Barn Burner: Boomer & Pinder with Rhett Warrener - Ben Hebert LIVE in Studio | FN Barn Burner

Episode Date: March 15, 2023

Live from the Tower Chrysler Studios in Marda Loop! FlamesNation Barn Burner: Boomer & Pinder Wednesday March 15th, 2023 - Flames Coyotes Recap - Ben Hebert (Team Bottcher Curling) Live in Studio - The Pinder Report for Village Honda - Betway Bets of the Day Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hey, buddies, welcome to the podcast today. As we are, we're all together without one of us on a Wednesday. We're not all together. It is a Wednesday. We're all together. There you see it. Well, the Rettster, yeah, he's just got us lights off. Yeah, the Rettster is.

You know what? Blackout might not be the worst description for Red after night one in Nashville. I do wonder, yeah, I do wonder. Now, has he been, you said on the show yesterday, you showed how active he was on social media. Has he similarly been active again? A typical red fashion. Very, very open to suggestions and always looking to be better, but then also forgetting within 12 hours.

So he did indeed tweet a bunch from the Leafs game and his private jet from Buffalo, but radio silence since the Leafs game. Yeah. So we have to re-remind him. And see, the good thing about, you know, doing this digitally in podcasting, you can do it from anywhere. Oh, yeah.

You can do it from your phone. you can do it from just about anywhere. Is Nashville anywhere? Like that would qualify. Nashville somewhere. As anywhere. So somewhere would be anywhere. Yeah.

They do have the internet there. We've been. Our cell phones worked. There would be Wi-Fi and cellular towers, ample data, I'm sure, to... Yeah, I don't know when we were there, we did stuff. Some of us did more than others. Some of us did less the next day.

because of how much we did the day before. Okay, yeah, yeah. And speaking of Nashville, congrats to the predators for finding some gap, some distance between them and the Calgary Flames, with a two-one win over the Detroit Red Wings yesterday and the flames doing it. Yeah.

Yeah. Because they were kind of, you know, lockstep there. They get two and flames get one, so now it's okay. That's a pretty nice thing when you can start to get younger and tear down a little, and you get on a heater. And it's not like, ah, this is going to take us

from fourth overall to seventh, but like into the playoffs, maybe. I was wondering if we should just run After Burner as this show today. What we should do. We slept on it, like you said, well,

let's sleep on it and see how you feel in the morning. Oh, yeah, we need to rewatch the tape and come up with some new hot takes. I don't know that I've got a whole lot more for you. People like the After Burner last night as well. Critically acclaimed. Yeah.

What we'll do is we'll give it a strong, recommendation. If you want to shake your fist and get angry and relive a overtime loss in the desert, do head to wherever you catch your podcasts and or shows, be that YouTube, Spotify, Apple, wherever. Yeah. And check out afterburn from last night. It will, it will still be fresh. Oh, yes. Yeah. Not nothing. Before the game Thursday against Vegas, it will not be dated necessarily. I think all of the opinions expressed in that podcast will still be very valid. Flames lose. in Arizona by a score four to three in overtime. They led one nothing, then trailed to one.

They tied it, then trailed, then tied it, and then lost in the extra frame. As there's a lot of things that have dogged this team over the course of the year. Maybe their record in extra time. Oh, it's dog shit. Aborant? Abhorrent, is that?

Abhorrent, yes. Abhorrent. It was, they played 15 overtime games. Well, they played more than that, but three games ended in overtime. Fair enough. And then five went to the shootout, they're two and three in the shootout, which is like, hey, that feels like a coin toss, whatever. But if the games that actually ended in the three on three, five minute session,

they won four of them. Yeah. There were 15 winners of overtime games involving the flames four times. The Calgary Flames came out on top. Did they have a really good, chance in overtime? No, they didn't touch the puck in overtime. No, I didn't think so. They didn't get a shot. They touched the puck. Enough time for Cadry to turn it over once. Because that happens sometimes. It's three out three, it comes down this way and then,

whoa, almost in. But then, you know, because it's so close that it's an odd man the other way. And then there's the goal. But if you could have just scored there, they didn't really. Arizona was very content to reload and change. I think we saw about three to four of those, including a 90-second opening shift where they had the flames unable to change. Whatever. I mean, look, if Machelli and Clayton Keller are going to be far and away better than your best players, like the shot clock did not tell the story. Scoring chances were almost a soft and you didn't get a shot in overtime, so you deserve to lose. That is, again, of the stories that we'll talk about for this season.

The shot clock, the shot clock connected to the number of, actual scoring chances. We've maybe not seen. I can't think of a team. I can't either. In the years that I've watched hockey that has had that much success in getting pucks to the net,

but generating so few scoring chances comparably. And I think we've seen both. So like the Boston game is a great example. They get to 50 shots. They got a ton of scoring chances. Now that's not to say Boston's at their best, their second half of back-to-back. It's not really what we're talking about.

But there have been nights where they've shelled opponents and created a ton of chances and lost. And usually because of shitty gold thing at their end. But there's been more games where they have high volume and generate very little. And out shoot by 10, 15, 20 shots, but really in the shots that matter,

a.k.a. scoring chances, high dangers, expected goals. They're not that far ahead at all, if ahead at all. Because we always, you've heard us use the word, the phrase, Christopher Gibson. Yes. Because it was years and years ago, there was a game in town and it was the Islanders and Christopher Gibson was in net and he was probably their third stringer, I'm guessing, if not fourth. And he made a ton of saves and a ton of them were high quality chances. He stood on his head. I've not seen a lot of his career since. I'm willing to bet that's still the best game he's played in the National Hockey League. So to be Christopher Gibson means you have a bunch of shots and a bunch of great scoring chances, but you got to. out goaltender. The goaltender

beat you that night. That has not been the case this year. There have been some goalies that have made a lot of saves, but it's been more or less a routine effort. Almark was very good in that boss today. And Jake Allen, they lost both to the abs. It was very good

and at least one of those two. I remember the one in Calgary in December. He was phenomenal. And it has happened, but that happens to every team in the league. What doesn't happen to most teams is the league is, you know, 10 games against meh goalies where they feel 40 shots and really aren't tested and get wins. That's, and here's the Christopher Gibson.

This is courtesy the Canadian press, March 11, 2018. Almost five years ago. Yeah. In fact, five years and four days ago. Christopher Gibson makes 50 saves. Islanders beat flames to halt losing streak. 50. Fucking 50.

Just snap an eight game losing skid. So the aisles were, you know, right for the picking. So, but yeah, there have been a lot of goaltenders. And not to say it was, so what was the, 42 saves, right? Is that what it was? Jesus Christ. 42 saves for Connor Ingram. Not an overtime.

And really, it was just kind of a tidy effort for him. He made a couple saves at the end of regulation, but until then, it really wasn't a lot of work. It didn't have to be spectacular. And there are a bunch of goalies that played the flames and left the rink with a 30, 40, 40, save night. A 925 to 950 type thing because they really didn't generate enough high danger. And that's been a major problem for this team more often than, well, we just really outchanced them when the goalie was hot. There's been more of what you're talking about than the

Olmarks and Allen's. So I feel bad because we've sat here, Rhett included, we've sold you a bill of goods here over the last little bit that if they can get on a heater and if things come around, if the goaltending gets better, if they can get the power play going, if they can get some help on the out of town scoreboard, all this stuff. And at the end of the day, none of it matters because they couldn't take care of their own business. And they haven't been able to get on a heater. They have not had three consecutive wins since early December.

Three times in the year 2023. We're deep into that. January, February, we're two and a half months in. Three times they've managed to put consecutive. of wins together. Yeah. That's it. And there's some teams in this league

that have gone on nice little winning streaks, four or five games in a row. Not the Calgary Flames. They have not won with regularity. There have been some impressive victories, and that's what ends up bringing you back around. There, that's the team. That's the performance that we feel,

as observers and fans, that's the kind of game we feel they're capable of putting out on a regular basis. Sure. But then they shit themselves with a performance. And last night wasn't, I think the Anaheim game was worse. The games against Detroit were worse. They just, it's hard because I don't just want to sit here and do it two, three, four weeks of these shows.

But it felt like if you were clinging to hope, Winnipeg loses, there's some help. Weaker opponent, there's Phoenix. I'm more worried about weaker opponent. with this team than good ones. I've got the stat for you. I've been promising it for days. It's finally here. Are you ready? Well, okay, so set it up. What, what? Well, so the notion of like, oh, here comes some bottom dwellers. Like, not just out of the playoffs, but like bad teams. Because I saw this morning, Dom from the athletic, had his strength of schedule remaining for teams. The flames based on opponent and winning percentage. Of top three. Four, top four, I think.

The fourth best meeting. They have some really weak, weak opponents coming. up percentage-wise. And just really quickly, like, they'll play three playoffs teams in their next three, and after that they have three for the remaining like 11 games. But it just doesn't matter with this team. So the worst six teams in the league, these are all Bedard candidate caliber clubs. Columbus is last, San Jose second last, Chicago, third last. Then it's Anaheim, Philly, Montreal. The flames have played each of those teams twice. These are the six worst teams at hockey in the NHL. They have a mark of five, five, and two. So they've won five of 12 against the worst six teams in hockey. And we always, you'll see some fans that'll be critical when you, you beat the

breaks off of a bad team or you, it's point night. You score five or six. It's two goals and an assist for so-and-so. Yeah, well, who are they playing? Here's the thing. Good teams beat the breaks off those teams sometimes. Good teams, playoff teams win those games. And so here now are the top six teams in the NHL by points. Boston, Carolina, New Jersey, Vegas, all division leaders, and then Toronto and Dallas. They are 4-4- and 400,

the same number of points against the best six teams in the league and the worst six. It should not be close. I would be stunned if there's another team that has an identical record or even close to the same points percentage between the bottom six and the top six. No one should suggest that the Columbus's San Jose, Chicago, Anaheims of the world should be as easy or as difficult to play as Boston, Carolina, New Jersey, Toronto, Vegas. It's insane. So when you see an easy schedule for the flames, it should scare you because for whatever reason, this group thinks they can kick their

feet up, get a little cute, and not have to outwork anyone when they face a bottom six team, and they've been handed their lunch. Think about how bad those teams are by points percentage. They're collectively 500 against the flames. And think about how good Boston and all those other teams have been. They're collectively 500 against the flames. That's a massive indictment on this hockey club. It's hard. You sit here after 68 games or whatever it is, and you see what they are. And I think by now we all, you feel like we're all on the same page. We know what they are. They're not going to make the playoffs. They're not the worst team in the league, but they have major issues and warts on their game. You just think back to the start of the year where the whole conversation

was, are they better than they were a year ago? How, what's the ceiling? What this team division? What's, the world's their oyster. And either we were so wrong or the team has performed so poorly, and it's probably a bit of everything. But it's just how did you end up here? where you're not going to make the playoffs a year after you went to round two. Yeah, I mean... Let's play last night's after burner. So if you had to give the coach a letter grade,

it's not a B. It's a C or a D or an F. If you have to give your star forwards a grade, it's probably a D or a C. If you have to give your goaltending a grade, it's probably a C. and if you, you know, judge the ins and outs of roster asset management, be it contract extensions, guys you placed on waivers.

Like, that's not getting a great, great either. There's blood everywhere. GM, coach, star players. There's been missteps everywhere. Goaltending, obviously, special teams. That would fall on coaching as well as your skill players. It's why I just want to go around, you know, lots to go around. It's why I do wonder if there is going to be a big reset in the offseason.

Despite what contract the coach has or what contract the GM doesn't have and salary cap and all of this, I just think there's going to be roster changes and I can't help it wonder if it's just time because it does. It feels eerily similar and we saw it a couple of times. You saw it when Darrell was near the end of his GM string and things got, they just, they were old and there was no chemistry and they couldn't win. And I feel like there's more prospect now with guys like Paltje and Zairey.

And there's more young guys potentially here now. And they did. They had to reset. And then they're the end of the feaster run there where Aginla left and Beaumester and that whole thing. It was just clear it was over then. This kind of, but the thing is, there are a lot at, you're at the end of a lot of these veterans contracts.

Yeah. Well, and they are here too. The only guys they're really married to are the three new offseason guys. guys, and I think you could move Weger if you needed to. And I think if you know Oliver Shillington is coming back and you can see their cap situation, already a million over what people think the cap might be next year, and that's only with 22 roster spots, not 23. Like, you need to move out.

And I think you could take a Hannafin or a Weger to market or Tannaven in the last year of his deal in theory. I mean, those aren't guys you're going to get nothing for. And, yeah, like, I think. You're married to Cadre and Euberdo's deals. Everything else, not an issue. Yeah. And it just happens to be the last two deals the GM signed, really. I mean, Wiggers isn't there.

But like Wiggers is a top pair guy that doesn't put up a ton of points. That's kind of worth $6 million in the NHL. I don't think it's like, well, you can't move that. But a 40 to 60 point winger that doesn't defend well, that doesn't get $10.5 million anywhere. You can't move that. And Codry was 32. when he signed a seven-year deal.

You know, it would be silly to expect arrows to be upward. It's going to be a slow decline. You just hope that this is a little low start, and then we get the decline after a better year next year. Today would not be the day to analyze the cadre contract, because I think, as you said, probably his worst game of the year last night. Yeah, and look, I don't, he doesn't cheat you on effort, but I think when he's not playing well, he's too selfish.

And whether that's, and the penalties he takes, the turnovers or just, you know, the arrogance to try to walk through three guys and it end up going the other way. You'll love his compete and his bite. And he's like in the playoff series that could be really helpful if he's not getting suspended in the playoffs. You can still sell me that if this team got into a tournament, they'd be a tough out. It's just they don't have the horses to get into the tournament. And this is that conundrum that GMs talk about a bunch. You need one iteration of a club to get into that tournament. And then it's almost like you need to be able to modify and have that group play a

different style to have success in the playoffs. Ask Florida. They ran away with the NHL last year. They had the highest scoring team in the history of the salary cap last year. It was like, sweat by Tampa round two. I don't know what the answer is, but somewhere the answer is change. And there's going to have to be just how it goes. There's going to be changed.

Players will move in and out. There will be staff changes and all of that. but even in a playoff series, you need to, in theory, play four really good games in a stretch of seven. And I don't know if they're capable of that right now. They could lose some games that they maybe play okay in, and then there will be some games they don't deserve to win at all.

Here's why I think they'd be a better playoff team than a regular season team. Guess what you don't do in the NHL postseason? Go to fucking overtime and play three on three. This is a much better team five on five than three on three. Like if you just went to those, what, 20 games, they went to overtime this year and say they're 500. Like, that's way more points in the standings. The way you break ties in the playoffs is totally different. What do we know about penalties in the postseason?

The threshold is much higher to get a whistle than it is in the regular season. I don't necessarily believe that leads to less powerful opportunities and the intensity levels change in ever, but I feel like that power play might not hurt you as much as it does in a regular season game, tiki-tacky stuff doesn't get called. I think you could make the case that a lot of the Achilles heels of this club will be more exposed than the regular season than the playoffs, especially if you get marks from playing the way. It's like, but they're not going to get in, so it doesn't matter.

We sat here for weeks. Got it. Get some goaltending. Guys need some goaltending. Can you get some goaltending? And they got goaltending, and they're really no further ahead. It's got to be frustrating for everybody involved. No kidding. The coaching staff, because you think of the coaches.

Everyone, and you can, whatever you want to think about Darrell right now, and there's some people that are, you know, they'll, it's ride or die with Darrell and some other people feel it's definitely time to make a change, whatever the case may be. But you think of the other coaches on the staff that are, they're skating with that team every day and they're pouring through video and they're going through all kinds of numbers. Okay, how do we fix this?

Let's fix this and they can't do it. Well, if you think Darrell's cheery to be around as a player, imagine walking in that office. Yeah. if you're Kirk Muller running the league's 23rd best power player or something. Because you talk about teams that kind of rally behind, you know, galvanize and come together when there's a coach like that. I would think the coaching staff is probably the same way.

It's like, okay, our boss, the guy is mad. Let's us, the assistance, let's come together and figure this out. And I feel for those guys. I wonder for guys like Huska and Kail McLean because those guys work their bag off. Well, and he's not known as a collaborator. He's more known as a guy that works in a silo. And you know what it'll be. It's when the success is there, you know who gets it.

And when things aren't working right, well, what the, what are we doing? And to be fair, like, if the power play's not looking right, does Daryl just say, screw it, I'm doing this? Like, thanks for your work, but I'm doing this. And if you really want FlaDar to start in December, but Daryl says, no, no, we've got to play a long game. I need Markstrom in. Like, I just see him overruling guys.

I don't see him as like, hey, bring me your ideas. Let's, you know, I like a little Discord. back and forth, let's hear new ideas. No, it's Daryl's way or the highway. Like, sorry. And I've said it before. I'll say it again. It's taken, whether you like it or not, it has served him well. He has, he has been his own guy. He's been a collaborator of one. And it's brought him to top five, top 10 in games coached and wins and all of that. And a couple of cups. He is one of the most successful head coaches in NHL coaching history. And at this point in his career and his life, I get it. I understand why he would maybe not be so receptive on some guys who are half his age,

with less than half his experience coming in saying, here's what you need to do. Even though they may have a point and they could be right. Even parts of it could be right. I don't know. Now, I'm saying that, I don't, maybe he is a better collaborator than we think. Maybe he is trying to involve the other guys. But history has shown us and the stories we've heard and what we've been told in the past is that's not the case. It wasn't when he was a GM and it certainly wasn't when he's as a head coach. Well, and we know the show the life's a serious thing. So after they win their second cup in 2014, missed the playoffs, losing round one, missed the playoffs, fired.

Missed the playoffs taking over for Jeff Ward. Don't really hang that on him. That comes in mid-season. A lot of work through. Losing round two and they're going to miss playoffs. So he's talking about one series victory in his last six seasons, five. if you wash out his mid-season arrival here. Like, it's, I'm not saying it's dated and he can't win,

but I think you are allowed to have those doubts at this point, given how the last half decade of head coach Daryl's gone. We've got the Pinda Report coming up here in a moment. Also, special guest in studio. The greatest lead in the sport of curling's history. What? Come on. Not Canadian, not Alabama. Burton.

Who was the guy that The sport? Who was the guy that ran the lead in Atlanta for the 4x100? It was like, is Bernie Surin handed to Donovan Bailey. Yeah, I thought that. Because those leads,

that's a good Canadian lead. But this is a little bit. He's quick, though, strong. You got to be able to sweep, Dino, if you're a lead. That's what I hear. And, you know, if you can cheat a little along the way, you know,

if you're not cheating, you're not trying. That's what, that's... Dropping some ashes on this, that rock down a little. Snezing? Oh, sorry, guys. Sorry, my allergies. Jesus.

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Robert Esmey. Was he the lead for that four by one? Stop it. Okay. Let's go back to Arizona last night. The Mullet Arena, 4500. We didn't do this now. We're going to breeze through and then get to our guests, right?

Good. Okay. Let's do that. Connor Ingram had to be great late, fellows. But that was pretty much it. Here's the final 15 seconds of the game where the flames generated two's chance. Oh, my! The living home right there.

Uberto there. And off to overtime, we go. Flames, we're down three, two. And those... Actually tied it up. in the third, only to, well, it was, mad at the team, I see.

That's the, not Walker Dewar, but, uh, right. Yeah. Uh, let's go to overtime. Let's have a peek. How'd this one go? Oh, Valamaki. That's a familiar name.

Dink. And boy, who had a disallowed goal earlier, reviewed for goalie interference. Uh, did have that one stand. And it appeared to me, I could be wrong, Alex, but it looked like Yusov Alamaki was excited to score against his old team

because this is his shot. Rebound. But hang on, we got a better angle of that as well. Punching the glass. How good does that feel? Sticking it to your old crew, hey? Okay, Darrell, I'm having fun here.

Remember what that is? It's a three-letter word and it's the opposite of things being really shitty. Hanging that on the coach, by the time. Dustin Boyd's son, Travis. with the O.T. winner. Don't do that. That can't be, stop it.

Boy, it's a very common name. Is it the seafood air? I'm not sure. Okay. Move along. After Burner last night. Look at Dino. The question was,

are you buying or selling they're dead? And all of a sudden, Dean, with some props on the set. Pretty good stuff here. I buy it or sell it tonight, Dean? After losses to Anaheim,

on Friday and the coyotes tonight. They're fucking dead? Is that a question? Buy it or sell it? It's a statement you buy or sell. I see. No questions here. So are they, are they done? You're saying they're done? My statement is they're fucking dead.

Buy it or sell it? I'm buying it. Yeah. Well, I mean, I don't like, I like to give everyone a shot, right? I'm, I just think it's one of those things. Until, until the math says you're out, I don't think you're out. But I got to say, get your titleists, men. Get your clubs, get your sunglasses, get your Bahama, Bahama board shorts.

Get ready. Because they're fucking done. They're fucking done. It just went full tangay. That is unbelievable. Yeah, the titleist gear on the afternoon. I mean, really? That's probably enough.

Thank you. Yeah, that's probably right. More of that. Less comedic at other junctures, but it's kind of where everyone's at. 18% where I saw this morning on Dom's probabilities. Real quick, here's a look at the standings. I added a nice little emoji just so we can get the idea of what's happening in the West Dean. Because you love emojis.

There it is. There's the flames. Five out games even, or one back with a team that's got three games in hand. Pick your poison and enjoy. the afterlife. And it's beyond math, right? If you have watched no games, you can look at that and say, well, it's five points.

You just lost the ducks and the coyotes. You could literally be two points out right now if you beat two of the worst teams in the NHL this year and instead you have one point to show for it. It's awful. Okay, move along. NHL last night did the Big City Greens cartoon thing. That's right.

Imagine if you were wagering money and this is how you learned that you lost money. Some cartoon play-by-play of an NHL hockey game. This was quite funny. Rangers, a pair from Zabinajat early. They had real-time tracking on the players so that cartoons are going exactly where the players are.

Tarasenko, slot, bang, goal. And look, they don't have the shitty rink board ads screwing things up, hey? Wow, I don't mind this broadcast. Listen, you know what? That was pretty freaking amazing, really. It's amazing you can do it. You know?

Now, it's a shame it cost a billion dollars, and now the cap won't go up. But hey, you got to do what you've got to do to grow the game. Flyers submitting a goal of the year candidate last night. Nick Seeler with an incredible move. Let's check in on the Philly Dangle. Nick Sealer.

Oh my. That's the how she going. Yeah, I don't know that the Flyers Twitter is very excited goal of the year. It's a very nice goal. And for the Flyers, maybe it is the goal of the year. Not bad. Nick Seeler's never scored a nicer one in his life. Not at this league, that's for sure.

They'd be back in Timbitts or whatever they call that. Oh, wow. Oh, hey, through the feet. Just out of the reach. Roof, Daddy. Oh, yeah. Pretty good. news today coming out of the GM's meetings.

It sounds like the NHL salary cap. Remember the big jump? Big jump coming. Big jump. Big jump. We might be able to pay off this IOU from the players by midseason. Million? Maybe.

And they could negotiate with the PA about raising it because it will jump a ton the year after. But the Bally Sports Network just went into bankruptcy. There's some money out. They haven't quite paid off all the IOU. I have a hard time giving a shit about the salary cap and stuff. Well, okay. Like I know that you,

you love it and you're very interested. Do you want to build a roster? Like, can you bring back guys or are you over the cap? That's a pretty important thing in an office. I get it. But to me, it's more about how did you get to the level you're at with the mismanaging of your team as opposed to needing the league

to come and give you more space? Yeah. Because you're an idiot. Are you see these other leagues that are just out of flat cap for five years or just this one, basically? This one. But Gary, Awesome.

Of exploding nets and cartoons. Don't be that guy. Here's some dates on the calendar for the NHL. We've got a start date for the NHL playoffs. And appropriately, after our playoff draft, which goes on Friday, April 14th. That's weird, yeah. The following Monday, the 17th, way we go.

I also don't like this. It sets up the favorites for the Monday, Wednesday, hosting, and then the underdogs get the Friday Sunday, the Thursday, Saturday. Huh? You worry about funny stuff. What else you got to? There's your draft lottery.

What are you got going on? May 8 draft lottery. Got to love that. We'll figure out where Badaard's going. Yeah. You want them in Vancouver. I'm okay with that. Chicago.

Best for the... Again, I want that cap going up. You got to get him to Chicago. Other news, lots in the NFL. As free agencies opened, check out this swappero. Darren Waller, the tattooed and

well, off-injured. tight end to the Raiders off to the Giants. I actually heard one of his rap songs the other day, and it was horrible. Might be a part of this move here. Weird. Waller wants his music on in the room?

Can't be happening in Vegas. East Coast, West Coast, right? Not with Jimmy there. Get out of here. He's an East Coast guy. That's right. Elsewhere, Ezekiel Elliott, looks like his time's done with the Cowboys.

Zeke set to be cut. They've already tagged Tony Pollard. Why spend a billion on running backs when you could spend way less for better production? I get it. And Baker Mayfield looks like is heading to Tampa. No shoes to follow there.

No, not at all. They go from Tom Brady to... In fairness. Another... That friggin performance Brady put on last year will not be hard to follow. And Baker is pretty good as first couple games of the Rams

in a really tough year. Away you goes. Been a lot of teams all of a sudden, eh? And a little comedy for you. You know, Aaron Rogers and Packers, and the Jets. Still trying to figure all this out.

You got to bring in all his old pals, right? Mm-hmm. So maybe Eddie Lacey heading to... Oh, no. Because he wants Randall Cobb. Yeah, Cobb, got a Zard. Lacey famously, I think, ate his way out of the league, like five, six, seven years ago.

I thought the whole thing with Eddie Lacey was it was a bad photo, bad angle. Maybe, I don't know. The depth perception. We're not NFL insiders. Look fatter. He may be slim. he looked fat he did look fat and there's that photo for sure yeah uh Canada Mexico today in the WBC a win for Canada they're through a loss and we got uh probably not through and then if

Columbia wins through a type look just Canada Mexico looks like it's starting right away here so go Canada and if Mexico's going to win maybe it's Alejandro Kirk looking good so we love him do you want a Ali Alejandro Alihandro him. Last couple for you. Have you heard of Major League Pickleball? I've heard of Major League sports and pickleball, but not the same. Well, the new owner of Major League Pickleball is saying that it will be the fourth largest sport in the U.S. in just moments. No problem. It's going to destroy the ratings of MLS, NHL and NASCAR. I thought that was the Slap Fight League. I thought slap fighting.

Everyone's taking runs. They want to be number four. But Steve Coon says, Pickleball will easily be a top five sport in the next five years in terms of viewership, which is something because I know people that play pickleball. It's like grandparents. I don't know a professional player. So for five years for this to be right on our menu is, you know, sports consumers. You're going to have frigging pickleball people coming down here to the studio. I can't wait.

It's going to be awesome. Take a word. And finally, Dean, I don't know, but you were made famous again on Twitter today. Again today. And one of your former co-workers. as the shit stirer upper Andrew Walker was at it again. He was bored this morning. He was tweeting all kinds of nonsense.

I know, yeah. He's got timing his hands, I guess. Apparently, eh? Yeah. Bored. Apparently. You and Pat went for a walk together. There's, uh, you know what,

Watts? Pat's calves at the top and there's boom, boom. That does look like you boom. I swear you have those shorts. Are those the Air Monarchs? What's going on here? You're not the first that have sent me that tweet. You think you're very funny.

But I've gotten it many. times in the past. And I, you know what? It's a shot at Steinberg too, right? Or is it, uh, oh yeah, no, it's, it's definitely, there's some strays there that have caught some civilians. Steinberg's just walking by us. For those that don't know what the hell you were talking about. There's, Walker's sending out a tweet. There's on the top. It's got a guy with skinny, skinny legs. And then at the bottom, it's got a dude with big fat calves. And it's the top me who trains legs three times a week. And at the bottom, 42 year old father of three who hasn't seen the inside of a gym since the Cold War.

Cold War, I'd love to be 42 again. Good. I'd kill for 42. Oh, was the Cold War. Brisk. Yeah, fair enough. That's your Pinda Report, Dino. Brought to you by Village Honda,

located in the Northwest Automall, online VillageHonda.com. The new CRV hybrid is there. The Honda Passport Trail Sport is there. The Accord is on its way. Many, many great reasons. To stop by and visit and have VillageHonda become your dealership for life,

online VillageHonda.com. Tight turn here. Don't go anywhere. We're going to get things set up. It's a special in-studio guest. It's a world champion. It's a fucking world champion. Benny Ebert, when we come back.

Benny Hebes. Stay there. Back here in the Tower Chrysler Studios. Tower Chrysler, the only Tower Chrysler dealer that we recommend. It's the only one I recommended in my life. Of all the Tower Chrysler Dodge Ram Jeep dealerships that are sponsors of this show, they're number one. Highly recommended from the Barnburner Boys.

Special guest here in studio, he is a Breyer champion. He is a gold medalist. He's a world champion. And he is fresh off of an impressive performance at the Breyer in London, Ontario. And a presentation of the hearing loss clinic. You know what this is like synergies?

Look at this shirt. Hey, look at that. No. Was that an accident? I can't believe. No. Oh, it can't be. What a stroke of coincidence that is.

As Ben Ebert joins us here in the time. Heaps. Yeah, of course. Hearingloss.C.A. There you see it. All Roadsie, taking care of you, taking care of us. What a great guy. He's a great guy.

He is a great guy. So have you gone in to get your hearing checked and not whole thing? A couple times. Got mold, got molds done for my ears. Got the noise cancelling ear plugs for the plane for sleeping. When the wife gets angry, you throw them in. It's perfect. Yeah.

I thought you said you found mold in there. That would be very disturbing. No, no, no, no. Surprise sometimes what you're fine in there after a while. Well, it's good to see you. It's been a while. The last time we were at the Penguins game, I guess, right? Yeah, I was here.

With Johnny Dubb. Yeah, that's right. So, yeah, hosting the first responders of Calgary there, right? That's right. That's fine. That's sweet. Yeah. So here you are.

I was looking on your Twitter, and there's those asterisks of a book. about your, because there's the schedule that you're going to have for your Cs. I say, well, you know, if we qualify, if we qualify, if we qualify. So now here we are. We're in mid-March. What have you qualified for? Well, we qualified for everything except the world. Obviously, you know, just get home from the Briar on Monday.

A little disappointing, I mean, finish in third. But like you say, you know, a good week for us. We played well, and you just got to play real, really well to win that thing. I mean, between us and Dunson and Gushu, honestly, flip a coin any given week and Dunstone himself played well and Brad's always good and they clipped us which was a, you know, disappointing for us.

We wanted to represent Canada, but we had a good week and got a few more years to peak to kind of get to that Olympic level, but certainly you want to win a briar or two along the way. And we were close. You hate missing those opportunities because goddamn, you never know when they're going to come back, right? Like you had a real good chance to win.

But, you got live and learn and sports are hard. It's truly why, when you see some of those ranks like Stoughton and Furb, just, you know, Martin, that dominate four years at a time, just how special that is, because, like you say, any given week, you just, you miss one shot here, one shot, oh, well, your week, your year is defined by that. When you can continually come out year after year

and go on a two, three, four, like a dynasty type run, tells you how special that is in this country, for sure. Especially in the briar, just because, you know, the outside curling fan, like I know you guys aren't the, the curling gurons of the world. Well, this guy curls every week. I don't know. Pinders message me to come spare from a couple times.

Very green. I'm trying to figure up some of the nuances. And it got to the point where now I actually, if I see it on and there's other stuff on TV, I'll be like, you know what? I'm very interested to see how what, like I'm trying to figure out strategy. Before I'm just like, nope, don't get it. But now it's like, okay, I got a little,

enough of the nuance that I'm curious to like see how these guys and hear them talk. I think is one of the amazing things in the curling broadcast too. You can actually hear guys, you know, hey, what about this? what's his shot here if we move this thing? And I've been quite impressed. And Alberta repping it pretty good with Kui as well.

Yeah, my old skipper had a good, good week too. They had a good round robin. And I mean, he's still one of the top dogs out there too. They had a tough finish to the briar, but they started hot. And I mean, any of those teams, like you say, the outsider, they look at the briar and they're like, okay, well, you know, Gushu's the man now. He's team Canada. Like, we've had a better year than all of them. We're the number one team in Canada.

Lose the briar? No good. No good. No good. Move along. So yeah, carry on. But we got two more events. We have one in Toronto.

We actually play in the old Maple Leaf Gardens every year in April, which is sick. So it's now, it's Ryerson University now, right? And in the basement where the old garden is is Asobis. Yeah. The best grocery store in Canada, by the way. It's dialed. Or maybe it's a loblaws. It's a loblas, maybe.

It's a grocery store, whatever it is. And that's where the main floor was. And then they move the ice up, like a story or two. And that's where we play. And so the upper bowl is now the lower bowl. And it might have, see, what, five to eight thousand? No, not even. Not even.

Yeah, maybe four, four, 5,000. But yeah, we play there in April. It's a fun one to go right downtown T.O. and play. And then my last one of the year is the Champions Cup. It's in Grand Slam. It's on, it's in Regina, my hometown. So it's seen my mom and dad, brother and sister, come out and cheer on my old. And so you will be busy explaining what curling is in Toronto when you'd be busy in Regina signing autographs. You'd be surprised in Toronto now. When we used to go to Ontario, like even the Briar in London, we played there in 2011. I'm like, oh, God, I don't want to go back to London. It's shit. Ontario knows nothing about curling. Yeah. One of the best

priors I've ever played it. Really? Yeah. It's awesome. The crowds look good. 11,000 for the semi, 11,000 the night before on the Friday. First weekend was jammed.

And Toronto for the players championship, too, it's growing there. And it's growing young. I used to be a stallion with the grandmas, which I still am. That's where I shine. It's where I shine. Yeah. But, man, you should see. There's some young folk and good opportunity coming up in the curling

road for the juniors. And they're all over the rank now. It's great. We were actually, you know, one of the games were blowing out one of the teams. me and Brett were looking around going, man, a young crowd. Maybe curling's getting cool again. We'll see, but no, it's good.

It's good for the sport. So we just have to tell Rhett that. You know, Red's from, Red's from Saskatchewan. Red should know. For curling once a week. Retch should know. I mean, hey.

Yeah. He grew up in Sasky. He probably threw a couple of rocks in his day. And he's got such a long reach, you know. Right. It's hard out of the hacks. He's going to let that thing go. I was got to let it go so quickly.

He can't get right there. I, when I was years ago, when I was working at Brand. There was a stretch of time there. It felt like Brandon had, they had the Olympic curling trials, and then the Scotty's and the bra, it was just nonstop. It's tough.

I know the Grey Cup and the bra, you know, the whole thing, those whole parties and all that, but there's, it's hard to beat a curling party. A Bonspiel involves booze. When they get those big events and you get either from all across the country or all around the world, these curling rinks showing up and they're fans, they're not there to sip tea.

You know, it's funny. Our demo of guys, you know, my age that have played forever, when we first started playing on tour, man, we went on tour to party. That's what was. Our first gig was the party. And then we're like, oh, who do we play tomorrow? How bad are they? How drunk can we get tonight?

You know, and now I went to the patch. We went to the patch once at the Briar in London for an autograph session. But the people that go, they're fans saying to my wife last week, my daughter started playing curling. I'm like, God, I hope she gets to a Scotty's. because I just want to go as a fan and terrorize the patch. My brother, my dad, my uncles, they all come, and they just have these great stories.

And I'm like, oh, I was sitting in my leg sleeves, having a protein shake in my room. Yeah, that's trying to be boring as shit. Yeah. But it's good for the game. You know, there's just, there's good opportunity in our sport. It's like, like Pender's saying, great TV sport. Yeah.

You know, we're miced up. You get to watch it, you know, people, you know, I'm like solid de-list celebrity in Calgary and notice at the odd grocery store. And you're being on TV. Like, yeah, I know, I know it's not a fan. famous millionaire gig, but we get paid to play. We're on TV. You can go to the Olympics.

You can live a good life. It's starting to get a little bit more serious out there. So the rec side of it, having fun. Four of us go play in the Glenn Co League once a week, Tuesday. It's like a men's league for golf. It's awesome. I think even when I'm done playing, I probably play one night a week with my buddies and get out of the house and go have a beer and shoot the shit. It's awesome.

Great sport. Because there was a time where you saw some of the teams that would go to the briar would be some older guys. Sure. Is that still the case or is it because, like you say, it's a lot about fitness and taking care of yourself and being serious and dialed in. Is the day of the gray beard winning the briar kind of over? No, I don't think, no, no, unfortunately not.

Gushu's got a gray beard, that dirty dog, he just won. I mean, no, I mean, you still be a real good player. Like, I mean, I'm 39 years old. So, and I, you know, I'm still hanging. I'm kicking the shit out of all the lead still. Don't kid yourself. But you still got to stay in shape. I'm still doing the things that the young guys are doing.

It's just a little bit harder these days. But no, you still win at a certain age. I mean, Tom Brady won the Super Bowl when he was 43. I literally go back to that as I get older. I was like, when are you going to be done? I'm like, guys, it's curling. And that might be just be a product of me getting old. I just remember guys like Ed Werenick and that.

It just felt like, we're old guys. The fitness of it's changed a lot. But even Kmart, I started curling with Kevin Martin. I started curling with him when he was 39. And I played to them for eight years. I'm just 39 now. I won't be playing until I'm 47 like he did. But I think it depends on the person.

Like Kevin Martin when he was 39, looked like he was 63. So it's like, oh, he's super old. He's like, guys in good shape. He works out. He's got a bad nest. He had the nest going. So he thought he was super old.

But he was, you know, like these guys, like Gushu's 43. Brad hasn't missed a shot in like three years, man. Kui's 47, 48. Yeah. Stud. Yeah. So what is it the front of rinks that's changed?

Because it feels like you're seeing. a lot more fitness, stronger, bigger leads in seconds. Is that where you skew younger? Yeah, I mean, that's why I say I'm only playing for three more years. Like, I'm a lead. I know my role on the team. I'm not, hey, everyone needs a shop blocker and a faceoff guy, okay? Sure. Let me down. Let me down. Let me down. Let me down for you guys. Yeah. I'm a real good role player. I'm really good at my job. You used to forecheck really hard at the patch too. But I'm not stepping up to play first line power play minutes when I'm 44. That's just not how our sport works. So I think that at that point, there's going to be some younger guys that can sweep.

know, and that's kind of my role, and I'm still really good at right now, but I'm comfortable to say I won't be playing into my late 40s and 50s, no chance. So you don't think you could become a third or a skip, or it's just not your skill set? I don't know. Well, I would say on your team, I'm for sure the skip. 100%, right? I'm a skip. I should be on a lead on a bad team. You know, could I play second or third or skip honestly on like a, you know, a decent Canadian B level team? 100%. But, guys, I played with Kevin Martin, Kevin Cooey, and Brennan Botcher. Yeah. For me to go down that road and kick myself in the ball. for like, I would just bash my head against the wall. All right.

I got other stuff I got to be doing than that. So, no, not for me, but, you know, when I played in juniors growing up in Saskia, I played third and skipped my whole life. I was a really good player. I could throw bombs. I get on a team when I'm 22 years old, Kevin Martin, John Morris, Mark Kennedy. Yeah. You know what position you're playing?

You're lucky. Lucky I wasn't fifth. Yeah. I mean, those good. And then you play with studs your whole life. It's like, well, hard for me to move up. You know, playing on an all-star team your whole life. But winning is a lot more fun than being a skip and losing under

different team. So how does that work then? Because like you say, I think probably if you're at an elite level in this sport, like you say, you'd have been third skip through your junior, probably through junior and coming up. And then is it, is it a certain skill, a trait? Or how does everybody settle in to be a lead or a second? Obviously, if I'm guessing if you're a skip, it's that, that, you know, one percentile of feel and touch and ability. So for you, what made you a, a first, team all-star lead at the Briar, by the way. But what, what, so why lead, why second? How do you fall into those spots?

Yeah, for me, I mean, it's different for everybody, I think. But I think everyone that's a good curler that plays front end now on a top team, they all played third and skipping juniors. So at the end of your junior career, you got two decisions. You can, you can play back end and still play skipping third and take your lumps until you're good at 25, 26, 27 for seven years of going to university and not making any money and getting worked on the tour, or you get asked by a really good developed team to come in and play front end and learn and develop your skills. I was super fortunate to get asked to play with

Kevin Martin and John Morris when I was 22 years old. Packed up my bags from Sasky, drove up in my Pontiac Sunfire. Real nice rig. Real nice. I mean, let's go. Wheel on up. Maybe a girl car. Right? A chick car. Very much. Very much. Not my best look. So I wheel up from Regina in my in my car and with a bag of clothes, rented a basement suite and all, and then, and you know, at the time, real brash, you know, thought I was pretty good. Oh, yeah. That's terrible.

God, that's so terrible. But you learn from the best guys and the best coaches, and then it's not like anything else. You know, talk to these hockey guys getting seen or getting an opportunity to play with a really good player. Who was the guy in Vancouver that played to the Cedines every year that had 30, 40 goals? And then they just rotated them through. Who wants 30 this year? Burroughs.

You know, you take advantage of your opportunity. Like, I wasn't great, but I got on a really good. team and when I did I worked my tail off got in great shape turned into a great sweeper started making a ton of shots I've been one of the best leads for 20 years on tour now but when I first got there I wasn't ready for the big league I got a good opportunity and kind of just worked out for me because I took advantage of it but you don't sometimes you don't sometimes you have to don't get an opportunity or you get one or two and if you don't take them bye bye so I keep thinking about that tournament and watching it and I'm seeing a huge list of guys that have participated and won

at Olympics and world championships. And I'm thinking like, it might be harder to win the briar than it is to win the Olympics of the world championships in a weird way. Not that there isn't great international talent out there, but, you know, just to represent this country is such an arduous, huge war to get through.

Never mind, okay, well, now we got Italy and tomorrow's Scotland and Sweden's pretty good. But am I crazy thinking that? Well, it's harder to win the briar and the Olympic trials to get to the Olympics. out of Canada in those other countries? Yes. Like Sweden has one team.

Yeah. One really, really good team. And after that, you and me and boom, we're crushing the rest of their teams, okay? And I am to skip on that team, by the way. Yes, you are. Still. So Scotland has one other kind of deep team.

Italy has one team. Canada has four, five, six really good teams. When you get to the world's in the Olympics now, though, those teams are nasty. Yeah. Nasty. Like, Gushu's going to the worlds. Yeah.

Love is handsful. Oh, yeah. Like, like he's not guaranteed. bronze. Right. If he wins a medal at the world's very, very good curling. If he wins it, extremely good. Okay. Yeah. So that's changed a bit, but certainly to get to the games and just to get to where the Maple Leaf way harder than anywhere else in the world, not even close. War to get through. War to get through. And then so walk us through last off season. There's a bunch of shuffling and curling and I feel like it's funny. We talk about the NBA and super teams and guys working

together. Like given how deep the talent is in this country, you want to collect as many great players as you can. You talked about Martin and Morris and yourself early in your career. Like, what are these off seasons like? And is it like overt flirting or do you wait to the season ends? Like how does this come to be? Right? I mean, it's, it's hurt feelings. It's cutthroat. It's real. Yeah, I mean, a lot of, a lot of like you say, you dangle the bait. It's like finding, you know, finding a new girlfriend, a little text, a little teaser text, if she's interested, you know, you send it to your buddy. But it depends what you want to do. If you want to go to the briar, if your goal is to just win your province and go to the briar and you're happy to go there and

four and four and get steamrolled by the top dogs, you can build a decent team anywhere. If you want to be the best team in the world and beat Italy, Sweden, Scotland, you got to build super teams. That's what they got. They don't have boundaries of lines of provinces where they pick their guys from. Sorry, when did that start? After 2000, like in Canada or the world team gets real good.

I just think in Canada, because for a long time, it was that if you come out of northern Ontario and Saskatchewan and Manitoba and all that sort of thing. And then it was like, that guy's not from Manitoba. Yeah. That guy's not from, brothers playing from different provinces against each other this year. It all seemed like there were a few of those super team dream teams. And I think it rubbed some people the wrong way,

that that wasn't the spirit of the sport kind of a thing. But like you say, what do you want to do? You want to play for fun? Or do you want to play for dough and win the world? Yeah, that's what it was. The Canadian teams weren't going to the world and winning every year. Yeah. So we said, okay, enough of the boundaries.

And not all of our best players live in the same place. Some of them are 39, some of them are 30 that have kids and wives and jobs. Like, we have jobs. Yeah. If I didn't have a job and I could just pack up and move somewhere and make sick Schmell, see you later. What was the first team that would have really done that in Canada? And been successful with it to the point where I don't know if I like the way they did it,

but it worked. No, we got to do it. Yeah, I mean, my team in 2019 with Kui, we won the Breyer and lost the world final, which was really good, with BJ Neufeld flying in from Manitoba. Yeah. Then Gushu's lead, who had lived in Newfoundland left, moved back to Edmonton. He's still doing it with two guys.

As one guy lives in Northern Ontario. So basically, you need to have three out of four players that live where you live. You can have one flying player, just an import rule. And then they also have like a birth rule where if you're born somewhere. Like I could play in Sasky now, no matter where I live the rest of my life because I was born there. Sure. That's kind of how they do it. They just do it to kind of keep as much pace with the world as it.

they can with keeping the briar in check and the Scotty's because that's how currently Canada makes all their money. They're great events. They are awesome events. Guys, Scoties is in Calgary next year. Really? C-O-P.

You know what I'm going to do? I'm going to take you boys down for a low pint. All right. Hey, you know what? I like it because I'm not, you guys hang out with all the big dogs in Calgary. Oh yeah.

Bobby Big Whelan, right? Guys, I can't wait to walk into a Scotty's or a briar with you guys. I am, I am, I am legit. Like,

like there's only so many places I'm legit. old folks home and the Scotty's in the Briar Patch. That's like me of Duttons boom, right? That's like our guys that drink beer after a game. The old pockets. I'm going to wheel into the Scotty's with you next year and you guys can be my photographer. It'll be beautiful. A Mustang with the grandmothers.

What do you say? A Mustang with the Cougars and we'll bring a camera. And so that'll be Mark and McPhail, the nice beautiful barn at the end. Yeah. Yeah. It doesn't be used enough. It's a beautiful facility. Oh, yeah.

I played in the COP like men's league there for five. six years when I first moved to Calgary, the hockey league there. It's good. It's cool when the rink is done up for a big curling event. You got all the, you know, tarps and drapes and the flowers and everything. It's cool. And because it just felt like we had one in Brandon every year. And to be in behind the scenes and to see how it's all set up, it's awesome. It's a cool event. I'm sure how was London? Unreal. Yeah. Unreal. Pact. Patch was awesome. Absolutely jammed. Downtown London. Awesome restaurants nearby. It was one of the best Breyer's I played in in a long time. It was really, really good.

So is that the Primo-sized venue? Like that's sort of 8 to 12,000? You know what's, what's killed and grown curling substantially is it's such a good TV? Because when I played in the Breyer in Edmonton in 2013, and then the Briar and Calgary in 15, like they're selling out the saddle dome. Or like 15,000 like that. Lower packed. Lower and half the upper, which is like guys. Because that's what happened. It was in. It was in Brandon, Keystone Center about 5,000, but it just, it got too big. Yeah.

You could go to the NHL-sized rings. And I think what happened was, you know, we joke about the demo of curling, but I mean, we're great for all those fans. They give us the TV numbers, which eventually, you know, gets, get us paid and gets, get our sport and some money in it. So what happened was it's so great on TV that a lot of people started staying home watching on TV. You know what?

It's really similar to the CFL. You know, I'm a dialed CFL fan, you know, my buddy Bull with Calgary and I grew up in Regina, so it's the thing. Man, crowds in the CFL the last few years have been terrible, but guess what? Product on TV is amazing. It's so good TV numbers. It's so good. And I would say this.

It would be like if the CFL, if you had, and they started doing this a bit with the mic'd-up games, but like to hear the strategy, that is almost unavailable for any other sport on TV. Like you will hear more at home on TV about strategy and what's going on with these teams than you will sitting in row 30 or having a beer. So I see what you're saying. But we do, there's a typical venue now for the Briars between six, seven, seven to ten thousand. seats. Scotty's is about, you know, four to six kind of deal just because the TV viewership is so great.

But TV viewership drives just as much marketing dollars as does to get some butts in the seats. So, you know, give and take, you know, we love playing in front of full barns. It's exciting, but I understand the business side of it. And as, by the way, miced up.

Yeah. Who are you kidding? Could you imagine? Could you fucking imagine if they miced up NHL, MLB? Like, guys, we're not like, we're not miced up with a delay. No, I know.

We're miced up with. It's live. You'll hear some muttered F. Keep it legit. Like, I would, I would love if a big professional sports was live. I played rec hockey last night. Why did live mic on me? I'm in jail.

Yeah, you can't. You can't say that. You can't say that. Suttering fits. It's awesome and it's fun, but they can't do that. You'd have to be very careful. And, you know, he'd currently, like, you drop the odd F bomb, whatever. And it's sport, it's live.

It would be amazing if they did that in a true. You remember 24-7 series? HBO did when Crosby, Ovechkin, they kind of did the outdoor classic thing. Man, that was a-ch-Roe. God, was that a good doc. Man, they screwed that all up when they took it away from HBO. Man, it brought it in-house, and then it was like,

there's no more swearing. Like, well, this just doesn't feel real. Like, that was as close as you could get to live mic, Mike, true behind the scenes. It was so good. And those came out weeks after, right? It was not live, to your point. Yeah.

That's so, yeah. Now, when you're watching and other guys are miced up, is there, is there ever, you don't need to name names because I'm not looking to throw anybody under the bus, but is there ever a time? It's like, this guy doesn't know what the fuck he's doing. Like strategy wise? Yeah, it's like, no, you're not, fucking making that. No, you're not, what are you thinking?

Our sports, our curling team is not different than any of their sport team. We sit back in the room and play cards and chirp everybody on TV and make fun of everyone else. And, you know, everyone does it to everybody. Oh, what if we, so what do you think here? Yeah, good luck with that. Yeah, I mean, no, not, not. Because the guys that are playing on TV that we're playing at the Briar, like, they're good.

Yeah, I guess. I mean, the odd time, they make mistakes, but so do we. So, no, we don't keep it kind of clean in that, that department. But as far as strategy goes, the guys at that level all know what they're doing. Yeah. So does, do you see blowouts at that level? Because everybody's so good. Like, do you?

Oh, yeah. And what leads to that? Is it just one, is it one shot? because I just wonder when you have that high end of talent, game in, game out, you've got to be so good that you just represent yourself. You don't get your doors blown off, but you do, you say. Yeah, well, the Briar and the Scotty's, although it has that huge, massive high end of talent, it really has a low end of talent as well.

Yeah, like the Nunavut or the Northwest Territories type setups. You know, it's an equal opportunity for all provinces, and not all provinces have a top tier team. So, I mean, at the Briarer, you have six really, really good teams. teams. Scotty's actually a little deeper this year. They probably had eight, but there's 18 teams. Yeah. So when you see blowouts, it's just due, but like I say, the business side of it is equal for everybody to get in. If Nova Scotia comes to the briar or the Scoties or P-EI and they suck, but all their fans come and the Nova Scotias are wearing their rain hats they wear and Northern

Ontario's coming with their moose calls and Northwest Territories are coming with their polar powers. They're like, guys, it's the best. Yeah. They know they're there for a short period of time. I don't think their goal is to get there and win, but they get to experience the Breyer and the Scotty's. They get to come play against the best teams in Canada on TV in a sold-out barn. And if I, as one of the top guys that can win it, have to sacrifice dummying a couple club teams throughout the week to play in those scenarios. You get the most calls? Yeah.

I'm all in. Like, we play in Grand Slams where we play the top 16 teams in the world. There's only five Canadian teams in those. Yeah. And it's American, Sweden, Scotland, yada, yada. We battled the top. Those are hard events. Like, you never get a break.

I don't mind Monday morning, Tuesday afternoon with the Briar going, I'm going to sleep through this one. You know, like leaning a lot of energy towards the end of the week. And it is what it is. But it's good for the business of our sport. It's not best on best for Canadian championship. Some things you've got to kind of little give and take. I'm a little more easy going with my old age and knowledge in the sport now.

And so when did the wild cards start happening? Because that's a way that you can, again, expand the field, bring more teams in, bring more revenue in, but also, again, it allows for better teams to get together. Like thinking about winning Alberta versus winning Yukon. I mean, it's not even close. There'd be five teams in Alberta, probably better than the best team in a lot of provinces in this country. Just throwing out numbers. So the wild card helps alleviate that.

What do you think? Well, it was a COVID thing, like all the Bush League shit that COVID did to everybody was, you know, brutal and businesses, etc. But, you know, a couple small positives maybe that came out of it. it. One, I guess, was the curling. The wild card. Yeah, the wild card. So basically what happened was they used to have one team from Northwest Territories, Yukon, none of it. They had one team from Ontario and they didn't have a team Canada. Yeah. Like, you know what? We need to be equal for everybody. One team from none of it. One from Yukon. One from NWT. One from Northern Ontario. One

Ontario and team Canada. I'm like, well, us, Kui, Martin, you know, Dunstone, like, we're all playing out of the same provinces where these knee sliders get to go play at the Canadian championships and the best teams in the world aren't going to be there. Knee slider. So, so currently Canada said, okay, well, we're going to have wild card entries where the top three teams on points throughout the season that don't get in, get an opportunity to play for Canadian championship. And now there's only been, there's been three.

So far, the wildcard teams have got second, first, and third. Yeah. The wildcard teams are great. Has to be done. They're the best teams. It's great. Like in Ontario, sorry, in Manitoba women's is like Jen Jones, Carrie Anderson, and Caitlin Los, four of the top six teams in Canada,

all are in Winnipeg. Have to do it. So, anything, it's good for the sport. Well, and like you say, like now there's more juicy matchups at the Briar. Oh, yeah. More juicy matchups at the Scotty. Like, Scotties, it makes sense to do this.

Yeah, if you want to talk about blowouts, if they didn't have wild cards. Yeah. And they had three top teams. That would be a bad scene. But no, they've done a good job. What's the rivalry like? Because I, there's got to be.

And it's just like in anything in your workplace or whatever. But how are the teams, do you hate some? guys. Is there some rinks that you just can't stand? I just remember guys hated Randy Furby and they just guys are, who is the, who is the asshole? The asshole rink. Is it you guys? I don't, no, I'm not, not an asshole like mean to people. I would say rivalries 100% hate. Like, I don't, hate is deep. Yeah. I don't know if like. Yeah. Hate's harsh. You know, like, we know these guys so good. You play on tour. It's like golf. You know, same guys every single weekend playing for the money.

And rivalries based off wins and losses. To have a rivalry, you have to win some and lose some. It can't be the same team winning all the time. But, yeah, I mean, there's some teams I love beating. To be honest, it's the best teams. I don't get excited out of beating New Brunswick. Yeah. Like, Christ.

Because I wanted if some of that kind of spawned from the dream team trying to bring in high-price talent, you know how much they're paying that guy to play for it? That whole thing, I think, is a lot worse. it started. Yeah, I mean, like, like in Canada, I want to be Gushu. Yeah, because he's the dog. And we have. I mean, we, you know, we beat Gushu in the Briar final in 16. He beat us in 17. We beat in Olympic trials in 18. We beat him in 19. He beat us in 20. We beat them in 21. He beat us in 22, 23. See, that's just a good rivalry. So, so, so I don't hate him. I respect him. I want to end him. Like, yeah, curling. Curling is like, you know, curling is not like none of us play other sports.

Like I played university football. I played some decent hockey. Like a lot of athletes out there that have that competitive fighting. It's not like we're not shaking hands and hugging and kissing and curling. The guys at the top level are really good, really good athletes. I think it would shock people. And that's kind of part of it because it is so, once you get to that level and it's so competitive and everyone's so good and the margin is so small that, yeah, the desire to win and the hatred of losing to him

or them is really, really. Because I wrote it down, it sounds kind of funny to say, but because it's so good for television, it's miced up, the countries and the fans are so eclectic and all of that. You could do a F1 reality. Do you know what I mean? Hey, don't joke about that.

I'm not even joking. Last week at the Breyer, they talked about doing a behind-the-scenes doc with six men's and six women's teams and doing a full one to sell them. And I'm like, that'd be great. Because to bring that attention to our sport,

We talked about bringing the younger demo, behind the scenes, the rivalries, who you love, who you don't love, you know, the stuff that goes on. Like, there's some great characters in our sport. But it needs to be seen. Yeah, if you had that, the characters and the fan base and because, and there is that drama, right, which was what makes good television. You get into the final part. You're watching every show, like the whole thing. But because the characters are so good, if you got the honesty from the athletes where it's like, I can't stand. Oh, yeah.

It would really work, I think. The women would be hilarious because they can all know all the females in our sport. And they're wicked athletes. But like them and us, they're all working. Like the guys are kind of like, like this is how I feel right now. I think I could curl with anybody if we would win. Yeah. Like I could be like, sure.

I fucking hate playing that guy. God, he Brad Marchant, but I really want to have more my goddamn team. Right? Like, God, I would love to play with them because he's so damn good. Like the women would not go for that. You know, like they're in their sport. there's some good rivalries there too. So if they did both sides,

they'd have to come out of our shell a little bit and be a little honest, which I don't have a problem being honest. I can be pretty honest. It does sound like it. No, but yeah, it would be great. I'd love to see it, but like you say, you know how the world turns, you need some funds for that kind of stuff.

I guess so, see what happens. But the, yeah, over the years, there's been some great stories that have come from that. And then I was going to ask you about it because there was a time there. It felt like there was so much, you know, marriages were being told,

and apart. These, you know, these, these, these, these, these, these, these, these, these, these, these, these, these, these, these, these, things are going all over the, all over the country. and it's all of a sudden, no, I think he's fooling around with her while she's fooling around with him. Well, I did, like, it was, it was, it was some seedy stuff. The old curling circuit still is probably.

You know, not you, because you're a fucking great guy. Yeah. You know, I would, yeah. Back in, back in the day, like, when we were firing up in juniors and just getting going, yeah, drinking and partying and chasing girls and having fun. But, like, it's, it's, when I say the game with the Olympics and the Olympics and the money and stuff coming in, man, it's changed so much. Yeah.

We don't even see teams out on the road anymore. Like if we went for a beer at the local hotel, there's nobody there. Is that right, eh? So it's very, no, hey, has there been some love connections on the tour? Like, there's a whole bunch of curlers that are married. I can guess where they met. Yeah. If that's where you're going, but, you know, you'd be, you'd be surprised.

It's not, it's not the Wild West like it used to be. That's for sure. Well, and so you talk about, you know, stakes being higher and that changes everyone's, totally get that. That makes sense everywhere. what would an Olympic year, Briar, World Championships, Olympic gold, like monetarily mean to a team

versus second at the briar and you don't get to go to the other events? Like financially, that gap. Do you want me to check my deposits from last week what we got for third? Wow. Because I know what the winner got too. Well, but it's that to another degree in Olympic year.

Like, to your point, the stakes are so high, you can't be losing that 1% edge. It might be the difference, right? Canadian government for winning the Olympics gives you 20,000 for gold. I think it's 15,000 for silver and 10 for bronze. Which, by the way, right? That's what it is.

Do I got a story. So we win the Olympics 2010. Okay. I'm like 26 years old. This is Vancouver. Vancouver. Living in Regina at the time with my girlfriend. Wasn't exactly like, well, not like I'm a baller now, but I didn't really have

any money. I got a $20,000 check from the government, like a government check, like the GST poor person check that I got, right? for my kids. Like, 20 grand. I'm like, well, I don't really want to blow this.

I know I'm going to blow this. I want to buy something with it to say, I got something with my Olympic money. Right? Yeah. So I went and bought a brand new truck. And I had at the time, like an SUV,

traded in, paid fucking cash for a truck. On 26, I'm feeling real cool. I got no car payment on Bobby Big Wheeling and Regina, right? Okay,

all good. That seemed like June. Kind of got my money in May by a brand new truck, paid debit for it, feeling like a legit guy. next year comes along, I get a income tax slip from the government for my check. I owed six grand.

Oh, that's right. So I'm like, why didn't they just give me 14 grand? Yeah. God damn it. Just take it at the beginning. I didn't know. So no, Olympics, the money is... It'd be the sponsorship, not the government check.

Jeez, if you're an Olympic champion, you're a TV commercials. You get to wear these hearing loss clinic shirts and they pay you to represent their brand and wheel around. And, you know, be a spokesperson, you know, talk to some kids, do some clinics, do their golf. You know, the drill, right? So that's kind of where the money comes in in our sport. The briar pays well. If you win the briar, you get a card, like a card of athlete. Like no different.

Like with the skiers, bobsledders, women's hockey team would get. And then there's a cash prize up front. I think if you win the briar, it's like $100,000. So we got, I think we got $40,000. I got $10,000 last week. There you go. Do you know how long 10 grand last me in my house with my kids playing sports? No.

I would say probably three weeks, maybe? Well, you were talking about groceries earlier. That's about a month of groceries. I'm going, it's my, Hey, boys, it's my birthday tomorrow. I was going to say, we got some. So my, my, my, my, my mom and dad asked me what I'm doing for my birthday tomorrow. I said, well, I'm taking my kids to Edmonton.

We're going to the West Edmonton mall. Got a theme room. Oh, nice. I didn't get a theme room for me. Or I wouldn't have my kids there. Be me and my wife with a theme room. So it's me and my kids in a gut in bunk beds in a theme room. We're going to the oiler game with Botch, Brennan Botcher and his son are coming a couple of

dad's off the team. And then I got a hockey tournament in Sherwood Park for my kids. I said, for my birthday, I think I'm spending about 1,500 on my kids. How's that? So now I'm down, now I'm down 8,500 from the briar. Okay? It's not, uh, they're going to tax that too, just a heads up. Yeah, I'm not, uh, I'm not retiring anytime soon after Curlin's done. If you guys were curious. No, that's what I was going to say we got, uh, I told Jared, I said, uh, the boy is having a birthday tomorrow. Oh, yeah. And he's turning 40. So I was going to say, you doing stuff more for your kids, less for you.

It's like that's, welcome to your 40s. Good to see you. Welcome to the friggin club. I know, I get it. I get it. So you really, what did you say? 43, 40s? I want to play one more, I want to play one more Olympic run.

This is my first year of the quad. I'm going to play three more. And I've been pretty open to saying I think I'm going to be done. I need one of these young leads to just to beat you. Yeah. Be better than me. Okay. I just,

I'm not going to pretend like they're there yet, but you know what? Listen, it's not bragging when it's true. You're still the best at your position. How do you walk away? Yeah. And it's not like I,

and I don't want to quit either, guys. Yeah. Hey, I have a real job. I know what that's about. Yeah, not as deadly. So, you know, if I can continue to play at a high level, I just don't have it in me to,

do the end of the career being terrible thing because I'm too much of a psychopath and I will go crazy doing that. So if I can't be good, like I just got to exit stage left, which I'm going to have some good opportunities in the sport to stay in curling. I would love to potentially get into some broadcasts and with TSA, and N or sports setting and call some of the games and, you know, give some of my knowledge and knowing the players, I think I could bring some value there. Like so many things I could do after in the sport, which I do want to do. I mean, it's not easy. It's not like playing the games. is not hard for me. The games to go out and play the games and play in front of 11,000 at the

Briar, guys, it's a joke. It's like, this is like, I live here. Every single day at the Glencoe for two hours, crushing my knees and shoulders practicing so that when I get there, I can play good. That's fucking hard. I was going to ask that. That is hard. Because you're at this level and to stay at that level, it doesn't just happen. No. What's, what's a week, November, December, January, during the season, what does a regular week look like for you? Well, before I go, But here today, I was at the Cairo and my massage therapist getting my shoulder fixed from the briar. You know, like, that's kind of what happens. You play 13 games in nine days.

You're 10-end games and battles. But normally we're practicing four or five days a week and the days you're not on the ice, you're in the gym. Like my young teammates, they'll work out through a rock same day, no problem. I'm like, okay, good luck, guys. More. See you later. I'm like, I take LeBron James load management days big time. Okay.

And my other two teammates are 30 and they're like, oh, we're practicing for two hours a day. I'm like, who's we? Yeah. I got my quota and I'll be make sure I'm ready for the game. Yeah. So it just changes with that, but you've got to work a little smarter. That sounds like all sports, doesn't it? Yeah. So the 2026 Winter Olympics are in Milano Cortina.

This is Italy. So this is the, you've given you yourself the window here. That is the next Winter Olympics to come. And that is, that's the Holy Grail for you at this point, I imagine. I mean, I would love to win a couple more briars or a briar and some slams along the way. You know, I certainly don't want to end my career with it because the guys, the team I'm on now is not built for win second and third and fourth places. That's not why we put the team together. Like we want to win.

So love to win a briar or two. Certainly I'd love to go back to another Olympics and give that another shot. But that's kind of my window I've given myself where I know I can compete and the body can stay sharp and still do well. And I'll just say we'll see you after that. Like I don't really know. My guys, they're not going to cut me. I'm like, guys, here's the deal. I'm not cutable.

So if you want me, if you, if you want me to leave, you're going to say something really dumb on this show if you're going to get cut. I'm quitting. I'm quitting before you cut me. But if they wanted me to keep playing and I was playing good, like I would, I would consider. If we went to the Olympics and were the Olympic team, I'm going to come back. I'm doing victory lap. Hey, I'll show you the patch that year.

If we're going to victory lap, I will turn the clock back. But that's, uh, that might be the only way I'm doing it. Yeah. So you mentioned broadcast. I mean, clearly it's something that's been on your radar for a long time. You did the podcast with Bo Levi Mitchell. Trickier when he's in Hamilton, but we do a podcast with a guy in Buffalo, so it can be done. Not far from Hamilton, I know.

This is possible. Maybe we could do, you know, they'll be in one studio. We'll just kind of do it all in one fell swoop kind of deal. Yeah, I mean, well, one, you guys do such a great job, and we're not pros at that. Like, we do it for fun. It was amazing to do. we get to meet some cool people. To me honest with you,

it was more of a learning experience than anything else for us. You're sitting behind the mic on this side. Yeah, yeah. You know, the production and everything that happens here and, you know, the sponsors, the business side of it, man, it's your job, right? Yeah.

And guess what? We did it for fun and it turned into a bit of a job. There's a lot of work and to do a good job. Now, we had some great success with it, to be honest with you. The numbers we did were great in the podcast world. The guests we got were amazing. Me and Bo loved it.

I still, when I go to the Briarer this week, people in Ontario, why don't you bringing the podcast back? And Bo was at the Grey Cup, you got the same shit. But we got to figure it out. It's not easy to do when you're playing. Like, I'm playing,

we play, we play different seasons. The reason, we had an opportunity to renew year two, I was uninterrupted out of Toronto. And basically it came down to selling some sponsors and putting it a little more time. And I just,

I was actually the one that bailed. But Bo wanted to do it. Yeah. Yeah, because I fucking do everything. That's why Boe wanted to do it. Weird. So I'm like, and I was a former of a sponsor.

Right. how that works. CFL quarterback, curling lead. I'm doing all the damn work, right? But I just didn't really have the time to do it. And I was super busy getting going with my new team. You know, doing our partner deals, our sponsorships getting going.

But now that he's, you know, he's going to be in Hamilton and he's settled and we're here with my new team after year one, you know, he actually already called me when he signed there. And we've had some discussions about potentially bringing it back. You know, similar to, you know, once every couple weeks, lifestyle pod, talk about some sports, talk about the CFL, curling, all the jazz.

you know, dabble in the gambling world, which we did last time, which was a lot of fun. But stars would have to align. It would have to be a reasonable deal for us to do it. But it's certainly on the table. He's brought it up. I don't want to be in competition to you guys. You're too smooth. Stop.

You're too pro. You're not wrong. If you want to do it relatively well, it's, you have to work at it. Oh, yeah. It doesn't just put itself together. And people think you just sit down and crack the mics and the way you go. We had, we had the exact same setup as this. Fancy as hell.

We had a producer, editor. sound guys like me and Bo, if we did our own show the two of us, it would last about a week. Maybe, maybe 10 days. Like, we had a full team doing it for us. They did a great job. And there's something like that again that popped up and we had an opportunity to make some money. And if you honest with you, whoever hosted it, like, they're going to make some money. It's a business.

It's a job. So if there was an opportunity for that, we would certainly consider it. So we'll see. So take us back to last year. You talk about seasons are not, you know, aligned and, you know, you both have other jobs. I feel like it would probably have been some candid comments with you and Bo about like should we keep doing this when he's the star quarterback in Calgary that does get benched and the stamps move along and we can all see like the grains of sand and Bo Levi Mitchell stampeder hourglass there's not many left like you don't want to be a distraction for your team you in curling season Bow and football season like that's a tight wire you had to walk last year yeah well you You know, we had, it just so happened when our one year was up. We decided to take a break when he went down because he went south for the winter.

Okay. So when he came back, it was his last year of his contract. We knew that. I knew Jake was breathing down his neck and he knew it too. Like, he was comfortable saying, like, I got to have a good year. And he basically went into camp that year thinking, I'm going to have to earn the job. Yeah. And he outplayed Jake and got the job.

It's a whole different story. I think he got, I think you got the raw end of the deal last year. I think you saw it at the end of the year what happened. You know, long as that's a different time. But we got to it and renewing when after he got, you know, benched, we had decided prior to that we weren't going to do it. And more so, well, I decided I didn't want to do the business side of it. And then I, as his buddy, I was like, you know, big year for you.

Yeah. You know, focusing. Because if you do good in the football and I do good in the curling, this shit's always going to be there for us. Yeah. Like we can do this and do, like, there's not a lot of athletes that do it while they're currently playing, right? Yeah. A lot of them to do it afterwards.

But then you're in a, then you're in a cluttered, space with a whole bunch of retired athletes that are doing it. I thought the unique thing with me and Bo was. We were still playing. We still had that unique, you know, connection as buddies in different sports. And we had a different perspective to bring because we were still competing. And I just didn't think that with him having to earn his job and earn to stay here, it was a good time for him to do it.

And he still thought he wanted to do it, but I just said no. I mean, in the end, it worked out for him. You got a good deal in Hamilton. And I'd like to do the show. We literally, this is a weird I was here, but we were talking about, yesterday. So I got a whole bunch of things running through my head, but we'll see. We'll see if it works out. It's a weird spot when you, when you're that athlete, I'm guessing, but you're the athlete and you're beloved. And then there's that little kind of window near the end where it's,

you know, some fans start to turn on you and you learn who's on your side and not. And then you don't really want to be in public because it's a tough. And then all of a sudden, once it's over and you move on, everybody loves you again. And, you know, you're renowned. He's one of the greatest guys ever. And that's what it will be for bow, right? It's he's the greatest quarterback to play for the team. And no one will forget that. And he will never, you know, never buy drinking town again, that sort of thing. But it is hard. It's kind of the, it's the other side of sports with, with fans, and especially now, you go on social media, whatever, and they'll love you one week and you lose one game, you have one bad throw, and it's over.

So I think it would be it would be tough as an athlete to To have that sense of worth How quickly you can go from being the man to just we don't want to see Why are you still here? Well, and that's why I even say about the curling why I want to be done at 42 I just I just already know I could be very very dominant 42 And I wouldn't want to go out like that I don't think Bo wanted to go out like that either

And for the people that don't know like you know he's my buddy I don't look at him as the quarterback we're friends and he didn't lose his because Jake was better than Bo. Look at the goddamn tape. Bo lost. Bo wasn't at Bo's level. Yeah, and it wasn't even that. I don't even think it was that.

Like, I think if you look back at last year, Bow's better quarterback. He's better quarterback today. He's not a better quarterback in five years' time, and they went for the future. This is the business of sport. Look at these guys that are in the NHL on the fourth line that want to make $2.7 million.

There's a guy in the A that can come up on an entry-level contract and make $9. 900K who does the job just as good. Still developing them. Let's go. Exactly. I think you saw at the end of last year, the bull went in the playoffs and lit it up. And everyone's like, oh my God. It's like, well, they didn't, they didn't,

they weren't, they weren't going that route. You know, so you got a little bit of a bad, you know, thinking he got benched because he wasn't playing good. I don't, I don't think that was the case. Yeah. Who's the better golfer? I know you guys like to get out there and mix it up. It's not close.

It's me. See the way he scratch his back. Yeah, I was going to say, you patting yourself in the back or the h. What's going on? No, we play a lot of golf together. We played men's night just in Chesterner. Actually, how we originally met was during COVID when his season got canceled.

Yeah. He never played a bunch of courses in Calgary. And I'm like, buddy. Let's go. I got some digits in my phone. We're going to call some peeps. We played everywhere. Play the country club.

I'll tell him, Bowley. Play the Glenco. Yeah. Look, I went out with him and Gio. Where do we go? We went to, we went to Harmony. We went to Heritage. We went to Canyon.

Yeah. And we were doing some stuff with ATB and John. And kind of we were all ambassadors at the time. And I'm like, go play. And so we go there and they comp us. And to, hey, let's be clear. When I go to these places with me and my like, they're not comping me. I'm paying my hundred bucks. But hey, getting on a private course. I'm jacked. Yeah. We go with the boys. They're comp. So we, I think we went to Heritage and

did it. We had a fun time. Had some beers. Went to Carmi. Went to Carme. We went to Canyon. We finally get to the canyon. Geo goes, holy shit. All you get to do is play golf of Benny Hebes and your comp. I'm like, oh, fuck, he's become. Yeah. Yeah. I'm just like, I, I like the company I'm in right now. No, you're right, Gio. That's exactly how it works. It's funny. The more money you make, the less you have to buy beer and golf.

It doesn't seem fair. But we had a fun little summer, teened up. And he's actually a pretty good golfer bowl. We got a deal with a cobra, Puma, Puma in town. Teed up. We got fitted a few weeks ago. So, yeah, he hits it, he hits it 350, 360. He's really?

Very deep. Erratic. Sheen, always straight. Yeah. But I clip them, but we have some good battles. Nice. So, I mean, enjoy, enjoy your birthday. How do you?

you feel about turning 40? I feel great, man. Yeah. My wife, someone's like, I don't know. How did I feel about turning 37, 3?

I don't know. I felt like, I felt like, because of curling and sweeping and like getting after it and my body being broke for like the last 10 years. Like,

how can it be more broke? I've been, I've been, my shoulder's been ruined since I've been like 28. It's like now it just, I get a little more treatment than I'm back to equally sore.

Yeah. I feel great. Really sore. Feel great. Yeah. Just like, 40. Just like,

It's just like normal. Yeah. Yeah, it's all good. Well, thanks for coming in, man. It's good to see you. I know we've been talking about doing this for months, so I'm glad that it finally kind of worked out. You know what?

Flames lose. Slow news week. You bring me in. Dude, huge news week. Briar just wrapped up. I like that. Studio's looking tight. Studios looking tight.

Show's good, by the way. We need a three-shot or a wide shot. There's been a lot of things moving around. Looks good. Jared and Princey and everybody. You never know. You come in here. Oh, okay.

Couches are over there. and we got some TVs over here, that sort of thing. I've heard a few people around. I actually had a, someone put it on Instagram this morning. My phone was blowing up. Holy fuck, you're Hollywood. You're on the big show today. Oh, my God.

Here we go. So, yeah, there you get. People are listening. They like the show. Oh, thank you for that. That's awesome. And congrats on your success, man. It's, again, like I said,

it's to be at that level for that long, you've got to feel awfully great. And obviously, you're oozing confidence. And I know you're kind of being the tongue and cheek and playing with it. But to feel like and to be one of the best, if not the best in the world at what you do, has got to be so satisfying. Congrats on that. And like you say, until someone to be the man, you got to beat the man, as Rick Flair would say.

And until that happens, you're the man. So we appreciate that. We appreciate having you. And best luck. You said the two big events left. Toronto and then you said one more in Toronto. So you're going to the big city and then you're going home. I love it.

And we're team it up. Awesome. Yeah. Thanks, Benny. We'll see you this off season. Let's go. Let's go. Benny Bear.

Good guy. Not a D-level celebrity. Not a D-level. In the patch? We're talking. Oh, there. It's like Bradgelina all drammed together. It needs security.

Good luck to get there. A couple things before we run. We'll get to our Betway bets of the day. A reminder, the coming up, we are going to have our playoff draft, the inaugural Barnburner playoff draft at Grey Eagle Casino on the 14th. of April, which, as you mentioned earlier, oddly enough right before the playoffs. Perfect timing. Playoffs announced yesterday.

We'll start on the 17th, the Monday. We're going to the draft on the Friday. It's as though we... It's like we can do the draft, have a two-day hangover and be ready for playoff hockey on Monday. It's perfect. We will have the teams going on sale, excuse me, very quickly, in support of kids' sport, as you see there. Kevin Webster and the guys and girls at kids' sport are going to be helping us out with that. So awesome.

Really looking forward to getting some people together, having the podium, set up the draft tables. It's going to be a good one. There's nothing like it. Yeah. Because everyone has a fantasy league or has been in a pool, but I would suggest that 99% of the people watching this show have never had lanyards and tables and been like a real draft. Yeah, milling the table. And it's like, oh, look, here's, Brian Burke's going over to talk to Brian Murray.

It's the Jared Cowan, Nazim Codry conversation. Oh, Trillivings got, De Dubus, has got two phones. I mean, it's going to be unbelievable. I can't wait. It's a real draft floor. We'll have the details coming up. Today is what Wednesday. So we'll know, we'll have stuff here,

but we just want to keep it in the front of your mind and tell you that it is coming. And we expect, you know, fingers crossed, but we expect that it's going to be a sold-out event. So we're looking forward to getting that going. Contact the Wolverine. If you have any ideas. Yeah, if you would like sponsorship.

Splash your name. Opportunities. You can get a hold of jarrod at the nation network. Dot com. Tomorrow being Thursday, I'm not sure what we're going to do with Rhett, but we have Ask Rhett for Hope Street. Maybe he can wedge a 10 or 15 minute part of his morning for us. That'd be awfully good of him.

And he was kind of lukewarm on Friday. It sounded like, yes, tomorrow's a no. So maybe that gets moved. But I think we'll just have to get a hold of him in Nashville, which shouldn't be hard at all. There's the email, AskRet at Flamesnation.ca. Every Thursday, we bring your questions to the man himself. Askeret at Flamesnation.C.A.

Presentation of Hope Street Rental Property Management. And we will put a bow on things today with our betwee bets of the day. There are four games in the NHL tonight. I don't know. What's that noise all about? I'm not sure.

The Wild and the Blues, they have the over under set at six and a half. I'm going to take the under. It's not a huge... It's not a huge pay, but I just wonder if that one's tighter than six and a half. I'll play a lot of tight hockey. I'm just going to just sprinkle a little bit there.

And it's Buffalo at Washington. Washington's not exactly super tight defensively. I'm just going to go back to the well. And any time goal for Tage Thompson is plus money, I'm going to go there. Plus 135 for any time goal for Tage Thompson, who has scored a few goals this year. So that's how we're going today with my Betway Betts.

Don't mind that at all. I'm going to focus in on two not boring teams. two offensively talented teams and two teams that I think of Stanley Cup aspirations. It's Leifes hosting the avalanche who, of course, won the whole thing last year. We, Willie Nealander with a gorgeous goal laid against Buffalo, kept his point streak intact. I'm going two points paying 155 and Kilmacar's back looking like Kilmacar, which is horrible news for 31 other teams in the NHL. Two points from McCar in the center of the universe.

That pays plus 200. Those are the betway bets of the day. get that app on your phone, play along, B-19, all of that sort of stuff. We thank Betwey for being a part of what we do here. And we thank you for being a part of what we do here. Big thanks to Benny Hebes coming in. And yeah, if you've got some curling pals in your life,

share it. Let's go. We'll be back with the Thursday show. Like. Tomorrow. And subscribe and like and subscribe. And whaler suck. And we'll see you tomorrow, buddy. That's what Red would say.

That's Barnberg. There's. Goodbye. Bye for now. Thank you. Thanks, Alex. Thank you.