Advertise on podcast: Carmen and Jurko

Carmen and Jurko go to Las Vegas with Todd Furman for a full football betting preview after the Packers’ ugly Thursday night loss. Todd explains how the Bears-Eagles number moved after the Caleb Williams and Tyson Bagent injury news, then breaks down Texans-Colts, Bills-Chargers, Ravens-Cowboys in Brazil, Ole Miss-Florida, Mississippi State-Missouri, Broncos-Rams, Browns-Panthers and Michigan-Iowa. He also weighs in on Cubs and White Sox futures as both Chicago baseball teams head to October. The guys celebrate PCA’s 40-40 season, the White Sox’s historic playoff turnaround and the rare feeling of both sides of town being alive at the same time. The hour closes with Will Venable’s clubhouse message, the Sox still chasing Cleveland, the Cubs trying to manage the Boston weather and a case for Venable as manager of the year.

Carmen and Jurko talk Bears with Jason McKie on a Dr. Pepper Bears Friday as Chicago gets ready for the Eagles on Monday Night Football. J-Mac breaks down what changes if Case Keenum starts, why the Bears need to lean on the run game, how Colston Loveland and the tight ends can help the offense, and what the defense must do against Jalen Hurts. The guys also review the Bears and Eagles injury reports, including Tyson Bagent, Caleb Williams, Cairo Santos, Saquon Barkley and Dallas Goedert. The Brunch Rush celebrates Chicago baseball with PCA, Miguel Vargas, the Pope’s reaction to the White Sox and the Sox still chasing Cleveland in the AL Central. The hour wraps with Mike North’s bonus plays, Steelers-Bengals, Raiders-Saints.

Carmen and Jurko open Dr. Pepper Football Friday by celebrating both Chicago baseball teams clinching playoff berths on the same day. The guys marvel at PCA reaching 40-40, the Cubs returning to October and the White Sox completing one of the wildest turnarounds in baseball history after three straight 100-loss seasons. They also discuss how rare it is for both the Cubs and White Sox to make the playoffs in the same year and why this moment should be enjoyed before the pressure ramps up next week. The hour includes clubhouse celebration talk, Munetaka Murakami’s viral “I am Japanese” moment and the Sox still chasing Cleveland for the AL Central. Carmen and Jurko also react to the Packers getting booed at Lambeau Field after an ugly loss to the Falcons, plus President’s Cup talk from Medinah and a big-picture look at a suddenly fun stretch for Chicago sports.

Carmen and Jurko keep the focus on clinch day as the White Sox and Cubs both sit one win away from securing playoff berths. The guys discuss the Cubs falling behind San Diego in the NL wild-card race, MLB moving the Boston series into a Friday doubleheader and why Craig Counsell is frustrated by the pitching complications before October. The hour also features a full-blown debate over whether bringing iced coffee into a job interview is unprofessional, with callers, HR perspective and plenty of generational disagreement. Later, Carmen and Jurko play wild cards and divisions trivia, covering baseball, football, Louisville basketball, Molly Bloom and the continental divide. The show closes with PCA’s incredible WAR season, the White Sox trying to clinch against Kansas City and one final Bears-Eagles thought before Sox pregame.

Carmen and Jurko talk Bears with Jeff Joniak, who looks back at the 9-3 loss to the Vikings and explains why the team still left plenty of points on the field. Jeff discusses Caleb Williams’ injury reaction, the online criticism that followed and why he thinks the conversation around Caleb has gotten ridiculous. The guys then preview Bears-Eagles on Monday Night Football, including Case Keenum’s experience, Ben Johnson’s challenge without his top quarterbacks and Vic Fangio’s motivation after the Bears ran all over Philadelphia last season. The Brunch Rush hits 0-2 NFL teams with hope, Houston’s rebound case, the Chargers’ problems, Justin Herbert and a generational debate about bringing iced coffee to a job interview. The hour wraps with Cover 5, Pauly Cheesecake’s picks, Jalen Hurts’ coordinator changes and some unexpected eye-doctor advice for the crew.

Carmen and Jurko open the hour with both Chicago baseball teams sitting one win away from clinching playoff berths after the White Sox and Cubs each missed opportunities on Wednesday night. The guys recap the White Sox’s 5-4 loss in Kansas City, the Cubs dropping their series to the Marlins and the belief that Thursday could be the day both teams finally punch their tickets to October. They also revisit Whiskey U at Wolf & Co. before digging into the Cubs’ weather issues in Boston, including Craig Counsell’s frustration with MLB moving the Red Sox series into a Friday doubleheader. Later, the focus turns to Bears-Eagles as Ben Johnson explains his trust in Case Keenum if Chicago has to go to its third-string quarterback on Monday Night Football. The hour closes with Keenum praising Johnson, Miller Moss potentially moving into the backup role and Jeff Joniak set to join next.

Carmen and Jurko talk Chicago baseball with Jesse Rogers as both the White Sox and Cubs move closer to October. Jesse breaks down the White Sox’s strong response after a brutal Friday loss, why Luis Castillo may not have a meaningful postseason role and how Randall Grichuk, Munetaka Murakami and Noah Schultz could factor into the playoff picture. He also looks at the Cubs’ wild-card race, the weather concerns around Cubs-Red Sox in Boston, Alex Bregman’s potential return, Daniel Palencia, Justin Steele and which matchups may be best for both Chicago teams. Later, the guys react to Jackson Dart’s season-ending knee injury and compare it to the Bears catching a break with Caleb Williams’ hamstring. The hour closes with Bears-Eagles talk, including the possible Case Keenum start, the challenge of facing Vic Fangio and why Chicago needs to clean up its mistakes after another NFC North loss.

Carmen and Jurko continue with Chicago baseball as the White Sox move closer to clinching a playoff berth and the Cubs miss a chance to punch their ticket after Matt Shaw’s failed bunt attempt. The guys debate whether the Sox and Cubs should celebrate a wild card clinch, then dig into Cleveland’s six-game winning streak and the final week of the AL Central race. They also break down the bizarre AL West, where the Astros could win the division with a historically bad negative run differential. Randall Grichuk gets praise for becoming a huge in-season addition for the White Sox, while Luis Castillo’s continued struggles raise questions about whether he can even be trusted in October. The Brunch Rush hits Bears injury windows, Jackson Dart, Sean Payton, GTA, Costco churros and plenty of late-hour nonsense before Jesse Rogers joins next.

Carmen and Jurko open with Tyson Bagent entering concussion protocol could leave Chicago preparing for Case Keenum and Miller Moss if Caleb Williams cannot return from his hamstring injury. They also react to the criticism Caleb has received for his emotional reaction on the cart and discuss why soft-tissue injuries can feel frightening in the moment. Courtney Cronin joins to break down Bagent’s status, whether Caleb needs to practice to play Monday night, Garrett Bradbury’s penalties, the left tackle rotation and why Colston Loveland has not been more involved. The hour closes with Bears secondary concerns, Kyle Monangai’s surprising rushing numbers and more questions about how the offense holds up against the Eagles.

Carmen and Jurko talk Bears with Tom Thayer, who explains how Brian Flores’ shifting pressure looks created problems for Caleb Williams and the offensive line. Thayer also breaks down Garrett Bradbury’s rough day, the left tackle rotation, Tyson Bagent’s readiness if Caleb misses time and whether the Bears can run the ball against the Eagles the way they did last year. The guys then look ahead to Bears-Eagles on Monday Night Football while continuing to sort through what went wrong late against Minnesota. Jurko goes to the big board for film study of the Bears’ final drive, highlighting the missed chance to Rome Odunze, the failed third-down concept and Colston Loveland’s tough matchup with Dallas Turner on fourth down.

Carmen and Jurko welcome Frank Caliendo into the studio for a hilarious visit ahead of his Chicago Improv shows in Schaumburg. Frank tells stories about John Madden, Charles Barkley, Jon Gruden, Tom Brady, Greg Olsen and why he stayed away from helping AI copy famous voices. He also shares a behind-the-scenes story from an upcoming Netflix appearance with Oscar Isaac, Alec Baldwin and Vincent D’Onofrio. After Frank, the guys play Tyson Bagent trivia and look back at the Bears roster from Bagent’s last start in 2023, showing just how much has changed around Chicago’s offense. The Brunch Rush hits Bears power rankings, Michael Penix returning against the Packers, Caleb Williams’ hamstring status, the White Sox playoff chase, PCA’s MVP push, Miguel Vargas’ big week and Alex Bregman’s scary foul-ball injury.

Carmen and Jurko start turning the page to Bears-Eagles while reacting to the online jokes about Caleb Williams’ hamstring injury. The guys defend Caleb’s toughness, discuss how scary hamstring injuries can feel in the moment and debate whether the Bears should even consider playing him Monday night if he does not practice. They also revisit Jaxson Dart’s knee injury, Jameis Winston’s rough Monday night performance and the importance of Tyson Bagent being ready if Caleb misses time. The hour digs back into the Bears’ final offensive sequence against the Vikings, with Ben Johnson saying the last three plays had chances but were not executed properly. Carmen and Jurko also question Colston Loveland’s usage, preview the Eagles defense and take calls on whether Ben Johnson can help the Bears survive with a backup quarterback.

Carmen and Jurko react to breaking news that Caleb Williams avoided a major hamstring injury after leaving the Bears’ 9-3 loss to the Vikings. The guys discuss why Chicago may not be ruling him out for next Monday against the Eagles, while still expecting the Bears to prepare for the possibility of Tyson Bagent starting. Ben Johnson joins Jeff Joniak on the Coaches Show to review the offensive struggles, Brian Flores’ pressure, the red-zone failures, Caleb’s status, Bagent’s confidence and the defense keeping the Bears in the game. Carmen and Jurko also question why Colston Loveland was not more involved, why the Bears looked reactionary on offense and how Philadelphia’s offensive line may give Chicago a chance next week. The hour closes with Will Compton’s comments on Caleb’s injury reaction, more Bears calls and a final reset on where the team stands after a frustrating Week 2.

Carmen and Jurko keep breaking down the Bears’ ugly 9-3 loss to the Vikings, with Brian Flores’ pressure packages overwhelming Caleb Williams and Tyson Bagent all afternoon. The guys discuss the blocked field goal, Cairo Santos’ operation time, Ben Johnson’s rough day as a play caller and why Colston Loveland still has not been featured in the passing game. They also look ahead to the Eagles, with Tyson Bagent likely needed if Caleb’s hamstring injury keeps him out next Monday night. The Brunch Rush covers the Cover 5 contest, Alex Bregman’s scary foul-ball injury, the Cubs and White Sox both winning and the Sox still pushing toward October. The hour closes with brutal college football bad beats, Northwestern blasting Colorado and one more reset of where the Bears stand after Week 2.

Carmen and Jurko open Bears Monday after a brutal 9-3 loss to the Vikings at Soldier Field. The guys react to Caleb Williams’ hamstring injury, the early optimism that it may not be catastrophic and the possibility that Tyson Bagent could start against the Eagles next Monday night. They also break down how the Bears went from 59 points in Week 1 to zero touchdowns in Week 2, with penalties, red-zone failures, a blocked field goal, a costly fumble and a rough day from the offensive line. Brian Flores’ defense overwhelmed Chicago with pressure, while Dallas Turner and Jalen Redmond caused major problems and left Ben Johnson’s offense searching for answers. The hour also covers the rotating left tackles, Sam Roush’s struggles, Colston Loveland’s usage, the Throw-mometer backlash and an attempt to smash away the Madden curse.