1/21/10 -Eugene Melnyk, Senators, Cullen, TFC

Host: Bob McCown
Co-Host: John Shannon
Guests: Basketball writer for the Globe and Mail, Michael Grange; Elliotte Friedman from "Hockey Night in Canada" on CBC, Eugene Melnyk, Ottawa Senators owner; Dan Shulman, ESPN broadcaster, Don Banks, writer for Sports Illustrated; David Branch, commissioner of the OHL; comedian Sean Cullen

It seems every time Melnyk comes on, McCown doesn't really talk about the Senators in any great detail, other than the cursory "how's the team doin'?" kinda questions. Melnyk always seems to be questioned about the PTS world more than anything. Since the tired notion of addressing the head shot issue was the topic of the week, that's what the conversation revolved around.

I thought Sean Cullen was the funniest thing on PTS in a long time! ...and Bobcat, just go to a TFC game the next time you get the opportunity. Or at least swear off of leaf games, will ya???

Prime Time Sports with Bob McCown: Friday, October 23, 2009 (5:00-7:00)

Host: Bob McCown
Roundtable with Bob McCown, Jim Kelley, Bruce Arthur, and Neil Smith.

If the Senators played Dodgeball during practice, the Toronto media would have a flippin' field day. I can't believe the number of journalists defending the Leafs. Soon the tide will turn on Burke. The early play of the Leafs seems to be Burke's "bogey" by the media, and everyone but McCowns love affair with Burke is continuing. I admit that I was skeptical of how McCown would handle criticizing Burkey, but he definitely stepped into Burke with some pretty big fists questioning his vision for the team.

McCown's line of the week saying if he were GM he'd tell the players, "If you don't play better, you'll be driving a truck next week!!"

Prime Time Sports with Bob McCown: Friday, October 16, 2009 (5:00-7:00)

Host: Bob McCown
Guests: Roundtable with Bob McCown, John Shannon, Jeff Blair, and David Shoalts.

Prime Time Sports has always been a national broadcast. The first hour of the show featured the roundtable discussing how brutal the leafs are. Now being an Ottawa Senators fan, my bias is clear. Having said that, does the country *really* need a dissection of the worst place team? Why not discuss the challenges in Calgary, Montreal and Vancouver? What about the play of the Sens and how the team seems to have turned it around? Could it simply be that McCown, Shannon, Blair and Shoalts are all pretty much one dimensional in terms of their hockey knowledge? "Why bother being a leaf fan?" remarked Blair. Why discuss them in the first place and spend so damn long on the pathetic embarrassment that is the leafs? (Bash if you'd like, but you are only kidding yourself, delusional or a leaf fan...or all 3!)

So who would you like to see light the torch in Vancouver: Wayne Gretzky? Rick Hansen? Pierre Lueders? Terry Fox's Mother? Nancy Greene?

...and did you know that the Olympic torch will be lit in a few short days?? HREF="http://www.vancouver2010.com/more-2010-information/olympic-torch-r
elay/olympic-torch-relay-interactive-map/">LINK

Prime Time Sports with Bob McCown: Monday, September 21, 2009 (5:00-7:00)

Host: Bob McCown
Co-Host: Stephen Brunt
Guests: Ed Olczyk, hockey analyst for Versus and NBC; Hamilton Tiger Cats GM, Bob O'Billovich; Bill Daly, NHL deputy commissioner; Trent Edwards, quarterback for the Buffalo Bills.

The leafs get a bonnifide 35-goal scorer for 2 first round picks and a second? If Murray made that deal in Ottawa, he'd be fired.

On the Daly interview, I thought both McCown and Brunt were out of line a couple of times. Daly answered questions up front and a couple of times, both Brunt and McCown hinted at owners not talking as they were "afraid of getting their wrists slapped." The two times they did this, they did not give Daly an opportunity to respond, although it was more of a cheap shot than a question. Daly answered the questions honestly and it seemed (at least initially) that both McCown and Brunt had an axe to grind.

...and out of nowhere, McCown hit Daly with the referee lawsuit question. To my recollection, I don't remember this issue ever being discussed. As a listener, it would have been nice to get more context before Daly was asked the question.

On the positive, a great answer by Daly on the whole NHLPA-Kelly firing. "Shocked" was the word Daly used.