Scott & Flows recap the Bears finally beating Green Bay, the end of the season pressers from Ryan Poles, Kevin Warren & George McCaskey, the Bears beginning their coaching search & who do the guys have on their coaching wishlist?
Skip Bayless is being sued by a former Makeup artist at Fox Sports and accused of making repeated unwanted sexual advances and offering $1.5 million to have sex with her. FS1 Head of Content Charlie Dixon is also involved in the suit, being accused of groping the makeup artist at a party. But the most shocking is why Joy Taylor is involved. LiAngelo Ball might have the hit of 2025 and it's only January. Why does G3's Tweaker make it feel like it's 1999 and the 2000s?
Summer Sessions is back for the 2025! Scott, Bang, Merk & Pav kick off the pod breaking down the big FOX Sports lawsuit that has wild allegations about Skip Bayless & Joy Taylor, the guys have a debate about what is the hardest sport to play, is Drake right to have beef with LeBron? Gelo Ball has a hit, D.Rose is getting his jersey retired & much more!
Pierce Rob and Chris predict the first RAW on Netflix, plus Survivor Series 2008.
Netflix & Raw is here and starting with a major card. What can we expect from the big night? It also marks the beginning of John Cena’s farewell tour and there is a big rumor about who will face Cena at Wrestlemania. We break down the card for NetflixMania and more on this week's episode of First Black Champ.
Rate, Like, Subscribe, and Download the First Black Champ Podcast on Apple Podcasts & Spotify. Search #theFBCPod for all episodes and follow us on Instagram and Twitter at @theFBCPod!
It’s the last few days of 2024, so Camp and Bang recap this great year in wrestling and get you ready for 2025. Raw is headed to Netflix, Smackdown will become a three-hour show, and ESPN dropped its 2024 Best list. Did they get it right?
Rate, Like, Subscribe, and Download the First Black Champ Podcast on Apple Podcasts & Spotify. Search #theFBCPod for all episodes and follow us on Instagram and Twitter at @theFBCPod!
Scott & Flows are back to recap the Bears EIGHTH loss in a row, Caleb Williams hate week, has Ryan Poles reached the place of no return? plus Bears/Lions picks.
We are late but we have an opinion about a couple of items:
Jay-Z
Greatest Soft-Core Porn Movies
The Chicago Bears
Plus a mental health check.
Kevin Owens Saturday Night | #theFBCPod
Cody Rhodes won the battle, but the war with Kevin Owens will continue. After Saturday Night’s Main Event’s finale, Owens attacked Cody Rhodes, giving him his former finishing move, the Package Piledriver, and putting him in the hospital. Triple H’s heated reaction makes this situation more tense, so what is next in this saga?
The Bloodline Saga reaches a new level with Roman Reigns challenging Solo Sikoa for the Ula Fala and Tribal Chief title at NetflixMania, aka The first Raw on the Streamer, Netflix. How will this play out? We also recap the Saturday Night’s Main Event on this week's episode of #theFBCPod
Rate, Like, Subscribe, and Download the First Black Champ Podcast on Apple Podcasts & Spotify. Search #theFBCPod for all episodes and follow us on Instagram and Twitter at @theFBCPod!
Despite the biggest fish in the market Juan Soto being locked in with The New York Mets after signing the largest contract in MLB history, the Mets still have work to do. Frankie Montas and Clay Holmes had already signed, and the Mets are still in the running for other pitching free agent starting pitching options like Nick Pavetta, Sean Manea, and Walker Buhler, BUT, the Mets still require more work.
Most fans would like a frontline pitcher like Corbin Burnes or Roki Sasaki; Shockingly those might be out of reach despite Steve Cohen’s infinite cash. Burnes, for how well he pitches, is on the wrong side of 30 and is likely going to receive a contract north of $200 million and 7 years. Meanwhile Sasaki won’t sign until January to maximize his contract worth. The Mets could dip into the trade market for pitchers like Luis Castillo, Dylan Cease, or Sandy Alcantara (if he becomes available) but the Mets seem to be focused on continuing to build their farm.
There are other interesting free agents available for the Mets, including the hometown hero Pete Alonso. From the outside looking in, his market has been quiet. Some Mets fans feel anxious about the quiet given the Wilponian history in Queens. However, it feels obvious the Mets are short a power bat or two to compete specifically with the Los Angeles Dodgers even with the addition of Juan Soto.
Let’s not be mistaken Juan Soto completely transforms this lineup with Francisco Lindor, Brandon Nimmo, and the budding superstar Mark Vientos. However, it may not be the best move to hope for him to be a consistent 800+ OPS player and that be the only lineup protection for Soto.
It makes sense for Alonso to come back to Queens for the fans, the Mets and Pete. For the fans, Pete is a homegrown favorite. Most of us see him as the person who will be the all time homeruns leader for the Metropolitans franchise. Alonso speaks with so much grace and love for New York City and repeatedly sings the cities’ praises and the fans, so the reason is to believe if it is up to him, he will be a Met in 2025 and beyond.
There’s a place the Mets can meet Alonso and Scott Boras, after Alonso reportedly turned down a 7 year-$158 million dollar contract extension in 2023 which would have given him a 22.5 million average annual value (AAV). From Alonso’s side, when you hire Scott Boras, you don’t do it to get a reasonable contract; You do it to get paid.
Unfortunately for Pete, that market may not materialize on the open market with other power bats like Teoscar Hernandez, Anthony Santander, and the Cardinals allegedly willing to move Paul Goldschmit. Alonso, while a hero for the Mets this past off season, his last two years have been relatively down years and Alonso is not a plus defender.
Freddie Freeman, who is the World Series MVP, is simply put a better player than Pete Alonso and received a $162 million contract from the Dodgers right before his age 32 season, and Matt Olson who is a also a better hitter and defender than Alonso at first base received a $168 million contract from the Atlanta Braves. The question begs to be asked, what will Alonso’s contract look like if he returns to the Mets?
To put it simply, Alonso needs the Mets and the Mets need Alonso. For that to happen, I believe the Mets will offer Pete somewhere around 5 years -$125 million and then they’ll have their protection for Juan Soto. A power bat that the fans will love while competing for their first World Series championship since 1986.
Let me start by saying that the views and thoughts that you will read here are mine and not of Scott, nor Joseph Lewis and the good people at Barber’s Chair Network.
Maybe.
I start with that line not as a joke. Scott and Joe and do an amazing job covering the team as an independent organization, and I don’t want to jeopardize that, nor my thoughts to be mistaken for theirs. But here we go.
Chicago Bears organization, you are liars or do a good job at telling half-truths, but you’re not being honest with yourselves. You consistently talk about this “Great Tradition” that comes with the organization. I am 42 years old. On January 26, 1986, the day you won your first Super Bowl, I was three years old. You didn’t return until February 4, 2007, when you lost to the Indianapolis Colts. The Bears have appeared in the NFC Championship game 5 times since 1982. The San Francisco 49ers have 16 in the same period. Second place? The Green Bay Packers with nine.
Speaking of the Green Bay Packers, since 1982, the Chicago Bears have a record of 42 wins, 48 losses against the Green Bay Packers. Aaron Rodgers has a 24-5 record against the Bears in 29 career starts. Brett Favre had a career record of 23 wins and 13 losses against you. Remember the Chris Conte game? How about the Jay Cutler/NFC Title game?
I can go on and on, but I ask you, and I want you to be honest about yourselves; What is this Bears Tradition you speak of?
Does it come from the 1940s, when you had a record of 81 wins, 26 losses, and four NFL Championships in. 1940, 1941, 1943, and 1946? How about the 50s had a record of 70 wins, 48 losses. What about the NFL Championship team in 1963. Mike Ditka, Gale Sayers, Dick Butkus? The 70s was huff but at least we got Walter Payton in 1975!
The 80s? OMG the 80s! The decade that gave the Bears it’s only Super Bowl! One of the greatest teams of all-time that when you look at it, with only 2 NFC title appearances, you can make the argument they underachieved.
In the 90s I had to see Barry Sanders give record breaking, Highlight reel performances against the Bears. Brett Favre and the Packers emerge from the dead (shouts to God for telling Reggie White to go to Green Bay.) The 2000s gave us hope with Brian Urlacher, Lance Briggs and the New Monsters.
Then we get to Double Doink…
Still a touchy subject.
Failure and False hope have been a cloud over this team, until General Manager Ryan Poles made an unlikely trade that gave Chicago a number 1 wide receiver and the eventual number 1 pick in the NFL draft and “generational talent” Caleb Williams (don’t take the quotation marks as a diss). The NFL said this was the best situation for a #1 pick. With a potential top 5 defense, additions of pro bowler Keenan Allen, Rookie Rome Odunze, free agent Signing D’Andre Swift? Some people even picked the Bears to go to the Super Bowl!
What was the history the Bears made this season? Firing head coach Matt Eberflus in season, the first time the team has done that in their storied history.
Breaking Tradition. But again I ask; What tradition?
I see the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox; Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics and I see tradition. Even at their worst, they come back and win or relevant.
The Bears? McCaskey family, Kevin Warren, Media friends, lets keep it a buck; The Bears tradition since the 80s has been either underachieving or disappointing.
This historic, charter franchise has become the laughingstock of the NFL, and now have a bigger spotlight on them because this “storied” franchise hasn’t drafted franchise Quarterback in my lifetime. Caleb Williams can be the change in tradition, or be added to the list of QBs who failed here.
Y’all don’t do shit good: Draft, Coach, Staff, Develop. Nothing.
Slim Charles, one of the greatest TV Characters of all time, on my favorite show, “The Wire” had a quote that I think the Bears should adhere to; “The Thing About The Old Days Is... They Are The Old Days.”
I no longer want to hear about years when my grandmother was a toddler. I no longer want to hear about the 1963 title when my mom was a baby. I no longer want to hear about the famed 1985 squad. I want to hear about the new tradition you want to build. The changes you want to make. If you want to use “getting back to the glory days” do that. but this storied history and legacy of the Chicago Bears is just that, stories.
On this weeks episode of RAOP the homie Carlos owner of 89 Los Originals pulls back up on us. We chop it up about his amazing 2024. Which includes linking up with Dapper Dan, legendary collabs and making history with Jacksonville Jaguars merch run. Also we get a sneak peak at his upcoming Jaguars sneaker drop.
On this weeks episode of RAOP we kick it off with Amp owning up to his McRib Bet. Then we chop it up about Black Onlyfans women having an issue with Sophie Rains $43 million, who is more blind Ray Charles or Stevie Wonder, OJ Simpson deathbed confession and a ton more. Remember to send in your listener questions, "They Need Their A** Beat" or "Real N*gga Of The Week" submissions, email us at MAIL@RAOPodcast.com or call 424-260-RAOP to leave a voicemail.
This week on Summer Sessions Scott, Pav & Bang give their thoughts on the Jay-Z allegations that came out, Kendrick is doing a stadium tour, the "here nigga damn" theory explained in full & much more.
Another week, another loss, and another seven days of figuring out who is to blame for the current state of the Chicago Bears. Over a week ago, the Bears made an unprecedented move (for the organization, at least) and fired head coach Matt Eberflus after two and a half seasons that amounted to a win-loss record of 14-32. What cemented his firing was a clock management gaffe that saw the Bears waste two minutes off the clock and Eberflus failing to use the final timeout in his pocket. It was such a drastic error that no one inside or outside of Halas Hall assumed he would stick around. His reasoning for not using the timeout came off as more of a "dig" against rookie quarterback Caleb Williams than an admission of guilt. His exact words: “Yeah, uh... we liked the play, um, that we had. We were hoping that he was gonna... get the ball snapped, and then we would’ve called timeout.” His final post-game press conference was truly a word salad to end all word salads. Fans, pundits, and current Bears players alike knew how disastrous it was. Wide receiver Keenan Allen was even quoted after the game saying, “I feel like we did enough as players to win the game.” It was as damning an indictment against a coach and his practices as I have ever seen in my five years covering this team. Most of us on the beat knew that he was going to be fired, and while we had no sources ready to divulge his imminent firing, we knew it had to be coming. If you’ve been following and rooting for the Bears as long as I have, then you know that nothing is ever done smoothly at Halas Hall.
The next morning, I woke to an email from the Bears' communications staff with the Zoom link for Monday’s typical press conference. Unlike normal operations, we typically have the Zoom with captions that say, "HC Matt Eberflus Virtual Media Availability." For the first time, the email contained none of that. There was confusion around who was going to speak and why there had been secrecy. As sure as I live and breathe, I believed the Bears had actually done it. I was, instead, greeted with a familiar face in Matt Eberflus. He seemed to have no indication that he was being fired and proceeded to give the media a typical “coach-speak” press conference that teetered on not admitting fault while vaguely taking the blame. It was as “typical” of a Bears press conference as you can get, and it was a damning example of the incompetence that flows throughout this organization. To my surprise, however, the Bears did the unthinkable and fired Eberflus several hours later. They explained that they had been conferring all morning to make the decision and that it was not an easy one. I was too busy with my day job of being a high school teacher to attend the press conference, but Scott was there, and the only word he could use to describe it was: fear. He told me of the stunned look that rested upon General Manager Ryan Poles’s face and how CEO Kevin Warren appeared more like a disappointed father than an executive. It was emblematic of the Bears' experience: make the right move far too late and do it in an exceptionally terrible fashion. But hey, at least it happened, right? During this aftermath, offensive coordinator Thomas Brown (who himself was elevated after the Shane Waldron debacle) was promoted to interim head coach.
“What the hell did I do?” - Roger Smith - Ryan Poles
While the decision was a long time coming and absolutely necessary for the health of this fanbase and team, I can’t help but laugh at how spectacularly silly the implementation was. It’s almost as if this franchise is allergic to modernizing its football operations and behaving like an organization that knows what it’s doing. That notwithstanding, that is in the past, and the future is all I am concerned about. Well, that future is here now. The Chicago Bears played their first game of the Thomas Brown era, and it was fascinatingly terrible. The defense allowed Brock Purdy to post near-perfect passing stats in the first half, and the offense woke up for only two scoring drives before eventually faltering in the second half. It seems as if the solution to this problem is found in, once again, tearing away at the foundations of this current team makeup and starting from a position that is far removed from expectations. So, who will it be? Will it be Ben Johnson, Joe Brady, Brian Flores, Mike Vrabel? All four men are linked as the top coaching candidates for the Bears, and they have a chance to restore hope in a city that has desperately searched for it in their team for quite some time. However, before we can get to that, we must ask ourselves: who will be making these hires? Plenty of fans and pundits assume that Ryan Poles will stay on and draft another coach to lead Caleb Williams to greater heights, but I have a different question: why should he be allowed to do it?
Matt Eberflus was certainly not the coach the team needed, but his failures come off the back of the decisions that Ryan Poles has made. Whether it was the physical debacle from attempting to sign Larry Ogunjobi, the decisions to pursue skill players while not properly addressing the offensive line, or trying to find a competent defensive interior at a discount, Ryan Poles’s decisions have come to haunt the Bears' future, and I’m not sure that allowing him to do it again would be what’s best for this organization. I don’t fault George Halas for the decision to bring in people like Bill Polian to find competent coaching and management; the problem arises when you allow parts that are not working to continue attempting to. Ryan Poles has done a lot of great for this organization, and that cannot be understated. He is responsible for finding the Bears their franchise QB while also securing picks and players that led to DJ Moore and Rome Odunze. He’s done some damn good things. With that being said, his three-year tenure has been marked by inefficiency and poor planning, and it does seem to defy logic that he be allowed to continue down this path. If he is selected to continue, CEO Kevin Warren must set a standard of excellence that trickles down from his position to everyone else in the organization. Whether he will do that is anyone’s guess. The only thing Bears fans can do is hope for the best. After all, that’s what they’ve been doing for decades.
It’s A New Day | #theFBCPod
It happened; Kofi Kingston & Xavier Woods kicked Big E out the New Day. In a move that's been planned for months, what would need to happen for this move to be successful? The Street Profits can't catch a break and Camp is sure to be pissed about this. No more PLE's in 2024 but Saturday Night's Main Event is on dack. the pod talks about the history and legacy of the show and give their predictions on the big night on December 14th plus, WWE treating the first Raw on Netflix like Wrestlemania.
Rate, Like, Subscribe, and Download the First Black Champ Podcast on Apple Podcasts & Spotify. Search #theFBCPod for all episodes and follow us on Instagram and Twitter at @theFBCPod!
Survivor Series recap, a look ahead to Saturday Night's Main Event, and Cyber Sunday 2008
Jarrett and Brian are joined this week by @CarasikS to discuss Kirk Cousins disastrous performance against the Chargers and if it’s time for Michael Penix Jr to see the field.
I have lost what once felt impossible to lose. I’m wrestling with an unshakeable feeling. I’m mindful of the present, pausing as moment becomes moments, and at a hair’s breadth, it envelops me. I feel it pulling—a deep-seated settling that crashes and wanes in a rhythm impossible to decipher. It’s a stillness almost beyond understanding or quantification, and as time passes, I catch a glimpse of its essence. One thing becomes clear: it’s inherent in all of us. The misery and joy that it can bring can affect any and everyone. Why? Because stillness is a constant theme in the background of being. It’s that unshakable quiet that settles in when the distractions are gone, and we’re left to face the truth we’ve been avoiding. It’s the angst of the beginning of an ending you’ve been dreading and it’s a byproduct of a life that is lived. It’s dark, cold, and empty, and there is no more complete way of describing it than to say that is simply is. When I pause to take a breath, I feel it beating on my chest, its energy reserves never expiring. It reappears whenever it chooses to. Yet, it isn’t the absence of motion; it’s the heavy presence of truth. It’s what lingers in the moments when the noise of hope, denial, or distraction fade away, leaving you with nothing but the reality before you. As I ponder my own life and how I have experienced and created this stillness, I’m reminded of the events and actions that unify experience. Sure, we’re dynamic and non-monolithic, but there are times, places, and situations when our shared experiences mirror each other. I’ve found that similarity in stillness. While the name “stillness” is probably irrelevant, and different people will call it different things, the truth is that we all experience it.
Stillness is reality at its most basic. With nothing to shape or form it, it simply is. It doesn’t coax or comfort; it doesn’t wound or heal. It simply exists, unaffected by how I—or you—feel about it. However, its existence is not independent of me. In fact, we can only understand it because of being. A being shapes its ontology because its existence is shaped by perception. And because it’s so tied to perception, its nature constantly changes. There is never a point at which stillness is permanently fixed; it exists in a constant state of flux. When I am hurting and grieving, I see it through the lens of pain. It becomes the cold finality of endings—a harbinger of grief, a weight of truth I chose to ignore. As I write this, I’ve lost. So, when I see this stillness, all I can grasp is pain. It feels cruel and indifferent. Its memory is jaded by the whims of now, and it brings misery in its wake. I’m so desperate to avoid sensing the presence of stillness in my life that I anxiously pace around, waiting for a moment of peace so this stillness can flee. I’ve screamed out in pain and anguish at the God who would allow one to experience this stillness so profoundly. Why would anyone choose to follow someone who allows His creations to go through such harmful stillness? What good does this bring to its bearer? How will this transform me or create something good and pure?
When I feel these thoughts rising, I’m reminded of my error because stillness isn’t inherently pain. I pore over the details of this grief like a magistrate poring over a case, and the more I seek to find the nature of this stillness, the farther it gets. Stillness has no form or shape. It’s not the cruel hand of fate or the warmth of hope. It’s not even the voice that whispers, “Let’s move on.” It’s just there—unchanging, unmoving. And that’s what makes it so profound: it becomes whatever I project onto it. It’s pain when I am grieving, clarity when I’m ready to see, and peace when I’m finally able to rest. The problem with stillness is that we often notice it when we don’t want to. We can accept the truth of a joyful evening without the need for further reflection. We revel in it, letting it provide a boost of serotonin that jolts our system. But it is in the moments of pain, just beyond the edge of an ending, where stillness has something to communicate. Perhaps stillness is teaching me that so much of this could have been avoided. Perhaps it wants to pull me closer, to show me that if I had followed it more, pain might have been avoided. Perhaps it’s a reminder of a promise I made to myself long ago—a promise of “never again.” Unfortunately, humans tend to learn truth at the most inconvenient moments, and that is where I find myself now: inconvenienced and broken, wishing for this stillness to claim someone else, so that I might delight in a fantasy of my own making. A fantasy where my problems are nonexistent, and things go right in the world with minimal effort.
I know it’s a façade, but living with this stillness feels like a knife cutting deeper and deeper with no hope for reprieve. The façade would at least give me feelings of euphoria, even if they’re not real. It would feel more comfortable, more routine and orderly. But stillness cannot exist in such a manner, and I want to escape it. Therein lies the problem: what I’m escaping from cannot be escaped because it reflects how I see the world. This stillness follows me in every situation, and seeking its end is a fool’s errand. At its worst, it can pull me into a pit of impossible proportions. At its best, it’s a gentle reminder of the beauty of my existence.
I’ll remember it all—every moment, every negative and positive interaction. I will cherish the moments stillness brought me and will grieve the moments that will no longer find me.