Chicago Bears - Stop playing games and get to work | Arlington Heights is waiting

Summary

Podcast Summary: Dan Bernstein Unfiltered

Episode: Chicago Bears - Stop playing games and get to work | Arlington Heights is waiting

Date: February 26, 2026
Host: Dan Bernstein (with co-host, possibly Matt Abbatacola)

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Overview

This episode dives deep into the ongoing Chicago Bears stadium saga, dissecting the political maneuvering, taxpayer implications, and organizational missteps delaying the project. Dan Bernstein brings his unfiltered, no-nonsense style to call out the "stupid games" played by Bears leadership and emphasizes the urgent need for adult decision-making. Additional segments cover the state of NFL TV booths, Chicago Bulls’ medical mismanagement, minor league basketball oddities, and some local sports banter.

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Main Theme

• Stop the Games, Break Ground: Bernstein urges the Bears and state officials to end the "games" and pointless grandstanding delaying the new stadium development, especially in light of recent political distraction, threats to move, and the economic realities for taxpayers.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Stadium Stalemate: Illinois vs. Indiana

[00:55 - 11:20]

• The Bears' long chase for a new stadium has turned into a “proxy war” – Illinois vs. Indiana – with Bears management using threats of relocation for leverage.
• Illinois Governor JB Pritzker publicly pushes back: infrastructure assistance is possible, but the state will not fund the stadium directly or fleece taxpayers.
• Indiana is described as being played ("used") for leverage—if they want to shoulder the taxpayer burden, so be it.
• The Bears’ choices and the confusion around recent strategy changes (including CEO Kevin Warren’s tactics) only delayed inevitable negotiations, ultimately “changing the math on nothing.”

“This has become this bizarre, irretrievably stupid proxy war. It doesn’t have to be this dumb.”
— Dan Bernstein, [02:50]

“Let me start by saying I want the Chicago Bears to stay in…Illinois. But I’m not going to be shaken down...We’re not going to fleece the taxpayers.”
— Gov. JB Pritzker on MSNBC, [04:54]

Breakdown of the Governor’s Position

[04:54 – 07:08]

• Illinois offers infrastructure support for the Bears, but not a handout for the stadium construction.
• Indiana may end up raising "four or five different taxes" on its people to benefit the Bears, an idea Pritzker rejects for Illinois.
• Pritzker reiterates the Bears are a private, billionaire-owned business and will be treated as such.

Wasted Time & Money

[11:20 – 13:48]

• Buying the Arlington Heights land, cycling through multiple public negotiation tactics, and hiring Kevin Warren have all delayed actual progress and increased costs.
• Playing various sites (lakefront, Indiana) against Arlington Heights was a failed gambit that only drove up the price tag.

"All the commitments you made just got more expensive..."
— Dan Bernstein, [12:50]

• “Don’t fuck around. Don’t play games. Just get it done on this land.”

— Co-host, [13:40]

2. Bears Leadership: Kevin Warren Under Fire

[13:48 – 16:58]

• Criticism of President Kevin Warren’s performance. Hired to finalize the stadium deal, he has so far only managed to increase delay, cost, and confusion.
• Accusations of extensive PR/self-promotion rather than real progress.
• References to Warren’s problematic legacy with the Big Ten and skepticism he will deliver before moving on.

“One job. Get the stadium done. Stop being a jock sniffer. Build a stadium.”
— Co-host, [14:07]

“I think maybe...the long regional nightmare is coming close to an end when it’s going to end up exactly where we probably thought it was going to end up..."
— Dan Bernstein, [15:30]

3. How Should the Deal Be Structured?

[17:16 – 19:47]

• Illinois is willing to do its part (infrastructure, facilitating business growth around the new facility), but supports full transparency and limits on Bears’ tax breaks.
• Discussion on realistic stadium costs: $2 billion is insufficient for a ‘state-of-the-art, generational’ stadium; Bears must secure more funding themselves, not lean on the state.
• The deal must be negotiated with all tax-receiving parties at the table.

“Don’t do it on the cheap. Don’t end up like…well, we wanted to do this…the original plan said this…and then it looks like a Home Depot.”
— Dan Bernstein, [19:02]

4. What Happens Next?

[20:41 – 23:45]

• The property around the stadium has rich development potential—restaurants, hotels, celebrity chefs.
• Bears’ continued delays and "games" have cost them partnerships and opportunities.
• Indiana remains a distant threat rather than a credible alternative: logistical, environmental, and political hurdles abound.

“If you’re going to go to Indiana, just go, and stop stringing anything along…”
— Dan Bernstein, [21:58]

• “This has been a really, really, really stupid week.”

— Co-host, [23:29]

5. Organizational Culture: Do Things Like a ‘Real’ NFL Team

[24:45 – 27:49]

• The Bears’ bungling of the stadium situation reflects a deeper, systemic problem of being stuck in ‘mom and pop’ small-time operations rather than a modern NFL franchise.
• Comparison with the football side, which seems to be maturing (hiring Ben Johnson, Ryan Poles).
• Highlighting how better financial planning and business development in past decades could have left the Bears far more prepared to execute a stadium project.

6. Lighthearted Banter & Local Color

[27:49 – 31:30]

• Digressions into local food (deli sandwiches, Once Upon a Bagel), harnessing the Chicago restaurant scene for stadium area development.
• Nostalgia and anecdotes about past radio shows, snowstorm stories, and the “hot moms in yoga pants” crowd at bagel shops.

7. NFL TV Booths & Media Carousel

[34:13 – 45:09]

• Overview of impending changes in NFL television broadcasting: Tony Dungy likely out, movement among big-name play-by-play and analyst talent.
• Notable speculation regarding Sean McVay, Matthew Stafford, Travis Kelce, and others possibly moving to broadcasting roles in the near future.
• Light roasting of Tony Dungy: “Being wrong about stuff and being a sanctimonious homophobe—it's enough.” [36:23]

8. Chicago Bulls’ Medical Mismanagement

[46:13 – 53:29]

• The Bulls are under fire for repeated medical and training incompetence, including poor diagnoses, failure to detect injuries during physicals, and mismanagement of player health (e.g., Anthony Simons, Jaden Ivey).
• Historical context: Bulls' reputation for medical issues stretches back decades; this is costing them free agents and harming organizational reputation.

“Getting a reputation for being medically unreliable kills you. And that’s where the Bulls are right now.”
— Dan Bernstein, [46:45]

9. Minor League Basketball, Betting Scandals, and Absurdity

[53:29 – 59:36]

• USBL (United States Basketball League) is back; reminiscences on minor league basketball life.
• Dark comedy around Jonte Porter playing in the USBL before he goes to prison for game-fixing.
• Jokes about Chicago media ignoring DePaul’s involvement in betting scandals:

“If you can identify the moment Jonte Porter misses a shot on purpose, you get a free taco.”
— Dan Bernstein, [56:02]

• Anecdotes about coaching in minor leagues, players with criminal histories, and the surreal realities of that world.

10. Local Musings, Guns, and Libertyville

[59:36 – End]

• Extended riff about radio personalities in Rockford, concealed carry habits, and local “character” stories.
• More banter about Chicago vs. Libertyville lifestyle.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “This has become this bizarre, irretrievably stupid proxy war. It doesn’t have to be this dumb.”
  — Dan Bernstein, [02:50]

• “Let me start by saying I want the Chicago Bears to stay in…Illinois. But I’m not going to be shaken down...We’re not going to fleece the taxpayers.”
  — Gov. JB Pritzker, [04:54]

• “One job. Get the stadium done. Stop being a jock sniffer. Build a stadium.”
  — Co-host, [14:07]

• “If you’re going to go to Indiana, just go, and stop stringing anything along…”
  — Dan Bernstein, [21:58]

• “Getting a reputation for being medically unreliable kills you. And that’s where the Bulls are right now.”
  — Dan Bernstein, [46:45]

• “If you can identify the moment Jonte Porter misses a shot on purpose, you get a free taco.”
  — Dan Bernstein, [56:02]

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Important Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment | |-------------|---------------------------------------------------| | 00:55-04:54 | Intro/setup, Bears stadium political context | | 04:54-07:08 | Gov. Pritzker interview excerpt | | 07:08-13:48 | Bears’ erratic negotiating tactics, wasted time | | 13:48-16:58 | Kevin Warren’s criticism | | 17:16-19:47 | Discussion on proper stadium financing | | 20:41-23:45 | Development potential; Indiana realities | | 24:45-27:49 | Bears’ business immaturity | | 27:49-31:30 | Food/local banter, stadium area opportunity | | 34:13-45:09 | NFL broadcasting changes and media speculation | | 46:13-53:29 | Chicago Bulls’ persistent medical issues | | 53:29-59:36 | USBL anecdotes, Jonte Porter betting scandal | | 59:36-End | Local Chicago color, banter, closing segments |

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Tone & Style

• Sharp, irreverent, and brutally honest. Bernstein and co-host mix withering criticism (“proxy war of stupidity”) with dark humor and local references, keeping the tone casual but biting.
• Frequent use of sarcasm and Chicago slang; relaxed, conversational flow.

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Summary for New Listeners

If you haven't listened, this episode is essential to understand why Chicago’s NFL franchise is stuck in neutral—thanks to ill-conceived gambits, ineffective leadership, and politicians who, at least this time, are refusing to give away the store. The episode exposes the wasted years, rising costs, and self-inflicted wounds facing the Bears’ stadium project, while providing insider perspective on how real NFL teams—and real businesses—get things done. Beyond the Bears, you’ll get smart observations on the Bulls’ longstanding dysfunction, the absurd side of minor league basketball, and a taste of the city’s sports and food culture—all with Dan Bernstein’s signature sharp tongue.

Transcript

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[Dan Bernstein]

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[Governor JB Pritzker]

a support group for barely functioning adults. It's the Dave and Mahoney Show.

[Dan Bernstein]

You know, I dated a phone sex operator. Did she know that you were dating?

[Governor JB Pritzker]

They would have to go into like

[Dan Bernstein]

a call center cubicles and stuff like that. Imagine having phone sex with some lonely guy while you're sitting in a cubicle.

[Commercial Announcer]

Do you think that it would make you more competitive? Did you have to ding the bell?

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah. Got one.

[Governor JB Pritzker]

He's done.

[Dan Bernstein]

Oh my gosh.

[Governor JB Pritzker]

Grab the Dave and Mahoney podcast now

[Dan Bernstein]

on Apple Podcasts on Spotify [e-mail] Dan Bernstein Unfiltered Unfiltered on 312 Sports. Welcome to Dan Bernstein Unfiltered on 312 Sports. We are brought to you in partnership with my bookie. And it sounds like, and certainly what we heard with the breaking news last night, it sounds like the brief spasm of stupidity going on in Springfield and in Indiana has settled down to the point where it's time for the Bears and the state of Illinois and the legislature to get on with normal business after whatever that was last week has now blown over and settled down. And everybody kind of looked at each other like, huh, because they're ready to start actually talking some turkey downstate and moving some things through some procedural hurdles and maybe all the way out to the floor to get the Bears a version of what they've long sought. And that is a way to pay a lesser share of their total tax bill ahead of time in the same way that major projects usually do without it being too much of a taxpayer burden. That's essentially what this is. Has been JB Pritzker trying to look out for the citizens of the state, U.S. in other words, where the person in charge says, you know, yeah, obviously we want the Bears here. It's better for them to be here. We don't really believe their, their thinly veiled bluffs that they're going to leave, but we're not going to make a bad deal. That's what the state is saying now what's happened through all of this and especially over the last week, and this is what I urge you to, to ignore and especially if you're listening to this and you are an Illinois citizen and, or you care where the Bears go, because I want this to be really clear as we discuss this. If they were to go to Indiana and they want, and the, the Indiana tax goobers are dumb enough to give their money over, and if their taxes increase for the Chicago Bears and they're still the Chicago Bears and all of the hotel revenue and everything, all of that commercially stays in Chicago and they get all the benefit and the Indiana taxpayers take on the cost, that's what you get in Indiana. If you want that, fine. And if you want to celebrate that and say we'll give our money to private business just because, okay, it's a weird flex, but okay, it's become this bizarre, irretrievably stupid proxy war. It doesn't have to be this dumb. And one thing that we can settle down this week is just at least try to strip out some of the stupid. So last night, for the first time, I think, in a way that has long been needed, JB Pritzker sat down with Chris Hayes on Ms. Now, and they had a conversation about what's going on. I don't know if it explains what, why the, the, the Bears went completely wacko last week with this, but, and I don't even think a lot of people up in Hallis hall know why the Bears did what they did and why Kevin Warren sort of went. And I don't know if it's off script or if he changed the script without permission, but it didn't really do anything. It all it did was delay everything a week that was going to happen in Illinois. So here was Governor Pritzker last night with Chris Hayes.

[Governor JB Pritzker]

Let me start by saying I want the Chicago Bears to stay in Chicago or stay in the state of Illinois. And right now it looks like the choice is going to be between Arlington Heights and Indiana for them. But I also, you know, I was a businessman before I was governor. And I can tell you, because I've been involved with a lot of business deals over the years that I'm not going to be shaken down. And I have set out some very clear guidelines. And my guidelines are we're not going to fleece the taxpayers of the state of Illinois. We're going to let the Bears do that. We are going to make sure that we're doing, if we do something that supports the Bears which we're working very hard on. It's not going to be something that's going to cost our taxpayers the way that it's going to cost Indiana taxpayers, because it seems like they're going to raise four or five different taxes on people. I don't think the people of Indiana have any idea what they're in for. And they're going to pay for a stadium from the Chicago Bears. I've said from the beginning we're not paying for a stadium. We'll help with infrastructure, all the things that we help businesses. Remember, this is a privately owned business by a billionaire family. So if the state's going to help, we're going to help just like we do with other businesses because we want to create jobs and economic.

[Dan Bernstein]

What's the price tag on a stadium?

[Governor JB Pritzker]

Well, they're talking about several billion dollars for a stadium. And you've seen like over and over across the country. I mean, taxpayers do not want to pay for this.

[Dan Bernstein]

Insane. No one knows. There's no other business that does it.

[Governor JB Pritzker]

Yeah, I mean, mean, we just moved here. We're in the beautiful new version media.

[Dan Bernstein]

Did the state of New York buy our new headquarters? No. Her private business.

[Governor JB Pritzker]

We had to buy the new headquarters 100%. And I mean that. That's my job is to protect the people of Illinois to make sure that they don't have to pay for something they shouldn't have to pay for. Meanwhile, I want the Bears to stay in our state. And there are lots of things we can do that it's appropriate for us to do. We provide infrastructure for people that live in the state of Illinois. We provide infrastructure for the businesses of Illinois. This is a business and are going to create economic growth. They have plans for expansion for, you know, amenities that go around a stadium and other things like that. And so I want them to stay and I love the team and I want them to stay put. And, you know, I don't think anybody really wants to, you know, go to see the Hammond Bears.

[Dan Bernstein]

Okay. How hard is that to understand? I think that makes perfect sense. I just. I still am trying to figure out why Kevin Warren and the Bears chose to delay all of this sensible activity and negotiation that was fully on track. After a long meeting between the Bears and the powers that be in state government here in Illinois. And they ch. The Bears chose to make it weird. And people in state government in Illinois had no clue why they did what they did. And there were others involved with the Bears where you had one hand not knowing what the other one was doing. That's become apparent over the last few days. It's also become very apparent which media outlets are getting their information from whom and doing certain work for whom. There's been some unfortunate showing of the ass in that regard. But here we are. Now, forget all that. That was a week of, huh? What? Why? And the answer basically, after all this is I don't know, because it hasn't changed the math on anything. This idea of, well, we're gonna. We're gonna all of a sudden have them sweeten the deal because, look, we're gonna have this long meeting with them, and then we're gonna trumpet everything that's going on in Indiana and then we're not gonna mention them at all. And the. And Pritzker's face is like, what? What are you doing? This is stupid. Why are you being stupid? When you're done being stupid, call me. And apparently they did. And cooler heads or smarter heads or people not trying to play silly Podunk town games are back in charge of whatever they're doing. And within a couple days, we'll know the structure of the pilot payment in lieu of taxes, they're going to get some kind of tax break. And for. We'll find out exactly what it is. If it's cool with the school boards and everybody who is going to be getting this tax money, and they have a seat at the table and they are negotiating the difference between nothing and a lot. And they're getting close enough to a lot to make it worth their while. Okay, then let's roll. Let's get the damn shovels in the ground already. And all I ask in this entire process is just be done with the stupid. Be done with stunts and the silliness. It's very easy to get Indiana all excited, and they've helped make Indiana very excited. And they're going to end up feeling like they've been used in this because they are being used in this. And I do think it is important to recognize the number of taxes that are going to be raised or would be raised should Indiana decide to say, yeah, come on, bears, we'll build this all for you. We just. All that free money lying around, we have all. It's unbelievable, all these surpluses that we have all this free money lying around. Okay, well, you have free money because what are you not doing? Where is the money not going to? Who is not being helped? What is not being repaired, what is not being staffed? Like, you can't magically create all these things out of whole cloth and then it's like, oh, yeah, well, you know, hey, Porter county, how about another tax on this? And they go into the different counties. Hey, you know, you would. Would you mind raising taxes on this and raising taxes on that? Go ahead and read some of the fine print on that. Just be transparent about it. Let's. Let's know where we stand on it and let's get on with it. And I'm hopeful that maybe by the end of today or tomorrow, we are then on with it. And somehow this is what's incredible to me. When all is said and done, what did the Bears accomplish after they made their decision to buy the land in Arlington Heights? What was it, 200 million?

[Co-host (possibly Dave or Mahoney)]

Yeah. All they've done is wasted years.

[Dan Bernstein]

All they've done. But no, not just years. No.

[Co-host (possibly Dave or Mahoney)]

And money. And millions.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah.

[Co-host (possibly Dave or Mahoney)]

Money.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yep.

[Co-host (possibly Dave or Mahoney)]

Kevin Warren has just spent money wasted.

[Dan Bernstein]

They just. They buy everything that they did, and I think they figured, here's the investment, and they sat down and they said, if we plow in where we prime the pump with everything, it's gonna cost us to play these games.

[Co-host (possibly Dave or Mahoney)]

Games.

[Dan Bernstein]

Even though we bought the land and that's where George Hallis has wanted to be since 1975, and probably where his daughter has wanted the team to be then if we. But if we hire this guy and he hires all these other people, and next thing you know, all of a sudden we're going to get a much sweeter deal and we're going to. We're going to play us against them and us against them, and we'll bring in. Oh, wait a second. No, no, no. We're thinking the lakefront. That's it. Our. Our entire. And everything was a gambit and a gambit and a gambit and bells and whistles. Strike up the band and bring out the preacher to make his invocation that somehow we're on a mission from God to give the Bears a stadium. And it's like, all right, next. Thank you. All right, get on. When are we talking here? It's taken this long, and now they're finally all everybody's waiting for. When are you ready to actually talk about we're actually doing here? And pep rallies and stupid billboards, all to get where you started. All of this ends up exactly where you started and you made your commitment. And you know what? All the commitments you made just got more expensive. If you look at what happens to building costs, let alone the taxes you're paying on the land and just owning land that sits there doing nothing. Well, yeah.

[Co-host (possibly Dave or Mahoney)]

And the cost to build Anything has just gone up to buy supplies has gone up. Everything is more expensive today than it was. And, you know, the fact that the Bears bought the land, then hired the guy to build on the land, who then tried to use leverage that he didn't really have to get some kind of sweeter deal. They should have just sat him down and said, hey, this is what we're building. This is the land we own. Don't fuck around. Don't play games. Just get it done on this land. And then to look at the lakefront and then to look at Indiana. It was all just a waste of time and money.

[Dan Bernstein]

Time.

[Co-host (possibly Dave or Mahoney)]

He's been able.

[Dan Bernstein]

But yet he.

[Co-host (possibly Dave or Mahoney)]

But yet he's been able to be in every shot in the locker room after the games and celebrate this amazing season the Bears had last year.

[Dan Bernstein]

And he had one job. It's still not even started yet.

[Co-host (possibly Dave or Mahoney)]

Yes. Let alone finish the stadium.

[Dan Bernstein]

One job. Get the stadium done.

[Co-host (possibly Dave or Mahoney)]

Stop being a jock sniffer. Build a stadium. That's why you're here. No reason to be in the locker room in all the shots of good, better, best. No reason to be there.

[Dan Bernstein]

Same spot every time. Yep. And this is. This is after the initial PR rollout and all the hagiography and everything we made fun of back when. And look, he came in with a terrific reputation, and I believe that the Bears needed somebody to run the organization, that they needed somebody from the outside to come in and fire people and move people around and figure out what the football business was and get that squared away. Now, I don't know what Kevin Warren's role was on the football side. I don't know how he helped Ben Johnson get the job, but I'm absolutely willing to stipulate to whatever if there is any involvement on the football side. Positively awesome. But the primary reason was to get that building built and then understanding he's going to move on to whatever his next thing is. Kevin Warren is not long for the Bears.

[Co-host (possibly Dave or Mahoney)]

No, he's not. And we also know that he wasn't working behind the scenes to get the deal done in Minneapolis to build a stadium.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah, he was.

[Co-host (possibly Dave or Mahoney)]

He was the front man for it. And you know, you know who couldn't. Who couldn't wait to get rid of him? The Big Ten.

[Dan Bernstein]

Well, he saddled them with that $40 million problem when he sold things he wasn't allowed to sell. Yes.

[Co-host (possibly Dave or Mahoney)]

Get. Get this done and move on.

[Dan Bernstein]

And I think maybe, maybe, maybe the long regional nightmare is coming close to an end when it's going to end up exactly where we probably thought it was going to end up despite him at least snookering enough media to follow him around and eat up whatever breadcrumbs he's dropping like an old man feeding pigeons in the park. Oh, hey, if you come to this, cover this, cover this, all this, we're doing this. Oh, we're very, very serious about it. And it was, it was easier than I thought in a market like this for him to have people doing his work for him. I didn't think it would be that easy to get people to, to do a lot of his heavy lifting, the carrying of all the water. But boy, when, when he rolled in and had he was hiring photographers to take a picture of him waking up at 4:30 in the morning and reading his. To get started with all of that, with all the legend building. Right?

[Co-host (possibly Dave or Mahoney)]

It's not about you, dude. Not about you at all. Like do you do your job? And I, I love how Pritzker ends that conversation with Chris Hayes where he deliberately referred to them as the Hammond Bears. And just, just to, just to leave that little mind bomb right there at the end. No one wants to go see the Hammond Bears.

[Dan Bernstein]

It sounds stupid. Because it's stupid.

[Co-host (possibly Dave or Mahoney)]

Because it is stupid. Right?

[Dan Bernstein]

Yep. So here's hoping that maybe this is the end of that. However we got here that today Pritzker and his people can sit in the room, be like, okay, are we done with the stupid? Everybody can we agree? Can we get, are we okay, can we, can we get to work here?

[Co-host (possibly Dave or Mahoney)]

Like we're willing to do our part as the state to keep a business here that we want here. Mm, do your part, we'll do our part. We're not building a stadium for you for nothing. We're not going to tax the taxpayers to build your stadium. This is your company, your private business, part of a 32 member private club. Build your stadium. We'll do all the necessary work around that to help you out. Now let's let, let, let's get it moving now.

[Dan Bernstein]

And, and if you don't have the money to really build the state, keep saying 2 billion. 2 billion. 2 billion. 2 Billion isn't going to build you much of a stadium. It's going to be considerably more than that. Right. For anything worth building, for anything worth all of this time and all this dumb, you're going to need a lot more than 2 billion to make a place that is going to be special and is going to be something you're proud of instead of something like, well, I guess we got here. We got to Put something together. They got to play somewhere. And there's a lot of bad stadiums that get built.

[Co-host (possibly Dave or Mahoney)]

Well, you can, you can put together a stadium that's $2 billion. You can do that. That's. That certainly is reasonable. You can't mean. Let's not say that you can't build a stadium for. Yes, you can. Then you can build a stadium. I don't know about a Stadium for $2 billion. You're not going to build so far. You're not going to build something that's state of the art. You're not going to have that. But you can build a stadium that's better than soldier field for $2 billion.

[Dan Bernstein]

That is a low bar. I think you can. But if you. But, but this is, this is generational. You're building a. Don't do it on the cheap. Don't. Don't end up in like. Well, we wanted to do this. The original plan said this. And, and all the rendering said this. And then it looks like a Home Depot.

[Co-host (possibly Dave or Mahoney)]

Well, no, I, I agree with you. Like, don't go do it on a cheap. But, but what. What were you going to say? Finish what you're going to say. If you don't have enough money to build what you actually should build, then.

[Dan Bernstein]

Then let's figure out how that. Where that privately, who you're going to get money from, how much the league is going to give you. Like, like, what are the real dollars we're dealing with here? And if you actually had to go to Indiana because you don't have the money to build your own, the stadium that you want, that's on you. For just not investing properly. Yeah, for not being ready for the moment. I don't think, Dan, I don't think

[Co-host (possibly Dave or Mahoney)]

they're saying that we want to build a $2 billion stadium. What they're saying is that we'll put 2 billion towards it. I think they realize that in order to do what they want to do, what they need to do, it's going to be more than that. They just don't have more than that.

[Dan Bernstein]

Well, they're going to have to find it because you're getting infrastructure, this bill. And the only thing this state is going to do is going to make it so you are paying as close to your fair share of taxes as negotiable. They're going to allow that to be negotiated and allow everybody who has a. Who has skin in that game to have a say in it. And that's what you're going to get. And then you'll get some traffic help, you'll get some rail help or whatever it is for logistically, and that'll be that. And then build your building, build your hotels, get your private investment out there. If people want all the, the residential and the retail and the parkland, and then you're not a tenant anymore and you're on with, with the next several generations of Chicago Bears football in, in somewhere other than a toxic swamp next to Wolf Lake. Right.

[Co-host (possibly Dave or Mahoney)]

Because there will be businesses that will want to come and build on that property around Soldier Field.

[Dan Bernstein]

Those partnerships, restaurants, retail, those partnerships should be done.

[Co-host (possibly Dave or Mahoney)]

If anything, Kevin Warren's been fucking around with Indiana and those partnerships should be done.

[Dan Bernstein]

Governor Pritzker can. Is Hyatt Corp. Let's not forget that. Right? That's Hyatt. And if they want another Hyatt out there, I think maybe, you know, somebody involved that can end up with a Hyatt Regency Arlington Heights.

[Co-host (possibly Dave or Mahoney)]

Think of, of the restaurants and what's happened with celebrity chefs around this country and building and what, what, what they've done locally.

[Dan Bernstein]

All you got. Get every Chicago. Get Stephanie Izard and Joe Flam and get everybody you need and, and, and, and do that. Yes.

[Co-host (possibly Dave or Mahoney)]

And go to the big names. Bobby Flay will put a restaurant there. Gordon Ramsay will put a restaurant there.

[Dan Bernstein]

Make it, make it Chicago, people. You've got enough.

[Co-host (possibly Dave or Mahoney)]

You want money?

[Dan Bernstein]

You want all the money, man.

[Co-host (possibly Dave or Mahoney)]

Yeah, that. You want those celebrity millions. You saw what that dude did in London, Gordon Ramsay, that fucking insane property. He built five different restaurants over multiple levels on top of a skyscraper. I mean, that's 20 million of his own. Of his own money. Insane.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah. I definitely think there's going to be that. This, everything we're talking about now, because it's, this was supposed to be real already. And the fact that it's not is largely due to the Bears overcooking the entire thing and over bloating the entire thing on the administrative side and on the negotiating games side. That's accomplished nothing but extra cost for the Bears. And if they just said, we know we're going to throw some cost in here, ultimately it's going to be worth it, because the money we're going to get, I don't, I don't see it. I don't see how you're going to get that. And if you're going to go to Indiana, just go and stop stringing anything along, because Indiana isn't going to change anything. They'll give you what you want and you'll be a tenant in that building, and you'll be over there. And if that would have, you know, made Virginia McCaskey happy and that's what she wanted, just go do it.

[Co-host (possibly Dave or Mahoney)]

But, Dan. But they don't even know they could build there. Like, there's so many steps away from being able to even look at that property and put a shovel in the ground.

[Dan Bernstein]

Oh. Whether or not you're even. You're even allowed to. As far as what, environmentally, what. You have no idea how much you're going to have to backfill or.

[Co-host (possibly Dave or Mahoney)]

Yeah, I mean, I know. I know. They're. We're committed to following our due diligence to even look and see if we can build their. Oh, my God. They're committed. They're committed to Indiana. Let's have a parade.

[Dan Bernstein]

So dumb. This has been a really, really, really stupid week.

[Co-host (possibly Dave or Mahoney)]

Yeah, it really has been. No, the whole process has been stupid, but unfortunately, it's. You know, it's. It's not too much of a surprise. I mean, this kind of falls in line with the way this organization has run itself.

[Dan Bernstein]

Well, my hope is that it's finally come to some kind of end. And then once we get a little bit more certainty, a little bit more understanding and some of these unnecessary compl. Completely needless tensions start to settle a little bit, that a deal is gonna take shape. And I always get back to thinking about one of the defining characteristics of farce. That aspect of comedy is the needless expenditure of energy. Taking something simple and making it unnecessarily complicated is a defining characteristic of farce. And this has It. This has been an absolute exercise, public exercise in the needless expenditure of energy, of time, of words, and of money. Yep.

[Co-host (possibly Dave or Mahoney)]

Yeah. And it's. It's unfortunate because as we were chatting earlier today, too, it's like the way of doing this and what Kevin Warren has done is. Is Bears. Bears of the past. It's like, you know, the football got itself righted, you know, and it's like, it's big boy football organization with the hiring of Ben Johnson and with what Ryan Poles has done in bringing Ben Johnson in. It's like, hey, let's. Let's get the business side to match what the football side is doing.

[Dan Bernstein]

Let's.

[Co-host (possibly Dave or Mahoney)]

Let's stop dicking around and let's do things like a real NFL organization does. Things stop being the mom and pop shop that you were.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah, it's.

[Co-host (possibly Dave or Mahoney)]

Let's be big boy business.

[Dan Bernstein]

It's hard without the money and.

[Co-host (possibly Dave or Mahoney)]

Oh, yeah, I get.

[Dan Bernstein]

If you had taken. If you Just taken slivers of NFL profits and just put it in S and P fund and pick a start date. Because you can go right now and open a spreadsheet and you could just put in a number just in an S and P fund from whenever. When do you want to make it? When it from. From either from Muggs Halas's death or from the time that George took over from Michael McCaskey. Whenever you pick a date and just look at assets in general, the, the look at the values. And all you had to do was diversify your business a little bit, find something else to do. It doesn't have to be a massive real estate empire, but just find another place for your money to make money.

[Co-host (possibly Dave or Mahoney)]

Right? Because unless there's something I'm unaware of, I don't see the McCaskeys living some luxurious lifestyle where they're out on private jets, you know, gallivanting all over the world like some big billionaire owners do

[Dan Bernstein]

and they're proud of not. Right. That's a very important part of the McCaskey identity is their regularness. Yes, but it also doesn't help you build a stadium.

[Co-host (possibly Dave or Mahoney)]

Right? And so living this regular billionaire lifestyle, you should have been accumulating wealth hand over fist for the last decades.

[Dan Bernstein]

I'm telling you, just look at the numbers for. If they had just set aside some of their franchise value are borrowed against it here and say, you know, let's get a little liquidity and do some things with it here, and we won't even know it's there until we look over 30 years later and we say, oh, that's turned into a nice chunk of change. You can have an entire aspect of your business that is just development, business development. Instead of having John Fox have to scream at you to build another practice field in Lake Forest. Well, okay, I guess we'll get our facilities up to league standard. I guess we'll finally do that. Or. Or you could have had.

[Co-host (possibly Dave or Mahoney)]

Well, you know, we're bearing the lead here because, I mean, good news is the Bears players don't have to move to Indiana now.

[Dan Bernstein]

Oh, that's right. They don't all have to go live with Diana Hill. They were all going to crash. They had to. Every single member of the Chicago Bears organization at some point had to bunk with that. That's. That's what they said.

[Co-host (possibly Dave or Mahoney)]

Well, he would welcome that.

[Dan Bernstein]

Hey, Chicago. Waving everybody in for the front porch.

[Co-host (possibly Dave or Mahoney)]

Come on in. He had the grill going for him.

[Dan Bernstein]

That's what I'm saying. There's worse things. There's worse things that can happen. You come over, I guarantee you there's a game on. There's. There's multiple games, like multiple TVs everywhere. There's going to be food. It's a. It's a big property. You can walk down to the golf course nearby, catch a couple of largemouth. It's not that bad really, but this will probably end up more favorable for them. You know, whenever the stakes are high. My bookie is where you turn bets into bankroll.

[Co-host (possibly Dave or Mahoney)]

Let's go.

[Dan Bernstein]

This dude, by the way, this dude is. Is absolutely full bore sizzle right now.

[Co-host (possibly Dave or Mahoney)]

Fire, dude. 18 and four. My last 22 against the spread and last night hit a four. A four teamer.

[Dan Bernstein]

You build a damn stadium.

[Co-host (possibly Dave or Mahoney)]

I showed you that. That was great.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah, I'm saying you, you're the only guy I think who could build a stadium. That's. No, no, no. Restaurant. Restaurant. That's what you're going to do that when, when they open, it's going to be, you know, matabata Colas, pizza, Dinapoli.

[Co-host (possibly Dave or Mahoney)]

Oh, I've got multiple, multiple ideas to build around Bear Soldier Field in Paradise.

[Dan Bernstein]

You could do that? I could. I could head up a big Jewish deli. McCaskey's would never do that, but I would. It would be. We. We'd do awesome if we did, like a real, real deli. Not any of this other bullshit that's out there. Because this city is. Is. Is in large part bereft.

[Co-host (possibly Dave or Mahoney)]

Oh, great. Now I want to. Now I want a deli sandwich. Thanks.

[Dan Bernstein]

Well, I don't know. What's there for you. Old Libertyville up there.

[Co-host (possibly Dave or Mahoney)]

There's nothing here for me.

[Dan Bernstein]

Well, the closest you're gonna get is going to be on Waukegan road and the 294 Spur. If you want to head down to Max and Betty's. It's actually not that far free. There's an exit close. There's.

[Co-host (possibly Dave or Mahoney)]

Yeah, Once Upon a Bagel I could get to.

[Dan Bernstein]

That's good. So. Yeah, that's good. Yeah. Terry and I did a show from Once Upon a Bagel. Do you remember that?

[Co-host (possibly Dave or Mahoney)]

Yeah, I do.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah. There's stuff I probably said during that show I can't say anymore.

[Co-host (possibly Dave or Mahoney)]

No, there's a lot of stuff we can't say anymore. Yeah, well, we could hear.

[Dan Bernstein]

That was a blast.

[Co-host (possibly Dave or Mahoney)]

We could say whatever we want now.

[Dan Bernstein]

That was a blast. I just remember at one point, because there was the breakfast crowd and then the breakfast crowd came out and then like the early lunch crowd started moving in and I Looked and I looked at you, I think, and I'm like, is this like hot moms in yoga pants time? Like, is this all. Yep, apparently.

[Co-host (possibly Dave or Mahoney)]

You did say that.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yes, I said apparently. This is the portion of the day when it's only hot moms and yoga pants. Okay, fine. We could do that. If I open a deli. We could do that, too.

[Co-host (possibly Dave or Mahoney)]

Make it like a Tuesday special. Wasn't it Once Upon a Bagel where Spiegel and McNeil were late? I was hosting with you, and then Spiegel and I got into a fight.

[Dan Bernstein]

What was the fight about?

[Co-host (possibly Dave or Mahoney)]

It was because they didn't know it was gonna snow, and they were late getting to their show. And I'm like, hey, fellas, check the fucking weather. And that's when it was like, have fun with the part timer.

[Dan Bernstein]

That was that day.

[Co-host (possibly Dave or Mahoney)]

That was that day. Yeah. That was with the snowstorm. I'm like, yeah, only if there was a way we could have known there was snow coming. Fellas, you could have been prepared to leave earlier.

[Dan Bernstein]

I know. If you had just created the magic potion and then read what floated to the top for some kind of moment.

[Co-host (possibly Dave or Mahoney)]

Look out your window. I think that's what I said. I said. Or look out your window.

[Dan Bernstein]

And then.

[Co-host (possibly Dave or Mahoney)]

Yeah, that's when that pushed you over the edge.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah, that was a bad feelings day. Occasionally you'd run into one of those. The My Bookie prop board is deep and it's Fun to play. MyBookie Ag. Go there, check it out. Player performances, game milestones, everything in between, whatever action you like, get in. Now. Make your deposit after you register and use the code. DBU@MyBookie AG. It's one account. It's one wallet. Everything's there. Bet the spread. If you like parlays, there's all kinds of options for, you know, same game or for multi game parlays, there's a casino. You can jump in there during halftime or between games. MyBookie AG. The codes. DBU. Get your first bet covered up to 500 bucks. If it doesn't hit, you have a bet back. Bonus token to run it back. So you're not just watching the action, you're making it pay. With my bookie?

[Co-host (possibly Dave or Mahoney)]

Yeah. Dude, last night I had Denver minus three and a half, Milwaukee plus eight and a half, Houston minus 14, Detroit minus eight.

[Dan Bernstein]

So I watched that game.

[Co-host (possibly Dave or Mahoney)]

Yeah, they won by eight. So I didn't. I didn't know that it would still pay out. So it didn't pay out the full amount, but it still paid out Even though Detroit won by eight, so they paid out for the other three. Even though I had the fourth.

[Dan Bernstein]

It was great.

[Co-host (possibly Dave or Mahoney)]

Yeah, it was nice. I was very excited about that. I was watching that. I was keeping a track on that Denver game, which started at 9 o', clock, so that's hard to.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah. Did you see the shot that Jokic hit from the corner, by the way?

[Co-host (possibly Dave or Mahoney)]

I didn't know because I was. I was watching on Google. We were watching other things on tv.

[Dan Bernstein]

Dude is just ridiculous. Just ridiculous. And when I. When I saw that Detroit was. Was wrecking him, I was like, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. And then I realized Shea wasn't playing.

[Co-host (possibly Dave or Mahoney)]

Yeah. They came. Yeah.

[Dan Bernstein]

Oh, okay.

[Co-host (possibly Dave or Mahoney)]

Yeah, they made it close, though, at the end.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah. There was no Hartenstein, there was no Shay, Gilgis, Alexander. And Cade is doing Cade stuff. Man. That is. That's a.

[Co-host (possibly Dave or Mahoney)]

It's a bad man.

[Dan Bernstein]

Very, very special player right there. And Detroit can. Troy can win the East. Oh, yeah.

[Co-host (possibly Dave or Mahoney)]

Oh, no doubt.

[Dan Bernstein]

Dude, this play. This Eastern playoffs is going to be awesome because Toronto's getting good, the Knicks are good. When all these teams get back and everything is all timed up for all the stars on the floor, these playoffs are going to. They could be absolute rock and roll.

[Co-host (possibly Dave or Mahoney)]

Are the Bulls still in the playing game or no?

[Governor JB Pritzker]

No.

[Co-host (possibly Dave or Mahoney)]

Are they out?

[Dan Bernstein]

Okay, I think. I think we're slipping. We're. We're dropping fast. So good things are happening. This. We celebrated it on owc. This is what you're supposed to do. This is what it's supposed to look like. It's how you're supposed to do it. We'll get to the Bulls in just a second. But I wanted to mention this. When this headline crossed yesterday about the machinations in the various NFL television booths. It looks like Tony Dungy is finally out. Finally. That he may get some sort of emeritus position. But I've always wondered what Tony Dungy is still doing there. Being wrong about stuff and being a sanctimonious homophobe. It's enough. I don't know what purpose that serves anymore, because for a while, remember, he was like the. The moral compass of the NFL somehow, that even though the guy's a bigot, like, well, let's go to the moral compass of the NFL and see how people should behave. This guy, well, that would be fine if he's done, but there's so much more going on. And I really will admit I wasn't aware of all of the moving pieces until I saw this piece by Andrew Marchand of the Athletic. So Let me, let me quickly just take you through this. This is just kind of a, a primer for what to expect in the coming days and the, in these decisions that are, that are being made here. Al Michaels potentially retiring at the end of next year. Fine. He's 82 and he's still really good, but. All right, Al Michaels boothmate Kirk Herb street is in the final year of his contract on Amazon Prime's Thursday Night Football. And we can debate how good you think he's been. I think he sounded like a college guy doing pro games. He's gotten a little bit better, but I think he's much more suited to the college game. Joe Buck and Troy Aikman's megadeals are up after ESPN does the next Super Bowl. And there are major NFL pregame studio jobs open all over network tv. So this is Marchand. He says in recent weeks the Athletic has spoken to top league and network executives, agents and on air personalities to lay the groundwork for what's next as we approach five years after the NFL TV free agent frenzy of 2022. Back then is when Buck and Aikman landed at ESPN from Fox. Five year deals combined, 165 million. That's when Michaels called his final record tying 11. Super bowl was replaced by Mike Tirico and the Tom Brady contract was inked. 375 million. CBS stayed out of all of it after giving Tony Romo 180 million just before the pandemic. Now CBS has to replace Matt Ryan on the NFL Today. That won't be hard.

[Co-host (possibly Dave or Mahoney)]

Sorry.

[Dan Bernstein]

No, he's fine.

[Co-host (possibly Dave or Mahoney)]

Yeah, it won't be hard.

[Dan Bernstein]

No. At NBC said the Athletic said Tony Dungy's likely out. Woohoo. As the network looks to revamp Football Night in America, the show could potentially be on the road full time next season. NBC's show is led by host Maria Taylor and her analysts and Insiders include Devin McCourty, Jason Garrett, Chris Sims Dungey, Rodney Harrison, Mike Florio, Jack Collinsworth, Matthew Berry, occasionally Steve Kornacki. For all these networks, it may be easier to shed than add. But there's a roster of available big names to sign. But it's not as ripe as some years. Mike Tomlin is the top personality on the board. He's reluctant to enter tv. He's close with Jay Glazer on Fox. And Jimmy Johnson is retired. So Fox has an opening for former super bowl winning coach. Tomlin is high on NBC's list also. Then there's Travis Kelsey. He may try to play another season before Trying broadcasting. He would like to call games, but he could pick up their guessing at least 15 million per year in a studio. Now, here's some names I didn't think of. The Rams combo of quarterback Matthew Stafford and coach Sean McVeigh is not leaving the field just yet. I found that odd.

[Co-host (possibly Dave or Mahoney)]

No, that's very odd. I mean, Stafford, sure, sooner than McVeigh,

[Dan Bernstein]

but how old's McVeigh? 40.

[Co-host (possibly Dave or Mahoney)]

Yeah. Is he even 40 yet?

[Dan Bernstein]

Like, just turned 40? Come on. Kirk Cousins filled in for Ryan during the postseason for CBS. I thought he was good. While San Francisco 49ers linebacker Fred Warner impressed on NBC's Super bowl coverage. I thought Cousins. That. That's exactly what Kirk Cousins should do, right?

[Governor JB Pritzker]

Yeah, dude.

[Co-host (possibly Dave or Mahoney)]

You know, we didn't. We didn't mention this yesterday. And Greg Rosenthal's top 100 free agents, he has cousins as QB3. Of all the free agents. I mean, it's just. Man, that's a. That's a bad, bad. That's a bad, bad class of free agent quarterbacks then if he's three.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah, Kirk, take that. Take that TV job when you can. Cam Hayward, a future hall of Famer who is also an NBC super bowl pregame, may continue playing, but if he retired, would be sought after. Another name to consider. Your Guy, Maddie. Guy Fieri. Flacco.

[Co-host (possibly Dave or Mahoney)]

Oh, Joe Flacco.

[Dan Bernstein]

Your first choice of a guy was Guy Fieri.

[Co-host (possibly Dave or Mahoney)]

Yeah. Okay.

[Dan Bernstein]

I love that he pulls up in the red car.

[Co-host (possibly Dave or Mahoney)]

Oh, God.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah. Welcome to the NFL on NBC. Today, we're in Nashville, where the chicken is hot and the football is hotter. Yeah.

[Co-host (possibly Dave or Mahoney)]

I love it.

[Dan Bernstein]

See?

[Co-host (possibly Dave or Mahoney)]

Perfect. See, you just wrote it for me. I love it. I'm gonna work on that. All right, so Joe Flacco.

[Dan Bernstein]

Joe Flacco. He's another name to consider. Says Michaels has not made any declarations of his intent, but Prime Video could start to look anew in its Thursday night booth with Herb Street's deal up. Said prime turned to Herb street after making runs at Aikman, John lynch, and McVeigh. I guess that's where his name came up, huh? Prime Video.

[Co-host (possibly Dave or Mahoney)]

McVeigh to leave coaching.

[Dan Bernstein]

Prime Video is always a number. Has already landed Iron Eagle as its number one NBA play by play announcer and has its sights set on him to potentially succeed Michaels.

[Co-host (possibly Dave or Mahoney)]

How about his kid?

[Dan Bernstein]

Either one. Yeah. Although Ian's funnier. Oh, yeah, he's goofy.

[Co-host (possibly Dave or Mahoney)]

Noah's more the straight man.

[Dan Bernstein]

Oh, that. It's. It's so funny that the sun is like, by the book. Sean McDonough and the dad is like the, the Catskills tumbler.

[Co-host (possibly Dave or Mahoney)]

Yeah, it's good.

[Dan Bernstein]

You know, he's like, hey, hey. If prime video moves on from Herb street, it could look at the well respected Greg Olson of Fox and J.J. watt. So the wild cards are Kelsey and McVeigh. This is really interesting. Yeah. The McVeigh thing is really strange because it says that eagle, CBS's Voice of the men's final four, is half of the Network's excellent number two NFL team with J.J. watt. Now, now remember that he just talked about CBS and their excellent number two team, said the pair expected to remain in those roles at least for this year. Now back to McVeigh. McVeigh just signed a new coaching deal with the Rams, which lessens but doesn't eliminate the chance he could exit for the booth after the 2026 season. I didn't know that this was even on the table.

[Co-host (possibly Dave or Mahoney)]

Yeah, that surprises me.

[Dan Bernstein]

Stafford, the reigning mvp would be in demand whenever his career ends with ESPN already eyeing him. Adding to all the intrigue, according to Andrew Marchand, here is the regression of CBS's number one team of Romo and play by play announcer Jim Nance. Yeah, right.

[Co-host (possibly Dave or Mahoney)]

Yeah, I think, I think it's time to make a change there. And I, I love, I love Jim Nance and just keep him in the lanes that he's in outside of football. For me, for me, maybe. But maybe though if he's with someone different, maybe it's better overall is. It's just not good. Yeah. It's time for Roman to go away. You know, you know who's never going to go in the booth and this is a good thing is Aaron Rodgers.

[Dan Bernstein]

So you're sure?

[Co-host (possibly Dave or Mahoney)]

Yes. Who the wants to hear from Aaron Rodgers about anything?

[Dan Bernstein]

Weirdo.

[Co-host (possibly Dave or Mahoney)]

I don't know.

[Dan Bernstein]

I, I think I likes the Packers. I think a public health job after, after watching that hearing yesterday, I think,

[Co-host (possibly Dave or Mahoney)]

hey, as long as there's a workout video of him and Kid Rock and rfk, we're good to go.

[Dan Bernstein]

Did you hear the woman yesterday talking about how a voice came to her during a mushroom trip? Yeah. Oh, yeah. And I look, I'm all for you want to use psychedelics. I am a proponent of experimentation and medical research on the value of psychedelics. I really am a proponent of that.

[Co-host (possibly Dave or Mahoney)]

I believe not to draw like scientific policy out of it.

[Dan Bernstein]

Right. Not, it's not at the moment part of public policy. But yes, very different things. So the regression then of n. CBS is scheduled to have Super Bowl 62 in February of 28 for Super Bowl 61. Buck and Aikman have solidified and elevated Monday Night Football. They want to keep the duo as a top team. The marriage has worked great so but with the NFL auctioning off additional game packages and looking to negotiate current deals with the networks, new TV players mean potential new leverage for play by play announcers and analysts. YouTube and Netflix are going to need their own crews. The streamers default of using NFL Network personnel is potentially done with that staff remember is now moving under ESPN's umbrella. CBS produces games for Netflix. NBC does the same for Amazon. How much longer will that last? And now wait. Then there are the wild cards like Aaron Rodgers. While he may play again next season with the Steelers and he doesn't seem like the mainstream broadcast TV type, most former all time quarterbacks land in a booth or a studio. He can't be ruled out as a possibility.

[Co-host (possibly Dave or Mahoney)]

Bad decision. Anyone just just look at anything he's done and Pat McAfee show anything. He's a complete and total weirdo. Absolutely not.

[Dan Bernstein]

You might get a short term bump and then after a while people are like all right, it's enough. I'm good. I know I am too but it's but flavor of the month chasing was something that's short term hot. It wouldn't surprise me but I just thought that that whole all of that is was worth thinking about as one thing. As much as we're looking at the football itself that things there's there we're very close to potential fun chaos in the broadcast booths. Yesterday on organizations win championships. We were talking about the Bulls and this ongoing issue that they've had in on the medical side of what they do. And I just want to reiterate some things that we're learning right now, especially about the latest injury to Anthony Simons. And we saw the news oh he's got a fracture in his wrist. And then they said well no no no, that didn't happen here. He had a fracture in his wrist.

[Co-host (possibly Dave or Mahoney)]

Yep.

[Dan Bernstein]

And there he's undergoing further imaging to determine if anything involved in the current wrist injury has any relation to that. They're saying probably not. He'll be out for a certain period of time. And now the Bulls are deprived of getting a reasonable look at how plays with Josh Giddy and they're going to have to make a decision without being able to scout him well so that sucks. It also sucks that you didn't know he had a fracture in his wrist when you gave him a physical after the trade. You got one job medically is to find these things out. And when you add that to what has happened with this Jaden Ivy fiasco and adding a guy who was once a potential star player who now is referring to the old Jaden Ivy, he. He said it. The old Ji is dead. Well, great. Would have been nice to know that before the Bulls traded for the old dead guy, because that's really unfortunate and I feel bad for him. But I also am angry with the Bulls for continuing to do this. And this also has to do with Zach Collins and the fact that he. He was hurt and that he's better and he's hurt again. And you waited this long to advise him to do this surgery, and now that guy has to go into free agency at something less than 100% with some uncertainty coming off a surgery and you just cost him millions or the options that you gave him, at some point he might have said, well, why didn't I have surgery earlier? Why didn't you give me that option earlier? You knew you were going to tank. You don't want him there anyway. All he's going to do is help you win. Tell him, hey, man, have the surgery. Have surgery right now. That way you're. You're done, you're. And then you're healed. And you can show all of these suitors but when at free agency time that you're going to deserve a big contract in the prime of your career. So now he gets screwed over, and all this does is continue to heap on the Bulls this longstanding reputation for medical issues and medical judgment issues, whether it's diagnoses, whether it's treatments. This has dogged them for years, and it hurts them in free agency. It hurts them when players talk about where it's good to play, where it's not how you're treated. And these are all multimillion dollar industries where health is the most important thing and getting a reputation for being medically unreliable kills you. And that's where the Bulls are right now. They need to have a full accounting of how they go about their medical training, whether it's strength and conditioning, athletic training, medical, and how everything comes together. They build the advocate center. They've got all the bells and whistles that they need. And if they don't go get them, find out what other teams are doing and how they're doing it. Find the best practices here and do it transparently, because this goes back forever. This goes back to Lu All Deng and diagnosing a problem that they said needs active rest and then giving him a Spinal tap that he apparently didn't need, that didn't go well. The whole Derrick Rose thing, which was a communications problem as much as it was a medical problem with the team rightly saying, hey, you gotta play. This is the you, you gotta go play. And Derrick Rose saying, no, I don't wanna play. I'm not ready to play. And it just wasn't. No part of it was communicated well. Not Rose's side, not the bull side that hurt them. And then at every next step, whether it's been Kobe Bryant or Kobe White being traded, they say, you know, he's hurt. Cause their doctors went through it and said, you know, he can't play and he's out and he's going to be out a while. So give us back one of those second round picks we gave you. I was like, okay. And then they don't really celebrate the huge success story that they had, which was getting Lonzo Ball back to the port. You could turn him into Isaac Coral. That was a huge victory. That was awesome. But you don't hear about that because it's still. Well, you know, the Bulls and their medical, that's what you get when you talk to NBA people. It's like, well, you never know with them. It's finally time. Whenever, whenever they're, whenever Michael Reinsdorf decides that the AK thing is over and all this didn't work and hasn't worked and now tanking doesn't even really help you after this year. Or maybe they luck into somebody, we all forget about it. But they, they've got to scrape that all out and, and just figure out how they do that side of their business because it's critical. It's critical. And this trade deadline is just more of the same and more of the same questions and concerns. So as a Bulls fan, I would like that to no longer be a question or a concern. What I do think is, is hysterical. Did you see, first of all, I was very excited to see that the United States Basketball League is back. And if you don't, if you don't know what the USBL is, the old USBL was around when I was in minor league basketball. And it was, I'm trying to think what the years were, 1984 to 2008. And it was a, it was a cheap ass summer league. They played in college gyms. But there were a ton of good players. There were some NBA guys, there were some fringe guys. You'd occasionally get people who also played, you know, some European players who were just looking for a foothold in this country. And they'd play in New Haven or Long island or Rhode island or Westchester or down in Florida, wherever they were, Jersey City. And the league folded, and then it was bought. And I didn't know this. They bought everything. They bought the logos, they bought the URLs. They own the history of the USBL. So the league that started in 1984 is back, baby. And they've got teams in Bakersfield, Los Angeles, Spokane, Salem, Oregon, Seattle, San Diego, Vancouver, and Yakima, Washington. And they're not. They're not playing in the Sundome. They're playing in Yakima Community College. They got a lot of my money in Yakima. I. And no joke, I had so much fun. We always look forward to that road trip because it was Yakima and Tri Cities, Washington, and it was different and fun. And you had to fly in a tiny little jet during winter right around the tip of Mount Rainier. That was. I thought that was the one time I thought that we were done.

[Co-host (possibly Dave or Mahoney)]

So what was the jet you were on again?

[Dan Bernstein]

It was a propeller plane. Yeah. What did it sound like? Why? I just wondered. Yeah, it was. It was scary. And that's when some of the biggest, strongest, most athletic men you've ever seen in your life were. I were. They were crying. We had some really bad turbulence going right around the Cascades, around Mount Rainier.

[Co-host (possibly Dave or Mahoney)]

Yeah, that sounds like a death flight.

[Dan Bernstein]

It was bad. Yeah, it was bad. And it was also the same year that we flew. The league had a deal with American Eagle. And we flew, what were they called, the AT42s, the dual propeller plane. And they kept falling out of the sky and crashing. Like, every time we would get. We'd get to the airport in the morning and be like, oh, another one of those. Another one of those American Eagle prop planes crashed the other day or caught on fire on the Runway. And we would look out and what would be pulling up to our gate that we had to walk out to would be exactly one of those planes. Yep.

[Co-host (possibly Dave or Mahoney)]

Yeah.

[Dan Bernstein]

But it was an entire winter.

[Co-host (possibly Dave or Mahoney)]

Big news, though, out of the usbl.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yes. The big news is John Tay Porter is there for you to watch him play before the man goes to prison. You can watch Dan.

[Co-host (possibly Dave or Mahoney)]

Why is he going to prison again?

[Dan Bernstein]

For fixing games.

[Co-host (possibly Dave or Mahoney)]

Which kind of games?

[Dan Bernstein]

NBA games that he played in. Correct, Correct. So here's John Tay Porter of the Seattle Super Super Hawks. The Seattle Super Hawks. And he is. He's already pleaded guilty in federal court to a count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. A Felony that carries up to 20 years in prison. Porter is expected to get between three and four years when he's sentenced for fixing games. Accused of manipulating his performance and working with gamblers to win prop bets in two games with the Raptors, and that he personally bet on 13 NBA games that he didn't play in. They've expanded the investigation that started with Porter. And this, as we know, has gone on to indict dozens of others in gambling related cases. Even There were some DePaul players caught up in that. And meanwhile, have you noticed, have you noticed that no Chicago news outlet has cared that DePaul basketball is part of a point shaving scandal? No, nobody cares. Nobody cares. Do what that would. Like 20 years ago, that would have been wall to wall story.

[Co-host (possibly Dave or Mahoney)]

Well, this, this is great. John Tay Porter playing for the usbl, the Seattle Super Hawks, before he goes to prison for fixing NBA games.

[Dan Bernstein]

Here comes Jonte Porter into the game.

[Co-host (possibly Dave or Mahoney)]

I love it, dude.

[Dan Bernstein]

Right? Super Hawks fans, if you can identify the moment John Tay Porter misses a shot on purpose, you get a free taco.

[Co-host (possibly Dave or Mahoney)]

Yeah, I, something like that. I just, I, I literally laughed out

[Dan Bernstein]

loud when I read this. Wait a second. John Tay Porter is limping. Is it a real injury or is he taking himself out of the game to protect an under on one of his stats? Right.

[Co-host (possibly Dave or Mahoney)]

He, he limps going to the bench and he like limps on his right leg and then coming back out, he limps on his left leg. Oh, yeah, shit, I missed a little.

[Dan Bernstein]

If you're right, if you guess correctly, it's dippin dots for your whole section.

[Co-host (possibly Dave or Mahoney)]

Oh, it's great, dude. I mean, he's going to prison for fixing basketball games.

[Dan Bernstein]

Now look, I've been around minor league basketball a long time. This is my happy place. This being around people who are either going to prison or just coming out of prison. I'm used to that.

[Co-host (possibly Dave or Mahoney)]

Or have played out of the league because they're just not good enough.

[Dan Bernstein]

Right? Or they, or they did terrible things or. And, but this is, this is where I look. I was the PR director for teams that would have guys, owners thrown in jail, players arrested. You sign a player and then somebody didn't look and realize, oh, why, why was he released by this team? Yeah, he, he beat up a woman in a bar last night. Oh, really? And then the coach is like, well, I don't care. Can he rebound? He can score. 20 and a quarter.

[Co-host (possibly Dave or Mahoney)]

Yeah.

[Dan Bernstein]

Oh, I'm just trying to win, damn it. You handle that like me. And I'd say me handle What? Well, if people care about that, you figure it out. And then he'd slam. Really?

[Co-host (possibly Dave or Mahoney)]

Me handle what?

[Dan Bernstein]

Me handle what? More butter, more syrup.

[Co-host (possibly Dave or Mahoney)]

Nice.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah, that was pretty much it. And then. And then things would happen and I would have to deal with it. I'm telling you, like you're gonna. You realize that your two of your owners just got arrested for tax fraud. They did?

[Co-host (possibly Dave or Mahoney)]

Well, that's fine. When they come out, they can buy a different team, right?

[Dan Bernstein]

I gotta go. Oh, this is great. So this is.

[Co-host (possibly Dave or Mahoney)]

Well, congratulations to Johnte Porter. Man, God bless America.

[Dan Bernstein]

I remember when. When Charles Smith got out of prison.

[Co-host (possibly Dave or Mahoney)]

I mean, maybe he can be president one day.

[Dan Bernstein]

Do you remember Charles Smith out of Georgetown? Well, there were two Charles Smiths. There were two Charles Smiths in the Big East. There was big, tall Charles Smith who played for Pitt, and he's the guy that got the shot. He was on the Knicks. The guy that. Horace Grant was blocking a shot, not the other Charles Smith.

[Co-host (possibly Dave or Mahoney)]

Georgetown guy.

[Dan Bernstein]

You said Georgetown. Point guard. Yep. Good. Good little player. And I think he ran over a couple people when he was drunk and he killed them. And he went to jail. And he was in jail. And our coach in Rockford knew that the C. That we had his CBA rights and he. He was following. He had like a thing in his office where he would track when Charles Smith was getting a chill and he got out, he got released from prison. And it's like, well, I gotta find out if he's in shape. Because as soon as he's in shape, get him in here. And it was my job to call the agent and like, check in. Like, hey, you know, when he gets out, we got a job for him if he wants to come play for us. So believe me, there were multiple guys who would be like, either transfer to a halfway house and then I would have to go find out if the person was allowed to play basketball or not while working their way out. So. Oh, yeah, there's that.

[Co-host (possibly Dave or Mahoney)]

Yeah, that's a. I mean, Rockford is perfect city for that.

[Dan Bernstein]

Hey, Rockford's on the comeback, baby. I was reading that the other day in the Economist.

[Co-host (possibly Dave or Mahoney)]

Well, you know why. Why Rockford, Joe?

[Dan Bernstein]

He did it all by himself. Yes. He's turning that city around. That's it. Is he the new mayor?

[Co-host (possibly Dave or Mahoney)]

He should be.

[Dan Bernstein]

I damn right he should. That's Surimi Joe right there, the king of fake crab.

[Co-host (possibly Dave or Mahoney)]

It's our guy, man.

[Dan Bernstein]

That is. Yeah, he is. He's a big shooter there now. I think he. I think the place he works one of the full time hosts actually wears a gun on him all the time.

[Co-host (possibly Dave or Mahoney)]

He says that he, he. He has a gun in a holster and the first time he saw it, he about shit his pants. They have.

[Dan Bernstein]

They've got. They have a radio guy who has a gun, walks around like he's Billy the Kid. Yep.

[Co-host (possibly Dave or Mahoney)]

I knew that.

[Dan Bernstein]

Here.

[Co-host (possibly Dave or Mahoney)]

When I'm at home, I just. You can't see it now, but I got two six shooters.

[Dan Bernstein]

Well, you better. Yeah. You live in Chicago. I hope you're armed.

[Co-host (possibly Dave or Mahoney)]

No, no. The dangerous streets of Libertyville.

[Dan Bernstein]

I know. Especially up by that bass pond. You be careful. You watch yourself.

[Co-host (possibly Dave or Mahoney)]

That's how I catch my fish.

[Dan Bernstein]

I shoot them. Well, you. You know, bow fishing is fun. I don't know that you get any satisfaction. Just like, oh, I've.

[Co-host (possibly Dave or Mahoney)]

I've gone on camping trips with bow fishing. He is no fun to be around.

[Dan Bernstein]

He never does any of the work.

[Co-host (possibly Dave or Mahoney)]

No, he's a lazy prick.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah, he's always out there, you know, Bose fishing. Yeah, he's never. He's not helping you find firewood. No. Everybody's gotta. Gotta help out. All right, that is it for today's Dan Bernstein. Unfiltered. And I want to remind you that March is coming up it, like soon. What is it, the 26th today?

[Co-host (possibly Dave or Mahoney)]

Yes.

[Dan Bernstein]

That means college basketball's here. And the big games are here, the material games that help us decide what's happening in the tournament. And boy, we're. We will have. We're going to follow everything Illinois is doing. I think this could be a fascinating tournament the way it's shaping up right now. And they always. They're always fun. Conference races are tightening the bubble. Teams are fighting for their lives. There's all of these, you know, last four in, first four out. And that changes every day. It's not just about picking winners. The prop boards loaded. Player points, team totals, futures tournament odds value, everywhere when you're paying attention. So jump in. MyBookie AG. The code, DBU. One account, one wallet. Bet the spread, live bet the second half, hit the casino. It's all in one place. The code is DBU. That covers your first bet up to 500 bucks. If it doesn't hit your bet back. Bonus token. Lets you run it back. So do this. You register, you deposit at MyBookie AG. We give you the code DBU. And then you're covered for 500 bucks. And then you're in and ready for the tournament. So don't just watch the madness build. Make it pay like Mattabaticola does. He's your. He's. He's the stud. I. I take my hat off to you. If we had the equivalent of like a turnover chain or a. A home run robe or whatever we have, you'd be wearing it right now.

[Co-host (possibly Dave or Mahoney)]

Well, dude, I think I'm do. I'm doing better in basketball because I'm not emotionally invested in anything regarding basketball. See, see, that's where, like, football got me, because I'm. I have feelings about every NFL team

[Dan Bernstein]

I know, and it just.

[Co-host (possibly Dave or Mahoney)]

It got me towards the end. And the NBA especially, I just. I just look at the numbers, I look at the teams, look at the matchups, and I can make good decisions without emotions and feelings involved.

[Dan Bernstein]

Or you can fade this guy and think that maybe he's due to regress to the mean and just say, matty, what are your picks? Because I'm fading you. Damn it. Yeah.

[Co-host (possibly Dave or Mahoney)]

18 and 4. The last 22 against the spread, college and NBA. And I got a small play tonight, so I'm trying to get the 20. I want to get the 20 and four. That's my goal.

[Dan Bernstein]

All right, well, DBU picks are coming tomorrow, so don't jump the gun. And. And tomorrow is going to be Friday Feedback Friday. I always say never miss a mailbag. It's going to be Friday Feedback Friday. And our top 10 that I'm really looking forward to, so that's going to be fun. Anyway, we are brought to you in partnership with my bookie, Dan Bernstein. Unfiltered Unfiltered on 312Sports.

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