Springfield Deal Nears Finish Line: Bears Stadium Momentum Builds

Summary

Dan Bernstein Unfiltered – Episode Summary Springfield Deal Nears Finish Line: Bears Stadium Momentum Builds Date: May 28, 2026

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Main Theme

This episode digs deep into the rapidly developing situation around the Chicago Bears’ quest for a new stadium, focusing on political maneuvering in Springfield, ongoing negotiations over the "mega projects bill," and the broader implications for the Bears and Chicago sports. Dan Bernstein and his co-host Matt Abbatacola also venture into recent Chicago baseball performances, hockey playoffs, mental health in sports, and a quirky story involving a crime committed by a dog.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Bears Stadium Legislation and Political Intrigue

[01:53 - 11:34]

The Mega Projects Bill and Stadium Negotiations

• The Illinois legislature is wrangling with a “mega projects bill” that could be custom-crafted for the Bears—potentially bypassing a comprehensive, statewide package for the sake of urgency.
• Governor Pritzker’s cryptic yet telling statement:
  “There's lots of ticky tack little things that are being worked out.”
  (Gov. Pritzker via Capital News Illinois)
• Bernstein’s analysis:
  “The presumption? My presumption is the big things are done.” [06:40]

Sprinting to the Finish Line

• Lawmakers might delay introducing the final bill until the literal last hours to minimize political pushback and prevent deal hijacking:
  “If you hold it until a midnight vote, knowing you’ve got the votes...you may not get some pushback from some corners or having something hijacked.” [07:00]
• Mayor Brandon Johnson’s trip to Italy (satirically described as “giving the Pope his giardiniera to put on his shoes”) is discussed as a non-factor, with Bernstein noting:
  “They took Chicago off the board.” [06:31]

Bears’ Position and Negotiation Dynamics

• Bears now frame the situation as having only "two options," excluding Chicago and focusing on Arlington Heights and leverages like Hammond (which Bernstein dismisses as always a “leverage play”).
• All sides—Bears, legislators, Arlington Heights’ school board—actively have “seats at the table” in real time:
  “They’re not going to put something out there and say, ‘What do you think of this?’ …They’ve already negotiated what that amount’s going to be.” [10:04-10:38]

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2. Chicago Baseball Musings & Local Sports Banter

[12:04 - 18:34]

White Sox & Cubs Check-in

• The crew reflects on the White Sox’s enjoyable dominance over the Twins ("just having this kind of supremacy… is pretty sweet"). [14:08]
• Anecdotes about the dynamic between broadcasters and teams, riffing on supposedly ill-timed remarks wishing the Cubs would lose.
  • “That’s some low rent stuff if that’s the case.” [16:10]
• Lighthearted banter about baseball commentators—texting in-game, play-by-play quality, and relationships with local media personalities.

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3. Casual Hockey Playoff Deep Dive

[21:00 - 30:59]

Hockey Lingo, Gretzky, and Sports Legends on TV

• The crew jokes about playoff hockey, player names (Sebastian Aho becomes a running "Three Stooges" gag), and their own stunted grasp of current NHL divisions.
• Why Is Wayne Gretzky Still Working?
  • “If you’re Wayne Gretzky...eventually you return a message from the network and you say, give me __, I’ll let you come to my house one time with a camera crew.” [25:41]
  • They compare Gretzky and Tom Brady, pondering why all-time greats do TV broadcasting when they could easily retire.

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4. NBA Analysis: Fouls and Falling Down

[33:09 - 41:33]

Shea Gilgeous-Alexander’s “Fall Rate”

• Deep dive into NBA star SGA’s strategy of falling down to draw fouls:
  • “His foul rate on falls is 50%....The math suggests an SGA fall is worth an additional 0.9 expected points per fall on a 2 point attempt.” [35:00-35:58]
  • Compared to Jalen Brunson (21%), Donovan Mitchell (21.2%), James Harden (40.6%).
  • “…When you hit the ground, referees are much more likely to call a foul. And he’s falling down a lot more because it works.” [37:09]
• Frustration with how officiating rewards this tactic, possibly steering the style of play and, by extension, league outcomes.

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5. Mental Health in Sports: Highlighting Vulnerability

[41:55 - 54:51]

Saluting Mental Health Openness

• Discussion centered on Knicks’ Mitchell Robinson candidly addressing his mental health struggles on national TV.
  • Lisa Salters: “Good for him for acknowledging that it’s okay to not be okay and that it’s also okay to talk about it.”
  • Mike Breen (play-by-play): “When a professional athlete admits that, that means so much to younger people who say, well, if they can have it, it’s okay for me to admit it as well.” [47:20]
• Bernstein praises the Bulls’ organizational commitment (DeRozan, Drummond), ties it to broader destigmatization, and stresses the need for teams to give full-person support:
  • “It doesn’t take courage to say, ‘Yeah, I sprained my foot.’ And it’s no different...to say, ‘I’m not at my best right now because I’m dealing with some issues mentally.’” [48:34]
• Co-host Matt reflects on generational shifts and the harm of old-school “toughen up” mentalities.

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6. Lighthearted Closer: Dogs, Shotguns, and World Cup Takes

[55:14 - End]

Crime & Canines

• Amusing story about a Nebraska dog that inadvertently set off a shotgun in a car:
  “I’m worried there’s a dog podcast network that we don’t know about...this is now out there: ‘Hey, we figured out how to use a shotgun.’” [57:12]
• Playful speculation about dogs as secret podcasters and home safety concerns.

FIFA Rants & World Cup Opinions

• World Cup hotel gripes, AG investigations into inflated ticket prices, and trading playful predictions about jumping on the World Cup bandwagon.
• “My World Cup opinion is I’m going to pretend to get into the World Cup...” [62:28]

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Notable Quotes & Moments

• Bernstein on Springfield wrangling:
  “...the big things are done. That’s what it sounds like to me.” [06:40]
• On Bears negotiation tactics:
  “Hammond was all a leverage play from the get go and remains that for the moment.” [11:27]
• On SGA’s falling:
  “...when you hit the ground, referees are much more likely to call a foul. And he’s falling down a lot more because it works.” [37:09]
• On sports & mental health destigmatization:
  “It doesn’t take courage to say, ‘Yeah, I sprained my foot.’...It is absolutely no different for a player to say, ‘I’m not at my best right now because I’m dealing with some issues mentally.’” [48:34]
• Co-host Matt on supporting others:
  “When you discount someone's feelings, you're doing more harm than the actual experiences that they're having in their life.” [50:30]

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Important Timestamps

• [01:53] – Start of Bears stadium/bill discussion.
• [06:31] – Bernstein analysis on deal status.
• [11:27] – “Hammond was all a leverage play...remains that for the moment.”
• [14:08] – White Sox/Twins commentary.
• [25:41] – Gretzky TV role joke and broader comparison to Tom Brady.
• [35:00] – SGA’s fall rate and foul math.
• [47:20] – Mike Breen's mental health message.
• [57:12] – The dog shotgun incident.
• [62:28] – World Cup “opinion” segment.

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Tone & Style

• Candid, irreverent, informed, and often laced with signature Chicago sarcasm.
• Willing to shift from in-depth policy/politics to professional sports minutiae to personal anecdotes—and even absurdist humor (see: dog podcast conspiracy).

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Conclusion

This episode serves as an excellent snapshot of Dan Bernstein’s ability to move between policy, sports analysis, cultural commentary, and comedic asides, all while providing honest, entertaining context for Chicago sports fans—especially those tracking the high-stakes future of the Bears. Bernstein and Abbatacola’s banter ensures both sports diehards and casual listeners have plenty to chew on, whether it’s stadium politics, mental health in the game, or wondering if their dog is plotting something nefarious from the back seat.

Transcript

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[Dan Bernstein]

I didn't say anything like that. So I don't know.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

Somebody else I know.

[Dan Bernstein]

What, what's, what's the problem now?

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

Nothing.

[Dan Bernstein]

You're rambling about something. You got something to say to say it, bro. Come on man.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

Come at me, bro. No, it's all good.

[Dan Bernstein]

Dan Bernstein Unfiltered Unfiltered on 312 Sports

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

DBU on 32 is brought to you in partnership with my bookie. You tell me is this anything? Is this anything? And I will tell you first before I get your answer is I think it might be kind of something. And this was and I'm telling you the place to follow for all the news that's coming out regarding the Bears and the stadium is Capital News Illinois. The capital facts that Rich Miller has been doing has been great. Capital News Illinois happened to see this cross the old timeline and Capital News Illinois. Brendan Moore is the reporter. You can follow him on Twitter. And Brendan Moore said we spoke for a few minutes with Governor Pritzker outside his Capitol office following his meeting with Senate President Don Harmon and House Speaker Emmanuel Chris Welch. What he told us about the mega projects bill, quote this is the governor is the latest we've heard. Quote there's lots of ticky tack little Things that are being worked out.

[Dan Bernstein]

Hmm.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

Lots of ticky tack little things that are being worked out on the mega projects bill. Now there was also a report that came out from Cranes Justin Lawrence of Crane Chicago Business maybe you saw this yesterday and Justin Lawrence said that Illinois lawmakers are considering tailoring the mega projects bill specifically for the Bears in Arlington Heights. Not making this mega projects plural writ large and not making this about any other massive company that wants similar tax certainty meaning breaks. And then to make sure that this gets the attention that it deserves and the urgency that it deserves between now and Sunday, they're saying punting negotiations on a statewide overall pilot incentive until later. And that was essentially the report from Cranes saying it's only one option. It's a sign of the hectic scrambling to get something done this week. So what the governor said asked about that by the Illinois Capital or Capitol News Illinois, speaking with Pritzker about reducing the size of the Bears, Bill Pritzker said, we're in the same position we were before. So it sounds to me like pushing back a little bit on the idea that that's one idea that was floated to say, hey if we want to ramrod a Bears deal through that we can work on, tailor it specifically to the Bears. The problem with that I think is is it allows for a lot of pork to be laden onto something like that. If you are hurrying something through and sometimes people aren't able to read all the text and then they pass it and then they look at it, what the hell did we just pass? Yeah, that can happen. I am also hearing that there is a desire that this could come down to kind of laying in the weeds and waiting until Saturday night, late midnight, like really literally up against the clock at midnight and holding back. And the reason being, and this is deep in the weeds politically is when you're worried about concerns from your left, from your right, from other sides of the aisle of where the enemy my enemy is my friend and every aphorism you want of politics makes for strange bedfellows that if you hold it until late you may not get some pushback from some corners or having something hijacked. That whether it is the wild card here is this Chicago group. Nobody knows what the mayor is doing or understands quite why he keeps saying things that aren't real that aren't going to happen. And then there's a belief, hey, you picked a perfect time to go to Italy. Go, go ahead. Whatever your deal is, stay in Chicago. Stay in Chicago. And I think the Bears have done a Decent job of putting out that fire. The idea of Kevin Warren's apparent error in saying what was said to the lawyers in these legal meetings that were supposed to be about the infrastructure plan, that ended up being more than that. I think that has been doused enough.

[Dan Bernstein]

I think better than the done a pretty good job. They said there's only two options, even though the second one isn't a real option. They said there's only two. They took Chicago off the board.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

And if in fact Johnson's trip like away he goes halfway across the world to give the Pope his giardiniera and put it on his shoes, go ahead and do that. They'll have the Pope bathe his feet and then we'll put the giardiniera on the Pope's shoes. It's the new tradition.

[Dan Bernstein]

An American eat it.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

It's the Chicago tradition. Yes. Saying that there won't be any last ditch, late Brandon Johnson, CTU led attempt to scuttle any of this stuff just because they want to make noise or they want to be difficult or they think that by pulling out all the stops on their end that they could get some kind of buy off that if you hold it until a midnight vote, knowing you've got the votes and having whipped it, having counted it and knowing you can get there to that point. That was just one thing that I've been hearing from insiders that there's like, how do we make sure to time the rollout and the timing of the actual vote? Because there could be some people who are saying that they're a no, but they're not going to be or they wouldn't be for the Bears. There are a lot of moving parts. But that comment, that quote from Pritzker, there's a lot of ticky tack little things that are being worked out. What's the presumption? My presumption is the big things are done. That's what it sounds like to me. That if the governor is willing to say we got a bunch of ticky tack little things, that's just a matter of changing the numbers around at that point. That's a matter of, oh, you want this percentage of this or this percentage of that or well, this year it's this and next year it'll kick in at this level. There are ways of making these things happen, that this is how laws get made. This is why laws are complicated. This is why you wonder like how the hell did they decide. It's because you're still, you're dealing with people and you're dealing with trade offs and the wedding of beaks and everything that has to get done here. But it certainly appears that there is action and there's momentum. They're not just sitting around very far from it. So my expectation, unless there is reason to believe that they're going to hold it to a midnight vote,

[Dan Bernstein]

this could

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

change in an hour as we're recording here at 10:03am it could change, but the fact that there is work, active work being done right now is a really good sign for there to be movement in that regard. And stay tuned. So I will tell you what I'm hearing and if we find out more or we find out differently, so be it. But I think this is probably the sound of the gears turning toward the Bears striking, being involved enough to know as they go through this process, it's not gonna be like they get done and then they go to the Bears and say, what do you think? Or then they go to the Arlington Heights School Board and say, what do you think? There are seats at the table during the entire process here for everybody involved.

[Dan Bernstein]

Well, there has to be. Yeah. You have to have this done without the idea of, all right, this is what we're presenting. What do you guys think of the whole thing? Both sides of it. Yeah. They're. Whether they're actively represented or it's the back channel conversations that are, hey, will you do this? Will you do that? Will you take this? Will this be okay? Can we move forward here? Are you willing to pay?

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

You know that's all in real time, right?

[Dan Bernstein]

That's all happening.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

Yep. Yeah.

[Dan Bernstein]

Because they're not going to put something out there and say, nope. What do you think of this?

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

Nope. And the same goes to the other

[Dan Bernstein]

Bears will be looking at, well, we're not going to pay that much a year. No, they've already negotiated that what that amount's going to be.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

And with the. And sometimes that moves. Sometimes it's like signing a player. When you go back to the owner, it's like, remember what I said it was going to cost you a little more. Is that okay? Is that okay? There's some of that, yeah, sure. And. But in general, I think everybody has an understanding of where things need to be. And it does seem like in the end game a lot of the pretense is being dropped in some way where it's clear where the Bears want to be.

[Dan Bernstein]

Right? Right. And the Governor knows that. McCaskey knows that. People with a brain in media know that, that they don't want to stay in, they've said Chicago's out and they don't really want to go to Hammond. Hammond was all a leverage play from

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

the get go and remains that for the moment. And then when this is done, that will go away.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yes.

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[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

you know, every sports fan has an angle. You feel it when you're watching games. I got a little inkling last night that I thought, and this is when the Canadiens killed off the five on three, that became the five on four, and they're down three, zip. And I thought, that's the kind of thing that can turn a game. And I thought about it. But you know those feelings that you get, we're like, ooh, ooh, ooh, I'm on this. That's where my bookie comes in. Because when you do have, there's always a way to play it the way you want with the amount of risk that you want. And you say, well, maybe this is worth it for this much and this for that. My bookie lets you do all that. You can act on these feelings. You might be watching NBA. I know I will be watching NBA tonight. Maybe you're like, I was watching hard hockey last night. Or maybe you're getting ready for the World Cup. No matter what it is, use this promo code. DBU for Dan Bernstein. Unfiltered DBU lets you claim an exclusive offer because you're listening. So you register, you deposit, and use dbu. Then you're in. And then you can pick your team to back before the game. Follow that momentum, live. Make the moments you already care about feeling bigger. And that's the real reason to check out my bookie. Because you're already watching. You already have a take, and now you have a place to play it. Bet anything, anytime, anywhere with my bookie. Must be 21. Please gamble responsibly. The Cubs were able to, for one day at least, shake off a lot of these, these. These demons. And what are we now? We are. It is the 28th of May 29th, right? Is that right?

[Dan Bernstein]

Is it the 29th? I don't know.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

I think it's the 28th. But I could be wrong, because sometimes check it for Me, will you? What does it say? He can't even see his own phone.

[Dan Bernstein]

28th.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

Thank you. 28th. As I thought that pitching performance from David Sandlin of the White Sox, pretty impressive today.

[Dan Bernstein]

Thursday.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

Yes. Okay. And that is. I hadn't heard anything about Sandlin. I'm not. I think I'm paying close attention to everybody who's in the White Sox farm system, but owning the Twins is just fun. The Twins have always been the weird ass Twins and the. I have never shaken the annoying piranhas because that's what the brewers are to the Cubs. Now is that team. That what the Twins used to do to the Sox? No matter what we do, they're slapping a hit this way or that way in Nick Punto and Denny Hocking and all of these annoying people. So the White Sox just, if nothing else, just having this kind of supremacy over the. Over the Twins is pretty sweet.

[Dan Bernstein]

Well, I heard something and maybe you could tell me if this is true or not, but someone mentioned to me that Shiffrin.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

Shiffrin, Schriffen, Schiffrin, Griffin, Schreffen. Doofus.

[Dan Bernstein]

That's okay. Yeah, someone mentioned me that during the game yesterday he. I think the White Sox won like 15 to 2 or something.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

Yeah.

[Dan Bernstein]

That the day could only get better if the Pirates were to come back and beat the Cubs.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

Oh, no.

[Dan Bernstein]

So tell me that's accurate. Someone mentioned that to me.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

Oh, I didn't.

[Dan Bernstein]

It was actually during the game.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

Oh, really?

[Dan Bernstein]

So tell me if that person made that up or heard it correctly or. I'm hoping that, that. I'm hoping that my friend misheard what was said and that he didn't actually

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

say the actual broadcaster for the White Sox was.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah. So.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

And that another Major League baseball team loses.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah. So I'm hoping that he misheard it. Maybe he wasn't tuned into what was going on in the broadcast and he just. He heard it incorrectly. I'm hoping that a guy wouldn't have said something like that.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

Well, that's some low rent stuff. If that's the case.

[Dan Bernstein]

If that's the case for sure.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

I will say, though, so I know talking about taking the masks on that that's how they feel.

[Dan Bernstein]

Right. And if that's, I mean, in our, our community here, if you could confirm that, deny that, say, oh, no, this is actually what he said. He didn't say that or say, yeah, that's exactly what he said. I'd be curious to hear that. Just because that's, that's real bush league.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

Yeah.

[Dan Bernstein]

You're going to do that from the broadcast.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

No, no, no, no.

[Dan Bernstein]

When you run a guy out of town, that is a plus plus.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

No, no, no, no.

[Dan Bernstein]

And by the way, we get to see Jason Bodetti this weekend. Cubs, Cardinals. Very excited for that. Very excited for that.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

Well, you know, you could just call him.

[Dan Bernstein]

Oh, I know, I know. But I want to hear him do my team.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

Okay. Well, I do that every once in a while. If I, you know, I haven't. I haven't seen her Benetti in a while. So then I pick up my phone and I just say, hey, it was funny.

[Dan Bernstein]

He'll say, what? Like I don't know. Hey, hey. Last week, Friday, the Cubs day game was on. Was the Friday night game at 120 was on Apple.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

Okay.

[Dan Bernstein]

And so it was our guy, the Randazzler and Dontrell Willis. And I shot him a text. I'm like, hey, it's great to see you doing the Cubs. Expecting to hear from him after the game? No, it was during the game. He's like, hey, buddy, I love being here in Chicago. I'm so happy. And I'm like, well, it's great to. Great to have you doing the game. You know, tell you tell your partner. Big fan of your guys work. It sounds great. Got a text back that, you know, thanks. You know, a lot of fun doing it together.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

Yeah, I did that once with.

[Dan Bernstein]

I just. I didn't expect to hear in the middle.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

Oh, they all do.

[Dan Bernstein]

During the game.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

Yeah, they all do. They're just at work.

[Dan Bernstein]

They're just.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

I know, I get it.

[Dan Bernstein]

But it's like I know they all

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

are a means the same way. I don't know that I. I mean, I guess I could but especially the baseball guys who just have it down to a science and they can, you know, they. They feel the rhythm of it and can live and breathe. It's different for them. At one was it last year where I texted Benetti and we were talking about something and he was working with AJ and I just said something. I said, by the way, tell your partner he sucks. And he said he gave you the finger. Like perfect.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

Yeah.

[Dan Bernstein]

Well, if he doesn't mind, then during this was it Sunday night game. What is it? When is Benetti and the Cardinals Cubs? I'm going to text him every inning.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

I would avoid that.

[Dan Bernstein]

I'm going to do that every inning from the show.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

I think he's going to block you.

[Dan Bernstein]

Hey, Dan. And I say hey.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

We say hey again.

[Dan Bernstein]

We said hi again.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

How's it going?

[Dan Bernstein]

How's the game going? What's the score? I'll text him and ask, what's the score? I'm out right now. I can't watch. What's the score?

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

Well, do you know Vanetti, though?

[Dan Bernstein]

He would give me updates. Okay.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

Do you have a protocol when it comes to updating Natalie on the kids games? Do you have rules about how you give the scores and how games are updated? Because Beth and I had to do this for baseball and hockey. We had to do, like, a remedial lesson. And, like, you don't say it's two to three.

[Dan Bernstein]

Like, no, we don't.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

Like, tell me. Here's how you present a score.

[Dan Bernstein]

No, there's no, there's no structure to it because, I mean, we have Game Changer. So when we're. We're at one kid's game, so we're never together. So we don't. We don't see each other on the weekends anymore.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

Of course not.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah. So she'll go to one of her son's games because you can't be in both places at the same time. And she's watching her other kids game on Game Changer. I'm doing the same. I'm at one kid's game watching the other kid's game on Game Changer.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

Right.

[Dan Bernstein]

And then we'll text each other the games that we can't see.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

Okay. Yeah, but it's the quality of the play by play is what I'm saying. Like, if I'll get a text where she.

[Dan Bernstein]

She's a lot more detailed than I am.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

Okay.

[Dan Bernstein]

I. I kind of give her more of an update. Like, hey, it's, you know, six to four, bottom four, Jack's pitching great. Hank got a double, you know, losing four or five, you know, five to four. She'll tell me, you know, more. More detail what. What. What the kids are doing.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

Yeah, it just. I. I needed. But she's good at it.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah, no, she's great at.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

Okay.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

Yeah. We had a different issue with, like, me not knowing what was happening because of how things were being discussed.

[Dan Bernstein]

Well, I think part of that is Beth not really caring if, you know

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

or not that might be.

[Dan Bernstein]

So whether the information gets. Gets shared properly, she doesn't really care.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

And see, I thought it was good last because she knew I was watching the Canadiens game and she's rooting for Montreal because of heated rivalry.

[Dan Bernstein]

Right. But she wasn't watching.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

She was at an event.

[Dan Bernstein]

Okay. And so did you have to update her?

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

Well, I asked. I said, do you want updates on the game. And then she sends me, like, the cringy emoji, like. Like, do I want an update on the game? Because she has decided to care about Montreal, just only.

[Dan Bernstein]

Right. Because of it.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

For no reason.

[Dan Bernstein]

Right. The hockey. The Hockey show.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

She can't even name any of the guys on the team because the kid

[Dan Bernstein]

in the character who was on the

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

Hudson, Williams's character, played for the Montreal something something.

[Dan Bernstein]

So that's why she likes Canadians now. Okay.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

Which makes sense if you're insane. No, it doesn't. None of it makes sense. None of it does. But. So, yeah, so she's like, do I? And we've been watching games, and so it was three. Nothing. And so she comes home and slams her purse down and she stops and she says, the Hurricanes are just a better team.

[Dan Bernstein]

Oh, wow. She's becoming unhinged.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

And I said, they are. I said that that is a very correct analysis of what's going on. The Hurricanes are a better team, and that's why they're likely to win the series. Yes. Although I will say that that penalty kill was something last night. I really did think that once they killed off some of that stuff, and especially in the five on three, when even. Oh, and the other thing I'm doing, Sebastian Ajo, every time his name is mentioned, even when I'm alone.

[Dan Bernstein]

Is he a hockey player?

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

Yeah.

[Dan Bernstein]

Okay, what team is he on?

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

Carolina.

[Dan Bernstein]

Okay.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

If he walked in the room, I wouldn't know. I cannot. And it gets back to a Three Stooges episode with the maharajah. Maharaja. Aha.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yes.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

Every time that's what you say. Someone says, sebastian. Aho. You say aho every time.

[Dan Bernstein]

Even when you're alone?

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

Yes, even alone. Zoe said, what the hell is that?

[Dan Bernstein]

She should know better than to ask you questions by now.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

And I said, what? Hell is what? She goes. There's like, weird screaming. And I said, what? She goes. Somebody's saying, like, ah. I said, oh. Oh, that's just. That's me. Yeah. And then I did Back to the Point. Aho.

[Dan Bernstein]

Every time.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

Every time. And then Beth asked me to stop.

[Dan Bernstein]

I'm sure she.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

And I said, okay.

[Dan Bernstein]

So I've been a bit out of hockey for the last several years. I thought the Stanley cup finals were happening. So Sunday night, we were on a walk in the neighborhood, and I don't know why this was. But two of my neighbors in my neighborhood were in their garage is watching the hockey game. And so I. I just. I took my phone out real quick and I did NHL scores. And it was Carolina And Montreal. And I said, Because Natalie and I were both like, why are people watching hockey outside in their garages? And I looked at my phone, I said, oh, oh, it's the finals. That's. That makes sense. They're watching the finals.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

The final.

[Dan Bernstein]

Well, I thought it was the actual Stanley. The Stanley cup finals.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

I didn't know.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah, Stanley cup final. I didn't know that. I just. I'd forgotten they're in the same conference and that they were playing to get into the final. I don't know either.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

I really don't.

[Dan Bernstein]

Like, the next day, I was like, hey, remember when I said it was the final? I go, it's not. They're playing to get into the final. She's like, oh, there's two other teams playing still. I go, yeah, who? I have no idea. Two other teams couldn't tell you.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

So you don't even know the names of the divisions. But it's okay because playoff hockey is fun.

[Dan Bernstein]

And.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

And they all look awful because the playoff beard thing and everything.

[Dan Bernstein]

Is it still.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

Is it?

[Dan Bernstein]

What are the conferences? Are they still. Is it Western Conference and Eastern Conference?

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

Campbell Conference?

[Dan Bernstein]

Oh, yeah, Kansas.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

I think it's Western and Eastern.

[Dan Bernstein]

Is it?

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

I think. And everyone's mad at it.

[Dan Bernstein]

That's NBA, right?

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

I know, but then, remember, people were mad because it was too NBA sounding and it wasn't traditional and wasn't Canadian enough. But I. But. So I was going to get to this later, but I might as well ask it now.

[Dan Bernstein]

Oh, yeah, your hockey question.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

Yeah, this was my hockey question.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah, it is Eastern and Western.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

So I'm watching halftime, not halftime. What do you call it? Period? Break?

[Dan Bernstein]

Intermission.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

Intermission. I'm watching intermission, and I realized something.

[Dan Bernstein]

This guy said halftime.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

I know he said halftime. He didn't understand a game. What is Wayne Gretzky doing there?

[Dan Bernstein]

Like, he's not playing still, is he?

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

No, but.

[Dan Bernstein]

Right. He's done.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

He's. He's Wayne Gretzky. Like, I had this moment yesterday. You're Wayne Gretzky.

[Dan Bernstein]

Does he not contribute anything?

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

Or you just. Okay, but he's working.

[Dan Bernstein]

Oh, you wonder why he's working?

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

What are you doing there? You don't have to be there.

[Dan Bernstein]

He needs to see the Michael Jordan and being an NBC thing and take that. Exactly. You beat me to it. I'm sorry. Okay.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

Damn it. You're stepping on my comedy, bitch. Like, if you're Wayne Gretzky, this is what you do, is you eventually return a message from the network and you say, give me make up a number. $20 million or whatever it is. Give me that. I will let you come to my house one time with a camera crew.

[Dan Bernstein]

Mike Tirico come over, sit down, take his shoes off.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

Sit down, come in. I'll give him a glass of whatever bourbon I'm drinking. You sit down, you talk for a little bit. You leave. And then Wayne. Back to the golf course, back to your boat, back wherever you go up at Cottage in Flin Flan.

[Dan Bernstein]

So he probably doesn't need. He doesn't need the money.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

No, but. But maybe. Maybe he just wants to work. It's. I asked the same thing. A wanstat. Like I always wondered with Dave. Dave, you're 75. You've. You've got all the money. You got a house in Naples. What are you doing? Why are you sitting here talking about the Bears?

[Dan Bernstein]

He likes to.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

He likes it. He likes it. And then I realize I'm the same way. Well, I don't know if Tom Brady, but Wayne Gretzky still has the supermodel wife.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah, I was gonna say. What's his. I don't know. It is like they're happily. Maybe she has one of the house. Maybe she wants him out.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

It's possible.

[Dan Bernstein]

You don't work at home as often as you would.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

You talk about royalty. You talk about royalty, like living like royalty.

[Dan Bernstein]

Right.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

You are way in Canada. Wayne Gretzky and Janet Jones. Gretzky. Like you're royalty and you're sitting at a desk talking about the penalty kill.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

All right.

[Dan Bernstein]

All right. Here's a question.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

Did Babe Ruth at any point. And I know Babe Ruth. His voice wasn't good because of the cigars and everything. I think it's what eventually killed him. But was Babe Ruth doing radio? Not that I've ever heard of.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

No, he was busy.

[Dan Bernstein]

Well, no one wanted him to. No one liked him.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

That's not true. People love the Bambino. I don't think so.

[Dan Bernstein]

I think you're confusing him with Babe Conforto. Well, everybody loves Babe Conforto. All right. Hockey. Hockey boy.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

Hockey boy.

[Dan Bernstein]

So the two conferences are the Western and Eastern?

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

Yes.

[Dan Bernstein]

Okay, can you tell me the names of the two divisions in the Eastern Conference?

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

The two divisions?

[Dan Bernstein]

Yes.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

In the Eastern Conference, what they're called is the. Is it north and South?

[Dan Bernstein]

It is not.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

Is it Campbell?

[Dan Bernstein]

No.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

Is it Norris?

[Dan Bernstein]

That's old. No.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

Oh, no, I can't. Pacific.

[Dan Bernstein]

The Atlantic. Atlantic and the Metropolitan.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

The Metropolitan, yes.

[Dan Bernstein]

And do you know which conference the Blackhawks are in?

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

West.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yes. Correct. Do you Know the two names of the divisions in the Western Conference?

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

Midwest Division and the Mountain Division.

[Dan Bernstein]

The Central and the Pacific.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

Okay.

[Dan Bernstein]

Do you know which one? This is a tricky one. Which division are the Blackhawks in?

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

Central.

[Dan Bernstein]

Good job. All right. Okay, so I think you got like.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

Do I win hockey points?

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah. You get hockey tickets? I think you got one out of five. Correct. So six.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

Okay. I get something.

[Dan Bernstein]

That was good, though.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

All right. Thank you. I'm pleased. I just think when you think of all time greats, the greatest. I don't think. What is that?

[Dan Bernstein]

I don't know. What is that?

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

Is there a dance party here?

[Dan Bernstein]

I don't want that happening.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

Where did that come from?

[Dan Bernstein]

I was trying to check the scores for you.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

Ooh. Hey, that was.

[Dan Bernstein]

That was cool. Hey, hey, hey.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

Quiet you.

[Dan Bernstein]

Mister.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

That's not good.

[Dan Bernstein]

All right, that's fine. I got him out.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

All right. I just want to make sure. He has to leave now.

[Dan Bernstein]

No, he's done. All right. Oh, Avalanche and the Golden Knights.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

What about him?

[Dan Bernstein]

Oh, they're the other two teams.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

I haven't watched any of that.

[Dan Bernstein]

But they're the other two teams.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

Yes.

[Dan Bernstein]

That are playing to get into the final.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

Yes, yes. Yeah, so that's fine.

[Dan Bernstein]

I didn't know if you knew that.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

Connor McDavid, right?

[Dan Bernstein]

He does white, I think. No, that's a White Rox.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

That's Connor McWhite. Different guy.

[Dan Bernstein]

McWhite.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

Yeah.

[Dan Bernstein]

Is McKnight, isn't it? McKnight. Oh, are you sure? Connor McKnight.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

Are you sure?

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah, I'll look at my phone and check. All right. Just make sure.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

But it was just amazing to me. I'm trying to think, how did Jack Nicklaus do? Is he on the Oilers?

[Dan Bernstein]

Connor McDavid? I thought he was an Oiler.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

Oh, maybe he is. But who's the other guy? Nathan McKinnon. Yeah.

[Dan Bernstein]

No, she's on SNL.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

Whatever it is. How many all time greats kept broadcasting when they didn't have to? I understand you didn't make it back in the day, you didn't make as much money. And they tried Joe Montana and I know Tom, Radio is awful, but how many people who are. Who are legends like that is one of the greatest team sport athletes ever.

[Dan Bernstein]

All right, so you currently have the greatest hockey player ever. The greatest NFL player ever.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

Is he sure?

[Dan Bernstein]

At that position?

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

Yeah.

[Dan Bernstein]

There's no one better.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

Is he, though? I mean.

[Dan Bernstein]

Don't start, please. He is.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

He's the most accomplished. Do you really believe Tom Brady's a greater football player than Walter Payton.

[Dan Bernstein]

No, no, he's not. But as far as quarterbacks go, there's none better.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

Okay, fine.

[Dan Bernstein]

Thank you. So you have two of the greatest at their position in their games still doing broadcasting.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

They must really want to not be home or anywhere else they could be.

[Dan Bernstein]

Well, what does Tom have at home right now besides his kids?

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

Whenever he's with them, he's got whatever he wants.

[Dan Bernstein]

Right. So he has his free time. Doesn't have his kids all the time.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

I guess he does a lot with his kids.

[Dan Bernstein]

I see it on social media.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

That work. There's a lot that goes into that. It's not easy to be good at that stuff. It's a lot of work. Unless you're Tony Romo, there's a lot of work that goes in.

[Dan Bernstein]

Oh, Jesus. Why is Tony gotta get sideswiped because

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

he shows up like he, like he just walked off the golf course? Hey, what is a headset? Pick this up. Okay. What are your thoughts? Oh, hey. Okay.

[Dan Bernstein]

All right.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

Yeah, like there's. You have to like, know who everybody is. That's kind of why I like Barkley, is that they'll come to.

[Dan Bernstein]

He doesn't pretend.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

What do you think? I don't know.

[Dan Bernstein]

I've been watching hockey, telling people to stop watching basketball. Is it so bad? Go watch the hockey. Yeah, he just doesn't care. Right. Which makes it fun, which makes it great.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

And then when he does have a thought, it's a real thought too.

[Dan Bernstein]

Did you. Did you see when Shaq just got, I think another degree from lsu? And when she announced his name, which she said it was Shaquille. I hate Charles Barkley o'. Neal. That's how she announced him when he walked up to get his degree.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

Wow.

[Dan Bernstein]

It was really funny.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

Yeah. Actually, I think the Shaq stuff has gone past being cute and into now just kind of.

[Dan Bernstein]

Oh, I still like it.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

I like it. As long as there's also some really good analysis going on.

[Dan Bernstein]

But the stuff with him and Charles, I still love it. I still enjoy it.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

Yeah, I do too. I do too. There are a couple of basketball things that I found fascinating and I think you will too. And I teased this near the end of organizations win championships. If you were joining us in that owc, I had no idea when they actually did the data how often Shea Gilgis, Alexander falls down. And this has been a long standing criticism of his game. The two time mvp, defending MVP Steve Kerr has said it. He made it very clear. He said, I'm not mad at Shay, I'm mad at the rules that allow him to take advantage that he does. Tom Haberstrough of Yahoo Sports actually did the work and he went back through all of the data of SGA and other stars in these playoffs. How often do they fall down?

[Dan Bernstein]

Oh, wow.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

And does it work? And the answer, in short, for Shea Gilgeous, Alexander and I think others on his team. This is part of why I don't like watching the Thunder. It's a big part of why I don't root for the Thunder because I think it's kind of bullshit how they play. Shea Gilgames Alexander has fallen down in just these playoffs, significantly more, not just than anybody else, but even more than his peers, the other high scorers, high usage players who have the ball a lot. So Tom Haberstrough actually has the data.

[Dan Bernstein]

Wow, this is cool.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

Yes.

[Dan Bernstein]

Okay.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

And he's comparing the his fall rates to previous series in this playoff run, how often he's falling and why. As the stakes get higher, Shay Gilgis Alexander falls more and it is a tactical decision. His foul rate on Falls is 50%. He has. This was before the last game.

[Dan Bernstein]

That last game was brutal too.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

This is before the last game. This data.

[Dan Bernstein]

So this doesn't have game five of the last game.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

No, this is through four games in the playoffs. He's fallen 46 times because game five

[Dan Bernstein]

was the ugliest one I've seen. Yeah.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

And he makes 90% of his free throws. The math suggests that an SGA fall is worth an additional 0.9 expected points per fall on a 2 point attempt and an additional 1.35 points on a 3 point attempt.

[Dan Bernstein]

Wow.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

That's what it when he falls, those are the expected points. And Haverstraw says the calculus isn't so straightforward for other stars. While SGA's foul rate on the falls is a 5050 coin flip, other guards don't see the same odds. When you look at Jalen Brunson, Donovan Mitchell and James Harden, the foul rates on their falls aren't as high. Brunson gets a foul call on just 21% of falls. Donovan Mitchell 21.2%. Harden was closest at 40.6, but SGA is at 50 so he gets a call.

[Dan Bernstein]

Half the time he falls.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

Wow. Yep.

[Dan Bernstein]

There was one in game five. He's dribbling down the left side of the lane and you would have thought there was a tripwire the way that he went down and no one touched him and there was a foul call.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

And the problem is how they're calling some of this because NBA referees are instructed to judge whether a defender's contact with a driving offensive player affects the offensive player's sqbr. Speed, quickness, balance, rhythm, balance and or rhythm. And this acronym, sqbr, was used by the NBA referee union's official Twitter account to explain why they ruled in favor of the MVP on a controversial play. But the key is the B of that sqbr. How does a referee determine if a defender illegally knocks a player off balance? And is the contact deemed to be more than marginal? It's a subjective call. It's the same reason why charge calls almost always come with a defender taking a hit and falling to the floor. Defenders have been conditioned to sell the contact. Gilgis Alexander knows all offensive players can play by the same rule book. And he tries to answer a lot of these other statistical questions about why the fall rate is high. Is it physical play? Is it because he drives so much? Why is this? But ultimately your eye test is correct. It comes down to the fact that when you hit the ground, referees are more like with sga when he falls down, referees are much more likely to call a foul. And he's falling down a lot more because it works. And if you've seen the supercuts of him falling, it's hilarious.

[Dan Bernstein]

And what was Harden who said was

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

40% was 40% but he doesn't do it as much.

[Dan Bernstein]

He doesn't fall as much. Right.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

Does not fall as often. Well, Hardin broke the game a while ago in his own way. And they then have gone more specifically into the rule book to talk about the gather and the rip through and all the different things and what constitutes the shooting act and is a shooting shooter allowed with kicking the legs out and are you landing in the same spot or are you jumping and landing in a different spot? That SGA is drawing this attention and should and this is fair attention. They just. There's nothing they can do about it right now. Right. Other than call it as they see it.

[Dan Bernstein]

Who did this work?

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

Tom Haberstroke.

[Dan Bernstein]

Haberstro did he did he is there number of falls per game?

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

Yes, he does have it for the playoffs. I've got the total number of falls and then the number. There's a different number that I saw the number of falls on shots that through four games Shea Gilgis, Alexander had had fallen 46 times. And the the others that he tracks here, Donovan Mitchell 33, James Harden 32, Jalen Brunson 24, Victor Weminyama 10. You know Wembed Yama gets calls too when he falls in large part because it looks like a building falling down.

[Dan Bernstein]

Right, Right. Wait, say those numbers are gonna. Falling down.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

Shane gilgis Alexander was 46. 46. Okay.

[Dan Bernstein]

All right.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

And then Donovan Mitchell was the next highest at 33.

[Dan Bernstein]

33 through four games.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

But this is. We're going to get new numbers soon. As soon as they do this again.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah, because that game five is going to. That's going to shoot up.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

Yeah, it is. It is. But that's more than almost 12 if it annoys you. It should. Yeah, it should. Because especially why Game 5 got to me, why I'm really looking forward to tonight's game is the quality of ball, the intensity, the physicality, and the referees. Let the game be the game. And it was up and down and up and down and up and down and up and down. And that's where it was. Maybe not in the best interest, I believe, of the Thunder, who, when they want. They want to set their defense. And part of the reason why the spurs were shooting earlier in the shot clock was because it's the only time their defense is vulnerable. Once they get set once, once Hartenstein and Caruso and those guys like, oh, you're here, you're here, you're here. And they get it shaped. You're screwed. So the only thing you do is hurry up, beat somebody to a spot, get it. So throw it up somewhere near the basket where Wemby is, and, you know, he gets a hand on it or he gets his own rebounder, he throws it off the backboard to himself or something like that. But my hope is that they can get back to a. To a pace. And I don't know that Oklahoma City wants to play at that pace. I think they might be better off just giving it to SGA and letting him fall down. And that's not fun. They might win a title doing that. They might win the NBA championship because the MVP is really good at falling down.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

Is that fun?

[Dan Bernstein]

No, it's not. Game five was the worst of the series, and that was. There was a lot of that. Yeah. I'd be curious to see those numbers if he. If he follows up with this and puts more numbers out there. Because if he's averaging almost 12 a game to the first or the. Through the first four, he definitely. I would just from watching it, without even trying to keep track, it seemed that was a lot more.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

There's another NBA note on a more serious note. I think we who followed the Bulls know that for a time here, the Bulls had two of the most outspoken players in the League when it came to mental health concerns and the seriousness and reality of mental health. DeMar DeRozan and Andre Drummond as Bulls were not only both really good about being open and honest about their journeys respectively, but also praising the work that the Bulls have done as an organization, even as much as we've criticized their medical side. One area where the Bull's been really strong is in the mental health side that they have their therapists that have been available. Andre Drummond was great in talking about what it's meant for some anxieties and difficulties that he's had to have the support of the organization and the professionals within the organization. And I don't know if this had anything to do with this is Mental Health Awareness Month. Cause I know, I don't know how many people are aware of what months things are. But did you see the report that was done last week? It was Lisa Salters and Mike Breen taking time to salute Mitchell Robinson, the center for the Knicks. And I thought it was. It's one thing to present the story, it's another thing to go out of your way to be supportive. And I do think that, that reporters have to be careful about that because that's usually not okay to say, hey, good for him or good for this. This is a case when it is. And Lisa Salters used these words when talking about Mitchell Robinson being very open about his mental health struggles of late. And she said good for him for acknowledging that it's okay to not be okay and that it's also okay to talk about it. And I think that's great that they chose anything you hear in a network broadcast, any broadcast, that these are planned, everybody knows what is going to be said, what is going to be reported. There are different pieces of tape that have to be played and camera shots. So there's very few surprises. And Mike Breen then talked about the track record of NBA players opening up about mental health issues. Awful announcing did a really good job of putting a lot of this stuff together. Saying Robinson being vulnerable about his situation as a high profile pro athlete can normalize mental health treatment and the conversation around it. That's the play by play guy in the middle of the conference finals saying that. And here's exactly what Breen said. When a professional athlete admits that, that means so much to younger people who say, well, if they can have it, it's okay for me to admit it as well. Sometimes that helps out. Robinson is so beloved in the locker room and with the team, he'll have so much support whatever he's going through because Robinson this started because he posted on socials that he's been dealing with what he called a very upsetting experience and that he was deleting social media apps from his phone while he worked through his feelings and focused his energy on competing with the Knicks. And I think putting that out there and sharing that was obviously part of how he is dealing with this, his decision. And maybe it was the sharing is an important step for him to not be afraid of doing that. And I agree with everything Lisa Salter said and everything Mike Breen said. I think we were lucky in Chicago to have two players who were at the forefront of some of this. I've also and I've given talks before at places I talked about mental health and sports and I would look forward to doing that again. I gave a this was several years ago when I was speaking with our friends at the Rebecca's Dream foundation who always use that phrase, it's okay to not be okay. And they talk to junior high kids, high school age, college, and these are the people to whom they speak all the time about destigmatization, about how this is something everybody deals with. And then to hear it and to have Mitchell Robinson add his name to this, I thought deserves some amplification. I do think every time this happens. And when I had spoken on their behalf before with them, Kevin Love was a name that always came up, who still technically is an active NBA player. And he was talking about his panic attacks before games and how he's handled them and he's been open about it. But my hope is that it gets to the point where we got too many names to mention because we have too many people who are that it just becomes a thing. It becomes like a sprained ankle. It doesn't take courage to admit that you got a back injury. It doesn't take courage to say, yeah, I sprained my foot. And it's no different. It is absolutely no different for a player to say, I'm not at my best right now because I'm dealing with some issues mentally, be it depression, anxiety, or in his case, dealing with an upsetting or traumatic situation that creates symptoms, aspects that are extremely real. And the fact that all of this, just because you can't see it, it doesn't mean it isn't real and important and deserving of care. I think the teams that get mental health right in any sport are ahead. If you want to be cynical and crass about it in that way, it's competitive advantage. Being sensitive to it Being aware of it, treating it correctly and well, diagnosing, treating. Having people in your organization who speak that language, understanding this. What does it mean to tough through something? I'll suck it up, get out there. And this. It kind of dovetails with our Kyle Bush discussion that we were having, too, about what's right and what's wrong. Listening to your body and listening to your mind and understanding that certain messages are being sent to you that are very, very serious. And having a team, an organization, a league that has room for that is where we should be going. And as we do, close out Mental Health Awareness Month, you know how important that is to me. I wouldn't be here at the moment doing this and in a very happy place without professional help and attention and mindfulness and support from people around me who speak the same language and understand these things. So anytime. First, when you see Mitchell Robinson out there in the finals, when you see for him immediately and not just saying, oh, this happened to me several years ago, this is like, I'm taking my social media down. Here's what I'm doing, here's why I'm doing it, and for him to. And for us to meet him halfway and say, okay, do what you got to do. If Knicks fans can do that, more power to him.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah. I also think on the other side of it, too, Dan, because I've never experienced any kind of mental health crisis or anxiety. And, you know, I wasn't. I wasn't closed off to the idea of it or the notion of it, but I wasn't always supportive in my life as well. So if you're like me and this isn't something that you can relate to on a personal level, but you have people around you in your life, whether they're your family or friends or co workers, whatever. It might be people in your circle that experience these mental health issues, anxiety being a very common one. I think the stigma of it has just been so negative that it's like, oh, you're, you know, just tough it out. Be a tough. You know, be it. Be a man and, you know, man up through it. When you discount someone's feelings, you're doing more harm than the actual experiences that they're having in their life. When you refuse to hear someone and to see someone and what they're going through, you're doing more damage than what they're actually experiencing in their. In their mind. By discounting someone and saying, oh, you're fine. That's not real. That's just in your head, you're Doing more damage. So if you may not relate to it or understand it as a person on a personal level, be supportive of those around you. And you know, and it's, it as a 53 year old man, it's like this wasn't something we talked about growing up. It wasn't something that was part of our childhood. And the kids that I can look back through in grade school and high school, junior high, that were acting up probably were dealing with things that we just didn't know as a society, we didn't understand or diagnose. Oh, he's just a bad kid. Oh, that's just a kid that's got something, he's got a screw loose up there. What those kids were going through, we just, we just, we didn't deal with this. We didn't understand it very well. And so that, that kind of behavior carries through into adulthood where it's all, you're fine, you're fine, you're fine. Don't, don't. Come on. It's just, it's all in your brain. Just, you're fine. That does more damage. If you can't relate to it or understand or be supportive, then stay silent because you're doing more damage.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

I would also think that, and when I mentioned that it's a competitive advantage, think about it this way. Think about if we were in a time where a sports team didn't care about physical injuries, right? And they, well, that's not possible. What do you mean they don't care? What do you mean? They're not treating injuries. They just don't treat injuries. They don't recognize them. Think about that. Think how just how absurd, right?

[Dan Bernstein]

No one, no one would accept that.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

It would be absurd to think, well, that team, they don't. And yet there are some kind of the edges of some of that stuff. And I was thinking about it when I was, you know when you watch a hockey game, guy got his wrist slashed off almost. The guy chopped him. Coming to the zone, he goes over the bench, he's screaming in pain. Like he can't feel that he can show any pain. And they all get back out there and like, that's courageous and admirable sometimes, but not all the time. Yeah, sometimes it's just stupid.

[Dan Bernstein]

Sometimes it's because I'd rather, yeah, I'd

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

rather have somebody out there who has two working hands.

[Dan Bernstein]

Right.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

Like, love you, man. But the guy on the next line who has two working hands should be out there instead because he'll be better at the job right now and that's okay. So if you. That, to me, that's what it is. If a team is not appreciating, understanding, identifying what, respecting the mental side of the game or acknowledging that and providing all the possible support, you're not operating the way you can. You're not at your best.

[Dan Bernstein]

Right. It's different now where you have to care for the entire person. You have to. Inside and out.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

Yeah. So as we come to the end of Mental Health Awareness Month, I don't want to bog you down with some of this stuff, but it is. Just know that it's always going to be important to me. And the more I see of it in pro sports and the more kind of vulnerability is, I'm going to amplify it, I'm going to celebrate it because I agree wholeheartedly with what Mike Breen said, that if one kid sees that, because there's a lot of douchebag youth coaches, and that's part of the problem. And if it's the very highest level of sport, a kid can be like, well, you know, my coach shouldn't know. But why is it that Mike Brown of the Knicks, he obviously understands. Why is it that when you know Billy Donovan and the Bulls, like, they get it, why can't. Why can't Mike go ahead and ask, you know, ask, ask your coaches about this stuff. As long as that example is set and that is understood by leagues and whether it's in high schools or in youth leagues and where this stuff is important, it's good for everybody. And if we're getting closer to just being comfortable talking about it, it's good.

[Dan Bernstein]

Right? And if you don't know much about it, I always go back to my. One of my favorite episodes of Ted Lasso where the dartboard scene where he's saying, be curious, not judgmental, be curious about it. You know, if you don't know a whole lot about it, then learn. Learn about it. And listen to people that are experiencing things. Don't discount them. Listen and be curious.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

Lastly, is I'm concerned about this and I think any person would be. I'll explain why because it sounds funny. I love the way this is written up in the Guardian. Police responding to reports of a shotgun blast at a convenience store. Sounds like the opening of countless American crime movies. But when cops in Nebraska responded to a recent such call, they found an unusual culprit. Nebraska a dog Knop News 2 reported that police in the town of Scottsbluff were called out to a local store after reports of a Blast involving a shotgun. Upon arrival, they found a truck with blast damage in one of its doors and a woman who had been struck in the arm by a pellet from a shotgun. Investigation showed a canine cause behind the shooting. It was revealed the blast happened as the vehicle had pulled up to the store, as a dog had been moving from one side of its backseat to another, and the dog had triggered a shotgun which had a live round chambered to fire, damaging the vehicle and striking a female passerby. The victim was taken to a hospital, though not seriously injured. The kicker, it is illegal in Nebraska to drive with a loaded shotgun in your vehicle. Now. Now.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

First of all, that would have been a perfect Darwin Award death if someone. If you put a loaded shotgun in your backseat and you're bouncing around and driving your car around and the shotgun goes off through your backseat and kills you.

[Dan Bernstein]

Perfect.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

Absolutely perfect. Now, what I'm worried about in the reporting here is the unknown network and this. I've been thinking about this. I probably shouldn't think about this. We know that dogs hear things we can't. Right. A literal dog whistle is at a frequency that dogs can hear and we can't. I'm worried that there is a dog podcast network that we don't know about because it's all being conducted at an entirely different frequency that we literally cannot hear as human beings. And that the dogs, like Big Dog, has some kind of podcast network where this is now out there. Hey, we figured out how to use a shotgun. What do you mean you figured out? Like, yeah, we got it. We got this. Because we're gonna have some problems here if this is like the seminal incident that allows for dogs to have an understanding of firearms and they're sharing it and they're sharing best practices. I don't mean that they're sending people instructions to 3D print ghost guns, but I'm just a little worried if, in fact, there's even the stirrings of an understanding within the dog community about how to pull the trigger on some of this stuff, if not load, that we're in trouble.

[Dan Bernstein]

Well, I think we don't be in. We're not. Don't be concerned until there's a story that the dog learned how to load the shotgun.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

Okay.

[Dan Bernstein]

Once they get it loaded, I don't

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

know that they want that out yet,

[Dan Bernstein]

but once they learn to get it loaded, they've obviously learned how to shoot, then we're. Then we're in trouble.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

But we. I don't know what's being said on these dog Podcasts, though. There's, like, a dog Joe Rogan out there that. That's. That's like telling people what they think they're supposed to think. Well, dogs are going to start looks maxing.

[Dan Bernstein]

Who are they targeting? Let's start there.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

Well, what's the equivalent dog years of 18 to 34? So that's two or two to three to four to five, you know.

[Dan Bernstein]

Well, I mean, if you're going after people that are. That are. That are cruel to animals, we're fine.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

No, no, I'm talking about really mundane usage of this. My worry is that on, like, Tuesday, when we have Maggie, that she has a whole thing about forcing head scritches.

[Dan Bernstein]

So then do you lock up all your shotguns when she comes over?

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

Well, I can't lock up all of them. I got too many. But think about it now, because there's a thing where we've got this sort of dance where I like, I scratch Maggie's head and I scratch her ears, and I sing Maggie songs.

[Dan Bernstein]

So you're worried now if you don't do it, she's gonna shoot?

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

Yes, because what would happen before is I would stop and I'd say. I'd say, okay, we're done now. And I put my hand down, and then she digs her nose under my hand and flips my hand onto her head. So now it's gonna be like I should.

[Dan Bernstein]

Okay, I should have realized this.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

You're not done. The head scritches go until. Until I not aiming the shotgun at you anymore.

[Dan Bernstein]

So this isn't, from your perspective, a greater societal concern. You're more concerned about yourself.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

I'm just thinking about my experience with the dog that we occasionally look after and the experience before we get to it.

[Dan Bernstein]

You're concerned about yourself, that it's either gonna be.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

You're doing belly rubs until belly rub time is over. When is belly rub time over?

[Dan Bernstein]

When she says it's over when the

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

shotgun is not pointed at your head anymore.

[Dan Bernstein]

Okay.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

That's when. That's when.

[Dan Bernstein]

Now I understand.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

Or when they're at the front and it's like, we're going outside now. Why? Rabbit?

[Dan Bernstein]

All right. I thought you were concerned for society as a whole.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

Oh, screw society.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah. Okay, now. Now we're clear.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

Okay. Yeah.

[Dan Bernstein]

So you're concerned about Maggie the dog shooting you.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

I just never know. And I'm the one Maggie likes more than anybody else because I'm salami guy. So she. She knows to like salami guy.

[Dan Bernstein]

Well, I know for sure. At my house, Frank will Never shoot a shotgun.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

Are you sure?

[Dan Bernstein]

Izzy probably knows how to load it and shoot it at this point.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

Hasn't told anybody yet.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yes. All right.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

I just. It started to worry me thinking that somewhere that they're going to get the.

[Dan Bernstein]

No, it's hard to worry you that Maggie was going to learn how and shoot you. That's what. That's what the worry was.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

Yeah. If I'm ranking things in my house that might shoot me, she's still probably down the list.

[Dan Bernstein]

She's third.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

Third.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yeah.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

Well, so which kid are you letting off the hook?

[Dan Bernstein]

Jason.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

Okay.

[Dan Bernstein]

He's not going to shoot you. He has a better chance of shooting himself if he has a gun than shooting you.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

Okay, well, that's from. Actually, when you look at statistics, that's everybody. Gun ownership makes you more likely to die from a gunshot. It just does.

[Dan Bernstein]

You know,

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

maybe. What? Everybody has a World cup opinion. Mine is.

[Dan Bernstein]

You have yours yet.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

My opinion.

[Dan Bernstein]

Yes. My opinion is on the World Cup.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

Yeah. My opinion is I'm going to pretend to get into the World cup because. Or I'm going last time. Do you remember that final?

[Dan Bernstein]

Yes.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

Do you remember how awesome that game was?

[Dan Bernstein]

Amazing.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

That was one of the best sporting events I've ever seen.

[Dan Bernstein]

On the edge of my couch watching.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

That was one of the best sporting events I've ever.

[Dan Bernstein]

We were all watching. It was great.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

It was incredible.

[Dan Bernstein]

My World cup opinion is I'm going to cancel my hotel room.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

Which one?

[Dan Bernstein]

All of them that I have booked.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

Oh, the ones you have that are just driving up the price of the hotel room. Hey, meanwhile, did you see that the two attorneys general are actually going to find out in New York and New Jersey now why there's all these inflated ticket prices and how FIFA's jacking all the. Everything around and. And defrauding everybody and saying they're supplying tickets. It's on now. It is on now. But, yeah, those are. My World cup opinion is I'm going to care about it, but my bookie gives you a place to put those opinions if you have a country you're rooting for or you think maybe an overrated favorite or a buddy that swears they know ball because they watch three highlights about a jersey. Hello. That's what makes the tournament so much fun. As a new player, you have this code, dbu. There it is. It's now yours. And when you sign up, that code lets you claim an exclusive. My bookie offer. And the World cup turns every match into a conversation. My bookie lets you turn that opinion into action. You can back your side before kickoff. You can follow the match live. You can stay locked in from the opening whistle to the final kick. And the great thing about soccer games, they don't take that long. It's really. It's not that much of a commitment. It's a couple hours and you're good. The World cup only comes around once every four years, so don't just watch it from the sidelines. Get in on the action. My bookie. The code DBU must be 21 plus. Please gamble responsibly. And that will conclude today's Dan Bernstein, unfiltered here on 312Sports, brought to you in partnership with my bookie, Dan Bernstein.

[Dan Bernstein]

Unfiltered.

[Co-host or Guest on Dan Bernstein Unfiltered]

Unfiltered on 312 sports.