November 21, 2024 • 46 mins
Welcome back to the Vikings Tailgate presented by Ticketmaster - The official ticket marketplace of the Minnesota Vikings. Hollywood comedian, actor, and podcaster Daniel Van Kirk joins Cy Amundson for this Bears week edition of the Vikings Tailgate. Daniel recants his reaction to the Bears loss to Green Bay, the tame version of Hard Knocks we got this season, why the Bears and Packers rivalry is unmatched, his feelings on the need for a culture change in Chicago, and why he feels that a certain top tier college coach may just be what the Bears are looking for. All of this and more is on episode 46 of The Vikings Tailgate presented by Ticketmaster - The official ticket marketplace of the Minnesota Vikings. Be sure to check out Daniel Van Kirk's stand-up special 'Rose Gold' out now on Youtube. Also, check out Daniel's recurring stand up show 'Overshare Comedy' every first Wednesday of the month in Los Angeles.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Join the Vikings, Miller Lite and KFA N for the
Salute to Service Bar Tour all this week.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
Come enjoy a cold Miller.
Speaker 1 (00:07):
Lite and enter for your chance to win Viking tickets
and cool merchandise. Check out the Vikings Facebook page for
more details. Unreal is back with their limited edition Vikings Drop,
so head over to Unarl dot com for more details.
As the official ticket marketplace of the Minnesota Vikings and
the NFL, Ticketmasters the safest and most convenient marketplace to
(00:30):
score fully verified Viking tickets, So get those touchdown celebrations
ready and score your tickets today at ticketmaster dot com
slash Vikings. Hey everybody, it's Bear's Week, Week twelve. We're
heading to Chicago trying to get another win. It's a
big one because we always struggle there. We've got a
great guest this week, comedian podcaster actor Daniel Van Kirk.
(00:56):
You may know him from his reoccurring role on Bob's Burgers.
He's got a podcast with Rory Scovell Penn Pals. He
was on the Squar Brothers podcast Dumb Peopletown. He's got
a great special called Rose Golden. Hey, if you're in
Los Angeles, listening to this every first Wednesday of every
month in Los Angeles.
Speaker 2 (01:16):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (01:16):
He does a cool half improvised comedy show Overshare Comedy.
You can get all the details on his socials Instagram. Uh,
just search at Daniel Vankirk. This was a really fun one, guys,
and we really liked having Daniel. Hey, well you're here.
Click the button that says that's a review, give us
all of it, and then write a nice thing underneath it.
(01:38):
It helps the show enjoy this one, guys.
Speaker 3 (01:44):
The recket recket.
Speaker 1 (01:48):
Here, ladies and gentlemen, we are joined by the fantastic
Daniel van Kirk, diehard Bears fan. Daniel, I'm not one
of those guys who takes joy in other people's sports pain,
(02:09):
so that's not what I'm doing. We're coming off the
heels of another loss for you, guys, to the Packers,
and in almost comical fashion, one that I thought you
had sewed up. Where are you at as a Bears fan?
Because here's the funny. Here's the thing that I think
is fascinating. Sure, so many Viking fans are like the Vikings.
(02:29):
Packers is this ultimate rivalry, and it is to some degree.
Speaker 3 (02:34):
It's definitely a rivalry. It's definitely a solid, good rivalry,
but it's not.
Speaker 1 (02:39):
Bears Packers, Bears Packers, Like if you go on these
people's comments threads, it's like it's a different mean thing
that exists in very rarefied spaces in the sports universe. Celtics, Lakers,
that sort of stuff.
Speaker 2 (02:54):
Yeah, it's a it's a true entity.
Speaker 3 (02:56):
I mean, Chicago also has that with Cubs and Cardinals,
and had it for a long time with Red Wings
and Blackhawks, and very similar in both of those other
two scenarios. I would say it wasn't much of a
rivalry in terms of.
Speaker 1 (03:10):
Who did the winning.
Speaker 2 (03:12):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (03:12):
Yeah, and in their own unique ways, the reasons for
that that contributed to a loss were special and fun
in their own way. I'll say this too out the
gate for anybody who doesn't know me. I'm born and
born and raised in Rochelle, Illinois, small little farmtown about
forty minutes south of the Wisconsin border. And I lived
(03:35):
ten years in Chicago, and I am the typical Chicago guy.
I worked at the Cubby Bear across the huge bar
across from Wrigley Field. I worked at Marshall Fields. I
even was a federal agent in Chicago for a while,
so I did Chicago law enforcement to some extent, only
on a federal level. I started at Second City. You're
(03:58):
not going to get much more cookie cutter. Chicago gavee
you want. I'll talk like this a whole thing. Had
no problem with that, And we can talk about the
freeway and how long it took us getting through Madison
and the Mouth south off Exit one thirty two. But
you split off with the Petro because you're going up
to the Napolis to go hang out with your fan.
I can do that as well. But I do not
(04:19):
revel in sports negativity. I don't wish Ill will on
other teams. You'll never see me clap for an injury.
The Vikings are on a having a great season, and
I think that's awesome because it's I don't hope for
any other team to lose. I hope for my team
to win when they play those teams. If you do,
that doesn't really matter what other people did. I've had
(04:40):
a lot of respect for the Vikings for a long time,
and what they've done in the past few years to
kind of like no pun intended write that ship, and
what the Packers have done forever in terms of identifying
and maturing talent. You know, those are things I'm not
gonna hate them for that. I'm gonna wish my fandom
(05:02):
was to a team that did those same things. And
that's a long way of saying we don't, we do
not do that. It's heartbreaking, man. And to talk about
the rivalry too, to kind of put a button on that,
(05:22):
it's special, right, I like it. It's sort of like
that whole argument of like Jordan over Lebron. For a
while it was like Jordan over Kobe, and then somebody
will be like, what about Bill Russell and he's better
than Jordan? And I always say to those people, the
one constant that you're arguing about all the time is
who's better than Jordan?
Speaker 2 (05:41):
So that's kind of all you need to know.
Speaker 3 (05:43):
So no matter how bad the Bears are, it's always like, well,
we're sort of the real rival with the Packers over
the Bears. And somebody goes, well, we kind of have
a thing with them too, over the Bears. Well, you're
kind of always saying the Bears, like Detroit's not arguing
with Minnesota over who has the real rivalry.
Speaker 2 (05:58):
Against the Packers? Right, right?
Speaker 3 (06:00):
And the Packers are obviously the top of the mountain
and have been for close to thirty five years because
they've earned that spot.
Speaker 1 (06:06):
Well, they locked into it.
Speaker 3 (06:07):
But keep going, I would agree. But everybody wondered what
they were doing when they cut Favra. Yes, but they
made that decision and that was the right call, and
they seem to have made another good decision.
Speaker 1 (06:20):
Here's what I will say, though, although our records are
very different and this season is very different, Yeah, I
think our two teams are in a very similar spot
compared to the other two teams simply by Jared Goff's
deal kick in in the next year and it it'll
really start to affect the roster. Jordan loves deal is
(06:40):
going to pick in and affect the roster. Those will
be very differently built teams. And where I didn't expect
the Vikings to be eight and two this year, it.
Speaker 3 (06:50):
Doesn't feel very fluky, doesn't like last year had more
flukey plays for the Vikings that game against the Bills
or two years ago, two years ago, Yeah, when it
should have been over three times. Yes, that was Ian
Sid I was listening to the Minnesota call on the radio.
Speaker 1 (07:03):
Oh boy, Paul Allen. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (07:05):
I was driving and I was like yeah, and I'm like,
I have to hear the Minnesota call this and they
were talking about, you know, they're essentially doing the like credits,
we want to thank everybody who helped out today. And
then it wasn't over. But that's not happening with the
Vikings much this season.
Speaker 1 (07:19):
No, there was this ESPN put out this thing today
talking about how that season they went thirteen and four.
It felt fluky and all DVA this advanced metric that
I'm not smart enough to understand these people who are going, hey,
they're not quite winning as well as they did earlier
in the year. No, no, no, no, No. The DVOA
(07:40):
is great. This is a really really good football team.
And I think the thing I had two turning points
in this season. The first one was really early in
the year. I started hearing things and not from people
within the organization, but just from people close to some
players and you know, stuff like that where they're was
(08:00):
just a belief in the locker room that I think,
once you get past the preseason, you can't fake it.
These guys know whether or not they're a good team.
By week one or two. They you know, like the Dolphins,
they're four and six, they've had this weird year. I
think they know they're a pretty good football team and
they should be the same thing with the Bengals, regardless
of what's happening. I think the Vikings walked into this
(08:23):
season and we all you could kind of see it
in press conferences and stuff where we all went holy
and they were walking around going like, yeah, we knew this, right,
I'm normally the I'm worried it's gonna fall apart fan,
right because it's a very Minnesota.
Speaker 2 (08:38):
The party town.
Speaker 1 (08:39):
Yeah, it's a very very Yeah. I didn't assume you
were sitting there on Sunday like it's gonna be great
when he drills this field goal. The last few games,
you know, they lost. They lost a game to the
Rams that was ugly, and then these last few wins
just haven't been anything special.
Speaker 2 (08:59):
The Rams are also like a show up team. You
don't know who's show and when you.
Speaker 1 (09:03):
Play the Lions four days later after you play the Lions,
that's a team that beats you up. I think that
was a hard game.
Speaker 3 (09:08):
You have a whole locker room of guys who were
trained by Aaron Donald, correct the whole locker room guys
who are like, well, that's the level and that's going
to carry over from a couple of years just in
terms of mentality.
Speaker 1 (09:18):
Yeah, and getting both those receivers back for that game
was no joke.
Speaker 2 (09:22):
I don't know.
Speaker 1 (09:22):
I've got this weird thing going on where I think
there's a real universe that this team hits a stride
in December and they're actually a contender. And that's not
a thing I ever say, but I've bought in on
a pretty gross level.
Speaker 2 (09:36):
I would say.
Speaker 3 (09:37):
I think from the outside looking in, you you you should. Yeah,
they It's it's gonna come down to probably three games.
Three games are going to tell you exactly what this
team is going to do, and if not all three,
two of those are going to come against the Lions
and the Packers.
Speaker 1 (09:51):
Yep, yep, that's exactly right.
Speaker 3 (09:53):
You know, from a Bears standpoint, you're looking at like
those you know, I think the first three losses they
didn't have Keenan Allen, they were within a score. Then
you look at the Commander's game and a lot of
people want to come down on it. I think his
name was Stevenson, and they want to come down on him,
(10:17):
or they want to yell about fifty five getting held
and say, oh, that's why they lost. Now I will
say part of that is why he lost. I don't
think it has anything to do with the whole Do
you want to call that? Sure, call it, you don't
want to call it. It's a final play of the game.
Somebody needs to make a play, and he had plenty
of times for somebody else to get off a block.
So the thing about it is and the difference between
(10:38):
the Vikings, the Lions and the Packers, it may come
down to. For let's say the Lions, it could you
could list a foot stacks worth a paper of differences,
and maybe for the Vikings you can go, oh, maybe
these teams are a little bit closer than we think.
But it isn't even just losing on the final play
against the Packers and Loon, he's losing against the final
(10:59):
play against the Commanders. It is a small thing that
is a huge difference, and that is coaching. Sure, it
is one hundred percent coaching, because and I'm not just
talking about Oh Stevenson wasn't coached enough. So he's out
here waving at fans rather thanetting out of play that
does have to do with coaching. But you know what's
even a bigger coaching thing before that giving up a
(11:20):
thirteen yard play and you and your press conference, ibra flus,
you go out and say, we don't really think that
thirteen yards mattered. And then the coach I'm forgetting his name,
but the coach for the Commanders comes out and goes
that thirteen yards was huge.
Speaker 2 (11:32):
Riss. That made the whole difference in that game. Now,
what does that tell you?
Speaker 3 (11:36):
Even if one of them is right and one of
them is wrong, it's irrelevant who's right and who's wrong.
It's a difference in coaching. And I'm gonna say the
guy who won is probably right. So the same thing
is true on Sunday. It's gonna come down to coaching
with the pack with what just happened at the Packers
because you have thirty four seconds left in a timeout
and you waste it.
Speaker 1 (11:56):
Couldn't believe it, couldn't believe that, you would not couldn't
believe it.
Speaker 3 (12:01):
That is a coaching decision. And you should know what
you're being scouted against as much on your own team
as the.
Speaker 2 (12:09):
Team who's scouting against you.
Speaker 3 (12:10):
And so to not get closer, which is going to
get the ball higher sooner, is insane. Who makes that
decision a coach? And I think that's why you can
look at a team that has a lot of talent
on it and go, where do you lose games? And
you lose games by not knowing how to coach your players.
Bill Parcells has that great quote, you treat every single
(12:33):
player the same, and he goes, no, not a chance,
because some of these guys could show up and be
a Hall of Famer and other guys have I have
to ride their ass to make them work hard. And
so that is where the Bears are so far away.
And the idea that you have this number one pick
and you're gonna get Caleb Williams or whoever you want,
(12:54):
and you're not gonna go after Harbaugh, and you're gonna
you're gonna have an overlap of mediocrity. At least get
it wrong by doing the right thing. That's why you
pick kayleb Willms. Right, everybody said, look, they can make
this pick and they can get it wrong, but no
one's going to say they shouldn't have made that pick.
Speaker 1 (13:08):
Exactly. You're never gonna get blamed for taking Caleb Williams.
Speaker 3 (13:11):
Do you may not go higher the right coach when
you get rid of ebraflues going into the twenty four season.
But no one's gonna say, well, you had to hang
on to ebra flus.
Speaker 1 (13:21):
Yeah. Well, and the crazy thing is, and so I
when we did our initial search, I was a I'm
obviously we're thrilled to have our head coach. Right. When
you get somebody like that, it's rare. You know, you
look around, not just the NFL, professional sports and see
(13:43):
how many fan bases are so constantly frustrated with their coaches.
Speaker 2 (13:47):
It is.
Speaker 1 (13:48):
It is a rare place to feel that good about
your head coach. I also in the beginning of the process,
I was all in on Demico Ryans, which I think
that has proven out to be also a good option.
Speaker 2 (13:59):
Yep.
Speaker 1 (14:00):
But I never understood why people so quickly dismissed the
Harbaugh thing from a fans standpoint, like he now does
he wear out his welcome? It seems he probably does.
But in the history of football, who does this? Who
has won? Who just wins?
Speaker 2 (14:19):
No matter?
Speaker 1 (14:19):
Because Jimmy Johnson didn't win with the Dolphins, Bill Parcells
didn't win with the Cowboys, and he sure didn't win
as a front office person down in Miami, you know,
So I just don't. I think there's something unique to
what Harbaugh is does and it probably wears thin after
a while given everything that has followed him. But I mean,
(14:44):
I saw the stat for the Chargers where they were
like bottom third of the league, and rush attempts and
all these like rushing metrics. He comes in drafts a
tackle when there's wide receivers on the board and they
don't have any wide receivers right, and he's like, Nope,
I'm taking a tackle. He's a weapon. And then they
just they hire Greg Roman and they pound the shout
of the ball, and there's all these metrics about Justin Herbert.
(15:06):
He's throwing way less, but he's fifteen to one TD
to interception ratio going into last game, all these advanced
metrics about big time throws versus mistakes. He's just the
guy that we thought he was gonna be and they
haven't given him a weapon yet. So I yeah, I'm
if I'm a team that didn't hire a coach last year.
I mean, I'm sure there's other questions, but the Harbaugh thing,
(15:28):
there's got to be a lot of fan bases going.
Speaker 2 (15:30):
Oh, what'd we do? Right?
Speaker 1 (15:32):
It's not like the Chargers are a healthy organization historically.
Speaker 3 (15:36):
Right, And look, the Bears could be a year or
two away from being that if they want to. But
for as long as you've looked down South, and for
as long as I've looked over at the lake, how
much have they ever decided to do that?
Speaker 2 (15:49):
Never? They could? Next year?
Speaker 3 (15:51):
Right, they're probably gonna end up with the top five pick.
They could flip that into two picks in the first round,
get some linemen and push everything that way, and then
get a coach who knows what they're doing and how
to be a leader of men and know the right
decisions to make. It's two different things. You have to
be able to do. You can know everything to do
if nobody cares to listen to you, it really doesn't
(16:11):
matter how good your ideas are. So you kind of
have to have both.
Speaker 2 (16:13):
Right. Harball obviously has that in spades, and you look
at Detroit they have it too, But like they don't.
Could they go that route and start doing that? Yes?
Will they?
Speaker 3 (16:24):
I have no reason to believe this. I said this
at the beginning of the season. When The Bears Future
was eight and a half and everyone was telling you
to pound the over right, pound the over pounding over
pound the over on that bet. The reason I agreed
with it is you've seen It's like going on a date.
You've seen a blind day, except for this time. You've
seen the girl right, and you've seen DJ Moore and
(16:46):
you've seen Romadonsay, and you've seen Keenan Allen and you
know what Swift can do, and you know what Caleb
is capable of and can he elevate that? But you
know you're not looking at somebody like Niche who's had Trubisky,
who's had six you know, a good guy, but he
had sixteen starts coming in who knows what we're that's
a blind date. So you've seen it and and there's
a lot of things about the girl that you like,
and you think she's really hot, and so you're very
(17:07):
optimistic that this is going to work out. And so
that is a thing Bears I was completely as Bears
fans were able to have because we it wasn't like,
well we have no idea, I'm not hopeful. It's like, well,
I do have an idea, so I am hopeful. Will
I be surprised if this ends up with all my
clothes being burned on the front lawn. No, I'm not
going to be that surprised because I've been dating long enough,
you know, on the on the banks of like Michigan,
(17:30):
staring over at Gary, Indiana and going maybe it isn't
that bad over there. So for the Bears, it's like,
can't will they make those changes? Will they do those things?
And coming off of Sunday's game against the Packers, if
you want me to rose color in any way, which
I'm happy to do, also go watch my special rose
Gold if you want me to do that in any way.
(17:51):
The Bears didn't lose because Caleb Williams played badhi, which
has been an earmark for so long with the why
they lose bad.
Speaker 2 (18:01):
He didn't lose because did he throw a touchdown?
Speaker 3 (18:03):
No? And I don't care. Had they gone two and
a half games without scoring a touch on, yes, that's insane.
They hadn't done that since two thousand and four. So
from that standpoint, you know, if it was the Broncos
and they lose that game, I'm obviously bummed for an
hour and then I have a rule where you don't.
I don't let sports ruin my day behind you. Yeah,
(18:25):
but it was the Packers, and for all intents and purposes,
they should have won that game.
Speaker 2 (18:31):
The Packers played a little bit less.
Speaker 3 (18:32):
Maybe the Bears get some credit for that, but they
played a little bit less than they normally should have.
The Bears played better than they had looked in a month,
and they should have won that game. So I'm comforted
by what I saw in Caleb that final drive. If
forgetting sacked, that's what I was gonna say. Two plays
he gets sacked and you're like, oh, I've seen this
three weeks yep, yes, and then convert, Convert, make a
(18:53):
play get out of a sack. He's so good at
ducking a sack you have to wrap him up and
stay on it. And the great thing about that is
is it's gonna make you risk a penalty every single
time you do that. So it makes a defensive player
think twice for how much am I going to stay
on this tackle? And he maximizes that and that is great.
But if anybody remembers anything from what I've said on
(19:16):
this podcast today, and I really appreciate you giving me
a place to event I don't have to go to
therapy later. The Bears would have ruined every They would
have ruined Patrick Mahomes. They would have ruined him. I
did there tell me one great quarterback who's had more
than two coaches, And I only say two because a
lot of times Montana goes and plays for the Chiefs,
(19:37):
or or you know, Brady goes down to Tampa Bay.
But tell me one like excellent in the argument, or
or or you know, very assured hall of famer who
had more than one system, more than one coach. It
doesn't exist.
Speaker 1 (19:51):
Yeah, I mean, I mean, you're right.
Speaker 2 (19:52):
It has to be at most coordinators.
Speaker 3 (19:55):
If my memory serves me quick, they would have ruined
everybody's I can't believe that Patrick Mahomes I can, and
thank god they didn't for Patrick Mahomes.
Speaker 2 (20:05):
But what the Jets almost did to your guy? Yeah,
people thought Sam Donald was never going to really play again.
Speaker 1 (20:10):
Yeah, it's this big you're seeing it in Cincinnati right
now where I saw Steve Young on Dan Patrick's show,
and you know, it's this remarkable thing where Dan Patrick
is like, what is going on here? Twenty seven touchdowns,
four interceptions, He's the first quarterback in the Super Bowl
(20:31):
era to have three hundred and fifty yards, three touchdowns
and no interceptions in three games and lose all three
of them. That's never happened in football. You know, Steve
Young goes, well, I think you have to look other
places than Joe Burrow, and he basically ends up saying
he goes everything flows from the very top down right,
And I think, I think when you look at some
(20:52):
of these organizations that you're talking about, and obviously that's
been the biggest conversation piece this year is quarterbacks and
their support and what that means and second chances and
all this stuff. You know, the vikings are, you know,
especially since Kevin O'Connell's been here, when you get those
I love looking at those ends of the year grades.
(21:15):
And I bet Chicago Bears fans probably hate looking at them,
but like the what it's like to be a player
there the ones in Cincinnati. I have a friend, a
comic friend, Alex Schubert, who, like I think, he wants
to light his computer on fire when they come out
every year. But you get a great organization and a
(21:35):
great coach, and yeah, you're right, most of these guys,
unless they are. You have the one rare case with
Drew Brees who leaves to go to New Orleans in
that weird situation. But other than that, the only time
these guys get a second system is usually when they
have their late career. I'm one hundred and fifty years old,
and I'm gonna win a Super Bowl with the Bucks
(21:57):
or the Broncos or the or get an AFC Championship
with the Chiefs. So yeah, I think I think you're
exactly right. When you see these things, it's it doesn't
to me. I guess I'll say this. I think, no
matter what, it's hard to get a like a Hall
of Fame quarterback, But when it ends up working, like
in Kansas City when Patrick Mahomes got there and it
(22:20):
worked and you went incredible organization, incredible general manager, all
time coach, super talent, like there's just no way. The
Patriots Robert Kraft learns from Eddie de Bartola on how
to treat players and run his organization. Bill Belichick is
who is Tom Brady? Like it makes sense when it
clicks down like that generally.
Speaker 3 (22:42):
Yeah, and I just you know, I mean, yeah, the
Bears got rid of Shane Waldron and it looked like
the I think it was fifteen and seven carries between
the two running backs last week was I'm directionally correct
if I'm not on it, And so you saw much
more of a balanced play call.
Speaker 2 (23:01):
You know.
Speaker 3 (23:01):
But I think you and I sort of saw this
shift from superstar athletes, which we obviously has been around
for a long time, but I think really blew up
in the nineties and then in the early two thousands
to now like the athlete is basically the king, Like
it's a king athlete, right, And you bet that if
Andy Reid retires at the end of this year, which
(23:23):
I know an inclination he's going to but if he did,
Patrick Mahomes is going to pick their next head coach.
Speaker 1 (23:28):
Yeah, oh yeah.
Speaker 3 (23:30):
And because he should. And so whatever they did to
make Caleb come around to being like, yeah, I want
to play here, or he just realized like from a
pr standpoint, whatever, I just got to go along with it.
They had, you know, the Bears. For anybody who know,
they've never fired a head coach during the season.
Speaker 1 (23:46):
Ever in the history of the organizations.
Speaker 2 (23:48):
Never in season fired a head coach ever.
Speaker 1 (23:50):
And they should let me ask you something that I
always mean to ask Bears fans like, do you ever
think about Lobby Smith?
Speaker 3 (23:57):
Yes, but if you go back too, I think it
was twenty ten or whenever they love mean, I think
he was a ten and six team his final season.
There was a complacency that had kind of fallen in
there where he was. And I am very close to
saying I bet that you can quote me on this.
(24:18):
He was saying, I wasn't ready. I didn't have the
guys ready to play, and it was like a big
primetime game. Oh sure, And that sort of stuff just
sort of like happened. I mean, I remember there was
a New Year's Eve game in like two thousand and
I think it was two thousand and seven to two
thousand and eight, or maybe two thousand and six to
two thousand and seven where they played the Packers and
(24:38):
the Bears were already in the playoffs and they just
pretty much let the Packers win and they ended up
going on a run and I think they eliminated the
Bears in the playoffs that year.
Speaker 1 (24:48):
Final that was Yeah, that was the year where they
won the Super Bowl as a wildcard team. Yeah, they
mailed that game in. I remember that game.
Speaker 3 (24:54):
Yeah, And in the postgame, like Rex Grossman said that
he was thinking about his New Year's Eve party, and
so there was a lot of sort of just like love.
He is a great coach and people loved playing for him.
But I think things that it had just run its course.
I mean, Andy Reid ran its course in Philadelphia. Sure,
(25:14):
it's sort of hard to go back to that. Is
that what they need to sort of set the benchmark
for and go above? Yes, one percent, but there's no
need to go back in that direction. If you told
me that next season they hired Dion Sanders, I would
be one hundred percent in favor of it.
Speaker 1 (25:31):
If for no other reason, that'd be so fun.
Speaker 3 (25:34):
If for no other reason that you want to talk
about a culture change with the Bears, you want to
talk about a coach who is going to handle that
front office and handle that ownership and handle the expectations
for that team in such a different way. Like Tony
Dungee gets a lot of credit for what he did
with the Colts, but he doesn't get enough credit for
(25:56):
what he did with the Buccaneers.
Speaker 2 (25:57):
And I'm not trying to take anything away.
Speaker 1 (25:59):
Totally agree totally. He built an entire.
Speaker 3 (26:03):
He changed that entire culture down there, that entire culture
where you know, the buccaneer with with the dagger in
his mouth went from we're going to guaranteed win to
a cool throwback for a team that's gonna smack you
in the mouth. And Gruden and his problematic emails can
come in and take their Super Bowl and that's all
great and good. But Tony Dungee turned that organization around.
Speaker 2 (26:24):
Yep.
Speaker 3 (26:24):
And whether it's Dion or someone after Dion, that sort
of step in that direction, to me would be such
an indication of we are not doing things the same
anymore here, And obviously I would hope it would work.
I mean, he's got currently, as we record this, he's
got a team that everyone seems to want to lose.
I'm not in that camp, but he's got the Colorado
(26:46):
Buffalo's the sixteenth team in the nation because he seems
to have really maybe he isn't the best play caller
or like best you know, X's and O's coach in
the world, but he's got guys who want to run
through brick walls. And I'll take some more of that
in Chicago.
Speaker 1 (27:03):
And there's this whole thing where you know, we've become
so accustomed to assistant coaches coordinators who then become head
coaches and run one side of the ball. And if
you go back in the day a little bit, you know,
Tony Dungee came from Minnesota, where Denny Green had Brian
Billick and Tony Dungee. And you know, I'm not saying
Denny Green wasn't involved in the offense, right, but he
(27:24):
had coordinators. And just as a side note, Denny Green's
my favorite coach of all time. And he didn't the
organization didn't continue on that trajectory. But he did the
same thing in Arizona.
Speaker 2 (27:35):
Yeah, and I don't think.
Speaker 1 (27:36):
He ever truly got the credit for what he did
down there, going down to a place where like no
one wanted to be.
Speaker 3 (27:42):
Yeah, I mean he gave us one of the greatest
Bears quotes of all time on that Monday night they
thought they were so great.
Speaker 1 (27:49):
Let me ask you this, then, with everything you've said,
why the hell does my football team lose to your
team in Chicago every single year, no matter how we are,
how bad you are, Like, this is such an opportunity
for this team to distance itself from that vikings lore, Like,
(28:10):
because I think this is better than the past few
Bears team right now, past few Bears teams.
Speaker 2 (28:16):
Ye. The ability, Yeah, and you're going to be coached
in the wrong direction or not.
Speaker 1 (28:21):
And I think you need to go in and if
you give yourself a win, you know, outdoors on the road,
the way you want to control a game, I think
that's a It instills the thing in the locker room
and you can even that far of that vikings farv team.
I'm pretty sure lost to Chicago in a terrible way
against a bad team. We just never get it done.
And I don't I don't understand what that hold is
(28:42):
that that city has over this organization. Are other Do
other teams struggle there like that?
Speaker 3 (28:48):
Can I be like super like meathead sports radio caller
about it?
Speaker 2 (28:53):
I love it?
Speaker 3 (28:53):
Yeah, I think that the Bears can traditionally and maybe
this this is something that comes from ownership. This is
the stuff we don't know, right, we don't walk in
these halls. But I think that they as an organization
and then the team itself can get up for.
Speaker 2 (29:07):
Big rivalry games.
Speaker 3 (29:11):
And you saw them do that for green Bay and
green Bay has an air of well, we're not going
to lose and I think they've won three of the
last like fourteen.
Speaker 2 (29:24):
Or I'm sorry, the Bears are three and fourteen.
Speaker 3 (29:26):
Yeah, yeah, And so they sort of have this like, well,
we're not going to lose, and so as much as
the Bears can get up for it, the Packers are
still just sort of on the top bunk. And I
think that for the Vikings, and it's at Daniel Vankirk
if anybody wants to be mean to me, but I
think for the Vikings it's a one step below of
(29:48):
like we should win. I hope we do, and that
a lot of times when the Bears decide to get
up for a game, it doesn't cut their way. But
I think we are on the precipice. And this goes
across our entire division of everyone knowing they can beat
the Bears unless something changes there, like I do not
(30:10):
see you guys losing this.
Speaker 1 (30:12):
Don't say it, don't want it?
Speaker 2 (30:14):
Now? Do you expect me to say anything else? No?
Speaker 3 (30:17):
Unless I was like three more lords deep, right, But
like I don't know what team for mine is going
to show up. Ye, so if I average it out,
they're not as good as if we average out your team,
can they win? Of course they can't. They should have
won three more games this year, and could have won
one to two more on top of that had they
(30:38):
executed and or been coached appropriately. So, yeah, Bears can
win that game. Do I see that happening?
Speaker 2 (30:47):
No?
Speaker 3 (30:48):
And again to be a little meatthead about it without
being a championship caliber team. How many demoralizing losses can
any group of people, men, women try?
Speaker 1 (31:00):
Locker rooms are weird, man?
Speaker 3 (31:01):
Yes? How many can they take and keep getting up
from it? Like, ultimately, do you think, as we record
this right now, that the Chiefs care about losing against
the Bills last week?
Speaker 1 (31:11):
I think they're so well built in the locker room,
they're like, that was probably the best thing that could
have happened to us. That's what I think they think.
Speaker 3 (31:16):
Or you know what I said to my friend, I go, hey,
if anybody gives you a crap about the Chiefs losing, say, yeah,
we did lose. We tend to not lose the last
game of the season, though, that is the mentality, right,
And so I think, like you saw what happened after
the Commander's loss. I mean, the Bears, it looked like
they didn't even want to play and I hate getting
(31:38):
into that meat head level of like psyche of they've.
Speaker 2 (31:41):
Given up or are you trying?
Speaker 1 (31:43):
Stuff.
Speaker 3 (31:44):
I hate that stuff because you and I both know
that if we took any one of our cousins or
siblings and put us in a basement in the Midwest
playing ping pong with a beer in our hand, that
there doesn't need to be anyone there for us to
care that we win. So now let's take somebody who's
achieved the level of professional sports and do not care
if you win on any level of any play ever,
(32:04):
you would have to be such a like diamond level
Ricky Williams type person to so I never go into
the like they don't care. But I think that you
can only have as a human panche so many tomorl
Anxing losses before you just can't get up for the game.
And you might be able to get up for in
the first quarter, but getting up for in the fourth quarter,
even in a vacuum of just that game, can be hard.
Speaker 2 (32:26):
So I think the Vikings.
Speaker 3 (32:28):
Deserve to win based on where people are seasons are going.
I won't be unhappy for them if they do win,
but yeah, you know, once kickoff starts I'm like, just
be a good team today.
Speaker 1 (32:41):
Just be a real football team.
Speaker 2 (32:43):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (32:43):
Today, today, you're living in a very different experience than
us because we at this I can just feel this
state going. Just be real. Please, let it be real.
Let it be real. The last question I have for you,
and it's not a good question to end on because,
as it turns out, Daniel, I'm not sure I'm great
at my job.
Speaker 2 (33:02):
But it is.
Speaker 1 (33:06):
It is the thing that I am most curious about
because you've talked so much about the like the organization
and how it's built and the mentality.
Speaker 3 (33:15):
I mean, dude, can I cut you off really quick?
Just because I almost forgot to say this? As you
go on, Let's keep in mind when you say organization
that this was the lamest, most boring season of hard
knocks that has ever existed across any moment of any time.
Did you realize that they never cussed? Did you realize
that because there was a mandate from the Bears, from
(33:36):
Virginia McCaskey, God bless her, that there should be no cussing. Now,
you tell me when you're showcasing a football team and
women athletically, men athletically co d athletically that you're intense
and serious about something, but you don't coust So how
many real moments, how many real conversations are we actually campturing?
And how much did that affect meetings? Hey, guys, whatever
(33:59):
you want to say here call out, you can't because
we can't cost and there's cameras like that's the organization
that isn't we're here to win, that's here. We're here
to do it the way we think is right. And
for all but one season in the mid eighties and
a couple of divisional championships and a conference championship here
and there, they don't do it right.
Speaker 2 (34:19):
They just don't.
Speaker 1 (34:20):
We're here to make sure nobody dances in this town.
Speaker 2 (34:24):
So exactly, No.
Speaker 1 (34:26):
I think fan bases psychologies, I don't know if that's
a plural or not, but I think they're really interesting.
And the Bears have a unique one that kind of
mirrors the Pittsburgh Steelers, and that those are the two
pre eminent defensive like vibes. And granted, these are two
(34:50):
of the older, more iconic franchises, so they carried that
storied history with them. But do you think there's like
in Pittsburgh it's weird where I really think they believe
we'll like we're just a blue collar city and that
that flows out of our football team. What is it
about Chicago?
Speaker 2 (35:09):
What it like?
Speaker 1 (35:10):
This melding of a fan base and a personality and
an organization that it almost has seemed like for the
entirety of my fan watching life, we've been like, we
just need a good linebacker. Right linebacker is football? Like
when I go to when I go to Chicago for
stand up and I talk to anybody, I just expect
(35:32):
them to go linebackers football like, because I don't know
that it's like obviously you go butt kiss, you go,
you got Urlacker, you go, Khalil Mack, you have all
these guys. Yeah, on and on and on. But how
much of that is happenstance? It just it fascinates me
because it's pretty interesting and unique. And I don't think
(35:53):
it's an accident or a coincidence that it wound up
that way.
Speaker 3 (35:57):
Yeah, I think that it's I think that every ownership
group has a strong suit and I think that they
impose that on to the people they hire to be
their decision makers, and then I think it's a real
thing for a city to set the tone. And I
think as comics, we can go into a city and
(36:19):
whether it's the person we meet at the hotel, our
uber driver, the place where you grab something to eat
and you can go, okay, this is sort of what
these people want.
Speaker 1 (36:29):
This is exactly why I was asking ye. I think
you're exactly right.
Speaker 3 (36:32):
And I think that that expectation extends itself to those
players in the same way that you show up right
and you walk down what I assume are numerous halls
with tons of former players, and if you're a running back,
you're being asked, can you even look at Gail Sayers
(36:53):
and Walter Payton? I mean, you know, just the guy
who the NFL named the Man of the Year trophy
after can you even get that? And so there's a
weight on there that maybe no, I'm being plenty on purpose,
I guess, makes you put more weight on the bar
in the gym because there's an expectation. And I think
that when you get to Chicago and you know that
(37:15):
the defense is here and what the defense has it been,
and you're that type of player, well you better bring it.
And I think if you're a quarterback on some level,
it's a blank slate. There's not a true standard there.
And I think the organization says, hey, we know, we
always get good linebackers, so if you hear somebody, you
(37:36):
bring them in. And then they're skittish about quarterbacks because
we've never really gotten that right. And is there a
one place on the dial that you can point to
and go that's where this is determined.
Speaker 2 (37:48):
I don't think so. But is it? Is it an
amalgamation of things?
Speaker 3 (37:53):
Yes, you know, I sit there and watch a Bears
game and I'm like, all right, if we just get
a turn over here, because I feel in some ways
often games more comforted when the defense is on the
field and we're on the right, on the correct.
Speaker 2 (38:09):
Side of the fifty.
Speaker 3 (38:11):
Then I do the offense being on the field and
only to the forty two yard line of the other
you know, And then you're watch it on the team
and you're to see like first down, first down. For
some you're like, how do they make this look so easy?
So I really think it's culture. I think it's culture
in every sense. If you if you're a quarterback and
you are walking through Midway Airport, I mean, let's be honest,
(38:32):
you're probably flying into O hair.
Speaker 1 (38:34):
But I think I think they're going O hair.
Speaker 3 (38:36):
Yeah, you're walking through O'Hair and you see somebody and
they recognize you and you're a quarterback, the attitude is like,
we need you, please, please do this for us, please.
Speaker 2 (38:46):
Right.
Speaker 3 (38:47):
And if you're a linebacker and you're a rookie or
you're a Khalil Mac and somebody comes in and they go,
you know what you're supposed to do here?
Speaker 1 (38:53):
Right, that's yeah.
Speaker 3 (38:55):
That is happening on micro levels all the time, in
both both ways.
Speaker 2 (39:01):
Does it guarantee anything? No?
Speaker 3 (39:03):
Is it a factor if you ask my meathead Rochelle Illinois,
our THHS graduate brain, Yes, it is a factor. And
I think you see those things continue. I mean you
look at it. People go oh every time Peyton Manning
got another tight end.
Speaker 2 (39:19):
They were great.
Speaker 3 (39:19):
Well, yeah, because if you're gonna come in after Dallas Clark,
you better hit your route. It is uncomfortable for you
not to. So the sad thing is is Bears have
an expect Bears and Bears fans have an expectation of
defensive play and they have a hope for quarterback play.
Speaker 1 (39:39):
Well, I want to thank you Daniel for on behalf
of everybody who's listening for essentially, you know, making us
feel like this is gonna go well for us, only
to put us in a position that we've spent a
lot of our lives in. Uh, you know, just probably
seventeen thirteen with two and a half minute it's to play,
(40:00):
and Caleb Williams has the ball and we're all just
furious and nervous. I'm gonna make you do this. You're
not gonna like it. Give me a score prediction.
Speaker 3 (40:15):
I gotta be a meathead and say twenty. Oh, that's
way too high for the Bears, seventeen fourteen Bears. And
I'm being wishful because I really think it'll probably be
ten to fourteen with the Bears having the ball and
(40:35):
two and a half minutes left.
Speaker 1 (40:37):
So I was just saying, you just basically changed the
score a little bit. But you put my prediction, my
worry prediction to get together there.
Speaker 2 (40:45):
Yeah, in your own way.
Speaker 1 (40:46):
I'd like everybody just as a reminder when you're feeling
anything on Sunday, It's like that scene in The water Boy. Yeah,
all of a sudden they look up and the guy
looks at Kathy Bates.
Speaker 2 (40:55):
I don't know.
Speaker 1 (40:55):
I think this is the second episode in a row
read I've done that dumb bit, but uh me mentioned
his Twitter everybody. So when it's ten fourteen and has
the ball and you're nervous, hop on a hop on
old X and find your way to Daniel Vancruz.
Speaker 3 (41:12):
You know what, for any if the Bears end up
winning and they'll go you know it happened whatever, I'm like, well,
you guys could have done a lot more with this
win than the Bears are gonna, so I wouldn't have
been that mad about it. The one thing I really
feel bad about the Vikings for is that this seems
to be coming together with an upward trajectory, whether it's
Donald and McCarthy at the same time that the Lions
are the NFL's NFC darling, and it's like.
Speaker 1 (41:34):
See, we'll see, baby. I've got a weird confidence and
I never have confidence.
Speaker 3 (41:37):
I know.
Speaker 2 (41:38):
That's what's great.
Speaker 1 (41:39):
I never ever have confidence.
Speaker 2 (41:42):
We'll see.
Speaker 1 (41:42):
I think I think there is a chance. I think
the Lions might be the best team in football, all
of football.
Speaker 2 (41:49):
Uh huh. I mean there was a college score last
weekend mm hmm.
Speaker 1 (41:54):
But the NFL is a one week at a time
league sure, And by the way, I think the Lions
are the least likely to falter of anybody in the
NFC right when it comes to what I'm about to say.
It's not like other teams don't feel this, but I
truly think the Lions have to prove to me an
(42:16):
ability to execute sound decisions in multiple playoff games before
I walk into let's say you're in an NFC championship game,
whether it's the Packers, whether it's the Vikings, whether it's
the Niners, anybody else. Yeah, if they walk into an
NFC championship game, even in Detroit, in my brain, I'm going, yeah,
(42:37):
Detroit's the heavy favorite here. This makes a lot of
sense to try, but I can't ignore what I've seen
so many times in so many important moments, that is
just hanging out there. What does it look like in
the third quarter when it's fourth and four from their
own forty and they should probably punt it, but they
always go for it. And if they don't get that
like that, the disconnect between the line always do their
(43:01):
philosophy in Dan Campbell's belief structure versus what is the
actual situation where in it's kind of like the bill's
going forward on fourth and two. You go for that
no matter what as many times because it's Patrick mahomes right.
If you are looking at Daniel Jones over there, it's
a different conversation. And so that is the Lions have
(43:23):
to show me that and me saying this might result
in a forty point ass kicking in the playoffs, but
I would love a shot at being the team to
put them in that position.
Speaker 2 (43:36):
Sure, yeah, I'm with you.
Speaker 3 (43:38):
Let me ask you one last question so you can
remove your own baggage.
Speaker 1 (43:42):
Oh difficult?
Speaker 2 (43:45):
Thanksgiving Day? Bears, Lions?
Speaker 3 (43:48):
How badly do you think the Lions are going to
beat the Bears? Twenty points?
Speaker 2 (43:51):
Now? Twenty five points?
Speaker 1 (43:53):
Who do the Lions have this week?
Speaker 2 (43:55):
Do we know? Do you really think it matters?
Speaker 1 (43:58):
Listen to me, I do you're nuts?
Speaker 2 (44:01):
No?
Speaker 1 (44:01):
No, no, no, hear me, hear me out. I don't think
that has anything to do with Chicago. Agree. I think
there are two things that we are due for. We
are due for, although Golf did have the five interception
game and they survived, but we are due for a
dud from Detroit.
Speaker 2 (44:15):
Sure, I think we're due.
Speaker 1 (44:17):
There's been flashes and there's there have been moments, but
I think there's going to be a Caleb Williams game
because these people like Viking fans, other fans who are
cracking on him. You're out of your mind, I agree,
But you are out of your mind if you don't
see the special things here.
Speaker 2 (44:32):
What he looks like.
Speaker 3 (44:32):
He looks like a good rookie. I'm pretty sure Peyton
Manning is rookie here through twenty nine interceptions.
Speaker 2 (44:38):
M h.
Speaker 3 (44:39):
And you want to compare him to uh Jaden Daniels
and I'm like, don't that guy is having an insane year.
He is not the mean also way older.
Speaker 2 (44:50):
Yes, I don't see that to take anything away from Jaden.
Speaker 1 (44:52):
I know it's amazing.
Speaker 2 (44:53):
Do not pile on to kle the guy is a
rookie people.
Speaker 3 (44:57):
I love what people are like, well, you know, we're
a couple of weeks or they're like, we're halfway through
the season here, and I go, you mean eight games
into someone's career, Like, come on, guys, I'm not saying
he's great, but pump the brakes here. Everybody in our
you know, instant scratcher gratification life.
Speaker 2 (45:17):
Don't be wrong.
Speaker 3 (45:17):
I love scratchers more than scratch more than some people
I'm related to. I love a good scratcher, but I'm
just like, let's pull it back. I just don't I
think that you can agree that without seeing the line. Yet,
it's probably eight and a half for the Lions at
home on Thanksgiving, and you would wouldn't feel crazy betting it.
Speaker 1 (45:35):
Come on, I hear, I'm not. I wouldn't get in
within a million miles of choosing the Bears to win
this football that football game. And I look forward to
your text on Thanksgiving. At some point Caleb Williams is
going to have a special game thank you, and at
some point the Lions are going to put a dot
on the field. And if those moments cross, because as
(45:58):
you said, the Bears rise up for and the Lions have.
Speaker 2 (46:02):
The Colts this week.
Speaker 1 (46:02):
Now, maybe the Colts beat them, maybe something weird there happens.
But I don't know. I just think there's a space there.
There's just a space there where something weird could happen.
Very small percentage, But I'm not gonna sit here and
say that the Bears are gonna lose by twenty five.
Speaker 2 (46:18):
Okay, it's also Thanksgiving, It's.
Speaker 1 (46:20):
Also thanksgiving Daniel van Kirk. Ladies and gentlemen, thanks for
having me buddy, you're the best. Thank you everybody for
listening to our podcast feed while you're here. Make sure
you subscribe, you write a review, it really helps us.
Also huge shout out to ticket Master, the official ticket
marketplace of the Minnesota Vikings, for helping make this show happen.
(46:40):
We'll see you all again next week.
Join the Vikings, Miller Lite and KFA N for the
Salute to Service Bar Tour all this week.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
Come enjoy a cold Miller.
Speaker 1 (00:07):
Lite and enter for your chance to win Viking tickets
and cool merchandise. Check out the Vikings Facebook page for
more details. Unreal is back with their limited edition Vikings Drop,
so head over to Unarl dot com for more details.
As the official ticket marketplace of the Minnesota Vikings and
the NFL, Ticketmasters the safest and most convenient marketplace to
(00:30):
score fully verified Viking tickets, So get those touchdown celebrations
ready and score your tickets today at ticketmaster dot com
slash Vikings. Hey everybody, it's Bear's Week, Week twelve. We're
heading to Chicago trying to get another win. It's a
big one because we always struggle there. We've got a
great guest this week, comedian podcaster actor Daniel Van Kirk.
(00:56):
You may know him from his reoccurring role on Bob's Burgers.
He's got a podcast with Rory Scovell Penn Pals. He
was on the Squar Brothers podcast Dumb Peopletown. He's got
a great special called Rose Golden. Hey, if you're in
Los Angeles, listening to this every first Wednesday of every
month in Los Angeles.
Speaker 2 (01:16):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (01:16):
He does a cool half improvised comedy show Overshare Comedy.
You can get all the details on his socials Instagram. Uh,
just search at Daniel Vankirk. This was a really fun one, guys,
and we really liked having Daniel. Hey, well you're here.
Click the button that says that's a review, give us
all of it, and then write a nice thing underneath it.
(01:38):
It helps the show enjoy this one, guys.
Speaker 3 (01:44):
The recket recket.
Speaker 1 (01:48):
Here, ladies and gentlemen, we are joined by the fantastic
Daniel van Kirk, diehard Bears fan. Daniel, I'm not one
of those guys who takes joy in other people's sports pain,
(02:09):
so that's not what I'm doing. We're coming off the
heels of another loss for you, guys, to the Packers,
and in almost comical fashion, one that I thought you
had sewed up. Where are you at as a Bears fan?
Because here's the funny. Here's the thing that I think
is fascinating. Sure, so many Viking fans are like the Vikings.
(02:29):
Packers is this ultimate rivalry, and it is to some degree.
Speaker 3 (02:34):
It's definitely a rivalry. It's definitely a solid, good rivalry,
but it's not.
Speaker 1 (02:39):
Bears Packers, Bears Packers, Like if you go on these
people's comments threads, it's like it's a different mean thing
that exists in very rarefied spaces in the sports universe. Celtics, Lakers,
that sort of stuff.
Speaker 2 (02:54):
Yeah, it's a it's a true entity.
Speaker 3 (02:56):
I mean, Chicago also has that with Cubs and Cardinals,
and had it for a long time with Red Wings
and Blackhawks, and very similar in both of those other
two scenarios. I would say it wasn't much of a
rivalry in terms of.
Speaker 1 (03:10):
Who did the winning.
Speaker 2 (03:12):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (03:12):
Yeah, and in their own unique ways, the reasons for
that that contributed to a loss were special and fun
in their own way. I'll say this too out the
gate for anybody who doesn't know me. I'm born and
born and raised in Rochelle, Illinois, small little farmtown about
forty minutes south of the Wisconsin border. And I lived
(03:35):
ten years in Chicago, and I am the typical Chicago guy.
I worked at the Cubby Bear across the huge bar
across from Wrigley Field. I worked at Marshall Fields. I
even was a federal agent in Chicago for a while,
so I did Chicago law enforcement to some extent, only
on a federal level. I started at Second City. You're
(03:58):
not going to get much more cookie cutter. Chicago gavee
you want. I'll talk like this a whole thing. Had
no problem with that, And we can talk about the
freeway and how long it took us getting through Madison
and the Mouth south off Exit one thirty two. But
you split off with the Petro because you're going up
to the Napolis to go hang out with your fan.
I can do that as well. But I do not
(04:19):
revel in sports negativity. I don't wish Ill will on
other teams. You'll never see me clap for an injury.
The Vikings are on a having a great season, and
I think that's awesome because it's I don't hope for
any other team to lose. I hope for my team
to win when they play those teams. If you do,
that doesn't really matter what other people did. I've had
(04:40):
a lot of respect for the Vikings for a long time,
and what they've done in the past few years to
kind of like no pun intended write that ship, and
what the Packers have done forever in terms of identifying
and maturing talent. You know, those are things I'm not
gonna hate them for that. I'm gonna wish my fandom
(05:02):
was to a team that did those same things. And
that's a long way of saying we don't, we do
not do that. It's heartbreaking, man. And to talk about
the rivalry too, to kind of put a button on that,
(05:22):
it's special, right, I like it. It's sort of like
that whole argument of like Jordan over Lebron. For a
while it was like Jordan over Kobe, and then somebody
will be like, what about Bill Russell and he's better
than Jordan? And I always say to those people, the
one constant that you're arguing about all the time is
who's better than Jordan?
Speaker 2 (05:41):
So that's kind of all you need to know.
Speaker 3 (05:43):
So no matter how bad the Bears are, it's always like, well,
we're sort of the real rival with the Packers over
the Bears. And somebody goes, well, we kind of have
a thing with them too, over the Bears. Well, you're
kind of always saying the Bears, like Detroit's not arguing
with Minnesota over who has the real rivalry.
Speaker 2 (05:58):
Against the Packers? Right, right?
Speaker 3 (06:00):
And the Packers are obviously the top of the mountain
and have been for close to thirty five years because
they've earned that spot.
Speaker 1 (06:06):
Well, they locked into it.
Speaker 3 (06:07):
But keep going, I would agree. But everybody wondered what
they were doing when they cut Favra. Yes, but they
made that decision and that was the right call, and
they seem to have made another good decision.
Speaker 1 (06:20):
Here's what I will say, though, although our records are
very different and this season is very different, Yeah, I
think our two teams are in a very similar spot
compared to the other two teams simply by Jared Goff's
deal kick in in the next year and it it'll
really start to affect the roster. Jordan loves deal is
(06:40):
going to pick in and affect the roster. Those will
be very differently built teams. And where I didn't expect
the Vikings to be eight and two this year, it.
Speaker 3 (06:50):
Doesn't feel very fluky, doesn't like last year had more
flukey plays for the Vikings that game against the Bills
or two years ago, two years ago, Yeah, when it
should have been over three times. Yes, that was Ian
Sid I was listening to the Minnesota call on the radio.
Speaker 1 (07:03):
Oh boy, Paul Allen. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (07:05):
I was driving and I was like yeah, and I'm like,
I have to hear the Minnesota call this and they
were talking about, you know, they're essentially doing the like credits,
we want to thank everybody who helped out today. And
then it wasn't over. But that's not happening with the
Vikings much this season.
Speaker 1 (07:19):
No, there was this ESPN put out this thing today
talking about how that season they went thirteen and four.
It felt fluky and all DVA this advanced metric that
I'm not smart enough to understand these people who are going, hey,
they're not quite winning as well as they did earlier
in the year. No, no, no, no, No. The DVOA
(07:40):
is great. This is a really really good football team.
And I think the thing I had two turning points
in this season. The first one was really early in
the year. I started hearing things and not from people
within the organization, but just from people close to some
players and you know, stuff like that where they're was
(08:00):
just a belief in the locker room that I think,
once you get past the preseason, you can't fake it.
These guys know whether or not they're a good team.
By week one or two. They you know, like the Dolphins,
they're four and six, they've had this weird year. I
think they know they're a pretty good football team and
they should be the same thing with the Bengals, regardless
of what's happening. I think the Vikings walked into this
(08:23):
season and we all you could kind of see it
in press conferences and stuff where we all went holy
and they were walking around going like, yeah, we knew this, right,
I'm normally the I'm worried it's gonna fall apart fan,
right because it's a very Minnesota.
Speaker 2 (08:38):
The party town.
Speaker 1 (08:39):
Yeah, it's a very very Yeah. I didn't assume you
were sitting there on Sunday like it's gonna be great
when he drills this field goal. The last few games,
you know, they lost. They lost a game to the
Rams that was ugly, and then these last few wins
just haven't been anything special.
Speaker 2 (08:59):
The Rams are also like a show up team. You
don't know who's show and when you.
Speaker 1 (09:03):
Play the Lions four days later after you play the Lions,
that's a team that beats you up. I think that
was a hard game.
Speaker 3 (09:08):
You have a whole locker room of guys who were
trained by Aaron Donald, correct the whole locker room guys
who are like, well, that's the level and that's going
to carry over from a couple of years just in
terms of mentality.
Speaker 1 (09:18):
Yeah, and getting both those receivers back for that game
was no joke.
Speaker 2 (09:22):
I don't know.
Speaker 1 (09:22):
I've got this weird thing going on where I think
there's a real universe that this team hits a stride
in December and they're actually a contender. And that's not
a thing I ever say, but I've bought in on
a pretty gross level.
Speaker 2 (09:36):
I would say.
Speaker 3 (09:37):
I think from the outside looking in, you you you should. Yeah,
they It's it's gonna come down to probably three games.
Three games are going to tell you exactly what this
team is going to do, and if not all three,
two of those are going to come against the Lions
and the Packers.
Speaker 1 (09:51):
Yep, yep, that's exactly right.
Speaker 3 (09:53):
You know, from a Bears standpoint, you're looking at like
those you know, I think the first three losses they
didn't have Keenan Allen, they were within a score. Then
you look at the Commander's game and a lot of
people want to come down on it. I think his
name was Stevenson, and they want to come down on him,
(10:17):
or they want to yell about fifty five getting held
and say, oh, that's why they lost. Now I will
say part of that is why he lost. I don't
think it has anything to do with the whole Do
you want to call that? Sure, call it, you don't
want to call it. It's a final play of the game.
Somebody needs to make a play, and he had plenty
of times for somebody else to get off a block.
So the thing about it is and the difference between
(10:38):
the Vikings, the Lions and the Packers, it may come
down to. For let's say the Lions, it could you
could list a foot stacks worth a paper of differences,
and maybe for the Vikings you can go, oh, maybe
these teams are a little bit closer than we think.
But it isn't even just losing on the final play
against the Packers and Loon, he's losing against the final
(10:59):
play against the Commanders. It is a small thing that
is a huge difference, and that is coaching. Sure, it
is one hundred percent coaching, because and I'm not just
talking about Oh Stevenson wasn't coached enough. So he's out
here waving at fans rather thanetting out of play that
does have to do with coaching. But you know what's
even a bigger coaching thing before that giving up a
(11:20):
thirteen yard play and you and your press conference, ibra flus,
you go out and say, we don't really think that
thirteen yards mattered. And then the coach I'm forgetting his name,
but the coach for the Commanders comes out and goes
that thirteen yards was huge.
Speaker 2 (11:32):
Riss. That made the whole difference in that game. Now,
what does that tell you?
Speaker 3 (11:36):
Even if one of them is right and one of
them is wrong, it's irrelevant who's right and who's wrong.
It's a difference in coaching. And I'm gonna say the
guy who won is probably right. So the same thing
is true on Sunday. It's gonna come down to coaching
with the pack with what just happened at the Packers
because you have thirty four seconds left in a timeout
and you waste it.
Speaker 1 (11:56):
Couldn't believe it, couldn't believe that, you would not couldn't
believe it.
Speaker 3 (12:01):
That is a coaching decision. And you should know what
you're being scouted against as much on your own team
as the.
Speaker 2 (12:09):
Team who's scouting against you.
Speaker 3 (12:10):
And so to not get closer, which is going to
get the ball higher sooner, is insane. Who makes that
decision a coach? And I think that's why you can
look at a team that has a lot of talent
on it and go, where do you lose games? And
you lose games by not knowing how to coach your players.
Bill Parcells has that great quote, you treat every single
(12:33):
player the same, and he goes, no, not a chance,
because some of these guys could show up and be
a Hall of Famer and other guys have I have
to ride their ass to make them work hard. And
so that is where the Bears are so far away.
And the idea that you have this number one pick
and you're gonna get Caleb Williams or whoever you want,
(12:54):
and you're not gonna go after Harbaugh, and you're gonna
you're gonna have an overlap of mediocrity. At least get
it wrong by doing the right thing. That's why you
pick kayleb Willms. Right, everybody said, look, they can make
this pick and they can get it wrong, but no
one's going to say they shouldn't have made that pick.
Speaker 1 (13:08):
Exactly. You're never gonna get blamed for taking Caleb Williams.
Speaker 3 (13:11):
Do you may not go higher the right coach when
you get rid of ebraflues going into the twenty four season.
But no one's gonna say, well, you had to hang
on to ebra flus.
Speaker 1 (13:21):
Yeah. Well, and the crazy thing is, and so I
when we did our initial search, I was a I'm
obviously we're thrilled to have our head coach. Right. When
you get somebody like that, it's rare. You know, you
look around, not just the NFL, professional sports and see
(13:43):
how many fan bases are so constantly frustrated with their coaches.
Speaker 2 (13:47):
It is.
Speaker 1 (13:48):
It is a rare place to feel that good about
your head coach. I also in the beginning of the process,
I was all in on Demico Ryans, which I think
that has proven out to be also a good option.
Speaker 2 (13:59):
Yep.
Speaker 1 (14:00):
But I never understood why people so quickly dismissed the
Harbaugh thing from a fans standpoint, like he now does
he wear out his welcome? It seems he probably does.
But in the history of football, who does this? Who
has won? Who just wins?
Speaker 2 (14:19):
No matter?
Speaker 1 (14:19):
Because Jimmy Johnson didn't win with the Dolphins, Bill Parcells
didn't win with the Cowboys, and he sure didn't win
as a front office person down in Miami, you know,
So I just don't. I think there's something unique to
what Harbaugh is does and it probably wears thin after
a while given everything that has followed him. But I mean,
(14:44):
I saw the stat for the Chargers where they were
like bottom third of the league, and rush attempts and
all these like rushing metrics. He comes in drafts a
tackle when there's wide receivers on the board and they
don't have any wide receivers right, and he's like, Nope,
I'm taking a tackle. He's a weapon. And then they
just they hire Greg Roman and they pound the shout
of the ball, and there's all these metrics about Justin Herbert.
(15:06):
He's throwing way less, but he's fifteen to one TD
to interception ratio going into last game, all these advanced
metrics about big time throws versus mistakes. He's just the
guy that we thought he was gonna be and they
haven't given him a weapon yet. So I yeah, I'm
if I'm a team that didn't hire a coach last year.
I mean, I'm sure there's other questions, but the Harbaugh thing,
(15:28):
there's got to be a lot of fan bases going.
Speaker 2 (15:30):
Oh, what'd we do? Right?
Speaker 1 (15:32):
It's not like the Chargers are a healthy organization historically.
Speaker 3 (15:36):
Right, And look, the Bears could be a year or
two away from being that if they want to. But
for as long as you've looked down South, and for
as long as I've looked over at the lake, how
much have they ever decided to do that?
Speaker 2 (15:49):
Never? They could? Next year?
Speaker 3 (15:51):
Right, they're probably gonna end up with the top five pick.
They could flip that into two picks in the first round,
get some linemen and push everything that way, and then
get a coach who knows what they're doing and how
to be a leader of men and know the right
decisions to make. It's two different things. You have to
be able to do. You can know everything to do
if nobody cares to listen to you, it really doesn't
(16:11):
matter how good your ideas are. So you kind of
have to have both.
Speaker 2 (16:13):
Right. Harball obviously has that in spades, and you look
at Detroit they have it too, But like they don't.
Could they go that route and start doing that? Yes?
Will they?
Speaker 3 (16:24):
I have no reason to believe this. I said this
at the beginning of the season. When The Bears Future
was eight and a half and everyone was telling you
to pound the over right, pound the over pounding over
pound the over on that bet. The reason I agreed
with it is you've seen It's like going on a date.
You've seen a blind day, except for this time. You've
seen the girl right, and you've seen DJ Moore and
(16:46):
you've seen Romadonsay, and you've seen Keenan Allen and you
know what Swift can do, and you know what Caleb
is capable of and can he elevate that? But you
know you're not looking at somebody like Niche who's had Trubisky,
who's had six you know, a good guy, but he
had sixteen starts coming in who knows what we're that's
a blind date. So you've seen it and and there's
a lot of things about the girl that you like,
and you think she's really hot, and so you're very
(17:07):
optimistic that this is going to work out. And so
that is a thing Bears I was completely as Bears
fans were able to have because we it wasn't like,
well we have no idea, I'm not hopeful. It's like, well,
I do have an idea, so I am hopeful. Will
I be surprised if this ends up with all my
clothes being burned on the front lawn. No, I'm not
going to be that surprised because I've been dating long enough,
you know, on the on the banks of like Michigan,
(17:30):
staring over at Gary, Indiana and going maybe it isn't
that bad over there. So for the Bears, it's like,
can't will they make those changes? Will they do those things?
And coming off of Sunday's game against the Packers, if
you want me to rose color in any way, which
I'm happy to do, also go watch my special rose
Gold if you want me to do that in any way.
(17:51):
The Bears didn't lose because Caleb Williams played badhi, which
has been an earmark for so long with the why
they lose bad.
Speaker 2 (18:01):
He didn't lose because did he throw a touchdown?
Speaker 3 (18:03):
No? And I don't care. Had they gone two and
a half games without scoring a touch on, yes, that's insane.
They hadn't done that since two thousand and four. So
from that standpoint, you know, if it was the Broncos
and they lose that game, I'm obviously bummed for an
hour and then I have a rule where you don't.
I don't let sports ruin my day behind you. Yeah,
(18:25):
but it was the Packers, and for all intents and purposes,
they should have won that game.
Speaker 2 (18:31):
The Packers played a little bit less.
Speaker 3 (18:32):
Maybe the Bears get some credit for that, but they
played a little bit less than they normally should have.
The Bears played better than they had looked in a month,
and they should have won that game. So I'm comforted
by what I saw in Caleb that final drive. If
forgetting sacked, that's what I was gonna say. Two plays
he gets sacked and you're like, oh, I've seen this
three weeks yep, yes, and then convert, Convert, make a
(18:53):
play get out of a sack. He's so good at
ducking a sack you have to wrap him up and
stay on it. And the great thing about that is
is it's gonna make you risk a penalty every single
time you do that. So it makes a defensive player
think twice for how much am I going to stay
on this tackle? And he maximizes that and that is great.
But if anybody remembers anything from what I've said on
(19:16):
this podcast today, and I really appreciate you giving me
a place to event I don't have to go to
therapy later. The Bears would have ruined every They would
have ruined Patrick Mahomes. They would have ruined him. I
did there tell me one great quarterback who's had more
than two coaches, And I only say two because a
lot of times Montana goes and plays for the Chiefs,
(19:37):
or or you know, Brady goes down to Tampa Bay.
But tell me one like excellent in the argument, or
or or you know, very assured hall of famer who
had more than one system, more than one coach. It
doesn't exist.
Speaker 1 (19:51):
Yeah, I mean, I mean, you're right.
Speaker 2 (19:52):
It has to be at most coordinators.
Speaker 3 (19:55):
If my memory serves me quick, they would have ruined
everybody's I can't believe that Patrick Mahomes I can, and
thank god they didn't for Patrick Mahomes.
Speaker 2 (20:05):
But what the Jets almost did to your guy? Yeah,
people thought Sam Donald was never going to really play again.
Speaker 1 (20:10):
Yeah, it's this big you're seeing it in Cincinnati right
now where I saw Steve Young on Dan Patrick's show,
and you know, it's this remarkable thing where Dan Patrick
is like, what is going on here? Twenty seven touchdowns,
four interceptions, He's the first quarterback in the Super Bowl
(20:31):
era to have three hundred and fifty yards, three touchdowns
and no interceptions in three games and lose all three
of them. That's never happened in football. You know, Steve
Young goes, well, I think you have to look other
places than Joe Burrow, and he basically ends up saying
he goes everything flows from the very top down right,
And I think, I think when you look at some
(20:52):
of these organizations that you're talking about, and obviously that's
been the biggest conversation piece this year is quarterbacks and
their support and what that means and second chances and
all this stuff. You know, the vikings are, you know,
especially since Kevin O'Connell's been here, when you get those
I love looking at those ends of the year grades.
(21:15):
And I bet Chicago Bears fans probably hate looking at them,
but like the what it's like to be a player
there the ones in Cincinnati. I have a friend, a
comic friend, Alex Schubert, who, like I think, he wants
to light his computer on fire when they come out
every year. But you get a great organization and a
(21:35):
great coach, and yeah, you're right, most of these guys,
unless they are. You have the one rare case with
Drew Brees who leaves to go to New Orleans in
that weird situation. But other than that, the only time
these guys get a second system is usually when they
have their late career. I'm one hundred and fifty years old,
and I'm gonna win a Super Bowl with the Bucks
(21:57):
or the Broncos or the or get an AFC Championship
with the Chiefs. So yeah, I think I think you're
exactly right. When you see these things, it's it doesn't
to me. I guess I'll say this. I think, no
matter what, it's hard to get a like a Hall
of Fame quarterback, But when it ends up working, like
in Kansas City when Patrick Mahomes got there and it
(22:20):
worked and you went incredible organization, incredible general manager, all
time coach, super talent, like there's just no way. The
Patriots Robert Kraft learns from Eddie de Bartola on how
to treat players and run his organization. Bill Belichick is
who is Tom Brady? Like it makes sense when it
clicks down like that generally.
Speaker 3 (22:42):
Yeah, and I just you know, I mean, yeah, the
Bears got rid of Shane Waldron and it looked like
the I think it was fifteen and seven carries between
the two running backs last week was I'm directionally correct
if I'm not on it, And so you saw much
more of a balanced play call.
Speaker 2 (23:01):
You know.
Speaker 3 (23:01):
But I think you and I sort of saw this
shift from superstar athletes, which we obviously has been around
for a long time, but I think really blew up
in the nineties and then in the early two thousands
to now like the athlete is basically the king, Like
it's a king athlete, right, And you bet that if
Andy Reid retires at the end of this year, which
(23:23):
I know an inclination he's going to but if he did,
Patrick Mahomes is going to pick their next head coach.
Speaker 1 (23:28):
Yeah, oh yeah.
Speaker 3 (23:30):
And because he should. And so whatever they did to
make Caleb come around to being like, yeah, I want
to play here, or he just realized like from a
pr standpoint, whatever, I just got to go along with it.
They had, you know, the Bears. For anybody who know,
they've never fired a head coach during the season.
Speaker 1 (23:46):
Ever in the history of the organizations.
Speaker 2 (23:48):
Never in season fired a head coach ever.
Speaker 1 (23:50):
And they should let me ask you something that I
always mean to ask Bears fans like, do you ever
think about Lobby Smith?
Speaker 3 (23:57):
Yes, but if you go back too, I think it
was twenty ten or whenever they love mean, I think
he was a ten and six team his final season.
There was a complacency that had kind of fallen in
there where he was. And I am very close to
saying I bet that you can quote me on this.
(24:18):
He was saying, I wasn't ready. I didn't have the
guys ready to play, and it was like a big
primetime game. Oh sure, And that sort of stuff just
sort of like happened. I mean, I remember there was
a New Year's Eve game in like two thousand and
I think it was two thousand and seven to two
thousand and eight, or maybe two thousand and six to
two thousand and seven where they played the Packers and
(24:38):
the Bears were already in the playoffs and they just
pretty much let the Packers win and they ended up
going on a run and I think they eliminated the
Bears in the playoffs that year.
Speaker 1 (24:48):
Final that was Yeah, that was the year where they
won the Super Bowl as a wildcard team. Yeah, they
mailed that game in. I remember that game.
Speaker 3 (24:54):
Yeah, And in the postgame, like Rex Grossman said that
he was thinking about his New Year's Eve party, and
so there was a lot of sort of just like love.
He is a great coach and people loved playing for him.
But I think things that it had just run its course.
I mean, Andy Reid ran its course in Philadelphia. Sure,
(25:14):
it's sort of hard to go back to that. Is
that what they need to sort of set the benchmark
for and go above? Yes, one percent, but there's no
need to go back in that direction. If you told
me that next season they hired Dion Sanders, I would
be one hundred percent in favor of it.
Speaker 1 (25:31):
If for no other reason, that'd be so fun.
Speaker 3 (25:34):
If for no other reason that you want to talk
about a culture change with the Bears, you want to
talk about a coach who is going to handle that
front office and handle that ownership and handle the expectations
for that team in such a different way. Like Tony
Dungee gets a lot of credit for what he did
with the Colts, but he doesn't get enough credit for
(25:56):
what he did with the Buccaneers.
Speaker 2 (25:57):
And I'm not trying to take anything away.
Speaker 1 (25:59):
Totally agree totally. He built an entire.
Speaker 3 (26:03):
He changed that entire culture down there, that entire culture
where you know, the buccaneer with with the dagger in
his mouth went from we're going to guaranteed win to
a cool throwback for a team that's gonna smack you
in the mouth. And Gruden and his problematic emails can
come in and take their Super Bowl and that's all
great and good. But Tony Dungee turned that organization around.
Speaker 2 (26:24):
Yep.
Speaker 3 (26:24):
And whether it's Dion or someone after Dion, that sort
of step in that direction, to me would be such
an indication of we are not doing things the same
anymore here, And obviously I would hope it would work.
I mean, he's got currently, as we record this, he's
got a team that everyone seems to want to lose.
I'm not in that camp, but he's got the Colorado
(26:46):
Buffalo's the sixteenth team in the nation because he seems
to have really maybe he isn't the best play caller
or like best you know, X's and O's coach in
the world, but he's got guys who want to run
through brick walls. And I'll take some more of that
in Chicago.
Speaker 1 (27:03):
And there's this whole thing where you know, we've become
so accustomed to assistant coaches coordinators who then become head
coaches and run one side of the ball. And if
you go back in the day a little bit, you know,
Tony Dungee came from Minnesota, where Denny Green had Brian
Billick and Tony Dungee. And you know, I'm not saying
Denny Green wasn't involved in the offense, right, but he
(27:24):
had coordinators. And just as a side note, Denny Green's
my favorite coach of all time. And he didn't the
organization didn't continue on that trajectory. But he did the
same thing in Arizona.
Speaker 2 (27:35):
Yeah, and I don't think.
Speaker 1 (27:36):
He ever truly got the credit for what he did
down there, going down to a place where like no
one wanted to be.
Speaker 3 (27:42):
Yeah, I mean he gave us one of the greatest
Bears quotes of all time on that Monday night they
thought they were so great.
Speaker 1 (27:49):
Let me ask you this, then, with everything you've said,
why the hell does my football team lose to your
team in Chicago every single year, no matter how we are,
how bad you are, Like, this is such an opportunity
for this team to distance itself from that vikings lore, Like,
(28:10):
because I think this is better than the past few
Bears team right now, past few Bears teams.
Speaker 2 (28:16):
Ye. The ability, Yeah, and you're going to be coached
in the wrong direction or not.
Speaker 1 (28:21):
And I think you need to go in and if
you give yourself a win, you know, outdoors on the road,
the way you want to control a game, I think
that's a It instills the thing in the locker room
and you can even that far of that vikings farv team.
I'm pretty sure lost to Chicago in a terrible way
against a bad team. We just never get it done.
And I don't I don't understand what that hold is
(28:42):
that that city has over this organization. Are other Do
other teams struggle there like that?
Speaker 3 (28:48):
Can I be like super like meathead sports radio caller
about it?
Speaker 2 (28:53):
I love it?
Speaker 3 (28:53):
Yeah, I think that the Bears can traditionally and maybe
this this is something that comes from ownership. This is
the stuff we don't know, right, we don't walk in
these halls. But I think that they as an organization
and then the team itself can get up for.
Speaker 2 (29:07):
Big rivalry games.
Speaker 3 (29:11):
And you saw them do that for green Bay and
green Bay has an air of well, we're not going
to lose and I think they've won three of the
last like fourteen.
Speaker 2 (29:24):
Or I'm sorry, the Bears are three and fourteen.
Speaker 3 (29:26):
Yeah, yeah, And so they sort of have this like, well,
we're not going to lose, and so as much as
the Bears can get up for it, the Packers are
still just sort of on the top bunk. And I
think that for the Vikings, and it's at Daniel Vankirk
if anybody wants to be mean to me, but I
think for the Vikings it's a one step below of
(29:48):
like we should win. I hope we do, and that
a lot of times when the Bears decide to get
up for a game, it doesn't cut their way. But
I think we are on the precipice. And this goes
across our entire division of everyone knowing they can beat
the Bears unless something changes there, like I do not
(30:10):
see you guys losing this.
Speaker 1 (30:12):
Don't say it, don't want it?
Speaker 2 (30:14):
Now? Do you expect me to say anything else? No?
Speaker 3 (30:17):
Unless I was like three more lords deep, right, But
like I don't know what team for mine is going
to show up. Ye, so if I average it out,
they're not as good as if we average out your team,
can they win? Of course they can't. They should have
won three more games this year, and could have won
one to two more on top of that had they
(30:38):
executed and or been coached appropriately. So, yeah, Bears can
win that game. Do I see that happening?
Speaker 2 (30:47):
No?
Speaker 3 (30:48):
And again to be a little meatthead about it without
being a championship caliber team. How many demoralizing losses can
any group of people, men, women try?
Speaker 1 (31:00):
Locker rooms are weird, man?
Speaker 3 (31:01):
Yes? How many can they take and keep getting up
from it? Like, ultimately, do you think, as we record
this right now, that the Chiefs care about losing against
the Bills last week?
Speaker 1 (31:11):
I think they're so well built in the locker room,
they're like, that was probably the best thing that could
have happened to us. That's what I think they think.
Speaker 3 (31:16):
Or you know what I said to my friend, I go, hey,
if anybody gives you a crap about the Chiefs losing, say, yeah,
we did lose. We tend to not lose the last
game of the season, though, that is the mentality, right,
And so I think, like you saw what happened after
the Commander's loss. I mean, the Bears, it looked like
they didn't even want to play and I hate getting
(31:38):
into that meat head level of like psyche of they've.
Speaker 2 (31:41):
Given up or are you trying?
Speaker 1 (31:43):
Stuff.
Speaker 3 (31:44):
I hate that stuff because you and I both know
that if we took any one of our cousins or
siblings and put us in a basement in the Midwest
playing ping pong with a beer in our hand, that
there doesn't need to be anyone there for us to
care that we win. So now let's take somebody who's
achieved the level of professional sports and do not care
if you win on any level of any play ever,
(32:04):
you would have to be such a like diamond level
Ricky Williams type person to so I never go into
the like they don't care. But I think that you
can only have as a human panche so many tomorl
Anxing losses before you just can't get up for the game.
And you might be able to get up for in
the first quarter, but getting up for in the fourth quarter,
even in a vacuum of just that game, can be hard.
Speaker 2 (32:26):
So I think the Vikings.
Speaker 3 (32:28):
Deserve to win based on where people are seasons are going.
I won't be unhappy for them if they do win,
but yeah, you know, once kickoff starts I'm like, just
be a good team today.
Speaker 1 (32:41):
Just be a real football team.
Speaker 2 (32:43):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (32:43):
Today, today, you're living in a very different experience than
us because we at this I can just feel this
state going. Just be real. Please, let it be real.
Let it be real. The last question I have for you,
and it's not a good question to end on because,
as it turns out, Daniel, I'm not sure I'm great
at my job.
Speaker 2 (33:02):
But it is.
Speaker 1 (33:06):
It is the thing that I am most curious about
because you've talked so much about the like the organization
and how it's built and the mentality.
Speaker 3 (33:15):
I mean, dude, can I cut you off really quick?
Just because I almost forgot to say this? As you
go on, Let's keep in mind when you say organization
that this was the lamest, most boring season of hard
knocks that has ever existed across any moment of any time.
Did you realize that they never cussed? Did you realize
that because there was a mandate from the Bears, from
(33:36):
Virginia McCaskey, God bless her, that there should be no cussing. Now,
you tell me when you're showcasing a football team and
women athletically, men athletically co d athletically that you're intense
and serious about something, but you don't coust So how
many real moments, how many real conversations are we actually campturing?
And how much did that affect meetings? Hey, guys, whatever
(33:59):
you want to say here call out, you can't because
we can't cost and there's cameras like that's the organization
that isn't we're here to win, that's here. We're here
to do it the way we think is right. And
for all but one season in the mid eighties and
a couple of divisional championships and a conference championship here
and there, they don't do it right.
Speaker 2 (34:19):
They just don't.
Speaker 1 (34:20):
We're here to make sure nobody dances in this town.
Speaker 2 (34:24):
So exactly, No.
Speaker 1 (34:26):
I think fan bases psychologies, I don't know if that's
a plural or not, but I think they're really interesting.
And the Bears have a unique one that kind of
mirrors the Pittsburgh Steelers, and that those are the two
pre eminent defensive like vibes. And granted, these are two
(34:50):
of the older, more iconic franchises, so they carried that
storied history with them. But do you think there's like
in Pittsburgh it's weird where I really think they believe
we'll like we're just a blue collar city and that
that flows out of our football team. What is it
about Chicago?
Speaker 2 (35:09):
What it like?
Speaker 1 (35:10):
This melding of a fan base and a personality and
an organization that it almost has seemed like for the
entirety of my fan watching life, we've been like, we
just need a good linebacker. Right linebacker is football? Like
when I go to when I go to Chicago for
stand up and I talk to anybody, I just expect
(35:32):
them to go linebackers football like, because I don't know
that it's like obviously you go butt kiss, you go,
you got Urlacker, you go, Khalil Mack, you have all
these guys. Yeah, on and on and on. But how
much of that is happenstance? It just it fascinates me
because it's pretty interesting and unique. And I don't think
(35:53):
it's an accident or a coincidence that it wound up
that way.
Speaker 3 (35:57):
Yeah, I think that it's I think that every ownership
group has a strong suit and I think that they
impose that on to the people they hire to be
their decision makers, and then I think it's a real
thing for a city to set the tone. And I
think as comics, we can go into a city and
(36:19):
whether it's the person we meet at the hotel, our
uber driver, the place where you grab something to eat
and you can go, okay, this is sort of what
these people want.
Speaker 1 (36:29):
This is exactly why I was asking ye. I think
you're exactly right.
Speaker 3 (36:32):
And I think that that expectation extends itself to those
players in the same way that you show up right
and you walk down what I assume are numerous halls
with tons of former players, and if you're a running back,
you're being asked, can you even look at Gail Sayers
(36:53):
and Walter Payton? I mean, you know, just the guy
who the NFL named the Man of the Year trophy
after can you even get that? And so there's a
weight on there that maybe no, I'm being plenty on purpose,
I guess, makes you put more weight on the bar
in the gym because there's an expectation. And I think
that when you get to Chicago and you know that
(37:15):
the defense is here and what the defense has it been,
and you're that type of player, well you better bring it.
And I think if you're a quarterback on some level,
it's a blank slate. There's not a true standard there.
And I think the organization says, hey, we know, we
always get good linebackers, so if you hear somebody, you
(37:36):
bring them in. And then they're skittish about quarterbacks because
we've never really gotten that right. And is there a
one place on the dial that you can point to
and go that's where this is determined.
Speaker 2 (37:48):
I don't think so. But is it? Is it an
amalgamation of things?
Speaker 3 (37:53):
Yes, you know, I sit there and watch a Bears
game and I'm like, all right, if we just get
a turn over here, because I feel in some ways
often games more comforted when the defense is on the
field and we're on the right, on the correct.
Speaker 2 (38:09):
Side of the fifty.
Speaker 3 (38:11):
Then I do the offense being on the field and
only to the forty two yard line of the other
you know, And then you're watch it on the team
and you're to see like first down, first down. For
some you're like, how do they make this look so easy?
So I really think it's culture. I think it's culture
in every sense. If you if you're a quarterback and
you are walking through Midway Airport, I mean, let's be honest,
(38:32):
you're probably flying into O hair.
Speaker 1 (38:34):
But I think I think they're going O hair.
Speaker 3 (38:36):
Yeah, you're walking through O'Hair and you see somebody and
they recognize you and you're a quarterback, the attitude is like,
we need you, please, please do this for us, please.
Speaker 2 (38:46):
Right.
Speaker 3 (38:47):
And if you're a linebacker and you're a rookie or
you're a Khalil Mac and somebody comes in and they go,
you know what you're supposed to do here?
Speaker 1 (38:53):
Right, that's yeah.
Speaker 3 (38:55):
That is happening on micro levels all the time, in
both both ways.
Speaker 2 (39:01):
Does it guarantee anything? No?
Speaker 3 (39:03):
Is it a factor if you ask my meathead Rochelle Illinois,
our THHS graduate brain, Yes, it is a factor. And
I think you see those things continue. I mean you
look at it. People go oh every time Peyton Manning
got another tight end.
Speaker 2 (39:19):
They were great.
Speaker 3 (39:19):
Well, yeah, because if you're gonna come in after Dallas Clark,
you better hit your route. It is uncomfortable for you
not to. So the sad thing is is Bears have
an expect Bears and Bears fans have an expectation of
defensive play and they have a hope for quarterback play.
Speaker 1 (39:39):
Well, I want to thank you Daniel for on behalf
of everybody who's listening for essentially, you know, making us
feel like this is gonna go well for us, only
to put us in a position that we've spent a
lot of our lives in. Uh, you know, just probably
seventeen thirteen with two and a half minute it's to play,
(40:00):
and Caleb Williams has the ball and we're all just
furious and nervous. I'm gonna make you do this. You're
not gonna like it. Give me a score prediction.
Speaker 3 (40:15):
I gotta be a meathead and say twenty. Oh, that's
way too high for the Bears, seventeen fourteen Bears. And
I'm being wishful because I really think it'll probably be
ten to fourteen with the Bears having the ball and
(40:35):
two and a half minutes left.
Speaker 1 (40:37):
So I was just saying, you just basically changed the
score a little bit. But you put my prediction, my
worry prediction to get together there.
Speaker 2 (40:45):
Yeah, in your own way.
Speaker 1 (40:46):
I'd like everybody just as a reminder when you're feeling
anything on Sunday, It's like that scene in The water Boy. Yeah,
all of a sudden they look up and the guy
looks at Kathy Bates.
Speaker 2 (40:55):
I don't know.
Speaker 1 (40:55):
I think this is the second episode in a row
read I've done that dumb bit, but uh me mentioned
his Twitter everybody. So when it's ten fourteen and has
the ball and you're nervous, hop on a hop on
old X and find your way to Daniel Vancruz.
Speaker 3 (41:12):
You know what, for any if the Bears end up
winning and they'll go you know it happened whatever, I'm like, well,
you guys could have done a lot more with this
win than the Bears are gonna, so I wouldn't have
been that mad about it. The one thing I really
feel bad about the Vikings for is that this seems
to be coming together with an upward trajectory, whether it's
Donald and McCarthy at the same time that the Lions
are the NFL's NFC darling, and it's like.
Speaker 1 (41:34):
See, we'll see, baby. I've got a weird confidence and
I never have confidence.
Speaker 3 (41:37):
I know.
Speaker 2 (41:38):
That's what's great.
Speaker 1 (41:39):
I never ever have confidence.
Speaker 2 (41:42):
We'll see.
Speaker 1 (41:42):
I think I think there is a chance. I think
the Lions might be the best team in football, all
of football.
Speaker 2 (41:49):
Uh huh. I mean there was a college score last
weekend mm hmm.
Speaker 1 (41:54):
But the NFL is a one week at a time
league sure, And by the way, I think the Lions
are the least likely to falter of anybody in the
NFC right when it comes to what I'm about to say.
It's not like other teams don't feel this, but I
truly think the Lions have to prove to me an
(42:16):
ability to execute sound decisions in multiple playoff games before
I walk into let's say you're in an NFC championship game,
whether it's the Packers, whether it's the Vikings, whether it's
the Niners, anybody else. Yeah, if they walk into an
NFC championship game, even in Detroit, in my brain, I'm going, yeah,
(42:37):
Detroit's the heavy favorite here. This makes a lot of
sense to try, but I can't ignore what I've seen
so many times in so many important moments, that is
just hanging out there. What does it look like in
the third quarter when it's fourth and four from their
own forty and they should probably punt it, but they
always go for it. And if they don't get that
like that, the disconnect between the line always do their
(43:01):
philosophy in Dan Campbell's belief structure versus what is the
actual situation where in it's kind of like the bill's
going forward on fourth and two. You go for that
no matter what as many times because it's Patrick mahomes right.
If you are looking at Daniel Jones over there, it's
a different conversation. And so that is the Lions have
(43:23):
to show me that and me saying this might result
in a forty point ass kicking in the playoffs, but
I would love a shot at being the team to
put them in that position.
Speaker 2 (43:36):
Sure, yeah, I'm with you.
Speaker 3 (43:38):
Let me ask you one last question so you can
remove your own baggage.
Speaker 1 (43:42):
Oh difficult?
Speaker 2 (43:45):
Thanksgiving Day? Bears, Lions?
Speaker 3 (43:48):
How badly do you think the Lions are going to
beat the Bears? Twenty points?
Speaker 2 (43:51):
Now? Twenty five points?
Speaker 1 (43:53):
Who do the Lions have this week?
Speaker 2 (43:55):
Do we know? Do you really think it matters?
Speaker 1 (43:58):
Listen to me, I do you're nuts?
Speaker 2 (44:01):
No?
Speaker 1 (44:01):
No, no, no, hear me, hear me out. I don't think
that has anything to do with Chicago. Agree. I think
there are two things that we are due for. We
are due for, although Golf did have the five interception
game and they survived, but we are due for a
dud from Detroit.
Speaker 2 (44:15):
Sure, I think we're due.
Speaker 1 (44:17):
There's been flashes and there's there have been moments, but
I think there's going to be a Caleb Williams game
because these people like Viking fans, other fans who are
cracking on him. You're out of your mind, I agree,
But you are out of your mind if you don't
see the special things here.
Speaker 2 (44:32):
What he looks like.
Speaker 3 (44:32):
He looks like a good rookie. I'm pretty sure Peyton
Manning is rookie here through twenty nine interceptions.
Speaker 2 (44:38):
M h.
Speaker 3 (44:39):
And you want to compare him to uh Jaden Daniels
and I'm like, don't that guy is having an insane year.
He is not the mean also way older.
Speaker 2 (44:50):
Yes, I don't see that to take anything away from Jaden.
Speaker 1 (44:52):
I know it's amazing.
Speaker 2 (44:53):
Do not pile on to kle the guy is a
rookie people.
Speaker 3 (44:57):
I love what people are like, well, you know, we're
a couple of weeks or they're like, we're halfway through
the season here, and I go, you mean eight games
into someone's career, Like, come on, guys, I'm not saying
he's great, but pump the brakes here. Everybody in our
you know, instant scratcher gratification life.
Speaker 2 (45:17):
Don't be wrong.
Speaker 3 (45:17):
I love scratchers more than scratch more than some people
I'm related to. I love a good scratcher, but I'm
just like, let's pull it back. I just don't I
think that you can agree that without seeing the line. Yet,
it's probably eight and a half for the Lions at
home on Thanksgiving, and you would wouldn't feel crazy betting it.
Speaker 1 (45:35):
Come on, I hear, I'm not. I wouldn't get in
within a million miles of choosing the Bears to win
this football that football game. And I look forward to
your text on Thanksgiving. At some point Caleb Williams is
going to have a special game thank you, and at
some point the Lions are going to put a dot
on the field. And if those moments cross, because as
(45:58):
you said, the Bears rise up for and the Lions have.
Speaker 2 (46:02):
The Colts this week.
Speaker 1 (46:02):
Now, maybe the Colts beat them, maybe something weird there happens.
But I don't know. I just think there's a space there.
There's just a space there where something weird could happen.
Very small percentage, But I'm not gonna sit here and
say that the Bears are gonna lose by twenty five.
Speaker 2 (46:18):
Okay, it's also Thanksgiving, It's.
Speaker 1 (46:20):
Also thanksgiving Daniel van Kirk. Ladies and gentlemen, thanks for
having me buddy, you're the best. Thank you everybody for
listening to our podcast feed while you're here. Make sure
you subscribe, you write a review, it really helps us.
Also huge shout out to ticket Master, the official ticket
marketplace of the Minnesota Vikings, for helping make this show happen.
(46:40):
We'll see you all again next week.
Popular Podcasts
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com