Hebsy On Sports

In this episode, me and @torontomike get into the BlueJays latest woes, which include injuries to Kevin Gausman and George Springer.   Plus the fact that they've lost 6 of their last 7, including an 8-3 loss to Seattle in front of several thousand BlueJays fans who made the trek down from Canada.   We also talked about the greatness of Shohei Ohtani, and how no athlete has accomplished what he has.   The NHL draft saw some surprises, including a Slovak exacta with the first two picks.  Neither is named Shane Wright, who went 4th overall to Seattle.  The Leafs cleared up cap space by trading down from 25th to 38th, and got Mrazek's 3.8 million off the books as he's off to Chicago.     Nadal withdraws from the semifinals at Wimbledon with an injury, but I believe had it been the final, he would've played.    Plenty of passionate, unfiltered sports talk.   Hope you enjoy it!

This episode features just me and @torontomike.   No guest.  We got into several interesting topics, including the BlueJays and how tough the A.L. East is this year.  As well, six Jays are finalists for the All Star game, and 3 more could potentially make the team.    We also talked about the problems Hockey Canada has in the wake of the sexual assault allegations against 8 former members of our World Junior team.   Sponsors are dropping like flies and an investigation continues.   Rogers Hometown Hockey is no more.  Tara Slone is out, but Ron MacLean stays on HNIC.   More personnel changes coming, perhaps?   NBA Free Agency is on the way, and several big name players have signed huge contracts.   Should the Raptors make a play for Kevin Durant?     Bad news for Canadian tennis fans:  Nobody is left at Wimbledon.   Major disappointment not seeing FAA, Denis or Bianca.   And, o

This episode has Mark ranting about Toronto street festivals and calling out members of the Quebec sports media who didn't even give Auston Matthews a Top 5 vote for the Hart Trophy.   As well, Mark and Toronto Mike get into the NBA draft, which was a wonderful made for TV event.  Is Alejandro Kirk the next Yogi Berra?   We welcome Sportsnet's Jamie Campbell to the show.  Jamie has been doing BlueJays games for 17 years, now.  He has some great stories, and we share out love of baseball.   Hope you enjoy the podcast.

On this episode, Toronto Mike and I talk about the terrible traffic problems in Toronto, and how the BlueJays want the city to re-open Lakeshore Boulevard so that their fans can drive to the stadium without having to encounter massive traffic tieups.     We talk about the Jays not having enough starting pitching and should they trade one of their catchers.   Also, the NBA champion Golden State Warriors have now won 4 of the last 8 titles, and have been to six Finals.   A dynasty?   Absolutely.    We get into the panel on HNIC and some of the changes there.   And, Detroit Red Wings play by play broadcaster Ken Daniels joins the show at about 30:00 with some great stories about what it's like to hang out with Mickey Redmond, who is like the Don Cherry of Michigan, as far as popularity goes, that is.   Hope you enjoy the show.  

This episode begins with a discussion about the LIV golf tour that is handing out hundreds of millions of dollars to people like Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson.  The money is so great that several PGA players have resigned from the tour to accept the Saudi money.   Toronto Mike and I have differing thoughts.  Also, the latest on the BlueJays as they've called up catcher Gabe Moreno for their weekend series in Detroit.  He's expected to get a good long look as the Jays continue to battle the incredible Yankees (41-16) in the AL East.   We talk about the Canadian Open, Canada soccer and at about 25:00, Darren Pang joins us from his home in Michigan, and gives us a look at his lakefront property as we see his dog, Bruce, go after some waterfowl.   Darren talks about his career as a goalie, his life behind the mic for ESPN, TNT and the St. Louis Blues, and he reveals his NHL neighbors who live nearby on that lake in Michigan.    Hope you enjoy this ep

This episode is chock full of great sports talk.  Toronto Mike and I get into the BlueJays 8 game winning streak and I go off against the Official Scorer from Thursday's game, who gave an infield hit rather than an error on a play that cost Alek Manoah 3 earned runs.  We also get into the Edmonton-Colorado game, the National Anthem screw up, why women's tennis is less appealing than men's, the NBA final that had a shocking result, and much more.   At 30:00 we are joined by Joe Tilley, who, for over 30 years, delivered the late night sports on CTV Toronto (CFTO TV).   We get into Joe's career and he tells the story of how we almost came to blows back in 1988 during spring training.   George Bell was the cause of all this furor, and CHCH TV's Fred Anderton didn't help matters, either.    Joe is a great storyteller, and is especially passionate about boxing.   Hope you enjoy the show.

Hebsy and Toronto Mike got into the thrilling and controversial overtime win by the Edmonton Oilers over Calgary.   The Oiler have adopted the Los Lobos rendition of the song "La Bamba" as their celebratory tune in the dressing room after each win.   We also discussed the BlueJays and, despite last night's win in California, the need to add more depth to their roster, especially in the outfield.   Also, a suggestion that Joey Votto might be worth a look.  We talk tennis and a big win for L.A. Fernandez at the French Open.   Golf, too, as well as the NBA playoffs and our special guest James Sharman talks all things soccer in advance of Saturday's Champions League final between Liverpool and Real Madrid. James joins us at the 30:00 mark.    The show is sponsored by @crosswindsgolf.com      Hope you enjoy it.

On this episode, Toronto Mike and I talk about the Maple Leafs collapse and their futility over the past 5 post-seasons.  Shanahan, Dubas and Keefe should all be held accountable.  We get into the Stanley Cup playoffs, and how good the Tampa Bay Lightning defense is.   They're all well over 200 pounds and as tough as they come.  We talk baseball as the Jays are 8 games back of the heavily favoured Yankees.  They need to go 72-52 from here on out in order to win 92 games.   And that might not be enough to gain a post-season berth.  We also get into the NBA Playoffs. Tim Peel joins us at the 30:00 mark and he has some great stories about his many years as an NHL referee.  Sean Avery is the biggest jerk he's ever had to deal with.   His Mario Lemieux and Sidney Crosby stories are pretty good, too. We get into golf and tennis, as well.   Hope you enjoy the show.

On this podcast, Toronto Mike and I discuss the Maple Leafs OT loss to Tampa in Game 6.  How the referees made it worse by calling a high-stick that didn't happen.  And how the fans should react at the SBA come Saturday's Game 7.   We also got into the other Stanley Cup playoff series, as well as the NBA playoffs, the Yankees crushing the WhiteSox and the BlueJays big series coming up with Tampa. At 30:00, Scott Carson, the third man in the booth during BlueJays telecasts joined us.  Scott had some great stories to tell about Tom Cheek, Dan Shulman and others.   He also explains his role as stats guru, and how he ended up getting such a plum job.    Also, recollections of his time at TSN, working with such luminaries as Lisa Bowes.      

In this episode, Toronto Mike and I welcome "Agincourt Mike" to the program.   Prior to his arrival at about 30:00, I go after Jays manager Charlie Montoyo for failing to pinch hit George Springer in the 8th inning with a man on and two outs.   I'm convinced Montoyo will get outmanaged by the likes of Francona, Boone and Kevin Cash, among others.    We also talked about the NBA playoffs and the passing of Guy Lafleur.  I found an old interview I did with Guy, and we played that 5 minute clip prior to Mike Johnson's appearance.      Mike remembered speaking to Guy when he first joined the Habs, and his best story had to do with the time he was supposed to meet the Maple Leafs for his first NHL road trip, but things went horribly wrong.    One of the greatest stories I have ever heard, and I happened to be on the airplane that Mike was supposed to be on.    Enjoy!

In this episode, Toronto Mike and I discuss the Raptors blowout loss to the Sixers and their elimination from the series in 6 games.  We also talked about how the BlueJays must stay healthy, especially stars like Vladdy and Springer and Teoscar.  Who will the Leafs play in their opening round playoff series, Boston or Tampa?   At about 30:00 we're joined by the first ever female Executive Producer at CBC Sports, Karen Sebesta.   She told some great stories about being on the road with Hockey Night in Canada, and how she had an autographed jersey signed by every member of the 1998 Olympic team except for Wayne Gretzky.  

On this episode, Toronto Mike and I talk about the death of Guy Lafleur, and I offer up a story of when I covered the Canadiens.  We talk Raptors basketball as they are on the brink of elimination against Philly.  We get into the Maple Leafs and BlueJays, and at about 25:00 we are joined by former Bluejays coach and major league manager John McLaren, who helped develop such players as Lloyd Moseby and Tony Fernandez when they were in the low minor leagues.   John also tells some fabulous stories about Dave Stieb, Damaso Garcia and other Bluejay players from his time with the organization.   A must-listen for baseball fans.

In this episode, Toronto Mike and I discuss the Toronto Maple Leafs smashing victory over the Washington Caps, and the fact that Auston Matthews became the first Leaf to score 50 goals and 100 points in a season.  We also get into the Raptors-Sixers NBA playoff series, and I make a rather bold prediction on the series.  The BlueJays choked and gagged against the Yankees thanks to some defensive miscues and a Merklesque baserunning boner by Matt Chapman in the 9th inning.    Hockey Hall of Famer (media division) Scott Morrison joins us around 30:00 in to talk about his new book commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Summit Series, and talks about his career as a journalist and his thoughts on the late Mike Bossy.

We celebrated Opening Day with a lot of BlueJays chatter, as many are choosing them to win the AL East.   However, we began the show with my story of sitting courtside at the Raptors-Sixers game, and how well the Raps played, despite missing two starters.   Then it was on to the Maple Leafs win over Dallas, and Auston Matthews scoring his 55th and 56th goals, the latter in overtime.  He is now the single season record holder in Maple Leafs franchise history.  Then it was talk of Tiger Woods, and how he's being treated like a religious figure after shooting a one under par 71.         Globe and Mail writer Brad Wheeler joined as at 30:00 to talk about his background, his love of baseball and the time a Globe columnist was too scared to go into the closet, never mind come out of it.

Today we discussed the potential World Cup draw for Canada, the 50th goal of the season by Auston Matthews and how it compares to Rick Vaive's 50 goal seasons.  The Raptors looking to avoid the play-in, the Bluejays a week away from Opening Day, and our special guest Adam Seaborn talks about his area of expertise:  Sports Media.  What advertisers are looking for, the impending death of sports radio, downloads, streaming and of course, TV ratings.

This episode features myself and @torontomike talking about my vacation, the passing of two fine journalists, a salute to Jamie Campbell, the loss by Canada to Costa Rica in the World Cup qualifiers, the Maple Leafs recent surge into 2nd place, and the Raptors big win over Cleveland.    We're joined by Eric Smith at the 30:00 mark to talk more Raptors, and then at about 47:00, Dean Hebscher joins us to talk about "Winning Time", the HBO production about the Lakers and Showtime in the 80s.  Please enjoy responsibly.

This episode did not stream live, but rather was pre-recorded before I went away on holidays.  Nonetheless, it features segments discussing sports media issues in Canada, and the changes involving Tim and Sid, Jay and Dan, Natasha, Brett, Hughie, Buck, Cabbie, Friedge, Cassie, Bieksa, Leo, McCown and more.  What a year it was in Sports Media.   Hope you enjoy it.

From my earliest days covering sports to the season that just wasn't to be, I've followed the Toronto BlueJays as closely as anyone since 1977.  In this compilation, I talk about working with the Jays radio voice Tom Cheek and growing up with those early Jays teams.  As well, interviews with George Bell, about the Bruce Kison karate-kick episode, and Willie Upshaw on that 1985 team that won the A.L. East.   And then there were the ups and downs of 2021, and the persistent injury problems that plagued George Springer and drove me crazy, and finally the bitter disappointment of finishing in 4th place in the division, when a few weeks earlier it looked like the Jays would win a wild card spot. I hope you enjoy this compilation.    A must if you followed the Jays in the 1980s, especially.

On this edition of Hebsy On Sports, Toronto Mike and I get into the Raptors and their “tough” loss to the Detroit Pistons and coach Dwane Casey. The Pistons have won 6 straight against Toronto. The Maple Leafs are still shaken after their loss to Buffalo. We talk about the goalie situation, of course. And our friends at Bodog put out a list of the Top Ten Canadian athletes and it caused a real furor. At 30:00, former BlueJay Garth Iorg joined us for a wonderful talk. He was very forthcoming about his days with Toronto and told some terrific “insider” stories from the BlueJays clubhouse.     Hope you enjoy it. Go to hebsy.online for everything HEBSY.

In this episode, Toronto Mike and I talk about the Maple Leafs victory against Minnesota and how Auston Matthews continues to impress as the top goal scorer in the league.  We got into the Raptors and their tough schedule post-all star break.  Should they get rid of the dunk contest during the NBA all-star weekend?  Also, our guest, Stewart Reynolds a.k.a. Brittlestar joined us at  30:50 and we got into all kinds of good stuff, like how he got into this project, what it was like growing up in Stratford ON, and his thoughts on several sports-related issues.   We also touch upon tennis, golf and my thoughts on the baseball lockout.   Please enjoy!