1/19/10 - Kypreos, Cherry, HNIC, Gillett, Global TV

Host: Bob McCown
Co-Host: John Shannon
Guests: Jim Kelley, Sportsnet.ca columnist, Buddy Nix, Buffalo Bills GM; Rogers Sportsnet's Nick Kypreos, Former owner of the Montreal Canadiens, George Gillett; Lyle Bauer, Calgary Stampeders president and CEO; professor at Montana State University, Michael Meyers.

The dinosaurs of hockey continue with Kypreos being one of it's class clowns. How he can defend the "culture" in hockey, and in turn, indirectly justify the Cromier hit is absolutely disgusting. The disdain I have for the protectors of fighting/head shots/hits from behind/the code is similar to the way I feel about republicans and leaf fans!

Maybe Kypreos is eying the HNIC job when Cherry leaves.

There's a lot in common with the UK press and the Montreal press, eh Mr. Gillett? ...and who knew McCown had a broken heart from Global??

Prime Time Sports with Bob McCown: Tuesday, December 1, 2009 (4:00-7:00)

Host: Bob McCown
Co-Host: Stephen Brunt
Guests: Kevin Martin, Canadian curler; TSN's Rod Black, Former NBA player, Spud Webb; president and CEO of Tennis Canada, Michael Downey; Mark Fainaru-Wada from ESPN, Rogers Sportsnet hockey commentator, Nick Kypreos; Bob Elliott, baseball columnist for the Toronto Sun,

There are days where it's painful to write about Prime Time Sports, as the content or issues surrounding PTS is dull as hell! Today is not one of those days...

The new format of Prime Time will now eliminate the call-in portion which was held from 4pm-5pm. What this does is bring in more and more guests, but hopefully not dilute the quality. What's really interesting is (and I'm sure it's not a coincidence), guests from TSN are coming on Sportsnet. Rod Black comes on Sportsnet airwaves, and not for any topic in particular. What's the forum for Sportsnet talent to get on TSN airwaves? Off the Record? Please. CBC and Sportsnet seem to have a mutual agreement with Cherry and McLean coming on a couple of times a year. However, young talent such as Freeman seem to have pretty strict constraints on when he can appear on Prime Time.

How long before Pierre McGuire or Bob McKenzies comes on Prime Time airwaves?

The un-holy alliance is just getting started.

I have few loves in my life. Prime Time Sports, Letterman and Pearl Jam. ...and hearing Pearl Jam starting a segment just about was as close to heaven in my ears as I'll get! Keep it up!!!

I get the sense that the relationship between Brunt-McCown is the same relationship between Wilson-House...am I off on this? Maybe not from the visual end, but from the ying-yang, tension, but ultimate love for each other. (OK, maybe I'm off!!!)

Hearing Brunt talk about the ending of the Grey Cup and what that meant to him as a Sports Writer was simply poetry. He was bang on regarding what we thing a Sports Writer's life is and probably equally right about how the game ending completely threw everyone in the press box for a loop.

Prime Time Sports with Bob McCown: Tuesday, November 24, 2009 (5:00-7:00)

Host: Bob McCown
Co-Host: John Shannon
Guests: Nick Kypreos from Rogers Sportsnet; Toronto Star basketball columnist Doug Smith, Sports Illustrated NFL writer, Don Banks; Paul Kelly, former head of the NHLPA; John Buccigross from ESPN.com
Hearing Bobcat read Winnie the Pooh was CLASSIC! Well done Bobcat!!!

We're down to 30% of our current staff at work, so the round table discussions will be missing this week!

Good to hear Paul Kelly back, and equally surpassing that he decided to stick around in the hockey landscape, as opposed to returning back to his roots as a prosecutor. As indicated, this is probably due to the fact that he still has a strong interest in returning to the Leadership of professional hockey is some capacity.

As a Sens fan, hearing that the Leafs are having problems selling boxes and there current predicament and performance is a source of great joy I take. The deep respect I have for Burke for the handling of the news of his son, is at a very high level. There is something more to Burke than meets the eye, and definitely more than his public persona would indicate. Read the full story here. Burke may not want to be a role model as a family member in this regard, however he definitely is that. You can bet Cherry won't touch this on Saturday night, as much as Ronny may want to!

Prime Time Sports with Bob McCown: Wednesday, October 7th, 2009 (5:00-7:00)

Host: Bob McCown
Co-Host: Bruce Arthur
Guests: Globe and Mail sports writer, David Naylor; Scott Moore, executive director of CBC Sports; Ed Olczyk, NBC and Versus hockey analyst; legal expert Rob Becker; Keith Law from ESPN.

Nice to hear some real music on the podcast breaks...instead of the studio music. Cheap Sportsnet bastards won't pay for licensed music on the TV airwaves.

Would love to know more details about the books that McCown/Naylor have going on. It still sounds like it's at least a year away though for anything to be produced. Hope the History of Prime Time Sports makes it to fruition.

"Don (Cherry) is a bit of a dancer" - Scott Moore. Does anyone in Canada know this side of Cherry?

Looking at the Kelly-NHLPA situation, McCown has recently argued that Kelly's fundamental mistake was not getting rid of the 'old guard' and letting the Executive Board continue to run, without putting in "his own guys". The problem with this argument is that it is all in hindsight. No one saw this coming and unfortunately McCown's comments come after the fact. If McCown thought this, why not say it before instead of after Kelly was fired? ...and a bit sick of the "Sword of Damocles"
saying too! For those that need it, here's the link to what the reference is all about:
LINK

Prime Time Sports with Bob McCown: Wednesday, April 1st, 2009

Host: Bob McCown
Co-Host: Jim Kelley
Guests: Dan Shulman, Bob Turow, Pat Quinn

A discussion with Dan Shulman revolved around many topics including the Japanese vs American style of baseball. This lead me to think the following: "Are we as Canadians closer to the American style of sports (chest pounding, highlight-reel) or closer to the Japanese style of sports (focus on team, not "me-me-me")? I think there are elements where we are like the US style of sport, but upon reflection, it seems that we are much more closer linked to the American style of sport. Look at Don Cherry's latest attack on Ovechkin's celebration of his 50th goal, and how "good Canadian boys celebrate with honor, dignity and restraint" (ok, maybe he didn't word it EXACTLY that way.)

Who would have thought we'd have more in common with the Japanese than the US?

Monday, March 2 - 6:00-7:00

"I'm reluctant to read emails, because it gives a platform to the morons." - Bob McCown

It really bothers me to hear Bob McCown talk about hate mail he got as a result of his piece on the Fifth Estate. I will say what he can't. Things will change when the "dinosaurs" are extinct. When the Cherrys, Burke's, and Bettman's of the NHL are out of the NHL, things will change.

For the record, McCown has never said he wants fighting out of hockey. What McCown does want is stiffer penalties thereby making a greater deterrent for fighting in hockey. What McCown does want is to remove the goons from the league that serve no point other than taking spots from other skilled players. What McCown does want is a more skilled league.

No one can justify how the level of hockey is so high in tournaments where no fighting exists, yet it can't happen for the NHL.

I am so proud of the Brunts and McCowns of the world trying to shine a light on the hypocrisy of the NHL. This is the beauty of Prime Time Sports.

I grant you that this issue isn't as clear cut in the direction of creating larger deterrents for fighting, but one thing is for sure...it ain't as one sided as the bully's of the NHL are making it. ...and as McCown has stated, when someone in the NHL dies as a result of a fight, the dinosaurs may be extinct overnight.

(Bobcat - you are out to lunch if you think the Sens are buyers...and I mean REALLY out to lunch.)

Monday, March 2 - 5:00-6:00

Host: Bob McCown
Co-Host: Stephen Brunt

Before we get started today, didn't update Friday's entry as there wasn't much to comment on.

There are few things in life like seeing Stephen Brunt work with Bob McCown, especially on Monday in the first 5pm segment. Normally, it's like eavesdropping on two very good, but VERY different friends catching up. It reminds me of a lot of the conversations I have with my friends that I haven't seen in a while. The first segment is normally reserved for the McCown and Brunt to talk about the issues of the day. While Kelley and McCown also do the same, ain't nuttin like McCown and Brunt. (OK, you guys get the point eh?)

Today was different. The banter was good, speaking about the East Coast, however the boys jumped straight to the fighting issue. Specifically, the Fifth Estate piece and the past weekends Coach's Corner attack on Ovechkin by Don Cherry (see video from Feb 28).

Cherry put a bounty out on Ovechkin. To call it anything else is shortsighted and naive. If some goon wants to make a name for himself, he now has a free pass on Ovechkin. Agree with the boys, that this is really all on Cherry.

Here's one question - why was Ron so silent? For a guy who has has annually teed off on Bettman with such pinpoint accuracy, why was he so silent on Saturday?

Wednesday, February 25 - 6:00-7:00

Host: Bob McCown
Co-Host: Jim Kelley
Guests: Michael Sanderson, father of the late Don Sanderson; FAN 590 show host and Rogers Sportsnet hockey analyst, Doug MacLean

Through the years, the one thing that has kept me coming back to PTS is how the Bobcat can take high expectations for interesting guests and exceed these expectations into something memorable. Michael Sanderson had the potential to be one of those interviews. I think the only reason it wasn't was that the interview was only limited to one segment. (Segments #2 and #3 with MacLean wasn't anything to write home about either.)

Right off the bat, McCown asked Mr. Sanderson what misconceptions there were about his son who passed away due to hitting his head on the ice during a fight. Sanderson responded by saying his son was never a goon. "Hockey is physical enough, without fighting." A picture was painted regarding Don Sanderson being a player that knew his future in hockey did not include playing in the NHL, but perhaps coaching at some level.

He said he was not an advocate for fighting and always didn't like fighting. He then went on to state McCown's theory on where fighting should be in the new NHL. Heavier suspensions, stiffer penalties and a stigma attached to fighting by the punishments therein.

I personally remember a Coach's Corner shortly after Sanderson passed, that Don Cherry said that he spoke to Mike Sanderson who said if someone is looking for trouble, to not hesitate to drop the gloves and fight. "That's hard for people to believe," Cherry said. "Mike is a hockey guy. He coaches hockey, he teaches hockey. All his life he's been in hockey. If two guys want to [fight], that's it." Here's the source to Cherry saying this. After hearing Michael Sanderson, either Cherry is lying or Don Sanderson is. I believe it's the former. Mike briefly addressed Cherry in the interview head-on. Kudos to Bobcat for not turning it into a he-said she-said issue, and choosing to focus on the fighting issue itself.

MacLean came on to discuss Phoenix Coyotes bailout. McCown asks, "who in there right bleeping mind would wanna buy this franchise unless it was movable...would you?" Just give this team back to Winnipeg already!! Nice to see MacLean agree with Bobcat on something, finally!

Trade deadline discussion in the 3rd segment - lots of potential big players moving...but other than that, nothing earth shattering here.

No parting shots.

ps. i see quite a few people coming from around the country - comment, will ya?

Tuesday, February 24, 2009 - 5:00-6:00

Host: Bob McCown
Co-Host: Jim Kelley

The boys speak about the upcoming CBC 5th estate special "Fighting in Hockey" Link. It will air this Friday at 9pm EST. Both Bobcat and Cherry will be on the show (although he said he's on for "8 seconds. What are the chances that most of me are on an editing floor in CBC somewhere?").

The real interesting thing about PTS and the past 6-8 months worth of shows (at least) is the simmering rivalry between Cherry and McCown. McCown has always said he has the most respect for Cherry but fundamentally disagrees with his take on fighting. It seems as both him and Don will be on the CBC, although I highly doubt face to face. Bobcat has maintained that fighting shouldn't be eliminated from the game, but instead stiffer penalties be invoked for those who partake in fisticuffs.

Bobcat took a FANTASTIC shot against MLSE and the Leafs regarding the ...reiterating that MLSE is a bunch of money grubbing idiots (man, I love the truth!)

Greekboy Kypreos came on to Bobcat stating MLSE must think "we have stupid, stupid fans who will pay just about anything." Nothing earth shattering about this news.

Bobcat shared that when he was 12 he punched a bully out and Kipper jumped all over for him asking why isn't this good enough for the NHL? (I'm pretty sure Kipper was joking...wasn't he??)

Tigercats on for the last segment - missed it due to a crying youngan!!