[00:00:05] Speaker A: Booyah. And it's time for the Game sports podcast. It is your host, David McKague Jr. The Game sports podcast is powered by 91 n. That's 91 network. Head on over to the 91 n YouTube channel. Variety of podcasts on there for you to enjoy. And the Game Sports podcast is one of them. Make sure you like, follow and subscribe on all of 91 n's platforms and their content, as well as the Game sports podcast content as well on all audio platforms. This is the Monday edition of the Game sports podcast and we're going to start the show off with a bang right off the hop. As everybody knows, if you've been tuning into the TikToks of the Game Sports podcast, recent uploads, there's been some reaction videos per se from yours truly. And in the most recent upload, I did say on Monday we're going to have a lot to talk about. Now, if you've been living under a well, I will fill you in very simply. Well, first, before I do that, let's state tonight's agenda. You got myself and Connor here for the first segment. It's Connor Henderson. I'll introduce him in just one moment. Get through the agenda. Going to be talking about baseball. It's going to be the strike zone segment that's going to be fully invaded for Shohei Otani, news. Pretty simple. In the second segment, you got yours truly for sure. And we are hoping that Dane Hantero and Alex Parr are able to come on by as well to get into some hockey, but as well as some golf and basketball news. Hopefully, all that goes smoothly. But we're here in the first segment nonetheless. Connor, my friend, how's it going?
[00:01:33] Speaker B: I'm doing great, Dave. I'm so hungry right now, but I get the strong sense that I'm not as hungry as Jays fans were for a Shouhei Otani signing. And they didn't get it. They're still waiting in line.
What are we going to do, Dave?
[00:01:49] Speaker A: Honestly, let me revamp the news. Revamp the news anyways, that's the word I'm using here. Shohei Otani signs with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Ten years, 700, that's 70, zero million dollars american. Let me remind you. Ten years, $700 million. Shohei Otani has signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Now on top of that news today, we get a bit more detail about the signing contract details. And I am going to look down at the script here so people understand and give you exact facts. From 2024 until 2034, Shohei is making $2 million a year.
From 2034 to 2043. Shoheo Tani is making $68 million a year. That's ten years from now. Shohei will be 39, 40 years old, likely retired, if not injured out by that point because of pulling out his arm or something. His hip is back, whatever it may be, and he's going to be getting paid.
He did that for a couple of reasons that you can obviously look up online to see. But obviously, one thing that hung out to me, or kind of laid out to me was that he has enough lucrative amounts, get enough income right now already that it's okay with him to make this amount as $2 million a year with the Dodgers. So Shohei takes a pay cut in the front side of the term, but in the backside, it's heavily backloaded this contract, and the Dodgers have a lot of money to pay from 2034 to 2043, like I said, 68 million. But for now, it's only $2 million a year for Shohei Otani. Shohei Otani. Look, Connor, I want your feedback. People have heard my voice enough about it already. But he signs in LA, contract details came out.
Blue Jays fans were apparently this close. I'll have a bit more feedback on that towards the end of this segment, but what is your thoughts, Connor? Shohei signs the biggest contract, let's just say the biggest contract that we have seen in North America sports, obviously in baseball.
[00:04:00] Speaker B: I mean, he's a freak, Dave.
He's a freak.
In no other sport are you going to get a guy like, who's essentially still in the prime of his money making years in his career, get his contract? And this is the best player in the sport, absolutely shattered by over $200 million by this import new player, 29 years old, Shohei Otani, who already has his arm blown off.
And I'm not saying he's not worth the deal. I'm just saying it's such a fantastical situation. It's the closest thing I think we've ever seen in the sport and in our lifetime of having a person planted in their prime into the MLB who, if you were playing a sports video game, you put all the sliders up to 99 in both hitting and pitching. Growing up in baseball, typically your best athlete, your best pitcher, is also your best hitter, is also your fastest runner for a lot of teams. And by the time they make it to the pros, you pick a lane.
Not here. Here he is getting the benefit of being an ace pitcher and getting paid as such, and a 45 to 50 home run guy and he's getting paid as such.
It's truly incredible.
[00:05:26] Speaker A: And I said that in the upload is one of the things. I said that he should be compensated as both because he does both. Right. It does make sense. It truly does. He isn't pitching this year, so is it going to be worth it? Time? We'll tell. We'll see how his arm is next year. But what does this start for Shohei and the Dodgers? Does it make them favorites? Yes.
Does it start a trend in baseball that with this contract maybe things to come? Yeah, I think it does. And there's teams that could do it the way the Dodgers did it. The Dodgers are one, the Yankees are one, the Red Sox are another one. And believe it or not, another team is the Blue Jays. They got money. If people don't understand Rogers media is worth $24 billion. Okay, there's money there. There's money there. So people are wondering where Toronto gets their money. Me, they're the only team in Canada. They get a lot of fans that go to their games when they're good and their company is worth $24 billion. You don't have a salary cap in baseball. It's a luxury tax, let me remind you. So there's a lot of teams, these other teams that have the money too, that I'm not thinking at the top of my head, the Mets, there's another one, as I keep thinking here. So I think Showhay's contract is going to be, I like the comment that I saw where it said is it going to be bad for baseball? And there was differences of opinions. I don't think it's going be bad for baseball, but it's going to be like the ownage of other sports. You find loopholes in contracts, you find ways that benefit other organizations. Do you think the Oakland soon Las Vegas athletics are going to able to do that this current time? Not a chance. Not a chance. Shohei Otani is worth more than the entire Arizona Coyotes organization in hockey. His contract alone, never mind Mookie bats, Freddie Freeman and the list goes on with the Dodgers. Shohei Otani. I said this, connor, and I don't regret saying it because I do think he's a sellout by saying it. But maybe there's a little bit of upset side of things on that. But Toronto I use as an example. He could have went to Toronto and literally changed the face of sports. Never mind baseball. Somebody international going to Toronto, Canada. In a sport known in America for baseball and the hot weather, you could have shocked the world. Went to Toronto and literally had a statue built out there while you win four or five World Series with Vladim Bo and the fellows there in Toronto. But he didn't do that. He took money and went to the Dodgers for the sure thing. Again, referencing the TikTok, I uploaded the I shouldn't say I social media team. I say I can't take that credit. That's bad leadership. The social media team uploaded the clip from Ted Lasso with Rebecca walking in on Zava in the toilet. And that's literally what Ross Atkins should have did to Shohei. It feels like. But let me rewind for a second. Is it fair to say, connor, that maybe the Blue Jays, despite Shohei, went there and they offered the same money, whatever it may be, did they actually have a chance?
[00:08:24] Speaker B: Oh, I think the answer is yes. But if Shohei's team knew what they were doing, then it absolutely made sense to turn it into a pony show. And now when you're a Jays fan, you're looking up at management saying, okay, well, there's no more excuses. Clearly you guys were willing to take the big swing.
[00:08:45] Speaker A: Okay?
[00:08:45] Speaker B: The star decided that when in doubt, I'm going to take my $700 million and earn it on the west coast with Los Angeles weather versus in Toronto with canadian taxes.
And in one sense, he's moving kind of just down the street to a team that he knows will always be competitive for the number one spot. It is truly a rich, getting richer situation. And if you're banking on pedigree or on track record, he picked the better team.
He did. He doesn't have to worry about being the guy.
He can just be a guy on a stacked team.
[00:09:28] Speaker A: And you know what? He is somebody who doesn't have to worry about the pitching side of things. This year, he's going to add a great bat. I heard was reading things that he might even try. Go back in the outfield. He's not going into outfield. Listen, show his arm. He's not throwing no balls this year, especially what you're making. I don't care if they're paying him 68 ten years from now, okay? That arm, they need that arm for next year. There's going to be no left. There's just going to be this this year. Just swings all year. It's swings. Get in the batting cage. Swing, swing. That's all you're doing all year. Okay? Like that song by the all american rejects, I believe, and I better not be sounding foolish by saying that. Swing, swing, swing. I think that is an all american reject song. I almost want to.
[00:10:11] Speaker B: You're asking the wrong guy, Dave.
[00:10:12] Speaker A: I'm right. I did facts check it. I am right. Good. I'm not sounding like an idiot.
[00:10:17] Speaker B: No, I'm with you, Dave. You can't afford to have this guy hurt his arm. Otherwise you're stuck with a 700 million dollar DH, and that's a nightmare situation. He'd be needing to hit 100 home runs a year for that contract to make sense. So, yeah, you're stapling him to the bench, not letting him near the field.
[00:10:35] Speaker A: So let's flip the question then. Did the blue Jays dodge a bullet by not paying this money?
Hold on. So even the Cubs, other teams that were involved, as excited as Blue Jays fans would have been, it would have changed. And I don't think there is a negative to signing Shohei Otani. But in the gray area at little while you're digging in the needle, try to find a needle in the haystack, looking for a positive or light at the end of the tunnel. Is it good? Maybe the Blue Jays didn't spend that much money on Shohei Otani. You know what?
[00:11:05] Speaker B: I'll tell you the ultimate silver lining, the ultimate cope for Blue Jays fans right now will be, it's a good thing we didn't sign him because if he blows out his arm again after coming back from his most recent recovery, that's it. He's 29, so it's not like he's going to be doing better when he's 35. Unless he's Justin Verlander, which we don't know yet.
[00:11:29] Speaker A: Time will tell.
[00:11:31] Speaker B: Yeah. Though I'll tell you right now, if I'm the executive that had the chance to say, I'm the guy who brought in Shohei Atani, I don't care if he blows out his arm. I just think it's so much fun. It's not my money. I would want to be the person remembered for all time of making the biggest signing in north american sports history.
[00:11:48] Speaker A: Yeah, that is the biggest in north american sports. Baseball signing is the biggest. People think football, you think hockey. Well, no, they don't think hockey is the first in America. It's football. And of course, baseball is there, America's pastime. But of course, soccer deals, you think of soccer deals that have been quite lucrative. But Shohei Otani, I've said it is the best player to ever play the game, and not because of. He's not going to break records. I mean, not going to break the records that are there now. He hasn't he joined the MLB a little bit later. What I mean by that is that to be the type of player he is in this era, the type of player how he's a top in the league in pitching when he does pitch and how he's the best in the league as a hitter, to be the best at both positions, that alone tells you that you're the best ball player of all time. It was trout before Shohei Otani came in, then now you got Shohei doing both.
It's foreground conclusion.
[00:12:41] Speaker B: I'll tell you what, Dave, if there's one great thing that comes from this whole saga is I hope that there's more players given the opportunity to play both ways. Because you can't tell me that in the history of the MLB there wasn't a guy who you'll have like a Clayton Kershaw, I think Madison Bumgardner as well, where they can bat like 200 with minimal practice, or a guy like Anthony Ghost who was like a fringe center fielder, but he has a 99 miles an hour left handed fastball, there's guys out there who can do both. And now that they're seeing that a guy like Shohei can get the bag in the way that he has, why would I limit my own earning potential by saying I'm not going to take my 95 miles an hour fastball and plant it in left field when I can throw you 60 innings a year on the mound or 100 innings a year on the mound or 150 innings a year on the mound and make.
[00:13:31] Speaker A: Twice as much pay, even be a bullpen guy. But I know it's a little bit challenging being out of the bullpen if you're batting too. It's not the same.
It's different. So you got to be a starter. And I know the Giants have a prospect in their system. And I apologize to listeners. I had the name up, but I totally lost it. But there are players coming up that are effective and obviously there's some more players on the board that are still to come off the board. Cody Bellinger leaves that list, gets more imports that can be signed as well. And obviously I think Shohei is going to have a little bit of influence behind a few of them. I'm sure the Dodgers aren't done, but the rich got richer. And it's so unfortunate, right? Because as we conclude to the end of the segment, I think it's so fair to say that a few weeks ago, not even a week ago, you're thinking, okay, the Jays are front runners for Shohei well, with the Dodgers, then they were front runners for Soto in a trade, but then the Yankees traded for Soto.
You didn't get Soto then you're like. You're hoping. You're expecting. You're just hoping, right, that one time that Toronto sports could just triumph. It be that thing. He goes and signed with the Dodgers. If there's two teams that I expect somebody to get traded to or sign that are stars, who are the two teams that come to mind? Yankees, Dodgers. If there's a third team, it's the Red Sox. Those are the three teams that get the players. They sign the players, and that's it. And there's one sports team in Toronto who's recently won a championship, different sport. And when they made that trade for that star, going to, I'll say it, Kawhi Leonard. It wasn't like a big wind up thing. Messiah Ujuri went out and did it. He believed in his core, brought in, and they won and he left. So what? He won a title, and he made it so effortless. He was so quiet. It was like, it was some rumors. But Messiah is a musician. This Blue Jays nonsense. They're in the front runner of everything. The Leafs are getting everybody. Okay? Like the NFL, you can look know, the jets are getting everybody. Now you got the Steelers. I'm a Steeler fan, as you see right behind me. There's teams that are always there, that are always competitive, even when you don't think they're going to be. But as far as I can remember, the Yankees, despite not making the playoffs this year, I'd be very surprised if they didn't this upcoming year. And the Dodgers. And would it be crazy to see a Dodgers Yankees finals this year?
It's not crazy. And that's what upsets me. I wish something else would have been different in the wish. I wish that Shohei would even, never mind the Blue Jays. I wish he would have maybe went to Milwaukee Brewers. I don't like just to do something absolutely different, to shock the world because you change the world of sports. But he did change it, for sure, the way his contract's laid out and how much he's getting paid. But Connor, to end up, you got the two teams that are the head of the evil empire, if you will, and they got richer in this offseason. The Blue Jays right now, fans are like, okay, what's next?
[00:16:34] Speaker B: Are you going to, if there's any consolation prize for the Blue Jays fans, it's this little passage, this little proverb. It's better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all. They had Showhay in their hearts for a small moment there, a fleeting moment.
[00:16:51] Speaker A: December eigth was the best day in.
[00:16:53] Speaker B: Blue jeep history, where they're tracking airplanes and we're doing forensic analysis of airport dockets.
[00:17:03] Speaker A: John Morrissey, man, better be in hiding, man.
[00:17:07] Speaker B: He's in witness protection at this point.
[00:17:09] Speaker A: Yeah. Listen, we're sports podcasters or media people, and let me tell you, I've learned something the hard way here. And this took 32 years of loving sports, and this took 32 years of being a leaf fan even, to figure this out. Get this. Don't believe media unless it's the game sports podcast. Let me tell you the truth. But my jokes aside, I will never, ever as a fan or as a sports person unless I see it from that blue check mark and it says confirmed signing. I am not going to look there as a fan of a team or know somebody went there until it says confirmed. Connor Henderson confirmed to the Tigers. Five years, 100 million. All right, confirmed. Done. It's on the dot line. Great. I will add it to the agenda. I'm not going to go on twitter and make up stuff, and I hope John Morrissey feels like a shit on behalf of Toronto fans. But people make mistakes, right? So maybe that's inappropriate for me to say. And I think he felt bad, but very tough one to swallow. And who would have thought a couple months ago, I'm telling Connor that Otani is going to Seattle. The Jays aren't even in the top five. And look at this. They were there. That's an optimism point for Jays fans. But look, guess what? As I shake my computer, I apologize, listeners on the camera, they are not done here. You can still get people, you can still improve this team. Don't be like the fans in mope. Pick up the fan base. This is the time where you can pick up the fan base.
Connor. This has been Shohei Otani edition of the game sports podcast here on Strike zone. We had a few things to talk about there. Any final thoughts on you before we let you go?
[00:18:51] Speaker B: No, I have to go. But it was really fun to get to know twist the knife on this topic. I'm glad that we got to touch base for this emergency call.
[00:19:04] Speaker A: Definitely. And Connor's been on three times this in the past month. We're making records here. Here on.
[00:19:09] Speaker B: I'm looking for my overtime check in the mail.
[00:19:11] Speaker A: Dave, I'm going to add a zero to your check at the end of the week.
[00:19:16] Speaker B: Million. Let's go.
[00:19:17] Speaker A: As more baseball news comes up, we will talk about it here, but a reminder and Connor is here to hear it. Next week will be our last week of recording until the Christmas holiday and the holidays. So on the 18th and 20th, we got to show the 13th, 18th and 20th, and then there will be a break until January the third. So unless big news comes, if a big signing happens, I feel like Connor might be that person I got to call during the holidays.
[00:19:45] Speaker B: Turn my phone off, Dave.
[00:19:47] Speaker A: Yeah, you have to disconnect from work. I get it. Connor, my friend, thanks again. This has been the Game sports podcast has been the first segment on Monday for the strike zone edition or Strike zone segment, may I say, we're going to take a little bit of a breather and then we're going to come back with more sports talk here on the game. Don't go anywhere. And welcome back to the Game Sports podcast. It is your host, David McCag Jr. Continuing to host you here this evening on the Monday edition of the Game Sports podcast. And is December the 11th, 2023. This is the second segment of the episode as well. And I want to say thank you again to Connor Henderson for taking the time to join yours truly in the first segment in the strike zone segment where we talked everything about Shohei Otani, the Dodgers, the Blue Jays, but mostly Shohei Otani. Nonetheless. The game sports podcast, remind you, is powered by 91 n. That's 91 network. You can check out 91 n's YouTube channel for a variety based of content providers here in the second segment. I did mention in the first segment that Dane Hantero and Alex Parr would be joining yours truly, but due to technical difficulties after recording that segment, we were unable to upload it. So unfortunately, it will be just yours truly in the second segment. But I will be sure to bring up any points that they did bring up in their recording as well as get to as much topics as I can here for hockey as well as a variety of sports as promised. And off that I will say there will be hockey discussion. We will consider this, of course, a top shelf segment, but I will also get into the world of basketball. And if time allows, I certainly will give a point about golf. Yes, yours truly mentioned a point about golf, but let me tell you, it's just going to be a point because I will save the content for when Alex rejoins next week on the Monday edition. Nonetheless, let's do a couple of stick handles, let's snipe, let's skate, let's stride through the neutral zone and let's talk some hockey here in the top shelf segment. I want to start with the Edmonton Oilers, and the reason why I want to start with the Edmonton Oilers is because it's funny. A few weeks ago, if not more. We're talking about the Edmonton Oilers being failures to start this season, being frauds, being not good enough. You're thinking about trading this guy, training this guy. They fire the coach, bring in a new coach. Jack Campbell gets sent down to the American Hockey League. This is a team that's in the basement in the National Hockey League. They've lost a game to Vancouver at the time. Very humiliating loss. They then lose to the San Jose Sharks. They hit rock bottom. They were not having fun. You can look on the bench and Connor McDavid looks like he is just dreading every moment playing the game of hockey. But you get a win, you get confidence. Oh, another win. Get confidence. Oh, you start finding that flow again. The Edmonton Oilers have won seven consecutive games to date of this recording, and that could change by tomorrow. Of course, the highly anticipated Conor Bedard and Connor McDavid matchup for the first time. Nonetheless, the Edmonton Oilers are one of the hottest teams in the National Hockey League, and they have climbed back up the standings, and they're now in a position where they're going to be earning respect back in the league and from the media and fans. And this is a team that really, when they were struggling, they kind of struggled at the right time. I want to say if you struggle the midpoint of the season or the end, that can cost you a playoff spot. The Edmonton Oilers right now are battling up their way to ensure that they can at least make a good run at the playoffs, where they have a 55% chance to make the playoffs at this current time of recording. But will it be a win in the division? Probably not. Will it be third in the division? It could be. I don't see them getting second or first because of the way Vegas and the LA Kings are playing, and the Kings are an absolute wagon right now. But the Emerson Oilers have a chance to finish third. But in the recording that we couldn't upload, Dane brought up a good point. Dane mentioned, obviously, Dane Hancho, hockey analyst and of course, general sports analyst overall with the game Sports podcast, mentioned that it almost would be more favorable for the Edmonton Oilers to play the best in the playoffs, but not the best that's within their division. Maybe looking at a crossover against the Colorado Avalanche might be a better game for the Edmonton Oilers, but I don't know if I agree with that point, but I get it where, okay, do you want to play the Oilers for the third time or, sorry, do you want to play the Kings for a third time? Do you see success there? Do you see success against Vegas, or do you think maybe it'd be better for the Oilers to get the wild card now? I don't think the Edmonton Oilers by any means are kind know, trying just to get a wild card spot and not have to finish anywhere in the division. Obviously, Connor McDavid and Leon Dreysat are going to do whatever they can to ensure they can get the highest points that they can in the standings to really get that hot streak going continuing throughout the rest of the season, but including the playoffs. And that's my point. I do not see the Edmonton Oilers failing even when they were down. I did say go look at previous editions. I didn't count the Oilers out. This was a team that I believed could battle back, and if there could be a team that battles back, it is the Edmonton Oilers. And the Edmonton Oilers have done that. A team that I can see doing that is the Calgary Flames. A team that I think if they get really cold and get really behind the camp battle back is Vancouver. But Vancouver's not going to. That's not going to happen to Vancouver. They're a good team this year. They're showing that they're a good team. They're consistent. I don't see any struggles that are going to cause any alarms for them to not make the playoffs. But the Edmonton Oilers to end. My point, the hottest team, one of the hottest teams, the National Hockey League right now, and a big part of it is because Connor McDavid's back, dry, Cyto's back, the power plays back. Everything is clicking. For the Oilers, the goaltending has been better than what it was, which it was only way up from there because it was rock bottom.
But is it a goaltending tandem that can win in the Stanley cup? No, I don't think it is. UC Saros. I think that's a realistic option that the Edmonton Oilers should be exploring and if involves trading one of their goalies and it's going to be the other goalie. Obviously, no one's taking Jack Campbell's contract unless they really find a way to get that contract off the books. But the Edmonton Oilers, I think they have shown that they're going to be in the playoffs, that they could make noise in the Stanley cup playoffs, that this is the team that everyone believed in at the beginning. And if they can just add that goaltending and make a slight improvement on defense, especially more maybe on the bottom pair, at least the second pair, then this is a team that's going to be making some noise that everyone anticipated, but money is going to be a challenge. But will they remain consistent, or will they bring up the old demons from earlier this year and get inconsistent once more? To tell you, like I said, I did never not believe in the Edmonton Oilers coming back, but I did say that they're showing that maybe they weren't as good everyone said that they were, and I still stand behind that point. But the way they've been playing hockey, that's the Emmett Oilers we expected, and if they can keep it up, then maybe I will retract that point. But the Emmett Oilers I think will be a playoff team. They will be a wild card team. They will rebound, and a lot more excitement, I think, is going to come from this Oilers season. I think they're going to add and they're going to try to rebound from this horrendous start.
Other thing in hockey, as I spend a good time there talking about the Edmonton Oilers, the world juniors are obviously our world junior expert, Dane Hantrow. We discussed that in the recording that we couldn't get uploaded. Unfortunately, however, we discussed obviously how the world juniors are going to shape up this year and as next week comes into play and as the holidays come in, as everybody knows, the game sports podcast is going to be taking its Christmas and New Year's holidays as we normally do. So there won't be really any while the tournament's going on shows, unless there's pressing news, of course, but you will have a preview of the world junior hockey championships, and Dane will be on the forefront of that. But as Dane mentioned, there's a lot of players from Canada that they could bring back, but we know aren't coming back. That's Shane Wright. That's Connor Bedard. We know those guys are not going to be going back. Chicago's not sending Badard back. You know Shane Wright's not going to go back. They had their hurrah last year. This is going to be a team that's going to be headed by a Fraser Mitten. You're going to have Macklin Celebrini that's going to be playing the likely first overall pick this upcoming year. This is a team that's going to be a little bit different than last year, obviously. Do I see them being as favorites to win? To be honest with you, I do not. When I look at the United States of America's team and as Dane agreed and as well as Alex agreed, the United States of America are a team that just look like a wagon this year. A lot of draft picks on that team, a lot of young excitement on that team. They haven't had players that are not coming back from last year's team. That's how good this team is. And if I had to look at an early favorite, I don't think anybody's going to disagree. The United States of America are the team to beat in this upcoming world junior hockey championship, but Slovakia, that's another team as well. They look like they're going to be that diamond in a rough team that's going to be really exciting to watch. Canada's still going to be there. I still see them as a top three team. But to see them defeating the United States of America, I don't know if I see that this year. The United States just looks like a powerhouse and the development with the United States just looking very impressive as we progress forward and to see in the future years.
Last point I want to bring up with hockey, actually, I got two more. I lied to you there. The Erica Branson and Nick Cousins incidents. Look, the Erica Branson hit from behind that was received from Nick Cousins. Like the way everything was after Gabranson hit cousins. Look, there's been more vicious hits that we've seen, but Erica Branson is a tough cookie. Cabranson is obviously north of 6ft. Nick Cousins is just under the six foot or just around that six foot area. I don't have their heights up. You can at me if you want, but this is a defenseman that is a defensive defenseman that takes the body and he doesn't mind dropping the gloves. He's been in fights. He's not afraid of doing that. And if you're going to be dishing the body out to someone like Erica Branson, you better be expecting that. And again, I'm going to quote Dane there, he mentioned that exact term. If you're going to be putting that out on Erica Branson, you better be willing to fight back or you better be expecting something to come back at you. Because Gabranson, as soon as he took that hit, he laid motionless on the ice, got up and just went after Cousins, went after the pile. As soon as he got off the ice, he told Pascal Vincent, his coach of Columbus, and said, I got him. I got to go get him. I want him. He goes on the ice and does his action by just absolutely leveling cousins. And as Cousins turtles on the ground, he's getting hit in the back. Guy with punches. He's going, he's going. And it's a rough game for Nick Cousins. And obviously Erica Branson is in the forefront of getting his anger get the best of him. But that's just the type of player Erica Branson is. And I will repeat it, if you're going to dish it with the big boys, you better be able to take it. And that was not a clean hit by Nick Cousins. Was it the most dirtiest? No. Was Erica Branson's more dirty? Absolutely. But let me put a little swirl on this. Gabranson. Cousins. Obviously, Gabranson is going to have a hearing with player safety.
And from what it seems, there's been some suspensions that are going to be laid out. And I will be mentioning a breaking suspension that maybe you have seen before but heard before. But Gabransen had his player meeting today and he was suspended one game.
One game for his actions against Nick Cousins and the Florida Panthers.
Is that enough? Yes.
If Gabranson gets one game, I would have expected some more news to come from Nick Cousins. And there may have been because his hit was not clean. But one point that I'll mention, and I'm taking this right from Alex Parr in the recording, that I will say again that we was unable to upload how Gabransen was laying motionless on the ice, and then as soon as the whistle blows, jumps up and goes, look, Gabransen's a tough customer. Maybe he was, for a moment, out of it there. I'm not too sure. Okay? But he was obviously selling something there. But I'm not going to say that to Gabransen's face because I'd be too afraid to fight that gentleman. But when you get a hit from behind, that's a dirty, not either way of what it is. If it's more dirtier than others, it is still a hit from behind. And Erica Branch took matters into his old hands. And as I said, the swirl that I was mentioning, getting back to that point, Pascal Vincent should get a little chat, too. He let Cabranson back on the ice. But truly, I don't think Pascal Vincent would have been able to hold Erica Branson could not go on the ice. He seemed quite angry. And telling you from a player's perspective, knowing from a coach perspective, when you're in that mood, you're not stopping, especially a guy like Cabranson. And you know what? He took matters into his own hands. And I will say it again. If you can't dish it, if you can't take it, don't dish it. And Nick Cousins dirty head. Gabransen responded, and Cousins did not want anything to do with it. Gabransen has been suspended one game, and speaking of other suspensions, David Perron has been suspended six games for his actions in the game against the Ottawa Senators with, and, you know, Archam Zub, when he was sitting there as Dylan Larkin was on the ice motionless, hands up in the air. It was a scary moment, right? Dylan Larkin, who's obviously the captain of the Detroit Red Wings, big player to lose in a game that is a divisional battle between the Ottawa Senators. A game where Patrick Kane, of course, scores. But David Peron obviously was seeing Dylan Larkin motionless on the ice, took matters into his own hands, picked a guy, picked a number, saw Zube and Artem Zub was in the way of him picking that. And David Peron just went cross checked him. And of course, his actions have led to a six game suspension where he will actually forfeit $148,000 of salary as well. But the money goes towards the player emergency assistant fund. So I guess there's a little bit of a light there. But did David Peron deserve the suspension? I'm going to say absolutely he didn't. I get taking matters into his own hand, picking a number, assuming heat of the moment, just like it was with Gabransen and Cousins. But I think David Perron could have went to it in a little bit of a different way.
Now, the last point I want to bring up in terms of hockey is the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Pittsburgh Penguins right now are at a crossroads. I feel like you got Crosby, you got malkin, you got Latang, you got injury battled. Players such as Russ is going to be out for a little bit more time.
This is a team that's older. Eric Carlson, the firepower that you should have on that power play, it's not there. It's not there. It's not the same. Crosby is obviously, in my opinion, favorite opinion of everybody, but he's great. I'm a big fan of Crosby. Obviously. He's won cups, he's not getting younger, and he's having a stellar season, an absolute stellar of a season for what the team is doing in comparison. And the Pittsburgh Penguins are in a tough division. They're in a very tough position. And if I'm here to look up the standings real quick, and I'm seeing where Pittsburgh is exactly in the standings, this is a team that's second last in their division four points behind the Carolina Hurricanes at this time of recording and they're just two points ahead of the Columbus Blue Jackets. Columbus has played a lot more games, but this is a team that is a part of a division where I feel there's a lot of underachievers, that being Carolina, that being, you know, and I think Philadelphia and Washington are overachieving unless there's something that I missed. But the Rangers are the only team living up to expectations in that division. And perhaps, I guess you can say the islanders, Capitals and Flyers. As I said, achieving overachieving Pittsburgh has been disappointing. And you can look at different media outlets and say, okay, what has been the problem here with the Pittsburgh Penguins? You can point at O'Sullivan as the coach, you can point at the changes, maybe that Dubis may brought in too many different guys, shook up the core too much. Look, this is to no fault of Dubis. This is to no fault of the coach. That's just a core that has been built together there. They're seasoned, they're an older team.
They wanted another run at it. You made a big trade to bring in Eric Carlson. He's doing well from a points perspective, but is he the person that's going to put them over the top this year? Look, Pittsburgh just has to try to get into the playoffs, let alone a wild card spot or even just try to salvage the season. They're under 500 at this point of recording. What's going to help Pittsburgh? Yeah, making more trades, mortgage and more of the future. No, I think the way that this team should have been handled and it's an unpopular opinion, but it's time to look at the rebuilds time look at the retools. But you got to respect the crosby, the plan. Try to bring in Carlson and you have Latang and Malcolm still there after years of being there together, winning cups.
A when you think of a core in hockey, there's multiple cores you think of, but one that always will come to mind is Malcolm Crosby and La Tang and they want to one last hurrah. But it hasn't been great. And if by the deadline they're more out than they seem like they could be in, they got to start looking at other options with players making moves and maybe looking towards a summer where it's going to be a little bit harder for Pittsburgh Penguins fans to say, but anything could happen. The Pittsburgh Penguins can win two games and all of a sudden they're battling up and climbing the division. So the Edmonton Orlando did it. Could the Pittsburgh Penguins do it a little bit more tough. It's definitely an older team, but it's not impossible.
Okay, so we got just a couple of minutes left to. I won't have too much time to get into more than I want to get into, but I want to make sure we touched everything that was already pre recorded with yours truly, Dane and Alex. And two of those points is actually going to be basketball and golf. And yes, I'm going to discuss both in very simple way, in a very simple matter story and more brief than what we did in the recording. But I discussed about the in season tournament with the NBA. And at first, when I saw the in season tournament, these colored floors and what is this nonsense? Why are they doing it? And I know I share a lot of views of other media experts and even players, but then there's the other side saying, hey, this is something different. They're bringing something, a different element to the game. They're trying to get more, something meaningful in season and make the full season more worth it. They're looking at different options. And Adam Silver has said that he felt that it was a success, and he's definitely convinced me. I think it was a success for the NBA. Look at the National Hockey League. The National Hockey League has its Olympics during the season, right? That's the Olympics, though. That doesn't really count as the NHL, but a world championship. Right. They do it before or after a season. They can arrange it to be. You have an all star break. Every sport is an all star break. So there's always something going on in season. So why not make something of more value in the season? Yes, there could be more games, more fatigue, more risk of injury, whatever it may be. So I can understand the worrisome from ownership, but I think the NBA took a leap of faith here, trying to do something different.
And players that were behind this, obviously, LeBron and the list goes on, that were behind all of this. It was great to see.
For the National Basketball association and the Lakers, of course, they defeat the Pacers, they win. They win the first ever in season tournament, and they're going to have a banner put up, a crypto that was announced today. And as Alex Parr said, he said, LeBron James is now the GOaT because he has one more thing that Michael Jordan doesn't. All right, that was a ludicrous comment that I had to share because it's just. No, Michael Jordan will always be number one and will be the Goats. LeBron James is amazing, but he's a number two in my eyes. To me still, I'm sorry at me commentably. Let me know what you think. But still number two to MJ. But the Lakers win. They show that they are still a team that's going to be competitive despite having some older players in the same. LeBron's the oldest player in the NBA. Go figure how time has flown by. But what is your reaction on the NBA in season tournament? Did you like it? Did you feel like it was good? Like I said, I feel like it was. It has grown on me. I feel like it was entertaining. I like the idea, but I do think there's still room and growth for improvement to make the tournament even better. But the only criticism that I guess that I will give is the colored floors. It is what it is and the scheduling and timing of it. But the competitiveness, I feel like in basketball, the competitiveness is not the same that I feel in other sports. I feel like they got to try to do something that's going to up that competitiveness a little bit. This was a step in the right direction, though. But that would be my negative feedback because I feel like sometimes in the game and points in the game, it wasn't the same that you would see in an NBA playoffs in a playoff time.
Last point I'll get to before I wrap up the show is golf. Yes, golf. I'm not going to get know players in particular golfers in and you know the obviously Tiger has made his return back to golf, but that's old news. Alex brought up a good point today, again, for the 6th time that I'm saying this in the segment that I couldn't air due to technical difficulties.
Wouldn't it be something to have a civil war type thing? Right. You got live golf, for example. Obviously, John Ram signed for $600 million. And as Alex said, if he's going to make more money doing something elsewhere, why wouldn't he take the job, right? Is he ever imagine you got Mickelson leading live golf, you got Tiger woods leading the PGA in kind of a matchup, one v, one matchup down the road. Wouldn't that be something in the world of golf to see? And I can't take the credit for that statement. That is 100% the expertise that I will say of Alex Parr and his idea with maybe having something with live golf and the PGA, as he mentioned and as the game sports podcast crew and myself and Dane agree. It's almost like enough is enough with who plays where, who plays what? Yeah, call them a sellout, call them this, call them whatever you'd like, but live golf is paying.
PGA isn't matching that. It's losing talents. Obviously with move there's it was a stunner and it makes you wonder what's next for the PGA Tour. What are they going to do? Obviously you got either side. And that's why I liked that MCU reference. MCU Marvel Cinematic Universe live golf PGA one v, one down the whole way until somebody reaches the top for a big pot of money. Wouldn't that be something? Even make it more interesting. The winner that wins on behalf of their company, live or PGA, that is who takes over the golf scene.
I love crazy ideas. And no, that's from me. That's not from anybody else here on the Game sports podcast. But again, Golf News par will be sure to bring up more news next week as well as other news, especially wrestling. Apparently the game listeners have been missing some wrestling news, so I will have that for you next week, not right now. I'll leave that part to Alex. Hopefully next week we don't run into the same issues with Dan and Alex on the recording. I want to say thank you to you for taking the time for the past 43 45 minutes with yours truly and also with Connor Henderson. And again, we apologize for the difficulty and misunderstanding for the second segment here. Due to technical difficulties, Alex Parr and Dane Hantros and yours truly's segment that we recorded unfortunately was unable to upload. So you did have to see yours truly. But I think I touched enough topics for you to be able to ponder, maybe sit in and hopefully you enjoyed and that you've hit like follow and subscribe. And all the platforms of the game sports podcast in particular are powered by, which is 91 Network 91 n head on over to the YouTube channel. A lot of things coming for 91 n this year, in particular, the offering of NBC services and a website. So you don't want to miss out on that. And if you're interested in being a sponsor of the Game sports podcast or 91 M platforms, just reach out to nine one
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I want to say to everybody out there that as a reminder, we will have a show this upcoming Wednesday. We do plan to have a special edition upload a long way to one that we've been saying for three to four weeks, as well as we will have two more new shows next week before we go on our holiday break. So after the 20th, we will be on holidays from the 20th until the 3 January of course, any hot topic news we will do uploads on TikTok on YouTube, we'll do uploads. But it won't be podcasts, it'll just be quick reaction videos to ensure that we are kept in the loop and keeping you entertained on your favorite and your most electrifying content. The Game sports podcast content.
Until next time, I'm here to remind you, keep your stick on the ice, swing your bats, catch touchdowns, drain your threes, and shoot your shots. Booyah.
