With both the NBA and Stanley Cup playoffs generating more buzz than ever, April could very well be the best time of the year for sports fans. Richard, Bob, and John react to some of the games in both the NHL and the NBA last night before discussing the inevitability of streaming’s takeover of live sports. With all signs pointing to the NBA following in the NFL’s footsteps when it comes to hosting their live events on a streaming service, Richard, Bob, and John discuss the impact that will have, both good and bad, on viewership and reach before ending the show with a brief discussion on the Toronto Blue Jays.

A Sports Talk Medley With Richard Deitsch: Playoff Storylines, Changing Viewing Habits & Live Sports’ Transition To Streaming Services.

A sports podcast hosted by Bob McCown with co-host John Shannon. We talk about the biggest stories with the biggest names in professional sports. New episodes every weekday.

Sports

Hockey

What else needs to be said that isn’t in the title? Scott Burnside & Eric Duhatschek check into the podcast a day before the Edmonton Oilers play the Panthers in Florida for Game One of The Stanley Cup Final to break down all the things hockey fans have been overthinking after nearly a week of no hockey.

NHL ROUNDTABLE W/ DUHATSCHEK & BURNSIDE - Previewing The 2024 Stanley Cup Final.

Brian Lawton returns to the show today for some hockey talk with Bob and John as we approach Game 1 of the Final between the Edmonton Oilers and the Florida Panthers. Being at the forefront of the NHL’s integration of analytics into everyday hockey operations, and having a Stanley Cup preview scheduled for the end of the week, the three take a different approach to the conversation by focusing on the use of analytics and why it shouldn’t be a surprise to see the Oilers and Panthers in the Final. Brian shares why he thinks there aren’t nearly enough teams taking advantage of the number crunching and gives Bob and John his opinion on how to use them, what to pay attention to, and when it gets to be too much. After the break, with Bob’s distaste towards the effect a head coach has on a professional sports team, the three get into the overall impact one has, with Brian expressing the importance and influence the man behind the bench has on the team, especially in the playoffs.

Brian Lawton On The Stanley Cup Final, The Influence A Coach Can Have On A Team & The Under-utilization Of Analytics In Hockey.

Finally! The NBA Finals tip off tomorrow with the Dallas Mavericks in Boston to play the Celtics. Bob Ryan joins us today for a Finals preview, focusing primarily on the Celtics and why it is their series to lose as they search for their first title since 2008, and their 18th in league history.

Bob Ryan On The NBA Finals, The Boston Celtics & Their Shot To Win It All.

You can only “preview” a championship series for so long before you run out of things to actually preview… And that’s where Bob, John, and Richard find themselves today as Deitsch joins the show on a Tuesday. After briefly sharing their thoughts on the matchup between the Oilers & Panthers in this year’s Stanley Cup final, set to begin on Saturday, the three take advantage of the lack of action in the sports world by leading the discussion into the world of NHL Expansion. Noting the smaller number of U.S.-based teams compared to the other North American leagues, it is clear that the NHL has not yet tapped into some of the major southern sports markets. The possibility of a 36-team league is becoming more and more realistic, and the expansion into more “non-traditional” hockey cities is inevitable… but should it be? Bob, John, and Richard spend most of their time wondering why Canada seems to be stuck with 7 NHL teams, and if they were to get an 8th, where would it go?

Untapped TV Markets, NHL Expansion Scenarios & The Undersaturation Of Hockey Teams In The United States With Richard Deitsch.

Robert MacIntyre held on to win the RBC Canadian Open on Sunday for his first PGA Tour title. Bob and John have former Tour member and one of the podcast’s resident golf experts, Ian Leggatt, on the show to talk about it. The three break down the play seen in Hamilton over the weekend and discuss the relevance of the Canadian Open, which consistently features an underwhelming pool of competitors. From the quality of its holes to the timing of the event, Bob, John, and Ian look at the good, the bad, and the ugly that comes from the Canadian Open each year before changing subjects to more general golf talk. They finish the show by looking ahead to some of the bigger tournaments on the PGA’s horizon.

A Sports Talk Medley With Richard Deitsch: Playoff Storylines, Changing Viewing Habits & Live Sports’ Transition To Streaming Services.

Download our free app to listen on your phone