Dan Bernstein Unfiltered – Episode Summary

Episode Title: Michael Jordan, Walter Payton, Christian Laettner – Top 10 Championship Moments | Friday Feedback
Publish Date: February 6, 2026
Hosts: Dan Bernstein and Matt Abbatacola

Episode Overview

In this lively Friday edition, Dan and Matt dive into their Top 10 most memorable live sports championship experiences—not just as sports media figures, but as fans, friends, and family. Enhanced by the always-popular "Friday Feedback Friday" segment, the show is a relatable and often hilarious blend of nostalgia, honest takes, and listener-driven conversation—Chicago sports through and through. From Michael Jordan’s Bulls, the ’85 Bears, and the Cubs’ 2016 triumph to deeply personal family moments and wild radio station stories, this episode is both a sports time capsule and a testament to why certain moments stick with us for decades.

Key Episode Segments & Insights

1. The State of Chicago Sports and the Bulls' "Weaponized Nostalgia" (02:34 – 07:00, 25:46 – 27:50)

• Dan and Matt talk Bulls trade deadline, player nicknames (“Ice” for Isaac Okoro—“bad time to be nicknamed Ice” Dan jokes [02:51]), and the team’s attempts to rekindle interest by leaning hard on memories of the 90s.
• Matt highlights the Bulls' strategy: “the past has given the Bulls all it had...after D. Rose, what’s to distract from whatever the Bulls are now? The Duncan races and Benny the Bull’s popcorn?" (25:53)
• Dan’s take: "It’s when someone dies...that’s the next big thing. Because there really isn’t anything left.” (26:29)
• Both agree—without the nostalgia of MJ, D-Rose, or a competitive squad, distractions are running thin.

2. Friday Feedback Friday: Listener Emails and Banter (08:05 – 40:02)

Super Bowl Cuisine Mashups (08:14 – 11:42)

• Listener Robert asks for ideas b/c of guests with seafood allergies.
• Dan’s savage suggestion: “People with seafood allergies just stay home or just don’t eat...do a seafood chowder and just marry [Seattle/New England]...if they’re allergic, that’s their fault. Too bad for them.” (10:25)
• Matt: “Make them sign something so you’re not on the hook if they do.” (11:35)

Honest Race and Coaching Discussion (11:42 – 14:23)

• Brendan praises Bears owner George McCaskey’s efforts on racial equity.
• Matt: “I’m predisposed to think ill of the McCaskeys...but if we’re being real, the McCaskeys are among the best in the league at giving actual opportunities to people of color.” (14:23)

Goofy Banter & Games: Kid Rock or Bad Bunny? (15:52 – 18:23)

• Russ submits a “Kid Rock or Bad Bunny” quiz. Matt aces it, and Dan reads the most problematic lyric from Kid Rock, with a grim “Ew.” (18:20)
• Discussion on pop culture making it delightfully offbeat as always.

Recipes and Super Bowl Food Traditions (18:23 – 23:40)

• Dan drops his “heart plug” garlic bread-sausage-cheese-giardiniera recipe.
• Matt toasts Jeff Mauro’s “hot honey giardiniera” as his favorite condiment—“I eat it with a spoon out of the jar.” (21:35)
• They share family food plans, and classic “guy talk” about prepping for the game.

Family, Memory & Sports (28:23 – 33:45)

• Listeners recount emotionally-charged sports experiences and Dan reflects: “It’s a great question...I know that’s disappointing. We love to have things clean and clear...but I think smarter baseball brains than I would give you a more satisfactory answer.” (33:45)

Horror Convention: Dick Warlock Appearance (37:21 – 40:14)

• Listener Dominic invites the show to the Chicago Flashback Weekend Horror Convention featuring Dick Warlock (Michael Myers’ actor/stuntman) — and the guys geek out over the possibility of meeting him and maybe even a remote podcast from the event. “We’re gonna have a conversation with Dick Warlock. There’s so many great things to talk about...He’d be unbelievable...That’s a great idea.” (39:37 – 40:02)

3. The Top 10 Sports Championship Moments

(43:04 – 87:46) A two-part, alternating, sometimes overlapping countdown. Each host gives their own list.

Dan Bernstein’s Top 10 (Select Highlights)

• #10: 2005 White Sox World Series — as a friend, not a Sox fan; “I was holding you.” (46:39)
• #7: 2010 Blackhawks Stanley Cup — “We didn’t even celebrate in the moment...what’s Patrick Kane doing?” (54:35)
• #6: 1991 Bulls First Championship — “I’ll never forget that.” (56:13)
• #4: 1986 Bears Super Bowl — as a 13-year-old “getting tears in my eyes.” (58:04)
• #2: 2016 Cubs World Series — watched alone with a dead phone, “so present...so special because I didn’t have my phone on me.” (61:13)
• #1: His son’s 11U baseball team winning at the Field of Dreams site — “I may never top that.” (63:08)

Notable quotes:

• “The fact that the World Series was watched alone...made it even more special for me” (61:13)
• “My number one sports championship moment took place last year at the Field of Dreams...as a dad, something I’ll never, ever, ever forget.” (63:07)

Matt Abbatacola’s Top 10 (Select Highlights)

• #10: 1997 World Series as Les Grobstein (for the credential), then forging a replacement for Les (68:58)
• #9: Cubs’ 2016 World Series — meaningful because the station was the Cubs’ partner (71:50)
• #8: 1985 Bears Super Bowl — “We knew it was going to happen—it was just a matter of how.” (72:44)
• #7: 1991 Bulls First Championship — “That was because...they absolutely repeatedly kicked [the Pistons] in the dark dick.” (73:42) [Classic Dan/Matt phrasing]
• #5: 2005 White Sox World Series — entire experience as a lifelong Sox fan, celebrating with colleagues, including “Mayor Daley...happiest Sox fan you could find.” (76:45)
• #3: 1998 Bulls “Last Dance” NBA Finals — “I was exhausted. Not just from that game, but from covering that season.” (79:18 – 80:45)
• #2: 1991 Duke’s first NCAA title — watched alone, then almost left car running overnight out of excitement (81:17)
• #1: His son’s hockey team, the Chicago South Meteors, winning the conference championship — “By a mile, my favorite sports championship.” (83:21)

Notable quotes:

• “That was number six, number five...White Sox win the World Series...still underappreciated.” (76:46)
• “Number one sports championship experience was the Chicago South Meteors Hockey Club in 2022...just the culmination of an unbelievable year.” (83:21)

4. Championship Memories — Themes & Reflections

• Family and friends’ presence elevate the experience, often above the details of the game.
• Sometimes pain (Cubs’ losses, Duke getting destroyed by UNLV) is just as memorable as the triumph.
• Working in sports adds surreal “inside” memories—like the “scene setter” as Les Grobstein or being hung up on live radio for “burying the lead.”
• The hosts emphasize the emotional, human moments—the hugs, the texts, the food, and sometimes the tears.

5. Super Bowl Prop Bets & DBU Picks

(88:47 – 92:08)

• Dan’s picks include: opening kickoff = touchback, Seattle receives the kick, at least 1 fourth-down conversion, Seattle most first downs.
• Matt offers: Seattle by 8–14 points, A.J. Barner (TE) to score and exceed 24.5 receiving yards, and an under on Drake Maye’s rushing yards (added from previous week).
• Both plug MyBookie.ag and encourage fun, responsible betting: "Don't just watch the big game, make it pay with mybookie." (92:04)

Memorable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• “Bad time to be nicknamed Ice.” – Dan Bernstein [02:51]
• “Weaponized nostalgia in Chicago sports...now that the Bulls have retired Derrick Rose’s number, now what?” – Listener Kevin [25:46]
• “People with seafood allergies just stay home...do a seafood chowder and you take what’s prevalent in Seattle and marry that with New England chowder.” – Dan [10:25]
• "I was holding you. I was holding you.” – Dan to Matt, on the White Sox winning the WS [46:39]
• “I eat it with a spoon out of the jar.” – Dan on Jeff Mauro's hot honey giardiniera [21:35]
• “If you’re gonna die, then maybe just don’t come.” – Dan on Super Bowl food allergies [11:24]
• “That roster tonight is my favorite Bulls team of all time...That's because you have a pathology.” – Matt & Dan [26:15]
• “That's a great question to ask… I don't have an easy answer for you...I know that's disappointing.” – Dan, on modern pitching philosophies [33:45]
• “It’s only going to go so far to distract us from a paltry on-court product.” – Listener Kevin [25:51]
• “By a mile, my favorite sports championship.” – Matt on his son’s hockey title [83:21]
• “You may never top that.” – Matt to Dan, on Field of Dreams (63:08)

Overall Vibe & Tone

• Candid and relatable—fueled by Chicago sports experiences, but broad enough to resonate with any fan.
• Friendly, irreverent, sometimes cutting humor, often teasing each other or their audience.
• Sincere moments about family and fatherhood, surprising in their emotional depth amidst all the sports and banter.

Perfect For...

• Longtime Chicago sports fans
• Listeners curious about how sports moments become lifelong memories
• Fans who love passionate, unvarnished, and sometimes raucous radio-style podcasting
• Anyone wanting genuine, decades-spanning stories about Michael Jordan, Walter Payton, Cubs heartbreak, and the wild ride of fandom

[End of Episode Summary]

(All advertisements, intros, and outros have been omitted per instruction. For more prop bet details, visit the hosts’ sponsor MyBookie as discussed in the final segment.)