The Chicago Smokehouse

John Howell and Rick Telander along with John Dempsey take a deep dive into Telander's iconic book Heaven Is a Playground—from its origins in a 1973 Sports Illustrated article to its 1991 film adaptation. They explore the lives of Brooklyn streetball legends, the challenges of writing with heart and honesty, and the poetic power of basketball. Plus, a few sharp jabs, a couple of cigars, and a cameo from President Obama’s bookshelf.

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John Howell and Rick Telander are joined by veteran broadcaster John Dempsey for a vermin-infested edition of The Chicago Smokehouse. What starts as a simple houseguest anecdote morphs into a whirlwind conversation about mice, rats, movies, plagues, breeding cycles, and the shocking realization that “Ben” was a love ballad... for a rodent. It's informative, hilarious, and slightly unsettling—like Willard. Except with cigars.

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John Howell and Rick Telander relive John’s glory days behind the plate—most notably, tagging out former Packers nose tackle John Jurkovic at a charity softball game. The conversation shifts from cigars and sports nostalgia to Bill Belichick’s eyebrow-raising relationship with a 24-year-old “muse” and the public spectacle it has become. Along the way, the duo riff on Yoko Ono, tortured genius, self-defense kicks, and why some basements just have better acoustics.

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John Howell and Rick Telander light up cigars and dive into a lively conversation about The Beatles, Buck Owens, and the musicians who shaped their lives. Along the way, John shares the story of the time he told a record label to pass on a young Taylor Swift—something he now calls “the dumbest thing ever.” From musical legends to yodeling news anchors, it’s a smoke-filled trip down memory lane with plenty of laughs along the way.

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John Howell and Rick Telander dive into the history of the Great Chicago Fire, using Scott Berg’s new book to explore how the disaster shaped the city’s power structure and modern identity. They compare 19th-century fires to today’s climate-driven infernos—including John’s personal account of losing his home in Pacific Palisades. With references to Peshtigo, Paradise, and pop culture classics like Backdraft, this episode explores the destructive power—and strange allure—of fire through history, memory, and lived experience.

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A Canada goose has taken up residence in the Wrigley Field bleachers, sparking debate between John Howell and Rick Telander over whether the bird should stay or go. The two light up cigars and swap stories about wildlife encounters—from backyard raccoons to six-foot iguanas—as they ponder the line between conservation and practicality. Along the way, they veer into gene-edited dire wolves, Civil War statues, and the proper use of the word "ask."

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There’s something comforting about lighting up a cigar and talking politics, sports, and the decline of the American empire from the cozy haze of The Chicago Smokehouse. This week, as we puffed on a (possibly illegal) Cuban Cohiba and discussed everything from press box etiquette to presidential posturing, one thing became abundantly clear: whether it’s taxes, tariffs, or the return of Erik the Red, the smoke is getting thicker.

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This week on The Chicago Smokehouse, John Howell and Rick Telander dive into the billion-dollar business of college athletics—and the increasingly blurry line between amateurism and professionalism.

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Big John Howell and Rick Telander light up cigars—and history—as they crack open one of the wildest sports stories of the 20th century: the short-lived, long-mythologized United States Football League (USFL). With the help of Jeff Pearlman’s book Football for a Buck: The Crazy Rise and Crazier Demise of the USFL, the conversation goes far beyond X’s and O’s, veering into locker rooms, courtrooms, and even the White House.

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After nearly three decades as one of Chicago’s most distinctive voices in sports journalism, Rick Telander is moving on from the Chicago Sun-Times. The longtime columnist and Sportswriters Hall of Fame member announced that he has accepted a buyout from the newspaper. The episode, co-hosted with self-described “almost broadcast legend” John Howell, was equal parts reflection, frustration, and humor—an impromptu farewell from one of the city’s most revered writers who insists he’s not fading away, just turning the page.

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