Dan Bernstein Unfiltered – Terry Boers Joins DBU (January 26, 2026)

Episode Overview

This special episode of Dan Bernstein Unfiltered on 312 Sports features Chicago radio legend Terry Boers, reuniting with longtime collaborators Dan Bernstein and executive producer Matt Abbatacola. The reunion brings nostalgia, sharp sports takes, reflections on decades of Chicago sports radio, and unfiltered personal insights from Boers on aging, health, legacy, and the state of the world. The conversation strikes a deeply personal chord, highlighting the unmistakable camaraderie and creativity that shaped decades of Chicago broadcasting.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

Catching Up: Terry’s Life Today

• Boers candidly shares his current lifestyle, embracing retirement and battling health issues:

  • He spends time reading, doing puzzles, and generally “doing nothing” (01:58).
  • No longer watches much sports: “After how many years? 50? … Last time I watched the game was probably a month ago, and that was more by accident than anything else.” (01:58)
  • Boers discusses his health, including a serious struggle with liver disease, rapid weight gain related to it, and ongoing battles with doctors and treatments (04:13–07:13).
  • On aging: “Just stop, don’t … go any older because it doesn’t get any better.” (02:55)

• On the loss of interest in gambling and harness racing:

  • “It’s so weird when you get old and tired and bad as I am, you don’t feel like betting anymore.” (07:44)
  • Reminiscences about old Vegas trips, now finding little appeal: “Gambling doesn’t appeal to me. Horses doesn’t appeal to me. So I don’t do any of it.” (08:07)

Notable Quote:

“I spend a lot of time doing absolutely nothing. I work things, I do puzzle. I just kill time and read and do other things. ... I don’t watch any sports, believe it or not.”
– Terry Boers (01:58)

Nostalgia: The Score, Legacy, and Chemistry

• Reflections on the legacy of Boers and Bernstein at The Score:
  • Boers describes his unexpected path to radio and how he valued the collaboration: “Working with Dan for as long as I did ... I thought that we meshed pretty damn well together, which is very difficult to do.” (10:15)
  • The camaraderie and complete lack of ego were key: “Nobody’s ego got in the way ... the guys that worked behind were just as important to me as the guys who worked in front.” (21:12)
  • Pride in giving ‘luck a place to land’—the willingness to elevate producers and let the whole team shape the show (20:26–21:12).

Notable Quotes:

“All of that stuff I don’t miss now, isn’t that weird? ... All the stuff that was stupid to do. And I say that to people as a warning sign...”
– Terry Boers (10:15)

“You guys gave Luck a place to land. ... It all came from you guys allowing us to do what our personalities allowed us to do. Other hosts wouldn’t allow producers to be personalities.”
– Matt Abbatacola (19:36)

Creativity Within Constraints: Swearing, Satire, and On-Air Genius

• Dan recounts FCC-era creativity, especially Boers’ inventive swearing:

  • Swapping “Deutsche Bank” for “douchebag,” inventing phrases, using wit to bypass censors (13:08–15:06).
  • Hilarious recollections of classic bits: “Uncle Tilty,” “walking rectum,” and cancel-worthy but unforgettable moments (15:21).

• Boers reflects on his gift for spontaneous barbs:

  • “That’s just me. Which really is for better or worse. ... I enjoy sitting around thinking about things to say to people.” (18:49)

Notable Quotes:

“After a while, you think I’m going to run out of things to say to people. What am I going to tell them ... because we had all kinds of phone calls, basically we’re calling Dan to tell him he was an idiot.”
– Terry Boers (15:06)

“The moment the light went on, there was this creativity of you still coming up with things to call people that would conform to FCC regulations ... Deutsche Bank could be applied as a substitute for douchebag with exactly the same emphasis.”
– Dan Bernstein (13:08)

Reflections on Teamwork, Leadership, and Show Culture

• Empowering producers as on-air personalities, credited by both Boers and Matt:

  • “If you’re good, I’ll give you air ... The first day you guys said, hey, there’s a microphone in front of you for a reason. Use it.” (20:26)

• Boers defines the team dynamic:

  • “I thought the show belonged to all of us. ... Nobody’s ego that I knew got in the way of any of that.” (21:12)
  • “Those were the greatest days of my life, us doing that show together. Completely unexpected ... we had to speak English, so I.” (22:55)

Social Media, Listeners, and Legacy

• Disengagement from Twitter:

  • Boers: “That was the best damn decision you ever made to get your ass right off ... I don’t need this in my life.” (28:04)
  • Bernstein describes social media as “wired to get the worst out of me” (27:23).

• Listeners and extended show family:

  • “The outpouring of people just saying, hey, this is great. Cool. New podcast. When are you having Terry on? How is Terry doing? Everybody just kind of wants to know Terry.” (26:10)
  • Reminiscence about meetups and remotes, “tavern tours,” and unforgettable Score culture scenes (28:32).

Notable Quote:

“We were out there every day. If you wanted to criticize us ... I didn’t back down from it.”
– Terry Boers (28:04)

The Bears: Enduring Exasperation and Glimmers of Hope

• Aging out of Bears fandom, but still following:

  • “You could have, I think just about anybody who ever lived rather than this last clown they had. ... He was unqualified to coach the job, you know, a little league team. I wouldn’t want him there.” (32:46, 33:48)
  • On the team’s decisions: "They kept him one extra year ... he wasn’t even fired when he should have been." (34:17)

• The perennial misery and twisted loyalty of Chicago football fans:

  • “That’s how much I like to torture myself—more so them than anybody left, that’s the one you swore off.” (35:06)

The State of the World, Grandparenthood, and Optimism

• Cosmic perspective from a life in news and sports:

  • Boers shares mixed feelings of hope and fear for the future as a grandfather: “Sometimes I get scared ... but other times I figure that my parents, my grandparents were in the same position and I’m still here.” (43:25)

• Reluctant optimism:

  • “Our nature is still decent. ... There are plenty of good people still left everywhere ... I think we’re okay for a while yet.” (47:44—50:27)

• The responsibility of working on yourself:

  • Matt: "Take that criticism that we put outward and turn that inward and start working on ourselves. ... I think that’s a really good first step.” (50:28)

Notable Quotes:

“I just don’t ... want them to feel like we have no hope. ... I think there’s enough people left in the world that are smart enough to figure this out...”
– Terry Boers (44:12)

“I think our nature is still decent. I really do. ... There are plenty of good people still left everywhere.”
– Terry Boers (47:10)

Lessons Learned: Regrets, Advice, and Closing Thoughts

• On what he wishes he’d learned sooner:
  • “Probably not to spend so much money on cars.” (51:11)
• On the Vietnam War and anti-war protest days: He faced criticism but “was just being logical” about opposing the war (52:04–57:21).
• Reflections on legacy: Deep gratitude for collaborators and listeners, pride tinged with humility, and a continued lack of ego.
  • Bernstein: “Your legacy is alive and well here ... your DNA is inextricably linked. ... As long as this show exists ... there’s some of it that is here.” (60:36)
  • Boers: “The radio did as much for me as the little bit I did for the radio and much, much more.” (61:49)

Memorable Moments & Quotes with Timestamps

• On never feeling like a "star":
  • “...not really, but just that kind of thing. I, I don’t know if it’s a common thing, but with this show, it was common...” – Terry Boers (21:19)
• The ‘Uncle Tilty’ saga & creative FCC-approved insults:
  • “You kept calling him Uncle Tilty ... and then you said ... here comes Uncle Tilty to tell everyone ... Nolo Cornholio...” – Dan Bernstein (15:21)
• On satirical show legacy & moral compass:
  • "It’s the way that we did have a moral compass. It’s the way that we did understand that ... people knew where our hearts and minds were and on what side of any good fight we were.” – Dan Bernstein (57:23)
• On what made the Score special:
  • “The common thread that went through everything that was good during those years ... was you. ... You were the heart and soul of everything that we did that was good at the Score." – Matt Abbatacola (63:08)
• On Bears coaching fiascos and fan suffering:
  • “The best you can do is that guy?” – Terry Boers (33:48)

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Segment | Timestamp | |----------------------------------|-----------| | Welcome, catching up | 00:00–02:55 | | Terry’s health and aging | 03:09–07:13 | | Lack of interest in sports/gambling | 07:28–08:29 | | Nostalgia & show legacy | 10:15–13:08 | | On-air creativity/FCC workarounds | 13:08–15:21 | | Producer empowerment/teamwork | 19:36–22:55 | | Listener culture & meetups | 26:10–28:32 | | Social media discussion | 28:04–28:32 | | Bears coaching frustrations | 32:46–35:06 | | Reflections on legacy | 60:36–63:08 | | Optimism about the world | 47:04–50:27 |

Energetic Exchanges & Closing Sentiments

• Jokes & affectionate ribbing:
  • Reference to Bill Belichick’s much younger girlfriend: “If Bill Belichick can do it ... you could too.” (24:42)
• Bernstein about Boers's humility: “Your DNA is inextricably linked. ... It gives you some kind of ... immortality, there is some of it that is here.” (60:36)
• Boers on colleagues: “You guys mean the world to me. ... Hopefully we’ll do it again soon.” (71:02)

Summary

This episode is a celebration not just of Terry Boers’s career, but the shared spirit that made Boers and Bernstein a Chicago institution. It’s punctuated with classic banter, emotional gratitude, biting satire, and unfiltered honesty. Whether reflecting on old bits (Uncle Tilty, creative swears), taking stock of life and regrets, or worrying about the world his grandchildren will inherit, Boers is as real and as funny as ever. Above all, the tone is one of legacy, humility, and mutual respect—a love letter to Chicago radio and everyone who ever tuned in.

For anyone who misses the classic Score days or wants to understand why Boers and Bernstein meant so much to Chicago sports fans, this is required listening.