Matt Abaticola (1:41)

Okay.

Dan Bernstein (1:42)

He says they are still playing at Soldier Field. Thank you, Roger. That is correct. Fact checked and correct.

Matt Abaticola (1:47)

Got it. Good.

Dan Bernstein (1:48)

Which has got a lot of great tradition, but as far as advancements in regard to the fan experience, I would say it's not at the top of the list there. So they need to find a solution, and it's really important they come to a resolution on this relatively soon.

Matt Abaticola (2:07)

I think he's saying the obvious, and I think he knows they're coming to a conclusion relatively soon. Really, his job at this point is to just support Bears ownership as much as possible in whatever they want. That's why he allowed himself to be. To be walked around by the hand and photographed walking around Hammond when. When he is dealing with a stadium situation here. His. His job is to lend whatever Public weight he can to whatever the team wants. And I think the fact that Goodell presented everything so blandly is evidence that the Bears are aware of how things are proceeding with their first choice of remaining in Arlington Heights and that there was no. Had he come in and made news and said that we're excited about Hammond, Indiana, and we. And started talking about how other teams are playing in places other than their. The states of their named city. He didn't do any of that.

Dan Bernstein (3:16)

He didn't do any of it.

Matt Abaticola (3:17)

And at least we believe he's just letting it play out.

Dan Bernstein (3:19)

He's letting it play out. And by saying, you know, they need to find a solution and a resolution relatively soon. That's. That's the Bears. That's the city. That's Arlington Heights. Get your shit together. Get this squared away. And Dan, I will say it is April 1, 2026, and still no shovels in the ground.

Matt Abaticola (3:42)

That's true. Well, somewhere there are just not any shovels.

Dan Bernstein (3:45)

Just not for the Bears.

Matt Abaticola (3:46)

Right. There are cranes in the sky and no shovels in the ground for the Bears.

Dan Bernstein (3:50)

Would you really. Would you bet that there are shovels currently in the ground somewhere?

Matt Abaticola (3:54)

Yes, I would.

Dan Bernstein (3:55)

Would you be confident in saying that?

Matt Abaticola (3:57)

I would. As soon as the ground is warm enough that there are in this part of the world, there will be shovels on the ground? Yes.

Dan Bernstein (4:04)

Yeah, there was.

Matt Abaticola (4:05)

I know construction costs are through the roof, but it's not stopping anybody.

Dan Bernstein (4:08)

Everything's through the roof. It's a very, very good day today. You want to know why?

Matt Abaticola (4:12)

Why?

Dan Bernstein (4:13)

Landscapers.

Matt Abaticola (4:14)

Mine came yesterday.

Dan Bernstein (4:15)

They're here today.

Matt Abaticola (4:17)

Mine came. I have to. I have to reseed the front annually because we have so much shade, we cannot grow grass. And a lot of my neighbors have chosen hardscaping or AstroTurf. Ooh, and that's a bad look. The Astroturf. Well, it actually looks great from a distance. Okay.

Dan Bernstein (4:37)

It looks terrific from a distance. In the hardscaping, what do they do? Like, just rocks and stuff?

Matt Abaticola (4:41)

Yeah, it's kind of interesting. You know, rocks and planters and, like, prairie grasses. There are all sorts of different really cool hardscaping ideas. Some people do, like, a little mini backyard kind of setup. Maybe they. So you can't.

Dan Bernstein (4:54)

You can't do grass in the front yard at all?

Matt Abaticola (4:56)

Because I do it every year. They plant it, it grows. And then as soon as the trees grow in, it's just so shady. That grass will not survive.

Dan Bernstein (5:05)

Yeah, our. Our backyard is tough because of the. The two animals that live here and piss all over it.

Matt Abaticola (5:12)

But the boys or the dogs?

Dan Bernstein (5:15)

Oh, it's a good question.

Matt Abaticola (5:17)

Yeah. I'm sure. You're talking.

Dan Bernstein (5:18)

I thought of that. Yeah.

Matt Abaticola (5:19)

Because I will not. I will not tolerate any slander of Frank and Izzy on this show. I just won't. I'm not. I'm not.

Dan Bernstein (5:27)

You are quite the dog lover.

Matt Abaticola (5:28)

I'm not learning that about you. Yes. I don't want to own one, but I love other people. Yes, I do. I do. I love other people's dogs.

Dan Bernstein (5:37)

Yeah. No, it's Frank and Izzy. It is. They've ruined the backyard. And Natalie's done a lot of great work in the backyard, and it's just. We just can't keep it. There's nothing you can do. Like, unless they go out there after every time they take a leak and, like, hose it down or. I don't know what. I don't know what to do with it. It's just. It's a beautiful backyard. We have a great deck with a great gazebo. And then Frank and Izzy have just.

Matt Abaticola (5:58)

I'm gonna say the Great Gazoo is there.

Dan Bernstein (6:01)

I know. He comes in late summer.

Matt Abaticola (6:05)

Late summer, just drifting by with his giant green helmet and the voice of Harvey Corman, my guy.

Dan Bernstein (6:12)

Oh, is that Harvey Corman?

Matt Abaticola (6:13)

Yeah.

Dan Bernstein (6:14)

Was it Rick?

Matt Abaticola (6:15)

Sure. Of course it is. Well, I didn't know that. That's Hedley Lamar. Absolutely. That's great.

Dan Bernstein (6:20)

That's really good. All right. Roger Goodell also had more to say and talk about regarding the Rooney rule. And apparently the attorney general in Florida, James Uthmeyer. Yeah, it's definitely a Terry name.

Matt Abaticola (6:38)

That's a great Terry name. James Uthmeyer.

Dan Bernstein (6:41)

So apparently he's threatening litigation against the NFL if they don't eliminate the Rooney rule.

Matt Abaticola (6:48)

And the Rooney family sort of capitulated already. Where a spokesman for the Rooneys or one of the Rooneys I saw said, well, times have changed and we have to fit the way things are being legislated. I. I'll give Goodell credit in that he profess a strong belief and an apparent desire to defend their position.

Dan Bernstein (7:07)

Yeah. He said that it's not a hiring mandate, which it's not. It's not a hiring mandate. It's an interview process mandate. So it really. It doesn't violate any laws. And I know this is just the state of Florida trying to be.

Matt Abaticola (7:23)

It's grandstanding.

Dan Bernstein (7:24)

Yes, 100%. 100%. And he's very accurate in saying it's not a hiring mandate. And that should end any conversation right there. It's Not a hiring mandate. It is an interview process. From there, you can question the legitimacy of it. We can get into a debate and discuss it if you want, but not, not now. But it's not a hiring mandate. So I don't, I don't see this going anywhere more than just trying to make headlines and make news. Attorney General James Uthmeyer.

Matt Abaticola (7:52)

Well, I'd hope that when Goodell makes his point, it is the fact that it's also proven to be good business. And that, that's why we do see at so many very healthy American companies that even though they've had to change names of programs, they've had to lay low because all the crusaders for the precious white maleness that apparently is being victimized. Oh, no, help me. I'm a white male there. Everyone's taking my freedoms. Oh, no. That. There are companies who are so concerned that. But they obviously want to keep their diverse hiring practices in place because again, good business companies want. That's why companies want to do it. They're not trying to prove anything. They're not trying to, to own the white males or make you feel bad about yourself or the drainage of your precious masculinity and your precious whiteness. They're just trying to run a business that appeals to an ever changing populace and a country that, that looks very, very different in a lot of different ways in a lot of different places and should be celebrated for that. And the NFL is no different. So I think the NFL is like, look, all right, whatever you want to, you want to put us through rhetorical hoops to define what we do. Colleges are the same way. Okay? You want us to name this and name that and say this and, and they'll ride it out for, you know, until November, however long. They gotta ride out this spasm of stupidity and then they'll get back to being a, an aware business that takes care of a variety of people who come from different places and who may not all fit into something that is designed to mirror a 1950s that never existed actually in this country. So good on the NFL. I wish they'd go a little bit harder. And somewhere we're all very, very terrified that, that white males, masculinity and power is somehow, somehow going to be sucked away from them in their, in their endless whining victimhood.

Dan Bernstein (10:06)

Right? Because, well, this will cap it off here with saying that diversity is a good thing to him.

Matt Abaticola (10:12)

Yeah, it's a good thing generally, and it is proven to be a good thing for business.

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Dan Bernstein (11:03)

NFL owners also have approved two significant changes to the league's replay review system, one that is contingent on the NFL using replacement officials this season and one that will take effect whether or not there is an officiating work stoppage. Yeah, there's something to get into as well, too.

Matt Abaticola (11:20)

Yeah, sure, I see. I understand what they're doing. This is all negotiating leverage with the officials and basically saying, we agree with you that the other officials that we're gonna have to bring in suck and aren't as good as you are. But the replay officials, you know, Caitlin Kaler was on when you were on vacation, Kaylin was awesome talking about what they're doing. And what she described is that though the replay officials are not governed by, they're not under the auspices of the referees union. They're strict. They're, they're league employees. They're not union employees. And that's what the NFL has. What they're saying is we agree that whatever, whatever scab group we're going to bring in kind of sucks, but we're going to make up for that because we're going to police them better.

Dan Bernstein (12:07)

Yeah. So the NFL, the NFL Referees association, they broke off collective bargaining last week. So May 31 is when that contract expires. The current contract. The league has already begun collecting names of college officials who could serve as replacements during the preseason and possibly the regular season if needed. So the first set of Tuesday's approved changes will create a massive expansion of authority for staffers in the league's officiating command center in New York City. New York City, allowing them to consult with the on field referee and a wide variety of called and uncalled penalties and other administrative procedures.

Matt Abaticola (12:45)

Uncalled penalties. I like that.

Dan Bernstein (12:47)

Rich McKay, co chairman of the NFL's competition committee, said the league would reallocate existing game day employees to ensure appropriate staffing levels to cover each game. If a work Stoppage activates these rule changes. Remember that was something we discussed at the end of last season where there weren't enough people in those late games? Remember it was that 3 o' clock window where there weren't enough people to help oversee the officials.

Matt Abaticola (13:14)

Yeah. They said that the actual central command was. Was swamped.

Dan Bernstein (13:20)

Yes.

Matt Abaticola (13:20)

They couldn't deal with it. Yep.

Dan Bernstein (13:22)

So it said that the NFL owners are alarmed about the state of negotiations. Sources said over the weekend that NFL executive Vice president Jeff Miller said Tuesday that owners are insistent upon a new CBA that provides avenues to improve the state of NFL officiating. That's where we are in the negotiations, miller said. That's exactly where we're going to stay. According to the verbiage in this rule, staff members in New York could alert a replacement referee if they see clear and obvious evidence of an uncalled foul for, roughing the passer, intentional grounding, or an act that would normally lead to disqualification.

Matt Abaticola (14:05)

Okay.

Dan Bernstein (14:06)

Those staff members would also be permitted to alert replacement referees that a flag shouldn't have been thrown if there is clear and obvious video evidence that at least one element of the foul called is not present. So how does that work? Then they pick the flag up,

Matt Abaticola (14:25)

you

Dan Bernstein (14:26)

alert a referee, a replacement ref on the field, and say, hey, that shouldn't have been called. So do you pick the flag up and say, hey, after further review, there is no flag.

Matt Abaticola (14:34)

Okay, yeah. Why not?

Dan Bernstein (14:36)

So then you would alert the official. They would go to an actual official's review and then get word from New York that it's not a foul,

Matt Abaticola (14:48)

I guess.

Dan Bernstein (14:48)

Okay.

Matt Abaticola (14:49)

But my guess is it won't come down to this, that this is all just posturing to. To drive a deal with the officials. I think it's the last thing the NFL wants is to start a season with this kind of chaos and that this is, this is end stage negotiation with the NFL very publicly trying to show the officials, oh, breaking off talks. We are full on preparing for the likelihood that we will not have you working and that eventually something will be worked out at the 11th and again.

Dan Bernstein (15:23)

And the current agreement expires the end of May. So you have eight weeks. So files eligible for this alert include twisting, pulling or turning the face mask, roughing the passer, intentional grounding, horse collar, tackles, illegal contact, pass interference and disqualification. In addition, after the two minute warning or in overtime, the list of called or uncalled penalties that league staff members could provide referees would expand to include unsportsmanlike conduct based on punching or kicking at an opponent during Kicks leave League of staff members could also consult on the leverage and leaping rules. Finally, throughout a game, league staff members could assist on discerning whether a foul should be classified as roughing or running into the kicker.

Matt Abaticola (16:11)

You know what? Just. I'd rather hear what they can't do. It would be so much easier if they just said, we are empowering our centralized officials and here's what they're not going to be allowed to fix otherwise. Just let him fix everything. Just get it right. It's like what we're talking about with baseball right now is just find a way to just get it right as quickly as possible.

Dan Bernstein (16:32)

Yeah, that's. Those are the two elements that, as a. As a. As a fan of watching football, watching baseball. That's what I want. I want those two things, Dan. Get it right and get it right as quickly as possible. And that's why I love the ABS thing so far in baseball, because it's so fast.

Matt Abaticola (16:51)

I know.

Dan Bernstein (16:52)

It's just. All right, the catcher has challenged the call. Umpire steps out from behind home plate. Calls confirmed or calls overturned.

Matt Abaticola (17:00)

Pitch.

Dan Bernstein (17:01)

A ball pitch was a strike.

Matt Abaticola (17:02)

But the best part is they make the umpire.

Dan Bernstein (17:05)

Umpire say himself. It's like a.

Matt Abaticola (17:08)

Calls overturned. I was wrong. Calls confirmed. Damn it.

Dan Bernstein (17:14)

Give them freedom to swear.

Matt Abaticola (17:16)

Yeah, right.

Dan Bernstein (17:17)

God damn it. This call's overturned.

Matt Abaticola (17:19)

Shit. Having a rough one, folks. Right, Sorry, my bad.

Dan Bernstein (17:25)

My bad on that one, guys. Sorry about that.

Matt Abaticola (17:27)

That's me on that one. I don't know. I thought it was a. I thought it was a strike. What do I know, guys? Throwing 102 miles an hour.

Dan Bernstein (17:33)

Do you want me to do Right. I was like, how am I supposed to call that?

Matt Abaticola (17:37)

Well, you come down here and do that, I think. But really, if you're. If we're telling the truth about NFL referees, if you've been to a game and you have stood on the field, I don't know how they do it. I don't know how they say, well, he reached his hand in there, but his legs weren't tangled up. Like, it's. It's ridiculous what they have to call. And the more we can have technology, get it right and get it right quickly, the better. If, in fact, for a couple of weeks. And maybe the.

Dan Bernstein (18:08)

The union.

Matt Abaticola (18:09)

The referees union is like, okay, let them do it. Call their bluff. Let them do it with. With this procedure. It's going to be a complete clusterfuck, and then we're going to make more money. That could be their position as well. And they say, look, you can't Live without us now, now exceed to our demands. Pay us all this money, bring us in, make us full time, whatever they're asking for. Because it's. It's hard. It's really, really hard.

Dan Bernstein (18:31)

And I agree with you in the fact that I think this is just posturing from the league, and this is going to get worked out. It'll be done before the May 31 deadline of the contract expiring. They'll have a new contract in place. I think the NFL knows better than to allow that to happen. I don't think there's egos will stand in the way of what is the correct decision to have the league officials in place with a new agreement before the season starts. I think it's too important. It's too important. And the. And the NFL knows that. The NFL knows that for sure. All right, well, one other note before we get into the coach's photo. I don't know if you saw this, but I saw this on Instagram, and this was from the NFL Drop. It says Giants running back Cam Scatterboo. Your guy reportedly had a CAT scan done on his brain, which is a good place to have that done after experiencing lightheaded and foggy symptoms over the past two weeks. According to doctors, Scataboo has had anywhere between 21 and 24 concussions since the start of 2015. Now. And now when they say that they're not now, that's not all concussions. Those aren't all registered concussions. Those are the ones that, oh, he's wobbly, he's down. He might have gone out.

Matt Abaticola (19:55)

Those are concussions.

Dan Bernstein (19:56)

I know. But. But there are more concussions that don't get registered and that happen all the time. The minor ones, the. The ones where there are no outward physical reaction to it.

Matt Abaticola (20:05)

Sure.

Dan Bernstein (20:05)

These are the ones that have been registered. 21 to 24.

Matt Abaticola (20:10)

And he's the one that's making jokes about CTE.

Dan Bernstein (20:12)

Yes. Wasn't he?

Matt Abaticola (20:14)

Yeah.

Dan Bernstein (20:14)

Yeah. That's why I thought it was. That's why I wanted to share that when I came across that.

Matt Abaticola (20:17)

Saw that on Instagram.

Dan Bernstein (20:20)

Not good.

Matt Abaticola (20:21)

Yeah, no, that's. That's not good. And especially, as you know, when we were just talking about Drew Dahlman and the decisions that some of these people make that every time. This guy loves football, he's all about football from a young age, that's all he's ever done. Right. And slamming your head into things on purpose is bad for you. Slamming your head into things by accident is bad for you. All of it. Is.

Dan Bernstein (20:43)

But, yeah, they're both bad. It's worse to do it on purpose, though.

Matt Abaticola (20:47)

Wow. Yeah. But so to say, 23 that are. Actually have risen to the level of certain diagnosed concussions.

Dan Bernstein (20:56)

Correct. No bueno.

Matt Abaticola (21:00)

And I've only had one for sure. And I've. I've probably had, I don't know, five or six minimum. Others that are probably undiagnosed.

Dan Bernstein (21:10)

I've had one for sure my freshman year of high school during football. Came around the end, going after the quarterback and the running back. Got underneath my face mask and got into my chin and I was out cold on the ground.

Matt Abaticola (21:23)

I. Me too. Yeah. Mine was from a softball game and I was. I was out cold.

Dan Bernstein (21:28)

Yeah. I remember running. I remember seeing him come towards me and then the next thing I know I'm waking up on the ground with coaches around me and of course, I mean, this is 1987.

Matt Abaticola (21:37)

You're okay.

Dan Bernstein (21:38)

You're fine. Yeah.

Matt Abaticola (21:39)

No.

Dan Bernstein (21:39)

Oh, I was on the sideline for maybe two or three plays, then back in.

Matt Abaticola (21:43)

Yeah. Good. Good for you. Get your ass back in there.

Dan Bernstein (21:46)

Yes. Right.

Matt Abaticola (21:47)

I'm kidding, of course.

Dan Bernstein (21:49)

Wow.

Matt Abaticola (21:49)

That's. That's a. That's a big number. But I hope that he listens to his doctors and they may offer him some advice he doesn't want to hear. That may happen.

Dan Bernstein (22:04)

All right, let's get to this coach's photo because.

Matt Abaticola (22:06)

Indeed.

Dan Bernstein (22:07)

All right, so now if you're. If you're listening on a podcast form, I apologize, you won't be able to see the photo. So it'd be a good reason maybe for this episode to go to YouTube, check out our forward progress channel and you can see this photo. All right, I'm going to throw this

Matt Abaticola (22:20)

up here for us, Dan. Thank you.

Dan Bernstein (22:22)

All right, here we go. Oh, this. Oh, man, it's so beautiful. It's like a nice backdrop, too. It's like a university.

Matt Abaticola (22:27)

Yeah, there's a lot of. They like blue.

Dan Bernstein (22:30)

There's a. There is.

Matt Abaticola (22:32)

The color palette is extremely blue.

Dan Bernstein (22:35)

Yeah. White, blue. There's a. There's a tan. And then there's Andy Reid. I think he has one of Terry's old button up shirts.

Matt Abaticola (22:44)

I don't know, buddy. How are you going? I don't know. We need ice cream. Chili ice cream, buddy.

Dan Bernstein (22:50)

All right. All right. So you're looking at the photo, Dan, back row, far right. Who is that giant person in the blue polo with shorts on? He's the of the people we can see visible legs. He's one of two people wearing shorts. Who is that guy.

Matt Abaticola (23:08)

Well, it's not Dan Campbell.

Dan Bernstein (23:09)

I mean, it's not Dan Campbell.

Matt Abaticola (23:11)

I see Dan Campbell. Is that Vrabel?

Dan Bernstein (23:14)

It's not Vrabel either.

Matt Abaticola (23:16)

Are you sure?

Dan Bernstein (23:17)

Yeah, I'm positive It's not Vrabel.

Matt Abaticola (23:20)

Well, where's Vrabel then? Oh, there's variable. Okay.

Dan Bernstein (23:24)

Yeah, yeah, variables.

Matt Abaticola (23:25)

And he's sitting next to Sean Payton.

Dan Bernstein (23:26)

Yeah.

Matt Abaticola (23:27)

Sean Payton is the only guy in the bottom row with shorts. And I just wanted to see where they seated. I don't know if it's assigned seats or the photographer just moves everybody around, but Ben Johnson is bottom row, second from right.

Dan Bernstein (23:40)

Yes.

Matt Abaticola (23:41)

And then it's one, two, three people. And then Matt LaFleur.

Dan Bernstein (23:46)

Yeah. So LaFleur is four away. And who's next to Ben Johnson in the black? He didn't get the memo.

Matt Abaticola (23:52)

Is that Zach Taylor?

Dan Bernstein (23:58)

I don't believe so.

Matt Abaticola (23:59)

It's not Zach Taylor.

Dan Bernstein (24:01)

I don't think it's Zach Taylor.

Matt Abaticola (24:02)

No, it's just all of these.

Dan Bernstein (24:03)

There's.

Matt Abaticola (24:03)

They're two in shape. This is what's pissing me off about coaches now. Well, no, they're all too young and handsome.

Dan Bernstein (24:11)

Because right before you said that, I was going to say what two guys stand out as. These two don't belong. Number one being Terry Shirt. Yeah. Mike McCarthy.

Matt Abaticola (24:20)

Right. Because he's. He doesn't look the part.

Dan Bernstein (24:23)

He looks like he snuck up on the picture.

Matt Abaticola (24:25)

It looks.

Dan Bernstein (24:26)

He's on the top row, all the way to the left.

Matt Abaticola (24:28)

He's got a little. No, top row. One in from the left.

Dan Bernstein (24:31)

Yeah. One in from the left. Yeah.

Matt Abaticola (24:32)

Yeah. It looks like Mike Mulligan walked into the picture.

Dan Bernstein (24:35)

What are you doing here, mister?

Matt Abaticola (24:36)

Oh, my giddy ant. Right.

Dan Bernstein (24:38)

And then in the middle, in the second row. Is that. Is that Todd Bowles?

Matt Abaticola (24:43)

Yeah, it's got to be.

Dan Bernstein (24:44)

Okay.

Matt Abaticola (24:45)

Yeah. You know, he was.

Dan Bernstein (24:47)

He's a husky man.

Matt Abaticola (24:48)

He is a larger man. I didn't know that.

Dan Bernstein (24:50)

I didn't think he was that husky.

Matt Abaticola (24:52)

Because. Because Aaron Glenn is down to the left.

Dan Bernstein (24:54)

Yeah.

Matt Abaticola (24:55)

He's getting all excited about Geno Smith as his quarterback.

Dan Bernstein (24:57)

Yeah. He looks like he's in shape. D' Amico Ryan's looks like he would destroy you.

Matt Abaticola (25:02)

Aaron Glenn not in this photo next year.

Dan Bernstein (25:06)

Right. And then they already eliminated Todd Monkin.

Matt Abaticola (25:10)

They fired Todd Monket already. And Sean McVeigh was too busy. All right.

Dan Bernstein (25:14)

And then if you go 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. So 7 from the left. The bottom row, right in the middle. He's got, like, the light gray khakis. On. He looks very tiny.

Matt Abaticola (25:25)

Is that John Harbaugh?

Dan Bernstein (25:28)

Is it really?

Matt Abaticola (25:29)

No.

Dan Bernstein (25:30)

John Harbaugh is a big dude, isn't he?

Matt Abaticola (25:32)

I don't know. I think that might be John Harbaugh. Their faces are also teeny.

Dan Bernstein (25:38)

Oh, yeah. You know what? You're right. It might be hard.

Matt Abaticola (25:40)

It is. I think that's John Harbaugh. But there's. Yeah, it's a lot of blue shirts and white men and they're just. They're too in shape. I want my football coaches to be old and bedraggled, and I only have one of them. I have two of them here.

Dan Bernstein (25:54)

You only have two guys in sunglasses, too, as opposed to the general managers where more than half had sunglasses on.

Matt Abaticola (26:00)

Yeah, it's like all they need are fedoras. And it looked like a Blues Brothers impersonator reunion.

Dan Bernstein (26:06)

Yeah. Mike McCarthy looks very uncomfortable and they didn't give enough space to get in between the two guys. He's like. He's behind the one guy in the black T shirt.

Matt Abaticola (26:16)

Yeah. Step forward. Come on, Come on. The photog's got to do all this stuff.

Dan Bernstein (26:19)

And photog was like, sir, on the left there. Take a step back. One step back. There you go. They kept sending him back. He ended up back in the building.

Matt Abaticola (26:28)

So it's Sean Payton's got shorts on and the big meat face guy, top right's got shorts on. Yeah.

Dan Bernstein (26:36)

I don't know who that is. It's not Joe Brady, right? Brady's. Isn't Brady older or is he?

Matt Abaticola (26:44)

Okay, it's not Kevin Stefanski. Let's see. Mike LaFleur, Kevin Stefanski, Jesse Minter. I don't know. Maybe it is Joe Brady. Is he a large man? He played right?

Dan Bernstein (27:02)

Yeah. I don't.

Matt Abaticola (27:02)

There's Dave Canales. Jesse mentor. Yeah. Monk is not there and we know most of these guys. I don't know. Clint Kubiak. It's not him. It's not.

Dan Bernstein (27:15)

Yeah. Robert Sala looks like he's getting ready for an MMA fight.

Matt Abaticola (27:17)

It's not Jeff Halfley. He's a normal sized person. Yeah.

Dan Bernstein (27:21)

Maybe it is Joe Brady.

Matt Abaticola (27:22)

It's not Kellen Moore. No. These are mostly normal looking people, but yeah, I think. I think as these. I don't think anybody looks too out of place in this group.

Dan Bernstein (27:36)

Except for Kevin o' Connell, who's like in the fetal position sucking his thumb

Matt Abaticola (27:40)

because he's so excited about his five quarterbacks who are all awesome. And everything's going to be fine as long as he keeps telling himself that. Yeah.

Dan Bernstein (27:50)

Everything is awesome. That's all he's singing as he walks around the Vikings facility.

Matt Abaticola (27:55)

Fine. He's fine because of the room. Everything's. Everything's good in that room. All right, well, we're already at this point in the season. We're gonna blink our eyes, and it's gonna be the middle of July and the. The full rosters of dudes, and then it's gonna be into the exhibition games. Football again. I know. It's draft month.

Dan Bernstein (28:15)

We're 22 days away from it from round one.

Matt Abaticola (28:18)

Oh, I won. Rabbit, rabbit, rabbit.

Dan Bernstein (28:19)

Today.

Matt Abaticola (28:20)

Let the record show I beat everybody in our family. Group chat. I was the first one on.

Dan Bernstein (28:25)

Is that an April Fool's thing or.

Matt Abaticola (28:27)

No. First day of any month.

Dan Bernstein (28:28)

First day of the month. Okay.

Matt Abaticola (28:29)

First day of the month. As long as you're the first person to inject. So here's what happens in my family, among the four of us. If I don't get it first, everybody will, you know, so whoever gets it will brag about it. If I get it first, all three other people are like, oh, nobody cares about that anymore. We're not really into it.

Dan Bernstein (28:48)

Oh, well, yeah.

Matt Abaticola (28:48)

I mean, you're the only person that cares now. Yeah.

Dan Bernstein (28:51)

You're still doing that.

Matt Abaticola (28:53)

You're still doing that. And then if it happens next month and Jason does a. Yeah. Bang. Hold that. L hold my nuts. I got you. Which is it? Pick one.

Dan Bernstein (29:04)

You don't literally then hold his nuts, do you?

Matt Abaticola (29:06)

I do. Yeah. So, no, I'm not. So it's just, you know, pick. Decide if it matters or not. You can't pretend it matters when you. It doesn't matter when you lose.

Dan Bernstein (29:17)

So you won today, and then no one acknowledged you.

Matt Abaticola (29:20)

No, not one.

Dan Bernstein (29:21)

How are you feeling about that, Dan?

Matt Abaticola (29:22)

Let's talk about it.

Dan Bernstein (29:23)

Yeah.

Matt Abaticola (29:24)

Yeah. I just. I think that I. The fact that I was up and being productive with my life rather than sleeping in, you know, I get up, I make the bed, I do all those stuff, the little things that make you productive every single day. And I think I set an example as the patriarch of the family, and I get nothing.

Dan Bernstein (29:42)

Do you make the bed while Beth still in it?

Matt Abaticola (29:44)

You know, I've tried before because she's so small sometimes, I don't know. And we have so many pillows that I have. I have also before gotten up super quietly very early and tiptoed around in the dark, not realizing she's been up and downstairs for a half an hour because I mistook a pillow for my wife.

Dan Bernstein (30:07)

Do you feel like an idiot then? Oh, I always feel like frustrated with yourself. And you're like, damn it, I could have had the lights on except walking

Matt Abaticola (30:13)

normal and singing to myself.

Dan Bernstein (30:15)

Yeah.

Matt Abaticola (30:16)

You know, I would have been much happy because I'm not allowed to sing to myself in the house if there are other people around.

Dan Bernstein (30:22)

You have a lot of rules you have to live by.

Matt Abaticola (30:24)

Amen. It's hard to live with me. I guess they have to.

Dan Bernstein (30:28)

Well, this is.

Matt Abaticola (30:29)

You know, they also have empowered a committee of people watching replays to then change things after the fact that they can go in there and call penalties on me.

Dan Bernstein (30:39)

What time was it that you did the rabid goose rabbit thing?

Matt Abaticola (30:43)

What is it I did?

Dan Bernstein (30:45)

What time was it?

Matt Abaticola (30:45)

I'm checking, I'm checking. I will tell you. I sent that at 6:44.

Dan Bernstein (30:51)

6:44. Sorry. So no one was up by 6:44?

Matt Abaticola (30:55)

No, Zoe was up because I took her to work today. I sent it at 6:44.

Dan Bernstein (30:59)

Always take Zoe to work day.

Matt Abaticola (31:00)

It's always take Zoe to work day. When I'm coming down here. She works right down here. I just drop her off.

Dan Bernstein (31:05)

Oh, you don't bring her to your work?

Matt Abaticola (31:07)

No.

Dan Bernstein (31:07)

Bring her to her work.

Matt Abaticola (31:08)

Yeah. See how that works. And go to her own work. You look, you're more of a shoe guy than I am. Are you looking at any of the head coaches shoes?

Dan Bernstein (31:21)

Yeah. I'm wondering why, like Sean Payton has like adult sized toddler shoes on.

Matt Abaticola (31:27)

Mike McCarthy is wearing clown shoes. No, just like I see a lot of allbirds. Maybe, because that seems.

Dan Bernstein (31:33)

Yeah, it's like the dressy, like the lifestyle sneakers. That's what everyone's wearing except for Sean Payton. Yeah.

Matt Abaticola (31:39)

At a certain age when you move to the slip ins, like the Skechers. Slip ins.

Dan Bernstein (31:44)

Yeah. I think. Who has those? Joe Montana.

Matt Abaticola (31:47)

Howie Long, actually.

Dan Bernstein (31:48)

Oh, Howie Long.

Matt Abaticola (31:50)

Howie Long sells the dad shoes. And they're good. They're good. They're not.

Dan Bernstein (31:53)

Oh, that's right. Mike McCarthy helped develop Joe Montana and his footwear.

Matt Abaticola (31:59)

Yes, that's what he's talking about here. In between takes, in between shots, like, you know. Guys, anybody have any quarterbacking questions? You can talk to the guy that made Joe Montana what he is. Speaking of quarterbacks, did you see the news that now the Sean Payton and the Broncos are sniffing around Aaron Rodgers?

Dan Bernstein (32:18)

No, I didn't see that. Are they really?

Matt Abaticola (32:19)

Yeah, they're worried about Bo Nix not being ready because of his ankle.

Dan Bernstein (32:24)

Oh, I thought, I thought he read the other day he would be ready.

Matt Abaticola (32:27)

That's what I thought. That's what I thought too, but apparently not necessarily the case.

Dan Bernstein (32:34)

Huh. Yeah. Aaron Rodgers said he would have a decision made before the draft.

Matt Abaticola (32:40)

Okay. I guess that at least his agent wants it out there that there is another team that might be interested. Or it's possible. It's all BS and he doesn't have a single offer and it's time for him to go away.

Dan Bernstein (32:52)

Which obviously looking at these coaches, the guys in the front row, we can see their shoes. So if you had to pick a guy in the back row outside of the massive meatball on the right who's wearing like, like Air Force ones or Jordans, my pick is Robert Sala.

Matt Abaticola (33:12)

I think. I think he's wearing Jordans.

Dan Bernstein (33:14)

Yeah. Man, he looks, he looks jacked in this picture.

Matt Abaticola (33:18)

He is jacked. He's got the giant, you know, trapezius muscles coming out of his neck. Yeah.

Dan Bernstein (33:24)

And then who's right next to him on the, on who's on Sala's left?

Matt Abaticola (33:28)

Is that Dan Quinn or.

Dan Bernstein (33:31)

Oh, that might be Dan Quinn. Yeah, I think you're right.

Matt Abaticola (33:33)

I think it's Dan Quinn to his left. Yeah, I think so.

Dan Bernstein (33:39)

In this small. He looks like a grandpa in the small picture. Like a.

Matt Abaticola (33:43)

Well, he's one of the older guys now.

Dan Bernstein (33:46)

I mean, you know, you could be

Matt Abaticola (33:46)

a young grandpa like myself. That's true. Yeah. But you, your doppelganger is variable.

Dan Bernstein (33:52)

Yeah. He's the blue polo front row, brown slip ons. Yeah. No socks.

Matt Abaticola (33:59)

He's the only guy who doesn't look like ready to go to the golf course immediately. I'm not sure because he's the only guy with brown shoes there. Brown shoes on the far right. So. Hey man, stay in that picture as long as you can.

Dan Bernstein (34:13)

Nothing's promised to you, Todd Monk and just don't show up for it.

Matt Abaticola (34:16)

Todd Monkey is too busy.

Dan Bernstein (34:17)

He wanted no part of this photo. Yeah, I want to know what he's doing. I wonder if he is with desean Watson getting him ready for the season.

Matt Abaticola (34:25)

I hope he's fishing. I hope he just like didn't have time for any of this shit. I'm, I'm, I'm, I'm a head coach the NFL. I'm going to do what I want to do. I don't have to go hang out with you idiots. Good for him. He should enjoy while he can.

Dan Bernstein (34:36)

What else you got? Anything?

Matt Abaticola (34:38)

No, I think we're good for today. I. This is another day we can go by without mocking drafting more Bears names as the, the, the pro days are occurring. We're getting closer to the expansion of all of these. These tryout opportunities, all the scouting chances for these guys. And I'm. I'm getting some. Some draft tingles. I'm getting excited.

Dan Bernstein (35:02)

Excited, man. We're 22 days away from the first round. I think it's the 23rd round.

Matt Abaticola (35:05)

That's Sherman and tingle. That's different. They're over there. Oh.

Dan Bernstein (35:08)

If you get the Sherman and tingles, you need to go right to the doctor immediately.

Matt Abaticola (35:11)

Immediately to the ER It's a huge problem. And then. Yeah, they got to give you an antidote for that. There's an antiven. If you get a case of the Sherman and Tingles.

Dan Bernstein (35:19)

Yeah. Well, you need to get isolated first. I think you're in isolation for, like, six to eight weeks.

Matt Abaticola (35:23)

It's like. Yeah, it's like coming back from the moon.

Dan Bernstein (35:25)

Sherman and tingles.

Matt Abaticola (35:26)

Yep. They got to keep you away from people.

Dan Bernstein (35:28)

Now if you get the tingle and Sherman's.

Matt Abaticola (35:31)

Forget it.

Dan Bernstein (35:31)

You're doomed.

Matt Abaticola (35:32)

Yeah.

Dan Bernstein (35:33)

You're done.

Matt Abaticola (35:33)

That's death sentence.

Dan Bernstein (35:34)

Yes.

Matt Abaticola (35:35)

All right, we're good. That is Forward Progress, a Chicago Bears and NFL podcast here on 312Sports. Forward progress is stopped.

Dan Bernstein (35:51)

Forward Progress. Chicago Bears podcast with Dan Bernstein and Matt Abeticola on 312 Sports.