Dan Bernstein Unfiltered

Episode: Chicago Bears | San Francisco 49ers - Top 10 49ers of all-time and Friday Feedback Friday
Date: December 26, 2025
Host: Dan Bernstein with Matt Abbatacola

Episode Overview

This episode features a lively, irreverent recap of the latest Chicago Bears game, a deep dive into fan feedback for “Friday Feedback Friday,” and a humorous, unusually historical “Top 10 49ers of all-time” list—focusing not on San Francisco football legends, but on real-life and pop-culture figures from the California Gold Rush era. Regular host Dan Bernstein and longtime producer Matt Abbatacola discuss the pains and joys of Chicago fandom, interact with sometimes-outraged listeners, and riff with their signature blend of sarcasm and warmth.

Key Discussion Points

Bears Reaction & Listener Feedback

• Post-holiday football hangover: Bears fans struggle with optimism and frustration after another up-and-down game, exemplified by surly audio messages and emails (08:20).
• Listener “Mike” delivers a hilarious/angry rant about Dan and Matt’s take on the Bears’ cheese grater hats—a viral counter to the Packers' cheeseheads (11:03).
  • Dan (11:37): “What do you think? …I’m probably 70/30 that it’s real.”
  • Matt (12:08): “Yeah, that sounds about right. …The ‘fuck you’ was pretty aggressive, maybe. I leaned back in my chair…”
• Emailers wax poetic about cheese graters and Bears-Packers trauma, highlighting the deep fandom scars and the generational handoff of suffering and hope.
  • Warren’s email (15:21): “We are the boss of the cheese. The grater helps us to be greater.”
  • Joe’s family moment (23:38): His young son, unfazed by historical Bears disaster, says, “Dad, they’re going to win,” during the comeback.
  • Phil’s Wisconsin exile (26:47): Celebrates the rare taste of victory surrounded by Packers fans.
  • Dan (for Dr. J’s scenarios, 21:15): Reads inventive “cheese grater” trolling scenarios poking fun at Packers culture.

Bears - Packers Rivalry & Fan Generational Experiences

• Longtime Bears fans reflect on decades of rivalry-induced angst, the rare win over Green Bay eliciting relief and hope for a new era.
  • Matt (28:23): “Just be competitive in this rivalry… what was Rodgers, 25 and 5 or something stupid? Let’s be competitive.”
  • Dan (29:33): Stories about experiencing the Super Bowl win with family; his daughter mimics all the emotions.
• Parents and kids: Touching anecdotes highlight how new, young Bears fans lack the “scar tissue,” and cynical dads appreciate their children’s innocence and optimism.

League Notes: Playoff Picture, Fines, and Officiating

• Lions and Vikings debacle: Open mocking of the Lions’ body language, coaching, and inability to beat a QB-less Vikings (01:36–03:24).
  • Dan (03:20): “That guy Brosmer: Bad. Bad. …I’m going to change my TV settings to keep him off of it.”
• NFL fines and rules confusion:
  • Ongoing frustration over inconsistency with roughing/landing-on-QB calls, and awaited fines for dangerous hits (32:47–34:57).
  • Matt (34:19): Lays out the structure of fines and hopes for accountability after Packers’ infractions.

Top 10 49ers of All-Time (Not What You Expect!)

Instead of ranking San Francisco football legends, the hosts (with “the committee”) create a tongue-in-cheek list of the most notable “49ers” from the 1849 Gold Rush era and pop culture, mixing historical figures with movie characters and mascots in classic DBU style.

Committee’s Notable “49ers” (35:52–50:01)

• James W. Marshall: Discoverer of gold at Sutter’s Mill—unanimous #1 pick.
  • Dan (36:47): “He is my number one 49er of all time.”
• Stinky Pete (Toy Story 2 antagonist, voiced by Kelsey Grammer).
• Gabby Johnson (Blazing Saddles prospector, played by Jack Starrett).
• Samuel Brannan: First gold rush millionaire, made fortune selling supplies.
• Henry Wells & William Fargo: Pioneers of banking and express service—Wells Fargo founders.
• Levi Strauss: Created jeans for miners; stadium namesake.
• John Studebaker: “Wheelbarrow Johnny,” made fortunes on wheelbarrows, later founded car company.
• Ah Toy: First famous Chinese-American sex worker and brothel owner in San Francisco.
• John Sutter: Owned the ill-fated land and mill; never profited from his role in the gold discovery.
• Grizzly Adams: Noted outdoorsman, trapper, and gold rush entrepreneur.
• Bonus: Black Bart (the polite bandit), Mark Twain, Leland Stanford, and the “Bucket of Blood Saloon.”

Actual Top 10 Countdown (50:11–64:31)

Dan’s official “Top 10 49ers” (with historical color commentary and runner-up stories):

1. James W. Marshall
2. John Sutter
3. Ah Toy
4. Levi Strauss
5. Grizzly Adams
6. John Studebaker
7. John Bidwell (survived steamboat explosion, lived with a hole in his head)
8. Thomas Gilman (freed himself from slavery using gold mining profits)
9. Joseph Folsom (founder of Folsom, as in Folsom Prison)
10. Henry Wells & William Fargo
    • Dan: Pauses to sing and reminisce about missing out on “The Music Man” role at summer camp (41:13).

Notable moment:

• Matt (61:01): “Dude, I knew you were going to bring up Ah Toy. I just knew you would.”

Mascot Tangents

• Explores the Denver Nuggets’ 1970s prospector mascot (“Maxi the Miner”) and the quirks of sports branding (65:11–67:22).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Dan on listener feedback (08:50): “There were three, four, five of those, all angry, all resigned to the Bears fate before they came back and tied it and sent it to overtime and won it.”
• Mike’s Rant (11:03): “Am I seriously sitting here listening to you two completely suck the fun out of the cheese grater hat? …I look forward to the Bears winning the Super Bowl so I can tune in the next day and hear how you guys ruin that.”
• Warren’s cheese email (16:26): “We are the boss of the cheese. The grater helps us to be greater.”
• On generational fandom (24:38): “He has none of the scar tissue I’ve had for the last 40 years. …He doesn’t have the feelings of ‘here we go again.’ This made me enjoy the game so much more.”
• Dan on Bears heartbreak (25:01): “I have a picture of [my son] bawling at the Double Doink game.”
• Dan on Mark Twain’s prospector roots (45:09): “Did not know he started off as a miner.”
• Dan on John Bidwell (56:12): “This is not like, like in the back of his head or the side of his head. This is a massive hole above his left eye.”
• General Show Vibe: Lots of dry Chicago humor, warm teasing, pop culture contradictions, historical fun interludes, and layered sports fandom angst.

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Bears Fan Voicemails (“Friday Feedback Friday”): 08:20–11:57
• Cheese Grater Hat controversy & listener mail: 11:03–16:26
• Bears-Packers Rivalry: Intergenerational Scarring: 16:43–29:33
• NFL fines/officiating segment: 32:47–35:18
• Top 10 49ers of All-Time (Historical/Pop Culture List): 35:52–64:31
  • Committee’s picks & debate: 36:29–50:01
  • Dan’s top 10 countdown: 50:11–64:31
• Denver Nuggets Mascot Tangent: 64:31–67:22
• DBU Betting Picks: 68:00–70:41

Tone, Style, & Takeaways

• This episode captures why “Dan Bernstein Unfiltered” stands out in Chicago sports media: brutal honesty, unapologetic humor, encyclopedic pop culture and historical references, plus a willingness to let the audience in on both the inside jokes and the emotional rollercoaster ride of lifelong fandom.
• Even with hyperlocal references and goofy historical ranking bits, the episode is welcoming to new listeners, as it captures universal sports-fan emotion—generational suffering, fleeting hope, and the catharsis of finally getting one over on your rivals.