Chicago Radio: Talker Dan Bernstein MIA From The Score

Dan Bernstein, a veteran midday host on Chicago’s WSCR 670 The Score, is off the air this week, following a heated social media exchange that escalated into controversy. 

Bernstein, who has been with the Audacy-owned sports talk station for nearly 30 years, typically co-hosts the Bernstein & Harris show from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. CT alongside Marshall Harris. However, this week, he has been replaced by fill-in host Leila Rahimi, with Harris announcing on-air that Bernstein is taking the week off.

The situation stems from an incident on X that began Thursday when Bernstein posted a photo of himself with a northern pike he had caught, captioned, “This was a helluva fight.” A follower responded, accusing Bernstein of killing a pregnant fish instead of releasing it, sparking a contentious back-and-forth. Bernstein initially defended himself, asserting the fish was “released successfully.” The exchange quickly turned hostile when the user called him a liar, prompting Bernstein to retort, “Wanna fight? I’m a bad enemy, f***er,” and later threaten to dox the individual by revealing their address and phone number. He escalated further, asking, “Want your kids involved?” and demanding an apology to halt his threats.

Although Bernstein deleted the initial photo and some posts, screenshots of the exchange circulated widely, drawing significant backlash. By Monday, the fallout intensified: Camp One Step, a Chicago-based charity for children with cancer, announced it had removed Bernstein from its board of directors, citing his social media behavior. The charity did not elaborate further, but the decision sparked debate. 

Former 670 The Score host Danny Parkins, now at FS1, defended Bernstein, arguing that his fundraising efforts for the charity—amounting to substantial support—should outweigh what he called an “awful decision” by Camp One Step, suggesting it hurt their mission more than it addressed the issue.

Neither 670 The Score nor its parent company, Audacy, has issued an official statement on Bernstein’s absence as of Monday afternoon, leaving it unclear whether this is a planned break, a suspension, or a voluntary step back. Posts on X and reports from media outlets  and the Chicago Sun-Times indicate it’s widely perceived as a response to the controversy, though the station has not confirmed this.