Podcasts about Second Captains

TOur guest for Season 4 Episode 5 of the GAA Minor Moments podcast with Electric Ireland is author and Second Captains' co-founder, Ciarán Murphy.In this episode, Ciarán shares his GAA story, from childhood memories in Galway to his experiences striving for the Minor team. He discusses the impact of the sport on his life and the lessons learned along the way, sharing stories and insights that are further explored in his book, "This Is The Life." Ciarán reflects on the importance of GAA, both on and off the field, and offers valuable insights for young players navigating their own sporting journeys.Every Tuesday, well known Irish stars will share memories from their early sporting careers and reflect on the defining moments from playing Minor and how that shaped them both on and off the pitch.For more information on the Electric Ireland Camogie Minor Championships go to https://www.electricireland.ie/camogie-minor-championships.For more information on the Electric Ireland GAA Minor Championships go to https://www.electricireland.ie/gaa-minor-championships. Produced and hosted by Fergal O'Keefe at https://lume.ie#ThisIsMajor Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ken Early, broadcaster with Second Captains

In December the Inside Politics team discussed the year in politics and the aftermath of the general election in front of an audience at the Laughter Lounge in Dublin city centre. Joining Hugh, Pat, Jen and Harry for part of the show was Irish Times soccer columnist and Second Captains podcaster Ken Early, who gave his take on the election, what motivates people to vote the way they do, why Sinn Féin's support declined relative to 2020 and what he learned when a pollster called to his door. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ciaran Murphy of Second Captains and RTE Sports columnist Eamon Donoghue joined Paul Shaughnessy to preview Galway and Westmeath in round two of the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship. Subscribe for more content! The Maroon & White Pod – brought to you by Citylink. For bookings, timetables, updates and any other information, head to citylink.ie

Ken Early, Presenter, Second Captains

There's no Musa today, so Ryan is joined by Ken Early from Second Captains to chat about Tuesday and Wednesday's Premier League games. They begin with Everton's win over Liverpool and whether that ends Jürgen Klopp's hope of another Premier League title (01:46), before heading to Arsenal's 5-0 over Chelsea (20:00), take aways from Manchester United 4-2 Sheffield United (39:13), rounding up the other games from midweek (48:08) and finishing on some chat about Xavi decided to remain at Barcelona (53:23). Also, Musa and Ryan will join Ian and Flo Lloyd-Hughes for the Wrighty's House live show next week in London. You can buy tickets here: https://shop.kingsplace.co.uk/30450/30451 Host: Ryan Hunn Guest: Ken Early Producer: Ryan Hunn Additional Production: Jonathan Fisher Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's been a few months since we closed out series one of Episode sitting at Damien Dempsey's kitchen table, and to mark the first show of the new series, we're bringing you an exclusive interview. Last week, Richie and Killian travelled to France to sit down with Vera Pauw at her home in the Dordogne, as she speaks publicly for the first time since the week the FAI declined to renew her contract seven months ago. Vera describes the impact she felt the allegations published just before the World Cup in The Athletic about her time as manager of the Houston Dash - allegations which she denies - had on Ireland's World Cup campaign, and how she thinks she is now unemployable in the western world. She also responds to Diane Caldwell's suggestion that everything Ireland achieved, including their first World Cup qualification, was in spite of Vera being their manager, and outlines the disconnect she feels with the team she spent four years with. Episode is a Second Captains podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode I'm joined by Ken Early of Second Captains for a mid-season (more or less) look at what's going on in the Premier League? Is it important for someone other than Man City to win the title? We chat about some surprises, Jurgen Klopp and his departure announcement, Ken's assessment of Arsenal at this point, as well as discussing punditry that more and more comes with a specific club favour, the IFAB proposal regarding sin-bins and blue cards, and lots more.Follow Ken @kenearlysGet extra bonus content and help support Arseblog by becoming an Arseblog Member on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/arseblog Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

AC Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan and Coventry City midfielder Kasey Palmer both paused their respective games last Saturday after they were subjected to racist gestures and shouts from the stands. Maignan and his team walked off the pitched before coming back and resuming the match. Football's racism problem was again in the headlines.In what seemed like a hardline solution, Gianni Infantino, the head of Fifa, the sports governing body, called for match forfeits after racist incidents.Sports writer and Second Captains podcaster and Irish Times soccer columnist Ken Early explains why this idea is simply unworkable, for reasons that extend beyond the stands. Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by John Casey. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ciaran Murphy of Second Captains joined Paul Shaughnessy to chat about his book 'This is the Life.' Subscribe for more content! This podcast is brought to you by Steede Motor Group, Claregalway. For your personalised vehicle shopping experience! Find out more at steedemotorgroup.ie

Today's season finale with Damien Dempsey is a beautiful journey through music mixed with some hilarious stories about Shane MacGowan, Ronnie Drew, and a live performance from his kitchen table that blew Richie and Killian away.In ten days time, Damien will take to the stage at Vicar Street for the first of six of his now iconic Christmas gigs at the venue, concerts which have taken on a huge emotional significance for his fans.Ahead of those shows and in the midst of recording his new album, Richie sat down with Damo in his home in Donaghmede to chat about that Vicar Street magic and how little pressure there is when you and the audience want the exact same thing: the best gig of their lives.Episode is brought to you by NOW and is a Second Captains podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Three years ago this month, Terence Power and Calvin O'Brien, two young Dubliners from the inner city, sat down at a kitchen table and recorded a podcast with one of their phones. That initial conversation spawned Talking Bollox, a podcast which quickly gathered huge momentum and has become one of the most popular shows in Ireland.One of the reasons for the show's success has been Terence and Calvin's frankness about some of the issues affecting their inner city communities, and today Richie sits down with Terence to speak about one of those issues which has been a feature of his life since childhood, addiction. Terence describes growing up in a home where his mother found herself unable to cope and spent years in active addiction, how their relationship has been completely transformed since she began her recovery and had Terence's younger siblings, and his own recovery after years of cocaine and alcohol abuse. He also speaks really candidly for the first time about his recent relapse, how it made him realise alcohol and drugs really hold nothing for him anymore, and the joy Talking Bollox brings him. Episode is brought to you by NOW and is a Second Captains production. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In March 1992, Zlata Filipović was an 11-year-old girl growing up in Sarajevo, Bosnia in a normal, middle-class family who kept a diary about all the everyday things a child of her age does: going to school, doing music lessons, visiting her grandparents. Just one month later, Zlata's diary had begun to transform into an incredibly vivid description of a city under siege as the Balkans War reached her hometown. Towards the end of 1993, that diary became she and her family's way out of the city: picked up by a French publisher, it became an international bestseller in the midst of the war and Zlata, just 13 years old, became a media phenomenon. She joined Richie in the Second Captains studios earlier this week and described the daily reality of life in a war-torn city, how overwhelming at times the coverage of the ongoing atrocities in Ukraine and Gaza have been, and how she and her family eventually came to resettle in Dublin in the nineties. Zlata's story is truly incredible and feels particularly timely - we'd like to thank her for being so open and willing to share it. Episode is brought to you by NOW and is a Second Captains production. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today's Episode is an extraordinary conversation with John Clarke, the husband and partner of forty years of the late Marian Finucane. It's an intimate, raw and quite beautiful look at love and loss.In late 2019, Marian and John agreed that the time was right for her to call an end to her iconic decades-long broadcasting career with RTE. They set to planning their 'sunset walk' together: the trips around the world they hadn't yet got around to making. Then, in January 2020, Marian died suddenly. This week, Richie and Killian travelled to John Clarke's home in Kilteel Co. Kildare to speak about he and Marian's relationship together - one that was described by a friend as being like 'two fifteen year olds who were addicted to each other and forgot to grow up' - and what life has been like without her. At 87 years old, John describes the emptiness he felt without Marian's constant presence as lockdowns set in, his decades-long sobriety and the turning inwards that becoming a member of AA sparks, and how he and Marian dealt with the death of their daughter Sinead from cancer.Episode is brought to you by NOW and is a Second Captains production. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Just a few short days ago, Shamrock Rovers manager Stephen Bradley celebrated an historic achievement for the club as he led his team to a fourth League of Ireland title in a row. But although he's our first guest on Episode from the world of sport, today's show is very much not about football. Instead, it's a love letter from a father to his son. Last year, Stephen and his wife Emma experienced something no parent wants to: they were told their then-eight-year-old son Josh has leukemia, which he continues to be treated for. Stephen sat down with Richie in his office earlier this week to describe Josh's incredible resilience and bravery in the face of debilitating treatment, the beautiful moment last season when Josh got to lift the League of Ireland trophy alongside the players just hours after leaving hospital, and how the public outpouring of support for his family has far outweighed the hurt caused when a group of Cork City fans openly jeered and mocked the Bradley's situation earlier this season. It's at times a heart wrenching conversation but it's also filled with really beautiful moments, and we want to thank Stephen for being so open about such a difficult subject. Episode is brought to you by NOW and is a Second Captains production. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In 2018, Holly Cairns was 28 years old and had voted once in her life. In the five years since, she's been elected to Cork County Council, then to Dáil Eireann and in the last twelve months has become leader of the Social Democrats. Earlier this year, having previously been vocal about the targeted, sexualised abuse she and other female TDs are regularly subjected to, Holly spoke for the first time about that abuse - normally faceless and online - escalating into a real-world situation where a man began showing up at her home in West Cork. She speaks to Richie from her family farm about how that experience changed the way she lives day to day, why she decided that talking about abuse to journalists anonymously stopped making sense, and the dilemma she faces as the leader of a political party about when to be open and when to keep quiet. Episode is brought to you by NOW and is a Second Captains production. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Richie first met Dr Katriona O'Sullivan - an academic in Maynooth University's Department of Psychology - about seven years ago but at the time, he had no idea about her backstory: a childhood spent in extreme poverty in England as part of an Irish family in which both her parents suffered from long-term addiction issues.Despite being surrounded by adults and structures which continuously failed her, Katriona enrolled in Trinity College aged 23 and forged an academic career while raising her young family. She chats to Richie from her home in Dublin about the empathy she brings to speaking about her parents, how confiding in the people you're supposed to trust as a child brings no guarantee of safety, and how no one can lift themselves out of poverty without a system that's designed to help them do it.Earlier this year, Katriona published a bestselling memoir, ‘Poor', laying out her incredible story in unflinching detail, a memoir which has now received two Irish Book Award nominations. Episode is brought to you by NOW and is a Second Captains production. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of the Mayo Football Podcast, Rob Murphy and John Gunnigan review extracts from some of the content our club members on Patreon have got access to over the last few weeks.  From Colm Boyle we hear reaction to the news that Corofin's Joe Canney has joined Kevin McStay's management team. The split season, and issues relating to it, was covered in two different pods and from them we hear points made by Stephen Drake, Billy Joe Padden, Colm Keys and Ciaran O'Hara.  Two GAA books were published in recent weeks and we had two podcast shows to coincide with these. Ciaran Murphy of Second Captains discusses the split season from the perspective of the club player when he came on the pod to chat his book "This is the Life" while Declan Varley talks about what inspired him to write "Mayo - A Biography in Nine Lives".  This episode of the Mayo Football Podcast is now online and is available to listen to on iTunes, SoundCloud, Podomatic and Spotify. All of the audio clips you hear from the contributors on this show featured in pods first released on Patreon, where our club members get access to loads of exclusive content and more besides.The monthly rate for club membership is €5 plus VAT but annual membership is also available at a 10% discount off the standard rate, where a single annual payment is made. Details on becoming a club member are available here.The Mayo Football Podcast is also on Twitter so if you're a Twitter user you should follow us there to make sure you get the latest podcast-related updates, including new episodes.

For the very first show of the series, Richie travels to Galway to speak to Tommy Tiernan, eight months after meeting each other for the first time on Tommy's chat show. Chatting in his garden studio - The Hen House - Tommy describes how emotions feel like dangerous territory for him, how his complex relationship with his mother continues to evolve years after she took her own life, why psychotherapy has been fruitless for him, and the repercussions of misjudged jokes. Episode is brought to you by NOW and is a Second Captains production. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

To mark the release of his new book all about grassroots GAA 'This is the Life' Ciaran Murphy of Second Captains fame, sat down with Rob Murphy to talk all about what motivated him to write about how the GAA can captivate villages and towns all over the land.Ciaran dropped into our studios in south Mayo after a day of travelling around the county visiting some of the best bookstores to sign copies of the book.The chat covers everything from the allure of the club to the sense of duty and pride that seems to entice even the busiest of people intio dedicating huge chunks of time to playing, coaching and/or simply marking the pitches.Get your copy now, available at all good bookstores as they say.This episode of the Mayo Football Podcast is now online and is available to listen to on iTunes, SoundCloud, Podomatic and Spotify.The monthly rate for club membership is €5 plus VAT but annual membership is also available at a 10% discount off the standard rate, where a single annual payment is made. Details on becoming a club member are available here.The Mayo Football Podcast is also on Twitter so if you're a Twitter user you should follow us there to make sure you get the latest podcast-related updates, including new episodes.

This week on Playback. Liveline on phone scams and fraudsters. Arena and the sexy Irish hag and on Second Captains – the A-lister giving it all away. All on Playback presented by Sinéad Mooney.

In this episode I'm joined by Ken Early of Second Captains for a broad look at the season ahead. We talk about the new rules with regards added time, scrutiny on managers in their technical areas, and leniency on 'fouls' that are bound to have an impact on all involved. There's also discussion about the importance of someone else winning the Premier League next season, as well as chat about Arsenal, Man City, Liverpool, Aston Villa (!), and more.Follow Ken @kenearlysGet extra bonus content and help support Arseblog by becoming an Arseblog Member on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/arseblog Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I had the absolute pleasure of having Irish Times Sports Journalist Malachy Clerkin join the pod for episode 7. Malachy talks about how a mistake on his college CAO form led him to the job he loves. We talked about growing up in Monaghan Town during an era of influential sports stars like Maradona and McGuigan. Malachy also talks about his own time as right back for his local soccer club, the big move to Dublin for college and the competition win that got him into the Sunday Tribune. Malachy is one of Ireland's finest sports writers, and we get into how he learned to engage the reader telling stories from a different angle. We also discuss the books he has written, and chatting to his mates at Second Captains. Hope you enjoy it, please subscribe to the podcast and share about.

Multi-award winning authors Sinéad Gleeson and Roddy Doyle are friends, huge football fans and for one day only, Greatest Non-Sportsperson Sportsperson opponents.

As Qatar 2022 wraps up this weekend, Ken Early of Second Captains and the Irish Times reflects on the one-city World Cup. "If Capitalism was a country, Doha would be its capital," he says.

Protests at the Football World Cup Ken Early of Second Captains brings Brendan up to date on the latest from Qatar.

Brendan is joined by Ciara Phelan, Political Correspondent, Irish Examiner; Declan Power, Security and Defense Analyst; Colm O'Gorman, Global Director for Community Engagement at the Global Refugee Sponsor Initiative; Justine McCarthy, Columnist Irish Times. Second Captains and The Irish Times Journalist Ken Early previews Qatar 2022 World Cup.

It's the final show of the season and after a storming performance from Kit de Waal, world-renowned composer and vocalist Jennifer Walshe is the only contender with a shot at knocking her off top stop and claiming the title of Greatest Non-Sportsperson Sportsperson 2022.

With two episodes to go in this series of Second Captains Saturday, novelist Kit de Waal will be looking to dethrone Fiona Shaw, who currently sits atop the Greatest Non-Sportsperson Sportsperson leaderboard. She joins Eoin and Murph to talk about her amazing life story, one which began among the Irish immigrant community in 1960s Birmingham.

With two episodes to go in this series of Second Captains Saturday, novelist Kit de Waal will be looking to dethrone Fiona Shaw, who currently sits atop the Greatest Non-Sportsperson Sportsperson leaderboard. She joins Eoin and Murph to talk about her amazing life story, one which began among the Irish immigrant community in 1960s Birmingham.

Last week, Fiona Shaw grabbed on to top spot on the Second Captains Saturday leaderboard. Brian Gleeson, her fellow Irish actor and star of what looks like a massive summer hit, Apple TV's "Bad Sisters" will look to make her reign a short one as he joins Eoin and Murph.

Fiona Shaw, one of the greatest actors, on both stage and screen, of her generation, joins Eoin and Murph on Second Captains Saturday as she looks to knock Nick Hornby off the top of the Greatest Non-Sportsperson Sportsperson leaderboard.

Fiona Shaw, one of the greatest actors, on both stage and screen, of her generation, joins Eoin and Murph on Second Captains Saturday as she looks to knock Nick Hornby off the top of the Greatest Non-Sportsperson Sportsperson leaderboard.

Two months ago, RMT General Secretary Mick Lynch was, in his own words, an obscure trade union leader. He's since become one of the most recognisable faces in the UK, leading railway strikes and emerging as one of the most vocal critics of the Conservative government in Britain. He joins Eoin and Murph on Second Captains Saturday.

For four decades, William Finnegan has been an award-winning war reporter with the New Yorker magazine. He's also lived a sometimes secret second life as a surfer, chasing waves around the world. He joins Eoin and Murph on Second Captains Saturday.

In this pre-season Premier League episode I'm joined by Ken Early of Second Captains to look ahead to the new season. We discuss the winter World Cup, how Erling Haaland might (or might not) fit in at Man City, Liverpool's 'net spend', Chelsea's transfer strategy, Man Utd's Cristiano Ronaldo issue, as well as some Arsenal chat and a very disturbing prediction from Ken which I hope does not come to pass.Follow Ken @kenearlysGet extra bonus content and help support Arseblog by becoming an Arseblog Member on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/arseblog See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Anne Enright, Booker Prize-winning author and Ireland's first ever Laureate for Fiction, has never been sure about this whole sport business. Does she hold out high hopes to become Ireland's Greatest Non-Sportsperson Sportsperson? In short... No. One of Ireland's greatest contemporary writers joins Eoin and Murph on Second Captains Saturday.

Second Captains Saturday is back and we're delighted to be joined for the first episode of the series by the author of some of our favourite books, Nick Hornby. Sure, he's a two-time Oscar-nominated screenwriter, but can he take the title of Ireland's greatest non-sportsperson sportsperson?

For our maiden voyage, we are honoured to be captained by Ciaran Murphy, ironically of the good ship Second Captains. He is tackling the 2009 billion dollar blockbuster Avatar. We are granted entry into the extended Murphy Cinematic Universe where we discuss how Ciaran's family shaped his early cinematic tastes, his journey through one extremely specific edition of the 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die, the creation of everyone's favourite Second Captain's pandemic spin off series, the Murph'N'Mal's Movie Club and the joys of a brisk 90-minute film (note: this definitely does not apply to Avatar).  Over on Pandora, we chat about the mystery of Avatar's box office success and subsequent cultural disappearance, Cameron's casting choices, the non-appeal of 3D and beyond, how the sequels will cope with problematic racist overtones in a post- Get Out world, the film's contradictory positions when it comes to environmentalism, potential plagiarism in the Star Wars universe, why you really shouldn't smoke in science lab and of course our perennial fave -  it was capitalism all along! Ciaran's choice of movie that not enough people have seen is a little Easter egg for any World Service subscribers, what's the one film he and Ken Early have ever agreed on? Answers on a postcard to The Last One To See Films mentioned throughout the episode: https://letterboxd.com/thelastonetosee/list/the-last-one-to-see-ep1-avatar-with-ciaran/ ~ To see what David was talking about during What's In The Box, follow the podcast on Instagram and Twitter. Also, just follow us. Ah go on. Let's be internet friends. We're also on Letterboxd at https://letterboxd.com/thelastonetosee/ ~ Use our promo code RAF-87MP-76AC-32WR-17EJ when signing up for an Unlimited card at Cineworld UK or Cineworld Ireland to get an extra month's membership for free! ~ Follow David on Letterboxd and Twitter. Follow Kate on Twitter. Follow Christine on Twitter. ~ Email: thelastonetosee@theshift.ie ~ Our theme music is “80's And Chill” by Empyreal Glow ~ Background image courtesy of Mars Plex at unsplash.com Ticket images courtesy of KStudio at freepik.com ~ The Last One To See is part of The Shift Podcast Network. Check out https://theshift.ie/

Defending champions Knockmore and challengers Belmullet face off against each other on Sunday in this year's Mayo Senior Football Championship Final, with Knockmore aiming for their tenth county title while Belmullet are looking to get their hands on the Moclair Cup for the very first time.In this episode of the Mayo News Football Podcast host Rob Murphy is joined by two distinguished former players of Knockmore and Belmullet respectively, Kevin O'Neill and Billy Joe Padden. Kevin and Billy Joe were, of course, also Mayo teammates and lined out together in the 2006 All-Ireland final. The lads look back on the journey their respective clubs have been on in recent decades, touching as they do on county finals two and three decades ago involving North Mayo teams. We get their recollections of matches involving Knockmore and Belmullet that they were involved in and hear why both clubs are so strong and passionate about football.The talk then turns towards Sunday's Moclair Cup decider, with a particular focus on the managers - including those involved in this final - who have come to the fore in the county in recent years. They then look at the match itself and how they think it might go.   Produced and edited by Ger Duffy Media.Proudly sponsored by Crean Ceramic City.Listen to us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts & all other major platforms: https://pod.link/911384007Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/mayopodcast

Orla Guerin is a renowned war correspondent for the BBC. She spent time as Pakistan correspondent, where she built up knowledge of the Taliban. As the US withdraws from Afghanistan, & the Taliban are in power once again, we get an insight into what life is going to be like for those left behind.

Yvonne Farrell set up Grafton Architects in 1978 along with her friend Shelley McNamara, and they've gone on to become two of the most decorated architects on the globe. But how will Yvonne fare in the quest to become Second Captains Greatest Non-Sportsperson Sportsperson?

You may know that Doireann Ní Ghríofa is an internationally renowned poet and the 2020 Book of the Year winner. You may not know that she's a massive fan of legendary Clare hurler PJ ‘Fingers' O'Connell.

Malcolm Gladwell is one the world's most successful writers and podcasters, he has six New York Times best sellers to his name and of course the phenomenal Revisionist History podcast. We break down his love of running and surprising interest in 1970s & 1980s Irish athletes.

Todays guest Dave Balfe is a musician and artist who performs under the name For Those I Love and his album released earlier this year landed him huge international recognition. We talk about the significance of sport in his own life and how it has helped him to grieve for his best mate and much more besides.

Playwright, author, broadcaster, boxing fan and a national treasure here in Ireland - this week's guest on Second Captains Saturday is Bonnie Greer who tells us about the importance of Ali to her and her generation growing up in 1960's Chicago.

One of the world's great novelists Richard Ford is the guest for episode 1 of series 5 of Second Captains Saturday. Richard tells us about his sporting life, his connections to Ireland, how he became a writer and we see if he has what it take to become Ireland's greatest non-sportsperson sportsperson.

On this bonus episode, Ryan is joined by Ken Early from Second Captains and the Irish Times to look back at Liverpool's incredible 4-0 win against Barcelona that took them to a second Champions League final in a row. They also discuss Liverpool's progression under Jürgen Klopp, Philippe Coutinho, Barcelona's transitioning identity and more.Follow us on Twitter:@okwonga@badgoalryry@mjdasilva@rabonamagMusic: Dabrye - 'Bloop'. Used with permission from Dabrye and Ghostly International.Available to buy at dabrye.bandcamp.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The podcast returns after a medically-related hiatus to a jam-packed sports calendar. To help discuss it, we are very honored to have on the show Stephen Brunt from Sportsnet and the Fan 590 in Toronto. First, we discuss Stephen's return to co-host Prime Time Sports with Bob McCown, the genesis of his return, sharing the co-host chair with former pod guest Richard Deitsch and more. That segues into a discussion about sports journalism in 2018, the pay model of things like The Athletic and Second Captains, sportswriters moving to TV and and radio, the late, lamented National Sports Daily and what demographics will pay for content, sports or otherwise.  Then, we talk about a variety of sports topics, including the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Maple Leafs struggles vs the Bruins, playoff predictions, the CONCACAF Champions League final between Toronto FC and Chivas de Guadalajara, the UEFA Champions League semi-finals, Arsene Wenger leaving Arsenal, the recent HBO documentary on Andre the Giant, the passing of Bruno Sammartino and more.  You can hear Stephen on Prime Time Sports (when he is the co-host) 5-7 PM weekdays on the Fan 590 and read him on Sportsnet.ca. You can also get his books on Wayne Gretzky, Bobby Orr, Muhammad Ali and more at Amazon and the other usual places they are sold. 

The podcast returns before the holiday season kicks in discussing the world of futbol and more with Ken Early (@kenearlys) from the Irish Times and the Second Captains podcast (@secondcaptains).  We start with how Ireland is dealing with their elimination from the World Cup and what the future holds for coaches Martin O'Neill and Roy Keane. That segues into a discussion about why they and the Irish national team have such a poor relationship in recent years with Everton. Then, it's onto a chat about the Champions League, which resumed with Match Day Five when this episode debuted. From there, we talk about two of Ken's favorite subjects: Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola.  We examine the relationship between the two in Spain and now in the Premier League. To which historical rivals does Ken compare the two managers? And just how of The Special One's wrestling heel persona is a work? Lastly, we talk about the Second Captains World Service podcast network, their move to becoming a paid subscription model earlier this year and the decision for Ken to a political podcast as one of their shows and the whole "stick to sports" opinion held by a segment of the sports fans around the world. Note: The political chat starts around 34:30 and includes a number of current events.  If that's not your cup of tea, please feel free to give that section a pass. No offense taken.