Rahimi, Harris & Grote Show - Full Show — February 23, 2026

Episode Date: February 23, 2026

Leila Rahimi, Marshall Harris and Mark Grote celebrated Team USA men's hockey beating Canada in overtime to win the gold medal game Sunday at the Winter Olympics. They also previewed the NFL Combine.

The score. This hour is brought to you by Vesectomy Clinics of Chicago. The views and opinions of Lela Rahimi, Marshall Harris, and Mark Grotty should not be taken too seriously. Especially when they give advice. Do not take Marshall's analogies, literally. Especially when it comes to Russell Dorsey. The sports thoughts of Rahimi Harrison Grody may change at any time. It's just sports. Gay thanks. Bye. Rahimi Harrison Grody.

10 to 2 on 1043. The score. And we go out to our hotline. That is where we find WBBM News Radio political editor Jeff Buckhulles, who is right now joining us from Oak Park, where an event held by the governor just wrapped up. Hi, Jack. A lot of the conversations today, according to the governor,

over the last 24 hours, have been the Bears saying, well, we didn't mean that we're moving to Indiana, and we only put that statement out to Molify, was the word the governor used. Holy cow, that's a big word. When you say Molify, you mean appease. So the Bears made that statement to appease. the work that they had done with Indiana, and they're walking it back when it came to the statement that they issued yesterday?

I mean, I suppose if I had a dictionary in front of me, Lila, I would be able to sort of parse the difference between appease and Molify. I'm going to stick with Molify because that's the word the governor used, and I don't want to, like, put words in his mouth. We are Molify. Let me give you the definition of mollify. Apease the anger or anxiety of someone. I'm just giving you the straight off. That's the dictionary.com edition. Why did you make me put that down?

No. We need a medical dictionary. A patient gets difficult, you grown up. Jeff, I just want to use the word mollify too, since both my partners did. I want to make sure that I was able to use that word as well. What would be worse for him? The tax payers having to pay more or losing the Chicago Bears to the state of Indiana? I believe you are referring, Grody, to the widely held belief that Governor Pritzker is going to seek an office other than the governor,

ship of Illinois. That would be correct to mollify my statement. Yes, that would be correct. Yes. Good job. Yeah, exactly. My life is one long molifying fault. We appreciate your time and thank you for doing so, Jeff. This has been very informative as usual and we all learned a new word today. If that's what I bring to the folks at 104-3, the score, I'm happy to help. We should bring something. I already am. I'm bringing the gift of knowledge. Now our show is brought to you by the word mollify. Lila Rahimi, Marshall Harris, Mark Grody, midday's 10 a.m. to 2 on Chicago Sports Radio 104.3, the score. I guess we're going to mollify your hockey quotient for the day with Catherine Tappen joining us at 1045.

Olympic gold medalist himself Jack O'Callaghan joining us later in our show at 1225. and in the meantime, bears and baseball and more. This is Rahimi Harrison Grotie on 104-3, the score. And I'm trying to use it in a sentence, but a P's is not the word I would use for something I hadn't seen in my lifetime, which was an Olympic gold medal hockey team. And here we are.

I think we talked about this in our pre-show meeting, Marshall Harris, Mark Grody. Where were you when you watch something that you hadn't seen happen since 1980 or perhaps hadn't seen at all. I will confess. I devired it, and I watched the game on tape delay.

I got to see Mike Tariko's wonderful closing comments for that broadcast live, but I did not get to see what happened real time, but I kept up with the data. But I had to watch it when I was fully awake on Sunday. I'm not going to lie, I was at the gym, and I got the alert that the U.S. had won the class. itself was from 9 to 10. So like towards the end of the classes

when I got the alert. Like I knew they were winning and I knew they were tied and then I knew what happened in overtime. Then I went home and I watched it. And it was great because it made me feel like no longer is the U.S. this underdog

story. The U.S. is on par with other nations who have prioritized hockey and I know that's a bummer for our neighbors up north, but hey, them's the brakes. The USA has arrived and the USA is not going anywhere. Watching specifically the third period, but even before that, I was like, I think Canada is playing a better game of hockey than the U.S. But hockey is one of those

sports where if you don't get the bounce, the post is real. Like, you have to find a way to not only have more opportunities than your opponent, but to take advantage. And if you don't get the breaks, you end up losing an overtime three-on-three game for a gold medal. I ended up on Saturday night spent the night at my parents in the mighty northwest suburbs where they might build a new Bears stadium. Spent the night, I set my alarm for, I knew my dad was going to get up and watch. Hey, hey, I'm going to wake you up. I was like, you know what? You know what, Dad? I'm going to set the alarm for 9 o'clock and we'll see what happens. The alarm goes off. I look at my phone. It could not have been more perfect. It says on my phone

that it is a tie game. It's one-one after two periods. I jump out of bed like it's Christmas morning. I go downstairs and I get my coffee and I go into another room in my parents' house. There's my mom. My mom is in another room because my mom is one of these sports fans

who can't handle it when the pressure gets too much. He's like, I am not going to watch this. I can't handle it right now. But I went and hung out with my dad in the other room where the game was blaring and we just had a blast. And my mom actually did eventually come into the room. And when the goal is scored, I'm going crazy. For some reason, because it's so sudden and it's for all the marbles,

it did remind me of the Black Hawk's first cup of their three cup run in 2010 when you didn't know that Taves, or excuse me, that Kane had scored. He's running down, throwing the mitts up. That's what it felt like. It's like for the Hawks won a Stanley Cup, Team USA wins gold. That was the feeling to a different level, not quite the same. Like the Black Hawk's level was different. That was like Pride, Chicago, that was a 10.

This was a little different, but in the same sort of family of feeling that I had, Blackhawks versus Olympics. Well, I had a good laugh because Mark Lazarus, who covers the Blackhawks for the athletic, and, you know, was the noted longtime Blackhawks reporter here in town had the barf cry die during Twitter when Twitter was like fun, you know? So that was always the stress of watching watching the hockey playoffs.

Oh, that's a great, yeah. And I did think of him and the barf cry die while I was watching the game and just understanding the stress, you know, and knowing that even when you're watching on Olympics time delay, where you know what you're going to see, just feeling it all together and then even watching the replays of the medal ceremony were just

incredibly emotional but the lead that mark lazarus has that i want to share is pretty amazing too to their graves to their blanking graves and he types another letter in there but that's the point is if this were on the other side for the u.s to get as close as it had gotten to a gold medal since 2010 and then arguably even closer when you consider what happened that year, you know, that was Cindy Crosby's team taking them down. You don't want to win silver. You know, you want to win either the bronze or the gold because at least at that point you're winning the game.

But in this case, to be so close and to have just an incredible performance from Connor Hellybeck as well. I mean, that's one of those performances that'll stand out, you know, for the ages. Like I to have 41 saves in the game. Oh yeah, 41 out of 42. Like how do you even put that into into discussion? Because that's something where even when Laz was tweeting where he's like, he has 40 saves and we're going into overtime.

And then what do you see? But one of those performances where you really have a goal he's stand on his head. And you know, that's the other point about this is in the Olympics, we talk about the well they Canada feels like they were the better team you know there's the Nathan McKin quote of you tell me

you tell me who the judge was of who is the better team today that's the nature of this you know team USA lost in a shootout in 2022 to a Slovakia team who ended up winning the bronze medal that's the perilous

nature of knowing that that is your fate in this tournament and it's not a best to seven like the NHL playoffs but for Team USA to come out and really be resilient the entire tournament. Tells you a lot about who this team really was. The expectation, going back to the Gold or Bus mantra that they decided to really lock on to because they weren't here for second place. They weren't here for the play-play.

They were here to bring home the gold. And it didn't seem, not that it wasn't realistic of a goal, but they were definitely not favored. And as the game went on, and that's why it is probably good that it's a one game thing and not a best of three. Because as the game went on, you saw the team that was better on paper looked better on the ice, and a goalie stood on his head. Like a goalie stood on his head. Let's let's be honest about what happened. 41 saves out of 42.

A goalie stood on his head. I mean, especially in the third period, the saves on Taves and celebrating, oh my God, the breakaway. Like it was talk about, you guys didn't watch it in real time. That stuff is heart attack stuff in real time. I don't know that I could have handled it. Oh, I would have been in that room with my mom. She would have been, yeah. Here's my question.

Did she go to the room when Kelmachar scored? What forced her out of the room? Well, I think she finally, she's, like, one, nothing, you feel pretty good. Well, once it goes to three on three, she's like, screw it. And here's what I told my mom. I said, mom, and this leads them to what I was going to say. I was like, you had to understand all of the, pressure of the world, and this is on Canada. They are raised to be win gold medals in hockey.

The whole, that is their pride, their civic pride, their worth. All the pressure, every bit of it was on the Canadian team. I have never seen athletes so sad to be, to have silver medals put around their necks. I felt like, like just looking, literally looking at the faces of the Canadian players as they are being presented as the second best team in the world and that they were depressed. And it made me think of the Olympics as a whole. Is there anything more depressing that a silver metal? Silver is the worst in team sports. And bronze, well, while we're out at bronze, you kind of suck too. No, bronze at least wins their game though. That's the difference. It's like winning the NIT championship in basketball. In the bronze medal game, the winner is happy. That's true. Yeah, kind of. You know,

a little bit more. Like really, the Olympics is about golds and golds only. I I don't care. Quantity, forget it. It's quality. The only thing worthwhile at all of the Olympics are gold medals. I don't care if the Americans had the quantity of metal. Tell me how many golds they had. That's how I was feeling.

So somehow, some way I was able to get Gene Grody back in the room because she understood that, hey, there's no, we're not supposed to win. This is Canadians. This is Canada's sport. It's not ours. So she got to enjoy it too. What about the Canadians like Nathan McKinnon? I don't know if you saw what he said after the game.

You be the judge of who's the better team day. The whole thing, just the sore loserness of it all. And I get it. You hurt. Hurt people. Hurt people. And Canadian was hurting. But that's the point is that's how the tournament goes.

Like Team USA didn't say that when they lost in overtime to Slovakia last time. You know, that's the, I don't know if they end up changing the rules. Like Edzo talked about that on Mullian Hall a little bit this morning with Zach Zadman and David Haw, the concept of, do you keep that? that happening because it is so perilous, you know, because it really does come down to chance. And I remember being in Beijing and watching, watching the 2022 team just agonized after defeat because they, you are so close in a three on three. But there was good coaching and just a good level of U.S. play that went on too, that put them in those positions. You know, and Edzo

talked about this. They had a lot of time in front of the net, even though they didn't have as many shots on goal to start. And he goes, you can't pass your way into the net here. Like, you guys need to get some purposeable shots on goal. And you started to see that just wear down and wear down. The other thing, too, is not only did Hellibook make 41 saves, but Team USA had numbers every single time Canada was in their zone. So because of that, I feel like, yeah, Nathan McKinnon can say that.

And I understand the anguish that they have, especially after their women's team lost to the women, too, which is a very very. big deal. But to have it go down like this, to have Team USA come through and also honor the late Johnny Goodjar, like we haven't even gotten to all the emotional parts of this. Again, Catherine Tappen joins us at 1045. We can't wait to talk to her. So let's listen coming up next to some of the sights and sounds too that we had because poor team Canada, not only you get the silver, but then you get the little stout stuffed animal that was handed to you. Did you notice that too? You guys see that. Yeah, they're just looking like, uh, what's this? And first you get your medal. And then

after that happens, then you get your celebratory stout. Those things are going to go for big money on the second market. I think they would have preferred those. They would have preferred those over the silver medals. Yeah, I don't think they wanted the silver medals. You know that's like a fancy name for a member of the weasel family in the stout. Really? I've never heard of the stolt.

Just when I thought of. They're cute. Educational. They seem destructive. Are they babies? Yes. They are just babies. Yes.

Or at least they look like they are. More Olympic Hocutocke talk coming up next. This is Rahimi-Harrison Grotie on 104 3. The score, Marshall Harris, Mark Grady, and me, Layla Rahimi, thanking you for joining us on this Monday. Ray Diaz and Tyler Buehderbaugh are our producers. Brandon Fryer helps us out as well as we broadcast live from the Scores Hunde Studios, brought to you by your local Hyundai dealers. We also have a Twitch chat that you can join us on.

Twitch.tv.tv slash the score Chicago. Connor O'Donnell, Jacob Stutz, and Max Curtis helped man that as well. And you've been texting and calling. So hang out. 312-644-67-67 is our number. An incredible message that actually takes me back to the inspiration of some of the Blackhawks teams from Mike Tariko. And a wonderful interview with Catherine Tappen coming up next.

Rahimi Harris and Grody. Bears tight end. Cole Kamet. Cole, welcome to the party, pal. Well, thanks for having me. I heard it was a big day. So naturally, I dropped everything I had going on today. You've complained a lot through the years about not being able to hear the score on the 670 a.m. dial when you're inevitably cruising around downtown and now that we have

an FM signal call, you can now hear the score all day, all the time, all you want. You can hear all the bear's hot takes you want. Well, that's perfect. I'll make sure I blast that in the locker room. Beautiful black. Rahimi Harrison Grody, Midday's Tyndal 2 on 1043 the score. This is Rahimi Harrison Grody on 1043 the score. And we get to observe something that hadn't happened in almost 50 years, not since 1980. Had Team USA hockey for the men won a gold medal. And the men's and the women's teams both come away with the gold.

This Olympiad in Milan, which is pretty incredible. we are happy to discuss it with you. And we're talking about to start viewing in the emotional experience. And I appreciate everybody who's also bringing up on our text line 312, 644, 67, the emotional aspect of honoring Johnny Goddrow, the way that the team was able to do and bring out his jersey and take pictures with his sons on the ice. We lost Johnny and his brother to a drunk driver in 2024 when they were riding bikes and they were out for their sister's wedding. and I think as somebody who we thought might be one of the faces of American hockey to be able to be honored in that way was really an emotional moment as well on the ice. It's so telling that the memory of Johnny Goodrow,

to a point, fueled this team to the level that it did. You see the celebrations after the game, and it reminds you like, oh, that's right. he was supposed to be a part of this. And I'll tell you, you know, spending time in Philadelphia and, you know, understanding the impact that he had in his limited time, playing in the NHL and what he meant for American hockey specifically. And this idea that Americans were being invested in from a hockey standpoint.

And I got to tell you, it did hit a little bit as someone who just was watching this great accomplishment. But in the same time, you can't acknowledge the celebration without understanding the hurdles that some of these players went through when their very good friend was lost in that accident. Yeah, it was tough seeing the parents in the stands. But it was like jubilant seeing the players, you know, get the kids smiling. in the picture, just enjoying the moment, all of that. So that part was very cool. It made me think of the hockey parents in general and their, like we all talk about, like the kids that play hockey look up to the hockey players because they are the elite

that is ultimate what everybody's going for. It makes me wonder, too, like, do other hockey parents look up to those hockey parents as like superstars in the stands because the people, we all know, hockey. I know a bunch of them. A lot of them have been my family. If you have kids that play hockey, you probably know what it's like to live and die with every single moment watching your kids and it crushes your soul. If they're 13 years old and they let a goal go through, imagine what those parents go through, what the moms and dads were going through watching that game when it was 2-2 in the third period and they ultimately won the game. So I thought about the

parents as in general from that moment. Well, and you know, one of the biggest things I heard was part of the reason the Team USA women's hockey team was so successful and how good they had gotten in that big rivalry with Team Canada that we know goes back to 1998 when they first had women's hockey in the Olympics was the inspiration of the local hockey teams who succeeded and the Black Hawk's effect on youth hockey. Oh, yeah. Starting when they started to win the same.

Stanley Cups and frankly, you know, when they were televised more, how many people do you know their kids played youth hockey because they were inspired by the Blackhawks teams? And it's that generation that we're seeing now come to the ice and play. And Marshall and I were at CSN Philly, Comcast SportsNet, Philly, when our colleague, John Clark did a story talking about Johnny Goodrow and Jack Eichol because they were both from New Jersey and how they were a new breed in a young generation of American-born hockey players who were inspired, you know, by other teams in American hockey and how they came into this point. And that's what made this, I think, such a big deal, too, is how many of these players were inspired by, say, the 2010 team or how

many of the 2010 team were inspired by the teams before them. You go back to the 1980 team. But when you consider, like, the run that the Hawks had here and what that meant to youth hockey in the Chicago land area and how that did translate. directly to, for example, the success of the USA women's team. It really does have an impact that you don't necessarily understand. And let's turn to who perhaps said it the best. It was Mike Tariko's message that he gave after the gold medal game that I thought was really worth to listen. Because of a drought that almost lasts in the half century, those teams are revered.

They are held on to forever. And what happened today doesn't take away from the greatness of those teams or the meaning that those teams have in U.S. hockey. But what you saw today was the build of a generation inspired perhaps by that team that lost in 2010 in Vancouver to the Sydney Crosby Golden Gold in overtime. Or the team where T.J. O'Shea had all those shootout goals

in 2014. That's when these guys were doing what you're doing. Watching on TV. And they were young. And they were living the dream. So for all the young people out there, not just the hockey, but all the Olympics you've watched, those dreams are formed now. Go chasing. them and go get them because our country

loves sports and it brings us together unlike anything else. And if you didn't know that, if you haven't been watching the last two weeks, you saw it in Team USA hockey, winning the goal over there are tribal Canada here in Milan to wrap up these 25th Olympic Winter Games.

Listen, this tweet came across. I don't know if you guys saw this tweet yesterday in kind of the same vein, but understanding what you were just talking about, Lela, with the foundation being built for the next generation of, and you can really fill in the blank, whatever you want to make it. Because what kids see is what kids will remember for their entire lives in terms of how it hits them.

It hits different when you haven't had the world put on your shoulders yet and you don't feel like you're anchored down with all these things that you have to do as an adult. Adults, we're just so frustrated compared to a kid like joy. That's a reason that that's an expression. Here's the tweet. Craig Custins, he is the head of creative development at the athletic. In 2011, he quote tweeted USA Hockey saying this. USA Hockey says, USA Hockey's 8-N-U-U-Nunder membership has reached 100,000 for the first time ever. That's the tweet from USA Hockey. USA Hockey's A-N-U-S-A-U-Hockey has reached 100,000 for the first time ever.

Craig Custin's, he quotes the tweet in 2011 when this happened and says, look out 2026 Olympics, and here we are. And here we are. And I love that the foundation can be laid. I love that sports still does somehow, some way, bring us all together in a time when things have never been more divisive in this country. At times. That's a great point. Like there are a few moments in sports where you feel like, that's why I love Bears games, because we all know around here in this city and in the Midwest, we're all together on social media.

We're all together watching the Bears and it's a bonding thing and people are expressing themselves. That was the same feeling for this game. Like we're not just in Chicago, but as a country, we're all together. We don't talk hockey on this show. I think we've had our best hockey discussions on the text thread. And right here, we don't, let's admit, let's be real about this. Let's be real about this. We don't.

But that moment, we're all the biggest hockey fans in the world yesterday morning watching that game. We're here doing an hour on hockey today because that game brought us all together. And somehow, some way, even with everything going on in this country, there's still a bleep ton of pride. I mean, listening to the post-game interview yesterday, just talking about the country and bringing America together. And I know he wasn't necessarily talking about bigger picture stuff, but it's so rare right now.

We could all put our American flag literally over our backs the way those hot. Like that's another cool thing too. Watching all the hockey players putting the American flag over their back and kind of just lightly skating around for that moment. For those three hours, if you watched it, we felt good about ourselves. It was nice to see. And even the image, like, what's your lasting image going to be of this? his team. And one of my images is probably going to be the now iconic picture of Jack Hughes smiling with the American flag and no teeth. Because his two front teeth were lost in a high

sticking penalty. Where he said he wanted to draw the penalty. Which again reminded gave me Blackhawks flashbacks. Anyone, Duncan Keith who lost all his teeth in the postseason? Freedom! There were, there were so many moments where I was watching that like, it made me long for the Blackhawks being relevant on this show and on this station and in this town again, because when the Blackhawks were winning titles, it was a blast, very stressful. As Layla, I don't know, how did you put it? Barf cry. No, that's how Las put it.

Barf cry die. Barf cry. Give me back to barfing and crying and dying. I need to be back. That's what I realized sitting there watching that third period. Get me back to that feeling with the team that plays in this town because it's great. right when they're good. And what I love about hockey is that level of anxiety,

other sports move at a different pace where you can't necessarily have the same buildup as you do in hockey, right? Because baseball's like one pitch at a time, basketball, one possession at a time. But as you know, a turnover in hockey, and it's like, oh! Oh, it's on!

All hell breaks loose. Because, you know, giving up a basket and transition in basketball is one thing, but in hockey, goals are so rare, like a two-to-one overtime game. I'm not trying to do that. this right now, but you know what I thought of when you said that. What's that?

Rob Dillingham just skating the other one. Dilly? I got to bring up Dillie. And going for the dunk and unfortunately, sometimes you miss. But a lot of times, you know how it is. Shoot or shoot. Let me tell the audience. If you don't try.

I feel like some people have tuned out to the Chicago Bulls. So if you don't know who Rob Dillingham is, he's a former lottery pick that the Bulls acquired at the trade deadline, very fast, very speedy, got a steal last night, went up for a dunk. It did not go well for him. Enough. Enough. The Bulls have lost nine and a roll. That's all you need to tell the people about the Bulls. Enough. Enough. Enough. Enough.

I was going to know. Enough. Back to discussion of victory. We didn't have time because we've just been enjoying the moment. But there was a wonderful interview that Catherine Tappen did with the golden goal scorer himself, Jack Hughes. And Catherine has been nice enough to join us next. So Catherine Tappen, coming back from Milan. I don't know. She's there now. We'll figure it out. But she was part of the broadcast crew on NBC, so we get to talk to her next on Rahimi Harrison Grotie on the score. Rahimi Harrison Grody, midday's 10 to 2 on 1043, The Score. And it's Worenski.

Now Jack Hughes puts it around the car, the United States with numbers. Rock across it comes. Jack Hughes wins it. We love to hear it. That was Kenny Albert and Eddie Oldcheck on the call, courtesy of NBC in the Olympic Games. this is Rahimi Harrison Grotie. On 104, 3, the score, we await to hear from Catherine Tappen, who also spoke to the man who scored the golden gold.

Jack Hughes after the game. Let's listen to her interview. Jack, the first gold medal for the United States in 46 years, and you delivered it. Can you just describe the emotions of this moment right now? This is all about our country right now. I love the USA. I love my teammates. It's unbelievable.

The USA Hockey Brotherhood is so strong. strong and we had so much support from next players and I'm so proud to be American today this was such an incredible game to grind out I mean you're bleeding right through it just looking at you right now can you just talk about how difficult this gold medal was to win unbelievable game by Hallibuck he was our best player tonight by a mile unbelievable game unreal game by our team that's just a ballsy gutsy win that's American hockey right there That's a great Canadian team, but we're USA. We're so proud to be Americans.

Tonight was all for the country. What does this gold medal mean to USA hockey? It's everything. Like I said, the USA Hockey Brotherhood means so much. Look at these guys. We're such a team. We've been in the guy over two weeks. We're such a team.

The USA Hockey Brotherhood is so strong, and we're so proud to win for our country. Jack, the gold medal's coming home, and you're about to watch the American flag go up to the rafters and hear the national anthem. How many times did you dream that up? I can't even believe this. I mean, it's such an unbelievable game.

USA Canada. That's such a good game. They have so many great players. We're a great team. That's exactly how we wanted to go. We wanted to go through Canada and beat them. It could have went either way tonight, but that's an unbelievable win for the Americans.

Congratulations. Jack, go and join. Thank you. That was Catherine Tappen on NBC, courtesy of NBC in the Olympics, and her interview with Jack Hughes after he had scored the golden goal. And there he was, just chatting away with a no-front teeth

after he got hit in the face with a high stick. It's going to be cool to be Jack Hughes right now, man. American hero. Like, oh, by the way, he plays for the New Jersey Devils. To every rink that he goes to now for the rest of the year, the adoration that he is going to receive. Things will be longer than the rest of the year. Well, come on, man.

Do you understand the world we live in a short attention span? This has about another 24. hours of life and then we go back to not caring about hockey. Are you kidding? We're talking about the Bears Stadium later. Speaking of the next 24 hours. Then we get back to the real sports. You know the story about the snowstorm and where they were supposed to go from Milan and where they ended up after Milan, right? Miami. Oh, Miami. They were supposed

to fly into JFK. Yes, but they couldn't because of the snowstorm. So instead they're going to be in Miami, fresh off a gold medal? What kind of partying is going on in Miami? Well, the other issue is these guys got to back to work. Right. You know? Exactly. You got to get back to NHL work.

First games are what? Wednesday? I got to look at this. Connor Hellebach's got to get back to, now go back to Winnipeg. Wednesday. First games are Wednesday. Yeah. So that means you have, today's Monday.

So you have to be wherever you have to be tomorrow, right? Yeah, that's a lot. Oh, there's definitely going to be practice. That's a climax. Like how do you, how do you do that? And Helibuck, who does he play for? He plays for. Winnipeg.

Yeah, Winnipeg. Easy. Winnipeg Jet. Let me tell you about Kyra Helba. Going back to Canada might be a little awkward. Yeah, that's what I'm saying. That's an awkward return. Hey, sorry about that. Are we cool, Winnipeg? What's up, Winnipeg? But you know, if you thought that, like, for example, Nathan McKinnon saying what he said was a crash out, there's a bigger issue going on in Canada when it comes to the assessment of what is going on with these games. There was an article that Bruce Arthur wrote in the Toronto Star was his column. And this is a stat that is pretty severe when you consider what's going on in Canada as far as where they think their Olympic program is. Three quarters of the medalists at the Milan Olympics for Team Canada were 30 or older.

They think that there's a real funding issue as far as a lack of funding at the base youth levels to make sure that they have an Olympic program that is up to. their standard in Canada. I was reading something about how there's less boys playing hockey now than there were 10 years ago. That's shocking. And so I don't know what the reason is necessarily, but it's not good. It might be a funding issue, as Lila alluded to, but also, you know, there's just not that. People forget sometimes Canada is smaller in population by a lot than some of these other countries. Well, for Eric Miles, who is the COC of Canada's chief.

sports officer to say, and this is the quote, this is what got me, our system is in decline. Well, that's sobering. You know, as these guys are being handed, their silver medals and their stoats. Let's go to our hotline now. Is she in Milan? Is she on a plane? We talked to Eddie Olcheck on a plane earlier today on the score. Catherine Tappen, thank you so much for joining us.

Well, thank you guys. Yeah, Edzo ended up with dinner, you know, last night with him. He found a way to get out of Milan and somehow reroute through Atlanta to Chicago to L.A., but I got, quote, unquote, stuck in Milan for the day, and I'm very happy about it. So that's where I'm at right now and happy to talk to you guys. How are you guys doing? We're great. Thank you for spending your quote stuck day and your time with us.

We played your interview with Jack Hughes, and it was a wonderful conversation. What was it like to be a part of that moment in observing this on the ice? Yeah, well, I think just, you know, the biggest picture. perspective I have is just, you know, the magnitude of that interview and the importance of what Jack said. I think, you know, the Olympics every four years for winter games, every, you know, every two years we get in Olympics, but every four years we get the winter of the summer. And it finds a way to kind of galvanize a country, right? It finds a way to bring pride back to our nation and, you know, all politics aside and everything else that the world is going through. It's just you cheer for your country. You cheer for these athletes. And Jack said that. I mean, at the end of the day, like this was a massive win for America, for American hockey, and, you know, and then go back

a couple days to the women's team, bringing home gold as well. And I just think that when he was saying the things he was saying, the most important thing for me in that moment in processing his answers was, you know, lead him to the next most important thing he's going to say. So what is that, you know? And I think everything he said was so poignant and so strong. And it's exactly what all of them felt in that locker room. And the importance of this event, the importance of winning a gold medal again, I mean, it had only been done twice

in the history of American hockey. These are guys that grew up in the ranks of American hockey, playing at the youth level, playing at the collegiate level. And you're always the little brother to Canada. And it's like they just can't shake that. And now they did. And it was just, I mean, the fact that it was Jack,

and he had just gotten his teeth knocked out, and they get the five-on-three penalty, and then he commits a penalty. So he goes to the box, and they've got to kill it off. It's like, I mean, the emotions of just that five on three alone. And to see him come off the ice and score the game winner, it was just, and you couldn't have scripted it better.

You really couldn't it. And so listening to him and what he had to say and his reaction with his teeth, his whole mouth bleeding right in front of me, I just was like, oh, my gosh, this is incredible. This is just incredible. Catherine, just such a wonderful interview, as Layla said. And I was struck by what he talked about with the way he had to single out Conner Hallibuck has to let people know, like, this is the dude. Like, I know I scored a goal, but this is the dude.

What did you make of his performance on that stage in that moment? Because that man survived to an extent. Yeah. That's a great word for it. It survived. I mean, 41 saved. And by the way, like, insane saved, the one paddle save that I hope you asked Eddo about because he caught it better than anybody.

But, I mean, it, the thing with Connor Hellebuck is that she, He has had so much criticism in big games, right? He's got all the Vezan as he needs. He's got the NHL and BP. He's arguably the best goalie in the National Hockey League right now. And he, but yet the Winnipeg Jets, when they get to the playoffs, for whatever reason, cumulatively, they cannot win big games. And so for Connor to win that way and to put on the performance, and not just yesterday, guys, he, I mean, the way he performed against Sweden, the way he won earlier rounds, I mean, Lopio was no easy cakewalk for the Americans in their first game. So I just think like what you saw from him, I was so happy for him.

And he was the difference maker for Team USA. I'm very bummed. He didn't get the tournament MVP because I just think he deserved it. But he doesn't even need it. I actually talked to him afterwards. After I did the Jack interview, I was in the mix zone. And I grabbed a couple of American players. And Connor was obviously one of them.

And I just said, like you've listened to the critics over the years, yet what does this win tell them? And he goes, yeah, they can write all they want. I don't care. And the reality is that he was, if he didn't perform the way he did in crucial situations against a Canadian team that had the best star power of offensive weapons on the ice, they wouldn't have won that game yesterday, Team USA. They just wouldn't have. So it's awesome.

I actually loved when the national anthem was being sung, and they panned to Connor Hallibuck, and he had the biggest smile in the world. Like, I don't think we've seen him smile that big ever. it almost was like a weight was lifted off his shoulders. He was proud. He was proud as an American. He was probably relieved that he won a massive game like that to get a gold medal.

And, you know, this is a guy that was the 13th goalie taken in the draft the year he was taken. 13. Like, those are like Tom Brady numbers when he was drafted. Everyone else overlooked him. And he just quietly goes about his business and wins the, wins big. So I'm so happy for him. And to your point back about Jack's interview, I'm very glad that Jack Ignat. acknowledged him. I would have let him there, but I didn't have to. He went right to Connor.

Catherine, could you describe what the crowd was like there in terms of Canada fans versus USA fans? And I felt like sometimes I thought I heard a chant, but it was almost like both sides were chanting, so it canceled each other out. Can you describe what you heard or what you felt throughout that entire game? Yeah, it was pretty even, I'd say. I think, you know, I just think that it was very, there's a ton of American and Canadian fans here in Milan, even So there's obviously a big blizzard back east, which is why I'm still here, but a lot of people can't get back. So I've finally, for the first time in 24 days of being here, been able to kind of walk about the city and, you know, see some really cool sites.

And so I still see a lot of Americans hanging around and a lot of Canadian people as well. And I just think that it was an easy trip to make. It was a massive game before you even knew who was in the gold medal. I think everyone just hoped it was going to be USA Canada with NHL players for the first time in 12 years. So people came and they participated and they cheered. And so the crowd was awesome. I mean, you know, the music they play in the venue is great.

It's a smaller venue. So it's not quite the size of a United Center, say, but it's a little bit more intimate. The crowd, I found it to be a pretty steep, you know, where the fans are, where the actual seats are. So they're kind of like above the ice, which is really awesome. And you felt like you were on top of the play. But it was very balanced yesterday. I mean, as loud as they cheered for Canada, they cheered equally as loud for the United States. United States. And I mean, I wouldn't say that the crowd swayed either team either way because it was

pretty well divided more so than really any other NHL game. Like you think about a Stanley Cup final that's always going to be one way or the other for the home team. This was split down the middle, which was unique. And the whole experience, the whole entire Olympics was just unique in so many ways. We're talking to Catherine Tapp and the ringside reporter for NBC's broadcast of the Olympic Games, and that included Team USA's gold medal win. And it was an emotional moment. I know they showed the Grudeau family in the stands sitting and watching and then to see when the late Johnny Grudeau's children were brought out onto the ice and they had his sweater there as well. What was that like just that moment? And then also, you know, in talking to the Goodrow family and

knowing what he meant to Team USA as well. Yeah. I mean, I just think that, you know, the entire hockey world came together when that horrific tragedy happened with Johnny and Matthew. And it has since, you know, never forgotten the memory of both players. And I think that alone is a great testament to what these men represent and what they care about, right? I mean, the play on the ice is one thing, but they care more about Meredith Goddrow and her family and, you know, Ghee and his mom and dad. And they want to make sure that Johnny's memory is always on the forefront of everyone's mind and Matthew. And so the day before the gold medal game, I was at Team USA's practice. And, you know, Matthew Kuch is just one of the best.

players on and off the ice and he's great and I did a quick on camera with him a couple questions that prime time wanted and then after I put the microphone away I said hey Matthew one second I said hey just real quick you know I haven't talked to you yet about honoring Johnny and I know you guys have his jersey in the locker room and I had told the story two games prior because I'd spoken to Zach Wrenski who was really close with him obviously playing in Columbus for so many years but I wanted Matthew's perspective and I said can you just give me some insight on what the guys are playing for tomorrow and having his jersey there and he looked at me and he goes well you know you No, it's Johnny Jr.'s birthday tomorrow.

Johnny Jr.'s birthday is tomorrow, the gold medal game. And I literally felt the tears. Like, I teared up. It was, I welded up. It was, I couldn't believe, you know, the significance of that, the fact that they were playing, you know, 46 years to the day of the miracle on ice. Like, it just all. And then he looked at me and he goes, things are starting to rely on, aren't they? And I went, oh, my God.

Like, I mean, you couldn't, you couldn't have a dry eye when he told you that. And so we knew that going into the game. and I think I did a story tell about that during the game. The family, and as wonderful it is as it is that they're honoring him and that they're there in attendance and that they were able to be here this final weekend to watch Team USA win their final two games, it's incredibly difficult for them as well. I mean, think about the family. Like, Johnny should be on the ice with them and sorry, you're hearing,

not sorry, but you're hearing the beautiful church bells here in Milan that go off. It's just a wonderful culture here in Italy. But separately, you know, I just think that it's, hard on the family, right? As much as you honor Johnny and you want to make sure you keep his memory alive, they have to participate in this. They have to face it publicly. And that's very, very hard. And so I give them a lot of credit and having them in attendance was great. And then bringing them on the ice when Matthew and Zach Wrenski went out and got the kids in the stands. I mean, there wasn't a dry eye in the building on the broadcast. And it was spectacular. And I do believe, like, I do believe that

there was something special that that team had yesterday and they were going to win that game. and Johnny had a lot to do with it. Well, Catherine, thank you so much for joining us and helping us relive those moments and also bringing the interviews to life. You guys did a wonderful job, all Olympic games. Thank you. I appreciate that.

It's great to be with you guys. I love the city of Chicago. Love my time there when I get to cover events. So keep up the great work, and thanks for calling in. I appreciate it. Thanks, Catherine. Enjoy a cappuccino if it's not too late in the day.

Catherine, thanks so much. Thank you. That is Catherine Tappen, who was the rinkside reporter for the Olympic Games, alongside Kenny Albert and Eddie Oldcheck. Great stuff. And Brian Boucher, that's a gold medal crew. Boucher was wearing the vest between the benches. That's not an easy place to be.

There was team vests. Yeah, they were all vested up. I was heavily invested in the outcome. That's all I got. Yeah, well, you and Haw. Yeah, I see what you did there. He did a haul. Eddie got Hall, right?

He did a Hall or does Haw do Marshals. I don't know, the both of you with your puns. You know. Dustin is always vested. Yeah, he is the original. He was vested before it was cool to be vested. So Dustin is won. He's won the vest game.

I didn't know if any more vest puns were going to happen. No, I see. We were late by the way. Cut Catherine down on the list. If she loves Chicago, we're the Hangout Show. We got an extra mic here when she's in town. Catherine, right here. Well, she used to report Notre Dame, too, for NBC.

So I don't know if she ended up staying here during, probably not. Probably not. Probably stand there, but still. We love Catherine Tappen in the NBC broadcast career, and that was great to talk to her as well. Coming up next year on Rahimi Harrison Grotie, on 104-3, The Score, we're a little bit late, so hang with us.

Moises by Astero's finally got to spring training in Mesa. Now we've got to figure out where everybody goes, including Moises. So that's next. Rahimi Harris and Grody, Midday's 10 to 2. On 1043, the score. Can I shall all swings of things. that one in the dirt, swings and misses, catcher Herrera, throws it over to first for Nick Prado,

and he is out. And that will end your ball game. The Cubs do not come back and get a win. They trail and lose to the Rangers by the score of three to two. Matt Spiegel on the call, the Cubs are underway with spring training in Mesa, Arizona. And it was nice to hear our friend Matt Spiegel on the call. We were a little bit. worried about whether or not his voice was going to be a okay and spick and span. But he went out there and he did a great job. Rested up, much like the Cubs. Rested up.

Oh, and three this spring. You know who's three and O this spring? Yeah, your team. White Sox. The Mighty White Sox. Go White Sox. What does it all mean? And now somebody will come up with the statistic that the White Sox were like three

and 16 when they won the World Series in 2005. Or the 85 Bears were winless before they won the Super Bowl. to dash all your dreams. Why do I hear you saying that in Hawke-Harrison voice? Let me tell you about that. Let me tell you about 2005. Yeah, White Sox for 3-0. Let me tell you about Cliff Polite.

A lot of people don't know about Cliff Polite. You play softball. I know about 15-inch softball. And while I don't put much stock into a spring training for veterans. How dare you? Or B, spring training record. How dare you? What I do put some stock into is who needs spring training the most?

You know, like, for example, Munei Takamurakami, you want to get him as many spring training at bats as possible because he's got to go to Japan for the world baseball classic. We get more international competition, guys. That's a good thing. Team USA, did you see George Springer, by the way? He took batting practice in the team USA jersey after watching the game in the clubhouse. And he just wanted to celebrate America, even though he plays for, you know, Canada's team in baseball. Well, that's okay. Is there surfing in the summer Olympics?

Yes. Yeah. Has there been in the past? I don't know. It was in Tahiti this past Olympiad. Oh, it was? Yeah, and then some whale decided to get in and have fun and then they did a little breach. Oh.

I don't know how many years they've been doing it, but yes, they've been doing so. I heard them pre-because, because they did the whole preview of L.A., what is it, 26? 28. We're in 26. Yeah. 28. Yes, flag, flag football squash. Here we go.

L.A. baby. Spread out all over the place, too, just the way they did. Just don't let Raygun Brank dance and I'm pretty good. Oh, man. And I liked it when they had Olympic baseball, by the way, but that's a story for another day. Unfortunately, part of, you know, that's the fun part of talking about the Olympics is discussing travel and learning about other countries' traditions with sports and similar to the World Baseball Classic. Unfortunately, there's the other side of it, you know, the bureaucratic red tape that it sometimes takes, not just to play or compete for your country, but to do your job. And Moises-by Astero's unfortunately had that issue.

He managed to travel to Colombia from Venezuela. We know there is political unrest that is going on there amid visa issues that had delayed his arrival. Reportedly, the Cubs tried to get this going for him, this process, in January. But unfortunately, he wasn't able to arrive until this past weekend. So on Sunday, Moises was ready and ready to get back to work. That begins the bigger discussion. Where does Moises by Astero's bat as we try to. to figure out the jigsaw puzzle that is this Cubs light up and really positions on the field.

How are they factoring him in? The thing that I took away from what was talked about, understand, Pius Stere is still relatively young. He's 22 years old. I think even though it was kind of a flash in the pan situation, like he's going to be a rookie this year. He can win rookie of the year in the National League. That's how few actual plate appearances he had last season. And we know he's a DH. we know he's in theory a catcher

but that his catching was not up to par through the Cubs Lens, Craig Counseling Company. And so now he's going to get all this time behind the plate because Miguel Amaya is headed to the World Baseball Classic. And he's also going to get time at first base, which I thought was interesting.

So now you're talking about a possible insurance policy. And in my thought process as he starts, because remember, this is a guy who was trapped between countries in that he got to Columbia and was stuck there for a week and a half trying to get through his visa issues but he found a local stadium near his hotel

to at least get some workouts in while he was waiting to see if he could get through. Is he going to be a guy that is definitely in the everyday lineup or is there a chance he could not be on the major league roster to start the season? And that's the pickle here, guys, is trying to figure out who's at bats really when it comes to the jigsaw puzzle

of Shaw by a stairs, for example. Say, Suzuki, if you want, I want, say, in the, hitting every day, but say it wants to play in the outfield, as we know. The Cubs just added, by the way, to this mix, Michael Conforto, who was a big name of Metz fame

and somebody who the Cubs had wanted for a while, that was according to John Heyman at 1 a.m. this morning, just in case you wanted to go to sleep. So Conforto is supposedly in this mix as well when you talk about insurance policies. So that's whole puzzle of spring training to me is trying to figure out where Matt Shaw fits in,

trying to figure out where Moiseses-Biasteros fits in. When you hear that catcher in first base are part of Biostaris's responsibility, does that mean he's the third catcher? You know, like, for example, think about all the Cubs had to go through once Amaya went down last year. So how does this all fit together in a way that A, answers any questions, or B, what are the questions to begin with? Biosteros just screams hitter. That's it. Like not, do you guys see him playing more than 30 to 40 games at any position on a major league diamond this year? And I know what you're saying, that he's going to get the catcher thing. That does not sound like something that would actually happen.

Yes, he's going to, with Amaya being gone, yes, he's going to get opportunities. I would be shocked if we see Biostaros at any time in a season in which the Cubs are expected to win, playing any real serious time at catcher at first base. God forbid the outfield. He just seems like one of them. And he can make a really nice major league career out of just being a hitter. So I rule him out when I think about defense. Say Suzuki played, what, 30 to 32 games last year in the outfield at all last year?

We know that Matt Shaw has never played the outfield. Conforto is a flyer, right? We don't even know if he's going to make the team. So it's a no call right now. And I don't know that there's somebody who moves ahead of, I guess, Seya, in terms of playing the outfield, but we all know that that can be an adventure at times. What I love about it is that this feels like actual competition. You know, if you look by the words, iron sharpens iron, this seems like an opportunity

for Craig Counsel to get a comprehensive look at the players on this team. Now, I know Seia Suzuki is going to be spinning a chunk of, what would be spring training at the World Baseball Classic, but let's be honest, that's real competition these days. This World Baseball Classic is not like the original examples of what you had when you talked about international competition. The U.S. has been passed up. You could argue by Japan in terms of top of the top.

And so I want to know what they glean from Moises-Biosteros's and Matt Shaw's performances defensively more than anything else. That's what I want to know. That's probably my biggest question in spring training is where are those two guys going to actually play when they're in the lineup? Well, and also is it like how you constructed your pitching setup for the playoffs where you're just like, okay, I know this guy's good at this part of the game at this time. I know he's good for about X amount of appearances or X.

Is it that dire where you're having to try to make stuff work? Now, Bruce Levine was on with Zach Zademan and David Hall this morning, and he led us into where the Cubs want to fit by Astero's as far as the lineup is concerned. Well, counsel said yesterday he will both play first base and catch during spring training. So they already know he can dh. You don't have to practice that, right? Nobody practices being a dh. But he will get time at first base. He, with a, with a mile away for a while for the WBC, he'll get plenty of time to catch.

And, you know, so that is a good sign. He looks like, you know, he's in good condition. And it's really hard to tell. This is not, not being funny. But, you know, because he has such a squat body, it's hard to tell exactly if he's underweight, if he's overweight. It's very difficult to say. but he looks like he's in good shape. He, you know, talked to us yesterday about the trip, which was crazy,

that he had to go to Colombia from Venezuela to get to the United States. Yeah, what happened, Bruce? Well, his visa had, his passport had run out. And he tried to, you know, with the political things that are going on between the two countries here, he had a hard time getting a new passport. So, you know, your passport runs out. Then you have two things. You have to get your passport renewed and then get a visa.

And this turned out to be extraordinarily difficult for him. They were talking, he said they were talking about bringing him in January. And this is the difficulty he's had since that time trying to get into campus. You would think of it, a young hitter who showed very well in the last part of the year and in the playoffs. You don't want him to get to camp early. You start working on his skills as a catcher. And they did.

And he gave the Cubs credit for doing everything they could to get him there. It just didn't work out. So that was Bruce Levine on this morning with David Hahn, Zach Zademan. Now, Bruce is also very much on top of how he feels like the Cubs are going to use Matt Shaw. So let's hold the thought because we're a little bit late to the segment because the Catherine Tappen joining us from Milan. And we will hear from Bruce on that and then also trying to figure out

if a plan is a little bit more in place now that Biostaros is actually here. This is Rahimi Harrison Grotie on 1043, the score. Rahimi Harrison Grody. The great Kevin Harlan. I just pulled through the Taco Bell drive-through and I've got a couple of big, nasty, supreme burritos right here waiting to beat.

You know, the first thing they ask you now, I'm using the app. The app, no, I just want my burrito. I don't want to use an app. Bring a lot of mild sauce because I'm going to squirt it all over the place. Put some hot sauce on my burrito, baby. Rahimi Harrison Grody,

midday's 10 a.m. to 2 on the score. This is Rahimi Harrison Grotie on 1043, the score. And Moises by Astero finally able to go to Cubs camp. He is in Mesa. And Craig Counsel said that he would swing the back, quote, casually. End quote, over the next handful of days as he gently increases his.

his workload. In the meantime, we try to figure out who's going to play where. Who's on first? What's on second? I don't know. I was on third. I can't remember the other positions, but, gross, you're the comedy guy. Yeah, I couldn't think of the next line. You guys took the two good lines. We're gatekeeping the good stuff. Yeah. Yeah, I can't, I can't quote it past that right now. but that's kind of how I feel like spring training is for the Cubs. Apparently, we're not the only ones. Listen to what Bruce Levine, our baseball reporter, had to say to Zach Zadman and David Hall this morning

about the jigsaw puzzle that is trying to fit Matt Shaw and Moises by Astero's say Suzuki's bats in this lineup. Shaw is much more quiet. You know, watching him in backfields and then in the game yesterday. He is not as much movement. He talked about keeping his head on the ball. You know, it seems like a simple process for us novices, but in reality, he just felt like when he's, when he's not hitting,

he's jerking his head off of the ball. A common thing for hitters when they're off. Also, just less movement in the lower half. Just a very brief step forward. The bat speed, guys, is among the elite in baseball. So this guy should really hit. And I think he will now that he's open to accepting new ideas about his hitting. And, you know, we'll see.

I mean, if there's not an injury, it'll probably be 400 bats for him, you know, somewhere between third, second, short, right field. You know, we don't know about injuries, but, you know, anything less than. that I think is something that's going to impede his progression as the young player. I just don't think you make a 24-year-old guy into a utility guy. It doesn't make sense to me. I think let me just say this. If he was the number three pick, right, and he wasn't touted,

I think there would be consideration that he starts at AAA. way because there's really not a spot for him. You might go out and get yourself a veteran backup for the infield. You seem to have enough outfielders. O'Countran needs to have a chance. He's running out of options here. Is he really a good player in your organization or is he somebody that they missed on? So let's be real about the situation.

But because he's the number one, because he played third base and they pushed him off, they're going to get Bregman, I think they're putting him in this super utility role and convincing us verbally that that's going to happen. You're going to have to show me it's going to work. If that's the case, the Cubs should not place Matt Shaw's development ahead of winning. If he's not ready to face Major League pitching,

he should be at Iowa. They should find a better alternative. They should not worry about developing a first-round draft pick. I didn't say he wasn't ready for Major League pitching. I'm saying there's not a spot for him. I mean, where did he play? He is your guy that you pointed out could get 400 of bats moving between right field second and third and D.H.

And D.H. Yeah. Yeah. So, I mean, again, you only see a limited amount of left-handed pitchers, starters. You know, Suzuki's going to be your starting right fielder. You have Alcantra, who's the second best defensive player in the Cubs organization behind PCA. So again, it's, you know, I'm not trying to push him out. I'm just saying I believe in Matt Shaw, but I believe he's got a hit at 24. He's, you know, is it a horrible thing if he went down to AAA and got ready in case somebody got injured there and he got all his bets?

It's all I'm saying. So here's where I sit with this. I think Bruce is spot on when it comes to because of his value to the organization and his prospect pedigree, I do think that there is a responsibility on the team's part to develop him. And I'm not saying that they should. I'm saying that it might be one that they put on themselves. The flip side, though, is, and this is an extreme comp, which is why it's not exactly the case. But you don't want this turning into him being Willie Castro, you know? You don't want this turning into him being a utility guy who's helping give everybody else the day off. And I don't necessarily

know that sending him to AAA is the best idea either. I think they want to trade. If they put him in AAA, Marshall, they want to trade him. Because you just said it, Leila, prospect pedigree. A utility player is not as valuable as a guy that you can call a first round prospect who is getting his work in AAA who did have value on the major league level. So if, and Bruce did not say this, I'm saying this. If they are to start him and leave him in the minor leagues, they're shopping.

this guy. Well, the other thing is, because first, Rob Pettigree says a lot. Remember, this guy was the 13th overall pick when he was drafted. He was a standout at Maryland, a standout nationally. And every level of baseball as a minor leaguer, he has hit. He had an OPS over a thousand when it came to the South Bend in the Midwest League, high A. In AA and AAA, an OPS over 929 and 24, that was his OPS, 929 in 2024. Gets the chance at the big league level. This is the team obviously competing, has a horrible start. But a lot of players who have gone on to good all-star careers have a horrible start when they start.

It just feels like he has less margin for error because of what the Cubs are deeming as a go-for it year this year. And with the years of control, which are insanely valuable. more so than they've ever been, I think, in Major League Baseball, the years of control, when you figure how teams are, I wouldn't say hoarding prospects, but how they are valuing them, and you consider that 2027 piece being up in the air, the years of control being so critical, that's what makes this really, really tough. You don't want to waste one of those. You don't want to have him be stuck.

You wanted to have value because you placed value on him as well. You traded away Cam Smith, so that was your other. massive name. So, so you're stuck. And when he said that, I'm like, Willie Castro is not the comp. That's not what I'm saying. It's extreme. But you don't want him to turn into, is the development balance with the utility concept enough to get the best use out of the talent you have? Or is it enough to even if the scenario is trade, are you developing him enough to get a sufficient or acceptable trade value, knowing how many years you, have with your top prospect?

This, for me, guys, comes down to something maybe very simple as we discuss Matt Shaw's role on the 2026 Cubs here on Rahimi Harrison Grotty on 1043, the score. Is Matt Shaw going to go back to being a true pure hitter in the way that he was at every other level before he got to the big leagues last year? We heard Bruce in that interview when he was on with Mullen Hall talk about how his head had gotten more still. The bat speed is still there. You're still getting the miles per hour off the bat.

So, like, can he hit or not? Can he hit or not? Because let me tell you something. Moises biosteros wanted me to tell you. If you can hit, they'll figure out. They'll figure out a place for you in their lineup. She's like Tommy Lestella. Just get out of bed, hit 98 miles per hour. You saw him last year?

No, I know. Even in the limited time. I know. Look, Shaw, the Cubs did not want to have to have Matt Shaw start last year or they would not have gone after Alex Bregman like they did last year. They did not want him to be their starting third baseman this year or they wouldn't have gone out and signed Alex Bregman. And then to all of a sudden put him into Utility Man Wasteland, that doesn't sound like a good idea for your prospects.

So I'm sticking with that if he does start in the minors, this is a guy. And I think Spiegel, like, didn't, during Spiegel's report, didn't he say that report that the Cubs had talked to the Red Sox about, I want to make sure I get this. right. So I'm not misquoting Spiegel, but talk to the Red Sox as it relates to Matthew Shaw. So it's already out there that the Cubs may have already tried to shop him. So what better a place to keep him secure and getting better than the minor leagues? Well, in addition to that, wasn't the conversation originally about Nico Horner? And they're like, while we have you on the phone. Yes, exactly. Can we discuss this as well? And to that point, here's my thing. If, you know,

there's no baseball next year or limited baseball next year. The thing the Cubs have is they don't know whether or not Nico Horner is going to be a Cubs pass this season. If he's not, Matthew Shaw is a very viable option at second base. It would seem. He's already played it in spring training. Here's the whole thing. Like, if he'd be a very valuable piece to this major league roster. But we're looking at him as the player, as a former first round pick as a player who you can't call it on yet in terms of is he an everyday player.

So it's really going to be interesting to see how they use. I've had my choice, like selfishly in a year in which we all kind of think the Cubs are going to win and get back into the playoffs. Yeah, keep them on the big league roster for this year. And we wouldn't be in this if the Cubs just come correct. Last off season with Alex Bregman, that's a lot of pressure off Matt Shaw. If he's just starting the season in AAA last year, where he had dominated the year before because you decided to not be third on who's trying to pay Alex Bregman a year ago. Well, and also the clock that started.

You know, that's not as much of an issue now with the new CBA, but it did start when they decided to bring him up. It wasn't a Chris Bryant situation when they were waiting for the arbitrary deadline. You know, that's different. But now that he's up, I don't think sending him back down is the best idea either. But I agree with these guys. You know, I agree with the concept that David brought up and that Bruce was talking about. That doesn't mean that your development comes at the price of a team

who is clearly out to, as Tom Rickett said, win World Series. Multiple. World Series. That would be. Series is. That would be at least one World Series. Beyond the 2026 season. That's right.

Hey, get back. Beyond the work stoppage. So I think they're trying to just be prepared for whatever lies ahead. But I don't know that relegating him to utility is the best use of everybody's time either. So it's not going to be the best thing for Shaw. Well, hold on. Is it relegated? I don't know what Matt Shaw's mental makeup is because, let's be honest, he hasn't had a lot of adversity before last season in baseball.

He had just been dominant in baseball. And so I wonder if he can overcome the idea of today, you play second base tomorrow, you come off the bench the next day you're in right field. I am intrigued and interested to see how he handles that as a player. But one thing he needs to do, regardless of where he is in the field is, not take his, fielding to the plate with him and hit, go back to hitting like you were hitting before last season with the Cubs. And you know, you bring up Lestella

and you know what that reminded me of, Mark? The Chris Coglin, Lestella, somebody had to be in the minor leagues on a World Series team situation that the Cubs had in 2016. That was tense. Yeah. Yeah, I know, it was. And I thought Lestella too,

actually starting at third base against the Pittsburgh Pirates because of his ability to hit 98. with movement. But yeah, I mean, the whole thing is, and somebody's texting here from the 3-1-2, can Shaw become Zobrist? Of course, that's the dream.

But Zobrist becoming Zobrist was over many years before he became this, obviously this super utility guy who was a made man, essentially, he was a made man. By the time he came to the Cubs and was able to play multiple positions,

but that's the name that always pops up, of course. Well, and Zobrist did not have the career with the organization who drafted him. In the career? That was a yes, Rome, yes. That was the Astros. You know, who's with the Astro system before he ended up going to Tampa.

Yeah, before he ended up coming here. Yeah. Also, 3-1-2 on the text line. Uh-huh. What you got? Might be time to option shot of the miners and let him learn how to stay out of triple plays on the basis.

Yeah, what was that? It was not good. I can tell you that. It's a triple play. You know what's really funny, too, You know the first thing I think of because I'm baseball old lady. How do you score that on your box score? If you're keeping score at home.

I was not keeping score at home of a spring trading game. I'm just going to get that out right now. It started 9-6, right? I think I wrote it down. 9-6. Did you really? I did. I did write it down.

So I have it here officially. Oh, good. Oh, you did. Okay. But I would like to hear your recollection of this. Well, I don't. Was it the shortstop or the second base when you threw? That's all I need to know.

It was right fielder. So it was nine. So say, Oh, here it is. It's just listed as a single on MLB.com, which is stupid. Four, three, six, five? Wait, wait, no, no. But it started with nine.

It was fly ball to right field. Okay. So that's nine. Oh, yeah, yeah. No, no, he was a single, it was a single, fly ball to right field. That's not an out. Oh, single is not an out. So then, I got that.

It's a newer type of thing. No, here's what it says, though. Here's why this is so wheels off. Say a Suzuki singles on a fly ball to right field or John Ho Lee. Say a Suzuki flies into a triple play. second baseman Luis Arias to first basement Raphael Devers to shortstop Willie Adomas. So that's

4, 3, 6 to 3rd baseman, Matt Chapman 5. Matt Shaw out at 3rd, 5 unassisted. Alex Bregman out at 3rd. Sayu K out at 1st, 3-6-5. But hold on. Why is it not 9-4-365? Because the single, he's the

first person to touch the ball. But that's not an out, though. It doesn't need to be an out. Somebody has to touch the ball first. But technically he flew into a triple play. If I hit the ball to you as the pitcher, it goes off of you, and then the second basement throws it to first, that's scored as one, four, three.

You see what I'm saying? I guess. If it hits you, if you touch the ball. Right, right. The second base is cutting off, right? A single is a single. Yes, single is a single. So how is that an out?

How is it not, how is that an out? I'm saying. I'm saying everybody who touches the ball, though, right, on a player. I see what you're saying. Yeah. But I have it down as 4365. Is that what you have it down as? No, because it's MLB.com and I'm just reading.

So is it 9, 4, 3? Well, because it says flies into a triple play, which is akin to what Marshall is saying. And by the way, this, this discussion of baseball minutia from a failed play that ended up being a triple play. Can I just tell you all? This is what I'm here for. I love it all. I needed this. I needed to know how to score a fake game on a play that was clearly a player error.

and that's what resulted in some sort of triple play. I enjoyed the triple play, especially when I realized, oh, they don't, Matt Scholl doesn't know. And then Alex Bergman kind of looks at him like. Scotty doesn't know. Yeah, sorry. Sorry, sorry. Did you see the way they looked at each other?

Like, why aren't you coming off the bag? Oop. We didn't want you to have to be a part of this kind of thing this early on in your cubdom. But, hey, and they were even asked about it afterwards. Exactly. Exactly. That's why I would say about spring training. And even like preseason NFL, get all your bad plays out of, I want to see errors.

I want to see bad triple plays. I want to see guys being late, all that. Get it all out of your system before the season starts. So good. Also, you know who was a part of it because you're asking yourself, well, wait, isn't there, say, somebody who helps on the coaching staff at third base to kind of like tell the runners when to go and when not to go? Quentin Berry was turned the other way. I'm like, we're three days into this,

and I have to ask what Quentin Berry was doing. We went through this way too many times last year. The third base coach cannot be the story multiple times in a year. How many games did that cost them? Three to five. May more? You're going to go the over. I mean, go ahead.

Go be over. I can't say over five. That's outrageous. But it was. When you consider Kyle Tucker is a five war player. That's a good question. What is the limit? for times that you want to hear about the base coaches

in a consequential way throughout a season. That's one. That's one, Gwittenberry. Where do you set the over under, though? Two, three? Like, where, how many errors is a third base coach allowed to make during a season? Just turn your body and not your head. And then you've got angles on both.

Oh, yeah. Like what? Don't do it. Don't become waven Wendell Kim. That's the last, the, the previous third base coach. to Quentin Berry back in the day that I can remember being way too much of consequence. I just can't believe I'm here

again already. Coming up next on Rahimi Harrison Grotie, it's halftime. I have a story for you two that is taken over the internet. I think we can identify with him. That's next. What time is it? This is halftime on

Rahimi Harrison Grotie. Do you know what they don't have halftime in? Hockey. Their periods. intermissions for everyone. And we got to celebrate the men's hockey team winning the gold medal. Shout out to the women as well. A team that I covered for two Olympiads. It's fun to watch and it was a fun moment.

Thanks to Catherine Tappen for joining us in Milan. What horrible luck for Catherine Tappan. Catherine, there's a blizzard back in New York. Sorry. Nor Easter? You're just going to get, I think it is a Noreaster. You're just going to have to stay in Milan another day. day. Grody just wanted to say

North Easter for the record. Layla gets mad at me for doing that because of how serious. I know. She's like, Grody, this is on and off. You don't get excited about Nor Easter's. And I'm like, there's death and destruction. He likes the word, though. I get it. It's got an apostrophe and it's a unique word. We don't get them here. So, what's apparently good. Be thankful.

No, we just get our butts kicked all winter. Yeah, and we get tornadoes. Like, hey, did you see that 60 degree day? Scyke. Here's snow on Saturday night. And that's why everybody's walking around six. all the time in this city because of the varying weather and whatnot. I'm enjoying winter in Chicago this year. I will admit that because I see what's happening in other places.

At least we know how to deal with snow and basic things. Here's the thing. All the people are like, you know, they'll text in, oh, it's 80 where I am. And I'm like, yeah, but what is it in August? No, thank you. Like if it's 80 in January, I don't want to be around that place in August. Like Arizona. At least.

I mean, the temperature in Phoenix got up to like 118 or something wild. That's not cool. man. I wish I were kidding, but there's real problems there. So needless to say, I'm used to this weather. I get it. I'm in snugly boots today and I keep wiggling my toes and it makes me happy. Okay, so speaking of snuggle, have you guys seen the, it like gives me sadness. The pictures of Punch, the abandoned seven-month-old Japanese macaw monkey who has been carrying around a monkey IKEA toy everywhere? The stuffed orangutan, yes, I've seen him with his toy. I didn't know it was a stuffed orangutang tang. I knew it was from IKEA.

Yes, a stuffed orangutang, separated from his mother at birth. And, uh, yeah, they decided to put a camera on it and now everybody shares that pain. And so Punch is his name and he was abandoned by his mom and bullied by other monkeys. Like, as if things aren't bad enough in your family, then your friends don't like you either. Yikes. He was born last July at Ishikawa Zoo in Japan. And he has drawn international attention after they gave him a stuffed orangutan toy when he was abandoned. Without maternal guidance to help him integrate, Punch has turned into the toy for comfort. And he does, he like drags this gigantic toy relative to his size everywhere. Like a little child with their stuffed animal toy or your dog with their favorite stuffed animal toy.

Or cat. I know cats have some as well. And every picture just has me so upset, like irrationally sad for punch. You know what it is? He has what I call DPI's. Those are commonly referred to as Disney princess eyes. I have never heard this, but I am listening. They are over-exaggerated in the animation. And in children, and in even like children of animals, young puppies, whatever, the eyes become like the focal point to a almost exaggerated degree.

And so you lock in and you feel the sadness. You feel whatever the emotion. The happiness, the sadness, the laughter of a baby. There's a reason that hits you a little different than a fully formed, adult in whatever species we're talking about. So dogs, when they give you the puppy dog eyes, do you know what that is? That's them also showing more of the whites of their eyes, and that's how they're able to convey emotion.

Ooh, they getcha. Stupid tricks, aren't they? They've been getting him for years. Yeah, well, cats do this thing where it's like, between, it's half per, half meow. I forget what they call it. Like a trill sound, which apparently is to, like to get the same effect out of a human that a human would get out of a baby, out of a human baby. So that's what it's like evolved to be.

And it is, it's tough. It's tough. We really do work for cats. And you fold every time, don't you? Every time. With that, when Dave, the cat does the trill, I'm like, all right, I'll get up. What do you, what do you like to play? What would you like to play today?

Even, even the captions of the story and the guardian about punch, punch sits alone in a fake tree. Okay, stop it. You're making me sad. It's upset. Really upsetting. Did you see when Punch tried to play with one of the other monkeys and then the mother of said monkey came over and basically dragged him around like, A Punch, no, not leave my baby

alone. She didn't want to be ostracized from the group for letting her child play with the child who was bullied. He's from the wrong side of the tracks. He's by himself just because his mom abandoned him doesn't mean that you should too. Is now usually what happens to the loner? Like a family sees a loner and he's like, I don't want you hang around that boy. It's all supposed to be for survival

But they're at a zoo They're going to survive Yeah they're going to be treated pretty well Did anybody talk to the mom and like let her know? I don't know if conversations were had Was there a parent teacher conference? How intelligent are they? Pretty intelligent.

Very well and I mean And the Blackhawks bless them And curse them at the same time What did the Blackhawks do? Posted a picture of punch with the orangutan toy and said us waiting for hockey to return This morning I thought you're going to say us waiting for

playoffs to resume. Oh yeah, there's that as well. Playoffs. Yeah. But we're not to the point of playoffs yet. Also, a lot of people are saying that punch is the new Moudang. You know, Moudang was the obstinate baby hippo, the baby pygmy hippo. Oh, yeah, I do remember that. Moodang, I really looked up to because Moodang was just about Moudang and Moodang things. Moodang.

Moodang did not care for what anybody wanted Moodang to do. Yeah, like Moudang is living the best life. Like, I'm not getting out of this. water? I like the water. I'm going to hit you in the head. I'm going to hit you in the leg with my head. I'm going to chop on your leg, bite you, even though I have no teeth, because I'm going to do what I want, because I'm moo dang. Have you seen Moondang, Brody? I have not. Oh, and the Department of Just a Baby. Oh, yeah. Moodang is up there. It's worth a Google. Just a baby. I'll check out. Just a baby. Just a baby. Just like Punch. Just a baby.

But yeah, the pictures, I just can't get over the sad pictures of punch. And the Blackhawks trying to tug at my heartstrings did not help matters this morning. So if you don't know about Punch and you see all these pictures of this poor little monkey with this giant IKEA toy. Oh, may I take an opportunity to wish a happy birthday shout out really quickly? You had to ask us for permission. If I may. You're named a little bastard. A happy birthday to my dear baby niece, Madeline.

Happy birthday to Madeline. Happy 14th birthday. We're going to, you want her choice? You want to know her choice for dinner tonight? I got to hear this. Texas Roadhouse. Hell yeah. Let's go, Madeline.

With the rolls? With the rolls? We are going to the roadhouse tonight. That was her choice? That's her choice. I went to Texas Roadhouse and my friend for Christmas. How deep into the burbs are you going to hit a Texas Roadhouse? Yeah, I'm not sure.

Oh, I think it's countryside. Countryside. Countryside. Okay. Okay. Look out countryside. Texas Roadhouse. Some restaurants do not exist in the city, like, in the metro area.

I don't think there's a Texas Roadhouse in the, maybe there is. There's always one of everything that you don't like. There's probably. a red lobster that we don't know about in downtown Chicago somewhere. Let me issue the edict right now because I don't like it when people gate keep stuff and that includes commonly celebrated food chains.

If somebody were to pay the freight and have the Olive Garden rent here or they were to have the you know there used to be that hop and cheesecake factory in the Grand Lux Cafe, if they were to put some sort of Texas Roadhouse in the city people would A try to go ironically, B, pretend that the food isn't good

it is, and see, that place would be packed. Yeah. Is the cheesecake factory gone? The one by Water Tower? I thought it was. You're right about Grand Lux. Somebody please report. Yeah, I used to love going to Grand Lux.

It was a great go-to. I celebrate my basicness. Well, and they are both, by the way, same company own both of those restaurants. It says Cheesecake Factory's open right now. It's still, okay. It's still good to go. Okay.

I'm the one who abandoned the Cheesecake Factory like Punches Mom. You've abandoned your Cheesecake Factory. Michigan and Chestnut. Sometimes there's too many options But sometimes when there's too many options Well you're saying too many options at cheesecake But all of it Yes

Yes you can get We have a cheesecake factory menu of restaurants in the city Yes it's a lot There is some disparagement going on On our Twitch chat about Texas Roadhouse I'm just not here to yuck anybody's yum Okay that's really what it comes down to it's a perfect place Sometimes

You just got to have the basics In Texas Roadhouse is that So I'm looking forward to it Yes Cameron Santo, which is an amazing Twitter name. You're right. Punch is just a baby. It's just a baby.

I hate that for him. Okay, coming up next, it's five on it. And we haven't gotten to pressing combine talk yet. But we have pressing combine talk. Next. He's just a baby. It's time for five on it. Rahini Harrison Rooney.

Bring you five topics on their minds today. On 104-3 to score. I got five on it. Number one. Over the weekend, Bears' president's CEO, Kevin Warren, provided the following update to Crane's Chicago business about the team's effort to build a new stadium. Quote, we continue to work with Illinois leadership

and appreciate the progress being made, unquote. So that is Kevin Warren to Crane's Chicago business. So here's the question. Do you feel like you've learned anything about where the Bears stand in their push to build a new stadium? That was the funniest unintentionally funny line I've heard in a while.

We are still talking to them. Oh, that's interesting because you're out here being like, well, this is the most meaningful efforts in our stadium planning efforts to date efforts. Efforts. And you were talking about Indiana. And then it's like, well, we don't have a cell location. Well, we don't have everything hammered out yet. The state does.

The state is like, hey, here's how we're paying for this and X, Y, and Z. To an extent, we still don't know what the split. it is of the revenue and how it would get paid back and all of that stuff. And all of that is a big all of that. So I think, uh, I think what happened here was they had to walk it back a bit. And they continue to walk it back. And this is a statement acknowledging that they're still very much in talks with the state of Illinois. You know why? Because there's another meeting scheduled with the ILGA for this week. We get, we get to do this all over again this week, Marshall. So here's where I am.

Here's what I've learned. The Bears want to get a stadium built on their terms, but understand that it's not going to be completely on their terms. I don't think they want to build in Indiana. I think they want to build in Arlington Heights, but they understand if the Arlington Heights thing doesn't work out, they will build in Indiana. I think it's that simple, but not simple,

because I still don't know what their financial threshold is for how much they're willing to put into the stadium point-blank period as far as having in Arlington Heights versus having in Indiana. We know about the $2 billion of their own money if it's an Indiana thing. But I think, you know, push comes to shove. They want to build an Arlington Heights

and they're going to do everything in their power to make sure that that happens. And if it's outside of their power to get it done in a way that they don't think financially they can do it and it makes sense, then, yeah, they'll end up in Indiana. But that's all I've really learned. They're both, they've let everybody know publicly, privately, there's no,

Indiana and Illinois are vying to have the Bears build in those two places. What I learned or maybe had confirmed, we collectively had confirmed, is Kevin Warren and the Bears hurt everybody's feelings in the state of Illinois when they released that statement on Thursday boasting the progress that they had made in Indiana. Everybody got rattled by that. And so Kevin Warren and the Bears came. back and said, paraphrasing, we like you too, Illinois. We have renewed focus in Arlington Heights, and it's what I've been talking about the entire time, although it's going to go to the house this

week, as Layla said, for Indiana. Then it goes back for a quick amendment vote for the Senate for some of the amendments that we talked about last Thursday. And then the governor will sign it probably on Friday. And that means that Illinois still has time to come up with a deal. So I've learned that everything is still sort of the same right now, other than the fact that Kevin Warren hurt everybody's feelings. Number two. What's the biggest question you have for Bears' general manager, Ryan Poles, and coach Ben Johnson tomorrow when they speak at the NFL Combine?

Hi, Leila here. First-time listener, long-time caller. What would you like? What would you like to know? If you'd get my joke, I'd talk more than I listen. Okay, so are you going to do stuff with the defense? like how much of the roster on the defensive side of the ball is changing?

Because by my math, you have four safeties who all need deals and you have a linebacker who's likely going to be a cap casualty, except even despite being on the IR, he led your team in tackles in the regular season. And I know the other one is hurt

and then that leaves a defensive line where guys are also hurt. So how much of your capital and draft capital are you spending on the defense? Thank you. XOX.X. So, Layla. Thanks, Layles. Except I probably wouldn't say X-O-X-O-X-O Gossip Girl.

But that's kind of where I'm at, and I do feel like it is a big gossip girl, because somebody's in, somebody's out, I don't know what's happening, and other people have got deals going on. Everybody seems very attractive. I love Gossip Girl. I do, too. Don't act like you didn't watch Gossip. I did.

I did not watch Gossip Girl. I can admit I did not watch it. You know you love me, X-O-X-X-X-O-Gossip Girl. Rody and I are teenagers. We are. We are. I did have a girlfriend that I will admit she was the one that, made me, not a maid is strong, but watch it. And I loved it. I couldn't get enough of it.

Couldn't get enough of it. It was good. Yeah, I never got on the gossip girl train. Maybe I'll catch reruns. Grotie Stalin, no particular order at some point in my future. But as far as the biggest question I have for Ryan Poles, Ben Johnson, I mean, bruh, how y'all feel about that left tackle spot? Oh yeah, that. How do you feel about left tackle? Are you understanding what usually happens? when that type of injury, the one that Ozzie Tripolo suffered, happens in the rate of return and success rate after returning. Are you just as kind of between a rock and a hard place about left tackle as you were this time last year?

Or has anything changed? That's the question for both the coach and the GM, mainly for the GM, but obviously Ben Johnson has to scheme that, and I think I still believe the head coach is in charge. That would have been my first question, too, but I'll go to my alternate question. Is Charles in charge? Charles in charge.

Yes. Of my days and my nights. Oh, man. Of my wrongs and my rights. So you could pretty much sing all those 80s sitcoms. Why, you were gossip girl. I was lamenting the loss of the sitcom theme song. You know what Gossip Girl really just was.

You know you love me X OXO Gossip Girl and then some sort of like beat. I still couldn't believe it was him, though, that was Gossip Girl. Grody. I'm sorry. There's lots of hymns on the show. No Gossip Girl talk. until you watch the other guys. Fair enough.

You guys always get me with the other. Like I have no excuses left. You're just going to be better for it. I guess here's a question that I would ask during the course of an interview with the powers that be out at the Combine and Indy. Last year at this time, sir, you guys were very uneasy,

clearly about your running backs room. You did go out and draft Kyle Munnangai. Are you guys happy with D'Andre Swift, or is he another guy? that could be a cap casualty. Is it possible in that regard? Or do you look at DeAndre Swift as your future running back? Do you add years to his contract?

How you feel about DeAndre Swift now after clearly not thinking he was going to be the lead running back going into last year? I know we're going to do a Combine Pre-game show on our show, but I want to throw this nugget at you to think about for the pre-game show. Nugatize me. We're going to find out how serious the Bears are about that Ashton Gentie talk in retrospect with their actions at the combine toward D'Andre Swift. Am I crazy?

No. Yes. But I might be right about this. They were excited for him. We're excited for Trayvion Henderson. They did not appear excited about DeAndre Swift. He's been there's the whole time. The whole time, huh?

The whole time. It's five on it at 104. The score. That's Laila Rahimi, Marshall Harris, Mark Grody, all three in the house today. It's all brought to you by, Almost Free Teeth.com because confidence should never cost a fortune. Here's question number three. Will the Bulls win in February?

Not next win in February, but simply win in February. That's how bleak this has gotten. However, did that change me watching the Bulls game last night? No, it did not. I still watch the whole thing against the Knicks where they lost 105 to 99. Show off. But here's the issue. They have now lost one, two, three, four, five, six.

seven, eight, nine times in a row. Are you aware that your son has been absent? Nine times. And the calendar month of February has not seen a win. They play the Hornets next. Is that the chance? There's a chance. Are you telling me there's a chance?

That's their beatable team. I'm going to say yes. That they'll win? Yeah. Okay, so you think that they will win in February. I do. I do. Now, I'm, Marshall's face said everything,

but I will let Marshall speak for himself. His face is not the only part of him that speaks. They better not win in February. Here's why. The Bulls have 24 wins this season. As you mentioned, they have lost nine in a row. Nine times. The Hornets are fighting for a play-in spot.

The team that's three games behind them, four said play-in spot is the Bulls. If you want to avoid the middle, you lose to teams that are currently above you in the standings. That's what you do. As far as their other game in the month of February, do you guys know who they play? Yes.

They play the Portland Trailblazers. Are you familiar with the Trailblazers' 2026 first round pick and how it is top 14 protected? Uh-oh. Do you know what you do to make sure that they have access to said pick and it belongs to the Bulls at the end of the season, you lose that game on purpose. That's what you do.

That's how this game works. If you've never been aboard a tank before, let me tell you something. I've been firsthand for tanks, and so far this tank is looking real good. You don't want to have a blemish on your tank efforts by losing to an up-and-coming Hornets team or a team that has your interest in mind

in terms of if they make the playoffs, you get their first round pick. Portland's 28 and 30. That's dangerously close to being acceptable. Grody, words of your favorite hip-hop song, Big Tank, Take, Little Tank. Oh, yes.

Thank you for that. Thank you. I appreciate that. The Bulls are in danger of beating Charlotte tomorrow. Why? Wait, wait, wait, why are they in danger of being Charlott? Cut the promo. Just because, like, Charlotte is mediocre, like the Bulls,

and they're going to be at home for that. I'm just saying, I'll answer the question. of beating show. We are in danger. It's like a tornado warning. The conditions are favorable for a Bull's win. No, that's

just a watch. Oh, is that just a watch? A warning means a funnel cloud has been spotted. That's right. This is an important time of year to make the designation. This is a win warning? Can I point something out? No, this is a win watch. I'm going to let you finish, Grotty. I just want to point something out

that I don't know that you're aware of. Yeah. In Charlotte's last 16 games. Yes. They have four losses. Those losses are to the calves, the rockets, and the pistons. Cavs, rockets, pistons. So they're surging right now.

Yes. And the polls are not anywhere near the caliber of the calves, the pistons, or the rockets. Let me tell you something right now. If they can get through that game, guess what? I'm looking at March already. And if we're talking about tankathon.com here, they start with Milwaukee. Then they have Oklahoma City at home. And then they go to Phoenix at Sacramento, at Golden State, at the Lakers, at the Clippers.

Through this month, folks, we could be looking at about a 15-game losing streak. Sacramento's lost 16 games in a row. So that's where they'll get their win. Should we go to the Oklahoma City game just for tradition? Get a tweet? What's the date? opener last year, Tuesday, March the 3rd. Oh, we did, didn't we?

That's a game I could go to. Should we? Maybe we should. Ray. Okay. Ray, put in the request for the tickets. The tickets are as low as $43. Oh, yeah. Oh, I think we're going. If it's free, it's me, though. So, you know,

last I check, we're both partners. We'll take a sweet. We'll take a sweet. Also, SGA, I mean, come on. Like, there's some good basketball to be watched. He may not be back. He may not be back by the they. They're talking about SGA's not going to win the MVP because he might miss too many games because you know we got rules now about how many games

you can miss. Also, also, also now that the Bulls want to take, David Silver's like oh, there's too much tanking. Now, now you're not okay with it. Like you really think the Bulls could have pulled it off anyways. I'm sorry, Adam Silver, that is not, yeah. So Adam Silver is like, I'm sorry, David Stern is still near and dear to my heart

as the NBA commissioner talk and that old habits, sometimes die hard when you're talking about hockey and football. The brain just has too much information. I don't know. CP3 would have a ring if he didn't exist. Basketball reasons? Yes. That's the point. So is it basketball reasons now that the bulls want to try to finally take?

You're like, that's it. Once the bulls take, we got to shut it down. It's a tank spiresy. Like, why won't you let the bulls try to take, huh? Huh? Why do you shut it down now? You know who was on this? Our friend Joella Renzi.

He made the same observation. The Bulls, they're late to the tank this year. there may never be another year to tank like this because the rules are going to change in the off season it's a bad look for the Bulls front office So Groats we're under a T we're under a loss or a win watch Okay let me sure I got right Conditions favorable for a tank is a watch

If we spot a tank Conditions favorable for a win mean like For a win for a win okay So Charlotte you're saying conditions are favorable How would you describe what a warning would be Because in weather parlance it's a tornado has been spotted Right for the Bulls especially I think this gets tricky. They've got to be up by, I'm going to say, 17 points with two minutes and 30 seconds

to play in the game. That's a warning. Then it's a win warning. Will you text me if there is a warning please? A win warning. Because you never know. I'm probably, I'm just going to go to Texas Roadhouse every night. So I don't know what's going to be happening. You guys need to warn, give me the warnings and the watches on the Bulls. Wait, that's next week. Will you dedicate one of those roles to me when you eat it? The Thunder game is next week, isn't it? Because there's only. There's only. 28 days in this month. Huh. I think we should go.

We'll talk about that. He's like, Layla, don't try to plan my calendar. That's what's going on over here. He's like, I got a high school basketball game I got to do. Marshall has actual. I got to do ABC 7.

Marshall has non-tank games to call. The whole next week is the the girl's state championships. What did I tell you? Supersectional game and Lions Township on Monday, the state championship, Thursday, Friday, Saturday. Why isn't your private?

already, Layla and I? It is. I wish it would be. Where am I right now? Where am I every day? Actually. He is here often. But then I'm going to take off those days?

Yeah. Actually, weren't we the ones trying to convince you to take off last Monday, President's Day? You did try to take me. We abandoned him. Like, punch his mom. Yeah, yeah, we did. We did. I didn't have like a stuff.

Well, I got stuffed bears. I could use his replacement. There's a grody bear. There's a grody bear. There's a grody bear. Layla designation for a day. Chris Amble will be at the combine. this week. Hopefully we'll get to talk to him on this very

show. Do you think he's going to do your famous mic move and go, there? Five on is getting away from this guy. I've had some great moments. I'm going to miss being there this year. I'm sorry. We were out of schedules, then we decided to goof off. All right. Oh, I've had my moments. Number four. That's going to have to be the lightning round

and final question. What was the weirdest aspect of the Cubs giant spring training game yesterday? Well, I guess it can't be quitting Barry. So it's the fire drill. What happened yesterday? There was a fire drill, but we don't want you guys to go anywhere, but it's still happening. That was wheels off.

Umpire said they were in contact with stadium personnel. That's how they knew it wasn't anything imminent, even though people were leaving in droves. Because that's what you do when they say, please evacuate. It is amazing when alarms go off in life now. Nobody takes them seriously. It's happened in this building where an alarm goes off during this show. Do we care? Do we go?

Is there actually smoke? When Ray tells me it's time to go, that's what I go. Right. It's like when a car alarm goes off, like you just think somebody's stupid. Who messed up their car. Right, right. You don't think about somebody's car actually being robbed. It's like, it's just an alarms have become annoyances. And folks, folks, that's dangerous. That's my last question for today. Go ahead. Play it. Play it. Drive on it. All right, we're going to ask the last question then. Now that you've watched the Winter Olympics, if you could, what Olympic sport would you participate in?

Oh, man, if I could figure skate, that would be the coolest. Did you guys see Alyssa Lee's first pitch that she's, threw her out when she did a double axle with shoes in the air. What? And it was one of the most amazing things I've seen, and it was a first pitch. I can't. What's better than that? I can do a single axle. I can not do a double in the air.

I cannot do a single axle. Probably can't do a half axle, but it's the monobobob. I like rides. That seems like a fun ride. Me and a monobobob. Just let me be, get me in one of those ski suits and let me just be a badass downhill skier. Why?

Because it's badassery. Guess who can't ski well? That'd be me, and it pisses me off that I can't ski. They almost had to amputate Lindsey Vaughn's leg. Yeah, I know, but I wouldn't do it with the injury that she had had. I probably would not have taken that chance. I don't have that history, Marshall. Start on a little green in Wisconsin and just feel your own speed.

Was it bad that I started tried to ski in Colorado the first time and then Utah the second time? Should I started on the bunny hills at Villa Olivia in Illinois? Yes. Yeah. No, I start in Colorado. You'd be fine. Really? Yeah.

I might be going to Utah. in a couple months. So did they still, their ski season open all year? No, late March is probably the end of the ski season. Okay, we're going to just do hiking then. How about we talk to a real Olympian?

Jack O'Callaghan, a member of the Miracle on Ice team. He is at Miracle OC on X, and he will join us to talk about that amazing gold medal hockey team next. Rahimi Harris and Grohney,

Midday's tidal two on Chicago Sports Radio 1243 to score. This is Rahimi Harrison Grotie on 1043, The Score, and we are waiting to talk to Jack O'Callaghan. He was a defenseman on the Miracle on Ice team. And at that point that we had just booked him, only a couple hours outside of being on the last Olympic gold medal hockey team. But here we are. 46 years later, we finally get another one.

And we talked all about it in our first hour here on Rahimi Harrison Grotie. And the thing about Jack, and what that team did that was so ridiculous is that you got to understand. America's only won gold once before. That was back in 1960. And the Russians had won four out of the five previous Olympic gold medals in men's hockey. So it was the fact that amateurs only, but in Russia they basically made their amateurs, you know, workers in the state, the national government so they could just, you know, play hockey. They were pros.

They were pros. They were pros. It was meant against boys. David versus Goliath. Congratulations. This is your job. It was a very different feel and that's why it's called miracle on ice. That's why it's ridiculous.

This time felt different to me because it was like more of a we're here. We've arrived as a nation where we can roll with the big boys and not only be in metal contention, but to win the gold medal. And to beat Canada, not anybody else, but beat Canada to do it, it's like a little extra, a little extra, umph on it. A little mustard. A little, a little extra mustard on the pole sausage. Like those little spicy mustard packs you get with Chinese food.

You ever, you ever try those? That's a little too hot for me. Those are really hot. They're fun and I like that. I have acid reflux. Oh, yeah, that's not good for you. My favorite McDonald's sauce was the hot mustard. I started on sweet and sour because, you know, that's had.

you start them young, but hot mustard became the one. Clears the nasal passages. Definitely clears the nasal bashed. Oh, I was going to say, it's got to have a little horseradish in it or something, because it does. I think it does. That's right? Because there's something, there's some active, there's some very active ingredients in those little Chinese mustard packets. Speaking of a horsy sauce, I put some horsy sauce on my potato cakes the last time I went to Arby's.

A little extra. Okay, okay. Arbys? I haven't had a good beef and cheddar in a long time. I'm sorry, I didn't need to make you... That was a staple of my college life. This is the danger of the lunchtime show. This is it.

We start thinking about beef and cheddar. You start getting hungry. I don't know what I'm eating here, but it's good. In the neighborhood, that's a different slogan. They've got the meats from what I understand. That's what I've been told. They've got the meats. You know, you guys know proteins made a comeback.

Oh, yeah. I hear it has. A little dash of protein in everything. Anything and everything. Technically there is a little in most things, so that works out. We're in the protein era. Except for maybe like iceberg lettuce or something. Maybe nice.

You could get a little protein on there, though? It's a lot of water. Fair enough. A little peanut butter on it, maybe. Well, that would change it, yes. Delish. We are now going to our hotline here on 1043, the score, and joining us, part of the Miracle on Ice team, the last Olympic gold men's hockey team until yesterday.

Jack O'Callaghan, Jack, thanks for coming on. Sure, a pleasure. Yeah, really still kind of feeling the effect. which is yesterday. Very excited, very exciting for USA hockey and America and for those, that great team of young American hockey players. You know, and Jack, it's video that you're familiar with, of course. We don't just play the video of the Lake Placid team every four years at the Olympic Games anytime Team USA hockey would take the ice, but it is a fond memory that we have as a sports society.

So when you're watching the game and probably reliving that video every single time, did you think that there was a good chance that Team USA was going to actually make some memories of their own yesterday? Well, I had high hopes for them going into the game. But you know it was going to be a challenging tough game with Canada. And after the U.S. women's team had defeated the Canadian woman. So the Canadians had a little extra motivation not to go back-to-back long. on top of that, they're a great hockey team. But I just was hoping for a good competitive game.

And it turned out to be a great, great game. You know, it was 20 minutes hard fought, good goal-tending. And then going in overtime like that was just a special way for them to win, especially with Jack Hughes. I mean, typical hockey player, right? He gets his teeth knocked out and the five minutes left in the game, you know, goes in, whatever, rinses his mouthful goes out and scores the overtime goal. you know, half his teeth missing.

I mean, it was just spectacular. It's the stuff of legend. And what can I tell you, man? I was euphoric for those kids. And I know a lot of them. I know pretty good friends with most of the guys that are coaching and managing. And, yeah, it was just a tremendous day. I was so excited and so happy for them.

And I'm still failing it today. So it's just very exciting. Jack, I'm sure it was euphoric to see your namesake score that game-winning goal in overtime. What I'm curious about is how much of a callback did you have to your moment, like Placid, when you see that golden

goal happen? What were your immediate thoughts and reactions? I'm sure you had been sitting on pens and needles waiting to see what happened in overtime, right? No, you're wrong. It's totally overstating it. I mean, it was 406 years

ago that we had our moments and it been great. It was great. it was great. But that was ours. You know, it was unique. None of that was really sort of in my heart or in my mind, you know, watching the game. I was, this is their time. It was their moments.

And I was just enjoying seeing them being in the Olympics playing as well as they did. I mean, it was a hard fought. You know, every team they played getting to this point was very challenging. And, you know, watching the game, going to overtime. and the Canadian is really coming on strong. And, yeah, to me, it was just like I was watching a hockey game with a bunch of guys that I know. Look, we've seen the 84 Olympics, the 80s, you know, 92, 96.

I mean, the World Cup, I mean, we've seen it all. You know, 2002 Olympics and the 2010 of Vancouver. It's been a lot of Olympics since 1980 and watched all of it. And yesterday it was just another one of those days that I was just having fun. You know, like I said, I know a lot of those kids. I, you know, watch them in the NHL. You know, I always feel connected to the USA hockey team. And yesterday was just really fun.

It was fun for us to be able to, I mean, speaking from my team, my 80 team, it was just fun for us to be able to watch these, you know, young great players go out there and the way they came together in two weeks over there and became a real team. And then fighting through all the adversity they had yesterday, Canada, was coming hard at them. Hella Buck played, obviously, phenomenally. You've got to have good goaltending in a tournament like that.

And I just very happy, you know, just happy that it worked out the way it did and thrilled for everybody. And they're just going to have, you know, I can only wish for them what's happened to us. You know, we've had 46 years of great conversations and wonderful experiences. And I hope they have the same thing because, you know, my 80 team, we've been really blessed with that. We're very fortunate. And I'm just really excited to these guys. Yeah, I love your attitude about it. because two vastly different situations, obviously,

with what happened. I mean, it was. It was the greatest David versus Goliath, amateur players. These are pro players. So I love that you can different, discern. This is not what we did. They're not really comparable, are they? No, there's no comparison whatsoever.

I mean, we were, you know, if Japan had gone through the Olympics and beaten the U.S. and beaten Canada, metal. Maybe then you could say, well, that might be a miracle. Right, right. But, you know, for us going, you know, coming, growing up in the 60s and 70s, and as we closed in on 1980, you know, what was going on in the country and the world and everything else, I mean, it was just a whole different time, right? I mean, Americans weren't in the NHL. They weren't really well respected, sort of in the genre of, like, world hockey.

And we really, you know, we broke through that glass ceiling. What we did in 1980, you know, created opportunities, not just for some of the guys on our team, but for the guys going forward, you know, Chris Chelyos, is Eddie Olick, you know, Keith Kachuk, and, you know, go forward for that, right? Mike Madonna, and then you move into the Patrick Kaineworld, and then these guys, you know, Jack Eichol and then Kachuk kids and the used kids and on and on, right?

So for us, it's like, you know, we were the descendants of 1980, I mean, 1960, right? Those guys won a gold medal in Squaw Valley, and, you know, we knew all those. guys and and and we look to them always you know we was sort of standing on the shoulders of the of the guys that came before us and you know to see these guys really embracing our story uh you know they've grown up watching the movie miracle and hearing all about us for all these years and it's been a big motivator for all these USA hockey kids to you know to come out and play with the passion and

emotion that we had in 1980 and they certainly did that um that's probably the one uh real similarity is the way they came together as a team and the way they played with passion and emotion and their pride and their USA on the front of their jerseys and playing for, you know, everybody that had done so much for them in their lives. I mean, see these kids talk after the game

and the emotion that was coming out and how they handled themselves and how they handled the victory and how proud of they were of, you know, what it took to get there, you know, not just... They understood. They understood. It wasn't just them.

Yeah, it wasn't just them. Yeah, it wasn't just, them, you know, and so they really, they really expressed that. And it was, it was really fun to watch for me. And, you know, what can I tell you? I'm just so thrilled. Jack O'Callaghan is joining us here in Rahimi Harrison Grotty on 104-3, the score. Part of the Miracle on Ice team, former Chicago Black Hawk and New Jersey Devil as well. And you mentioned there's still that teammate aspect that you guys have. You know, we saw Mike Ruziani on TV last night as part of the coverage or yesterday morning, depending on when you watched it,

what was the group chat like or the discussion like between some of your teammates after Team USA took gold again? Just, again, just so happy, you know, it was happiness. It really was. It was shared happiness. I mean, especially, you know, Davy Christian's nephew was on the team, you know, Brock Nelson and, and, you know, now you've got Billy Christian

and Roger Christian in 60, you got Dave's 1980, and you've got Brock Nelson here, in 2026. I mean, the Christian family, so excited for them. And for us, it was nothing more than just, we were just so extra happy and, you know, proud of them and all that, you know, it wasn't anything deeper than that, you know.

It's just thus being really happy for them and just, you know, relishing in their story. But again, this is their story. We have ours, you know, the 60 guys have theirs. There's three U.S. men's gold medals now. So it's really spectacular. Now, we also have some hot gossip here because I know we took you away from a golf tournament, so we appreciate you doing that for us.

Actually, I just finished, so we're good. Okay, good to know you got your golf in. They're also close with Patrick Manley. How did this friendship come to me? Yeah, so Patrick's a good friend. He's, again, you know, golf world's pretty interesting, right? I mean, when I moved to Chicago from Boston, I never played golf back in the mid-80s, early 80s. And everybody plays golf in Chicago.

So I had to learn how to play, and then you get the bug. And Patrick and I became members at different times with down a Beverly Country Club. And he's just a wonderful guy. You know, Chicago sports is awesome, right? I mean, in my life there, I don't live there anymore. I moved out of there about six years ago. I live in Florida now. But, you know, I've always had, in the 35 years I was there,

I got to know so many different players from different teams, you know, whether it's Bears or Cubs and White Sucks guys. And, you know, it's a terrific sports community in Chicago. So it's an easy for Patrick and I to become pals and to play golf together and get to know him and his story and everything. It's just been really great. So, yeah, I love that. He's a great guy.

And even Kevin Butler's another friend of mine. You know, he's down in Georgia and Atlanta. I live in Northeast Florida and Pontivina Beach. And this is Kevin around. fair bit. So yeah, there's a real strong Chicago connection in the athlete's world, and I'm sure you guys know that. Well, we appreciate the time, and thank you

so much for joining us to be able to celebrate some gold. Thank you so much, Jeff. Yeah, very exciting. For both the men and the woman, by the way. I'm really proud of what the woman did as well. And to see Hillary Knight, who has her roots in Chicago and the North Shore, and I've known her since she was a little girl playing, you know, my son was around the same age, is around the same age

as Hillary. And to watch her journey, you know, and see how it ended for her with scoring a big goal to tie the game and, you know, carrying the flag and the closing ceremonies and everything. It was just, I'm so, so happy for her and for her team as well. We all, my team, my 80 team, we all feel that way about them just as well. Well, thank you, Jack, and thanks for joining us here. Rahimi Harrison Grotie. Thanks, Jack.

Thanks, thanks, everybody. See you later. Yep. See you, Jack. Yep. Thanks again to Jack O'Callaghan. He is at Miracle O.C. on X. He is a defenseman on that miracle team who is now no longer the last USA men's hockey team to take gold. Coming up next on Rahimi Harrison Grotie, the Combined, I guess it kind of starts tonight, but really the business starts tomorrow. So we'll do a Combine pregame show next. Amy Harrison Grody. Can you imagine Lovey Smith doing the whole good, better, best thing?

And saying bleep the Packers. Come on, guys, good better best. Never let rest. I'll see you on Tuesday. Middays 10 to 2 on 104 3, The Score. This is Rahimi Hirus and Grotie on 1043 The Score. Thanks again to Jack O'Callaghan for joining us in our last segment to talk about Olympic men's hockey team gold medal. And yes, congratulations to the women to their first gold since 2018.

That was in South Korea. So two goals for the Olympic men's and women's hockey teams. Megan Keller and Jack Hughes. Come on down. They're the two that scored the game winning goals. I like it. I like the, but the problem is we're like, like, come on down to what? We have no game show for that.

I was hoping you wouldn't question me on that. Oh, darn. Sorry. I let it ride, Grady. I just want to, I let it right. I don't know where, come on down. Okay, so. That's sad.

That's a quote from Austin Powell. Oh, okay. I thought you meant you personally do not have an internal monologue. I know there are people who do not. And I'm like, I can't, I can't. I don't know how it would function without my internal monologue. As a happily single woman, sometimes these are the only words I speak all day,

are the ones to my coworkers and on the show. And that's it. You just shut it down the rest of the day. You hit the mute button, the Layla mute button. I'm just working on stuff in silence. I don't know. Like, I'll go home and work out and stuff and then, you know, live my life. Do you talk to yourself?

You wouldn't know. I sometimes read what I've written out loud to see if it makes sense. I think when I found out people didn't have an inner monologue, I was like, what do you mean? Isn't that what thinking is? But I guess it's not for some people. And I had more questions. Is that good or bad?

Like, it would be a very peaceful, like, if you don't have stuff running through your brain all the time? No, no, no. That just means you say it all out loud. Oh, wow. Which can be good or bad. That's probably bad. I'm going to be honest. I share that with you every day from 10 to 2.

That's enough, right? Okay. That's fair. I also have internal monologue about the NFL Combine, because I said this earlier and we asked the question, what are your biggest questions for the bears when it comes to what their plans are? And I'm going to offer this. Not that I mean to be residing in Lawrence Holmes' Worrytown,

but when you don't have as much draft capital and, frankly, salary capital as the bears have had in the past few years, you remember how it's like the road to the NFL offseason goes through the Bears. They got the first overall pick. They got all this cap money. They could do whatever they want. And then it was exciting. The world was your oyster. They don't have that this year.

According to overthecap.com, they're about $5 million over the cap. They also have the 25th pick in the draft. So that's when business becomes crucial. So this is a new challenge for this front office. What are you going to decide is the most important thing? Because now 25 gets even more crucial as to how you try to fix your team. That's still in a lot of ways is not where you want it to be. offense to Mark Grody and Dan Reeder and all the people, but I believe taking the

north is much easier than keeping the north because the way the NFL is designed, it's supposed to be, you know, every week, one-score games, schedule changes every year, and now they're going to have a first-place schedule, and building a roster good enough with the blank canvas you just described was very, not easy, but it's easier, in my opinion, to do that than to not only establish greatness, but to maintain it. And so much like you, Leila, my internal monologue goes wild thinking about, okay, well, if you got this much money in your defensive line, how are you going to now improve your defensive line? If all these people are not on the books as safeties, what are you going to do about your safety position? Left tackle, we talked about that earlier and five on it.

I just have a lot of questions that I don't know that we'll get the answers to this week, but we will at least get some. insights into how the bears are viewing specific problems after they have taken their requisite time off and reset, as it were. I do love that they're, as you indicated, Leila, they ain't run in this combine, the bears, which is actually nice because it means that they, yeah, slow clap necessary here, that they are coming from a position of strength. They are drafting number 25 overall right now because they won 11 games. going to get an alaelujah.

And they won a playoff game against the Green Bay Packers. Alleluia. This year. So we're going into a combine for the first time in ever that we're not talking about, how are you going to make the offense better? Are you going to get a quarterback? Are you going to trade Justin Fields? Are you going to draft Caleb Williams?

Are you going to get a tight end? Who are you going to get? You going to get a wide receiver? Whoa, for the first time. Are you going to get a running back? Better not be a wide receiver. For the first time, we're like, we're like, defense? What?

We're not going to the combine. I may not even have a show this year. My pop-up show on the clock is in jeopardy, which I used to do on Friday nights because the bears are not running the combine, and I'm not going to the combine. So I might be losing a show because of this, and I'm happy about that. I'm pretty sure you gained a show, though. I did.

This is working with you guys. It's called Rahimi Harris and Brody. I would take that. Absolutely. I don't need it. I don't want it anymore because I don't want the draft to be as important as it was all those other years. You know what I mean. It's, of course, it's still really important. But here's the issue. Now that 25th overall pick had better hit because everybody else is more expensive. Yeah. You know, as we mentioned, the Bears, they spent money in very good places when it came to extending Joe Tunney, extending Jonah Jackson, being able to sign Drew Dalman, for example. Like, they spent good money there. But unfortunately, they also spent a lot of very confident money on the D-line, as we mentioned. And that makes this difficult. You know, I think it was at the beginning of the season. I want to say it was week two against the Lions.

And spending has changed drastically since then. People got extended. Some stars got extended. It's not the same. But the Bears were 10th overall in defensive spending at the time in the NFL. Now, did they get a top 10 defense out of this? They did not. Okay.

So therefore, that can't happen on a team where you're already 5 million projected over the cap and you've got to do some creative accounting and you really need these drafts to hit because you can't afford to sign big name free agents like you did previously. Those are excellent points. I mean, do you guys know when the last time the Bears picked this late in the first round? 2017? No. No, no.

If you go back to 2017, which is an admirable guest, they had the, what, second pick with a... What? No, this can't be right. I'm saying 2017 Mitch Trubisky. Oh, yeah. My bad. My bad. No, it is because they drafted up.

Yeah, they moved up. It was Trubisky. Also, this is the time in my head where I think of Ray Diaz, that promo we had with previous big voice guy where he was like, or will he trade up? Will they do anything at all? Oh, man. And it was like the bells, you know, the NFL films, bells.

Will he trade up? I always think that... I was think Trubisky's first year was 2018. That's why I said 17. So here's the thing. It was 19 then, right? It was 2011, the last time the Bears picked this low.

They took, with the 29th pick, see if... Bring it to me. They took a tackle with the 29th pick. King Johnson? No, he was a second round. Do you remember a kid from

Wisconsin named Gabe Carimi. I guess I do. Gabe Carremy was a left tackle who did not work out for the BES out of Wisconsin. I was very excited about him. I was very excited about Mark Columbo.

I was very excited about Chris Williams. All bust his left tackles. I don't know that Columbo was a bus, though, was he? He had some serviceable years for a few different teams. Oh, no, no, with the Cowboys especially. Absolutely. But not he was a bust for the bears.

Brody, my point is Gabe Carimi was the pick. He played, you know, one year or two years, excuse me, with the Bears, started a total of 16 games over those two years. It didn't work out. No, they, the history of drafting offensive linemen was bad. If the Bears want to stay where they are at the top of the north, this 25, it's got to work out better than that. Well, and are you going to be position redundant to do you have to draft another defensive lineman? Do we know what we're getting in Shemar Turner? I can't It can be a left tackle. I'm going with that. Or will he trade up?

Do you remember when we put it on an echo effects and it just haunted our souls? Will he trade up? Well, well, well. Congratulations. And the bells kept ringing. They just wouldn't stop. Do you trust Ryan Poles? And if you do trust him, how much do you trust him?

I think those are the questions we're getting answered this offseason. Well, and the jury is still out on the two guys that we have mentioned on their defense. And Di O Dangboe and Shamar Turner, like, the bears put resources and money into. that's the projection. Do they think they're going to really get something out of Dio Dangbo and Shemar Turner? If they do, then that could change the calculus at number 25. I do not. Will they trade up?

And then there were the bells, and then it just kept ringing. The bells kept going, and then the will he trade up? And I was traumatized. Yeah, and I thought about this, too. In my internal monologue, I was also going over internal film. And I was like, ah, Shamar Turner. Like, I really like that pick. But then I'm like, all of the film I've seen of him, he's making tackles in space.

I'm like, that's not really a pass rush thing. Grot, you know what I'm talking about. The film on Shabar Turner was like, excellent tackles in space. Like wrap it up, shut him down. But I'm like, well, that's not really like getting after the quarterback per se. Right, which I think he did in his last year at college. They started to move him around the line. And that's what the Bears thought that he could do with him to minimal success this year.

So don't know. The bells are ringing. The NFL draft bells are ringing. Let's discuss more on this and really just more football talk with an excellent guest coming up next. Emery Hunt, owner of football game plan. He is CBS Sports HQ analyst. He was in attendance for the HBCU Legacy Bowl this weekend. Emery joins us next on Rahimi Harrison Grotie on The Score.

This hour is brought to you by the Chicago Golf Show. Chicago on paper looks tremendous. So I do feel like they'll win that division. The Chicago Bears, I feel like Green Bay to me went from my third pick to now second in that division and perhaps making the playoffs. All of that being said, Detroit will have a winning season. I love that for them. I love the running game. Obviously, I'm a big Jamir Gibbs guy.

It was my number one running back in the class. However, the division got tougher. So I see Detroit having to win the season. I still see them making the playoffs. Wow. prediction was made on August 31st of 2025. Take your flowers. Emery Hunt, that is good stuff.

He is the analyst for CBS Sports HQ. He was at the HBCU Legacy Bowl this weekend. He is the owner of football game plan. And we will give you your flowers, Emery, joining us not only on our hotline, but also on Twitch, twitch. Twitch.tv slash the score Chicago. Thanks for coming on, Emery. Appreciate you guys.

And I love the music drop behind that etherist analysis I gave. That was body-bott-a-bottie. You know why that hits home? Because I'm from New Orleans. So everything about that clip was perfect. Listen, our producers, they pay attention to what's going on. That's Ray Diaz and Tyler Buehobar getting it done. Come on now, Emmer.

You've been on what it's before. You know how we roll. I know it. I shouldn't expect it less, man. You guys are awesome. Unfortunately, we're a little too familiar with the tank in Chicago right now, and not the no-limit one, but we're trying to figure out the Bulls are going to tank or not. Check you out.

we're true soldiers. Let me just read some of these comments here from this YouTube link. Because here's what was getting told to Emery at the time. Five months ago, bears to win the division is comedy gold, 462 likes. David Jones 1485 said, no way to Chicago win the division, no way. And then Iceman, ironic, 1272 says they all think Ben Johnson is God. And then Dominic Castro, 6483 says, I don't even think. God himself could make that happen.

And then they all just start replying, crying, laughing emojis to each other. Not that I'm pointing this out for people to find and then troll on them or anything, but that's some pretty confident talk in the comments, Emery. You know what's fascinating about that is the fact that, you know, when you look at this thing holistically,

and I'm not a fan of any team, I'm just a fan of being right. So I'm looking at these rosters and based on how I graded guys, how they drag and all the stuff like that. I'm like, yay, the bears actually have a pretty good team on paper, based on how they drafted and what this depth chart looks like. And folks always cling to, oh, you must be a bearist fan.

Like, bro, I just like the analysis of, you know, the guy, I like players. And so when these guys are doing well, I'm like, okay, yeah, I kind of had him read it this way. That's how I see it as an analyst. I was a dummy thinking that's how all analysts were. You know what I'm saying? So at the end of the day, when those folks were saying that, they should know by now. I'm going to just sit back and wait. And as soon as the Lions clinched that playoff exit, boom, retweet, let's go.

For you, man. I love that for you, Emory. And listen, I love that you love tape because there's truth in tape. Now, you can say what you see through different lenses might vary from person to person. But I believe in you, Emery, as you know, I'm very curious. The Bears, in very unfamiliar words, as we were just talking about, they're picking lower than they have in any first round of a draft since 2011 this year.

Is there going to be something at 25 that can help them immediately? And is that more likely to happen at Edge or Left Tackle if so? Glad you asked that question because I've been compiling a list of things in life that were a mistake. Number one, speakerphone. Speaker phone, number one. And number two might be airports,

but third and fighting hall for third might be mock drafts. Because what mock drafts do is kind of get everybody in the sense of thinking these are only good players in existence. And so if we can't get the same 10 players we've talked about since January,

then everybody else is just not good. Well, you're talking to someone that grades about over a thousand prospects each draft class in the draft guide, which people can go get Football Gameplan.com slash 2026 draft guide pre-order it. So I always see the,

the depth of the class, no matter what year it is. So, yes, you will be able to get somebody that can help the bears at that position, insert position here at pick number 20, whatever, because there's a litany of talented players that we haven't even begin to discuss yet because everybody's focused on it. There's people right now, big name people, still talk about Fernando Mendoza. Like, bro, we get it. Like, move on.

Like, there's like other players. So I just, I am always looking at the depth. There are so many good players in this class, D-Line, linebackers, edge, whatever the bears feel they need, they will find someone there, and in subsequent rounds, too. I'm sorry I don't have this in front of me, and I'm sorry to ask this question, too. Have you done a mock draft yet? And where would you, who do you have going to the Bears at 25 if you have?

I don't do a mock draft, and I haven't done one yet. I only do two a year on CBS.com. One is a small school-only mock draft where the first round is only people from small schools. And again, small schools are schools that are FCS, D2, D3, because what they've now tried to do nowadays, that may add to my list to things that were a mistake. They're adding now, oh, this guy goes to a small school. Oh, yeah, what school?

And you think it, Illinois State. You think it's something Illinois. Oh, no, he went to Iowa State. I make it out of my face, man. If it ain't the top 10 teams, they think it's a small school. So I do a small school mock, and I do a what would I do mock draft. So that one always gets a lot of buzz because people called me crazy all the time for what I would do.

But I thought that's what you got into this business for for your opinion. Like why would I want to parrot everybody else and why would I want to do try to think like what the teams are thinking like, no, just do what you believe they should do and let that be your mock. So to reset, it's speakerphone. Emory Hunt's mistakes are speakerphone, airports, airports, and the mock draft. I'm sorry, I forgot that it was airports because why airports? I have to know. They're kind of one and the same because when you think about speaker phones and you think about people that just there's no rules in airports.

So I just flew back from the Legacy Bowl like you mentioned. It was 10 a.m. in the morning in New Orleans Airport. There were three young ladies sitting there eating a big plate of nachos. Like, how you even have the taste for that at 10 in the morning? Like, there's no rules. And then you have people, as soon as I see somebody walking around like this, is I lose it.

Because speakerphone, I don't want to have, I want to be a part of your conversation. Nobody does. So does this not work anymore? That's why I said speakerphone was a mistake. That's number one with a bullet. No one's top in that one. That's fair.

The speaker phone is very fair. Drinking at all hours happens in airports too, I feel like. It's five o'clock somewhere, though, Emery. But listen, there was a guy. I got on one flight coming from New Orleans. This was a 6 a.m. flight going back to New York City. And I stayed out the whole night, try to sleep on the plane. I get it.

It was a 6 a.m. flight, so we loaded, we boarded at 5.30. So I'm laying on the window seat. Do sit next to me. And within like 10 seconds, cracks open a platter of fried catfish. I'm like, bro, where do you even get that from? And how you have a taste for it? It's still, they don't even have a shade. Like, the light's not even on.

So it's crazy how people just lose all human interaction ability and human, you know, the airport. Amazing. Tartar sauce all over the play. Okay. And now to get back to the question, I will not talk about a mock draft with you. Bears. We talked about this earlier.

Like, you said you like players. What did you think of the Bears draft last year now that you have the chance to look back at it since you did pick them to take the North and August? This is, I love the draft, by the way. And I have a clip out there from day three when I was on CBS Sports HQ and asked me who were some of your favorite day three picks. One was Jay Tofah, Tafia, I'm sorry, the defensive tackle for Dallas Cowboys, who got in some later in the season was playing a vital role in that rotation roll. The other one was a Kyle Munangai, you know, and I was big on Kyle Monongai.

And I'm glad he was able to be a part of Diannre Swift and what they deal with the run game. but I was also a big fan of what they did. One of my top tackles was Ozzy Tripillo. And, you know, people thought I was crazy then, but I just loved the fact that someone that was that tall, 6-8, had very good knee-bin, strong hands, and all of those things that you need to play tackle really well. But he was doing it, which is rare for someone that tall,

to be that dominant in what he was doing at Boston College. So I love that him. Luther Burden was my number one slot receiver. We saw the type of impact he had this year. So I thought the Bears nailed the draft. And then I'm always also big on the undrafted rookie free agent. So it was funny because I don't say much, but I do keep receipts. Soon as Homeboy caught one of them game when the touchdown passes,

best believe I have my scoward report on Jade Walker. And here's the high grade I had on Jadee Walker because I followed him at Grand Valley State. Because I used to emcee to the media day for the Gliac in their preseason football media. So I knew about Jade Walker when he was a Laker. And then he goes to A&M. and people's like, why you have this high-grade and this dude for me? He barely played. Bang!

And so I enjoy what the Bears did. And obviously I knew of Theo Benedict from years for how, you know, I cover a lot of Canadian college football up there as well, too. So everything the Bears did, I was a big fan of. And I thought at some point, talent has to trump out when you, you know, stockpile so much talent, they have to win games. And it finally came to fruition. Okay, so we're joined again by Emory Hunt.

Sorry, Emery takes... Modern Philosopher. And football guy, Emery Hunt. He's the owner of football game plan. He's the CBS Sports HQ analyst, and he was at the HBCU Legacy Bowl this weekend. We got somebody in our Twitch comments like, well, objectively, that bowl doesn't matter. Explain to people why you go to events like this and why it does matter in the grand scheme of things. Because, and it's sad, too, when you think about that statement,

because a lot of people in the media feel that way about all-star games outside of senior shrine, which is why I'm the only one at all of them. I look like the dummy. I'm at the Hula, the American, the Shrine, Senior, HBCU Legacy, Tropical Bowl, FCS Bowl, even a bowl up in Canada called the East West Bowl, which happens early May.

And I'm wondering, like, because I don't start doing the draft stuff until January, because I'm doing NFL in college throughout the regular season. So I'm shocked at draft analyst. list aren't at all these all-star games. This is your Super Bowl, right? They only go to the two major events and then they go to the combine. So the HBCU Legacy Bowl is valuable and important because there's only, there's so many college prospects coming into the draft every year and how the league does it, they rank and file. So prospects that are a little bit higher,

they tend to end up at the senior and then you funnel down. So by them only having so many spots, a lot of great talent don't have places to play in All-Star games. And so there's a ton of talent at the HBCU levels has always been the case. Obviously, the greatest bear of all the time, Walter Payton, Jackson State guy. And when you think about going to the Legacy Bowl, where you have a collection of the best HBCU talent, you get a chance, scouts get the chance to see these guys up close, see body type, see how they move, how they play, and a lot of these guys end up on rosters. And there's going to be one big one.

Ironically enough, he's a Morgan State bear and Eric Hunter. I call a lot of Morgan State games, so I've seen him his whole career. And last year you had Elijah Williams get picked up by the Minnesota Vikings. He played really well in the preseason, made a 53, great rotational player for them. Eric Hunter at linebackers, 6-3, 225, can run like the win. And he was actually at the American Bowl, too. Had a great week there, had an interception. You had two interceptions in practice.

Here in the Legacy Bowl had multiple interceptions as well. So you're going to see a bunch of these guys may not get drafted outside of Hunter, but a lot of these guys will end up on NFL rosters and find a way to make a team. And so it just shows you there's so much talent out there that these all-star games are very important.

Emory, you know, we were talking Bears a little bit earlier and the fact of the matter is, is right now the Bears do not have a whole lot of space to make moves in free agency. So they are in some ways. And that could, you know, they could change.

They're pretty dependent on the draft this year to make some improvement. So who are some specific name at 25 in the first round? Edge rushers that you like, that could be there at 25 that Bears fans can start to think about and to study for potentially being on this team when you look at your list and your depth chart. I'm a big proponent of the draft because it's the cheapest way to keep your team consistent. good. That's why the teams that usually are in the postseason all the time, they ace the draft like the Los Angeles

Rams, like the Baltimore Ravens. I know they didn't make it this year, but they always do a great job in the draft. And that's how you keep that talent young, inexpensive, and plentiful. So if you're looking at Chicago and looking at, okay, they were pretty good front line. And think about where there's a chance for them

to probably add some depth. Let's say on the interior defensive line. Dominic Orange is someone that I'm a big fan of. And, you know, I know people we look Well, you already have that in Jervon Dexter. Well, why don't I get another one? They have two like you had with Ted Washington. And I forgot the other guy named, the big guys you guys you guys had up front with the two big nose-sack.

Gray Jarrett and Andrew Billings. No, I'm talking about back when you had Ted Washington. Oh, Keith Trailer. Key Trailer. Yeah, key trailer, yeah. So you could recreate that and freeze up, it frees up opportunities on the edge. Or you look at someone on the edge, you know, it catches how out of Texas A&M, has that body. type of what you already have in Montez's sweat that can bring it.

If you want someone that's kind of a versatile player, I know people don't see him as a first rounder, but this is how a week like this can elevate somebody and remind folks how good he was when he was a freshman and Harold Perkins. Now, when he was a freshman, we thought this was the next coming of Michael Parsons because LSU had him as a defensive edge rusher at 6-1, 220 pounds, and he was living in the back field like he was a part of the offense. had crazy sex, game-changing plays, and Ellis you got the great idea as a sophomore. Like, you know what?

Let's take you from that position and move you to offball linebacker and have you do anything else but rush to pass her. So he had a down sophomore year, and then he came back this year after the injury and played more of a hybrid safety linebacker role. So he's a versatile athlete. I expect him to test really well, and I think that's going to help him out. Lee Hunter is someone that could be a younger version of which you have in Grady Jarrett, defensive tackle out of Texas Tech, transfer from.

UCL, Gold, Texas Tech, and balls out there, and also had a really good week at the Senior Bowl. So those are guys to me, C.J. Allen, obviously, it's a linebacker. If you're looking to add depth there, although I was impressed with how Jackson did, DeMarco Jackson. I was a big fan of him coming out of App State. He was in New Orleans. I think I had a tweet about that, too.

Like, man, it's funny how New Orleans had some of these guys, and then they didn't find a way to put him out there on the field. Jackson gets the call because guys got hurt and was thumping cats. when he was out there getting those opportunities. He looked the same way he did at App State. So I think it shows you that there's depth in this class. There's some versatility. The bears don't need much in terms of immediate impact

so they could take a chance on the Harold Perkins or guys like that. I would even throw out a corner. And the corner from Chris Johnson from San Diego State. See, I have too many names in my head right now. Now, Chris Johnson from San Diego State. Outstanding Corner, good matchup skills, good ball skills. So you could take a chance when you have the roster you have if you're Chicago and just go for specific scheme fit types to fit your team.

Emery Hunt, it is always fun to talk to you. And this has been a lot of fun just talking about players. And also, I attached the YouTube link to our Twitch chat, Twitch. TV slash the score Chicago. If anybody wants to comment on the comments of Emery predicting the Bears winning the North back in August, just because game should recognize game, you know, just in case those comments need to be checked. I pull up, pull up, and I implore you, your fans to go and get a nice, warm cup of coffee,

a hot chocolate, whatever you're drinking right now because it's cold outside and just enjoy the comments because, again, I'm going to tell you right now, I dove back in there a couple times too. Just again, receipts. Not you spinning the block on the comments. Listen, in the big, I'm talking about just twirling with the big steering wheel. Like the snow power steering. Just let me get back in these comments and get busy.

I love it. I love the petty. Emery, I love the receipts. We will make sure to get you on soon again because this has been a lot of fun as it always is when you join the show. Thanks, Emery. Appreciate y'all. Thanks for having me. That is Emery Hunt. And yeah, you can check it out in the Twitch chat. I posted the link to that. Just in case, just in case you need to see those comments again.

Maybe you'll see Emory slow rolling down the street. I mean, the Ben Johnson needs to be God for that to happen. Kind of wasn't God this year. Let's be honest. I mean, he was the MVP, right? Hold on a second. No. Milan is near the Vatican, which is the home of the Pope.

Ray? The Pope. The Pope. Thank you. Do you think that there was a chance? Things have been coming up well in the sports world recently, relatively speaking to the year before. Pope is quietly doing it. You're losing it over there.

Harris. Bears. Bears. Hey, speaking of bears. TTF. We've got TTN on an assignment, by the way. We will let you know about that tomorrow. We're failing.

We're failing as a group. We are. It's a question that we didn't realize needed to be answered. In the meantime, Crayne's Chicago Business came out with an article over the weekend if you missed it, which is the latest on the latest on the latest on the Bears Stadium because more news will happen this week. So let's give you updates next. Rahimi Harrison Grody. I don't want to break time.

I want to yell at Boston. Can we handle more Anthony Herron? Midday's 10 to 2. On 104 3, the score. This is Rahimi Harris and Brody on 1043 The Score. And we understand that the Indiana Senate hearing legislature is set to conclude this week. The 27th is Friday. That is the end of their legislative session.

And we continue to get a little more news that came out throughout the weekend. Like, for example, Kevin Warren spoke to Crane's Chicago business. And here is the. really sexy and opinionated quote. And by all of that, I mean, it's not the case at all. We continue to work with Illinois leadership and appreciate the progress being made. Bear CEO Kevin Warren said today in a statement shared with cranes. Okay, so acknowledgement is key. And he did acknowledge that there is still a working relationship with the state of Illinois. meantime

Indiana Capital Chronicle who's been helping outline some of the details going on covering the Indiana State House had this headline today fiscal impact statement on Bear Stadium bill outlines millions in tax increases

and here's the key number here the exact cost of the project is unknown at this time this is Senate Bill 27 though the Chicago Bears have committed $2 billion and House Speaker Todd Houston, this is Indiana House Speaker, said Thursday in unveiling the plan that as much as $1 billion in public funding could be involved. So that's three total. And we know that Arlington Heights was estimated at five. So I wonder how much it would be total in the state of Indiana.

It feels like we're all trying to add up the marbles, as it were, and we're coming up short, and we're like, well, where are the rest of these marbles coming from? And this is whether you're talking about the Indiana plan or the Illinois plan. But Indiana's front and center right now because they're the ones who've come out and said, hey, we're about to pass this legislation, get assigned by the governor, and away we go. I think the bears are doing a good job here, and I'm not saying I approve of or disapprove. I'm just saying they're doing a good job from their vantage point of slow rolling one to

the other. Have you guys ever had two job offers at the same time? And you weren't sure what you wanted to do? and you knew you wanted like maybe this from the one job offer and something maybe different from the other job offer to get where you wanted to feel comfortable going ahead. That's what the bears are doing right now. They're doing the smart thing that any of us would do

in a similar financial situation. You know two places want you, Illinois, Indiana, and now you've got to sort it out. And there's pros and cons to each side. And some of those pros and cons, we don't even know yet because I don't think Indiana and Illinois I'd necessarily know all the details. Well, and when you start getting into the taxpayers of Indiana, I wonder how if it's just a

formality that they're putting that forth and saying, here's what it is, pander a little bit, because it sure feels like it's going to pass relatively easily and that end up on the governor's desk in Indiana, despite them doing their version of, ready for it, due diligence. So I think it's very interesting that we'll see if it gets clogged up, little bit, but I think it goes quickly. Well, trying to ask for money for your stadium is due diligence. And that's what they didn't do on the Illinois side. And I don't think it's as much competition on the Illinois side because of how they went

through that process based on how it's going in Indiana. In Indiana, there were municipalities who said, here's our suggested deal. Here's our suggested area. I don't want to say location because a set location has not been dictated yet in Hammond. And then also, well, how are you going to get us money? And they're saying in Indiana, we're going to do a billion dollars levied in taxes. Those taxes will be taxed by the Northwest Indiana Stadium Board. That is the idea behind putting that bill into place.

That's the framework to be able to collect the money. Now they've also said a 1% food and beverage tax that we've talked about in Lake and Porter counties. That would get an estimated $12 to $8 million annually. This is all according to Indiana Capital Chronicle. and then additionally the bill allows Lake County to increase the total hotel tax rate from its current 5% to 10%. The county council is required to adopt an ordinance increasing the tax rate by June 30th of next year. So that would indicate, they say, about $5.4 million annually. And then there are other taxes as well that go into it.

Like, for example, a ticket tax, things of that nature, 12% admission tax on tax for tickets for events held in the stadium. that could be anything, not necessarily an NFL game. That's that administrative fees type feel. But in the meantime, you know, is there more money that would go toward this project from another revenue source or from another source to get them to the price they want? So far cost $5 billion. We know the price only goes up. But when it comes to the Illinois side of things,

we talked about the roller coaster that we were all on reading the real-time updates on Thursday, on Friday when it came to all of this. Now we understand that a glowing statement was made toward Indiana. Mike Braun talked to us at the score about the meaning of what that statement was in the backing and he gave us more insight on this bill, Senate Bill 27. I think now it's up to the Bears to not only like David Hawes said in his column, George McCasky should talk at some point. It can't just be Kevin Warren.

But also, they need to tell us what they want. Like at some point you have to start telling the public what you want here because you've done it in the past and when you're asking for public money somebody's got to tell us what you want. I think that's the hope from the public and people who are concerned about where their money goes and if this is a good investment for taxpayers but let's be honest Lila Mark

they don't have to do it. They're going to keep things behind closed doors as long as possible until the moment they cross the finish line. And it seems like in Indiana, they could cross a finish line without having to deal with public backlash a lot easier than they could in Illinois. A couple of things. There was a – Kevin Warren did give a quote to Cranes this weekend saying, quote, we continue to work with Illinois leadership and appreciate the progress being made. That was a direct answer to the hurt feelings that Illinois and J.D. Pritzker, the governor of Illinois, expressed that, we don't know what they're doing. We thought we had a deal here.

We thought that we had a pretty, we made some progress, and the bears let out their statements saying that all the progress was in Indiana. And so now, Cameron Warren, we want to make sure that nobody's feelings are hurt in Illinois. Isn't part of that, though, Grody, just Kevin Warren say, hey, guys, I'm still here. I know it wasn't at that meeting that was playing. No, I think that's because of all the heat that he was getting from everybody. And here's another thing. Is that within the Bears? Well, check this out.

Our old friend George Offman, who is a score classic, a Chicago sports treasure. really is George Offman. And he was on Facebook, I don't know, probably on Twitter too, but he was reporting. Georgio was, what's going on, George? That bears owner, George McCaskey is livid with his president, that'd be Kevin Warren, and CEO, or did I write this down wrong? It's with his president and CEO, Kevin Warren, for his handling of Thursday series of events. And that was essentially praising the progress of Indiana as well.

went on last week. So according to George, there are people, George, George Offman, George McCasky is livid with Kevin Warren. Okay, that's the part of this that I, not to discredit George, but. You're going to discredit George. Unless George McCasky speaks, how livid do we know he is? Well, depends on if you trust the reporting. No plan seems to be stopping here. You know, there was a clarification of tone when it came to the Indiana discussion. The real clarification, though, came from the Hammond Mayor when he said, we don't have a set site yet for Wolf Lake. He brings up Hallis Hall. Other people who said they know that Hallis Hall is staying in Lake Forest. I don't, we don't have that cited clearly yet either. I think that is the case, though. Okay, that's good to know.

But then, you know, then there's also in this Crane's article, a source close to the matter said, bill with, quote, agreed language, end quote, could go to a committee meeting in Springfield next week. This came out on Saturday. So does that mean this week? Does that mean the week before? And I want to believe that from George Offman. But at some point, George McCasky, it's your team. It's your team. You're the one who told us that Arlington Heights was the sole focus whenever you guys bought that property three years ago. It still sits vacant today. So isn't it your job to tell us how you feel? I want the one thing I want to have a better understanding of, based on what you just said, Leila, was the Kevin Warren push for downtown? Was that just a Kevin Warren?

Let me see if I can salvage this because this land was bought before I got here. Or did George McCasky say, hey, do you think there's a chance we could still build in Chicago? I feel like I had never gotten a real defined answer on that. How much? Like who was leading that charge? I think that was definitely Kevin Ward. That's the whole thing here. If you want to call it a mistake on George McCasky's part, then it was to give carte blanche to Kevin Warren to be, and I think, and I don't know this, I have not talked to George McCasky.

But I think, knowing George, the way he delegates authority, he has allowed Kevin Warren somewhat to his credit to do his job, which was to negotiate the best possible deal for a stadium, staying out of his way. I feel like we are getting closer, though, with this report from George, with the statement that was led out by Kevin Warren on the appreciation of her leadership, we're getting closer and closer to hearing from George McCasky. And it sounds like we kind of have heard from him through back channels. Yeah, and the George McCaskey component of it, because, yes, I understand the delegation letting. That's what's going on. You hired him to. But like, you hired, you pay, you have a team president that people have been dying for the bears to go out and get forever. So you think George's not going to let him do his job?

And I think he's realizing, okay, I probably should have given maybe more specific instructions to my desire result. I'm not saying George hasn't made mistakes. You mean to tell me the bears might have not thought this through completely. It's frustrating, too, because we're at the point now where you're talking about we're getting close to one thing. That's not what people want to get close to. They want to get close to.

Where's the stadium being built? Go ahead and start that thing up and let's stop this conversation. And it's also, how much is it going to be a shovel? How much is it going to cost me? Yes. You know, how much is it going to cost me as a taxpayer? Like, do I want a new tax on this? Am I okay with giving up a steak dinner boom?

Well, and that's what the Illinois legislature, that's what their, that's what their check is. So that's where that would come from. Their continue, and, you know, Governor Pritzker, I know, from what I've heard, like I said, he is very, you know, interested in pushing this through. He does not want to lose the bearers. But at the same time, in every article that is written or everything that we hear, he always has to say, I am going to do what is in the best interests of the taxpayers, and that is the legislature's job. I am glad George spoke, Offman.

I just wish McCasky would as well. Wrong, we love you, Georgie, but we would like the other George to speak. Both George's speaking are good. I am pro-George Offman speaking. Straight from the horse's mouth. I'll take all the horses. George McCaskin. Because if you're too afraid to ask for our money on a microphone,

I don't know how much you deserve it is the thing. Yeah, but does he like... Put your mouth where your money is. Get your mouth shut. Dicketh. Okay. Yeah. One of these days he is going to speak,

but as painful as it has been, at times, he is allowing Kevin Warren to do his job. He was hired to do this job. Well, Kevin Warren didn't reportedly attend the meeting. with the state last week. Which is why this statement came out. We continue to work with Illinois leadership and appreciate progress being made.

My guess is that was not something Kevin Warren necessarily wanted to do on his own, that maybe, maybe, just maybe, Leila, George McCasky said, a little push, a little push on the back. And this is all why I was so angry about it to begin with, because don't be wasting their time. Either the municipality or the state of Indiana

or the state of Illinois. It's a mess. but we've seen a bear's kind of a lot of messes. Frankly, what do we do? Waste everybody's time? The state of Illinois is not wasting anyone's time. I'm not wasting anyone's time. We're great.

I love wasting your time. Hey, Paul Pierce is also a throated idea out there that may not waste time, but it might get some people injured. Would you like to hear about it? I already know what it is. I can't wait to hear your reaction to what it is. I can't wait to hear you're waiting. Next. Rahimi Harris and Grody

That sounds so crazy 104.3 the score. Wow, I like that. Midday's 10 to 2 on 104 3, the score. I asked for this song like two seconds ago, and I'm like, sometime in the future. Can we get this as a return cut? That was a clear 10 seconds.

DJ Butte. You gave him 10 seconds to dial it up. How did you do that that quickly? Tyler Bearder Vaugh and Ray Diaz on the ones and twos for me. Oh, you didn't know that Tyler was a Butte? Lela. You haven't been hearing about this?

I mean, yeah, but I don't know that people need that on a Monday like that. You know what I mean? Does the club go up on a Monday or is that Tuesday? Tuesday, according to Isle of Maconan. Tuesday. Club's going up on a Tuesday. I always thought that was the weekend secretly because like whatever happened to that, dude. Not the weekend, but I love Maconan or Macon or however we say that.

My off days used to be Monday Tuesday. Let me tell you something. Club go up. Working nights. On a midday. On a Tuesday. I knew the spots to hit on a Tuesday. You did. I remember this because when I got to Philly, I didn't know when my off days were going to be.

And you're like, well, here's what we do on Mondays and Tuesdays. And I was like, yo, Mondays and Tuesdays. I have gone to a different place. Although in Houston, I did randomly run into Andre Johnson one night at a very like random place on Monday. Receiver, Andre Johnson? Yeah. He was the most understated but dominant dude in the NFL. That's fair.

Understated titles. I like that. He is, though. Andre Johnson was always like so quiet and soft-spoken about everything except on the field where he kicked everybody's butt. You know who's not understated? Paul Pierce. The Reverend. So Paul Pierce has a pretty, everybody's trying to fix the NBA, right?

Even though, even though the NBA All-Star game got its highest ratings in how many years, according to the NBC. I'm trying to tell you all that. Them boys were out there trying. Nobody likes the NBA except millions of people. So you know what? We try to spray it all the field. and I like sports. So Paul Pierce had this suggestion

for how to fix the NBA. This is what I honestly think they should do with the three point line. I think the three point line should be an LED line that just comes and goes. You can turn it off and turn it back on at certain times

at the game. Like if you're down 10 or three minutes in the first, four minutes, you know. I was like trying to have a four point play, like certain it just should be on. Because it's just ridiculous how I've watched games where, like, Lex, three minutes were all threes. Yeah.

Like, I think it should just turn on, like, somebody could just be in the, you get 48 minutes a game, the three-point lines should be on, like, 30 minutes. It sounds like the Chinese deal where, like, at the end of the game, the three-point line turns a four-point line. Make it an LED line. Then we're going to see who got game. Then you're going to have to get buckets now. You ain't going to be just launching. You're going to have to get money. But, you know what?

Paul Pierce is trying to turn the NBA into literal pop a shot. Have you ever played Papa shot? And then as the game goes on... Watch me back up now. Watch me back up. A four point play. The rules change. It's like, oh, no, now the points are worth this much. What are you doing, Paul Pierce?

It's a video game. He's trying to invent a video game on the court. I think it just turns into like one dude with the ball who's like, oh, oh, is a four point now? I'm going to run back farther than that and then hit the shot. LED lighting? Like, it just wasn't there. Now it's there for a period of time. I'm an un...

You know what this is? That is somebody who had imagination as a child and was inspired by Rock and Jock on MTV and he actually figured out a way to make it happen. This is not Rock and Jock. This is not American Gladiators. This is not pros versus Joe's. This is NBA basketball.

There has to be... And I know he's unemployed, maybe the NBA needs to hire him. There has to be a standard, as Mike Tomlin said. The standard is the standard, as Mike Tomlin has said. And I need the NBA to understand, yes, they have some problems, but let's not go all the way to the other end of the spectrum. What year did Legapim come out by David Banner?

2003. See, it's all we of that ilk. I think we were all inspired by stuff like this. At some point, you're, watch me back up now. Watch me try to hit this. Watch me try to hit this. And a game was going to happen. Specific question for Grody.

It's like a built-in heat check. Because Grody's like poo-pooing. the video game era and everything. I'm just a poop-pooing. I just didn't. Follow me in this. I was just outside playing a wiffleball. What he just described, does that not sound like a bunch of neighborhood kids coming together

and making up some rules to a game? Totally does. Right. Which is fun. That's fun to do. But not at the highest league in the world that plays basketball. Exactly. Yeah.

Exactly. I kind of love it. Because I know that. You would have them bastardize our game like that, the game that we love. I just love the idea of somebody just being like, I'll watch. Just watch this. Just watch this.

And then they just look at the line of the backup and then try to hit the shot. Because then those guys will have their day. What guys? You know what it sounds like? You know the Denzel Valentine. I'm going to throw those three for the win and then Adam Mane is screaming no. Yeah, it's a no. Go ahead, Gordon.

I mean like that wouldn't that be a perfect All-Star weekend edition? Like as we still try to figure out what the best way to perform the All-Star game is and things were better this year. I know you did not partake in the All-Star Celebrity game. I did not. But there's a four-point. They literally had a thing at the scores table. We hit it. And for the next, I don't know, it might have been a minute.

It might have been 30 seconds. I don't remember what the time length was. The points count double. So if it's a three-pointer, now it's a six-pointer. And they had a four-point spot on the court. If it's a four-pointer, now it's an eight-pointer. I really need some sound effects with that next time. Like, do-do-do-do-you-you-you- know when you hit the button or something and then.

Basically, I need the Mario sound effect soundtrack that happened with those shots. Yeah, that'd be nothing. Related, unrelated. How are you guys enjoying the ABS system so far with the challenge that the players have made? It's efficient. It's fast. And anybody who's watched tennis for the last, what, decade and a half understood, why is it taking so long for them to institute this?

Once it happens, people are like, why do we ever not have this when we had the opportunity to have? I'll tell you why, because umpires don't want to be like they took. our jobs, but it's like, no, we still need you there because nothing works automatically like that. I did feel bad, like as a human being, or do feel bad for the umpires to get checked on these things. And I get it. The idea is to get it right. We're all big boys here. But they'll get used to it too.

I guess, but it's got to be embarrassing as hell. The White Sox came yesterday. The Brewers made like, it was like six challenges in a row before they finally got denied or something. I was like, wow, they know their strike zone. And it would be, they tell you how many. inches off the plate, like a half inch off the plate stuff is. It was fun. It was fun. It needs to

evolve. Like that's just it. You can't do it on your own. But if you dig in your heels and refuse everything, they're going to find a way to do it without you. So you better compromise. And that's why my LED 3-point line is going to be the next great innovation in the NBA.

You are pro. I am pro. I'm pro a little absurdity. Just a little. I'm not as pro of the absurdity that as Layley's. And I'm going to be like one of the olds who's like still playing that music and being like you kids don't go hard enough and like back in my end and bring like

out the long basketball shorts and none of the short stuff above the knee mess. Yeah. It's a very specific era you're talking about. The short shorts. I'm happy to have lived it. I love that era. With the long shorts era. Yeah. Get back to short shorts. When AI had to wear a sleeve or his tattoos because they were too controversial.

You know, started it right? Well there's like a controversy over it. Was it the Michigan Fab Five? And I think Kendall Gill has something to say about that, though, too, for his flying alinae. I don't think Kendall would like the three-point L-ED idea. Thank you for that insight. Probably not. Probably not. I mean, maybe, but I just, I don't know.

I think Kendall's, Kendall loves a good mid-range. Yeah. Oh, yeah. Whenever there is somebody going off mid-range in a game, he is sure to point it out. You know who's back? The group is united again. Oh, yeah? So we want to thank Emery Hunt, who joined us.

today. Jack O'Callaghan, wonderful to talk to him. Catherine Tappen, thanks to some tremendous guest booking, Ray Diaz, and Tyler Bueberbaugh. You guys were outstanding. Thanks to Brandon Fryer. Thanks in part to Connor O'Donnell, Jacob Stutz, and Max Curtis. We're always keeping us honest on video and social media. We will mix and mingle with Lawrence Holmes and Matt Spiegel next. Less than a minute to go. Oh, my goodness, Valentine. Whoa, no. No, no. That is not The shot and that moment. Horrible shots. Conor three.