← Dan Bernstein Unfiltered
Dan Bernstein Unfiltered
Friday Feedback Friday - your memories of Terry Boers | Top 10 HOF members
01:13:06
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- [00:01]
Matt Abaticola
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Dan Bernstein
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- [01:01]
Dan Bernstein
Dan Bernstein, Unfiltered Unfiltered on 312 Sports. Dan Bernstein Unfiltered is brought to you in partnership with my bookie and it's been a hell of a week, man. It really has. It is. There's been from the way from where we were last Friday to today, I can't believe it's been a week already. And it was right around this time last week that we found out about Terry and everything else that's gone on. This has just flown by. There's been just so much, so much emotion, so much sharing, so much sadness and grief as there still will be. But this, I just want to say the community already, this was a, a time for whatever we've built here over five months. Is that what it is now?
- [02:00]
Matt Abaticola
Yeah, five months. November, December.
- [02:02]
Dan Bernstein
Yeah, five months that I think this, the 312 sports community really showed out and really. And we'll do so today, too. You're gonna, you're gonna hear this as we go through a lot of what we're talking about today in your feedback and all of the time that you've taken to send so many things. I don't even know that I can do it justice with some of what I selected on multiple levels here, largely memories of Terry. That'll make us feel happy and make us feel sad. But I want to say thank you to you for it's helped me to hear a lot of these stories and to hear A lot of this feedback and hear some of the personal stuff. In a way, it's been very strange. And I think my wife made the comment where when people started remembering Boars and Bernstein, she said, you know, you're lucky that you get to be at your own funeral for some of this stuff, because she said, this is some of what's being repeated here about what the show meant. She said, this is, you know, a lot of that stuff's gonna bounce back. She goes, people don't like you as much as they like Terry, don't get me wrong.
- [03:05]
Matt Abaticola
But.
- [03:07]
Dan Bernstein
I felt that a little bit that's been in large part really did make some of this stuff hit home as we've been remembering a really special human being.
- [03:19]
Matt Abaticola
You. Yeah, it's been great to reconnect with a lot of people to, to keep in touch or get back in touch with some people through. Through the score and then hearing, yeah, that was. It was super nice to be there on Tuesday. Spent like six hours there in the, in the control room with Tana Hill and Jay Zaski.
- [03:36]
Dan Bernstein
That was great.
- [03:38]
Matt Abaticola
Unexpected, pleasant surprise there. And seeing Jay Z getting to see. See Jason for a little bit too, to see golf was. Was outstanding. But what's. What's really impacted me a lot is hearing all the stories about how people have been touched and impacted by Terry, by the show in general. You know, by whether it was the iteration of me, you, Terry and Jason, or me, you, Terry and Tani. Of course, you know, never forget the. When I first started working with Scott, share all outstanding in what they do in very different ways, but to hear how the show impacted people, what I really love about where we've been the last five months in doing this and in starting something from scratch and growing it and moving it forward and figuring out where it's going to go, I'm really happy that we have the ability to be within the moment each day and understand the impact that we're having. That is more than just a dumb podcast with two idiots talking sports and bears and having fun and really doing a lot of what we do to make each other laugh, you know, which is. Which is a great. A great way to get paid, you know, to hang out with a friend and, and like, do things or say things to make that person laugh. And it just so happens to impact other people listening. You know, I've said this before about my time at the score and almost 17 years there. I wish, you know, looking back and I wish I had been more present, more in the moment to realize what we were in the midst of, you know, and I would have celebrated and cherished that time with the four of us, whatever iteration it was together, would have celebrated that more, would have been more deliberate in remembering those things and even writing things down or taking more pictures just to commemorate what it was that we were doing at that time. So I'm glad with our own personal journeys that we've both been on and that it circled us back together here to do a little bit of what we did for so many years together on the score and to be cognizant of it each day and to be grateful for it and thankful, but also realize that there are people listening that are impacted in more ways than just with a laugh. And that means a lot to me. So thank you to the listeners who have expressed all of that to us. Part of me still doesn't quite get it, but it's not lost on me. And I really do appreciate it. And we take what we do seriously to a certain extent that we realize that we are a part of your lives. And we do appreciate you putting us in your lives every day by choice. And it means a lot to us.
- [06:16]
Dan Bernstein
I spent a lot of time going through the feedback for Friday Feedback Friday Today, and trying to pull some bits and pieces and trying to give what I think is in large part a representative sample of both the seriousness and the silliness when it comes to what's been a week and a beginning of the time that we'll be remembering Terry Bors for the rest of our lives. So I wanted to start just because there were just a couple things that I know that you're going to get a kick out of, and I don't know how many of these things that you have also read because everything has just been blowing up and we've been. It really had to be deliberate to go through a lot of these things and respond to so many. But this was sent in by Brent, who also goes by Glass Case of Emotion. And he said, I'm deeply saddened about Terry. I only met him once at Bandido Barney's with Maddie in West Dundee.
- [07:14]
Matt Abaticola
Oh, boy.
- [07:16]
Dan Bernstein
And I will never forget that memorable day.
- [07:23]
Matt Abaticola
That was a day. Yeah, that was a. It was a day that Terry said, hey, let's start drinking right away. And of course, I was like, yep, I'm in. And it was. When we're out, we're out on the, like, sand beach volleyball area. So we're outside doing the show. It was so hot and we're just dripping in sweat. It was when they, they gave us the, the Tommy Bahamas shirts, the matching shirts that we eventually put on. It was when we drove the limo, we rode the limo back into the city because Terry had an appearance at Stretch Run. And we get out of the limo together and this couple from Alabama stopped us and asked us if we were members of a country western band. And then we, we said no. And then they asked if we were brothers. So it was that, that was that remote.
- [08:09]
Dan Bernstein
I don't know how he made it through that appearance.
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Matt Abaticola
I don't know either, because he, I mean, he was drinking Jack and Diets, like drink for drink with me on Captain and Cokes. I mean, he was going after it.
- [08:22]
Dan Bernstein
Yeah, that's the major leagues is what that is.
- [08:26]
Matt Abaticola
That was, that was something. Yeah. I, I can't believe we made it through a five hour show or whatever it was at that point.
- [08:32]
Dan Bernstein
And this also in a similar vein, is from Chris, who sent in a note that said several of us who adored Terry met to have a few drinks and reminisce about shows at the Blarney Stone.
- [08:47]
Matt Abaticola
Oh, that's awesome.
- [08:49]
Dan Bernstein
That's so cool to hear. Because if I remember, the Blarney Stone was in Oak Lawn, right?
- [08:55]
Matt Abaticola
That sounds correct. Yes.
- [08:56]
Dan Bernstein
It was on one of the big north south streets. I don't know exactly. Was it Cicero or something like that? And we did a lot of shows there. We did like, like four or five, I think. And it was once a year for a while. That's where Chevy guy was. Remember? Remember Chevy guy? He wore all his clothes were Chevy logos. He had a Chevy belt buckle. And he kind of, you know, he had like the goatee. Skinny guy. Tall skinny guy. And just apparently loved Chevrolet. It was always there.
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Matt Abaticola
Yes, A lot. Yeah. That was Oak Forest on Cicero.
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Dan Bernstein
Oak Forest, yeah. Oh, and it was Cicero. Okay. Yes. Oak Forest. The Blarney Stone.
- [09:41]
Matt Abaticola
Yeah. And I, you know, I, I've heard from a couple different people that have gotten together with scoreheads and, you know, with BnB fans to just get together and have a drink or two and just talk about, you know, their favorite parts of the shows and just tell stories. So that's really, really cool, isn't it?
- [09:57]
Dan Bernstein
I just, I've. I've loved hearing some of this stuff. Here is one from John who says, I had to share this because it's something that we say in our house because of Terry. There was an error. There was a typo in the ad copy for Stuart's coffee. Oh, boy, that spelled it coffee.
- [10:21]
Matt Abaticola
Yep.
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Dan Bernstein
And Terry kept calling It.
- [10:24]
Matt Abaticola
Coffee.
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Dan Bernstein
Coffee. To this day in our house, coffee is co hefi.
- [10:32]
Matt Abaticola
So it's. It's great that they do that. I. I do it occasionally, like out loud, but I do it in my brain all the time. Like if I am on the couch and I want more coffee, I. I'll say to myself, I'm going to go get more covfe.
- [10:44]
Dan Bernstein
More covfefe.
- [10:45]
Matt Abaticola
Yeah.
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Dan Bernstein
Because Terry was wandering the hallways going to reheat his cofe that he wasn't even drinking. Yeah. Skypoint Stewart's coffee, the best.
- [10:55]
Matt Abaticola
Oh, God, what a great relationship.
- [10:57]
Dan Bernstein
That was Bob Tompkins, right?
- [10:59]
Matt Abaticola
Yeah.
- [11:00]
Dan Bernstein
He was our. You talk about somebody who understood the bit that was always what we would bring up to people as the shining example, the epitome of what a great relationship is. Like that. Or like David Hochberg and making fun of him during the ads of somebody who they'd say the goal is to be in the DNA of the show as an advertiser. That was it.
- [11:24]
Matt Abaticola
Stewart's was. Yeah. And I'll never forget when we were doing remotes and we. We were collecting money that we donated to the Red Cross during Katrina. And remember, Stewart's gave a can of coffee to everyone who came by in person and donated. And they remember, they brought all those cans of coffee and just you make a donation, you get a can of Stewart's coffee. Just great.
- [11:45]
Dan Bernstein
Great people. Kevin writes to say Terry helped me learn not to take myself or my fandom too seriously. I could laugh at the stories he had, enjoy the wit and the silly noises, and spend time with Terry making fun of dumb things. I identified more with Dan, given my penchant for a sardonic wit and an unfortunate dose of arrogance. But I admired Terry. I appreciated the silliness. I appreciated his silliness, belied a recognition of what really mattered. What really mattered wasn't sports, wasn't box scores or being right. What was clear from my first day listening was that integrity mattered to Terry. Being a good and decent human being mattered. Sports are for fun, they're for argument. But deep down, what mattered is how you dealt with other people. And that sense of responsibility and integrity is something I appreciated from Terry. The show saw me through innumerable life changes, good and bad. And while I was listening, I had three different career changes. I moved across the country and back. I got married. I dealt with multiple close family deaths. I dealt with learning that my wife and I could never have children. I found joy in social work, running group homes for adults with developmental disabilities. And when I could no longer handle the constant emotional drain of dealing with our government systems, and I needed to move on. I listened to the show when I went back to school, and I became a lawyer. I became a prosecutor specializing in juvenile abuse and neglect cases. Then I moved on to prosecuting major violent crimes. Through all of it, Terry Boers and the show provided a soundtrack to my life. I was sad when Terry retired. I knew he'd earned it, and I wished him well. And upon learning of his death on Friday, I felt an immediate sense of grief and of loss. It seemed silly. I'm loath to share attachment with people that inhabit our screens and our speakers with how our culture deals in unhealthy, parasocial relationships. But I'd grown attached to Terry. And then I began to feel better by listening to so many old shows available online, rekindling some of the joy and the laughter, remembering what was going on in my life. When I first listened to those shows. I laughed more this week than I have in a long time. And I've tried to do what I learned to do in therapy after my brother's death. I listened with appreciation, and I listened with gratitude. Yeah, that's great. That's great. You.
- [14:14]
Matt Abaticola
You know, it's. I've been thinking about it this. This week. I've been pretty fortunate. I haven't lost a lot of people that are close to me, you know. You know, at 53, I've had two, like, significant losses in my life. My oldest brother who passed away, and then now Terry. So that's pretty fortunate to be this old and to have, you know, to have three of my grandparents passed away before I was even born. And my fourth grandparent, my mom's mom, I've saw maybe four or five times in my life, you know, but these two significant deaths, Terry and my oldest brother Mark. Mark passed away on July 4th of 2017. And then Terry last Friday passed away on my brother Dave's birthday. So it's like, you know, like the 4th of July is kind of changed a little bit for me. And now as I, you know, as next year comes about and I get to wish my brother a happy birthday, it'll always be the day I remember with Terry, too. So.
- [15:17]
Dan Bernstein
Same day Lynn Bramer died, too.
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Matt Abaticola
The 23rd. Yeah. Was it really?
- [15:24]
Dan Bernstein
Yeah.
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Matt Abaticola
Wow. Yep.
- [15:27]
Dan Bernstein
Yeah. Several people noted that. Here's Dennis, who said that you guys, you and Terry brought the show to Ottawa, Illinois. We here couldn't believe that you would have a show in our little backwoods town. That bar was tiny it was packed. Terry arrived last minute. And Terry ran in and the whole bar yell, Terry. And he jumped up like, holy crap. And then later in the show, you said, Dan, you said, everyone's here but the mayor of Ottawa. Somebody ran across the street and grabbed the mayor and dragged him in. That was an Alzheimer. There's several people who brought that up. That remote, as far away as it was, was an absolute all timer of a remote. Unbelievable. And when, when we got. There's a little kid that was there and I remember, I'm like, aren't you in school? And he said, they said, we didn't have to go to school today because you're here.
- [16:31]
Matt Abaticola
Wow.
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Dan Bernstein
I said, what? That's what I said. We have to talk to the mayor of this town.
- [16:37]
Matt Abaticola
Right.
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Dan Bernstein
And so I was like, oh, he's right over there. That's great. It was like across the street. They brought him in and there. There was the mayor of Ottawa. Yeah. I will never, ever, ever forget that. That was really, really special. This is a note from Donald who says, I always wanted to write you, but for some reason I didn't. Terry helped educate me. I listened to every word you guys ever said on that show. I lived my life that way and used it to educate myself. I got my GED at age 50 and I have three real estate licenses. One of them is a managing broker. And I owe that to you and Terry. Thank you. Okay. Pretty cool. That's something that I certainly didn't expect. Here is John in Berlin. He said, my daughter is 9 years old and she's always been fascinated by animals. One time we were taking a walk together. We passed by a pond and we stopped so she could look at this adorable little group of ducks. Look out, ducks. As we did that, out of nowhere I belted out look out, Ducks, Which was a Terry line. And he said, I believe it stemmed from a story that cracked him up about ducks. No, it was in Arizona in the press box, two side electric field, when a foul ball, I think it was in Glendale, wasn't it?
- [18:19]
Matt Abaticola
Was it Glendale?
- [18:20]
Dan Bernstein
It was Glendale. It was Glendale. It's when we were at White Sox and the ball, a foul ball, came back into the booth and he meant to say duck, but instead he said, look out, Ducks. Ducks.
- [18:33]
Matt Abaticola
Yeah. White Sox were Tucson too, pal. White Sox were Tucson.
- [18:39]
Dan Bernstein
Are you sure?
- [18:40]
Matt Abaticola
Yeah, I'm positive. White Sox were in Tucson. We first started going, yeah, Glendale was Cubs.
- [18:45]
Dan Bernstein
Glendale.
- [18:45]
Matt Abaticola
Yeah, it was.
- [18:46]
Dan Bernstein
Right. Because Mesa was Cubs in two. You're right. It was.
- [18:49]
Matt Abaticola
It was.
- [18:49]
Dan Bernstein
You're right.
- [18:50]
Matt Abaticola
Yeah. And the foul ball came through the press, like in through, because we had the. Obviously had to. Had the windows open and so ball came in and then look out, ducks. Whoa. Yep.
- [19:02]
Dan Bernstein
So this guy yells that next to the pun he said. She looked at me like I was crazy, that I had to explain to her at age 9 why I would erupt with such a bizarre outburst. So I said, there was this man on the radio and he said funny things and he made funny noises, and that was one of them that I found hilarious. It got lodged into my subconscious, and guess what? It is now stuck in hers as well. And every day when. Whenever she sees ducks, she will look at me and say, look out, ducks. Whoa.
- [19:37]
Matt Abaticola
That's awesome. That's a good father right there. That's a good man. I hope she does it around, just around other people more than just him.
- [19:46]
Dan Bernstein
Yes. Yes. Pass it on. Pay it forward.
- [19:50]
Matt Abaticola
That's awesome.
- [19:50]
Dan Bernstein
Absolutely. Pay it forward. That's wonderful to hear. So I'm going to close out some of the Terry stuff here, I think, with this from Dave in Brookfield, and I can tell you I could go on all day. I have saved everything that's come in. And when we do a private event with family here that I hope that they do. I know it was in their early plans that these I'm going to present again and so many others. There's a lot of really personal stuff and stuff that I didn't think would necessarily be as appropriate to bring here, but there are people really wanted me to share some things and really offered some things to them. But this is Davin Brookfield, and he said, my favorite half hour of radio ever was the who you crappin wake that was held for Gary in Evanston. Hearing fellow listeners reminiscing about that unabashed goof gave me a strong sense of community and opened my eyes to the fact that I was tuning in for so much more than sports content. So many times this week I have heard the phrase I rushed to my car to hear, which really rang true for me. Something not that noteworthy finally triggered my Uncle Terry breakdown, and it was no doubt pushed back because of so many great stories and laughter and times remembered. I've always loved the saying that a person has two deaths. Their body ceasing to be and the last time their name is spoken. I believe that this phrase helps explain why Terry feels more alive than ever.
- [21:50]
Matt Abaticola
Thanks, that's great. Yeah. Seeing that phrase had to rush to my car. Or the opposite. The opposite of that.
- [21:57]
Dan Bernstein
I stayed in my car.
- [21:58]
Matt Abaticola
I Got to my destination and I stayed in my car.
- [22:00]
Dan Bernstein
Yes.
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Matt Abaticola
You know, people that message that, you know, I would sit in my driveway or pull into the garage and sit there and the segment wasn't over. I just couldn't, couldn't, you know, get out of the car to go to work, to a meeting or whatever, whatever it might have been, because I just didn't want to leave the segment that was happening. I'll never forget the. When we did the. The first time we did the who you crapping live at McDonald's. It was a fabulous train wreck of BNB community. It was just great.
- [22:28]
Dan Bernstein
Well, the. Is it. They're saying the one that Gary won.
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Matt Abaticola
Yeah. Yeah.
- [22:32]
Dan Bernstein
Oh, that was incredible.
- [22:33]
Matt Abaticola
Yeah, that was great.
- [22:34]
Dan Bernstein
That was incredible. Like, that was, I mean, for, for, for Gary, too, to know how, like, just to know how important it was to him. Yeah. You know, that was. That was a great day. And that was at that, you know, perfect little south side bar with the peanut shells on the floors.
- [22:50]
Matt Abaticola
It was awesome. That's. That's one. One thing. That's one remote I'll never, ever forget. That was great.
- [22:54]
Dan Bernstein
Yeah, it was. It's been amazing to me how many of the memories are connected to remotes and how it makes it easier for me. Somebody said, hey, do you remember remote in Oswego when Minnie Minoso was there? Like, yes, of course. I can put myself right there now. I can remember there was a guy who had a Chicago Bears decorated van and he came in and all Bears clothing, and he wanted everybody to see his Bears van. That was just like, remember in Minnie Minoso and his. And Minnie Minoso's guy was giving away Minnie Minoso hats.
- [23:27]
Matt Abaticola
Yeah. Was that. It wasn't Mike and Denise's, was it?
- [23:30]
Dan Bernstein
No.
- [23:30]
Matt Abaticola
Name of the.
- [23:31]
Dan Bernstein
No, it was not Mike and Denise's. No, it was not. I loved Mike and Denise's.
- [23:34]
Matt Abaticola
We were. I don't remember that name, though, at least.
- [23:36]
Dan Bernstein
Yeah, I remember Mike and Denise's because that's. We were there with a massive storm hit and that was the day that Steven Strasberg was making his first start for the Nationals. And that was also when we were knocked off the air and you didn't tell us.
- [23:55]
Matt Abaticola
There was no benefit to it.
- [23:56]
Dan Bernstein
You didn't want me to be, like, pitching a fit about. So you were just like, look, it was. It's better just to not tell Bernstein. Just let him think he's on the air.
- [24:06]
Matt Abaticola
Yeah. Just keep going.
- [24:07]
Dan Bernstein
Yep.
- [24:09]
Matt Abaticola
Show for inside these. These walls here.
- [24:11]
Dan Bernstein
Yep. And you're like, we're fine. We're good. And you didn't tell me. You know. You know you were off the air for an hour. Yeah.
- [24:16]
Matt Abaticola
Did you. Did you need to read something with some music?
- [24:20]
Dan Bernstein
I'm building toward it.
- [24:22]
Matt Abaticola
Oh, okay. Well, I think so you're wrapping up here?
- [24:23]
Dan Bernstein
I'm building. I was wrapping up the Terry stuff. I got some other feedback on something.
- [24:28]
Matt Abaticola
We'll be more specific. I can't read your mind. We're in different rooms.
- [24:31]
Dan Bernstein
I said you would know. I said you would. That the super bowl is finally here. My bookie is where you turn bets into bankroll. Everybody's watching. Everybody's got to take. It's the one game when the props matter just as much as the score. And that's why my bookie is for you. Props are where it's after the super bowl, you don't really have to know much. You bet things that are fun and their prop board is deep. It's fun to play. They get talked about on Jimmy Kimmel Live every year when the game rolls around. So if there's ever a time to get in, it's one account, one wallet. Bet the spread live. Bet the second half, hit the casino during commercials. Everything is in the same place. That place is MyBookie AG. And always remember, we give you the promo code DBU for this show. Dan Bernstein unfiltered. And then your first bet is covered up to 500 bucks. Well, what does covered mean? It means if it doesn't hit, you now have a bet back bonus token. And you apply that and then you can run it back as if it never happened. So don't just watch the big game. Make it pay with my bookie.
- [25:41]
Matt Abaticola
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- [26:12]
Dan Bernstein
Okay, so now there is an opinion that I provided on the show that has received a lot of negative response and pushback. A lot of people, and that's part of what we do, that you're going to say things and people are going to say, you're an idiot, you suck, you're awful. And here's why I hate you. Because you have a sports thought that I do not like, and that makes you a bad person when I don't.
- [26:36]
Matt Abaticola
That's why I talk like this. And I'm not making fun of you at all. In the way that I talk right now.
- [26:43]
Dan Bernstein
That sounds like.
- [26:43]
Matt Abaticola
And I appreciate your opinion and that our opinions are different and that your opinion is just as important as mine. And I'm not making fun of you at all right now. When I use this voice, in this tone to talk about the messages that you sent to me.
- [26:56]
Dan Bernstein
Young Tim Tebow voice.
- [26:58]
Matt Abaticola
Yep.
- [26:58]
Dan Bernstein
Little bit of Mitch Bisky in there. I, I, I hear it. Yeah. Or it's like, what your one, your sports minute voice.
- [27:05]
Matt Abaticola
Oh, my God, that was the best.
- [27:06]
Dan Bernstein
Do you have those?
- [27:07]
Matt Abaticola
I do. I actually, I have those. I have them and I, I listen to them occasionally. And the one about Thanksgiving with, oh, my God, that's just the best.
- [27:15]
Dan Bernstein
We should, we should replay these because. Do we own them or I don't think we do.
- [27:19]
Matt Abaticola
No, we don't own them, but I'll take the risk. Yeah.
- [27:22]
Dan Bernstein
You want to make them sue us?
- [27:23]
Matt Abaticola
Or I can just repeat them. I can redo them.
- [27:26]
Dan Bernstein
No, no, it had to be you at the time. That would be, that's like that, that would be like Spielberg going back in ET and making. Turning the guns into walkie talkies. You can't do that stuff. You know, I know it's your work, but that's, that's sort of.
- [27:42]
Matt Abaticola
Well, yeah, well, yeah, maybe we'll, we'll put them out somewhere.
- [27:45]
Dan Bernstein
We'll get it figured out. All right, now, so this, this was from Zach, and Zach sent this in and he said, guys, big fan of these podcasts. Love dbu, Love forward progress. I enjoyed listening to you in the day and enjoy listening today. With that being said, Dan, you are wrong about football. Amazingly wrong. So wrong that I had to stop listening to the pod and draft an email.
- [28:14]
Matt Abaticola
All right, now, when I first read that, I thought he stopped listening to the podcasts. No, just like, I mean, done.
- [28:20]
Dan Bernstein
No, he means for the moment. I think, I think he means just, just for right now.
- [28:25]
Matt Abaticola
He means he was so motivated to leave a message, an email on how wrong you were.
- [28:29]
Dan Bernstein
So now I asked, I sent you a text before I got in the car this morning that just said, hey, do we have some NFL film style music we can use?
- [28:42]
Matt Abaticola
This is a great song.
- [28:43]
Dan Bernstein
Okay.
- [28:44]
Matt Abaticola
You ready for it, Nate?
- [28:45]
Dan Bernstein
I am. From their very beginning, NFL games were shaped by the outdoors. The sport evolved on open college fields back in the day, and weather was never a very variable to be eliminated. Instead, it was a part of the contest. Cold, wind, mud and snow reinforced football's identity as a test of endurance, of physical dominance and adaptability. Iconic moments like the 1958 NFL Championship, the Ice bowl and countless late season games in Chicago and across the Great Lakes region cemented the idea that football is inseparable from the elements. The sport's strategic depth, field position, ball control and the running game were forged in conditions where nature could tilt the balance, rewarding toughness and preparation as much as pure skill. Fans who insist that NFL games should be played only in climate controlled perfections so star athletes could have an easier path to a pristine stat line miss the historical point. Football was never meant to be laboratory tested. It was built to expose greatness, not insulate it. Watching an elite player conquer the elements at Soldier Field or drive a team down a snow covered field in December doesn't diminish the spectacle. It defines it. The elements are not a nuisance. They're a proving ground in the NFL. Mastery over imperfect conditions is what separates greatness. Wow.
- [30:49]
Matt Abaticola
A couple things. I'd like you to read that again as the Tim Tebow voice and replace Great Lakes region with Great Lakes area likes area.
- [30:58]
Dan Bernstein
Yeah, that's really good though. And I actually I, I read it and I was, I was kind of nodding like, all right, this is good.
- [31:05]
Matt Abaticola
Yeah.
- [31:05]
Dan Bernstein
And I sent him a note back and I said I heard this in John Fenda's voice over urgent military brass and I thought we would have to do that. And by the way, that was not rehearsed.
- [31:15]
Matt Abaticola
That was not rehearsed. And the music, that, that was perfect.
- [31:18]
Dan Bernstein
Actually.
- [31:19]
Matt Abaticola
That was not planned and, or rehearsed. I didn't know the length of time.
- [31:22]
Dan Bernstein
Nope, that was that. Just. That was that. I am so pleased with how that went. That was great.
- [31:27]
Matt Abaticola
Outside of the Great Lakes region. I'm very pleased. Oh, well, Zach, great email, great thought. I mean, really. I mean, it was really well written, but you're 100% wrong, my friend.
- [31:40]
Dan Bernstein
Right, I was going to say that too. I do.
- [31:42]
Matt Abaticola
Thank you for listening.
- [31:44]
Dan Bernstein
Watching guys slip and slide and fall sucks.
- [31:47]
Matt Abaticola
And that's not a proving ground, that's stupidity.
- [31:49]
Dan Bernstein
Yeah, you could, you could, you could prove if. I don't know if you were watching the Bulls game last night when again, people were slipping. I don't know what was going on last night. Dale and. Dale and Terry kept slipping and other people. So I. It was. It's no fun. It's no fun to watch great athletes Slip and fall.
- [32:05]
Matt Abaticola
Did you know that? It's the first time since 1972 in the regular season, teams are playing consecutively three games in a row. That's the last time it's happened.
- [32:15]
Dan Bernstein
The first time.
- [32:18]
Matt Abaticola
What do you mean since the last time? We're so the Bulls and Heat have three. Three consecutive games?
- [32:22]
Dan Bernstein
Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
- [32:23]
Matt Abaticola
In the regular season. The last time that's happened in the NBA was 1972. Believe I heard in the radio, it was the Baltimore Bullets and the Houston Rockets had three games, three consecutive regular season games.
- [32:35]
Dan Bernstein
And I think the Bulls are gonna lose all three of them.
- [32:37]
Matt Abaticola
Yes, they are.
- [32:39]
Dan Bernstein
You can have three in a row, but they. Because the Heat play hard, man. They're not all that good right now, but they. They play hard. And boy, Khalil Ware, good luck with that. When you figure something out, Russ Armstrong is the owner of Chicago Window Guys. And that means that when you call Chicago Window Guys and you want to put something together, it's Russ. It's his factory. These are his people that do the installations. And he's awesome to work with. I'm working with him right now. In fact, we're just texting him yesterday. Call 847-302-9171. Check out his five star reviews at ChicagoNowGuys.com and take care of your windows. Honestly, really, it's been long enough. You've been screwing around with the builder's windows or stuff that you know that you need to replace. So do this. It's. You always say, I'll do it later. I'll do it when it warms up. Get on the schedule. Get your windows. Have Russ come out and figure this out. Don't worry about these prices that you hear elsewhere. I'll buy one, get one free, or buy two, get one free or off. He'll give you the best price for the best windows. He's got a price match guarantee. The best product, the best price. Just call him and do this. 847-302-9171. It's also Russ's music.
- [33:56]
Matt Abaticola
When it comes to Russ and comes to windows, he's in our hall of fame.
- [34:01]
Dan Bernstein
See, now I feel like reading it like Tim Tebow. You got Kras Armstrong because he has really good windows. And his.
- [34:09]
Matt Abaticola
He.
- [34:09]
Dan Bernstein
He's really nice. And he comes to your house and he tells you what good windows would be and he gives the best price. And then they put the windows in. 847-302-9171 chicagowindow guys.com There you go. So we were talking yesterday about BJ and the bear.
- [34:31]
Matt Abaticola
Yes, we were.
- [34:33]
Dan Bernstein
Well, trying to figure out.
- [34:35]
Matt Abaticola
And you were so offended by it.
- [34:37]
Dan Bernstein
Well, oh, so offended. I did not know this because, like I said, I didn't watch the show. And so I don't know if our buddy Glenn is making this up, and I don't care because he said. I remember a few things from BJ and the Bear. Chiefly that during fight scenes, one of BJ McKay's tactics was to throw Bear the chimp at one of his opponents. Don't you think once the word got around that that was your go to move, they might be ready for it?
- [35:19]
Matt Abaticola
Yeah. You would think that if you're going to run into this BJ guy and he's got the chimp with him, just be careful that he might launch the chimp at your face.
- [35:27]
Dan Bernstein
Right. Oh, he's got one move. He's got the chimp throw. And if you can avoid that, you're fine. But he said no faces were eaten off on the show that I can recall.
- [35:36]
Matt Abaticola
Like not on camera.
- [35:38]
Dan Bernstein
Right. Unless you if. Oh, yeah, that's that horrible movie. Nope. Where there's the bizarre side plot about the face eating chimp. It has no purpose in the film. It's.
- [35:51]
Matt Abaticola
Well, what's the. There's a. There's a new film that I think it still might be out in theaters. Primates or Primal or. It's about a family that owns. Has a pet chimp and the chimp goes chimp. Well, that actually, like, starts killing the entire family.
- [36:06]
Dan Bernstein
Well, they shouldn't have had a chimp at their house.
- [36:08]
Matt Abaticola
Correct. It's not a pet.
- [36:10]
Dan Bernstein
All right, I'm going to all see it and I'll root for the chimp.
- [36:13]
Matt Abaticola
Okay. It's a good idea.
- [36:15]
Dan Bernstein
Yeah. I don't. I don't like the family having it there anyway. All right, so now this. This was perfect. It's a series of. Of reactions here. John said, dan, I listened to that Tyler ball game stuff. Really good. I'm a former DJ. I love his sound. A lot of reminders of McCartney and the Raspberry's Eric Carmen. There's one song with a really good New Orleans vibe. Thanks for the recommendation. Sure. John and Daniel in Nashville says, wow, who knows where a song or artist will hit? This is a banger. My breakdown Notes of Paul McCartney with some Melissa Etheridge alongside the guy who sings I Believe in A Thing Called Love by the Darkness. He's got a Jack Black kind of falsetto combined with a bit of wacky comical delivery. He said, I went to YouTube. I'm in love with this guy. The voice, this voice comes out of that man. It looks like a guy who'd give phenomenal hugs and he'd be cast alongside Jeremy Allen White in the Bear. And the keyboard drop at the end is a killer. Thanks for the wreck. Thank you, Dan.
- [37:16]
Matt Abaticola
Yeah, that whole album dropped today too if you're interested. Whole thing is available.
- [37:20]
Dan Bernstein
Shane says everyday listener. Love the pods. Thanks for the tip on Tyler Ballgame wanted to let you know he will be performing at the Winnetka Music Festival this coming June.
- [37:32]
Matt Abaticola
Cool. Well, there you go.
- [37:33]
Dan Bernstein
And then Chris. I listen to that Taylor Wackadoo. I don't like to disagree with you Bernstein, but I'm not interested. It was like latter years Beatles but worse. And he says and I hate the Beatles, but I don't think my Beatles hatred influenced the opinion. I don't like it. Keep the faith, Monsignor.
- [37:58]
Matt Abaticola
Yeah, I was listening to it this morning before we got started and it's just, it's. It's not my sound either. But yeah, super talented dude got a really, really unique voice to him. But yeah, that's just not my stuff. But I'm glad other people have enjoyed it since you brought it up.
- [38:12]
Dan Bernstein
Yeah, very good and thanks to everybody who contributed again. Once again this was a memorable type and amount of feedback because of what we all have been through with Terry and thanks for sharing. It was very. I was lucky to be able to have the, the access to everything that you were saying and, and to, to be receiving the. All your voluminous thoughts and going through it was. Was cathartic for me and therapeutic for me to do that. So thanks for all of it. And that brings us to this week's top 10.
- [38:49]
Matt Abaticola
Yes, it does. So here's what we did this week. We decided to going to the Pro Football hall of Fame. Given the story of Bill Belichick not getting the the first ballot hall of Fame nod.
- [39:02]
Dan Bernstein
Oh yeah, too bad.
- [39:04]
Matt Abaticola
And I suggested we we take a look at the current members, the 382 members of the Pro Football hall of Fame and you and I just pick out our 10 favorite and they could have been contributors, coaches, players, just our 10 favorite current members of the Pro Football hall of Fame and narrow that list down to just our 10. So here's what I did, Dan. I went through and I got the list down to 32 players that as I was reading through, I just kind of read through the list and as they evoked some emotion or feeling or thought or memory. I jotted them down. So I went from 382 down to 32. And I wanted to keep my list of 10 to people that I watched play, like, live, not just, you know, in highlights or so, you know, guys that were playing before I was watching football, I didn't include, even though I might have known them. So here's. Here's the 10 that I have.
- [40:04]
Dan Bernstein
I did the same thing, with the exception of one.
- [40:08]
Matt Abaticola
Okay.
- [40:08]
Dan Bernstein
So exactly the same thing.
- [40:10]
Matt Abaticola
Awesome.
- [40:10]
Dan Bernstein
Yeah.
- [40:11]
Matt Abaticola
Good. And I didn't want to talk about it. Figured let, you know, figure it out on your own. So that's. That's what I did with it. I have two defensive players. I have a kick returner, punt returner. I have two wide receivers, one quarterback, three running backs, and a coach. And here's my list. And again, these are guys that I watched play, saw their career, loved watching them, and they just brought out a whole lot of emotion when I saw their names. Number 10 is wide receiver Randy Moss, who I just thought is one of the best wide receivers I ever saw play the game. And to see what that guy would do on a regular basis was just unbelievable. I loved watching Randy Moss play.
- [40:53]
Dan Bernstein
Randy Moss, number nine on my list. Wow.
- [40:57]
Matt Abaticola
Number nine for me is Pittsburgh Steelers running back Jerome Bettis. The bus just loved watching Jerome Bettis because he looked like a guy that shouldn't be as athletic or as effective on the football field in that position as he was. And I loved watching Jerome Bettis, number eight, was a guy I hated watching play against the Bears. And we brought him up earlier this week on the show. It's John Randall of the Minnesota Vikings. He was an absolute beast. And I just. I hated seeing John Randall on my TV playing against my Chicago Bears. Another wide receiver that I loved at number seven, who I just thought was unbelievable and saw him make catches that he. He was doing stuff that guys do now, years ago, decades ago, before it was a thing. And that's Chris Carter. Chris Carter and his unbelievable hands and body control for a guy his size, the way he played was just unbelievable. So number seven is Chris Carter, number six. One of my favorite Bears of all time. He's the sackman. Richard Dent, number six for me. Richard Dent.
- [42:03]
Dan Bernstein
Richard Dent is my number four.
- [42:06]
Matt Abaticola
Four. All right. Number five for me is quarterback Peyton Manning. Just loved watching Peyton Manning play. It's a guy that I was always. During that. The desolate times of quarterbacks during our Bears fandom. It was like, God, I would love to have a guy like Peyton Manning, you know, for a season on the Chicago Bears. Number four. The most exciting player I've ever seen play the game of football is Devin Hester at number four. Number three. This guy influenced me as a young person because of his video games. And I also grew up watching and listening to John Madden do football games. So John Madden, number three for me.
- [42:43]
Dan Bernstein
Good one.
- [42:45]
Matt Abaticola
And number two. And number one are what I would consider the two best football players I've ever seen in the game, both running backs. Number two for me is Barry Sanders. And number one, the best football player I've ever seen. And that's Walter Payton at number one. So from 10 to nine, Randy Moss, Jerome Bettis, John Randall, Chris Carter, Richard Dent, Peyton Manning, Devin Hester, John Madden, Barry Sanders, and number one, Walter Payton.
- [43:17]
Dan Bernstein
Those are Matt Abaticola's favorite Pro Football hall of Famers. All right, There were two that were. Oh, no, excuse me. Barry Sanders is my number 10.
- [43:28]
Matt Abaticola
Okay, so we had three crossover.
- [43:30]
Dan Bernstein
And yeah, Barry Sanders is my number 10. And the. I did the same thing. My process was to be honest with myself. I didn't want to start picking representative names. And this one represents this and this one. I just. I wanted to go with my feeling. What is my schema? When I see the name, how do I feel? Does it touch anything? Does it remind me, are there? What's the significance? So for the most part, it's going to be players that I. That I saw play, players that helped me either love football, or everything has a. Had a meaning to me. And the reason why Barry Sanders was number 10 was because when I started covering the Bears, he was at the peak of his powers. And while we're here, I am now, I'm not a fan, I'm a reporter, and I am there to no cheering in the press box. You can appreciate, you can. You can enjoy your job, but it is. That's a critical line that you have to draw. And he made it really hard. There were so many oh, my God moments. And whether it was sitting in the Silver Dome or at Soldier Field and knowing that I was coming to work that day and knowing that every time he touched the ball, I was gonna see something I'd never seen before in sports. Just because he. Nobody knew. He didn't know. He just did things. And you would rub your eyes and not believe. Number of times he would do something where you didn't believe what you saw. For Barry Sanders, outside of Bears, he was one of the most astonishing athletes I've seen. And that's why number Nine is Randy Moss. We'd never seen anything like it before.
- [45:35]
Matt Abaticola
Nope.
- [45:36]
Dan Bernstein
We'd never seen a build quite like that. His. That. That's what we now know as the back shoulder throw was in large part created for Randy Moss. He was not defendable when he did. When there was a ball where he was able to track it and other people weren't able to track it in the same split second. It was his. And the fact that, you know, he was. He could be edgy and different. Had a, you know, has a big personality. And of course the famous picture of him with this stubby cigar in his mouth holding up that huge largemouth bass. He is a as much of a fishing addict as is out there and loves it and talks about how he loves it. It's important to him for, for a lot of the reasons it is for a lot of us Now. I don't know how his health is right now. Randy Moss. I know he was battling some things and I certainly hope he's doing better, but he is number nine on my list.
- [46:43]
Matt Abaticola
Yeah, I think he's doing better because he's. He does TV work and he's really good at TV too.
- [46:48]
Dan Bernstein
I know he had been but then he was off for a while because he was dealing again like you know, sadly with, with something regarding his liver or gallbladder or something that. So I know it was. It was some fairly serious stuff and I hope he's okay.
- [47:02]
Matt Abaticola
Hey, hang on one second. He's cancer free. After a battle with bile duct cancer. Wow. He's returned to his role as an Air ESPN NFL analyst for the 2025 season. Yeah. Now says he announced his diagnosis in December of 24. Taking leave absence. Yeah, so I remember, I just. Yeah, remember seeing him. But yeah, he's. And he's great on TV too. He really good. And he picked the Bears in the Rams game too.
- [47:25]
Dan Bernstein
That's why I love him. At number eight on my list is Alan Page.
- [47:30]
Matt Abaticola
Oh, okay.
- [47:32]
Dan Bernstein
Alan Page was known as a kid. I always knew him as a Viking. And then late in my. Not necessarily late. I think he joined the bears in 1980 and he was a bear from. Excuse me, 78. He was a bear from 78 through 81. So he had. There were some big moments but it was more so the non football stuff. That is just incredible of what Alan Page always was more important to him than football. That football was just something he did for a while and he was the first defensive player in NFL history to win the MVP award. Only Lawrence Taylor has done it. Since remember the College Football hall of Fame, the Pro Football hall of Fame, winner of the Presidential Medal of Freedom. And he remains associate justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court. He had served as chief justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court. He got his law degree from the University of Minnesota because it was always his goal, not football. He always wanted to be a lawyer and then became a judge. And not only that, even now, at age 80, he is still. He writes children's books. He is a speaker and is deeply involved in community work with libraries and there's educational exhibits. And he contributes his time, his money, his wisdom, if you really want to see. He has. These are. He has the following among his actual degrees. He also has honorary doctorates in humane letters from McAllister, Winston Salem State, Gustavus Adolphus College, University of Notre Dame, Duke University and Hamlin University. He has honorary doctorates of law From Notre Dame, St. John's Westfield State, Luther College, University of New Haven and Carleton College. And that his. His life included just the fact that he also happened to be one of the greatest football players has ever lived is. Is just amazing to me. And that he was born in Canton, Ohio.
- [49:54]
Matt Abaticola
Yeah. And it's. It's amazing that people will dedicate everything they do in their lives to get to the NFL. Like people dedicate themselves nonstop to get to the NFL. He did it was the first defensive player to win MVP and was like, oh, yeah, I played the NFL. But that's just something I did.
- [50:12]
Dan Bernstein
Exactly what happened to have played football. It's amazing.
- [50:16]
Matt Abaticola
Absolutely amazing.
- [50:17]
Dan Bernstein
Great pick, Alan Page, number eight. Number seven for me is Marv Levy, Chicago's own Marv Levy, who was alive at 100 and still has opinions. I mentioned that he just recently, over the summer, was in the fall, I should say was at. Was at Wiener Circle. And a buddy of mine ran into him there and had a nice conversation with Marv. I used to see Marv in the Jewel over at Ashland and Wellington. I guess that was his jewel. I used to see him there every once in a while. But what Marv was for me was proof that somebody like me could be in the NFL. I guess at a young age. He always reminded me of one of my parents. Friends. He was. Or like somebody who could be at a family gathering. Because, you know, he was. He was this, you know, old Jewish guy from. From the south side. Went to South Shore High School, the same high school. He was there shortly before my uncle. Not that. Yeah, not that sure. Maybe a generation before my uncle. My late uncle was. Was there at South Shore High school. And I always thought that here's a guy who had a graduate degree from Harvard, and he also was a good football coach. A great, great football coach. And he. He just didn't talk like the other coaches. He doesn't talk like the other coaches talked. He talked like the guys my dad plays golf with. And he didn't. He didn't sort of huff and puff around like Ditka. That he was equally as good at his job as. As sort of the big, angry, mean, tough guys, and he isn't one of them. And I just. I always liked that. And I just. It made me. It's always made me root for him. And the fact that my mom is from Buffalo and she and her sister have always been. They've remained Bills fans, and we're, you know, watching the games even through this year, and they will through next year under Joe Brady as their head coach. All right.
- [52:23]
Matt Abaticola
Yeah. And I just. I always have a. Just always a soft spot for Marv, though, too, just because of those. I mean, they went to four consecutive Super Bowls.
- [52:31]
Dan Bernstein
Yes.
- [52:31]
Matt Abaticola
You know, hard that is to do, and you couldn't win one.
- [52:34]
Dan Bernstein
Oh, come on, man. It's awful.
- [52:37]
Matt Abaticola
So bad.
- [52:37]
Dan Bernstein
But. But Marv. Marv was always. He was different. Marv never fit the. The prototype. And I. He always meant something to me. So he's number seven, number six. And this was the only one who went above and beyond having seen him play. And that's Gail Sayers. And it has really very little to do necessarily about his time as a Chicago Bear. And it has to do with the fact that he and my father graduated in the same class at Omaha Central high school in 1961. And they're actually standing right next to each other in the yearbook photo for the athletes of the Year, because the same time Gale Sayers was winning everything at every sport and track and field and all that stuff was the. That year was the same time my dad was the state runner up in tennis, and they actually were both part of the same sort of high school athletics celebration photo. And he. I knew about Gail Sayers before I knew anything about football because of the stories. And when I would be out throwing a football as a toddler, there were references to Gail Sayers. Oh, you made that cut like Gail Sayers or Gail Sayers. He would do a jump cut, and he'd be over here, and then he's over there, and he'd cut back and he. Against the grain. It was the first time I ever heard that term. I didn't know what against the grain meant? It's like, oh. And Gail would see it going that way and he'd cut it back this way. And he would tell stories about Gail Sayers in high school. And that was the first football player name. I really kind of remember knowing that. And as when my dad made me remember Johnny Unitis was on the field in a charger's uniform on the tv and he said, never forget, you got to say, you watch Unitis play like, okay, but that and Gail Sayers. And even when Walter Payton had his run against the Chiefs in 1977 and my dad picked me up so I could see, like held me up and he said that that looked like the kind of thing that Gale Sayers used to do, which is the highest compliment anybody could give anybody. And then I got to work with Gail. And then amazingly, as these our journeys take us through life, then here we are in Chicago and I'm. There were days where I was co hosting Bears pre game inside the Field Museum with Gale Sayers. It was just amazing to me. And I told him those stories and he shared stuff about high school and it was. Geez. It was my grandfather that gave him a summer job so he would hopefully choose the University of Nebraska and didn't ended up in Kansas. But there were.
- [55:16]
Matt Abaticola
That job was a big duffel bag full of cash. Here's your job, young man.
- [55:20]
Dan Bernstein
No, Gail, indeed, Gail, quote unquote, worked at the. At a factory. It was Independent Metals. It was founded by my great grandfather. And they basically. Gail's job was to sit in a room and not touch anything and not.
- [55:36]
Matt Abaticola
Stay off the floor, stay away from machines, don't get hurt.
- [55:39]
Dan Bernstein
Right?
- [55:42]
Matt Abaticola
Yeah. You know, many people believe that Gail was the greatest running back ever. And if you don't believe them, just ask Gail.
- [55:48]
Dan Bernstein
Right?
- [55:49]
Matt Abaticola
Yeah.
- [55:49]
Dan Bernstein
I'll tell you. Yep. It's funny, that line about the machinery. I was watching an old Mitch head. This is apropos. Nothing. I just want to. It's just funny. I saw a Mitch Hedberg bit I hadn't seen in forever. And he says, I took some cold medicine. And then I read the box. And the box said, when taking this medicine, do not operate heavy machinery. I believe you should not operate heavy machinery ever, because it is heavy. You should step away from that machinery immediately and maybe use some light machinery like a stapler.
- [56:39]
Matt Abaticola
Yeah, that's. Yeah, that was. That was the instructions that your grandfather gave Gail.
- [56:44]
Dan Bernstein
Yes. I hadn't heard that in a long time. So Gail says, number six. Now, now things get a little weird.
- [56:51]
Matt Abaticola
Okay.
- [56:51]
Dan Bernstein
Because five through two are essentially interchangeable, but I had to find a way to put them in different places. Okay. So five through two. Feel free. I'm not going to get mad if you move them all around in a different order. You can shuffle these however you see fit. And I kind of did it arbitrarily. Number five is Mike Singletary.
- [57:18]
Matt Abaticola
Oh, okay.
- [57:20]
Dan Bernstein
And that was the. Oh. I only had one Bears replica jersey ever, and it was 50. I think it's just the one my mom got me or something. Yeah, but that. But that's the one I had. I. Because he was. And I don't think he was the best player on that defense, but he wasn't. He was. He was there all the time. And. And that's the other thing, by the way. Look up under Barry Sanders. Look up how many games he played every year and how many games he started. He never missed a game.
- [57:52]
Matt Abaticola
He didn't miss anything. Which it's. His story is so incredible that he just. He walked away. He never missed it. And he was. He was still the best running back in the game, which walked away.
- [58:02]
Dan Bernstein
He never missed. Look, look, look. Look at his games. Game started, the whole thing. So I might. Singletary. Number five.
- [58:09]
Matt Abaticola
Okay.
- [58:10]
Dan Bernstein
Number four, Richard Dent, as I mentioned.
- [58:13]
Matt Abaticola
Oh, my guy.
- [58:14]
Dan Bernstein
Number three. I have Steve McMichael. Okay. Because he. It was so much fun because you just knew he had that edge to him. And what I loved about McMichael was he was the guy who you knew enjoyed the carnage as much as you did as a fan.
- [58:32]
Matt Abaticola
Right. He enjoyed being involved in it, participating in it, being in the middle of it.
- [58:37]
Dan Bernstein
Oh, like. Like that's. He embodied the way fans feel. Felt about the Bears in the way he played. Maybe more than some of the other guys, but not. Not who I have at number two. And I said this years ago when I started at the score, Dan Hampton. I said any hall of Fame that didn't have Dan Hampton in it is not legitimate. I never understood it. Anybody who even had a rudimentary understanding of why teams win football games and why certain people have certain statistics has to understand what Dan Hampton was to that defense.
- [59:17]
Matt Abaticola
He was the best player on that team.
- [59:18]
Dan Bernstein
Oh, my God.
- [59:19]
Matt Abaticola
He's not even close.
- [59:21]
Dan Bernstein
He played both tackle positions. He played both end positions.
- [59:25]
Matt Abaticola
Yeah. And I could have very easily. And I deliberately wanted to keep away from all the Bears because I very easily could have. Walter has always been my. I think the best football player I've ever seen. And then Richard, growing up, like, I always. I wanted to play defensive end. I wanted to go sack the quarterback because of Richard Dent. I mean, I could have put Singletary and you know, I love McMichael and got to know him as a person and I just, I loved and I'm so fortunate that I was able to meet him and be around him a few, few different times. And then of course, yeah, Dan Hampton was the best player in that defense, period.
- [59:55]
Dan Bernstein
I mean, and most people, it doesn't take Dan Hampton to tell you that. Other people would tell you that, but that is to, to see his effect on a game and what you would see if he played now and what modern analytics would tell you now about how many people it takes to block him, how many offenses, no matter where he was on the field, knew what he could do to absolutely destroy every running player, every passing play, and also the just how reliable and no matter how injured and no matter what was sticking out of him, he could go and play a game and affect a game forever until every last bit of that body was, was broken and beaten down. I don't know how he can even walk now. We thank modern medicine for that. But Dan Hampton is my number two all time NFL hall of Famer.
- [60:54]
Matt Abaticola
Also on Dan Hampton, the impact about Hampton on me as well. For me, he's the original and always will be number 99. Whenever I see 99 in any sport, it doesn't matter, I immediately go to Dan Hampton.
- [61:10]
Dan Bernstein
There is for other people to tell you on the greatest defense of all time that he was the greatest player, the greatest defensive player on the greatest defense. That says a lot to me. And number one goes without saying, perhaps my favorite athlete of all time just because of when he mattered to me.
- [61:31]
Matt Abaticola
You never lose Steve Largin.
- [61:33]
Dan Bernstein
That Walter Payton was just bigger than life and just an absolute giant of a guy and an amazing football player for every reason you've heard so many times. The fact that I have become friends with his son has been really meaningful to me. And I've told Jarrett that being able to meet Walter later when I got into this business and was still always just in awe of him and he never, he was like one of these guys you could say was your favorite player's favorite player. There wasn't anybody in the league that didn't understand not just what he did on the field, but the fact that the Walter Payton man of the Year means what it means now and is still considered such a deep and important honor by the players themselves who never saw him play, who are generations removed from him, but the Award has meant. What it's meant is. Is much of what you need to know. But that is my number one obvious clear. That was the first thing I wrote down. Yeah. When you said, here's the top 10 list, I wrote Walter Payton number one. I circled the number one.
- [62:42]
Matt Abaticola
Yeah, that was immediately for me as well, too. So I'm surprised by your list. I am. I, you know, I thought if. If we're going to look at both of us and say, all right, who's going to go more bearers than the other. I thought it would have been me. Super meatball, you know, Bears fan. And so I deliberately wanted to not put all the guys on that.
- [63:02]
Dan Bernstein
I.
- [63:02]
Matt Abaticola
That I certainly could have because, I mean, that's this the biggest impact, having been a Bears fan, you know, really watching the team since 83. But I wanted to make sure I included guys on there that played against the Bears that just drew about and brought about a lot of emotion and generally a lot of anger that they weren't on my team. So. Yeah, that's good. I'm really. That was good. That was good stuff.
- [63:23]
Dan Bernstein
Yeah. Because I take it seriously when you say favorite.
- [63:26]
Matt Abaticola
And I'm surprised with Singletary, with you, that that's. That that gets me and. Yeah, but the jersey thing makes a lot of sense.
- [63:32]
Dan Bernstein
Yeah, that. That was the jersey that impacts you.
- [63:34]
Matt Abaticola
As a kid for sure.
- [63:35]
Dan Bernstein
And I know we're not supposed to mention honorable mentions, but I did give some consideration to Alex Karras because of Mongo.
- [63:43]
Matt Abaticola
Okay. So if we had done that, Alex Karras would have been on there for me for Mongolia.
- [63:49]
Dan Bernstein
Yeah.
- [63:50]
Matt Abaticola
And also Dan Diedorf, because again, he was a guy as a broadcaster that I just, I was a kid. I mean, that's, you know, that's, that's part of the soundtrack of growing up to football for me was. Was Dan the dorm. He was one of.
- [64:01]
Dan Bernstein
I would never, you know, because I thought about. I've thought about a little bit about Frank Gifford and some of those other names as broadcasters, but the only one, the only other player, like non Bears player to whom I gave real consideration was Earl Campbell.
- [64:17]
Matt Abaticola
Okay.
- [64:18]
Dan Bernstein
Because that was another one where it's like nobody did it quite like that. And I had never watched Jim Brown. I didn't watch Marion Motley.
- [64:27]
Matt Abaticola
Yeah, I. I had Jim Brown originally and then I crossed him off because I'm like, I'm gonna keep it to guys that I've watched, like actually saw play the game. You know, like a guy like Eric Dickerson was on. On my list of 32. I mean I loved watching him run the football. Antonio Gates as a tight end, I just, I love watching that guy play. Marvin Harrison was another guy. Randall McDaniel was a guy that I hated and loved at the same time.
- [64:53]
Dan Bernstein
Okay.
- [64:55]
Matt Abaticola
Warren Moon. I loved watching Warren Moon. And what a, what a football career. Not just NFL, but what a football career. That.
- [65:01]
Dan Bernstein
Look at those. He's like Ichiro.
- [65:03]
Matt Abaticola
Yes. It's insane, man. What?
- [65:05]
Dan Bernstein
He's, he's the football equivalent of Ichiro. The guy had like a Hall of Fame career in one league and a separate hall of Fame career in another league.
- [65:14]
Matt Abaticola
Yes. And Chargers linebacker junior say I loved watching him play the game too. I mean that. I just, I really enjoyed watching him play.
- [65:24]
Dan Bernstein
This Valentine season. Share the love Chicago style with Giordano's Heart Shaped Pizzas. Perfect for date night, for family dinner or just because these iconic pizzas turn any moment into something special. They're available February 12th through the 15th for Dine in, for carry out or delivery. Don't miss your chance to enjoy Chicago's favorite slice of love. For the love of pizza, choose Giordano's. And this which reminds me, there's something that I talked about this morning on Sherman and tingle on 97.1fm the drive. And if you don't hear me on there, you should because 8:15, they call it Bernstein at 8:15. It's every Monday and Friday. I joined Sherman and Tingle and usually we talk about, hey, what's going on this weekend? And I realized something. This is the start of something here. When we get around to February to the great remember it because of Valentine's Day when you start being advertised Valentine's Day stuff, these are important weekends now, the pre super bowl weekend and then after the super bowl before baseball and before the NCAA tournament and before the weather starts warming up. Whether you're a golfer or a fisherman or whatever you do, this is critical spousal weekend time.
- [66:46]
Matt Abaticola
Oh boy.
- [66:47]
Dan Bernstein
There's no excuses. No, I'm serious. Like if you're going to get around to doing stuff, if there's home repair, if there is anything you've agreed to do where it's like, oh, I know we have to go through those documents or I know that we've got to clean out the basement. I know we've got to go buy a bed for the kids room or something like that because your kids graduate.
- [67:11]
Matt Abaticola
Go buy your kid a bed, you lazy bastard.
- [67:13]
Dan Bernstein
If your kid's graduating from a crib to a bed, you know something, things like that that you Know is usually a weekend thing that you've got to do with your significant other.
- [67:22]
Matt Abaticola
And if your kid's 9 is still in a crib, what are you doing?
- [67:24]
Dan Bernstein
Yeah, you get a different kid. This is. This is one of those weekends. And February has several of those weekends where there's no, like, there's no college football, there's no pro football. You don't have.
- [67:38]
Matt Abaticola
You don't.
- [67:38]
Dan Bernstein
You're not golfing with your buddies yet. The salmon aren't running yet. Just go and do what you got to do and make deposits in the bank for some of this stuff. Just my advice, it's a really good time to do it. And then if you take the initiative, most people aren't gonna say, why? Why is there nothing on you gotta watch? Why are you not being lazy? What's wrong with you? Why am I. Why are you offering to do that? So just a little note.
- [68:04]
Matt Abaticola
So psa, you have like a four or five week period to be an adult and be a man, so go do stuff.
- [68:09]
Dan Bernstein
Yes. Because if you're bad at it, or if you're still learning how to do it, or if things. If you're not, you know, not to mention, especially if you've got kids and the kids are all busy with sports and all that, and it makes it difficult. You got to take advantage of the time when you can to find these pockets of opportunity. So this weekend is the first one.
- [68:28]
Matt Abaticola
If your kid's been coming up to you the last several months saying, daddy, Daddy, I'd like to have a bed. I'm tired of sleeping on the floor. Couple more weeks, Johnny, we'll get you that bed as soon as dad has nothing to watch on tv. Don't you worry, young man, we will get you that bed and food. Yeah, Daddy, I haven't eaten in months. That's okay. There's a weekend coming up where there's no sports on for daddy to watch. Johnny, I will feed you. Then you hang tight, young buck.
- [68:52]
Dan Bernstein
That'll be good. I'll get around to getting you some. Some pasta or something.
- [68:57]
Matt Abaticola
Yeah. If you walk into the kitchen and there's a woman there and you say, who. Who are you, lady? I am your wife. You haven't seen me in months because of the NFL season. Then, yeah, maybe spend some time with her, too.
- [69:08]
Dan Bernstein
It's good advice. Yeah. See, I like it. Yep. Good stuff. The super bowl is here. My bookie is where you turn bets into bankroll. Everybody's watching, everybody's got to take. This is the one game where props Are king. My bookie is your place for props for this one. Their board is deep. It is fun play. They get talked about in Jimmy Kimmel Live every year when the game comes around. So if there's a time to get in right now, right now's the time. You got one account, you got one wallet. It's all at MyBookie AG. Everything is in one place for betting the spread, for live betting, for hitting the casino during commercials, all at MyBookie AG. And with the promo code DBU, your first bet is covered up to 500 bucks. If it doesn't hit, you got a bet back, bonus token. And then there you don't have to feel bad because you can run it back. Don't just watch the big game. Make it pay with my bookie. My bookie also presents our DBU picks on this Friday. There's no football. There's no Bulls game. I am very, very curious what a Matt Abaticola is finding for a DBU pick opportunity.
- [70:21]
Matt Abaticola
Well, I do have two NBA games tonight, so I'm going to put these two together. We're laying some big points on both these games, but I'm very confident. So we're going to put these two together. New York Knicks are hosting the Portland Trailblazers and laying seven and a half. We're going to take that very easily. New York giving seven and a half, hosting Portland. This one's a little tougher, but we're going to go on the road across the country with the LA Lakers playing at the Washington Wizards laying nine. It's a big number, but I think they're going to do it. Lakers laying nine at Washington. The Knicks laying seven and a half, hosting Portland. We're going to put those two together and have some fun this, this evening tonight, checking on those scores.
- [71:05]
Dan Bernstein
Do we know who the Lakers are resting for this game?
- [71:10]
Matt Abaticola
I'm out. And I think. I think Bronnie's playing. Is he still on the team?
- [71:16]
Dan Bernstein
I think so, yeah. Okay.
- [71:18]
Matt Abaticola
My son showed me yesterday that in NBA 2K, whatever it is now, Bronnie's overall rating is a 46. He made me go through and guess he's not good. No, he's not. I started at 21 and he said, it's too low, dad. Go higher. So, yeah. So Knicks laying seven and a half, Lakers laying nine. I have no idea about who's playing, Dan. That's not how I do it. I do it by my gut instincts, my feelings. You know, some guys do a lot of research and they use, like, science and data to formulate their opinions on games. Me, it's all feelings, Dan.
- [71:53]
Dan Bernstein
I know.
- [71:53]
Matt Abaticola
Feelings are what win games. It's about heart and passion and emotion.
- [71:58]
Dan Bernstein
I know. That's also how you handle your family's health care decisions, which.
- [72:01]
Matt Abaticola
Yes. Oh, yeah.
- [72:03]
Dan Bernstein
We don't worry about insurance or science. Yeah.
- [72:06]
Matt Abaticola
I walk into an emergency room and I demand service because I feel like this is the right place to be.
- [72:13]
Dan Bernstein
Here is my DBU pick. Are you ready?
- [72:17]
Matt Abaticola
Yes, I am. And what sport is it? Is it bowling?
- [72:20]
Dan Bernstein
Nope.
- [72:20]
Matt Abaticola
Is it tennis?
- [72:22]
Dan Bernstein
Nope.
- [72:22]
Matt Abaticola
Is it ping pong?
- [72:24]
Dan Bernstein
It's golf.
- [72:25]
Matt Abaticola
Golf.
- [72:25]
Dan Bernstein
Let's go. Because I'm going to. I'm going to take a long shot in the hopes that this is one. It might have a cash out, if not a win that I think this one, if my guy goes on a run here, that maybe it's going to get to the point where you're able to make some money on this bet. And that's because at the moment, starting the second round of the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines, Justin Rose is your leader at 10 under. And then it's, I wouldn't say a star studded leaderboard as we are very, very early in the season. Some of the bigger names are picking their spots. But I like the position for my guy, Sahith Figala, who is currently in a group at six under. So four, four off the pace. He's there with Maverick McGreevey as well. But I like Sahith Figala at plus 4500. So he's getting 45 to one. He does have one PGA Tour victory to his credit. And it was one of these. I forgot exactly which one, but it was one of these, you know, non prime. They actually, they have a name now for like, I think they call it Signature Events. There's the majors, there's the Signature Events, and then there's sort of the rank and file events and this being one of those. But I'm gonna, I'm gonna roll with my guy and see if Sahith Figala has has a run in him here to at least get me a buyout opportunity at 4,500. And those are DBU picks. They are presented by my bookie. Lock in your picks now with my bookie Bet on anything, anywhere, anytime. And that's it for Dan Bernstein, Unfiltered on this Friday. Have yourself a sensational and relaxing weekend and we will be back at it with everything for you on Monday. We have been brought to you in partnership with my bookie and we thank our sponsors, the Chicago Window guys and Giordano's Dan Bernstein.
- [74:32]
Matt Abaticola
Unfiltered.
- [74:33]
Dan Bernstein
Unfiltered on 312 sports.