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?

Prime Time Sports with Bob McCown - Friday, March 27, 2009 (5:00-7:00)

Host: Bob McCown
Round Table Guests: Stephen Brunt, Neil Smith, Jeff Blair.
"The sky is falling…the sky is falling!!!"
If the cap in the NHL goes down by $10 million, the Sens are mightily screwed, along side at least 10 other teams. In the first segment, the round table discussed all of the implication of the cap coming down in the coming years and how teams would handle such a (probable) scenario. Ultimately, the one area that was not discussed is why the owners wouldn't lock out the players due to the agreement not being flexible enough to handle the "realities of the new economy" (can't you see Bettman at a news conference stating something like that??)

Getting a bit tired of the Outlaw League discussion, although as I said in my post, it's definitely making me think twice on putting my infant sons in anything associated with hockey. How this issue has received more feedback to Prime Time Sports than any other is more of an indication of how psychotic and fanatical parents are about their kids more than the issue itself.

Prime Time Sports with Bob McCown : Thursday, March 26, 2009 (6:00-7:00)

Host: Bob McCown
Co-Host: Stephen Brunt
Guests: Dan Shulman, Ozzie Logozzo
"I cannot recall any story which has garnered the amount of response as this one." …and the saga continues with the outlaw leagues vs Hockey Canada. In my years of listening to Prime Time Sports, I can't think of an issue where Bobcat hasn't been well-versed in (with the exception of the women anchors that came on a couple of months ago, by his own admission.) The beauty of this issue, is we are all hearing the different sides to this story on the fly and McCown/Brunt are our mouthpiece to the questions we would have. Even further to this, it looks like they may be the carriers of the torch for reform to Hockey Canada.

Ozzie Logozzo, a frustrated parent came to talk about his experience with the outlaw league. Coincidentally, it was the league whose owners came to Prime Time Sports yesterday. I think it would have been much more beneficial to have the parent come in first, followed by the league owners to answer for some of the putrid things associated with their league.

As a father of one son (and soon to be two), listening to all of this makes me question whether hockey is a real option for my kids. Is all the politics and lunacy worth the 'high' that my kids can get from a variety of other recreational activities? Personally, I don't think so.

Prime Time Sport with Bob McCown: Wednesday, March 25, 2009 (6:00-7:00)

Host: Bob McCown
Co-Host: Stephen Brunt
Guests: Stan Kasten, Bob Russell and Marshall Uretsky
Kasten will be the Jays GM - just a matter of time.

Last week, an interesting discussion was started up by Bob McCown regarding Hockey Canada's treatment of "outlaw leagues." Bob Nicholson ended up sounding like a thug on Prime Time Sports then, and the other side was invited to discuss their take on the situation. For the majority of the interview, I was completely confused (and it sure has heck sounded like Bob and Stephen were too!) Bob Russell sounded completely unprepared - maybe it was nerves or something. All I got out of the interview is this is a league not associated with Hockey Canada, charge a ton of cash for kids to practice up to 8 days a week so that these guys can make a buck. As a listener, the anger I had by Hockey Canada a week ago, turned into sympathy for Hockey Canada for having to deal with renegades like the gentlemen that were on this afternoon. I'm sure it wasn't the picture that McCown wanted to paint, and at the same time, I'm sure Bob Nicholson was enjoying every minute of the interview.

Prime Time Sports with Bob McCown - Tuesday, March 17 (6:00-7:00)

Host: Bob McCown
Co-Host: Stephen Brunt
Guests: Commissioner of the United Football League, Michael Huyghue; Bob Nicholson, Hockey Canada's president; Globe and Mail sports columnist, Jeff Blair

The UFL gets a sweetheart deal from Versus to broadcast it's yet-to-kickoff league. Man, the NHL has to be having the itch to get off Versus now, or at least get some more cash on the next deal. I wonder why a UHL wouldn't work for the same reasons that the UFL could work: hit over-saturated markets at non-peak times. Another hockey league in the summer in cities like Toronto, Vancouver, New York and Boston maybe???

Bobcat then took exception with Bob Nicholson with the actions being taken by Hockey Canada against "outlaw leagues". Really weird to see the underbelly of Hockey Canada…"your with us or against us", type approach, and we're talking about 9-10 year olds. Bob correctly classified it as "bullying" - check out the article here (he's not that far off):Link

…and then back to the WBC with Jeff Blair - geez, can't wait til this thing is over.

You guys all done your Final Four picks?