The Bob McCown Podcast

EP 209 - MLB's Field of Dreams Game, Canadian Tennis and the rise of Sports Betting in Canada.

No guest on today's show as Bob and John go over some of the recent headlines in the Sports World.

The two discuss MLB's "Field of Dreams Game" that took place last night and also had a conversation about the hopeful Toronto Blue Jays as they try their best to hunt down that final AL Wild Card spot. 

We aslo discuss the state of Tennis in Canada, Bianca Andreescu's loss in Montreal and how come Canada hasn't had a "legit" number one in the sport yet?

We end the show with the news of single game sports betting coming to Canada. What does it mean for sport and what should we expect in the future?

EP 208 - NELSON MILLMAN on how to be Bob McCown's boss & the future of sports talk radio.

NELSON MILLMAN, former Program Director at The Fan joins the podcast from the taxi squad to give us an inside look at what being a program director was like, and his thoughts on the future of sports talk radio.

The three reminisce about the times they had working together and we learn about what Nelson's approach to managing the Bobcat was.

We also discuss whether or not sports talk radio is on its way out. Do stations need play by play rights to stay afloat? Nelson gives us an inside look on the business of radio and his opinion on where it's going.

EP 207 - DAN SHULMAN on the Toronto Raptors Off-Season and the Toronto Blue Jays pitching rotation & playoff hopes.

DAN SHULMAN, the voice of the Blue Jays stops by to talk some Toronto hoops and baseball with Bob and John.

The three start the show discussing team USA's performance at the Tokyo Olympic games and how impressed Dan has been with Kevin Durant.

We move on to the Toronto Raptors as the three talk about Scottie Barnes' debut as a Raptor in the Vegas Summer League.

Bob John and Dan also talk about the Blue Jays and their pitching inconsistency. As the team makes a push for the playoffs, should we be worried about their lack of depth in the bullpen?

EP 206 - MARY ORMSBY on Canada's performance at the Olympic Games & the growing interest in our female athletes.

MARY ORMSBY from the Toronto Star makes her first appearance on the Podcast with Bob and John to wrap up the 2020* Olympic Games in Tokyo.

We learn why Mary thinks our female athletes have been so dominant for Canada at the amateur level and if we should expect a growing interest in women's sports in the years to come.

The three discuss the parallels between women's and men's professional sports as well as at the Olympic & Amateur level. We debate as to why women's pro sports leagues have trouble garnering interest from fans and what they should do - if anything - to fix that.  

EP 205 - MACKENZIE HUGHES on his experience golfing for Canada at the Tokyo Olympics.

One of Canada's top golfers on the PGA tour - MACKENZIE HUGHES - joins the podcast to talk about his time representing Canada at the Tokyo Olympic Games.

Hughes explains the selection process when it comes to making the National Golf team and goes over his performance at his first Olympic Games. 

We also discuss the time zone and some other mental aspects he had to overcome in Tokyo before talking a bit about The Tour and some of his upcoming tournaments. 

We get some insight on how he approaches each hole, what his training looks like and how much video he will watch to help improve his game.

EP 204 - NHL Roundtable Talk: Jack Eichel & the Buffalo Sabres with MIKE HARRINGTON & SCOTT BURNSIDE.

MIKE HARRINGTON & SCOTT BURNSIDE join us for our last hockey roundtable of the summer (probably) to discuss Jack Eichel's situation with the Buffalo Sabres. 

The conversation gets a little heated as the four debate whether the Sabres organization should allow their star forward to have a neck surgery no other NHL player has had before.

With conflicting opinions on what the Sabres front office should do the group discuss the idea of Eichel staying in Buffalo or if the bridges have already been burned.

We also talk about some of the worst franchises in sports, and wonder if the Sabres should be at the top of the list.

We end the discussion talking about the NHL's affinity towards high skilled players like Eichel, the over valuing of defensemen and the importance of NHL players playing in the Olympics.

EP 203 - RANDY AMBROSIE on the Return of the Canadian Football League.

The Commissioner of the Canadian Football League, RANDY AMBROSIE, joins Bob and John to discuss the return of professional football in Canada after a 2 year break.

Randy informs us on their plan to return to play, the details behind player vaccinations and what the long process to get to this point looked like.

We also learn about what's different this year around the league, and the details behind the CFL's relationship with the XFL and if we should expect a partnership any time soon.

EP 202 - DOUG SMITH on NBA Free Agency, Kyle Lowry & the Toronto Raptors.

Before we get DOUG SMITH's expert analysis on the Raptors off-season so far, we quickly discuss the Mens 200 Metre final and Andre De Grasse's performance in Tokyo.

We then discuss the recent deal made between the Miami Heat and Toronto Raptors that sent Kyle Lowry to the Heat on a sign & trade. Doug sheds some light on the details of the deal and how the Raptors look after losing the face of their franchise.

The gentlemen then get into the "Greatest Raptor of All Time" debate - Is Kyle Lowry good enough to hold that title, and if so - How do we honour him?

We also discuss the Raptors long term plans, Scottie Barnes and the value of Ben Simmons - with no deal in sight, are the 76ers asking for too much?

EP 201 - STEVE SIMMONS & ROB LONGLEY on Kyle Lowry's Departure & The Toronto Blue Jays Playoff Hopes.

ROB LONGLEY & STEVE SIMMONS join Bob and John to talk about Kyle Lowry's very recent departure from Toronto after 9 years as a Raptor. 

The four discuss the impact Lowry had on the Toronto fan base - but is he really the greatest Raptor of all time?

We also discuss the Blue Jays chances of making the playoffs this year.

Do they have what it takes to get to 90 wins? The gentlemen discuss the likelihood of seeing playoff baseball in Toronto this year.

 

EP 200 - ALLEN ABEL on the Olympic Games, The Cleveland Guardians and the history of team name changes.

ALLEN ABEL, esteemed sports and political writer, joins us from Washington, DC to chat with Bob and John.

The three begin the show talking about the Olympic Games. They share personal experiences of their time working at The Games, whether the "Allure" of the five rings is still the same as it once was and what the introduction of new events does for the popularity for the overall product.

We also discuss the Cleveland Guardians name change.

Allen, Bob and John have a conversation on some of the history of other teams who have since changed their name and discuss what other teams may be following suit in the near future.

EP 199 - The Commissioner of the National Hockey League, GARY BETTMAN

Who better to talk about the NHL with Bob and John than the Commissioner himself, GARY BETTMAN.

Bob and John spend time picking the brain of the man in charge of the National Hockey League as we get Gary's opinion on some of the issues surrounding the league.

We learn Gary's perspective on the officiating standards in the playoffs vs. regular season, the business behind adding expansion teams and his opinion on the salary cap - would he ever consider losing the hard cap in general?

Gary also speaks about his reaction when he learned about the Montreal Canadiens selecting Logan Mailloux in the first round of the NHL Entry Draft and sheds some light on the allegations and investigation involving the Chicago Blackhawks.

EP 198 - NHL Free Agency Roundtable w/ MIKE ZEISBERGER & KEVIN DUPONT.

NHL Free Agency is in full effect, so we brought two of our hockey experts in MIKE ZEISBERGER from NHL.com & KEVIN DUPONT from the Boston Globe to break down everything that has happened so far.

We look at some of the big signings around the league, wonder why New Jersey paid Dougie Hamilton so much money and figure out who has done the best job so far.

We also get into the Jack Eichel trade rumours and speculations. The four begin to wonder how good he actually is, and who will pay the Sabres asking price to get him.

To end the show, we address all of the problems surrounding the Toronto Maple Leafs. With four of the teams biggest contracts coming from forwards, is it time to trade at least one of them to even out their roster?

EP 197 - DAVE HODGE & DAVE PERKINS on the Blue Jays' young talent and their future in Toronto.

DAVE HODGE & DAVE PERKINS stop by the podcast today to talk about the Toronto Blue Jays, and their future with Bob and John.

We begin by addressing what the Blue Jays front office should do heading into the deadline as they try for the last Wild Card spot. Do they fill holes now or hope their roster is good enough as is?

The foursome also discuss the Blue Jays' young talent and whether it's possible to keep them all. With many guys ready for big contracts, Toronto may have to let go of some of their top players.

EP 196 - MATT DEVLIN & ERIC SMITH on Kyle Lowry's future in Toronto, the Raptors off-season plans & Ben Simmons

Reoccurring guests MATT DEVLIN and ERIC SMITH join the podcast to talk about the Toronto Raptors, their plans for the NBA Draft, Kyle Lowry's future in red, white & black and the allure of trading for Ben Simmons.

We begin by addressing the elephant in the room - what are the Toronto Raptors going to do with Kyle Lowry? 

The four discuss the point guards worth on the market and his value to a playoff contending team. With the UFA looking for ~30 million a year for 3 years, would it be worth it for the Toronto Raptors to keep him around?

With reports saying the Raptors have been active in trade talks as we approach Thursday's NBA Draft we also discuss the options Toronto has picking at #4. 

We end the show with a contentious discussion over Ben Simmons, who is seemingly available to any team for the right price. The four debate whether it would be even worth taking a gamble on a player with limited offensive capabilities - would you trade Pascal Siakam for Ben Simmons?

EP 195 - Bob & John on the Jack Eichel rumours, Montreal Canadiens Controversy & the Toronto Blue Jays.

Just Bob and John for todays episode as the two review everything that happened in the sports world over the weekend.

They quickly discuss how Canada has done in the Olympics so far before addressing the recent Jack Eichel trade rumours.

Are the Buffalo Sabres asking for too much? and who would you trade to get him?

Bob and John also address the controversy over the Montreal Canadiens and their 31st overall pick in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft, Logan Mailloux. 

To end the show, Bob and John question whether the Toronto Blue Jays are good enough to push for the last AL Wild Card spot, or if they should start planning for next year.