OverDrive - OverDrive - September 17, 2025 - Hour 2 - Mike Johnson

Episode Date: September 17, 2025

Join Bryan Hayes, Jeff O'Neill and Jamie McLennan for Hour 2 on OverDrive! TSN Hockey Analyst Mike Johnson joins to discuss the Maple Leafs' season starting up, the team without Mitch Marner and Connor McDavid's future with the Oilers. The guys go around the sports world in the latest edition of Gerry's Percentages, the Blue Jays' series against the Rays and the lead up to the playoffs and Bryan gives his FanDuel Best Bets.

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Now available on the free IHard Radio app Or ask your smart speaker to play Brian Adams Radio on IHart Radio Who's ready to rock? How's where I go? Kids want to ride. Hour two overdrive continues, powered by Fanduel, bringing you everything from the opening line to the final score.

Jerry's a little bit later in the hour. Best bets coming up. Jay's race tonight, week three, the NFL tomorrow. Bill's Dolphins, big, big spread. Big spread. Eleven and a half? That's a favorite. 11 and a half last time I checked.

Don't you think that's too small? I kind of do. Yeah. I feel like Buffalo could win 4810. tomorrow. I would not be surprised if it got really embarrassing. And Mike McDaniel basically doesn't even make it on the plane home. Yeah.

Yeah. Like that's enough. Thanks, Mike, for your services. We appreciate it. You'll be an offensive coordinator somewhere next year. It's crazy how when he first got there, it was like, you're the new wise guy, you're the smart guy, and you're innovative, and you got all these ideas, and it's cool. And then when that goes south, it's like you have no business being there.

Like that's how, that's the one extreme to the other can go to. Yeah, it happens quick. It happens quick. And that's it. That's coaching. That's sports. It's merit-based, man. You're going to get weeded out, right?

Like the best ones are going to survive and the worst ones are going to have to go. And that's the way it works in pro sports. There was no consistency to him, though. That's what bothered me. The team can be good or bad, but he's driving up in Bentley's and his shades and chains on. Like he was being, he got caught up in himself. Remember when he first got there? He was very funny, very affable, but he didn't stay the course.

He became a hero. And now people want to take a shot at him because it's like, all right, you know, you didn't stay, like, to me, humble. Let's be honest, though, noodles. It all coincides with winning. Like, when you win, you can wear, you can drive a Bentley, you can pull your pants up to your kneecaps. But they didn't do anything, did they, like under his watch? Not really. They didn't playouts, but you're right.

Not like a ton of success. Yeah, there was like two of concussions and then kind of not a whole lot going on. Right. Well, I'll tell you where that's going for a certain team. Their downfall is going to be celebrated more so than maybe any team in, I wouldn't say sports history because I think the Patriots are probably at the top of that list. But even you look at the Pats, like now they're just kind of, they're just in the league. you know they just blend in now yeah right they're no longer belichick's not there

brady's not there yes there was a downfall but um you look at the florida panthers in the way that they operate and their general approach and they're all there's there's just some guys down there with kuchuk and marchand in particular the idea that these guys are going to be teammates for six more years possibly is crazy that never happens man that's something goofy happens where him and brady like team up five years to i who know When you say they're going to be teammates for six more years, it never plays out like that. It generally doesn't.

Six years is an eternity. The point is they're going to be teammates for a couple of years at a minimum. And the team's the IT team in the NHL, right? The IT team in the NHL of Florida Panthers, and they're yappy and they talk and they troll. And Marchand steps up to the podium today and was asked about the contract and why he stayed or how he stayed. And this is what he had to say about it earlier this afternoon. All right, that's a baseball clip. Not the best.

No, it's okay. We're good. We'll figure this out. Technical difficult. JP, can we try it one more time, JP, or what do you say? Something tells me we probably won't because watching Vladdy rope on the left field. I like that. Very positive.

Positive Wednesday. It might be a kill from the bridge one, not J.P. I think that would have been on the technical side of things. But I read his comments, though, Brian, and him saying, yeah, the taxes. State tax, that's the only way it works. The other way it happened for Bennett, Eckblatt, Blatt, General. He fired it right out there, too. Let's be honest here, man.

There's no state tax. This doesn't work. He knows what he's doing. But he, exactly. He knows exactly what he's doing. And again, because they win, everyone's got to chew on it. And everyone's got to sit there and, grovel and be like, God, I hate these guys so much because they play it so well.

You know, they're more of a team than anyone else, right? They love each other. They have rules that nobody else has. That's what Eckblatt effectively was telling us a couple of days ago. They got the state tags, you know, they're in shorts and t-shirts and hanging out on the beach, and they have cup parties and no one even pays attention. Like all these different things that just drive people crazy in hockey mad markets. What Ekblad said the other day where he's like, yeah, there was like 20 people.

The cup was just sitting there. No one cared. Nobody cared. That made some people in Toronto sick. Oh, sickening. Sickening in any Canadian market. Any market, yeah. The idea that the Stanley Cup had been won two years in a row and is sitting there, you know, on a patio in Yorkville,

and people are just like, nah, whatever, who cares, I got places to be. Yeah. Like it would cause such a stir. if that was, you know, the equivalent of Morgan Riley sitting there, two-time cup winner. No, Bobby Hastings, the trainer, the trainer of the Leafs with a cup at like a patio or something. There would be thousands of people. Thousands of people. He'd be the most popular person in the city, the trainer of the Leafs.

Yeah. Bobby's like, hey, we're going streaking with the Cup. The half the city would be behind that. For sure. Down in Florida, it doesn't matter. State tax, big benefit for us. and he's probably trolling to an extent, but there's probably also an element of truth in that.

And if that's the case, again, another thing that a lot of other teams don't want to hear other fan bases is how do you compete with that, that they can keep all three guys because they're playing by different rules. Here's Mike Johnson, our TSN hockey analyst, joining us here on the Maple Toyota Hotline. What do you think that's going to feel like the downfall of Florida?

Because it's going to happen at some point. I'm not anticipating it'll be this year, Johnny, but in the next two or three years, they're going to lose, and things are going to go against them. Do you think that's going to be celebrated league-wide, or what? I mean, maybe, guys. Like, they haven't been great for that long. You know what I mean?

Like, obviously, they're incredible back-to-back champs, three in a row. But they haven't been, like, a decade of excellence that have worn you down. It's just sort of, like, the way they play and the way that has success, I think the league will be happy that they're no longer someone that they have to compete with. But you mentioned the Patriots are sort of being celebrated. Like the Boston Bruins

were sort of the Patriots, right? 15 years, they were incredible, always a threat. They won a cup. They got to a final. Now they're just another team. I don't know if the league and fans are celebrating the Bruins downfall. Maybe they're not quite as antagonistic as Florida.

But, yeah, I mean, I just haven't been around long enough. a bother fan enough that it will last for very long, I don't think. How do you handicap the chances of them, Johnny, like doing damage again and not caring about home ice and just ripping it off again? Is that possible? Four cup finals in a row? You'd never think so, right?

The poll it takes and Matthew the Chuck's going to miss whatever half the year. He's going to come back and play in the Olympics, but I guess they have a good chance. They showed us last year and they showed us down the stretch and they don't care about home ice. They have returned the bulk of their players, including Marchand. If healthy, I know they're a year older

and they are getting a bit older, but if healthy and their goaltending is good, again, they're probably not a team that anybody at all wants to face the playoffs. So if they went into the first round, wherever they were seated, and if they were healthy, they would be the favorite

in every single series they play in all the way to the Stanley Cup final. So, again, I take, you know, I take the house and not just, I take the field, but not just Florida. But, yeah, it's definitely doable, which blows your mind, given how hard it is to get to one, let alone three, let alone maybe four. Johnny Camp's opening today, guys saying their best shape of their career, all of that type of stuff. We hear that all the time. When you look at this leaves team, you know, outside of. of with Mitch Marne or not in the mix,

is there something or somebody that you're focusing on that either will bridge the gap or they play a little bit differently? Like, you know, their powers, how's a power play going to look? What's their penalty kill? Who's the first guy out? That type of stuff. Is it, are there answers within? Are they going to have to, is Tree going to have to get creative here

early on in the season? So the guy, and it sort of ties into perhaps the power play, The one storyline that I am curious to watch throughout camp and into the regular season and how the season starts, it's Morgan Riley. And I think Morgan Riley had a decent year last year. He lost his job on the first power play unit, so you still have 41 points or whatever it was.

But I think the perception was that his play slipped a bit. It wasn't where he wanted to be. It wasn't where the least wanted to be. And, again, best shape your life. I don't know what kind of shape Mo is in, but I have heard that he has sort of a re-energized focus and purpose and sort of challenge to himself to be better than he was last year. And if you put him back on the first power play,

which he has put it back to being a top five power play for two, three, four years before last year. And all of a sudden, you know, he's getting some of those easy points for the powerplay. You know, does that help him play five on five? Does it matter if he puts up 65 or 70 points with the power play help? he is one guy that I'm going to be watching and now I'm not going to say he's got to go prove he's like a top 10 defense in the league because he's not bad

and I don't even know if he has to prove that he's the best defenseman on the Maceleys because they're so situationally specific like pretend it's always going to be a better defensive defenseman but Morton and Riley's got to be a play driving guy who won't hurt you I'm curious to watch you know his season

and you know with Mitch John I want to be positive we're going to be positive but like you know if people want to look to find someone to be annoyed with Morgan Riley might be unfortunately one of those guys if it doesn't go well Hayes was talking about Mitch and his name coming up is today the last time we're going to hear Mitch Marner

or is there like one period into an intermission and his name is going to come up Johnny so I mean I guess obviously when they play Vegas that'll be it but oh if their power play starts out like two for 32 or if Austin's got three goals after 14 games, then I think it's a thing that will be discussed until they show that they are not significantly impacted by his departure.

Of course they're going to be, but if it's to the point where either individually or as a team, they're not having a similar kind of success that they had before he left, then he probably does get, you know, mentioned a little bit and what his absence means to the guys that, are still here. Who do you think has a better team as of today, Vegas or Toronto? That's a good question.

Day one, man. I'm throwing curbles out of you, Johnny. I'm in mid-season form. I'm like, well, hang on. You don't remember what did Vegas do again this summer? You got kind of like trying to rack the back. Well, they lost Petrangelo and added more. I mean, that's kind of the big, those are massive transactions.

they're pretty similar. If I had to pick, I would pick Toronto have a better year because Toronto, I know, I think the Pacific might be heading, you know, some of the top teams in the Pacific, but I just, yeah, I think they're about the same. They're both going to be around 100-point teams.

They both are going to be Stanley Cup contenders. They both probably, you know, have a few question marks, maybe some depth. Scoring might be an issue for both sides. Yeah, I think, and a lot of my answers to the next too much hazy are going to be sort of depends what austin matthews does yeah like i think so much of

this year sort of depends on what austin matthews does and if he's healthy and if he can get back to being a top five guy and the best goal score in the world then the leaps are probably better if he's not that either because of health or production or missing miss marter then probably Vegas is better yeah i think that's reasonable i mean Vegas just kind of hums along but the least do too the At least it made the past nine years in a row. Nine years in a row, right? Longest streak in the league. To think about, like, the, what was it, the Ego Gate, or the Jersey Gate, the Egos of it?

Like, the Lees are a long way from that. Yes, they haven't had great success, but they've been a model of consistency in the regular season for a decade. Yes. Yeah, they have. And I anticipate that I'll continue. I mean, the adjustment without Marner is going to be significant. You know, he's a big piece of their puzzle, and he has been for all those nine. nine years and, you know, he plays in every situation, and they did not fill his role.

They don't. They have Max Domi or Matthias Michelli as the likely, you know, replacements on that line. So it's a natural fall. How are we feeling about Max there? Because I think Mack is going to get the first look. Yeah. And it stings that he's not even 100% healthy, they want to camp. But still, the season starts in a few weeks.

So he's got time. Because if he doesn't play there, you start moving the pieces around, it's, you know, It's harder to find spots if Max is not playing in the top six, given the other players and maybe what they can do and maybe what they can't do. So he's another important player that he sort of sorts it out, either with Tavares or with Matthews. But, yeah, I mean, everyone's got to get a little bit better. I think ideally the way the least are set up that Austin and John Tavares

don't have to take quite as much defensively, which they have both carried a lot of the last couple of years, which is not ideal. If you've got Nick Waugh down there and Scott Lawton, if that's your third and fourth, let them chew on the defense. Let them take the tough face assignments

and face off and free up the top guys. And Matthew's being healthy and going from 30, whatever he's three, who's at to 53 or 20 goals you need to come back. Like, yeah, those are going to be, it's going to be all those little things to make up for the loss of Mitch and his 100 points. Yeah.

You're going to go, Jamie? No, I was going to say, there's guys just fighting through that. You know, the biggest thing is there might be somebody that surprises out of training camp. You know, if Easton Cowan settles in, maybe he settles in a little farther down in the lineup, but pushes up. But, you know, there's Machelli, by all accounts, Johnny, is a guy who distributes the puck well. He doesn't have to be Mitch, but he can be a nice player. And, you know, again, you can do it by committee. You know, that's the other thing is this team might have to learn to, hey, we do need production from a,

third line. Hey, we do need, you know, our fourth line did not just go out there and kill time. Like, we do need some, like, that's the one thing that I, I think I'm more looking forward to is how Craig Barubi runs his team a little bit differently now, where you don't have to have one set of rules for one group and another set for the others. It's like everybody plays the same way. Try to get to that last year, had pockets of it, but, you know, I think with more of a balanced lineup, you might see more of a balanced attack. you'd hope my only fear is this noodles

is that if you like what what allows Florida to win that series against Toronto it's their third line really right

right third line production what Marshan turned that Lundell line into when he showed up and so like I love

all the players that play on the bottom six for Toronto Joshua McMahon Waw Lawton Lawrence Yark

they're all good players they're all players that are certainly good productive of players, are they going to be able to score? Like, at some level, I'm a little concerned about goals from that part of lineup.

And maybe I'm proven wrong, maybe they all get 15, 18, mostly even straight goals, and that turns them into a very, you know, much more productive. But I just, in a league that's getting faster and more offensive and more offensive deaths, I just, I need to see if those guys can play that way, or will the offense sort of dry up if Matthews or Tavares aren't on the ice and that's a legitimate concern and I think that's something that's again they'll have to sort it through as they go along

Johnny what do you think McJesus is doing to the oil fence like is he causing a stir or what's going on? Anurism's lesson right I mean like I point like it I point not that he hasn't signed I don't care about that but I just like the fact though that he's willing to sit there and say answered the question honestly

frankly and not try to placate the home crowd by saying you know what I want to be here I love it here we're just working through it he's calling it like it is he believes that they can win this year he is 100% committed to winning in Edmonton this year he needs to know that one of the oldest rosters in the league that is capped out to the max is going to be good with him making 17 or 18 million dollars going forward for the next half decade that's what he wants to see

everyone, I think everyone was asked, like, what did he want to see? I think that's what it is. Like, how do they sort of reinforce or introduce more young players that aren't Broberg or Holloway or McLeod? The guys they lost would have been the guys, but if it's the boy or is that Mike Howard or whoever it might be, like, what does that look like for him? And I still think it's far more likely than not that he resigns. I also think it's far more likely than not that he doesn't resign for six years. If he does resign, it'll be a sort of two, three, four year thing, and then he'll get back to it. But I get the nervousness, but what can you say to the guy?

He's given you, what, 10 years now? This will be his 11th year of being the best player in the world basically every single year. He's been incredible in the playoffs. He's embraced with his family, the market. Like, you can't really criticize him, although I'm seeing a little bit of it. Sort of like, if he doesn't want to resign, get rid of him. I don't know if you want to go down that road. he's given you everything you could possibly ask for.

But I get being nervy because you want him signed and you want them comfortably signed for another eight years. It just seems to put so much pressure on the whole organization, which I appreciate. And if that's a part of his mentality. I think the players, hey, you're like, I better be good or McDavid's going to be. Like, if you're an old guy cruising around,

and you get injured, you're like, man, McDavid's going to hold this against me. He's leaving. What about Stu Skinner? No kidding. Stu Skinner goes out there and he's, you know, he's blowing like an 826 percentage through November. Like, Dave, it is like, I'm looking for real estate somewhere else. But I think Connors' camp is thinking like that is, right?

Like, Connor's going to be fine with the pressure. Do you think he's going to melt? Do you think he's going to fold? No. Right? No. Like, he's not going to struggle without a contract. So if players, and I don't think the players,

it's not that bad, but the organization's feel the pressure. Well, that's fine. Like, answer the call, rise to the challenge. If they're great, if these young players, they believe in, turn out of the fantastic, and they're like, yeah, I can play with that Ike Howard for the next seven years, and he'll grab 30 goals every year. Like, the flip side is, if it works,

then you got him for another decade. So look at the upside, not just the downside. Yeah, he's got to put some pressure on himself, too, Johnny. Don't you think, like McDavid? Like, listen, he's been the best play. in the world and all of that but they've been in game seven and game six and it's been quiet in those

games right against Florida like those were yeah but this what pressure does he have with this kind of contract thing noodles he's just going to go out there and do I don't I'm not saying he's playing for a contract what I'm saying is he wants to win a Stanley Cup in Edmonton and yes everyone's saying well he

drags it he drags everybody to it I mean dry siddle was better than him last year like you know if you look from start to finish dry side out a better season than him yes there was injuries all of that type of stuff but you know i i think you know mac david is a guy who's got tremendous pride he wants to finish the job there he might just like i say he might be say i'm going to sign but i want to win here in evinton and if i win all bets are off but i i look at it i think he's

going to put a lot of pressure on himself internally to finish the job that was my point with guy. Yeah. I mean, I don't, I mean, he won a Kahn-Smife on a losing team, so it's tough to say that, you know, he didn't get it done in the playoffs two years ago. But he also said, noodles,

whatever you have last year, we had 24 goals? What do you have, like, a really low number? 30-7. And he's like, that's not enough, right? He said it out loud, like, that's not a good season, that's no good, he's got to be better. So you wonder if he goes on on, you know, Crosby sort of

26 he had last year. When Crosby scored that one year, we had 50-something goals. Like, you wonder if he sets his mind to it like he did a couple of years ago when McDavid had 64 goals, like that is something that he tried to do more of as well. So, yeah, I mean, he's, he had 33 points in 22 games last year in the playoffs. So it's, like, he's done, it's hard to criticize really sort of anything he's done on the ice, you know, other than sort of scoring a hat-tricking game seven to make sure they win that one.

And he's going to be fine. Wherever he goes, he's going to be just fine. What did you get for a point total this year? We all had to do those top 50s. Yeah, I was like in the 130s, I think, or something like that, like a 40, 46-88 or something like that, like 134, something like that. Hayes, what were you? I was higher.

You were higher than that. Wow, I was nowhere close to that. What did you say? I think I had 40-something goals, like 116, 100,000. 15 points. I think I had like a higher than that. I think I had 151. He's not getting 151, man.

He's not, he'll never do that again in his career. I'd be willing to put a lot of money on that. Oh, yeah? I didn't never get 150? Never. Never again. We've had this conversation before. We've had this one before.

We've had it before. But look at history. Look at Gretzky. Look at Lemieux. Guys going into their 11th year, they don't pop in year 11th. that's when you're 22, 23, 24, that's when you rack up. When you get this deep in your career, it just doesn't happen. That doesn't mean he's going to finish with 45 points.

No. But I don't see 150, man. That's absurd. That's two points a night. That means, you know, Columbus on a Tuesday, this guy is like, play me 27 minutes. That's not happening. He's not doing it. I don't think.

That's my personal opinion. But I feel pretty certain of that. I'm not sure he, like, this is, I'll say this. Yeah, I don't think it's outlandish based on history. I'm not sure he wins a heart ever again because. Oh, come on. It's tough to do, man. Wow.

It's tough to do. He's a woman in a few years. In that argument, what young player, because all the part candidates are generally around his age. It's not like there's a 21 or 22 year old, like that guy's going to win it any second now. Like, who's the young guy that's going to knock him, like, If it's not a defense, then McCarra Hughes.

What forward, Kutrov, Drysidal, McKinnon, Osternock, Matthews. They're all the same sort of generation of player. In fact, he's right in the middle of those guys. So who's a young guy that's going to knock him off so he doesn't win it again? I'd take you on that bet. That's a very good question, and it's a very valid point to make, that the guys who are fighting for it are the guys, those same guys. You know, although Hella Buck won it last year.

No one saw that coming, you know. Like maybe a defenseman wins it. It's very rare. You don't see that very often. Yeah, you're right. Everybody's kind of lumped up. You're right. You know, age group, all of that.

The next wave is guys like Salabrini. Who else is a young? Maybe Jack Hughes, if he's healthy, you know, somebody like that. But he's... Sure. I think Jack Hughes is, like, obviously good player, but to knock off McDavid for, like, a heart run, that seems like a stretch, man.

It could happen. It happens, so you get your Taylor Halls. You get your Corey Perry years. Yeah. And I find those five. fun stories but i don't know if that guy's dialed in and he's pissed off and to some degree it'd be awfully tough to knock off yeah listen if he ends up with 150 points he's winning the heart well yeah that's for sure i can guarantee yeah that i will guarantee yeah agreed but

anyway well all right well we'll see we're a few weeks away we're going to find out very very soon all right johnny good to have you back in the swing of things we'll do it again later in the week back with you happen to be squeezing your second hour here where you can make it work i appreciate that absolutely there is mike johnson joining us here on the maple toyta hotline drive the built in canada fuel efficient fun to drive toyder rafour gasser hybrid models available visit mapletoita dot com now i will say this mac david goes to a new team then he's winning the heart again then he will win the heart 100% that's always an automatic oh then it's like new team new guy Gretzky in L.A.

Yeah, exactly. That's a luck. But, yeah, I don't know. It's tough. So you get older and there's different priorities. It's a crazy year with the Olympics. A lot of pressure on him there. You're right.

The Olympics might throw in a wrench to all of this, too. Like, the season's condensed. Last year, these guys played so much hockey. Like, at some point, the league has to be concerned. But no, they're not because they're adding two more games. But we're shortening training camp. I don't think the players care, James. I mean, they skate, they're like every day.

They take a week off of their back on the ice, man. Load management's coming. I'm telling you, at 84 games, load management is coming. And that's the thing. And he would be a prime example that Matthews will be one, McKinnon, like the best player. That's who gets the load management. It's not the third and fourth line guy. No, no, but it's going to be top players that go, okay, we've got to make sure that, you know, we're ready for playoffs.

And, oh, by the way, we've got a tournament here. We got, you know, we're having World Cup or we're having Olympics and we, like there's just so much hockey for these guys. Exactly. So much for these guys. Best bets still to come. Overdrive continues. TSN 1050 and on TSN4.

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Jerry's percentages. I don't love being commissioner as much as I used to. I actually love it even more. That's the voice of a f***. Hall of Famer. Are you kidding? Have you been out drinking? Jerry!

Jerry! You're all pigeons. Filthy, filthy pigeons. It's Jerry. G.E. R.R. Y. All right. The NHL's back.

Jerry's busy. I'm sure he's looking into expansion and crossing T's and dotting eyes on the new CBA and adding games to the schedule. There's a lot going on. World Cubs. You get the Olympics this year. Very busy stuff. So let's stop messing around here.

basically sent us an email said I have a few takes let's go you guys ready go ahead the tandem of stolars and walls will be intact for the maple leaves for the next three seasons I'm low on this just how things happen in big league sports especially hockey goalies 20% I'm 20% on this

like it sounds great right now and you know they were great last year 10 them, you know, keep one of them fresh all the time. But things happen, they happen quickly. Yeah, I mean, a little bit higher because I feel like Stolars will get, you know, three, four year extension type of thing. We talked about his deal already, but, you know, the hill to be sticking his nose in there if he can get to be an NHL guy and they move on from somebody, like, I'm higher.

I say 40%. but not above 50. That's the thing. Like, you know, it would be nice, and it would be nice if Wohl pushed through, Wohl's 26, you know, see if he could be a one. But if they can get Stolars on a reasonable contract for three years,

I could see, you know, kind of 50% percent. I could, too, because neither of them, you know, like this would be 0% of one of them established themselves as like a number one. Then I think maybe you trade the other one, you know, they have value, for them, bring in someone a little bit cheaper if you only need 20 starts out of them. But the fact that these two have both kind of determined that they're just incapable of starting more than 35 or 40 games, then it seems more likely they'll have to rely on both

of them, you know, and stick to it. He'll be, I don't know, we'll see. Maybe that's the best thing for them. Yeah, exactly. And you're not overusing and we pick the guy at the playoffs, man. Now, you know, a tandem sticking around for, that would be four years straight. does seem unlikely. Yeah.

Like it seems unlike. I'll say 49% a little bit more optimistic than both of you, but into the minority on this in terms of the long-term probability. It just generally doesn't work that way. One guy falls off or someone gets hurt or someone thinks they should be playing more and they get their nose out of joint, you know, or a trade develops and teams like, we've got to go get it. You know, we've got to change something up.

Playoffs aren't good enough with these guys. We've got to get a true number one, you know, and maybe the pressure will be on Tree Living to go do that. 49%. Big Dumpur needs seven home runs in his final 11 games to break Judge's record and Jerry says he

does it. Wow. Wow. What a heater he'd be on down the stretch. He hit two last night. Cal Raleigh's up to 56 on the year. Wow. Amazing. Seven more? Seven more to beat Judge.

A lot though. Eleven games. 7-11. 7-11. I don't know. I'm low on this. I'm low on this, too, man. He kind of slow. I'm 20% again.

I don't think he gets that. I'm, my wishful thing. You think guys are going to pitch to him, though, Hayes? Well, in Seattle's on a heater, man. They're looking great. You know, why would they, why have they been pitching to him the whole year? You know, like he hit two last night. And, you know, he passes Mickey Mantle the most ever for a switch hitter.

He ties Ken Griffey Jr. for the franchise record. It's unbelievable. Why would he slow down? You know, seven in 11 games is asking a lot. Yeah, it is. It's asking a lot. So I'm pretty low on this too. 30%.

It just, it would feel magical, but it's already been magical. Like this guy's capable of hitting two in a game. He's done it a lot this year. You can do that a couple of times. You shrink it down. All of a sudden you need like three and eight, you know, something like that. That changes the whole complexion and get red hot for a couple more games. I'm 30%.

I'm 33%. I'm still low on it, but I think there's a chance. I hope he gets to 60. It's an arbitrary number, but it's a bold one, and it means something. Yeah, right? Like, that's where Babe Ruth got to and Maris and Judge and all that. Like, if you can get to 60 as a switch hitting catcher, that's just the most incredible off-season or offensive season ever.

It is. I think of that position. All right, what else do you have, Jerry? Hawaii Leonard will finish the final two years of his contract with the Clippers God knows he doesn't want to do much Yeah

He probably doesn't really care one where he doesn't He might just go up to Stevie Baumler And just I don't even want to play Just keep paying me Yeah Yeah just no show me the rest of the way It's getting ugly though man You're seeing a lot of anonymous leagues

Coming out of the Clippers Now everyone hates Kauai Right Pain in the ass never plays so difficult to deal with you knew this was coming because they moved heaven and earth to get them and they paid him a fortune and all they've done is pam and he's done he just has not pulled his weight and at some point people are they're going to lose jobs and people are going to get pissed and now this is leaking out which is still the responsibility of the team you know

it's shady for kawai and his camp to be asking for this kind of stuff clearly but it's the team that gave it to him. The team that did it, and I don't believe they're going to void his contract. I don't see the PA accepting that. This is on Balmer more than it is on Kauai. Do you think that there's somewhere in Balmer's where he has so much money

he doesn't care? Do you think that there's somewhere in his organizations like, can we find a way to get rid of this guy, like to avoid his country? Like, do you think from the other side, not the league, but from the clipper side going, we've got to get rid of this guy. How are you going to do that? But they're so stupid,

they probably think it's still the golden nugget a chance to win. The issue is the Players Association noodles. Yeah. Like they would fight tooth and nail. That's a slippery slope. If an owner can just say, I don't like this guy voided contract, that doesn't happen in pro sports. But you're right.

But if the owners are all getting, it sounds like the owners have all gotten together and discussed this particular situation. Like what is Balmer getting? Is he getting a wrap on the list or wrap on the wrist? or what does he get? He should get hammered for this. Right.

Like, everything should be on the table all the way to the extent of losing the team altogether. Like, this is a massively shady capser convention to pull this off and play aloof. Huge. Yeah, it's a massive scandal. Like, you can't sugarcoat it. Adam Silver looks ridiculous throughout it. He has not done himself any favors. But we all said this from the second it broke.

We'll know if other teams are doing it. on what the reaction is and what the penalty is. But for me, this is way more about Balmer and the Clippers than it is Kauai Lennar. Like, I'm not accepting that the goalposts are going to move to now it's, well, Kauai's the guy who should take all the heat for this. I don't think so. Like this, he asked for it. You only do it where you can get away.

Exactly. They were letting them do it. They gave it to him. They gave it to him. Multiple times they re-uped his contract. They did it. So that said, they answered Jerry's question, do I think he's going to play two more years with the clippers, I just don't.

No. I think it's too loud now. They might buy them out, right? They may just say, get out of here. We'll pay everything. We need you out of here. That would not shock me. I'll say 15%. It just seems like Kauai's got to get out of there now.

I'm 10%. Like, they've got to get rid of him. They got to get rid of it. I'm 50, man. I'm 50. Really? Well, I mean, Kauai's not given a penny back. And again, I don't think Kauai will be affected by this at all.

It'll just keep showing up. and if he's not 100 percent he'll say i'm not playing like he he he has no obligation which is not a good thing it's not a positive reflection on him but he clearly is not going to play injured he's not he doesn't feel any obligation to do anything for the glippers like that appears to be his approach like you're paying me if i can play i'll play i'll try hard but whatever like it's it's it's it's an indictment on him yeah that that's his reputation that he does not appear as if he feels like he owes the clippers or steve balmer or anything and i don't think not an everyday guy he's not an everyday guy not the mama

mentality yeah not a fox soul mentality koai leonard but uh this story cannot go anywhere it's gonna i'm waiting for pablo tori to have some other exactly somebody else is It's happened to somebody else, right? Yeah. Something's coming. Kevin Durant. Maybe somebody. You mean another element to Kauai or a different team?

I wouldn't be shocked if there was another element to Kauai. Oh, no kidding, man. You know, turned out in 20, 23, Balmer pumped in another amount of money. Because it's like massive money we're talking about. For Balmer, it's pennies. It's nothing to him. But the last round of this reporting was he, he, dumped in what 10 million or 9.9 million the next day or two days later kauai got paid like imagine

having that much cash where you're dumping 10 million cash and not flinching into a company that's going bankrupt he's the eight rich eighth richest guy on the planet yeah like 10 million dollars nothing to him nothing to him nothing nothing it's crazy how much money he has he does Oh, man. That's just the mentality that, like, the average person, the three of us included, could just never, ever comprehend. It is. Having so much money, you couldn't possibly spend it all. Pretty cool.

Pretty damn cool. It is pretty cool. Yeah, you can act like that. Good for him. Good for Steve Balmer. All right, there you go. Jerry's percentages. All right, best bets powered by Fanduel coming up.

Jay's raised tonight and week three of the NFL season tomorrow. And then the least will be on the ice tomorrow. The Argos alouettes on Friday night down at Bimo Field. We're going to be there. We can't wait for it. We're field level. We're right in the hunt, man. Luke's going to be down there. We've got Keith Pelly coming by. We've got Ryan Dinwiddie will join us before

the game. Massive game for the Argos, too, as they continue to pursue a playoff spot. So we can't wait to get down there. We're going to see a bunch of people down there too. It's going to be a great night down up Emo Field on Friday. Overdrive continues. TSN 1050 and on the TSN app. Hey, this is Ruby Carr, the host of the podcast

Encore. Weedist Teenage Dirtbag is one of the most relatable songs of all time, but thanks to its impossible falsetto, maybe not the easiest to sing. She said I've got tickets to iron and main end. Yes, that famous female vocal verse was recorded

by vocalist Brendan Brown in 2000, and thanks to a tech mix-up again in 2020. Listen to Encore on the IHeart app or wherever you get your podcast for the stories behind all the songs you love. All right, Best Fets, powered by Fando, make your picks and assemble a same game.

Harley in seconds on the Fandro's Sportsbook gap. I'm back on the Jays tonight. They're minus 130 on the money line, but Gossman's on a mound. Everything's coming up, Blue Jays. I think they win again tonight. That'll be seven in a row. And Gossman's been electric, and he's had extra rest. Ever since the All-Star break, the guy's been one of the best arms in baseball.

I think that continues tonight. Addison Barger, you know, big hit last night. I think he gets another hit tonight. I love that guy at third, man. I do, too. Yeah. He's awesome. He's dying him.

I loved Ernie Clement, but I'm. I'm like, this guy's a stud at third. He looks very good. You know, he had that slump going for a while, and that's a big test for any young player in the league, but he's come out of it. But defensively, I love him at third, don't you? I agree.

He's got an arm, and he's a vacuum at third right now. He's playing very, very well. So, Barger to record a hit in under in the first inning tonight with two pretty good arms on a mound. A very good arm in Gosman. There's your parlay pan plus 334, best bets, powered by Fanduel. So, yeah, again, Bo Bichette, going for all those opinions. But in the end, I guess the first opinion was accurate.

Just kind of get some rest, do a little bit of rehabbing, and get back at it, hopefully, for the playoffs. And Dalton Varsho is close to return as well. And I don't know about Santander. He's been down in Buffalo. We'll see what happens with him. But isn't it just leave him there? Probably. Possibly at this point, again, because Barger's been playing well, because they've been getting, you know,

Pretty good production from everyone, and to ask that much of a guy who hasn't played in months to show up and perform in the playoffs, it's a risk. It would be a risk for them to take it. Well, Barger's got 20 jacks. Can you look at a stat like Vladdy's, like, what does Vladdy have? Vladie's got 23 home runs. Barger's got 20. Yeah. He came up at May, I think.

Think about that. I was looking the other night, like Barter, I'm like, he's got 20 home runs. runs and then Vladdy comes up in like 23 one guy signed for 500 barger's trying to break into the league that's going to have an odor to it at the end of the year he's got like 25 I mean

500 sheets man his numbers are okay they're not off the charts but they're okay they're pretty and I love how every time he has a hit it's like that hit was the exit it's like the hardest hit single ever they love bringing that up yeah he's the king of the exit velocity oh yeah no one does it better even

even if he gets out, you know, well, yeah, sure, he didn't get on base there, but the exit velocity was great. Yeah. I mean, listen, you know what, they're winning, so nobody shines a light. Exactly. If they had 76 wins, everybody would be all over Vladdy for those stats. Oh, it'd be, well, the front office would be at the forefront of it still noodles. Right, right.

Like, if they were on pace for 75 wins, it would be so loud about Ross and Mark and Schneider and what are they going to do. Yeah, right. You know, to their credit, those guys, they put together a team here that's completely flipped everything over. Like, they're a completely different club in terms of their performance anyway. And again, they're winning a lot of games. And I expect that to continue tonight.

But, yeah, we'll see with Bichette. We'll see with Dalton Varshow. I guess we're tracking the Yankees, tracking the Red Sox. But at this point, it feels like a formality. They're going to win the American League East, and they're going to probably have the best record of the American League period what a season great season now they got to follow it up in the playoffs

which ultimately is where it really matters how big of a surprise is it for you Hayes like if you were to characterize it would you be like shocking just nice surprise I think it's kind of shocking pretty shocking man pretty shocking considering how ugly it was last year yeah pretty shocking and the pressure I as you just mentioned on the front office to get it done and they actually did yeah like if they were gonna if they're fight for a wild card spot not you know that's surprising maybe not shocking if you had

have told me they finished with 86 87 wins and third wild card i think that that was in the ballpark of what they were capable of doing this is a completely different story this is this is 94 95 wins and best team of the american league right that's shocking not just from a jay's perspective but what it says about the yankees and the astros and you know a lot of different teams who i think we thought would be great this year. Detroit's been very good. Did anybody have the Jay's in their projections being first? Not the best team of the American League.

No one will have a couple years ago I feel like that was the case, but not going into this season. For sure. Yeah, this, it's always based on what you did the year before. You know, you can't, you act as if it's a blank slate, but it never is. You know, it's no different with the NFL, with the NHL. Like, we're going to go into an NHL season here,

and everyone's going to make predictions. And it's, you know, everyone that made the playoffs last year, you're going to say, I think they can make it again. They're not going to all make it, though. Like, 16 teams that made it last year will not make it this year. That's right. There's turnover every single year. About 25% will probably turn over.

Right? One or two teams in each division, a couple, few teams in each conference. That's the way it goes. Yep. So, and that's the beauty of sports, man. If it weren't that way, it wouldn't be fun. If it's so predictable every single year, what's the point of even watching? Who's your one team you think is going to slip this year, Hasey?

That made the playoffs last year? Yes. Hmm. I will say, I think Washington comes back to Earth a little bit. I don't think they win the division and top seat in the east. You're good with both Ottawa, Montreal, getting back in? I don't know if they're both getting back in. I don't know.

That's not a decisive answer. Give me two weeks, and I'll give me an answer on that. Let me see how we get through camp. But they're on the borderline. They both were wildcard teams last year. So it would not be shocking. You know, like if Florida missed, Edmonton missed, that's shocking. Right.

You know, if St. Louis doesn't make it, that's not shocking. You know, would I be shocked if St. Louis didn't make it? No, it wouldn't be. So anyway, we'll come up with some of those takes as we get closer to the season. But the Ottawa-Montreal connection is an interesting one. Because I didn't see the HABs making the playoffs last year. I thought Ottawa could, but the HABs, I didn't think, had a shot. They ended up making it.

Yeah. All right. Jay's race tonight, week three in the NFL, starting tomorrow. Down at the Argos game on Friday, it's going to be a fun week. Thanks to everyone behind the scenes for helping out. We appreciate it. everyone for tuning in today, TV Radio podcast web. We appreciate that.

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