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CheezeTalk S1 Episode 32 Bernie Bango and CheezeTalk Part 1
34 Plays4 months ago
In this episode, I talked with Bernie Bango. We talked about what got him to where he is today. We also talked about the Green Bay Packers, his thoughts on the direction they're heading in the "Love Era." We discussed his favorite Packer(s), the effectiveness of MLF play calling, etc. Due to time restraints, we are going to break this into a 2 part episode. Thanks again, Bernie!
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Transcript
Introduction & Podcast Overview
00:00:44
Speaker
What's up, everybody? Welcome to the Cheese Talk podcast. I'm your host, Brian Rago. Today, I'll be talking with Bernie Bango about mostly Packers, maybe some some Milwaukee Bucks, even though this offseason I've been less than thrilled with them. But that's that's just my opinion. I'm sure he might share some thoughts on that. um But before I get to my guest, I want to give a special shout out to the Open Network for letting me podcast under their umbrella. And their Twitter page, ohana underscore Packers is 31 followers away from giving away a signed eight by 10 Jair Alexander photograph. Bernie, what's up?
Bernie's Journey: Fatherhood & Podcasting
00:01:27
Speaker
Not too much, man. Just ah enjoying the heat wave that's come across our country. Just trying to stay cool. You know, I've been, I got 11 month old baby at home. So it's been just enjoying fatherhood the last year.
00:01:43
Speaker
and just creating content when I can. Yeah. Want to tell us a little bit little bit about yourself and you did a little. yes So a bu couple of years ago, I was, I had just created a, a Twitter account and and doing my thing, following Wisconsin sports and, uh, A guy approached me from from this little sports network, IE Sports Radio, and he just asked me, would I be willing to do a sports podcast on all Wisconsin sports? And I told him, I'd like to take a shot at that. And he's like, you can name your own show. And I did a brainstorming session, and I came up with Big Cheese Sports.
00:02:24
Speaker
And so i I try to cover as much Wisconsin sports as I can, and that's a show I do every Sunday morning. 11 11 central. I'm out here on the West Coast, so it's 9 AM in the morning for me when I do my show. Sure. I refer myself to your ah refer to myself as your favorite West Coast Wisconsinite.
Military Service & Sports Camaraderie
00:02:45
Speaker
the I spent 21 years and in the Army National Guard and I did you know missions around the world and you know missions and and stuff all around the country with the Guard. And so I kind of fell in love with a few different places around the country and I just absolutely love the Pacific Northwest.
00:03:04
Speaker
And I love being in the trees, mountains or in the seed. And so this is where I ended up. But Wisconsin sports is something I've carried with me my whole life. It's, ah you know. You definitely find all the other sports at addicts in the military, and you know everyone's got their teams, but you ah you all bond over sports. So it's something that helped me get me get get me through my military career, that bond of of being a sports fan. so You know, now this is this way for me to show my passion for sports and and how it's helped me through some tough times in my life, you know, deployments to Iraq and stuff like that. Getting to sit sit in a bunker and watch, ah you know, a Packers game on some crazy satellite, you know, some crazy, you know, Middle Eastern satellite you picked up and rigged up on the side of your bunker, man.
00:03:58
Speaker
You know, so Packers games have brought me together, you know, brought brought guys together in some of their toughest times in life. And so so
Career Transition & Vision for Big Cheese Sports
00:04:08
Speaker
I don't know. So i'm I'm also a former school teacher. and And so I'm kind of trying to find a new new path. I resigned from the teaching world after this year. So I'm a free agent. I'm out there searching for my next career. And now I would love to be, for for some of that, to be you know in a studio more often and recording and finding sponsorships and endorsements and my content that i that I create. So I'm still finding my voice and my practice and stuff like that and it's part of the grind.
00:04:41
Speaker
but So I have big cheese sports. That's kind of like my my baby, my bread and butter. That's like, it's just me now. You know, I try to co-hosting for a bit. and But it's like it's like, I have like this vision for it. And and that that vision is growing. And I try to find a a new and unique angle to talk about. Wisconsin sports, you know, because there's a lot of content out there and I want i want to create something unique, you know, right I'm trying to do with with it, but it's that process of finding your voice.
Collaborations & Content Experiments
00:05:17
Speaker
But through that process, I also got reached out to by a group called Game On Wisconsin, and they have, you know, a few packer podcasts.
00:05:28
Speaker
And during the regular season, it's almost a daily thing. ah Well, Monday through Friday daily and and and on game days. But I do a show on Monday evenings with Ummr Desai. And that show is called Coast to Coast Packers. And that that's one that I'm really proud of. Ummr and I, we are we see the game differently. We have different personalities. But down down deep when it comes to the nitty-gritty of who we are as as human beings, we were we're really open-minded and accepting people.
00:06:01
Speaker
And we just we just mesh. you know We have different types of personalities. And so it's it's been working really well because of how he views the game and talks about it and how I view the game and talk about it. And so I actually absolutely love working with Ummr. So shout out to Ummr Desai. Absolutely. and the work that we're doing with Coast to Coast Packers. that That's one that we're we're starting to get some some nice guests on and and we're seeing those viewer numbers go up. and So we're trying to put a little more effort towards that because we're thinking we're coming close to maybe finding someone who might want to throw their their ads into our show. um But that's that shows that
00:06:47
Speaker
You know, we just we have to keep keep working at it. And so that's that's something I'm really, really proud of, ah something that I've been working on with Coast to Coast Packers. And then also you mentioned this other project I have going on. It started off as cheese head until I'm dead and now it's a beer and cheese is all I need. And and so yeah that started with pro sports fans. um They asked me to do Packer games last year and I live stream some games and I'm still ah chipping away at some content from them from time to time. But it's hard, you know, being a new dad, also looking looking for a new job to create the content that I want to.
00:07:30
Speaker
so cheese head till i'm dead it's it's kind of funny it's uh it's kind of like a my my back my back burner project but i also kind of uh in like experimenting with that uh account i call it it's kind of my burner account now i'm like trying ways of how to how to grow my following, you know different methods um to to to get those follower numbers up. So it's it's it's ah it's kind of a burner account, but it's all but it's not like I'm out trying to troll people with it or or do anything mischievous with the account. Right.
00:08:07
Speaker
It's just like, yeah, but I would love to work to put more effort into that for a pro sports fan. I know some people are are starting to make a little money through them. And, but it's just like, I have these other projects I'm really passionate about. And, and so it's It's there, I slowly chip away at it and I brainstorm and we'll see where I get to it. But that's kind of what i what I'm making. you know i'm on I'm on Instagram, I'm on TikTok, I'm on X obviously or Twitter and just just doing what I can and it's it's been fun. It's been a really fun you know couple of years that I've been working towards this.
00:08:53
Speaker
and And sometimes I try not to get too down on myself because there's sometimes where I'm like, I feel like I'm grinding and it's not going anywhere. But then I have to remember what what brought me here to do this. And it was just like the passion for sports. It's ah tim my love of the game, my love of connecting with with other people and hearing their stories about how, why did they they become a fan? and And maybe some other times in life, you know, because so I know I'm not the only one who's had like ah sports, whether they they're an athlete or something, their watch. maybe help them through a tough time or just, you know, become a good, you know, a positive memory or, you know, a life memory or core memory. You know, that's what sports does for us and I like to celebrate the game and celebrate the fans.
00:09:38
Speaker
Absolutely. yeah yeah ah You mentioned Amar. He's one of my favorite guys to follow. he's a He's straight to earth. he He doesn't give a shit about anything. I mean, he does, but he's like not afraid to like stand up for what he thinks is right. and and and And not only with his sports opinions, which are really, really you know excellent opinions, and his view of the game is awesome, and especially football, and then sticking up for fellow Packers.
Admiration & Personal Growth
00:10:01
Speaker
Yes. You see people getting picked on on Twitter and he's one of the first guys is you go to click and see all this, you know, someone's getting harassed to see the comment section. He's one of the first ones in there defending yeah fellow a fellow packer, anybody in general. But I see mostly with the packer packer fans, you know. Yeah. Great great guy. Yeah. And and really yeah he's he's so great. it's It was just like by complete
00:10:26
Speaker
luck that him and I, and another buddy of mine, Robin Adams, him and I collaborate and do some work as well. We occasionally record a podcast called Brew Fathers, and that's where we talk about fatherhood and Brewers baseball. um We had him both have really busy schedules, so that's like hit or miss when we can record, but I absolutely love working with Robin. Him and I just actually finally recently met in person. I came back to visit Wisconsin and we met at a Brewers game. I brought my my wife and my baby and he brought his son and.
00:11:03
Speaker
And so we just hung out, man, and and got to meet each other. and then we you know But Robin originally was approached to co-host with Ummr for Game on Wisconsin. and And at that time, Robin just wasn't ready to commit to doing it so we weekly, like setting it at time. And he's just like, I had a bunch of other stuff going on. And so he kind of had passed it my way. And he's just like, he you you recommended me. And you know I thank Robin. He's he's such a become a great friend of mine, especially since we met in person. Him and I are both really like-minded, too. And Robin's one, too, on social media just to stand up for what's right or stand up for people that are getting picked on. And so so I thank Robin because he he's like, hey, you should check out you know my my buddy Bernie. you know he's He's probably a co-host.
00:11:53
Speaker
You know, so this is like a an awesome, friendly recommendation by a great dude, Robin Adams, landed me in in a chance to get to meet Umar and some of the people at Game On Wisconsin. And they're like, yeah, let's go for it. And Umar and I are doing our thing. and we We got a couple of big guests coming on next week on Coast to Coast Packers. On Monday, Shane Jansen from season two of Love is Blind on Netflix. I don't know if you've seen that reality show, um but he he's awesome, man.
00:12:28
Speaker
And he's he's going through a kind of like a a transformation right now. I think he's just kind of like experimenting with like ah sobriety and he's these like working out. So he's kind of become like more of a fitness guy um on social media and on on reality TV. But he started out on Love is Blind. And he's originally from DePeer, Wisconsin. And he's a huge Packers fan. So you know we're going to bring him on. He's just is's this such a, seems like an awesome guy. And he loves to shit ah you know yeah talk about the Packers. So he's going to be on next week. And then on Tuesday, we're going to do an extra episode. And Tom Grossi is going to grace us with his presence on Coast to Coast Packers. So I got that to look forward to to next week.
00:13:12
Speaker
And then after those shows man, I'm gonna go to San Diego for a week So Awesome. Yeah, I'm enjoying the summer man, and you know, I'm kind just like thinking about next week now. I'm like dang man It's gonna be a fun week. That's not that not that far away. No no So, uh
00:13:34
Speaker
Kind of like me, too. I didn't start doing po podcasting until like this spring. I just kind of like an idea. And I was approached by, well, from the old network. yeah And then I kind of just started doing it. And this I don't really have a set schedule. I try to do them on certain days. But whenever I accommodate whatever works best for my guests and works for me, because I have five kids. My old my oldest kid is 15. My youngest kid is seven. So yeah with soccer and basketball and and all this other stuff going on. and And football coming up here soon and coaching football it it is I'm crazy. I'm crazy too. So I'm just yeah happy when I can when I can work out a date and time with somebody to be on. I get the occasional I love from the wife like I'm going downstairs to do a podcast.
00:14:20
Speaker
Yeah, man, my my wife has been so supportive of this journey. But there are different times where if i I forget a date or time, or if like, you know, we're gonna record for an hour, and then we have a guest that's like, I'm like, you know, they want when we have Matt Ramage on that. and He I love Matt man and and we just were chopping it up and talking and laughing and having a good time and all of a sudden I realize like man we've been going for like an hour and a half we usually try to keep it to like an hour and I remember I rolled downstairs and she's like, you know, she's like just tell me when it's gonna go late, you know, and it's like that's my it's on me, you know, it's ah it's the easy tech but
00:15:02
Speaker
She's been so supportive, man, and and she knows my dream and journey. It would have been my freshman year of college. Way back in 2003, my freshman year of college, I was studying broadcasting and journalism. And this is what I wanted to do. I wanted to do sports radio, and I wanted to write sports like in a newspaper. ah wanted to be you know I wanted to do that somewhere in the state of Wisconsin. ah But after my first deployment to Iraq, I went on this huge journey, huge detour, man, and I struggled. I'll be open and honest with it. I am with everybody. I struggled with alcoholism. You know, a lot of that was connected to my time in the service, my time overseas, and I couldn't find a a moderate level of alcohol. I couldn't find a a
00:15:49
Speaker
like a positive relationship with alcohol anymore and so I just cut it out of my life three and a half years ago and it's really crazy that since I stopped drinking that a lot of my dreams and hopes and goals that I had before i I guess became an alcoholic, they started coming back up to the surface of like, hey man, this is what you were doing before you got carried away with all this other stuff. And it was hard to catch myself because I was one of those people who was like a functioning alcoholic, right? Like I could i could work a full-time job,
00:16:28
Speaker
and And then I would come home, and that's all I would do every evening is is drink. But I could wake up, go to work. I could always do my job. um But then I realized, man, a lot of the jobs I was doing and the career path I was on, I was like, this isn't what I want to be doing. you know When i got I quit drinking alcohol, like I had like this clairvoyance all of a sudden of like, whoa, man. So the last three and a half years have been been a lot of changes, a lot of changes in my life. And I also got out of the military during that time. And so it's it's been a roller coaster man to have these dreams come up. So I'm feeling like a kid again and I'm not trying to have any regrets of like losing those dreams and having this detour because
00:17:11
Speaker
I feel like I wouldn't have like this view of sports. I wouldn't have like these life experiences had I just been like, I'm doing sports from the get go and this is all I'm doing. And if I would have just stuck to it, ah my life would look a lot different, you know? And I would probably be further along in the industry. But but now i have I have life experience, life stories. I've seen a lot of the world. I've met a lot of awesome people. And I'm just like, this is where I am in my journey right now. And I'm just learning how to really be present with myself.
00:17:47
Speaker
because I recently saw something that said the reason why it's so hard for us to be happy is because we're so concerned about our goals, our like our happiness. like I got to achieve this down the road. I got to do that to achieve happiness. And we're putting happiness on these short-term and long-term goals. So our happiness is always in the future, and we're forgetting to be happy in the present, like present now. And when you can find ways to be presently happy, It makes that you you can achieve the future happiness easier, in my opinion. but So yeah, that's where I am right now, man. I'm just ah and enjoying the journey and and just loving the people that I'm meeting along the way.
00:18:31
Speaker
For sure, I know you mentioned the the the sobriety. i November 1st will be three years to me, and so. Congratulations, man. I don't even, doesn't even faze me anymore. I just don't even care. yeah like Alcohol, no, no thanks. ill have ah I'll have a water or, you know, a caffeinated beverage or a coffee or just, I have too much to lose if I were to get, cause I already have one DUI. I got that when I was 22 years old. I don't need, you know, to lose a job or, you know, my family, you know, it's too much to lose. that That's one of the reasons why I got into coaching was because I coach youth basketball, soccer, and I'm going to be helping coach in football. And just the people that I've met doing that, you know, I consider friends now. I moved, I move actually live in DePeer.
00:19:21
Speaker
I'm from Madison, but my wife is from DePeer. So we got married and lived in Madison for about a year. i mean Then we moved north. We've been here for 16, 17 years. so yeah So yeah, but small world, but yeah, it's ah definitely, I don't have any urge to drink at all. So congrats to you as well, man. That's awesome. Yeah, I definitely still get the urges from time to time. But up sometimes, though, it's like in a positive, I see it more of a positive light, if I'm eating like a really nice steak, sometimes I'll be like, man, I used to pair this with this wine, you know, or sometimes after like a long like, like, hike,
00:20:03
Speaker
you know, like a cold beer just like goes so good after a long hike. And if I could be a person where like, that's the one drink I'm having that day, I would probably still be a drinker, but I'm like a can of Pringles, man. Like once I pop, I can't stop. and Yeah, I was the same way. I didn't like warm alcohol. So I had to drink it when it was cold. yeah Like I don't have a beer and you're still, you know, condensation in a cold and being in the fridge, you know.
00:20:34
Speaker
But, you know, it's like, and I know it's like part of the culture in Wisconsin. And, and you know, I like if people People celebrate that culture still too, you know how much they can drink. And you you always see the thing of like the 20 drunkest counties and in the country or like 20 out of the 25 drunkest county stuff. And the thing is, I used to be one of those people people that would celebrate that too and brag about that, I'm not gonna lie. And so when people still do that, I'm just like, man, like I can't say anything, cuz I was that person that used to brag about that.
00:21:07
Speaker
And I just said that those people stay safe with their drinking because, you know, like like you said, like there's there's times that with with my drinking as well, there was some predictions I put myself in and some moments that I'm like, that could have gone a different way and it could have been like like terribly long wrong, you know, like life changing or life ending and I'm just like, no, man, it's like, it's it's clear that I'm just one of those people that just shouldn't have, you know, i a relationship with alcohol, right? And all the power to the people that that that have it under control, and they're good to go. But if for you that that don't, I hope someday you find your peace with it. Yeah, it's a
00:21:54
Speaker
It's definitely devastating. Some of those things you see on the news and see within your friend circle and family and everything, but how we want to talk about Packers.
Packers Drafts & Player Insights
00:22:04
Speaker
yeah on but yeah All right. No, we got into the life journey there. That's late that's fine. Packer sports and life. It's all, I, I'm all for it, man. Whatever, whatever we talked about, it's fine with me. I don't care. I'll i'll deal with anything. Uh, what are your thoughts on the draft this year and who was your favorite pick? Um,
00:22:23
Speaker
It's a project in the first round again. You know, that's that's kind of my only quarrel with that pick. There are some people that don't think Jordan Morgan is going to turn out. I think he will, but it's probably going to be as a guard. And there's some people are going to be upset with that. Because if you're picking an offensive lineman in the first round, it should be like a left tackle. But it looks like he'll probably move inside eventually. But overall, I really like the draft. I think Adrian Cooper is one of my favorites. It's probably a number one favorite, but another guy I really like that we picked up was actually Michael Pratt, the quarterback out of two lane, like for a late round pick. I think he might beat Clifford out in the preseason. That's actually going to be fun because Clifford is a baller. Sometimes in practice he doesn't look that great, but like he games when he's on that field. And so we'll see. It's going to be ah there's going to be a quarterback competition in Green Bay for the backup position, obviously.
00:23:22
Speaker
But Clifford, the the Clifford Pratt duels are going to be fun. Adrian Cooper, though, he's he's a guy that I think the reason why I'd say he's my number one favorite pick is he's a guy that could end up being a defensive rookie of the year. ah He's going to be putting situations to play a lot of snaps. He's gonna probably be putting in past coverage. He's gonna get chances to blitz as well. So you're looking at a guy who could have s sacks, forced fumbles, fumble recoveries, interceptions. He's gonna get a chance to play all over the field for the Packers and he's an athletic freak.
00:23:56
Speaker
He's a, he was an absolute, you know, our second round, we knocked it out of the ballpark with Javon Bullard and Edger Cooper, two guys that you could see playing, you know, 60 to 75% of the defensive snaps, if not even more. So, but it's those first rounds, we keep getting all those first round projects. um And then one other touch on the note is our seventh round guy that we got, Kalen King, right? He was a ah cornerback out of Penn State. At his junior year, they were he was a fringe first rounder. And he decided he went back to college one more year. And it just like,
00:24:35
Speaker
He had a really rough year and his draft stock tumbled almost to the point where he fell completely out of the draft. And he fell into our lap in the seventh round. So to a guy that was almost first round worthy one year to have a tumultuous final college season and tumble almost completely out of the draft. With Coach Halfley, who's a defensive back guru, you know our our new defensive coordinator, he's a defensive back guru. He's a guy, I think, that could get into Kalen King's head, get him right, get him back on track. And he I think he could turn the seventh rounder into
00:25:15
Speaker
you know, probably a a two or three, you know, a CB two or CB three type player thing is that he's got to make the roster and year and year one, because, you know, our our cornerback room is actually a little more full than than what I thought it would have been at this time. Do you think, uh, well, first, what do you think about Marshawn Lloyd? Oh, yeah, man. Let me get to him. that they du This is the thing. There's so much. There's so many pieces to this draft. Marshall Lloyd, man. he's so There's some people out there that were saying he was the number one, number two running back in the draft. Super shifty, right? I think he's going to be a player that we're going to be like early in the season. We're going to be like, why isn't he getting any touches? We're not going to see, you know, I think
00:26:06
Speaker
Josh Jacobs is gonna be... cow bell or bell cow back, right? I think we're going to like early in the season, you might see Josh Jacobs getting a a lot of the touches, but then maybe later in the season, you're going to see Marshawn Lloyd be implemented more. ah He's got to learn the offense and you kind of see that sometimes with with rookie tight ends and running backs, there are snaps will start to increase later in the season. Plus, you know, you're going to want to save some juice for, you know, and
00:26:37
Speaker
in Jacobs in the playoffs. So that's why you want to start increasing those reps of Lloyd later in the season. But I think he's a he's a player that I think after this season, AJ Dillon might be expendable for the the Packers. And it hurts me to say that because I absolutely love a AJ Dillon as a person, right? He's the mayor of Door County and hes he's just brought his family into the community. he's been you know hes He's become part of the community, right? And he gives back to the community. And he's just a really wholesome dude, but it's a business. And the way the Packers run their business is with Marshawn Lloyd. You'll see that if he has if he looks sharp at any point during the season, AJ Dillon might be out the door after next season.
00:27:23
Speaker
And and you know we'll try to maybe bring back Emmanuel Wilson or draft another running back. But Marshawn Lloyd is is a type of back that we generally might not. I mean, he might be even more shifty than Aaron Jones. and But I'll miss Aaron Jones no matter what. Yeah, it sucked for an hour there at Packer fans thought we had the best one two combo in the league and next thing you know, he's getting released and he's like, okay. Oh, he's going to Minnesota. Come on, man. Yeah, it's you know, and i and I hope he can stay healthy. You know, I just feel bad because I mean, he's going to be playing behind JJ McCarthy or Sam Donald, right? That's who's over there for the quarterback world right now. So
00:28:13
Speaker
He's going to have to carry the offense for a bit there, I think. and I just hope he can stay healthy. Yeah, you don't want to see him go to the Vikings, but at the same time, you don't want to see him be successful, at least against the Packers. Yeah. Anyone else go ahead, but when it comes against the Packers or any, you know, and just wishing the best for everything you did, but it just sucked on how he went out, you know. Yeah, and you know like that like you said, it felt like the best one to punch in the league, or it might have been one of the best one to running back tandems ever if they both you know have a have the type of season we know they're capable of of having.
00:28:51
Speaker
You know, not to say that Marshawn Lloyd man in year two, right? We'll see what he does in year one, but there's a chance that the following season that ah Josh Jacobs and Marshawn Lloyd are the best tandem running backs in the league. Yeah, I can definitely see that. I like the way Marshawn Lloyd plays. His body size, he he he puts a hit on people and so did ah Aaron Jones. yeah but We'll we'll gotta to try to keep Lloyd healthy and I think they they brought back AJ Dillon I think more for like the
00:29:25
Speaker
leadership role in the locker room kind of, and maybe they'll even bring him in like as a blocking fullback in past situations or something like that. um yes sir wait He plays on some special teams, uh, coverages as well. And he does a damn good job of that too. So like, like you said, he's just ah a team guy, he's a leader. And I, I hope he sticks around as long as possible, but unfortunately I think this might be be be the last year we have him. Yeah. And if he does not come back to Green Bay, please don't stay in the North. Go somewhere else. Go somewhere where you're going to retire. yeah like Florida or Vegas or whatever. It was like when Gamal Williams went to the Detroit Lions. I was like, gosh, dang it, man. So I guess we're just like building a history of that, of having these good running backs of ours going to NFC North teams. Yeah.
00:30:21
Speaker
do you Do you think we have the deepest wired receiver room in the NFL?
00:30:29
Speaker
i you know I'm probably biased, but yeah, I think so. And it might not look like that right now, but i think you know I think there's truth to it. But I think there'll be more believers and more truth to it as the season plays out. I was just talking with Ian Harditz from Fantasy Life Sports, and he's he's a big fantasy sports guru guy. And he's he's talking about how many people are talking about Dontavian Wicks and what kind of value the he'll have for like fantasy football teams. Because we've seen right we saw it last year, of like the type of plays that Dontavian Wicks can make, how how good he is at getting open with the routes he can run.
00:31:16
Speaker
But the thing is, though, is we're the healthy Christian Watson, healthy Romeo Dobbs, and Jaden Reed, who's this electric in the slot. How many snaps is Dontavian Wicks is really going to be getting? You know, so it's like already those those four guys, man, you got to make sure you're getting them snaps because Dontavian Wicks Not only can he get open, he makes plays after the catch. So you want to get wicks out there. So that's four wide receivers right there that you're planning to get touches. Then we also have Malik Heath and Bowel Mountain that you probably want to try to get touches as as well. And then you try and work in Musgrave and craft at the tie-in positions. And then you're like, holy crap, man.
00:31:58
Speaker
so And you know it's just like, if you add Kraft and Musgrave you know to like the wide receiver core as you know to to pass catchers, ah yeah Packers have the deepest. We have you know the young one of the youngest still. And I think this year, as long as they all stay healthy, it's we could probably see an offense where We're changing the focus of who we're running the offense through, week in and week out. you know we might have a We just might see something. We're like, oh, reading the slot against this team, it's goingnna be it's going to really match up well for us. and you know Or like getting getting swing passes and screen passes to Marshawn Lloyd you know out in the flats is going to be big you know is goingnna be big money.
00:32:52
Speaker
against this defense. and I think you're just going to see that with but the coaching staff we have and the way LaFleur plans, the way he's building this team. You know, the further we get away from the Rogers era, the more pure form of of, I think, of Lefleur's offense we're going to see. Because when Lefleur and Rodgers were working together, Rodgers has his way, he has his brain, his knowledge, his wisdom, his ability, his ego that comes with him. And he's going to put his own twist into the offense the way he sees his is skills are best fit in the offense.
00:33:33
Speaker
I can't blame him when you're one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time, you're probably gonna do that. But but love, see he's willing to put his ego aside, I think, and really come together with the coaches and and let's like let's run this offense that we have with all these great young weapons right now. and I just think this offense is going to look electric, right? Those last 10 weeks that Love played last year were fan fantastic. He's going to look, ah you know, I think part way into this season, he's just going to look fantastic. We have the the ah all the weapons around him to do it. I think just piecing together the offensive line, like getting that solidified. We have all the pieces. It's just where are they going to settle on that offensive line?
00:34:24
Speaker
Right. And I think too, ah since since the Rogers era, we can definitely see a clearer picture on the floor and what he, why he was brought to Green Bay. Yeah. You know, you saw that Shanahan tree and you have that road bump in between that's stopping you from running on the team the way you want to run it. What are you going to do? Be in the media saying you're not going to cooperate with your quarterback. Yeah. That's going to make fans want you not not to have coach, you know, and I just think that love is better fit for the system than Aaron Rodgers was. and no and I like ah white the game playing and Matt LaFlore does. It's it's like against the Cowboys. I mean, holy crap.
00:35:04
Speaker
you na man i I got that. So I got that game on like my DVR or like I have Fubo TV and like you can save, you know, games. and You just like pick the teams that you want. They'll save all the games and I have that one saved on there. and That's the one I'll dial up every once in a while. And watch that. like Sometimes it'll just be the first half. Because like we knew after that first half, that one was in the bag. And and that's a fun that's a fun one to watch. But that's you know what i want like I think we're going to see more of that. We're going to see more of that in the playoffs. Well, sometimes it felt like with Rodgers, it was always a real struggle to win playoff games.
00:35:48
Speaker
Yeah, it's. Yeah, it's. I try to think past those days, but ah sometimes it's hard to catch yourself thinking about him, you know, and ah if he would have had Jordan Love in there, he would have used his feet to get the first down instead of trying to throw the ball six yards where Rogers, if he had tried to run later on in his career, would have gotten caught by a detackle or a linebacker. He wouldn't know he he he would have maybe gotten sacked and fumbled the ball or just something. You know, I just.
00:36:18
Speaker
and It had had to happen. we We had to move on with love. There's just no question about it, you know? Yeah. and I love everything Rogers has done for our organization. I hope there's ah like a homecoming. I hope there's like, I don't know, like a statue or a plaque or as if like they want to retire his number.
Reflections on Packers & Personal Favorites
00:36:36
Speaker
I hope i hope he comes back and and we celebrate his time with us. and you know whether you agree with the way he view views things in the world or whatever or the way he went about that the
00:36:50
Speaker
you know the whole pandemic stuff and and the you know that whole scenario you know to me man I'm like if however you want to live your life man like that that's fine I would try out a darkness retreat man I would honestly I would try it out I'm that guy you know so I hope we have that with Roger someday But here's the thing, when he was a yeah a little bit younger quarterback and he he bought into the system a little bit more, right? With McCarthy, that's when we went on that tear and won that Super Bowl. He really bought that offensive system. He was getting the ball out of his hands into the playmakers. That's the late in that season into the Super Bowl. That's when Jordy Nelson was really starting to break out as well.
00:37:39
Speaker
You know, that that was a fantastic run, man, of games. And and the thing is, though, is people grow and change. And and Roger's change is a person. And like you said, it was this time for a new era. And and I'm rather enjoying the era of love. Yeah, and not having the, is he going to show up or is he not going to show up? We know love is going to be here. The whole team was pretty much here for all the off-season OTAs and stuff, you know? yeah mean ja Even Jair was here. Yeah and and that's the thing is you know Jair was there when Rogers didn't show up and that's like setting the example for those guys. I think it was Jair's like rookie year like Rogers didn't show up and so that's like setting the example for these guys you know and so you know when love is like ah I'm all in like you said
00:38:30
Speaker
Jaw followed suit. and job you Just his body language, the way he's talking and interviewing. he's He's so bought into this. I'm so excited. But the big thing is now for the Packers is to get this love contract done because we don't want that to drag on and have love start sitting out scrimmages or preseason games because of the contract not being done. Right. I think ah it'll get done before the season. Yeah. Hopefully. Yeah, and he's and he's about to get paid. I'm thinking up to like $60 million a year at this point because it was a Trevor was a trevor Lawrence got $55 million a year or $55,000,000 a year. Like if Trevor Lawrence is getting that money, you know, Jordan Love is going to get a little bit more a year.
00:39:21
Speaker
Yeah, that's just ah good and bad. It's good for love, but it's bad for the salary cap. Yeah. And the longer we wait, the higher that price tag is going to go. So it's like, come on, brass tacks, man. Let's get the business. Yeah. Right. Who is your all time favorite packer? Ooh, this is a tough one for me. Um,
00:39:48
Speaker
So for a long time, it was Aaron Rodgers. I was Brett Favre for a long time. And then it kind of became Aaron Rodgers. But I kind of feel just like my my current employment situation. I'm a free agent, I think. So, you know, let me let me think, you know, maybe like, B.J. Raji, a guy like B.J. Raji could fill that. You know, I'm a big Gilbert Brown fan. I love defense linemen. You know, I feel like the 90s aesthetic and early 2000s aesthetic and defense alignment, but where they used to have the visor, the neck roll, right? I love that. You know, Gilbert Brown was on our Super Bowl team with Favre.
00:40:36
Speaker
I love Desmond Howard, love those special teamers, right? He was the Super Bowl MVP. ah So thinking about guys like that, if if i had if I had to pick one, actually, if I'm going to go defensive side and say my favorite packer, And I wish he would have been a Packer longer, and that would be Charles Woodson. ye Dude, like some of the, like when he was defensive player of the year for the Packers, you know, I remember seeing the shirts that came out that said,
00:41:10
Speaker
ah the earth is covered by two thirds of the earth is covered by water the rest of it's covered by charles woodson ah and so i just yeah i was really sad because it was like late in the second quarter of that super bowl right he was diving to make a play and broke his collar brown bone it was out for the second half of the super bowl um You know that Steelers Steelers don't make that comeback, right? They were on a drive to try to take the lead in the in the fourth quarter. Packers got to stop, obviously, but I don't think it gets that point of Charles Woods stays out on that field running that defense, because he was just dynamic. And I think his halftime speech kind of with the fire. Yeah, and ah in a way he did. He was altered the second half by giving that speech at halftime, you know.
00:42:01
Speaker
I like that. He was out there. Yeah. No, man. that's I would have to go with Charles Woodson right now. But here's the thing. If love sticks around and love wins the Super Bowl, I can tell you by his his demeanor, just the way he carries himself. Love, love I think, is a guy that can become my my favorite packer over time. last Last winter, he got a girl stuck out of a snowbank. Yeah. In Green Bay. and He was on his way to the airport or something like that and he stopped and helped her out. Yeah. That's the type of guy he is, you know, and when he gets created by questions from the media about him.
00:42:44
Speaker
His answers are always about the team, you know? And I just love, like, they ask, well, you did this and you did that. It's immediately like, oh, you had this touchdown pass. Well, so-and-so ran an awesome route. And, you know, he got his hands on the ball and and you know won it in the air. He's always talking about his teammates, you know? and And so it's just like, you know, I just love that. And Rodgers was like that more. If you go listen to Rodgers early in his career, he definitely had that about him. I just something about love though tells me that he's he's going to stay that way. You know, you know, it's like the same with far, you know, and Rogers. um Some things, you know, like cheese and wine get better with age. You know, typically NFL quarterbacks do not age well with cheese or age age well with time. ah Maybe Tom Brady is is is like the exception to the rule, but.
00:43:44
Speaker
Yeah, i don't think I don't see love. Whatever reason, I don't see love going down that road. Right. Now, I have to be done at 6 o'clock my time. So I got two more questions for you. But maybe we'll have to work out doing a part two show. I have some more questions for you. I will off air. I'll message you on some dates I have open. And we'll try to maybe get you on for a little bit longer. I apologize. But I got my two-boy soccer team I have to coach tonight. You're good, man. I'm sorry. I was a handful of minutes late myself. Well, we'll definitely get a part two.
00:44:20
Speaker
sit down with you and discuss more questions. um how How do you view the NFC North
Season Predictions & Social Media Handles
00:44:26
Speaker
finishing this year? I have Green Bay, Detroit, Minnesota, and Chicago. That's that's that's how I have it too. um maybe maybe Chicago in third. I think the but like the offense in Minnesota is going to be atrocious. I don't think JJ McCarthy or Sam down Donald are the answer in Minnesota at all. I think it's going to be the Packers-Lions
00:44:57
Speaker
That's going to be tough, man. The Packers and Lions winning the division. But I think the Packers are going to be a surprise and pull that out. So yeah, I got I got Packers. I'm going to go Packers, Lions, Bears, Vikings just to be different. Yeah. And then what what do you think? I haven't been finishing 12 and five.
00:45:22
Speaker
I can see that. I'll go 12 and 5. I had them as high as 14 and 3. And one of my thoughts and predictions. But 12 and 5, I think that's more grounded, more realistic. Because you know there's a couple of trap games out there. There's a couple of games that we're going to lay duds. So 12 and 5, I'll go with you and say 12 and 5 as well. Perfect. Well, listen, this is just part one of of our of our episode. We'll get part two figured out and we'll ah let our audience know. But where can people find you at? Can find me on X at Bernie Bango. You can find me on Instagram at Bernie.Bango and find me on TikTok at Bernie underscore Bango. If you just search Bernie Bangle, you'll probably find me. And if you want to look me up on on Spotify, you can look up Game On Wisconsin, and that's where you'll find Coast to Coast Packers, or look up Big Cheese Sports. And you can find me on Spotify, Apple Podcast, and on YouTube. I think there's some other ones out there too, but it's hard for me to keep track of it all.
00:46:32
Speaker
You have to have a list written down so you can just read off a script, you know? That's what I need. I need to get a slide so I can present it right on StreamYard. You're like, just read it for yourselves. Right. Well, listen, Bernie, I appreciate it. I'll be in touch with you about part two, OK? Sounds good, Brian. All right. Take care, buddy. Go pack, go. Go pack, go.