The Chicago Bulls and Giannis | The New England Patriots path to the Super Bowl

Summary

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Dan Bernstein Unfiltered

Episode: The Chicago Bulls and Giannis | The New England Patriots Path to the Super Bowl
Date: January 29, 2026
Host: Dan Bernstein (B), with Matt Abbatacola (C)

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Episode Overview

This episode tackles two major sports topics with Dan Bernstein's signature sharp analysis and humor:

• The New England Patriots' turnaround and their path to the Super Bowl—what other NFL teams can (and cannot) learn from their approach this season.
• The Chicago Bulls' current direction, including the swirling Giannis Antetokounmpo trade rumors, assessment of the roster, and the organization's chronic mediocrity.

Mixed in are tributes to Chicago sports legends, insider anecdotes, and playful banter, making for an unfiltered, insightful, and classic Bernstein podcast.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The New England Patriots’ Model: Lessons From Their Rebuild

[00:38–22:49]

• Challenging “Copycat League” Logic:
  Bernstein points out that each year, NFL owners and execs draw the wrong lessons from Super Bowl teams, with the NFL labeled a "copycat league." He notes:

  “Owners are watching television and owners go, that team’s in the Super Bowl. We gotta do what that team did... It’s business competition, and that’s what often happens... but what the Patriots did this year may actually be instructive.” — Bernstein [01:00]

• Patriots’ Decisiveness in Roster Building:

  • Under new head coach Mike Vrabel, the Patriots executed a swift and clear roster overhaul—cutting holdover starters, targeting specific fits, and getting aggressive in free agency ($300M spent).
  • Bernstein admires Vrabel’s approach:

    “When Vrabel took over...I hope Vrabel walked in and said, alright, if you give me this job, get out of my way. Because we need the right fit for people to do things that I want them to do.” — Bernstein [04:04]

  • The synergy between GM and coach is emphasized as vital for sustainable success.

• Draft Philosophy & Making “Bad” Years Matter:

  • The Patriots capitalized on down years, maximizing their draft positions not just in the first round but throughout. Bernstein compares this to other organizations:

    “When you have been bad, you can't let those seasons go to waste…” — Bernstein [03:20]

• Talent Identification Beyond Obvious Metrics:

  • Both hosts discuss the value of finding undrafted gems and misfits from other rosters, which speaks to a coach's ability to develop and deploy talent creatively.

    “The biggest compliment you can give a coach is: we could switch rosters and you’d still beat me.” — Bernstein [10:04]

• Health, Depth, and Development:

  • Effective teams prepare for attrition and develop depth, not just for special teams but for real game contribution, noting how rare it is for starters (especially QBs) to be available all season.

• Takeaways for NFL Teams:

  • It’s about more than just raw talent—it’s syncing vision, decisiveness, finding undervalued players, and maximizing every resource.

2. The Chicago Bulls: Out-Coached, Outclassed, and Facing Big Questions

[23:18–43:00]

• Recurring Bulls/Pacers Woes, Coaching Contrast:

  • Bernstein and Matt lament the Bulls’ latest loss to the Pacers, with credit to Rick Carlisle for exploiting the Bulls’ defensive vulnerabilities.

    “If you’re going to play Giddy and Vucevic, you’re in trouble. And the Pacers just kept going at the guys they wanted to attack.” — Bernstein [23:18]

  • The Bulls are described as “a bad team,” out-coached and out-maneuvered.

• Eulogy for Terry Boers—Memorable Moment:

  • The hosts warmly discuss the on-air tribute to Chicago sports radio legend Terry Boers, capped by a surreal, darkly funny moment:

    “They fade to black... as the game resumes, who comes into the game for the Indiana Pacers but Johnny Furphy… I was dying. My stomach muscles were cramping because I just thought it was so perfect. You could not have written that any better.” — Bernstein [25:36]

• Media, NBA Culture, and Bulls History:

  • The camaraderie of old NBA beat culture contrasted with today’s arms-length coverage; Terry Boers as the ultimate NBA “insider”.

3. Giannis to the Bulls? Why (Not) and How to Fix the Franchise

[29:59–43:00]

• Giannis Antetokounmpo Trade Speculation:

  • Bernstein is firmly against the idea, noting Giannis is now 31 and not a fit for the Bulls’ roster or timeline.

    “The Bulls are not the team to make that move…They need to be accruing, not sending draft capital…They don’t have a young core.” — Bernstein [31:23]

  • Matt presses the counterpoint—could a Giannis/Giddey/Modest core be enough? Bernstein remains unconvinced, emphasizing asset management and skepticism about the Bulls’ ability to build a true contender.

• Bulls’ Roster Reality Check:

  • The duo break down individual players:
    • Only Giddey and Modest are considered solid “core” contributors.
    • Kobe White: “replaceable,” increasingly erratic.
    • Vucevic: "an imperative...you must trade him.”
    • IO Dosunmu: Valuable, but potentially most useful as a trade asset.
  • Bernstein likens the Bulls’ business model to “Medieval Times with an NBA team”:

    “If you want to run Medieval Times, run Medieval Times. But that's essentially what the Bulls have been...Entertainment, but not a business model for a competitive league.” — Bernstein [36:51]

• Front Office Dysfunction Still the Root Problem:

  • Even with hypothetical assets, Bernstein doubts Artūras Karnišovas or Marc Eversley will steward a successful rebuild.

• How Many Draft Picks Is Giannis Worth?

  • Bernstein’s skepticism is quantitative:

    “Wait till you see what a team actually gives up for him...the cost is going to knock you back off this position when you see what a team gives up…” [40:22]

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4. Rapid-Fire: White Sox, Bears Nostalgia, and Cultural Asides

[43:00–61:28]

• White Sox 2026 ZiPS Projections — Dark Humor Abounds:

  • Bernstein quizzes Matt on who the Sox’ top projected player is (spoiler: it’s Kyle Teal, a catcher).

    “Montgomery is second... Andrew Benintendi is the 23rd most valuable player on the Sox at 0.2 WAR. He’s also...a bad baseball player.” — Bernstein [44:57]

  • Total projected record? Matt’s “supercomputer” yields 67–95.

• Bears Super Bowl XX Ditka Sweater Vest Auction Story:

  • The legendary Ditka vest is up to $82,000, which both hosts think is “too low for what this is.”

    “There’s gotta be some idiot out there that would pay six figures for Ditka’s game-worn sweater.” — Matt [53:13]

• Rome, the Vatican, and Sports/Faith Mash-up:

  • Tangents include dreams of putting Ditka’s sweater in the Vatican museum, and the letdown of seeing the Sistine Chapel compared to St. Peter’s—a bit of classic Bernstein absurdist Chicago riffing.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On NFL Team-Building:

  “The biggest compliment you can give a coach is: we could switch rosters and you’d still beat me.” — Bernstein [10:04]

• On the Bulls as a Franchise:

  “If you want to run Medieval Times, run Medieval Times. But that's essentially what the Bulls have been…Entertainment, but not a business model for a competitive league.” — Bernstein [36:51]

• On Mocking Bulls Futility:

  “That team's beaten the Bulls three times in their 12 wins. A quarter of that team's wins have come at the expense of the Bulls.” — Bernstein [23:18]

• On What’s Really Wrong in Chicago Sports:

  “All of this starts with ownership making the right decision.” — Matt [16:04]

• On Giannis Trade Hype:

  “Every year now, every year there is some sort of dance that we do around the...where Giannis is going. He’s 31, man. He’s not 26.” — Bernstein [31:18]

• On Bears Memorabilia:

  “There’s a lot of rich Bears fans out there that want a piece of history...that would pay six figures for Ditka’s game-worn sweater.” — Matt [53:13]

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• NFL “Copycat League” Rant / Patriots Analysis: [00:38–12:00]
• Patriots Roster Breakdown / Player Development: [05:52–14:44]
• Impact of Coaching, Ownership, Front Office: [14:44–19:00]
• Bears, Giants, Jets, NFL Landscape: [19:00–22:49]
• Bulls/Pacers Game Recap & Terry Boers Tribute: [23:18–29:59]
• Giannis/Bulls Roster Talk / Organizational Pathways: [29:59–43:00]
• White Sox ZiPS Projections & Baseball Sidebars: [43:00–50:00]
• Ditka Sweater Vest Auction Story: [50:07–54:36]
• Vatican, Museums, Cultural Tangents: [54:36–58:22]

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Summary

Dan Bernstein and Matt Abbatacola’s episode provides a fast-paced, witty, but deeply incisive take on the NFL’s and NBA’s shifting fortunes, using the Patriots and Bulls as case studies in how to (and not to) build a winner. Essential for Chicago sports fans, the episode is packed with frank locker-room talk, classic local flavor, and wry pop-cultural commentary.

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For listeners: This episode is quintessential Bernstein—sharp, unsparing, and loaded with entertaining stories and takeaways for any serious sports fan or Chicagoan looking to make sense of their teams’ latest moves.

Transcript

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[C]

Dan Bernstein Unfiltered Unfiltered on 312 Sports.

[B]

Welcome to Dan Bernstein Unfiltered and we are brought to you in partnership with my bookie. This is that time of year where as we start to get closer to getting closer to the super bowl, we, we, we derive lessons about the teams that are there and we sometimes use improper inductive reasoning to determine why those teams are there. There's all sorts of bad lessons learned every super bowl year and we talk about it every year. And despite the fact that we're aware of bad lessons being learned, it still happens because owners are like that. Owners are watching television and owners go, that team's in the Super Bowl. We gotta, we gotta do what that team did so we can be there. What did they do? And most years we get and people love to say, well, it's a copycat league. You know what league they like to say that about? Every league, every sport people love. Well, you know that this league is a copycat league. Yes. So is really everything. It's business competition. And that's what often happens in any kind of business competition is because owners and CEOs, those are uncreative and impatient and they then will decide that there's going to be a downward edict. Be like that team, be like the teams that are more successful than we are. And things tend to happen thusly. And this year, I think the Patriots have actually done something that may be, if not immediately actionable. I think the lessons are pretty obvious. And what we're learning about that team that I think is going to lose, by the way, I don't think that you're necessarily going to have these lessons to be learned from a champion that anybody's going to be writing books on this, if anything, it's going to be the Seahawks who eventually be like, well, yeah, we got rid of one coach, we got another coach, we found a quarterback and we have a killer defense and we're good. I think with the Patriots, obviously finding the right coach was important. Empowering that coach was important. And then what they did, really, the lesson that I'm learning looking at their roster is don't waste time. Don't waste time finding the right fits for your team. I think that what the Patriots showed us was a little bit of, if anything, decisiveness, if you look at the way their roster is constructed. So let's look at that and let's see. And maybe you tell me I'm wrong, but the way that they've used the draft and the way that a going from being a bad team and making it matter when you're bad, loading up on draft picks, picking higher in not just the first round, but picking higher in every round, that has additive value. And when you have been bad, you can't let those seasons go to waste because it's almost unfair. You know, if you look at teams like the spurs or the Patriots, where you have teams, oh, they're good again, they're going to be good again. Wait till the Dallas Mavericks are good again. It is. When you do have those dips, that's sort of like what the. What the Indiana Pacers are trying to do right now. Okay, Halliburton's out. Let's make hay. That's fine. Let's be bad. Let's be really bad. Let's get a bunch of picks, let's figure out our cap situation and let's use the bad to get good and.

[C]

Let'S keep beating the Bulls.

[B]

Oh, don't even. We'll. We'll get to that. We'll get to that. That was hilarious last night.

[C]

Yeah. You know, every time I sit down. Well, yeah, we'll talk about it later. I'm not.

[B]

Yeah, we will. We will get to that. But when you start looking at these, at these. The moment Vrabel took over and there was no pushing and pulling and no saying, well, we have these guys, Mike, can you find a way to make this guy work and that guy work? When Vrabel took over, and I don't know if he did this at his interview or when and how it was decided, I hope it was. I hope Vrabel walked in and said, all right, if you give me this job, get out of my way. Because we need the right fit for people to do things that I want them to do. And that's how it should be. The coach, if you've done it right, the coach is the most powerful, influential person in your building. And the GMs got a great sense for meshing with the coach's vision and the GM skill is then attuned specifically to what the coach wants. And you don't have any, any cross purposes. You have no competing vision no matter who was hired when, if everybody's really doing it right and man if their drafts this year on their current roster that you've got, you only have a handful of guys from the Belichick, Jared Mayo time there.

[C]

Yeah, I think, I think Vrabel came in and launched a lot of the guys that were inherited starters.

[B]

He sure did. And he, and he found guys who were cut by other teams who he already had circled. He'd been looking at other rosters and he came in with those names that this was. When you talk about a hit the ground running. I don't know what he said in his interview about what he was going to do or what his plans were but as of right now there are 22 draft picks on their roster. 22. And I'll I'm going to run down these names and if I mispronounce something, please don't yell at me because I don't know everybody's name perfectly. Drake may remind Ray Stevenson Travion Henderson K Sean Booty, Demario Douglas, Kyle Williams, Jared Wilson, Mike on one who Will Campbell, Caden Wallace, Marcus Bryant, Christian Barmore, Braden Swinson, Anthony Jennings, Marte Mapu, Christian Gonzalez, Marcus Jones, Kobe Minor, Craig Woodson, Andy Borgales, Bryce Barringer, Julian Ashby all draft picks then do you know what the Patriots spent on players in the off season? $300 million. So we know that Milton Williams, the defensive end was the big signing. Stefan Diggs was hurt. Stefan Diggs had the ACL injury and there's a reason why he is nominated for comeback player of the year. So when they went into the off season and looked at free agents. Let's here's, here's your list of current free agents on this roster right now. Josh Dobbs, Jack Westover, Stefan Diggs, Mack Hollins, Austin Hooper Hunter Henry Garrett, Bradbury Morgan Moses, Corey Durden, Milton Williams, Kyrus Tonga, former Bear Caleb On Chase on Jelani Tavai, Jack Gibbons, Robert Spillane, Harold Landry, Carlton Davis, Alex Austin, Jalen Hawkins. That was a lot of money for a lot of free agents. And then they've gotten a over sized production out of undrafted free agents too. And this, the Patriots should be good at this. Good teams, teams that have sustained should be really good at finding value in the UDFAs because your draft picks are worse when you're a really good team. Those should be well honed skills of a scouting department at this point. Say, look, we can't. We're not picking from the same pool because of the way the draft system works, that we've got to be better at it. And whoever's in charge of that, that, that's a great thing to have to be able to find value, especially in this damn league because of injuries, because of attrition, because. Because every team, good teams, bad teams, by the end of the year, those are the players who are playing. We forget about it all the time or we, we don't forget. We choose to ignore all the time how injured every team is every year and how important real depth is. Not just guys, but guys there on. And those spots on the rosters who aren't just special teams guys who, who can do things for you if need be. Yeah.

[C]

And it's not even need be. If you have a position where your guy goes 17 games in the regular season, you're very fortunate, very fortunate. And then to have multiple guys do that in the same unit, you've got to take advantage of that opportunity because that's not normal. And it's a very, very fortunate bounce of the ball for a team to do that. When you look at the Bears, their interior line, I mean, that's, that's not normal. To have Caleb Williams, Drake May started and played all 17 games, that's not normal. You know, and to be able to look at your roster and say, all right, well, here's our starters, here's the reserves. Those reserves are going to start. So you can't just look at those guys as special teamers or reserves only. They're going to be there more cases than not that they're going to play time for you for at least portions of the season, whether it's in games or starting games, they're going to be there.

[B]

You also have contributors on this team that have been cut by other teams like that. To me, if you want a lesson, if you want something to emulate, that I think speaks highly to coaching and development, but particularly the essence of coaching. The oldest aphorism in coaching, the biggest compliment you can give a coach is we could switch rosters and you'd still beat me. It was like the equivalent of the, the Racing IROC series when they said, we're going to give everybody the same car. You're going to get no advantages in the quality of your car. Well, you can, you can switch them up. You can, you can say, I'll Take that guy's car. I'll take this guy's car. Well, my car's just slower. No, it's not. I'm a, I'm a better driver than you are. I'm better at. I'm holding the lines better. I'm understanding aerodynamics better. And that's the biggest compliment you can give a coach is, boy, he could take my players and beat me coaching his players.

[C]

Yeah. And I think that's why you see in the NFL too, Dan, you see teams that finish last go to first place. We saw that with our Chicago Bears. We saw what the Patriots have done the last couple of years. I think they've won four or five games each of the last couple seasons. And then they go out now they're in the Super Bowl. That's why you see that in the NFL. It's a 17 game season and it's an opportunity to make the right decisions that can impact your season from one to the next. To go from bottom to first. If you look at the coach hiring, we saw how important that is. Obviously, we know, we've always known that, but we see it firsthand here in Chicago. You have a draft class that can impact your season immediately, which is what the Bears have really never taken advantage of. And they did a really good job this year. Obviously, your general manager, as you mentioned, being in sync with your coach, the coach being involved in the drafting and making that vision happen of these are the players that I need, then you need to take advantage of things. And these are things I just jotted down when you started talking. You've hit on a lot of them, the castoffs, other teams, cast offs. That's a guy that I can use in this situation. This is the guy that can fit for us. This is the guy that will play hard for me. Take advantage of your schedule. You know, and this has been a, you know, commentary about Caleb Williams and Drake May now going to the Super Bowl. Oh, look at the teams they played. Look at the quarterbacks they won against. Yeah, that's, that's the nature of the schedule. That's the nature of a finishing last in your division schedule. Take advantage of that. Kick the shit out of the teams that you should kick the shit out of. Win those games. Take advantage of a bad quarterback. You know, you have every right to do that. They both did that. Drake May did it. The Bears and Caleb Williams did it. Great. It's, it's a, you know, you can't, you can't begrudge someone who's on your Schedule, that's their schedule in season signings. Take advantage of health. I mean there's so many things that the Patriots have done which we've seen in Chicago as well too.

[B]

I want to be really clear here too. Of course talent matters.

[C]

Of course it does.

[B]

Talent matters tremendously. But I think it's finding that critical nexus of where you would give up a little bit in some of the measurables of height, weight, speed, three cone drill time, shuttle times for somebody, you know, does a certain job for you that is very specific and understand durability and how hard that person's going to play and the stuff that you can't necessarily scout that you can give guys your, your academic tests, your football academics and they say get them on the board and do the stuff on paper and do virtual reality keying and diagnosing. And if you see this front, which gap are you shooting here? What are your possibilities? Who's the mic? The way every, all of that works if you're good at understanding. I need someone who does this for me. My left guard has to make this block, this combo block and be able to pull up to the next level on these plays. And his backup. And if I'm going to find a backup for this guy, I want him. I want one where I'm going to. He doesn't have to be as good at this, but he's got to be good at this. And that could easily be someone that didn't fit somewhere else. And it's okay. It doesn't mean the guy's bad, but it's a, it's your, your money. Guys are going to say, okay, I can get that guy, but here's what he's going to cost. And you, it may be, I can't get you the, the return man. You want that. We're out, we're out of money on that and it's up and ultimately it should be the coach making those decisions.

[C]

Right. I was just going to say that that's ultimately that that's where the buck stops with the coach. But before that decision can even happen, you have to hire the right coach.

[B]

Correct.

[C]

Caleb Williams was just a talent, is just as talented last year as he was this year. There wasn't a difference between Caleb Williams last year and this year. It's the coach that brought that out of him. It's the coach that developed and prepared him and challenged him and pushed him and said, you're doing this wrong. You need to do this better. This is how we do it. You're not Doing it. Good enough. You know what? Get off the field. Get, get the, get the second team in. You're not doing this. Good enough. Yep. What is that like to Caleb Williams to be, like, the man, the number one pick, and to be like, in practice, get off the field. I'm not doing it right. Oh, okay. You think Matt Eberfluss or a coach of his caliber would have ever said that to a number one pick?

[B]

I don't know that he would have known when to say it, even if he thought it even better.

[C]

Even better.

[B]

Like, it's, it's trusting that the coach can even see what's in front of him and know what's good and bad and right and wrong. Eber Fluss was too busy worrying about his, his assistant coaches waving their wieners around in the hallways.

[C]

Well, he's too busy making up nicknames, too, for everybody. Yeah, I don't even want to.

[B]

I don't even want to go back to.

[C]

Yeah, I know, but all of this, all of this starts with ownership making the right decision. Oh, that's not fair. That's not fair.

[B]

I gave it a day.

[C]

That's not fair.

[B]

I gave it one day. I gave it a day, and it's been cracking me up.

[C]

I know, I know.

[B]

In the YouTube comments yesterday, they said, hey, you went.

[C]

But I wanted to see how long it was going to take. No, it's, look, that's not fair.

[B]

Look here, look. See, he's.

[C]

Oh, you gotta stop. Okay, now, that's it.

[B]

No, I, it's enough. I, I, I set him there yesterday.

[C]

I was hoping to reward someone who noticed it.

[B]

You can go back and look, and everyone's asking, hey, what? Did you get him back? Did you get him back? Yes. And he was there yesterday, and he's, and I say, he's back there. Vic is going to be mad because he's on top of the, the $10,000 turntable. What happens if he spontaneously combusts and melts and we're all in trouble?

[C]

Well, you haven't thanked me either, because we were there Monday doing that stuff for, for tb.

[B]

Okay.

[C]

Did you tell Tanny the lengthy, the hours of negotiations I had to go through to get your personal belongings back?

[B]

They didn't even know I had a locker. They're full of stuff.

[C]

I know.

[B]

They had no idea.

[C]

Yeah, I, I mentioned it to, to Mitch, and I'm like, hey, can Dan get his stuff back when he gets here today? He's like, what stuff? And I'm like, I don't know. He has stuff in a locker. There's, like, personal belongings. They're in a locker. He's like. He really, like, yep. He's like, all right. So they got the. The lawyers came down, and we sat in the conference room, and we were going back and forth.

[B]

I was wondering, all those guys in suits with the briefcases that were handcuffed to their wrists.

[C]

Yeah. Like, because they kept asking, like, why do you think Dan should get this stuff back? And I go, well, it belongs to him. Okay, but why do you think he deserves to have it back again? Because it's his personal belongings. They belong to Dan. Okay, so you feel on that. That merit alone, Dan should get the stuff back? I go, I really do. Like, okay. Well, then they. They would convene, and they'd come back, and they're like, tell us again why you think Dan can get the stuff. So it took hours. I mean, I was there for, like, six hours.

[B]

Thank you. You were always a lot of work, so.

[C]

And I was hoping that someone would notice it without you pointing it out.

[B]

In all truth, my. My lawyer told me, don't worry about it. He said, is there anything there that is actually really important?

[C]

Potter Toast man.

[B]

And I said, I'm sure you had.

[C]

Packs of, like, budding meat, as Tannehill.

[B]

Said, like, old, old packs of meat. But honestly, I asked. I did ask my lawyer. I said, I, you know, there's a lot of stuff there. And he said, you know, he goes, it's not. It's not worth it right now. We don't want to open an item right now. After everything was finally. So he's like, no, no, it's fine.

[C]

But here we are now. We were there, so.

[B]

Yeah, we were there. And. And the people who are in the comments yesterday saying, where's powdered toast man? And I was thinking, like, you know, just look closer. Look. Look closer. There he is. Hello.

[C]

Right there.

[B]

Yep, there he is. He's right.

[C]

I know. You couldn't resist.

[B]

I couldn't. I could, because that's why. And I even moved this, like, just over enough to get him in the screen. You see there?

[C]

He's there. He's there.

[B]

I know. I know. It makes me feel better.

[C]

$45,000 turntable.

[B]

He's right there, and he. And he whispers things in my ear there. He gives me. He gives me good, warm thoughts about things. Cling tenaciously to my buttocks.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

But it's.

[C]

It's interesting, though, when you look at this whole. This whole exercise, you look at the Patriots, you look at what the Bears have done. And we'll talk more about, obviously, the Bears similarly, in this process, in forward progress, you can see what can happen in a year or two of turnaround. And if you, if you can't see that projection or where it's headed. I mean, I hate to keep picking on the jets, but let's keep picking on the Jets.

[B]

I don't. Why do you hate it?

[C]

Because it's an easy. It's like the smallest kid in the. In the classroom at recess to pick on. I mean, it's just. It's the easiest thing to do.

[B]

But the New York jets being that makes it worthwhile.

[C]

But what, like, what about this Jet season? Have you said, all right, and he certainly can turn it around and make them a successful franchise in the near future. But what about the season to you says, yeah, Aaron Glenn has this team pointed in the right direction. They're moving. And you can't always look at win, loss, record. That's not always an indication of where the team is headed. But what about Aaron Glenn this year? Do you say, yeah, I could see. I could see where that's headed. I could see where that's going. Because I can't. I can't see that. You know, and you see the change that the Cardinals made in Jonathan Gannon. Where were they headed? Like, what direction were they going? You know, you could see a guy like Mike Vrabel come in and you see what he did right away and say, all right, I get this. Let's see how it works out on the field. And then, then again, you go through the 2025 season and take advantage of everything that's.

[B]

And then things. And then things break your way. You don't have to apologize when things break your way.

[C]

No, you don't. And the criticism of who they've played is totally unfair. I mean, I battled that with the Bears all last season, and the Patriots are now. That's what I'm seeing a lot on social media, which, again, you know, but it's just, it's there. Oh, these are the quarterbacks they beat.

[B]

So what?

[C]

Other teams had a chance to beat them, too, and they didn't. You know, Green Bay had the same opportunity to beat Cleveland. I know the Bears got Shador Sanders, but Cleveland was not a good team, and the packers couldn't go there and score more than 10 points. You have the opportunity to beat bad teams, too, and you just didn't. So don't get mad at a team who does.

[B]

The super bowl is finally here, and My bookie is where you turn bets into bankroll. Everybody's watching, everybody has an opinion. This is the one game where everybody turns into a prop expert because they're fun and you can get a whole list of props and you don't have to think about it too much and it makes it really entertaining and something happens and you go, oh, oh, we had that as one of the props. And that's what you can do with my bookie. Because the super bowl prop board is deep and fun. That's why the Jimmy Kimmel Live show talks about it every year. It's the one that they use for their we sort of wacky super bowl props. And if there ever was a time to get in, do it right now. Because it couldn't be easier with my bookie. One account, one wallet. You bet the spread, you can hit the casino during commercials. You want to live bet the second half. I always say this about the super bowl, that when the second half rolls around, a lot of us go, oh, there's another half of football. That's right, we forgot. I thought the game was over already. No, there's an entire second half to watch. It's all in one place at MyBookie AG. And when you have the promo code DBU and you have it, there it is. Now you have it, the promo code. You get your first bet covered up to 500 bucks. And if it doesn't hit, you've got the bet back bonus token that allows you to run it back. So don't just watch the big game. You can make it pay with my bookie.

[D]

From taco night in Tulum to sushi in Tokyo, every bite is rewarding and Pulse worthy with MX Gold 4 times membership rewards points at restaurants worldwide. Wherever you dine, points are piling up. So bring your friends along for your next course. Because it's not all about the posts, it's about the company and the memories. How can gold from Amex sweeten your next food moment? Learn [e-mail] Explore Gold terms and points.

[B]

Cap apply There isn't too much to be said about last night's Bulls performance other than a really good coach in Rick Carlisle identified two defensive issues on the floor at the same time. If you're going to play Giddy and Vuchevich, you're in trouble. And the Pacers just kept going at the guys they wanted to attack. The Bulls have to stop switching every ball screen. Vuch is an absolute. You want to see what a defensive liability looks like. I mean, they just they attacked him and attacked him and attacked him. And they. They took it. They just took that game. And they're a bad team. They're really a bad team. Nismit's a real nice player, though, and did make plays down the stretch. And they. Bulls got out coached near the end of that game because they just identified they had some better players who made some bigger plays. And they have beaten the Bulls three times in their 12 wins. A quarter of that team's wins on the year have come at the expense of the Bulls.

[C]

Yeah, and I knew. And I sit down and to, you know, watch a full game, and it's like this always is. I'm probably the problem. I'm like the issue when I decided I got nothing going on tonight, I'm going to sit down, watch this Bulls game. And they allow them to hang around for three quarters when, you know, Siakam wasn't having a game either, you know, and it's like they just, they. They allowed them to hang around and hang around and hang around and hang. And then at the end it became laughable. You know, it's just. It's really frustrating to watch.

[B]

Well, there were actual laughs in that game, I have to say, because they were going to break early and the CHSN broadcast gave a really nice little eulogy going to break for Terry Bors. And they showed his picture and they. They talked about him. And I, I sent a couple of nice texts thanking them just for. For handling that so well. Both, especially, you know, Mark Brady, the. The producer of those games does such a great job. And everybody over at chsn, they. And of course, of course, of course they do the tribute to Terry going to break.

[C]

They.

[B]

They fade to black. And as the game resumes, who comes into the game for the Indiana Pacers but Johnny Furfee. F U R P H Y Johnny Furfee.

[C]

As if it was planned, Johnny Furfy.

[B]

Comes in the game. I was dying. My stomach muscles were cramping because I just thought it was so perfect. You could not have written that any better. And especially too, because I want people to know the Bulls and the NBA were Terry's favorite.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

From his days covering the Bulls. From Terry's days playing basketball. And like, the Bulls were his favorite.

[C]

Yeah. I mean, if you, if you ever sat down in length with Terry to talk about his, his work, his. His stories and just talking about being on the beat, I mean, you could just sit and you wouldn't have to say a word for hours. If you wanted to talk the NBA. You would just be enthralled and entertained by the NBA stuff.

[B]

And his best friends in the business, almost all of them came from the NBA. Yeah, in one way or another. His. His. His closest buddies, it came from. He was a basketball guy. If he had, if you had. Outside of horse racing and the other stuff, if he had to. You had to pick one of the major sports. I know he loved to go sit at baseball games, and he understood everything, really. But, but you, you get him going on basketball. That was just kind of the, you know, the essence of, you know, being around the arenas and being with these guys and talking to coaches and feeling the rhythm of the game. It was his favorite, so. And then, of course, Johnny Furfeed, and I was just.

[C]

Yeah, which. Which makes a great deal of sense given the culture of what the camaraderie is between coaches and players and reporters. You know, I know obviously it's changed a little bit today, but given that. That culture.

[B]

No, it's. It's. It's still that game. It's. It's still the. It's the game of people who like to talk. And it's the, it's the urbane. It's. It's just. It's a city game, you know, and it is, It's. It's about big, brash talkers and guys who can. Can spend all night just talking players and talking. There's like, the culture of the NBA is still that.

[C]

Sure. I'm not going to dispute that. But I think the way that people go about covering the team and the way teams are covered has changed. And.

[B]

Yeah, that's.

[C]

That's what I'm saying. So that's where you see that difference, where you're not going to have, you know, most guys aren't going to sit down and, you know, at the hotel bar and have a drink and talk and talk real ins and outs and the intricacies of what they're doing on the court, that's just that normal. That's not going to happen. Where. That was part of the normal process of how that developed and what Terry would talk about.

[B]

Yeah, and it was. Yeah, it was part of. When you traveled with the team, that actual team officials would be the people drinking with you and heading out late for a late breakfast with you and moving salt shakers around. That.

[C]

Yeah, that's why when, When I first started with. With you guys and it was like, oh, we want to talk to this guy. I'm like, all right, I'll. I'll work on it. And then Terry be like, oh, no, just call so and so. Call so and so and tell them that, you know, Terry said this, like, okay, so I'm, you know, calling Bulls officials, like, guys high up, and it's like, hey, Terry Boers. Oh, yeah, What's Terry want? What's Terry.

[B]

Sure. What's that old bastard want? Fine.

[C]

Okay.

[B]

Yep. Yes. And. And that's. It was his favorite, so it was a nice.

[C]

Yeah. That was great, though. That was. It was great. It was. Couldn't have asked for, like, what other player in the league? I mean, how many hundreds of guys.

[B]

Are in the league other than former Detroit Tigers hurler Charlie Furbush?

[C]

Yeah, but I mean, like, in the. In the NBA right now, you have to pick one guy to follow the Terry eulogy.

[B]

Johnny Furfee. Johnny Furfee has to come into that game because as. As a former intern for BNB pointed out to me last night, it's the ultimate intern name.

[C]

Oh, yeah, absolutely.

[B]

It isn't just an NBA player. It's like the text I got back was, Johnny Furby, NBA BNB intern.

[C]

It was funny when speaks the other day was talking about the. The Johnny names, because I think it was right. I think he was mentioning it right before Jason Benetti came on. Who was Johnny Carmelo? He said that Spiggs was like, oh, you know, the Johnny had Johnny Something's names. I got a text immediately from Johnny Something, who was an actual intern. Yes. He was like, hey, you just mentioned me indirectly.

[B]

Johnny Rampage. Johnny Something. It. That started with Johnny Jackass.

[C]

Johnny Jackass. Who looked like.

[B]

Who looked like Johnny Knoxville. Johnny.

[C]

Johnny Knoxville.

[B]

Yes. And then Terry called him, who's that guy? Johnny Jackass. And that's how. That's how every intern got the names, because you were Jackie Jr.

[C]

I was Jackie Jr. And then I was, no, thank you. I'm not thirsty.

[B]

Jackie Jr. Was. Because you looked like Jackie April Jr. From the Sopranos.

[C]

Yes. That's all. That was my name. I didn't have a giant. Yeah. It started with Johnny Jackass. You remember my. My cousin's Johnny name?

[B]

Remind me.

[C]

Johnny Bobcat.

[B]

Johnny Bobcat. That's a good one. Yeah, it was a good one. I did forget that. Johnny Bobcat. Yeah. Back to basketball for a moment. I am out on this Giannis trade talk. I don't. There's people say, why not the Bulls? Why not the Bulls? Giannis wants out now how many years?

[C]

That's their new theme song. Why not the Bulls? Why not the Bulls?

[B]

Finally, why not? Well, this Happens every year now. Every year there is some sort of dance that we do around the. Where Giannis is going. He's 31, man, he's not 26. The Bulls are not the team to make that move. First of all, they need to be accruing. They're late to be accruing draft capital, not sending it somewhere else. The team that should be looking at getting Giannis is any team that has got a collection of real good young players that just needs to galvanize them. Where you have had drafts and you're putting things together and you need somebody to step in right now and for the next three or four years, be that guy for that team. The Bulls just aren't that team. They're not, they're not there. They don't, they don't have a young core.

[C]

All right, so then if you look at the Bulls roster, what, what do the Bulls have?

[B]

Because I think two guys, right?

[C]

Some people who may not know the roster top to bottom as well and watch the NBA would say, oh, I thought the Bulls do have a younger core of players.

[B]

They've got a bunch of guys. But when it comes to guys that right now could be contributing players on a good team, on a material team, I think you've got giddy and you've got modest. Everything else is negotiable. Everything else. I think Kobe White's skill set, like he's, he's a nice player. He's not an all star. I think he's replaceable. And lately Kobe White's been showing as much downside as upside down. The guy can make threes, the guy can get his shot. The guy can, can go to the basket. He also needs, he is in desperate need of decaffeinated coffee. It's just take a breath, man. He's trying to do everything. He's. He's got his head down on and moving at top speed all the time. Just have a little pace to your game and don't go, go headlong toward the basket with, without a plan, expecting to get fouled. And then, and this team is still for a bad team, they bitch about fouls and non calls. And Vuch is really also probably the biggest culprit of that. There's just stop doing that. Just stop complaining and whining and working the officials. It happens all the time. And I know it's, it's part and parcel of, of doing the job in the NBA. You do it early in games, you get a call late and all that stuff. But. But no, thank you Just get back on defense because they need you to. But there's no you. You've got two guys in your core. IO Desumu has made himself into a. Into a really, really good player. But you can ransom that guy right now. He's. They. There. There should be teams fighting over IO da Sumu right now. Where couldn't he go to be an effective contributor to a champion?

[C]

Then why wouldn't you want him to stay on your team?

[B]

Because, I mean that'd be fine if he did. But I would much rather have a first round pick or a first and a second. Like if you get that bid and go. The guys. The guys that should be dealt right now. The guys that. Absolutely. There's no reason to ever hang up the phone. Vuch is an imperative. You must trade him.

[C]

Yep.

[B]

All. All of these contracts that are going to be up. All these guys.

[C]

He also deserves it too.

[B]

Whatever, man. He's been fine. But just whatever you can get, you can't get to the end of this year. I don't know what that they can say their plan is. And we know that he is the. That ak Arturo Karnishovas is the king of small sample sizes for judgments. If he's going to say you've got. You're going to play basically a playoff series against the Heat coming up this week. You got three consecutive games against the Heat.

[C]

Yep.

[B]

That team you're going to meet in the play in. That's a team that has embarrassed you at the ends of these seasons. I said that like my wife. Embarrassed. Embarrassed there now. I said like a Chicago that it shouldn't matter. You should already understand. This team isn't winning a title. This team is flirting with 500. Is going to be flirting with the play in. Yeah. There are a couple games out of a six seed or a seven seed. To what end? To what end? You need draft capital.

[C]

You want.

[B]

And you want to say Noah Essenge somewhere is part of that core. I don't. I have no reason to believe.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

Yeah. I don't. That's great. But. But he's. I haven't seen it. I don't know that that's. He's a child. That. That is a. He is a child. It's going to be years.

[C]

All right, so Vuch, who else?

[B]

I would say an endless. Vuch, Kobe, IO Collins, Herter, Tre Jones, any of these other NBA players. Decent NBA players. And with the Bulls, they're enough to give you your dinner theater. They're enough to give you what the Bulls have wanted. And that is each night we have a. We have 20,000 people that show up to watch a game and we entertain them, and they like it and it's fun and they've had a great time, and they come back and the kids love it.

[C]

And you're going to finish 8th to 10th place.

[B]

Right? But. But if you want to run Medieval Times, run Medieval Times. But that's essentially what the Bulls have been under. Michael Reinsdorf is. Is Medieval Times with an NBA team.

[C]

All right, so let me ask you for the show.

[B]

Competitive. They might win, they might lose. There's a couple star plays. It's fun. Everybody gets excited. Stacy King yells And. But that. That's not a business model for a competitive league. So I want to know. I want to know what you can get for any of these people.

[C]

Giannis is 31.

[B]

Yep.

[C]

And how many more productive years does he have in the NBA?

[B]

Well, it depends. If you're going to ask him how many games a year is he going to play? You know, these are all these questions of how many games a year does he want to play? And as he ages and as the pace of the game continues as it is, is he going to be at more risk for soft tissue injuries?

[C]

Who.

[B]

With all these calf strains that we have across the league. Because everybody's running up and down the floor in ways they haven't before.

[C]

Can he be a productive player of who he is for the next three to four years, even in not a limited role, but maybe he's not.

[B]

No, no. He. He can be a star player in the league for three years. Star player, absolutely.

[C]

Why wouldn't you. If you have modest and giddy and you don't know what Noah is. And we'll leave him off, he's a question mark. Why wouldn't you want to build with Giannis and modest and giddy in the next three to four years?

[B]

Because I just. I don't think. Modest. Excuse me. I don't think Giannis is coming here to going anywhere to build anything. He wants to go win a title and more titles right now, he's got one. He wants more. That I don't think it just fits with. With the timing. If you. If you had a team that was as stupid as the Mavericks that wanted to trade Luca at his age. That's which I still can't believe they traded him. How the hell did they. And if you. This was. This also came up when we were talking about his performance against the Bulls on the most recent owc. That is just out where we kind of got into that whole thing. That's one of the dumbest trades I've ever seen in my life. I cannot believe that they moved him because that doesn't happen. You don't get those opportunities.

[C]

And I mean, that's right up there. Just up top, my head thinking through, you know, 40 years or so watching sports, that's probably the dumbest. You know, I look at the Herschel Walker trade, the thing that Ditka did down in New Orleans. I mean, there's some questionable things, but. Yeah, that's easily the dumbest thing I think I've ever seen.

[B]

Yeah, it's gotta be. You took a top tier hall of Famer, star champion and traded him and then said, we traded him because he's fat and drunk and then he got. Yeah. Skinny. And now he's embarrassing you.

[C]

Right? Yeah, you know, I'm not, I'm not trying to squeeze my way in here in the NBA room. That's, that's all that's on your welcome in here. I know, but I just, I, you know, I keep, I just, I'm disagreeing with you because what an NBA team can do in a short roster. So you got 12 guys in a roster. I mean, what does a team count on for, for guys to play, what the six to eight guys. And if half of those guys you count on are Giannis, modest and giddy. Give me that all day. I'll take that, I'll take that. If that guy can be a productive star.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

Giannis with modest and giddy and then how you build around it. And I even. I'd keep IO.

[B]

I love IO. Yeah, I love him too.

[C]

I just, I, I disagree with you, man. I think if the Bulls get a chance to get to bring Giannis in and give up, can be a star for the next three or four years.

[B]

And give up years and years and years of all these draft picks I've already given away. And it just. If you wait, all I'm going to ask you is this. Wait till you see what a team actually gives up for him.

[C]

Because I think you're right. I mean. No, you're 100% right. Because, I mean, and we've talked about this for, for decades now, you can't talk about a trade without knowing what you're giving up. I think, I mean, fair. That's fair.

[B]

I'm not saying he's, I mean, obviously he's good, but I think, I think the, the, the, the cost is going to knock you back off this position when you See what a team gives up for. And if I'm wrong and if the cost is not prohibitive and ends up being the, like a gift of the magi kind of thing with an ironic O. Henry twist.

[C]

Giannis and some frankincense and some myrrh.

[B]

You know what I mean?

[C]

Yeah, no, I hear what you're saying, but so, but then my next, my next logical next step says, well, do I trust this organization to make good first round draft picks or would I be better off with them getting Giannis and not having first round draft picks?

[B]

Yeah, that. Well, that one. Once you're there, that raises a whole series of other questions. And I don't know how much longer Arturis Kernishovis and Mark Aversley are going to be for these jobs, and I.

[C]

Didn'T want to do that because we're talking roster, we're talking players, but I think that that's your ultimate issue, is the front office. And until that, until that's resolved, that's a. Yeah, that's not gonna, that's not gonna solve anything.

[B]

And this is yet another year in which we expect to have more of a plan articulated that they, this year they were gonna win with depth. Okay? And this is where they are. And every year there's another way of looking at mediocrity and another way of justifying dinner theater and saying that we're trying to win a championship. But I don't think so. I mean, if Modest ends up being a really good pick and ends up overperforming his draft status, cool, I'm all for it. And he is. I think he's already on a little better trajectory than I thought. He is getting better. I love his edge and his attitude. I think the giddy trade was a good one for both teams, but they're all. There's so much more that has to be done on a high level to understand just what we were talking about with football. Just, we were talking about vision, but saying this is what we're going to be, this is how we're going to be it. And we don't know that about the Bulls yet, unfortunately.

[C]

I love the comparison in medieval times, that's great.

[B]

But that's essentially what they are.

[C]

Yeah, that's funny.

[B]

This Valentine's season, share the love Chicago style with Giordano's heart shaped pizzas. Perfect for date night, family dinner or just because these iconic pizzas turn any moment into something special. And they're available February 12th through the 15th for Dine in for carry out or delivery. Don't miss your chance to enjoy Chicago's favorite slice of love. For the love of pizza, choose Giordano's. The White Sox zips projections are out at fan graphs. We have these and there's also zips dc, which is sort of an upgraded version of zips that actually uses some of the playing time projections to give you a little more guidance to some of the numbers. But this because I use the regular zips for Cubs. Dan Zimborski does these at Fangrass. I'm going to use the same. Who do you think? If I told you right now, who is overall projected to be the best position player on the White Sox next year? Who is projected to be the most valuable player on the White Sox? I will see how many guesses this takes.

[C]

You. Montgomery.

[B]

Montgomery is second. Montgomery has a projected war of 2.2.

[C]

White Sox roster. I didn't know we were going to think today.

[B]

No, this is part of it. How many White Sox can you name? I would not have done well. Oh, I would have failed this test if it was. Name your White Sox.

[C]

So it's my. I know it's not my favorite guy, but I'll just say his name because it's the only one I can think of right now. Minecraft.

[B]

Minecraft is fifth. Minecraft is at 1.8 war.

[C]

All right, what about the guys whose name sounds like Jason Benetti?

[B]

Andrew. Ben Attendee.

[C]

Yes. Is he still on the team? He's on the team.

[B]

Yeah. He's projected to be the 23rd most valuable player on the Sox at 0.2 WAR. Isn't he.

[C]

Wasn't he like a big, oh, huge contract? Wasn't he like the biggest free agent contract ever?

[B]

Indeed. And he's also. You know what else he is? He's a bad baseball player.

[C]

Wait, is this like 23rd war, like all time in White Sox history or of this current roster?

[B]

Of this current roster projected for next year.

[C]

Is the roster now like 200 guys?

[B]

They have how many?

[C]

Or is it still like a 40 man roster?

[B]

They have a total of 53 names projected all the way down with 40 man and all the way into their minor league system for what they might contribute as major league players.

[C]

And he's 23rd.

[B]

Yes.

[C]

I'm going to. That's not good, Dan.

[B]

Correct.

[C]

Okay. All right.

[B]

The answer.

[C]

Best player.

[B]

Wait.

[C]

No. Hang on, hang on, hang on. Let me think. If I can think of another position player. How about no, he's gone. He's gone. They traded him. He just got traded.

[B]

It's not a catcher. Is. Is.

[C]

Is it a catcher?

[B]

It is. It's Kyle Teal.

[C]

Ooh. Oh, yeah. Glad that we did that because I wouldn't have. His name is Kyle Thiel.

[B]

Kyle Teal.

[C]

Okay, so he's projected to be the best player on the team.

[B]

Yep. 2.6 war. He is projected to have a weighted runs created plus of 101. Now, who is average is 100, right? Yes.

[C]

Okay.

[B]

Who is projected to have the highest. Who to be the best offensive player on the team with a WRC plus projected of 121.

[C]

Is it someone that we've mentioned already?

[B]

No.

[C]

Is it the guy they just brought in? The guy that's going to swing out of his shoes?

[B]

Yep, it is. It is Munataka Murakami who is projected as an offense only breakout player. I would say 24 homers with a slash line projected of 234. 352. 442 and a 1.8 WAR. But it's teal Montgomery. Sam Antonacci.

[C]

What's a good name?

[B]

Yeah, I don't. I don't know much. Second base, third base. He's a double A player. Sam Antonacci. Apparently the ZiPS system likes him a lot.

[C]

But what's the. What's the slash line on that guy? Again, on.

[B]

Attack of Murakami.

[C]

Murakami. Yeah. What's his slash?

[B]

His slash is an average of 234 on base of a robust 352. 352 and slugging. 442.

[C]

442.

[B]

Just under an 800 op.

[C]

Yeah. 794.

[B]

Yeah. You know.

[C]

Okay, well.

[B]

Okay, now you want to talk pitchers. Would that make you happier?

[C]

Yeah. And you still think that they're not going to lose 90 games or more?

[B]

I don't know. Yeah, probably about 90. Something is probably right.

[C]

Yeah. Okay. Yeah. Let's talk pitching because this is where my knowledge kicks in. Here we go.

[B]

I think my computer froze. I don't know why that happens, but they. I think it might have melted the computer. White Sox.

[C]

I was like, tired of looking at it.

[B]

Yeah. I think White Sox projects. Here it is.

[C]

Please, no more.

[B]

The most valuable pitcher on the White Sox is projected to be Shane smith. Okay. With 2.1 war.

[C]

Then. Then he's writing these names down.

[B]

So I remember for the year, Davis, Martin at 1.4. They've got a guy named Duncan Davitt at 1.2. And then you've got four guys at one win. Jonathan Cannon, Sean Burke, Grant Taylor Anthony K. You ask, where is Sir Anthony Dominguez?

[C]

It's a great name, though, for a pitcher. Jonathan Cannon.

[B]

It is Sir Anthony Dominguez. Their. Their $20 million guy is at 0.4 wins. He is projected for 23 saves, but with an ERA of 4 and a fielder independent pitching of 4.02. All right, so I. I didn't say it was going to be exciting. I did say that we had White Sox zips projections available for you, and now I have fulfilled that obligation.

[C]

What do they. What they finish last year? 101 losses? Were they something like that? Well, I'm going to. I ran it. I ran it through my. My computer today. Earlier.

[B]

Yes.

[C]

Did it.

[B]

Did your computer melt it?

[C]

Did it. Did it exploded? Luckily, Power Toastman wasn't sitting by it. My computer spit out a final record of 67 and 95.

[B]

Okay.

[C]

There you go.

[B]

I don't think that's unreasonable. And I also think it's possible that while they have that record, they can still be getting better as they are continuing to amass better players. I agree with that.

[C]

No. And I think 67 to 95 will be a better season.

[B]

Okay. Lastly, if you can cobble together some cash, I've got an opportunity for you to buy a piece of memorabilia. And I'm going to read you this story, and I'm not going to give you the current price on this. I just want you to think this through. Okay?

[C]

Yep.

[B]

Our guy Mike Lowe over at WGN writes that Monday was the 40th anniversary of Super Bowl 20, the capstone of legendary 85 season. And now perhaps the most iconic piece of 85 Bears memorabilia is up for auction. All right. Do you know what it is? Have you heard about this?

[C]

I haven't heard the story. No. So I have no guess to even.

[B]

Make it is Ditka's sweater vest.

[C]

Oh, wow.

[B]

The Mike Ditka Bears sweater vest that he wore in the Super Bowl. In the Super Bowl.

[C]

All right, so this is actually. This is something. This is better than I expected. I didn't think it would be something real.

[B]

This is real. This is Ditka's sweater vest from Super Bowl 20. That comes with a letter of provenance from Ditka himself. And a company called Golden Auctions is putting this up. Can you guess what size ditka at the time? 632-45-63-24-5.

[C]

It's got to be a double XL.

[B]

It isn't. It is exactly that. It is a double xl. Yeah.

[C]

What's the starting. What's the starting bid.

[B]

Well, it's more than the starting bid. Now, can you guess where they are at the moment? They're here. Let me show see bid history. All right, here you go. The starting bid. The first bid came in at 2,500.

[C]

2,000.

[B]

At 2,500.

[C]

Oh, shit. I'd have bought that.

[B]

The latest, the latest bid came in on January 19th at 1:33pm I'm going.

[C]

To say that it is between the. Maybe I'm, maybe I'm. Maybe I'm thinking too much about this. I don't know. I'm going to say between 250,000 and $300,000 right now.

[B]

Yeah, it's a good guess. It's at 82,000.

[C]

Oh, not even close.

[B]

That's terrible. But still, to go from 2500 on January 13th and then to go six days from that to 82,000. According to the auction house website, that's where it stands right now.

[C]

It's disappointing to hear. I mean, there's a lot of rich Bears fans out there that want a piece of history. I mean, there's got to be some idiot out there that would pay six figures for Ditka's game worn sweater.

[B]

Not just game worn, Super bowl worn two.

[C]

That's way too low. It should be 83,000.

[B]

It says accompanying the sweater vest is a letter of providence signed by Ditka attesting to the item's authenticity.

[C]

It's signed in merlot too. Well, it's just, it's, it's, it's a Merlot pen.

[B]

It was dipped in zinfandel. The Ditka signed letter has been encapsulated with an autograph certified and assessed authentic. Also provided as a letter of opinion from Resolution photo matching in their evaluation of the item, resolution concluded at the completion of our research process. A res match could not be made to any images of Ditka. One image was found of Ditka that we believe shows a possible photo match to the sweater vest. The Resolution examined the image and the sweater vest for any unique characteristics that they said there were no definitively unique characteristics to be relied upon. The determination of a possible photo match was made to the sweater vest, but it is attested to be real by a real letter from Ditka. Because it's impossible to photo match something like this sweater vest. There's not there, there aren't. There isn't going to be anything unique on there. But that's, that's where we're apparently. It's, it's, it's It's. It is authentic enough to have garnered an $82,000 bid.

[C]

Well, that's. It's still disappointing. I mean, for the game. Worn Super Bowl. Worn Bears. Yeah, that's.

[B]

That's.

[C]

That's too low. Where do rich people at? That's way too low.

[B]

I'm not sure. Do you want to. But remember, buying it for an investment and thinking it's going to go up, up in price would be different than somebody just wanting to have it at their own personal Bears museum.

[C]

Yeah, that's what I would want.

[B]

Or in their CEO office somewhere.

[C]

Why isn't. Why isn't the Vatican getting involved in this? They got money. They could end this bid right now.

[B]

Yeah. They've had to liquidate some things to pay off some things.

[C]

Have you. You've. You've taken a tour of the Vatican?

[B]

Yes, twice.

[C]

Okay, so you're walking through the museum and room after room after room of artifacts that were stolen and taken from other people and countries. How great would it be for it to end with a shrine to Ditka? And you have the sweater hanging there.

[B]

Well, the cool thing, too, is, like, right.

[C]

Right before you get to the Sistine Chapel, I'm just gonna say that there's.

[B]

People that do that. There's a fast version of the tour if you don't want to spend all day there.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

There you can go and just see, like, this one and this one and the. What is it? Titian's School of Athens. You can stand in front of that for a while, and then you. But there's arrows that say, if you want to go right to the Sistine Chapel and get in that line first, you can. If you're not with one of the tours, and it should just say, like, sistine Chapel. And there's an arrow, and then the other one is Ditka sweater. Yes.

[C]

I would love that. Yeah. When we did it, we did a tour, and I didn't know the length that it was going to take to get to the Sistine Chapel. Oh, yeah. And it kept going and going, and we eventually got to a point where we're just.

[B]

We're.

[C]

We're bypassing everything. We're just walking as quickly as possible. And there were no shortcuts to get through. There was no opportunity to go right to the Sistine Chapel. And it was room after room after room after room after. And it just kept going. And it was hot and hotter and hotter. And I was like, oh, my God, I just want to get to it. And by the time I got to the Sistine Chapel, I was like, this is it. I was so disappointed.

[B]

I will say this, I was not disappointed by the Sistine Chapel, but the ceiling to me wasn't as impressive as the Last Judgment on the wall.

[C]

Oh, yeah, I agree with that. I agree with that 100%.

[B]

Because the last Judgment, I'm like, oh, like that's going to be me.

[C]

Yeah, I was.

[B]

That's.

[C]

I never thought I would be disappointed in seeing the Sistine Chapel.

[B]

Well, wait till you see the Mona Lisa. Now. That was disappointing. I mean, it's cool because it's the Mona Lisa and everything.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

But all it is, is people holding up their phones. It's all. You're in a room. Oh, that's.

[C]

Well, that's what Sistine Chapel was walking through there. Yeah.

[B]

Luckily, the first time I saw the Sistine Chapel was on our honeymoon. And there we, there were no cell phones, there were no camera phones. So it was, it was very different. Second time, it was all kind of ruined by all the phones and everything.

[C]

Now being in St. Peter's though, that was, that was pretty impressive.

[B]

Oh, yeah, that was like.

[C]

I was. So I expected that level of like being impressed by going to the Sistine Chapel. And it's like a barn.

[B]

It's like St. Peter's it's, it's just, it's the size of it too. Like, if you, if you've been in other cathedrals, in other. And there's all sorts of gorgeous cathedral.

[C]

Oh, we went into so many of them going through the whole country.

[B]

Yeah. Yep, yep. And I, and I was, I spend the time looking for Caravaggios and just trying to find. I was in some tiny little raggedy ass chapels because there happened to be a Caravaggio back there. And you have to put money into a slot to turn on a light so you can see it like they're, they're, they're trying to soak every last little Euro out of you. What you want to see. Hey, you know, if you happen to have a Caravaggio there, you want to charge people to. You can't charge people to walk in the door, but you can charge people to light it up so they can take a picture of it. A more power to them. But yeah, $82,000 is the current bid for the actual. As far as we know, what Ditka thinks at least is the sweater vest that he wore during the Super Bowl.

[C]

Well, my guess was way off, I.

[B]

Thought, and that should be higher.

[C]

Again, I'm disappointed with the rich People here that would want a Ditka sweater, could they just find out what he ate that day? Because I'm sure there's some of that on the sweater. They could do like a forensic test.

[B]

And see if there's just a spill.

[C]

Like Jardine air on it or something or.

[B]

No, it would be, it would be like a little bit of, of cigar ash that you'd find. Obviously some, some sloshed red wine would be on there probably maybe a. If he at his own restaurant maybe had the pork chops. I was like, the pork chops and all. The banana cream pie was great there. That was the single best thing at his restaurant.

[C]

I disagree. I think the single best thing were the, the pot roast nachos.

[B]

Never had those.

[C]

One of my favorite things to eat.

[B]

Yeah, the banana cream pie was, was, that was like a destination for it. The super bowl is here and my bookie is where you go to turn your bets into your bankroll. We're all watching. We all have our opinions. But this is the game where the props matter. And if you want to just do something as simple as the money line or the spread, you can. But there's all sorts of fun props you can put all together and make a big board out of it like my bookie does. And their super bowl prop board is deep. It's fun to play. You see it on Jimmy Kimmel Live every year. This time of year they feature it. And if there was ever a time to get in, it's right now because you got one wallet at one account that allows you to do whatever you want, even casino betting during commercials. All right, there you can bet the spread live, bet the second half in one place. And that place is MyBookie AG, where you are armed and equipped with our promo code DBU. Your first bet's covered up to 500 bucks. If it doesn't hit, you have a bet back bonus token. You can run it back. And then you're not just watching the big game, you're making it pay. With my bookie. That will conclude Dan Bernstein unfiltered for today. We've got a rip roaring forward progress heading your way as well. And as we mentioned, there was. There's a brand new from the 50 that's out. There is a brand new organizations win championships that is out as well. And you can find all of those things here at three one two Sports.

[C]

Dan Bernstein, unfiltered.

[B]

Unfiltered on three one two Sports.