Cheeseheads in Chicagoland
By Mike Fleischman
Come for the sharp analysis and unabashed fandom, stay for the laughter!
Cheeseheads in ChicagolandSep 11, 2018
Episode 88 - Cowboys, Wild Card Weekend, Woohoo!
The Green Bay Packers beat the Mike McCarthy and Dak Prescott led Dallas Cowboys 48-32, but it wasn't actually that close. Kyle Shanahan said he started scouting the Packers midway through the second quarter, and we started entertaining the thought of playing the 49ers after the second drive.
Jordan Love was basically flawless. The defense was solid. Anders Carlson missed an extra point. Two of these things are regular occurrences, one is unusual. We hope the unusual one shows up again on Saturday night.
The Packers were projected to be rebuilding. They won a playoff game. We'd like it if they won a second playoff game because this team is fun to watch and we'd like to keep watching them.
Stay cheesy, drink beer, watch football. You don't have to be nervous about the game on Saturday. It's all found money at this point.
Episode 87 - Bears, Cowboys, and The Waste They Both Create
The Packers beat the Bears to squeak into the playoffs, where they'll face off against Mike McCarthy's Dallas Cowboys. Matt LaFluer has still not lost to the Chicago Bears yet. The ownership of the Bears has transferred to Jordan Love, we'll see if he inherited the ownership of Jerry World on Sunday.
Mike & Matt discuss their least favorite but most memorable experiences with the public at work and chat about how maybe it's time for Bill Belichick to hang up the sleeveless hoodie. Don't do TV Bill.
Matt went through some of the earlier episodes from this season and found some of the takes Mike was right about. Jayden Reed does have sauce, the Packers did finish with 7 to 9 wins, Jordan Love's accuracy issues were overblown, and Sean Payton is a bad coach. Batting 1.000 on things selectively chosen to make us feel good about our predictions.
Stay cheesy, drink beer, watch football. You don't have to do anything if you don't want to. You can just not do it.
Episode 86 - Panthers, Vikings, Playoffs?
The Packers won two games over the holidays! Mike and Matt watched from all over the United States as Joe Berry's defense did its best attempt at losing against the Panthers and the Vikings offense successfully beat themselves. Jordan Love looks like a superstar. Jayden Reed looks like a superstar. Matt LaFleur should win Coach of the Year for what has happened with this offense. But all of that hinges on the "Win and You're In" game against the Chicago Bears in Week 18, in a poetic Yin-Yang version of the 2022 season.
Is Kyle Shanahan in the Mike McCarthy "Pooping Their Pants in Big Games" tier yet? And at what excruciating point of this postseason will the 49ers take a big stinky poo poo dumpy in their diaper? Or will they finally cross the Rubicon and go potty in the big boy potty?
It's another highly educated and smart and genius and brilliant episode of Cheeseheads in Chicagoland. Did you know Rasul Douglas is tied for the most touchdown catches from Justin Fields at Lambeau Field?
Stay Cheesy, drink beer, watch football. You don't have to be a genius superwizard. Just do the things that have been effective for years, and it'll work out alright.
Episode 85 -Lions, Kansas City, Hoopla & Head Trauma
Matt got a concussion. Mike got a head cold. The Packers are getting ahead of the playoff race. A lot of head-based things have occurred over the last few weeks.
The Jets laid Tim Boyle to rest. We didn't talk about it much, but RIP Tim. We loved you. Have fun outside of the NFL buddy.
The Packers are good? Jordan Love is finally getting the respect he has deserved all season? Shohei Ohtani to Green Bay?
Stay cheesy, drink beer, watch football. You don't have to write new relatable things if you can just re-release the old relatable things you already made.
Episode 84 - Chargers, $3000 Whisky, The Return of Tim Boyle
The Green Bay Packers won the game vs the Los Angeles Chargers. The Chargers worked harder to lose it than the Packers did to win it, but the W still shows up in the column.
Jayden Reed is the best healthy running back on this roster (?). Jordan Love looked great. Valentine & Ballentine combo did something to make Keenan Allen drop two touchdowns. It was definitely their doing.
How young is too young to get into the Grateful Dead? Is it ok to pour your Pappy Van Winkle over diet cola? Can our tastebuds understand the luxury of $3000 whisky?
Stay cheesy, drink beer, watch football. It's ok to trade for a solid backup quarterback. You shouldn't have to start Tim Boyle.
Episode 83 - Steelers, Rocket Scientists, and Making a Whole Big Hullabaloo
Look, the Packers' defense just looked like it prepared for a different team on Sunday. I wish we could say we took their lead and talked about a different game, but we didn't.
Christian Watson has been ineffective at best and the defense was confoundingly bad but at least Jordan Love and Jayden Reed looked good.
Stay cheesy, drink beer, watch football. Get the cheap beer at the store by your house and drink one while considering what a down lineman is.
Episode 82 - Broncos, Pizza Hype, Pinball Relatives
The Green Bay Packers lost to the Las Vegas Raiders, took a week off, and then lost to the Denver Broncos. They don't look good, but thankfully we have other things to talk about.
When did slice shops get Instagram hype? Why is Mario so fun? Why does everyone have a pinball relative? Why can't the Packers score in the first half?
Jordan Love looks fine. The defense looks passable. The team is young, and young teams are usually bad.
Stay cheesy, drink beer, watch football. You don't have to wait in line for a pretty good slice of pizza just because you saw it on Instagram.
Episode 81 - Lions, Jeff Bezos' Money, Hydroponic Strawberries
The Green Bay Packers got walloped by the Detroit Lions on Jeff Bezos' Thursday Night Football. Thursday Night Football is a bad product and it makes football even more unsafe for the players. The Packers still played poorly on their own.
Mike and Matt are the sleepiest they have ever been in their entire lives. They discuss the Lions game, the Bears discovering new ways to lose in front of our eyes, and hydroponic strawberries (Cheeseheads in Chicagoland's legal representation has advised us to state the following: Mike and Matt did not know that hydroponics existed or would allow you to grow better and more special produce.)
Blake Martinez, we would like to extend the opportunity for you to come on the show and explain how you differ from the people showing Matt banned "adult" Yu-Gi-Oh cards at his old job.
Stay cheesy, drink beer, watch football. You don't have to be the meatball sub headed man from Fox Sports.
Episode 80 - Saints, Swift, Continued Growth
The Green Bay Packers beat the New Orleans Saints 18-17 in a frenzied 4th quarter comeback, starting the quarter down 17-0. Jordan Love looked like a leader, Matt LaFleur called a great game, and even the defense looked great in spurts.
Mike & Matt discuss the Packer's victory, learning to win, getting tricked into allowing yourself to be suplexed as a child, and the matchup of the century in Sean Payton's bad Broncos vs Matt Eburflus's flustered Bears.
The Packers take on the Detroit Lions in a Thursday Night primetime game, and the deciding factor may be the young Packers rubber bones. Who knows. Tune into Jeff Bezos's Amazon Prime Thursday Night Football Broadcast or stop by Jeff Bezos's Amazon Twitch Stream to watch the game. Jeff will be so happy you tuned in.
Stay cheesy, drink beer, watch football. You don't have to get hit with the Stone Cold Stunner to know that you're not supposed to get hit with the Stone Cold Stunner.
Episode 79 - Falcons, Growth, Losing
The Green Bay Packers lost to the Atlanta Falcons 24-25 in week 2 of the 2023-24 NFL season. Bijan Robinson did things he will do in this league for a very long time. The Packers offense looked young, and the defense looked discombobulated. Is it players or is it coaching?
Mike & Matt discuss the Packers' loss, learning to lose, growth in the offense, AJ Dillon looking like his feet are made of cement (but the line didn't give him much help), and the very bad week down in Chicago that somehow didn't culminate in the Bears loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (technically it did, but the rumors are funny.)
Stay cheesy, drink beer, watch football. It's okay to go to the bar that is too bright with a kitchen full of fried Sysco food. It's what life is all about.
Episode 78 - Bears, New Beginnings, Same Old Things
The 2023-24 NFL season is upon us as the Green Bay Packers beat the Bears 38-20 in a Week 1 game that somehow felt over when the score was 10-6.
Jordan Love makes his debut as the starting quarterback of the future for the Green Bay Packers and continues his predecessor's tradition of beating up on the Chicago Bears, and the Packers' defense puts existential dread into the Chicago locker room and front office. "Is Justin Fields the Guy?" "What does all this mean?" "Should we even be here?"
Mike and Matt ponder which Packers great will commit the next big crime. We hope it isn't Jordy Nelson or Makinton Dorleant, but if it's Dean Lowry no tears will be shed.
Stay cheesy, drink beer, watch football. You don't have to worry about if Jordan Love is the future right now, you can just have fun hoping.
Episode 77 - Bears, Bye Week, Big Things Ahead (?)
The Packers beat the Bears. Everyone went on vacation for a week, and now they're back. Everyone should get a winter vacation. Summer vacations are a little silly. It's nice out! Why are you going anywhere? Winter is like, it's cold. Go somewhere warm if you want/can. But if you go somewhere nice, you have to wear a coat to the airport and then you land somewhere nice and it's silly that you have this big warm coat. And do you wear it to the airport when you come back and it's like hot outside on the way there? So do you have this big parka in anticipation of the winter that lies ahead of you and everyone else is in shorts? Or do you pack it and have to dig it out at your destination?
Whatever. Lots of wardrobe questions for the Packers who got to take the week off after beating the Chicago Bears. This week, they play the Rams and newly signed Baker Mayfield on Monday Night Football.
Christian Watson is good.
The Bears are doing a bad job helping their highly drafted quarterback. What's new?
Stay cheesy, drink beer, watch football. You don't have to like the Bears.
Music: 53 by OverNightMike. Buy the album.
Episode 76 - A Short Holiday Break, Skydiving, and Horse Wranglers
The car is on fire, and there is no driver at the wheel.
The Packers beat the Cowboys because they're just not very good, then lose to the Titans because the Packers are just not very good, and then lose to the Eagles because the Eagles are pretty good and the Packers are pretty bad.
Skiing vs Skydiving, danger levels vs enjoyment levels vs injury risk
The Chicago Bears are up next in a rivalry battle between two bad teams!
Stay cheesy, drink beer, watch football. You don't have to be a good football team to have fun. Or maybe you do.
Episode 75 - Bills, Trade Deadline, Early Mornings
The Packers lost. What did you think was going to happen? The Bills are really good. Josh Allen is a super human, and the rest of the team is just as super-powered.
Matt & Mike run through this game, try and find some positives, and then take a lovely stroll through the rest of the NFL. The NFC North made some big trades at the deadline, but the Packers didn't. We think that was totally fine.
The Packers play the Lions next, and it's (hopefully) a get right game for the offense. We get to watch Jamaal Williams play against the Packers! It will be a sad day. He's the best.
Stay cheesy, drink beer, watch football. You don't have to cheer against Jamaal Williams.
Music: 53 by OverNightMike. Buy the album.
Episode 74 - Commanders, ShopKo, The Wild Hunt
Taylor Heinicke deserves a deal with Heineken. Remember when you could smoke inside? That was wild. This game felt like sitting in the non-smoking section.
The Green Bay Packers lose to the Washington Commanders in a very bad loss.
Matt & Mike are tired.
Does anyone have a beer they can share with us?
Stay cheesy, drink beer, watch football. You don't have to expect a Packers win.
Music: 53 by OverNightMike. Buy the album.
Episode 73 - Jets, Aliens, and The Climbable Mountain
Have you ever seen a small hill, maybe even just a mound, or a bump in the landscape, and said "I could climb that, but I don't want to. It isn't worth the effort"? That was this game.
The Packers struggle in every dimension and lose to the worst team not named the Bears they'll play this year.
Are the moon rocks and fossils in museums real? How much space do they have on spaceships? Will an Alien visit Wisconsin, and if they do, will they give the ball to Aaron Jones? Will they drink a New Glarus with us?
Taylor Heinicke should sign a sponsorship deal with Heineken.
Stay cheesy, drink beer, and watch football. You don't have to believe in ghosts.
Music: 53 by OverNightMike. Buy the album.
Episode 72 - Pats, Giants, London, Aflac
Better late than never.
Mike was very busy and Matt was on vacation so this episode comes a little late. Did you want to think about these games anyways?
The Aflac mascot is actually a duck, not a goose. Matt would like to formally apologize. As a podcast, we hope the duck lives a long and fruitful life.
He didn't take them to the playoffs, but Brian (Axel) Hoyer was 10-6 in his 2 year career as a starter for the Browns. That is basically a Super Bowl in Cleveland.
Stay cheesy, drink (Chicago) beer, and watch football. You don't have to make football happen in London.
Music: 53 by OverNightMike. Buy the album.
Episode 71 - Bucs, Getting Over It, and Axel Hoyer
Have you ever played the game Getting Over It With Bennett Foddy? You play as a muscular man in a cauldron with only a hammer at your disposal, and you must use that hammer to climb a mountain. The mountain doesn't make any sense. Swing by swing, you look around and think "This isn't what a mountain looks like. This isn't what climbing a mountain is like. There's not haphazard wires, and houses, and garbage cans strewn about. You don't climb a mountain with only a hammer."
The game is built on failure. Hard, unrelenting, absolute failure. You fall, and fall, and fall, and every trip back down the mountain feels like the last time you'll ever look at this big buff idiot in a cauldron wielding a hammer. But you keep going, because you're not going to be defeated by this stupid mountain made up of chunks of steel and rocks.
The Packers are the big dumb idiot with a hammer who finally climbed the fake trash mountain. They did so by failing consistently.
Anyways.
Stay cheesy, drink beer, and watch football. You don't have to play Getting Over It With Bennett Foddy.
Music: 53 by OverNightMike. Buy the album.
Episode 70 - Bears, Scams, and Playing Hooky
Week 2 of the Green Bay Packers season is a 27-10 win over the Chicago Bears.
Mike and Matt talk about that a whole lot. The Packers offense looked much smoother in this one, and we're excited that we knew the obvious answers why. More Aaron Jones is good!
We look ahead to next week vs the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, a team the Packers have had trouble with in the past, and take a look around Week 2 in the NFL.
We didn't mention the Geico Gecko, but I want to make our stance clear. He should be evaporated in The Large Hadron Collider at CERN.
Stay cheesy, drink beer, and watch football. You don't have to fight Marshon Lattimore.
Music: 53 by OverNightMike. Buy the album.
Episode 69 - Vikings, Feelings, and Geckos
Oh gosh oh golly.
Allstate, call us. We're hatching a plan to guillotine the Geico Gecko with State Farm. You're gonna wanna get in on this.
Mike and Matt talk Week 1 across the NFL and stumble unwittingly into a recap of the Packers Week 1 loss to the Minnesota Vikings. There were some positives there! We promise! Most of it was bad though.
We don't talk about Brett Favre's welfare fraud. Matt gives an ASMR play by play on a one year old can of New Glarus that has been in a box in his closet. This one is free, but next week you have to Venmo him $5.
Stay cheesy, drink beer, and watch football. You don't have to commit welfare fraud.
Music: 53 by OverNightMike. Buy the album.
Episode 68- Witch Doctors, Curses, and Special Teams
The Queen died. We didn't talk about it. This is a Green Bay Packers podcast. Maybe next week, bucko.
Last episode before the season starts. We'll be back after the season opener vs the Minnesota Vikings.
Mike & Matt discuss roster cut downs, the week 1 NFL schedule, and general tomfoolery. Mike got drunk in Vegas once and hopped on the mic to record. That's dedication. Matt did not divulge times he has been drunk on the podcast. That is between him and god.
Stay cheesy, drink beer, and watch football. You don't have to care about royalty.
Music: 53 by OverNightMike. Buy the album.
Episode 67: Ego Death, Pre-season, and the NFC North
We took a one week break and are here to talk about the 2022 Green Bay Packers, how the NFC North stacks up (we like Dan Campbell!), and dox ourselves.
Stay cheesy, drink beer, and watch football. You don't have to read Atlas Shrugged.
Song - 53 By OverNightMike. Buy the album.
Episode 66 2020 Draft Recap
Mike and Matt recap the draft and give you an update on how things are going! They're going ok but not great!
Episode 65 Free Agency Chat
So look, there's quite a bit happening in the world at large, but we here at Cheeseheads in Chicagoland think you should spend an hour with us catching up on the Packer's free agent signings and the other goings-on in the NFC North and beyond!
Episode 64- The offseason and the CBA
We're back and talking about the owners proposed CBA and why its bad. Also we chat a bit about the Packers free agency and draft prospects.
Episode 63 NFC Championship Game vs San Francisco
Mike and Matt drive their 1985 Nissan Sentra to the Neutral Milk Hotel and hang out with Doug Christie.
Episode 62 Divisional Round vs Seattle
Mike and Matt enjoy the Packers tough win over Seattle and unpack the weekend's games.
Episode 61 Weeks 16 and 17
Your 2 hosts Ham and Hamms return from holiday behavior to catch up on their podcast for which they will never apologize.
Episode 60 Regular Season Week 15 vs Chicago
Mike n' Matt discuss Dean Lowry, meeting Dennis Rodman, strawberry salad, the authoritarian nature of superhero cinema, and football, occasionally.
Episode 59 Regular Season Week 14 vs Washington
The most dangerous man on an unregistered yacht would like to sell you antivirus software. This is a podcast about the Green Bay Packers.
Episode 58 Regular Season week 13 vs Giants
We're back! and full of beef! Mike and Matt discuss the snowstorm game in New York, the blowout in the bay, and the current state of attending NFL games.
Episode 57
Packers, Bears, Garrett, Kaep. Matt and Mike have your bye week recap.
Episode 56 Regular Season Week 10 vs Carolina
Mike gets a name wrong. Matt hurt his hand. The name of the podcast is Cheeseheads in Chicagoland.
Episode 55 Regular Season Week 9 at Chargers
Mike and Matt avoid talking about the Packers loss in Los Angeles, and instead discuss vintage music gear, the Bears, and the new batch of quarterbacks.
Episode 54 Regular Season Week 8 at Kansas City
Matt wanted to slay dragons, Mike wanted to catch ghosts. The Packers went to Missouri and defeated their hosts.
Episode 53 Regular Season Week 7 vs Raiders
Mike tells a story about when he worked at the baked potato restaurant. Aaron Rodgers is perfect, which you can represent numerically as "153.8." Matt and Mike talk about the Raiders and the Bears, two of the leading comedy troupes currently on tour.
Episode 52- Regular Season Week 6 vs Detroit
Alan Lazard came to his own party and the Packers pick up an improbable win. Mike's computer is in the shop so this episode doesn't even have music stuck on it. Enjoy!
Episode 51 Regular Season Week 5 at Dallas
Is Paul dead? Is Avril Levigne dead? Is steak good? How do you like your gristle? Does the onion bloom? Are the Cowboys good? Do the cowboys bebop? Is this episode 51... or is it... area 51?
Episode 50 Regular Season Week 4 vs Eagles
Mike and Matt talk goal line playcalling, systemic reform, and Joe Buck on this 50th episode of their cool podcast!
Episode 49 Regular Season Week 3 vs Denver
Another day, another great defensive performance from the Pack. Enjoy this episode quick because there's another game tomorrow!
Episode 48 Regular Season Week 2 vs Vikings
Episode 48! Jaire Alexander = good. The Packers played 16 minutes of offense and 60 minutes of defense to get a week 2 win!
Episode 47 Regular Season Week 1 vs Bears
M & M talk Bears vs Packers, Large Richard, Large Robert, why you shouldn't put slogans on your play calling sheet, and get a bit into the AB story.
Episode 46- Preseason Week 4 vs KC Chiefs and Bears Preview
Mike and Matt give the Packers final roster the business in preparation for Thursday's game against the Bears. Notable things that have occured since the recording: Lazard has been called up to the 53 man in place of Sternberger, and Savage decided to stick with #26.
Episode 45 Pre-Season Week 3 at Raiders (Canada)
A few things happened this week besides Canada being good at having football fields. Mike (Bobson Dugnutt) and Matt (Rey McSriff) discuss the departure of Josh Jones, the departure of Andrew Luck, and entertain conspiracy theories!
Episode 44 Preseason Week 2 Packers at Ravens
Mike and Matt talk Packers, Ravens, college apartments, the significance of 0.2 seconds, Jay-Z, wide receiver skills, the Raiders, Canada, and chicken sandwiches.
Episode 43 Pre-season Week 1 vs Houston
Cheese is once again on heads, as Mike and Matt bring you their recap of the Packers 28-26 win over the Texans in the first preseason game of 2019. Who will step up? Who has late hands? Who has cute cats who get attention while we record?
Episode 42- The First Ethical Billion
Mike and Matt get together and chat about injury, public perception of the bodies of athletes, and then just ramble about movies and music for a while. It's a fun episode that isn't really about Packers football! Enjoy!
Episode 41
Hey, its time for OTA's, which stands for Off the Aardvark. Josh Jones is tired of being a Packer (apparently) and that's the only football news on this episode. Mike and Matt talk about Jay Cutler, Doug Flutie, rice cookers, Steamed Hams, and Coldplay.
Episode 40- 2019 Draft Recap
We've come so far together! Mike and Matt recap the Packers draft, and discuss the radically reshaped defense and radically un-reshaped offense. Mike breaks down the way that you can use the second note in a scale as a way to create tension in music. Matt loves Fall Out Boy. It's Cheeseheads in Chicagoland, a Very Relevant Podcast About American Football!
Episode 39
M & M are back with you to discuss the Adobe Suite, crazy people who create antivirus programs, people who are not good at boarding planes, and Mike McCarthy's lack of skill at being interviewed.