The Score named Leila Rahimi as Dan Bernstein’s permanent replacement on its midday show Monday alongside Marshall Harris. Rahimi and Harris have been co-hosting together since the station fired Bernstein on March 21 after an ugly social-media exchange.
Rahimi will lead the show, becoming the first full-time female lead sports-radio host during prime hours in Chicago. Bears reporter Mark Grote will join the show twice each week.
“Dan and I had a show for 15 months together where it was ‘Bernstein and Rahimi,’ then it was for a time ‘Bernstein and Holmes,’ [then] it was ‘Bernstein and Harris’ and now it’s ‘Rahimi and Harris,’ ” Rahimi said on the air. “But we’ve been here, that’s the point. We have changed, The Score listener has not, and that’s really who this is abou today. It’s about those who listen to The Score no matter what. We appreciate you, we thank you.”
In a memo obtained by the Sun-Times, The Score vice president Mitch Rosen told staff, “Leila Rahimi will join Marshall Harris for the ‘Rahimi and Harris’ show. Obviously, Leila isn’t new to The Score and is a long-time, valued teammate to many of us. We are so excited to start this new chapter in Score history with Leila and Marshall. Leila brings knowledge, passion and so much respect in the Chicago sports landscape and our hallways.
Rahimi begins her second tour as a full-timer at the Audacy-owned station. She co-hosted the midday show with Bernstein from January 2021 to March 2022 before becoming NBC 5’s lead sports anchor, a job no woman had held at the station. Rahimi continued appearing on The Score on Wednesdays, then added Tuesdays.
She left NBC 5 in October 2024, telling the Sun-Times, “At this time, NBC and I have parted ways. I value my experience, time and relationships there, and I’m looking forward to what the future holds!” NBC 5 never commented on her departure, which remains a mystery to many.
Rahimi arrived in Chicago in 2015, joining Comcast SportsNet as an anchor, host and reporter. In August 2020, the rebranded NBC Sports Chicago let her go as part of layoffs throughout NBCUniversal. NBC 5 put her back on TV in November 2021 after former lead anchor Siafa Lewis left the station.
A Dallas-area native, Rahimi began her career in radio at 19, giving updates on The Ticket in Dallas for four years. She then moved to TV at Fox Sports Southwest, where she worked her way from production assistant to associate producer to sideline reporter. Rahimi also has worked in Austin, San Diego, Houston and Philadelphia, where she worked with Harris at the Comcast SportsNet affiliate.
Bernstein had been at The Score for 30 years and was the last link to its original era. On March 14, he posted a picture of himself on X holding a northern pike he caught with the message, “This was a helluva fight.” A user accused him of killing the fish, and Bernstein replied that it was “released successfully.”
After the user called Bernstein a liar, Bernstein responded, “I never respond to trolls, but questioning my sportsmanship and conservation awareness sets me off. Wanna fight? I’m a bad enemy, [expletive].” The exchange continued, and Bernstein threatened to dox the user before posting, “Want your kids involved?”
Bernstein was off the air the following week, at the end of which The Score announced he would not return.