From Chicago, Arizona, Toronto, and around the world: The Sports Report
The program has been on the air since 1993 through various name changes and participants. Currently, SRN Broadcasting’s Steve Leventhal serves as co-host and producer. In addition, a variety of guests from throughout the sports world give us their take on the NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, college, golf, soccer and more. Dave’s other claim to fame is an uncanny resemblance to Charlie Sheen, which allowed him to be Charlie’s photo double on two very unmemorable films: No Code of Conduct (1998) and Five Aces (1999).
RSS feed for the show 
with Packer Dave and Steve Leventhal
Dave and Steve are joined by Jeff Rich to discuss the start of training camps for the 2019 season NFL. We talk Green Bay Packers, Chicago Bears, Cleveland Browns, and Arizona Cardinals, and more. Also covered are updates on the Chicago White Sox, Chicago Cubs, and Milwaukee Brewers.
Featuring audio from Packer GM Brian Gutekunst, coach Matt LaFleur, along with Chicago Bears players Khalil Mack, Tarik Cohen, and Mitch Trubisky. Don’t miss cameos from Chris Berman and Bob Uecker.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 38:37 — 35.4MB) | Embed
with Packer Dave, Steve Leventhal, and John Poulter
The guys are back to discuss the Toronto Raptors’ first ever NBA Championship, the St. Louis Blues and their seven-game Stanley Cup win over Boston, as well as talk of the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers offseason football. John also gives his thoughts on the Major League Baseball season. Lastly, Jeff Rich joins us to talk Cleveland Browns football and the upcoming NBA Draft. We also discuss the trade between the Lakers and Pelicans that sent Anthony Davis to Los Angeles for the fourth overall pick and three players.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 44:34 — 40.8MB) | Embed
with Packer Dave and Steve Leventhal
Joining us this month are Dionne Miller of ABC7 Chicago, just back from Arizona, to talk Spring Training and a some Bears football. Jeff Rich chimes in on NBA hoops, and Adam Lucas, UNC beat writer from GoHeels.com previews the Duke-Carolina game and the ACC Tournament for us.
Don’t miss cameos from Pat Hughes and Bill Raftery.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 49:37 — 45.4MB) | Embed
with Packer Dave, Steve Leventhal, and John Poulter
Join us for a Super Bowl LIII (aren’t these Roman numerals getting lame by now?) preview, plus final thoughts on the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers’ seasons. Steve highlights the top teams in college basketball to watch out for. Dave sings the praises of the Milwaukee Bucks. John gives us a mid-season update on the NHL, and we try to explain to Dave the unique nature of the FA Cup soccer tournament in England. Lastly, Steve talks with Dwight Payne, a cameraman from ABC-7 in Chicago, who’s been capturing great sports video for the past three decades.
Hear interviews from Tom Brady, Rob Gronkowski, Wade Phillips, and Jared Goff. Don’t miss a cameo from Bill Raftery of CBS Sports.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 39:32 — 36.2MB) | Embed
with Packer Dave, Steve Leventhal, and John Poulter
On the Sports Report this week, Dave and Steve discuss the hiring of a new Green Bay Packers coach, and the surprising end of the Chicago Bears season. Plus, we preview the NFC and AFC Divisional games this weekend. In the second segment, John joins us to talk NHL hockey and English Premier League soccer.
Hear interviews from Matt LaFleur, new coach of the Green Bay Packers, Kyle Long, Prince Amukamara, and Alan Robinson II of the Chicago Bears, plus Pat Mahomes, Drew Brees, Sean McVay, and Bill Belichick. Don’t miss a cameo from Wayne Larivee, Packers radio announcer.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 35:12 — 32.2MB) | Embed
Show Archives
But first, a little history lesson
The program began inauspiciously in the fall of 1993, when our own “Packer” Dave wanted to add a wide-open, no holds barred sports talk show. Due to his limited, feeble sports upbringing in Wisconsin, the best he could do was a Packer Football talk show. Given the alternative of Dave spewing about the Packers for a whole hour, a few Bear fans were rounded up to present the opposing view. After a few weeks of trying out various combinations, it became obvious that Len Ackerman and Steve Kohn were the best that the Windy City could offer. A former Bear wide receiver who shall remain nameless was also a regular during the first season. Lastly former SRN sport director Bob Greenberg was brought in to set he record straight on the arguments that took place on nearly every episode.
Those early days were affectionately known as the “Wonder Years” because when listening to tapes of those old programs, we wonder how we managed to stay on the air. Actually, we were kicked off of our affiliate in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, because a former Chicago Bears player accidentally dropped an “F-bomb” on live radio (with no delay.) Apparently, they weren’t quite ready for this kind of humor, even at 10:30 at night.
Undeterred by the critics, bad production values, and lame jokes, the show built a following. Stations in Illinois, Iowa, and Wisconsin continued to carry the program. Then an amazing thing happened – the Internet. Suddenly, crazed and depraved Bears and Packers fans across the globe could hear three knuckleheads droning on about the best rivalry in professional sports.
Ch-ch-ch-changes…
The show endured the departure of Kohn to pursue a real job, Bob Greenberg’s retirement, and the original producer fled the continental US before the federal marshals could serve him. In addition, a certain football team based in Lake Forest, Illinois objected to the program name, so it was re-christened as “The Pro Football Showdown.” Veteran Chicago sportscaster Les Grobstein stepped in as the new sports savant. Dave and Len remained from the original cast, and Steve Leventhal took over on sound effects, and as the studio engineer.
The “Bears-Packers Showdown” and “The Pro Football Showdown” were thrust upon unsuspecting ears off and on for sixteen years. In the last five years it was often in doubt that program would return for the following season. However, a small group of hard core fans kept lobbying the producers, and a few naive radio stations continued to carry the show. Finally, after years of bickering, backstabbing, and mocking, as well as lack of funding, the show died of unnatural causes in 2009.
Despite the stupidity, nonsense, crazy sound effects, and general unprofessionalism on display, people kept listening, turning it into a bit of a cult favorite. For reasons beyond our comprehension, you the fans have asked to replay some of the more memorable episodes.
Therefore, we present to you: The very worst of the Bears/Packers and Pro Football Showdown.
with Packer Dave and Steve Leventhal
Dave and Steve are joined by Jeff Rich to discuss the start of training camps for the 2019 season NFL. We talk Green Bay Packers, Chicago Bears, Cleveland Browns, and Arizona Cardinals, and more. Also covered are updates on the Chicago White Sox, Chicago Cubs, and Milwaukee Brewers.
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