The Walder Sportscast

Host Chris Walder (@WalderSports) invites Wendy Sparks (@WenSparks), the host of the "Court-Side Moms" podcast and the mother of Toronto Raptors center Khem Birch, onto the program. The two discuss her podcast and the origin story behind it, including how she goes about her research and if she was ever hesitant to get it off the ground. They then get into Khem's basketball journey, which includes not enjoying the sport at first, Wendy's role in nurturing his love of the game, being away from her son while he was playing abroad, if she's able to handle smack talk from fans against him while she's attending games, and much more. Wendy also chats about her roles at the Union United Church in Montreal, her faith and how important it's been during these trying times, if Khem intends on remaining with the Raptors beyond this season, his relationship with Kyle Lowry, the proper pronunciation of "KLOE," and more. And in her final rapid-fire questioning, Wendy reveals the secret behind amazing fried chicken, her love of "The Masked Singer," if St-Viateur Bagel is worth the hype, what her ideal cold-pressed organic juice looks like, what her Mother's Day was like this year, if she regrets going after the Raptors' social media account, her picks for the upcoming Maple Leafs-Canadiens NHL series, and so much more. (Music: Kalimba - Cxdy, Easy Sunday - Bad Snacks)

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Host Chris Walder (@WalderSports) is once again joined by William Lou (@William_Lou), a Toronto Raptors reporter for Yahoo Sports Canada and the co-host of both "Run It Back" and "Raptors Over Everything Live" on YouTube. The two discuss Will's preference when it comes to the content he creates, whether he's seeing any positive strides with media outlets expanding their diversity on staff, and if he ever takes a step back to enjoy the success he's had as one of the top Raptors beat writers going today. They then recap the disastrous season that was (and that's nearly complete) for the Raptors, how much of an impact playing in Tampa had on the win-loss record, if the franchise should have made more of an effort in bottoming out, if Malachi Flynn can step in for Kyle Lowry moving forward, which bench player has the brightest future with the Raptors, if management blew it with the center position earlier in the season, while also chatting about Masai Ujiri's immediate future and which moment from the 2020-21 campaign will be remembered the most fondly. And in his final rapid-fire questioning, Will picks his favorite Pokemon starter from the original games, reveals his top YouTube soccer compilations and location to shoot at during the early days of "Run It Back," explains why cats are superior to dogs, chooses between Oasis and Coldplay, gives Raptors Twitter a team to invest in during the upcoming playoffs, and so much more. (Music: A Caring Friend - Bad Snacks, Turbo - Cxdy)

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Host Chris Walder (@WalderSports) invites Sandra Appiah (@sandiesideup), the creator of the popular "Dishes and Dimes" basketball podcast, onto the program. The two discuss the infancy of her podcast and how the idea came to be, the impact the show has had on up-and-coming women in the industry, the experience of being a fan and having the opportunity to interview players, gaining media access, and more. Sandra then dives into the NBA's play-in tournament and defends the concept against recent criticism, if the postseason could survive without the likes of the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics, if the Toronto Raptors should be vying for a spot in the tournament, and more. Sandra also participates in a round of "Likely or Unlikely" to talk Carmelo Anthony, Kyle Lowry's future, more all-female telecasts, and a Lakers-Clippers matchup. And in her final rapid-fire questioning, Sandra gives her thoughts on the Raptors retiring jerseys, crappy reality television, "The Misfits" and "The Boys," which of her co-hosts she'd want by her side in a zombie apocalypse, Doug Ford's handling of the pandemic, and more. (Music: Cocktails - Underbelly & Ty Mayer, American Vernacular - RAGE) 

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Host Chris Walder (@WalderSports) invites Shemroy Parkinson (@Shem), the executive producer of KISS 92.5's "Roz and Mocha Show" and a correspondent for Breakfast Television, onto the program. The two discuss Shem's journey in radio and how he ended up working on a high-profile program in Toronto, why he decided to ditch Criminal Law to enter radio, and if there's a certain level of paranoia that comes with being in the industry. The two then move on to the global pandemic and how it's affected Shem personally, how his faith has helped him during these trying times, and what it's like seeing the likes of Joe Rogan and Tucker Carlson encouraging people not to get vaccinated and avoid wearing masks. Shem then gives his thoughts on the Derek Chauvin trial, and how he deals with racist trolls on social media. He also chimes in on the Raptors season that is, if he'd like to see the team aim for a playoff berth, if he's still found moments of joy in a difficult season, and if the 2019 championship gives the franchise any leeway. And in his final rapid-fire questioning, Shem talks WWE's WrestleMania event, "Wentworth," his passion for soap operas, "Passions," Scarborough eateries, Cadbury mini eggs, stove tops, "The Bachelor," and so much more.

Host Chris Walder (@WalderSports) is once again joined by Blake Murphy (@BlakeMurphyODC), a Toronto Raptors beat writer for The Athletic and co-host of both the "Raptors Reasonablists" and "Columbia House Party" podcasts. The two discuss the recent guilty verdict of Derek Chauvin for the murder of George Floyd, how the last year with the Black Lives Matter movement has affected the Raptors' players and organization as a whole, if he's had to adapt with his coverage for a team accustomed to winning that's now well below the .500 mark, the reactions he's seen on Twitter from a fanbase split on whether the team should pursue the play-in or a lottery pick, which Raptors reserve has been the most pleasant surprise, and much more. Blake also participates in a round of "Likely/Unlikely" to talk Stephen Curry's MVP bid, Kyle Lowry's future in Toronto, and a potential Los Angeles Lakers/Brooklyn Nets NBA Finals. And in his rapid-fire questioning, Blake chats about the Aron Baynes Fan Club, "Scrubs," Linkin Park, the WWE releases of Bo Dallas and Wesley Blake, his note-taking, his impact on other writers, and more. (Music: American Vernacular - RAGE, Orange - Topher Mohr and Alex Elena, A Caring Friend - Bad Snacks)

Host Chris Walder (@WalderSports) invites Crina Mustafa (@crinamm), a writer, podcaster, and social media manager for the likes of Unbenched Sports, Raptors Cage, and many other outlets, onto the program. The two discuss Raptors Twitter becoming massive fans of Gary Trent Jr. almost immediately following the team acquiring him from the Portland Trail Blazers, what the all-female team at Unbenched hopes to achieve and promote with their work, being a young female college student with aspirations of making it big in sports media, what the all-female Raptors broadcast meant to her, who she idolizes in sports media, and what her long-term goals are. They also discuss Fred VanVleet's tweet praising former teammate Terence Davis and why he was forced to delete it, if Crina believes someone like Davis can be reformed, if basketball journalists should use statistics in stories involving domestic abuse or something similar, and more. Crina also gives her thoughts on whether the Raptors should consider going for a high draft pick over a playoff berth, the recent fines and suspensions following Toronto's loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, the team possibly bringing aboard Khem Birch, and more. And in her final rapid-fire questioning, Crina defends jelly-filled Timbits, bashes "The Office," talks her former job as a karate instructor, describes the perfect Kyle Lowry statue, shoots her shot for podcast guests, and much more.

Host Chris Walder invites the creator of the Aron Baynes Fan Club (@BaynesFanClub) onto the program. The two discuss the origins of the ever-popular Twitter account, why the creator doesn't disclose his name publicly, if he ever considered making a fan account for another player, why he's not a Celtics fan despite living in Boston, how he deals with the negativity directed at his account because of Baynes' struggles with the Toronto Raptors, and if Baynes deserves the hate he receives. They also go over some of the moves made both before and after the Trade Deadline, including Kyle Lowry sticking around with the Raptors, LaMarcus Aldridge joining the Brooklyn Nets, and the litany of acquisitions and departures surrounding the Celtics. And in his final rapid-fire questioning, the creator reveals his love of Chris Jericho and professional wrestling, what he remembers most from Baynes' career-high 37-point performance, what tweet he wants his followers to most remember him for, any mistakes his "intern" has made, and so much more. (Music: Turbo - Cxdy, A Caring Friend - Bad Snacks)

Host Chris Walder (@WalderSports) invites Aaron Rose (@aaronbenrose), a Toronto Raptors writer and reporter for Sports Illustrated, onto the program. The two discuss Raptors Twitter and how to go about describing the community to others, what it was like first joining Sports Illustrated and the crazy events which soon unfolded, as well as why readers should check out content on the site after the public image of the brand took a hit following massive layoffs in favor of freelancers. The two then get into Raptors basketball and how the struggling team should play out the remainder of the season, Norman Powell's recent run and whether or not the team should look to move him ahead of the deadline, Pascal Siakam's recent inability to make game-tying or buzzer-beating shots and if he can bounce back from his lack of success in that department, Kyle Lowry's future, and which players on the second unit should soak up the most minutes. And in his final rapid-fire questioning, Aaron talks COVID-19 vaccinations, what shows he's been watching while encouraging others to reach out to him with recommendations, if Kawhi Leonard deserves to have his number retired by the Raptors, if he has any history watching professional wrestling, his grades for Toronto's statement jerseys, what it was like living in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, and much more. (Music: Lint Roller - Cxdy, Beam Me Up - Spazz Cardigan, Dude - Patrick Patrikios)

Host Chris Walder (@WalderSports) invites Matt Bonner (@MattBonner_15), a former 12-year pro with both the Toronto Raptors and San Antonio Spurs turned TV analyst and host of the "Spurslandia" podcast, onto the program. The two discuss Bonner appreciating the art of the interview now that he hosts his own show, what it was like immediately transitioning from an NBA player to on-air talent, as well as his experience in Italy and what it was like first joining the Raptors. Bonner also recalls the day he was ejected from a game against the Minnesota Timberwolves for a flagrant foul on Kevin Garnett, and being on the court when Kobe Bryant scored 81 points against Toronto. And in his final rapid-fire questioning, Bonner tells a pair of stories involving his past wrestling fandom, how he'd encourage non-fans to get into curling, what it was like having Snoop Dogg tell him he used his likeness in NBA Live, if "Passin' Me By" by The Pharcyde is still a great warmup song, what his ultimate Mr. Sub looks like, and more. (Music: A Caring Friend - Bad Snacks, Sailing - Delicate Steve, Orange - Topher Mohr and Alex Elena)

Host Chris Walder (@WalderSports) invites Noor Zainab, one of the many hosts of the popular "Dishes and Dimes" basketball podcast, onto the program. The two discuss the success of her ensemble podcast and the impact it's having in what tends to be a male-driven industry, the power of content creation without a Broadcast Journalism background, as well as Doug Smith's "thug" tweet about Dwight Howard and having more POC and women covering the Toronto Raptors. They also go over the Raptors' first half of the 2020-21 season and the biggest storylines, the potential of Kyle Lowry getting moved, the upcoming NBA All-Star Weekend festivities and the lack of anticipation surrounding the events, and much more. And in her final rapid-fire questioning, Noor reveals her prior wrestling fandom and how far it goes back, her perfect coffee shop experience, what it was like working at Sport Chek, which of her co-hosts would die first in a zombie apocalypse, if she really does have a cat named Kawhi, and so much more.