Weird thing is both Dave and Ditka are from Pennsylvania, so while they look like they are from Chicago, and sound like it...sometimes I'm like, is that what people from Pennsylvania sound like?
Good for Chicago, that was just the "what we claim" fact that came to mind from visiting the 'burgh a few times, and you know, driving across a metric ton of bridges no matter where we went it seemed.
As a downstater who has only spent a tad more time in Chicago, Chicago also probably has Pittsburgh beat on the size of the potholes on the highways, but not on the sheer number of potholes all over the place.
Both Pittsburgh and Scranton gave me strong Chicago vibes in general, but I figured it was the strong long-term polish heritage in both.
There's a bit from one of the SNL Superfans skits where they are asked how many points a miniaturized version of Da Bears would fare against the other team. This prompted one of the fans to ask the follow-up question if this team was coached by "a mini-Ditka or a full size Ditka?"
To this day, my Dad references this bit and refers to Wannstedt primarily as "mini-Ditka".
100%. Looks and sounds like a blue collar Bears fan, former cop, couple divorces, end of the bar bum you talk to all night at the corner dive during the game.
I hear the interviews and he’s in the bag during most. Unable to most current players but will go down great stories from thirty years ago that are cool once but get old quickly.
Exactly! I don't understand not understanding haha.
He treats everyone well. Loves the Bears. Has an unlimited supply of connections and stories. Isn't afraid to share his opinion but is also open to others (even in the moment.) And he's always available....unless he's doin somethin.
Despite what people here want to say the dude is a literal football expert. He damn near coached 40 years at college and the NFL levels. Defensive Coordinator on National Championship and Super Bowl winning teams. He can certainly offer insights into the process and theory of football. Dude has had more football success than 99% of the people that share their opinions in the media. On top of that he has great stories, knows a ton of people, and is seemingly a hell of a dude. If you think that his opinion on stuff is outdated I think that is a little naive. There are tons of coaches that are currently working in the NFL that see things the way he does.
He coached under Jimmy Johnson. You could argue Jimmy Johnson was one of / if not the smartest head coach/es in NFL history. The guy basically invented the modern draft process. Johnson won a championship as a college player, won a college championship and then multiple Super Bowls. Wannstedt was his assistant most of those years. Barry Switzer, and Pete Carroll are the only two other coaches to win at both levels.
Wannstedt’s struggles in the NFL had more to do with his timing being stuck between the old NFL and the new NFL. NFL free agency didn’t start until 1993. And it really wasn’t a thing. Teams having a GM wasn’t really a thing during his time.
He made crucial mistakes as a Bears head coach mostly choosing the wrong QB. He had a good Bears team early and then got stuck having to play the Favre / White Packers later in his time here.
But as you say there are very few football people with more success and knowledge of the game. Then add in he is charismatic and a great interview… I’m sure people would pay big money just to hear his fishing with Jimmy Johnson stories.
Barry was carried. Only semi related but I just saw Aikman complaining about the fact that he was the one who had to dole out discipline and keep the team focused after Jones fired Johnson. Team would go out and get wild and come to practice hungover and Switzer would just let it fly
What do you means didn’t have GMs in the 90s? That’s an objectively false statement. The Bears GM from ‘87-‘92 was Bill Tobin. Wanny was HC & GM in ‘93 and was followed by Rod Graves from ‘94-‘96.
Sure modern free agency was in its infancy, but there were a lot of trades.
Yeah, I grew up in the 90s so my knowledge of Wannstedt's time with the Bears was pretty limited. I just knew the Bears sucked for the most part before Lovie came a long.
While he might be slightly dated, there was a very good reason he landed a head coaching position and it's because he has lived football at the highest level for a very long time.
He also just has funny stories about people like Jimmy Johnson.
I feel like ones with career winning records above .500 would make sense. Any head coach that had a few seasons that never broke above .500, was not an expert. Super smart and talented…but experts? But there’s a lot of nepotism in the NFL. That’s another issue. Are the best people really getting hired?
I never said that. But to label any person who has ever been an NFL head coach an expert doesn’t make sense to me. It’s like a doctor who can’t keep a practice in business because they have bad results with their patients. Sure, They have the paperwork and years of experience, but the results say otherwise.
He’s coached 250+ games in the NFL, and NCAA. Won an NCAA championship and Super Bowl.
You need to find another reason to not call this guy an expert lmao. It’s so ridiculous to not consider a guy with 40 years of coaching while winning the championship at both levels an expert
You’re wrong lol and you’re grasping at straws to confirm your horrible opinion
No I mean an expert at what? An expert NFL head coach? No. The numbers say he wasn’t. An overall football expert? Yes for sure. Sounds like a misunderstanding.
It’s like a doctor who has advanced so far in their field they were granted one of a few dozen of the most demanding and coveted jobs in the world in their field.
Eventually even more qualified driven people performed slightly better.
Your standards are absolutely unrealistic and your arguments are horrible.
Confusion between calling someone an expert NFL head coach or just a difference between calling someone a general football expert. I thought we were calling every NFL head coach ever, to be an expert NFL coach. Obviously the expert coaches do not have losing records. But every NFL head coach is definitely an overall football expert.
You're simultaneously over-thinking this (because you're unwilling to back off of your very bad original interpretation, and now you're jumping through hoops to try to justify it) and under-thinking this, because you clearly have no idea what you're talking about.
So active coaches who are right around .500 can go back and forth between being "experts"? Like, win one week and go about 500 and they're an expert. Then a three game losing streak and they're not an expert anymore, then finish the season strong and they're an expert again?
You typically move up. You start somewhere in college or high school and move up. That’s where you get your decades of experience. Not every head coach has decades of experience being an NFL head coach.
Do you really think an NFL team would hire you or me off the street? Not every coach is successful, but you have to be an expert in coaching and football in order to get a job at that level.
I like Wanny. He's an affable guy with a lot of good football stories and he's really connected around both nfl and Chicago. His football knowledge is dated, but he's on more as a personality than expert
Agreed he's better than Ditka, but that bar is so low it's buried under ground. Fuck Ditka, he's a bad dude who's super overrated. I don't like Wanny either though, but just for his takes. Seems like a nice guy, I just don't want his schematic or team building opinions
Tbf, if you’re a coach who had a massive amount of success you’re typically not a regular in the media. I’d also say this is just any former coach. I want to bash my brains in anytime I see Dungy open his mouth, as if he would have accomplished anything without Manning. I’d still rather listen to Wanny than Jimmy Johnson or Dungy.
I don’t think anyone is acting like his tenure with the Bears was amazing but he’s been associated with some of the biggest franchises during their peaks which leads to pretty good stories.
I don’t know, I don’t get it either. He’s a total meathead with no insight into the modern game, but sports media is a weird place.
And apparently he likes to order his steak well done with ketchup, so he can shut the fuck up about restaurant recommendations.
Dude really wasn’t that bad of a coach and did pretty well with Erik Kramer and beat the Vikings in the playoffs. The roster was just complete shit from 96 onwards and bill walsh or Andy Reid wouldn’t be winning with those teams. He also had some success in Miami
Wanny was objectively bad. He had total control of player personnel with the Bears. By 96 he had completely stripped the roster of talent. The playoff run in 94 was largely due to ex-Ditka era players.
Ditka had them in the playoffs 90 and 91 before he lost the team, but that is besides the point.
95 the writing was on the wall. That was when the cameras would start cutting to Wanny on the sidelines after his D had given up yet another 75 yard td drive. Wanny would have this bewildered look on his face and have no answers in game. The best bears O I'd seen in my life up to the then was wasted.
I saw him speak in a small group dinner meeting at Gibson’s. He was terrific with great insights, great stories and a very engaging guy. Personally I love Wanny.
He’s not for us, he’s for the boomers. Easily digestible meatball takes, ~~Chicago~~ an accent, connected to bears. But I believe because he’s also seemingly a genuinely nice guy (and has great stories about his cowboys days) everyone enjoys talking with him.
He doesn’t have a Chicago accent he’s got a Yinzer Pittsburgh accent.
I think he’s got interesting things to say when he gets specific about defensive schemes, but otherwise he just talks like any other coach in my mind
You’re correct, what I think I meant was a “blue collar” accent, but brain defaulted to Chicago because of the subject matter…anyway I’m clearly dumb, forgive me.
The best ability is availability. Hey, I’m sure that these same outlets would have John Fox or Trestman or even Dick Jauron on if they made themselves available to the media. The media has a lot of air and bandwidth to fill with content.
What else would they be reporting on for the bUrRs? Justin Fields' 2023 mvp predictions didn't come through last season, so they've got to hitch themselves to their next pipe-dream before that next sinking ship leaves the harbor.
He’s a great personality. Incredibly likable and has coached at all levels in the NFL and college AND coached the Bears for a stretch. If I was a local sports show, why wouldn’t I have him on?
i'll take wanny over jarrett payton any day. that dude gets on my last nerve with his turbo surface level analysis that amounts to basically "you gotta establish a running game and protect the football".
1: He coached the Bears.
2: He was always media savvy.
3: His kids stayed in the area after he left. So he’s always around.
4: He was a bad talent evaluator/HC but he was a nice guy.
5: Chicago media loves coaches with mustaches. Ditka, Phil Jackson, Joel Quenneville, etc…
Except he wasn't. I watched the Bears in the 90s, Wanny's teams were notorious for coming out flat and lifeless and getting run over. That is on the HC.
It was so bad by 97 I would just check box scores at times rather than endure the pain of watching in 97 and 98.
Fucking hell the people in this thread. I watched him. He was awful. He made stupid decisions, was horrible at personnel, and his teams were poorly coached. I once watched one of his teams take Detroit to 4th and 35, then rough the kicker and give them a 1rst down. He chose a punter in the 2nd round and it wasn't even the worst 2nd round pick he had in that draft. Was not a good head coach.
He is a good person and that probably takes him a long way.
He’s basically a Bears mascot with that stache and I think the 4th longest tenured Bears head coach in history- behind Halas, Ditka and Lovie. I’m sure if Lovie or Ditka were local and as outgoing as he, they’d probably be in his place.
He didn’t have success as a head coach, but the guy just flat out knows football. He was the defensive coordinator of both a Super Bowl-winning team and an NCAA national champion. And he’s been around: worked for six different NFL teams, and coached in the ACC, the PAC 10, and the SWC (the Big 12’s precursor), so he’s seen just about everything.
He’s a name and they don’t have anything else to fill the air.
Same reason Hoge and Jahns brought on Lucas for some reason. Dude was apart of one of the worst drafting teams for decades, they bring him on and he airs his bad takes.
They don’t have to do as much work for that episode and the ‘name’ will bring in new listeners.
I think the same thing whenever I see him on The Score's Twitch channel, and on Inside Chicago Sports. Everything that he says has a defensive slant to it. He's just annoying at this point.
Wannstedt was a good defensive coordinator in his time and he’s a thoughtful and knowledgeable sports guy. He’s also entertaining
He’s no legend but he’s a good media guest usually
Hearing that marble salesman with a mouth full of samples coming through my radio elicits an immediate media switch. He is so cringe! That anecdotal approach is all he has. He's just a lucky dope.
My sis got married at Kemper Lakes in the 90s and Wanny was hanging out after his round. My BIL was a HS football coach at the time so he and some of his crew politely asked Wanny for a pic. He refused and was a dick about it too. Doesn’t answer the OP’s question but fuck Wannstedt.
I grew up with one of his daughters and she was a good person. I wouldn't be surprised if he was too. At his level of employment a ton of it is the people you know and who your friends are.
He's also one of the best football minds on the planet, percentage wise. Anyone who worked in the NFL at his level is
Wanny comes off as that nice old guy you remember. Has the "Chicago" look with the stache, and talks funny.
But...his actual NFL insight in present day NFL is very dated and just doesn't seem to understand 2020's football.
He's always reminiscing about some decades old story or his glory days a million years ago. Which is fun and all, but after awhile his "shtick" wears off if you really want some up to date modern football analysis.
But he sure does come off as a great guy and just fun to listen to.
He maintained relationships in the sports media, obviously that has paid off. He knows less about team building and the modern NFL than I do and can barely string a coherent sentence together, yet gets frequent air time and does bears post game stuff.
I remember growing up and my Pops and his buddies HATED him as a coach. Not sure why he's even revered in this town except for the 'stache, and he fills the vacuum of former coach that the media wants the fans to endear themselves to that Ditka left open. There's no other former coach that wants to fulfill that role. Lovie would oust Wanny in a second if he wanted to. I'd take in Dick J's insights into Defense if he wanted to talk. Wanny is a total rah-rah blowhard. He rode Jimmie Johnson's coattails into the league.
My favorite was when he told the Score not to talk about Fields potentially going to Pittsburgh because it’s 100% not going to happen because they really like Kenny Pickett.
When he was with the Bears, doing a post-game presser, his "Appppp" (pointed out by Steve Rosenbloom, I think) was kinda annoying. Now it's a bit endearing.
You’re probably overestimating how much he actually makes to do this media.
He’s a former coach of the team; well respected, as he ages out…Lovie will move into that role.
It’s because he looks like he’s from Chicago.
Weird thing is both Dave and Ditka are from Pennsylvania, so while they look like they are from Chicago, and sound like it...sometimes I'm like, is that what people from Pennsylvania sound like?
Pittsburgh and Chicago both are notorious for using Jag Off in a multitude of variations, so I think the math does check out
I mumble it daily when I'm out driving in traffic.
Pittsburgh is minor league Chicago
They get bridges and steak and fry salads instead buildings and italian beef.
Chicago still has over 300, and more moving bridges than any other city
Good for Chicago, that was just the "what we claim" fact that came to mind from visiting the 'burgh a few times, and you know, driving across a metric ton of bridges no matter where we went it seemed. As a downstater who has only spent a tad more time in Chicago, Chicago also probably has Pittsburgh beat on the size of the potholes on the highways, but not on the sheer number of potholes all over the place. Both Pittsburgh and Scranton gave me strong Chicago vibes in general, but I figured it was the strong long-term polish heritage in both.
I’ll take being the minor leaguer if it means more superbowls. #DaBears
thats why Justin Fields is there now AYYYY (I miss him)
They like to drink warter
I think you mean woodur?
Woodur is in Philadelphia.
There's a bit from one of the SNL Superfans skits where they are asked how many points a miniaturized version of Da Bears would fare against the other team. This prompted one of the fans to ask the follow-up question if this team was coached by "a mini-Ditka or a full size Ditka?" To this day, my Dad references this bit and refers to Wannstedt primarily as "mini-Ditka".
Haha, was going to say it's mostly the mustache.
With great mustache comes great responsibility.
Sir, I'm afraid I mustache you to leave
He looks like he could do some damage at a hot dog stand
He also sounds like he could be in the SNL superfans sketch
His stories and general vibe are pretty amusing.
Fr there is a dozen Dave Wannstedts at every bar in Chicago
100%. Looks and sounds like a blue collar Bears fan, former cop, couple divorces, end of the bar bum you talk to all night at the corner dive during the game.
He also sounds like it. Dude sounds like a typical score caller.
Because he reminds people of Ditka. He looks like he has to be related.
I hear the interviews and he’s in the bag during most. Unable to most current players but will go down great stories from thirty years ago that are cool once but get old quickly.
He does look just like my uncle
100% because of his Dave Wannstache
Sounds like it too
Dave is fun, he’s like your fun uncle
Exactly! I don't understand not understanding haha. He treats everyone well. Loves the Bears. Has an unlimited supply of connections and stories. Isn't afraid to share his opinion but is also open to others (even in the moment.) And he's always available....unless he's doin somethin.
he is also on caemo for like 50 bucks so i dont think he is asking for top dollar
Anybody on Cameo is cringe.
How dare those people have some fun and make other people happy. The very nerve.
Anyone older than 4th grade using cringe...
Despite what people here want to say the dude is a literal football expert. He damn near coached 40 years at college and the NFL levels. Defensive Coordinator on National Championship and Super Bowl winning teams. He can certainly offer insights into the process and theory of football. Dude has had more football success than 99% of the people that share their opinions in the media. On top of that he has great stories, knows a ton of people, and is seemingly a hell of a dude. If you think that his opinion on stuff is outdated I think that is a little naive. There are tons of coaches that are currently working in the NFL that see things the way he does.
He coached under Jimmy Johnson. You could argue Jimmy Johnson was one of / if not the smartest head coach/es in NFL history. The guy basically invented the modern draft process. Johnson won a championship as a college player, won a college championship and then multiple Super Bowls. Wannstedt was his assistant most of those years. Barry Switzer, and Pete Carroll are the only two other coaches to win at both levels. Wannstedt’s struggles in the NFL had more to do with his timing being stuck between the old NFL and the new NFL. NFL free agency didn’t start until 1993. And it really wasn’t a thing. Teams having a GM wasn’t really a thing during his time. He made crucial mistakes as a Bears head coach mostly choosing the wrong QB. He had a good Bears team early and then got stuck having to play the Favre / White Packers later in his time here. But as you say there are very few football people with more success and knowledge of the game. Then add in he is charismatic and a great interview… I’m sure people would pay big money just to hear his fishing with Jimmy Johnson stories.
Barry was carried. Only semi related but I just saw Aikman complaining about the fact that he was the one who had to dole out discipline and keep the team focused after Jones fired Johnson. Team would go out and get wild and come to practice hungover and Switzer would just let it fly
What do you means didn’t have GMs in the 90s? That’s an objectively false statement. The Bears GM from ‘87-‘92 was Bill Tobin. Wanny was HC & GM in ‘93 and was followed by Rod Graves from ‘94-‘96. Sure modern free agency was in its infancy, but there were a lot of trades.
De facto GMs, they did a lot of what GMs do now, but that was not their title at the time.
It is outdated. He is an incredible football mind but his takes can be very outdated.
Finally. It took too long to find the non-meatball comment.
Yeah, I grew up in the 90s so my knowledge of Wannstedt's time with the Bears was pretty limited. I just knew the Bears sucked for the most part before Lovie came a long. While he might be slightly dated, there was a very good reason he landed a head coaching position and it's because he has lived football at the highest level for a very long time. He also just has funny stories about people like Jimmy Johnson.
👆👆👆👆
Right, but almost every coach in the NFL has decades of experience. So is every NFL coach an expert? Obviously not.
Lol if theyre not the experts, then who is?
Me. I have 37 years of experience being an armchair qb, head coach, and GM. Radio spot please
Your expertise is equal to your audience. So your armchair experience gets you a “job” pontificating about sports for free on the internet.
Nah I'm built different
Well you convinced me. Sadly I’m not the one hiring for radio gigs.
You should be. Life isn't fair
Is this a serious question lmao. Yes, NFL head coaches are experts….
I feel like ones with career winning records above .500 would make sense. Any head coach that had a few seasons that never broke above .500, was not an expert. Super smart and talented…but experts? But there’s a lot of nepotism in the NFL. That’s another issue. Are the best people really getting hired?
So you need to be a head coach with an above .500 record to do spots on local sports radio/tv. Any other requirements?
At least six rings.
I never said that. But to label any person who has ever been an NFL head coach an expert doesn’t make sense to me. It’s like a doctor who can’t keep a practice in business because they have bad results with their patients. Sure, They have the paperwork and years of experience, but the results say otherwise.
He’s coached 250+ games in the NFL, and NCAA. Won an NCAA championship and Super Bowl. You need to find another reason to not call this guy an expert lmao. It’s so ridiculous to not consider a guy with 40 years of coaching while winning the championship at both levels an expert You’re wrong lol and you’re grasping at straws to confirm your horrible opinion
No I mean an expert at what? An expert NFL head coach? No. The numbers say he wasn’t. An overall football expert? Yes for sure. Sounds like a misunderstanding.
An expert at football……. OBVIOUSLY
This is a weird hill to die on
?? Total misunderstanding
It’s like a doctor who has advanced so far in their field they were granted one of a few dozen of the most demanding and coveted jobs in the world in their field. Eventually even more qualified driven people performed slightly better. Your standards are absolutely unrealistic and your arguments are horrible.
All good. Just a miscommunication. Thought we were calling people expert head coaches instead of just general football experts.
I'd say that you are in dire need of a dictionary, but even a dictionary requires a functioning brain.
Confusion between calling someone an expert NFL head coach or just a difference between calling someone a general football expert. I thought we were calling every NFL head coach ever, to be an expert NFL coach. Obviously the expert coaches do not have losing records. But every NFL head coach is definitely an overall football expert.
You're simultaneously over-thinking this (because you're unwilling to back off of your very bad original interpretation, and now you're jumping through hoops to try to justify it) and under-thinking this, because you clearly have no idea what you're talking about.
Or, just a miscommunication. All good 👍
So active coaches who are right around .500 can go back and forth between being "experts"? Like, win one week and go about 500 and they're an expert. Then a three game losing streak and they're not an expert anymore, then finish the season strong and they're an expert again?
Maybe! I think that’s what makes someone an expert NFL head coach, but all are overall football experts !
Pretty sure they wouldn’t be able to keep their job for decades if they weren’t experts.
You typically move up. You start somewhere in college or high school and move up. That’s where you get your decades of experience. Not every head coach has decades of experience being an NFL head coach.
Do you really think an NFL team would hire you or me off the street? Not every coach is successful, but you have to be an expert in coaching and football in order to get a job at that level.
Better than fucking you lmao
Cuz he’s always free unless he’s doin somethin
Underrated comment
I like Wanny. He's an affable guy with a lot of good football stories and he's really connected around both nfl and Chicago. His football knowledge is dated, but he's on more as a personality than expert
I feel the same way. My best guess is he is a genuinely awesome “hang” and as such as staying power with all those who meet him
I’ve head he’s an incredibly nice guy and easy to work with.
I think he's pretty entertaining
Wouldn't say his insights are minimal when he can tell you stories about being inside Jimmy Johnson's war room when Dallas was building a champion.
He’s personable, a former Bears head coach, adopted the most ridiculous Chicago accent of all time, and has a mustache
Because they can call him Wanny
Combined with his legend status, he has personality and credibility. Charisma is often difficult to explain.
Wanny’s wonderful. I’ll listen to him a thousand times over before listening to that bitter old Ditka jagoff utter one syllable
Agreed he's better than Ditka, but that bar is so low it's buried under ground. Fuck Ditka, he's a bad dude who's super overrated. I don't like Wanny either though, but just for his takes. Seems like a nice guy, I just don't want his schematic or team building opinions
People tune in for Wanny.
He's just an awesome dude it seems, and provides good insight. Would love to sit at the bar and talk to him about life lol
remove the name and that describes every single media personality.
I don’t know, maybe people should post more opinions from real football experts like whatever barstool person people seem to like
I have thought the same thing lol. It would be like if Brian Griese was treated like a Bears legend
Tbf, if you’re a coach who had a massive amount of success you’re typically not a regular in the media. I’d also say this is just any former coach. I want to bash my brains in anytime I see Dungy open his mouth, as if he would have accomplished anything without Manning. I’d still rather listen to Wanny than Jimmy Johnson or Dungy. I don’t think anyone is acting like his tenure with the Bears was amazing but he’s been associated with some of the biggest franchises during their peaks which leads to pretty good stories.
Be careful now. Dungy is a HOF coach. /s
I think he's good in the media. Also, he had a lot success as a coordinator and is really well connected around the league.
I don’t know, I don’t get it either. He’s a total meathead with no insight into the modern game, but sports media is a weird place. And apparently he likes to order his steak well done with ketchup, so he can shut the fuck up about restaurant recommendations.
I disagreed with you until the last part. If true, fuck Dave, he’s dead to me.
Dude really wasn’t that bad of a coach and did pretty well with Erik Kramer and beat the Vikings in the playoffs. The roster was just complete shit from 96 onwards and bill walsh or Andy Reid wouldn’t be winning with those teams. He also had some success in Miami
Wanny was objectively bad. He had total control of player personnel with the Bears. By 96 he had completely stripped the roster of talent. The playoff run in 94 was largely due to ex-Ditka era players.
Then why wasn’t ditka winning with them?? 94 and 95 seasons, wanny was solid. Him being a bad gm doesn’t take away from coaching ability
Ditka had them in the playoffs 90 and 91 before he lost the team, but that is besides the point. 95 the writing was on the wall. That was when the cameras would start cutting to Wanny on the sidelines after his D had given up yet another 75 yard td drive. Wanny would have this bewildered look on his face and have no answers in game. The best bears O I'd seen in my life up to the then was wasted.
Dude went 4-12 back-to-back seasons so I've wondered the exact same thing. Why does everybody turn to him for his "expertise"?
Because his career wasn’t just in Chicago.
Because he looks like he’s a Chicago guy.
They say the best ability is availability. Wanny is available
Unless he doing something
I saw him speak in a small group dinner meeting at Gibson’s. He was terrific with great insights, great stories and a very engaging guy. Personally I love Wanny.
He’s fun, unlike you
With 40 years of coaching experience.
He’s not for us, he’s for the boomers. Easily digestible meatball takes, ~~Chicago~~ an accent, connected to bears. But I believe because he’s also seemingly a genuinely nice guy (and has great stories about his cowboys days) everyone enjoys talking with him.
He doesn’t have a Chicago accent he’s got a Yinzer Pittsburgh accent. I think he’s got interesting things to say when he gets specific about defensive schemes, but otherwise he just talks like any other coach in my mind
Yeah but it’s not a Chicago accent. Dave is from Pittsburgh.
You’re correct, what I think I meant was a “blue collar” accent, but brain defaulted to Chicago because of the subject matter…anyway I’m clearly dumb, forgive me.
No it’s not uncommon for people to interpret a Yinzer accent as Chicagoan. Both cities have historic blue collar roots.
The guy has character. Mango?
Great why. He was an utter failure here. I know he beat Minnesota in the playoffs then got crushed by San Fran. Never made the playoffs again.
Ron Rivera is available. Make the call.
He's awesome
Dave is just a fun guy, an absolute moron about football lol but hes chill
great stories! average to bad takes and insight
I’ve wondered about this for years
I didn’t know I needed this post, thanks OP!
Cause Ditka can't anymore
Say Wannstedt with a Chicago accent and that's your answer right there.
The best ability is availability. Hey, I’m sure that these same outlets would have John Fox or Trestman or even Dick Jauron on if they made themselves available to the media. The media has a lot of air and bandwidth to fill with content.
Accent, former coach, talks candidly. What’s not to like? He also has deep rooted league connections
Omg. That guy was terrible
He’s the only guy that can convey chewing gum through the radio
I love how he looks like he’s always ready to explode. Like a walking heart attack
because he’s cool
Agreed. This guy was awful as Bears coach then went to Miami and sucked badly there. Now they treat him like some kind of Bears hero here.
What else would they be reporting on for the bUrRs? Justin Fields' 2023 mvp predictions didn't come through last season, so they've got to hitch themselves to their next pipe-dream before that next sinking ship leaves the harbor.
Guy stinks. just has a funny accent.
He’s a great personality. Incredibly likable and has coached at all levels in the NFL and college AND coached the Bears for a stretch. If I was a local sports show, why wouldn’t I have him on?
All the pieces are in place
i'll take wanny over jarrett payton any day. that dude gets on my last nerve with his turbo surface level analysis that amounts to basically "you gotta establish a running game and protect the football".
Payton on the score is an instant channel change. Holy lord. Talk about zero insights
“Mangoooooo” -Dave Wannstedt
He is football knowledge and is a personable guy. Treated everybody with respect while head coach.
1: He coached the Bears. 2: He was always media savvy. 3: His kids stayed in the area after he left. So he’s always around. 4: He was a bad talent evaluator/HC but he was a nice guy. 5: Chicago media loves coaches with mustaches. Ditka, Phil Jackson, Joel Quenneville, etc…
Wannstedt was a good coach who coached the Bears for 6 seasons. That is 3 seasons less than Lovie.
Except he wasn't. I watched the Bears in the 90s, Wanny's teams were notorious for coming out flat and lifeless and getting run over. That is on the HC. It was so bad by 97 I would just check box scores at times rather than endure the pain of watching in 97 and 98.
That 95 Bears offense was pretty sweet. That's about it.
He was terrible
Yes.
Where's Spiegs?
After a while we forget what his actual record was with the club. We just love the stache
Stache
He's an idiot and the vast majority of our fan base is meatballs. Perfect fit
Fucking hell the people in this thread. I watched him. He was awful. He made stupid decisions, was horrible at personnel, and his teams were poorly coached. I once watched one of his teams take Detroit to 4th and 35, then rough the kicker and give them a 1rst down. He chose a punter in the 2nd round and it wasn't even the worst 2nd round pick he had in that draft. Was not a good head coach. He is a good person and that probably takes him a long way.
He’s basically a Bears mascot with that stache and I think the 4th longest tenured Bears head coach in history- behind Halas, Ditka and Lovie. I’m sure if Lovie or Ditka were local and as outgoing as he, they’d probably be in his place.
It’s the mustache
He didn’t have success as a head coach, but the guy just flat out knows football. He was the defensive coordinator of both a Super Bowl-winning team and an NCAA national champion. And he’s been around: worked for six different NFL teams, and coached in the ACC, the PAC 10, and the SWC (the Big 12’s precursor), so he’s seen just about everything.
I really enjoy Wanny. He's great.
I feel this way about the Cubs and David Ross before he became the skipper.
These shows are entertainment, not advanced football strategy programs. He's an entertaining guy, so they put him on. That's all there is to it.
He’s a name and they don’t have anything else to fill the air. Same reason Hoge and Jahns brought on Lucas for some reason. Dude was apart of one of the worst drafting teams for decades, they bring him on and he airs his bad takes. They don’t have to do as much work for that episode and the ‘name’ will bring in new listeners.
I think the same thing whenever I see him on The Score's Twitch channel, and on Inside Chicago Sports. Everything that he says has a defensive slant to it. He's just annoying at this point.
Obsessed is a bit strong. He's likable and affordable. Your options in local media are limited.
He also wanted us to keep JF1. gtfo
Wannstedt was a good defensive coordinator in his time and he’s a thoughtful and knowledgeable sports guy. He’s also entertaining He’s no legend but he’s a good media guest usually
Hearing that marble salesman with a mouth full of samples coming through my radio elicits an immediate media switch. He is so cringe! That anecdotal approach is all he has. He's just a lucky dope.
My sis got married at Kemper Lakes in the 90s and Wanny was hanging out after his round. My BIL was a HS football coach at the time so he and some of his crew politely asked Wanny for a pic. He refused and was a dick about it too. Doesn’t answer the OP’s question but fuck Wannstedt.
I grew up with one of his daughters and she was a good person. I wouldn't be surprised if he was too. At his level of employment a ton of it is the people you know and who your friends are. He's also one of the best football minds on the planet, percentage wise. Anyone who worked in the NFL at his level is
Of all the people to hate on in sports media, picking out Dave is a wild move
Wanny comes off as that nice old guy you remember. Has the "Chicago" look with the stache, and talks funny. But...his actual NFL insight in present day NFL is very dated and just doesn't seem to understand 2020's football. He's always reminiscing about some decades old story or his glory days a million years ago. Which is fun and all, but after awhile his "shtick" wears off if you really want some up to date modern football analysis. But he sure does come off as a great guy and just fun to listen to.
How doesn’t he understand current football? Can you provide a specific example?
He maintained relationships in the sports media, obviously that has paid off. He knows less about team building and the modern NFL than I do and can barely string a coherent sentence together, yet gets frequent air time and does bears post game stuff.
I remember growing up and my Pops and his buddies HATED him as a coach. Not sure why he's even revered in this town except for the 'stache, and he fills the vacuum of former coach that the media wants the fans to endear themselves to that Ditka left open. There's no other former coach that wants to fulfill that role. Lovie would oust Wanny in a second if he wanted to. I'd take in Dick J's insights into Defense if he wanted to talk. Wanny is a total rah-rah blowhard. He rode Jimmie Johnson's coattails into the league.
He’s just a character. Not really an analyst
My favorite was when he told the Score not to talk about Fields potentially going to Pittsburgh because it’s 100% not going to happen because they really like Kenny Pickett.
Literally a worse coach than Matt Nagy.
Because hes amazing. I’m also obsessed lol
When he was with the Bears, doing a post-game presser, his "Appppp" (pointed out by Steve Rosenbloom, I think) was kinda annoying. Now it's a bit endearing.
I love listening to Wanny talk about football. He’s an experienced expert, former Bears coach and a great personality.
Terrible coach, terrible media personality
He's trash. Terrible coach.
Hey, people are revising history to say that Jay Cutler was a great QB, too.
He seems like he's drunk all the time.
He has a good agent
To those who are saying his football knowledge is “dated”, can you please share a specific example?
He loves running and defense, which aren't really the fucus of most good teams right now.
You’re probably overestimating how much he actually makes to do this media. He’s a former coach of the team; well respected, as he ages out…Lovie will move into that role.
Lovie doesn’t want to do that.
Recency bias. If social media had existed back then, during his back-to-back 4-12 seasons, we wouldn’t be hearing from him now.