Rahimi, Harris & Grote Show - Transition: Spiegel breaks down importance of setting your Super Bowl party vibe

Episode Date: February 6, 2026

Leila Rahimi and Mark Grote welcomed on Matt Spiegel and Laurence Holmes for the daily transition segment.

The score. I thought that modest boozealous, I don't know if you saw it. I'm sorry, did I say MacMiller, not MacKlung? McClung. RIP MacMiller. RIP, MacMiller, very important. It's a Wayne Lair of your name of Matt McClung. Oh my God. Isn't it?

MacLong! The Eric, it's a McClong. A McClung, Doug! I would just like to take this time to tell you that not only are we back from commercial break on time, we're early. So don't ever say we did nothing for you. I'll do a quick segment then. before we do transition.

You know what? I do, because a listener actually requested in FM your impressions, and they wanted to hear you imitate Jeff Joniak. I don't really have a Jeff Joniak in person. You're ridiculous? I don't know. You are ridiculous! How's that?

I think it's good. A little higher pitch than Wayne. I will take all Mark Brody FM impersonation requests to see if they sound any different. I like that idea. We sound cooler on FM from what we've been told. I don't know. Didn't we say we sound younger? Yeah.

Thanks to Mike Florio. Thanks to Jared Payton for coming on. It was a wonderful moment catching up with him. Thanks to Matt Chatham. Thanks to Ray Diaz. Tyler Buterbaugh, Brandon Fryer. Thanks in part to Connor O'Donnell, Max Curtis, and Jacob Stutz. And I guess Max is part.

Max and Connor and Max were part of the reason that the Twitch clips are back in the breaks now, and the Twitch mob is very happy. Oh, they were so upset about that. They were sad. I like a happy Twitch mob. We are working for you. So we got the clips back, and I'm glad you guys are happy about it because that makes me happy. Can I do a Gary Bender impersonation since we're doing Bears play by play guys?

We're back early? Why the heck not? Chicago. Touchdown Chicago. Chicago. There was a breathlessness about Gary Bender. And the fact that he would say Chicago instead of the Bears. That's always a tell.

I have noticed that too. so when I am listening or consuming and I hear somebody say, you haven't been here very long if you're saying that. You know, I've lived in this town since 1992, and yet still there'll be a moment every once in a while where Lawrence Holmes will be like, oh, that's impressive, that I might know something.

Yesterday it was the Chicago Vocational School location where Dick Butkus went to school, down by Calumet. I heard that. Calumet Park. Over on Avenue G. Yeah. And I said... Which is a street that people are like, that doesn't exist in Chicago.

There's no way Avenue G. Yes, it does. But I'm like CBS and you're like, oh, very good. I'm like, pretty good, Jersey boy. That's pretty good. Your Chicagoness is impressive, Mr. Speaker. Was that the, was that the segment after the AK breakdown? I think that was a 520-ish segment or so.

We needed something to lift our spirits after listening to the Bulls. So we chose Bears' Stadium and talk? Yeah. We're putting a stadium on the lake. One is imaginary, the other is real. Yeah, and then we needed something to feel better about. So we watched, we watched, uh, we watched, uh, uh, Schindler's list.

Saving private ride. Either one. That works. I was going to say showa, but that's too deep a reference. Schindler's list is the best. I actually think that that is a, that is a, for the,

for the spirit of the plot, I think Shoa is a good reference. Yes, well, I always like to represent for the East Side because people don't think it exists, and I got some East Side peep, so, you know, whenever we can make a mention of Avenue O or Avenue G over there.

Speaking of Shoa, So it's like a Holocaust documentary It was like six hours long or something I remember I was a kid And it was like a Saturday And we were sledding And like we would leave the house My parents were watching Shoa

We'd leave the house and go sledding Come back And it's time for like hot chocolate and marshmallows And they were still watching Shoa You know And you leave and you come back And they're still doing it It's like

Can you turn this off? I know I need to be in touch with my roots I know But maybe not when it's nice to be sledding I just read Knight by Yili Wais-Ele. Oh, God, I don't leave a mark. But it's appropriate, you know? It's something that people should read.

Yeah. This is the fun stuff. Sorry. Sorry. Sorry. You know, acknowledging other people's pain is a good idea. It's Friday. It is Friday. Goodness sakes.

Feel good Friday. You guys are going to watch this? You guys are going to watch a Super Bowl? Suit Blazer Friday. Look at you, Matt. Matt, all buttoned up, dressed up, Spiegel. What's your Super Bowl plan? What do you make?

for Super Bowl? Is that what I just heard? No, just overall plan. But what are you making for Super Bowl? But like the atmosphere matters, the company matters, the snacks matter, the monetary investment to up your enjoyment

matters. That could be squares or it could be straight up gambling, could be whatever. I am allowing for this year, Spiegel. I am allowing for myself to go and socialize it. I usually like to stay home and watch the Super Bowl, but I will be going to a as Layla put it properly,

I was trying to describe the number of people that are going to be there. It's more of a gathering than it is a Super Bowl party. Magic the gathering? The magic together? Hell yeah. And so we are going to gather and I am going to be able to,

the people that are coming, I know are football fans, so I think I will be able to focus on the game. We are ordering pizza. That is what we are doing. So the pizzas, we're all contributing to the pot of pizza. Layla, what is your setup?

What's it going to be? I think I'm just going to stay at home and take notes. That's my football setup now. Yeah, I mean, I take, wherever I go, I'm the person taking notes, not being social. What about your cuisine? Oh, there's a cuisine. Oh, yeah, there is. Oh, I have a Second City Prime filet that has been hanging out in my freezer too long.

So I think now is the time. So I'm going to defrost it tomorrow. This is a really exciting stuff. Is anyone crock potting it up? No, because I'm going to, I bought an iron skillet just for this occasion. Cast iron skillet? It's a game changer. It is. It's a preseason one. I'm not going to lie. I'm cheating. It's a preseason cast iron skillet. Yeah, but I'm excited about it guys. This is what I have.

So what are you going to do all that's defrosting? Just watch it defrost. Is that you? Spiegel, what are you doing for the Super Bowl? I'm going to sit at home and watch the steak defraud. I'm going to lay at this house and I'm going to watch her fillet defrost. It's going to be an episode of the play-by-play. It's going to be amazing. A watched filet never defraud. You know what they say. Matt, I think we have some action on the left side. The ice crystals appear to be breaking. Breaking it down. It's an 11-hour episode.

You know, they say that oxidation changes the color, Atlanta. Terrible. Man, that is... I was talking with Porth and saying how, like... Ryan Pardt, how... What you're doing, Grotie, I really admire, because that's something that doesn't always... We're not...

We don't always allow ourselves to do that. We're because of how forensically we'll watch a game, like for the broadcast, for prop bets, for anything else, that it's nice to just let go occasionally and just be at a Super Bowl party. I'm going to do the hybrid. Like, I'm going to go and be with the in-laws in the burbs at the house with the fireplace, and we'll all be hanging, and they'll be, you know, doing what they do. And I will be the guy with my notepad, just because you got to,

So I tried to do everything. Don't forget your notes app. Yeah, for sure. You got to try to do everything. Because Monday, we got to be ready and we'll have some fun and break down like all the different angles of it, you know? Also to the textor, I have not read Knight just now. I was just pointing it out about that time of my life. Back to the Holocaust.

Sorry, sorry. I just needed to let people know when I read that book. That's my bit. Many years ago. And, yeah, I'm not trying to steal anybody. Don't steal my bit. If this isn't Steve Allen, he's stealing my bit. How's the crusty sound in that fact?

It's really good. It's really is. That's my best. I'm most confident with that. I have not heard somebody, honestly, in my life, do a better crusty. Yeah, that's pretty good. I thought the generals were due. Why don't you run past Grody your latest creation?

So, Grody, I've been working on it, and I was like, we are going to change the mix of players. It just change it up. And the second round picks, now they are a currency. we have to admit that I don't want to be in the middle. I don't want to be in the middle. So I'm working on it. Arturist, Carter Shover.

Thank you very much. Thank you very much. You didn't even have to tell me who it was, so that's good. That's a good sign. So you've hit the impersonation baseline. I knew what you were trying to do. Okay, you can be honest with me, though. Tell me.

And it's not bad. Not bad, right? I don't know. Like, I think that the more you do it, like, it'll get even better. It's not even something you have to sit and, like, work at it. Well, here's the real question. As long as we're talking, it's just us talking, right? Yeah.

When I do these impressions, I leak confidence almost immediately, okay? And it starts to get worse. It's true. And when I look over and I see Chris Tadhill laughing, it gets even worse. So Lawrence gave me the fine partner advice yesterday to just do it and not look for the approval. Oh, wow. We're about volume here. We need the attempts.

If we can't get him doing the impersonations, then we're not going to be able to be able to run play action. So it doesn't matter if he's only getting a yard. It's the attempts that count. You're right. The linebackers come up. That's right. At some point we're going to take a shot down the field and it'll be because we have allowed this

to continue and grow. So Grotie, any advice on how to not leak confidence would be most welcome. Well, maybe it's on your partners at this point to give a little bit of more encouragement to maybe just

like a fake laugh maybe we have been very encouraging you have that okay tanny tried to keep his stone face yesterday a couple of times

he's like I know he's looking at me I'm just gonna keep it level just gonna keep it nice and level I think you gotta mix in a little staccato with the legato there oh you got it a turrus yeah

you want to throw it out Layla no oh three two it's ludicrous it's ludicrous enough I impersonate

John Fox you do a ludicrous is that what you just that That I impersonate John Fox. That's about time you did. If I move, you move. Just like that. What's your John Fox?

It's all a problem. It's really good. That's the point. If we're going to just throw this stuff out there, Willy-nilly. Yeah. You do Willy-Nilly as well? That guy.

I loved that guy. I thought they lip synced. Blame it on the rain. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. They won Best New Artist at the Grammys. They did.

Millie Vanilla. They won best new artist. They sure did. And Metallica lost to Jethro Toll. Yeah. Well, who did they beat out? Milly Vinole won the best metal category. They didn't win best new artist.

Did they, Tull? But who did Milly Vanillae beat out? They beat out. I want to say they beat out some very famous bands. That had been like between like, with 80s, late 80s, right? Blaming on the rain. So who else? I'm going to guess late 80s is when that came out.

Anybody go too deep? Can anybody go too deep on Millie Vanilla? Yeah, there's one. is another one. There's a Millie and Vanilly. Baby, don't forget my number. Number, number, numbs.

And I'm done. I'm done after going too deep on Millie Vanity. What are you two doing for this Super Bowl? I'm going to the in-laws with my notepet. As described. No, I forgot because we got into impressions. Lawrence is, if you're interested,

Lawrence would like to come over and watch your steak defrost. We've gotten some sideline reporting. on the steak. Really? On the text line. L.R. Bring that steak to room

temp before the series. Lawrence. Can you bring the room together, Lawrence? No. Tie the room together. Can you be an area

room? It's Lawrence and his children. I'm just like this list of the nominees from 1990 for new artists. Yeah.

It's a rough pull. Oh, tell me. Oh, my goodness, that they gave that award to them. To Millie Vanilly? Soul to soul. Oh, man.

Back to life. Back to reality? How dear. you. Tone Loke? Tone Loke didn't win. Tone Loke. Did he get paid to do the wild thing?

Do I have that right? Indigo girls. He said he did. The indigo girls. These are the artists they beat. And Naina Cherry. Closer to Fine. And Nana Cherry, whose dad, Don Cherry.

Legendary Jazz Chumpet Trouble Play. Is that the song? Eagle Eye is Naina's brother. From the break of dawn. You're ridiculous right now. Nana was Buffalo Stance. Was Nana Chish. Yes.

Great song. Yes. Yeah. So, yeah. Yeah, so Millie Vanilli. Undeserving. We hereby declare Millie Vanilly. Undeserving.

And Buddy My Friend, right? Nana Cherry. Maybe. A song about Lenny Kravitz cheating. Oh, wow. Because her and Lennie Kravitz were good friends. And she wrote the song, Buddy, My Friend. Oh, I didn't know that.

Didn't know that. See? I love her, though. Yeah. Like, she was one of the first people to perform pregnant live and that, like, got everybody I do remember that. She did a thing with Michael Stipe, too. There was like a combo platter there.

So yeah, you got Millie Vanilli winning, and you've got Matthew Stafford winning last night at the NFL honors. Thank you very much. Vote over the May. Well, over the Drake. Hell!

Drake May deserve MVP? I thought Matthew Stafford deserved MVP. Did Drake May throw for 4,707 yards? 47 touchdown? Stafford dropping his return plans in the acceptance speech. That was pretty cool.

It was pretty cool. Yeah, it was. I agree with that. There was a daughter with, like, leader energy on his, if you're looking at the screen, on the right side of your screen, his left side,

did you notice that one point she, like, tapped her sister on the head, that she had her hands on her hips, did she, like folded her arms and looked up at her dad. I like that his army of daughters went up there and they were like, we're with our dad.

Y'all better recognize. I thought that was great. That's cool. And he thanked them all. He thanked them. for being a part of his, part of his, what is his leadership council? Is that what he said?

No, Matt Eberfluse had his daughter's on his leadership council. That's right. Matt Eberflus's daughter's new ball. You leave them out of this. You know what came up yesterday in our conversation on this show? Talking about the Bulls was about Michael Reinsdorf and how he hired A.K. As his first hire and then has seemingly doubled down

and perhaps even tripled down to let that linger because he doesn't want to admit that it's a bad hire. And then George McCasky came up in our conversations. You know, I'm such a food for you. Cranberries. Do you have to? Do you have to? So George came up because George might have just kept making bad hires.

But thankfully, Kevin Warren convinced him that he had to make a really good hire and they redid their practices and they paid $14 million for head coach who has more power than the GM and more power than the McCaskey family is comfortable for. You know, like, so Michael Rinesdorf and the Bulls, they need some advisors in there. They need people around them, strong-ass people who know the NBA, because I'm not sure that Michael really does know how it's supposed to happen right now, because the entire NBA universe is laughing at the Chicago Bulls. What about Pax and all of this?

Because, you know, Pax willingly took a different role, and it depends on how you remember it, but he stepped aside as well. You know, he partially helped create the path to make this happen. He still got respect in the organization. I wonder if. If Michael calls Pax. No, no, it's a good question in terms of like, Pax should be a guy would tell you, look, this isn't my job anymore.

I know you gave it to that guy, but I don't know if it should be that guy's job anymore. I mean, he's still with the organization. Yes. Yeah, I don't know. I don't know the answer to that. So listen, I've been going through this new artist thing. Thank you. And there's some, there's some, some, some heavies.

Some heavy hitter years. Okay, I'm going to throw a couple at you and you tell me. Who should have won? Is this the question? Not even who's just like Marvel at who's on the list. 2003, Nora Jones wins. Comey Green. That's a pretty good debut record.

It's a pretty strong record. Other people on the list, Ashanti, Michelle Branch, Averill Levine, and John Mayer. Yeah, that's a good list. That Nora Jones record is... It's an unbelievable one. But how is it aged? The way it's aged, John Mayer would be the guy. It's just crazy, like, looking at some of these lists, and you go, wow, this is...

Like, here's a stacked one from 99. Lauren Hill wins, obviously, from miseducation of Lauren Hill. Backstreet Boys, Andre Pichelli, Dixie Chicks, Natalie and Bruglia. What? That's a very strange category. Textor says Millie Vanilli also did wishing well. How dare you? That's Terrence Trent Darby

on the side of a bridge. How dare you? That is dreadlock That is dreadlock misappropriation. How dare you? How dare you? And that album is a great album. It really is. The only problem of Terence Trent Darby. The only... I think it was

the hard line with Terence. The hard line according to Terrence Trent Darby. Thank you. The only problem that he had is that he started off the bat saying he was better than Prince. And that usually... Don't do that. People are like, don't do that.

Not better than Prince. But that album, and sign your name is still a banger. We'll give you another group here. You ready? Totally agree with that. 1998. Paula Cole wins, best new artist.

Where of all the Cowboys got? She is in a category with Fiona Erica Badoo. Oh, dear. Hansen, and he who shall never be named again, Puff Daddy. Oh, yeah.

He wasn't a... new artist then? He was, though, because that was his debut as an artist. Other than just being on in the background, going, take that, take that. There's some, there's some, this one, 2001,

Shelby Lynn wins, Brad Paisley, Papa Roach, Jill Scott. Cut my love in June, and Cisco. Let's take, oh, dear. I'm beginning to see where we lost our way here. As a country.

Yeah. Yeah, I agree. 2005, Maroon 5, they won. Los Lonely Boys, Joss Stone, Kanye West, Gretchen Wilson. Gretchen was nominated? That's a loaded category. In a career?

For the career? For the career? In the career? Yeah, there it is. All right, Rome. Tyler Beaterball, he's a but he's a beaut. He's a beauty. I love that Grody says that.

Yeah. He's a beauty. I think I've got the winner. This is pretty cringe already. 2011. I think this is the winning of all of these. Esperanza Spalding wins. She did that great, like, jazz fusion album. She was up against Justin Bieber, Drake, Florence in the Machine, and Mumford and Suntz. We were just talking about the machine.

My God. Yeah, Florence and the Machine because one of the NFC defensive players wanted to see Florence in the Machine at the Super Bowl. Oh, that's cool. Isn't that awesome? Florence is out here with a solo album without the machine. Without the machine. I need to meet that defensive player because that's awesome. Well, maybe they would like to go over the collective balance tax for you. You never know.

Dog days are not over, apparently. So what is Dave the Cat picking? Oh, so Dave the Cat, when given the choice, what could go to either logo, separated the papers, put them on my floor, neutral territory, no funny stuff. Dave walked right up. up to the Patriots. Unbelievable.

Didn't even consider Seattle, which surprised me and has made me think about it differently. I will be putting a few bucks down on the New England Patriots to win the Super Bowl. If they win and Dave wins, then you're going to have to next year do a full Dave the cat handicapping segment. Absolutely, because I will be able to say that he has gotten it right 100% of the time. Exactly. He's one or no. That's it.

And Instagram reels of some kind, perhaps? I think so. You're welcome, everybody. He drives around all over the town. David the procrastinating. I don't even know. Prognosticating. And the prognosticating.

And the proctologist. The driving cat. Dave, the proctologist. It made me laugh every single time. It was so ridiculous that it. I was like, is this it? Is this it a cat? Is this it a cat driving with bad graphics?

Is that? Is that? Okay. It's funny. Tintis? Toonce is the driving cat made me laugh. Same thing with McGruber. Every time.

I don't care if I know how it ends. It makes me laugh every single time. The first time I got responsibility of driving the show, I said it was going to drive it off a cliff like Tootson's. Damn right. And I still do every day. Poor Toot's the driving. We tune in for it.

Here's what we're doing on today's show. The Wolf, aka Herb Howard, is going to join us at 3 o'clock. He's just sitting there talking to Kyle Long and Brian Erlacker just walks by. And then he's talking with Brian Erlacker. So we'll talk with him. Erlacker. Joe O is going to join us. You want to get ready for the Super Bowl?

Joe Estrowski will help you at 325. Olin Croutts will join us at 4 o'clock. We will talk to him about the Protector of the Year and other things. Anthony Herron joins us at 5 o'clock. I don't know if you're going to hear a better Super Bowl Friday show than what we have planned for you. And we are going to start by talking about. damn it, give the bears their picks back. That's after Taney's open, which you should tune in for next on the score.

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