Rahimi, Harris & Grote Show - Transition: Examining Terry Boers' eternal imprint on The Score

Episode Date: January 26, 2026

Leila Rahimi and Marshall Harris welcomed on Matt Spiegel and Anthony Herron for the daily transition segment.

The score. We promise, as we always do on Mondays, to continue to take your calls, even if they sometimes irritate me. Ours did not irritate us today. They celebrated Terry. Thanks to everybody who was a part of the show. Thanks to everybody who called in. We appreciate you.

Thanks to everybody who joined us on the Twitch chat as usual. And for chiming in and having a discussion with us today and being there for each other. Thanks to Connor O'Donnell, Jacob Stutz, Max Curtis. Ray Diaz, Tyler Buterbaum, with that open you heard, earlier. We wanted to play it again for you before the show ended. Brandon Friar helped us out today. And thanks to our guests, Herm Edwards, I can't believe he came on again. He's great like that, isn't he? He was fantastic. Bill Weddington, also wonderful. Thanks to Bill for coming on and Dan Weiderer. And now we welcome Matt Spiegel and Anthony Heron. Hi, guys. Hello, good people. Yes.

And Heron in today, Lawrence Holmes on vacation. He was at the Derek Rose thing on Saturday, night, as was aunt. So I look forward to talking about that. And yeah, it's interesting times around these parts. Very emotional weekend, obviously. Was it an emotional weekend? That's a good way of putting it. We replayed Derek Rose's comments to his brother, and I teared up all over again over that. Oh, my God. That was the one that got me, where he was like, even as you were out there in the streets doing what you were doing, you were trying to keep me out of it. And his brother's crying, like, oh, man, that moment was heavy. for so many different people because of what he became and the effort of a lot of folks to get him there.

And then you just think how much it magnifies the intensity of the pressure he was under, the scrutiny that he was under from going from here in high school to a year in college and then to the Bulls and everything that that organization represents in the city and to those of us who grew up in the 90s as huge Bulls fans. And then D. Rose kind of for that. I was talking to my niece and nephew. about this over the weekend when we dropped our son off me and my wife and we went

to the game and my niece and nephew both right around 30 and so for them D. Rose represents something similar even though the franchise was of course not what the 90s Bulls were but that D. Rose age bracket in that moment in time like D. Rose is

similar to them to what Michael Jordan is to me and just that pedestal that he's on for what he represents as success in basketball in this town. Hey man Joe Keehueh know, I said it a couple times. This is our championship. I mean, it kind of sits a little funky, to be honest with you. But I get what he's saying, and it's lovely. The fact of the matter is they didn't win it, right? And they were a wonderful team that had a really terrific relationship that

has continued in a relationship with the city that has continued. So, yeah, no, I totally get it. But like, yeah, look, the Terry Bors news, I guess, broke on Friday afternoon. Lawrence and I and Tanny and Alex, we were not aware until after the show. But I will say that a textor threw it out there at like 5.10 p.m. And I was like, that can't be true, right? But it's sort of fitting that that's how I learned that Terry Bors had passed is a random textor letting us know because what has been evident all weekend long is that we're not the only one's mourning like the listeners are mourning and I had people asking me on socials like I know I'm

just a listener and I ain't nobody but like I'm sad I'm like are you kidding me you are somebody you knew him that's the thing about our medium you feel like you know us and if you listen enough and we're around together, you do know us. Like, you knew Terry, and Terry loved them, which he had a lovely chance to make clear in the back part of his life and said so every chance he could. So it's been emotional like crazy. The score has never felt more like a weird-ass dysfunctional family

in all of the good ways. And looking forward to tomorrow when we'll kind of, be able to sort of process it all together, but we'll process it a little bit today during the show, as you guys did. It was lovely how you started. That open from Tyler was great, and your calls in the first couple segments, or you guys all handled it in transition. It's been very heavy, and it's just kind of underpinning everything we do right now. I'm looking forward to being able to help sort of process that with you. And you referenced fans, listeners of this station as I was. Like the first time I spent like multiple hours on this station years ago when Bernstein and golf were together.

And the first thing I said, I walk into the studio and his dance, and the first thing I said to was, man, listening to Boers and Bernstein, listening to you and Terry made me passionate about sports talk radio. And Terry represents so much of that. Like for me as a young scorehead and then like years later getting to work at this station in this capacity as frequently as I do, Terry just having me in. stitches as I'm driving around and say, yeah, you tell him, Terry. And oh, man, why didn't I think of it that way? And that combination of wit and snark that he represented and pulled off so well on the air for so many years, there's so many people who felt that while he was on the air. And I'm glad that once he got to the stage of his life where he wasn't on the air anymore,

but he was able to soak that in and feel that from people. And honestly, I'm of a similar mind, a similar parallel with seeing D. Rosie the other night. Like, oh, he's been able to soak this in and enjoy this in a different way than he could while he was here in the midst of his playing career. Like he's not an elder who's retired in that way or anything, but his playing career is over and he's able to appreciate what that moment in time was for him and how he impacted people. And it dovetails very nicely into thinking about the way that Terry was able to be back around it and appreciate the way that folks. appreciated him so much. Yeah, the thing is, and I said this earlier, people keep saying, I'm sorry for your loss.

It's not just our loss. It's the listeners who texted us that. It's people who reach out to us. It's not just my loss. I started saying condolences back to listeners when they were saying it to me. Like, what are we doing here? It's our loss. Like our, not necessarily us at the score.

for sure. And I was just talking to Ray Diaz and Ray's like, I'm sorry for your loss. I'm like, I'm sorry for you. I was like, yeah, you know, I didn't know him real well. But I'm like, Ray, he's, he's all over this place. Right? Like, I mean, like his, there's the sign, but there's also just like the impact on how we all do the job. Like I hear bits and pieces of him in your show.

And you guys didn't cross over with him. But like stuff comes through us and then comes through another show and then make its way to your show through a producer like there is sound and weird-ass Terry Boers peccadillos in every time slot of this station and frankly on stations throughout the country. That's that. It's that part. Terry Boers and Dan Bernstein inspired the station that I grew up listening to. Yeah, right?

Well, see, there you go. And guess what? McNeil and Boers inspired that show. Like McNeil and Boers inspired that, I believe that show. ended up being like the bedrock of the sound of this place. And Bernsey heard that and knew that and was their Bears reporter. Bernsey was their Mark Grody or their Chris Emma. That's what Bernsie was.

And then eventually he gets to work with Terry. And it's like, well, I'm going to do it this way. And it becomes that. But, you know, we'll deal with it tomorrow. Like those two shows really set the foundation for this business in a lot of ways. So crazy. Yeah. And the man left on his own terms.

Nobody gets to do that. It's literally nobody. Amen. Nobody. Who says, you know what, I'm done? I have not. That's not how it's gone for any of us. Nor shell it.

But, you know. But it's been, it's been crazy. We're going to do, we're going to do some phone calls in the 5 o'clock hour and dedicate that hour along the way. So listeners know that. Between now and them, we're going to do a lot of, we're going to do a lot of football. We're going to do some D. Rose. We're going to do our regular show, you know.

But then in the 5 o'clock hour, we'll lean into a little bit. And then tomorrow, man, I got to tell you, the conversations that have been going on among colleagues, former colleagues, big hitters at other networks who are choosing to come on without official clearance because they're like, F you, I want to, like, I mean, it's going to be a very, very special time together. tomorrow. Looking forward to it. And seven hours of that, the tone of it, I think, will be... What?

What do you think the tone is going to be? Tell me, so I don't know. For lack of a better word, fascinating, I suppose, because it's... I would imagine the hope will be to be a combination of celebration and reverence for what he was. For as long as you've been at this station as well as you understand what he represented here and his reverberations to so many people. Been to a good funeral lately?

I mean, right, right? Yeah. I mean, any of us been to good funerals lately? I laugh at those, the good ones, you laugh at them. Yeah. Because you have to. And sometimes laugh through tears. Hell yeah.

Yeah. Such as life. Uh-huh. Right. So the old home going, it can have an effect on you because you are literally celebrating someone's life. And that can't, even though you are mourning, you can't forget the celebration of life part.

That should be the driver in my period. Like when I go one day, I just hope people are having a good time. No, seriously, though. Yeah, right. Yeah. Right. And it's all mixed together. It's all mixed together in regular life anyway.

Yes. That's how real life works. There's ups and downs and sadness and happiness and learning from. Yeah. That's real. Yeah, exactly. Just think about the major moments in people's sports family. right here.

Yeah. That they experienced with Terry. That's from Wani's Army. When McNeil and Boers decided they were going to back Dave Wansett as a coach. So in the 90s, they decided, you know what? We're going to be in Wani's Army. Who are you? I'm major disappointment.

Okay. And they just started naming each other. Then people would say, like, call me General Malays. I'd like to join Wani's Army. And callers, we call it. That's that bit. And we're still doing that. That's a McNeil and Boers bit from decades.

ago, you know? Was who you crapping? Would that have been one of the original sort of staple segments on this station that just really reverberated for people that kind of broke through? Without a doubt. Without a doubt. Without who you crappin, there's no what's your beef. There's no bum

of the week. There's no, and for that you suck. You know, all those things. Yeah. There's no categories. Everybody's like, that'd be good. If there's no categories. I enjoy categories. Thank you, Marshall. Yeah!

That's right! You got one. I hope to one day play categories. You're in. You're in. Thursday. What are you doing? I don't think I have any play it's Thursday.

Before or after y'all get on these sticks? Because I feel like I've been here in that. I feel like I've been here in that for a minute. It still hadn't happened yet, right? Yeah, somebody keeps ducking out. Is it a Tecmo Super Bowl? Techmo Super Bowl? You know the name of the game.

You didn't even make that. The Cardinal sin of calling it Super TechMobile. I appreciate you for that. You know, part of the genius. of Tecmo Bowl is that every game seemed to come down to the last possession. Isn't it? Like a lot of times. It's not what I played. That's kind of the point.

That's kind of the point. You're going to make them drop the sticks. So when I had it at my when I was working in Philadelphia, I had a Nintendo in my drawer and we just pull it out. In your drawer? Yeah, Randleet, whatever. You know, one of the guys like one of those hustlers

who walk around with a pool cute in his bag bag just in case. Listen, we had this producer. Laila knows him. His name was ice and one day ice we were playing a game and he just kicked it. Not like that. When he kicked the drawer, he kicked the drawer. He couldn't

get it to reset because that was the goal. He was kicking it to try to make it reset turn off and he just kept kicking it and he just kept kicking it. I was like ice and everybody's like look it's an open newsroom because you're beating the hell out of him? You're beating the snot out of them. Yeah. All right. Are you intimidated by this? By Marshall

in general. Okay. The handsomeness, the I'm a nice guy. General intimidation. Salute Marshall for that. The T-shirt collection is outstanding. I thought I had a strong t-shirt collection, so I started being around Marshall. Marshall puts mine to shame.

I like being casual, and if you're going to be casual, you can't just wear the same thing every day. So it's like, T-shirt hoodie, let's ride. Are you guys inspired by the Mike McCarthy hiring in Pittsburgh as I am? How could you not be? Because I assume your inspiration level is really. rather low. So, I mean, why would it exceed that? Hold on.

What's the inspirational aspect here? No, I'm so looking. Well, you know, you changed out a mic for another mic. You know, sometimes a mic doesn't work when you get on it. I was like, can you guys give me the spare mic? It feels very much like a spare mic. And the spare mic, there's a reason you started with one mic, because they thought it was the stronger mic.

And they just have a backup mic. Right, it was for a minute, right? Now, the backup mic is never as high of quality as the original mic that they give you. It's just one that's true. When yours isn't working, you grab another one. Is this what this feels like? Is this one a wireless? Because the battery is running out already.

Yeah. But it'll get you for like... For the franchise that had three coaches since 1969. You know they're going to need another one real soon. I mean, like every hire they've made has been inspired in a home run. They're patient. Oh, my goodness. So this is, this has to be about let's run it back one more year with Aaron.

But also... But you're stuck with him at that point. Well, but I guess is it... Is it about them drafting a quarterback as well? And McCarthy will be the guy to help mold that quarterback. Didn't Aaron effectively fire him the last time? Yes, thank you. I was like, wait a second here.

That can't be it. He's the reason he wasn't in Green Bay anymore. To me, to me it's Aaron finally fulfilling his destiny to fully destroy the Steelers the way that he destroyed the jets. That's what he does. Did you read the report surrounding that whole ending and like supposedly this is a report? I don't know how much stock I put into it, but that Aaron was crying saying he was sorry over and over again.

Oh, wow. No, I didn't see that. I just don't know. I don't know how much we can actually glean from it. I think he is American football prometheus. He goes to organizations and destroys them. He is the bringer of death. He has become football death.

More virus than parasites. Perhaps some one to both. So you're only saying that's a thing in football? Yeah. There's other examples of other coaches, front office members, other places. But it's also the playoff futility. Like if that was, I guess we're all implying that Mike Tomlin in this scenario wouldn't have left on his own terms.

And I guess that illustrates that it does because McCarthy also had issues when it came to actual playoff win, especially with Dallas. Yeah, I mean, he had a really, really good quarterback that he didn't end up calling plays for, in Dallas and they didn't win a playoff. Have you seen the resume side by side? Take a look at that when you get a chance. The Tomlin and McCarthy? Yeah, you're going to be like, oh.

And Harbaugh. I mean, but folks in New York are really excited about John Harbaugh. I wonder if they would have been excited about Mike McCarthy. But New York has not had the base level of solidity and culture that Harbaugh should be able to bring. Pittsburgh has that. They already have that. They've built that. They've had it for 35 years.

or 50 years. If you've talked to people, and I worked in Pittsburgh for two and a half years, if you talk to people who live there and like, I don't even want to call an entitlement. It's just what they're used to, right? And they would be like, Mike Tomlin's not a good enough coach. He's just a, you know, he doesn't know his exes and, like, whatever excuse they want to use because he hasn't done it in the playoffs of late. But I'm like, that grass is not always green on the other side thing.

That comes into play heavy in this particular equation. And I'm curious, seriously, like how many years? do you all expect Mike McCarthy to last in Pittsburgh? Optimistically, what, 7, 8? Oh, that's crazy. I said optimistic, though. See, that's the thing. Because it's Pittsburgh, that's where I'm at.

That was the first thing I said to my wife over the weekend when the news hit was, you know what? I mean, he's probably going to be there for a minute because it's Pittsburgh. Not because Mike McCarthy is a coach who I think is going to win a lot. I definitely don't think he's going to win a lot if it's running it back with Aaron Rogers, because you only got another season tops with Rogers if he returns. and we're not going to know if he's coming back until they're halfway through training camp. So that's going to be a part of the problem too, because if you're in a position where you need to move on, you need to find some other quarterback, you need to find a developmental guy at that position.

Aaron Rogers is not going to allow that unless you do what the Jets did and say, Aaron, you're either in or you out, we've got to make a decision, we've got to move on. Yeah, you've got to force his hand to actually put your franchise in a spot to say we're ready to move on. The problem is you're shuffling deck chairs. I know the usual euphemism is the Titanic, but in this case you're just on like, You're on a porch, but the porch is like on a swamp in New Orleans in 95 degrees and 100% humidity in August. This is why we need. I hope there's a rocking chair.

Instead of being on a Lido deck somewhere on like a Grecian cruise. You know, that's the issue. This is why we need you, Lela. Nobody in this building would have described that the way you just did. Nobody. It was perfect. Can I add, not only are you in the rocking chair on the porch and it's 95 degrees, but the AC is out, but you still get a breeze that comes through? Yeah.

So you're not like dying, but... Unfortunately, Marshall, she made it a deck chair already. She led with the deck chair, so I can't have the rockers. Oh, because she's at deck chairs, but not on that. But I don't know that deck chairs go on porches, but she's rolling. So, you know. I saw my uncle at the Bulls game another night, too. Just surprising.

Like, he just happened to be there. And so we were talking about. We were living, like, reliving memories because my dad's out of their family were this particular uncle is my dad's brother, where we were talking about being in Winona, Mississippi, where my dad, my uncle were born back in the day. and just being on rocking chairs in the south, on porches, with folks driving by and waving. It's a very different vibe in Chicago.

You know, you're on a porch and somebody drives by and slows down. You're not going to wave. You're probably going to duck. But in Mississippi, it was a very different vibe, especially when they were coming up. You're in the neighborhood. You're in Winona.

Folks are just slowly driving by. You might have some sweet tea. You might have some Kool-Aid or lemonade or something else. But folks will just drive by and slow down while you're in your rocker. But it is the pace. When I go back to Alabama, I have to slow down. Like, everything I do has to be slower.

I mean, everything. Because if you live in the city, it's a different pace, man. It's a different pace. It really is. All right, here's what we got going on today. Later on in the show, in the 5 o'clock hour, we'll take some time and talk about Terry Boers. Remember Terry Boers and take your phone calls. So if you want to get in here, you've been dying to get in.

We can do it around 5 o'clock. A rock icon's tribute fell extremely flat. I look forward to hearing that at 445. Will Purdue will join us. He was in the building the other night for Derek Rose Night, as was Aunt Harren, so we'll talk about that. A lot of bears adjacent things, including a bear's injury silver lining that Anne has been wanting to talk about. Kurt Warner at 3 o'clock on the games from yesterday and more. And we'll begin by talking about those games yesterday. The two best teams in the NFL played last night.

Could the bears have hung? We will discuss after Chris Tanna Hills Open. Layla, Marshall, have a wonderful day. Tyler Ray. Good to see you all. It is the score. Spiegel and Holmes with Speaks and Ann Heron right here. And this segment is sponsored by Packy Webb Ford.