The Bob McCown Podcast

It’s Deitsch Monday as Richard joins Bob and John to react to a “weird” weekend of sports. With both the NBA Finals and the Stanley Cup Final taking a backseat to Pinehurst and the US Open, the three start their conversation with some golf talk. A self-proclaimed “casual” golf fan, Richard weighs in on Rory McIlroy’s collapse, leaving room for a Bryson DeChambeau win before they turn to baseball and the Toronto Blue Jays.

It’s not too often that Bob looks forward to having a “Hockey Puck” on the show… but it’s not too often that Bruce Boudreau shows up either. The former coach joins Bob and John to end the week of podcasting with some hockey talk. With Florida leading the Oilers 3-0 in the series, the three touch on the Stanley Cup Final before they get into the thick of things. From the teams he’s talked to regarding a potential coaching position to his thoughts on his former team, the Vancouver Canucks, playoff performance, Bruce gives us an update on where his head is at when it comes to making a return to the game of hockey.

Doug Smith joins Bob and John today as the three react to Game 3 of the NBA Finals between the Dallas Mavericks and the Boston Celtics. From the mouth of Mr. Smith himself, this series couldn’t be done fast enough. From the lack of depth on the Mavericks' roster to the detrimental behavior coming from the team's star, Luka Doncic, the argument has shifted from “Can the Dallas Mavericks manage to win this whole thing?” to “Can the Mavs win even one game?” Bob, John, and Doug share their thoughts on the series so far before shifting to the Raptors and what's new… if anything, in Toronto.

Sports Broadcaster & Announcer for PGA Tour Radio, Kevin Sylvester, joins Bob and John for some golf talk ahead of the US Open to preview the field and set expectations for the weekend. From how the course will impact the field to who is primed for a breakout tournament, Kevin breaks down what he thinks could and will happen this weekend as Bob, John, and Kevin spend most of their time focusing on Pinehurst and the tournament to come, with tee-off set for Thursday morning.

Despite the loss in game one, you could argue that the Edmonton Oilers looked like the better hockey team. But after two games? It’s a different story. Having been outshot, outmuscled, and outscored by the Florida Panthers last night, the Oilers are heading back to Edmonton down 2 games in the Stanley Cup Final. If you ask their head coach Kris Knoblauch, there is no reason to panic. But if you ask Bob McCown, the Oilers are done for. Sharing a similar sentiment, Darren Pang is, at the very least, not as fatalistic. From the team’s defensive schemes to their physical style of play, the Florida Panthers look primed to take home the Cup. Not much can be said about the Oilers as Bob, John, and Darren spend today’s episode sharing their thoughts on what they have seen from both teams after the first two games in Sunrise.

It’s Monday, meaning unless a bigger name says yes, Richard Deitsch joins Bob and John to recap a weekend of sports.   With both the NBA Finals and the Stanley Cup Final underway, the three don’t have to think too hard about what to talk about. Bob, John, and Richard start with the NBA Finals. The Mavericks aren't looking good when heading back to Dallas down 2 games to the Boston Celtics sparking the gentlemen to debate whether Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic have what it takes to make this a series, let alone win against a stacked Boston Celtics team.   After the break, it’s hockey talk as Bob, John, and Richard break down game one of the Stanley Cup Final between the Edmonton Oilers and the Florida Panthers, after what appeared to be a solid game from the Oilers everywhere but the scoresheet, the three wonder if Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky can maintain the same level of dominance that stopped all 33 Oiler shots on Saturday for the rest of the series.

What else needs to be said that isn’t in the title? Scott Burnside & Eric Duhatschek check into the podcast a day before the Edmonton Oilers play the Panthers in Florida for Game One of The Stanley Cup Final to break down all the things hockey fans have been overthinking after nearly a week of no hockey.

Brian Lawton returns to the show today for some hockey talk with Bob and John as we approach Game 1 of the Final between the Edmonton Oilers and the Florida Panthers. Being at the forefront of the NHL’s integration of analytics into everyday hockey operations, and having a Stanley Cup preview scheduled for the end of the week, the three take a different approach to the conversation by focusing on the use of analytics and why it shouldn’t be a surprise to see the Oilers and Panthers in the Final. Brian shares why he thinks there aren’t nearly enough teams taking advantage of the number crunching and gives Bob and John his opinion on how to use them, what to pay attention to, and when it gets to be too much. After the break, with Bob’s distaste towards the effect a head coach has on a professional sports team, the three get into the overall impact one has, with Brian expressing the importance and influence the man behind the bench has on the team, especially in the playoffs.

Finally! The NBA Finals tip off tomorrow with the Dallas Mavericks in Boston to play the Celtics. Bob Ryan joins us today for a Finals preview, focusing primarily on the Celtics and why it is their series to lose as they search for their first title since 2008, and their 18th in league history.

You can only “preview” a championship series for so long before you run out of things to actually preview… And that’s where Bob, John, and Richard find themselves today as Deitsch joins the show on a Tuesday. After briefly sharing their thoughts on the matchup between the Oilers & Panthers in this year’s Stanley Cup final, set to begin on Saturday, the three take advantage of the lack of action in the sports world by leading the discussion into the world of NHL Expansion. Noting the smaller number of U.S.-based teams compared to the other North American leagues, it is clear that the NHL has not yet tapped into some of the major southern sports markets. The possibility of a 36-team league is becoming more and more realistic, and the expansion into more “non-traditional” hockey cities is inevitable… but should it be? Bob, John, and Richard spend most of their time wondering why Canada seems to be stuck with 7 NHL teams, and if they were to get an 8th, where would it go?