OverDrive - OverDrive - January 9, 2025 - Hour 3

Episode Date: January 10, 2025

Join Bryan Hayes and Dave Feschuk for Hour 3 on OverDrive! NFL on FOX, Stinkin' Truth Podcast and Super Bowl Champion Mark Schlereth joins to discuss the NFL playoffs matchups, the Bills' grand opportunity and Lamar Jackson looking for the Super Bowl win. TSN Basketball Analyst Jack Armstrong joins to discuss the Raptors' losing skid, the pathway to consistency and the progression of the talent on the roster and Bryan hands out his FanDuel Best Bets.

2025 is your year. 2025. Started right with New Year, New You on iHeartRadio. New year, new you. Good vibes playlists like party hits, chill tracks on lo-fi, and motivational podcasts to crush your resolutions. From wellness, finances, travel, and more.

Let's go. New year, new you. New you. New you. Explore it all. Feel brand new. At iHeartRadio.ca and on the free iHeartRadio app. Final Hour Overdrive continues powered by FanDuel bringing you everything from the opening line to the final score. Brian Hayes, Dave Festjock of the Toronto Star.

Best Bet's Later in the Hour, Leafs, Canes tonight on TSN4. And we've got the Rapt the rafters in cleveland playing the calves on tsn radio tonight get to that a little bit later on jack armstrong will join us mark schlarroth coming up uh... joseph wall starting tonight some interesting stats on wall our friend uh... megan chaika has has dug these up based on a tweet i had a couple of days ago dave where i thought he was

phenomenal in philly i i think he's been great recently. He's had a really good year overall. When he's been healthy, his numbers have been elite. He's top five in save percentage, his goals saved above expected, all the analytics that come with it have been very, very strong. I thought in Philly he was great. They were really slow out of the gate. As you know, that first period was terrible. If it wasn't for Wall, they would have been in big trouble and he made some big stops late to hold on to a 3-2 lead and they ended up winning 3-2 in the end. And Megan with some interesting stats that are important indicating whether or not you

know you're prepared to really label yourself as a true bona fide number one because that's what I was indicating was when Stolars returns it will be a tandem because you know Stolars deserves to play he's been very good for them but I think it's in Wall's best interest the least best interest at some point for him to break free of that and make them a believer that he is a true number one guy that he can carry the load and be the man and he's the guy come playoff time there's no disputing who's going to play it's going to be him that's the definition of a true number one but as Megan points out he has a 918 save percentage when he has more than one day's rest this is in his career but an 894 save percentage on only one day's

rest and that's the scenario he's facing tonight he played two nights ago one day off in tonight that's a that's a big big difference you know you drop below 900 that's not true number one stuff he's he's got to prove he can play and play a lot. Well and that's my concern here like if I if I'm running this goaltending show and I've been talking to a lot of the the goaltending experts say is like the guys are delved deep into this stuff and the real theory that I keep hearing is you don't need one You don't need two you need three in this league heck I mean the Carolina Panthers got through five guys this year playing net for them and My thing with this is like he's about to start his 20th game his career high as 23 starts to Megan's point

He has not played well When he has not been fresh and you wear them out here like mix in a hill to be start here mixin amat murray started member can come back up i think they're they run the risk here was stole ours out where you know joseph wall even though i agree these got the potential to be a number one and he's got the skills to be a guy that can save them in the biggest games of

the year in the playoffs he's got the skills to be a guy that can save them in the biggest games of the year in the playoffs. He's got to get there first. Well, I hear you, but in order for him to get there, he's got to be able to play to do it. You know, I, I, I, you're not wrong. I hear that too. And noodles echoes that a lot as well. He's like, you need, you need multiple goalies in the national hockey league. No team skates the radio two games starting two guys ever. You're always going three or four or five players deep,

but that's the catch 22 here with Joseph Wall. You love what you've got and you wanna bottle it up, so in order to do that, your fear is, I better not overtax him, I better not overplay him. Yet, if you really wanna know what you have, he's gotta do something different than what he's done in the past, which is constantly being bubble wrapped and in a tandem and always concerned about injury.

I lean towards the latter and I guess I'm throwing sports science to the wind and saying forget it, but I want to see him play. I want to see him play tonight. I want to see him play on Saturday against Vancouver. Again, Mark Masters, I guess guess was indicating that in the notes internally that post-Forenations faceoff they don't have any back-to-backs. At least they've had a million back-to-backs this year. It's been crazy. They have played more than anyone in the league I believe. They play a ton of back-to-backs which has made it difficult. But this guy's

26 years old and he's playing great. why would you not play him? Like outside of that fear, and that's what it is, I'm afraid it's gonna blow up, but what if it goes the opposite way? What if he takes the bull by the horns and says, man, I'm proven to you right now, I'm the man. I can be the man, isn't that more beneficial for everybody? It would be great.

And look, my instinct is the same as your instinct except for the history Yes, the guy who what did he he had a good run? He was emerging as the number one last year and he got hurt He was emerging as a guy who was gonna save them in the series against the Bruins and pulling one of three one hole Got him to game seven, but couldn't play it because he got hurt So look, I would love it if you could say go out there and play 78 games a la Martin Martin Brodeur But this guy has no history I've been able to do that

You have to pay attention to the history or you risk repeating it you risk repeating it or the other flip side of that And we're on our like third or fourth side of this coin is it may it's gonna happen anyway So while he's hot and healthy play him You know like that's the other thing the guy if he's always gonna the injuries right around the corner Where you bother bubble wrap him or not then when he's red-hot you really need the guy Maybe you have to take advantage of it that could be the scenario they find themselves in right now More on that later in the hour Jack Armstrong coming up our best buds as well But we're about 48 hours away from go time in the NFL wild card weekend to chat about it We're joined now by former NFL or Super Bowl winner Fox analyst host of the Stinkin Truth podcast back on overdrive here's

Mark Schlerer. How you doing Mark? I'm doing great how are you guys doing? We're doing great man and you obviously went on a number of Super Bowl runs in your career. I'm curious you know if you could take us inside the room you know a couple days before the real stuff begins. What's it like for an elite team, like a really good team that's playing this weekend, like a Buffalo, a Baltimore, teams like that, Philly, Minnesota, etc.

When you really feel like you've got a chance to do something special this year, what's it like as you get closer and closer to actually playing playoff games? I think there's ultimately a mean, I think there's ultimately a ton of confidence because you've had so much success. So, you know, I mean, I always say the confidence comes from doing the work, right? Confidence comes from a place of humility, where I've done the work, I know I'm good

because I've done the work and I'm ready to go. Arrogance comes from a place of fear, right? Where it's, it's, oh my God, here we go, like I've got gotta puff out my chest because I know I haven't done the work, I know I'm not that good. So I think if you're a really good team, you come from a place of confidence.

Now, there is the aspect of, there is so much that you're expecting of yourself, and if you're a favorite, there was a, for me, it always felt like there was more pressure when we were supposed to win it all. When we were the best team, there wasn't as much kind of joy in winning. It was more expectation of winning.

And so, you know, that can affect you too. Just depends on your football team. But, you know, there's a beauty in playing kind of on quote unquote house money, where nobody expects you to be there Let's go shop the world. Yeah, sometimes that happens not very often, but sometimes it happens But for the most part, you know You have a lot of confidence if you played really well and you're one of those team favorites with a great quarterback

And you feel like you can do it Hey mark the host of the show who're just speaking with brian hayes he had a ranking today on the people with the most pressure heading into the playoffs here in the nfl and i'll break his i'll give you his one two three and ask you to critique it okay cuz we'll we already have but he had number one there

lamar jackson number two josh allen number three nixie re-en. What do you make of that? Well, I mean I think it's I think it's good I agree with number one I don't think there's any question that Lamar Jackson has a ton of playoff pressure on him you think about Kind of where he is as a quarterback. Yeah MVP two-time MVP may win his third MVP but in the playoffs he's two

and four he's completed 57% of his passes in the playoffs he's got nine total touchdowns and nine total turnovers so he has not played well he has not been good in the playoffs so I agree that he has a ton of pressure when you look at Josh Allen Josh Allen has performed unbelievably well in the playoffs. I mean, he is with, there's only two other guys who have put the numbers up that Josh Allen has put up in the playoffs. 21 TDs versus four interceptions,

completing over 70% of his passes. When you do that, you're supposed to win. Patrick Mahomes, when he does that, is 15 and three in the playoffs. When Tom Brady does that, he's 17 and four in the playoffs. When Josh Allen does it, he's five and five in the playoffs. That's what he's done. And so I kind of look at more pressure on the organization that I do on Josh Allen. Like last year, they were winning that game against Kansas City. They were dominating that game. Kansas City starts to make a little bit of a run. And it's like the coaching staff just folded their tents, handed the game plan to Josh and said, go win it for us, Josh. We don't know what to do.

And it drives me crazy to watch that. So I think it's more on the organization, the coaches, than it is on Josh Allen in that particular situation. Although I understand the kind of concept of Josh Allen having a ton of weight on his shoulders because of the history of the Buffalo Bills when it comes to the playoffs. But think about back a couple of years ago when they faced Kansas city and they

had that lead and Josh Allen played out of his mind with that lead with 13 seconds left and they kick it off into the end zone so they can down it. Like that's a, that's a hundred percent you either squib it or your motor kick it. So it comes down about the one yard line and then they're forced to return it use five or six seconds. So now we're down to eight seconds and that play doesn't happen. So that's, you know, malfeasance of coaching on their, on their behalf. So I don't, I don't put that on, I don't put that on, um,

on Josh Allen. I think, I think either the Nick Sarion thing is interesting, although I think he, he's acquitted himself quite well this season and You know his quarterback is coming off an injury Yeah, I almost feel like Mike Tomlin. I'm thinking things gonna happen for Mike Tomlin Mike Tomlin has not won a playoff game this 2016 and You know, we always talk about we always talk about hey Mike Tomlin great coach You know, I I know that we picked the Steelers

to be fourth in the division probably, and you know, they almost won the division, they ended up second, but they've lost four straight games, three of them by double digits. And in Pittsburgh, I think nationally, the idea here about Mike Tomlin is one of the greatest coaches in football, and I don't disagree with that.

But I think in Pittsburgh, they're growing a little weary of Mike Tomlin and the lack of playoff success and the truth be told I just think that Baltimore's a much much better football team than Pittsburgh. I agree with you there I think you know it's rare you see a team a divisional game like this in the playoffs and now they're gonna play each other for the third time they just played a few weeks ago and Baltimore just blew the doors off pit. But generally speaking, history would suggest Wild Card weekend at least one, if not two,

underdogs are going to win outright this week. I'm curious if you have one in particular, Mark, one underdog labeled in Vegas that you look at and you say, I think that that team's gonna win this football game. I, you know, I think Washington, I think Washington has a real chance to go in there. One their quarterback is played unbelievably. Certainly going to be the rookie of the year. He's been unbelievable. He is, he is, um, won four games, you know, with a deficit in the fourth quarter brought his team, um victory two of those on the final drive two of those four

He went toe-to-toe with Joe burrow in one of those games and I would duel Joe burrow in a game where they didn't even punt The kid has been unreal both with his arm and with his legs I think the one thing about Jaden Daniels over and don't get me wrong I love Baker Mayfield think Baker's been amazing too But Baker has a propensity to throw into a team meeting every now and again So I think the odds are that if anybody's gonna turn the ball over Baker will have more likelihood to turn it over in this particular game then then Jaden Daniels in Washington both defenses are a little uh... of a question mark little bit of a struggle

uh... but i think what you have a chance to go into camp and when i came out right mark we look at the bills you know you talk about that the pressure on shan mcdermott and that coaching staff for their sins of the past that have piled up in led to a lack of playoff success. Is there a potential disaster looming here against the Broncos team coached by a very competent Sean Payton

that things could get closer than anybody thinks they should be given the fact that it's a nine point spread heading into the big game? Yeah, well I think there's a real chance of that I mean I think one the Broncos are playing on house money and you know I played in the Super Bowl Super Bowl 32 against Green Bay Packers when I was with Denver where We should open the week at 13 point underdogs We kicked off at 11 and a half point underdogs and there was that house money kind of feel to it, right? And of course We knew how good we were We had a lot of confidence in how good we were.

One of the things that happened to us in that particular game was we had played them in December the year before, and we had home field advantage locked up. We had six or seven guys, six or seven starters that didn't start. Gary Zimmerman had a shoulder injury. He had surgery.

Terrell Davis didn't start in that game. John Elway didn't start in that game. Three or four guys on the defense didn't start that game. Um, and they whipped our ass in that particular game. And that carried over to their, their arrogance that's following Super Bowl because they got our JV squad and they thought they're going to kill us and this roll us over and you know so we played that kind of house money attitude and Sean Payton has done that before remember that Super Bowl he played in 2009 with The Norland Saints vs. The Annapolis Colts and they come out at halftime after halftime

They do the onside kick and you know, there is that element of a man. We're gonna have a fake pun in this game We're gonna run our quarterback. We're gonna do the quarterback man. We're gonna have a fake pun in this game. We're gonna run our quarterback We're gonna do the quarterback draws. We're gonna do the quarterback counters. We're gonna do the quarterback powers We're gonna do all those things and oh by the way, we've got a pretty damn good defense we've uh you know, we're one of the top sack teams top pressure teams in football and Vance Joseph is one of those guys their defense coordinator that will bring five man pressure six man pressure seven man pressures You know a four man zone blitz or simulated pressure,

if you will. So there's always gonna be something different. And Josh Allen has had a propensity in the past, not this year, but in the past, to turn the ball over. And what you're gonna do is try to bring as much pressure, try to create as much confusion as possible and see if you can get a couple of those turns or see if you can get him to slip back into what he once was before this

season. This season he's got 40 touchdowns, 40 plus touchdowns total and only six interceptions. So it'll be interesting to see if they can turn them over. If they can do that, I think it could be close. With Mark Schlerer, so the Packers going into Philly playing the Eagles and Green Bay's coming in, Christian Watson's not done for the year, Jair Alexander's done, he's not going to play. They just lost to the Bears, they got booed off Lambeau, they haven't beaten an elite

team all year, they lost to Philly on that Friday night in Brazil to start the season, twice to Minnesota, twice to Detroit. Where do you stand on Green Bay going into this game? And if they can win, how do they win? Yeah, can they win? Certainly they can win. I mean, their quarterback can be hot and they can run the snot out of the ball with Josh Jacobs. They've done that before, not turn the ball over. You know, when they win, they don't turn the ball over in defensively. They're one of the top teams as far as turning the opponent over. So like that's the formula for doing it without question.

That said, like Philly is one of the most talented teams, top and bottom in, in the national football league. They've got an outstanding offensive line. And I think even though Jayden or she, even though, uh, Jaylin Hertz hasn't played, uh, in several weeks, Jaylen Hertz, like you can get him into a rhythm because they run the ball so exceptionally well, they've got to say qualm-barclay, they can condense formations, they can use their two tight ends packages,

they can get big and heavy and just pound you, and then all that quick play action stuff, the RPO stuff, you know, the bubble screen stuff, get your quarterback into a quick rhythm. I just think that Philly honestly is one of the most talented top to bottom rosters in football and they're one of the best rosters in football. And you know my prediction for this game is Philadelphia Eagles win, cover the spread, kind of a blowout game.

I really feel like they're going to run them out of the building. Yeah, I wouldn't be shocked man. The way things are going on both sides of the ball I wouldn't be shocked in Green Bay or Philly It's gonna be a great weekend mark and you'll be all over it as always. We appreciate you doing this man. Enjoy the ball games All right, you guys take care of it. You got it. There's Mark Schlereth of Fox Sports and the stinking truth podcast 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, that's my concern man. Like Alice brother and I Dave we're going through it through the games Because for the playoffs, we get to choose the three games We want to play this weekend because we won the regular season which is a big advantage to have or should it and my instincts say I? Don't think Green Bay is gonna keep up with Philly and I hate saying that because I want to see Green Bay do it But I really think they're coming in leaking oil. They lost they really got crushed by many in week 17 They lose to Chicago at home. They haven't beaten an elite team all year. The receivers just simply are not good enough right now. They're not separating. They're way too many drops. Their pass rush is too inconsistent. I just feel like Philly's

that front seven, Jaylen Carter, they're going to be all over Josh Jacobs. Easier said than done. Jacobs will get some yards. He'll have a couple of big plays. But Philly has been so good and Hertz is back in practice he's going to play clearly. Love may not be 100% he doesn't feel like he's been 100% really all year. I don't know it just it feels like it's going to be a very very difficult game for Green Bay to win. That's just.

Yeah I just saw that injury report for sure I think that love's health is a major concern man because they're gonna need him to be Gotta be great tremendous. It's gotta be great in this game. Yeah, he's got to be great And he was part yeah, the Eagles front seven has been so good there You know like their their defensive line is like dominating the line of scrimmage recently Yeah, it's gonna be a tough game. It's going to be a tough game. It's going to be a really tough game. Although, I guess, with your thesis that Sirianni is facing a lot of pressure, which I think is valid, and I think there is a ton of pressure on Sirianni and this Eagles team, maybe, you

know, if you start poorly in a situation like that where you're expected to win, to Schlerer's point, that could breathe some new life into the Packers. Absolutely, for sure. And I think from our standpoint, Al's brother and I, I don't wanna pick that game. I'm just gonna let the other guys, I'll say that right here right now. Let them pick it, they can take who they're gonna take.

But it's tough, wild card weekend's tough, man. It's difficult to get a read on this stuff. That's the beauty of the NFL. fan duel and the Lions and you know Everything's moving one way or the other between now and kickoff so picks will be happening tomorrow on the show although Luke's in in BC and Al's brothers, you know in the Gulf of America prison. Yeah, so But anyway, we'll find a way to make picks. I'll make picks, O will make picks and the show will go on.

Looking forward to it. Yeah it'll be fun tomorrow. Yeah it'll be fun tomorrow. Alright Jack Armstrong coming up from Cleveland. What's up with the Raptors? What's up with his Bills? You know he'll be there on Sunday. You know Jack won't miss that game.

There's no chance. So we got a little Bills talking, a little Raptors talk, a little NBA talk with our good friend Jack Armstrong coming up. Best bet still to come as well. Leaves Canes tonight. Overdrive continues. TSN 1050 and on TSN 2. 2025 is your year.

2025. Started right with New Year, New You on IR Radio. New year, new you. Good vibes playlists like party hits, chill tracks on lo-fi, and motivational podcasts to crush your resolutions. From wellness, finances, travel, and more. Let's go. New Year, new you.

New you. Explore it all. Feel brand new. At iHeartRadio.ca and on the free iHeartRadio app. All right, best buds later in the hour. Jack Armstrong coming up. Raptors in Cleveland, a heavy, heavy underdog tonight. I guess you can take solace in the fact that the line is moving towards the Raptors, right, Dave?

I guess maybe some money's coming in on the Raptors. Maybe they only lose by 10 tonight, but it is staggering, man, especially last night I found because for the better part of a decade, they would go into the garden and smack the Knicks around, like absolutely smack them around. When Lowry and DeRozan were doing their thing and then obviously when you know in 19 and even parts of 2021 albeit maybe in a bubble or whatever They own the Knicks for forever and they weren't alone Everyone kind of owned the New York Knicks But the Raptors would just lay beatings on them and they'd have their you know

The 12th man out on the court the last five minutes of the garden feed up like we're going to we're partying tonight this game's over it's done by 20 25 points and last night is just a complete opposite like it was a formality the Knicks were gonna win it was a matter of how much they would win by yeah it's it's amazing how it's turned you're right like the Raptors used to be a big part of making the Knicks a laughingstock you know that to going back to the of making the next a laughing stock you know that uh... going back to the you know the barni trade and and then james dole in the next owner reportedly mixing that what would have been the kyle laury trade at the eleven there

cuz you didn't want to get you know what did not decide you jerry get one over on the next again and then you know the next with their petty lawsuit against the raptors a while back and and all that stuff can of made the Knicks look small. And now the shoe is on the other foot a little bit. Yeah, it is. It is. And I mean the Raptors had that really going with everyone in the Atlantic division.

They had a three or four year run there where they were just, it was like 750 ball or 800 ball. It was something crazy. Like they didn't lose to anybody. And the Knicks were really a prime target for them and now New York's, you know They had a bit of a slow start like a couple of teams in the East, but they're red hot now, man They look really really good. It's always the same conversation with them. Like are you gonna play the bench? Are you just gonna run your starters into the crown? Yeah Tom Thibodeau. It's all he hears. It's always the same thing

But the Raptors are in in Cleveland tonight and last night the Cavs in what was a great game against Oklahoma City, something like 30 lead changes and eight or nine ties I think in the game and third and fourth quarter was electric and Shea Gill just Alexander put up points and Cavs ended up winning the 32 and four. And that's what the NBA is looking for, I guess, right? You're going to promote smaller markets. It feels like the year of the smaller market unless Boston just decides, you know what, we're going to do it again.

Wow. In my heart of hearts, it's hard to imagine anybody beating Boston. It really is. They're just so good, and they've done it, and they've been there, and they got that team. I guess their reliance on the three is maybe their potential Achilles heel because they're shooting more threes than anybody in the history of the sport and we all know. Some nights the three doesn't go in and you better have another way of scoring.

But yeah, I don't know if the NBA loves in its heart of hearts Oklahoma City and Cleveland being two of the featured teams in the league but that's what they got and they better embrace it because they don't have a lot of alternatives. Yeah exactly. Like Shagel does Alexander's pulling his way like you watching him play is phenomenal and he does it on both sides of the ball saw a stat actually circulating the other day that like his plus minus on average when he's on the court is something that we

can't remember what it was something crazy like we haven't seen it since steph in twenty fifteen or something like that but it's i think i saw something like that too. It's been incredible. It's been incredible. I mean that's often the argument for for Jokic, right? Why Jokic needs to win another MVP is because if you look at his plus minus and on off the court stats, like the Denver Nuggets without Jokic are just unplayable, like they're terrible.

And that's one of the reasons why I think there are a lot of people that still vote for that award that are going to have a hard time veering off of Jokic at winning his fourth MVP in five years, which is something only LeBron has done. But SGA is making a case for very similar reasons. And they're playing without their best guy. Like Chet Holmgren, I shouldn't say their best guy, but their best guy that's not available is Chet Holmgren.

And they're doing all this without him, Hayes, which is even more impressive. Pretty significant. I mean, that's kind of what they've known his whole career. Holmgren, he missed his whole rookie season. He seemingly is never, ever available to them, but when he is, to your point, he's a very productive player. Yeah, I mean, the goalpost, it's always difficult to define. We're dealing with it in the NFL right now with Josh Allen versus Lamar. Is it stats? Is it who's actually the best

player? Is it wins? Is it what you're doing with less around you? I feel like in the NBA, these worlds are going to collide, like you just said, because Jokic clearly doesn't have the same help around him and his stats are absurd, yet Shea is going to probably like Oklahoma City is probably going to win the West. You know if they win 61 or 62 games and he's clear cut the best player and his stats are outrageously positive on both sides of the ball and I think that's important to point out like he's very very astute defensively that seemingly should be worth something you know and I feel like you know worlds are going to collide here in the NBA.

Raptors in Cleveland playing the cast tonight. Let's head there and catch up with our good friend Jack Armstrong, our Raptors Analyst. Jack, I guess prior to us getting to the Raptors here, why don't you answer that question? Shay Gilders Alexander or Nikola Jokic? Who would get your MVP vote if you had to hand it out tonight uh... tonight uh... i would say shane

uh... he's just been amazing and and i understand that but you know in defense of your pitch and his reporting cat is in the good but i think shea is that that i was standing in every facet and who's to say it wouldn't be a co-MVP? Right now I think those two guys are neck and neck and their head and shoulders over

everyone else. I would agree with that. I think the odds makers would agree with that and I think that's what we're trending towards. As for the Raptors, you're in Cleveland, you were in your hometown last night and you know, we were just talking about this, Jack, and you would know this better than we would, Dave and I. Like, there was a good seven to eight years or maybe a decade where the Raptors would just smack the Knicks around.

And the shoe's really on the other foot, you know, and it's kind of tough to see because last night, it wasn't for Chris Bouschet the last two or three minutes they would they they may have lost by 30 last night. Yeah no it's a difficult run right now and you know here's the interesting thing for the Raptors from a big picture perspective you know before 2014 you know you had a few cycles of success and the you know success with Vince Carter and that group and then Chris Bosh and his group where you made the playoffs a few times. And then things kind of tailed off. And then you had the excitement of We the North in 2014 playing the Nets and then that

great six, seven year run. And the challenge now is that creates expectations. So when you have that you have greater disappointment and that's kind of what I'm seeing now is that from a fan base perspective and from an interest perspective it just gets a little bit harder to keep people's enthusiasm and intensity and passion because you know they've already witnessed one side of it and they've seen something really cool and been to the top of the mountain and now you go the other way and it just gets a little bit harder.

I think that's been the disappointing part of it for Raptor fans is that you just have not been able to get out of this for the last few years part of it uh... you know for raptor fans is that you know you just have not been able to get out of this for the last few years and you know here's the here's the bigger challenge for the raptors let's say you don't get koopa flair let's say you don't get the first pick in the draft let's say you get the fourth or fifth pick in the draft

uh... you know and i've talked to a number of executives and scouts in the league and it's the very good draft but nonetheless is that guy coming in if you hear fit is he gonna turn your franchise around and i'd be at the would be he'll be a good player will be part of the mix

but uh... there's still a lot of heavy lifting and i think right now this year is about trying to figure out who exactly fit what they about trying to figure out who exactly fits what they're trying to do and then to go about trying to turn it around and you know the following year you have two number one picks but again you have a fan base now that has been to the NBA finals and has won it they've been to a few conference finals things like that and you And so the bar gets set higher and the level of disappointment becomes higher. So I think it's a challenging time right now.

So Jack, a big part of this year has been defined by injuries to key Raptors and the fact that they haven't been able to really get a sense of who they have and what it might add up to down the road because they haven't had the availability of key guys. We're starting to see the makings of what it can be with Barnes and Quickly and Barrett as the sort of top three guys and the rest of the group sort of filling out. In the early days with Quickly back and barrett and bars both healthy touch wood you what have you seen there that gives you some idea of what those three guys

could be as as a foundational core to this team no i i think i think those three can function together looks like they play off each other well when i j barrett and scotty bonds were playing together i thought they were very effective efficient playing with each other and i think quickly is already played with our today and i think it's just a uh... comfort level of of for scottie bonds get used to it

now you know quick quickly have in the ball a little bit more but i i think scottie bonds uh... adjust and adapt and i think it's it's been beneficial for him you know now it's those other pieces i i look at this starting five last night. Jakob Pertl is a good starting center and Grady Dick right now seems to be struggling a little bit because he went from being a high usage guy on a team that needed him to do a lot to now being kind of a complimentary piece in that starting lineup. So he's got to do the little things and he's got to make open shots and be efficient and do

the things that he's able to do to complement the other four guys but he's not going to be a feature guy anymore respectfully at this stage of his career. So I do think that they can function well as a starting lineup. I think their challenges you know there's been a lot of defensive slippage. I think, you know, they're not able to sustain that focus. I think when you're bringing young guys in, like a Jacoby Walter and Shed and guys like that, MoBo when you were playing him,

you know, you're gonna have significant slippage. The pace of this game is dramatically different than what it is at the college level, and it takes some getting used to. But there's some good pieces that they have in place. The question is are they going to gel? And the other question is are they going to get to a point where they can be a respectable

defensive team? And I thought last night they had a lot of good stretches defensively and then absolutely hit the wall and the nicks took it to him and the game completely got away from them so they're not that team yet that can sustain for a long period of time and that's what happens when you lose a lot of games with jack armstrong and you mentioned jacoby walter who he didn't really have a camp because he was injured throughout it

and injured throughout you know the start of the season but now has been back a while and he was injured throughout it and injured throughout, you know The start of the season but now has been back a while and he's you know spot duty here there But I think you know adding to your point earlier about the reaction to this season I think from Raptors fans I think the buzz or lack thereof around him is probably a great example of that because we're you know forever you remember this Jack Dave you'd remember this 20 years ago whoever went in the first round that guy was talked about constantly Because you know the team wasn't expected to do so well Yeah, I don't I don't get the impression like a lot of people are buzzing about Walter

But I'm curious you know what you what you've seen out of them And whether or not you think they they have something in Jacobi Walter Well, he's one of those guys that you know there nights he's getting his head handed to him because he's one of those guys that, you know, their night he's getting his head handed to him because he's 19 and he only had one year in college and he's, you know, the pace of the game, the physicality, he's a little slight and he missed training camp and he missed critical lessons early in the year and now, you know, you're basically jumping on a moving train and I think it's hard. He's had some moments where he shows you glimpses

and I think from a talent perspective I like his talent level. The kid plays hard puts pressure on the ball, he's got range and size and length as a defender I think he could turn out and be a good NBA player but right now he's not ready yet defender i think he could turn out and be a good nba player uh... but right now he's not ready yet and you know there are nights you have to throw about the actual walls and uh... he's got to have to develop and grow

and uh... you know keep but but right now it's it's a tough spot to be in this team isn't just that with a ton of veteran guys who've been there done done that. You know, you have a Kelly Olynyk, a Bruce Brown, a, you know, a Jacque Pertle, guys like that, but none of them are primary players. They're all secondary players. So, Chris Boucher, I just throw four names in there, but none of them are primary guys. So, I think that becomes the big problem right now when you're talking about Jacobyacobie walter that there's so much pressure on him to do something when he's out there because

there's not enough experience out there to help him guide him along and hide them. So Jack you're in Cleveland I'm wondering you know nothing against the Cavs and nothing against the Thunder they're both wonderful teams to watch for people who really like the game. But how do you think that commissioner's office looks at the league as it sits right now with the two best teams being teams from smaller markets who don't necessarily have like a list, you know, Steph or LeBron, I guess there are no other Steph or LeBrons in this league, but don't really have established stars leading them and a bit of a changing of the guard in terms of the guys who are going to be the faces of

this league. Well, I think the way the cap is structured now, the first apron, second apron, things have changed dramatically now and the talent is more spread out. If you look at the standings, there aren't a lot of high-end powerhouse teams. I think you'd probably look at the two you just mentioned and the Celtics that kind of stand above everybody else and then I would put the Knicks in that next tier. You know and then you got like Memphis and Houston like are you ready to buy stock in those guys yet? They're really nice teams.

And Philadelphia was supposed to be better, that's been a mess for a lot of different reasons. Milwaukee is an older team and they've had some issues. And Indiana has been off to a disappointing start, they're starting to play a little better. And Denver is top heavy top heavy you know you got to pay guys and I don't think their owner is as committed sometimes as he needs to be in terms of doing what it takes you know you know I think you know when a guy like Jokic you got to go all in and damn the torpedoes

you got to you got to do everything possible surround that guy with everything you got and I think something you look at Denver you know they've lost rotation pieces the last two years and haven't filled it and look I understand you pay people a lot of money but you got to find creative ways to go about it so hey look the systems working the first apron the second apron it's spreading the talent around. And I would argue that Shea Gills' Alexander is a superstar. Maybe Madison Avenue doesn't think that, but he is. And I think Donovan Mitchell is a heck of a player. And in the league that we're in right now, he's a top 10, top 15 player.

And it's great here in Cleveland. There's such a tremendous vibe. This is a fabulous sports town you know lebron left and came back and they want it all that and now they have to have some tough times but they got a really good really good team they got an excellent coach

uh... you know they're fun to watch so i'm happy for the nba having a game like last night all my friends that i was working the raptors game like last night. All my friends that I was working the Raptors-Nick game last night, but all my friends that watched the game last night, and I just watched replays of it, were raving about it. Like that's the NBA that's best right now. And I'm happy that those two teams are because they're excellent and they're good for our game. How about those Buffalo Bills, Jack? How are we feeling about Sunday?

Well, I'll be there Sunday. We play in Detroit Saturday night. How about those Buffalo Bills, Jack? How are we feeling about Sunday? Well, I'll be there Sunday. We play in Detroit Saturday night, charterbacks. I'll be there early Sunday morning, raring to go. Look, I think the big thing with the Bills is how good is their defense going to be? There's a lot of question marks. Can they get people off the field? Yeah, they're a team that does a good job forcing turnovers so if you play against a team that plays clean are they going to be able to get people off the field in third down situations and they haven't been great at that I think their offense is excellent they're going against a really good Denver defense and

you're at home so that's a game you got to find a way to win but think long-term whether you look at game 1, 2, 3, 4, if they can even get that far a lot of it's gonna come down to the defense. I think people are forgetting most people had the bills in a restructure, retooling year where people say, ah they'll win 9 out of 10 games, they'll have a good year and be a wild card team instead, you know, 25% of their cap is dead money and they won 13 games. So I think they had a great, great regular season and they could have won 14 if they felt like winning on Sunday at New England. So they've had a great year. Now the question is, now it's, now it's really

good teams and you got to move the chess pieces and you gotta have talent and you gotta be able to win matchups and only time will tell if they have enough. It's gonna be awesome. Cannot wait for it. Good luck tonight in Cleveland and we'll do it again soon. Thank you, Jack. I just gotta sit and watch tonight. I'm off tonight.

We fly to Detroit right after the game. I got the game Saturday night on TSN so I'm just a spectator so I'm after the game i got the game sat in and i p s and so i'll get the spectator top looking for a lot of it i'll have a get your feet up and enjoy it thank you jack right like i jack armstrong in cleveland no work to do i wonder what he's going to get up to tonight

at a couple of ideas but uh... yeah listen he's right about the bills like that you know i think a lot of people member of there was a debate, will the Jets win the division? Will Miami bounce back? It became so clear so quickly,

the Bills were the best team in that division. By the end of September, you knew that. Like it was over at that point, and they just kept going, and they had a great year. And I can't wait to see what they've got. Because if they can get, I just want Buffalo to win in Baltimore to win then you've got Allen versus Lamar in Buffalo next week right and then you're guaranteed one of them is gonna likely play Mahomes presuming the Chiefs are

gonna win their first game and that's all you can ask for you know you get into the playoffs to get Allen versus Lamar and then let's say Allen versus Mahomes. Unbelievable. That's why the NFL is king right there. Yeah. All right we'll come back with our best bets powered by FanDuel. T-up the Leaf game again. Leafs down in Carolina. Overdrive continues. TSN 1050 and on Tosent 2. 2025 is your year. 2025. Started right with New Year, New You on IR Radio. New year, new you. Good vibes playlists like party hits,

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New you. Explore it all. Feel brand new. At iHeartRadio.ca and on the free iHeartRadio app. All right, best bets powered by FanDuel. Make your picks and assemble a same game parlay in seconds on the FanDuel Sportsbook app. Maple Leafs puck line tonight. So plus one and a half tonight.

I think they keep it close. I could see them winning this game. And William Nylander picks up a point tonight. There's my parlay Okay, Leafs on the puck line Willie finally gets off this night gets a point tonight That's paying plus 104 so get plus money on that Nylander has not registered a point in Four games and he has not scored at eight. He's got that backwards. But yeah, he has not scored in eight games.

He's not registered a point in four. He's too good. He's in a slump. He's not playing well. Like it's not like he has been right on it. He's just getting unlucky. He is really blending into the game. But it was a year ago yesterday,

he signed that massive contract extension. I think he breaks that tonight. Your best bet is powered by Fandel Live, same game parlays now available for every NHL game in the Fandel Sportsbook app. Please play responsibly 19+, physically located in Ontario. What are you expecting tonight in Carolina? I'm with you. This is a big moment actually. It's the best penalty kill in the NHL, Hayes.

What better test for a power play that's struggling than a kill that knows what it's doing. I like the Leafs' chances of breaking out of the certain slumps including their power play slump. Yeah, something's got to give there, man. The other night in Philly it was just so ugly. They have too much talent and they're 18th in the league ranked eight 18th in in power play percentages and that's just not good enough for who they have and what they have and you know they

they never seem to draw a ton of penalties compared to the rest of the league but I think it'll be a fun one tonight man I got those mentors on the trip which is different, right? I believe they've done this before, but do they do a dad's trip, a mom's trip, and a mentor's trip? Do they do all three over the course of the year? Is that what they're doing now? I don't think they do all three every year.

They change it up year to year. I think because they've had a lot of the same guys on the team, they've sort of changed up the tone of it in certain years. But you're right, hey man, the way they started in Philly the other night on the first night of the Mentors trip. Not good. Hopefully it's a little better tonight on the third night of the Mentors trip. Absolutely. And then you come home and you got Vancouver on Saturday and Edmonton's in

Pittsburgh tonight, McDavid versus Sid. and they've played, I believe, 14 times, and McDavid is winning the points race 27 to 7 against Sid when they faced off face to face. That's a wild discrepancy. That is dominant. And Edmonton's been rolling, man. They're big favorites tonight. I think they probably win again.

But Pittsburgh's in that kind of models middle in the east right like their technically in a playoff race but not a great ideas are a lot of teams are a lot you can check yourself into a lot of things right now indiana jill and i i would presume that'll continue after tonight uh... right days great senior man thanks for doing this appreciated as always.

Great seeing you, buddy. We've got Raptors in action tonight on the station. We've got Leafs Carolina on TSN4 tonight. So we appreciate everyone helping out behind the scenes, everyone for tuning in. TV, radio, podcast, web. We're out of here. Enjoy your evenings. Enjoy the games tonight. We're back tomorrow at 4 p.m. We'll chat then.