OverDrive - OverDrive - August 8, 2025 - Hour 2

Episode Date: August 8, 2025

Join Brendan Dunlop and Michael DiStefano for Hour 2 on Mail It In Friday! TSN baseball analyst Steve Phillips joins the show to tee up the Dodgers / Jays series and the much anticipated pitching matchup between Max Scherzer and Clayton Kershaw. We discuss the importance of the upcoming stretch of games for the Jays and play Future Headlines.

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the more you save. Switch to Canada's fastest 5G plus network today. For details and more great offers, visit a Bell store or bell.ca slash promotions. Bell, back to school just got better. This is Overdrive on TSN 1050, today on TSN4 this hour. My name is Brendan Dunlop. Very happy to be in this seat with AB, Al's brother.

So much to get to, my man, as we kick off Hour 2. Overdrive brought to you by Fandul, bringing you everything from the opening line to the final score. The final scores in Colorado for the Toronto Blue Jays were literally historic. I mean, I think no one is surprised to see sweep. No one is surprised to see the bats explode. No one may even be surprised to see that they hit five home runs twice in that three games. 13 in the three games set. But 63 runs, or 63 hits, excuse me, 45 runs across three games.

I haven't seen that in 100 years. Yeah. I mean, the Rockies are bad, but damn, they made the Js look good. The Rockies are awful. Absolutely awful. But I, what I do hope, and, you know, I touched on this earlier in the week, I do hope that they can just use this as momentum. For sure.

That's what happened when they went on their first run a couple months back, when they really started to get hot at the end of, kind of the end of May there. They absolutely trounce the Oakland Athletics in a series, three, four games, whatever it was, beat the Livintar out of them. And then they parlayed into like two months of quality baseball. That really has only had like a week of a bad stretch. Realistically, right before this series here that they had against the Rockies, okay it was tough in Baltimore

and then it was tough in Kansas City outside those two series though since like to be the end of May they've been the best team in baseball by far and again it was just the confidence that they built with those bats really pick it up against the athletics they beat up on a bad pitching team

and they did it again in Colorado and they use that confidence to propel them forward I hope that that's the same case here now tough matchup coming up really tough matchup You got the Dodgers, then you've got the Rangers, and then you got the Cups. Like three of the top-team, top-ish teams in baseball. Three teams that are certainly going to the playoffs.

This is a big stretch for them with the Red Sox right on their heels at that. I think the order works out nicely, though, because right now the Dodgers are having their struggles. They don't look their best. I think that they're going to play to their best later in the season of the Dodgers. But for the Blue Jays to come off of Colorado, to have a day, and then to sink into that, And even also, too, to start off against Kershaw. I mean, obviously, he can still bring it, but not the way that he used to. No.

The bats are as hot as they are. I mean, you could be looking at a very short night tonight for Clayton Kershaw, which would be very beneficial for Schneider's boot jays. Yeah, like he's in a decent season. Like, the soft stats look good. He's 5 and 2, 329 ERA. But I was looking into like the underlying numbers. He's in like the 29th percent on expected batting average.

He's got like a 396 expected ER. so he's been you know punching a little above his weight but you when you run into a lineup like the blue jays who have made bad teams who have punished bad teams and when pitchers make bad pitches and they put it in the wrong spot the blue jays have punished him much like they did against the rockies whether it was a starter a reliever a closer a catcher who came in and served up like 17 home runs in the ninth inning the other night um yeah like it was it was a a difficult test for Kersha, that's for sure. Both of these, that's the thing.

Like, you got, we're talking about two premier pitchers, like two of the best pitchers in my lifetime. In my baseball fandom, you know, dating back to like 2000. And they're going up against two of the top lineups in baseball also. So it's like two great, grizzled veteran pitchers, and they have big time tests, not just the opponent pitching on the mound, but who they're facing the battering. bucks, whether it's, you know,

Otani, into Freeman, into Mooky, Max Muncie's back now. That lineup is... It's scary, but you can say the same thing about the Blue Jays. Yes. Like, the way the Jay's lineup has been hitting. Like, I was taking a look at the stats yesterday. Since the All-Star break, they have

15 players with a WRC plus over league average. Like, it's pretty incredible to have. That just shows the depth of the lineup. So, and even if you do get through Vladdy, Okay, well, now you got Alejandro Kirk. Now you got Addison Barger.

And now you got Dalton Varsho, who is now bringing power to the meat of the order. Like, it's difficult. Barger's numbers matching Vladdy. It's not what I think anyone would have expected. And Vladdy's numbers aren't bad. Maybe not a $500 million guy, but, like, no one's complaining about his performance and his production. He's been very consistent. He's been a consistent hitter.

I think that's the thing with Bladdy is everyone wants him to be this big power hitter. And he's got power, but he doesn't. lift it, right? So you look at his numbers in terms of like exit velocity, his hard hit rates, like they're all up there. Like he's the 90th percentile in both of those categories. I think he has the best expected batting average in all of Major League Baseball, but the home run numbers aren't quite there. And I think that's why everyone looks at him and says, man, what could be, what should be. But ultimately, he's still been one of the best hitters in baseball. Like when you actually look at how productive he's been, he's been great.

Now, $500 million Great, maybe not. But you don't need him to be that now in July and August. No, but he's coming to be that in September. 100%. Need him to be that in October. 100%. And you need him to carry that through in the next few years of his contract,

which hasn't always been the case for guys who make that level money. He started to lift the ball when he was in in Colorado. Now again, is that is that Coors Field? Right? Is that where the thin air? Is that because of Coors Field? Or because he's, you know, he's starting to heat up and and be the Vladdy that. that he was paid to be.

Because he's coming up back-to-back games with a double and a home earn each. Those extra base hits. That's what you need to see at Vladdy. You know what this season has afforded him? And maybe we'll get into this with Steve Phillips when we bring him on here in this hour, is I think they hit by committee

and the production by committee has taken off some pressure that is naturally there for him, given his name and his staff. Oh, no kidding. But also the pressure that he puts on himself. And then when you have a three-game series like this where they unload without the,

other two guys who have been at the top end of production in George Springer and Alejandro Kirk. I mean, that's just, it's got to feel relieving for someone who doesn't often get relief, is my point in how. Well, it's funny because, like,

if the rest of the lineup wasn't hitting the way they are, there would have been way bigger spotlight on Vladdy, which is what you're alluding to. But instead, you know, we look at the front half of the season and it's like, man, these Blue Jays are pitching pretty well.

We haven't seen the best of Vladia yet. just wait till Vladdy starts going, right? And that was kind of the outlook. That's how the story was being spun about this Blue Jays, the lineup, the offense, where if no one else was hitting, it's, holy smokes. This lineup can't hit. Vladdy's having the worst season.

You know, this Blue Jays team is awful. But because everyone else around him is doing well, it was more so, man, wait until Vladdy gets going, and then that lineup really is going to take off. And that's clearly what we saw happen in Colorado. We'll keep the baseball conversation going and bring in Steve Phillips or TSN Baseball analyst. Steve, how are you?

I'm doing great, guys. Good to be with you. Great to talk to you again. I've got used to this. I've spoken to you every day this week, which has been very nice. I love it. I mean, yes, it's right. I mean, so what are you doing the weekend?

I mean, what time do you want to coordinate a call? Actually, I'm going to see the Tigers. I'm taking my two-year-old son to take America Park for the first time. It's going to be an emotional moment. I love it. You'll love it there. It's a highly underrated ballpark, America. It is very highly underrated.

Before we look ahead to tonight, Steve, like the Jays, they're coming off this historic series against the Rock. He's 63 hits, 45 runs, a plus 39 run differential. And I know that it's Colorado and they're a bad baseball team. I know it's Coors Field. But like, can they use that performance and carry that momentum through to this stretch against the Dodgers, Rangers, and Cubs? Yeah, I think so. I think it's about confidence and feeling good about yourself.

You know, as a hitter, when you start feeling good, you're seeing the ball well, you're driving the ball, making hard contact. That does stay with you. And although the off day can play a role in cooling you down, it can also sort of just be a thought of just reinforcing all those quality at bat and all of the traffic on the bases and how much fun they had is part of that too. And so, you know, they go to take on the Dodgers and they've got to be feeling really good about themselves and their swings and their ability to drive the baseball. So I do think there's some momentum there that they can carry with them. And I really feel like the Vladimir Road Jr. are starting to get his confidence now because when he, is confident he can drive the baseball and lift the baseball. You know, when he's, when he's in

between, he still hits it hard, but the launch angle is a little bit different. And so I think that right now he's feeling as confident as he can to let the ball travel and then try to hunt the bottom of the baseball and lift it. Consistency had been one of the big criticisms of Vladimir Guerrero Jr. over the last couple years and as people hummed and hot about whether he was worth the money and what the Blue J should do to get that contract over the line. I got a feeling that seeing this hit by committee and the fact that they performed as well as they did in Colorado without Springer in the lineup, without Kirk in the lineup, like for someone like Vladdy,

that's got to make you feel more confident that he's going to continue to build to his best, and his best baseball is still to come when you want it in September, October. Am I right? Yeah, oh, for sure. I do think that, I think that his confidence level has to be at a high for this season. And, you know, he's been consistently good, just not consistent. great, right? I mean, even his down years or good years for the mere mortals, but, you know, you're paid as at $500 million. You're thought to be, you know, one of the top players in the

game, and, you know, he hasn't always performed to that level, but it's never been below average, right? It's always been an above average player. And, you know, now that Bichette's rolling, he's rolling, and Nathan Lucas rolling, Barger still has it going on. They've got some real length and depth of the lineup right now that makes such a big difference. Well, now you add Dalton Bar Show back into the mix also supplying the power in that meat of the lineup. Like, how great is it to see him back healthy doing what he's doing at the plate and also in center field? Yeah, it's really important, especially for left-handed hitters, right?

To have some balance to the lineup where you can't easily navigate, you know, the right-handed pitcher through the right-handed hitters. And then, you know, they can, the lefties aren't quite producing that it makes it easier for the opposing manager to manage. I think it's much more difficult now. when you think about Lucas and Barger and Varshot in the left-hand at Bats, and then you pair them around Bichette and Guerrero. Then the managers on the other side have to really make a decision.

So I bring in a left-e-do. I bring in a right-ie. How do I manage this lineup? And so Bar-Sho getting it going is great. And if they can never get Santander back and he can, it doesn't have to be anything more than his, you know, the average self. That would be, you know, this would be a lineup that could be unstoppable. You had some great players, veteran players on the Mets when you were there, Steve.

And when you look at the two guys on the mound tonight in Clayton Kershaw and Max Scherzer, as, as AB had said, like there's arguably not two better pitchers in his lifetime, his baseball fandom, like they're right up there on the podium. How, you know, how special is it do you think for fans to see this one more time? And how do we process it? Because I think that's what I'm struggling with now. It's like, I might not see these guys go again. And yet, you know, here I've got them in August, and it makes this ballgame feel a little more meaningful, I think.

It does. Oh, it feels like a big game. There's no question. I think that, you know, these guys have been great in the biggest moments and never have shied down from the competition. And they're both throwing the ball well right now. I mean, that's the other part of it, too, is that, you know, Shursu's actually looked pretty good as last few starts.

The slider is working. And for Kershaw coming off six shot out innings his last time out, he's been very good. So I think that for both of them, they're throwing the ball well. And for them, too, they're going to elevate their game just to go against each other. they know they're facing the other lineup, but they also know they're facing each other. And I think it's a chance to make a statement for both of them. Steve, Prime, Clayton Kershaw, Prime Max Scherzer. If you had the lineup card heading into Game 1 of a World Series, who would you give the ball to?

Great question. Yeah, Scherzer, for sure. You know, Kershaw's had some issues in the postseason, right? He's got like a 4-4 ERA in the postseason, which is almost two runs higher than his overall ERA. And so Scherzer's had some really big moments in the postseason. He's got a little more fastball. And I think there's more confidence for Scherzer in the playoffs than Kershaw. I love Kershaw.

And I think you can look at regular season performance or maybe give him the edge. But when it comes to the overall in the postseason, I give Scher the edge. We're talking all things, Blue Jays, with Steve Phillips on the Maple Toyota hotline right now. When you look at Boba Chette and how he's performed and played this season, Are you surprised at all at the level that he's hit? And does he have another level in him, as I was hinting to, that we're all expecting to see from Vladdy? You know, I think that for Bichette, if he's healthy,

then, you know, we knew he was going to be good. I mean, he's, you know, he's been a guy that has led the league and hits before. He's really good of letting the ball travel deep in the zone. He can drive it down the right field line. He can pull it down the left field line and hit the all fields. And, you know, the power numbers, I think there's more power in there than what we've gotten. You know, he's always been a really good doubles. bitter. But I do think that if he tried and sold out on a pitch during every bat, he could

be a 30 home run bat. But you know what? He's coming back from injury. He focused on hitting for average, making contact, driving the ball. Now you're starting to get some of the power production in it. So I don't know that I would change or want him to change anything. I think that the way he's going about it right now is perfect for what this team needs. And he's killing it with runners in scoring position. It means absolutely, you know, like a close to 400 batting average of runners in scoring position. And that's why moving up down on the lineup had somewhat's value for John Snyder. Steve, it's a pretty kind of murderous row coming up here. You've got the Dodgers, you've got the Rangers, you've got the Cubs, three teams who can

put up some big numbers offensively, that's for sure. How important is this stretch going to be for the Jay's kind of rotation to tighten things up, especially with the Red Sox on their heels. Yeah, I mean, it's, it certainly is important. I think that whether it's this series or any other, you know, sometimes it's not who you play, it's what you play them. So, you know, the schedule means something, but, you know, the Red side, the Dodgers are playing, you know, okay baseball, their bullpen, volleyball right now, it's not the worst time to play them. You know, the Rangers have started to heat up a little bit. The Cubs have been up and down, you know, they're going to, listen, they're running into Kershaw, Snell, and Yamamoto in this series,

and they're going to probably get Imanaga against the Cub. and they've got a chance to get both to Grom and Avaldi in the series with the Rangers. But I think I look at it as, and I wrote about it at not CA, that I would look at this as let's make this a playoff challenge. Let's play playoff baseball for the next 10 days. Let's go out there, score early. Let's make plays defensively. Let's be aggressive.

Let's do all those things that you have to do one pitch at a time in the postseason and turn it into that because it's good practice for it. Because these are playoff caliber teams that I think if they can play well in these series, look, the reality is they go five or four, four, and five of the next nine games. They're still going to be in first place. The Red Sox have some tough series going on right now, too. Their schedule is not. They have Houston, and I know they've got the Marlins on the back end of it as well,

but they're in the Padre. So they've got, you know, they have their own sort of tough gauntlet to run through over the next nine days. And so, but I think for the Js, just go out there and play their game, but they're going to be just fine. If you were a bookmaker, Steve, Steve Fandul Phillips, What are the odds that we see the Blue Jays and the Dodgers again this season in the World Series? I think there's a real chance of it. I mean, I think that the National League, I think it's the Dodgers, the Padres, the Phillies, and the Mets are really, I think, the teams to challenge.

I like Milwaukee. I just don't think that they're going to stand toe to toe with those other teams or the Cubs. In the American League, it is a bit more wide open, but I'm feeling so much more bullish about the Blue Jays right now than certainly. the Yankees. I'm not a big believer that Detroit is going to do their thing, or Houston, for that matter. Houston's got two starting pitchers, but after that, some questions. They're going to get Christian Javier back. They're going to get Luis Garcia back, and Eric Getty just came back. So they're hoping that they're going to piece together their rotation with guys coming back from injury, which is always a dicey thing to do. And I think once Bieber gets locked in it, we can see what

he looks like. If he's a postseason answer, then I really like the Blue Shea's chance. Steve, we saw yesterday that Alec Mnoa got called up to AA, made his first AA start of the season, when three innings gave up five hits, a couple walks, couple strikeouts. Does this mean anything for this season? Like, does it maybe suggest that they want to try and get them up here? Not as a starter, but maybe as a bullpen piece, or is that still a 2026 kind of play for Manoa? Yeah, I think it's 2026. I really do.

I mean, I guess he could always be insured. if there's some catastrophic injuries for this year. But I don't think as a reliever, the idea of a guy coming back from Tommy John, who's not really been a reliever to go in the bullpen, warm up, sit down, warm up, come in the game, you know, pitch back-to-back days and try to recover that way. It just doesn't feel like it would be the right thing for him.

So I think that, you know, he'll be, you know, the seventh or eighth option in the rotation, I guess, if something happens. But I feel like they're well protected over the last month and a half of the season, and that this is really just about getting Manoa ready for 2026. Do Blue Jays fans need to be more worried of the Red Sox or the Yankees? I mean, obviously, the Yankees are always behind and they have their own issues right now. But I look at the Red Sox and this weekend in San Diego,

and it might not go very well for them. Oh, I'm much more concerned about the Red Sox than the Yankees right now. The Yankees, you know, they're competing against other teams, so they're also competing against themselves right now. And that's really, you know, the media, and the fans are all down on of it. And so, you know, they've got a huge momentum turnaround they're going to need. And look, there's time to do it for sure.

And, you know, if you're going to struggle, this would have been the time. And then you start putting it together for the last month and a half. But I do think that the Yankees' problems, they might still make the playoffs, but I don't think they can make up six and a half games and pass the Red Sox. I think it's going to be, you know, the Yankees fighting for that last wild card spot. Steve, Summer Radio is great time for Storytime. I love Storytime of Steve Phillips, a long-time, esteemed general manager, lifer of baseball.

And obviously, we're all getting excited for the Scherzer and Kershaw matchup tonight. But is there a matchup that you witnessed live that blew you away that you had this much anticipation for in your years' work in the game? I mean, a little bit there, but I think about a matchup that I saw. And, you know, I think you go back in the days for me. Like, I start back in, with the World Series back in 68 when it was Bob Gibson and the Detroit Tigers and Danny McLean and the Mickey Lollitz and the pitchers back then. And, you know, I think that, you know, for us, for me, it was Al Leiter on the mound. And, you know, his matching up against Roger Clemens and interleague play and what those were like for us as well.

But, you know, I think that, you know, Randy Johnson being on the mound against Greg Maddox, those matchups were always fantastic. And so I think that, you know, whenever you get a chance to see, you know, the best of the best go at it, and, you know, and as a kid, whenever we were going to go to a game, the first question we'd ask is, who's starting, who's starting? Because I always wanted to know who the pitchers were. And I'll never forget a game growing up. Mark Fitzredge, the bird, was pitching in Detroit, and what a character he was, right?

He'd pat the dirt on the mound. He talked to the baseball. taken on Dennis Leonard from the Can't City Royals, who's one of the best pictures of that era, in a 1-0 game at Tiger Stadium that was just, I mean, you know, Fidreys throws a complete game and wins 1-0 and, you know, 50,000 people at Tiger Stadium celebrating this sort of goofy, lanky guy with floppy hair

and looking like Big Bird on the mound and just, you know, never forget memories like that. when you see those great pitching matchups. Oh, there was some fantastic ones. I really do think that, you know, at this point in the season, the Blue Jays having worked the rotation in the way that they have and where things have fallen. If this is game one of the ALDS, you're looking to have a long October,

who do you hope is the one who's ball falls in their hand for game one to open up the playoffs for the Blue Jays? Yeah, good question. I think the Jays are sort of complicated in that way. I would think Gosman gets the game one start. You know, I wrote today, too, that I thought that if we go four deep in a series of starters, that I would likely have Scherzer and Beaver starting, and I would have Brios and Lauer in the bullpen,

that I think they've got the more resilient arms and, you know, more flexibility to be able to handle that role than I think any of the others. and so I would probably go with Gosman, Beaver, Scherzer, and Bassett in the bullp in the rotation would be the way I'd line it up for the Jays.

Steve, it was a pleasure. I'm looking forward to seeing Kershaw and Scherzer tonight, and I always enjoy speaking with you, so enjoy your weekend, my man, and maybe one day we'll get the chance to catch a game. I don't know if it'll be a camera. Terrific, guys. Maybe one day we would.

Yeah, I love that. Love that. Thanks so much. The one and only, Steve Phillips, joining us in the Maple Toyota hotline. Drive the built-in Canada, fuel-efficient, fun-to-drive Toyota RAV-4. Gas or hybrid models available. Visit maple Toyota.com. You want to hear a fun little piece of trivia. I always like trivia, my man.

So, Clayton Kershaw and Max Scherzer, the first time that they faced each other was as rookies back in 2008. I thought that was going to be the question. What year was that? I would have guessed earlier, to be honest. Who was supposed to start? that night. Oh, I know this was special.

Yeah, I did see that. That wasn't supposed to be... So, Kershaw and Scherzer was not supposed to be the starting pitchers in that matchup. It turned out to be Shurzer and Kershaw, which, you know, 20 years down the road, it ended up being quite the matchup, but the expected starters was Randy Johnson and Greg Maddox. This is the board I was talking about.

I didn't realize that that was it, and Vince Scully was that. it up. Yes. Couldn't get any more different. Yeah. So could you imagine, though, like back in 2008, driving into the ballpark and you're excited? This is like pre-Twitter, pre-cell phones, pre-all-that, right?

Or smartphones at the very least. You don't know if you're just assuming. Like, okay, I'm going in. I got tickets, going to see Randy Johnson, Greg Maddox. It's going to be a hell of a pitching duel. And you show up, it's like, actually, you got two rookies on the mound, is Clayton Kirschoff fella, this Max Scherzorzor kid. Have fun.

I would be so upset if I showed up, but then 20 years later, to have that story, if you had that ticket stub, be like, man, it was supposed to be Johnson Maddox, two Hall of Famers. It turned out to be Kirshaw and Scherzer, also two Hall of Famers. Yeah, a 24-year-old Max Scherzer and the 20-year-old Clayton Kershoff, I've got that right, instead of a 45-year-old Randy Johnson, 42-year-old Craig Maddox. That's amazing. Also reminds me that I was doing score updates on satellite radio at the time. So five minutes, top and bottom of every hour.

And we were gambling focused. So it was, oh, I hope you took the overs tonight. This was 15 of them in the NHL or whatever it was. And, man, I did a lot of those previews. And I wonder if I had to happen to have that game. Yeah. Did a lot of those. Oh, supposed to be a good pitching matchup between Randon Johnson and Greg Maddox.

Nope, got a couple of kids out there. Again, I hope you took the overs. Yeah. That's a great baseball voice, though. You should, that should be a character. It's like the old school, like, 50s baseball voice. We need more of those. Hank Azaria had a show that

was a parody of an old school style baseball. What was the name of that show? Do you remember? It was super vulgar. We'll find it in the break. It was definitely Hank Azaria, and it's not that old pre-pandemic, but we're probably talking between 2015 and 2018, I think. You'll probably recognize it the second.

The second I see, I hear it. But I think that maybe you've created a niche for yourself. There should be like, you should have a character podcast. Like 1950s, Brooklyn Dodges. Yeah. Well, whatever it's a, you can make it in a Niagara accent. Just, it's a hybrid. But there's an old thing to it. My grandfather used to speak like that. He never lived in New York and he did, but he sounded like he was. That's like what the radio. What are you doing that with a bag of milk? Well, that's what the radio guys sounded like back the day. Like, you ever listened to anyone who used to play by play? That's what it sounded like, always. Hopefully you're still listening to us, do sports talk radio in the middle of the summer. Lots more to come. We're basically just getting started here on Overdrive on TSN and TSN4. Back on Overdrive, today you're kicking it with me, Brennan Dunlop, and AB Al's brother.

Halfway through, my man, on a Friday. We're halfway to the official start of our weekend's beginning. Yeah, can't wait. Honestly, can't wait. A fun weekend, though, with the boys. So it should be a fun weekend. But you will have time to consume late night, Kershaw and Scherzer. There will be plenty of bets placed throughout the weekend.

I mean, it's a degenerate boys trip. We will certainly be having the game on. and we'll be having our bets on Fanduil placed, and we'll be kicking back a couple of soda pops. Imagine a time back to their rookie season when you would have to listen to satellite radio at the top and bottom of every hour just to get the scores and get those lines

because you couldn't pull it up on your phone unless you were sitting at a desktop computer that had access to a live score, which is what I used to read from. This is back in the day where there was a risk that the internet wouldn't work or that that site would crash. That's still very much of a risk.

Or that that game update was not valid. And I think that that is a risk, particularly if you're into the dodgy soccer as I am, but sometimes you don't know if that Google update is correct. Like, what minute is it in? How are they in 22 minutes of injury time? That's got to be impossible. Oh, nothing to noise me. Nothing to noise me.

Like preseason stats too, where you go to a website trying to find the stats or whatever and you just can't find it. Like last night trying to see, okay, how did Anthony Richardson do? And just the stats aren't updated yet because they just don't care about He did poorly, by the way. He did poorly. Well, you use the word, the DG word that I don't really like to say there. If you are betting on preseason, I think the word is appropriate.

Yeah. I mean, that feels it to me. That feels it to me. Yeah, yeah. I faded my Colts last night. We'll just, we'll leave it at that. How do you feel like playing a game right now? I love it.

Let's play future headlines, okay? This is what's more likely to happen? Okay. We'll start with some hockey. The Florida Panthers three Pete at Stanley Cup. champions, or the Philadelphia Eagles repeat as Super Bowl champions. Ooh. Let's your bad lead off.

That's a good one. That's a really, really solid one, I'd say. I think it's difficult for both of them, which is part of what makes answering this harder. Yeah, like, I think it is, but maybe the, maybe the Panthers three people. You think so? I think the Panthers three feet might be, might be a little more likely. Winning the cup takes a lot out of you.

They've just done it twice against two of the best players in the game. But it's that they brought back. the whole gang. The whole gang. Now, you can say the same thing in Philadelphia. Yeah. Pretty much a very similar lineup that won the Super Bowl a year ago, I suppose. Yeah.

I just, I don't know, like, I get it. The playoffs is far more grueling, and it's a much tougher test. It's the hardest playoff, in my opinion. Toughest postseason, hardest championship to win. But I just, I can't think of a team that's better than Florida. I can think of some teams that might be able to beat and contend with the Eagles. Like, I think that the bills, if they, get there can beat the Eagles.

I mean, Baltimore can beat the Eagles. I don't think they're unbeatable. I think if Green Bay can get it together, they get into the playoffs. I think you look on the NFC, you know, Detroit, what does Detroit have in store? Right? Like, I think Detroit, with Aden Hutchinson healthy again, what can

they do? Now, they did lose their coordinator, so it's going to be a bit of an adjustment. But you hope by playoff time, they've got it cooking again. And Dan Campbell's got that team playing. So I just, I see the Florida Panthers. there's is the standard right now in the NHL and the team to beat, I just think that there's there's less competition for them, whereas the Eagles, a little more competitions, a little more

of an even playing field around the league. It is more competition. And I mean, the reality is if you get the bills, it's because they're better and they've bested the chiefs. And if you get the chiefs again, well, then they've proven that they're unstoppable. And it would be difficult, I think, for the Eagles to repeat that. But I genuinely think, man, that we're due for a. another final in the Stanley Cup final.

We cannot get the Panthers and the Oilers again. I think the Oilers have a chance of getting back. Really? And I think the Panthers are good enough to do it. So who's more likely then? Panthers or Oilers? I think the Oilers. I think the Oilers are more likely to get back, yeah. But I don't think it's going to be easy for them either. But I generally think that they are, not that they're more

motivated, certainly, but like, there is a desperation that is going to push McDavid a little more this season. And this is either that season where has some devastating injury. They've got to get a goalie, though. Or he wins the cup. Until they get a goalie, I don't know if I can,

if I can like make that statement. You know, I don't know. I guess Steve Skinner has taken them to two straight cup finals. So it's a little unfair of me to say, but it's just tough to. But goaltending.

And not take Florida. Yeah. I feel like, would you rather have a big name goaltender that you would put in the category of goaltenders when we grew up? Because I think that's what we compare to. Yeah.

Or would you have a general. Generate, yeah, exactly, Cujo, or a generational talent like Connor McDavid that you hope you can outscore everybody, because that's really the reality that he's playing in. And you look at when the Golden Knights won the Stanley Cup with the backup goalie who ended up becoming a star, right? Jordan Bennington is now like the starting the number one for Canada. Nobody would have predicted that even when he lifted the cup a few years ago? I love how we've hijacked, would you rather? It's a real, we're talking about the same thing.

here. It is a real good question though because like the Connor McDavid he could score he could take over a game and score you know three goals have a five point night but if his goal he lets in seven what does that do

but if you as the goaltender the way that Bobrovsky has done of the last three years stealing games night after night winning games two one three two there's more blowouts this year but last year like those are close games right two years ago and they beat Toronto the first time

Those were close games. Like those were 2-1-3-1-3-2 hockey games, and that was the goal he's standing on his head besting some of the best players. Like, Matthew was the best player in the world that year. That year, I'm not saying he's better than McDavid, but that year when he won the Art Ross, won the, or won the Ted Lindsay, won the Rocket,

won the heart, he was the best player on the planet that year. And they shut him down in the playoffs. He didn't score a single goal. The goalie did that. So I think a goaltender might be a little bit more important come playoff time because it's so tight than the superstar forward. Still the deciding factor. And I mean, look, there have been some superstar goaltenders. I don't mean to take anything away from Brovsky and Andrei Vasselowski.

It's been amazing, of course. But there is, you know, that cachet of goaltender that we were used to when we were kids. It's not the same. It's not the same. There's far less of them. now, I would say. Not even kids. I mean,

drinking adults listening to sports updates in the radio because you can get your scores. I mean, prior to like sports science where guys just regularly played 60 games. Like that's just, that was what they did. You didn't even have to be a star to play 60, 70 games in the NHL as a goal. You just had to be healthy. And they would trot you out there for someone. Like, I know, like, not to disrespect my boy, I think he's a great goaltender. But like Marty Burranz told the story many times.

Dominic Hasich left, Buffalo. and Beirond started 72 games the next year. Went from playing, I don't know, like 20 or so games, like 18, 20 to 72 games. Unbelievable. Crazy. You will never see that ever again. You will never see that. No.

We're surprised when a guy's at the 50 mark. You're like, wow, look at that. I guess the management didn't do enough around him. Easton Cowan cracks the Leafs playoff roster or Bobichette signs a long-term extension with the Blue Jays. What's more likely? Probably Cowan in the playoff roster You think so? Yeah, I think so

He's due, he's going to earn it I just think it's more likely like Cowan I think it's very probable That Cowan factors income playoff time It may take a little bit for him to get there I don't know if he cracks the opening night lineup But if he can tear it up in the American League I think it's possible that

By next spring He could be ready for the NHL Right, give him that seasoning in the American League get him used to the pro game, and then by April, similar to Matthew Nyes. He didn't do it in the American League, but he did in college, relatively similar ages. And then he came in and helped and played pretty well in the postseason at that point for the Maple Leafs. So I'm going to go with Cowan. And it's not that I don't think Bo Bichette will sign an extension here.

It's just, I think the Blue Jays will pay up for Bo. Yes. It's whether or not Bo wants to stick around. And what do the other teams do? Like the Dodgers, the Yankees, the Red, like there's just all these, the Rangers are always spending money. Yeah. Like, there's just so many teams out there that could throw a bunch of cash at them and lure him

and lure him away. You think that Boba Shed is more interested in seeing what the open market has to offer than Vladimir McGarrow, Jr. was. I do, and I do expect him to hit the open market. That's not to say he doesn't come back. I still think there's a chance that he would come back. But he's going to test the market. And, I mean, we kind of saw it, I guess Marner didn't get to market, but once you found out what else is out there, decided to go in another direction.

I do think that the Maple Leafs had always communicated, and I believe that they were always interested in retaining him. For sure. And even when the public and anyone listening to the station felt like Marner is the big change you have to make, I think that within those offices, they still wanted to bring him back. And they weren't certain that that was true. and maybe they wanted to tinker with the numbers, but they were still given pretty good numbers. They weren't looking to force the guy to make an emotional decision and take a haircut.

They didn't squeeze them the way that the fans would. Well, the way that like Tavares took a pretty big discount, they weren't asking Marner to do the same thing. And I don't think they believe that they, yeah, I don't think they believe that that would be fair to do that either. With Boba Chet, I think he signs an extension. I don't think he hits the open market

because I think the Blue Jays win the division. Even if they lose in the ALDS, like if they get embarrassed and paced, it's a different story. But I don't believe that will happen. But as long as they secure the division, the way that ownership group is spending on sports in general and wanting to own sports and loving the moment,

I just feel like they're going to get swept in that moment to match whatever that check is from the Padres or the Rangers or if the Astros wanted to get fancy and write a big check or whoever would appeal to Boba Chet potentially, this ownership group is going to be. pay up because if they see a winning product and there will be butts and seats for the rest of this season

at Roger Center, I can see Boba Shett getting the money that he wants and them giving the deal that they feel in the moment is the right deal. It'll turn out to be that way, but I think Bobbushet signs an extension with the Blue Jays. All right. Optimism. All right, all right. To the NFL, future

headlines. What's more likely? Shadur Sanders is the answer to the Cleveland Brown's quarterback woes, or Shadur Sanders is added to the long list of crowns quarterbacks that couldn't hack it. Well, it's almost like I'm going back on what I said earlier. I want Shadur to succeed and I think that he'll be given an opportunity to succeed.

But it's still Cleveland. I think it's more likely that he becomes the franchise quarterback there as opposed to not. No, I don't. I think it's more likely that he gets added to that fan that has the jersey of like 40 different quarterback names all crossed out, all crossed out over the course of the last like 30 years. I can't remember what number that is the most, the most used number. It's not Brandon Whedon's three.

There's a couple threes. Colt McCoy was like a 12, 12, he was 12. I forget who Tim Couch was. That was my first Browns jersey. Tim Couch? Yeah. He was number two. He was number two.

He was number two. Tim Couch was my first brown jersey. It was a starter jersey. Yeah. Number two on the Browns, huh? Yeah. Number one in our hearts, though. Number one off the board.

Tim Couch. Yeah, I'll be curious to see, I'd love like a few years down the line to see what happens with Shadoor. Yeah. Again, I think he gets an opportunity whether or not he's able to prove that he's a franchise quarterback.

The answer in Cleveland, that's asking a lot out of a guy who ultimately fell to the fifth round. Whether or not he should have been a fifth round pick, hey, fourth, third. He was never looked upon as a franchise guy or a team would have drafted him far sooner than five.

Of course. Like, that's an organization that's made some very questionable decisions to try and get victories. If they felt that Chatur could help them win, they probably would have invested a far earlier pick in Chudor. For the first time since Adrian Peterson in 2012, we have a non-QB MVP, or for the first time since 2015, the AFC West has a new champion. what's more likely I've kind of been talking about the AFC West getting a new champion for like the last couple of days

like whether it's the Chargers and a lot of people are high on the Broncos like that could be a possible because look as much as we love to talk about there being you know position players involved in winning the MVP

it always just goes to a quarterback it's a quarterback league it's basically a quarterback award at this point like if say what he did last year, didn't earn him MVP consideration. Like, what do we do?

If he does it again, though, do you not think he gets it? Well, it depends. What does every, what are the quarterbacks do? Like, the quarterbacks have to have a big step back and not put up insane numbers in order, like, he would have to do something pretty wild. I think if you get the same

comparable production from all of those quarterbacks in the mix. Now, I think that Josh Allen's going to have an even better season personally. And I do, think that you're either going to get another historic, incredible season in Kansas City, or you're going to get a real disappointing season in KC, which would have, I think, a big influence on that as well. Like, like, non-playoffs disappointing?

No, no, no, but as in, like, first round fumble, like, as in it's possible they limp into the playoffs and they just don't have it in the tank. I can see it. It's also, to my point about the Florida Panthers and longevity. Like, I think that there's a lot of wear and tear, and I know that they've, they've bolstered on both sides of the ball a little bit with some new pieces, but I think that the chiefs are beaten down and worn down

and you just don't see a dynasty run like that, and everyone else is getting better. And I think that Saquan Barkley has the chance to at least match what he did last year. And based on the resident. Back to back year. You do it twice, then you have to do it. You have to get it.

Yeah, I think he gets there? I think he's going to flirt with it. I certainly wouldn't bet. If you give me, if you give me odds, at... Let me see if he's got an over... Yeah, what are the odds? Let me see if he's got an over-under total.

I wouldn't be surprised... Lake Juan Barclay to run 2,000 yards. I wouldn't be surprised if he's got a total up on Fanduel. They usually have stuff like that, but that's asking... It's asking a lot from a guy like that. 2,000 yards, Saquan Barclay plus 850 to go over 2,000 yards.

Plus 8.50. I thought it would be a lot less. You know what I honestly thought it would be like plus 350. I think plus 850 on Fandle is a good bet That's a good value I think that's great That's great value I think that's worth

That's highly worth a sprinkle Yes What's the last time? That was like the second time In like 20 years We've had a running back Over 2000 It's um

Yeah I can't remember the What the last year was when it was done But he It was AP back in it was Oh it's AP in 2012 Yeah He won the MbP

To win the MEPs To win the MVP Yeah And I think that if Sequand hits 2000 again And you have to give him the MVP. If everyone else around him. Was CJ afterward?

CJ 2K could have been after that one. I thought that there was the one in between. Either way. It doesn't happen that often. I don't, I don't know. 2000's a high number to put on Sequin. Well, we'll carry the conversation over on the other side of the break. This is Overdrive on Mail It in Friday on TSN and TSN4.

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You'll get it all in 20 minutes or less. A fast lunch doesn't have to be fast food. See it for a $15 fast lunch at your local Boston pizza. You got Dunlop, you got Al's brother, and we've got some Christmas day plans already, my man. Yeah. We know what our weekends are all about. We're excited for this weekend. Now get excited for Christmas because you know what NBA games are on and you know what NFL games are challenging them.

And I love how bold the NFL is. It's just like, you know what, we own a day of the week. We want to own the biggest day of the year. Yeah. You don't have exclusivity NBA. It's a new world. Well, they're trying to, but I'm looking at the schedules. So the NFL schedule has been out for a little bit.

the season starts before and so we've known it. He got Lions, Vikings, Cowboys, Commanders, and then Broncos Chiefs at night. So there's your Christmas Day slate for football. The NBA just dropped their schedule. And the Christmas Day slate, yeah,

Cavs, Nicks, Spurs and Thunder, which would be a very intriguing matchup. Wemby v. Shea. Yeah. Rockets and Lakers, Mavs and Warriors, and then T. Wolves and Nuggets as your nightcap there. They kind of hit it out of the park.

I'm more intrigued by these NBA matchups than am by the NFL. The Lions Vikings won. That one will catch my intention in the NFL. But, like, I'm not expecting the Cowboys to be a very good football team. Sure. Jaden Daniels is awesome. Like, it'll be cool to watch Jaden do his thing. I don't know.

I don't know if I'm crazy, but, like, I'm getting bored of, of Mahomes. I'm getting bored. You're not crazy. The Broncos Chiefs, and I think the Broncos is going to have a decent year, don't get me wrong. But that matchup just doesn't do

for me anymore. I don't know why. I don't know why. You would think Mahomes in prime time should be a gift to football fans. I don't want to see it. You're not alone, I think, in feeling bored of the Mahomes show in Casey. The games haven't been compelling. Like, if you actually go and

watch the Chiefs, dude, they're often. It was garbage. Two years now, this offense is not operated at a high level. And they're efficient. They're winning football games, clearly. They're making it to the Super Bowl every year. But it's not that entertaining. And it's kind of annoying to watch.

It is, particularly the last season, right? Because I think every winning team, and, you know, when they were good and when they were thrilling, you could say this about them as well. They're fortunate to steal a game. They're like, they didn't really deserve that. But, hey, they won it in the end. And if you outscore the other team, that's all it matters. How many times did we say that last year?

All the time. All the time. Nine weeks of it. JP just comes in over the top and says Bill's and Eagles are the same week. I am far more intrigued by a Bill's Eagles game than I am here with Broncos Chiefs. I don't know that's because, you know,

like the bills are considered a local team here. But like that that's a potential Super Bowl preview. Broncos Chiefs is not. Like it's a divisional matchup. But it's not. The NBA one definitely has my attention far more. I've kind of, the NFL, I forgot what it was, but. The Chiefs will always have more national appeal than the Buffalo Bills,

as unfair as that may actually be. That's just the reality of my man. Maybe. This is Overdrive on TSN 1050. Don't go anywhere. One hour still to come. Seasoned gamer or just video game curious. This week in gaming is the podcast for you.

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