I announced my retirement after 332 episodes of this podcast. Toronto Mike was blindsided. I had to fire him. Listen here, if you dare. Thanks for all of your support. I'm going golfing now.
Agonizing over the Maple Leafs loss to Tampa and their inability to clinch on home ice. Time to put Michael Bunting back into the lineup. Stanley Cup playoffs have been pretty good. Same with the NBA. The BlueJays host the Mariners this weekend. Yes, the same team they blew an 8-1 lead against in the playoffs last year. Why does the "Quality Start" stat even exist in baseball? Kikuchi threw 5 and two thirds scoreless and doesn't get credit for a QS? Dumb stat. An ESPN reporter is fired for calli...
The Leafs have Tampa Bay right where they want them. Toronto Mike and I discuss the highs and lows of playoff hockey, and whether there is a conflict of interest surrounding referee Wes McCauley. Also, the rest of the Stanley Cup playoffs, the NBA post season, The Bluejays and the dumb tweet by pitcher Anthony Bass, who might be one of the least-liked players in Bluejays history. And why do people from BC hate me just for complimenting Canucks broadcasters Shorty and Cheech? Hope you enjoy the s...
A 9 year old caused the Raptors to miss 18 free throws. Why was this allowed to happen? Me and Toronto Mike discuss this story, plus the latest on the Maple Leafs and their upcoming playoff series with Tampa. I'm picking the Leafs in 7 games. Are the BlueJays going to end up like that talented 1984 team that couldn't catch the Detroit Tigers? It's way too early, but Toronto needs to bring the 13-0 Tampa Bay Rays down a notch, starting tonight at the newly partially-renovated Rogers Centre. And s...
Are today's Boston Bruins better than the Habs of the 70s? Toronto Mike and I get into the "loser point", and how it's changed the way we calculate wins and points. Also, the Leafs are preparing for a tough series with Tampa, the Raptors will likely host a play-in game vs. Chicago and it could be the end for Nick Nurse. The Bluejays are winning on the road, but their president, Mark Shapiro, seems more excited about the brisket sandwiches they're going to serve in the new beer garden at Rogers C...
The Bluejays will win 94 more games this year, but I doubt any will be more thrilling than yesterday's Opener in St. Loo. We'll go over the first of 162 and talk about other baseball stuff along with the end of Tim and Friends, other sports media talk, the Maple Leafs could be in trouble against Tampa, the Raptors quest for the 7 or 8 seed, Is Bianca Andreescu a drama queen or just unlucky? Join me and Toronto Mike for lively sports commentary with no bullsh*t.
Today, I go after the NHL for not punishing players and teams who do NOT support LGBTQ+ initiatives. Start suspending these players NOW. Also, me and Toronto Mike get into the World Baseball Classic and how it can be even better. The Leafs, Raptors and BlueJays, of course, and there are 7 Jays on ESPN's Top 100 list. And, the death of the local sportscast. How many TV sports anchors that you grew up with are long gone from your TV screens? Hope you enjoy the show.
Was there one trade that actually made you cry? For me it was Frank Mahovlich traded from the Leafs to Detroit. I was 11 years old. I still haven't gotten over it. Join me and Toronto Mike as we get into tons of sports talk, featuring the Raptors, Jays, Leafs, World Baseball Classic, NHL on TNT and why they're so good, tennis, golf and what's happening to all those sports-betting sites out there. Also, my trip to Elliot Lake, Ontario, and calling 2 home victories for the Red Wings of the NOJHL. ...
Can we get a collection together for Fred Van Vleet? He was fined 30K for calling out the refs the other night. @torontomike and I will get into the Raptors, Leafs, the Conor McDavid injury, the Bluejays, and the story of a female sports personality who had an affair with two different BlueJays simultaneously during the ill-fated 2017 season. Hope you'll join us.
The NHL's Blocked Shots stat is completely bogus and does a disservice to men like Borje Salming and Harry Howell. Too bad about Trade Deadline Day being a complete dud on TV. Toronto Mike and I get into the Leafs and their chances to beat Tampa now that they've made several trades. We also talk about the speed of baseball Spring Training games and the missed moments of drama. Also, the Raptors can't afford to lose to teams below them in the standings, golf, tennis and my story of Dave Stieb try...
Which team will win more playoff games in '23--Leafs, Raptors or Bluejays? Toronto Mike and I will talk about which team has the best shot at a title and when that might happen. O'Reilly's impact on the Leafs, the return of OG to the Raptors and perhaps a championship season in store for the BlueJays. Also, the story of the time we thought we had won a Gemini Award for Sportsline because somebody "in the know" told us we had won. We didn't. And who is your favourite coach of your favourite hocke...
Should our Women's soccer team have boycotted their game against the U.S.? Absolutely. Instead, they were distracted and lost 2-0 to the Americans. Join me and Toronto Mike for that discussion, plus all the new rules in baseball that are meant to speed the game up, but might ultimately slow it down even more. The owner of several regional TV sports networks in the U.S. is on the verge of bankruptcy. What will that do to the broadcasts of several MLB, NHL and NBA teams which have contracts with t...
Super Bowl weekend and I like the Eagles to win and cover. I'm convinced that the Raptors will make a playoff run after NOT trading any key players at the deadline. The Leafs have a bit of a goaltending issue, while the Jays have a problem with their broadcasters. One of them can't travel with the team. I'm thinking of hosting an alternate BlueJays broadcast with commentary on a pirate channel. We'll get into golf, tennis and my story of a Super Bowl assignment that nearly landed us in the hoose...
The Bobby Hull interview, Tom Brady, the Pascal Siakam snub, OG trade, Alek Manoah and more with me and @torontomike. Enjoy!
If you haven't seen the Harold Ballard documentary, don't bother. Absolutely terrible. Toronto Mike and I will discuss this, plus the NFL playoffs and how they change the way other sports set their schedules. The Boudreau-Tocchet story in Vancouver and how the fans loved one coach and may come to hate the other. The Raptors on the road, the NBA all-star starting lineups, the baseball Hall of Fame selections, a great golf movie on Netflix, the Australian Open, Rory versus Reed and plenty more. Ho...
Should the NHL suspend Ivan Provorov? Heck no. Toronto Mike and I will discuss this story, plus the latest on the Maple Leafs and their inevitable meeting in the spring with the Tampa Bay Lightning. Lots of talk about the Bluejays, Raptors , Buffalo Bills and, of course, the Australian Open tennis tourney, where Felix Auger Aliassime is the only Canadian left standing. We'll also get into golf and a reference to the famous Schmenge brothers from SCTV fame. Hope you enjoy the show....
This episode feature tremendous airy badinage between me and Toronto Mike. We get into the Leafs, and what to do about Auston Matthews injury. The Raptors are kind of stuck in no-mans land. Should they tank or go for a playoff spot? Do the BlueJays need to make more changes ahead of the 2023 season? It's Wild Card weekend in the NFL. The Bills are 13.5 point favourites over Miami. Will they cover? Tennis, golf and the best new sports docs on Netflix. Hope you enjoy the show.
Where do we start? Damar Hamlin, Canada wins gold, Bedard is NOT a generational player, Leafs look lethargic, NFL-ESPN problems, Jays must sign Vladdy, Hall of Fame candidates, tennis, golf and more. No bullsh*t on this show.
Big rants today. What a stupid way to decide the World Cup. Why not just play Rock, Paper, Scissors? The Penalty shot rule in hockey is dumb, the dark cloud hanging over Hockey Canada won't go away anytime soon, and Alex Ovechkin should break an ankle and get sent back to Russia for not speaking out against the horrors in Ukraine. Plus, the usual chatter with Toronto Mike as we discuss the Leafs, Raptors, BlueJays, the passing of a soccer legend and why so many on-air people in mainstream media ...
The NBA now has the Michael Jordan trophy, so why doesn't the NHL have a Wayne Gretzky trophy, or a Bobby Orr trophy for best defenseman? Toronto Mike and I discuss this issue at length. Also, was Ryan Reaves hit on Hronek a head-shot, and should all headshots be penalized? Are the BlueJays really going to have KK as their everyday CF? I hope not. The Leafs and Mitch Marner had their streaks ended by the Rangers, the Raptors are in tough against Brooklyn and Sunday's World Cup Final will go to.....
Why would the BlueJays trade away Teoscar Hernandez unless they KNEW they were going to get a top-notch outfielder? Me and Toronto Mike get into that discussion as the Jays came home empty-handed from the Winter Meetings and then discovered that much-coveted OF Brandon Nimmo had re-signed with the Mets for 8 years and 162 million. If the Jays don't make a big trade, or free agent signing, there's going to be hell to pay. We also get into the Leafs and their incredible record in the past month or...
Today we talked about the passing of Borje Salming, the excitement of the World Cup and John Herdman's "Eff Croatia" quote. Also, the Maple Leafs, the Raptors, the BlueJays, the impending war between Alek Manoah and Gerrit Cole, and Canada's upset win over Germany in the Davis Cup, sending them into the semifinals. Join me and Toronto Mike for a lively, unfiltered podcast.
Trading Teoscar Hernandez was a mistake that the BlueJays need to rectify, and fast. Me and Toronto Mike discuss the implications, and also talk World Cup soccer, a blizzard in Buffalo, the Leafs find another way to lose, the "new" award for Canada's top athlete, the Raptors doing it with defense and I'll introduce you to the sport of Power Slap. Hope you enjoy the show.
This episode (with enhanced audio) features the greatest hockey fight ever, and discussions about Borje Salming, Felix Potvin, Ron Hextall, Bo Bichette, Scottie Barnes, Kyrie Irving, Lebron James and the classic Hall of Fame arguments that so many of us get caught up in. Join me and Toronto Mike for a lively show.
If you could spend 5 minutes with Kyrie Irving, what would you do? Toronto Mike and I discuss the issue at length, after Irving made a forced apology following the announcement that he had been suspended by the Brookly Nets. As Masai Ujiri once said "F_ck Brooklyn". We'll also talk about the no hitter that wasn't a no-no, but rather a "faux-no". We'll get into the World Series, the Raptors are off to a good start, and the Maple Leafs will try to ride the momentum of their "must-win" game against...
Is it time for Tom Brady to retire already? Toronto Mike and I discuss the aging of athletes, and when it's time to say goodbye. LeBron James and Christiano Ronaldo are getting close, too. BTW, I hate it when an athlete says "I'm retiring", and everybody cries at their tribute, and then the person decides to un-retire. It lacks sincerity. We also get into the Maple Leafs and their loss to San Jose, the Raptors and another chance to crush the Sixers at home, and Canada Soccer's relationship with ...
Conflict of interest or the "new" sports media? The morning show host on The Fan590, Ailish Forfar, is also the in-game host at Toronto Maple Leafs games, which, she says is "A dream come true," Sounds kind of strange to me. Toronto Mike and I discuss this story at length, along with other sports media issues such as intermissions during hockey games and how tough it is to program them. We get into playoff baseball and how meaningless the regular season really is in all sports. The Raptors are o...
It took me nearly a week to process the BlueJays incredible meltdown and subsequent elimination from playoff contention against Seattle. Here, I do a deep dive into the game, and point out the obvious and terrible mistakes that were made by key personnel. I also have suggestions as to what this team needs for 2023. Also, the start of hockey season brings odd groups of TV panelists together. TSN and Sportsnet comparisons are inevitable. Toronto Mike and I get into all kinds of good stuff, includi...
There's no way the BlueJays can lose this series, is there? Toronto Mike and I go over the pluses and minuses on this year's squad, and how they'll fare in the best of 3 Wild Card series against Seattle. I doubt the Mariners will score more than 2 runs against Alek Manoah, who is the best pitcher in baseball right now. Also, Sportsnet gets their own feed, which means we don't have to watch the U.S. announcers babble on about poutine and ice fishing. Unfortunately, Dan Shulman won' be doing the S...
The BlueJays backed into the playoffs yesterday, but now they MUST secure home-field advantage, which takes on a whole new meaning this year. Do they have what it takes to fend off Seattle and Tampa? Miami QB Tua Tagovailoa suffered what appears to be ANOTHER concussion, just 4 days after he had to be taken off the field after getting hit in the head. The NFL and the Dolphins MUST do something about this. The award for Canada's Athlete of the Year should be renamed the Jean Beliveau Award. Anybo...
