The Bob McCown Podcast

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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Our good friend, JON MOROSI, comes back to the podcast today for some baseball talk and a little bit of hockey as well. Mr. Morosi joins Bob and John right in time to discuss the Cleveland's name change to the Guardians. Forget baseball, have we ever seen a professional team announce a rebranding in the middle of a season? The three talk about the new name and wonder if this will spur other ball clubs to do the same. We then transition to the everlasting topic of how baseball can grow the game. With the gambling aspect being the most obvious one we wonder what a partnership with MLB will do for the game and will we ever see it? Jon also throws some ideas out on what exactly the Toronto Blue Jays should do on the trade deadline and whether or not they should make a push for the playoffs this year. To end the show, we follow through with our unofficial agreement to allow Jon Morosi to talk about hockey - Having had another day to digest the NHL expansion draft, the three briefly go over the Seattle Kraken roster and speculate on what else they should do this offseason. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

ERIC DUHATSCHEK from The Athletic and NESN's BILLY JAFFE join the a day after the NHL Expansion Draft to analyze the Seattle Kraken roster. The four break down this years draft and talk about who they are surprised to see left on the board by the Kraken - What was Ron Francis' approach? Can we expect to see the Kraken mirror the instant success that George McPhee and the Vegas Golden Knights saw? We question some of the player choices as well as speculate on whether the Kraken will be active in the offseason. The consensus being - they need scoring and they need goaltending - but who are they going to get it from? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It's draft day... or Expansion Draft Day for that matter and who better than former GM and current President of Hockey Operations of the Vegas Golden Knights, GEORGE MCPHEE, to talk about it with Bob and John. George brings his unique perspective on being a GM of an expansion team. Having gone through the process four years ago he gives us some incredible insight on what the front office of the Seattle Kraken would have looked like in the days leading up to the draft. George also gives us a look into how some of the draft day deals went down for him four years ago, and we learn about some of the conversations between other teams went when it came to choosing players. We find out about how the Golden Knights were able to snag players like Shea Theodore, Alex Tuch and William Karlsson as well as learn what advice George had for Ron Francis - The GM of the Seattle Kraken. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.