Rahimi, Harris & Grote Show - Will the Bears go with Tyson Bagent or Case Keenum on Sunday? (Hour 1)

Episode Date: October 2, 2026

Leila Rahimi and Mark Grote opened their show by discussing whether the Bears will start Tyson Bagent or Case Keenum at quarterback against the Jets on Sunday. After that, they wondered how Bears head coach Ben Johnson feels about cornerback Kyler Gordon, who has returned to practice after being sidelined for a long stretch by a calf injury. Later, Rahimi and Grote discussed the latest developments in the Bears’ stadium pursuit.

This hour is being brought to you by four seasons, heating, air conditioning, plumbing, sewer, and electric for all the right reasons. Call 8664-4-4-4-4-4-4-the-score. This is John in Milwaukee. Hi, John, what's going on, man? The Cubs and the crew have a great team. Their greatest teams enough in the majors right now, I feel. Say what? The Cubs and the crew are the two best teams in the league.

I just want to make sure I heard you right. That's what I say. Wow. Stay off the weeds. How do you come up with that after what you just saw, man? I want to play along with you here, but I can't. Well, I just wanted to make a statement because the Brewers hired our coach, Pat Murphy, as a bench coach.

And I think he was carrying Craig's counsel for a long time. I believe that he's just not as good as everybody puts him out to be, especially after he got that amount of salary. And I'm going to leave you at that. I assume you're a Brewers fan, right? I assume, right? I've been watching the Cubs and the Brewers for 10 years straight, Never miss any games.

What? The inspiring words of a fan who'll always root, root, root for the home team. You're a Brewer's fan, though, yeah? I'm both. Up to me and Occie. I got my cubby hat right on right now. I don't believe you. We did it!

Let me try this on here. Green Bay sucks. Green Bay sucks. Green Bay sucks. Green Bay sucks. Green Bay sucks. Oh, he doesn't watch football. Foozball. You playing a foosball behind my back?

Foozball is the devil? This is the most random collection of caller. You're a brewers and Cubs fan and you don't watch football. Hold on. John, who's your basketball team? You got a basketball team? Well, now, I'm a fair weather fan, so they got rid of my Atonacummo, however you say his name.

Led by Janus, out of grumble. Are you a bear's fan? Well, since they're kicking ass, excuse my friends. No, you're good. Yeah, the bears. Bears are going to kick ass. Excuse me, how about those bears? You've got a bear down on a daily basis. Layla Rahimi, Mark Grody, midday's 10 a.m. to 2 on Chicago Sports Radio, 1043, the score.

Oh, we're going to bear down a lot today, Leila. It's Rahimi and Grotie on a Friday. Are you ready? Are you ready to get bears-y? Well, I believe you said you had a bear's bucket of news that you wanted to empty. Oh, yes, the bear's bucket will be emptied at 1025 and make no mistake. about it, folks. You are listening to a four-season heating, air-conditioning, plumbing, sewer and electric

football Friday presented by your local Ford dealers and Advent. It is the Bears and Jets along the lakefront Sunday at noon. Cannot wait. The 2-1 Bears against the 1-2 Jets. A Jets team. The theme of the Jets team is they are like, they're close. Look at the games that they've been playing so far. They are close contests.

They lost to the Lions last week, 31 to 24, but overcame a 14-point deficit in the fourth quarter to tie the game. Week two, they only lost to Green Bay by three, and they beat up on the Tennessee Titans 23 to 10 in week one. So they're that team, Leila, that's teetering on being dangerous because they're close. The Jets, I'd say, may be the biggest, well, prior to Cleveland being three and three. one, which is shocking. Is that a real three and one? You watched more of the game last night than I did. I watched the entire fourth quarter.

After I saw that exchange between Aaron Rogers and Mike McCarthy, I was like, oh, this is going to be interesting. Tell March I said bleep you. Yeah, so basically that I turned on like the fourth quarter of the Jets and the, um, or Jets, the Steelers and Browns game. First of all, let me tell you about that Andre Schimp, I think is how you say his last name. The kicker. Yeah, so he's from Vernon Hills.

He was on the Bears practice squad at one time. Vernon Hills, hello. He's the one who made the game winner against the Packers last year for the Browns. And I was watching the game, and a friend of mine was talking to me about it. And they were like, there's no way he makes this kick, right? For the game winner, I was like, oh, no, I've seen him kick. I'm like, I think he's good. And then he was, he made, it was 56 and he made that thing with like another four yards to spare.

Boom! Could have gone 60. He was on the Bears practice squad. I just want to point that out. And he's a local guy. Why do you hate Cairo Santos? I don't hate Cairo Santos. I've learned to understand that Cairo will miss the 30-yarder,

but then nail the, like, 52 screwball into the winded soldier field. He's really one of the steadiest kickers the bears have ever had, Cairo Santhals. But it's the 30-yarder where I'm like, and then you know who had a really nice day on special teams, too. Do you remember Richard Hightower saying his name is Jordan Bohrquez, the punter for the... Oh, yeah.

So he put it an 81-yarder that ended up being 61 because it was a touchback. My goodness. You don't have to spend a fourth-round drive. pick on those guys. Ray, did you have something there? Oh, just quickly, my quick synopsis, I know this is a football Friday with a focus on the Bears. Yeah, bears, right. It was really a product of like the Steelers were a mess on offense for a lot of that game. They have no pre-snap motion. Yes. Zero. Like everybody just stands around. And on defense, they were a mess to begin the game. And then the Steelers defense kind of found themselves. T.J. Watt started to get to Sean Watson.

But it was just they dug themselves the hole. That was the synopsis of the game. So, ergo, the Jets have become the benefit of the doubt team in the NFL currently. They have and they got a pretty decent defense that is 12th and points allowed, sixth and total yards. They are fifth. Well, let me start with Rush. They are 12th against the rush and fifth against the pass, which brings us to who will be passing for the Chicago Bears on Sunday. And both of your contestants spoke at Hallis Hall yesterday, and I must give this little caveat. Neither quarterback spoke at the podium. It was not a formal setting, but both

quarterbacks were amenable to speaking to the media. I think right outside the locker room, I think they did that whole thing where they set up the podium because it just gets to be too big of a crowd inside of the locker room. And again, for whatever it's worth, FWIW, Tyson Baygent was the first of the two quarterbacks to speak. And he was speaking to about not getting the start on Monday as Case Keenham was the one elected to do that because of the concussion to Tyson. I'd like to think about it in the sense of, there's a couple ways to think about it. Obviously, I would like everything that the football world can offer me.

But then there's also the part that I am from Shepard's University. So I have absolutely zero ego in this. And nobody's a bigger cheerleader and a fan of Case Keenum than I am. I think he is the epitome of what I believe a quarterback is and is supposed to be. So it was fun to watch and play. Did you learn anything watching him prepare the way he did? What did you learn? Yeah, just how he carried himself throughout the week.

I thought it was vital for every quarterback in the room to see that. I mean, I know that I had a ton of notes outside of what we were doing schematically just on how he was carrying himself and basically just what he did, meeting in and meeting out. Do you have any sense if you are the starter? I do not. Pretty well done. Addical, Cheryl. Yeah, good job by Cheryl Ray.

And really, like, if you're rooting for the gamesmanship part of it, if you don't want to give it up to Aaron Glenn, what the bears are doing at quarterback. Tyson Bajon did a good job of answering that last question as well. He was well rehearsed on that, just to keep a steady poker face and do not allow anybody to know any different tone in your voice. But I also think that is him. He's pretty, he's been genuine like that. I feel like that's.

Stoic guy. Yeah. Looks you in the eye. The has, has absolutely zero ego involved in it. I mean, human nature. probably dictates that like he he would like to have been that guy in that spot. I mean, I remember doing the remote for Take the North and the idea that I suggested that he was a backup quarterback did not sit well with Tyson Vagent. Yes, but I also think it was the way he,

from what you told me about that discussion, it was how he felt like he had to talk to himself to make sure he was ready and hold himself to a high standard of the starting quarterback. That's a good point. Yeah, to be ready at a, at a, at a, moments notice. And I'm not trying to make excuses for the guy. It's just when you hear him enough talking and like hard knocks, I think was a really good window into kind of his personality and how he fits into a room. So I don't think it's lip service from Tyson Baygent. I also, to that end, the picture of Tyson Baygent in the locker room while Case and Ben are doing their thing and he looks all, some people thought he looked irritated. I thought that

was just Tyson being Tyson looking stoic and looking professional like he always does. Let's listen to the other contestant, Case Keenham, making the case for his starting at quarterback. For case. For case. For case. Yeah, bears. Man, I've been making my case for 15 years. Like, I'm trying to win ball games.

Like, I don't really, I didn't go out there to make a case to be anybody except myself. And I felt pretty good about winning, you know, the football game. And we won. So that's how I feel about that. You've had to live in limbo throughout your game. Live in limbo. That should be a chapter in my next book. Well, if you want me to write your memoir, I'm more than happy to do so.

But given... I already have one. That's true. Yeah. Given that that's how you've gone about your theory, how do you, on short notice, just having been in that world for your whole time in the NFL, how does that make you ready? I'm built for this.

Like, I literally have all the situations. I mean, not all, but I have so many banked reps. of situations and outside noise that I can just, I tune it all out. And I believe the truth and what my coaches tell me, when my players, my teammates tell me and what I see on film and what I know I can do. And, you know, you just go out there and do the best you can. And then you learn from when you don't succeed. It's not failure.

It's just an opportunity to learn. Nobody knows their role better than Case Keenham. He's a professional backup quarterback at the, this point. He's a quarterback who didn't necessarily expect to ever throw a ball in a real game with the Chicago Bears. Yeah. And I feel like he's playing with gratitude. Totally. The both of them do.

The both of them. They really do. I do feel like my possession arrow, well, that's possession arrow is either one team or another. My, you know, the prediction arrow. Yeah. What do you got? I feel like it is wavering a little more toward Bayesian, even though I personally would probably

still start case. Just because my coach brain, that's how I feel, but I think the likelihood is turning more in the direction of Beijing. I feel that too, and I have not heard anything out of Hallis Hall, anything exact, anything sourced from myself or from anybody, but it feels like the best guesses coming out of Hallis Halle's all and the reporters are that it's going to be Bayesian as well. It is interesting to me that if it is Bayesian, it will have been two weeks in a row that you will have had a quarterback starting that has not started a game.

since the year 2023. That had been the same thing with Case Keenum. It will be, if it's Tyson, the same thing with him as he started four games in the year 2023. After he relieved Justin Fields, he had a hand injury against Minnesota. Then he comes in, and then he starts four games. And, you know, he was okay. He was okay against the Saints.

He did have a three interception. He had a couple of games with multiple interceptions. But I'm not going to do. well on 2023. Tyson Baygent is a different quarterback now in 2026, obviously a very different head coach, very different training, and we should probably give him the benefit, the doubt that he's better than what he was

in 2020. I was too busy grinding my absolute face off. Yes, you were. Just like you can see where the preseason helped Case Keatim and gave you an indication of what you might see on Monday night against the Eagles, I think you can say the exact same thing about the preseason for Tyson Baygent. Absolutely.

This Sunday, joined the score and Bud Light at the Sports Corner in Wrigleyville, Olin Crutes, Patrick Manley, and yours truly. We'll host our pregame show there. Who's yours? I don't know who that is. It just says yours truly. I just read what's in front of me. That is happening from 9 to noon.

9 to noon? Who put the question mark in the teleprompter? I'll read anything. In a career? Then have immediate reaction on the postgame show after Chicago takes on New Year. compete in round one of Bud Light's national football face-off tournament, giving you a chance to test your football skills to win a trip to Vegas during an NFL playoff weekend in January. That's this Sunday before and after the game at Sports Corner in Wrigleyville. The Sunday fall Gallagher Way trip and Wrigleyville trip is a good one.

You can still enjoy the weather. Yeah, man. Yeah, you can feel a little crisp in the air for the football. indication. I'm sorry there's no baseball there and that stinks. We have Jed Hoyer on at one. Yes, we do. Yeah, yeah. Full Jed Hoyer. He's doing the season ending press conference. We will carry

that for you at 1 o'clock. We've got a lot more football. We've got Steve Stone at 11.25. Adam Hogue is at 11, 1225. Kevin Fishpaint, so I always look forward to talking to those two guys as we usually do on Fridays on this particular show. Thank you to our producers. Ray Diaz and Tyler Buterbaugh. They're both here on a Friday.

Connor O'Donnell, Max Curtis, Jacob Studs. run the videos. The scorechicago.com editor is Cody Westrel. And if you'd like to watch us, search the score Chicago on Twitch and YouTube, and you can find our video stream each and every day. We could talk a little bit more about the QB situation coming up, but we've got other things we want to talk about, including Kyler Gordon, who was practicing yesterday. How much did he practice? What was it like? We will tell you about that next and other Bears notes as well. on a Friday on Rahimi and Grotie on 104 3, the score. My name is Laila Rahimi, and I love sports, and I don't care who knows.

We like sports and we don't care who knows. Midday, 10 a.m. 2 on the score. The bear. Fuck it. Oh, and Sledgehammer? The quintessential radio return music of I'd say the early 2000s. It is a good song. What?

Yeah. Like, you can't help but liking the melody of it. It is probably objectively. That's not what I don't know. But Peter Gabriel lived on the edge. Yeah. And I don't dislike Peter Gabriel. I like some things that Peter Gabriel has done for sure, whether with Genesis or solo.

I think that's just one of those songs I've just heard way too many times. Yeah, because it's a quintessential radio return cut. It is? But it makes me feel good. Oh, yeah. Why? Why? Because it just is.

I've not noticed that. Man, I worked at a station that used to all the time back in the day. Well, this ain't that. Oh, yeah. I heard dare we use one of the better artists of a decade. Well, it doesn't matter. You didn't think I'd be caping for Peter Gabriel today, didn't it? Peter Gabriel.

Come talk to me. That's a sick song right there. See you there? No, I do like Peter Gabriel. I'm just talking about that song in general. I think I've just heard it too many times. That's all. It's Rahimi and Grotie on 104, the score,

where we talk sports and music. We do like to talk music on this show and backstage and all those kinds of things. I just realized something about what is going to happen today at Hallis Hall with the Chicago Bears and the beats. The fact that, okay, so Kyler Gordon, if you don't know, was a full, Layla, full participant in practice yesterday. There was nothing limited about the designation that Kyler Gordon was given. And if you don't know, the Bears did open the 21-day practice window for Kyler Gordon to come off of the pup list. And he's got to sit out one more game. And then he would be eligible to return, which would be against at the Packers.

And if he doesn't return, they put him back on the pup. He's gone. He's staying there for the rest of the year. So there are some big moments of consequence coming up finally in the Kyler Gordon story. But what I realized is that Ben Johnson will be asked about Kyler Gordon today. Oh, on the list of things that annoy Ben Johnson. That is one of them. That is correct.

What's been your message to Kyler Gordon? Get healthy. It's the click for me. It's the tongue click. I don't give a bleep tongue click. Is that what it is? Or I'm pissed off and I have to answer this question, tongue click. You know what the list is.

We've got over it. Yeah. I think that was also regarding Kyler Gordon. Oh, no, that was starters and preseason. Let's do the list. Okay. starters in preseason. Kyler Gordon.

Kailorden. Losing to the Lions for the last game in the regular season last year. Cell phone going off. Or is that a different category? Is that bad reporter etiquette? Well, yeah.

Okay, what else? Let me think about this. Oh, the idea, did you say Tyson potentially being traded? No! Yeah, Tyson potentially, but that doesn't anger him. That was him coughing and having some fun with it because he loves it. Good point. It's still brought out a happier side.

Yeah. Holidays. Holidays. Yeah, screw holidays. He's got Miami tape to break down. He has no idea what day. Yeah, that was time off. But also he didn't know what day Christmas was. Right. Doesn't matter. Doesn't matter. I'll think of more. Yeah, we will. But here's the thing. Not only is a question justified. Last week's game. By the bear's season. Sure. Yeah, yeah. Talking about last season. Can't do that. But not only would a question is imperative, quite frankly, about Kyler Gordon today, guess what? If Ben Johnson,

is to give another one of those types of answers. And either way, even if he answers enthusiastically, follow-ups are justified today, are warranted today. While before then, like we could all infer from what he was saying, he's not happy with him. And so not necessarily, didn't necessarily need a follow-up. Now if he gets pissy, you got to follow-up, right? What's the matter?

Why aren't you answering these questions, Ben? Well, and even Ryan Poles. I'd love to hear what Ryan Poles has to say about this, because when he was asked about it, there was a question about his finality with the team. Whether or not he had played his final snap with the Bears and he was like, I don't know. Or if he was going to play this season.

Right. The whole thing was a shoulder shrug. The whole thing was like, and I'm not mad at him for saying, I don't know. It's just the fact of the matter is this all seemed very up in the air. Yeah. Yeah, no, he made that very clear. And again, what makes the whole thing unprecedented in my mind in Bears' history

is that you had the GM and the coach basically saying, you guys should feel free to interpret this however you'd like. Well, and then there's Brad Biggs reporting where he said teammates called the situation, quote, bizarre, end quote. And that's another indicator. Absolutely. And then if we want to add to Kyler Gordon's side of it, we had Herb Howard telling us that players came up to him in the locker room and were saying how much they support Kyler Gordon, how much they love Kyler Gordon, how great of a player Kyler Gordon is. That doesn't mean that that reflects the entire locker room, but there are players.

in there that do indeed support him. So it's very interesting. It is the most mixed of mixed bag. It really is. And so we'll see. We had no idea if we're going to actually get to the point where this guy is going to play. Do you think he's going to play? Like, is your prediction changed by the fact that he was a full participant in practice yesterday? Yeah, because I think a roster spot, the tenuous nature of the roster spot when you

open up a window like that. So this would be the last game. he can miss. But the better question becomes, is it like a situation last year with Malikma or with Nashan Wright and Jalen Johnson where the odd man out was Tyreek Stevenson and that? You know, they want to go with the hot hand. They've talked about that. That's been the philosophy. So how does that work easing him back in? And that's a better question too. Yeah. I guess what Ben Johnson says today might be a good indicator of where they are with him now and where they are with him going forward. You mentioned this, Leila.

I think you were the first to bring this up yesterday, and then it came up again during transition today. There is a danger that the bears are facing against the New York Jets. This might be the most underrated, but high pressure streak in the NFL. Last season, the Jets, with their former defensive back head coach, Aaron Glenn, did not have a single interception. Well, guess what, friends, that has continued into this season. It is the Cowboys, the Jets, the Colts, and the Eagles are the only teams that don't have an interception yet this season.

And I don't care if your case, Keatom or Tyson Vagent. You cannot break the streak. You cannot be the team that finally has the Jets get an interception in the Aaron Glenn era. Don't be. Can't do it. That's 20 games. Don't be that guy. You can't be that.

Like no next team wants to break the streak. Patrick Finley was thankfully on this story at Ellis Hall. Did ask Press Taylor about this. Jets have an interception to pass in a year and a half. Do you want your guys to know that or not? Honestly, I remember hearing that going into the offseason last year. We haven't talked much about that, honestly. We're just going to go in and try to do our very best with every single thing we do.

and obviously in the past game, and that's not something necessarily we talk about. We know what, as everybody says, turnover's coming bunches, and so we hope to not be a part of that. See, you don't want to break the streak. You can't be the team to do it. Don't talk about it.

And then that team will carry shame. For shame. The last interception was Ashton Davis, last regular season interception for the New York Jets, January 5th, 2025 against quarterback. You never get this. Miami Dolphins quarterback.

Tyler Huntley. Wow. So is one of the games where Tuo was out. Yes, it was. So it is as ambiguous and gray as can be. And it's not a good look for

Aaron Glenn who played defensive back during his career with the Jets. So while you can't really pin it on him and be like, oh, you should be doing better. It's not like he's in the secondary. Right. That's got to be super annoying, though, because I'm sure the questions are consistent

and that's a topic in New York with Jets talk show hosts and that they have to, They have to deal with that on the daily. Oh, yeah. Yeah, they know a healthy level of dysfunction, the Jets covering media. Yes. But you can't be the team.

You can't be the team that breaks a streak. No. Don't be. Press Taylor tried to kind of soften it. Why do I get the feeling that he also knows? He did not want to deal with that. Because he might be a little stitious. Just a little bit.

Or maybe he's absolutely superstitious. Have we talked to Press Taylor? as a human to know that about him? I don't know. I don't think so. I don't think this would be the time. Do you think that there's any chance that Joe Tooney will play left tackle? That's the other part of this. So you're in a tenuous situation here with Braxton Jones being being injured. And then Theo Benedid had some really tenuous snaps against the Eagles. There were some replays of guys just going right past him. Past protection seemed to be the

concerned with him. Yeah. How confident are you with Theo Bennett at a left tackle for a backup quarterback? Tyson agent runs. He's mobile. So theoretically, that can counter some of that. I haven't been confident in a Bears left tackle for basically a season in three games now. Like, but to the Bears credit, to Ben Johnson's credit, they have managed to overcome the

issues at left tackle. Now, it, again, as I was saying. say. I would say they've mitigated them. I wouldn't say they've overcome them. Well, what I was going to say is it's been maximum effort. Yeah. Mitigated. Yeah. They have done what they've had to do. They've had to overcompensate at times to help left tackle or put them in a position to what. Maybe putting, as they did last week, putting Darnell right and Jonah Jackson on the left side for a play. Poor Darnell. As they did. Well, not poor Darnell because they're doing that because Darnell is excellent. And it did again make me think

Is darn all right? Does he still the future at left tackle? Is there any chance that we reopen those talks depending on how Ozzie Tripillo does, which I guess is the real answer? Trapio. Like, Ozzie Trapillo. Thank you.

How good is Ozzie Trapillo going to be? Like, that's still the number one question. And it's not out of the question that he plays this week. We don't know at this point. Hold on. But it's possible. The bucket given. here. Okay, so now you're saying that there's...

I don't think you'd start. Can we, as a media unit, handle Trapillo and Kyler Gordon coming back in the same week? Oh, man. Well, Kyler's not coming back. Kyler's not coming back this week. He can't play this week. Yeah, it's the next week. Right, right, right. So though, but... No, when I say this, I meant like the same, the same week. Like practice and stuff. I guess Tripillo, yeah.

I guess technically Tripillo is a possibility for Sunday. He is now, I doubt... In my mind, he's not. So that's why I went to. to the following week. I get that. No, I totally get that. Like, I don't see a scenario where he would start, but I could see a scenario where he comes in. And maybe we'll get more of those answers today, like out at Hallis Hall. Maybe we'll know more about Tripillo. Maybe our guys will have Hogan a little bit later, Fish Bain as well. They could probably help us out with that. But that's it, right? Like, he is supposed to be Ozzie Tripillo, the stabilizer at that position. Now, played last year, but I don't know that he was necessarily outstanding.

He was better than I think people thought, but we still don't know if he could play the position. These are problems that I did not want to have, but we have. Yes, they have arrived. Oh, we have the announcement. Remember that time that I alluded to doing a show in Wisconsin? Was that yesterday? That was this week at some point in this weird week of us staying up very late most of the week. You guys don't even remember the caller said badgent.

That's how weird this week. Yeah. Well, we have an announcement about our show in Wisconsin. Oh. Yeah. Go ahead. Next Friday, October 9th, joined we the score at the world famous Brat Stop in Kenosha for the return of the Brat Bowl previewing Chicago against Green Bay.

Our show will be there broadcasting live from 10 to 2, followed by Matt Spiegel and Gabe Ramirez from 2 to 6 that afternoon. We'll be joined by special guests, host. from our enemy station the fan of Milwaukee. It's going down. As well as the show is gearing up for a much anticipated rematch this Sunday. That is next Friday, 10 to 6 at the broad stop in Kenosha. It is all brought to you by Ziegler Subaru of Kenosha.

For a great experience, visit Ziegler, Subaru Kenosha.com. Can't wait, looking forward to the Brat Bowl coming up next with us. Wait, are you picking us all up again? Are we going to ride with you up there? We can, but okay, we're going to do this on. the air. Here's here are the, because Ray, you need a ride as well. Yes, sir. And Tyler, you're welcome to. I'm stuck here. Oh, you can you fit the soundboard in your trunk somewhere? Yeah. Can you bring it with us? Put in the trunk, we'll all go together. Tyler is an adult. He owns a car.

So, um, so here is my only, maybe a minute. Just forget a Ray. We got, we, we, beggars can be choosers today. Right, right. Exactly. Exactly. So here's the deal. We're just out here. You guys have to passenger princesses. You all need. to meet at my place. That's it. That's the circumstance. You got to come. You got to be in my lobby and I will drive whoever. Listeners, come on to my lobby. Anybody that shows up in my lobby will all get in the car and we will drive to Kenosha together. It's going to be great. You know a house is going to join us out there? Who? James Big Cat Williams. Oh, really? Yes. He's fun. Like, I love talking to him in general and then he's joined us at the broad stop before. So that's great.

James Big Cat Williams will be driving you guys home too, by the way. So that's the deal. Do you really want to upset that man? No, no. Wait, if we show up at your lobby, can we say how to Dave the cat? No, because he'll just hide, unfortunately. Damn it. Yeah, I wish.

Scaity cat. He really has. Will Dave have the ox if he wanted to come with to the Broth Stop? He keeps pawing at songs. Yeah, maybe we'll bring him. Maybe we'll bring Dave the cat. He'll have an absolute blast. So that's my only requirement.

He's a unique cat. Yes, he is. We have to talk about this, and that is the last. latest twist in the Bears Stadium saga. Are you ready, Lela? Yeah, but don't say, don't say we told you so. But there is something new that I think is pretty

valid in all of this. It's Rahimi and Grotie and Groddy on 104-3, the score. I didn't want to correct you, buddy, but it's a... Yeah. Rahimi and Grotie. Appreciate all the flowery comments there. Midday, 10 a.m. to 2 on the score. Score. Does this mean mob and dad are arguing?

Or Kyle Tucker's talking about his injury? I'm sorry. I feel like I'm about to go on the Raging Bull. Because this is the Great America song. That's where my brain goes. I understand where your brain goes there. The Kyle Tucker injury. Yeah, Lord, that's playing in the background.

And then the Cubs went like 6 and O in the Vanga Buss era. Do you remember that? Do you remember that? You guys know the Great America guy. Am I the only one who's in on that around? I know. I know. I know him is the same.

Six Flags, guy. Yeah, the old guy. The old ball guy. Tap dancing. That's right. Yeah. Welcome back to Rehemi and Grotie. On 1043, the score.

I am staring down a story right now from Capital News, Illinois, written by Brendan Moore, who actually was on the score today on the Hahn-Paeton show. And the headline is, all the right players at the table. Pritzker talks Bears Stadium in CNI exclusive. here's the dealio. Here's the thumbnail for everybody. Governor J.B. Pritzker said there were, quote, all the right players at the table Thursday. That'd be yesterday. As he sat down with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, Chicago Bears Minority Owner, Pat Ryan,

and key state legislative leaders to discuss keeping the team in Illinois. Quote, this is from Pritzker. I think it was a helpful meeting, close quote. Pritzker told my colleague Ben Stolensky and I in an interview in his loop campaign office Thursday afternoon saying, action, quote, should happen in the fall veto session that begins next month. Also in the meeting, as I mentioned, was Ryan, who is a Bears part owner and board member with a net worth of $9 billion, according to Forbes. Ryan, the retired CEO of Aon, is the primary funder of Northwesterns, $875 million new Ryan Field, which opens tonight, incidentally, cats against the cats, the Dantley Lions tonight, against Penn State.

Go cats. So I guess the... Also cats. That's right, cats, fishbane a little bit later on today. Yeah, yeah. Big day. I imagine he's probably going tonight. But no Kevin Warren part of the meeting, Leila, no George McCasky part of the meeting.

Oh, you mean the guy saying the sole focus part? Grady, what were you going to say? I like your gesture there. Oh, no, I was just going to say that that's sort of what we latched on to when we talked about the story that Kevin Warren wasn't there. And apparently hasn't been around for three months in terms of being a key part to the stadium. The phrase when the governor says, all the right players are at the table. and the players don't include the team owner

and then the president of the team and instead includes the one board member who's not in the McCaskey family who does indeed know how to run a stadium project and then also includes the NFL commissioners is that not a sunned moment and I love it like that is that is shade upon shade

Yeah, but this is... If your job is to be part of... Is to help get the team of stadium and that is the phrase that was used by the entity you want to get money and help from. And when people say, oh, they're not asking for state money. They are.

When you ask for a tax break, that's what that is. So don't, don't, don't parse the words here. They're asking for help from the state. So therefore, that is not how you want to be talked about if you're not at that table.

I do, my biggest takeaway, though, is good for the Bears, good for whoever made the decision to put Pat Ryan in a forward spot to, I don't know if he's like running this thing now. He should. But the fact that they have allowed this to occur and that it has been made public, I think is good. I think it's good. And we can critique Kevin Warren all we want, but all I'm looking for is for them to adjust and to allow this thing to go forward in whatever direction forward is going to go. I do think there needs to be some accountability held here because...

Like Kevin Warren should be punished? No, just that people should be held accountable. Well, hasn't he been? Haven't we been slamming him every chance we get? I don't slam Kevin Warren on everything. No, but on the stadium is what I'm saying. Has he not been held? been held accountable every day.

But I do think that this makes me look differently at any bears messaging that comes from Kevin Warren and George McCasky, even more so than it already did. When we devote time and effort and you guys devote calls in time to talking about how the bears, quote, sole focus, end quote, was Indiana when the whole time, whole time they're talking to the state of Illinois politicians and even acknowledge it that day. Sure. And then on the other side of it, Mike Braun's out here saying, welcome to Indiana. And now all the right players are at the table to get a stadium deal done at the place where they bought the land?

Yeah. Well, I think it was interesting, too. We got a break. We'll get to Adam Hoag, who actually wrote a whole story on the stadium, so we could definitely ask him about it, if that's part of it with Hogue here in just a second. But as it was put with the writer of the story this morning, and this is correct, because I've heard the same thing, that Pritzker has never been the biggest impediment to the Bears. So it's the state legislature that is being strong, if you want to look at it that way. It was the state senators out of Chicago, yes. Exactly.

Yeah. Prisker wanted that bill to pass. And there is an election coming up, too, in case people don't know, and five weeks down the road. So how crazy does anybody want to get when it comes to political season here? Let's bring in Adam Hogue next. We'll talk about the Bears and Jets. Like I said, he wrote a whole story for CHGO about the stadium situation. as well as we bring in Adam next here on Rahimi and Grotie on 1043, The Score.