Dan Bernstein Unfiltered — Indiana Wins the National Championship | Jonathan Toews Returns to the UC

Date: January 20, 2026
Host: Dan Bernstein
Producer/Co-host: Matt Abbatacola (uncredited in transcript, appears as Co-host/Guest)
Podcast: Dan Bernstein Unfiltered on 312 Sports

Episode Overview

In this wide-ranging episode, Dan Bernstein and his longtime producer Matt Abbatacola dive into two major stories: Indiana’s shocking college football national championship win, and the emotional, controversial United Center return for Blackhawks great Jonathan Toews (now a Winnipeg Jet). They also riff on the Chicago Cubs’ free-agent splash signing Alex Bregman, discuss memorable in-game interviews, digress into Chicago shopping and snack habits, and debate legacy, accountability, and moral reckoning in sports fandom.

The episode is classic “Unfiltered” — irreverent, honest, and at times, deeply serious.

1. Indiana Hoosiers Win the National Championship

[00:33–13:05]

Main Points:

• Surprise Result:
  Dan opens in disbelief:

  "We had a national champion. It's Indiana. The Indiana Hoosiers have won the college football national championship. None of us ever thought we'd be saying those words." ([00:33])

• Pre-Game Prediction Walkback:
  Dan admits he wrongly predicted Indiana would “mop the floor” with Miami; the game was much closer and less convincing. He and Matt joke in detail about household chores as metaphors for Indiana's actual performance (“They dusted the blinds with them.” [01:52])

  “It wasn’t quite as dramatic as mopping the floor, but they took them and… dusted off the blinds.” — Dan ([01:52])

• Quality of Play:
  The pair note the game’s high level of NFL-caliber talent and big plays, even if Dan’s co-host (less passionate about college football) just isn’t moved by Indiana’s win.

• Mark Cuban’s Influence:
  Discussion of Cuban’s visible support and financial backing for Indiana.

  "He spent a lot of money.…I don't know if he got the return on his investment." — Dan ([03:18])

• Quarterback Critique:
  Jokes about Carson Beck’s age (mockingly called “36”), limitations as a QB, and appearances:

  “He can’t really throw anything that gets past, like, 25 yards. A crapshoot.” — Dan ([03:57]) Beck also fuels a side-tangent comparing his look to Jesse from Fast and Furious.

• Indiana Coach Kurt Cignetti:
  Dan praises Signetti’s “no-nonsense” coaching and especially lauds a “tight” and honest halftime interview:

  "[Signetti] had the best coaching pre-halftime, leaving the field interview I think I've ever heard." ([05:17])
  Quote Highlight:
  “Well, there's three personal files on the quarterback not called in one drive…I'm all for letting them play, but when you cross the line, you got to call it.” — Kurt Signetti ([07:07])
  Dan admires Signetti for his candor:
  “He gave some information. He had something to say. I don't know if he's going to get fined for that or what…” — Dan ([07:45])

• Game Standouts:
  Dan praises Mendoza’s touchdown run ("You can see why he was my Heisman vote" [08:43]) and riffs on getting a strange call about his Heisman vote late at night (a Washington area code demanding someone undeserving win the trophy).

• Reflections:
  The conversation fades into banter about face paint, Kit Kats, cereal, and funny dad behavior at Walgreens.

2. Jonathan Toews Returns to the United Center: The Legacy Reckoning

[19:51–34:02]

Main Points:

• Ovations and Discomfort:
  Toews receives a hero’s welcome as a Jet, with a 3–5 minute ovation. Dan is deeply uncomfortable with the adulation given Toews’ real-life failure as captain to support Kyle Beach, the player sexually abused by video coach Brad Aldrich.

  “At any point when you're standing there applauding…is there any part of your mind that’s still angry about what he didn't do to help Kyle Beach?” — Dan ([20:29])

• Fans and Forgetting:
  Matt responds that most fans “don't care” about the Beach scandal:

  “I would say most people think. No, they don't think about how can it not?” ([21:02])

• Dan's Righteous Indignation:
  Dan pushes back, arguing it's impossible to ignore. He quotes Toews’ own post-scandal statements and walks line-by-line through why “I wish I could have done something differently" rings hollow.

  “Nothing was preventing you from doing anything differently. Of course you could have done something.” — Dan ([23:31])
  He lays out the consequences: every leader but Toews faced discipline — Quenneville and the executives were fired or suspended.

• Accountability in Fandom:
  Bernstein makes a larger point about public memory and selective amnesia:

  “We can look at things through a different prism. We can reevaluate.” ([26:56]) But most fans separate “on-ice” heroics from off-ice failures, celebrating Toews’ hockey contributions and tuning out the scandal. “There's just got to be something in between, something that can reconcile this understanding…when he did some…really bad things going on in this organization.” — Dan ([30:41])

• Leadership Failure:
  The hosts agree the Blackhawks organization’s cover-up — especially transferring Aldrich and enabling further abuse — is the biggest outrage, but Dan insists Toews as captain uniquely failed as both a player-leader and a person.

  “Here was your chance to protect a teammate from a coach that was sexually abusing him…and it’s another thing to…watch everyone else bully him…for a sex abuse victim.” — Dan ([32:19])

  Dan closes the segment, still haunted:

  "Okay, well, I still am, I guess. It's a long way of saying not going to forget that. I can't. And I don't want to be able to. I don't want to be able to forget something like that. It's too important." ([34:02])

3. Chicago Sports and Snacking: Cubs, Bulls, Shopping, and More

[38:41–59:07]

Main Points:

• Alex Bregman’s Chicago Welcome:
  Dan notes seeing a big billboard welcoming Cubs’ new $175 million signing Alex Bregman; he puzzles over the lack of a sales pitch:

  “It just said ‘Welcome to Chicago, Alex Bregman’…They were just saying, welcome, I guess.” ([38:55]) The segment riffs on the rollout, seeing Bregman's kid, and social media buzz.

• Chicago Bulls, Ads, and the Strangeness of Modern Marketing:
  Dan shares his confusion about an enigmatic investment company ad ("Calamos") seen during Bulls games—featuring a “big blue guy” and vague taglines.

  “They say ‘today for tomorrow’…and then there's a big blue guy on a couch.” ([43:36])

• Snack and Shopping Tangents:
  The duo go on humorous digressions:
  • Dan shops at Walgreens, buys women’s “poofy socks” and sale Kit Kats.
  • Beth (presumably Dan's partner) is threatened by temptation of massive bags of dry Cap'n Crunch.
  • Ramblings about downtown Walgreens’ huge impulse-buy sections, sushi, and comparisons to airport duty-free mazes.
  • Menards escalator/conveyor belts and the joy of riding them in heroic poses.
  • The merits and perils of hardware aisles at drug stores versus big-box home stores.

4. Light Pop Culture and Music Banter

[47:00–59:30]

Highlights:

• Sam Raimi’s New Movie:
  Dan and Matt discuss a new Raimi-directed survival comedy, starring Rachel McAdams and Dylan O’Brien, with possible appearances by Bruce Campbell. Good-natured disappointment that famed stuntman Dick Warlock isn’t involved.
• Goose vs. Geese (the Bands):
  Dan explains his mnemonic:

  “I like Goose. So I remember that G, O, O are the first three letters in the word good.” ([57:37]) Matt jokes about waiting for a band named Gander. Dan’s take: Goose sounds “good,” Geese is “weird,” but critics love it.

5. Sports Betting Picks and Final Thoughts

[55:20–end]

DBU Prop Bets & Picks:

• For Bulls vs. Clippers:
  • Kobe White over 2.5 three-pointers
  • Brook Lopez: two or more blocks
  • Bulls -3.5 points and Vucevic 8+ rebounds (Matt’s picks)
• Randomness:
  Discussion about how to text outcomes, confusing prop documentation, and reviews of various bands.

6. Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Critical of hero worship:

  "There's just got to be something in between…reconcile this understanding…when he did some…really, really, really bad things going on in this organization." — Dan ([30:41])

• On wishing things were different:

  “I wish I could have done something. What couldn’t you do? What were you prevented from doing? Of course you could have done something.” — Dan ([23:31])

• On leadership and accountability:

  “As the captain, being one of the best players on the team, you could have gone to that point and said, all the comments end.” — Matt ([28:27])

• On the mindlessness of fandom:

  “I just think most people just don't care. They just don't. And Blackhawk fans just didn't really care because that didn't impact their ability to watch their team.” — Matt ([29:21])

7. Tone and Style

The episode is marked by signature Bernstein irreverence, rapid-fire riffing, and unmistakable Chicago edge. Jokes and light banter intersect with honest, sometimes searing, social critique — especially regarding the Blackhawks’ abuse scandal and fandom’s willingness to ignore moral failures for sporting triumph.

8. Timestamps for Key Segments

• Indiana’s Championship & Reaction
  00:33–13:05

  • Includes Signetti’s halftime interview excerpt [07:07]

• Jonathan Toews’ Chicago Return & Kyle Beach Reckoning
  19:51–34:02

  • Most intense reckoning: 21:02–33:00

• Snack, Shopping, and Bulls Tangents
  13:05–19:51; 34:02–47:00

• Cubs’ Bregman Signing
  38:41–40:33

• Pop Culture, Sam Raimi Movie, and Band Talk
  47:00–59:30

• Sports Betting Picks
  55:20–59:00

Summary prepared for those who want Dan Bernstein’s authentic take on Chicago sports’ winners, losers, and moral messiness—with all the jokes, hard truths, and local flavor included.