Toronto Mike'd: The Official Toronto Mike Podcast - Sunaya Sapurji Kicks Out the Jams: Toronto Mike'd #1365

Episode Date: November 13, 2023

In this 1365th episode of Toronto Mike'd, Mike chats with Sunaya Sapurji, senior editor for The Athletic in Canada, while she kicks out the jams. Toronto Mike'd is proudly brought to you by Great Lakes Brewery, Palma Pasta, Ridley Funeral Home, Electronic Products Recycling Association, Raymond James Canada and Moneris. If you would like to support the show, we do have partner opportunities available. Please email Toronto Mike at [e-mail]

Welcome to episode 1365 of Toronto Mic'd. 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. RecycleMyElectronics.ca.

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Season 5 of Yes, We Are Open, an award-winning podcast hosted by FOTM Al Grego for Moneris. And Ridley Funeral Home, pillars of the community since 1921. Today, making her Toronto Mike debut is senior editor for The Athletic,

Sunaya Saperji. Welcome, Sunaya. Thanks, Mike, for having me. I'm a long-time listener first time caller as it was please do tell so uh were you just waiting for the call or uh how did this work like when you when i did reach out and said sunaya i want you on toronto mike to kick out the jams like were you like finally i was like yes yes i will come and kick out the jams 100 i'm so glad you're here and i'm curious off the top do any of your friends call you Sunny?

Like, is this a nickname you've ever had? You know what? One person, one person I allow to call me, that is Mary Ormsby. She is the only, only person. Sunny. Yeah, she's the only person I will allow to call me Sunny. Mary has been here and she came with her husband, Paul Hunter. Yeah, and they were both here in the backyard during the pandemic.

And that was a great thrill to talk to Mary Ormsby later in this program. We're going to find out all about you and what you're up to and then find out maybe you can shout out some women who have been breaking the glass ceiling when it comes to sports media so we can get more Sanaya in our diet. But I want to do all this like between jams. I actually want to get to the first jam right away, which means, Sanaya, I have one quite... Notice I'm not calling you Sunny because only Mary can do that. Yes, only Mary is allowed. I'm no Mary Ormsby.

I learned this a long time ago. Very few people are. I'm no Mary Ormsby. I learned this a long time ago. Very few people are. I need the full list. Okay, I am going to ask you this succinct, important question. Sanaya, are you ready to kick out the jams? I am 100% ready. You want to hit the post? You want to hit the post?

All right. All right. Thank you for the coffee. I'm going to drink the coffee that the coffee scenario gave me while I wait for this jam to brew. What did you get yourself? A coffee? Yeah, I got a latte.

Yeah. Fancy? Fancy. Yeah, I'm fancy. I like that. I thought we would start off slow. With a power ballad. I like how it builds, actually.

I almost wonder, we should have talked it up. But no, let's get the mood right off the top here. I think you've already surprised people, to be honest. I can't wait to talk about it. You think so? We're going to talk about it.

Okay. honest so i can't wait to talk about it i think so yeah we're gonna find we're gonna talk about it okay welcome to a time stand still no one leaves and no one will who is for never seems to change just labeled mentally deranged Dream the same thing every night I see a freedom in my sight No locked doors, no windows barred No things to make my brain seem scarred Sleep my friend and you will see The dream is my reality They keep me locked up in this cage

Can't they see it's why my brain says rage Yes Sanitarium Leave me be Sanitarium Just leave me alone

Wow, I love how we're starting things off. Amazing. This is your first jam. What are we listening to, Sanaya? We're listening to Sanitarium by Metallica off their Master of Puppets album. It's my favorite song off my favorite Metallica album. Okay, you are

older. Okay, how would I put this? You couldn't have lived this album. Like, you're not old enough that you were around for this, were you? I lived this. Show me your birth certificate. Seriously, I had a friend named Tammy who I played softball with and she had this cassette.

And that's how I got into Metallica. And that was kind of my gateway into heavier music. Love it so much. My gateway to Metallica was much music started playing, like occasionally would play one. Yes. And it was like a movie. Yeah. Yeah.

And if you listen to this song, you will see, there are parts of this song that will remind you of one which they did later. Right. Yeah. The first three Metallica albums for me are just like, are perfect.

Like, I love them. Later Metallica, kind of, they lost me. Well, you know, they sort of cleaned up and got stylish and then kind of refined the sound and crossed over. But yeah, I know what you mean exactly. And when you were in high school and, you know,

you had to break off into your groups, right? You had, like, I don't know, there were the jocks and the nerds and the stoners. Were you with the rockers? No, you know what? I was kind of a chameleon. Like, I kind of moved between groups because my my uh musical taste was just so varied um you know like i would hang out with the kids who listened to the smiths and the cure and and like and the rockers and the jocks like so so yeah did you have a denim

jacket with like patches on it and uh no i had a binder that was like scrawled. Yeah. With everything. Anything and everything. Love it so much. You know what's tasting good? I'll just thank you very much and very kindly that you did bring me this coffee from a new Toronto coffee shop called the Sydney Grind.

And this is delicious. Yeah. It's just right around the corner from here. Right around the corner from here. You know what else is right around the corner from here right around the corner from here. Right around the corner from here. You know what else is right around the corner from here? Ridley Funeral Home. Right around the corner from here. They're at 14th and Lakeshore. And I know Brad there goes to the Sydney Grind because he loves to

support the local community, but thank you. Not enough guests have drawn a mic. Come over and give me a coffee. Well, I don't know. I was just raised, like, never to come empty-handed to somebody's house. You were raised proper. I love it so much. I would have invited you many years ago if I knew that okay and I'm like my heart rates up like I got I gotta say you're kicking off with this rocker jam and as I was loading up your jams I'm like I don't even know why I cast like why do I even bother to guess

what somebody's jams are it's really difficult to guess somebody's jams but you did surprise me a bit that your jams were heavier than anticipated not they're not all heavy there's going to be some hip-hop and there's a whole bunch of different stuff but i just didn't think i would be leading off today's kick out the jam episode with metallica yeah this is this is kind of what got me into into heavier music like uh i just you know i think growing up with like uh much music and city limits and the power hour. You are older than I thought. See, like, and, and Rap City, you know, like, I think you, you got a varied, you got a varied taste of like what was, what was out there musically. And then, you know, my last year of high school, I ended up working at a community, campus

community radio station CHRY which was uh it's on the campus right yes yeah of course and and that that just like expanded my musical horizons even more so yeah okay what did you do at this station exactly so um I started off as a volunteer at the radio station doing um um, whatever they needed doing, um, which was anything and everything. And then, uh, eventually I became volunteer coordinator, which was like a paid position. So I think I got like $50 a week for doing that job. Yeah. And then eventually I became the sports director there. Um, what came first, your love of sports or your love of music? Oh my gosh, that's so hard.

Or was it like a tie? Like these are my passions. It might be a tie. Only because I grew up, my mom was, my mom grew up in a very musical household. And so there was always music in our house. What's your mom's jams? Indian music, which is why we've got just one

yes okay no teaser we're gonna hear it i uh i had yeah we talked about it but you know she also really liked um uh disco and funk and anything you could dance to like she was she was a singer and like she liked to dance and have a good time and yeah yeah she had a very nice voice like yeah and where did your love of sports come from? That came from my dad. He was a huge sports fan. And so he was, he grew up in India. And then when he was 16, he moved to England.

And so he really liked, I guess the not. Cricket? Yeah, he loved cricket. He loved soccer. He loved tennis. He loved soccer. He loved tennis. He loved racing. He loved like horse racing and car racing. Like he loved maybe like not the North American sports,

but he like, but you know, he took us to Jay's games when we were small, took us to Leafs games, anything we wanted. He took us to a WrestleMania once that he like never, ever let us. No, it was, I think it was the one with Hulk Hogan and Mr. T. Was that number one? I think that was one.

Were they like, they weren't. Yeah, I think that's number one. Yeah. But where was that? No, I don't know where it was, but he took us. It was like a viewing. Wasn't it multiple locations, the first WrestleMania? I don't know.

We saw it. I think it was at the International Center. Really? Yeah, it was someplace near the airport that he took us to. But they were just showing it on a screen. And he never let us forget that, because I don't think he enjoyed it at all. Oh, he didn't love it. Okay, well, you see, I have Andre the Giant represented down here, and here's George the

Animal Steel. Like, that's my, gosh, man, those the Giant represented down here. And here's George the Animal Steel. Like, that's my, gosh, man, those early WrestleManias. I have such good memories of those. But, wow, did I misjudge your age? That's going to make it, you know, that's good. Now we're going to have more in common here. I like this very much. I'm old, Mike.

I'm old. Well, listen, you're not as old as me. So be careful what you say there. I'm going to kick out the second jam before I ask you many, many more questions. But I also want to thank you. You brought me a coffee, but I forgot to mention you brought me like pastries. Like there's like five things in there and they look delicious. And honestly, you're a top 10 FOTM as far as I'm concerned. So you know exactly how to, you know, butter up the host when you're, when you're on a program

like this. Okay. I was going to put Public Enemy on my list too, because I know you love them, but then I decided not to because i a lot of them i know a lot of the guests i've listened to have put public enemy on their list so okay yeah i see now you could have swapped out number nine for like a rebel without a pause or something like that it was going to be black steel in the hour of chaos and you could have done the tricky version i like the tricky version i love that version too have you heard the sepultura version no sepultura is a brazilian um heavy metal band like yeah they they do an excellent version of that song as well they a cover of that song well you know anthrax would be right up your alley right you could have done bring the noise

probably gonna be an anthrax like it's right up your alley but i chose number nine because flavor flavor is in the video okay you know what you are really, you're really kicking ass and you're trying to make debut. My goodness gracious. Okay. I'm getting a jam too and then I got more questions for you. Okay. Here's another hard one.

Here we go. We'll be right back. How's your heart rate right now? This is like one of the best driving songs you will find. Could you run through my wall over here? I feel like I could. You want to run with me? Honestly, my heart rate's going. I'm so ready for this. What are we listening to?

We're listening to The Meldons. They are my favorite. They're probably my favorite band. This is a song called Honey Bucket off of their album Houdini. I think if you're a certain age, you might. Much music played the heck out of this video during the, I guess, the grunge era. Yeah, because Melvins are a Seattle band, right? They're from Aberdeen. So close. Sort of like Nir era. Yeah, because Melvins, they're a Seattle band, right? Are they Seattle?

They're from Aberdeen. So close enough. Sort of like Nirvana's. Yeah, exactly. And big influence on Kurt Cobain and Nirvana. Very much so. Dale Grover, who's the drummer in this band, was at one point a drummer for Nirvana before Dave Grohl.

Right, I'm sure that Chad, I want to say Chad Channing, what's the drummer? Yeah, he was a Bleach drummer. Yes. And then they get Dave Grohl in there for Nevermind, if I remember my Nirvana history. I believe so. Honeybucket. Okay, you know what, I'm trying to, maybe

it was like the Pepsi Power Hour or something. Like, maybe it got played during the specialty programming on much music yeah yeah i just remember this was the first song i heard from the melvins and that's why i put it on the list because they're my favorite i love it okay um it i don't know if it's my favorite song now it's one of my favorites for better but you're kicking out the jams and these are your favorite songs. Actually, they're not really my top 10 all-time favorite songs,

only because I do listen to newer music, but you wouldn't know it from my list. But these are kind of the songs that have influenced me or songs that I have a special connection to. And the Melvins I absolutely love them a couple years ago I was fortunate enough to write a story about the Melvins and their love of baseball during the pandemic and that's probably the highlight of my career I like it when people like yourself would find a way to weave like the music and sports together they're my two

like I love music and sports like they're my two like i love music and sports like they're two passions of mine and when they interweave it's amazing same same for sure yeah and so during the pandemic um at the athletic we were kind of looking for for new ways to to tell stories because you know sports had shut down and so um they decided to do like a music week where um we could write about the intersection of music and sports. And so I was like, oh my gosh, I have to write about the Melvins. The Melvins. They're like, can you talk to Geddy Lee? And you're like, I'm talking to the Melvins. Yeah, yeah, exactly. I was like, I don't, I don't care what anyone says. I'm writing this story.

And I was so nervous, Mike, like my palms were like i was like sweating your palms are sweaty it's hard but heavy mom spaghetti yeah for sure i was like so nervous because uh wow i just i was scared that they might be jerks but they well that's always the fear yeah you know like i sat down with chuck d and i had the same, you know, you're always worried. And then when you come out of it and you're like, I like this guy. That's like just reinforces, it just edifies everything that you hoped. And it's a wonderful feeling. Exactly. And then you got to remember this.

If they're jerks, they're probably not going to do the chat with you anyway. Like I feel like a lot of people who have said no to the Toronto Mike. So you said yes to the Toronto Mike invitation. That was my first clue. Oh, so now it's probably a decent person. Like she's probably a nice person

because she's agreeing to like make the drive from like whatever the city above Toronto or whatever to sit in this guy's basement for 60 to 90 minutes. Like that's my first clue.

You might be pretty cool. And the people who, you know, I'm thinking, I don't know, like I could name them out, I guess. I don't care.

I could name them. But the people are like, no, like it's your first clue. They might be a jerk, you know? Yeah, but you know what? You care i could name them but the people are like no like you guys it's your first clue they might be a jerk you know yeah but you know what you also have to look at all the people who have already been on your show you've had some like chuck d like am i trying to say that i'm you know what i'm better than chuck d by saying no to tron mike no way i don't want that karma chuck did say yes to tron mike but his people did tell me Chuck was not going to South Etobicoke to sit in

your basement. Like that was like the note I got. And he's like, he's happy to sit with you, but not in your basement. And I was like, okay, you know,

Chuck D has the right to make that, that request. I mean, if it's good enough for Biff naked, it's good enough for me. Oh my God. I love Biff naked. Me too.

She's like Canada's punk goddess. I don't know her, but she's a sweetheart. I'll introduce you. Oh, I would love that. I would love too she's like canada's punk goddess i don't know her but she's a sweetheart i'll introduce you oh she would love that i would love she's a mimico you know oh we can we can walk over after this and say hi just knock on her door she's actually so nice that you could knock on her door she'd probably make you a tea or something and chat you up and she would love to meet saniya that would be like you know i do think we would be friends only because she likes mastodon and i love mastodon she's kicked so you're in the club now you're kicking out the

jam so we went sometimes like i did this with brad fay i've done this with others but typically there's like an episode before you kick out the jams but we are merging them like we're just going straight to the jam kicking here like that's uh like i'm just pointing out for the listenership that often it's your second appearance where you kick out the gems, but seeing your jams and loading up your jams reminded me how much I love these episodes. Cause we're going to learn so much more about you by walking through your jams. And those first two jams are both heavy. And I want to shout out, uh, Midtown Gord. I'm sure he's enjoying this jam kicking, but yeah, this is a quite the start.

Now, okay. We talked about, you know we talked about your dad basically introducing you to sports and you fall in love with sports. But at what point in your life do you realize, hey, I would like to write about sports for a living. I would like to be a part of the sports media industrial complex. You know what? When I was a kid, I don't know if you remember, Global TV used to have OHL Game of the Week.

I do, because Jim Ralph used to have ohl game of the week i do because uh jim ralph used to do it yeah and so uh i just i love that and hockey night in canada and i was like um obviously i'm never going to be able to play in the nhl or the ohl like maybe maybe i can write about it or talk about it or you know you could be a part of it yes on the periphery did you did you play though um i didn't play hockey um i played like rec hockey i did play in high school i played uh sports but um not not organized outside of high school so when you're deciding that i would like to have a like a part of this even if i'm covering it like as a like as a journalist, like what's the next move? Do you, you start to map out, okay, I need to get like, I need to go to this school. Like, like, like how do you go from, so I'd like

to do this to actually doing it. So I didn't go to journalism school. Um, I, I started volunteering at CHRY. Um, and that was kind of how I, I kind of got my foot in the door and learned the ropes because we were very lucky. We had Mel Breutman, who used to work at, at CBC. He was an alumnus of, of CHRY. And so he would come and do our, we used to broadcast York Yeoman games. Now they're the, now they're the Lions, but when I was there, they were the Yeoman. And so we used to broadcast York Yeoman games. Now they're the, now they're the lions, but when I was there, they were the Yeoman. And so we used to broadcast those hockey games live and, um, he was the play-by-play guy. And so he was really helpful in like showing us how to be prepared and, you know, showing us how to be professional and, you know, kind of what it takes to start in the business.

And so he was very helpful with that. Like a mentor. Yes. Yeah, for sure. For everyone that was there. And it's kind of funny, but everyone who was a part of the sports department when I was there, almost all of them have gone on to work in the sports media, including Hazel May. Wow.

That's a big name you just dropped there. I think she's also a Mimico. So we can, we can see Hazel or I'm going to go visit a Biff. Like we'll do the two for both. Yeah. Both good FOTMs. Okay.

Wild. Okay. Do you want to name check anyone else who you crossed paths with? C-H-R-Y? C-H-R-Y. There are so many people that were working. wild okay do you want to name check anyone else who you crossed paths with a chry um seizure what there are so many people that were working like went on to like be a name we might know like hazel may like matt galloway are you kidding me yeah no matt was the music director when when i was there did you ever get on the air at york oh yeah, I, uh, I hosted the five 55 sports report. Um,

that was my favorite sports report was that five 55. And, uh, and I also did like, I think I did an OHL show in the afternoon. Um, and then, uh,

Danko Jones, you might just literally, well, he's been over, but I just talked to him about Suzanne summer's passing away because Danko's got a, uh, three's company podcast,

huge, huge three's Company fan. And has been for as long as I've known him. These are mind-blowing names you're dropping here. I need to slow down. Okay, so wow. Okay, so first of all, Matt Galloway, we breeze by it,

but absolute legend, you know, CBC radio legend here and an early guest of Toronto Mike, don't want to say, and I say that because there's no picture of Matt and I by the tree. Like i think i introduced the tree photo at like 100 and something and he's pre-tree there's no tree photo of matt and i although we just have a picture down here in the studio but matt galloway that's that's a big name and hazel may is a big name

these are two monster names in this marketplace and who was the third person he was a big name danco jones like danco jones is probably playing in sweden right now yes probably i know this guy's amazing their european tour um also jc who's also in the band with uh danko um john um he didn't work at the radio station but um at the time he was in a different band called cat rocket with a. And so he was always at the, he was always at the radio station. Did you ever think like, I'll just be like Ben Rayner or Brad Wheeler or whatever. I'm going to cover like music in this market. No, you know what? Only because I didn't, I didn't think I knew enough about maybe the technical aspect of music. Like I just, I know what I like, but I sometimes can't explain why I like it.

Okay. But meanwhile, in sports, you understood the technical aspect of sports. More so than in music. Yeah. Okay. Okay. More questions for you,

but we're going to get to this third jam. You ready? Mm-hmm. Yeah. They must send you to make you act The way you do Red, I'm seeing red I'm seeing red I'm seeing red I'm seeing red You see me in

Your damn production With out of work You can't believe You're out of work But now you know You're in the world Red, I'm seeing red And that's it. I love it. We can play the whole damn thing. Okay.

What are we listening to there? We're listening to Seeing Red by Minor Threat. Wow. We's it. I love it. We can play the whole damn thing. Okay, what are we listening to there? We're listening to Seeing Red by Minor Threat. Wow. There is a hardcore punk episode of Toronto Mike with Brother Bill. Who else was on that episode? Is that the one with Sean Cherry? That was a different one. And the guys from Youth Youth Youth?

No, but that was a good one too. Because in that episode that you're referring to, I think we talked to the guy from Attic Records, who sadly has passed away since then. But Attic like uh who was on attic records a whole bunch of like anvil i think a whole bunch of heavy metal rockers but but oh uh killer dwarves oh yeah you know they had great videos of course oh i'm gonna love this i'm gonna love this chat okay but back to scene red uh yeah that's a that's a, that's a, like a one minute song. Yeah.

So minor, minor threat are probably one of the most influential, um, hardcore bands like ever. Um, and I chose, um, this song because when I was at the radio station,

um, a guy by the name of Steve Perry, um, who, who helped Sean with that book that they put out, Tomorrow Is Too Soon, which looks at the hardcore scene in Toronto in the 80s, I think. He introduced me to all kinds of just amazing hardcore and underground punk. He still does a show. Steve used to be the station manager, and he used to do a show at CHRY called Fast and Bulbous on the Spot.

And the beginning of that song was used in an ad for his show. And I just love Minor Threat. Steve does a show at CIUT now. I love it. Equalizing X Distort. Okay. And this is, like, what is it? What is it?

105 point, what is CHRY if you want to dial in? CHRY no longer exists. So they changed, it is 105.55 but it's no longer CHRY they reformatted it and now it's like an all urban radio station I have more information so the gentleman from Attic because I didn't name him

because I was just naming him Al Mayer Alexander Mayer okay so he's the founder of Attic sadly no longer with us but he was on that episode with Derek no Sean Cherry okay that's David that episode with Derek Emerson. No, Sean Cherry. Okay, that's different. Chris Turner and Derek Emerson came over. They wrote a book called Eve of Darkness, Heavy Metal in Toronto.

So I'm conflating episodes here. And we talked, yes, and so when we talked about the Attic records, for example, Lee Aaron. Right. We mentioned Killer Dwarfs. Sacrifice? Razor? Anvil? I don't know if Sac is in there because i'm a little uh you know i'm a little uh out of depth here but the sean cherry episode because that's

important to me that i get this right sean cherry came over with uh do you remember i'm glad you listened it was uh it was some of the guys from youth youth youth oh here it is brian mccullough okay and al nolan al nolan i love this guy see he'll go to a show and he'll be working like uh it's amazing this guy al nolan okay so to get this right that was episode 1051 it was al nolan who was with the almighty trigger happy brian mccullough who's a drummer for youth youth youth and sean cherry he wrote tomorrow is too late and that was all about the toronto punk scene you're right an hour that was a great episode about punk so i'm glad you're listening. And I'm looking now. Al Nolan's wearing the denim jacket I envisioned you wearing in high school.

Where did you go to high school? I went to Emory Collegiate Institute. And where's that? It's Weston Road in Finch. Okay. Well, you listen, okay? Sounds like a cool spot. You could have had a great denim jacket like Al here.

But right. So now we've got you're volunteering. Well, you get 50 bucks there. That's not quite volunteering, but you are at the York station. You're doing the 555 sports update. I'm going to kick out this next jam and then I'm going to find out

like what's the first, you know, gig for you after that. Obviously, we're getting into the athletic and then I have more questions, but I want to get to another jam because I'm really enjoying this and shout out to all the rockers out there

so So at least she could get some enjoyment out of being alive No one could say that she was left up on the shelf And she would be against the world, kid, she mumbled to herself When the world falls apart Something's starting to fly Christ stops tears run down his face She ran away from home In a mother's best coat She was married before she was even entitled to vote

Her husband was one of those blokes The same one he lost to his own jugs The same war tied to a while When there wasn't a war we left anyway when the world falls apart some green staining

flies the guy stops, tears run down his face Norman Riddell and Barrett Schmoyer He's my favorite, the natural I love him and I'm crazy to him Here to make it all okay with you And one dark night came and

Levi Stubbs' tears. What are we listening to, Sunaya? The great Billy Bragg. I consider Ron Hawkins Canada's Billy Bragg. What say you? Sure, I can see that. I can see that. Yeah, I'm not even kidding.

And that's not just because he was the last, I think he was the last person in the studio. He came over with Lawrence Nichols from Lowest to the Low. They played a jam down here. But tell me about why you love this song by Billy Bragg. This is a great song. I really like storytelling songs,

and I think this is a great one. Billy Bragg is definitely one of those really great storytelling singers. And through him, I got into people like John Prine who is another like phenomenal storyteller. Woody Guthrie. Yeah. Yeah for sure and so I also picked this song because when I was a kid our parents used to send myself and my sister to England for the entire summers. They would put us on a plane as like unaccompanied minors. And all of my family, like my grandparents, aunts and uncles, cousins, they were all in England. And so

my grandmother and my uncle, they both lived lived in ilford which is right next door to barking it's like less than two minutes away like the subway station you would take um to go anywhere is in barking and that's where billy bragg is from okay love it so much how come you didn't develop i feel like you could have done what madonna did or whatever come back here with a british accent no i left uh i was born in England, but I left there when I was. You were, see, we're learning things as we kick out the gym. So how old are you when you come to Canada? About five.

Okay. So those first five years you're in England. Yeah. Cool. Yeah. And then we moved, we moved here, but we would go back every, every summer more or less because it was cheaper than camp i think well again you gotta get rid of the kids i understand that vernon reed by the way um also

born in england from uh from living color living color yes and uh guitar uh hero top of mind only because i just on the weekend i decided i have some old like some videos that um were never shared like i this is not a video presentation this is toronto mic an audio presentation this is a podcast but sometimes i do capture video and then i thought oh i have this video of me chatting at vernon reed i think i'll share it oh so it's on my youtube the my toronto mic youtube channel if you want to watch my chat with vernon reed from living color that's so cool he's uh he's a freaking legend i mean he's right up there so uh that's why i'm thinking of vernon reed and i also remember he was born in england and you're born in england

and well vernon of course also does not have a british accent very young when he moved to new york city so all right loving the jams so far now after so you're at york university what's the next for you now and as you and along the way i'm curious because uh what is what was what was the goal back then and has the goal changed like i'm not even maybe you're living the goal because we're i'm kind of saving this like what you're doing now i'm saving it for later but what was the goal like were you like i want to be ron mclean like what was the deal um yeah to some extent i just knew i wanted to do something in sports. I wasn't sure what that was.

But while I was at the radio station, I got a part-time job at the Markham Economist and Son. Yeah, fancy. I love that publication. Is that still around? You know what? I think, sadly, I think they might have cut it when Metroland closed most of their local newspapers.

That's when we lost the print version of the Etobicoke Guardian. Yeah. So I think it might only be online now. I'm not really sure what's happening with the Markham Economist and Son. Okay. What were you doing with them? I was covering Tier 2 Junior A hockey. I was covering the Markham Waxers.

And so I got to travel on the bus and then I would write game stories about the Waxers. Well, you know what? That's great because you're cutting your teeth, so to speak, right? You're getting in your reps, covering the Waxers. I just learned the Waxers exist and now they're my favorite team. And you know, you got to start somewhere. So if your dream is to cover the Toronto Maple Leafs, let's say, then start with the waxers and improve your skill set and get rocking.

And that's what you did. Exactly. And actually, funnily enough, one of the players that I covered on the waxers at that time was Jay Woodcroftft who was recently let go by the Edmonton Oilers. Okay, so they get waxed, pun intended,

by the San Jose Sharks, which is the worst team in the league. And I follow this closely because my wife is from Edmonton, so I'm always like, we're always, you know, I'm always kind of,

I'm going to call it Schodenfreude, but it's kind of fun when I see things going to shit over there, right? Because it's like, okay, a lot of people pick them to be the Stanley Cup champions this year.

Like, that's just a fact. So it's fine. But then they had that game. I don't know. They had a big win. And I want to say Hyman scored like a natural hat trick in the first period. A big win.

So it's after the big win. I feel like it's strange when you fire the coach. Like, I know they made the decision before the big win. But it's like, maybe we don't fire him. What if he never loses again? Like, this is a big win. What if they just go on a big streak here? But no, they made the decision before the big win. But it's like, maybe we don't fire him. What if he never loses again? Like, this is a big win. What if they just go on a big streak here?

But no, they pulled the trigger and let him go. Honestly, I think it was less about Jay and more about bringing Chris Dombach in. My personal view. Well, look, we value your personal opinion because you're a sports journalist. Only because Chris had coached Connor McDavid and Erie. And I actually

got to see a lot of them together because I was covering the league when McDavid was with those Otters teams. And they had a very good relationship. So I'm not too shocked by Chris Knobloch coming in.

But I do feel bad for Jay. Any relation to the great third baseman Chuck Knobloch? I do not believe so. I was like that guy. One quick thing. So you know how now you learn about how Taylor Swift is so big. And I noticed, spoiler alert, you're not kicking out any Taylor Swift.

I noticed here. But Taylor Swift is so big. Like she's almost in a different hemisphere herself. Her tour is going to end up being like the most lucrative tour in the history of rock and of any musical tour. This is wild what Taylor Swift is up to. Now you have like newspaper chains

like have hired somebody. Like you are now, your job is just to cover Taylor Swift. Like I feel like you seeing Connor McDavid with the Eerie Otters, you could have been like, I'm the Connor McDavid journalist. Like, I just covered this guy.

Because I remember, because we're similar vintage, even though I've got a few years on you, but I know that the last time we heard buzz of the nature of Connor McDavid, the last time I felt that was Sidney Crosby. When we, you know, 14-year-old Sidney Crosby is like, watch this kid, like this is the next one. And look at how he turned out. Like Connor McDavid, we had the same buzz buzz i want to say about connor mcdavid you could be the

connor mcdavid expert yeah i just think at that time um i don't know if uh if the funds were there to have someone go and live in erie right and it's also dangerous like you'll be the connor mcdavid expert and then he'll be a bust or break. I don't know. He'll bust up a part of his body or something. And the other thing is, have you have you ever seen interviews with Connor McDavid? You know, can I tell you? Yes.

And I also watched like a reality show about real estate. You probably saw it. But there was like a where him and his i don't know his girlfriend i want to say they they walk you through their their mansion in uh and yeah he's uh not an you know he's he's no joey vato no no exactly and so i think um if that had been pitched to me like i don't know i don't know if i could have survived a year doing that i you know what it's it's it's odd though because um back do you remember when um carlo koliakovo and brad boys were uh leaf uh picks yeah um the when i was working at the star they would send us to erie um to to cover the two of them um just just because they were

leaf um picks they didn't really care about the otters even though they had a very good team and they they won the ohl championship um that one year no i could i totally see that and i do remember the buzz particularly around uh carla kuliakovo like finally boria is back like this is fine like just i remember the buzz okay so you mentioned the toronto star there which means at some point you leave this wonderful institution in marcom ontario uh canada for the toronto star gig so why don't we kick out another jam and then find out what you were doing at the start i'm guessing this is uh where you meet Mary Ormsby. Yes. Is that correct?

Yes, that is correct. All right. Another Senyaya jam. I feel like talking but don't preach. I'm all right. God don't make no junk so you see. I'm all right. there's nothing wrong with me I feel like taking on my close man.

That sound is good and it's too sweet. God's made the birds and God's made the bees. She's canned oxygen to me. Hand Oxygen. Who are we hearing here? This is the Halo Benders. This is a bit of an obscure pick. This is a side project of Calvin Johnson, of beat happening,

not to be confused with former NFLer Megatron Calvin Johnson. Right. Imagine it was the same guy. Because we try to bring these sports worlds and these music worlds together. So that's what we're doing here. So Calvin Johnson also of K records in Olympia, Washington, and Doug March of the band built to spill. They had this side project and I think they put out three albums under the halo vendors moniker.

This one is God Don't Make No Junk, which is a favorite of mine. My best friend Linda, she does not fly. She's never been on a plane. And so we used to take tons of road trips, and this would always be in our cars, this album. Okay, God Don't Make No no junk could have been kicked out uh i had cliff hacking on last week he's from epra and they are the people behind recycle my electronics.ca we were kicking out like i was kicking out like junk jams and trash jams but i didn't know about god don't make no junk i would have played this it's pretty obscure like it's

yeah all right when you get a chance go listen to cliff hacking uh learn more about recycle my electronics dot ca i'm totally digging this because like i joke that there's no taylor swift on here well it's like these are i mean i know billy bragg everyone knows metallica but you these are uh like lesser known generally speaking if you find a random i don't know, random 20 people on the subway or whatever, and you ask them about these bands, you're not going to get a high hit rate. Probably not.

Yeah. Well, I guess it would depend on. I don't think the Melvins, I don't think if you got random 20 people on the subway and said Melvins, one of those 20 knows the Melvins. I'm telling you. Really?

Yeah. Because Melvins, what name, because you know what? I figured this out. Name a Melvins. I'm telling you. Really? Yeah, because Melvins, you know what, I figured this out. Name a Melvins hit. Honeybucket or Night Goat? No, I'm sorry.

They're not actually hits. I know they're hits in the Sinai universe, but in the general populace, they're not hits. They're not hits. And you might find them on Much Music,

but I think you've got to be looking in the right places. They're not on regular rotation on Much Music. Only because I feel like at this time, I was watching a lot of Much Music, but I think you've got to be looking in the right places. They're not on regular rotation on Much Music. Only because I feel like at this time, I was watching a lot of Much Music. And yes, I got some blind spots, which are kind of shocking, or maybe I just don't remember. I do have some blind spots, but I don't remember seeing the video for Honey Bucket. Really? And I'm not saying they didn't play it, because of course, you saw it on Much Music. You were there.

But I don't remember, and I feel like that's my kind of jam and i don't remember seeing it i'm just telling you seen red wasn't on much music no no maybe if strombo had a punk show or something yeah i don't know and then even billy bragg when did you see billy bragg played on much music it was like it would be specialty programming it wasn't on regular rotation yeah so these are very you know and that metallica metallica was played a lot of much music but not that but not that's that song. That is a very under, underplayed Metallica song. So that's why I'm actually thoroughly enjoying this because I did not know

what I was going to get. And this is amazing. It's, it's a real grab bag. I love it. Although I will say that's the first half is now concluded here. The second half, you got some big hits in the second half.

Like there are songs people will know and love. And so, so stay tuned. Although there is a song coming up that I can't wait to talk about because it's so out of my wheelhouse, my comfort zone, my universe that I can't wait to learn about it. But great jams coming up. I have, you brought me coffee and you brought me pastries, delicious pastries. I can't wait to devour.

But I have something for you. Oh, awesome. Would you like a large lasagna from Palma Pasta? I would love one. Thank you, Mike. So you're taking that home with you. Do you drink craft beer? I do. Okay. I have fresh craft beer for you from Great Lakes Brewery. So you're going home with the Palma Pasta. You're going home with the beer from Great Lakes Brewery. All of that is delicious and fresh. And what are you doing on December 9th? I'm not

sure. Okay, so from noon to 3 p.m. there is a TMLX 14 event. That's the 14th Toronto Mic Listener Experience. Imagine, like, this is in, like, upper Mississauga. I feel like this is a short drive for you. Oh.

Like this, you don't have to come into the city. It's like Burnham, Thorpe, and Mavis area. Oh, okay. It's Palma's Kitchen.

You come there, hang with us. Palma Pasta will feed you. So come hungry, darling. Okay. Great Lakes. I got a fresh can of Great Lakes for you

that I'm going to bring from the South Etobicoke headquarters. And you're going to, you get to jump on the fourth mic and say, hello, introduce yourself, and you get to enjoy a Pandemic Friday reunion because the great Stu Stone and Cam Gordon will be there with me. You've got

to come. It's noon to three on December 9th at Palma's Kitchen. I want to see that. I guess now I know what I'm doing December 9th. Thank you. And one more gift here before I get to your six jam. This is a wireless, you know, I was holding it for you to take it from me. You're like, you're holding me on here. You left me hanging.

But that is a wireless speaker. Moneris has nicely given that to you. So you can listen to not only Metallica and the Melvins, you can listen to season five of Yes, We Are Open, which is an award-winning podcast from Maneris, hosted by Al Grego, who has been,

he's gone east this time, so Maritimes and Newfoundland, and he's collecting these inspiring stories from small business owners and entrepreneurs like me, and he shares these stories, and he's very good at this.

That's why he wins awards. Yes, We Are Open, season five, dropping now. You've got your wireless speaker thank you so much mike that's very kind of you thank you maneras thank you palma pasta thank you great lakes brewery and i know i mentioned ridley funeral home over uh earlier but this is a uh measuring tape for you courtesy of ridley funeral home pillar of these of this

community since 1921 you ready for for a sixth jam? I am. There we go. Here we go. I'm taking a ride with my best friend With my best friend I hope he never lets me down again He knows where he's taking me Taking me where I want to be I'm taking a ride With my best friend Never let me down again, Sinaya. Who's singing this?

What are we listening to? Depeche Mode. There you go. Okay, now I think you get a higher hit rate now when you randomly get those 20 people on the subway. For sure. I actually saw them in concert a week ago Sunday at the Scotiabank Arena.

So what does that seat like? About 19? Well, that's for like hockey. I feel like if you put a concert there, you can get like 20K in there. Well, it was sold out. So I think you'd probably be able to find someone on the subway. Who knows?

Big fucking deal. Just based on that. And I was thinking about it the other day. They are a band that has been with me from grade school. Like now where I have a kid in grade school like they've you have a kid in grade school i do how old's your kid he's eight okay yeah i have a seven and nine year old like i feel like we could get them together for like a plate do we call it a play date when they're eight that sounds like a toddler thing will uh will they be uh there on december 9th you know what i think so your kid. Yeah, that's another thing.

Bring your kid. It's a family. I mean, I don't know. Stu might swear, but it's pretty family friendly. If Elvis gets on the mic, there might be some F-bombs, but pretty family friendly. I'm pretty sure my kids heard plenty of F-bombs. Well, the last jam, I will tell a little story about

censored versions versus uncensored versions. So we'll save that story but depeche mode i will say when i was in grade school too big deal depeche mode and i remember going to high school i went to michael power high school which is also in southern etobicoke and i would argue maybe the biggest bands at the time in that high school were like depeche mode and the cult yeah these were the two big bands and absolutely monster bands. And I'm glad you're still able to see him because Dave had some mental health challenges. And I'm just glad that he's still with us and kicking ass. Me too.

And they just lost Andy Fletcher recently. And so they're both, Dave and Martin, are both in their 60s now. And I just, I don't know how much longer. I have to say, for being in their 60s, they put on a phenomenal show. But I just don't know how much longer they're going to be touring. So I was like, you know what? Let's go and see them while I still can. Well, if you have a couple of million bucks in the bank there,

you can get Neil Young to play the Rivoli at a private party. I learned that. Yeah, this happened. So it's funny because that night I was at the Horseshoe Tavern and you know how close the horseshoe is to the Rivoli. Right. So I was there to see Art Bergman, FOTM Art Bergman. By the way, that's an episode. I'm telling you what a wild episode. I've been chatting with Art about it. He says it's the best interview he's ever had. And I now have decided to believe him. So listen to Art Bergman on Toronto Mike. That was like a week ago. And I had just seen Art Bergman at the Horseshoe Tavern. And that night I'm biking home.

So I'm biking west on Queen. And I noticed at the Rivoli, there's a camera crew, like there's activity. This is about, I think it's after midnight because it was very late show. And lots going on there.

And I kind of slow down. I pull over and I'm trying to see, what are they filming here? I'm always curious, like what is being filmed here at midnight on queen street or whatever and then i couldn't figure it all out and i went home and then i learned it was a private party and neil young was in there performing for like the guy you i don't know ceo of like canada goose or something like that like this is yeah so if you have the cash you can you know this is a whole part of the world uh r Hawkins, we talked about earlier from Lowest to Low,

we were chatting, he'll play living room shows. Like if you, you know, that's a lot less expensive than Neil Young, obviously, but you cut a check and he's happy to play your living room

for you and your friends and family. Like, you know, maybe it's your birthday party. In fact, the VP of sales has a 50th birthday coming up and we're discussing maybe paying for Ron Hawkins to play that party.

So you can do this if you have the cash. That's pretty awesome. Isn't it? You can get Depeche Mode to play a party if you pony up enough cash. I wonder what they charge. I bet you they want like at least, at least $750,000 for Depeche Mode.

What do you think? I think it might be more than that. Okay. See, what do I know? Inflation and everything. Only because they also have like a pretty awesome, you know, like they're kind of theatrical. So they've got like, you know, the whole show.

Oh, you don't get bad for $7.50. It's like an acoustic show, but amazing. I love the Peshmoor. How do you end up at the Toronto Star and what did you do there? how do you end up at the toronto star and what did you do there um so i answered an ad in the in the toronto star um but it didn't say what the job was for um and i eventually got the job and it was as a copy editor but it was for a new venture of the Toronto Star. So it was, I was paid by the Toronto Star, but I wasn't technically working

for the Toronto Star at that time. Did you work at One Young Street? Yes. Okay. Yes, but on a different floor doing something totally different. What were you doing? It was for a, it's hard to explain.

It was for a sports betting game called sports pick it was very much ahead of its time um and so yeah because that wasn't like legal was it was that legal it was not so it there was there was a betting aspect to it but yeah it was more of a game because they could yes because at that time you would i guess you would promote the game which was legal and then once you're in the game you'd be sold in like how to do sports betting i'm guessing this is it was something like that it was kind of convoluted but anyway it didn't last very long it uh it lasted for about a year or less than a year. And so I was laid off. And then one day, the guy who I was working for,

Phil Bingley, who was at the Star, saw me on the streetcar and sent me an email saying, do you want to come back and work at the Star? Oh, really? Because they had a copy editor opening in the website of their sports department. So I ended up going back. And is that gig at One Young Street?

Yes. Okay. Cause I did many moons ago, I applied for a job at Tourstar Digital and they weren't One Young Street. Like this was like Peter Street and King or something like that. Like, yeah. And I remember that it was like the discussions

because I got pretty deep in this thing. Like I almost got this stupid gig. It would have changed everything maybe. Who knows? Maybe the best thing that ever happened was not getting that gig actually. But I remember the discussions about how the One Young Street old tour star

not interfering with the tour star digital and what they were doing there and it was a different location. Like that was a big thing. Like was cause they were very conservative at one young street in the old tour star ways. And here we were, they were trying to do this tour star digital thing.

Well, anyway, I didn't get that gig. So I wonder if that's, that's where they were doing like the ads and the classifieds. Cause they were always very cautious about keeping the advertising away from editorial. So maybe that's what that was. Okay.

So how long were you at the Toronto Star? And anyone other than, I want to talk a little about Mary Ormsby here. How long were you at the Toronto Star? For 10 years. Okay. Yeah, a long time. So I pretty much worked with everyone while I was there. You want to name check them by weight?

I've never worked anywhere for 10 years. Never. I've never had a job for 10 years. That's amazing. I worked with Marion Paul. I worked with Rick Matsumoto. I worked with Mark Zielinski, Ken Campbell, Kevin McGrath. I worked with seriously everyone. He's still there. Yeah, everyone.

The late Randy Starkman, who was just the best guy. What about a Damien Cox? Yeah, I worked with him occasionally. What do you think of Damien Cox? He was fine to work with when I was there. you know he was on the leaf beat he was the hockey columnist at that time um i was covering the ohl and um copy editing um while i was at the star does anyone cover the ohl for the toronto star anymore i don't believe so i don't think so i don't even think like kevin mcgrann told me they don't believe so. I don't think so. I don't even think, like Kevin McGrann told me

they don't even like to cover like third line wingers on the Toronto Star. I'm sorry, on the Toronto Maple Leafs. Yeah. Like it's literally like, can we talk more about,

you know, Matthews, Marner, Nylander, maybe Tavares and maybe Morgan Riley. It's kind of crazy that when I was there,

the Sun also had somebody on their OHL beat. They had, um, Terry Koshan. And then, uh, after Terry moved to the Leafs beat, um, they had, um, Mike Kareen, um, covering the OHL. And so there was, uh, uh, you know, yeah, healthy competition. It was great. I love those guys. I loved beating them. Okay, so Mary Ormsby, many a woman in sports media has commented that she was a bit of a role model, like to emulate, because she had great, not only was, you know, Toronto Star, but also on the radio, like you would hear her with Steve Simmons, for example, on the Fan 590.

Like Mary Ormsby, big deal. on the radio. Like you, you would hear her with Steve Simmons, for example, on the fan five 90, like Mary Ormsby, big deal. Was she at all like, like a, a role model, something you could aspire to? Huge, huge,

huge road role model, just like an amazing person. And, you know, you would see Mary in the way she interacted in the sports department. And it was just, it was huge to have someone like that to look up to. And not only that, I think the biggest thing I got from Mary while we were working at the

Star together is that, you know, while she was, she was able to have a family, you know, like she and Paul have kids and she was able to do that work-life balance and it showed me that I can have that too like I can I don't have to put my my career before my aspirations of having a family so that was huge for me amazing here's a jam I'm not familiar with you're gonna have to explain a lot of things here but let's kick it अजय को अजय को अजय को What are we listening to? We are listening to Thora Roshnam Lagtahe. And I want to preface this by saying I do not speak or understand Hindi.

But this is from the great Lada Mangeshkar, Indian songstress. So I mentioned that my mom loved Indian music. My mom understood and spoke Hindi. So we grew up speaking and, um, hearing Gujarati in our house. So there are some similarities in, in words, um, but she was fluent. And so when we were kids, um, you know, she would take us to the old, um, Don Lance cinema and, we would watch Indian like Bollywood films before it was Bollywood and so Lata Mangeshkar's songs were always were always in all of the movies we went to go and see

and like my mom would would be playing like Lata Mangeshkar tapes in in the car when we were being dropped off to school. So this was like a huge part of my childhood listening to her music. The other thing I like about this song is, I don't know if you remember a song by Truth Hurts called Addictive. addictive it it sampled this beat or it used this beat and sampled um her voice and this song and it was then hit with a 500 million dollar lawsuit because they didn't clear the sample and uh they ended up winning i don't know if there was any financial um settlement but they had to pull all of the records and like cds and stuff off of the shelves it's like when vanilla ice did not clear the sample of under pressure for ice ice baby do you know that and he tried to argue initially that it was different and it you know none of us were buying what Robert Van Winkle was selling there,

but at some point they settled out of court because it obviously was ripped off. But I feel like this was commonplace. I want to say, did MC Hammer clear Super Freak when he put out, you can't touch this? I know, how would you know?

But I feel like that might be a similar story possibly that uh they might i think they had to add uh rick james as a co-write on that one because of course that's built these songs are built on other people's uh music so absolutely interesting there so this song was for your mom yeah okay and you don't know what she's saying i don't but you know what the the funny thing is when we would go to these movies, I would have no idea what they were saying either. And there's no closed captions? There was no closed captions? No, not at that time.

There was no subtitles or anything like that. Interesting. Yeah. And I mean, I don't know if you're familiar with old Bollywood movies, but they were kind of like those old, um, Kung Fu movies where, the dubs?

Yeah, where it wasn't dubbed though, but the action was just like ridiculous. Like you'd have a meetup, butch and like jumping off a two story building and then fighting 10 guys, like without a scratch. You know, that's another blind spot for me added to the list,

but I gotta, I gotta, you know, catch up on my Bollyllywood i feel like i'm missing out because it looks thoroughly entertaining it the movies are especially the older ones are are pretty entertaining okay yeah love that so much okay so i must ask so you are uh obviously you are of south asian descent yes okay this makes you a woman of color. That's a fun fact for you. Okay. I'm here to educate you here.

I'm here to mansplain how this works to you. There's not, and this is my observation, there hasn't been a lot of representation in sports media in this country, in Canada. I'm speaking of women of color.

Like we talked about Hazel May earlier. There's Hazel May. Now you have Nikki Reyes periodically pops up here and there. She's been on the phone reyes periodically pops up here and there uh she's been on the phone kayla gray pops up here and there absolutely and and she's uh also an fotm so you're now in that great club but there's not a lot of examples that you can point to uh i'm wondering your thoughts on that like like where are the women of color in Canadian sports media? Um, that's a hard one. I'm, I'm hoping, I'm hoping it gets better, but I've been hoping that for a long time. Uh, so I don't know.

I don't know. And the other thing is, is there are so many places that are cutting back now you see internships that are are you know are are being cut you see um journalism schools like either cutting enrollment or cutting their their programs altogether and so it's it's difficult to have avenues to to break into the the business um especially for people of color so yeah yeah, like for humans, there's fewer roles than ever now. The Toronto Sun is interesting to me because I've had most, almost not all of them, but I've had most of the sports journalists,

writers for the Toronto Sun over here to chat, most of them. And every time somebody retires, I notice they don't add a body. You know what I mean? And so Steve Buffery's not there anymore. It's like, you know, I think the youngest staff member there might be ryan walstat who covers the raptors and he's like

my age you know what i mean like terry might terry might be younger uh we're gonna yeah we'll do a check i'm gonna bet ryan's younger than terry i'm gonna bet that but uh terry terry also an but but yeah uh and no no forget at the toronto sun they're all white guys right they're white guys oh there's no forget women of color there's no women you know what I mean so we're gonna start somewhere here but it's Canada especially Toronto especially Toronto is such a diverse city and the GTA I'll speak so not just Toronto but 100% it's there's no reflection in sports media if we can name check that the two or three women we see on the the television or here on the sports radio station that are actually women of color so but you're you're like if you did you ever consider uh taking your talents

to television or radio no no no i was happy in my lane writing so you're more comfortable behind the the typewriter even though you've never used a typewriter. I actually, when I, so when I was at CHRY, obviously a lot of our stuff was hand-me-downs from other radio stations. So like if, you know, I don't know. Chum FM is going to upgrade to computers now. Right, then we would get their old board, you know, and we would get their old mics, you know, we would buy.

Hand-me-downs. Yes, exactly. And so for the longest time, even though other places had computers, we were still using typewriters. That's kind of wild. Yeah. Only because we couldn't afford computers. Like we were, we were the college radio station. So we had to make do with what we had and, you know, going back to minor threat and, you know, that, that whole DIY. Yeah, exactly.

Great punk of you diy spirit that's where that's where a lot of us learned it you know campus community radio station all right i think i'm gonna kick out your most mainstream jam now i'm gonna say this song we're gonna kick out is the one where i think if we had the 20 random people on the subway all 20 might know this one oh you think so no maybe 19 out of 20 because there's always that one person who's like, head has been in the sand for 40 years and I only listen to classical music or the people I find most interesting,

I don't like music people. You meet these people? You ever met an I don't like music people? No. I have. I've met a couple of I don't like music. And then you wonder, you think to yourself,

are these the kind of people when they're walking the streets and somebody's walking their dog, they boot the dog like they kick the dog like who are these i don't like music where have you met these people it's like i want to avoid those places they're out there they're out there and one thing i've noticed is i sometimes want people to come back and kick out the jams and i've had more than one conversation with a an fotm that means friend of toronto mike you're now an fotm where we Where are we like, Hey, like, what are your jams? Do you want to come in and talk about it?

And they're like, Oh, I don't really like music. Like they just, I've had that with people and I won't name these people because these are, you know, protect their identity to protect the guilty. But the absolutely some people don't want to come back and kick out the jams

because they don't like music enough to talk about music. So they're out there, but you're not one of them. And I'm glad here is your most mainstream jam. Love it. Love it. Hook it to her veins. Yeah.

This is my favorite Prince song. I'll tell you right now. Mine too. Mine too. Mine too. will the picture of you and I engaged in a kiss the sweat of your body covers me can you my darling can you picture

this dream of a can courtyard an ocean of violets in bloom animals strike curious poses they feel the heat the heat between me and you just need me standing alone in a world that's so cold maybe i'm just too demanding maybe i'm just like my father too old Maybe I'm just like my mother

She's never satisfied Why do we scream at each other? This is what it sounds like When the doves cry What a jam. I love this song. It's awesome. Prince is awesome.

Prince was awesome, and he did it all, right? He'd play all the instruments. He would be, Prince did it all. Everything. Like, I don't like to use the term, like, genius too freely, but I truly believe that he was a genius. I think that would apply to Prince. I think

if you don't like Prince, that's a huge red flag for me. Even the racist guy in what's the Spike Lee, Do the Right Thing liked Prince, remember? All his heroes are black.

Shout out to Do The Right Thing love that movie and When Doves Cry is my favorite Prince song because I'm not a deep Prince guy I kind of like what they played on CFTR and what was played on Much Music that was kind of like my Prince I have to say I'm a little bit of a guilty pleasure for me is Bat Dance

because I loved I was so excited about 1989's Batman and that song I want to know we talked about high rotation and much music. I feel like they played it every half hour or something. Like it was all over the place and I love that they put the parts of the movie into the song and where's your Batman and this town

needs an enema and Vicki Vale. So I love Batdance and I don't think I don't think that makes me very cool to say I like Batdance but When Doves Cry is my favorite Prince song. Mine too. That video was just so off the wall. That bad thing, bad dance video.

Um, I love it, but it was very Prince at the same time. Um, yeah, yeah. You know, you had to be the right age,

I think when I hit for that to hit. And, uh, that was me in 1989, uh, the summer of Batman. And we had a local near my primary school, I was in primary school at the time, there was a local

Burger King that had like a Batman promotion where you got this huge Coke or like a huge pop soft drink and it was like a Batman cup. This is like a vague memory I have. But I just remember it felt like this was the biggest for, what was I, 14 or whatever? 14 years old. This was the biggest thing

in the universe when Batman was coming coming out in 1989 like there was nothing bigger it was like the world has stopped this is everything it's funny how that like that doesn't happen anymore there's nothing anymore that would excite me like that no but also i don't know if you remember purple rain when that came out that was like huge oh yeah um of course i remember everything was like huge oh yeah um everything was like purple purple rain like you know and you want to talk about a music that they played uh sorry a video that they played on on much music like 24 7 like anything off of that was uh was a staple of this is off of that yeah yeah now one thing i just was thinking like what would excite me like that did? I mean, we'll exclude, like, the birth of your children or whatever, yawn or whatever.

Okay. Been there, done that. But I would say world peace. Like, if there's, like, everyone got together tomorrow and, like, announced, okay, world peace. We're all going to live in harmony regardless of religion or culture or God or whatever. And then that might be as big as Batman was to me in 1989. Wow. Really? That's how big it was. Okay. Do you still have the cup? Nope. Don't have the cup. I don't have the cup.

I think I have a VHS copy maybe of Batman somewhere. Uh, anyway, but great song, but now, okay. What I haven't got you to yet is the athletic. Okay. And everybody's yelling. Like, doesn't she, isn't she like, okay, don't even tell me. I'm going to tell you. I'm going to tell you. Okay. Isn't she like a senior editor for The Athletic in Canada? So, and we didn't talk about Yahoo.

So, tell me what happens after the Toronto Star where you were for a decade. So, Steve McAllister says, do you want to come and work with me at Yahoo? You can cover junior hockey full time. You know, you don't have to worry about doing the copy editing during the day and then doing the hockey on your days off. You can just focus on the hockey. I was like, sure. So I ended up going to Yahoo Sports. Yahoo Sports. Yeah. Okay. How long were you at Yahoo Sports? Six years. Okay. Good Yahoo Sports. Yahoo Sports.

Okay, how long were you at Yahoo Sports? Six years. Okay, good for you. I know. It was a long time. And then what happens with Yahoo Sports? Why do you leave Yahoo Sports? Then I get laid off.

Like everyone, almost everyone in our industry. Right. I get laid off and I go and work part-time at the cbc doing news which i loved because it was something completely different and new um i had never done like can you be more specific like what do you mean were you working on the tv side the radio so i was working um on the web desk okay um so i was doing um copy editing of news stories i was also working on features uh feature editing while i was while i was there but on the on the website uh fully digital amazing yeah it was great it was an amazing learning experience um and it actually

i think it helped me grow as an editor working there, um, doing something different that was outside of sports. Were you full time or was this? No, I was part time. I was part time. So, okay, that's cool. And just because I'm going to, we got two more jams to go here and, uh, I do want to spend a little time on the athletic.

Like how does this opportunity arise? Like how do you end up at the athletic? does this opportunity arise like how do you end up at the athletic um so while i was at cbc the athletic had um just started i think they might have been um like six or seven months into the toronto operation and um sean fitzgerald who is a very dear friend, said, hey, we need a copy editor. Might you be interested in coming and doing some copy editing for us? And he was a very early hire at the athletic. He was. And I think he had spoken to James Myrtle and they were on board.

And at that point, honestly, I was looking to exit the industry because I thought, like, I'm just going to do this part time CBC thing and look for a full time job outside of the industry. And they were like, will you work part time for us? And so I was like, will you work part-time for us? And so I was like, okay, fine. Like if you need help, I will work part-time for you and then work part-time for the CBC until I find a full-time job outside of the industry. Okay, so I went into the Toronto Mic'd archives

and it is a pretty early episode. In fact, we're not even taking a photo by the tree yet, which, okay. So it is James Myrtle and Sean Fitzgerald. Put a hyphen between Fitz and Gerald. They came over to discuss this new venture, The Athletic. So we're back in, this is 2017 when they come over. And they were early Canadian hires for The Athletic, focusing on Toronto.

And we talked about what is this thing? And it's exciting that all these years later, The Athletic, focusing on Toronto. And we talked about what is this thing? And it's exciting that all these years later, The Athletic's still going. That's great for sports journalists like yourself. Yeah, so I started in June. I'm not sure what month they were on your show. January. Oh, okay.

January 2017. So I started in June of 2017 there part-time. And then in September, they were like like we want to bring you on full time um and you can work from home and so i had my son was um in uh daycare at that time and i was commuting um you know from my home all the way downtown for the CBC gig. And so I was like, you know what, if I can work from home, it's just going to be so much easier. Yeah, for that work-life balance.

And so I said, okay, fine. I know I'm trying to get out of the business, but I will come. But where were you going to go? I was looking for comms jobs, looking to move into communications. Any regrets that you didn't do that that I feel like that's a pretty good place for a sports journalist I know you know what

no only because I don't know if I would have had the work from home thing because remember this was long before yes this was long before the pandemic so yeah I so no I don't I don't think so look i remember i've been working from home since 2011 and i remember at the time it's yeah that was the holy grail like if you could

find the work from home gig and that's what i had worked for a german software company and i got to work for my home's office and it was like not many people had that luxury and you're like this is the way to live like you suckers going in the office like what's wrong with you and then of course the pandemic hits and then it's like everyone and their uncle is like oh i can work from home now it's like ah like i had that that was my special thing but it's gone now so you you took the gig at the athletic so we're going to kick out this penultimate jam your second last jam and then i'm going to grill you with more athletic questions but here let's get a little hip-hop in the mix here I won't let nobody press up and mess up the scene I set I like to stand in a crowd, but lots of people wonder, damn But think about a thing you understand

I'm just an addict addicted to music, maybe it's a habit I gotta use it, even if it's jazz or the quiet storm I honk a beat up, convert it into hip-hop form Like a rhyme in graffiti and every show you see me in Deep concentration, cause I'm no comedian Jokers are wild, if you wanna be tamed I treat you like a child, then you're gonna be named Another enemy, not even a frenemy

Cause you'll get fried in the end when you pretend to be competing Cause I just put your mind on pause and I complete when You compare my rhyme with yours I wake you up and as I stare in your face You seem stunned, remember me? The one you got your idea from But soon you start to suffer The tune will get rougher

When you start to stutter That's when you had enough of Fightin' it'll make you choke. You can't provoke. You can't cope. You should have broke. Because I ain't no joke. This is my hip hop right here.

Wow. Okay. What are we listening to? Eric B and Rakim. Early too. Like I feel like this is like a really early jam for these guys. Paid in full. This was like the first thing I bought with,

the first hip hop album I bought with my own money. That's exciting. So it wasn't run DMC like everybody else. No, no, it was, it was, it was this. And I remember reading an interview at one point where Rakim said that he purposely wrote his rhymes for this album without any swearing so that they could get radio play so that he could get paid in full. Right. Right.

Right. So I just, I loved that. Like, absolutely loved that. And as you know, Eric B. is president, so this is awesome. Okay. Love it so much. So you not only rocker, you mentioned you had an eclectic taste off the top here. So are we going to get like 10? I was like, are we going to get 10 headbanger jams?

Like where I wish I had more hair and I could just do my thing or whatever. But no, you're mixing up some great hip hop here too. So you're eclectic in your taste. And Flava Flav is in this video. So that was kind of my public enemy tangent. There's a guy I'm glad is still with us. Like,

I think they're in their 60s now. For sure they are, I think. But Flav, Flav, like, and a lot of people, you know,

because public enemy nowadays, like, when I talked to Chuck, it was public enemy radio. Right. Which is public enemy minus Flav because Flav had a border issue. Right.

I think I caught the, I know I was at the last Public Enemy proper gig in Toronto, which was amazing. Like, best thing ever. But okay, so where am I here? A lot of people are like, oh, you know, Chuck D and the Bombscar. And now it's DJ Lord. It used to be, of course, Terminator X. But that's Public Enemy. I'm like, no, my Public Enemy includes Flav.

I need that Flav in there. It's part of the package. I feel like you can't... It's too much... You can't be Chuck D without a little Flav in the mix. Yeah, and he was also doing that Prophets of Rage stuff too, right? Yeah, absolutely.

He's all over the place here. Are you familiar with Run the Jewels? Yeah. Yeah, so their dynamic kind of reminds me a little bit of Run the Jewels in that Killer Mike is rapping about injustice and politics and things of that nature, and LP is rhyming about the size of his dick.

So, you know, yeah. All the ground is covered there. What exactly are you doing with The Athletic today? Today, I'm looking after three NBA teams. I've got writers in three NBA markets and I manage, sorry, I've got four writers in three NBA markets and I manage, sorry, I've got four,

four writers. You can't keep track of them all. I know. Four writers in three markets. And so I manage and manage them and take care of them. Which markets? I've got two in Boston covering the Boston Celtics, J King and Jarrah Weiss.

I've got Eric Kreen, the awesome. You know, I invited him on the show years ago and he politely it wasn't the right time he politely took a pass should i take another i feel like eric should come on toronto mic i i i think so you can try i don't think yeah the worst you can say is no exactly yeah um the awesome eric crean because he's the guy right he's the guy who kind of uh brought the term hot take into the forefront he did he was the guy, right? He's the guy who kind of brought the term hot take

into the forefront. Yes, he did. He was the originator of the hot take. Wow. Okay. That alone gets you on Toronto, Mike. But I did just, I did pre-pandemic, I did reach out to Eric. I thought he'd be a natural and maybe I'll take another run at that. And I think if I can, if Ryan Walstad is listening, because I mentioned him earlier, he covers the NBA for the Toronto Sun. He covers the Raptors specifically, but he loves his hip hop. He's more of a 90s hip hop guy, but I think he definitely

appreciate that jam. But your final jam will be right in Ryan's wheelhouse. I just also want to say Kelly Aiko, who covers the Houston Rockets, is also part of my group too. I'm glad you finished.

Don't leave anyone out. You can't keep track of them all. I don't want to forget Kelly. How are the Raptors doing so far? How are they doing? I think that sigh says a lot. Big sigh. That's a must sigh.

I think, I don't know. Did you see their game on Saturday against the Celtics? No. Okay. Well, I think,

I think in that game, you saw where the bar was set and, and by the Celtics and you, you saw where the Raptors are and it's not quite, it's, it's not quite there. I think they've got to, to make a, a few decisions as they head towards the trade deadline in February.

Okay. So speaking of decisions, Masai once made a decision to trade for Kawhi Leonard. Yes. This happened to everybody. Okay. We remember. Okay.

Yes. I find it interesting as I monitor the NBA, because I'm a fan. I do find it interesting what's going on with the Clippers. Like I find that whole dynamic fascinating. I think they're 0-4 since James Harden joined the Clippers. But you can look at that team and then you see the results. They lost to a bad team, right?

Yesterday? Is that yesterday they lost to the... Well, I just find it interesting. Kawhi makes this decision to go home. He didn't re-up with Toronto and that's fine. But imagine this alternative history where Kawhi Leonard signs again, let's run it back with the Toronto Raptors and that core is still intact. Instead of of doing what he does which is goes to the Clippers

and well we've seen what's happened there but I honestly think that's one of the reasons why I love the NBA so much is just the the drama of it like the James Hardensens the uh kairi irving's you know like there's always there's always something you know it's a bit soap opera ish uh to some extent but yeah i mean do you remember how crazy people in toronto were about re-signing yes they do you know like restaurants helicopters were following like oj, it was like the OJ chase. Right. Um, you know, and restaurants were offering him free meals. Right.

Uh, yeah, it was, it was nuts, but we got the chip. Like I do sometimes look back and say like, it's amazing that all came together because for whatever reason, and maybe it's probably because we're based in,

you know, Canada, the only franchise in Canada right now. Uh, but like these guys like Kawhi Leonard, when they're able to choose their destinations, they don't come here. They just don't come here.

So you got to kind of, Masai has to be a perfect storm of trades and balance and stuff to create a team. And then we did it. We actually won the 2019 NBA championship. We could easily live the rest of our life and never ever get another chip for those aforementioned reasons like it's kind of amazing that that perfect storm took place and that we

were able to win it yeah i think it's it's it's actually rare that those things work because you see how many other teams in the league have built um you know super teams you know you look at the a team like the nets or like the the sixers you know they try and build these super teams you know you look at the a team like the nets or like the the sixers you know they try and build these super teams and it just it collapses like in the most miserable way um super teams which we didn't have them growing up these super teams but i feel like the celtics were the first when they got they they brought in ray allen and uh like there was a celtic super team that did win the championship uh yeah with the big three and yeah 2018 well earlier than that i think uh much earlier than that i think but then of course the lebron james taking his talents to

south beach that was the super team that won two out of four like yes and they made i think they went to the finals over four years so okay we'll keep our eye on everything but uh part of me i will admit this to you i talked about schoden freud off the top when i see the oilers are having a shit storm of a season. But part of me, since Kawhi Leonard said, I'm going home, I'm going to play for the Clippers, I've been like rooting against the Clippers ever since. Like, I just kind of like the idea that Kawhi,

you made the wrong choice. You will never win again. And so far, so good. Yeah. Does that make me an asshole? No, but you know what? There's also a lot of health issues with that team. Like Paul George is like always injured.

Kawhi's had like, you know, injury issues. I don't wish him ill. No, I don't want him to be like hurt. I just would like the Clippers not to win the NBA championship with Kawhi. Like I know this, I think it makes me an asshole. I don't think you have to wish too hard right now, for that uh i'm getting my getting my way so the athletic who's the current ownership of the athletic uh the new york times so how is that going since that big change like that was a significant change yeah it's it's going well um you know we we are grateful to have had Alex and Adam who were there before the New York Times bought us.

But it's going well. The transition has been good. Okay, good. And if it wasn't going well, you wouldn't tell me anyway. So this is good. Mark, when Mark heard that you were coming on, said, I'm here for Saniya's updates on wacky names of draftees. That's like my favorite that's my favorite thing the western hockey league draft um and i don't think they're

necessarily wacky names i mean obviously i'm somebody that has uh a different name um senaya yes yeah it's not it's not like a traditional north american name nope um but i love i just i love some of the names that uh appear in the western hockey league draft so i did look at your tweet i guess because i like these as well so i'm just gonna run off just a few of these names before we get to your final jam but uh and i'm gonna cherry pick some of my favorites here but steel bass or is it bass bass how low can you go what is it steel bass i think it's steel bass okay steel bass though is an amazing name yeah okay but coy funk okay coy k-o-y funk is an amazing name can you imagine steel bass although

i want to change it to bass like so it's steel bass and coy funk playing for the same team yeah the thing i really um love about the draft is like sometimes i'll i'll mention um like loving a name and then you know somebody's parent will be like that's awesome we're so happy you like it he was named after like his grandfather you know like and that's the thing that i love the most is when is when i find out how their names came to be benton man i think that's a pretty good name and there's a great name too uh hayden iron shirt like that get that on a jersey imagine your jersey on the back it says awesome like that on a jersey. Imagine your jersey on the back. It says Iron Shirt. Like that is a great name. And the other thing is like if I was writing a play or a movie or a book, like these are definitely names that I would steal.

Right. For whatever project. For your character name. Okay. Then one last name just because I wonder if he's related. So there's a player you shouted out named Zade Penner. And this is the Western Hockey League. Of course, Fred Penner lives a lot of his time now.

He spends a lot of his time in Winnipeg, Manitoba. I just wonder if Zade Penner has any relation to Fred Penner. And maybe that's an athletic article. We've got to dig into this and see if you can write about this for The Athletic. So you'll find out from me if Zayd Penner is related to Fred Penner. Yes, if you don't mind. Fred Penner also had a great FOTM. Okay, so let's kick out this final jam and then we'll

mop up and we're going to play the uncensored version because that's how we roll on Toronto Mike. So cover your children's ears. Let me rock. Let me catch. You ready? Let me bone. This is all of his ancestors.

Yo. Yo, what's up, son? What's up, kid? What's going on, kid? Yo, man, I'm just doing my thing, man. What's going on, man? I'm trying to knock it. What's going on, man?

What's going on? Yo, 2-5-0-8, man. 2-5-9. You know how we work, man. You cash from everything around me. Cream, get the money. That's a dollar, dollar bill, yo. I grew up on the crime side

The New York time side Staying alive was no job Had second hands, moms bounced on old men So then we moved to Shaolin land A young youth, they're rockin' the go-to Low goose, only way I begin to geo Was drug loot, and that started like this, son Ballin' with this one and that one

Pullin' out gats for fun but it was just a dream for the team who was a fiend started smoking moves at 16 and running up in gates and doing hits by high stakes making my way on fire skates no question i would speed for cracks and weed the combination made my eyes bleed no question i would flow up and try to get the door. Sticking up white boys on ball courts. My life got no better.

Same damn low sweater. Times was rough and tough like leather. Figured out I let the run rap. So I got with a sick ass click and went all out. Catching keys from proceeds. Following in their PVs. Every week we make 40 Gs. Yo nigga respect my. A nigga to take natch. Chabow. Move from the gate now. Amazing. What are we listening to?

The Wu-Tang Clan and Cream, Cash Rules, Everything Around Me. Off of their unbelievably awesome album, 36 Chambers. Is this your favorite hip-hop album of all time? Maybe. It's up there, for sure. For sure. I was thinking about it. If there was a zombie apocalypse,

like I would, I would protect this album. You got to protect your neck first. And, and this, my neck and this album, just because when it came out, I just remember like,

it was like the air had been sucked out of the room. It was just so awesome. Like it was a the air had been sucked out of the room. It was just so awesome. Like, it was a game changer. I'd never heard anything like it. We talked earlier about the Kung Fu movies. Yes. The type of Bollywood. Yes.

Yeah, and I love that too. Like, you know, Shaolin Assassin, Lone Wolf and Cub. Like, they incorporated that into their music. And I love the fact that they would just throw weird stuff into their rhymes, too. I think it's Protect Your Neck, where RZA is rhyming about, I caused more family feuds than richard dawson i caused more family feuds than richard dawson right you're like who's who's rapping about richard dawson beastie boys but you know what i mean like no but it is a very that's a very beastie boys thing

absolutely right but what i always loved as a youngster listening to paul's boutique or whatever were or even more recently you know i got mad hits like I was Rod Carew. Like all these like shout outs to these members and pop culture people and stuff. Amazing. Do you remember when RZA was rapping as Rakim? Do you remember? We love, oh, we love you, Rakim.

Do you have any memory of this? Oh, we love you, Rakim, Rakim. Like the blow a kiss. Okay, just saw it on Rap City one day as a teenager and never forgot it to be quite honest. Okay. So, cash rules everything around me. I waited for those words so I could tell people about the Raymond James Canada podcast.

See what I'm doing there? The Advantage Investor. Because whether you already work with a trusted financial advisor or currently manage your own investment plans, the advantaged investor provides the engaging wealth management information you value as you pursue your most important goals. host of the Advantage Investor, which people should subscribe to right now, is a gentleman named Chris Cooksey, whose son is Cole Cooksey, who is a hell of a hockey player. He's actually playing for an American university right now in the NCAA,

but he's a hell of a hockey player, Cole Cooksey. So I'm just throwing that name out there. I will remember that name. Cole Cooksey. Shout out to the Cookseys and that great podcast there. So how was your Toronto Mike debut? How was it? It was awesome. And can I just say props to you on that segue? That was pretty awesome. I held on to that one because I knew at some point you were going to hear Cash Rules Everything Around Me. We lost ODB so way too soon, eh sure but now his son is uh his son has joined them like uh

on stage and on their tours so and he sounds he sounds like eerily similar wow so okay on that note since you talk about sons who sound similar is uh so i just re-watched the sopranos in its entirety because my wife had never seen the sopranos and it's one of my favorite shows of all time so i just re-watched it we literally watchedos in its entirety because my wife had never seen The Sopranos and it's one of my favorite shows of all time. So I just re-watched it. We literally watched the finale like three nights ago. So I know there's like 85 or so episodes we get through it. But then what I did right after the finale is I decided to watch,

because I'd never seen the movie, The Many Saints of Newark, which is a prequel, which is sort of like how you get Tony Soprano. And Tony Soprano in The Many Saints of Newark is played by James Gandolfini's son, Michael Gandolfini. Oh, wow, I did not know that.

Yeah, so it's actually kind of interesting because, yeah, so teenage Tony is in this movie played by James Gandolfini's son. So that's sort of like what you're talking about with ODB there. Yeah. All right. By the way, it's funny because your name is pronounced the way it's spelled and for some reason i even it

was a simple beautiful name sunaya am i saying it right sunaya sunaya yeah i know it's funny how it trips you up do you find people butcher it all the time like like all the time they move the y up maybe like sunaya or i'm wondering how do they typically butcher it? In any way possible. Like, yeah. I get, sometimes I even get like Soraya or Sonia. Yeah. Sonia, have you ever considered changing it to Sonia?

No. No, good for you. Don't do that. Don't do that. I don't even like nicknames except for Mary calling me Sonny. That's the only, that's it. Son's it sunny yeah she's the only one well shout out to mary ormsby she's she might be listening she's a fan of the program here and when she sees you're on

i think she'll definitely uh cherry pick this episode before we say goodbye with some lowest of the low i i know you do listen like do you have any favorite episodes of Trona Mike? You know what? I really liked the Biff Naked interview only because I thought her music taste was like... Pantera? Yes. Walk? Awesome.

I really liked her music. I really liked the Chuck D interview only because that part at the end where he mentions that the album title came from a now magazine article yes that was crazy to me that blew my mind and that gentleman actually has a show on cbc oh do you know who wrote that article yeah i'm gonna tell you in two seconds because i uh you keep telling me about Tonal Mic'd episodes and I'll find out. So, yeah. And then, of course, Mishy Mee.

Love Mishy Mee. I love her too. I liked her episode as well. And then the OG, Maestro Fresh Wes. That was a great episode too. Yeah, he's living in New Brunswick now. Oh, wow. Really?

Yeah, he moved out like during the pandemic. He moved out here but uh yeah i love that guy too okay and you ever listened to like fellow sports media people um i listened when sean was on um sean fitzgerald oh yeah well yeah he's been over a few times you have to do that how's he doing these days by the way he's good you know what i actually had lunch with him last week um and he's he's doing well did you tell me you were coming over i did because he likes to tell you that you're coming to mimico and then i get all mad like this is like a recurring bit we have where he tells me he's in mimico and then i say you're not in mimico and i get all angry like a wrestler or something he he told me to be prepared because mike he said mike will throw uh we'll throw you got all kinds of questions

sometimes I do that yeah for you you know what I said no she's getting a pass she's lovely she brought me pastries and we're kicking out the jam she got by the gentleman who who I believe it's Errol Nazareth oh okay and Errol Nazareth of course has a great program on CBC radio and actually I did ask him to come out and kick out of the jams. And he's been noodling it for 10 years now. But yeah, he was shouted out by name, by Chuck D. And what I figured, here's what happened. So Chuck D, who I've loved forever,

well, at least, you know, since the Obama-Rushto show, I love Chuck D. And now I'm getting my 20, I think they said 20 minutes. That's what they said to me. Even though I think he would have gone much longer, but there was like a lady in the corner, like tapping the watch, like I had 20 minutes and i don't normally

say yes to 20 minutes in fact jason priestly is coming on the program and they said 20 minutes and i said no like jason priestly's not chuck d but i said yes to chuck d because he's chuck d and i said i'll do 20 minutes and it was in person but um what i decided is like i don't want to read he's done a million interviews and we can hear chuck d anywhere but who's asking chuck d about the toronto scene of dj ron nelson and playing the first hip-hop shows and touring ontario like so i'm like i know where i'm going with him because you're not going to get that anywhere else and it worked out very well i had no idea that they played places like sudbury like that was like i would have loved to go and see them. Yeah.

In Sudbury. And it's fun to just hear Chuck D just say the word Sudbury. Like that was kind of a thrill, but I will, Errol Nazareth, if you're listening, cause I'd like, I love how this guy talks about music.

I think his show is called big city, small world. And it's every Saturday on CBC radio one. And I, apparently he's like buds with Chuck D. So not like they're actually friends now. In fact, I'm looking at a photo of him wearing a Chuck D. So they're actually friends now. In fact, I'm looking at a photo of him wearing a Chuck D shirt, a Chuck D hat.

So Errol Nazareth, future FOTM, but current FOTM. Sunaya, love this very much. Thank you so much, Mike, for having me on. This was so much fun. What's next for you? You're going to just enjoy your good work at the athletic or do you have

like a vision in mind of where you'd like to go? No, just trying to take every day as it comes. Like seriously, just trying to survive. Just trying to survive. Remember,

cash ruins everything around you. That's right. Don't forget that. Dollar dollar bills, y'all. And that brings us to the end of our 1,365th show you can follow me on twitter and blue sky i'm at toronto mike how can we follow you sinaya um on x i guess at uh sinaya s and i'm also on blue sky at the same handle sanaya s is blue sky gonna take off at some point like i'm there and i'm kind of keeping the fires burning just assuming one day elon is gonna chase me out of the app formerly known as twitter like but it is missing people

like i have to say like i can go all day and like there's's like, and it's all Norm Wilner, maybe a little Mike Wilner. It's just, you know, there's not a lot going on there. No, I hope it does take off, but I mean, a lot of the people I love are,

are to follow her there. So I'm going to keep going with it. So yeah, I mean, the other place is pretty much a hellscape now, so it's tough. Still hellscape. Absolutely. But still the best game in town,

which is kind of interesting to me. Yeah, I wish more sports people would move over to Blue Sky. There's definitely a dearth of sports people at Blue Sky. So, yeah. Shout out to Mike Wilner. And much love to all those who made this possible. That's Great Lakes Brewery. That's Palma Pasta.

That's Raymond James Canada. That's Moneris. That's Great Lakes Brewery. That's Palma Pasta. That's Raymond James Canada. That's Mineris. That's Recycle My Electronics and Ridley Funeral Home. See you all. This is where in real time, I should always do this ahead of time, but I'm going to in real time

tell you who's next on the program. Okay, Blair Packham is coming here to kick out the jams on Wednesday. We haven't had Blair on the show and he's going to kick out much like you. He's like, he said his first jam kicking was like slower songs, and he wants to kick out the hard stuff. So we're going to get the hard stuff from Blair Packham on Wednesday.

See you all then. Because everything is rosy and green Well, I've been told that there's a sucker born every day But I wonder who Yeah, I wonder who Maybe the one who doesn't realize There's a thousand shades of green Cause I know that's true Yes I do