The Shawn Mackey Show

The Shawn Mackey Show: Chicago Sports Breakdown Season two, episode six kicked off with a bit of chaos, but once the dust settled, I dove right into the Chicago Cubs and the Chicago Bears—two franchises that continue to test their fan base’s patience. Let’s start with the Cubs before jumping into what went wrong in the Bears’ Monday night meltdown. The Cubs have had an up-and-down year. People keep saying this team is “built for October,” but that phrase doesn’t mean much if you can’t make it through April to September first. Daniel Palencia blew another save, went to the 15-day injured list, and honestly doesn’t look like a true closer yet. Kyle Tucker still hasn’t returned since early September. His lingering hand injury and refusal to hit the injured list back in June probably hurt the team long-term. His value has dropped significantly—from a projected $600 million player to maybe $400 million now. Meanwhile, the Cubs dropped two out of three to the Nationals and lost the opener t...

🏈 Blog Post: College Football Chaos, Cubs Concerns, and Bears Beginnings The start of the NCAA football season brought pure chaos and plenty of surprises. Week one showed us exactly why preseason rankings can be so unreliable. Writers and analysts seemed to get it completely wrong as several top-ranked teams were upset, causing a massive shake-up across the board. Texas, ranked number one despite finishing last season behind Ohio State, struggled right out of the gate. Meanwhile, Ohio State, ranked third, came out strong—proving that preseason polls mean little once the games begin. From Iowa State’s victory over Kansas State to South Florida stunning Boise State, the upsets kept rolling. LSU toppled Clemson, and Florida State dominated Alabama, leaving fans and analysts alike scrambling to make sense of it all. The problem with the ranking system is nothing new. The NCAA still hasn’t figured out how to structure its playoff system fairly. Unlike the NFL or MLB, which have clear divis...

🏈 Bears Preseason Wrap-Up & the Tyson Bagent Conversation The Chicago Bears closed out their preseason with a 2-0-1 record, finishing strong after an exciting comeback against the Kansas City Chiefs. While the win was encouraging, the team’s starting offense struggled early, looking sloppy against the Chiefs’ second-team defense. Head coach Ben Johnson was vocal about the need for improvement, saying the offense must “get better, and get better fast.” Caleb Williams had a rough outing, marked by a botched snap and an early sack. In contrast, Tyson Bagent once again impressed fans and critics alike. The young quarterback led a stellar two-minute drill, capping it off with a pinpoint touchdown pass that secured the Bears’ win with just two seconds left on the clock. Despite skepticism from fans calling him a “noodle arm,” Bagent continues to prove his worth. His poise, leadership, and accuracy have created an interesting dilemma for the Bears: what happens if Williams continues to ...

Welcome to Season 2, Episode 2 of The Shawn Mackey Show ! This week’s episode dives into the chaos surrounding the Chicago Cubs’ collapse, the excitement building around the Chicago Bears’ preseason, and a fun deep dive into some of the greatest nicknames in NFL history. Cubs Meltdown: Wheels Off the Bus The Chicago Cubs are in complete meltdown mode. Once favored to win the National League Central with a 66% chance earlier in the season, the team has fallen apart — both literally and figuratively. The injuries are piling up, and the confidence is running thin. From Miguel Amaya’s return and immediate setback to the constant managerial mishaps, the Cubs can’t seem to catch a break. Management keeps reassuring fans that “help is on the way ,” but every time it arrives, it comes in the form of another setback. As it stands, the Cubs are eight games back in the NL Central and clinging to a narrow Wild Card lead. The way things are going, that won’t last long. The Bright Spot: Bears Presea...

🎙️ I’ve got to be honest—I’m one pissed-off happy camper. What does that even mean? Hell, I’m not sure myself. But that’s how I feel as we kick off season two of The Shawn Mackey Show . Behind the scenes, it’s been a grind. I recorded several episodes, added sound effects, created intros and outros, and even mixed in some fake commercials for laughs. I wanted to “spice up” the podcast this season. But every time I thought I was ready to hit publish, something went wrong—especially with copyright. I used free music and sound effects from Pixabay, read all the licensing terms, and thought I was good. Still, I woke up one morning to find a copyright tag on my YouTube upload. Total panic mode. I deleted everything, did hours of research, uploaded test clips—still no clear answer. Maybe it was the Chicago Bears fight song I sang. Maybe not. Who knows. All that to say, this episode is a clean slate. I’m mad about the mess, but happy to finally be rolling again. ⚰️ Saying Goodbye to the Cubs...