Hebsy on Sports

I announced my retirement after 332 episodes of this podcast. Toronto Mike was blindsided. I had to fire him. Listen here, if you dare. Thanks for all of your support. I'm going golfing now.

Agonizing over the Maple Leafs loss to Tampa and their inability to clinch on home ice. Time to put Michael Bunting back into the lineup. Stanley Cup playoffs have been pretty good. Same with the NBA. The BlueJays host the Mariners this weekend. Yes, the same team they blew an 8-1 lead against in the playoffs last year. Why does the "Quality Start" stat even exist in baseball? Kikuchi threw 5 and two thirds scoreless and doesn't get credit for a QS? Dumb stat. An ESPN reporter is fired for calling another reporter a F**king c**t in front of fans and cellphones. And guess which TSN personality tweeted "Don't forget to wash your a**hole". Go ahead and guess. Or just listen to the podcast with me and Toronto Mike

The Leafs have Tampa Bay right where they want them. Toronto Mike and I discuss the highs and lows of playoff hockey, and whether there is a conflict of interest surrounding referee Wes McCauley. Also, the rest of the Stanley Cup playoffs, the NBA post season, The Bluejays and the dumb tweet by pitcher Anthony Bass, who might be one of the least-liked players in Bluejays history. And why do people from BC hate me just for complimenting Canucks broadcasters Shorty and Cheech? Hope you enjoy the show.

A 9 year old caused the Raptors to miss 18 free throws. Why was this allowed to happen? Me and Toronto Mike discuss this story, plus the latest on the Maple Leafs and their upcoming playoff series with Tampa. I'm picking the Leafs in 7 games. Are the BlueJays going to end up like that talented 1984 team that couldn't catch the Detroit Tigers? It's way too early, but Toronto needs to bring the 13-0 Tampa Bay Rays down a notch, starting tonight at the newly partially-renovated Rogers Centre. And should the NHL try the "play in" format like the NBA? TV ratings are huge for these pre-playoff encounters. Hope you enjoy the show.

Are today's Boston Bruins better than the Habs of the 70s? Toronto Mike and I get into the "loser point", and how it's changed the way we calculate wins and points. Also, the Leafs are preparing for a tough series with Tampa, the Raptors will likely host a play-in game vs. Chicago and it could be the end for Nick Nurse. The Bluejays are winning on the road, but their president, Mark Shapiro, seems more excited about the brisket sandwiches they're going to serve in the new beer garden at Rogers Centre. A race war in women's basketball because of a little trash talking? Get ready for more of this type of behaviour. And, it's going to be a wild ride at the Masters, and perhaps the final one for Tiger Woods. Plus, my thoughts on the hundreds of faces and voices I see and hear on TSN and Sportsnet. You need a programme to keep up. Hope you enjoy the weekend.

The Bluejays will win 94 more games this year, but I doubt any will be more thrilling than yesterday's Opener in St. Loo. We'll go over the first of 162 and talk about other baseball stuff along with the end of Tim and Friends, other sports media talk, the Maple Leafs could be in trouble against Tampa, the Raptors quest for the 7 or 8 seed, Is Bianca Andreescu a drama queen or just unlucky? Join me and Toronto Mike for lively sports commentary with no bullsh*t.

Today, I go after the NHL for not punishing players and teams who do NOT support LGBTQ+ initiatives. Start suspending these players NOW. Also, me and Toronto Mike get into the World Baseball Classic and how it can be even better. The Leafs, Raptors and BlueJays, of course, and there are 7 Jays on ESPN's Top 100 list. And, the death of the local sportscast. How many TV sports anchors that you grew up with are long gone from your TV screens? Hope you enjoy the show.

Was there one trade that actually made you cry? For me it was Frank Mahovlich traded from the Leafs to Detroit. I was 11 years old. I still haven't gotten over it. Join me and Toronto Mike as we get into tons of sports talk, featuring the Raptors, Jays, Leafs, World Baseball Classic, NHL on TNT and why they're so good, tennis, golf and what's happening to all those sports-betting sites out there. Also, my trip to Elliot Lake, Ontario, and calling 2 home victories for the Red Wings of the NOJHL. Hope you enjoy the show.

Can we get a collection together for Fred Van Vleet? He was fined 30K for calling out the refs the other night. @torontomike and I will get into the Raptors, Leafs, the Conor McDavid injury, the Bluejays, and the story of a female sports personality who had an affair with two different BlueJays simultaneously during the ill-fated 2017 season. Hope you'll join us.

The NHL's Blocked Shots stat is completely bogus and does a disservice to men like Borje Salming and Harry Howell. Too bad about Trade Deadline Day being a complete dud on TV. Toronto Mike and I get into the Leafs and their chances to beat Tampa now that they've made several trades. We also talk about the speed of baseball Spring Training games and the missed moments of drama. Also, the Raptors can't afford to lose to teams below them in the standings, golf, tennis and my story of Dave Stieb trying to chase a spring no hitter in Bradenton, Florida. Hope you enjoy the show.

Which team will win more playoff games in '23--Leafs, Raptors or Bluejays? Toronto Mike and I will talk about which team has the best shot at a title and when that might happen. O'Reilly's impact on the Leafs, the return of OG to the Raptors and perhaps a championship season in store for the BlueJays. Also, the story of the time we thought we had won a Gemini Award for Sportsline because somebody "in the know" told us we had won. We didn't. And who is your favourite coach of your favourite hockey team? You might be surprised at mine. The story of how I first met Roger Neilson and our subsequent encounters. Enjoy the show!

Should our Women's soccer team have boycotted their game against the U.S.? Absolutely. Instead, they were distracted and lost 2-0 to the Americans. Join me and Toronto Mike for that discussion, plus all the new rules in baseball that are meant to speed the game up, but might ultimately slow it down even more. The owner of several regional TV sports networks in the U.S. is on the verge of bankruptcy. What will that do to the broadcasts of several MLB, NHL and NBA teams which have contracts with these networks? Also, the NBA allstar game, Tiger's back and the golf world is thrilled, tennis and a spring training story from years gone by. Hope you enjoy the show.

Super Bowl weekend and I like the Eagles to win and cover. I'm convinced that the Raptors will make a playoff run after NOT trading any key players at the deadline. The Leafs have a bit of a goaltending issue, while the Jays have a problem with their broadcasters. One of them can't travel with the team. I'm thinking of hosting an alternate BlueJays broadcast with commentary on a pirate channel. We'll get into golf, tennis and my story of a Super Bowl assignment that nearly landed us in the hoosegow because of some illegal footage shot by Global TV. Join me and @torontomike for all the fun.

The Bobby Hull interview, Tom Brady, the Pascal Siakam snub, OG trade, Alek Manoah and more with me and @torontomike. Enjoy!

If you haven't seen the Harold Ballard documentary, don't bother. Absolutely terrible. Toronto Mike and I will discuss this, plus the NFL playoffs and how they change the way other sports set their schedules. The Boudreau-Tocchet story in Vancouver and how the fans loved one coach and may come to hate the other. The Raptors on the road, the NBA all-star starting lineups, the baseball Hall of Fame selections, a great golf movie on Netflix, the Australian Open, Rory versus Reed and plenty more. Hope you enjoy the podcast.

Should the NHL suspend Ivan Provorov? Heck no. Toronto Mike and I will discuss this story, plus the latest on the Maple Leafs and their inevitable meeting in the spring with the Tampa Bay Lightning. Lots of talk about the Bluejays, Raptors , Buffalo Bills and, of course, the Australian Open tennis tourney, where Felix Auger Aliassime is the only Canadian left standing. We'll also get into golf and a reference to the famous Schmenge brothers from SCTV fame. Hope you enjoy the show.

This episode feature tremendous airy badinage between me and Toronto Mike. We get into the Leafs, and what to do about Auston Matthews injury. The Raptors are kind of stuck in no-mans land. Should they tank or go for a playoff spot? Do the BlueJays need to make more changes ahead of the 2023 season? It's Wild Card weekend in the NFL. The Bills are 13.5 point favourites over Miami. Will they cover? Tennis, golf and the best new sports docs on Netflix. Hope you enjoy the show.

Where do we start? Damar Hamlin, Canada wins gold, Bedard is NOT a generational player, Leafs look lethargic, NFL-ESPN problems, Jays must sign Vladdy, Hall of Fame candidates, tennis, golf and more. No bullsh*t on this show.

Big rants today. What a stupid way to decide the World Cup. Why not just play Rock, Paper, Scissors? The Penalty shot rule in hockey is dumb, the dark cloud hanging over Hockey Canada won't go away anytime soon, and Alex Ovechkin should break an ankle and get sent back to Russia for not speaking out against the horrors in Ukraine. Plus, the usual chatter with Toronto Mike as we discuss the Leafs, Raptors, BlueJays, the passing of a soccer legend and why so many on-air people in mainstream media are being told "It's over" with a simple tap on the shoulder. Enjoy the show!

The NBA now has the Michael Jordan trophy, so why doesn't the NHL have a Wayne Gretzky trophy, or a Bobby Orr trophy for best defenseman? Toronto Mike and I discuss this issue at length. Also, was Ryan Reaves hit on Hronek a head-shot, and should all headshots be penalized? Are the BlueJays really going to have KK as their everyday CF? I hope not. The Leafs and Mitch Marner had their streaks ended by the Rangers, the Raptors are in tough against Brooklyn and Sunday's World Cup Final will go to........France. Hope you enjoy the show!

Why would the BlueJays trade away Teoscar Hernandez unless they KNEW they were going to get a top-notch outfielder? Me and Toronto Mike get into that discussion as the Jays came home empty-handed from the Winter Meetings and then discovered that much-coveted OF Brandon Nimmo had re-signed with the Mets for 8 years and 162 million. If the Jays don't make a big trade, or free agent signing, there's going to be hell to pay. We also get into the Leafs and their incredible record in the past month or so, and if you were coaching a player who had scored 5 goals before the end of the second period, would you play him a lot in the 3rd to get that sixth goal? Sabres coach Don Granato did not. Also, women's soccer, Mitch Marner, Brittney Griner and plenty more was discusse. Hope you enjoy the show.

Today we talked about the passing of Borje Salming, the excitement of the World Cup and John Herdman's "Eff Croatia" quote. Also, the Maple Leafs, the Raptors, the BlueJays, the impending war between Alek Manoah and Gerrit Cole, and Canada's upset win over Germany in the Davis Cup, sending them into the semifinals. Join me and Toronto Mike for a lively, unfiltered podcast.

Trading Teoscar Hernandez was a mistake that the BlueJays need to rectify, and fast. Me and Toronto Mike discuss the implications, and also talk World Cup soccer, a blizzard in Buffalo, the Leafs find another way to lose, the "new" award for Canada's top athlete, the Raptors doing it with defense and I'll introduce you to the sport of Power Slap. Hope you enjoy the show.

This episode (with enhanced audio) features the greatest hockey fight ever, and discussions about Borje Salming, Felix Potvin, Ron Hextall, Bo Bichette, Scottie Barnes, Kyrie Irving, Lebron James and the classic Hall of Fame arguments that so many of us get caught up in. Join me and Toronto Mike for a lively show.

If you could spend 5 minutes with Kyrie Irving, what would you do? Toronto Mike and I discuss the issue at length, after Irving made a forced apology following the announcement that he had been suspended by the Brookly Nets. As Masai Ujiri once said "F_ck Brooklyn". We'll also talk about the no hitter that wasn't a no-no, but rather a "faux-no". We'll get into the World Series, the Raptors are off to a good start, and the Maple Leafs will try to ride the momentum of their "must-win" game against the Flyers the other night. Will Felix Auger-Aliassime make it to a Grand Slam final in 2023? Also: One of the best weekends for TV sports in a long time. Name the sport, and somebody is playing it at a high level. Enjoy the show!

Is it time for Tom Brady to retire already? Toronto Mike and I discuss the aging of athletes, and when it's time to say goodbye. LeBron James and Christiano Ronaldo are getting close, too. BTW, I hate it when an athlete says "I'm retiring", and everybody cries at their tribute, and then the person decides to un-retire. It lacks sincerity. We also get into the Maple Leafs and their loss to San Jose, the Raptors and another chance to crush the Sixers at home, and Canada Soccer's relationship with it's players heading to the World Cup in a few weeks. Not looking good.

Conflict of interest or the "new" sports media? The morning show host on The Fan590, Ailish Forfar, is also the in-game host at Toronto Maple Leafs games, which, she says is "A dream come true," Sounds kind of strange to me. Toronto Mike and I discuss this story at length, along with other sports media issues such as intermissions during hockey games and how tough it is to program them. We get into playoff baseball and how meaningless the regular season really is in all sports. The Raptors are off to a good start with a small lineup. Dan Shulman will be the full time play by play man for BlueJays games, but what about Buck Martinez? We get into some tennis, golf and the story of a newspaper reporter who went with a story that came from a DM, and it ended up being a complete fabrication. Oh well, at least he apologized. Enjoy the show!

It took me nearly a week to process the BlueJays incredible meltdown and subsequent elimination from playoff contention against Seattle. Here, I do a deep dive into the game, and point out the obvious and terrible mistakes that were made by key personnel. I also have suggestions as to what this team needs for 2023. Also, the start of hockey season brings odd groups of TV panelists together. TSN and Sportsnet comparisons are inevitable. Toronto Mike and I get into all kinds of good stuff, including stories about Tony Kubek, Bob Costas, and that horrible, evil sportswriter who is about the worst person in the entire sports world, and beyond. Hope you enjoy the show.

There's no way the BlueJays can lose this series, is there? Toronto Mike and I go over the pluses and minuses on this year's squad, and how they'll fare in the best of 3 Wild Card series against Seattle. I doubt the Mariners will score more than 2 runs against Alek Manoah, who is the best pitcher in baseball right now. Also, Sportsnet gets their own feed, which means we don't have to watch the U.S. announcers babble on about poutine and ice fishing. Unfortunately, Dan Shulman won' be doing the Sportsnet games as he is committed to ESPN radio. Speaking of which, legendary Jays radio announcer Jerry Howarth is a finalist for the Ford Frick award for broadcasting excellence. He spent 37 years in the booth, and I've got a good story to tell about his early days in Toronto. We also get into hockey, and specifically the sad story of Hockey Canada, and how it needs to be blown up real good after all it's major sponsors took a hike in light of recent revelations. Enjoy!

The BlueJays backed into the playoffs yesterday, but now they MUST secure home-field advantage, which takes on a whole new meaning this year. Do they have what it takes to fend off Seattle and Tampa? Miami QB Tua Tagovailoa suffered what appears to be ANOTHER concussion, just 4 days after he had to be taken off the field after getting hit in the head. The NFL and the Dolphins MUST do something about this. The award for Canada's Athlete of the Year should be renamed the Jean Beliveau Award. Anybody want to argue with that? Maple Leafs news, plenty of sports media talk with a tip of the cap to Buck Martinez, the latest on the FAN 590 morning show and lots more with me and Toronto Mike. Enjoy!

How do you solve a problem like Berrios? You keep him off the playoff roster if he keeps stinking the joint out, like he did last night in a 10-5 loss to Tampa. We talk baseball and plenty of it, including the Aaron Judge HR race and trying to compare him with the great Babe Ruth. And, what would you do if you caught Judge's 62n homerun ball? Also, Roger Federer's finale, the Presidents Cup golf slaughter, the Celtics suspend their coach after he was caught shtupping the wrong person, the FAN 590 morning show is off to a shaky start, PK Subban's Hall of Fame chances and plenty more with me and @TorontoMike. Enjoy!

The BlueJays have me a bit worried despite the fact that they took 3 of 5 from Tampa. I hope Kirk is OK, and I'm concerned that Gausman might not have enough in the tank after throwing 103 pitches in a blowout loss. Do I worry too much? Will Vladdy sign a long-term deal and how much would you pay him? How about Alek Manoah coming to his teammate's rescue on Twitter? The Loonie Dog Tuesdays are a farce: Kids can't spend their loonies at a cashless venue. Roger Federer retires at age 41. He is the greatest, not Serena. He never retired from a match. Ever. More troubles for Hockey Canada, more English Premier games cancelled because there's not enough security, what with the Queen's passing and all. More changes at the Fan590, golf, tennis and more. Enjoy!

What a show! The Queen's death forces Britain to shut down all sporting competitions. Is that too harsh? The Buffalo Bills looked unstoppable in their win over the Rams as the NFL season kicks off. The BlueJays have a big weekend in Texas and are looking pretty good, but can they keep it up? The proposed rule changes in baseball are confusing, laughable and will ultimately help speed up the pace of play. US Open tennis is now for night owls. A couple of completely different ways of celebrating Sports Radio in this country and I got a tip about a terrible incident in the Global TV newsroom that's got me worried about the safety of some of my former colleagues. Join me and Toronto Mike for the latest. Enjoy!

Apologies for the phone audio, but my PC is kaput. Today's episode features much ranting, raving and snark when it comes to the Toronto BlueJays. Yes, they are in a playoff position, but it's up to guys like Springer and Gausman to carry them through September. As well, the front office is dreaming if they think Nate Pearson is going to help this team. We get into Looney Hot Dog nights, which should be discontinued, and the Wave, which should be banned unless the home team is at the plate. We get into the US Open, a.k.a the Serena Williams show. Not enough coverage of Canadians by Canadian media. That includes golf and tennis. Join me and Toronto Mike for all the fun. Enjoy!

On this episode, Hebsy says the BlueJays DO have the horses to win the World Series. Starting pitching has been excellent, defense has been solid and if George Springer can stay off the IL, who knows how far they can go. They've won six of seven and are battling for that top wild card spot, which gives them home field advantage in a best 2 of 3. We also get into the weekend games, and the 30th anniversary of the '92 World Championship team. Several players from that team either weren't invited, or will not be attending. We talk golf, as the PGA tour does an about-face when it comes to "Gimmicky golf" thanks to Tiger and Rory. Join me and Toronto Mike. NOTE: The first 4 minutes are phone quality of me, as my internet went down. After that, we are in glorious 4K audio and digital technicolour. Enjoy.

This episode is heavy on baseball and tennis talk, specifically, the BlueJays and the National Bank Open. The Jays are only a half-game up on Seattle for the first Wild Card spot, and it's getting tense, especially with Central leading Cleveland coming in this weekend. Tennis has been a problem this week because the men's and women's events are in separate cities, Toronto and Montreal, and going on simultaneously. In most other events, the men and women play in the same city in the same tournament at the same time. Why not here? And we discuss Bianca's loss, Felix's gain and whether or not it's OK to cheer when a player double-faults. We also get into the slimy owner of the Nashville Predators and why the NHL should investigate this guy before allowing him to own one of their teams. Join me and @torontomike. Proudly sponsored by crosswindsgolf.com Enjoy!

I really go off on Whit Merrifield in this episode. I think he's a phony and I'm still not convinced he is "good to go" when it comes to his vax status. Besides, he already said that he might change his status if he played for a playoff contender. Might. Also, he's wearing jersey number 1, and that should be retired by the Jays after the death of Tony Fernandez two years ago. Oh, should the Jays invite Robbie Alomar to their 30th anniversary celebration of their World Series victory? Mike says "no". I disagree. Aaron Rodgers of the Packers admitted that he took an illegal drug that made him hallucinate. Should the NFL fine or suspend him? Brittney Griner was sentenced to 9 years in a Russian prison, and now the US has to try to make an exchange for her, likely having to free a murderer in order to gain Griner's freedom. Tons of great sports talk with me and Toronto Mike. Enjoy!

This episode features considerable Bluejays/baseball talk. With the trade deadline on Tuesday, will the Jays make moves to bolster their pitching and outfield? George Springer's elbow injury flared up during the win over Detroit, so maybe it's time to go and get Juan Soto or, perhaps make a play for Shohei Otani. We get into the Hockey Canada story, with more revelations uncovered and a Sport Minister who is going to overhaul the funding system for Hockey Canada. Toronto Mike and I touch upon some sports media topics and whether or not a particular athlete, like Dustin Brown of the LA Kings, deserves to have a statue erected in his honour. Also: The LIV golf tour poaches another from the PGA tour. The saga continues. Hope you enjoy this episode.

A very chill episode from the Muskoka studio. Hebsy talks about the importance of the Jays series with Boston this weekend and the chances of them making the post season. Plenty of all-star talk, as well as we focus on Alek Manoah, and his mic'd up segment. Which organization is worse, Hockey Canada or the Canadian Soccer Association? Both are horribly mismanaged. We get into some sports media talk with the FAN 590 running Vancouver programming along with being the only station to NOT send it's baseball play by play guy on the road. Schnorers! And, the LIV golf tour is making even more noise, if that's possible. Enjoy the show!

This episode features Hebsy at his ranting, raving best. The BlueJays got rid of Charlie Montoyo and replaced him with John Schneider. Will it make a difference? Well, it can't hurt but the players will be the ones who make the difference. Last night they lost to a depleted KC Royals team, 3-1, and looked like a bunch of rookies themselves, swinging at pitches that were nowhere near the strike zone. We also talked about the British Open, and Tiger Woods absolutely throwing up on himself after giving the LIV golfers a piece of his mind. Tiger finished at +9, and missed the cut badly. He's done at the age of 46. Also: New rules in baseball. Hockey free agency and the Johnny Gaudreau story. Big signing in the NBA and the return to glory for the late Jim Thorpe, 110 years after the fact. Enjoy the show!

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

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