have real, authentic San Marzano. San Marzano tomatoes, you don't need to dress them up. You don't need to do anything. You want. The taste of the tomatoes and the crust is awesome. So we had planned on going back on Saturday to try brunch items. And these are like eggs and breakfast and do everything. I didn't know Natalie did. I didn't. So I go back the next day. I had a margarita and a Caesar salad because I could. I couldn't go there and not get the margarita again. And Dan. And it was. It was even better on Saturday for brunch. Yeah.

[Dan Bernstein]

That's something that if it's done right, you can kind of eat it for every meal.

[Matt Abaticola]

Oh, I said that. I said that, sir. I said I could eat this pizza every meal. Like I could eat pizza every day to begin with. I, we are planning another trip to take the boys so we can go to beer church and have the pizza again. I cannot wait to get back there because it's was a two hour drive to have that kind of pizza again. That margarita pizza was absolutely out of this world. So we had Kevin Fishbane on a few weeks ago on a forward progress episode when he and his family are up in New Buffalo. They get pizza from beards because he loves it. I'm telling you, it's, it's, it's easily the best pizza I've had here in the States. Okay, with, with your recommendation of norms out in, in Brooklyn as, as the second best I've ever had as far.

[Dan Bernstein]

As norms in Brooklyn or, or lower Manhattan. There's one down.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah, Lower Manhattan.

[Dan Bernstein]

My, my, my favorite New York slice is norms, without question.

[Matt Abaticola]

Very, very different pizzas, obviously, but this margarita pizza at Beerchurch, I cannot wait to go back and have it.

[Dan Bernstein]

There you have it.

[Matt Abaticola]

And I will, I will eat that multiple times every time I go to New Buffalo now. I will eat there multiple times just to have the margarita in the Caesar.

[Dan Bernstein]

Beerchurchbrewing.com we thank them so much for the food and the friendship. And that brings us to DBU picks presented by my bookie.

[Matt Abaticola]

Yeah, I lost on Friday. My recommendation of the Browns, I think minus two and the under of 38. The jets won. It was like 47 was the total. So I'm going to make it real simple for tonight's Monday Night Football game, I believe the Eagles. Before I even looked at the line, I thought the Eagles were going to win this game. In Green Bay. The packers are favored. The Eagles are getting one point. So it's basically a pick them game. I'm going with the Eagles and taking the one point. I believe the Eagles will win outright. So my pick for Monday Night Football, Eagles plus one at Green Bay.

[Dan Bernstein]

It's going to be cold, it's going to be clear, and I am taking saquon barkley over 16 and a half receiving yards. He's been up and down as a receiver, but I don't see any reason why he can't have a couple of scampers that total 17. So that is my DBU pick.

[Matt Abaticola]

There you go. I love it.

[Dan Bernstein]

DBU picks, as always, are brought to you by my Bookie Lock in your picks now with my Bookie Bet on anything, anywhere, anytime. And that's going to do it for this Monday edition of Dan Bernstein Unfiltered. Don't forget forward progress where we're going to dive into everything regarding your 6 and 3 Chicago Bears. We have been brought to you in partnership with my bookie Dan Bernstein unfiltered unfiltered on 312 Sports.

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