Smorgasbord | The Game Sports Podcast

[00:00:00] Speaker A: Welcome to another edition of the Game Sports podcast. [00:00:03] Speaker B: On this episode, we got stories from Davey's bachelor party and why Nepo babies are running the leagues around the world. [00:00:09] Speaker A: We'll also be getting into news around the National Hockey League with also getting into the 1992 NHL Redraft, the top five and have a blind captain rating test for Alex. [00:00:18] Speaker B: And near the end of the show, I will do my best to not put a muzzle on Dave, but he gets loud when it comes to all the problems surrounding the Toronto blue jayshe. [00:00:25] Speaker A: And of course, the upcoming MLB trade deadline. Let's go. Booyah. And it's time for the game sports podcast. It is your host, David McCaig junior. I am joined by the one, the only, the absolutely amazing Alex Parr. Alex, my friend, how's it going? [00:00:48] Speaker B: Another McLaren victory this morning. You love to see it. Eat your heart out, Max Verstappen. [00:00:54] Speaker A: Let's go big. One thing that we don't talk about a lot on this pod is racing. We used to, but it kind of phased out a little bit. We're gonna have to reintroduce that because that's somebody on my baseball team, on the 91 N Pandas baseball team. Ask if we talked about racing. That's very kind of. [00:01:09] Speaker B: What kind of racing? [00:01:11] Speaker A: F one. NASCAR, all that stuff. And we used to talk about all of it when we were on live radio, but obviously we transitioned, given a few reasons why, and that's maybe something that the fans can let us know if they want more of. And trust me, I may not be that knowledgeable in it, but I got people that are obviously someone follow. [00:01:31] Speaker B: I follow it for sure, but I'm no pro by any means. I'm on the McLaren bandwagon as of last year and it's paying dividends, baby. They are winning. Funny enough, we're already getting off topic on the intro of this, but the Leafs were eliminated from the playoffs and the next McLaren won their first race of the season. And I said, this is probably a sign that I should pay more attention to winners than losers because it felt a lot better Sunday morning than it did Saturday night, let me tell you. [00:02:00] Speaker A: Oh, I bet, I bet. And obviously you heard my introduction already, my pre recorded introduction, about what the agenda is going to be. And as I mentioned, it's going to be. It's going to be an assortment of an agenda smorgasbord of it. And that is the joyous about most of these summer editions, right? There's so much you can grab from only so much. Sorry, you can grab from. And then when after September comes, you're, we are full flight into so many things, right? But obviously, Alex, you know, we are here today, just the two of us, and it's going to be one full segment, commercial free. There's not going to be a break or split in segments. I was hoping that conor was going to join me for a little bit of baseball. But you know what? Alex is going to sit at the end of that and maybe hear some rants by me as Alex loves to hear my rants, as obviously you probably do too, listeners and viewers. But nonetheless, wherever you're tuning in from on the 91 n YouTube channel or audio via Spotify, Apple, wherever, we appreciate you joining us. As I sit here today, I'm gonna tell a little story and I know we're on a 30 minutes time crunch today and the goal is to reach out. Here's the story. I am wearing my Noah Khan concert shirt as people. If you listen to previous edition, I didn't mention briefly in there that I was going to be going to a concert in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, while the concert was in East Troy at Alpine Valley. And my wife and I did go to this trip, on this trip, go to this concert. And when we got to the venue, we had great time, great day, tailgate and met some fine folks from Wisconsin and obviously met others that were traveling from Chicago, from New York. Not too many Canadians were there, but it seems like we're the only Canadians at this venue. But nonetheless, we get into the we understand that it's an outdoor venue and when we got to the venue, the gates opened at six and we did know that there's gonna be some rain later on the night. So people were talking about maybe they should have started the show earlier. Yada, yada, yada. Anyways, 08:00 starts when the show is supposed to start and someone comes out and lets us know that the show is being suspended temporarily due to the weather. We all wait around this venue until about 11 30, 12:00 until they actually officially postpone it. After being there from basically 01:00 in the afternoon all the way till twelve, all we did was basically tailgate and wait in a lineup with people for three or 4 hours before we got to our spot on the lawn. And then we had to wait another hour and a half, 2 hours just to get out of the venue because of the traffic after you can imagine 20 plus thousand people. I think it's actually more. But the show got postponed till Wednesday in September. So obviously my wife and I cannot go so this is the only memory I have of that concert, very sadly. And yes, we are getting reimbursed for the tickets, but we are not getting reimbursed for the trip. But you always make the best out of it. And if you're joining us here today, we appreciate you taking the time. Join us. That's the why I wanted to tell that story and I wanted to share why I'm wearing a Noah Khan shirt during a podcast just to reminisce on what I could have seen. Because you did watch Alex. You did. [00:04:57] Speaker B: Yes. I saw him in Ottawa. It was great. It was awesome. [00:05:00] Speaker A: That's great. I hope you. [00:05:01] Speaker B: It was. The best part about it was there was a roof on the venue, so we didn't really have to worry about that. [00:05:07] Speaker A: So here's the takeaway of the story. [00:05:08] Speaker B: If you're going, Ottawa is better than Wisconsin. Canada is better than America. Final. [00:05:14] Speaker A: Wow. That we may have lost some subscribers, but that's great. That's not great. I'm just kidding. That's funny. Interactions below Canada or states, but nonetheless go to a venue that has a roof. Don't go to an outdoor venue. [00:05:27] Speaker B: That's the scariest thing about planning a golf trip. Like, I've been busting my ass trying to plan this golf trip and like, I could be spending months planning it just for us to show up and fit for terrain for three days. [00:05:39] Speaker A: Don't know my bachelor party at that same thing. Right? You guys had the course booked and. But. And it did rain, but we luckily were able to go. [00:05:47] Speaker B: It was so funny the day we were sitting inside waiting to see what the weather was going to do. It was like 100% chance of rain all day, and it did not rain a drop. I've never seen anything like it. 100% chance. And it never rained. [00:06:01] Speaker A: And honestly, I remember we get on track because obviously the topics we're going to get to today, but I remember our podcast was playing on a loudspeaker. Everyone thought, and everyone thought it was me actually recording a podcast at, let's just say bedtime was 05:00 a.m. and 07:00 a.m. me doing a podcast. Look, as much as I can talk, listen here. [00:06:26] Speaker B: Everybody was trying to get up to go to golf, and I was coming into the room to get you up and going. I think our tea time was like 930. Jerry, if that was you that planned that, that was awful. Why would you plan it for that early in the morning? But you're like, all, like, rolling back. Like, I'm tired. [00:06:39] Speaker A: We're not going. It's flooded. Yeah, we're not going. [00:06:42] Speaker B: We're not going. Nobody's even up. Everybody's already dressed in their golf clothes, ready to go. Nobody's even golfing. [00:06:50] Speaker A: I was still in my. In my PJ's, and I was still sleeping. [00:06:55] Speaker B: You were? Yeah, you were half asleep, and I can't believe we even got you up and going. What a day. I had so much fun that day. I drained, like, a 45 foot birdie putt. It was disgusting. [00:07:05] Speaker A: And a friend of ours won't name him. He slept in the closet. He loved it in the closet with a mattress and just closed the door. That's where we put him. [00:07:18] Speaker B: But it was like a longer walk in closet. We didn't just, like, have a guy in, like, a normal closet with his leg hanging out or anything, like, he was in there. He loved it. He said he was a great sleep. [00:07:29] Speaker A: Oh, yeah, he said he slept, and. [00:07:30] Speaker B: I'm sure better than me sleeping on the fucking floor in the basement because everybody's snoring up a storm. [00:07:36] Speaker A: There was no chance or so much I hate I snoring, and I need white noise. When I sleep, I sleep with. Yeah. [00:07:44] Speaker B: That's why you and Jerry were cuddled up all night, because he knew that he could handle the qualifications. [00:07:50] Speaker A: He's the one that put them on. [00:07:51] Speaker B: Really? [00:07:53] Speaker A: That's a good. [00:07:54] Speaker B: That's not so bad. [00:07:55] Speaker A: That's nothing. All right, sports. I love whooping his show. We have some fun. Okay, so we're gonna go around, as I mentioned at the beginning, and it's kind of gonna throw apart for a little bit of a loop about. We're gonna talk about first because something that I'm ready. You don't know a lot of. Not that. There's another thing. Bronny James Junior. I want to go there first for a minute. Buddy's in the mv and the obviously playing summer league in the NBA, and there's so much media attention around Bronny James. Right. Because of given who his father is. I have never seen so much summer basketball coverage than I have seen this. This summer. Because of, well, Dalton connects a good prospect of the Lakers drafted, but Bronny James junior is a highlight all over the place. Now, the NBA has been talking about, oh, future expansion and maybe players owning teams. Like, now people are rumoring if LeBron's going to own a Las Vegas team, if they expand and so on and so forth. But my point is, LeBroni James hype. Do you think that he will succeed in the NBA this season at all because he is a favorite to win rookie of the year. Yes. People think he's a favorite based on experts, and I'm not going to name where, but look at the fandom pages say that he's a rookie of the year candidate. There's no chance. [00:09:09] Speaker B: Yeah, well, I mean, you and I work very normal jobs, like, compared to, like, most people. And if you've ever seen a NEPo baby rise in the ranks because they're a NePo baby, you'd be like, okay, yeah, that makes sense. That LeBron James junior has a chance at winning rookie of the year. Guy can't hit a shot. Guy can't defend. Guy can't do anything in summer league. It's. Yeah, I mean, does he have a shot? Of course he does. What's the name on the back of his jersey? What's the name on the front of his jersey? Of course he's got a chance. Does he deserve it? No, but that. That's how it goes. That's the suits running the league for you. [00:09:51] Speaker A: Honestly, LeBron James, the player that he is, and we've had this argument on this pod before. Every podcast has had it. I've always said Michael Jordan's greater than LeBron. I disagree with that, and I know you did. I love that. [00:10:01] Speaker B: We'll. [00:10:02] Speaker A: We'll hold that and we'll talk about beginning of the year. I'd like to revisit that and go through that more time. But LeBron James, though, is still one of the most freakish basketball athletes or athletes to play a sport, right? Like, you can look at. Like, you can see him. He can play tight end in the football, in the NFL. I feel like he'd be fine. And I. Big guy, big frame, muscular, averaging like. [00:10:23] Speaker B: 20 points in eight and a half assists a game. [00:10:27] Speaker A: Guy's a stud, and I bet how to skate. He could be a very effective stay at home defenseman. I feel like he played defense. [00:10:33] Speaker B: If he played, dude, imagine getting lit up by LeBron James into the boards. [00:10:37] Speaker A: I wonder if he can skate. That'd be a very good question. If I ever get the chance interview, I'm gonna ask if he can skate. I don't think he knows how to skate, though. I have a feeling he doesn't. You know? And he's a big, tall, athletic. He's one of the most best built athletes that I have seen play in professional sports in a very long time. You can look at. Look at the Watts. They're obviously, obviously very big. Serena, Williams was an absolute beast. Like, I think his size is. [00:11:02] Speaker B: How big do you think he is? Give me his height and weight. Do you know it? [00:11:06] Speaker A: 610. [00:11:07] Speaker B: Is he 610 and what do you think his weight is? [00:11:11] Speaker A: 235. No, whoa, whoa. 265. No, 235. Final answer. Final six. [00:11:18] Speaker B: 9250. [00:11:21] Speaker A: See, honestly, LeBron is Lebron brawny. It has his way in. Okay. And look, we're gonna see a lot of now is a lot of the father sons, you know, maybe father daughters. You talk about wnba, right? There's different leagues, men's and women's. Let's make sure that we discuss both. It's. [00:11:41] Speaker B: He is almost the identical size of Zidane Ochara. Five pounds difference. Same height. [00:11:47] Speaker A: That's right. Sedan was six nine. But I would. I don't remember Zidanel being that shredded. I feel like. I feel like LeBron must have more muscle than sedano does. Like him. Anyway, different topic. Lebron James Juniore. We're gonna start seeing the kids, right? We've seen it in baseball. Look, I got a jersey right behind me right now. Vlad junior. [00:12:08] Speaker B: Okay. Is that a Boba shed bobblehead up there? [00:12:11] Speaker A: Is bowl Bichette's bobblehead. [00:12:13] Speaker B: Take that down. Take that down and send it to somebody in Baltimore. Get that fucking bum off the team. [00:12:17] Speaker A: God damn funny stuff. And you got Drew Jones, who's Andrew Jones's kid as well. You got Gavin Biggio, who's Greg Biggio's kid as well. There's. There's more that I'm forgetting. Top my head right now, but off Jackson Holiday, former first overall pick with Baltimore. A lot of those parents of dads that we've seen, that I've seen probably a bit more than you growing up, but they're coming into the league. Baseball, basketball, right? There's obviously, we're going to start seeing this, but if you remember, what I used to talk about as a kid is politics and sports, right? If you want your son or your kid to succeed, if your name is LeBron James, if your name is Michael Jordan, if your name is Wayne Gretzky, obviously Wayne Gretzky's kids and I playing the show or anything like that. But if you have that name to start off as a kid, you are lucky. You can probably. You're going to make the rep teams, you're going to make the travel teams, you're going to get better, you're going to get that exposure, you're going to get that training. It does give them that step ahead, but we're going to start. This is the era we're going to start seeing a lot of the sons slash daughters coming of the famous fathers or mothers that played in sports. Right, kid? [00:13:21] Speaker B: Play baseball. [00:13:23] Speaker A: Yes, that's right. Thank you. Yes, he does hockey, plays baseball. That's right. I forget his name. Thank you. [00:13:27] Speaker B: Not anymore. Not anymore. Stopped in 2015. Doesn't look like he was ever very. [00:13:31] Speaker A: Very good, but, well, at least he tried. Right? But it helps having that name. Right. And that's where you brought up. Rewind to what you say in rookie of the year. It's not out of the realm of possibility for him to win rookie of the year because of both his name popularity and he might get playing time. He might like. He, like. [00:13:47] Speaker B: He might get garbage time. [00:13:48] Speaker A: Exactly. You're going to think he might get, what, six, seven to ten a night? Maybe six. [00:13:53] Speaker B: I don't think he plays ten minutes a night. [00:13:55] Speaker A: No way. No. Unless the Lakers season go. And then you might see some of the rookies get into the game. But I don't feel like LeBron wants to stay on it. I think LeBron wants to win one more time, but got some. Got some stiff competition in the NBA. I'm a big Oklahoma City believer right now. I'm all over. Obviously, I'm a diehard Raptors fan. One of the best sports moments of my life was seen when the Raptors won. That literally might be my favorite sports moment. And that's sad because the Jays and Leafs aren't up there for anything. Well, Bautista's backflip is there, but when it comes to winning. But you look at the Oklahoma City Thunder would say Gilders, alexander, look at the team Canada, right? You got Team USA who barely swept by a win the other night. It's hockey or basketball. Canada's coming up, and I'm excited to see, and I may be crazy, but I think you will see if this canadian team and the product we keep putting up can get better. Might be able to beat a us team. Might. I don't want to. I don't. I don't. I think it's gonna be a very. [00:14:52] Speaker B: Competitive game if South Sudan almost beat America yesterday. So the States beat them by one point. [00:15:00] Speaker A: Yeah. That's. Anything could happen. And I do think I've said it on the pod before. I think the Celtics are a good team, but I think the thunder of the next dynasty in the NBA, 150% based on all that. Thank you, Paul George. That's how that happens now. Paul George said smelly out of the Clippers and went over the 76 ers. [00:15:18] Speaker B: What did I call it a franchise crippling move. [00:15:21] Speaker A: That. That's. You did. And you did call it that before when it happened. And there was a Kawhi almost signed in Toronto, re signed in Toronto. And Paul George almost went with him. Imagine if the Raptors gave up that. I'd actually be mad. You know what? It would have been nice to resign Kawhi and maybe take some more runs. But to, to go ahead in the future and do that, it's hard. It's a hard pill to swallow. I'm a big fan of asset management. With your picks, they have given a. [00:15:47] Speaker B: Good job with that. Their asset management has not been good lately. So you might have rather them do that because it doesn't look like that. They're not looking good for a while still. So. [00:15:58] Speaker A: Yikes. Basketball talk here on the game. That's great. Alex and I will jump to our next topic. Right now, I'm saving baseball for last. Okay. If you're waiting for that rant as I sit back here, you know, there's one of my teams that did very well in my time right here. There's the point. This deal. Yep. Now I'm flickering the logo. So. Okay. The other one, minimal moments. And I don't even have the other one up right now. The other ones over there. Over here and in the closets. Okay. But hockey part. Okay. So last week we did the 91. 919. 91 redraft almost at 91 n. I. We didn't clip, post that clip yet. We're going to, but we are gonna do 1992 shortly. But I just want to get to. [00:16:41] Speaker B: Oh, yeah, we are. I knew that. I definitely was prepared for that night. [00:16:45] Speaker A: As part will get prepared for that. We do have a couple other things to bring up. I I really want to bring up some of the Carolina hurricanes. Okay. They have Jack Drury now as their number two center. They're having contract issues with martin naegious. They've lost some bodies. Is it crazy for me to think that the Carolina hurricanes window is now shrunk so much that I think I, that New Jersey might be ahead of them now the Rangers are still ahead of them. I feel like the Carolina Hurricanes are third, maybe a wild car team this year, which might make them one of the more scarier wild card teams, given if they can add. But it seems like Carolina kind of taken a step back this offseason by losing instead of gaining. And Brett Pesci, Brady Shea, they've lost a lot of key contributors to that team. Jake Gensel didn't resign. He went over to Tampa Bay. Did Carolina take a step, big step back par where they might not be making a playoff spot this year? Or do you feel like, you know or you think they're still, they're going. [00:17:50] Speaker B: To make the playoffs for sure they're not as good of a team as they were last year. But like you said, too, maybe it's addition by subtraction. Maybe. Maybe you just need a change up. Maybe you just kept jamming that square into that circle hole for too long, but now you've been jamming it for so long, maybe it is a circle now. Maybe those edges are a little bit rounded. Maybe we can get something moving here. Is that going to happen? I don't know. I can't predict the future, but I think I wouldn't write them off by any means. Carolina's been perennially a very good team, so I don't think that losing a couple of their players is going to change that. There's enough of a culture. There's Rod Brendamore who's still there and they, the players absolutely love it and eat up every last one of his words. I think they're going to be just okay. And I think anybody that thinks they're going to miss the playoffs is crazy. [00:18:45] Speaker A: The, okay, so obviously the, the Carolina Hurricanes have made their changes. The Tampa Bay Lightning have had their culture changes with stammer out. Jake Ensil in and you brought up a very good point on the last podcast about, you know, would you rather pay gentle x amount or stammer x amount for duration of time? Right. Gone are the days of loyal, not loyalty. I don't want to use that term. But you, I think it was you that use the exact words Patrice Brisbane, the business, he's treating this as a business, which he should. Julian Breeze was, I said Brittany. Anyway, Breeze Wa is treating this as a Brit business as he should be. And there's been other GM's that made some interesting moves. Steve EISenman, I feel like his decor didn't get better, but he did add Teresenko. He has added some pieces over there to Detroit resigned Joseph Valeno recently and you know, San Jose is still going to be at the bottom of the barrel this year. They're, they're not looking any different except absorbing some contracts. You know, there's Anaheim with a lot of the young guys coming up. You know, there's, there's kind of, there's been some old faces, new places is kind of the way the NHL used it. And of course, Lindhoman Zadorov went to Boston. Great for Toronto fans out there in Florida as Boston still improves and stays consistent. But I think this is a time in the National Hockey League where this offseason still isn't done. There's going to be a lot more to talk about still, but the storylines have been pretty fair, pretty good, and one team that we talked about last week was the Buffalo Sabres or a couple weeks ago. How what is that organization doing? Okay, what? What are they doing? But one team I want to mention right now is the New Jersey Devils. They brought in Sheldon Keefdev last year. I feel like they really failed. I feel like they didn't live up to expectations. A big part of that is because the inconsistency in that they now had a Brett Pesci they've made. They got some young studs in that lineup. I'm a big fan of Simon Nimich. I'm a big fan of goaltending and defense. As people heard me on this podcast. That's how I would build my team and that's very old New Jersey type style in zero two. But I feel like New Jersey's got to be a favorite in their division this year and it's not because of Sheldon Keefdev, and I wouldn't be saying that because it is Sheldon Keef, but probably will happen because Keef is the coach. But I feel like there's a team that didn't live up to expectations. Last year park was the New Jersey Devils and you got to think this year with what they added. And Markstrom's a very good ad older, but he's still a very capable goaltender. We get another couple good years out of him in that if he can. [00:21:16] Speaker B: Stay healthy, all you need is a few more saves for the Devils to have a good season. Like you said, they're goaltending. You couldn't rely on literally either one of them at all, to the point where I think one got shipped to San Jose and the other I can't even remember. But if you're trading your goalie to San Jose, that probably says something about the state that that goalie's in. So I think, yeah, if Markstrom can even play 25% better than the goaltending that they had going or going for them in that season, that they'll probably be right back to where they were the season prior where they were kind of dominating. They were playing really, really, really good hockey, which led a lot of people to believe coming into last season that they would probably be competing for the division title. So yeah, nobody better take anything from last season for the Devils and they better keep them on their radar to be able to do some damage this. [00:22:10] Speaker A: Season, especially Jack Hughes. Man, so good down last year. But if you, if you're thinking about skipping Jack Hughes this year, don't do it. If you have a chance to get Jack, you not first overall. Don't get me wrong. If you have not choose him first overall, but I still think he's a first rounder in a twelve person draft. [00:22:29] Speaker B: Are you gonna, are you going to join our fantasy league again? Yes, I am going to draft it in North America, eastern standard time, not in Italy at 03:00 a.m. oh, that. [00:22:41] Speaker A: Was hard after a couple glasses of eno doing that draft. But then I rules. Not reading all the rules. Well, I thought we're just doing points, you know, but par likes to make it harder and everybody, it's just the. [00:22:52] Speaker B: Way that Yahoo sets it up. I didn't change anything. [00:22:54] Speaker A: I'll see that yahoo. It's your fault I didn't read and I'm too old school, I guess. But yes, I will be joining the draft and who Hughes? Your daddy? [00:23:02] Speaker B: Maybe I'll have him battled back at the end. Man. Once you figured out what to do, like you started, like you were winning some games at the end, coming back, trying to. I got my $50 back, so that's all I care about. [00:23:14] Speaker A: I got my no money back. That's okay, though. I find a trip to Milwaukee, I just waste money. So I guess it's totally fine this year. [00:23:23] Speaker B: Now here's a reminder that you want to be finished in seven minutes, okay? [00:23:29] Speaker A: Now I'm going to do the Redraft right now, but I'm going to do par surprise thing last. So do the Redraft first and then we'll do par surprise thing last and then I'll have my quick baseball rant. Because, because there's going to be more baseball news talk about after the trade deadline. I feel like there's a lot going to go on the next couple weeks. So par 1992. Just to remind everybody, we par myself, members of the game sports podcast, we redraft the top five of the year that we are discussing, in this case 1992 based on what we know today and our thoughts today. So again, the 1992 NHL Redraft redrafting the top five. And I'm actually going to go first par. I usually rotate par. Went first in the 91. I'll go first here in the 1992, going from five to one, taking part away on that one. The New York Islanders are proud to select Corey Stillman. Number four. The Quebec Nordiques are proud to select Roman Hamerlich, the third overall pick. The San Jose Sharks are proud to select Alexi Yashin, the second overall pick. The Ottawa Senators are proud to select Sergei Gonchargesthe. Now with the first overall pick. Tampa Lightning are proud to select goaltender Nikolai happy. Bullet going with that with my top five, Parr. [00:24:42] Speaker B: Mine is much different. [00:24:45] Speaker A: Love it. [00:24:46] Speaker B: Five and four are a pair of Detroit Red Wings legends and Kirk Maltby and Darren McCarty. Both of them won four Stanley Cups with that team. Four Stanley Cups. [00:24:56] Speaker A: Friend of the podcast, Darren McCarty. [00:24:58] Speaker B: Exactly. Number three, the perennial Selkie winner for a long time, Yuri Letton. Also a Stanley cup underneath the belt. Number two, Javi Boulin, another Stanley cup winner over. I think it's like 700 games or something. He played was incredible. And number one, another Stanley cup champion in Sergey Gonchar. [00:25:19] Speaker A: I'm actually surprised that you didn't go with Mike Pekka. I thought you were going to go with Michael Pekka. I love Mike Pekka as a leader. The guy was a heart and Seoul guy. That's the type of guy that you win a cup with, you know? Now that's the kind of role maybe John Tavares should be looking at. It's being a leader on Toronto. [00:25:35] Speaker B: Okay. Okay. [00:25:36] Speaker A: We'll rewind. Okay. Part now, the surprise segment that I want to do this has kind of been a trend on tick tock. I am taken from somebody else. I'll admit it. I am taking from somebody else. But you know what? We're gonna have fun. We're gonna. We like doing different clips and different segments on the show. So par. We're gonna do a blind ranking. Okay. [00:25:54] Speaker B: Okay. Okay. [00:25:55] Speaker A: Sure. Blind ranking. Okay. You can do it the way you want. And skill, which, you know is the time as a player, doesn't matter. You're gonna do a blind captain rating test, and you're gonna have five. [00:26:06] Speaker B: Okay. [00:26:07] Speaker A: One to five. I'm gonna give you a name, and you're gonna place them where you think they are in that one to five order. And you're gonna predict that without knowing who the next person is. Okay. Number one, Alexander Barkov. [00:26:26] Speaker B: I'm going to go a conservative three here. I really want to say two, but that's an early, early take at number two. [00:26:33] Speaker A: Okay, so three. Bark off. Get number two. Anzacopter. [00:26:42] Speaker B: Two. [00:26:43] Speaker A: Oh, two. [00:26:44] Speaker B: This is tough. [00:26:46] Speaker A: It's so tough. It's not easy. And I'm noting this as you go. Cause I'm gonna read. I'm gonna say what? You had number three, Brad Marchant. [00:26:54] Speaker B: Five. [00:26:55] Speaker A: Oh, okay, good. Not a. Not a Bruin fan. I see a number four, mark Stone. [00:27:03] Speaker B: Four. [00:27:04] Speaker A: Okay, so you are gonna be putting number one, Roman Yossi. [00:27:10] Speaker B: Nah, I'd hate that. [00:27:11] Speaker A: Okay, so number one, you had Roman Yossi, then Kopatar, Barkov, Stone and Marchant and your blind rank. [00:27:18] Speaker B: I was trying to go off of just like pure leadership and, like, leading their team to, like, championships and stuff, but Roman Yossi being number one is not the guy that I would want. There. [00:27:28] Speaker A: See? Love that. We're gonna start doing a bit more of that blind stuff and I'm gonna do it then maybe par dane, Heikel, EJ, whoever. We'll do different blind rankings per different sport. We'll have a little bit of fun with this. So. [00:27:39] Speaker B: Okay, well, let me. Let me marinate on it. Let me come back with one for you next week. Let me make the topic. I want to see what you can come up with. [00:27:46] Speaker A: Love it. That's hockey. That's all we're going to really. We talked bit more about Neptune. Oh, my God. [00:27:51] Speaker B: I'm not. Babies. [00:27:52] Speaker A: Nepo. Babies. Thank you. And the first in the first segment and basketball. Then we talked about hockey into his bit. It's a little bit of a smorgasbord of content today. We have a little bit of fun. [00:28:02] Speaker B: I've got a banger one for next week. I have the idea in my head and I know you're going to love it. I know you're going to eat it up. [00:28:10] Speaker A: I kind of taken your idea because you used to, you, you asked questions about, can you name the captain Jacks? You had the quizzes which got. Yeah. [00:28:17] Speaker B: For you and for you and dane. Yeah. To see who is the bigger and more true fan to their team than the other. And we did that exactly one time. [00:28:27] Speaker A: So, yeah, we can start adding that because it definitely gets the, the crew interacting on social medias because everyone loves their clips. Let's just say how it is. If you listen to a full episode each week, thumbs up. We'd love that. Make sure you subscribe and like. But we know you'd like the clips, so we'll make sure we have these little clips to add for you. But now my rant about baseball. Good. Let's try do that. 97. [00:28:47] Speaker B: Yeah. Let's go. [00:28:48] Speaker A: Before I get into my rant, firstly, obviously, the MLB trade deadline is coming up. There's going to be a lot of movement in the MLB. I feel like, I think it's not going to be as exciting as people think, but you are going to have new play faces, going to new places. Teams that are going to be sellers are going to be the Marlins. You're going to have the the Rockies. You're also going to have the Blue Jays are definitely going to be sellers. Now, at this point, you're going to have the White Sox sell off a little bit, if they can, on what they have. And then also if the Angels or athletics have bodies to move out, they will do so. Those are some of the sellers. I don't think the Rangers are going to be sellers by any means, and I don't think the Tigers are going to be sellers. They have a lot of youth in that system. They might look to maybe add some veteran talent from the other teams, maybe like a Justin Turner going from the Blue Jays to the Tigers, adding that veteran presence, little DH. Why not? That might make a little bit of sense. And if we also look at the Mets, they had a bad start to the year and now they have improved and they're going to be looking to add the nationals, big team that improved this year. They're not going to do anything. They're going to be very quiet. The deadline, let's say, have some veterans to sell out. Now, that's my trade deadline reaction. We'll get more of that when Connor joins me within the next week or two in our next episode. But my rant is going to be about the Toronto Blue Jays. All right. As I sit here with the Vlad jersey above me, I'm going to say this flat out. Number one, Vlad junior, huge Vlad junior fan. He's the only consistent, one of the only consistent hitters on that team. He is hitting bombs. He's batting just under 200. We have not really had players stay under 200, under 300, under 300, batting just around 289 to 291, I believe, is his average. He's has. He's consistent. He's an all star. He loves Toronto. Resign the guy right now. Ten years, I don't care, 250 million, 300 million, I don't care. Give the guy the dollars. Keep someone in Toronto that could be the face of this team. Because can you really name a lot of players that have spent 1015 years with this team? Look at joy bats, look at incarnation. Look at these guys, Roy Holliday, guys that have spent some time, but true guys grown through and through. Vlad is a blue. Jake, resign this guy. You trade them, that will be a big mistake. Number two, Shapiro and Atkins are not the guys to run this team. Do you really want these guys to make the moves at the deadline to really sell off the core of these guys? Well, unfortunately, they are going to be the guys. And hopefully the only move guys like Kikuchi, Justin Turner, IKF, they move out guys that are expiring contracts and don't make those big decisions that are going to affect next year and so on because Shapiro and Atkins should not be running this team. There's not been any success at all. Atkins Gaslighter in interviews towards fans making us believe, making us believe. Shapiro I got I can only say nothing but negative on my thoughts about Subiro. The Blue Jays need a change. And Rogers, you guys have so much money. You're going to spend 70 million on Shohei Ohtani, which was obviously a disaster, if you remember, in the offseason. Spend money on places that we need it. And the the quote, that always gets me some. Shapiro we'll see how the fans are if they invest in this team. Are you kidding me? Do you remember 2015 and 16 sold out fans are going to this game still because I bet you everyone bought these tickets because they thought they were going to get Shohei Ohtani. That's all. These tickets were purchased before the season started. And while we thought we had Shohei Ohtani and people are still buying even when the team is struggling, this fan base is invested. It's good for baseball when the Blue Jays do good for multiple reasons. Revenue and canadian baseball skyrockets. There's a spike. Look at 92, 93. Look at 2015, 2016. Popularity is there. You will have success. Fans will sit in those seats. You have to invest. Toronto fans are very sensitive and defensive, and we'll still go to games and cheer for them like the delusional fans that we like to be. Support this team. Bullshit. We will support this team. Why don't you invest into this team? And that's why you shouldn't be running this team anymore. I want someone who's like an Alex Anthopoulos who did take some time to get this team back in the playoffs, but he was passionate about being there. He bought into this team to help, to get them to try to win. And obviously, Beeston did win with the Blue Jays in the nineties. This team needs to sell off smartly at the deadline, hit a reset into the offseason, invest in replenishing the youth in that prospect system because it isn't as strong as it should be. And you can still get some core players to help tool this and have a quick, safe turnaround instead of having another 1015 year disaster of no playoffs. But Shapiro and Atkins should not be running this team. Just make the necessary moves at the deadline. Make that order from up top and restart next year. New manager, new setting, everything. And I love watching it. Yesterday when I was watching the Tigers as we record here on Sunday, the 21st, fans booing, we're over it. It's done the season. Unless they have a they win 50 out of the next 52 games, there's going to be no chance this team is going to bounce back in that tough of the division. Smart moves. Number one, re sign Vlad long term. Number two, only let Shapiro and Atkins make the necessary moves this year, then restart next year. New management because I'm over the gaslighter that Atkins is and I'm over the nonsense that Shapiro comments and just need a reset and start, not start from scratch, but get to retool this team with a new face in the management and also in the dugout. Sorry John Snyder liked you at first. Time for change. That's my number three. John Schneider also has to be a one to go at the end of the season. Don't make that move until the end of the year, though. [00:34:16] Speaker B: Don't resign. Vladimir Guerrero junior. I really like where my Internet bill is at right now and I would not like it to go up with Rogers. So thank you. Please do not send that guy a bunch of money to be mediocre for the next ten to 15 years. That is all. [00:34:28] Speaker A: He's great. [00:34:29] Speaker B: He is great. I love him. [00:34:31] Speaker A: To keep up Bulba shed. I don't think you sell him off this year. [00:34:34] Speaker B: I would buy that guy a plane personally. If you don't want to be a Toronto blue Jay, then go. Go wherever you want. [00:34:45] Speaker A: Ask him if he wants long term. But there is one guy who wants. [00:34:47] Speaker B: Talking to the Baltimore media being like, oh, well, it is a business and things happen. So if I'm gone, I wouldn't understand. Oh, that's a guy who's really locked in mentally to this team for sure. He's already looking out the window and all the other options passing by. [00:35:01] Speaker A: Then go, dude. [00:35:02] Speaker B: Then go. [00:35:03] Speaker A: I hope it's not Atkins Pyro making that trade though park. It cannot be those guys. And that's an off season move. I think if you're Rogers and you have a knowledge of this sport in any which way and care about this team, you tell Atkins or Sopiro, hey, you're only doing this. And if they don't listen, you fire them right away. End of the story. This, this this team is in kebabbles. And Springer, who's been consistent now his contract is ridiculous. 25 million for the next few years. That's someone you have to try to move out, resigned. Danny Jansen, a fan of Danny Janssen. Alejandro Kirk. Find him the next bus out. The next bus out. Don't care. The guy had one strong year and it caused you to trade Moreno instead of him. Varshall, I love Varsho. But that trade with Arizona? [00:35:47] Speaker B: Awful trade. So stupid. Wouldn't they love to have both of those bats back? [00:35:53] Speaker A: Oscar Hernandez? Yeah, last couple years. But you could have substituted that with a free agent signing Teo Lourdes guerrill and Gabriel Moreno. Wouldn't that be nice to have those three pieces in your lineup? I would say so. Look, hindsight's 2020. This deadline has to be taken with caution. Trade off the free agent guys. Turner Icaaf is two years, but you can still move him. He's movable. I know they don't want to look at moving control, but there's guys that you can move. Get some CB b plus level prospects, start replenishing and build and trust in your farm directors to help these young guys grow because that's what needs to be addressed. And you can look at the off season, add some younger in prime talent for not expensive, or keep grooming below. Because if you believe in what you draft and you believe in your prospects to develop, that is what success will bring. Look at the teams that are being successful. Baltimore Orioles a lot of patience for drafting. There is teams that are following it. You have to follow suit and Akinzo and Shapiro need to go par. We're at 36 minutes. We're going to get the wrap up going right now. Comment below what you think about the Blue Jays, Conor and I and maybe, maybe, maybe me and par, depending if Connor can join, we'll have a reaction about the MLB in the next coming week or two in regards to the trade deadline and what happened and what didn't happen. Let us know what you think below that with the MLB teams, your favorite team to do and what you think about thoughts about the Blue Jays Alex, I want to say thank you very much for taking the time, my friend. It's always a pleasure. We recorded this on July 21 Sunday. It will be up for you to enjoy on Monday. Obviously, as you heard, all the content is relevant, so don't be shied away because of that. And if you made to this point, you obviously haven't been, but make sure you like to interact with us and follow us on TikTok Instagram, 91 n, YouTube channel. Wherever you're tuning in from, we appreciate it. Par. I want to say thank you again to you, my friend. It's always a pleasure. [00:37:46] Speaker B: Thanks for having me. What? I like the Sunday morning chat that we're doing. Well, early afternoon chat, but, yeah, you. [00:37:52] Speaker A: Know what it means. 12:45 p.m. eastern time right now, and it's sunny. And I am gonna go run some errands and put my rear end into a pool and relax because I have a big week coming up with my new full time job starting. [00:38:04] Speaker B: And I'm gonna go. I'm gonna go hit some golf balls. That's what my plan is. [00:38:09] Speaker A: I can tell by the hat. That's God. [00:38:11] Speaker B: I got my book. I've been reading. I've been read. I've been reading. This game has been making me read. Stupid game. Stupid game. [00:38:18] Speaker A: Fun stuff. Good reading. Golf. Okay. Nonetheless. What, again? [00:38:23] Speaker B: Well, what is that supposed to mean? [00:38:26] Speaker A: You're really. You're really invested, and I love it. [00:38:28] Speaker B: Yeah, man. Oh. Do you want to hear a heartbreaking story quickly? I'll make it super quick. [00:38:33] Speaker A: Go. [00:38:33] Speaker B: I'm on the golf course, playing in my league last Monday. For me, if I play bogey golf, I'm very happy. Nine over through nine holes, 18 over through 18 holes. That's a pretty good day for me. I'm pretty happy with that. I am three over through five, and I'm like. And I'm feeling it. I'm like, I cannot miss this ball. I am on fire. Then the storm comes. We're walking as far away from the clubhouse as you can be with my windows down in my vehicle. So not only. Not only did it rain out, probably what was going to be my best round of the year, especially in the competitive sense of, like, in my league. My car was also soaked, and I had to walk through the whole way with no jacket. It was awesome. [00:39:18] Speaker A: Love that. Wear a raincoat and roll up your windows, folks. And again, as I told you at the beginning, do not go to a venue for a concert that is outdoors, as I tell you. Again, thank you, Alex. Thank you to all the listeners and viewers of the game sports podcast. We do plan hopefully to be back next week, depending on we're recording special edition shows. Parno's in the middle trying to get a few things figured out. So we may not be back until the following Sunday. So you will either hear from us on the 28th, 29th, or next time on the fourth or fifth, one of the two times, or both. But those are our tentative dates. As in the summer, we like to weekly or bi weekly until September, when it gets full fledged weekly episodes. Once again. And I remind you, we do have our summer vacation in August coming up, which we do plan this year to be from the 18th until September 2. Just to remind you, that's pending any special edition shows we record, however. But again, thank you for taking the time. I'm here to remind you, keep your stick on the ice. Oh, my goodness. I've never messed that up before. [00:40:15] Speaker B: Wow. Wow. He's getting, he's getting rusty. [00:40:18] Speaker A: And rusty, I may remind you, keep your stick on the ice. Ring your bats, catch your touchdowns, drain your threes and shoot your shots. Booyah.