OverDrive - OverDrive - March 31, 2024 - Hour 3

Episode Date: March 31, 2025

Join Bryan Hayes, Jeff O'Neill and Jamie McLennan for Hour 3 on OverDrive! TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun joins to discuss John Tavares' contract trajectory, Brad Treliving's signings focus and the biggest headlines around the NHL. TSN Basketball Analyst Leo Rautins on the Raptors' compelling development, Darko Rajakovic's coaching tenure and Cooper Flagg's incredible ceiling and Bryan hands out his FanDuel Best Bets.

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Made in Canada, played in Canada. On the free iHeartRadio app and at iHeartRadio.ca. It's gonna get loud. We just had a FaceTime and commercial break with your lovely family and you're lucky, you're a good dad because you butt dialed me on the weekend and you left me a voicemail and it went you get two blueberries and you get one berry and you get two and this went on I was reading

it I don't know how I don't even ever check my voicemail and that's why I know you would never leave me one it was reading out to me saying you get one blueberry and I'm like what the hell is this guy down man Yeah man, we're on a tight- Like this guy getting me a bushel of fruit or something? Tight blueberry budget over here, man. Because you know what it's like. Like we all have kids- But that's a dangerous game.

Like if you were carving me to some of your buddies and that was going on a voicemail- That's a great point. Jesus, man. I know. I was shocked. You have no idea what's coming out of your mouth and it's being left on a voicemail, on a butt dial You could just be destroying that person. Yeah, Oh dog loves sour keys. He's a loser in real life

That's a dangerous butt dial game man, it's happened before like people have been caught in a bad butt dial like before We're they're talking about a bad doll story, please send it to our Twitter account. Yeah, I want to get into that because I don't I honestly don't even have a clue how I would have done that because you you then called me twice and I called you thinking like, what do you want? And you're like, well, what do you want? You called me and I said, I have no idea what you're talking about. If memory serves me correctly, I think

there's been some bad butt dials in the National Hockey League on the bus. Yeah, really? Well, that's a thing. Like if you call, you know, you call your wife, or you call a friend, or a parent, or a coach by accident, or something like that. And you are saying some things after a game. Yeah, the coach didn't do this. We couldn't get a save.

Like you imagine some of the stuff that goes on, man. Not good. I can know a buddy that was in Vegas and he just called home to say, how's everybody doing? Checking in. And he thought he hung up the phone and then had a message for his buddies.

Oh no. And that message didn't get played for three months until there was a backyard barbecue with a bunch of people in the backyard. And then that message went to air and it was a disaster. That's not good, man. That's not good. And you know, I guess I was possibly in a position to to do that but what i was actually doing was brokering

lunch but my kids because shading with the alina is everyone something else she wants lemonade she wants orange juice i eat raspberries i don't like raspberries i want pairs all these pairs you know they write but not for they not what it's just that it's not so it's a better story Oh that you're telling it that he's a patient father Oh, yeah, see then you hear him going. Oh, yes, sir. You're going to your room

Or you could have had those are out there. You kind of got a butt dial on a snap show Riley yes the bill o'riley like we'll do it live because like my daughter yesterday asked me She she looked at me, and I was yawning in the morning and she goes you yawn a lot why are you yawning and I'm like you you're the reason I'm yawning oh yeah I would have pissed you off oh man I was like get up for like some kind of 4 a.m. hockey practice that's what it was the audacity to say you yawn a lot you yawn a lot I'm, you yawn a lot. I'm like, thank you. I would have lost my mind. We were on the ice at 7 a.m. I'm exhausted. You know, why do you think I yawn?

You know, I can tell you, I wasn't yawned 10 years ago when you guys weren't around. I was up and at them and it was all good. Now I'm exhausted all the time. So true. Very simple. I get changes from blueberries to strawberries to ice hockey. My daughter, soon I literally have to take my, she's taking pictures of cars.

Uh-oh. Yeah. Like looking to buy, like get into cars. Like start driving. With little hints saying, I'm not sure if you were ever going to buy me a car or, but now I got to take her up to see Pete at my Copine Ford the next year and a half and say what's up I have to buy her a car. Well, I think that's concerning me is come on. Cars need gas. They need like I guess the daggers of dad. You're just flipping the bill for all of that man. Well that's the thing. Yeah.

I mean if you're gonna have a car exactly if she doesn't have a job or anything it's not gonna do anything unless there's some gas. That might be the lesson. You don't have a job. There is no that's the play exactly I'll grab you a car. You're paying for the gas Everyone's got to work. That's the way I started working. I was 12 I'm saying same thing. I don't think that I mode I hold lawns for senior citizens until I had an accident at Mrs Franco's house and that was it things went south what happened you pull her over something happened she would demand that her lawn

be mowed at 8 a.m. on a Saturday morning well the dew it's wet and she had a hill and I was pushing it up the hill and I slipped and the lawnmower came back at me so I rolled out of the way and it went and mowed down her garden so it's she was pissed I get it but scorebox and i don't know what you want to know any of the work and he's got a right to be angry at that point you can't let the things slide through the it was well rose bed and then you know i don't know what i don't know why her own

lawnmower i know it's pretty good it is it is it does suck when you when you try to mow like a wet lawn it just can't, it's never gonna work for you. All right, Leo's still to come later in the hour. Best Bud's coming up as well. Here's our TSN hockey insider, Pierre Lebrun. What's happening, Pierre? Hey guys, how's it going? Oh, I heard you guys talking about the Masters.

That's a week away. I'm excited. How about Cory Connors as a sneaky pick? He is Mr. Top 10 and he loves that course. Like Connors T-10s there are a lot. He just needs to get over the top and shoot low on a Sunday. That's my problem with Cory. It's not a problem but it's just a it's a right it's a reasonable critique. He's so tentative on a Sunday. Yeah he's like a busto kid to the bull and he's a 72. Yeah like you got to shoot 65 on Sunday

If you want to win the tournament, you got to do that and that's just hasn't been in his nature So, I don't know I could see it. He'll make the cut for sure. I can see a top 10 for sure Missile like that like all day at that golf course. I love Connors at that place. I love it I just want to see him go low on Sunday Be awesome. Yeah the awesome that would be anyway we uh... you know the lease a red hot now about this pierre what a weekend for the local area

first place are you a believer that the hold on now that is the uh... evergreen topic with this team we're in the alandia we're getting the ball on terry oak book it yes can you ask for anything better than that i I think that would be a grand slam for the league, for both fan bases, for the country. I mean, I don't think you could ask for anything better because what that also would mean is the Battle of Florida happening at the same time. You'd have Panthers lightning in the first round. That's just simply the two best matchups you could ever ask for in the East. No question. I saw're a the uh... the list there and i'm i think

nothing's totally out of the second recent go two weeks away but i think my group covering marching orders from the athletic i think i i might be doing dallas colorado who opening route which i had a time i'd be pretty excited to cover that series. You can sell your house in San Jose, Pierre. Yeah, those were the days. Remember those days when I was always out there for UCN?

Oh man, that was a lot of fun too. But Dallas, Colorado to me is the Western Conference Final happening right out of the gates. So yeah, I mean listen, we criticize the playoff format a ton, but then we get jazzed up about some of these series that are existing out of the format that we don't like. So kind of talking to both sides of their mouth, I guess. Yeah, that's very true. How about this John Tavaro situation?

I'm curious where you stand on this. In terms of, like he's got 35 goals, more than a point a game, this guy might hit, he might score 40, have 83, 84 points. I mean, not quite a career year. The career year was his first year. That was when he first got here at 47 goals and I think 87 points.

But if he scores 40, let's say 82 points, do you think any of what he's doing during the regular season has any effect on what he would be asking for or demanding for in free agency or how the Leafs would be willing to approach his contract situation once they get Marner out of the way because we all understand they have to figure that out first? Yeah, I think it has some impact to some degree. I tweeted about this Saturday night, bro I brought whatever reason seemed to hit a

nerve with, like, came at me off the top, bro. I'm just stating facts, man. I have no, you know, no skin in the game. I just, I just pointed out that by the way, you know, I think Tavares would have absolutely been willing to sign extension back in September before the season even started, cause you know, he wants to stay here. I also, as I tweeted, totally understand the Leafs wanting to wait, you know,

to see how he was again this year as he gets older. And to your point, the martyr situation, so totally, I probably would have waited too if I was the Leafs. But the point I made, Sire, tonight in that tweet was very simply, and it's hardly earth-shattering. Whatever number Taveras would have probably been willing to do in September will have gone up now at the end of this year. Okay, let me just stop you there.

Hold on, hold on, hold on. Go ahead, continue. Hold on, for two reasons and then you can do like Lee Sands and come off the top. Oh, but not only because of his amazing season, but also, and this is probably even a bigger reason, quite frankly, we've got a natural inflation happening in the market now with the cap numbers going up drastically. You just saw it with the last couple of extensions

around the league, including Chikran. So I just don't think the number that was there in September will be there at the end of the season. I could be wrong, but that's my read from, let's just say, inquiring a little on it. And you're saying that's from Tavares' perspective. That's John saying, your belief is, I would expect this now compared to what

I would have expected in September. Here's what I expect, and I totally agree with your comment at the beginning of the season, or the or the show Brian if he wants to make a bunch of money he's not doing it in Toronto Pierre would you not agree with that? This is not going to be a money oriented deal. Yeah no that's fair too I still think he's probably willing to take less in here than on the open market for sure but that but two things can be true here but doesn't mean that the number isn't slightly higher now than it was in

september at the big but why would it stay the same well what about this is a new he's just been has been the same guy through his career i mean to his credit that's a compliment like he has been consistent his whole career going well i guess i i i guess you're you're right from a leverage standpoint as far as this season but our contracts supposed to be what you're going to do in the future and not passed like that's the only

you know it's worth happy on but not yet i mean i i i asked julian breeze well you know what he'd be here what i'm what i'm moved by them sense or a stammer see you later like what i don't like it what a play and that's that's my point is is you're right it he's a he's not a legacy players the wrong word but he is a guy that

has had seven great years or seven really good years for the toronto maple leaves and if he wants to stay i think that the leaves right now they still hold the cards because he wants to play for that team so it has to work for them as well as it has to work for him and I don't know if the price gone up gone down because I don't know what his marketplace is right now and you still have to get through the playoffs don't you Pierre because if it doesn't go well and they look to change the structure of the team it doesn't matter what he's making

they might move past players to try and get younger. Like that's the- Well, that's a huge point, Noodle, for sure. I mean, and frankly, that probably applies to Marner, too, to some degree, even though he's a very special player. Like, if it's Groundhog Day in the opening round of the playoffs, or the Leafs, there's some serious decisions to be made here, right?

But this could be the year they do. I actually, I'm probably gonna get radioed. I see the leaps going deep this year. So I just think they're better constructed for that time of year, and I think this is the year that they have a bit of success. And so that'll make things interesting from what we're talking about in a way if that happens.

But no, I mean, listen, unless something changes drastically, and it can, these things change with one foreign call, my understanding of the situation is that everyone understood they would wait and go after the year now to get back at this on the Tavares front. I'm just pointing out, like, I think it was sort of planted early in this market.

Well, obviously, Tavares owes the market a big pay cut. He's obviously going to take a pay cut if he stays. He's taking a pay cut no matter what. He's not going to make $11 million. But I think people got a little carried away with what that pay cut was going to look like. I mean, Klojure was wrapping up a three-year deal with the Ottawa senators at $6.5 million a year, which I think he's fared pretty well with that contract senators at six and a half million a year which you know I think he's very pretty well at that contract and at his age he's older

than Taveras but I'm just as an example I mean that contract was signed three years ago and these he's set six and a half now he you know that was him going to Ottawa so Ottawa had to lure him So you pay a little extra for that here I'm just great that those type of contracts are only for two players Like only a different team is gonna offer you that kind of contract. That's not for the team That's already given you 75 million dollars 80 million dollars. You got to get a different team to give you that contract All right. So so let me let me ask you then. So what's your number, if you're Brad Shrevelyving, what's the number you're comfortable with on the comparison?

Bud, I love you man, I'm not gonna get into this with you. My number would offend you so much that you would hang up the phone right now. You gotta ask one of these two guys. I think I know what your number is from talking to someone else, but that's okay. I'm not gonna stay here. I'll let Noodles and Brian answer this. And the other thing, Pierre, is term. Like I don't want to be associated with a player and let me just state one thing I really like John Tavares as a player he's good he's on the power play I don't want to be associated with a number or term where the wheels fall off it because I don't want to be a part of it

especially for a team that hasn't won he's yeah yeah no that's reasonable and listen another example boston just did a bad march and was in there sounds like almost begging can we work something out state no this is the number but when this i were not budging off anything they have a big and i don't know much of the argument will poplar players in the big and and looking and that's a good at that's our number sorry we're not this is the way it goes and

and what i what those organizations represent is confidence and look what happened in tampa when stamp goes left nothing they're still great and they're still the cuts with the kids and look at what Vegas has done without Marcia so nothing they're still in the cup window and they very well might win another one Boston's different because they were going in a different direction but yeah that's the point of where I think and I don't have the answer from a Leaf perspective here. That's another I'm not convinced the Leafs won't just say all right We just got to do it and what what's good? What are you comfortable with John?

We'll give it to you their history would suggest that could happen That that's how they operate when it comes to these the best players the players win the deal and they're they're terrified of living without them that may apply here they admit John I don't know what the number is who knows what it is maybe it's like I need a four-year deal at this price they may just say fine we'll give it to you they might do that but I would like them at some point to say we can't operate that way we got to operate like the best teams do which is what Florida Florida does, Tampa does, Vegas does. This is what we're comfortable with. If you really want to be here, then you got to sign it. If not, we'll live without you. Like that's the way you got to operate. And again, the playoff looms so large, but absolutely as it should. Two further points I would make too. This conversation would

be a lot cleaner too, if it was just the Taveras deal in a vacuum. You can't ignore the Marner part of all this, because it puts the Leafs in a position where they've got not just one decision to make here. And my point is, you know, yeah, I agree, but there's a number, maybe internally, the Leafs say they can't go past with Taveras, fine. But what if they realize they can't? I actually think they will sign Marner at the end of the day, but

I may be proven wrong. That's just a gut feeling. But let's say they realize, holy cow, we're actually not going to sign Mitch Marner. Are you really walking away from Marner and Taveras in the same offseason? So it's hard to look at Taveras thing in a vacuum. You're right. They're all intertwined. They're all tied together. And the other thing too, to throw in here. Oh, you were talking about like, if you look, some of the play like they got Chris Tanev till 2030, you got Morgan route, like you look, they've already got some guys on long term deal, older guys, Morgan Riley, 2030, you know, Ekman Larson to 2028, Jake McCabe to 2030. You know, Ekman Larsen to 2028, Jake McCabe to 2030.

You know, like there's a reason why Tree did that because he brought the AAV down so he could fit everybody in. You know, I look at it, you know, with John, like Claude Giroux scored 35 goals his first year in Ottawa when he came over. I think he was 34 or 35. Like that's your production still has to match. Like you can't, this isn't isn't you know a charity deal like John Tavares wherever he signs next year he has to produce and be a very good player for them and if his game

changes like Claude Giroux the last couple years his game has changed but he's been able to adapt Tavares is a good enough player a great player to adapt as well it just has to match your salary structure and I think he's going to get a good number. By the way, one thing that might make sense for everyone involved is the deferred money scenario here for Tabaras who obviously by all accounts, he plans to live the rest of his life regardless of whether he signs with the lease post post-NHL career. So does it make sense if he stays with the lease to do one of those deferred money deals like we've seen of late, where that actually brings down the AED, but everyone involved

is comfortable with the overall money? And that's something else to ponder, I guess. Yeah, and he's having a phenomenal year. He's been so good for them. He was so good over the weekend on this road trip since the four nations face off like Tavares basically scores every single night and yet he's not alone. It's like the other big three up front and the other guys, they got to have a big playoff and that will change the tone of everything as well. I mean, everything is reliant upon them having a playoff run. Like go on a run and everyone breathes easier about

everything. You don't and it becomes so much more complicated. In terms of the numbers, the team building, the spin, the marketing, the fan base, you know, it's all about actually having playoff success. Go ahead. The final thing I would say on Tavares and I'm sure you guys have mentioned this, but I feel like overall it's not been a comment that's been brought up that much in this market this year, is he gave up the captaincy and didn't blink an eye and didn't let it affect the day-to-day job. What if he didn't have a choice?

I understand that, but my point is there are examples in the history of this league where that may not have been very well welcomed by a guy. Maybe there's nothing said publicly, but behind the scenes he's moping around as production gets affected. There is zero evidence that John Tavares has been a different human being any single day of the season with the Tom Maple Leafs, and I think he deserves credit for that. Very much so. I mean, uber professional, man. Was there in August with Matthews,

has been great all year, speaks with the media whenever they ask for him, contributes, puts up numbers, healthy. He's been an awesome pro, and that's what he's been his whole career. With Pierre LeBrun, our TSN hockey insider. How about these St. Louis Blues, Pierre? Like, are they going to do some damage?

Holy mama! Holy mama! Yeah, they're an unbelievable story. That was my piece today in the athletic interview with Doug Armstrong. And I learned a lot in that interview, actually. And one was pretty much what we thought, guys, because we had talked a lot about the Blues back into the trade deadline, but he acknowledged in this interview that, what is the one quote that really grabbed my attention

right in front of my screen here? He said, you know, he said, had we lost the three games prior to the trade deadline, then yeah, everything could be different here. Fuck you. That was not smoke. Like they were talking to teams about core guys. And the thing about Doug Armstrong that I think you guys feel the same way as me

is that he's not been scared over the years to shake things up. Um, he traded Chad and Kevin Shadker one year when they were actually eight in the West traded Paul Stashe when they were just a couple of points out. Like he's been one of those guys like, ah, this isn't sitting right, I'm gonna do this. So there was a lot, as he said, they have to come out of Four Nations on fire for him not to go in a certain direction of the trade deadline.

And guess what? I think they're on a 19-2 and two run in the last six weeks. And forced his hand to believe in this team. And listen, he's happy, obviously. This is what he wanted all along, was for the retooling of this team to actually gel and take shape.

Like, you know, he still has the veteran guys, and then he's got guys at their peak with Robert Thomas, and then he has that next wave of kids, not to mention the decision he made last summer to offer Shee Broberg and Holloway, who are all over this win streak right now. And now Jimmy Snuggeroots signing Friday, he might play it tomorrow night. All these different ways of the organizations are kind of coming together here and that

matters probably more to him than almost anything because, you know, like any GM, you have doubts sometimes that this thing is going to work, work right when you retool with the and he finally sees a team with an identity to use his words and It's obviously exciting for them. You mentioned how much st Louis likes that you think guys like McDavid and dry side are like why the hell did we not Match that or why did why did that happen? I know there's some things and Jamie's talked about it that have went on behind the scenes that might have could have would have Happened but like that that you look silly when they turn out to be playing like that Pierre

yeah, I mean always second on the team in sport and You know honestly, I think the ground sign will tell you that was a long-term play I don't know that they thought that they would get it would pay dividends this handsomely near one of those contracts But both guys are 23 years old, you know, I know to answer your question There was kind of a combination of factors that really worked against the Oilers last summer one as you guys remember In late June, there's a parting of the ways of Ken Holland as GM And so they're really, you know, Jeff Jackson was sort of handling day-to-day GM duties until they replaced Ken Holland, you know, later in the summer

with Stan Bowman. But the complicating factors in all that is that, you know, I kind of wonder sometimes if Ken Holland is still GM, he might have fought harder for these guys, these young guys that he knew well, and maybe there's a different path. But at the end of the day, by the time Stan Bowman's GM, they always have no cap room. Like they're jammed up, and he's got seven days to decide, and yeah, it's easy to look back and say, maybe he still should have matched

and found another way to ground the cap, of course. But I'm just saying it was kind of a perfect scenario for Doug Armstrong to attack and guess what that's that's why he smelled that one out. All right Pierre we'll leave it there we'll do it again soon thank you for this. All right we got worked up there I love it. Yes you know it's gonna be a good week setting the tone we love it thank you Pierre. there's a pierle burner TSN hockey insider Leo routin's coming up the four one seeds make it to the final four that hasn't happened since 2008 we'll get Leo's take on that Darko sticking around had his four his year four option picked up

already he's in year two so Darko is gonna be here for the next couple of years and the Raptors just keep winning man. Like it is terrible. It is because it's getting scary because you're reserved to the fact that okay you're seventh from the bottom but San Antonio is coming down, Portland's coming down. Every night they're playing a team worse than them. You can't out-tank the Sixers man like you can't. It is so pathetic what's happened in Philly when you consider what they were supposed to be in and just Someone had a great tweet recently like no one is tempting the basketball gods like the Philadelphia 76ers the last like 15 years Right like it was the process and it was you know We're going to get Ben Simmons and Markel Folds and we're gonna bring in

and bead and we're gonna bottom out and bottom out and then pop and they just never popped and now they're back at the bottom and It's ugly man. It's ugly man it's ugly what's going on but the Raptors to their credit like they're like all right we're gonna show up and play it I guess we'll win and that's what they're doing right now so more on that still to come best bets coming up a little bit later in the hour overdrive continues TSN 1050 and on TSN 2. All right something to chew on brought to you by Boston Pizza Canada's favorite sports bar enjoy $15 lunch at BP where you get an entree, a side, and a drink and you'll get it all in 20 minutes or less. A fast lunch doesn't have to be fast food. See you for a $15 fast lunch at your local Boston Pizza.

We've been asking about these torpedo bats that the Yankees have been using and others have been using. Should Major League Baseball ban them? No! 44% of the votes saying yes, 56 percent saying no, so it's close. They look like a paddle. They kind of look like a paddle a little bit. I think they should. They look harder to... I think they should. I think you should have... and it's not because the Yankees hit a bunch of home runs this weekend.

Everyone should be using the same bat, in my opinion. Like, I think you get... and I know people are going to come back and say some are different lengths, some are different in terms of like weight, some are heavier than others, but the conventional look of the bat is very simple to just say everyone's gotta use a bat that looks the same. No dude. Why not? Dinosaur take dude.

I don't- Dinosaur take. These things are allowed. Someone looked at this bat and said it's fully legal, go ahead. And not everyone's using them and it's a few got like Aaron judges you want to sit in the ballpark for four hours and watch dribblers the second base launch them out of the building you know pictures are gonna freak out pitchers are gonna freak out and go ahead noodles oh I was just gonna

say you want you want excitement and home runs in that make make the juice legal then we in the in the juice area for guys they were they were knocking them out of the park and then so sir and and McGuire and all of them but I just question mark allegedly whatever yeah I said clips of older veteran guys guys like Chipper Jones on Twitter and he swears like Ohtani judge Judge, all of it. Nobody even comes close to what Barry Bonds in his prime. Nobody does. Dude, he goes, this guy.

Insane. Yeah, he was like, you made one mistake and it was in the ocean. He would go through series where he would get intentionally walked like eight, nine times. And they'd throw. And get four pitches thrown to him. He'd hit every single one over the roof of the roof of the old insane like literally like four hit the

strike zone and he connected on all of them three of them left the park the other one went you know into the gap for a double guys insane Rafael Devers is not the Sox played today they lost to the Orioles home opener down at Camden yards he struck out three more times. Oh my God, so that's 15? He's 0 for 19 to start the year. He has 15 strikeouts in five games. Like that's a guy, that's Love Lady.

If you're Richard Love Lady up to the plate, you're in single A right now. Dude, if you spray painted Love Lady on the back of his jersey, he's ninja dust on. Rafael Love Lady, that guy is somewhere in like, he's in New Hampshire right now. No, he's in that, where did Benoist go in Florida? Oh yeah, the... Elemental League.

Yeah, what was it called though? Complex League. Yeah, he was in a complex league. He was in a complex,'re right It is Raphael love lady is that he's a he's in the complex league But instead it's Raphael Devers and they still own like 280 million dollars. So he's gonna find a way to play through this Alright the final four is set all The number one seeds have made it to the finish line first time that's happened since 2008 Is that good for the tournament bad for the turn like there's time that's happened since 2008. Is that

good for the tournament, bad for the tournament? Like there's no Cinderella's. Even yesterday with the Elite 8 it's one versus two, one versus two, one versus three. There's no seven seeds, eight seeds, ten seeds, none of it. Like it just it hasn't really been a tournament that has existed from that standpoint. To chat about it we're joined now by our TSN Raptors and NBA and March Madness Analyst. Here's Leo Routens. what's happening Leo? I'm good how you guys doing? We're doing very very well. Hayes was just talking about the one seeds Leo and I'm not gonna act like I follow this really closely but a lot of what I

read is the transfer portals or have a lot to do with that do you agree with that? 100% I mean hey players are following the money the money's got the the big programs the big schools the name coaches uh... that's where the money is right and you look at the talent the depth of the rosters if you if you want a program today you have to have money

a lot of money and that's just the nature of the beast right now. And you know, the NCAA really kind of screwed this up from years ago when we were all playing, you know, even the normal just throw some bucks here and there just to get by little things. That's all people want. And you wouldn't even do that. So everybody cheated. Well, now nobody's cheating everybody's just paying. And it's crazy, right? Coaches are leaving, players are leaving. It's really become something, you know, I didn't know if I'd ever see something like this,

but basically it's professional basketball. And the smaller schools are getting killed, but one thing you do see, well, actually, you know who's getting killed? They're high school kids. You know, if you wanna get a scholarship actually you know who's getting killed are high school kids. You know if you want to get a scholarship you're a good player, unless you're McDonald's All-American you might not get a scholarship because a lot of coaches, hey their jobs are in the line.

It's no, hey we'll develop a program, uh-uh, you win or you're fired. And so what happens is they're all going in transfer portal. They're getting guys that have got experience and every one of them are saying, why do I want to get a high school kid and have to teach this kid how to play when I can get experience right now? So I didn't notice all the levels of the games from the beginning. I thought we're better because you just had more experience in the tournament on every team including small schools.

But the big schools got the money and that's where they are. Well, you mentioned it like this Auburn team, they're starting five, it's 24 year old, 22 year old, 25 year old, 22 year old, 23 year old. Like that's making cake. Well, of course, but like that's that's rare. Right, Leo? Like you usually it's mixing a couple of freshmen, these guys, Van Wilder across the board, man. These guys should have jobs. They should be out working and living somewhere. I guess they do have jobs. They do have jobs, big money jobs. Yeah, I guess you're right.

Yeah, and also what it is doing is making it a little bit more attractive not to jump to the NBA. A lot of guys don't have to take that chance now. There's less of a risk. I mean, you've got some guys, you've got the guys making seven figures to stay. So your risk is kind of negated. You can't get insurance and you're having fun, right? You're playing college hoops and you're having fun. It's still getting paid. So that's not a bad deal for a lot of these guys.

Well, and again, the Cinderella's and the kind of mid-level schools and small schools, they really have not factored in. But now that we're down to the final four, like, can you spin this, Leo, in terms of the basketball is going to be at its at its best now because it's all the number one seeds. It's all the best players, the best programs. You got Cooper, Flag and Duke still in it. Like, what do you anticipate seeing in terms of level of basketball and how can you pick who's who's the cream of the crop when you get to you know you got four teams

that are one seeds all in the Final Four. I think the levels gonna be pretty good I think we're gonna see some pretty good basketball but I'm still riding with Duke you know you mentioned some of these teams and the age of these players. Duke's a young team, relatively speaking, but I'll tell you what, they are deep, they're talented, they're big, they're smart, they know how to play the game, they're well-coached. And even if you look at Cooper Flagg,

well, first of all, you got three potential lottery picks, multiple potential draft picks, but if you look at Cooper Flagg, the projected number one, this kid knows how to play. And, you know, okay, there's, there's two guys in NBA, we've talked NBA stuff before that, you know, um, Don, uh, New York, itch and Shea, those two guys play the game the right way, right? They may, they, they don't just play for stats. They play the game the the right way even though they have phenomenal stats and Cooper flag does that too He plays the game the right way and he's not on a team where he's got to get 25 or 30 for them to win

so he has the luxury of learning the game playing the game and not being forced to just carry everything and Even though he could take 25 shots if he wants he doesn't play that way because that's not the right play. So I love the way the kid plays and I think it has a big impact on the rest of the team. So I like Duke. I think Florida is to me the second best team. Walton Clayton Jr., like this kid, this kid is Mr. Clutch. He's certainly been shown that he is the closer in the sense. He double a tournament But I think those are the two best teams. I love Houston Kelvin Sampson an amazing job. They guard they get after you

I think that his kids just love playing for him I'd love for him to see some success, but I just don't know if you know they could get past Duke Leo you think Cooper flags like an automatic just translates to the NBA and he's like a stud immediately? I think it's going to take a little bit of time. You know, there's always an adjustment. I think he's going to, first of all, he's a tough kid and he works. He looks like he doesn't score around out there. Yeah, no, he doesn't. I know some people that have worked with him and they say,

hey, he's all business. I mean, this kid's got he's got a high level of confidence and he's all business So, you know you come to the league, you know, you take it's an adjustment for anybody but he's got all the qualities that I think they're gonna make him a great player in the league and You know today if you could shoot the ball That's a big plus right he can shoot it from anywhere on the floor and he can guard. And you look at him at Duke, I mean, he's guarding, he'll guard one through five. They can switch, they can do whatever they want.

He'll guard everybody on the floor. So when you've got a guy like that coming into the league, I think the transition becomes a lot easier. With Leo Routen's Raptors back in action in Chicago tomorrow night and the reports came out over the weekend that the Raps picked up the fourth year option for Darko Ryokovic actually I think last year he's in year two that means he'll be here next year and you presume he'll be there in year four. What have you seen out of Darko this year that has shown some sort of you know evolution in

terms of his coaching he's never been a head coach at the NBA level and what do you think Messiah and Bobby's seeing him that would make you believe he is the right guy to transition this team into that next stage? Well, it does make you think a little bit too about what's happening this season a little bit. You're in a rebuild, and I'm going, you know, loose. Yeah, they keep winning. They keep winning. They keep winning.

You're starting to wonder with the confidence given to Darko, what's the real plan? Is it to lose or is it to kind of be somewhere in the middle? You kind of get a little confused with that, but I will say on Darko's part, I think he's done a phenomenal job. You're just going to break it down and look at coaching. You look at a lot of these guys, I mean, how many games have the Raptors just thrown out, five guys, and they won the game, right?

Young guys, draft picks, undrafted. That tells you that part of what's happening is development, right? You gotta develop players. The Raptors had great success when they won a championship. They developed a Pascal, they developed a Pertle, they developed a Powell. They did a lot of good things that way.

And this, and because by the nature of the program, where we are in Toronto, et cetera, you have to have development. And so the development has been amazing. And you look at some of the other guys, even the more veteran players, RJ Barrett's game's gotten better. Scotty Barnes has gotten better.

Quickly's gotten better. We're seeing more and more from every guy. So in the big scheme of things, you gotta be impressed. You really have to be impressed in the fact that even when things were not looking crappy early on the year you know not winning any games not winning on the road nothing there was never a drop in morale there was never drop in effort this team plays hard every day

uh... there's a lot to be said about that as you look around the league and look at what's happening right now man's son is a it's a that's ugly well the biggest challenge and and i know it's a weird question asked but is there is that what's positive about this four game winning streak is it the development because you just said it is you know it's taking them out of a situation where you're not going to get out as good a draft pick but you're helping some of the young guys get maybe get to that next level

yeah i mean for sure i mean that that's definitely a silver lining uh... and if you look at look at a lot of them, okay The Raptors are a good bad team if you look at the bad teams that are in the mix. They're better than them So what we're saying as far as the core the potential I think they're and here's I've been saying this for a while There aren't great teams. There There are good teams in this league, but there's no teams, you can't touch these guys, they're unbelievable, there's no teams like that. That means the climb to get closer to the top,

to become a playoff team, to have success, is not great. You always gotta do the right things, and you gotta make the right moves, and you gotta have the development, but it's not insurmountable, right? Years back that would be, you're looking up how we're going to get to somebody's teams but I think there's some good teams but you can make it, right? So you're not that far off when you look at kind of the core and how they can tweak it,

what they can pick up in a draft, what they can do with a trade or trades. You know, it's, I think there's reason for optimism. I really do. Because like I said, of all the bad teams, some of these teams just are really like, I don't even wanna watch them. They're terrible. Horrible.

Yeah, it's horrible, man. And like, how about your former team, Leo? Like the Sixers are, they're playing with fire, man. Like they, this, I don't know how long the process can go on. I don't even know what stage they're in anymore. And now they're it's pathetic to watch them play right now. It is. And the worst thing is you're charging NBA prices for G League games. Right. And it's horrible for the fans.

But, you know, Philadelphia, you know, you're talking about playing with fire. Personally, I'm you know, I respect and beads talent. I've never been a fan of Embiid's talent. I've never been a fan of Embiid. I would not have given him the money. I wouldn't have because he's never going to give you a championship. He's never going to be on the floor enough. And I don't know how much that matters to him. To be personally honest about it, I don't know.

Because when I watch, I watch body body language I watch interactions with players you know I've talked to teammates from that have played there and I go this me I wouldn't have made that investment because now they're in a hole they're in a big hole and good luck getting out of it yeah no kidding man no kidding and they're trying to they got that top six that's protected they get they're trying to do everything they can to make sure they end up there in terms of those lottery balls falling their way. But we'll see, we're still a couple of weeks away from that.

Great catching up with you, Leo. Enjoy the final four and down the stretch in the NBA. Thank you for doing this. Always appreciate it, guys. You got it, there's Leo Routens. You can see, of course, during March Madness on TSN, Raptors in Chicago tomorrow, that'll be a good one. We talked about it briefly in a commercial break today brian but

a little bit worried about what's gonna happen in pro sports if there's going to be some type of correction because he just mentioned charging nba prices for g league games and i'm talking to common for the fans down on lake shore and mimico nobody can afford to do anything anymore. Like nobody can go to a game. They can't afford the parking, let alone the I just wonder where it goes. Like you talk about price increases and just the general cost of everything.

What that's going to mean. Like if buildings are starting to be empty, what the hell does that going to mean for anything in pro sports, especially gate driven leagues? Very valid question. It is a great question. It's so much money. People can't afford, unless you're some corporation that has corporate seats, no one can afford to go to a damn game.

Yeah. That's crazy, man. A family of four, parking, food. Yeah, what is it? $2,500? The last couple years, I brought my kids, my wife, we've gone to like a Leaf game on a Saturday night and it's probably all in it's it's over a thousand dollars.

Like for the tickets. Yeah, for parking, you go for dinner beforehand and you go and you buy you're buying popcorn, you're buying drinks. Even if it is more, it doesn't matter if it's $1,000. That's insane. Like that is insane to even say it is what it does a man if it's a thousand dollars that's insane but that isn't insane to even say it and i did i've done it and i paid for it

and it's you know it's an experience that i want my kids that i want to have i was when i was kid i went to the gardens i go to leave games as my greatest memories as a kid and i want my kids that the same thing and i know i can speak for a lot at almost every parent even if you're not a sports fan you'd like that be an incredible experience for people to go to but I've been wondering that like it's crazy if no one can go to the games what the hell happens like like there's got to be some kind of correction I want players to get

paid if they deserve it they deserve it I don't care what kind of money guys make yeah but if it's just so expensive that no one can go what the hell are we gonna do well listen it's and there's a lot of depth to it, we don't have to get into it with where society is though, but a lot of people just kind of stay home and look at their screens now. That's another thing, and this isn't the responsibility of sports leagues or sports owners,

but you're fighting for eyeballs, you're fighting for people to get in the building, and they're investing. Rogers Center just invested 300 billion plus. They're doing that at Scotiabank. You go down there, you walk through the main floor corridors, they're working on stuff. Like they're-

It's like the nicest hotels in North America in an arena. Yeah, they're rebuilding. They're investing, they're building into the infrastructure and what they're gonna do is make it cost even more. You know, it's gonna cost even more to get in the building, to get tickets, to buy food down there, buy drinks, and I'm with you, I don't know where it's going. I just wonder where it goes, like you know it's gonna cost even more to get in the building to get tickets to buy food down there buy drinks and I'm with you I don't know where it goes like where I don't know where it's going this is why you see you know fan bases travel to other cities where it's maybe more economically

cheaper you know like it just this is a big city we live in a yeah and the biggest cities in North America yeah for sure and there's also listen there's a lot of money here and it's supply and demand and the prices are what they are because people are buying them largely yeah but it it is a lot of it's a lot of money man it is a lot of money to go to games best buds coming up overdrive continues TSN 1050 and on TSN 2 you like the good pre-drink you like the good pre-drink back in I did I I did. I thoroughly enjoyed one. Doogie was just telling us all about it. He's hitting the rave scene now.

What? Pre-games, post-games. What was your pre-drink move? Would you just seem like an old school like Molson Canadian guy? Yeah, I'd mix it up. Sometimes I'd go down that route. Sometimes, you know, you'd mix in a vodka or something, I don't know, depending on what the scene was like and what you were doing. But you got a Saturday night Leaf game, all the boys together for a free game, you can't beat that. Oh. You can't beat that. That's the kind of stuff you met, like you guys always talk, you know you miss dinners with the club, you know being on the bus with the boys. I don't miss ever going to a bar or anything, anything like that. I don't either. I miss hanging out with buddies boy i don't miss ever going to a bar or anything anything like that i don't know i miss hanging out with

bodies as you don't do that anymore just doesn't everyone you know we're older everyone's married kids scattered go back to when you're like twenty years old twenty five years old you got a big leaf game swing by the house you can't beat that man cannot be that i've never i don't mind going to the bar with old strutting the tight pants. Exactly. And go to work, eh? Absolutely.

The night train. The night train. All right. Best Bats powered by Fandual. Make your picks and assemble the same game parlay in seconds on the Fandual Sportsbook app. I'm on the over in the Jays game tonight. Total is eight and a half, I think.

I think the Jays bats come alive tonight. The national, Mike Soroka, your boy. Mike Soroka, good Calgary flame guy. Yeah. Calgary boy. Loves noodles. He's's on a mound but I think there's gonna be some contact tonight I think the torpedo bats are gonna be in play today's best bets powered by FanDuel live same game parlays are now available for every MLB game on the FanDuel sportsbook app please play responsibly 19 plus physically located in Ontario thanks to everyone behind the scenes for hopping

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 PM. We'll chat then.

That just happened with me, Vasheka Pelos, Canada Chooses 2025. Stay informed with my exclusive iHeartRadio podcast available Friday afternoon straight through till election day and beyond. I'll have your weekly highlights and my unvarnished analysis of the campaign of a lifetime. The candidates, the quotes, the polls, and the momentum.