OverDrive - OverDrive - January 16, 2025 - Hour 3

Episode Date: January 17, 2025

Join Bryan Hayes and Dave Feschuk for Hour 3 on OverDrive! Maple Leafs Radio Commentators Joe Bowen and Jim Ralph joins to discuss the Maple Leafs' stance in the standings, John Tavares' injury impact and Jake McCabe's return to the roster. NFL on CBS and Westwood One Commentator Kevin Harlan joins to discuss the NFL Divisional Round matchups and Bryan gives his FanDuel Best Bets.

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line to the final score. Get to our best bets later this hour. We've got Joe Bowen, Jim Rolfe coming up from the rink, Leafs Devils tonight, Kevin Harlan later in the hour. Um, the great Bob Euker passed away today. 90 years old. What a career. You know, it was a professional ballplayer himself made it to the major leagues, but then just the voice of baseball, like Vin Scully, Bob Euker, like those are the

guys, Harry Doyle from major league. bob eucre like those of the guys harry doyle from major league just one of the great supporting cast characters in a sporting movie ever is harry doyle from major league yeah i get that just a bit outside the greatest i mean your child's the outside and that drive the coroner's the athlete how are they back for the uh... what does he say at the end we have played one of these cut the way is it the full thing

we have jp we get the full thing let's play some harry doyle here at you we have to because we love bob euker we love harry doyle let's play a here's a great clip from the movie major league volume of the wind up in his first offering jobs to be outside he tried the corner and missed. Ball four. Ball eight. Low and Vaughn has walked the bases loaded on 12 straight pitches. And I think he goes on to say I don't know how they're laying off these pitches. Just incredible. So good.

And the beauty of it was you know that was just Euker being Euker. Yeah that's right. Just as he said many times like he was just Uykker being Uykker. Yeah, that's right. It was just, as he said many times, he was just being himself up there. The guys that produced the film came to him, they wanted him to be Harry Doyle, they only saw him as Harry Doyle, and they said, just be yourself. Just go in there and do your thing.

It's like hiring Don Rickles. It's like, just go in there and just be Don Rickles. Be Bob Uykker. And he had some great commercials, he did stuff with WWF, remember back in the day? Oh yeah. Remember Andre the Giant grabbing him by the, I think it was choking him, pretending to choke him out at one of the WrestleMania's.

That beer commercial must be in the front row. Yes, the Miller Lite. Great phrase must be in the front row and they put him in the back row. Yes. They actually have a statue in the highest row in Milwaukee. There's a statue of Euker sitting up there. Oh, that's incredible. So it's the second, he He has got two statues I don't know anybody that's got two

statues he's got one out in front of the building, Bob Euker does in Milwaukee because he's a Milwaukee guy born and bred who did you know how many years of baseball. Well he was a play-by-play guy for like 60 years or something. Someone had a stat out that he has called 3.5% of all baseball games ever. Yeah. Which I don't understand that math. I don't quite get that. Like Major League Baseball has been around since like the 1880s or whatever. Yeah. But... He's only been on radio for a certain amount of time. I guess so. I think Vince Scully had a similar stat. And he calls every game every year for that long. I mean, you're going to call a lot of

ball games. Yeah. but he has two statues. Two statues. That's pretty good. I loved his line when they asked him about how was the process to get the first statue made and he said, well, you know, they tied me down to do it. And when they throw it, when they, when they pour that molten metal on it, it's hot. He was so good, man. You can find him on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson.

He had some great, great, great sets with Johnny Carson back in the day. it was so good man you can find him on the tonight show johnnie carson and it's a great great great sets which i think arson back in the day carson called mister baseball mister baseball bob euker uh... by we got least doubles tonight on t s and t s and radio and uh... to help us to get the game let's head down the right now here's a job on in

jim ralph a don't boys good good labs are just thinking a little bit about bob euker ourselves in Here's Joe Bowen and Jim Ralph. How you doing, boys? Good, good, lads. Just thinking a little bit about Bob Euker ourselves and having one of the things, my four boys can recite the entire dialogue from Major League from start to finish without cue cards, without anything. And it's probably because of Euker. Yeah, I agree.

My favorite sports movie, man. Major League to me is the greatest sports movie ever created and no Yes, you're not gonna say Rudy. You're not gonna say Rudy I love Rudy Rudy's a great movie. It is it is a great movie, but it's no young blood Okay, do you have one Dave? You want to throw it? Blood so yeah, I should be pumping that tire that's right and then again royalty checks for that bones you all you kidding me i piled them up uh... you know there uh... there about three three cents a year so i'm just waiting to lay accumulate and then i'm

gonna cash them all in i like it i like it well we're saying that there was a stat circulating again about how many games bob euker is called you know in terms of obviously with brewers and playoff games and all that where do you think you stand bonesy when it comes to leaf games i guess i mean i i will i will do my thirty seven hundred game

next month while uh... the thing that i'm most proud of I think is that the building we're sitting in and the box that we're sitting in the Foster Hewitt gondola he did 41 seasons and I've done 43. That I'm most proud of. That is worthy of being proud. And I won't get a statue and I won't get a golden handshake it'll be a foot on the rear and out the door. No never that's not possible. Get bonesy a statue. Yeah we gotta get you a statue. Oh that's what I need yeah and have pigeons stop on me all through the rest of my natural unborn life. No I think that'll be fine. Okay. Ralphie? It'll be more than the

pigeons. Yeah you're gonna stop by too are you? Oh yeah, yeah, that's great. No, that's nice of you. Well, I'll start to assume I'm leaving first. Yeah, exactly. Now, guys, I'm going to mention this in our broadcast tonight. We all love Bob Euker. I'm sitting next to the hockey's rendition of Bob Euker right here. The man has an unbelievable sense of humor. He's a great analyst he knows it that stopped about hockey because he's played it and

everything else but he has a talent to enjoy the game and we've talked about this many times it's not world war three if it wasn't fun no one would come to the games and and this man is is hockey's rendition of Bob Euker and for 27 seasons I've sat here and laughed out loud almost every night at something that he has decided that he's going to bring up and present so I want to make sure I put the tires of my buddy over here. What are the odds I get on Johnny Carson then? He's dead. That's what I asked. So I don't think you got a chance. But you know what maybe maybe odds i get in johnny karson that they think that that that that's what i don't think you got a chance at that but you know what maybe maybe we could get you on uh...

uh... but found out that i don't know a lot of the live or what what's the one with the four girls all uh... the the yeah yeah i don't know if you're very happy to agree that you i think you've been very well in the new are you kidding me i just apologize for twenty minutes that That's right. You better backpedal if you're in there, Alfie. That would be quite uncomfortable. That might be the end of the career. Yeah, well, there you go. What's the mood like down there? I mean, we're trying to get a read. There were boos on Saturday, boos on Tuesday. Wait, you know what? Let me go downstairs, and some of the people that are coming in all what's your mood? Good mood today. Yeah, I mean, yeah, are we are we expecting booze tonight?

I mean, that's that's what the theme of the week has been so far. Yeah, but can someone please start putting the standings in the newspapers? I mean, I mean, it's this you're in first place! Holy smokes, we went through years of not even seeing first place looking up at the standings. And it wasn't the whole building booing them out, it was a smattering of whatever and your point was well made. Yeah, you know, for some people it might be one game a year. You know, you've got to save up and you've got to go and you think you should be entertaining to the max and people should have that expectation. But yeah, yeah I mean if you said at the start of the year okay in January you're gonna be in first place ahead of Florida ahead

of Boston ahead of Tampa would you boo? No, no, fair point. And certainly even you know New Jersey comes limping in a little bit and we're talking about how what a great season Sheldon Keefe has had. You know this is all part and parcel of the season. I would say I would be much more concerned if the Leafs were on the Boston Bruin Tampa Bay Lightning 60 win pace. Because both of them were gone in the first round when they went 60 in a regular season. So I'd be a little more concerned if things were too easy. I think it's great to fight adversity during the regular season. You lose three in a row now, then maybe if you get down a

couple in a playoff series, you've got the resolve going, you can battle back and win it. So it's an 82 game schedule and everybody's going to have these ups and downs. I think they've sort of flirted with this for a while because all the wins against the Islanders Philadelphia everything was a one-goal game and That could have gone either way So, you know, they've been sort of teetering on this and and sometimes you need that wake-up call to get back to what made You a lot more successful earlier in the season. Well guys we were discussing earlier in the show, you know the the situation For the Canadian teams and which Canadian team would be the favorite to go far in the playoffs and win a Stanley Cup for the first time since 93 and Hayes and I were talking about it and you want to put Edmonton there because theyups and then there's the Leafs. But the point Hayes made was that the gauntlet in the West, when you look at all the good

teams out there from Winnipeg, the Minnesota, the Dallas, the Vegas, the Edmonton, it's a lot more daunting than what you might face in the East with Boston having a down year and Tampa having a down year. And this Devils team that's in here tonight is good but unproven. Washington the same thing. Washington is a surprise. What do you guys make of that in terms of the road? Yeah I would agree with you I think that the really good teams in the West are are probably a little bit better than the same schedule or the same teams that are you know button-holed in the East.

But the physicality of the teams like Tampa and Boston, Washington is all going to come to bear on whoever is successful in getting out of the East. There's no easy road and it's not any easier uh... the west of course has to travel maybe a little further but uh... you know what that's why they would choose to live out there so that i will be the yeah exactly i mean they did we didn't we didn't tell you to do that now he got a problem with the u s really nice in the

sixteen lead when everything was over here exactly exactly on a train for crying out loud got to travel the road games and everything that's right uh... well i i like that optimism and and i'm curious what you guys make of you know to borrow speed injured he goes on the i are and now max thomas gonna move up uh... this is a position that it would appear as if brad tree living is going to try to attack it and try to add to and try to find some depth even with the healthy john taveras but

how much uh... optimism do you have that they'll get through this injury and and you know guys are gonna step up the way that they have to yeah well that's happened before right azie? Fraser Minton coming up uh... you know when matthews was out he had uh... what i think five points in his first six or seven games uh... being recalled and You know when Matthews was out he had five points in his first six or seven games being recalled and I think sort of the silver lining and the dark cloud of an injury that obviously is going to hurt you as far as the loss of production.

I think the reason they were so good early in the year other than just goal-turning was that the game was really simplified. It was dump and chase. They were scoring goals that were ugly goals and you're going wow this is playoff hockey this is the way craig brubay wants to play i think they've sort of gotten away from that a little bit uh... the dump and chase hasn't been there as frequent and uh...

you know this this might just be a reminder that boys you know we gotta play a certain way to be successful sometimes it's taking an offensive weapon out of the lineup that gets you back to that. Yeah. And in terms of Jake McCabe's return, Bonesy, I mean, you can really feel when he's not around, can't you? Well, he and Tanev have really gelled together to produce. And I'm trying to think back, when was the last bonafide number one

shutdown pair on defense that you said these guys are really good at it and No, I don't know. It's going back. Yeah a couple of decades. Yeah, who did Roman Paul? But yeah, and and so they they have gelled well together the last three hundred but yet and and so they they have jel well together uh... they block shots there they're not flashy uh... i've said this before christianna is the team's most valuable player uh... to this point in time in my humble estimation

uh... and uh... what she got in the points department goal in twelve assists uh... so uh... i i I really think that because this team had gone through the issues of not winning in the postseason, even though they had all of this offensive talent, that when Craig Barube was hired, the mandate was passed down that things are going to change and the style of play has to change. And the tandem of Tanev and McCabe probably personifies that. That's how we have to play. They got

to block shots, they got to be good in their own end, they got to make little passes to get out and not turn the puck over and that's what they've done for the majority of the time that they have been together and the way this team has played up to this point. So I would suggest that having him back even though they're losing to virus it's it's a huge bonus to have McCabe back playing with Tanova again as that shut down pair. Yeah big time and it was it looks scary I mean when he went down and that's two head injuries in the last month and a half there was a lot of uncertainty when he would return but he's back he practiced

yesterday Jake McCabe said he feels good and he's ready to play tonight Ralphie'll get you out of here on a Joseph Wall question and Bonesy you play the position him him running out you know you have the equipment anyway yes you fill the net you fill out the equipment you do play you're on the game sheet as a goaltender. I don't know if they have sheets. I hope not. In terms of Joseph Wall without Stolars the rest of the way up until let's say the Four Nations face-off if Stolars does not return. Do you expect him let's say the next three games tonight Saturday in Montreal Monday against Tampa does he play all three for

you should he play all three or do you think they're gonna be cautious with him and keep you know sneaking Hill to be and maybe get matt murray back up and spot duty it because they just don't believe walk and play that much uh... i think it's going to depend on his performance you know the the reason he doesn't play against vancouver i think was related to have a good time against carolina and i'm not not that he was terrible but because of uh... what he is shown us early in his career that sort of set the standard of of what he has shown us early in his career that sort

of set the standard of what our expectations are from him. So I think, you know what, he has a tough one tonight, maybe you say okay, you know we got to make a switch and Hildeby is going to play in Montreal. So you know, even though Joe and I are huge fans of Joseph Wall, I don't think anybody should really just be at the stage in the leaf crease where you're just given an opportunity because you've got more experience. I still think the reason that Stolarz and Wall work so well together was there was a competition and I don't think we just take the competition off the board and say, Joe,

it's your ball. You run with it till we get the other guy back. I, I still think you might be able to use Dennis Hildeby and say, uh, you know what? We're there's still a competition here and you still got to play to a reasonable standard before you get back in the net. And no, no team in this league, I think ends up not having to at least utilize three maybe four and in some cases more Goaltenders out of their depth and the Leafs have you know I have to be pretty pleased with what they're seeing with the Toronto Marlies and

Hildeby has looked like after getting over that one game where he looked a little jumpy at one night He has played and played well where he looked a little jumpy and whatnot. He has played and played well. Well, we'll see what comes of it tonight. Leafs Devils on TSM Radio, Joe Bowen, Jim Ralf with the call. Always appreciate you guys doing this. Have a good call tonight, we'll do it again soon. And your bet, guys.

There it is, Joe Bowen and Jimmy Ralf. Pre-game coming up as well with the tap man down there. Gonna be a fun one tonight. Yeah, it's an interesting question about Joseph Wall. They got 10 games in I think 23 days between now and the break for the four nations. It's almost every other night. And I think some of it, some of it's what Ralphie said.

Like it's about, he hasn't been perfect and you don't just deserve starts because you deserve them. But I think some of this is also just injury. It's like injury precaution, pre-injured like, you know Load management for lack of a better term just to say we know this guy can get hurt He has been hurt and we don't want him to get hurt. Yeah. Well, listen his numbers have been very good You know, they're a bit more bloated recently because of the Carolina game you give up five goals. That's gonna yeah, it's gonna it's gonna sting You know gave up four against Dallas

or no empty netters, so four against Dallas. Like that's gonna affect your statistics. But prior to those two starts, he was top 10 in save percentage, you know, up there in goals, saved above expected, all that kind of stuff. And Stoller's, like the two of them as a pairing, have been everything you could ever ask for.

And Ralphie brings up, I think a very important point that probably doesn't come up enough just because you were on the team. In other words, Hildeby's up so he's your inferior. Maybe not. I mean, you know, you still got to you still got to earn your keep. You got to you got you can't you can't let your guard down and just think I'm starting every night because I'm the NHL guy with a contract. And I'll tell you what, Borubi would probably like it to be like that. Well, he based on merit. Yeah, yes. And I would too. Don't get me wrong. If Walt plays well, I'm playing him. I've made that very clear. I would not be bubble wrapping him and saying I got to be careful here. If you're playing well and stole ours is out I think it's imperative that they they chase that top seed in the Atlantic. So play him. But if he plays poorly and he's leaking oil you're not just gonna

put him in there ever he's not hella buck to the point where you say I trust he'll break out of it just for the sake of it or what other option do I have. You don't need to be an expert to know you take Joseph Wall on an off night over Dennis Hildeby on most nights. Generally speaking that is true. You don't need to be an expert to know that. No. That's just eye test. But Wall hasn't been in the league long enough. You know he hasn't been around. It's not like this is some grizzled veteran in the league. No but everything we've seen has been generally pretty good. Very very good. Went healthy. Yes and that's the that's the caveat is went healthy. But no I listen

Wall's been really he's been really really good as a pro when he's played. And they're gonna need him here again, because we don't know when Stollers is gonna return. And they got some tough games coming up. And again, they go through Western Canada, they've got Minnesota coming up. Really tough. Yeah, like you've got Jersey tonight,

Montreal, Tampa, Columbus, Ottawa, Minnesota, Edmonton, Calgary, Seattle, Vancouver. Seattle is the only team there that's kind of out of it. Right? Like Montreal and Columbus in the playoffs right now, Montreal and Ottawa based on points percentage are right there in a playoff hunt. And they're hungry teams. And they're hungry teams.

So there's nothing easy over the next 23 days. These are 10 tough contested games. And you gotta rack up as many points as you can get. TSN 1050 wants you to be our unofficial correspondent at the grittiest golf event of the year. To enter, you gotta download the iHeart radio app, create an account, listen to TSN 1050 for at least 15 minutes straight.

Once you hit 15 minutes, follow the prompts to complete your entry. Whether it's 15 minutes of first up, 15 minutes of overdrive, the more you listen the better your chances. And on Monday first up we'll be calling one listener with a trip for two to the Waste Management Open in Arizona. That is a big tournament. Nick Taylor will be back there defending his championship. He is currently playing at the Amex and And last time I checked, he was six under, I believe. Like he's in the hunt.

Yes, it's Thursday, long tournament, massive field. They play multiple courses down there. But Nick Taylor's red hot, man. Nick Taylor's red hot and he's in the hunt. That's all you can ask for. That's good news, man. It was tough to watch him struggle last year, miss the President's Cup team,

when a lot of people figured he was a lock. Well, in Montreal. In Montreal. And he's a winner. He's a clutch player. Yeah. I think you look back on it now, they probably wish they just said,

screw it, man, we gotta bring him. If it was my decision, I would have had them on the team. Yeah I think they needed more Canadians there. Yeah but we're this political game. Yeah. It's a political game you gotta be careful it's the international team. You gotta appease all these different national federations. There's a lot to it. Mike Weir had, that's not an easy job. No it's not. JT Post in ten under today he's's currently in the lead. But yeah, Nick Taylor shot seven under, he's in the clubhouse. So Taylor's in the hunt.

Nick Taylor's back in the hunt. You know when he's in the hunt, that's generally means he's chasing the real deal, man. So we'll be tracking Nick Taylor tomorrow and throughout the weekend for sure. Kevin Harlan coming up. Kevin does it all, basketball, football. He'll be calling the Chiefs Texans game

on Saturday for Westwood one. We'll catch up with Kevin, we'll get to our best bets powered by Fanduil later in the hour. Overdrive continues, TSN 1050 and on TSN2. All right, best bets later in the hour. You see we're on to the weather updates for the four football games this weekend.

Like that's where we, that's the part of the week we're at right and it's like okay Sunday night Buffalo January gonna be cold breaking news might be cold and be chilly possibly some snow although no massive snowfall which is big right like I had that issue last year where they had to move the game back I think it was last year seemingly every year there's a massive snowstorm in Buffalo. Volunteers out for 20 bucks an hour and a couple of beers to shovel. Doesn't sound like that's going to be the case this year. But,

you know, the line is flipped. It opened Buffalo favorites. It's flipped to the Baltimore Ravens. I find everyone you talk to has a different answer on this. And we're talking to cause earlier that cause came out and he's like, oh, Baltimore. Like he had no hesitation. Matty was a believer that the Baltimore Ravens would win this game. I see it differently.

I think Buffalo is gonna win this game. I think it's gonna be a great game. I just, I think they're tough. I think that's a big part of it. Like, yes, you look at the skillset, you look at Lamar, you look at Derrick Henry, and I know the defensive line for Baltimore is very substantial very stout but I think the offensive line for Buffalo is gonna be up for the

fight I think Josh Allen's just gonna spread the ball around like he's been doing all year James Cook's gonna break loose I like Buffalo man and I also look at Lamar and I am a believer and I've said this before at some point I think he's gonna snap out of it and go on a great run and it could be this year clearly obviously it could be But the last couple years he's had a very good first game in the playoffs And then it's completely fallen off the cliff yeah because he plays a weak team in week one at home They run away, and then they run into some adversity usually on the road or against a good team like Kansas City Like last year and he just doesn't do it. So I have more faith that Josh Allen's gonna perform than I do Lamar Jackson

Lamar Jackson might as well be nicknamed Maple Leaf Jackson because he's been a playoff under performer. Yes he has and With all the regular season stats in the world. The greatest. Incredible regular season stats. Very Maple Leafy. And I'm with you, just like with the Maple Leafs. I've been picking them to break out of that many times. And I've been disappointed many times that my pick was wrong. So yeah, until I'm not picking Lamar Jackson anymore,

just like I'm not picking the Maple Leafs to win in the playoffs anymore, right? Because I'd like to be surprised instead of humiliated that I believed in the wrong exactly fool me five times Shame on me. You know at some point. It's like okay. Maybe I need to figure this out and yes, Josh Allen is not Mahomes. He's not But when if Baltimore were to be playing Kansas City this week, everyone's take would be, I can't take him over Mahomes. Mahomes, Allen has been phenomenal in the playoffs.

When he's lost, he's run into Mahomes. Like, Mahomes got him. Like the last couple years, Mahomes just got him. Last year they missed a kick late. They missed a kick. That would have pushed it to overtime. The year before was the famous 13 seconds left What are you doing? How could you let that happen? I was on Josh. Josh Allen was amazing that game

Yeah, he was really good last year. So Alan's never disappointed. It's been Alan's never disappointed Never disappointed right and and he's never been the reason they've lost He's never been the reason they lost and and he's not Mahomes and McDermott's not Reed and the Bills are not the Chiefs Don't get me wrong. But Allen and the Bills, in my opinion, are closer to the Chiefs than they are, you know, choke artists and losers or whatever. And when I look at Lamar versus Allen, as I said, if it was Lamar versus Mahomes, I'd be like, I'm not taking Lamar over Mahomes.

Yeah. I'm not taking Lamar over Josh Allen. Like I think Allen will outar over my homes. Yeah, I'm not taking the more over Josh Allen like I think Alan all out perform this week think you make it like Lumping Josh Allen Apache homes in the same category might be a bit of a stretch for some people especially people in Kansas City Especially people that look at I am a not saying he's as much he doesn't have him now He doesn't have him, but he's been very very productive. He has very good in the playoffs Lamar has not So I think Lamar has got to prove that he's gonna show up again. I don't think there's any though That Alan will perform but that might not be enough. It may not be it may not be here

He is from the NFL on CBS Westwood one. You see him in the NBA NFL you see him everywhere incredible. Here. You see him everywhere. Incredible. Here he is, the great Kevin Harlan. How you doing, Kevin? Hey guys, good to be on with you. Thanks for having me on and I cannot wait for this weekend. It's going to be the end. I've just been listening over the last two minutes to your conversation on Lamar and

Josh and it's going to be a back and back and forth nip and tuck all the way to the finish line for the MVP I think the game will be just like the voting for MVP I think this game will be very very tight and I think both quarterbacks will perform at a great level and if there was in every playoff cycle we always talk about is this really the Super Bowl? In a lot of ways, I kind of feel like this is. This is one of those games that you could circle and say, these are two, if not the two best,

two of the best teams in pro football. And I think it's gonna live up to the billing. Weather's gonna be as it always is. It's gonna be bad in Kansas City on Saturday, cold and maybe some snow. It's always challenging in Buffalo, but I think we're going to see great performances from these two quarterbacks. Yeah, I hope so.

I mean, I'm pulling for that. I just want to see a great ball game. I think it'd be perfect for NFL fans. You see Lamar and Josh Allen go back and forth and let the better man, better team win in the end. And, you know, you'll be calling the Kansas City better team win in the end and you know you'll be calling the Kansas City game I believe the Chiefs are going to beat Houston let's presume that happens I'm not asking for a prediction Kevin but let's let's presume the Kansas City

Chiefs are still standing after this is there anything the Bills or the Ravens can do on Sunday that would lead to you or collectively the NFL world to believe okay I saw enough on Sunday that would lead to you or collectively the NFL world to believe okay I saw enough on Sunday that makes me believe next week they're going into Arrowhead and they're gonna beat Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs. Defense and running if if Cook runs well and he's had this terrific season and Josh is Josh and if Lamar is Lamar andry is running like he ran all season long i'd give either of those teams a good shot at the chiefs uh...

thing that is unique about kansas city in addition to you know being a two-time reigning defending champion uh... they've lived with this mark this target on their back all season long. And so they've gotten everybody's best shot and they have found ways to win. They have won close games and while they've not been overpowering like the Bills and Ravens who at the time has really been just stunningly good, the Chiefs have just kind of gone through this season, picking and poking their way The Chiefs have just kind of gone through this season picking and poking their way to one win here and a close win there and never really blinking with this big target

on their back. I think that accounts for something. I think that means they'll be, you know, and the rest, we know that the starters haven't played now for three weeks going into this game this weekend but I think that a running game can travel and defense can travel and which leads you to think that both these teams, the Bills and the Ravens have that running attack. They both clearly have the quarterbacks. Can the defense come up with some plays?

Then turnovers. I mean we hear the same thing every big game. It's turnovers. Who can run the ball? Who can control the clock? Who can have long sustained drives? But these are two offenses with the Ravens and Bills that can do that.

And Buffalo's already beaten Kansas City. So either of those teams, the winner goes into Kansas City if the Chiefs beat Houston. And I think those elements will be very, very effective against the Kansas City defense. And I have great respect for what they've done. But Buffalo and Baltimore just seem to have the things that could really pry at what the Chiefs have done

this season. I think they could break that mold. I think they'd have that kind of momentum coming out of the game this weekend into Kansas City at Arrowhead next week for the NFC Championship. Look at the other side of the bracket, Kevin, with the NFC games. They're both fairly big numbers on the point spread. The Lions favored by nine and a half over the commanders. The Eagles favored by six, six and a half depending on where you look over the Rams. Which of

those two underdogs do you give a better chance of making this a tight one? Well I don't know that I do. I don't know that I could even separate them. I guess Matthew Stafford being a veteran quarterback you know is always that's got to account for something. Whereas Washington has a rookie quarterback, right? So, so it gets down to, you know, what quarterback is going to play at the kind of game that they can play. The one thing I would say about Washington is that they've got such a found money type of mentality. They're not supposed to be in this game at the divisional round.

They have a first year coach, they have a losing record over the last couple years. They've not been able to get this kind of performance. They've gone to a rookie quarterback who is probably the rookie of the year. How will he adjust to this gigantic stage? Then again, I say that and know that I think they're going to play loose and the pressure clearly is on the Lions.

The Eagles have been a hard team to get a hold of, you know, just in what they can do. Hertz comes back and we saw that they got out of concussion protocol last week and the team has another win, but they just seem to have been turbulent all season long. Will that grab them this weekend against a Ram team that I saw win their wild card game against the Vikings on Monday night out in Arizona? The Rams are playing at a very high level. They've got a defense that of the four teams might be the most splashy defense. They make big plays. They had nine sacks against

Arnold. They come up with picks. They're constantly pressuring the pocket. You know, this is something that Philadelphia is going to have to contend with and and i i would tell you but i guess the least surprising upset would be the rams uh... but i would never close my eyes on a team that's playing with house money like like the commanders are they can get in there play loose against the team which clearly has been the number one anointed team all season long

in the nfc does that all season long in the NFC does that pressure seep into the way they play well we'll find out and obviously you know in this time of the year in the NFL you do have the games that we can focus on but there's a whole other circus off the field that continues as you know Kevin as different teams look to hire different coaches and this week the reports are indicating deon sanders dallas cowboys maybe they'd be a fit maybe deon's interested maybe jerry jones is interested what would you make of that idea uh... deon sanders making his pro football debut as a head coach

with the dallas cowboys well i don't like the first of all down with the the problemboys? Well, I don't, first of all Dallas, the problem is not coaching, it never was coaching. The problem is personnel. Their roster is ordinary. And they've got the highest paid quarterback in the league and his numbers aren't really over the course

of these last five, six, seven seasons different than Kirk Cousins down in Atlanta. I mean, this is not an elite quarterback. No one would put Dak Prescott in the same sentence with Mahomes, with Jackson, with Josh, clearly with Burrow. There's no way. And he's not the best quarterback in the NFC.

That might be Stafford. So and then there's an argument for Hertz and you go right around the horn. I guess I feel like the Cowboys have really gotten themselves in a tough situation. The family wants to make the picks, they want to sign the players, but the results have not been good. It's not been because of coaching. It's because of the kind of players they're getting. And that points directly at the owner and family members and who their personnel staff

is. It just has not worked out. And one of the great things about Buffalo, Kansas City, Baltimore, is that they've got solid personnel departments and that they have continually supplied dealing with cap and winning numbers to find those right players. Now Cincinnati had a down season but that's not because of lack of what they've been able to do in the draft and signing players

they just got caught up with the whole departure of a lot of important defensive players in free agency which they could not afford because the quarterbacks making so much and into this is what teams are going through and i don't know how Dallas which has been challenged so far before they gave jack press got all this money i don't know how Dallas, which has been challenged so far before they gave Dak Prescott all this money. I don't know how, how Dallas is, is now with, with even more cap restraint,

going to figure out how to get players in there for whoever is coach. If it's Deion Sanders, if it's, um, the offensive coordinator with the Eagles who was down there in, in Dallas for a while, calling plays. I don't know. I don't know what they're, I think they put them in there a week late. All these other teams with openings have had at least 10 days or more to figure out their quarter, you know,

and going into the coaching interview world. And Dallas is getting a late start. So I think it's gonna be incredibly challenging for the Cowboys. With Kevin Harlan, Kevin, you're a late start. So I think it's going to be incredibly challenging for the Cowboys. With Kevin Harlan, Kevin, you're a Wisconsin guy. I'm curious how many times you listen to Bob Euker called Brewers games throughout your life. I listened to him a lot, actually. You know, as a former player, it's hard to make that transition to play-by-play broadcaster. Some have really done a great job and Bob Euker is an example of that. He has learned the craft and not only had a playing career of six years, but then he was honored in the, in Cooperstown

with the Fort Frick Award being a member of the Hall of Fame. And listen, you guys have had incredible announcers up in your part of the world, and I would say that, you know, in baseball in particular, that voice, and Van Miller was kind of like that for the Bills, and I know that Don Chevrier, I mean, like, I have a great appreciation for these broadcasters, but you could play

and then transferred that into calling games, very difficult to do, to learn a second profession, but he did, and he was terrific at it. And listen, he lived a robust 90 years. We could all hope to live that long and to live that kind of varied and deep and meaningful life that Bob Euker led.

So it's sad that he has passed, but it's a celebration of what he was for so many years calling the Brewers and what he meant to baseball overall. Absolutely. Well said, Kevin. Really appreciate you doing this. I know it's a busy time of year. Thank you and we'll do it again down the road. I look forward to it, guys.

Thank you so much. Take care. You got it. There's Kevin Harlan again again we've got the NFL playoffs this weekend and don't forget every incredible playoff moment on TSN is powered by Bud Light a refreshing taste that's easy to enjoy tune in game day for pulse pounding action. Yeah the great Bob Euker passing away today at the age of 90. What a life. 54 seasons behind the mic. 54 seasons calling the games. Incredible. Bonesy was saying he was on his 43rd. That's remarkable. Long way to go Bonesy. Yeah that's it that's

what's crazy is you still got you got 11 more years to catch Bob Euker. Mr. Baseball yeah Bob Euker. Just an incredible life, incredible career. Harry Doyle from Major League and Voice of the Brewers, bunch of commercials he was in, it was awesome. Just incredible stuff. Leafs Devils tonight on TSN and on TSN Radio, we'll come back with our best bets on that game. T it up one more time, Overdrive continues.

TSN 1050 and on the TSN app. Best bets powered by FanDuel, make your picks and assemble the same game parlay in seconds on the FanDuel Sportsbook app. The Leafs are paying plus 112. I'm on it tonight. Home dogs. Yes, home dogs. I get it, Tavara's not playing.

They've lost three in a row. It hasn't been great. Jake McCabe's back. They've got to respond. They're playing Joe Cool all week. Nothing matters. Three in a row. What are we talking about? I like the way we're playing. Okay, let's see it. Let're playing Joe Cool all week. Nothing matters. Three in a row.

What are we talking about? I like the way we're playing. Okay, let's see it. Let's see you show up tonight. I think they show up. I think they win tonight. Plus 112 against Jersey who hasn't been great either. I'm on the Leafs tonight.

I like that bet. Yeah, I'm on the Leafs. I think it's a smart play. I'm not laying juice for the devils on the road here. When again, the Leafs are a good team looking to snap out of it they got to snap out of it who were the Devils that's the question yeah well exactly they're no juggernaut no exactly today's best bets powered by Fandall live same-game parlays are now available for every NHL game on the Fandall sportsbook app please play

responsibly 19 plus physically located in Ontario so yeah Joseph war gets to start tonight. Jake McCabe is back in the lineup. John Tavares on the IR week to week. Just a fluky play like Tanner's skate, their skates connected. Yeah. I don't know.

Twisted knee to some degree. Yeah, no real details, but. Week to week. Week to week, so take that for what it's worth with the Leafs. It really, you can say out of hour, day to day, year to year, it doesn what it's worth with the Leafs. It really you can say out of hour day to day year to year it doesn't matter like with the Leafs. Trip to Munich to trip to Munich. Yeah you never really know what the main thing is but um we know he's not playing tonight won't play Saturday won't play Monday right it's retroactive to Tuesday night you got

to be out for a week if you go on the IR. Yeah. So John's going to miss the next three games. Probably good for him. Little rest. Yeah. I mean, listen, at his age, he's had a really good year. Yes. Rest. But the question is like, are you going to be laboring when you come back?

You know, where are you going to, where's, I don't know. I mean, I'd be nervous if I were him. I'm sure he is. He's not used to missing games. He's pretty durable throughout his career. Yeah. You know, you look at there's, there's his numbers up on TSN too.

Like plays a lot of games, man. Last year he missed two, the year before he missed two, the year before he missed three. Year before he didn't miss any, cause that was the COVID bubble. Like he really is not a guy prone to missing many hockey. No, he missed those playoff games against the Canadians with the weird.

Yeah, after the Corey Perry hit. But that's it, man. The guy's been very reliable. Yeah, it's impressive. It's impressive what he's done. I mean, we were saying that there was some talk about that today, about how a lot of us were wrong when we said, hey, a seven-year deal, seven years ago,

a lot of us said, probably regret that one five, five, six years in, but it hasn't happened. He hasn't had the fall off. He has pulled his weight in terms of producing, in terms of playing, in terms of conducting himself. You know, the playoffs are what they are. He's lumped in with everyone else, but in terms of point production and predictability,

John Tavares has given you everything you could possibly ask. Yeah, you can argue he was the wrong fit at the wrong time. Sure. Put you into a box in terms of salaries for everybody else when you gave him 11. Then the other guys wanted more than 11. And guess what they got?

Yes. One of them got more than 11. The other one got really close to 11. And eventually Willie got it too. Willie got more too, yeah, last year. A year ago when Willie was on 120 point pace. Now Willie, a year later, is on 80 point pace. Interesting times, I tell you. I'll bet you, you had Nylander might want to snap out of it

tonight right like it because the focus is on him like year one of the eight year deal big money you want to be paid like that you better you better show up and play in his last ten games he hasn't been very good if only every year could be a contract here for Willie Nylander. He's great in the contract years. He'd be a demon. All right, Dave. Good seeing you, man. Good seeing you.

There's Dave Fest, Chuck of the Toronto Star Leafs. Devil's coming up right here on TSM Radio and you can see it on TSM for tonight. Thanks to everyone behind the scenes for helping out. We appreciate it. Everyone for tuning in today. TV, radio, podcast, web. We appreciate that. We're out of here.

Enjoy your evenings. Enjoy the games tonight. We're back tomorrow at 4 p.m. we'll chat then TSM plus is taking game day to a whole new level with NFL red zone subscribe now for every touchdown from every game every Sunday afternoon NFL red zone available on TSM plus