Berns increased his assholeness a few years before Mac returned to the Score.

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CSFMB 2014 Nascar Pick 'em Champion

We don’t have a trillion-dollar debt because we haven’t taxed enough; we have a trillion-dollar debt because we spend too much. — Ronald Reagan

I don't remember the year, but I noticed a change when he began to smugly and somewhat megalomanically direct callers to hang up on themselves for making allegedly dumb comments. He seemed to get off - in a very Hannibal-esque way - on the deference callers showed Lord Bernstein by complying with his directions to silence themselves despite intentions to speak.

That's when I personally began to question the guy's mental health. I do remember this was before Penn State, and he either stopped doing this himself or was asked to stop because I remember not hearing it anymore after like two months or so. Or perhaps he still does it and I just don't notice anymore.

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Successful calls:

Kyrie Irving will never win anything as a team's alpha: check
T.rubisky is a bust: check
Ben Simmons is a liability: check
The Fields Cult is dumb: double check

2013 CSFMB ROY

I think he was still extremely combative with callers well before Mac showed up and really kicked into gear back when they moved to drive time.

I still feel like the departure of Goff had a bigger impact of the tone of the show than anything. Dave in Champaign will of course remind everyone that Goff was not immune to assholishness, but I still think his leaving + the Penn State scandal (and Bernstein's subsequent desire to take part in Very Important Radio) created the perfect storm for the largely unlistenable and significantly less fun show that exists today.

ya rly

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The Bulls haven't done anything wrong, and they're not going to do anything wrong.

I think it happened when B and B were moved to drive time and became the face of the station. They didn't wear that mantle well as they were regularly trounced in the ratings and he needed something to grab attention as the alternative to the Saloon.

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O judgment! Thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason.

It started when he signed on to twitter.....

I think he's just bored and says stupid shit to entertain himself.

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Reality is your friend, not your enemy. -- Seacrest

I noticed a change in Dan's tone shortly after he went from being a weekend and evening solo host to being paired with Boers. He became a little more negative and dickish, which I think was a calculated direction for the show, but that was nothing compared to what he's devolved into over the last couple of years.

If someone last heard him when he was still a solo host and tuned in now they wouldn't think it was the same person.

When did he get his last contract? Aside from making Northian salary demands he is paralleling in many other aspects. Like North, Very Important Radio is a foray away from sports and into topics in which he became expert, just this very morning. Where North wanted his "crew" Bernstein has made Boers his parroting bitch, who has grown into his role in ways unimaginable 20 years ago.

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DRINK BƎTTƎR. @theRIPH

I thought about his solo days recently and exactly this point came to mind. He is a different person now. He was much more patient and definitely less combative. I chalk it up to him surmising that he had to be this way because he was trying to become established and a combative style would have hurt him. In attempting drum up conversation he often is contradictory. When called on it he believes that yelling wins the argument. What wins is the fact that he has essentially a bully pulpit because it is his show and he can cut a listener off any time he wants. It makes the show rather unlistenable. One of the things that I have a problem with is how they continously allow the truly assassanine caller to drone on with mundane and idiotic points primarily for the purpose of exposing their stupidity. They also want to show how they don't cut stupid callers off yet legitimade callers are summarily dismissed and ridiculed at every turn

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I believe his nickname among the on air talent when he was still on the Bears beat was ALS (an acronym for annoying little shit). What he is is what he was. The change is that he is on for 20 hours a week.

Anyone who was a Dahl fan may remember how he used to mock some deep voiced radio guy who would detail how great he was at everything and how knowledgeable he was on every topic. That is Dan. Except he really is not. That becomes obvious anytime he speaks assuredly on a topic that others understand far more deeply...take julian green for instance or before him Theo's back of the synogogue lobbying and the deal that still ain't a deal.

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O judgment! Thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason.

He wasn't really annoying to callers and listeners. In fact I think he fashioned himself as the extremely oxymoronic intellectual everyman back then. He did not dismiss callers the way he does now. And he definitely did not call people stupid with the ease if at all the way he does now. The people around the station like McNeil may have thought that he was annoying but it did not come across to the listener the way it does now. Possibly because he did not have as many listeners

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I was thinking that a lot of the meanness and joylessness coincided with the Bears getting Jay Cutler, which roughly coincides with Mac coming back to the Score.

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he's the Bizzaro Mike North.

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I still wish North was on the air though.

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Reality is your friend, not your enemy. -- Seacrest

Jay Cutler really does ruin everything doesn't he?

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You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

or that Science has proven being Gay is something your born with.

He set Science back that day.

Hyperbole alert in 3 ... 2... 1.

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President of Blake Shetlon fan club

Buffone used to call him the "ALC", which I assumed stood for Annoying Little Caller Bob, and "Mr. Dictionary Face." He'd often tell him to "go to his room", too.

I think this was around the time Buffone's kids were watching the Teletubbies and he would talk about how much he hated Po.

BernSTINE DEFENSE FORCE, ASSEMBLE!!!!!!

FWIW, I started listening when Mac got fired from ESPN and Bernstein was already a huge Dick at that point

Too bad they don't have podcasts of his solo shows from the mid- to late-90s before B&B. I can totally see how he could sometimes rub people like Mac and Buffone the wrong way, but I thought they were an immensely easy, clever, and fun listen.

There has to be some underlying pomposity that didn't manifest itself so obviously when he was a beat reporter. I figure him being quite young when he got his hosting job (early 30s I think?) may partly explain the arrogance and condescension that's so typical of his on-air interactions. Now, at still a fairly young age, he's the undisputed "star" of the station's primary show, and probably its highest earner. Seems like a recipe for a lot of smug self-righteousness, especially if you're incapable of humility.

_________________
Successful calls:

Kyrie Irving will never win anything as a team's alpha: check
T.rubisky is a bust: check
Ben Simmons is a liability: check
The Fields Cult is dumb: double check

2013 CSFMB ROY

Oh, it wasn't so underlying. Do you remember how he would sign off from location?

BUT he still was a good reporter unlike almost all of the boobs that cover Chicago sports. Brad Biggs is the only guy I can think of that can get under people's skin. If you are not irritating people, you are not doing a good job reporting.

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Reality is your friend, not your enemy. -- Seacrest

His current deal must've begun just around/after the time he was doing the occasional fill in work on the Dan Patrick show. He certainly sowed the seeds that he was an up and coming national "voice" then, and nurtured the inflated ego to match. My guess would be that the lovin' the Score showed him then led to this ultra-Bernstein incarnation.

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There are only two examples of infinity: The universe and human stupidity and I'm not sure about the universe.

You gonna pay off this tease or what?

he'd do this big "and I'm Dan Bernstein for THE SCOOOOORRREE!!" ending. you must remember. It was humorous it was so over the top.

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Reality is your friend, not your enemy. -- Seacrest

I don't remember much from those days except that he was a reporter, so I'll have to take your word on that. I agree that he's talented, which makes his obnoxiousness somewhat tragic.



I agree. He knows he's good and he's not above shoving that in everyone's face.

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Successful calls:

Kyrie Irving will never win anything as a team's alpha: check
T.rubisky is a bust: check
Ben Simmons is a liability: check
The Fields Cult is dumb: double check

2013 CSFMB ROY

Was not a Score listener then

It was his homage to a reporter that he liked when he was growing up. I can't remember the guy's name, though.

That may be official reason. He was trying to establish his brand (if I may use that phrase).

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O judgment! Thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason.