Podcast Summary: Dan Bernstein Unfiltered – "Chicago Bears – new stadium funding? | So long AA-Ron"

Host: Dan Bernstein with Matt Abbatacola
Date: January 13, 2026

Main Theme & Purpose

This episode is a classic ride through Chicago sports, led by unfiltered host Dan Bernstein and producer Matt Abbatacola. The central themes: reveling in the Bears' playoff victory (especially eliminating long-time nemesis Aaron Rodgers), dissecting Rodgers's humiliating exit from the NFL, celebrating the newest memes and moments of Bears fandom, and—most importantly—breaking down major breaking news that the Bears will privately fund their new stadium. Alongside these headlines, the episode includes playful banter about pop culture, NFL music cues, and locker room controversies, all served with signature Chicago snark and candor.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Celebrating the Bears’ Playoff Win and Rodgers’s Humbling Exit

• 00:07–13:35: Dan and Matt bask in the glow of the Bears’ latest win and, with palpable joy, deconstruct the last moments of Aaron Rodgers’s career. The duo find catharsis not just in the victory, but in the way Rodgers exited—sacked, intercepted, and followed in real time by cameras as he left the field dejected.
  • Rodgers’s Final Play: Recounted in detail from the official play-by-play, ending with a pick-six and a bruised legacy.
  • Dan’s Reaction:

    "To watch him get physically beaten off the football field...That was so delicious. That’s like when you go to Jean and Giorgetti and this steak comes out and it’s still sizzling..." (02:01)

  • The humiliation is discussed in both football terms and deliciously metaphorical culinary terms, showcasing the depth of Chicago schadenfreude.
  • Banter about Rodgers's attempts at tackling and his off-field relationships extends the ribbing.
  • Notable Segment: The hosts riff endlessly on fan memes, including "new owner of the Packers" and cheese grater hats (07:35).

2. NFL Wild Card Recap and Betting Angles

• 08:14–10:22: Quick rundown of the Wild Card games; strong showings by visiting teams.
• Discussion of playoff betting picks—a brief victory lap about correct predictions.
• Observations on the Texans’ defense and coach DeMeco Ryans having his team “caught up in a religiosity frenzy.”

3. Breaking News: Bears to Privately Fund Their New Stadium

• 13:35–21:22:
  Major Story: Dan breaks major Bears news sourced from POLITICO—State Rep. Cam Buckner reveals Bears claim they’ll fully privately finance the construction of their new stadium.

  • Original Language:

    “The Bears have recently said they would privately finance the stadium itself. I’m going to read that again. The Bears have recently said they would privately finance the stadium itself. Awesome.” (15:10)

  • Dan and Matt parse what “privately finance” means: will the money come from existing capital, outside investors, or new sources?

  • Infrastructure (roads, ramps) may still see some public funding, but the core stadium cost will not be taxpayer-funded.

  • Both hosts are wary but hopeful about the shift, questioning why the Bears claimed not to have money before if they had it all along.

  • Jabs at the prior “bad look” of seeking public money.

  • Potential Stadium Sites: Discussion that Arlington Heights appears more likely than Chicago, and that NFL commissioner Roger Goodell was seen touring both Illinois and Indiana spots.

  • Key Quotes:

    • Dan:

      "I've never been against infrastructure. You need it...But if they've come off of the ask for public stadium money...that’s a big turn. That’s a big story." (18:03)

    • Matt:

      "Where has that been all along? What's changed? Where has a new influx of money come?" (19:08)

    • Dan:

      "Don’t spend any money you don’t have to spend until you have to spend it, I guess." (19:32)

  • Segment ends with both hosts calling for Kevin Warren to "get the shovels in the ground" (21:22), noting the weather’s about to turn brutally cold.

4. Old-School Bears Facts, Trivia, and Fandom

• 23:04–31:10: The guys go off on Bears defensive and interception trivia, both historic and personal.
  • Reveling in names like Gary Fencik, Charles Tillman, and Sid Luckman (surprise: Luckman played defense as well as quarterback).
  • Lighthearted quiz and leaderboard discussion for interception, pick-six, and forced fumble records.
  • Nomination of Charles "Peanut" Tillman as a Hall of Famer, both for his play and his off-field impact (30:59).
• Memorable moment:

  “He wasn’t asked to do what other corners do...there is an absolute, candidacy, a very, very real argument that can be made for his enshrinement.” (31:10)

5. Locker Room Swearing – Dick Vitale, Ben Johnson, and “Class” Debates

• 31:31–44:08:
  The show pivots to address controversy over Bears’ coach Ben Johnson’s “F the Packers” locker room outburst, picked up and critiqued by Dick Vitale on social media.
  • Dan and Matt eviscerate this take, pointing out Vitale’s support over decades for far more egregious (and often hypocritical) coaching behavior by legends like Bobby Knight and Coach K.
  • Broader defense of player and coach authenticity, rivalry, and honest moments—especially in private team celebrations that now happen to be public.
    • Dan:

      “You can’t be the world’s biggest champion of Bobby Knight and then also take offense to ... an F bomb…” (33:15)

    • Matt:

      “If you want to be fired up and say 'fuck the Packers,' the only people that should be bothered … are the Packers.” (39:18)

  • Both are adamant that locker room candor is normal—only now it’s recorded and visible to fans.
  • A larger point: Get offended by real injustice, not locker room language.

6. NFL Broadcasts & Bumper Music

• 46:33–49:45:
  Fun tangent on how the NFL’s commercial break and bumper music has dramatically improved—both hosts enthusiastically note hearing favorites from multiple genres, not just traditional “stadium rock.” - Dan:
  > “Have we experienced an overall noticeable increase in quality of the music that NFL broadcasts use to go to commercial?” (46:33)
  • Brief plug for upcoming halftime acts (Bad Bunny, Bruno Mars) with typical wit.

7. Chicago Fan Moments, Pop Culture, and Memory Lane

• 51:29–58:30:
  Sprinkled throughout the closing sections:
  • Reflections on the Bears’ comeback, fan euphoria, and the unique electric atmosphere during/after the win versus the Packers.
  • Anecdotes of friends and radio colleagues caught on stadium TV, kids’ first playoff games, and even mistaken identity stories (Bernstein lookalike at a porta-potty, 54:19).
  • Light banter on killer clown TV, pop culture corrections (Ryan Murphy did American Horror Story, not just Glee, 50:52), and, in classic fashion, a retelling of a sideline water bottle mishap that leaves everyone in stitches (55:56).
• Heartfelt note:

  “I haven’t [moved on from the Bears’ win] ... I’ve got the rest of my life to talk about [it].” (52:07)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Dan on Aaron Rodgers’s exit:

  “They stuck with the Aaron Rodgers career, walk off the field the entire way. That was like they were following the Pope. They had cameras set up for his entire humiliation. That was so delicious.” (02:01)

• On Bears stadium funding:

  “The Bears have recently said they would privately finance the stadium itself. Awesome.” (15:10)

• On old Bears legends:

  “Gary Fencik’s first interception of his career… he’s still the Bears interception leader at 38.” (23:18)

• On Dick Vitale’s criticism of Ben Johnson:

  “You can’t be the world’s biggest champion of Bobby Knight and then also take offense to ... an F bomb…” (33:15)

• On locker room swearing:

  “If you want to be fired up and say, fuck the Packers, the only people that should be bothered by that are the Packers.” (39:18)

• On Bears fandom:

  “I haven’t [moved on] ... I’ve got the rest of my life to talk about [that game].” (52:07)

Important Segment Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment | | --------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | 00:07 | Immediate celebration of Bears win, Aaron Rodgers career postmortem | | 13:35 | BREAKING: Politico scoop – Bears to privately fund new stadium | | 19:08 | Hosts debate how/why Bears found the money | | 23:04 | Trivia: Old-school Bears DBs, interceptions, forced fumbles | | 31:31 | Dick Vitale’s critique of Ben Johnson, and locker room language controversy | | 46:33 | NFL broadcast music – a surprising uptick in “bangers” | | 51:29 | Fan culture, stadium atmosphere, personal anecdotes after the big win | | 55:56 | Water bottle mishap: “I’ve never ever seen that before.” |

Tone, Style, and Takeaways

• Language & Tone: Authentic, irreverent, and full of Chicago pride. Dan and Matt don’t hold back, giving sharp opinions but also plenty of laughter.
• Key Takeaways:
  • The Bears are (apparently) building their new stadium with private funds, a seismic change in sports business for Chicago.
  • The city is collectively savoring not just sports success, but the tasty humiliation of their fiercest rival and his star QB.
  • The show isn’t just about games—it’s about what it feels like to win, lose, and root in Chicago, mixed with trivia, food talk, and pop culture asides.

For Listeners Who Missed It

This episode is packed with developments that matter for Bears fans and sports enthusiasts:

• A share-in-the-schadenfreude celebration of Aaron Rodgers’s exit.
• Immediate, major news regarding the Bears’ new stadium, potentially ending decades-long public funding debates.
• Defense of sports traditions, authenticity, and fandom against “pearl-clutching” critics.
• Plus: trivia, behind-the-scenes locker room talk, and a strong undercurrent of enjoying victory for its own sake.

If you care about Chicago football or want to understand the city’s underdog-but-proud sports ethos, this episode is essential.