Chicago Sports Talk with The Sportscaster and Her Son

NBA Draft 2022 is complete and the Chicago Bulls pick of Arizona's Dalen Terry left many fans scratching their heads. Did they address rim protection and three point shooting and defense that was exposed in the playoff series against the Milwaukee Bucks? Maybe. Fox Sports college basketball expert John Fanta joins Jason to give insight into the Bulls top pick Dalen Terry and the rest of the draft. His insight may give Bulls fans more to cheer about than they thought. Jason also gives his predictions and Peggy's final thoughts on the Highland Park Fourth of July Mass shooting.

Fifty years after President Richard Nixon signed Title IX into law, the effects of the Education Amendment on women are significant. In this episode Peggy talks to Jason about how Title IX affected her life, what opportunities were and weren't available to her in the 1970's and work still left to do. Aided by a study from the Women's Sports Foundation the numbers of women helped by Title IX is undeniable yet open to helping even more. Using clips of interviews from the "Pass the Mic" podcast on the Barroom Network, Sarah Spain, Dorothy Gators, Amy Trask and Sam Rapoport reveal how their climb to the tops of their careers were similar paths with and without the support of Title IX.

Well this isn't what everyone was expecting two months into the 2022 MLB season! The Cubs are playing competitive baseball and cultivating some young talent but don't want it called a rebuild, while the White Sox are play is very underwhelming for a team that was suppose to compete for a World Series title. It's head scratching - and this was BEFORE Tony LaRussa decided to walk a player with a 1 and 2 count only to get to the next batter who smacks a 3 run homerun. The tale of two teams and a fan base in Chicago that is getting antsier by the day.

Chris Berman is synonymous with ESPN. The legendary sportscaster is semi retired now in his fourth decade in Bristol, Connecticut after covering Super Bowls, NFL Drafts, MLB games and more. Pairing up with the likes of John Saunders, Tom Mees and Bob Ley, Berman stood out as the crafty, funny and animated anchor with catchy phrases many young guys who followed tried to emulate. Peggy Kusinski worked with Chris Berman in Bristol, Connecticut at ESPN in the late 1980s into the early 1990s - the two go back in time reminiscing about how Berman got to the sports network, some funny Super Bowl memories and his staying power in the sports industry. Berman also tells us how the nicknames for athletes of which he became known for, came to be. A great interview with a sportscasting legend. Enjoy!

It's the start of a new baseball season in Chicago and the same old argument "who will win more games" gets put on the wayside. This time we reach out to Chicago media and Radio personalities to ask: What Player will have the best season in Chicago in 2022? Our Guest prognosticators nearly agreed on one guy, though there are a few others, one guy everyone seems to think will have an MVP season1. Is it a Chicago Cub or a White Sox player? Our guest prognosticators include: David Kaplan, NBC Sports Chicago and ESPN Chicago; Maddie Lee, Chicago Cubs beat writer for the Chicago Sun-Times; WXRT Rock Jock Lin Brehmer; 670 The Score morning show's David Haugh and Jesse Rogers, ESPN's Chicago Baseball reporter. A fun twist to the new season in Chicago. Who is your pick?

Just in time for Hoops Madness this March you will be watching paid athletes in the NCAA Tournament. Lots of them! Name, Image and Likeness is paying off for college athletes and some high school too! Since the NCAA allowed athletes to make money off their NIL in July 2021, you might be surprised how much they are cashing in! We're not talking the biggest names in the biggest sports, the Cavinder twins are making millions, as is Shareef O'Neal (Shaq's his Dad). In this episode, NIL advocate and sports law expert Darren Heitner lifts the lid on how athletes are cashing in less than a year into NIL and where the money is all going.

The Chicago Bears cleaned house after the 2021 season and hired new General Manager Ryan Poles who in turn hired new Head Coach Matt Eberflus. What does this mean for the Monsters of the Midway? Is anything different? Are Chicago Bears fans optimistic with the new regime? Peggy and Jason break down the new hires after they were introduced to the Chicago media.

Chicago Bulls rookie guard Ayo Dosunmu is going to the NBA AllStar Weekend to take part in the Rising Stars Challenge. Not bad for a second round pick! His mother, Jamarra Dosunmu joins the podcast to talk "Growing up Dosunmu" and how the family is often run like a corporation with everyone all in on each other's goals. She also tells some great stories of what makes Ayo tick! A really enjoyable listen if you are a basketball, Bulls, or NBA fan!

2021 was a crazy year in Chicago Sports. From the top rated television sports anchor of 30 years getting fired to the merry go round of Chicago Bears quarterbacks. Nothing was more talked about than the drafting, the debut, the development and the play of Chicago Bears rookie QB Justin Fields. In this episode we listen back to the top 7 podcast episodes that our listeners were tuning in to. Enjoy!

The Chicago Bears are mired in mediocrity in yet another year at the bottom of the NFL. Yet, the front office seems to be playing games with fans and the media in not talking or explaining or making any moves. The fans are left in limbo and the team is in disarray. Former AllPro Center Olin Kreutz joins the show to talk about the problems with the 2021 CHICAGO BEARS and how former players have been shut out of any discussions with the current front office. A team in disarray is uncovered.

Dan Wiederer of the Chicago Tribune wrote a scathing expose on the front office of the Chicago Bears and how the NFL's founding franchise just keeps getting every hire WRONG. From head coaches to general managers, the only two constants since Mike Ditka was fired in 1993 are Team President Ted Phillips and a McCaskey owner in charge. Wiederer takes us behind the scenes of his recent article and the number of former Bears players no longer afraid to speak out…if only the office doors at Halas Hall weren't closed to their opinions. Fans, players, media and employees are frustrated with a team that has become a laughingstock in the National Football League. Chicago Talk with The Sportscaster and Her Son is sponsored by Foot First Podiatry and by Electri-Flex Company. Follow us on social media @PeggyKusinski & @JasonKinander or on Facebook and Instagram. Our website is up and running at www.thesportscasterandherson.com where you can find behind the scenes blog notes on each episode, photos and links to critiques of the show. You can get our Fan Merch at our store on TeePublic https://www.teepublic.com/?ref_id=23871

After a few dormant years of NBA purgatory, the Chicago Bulls are back! How did they rebuild so quickly with Arturas Karnisova and Marc Eversley taking over during a pandemic? And who are these Bulls players that are so fun to watch and play with great chemistry? NBC Sports Chicago Bulls insider KC Johnson joins the show to break down the surprise team in the NBA this year.

As Chicago sports goes dormant a myriad of topics pop up. Jason and Peggy do a rapid fire episode with a host of topics to debate. Aaron Rodgers misinforming the media and public about his Covid-19 immunization, the Chicago blackhawks fall from grace, Scottie Pippen's "Last chance" to get back at Michael Jordan in a new book, the White Sox and Cubs in free agency and Chicago Radio's toxic culture per a recent newspaper story. Peggy knows firsthand what it was like covering Scottie Pippen, the Blackhawks during their three Stanley Cup runs in the early 2010s and as a longtime radio host speaks openly about the Chicago Tribune's report that the Windy city's radio waves are toxic for women. Jason on the other hand is all knowing when it comes to baseball free agency and the why's and why nots, The Who will stay and who will go for each side of town. And both hosts talk about the CHICAGO BEARS inaction at the trade deadline. This fun episode is moderated by special guest Shea Kinander -- Jason's twin brother and college student at Cornell University. Enjoy the show!

Chicago Bears rookie Quarterback Justin Fields is struggling. In week 7 he faced a fierce Tampa Bay defense which sacked the rookie four times, three interceptions and forced three fumbles. Is playing him doing more harm than good? Or does he just need to take his lumps? Former Chicago Bears offensive coordinator and U. of Illinois Big Ten Coach of the year Ron Turner joins us to instill what he's learned with rookie quarterbacks over his 41 years of coaching football.

In 2021 Chicago Bears fans anticipated the debut of rookie quarterback Justin Fields, and after spot showings the first few weeks of the season Fields got his first NFL start and it was a disaster! So we started talking about other athlete's debuts we couldn't wait to see and how they ended. In this "Answer me this" episode our friends chime in with their athlete debuts they remember. WGN TV's Pat Tomasulo, ABC 7 newsman Rob Elgas and ESPN's sportscasting couple Jordan Cornette and Shae Peppler join the conversation.

Chicago White Sox face the Houston Astros in the American League Division Series. White Sox radio's Len Kasper joins the show to preview the matchup.

The 2021 Chicago Bears have a decimated offensive line before the season even began. Who better to talk to than the newest Chicago Bears inducted into Pro Football's Hall of Fame than former Left Tackle Jimbo Covert? Playing on a unit that had the same starting five for seven years, Covert gives intimate details to playing the position as well as his opinion on how the current NFL is played. Is there hope for the Chicago Bears? Covert will tell you in this episode.

After talking to one of Chicago Bears QB Justin Fields High School coaches in Episode 058 it got us to reminiscing about our own favorite coaches growing up. Who made that impression on you? Who brought out your best? Who pushed you to limits you didn't think possible? We asked some friends to share with us who their favorite coach was growing up. Tampa Bay Rays broadcaster Dave Wills, former Chicago Bears Wide Receiver Tom Waddle, Marquee Sports Network's Elise Menaker and 670 The Score Chicago Bears sideline reporter Mark Grote all chime in.

What makes Chicago Bears Quarterback Justin Fields tick? How did his upbringing in Georgia make him the player he is today? And can he get out of the shadow of Trevor Lawrence? We asked these questions to his High School Coach Matt Dickmann who remains close to the Fields family and has watched the quarterback blossom. Whenever the Chicago Bears make him their starting QB Dickmann is confident he will live up to the lofty expectations that have been placed on him since he was 15 years old.

Answer me this...what is your favorite Olympic Memory? And, what event or sport should be in the Olympic Games? Jason and Peggy share their thoughts while watching the Tokyo Olympics and reach out to others "in the know". 1992 Olympic Boxer Montell Griffin, NBC Broadcaster Kathryn Tappen, ESPN and Marquee Sports Network's Beth Mowins, Olympics producer for NBC Sports Bob Vasilopoulos and Bally Sportswriter Maggie Hendricks all chime in with their favorite Olympic memories and possible Olympic sports as well.

The generation gap between Peggy and Jason shows up as they talk NBA basketball. Peggy admits she lost interest watching the NBA after the three point shot "ruined" the game she loved. In comes, Chicago Bulls and Fox Sports broadcaster Adam Amin to convince her to watch the greatest athletes play the game. Listen in as Adam and Jason talk NBA basketball and the game which admittedly is "not your mother's or father's NBA" anymore.

In this midsummer update on sports in Chicago, Jason takes over the show hosting and talking about summer baseball with the White Sox and Chicago Cubs. From the "sticky baseball" controversy in Major League Baseball the spat between Lucas Giolito and Josh Donaldson of the Twins as well as how its helping hitters like Kyle Schwarber too. Are the Cubs sellers? Can the White Sox get back to a strong second half? Will they actually work together on a trade? Jason has thoughts on all of this as well as former Chicago Bulls star Scottie Pippen, the NBA Playoffs and more to share with you.

Mark Giangreco was the King of Local TV Sports not only in Chicago but the highest paid local sportscaster in the country. His ouster at ABC7 in Chicago came after a wisecrack but his stories of almost four decades covering Chicago sports are still flowing. Will he return to the local sports scene? Tune in and hear what it takes to succeed in local Television in the Windy City.

For the first time we hear the truth behind Chicago Bears QB Justin Fields intelligence test results as explained by the Dr. who performed the test. Dr. Scott Goldman says Fields incredibly high scores are consistent and parallel with league MVPs and Super Bowl winners of late. So how can the Bears bring this out of their rookie QB on the field and end generational drought at the QB Position? We discuss!

Prior to the NFL Draft 2021 athletes go through the NFL Combine. One of the myriad of tests performed is the Athletes Intelligence Quotient, AIQ which measures an athletes intelligence: the ability to acquire, process and apply information." It's not a predictor of their success in the NFL, but it can be a contributing factor. So, you may ask, "how smart is my QB"? In part One of our interview, Dr. Scott Goldman delves into the how's and why's of this test and what has been said about the Off the Chart scoring my new Chicago Bears QB Justin Fields.

The Chicago Bears trade up for the second time in four years for a Quarterback in the 2021 NFL Draft. But, can Justin Fields of Ohio State be what Mitch Trubisky was not -- a franchise quarterback? Or God forbid will Bears fans wait half another half century to find a signal caller to take them to the promised land! In Part 2 of "Answer me this... What draft pick were you completely wrong about?" NFL writers, former players and analysts give us their Draft Busts. Former Chicago Bear Alex Brown, ESPN's Jeff Dickerson, Dan Pompei & Adam Jahns from the Athletic and John Buffone of the Bears Barroom Network all chime in. While Bears fans hope Justin Fields is NEVER on this list.

The NFL Draft is when team's hedge their bets and money on who will become great football players on Sundays. But it's a crapshoot with often most top picks being busts. So who are the draft picks you were completely wrong about? We asked Brad Biggs, NFL Writer for the Chicago Tribune, former NFL player John "Jurko" Jurkovic of ESPN Radio and Greg Gabriel a former front office executive with the Chicago Bears. Listen in to this mini episode for their "draft busts"!

Ring Lardner award winner in 2020 for sports broadcasting is Chicago Sportscaster Dan Roan of WGN-TV. Thirty seven years covering Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Chicago Bulls, Chicago Bears, Chicago Blackhawks, Notre Dame football and more. Roan tells great stories from the worst athletes in Chicago sports to the best. And how PGA golfer D.A. Weibring helped Roan's career while roommates at Illinois State University.

In this mini-episode we ask the age old debate that comes up every spring in Chicago: Who will win more games the Cubs or the White Sox? From the north side to the south side it's sure to get heated as hope springs eternal in Chicago baseball! This episode's guests giving their predictions are Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune; Jon Greenberg, The Athletic; WGN-TV's Dan Roan; Mark Potash and Richard Roeper from the Chicago Sun-Times.

Ring Lardner Award winner Toni Ginnetti talks about her career as a sportswriter in Chicago. A female trailblazer in print journalism, Ginnetti shares how her instinct led to human interest stories in baseball about former Chicago Cub Rick Sutcliffe's dog "Rookie" and the Chicago White Sox Adam Dunn. Great stories from a woman who is a Baseball Hall of Fame voter and has covered DePaul basketball, Olympics and Politics in Chicago.

Who was the best athlete you ever saw perform in high school? We all have those studs that were amazing, or maybe it was the unknown who went on to professional greatness? An Olympian? We put this question to David Kaplan of ESPN Radio 1000, Bruce Levine of 670 The Score Sports Radio in Chicago, and ESPN senior write Scoop Jackson to find out theirs on this mini-episode of the podcast.

The Illini Basketball team is making noise, but how good are they? The 2005 Illinois Basketball team was ranked #1 all season and lost in the NCAA Finals to North Carolina. Roger Powell Jr., "The Rev" was a member of the Illini starting four and now is an assistant coach for the #1 ranked Gonzaga Bulldogs. A look back at 2005 and ahead to 2021 NCAA Tournament to see who will be the last team standing.

Another short but sweet episode with Peggy & Jason talking about their favorite sports team slogans in Chicago history. This time they get input from Brooks Boyer of the Chicago White Sox front office, ESPN1000's Jonathan Hood, 670 The Score's David Haugh & Dan Bernstein, Rick Morrissey of the Chicago Sun-Times and sports talker Mike North from The Barroom Network, ESPN Radio and North to North! It may surprise listeners but no two answers are alike! What's yours?

What a crazy year it has been. Jason went from a pandemic his Senior Year of HS to freshman year at UT Austin and survives a snowstorm that knocked power and water out of his college campus. How do we make him smile? Talk White Sox baseball! And so we do with the hosts of White Sox Talk Podcast Chuck Garfien and Ryan McGuffey. You can hear the smiles through your air pods as they preview the 2021 Baseball season on the south side of Chicago.

We all watched Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes in the Super Bowl, so what's going on in Chicago. Will they ever find a franchise quarterback in our lifetime? We asked our friends who cover the Bears what they think in this mini -episode.

On the eve of Super Bowl LV everyone's talking about THE GOAT. Tom Brady, the Greatest QB of all Time against "the Kid" Patrick Mahomes. But what did it take for Brady to become great, and was he always destined for that road to greatness? Former University of Michigan Assistant Coach and Recruiting Coordinator Bobby Morrison takes us back to the High School QB from California who ALMOST didn't go to Michigan. The Wolverines had their sights set on the #1 recruit in the country Bobby Sablehaus before he decided to go to Florida. Michigan then pivoted to recruit Brady. Morrison tells us the ups & downs of Brady's college career and what separates him from the others. What makes greatness? We try to find out.

Nothing but a little ribbing here as Jason is graded on his predictions from the end of 2019 to the first half of 2020. Some outrageous, some spot on! A fun guest free episode of Chicago sports talk

Another busted season that ends in mediocrity and Bears fans are upset. The front office decides to keep GM Ryan Pace and Matt Nagy as head coach despite back to back .500 seasons. Former Bears head coach and current Fox Sports NFL Kickoff Analyst Dave Wannstedt joins the show to take us into the team's front office and ownership minds as well as discuss the future of the NFL's founding franchise.

A special year end edition of the podcast featuring a sports panel hosted by Girls in the Game. Cubs owner Tom Ricketts, Blackhawks interim President Danny Wirtz, Chicago Bears Director of Sports Science Jenn Gibson, Terry Savarise of the Chicago White Sox and the United Center join WNBA Chicago Sky owner Michael Alter in discussing how their teams managed to play in 2020 amidst a pandemic. Some interesting behind the scenes stories and a glimpse into how difficult and trying it was and what to expect in 2021.

What a few months the Chicago Cubs have had in the 2020 offseason. Theo Epstein leaves, Kyle Schwarber is gone, and the team announcer Len Kasper heads to Chicago's south side to call games for the White Sox. Former Cub Ryan Dempster joins us to talk Cubs and his new night time sports talk show on Marquee Sports Network. It's a fun conversation with a former big leaguer and all things Cubs.

The Chicago Bears just can't seem to get the quarterback position right. But being a Bears quarterback is tough, one minute you are loved, the next they ship you out of town. Kyle Orton was drafted by the Bears, started and then traded for Jay Cutler. Mitch Trubisky may follow that same path soon.

The Miami Marlins made history naming Kim Ng as their General Manager -- the first woman to hold such a position in a major North American sport, and the first Asian American man or woman. Her rise was not overnight, she began as an intern with the Chicago White Sox before moving over to the American League offices then the Yankees and Dodgers. Dan Evans hired her as his intern in Chicago giving her a stepping stone into the world of Major League Baseball. His insight and stories about the woman who made history are interesting and tell you all you need to know about this amazing woman who shattered the glass ceiling for women in baseball.

Chicago White Sox fans are not thrilled with the hiring of 76 year old Tony LaRussa. But former Cub & Cardinals player Ryan Theriot LOVES it. He played for LaRussa and won a World Series with him before the Hall of Fame skipper retired. Theriot tells Sox fans what makes LaRussa so good and why they shouldn't worry about his age or managing a clubhouse filled with "today's players" like Tim Anderson. This episode will give Chicago's South Siders hope for a team on the brink of winning.

The Chicago Bears are 5-1 six games into the 2020 NFL season. Are they that good? Or are they doing it with smoke & mirrors? A below average offense led by backup QB Nick Foles can't score more than 21 points a game, but they have a Super Bowl defense that is making opponents hair stand up. How long can it last? Pro Bowl Center & former Chicago Bear Olin Kreutz breaks it down with great insight to this team surprising everyone in the National Football League ... if they are even noticing the team in Chicago!

Jeannie Morris gives a behind the scenes account of Gale Sayers the man and the legendary story of his relationship with Brian Piccolo. The story that inspired "Brian's Song" the movie, but with some very interesting true stories of Sayers, the Chicago Bears, and who helped Sayers write the infamous speech. A Great listen for football fans!

Covid-19 forced states like Illinois to cancel most high school fall sports. In turn athletes are moving out of state to play and gain the experience they say is needed for college scholarship opportunities. One High School All American, Quarterback JJ McCarthy transferred out from hi Illinois State champion team, giving up his senior year to get the experience he needs in Florida at IMG Academy. McCarthy is committed to play QB for the Michigan Wolverines and he says IMG Academy will give him the experience and reps needed for the next step in college. An interesting conversation with Jim McCarthy, JJ's Dad in what is a hot topic playing High School sports.

The Chicago Bears enter the 2020 season under Covid-19 with big expectations. A team that traded up for QB Mitch Trubisky is hoping this is the season he breaks out. ESPN's Bears reporter Jeff Dickerson breaks it all down as well as giving hysterical stories about e-learning at home with his young son. Also co-host Jason joins the show from his dorm room at UT-Austin! Enjoy this football & parenting podcast!

it's time. After a year and a half of podcasting with mom starting at the age of 16 Jason is off to college. Before he starts his freshman year, Peggy & Jason talk about leaving for school in Covid-19 and an emotional goodbye.

This is truly an example of the generation gap between mother and son when it comes to following sports in the age of new media. In this episode Peggy lets Jason pick the guest, and she's not particularly happy with his choice. You see, Peggy is a traditionally trained and educated sports reporter while her son Jason is a Generation Z sports blogger. It creates tension for sure, but Jason tries to bring his mom around with guest "WhiteSox Dave" from Barstool Sports. It's a conversation Peggy is not comfortable with, but like many parents is open to finding out what it is her teenage son sees in such a controversial blog site.

Just in time for the NHL summer playoffs, the Chicago Blackhawks greatest season ever takes you behind the scenes to an historic season that turned Chicago into a hockey town. The 2010 Stanley Cup winners bring home the cup to Chicago after 49 years & Blackhawks Teammates Brian Campbell & Colin Fraser recall the games, their teammates, the hated rivalries, the behind the scenes antics and more in this fun look back. You don't need to be a puck head to appreciate how a team can turn around a city. It's Hockey Baby!

Four months after sports shut down in the United States, professional and college teams and leagues are slowly returning to play. But how will it work? Will it last? What are the pitfalls? What is the one sport that is not likely going to return just yet? Joining the podcast is WSCR 670 The Score morning show host David Haugh to break it all down with Jason and Peggy.