FOJ 80 - Bears, Baseball & Bots

Jeff and Jason kick off episode 80 by debuting FOJ's brand-new AI co-host — built on ElevenLabs, Claude, Groq, and Maneku — and immediately put it to work fact-checking their Chicago Bears trivia. From there it's a loaded show: Coby Bryant's training camp knee injury, Caleb Williams' Madden NFL 27 rating and NFL Top 100 ranking, Patrick Kane's emotional return to the Blackhawks alongside the Bowen Byram trade, and LeBron James' rumored move to Philadelphia. The guys dig deep into the MLB trade deadline (Cubs land Kevin Gausman and Clay Holmes, Dodgers grab Tarik Skubal) and spend a big chunk of the show debating whether baseball needs a salary cap and floor before the CBA expires this year. Jeff recaps a minor league night with the Asheville Tourists, Jason relives the original 1996 Lollapalooza in Pecatonica, Illinois (and nearly beaning a cop with garbage), and both compare notes on this year's Lollapalooza in Grant Park. Plus: Jeff's new Rivian R2, the end of the road for his Polestar 3, and upcoming travel plans.

0:00 - Intro: Jason's AC is broken, Chicago heat wave

1:36 - Debuting FOJ's new AI co-host

4:01 - Bears jersey #80 trivia (Curtis Conway, Earl Bennett, Qadir Ismail)

5:56 - Bears training camp: Coby Bryant's knee injury

10:04 - Caleb Williams' offseason look & Ben Johnson's praise

11:22 - Bears preseason opener vs. Cleveland & ticket prices

13:58 - Bears camp buzz: offense vs. defense

15:41 - Caleb Williams' Madden NFL 27 ratings breakdown

17:09 - NFL Top 100: Caleb Williams & Montez Sweat

20:41 - Aaron Donald, Deebo Samuel's 49ers return, Ricky Pearsall injury

22:29 - Blackhawks: Patrick Kane's return & the Bowen Byram trade

26:46 - LeBron James to Philadelphia rumors

29:53 - NBA championship odds

31:06 - FOJ AI's gambling-advice disclaimer bit

31:34 - Behind the scenes of the AI co-host setup

35:41 - MLB trade deadline: Cubs and Dodgers make moves

40:34 - Should baseball have a salary cap?

50:10 - White Sox's surprise season & MLB payroll gaps

59:12 - Salary floor debate, minor league pay, relegation idea

1:09:12 - Chicago soccer note & Derrick Rose/Bulls talk

1:12:05 - Jeff's trip to see the Asheville Tourists

1:20:07 - Flashback: 1996 Lollapalooza in Pecatonica

1:25:10 - Jason & Michelle at Lollapalooza 2026

1:44:29 - Jason's son's travel ball update

1:44:59 - Jeff's new Rivian R2

1:51:10 - Saying goodbye to the Polestar 3

1:55:19 - Jeff's conference recap & upcoming travel plans

2:00:33 - FOJ AI wraps up the episode

2:11:01 - Sign-off

Chicago Bears, Coby Bryant injury, Caleb Williams, Ben Johnson Bears, Chicago Blackhawks, Patrick Kane, Bowen Byram, Connor Bedard, Chicago Cubs, MLB trade deadline 2026, Kevin Gausman, Clay Holmes, Tarik Skubal, Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago White Sox, MLB salary cap, LeBron James 76ers, Chicago Bulls, Derrick Rose, Lollapalooza 2026, Lollapalooza 1996, Rivian R2, Polestar 3, Asheville Tourists, minor league baseball, AI co-host podcast, Chicago sports podcast, Friends of Jeff podcast, FOJ AI