WEBVTT - Bears vs. Lions Week 14 Game Preview | Bears, etc. Podcast 0:00:00.160 --> 0:00:02.679 Right justin middle of the field forty five to fifteen, 0:00:03.040 --> 0:00:05.720 bring Russ in front of all leaving Lions in this way. 0:00:06.080 --> 0:00:10.959 I am Jeff jonihacklits us on Don gud Up card. 0:00:11.960 --> 0:00:14.880 What was like playing for Coach Good? I don't want 0:00:14.880 --> 0:00:16.000 to answer any questions like that. 0:00:16.160 --> 0:00:26.239 Sixty one yards what's Sunday stroll for justin Field? Ye Bears, 0:00:26.239 --> 0:00:26.720 et cetera. 0:00:26.880 --> 0:00:29.600 With the voices of the Chicago Bears Jeff. 0:00:29.360 --> 0:00:34.879 Joniac For the second time in three games, it's Bears Lions, 0:00:34.880 --> 0:00:38.000 this time Sunday at Soldier Field Noon showdown. Not sure 0:00:38.040 --> 0:00:40.400 about the weather because the threat of snow appears to 0:00:40.440 --> 0:00:43.599 be diminishing or changing every day. Who knows, but conditions 0:00:43.640 --> 0:00:45.440 right for a Bears upset. We break it down with 0:00:45.680 --> 0:00:48.280 Super Bowl winning Bears guard Tom Theaya. I'm Jeff Joningak 0:00:48.400 --> 0:00:50.360 and We're ready for another good old fashioned black and 0:00:50.400 --> 0:00:54.040 blue battle. And that's exactly what I'm looking for on 0:00:54.080 --> 0:00:56.560 this game. Tom. We know the Lions are gonna come 0:00:56.600 --> 0:00:59.240 in with that attitude because that's from their head coach down. 0:01:00.120 --> 0:01:03.600 They're winning. They haven't won like that in sixty one years. 0:01:03.600 --> 0:01:05.440 At ninety three, the Bears at four and eight but 0:01:05.600 --> 0:01:06.040 arrow up. 0:01:06.200 --> 0:01:08.320 Yeah, but I think the Bears showed them an example 0:01:08.360 --> 0:01:10.759 when they are in Detroit from the very first drive 0:01:10.880 --> 0:01:14.040 what they are capable of being. But it's about the 0:01:14.040 --> 0:01:16.160 finish of the game that they have to show them 0:01:16.160 --> 0:01:19.280 who they are. And that's kind of been a point 0:01:20.200 --> 0:01:23.040 of that has been preached about a lot since the 0:01:23.160 --> 0:01:26.040 end of that game, through the Minnesota game now leading 0:01:26.120 --> 0:01:28.679 up to the Detroit game. So if the Bears can 0:01:28.720 --> 0:01:32.000 play this similar version of game that they played in 0:01:32.080 --> 0:01:37.080 Detroit with favorable conditions in terms of playing outdoors and 0:01:37.160 --> 0:01:40.600 support of crowd noise, and they finish it, you know, 0:01:40.680 --> 0:01:43.640 the Bears should prove something to themselves and to the 0:01:43.640 --> 0:01:45.080 rest of the division coming up. 0:01:45.080 --> 0:01:48.160 We visited White Sox play by play anouncer Len Casper, 0:01:48.200 --> 0:01:50.720 a born and bred Lions Van, for some good hearted 0:01:50.800 --> 0:01:54.040 conversation and discussion about the NFL, MLB, the White Sox, 0:01:54.120 --> 0:01:56.800 and his amazing career as a veteran baseball announcer heard 0:01:56.880 --> 0:01:59.760 on ESPN one thousand. The flagship for the Chicago Bears 0:02:00.080 --> 0:02:02.920 on the Chicago White Sox the Status at House at 0:02:02.960 --> 0:02:05.480 a Tommy Costs for cleats. It's been rolled out several 0:02:05.560 --> 0:02:08.040 years now and it's expanded in the Bears building to 0:02:08.080 --> 0:02:10.680 include one hundred employees and they're all milling around here today. 0:02:10.880 --> 0:02:13.040 They got their Nike sneakers all painted up for their 0:02:13.280 --> 0:02:16.440 personal causes, and so they've really expanded it. It's a 0:02:16.520 --> 0:02:19.160 nice thing. The art is amazing to cause more impactful. 0:02:19.480 --> 0:02:20.200 It's very cool. 0:02:20.320 --> 0:02:22.120 But you know, Jeff, I was thinking about you and 0:02:22.160 --> 0:02:24.680 I if we're involved in that, and where would our 0:02:24.720 --> 0:02:27.640 cause for cleats go. Because there's a lot of things 0:02:27.639 --> 0:02:30.440 that have crossed our life in my sixty two years 0:02:30.520 --> 0:02:34.119 that I would like to pay personal tribute or personal 0:02:34.160 --> 0:02:38.680 attention to. So when I saw on the Bear's website 0:02:38.720 --> 0:02:42.240 the version of the employees on the inside painting their cleats, 0:02:42.480 --> 0:02:46.320 and even Kevin Warren taken a part of it, I 0:02:46.320 --> 0:02:49.440 think everybody has a concern, has a cause that they 0:02:49.480 --> 0:02:54.840 would like to amplify, to get just just more notification 0:02:54.960 --> 0:02:55.560 of it. Right. 0:02:55.600 --> 0:02:58.040 Mine would be for scleroderma, a disease that killed my 0:02:58.120 --> 0:03:01.040 father back when he was just fifty three years of age, 0:03:01.080 --> 0:03:03.880 So that one always rings true. It's an awful disease 0:03:03.960 --> 0:03:06.959 and no cure, but a lot of research being done 0:03:06.960 --> 0:03:09.079 on that. I'm sure you've got a whole bunch, whole 0:03:09.080 --> 0:03:09.600 bunch big. 0:03:10.280 --> 0:03:13.280 I mean, I would go orgon donor because important people 0:03:13.320 --> 0:03:16.320 in my life have got organ donorship and that's extended 0:03:16.360 --> 0:03:18.640 their life and it's made him a better life. But 0:03:18.720 --> 0:03:21.160 I was also part of it when we tried to 0:03:21.200 --> 0:03:25.440 create awareness for organ donorship after Walter Payton passed away. 0:03:25.840 --> 0:03:28.320 So there's a lot of different avenues you can go, 0:03:28.520 --> 0:03:32.280 and so I'm happy that the NFL has expanded the 0:03:32.400 --> 0:03:36.160 opportunity to talk about the different causes. 0:03:36.240 --> 0:03:37.360 And we got to give a tip of the cap 0:03:37.400 --> 0:03:40.600 to Justin Jones. He is the Bears Walter Payton Man 0:03:40.680 --> 0:03:43.200 of the Year nominee among the thirty two that are 0:03:43.240 --> 0:03:45.720 now in the National Football League. It's certainly something very 0:03:45.720 --> 0:03:48.760 close to our good friend Jared Peyton's heart, obviously in 0:03:48.760 --> 0:03:51.280 the Peyton family and they take great pride in it 0:03:51.360 --> 0:03:53.240 every year at the Super Bowl when it's rolled out. 0:03:53.280 --> 0:03:55.880 So Justin, I haven't talked to him much this year. 0:03:55.880 --> 0:03:58.560 I went in the locker room today just to congratulate him. 0:03:58.560 --> 0:04:01.400 And he works with VAM program for inner city youth. 0:04:01.640 --> 0:04:04.240 He lit up, it's important to him. That's a lot 0:04:04.240 --> 0:04:04.520 of work. 0:04:05.000 --> 0:04:08.080 You know what. I didn't find out until yesterday that 0:04:08.240 --> 0:04:10.760 if you're an active player and you win the Peyton 0:04:10.800 --> 0:04:13.160 Man of the Year award, that you wear a patch 0:04:13.280 --> 0:04:18.680 on your jersey that you know that you are a 0:04:18.720 --> 0:04:22.200 Peyton Man and you know, I think, of God, what 0:04:22.279 --> 0:04:24.640 an honor it would be to wear a patch like 0:04:24.720 --> 0:04:29.719 that on your jersey, just because if you qualify for 0:04:29.760 --> 0:04:32.240 the opportunity to win the award, then you do win 0:04:32.320 --> 0:04:36.320 the award. You're doing some fantastic stuff in your outside 0:04:36.400 --> 0:04:38.000 life of just your playing career. 0:04:38.120 --> 0:04:40.440 Normal week with a noon kickoff on Sunday out of 0:04:40.520 --> 0:04:42.880 bye week, and that mean's justin fields on Wednesdays at 0:04:42.920 --> 0:04:45.520 Halis Haul. A couple of things that really stuck out, 0:04:45.520 --> 0:04:47.680 we're going to start with. One is just what we 0:04:47.680 --> 0:04:50.960 were talking about in the earlier podcast this week time. 0:04:51.000 --> 0:04:53.719 This is episode forty. That was episode thirty nine. Check 0:04:53.760 --> 0:04:56.120 it out. We talked about what you do with the 0:04:56.120 --> 0:04:58.640 turnovers after you create the turnover, and that's punching the 0:04:58.640 --> 0:05:00.719 ball on the end zone. And the haven't done that 0:05:00.800 --> 0:05:04.800 much with this a recent rash of takeaways. Overall, they're 0:05:04.839 --> 0:05:08.880 about middle of the packing yards after takeaways points after takeaways, 0:05:09.040 --> 0:05:11.599 but they really like to see that elevate and that's 0:05:11.800 --> 0:05:13.800 part of the job is when you get the sudden 0:05:13.880 --> 0:05:16.320 change guy like Justin Fields lead the team put him 0:05:16.360 --> 0:05:17.320 in the end zone. Let's listen. 0:05:17.360 --> 0:05:18.559 I mean, the mindset is a score. 0:05:18.680 --> 0:05:18.880 You know. 0:05:18.880 --> 0:05:21.719 Of course, the better we play complimentary football, you know, 0:05:21.760 --> 0:05:23.839 the better we give our chance, our team a chance 0:05:23.839 --> 0:05:25.560 to win. So you know, of course we want to 0:05:25.560 --> 0:05:27.920 capitalize on those moments when the defense does give us 0:05:27.920 --> 0:05:29.720 a short field or you know, we do have a 0:05:29.760 --> 0:05:31.839 sudden change moment where they get a turnover or something 0:05:31.880 --> 0:05:34.840 like that. But yeah, definitely want to start turning those 0:05:34.880 --> 0:05:38.400 into you know, touchdowns and you know for at least 0:05:38.440 --> 0:05:40.560 you know, three points. So yeah, definitely got to do 0:05:40.600 --> 0:05:41.200 a better job of that. 0:05:41.240 --> 0:05:43.080 For sure. Was there one of those since there were 0:05:43.080 --> 0:05:45.200 a couple in the Detroit game that stand out since 0:05:45.200 --> 0:05:47.279 that was just three weeks ago, now that you know 0:05:47.400 --> 0:05:48.880 really you felt like that one. 0:05:48.800 --> 0:05:50.480 Could have been a big capital I mean, at the 0:05:50.560 --> 0:05:52.440 end of the day, I think, you know, every opportunity 0:05:52.560 --> 0:05:54.919 you know, we get, we got to capitalize on it. 0:05:54.960 --> 0:05:56.880 So not really just one in particular, but you know, 0:05:57.040 --> 0:05:59.520 every time you know that does happen where we get 0:05:59.520 --> 0:06:01.239 a short field or a sudden change in our mindset 0:06:01.400 --> 0:06:02.119 to go out there and score. 0:06:02.200 --> 0:06:03.840 All right, The key to that you just got to 0:06:03.839 --> 0:06:06.279 take advantage of your opportunity short field, get stick it 0:06:06.320 --> 0:06:07.440 in the end zone. 0:06:07.760 --> 0:06:11.400 Well, you know, Jeff, there's so many titles to segments 0:06:11.400 --> 0:06:14.200 of offenses nowadays. Oh, this is a four minute offense. 0:06:14.400 --> 0:06:16.839 This is a two minute offense, this is an offense 0:06:16.920 --> 0:06:19.920 with tempo. All these different titles you want to put up. 0:06:20.120 --> 0:06:22.359 You should have an offensive game plan. You should have 0:06:22.400 --> 0:06:26.680 a script that is immediately used after a turnover and 0:06:26.760 --> 0:06:29.880 take advantage of your opponent when the defense may not 0:06:30.040 --> 0:06:32.720 expect to go back in the game, if they're sitting 0:06:32.760 --> 0:06:34.560 on the bench and all of a sudden, there you 0:06:35.040 --> 0:06:38.440 got a defense in we got a turnover. So, as 0:06:38.520 --> 0:06:41.240 much as you want to emphasize all these other segments 0:06:41.279 --> 0:06:44.520 of the important role of the offense, I think offensive 0:06:44.560 --> 0:06:50.760 coaches should start having a script that's featured in immedia turnovers. 0:06:50.839 --> 0:06:54.320 Inevitably, this was going to be a topic eventually. Justin 0:06:54.400 --> 0:06:57.200 asked about his future with the Bears, given the team's 0:06:57.839 --> 0:07:00.159 position in the draft, with which could wind up up 0:07:00.160 --> 0:07:02.160 with the number one pick that's his own right now 0:07:02.600 --> 0:07:05.000 by the Carolina Panthers at their record but the Bears 0:07:05.000 --> 0:07:07.039 get it because of the DJ Moore trade, a lot 0:07:07.040 --> 0:07:10.720 of talk about what's next. Potentially, if not Justin, he's 0:07:10.800 --> 0:07:12.840 heard it, he's aware of it, he knows it. He 0:07:12.880 --> 0:07:15.320 was also asked if it's a fair to say, hey, 0:07:15.360 --> 0:07:17.640 these next five games are part of the evaluation of 0:07:17.680 --> 0:07:20.040 your future. This was a great answer. Let's listen. 0:07:20.120 --> 0:07:23.400 Life isn't fair. So you know me personally, I'm just 0:07:23.520 --> 0:07:25.960 focused on what I can control, and you know, the 0:07:26.000 --> 0:07:29.239 rest is in God's hands. And you know, I mean really, 0:07:29.240 --> 0:07:31.400 you just put everything in God's hands. You know it's 0:07:31.400 --> 0:07:34.000 going to turn out good for you. So you know, wherever, 0:07:34.160 --> 0:07:36.800 if I'm here next year, if I'm not, football doesn't 0:07:36.840 --> 0:07:39.680 define who I am as a person. My happiness will 0:07:40.320 --> 0:07:41.880 still be in the same place, will still be in 0:07:41.920 --> 0:07:45.880 God and really just football wise, life stuff in general. 0:07:47.960 --> 0:07:50.520 I think my faith in God is just my hoping. 0:07:50.560 --> 0:07:54.160 God is just so much more than you know, anything 0:07:54.920 --> 0:07:57.880 that can be thrown at me on this earth. So yeah, 0:07:57.880 --> 0:07:59.559 I mean that's why I don't I don't really stress 0:07:59.560 --> 0:08:02.440 over stuff, that stuff that I can't control. I know 0:08:02.520 --> 0:08:04.480 that guys got me in and I'm gonna be good. 0:08:04.560 --> 0:08:08.080 So I'm very blessed in the position I am, and 0:08:08.080 --> 0:08:11.680 and you know, I think a million people would love 0:08:11.720 --> 0:08:13.200 to be in the position I am right now. So 0:08:13.560 --> 0:08:16.240 really just you know, not taking that for granted and 0:08:17.040 --> 0:08:18.800 just just taking every each and every moment I have 0:08:20.240 --> 0:08:22.360 every day up here, you know, uh to the Phillies. 0:08:22.440 --> 0:08:24.840 So taking fact from the injury, do you feel any 0:08:24.880 --> 0:08:25.880 personal momentum? 0:08:26.000 --> 0:08:27.520 I don't know. I think I have a different mindset 0:08:27.560 --> 0:08:31.240 in terms of that personal momentum. I'm really just trying 0:08:31.280 --> 0:08:33.360 to be consistent. I think that's the biggest thing. You 0:08:33.400 --> 0:08:35.719 can play good one game play back to the other. 0:08:35.800 --> 0:08:38.320 So I think me personally just trying to be consistent 0:08:38.400 --> 0:08:41.600 and trying to be better than I was yesterday. So 0:08:41.800 --> 0:08:45.880 just trying to continually improve, get better as a person 0:08:45.920 --> 0:08:49.079 in the player, and you know, just better myself each 0:08:49.080 --> 0:08:49.520 and every day. 0:08:50.360 --> 0:08:54.160 Take that perspective of some of that's had to have 0:08:54.240 --> 0:08:57.520 broken through to you, hearing about other quarterbacks and all 0:08:57.520 --> 0:08:59.400 that kind of stuff. So was there a point where 0:08:59.400 --> 0:09:01.280 you're just like, all right, I got to take a 0:09:01.280 --> 0:09:02.160 deep breath and. 0:09:02.080 --> 0:09:04.360 Just have some perspective on all that. 0:09:05.240 --> 0:09:07.079 I don't think there wasn't a point. I mean, shoot, 0:09:07.120 --> 0:09:10.400 since I gotten in Chicago. I mean, I don't hold back. Shoot, 0:09:10.480 --> 0:09:12.520 I mean, I hear from y'all. I hear from you know, 0:09:12.600 --> 0:09:15.120 fans and stuff like that, so you know, I don't 0:09:15.160 --> 0:09:16.880 I don't take any of it personal because I know, 0:09:17.000 --> 0:09:19.560 you know, everybody's entitles to their opinion on, you know, 0:09:19.960 --> 0:09:22.240 certain things and stuff like that. So that's one thing 0:09:22.240 --> 0:09:24.640 I try not to do is not take anything personal. Yeah, 0:09:24.720 --> 0:09:26.559 I mean, just go about it that way. I mean, 0:09:26.600 --> 0:09:29.120 I've I've had things in my life. I've had moments 0:09:29.120 --> 0:09:30.920 in my life to where I've wanted things to happen 0:09:30.920 --> 0:09:33.160 and it didn't go that way and it ended up 0:09:33.200 --> 0:09:34.800 going another way and it worked out better than I, 0:09:34.920 --> 0:09:36.880 you know, ever could imagine. So that's really why I 0:09:36.920 --> 0:09:38.800 just you know, don't stress about stuff that happens, and 0:09:40.240 --> 0:09:42.760 just controlling what I can control in like I said earlier, 0:09:42.840 --> 0:09:44.680 just being the best person I can be and you know, 0:09:44.679 --> 0:09:45.959 striving to be the best player I can be. 0:09:46.360 --> 0:09:49.320 And that's the right answer. Focus on just you focus 0:09:49.360 --> 0:09:50.720 on what you have to do to lead this team 0:09:50.760 --> 0:09:52.839 to victory in the final five games, and it will 0:09:52.840 --> 0:09:54.680 all play out the way it's supposed to play out. 0:09:54.800 --> 0:09:57.440 I hate the question, and I'm sick of it because 0:09:57.440 --> 0:09:59.800 there's not an other player that goes up there at 0:09:59.840 --> 0:10:02.080 the end of their contract and they ask him the 0:10:02.120 --> 0:10:05.840 same question, and whether you're a tackle that's not playing 0:10:05.880 --> 0:10:08.560 well but you're at the end of your contractor whatever 0:10:08.640 --> 0:10:11.080 position you want to pick out, and I'm tired of 0:10:11.120 --> 0:10:14.440 the questions repeatedly be an answered because Justin is not 0:10:14.600 --> 0:10:17.600 in control of that. He goes out there with the 0:10:17.679 --> 0:10:20.760 ten other members of his offense and they play the 0:10:21.480 --> 0:10:26.280 play called regardless of what the scenario is. And to me, 0:10:27.920 --> 0:10:30.360 you know, if the press wanted to do some justice 0:10:30.400 --> 0:10:34.160 and stop asking that question and start asking questions that 0:10:34.280 --> 0:10:37.920 pertain to the next game, because Justin is not in 0:10:38.040 --> 0:10:38.920 control of that. 0:10:39.679 --> 0:10:41.720 It is an end of the season, look at things 0:10:41.920 --> 0:10:43.720 for a team that's four and eight, and you know, 0:10:43.800 --> 0:10:45.760 those things get put in the pile, so to speak. 0:10:45.800 --> 0:10:48.080 But I'm I'm, I'm and I saw him in the hallway. 0:10:48.080 --> 0:10:50.720 I said, Justin, I'm gonna tell you what I told coach, 0:10:51.200 --> 0:10:54.199 You're a dangerous team right now. His eyes are open, 0:10:54.400 --> 0:10:56.760 and I think this is a very dangerous team with 0:10:56.920 --> 0:10:58.440 Justin being a dangerous quarterback right. 0:10:58.320 --> 0:11:00.240 Now, right you know, you know, Jeff to me, I 0:11:00.280 --> 0:11:03.680 would look at one down specifically. So in the last game, 0:11:03.720 --> 0:11:06.360 Detroit was eight of eleven on third down and the 0:11:06.400 --> 0:11:10.640 Bears were five of thirteen. So now you decrease Detroit 0:11:10.720 --> 0:11:14.080 by three conversions on third down and you increase the 0:11:14.080 --> 0:11:17.880 Bears by three on third down, that changes the whole game. 0:11:18.280 --> 0:11:21.400 So now you're talking about three more possessions, three more 0:11:21.480 --> 0:11:24.520 first downs that keep the ball into your hands. They 0:11:24.559 --> 0:11:27.320 contribute to the time of possession. You think forty minutes 0:11:27.400 --> 0:11:30.439 time of possession, and they were only five of thirteen 0:11:30.559 --> 0:11:34.839 on third down. So to me, the biggest picture us 0:11:35.360 --> 0:11:39.080 is how can the defense do better on third down? 0:11:39.360 --> 0:11:43.160 And how can the offense do better on third down? 0:11:43.280 --> 0:11:46.160 Tom I saw an old video the other day of 0:11:46.200 --> 0:11:51.160 a game at the LA Coliseum. It was UCLA against 0:11:51.520 --> 0:11:55.760 Ohio State nineteen seventy five ish, and Keith Jackson was 0:11:55.800 --> 0:11:58.080 on the call with his color men at the time, 0:11:58.080 --> 0:12:02.040 the softspoken former Oklahoma co which Bud Wilkinson, remember Bud Wilkinson, 0:12:02.600 --> 0:12:05.600 of course, And I was I wasn't watching it, he 0:12:05.640 --> 0:12:08.240 was listening to it. It's just it's I'm working on 0:12:08.280 --> 0:12:10.240 the game and I like listening to these games, right, 0:12:10.280 --> 0:12:12.920 it's history. I like history coming back to life, and 0:12:12.920 --> 0:12:14.960 I don't remember all these things. So as a kid 0:12:15.000 --> 0:12:17.040 you watch the football, but now you're seeing it as adult. 0:12:17.040 --> 0:12:19.959 It's different. Anyway, long story boring is this he said 0:12:20.040 --> 0:12:25.040 something and I turned I turned. I turned around because 0:12:25.080 --> 0:12:29.280 Bud Wilkins had said, Keith, this game is about first downs. 0:12:30.120 --> 0:12:33.360 And that is what Tom Thayer has said forever. The 0:12:33.480 --> 0:12:37.080 game is about first downs. It's keeping the drive alive. 0:12:37.600 --> 0:12:40.000 First downs lead the touchdowns. You get a touchdown, it 0:12:40.080 --> 0:12:42.560 counts as a first down. I mean, hey, the game 0:12:42.640 --> 0:12:46.000 is about first downs. And that Tyler Scott play in 0:12:46.000 --> 0:12:48.480 the game, and I'm not just saying not picking on 0:12:48.520 --> 0:12:51.120 the kid for not making the catch, but again, that's 0:12:51.160 --> 0:12:54.480 a that's a first down catch in the future when 0:12:54.480 --> 0:12:56.920 he gets that opportunity, and that game is probably over 0:12:56.960 --> 0:12:59.120 and we're looking at a very different situation for the 0:12:59.120 --> 0:13:02.079 Bears potentially here at this record right now with Jesus 0:13:02.080 --> 0:13:04.199 four and eight. But the game's about first downs. 0:13:04.040 --> 0:13:07.240 Right you know, there's only a couple of Tyreek Hills 0:13:07.360 --> 0:13:09.520 in the league. And when you talk about a guy 0:13:09.600 --> 0:13:12.120 that could possibly win the MVP this year with two 0:13:12.120 --> 0:13:17.200 thousand yards where you're receiving and the explosive touchdowns he has. 0:13:17.679 --> 0:13:20.720 That's all good and well. However, if you want to 0:13:20.760 --> 0:13:23.040 go out there and be a team that competes for 0:13:23.120 --> 0:13:27.120 your division championship, into the playoffs and ultimately a super Bowl, 0:13:27.400 --> 0:13:30.160 you're a team that wins the amount of first downs 0:13:30.200 --> 0:13:32.960 and teach your offense on the field and fights for 0:13:33.040 --> 0:13:35.480 time of possession and gets in the end zone. So 0:13:36.160 --> 0:13:38.720 you know, I've said it, you know, our whole career, 0:13:38.800 --> 0:13:41.520 did Teith Jackson ever say oh, Nelly. 0:13:41.720 --> 0:13:44.480 Not as used to saying not in nineteen seventy five. 0:13:44.559 --> 0:13:45.400 I didn't hear it, but. 0:13:45.600 --> 0:13:48.839 Yeah, that was one of his trademarks. 0:13:48.840 --> 0:13:50.719 Well, that was the voice of college football, you know 0:13:50.760 --> 0:13:53.160 when he did He did though, I believe he was 0:13:53.200 --> 0:13:56.080 the first guy that did Monday night football Browns Jets 0:13:56.080 --> 0:13:59.520 game at Old Cleveland Stadium. But you know, he's got 0:13:59.559 --> 0:14:02.839 the football voice. That's all there is to it. We're 0:14:02.840 --> 0:14:05.480 brought to you by PNC Official Bank of the Bears. 0:14:05.520 --> 0:14:09.920 All right, let's dig into our conversation with our friend Lencasper, 0:14:10.000 --> 0:14:12.280 one of the great announcers in a city of great 0:14:12.280 --> 0:14:16.440 announcers and a history of great announcers, especially in that 0:14:16.559 --> 0:14:20.440 baseball vein. Len Casper, the voice of the Chicago White Sox, 0:14:20.520 --> 0:14:23.040 kind enough to spend some thirty six minutes with Tom 0:14:23.080 --> 0:14:25.440 and I here around the Bears Etc. Podcast. Well on 0:14:25.520 --> 0:14:29.240 December fourth, twenty twenty stunning decision by the veteran TV 0:14:29.320 --> 0:14:31.400 voice of the Cubs to join the White Sox radio 0:14:31.480 --> 0:14:33.720 both working with Darren Jackson. And it's been a fun 0:14:33.800 --> 0:14:36.640 ride all the way through. And we've got the man. 0:14:36.840 --> 0:14:39.560 My good friend Len Casper joined against a long time 0:14:39.560 --> 0:14:42.480 Major League Baseball announcer not just here in Chicago, but 0:14:42.640 --> 0:14:45.960 also in Florida with the Marlins working with the Green 0:14:46.000 --> 0:14:49.280 Bay Packers pre and postgame show. And Tom he is 0:14:49.440 --> 0:14:52.440 a Detroit area in Native but I guess it shouldn't 0:14:52.480 --> 0:14:56.200 really say Detroit area. You're a Detroit fan of sports 0:14:56.480 --> 0:14:58.600 growing up, Len, but you grew up three hours away 0:14:58.600 --> 0:15:01.240 from Detroit in a small town. We brought you on 0:15:01.320 --> 0:15:04.400 for this Detroit preview because I know you've probably been 0:15:04.440 --> 0:15:07.720 a long time waiting for something like a season that 0:15:07.960 --> 0:15:10.240 the Lions are putting on the table. Thanks for joining 0:15:10.320 --> 0:15:12.280 us on the Bears, Etc. Podcast. How you doing? 0:15:12.320 --> 0:15:12.840 You got it? 0:15:13.040 --> 0:15:16.200 Jeff tom By listen to you guys every Sunday. You 0:15:16.280 --> 0:15:20.320 do a terrific job. And here's the backstory. So my 0:15:20.440 --> 0:15:22.640 dad was born in nineteen forty seven, on the same 0:15:22.720 --> 0:15:26.480 day Steve Stone was born, exactly the same age. And 0:15:26.760 --> 0:15:30.440 a little history lesson. The Detroit Lions won the NFL 0:15:30.560 --> 0:15:34.320 championship at nineteen fifty seven, and that was a long 0:15:34.360 --> 0:15:36.880 time ago, and since then they have one playoff win 0:15:37.200 --> 0:15:40.760 and that was against Dallas back in the early nineties. 0:15:40.800 --> 0:15:44.800 So my dad has not missed a Lions game in 0:15:44.840 --> 0:15:49.080 some form or fashion since the fifty seven championship. So 0:15:49.840 --> 0:15:53.040 my fandom kind of came from rooting for him to 0:15:53.080 --> 0:15:57.040 have a little fun with it. And it's interesting. After 0:15:57.120 --> 0:16:02.320 the Thanksgiving game in which the Ackers beat up the Lions, 0:16:02.360 --> 0:16:04.640 my dad literally said after the game, I don't think 0:16:04.680 --> 0:16:05.680 they're going to win another game. 0:16:07.360 --> 0:16:11.200 So he pulled the late midninet early nineties did guy. 0:16:11.320 --> 0:16:12.080 I don't think. 0:16:12.880 --> 0:16:15.240 That's what it's like to be a Lions fan these days, 0:16:15.440 --> 0:16:18.240 is you lose a game, to go eight and three 0:16:18.600 --> 0:16:21.120 and you decide that that's it. Season's over. 0:16:22.280 --> 0:16:25.320 I've seen the passion of the Detroit fans turn around 0:16:26.000 --> 0:16:29.800 in abundance. Is it exciting for you to see? Because listen, 0:16:29.880 --> 0:16:32.760 when I meet people from Wisconsin. I want them to 0:16:32.800 --> 0:16:35.440 be Green Bay fans. When I meet people from Michigan, 0:16:35.480 --> 0:16:38.320 I want them to be Detroit fans. So we hold 0:16:38.360 --> 0:16:41.880 no grudges. But how is this run Ben for you 0:16:42.120 --> 0:16:44.680 in watching their build up to where they're at right now? 0:16:45.040 --> 0:16:47.960 Well, for my money, Tom, this is the best Lions 0:16:47.960 --> 0:16:51.120 team I've seen. And again you go back to that 0:16:52.160 --> 0:16:54.760 in ninety one ninety two kind of Erawayne Fonce and 0:16:54.800 --> 0:16:58.000 Barry Sanders, they were a pretty well rounded team. But 0:16:58.160 --> 0:17:01.280 I think offensively in and off defensive league right now, 0:17:01.960 --> 0:17:04.119 this is the best Lions offense I've ever seen. So 0:17:04.160 --> 0:17:05.960 that's fun and exciting. And they play a lot of 0:17:06.000 --> 0:17:09.159 close games. I like their coach. I'm just kind of 0:17:09.240 --> 0:17:12.480 enjoying the ride no matter how it plays out. And 0:17:12.520 --> 0:17:14.960 I know we'll talk about Sunday. I think this is 0:17:15.000 --> 0:17:18.119 a very dangerous game because of the way the Bears 0:17:18.160 --> 0:17:21.800 played in Detroit a couple of weeks ago and then 0:17:21.840 --> 0:17:25.480 the win in Minnesota. Defensively, they seem to be right 0:17:25.520 --> 0:17:28.440 now at their peak. And the one team I think 0:17:28.440 --> 0:17:30.280 we can all agree we'd like to see lose a 0:17:30.320 --> 0:17:33.520 little bit is that team up north. The Packers' schedule 0:17:33.600 --> 0:17:36.879 down the stretch is not particularly difficult, and you know, 0:17:36.920 --> 0:17:39.680 the Bears could be in a situation the Lions were 0:17:39.720 --> 0:17:45.040 in last year when everyone assumed when Seattle eliminated them 0:17:45.080 --> 0:17:47.840 that they would get steamrolled at lambeau Field, and in 0:17:47.840 --> 0:17:50.520 fact the opposite occurred. When Dan Campbell said, this is 0:17:50.520 --> 0:17:53.720 our super Bowl. I think it's possible, guys, the Bears 0:17:53.720 --> 0:17:55.600 could go into that game to maybe knock the Packers 0:17:55.640 --> 0:17:56.680 out of playoff contention. 0:17:57.400 --> 0:18:01.040 You know, one last remark about that championship run by 0:18:01.119 --> 0:18:03.800 the Detroit Lions back in the late fifties. Our offensive 0:18:03.840 --> 0:18:07.120 line coach Dick Stanfeld was a member of the Detroit 0:18:07.160 --> 0:18:10.800 Lions back then, and we fortunately had a lot of 0:18:11.040 --> 0:18:14.200 lessons about that team, about that era, about that type 0:18:14.200 --> 0:18:17.560 of football, either some of the video we watched of 0:18:17.680 --> 0:18:21.280 him or that team. So it's interesting to see these 0:18:21.320 --> 0:18:25.240 guys have their next go around. But you know, there's 0:18:25.680 --> 0:18:28.120 you think about the generations that have come and gone 0:18:28.160 --> 0:18:30.719 since the eighty five Super Bowl team and the generations 0:18:30.720 --> 0:18:33.440 that have come and gone since the late fifties championships 0:18:33.760 --> 0:18:36.720 in Detroit, that it was neat for us to get 0:18:36.760 --> 0:18:40.280 a little bit of a Midwest lesson from a guy 0:18:40.320 --> 0:18:44.480 who had a personal attachment to those teams. Yeah. 0:18:44.560 --> 0:18:46.119 And you know the other thing that I think of 0:18:46.160 --> 0:18:49.720 the Bears and the Lions rivalry. You go back to 0:18:50.040 --> 0:18:53.600 Briggs Stadium, which became Tiger Stadium, and then Wrigley Field. 0:18:54.320 --> 0:18:57.800 Those were the two home parks right for decades and 0:18:57.960 --> 0:19:01.320 decades bygone era. For sure. I never did see a 0:19:01.359 --> 0:19:04.760 football game at either place, but I wish I could 0:19:04.800 --> 0:19:05.560 go back and do so. 0:19:05.760 --> 0:19:07.480 Oh God, wouldn't you love to be on a time 0:19:07.520 --> 0:19:11.159 machine for that? Hey, listen, I mean those fifties Lions teams, 0:19:11.160 --> 0:19:13.440 and I've I've listened to some of those games. I've 0:19:13.440 --> 0:19:15.520 gone on YouTube and watched them and listened to them 0:19:15.560 --> 0:19:19.640