Toronto Mike'd: The Official Toronto Mike Podcast - Gord Miller: Toronto Mike'd Podcast Episode 1672

Episode Date: April 14, 2025

In this 1672nd episode of Toronto Mike'd, Mike chats with Gord Miller about our great Gords, Wayne Gretzky, his sweet gig at TSN, and the world around us. Toronto Mike'd is proudly brought to you by Great Lakes Brewery, Palma Pasta, Ridley Funeral Home, Silverwax, Yes We Are Open, Nick Ainis and RecycleMyElectronics.ca. If you would like to support the show, we do have partner opportunities available. Please email Toronto Mike at [e-mail]

Ellison there as well. Boychuk looking for it. Taveras pulls it out. Taveras backhand towards the goal. Loose puck and he scores! Tiger! Can you believe it? Welcome to episode 1672 of Toronto Miked! Proudly brought to you by Great Lakes Brewery, a fiercely independent craft brewery who believes in supporting communities, good times and brewing amazing beer.

Order online for free local home delivery in the GTA. Palma Pasta, enjoy the taste of fresh, homemade Italian pasta and entrees from Palma Pasta in Mississauga and Oakville. Yes, we are open, an award-winning podcast hosted by FOTM Al Greggo. Silverwax.ca, use the promo code, Toronto Mike 10, and save 10% at silverwax.ca. RecycleMyElectronics.ca, committing to our planet's future

means properly recycling our electronics of the past. Building Toronto Skyline, a podcast and book from Nick Ienies, sponsored by Fusion Corp Construction Management Inc. And Ridley Funeral Home, pillars of the community since 1921. Joining me today, returning to Toronto, Mike, it's Gord Miller.

How you doing Gord? I'm great. You? When was that last year? You were last year, January, 2023. Okay. Couple of years ago. Okay.

Episode 1188. I feel like I just finished the lasagna you gave me. I think, I think last week I had the last piece of that giant lasagna you gave me. It's big, right? It's huge. You know what? Spare no expense on this program. It's like this crazy giant lasagna.

It was delicious. But did you finish it? I think what I ended up doing was taking it to like a house party or something. I like off-loaded the last six pieces at this house party or something. You could have fed the world junior squad. Oh my gosh.

So I have another one for you from Palma Pasta. Oh, yeah. I like offload the glass six pieces of this house party or something. You could have fed the world junior squad. So I have another one for you from Palma pasta. If I get smaller size or is it? No, it's the same size. It's a family size. Okay. Would you take it? I'll take it. Sure. Yeah. Okay. Cause it is delicious. But I need instructions on how to like, cause it comes frozen, right? So you want to know what I do? So I put it in the fridge for 24 hours

and then I put it at 375 for 45 minutes. I know, but the problem I have with that is that I have to cook the whole lasagna and I only want to cook half of it. There's got to be a way. You need a chainsaw. Is there a way to, because it's hard to cut through. I tried that, I think I broke a knife doing that, so. You can't do that, no.

Okay. That's like cement right now when it's frozen. But that's a good problem to have, right? You could go to your neighbors and say, Hey, uh, your friendly neighborhood Gord has given you this delicious slice of lasagna. I just moved. So that would be a good way to ingratiate myself to the new neighbors. I could, you know, give them lasagna. Did you move like, where did you move to?

Well, I'm still in midtown. I've always, I've been in midtown for like, I don't know. You are the original midtown Gord because there's a gentleman who listens to this program who goes by the name midtown Gord because he used to call into the fan 590 all the time and another Gord who will come up in a minute, Gord Stelick decided he was Midtown Gord. Okay, so I, yeah, I've lived in Midtown for, I don't know, 30 years now, something like that and I love it. But I moved like, typically I moved like two blocks into a new place. So like it must be a really nice place because that sounds like a lot of hassle

to move two blocks. Yeah, it's a lot. I'm not moving again. I've decided I'm done moving. I'm this is it for me. So like the next time I move, it'll be with a toe tag on hopefully a very long to Ridley funeral home. So I've got a reservation with them a long time from now and no joke, if you do the prepay, like if you now you, you pay for your funeral at Ridley funeral home, then let's say you die. Let's pretend you go another 35 years.

Okay. It doesn't matter what happened with inflation or whatever and what it would cost then you still paid for it in 20, 25 money. Like this is the best way to buy a funeral is to prepay. And the best thing is you're dead. So your friends can go, you don't hear your friends going, what a cheap jerk he is. He bought the discount paid advance. Oh, imagine you bought in before this recent inflationary period.

Like you'd be laughing all the way to the grave. Okay. I don't want to laugh about the grave. I want to, I want, that's the end thing is I was talking to someone about this the other day, I want people to be miserable when I die. I want people to be unhappy and sad that this great, important person in their life died. I don't want them saying, oh no, Gordon wants us to be happy.

He wouldn't want us to be sad. No, Gordon wants you to be sad. Gordon, if you died, I don't know if I could even watch the World Juniors on TSN. I don't even think I could tune in without hearing your voice again. I think you'd get over it eventually. You know what they'll do?

You know what the Bell Media will do? They'll make some AI version of Bord Miller. Maybe the AI version of me would be better. Would you sign off if they gave you, I don't know, X dollars, Bell Media said, Hey, we want to use your voice as the voice of the juniors way after you're gone. Will you sign off and give us permission to mimic? That would be creepy, I think.

It depends on the money, no? Like, would you, is there a price? I'll be dead, do I need the money? But you get the money while you're alive. I'll pay the money now. You've asked some odd questions. We're just warming up, Gord, but I do want to give you this

because we're going for Ridley Funeral Home. Is it six feet, like the measure like this, and then I go across for the casket? Right, like in the Wild West. Yeah. You remember the Wild West. Ochre Pine. Okay, so you're still Midtown Gord. Yes, apparently. I never like in the wild west. Yeah. You remember the wild west. Ochre pine. Okay. So you're still Midtown Gourd.

Yes. I never called it of the fan though, but okay. You never, you must've appeared on the fan as a hockey expert. I did. We used to do, I used to do Bob McHown's show with the fan actually on Mondays. We had a deal with him.

You know what I got loaded in here? The old prime time sports. Old prime time sports. I used to do the Monday round table with, with Bob. And, uh, it was fun. He, uh, the amazing thing was that Bob would quite honestly say like, don't talk about the Patriots Colts game last night because I didn't watch it. You didn't watch the NFL game of the week. No, I didn't see it. No. Okay. But you were, you were, were you a friend of Bob?

Yeah. Who would, like, do you remember who else would be on these roundtables with you? Uh, Damien Cox was on sometimes, uh, Jim Shakey Hunt. Oh yeah. The late Jim Shakey Hunt. Of course. Um, yeah, it was a, it was a good group. And of course Bob had to run it for a smoke every commercial break.

So they had like this, he would pre-record something. So they'd go down for like two course, Bob had to run it for a smoke every commercial break. So they had like this, he would pre-record something. So they'd go down for like two minutes, come back to his pre-recorded thing, go back down for two minutes. And that gave him time to go down the elevator, hack a butt and come back up.

Did you ever smoke? Me? I've had cigarettes, but I'm not. But you've never been addicted to the darts? No, are you a smoker? No, never smoked. I wouldn't think. You're, you've never been addicted to the, the, the darts. No. Are you a smoker? Uh, no, never smoked. I wouldn't think you're kind of a health guy. Like I don't, not really.

Like I eat a lot of pizza and stuff. Well, you know, pasta from, yeah. I'm going to eat a lot of, uh, you eat giant lasagna's in one sitting. I can down, you know what though? I did, I, I was going to ask you about your cycling life. Like, do you winter ride? Not as much. I do.

Um, I'm, I'm cautious about, you know, ice and things like that, but, um, yeah, I go. I'm cautious about ice and things like that, but yeah, I don't mind riding when it's cold, as long as there isn't ice and snow on the ground. So if it's dry, but let's say it's minus 10 degrees Celsius, you'll go out for a ride. No problem. So now, I mean, I did 45K today, and that's a brag. So Gord, you can.

There was a humble brag, sorry. No humble. There's no humble in there. Okay, that's called a straight up brag. 45Kord, you can. There was a humble brag. Sorry. No humble. There's no humble in there. Okay. That's called a straight up brag. 45 K today. And today it's like, it's like summertime out there now. Any hills though?

Any hills in your ride? Not too much. Cause I do waterfront trails. So I go from, from Midtown, which I think was established where I live. I go down Bayview. In Midtown Gord, yeah. I go down Bayview and through the ravine system.

But then to come home, You gotta go up. You gotta go up Bayview, up to Moore. And Moore and that thing is a beast. And I know like the first month, so I'll be out there, I'll be biking like this week and next week. I know that an exercise bike is not the same as being out there on the, like riding that Hill. And I remember a couple of years ago, I was riding up that Hill and this guy, this older gentleman in like a union Jack cycling kit, he was riding that hill. And I remember a couple of years ago, I was riding up that hill and this guy, this older gentleman in like a Union Jack cycling kit,

like he's got the spandex shorts on. He's like, well done laddie, you're doing all right. And he went by me like I was towing a trailer. I just zoomed up the hill. What kind of bike? Are you got like just a road bike? What do you got going on? I got a road bike, yeah.

Okay, I've been riding the single speed ones, a single speed for a few years now. Really? Pretty much primarily, like in dry conditions anyways. It's a Fuji Fe been riding the single speed, uh, once a single speed, uh, for a few years now. Really? Pretty much primarily like on, in dry conditions anyways, it's a Fuji feather. So single speed and there are, I think I've encountered two hills in the city that I had to actually get off and walk because I couldn't

generate the energy to get up because I have no gears to. So. Yeah. So you know what happened to me? So I, I do about a, about a 40 K route. Okay. Okay.

So, so I go down from Mount Pleasant Cemetery, down Bayview, down to the lakeshore, out to the, uh, Balmy Beach club, back up, up the dawn trail north, up to sunny, up to Sunnybrook, back down. So I, I needed some air in my tire, stopped at this thing and they, they charge you for air now. Is that right? Yeah, they charge you for air, which is outrageous.

But anyway, I had to pay, I had to tap with my phone. So I took my phone out, tapped, put my phone back in the little pouch I got there, do my ride, right? Come home, go fishing for my keys. My phone is not in the pouch. My phone is, so I go back to the gas station, not there. Retrace your steps, yeah. Call it from the gas station, no answer. So now I've got to retrace my steps.

I got to redo this whole ride, right? Looking, meanwhile looking. Looking down for my phone. I get up, I was up, I went back up the Sunnybrook Hill by the stables there where the cricket grounds are, do you know up at Sunnybrook? So sort of like Leslie and Lawrence. Okay, okay.

So I come back down the hill, and there's a fence post, and I look and there's my phone. You lucky son of a gun. So I'm gonna take in my phone and put it on the fence post, and I got my phone back. Now, my daughter, who is-

How old's your daughter? 20 now. She- I have a 20 year old daughter by the way. Oh yeah, nice. She said, you don't have Locate My Phone on there? On your iPad? Right, right. No, I didn't.

So I now have that. Okay. The good advice from your daughter and a good luck on your part. Uh, I know that feeling of, I remember where's my keys and I have all my bike lock keys on there and everything. And you start to have that anxiety, like,

Oh, what a pain in the ass this is going to be to replace everything and find it, get replacements. And then you retrace your steps. And when you see it, you have that relief, right? That like, there it is. I don't have to go through that hassle.

Oh my goodness. I've never lost my wallet, never lost my keys. Okay, lucky guy. I'm imagining what it must be like. I've never lost my, I mean, obviously misplaced my phone, but. Do they still have the War Amps thing? Like as a kid, that was a thing.

Yeah, you put the tag on. They do, I still see them. And then people drop it in the mailbox and it gets back. But apparently if you find someone's wallet, just put it in the mailbox. Oh, and they'll track you down if there's ID in there. Yeah. Right. Right. That's a good pro tip. So, uh, people can do that. I want to read the description. Oh, you know what I want to do first, Gord is I want to crack this great legs open. Okay.

So you have a Canuck Pale Ale so you can crack on the mic. There we go. Okay. It sounds good. This is fresh. I think it was canned like last week or something. I have the Sunnyside. They only started canning this thing for the summer about a week ago. The Sunnyside Session IPA. Oh, that's a pro. Cheers. Cheers. Good to see you. You too. So I took a note, January, 2023. My note was, I'm going to read the description and then I'll tell you my mental note. So I wrote, in this 1188th episode of Toronto Miked, Mike chats with Gord Miller about his career calling hockey games at TSN, calling Usain Bolt's 100 meter victory in the 2012 Olympics. Working at ESPN and

more, we talked for about, I don't know, an hour 19. And I took a mental note. I like this guy. We got to get him back. You know, I said the Royal we like there's more than me here. Okay. So we got to get this guy back. Where are they?

Where are they? Me, myself and I, but here you are back here. Did you ever have the pleasure of working a game with Greg Millen? I did not. Um, I knew him around the rink a lot, but I did never, I don't think I ever worked with him. Uh, no, cause I was at CBC in the eighties and he wasn't there then.

Wasn't there yet. He was playing. He was still playing. Um, no, I did not. He was, uh, he was a terrific. I mean, I think the hardest thing to do is to be an analyst for a long time because once you run out of the, when I played, you know, or I played against that guy then you get, then the work starts.

You got to keep up. You've got to, you've got to, you know, watch games and talk to people and Greg never lost his enthusiasm for that. He always had, it's hard to do it for a long time and he did a very good job and he was always a gentleman around the rink and a funny guy, a jokester. So I really, yeah, I was really sad to hear about his death and Ray Shearow who passed away a couple of days later, who was a good friend. And yeah, it's sad because, and you think about like

Greg did the Olympics multiple times, Stanley got final, worked with Bob Cole, all the stuff because, and you think about like, Greg did the Olympics multiple times, Stanley got final work with Bob Cole, all the stuff that, you know, he had, he had an amazing, he had two amazing careers. He played in the national hockey league for a long time and then became a broadcaster for a long time.

That's hard to do. Hard to do. Uh, I assumed you'd cross paths with him, but in his passing was so very sudden that it, uh, very sudden and sad. So our condolences to those who knew and loved Greg. Another name is a little less shocking due to

the age, but still, uh, kind of a fixture. Jerry McNamara passed away. Yeah. Former Jim of the Leafs drafted Wendell Clark. Um, he, you know, the amazing thing about Wendell is that he was a defenseman. Yeah. His whole life until the Leafs drafted him. In fact, he played in the 85 world junior.

Right. It's, it's actually a great story. So he, he goes to training camp for the world junior and the head coach, I think was Dave King, can't remember who it was, might have been Terry Simpson, whoever it was said to him, you're going to play defense sometimes and you're going to play forward sometimes. And he'd never done it before. So we talked about this one time, we did a round table and

Gary Roberts was there and Rob says, wait a minute, I got cut from that team. So I was cut as a winger because of you and you'd never played, you'd never played the position. That's a great story. So he, Canada played the Czechs. There was no gold medal game back then. It was a straight round Robin.

And Wendell played forward and defense in that game and scored on Dominik Hasek in the third period. The tie gave Canada the gold medal. Wow. So the Leafs, you know, that was his draft year. The Leafs saw that and decided he's going to be our power winger. And Jerry McNamara and his staff drafted him and Wendell became this, you know, one of the top power wingers in his era.

Oh man, I've been, this is going to tie into something I want to talk to you about in a moment, but I've been calling Wendell the great one. Like I'm giving him the title. Man, I love been, uh, this is going to tie into something I want to talk to you about in a moment, but I've been calling, uh, Wendell the great one. Like I'm giving him the title. Man, I love Wendell Clark. In fact, you can't see it's behind this light here. My former neighbor, Wendell and I were neighbors for three years on Madison Avenue in Toronto.

He, he's been on my show a couple of times, but I, I used to be, I did a few recordings at Christie Pitts for Toronto Maple Leafs baseball games last summer. And the opening game, which was Mother's Day 2024, Wendell came by, I remember that. We had Rick Emmett on that show, Wendell Clark. Yeah.

The one and only. Gilmore was here last week. Oh, Dougie was? No. Gil, yeah. I actually asked him, I said, did you ever get, did people ever can know? Because Triumph, Gil, Gilbert Moore.

And I said to him, I said, I said to Gilmore, like has there ever been confusion over the fact that when you say Gilmore, people think Dougie. Like this, cause they think you're saying Gilmore. So you just did exactly what I have actually done in the past as well. But Jerry McNamara, maybe his, the big most important thing he ever did

for the Toronto Bay Beliefs was scouting Borje Salmin. Yes, yeah, scouting Borje. And I think that people don't realize what a leap it was for the Leafs to take him and for him to come over. Because the NHL in those days was a jungle. This is the Broad Street bullies, this is, and there's a culture in hockey then, and even now,

anti-European, they're soft, everything else, Boria was tough. And I used to joke with him all the time, people said Swedes are soft, and he would always say, well, we were Vikings, you know? Like, the Swedes were Vikings, they rode across the open ocean, like they rode from Sweden to Newfoundland

in the open ocean. Like they. I think that's Don Cherry's fault for this misconception that Swedes are soft. I think that's like a Don Cherry myth. Yeah, and I think that it goes into a whole different conversation. But yeah, I mean, the idea of,

the idea that to be a Canadian patriot, you have to hate other countries, is wrong. I'm a Canadian patriot, you have to hate other countries is wrong. I'm a Canadian patriot, but I love Sweden. I love Finland. I love Germany. I love a lot of countries. I like a lot of, but not all of the United States. But you know, I think that Boria blazed the trail. It was such a good player, but was so tough. And he set the template. He kicked the door good player, but was so tough. And, and he, he set the template. He kicked the door open for the Swedes who followed.

Without a doubt. And it's kind of amazing that happened. So yes, Jerry Mack, Jerry McNamara went to Sweden, Inge Hammarström, is that how you say his name? Inge Hammarström. Right. Was scouting him and then he's like, Oh, who's this guy? Right. Right. And the rest is history, but it's amazing. It happened considering how, um, ethnocentric the owner, Harold Ballard was like, Harold Ballard did not like European players. And Ballard made the really unkind comment

about Hammerstrom that if he went into the corner with a, with eggs in his pocket, they wouldn't be broken, which was not fair. Cause Ingo was a very good player. Right. Um, and not the first or last time that Harold Ballard said something stupid, but, um, yeah, I think that it took courage to draft Boria

Salming and, but he was an excellent player. I would argue Boria is one of the three best Leafs of all time. Yeah. Uh, who would you put in that top three with him? I think Dave Keon is, is one of the greatest leaps of all time. Uh, I would say Boria, um, yeah. Red Kelly.

What's it going to take for Austin to make that a top three? Well, he's going to like like he's moving up the list. Check what time it is, right? Yeah, yeah, he's going to, I mean, he's going to become the Leaves All-Time Leading Goal scorer within the next 12 months probably, or 12 to 18 months. I think those guys were not just considered great Leafs, they were among the best players in the game, right?

I think Boria would have won Nora's Trophies of the Top Defenseman, but the voting was so, now Bob, you were always playing for part of that time, but the voting was so North American centric, right? Right. It was really. Huge bias head play there. Yeah.

So do you know that when I was coming of age and discovering NHL hockey and falling in love with the Maple Leafs, Jerry McNamara was the general manager, so he's the first general manager of the Leafs I was coming of age and discovering any chill hockey and falling in love with the maple leaves, Jerry McNamara was the general manager, so he's the first general manager of the leaves. I was ever aware of this is easy for you, gourd Miller, but can you name the man who succeeded Jerry as general manager of the maple leaves? Give me the year

eighty eight. Is it a word? You got it. So this is a great way for me to do a quick game with you. And then we're going to get here. The game is simply word association. So basically I say the name and you'll just give, you know, instant reaction where you can use more than one word. I won't hold you to it, but we're doing only great Canadian gourds. You know, so just to preface this, I was just down in the States in Washington and when I say my name, it's like Cord Ward.

It's such an uncommon name in the United States and it's so common here. Yes, because I was thinking of all the Gordes. I'm named after Gordie Howe. So okay, so Gordie. Okay, so that hold that thought because that's gonna be the first Gordie I throw at you. So Gord Stalick, I'll throw him in the list here Okay But I also find it to be a very Canadian name and well as we go through this list

You'll see the only two non Canadian gores that jump out at me. I watched Sesame Street growing up. There was a Gordon Gordon Yeah, so that's an American Gord and the name of Alf Alien life form Alf is Gordon Shumway. Oh Oh no way. Okay, so he's not American He's an alien is Gordon Ramsay on your list. I forgot about Gordon Ramsay. Come on. Okay, there's three now That's three gourds that aren't Canadian. Okay, so here we are. I'm gonna name the gourd and you're just gonna react to the gourd. Okay Gordy how? Toughest guy that ever played meanest but the meanest guy that I've ever played.

Meanest, the meanest guy that I've ever played. Elbows up. Yeah, he was literally the originator of elbows up. Yeah, and we'll get back to that later too. Gord Downie. Wow, yeah, he was, I knew Gord, he was, he loved the Boston Bruins., he loved the Boston Bruins. Gord loved the Boston Bruins and so he,

I have a friend Bill O'Reilly, whose brother Terry, played for the Bruins. Bill was a lawyer in Toronto and so to say hi to Bill, when we were on camera in Boston, we would always frame it so that Terry's retired number 24 was over my shoulder. We kind of moved it around and when Gord Downey found that out, he just thought that was the greatest thing ever. He would text me like, I just saw the banner.

He, obviously, I mean, look, the music speaks for itself and everything else, but he loved the Bruins. I remember when he got married, I think Bob McKenzie gave him a Boston Bruins sort of cylinder trash can. And his wife was kind of like, she had a real style and taste, there was sort of American Southwest,

everything else, she's like, the trash can doesn't really go with the motifs. He's like, the trash can's staying. He was like, the trash can is part of this. So just to, so Bob McKenzie had a podcast for a while at TSN called The Bobcast, and the theme song was Thugs by the Tragically Hip. Yeah, he was very close to Gord. And again, to bring it to hockey here for a while at TSM called The Bobcast. Yes. And the theme song was thugs by the tragic. Yeah, yeah.

He was very close to Gord. And again, to bring it to hockey here for a moment. Well, Harry Sendon, of course, Gord Downey's godfather. Yes. Which brings in that Bruins lore. But after Gord's passing, we read about how close he was to Joe Thornton. Yeah, and Joe, you know, Joe has a bit of the heart of the poet about him, right?

A bit of a, he's different than a lot of hockey people and I don't know if you saw the stories about you know, Joe going for walks with Gord. And yeah, Joe is one of those guys that I would say took it all in. Joe took it all, like he traveled, and we went to Switzerland to play, he took it all in. He looked around him and saw it. And it's tragic that a lot of guys who spend a lot of time on the road don't take the time to take it in,

to see all the things that, I remember being in Washington one time, I won't say the team, but it was during the playoffs, I was staying in the same hotel as they were, and it was an off day, and so I was going down to see the Smithsonian. And like, where are you going? I said, oh, I'm going to, you know, Smithsonian. They're like, what are you doing?

We're going to the movies. I'm like, you're not anywhere. So a couple of the guys came with me, I took them to the Air and Space Museum, and they were like, oh my you doing? We're going to the movies. I'm like, do that anywhere. So a couple of the guys came with me. I took them to the Air and Space Museum, and they were like, oh my God, this is unbelievable. Like, how many times have you been to Washington? Right, like how many? But Joe, I think, does have that bigger picture,

which I've always appreciated. Jumbo Joe, not a Gord, but Gord Downey related here. Okay, Gordon Lightfoot. The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald is one of the greatest songs I've ever heard. It is, the Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald is a phenomenal piece of songwriting. It's just, it's poetry at its absolute finest.

It gets, it's evocative, it has, I mean it just, everything about it, you can just, that's a song you can feel. And. I agree 100%. And Sundown, which is about the woman who ultimately killed John Belushi. Right, right, right. Yes, I did read about this.

Yeah, that's about her, yeah. But yeah, I mean, but that's. And she recently passed, actually. Yeah, that's true poetry, yeah. The Wreck of the Unmanned Fitzgerald kind of keeps coming at you like waves, I mean, but that's and she recently passed. Yeah, that's true poetry. Yeah The wreck of the end men Fitzgerald kind of keeps coming at you like waves I find like I love it too, but it reminds me of a song that came many years later by the aforementioned Gore Downey, it reminds me a little bit of nautical disaster. Yeah, I can that it just comes out You like there's no like verse chorus verse or whatever. Yeah, sort of rumples through but Okay, I got to shout out Rob Pruse,

who's watching us on the live stream, live.torontomike.com, because he co-wrote Romantic Traffic with this gentleman, lead singer and founder of Spoons, Gord Depp. Yes, Romantic Traffic was a, I want to say, what's that year, like 80? Oh, he's on the live stream, tell it, 85 maybe? Is it that, like 80? Oh, Ike's on the live stream. Tell it, 85 maybe?

Is it that, like 85? I like that song. Yeah, the video's great too. Yeah. I should play it. I was playing in the pregame. Okay, so again, shout out to Rob Pruse, who I'm going to see Wednesday.

The listenership should know at 10-ish in the morning on Wednesday, we'll have toast with Rob Pruse and Bob Ouellette who is single-handedly saving Terrestrial Radio. I'm just reading the notes he sent me. Okay. Gordy Johnson from Big Sugar. Not as familiar as I should be. I know Big Sugar, but I should know more about them. Okay. Well, you'll come back. Next time you come by, I'll ask you about Gordy Johnson. Okay. Okay. Gord Stehlik.

Yeah. Great guy. And I think the great thing about Gord Steh. Okay, Gord Stelick. Yeah, great guy. And I think the great thing about Gord Stelick is, look, the court and all for a court of trade, haunts him and everything else, but you know what, he jokes about it. He's very self-deprecating. And I think that's a, there's lots of guys who've had those jobs that aren't. He had a very difficult job working for Harold Ballard.

He didn't have autonomy. Like every time he takes flack for that deal, we talk about it quite a bit, but it's not fair when you don't have autonomy if somebody is pulling the marionette strings. He's had a great career post you know Leafs and he's I think that Gord and his brother Bob Steilich maybe have a better handle on what Leaf fans think and Leaf fans feel than almost anyone in the city. And the two great storytellers as well.

They really are, yeah. Just let them go. Yeah, exactly. And if you want Harold Ballard stories, those are my first two stops, actually. Okay, we're almost at a few more here and then we're gonna move on, but Gordon Pinsent, the great actor.

Oh, terrific actor. What's the movie, Away From Her? Yes. Is that the movie, Away From Her? Yes. Right. Is that the movie? Away From Her? That's excellent. A movie about Alzheimer's, right?

About dementia. It's incredible. He had the incredible, you're probably, do you remember the Forest Rangers on CBC? He was the Mountie. I don't, you know what? I remember Beachcombers. Is it pre-Beachcombers?

It's pre-Beachcombers. I don't remember it. The most stilted dialogue ever, but he was the RCMP, it was the most can-con show ever done. I remember the Littlest Hobo. Yeah, but he was, but away from her, I think, is that a Sarah Pauli? I'm not trying to make that up, but whoever, it's a-

I think so. It's an amazing film. It's a simple, amazing movie about memory and loss. It's really good. I agree. What year did you move to Toronto? 1990. Okay, so I can hit you with this one.

Gord Martino. Oh yeah. I've had more people in grocery, hey Gord Martino. Oh no. That's a compliment because he's a very handsome man. Yeah, that he is. I ran into him actually at a grocery store not long ago. I ran into him at Summer Hill Market not long ago.

And we were having a good laugh and he's got great stories about, you know, and who was it, Daily? Who was the- Mark Daily. Mark Daily, yeah. Well, hey, just hold that thought because they do have this loaded up. The following program contains adult themes, nudity in coarse language, viewer and parental discretion is advised.

He used to always have the promo, right? Where he'd promo the late movie and make a comment about it. themes nudity and coarse language viewer and parental discretion is advised. You used to always have the promo, right? Where you promo the late movie and make a comment about it. It's always like some sarcastic comment. Um, like put the kids to bed. This one's got some nudity in it. Um, but those days, I mean, it's funny how. You know, news anchors played such an outsized role in our lives, right? Because there was only a few stations and they were like the trusted, right?

And now there's so many sources and there's so many newscasts, it's not the same, but yeah. Yeah, shout out to Gord Marno. And last but not least, and there's two gentlemen of this name, there's two Gords in the Tragically Hip, that's how Canadians are tragically hip, but Gord Sinclair. Well, there's two Gords Sinclairs. Right, there's the, yes. So I was thinking. The cranky, the cranky old guy on Front Page Challenge. So do them both. So Gordon Sinclair, for those who don't remember, Front Page Challenge used to run on Saturday nights.

I think it ran before the hockey game in the Eastern time zone. It ran after the hockey game in the Western time zone. So in Alberta, we got Front Page Challenge after the game. And I remember walking, so my hockey game in the Western time zone. So in Alberta, we got front page challenge after the game. And I remember walking, so my hometown, Sundry, Alberta, I remember walking into the bar and there was a baseball game going on. There was a baseball playoff game going on, but

they had front page challenge on and I figured well, they just left the TV on after the hockey game. So I had to change it. They're like, we're watching that. And Gordon Sinclair always asked how how much money, he always asked people how much money they made. He was obsessed with how much people made,

how much they had. And as for Gordon Sinclair of the more recent vintage, I think that one of the parts of the hip that's not fully realized is the great musicianship of everyone in that band. Like obviously Gord Downey's lyrics and his expression of them is so unique, right? His phrasing, his everything, but that band is so tight. Like that band is so good. You had me at hello.

Did you watch the prime documentary series? Yes. What'd you think of it? Liked it. I liked the, I liked the, I liked the, I liked the, I liked the, I liked the, Did you watch the Prime documentary series? Yes. What did you think of it? Liked it. I liked the original film that, I think it was Nick DePonsay did, on the hip, on the tour.

Oh, Long Time Running. Long Time Running, yeah. Which I thought that to me was most evocative of them. Yeah, which I thought, I thought that was, that to me was most evocative of them. All right. I have a definitive answer for you on romantic traffic. It is a 1984 release. So I'm, I'm 19 when that comes out. That's prime time.

Like I mean those songs you fell in love with at 19. They're with you forever. So, and that video is a rare opportunity to see the, the red rocket, uh, the, the old red subway, all the old red subway. Yeah. So it's a pretty cool thing. All right. So we're going to go back to the city of my wife's birth. Okay. My wife is from Alberta. Uh, she's from Edmonton. Okay. I would like to talk about, uh, the man who only needs two goals to catch Ovechkin for the record

for most NHL goals in a career. You see what I did there? Yes, I see that. You think he's coming back? You know, you never know anymore, right? How old was Gordie Howe when he hung up the skates as a professional hockey player in his fifties, right? Yeah.

Early fifties. Now, theoretically he played, he played one game in his sixties because he played seven decades. I think he was 52 or 53 when he retired. Yeah. So, I mean, Gretzky's way older than that, but okay. So I kid, but could you share, like, come take us back. I know we talked a little bit about this

when you were first here, but I'd like to dive in a little deeper and talk about, you know, you covering Wayne Gretzky when he was an oiler and when you were, you were a radio reporter, uh, like take me way back to Edmonton. Okay. So, and Wayne Gretzky. So this is 1983. I've started working at CBC Edmonton on the TV side.

I'm doing highlight packages. So in those days, CBC Edmonton had three satellite dishes and most stations didn't have one. So Edmonton did highlight packages for all the other stations. So when you watched, you know, CBLT in Toronto, you know, Don Martin, Vic Router, those guys, they were getting their highlights from us. So I'd come in at 10 o'clock in the morning,

Alberta time, and I'd do these highlight packages. So one night, it was a Sunday, it was a Sunday, I was going to be finished at like five o'clock and they said, the radio guy is sick, can you go down to the oiler game and do post game interviews? And then you come back and you clip them together and you feed them down the network so they have them in the morning.

Okay. So I go down with my little tape recorder, my microphone, and I go down and Gretzky has like four or five points, whatever. And I go to the dressing room and he talks. Typical day. You know, stick my microphone and he talks. And I come out, I've not taken the pause button off.

So I have nothing. So now I can't go back with nothing. I've just started, I can't go back with nothing. So I go back in, Wayne's getting undressed. I'm like, hi, Wayne, I'm from CBC. Well, I work in TV, but I'm right, and I'm just, go ahead. They just, let's get on with it.

So I make sure the pause button's off and I look up and I realize that 18 year old me is talking to Wayne Gretzky. So in that moment, I summoned all the journalistic chops I had accumulated my months in the business and said to him, good game. And to this day, to this day, he brings that up. And so he was very gracious.

He gave me a great answer. I walked out, made sure I had it, went back to the office, clipped it, sent it down the line and I'd done my, I'd done my job. But, um, yeah. And then of course, you know, he, I start working full time, you know, the orders, win all the cups. He gets traded. And I think we've talked about the Gretzky trade story.

Well, we're going to do it again, uh, because we're going to spend some time on the number 99 here. So he, the word came out in the, in the summer of 88, he was going to be traded and actually, uh, Chris Cuthbert and I worked together at CBC Edmonton and we reported first that the owners were considering trading Wayne Gretzky.

Brian Burke, who was with Vancouver at the time, had given me the tip on it. And Bob McKenzie has always said, you guys must have been really big deals. You broke that story and nobody noticed. That's true. So I flew down to LA August the 5th, and Keith Olbermann was working in TV in LA at the time.

And we did a lot of stuff with Keith, trading video and everything else, and the others had played LA a lot in the playoffs, so I knew Keith. And so I'm down in LA, and I'm going to, I'm going to like Dodger games or hanging out, and finally my boss is like, this thing's not gonna happen, you gotta come home.

But on August the 9th, I guess it is, it happened. The problem was, we had correctly guessed the hotel. We guessed the Sheraton gateway hotel, which was then called the Sheraton Lorena in LA, but my visa card had like a $1,500 limit. I'm 20, this is August of 88, so I'm 23. Right. And so Wayne rolls in with his agent, Mike Barnett and the hotel is telling me that I have to leave my

room, like I have to vacate the hotel. Right. Because I'm over leave my room. Like I have to vacate the hotel. Right. Then over my visa limit. And Wayne's like, what's going on? I'm like, no, it's fine.

And the guy's, sir, do you have a method of payment? I'm like, yeah, they're gonna kick me out. So Wayne reaches into his pocket, pulls up 500 bucks, said, will this cover it? And I said, yeah. Can I swear on the show? Yep. He says, you're a shit show.

And so, and so the next day, Wayne granted me an exclusive interview. Did I swear on the show? Yep. He says, you're a shit show. And so the next day, Wayne granted me an exclusive interview where he was staying, but first I'd get my company to Western Union, this is how long ago it was, send me, cable me, wire me money by Western Union to pay him back. But here's the funny, there's two funny bits to this. This amazing story. So rewind. So Bruce McNall owns the Kings.

He calls Gretzky on August the 8th and says, he calls the house that he's staying at. He's just been married, he and Janet just got married a few weeks earlier. Calls out the kid answers, like 11 year old kid answers. And he says, I need to speak to Wayne Gretzky please. And the kid says, I don't think I'm supposed to say he's here. And McN kid says, I don't think I'm supposed to say he's here.

And McNall says, you just did. Put him on the phone. So he brings Wayne to the phone, he tells him the deal's going down. The kid was Robin Thicke. Alan Thicke's son. He was staying at Alan Thicke's guest house. So the other part of it is, the following year,

the following summer, I go to LA to do a story on Gretzky's first year with the Kings. And I go to LA, I brought my girlfriend at the time down for the weekend, interview Wayne and Janet and all this stuff and interview Bruce McNall. And so I finished the interview with McNall and he says, what are you doing? I said, I'm gonna stay for the weekend.

I brought my girlfriend and my wife says, oh, I got a movie premiering on Saturday. Do you wanna go? I'm like, sure. So I said to my girlfriend, you wanna go to a Hollywood premiere? on Saturday, do you want to go? I'm like, sure. So I said to my girlfriend, you want to go to a Hollywood premiere? She's like, yeah. So we go and it's this comedy.

And halfway through she's like, can we leave? Like this is terrible. Like this movie is not funny at all. Like I don't think you can leave a premiere. I think you're not allowed to leave the premiere. So the thing finishes, there's like a cocktail reception in the lobby, walk out and say, hey Bruce, thanks for inviting us, good luck with the movie.

We're walking like, good luck with that thing. So like three weeks later, we're watching entertainment tonight, we're back home. It's like, and for the third consecutive week, the number one movie at the box office is Weekend at Bernie's. And we're like, you've got to be kidding me. I can put a tag on that story, which is the director of Weekend at Bernie's

passed away last week. Yeah. Toronto guy. Yeah, just passed away. So yeah, so McNaul invited me to this Hollywood premiere, which I thought was terrible. And, but yeah, so that whole thing with Wayne was, and you know, it involves Obermann, like it's got so many layers to it.

That's a documentary series unto itself. Well, it actually is called, there's a, so Peter Berg, the director did a thing called King's Ransom. Right. Well, it actually is called, so Peter Berg, the director did a thing called King's Ransom. Right, yeah, for 30 for 30. Which runs like 8,000 times and there's a clip of me in it. So Berg called me to get some background and then had me sign a waiver. I said, well, the problem is, and this is true, CBC's video library burned down.

Oh. So I have no, like the sort of offsite storage that plays these burned down. So I have no video really of my career there. And so he said, well, if we find something, we release it. I'm like, sure. So I signed the waiver.

You'll never find anything. He did. And it's in the documentary. And I look like I'm 10 years old. So, and the thing runs like 8,000 times a year. And so I get texts from guys all the time. But I remember Anjay Kopitar, the king saw it. He goes, how old were you, dude?

So, yeah, so there was a documentary about it. It's been, you know, it's hard to explain to people now how earth shattering that trade was and what I mean, it was brought up in parliament. It was, it was such a big deal. Right? So, so Gore, when you first reported it, you know, Bob McKenzie has that great line. Whenever, like did people just say, no way can this be true?

Like this, Glenn Sather called us and said, you will not be allowed to back in our building. Like we're, we're banning you from our building. And then Ber he confirmed it. And actually before I came home, Keith Obermann knew the controller or the CFO from McNall's company. And he, the guy told him this is happening. Wow. So that's when we decided to stay.

Right. And, uh, and Obermann had just started a new station and he was like, and Keith, Keith is a loud rock, right? Like Keith is a loud guy and I love him, but he was like, and Keith, Keith is a loud rock, right? Like Keith is a loud guy and I love him. But he's like, you know, we told you guys this thing was going to happen. And you wouldn't listen to them. I just need some editing time.

I don't need to, I'm not, I don't want to fight with you guys. I don't want to, I'm not trying to make a point here. I just want to get the story on the air. And, um, yeah, it was, uh, it was a wild, wild time. Like it was. Well, the whole thing has twists and turns and it's wild, but just Gretzky bailing you out or whatever when you can't keep your hotel room because your visa's maxed out. It's all incredible.

So when was the last time you talked with Wayne Gretzky? We talk regularly. Okay. We're veering into uncomfortable territory here, I suspect. You know, you can always tap out, you know, there's, you know, this, I'm not going to rough you up, but I'm not going to treat like a hostile witness, but do you have any thoughts on, uh, let's face it, the, the heel turn, uh, Wayne Gretzky in this country. I mean, the guy was, the guy was beloved by everyone in this country.

And today I suspect that he made an appearance in Canada. He'd be heavily booed. So, my thinking on it is that he has the right to be friends with whoever he wants to be friends with. I would say he has not said anything publicly either way. And for some people that's a problem. Some people think he should say something. He's been silent on this subject.

Now he did talk the other day to Ben Mulroney on his show and just said that he doesn't, he's not political, he doesn't have that kind of relationship with Trump, he doesn't have the relationship with Carney or Trudeau, he's not a political person. But the fact that he went to the inauguration, right, and is friendly with Trump is enough to make a lot of people angry.

So I would say this. He has the right to be friends with whoever he wants to be friends with, to hang out with whoever he wants to be hanging out with. He has that right. Of course. But by doing that, he has to understand that that will anger a lot of people when the country's under attack and that his silence will be seen by some people as being complicit to that.

So it's not a complicated thing. and that his silence will be seen by some people as being complicit to that. So it's not a cop out to say he's got the right to do what he wants and people have the right to have their opinion about it. I think the whole thing is unfortunate. I think part of what happened was the four nations. So they were always coming

out the same entrance. They weren't going to be two entrances. There was always going to be one entrance. He came out, didn't know a rousy Odin was going to wear a sweater. He waved at Brady and Matthew Kuchak, who he's known since they were kids. He would coach their dad.

Um, but the optics of it weren't great. And so I understand people's frustration. Look, Canadians blood is up, right? Our blood's up. We are, we are under attack for the first time by our closest neighbor and the most powerful nation on earth. And so that's going to have people angry and upset. And I think it would be naive to think that if you're going to pal around with

him, that there's not going to be some blowback. Okay. Well said. And again, I know you're in an uncomfortable position. You're friendly with Wayne and I wish I were friends of Wayne Gretzky. OK, I had slept on his sheets, but I would say we're not like in this hypothetical scenario where he appears in Canada and get the boot. I've invented this scenario because he hasn't.

I don't think he's had a Canadian appearance in a while. But it's not because he was at Mar-a-Lago on election night. And it's not because he was photographed wearing a mega hat. I think it's 100% because Donald Trump has consistently threatened to annex our sovereign nation and make us the 51st state. One time on Truth Social, Wayne Gretzky even, sorry, Donald Trump used the name Wayne Gretzky even I'm sorry Donald Trump used the name Wayne

Gretzky and said he'd be a great governor of a 51st state so Donald his buddy is drawn him into this by you know saying he'd be a great governor I had Charlie Angus on the program I won't play the clip because I played enough on Toronto Mike but you can find it it was on this hour is 22 minutes they didn't give me any credit for it though but but it's from here and it's essentially Charlie Angus talking about how Gretzky needs to make a statement He just has to say something that he doesn't agree with Canada giving up any sovereignty in that he he wants Canada to remain independent and free all the booing is because

his silence on this 51st state bullshit is Speaking volumes it sounds complicit, right? 51st state bullshit is speaking volumes. It sounds complicit. Right. I don't, it's not, I remember when he stumped for Stephen Harper and I remember thinking, oh, Kresge is a conservative.

I didn't regret sleeping on his sheets as a kid because he votes conservative. Like I don't think it's because he's buds with Trump or golfs with Trump or goes to Mar-a-Lago or even got, you know, a photograph taken wearing a mega hat. Although I don't like any of that, but that's not why we're going to boo him.

It's a hundred percent because he hasn't said boo about the fact of Trump is threatening to annex this country and wants to devastate this country financially and said as much. He's going to use a economic weaponry, if you will, to, to bring us to our knees. So we basically were so desolute here. We are begging to become a part of the United States. Yeah, and that's fair. And I guess he has the right not to speak,

and his position all along has been that he has not said anything. So he is maintaining his silence, and I'm not talking on political subjects. That's his, you know, Bobby Orr endorsed Trump in 2020. Of course. And took the heat, the blowback for that. Gretzky's argument is that he has not endorsed anyone

and is not, that's a difficult position to take. That's a difficult, you know, sort of ground to stand on when the country's under attack. Right. So again, we'll, we'll move on from this, except I do wish he had, uh, it was in his heart to issue some kind of statement. And I heard the Ben Mulroney thing. Ben must be good friends of Wayne because he didn't ask any of these specific questions I would ask.

Like if Wayne's in my basement, I'm going to ask him if he'd like Canada to become a 51st state. Like there'll be specific questions about does he agree with Trump's assertion that Canada should join the United States? Like I would ask him straight out, like respectfully. I would wanna know if Gretzky wants Canada to remain sovereign nation or does he think

he needs to be a part of the state? Do you think it's possible that like a lot of people, I think, look, I find what Trump says offensive about Canada, deeply offensive, but there are a lot of people that just say, ah, I find what Trump says offensive about Canada, deeply offensive. But there are a lot of people that just say, ah, he doesn't mean it. It's never going to happen. It's not serious. It's just him, you know, Greenland, all this stuff is never going to happen.

It's just him being, you know, him. I don't know. I mean. Okay. But what does Gordon Miller think? So forget Wayne for a second, because you can't speak for Wayne, of course. A lot of people have spoken for him, except for him, like Doug Ford, his wife, you know, Trump.

But that's also weird, right? Like, why are you all telling us what Wayne thinks? Does Wayne not have the ability to speak to us directly? He doesn't, by the way, and I'm at the point now, and again, you're talking to a guy who, although a Leaf fan, our Leaf teams were so terrible, I adopted the Oilers as a team that could actually win a Stanley Cup and they did four times of Gretzky.

And I had the Wayne Gretzky sheet set and I loved the 80s. You made that point, you made that point. I know, I want to point out, I loved the 80s Oilers. So I feel personally hurt. Cause I feel like it's possible that the reason he's silent is because he doesn't support Canada as a sovereign country. You say so, but you speak for him. Doug Ford speaks for him.

Trump speaks for him. What he said the other day to Ben Mollery was, his wife's American, his kids are American. He tells them, I hope you're as proud of being American as I am of being Canadian. Okay, let's hear from Wayne, okay? Maybe next time you're texting, hey, do you wanna chat me up about this from Wayne. Okay, maybe next time you're texting. Hey, do you want to chat me up about?

About this I'll get right on this. Okay, okay And it's interesting, you know, you talk about you know Gretzky being sold if you are traded to the the Los Angeles Kings But that seems to be the playoff matchup again this year It looks like it's gonna be oilers and kids right like that's that and I know it was last year But my wife always jumps on her oilers bandwagon at playoff matchup again this year. It looks like it's gonna be Oilers and Kings, right? Like that's that, and I know it was last year, but my wife always jumps on her Oilers bandwagon at playoff time. We got all the way to game seven last year.

You were gonna ask me a question before though. I had to interrupt you. What was I gonna ask? You were gonna ask my opinion about something. Oh yeah, okay. What, yes, thank you. You wanna be my cohost? You got me all flustered on the Gretzky talk there.

Okay, so what do you think about Trump's threats? Do you think he's just, you know, shooting off at the hip? Or do you think there's, like, for example, I personally don't trust him not to use some sort of military force at some point if he wants this country. I would say this. I think the biggest mistake people make with Trump is thinking there's some sort of grand plan or there's some sort of strategy at place. There's no great, there's no 3D chess being played here. There's no great strategy. There's no great planning.

You're dealing with someone who makes things up as they go along, doesn't have a real understanding of things and that's what it leads to. So that's kind of where I, I mean, I don't take a lot of, I mean, look, what he does is serious, it shouldn't, I mean, but. I mean, he's signing a lot of executive orders that are causing real people, real pain. A hundred percent.

Like most children don't get that power. Well, that's the people around him too, are using him as a vessel. But yeah, I think that, look, I think, I don't take the threat seriously. The 51st state is never gonna happen. It's seriously never going to happen. So it's insulting. I find it more insulting when people think it's funny.

Like when people walk up to me in the states and go, hey, what's going on with the 51st state? I'm like, it's not funny. It's not funny. No. It's not funny. And these tariffs are very real and there are real people in this country losing their job because of uncertainty and, uh, in doubt. And I'm,

I hope you're right. Of course. But I've had chats with people like Ed Keenan who covered Trump for the Toronto star. He lived there with his family covering, he was at the Jan six insurrection, not as a participant. He reminds me as a journalist or whatever. And he, he's not as certain as you are that there's no plan at some point to use the military because this may be a child and I agree with you. This is a child, maybe he doesn't have a plan

but he absolutely is the commander in chief of the world's largest military. And I don't trust him as far as I can throw him. Yeah, I think it's, that's a fair statement. I can throw him. Yeah, I think that's a fair statement. I just don't think that, I think there's a point where the people around him say, okay, that's enough. No general is going to put into place the order to invade Canada.

Promise? Promise. I'm gonna make you sign an executive order. That's the case. Yeah, not sure what my executive orders are worth. Well, we'll see, our selfie by the tree. We'll have to do for now. Shout out to Damien Cox.

Okay. So what do you think of this world? We live in 20, 25. I don't want to make this heavy cause I'm going to get back to hockey in a moment here, but, uh, you know, you're a, you know, politically outspoken gentlemen and we'll get to that later. But did you think 20, 2025 would look like this?

I find it rather anxiety inducing. No, I didn't. No, I didn't. I thought it was, uh, you know, I think it's a very difficult time for a lot of people. And I think that it's, uh, the uncertainty is very difficult. You know, it's one thing to, to face, you know, policies or people that you oppose,

you can understand, but this just changes every day. It's like you wake up every morning, is it on, is it off? Are we getting tariffed, are we not? What's happening here? That uncertainty has to be very difficult. I find it interesting that you say I'm a political person because I'm actually not. I am, I have political views that I've not expressed, but one of the big criticisms I get,

not, not, shouldn't put it that way, but when people are critical of me, they'll say, I don't like his politics. I've never expressed a political opinion on there. I've never said vote for this candidate. I support this party. People think I'm a liberal. My friends in Alberta would find that amusing. I have never, the only things I've talked about in the air are inclusion, tolerance, equity.

Those aren't political beliefs. Right. Lots of Republicans believe in that in the states. I mean, the case for gay marriage before the US Supreme court was argued by Ted Olson, one of the most conservative lawyers in America. He said, it's a simple matter of fairness and justice.

That's what this is. So I've never said, I think taxes should be higher, lower. I think this should, I've never said that. Um, I have, I have political opinions. I have great political debates with friends, but it is funny that I get, I get put in this sort of, you know, I took on bar stool sports. So you're, you're a, you know, you're a liberal. My, my views, I've never barstool sports, so you're, you're a, you know, you're a

liberal. My, my views, I've never expressed my views in public. Right. I can, you can be a conservative and not like Trump. Right. Right.

I mean, that's, that is possible. I hear exactly what you're saying. So, uh, you're right. Maybe, why did I conflate, you know, political ideology with what you are outspoken about, which is not political at all. It's about human rights, essentially. Yeah, like.

Fairness. Yeah. Fairness is not a political position. No, I know. And saying to people who are in, you know, a minority or who are in an identifiable group that are, you know, that are not treated well to say, you're welcome here.

Like being in favor of pride nights is not a political position. That's just saying to someone, welcome here. You are welcome here and we don't judge you here and we want you to feel comfortable here. That's not a political position at all. I agree. I agree.

So because you brought up the bar stool thing, I'll just read. Why did I do that? You did, you introduced that, you opened that door. I'm just going to read because you brought up the bar stool thing, I'll just read. Why did I do that? You introduced that, you opened that door. I'm just gonna read what you wrote at the time. You're now deleted, I'm gonna ask you about Twitter too, because your account's been deleted.

And I'm gonna ask you. I deleted it, so it wasn't done for me, I deleted it. Right, you deleted it. And I don't post on Twitter myself, but I didn't actually delete the account, I just stopped posting there. So what I do is I go back on every three months and restart it so someone can't take my account name

and post as me. Okay, I don't trust myself to remember to do that. So I just left it dormant, it's collecting dust as we speak, okay. But I don't even go on there anymore, but we'll get to that in a moment. So this is Gord tweeting, my problem with Barstool is the history

of unapologetic misogyny, racism, xenophobia, and the repeated condoning of non-consensual sex. If not wanting to associate with that makes me part of, quote, cancel culture, or constitutes, quote, virtue signaling, or being, quote, woke. I'm okay with that. I don't want to speak to those thoughts. I agree with you. I want to hear how you dealt with the blowback and what kind of blowback you received. I remember at that time feeling for you that you were being attacked from a certain segment of the populace that felt you were being, you already put them in quotes, but virtual sig, virtue virtue sig, I can't even say that word. Right.

And woke. Yeah. I think that, uh, look, I was asked in a Q and a if I would go on the spit and chickless podcast and I liked the guys that spit and chicklets. I know those guys. I liked them. I think they're funny. But my point was not about their podcast.

It was who platformed it. And that's on barstool. And I have a problem with barstool. I, so that's fair. I mean, if you're, you know, now they sick the barstool bros on you and all that stuff, but it's fine. I don't care. It doesn't affect me. I did get an actionable death threat.

Like the police acted on a death threat from the United States and, and like I saw the body cam video of the guy being, you know, arrested and all that stuff. That's serious. Yeah. I think that's, that's unnerving. We live in a very polarized time and we live in a

time where having an opinion is, an opposing opinion is not, it's no longer okay, let's talk it out. It's like, I'm right, you're an idiot. Right? And especially in that segment of the population, this sort of aggrieved guy thing where it's like, the hyper, whatever we call it, the hyper masculine guy is like, any disagreement is you're soft or whatever else.

That's toxic masculinity. Whatever you want to call it. So it's fine. I mean, I respect those people have the right to do what they want. I don't want to be part of it. So the overwhelming response I got was positive. Good. You know, the overwhelming. So I used to have two people that monitored

my Twitter account for me. And one of them said, you couldn't give us a heads up, you're going to save it. Cause it got like 10 million views or something. It's got a crazy number of views and, and I don't regret it at all. You know, I think it needed to be said. and, and I don't regret it at all. You know, I think it needed to be said.

And, and one of the most gratifying things I got from it was the number of female colleagues and, and, you know, others who said, thank you. Right. Like why doesn't someone else say something? Why doesn't someone else speak up? I know I went to see it yesterday. That's when I discovered, oh, Gord Miller deleted this account,

but you can still see all the replies. And I think Kate Burnett's was the first reply I saw, actually, it was like a thank you. Yeah, and I think that's gratifying. I mean, look, I'm very fortunate that I have a public profile and I have a platform. And yeah, I'm going to use it to raise money for Ukraine and to promote, you know,

charitable causes I believe in and to promote equity and inclusion and fairness. Those aren't political positions. Like I don't see supporting Ukraine as being political. No. That's humanitarian. That's not a, you know, when I went there, it's

not a, I'm not taking sides. Well, I guess I am, but it's, it That's not a, you know, when I went there, it's not a, I'm not taking sides. Well, I guess I am, but it's, I mean, you support Russia, that's not a side. Like. No, no, it's wild actually. Just earlier today, there's another quote from the president of the United States about how Ukraine is responsible for this war.

And it's what you've mentioned earlier, he's a child, but it's one of those head scratchers like, just like how can the victim, the oppressed be the, the invaded be the cause of the war? But we live, but we live now in a world where truth is under attack, right? More than ever, right? So on social media, you know, there are people

that honestly believe that vaccinating their children puts them in danger. Like they, despite the science, despite the evidence, despite, you know, generations of evidence that think that vaccinating their kids is a bad idea. So all of a sudden we have measles outbreaks, right? Right. So it's very hard to, to sit there sometimes and look at the misinformation, disinformation that's out there and, out there and not be sad about it.

Now I'm going to quote you again, Gordon. Don't worry, this gets lighter and happier in a moment here. Okay. I'm Gordon Miller, everybody. I won't do an impression. I'll just read it. I recently stepped away quietly from Twitter slash X in parentheses. I didn't say anything at the time.

This isn't the airport. Departures don't need to be announced. My reasons were the toxicity of the owner and the unchecked hate slash misinformation on the site. Now I need to speak out. This week, as an NHL player and his family were the subject of disgusting and baseless social media rumors. The administrators of this site did nothing. The posts are still up. Confirming my decision. I'll be posting exclusively on threads slash blue sky for the foreseeable future." So this was a tweet, I guess, before you deleted the account completely. And I won't even name the names, but we all know this rumor that was spread far and wide on

social media. And I'm wondering, so what are your social media rules for yourself? Like I notice you're not exactly, you're not that active on Blue Sky. No, I'm not active on social media much at all actually. I'm really, that's a conscious decision. I'm actually really enjoying it. So the funny thing about it is you get into a free

speech argument, right? Like, well, you're against free speech. Freedom of speech doesn't mean the freedom to say anything. You can't slander people, you can't libel them, you can't disclose private information with permission, you can't disclose company secrets, you can't disclose government secrets. You can't deny the Holocaust, you can't yell fire in a crowded theater. In Canada you can't, but in the United States you can, the Holocaust. There's different rules.

But the point is, there are limits to free speech and free speech isn't free of consequences. If you want to go to, if you want to be the head of the Toronto Flat Earth Society and you legitimately think that the earth is flat and you want to go out and keep saying that, that's fine. But if you work for a law firm, they might decide, you know what, this public position you're taking is

affecting our business and they might let you go. That's this public position you're taking is affecting our business and they might let you go. That's a decision you have to take if you believe that your views are that important to make. That's something you have to decide to do. So my point was about that issue with the NHL player, but a lot of other things is that the amount of vitriol and hate that was being spread on that site unchecked,

which is something I didn't want to be part of. I didn't want to be part of it anymore, so I'm not. And I feel miles better for doing it. And now over the course of time, I'm using social media less. I just don't, I don't find I need it. I just don't, I don't get up in the morning and doom scroll. I read the papers. I have lots of sources of information. I just don't feel like I need social media to be part of it.

And I feel way better for it. Now, people that like it, great, good for you. But I think the free speech argument has been perverted that lying should go unchecked. But I think the free speech argument has been perverted that lying should go unchecked. That's not free speech. Willingly spreading falsehoods about individuals or anyone else is wrong.

And so that's kind of why I pulled off Twitter. And you know. And you no regrets. You're happier being on other social media platforms. I'm actually not. I'm I can tell because you owe me an email. I think it was, uh, earlier today, like, are we still on for two o'clock? And then I was like, oh, he's, he's really checked out of blue sky

because I've been tagging them all week. Oh yeah. I, I have not, I haven't, I probably haven't checked the social media accounts since like last Thursday or Friday or something. I don't like, I get my news from all kinds of like, I'm, I think I'm a well-informed person. I don't need social media to do it. Right.

All right. We're going to take a breather here. We got heavy there, Gord, and it's all stuff I was curious about since your last visit, but I want to give you some more gifts if that's okay. Sure. Gord Miller, I I want to give you some more gifts if that's okay. Sure. Gord Miller, I'm pleased to give you a wireless speaker from Minaris. Oh, nice. It's a great sound too. I need one of these.

I mentioned Ed Keenan the other day, but at his 50th birthday party, he was blasting the beats with his Minaris wireless speaker. So why did I just give you that? Minaris doesn't sell speakers. Okay. So what the heck am I doing here? Because you're going to subscribe and listen to Yes We Are Open, which is an award winning podcast from Minaris hosted by Al Grego. This week, Al Grego went to, he sat down with Ashley Donald, the owner of Basket Cases, a prominent gift basket store in Regina, Saskatchewan. So Al got on a plane, went to Regina, sat down with Ashley, and she shared in her inspiring journey of buying and

running the business, discussing her origins, struggles, and future outlook. So you can discover how she transformed from a dedicated customer to the chief basket case herself, navigating the challenges of pandemic inflation and marketing while also maintaining a strong community spirit. I bet you you've got some memories of Regina, Saskatchewan. I do. You want to share any with me? I've been doing this since all April. I've been talking about this trip to Regina that Al took and I've had all these like, you know, rock stars, you know, like, uh, uh, like Gilmore, not Doug Gilmore, but at least, you know, we've been talking about Regina. Any good memories of Regina, DeSher?

So I, John Candy, the late John Candy, when he owned the Argos, we were standing on the sidelines together and a rainstorm out of nowhere came up and just drenched us. And someone said, hey guys, turn around. And they took a picture of us and my hair is like standing, it looks like a loaf

of bread has risen or something. And John is soaked. And that's the only picture I have with John. Oh, well we talked about Bruce McNall earlier, so it makes sense you'd be there for that era. And Wayne Gretzky of course, it all comes together here, Gord. Did you know there's a book coming out on John Candy

that was written by Paul Myers, Mike Myers' brother? No, I did not know that. John was honestly, and literally a larger than life person. Like when he entered a room, it was unbelievable. It just, he, one night we're at the Palomino Club in Winnipeg at the gray cup. And it's like Friday night and he, he says the manager like set up the house, buy the house

around and the manager is like, sir, there's 600 people here. He said, well, you better hurry. I've heard nothing but great things about you. He was a wonderful guy. John Candy. Uh, geez, gone far, far too soon.

And just yesterday I was watching the first episode of this new season of Last of Us. Do you watch any current TV? I do, I watch a lot of it, yeah. Now I should say I'm behind on Severance. But- You love Severance, right? I do.

Is there something wrong with me that I fell asleep during the first episode of the second season? I haven't seen the second season yet. I'm still on season one. So. But I found until the finale, I found season one sleepy. No. I guess me, right?

It's a mic thing. I find it, I mean, the John Turturro, Christopher Walken arc is like, whoa. That is. No, it might be a Mike thing. No, I, and it's succession is, you know, I might rewatch succession. It was so good.

Oh yeah. Well, so, okay. So Severance is the one I fell asleep. Yes. But, but yeah, succession I watched and enjoyed. Yeah. It was fantastic. So I love, yeah, I'm, I'm very much into the

creativity and the writing and all of that, just, I mean, the direction and production of, of severance, I thought, you know, and the writing on succession was just unbelievable, just incredible. Do you watch the white, white Lotus? I've not watched it. I watched, so I shouldn't say that I watched the first season and liked it. I've not watched the subsequent seasons. My time is somewhat limited. I read a lot too. So I've watched watched it. I watched, so I shouldn't say that. I watched the first season and liked it. I've not watched the subsequent seasons. My time is somewhat limited. I read a lot too. Look, Shane, we don't want to cut into that reading

time. So last night, so now the White Lotus is done. So Sunday nights at like 10 or 9 or whatever it is, are sort of like, that's like your soprano's time slot. That's like when you watch your like... So I remember when the soprano's used to, like you had to wait till Sunday night to watch the soprano's. Yeah. I had the great market. I still like that, the HBO show.

I had the great market dish. Yeah. So we used to have people over, we'd have like soprano's viewing parties. Oh yeah. Oh, so no, the movie network is the way I had to watch the soprano's. Like I had to subscribe, pay big bucks to the movie network,

which is now Crave, I suppose. But so just bringing up the last of us because there I see Catherine O'Hara is on the show now. And then I just thought of Don. And she's on the studio too, right? See, I've heard that's a Seth Rogen, right? Yeah, yeah, I got to catch that. See, I don't get Apple TV.

So like these Apple TV shows have to fall off like turnip trucks or something like that. I need that gray market disc you got here. Okay. So you got your speaker. One last amazing gift here. Like you already got beer, lasagna, measuring tape and a speaker and only guests in April are receiving this guest. This gift and it's pretty kick ass.

My friend. Do you like, or do you like driving a nice clean car? Yes. Good answer because cleaning is only a hassle if you make it one and that's how they feel at Silver Wax. I'm here to tell everybody that Silver Wax makes pro-grade auto care and cleaning technology easy for everyone to use. They have kits for beginners, experts or professionals. Everything you need. This giant bucket that I'm pointing to. Wow. This is mine. It's full of that and these two spray bottles. Wow.

And a robust kit. Wow. You can do interior and exterior detailing. And the ceramic lotus effect. Wow. Honestly, you're going to come back and go, Mike, this silver wax is the only way I'm washing my car. That's a Canadian company too.

I got to shout out the Canadian companies. All my sponsors are Canadian companies. Silver wax has been proudly Canadian since 1999. So if you want to support the show and save 10% on these excellent silver wax products, go to silver wax.ca and use the promo code Toronto Mike 10 at checkout and you save 10%. So you've got a lot of stuff to bring back to

Midtown with you here. I like it. Good stuff. Okay. Uh, where, where will I go next? Okay. So you, my friend, call games for TSN. Yes. How many games you have left in this regular season? Two. I got the Leafs at Buffalo tomorrow night and I got Detroit at Toronto on Thursday.

Okay. So you got it. That's a regional TSN game. Okay. Are you going to be calling any playoff games? I will not. So is that, did you call playoff games last year? No, I did games for ESPN a couple of years ago. Yeah. Two and three years ago. going to be calling any playoff games? I will not. So is that, did you call playoff games last year? Nope. I did games for ESPN a couple of years ago. Uh, yeah, two and three years ago.

I did them for NBC for 11 years, but, um, no, I will not be, I'll be going to the world hockey championship in Stockholm. That's a tough gig, man. Oh, it's such a good one. People say to me like, Oh, you're disappointed you don't do playoff games. Like, uh, my company sends me to great European cities for a month every May. No, I'm not disappointed at all. I mean, I've had many a conversation with, well, Paul Romanuk and I are buds.

He's been over here a few times. He kind of did the World Juniors before you did. But this idea that you can go to a cool European town or city for a couple of weeks or whatever, that's unbelievable to me. Like that's unbelievable. Last year, Stockholm this year, Zurich next year. Do you ever pinch yourself, Gord? Yes.

I'm very anytime I'm going to complain, I feel, robust chairs. Don't worry. I feel very fortunate. I am, I am, I have a job I love to do. I work with great people and I get to visit unbelievable places and meet incredible people. I'm very, very fortunate. So anytime I'm sitting there, sitting out of the delay or whatever, I remind myself that I'm a very fortunate person. I think you might have the best hockey gig in the world, maybe.

It's pretty good. Like where's the juniors next winter? Uh, St. Paul, Minnesota. Okay. So it's in Minnesota. When are you back in Europe next? You know? Uh, 20, so the next one after it's going to be

St. Paul, then I think it's back in Canada in the, so the 27 tournament will be, I think in Alberta. And then, yeah. And then 28 is I think in Alberta and then yeah and then 28 is I think in Finland and 29 is in Czechia something like that. Okay that's amazing like a long way off and what a great term I know the long way off but but you're the man okay so I want to find out what you're you're up to so the big news that came down a couple of weeks ago I think it was is that Rogers is re-upping for another 12

years so I mean Chris Cuthbert, I mean, Chris Cuthbert, you mentioned him earlier. Uh, Chris Cuthbert was a TSN guy who seemingly left to become the number one guy at sports net when Jim Houston, uh, stepped down if you want. So have you ever had a thought to jump to Rogers to get more games? Uh, you can tap out, man. I've been asked. to Rogers to get more games? Ah, you can tap out, man. I've been asked, I've been asked, you know, cause I will now just to bring it back to Bob McKenzie for a minute.

Cause there was a, like a rumor when this first 12 year deal was announced, there was a rumor that Rogers was pursuing a few people at TSN to like tap. I'm thinking specifically Darren Drager, Bob McKenzie and James Duthie and then I had all three in the basement and grilled them like I'm grilling you right now you feel the heat you feel that see no one because this is easy so I had them all down here look them in the eyes and I asked them all the questions and it turns out through my journalistic pervance here I found out that only James Duthie was tapped and so only James Duffy was tapped in.

So only James Duffy got an offer to go to Rogers. I guess the Strombo gig was supposed to be James Duffy. From the studio. Yeah, from the studio. Yeah. But, but, but to work for Rogers, cause they had the 12 year. They talked to other people too. Did they talk to you?

Yes. Did you tell me that last time? I got to play my breaking news thing. Okay. So, so all of these guys just re-upped with TSN because they loved working for TSN. So where are you at with that? I know you love your job. We just talked about it, but there's more games at Rogers and playoffs.

Don't you want to call a Stanley Cup final game again? I'm good. My legacy has nothing to do with the NHL. My legacy is international. My legacy is international hockey, the juniors. I like what I do and I like the people I work with. So my view is I'm really happy where I'm at, really happy what I'm doing. I don't look at what I'm not doing.

I look at what I am doing and I enjoy, Mike Johnson and I have a great time together. He's good. He's very good. He's very good. So yeah, I have no, my feeling and I enjoy, Mike Johnson and I have a great time together. He's good. Yeah. He's very good.

He's very good. So yeah, I have no, you know, my, my feeling is that I like what I'm doing. I'm, I never, you know, if someone came to me with something, I would always look at it. But in the past, I've not found anything that is more compelling than what I'm doing now. I'm still processing that bomb you dropped on me.

Like, so how many people I wonder were pursued before they, they brought in a George Strombolopoulos? Do you know anyone else? I'm not going to, I'm not going to comment on what, what happened there. It's not, I don't work for them. I don't know who they talk to. So it's not, so I can say, cause it's been on the public record is that so James Duthie was, was, was approached and then all three of those guys, Draggor, Mackenzie, who semi-retired now, Draggor, Mackenzie and

Duthie all just locked in for like long-term deals with TSN and they're all they have no regrets themselves and you're happy so Chris Cuthbert maybe he just had an offer he couldn't refuse and decided to go for it. And I would think, and again, I'm just speculating that Cuthbert leaving for Rogers would benefit a Gord Miller. I don't know. I mean, look, Chris and I are old friends and I had no, we got along great as colleagues.

He was doing the CFL, did the Grey Cup and all that. So that's not something I do. No, I'm, Chris has done a great job. He's a terrific broadcaster and he's happy. And that's all you could wish for someone, right? You just hope that everyone, look, it's not a binary proposition. It's not either or, right? We can both enjoy what we do. We can both, like it's a 24 hour sports network, right? You can't do everything. Like you can't,

you can't be on all the time and you wouldn't want to be. So I, I just, the way I look at it is I look at it from my perspective and I am I fulfilled, am I enjoying what I'm doing? You know, that's what I know when that, when that deal came up in 2013, I will tell you this, my daughter was eight at the time. The idea of working every Saturday night did not appeal to me at all. I had no interest in, you know, being away every weekend. That was not a big thing for me.

When the world championships end, are you like, do you get the summer off like a teacher? Yes. You're like a teacher until. Except I don't deal with children. Well, depending what you think of professional athletes, but yeah. Yeah. I'm done. That's a good life, man. I do.

I have a great life. I'm very happy. I'm, I'm, I'm. A lot of cycling time there. A lot of cycling time at the right time to do it. So I'm, uh, I'm very fortunate and, um, I, uh, I try to take time to, to step back and, and, you know, feel gratitude for what, what I have. Did you get any calls from Amazon when they were building a

team for their Monday night package? No comment. You're the best. I love it. All right. So, uh, I'm going to go ahead and ask you a question. Did you get any calls from Amazon when they were building a team for their Monday night package? No comment All right, and did it last question on this frontier since I'm struggling to get you in any trouble here And I'm not that I'm trying to do that I'm kidding but Did you hope in the back of your mind that maybe maybe when the 12-year deal of Rogers ended the one you talked about from?

2013 that maybe Bell Media gets a big chunk of the next package, or if not more, or do you care? My view was, if I keep, we didn't lose anything we had. So my view was, you know, whenever it came along, I'd look at it, but I mean, I, if the worst case scenario is I keep doing what I'm doing, that's a great scenario. And I'm thinking now of the great Bob Cole who was

retired, okay? Because Scott Moore came over and talked about, like, he basically tapped him on the shoulder, tapped Bob Cole on the shoulder and said like, time's up, like we got to run this down. Cause Cole would go until he died, basically. He would have kept doing it. Do you have, do you like, do you have any thoughts

on when you'd like to step away and enjoy a retirement or are you like Bob Cole, you want to call games till you die? Uh, I think there's a lot of things out there I want to do that have nothing to do with hockey. Um, I enjoy what I do, but I have a lot of other interests. So I think I'd like, yeah, I think there'll be a

time when I would like to like to travel on my schedule, to see things I want to see, that kind of thing. Yeah, that time will come. I thought you were gonna tell me you were gonna run in for politics or something like that. No plans to. I've been asked and the answer's no.

What party? I won't say, not gonna say. That would be a political position. You know what you're like? You're like Steve Pakin, okay? I have a pretty good relationship with Pakin, comes over a lot. And trying to, you know, I know his wife's party, because she's very public about working You're like Steve Pakin, okay? I have a pretty good relationship with Pakin comes over a lot.

And trying to, you know, I know his wife's party, cause she's very public about working for the Progressive Conservative Party in this province. But Pakin, he's that, no, no, no, I'm a completely objective. I would say that the, be careful, but it would surprise people who asked. Wow, okay. After the the recording I'm gonna guess. Is that a deal?

Okay, my friend, you've been amazing. I wanna shout out RecycleMyElectronics.ca because if you have old cables, old electronics, old devices, you don't throw that in the garbage, those chemicals end up in our landfill. Go to RecycleMyElectronics.ca, put in your postal code and be like, Oh, drop it off here and to be properly recycled. That's what you're going to do for me. Gord. Got it. Got it. Got it.

And last but not least the CN tower is turning 50. Oh, and we did a special episode for it's called building Toronto skyline hosted by Nick Ienies. I get to cohost the show, but we talked to a guy named Jack who worked on the CN Tower 50 years ago. And we, what was it like? You know, what were you doing? The vision behind it. I'm not sure we've had such vision since like this. Can't imagine the city without the CN Tower. Have you ever seen Toronto Skyline without the CN Tower?

I would have. Yeah. When was the tower built? 70, 50 years ago. No, so it was 75, 75. Yeah, he was up there. 75. I was here, yeah, before that. Okay, so geez, I guess you watched it being built. Amazing.

Yeah. Okay, so people should subscribe and listen to Building Toronto's Skyline with Nick Ienies. Thank you for sponsoring the show. Nick, we got Leafs and Sens again. I didn't want to do any hockey talk with you. I know that. So you probably think when people ask you to come on, they want to talk hockey. The last thing I want to talk to Gordon Miller about his hockey. I feel like people can get that

anywhere. Go watch TSN. You'll get some Gordon Miller covering hockey, but Leafs versus Sens is interesting to me because we did win a series. We did win a series. Was that last year or the year before the Leafs won a series? I can't believe I don't matter. We beat Tampa Bay, was it? Was that two years ago? Two years ago, yeah. Two years ago, okay.

Other than that one series victory, our last series victory was 2004 in the first round. Pat Quinn was the coach of the damn team. Ed Belfort was in that and we beat the Sens because we always beat the Sens. We beat him like four series in a row. Any thoughts on Leafs versus Sens? Great series. I would say that this Ottawa team having not been in the playoffs since 2017 is anxious to be back. If Linus Olmark keeps playing the way he has the last month and a half or so, Ottawa is going to be a tough out.

Ottawa is going to be a very tough out if Allmarq keeps playing like that. And Ottawa is going to get healthier. Brady Kachak is going to be back. They're going to have healthy bodies back. It'll be a tough series. It'll be a very good series, which is, I think, all you can ask for. And how I'd like to close is I'm curious if we could talk a little little bit of music So because we touched on the hip and stuff But what kind of music does gordon miller listen to like on a I don't know whenever you listen to your music

What are you listening to? Everything I like a lot of stuff on the way over I always listen to Bob Dylan for the last waltz yeah From the way over, I was listening to Bob Dylan for the last Waltz, the last Waltz soundtrack. So I love that. Look, hook the Staples singer's version of The Weight to My Veins, okay? And I love that Forever Young by Bob Dylan, Forever Young. Yeah, so it's like a five, so he does, maybe let me follow you down, like we never have

met, Forever Young, then let me follow you down, sort of reprise, and then he does, as part of an ensemble, he does, I shall be released. So that's what I had on the way over. But I have everything, I like a lot of new stuff, I would say I'm somewhat of a Swifty, I would confess to that, through my daughter. a Swifty. I would, I would confess to that. I, my, through my daughter.

No shame in that. I, my daughter, she's a great songwriter. She's a terrific, I like anybody who's got something to say. Yeah. My, but it's not my older daughter. My youngest daughter, who is just turned nine is the big Swifty in this house. Like just a diehard Swifty. And yeah, it's some good shit there, man.

No shame in that game. Do say, um, did you enjoy the Bob Dylan biopic? Just like Die Hard Swiftie. And yeah, it's some good shit there, man. No shame in that game. Did you enjoy the Bob Dylan biopic? I've not seen it yet. Okay, get that on the list. I want to, I've not seen it yet. I hear it's quite good. Timothy Chalamet is great. I want to see it, I just haven't had a chance yet.

Okay, it's on your list. And I'm wondering if you have any thoughts on the Canadian rock band, Chilliwack. Fly by night. Yeah. Yeah. Why?

Because I confirmed this morning that Bill Henderson, who apparently he is Chilliwack, I'm told, is going to be in the basement. They're going to Chilliwack is doing a farewell tour. Like they're going to do one last tour. So we're going to talk about this farewell tour and we're going to talk about the Chilliwack and that's happening soon. tour, like they're going to do one last tour. So we're going to talk about this farewell tour and we're going to talk about the Chilliwack and that's happening soon. And I just wondered if you had any

Chilliwack fondness. Yeah. Good. They're BC band, right? Yeah. Yeah. That's it. We heard them a lot in Western Canada.

I bet there's some bands like. Brian Adams. Brian Adams, he's played the Riv Rock Room in Edmonton. I knew he's a West Coast guy. I'm going to ask you about another West Coast band, which I don't know anything about, but I hear from West Coast people,

they were really, really big. Street Heart. Yes, Street Heart was very big. They did the circuit, they did all that, yeah. So I was always surprised at how much, some bands are just sort of hype, like I'm not saying we didn't play any Street Heart on Q7 or whatever, but I never knew much

Street Hard growing up. Yeah. But big out west. Yeah. Okay. Do you have a favorite band of all time? The Stones would be right up there for me. Okay.

Well, you can't go wrong with the Rolling Stones. Okay. Do you have a favorite Stones song? Yeah. Give Me Shelter. You can't go wrong with the Rolling Stones. Okay. Do you have a favorite stone song? Uh, yeah. Uh, give me shelter. Mary Clayton doing the most amazing job doing backup and then she gets that hitch in her voice. Yes.

Love it so much. Okay. Gordon Miller, will you be back for a third round at some point? In two years. Yeah, that's what I said. No, I think we're on a schedule. Like I said, let's give it a little time

and then get Gord back here. Dude, I love talking to you, man. I have to talk to you. Very interesting. And next time I won't accept no comment as an answer. I'm gonna pick you up by the scruff of your collar and pin you against the wall and treat you like a hostile.

No comment, no comment. You got a lot of swag. I did. More than last time. Yeah. You're lucky son of a. I did. More than last time. Yeah. You're lucky son of a bitch. By the way, Ridley Funeral Home, I mentioned Canadian companies. They're super Canadian because they're right here in New Toronto, but they only sell Canadian

caskets. Nice. Northern Casket is the name of this casket manufacturer that they offer to their families. And I just love the fact that they only, they only use Canadian products at Ridley Funeral Home. So much love to Brad Jones at Ridley Funeral Home. And that brings us to the end of our 1672nd show. Dude, that I know it was making, we're not going to do an All-Star game. We're going to do the four nations.

And at first I was a little skeptical of the whole thing, but that was awesome. Another question? I thought we were going. I'm throwing it out there. It was very good. Yeah. Who are you rooting for in that final?

No comment. Go to torontomic.com for all your Toronto Mike needs. Much love to all who made this possible. That's Great Lakes Brewery, Palma Pasta, Minaris, Silver Wax, RecycleMyElectronics.ca, Building Toronto Skyline and Ridley Funeral Home. See you all tomorrow. It's a deep dive into the history of KTEL with

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