The Bob McCown Podcast

EP 163 - 9x Stanley Cup Champion & Member of the Hockey Hall of Fame, SCOTTY BOWMAN.

50 years and a day since being hired by the Montreal Canadiens, SCOTTY BOWMAN joins the show to talk some hockey and to look back on his legendary career. 

Bob and John let Scotty do most of the talking as we take a look back at where the most winningest coach in NHL history started his coaching career. 

From St.Louis to Montreal to Buffalo the gentlemen get Scotty's opinion on what role he prefers to play with his teams - Coaching or Managing as he has done them both and more often than not at the same time. 

We also talk about some of the great Canadiens as Bob couldn't resist asking Bowman to rank his top 5 players and goalies to ever wear the red white and blue.

As the show ends, we discuss who the favourite in this years playoffs is and what a championship calibre team needs to have when you make a deep playoff run.

EP 162 - JOHN DAVIDSON, President of Hockey Operations for the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Now in his second stint as President of Hockey Operations for the Columbus Blue Jackets, JOHN DAVIDSON, joins the podcast to talk to Bob and John about his recent departure from the Rangers, the coach hiring process and the future of the Columbus Blue Jackets. 

Davidson shares his opinion on John Tortorella, and what not only he looks for in a coach in todays NHL but what the players want out of their bench boss as well.

We learn about the many offers the executive had, just days after leaving the Rangers and why he decided to go back to the Blue Jackets - further more, Bob and John pry into the Seth Jones contract negotiations and if we'll see him back in Columbus next year.

And finally, to end the show the three discuss a little bit of the Stanley Cup Playoffs as they are right now and who has the best shot to win it all.

EP 161 - BOB RYAN on the Boston Celtics front office changes, the NBA and Major League Baseball.

BOB RYAN, columnist for the Boston Globe, makes his return to the podcast to discuss Boston sports, the  Celtics recent front office decisions, and the rest of the NBA.

With Brad Stevens replacing Danny Ainge as President of Basketball Operations in Boston, the three take a look back at Ainge's tenure with the Celtics.

Is 1 title considered a success over the 18 years Ainge ran the team, and what was the reasoning to have Stevens as a replacement?  Now, with no one behind the bench, who would be best suited to coach a team like the Boston Celtics?

The gentlemen also talk about the NBA playoffs and speculate whether the Kawhi Leonard experience in LA is coming to an end... is there a chance that fans can see Leonard back in a Raptors uniform?

And to end the show, we discuss Major League Baseball, the Red Sox and when will we get a second team in Canada?!

EP 160 - The Stanley Cup Playoff Playoffs, Kyle Dubas & the Maple Leafs and the Toronto Blue Jays

Just Bob and John today - much to Bob's dismay -as scheduling conflicts left the two to talk about a variety of topics amongst themselves.

The gentlemen discuss the Canadian governments decision to allow NHL teams to cross the boarder once the 3rd round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs begin.

Conversation moves to the Montreal Canadians and how their injury riddled season may have benefitted them in the long run as it is becoming clear that everyone has underestimated this team. 

From the underrated to the overrated - Bob and John also talk about Kyle Dubas and the Toronto Maple Leafs, who deserves the most blame for this season and what changes should be made next year.

To wrap up, we talk about the Golden Knights and their likelihood of pulling off an upset against the Avs and fit in some Blue Jays talk before we go.

EP 159 -FRIDAY ROUNDTABLE W/ MIKE ZEISBERGER & KEVIN PAUL DUPONT on the Stanley Cup Playoffs

Bob and John bring the Hockey experts, MIKE ZEISBERGER & KEVIN PAUL DUPONT back to the show to go over the second round matchups of the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs, like they did with the first. 

However - before they break down the second round the four address the Mark Scheifele hit and subsequent 4 game suspension - was the punishment fair? and how many games would he have got if this were the regular season? The gentlemen discuss, noting the inconsistencies still prevalent in how hockey is officiated on all levels of the game. 

One that is out of the way we get into the games as all four series and matchups are looked at - Is the Bruins defensive core good enough, do the Hurricanes and Golden Knights have a chance against the two league favourites and... Have we underestimated the Montreal Canadiens?

All those questions and more are answered on todays roundtable talk.

 

EP 158 - MATT DEVLIN on the Toronto Raptors and the NBA Playoffs.

After a lengthy argument regarding the Mark Scheifele hit, Bob and John bring in the voice of the Toronto Raptors, MATT DEVLIN, as the three get into some hoops talk.

Starting with the Raptors, the three discuss the next moves for the team. Is Masai coming back, draft plans and overall what should we expect for next year? Matt Devlin keeps us informed.

Then we move on to the rest of the league - Did we overestimate the talent of both LA teams or have the Suns and Mavericks simply been over-achieving? With more smaller market teams like Utah, Memphis and Phoenix finding success in the post-season, the three wonder if this could be the end of the "Super-Team" era.

We address the front office changes in Boston, question the validity of the play-in tournament and we even get a taste of "Matty-D, resident Junior Hockey Analyst" to finish up the program.

 

EP 157 - JON MOROSI on the Toronto Blue Jays Young Stars And Bright Future.

Podcast regular and baseball expert, JON MOROSI, from the MLB Network comes on to the show to talk some Blue Jays with Bob and John.

But first, to start the show, Bob and John spend some time addressing Naomi Osaka and her decision to pull out of the French Open - As the awareness of mental health grows, should professional sports and their media make a bigger effort to protect it's players?

Then it's baseball talk with Jon Morosi as the three take note of how good Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has been as of late and wonder if this is the type of player Jays fans were promised before he came to the league. 

Jon, Bob and our John then move on to the rest of the team - Who has the better team? The 2015 Blue Jays or the roster we are seeing today? The three discuss. 

We also talk about George Springer, Marcus Semien and what holes the team still needs to fill to become a contender. What position should be made a priority come the trade deadline - Pitching or 3rd Base?

And finally, Bob and John give their guest a chance to flex his hockey chops, as Morosi compares todays Maple Leafs with the 90's Red Wings before he leaves, prompting the two to finish the show with a hearty discussion over what on earth the Buds are going to do to get back on track this summer.

EP 156 - MARK KIRTON on the Toronto Maple Leafs and his fight against ALS.

Former Maple Leaf, MARK KIRTON, joins the podcast to talk about his former teams not so shocking game seven collapse, and what on earth went wrong for them this time.

The three discuss what is next for the team after another first round exit - Who do you trade, who do you keep and ultimately... who deserves most of the blame for their lack-lustre playoff performance. 

We also get to learn about his battle with ALS, after being diagnosed in 2018. Also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease, ALS is a neurological disorder with no cure that causes gradual weakening of muscles and eventual death. 

Mark has been incredibly active in his pursuit to spread awareness for the disease - He has raised $30,000 in the first 60 hours after launching a fundraising page last week.

You can check out his twitter campaign @KirtsSpeaksALS where he’s posting daily video messages from some of the biggest names in the sport.

EP 155 - NICK KYPREOS on The Toronto Maple Leafs vs. The Montreal Canadiens: Game 7.

Former NHL'er, and now Hockey Analyst, NICK KYPREOS, makes his very first appearance on the podcast with Bob and John as the three discuss tonights (May 31st) game 7 between the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Montreal Canadiens.

The first question that everyone is asking - What is wrong with the Leafs? The gentlemen discuss the lack of production from Auston Matthews, Is Mitch Marner playing hurt? and throw the idea around that maybe we all underestimated just how much the team misses John Tavares. 

The boys explore the idea if the Canadiens were to win, what would the Leafs do in the offseason? Is the teams performance more on the players or those behind the scenes?

If there is one thing the three agree upon, is that seemingly everyone in the hockey world underestimated the Montreal Canadiens, especially the Leafs.

EP 154 - HOCKEY ROUNDTABLE W/ P.J. STOCK & BRIAN LAWTON

A couple former "Hockey Pucks" P.J. STOCK and BRIAN LAWTON join the show today for this weeks Stanley Cup Playoffs Roundtable.

From the series' that have just wrapped up to those that are still in full tilt, the gentleman break down everything that has happened so far in the first round of the playoffs and what to expect as more teams punch their ticket to round two

We also look at the current & potential second round matchups - who the favourites are, do the Carolina Hurricanes have a chance against the Tampa Bay Lightning and what do the Pittsburgh Penguins do now after their 1st round exit.

EP 153 - FRED GAUDELLI, Executive Producer of Sunday Night Football on NBC.

Today, Bob and John get to pick the brain of one of the most decorated sports producers in the game - FRED GAUDELLI.

After carving out a significant career behind the camera, we learn about Fred's dreams of becoming an announcer, growing up idolizing guys like Marv Albert.

The three get into a discussion about what makes a good announcer, and whether or not a "Unique" voice is necessary to succeed in the field.

Then we get learn some tricks of Fred's trade - from how he deals with football players and the various personalities in the NFL to how he's managed to keep Sunday Night Football on NBC the top performing program for 10 years straight. 

 

EP 152 - GLENN HEALY, Hockey broadcaster & former NHL Goaltender

Former target, and friend of the podcast, GLENN HEALY joins Bob and John to talk some hockey in a show that was intended to be about the Stanley Cup Playoffs, but turned more into "Glenn talks & the boys listen"

We get Healy's perspective on goaltending in the playoffs, as the gentlemen note that it's the postseason where a net-minder can separate himself from the "good", and become great. 

As the show progresses, the trio talk about Glenn's playing days, some of the greatest rivalries in hockey, his time playing with "The Great One" and what words of wisdom our very own John Shannon gave to Mr.Healy on his first day on the job as a broadcaster.

EP 151 - BRUCE BOUDREAU on the Stanley Cup Playoffs & Coaching in the NHL.

Most recently, the former head coach of the Minnesota Wild, BRUCE BOUDREAU joins the show to talk about the playoffs so far, and Bob & John find out if "Gabby" has any plans to coach in the near future.

Firstly, the boys find out what it's like for a coach to simply... watch hockey as a fan, if that's easy possible. We learn who Bruce is cheering for this summer, how he watches games and whether he has an affinity for the teams that he has worked for. 

Bruce gives us an idea as to who he thinks has the best chance to win it all.

We also spend some time learning about the bench boss' coaching style, how he uses his timeouts and if he is ready to get back behind the bench after taking a year off.

EP 150 - IAN LEGGATT & RICHARD ZOKOL on Phil Mickelson's Historic Win & The Ocean Course.

Former tour members IAN LEGGATT & RICHARD ZOKOL join Bob and John to dissect Phil Mickelson's record breaking tour win, becoming the oldest golfer to win a Major at 50 years old.

The foursome note the noticeable changes Phil has made to his physical and mental golf game believing that this is not the "Phony Phil" fans and players have known in the past. 

To end the show, we take a look at where Phil won, The Ocean Course at Kiawah Island.

One of the more unfamiliar courses on tour, the four discuss the unique qualities the oddly placed Pete Dye design brings, and why it makes the game more fun to watch

 

EP 149 - NBA ROUNDTABLE w/ ERIC SMITH & SCOTT STINSON - the Toronto Raptors

Sports Columnist for The National Post, SCOTT STINSON, and Radio play-by-play announcer, ERIC SMITH, join the podcast to talk everything Toronto Raptors with Bob and John.

The four start the show debating whether or not the Raptors intentionally tanked to end the season, and if they did, should the NBA punish the Raptors? Or has the season in Tampa given them a free pass for the year.

We then get into the future of this team, seeing the core group of talent they already have - how will they look next year?

And finally, we look at Kyle Lowry and his contract. How much should Toronto be willing to spend to bring him back... if they intend to bring him back at all.