OverDrive - OverDrive - August 21, 2026 - Hour 1 - Mike Miller

Episode Date: August 21, 2026

Join Jim Tatti and Dave Feschuk for Hour 1 on OverDrive! The guys discuss the Jays’ series win against Tampa Bay, what a successful season would look like for the Maple Leafs, Toronto Argonauts Head Coach Mike Miller joins to discuss their CNE weekend matchup against the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and the team’s performance, and Dave Feschuk plays Yes Guy, No Guy!

Behind every night spent making the kids' lunches, there's a lot of suspense. Will they finally eat the veggies? Will the pasto survive the first bite? Will the lunchbox come home empty, half full, or come home at all? And will you finish episode 8 before you're done slicing the cucumbers? Get Bell Pure Fiber Internet with Craved Netflix and Disney Plus from $94 a month. Price guaranteed for two years on internet with a two-year term and auto pay credit. Visit bell.com for details and to check availability.

Bell, connection is everything. Power of Overdrive is powered by Fandool. Fan Duel, bringing you everything from the opening line to the final score. Oh, yes, Guy, Mail It in Friday, Kim Taddy, and Dave Pestchuk. The definition of Mail and in Friday. We're back together. The Postman. We always deliver on Mail and in Friday.

Yes, indeed. Yeah. None of those boxes right to the front door. Yeah, I've had some real problems with deliveries lately. Guys just delivering stuff to the guys across the street. said of my house, it becomes a problem. One of my favorites is the delivery attempt failed. It was like, no, it was no attempt.

Because in the building, you didn't call up. You didn't go through security. No attempt. I know what you mean. And then if you get like an Amazon thing, they'll send you the photo of the alleged package on your alleged front door. And then you point out, that's not my front door. But then you try to figure out whose front door is that?

If you're walking around to your neighbors, like is that kind of looks like it's a very blurry photo generally because it's generally like a nighttime delivery so the resolution's not that great. Just before we launch in on social media when you scroll and you see the exploding paint filled or whatever that is. Yes. Whatever that, I mean, I can watch that for hours. That's pretty good. Yeah. There you go. Yeah. That's hopefully that's not what it would be what is being delivered to my neighbors. Overdrive is brought to you by Fandul, bringing you more ways to play your game your way. So coming up in the broadcast today, the Argos are at home to the Cats tomorrow night. Big game for the Argos back-to-back-back home games.

Ooh, so Mike Miller will be by the head coach of the Argos. So after that, yes, guy, no guy at 445 at 505, Steve Phillips talking about the Jays, among other things. Laddie is back. The Jays are in New York against the Yankees this weekend and suddenly can't lose a series. I don't want to put any curse on them there, but have won a lot of series against teams in their own division as well. So making some ground up, what's your take on the Jays of late?

I mean, there's a little bit of magic in the air, isn't there? It's a little bit of a team of destiny thing going on here. And I don't know if it's sustainable, Jim, because this is an offense that has been pretty abysmal most of the season. And yet they go into Tampa, a place that's been a very difficult spot for them to win. They hadn't won a series there since September of 2023. And they nearly sweep it, right? If not for Hesu Sanchez's missteps in left field, truly out in left field, you know, they probably do sweep the series. at 21 runs in three games.

This from a team that hasn't been able to score for most of the year. And they do it, of course, with their best player, highest paid player, face of the franchise, down and done Eden, doing a rehab stint. Yeah. But he's on his way back. And I was actually surprised to see him do that rehab stint. You would have thought that based on what he had, maybe he didn't have to do it. But I guess they had better safe than sorry.

Tyler Tafoli of the Sharks will be by at 530. Is there a more optimistic scene than the same? San Jose Sharks. Yeah, they're feeling good about themselves, aren't they? Yeah, they really are. And hey, if you got Macklin Celebrini as your franchise stalwart, a kid that looks like he's got the potential to be the next big thing, the next great thing, why wouldn't you be optimistic?

Yep. By the way, our producer today is Kerwin Boutelier. We call them Boots, and Boots has determined that the Leafs have no players heading into a contract year this season, and Boots did his research before the show and tells us no other team and the NHL could say that. Great research boots. Not an easy assignment. But it is

interesting that Cheika's kind of lined everything up to essentially for a lot of the contracts are lined up for two years from now, right? That's the window. Including two years. Including number 34th. Yeah. So which means that things have to start off on the right skate blade

right from the launch of the season. Or maybe you're rethinking the retool over rebuild, right? Because that's what we were talking about the other day, Pat Matt, is that, you know, everybody's saying, well, what are the expectations this year? And I was saying the expectations, well, fast start would be great, obviously. But to me, the expectations need to be a deep playoff run,

because that's been the narrative of the Matthews era is that, yeah, they get to the playoffs nine or ten times, literally nine years, and then they miss it once. But you've been searching for playoff success, not regular season success. And I think now people are saying, well, if they just make the playoffs, that'll be a success. But you're sort of losing the plot. because the whole the whole thesis of the Shannaplan era

was that this was a team that was a clockwork regular season juggernaut that just couldn't succeed in the playoffs. You know what? It's supposed to be a team that succeeds in their playoffs. And to lower the expectations now, what are you doing? If you're just making the playoffs, that's not really a success. No, I totally agree with that. It's a reset to the original premise was this team was built to go deep and now it should.

I don't want to be talking in the middle of November about the team finding its way. Right. We did that last year, and it never did find its way. No, I mean, you're supposed to know the way, and you will know the way a lot better, if indeed you have Chris Tanev back and healthy. If you have Matthews restored to his peak powers or something close, obviously what we've seen the past two years, how much of that was coach-induced, Barubei-induced, averaging 30 goals over the past two years under Burribi.

We're going to find out. We'll also find out if he's a declining athlete who just doesn't have it anymore. That could be the case. I personally don't believe that to be the case of me, but we have to see it to believe it, right? But if you get all those things happening, you get a healthy tentative. You get radish coming in on the blue line and making a big difference and proving he wasn't just a one-hit wonder and a contract year down in Tampa from which the Leafs decided to pay him big money, $8.5 million over eight years. if that happens.

If you get some production from guys, you know, the young guys, Easton Cowan takes a step and Gavin McKenna rolls in and does the things that you hope a number one overall pick can do in a league where teenagers are making impact nowadays, even though he's

just 18. Of all those things happen, Jim, and then you get something close to Prime Bobowski. And I understand he's not prime of age anymore, but they're hoping that he can turn around the fortunes that befell him last year when he had a really abysmal year as did the Panthers at large.

If all those things happened, like, what are you doing if not building a team that you think can go deep in the playoffs? I totally agree. And there's a couple of narratives I just don't want to participate in anymore. One of them is finding their way. And the other one is, well, if this guy could produce more, no, no, it's got

to be everybody. Yeah. All the units have to produce. They're not going to hang it on somebody who's, you know, five goals off his pace. That's a good point. He's not the reason why this team is, I mean, it has to be everybody. It has to be everybody. And look, for whatever reason last year, they were just discombobulated. I think

they just, they lost belief very quickly in each other. And there was just nothing there. There was no spirit to the group. That was tough, wasn't it? It was. It was tough to watch. There's so many different, so many different things you could point to from Anthony Stolars calling it the team in game six

to the lack of response in the Marner games, the fact that they had basically a week plus training camp during the Olympic break and they came out absolutely flat after the Olympic break when they still had a chance theoretically to get back in the race and then I could go on and on. Bottom line was just there just wasn't a spirit to that team last year

and we're going to find out why that was. Basically the only person that got blamed Jim was Craig Barubei. Yeah, yeah. And paid for it with his job. You're right. And the GM got cashed in, so that was done quickly. Yeah, I mean, but I guess Tree Living did too. You're right.

But I mean, Burrubay. was done immediately, so. Exactly. So there was no time to even analyze, but didn't work out there. Yeah, they hung it on the coach. So this year we're going to find out, I think it lines up well for Jim Hiller, because this team does have what seems like the profile of a team that can bounce back. And if he can inject the things that it's lacking with his coaching style, and we'll find out, he's got existing relationships within the room. Morgan Riley has been talking this week about the trust that Hiller built as an assistant coach during the Babcock era. That trusts,

still exists with some of the longest serving Leafs and that should help Hiller out of the gate to your point about a fast start. It's not like a foreign coach that they've never met before. Many of them, maybe some of them haven't, obviously, but Matthews knows them, Neelander knows him, Riley knows him,

and those are important things. I kind of like that and I hope there is a fast start and I have to believe that because of all the stumbles in the past, that if there is a fast start people won't rush to, now it's going to work out. They'll understand that it's just a fast start and it's not it doesn't guarantee

anything but it's just sort of an upgrade from where we've been so many times when Sheldon Keith was here are you going to November is you going to be around is you going to get fired and somehow they catch fire themselves and it work it out but then the playoffs let's sleep down a lot yeah yeah

yeah we know the record right yeah we know it's all there it's all there and easily recalled but I mean that's the thing about you know Boots does the research on the fact that nobody's in a contract year this year that could be good or bad. I mean, sometimes it's good to have guys I didn't say either way. Yeah. You know, maybe

there's a reason why nobody else has that to say, but you'd like some transition. But they've made enough transition that you should give it a two-year watch. But it gives, yeah, it gives them options, right? It gives them options in terms of moving on. And obviously a lot of this is going to hinge on what kind of a player Matthews still is.

And whether or not he's the kind of player that sort of can command, you know, command the direction of a franchise. If he gets back to be a 50-goal scorer who plays, like, a stalwart defensively, which he can be, you know, you do, you know, then you've got to be really hot on extending him as soon as possible and

sort of, you know, letting him lead the way. If he indeed is a declining asset, who just isn't the same athlete, because we've seen the numbers, like he doesn't skate as fast or he hasn't skated as fast in recent years as he did in his peak, he has shot the puck as hard as he did at his peak. Like if he's just not the same guy anymore because of all the wear and terror, you know,

that we know about the shoulder and the back and the trips to Germany, or the trip at least, singular, to Germany for a drink from the German fountain of youth that so many athletes like to indulge in. We know all about that stuff, and there's lots of we don't know because Austin Matthews doesn't like to share a lot of the other stuff. If he's just not that guy anymore, then you've got to rethink this entire operation. So allow some pessimism to creep into your thought process here, but of all the things that the Leafs have going for them.

What's the most positive for you? Even if there's like a not even a good start, but what sort of takes you through to better times at some point? Well, I think it's the track record. I mean, this has been a team that's been a regular season juggernaut. We can't forget that. Like, one, bad years happen. Like Tampa, Tampa missed the playoffs, you know,

before they went on that cup run, right? You know, Tampa had some rough years. I mean, good teams have rough years. This was a good regular season team, Jim, for nine straight seasons, right? Like, they were really good. They could put up points with the best of them. Only a few franchises have got better regular season numbers over that nine-year span. And so I'm willing to believe that, like, last year was a blip that, you know,

where a lot of things went wrong and a lot of guys get injured. And clearly there was not a lot of belief in the direction of the head coach, even if that direction was built toward trying to make them a more formidable playoff team from a head coach who had. has a Stanley Cup ring. And so I'm willing to believe that, you know, with the right direction, with a little bit of luck, because they're going to need injury luck when you got a blue line that's still predominantly 30 plus. You're going to need injury luck when you've still got, you know, a number of veteran guys that are going to,

you're going to need to play better. And obviously, you're going to need injury luck with your best player theoretically in Austin Matthews, who has had a lot of bad injury luck during his career. But for all those reasons, I mean, like I don't think it would be a huge. huge shock if they became a really good regular season team again. Now, what would they do in the playoffs? That's why they brought in Sergey Brobowski. Because, you know, if he could be anywhere near the goaltender he was in taking

the Panthers to three straight Stanley Cup finals and winning a couple, then suddenly you might have something. Bobrowski, Nick Paul, people are not to win game seven. Nick Paul's another good one. That's huge. My answer to that question is, what I really like about this team is I look at things that maybe others don't have. if you could have McKenna and Cowan on your future list, even if you don't keep them, if you were to move one or two of those guys,

the return would be phenomenal. To me, and I've said this when we were here a month ago, that's what moves this thing forward, regardless of how the team plays, that is sort of the light at the end of the tunnel, that you've got three guys of that caliber, all developing him pretty well. Obviously, Nyes is a little further ahead,

but McKenna, you know, it goes nice, Cowan and McKenna. but, you know, three years from now, what do we have? This could be phenomenal. Well, yeah, you're right. I mean, you're right. Nyes is bigger and stronger and older, but McKenna's the one with the most talent, right? There's no doubt about that.

You don't become the first overall pick for nothing, a consensus first overall pick at that. So you're right. That's the other reason. Like the youth movement, it's not exactly as fulsome as you'd like it to be. You'd like that to be more of those guys? You'd like a defenseman in that group, too.

Yeah, you'd like it. You'd love a defenseman in that group, and that's been one of the sore points with the developmental staff, and the drafting is that they haven't had one, right? Like they needed a next wave defenseman, and they just had, yeah, they brought, you know, they had the Sandin and the Lilligran era where they hoped those guys would be the guy, and that didn't turn out, and now you're sitting there going, we got a lot of old defensemen.

We could use some younger ones. They brought in a meal, Andre, but that's, you know, that's not exactly a proven commodity yet. Yeah, could be. Could be. but yeah, I mean, you'd like to have more youth, and I'm sure John Chike is going to make it his mission to get more youth because you can't be going any other direction, really.

But, you know, youth is hard to come by if you don't have good draft picks, and if you're going to be a playoff team, you're not going to be getting the number one overall pick anytime soon. So let's go to the Toronto fan survey question, and the question today is, what is your bold prediction for the next year in Toronto sports? What is it? My bold prediction for the next year in Toronto Sports is that the Raptors make the NBA final. Oh, I like it.

I mean, like it. And I, look, I'm not prone to hyperbole and rampant optimism, as you know about me. That's a yes guy. But I just really like this. I like a lot about this team. Like I really liked what we saw in the playoffs last year. If they would have gotten anything out of Ingram, you know, they would have beat the Cavaliers. Yeah.

pretty handily. Yeah, I don't think they were ever going to beat the Knicks, but... Well, maybe not. No, the Knicks were on an incredible run, and you've got to give them all the credit in the world for... To do what they did. Like, it's a bit like the Leafs winning a cup. Like, you know, you're not just shaking off the opponent, and you're not just winning games in the now. You're, you're, you're, you're, you've got, you're saddling history, right?

You're, you've got, you've got the weight of the expectations of a rampant, a rapid fan base that is, you know, used to heartbreak. and prone to skepticism and cynicism even at the first sort of speed bump in any sort of playoff run. And yet they looked at that and said that's a challenge we can absorb and give Janlon Brunson first and foremost all the credit in the world. I can't tell you the number of NBA coaches, NBA executives that I've talked to over the years that say, oh, he's telling it on himself. He's too small. He can't carry a team. It was. I know it was Becky Hammond, you know, who took who when she was doing analysis and she said, He's not that guy or he got to have a guy and he's not that guy. She wasn't the only one that thought that about Jaylen Brunson.

They thought he was too small and thought he couldn't deliver in big games and big moments. I mean, you got to give the guy credit, man. It wasn't just him, but he was that alpha dog that was one of the, obviously, the key player. And then, of course, former Raptor O'J. Anobie had a pretty big saying things too. But I like this Raptors team, Jim. I mean, they play one thing that is hard to get players to play in the NBA, and that's defense. And I think when you're building from defense first,

I think you're building something that is sustainable. The Knicks and the Leafs is a very good comparable in terms of their markets, in terms of sort of the corporation that they survive in, the amount of money they spend, some of the bombastic people that have run these operations over the years, and a very good comparable, no question about that. my bold prediction would be playoffs playoffs playoffs playoffs

Argos jays leaves raptors I want all four of them it's got to be all right what are we here for got to see the playoffs okay well see I like I like the idea of Raptors for sure Leafs I can I can buy in Argos I think they're in a good spot right

More nights a huge game huge game but Jays I mean as much as we just started the show saying they're on a nice little magic run here I mean it's you look at the fan graphs, the hard and fast, analytical probabilities, and there's still, there's still like an 80% chance they're not going to make it. Yeah, I know, but they have, at least recently, after the trade deadline, with some of the kids added, they have a feel, somewhat of a, of a field of last year. It's not anywhere near the same, but they are getting

production from, from people that you wouldn't expect from, and some of the mainstays who haven't produced are starting to get it done. Yeah. I like the, I like the rotation for sure. I mean, even without Gosman, it's pretty good. Yeah, the, pitching's been fabulous. I mean, for Beber to do what he did yesterday, you know, A.K. was pointing out on this very show that you have to wonder

all those teams that maybe kick tires on Shane Bieber but said, nah, we don't want him. When the price, theoretically would have been very low on Shane Bieber, right? Like, at the deadline. You wonder if they're saying, man, it would have been nice to have Shane Bieber because

he was great. And I guess that start that had right before the trade deadline when he walked six guys couldn't get out of the first inning I remember we had Steve Phillips on talking about how that definitely lowered his value right because there's teams that if anybody was ready to pull the trigger

they had to have a second thought about a guy that couldn't get out of a first inning with couldn't grip the ball or whatever the problem was that particular day I think a month ago we were here on a Melbourne Friday and Steve was our guest and we asked him about Bieber and I think he was talking about a loss of velocity so

when he's back on I'm going to ask him What's the difference between now and then? Because clearly, you know, last night's performance was inspirational that way. Yeah. So, I mean, I agree with you. Like, there's a lot to, there's a lot to like about what's been going on for the Blue Jays and the pitching first and foremost. No doubt about it.

But I'm really fascinated this weekend, Jim, because obviously you're in Yankee Stadium. It's always fun to play a series against the Yankees when it means something. And by all accounts, Vladdy's going to be coming back, right? Yeah. Coming back after having a good night and done eating last night. And we all know he's good in minor league ballparks because, you know, his great season, the 48 home run season, had some minor league ballparks sprinkled in there due to the pandemic, right? Yeah, yep.

And so maybe a little stint in a minor league ballpark will be the thing that triggers Vladty to get back to who, something closer to who he can be. But I also worry, Jim, and I don't know how you feel about this, that when you got things going great, and then you sort of inject a new element, and this element is a big element, because he's a $500 million man, he's the face of the franchise, and he's also a guy that's been a rally killer this year.

Let's face it. I think we're all somewhat positive. In another market, he might be savaged a bit more because you want it to work out, but there are some startling numbers there where you go, really? Yeah. It's, I mean, it's just, it's been unacceptable, on every front, right, the way he's played.

So I wonder, like, it would be, obviously, the dream storyline is that, you know, he reemerges. Lad returns. Yeah, he returns from this little concussion I-L break, and he's a different guy, you know. He's a better guy. That's home runs at home. I mean, the scary part for me, the thing that you'd be afraid of if you're John Schneider is that, wait a second, my lineups going pretty good right now. I've got to put this guy back in who's not going good. Where do I put him?

So it's not to disrupt the momentum. And I think that's a real concern. Well, yeah, because it's a three-game series, so you want to win two of them. Right. Maybe they spot them differently, or maybe he's a DH and doesn't play defensively. Who knows? Well, we'll see.

Griff's been saying put him deeper in the lineup, Richard Griffin, who's managerial acumen, I respect. Oh, absolutely. Griff's top star. put them at 7th. And yet, you know, when you talk to the beat guys, Kagan's been in here saying there's no way they're going to do that. Because I think, you know, there's a, there's a,

there's kind of an unwritten rule that you don't do that to your highest paid player, right? Even though I don't, I don't know who was the person that put down the unwritten rule, but it feels as though. We call that the George Bell rule. Yeah. Some of us older people call it the George Bell rule. Yeah, George Bell wouldn't have reacted well if he would have been hitting seventh. Yeah, you're deaching.

Right. You can't play defensively anymore. Exactly. But I just won the... Right. I mean, yeah, I was the MVP. Yeah. Right.

And it's like, well, defense isn't Vladdy's problem. That's the thing, though. It's like it's the thing about, you know, hitting the baseball hard for distance. Yeah, so the Argos are busy tomorrow and home to Hamilton. This is a big game for both. Mike Miller, the head coach of the Argos will join us next in Overdrive. You're listening on TSN 1050, watching a TSN4, also in the TSN app. and live on YouTube.

Stay with us. Mail it in Friday is brought to you by Boston Pizza, Canada's favorite sports bar. Enjoy $15 lunch at BP where you get an entree of sight and a drink and you'll get it all in 20 minutes or less. A fast lunch doesn't have to be fast food. See you for a $15 fast lunch at your local Boston pizza. Overdrive on a Mail on Friday. Jim Taddy, 70 for the regulars is Dave Pestruck from the Toronto Star. Our good friend Keegan Mathisson reporting a Davis-Schneider.

Sanchez works in the CFL. Snyder is up. Spencer Araggetti has been activated Josh Smith in the IL, Brendan Salucci, option to AAA. So CFL action tonight, we've got one game on the network, Winnipeg at Edmonton, kickoff at 930 tomorrow night. The Argos at home to Hamilton, 7 o'clock at the X,

and Saskatchewan to BC on Sunday night. So the Argos have back-to-back home games, and who better to speak about that than Mike Miller, the Argos head coach. Mike, Mike, welcome. How are you today, sir? Hey, good, guys. I appreciate you having me. Our pleasure. So, You know, how did you get through all those road games? I mean, obviously it's back there now, but you had to learn something there.

Well, Jim, I'll tell you, just like we told the team, and we just took them one at a time. And we control the controllables, and we said we don't care where the field is. Just put the ball down and tell us what's down in distance. So we just had to focus on execution, and that's what we continue to do. And it's about being processed driven. and just working to get better every day and learning and growing throughout the season. So you're back at home for your second home game here, Mike, and it's the C&E starting down at the X big time of year in summertime in Toronto.

What's your understanding of the C&E? Have you delved into it at all? And what are you expecting in terms of the spillover atmosphere for your club? Yes, I have delved into it. this quite a bit over the last five years. We always have to walk through it early morning and you see him hosing down the, hosing down the streets and the cleanups. But the energy just walking through to go to practice or walking to the train or your car, it's great. Oh, it's great. And it's hard to stay away from those food vendors. I can tell you that.

Yeah, yeah, exactly. The chicken tenders are out of this world. But yeah, and the spillover, as you mentioned, that we get is great. It's always a great atmosphere game. We love our BMO and we love our Argo fans. And it's an energy that we're able to build some momentum, right? I mean, as you mentioned, all the road games that we had, it sure is nice coming home and having that home crowd. And it sure helped us in the Calgary game.

And we're looking for some more of the same tomorrow. Mike, not just because you're here, but my favorite interview is always with the head football coach because you have the overview. So in terms of what you want the team to do and how it's executing that, how would you rate that so far? I think I'm really proud of our team. I'm proud of our coaching staff, the job that they do. I'm proud of our veteran leadership. And then I'm proud of all of our young guys that continue to push forward. We say that we want to play this game smart, fast.

and physical. And I believe we've done that. There's some weeks where, you know, there's always going to be some ebb and flow. And we said we have to be able to deal with adversity and your mental toughness will be tested. But I've been very pleased, I guess, as you know, there's always some plays that you wish you had back or maybe things didn't go the way we wanted. But it's about moving forward and focusing on that preparation and then our execution. So, Mike, you talk about the plays you'd like to have.

have back. I mean, your quarterback, Chad Kelly, can sling it with the best of them in this league. He's got 18 touchdowns so far. The offense can hum at its best, but of course there's also that other side of it, the 14 interceptions, and I'm sure that's got to be a focus that you're trying to improve. I mean, what's the key

to sort of finding that balance between, you know, being a team that can gain those big yard those yardage plays and also being a team that can take care of the football? Yeah, I think it's starts, just the team that's going to continue to work to manage game situations is what we always talk about. And ball security is a big part of that. You know, Chad's just an outstanding

competitor. He's been through a lot and he's a generous teammate. He's a, you know, his great vision, his preparation is second to none. And we know that goes through the entire season, starting from training camp. I mean, after every practice, you know, always, you know, he's always, you know, some throws you wish you had back, but that's a part of growing. That's a part of playing the position. You've got to stay confident and, you know, continue to go out

and make plays. And Chad does that. As I mentioned, he's just an outstanding competitor. I love working with them. I love the relationship, the communication, and those are things that we just continue to work on and work to improve each week. And the cats

at Bibo Field tomorrow night, clearly you had a game in Hamilton where you know, with a rule change, you might still be playing, but or without the rule change. These games are always very important to both sides. What's your take on a Hamilton-Torado game? Well, yeah. I mean, every game in this league, right? You have your robberies.

And as I tell people, I mean, the last three minutes of the CFL really are a game within itself. And I tell my friends and family from the United States, I'm telling you this game up here, this CFL game, it's an exciting football and it's well played and you've got a lot of talent up here it's well coached these other teams are loaded and Hamilton's no exception a lot of respect for Scott and I know a bunch of guys on that staff and their team they have great talent and we're looking forward to the

challenge we're excited to get out there and play we love it coming home to BMO and I feel like we play in Hamilton all the time it's unbelievable But it's great. It's great to have them here and play them here at BMO in front of our fans. And we're looking forward to it. I mean, it's a challenge, and we're definitely something we've worked hard for all week, and we're looking forward to it. Coach, you look up in the standings, and you see that team from Montreal.

They win another one going away last night against the red blacks. They're 9-1. They score more points than anybody. They got a heck of an attack out there. you know, how good are they and how do you go about closing the gap? Well, they're a good football team, no question. They have been a good football team. Jason does a good job.

Danny up there, Noel Thorpe, again, those guys are well coached. They've got a great roster. And they have been a model in the East in recent years. There's no question. But I can easily tell you the answer to that right now is we're only working. worried about Hamilton. And we'll get to Montreal soon enough, but right now, all our focus remains on the tiger cats. I want to go back to your previous answer about the sort of the positive aspect of the CFL. When you're putting your game plan together, when you're talking

with your offensive and defensive coordinators and you're just talking football, what really attracts you to the CFL? Is it the level of creativity or is it something else? No, I think there's a lot of things involved in it. The creativity is, great. I enjoy the bigger field. There's more room to do things and the talent. There's a lot of talent up here. And it's an aggressive style. It's definitely playing all four quarters. And it's going to test every team's depth and, you know, week to week, the different challenges that comes with each team. I mean, that exists down south, but there just seems to be a different flavor about it up here. And again, those final three minutes, the possession changes.

I love the wagging. I mean, it's, you know, I love it. I just think it's a great game and it's exciting to the end. When you're on a sideline coach and you're calling a game in those last few minutes, like what's the feeling like for you? Does something change in your body? Like, is there more adrenaline shooting through you if it's a close one and it's down to the end? Oh, yeah, absolutely. You know, constantly if it's a field goal, asking Mickey, our special teams Donovan, Mickey Donovan does a great job. And, you know, hey, Mick, where do I need to be for this field goal? Or you're looking at the clock and then, of course, the timeouts are so valuable and then the huddle clock moving and making sure we're getting the ball off on the snap or if

it's the opposite end, we're trying to eat up as much clock as we can. but you got a chill still try to make that first down because if not then the opponent's going to get another possession and uh you know so it there's a lot of focus that goes on whenever you have either side of that coin so to speak but yeah i mean the last three minutes i mean anything can go Mike all the best for the night against Hamilton thanks for your time yeah thanks guys I really appreciate you having me anytime we appreciate you thank you Mike Miller head coach of the Argos I don't know about you but if I'm watching a CFL game I'm already going to next year and moving the goalpost back yeah cutting out the 10 yards in the middle of the field I just wonder

a lot of people don't like it I'm kind of looking forward to it I might be odd that way but I but I am I like the direction I really do I think you I mean, you got to move forward, right? Like, I mean, it's like not winning a game on a Rouge anymore, you know? Like, that was, I think that was a good move, right? It's like, it makes sense. Like, it was a point of contention to the point of almost embarrassment at times. When you explained it to people who didn't really understand the inner work into the CFL

and you said, you can win a game missing a field goal, and people are like, what? It didn't make sense to people. And so you move forward from it, even though it's been a tradition. I think, I think when you kind of, you weigh things with an analytical mind and you say what makes sense and what does. And to your point, like the more conventional field size, I mean, what can that mean? I think it can mean you can play the game in more places, right?

I mean, and that can't be a bad thing because it's always been a bit weird. You've got nine teams. And, you know, I think the current regime clearly sees, you know, if you start reading the tea leaves and looking at the future, you'd like to think there'll be more down the road. Well, I think all businesses would be. accused of this, you've got the core. And that's great. The core pays everything.

But if you don't add to the core, if you just cater to the core, you're not going anywhere. You've got to bring in whether it's new revenue streams or new fans. And my line always was, if you have to explain the joke, it's not funny. So if you have to explain the rules, you don't understand the game. That's a good way to look at it. Yeah, that really is. And that was the way it was.

Yeah. Oh, well. When we come back, guess what we're going to do? You're going to play yes, guy, no guy. Oh, of course. Yeah. See? What else would we did?

Absolutely. Steve Phillips is the top of the hour. Overdrive continues on TSN 1050, the TSN app. Where else is it? Well, it's on TSN4 and live on YouTube. Oh, yes, Guy. Mail it on Friday. And by the way, at top of the hour, Steve Phillips talking baseball, our baseball insider.

Mail it in Friday is brought you by Boston Pizza Canada's favorite sports bar. Enjoy $15 lunch at BP where you get an entree, a side, and a drink, and you'll get it all in 20 minutes or less. A fast lunch does not have to be fast food. See you for a $15 fast lunch at your local lunch. Boston pizza. That's a deal. So is this. Yes guy. No guy. Ladies and gentlemen, by the way, a former boss told me that this contribution to sports broadcasting,

yes guy, no guy is legendary. So who am I to argue with him? Oh, he's right. Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, drivers and passengers, viewers and listeners. Time now for Yes Guy, no guy. You all set? Yes guy. There we go. Yes Guy No guy number one. The Argos will finish the season with double-digit wins, nine games left, current record four and five. I'm a yes guy on that. I like the direction.

here. I think, you know, we just had Mike Miller on talking about the progression of this team. He's talking about you know, Chad Kelly in the way that there's a real belief in him even though, you know, look, there's been some ups and downs with Chad Kelly as there always seems to be. But I think at his best,

he can be an awfully great player in this league. And I think, you know, as this season goes on, I have every faith that, you know, he can hire on some of the kinks. I agree. Yes, Guy, for me. So that means they have to go, what, six and three? Yeah. in their last nine games.

Possible. Very possible. Yes, guy, no guy number two. A bit of cynicism here. A divisional spot is not obtainable for the Maple Leafs. A wildcard spot is their ceiling. So yes, guy, no guy, a wildcard spot is the Maple Leaf ceiling. I'm a no guy on this.

I think there's, I think there's every chance of contending in the division. I mean, you're not that far removed from winning the division. I mean, it's, you know, it's one bad year, right? Like, you got to sort of shelve the one bad year that you had. I mean, you know, like unless, unless Austin Matthews is just on the wrong side of, you know, his career here, unless, you know, Chris Tannaev isn't going to play any games, which is not the expectation. Unless you're really going to be decimated by injuries again, I think there's every belief that this team can be a contender in the Atlantic. I agree. So that's a no guy for me, too.

I mean, really, if you come up with the negative storylines and why the team would fail, it would be a complete reversal. or, as you say, Austin Matthews on the other side, and a couple of key defensemen out. But the rest of it, if those things don't happen, it's all positive, isn't it? It should be. I mean, look, I mean, there's obviously a doomsayers plot line where Brobowski shows up and he's older than you thought he was and Tannov can't play, and you've got all your 30-year-old defensemen or decrepit.

If that happens, then they're really in trouble. They're not making a playoffs. Okay, this is kind of a different one. The Blue Jays can still make the playoffs, even if they get swept by the Yankees this weekend. No games against opponents above 500. The rest of the way, yes guy, no guy. I mean, yes, guy.

Obviously, it doesn't make it more likely they'll make the playoffs if they get swept this weekend, but it's not impossible, as we've seen. Like, you know, a lot depends on how the other teams in the race do. And if they're all losing, then you can lose too. And, you know, so they're right in the thick of it. There's plenty of games left, and as we've seen, you know, the strength of schedule is in their favor.

They can still make it if they get swept. Obviously, they're going to not be in the best position if they do. I'm going to go yes, guys. Well, we agree on everything so far. It's kind of odd that I have to ask this, but yes, guy, no guy. Vladdy will hit a home run at Rogers Stadium, Rogers Center. By the end of the regular season, 15 home games left, do you believe we're even asking that?

It's hard to believe. It really is. Crazy. I'm going to say yes, guy. He's got to hit one eventually. Multiple. Yeah, exactly. Now, the one that you just said, you said Roger Stadium,

Roger's Center and Roger Stadium, people are getting those mixed up. The stadium's the place out in Downsview with the rock concerts. The center is downtown where the Blue Jays play, but I know there's people going to concerts. They come to downtown. They think the concert's downtown at the center, but it's at the stadium way out in the boonies there.

So you've got to be careful with that. Normally I call it the ball yard. There you go. The dome. I like to call it the yard. So I agree with you. I think he's going to do it multiple times. Why not? Yes, Guy, no guy. The Raptors will win at least two rounds in the playoffs if Kauai is on the roster.

Oh, yes, guy. I mean, I just told you my bold prediction for the year in Toronto Sports is the Raptors are going to make the NBA finals. And I think, obviously, it's going to need, that's going to require Kauai being on the roster. I think there's every expectation he will be on the roster when this so-called independent investigation of the Clippers concludes and we find out what punishments or lack there

of are being doled out. But yeah, I really like to look at this team, Jim, and I really like it with Kauai Lederd as a centerpiece. You know, during the Raptor games, I've got no reason to be negative. I love the team. I love the front office. They do everything right. So I'm going to go yes guy on that one too.

I think this is kind of a no-brainer, yes guy. I'm glad I didn't write it. The San Jose Sharks make the playoffs this upcoming season. Can I be a contrarian here and say no guy? Oh, I could. I could. It could, yes, but would you? I mean, let's think about it, though.

I mean, last year we had the pillow fight in the Pacific, and how did they do? You know, they finished fifth in the Pacific in a pillow fight. Yeah. I mean, they did not make the playoffs. Look, they obviously were going to have Tyler Tafoli on the show a little later, and I'm sure he believes they're going to make the playoffs. There's a lot of optimism in San Jose, but sometimes, you know, it takes a little longer than you expect to take the step you want.

want to take. And I mean, you know, Anaheim's not terrible. Edmonton expects to have a better year. The Golden Knights are coming off a, you know, a run to the final. L.A. Kings, I'm not as sure about that they may be going the wrong direction. Where do you see it? I think they should. I just think that Celabrini will just keep getting better and better and better because he's that guy, much like Sidney Crosby was, and he'll carry a lot of players with him. You know, they've got a really good young core of players on that team. So if everybody else could make incremental improvements stat-wise and performance-wise should be a pretty good hockey team. Yeah, I mean, look, they missed by four points

this year. That's not obviously a very wide gap, and you do expect with a young team that you will make a step, but you know, I'm not 100% sure they will. Okay, so you go no guy, I go yes guy. As a follow-up, Macklin-Cellarbrini will be a heart finalist this season. Whoa, we're really hoping for a lot here. Yeah. Yeah. That's what happens when you have a guy like that though, right? Fair enough. A pile on. No, I mean, I'll go a yes guy. I mean, I do think he's the guy. Like, he is that guy. I think the Olympics kind of confirmed it for us, where he was among the best of the best and he was a contributor, not just a passenger, right?

and a value add, not just a guy learning from the best. He was, you know, the peer of the best out there. And even though it didn't go Canada's way. So, yeah, I think that I'll go yes guy on that. I'm not sure it's a lock yes guy, but I think he's got a great chance to be in that conversation. I'm going yes guy in that. And by the way, I said pile on, not pile on.

Okay. Okay, just somebody may have heard it correctly. Yes, guy, no guy. The L.A. Rams will win 14 or more games. this season. Whoa, 14. That's like... Okay, so that's a no guy from me. I'm not going to get that exuberant

about the Rams. I do think there is an incredible urge to crown them the Super Bowl champions. They're going to have a home Super Bowl at SoFi Stadium if they indeed make it to the Super Bowl. But it's a long road between week one and

the final Sunday of the NFL season. And 14 wins. I mean, look, the Vegas number for them. right now is 11 and a half over under. So 12 wins that, 13 wins that, 14 wins that, obviously. But I would be more inclined to be a little more conservative on that. Like when you're, I mean, Matthew Stafford is 38 years old. He may need a little bit of load management.

Aaron Donald, if he comes back, he's in his mid-30s. I mean, he's not going to be playing all the time. They're going to be saving him for spots where he can make maximum impact. So I'm not sure they're going to be a regular season junker. I think you're going to be a team that is going to be incredibly formidable. at its best, but they may not always be at their best because of the age factor and various other things. Well, we agree.

I think we agree to 95%, which is odd for yes, guy, no guy. And those were producer boots questions. I have my own questions. All right. Yes, guy, no guy, right off the top of my head. The lions in the NFL will have a better season than the bills. Your team. You're a lion.

I was inspired by what you said yesterday. Hey, man, I picked the lions in the winds pool. That's right. If you weren't here, Naler, Kouronelik and I did a wins pool. The first overall pick was Nailer, the L.A. Rams, and I picked

the Detroit Lions second, in part because, in part because their schedule is among the easiest in the NFL. I believe among the five easiest in the NFL. So I'm a yes guy. I think the bills have a very difficult schedule, especially out of the gate.

Their first five games are really tough. The Lions, to me, have a easier schedule, even though their coach seems intent on getting everybody injured in training camp, which should concern you, Tapp, man. Well, I, you know, I love the coach, but I don't, all in the same sentence because of that. Yes. Doesn't seem to know when to back off. There is no backing off.

I know, well, that's, you know, unfortunately, you have to manage the schedule to get into the playoffs. And I would, I don't know what the phrasing I'm looking for is, but a definite lack of personnel management. Does that make sense? Yeah, they're biting kneecaps all the time, right? Yeah, great. Yeah. Meanwhile, half the rosters on the injured list. Exactly.

That concerns me, but I do, look, I do think they're, like, schedule strength is so important in this league. And they're a real team. I mean, they're a proven team. Okay, let's dust off another yes guy, no guy. Well, this is a philosophical one. It can apply to life. It can apply to how we cover teams. We spend way too much time with the history lesson, and we spend way too much time with the projections,

and we don't enjoy the now. Does that make sense? Yes guy, no guy. Yes, guy. Guilty is charged. I think that's probably blame the media on that, right? It's the media's fault. It's the media's fault.

We're the ones that always bring up the storylines and the historical context. And you're right. Sometimes we do forget to just enjoy the game that you're watching and enjoy the fact that sometimes what you're seeing is something you'll never see again. I'm going to squeeze one more in. This is sort of a paraphrase of what I said earlier. Yes, guy, no guy. Jay's, Raptors, Leaves, and Argos all make the playoffs.

Are you in on that? Oh, I'd have to go, no, guy. I'm sorry. Disappoint. I know you're hot on that as your big, bold prediction. But, I mean, like, to me, the Jays have disappointed all year. As much as they've caught a little bit of fire here, there's a bit of a spark, I ultimately think it's one of those spark that's going to fizzle.

So it's not legitimate for you. Well, I mean, look at who they've been all year. I don't like to look at, you know, one three-week stretch here. I want to look at the whole product. But if we're talking Monday and they've defeated the Yankees twice, the Red Sox in Tampa, that's pretty darn good, isn't it? It's good, but you're still in the thick of a race with a bunch of other teams who aren't that good,

and you're still a sub-500 team, although I guess you could get one, what, if you sweep the Yankees, you'd be one game under. Well, we'll see. At the top of the hour, we're going to break here. Top of the hour, Steve Phillips, our MLB insider will stop by. We're going to ask them about Bieber. We're going to ask them about certain projections. to the rest of the season. Tyler Toffoli at the bottom of the hour at 530.

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