Dan Bernstein (3:02)

And it's so weird.

Matt Abaticola (3:04)

And it's probably got to be odd as well, too, doing a daily podcast where, like, in radio days, if there was no Bears news, you just didn't talk about the Bears. And generally you wanted to avoid talking about the Bears anyway during the off season. But now it's like, all right, we need to talk about the Bears every day because we have a Bears and NFL podcast.

Dan Bernstein (3:23)

Yes. It has changed the things where I'm looking at. Jesus. Does this count as Bears content? Interesting. I actually, I had. I had a friend of mine make a comment and I'm like, anything now When I think of anything could be content. Anything is discussable.

Matt Abaticola (3:41)

Yes.

Dan Bernstein (3:43)

I'm not going to say who this was, but there is a picture that. I think it was Getty Images or it was one of the. One of the sharing there, the sites for that such thing. And it's a picture of Caleb Williams. And you see, like that little practice clock thing behind him, but because they practice where they do, it was nothing but forest behind him.

Matt Abaticola (4:06)

Okay.

Dan Bernstein (4:07)

So you see Chicago Bears quarterback, like, getting set to throw, but it's. But it's just trees and forest behind him. And I've got to find exactly what this text was. But I was laughing out loud because I know exactly what he was talking about when he said, this looks like such a great photo. It looks like Caleb Williams is working out with his receivers at Bussy Woods. And he said, if you just off camera, is the Mexican family picnic with volleyball going on there? It is. So I was just. And I looked at the picture and I'm like, yep, that's. That's probably it. And. And maybe you've got an opportunity. As the summer opens, the Bears could go to Cook County Forest Preserves and have a little seven on seven. They just kind of roll up and

Matt Abaticola (4:59)

run some routes and you can show up.

Dan Bernstein (5:00)

Yeah, yeah. And then people are over. There's a couple people walking from a fishing spot. There's. There's the little picnic shelters that are there and a bunch of volleyball games and like the 5 on 5 soccer games where they're using the garbage cans for goals. And, you know, it just happens to be the next one is the Bears, and they're throwing passes to each other.

Matt Abaticola (5:18)

Have I mentioned to you that the public course here, right across street from my house, Pine Meadow, that Caleb Williams and Colson Loveland have been spotted there a couple times in the last few weeks when the weather's been nice?

Dan Bernstein (5:31)

No, I don't Think I've ever played Pine Meadow. Yeah.

Matt Abaticola (5:34)

So they've been getting out there and. And the. On the driving range and then on the course. Seen social media posts, people taking pictures of these guys.

Dan Bernstein (5:43)

An Illinois top 10 public course.

Matt Abaticola (5:47)

Pine Meadow is.

Dan Bernstein (5:49)

Yeah. Was it really? That's what it says. How expensive? Golf race. No, it's not. I play there because the kids coming home, so. Oh, geez. Oh, geez. That's not bad at all.

Matt Abaticola (6:00)

I mean, it's literally across across the street from like, I could put my clubs on my shoulder and walk across the street and go.

Dan Bernstein (6:08)

So you have two bass ponds and a golf course right by the house. Yes. Okay. That must be pretty incredible.

Matt Abaticola (6:18)

Yeah, it can be if there's time to do either of those things.

Dan Bernstein (6:21)

Right. But then you're. You're in your basement playing Pac man or whatever, Galaga or whatever. You've got how many machines, how many different games are on that?

Matt Abaticola (6:30)

Oh, so there's multiple Pac man games. So there's Ms. Pac man and then multiple things of Pac Man. There's two Galaga games and then there's like Dig Dug maybe.

Dan Bernstein (6:40)

Yeah, yeah.

Matt Abaticola (6:42)

And then. And then the NFL Blitz is just the one by itself.

Dan Bernstein (6:45)

Okay. But I, I'm sure there's more probably hidden on that Pac man machine that you haven't found yet.

Matt Abaticola (6:51)

I would hope not because there's a menu and I would. I would hope they would put all the games on the actual menu.

Dan Bernstein (6:55)

So they hide stuff. Maybe there's someone that goes special like pornographic one they do just to entertain themselves and.

Matt Abaticola (7:00)

Yeah, but I need, I need some nice weather. Get across the street and I can see if I can run in the Caleb or.

Dan Bernstein (7:07)

I've never been invited up there to play golf. No one's ever invited me there. Well, okay.

Matt Abaticola (7:12)

Why don't you come up and play sometime?

Dan Bernstein (7:13)

Oh, really, Jason?

Matt Abaticola (7:15)

Yeah.

Dan Bernstein (7:15)

That's. That's so nice of you. We should do that sometime. Absolutely. Maybe before he leaves we can get up here and.

Matt Abaticola (7:21)

Please. But is he. Is he not. He's not very good, is he. Is he really good? I don't need to play with someone that's really good. I'm not interested in that.

Dan Bernstein (7:28)

Yeah, he's, he's really good.

Matt Abaticola (7:31)

Like, I need someone in like around 90, maybe like high 80s to 100. That's, that's my.

Dan Bernstein (7:37)

Yeah, he's, he's, he's low 80s. He's broken 80 like four times.

Matt Abaticola (7:42)

Okay.

Dan Bernstein (7:42)

Yeah.

Matt Abaticola (7:42)

And I just. If he can go on the other card, then it's fine.

Dan Bernstein (7:45)

I Just don't want to be around him. He's cool to play with, though. Like what we did when we played in a foursome, the three of us, just the other two people we didn't know. But at the turn, the other two guys came to me and said, how about the three of us play a best ball against him? Oh, that's what we did. Because we're just like, okay, so it'll be in. And we ended up winning. Actually, between the three of us, we beat him in a best ball.

Matt Abaticola (8:10)

Oh, I would hope so. You should.

Dan Bernstein (8:12)

I know, but it wasn't that easy.

Matt Abaticola (8:16)

There's Bears news about what happened downstate. Correct.

Dan Bernstein (8:20)

You know, you tell me if it's news. I think that it is. It's an update. But it's technically. This is exactly how you describe the gears of democracy turning right here, the gears of politics. This is how it all works. Because we know that the Illinois House passed their version of the pilot bill, and they're calling it the mega project bill, or the pilot payment in lieu of taxes, mega project legislation, whatever they want to call it. So they had announced that the version that they were going to bring up in the Senate was also going to have embedded property tax relief for homeowners, not just for big companies wanting to bring their projects here. And they also had a carve out that would not allow data centers to get involved in this, which I thought was great for them to just be like, yeah, okay, the businesses that everybody's incredibly concerned about doing horrible damage and pushing everything in the wrong direction for human existence, we're not going to allow them to apply for these. But it does appear that there's going to be work done on this, this bill. Now, on the pilot payments, 60% were supposed to go to rebates to homeowners in the taxing district, 40% into a statewide relief fund. And they're saying that Pritzker's office has found that a hypothetical $20 million pilot payment would only result in $1.29 of relief for a typical Illinois homeowner, and returns get smaller for smaller developments. So what the governor's office has said was change the math a little bit, move some things around to make it an actual stream of property tax relief. And that's what Cam Buckner said. He's in charge of this. And Cam Buckner basically said, once we figure that out, we can target this better, so we can't do nothing because we don't have the tools. So the governor's office, the House, the Senate, agree on that. We have to act, and that's what they're doing. So now it's a matter of tweaking and dealing with all involved to find that actual money within this bill. But it's all procedural at this point. It sounds like everybody is working together to just make this a little less wonky and make it work better. And then the moment it's done, it's done. So everything seems on pace for within whether two weeks, three weeks, within the four weeks that they have left to put this together, get it signed, and get the Bears committed to Arlington Heights.

Matt Abaticola (11:05)

Yeah, so that's a good update and seems like a logical, intelligent way to view this and say, hey, let's. Let's get this straightened out.

Dan Bernstein (11:14)

Yeah, that makes sense where it's been headed the whole time. Notice you're not hearing a lot about Hammond right now.

Matt Abaticola (11:19)

Right. Because Hammond wasn't a real legitimate landing

Dan Bernstein (11:22)

place for the Bears. And they. They know that. And I pointed that at the moment they started changing their timetable, that coincidentally happened to fit with exactly the time that was needed in the Illinois state legislature to get this all done. So here we are. And this is. This is how it looks. This is how it sounds. We'll keep an eye on it. But it's all positive movement toward the expected goal. Book a loved by guest property with

Matt Abaticola (11:46)

VRBO and you get a top rated vacation rental that's loved for all the right reasons. Ugh, I love my VRBO for the location. Good reason.

Dan Bernstein (11:53)

Oh, and for the pool. Cause pools are cool. I feel the love.

Matt Abaticola (11:57)

Book a VRBO that's loved by guests. If you know you verbo. I was looking at the Bears roster earlier today and specifically the defensive line, the tackles, defensive ends, edge rushers. And I wanted to go through and look at their contracts, make sure I had this right. So, okay, if I has. As I have it here, Javon Dexter, Kentavious Street, James lynch, one of the other.

Dan Bernstein (12:24)

That's the guy I keep forgetting. I keep forgetting James Lynch. I've got to just because it's. I don't know why it's forgettable after Kentavia street, perhaps, but okay, James lynch

Matt Abaticola (12:34)

and then Jonathan Garvin. So those four, their contracts expire after this season.

Dan Bernstein (12:41)

Okay.

Matt Abaticola (12:43)

No real significant names there. I mean, Dexter, yeah, you know, but not really. So after 27, you have Montez, Sweat, Diode, Dangbo, Grady Jarrett, Neville Gallimore, and Daniel Hardy. Isn't that the. Isn't it? So the. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9. That's pretty much the majority of your defensive line, correct?

Dan Bernstein (13:08)

Yes.

Matt Abaticola (13:09)

So you know, Kentavia Street, James lynch, it's like, hey, you got one year opportunity here to show if you're worth keeping beyond this. Javon Dexter, this is really, this is your last opportunity. If you're going to be a Chicago Bear, you need to prove it this year.

Dan Bernstein (13:27)

Booker's on his rookie deal.

Matt Abaticola (13:29)

Booker's on his rookie deal. And then even in 27, after the 27 season, sweat Odangbo, Grady Jarrett, Neville Gallimore, again, opportunity to prove yourself, Daniel Hardy, what he can do as an edge guy. So there's just gonna be there, I mean, potentially a lot of change. Good happen in the next year or two, Right? Exactly.

Dan Bernstein (13:51)

Good. Exactly. But they're not good enough to commit to more than they have.

Matt Abaticola (13:56)

Okay, but here's the thing though. It was a deficiency last season and it wasn't properly addressed. Like, is it going to become an area of priority or is it just going to be a thing where, hey, this is. These are the positions that we prioritize on defense.

Dan Bernstein (14:19)

Unless. Are they expecting now that they're coaching harder and coaching better, are they expecting that Austin Booker is going to develop into a frontline individual pass rusher worthy of a huge chunk of their cap, or are they?

Matt Abaticola (14:33)

Because you have a lot of other guys that you got to start paying coming up.

Dan Bernstein (14:36)

Well, you got one guy that you're going to have. That's the only guy that matters. And it may just be that rather than looking at individual cap numbers, the situation they're in now is pre Caleb deal and post Caleb deal and managing the roster. Pre Caleb deal is a completely different animal than managing it. Once you have given him all the money and then you've got to decide how do we pay pass rushers, where are we paying for. For sacks, essentially, who do we pay? How many sacks do we need to get? Who do we have to pay to get them and when? And you don't know the answer to that because that's, that's going to be, you know, half your cap is going to go to your quarterback.

Matt Abaticola (15:19)

Right.

Dan Bernstein (15:21)

And then you got to figure out where the sacks are coming from. So it may just be that simple that they, they can't have any entanglements that would be stressing them out when they're looking at the, at the post Caleb contract world.

Matt Abaticola (15:34)

Yeah. So after this year, you're going to have a handful of new names come through the defensive line and we'll see what they do draft wise, but way too premature for that, and then even in two years after the 27 season, a lot of the names that you're counting on now to be productive won't be a part of it. It's gonna have a totally different look to it. There was a fun little thing I wanted to share with you on the Bears rookies, but before we do that, I want to see. Did you see who the Green Bay packers signed as a backup quarterback?

Dan Bernstein (16:03)

I did, and I will remember that it is to Rod Taylor.

Matt Abaticola (16:09)

Correct.

Dan Bernstein (16:10)

Is their backup quarterback.

Matt Abaticola (16:11)

Gerard Taylor was signed. They released Desmond Ritter to Rod Taylor. Drafted in 2011, wanted to go back through and look at his draft class. I love this. There are three significant names that are still active from that draft class. And maybe there's more if I. If I miss somebody, but these three names. Von Miller, still playing with the Commanders. Cameron Jordan. Now, did he. Did he sign a new deal with the Saints? Did you.

Dan Bernstein (16:44)

I think he. No, that's where he was predicted to go.

Matt Abaticola (16:47)

Or is he still available?

Dan Bernstein (16:49)

I think he's still available.

Matt Abaticola (16:51)

Okay, so maybe he didn't sign anywhere, but he's still active and wants to play at least.

Dan Bernstein (16:56)

Yeah, I believe so. His Wikipedia page just says he is an American professional football defensive end.

Matt Abaticola (17:03)

All right, and then last name, AJ Green from the 2011 draft class with Torod Taylor, who now gets the backup, Jordan Love in Green Bay.

Dan Bernstein (17:18)

I hope the Bears see a lot of them.

Matt Abaticola (17:20)

I do, too,

Dan Bernstein (17:22)

as I usually do. Whoever.

Matt Abaticola (17:24)

Well, it's. It's either Jordan loves bad or they're up by 40. So, you know, either way, I mean, that could be a good thing or a bad thing.

Dan Bernstein (17:30)

We're down by 40.

Matt Abaticola (17:32)

Well, yeah, but if the packers are up 40 and then, you know, let

Dan Bernstein (17:35)

me just see who else is.

Matt Abaticola (17:36)

Want to see that?

Dan Bernstein (17:36)

Who else is active? Okay. Cam Hayward is active from this draft.

Matt Abaticola (17:40)

Oh, he is. Okay.

Dan Bernstein (17:41)

Andy Dalton is active from this draft.

Matt Abaticola (17:46)

Was he with the Panthers? Where's he at? Where's camp? Where is Andy?

Dan Bernstein (17:50)

It says. It says Cincinnati now. Is he back in Cincinnati?

Matt Abaticola (17:54)

Oh, maybe.

Dan Bernstein (17:56)

And then, you know who was drafted one pick after Andy Dalton.

Matt Abaticola (18:00)

Who?

Dan Bernstein (18:01)

Colin Kaepernick.

Matt Abaticola (18:03)

Oh, was he really?

Dan Bernstein (18:04)

One pick after Andy Dalton. There's Tirod Taylor, who is 180th. He was taken in the sixth round. And that's it. That's it for active players. Although there was a third round supplemental draft pick that year, Quarterback Terrell Pryor was. Oakland used their third round pick in that upcoming draft in the supplemental that season. But that's. That's all I've got from pro football references. List of. Yeah. Cameron Jordan.

Matt Abaticola (18:37)

Cameron Hayward you added.

Dan Bernstein (18:39)

And then Von Miller. Yeah. It doesn't. A.J. green. Done. But he. They don't have him listed as active or they don't have him emboldened. As active, I should say. Okay. All right. Oh, there he is. I can't escape this dude.

Matt Abaticola (18:53)

Who?

Dan Bernstein (18:54)

Fucking Chris Przeinski.

Matt Abaticola (18:58)

That's two days in a row now.

Dan Bernstein (19:00)

Seriously, fourth round, 121st overall from Jacksonville. Why can't I get away from him?

Matt Abaticola (19:08)

Because you love him.

Dan Bernstein (19:09)

He's constantly making me think of bad white safeties.

Matt Abaticola (19:13)

You want him to be part of your life.

Dan Bernstein (19:14)

And his beauty queen wife. Didn't we find that out? She was Miss Wyoming.

Matt Abaticola (19:19)

Oh, was she?

Dan Bernstein (19:20)

Or he was Miss Wyoming? I.1 of them was Wyoming. I don't think. I think they got married in college.

Matt Abaticola (19:26)

Right.

Dan Bernstein (19:27)

I think he was like the college star and she was the Ms. White. There's only like six people in Wyoming. That's why I'm saying, like, he had. I think he came in second in Miss Wyoming. I think their dog was third. I don't. I don't know. Like, there aren't enough people that can

Matt Abaticola (19:42)

be that big a deal on the Bears website. If you go to the Bears website, they have a section for the rookies and it's like fun facts or fast facts with the rookies and so they ask them a series of questions. There's some fun stuff here I wanted

Dan Bernstein (19:56)

to share with you.

Matt Abaticola (19:58)

Yeah, with.

Dan Bernstein (19:58)

About what? Just. I just. You always got to watch it with some of these fun facts because you may end up learning things you didn't want to know, but.

Matt Abaticola (20:05)

Well, there were some things I certainly did not know about Bears rookies.

Dan Bernstein (20:09)

Is one of them furry?

Matt Abaticola (20:11)

No, but Sam Rouse did. You know who's. He's related to Sam Rouse. Have you heard this?

Dan Bernstein (20:18)

I don't know. Henry Kissinger? Who.

Matt Abaticola (20:20)

No. He is the great nephew of Merlin Olson.

Dan Bernstein (20:24)

That. Okay. I think I knew that. Great nephew of Merlin Olsen.

Matt Abaticola (20:30)

So then his grandfather is. Is Phil Olson, who's Merlin's brother. Also played for. Played in the NFL with the Rams. 71 to 74. But the great nephew of Merlin Olsen.

Dan Bernstein (20:41)

I didn't. Okay, well, that's. No, it is clean bloodline. It is a. Yeah, that's what that is. He's got that good. He's got that Bajan bloodline. I don't know if.

Matt Abaticola (20:51)

I don't know it's that good. I don't hold.

Dan Bernstein (20:53)

Phil Olson was challenging people to arm wrestling matches out of the street, he set up a card table on the corner. Oh. Take out all comers.

Matt Abaticola (21:01)

All right, so here's a good one. So he. He's asked who's on his tight end. Mount Rushmore.

Dan Bernstein (21:07)

Oh. Oh, okay.

Matt Abaticola (21:10)

And I'm, as. I was reading through it, something I. I was thinking something I was like, oh, Sam. But then he. He got himself here. But he says, all right, who's on your. Your tight end? Mount Rushmore. So Zach Ertz is going to be on there. Stanford guy. I'm gonna put Jim Dre on there. Bears tight end coach and Stanford legend.

Dan Bernstein (21:31)

What?

Matt Abaticola (21:32)

You got to put Kittle, you got to put Kelsey on there. We'll go. Antonio Gates for sure. Gronk is going to be there.

Dan Bernstein (21:44)

Dude, that.

Matt Abaticola (21:45)

He says, I'm going over four. Yeah.

Dan Bernstein (21:48)

This is.

Matt Abaticola (21:49)

That's why I was like, all right. I guess Sam doesn't know what more is.

Dan Bernstein (21:52)

Sam, you went to Stanford. Now you're talking about Stanford. It's really, really hard to get into Stanford. You got to be really smart or really rich or some comb. But that. That ain't Mount Rushmore, which you got going there.

Matt Abaticola (22:06)

Well, at least he caught himself. He says, I'm going over four, because then he adds Tony Gonzalez. Gotta be on there. I put Mike Ditka on there. Bears legend, retired number. There's people that I'm leaving out. There's plenty of Stanford tight ends I'm leaving out.

Dan Bernstein (22:21)

There aren't.

Matt Abaticola (22:22)

He goes, those eight are definitely in the running for sure.

Dan Bernstein (22:25)

So what do you have, a second row of Mount Rushmore? You have to peel off the first. You gotta chisel away the first faces. And there's other. Underneath. Come on.

Matt Abaticola (22:34)

I guess.

Dan Bernstein (22:35)

No, Zach Ertz is not a. On the Mount Rushmore of anything other than being Zach Ertz. He's a nice player, but come on. Maybe, you know, Kelsey, nothing for Gronk.

Matt Abaticola (22:51)

Wait, no, he mentioned Gronk.

Dan Bernstein (22:52)

He's one of these. Okay, okay.

Matt Abaticola (22:54)

Gronk and Tony Gonzalez.

Dan Bernstein (22:56)

Gonzalez, Gates, Kellen Winslow.

Matt Abaticola (23:02)

Don't forget his. Jim Dre and Mike Ditka and George Kittle.

Dan Bernstein (23:07)

You start talking about the. Was it Dave Casper or Raymond Berry or Todd Christensen? You know, there's. There's a. There's a lot of great tight ends. Russ Francis. Can't forget Russ Francis.

Matt Abaticola (23:19)

Well, hey, that's. That's his. That's his Mount Rushmore, not yours. Okay, Dylan Thieman was asked what's one thing he wants to do when he gets to Chicago. Let me guess.

Dan Bernstein (23:28)

Okay, one thing he wants to do. He Wants to take a Chicago architectural boat tour. No, no. He wants to try Chicago style pizza.

Matt Abaticola (23:44)

Nope. Wants to go to a baseball game. Where?

Dan Bernstein (23:48)

Oh, Wrigley Field.

Matt Abaticola (23:50)

Wrigley Field?

Dan Bernstein (23:51)

Yes. Yes.

Matt Abaticola (23:52)

Because one thing he wants to do.

Dan Bernstein (23:53)

The only thing you're allowed to say that you want to do regarding baseball, because if somebody said, I want to go to a dog game, they'd say, what's wrong with this person? But not now. Not now. Of course. You want to go to a Sox game.

Matt Abaticola (24:09)

So Logan. Logan Jones was asked, you know, about. About if he's ever been to Chicago before, and he said that he and his wife, they came up here for spring break not too long ago.

Dan Bernstein (24:18)

How long has he been married? How old is he?

Matt Abaticola (24:21)

He's like 42, I think I'm gonna

Dan Bernstein (24:23)

say, what are you doing, man? You're too young.

Matt Abaticola (24:25)

Married young. So. And then he and his wife come up for spring break, and he said all he did up here was eat, which I love that about him. Just ate. All he did is eat. So when he gets to Chicago, he wants. What he wants to do more is eat. He wants to eat more. Cool. I like that about him.

Dan Bernstein (24:42)

And. And that. What is that? The new. There's a new commercial thing where they. They're talking about. They get the Italian beefs from Johnny's in Elmwood park, and they send everybody out because they didn't get the right beefs or something like that. Can we. Can we move on as Chicagoans where everything in our identity has to do with either deep dish piz. No ketchup on hot dogs or Italian beef is there? Can't we be proud of something else? Can our identity, national identity, that.

Matt Abaticola (25:11)

That's there through sports.

Dan Bernstein (25:12)

It's local, but it's not national. It's even local. You're like, yeah, deep dish pizza. Does that still resonate? I love deep dish pizza. I love Giordano's. I love it. I adore it. I think it's not my entire identity as a human being.

Matt Abaticola (25:30)

No, I don't think it's identity type thing. I think with the Italian beef, that's like a point of contention between people. Like, where's the best beef? People fight about that.

Dan Bernstein (25:39)

Okay.

Matt Abaticola (25:39)

People argue about that. Yeah.

Dan Bernstein (25:40)

Really, though? Or do we like to think that they do? I don't know. Have you ever gotten in an argument about it?

Matt Abaticola (25:48)

No, but I don't. I try to avoid people, so.

Dan Bernstein (25:53)

Which is great policy. Yes. But I can't. I don't think I've ever gotten into an argument about Any of these things. People have their preferences, and there's so many great options.

Matt Abaticola (26:03)

Yeah, but I also don't get offended when people's preferences don't match mine. So maybe I'm not the right guy to argue with. Because if you were to say that you like Johnny's and you like bone of beef and you like one I've never heard of, I'd be like, great. I'm sure I'd like to try them all. I like. I like Italian beef.

Dan Bernstein (26:17)

Yeah, I do, too. I'm sure they're awesome. And put whatever you want on a hot dog. It doesn't affect me.

Matt Abaticola (26:22)

Logan Jones was asked, if football didn't exist, what would your dream job be?

Dan Bernstein (26:27)

He said, actuary.

Matt Abaticola (26:31)

No. He said, man, that's tough. I love football and I'm very blessed to be here. If football didn't exist, I don't know, maybe go play basketball. Basketball is a lot of fun. I think I could have been a good discus thrower or shot put. I always thought wrestling was so cool. So wrestling would have to be fun, too.

Dan Bernstein (26:53)

Is he. Is hitting your head with a cinder block a job? Because I just wonder. There's plenty of football players just like, well, where else can I smash my head into things for fun?

Matt Abaticola (27:07)

I don't know if they'd encourage this, but I don't know. Like construction jobs. Do people bang their heads against brick walls?

Dan Bernstein (27:14)

No instructions for that. No.

Matt Abaticola (27:17)

Well, maybe they do. They have helmets.

Dan Bernstein (27:18)

Maybe they, you know, helmets to protect from falling things.

Matt Abaticola (27:22)

I'm trying to. I'm trying to give you an answer to your question.

Dan Bernstein (27:24)

So they don't smash their heads on things while doing construction.

Matt Abaticola (27:28)

You never know. They could. It could be some construction companies that encourage that. What else? Oh, how about, like, a helmet tester? That's a. That's a good job, right? Like testing helmets out.

Dan Bernstein (27:41)

They have robots. I think they have those. I think. I think there's robots, like dummies.

Matt Abaticola (27:46)

Like crash dummies.

Dan Bernstein (27:49)

They wear the helmet and they make a guy take a series of cognitive exams, and they're like, nope, that helmet doesn't work.

Matt Abaticola (27:59)

And then he goes back to the Oval Office and he's fine.

Dan Bernstein (28:05)

Oh.

Matt Abaticola (28:05)

Oh.

Dan Bernstein (28:05)

You just made me eat my notes and I can't see what I wrote down.

Matt Abaticola (28:08)

Aced that one, though.

Dan Bernstein (28:09)

That's good.

Matt Abaticola (28:12)

What other jobs? I don't know if there's any other jobs that you can bang your head for a living.

Dan Bernstein (28:19)

You smash your head into stuff for a living. You could be a. You could be a. I don't know a heavy metal musician.

Matt Abaticola (28:29)

Heavy metal musicians don't smash their heads into things.

Dan Bernstein (28:32)

No, but they. But they. Head bang.

Matt Abaticola (28:34)

Yeah, they head bang.

Dan Bernstein (28:35)

But it can't be good for your head.

Matt Abaticola (28:36)

No, probably not. It's probably not good for your neck

Dan Bernstein (28:39)

or your head because you got your brain sloshing around in your head. Probably bad, right?

Matt Abaticola (28:45)

I don't know. Can you think of anything else where you.

Dan Bernstein (28:47)

Where it's your job to smash your head? Anything? I mean, other than, like, other versions of football? Boxing. Head butter boxing.

Matt Abaticola (28:56)

Oh, yeah.

Dan Bernstein (28:58)

That's. That's why we used to make fun of Tommy Zibakowski. Remember when he was on the Bears, and then he wanted. He was boxing and, like. And then constantly getting punched. And so he said, like, what is his hobby? Like slamming his head in a car door just for fun. Like everything you have to do somehow has to involve brain trauma.

Matt Abaticola (29:16)

Yeah.

Dan Bernstein (29:17)

He doesn't have a doctor. I don't know. Yeah. Who knows? Because if I'm a doctor, I'm suggesting to a patient who does that to not do it anymore.

Matt Abaticola (29:23)

To stop doing it.

Dan Bernstein (29:24)

Yes. Yes.

Matt Abaticola (29:26)

All right. All right, then. Oh, that'll be all with you. All right.

Dan Bernstein (29:31)

If I run? If. Can we just make sure of one thing when we talk football tomorrow? Do not make me somehow cross paths with former Bear safety Chris Prosinski.

Matt Abaticola (29:42)

We have a guest tomorrow for Ford Progress.

Dan Bernstein (29:45)

Of course it is.

Matt Abaticola (29:46)

It's former bear safety Chris Brzezinski.

Dan Bernstein (29:48)

Brzezinski. Yes, it's.

Matt Abaticola (29:50)

But we're not talking football. We're talking Wyoming pageants.

Dan Bernstein (29:54)

Cool. I'm good. Yeah, they were. They're. They're a UFL team, aren't they? The Wyoming beauty pageants.

Matt Abaticola (30:00)

Now, now I'm dedicated. I'm committed to finding a reason to have no stumble across.

Dan Bernstein (30:06)

Chris. No, no. And I was thinking about it, too, because when you were talking about the Bears, who were fate. Have famous relatives. Yep. Chris Conti's grandfather was Richard Conti, who was Barzini. Right.

Matt Abaticola (30:26)

Was. Was he really?

Dan Bernstein (30:28)

They're related. Yes. It's his grandfather. No. Yes. Yes. He. He plays Barzini in the Godfather.

Matt Abaticola (30:40)

Yes.

Dan Bernstein (30:41)

Barzini is a pimp.

Matt Abaticola (30:45)

Yep.

Dan Bernstein (30:46)

It says here Wikipedia's grandson is National Football League free safety.

Matt Abaticola (30:50)

Oh, yeah, you're right.

Dan Bernstein (30:53)

I didn't know that. So you made you mad about a cola. Made me think of both Chris Pruszynski and Chris Conti.

Matt Abaticola (31:00)

Well, they're both going to join us

Dan Bernstein (31:01)

tomorrow on White Safety Day.

Matt Abaticola (31:06)

Oh, by the way, there was some comments, too, that were left for us. Do you. And I. I'm. I'm. You know, I didn't even. We forgot someone last year who Wore

Dan Bernstein (31:15)

jersey number 31 last year. Oh, Byard did.

Matt Abaticola (31:20)

Yes.

Dan Bernstein (31:23)

Okay. So he was good. That's fine. So he could separate. It just. I didn't like much of the history. He was good that. That.

Matt Abaticola (31:30)

Yeah. And we both totally forgot that Kevin Bayard wore 31.

Dan Bernstein (31:33)

Yeah, we did.

Matt Abaticola (31:33)

Last year.

Dan Bernstein (31:34)

Yes. Yes, we did. We actually forgot that we went through

Matt Abaticola (31:37)

the entire history of the jersey of who wore 31 for the bears. Neither one of us could recall last season.

Dan Bernstein (31:47)

Well, it's a problem, but we'll be. We'll do better.

Matt Abaticola (31:51)

I wouldn't promise that.

Dan Bernstein (31:53)

I know. I'm not. I'm. It's an empty promise. But we're.

Matt Abaticola (31:56)

I think if we show up for this, I think that's a win right there. So.

Dan Bernstein (31:59)

Oh, just being ready to go and talking Bears football in any way we can. But this is. I'm. I'm. I'm looking forward to seeing the guys running around in shorts and throwing all these rookies there a lot.

Matt Abaticola (32:09)

No shirts on, right?

Dan Bernstein (32:10)

Yeah. You know, it's weird, though, that I think I'm going to look at a draft class and apply the same rule that I do when it comes to the competitors in the super bowl, because there's so many opinions that can be cherry picked. Just like I always say, when you know who's in the super bowl, make your call, make your pick, decide, and then don't let anything that happens in the intervening two weeks sway you because it just floods the zone with shit. And the same thing happens with the draft class. If they. If they make the draft and you think it's bad or you think it was wanting, don't let anything that happens between then and the start of the season convince you otherwise. Unless there's an injury or unless there. There's. It's. You're probably going to be right. Your. Your first instinct is probably going to serve you well. Rather than saying, well, they're saying, in

Matt Abaticola (33:06)

this case, I'm done looking at drafts.

Dan Bernstein (33:08)

So for. You're not even on to 2027.

Matt Abaticola (33:12)

I'm not. I'm not looking at drafts anymore. I'm just going to wait until they make their selections and then we can talk about the players they actually pick. I mean, the fact that they didn't address the defensive line and that is all that every single person who talked about the draft said, this is what the Bears need to do. This is what the Bears are going to Do?

Dan Bernstein (33:33)

Yeah, they didn't do it because I'm.

Matt Abaticola (33:35)

I'm done.

Dan Bernstein (33:35)

I'm. I'm already looking at a mock draft here for next year.

Matt Abaticola (33:39)

Yeah, I shared one last week and I got called out for by Strangles and so now I'm not going to talk.

Dan Bernstein (33:43)

Oh, no. Now what are you ever going to do?

Matt Abaticola (33:46)

Well, he showed up at the house.

Dan Bernstein (33:47)

So was I supposed to do.

Matt Abaticola (33:48)

He rang the bell, he's like, hey, you said you weren't going to talk about mock draft anymore and you lasted eight days.

Dan Bernstein (33:53)

Yeah, I hope your private security took care of him and took him to the special room.

Matt Abaticola (33:58)

Yeah, he's still down here. He's with the committee. Actually.

Dan Bernstein (34:00)

He's actually. He's actually.

Matt Abaticola (34:01)

He's auditioning for something.

Dan Bernstein (34:04)

No, never. I never make it. Let's see. Dante Moore, number one. Arch Manning, number two.

Matt Abaticola (34:09)

See, I saw Arch Manning, number one on the.

Dan Bernstein (34:11)

Jaden Mayava, number three. Three quarterbacks. Look at all the damn quarterbacks. Darian Mensah, number eight.

Matt Abaticola (34:19)

All right, I saw Dante Moore going two and I think they had him to a bad team. Does he come out of the draft again? Is he still eligible or.

Dan Bernstein (34:26)

No car of number 2012. What? Drew Mestemaker. Now I like him.

Matt Abaticola (34:35)

All right, who do they have the Bears taking in this draft? And whose draft is this?

Dan Bernstein (34:39)

See, this is CBS Sports. They have the Bears taking Missouri offensive lineman Caden Green.

Matt Abaticola (34:48)

What number do they have, Matt?

Dan Bernstein (34:49)

Seventeenth.

Matt Abaticola (34:50)

Seventeenth. Okay.

Dan Bernstein (34:51)

Green plays with a sturdy anchor against power rushers. He needs to play.

Matt Abaticola (34:56)

Who's your guy?

Dan Bernstein (34:56)

Lower pads in the run game. But his high level awareness makes him a reliable, reliable blindside protector whose NFL future could be inside at guard. Well, then he's not a reliable blindside protector.

Matt Abaticola (35:09)

No, he's not. Hell is going on here. Hey, who's the guy that you liked? Was he drafted this year or is he not a senior? The guy who just falls down.

Dan Bernstein (35:17)

The Oregon guy?

Matt Abaticola (35:18)

Yeah, he just falls down on his own.

Dan Bernstein (35:20)

Oh, I'm sure I misidentified that one.

Matt Abaticola (35:23)

II Was he drafted this year or was that. Is that too soon?

Dan Bernstein (35:28)

Was he number 75, is that right?

Matt Abaticola (35:31)

It sounds right.

Dan Bernstein (35:32)

No, I don't think that was right. Damn it.

Matt Abaticola (35:36)

This is gonna google Oregon offensive lineman that falls down on his.

Dan Bernstein (35:40)

I googled Oregon tackle and I get Oregon Tackle Outlet fishing gear. This is. This is when. This is when your algorithm is affecting your search results and needs to be turned off. If I put in tackle and get fishing tackle instead of football stuff, I. I have an algorithm problem.

Matt Abaticola (36:01)

Well, it came up on mine too, so.

Dan Bernstein (36:03)

It did.

Matt Abaticola (36:04)

Yeah. It's a really good search engine optimization on their part.

Dan Bernstein (36:07)

Alex Harkey, my guy.

Matt Abaticola (36:09)

Yes, that's it.

Dan Bernstein (36:10)

Selected in the sixth round.

Matt Abaticola (36:12)

Oh, he was taken by who?

Dan Bernstein (36:14)

He was taken by the Chargers. Okay. Alex Harkey, sixth round, number 206. There you go.

Matt Abaticola (36:21)

They need offensive line help, so 206. Alex Harki. All right, we're gonna check on him. We're gonna keep an eye on that young man's progress and see. Falls down on his own.

Dan Bernstein (36:31)

I liked Alex Harkey. I did not like the part of the scouting report that says that he falls down sometimes. Son, get up.

Matt Abaticola (36:40)

Stop falling down.

Dan Bernstein (36:42)

What happened? Well, I fell. Yeah. What do you want to happen out there? I fell. Why? I don't know.

Matt Abaticola (36:53)

Keeps tying his shoelaces together.

Dan Bernstein (36:55)

Did you ever see. Did you ever see the spongebob episode where all. What?

Matt Abaticola (37:06)

No.

Dan Bernstein (37:07)

Okay, see if you can find it. It's where spongebob finally gets to work at the. What is it, the Crunchy Crab or the Crisp angry. What is it, Krispy Krab Patties? Yeah, whatever. And he gets the hat. He's always wanted to wear the hat. Okay.

Matt Abaticola (37:27)

No.

Dan Bernstein (37:27)

So he's working.

Matt Abaticola (37:30)

It sounds great.

Dan Bernstein (37:31)

Just hold on a second. Patrick keeps putting the hat on. And for whatever reason, every time Patrick puts the hat on, he falls flat on his face.

Matt Abaticola (37:41)

Okay.

Dan Bernstein (37:42)

It's hysterical. It's just the way that it's like, you know, rule of three, rule of 17. He just keeps falling. Like the moment he just falls over. And I remember it was like, one of the first times I heard when Jason was, like, 4 years old, like, legitimate. Legitimately laugh out loud over something that was just obviously funny and it would not stop laughing. And we kept rewinding. It was that he saw it, and it was like the hardest I've ever heard him laugh was watching Patrick starfish fall down when he put the hat on.

Matt Abaticola (38:18)

Well, maybe Alex Harkey wears, like, a cinder block for a helmet.

Dan Bernstein (38:21)

He just takes the field and down.

Matt Abaticola (38:26)

I think my helmet might be too heavy, Coach. Why is that? I keep falling. All right, well, that's two mock drafts we've done now. No.

Dan Bernstein (38:36)

No Hat for Pat. I think that's what it's called. I think that's the one. I think that's what it's called.

Matt Abaticola (38:42)

That's the name of the episode.

Dan Bernstein (38:43)

I think it's called no Hat for Pat.

Matt Abaticola (38:45)

I'm gonna rush right upstairs and watch it when we're done.

Dan Bernstein (38:47)

You should, if you know what's good for you.

Matt Abaticola (38:50)

Yeah, I'm going to. Actually, I need to figure out lunch.

Dan Bernstein (38:53)

Don't eat lunch. We're having dinner tonight.

Matt Abaticola (38:55)

But I'm hungry, though.

Dan Bernstein (38:56)

No, no, no, no, no, no. You gotta.

Matt Abaticola (38:59)

This is.

Dan Bernstein (38:59)

This is a delayed gratification day. This is steak dinner. Boom.

Matt Abaticola (39:03)

All right, I'll just have more water.

Dan Bernstein (39:05)

Water. And coffee. Coffee is an appetite suppressant.

Matt Abaticola (39:08)

Oh, yeah. I'll have a. I only had one coffee today, so I'll do that.

Dan Bernstein (39:12)

Yeah, I've had, like, three pots of coffee.

Matt Abaticola (39:14)

I think I'll have coffee for lunch.

Dan Bernstein (39:16)

Sounds like a plan. All right. And that's that. That's Forward Progress.

Matt Abaticola (39:21)

You're welcome.

Dan Bernstein (39:21)

On 31 2, sports. Forward progress has stopped.

Matt Abaticola (39:34)

Forward progress, a chicago bears podcast with dan bernstein and matt abeticola.

Dan Bernstein (39:40)

On 312 sports. Support is available 247 with VRBoCare. We're here day or night, ready whenever you need help. Because a great trip starts with the right support.