Pointless Exercise - A Desipio Podcast

The Athletic's Jon Greenberg is back again and there's plenty to discuss. Did new Bears president Kevin Warren really botch the Big Ten's TV contracts or is it just impossible to try to work for 14 university presidents at the wrong time? And what does it mean when a guy would voluntarily decide he wants to work for the McCaskeys?

Are the Bears as good as the NFL is counting on them to be given the TV schedule they gave them? Why did George vote against allowing Amazon to flex Thursday Night Football games, and why wasn't he savvy enough to trade what could have been the pivotal vote for something he (not we) really wants?

What does Otis Spunkmeyer have to do with the Soldier(s) Field press box? And why do the Bears insist on making it so weird with the media all the time? And there's an impeccable Mike North impression.

Then, there's a 27 second in-depth discussion of the White Sox before a much longer chat about the Cubs.

What would it take for David Ross to ever actually be on the "hot seat?"

Why are games on Marquee even weirder than normal this season, even if you (like we) kind of like the occasional Joe Girardi third man in stuff? Is there any good reason to ever have a dugout reporter? Why is Boog talking so much? And has anybody ever seen the postgame show?

Then they talk about what it would take for the Cubs to actually be a seller at the trade deadline.

All that, and more.

After all of the weirdness, Willson Contreras' exile from the squat lasted one week. David Brown is here to talk about that and all kinds of stuff like why baseball team's can't figure out how to use the injured list, Shohei's flirtation with another ridiculously cool achievement, good old Yankees sticky fingers, big hats and sore arms in Texas, Dr. Strangeglove and how we stopped worrying and learned to love stealing signs, and how much do managers really manage these days and how people paying attention is bad for David Ross.

All that, and more.

It's only been a month but Andy and David are ready to start crossing teams off from playoff contention, and it includes an erstwhile rival of the Cubs---though maybe not the one you want it to be. But first, they talk about how two thirds of the San Francisco Giants reportedly got diarrhea during their two day trip to Mexico City over the weekend. Andy gives you a life hack given to him by an executive at Harley-Davidson about how to avoid food poisoning.

Then the guys get to the work of making cases to eliminate teams already and put a few more on notice. They discuss the Cubs overrating their own MLB roster and why they are frustrating their fans by refusing to make a couple of very obvious roster moves. And, Wander Franco did something really cool which will make a lot of old, grumpy fans really mad.

Three weeks into the season is enough time to project playoff series and make all kinds of lasting judgements about teams and players, right? Even if it's not David Brown joins Andy to help do it. They talk about the team with the biggest run differential in the NL (the Cubs), the worst in both leagues (the A's) and others who are off to good and bad starts. They talk about Cardinals fans already turning on Willson Contreras, David Ross giving out charity replay challenges, misapplication of the pitch clock rules awkward in-game interviews and how ESPN is actually paying players to do them now. They discuss Rick Sutliffe's Rosé colored glasses for mundane fundamental baseball things, rally possums, the Cubs new magic lightbulbs, even more potential new rules and much more.

Baseball season is here and who better to preview it with than David Brown, who has spent his spring galavanting through the Cacti and Grapefruit Leagues. They talk about the Cubs chances in 2023, a fun conversation Dave had with Billy Williams, Nico Hoerner's "extension", why the Cubs need three catchers and a Nick Madrigal, Freddie Freeman's love for Dansby Swanson and more, including how Ian Happ can just draft behind Shohei during free agency next winter and sucker some owner who missed out on the real prize to give him a third of the money they were going to give Shohei. They also have some fun with team total over/unders as they work their way around the big leagues.

Over the past couple of years we have recounted every Cubs season from 1980 through 2011 on Remember This Crap, and here is the culmination of those efforts. We saved the 1984 season for last. Were our efforts to remember 32 painful season of Cubs baseball pathetic and futile? Probably. But we did save a great one for last. 

The 1984 Cubs shaped an entire generation of Cubs fandom. They crawled out of the abyss and berthed a superstar second baseman and a Cy Young pitcher and mostly were a lot of fun. They did very un-Cublike things like go into first place and stay there. They beat up the Mets, which is always fun, but they also just plain beat them. They swept the Cardinals twice and handed them more than a few humiliating defeats. 

They started the playoffs with a bang and ended it with a whimper, something we got used to until a recent team finally saved us from that fate. 

For many of us, these are the Cubs of our youth. Ryne Sandberg. Rick Sutcliffe. Sarge. Bull Durham. Bob Dernier. Lee Arthur Smith. Keith Moreland. Steve Trout. Jody, Jody, Jody. For better or worse they are why we care so damned much about this team. 

So kick back and enjoy our look back at the 1984 Cubs.

Andy completes the home and home with Tom Loxas who had him on his podcast a few weeks ago and Tom stops by to talk about the Cubs, including who is going to fill the big Seiya sized hole in right field to start the season, what are the Cubs going to do with David Bote, what's the smartest way to set up the opening day roster, and do the Cubs need a second lefty in the bullpen if the options are all bad? What does a nine-game spring training winning streak really mean, and do we really have to go through the motions of letting Adrian Sampson start the season in the bullpen? They talk about TV blackouts, Andy compares Pete Crow-Armstrong to one of his dogs (in a good way), they try to figure out the Cubs lineup and worry about one of the unintended consequences of the pitch clock. All that and more.  

Bally Sports Senior MLB Writer David Brown is on location in Arizona checking out the Cacti League, and provides an up close look at spring training, including an up close look at Shohei Ohtani, the pitch clock and why we don't need to see it on TV, the bigger bases, the Mariners' clubhouse dog Tucker, guys playing long toss and spotty hotel WiFi. They also discuss Seiya's oblique and if players being in the best shape of their lives is good or bad. All that and more. 

Andrew Lawrence, columnist at The Guardian, is back on the podcast. He writes about important issues like culture, politics, the NFL, NBA and F1, but he's up for the regular nonsense of the Pointless Exercise Podcast. They discuss how the Bears could botch the number one pick, whether they'd actually trade Justin Fields, what makes Fields so exciting and how top draft prospect Jalen Carter's sad legal problems might impact his draft status. Then they discuss the Bulls' struggles and how much they miss Lonzo Ball, and how a team with good players and a good coach isn't very good because somehow the pieces just don't fit together. They ponder whether the Jordan Era Bulls should even be considered part of the same franchise as this recurring mess. Then, they talk about the upcoming F1 season and why it's the best, most fun auto racing that there is. They talk about the drivers, the team "principals", controversies, and the Netflix "Drive to Survive" docuseries. Andy makes the case that F1 is an easy sport to add to your current rooting interests because there are only 10 teams, 20 drivers, the races are time limited and fun to watch on TV, and everything about it is really cool. That and much, much, more. 

The baseball podcast is back with David Brown from Bally Sports and they start by talking Super Bowl prop bets? Well, it makes sense because David's a Kansas City resident. Then the baseball talk starts with a look at the World Baseball Classic rosters and the pools, and what Cubs and former Cubs are sure to help their native lands the most. Like Eric Sogard on Team Czechoslovakia. Huh? They discuss Trey Mancini's new/old name, and how baseball's new rules are going to impact the game. All that and more. 

An old favorite Cubs has retired and Marquee Sports Network has snapped him up. No, it's still not Miguel Montero, but Dexter Fowler should be good at this, let's hope they actually use him. The Cubs have signed even more white guys since we last checked in. Spring Training starts in two weeks but guys are already out there hitting practice bombs. Luke Getsy is wearing the big headset this weekend at the Senior Bowl. Thoughts on why Tony Romo sucks now, and some of it is Jim Nantz's fault. And, cool stuff to watch on TV. All that, and more. 

Kelly Dwyer returns to the podcast to discuss just how excited he is or isn't about the Cardinals hiring Chip Caray to be their new TV play by play guy. You can probably guess which way he feels about this. They even wax nostalgic about the guys who filled in for Chip at random intervals when he was doing Fox studio stuff during the early part of his Cubs career. The guys also discuss fun times at Substack staff meetings, former Cubs greats Luis Salazar, Marvell Wynne, Dave Martinez and Rafael Palmeiro, helmets without flaps, what's going on with the Chicago Bulls, and much, much, more. 

The Cubs had a convention (you may have heard something about it) and the Bears have a new president and the number one pick and Jon Greenberg of the The Athletic drops by to talk about that and more. They talk about Marquee's coverage of the convention, Ryan Dempster's awful fake talk show, Ian Happ putting people to sleep with his "live" podcast, and Tom Ricketts consistently making it weird with regards to Sammy Sosa. What's new with the Utility Tunnel of Fame? Was it a bad sign that Kevin Warren was out wandering around 300 acres of undeveloped Arlington Park before he applied for the job? Why does Ryan Poles report to him? Do we have to listen to fake debates for four more months about whether the Bears should trade the number one pick or use it for a QB and trade Justin Fields? Sadly, yes. All that, and more. 

The guys wrap up another fine Bears' season by breaking down the season ending Ryan Poles-Matt Eberflus press conference, arguing over whether Poles would actually draft a quarterback first overall and making fun of Aaron Rodgers weird, awkward, romantic stroll off the field with Randall Cobb. They talk about the Bears only "blue chipper", who they can trade the number one pick to, what is realistic to expect in free agency, where the Texans shocker in Indy ranks on Lovie's all-time Bears wins list, what players the Bears should actually keep for next year and much, much more. 

The calendar year is ending and we're just about six weeks from the start of spring training, so it's time to look at the Cubs' roster and see how it stacks up and...oof. Half the infield is set and the other half is just bad, the outfield is fully stocked with questions, the rotation looks deep but lacks a top of the rotation stud, the bench is non-existent and the bullpen has a lot of guys who wear their gloves on their left hands. So with work left to be done, what are the Cubs options to improve it? That's an excellent question without an excellent answer. So dive into the roster discussion. Oh, and there are a few minutes at the beginning about the Bears most important remaining role. Losing to help keep the Packers out of the playoffs. 

For the first time ever, all of your favorite Pointless Exercise Podcast hosts are in one place at the same time as David Brown, Mike Pusateri, Mike Donohue and Andy Dolan sit down to discuss the year in sports and veer off into all kinds of related and unrelated topics. They discuss timely things like Abe Gibron slow roasting a pig, how Lonzo Ball killed the entire year in Chicago sports, Nick Madrigal's exciting future, the Cubs awkward flirtation with the luxury tax, and guys kicking the ball from the outfield to the infield. How baseball's defensive rules might introduce blitzing to the game...finally! The parallels between Dansby Swanson and other great Chicago shortstops. You'll see how every podcast with Mike D. eventually becomes a Remember This Crap. What stage of spring training will the Dodgers cut Jason Heyward? Captain America. Rick Monday. Faulty sports memories and what role Al Toon and Mitch Williams play in them. Is MPH on throws during games any kind of way to evaluate defensive players? The return of Hub Arkush. All that and much, much, more.

The Bears finally have a new opponent, so Remember This Crap returns from hiatus to look back at all of the great games in the history of Bears-Eagles. And, after some digging they actually found a few. They have a storied playoff history and the Bears actually won one of them...but nobody could see it. Great QB matchups abound like Mike Tomczak v. Bubby Brister, Jonathan Quinn's greatest NFL game, and Randall Cunningham throwing a ridiculous amount of passes in two matchups against the mighty Vince Tobin defense. Of course there's Mike Ditka v. Buddy Ryan, Dick Vermeil crying, and jokes about Donovan McNabb barfing on the field during a Super Bowl. A failed senate candidate played running back in two of the matchups, Marc Trestman's lost 50-burger occurred in this series and who could ever forget Wendell Davis leaving his kneecaps at the Vet and Cade McNown losing his throwing shoulder on the sidelines? All that, plus Greasey Neale and much, much more. 

The 2022 Winter Meetings were eventful, so David Brown of Bally Sports helps break things down. Why does it make sense for the Cubs to sign Cody Bellinger? Can Jameson Taillon set the all-time Tommy John Disease record? Why wouldn't the Cubs just pay Carlos Correa whatever it takes? There's a hilarious Brandon Nimmo pun. They try to figure out if there's anybody else the Padres can give $300 million to, what are the Giants going to do with their pile of unspent cash? Did the White Sox know the Winter Meetings were this week? Does Scott Boras actually think his puns are funny? (Not as funny as the Brandon Nimmo one, for sure.) What else can teams do between now and spring training? And, the guys review A Christmas Story Christmas and Dave tells you where you can find the world's largest leg lamp!

The Bears have lost eight straight games to the Packers and Sunday's was certainly one of them. The guys return to the podcast studio to discuss whether or not Justin Fields should have played (hint: yes) and whether the Bears limited his rushing attempts to protect his bad shoulder. They also try to decide whether or not the Bears can set the franchise record for losses, if a QB room of Trevor Siemian, Nathan Peterman and Tim Boyle would that much worse than most of the ones we've already lived through and if Jack Sanborn is actually kind of good. Should the Bears have Fields start the remaining four games, should they re-sign David Montgomery, and when will Chase Claypool learn how to run a route that actually goes forward? That, and much, much more including an odd detour to baseball rule penalties. 

The winter meetings are coming and who better to talk to about them than somebody who will fly to San Diego to stand in a lobby, The Athletic's Cubs writer Patrick Mooney. Patrick tells all about the Cubs vaunted pitch lab (or at least a sign that points to it), whether or not the Cubs really tried to sign Jose Abreu, which of the big shortstops the Cubs will sign and why Kodai Senga's first name might or might not have a 'u' in it. The guys discuss where Nico will go if they get a new shortstop, why Ian Happ might not even want to sign a contract extension, what's up with Kyle Hendricks, and would Willson Contreras really go to Houston to not catch? And, Andy suggests a new catchphrase for the Cubs to use every time they miss out on a free agent that they "totally" were close to signing. All that, plus what fun stuff is planned for the Cubs little winter wonderland thing, why the Cubs never became what the Dodgers did and much, much, more. 

On this episode of the pod we have our favorite guest of all-time. You'll want to check it out as he is less than thrilled by possible Ian Happ contract extension talks, gives you an update on the Cubs quest for a new shortstop, how will they live without the stars they've non-tendered and how the possibility of adding Cody Bellinger feels like a short-term duplication of their worst long-term move in a generation. He also makes fun of Bruce Levine's Jose Abreu to the Cubs talk and the Cubs Convention. And that's not all. He diagnoses Justin Fields' shoulder injury, explains what they'll do with their high draft pick and why the McCaskeys are fine with Jeff Joniak being awful at his job. There's also some brief Bulls' talk and some book and TV recommendations. 

The guys took extra time to grade film and crunch the numbers to figure out how the Bears lost to the Lions and if they did it on purpose. It's not like Cairo Santos is going to ever miss an extra point unless he tries to. And Justin Fields played an amazing game, so how could he possibly have thrown a pick six unless it was his plan all along. They discuss why the NFL is suddenly so run heavy and if for once the Bears are actually equipped to be ahead of the curve in something good. Why isn't everything reviewable? And how do you get called for hands to the face when you hit a guy in the chest and knock him over? They argue about whether Luke Getsy is doing enough for Justin Fields and Andy wins because he writes the podcast summaries. And, they look ahead to the Falcons game which Vegas thinks will be another shootout and is a revenge game for like nine Falcons players and most of the front office. 

On a very special edition of the podcast, Mike Pusateri, David Brown and Andy interview actor and author Michael Kostroff. Even if you don't know you know him, you do. He played the lawyer Maury Levy on "The Wire" and has appeared in "Billions," "The West Wing," "Damages," "Show Me A Hero," "The Deuce," "The Plot Against America," Molly's Game" and a lot more. He talks about sharing scenes in "The Wizard of Lies" with Robert DeNiro, talking about impostor syndrome with Meryl Streep, filming one of the most iconic scenes in TV history with Michael K. Williams, whether or not he gets free HBOMax, what props he's taken from sets (he even stops recording for a minute to go find one to show the guys), and he talks about his brand new book "The Stage Actor's Handbook" available online and in fancy bookstores near you. 

The Bears are moving up the dial, the Cubs are poised to attempt some "intelligent spending," the Cubs annual ode to sweatpants is returning and Jon Greenberg of The Athletic drops by to talk about all of it and more.  They talk about if the suddenly entertaining (but still bad) Bears will earn a promotion out of any of their noon Sunday kickoffs or at least better announcer pairings, why the Bears thought they'd probably never work out a deal with Roquan Smith, is Luke Getsy back in play as a head coaching candidate, what players the Cubs will be in on and should be in on. The Cubs have fired another hitting coach, and does it make any sense to steal an old first baseman from other other side of town. Why doesn't Ryne Sandberg take more crap for quitting in the middle of a season. If Twitter really implodes how does that effect sports reporting and sports fandom. What happens to the White Sox when Jerry Reinsdorf shuffles off this mortal coil, why did Ozzie Guillen really get an interview, and Jon has read "The Book of Joe" and the guys discuss that, too.  

David Brown is back to talk about the World Series (it's a lot easier to preview things after they happen), Dusty Baker's awkward celebrity friendship, and to look ahead at baseball's hot stove. The guys talk about Scott Boras' annual pun fest at the GM meetings, the concept of being "baseball funny", and what does "intelligent spending actually mean?" They break down the top free agents, talk about which ones speak four languages and have been knighted, why cool names matter, and they try to figure out where the players best fit, and if the Cubs are going to be in on them or not. Plus, HBO's new Willie Mays documentary and much, much, more. 

It was a perfect day for the rebuilding Bears against the Dolphins. Justin Fields continues to look like a star, they scored a ton of points, they lost and we got to boo the refs. The guys break it down, try to decide which Fields play was more awesome than the last, tout Cole Kmet's Hall of Fame candidacy and try to figure out what the hell are the rules these days, anyway? Oh, and they enjoy the continuing demise of the Packers and try to figure out how many of their remaining games the Bears could win. Plus, you can pay $85 bucks to watch Christmas Vacation and have Chevy Chase yell at you afterwards. How could you pass that up? All that, plus a deal from our new pals at Obvious Shirts (seriously) and more. 

The history between the Bears and Dolphins isn't all that long and isn't all that storied, in fact, you probably only remember one game with any kind of clarity. But the guys dive in and dig up all kinds of info on the Bears connections of the Dolphins first-ever head coach, who won their last playoff game, and if any of the '72 Dolphins are still alive (sadly, some are). They make fun of Bob Griese's facemask, get jealous over the number of interim coaches Miami has had and play a very funny game of "Guess who the Dolphins' original co-owners" were. Then they get into breaking down the matchups over the years. The teams have only played 13 times in 52 years and the Bears have only won four of them. Re-live the times Nat Moore caught a touchdown off Dan Hampton's helmet, Jim Harbaugh almost outdueled Dan Marino, Rex Grossman threw three interceptions, and Cody Parkey kicked a 53 yard field goal attempt about 30 yards. Andy amuses himself with the list of Bears' all-time leading receivers, again, and you'll learn what Bear is last in receiving yardage all-time. And for some reason they start talking '80s cable movies, the Spice Channel and early satellite dish technology. 

Usually the guys breakdown the previous week's game and then look ahead to the Bears' next opponent, but this week they not only do that, but they talk about the Roquan Smith to the Ravens and the Bears subsequent trade for Chase Claypool. They talk about how Roquan serving as his own agent contributed to this as well as Ryan Poles realizing there wasn't a deal to be done to keep Roquan in town. Did the Bears get enough, though? The Claypool trade was unexpected but necessary. How much does this help Justin Fields and Darnell Mooney and basically everybody on the offense? Are there are any other 2019 Notre Dame offensive players they can trade for now?  Andy has spent way too much time figuring out what number Chase is going to wear. Then they actually talk about the Cowboys game and look ahead to the Dolphins, who were going to be hard enough to stop with Roquan. Now? Yikes. 

The Bears and Cowboys haven't played as many times as you would think over the years, but there have been some memorable games. The most vivid is the Bears' 44-0 domination in 1985, and the two playoff losses. Maybe less memorable are the lone wins for Gina Carano's dad and Tom Brady's old Michigan platoon-mate on Thanksgivings many years apart. But the guys break a bunch of them down, including some memorable Bob Thomas and Jon Roveto shanked extra points, a Doug Flutie sighting, and a Mitch Trubisky win in their last matchup. Andy misremembers this crap about what year a dropped snap by Tony Romo cost Dallas a trip to Chicago in the playoffs and sent Seattke instead. They talk about Josh McCown's finest hour as a Bear, and much, much, more. 

The guys are still buzzing about the pantsing the Bears put on the once proud Patriots on Monday night. The sheer amount of competence was startling. An offensive scheme that fit the players, another touchdownless second half by the defense and a successfully returned punt! They talk about the Bears taking advantage of an 11-game break after the mind-numbing loss to the Washington Commodes to make significant changes to the offense, Mac Jones kicking dudes, whether a ball hit the weird cable camera thing and what would it matter if it did, and the Bears successfully running a productive play after Cole Kmet caught a pass and kept his butt cheek in bounds. They wonder if Fields can rush for 1,000 yards this year, and they observe a moment of silence for the end of the Big Play Bob era. Roquan wept. All that, and more. 

The long, illustrious list of teams the Bears have beaten in the Super Bowl begins and ends with the mighty New England Patriots. But there's so much more to know about them. For instance, why did Matt Millen punch out their general manager on the field after a playoff game? How did the Sullivan family go bankrupt just a year after Super Bowl XX? They sold the team to a guy who sold it in disgrace just three years later, but what savvy guy bought their stadium out from under them in bankruptcy court? Who was James Ornstein and why did he only own the team for two years? What does Bob Kraft like to do to unwind before big playoff games--wait, let's not talk about that. Who almost drafted Tom Brady before the Patriots could get him? Why did Bill Parcells quit after taking them to a Super Bowl and why didn't Bill Belichick take over then? Why am I typing in all questions?

We unearth a rare Bears win this series and neither of us could remember that it ever happened. We also re-live the first of two humiliating defeats in the final days of the Marc Trestman era that bookended a bye week. Yikes. We talk about Belichick tying Papa Bear George Halas' all-time wins mark, and Bill nerding out with Ed Reed about what Belichick insists is the greatest play he's ever seen a free safety make. And, we come to the definitive answer on who was more instrumental in the Patriots' dynasty, Belichick or Tom Brady. Plus, why Michigan could never just make Tom their starting quarterback. All that, and more.

Lodged in between a game against the Commanders last week and a Patriots game that's not until Monday the guys do the obvious thing and talk about Strother Martin for a while on the Bears podcast. The look back at the mind-numbing loss to Washington and at how hard the Bears had to work to not accidentally win the game. They take opposite sides on how much the Bears GM and coach are really invested in making this situation work out for Justin Fields. They look at the troubling (though in at least one case highly enjoyable) struggles of all three teams currently trying to run the Packers version of the Kyle Shanahan offense and wonder if maybe the real problem is that none of them have Davante Adams on their team. They look ahead to Monday in Foxborough and give two reasons why George McCaskey is going to give a rip roaring pregame speech to fire up the troops. And, they try to figure out why Yu Darvish's leg is bleeding in a baseball game going on in the background. Oh, and you'll learn more about the actual follow up to A Christmas Story than you never wanted to know. It's Bears related. Really. 

The Washington NFL franchise has been in existence nearly as long as the Bears but they've won more Super Bowls (though fewer total championships) and been much more racist. Their first owner was forced to integrate his team or be denied access to his new stadium, and they had a coach who likely was only pretending to be Native American (no, not Joe Gibbs). The guys look back at the glory days of both franchises (they were both good in the '40s and '80s) and long stretches of bad. The two have shared coaches over the years for better or worse. The Bears have had surprisingly bad recent luck against Washington, and by recent we mean the last SIXTEEN games going back three decades. The Redskins kicked off the Bears dominant era in the mid-80s and then ended it...twice. So kick back and enjoy a breezy look at 90 years of matchups between the two franchises. 

The Bears rallied to make Sunday's loss to the Vikings fun and if Ihmir Smith-Marsette didn't do a reverse Marion Barber III they might have actually won. The guys discuss the Bears sudden more aggressive approach and if it will endure, how well Justin Fields played, and they rank Darnell Mooney's one handed catch among the many, many great catches in Bears history. Well, that's kind of a short list. They discuss how the Bears should balance playing to win (especially if they have to be ultra conservative to stay in games) against actually letting their greatest asset develop by playing in an offense that doesn't turtle on every third down. Then, they look ahead to Thursday night's DotCom streaming matchup against the Washington Commodes. All that, and more. 

The first round of the 2022 playoffs is in the books and the home team lost three of the four "series." The second round is upon us and Andy and David take a look at what happened in the best two of threes over the weekend and ahead to three underwhelming divison rematches plus Guardians-Yankees. Is Oliver Marmol still standing motionless in the Cardinals' dugout watching his closer throw balls at the backstop? Yadi and Albert are done and good riddance. Has Adam Wainwright barged into the Fox broadcast booth yet? Have the Rays scored? Do any umpires have their thumbs in Joe Musgrove's ears? Does Julio Rodriguez have a Copper Fit endorsement yet? Why do they call that guy The Big Dumper? And, Jed Hoyer met the media in Chicago and detailed a new way for the team to screw over Willson Contreras. 

The baseball playoffs start on Friday, and apparently the Cubs aren't in them, but there's still fun stuff to talk about. The guys have some fun with the top 20 home run seasons in the history of both leagues. They ponder how many teams that actually tried to make the playoffs this year didn't. (It's not many.) They look at the playoff brackets and identify the division champion who might get bounced first (sorry, Cardinals fans). They ponder whether the Mets actually choked, how top players returning from injury will impact both AL Wild Card series. They tell you what ESPN/ABC teams are going to announcing each series. And then, what will the White Sox managerial search look like, will either 21st century Chicago World Series winning manager get considered for the job, and they discuss whether David Ross is any damned good at his job. 

The Bears went to New Jersey and muddled around for a few hours and came home no longer tied for first place in the NFC North. Was this a blow to their Super Bowl hopes? The guys discuss that, and how you can fall for the same play over and over and over. Did Justin Fields play better or did everybody else just play worse? Why did the Giants have a hobbled quarterback lining up at wide receiver late in the game? Did anybody in the Bears game need to ride the poop cart like DK Metcalf did in Detroit. How many field goals would the Bears have kicked if Cairo Santos had been available? How much did they miss Jaylon Johnson again? And, why are Bears fans so emotionally fragile about...everything? 

It's hard to express just how hyped the season opener for the Bears was in 1987. It was on Monday Night Football, it was against the defending Super Bowl Champion Giants, both teams had been 14-2 in the 1986, they had met in the 1985 NFC Championship Game and the Bears dominated them...and, Mike Tomczak was playing QB for the Bears! OK, maybe that part wasn't all that hyped. So join us as we break down the game with footage curated by two dudes in England who look like they were hosting the 20th century version of a Chuggo podcast. The Giants were the best team in football, allegedly, and the Bears beat the crap out of them. Phil Simms gets knocked out of the game and dares to return. Tomczak has the quarter of his life. Ron Morris makes a ridiculous touchdown catch, Dennis McKinnon returns from a knee injury that cost him all of 1986 and makes one of the greatest punt returns ever.

It was a great game, and a reminder that the 1985 Bears didn't stop being dominant right after the Super Bowl.

And wait until you "see" (hear about) the greatest player of all time sneaking painkillers on the bench. No, not the linebacker on the Giants.

The first place, 2-1 Bears are doing it the old fashioned way with an opportunistic defense, a rugged running game and a passing game that looks like came straight out of the 1920s. Is it too early to give up on Justin Fields? Yes. Is it too early to worry about him? Maybe? The guys discuss what's wrong with the passing game, why the Bears are running the ball so well, how nice it was to see that version of Roquan Smith again, and what Cairo Santos was (probably) talking about when the Bears asked him which hashmark he wanted the ball on for the inevitable game winner. They look ahead to the Giants, talk about Andy's fool-proof strategy for winning NFL picks pools and give DraftKings a gratuitous free plug.

David Brown is back to talk baseball and the guys talk about whether anyone can have a good enough season to be more valuable than Shohei Ohtani. They talk about Aaron Judge's run at the American League triple crown (and he homers right in the middle of the podcast) and about whether Paul Goldschmidt has a chance to get a triple crown in the NL. Thankfully, no. Andy compares a current fill-in shortstop for the White Sox to one of the most immortal Cubs of all time. Need a hint? This guy "saved a season" for Dusty back in the oughts. Yes, it's that bad. They look at what's left of the playoff races, tell exciting (and timely) Bob Feller stories and much, much more. 

For some reason the NFL insists on foisting the Bears and Packers in Lambeau at night, on national TV on us. They should know better. The Bears were overmatched, again, and while they kept the score superficially close, the outcome was really never in doubt. The Bears ran the ball well at the beginning and near the end, but did nothing in between. The guys try to figure out what what any of it means, and why Trevis Gipson is going to be in trouble if the league makes him pee in the cup this week. They discuss why a team would possibly be in the shotgun at the goal line, why the Bears only threw 11 passes and what present George Halas once left Mike Ditka after a similar loss. And, they look ahead to the return of Lovie and hope he still hasn't figured out when to use his timeouts. 

He hasn't. 

It is probably the most infuriating season in Cubs history (and that's saying something with this bunch). The Cubs patched almost all of their holes from the year before when they gagged away a pennant, and the fans were manic from the first game on. Greggie came home, the Cubs stole Derrek Lee, added Todd Walker for some reason and traded for the dumbest catcher they could find. Mark Prior and Kerry Wood got hurt, again, Big Z was still just a kid and tried to drag them to the finish line. Sweaty Joe broke, Ryan Dempster's Tommy John Disease went into remission and he showed up late in the season to make things worse. Kent Mercker and Steve Stone got in three different verbal slap fights. The Cubs did do a trade and got Nomar! Sammy sneezed his back off, Todd Hollandsworth crippled himself with a foul ball, Andy Pratt threw very few strikes, LaTroy melted down repeatedly, Corey Patterson kept getting put back into the leadoff spot, and wait until you hear how much Jose Macias played down the stretch. Just so much...Dusty. You think you remember all of the bad stuff from the 2004 Cubs, but, you don't. 

Buckle up for two and a half hours of catharsis. It's a helluva lot easier to handle now thanks to 2016. 

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Was the Bears win over the Niners a sign that they're better than people thought, or just that they're good mudders? What were the good signs to take away from game one and the bad ones that invariably get washed away in the glow of victory? Did the Bears really have the advantage in the rain, or is it a good sign that a 49ers team built to dominate games on the ground couldn't score more than one touchdown against the scrappy Bears' defense? The guys discuss what all of this means, and what kind of outcome in Green Bay in week two would be continued promise and what might happen up there to for us to abandon all hope. And then they talk about the Emmys and what a terrible broadcast crew NBC has assigned to Notre Dame games this year. 

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If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) (IL/IN/LA/MI/NJ/PA/WV/WY), 1-800-NEXTSTEP (AZ), 1-800-522-4700 (CO/NH), 888-789-7777/visit http://ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-BETS OFF (IA), 877-8-HOPENY/text HOPENY (467369) (NY), visit OPGR.org (OR), call/text TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN), or 1-888-532-3500 (VA).21+ (18+ NH/WY). Physically present in AZ/CO/CT/IL/IN/IA/LA(selectparishes)/MI/NH/NJ/ NY/OR/PA/TN/VA/WV/WY only. New customer offer void in NH/OR/ONT-CA. $200 in Free bets: New customers only. Valid 1 per new customer. Min. $5 deposit. Min $5 wager. $200 issued as eight (8) $25 free bets. Ends 9/19/22 @ 8pm. Early Win: 1 Early WinToken issued per eligible game. Opt in req. Token expires at start of eligible game. Min moneyline bet $1. Wagering limits apply. Wagersplaced on both sides of moneyline will void bet. Ends 1/8/23 @ 8pm ET. See terms at sportsbook dot draftkings dot com slash football terms.

The Bears had put the NFL on notice with a big win over the (then) Redskins a couple of weeks prior, but they had a big score to settle when they went to San Francisco in week six in a rematch of the 1984 NFC Championship game. The Bears punched the Niners in the face early and often, Jim McMahon made some great throws (and one absolutely horrible one) and when it was time to finish things off, they did what they did best on offense, they gave the ball to Walter Payton, a lot. The defense harassed Joe Montana from the very start and the Niners were so overwhelmed they committed a lot of penalties. Some rookie wide receiver for the Niners made his first-ever start. Let's just say there are a LOT of Hall of Famers in this game. Dick Stockton and the immortal Wayne Walker were on the call for CBS. And wait until you hear the breakdown of Wayne's NFL career. It's really something. All that, and much more.

The Bears podcast is back and so is Mike Pusateri for his third season. They take a look at the roster and try to figure out who the hell these guys are. What are reasonable expectations for the Bears with a first year head coach, a second year quarterback and the greatest kicker in football history? If the Bears improved their secondary so much why is Kindle Vildor still in it? Is it a bad sign that a bunch of waived players were much better than the ones the Bears already had? They'll tell you who will score the first touchdown of the season. They go through game by game and give you the Bears final record. Is the Robbie Gould revenge game still a thing? They bid adieu to Soldier(s) Field and Sweaty Teddy Phillips and come up with the greatest improvement to field goal kicking since soccer style. All that and more. 

The Cubs had two Hall of Famers on their pitching staff, they literally got to write in any salary they wanted to pay another Hall of Famer to join their outfield, and they won 75 games. The year was 1987, Wrigley Field's last without lights, Harry Caray had suffered a stroke and a raft of "celebrities" filled in for the first couple of months on the TV broadcasts. Gene Michael was the manager for some unknown reason, and he didn't survive the season, which would also be Dallas Green's last. Jerry Mumphrey had a shockingly good season, and Brian Dayett wowed the nation with his incredible all-around play. The Cubs were lousy with quality centerfielders for once, Ryne Sandberg and Shawon Dunston went missing for long stretches of the season. They've had non last place teams that were far worse than this bunch. They just happened to play in a loaded NL East that season. 

David Brown is back from vacation (and he wasn't robbed) and the guys take the bold stance that darnit, the Cubs SHOULD find a way to trade for Shohei Ohtani. They really went out there on a limb for that one. The talk about how much a team will have to give up to get Shohei and how much they'll have to pay him. They also discuss how long it would take Cubs players to realize that Willie Harris was gone if he went to manage the White Sox. They pick a new team to root for late in the season, and wonder if an announcer got his old toupee photos expunged from the Internet. How will the weird first round of the playoffs work and is home field advantage even a thing in baseball these days? All that, and more.

The Dusty Baker era ended with a big wet thud as a promising start ended abruptly when Rafael Furcal careened into Derrek Lee and broke his wrist. Mark Prior pitched his final games for the Cubs. Kerry Wood's career as a starting pitcher ended. Phil Nevin traded himself. Greg Maddux got Scott Boras to trade him. Michael Barrett punched AJ Pierzynski in the face. Key relievers on the division championship teams the next two seasons were wallowing in the rotation. The Cubs somehow thought adding Juan Pierre and Jock Jones was a good idea. The team was a mess, lost 96 games and Dusty reminded us all that he didn't get fired, dude. But he also didn't come back. All that, and much more. 

Longtime baseball beat writer Mark Gonzales stops by the podcast to talk about the Cubs (and a little White Sox--mostly so Andy can make fun of Eloy trying to catch a flyball). They discuss the Franmil Reyes era, what the Cubs should do with shortstop next season, why they didn't trade Willson Contreras or Ian Happ and if they'll trade Happ this offseason. Why did Frank Schwindel get to hang around so long, how great is it that we don't have to watch David Bote and what is it that Nick Madrigal actually does? They talk about Joe Girardi's role on Marquee. And, Andy has a great plan for how the Cubs can actually use two designated hitters at the same time. All that, and much more. 

The 1993 Cubs did something rare at the time, they had a winning record. Even more rare for the Cubs they had a winning record and didn't make the playoffs. Oh, and they rewarded their manager by firing him. Probably because they were tired of trying to remember how to spell Lefebvre. They let Greag Maddux go and acted like it was a genius move to use his money to sign four guys...only one of whom was worth a damn. We relive Maddux's return to Wrigley and Jose Guzman's near no-hitter--and those were just the first two games! Sammy Sosa went 30-30 and made Ron Santo mad (which was worth it.) Rick Wilkins had one of the greatest offensive seasons by a Cubs catcher ever and we debunk the idea that it was his fault he only drove in 73 runs on 30 homers. Fans threw Randy Myers' posters on the field, Shawon Dunston made a triumphant late season return and Ryne Sandberg got paid and then broke his wrist. All that and much more.

The Cubs are headed to the Field of Dreams Game and Frank Schwindel will not be going with. Unless he can hurry up and drive some nails into his car tires again. Frank's been replaced on the roster by the very large Franmil Reyes, and David Brown has high hopes for Franmil. The guys discuss a lot of interesting things like what Cubs player is strangely referenced on Hulu's "The Bear," what Sayid from "Lost" is up to these days, and whether or not the Field of Dreams uniforms are cool and how both teams will need to be on the lookout for corn sweat. They give their thoughts on players being interviewed during games, what the White Sox are going to do without Tim Anderson and Andy has a suggestion that Sox fans probably won't like, but it just might happen. And, they talk about unusual injuries to baseball players, snot rockets, and how Madison Bumgarner once dated himself. All that and much, much, more. 

Before the Cubs and Reds can ruin your memory of the film, we give Field of Dreams the full Movie Deep Dive treatment. We settle the really important questions like, "How much money would plowing under farmland to build a baseball field cost a farmer in 1988?" or "Is it have a catch or play catch?" How did they convince Kevin Costner to make a second baseball movie in two years? Who had a better 1989 than Gabby Hoffman? What job did Amy Madigan get offered in a bar in Dubuque during filming? What convinced James Earl Jones to join the cast and why the hell couldn't anybody pronounce Gandil or Cicotte? And why did they let Ray Liotta bat right handed and not have a southern accent?  What other sports movie do you know Annie Kinsella's mom from? All this and much, much, more. 

The Cubs followed up a division title in 1989 by hosting the worst Home Run Derby of all time, and a rain delayed, mostly boring All-Star Game. Ryne Sandberg and Andre Dawson had good years, Mark Grace was pretty good and that was about it. They didn't sign any free agents, the only veteran they added was Dave Clark and amazingly just running back the same team from a year before didn't quite work out. They rushed their first round pick to the big leagues just weeks after the draft and he was never heard from again. The season started late because of a lockout (sound familiar), Mitch Williams walked everybody, Rick Sutcliffe got hurt again, and the opening day crowd was hilarious (wait until you hear the money.) Oh, and for no apparent reason there are a few minutes of Bears at the beginning and end of the podcast.

As David Brown and I wrapped up our discussion of this year's trade deadline and the winners and losers (mostly the Cubs), we found out that Vin Scully died. So the podcast actually starts with a few minutes of us remembering Vin, including his great open to game one of the the 1989 NLCS. Then we get to the deadline talk and try to figure out just what the hell the Cubs were doing, how it makes any sense for them to not trade Willson Contreras and how the Juan Soto trade to the Padres might have screwed up the Cubs plans. We also talk about why Jed couldn't come up with more than plan in the first place. We also try to figure out why the White Sox didn't do anything, what the Brewers and Cardinals were trying to accomplish and we invent a new pre-game routine for Tony LaRussa and Andrew Vaughn. All that, and more.

The Cubs had a new manager, a new (very old) closer, a new GM who used to be an old manager, six All-Stars and they could play home games after sunset for once! It's time to Remember This Crap about the 1988 Cubs. Greg Maddux was great for a half, Mark Grace debuted in an unfamiliar number and should have been the Rookie of the Year, Andre Dawson followed up his MVP season with a less than MVP season and Dave Martinez got traded for Mitch Webster for some unknown reason (well, let's say we know now-wink-wink-corncob-dress-wink-wink). It was a fun year as new, young guys came in to replace the last vestiges of the 1984 team and for once it actually built to something. Even though Jim Frey was already hell bent on screwing it all up.

All-Star "week" (it's only three days) was chock-full o' stuff with the draft, the Home Run Derby and the weird uniforms in the actual game. David Brown is here to talk about all of that, potential trades, another new idea for the Derby which somehow results in Tom Cruise delivering the balls to an aircraft carrier and much more. They give their thoughts on Fox's new Joe, when does mic'ing players on the field actually work and Andy's two brushes with greatness at the 2002 Home Run Derby in Milwaukee.

There is no wheel spinning in this edition of Remember This Crap because the guys decide to bring in a guest with a love of '80s baseball and, inexplicably, the podcast. NBA writer Kelly Dwyer joins the fray as they discuss the 1985 Cubs who were riding high in early June only to ruin the season and the basketball camp experiences of Andy and Mike during a 13 game losing streak. There are a lot of injuries, and shockingly, deaths in this one. Find out which Padre and Cub one of the guys' former coworkers had an affair with. Learn how many hits the Cubs got against John Tudor that year. Be shocked and saddened by the Cubs development of Shawon Dunston. Re-live the horror (or joy, depending on your rooting interests) of the sixth game of the '85 World Series. And, get a detailed explainer of Larry Bowa's final Wrigley Field hit. The at bat took even longer than this podcast. 

Bally Sports National MLB writer David Brown is back on the show and the guys talk about the Cubs recent resurgence and why Yan Gomes is ever allowed to designated hit. Seiya's back and Andy has big plans for him but he's going to need his pal Rob Manfred to use his powers to make it happen. Pete Crow-Armstrong is in the Futures Game which everybody thinks is great, and so is Darren Baker which pretty much only Dusty thinks is great. Andy comes up with a much better idea for All-Star Week than the amateur draft and once you hear it, you'll be disappointed that it's not already a thing. David has a solution to the lack of pennant races, and both guys have had it with the Manfred Mann in extra innings. They talk about better things to put on the back of uniforms than last names and relive the greatest World Series MVP presentation of all-time.

It was a season so bad that the manager made up an excuse to go to Florida to take care of his mother to get out of it early. The last vestiges of the 2008 Cubs were either leaving after or during the season. Opening Day was a bad omen for the rest of the season and a Barves rookie had a big day and has been stealing money from the Cubs ever since. Starlin Castro had a huge first game and a really good first season. One of the catchers nearly killed one of the outfielders by plunging a bat shard right into his chest. Jim Hendry made his worst ever first round pick (and that's saying something) and then after Lou Piniella quit he hired a hairless person to manage the team. A late surge under Mike Quade doomed the 2011 team because they brought him back to manage it. The guys somehow also talk about the Kane County Cougars bogus Midwest League attendance record, a Rockford TV announcer taking ball three right on the field, A League of Their Own and so, so much more including famous pinch hitters and what's Bobby Scales up to these days?

You asked and we answered. The baseball podcast this week is Cubs intensive, as Andy and Mike Praznowski take this awful team out to the woodshed. You'll hear scintillating answers to questions like: Why is Jason Heyward still on the team? Do they not realize they have nobody to replace Willson Contreras when they trade him? Would Willson even want to stay if they miraculously offered him a new deal? Are any of their starting pitchers going to be back in time to trade? How many fingers does Seiya Suzuki currently have? Do Prospect Perverts realize how few prospects actually turn out to be good? Can we pinpoint the exact moment when we should have known the "dynasty" would never be a thing? (The answer is yes.) Then they get to the really important stuff like how the Cubs should put the names on the backs of Seiya's jersey and on Pete Crow-Armstrong's. You know, important stuff. And then finally, the guys redesign the Marquee graphics for the better.

Sandwiched in between the 88 win near-miss 2001 Cubs and the 88 win heartbreaking 2003 Cubs were the gawdawful 2002 Cubs. They got a manager fired, which got Ron Santo's number unofficially unretired before it could be retired. Moises Alou showed up and immediately got hurt. Fred McGriff was still around putting up completely hollow stats. They traded a Rookie of the Year for two pitchers, one of whom had 24 digits, and two prized rookies made their big league debuts. You'll learn the truth about Jon Lieber's rain delay gem, how Mark Prior allowed his first career hit to a teammate and just how much Don Baylor loved to bunt. Andy MacPhail showed himself the door, finally, and Sammy Sosa was still around smashing dingers and blowing kisses. Oh, and you'll also find about the dinner where somebody died rather than continue dining with Chip Caray. 

The Movie Deep Dive Podcast with actor/comedian Mike Pusateri returns with the long promised, much anticipated Young Frankenstein episode. It's one of the funniest movies ever made and toes the line between smart and stupid better than almost any other film ever has. Gene Wilder said it was his favorite movie and Mel Brooks said it's his best. So kick back, and enjoy this loving look back the movie, it's casting decisions,  how it almost wasn't in black in white (in Peru, anyway) and how Gene Hackman ended up in it. If nothing else, you'll get to hear a lot of really funny clips. 

The other 15 percent take center stage as the wheel of crap lands on 1983. Lee Elia stood up for his team said a lot of really profane but accurate things and ended up getting fired a few months later, Leon Durham was the only All-Star on the club, Chuck Rainey almost threw a no-hitter, Fergie forgot how to throw the ball to first base, the Cubs played a five game series in Pissburgh and lost them all, and their interim manager had first managed in 1947. The guys play six degrees of Craig Lefferts, find out who wrote the opening theme to This Week in Baseball (you won't believe the tie-in on that one) and they talk about Ted Williams hitting ropes off a pre-teen kid. 

Bally Sports' David Brown is back from field trips to St. Louis and Washington and he has important food-related things to report. The guys talk about a fantasy football league that doesn't seem like that fun to be in and  and they take a look at every team and with well more than 100 games left to go just how many still have realistic playoff chances. Not so fast, White Sox. How has the extra playoff spot affected how teams will treat the trade deadline? Why do players on bad teams still do rehab appearances in the minors?  All that and more on this week's Pointless Exercise baseball podcast.

The Athletic's Jon Greenberg swings by to talk about Marquee's fiasco with The Reporters and the guys talk about all of the other things Marquee needs to do to fix things, including giving Cole Wright hazard pay for doing an hour pre and postgame for all of these awful Cubs games. How's Jed Hoyer's don't-call-it-a-rebuild going? When is Jason Benetti going to go national full-time and then what happens to our old pal Len Kasper? What is Marquee Plus and why is it a thing? Where has Ryan Dempster been and why did he have to come back? What does Pat Hughes really do during the fifth inning? And much, much, more.

The Cubs are ready to unveil the Fergie Jenkins statue, and the guys get so distracted by the fact the new "statue row" has two empty podiums that they spend the hour trying to figure out which players the Cubs are going to immortalize next. They're pretty sure the next one is guaranteed to be Ryne Sandberg, but then who gets the other spot? Many players are considered from several eras and a lot of time is spent on a guy the Garbage Family That Owns The Cubs™ has spent a lot of time ostracizing. So kick back and enjoy as they discuss what criteria the Cubs are likely to use, what they should use and how they can both this whole thing. 

The baseball podcast with David Brown is back and this week the guys discuss important baseball topics like why does Rick Sutcliffe think the Cubs are good enough to add players? Should the Cubs trade Willson Contreras? Why is it so much better when the Cubs bring up guys like Brandon Hughes and Christopher Morel instead of 30 year old non-prospects? Why do teams wait so long to sell? If the Nationals are really going to trade Juan Soto first, why would they do that? And second, why would they do that? When is it appropriate to interview players parents during games? Why is Max Scherzer so mean to ceremonial first pitch throwers? Is the Pacific Coast League really a thing again? You get your weekly Honus Wagner anecdote and more. 

Some platforms had technical difficulties with the original post of this podcast. So here it is again. Not everyone had problems with the original, so that one also remains posted.

The Cubs went back to the playoffs for a second straight year, and won just as many postseason games as they did the year before. But this was a 97 win team with a Japanese star in right field, a Cardinals retread in center, and a rookie of the year catcher. It was the 2008 Cubs and until their Canadian prop comic game one playoff starter walked seven Dodgers, things were going pretty good. The guys take a look back at a season where the Cubs had a lot of All-Stars, made a huge trade that included a future MVP, and a guy who fell into a dumpster, and should be more fondly remembered than they are.

The Cubs went back to the playoffs for a second straight year, and won just as many postseason games as they did the year before. But this was a 97 win team with a Japanese star in right field, a Cardinals retread in center, and a rookie of the year catcher. It was the 2008 Cubs and until their Canadian prop comic game one playoff starter walked seven Dodgers, things were going pretty good. The guys take a look back at a season where the Cubs had a lot of All-Stars, made a huge trade that included a future MVP, and a guy who fell into a dumpster, and should be more fondly remembered than they are.

The red-hot Cubs won their second series of the season and fifth game in 20 attempts (yikes). Andy and Dave talk about Ildemaro Vargas' wild day in the field, Frank Schwindel's fortuitous flat tire, and some unfortunate (and a few convenient) injuries. They also talk about the crazy Angels-Rays game that featured lots of trophies, an outfielder pitching, a guy homering from the wrong side of the plate and oh yeah, a no-hitter. They discuss unwritten rules, why they exist, why they are so dumb and who thought of them in the first place, and they suggest a few of their own. They give their thoughts on Brunch with Benetti on Peacock, writers who celebrate players earning their pensions, and in his role as official Cubs ambassador to the White Sox, one of the guys makes a very benevolent trade offer to help fill the Sox gaping void at second base.

The Bears drafted some players and so it's time for a spring edition of the Bears Podcast with Mike Pusateri. The guys take a look at the Bears picks, their strategy of not doing much to fix the offense, but how they did draft Velvet Jones. They also talk about the free agents the team has signed and discussed if the Bears really seem invested in Justin Fields. And then, it's time to talk TV. So they dig into Better Call Saul (and recommend a great podcast), Bob Odenkirk's book, Robert Evans' audiobook and the Paramount Plus series The Offer, Brian Cox's book, WeCrashed, The Dropout, The Staircase, Severance, Central Park, We Own This Town, F1 Drive to Survive, The Great Pottery Throwdown and more.

The season is nearing the tenth pole (that's not a thing) and so it's a good time to check in on the Cubs insistence on hitting everything on the ground, what's going on with the ball, what's the sticky stuff in the rosin bags these days, why are people still freaking out about Joe Maddon like he hasn't been doing this stuff forever, Javy's giant thumb, Aaron Boone intentionally walking a guy with 2,999 hits, April trades, guys getting struck by lightning and crushed by satellite dishes, great moments in Beloit Snappers history, quirky uniform stuff and former Bears receiver Roy Williams. 

Now, THAT's a podcast. 

The 1981 Cubs season was so bad that fans were relieved when baseball took two months off right in the middle of the season. The Cubs record was so lousy that they ended up with the first pick in the 1982 draft, but they didn't have the worst record in the league and they only finished in last place in one of the two halves! They somehow had an interim manager for an entire season, the Wrigley family sold the team, the neighborhood was crap, the park was falling apart and one of our hosts went to his first game and liked it all so much he's never considered rooting for anybody else. Oh, and Bill Buckner was really good and Rick Reuschel got traded so he could pitch in a World Series for the Yankees and instead he got hurt. 

The 1984 Cubs were mostly still around in 1986 only they were older and mostly injured and pretty bad. The Cubs got off to a hot start, if 2-8 is hot, Lee Smith pitched a lot, like a lot a lot, nobody won 10 games, Jim Frey got fired. The Cubs fielded a dream twosome of Shawon Dunston and Brian Dayett. A dream I guess if you were Andy and you were 13. Things were just as bad on other side of town, so actually that was fun. Jerry Mumphrey was pretty good, so there's that. A few of the 1989 Cubs started showing up, so that was fun. Anyway, sit back and enjoy as we tell you everything you ever wanted to know (and a lot more) about the '86 Cubs. On, and Ed Lynch got what he deserved. 

Baseball games have been played, the Cubs are the greatest team in the land, Seiya Suzuki can't be stopped and MLB is putting games on at weird times on weird channels, and blackouts are dumb. Andy and David take a look at the first week of games. They hand out the Jitterbug Call of the Week (and a Cubs' announcer gets nominated twice), they figure out why the center field camera at Kauffman Stadium is always wet, why nobody can figure out what to do with Katie Nolan, why Jim Belushi should never be allowed to sign the stretch again, and other very important baseball things.

The Cubs were "Building A New Tradition" in 1982 with a new general manager in Dallas Green and a new manager in Lee Elia (no, it's not THAT Lee Elia season). If there were Prospect Perverts forty years ago they were excited about a trade that brought some kid named Ryne Sandberg over from the Phillies. Fergie Jenkins was back, the draft would yield the number one overall pick in Shawon Dunston and Eric Gregg would blunder his way into one of the longest games in franchise history. Some of the bones of the 1984 Cubs were showing, but these guys still had a lot of work to do.

It's time for the 2022 Baseball Preview Podcast and Andy finally gets his co-host's name right. David Brown, National Baseball Writer for Bally Sports is back and after they get done making fun of the Marquee Sports Network Cubs Season Preview, they break down every division and all of the major awards. David makes a couple of very disturbing predictions along the way. 

It was the dawn of a new era for the Cubs with Andy MacPhail, Ed Lynch and Jim Riggleman wandering into town. They traded for Brian McRae, grabbed Howard Johnson off the scrapheap, and once they found out what a juggernaut they had they traded in-season for Todd Zeile, Luis Gonzalez and Scott Servais. Frank Castillo almost threw a no hitter, Randy Myers almost killed a guy, Shawon Dunston, Scott Bullett and Mark Parent came up big down the stretch (no, really), and when faced with elimination they refused to lose until almost the very end. Join us as we relive the 1995 Cubs. 

Against his better judgement Bally Sports National MLB writer Dave Brown returns for another week and the guys discuss the Cubs signing Seiya Suzuki, great commercials in Mariners history (it's a thing), the new DH rule and what Joe and Shohei can do with it, will pitchers ever learn to hit ever again, why the Cubs are still wasting time with Jason Heyward, how good is Bobby Witt Jr., players to be named later, what's left of the 2016 Cubs and where it all went wrong, and more. 

The wheel of crap lands on the earliest possible season and we break down the 1980 Cubs. Preston Gomez. Tim Blackwell. Lenny Randle. Dave Kingman. Dennis Lamp. Two Hall of Fame closers, two Cy Young Award winners in the bullpen, Bill Buckner won the batting title and the Cubs won 64 games. Ouch. You want stories about Steve Howe, Jay Johnstone pranking Bill Russell, the TV show Makin' It with Nick Offerman and Amy Poehler, Dave Kingman being a jerk in junior high, and the ten pitchers who have won the Cy Young and MVP in the same season? You're in luck. 

The lockout's over, and not only is baseball back, but the award-winning* baseball podcast is back with special guest Dave Brown, National MLB Writer for Bally Sports. The guys discuss where the promised flurry of signings and trades went, how Jed's dinner with Japanese star Seiya Suzuki was going, probably, what's the deal with Carlos Correa and Joe Maddon finding himself in a familiar predicament. They also discuss Joe's lack of communication with the best player of our generation and his attempts to get the DH rule reinterpreted. Where are our favorite old Cubs going to end up, what is with Clint Frazier's weird beard, why is Andrelton Simmons a Cub and so much more. 

It's time to spin the wheel of Cubs crap again, but this time the pod starts with the guys talking about the end to the MLB lockout. Then the wheel lands on one of the most inauspicious years in Cubs' history the Mike Quade-led disaster that was the 2011 Cubs. The Cubs traded for Matt Garza, brought in Carlos Pena and brought back Kerry Wood and surprisingly none of that worked. It was the final season for Carlos Zambrano, E-ramis Ramirez and Kosuke Fukudome and we wished it had been the last year for Carlos Marmol and Ryan Dempster. We even dare to re-live the horrible late season ninth-inning collapse that helped the Cardinals squeak into the playoffs.

Not one but two interviews in this podcast, starting with Kevin Kaduk the head of content for the brand new CHGO Sports. Kevin talks about the new venture, how it came about, where it's going, how there's going to be a bar and he pretends to not be bothered by the fact I keep referring to it as Chuggo. Then Jon Greenberg of The Athletic comes by and we talk about Chuggo and the the lockout and how much he misses me writing for The Athletic (I thought the crying was a little bit much), and we discuss the difference between Cubs fans pre and post Theo, the lockout, Matt Nagy's house, Marquee and much, much more. 

The Bears have had quite a few job searches since George Halas hired Mike Ditka over pudding and a wet nap in 1982, and the guys look at every candidate from all of them. Some of them you won't believe they bothered to talk to, others you'll be mad that they didn't offer the job and there are stories for all of them. From Ditka to Wanny to McGin--oops--Jauron to Lovie to Trestman to Foxy to Nagy with all of the better and yes, even worse candidates, we cover them all. 

The guys break down the first Ryan Poles-Matt Eberflus press conference by playing it back and making fun of it. They find the whys, they try to follow Matt's weird, overly complicated acronyms for everything, they relive the emotional moment when Ryan first laid eyes on Matt and fell in coaching love, and mostly they make fun of the media for their inane questions. The new regime is in place and they're full of promises, but are interestingly quick to avoid talking about any players not named Justin Fields or Roquan Smith. 

The Second Arrangement's Kelly Dwyer returns to the podcast to talk about pertinent, timely things like how the Bulls can fill their power forward void, why it's weird that George McCaskey wears a Bears' letterman jacket, Easy Ed Macauley, Larry Bowa, Bill Russell trades, Fred Hoiberg's neckwear, Paul Mokeski, how many times Grayson Allen has been punched in real life, Phil Plantier, DeMar DeRozan, Stacey King nicknames, the Larry Nances, the Opti-Grab, and much, much more. 

George McCaskey drops by to join the guys on the podcast as they discuss the firings of Bears' GM Ryan Pace and head coach Matt Nagy. George explains why hiring an 80 year old consultant who seems to be just trying to sell a book is the key to finally finding a good coach and GM. We learn that Ted Phillips isn't going to oversee football anymore because he'll be too busy in Arlington Heights pretending he's an architect, and that the GM will report to George and that George will get his football guidance from...Ted? Oh, it was all just so Bears. Join us as we chime in on George's ponderous press conference and look ahead to what candidates are out there for the Bears for both jobs. Oh, and there's a guy named Soup on the search committee. 

Something funky's been happening to the Apple version of this Remember This Crap podcast on the Jim McMahon Game in the Metrodome in 1985. So here's the most stripped down version we can upload. Hope it works for everyone. It's a good one. 

The Bears dominated a really terrible Giants team and the guys discuss whether or not the McCaskeys learned any of the right lessons from it. They also wonder if the inept play of an opposing QB has ever gotten a general manager fired. (Fingers crossed.) They bask in the glow of Robert Quinn breaking a prestigious record that we only learned even existed two weeks ago. They look ahead a week and wonder what the timing will be with the firings and hirings. And they are super excited about week 18. Maybe. 

If you didn't hear it last year, or you have a less than great memory all of this stuff is new to you. There's a lot of crap to remember about two of the oldest and most similar franchises in NFL history, the New York Giants and our beloved Bears. From Tom Coughlin's beet red face to Bill Parcells pulling his pants up to his breasts and everything in between. The guys get into the long ago history of the teams and the more recent stuff, and for some reason they spend a good amount of time talking about Uwe Von Schamann, Rolf Benirschke, Fuad Reveiz, Ken Anderson, John Jefferson and much, much more. 

It was a Christmas (day after) miracle! Nick Foles led the Bears to a win in snowy Seattke and the guys are here to bask in the glow of a hard fought victory and wonder why the Bears haven't fired head coach Matt Nagy yet. They discuss what the delay might mean, why it's the right thing to do, who they should hire and what a new front office structure should look like. Then, there's exciting breaking news during the podcast (with a breaking news theme, and everything!) They also look ahead to this week's game with the Giants and ponder whether the Giants should even want to win. 

The Bears and Seahawks have played more times than you think in the relatively short (compared to the Bears) history of football in Seattke, but there have been some really memorable games. Hey, if it wasn't for them Lovie might not have ever won a playoff game! The guys look back at some of those matchups, paying particular attention to the 2006 and 2010 playoff wins, Lovie's nearly castastrophic f-up, Jay Cutler's one great playoff performance, and how could they miss the Jimmy Clausen game or the home swan songs of Walter Payton and...Johnny Knox? 

The Bears played a spirited but incompetent game at home against the Vikings and lost. Matt Nagy kept losing his mind--or what's left of it--on the sidelines. Teven Jenkins decided somebody had to finally stand up for their quarterback. A sixth round draft pick looks like their second best cornerback and he didn't play for FOURTEEN weeks for no apparent reason. It's time to talk some more about firing Nagy and about how dumb it is that people want to convince themselves that Justin Fields isn't good. The guys discuss all of that and more. Merry Christmas one and all. 

With the Bears and Vikings ready to see if anybody's healthy enough to play on Monday, the guys look back at a classic matchup of the two teams from 1979. Seriously. It's a CBS production with a young Bob Costas teaming with current Bears' all-time leading receiver Johnny Morris. (Man, this franchise...) You'll hear the call of the game and then our guys making fun of Bob and Johnny, Mike Phipps, Vince Evans, Brian Baschnagel and the game, and marveling at Walter Payton and Alan Page. You'll learn more than ever wanted to know about Ahmad Rashad's wedding, too.

The Bears went up to Lambeau Field to humiliate themselves and us and they managed to not do it for an entire half! Heady times. Andy and Mike P. break down the fluky first half and the predictable fiasco that was the second half. They try to figure out what kind of idiot would want to take the Bears job if Ryan Pace stays, they complain about Cris Collinsworth, fear for Justin Fields' safety, marvel at just how little the coaches did to give Teven Jenkins any kind of chance to succeed and much, much, more. 

You might not be old enough to remember that it used to be the Bears who handed out the repeated thumpings in Packers games, but Mike D. and Andy do, and they are taking a look back at one of the most humiliating nights in Packers' history. It was a Monday night clash in 1985 with the Bears and a dainty little 300 pound defensive tackle named after a household appliance who handed out a very thorough and very entertaining beating. Frank Gifford, OJ Simpson and Joe Namath were on the call, and here's your chance to relive it.

The Bears and Cardinals played what technically met the minimum qualifications for an NFL football game on Sunday and Andy and Mike P. are ready to break it all down, tell you what they saw on the all-22 footage and..., well, mostly they're just going to make fun of just how unwatchable that crap was. The Bears gave the game away before the first quarter was half over and you have them credit for not leaving before the game ended, unlike the fans. They also look ahead to the upcoming nationally televised unavoidable debacle with the Packers and they try to figure out just how bad it will have to be for the Bears to fire everybody right after or even during the game. They also urge Justin Fields to sit this one out for his own good, while desperately hoping he plays just to give us all something to actually watch. 

The Bears and the Cardinals go back to even before they both played in Chicago, and yet, there aren't that many memorable games in the 121 year history of the "rivalry." The guys take a look back at how the rivalry got started, the many moves of the Cardinals, and yes, it turns out there were more important games between the two other than the time Devin Hester tore Dennis Green's heart out on Monday Night Football. Plus, they talk about the weird stadiums the Cardinals have played in, the Kurt Warner movie, and the shortest Cubs of all-time. Yes, shortest Cubs. 

The Bears and Lions put America through an unwatchable slog in the early game on Thanksgiving and Mike P. and Andy are here to talk about it, about the weird week that preceded it (even by Bears' standards), and about where the Bears go from here. They have theories on whether the McCaskeys were really going to fire Nagy, about who leaked the news and about the new feud between Hub and Nagy. They also try to figure out just how much this week of public disfunction is going to scare off the few competent coaches who might be interested in the job in the first place. 

Few teams have ruined more Thanksgivings for their fans than our Bears, and Mike D. and I felt it necessary to Remember This Crap about the many times the Bears have caused us indigestion on Turkey Day. They've been better on that day than you might think, then again, the fact that the Lions have been terrible so long has helped. We unearthed some gems, and were reminded of a recent Thanksgiving night game that we had forgotten was on Thanksgiving. You're also going to learn some incredible info about what Drew Henson and the father of a former star of The Mandalorian have in common. 

The Bears played a wet turd of a game on Sunday against the Ravens, the only reason to watch them got hurt, Matt Nagy blew all three second half timeouts in spectacular fashion, and on Tuesday morning we thought it all finally got him fired. Until he wasn't. Yet. Maybe. Andy and Mike P. discuss all of that, plus a look ahead to a completely perfunctory Thanksgiving game in Detroit (are there any other kind?) And, they discuss high school heckling etiquette. 

The Bears and Ravens don't have a long, illustrious history but the Bears have gotten the better of Baltimore in the series, even if the Ravens have been a more consistently good team than the Bears during the last quarter century. Andy and Mike D. recall Ravens who have gone to prison and those who should have, too many Michigan quarterbacks, Dave Wannstedt refusing to put James Allen in the Hall of Fame, John Fox's last hurrah, Brian Billick in a hammock, Browns fans maturely reacting to their team leaving town and much more. Do you think former Colts QB Art Schlichter made it into the pod? We'll give you 4:1 odds.

It's the one you've been waiting for. Mike D. and Andy Remember This Crap about the Bears and Packers. From the glory days when the Bears never lost to the Packers to whatever things are now, the guys remember Packers cheap shots, Chester Marcol's mad dash and the Bears revenge later that season, Bryan Robinson's jump, Devin Hester's debut, Lovie's "we are gonna beat Green Bay" proclamation, Shea McClellin, Jay Cutler's knee, the pitiful number of times the teams have made the playoffs in the same year, and Mossy Cade, James Lofton, Mark Chmura's hot tub and Najeh Davenport's hamper.

Matt Nagy was back on the sidelines and so was all of the dumb stuff that makes his coaching so special in the Bears 29-27 loss to the Steelers. The good news was that Justin Fields looked great, the bad news was that the Bears and the officials combined for so much dumb that even that wasn't enough for a win. The Bears head into the bye on a four game losing streak and even that might not be enough to force the changes we all know that they need. Join Andy and Mike P. as they talk about all of this important stuff and more. 

The Bears and Steelers square off on Monday Night and since there's no Manning Brothers Jamboree on ESPN2, you might as well just play this podcast while you watch the game with the sound down. Andy and Mike D. look back at the long history of the Steelers (a lot of it is surprisingly bad) and some key matchups between the two teams. They look back at the only Bears win of the 1969 season and how it screwed them out of a franchise quarterback, and they look back at that guy's sterling movie career. You'll hear about Coach Ditka's final home game, the peak of the Wanny era, a Jay Cutler comeback, a rare Mike Glennon/John Fox win and of course, Otis Wilson hitting Louis Lipps in the lips?

The Bears played without Matt Nagy on Sunday, something we'd all like to get used to. Justin Fields looked really good, something we'd also like to get used to. And yet, the Bears suffered a pretty dispiriting loss with a terrible defensive effort, and even progress for their offense leaves them at the bottom of the NFL. Andy and Mike P. ponder the job statuses of Matt Nagy and Ryan Pace again, marvel at how one Chicago sports team turned things around quickly by changing the top of the org chart and they look ahead to a game in Pissburgh that will be bad, but might not actually be bad enough to force the McCaskeys to do something. 

The biggest stars of Substack join forces as internationally renowned NBA scribe Kelly Dwyer joins Andy to talk about all of the really important stuff you want to hear them discuss. They talk 80s baseball, Andy's trip to St. Louis as a small boy, Premier League Darts, the Mandrell sisters, the most egregious snubs from the NBA's top 76* list, Continental Basketball Association legend Mauro Panaggio, Battle of the Network Stars, what really got Mike Shildt fired in St. Louis, great Liev Schreiber movies, Pat Riley and Willie Geist autographed books and much more. 

It's time for some fresh crap so Andy and Mike D. take a tour through the surprisingly long history of Bears-49ers matchups. They spend most of their time in the Super Bowl era and look at three pretty awful playoff games, the demise of "Bear Weather", the birth of The Refrigerator, Mike Ditka driving while gloating, Mike Brown's walk-off, great QB duos in the matchup's history, the Bears and Terrell Owens ruining Jerry Rice Day, and much, much more. 

We harken back to one of the best Bears editions of Remember this Crap with clips from last year's Tampa Bay Buccaneers podcast. If this episode were just us reading old John McKay quotes it would be worth your time, but wait, there's more, including Vinny Testaverde's color blindness, great matchups in the (mostly lopsided) history of this rivalry, and enough Donald Igwebuike references to keep you happy for months.

Andy and Mike P. look back at a perfunctory Packers win over the Bears and they ponder the horrifying idea that maybe it's not just Aaron Rodgers that makes them better than the Bears. They appreciate that Matt Nagy is still finding new ways to waste timeouts. They wonder if Allen Robinson is really that good, if Eddie Jackson has any understanding of how good Lance Briggs was, and how much better Justin Fields can really get with this offensive staff. Hey, Khalil Herbert is good! And they look ahead to the Bucs game with they might just have to watch between their fingers with their hands over their faces. 

It's time to remember Remember This Crap, Bears-Packers. We remind everyone that the Bears used to beat the Packers repeatedly, compare the Packers rivalry to the Cubs and Cardinals, explain Jay Cutler's biggest mistake in the NFC Championship game, we come up with the incredible observations about how few times the Bears and Packers have made the playoffs in the same year. (Though they did do it last year.) We identify the one think Mike Ditka enjoys more than getting paid for terrible commercials. The birth of The Refrigerator and our condolences to George Cumby's family, I hope they remember to dig his body out of the north end zone before they move to Arlington Heights. The Chester Marcol Game, and the dark turn his life took. You'll learn why Mossy Cade's nickname is the "Aunteater," plus James Lofton in the stairwell, Mark Chmura's hot tub and Najeh Davenport in the closet. Bob Thomas' futile contributions to the 61-7 Bears win in 1980. Chester Marcol's revenge against Bart Starr, and why not to drink "The Chester Marcol," ever. Each team ruined the other's jersey retirement ceremony. And, a great George Halas-Vince Lombardi story.

The Bears went to Las Vegas and came back with a hangover, a lighter wallet, some sort of social disease and a win over the Raiders. The guys break down the Bears continued commitment to the run, Andy Dalton only wearing half his uniform on the bench, the NFL's decommitment to concussion protocols, whether or not the Bears are building a foundation to build on offense on or just playing the only card they can think of, and pantsless mascots. Of course. Oh, and the Packers are up next, so they talk about Aaron Rodgers' final regular season game for that crap franchise at Soldier Field. 

Justin Fields was impressive on Sunday against the Lions. So impressive that Matt Nagy can't wait to not play him anymore. Andy and Mike P. harken back to the Bears second win of the season, wonder why Nagy won't let anybody else take credit for what they clearly did, and they wonder how the Bears are supposed to beat anybody in the upcoming string of games against good teams without a healthy running back. But, as a full service podcast they volunteer a couple of currently out of work Cubs to fill in key roles on the Bears. They also reflect on how the Bears defense looked like they had a great day, even though they gave up waaaaay too many yards. 

It's the always exciting Bears-Lions matchup, and we look back at some of our favorite segments including, the time Andy asked for Walter Payton to be decorated onto his birthday cake, the first Bears QB the guys remember as kids, their first Bears jersey they ever owned (this one's a classic) and then we revisit one of the weird things the Bears and Lions have in common (hint: it's distressing for both teams, but especially humiliating for Detroit) and we finish with a look at all of former Lions' GM Matt Millen's draft picks. This is quality crap remembrance. 

Bears fans have hardly ever been as excited as they were for a game as we were on Sunday and within minutes we knew it was going bad and that nobody had a clue what they were doing. Andy and Mike P.similarly don't waste any time trying to figure out how Matt Nagy still has a job, whether he sabotaged the game plan on purpose or if he's just that stupid and inept (you can probably guess what the answer is) and where the Bears go from here. You know things are going great when you're discussing interim coaching candidates after week three. They also end up doing a mini movie deep dive about a movie musical that's nearly 50 olds old. It ties in, we promise. 

The Bears head to the Factory of Sadness this week to continue their infrequent and somewhat memorable rivalry with an AFC team that they have waaaaaay too much in common with. We look back at the two greatest running backs in NFL history, an assortment of lousy quarterbacks, a few memorable games and again we are envious of a franchise that knows how to fire a coaching during the season. It's time to Remember This Crap about the Cleveland Browns. 

The Bears won and Justin Fields is taking over and everything's great! Well, many things are great. Some things are still being Nagyed and Paced. Mike P. and Andy break down the win over the Bengals, look ahead to the game with the Browns and especially the dawn of the Justin Fields era. Like most things with the Bears, there are concerns over how they're handling this, but that's what we're here for. 

A fresh opponent for the Bears this week means a fresh crap! Andy and Mike D. harken back to classic Bears-Bengals games of yore, and what they find is a rivalry so tightly contested you can hardly believe it. The Bears on Sunday will be trying to set the longest winning streak in the history of this rivalry. So that's...something. They try to figure out why Ken Anderson didn't play more against the Bears, they remember the defending Super Bowl champs pounding the Bengals at Riverfront Stadium, the dawn of Trestmania, and the time Chad Johnson's touchdown dance cut a little too close to home for Brian Urlacher. 

The Bears weren't good on Sunday, and it didn't just look that way on TV as Mike P. was there to see it live, in person, in the Rams' new $5 billion stadium. He joins Andy to talk about what the Bears offensive game plan could possibly have been, and what has happened to the defense. How did Eddie Jackson get this bad this fast? Does Matt Nagy have any idea what a "package" actually is? Why is Andy Dalton playing? Why can't they let Justin Fields play more than a few disconnected snaps? They look ahead to the Dalton revenge game with the Bengals, and they discuss the Manning Brothers Monday Night Jamboree. 

It's time to return to the Bears for Remember This Crap, but what to do when they open with a team we did last year? Let's revisit one of the finest Remember This Craps. A crummy re-run? No, there's nothing crummy about this one. This featured one of the greatest stories in 1985 Bears history (seriously) featuring Mike Singletary and Eric Dickerson. We unearthed a long lost Bears' Danish kicker (he didn't kick pastries), some great John Madden-John Robinson yarns, some interesting history about how non-unique the Fearsome Foursome were, and the ugliest coach in NFL history. 

A new season means another year of the award-winning Bears Podcast with Andy and Mike P. They look ahead to the Bears 2021 and try to figure out what Matt Nagy and Ryan Pace would have to do to get canned, why Andy Dalton is starting, when Justin Fields will start, and they go game by game through the season so you know exactly what's going to happen all year long. They also take a look at over unders and some prop bets. Basically, it's the only season preview you're ever going to need. Oh and did we mention Mike's going to the Rams' game? 

The wheel of crap finally landed on one of the most infamous seasons in Cubs history. It's time for Andy and Mike D. to remember the 2003 Cubs. It was a season that was incredible until it wasn't. Hindsight (and an actual World Series title) have made it easier to look back and enjoy the truly great parts of a season that crushed us all in the end. It's time to remember Hee Seop's concussion, the Aramis and Kenny trade, Mark Prior's dominance, Kerry Wood's dominant NLDS, Sarah Wood going "Wheeeeee!", Sweaty Joe, Dusty grinding pitchers' arms off, Eric Karros' big hair, Gabor Bako, that awful bullpen, Randall Simon, that super fun playoff run that ended with a kick in the balls, beating the Cardinals when it really mattered, and so much more.

The Cubs unveiled a haphazard afterthought of a Hall of Fame, using mostly work done by other people that nobody even knew had been done, and that seemed right up our alley. So Andy and Mike D. decided to break down the 56 inductees, and surely we put more effort into this process than any of them did. From King Kelly to Lee Smith and everybody in between, join us for a look at former Cubs' great, plus Don Kessinger and Glen Beckert. We try to figure out what the process they used to pick the Hall of Famers, predict the next class and try to figure out if they'll do the obvious with Sammy Sosa or just make things worse, like always. 

He was the face of the Cubs during the most successful run in more than a century, and even if it makes some business sense to move on from him it doesn't make it any easier for the fans. Kyle and Andy discuss the Cubs trade of Anthony Rizzo to the Yankees, whether it's in effect a third of a season loan or if he's really gone, how bad it is that one of the prospects in the deal from the Yankees is immediately the Cubs second-best prospect, and what the future holds as we careen towards the deadline with Kris Bryant and Craig Kimbrel yet to be dealt.

How can you poke holes in one of the greatest movies ever made? Well, you don't, mostly. Andy and Mike P. revisit the 1990 Martin Scorcese classic, "GoodFellas" and marvel at what a great, well made, incredibly paced movie it is, while taking issue with just a couple of the plot points. They draw Sopranos parallels, play your favorite clips, give some casting choice info and all the times Joe Pesci ad libbed. It's a pretty great insight into what Roger Ebert called the greatest movie ever made about organized crime.

The Olympics are here whether anybody's ready or not and Drew Lawrence of The Guardian (and several other publications) stops by to talk about them. Why are they happening? Why are they playing softball on a toxic waste site? The guys try to come up with a better way to pick the men's basketball team, wonder what Mary Carrillo is going to get to make fun of, and a couple of athletes and events you should be paying attention to. Andy suggests moving Hockey to the Summer Games. Drew has an incredible story about the ludicrous 1904 Olympics in St. Louis that you have to hear to believe. And then, they talk about the Bears, because the Bears finally have a quarterback and it's impossible to talk about that too much. 

A year after the Cubs' inexplicable playoff run and Sammy Sosa 66 homer season, the Cubs were without Kerry Wood (because of Tommy John Disease), but decided the keys to returning to the playoffs were bringing back 40-year old Gary Gaetti and signing Benito Santiago and Scott Sanders. Fool proof. Just one game out of first in June the Cubs plummeted hard and fast, and we're here to relive most of it.

It's time for a Cubs podcast and Kyle joins Andy with Sam out on assignment, and the guys have breaking news to discuss with Joc Pederson traded to the Barves for an enormous prospect (literally.) They play a fun game of "Is he gonna be traded," they try to figure out who to assign blame to for the demise of the Cubs the last few years, and they pick the team they'd most like to be traded to. Oh, and wait until you hear Andy's theory about why the rednecks on the roster won't let Willson be the team leader. 

The Dusty era had ended, Sam Zell was in town screwing up the Tribune and trying to pump up the value of the Cubs so he could sell them to some unsuspecting dopes in Omaha, Alfonso Soriano, Theodore Roosevelt Lilly, Jason Marquis, Mark DeRosa and Cliff Lee were new to town and the Cubs struggled to start the season. Then Carlos Zambrano punched Michael Barrett, Lou Piniella kicked his hat and some dirt and the Cubs took off. Soriano spent September starting every game with a homer and the Cubs held off the Brewers to win the division. The playoffs? Well, how can you stop Augie Ojeda? It's the 2007 Cubs. 

All Cubs seasons are fun to re-live (well, most of them) but some are more fun than others and this time the wheel of crap has gifted us the incredible, ridiculous, insane 1998 Cubs. Sammy Sosa homered every day, Kerry Wood struck out everybody, Terry Mulholland and/or Rod Beck were always pitching and Chip Caray was there to narrate most of it--well, it can't all be good. The Cubs roared through most of September then limped down the stretch until Neifi hit his biggest homer and saved their bacon. It was a great year, so let's remember it! 

The season opened in the land