Ep.56 - Troy Hillman's true crime breakdown; NFL Draft recap; Illini basketball; Draft of best U of I; Baby on board!

Ep.61 - Fish Stories; Bears Stadium Insanity; NCAA dumb rules; Illinois budget and politics; Draft of best fish movies

In this episode of Bub’s Pub, Dan and Brennen basically do what every great neighborhood hangout promises: bounce from fish tales to football chaos to Illinois politics without ever spilling the drink. They swap stories from a Sheboygan fishing trip, then dive headfirst into the Bears’ never-ending stadium soap opera, where everyone seems to have a plan except maybe the Bears. From there, it’s a full sports-bar sampler platter—blockbuster NFL trades, college sports curveballs, softball flamethrowers, and a Chris Weinke-style career plot twist that somehow got even weirder. Toss in a sponsor read, a draft of fish-themed movies, a budget debate with plenty of side-eye, and a wedding scheduling decision that deserves its own trophy for terrible timing, and you’ve got an episode that feels like equal parts sports talk, local gossip, and “how did we get here?” energy. * Dumper Dan’s Fishing Charter * Bears stadium talks dead? * NFL blockbuster trades * NCAA makes a rule that hurts Illini basketball * College Baseball World Series upsets * College Softball throwing smoke! * Chris Weinke 2.0? * DRAFT: Best fish movies * Illinois state politics and budget updates * Funny story of the week

Ep.60 - Brennen vs. Smokey; Cubs crisis; Elon prepares SpaceX for record breaking IPO; Big Earners moving away from taxes

In this episode, Dan and Brennen do what any respectable barstool philosophers would do: check in on reunion recovery, wonder if the Cubs have misplaced their bats (and possibly their souls), and take a lap through the latest Bears stadium soap opera. Along the way, they mix in college baseball chatter, Illini updates, a wild look at the "Enhanced Games," a history-making racing adventure, Elon-sized ambition, and just enough politics and budget talk to keep everybody pretending this is still a serious operation. In other words, it’s the usual Bub’s Pub blend of sports, headlines, opinions, and friendly chaos—best enjoyed with a drink in hand and zero expectation of staying on one topic for too long. * Brennen vs. Smokey The Bear * NASCAR champ Kyle Busch passes away at 41 * Bears stadium drama at a tipping point * Cubs 10 game losing streak * College baseball world series starts up * Andre Stojakovic is back...for sure this time! * Illini football: Kaden Feagin switches positions * The Enhanced Games break a record * Auto racer Katherine Legge attempts "The Double" * DRAFT: Best Firefighting movies or TV shows * Elon prepares SpaceX for a record breaking IPO * California has two interesting elections this week * Mamdani did not "balance" a budget * Big earners moving out of high tax areas * Funny stories of the week

Ep.59 - Rob Phillips living abroad in Colombia; White Sox up; Cubs down; Indiana Football predictions; Favorite Hoosier Draft

Rob Phillips is our guest this week! This episode of Bub’s Pub is a little bit sports bar, a little bit travel show, and a whole lot of good-natured chaos. Dan and Brennen bounce from the emotional roller coaster of Cubs and White Sox baseball to some bold crystal-ball predictions for Indiana football, with the usual mix of hometown optimism, mild disbelief, and friendly ribbing. The real world tour begins when Rob Phillips stops by to talk about his life in Colombia, sharing stories and observations that make the conversation feel like a front-row seat to life abroad—just with more laughs and fewer airport delays. Toss in a few oddball headlines and the crew does what they do best: make every topic sound like something worth discussing over a cold drink. * The Rob Phillips and Brennen origin story * Surprising NBA draft stats * Chicago White Sox...the most surprising team? * Chicago Cubs...the most frustrating team? * Indiana Football predictions * DRAFT: Favorite people from Indiana * Living abroad in Colombia * Funny story of the week = Typical Cardinals Fans

Ep.58 - Alderman Carl Franco interview; Bulls get luck in the lottery; Weird Bears stats; Best NFL road trip Draft; Fat Rosie's Burrito Challenge

We welcome Carl Franco, Aurora's 5th Ward Alderman to Bub's Pub this week!  This episode is a little bit of everything in the best possible way: Bulls lottery luck, Bears contract mysteries, draft dreams, road trip debates, local politics, cybercrime chaos, and even a free-pizza oddball story for dessert. Dan and Brennen bounce from sports takes to city issues to wonderfully weird headlines, with plenty of friendly banter mixed in. In short, it’s the kind of show that feels like hanging out at the neighborhood bar with two guys who came prepared with stats, opinions, and at least one tangent you never saw coming. * Fat Rosie’s Burrito Challenge * A toast to Ted Turner * The Chicago Bulls get the 4th pick! Now what? * Bears contract insights and favorite undrafted player * ”The Bears Tax” penalty discrepancies * DRAFT: Best NFL road trip cities * Carl Franco, Aurora’s 5th Ward Alderman interview * Mayor versus a City Manager system * What’s new with Aurora’s development * Some elected officials are knuckleheads * Crazy stories of the week

Ep.57 - Bears draft debate; Brendan Sorsby wrinkle; Baseball update; Route 66 birthday and classic car draft; Political craziness

Brennen Roberts pulls up a stool for another round at Bub’s Pub—starting with shout-outs (including a loving tribute to sticky-bar floors). The guys break down the Bears’ draft with equal parts optimism and exasperation, detour into the strange gray area of prediction markets (investing… or just gambling with a spreadsheet?), and then crank the dial up with some politics chatter designed to get the group chat humming. From there it’s a fast, fun zig-zag through baseball vibes—especially a Cubs run that feels borderline magical despite the injury list—plus a Route 66 centennial road-trip daydream, and a couple “you can’t make this up” headlines to close out the tab. * Bears Draft Therapy Session: who they picked, what they didn’t, and why “the board made me do it” is not a valid excuse. * Prediction markets, explained: when “I’m investing” starts sounding a lot like “I’m sweating.” * Sorsby saga update: the college-football story that keeps getting wilder. * Cubs corner: hot bats, elite defense, and the bullpen juggling act—plus a nod to the legendary Lee Elia rant. * Route 66 turns 100: Chicago-to–Santa Monica nostalgia with some fun trivia sprinkled in. * Draft segment: classic cars you’d actually bid on (and ones you’d only admire from a safe distance). * Crazy Politics Talk: Chicago mayoral race, bad policies in New York and Seattle, and California craziness * Odd news to-go: Delta drama and a “WKRP is real?” moment to send you out smiling.