Prime Time Sports with Bob McCown: Monday, November 30, 2009 (5:00-7:00)

Host: Bob McCown
Co-Host: John Shannon
Guests: Rob Becker, legal analyst; Brian Cooper from Sports and Entertainment L.P., Tom Anselmi, COO at Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment; Globe and Mail columnist David Shoalts.

5 million viewers for the Grey Cup?? Not surprised. But the furor over the game not being televised on CBC and TSN instead seems to have passed from discussion.

Tiger Woods isn't going to lose a dollar from this on-going drama involving his wife and golf clubs. Unless it turns into a criminal matter.

Some cool inisghts from Bob in the 5-6 hour talking about how he never wanted to be part of radio, and got into it by accident as a supplementary income to his golfing job. …and Bobcat used to own an art gallery too? Who knew! (I eat this history stuff up!) Too bad Bobcat couldn't get his pen in order for me to make some Prime Time Sports xmas shopping! Hopefully next year.

Prime Time Sports with Bob McCown: Monday, August 31, 2009 (5:00-7:00)

Host: Bob McCown
Guests: Brian Cooper of Sports & Entertainment L.P.; Toronto Sun baseball columnist, Bob Elliott; Buzz Hargrove, interim ombudsman for the NHLPA; Ernie Els, golfer on the PGA Tour; president and CEO of the Edmonton Oilers, Patrick LaForge.

"Kelly is smart - smart like Bettman is smart. …and whatever my differences are with Gary, I've always acknowledged this is a really bright guy."

What the hell??? Bob, have you been sipping the kool-aid while you've been away? I never thought I'd see the day that I'd hear McCown say this! I think it's safe to say that through the past couple of years, McCown had a deep 'intrigue' in Paul Kelly. He didn't dodge questions by Bobcat, was honest and was a refreshing change from the normal Hockey Executives.

I can remember McCown in the past hanging up on guests in the past for not answering questions and not wanting to waste the time of the listeners. I was waiting for McCown to hang up on Buzz Hargrove who did a great tap dance around questions without answering a damn thing. I felt my time was wasted, not by Bobcat but by Hargrove not answering the fundamental question of WHY Kelly was released as Head of the NHLPA.

Somewhere, Bob Goodenow is laughing his arse off.

Prime Time Sports with Bob McCown: Monday April 27, 2009 (6:00-7:00)

Host: Bob McCown
Roundtable: Roundtable with Jim Kelley, and Brian Cooper

A very philosophical McCown in the first segment who basically stated that the more the fighting issue is spoken about, the more fights there are. Bobcat called it "a counter culture and the worse I've ever seen it." Fighting was up 50% from last year, and has spilled into the playoffs. Kelly started rambling about the issue and got a bit off McCown's topic - and I could hear McCown ignoring the discussion in the first segment as Kelly rambled on. McCown said, "It is time for this league to establish some criteria…a series of "if's…thens" with consequences. (McCown has a bit of Nostradamus in him as later in the day Thornton would fight Getzlaf.)

Is it possible that the NHL doesn't come close to suspensions because they are handcuffed by the NHL?

As for the Jays, McCown put it simply "Been a long time since we had this feel, isn't it? It brings you back, because you forget how great it was, because every day you had a vested interest (in the outcome of the game)."

Prime Time Sports with Bob McCown: Friday, April 3rd, 2009 (5:00-7:00)

Host: Bob McCown
Co-Host: Jim Kelley
Friday: Roundtable with Brian Cooper and Jeff Blair

Questions of the day from the show:
1) Are you guys tired of the '92/'93 Blue Jays retrospective by the Jays Management?
I have very fond memories of the '92 and '93 Jays. Just an amazing team and an amazing time to be around Toronto. My sense is that Toronto and it's fans are starving for a Champion (any Champion) that is from the City. The Jays are the last, best thing the city had. My problem with the Jays management continuing to go to the well with this promotion is that, you can only go to it so many times. ...and the 17th anniversary of the World Series seems very odd as a celebration point.

2) What makes sports entertainment different than movie entertainment that seems to be booming in the economy we are in?
How does the Fast and the Furious get 75 million this weekend and sports can't garner the same sort of attention? Is it finally the apathy setting in with the public supporting over paid players that have questionable "training" methods? Maybe baseball will be the first real casualty in the economy? 14,000 season tickets less by the Tigers is a pretty good sign that MLB is headed in that direction.

Prime Time Sports with Bob McCown - Monday, March 23 (6:00-7:00)

Host: Bob McCown
Co-Host: Stephen Brunt
Guest: Brian Cooper
As the Gillette saga in Montreal unfolds, I will be really interested to see how McCown handles Brunt's personal relationship with Gillette. When the MLSE had their Brian-Burke-for-GM search committee and Gord Kirke was part of it, it was amazing to see how McCown didn't back down from asking questions to Kirke on the status of the search. McCown was relentless and pushed Kirke like crazy during those months. I'm not so sure McCown will be pushing Brunt for more info on Gillette, given how close Brunt and Gillette are. But he certainly should. Brunt may not know anything more, but if the Habs ownership questions continue, it will be impossible for McCown to ask Brunt questions that 'only a friend would know.' As McCown stated tonight, "It's just barely beginning."

Who would have thought the Habs would be more screwed up than the Sens?

Thursday, February 26 - 6:00-7:00

Host: Bob McCown
Co-Host: Jim Kelley
Guests: President and CEO of Sports and Entertainment L.P., Brian Cooper; NHL player agent, Anton Thun; Greg Logan, Newsday writer

The need for NHL clubs to have access funds is hitting an alarming rate. 50% of NHL teams need access to NHL reserves this year, but yet according to Bettman,life is beautiful:

(to the guys in Toronto with Bobcat, please don't show him the above link or he'll jump from the studio offices!)

$5.69/ticket for seasons tickets in Tampa Bay in the nosebleeds next year? Giddy-up! At least with the crappy economy, we'll see better deals for tickets. We've already seen the deals in Ottawa already. (Mind you, that probably has to do more with the Sens stinking up the arena, than the economic climate!)