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Mark McCray
You know what's missing? Real talk about what Black men go through mentally and emotionally. Man Listen Mental Health conversations for Men of Color we're diving into the real stuff. The pressure, the struggles, the healing. No filters, just brothers sharing their truth about navigating life and finding purpose. Whether you're living it, supporting someone who is, or just want to understand, this is for you. I'm Mark McCray and I'm ready to have these conversations. Find us by searching Man Listen Mental Wherever you get your podcast, it's cozy
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Dan Bernstein
I mean, if you're a Bears fan, you're thinking Forward Progress. Come on.
Matt Abeticola
Forward Progress A Chicago Bears podcast with Dan Bernstein and Matt Abeticola on 312 sports.
Dan Bernstein
You are officially awarded 4 progress here on 312 sports. And you know that I love a good Bears mailbag and I always tell you, don't miss them, because that's where we can figure out what's top of mind on the for the writers who cover the Bears, those who are there every single day, not necessarily by just the answers, but by the questions that they choose to answer. That's the biggest decision made in a mailbag. As someone who's done mailbag episodes of podcasts before, and that is by hand saying, I want to answer this, I want to answer that. It's important that you hear what I have to say about this. And sometimes it's done as a representation of the total volume of questions that are being received. Would you agree?
Matt Abeticola
Are you asking me or the audience?
Dan Bernstein
It was not rhetorical. I'm actually asking you,
Matt Abeticola
can you repeat the question?
Dan Bernstein
Wait for the answer. So here's the first question that Brad Biggs chose to answer, and the reason it's interesting is that he doesn't answer it. The question is this, and it's from RG Bears 69. Can you help explain how Bears leadership went from the defensive line being an issue pre draft to to now? We need to coach better. It's somewhat concerning for fans after not addressing this during the draft. First of all, I don't know who RG bears69 is, but I like the question and I like leading because for me it's the second question or the second part of the question. How the defensive line, whether it's an issue or not, how do they go to we need to just coach them better.
Matt Abeticola
Well, let me ask you this there, pal. When refresh my memory. When did the coaching staff or Ben Johnson specifically say or give any criticism of the defensive line after the season? Before the draft?
Dan Bernstein
They didn't. Really.
Matt Abeticola
They didn't. Yes, they did. That.
Dan Bernstein
That was an. You're right to point that out. That was an outside concern, not an inside concern because they have been telling us everything is fine and as you've noted multiple times, they've been saying all the individual players had good yes, and
Matt Abeticola
that even the players that got hurt were on the right path to be being better.
Dan Bernstein
Even though it's we don't know that that's true and you have to take them at their word. So the response from Brad Biggs is fair question. And based on the consistent questions coming in for every mailbag about the defensive line, I have a feeling it's a topic that won't go away anytime soon. Said what the Bears have told you without directly saying it is. They believe Dylan Thienaman will be a more impactful player and check more boxes than the edge rushers who were available at number 25. So that's basically his answer. And he quotes Lions GM Brad Holmes about the idea of drafting for need and not wanting to chase what happened last season. He said you can get in trouble chasing, then you're depending on a rookie and nobody has a crystal ball, etc. And then big says needs change faster than you think. In the NFL, what looks like a luxury pick today could be a player at a position of need before too long. I'm guessing this won't ease anyone's concerns about the defensive line or the pass rush, but the Bears said they were entering the draft looking for the best players they could find. It just so happened things didn't align for a defensive lineman until they traded up in round six. Okay, but you didn't answer the part about we have to coach them better, right? Because to me that is its own separate subject. Because you can't just let them Blithely mention. That'll be fine. We're going to coach them better because there are still other questions then to be asked. Who didn't you coach well enough at what
Matt Abeticola
and why? Why is a good question.
Dan Bernstein
And how do you know? Pick anything. Say we didn't coach Dio Odengbo enough on his pad level. We didn't coach Javon Dexter well enough on his get off. We didn't coach Montez sweat well enough on his counter moves in his hand placement or tackle and stunts like anything. Give me any concrete example. Dennis Allen said it the other day. We identified that the problem was me. What was the problem? When, with whom? Because unless some of that stuff, unless we can know some of that stuff and maybe, maybe it's real, maybe it's not, but until we can, I'm dubious about the whole thing.
Matt Abeticola
Yeah, and you should be. And I think, I think they might be thinking that their offense is going to score a lot of lot of
Dan Bernstein
points and it will.
Matt Abeticola
And if their offense scores a lot of points, they're going to be in or compete or win a lot of games. Therefore, if the defense still struggles or puts up lackluster numbers that in that really receives a lot of criticism outside the organization, you can't blame it on the players. Then like I think they're, they're taking a lot of accountability off the players and putting it all in the coaches. So now what happens if you, if the coaches don't come through where the guys don't perform better? Well, the reason why they didn't perform better is because you didn't coach them good enough even though you said you were going to, but that was the problem. Or does it flip and say, yeah, the players just aren't good enough?
Dan Bernstein
Well, I, I gave them the best coaching I could.
Matt Abeticola
Right, but they're not going to do that though.
Dan Bernstein
Well, this year I gave them the extra special coaching. Last year we have the regular coaching, but this year we got out our. We. We decided that they were worth our, our best coaching and they still were bad. That means they're bad.
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Dan Bernstein
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Matt Abeticola
Fantastic.
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Matt Abeticola
Yeah, I don't know if they just, if they just worded it incorrectly and I don't, I don't know, but I just, I don't like the way any of this smells.
Dan Bernstein
It's just not good. No. Because it kind of makes you think that they know it's not not great, but they don't really care.
Matt Abeticola
Yeah. Because they're going to score 30 points a game.
Dan Bernstein
I guess that's the point you were making, right?
Matt Abeticola
Yeah.
Dan Bernstein
Wasn't that what you were saying? That maybe like. Oh yeah, they're asking like, fine, we will tell everybody. Yeah, it'll be better. It'll be better. And then internally, like, it's not going to be any better. It's not really going to matter because we, they, you know, a 42 to 40 win counts just as much.
Matt Abeticola
No, I, I really think, I, I think they really believe when Ryan poll said if they can just get the opposing quarterback to hold the ball a Little bit longer. I really think that's what they're hoping happens, that improving their. Their. The back end of their defense, improving their secondary by getting Dylan Thienam in and having Malik Muhammad come in and compete and push and be a part of it, and with Kobe Bryant now at the other safety, that that's going to be so much better in the back end, that quarterbacks are going to hold the ball a little bit longer, therefore making the guys they didn't coach well enough look better, even though they aren't better.
Dan Bernstein
That's what he said.
Matt Abeticola
That's what he said. I think that's what they're hoping on. And they hope that by doing that enough, because you remember, Dan, we talked about this, that they basically could give up three touchdowns in a field goal and still win the games. Mm.
Dan Bernstein
I mean, you're not going to shut everybody out, right?
Matt Abeticola
You're not going to. But they also felt, yes, and this was proven out in the numbers last year, they could give up 24 points and still win games. So they're just hoping, hey, maybe we. Instead of 24, maybe we give up 20, maybe we give up 21. We know we're going to score more than that.
Dan Bernstein
And they can't say is possible that internally they're like, yeah, forget defense. We're not really all that concerned with it. And it's sort of like we talk about in baseball with run prevention versus run scoring and just putting the puzzle together. Maybe internally they've put the puzzle together and it just doesn't mean as much to them. And. And they know that no one will care if they win the Super Bowl, 51 to 49.
Matt Abeticola
Right. No one's going to care, Dan. And they showed it that they don't care because who. What do they take in their first two picks of the draft?
Dan Bernstein
Right. And I. That's.
Matt Abeticola
They didn't address. They didn't address their weakest need. Right. In football that every again, if it was just me or you screaming, defensive line, edge, rusher, pass rush, quarterback pressure, people could dismiss the two idiots. It was every single person outside of the Bears organization saying the same thing.
Dan Bernstein
And that's why it's interesting that Brad Biggs is sort of running interference for them here.
Matt Abeticola
And that's why they picked the safety. They picked the tight end. They picked a wide receiver.
Dan Bernstein
So here is what. Let me just read you, when you bring that up, this is the quote that Biggs decided to include. This is. He writes Detroit Lions GM Brad Holmes had some interesting comments on the topic when chatting with Detroit media a year ago. Okay, okay. I sometimes don't understand the need thing because when each season ends, it's going to be something else. Another player's contract is going to end. Another player, unfortunately, may be coming off an injury. It's going to be something different every single off season. So if you're trying to chase what happened last season of, oh, man, this guy. Contract is ending. If you're trying to chase, oh, this guy's injured, you're just getting into a cycle that I think is a little bit dangerous to get into. That's why I've been more of a Just get the best player. We make these picks for future investments. I know we live in a society where everything is right now, boom. Right now, right now, right now, right now. And I understand it, too, from when a player gets drafted and so much fascination is made about the draft. People are excited about it. People want to see it right now. They don't want to be patient. I think you can get in trouble chasing needs sometimes. Then you're depending on a rookie. You do the best you can, but nobody has a crystal ball. That was the GM of the Lions, Brad Holmes. And that's three paragraphs that Biggs used as his answer to that question. Without addressing the whole coach him harder thing.
Matt Abeticola
Yeah, yeah. I don't. Oh, and let me correct myself. The safety. Safety, tight end, center.
Dan Bernstein
Right.
Matt Abeticola
Isn't that what they went? Yeah,
Dan Bernstein
no. Safety, center, tight end, safety, center, tight end. Yeah,
Matt Abeticola
Yeah. But. But still, I mean, you. You didn't address the weakest part of your roster, even in your first four picks.
Dan Bernstein
Well, no, that isn't. That isn't it. You didn't address it at all. Like, I understand using that quote to talk about the draft.
Matt Abeticola
Yeah, I mean, he said they addressed it by moving up in the sixth round to get a guy that's probably not going to be on your roster.
Dan Bernstein
Come on.
Matt Abeticola
I mean, come on.
Dan Bernstein
That.
Matt Abeticola
So it wasn't addressed at all. You're right.
Dan Bernstein
But that's just the draft.
Matt Abeticola
Right. And then. And then you bring in a bunch of rotational bodies, a tackle, and no one at edge.
Dan Bernstein
Not even a look at. Not even a free look at somebody. Nothing. Like, I. That's where I. I don't understand why you're going this far out of your way to cover for the team when. Okay, sure. Even if I grant you, all right, that's how you look at the draft. Fine. There are other ways to get players. There are other ways to shore up parts of your team that's almost like saying you don't worry about need. Well, if you're not, that's a thin portion of the argument to say the draft is not where you address needs. It's not a way of saying never address needs at all.
Matt Abeticola
Right. You have to address needs.
Dan Bernstein
Right. Because ideally that is a place where your team can be improved. With everything you say about competition, every position, improving every position, we'll just coach him better. I think was a mistake to say
Matt Abeticola
I do too, I think. And, and I, and I don't know how to take the next few steps with it and see how it plays out. We'll just have to wait and see where it goes. But I know. I just, I don't like it. I don't, I don't like it. I don't like the fact that they didn't address through a younger, better, more athletic player. They didn't address edge or defensive line.
Dan Bernstein
Now there's another question later in the mailbag. Whether it's signing a veteran or making a trade for someone like Kayvon Thibodeau. Do you think the Bears make any additional moves along the defensive line and Big says no? He said, I don't see any moves happening right now. It could change. There are multiple questions in the mailbag every week about Cam Jordan. I imagine the Bears will be in evaluation mode. With veteran minicamp a few weeks away. We're going to need a little patience to see how the 90 man roster looks. I don't think this is the prime time for something to happen, so they need to evaluate Dio Odengbo and Shamar Turner when they're healthy to get an idea of what they have. Alongside Montez Sweat and Austin Booker, I don't see the Bears pivoting from the idea that coaches need to do a better job with the players they have instead of trading for a veteran or signing one off the street. What didn't they do well enough? If this is real and reasonable, if the coaches need to do a better job, by gum at what?
Matt Abeticola
Yeah, I mean I know Dennis Allen talked about he was too focused on the big picture and the schemes and different schemes each week possibly. Like what basic fundamental stuff do these guys on that roster last year needed to know that they didn't know who maybe Austin Booker. Could you have made Austin Booker better?
Dan Bernstein
Why wasn't Dio Dangbo good when you paid him all that money?
Matt Abeticola
Right? Why wait? Why, why, why sign a guy and pay him a lot of money to come in and then have to teach him the Basic bullshit of what to do about his job.
Dan Bernstein
Right. And now say, well we, we got to coach him better. Boy, we had a whole year and now he's hurt. And boy, now we realized, ah, we weren't coaching him hard enough. Come on. Yeah, I don't credulity at this point.
Matt Abeticola
It's very strange. Yeah. And again, this is something we can't answer until we see it play out. And we can say, yeah, I guess that they needed the coaching better. But then this is always going to bring up questions like if you get the outcome that you want by coaching better, why weren't you coaching in the first fucking year then?
Dan Bernstein
It was a mistake for them to say.
Matt Abeticola
And if you said now that you're going to coach them more and you still don't get the outcomes you want, are you the right coaches to be coaching them better? I just, yeah, I don't like it because it is, it just leads to more questions. Or it could just be as simple as internally we're going to score 40 points a game and if we win 40 to 35 and win 12 games and then win the division and go to the super bowl, no one's gonna give a what the scores are.
Dan Bernstein
And don't worry about these people, they're not even going to remember that this is a need after five or six games.
Matt Abeticola
Right.
Dan Bernstein
It is a risk.
Matt Abeticola
And if they win the super bowl, it's, we're never going to talk about it again. So I don't know now if they're one of those teams that takes a step back because it happens every year and they have the hardest schedule going into this season based on what the results were last year. And if they take that four game swing, Dan, And if the defense doesn't live up to it and play better,
Dan Bernstein
that's on the coaches, then that's going
Matt Abeticola
to cost people jobs.
Dan Bernstein
It might. And look, a year is an eternity. A season is an absolute eternity. I know, but sure. And you're always trying to upgrade your coaching staff and always trying to upgrade everywhere. And if that's what happens after next year because they take a step back.
Matt Abeticola
Yeah.
Dan Bernstein
Because of their first place schedule. It's now a harder first place schedule, then so be it. Speaking of schedules, we've got a lot of activity coming up in the next 48 hours.
Matt Abeticola
Yeah. Let me, let me, let me tell you first what happened this morning. The NFL announced their international games, the nine international games they have. And so we finally have opponents. We know when they are. We know that week one in Melbourne, Australia. The 49ers will be taking on the LA Rams.
Dan Bernstein
What time of day does that start?
Matt Abeticola
Let's see. This is September. September 11th in Australia. It's September 10th in the U.S. dan.
Dan Bernstein
Right.
Matt Abeticola
Yeah.
Dan Bernstein
So I just wonder this, this one isn't. This isn't like going to Germany or something where we just got the. Six, seven hours later is going to mess some things up, I think.
Matt Abeticola
Yeah. So that's, that's the first week. Australia, Niners and Rams. Week number three, the Cowboys will host the Baltimore Ravens and Diego Pavia, the starting quarterback in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. That's September 27th.
Dan Bernstein
So as of right now, it's 3:05am in Melbourne. So they're nine hours ahead.
Matt Abeticola
Ahead. No, they're more than nine.
Dan Bernstein
No, no, that's more than that. If it's 3:05aM yeah, right. Oh, geez. Okay, I can't even do this.
Matt Abeticola
That's like 15 hours, buddy.
Dan Bernstein
Yeah, this is. That's too many hours. We're gonna have to figure out when we're gonna watch this game. Niners, Rams. Okay, well. Well, we'll make it work.
Matt Abeticola
All right. And then like I said, week three, Rio de Janeiro, Ravens and Cowboys. Weeks four through six in London, we have the Colts taking on the Commanders, the Eagles and the Jaguars, and then the Texans and the Jaguars.
Dan Bernstein
So the Bears will. We thought Spain was going to be a possibility for them this year, but apparently not. Yeah, Bears are not going.
Matt Abeticola
They are not. So we have week seven, the Steelers at the New Orleans Saints. That'll be in Paris, France. Week nine, this is the Spain game. Madrid, the Bengals at the Falcons. So that's your Madrid game. That speculation was Bears and maybe Dolphins, but it's Falcons and the Bengals. Week nine in Madrid.
Dan Bernstein
Falcons, Bengals. What did, what did the Spaniards do to deserve that? What do you mean?
Matt Abeticola
Bengals are looking for a bounce back year, Dan.
Dan Bernstein
Oh, I know, but that's just something about those teams on the. It's not exactly powerful NFL brands.
Matt Abeticola
What? The Falcons, they can market Michael Pennix and Tua.
Dan Bernstein
Okay, great.
Matt Abeticola
It'll be fun.
Dan Bernstein
I don't know because as far as Q rating for me, not high on
Matt Abeticola
my list, week number 10, Munich, Germany will be the Patriots and the Lions.
Dan Bernstein
Okay.
Matt Abeticola
And then the final international game in Mexico City. The Vikings will take on the 49ers in week 11.
Dan Bernstein
A lot of, A lot of hot Niners international action. Is that right?
Matt Abeticola
Niners action. Two games.
Dan Bernstein
Two.
Matt Abeticola
Two games for the Niners, two games for the Jaguars. But they're in London. Back to back week. So they'll be able to stay there and chill and then that is it with multiple games, right?
Dan Bernstein
Yeah. But the big thing, the big news has to do with the actual release of the full schedule and the. The social media hullabaloo that will occur thereafter with all of these teams designing their snarky animations and their various symbolisms to take potshots of their opponents.
Matt Abeticola
Yeah, that'll be. Tomorrow night at 7 o', clock, the NFL will release the. The full schedule and we'll have a live forward progress for you. I can't guarantee it'll be professional or informative.
Dan Bernstein
Oh, it's going to be informative because we are going to. We're going to give you the winner of every game. We're going to determine the future of the Chicago Bears in one podcast, one live podcast on YouTube. We're going to take one look at that schedule and know exactly what's going to happen.
Matt Abeticola
All right, now you just. You just set the standard for the show tomorrow.
Dan Bernstein
Oh, you better believe it.
Matt Abeticola
All right, so it will be informative. It may not be entertaining, but it will be here. So we're going to have a live. A special live for forward progress in conjunction with the release of the Bears schedule for the 2026 season.
Dan Bernstein
We will have it. We're going to know when and where. And then if you. There are plenty of fans who will look at the road schedule and try to find that date and get online immediately and start looking for tickets and hotels and flights because the flights got real expensive when the old Straits of Hormuz closed. And now to burn the fuel that moves the airplanes from place to place just got crazy expensive.
Matt Abeticola
Yeah, I mean. Yeah. I mean, Spirit Airlines shut down because it was too expensive to fly planes. Yeah.
Dan Bernstein
Well, you're also not. You're also not allowed to pack people in the cargo hold. I think. I think that was.
Matt Abeticola
I want to do it, man. I think.
Dan Bernstein
I think it was frowned out of just stacking people and jumping up on down on top of them to pack them further.
Matt Abeticola
If you want to do it, you want to fly that way, you should have that, right?
Dan Bernstein
Okay. Yeah. It's a little cold and it's not pressurized under there, so you get a little bloated when you get up to like 33,000ft. Gets a little tight in the light of fire.
Matt Abeticola
Yeah.
Dan Bernstein
Light a campfire, some matches.
Matt Abeticola
Yeah. So, looking forward to tomorrow night, the NFL schedule is released for the Bears. We'll have that for you on a live forward progress you've heard that correctly. A special edition live Forward progress tomorrow evening with the release of the Bear schedule.
Dan Bernstein
I'm looking forward to it because I, you know, look, if it is did, what's the latest you're hearing about the possibility of it being the Seahawks and the Bears to start the season in some kind of standalone affair?
Matt Abeticola
Yeah, no, I mean the things I've been seeing lately around the NFL and different websites, various NFL insiders and reporters that it's not going to be a Bear Seahawks thing.
Dan Bernstein
So who knows?
Matt Abeticola
I mean, that could be completely. Maybe they're just trying to throw us off the trail.
Dan Bernstein
And my guess is that we're going to be working some late nights this year, that they're they're going to be a lot of our forward progress post game shows that are going to be at the conclusion of a featured night game.
Matt Abeticola
Oh, we did a lot last year.
Dan Bernstein
What do we do four last year? I don't know.
Matt Abeticola
There was a lot of late nights though. C.P.
Dan Bernstein
yeah, it's okay. But some of those got off the rails. I I didn't mind those shows and the people that stayed up and then watched it's hey man, that's all part of it.
Matt Abeticola
Well, nothing. Yeah, we never get off the rails here.
Dan Bernstein
No, not on Forward progress.
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Dan Bernstein
Speaking of which, so after our discussion yesterday about Popeye.
Matt Abeticola
Yes. The one eyed sailor.
Dan Bernstein
Okay. And I, I never knew that he actually only had one eye.
Matt Abeticola
I didn't either.
Dan Bernstein
I thought he was just kind of squinty.
Matt Abeticola
Yep.
Dan Bernstein
So out of the blue, I asked Jason, do you know who Popeye is? Because he knows Popeyes the only way. I mean, he really grew up only knowing Popeyes Chicken.
Matt Abeticola
Yeah.
Dan Bernstein
And he's like, oh, yeah, yeah. The, the, the one eyed Navy guy. And I said, why do you immediately say one eyed Navy guy, not the, like the sailor with his eyes closed? And he said, well, I just thought he had one eye. I thought that's why they called him Pop eye because he's got one eye that pops or an eye popped out or something like that.
Matt Abeticola
I had no idea he had one.
Dan Bernstein
I didn't either. So we didn't either when we heard that.
Matt Abeticola
But he did.
Dan Bernstein
And then I argued him. I said, why do you presume he was in the Navy? He said, because he's wearing a hat that says Navy on it. I said, I don't think he is.
Matt Abeticola
No, he didn't have a hat that said Navy. Yeah.
Dan Bernstein
He had an anchor tattooed.
Matt Abeticola
Yeah.
Dan Bernstein
But I don't think his hat said Navy on it. He's just a sailor man like you. You were making me yesterday. I was, I was disrespecting the, the veterans. There's nothing that says that he's a war hero or that he was a veteran.
Matt Abeticola
Well, I just, I just assumed he was a Navy guy. That's all. Because he's got a Navy outfit on.
Dan Bernstein
He is a sailing outfit on. That's not a uniform.
Matt Abeticola
But it looks more. Okay, all right, tell me that's not a sailor uniform.
Dan Bernstein
Yes. Oh, okay. Well, that looks like a naval uniform.
Matt Abeticola
That's why I thought he was in the Navy.
Dan Bernstein
But that's not what. He didn't always wear that.
Matt Abeticola
No. And sometimes he wore this, which also looks like this dress blues of the Navy.
Dan Bernstein
No, it does not. That looks like he has jeans on. He just got out of his hammock from somewhere.
Matt Abeticola
You know.
Dan Bernstein
Come on. All right, this. But that other uniform maybe. But I did, I did have a sort of an anecdotal test just to see. And the first thing he said, one eye to sailor. All right. Well, that's, that was, that was news to me. I just thought he was kind of.
Matt Abeticola
I just thought he was squinty all the time.
Dan Bernstein
That's what I thought. And I do think if you lose your eye while you're out on the high seas, you wear an eye patch.
Matt Abeticola
Yeah, he should have got an eye patch.
Dan Bernstein
You don't have. If you did indeed lose an eye to see things clearly. I didn't think I'd have to quote Bushwick Bill on this show that. That you. You get an eye patch, maybe you
Matt Abeticola
never saw the doctor. Maybe his eye fell out. He decided, I'm good.
Dan Bernstein
You don't need. Somebody on the. On the ship can hand you an eye patch. You don't need a prescription eye patch.
Matt Abeticola
How do you know? Maybe you do in the military.
Dan Bernstein
He wasn't in the military.
Matt Abeticola
But you don't know that for sure. And let's not do this again like we did yesterday. You can't just say things are truth without knowing for sure.
Dan Bernstein
Thank you. All right. Because I. I don't.
Matt Abeticola
That's definitely a Navy outfit, too, by the way.
Dan Bernstein
That one you showed me is definitely a Navy outfit. Yes, but it doesn't say, like, in what war he fought. Was he on, like, the Monitor or the Merrimac? Which one? Which was the Union one? Are we going to find out that he fought for the Confederacy and he was on the other ironclad?
Matt Abeticola
No, he wouldn't be dressed that. Plus, he would look a little dirtier, too. He would look as clean.
Dan Bernstein
Can you imagine the Confederate Navy? What? That was like a ragtag band of folks on that thing, right?
Matt Abeticola
Have the boats pulled by horses.
Dan Bernstein
This is the first ever ironclad. Who wants to give it a shot. Well, I guess I'll try it. I've been on a boat out there in the fishing hole. I think I could do something on this.
Matt Abeticola
I'm not sure if it floats, but. Go give it a. Go give it a try.
Dan Bernstein
Yeah, and actually, I want to say Abraham Lincoln's naval secretary was the guy after whom Wells Park. Our. Our baseball program was named Gideon Wells. I. I'm pretty sure was in charge of Abraham Lincoln's naval forces.
Matt Abeticola
Interesting.
Dan Bernstein
There you go.
Matt Abeticola
I wonder if he was familiar with Popeye. Have they served at the same time?
Dan Bernstein
Maybe. Maybe they came up together. Maybe Popey was always.
Matt Abeticola
Poppy was much later.
Dan Bernstein
Maybe he was always bitter because he. He wasn't given, like, an under secretary role in the Gideon Wells Navy.
Matt Abeticola
Well, you know what? Let me. Let me see here.
Dan Bernstein
Maybe he thought he was entitled.
Matt Abeticola
Okay, so this is. This is Wikipedia about Popeye. Key characteristics. Appearance, squinty eye, pipe and mouth. And muscular forearms.
Dan Bernstein
Squinty eye.
Matt Abeticola
Not missing an eye. Missing eye. Right. Tenacious, wisecracking, loyal, though sometimes self centered. Eats a can of spinach to get a massive strength boost and a massive erection that lasts for more than four hours.
Dan Bernstein
And he had fatal taint. Swelling. That's actually how he died.
Matt Abeticola
People don't realize that I am.
Dan Bernstein
I am what I am. I'm taking Jardiance. And I've got Fournier's gangrene.
Matt Abeticola
Olive Oil. Was his flighty, lanky girlfriend Bluto or Brutus, his hulking rival for Olive's affection? Sweet Pea, his adopted baby son. He adopted a kid. And Wimpy is hamburger loving friend who famously says, I'll gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today. So this is just saying that he was squinty.
Dan Bernstein
Correct.
Matt Abeticola
See, I don't think that's maybe Squinty
Dan Bernstein
the pirate or Squinty the Sailor was a different guy. I don't know. But again, this is another time where you. You're getting Popeye confused, perhaps with Bushwick Bill, which would have been way better if Bushwick Bill were inserted retroactively and retconned into the Popeye cartoons.
Matt Abeticola
Wait, the rapper Bushwick Bill?
Dan Bernstein
Yes. He had to lose an eye to see things clearly.
Matt Abeticola
Oh, God.
Dan Bernstein
Yet ghetto boys. Yes. Right.
Matt Abeticola
Yeah, you're exactly right.
Dan Bernstein
I thought that was the case.
Matt Abeticola
Yeah.
Dan Bernstein
So you have him. You have Dick Vital and Sammy Davis Jr. See?
Matt Abeticola
No, that's him. He. He's definitely get lost an eye.
Dan Bernstein
Right.
Matt Abeticola
Popeye was just squinty.
Dan Bernstein
That's Bushwick Bill. I know who that is.
Matt Abeticola
That is not Popeye. Yes, that's Bushwick Bill.
Dan Bernstein
Right, Good. I'm glad we settled this.
Matt Abeticola
All right, whatever.
Dan Bernstein
I think we made some progress today. You know what? You know what I think? What kind? Forward. Progress. Nicely done.
Matt Abeticola
I'm going to close it off right now. I wasn't ready. Do it again. And what kind of progress did we make today?
Dan Bernstein
I forgot.
Matt Abeticola
I forgot. Progress.
Dan Bernstein
Forward. Progress. On three. One, two. Sports.
Matt Abeticola
Forward.
Dan Bernstein
Progress has stopped. 10, 2, 19. 219. Forward.
Matt Abeticola
Progress. A Chicago Bears podcast with Dan Bernstein and Matabeticola. On three. One two. Sports.
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Dan Bernstein
Officially calling it the largest natural disaster in America. American history.
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Episode: Chicago Bears won't play in Spain, Germany, or Hammond in 2026
Date: May 13, 2026
Hosts: Dan Bernstein & Matt Abbatacola
This episode explores two major themes:
Dan and Matt bring their trademark mix of deep-dive analysis and Bears fan passion, challenging the organization’s narrative and placing the moves within the larger context of NFL decision-making and fan perception.
Mailbag Mindset:
The show opens with Dan discussing the importance of media mailbags, particularly how the questions chosen reveal the most pressing concerns among fans and reporters.
“That's the biggest decision made in a mailbag... It's important that you hear what I have to say about this.” (01:49, Dan Bernstein)
Coaching vs. Talent (02:49 – 06:49):
Addressing a fan question relayed by Brad Biggs about the lack of defensive line upgrades, the hosts debate whether Bears leadership genuinely believe "just coaching them better" will solve the issue or if they're deflecting.
Skepticism About “Coaching Them Better”:
Matt and Dan express exasperation at vague coaching solutions:
"You can't just let them blithely mention 'that'll be fine, we're going to coach them better.'..." (06:04, Dan Bernstein)
Matt presses for concrete examples of what was poorly coached and how it will be fixed, likening public statements to empty platitudes.
The Blame Game (06:49 – 10:29):
The hosts analyze the logic behind shifting blame from players to coaches and discuss the implied safety net:
Offense as a Distraction (10:00 – 11:40):
Both agree the Bears seem to be betting on offensive firepower outpacing defensive weaknesses, drawing a parallel to analytics in baseball ('run prevention' vs. 'run scoring'):
“No one will care if they win the Super Bowl, 51-49.” (11:40, Dan Bernstein)
Best Player Available vs. Need (12:46 – 16:12):
Dan reads Brad Biggs’ extended quote from Lions GM Brad Holmes about the dangers of "chasing needs" in the draft.
The hosts note, however, that need must sometimes be addressed and other avenues exist beyond the draft (i.e., free agency, trades), which the Bears have also not pursued for the defensive line.
"You didn't address it at all." (14:45, Dan Bernstein)
Possible Future Moves? (16:34 – 19:18):
The mailbag also touched on potential trades or veteran signings (like Cam Jordan or Kayvon Thibodeaux) – Brad Biggs downplays the likelihood of any forthcoming moves.
Dan and Matt remain unconvinced:
"What basic fundamental stuff do these guys...needed to know that they didn't know?" (17:49, Matt Abbatacola)
If “Coaching Harder” Fails:
The risk highlighted: persistent issues will “cost people jobs” if the defensive performance doesn’t improve given the Bears’ difficult schedule. (19:55+, Matt Abbatacola)
NFL International Slate Revealed (20:27 – 24:14):
Matt runs through the 2026 international games – with stops in Australia (Niners vs. Rams), Brazil (Cowboys vs. Ravens), London (Colts/Commanders, Eagles/Jags, Texans/Jags), Paris (Steelers/Saints), Madrid (Bengals/Falcons), Munich (Patriots/Lions), and Mexico City (Vikings/49ers).
Quick Quips:
"Falcons, Bengals. What did the Spaniards do to deserve that?" (22:49, Dan Bernstein)
Interest in Schedule Release (24:14 – 26:11):
The hosts preview a special live Forward Progress episode for the schedule release, promising game-by-game predictions and a fan-centric approach for travel planning.
Primetime and Late-Night Bears Games:
Dan expects more night games and, by extension, late-night postgame pods to keep the fan conversation lively.
On Bears’ Defensive Line “Coaching”:
On Risk of Not Addressing Needs:
On Offense Covering for Defense:
On International Schedule:
On the Bears’ Reluctance to Add Defensive Talent:
On the Circular “Coach Them Better” Logic:
| Segment | Timestamp | |-------------------------------------------------------------|------------| | Opening Mailbag & Draft Discussion | 01:49–12:46| | “Coach Them Better” Debate | 06:04–12:46| | Offense Outshining Defensive Concerns | 10:00–11:40| | Addressing vs. Not Addressing Defensive Needs | 12:46–16:12| | Free Agency/Trade Possibilities for Defensive Line | 16:34–19:18| | Consequences if “Coaching” Doesn’t Work | 19:18–20:13| | NFL International Games 2026 Overview | 20:27–24:14| | Schedule Release/Primetime Predictions | 24:14–27:12| | Popeye (Squint or One-Eyed Navy Hero) Segment | 28:56–35:24|
The episode struck a balance between technical analysis and playful banter—a style familiar to Bears diehards. Dan and Matt’s candid skepticism toward Bears’ official narratives carried through in both language and tone, laced with moments of humor and occasional salty language. Their conversational style kept things lively while still sharply interrogating the team’s decisions.
Tune in for the live schedule release special, where Dan and Matt promise instant, if not ironclad, predictions for the Bears’ 2026 season outlook.