By Ami Angelwings
4pm hour – Listener calls with Bob McCown
- Calls are about the Blue Jays spending money, anger at Bryan Colangelo and the NHL lockout
5pm hour – Bob McCown hosting, John Shannon co-hosting
First segment: Talk segment
- Bob and Shannon talk about how it’s good that DeMar Derozan chose to re-sign in Toronto
- Bob and Shannon discuss how many American players don’t want to play in Canada
Second segment: Interview with Anton Thun, NHL player agent
- Thun talks about players playing in Europe, says that there are much less spots this lockout than in 2004
- Shannon says that agents are much less publicly involved with the lockout than last lockout, Thun says that this time, the agents are much more informed and have much more confidence in the NHLPA than in 2004
- Thun thinks that a lot of damage was done to the relationship of the NHL and NHLPA because of the July 43% offer from the NHL
- Thun thinks that both sides want a similar thing, but when they get to 50/50 is where there are differences
- Bob thinks both sides are on completely different planets, Thun doesn’t agree
Third segment: Interview wtih Anton Thun continues
- Thun says he remains optimistic because he thinks both sides have a lot to lose by continuing the lockout
- Bob thinks the players should have had a contingency plan to form their own league, Thun disagrees and say there aren’t enough arenas
6pm hour – Bob McCown hosting, John Shannon co-hosting
First segment: Interview with Don Banks
- Banks talks about Manning and the Broncos, thinks that ultimately the Broncos will have a better season than the Colts
- Banks talks about Mike Shanahan implying publicly that he’s giving up on this season, says that a coach can’t say that this early in the season
Second segment: Interview with Jonah Keri, Grantland.com writer
- Keri talks about the MLB free agent pool, says that Hamilton is a big risk but Greinke is a top pitcher
- Keri says that the Jays could sign Greinke if they want to spend enough money to, but it’s just a matter if they want to
Third segment: Interview with Azhar Mohammad, Canadian Motor Speedway Executive Director
- Mohammad talks about the green light being given to build the Canadian Motor Speedway at Fort Erie which could host NASCAR events
- Mohammad said that they have not asked for any government support
Thoughts:
So while most of the Toronto basketball media’s response to the Derozan contract is shock and criticism, Bob and Shannon are relieved about the re-signing because they’re just so glad that an athlete decided to sign in Toronto? -_o Is that really where we’re at now? Where an overpay for an unproven athlete who we didn’t need to gamble on is “oh thank god, somebody signed to stay in Toronto!”? And as was pointed out on this very site by Raptors Devotee, Bob and Shannon acted as if Bosh had not re-upped in Toronto previously.
I really wish that if John and Bob are going to talk about basketball, that they’d at least do a little research about what they’re talking about.
I really enjoyed the Thun interview because it gave a different viewpoint on the lockout than we usually get on Prime Time Sports. Usually it’s either Shannon or MacLean speaking on behalf of the owners, or Kypreos speaking for the players.
Jonah Keri’s interview is probably going to spark more fan anger at the Jays management, since he laid out all the reasons why the Jays could spend the money to sign a big free agent if they wanted to.
During the call segment, there was a caller who breathlessly ranted about Bryan Colangelo, and said that the Raptors hadn’t made the playoffs in 7 years. It’s actually 4 (4.5), but Bob didn’t correct him. Mind you, Bob just went to the next caller after the rant, and didn’t really agree or disagree, but given everything else lately, I wonder if Bob even knew when the last time the Raptors made the playoffs was.
Shannon needs to not make sound effects in the future. I was amused when Bob got annoyed at him for making those race car noises.
Apparently Bob’s gone from taking credit for coming up with the idea that the owners would cancel the season and open the doors to replacement players next year, to claiming that he “reported” it. As I recall, this entire idea started as something Bob came up with as a possibility and claimed he asked an owner if it was possible and the owner said that it could be something to consider. Then he kept saying it over and over and over, and eventually started to claim that owners want this to happen. Now, when a caller says that he’s heard that the owners want to do this (probably heard it from PTS), Bob claims that he reported that. I don’t ever remember Bob claiming that this was something he “reported”, just something he claimed to have discussed with an owner. Now he’s claiming the owners want to do this and he “reported” that?
Photo available here
