[MUSIC] Good morning to everybody, but FIFA and the IOC. It's the Fan Morning Show Sportsnet 590, the fan, Ben Ennis. Alongside now, Sam McKee, rotating cast here, because how's it going, Sammy Boy? >> Good, Ben, I'm not a morning person. This is very well documented for anybody who's heard me in this time slot feeling. Although, maybe a morning person, because went to bed last night in a wonderful quarter to 10, would have liked to go earlier, but circumstances didn't allow it. And Jim set my alarm, and I didn't even think about setting a alarm. I just laid down, it was like, well, my eyes are heavy and I just fell asleep. And I woke up naturally at 4.30 AM, I said, well, that was lucky. So, and then I set an alarm for five, went back to sleep well. >> Well done by you. I mean, we operate on very different wavelengths. If I knew I had to wake up at a godly hour, and it was not part of my routine, that's all I'd be thinking. >> I know. I know. >> I'd be setting like five alarms. I mean, literally even now, I double triple quadruple check my phone to make sure I accept the correct alarm. >> That's the right move. >> I'm also not a morning person, but this is now my job. So I've had to become a morning person. >> Yeah. >> You'd be adaptable, Sammy. You could do it. >> No. I mean, by the way, and I think I did it like for two weeks last summer, and by the end of two weeks, I'm like, I'm not even human anymore. >> What am I? What have I become? >> In my previous life, when I used to fill in on the morning shoes, I was the same way as the conclusion of like the first week of maybe doing two weeks. I think I've only ever done it for a week at a time. But at the end of the week by Friday, literally, you couldn't communicate with me after the show because you were going to have your head bitten clean off your shoulders. >> I'm a real ground when I get home. >> Again, maybe it's because now I'm 40, maybe I'm just matured, I don't know what's going on. But I've managed to adapt, like I go golfing after the show. >> Yeah, that's crazy. I mean, I think I could golf. I could golf me. >> You think you could golf? >> You could maybe golf. >> You could, you could, you could figure it out? >> No, I'm not in this heat. Not in this heat. >> Oh, buddy. >> It's too hot. >> Too damn hot. >> Yeah, I got to take a break today. All right. Lots to get to today. >> Yeah. Thank God for the Olympics. >> Yeah. Oh, yeah. We're like, we can see the dog days. >> Oh yeah. >> By the way, happy final full month of summer to you. >> Yeah, great. >> It's August 1st. >> This is when I start getting sad. I'm there. I long for- >> We've got a whole month. The month is a long time. And then another thing that Gunnar always yells at me about when I come in here, but once August hits, I start to get really sad. >> Oh my God. >> I start like the summers. It's fleeting. Like I just, it feels- >> There's no question. >> It just feels like even last night I played softball and we play the 730 game. There's a 615 game and a 730 game. And even towards the end of our game last night, it's starting to get a little dark. It's like, oh my God, like, the middle of the summer is- >> I live in the moment. >> I know I'm supposed to live in the moment, but I just, I start to get a little bit worried about summer going away. I hate the winter so much. >> Oh, me too. >> I just- >> Why do we live here? >> I don't know. It's a great question. There's a lot of questions I've been asking myself that recently, Ben, as I wear my Canada soccer. People are like, why do I live here again? Why do I live in this? God forsaken city? But yeah, I feel pretty crazy that it's already August. And I, you know, feels like we just, I finished up Real Kip Rumborn and now it's been two months of, you know, almost, you know, sorry, a full month and then we're going into the end of the summer. It's crazy. >> Yep. >> So, thank you. Thank you for ending for wishing me a happy August, although I'm very sad that it's almost almost summer, almost over. Soon enough, and you'll be seeing Mitch Marner and the scrums that surround him as Maple Leaf's training camp starts up. >> He's, I mean, he's still water skiing now. >> He's got lots of time, buddy. >> He's got lots of time. >> I seems more like a wake forwarder to me to be on this. >> Yeah, for sure. In the stupid pit viper. >> Kind of. >> What a vote. >> It's like the new version of David Duvall glasses. >> Oh. [LAUGH] >> A little bit niche with the David Duvall reference there. >> Yeah, I appreciate it. >> Anyways, I also appreciate you wearing your Team Candice soccer jersey. I don't own one. My child has one. >> Yeah. >> Brand new Alfonso Davies. >> Love it. Love it. >> He loves it. He added on yesterday, watching the game with me. And generally, I'm of the belief that I don't wear sporting team attire to do a radio show, but you can make an exception. >> Yes. >> When we're talking about Olympic sports, when we're talking about the national team. And boy, can we, when we're talking about this women's national team, who beats Columbia, who I believe is ranked 22nd in the world, Canada, just the third time they'd ever face them in the organization's history, now 3NO against Columbia, IOC FIFA slapping them with the six point deduction for drone gate and Canada said, thanks, that's no problem. >> Does not matter. >> No big deal. >> Yeah. >> One, all three matches during the group stage, they are off to the quarter finals where they will play Germany. I didn't know how emotionally invested I would feel about this team until kickoff yesterday. And that was, I have to go back, I guess, not that long to the Copa America. But it was a pretty similar feeling watching the 90 minutes and seven minutes of stop. >> Sorry for the second half. It's too much. >> But that was, I mean, we have another week of the Olympics, but so far, the highlight of my Olympic games. >> Absolutely. And I think it's been a complicated week or so for me with the relationship with this team. Last Friday, I did the morning show with Gunner, and we sort of talked, but it was all coming out as we were like in the middle of it. And Kevin Blue was doing his press conference while we were in the middle of it. And it's hard, you've done live radio a long time. It's hard to have your feelings be correct as things are happening and as your original feelings are coming out. And I talked a lot about how disappointed I was and how kind of embarrassed I was about being a fan of Canada soccer and just the tenor of what he was saying and the Copa America thing. And I made some mistakes with what I said on air. >> Okay. >> It was in the heat of the moment and I had some regrets and I didn't have a chance to really think about how stupid it is that Canada had a made example of them. Like truly, it's the most corrupt sport in the whole world. Everyone sheets at every level, feet for themselves. There's been multiple documentaries about how stupidly corrupt they are for their entire existence. >> Yes. >> So putting that aside, I really found myself, didn't know how I was going to be watching that France game where it's like I'm going into this where I was upset about the association and all the things that people said about it. And I found myself sitting down for that France game and being like, I care more now. Like, I care more because I hear about all the stuff that players are saying, all these female play, like just all they do is pour their heart out and say the right thing and they care and all the former players, all their tweets and all their statements and all this stuff. And I found myself rooting for them even harder than I would have been before. And that game yesterday was awesome. >> That was amazing. >> And I thought they just very, very just gritty. And I know you're not supposed to really say that when he's talking about soccer, but it's just a gritty heart effort. And they should have had a couple more goals. >> Yes. >> Probably went to hide him and had that header in the box literally that should have gone in. And then of course, and Jill again, the hero of the game so far from Canada, Jill started playing soccer like yesterday. >> Yeah. And it's just like great header and they hold on for dear life. That casino had the ball in the top of the box a couple of times. It was stressful moments, but man, it was an incredible game and I just, I'm so happy for them. >> I'm embarrassed for you that you were pearl clutching last week. >> I was, I pearl clutched hard and I'm very embarrassed about it. >> I can be honest in saying that I was never on that side of the street. In fact, I was on the opposite that where were the people defending this program? >> I shouldn't be. >> And it, and it, how easy was it for the people who are brand new to this organization to throw everybody else under the bus? But yeah, before the punishment is coming down, you made it easy for the IOC and FIFA to slap you with the six point deduction. Why would they reduce it? You said, you said the gold medal was tainted. You said that. You were the first people to say that nobody else was saying that. You said it's tainted. Shut up. >> Yeah, it's not tainted. >> It's not tainted. >> But now? >> They're far from painting. >> No kidding. And we'll talk about Bev Priestment in just a second, because that's a different story. And guess what? They weren't appealing the one year suspension of Bev. >> Yeah, I wonder why. >> She can go away. And John Herdman got to be looking over shoulder. >> Yeah. >> Again, we'll get to that in just a second. Now that it's over, now that they picked up the nine points in the group stage, which only accumulates to three because of the six point deduction, it's awesome. I'm so glad. >> Yes. >> In sports, every team, no matter how successful they've been, no matter how big a favorite they are, are looking for us against the world, nobody believes in a storyline, right? Like even the Kansas City Chiefs are like, well, nobody believes in us. And I guess- >> Nick Saban at Alabama used to do it. He's like, yeah, no, guys, you're 12 and 0, you're beating everybody by 10. It's like a joke. >> It goes really good. >> But when it can happen organically, and there's truth to it, I mean, not only was it, nobody believes us because, yeah, you're deducted six points. You had a horrible showing at the last women's World Cup in Australia as well. But yeah, it's you against the world because I'm sure outside of this country, maybe it's changed now with the way they've rallied and the way the players want to separate themselves from the scandal that maybe the rest of the sporting world is, I don't know if the rooting for Canada, but it's definitely like an interesting human interest story now. But yeah, I felt like, all right, it's us against the world going into that match. >> When you can have that created organically, what an incredible thing. And they felt like they've been feeding off it. >> For sure. And I think there's some that this country, the reason that we get so behind the Olympics and we love the Olympics is because, especially in the summer games, the winter game is a little bit different. But in the summer games, we're such underdogs. And this country loves being an underdog, like just, I think with inherent in us, I don't know what it is with sports, but you look at the men's team in Coppa, they were barely qualified for it, and they had this incredible run, and they're an underdog the whole way through that, and I think that's really exciting for people. And you add the women's team, they're not an underdog. They were the- >> Defending all the levels. >> But then you add, turn them into an underdog by stripping away their coach, stripping away six points and putting them in this position. And then all of a sudden, you have the mentality where you're talking about where it's us against the world, baby. Plus, you add that underdog mentality, it felt like a perfect storm for this team to really, really be rallied behind in man. >> That was excellent yesterday, and the Zheel speech after they beat France with a good team. >> So good. >> I just like- >> No, you throw it like a little swearing in there too. >> Oh baby. >> Yeah, a couple of hard abs would even help me a little bit too, Vanessa, but no, it's just a really, really great story. And one that I thought was gonna overshadow the games for the wrong reasons, and it's clearly the biggest story of the games, and if they can find a way to beat Germany, who I'm assuming is very good. >> Yeah. >> I'm assuming Germany quite good. >> They're ranked fourth, I believe in the war. >> Okay, that seems good. >> And then they beat them. >> Yeah, so it feels like, I think it feels like they're in any game that they play. >> Sure, of course. >> Especially with the mentality they have right now. So, incredible. >> And good for you. You have all your pearls. Mine are gone. >> No, I don't. >> Listen, we all do shows we regret. >> [LAUGH] >> Okay, it's tough. In the moment. >> It's hard, right? >> I'm reading all these Kevin Blue tweets, and he's sitting in this dark room, I'm like, well, Jesus, Kevin. >> I hate you. >> He cheated at Copo, I'm like, oh my God, and I'm on live, and- >> We're too honest. >> And we had Reach on, and we were all clutching at her, girls, God, I hated it. >> Yeah. >> As I love the Canadian mentality- >> Yes. >> Generally. But let's just not be too honest. >> No, let's not be too guilty about everything. >> Yeah, that's it. >> I've gone too, with the worst guilty conscience of all time, where I have to feel bad about everything. >> Vanessa Geel didn't start playing competitive soccer until she was 14 years old, she was a tennis player. >> No, she was like, athlete, I mean, that's so ridiculous. >> She has the two goals, of course, the goal against France. >> My God, that's one of my favorite moments in the Canada soccer ever, period. There's a hit in the post and going in and watching the visceral reaction, because we've all watched sports a million different sports, where you see different types of reactions from people. >> Yeah. >> And soccer players, it's usually like the running jubilence, like Ron and they're excited. That was just like stand in one spot and scream at the heavens, like that was a true visceral reaction. So yeah, I've loved her and I just, the speech she gave is a Canadian heritage moment. It's been great. >> Yeah, I can't say that she was really on my radar until these last two goals. >> That's what I love about the Olympics, Ben, where it's like, I've never heard of my hero before, like I'm watching, I'm watching the three on three, the women's in the fluke trouser. >> How about the American three on three teams? Both the men's and the women's, Jim or Fredeiro into and the women's into in the three on three basketball. >> Well, apparently Canada played China yesterday and it's like, they're the top ranked, and we rinsed them, like it was even close, like so anyways. >> Good stuff. All right. So to Beth Priestman and the emails that were unveiled yesterday as part of the appeal into the six point deduction, which was denied, holy cow, so it starts with the unnamed analyst, who obviously was on high alert to making these things official, because his email was published in response to Beth Priestman asking him to spy, here's the email, quote, as discussed yesterday in terms of the spying conversation, now he uses quotation in spying, Beth Priestman does not use quotations, just like spying, because like it's obviously there's no debate about it. There's no debate about it, it's spying. But for at least the analyst, he's like, quote, unquote, spying, like you maybe call it like oh, research, but like, and Beth Priestman just straight up calls it spying. >> My God. >> As discussed yesterday in terms of the spying conversation, I came off the meeting with the clarity, you understood my reasons for me being unwilling to do this, moving forward morally, my own reputation within the analysis field, potentially being unable to fulfill my role on a match day, moving forward, I will have a discussion with Joey Lombardi, parenthetically, the guy that was actually God flying the drone, and reach out to the wider tech team with regards to how we would potentially look for other solutions. But just wanted to confirm that you will not be asking me to fulfill the role of quote, unquote, spying in the upcoming and future camps. So all right, that's the email sent to Beth. As a result of that email, and Beth I think quite rightly understands that the formality of this email means this guy wants a paper trail, right? >> So she reaches out to some external HR firm that is under contract with Canada Soccer. Seeking your advice and input here regarding this formal email on spying, again, not no quotation marks, just like spying, the spying that we do, it's something the analyst has always done. And I know there's a whole operation on the men's side with regards to it, so there's so much to parse here. >> Wow. >> Okay, let's start with, initially, what I think is honestly the worst part of this. So part of it is Beth Priest been trying to alert people to the formality of this email. But I think she's looking for advice on how to fire this person without them coming after Canada Soccer and her specifically for- >> You've got the immediate whistle blow. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. >> Which is horrible. Asking people to do things against their moral core beliefs under threat of being fired from their job. >> Yeah. >> I mean, Beth Priest been was never going to work in soccer, I don't think before this. >> Mm-hm. >> I mean, she's done, done, done. >> Yeah, yeah, yeah. >> Forever after reading these emails. >> Absolutely. So I think the more interesting, for her, it's clear. I know what her fate is, I don't really even have to think about her anymore. But I think the more interesting thing is what it means for Johnny Boy. >> Oh, buddy. >> I mean, as Johnny Boy was beloved in this country, and I think there was no one that was more sort of, like for a moment there, he was the star of the country during that run to the World Cup and, you know, I guess he wasn't loved in Croatia during the World Cup, wasn't it? They weren't a big fan there of him. >> And his reputation took a bit of a hit with the way Canada played in that World Cup and the headlines he made in Croatia. >> For sure. And it took a bit of a hit there, but leading up to it, there's no bigger star. I don't know what this means for his job at TFC. I don't know how they're gonna handle this. I mean, it's not like TFC is exactly lighting the world on fire. They were hot to start, but like, this is extremely TFC, where like they get like the guy who was the star of this country's national team was the coach, was great, and then he moves over to the club side to try to kind of revitalize a team after a horrific season last year, historically bad. And then all of a sudden this superstar coach is embroiled in a drone thing and they have to fire him and bring somebody else in. I don't know if they're going to, but it feels like the more details come out and the more involved he is in this, they're gonna have to have their hand, you know, dealt here for them. That's not the saying. >> What's the saying I was looking for? >> Force. >> Yes, thank you, hand-delt. Hand-force. We're gonna have their hand-forced here by the decisions that are made about this drones scandal with Johnny Boy. >> Yeah, he had maybe an off-ramp when he was first asked about it. >> But then he was so defiant about it. >> Yeah, to just come clean and say, hey, it's not something I'm proud of. >> Yeah. >> It was part of my purview, I was under the understanding that other teams did it. I don't think it's a big deal. It wasn't the difference between winning and losing despite the fact that also in one of the Bev Priestment emails, she says, this could be the difference between winning and losing. >> Which is, I mean, that's hard to believe when everybody I've talked to who's been on the Canadian Women's National team says, yeah, I mean, you're really not learning that much. Like starting lineup, like who set pieces. >> Well, I think the one, and it's been, I'm not breaking this news to you, but it's the penalties. >> Yeah. >> Pedalties are the one that it's like the most telling thing. >> It was kind of important at the last Olympics as well. >> Oh yeah, was it? Did they want to tell you? >> Steph Lebe said she didn't participate. >> Well, the thing I don't understand is, I mean, if you fly a drone, how much more are you gaining than just watching them play other national team games or club team games? It's like, there's lots of public domain out there where you're gonna find out lots of information, but I don't know. >> Yeah, the Herndon stuff, again, us as Canadians, too honest, Canada soccer in their appeal of the six-point deduction said, hey, this was John Herndon. He started this, it's his regime, Beth Priestman was his assistant, and that's why she carried over the practice. He's gone, she's now gone, it's out of our system. So obviously there is an internal belief that this is all John Herndon. It's an incredible narrative shift from John Herndon, like go back to the beginning of him taking over the women's team. That team was in shambles. >> Shambles. >> And all the heights that they reached with him. And then doing the thing that I think is unprecedented in international football, going from the national women's team to the national men's team, and then leading them back to the World Cup for the first time in 30 freaking years. And then- >> And one of the most captivating runs of any sport that I can remember in my lifetime, that was the best. >> And it was Alfonso Davies, and I think secondarily it was John Herndon. >> No question. He was a huge star. >> Listen to some of the interviews post-match during the World Cup qualification run, those players were enamored with that dude. He had a way of also handling the media that he was building his own star, the little guy, but boy, he could captivate a room. And then, okay, they don't pick up a point at the World Cup, but they score their first World Cup goal. >> And then- >> What a moment that was. >> It was, got the outplayed Belgium for 90 minutes, and then we're up one nothing against Croatia. >> And then got filled in. >> That's actually the best bet I've ever made. I bet big money on Croatia. >> They were like, they were plus money, it was like Trotter. >> Well, Croatia gets Canada, they were plus money, I'm like, I'm back there. >> Yeah, I didn't know they were plus money. >> I was like, plus 150, I'm like, I don't have to bet the mortgage. >> Good move. >> Thank you. >> Thank you. >> You are a traitor. >> Anyway, so he has them in the World Cup, they don't pick up a point, but they score their first goal. And then they have the disappointment at the Nations League final against the Americans, whatever. But then he like, it seems like picks the perfect off ramp, right? >> Mm-hm. >> He's like, let's get out. Well, the getting's good here. There's going to be a huge downward spiral for this national team here, where it's going to be like last second to qualify if we do it all for the Copa America against Trinidad and Tobago. >> I've got a chance to take one of the most disappointing pro teams in North America in TFC. I mean, just getting them back to relevancy would be an incredible accomplishment. Now, I mean, TFCs, again, they were horrible, so honestly, I haven't looked at the MLS standings recently. >> Hot start. >> Cool. >> Yeah, no, they've been like a month without a point, I think. >> But they are still in a playoff spot. >> Okay, which of them would be an accomplishment. >> Well, the idea that this is over for him, I don't think that's the case by any stretch of the imagination. The questions are going to continue to be raised and I mean, we're going to have, if there's email evidence, Ben Priestman engaging without the quotation marks talking about spying, what is the likelihood that there's a smoking gun when it comes to the mastermind of the whole thing, allegedly? And that's not me speaking, that's Canada soccer speaking, it's John Herndman. What's the likelihood that there is some evidence that he's behind all of this? I think there's a pretty good likelihood that that's the case. >> I would say hi, Ben. I would say hi. It's going to put two and two together here, so I think that'll be just sort of side by side with this Olympics and seeing how fast as I feel like this isn't something that's going to happen quickly. Like outside of the appeal, that was, I heard you guys talking about it on Tuesday morning where it's just like they had the appeal, they heard the appeal, they got the appeal out very quickly, and they get it done. But I think just to move off of Herndman because it's all been said there, I loved what you guys talked about how they just wanted them gone, right? Like there was nothing that they wanted more, they're like, there's six points going into a game against France, who's the second best team in the world. >> Yeah. >> They're gone, they're out of our purview. We don't have to think about this anymore. >> And it's little Canada. >> Yeah. >> They don't have like NBC behind them. >> Yeah, okay, they'll be like that country of 40 million, the couple of soccer fans will maybe be upset. But look at, they're self-flagellating, they're gonna be clutching their own pearls, it's gonna be definitely, it's gonna be nobody upset. >> Sam McKee got idiot on the radio, be crying on Friday morning. >> Yeah, you were part of the problem. >> You're part of the problem. Big FIFA in the IOC was like, we can give them a six-point deduction. Who's gonna care? In fact, they're gonna be like, yeah, yes, thank you, sir, may I have another? >> This is what we deserve. >> We deserve it. >> We deserve it. >> You're the worst. >> I so the worst, guilty conscience king. But yeah, and then they just want them gone, and they go out there, and they beat France in the last minute, and the last minutes of 13 minutes extra time, and they beat Colombia, and they're still here. And I'm sure FIFA's like, whoa, crap. >> At least they got their wish, and France is through to the quarter funnel, that's part of it as well. >> But then you could be the third place team in that group and still get through it? >> Yeah, I don't know how it works. >> Whatever. >> Yeah. >> So any other Olympic stuff you've been watching and liking? >> I'm into the swimming. There's obviously, I have the same take that everybody has. It's over done, especially when Michael Phelps won the 500 medals, it's like, yeah, you don't need different distances for different strokes. There's two legit swimming events. There's freestyle, however you want to do it, and it's the crawl, like, hey, go the fastest. >> Yeah. Whatever you want to do it. >> Pretend there's a shark chasing you, and there's all the individual medley I can get behind where it's like all of them. >> Yeah. >> You had to all of them. >> Is there too many still? >> That being said, Summer McIntosh is going to win a gold medal potentially today in the butterfly, so that's good. >> Good for her. >> Listen, I will take all the golds for Summer, and I will appreciate them, and I will love her. But I just find it's like yesterday I had the women's soccer on, and I wanted the USA so Sudan game on, it's like, every channel, it's like, another heat of swimming, swimming, I'm like, it's a lot of swimming, there's a lot of metal through swimming. >> There'll be a lot of track and field coming up next week. >> I much prefer track and field. I think track and field to me is the way better discipline. >> Yeah, because there's only one style of running. >> There's running. >> Don't hop on one foot around the javelin, I love the discus, I love all that stuff. I love all those. So I much prefer the swimming, but I shouldn't speak it up both sides of my mouth here, but I've been loving the water polo. I find it to be, there's no more exhausting sport on earth. >> My God. >> They're just treading water. >> Yeah, it's like, I just need to rest back here in the defensive zone. Oh, wait, I'm drowning. And they're towing on each other, and it's like shirts, and like, there's all this physical on there, and they're just got that ball, the nets, I found it very, very appealing to watch. >> It's just this air pistol thing brand new, because I don't remember ever seeing what some of the images I see. >> It's just like, they picked him up off the street, it's got no ear coverings, he's got nothing visually, literally, looks like he's got one hand in his pocket, he's just firing it off. He might as well have the gun, like horizontal, ridiculous, you want a silver medal? >> I saw a great meme of the Japanese shooter with all the different stuff on, and then Kim shooting, it's like men packing versus women packing for vacation, it's like so true. It's like all this stuff on. >> I've watched the surfing a little bit too, because surfing said that it's a different time, so obviously into heedy, that's been eye peeling. >> The last, I guess we should probably go and talk about the J's, but how do you feel? >> Great. >> How do you feel about the men's basketball? >> I mean, really good. >> Because I said nothing short of a silver medal will be an acceptable result. >> I agree. >> But I agree. Daniel and kind of talk me off that ledge, because it's like, the, yeah, it's weird. If they play the Americans and the semis, what are you going to do? Okay, whatever. He's right. The Americans, that's a different deal. Anybody that's not the Americans, I don't care about Yokech and Serbia, I don't care about Germany, the defending World Cup champions, I don't care about Embi's size and go bare size against Canada. >> Sure, sure. >> The guard plays nearly good, as did clearly. >> I know. >> I know Greece is not the same, but yeah, I'm a little concerned. But yeah, the way they can lock it down outside, and Dwight Powell is doing his best against the opposing centers. But the way they can lock it down with the Dorture Chamber and Dylan Brooks. >> Yeah, and I've loved RJ. >> Ways looked. >> Buddy, I mean, the biggest difference here, so sports can be stressful when you're playing for the highest stakes. And especially with this team in particular, the men's basketball team, there's like it. There's a pretty long track record of pain. >> Yeah, that. >> But when you have Shay Gilgis Alexander, and he did what he did after it looked like the pain was coming, like go back to the World Cup, where Canada qualified for these Olympics, they lost to Brazil. >> Yeah. >> And the pain was looming. >> Oh, it was, here we go again, they had to play, they had to beat Spain, which I believe at the time was a top three ranked country in the world. >> Yeah, were they down 12 going to the fourth quarter? >> Shay Gilgis Alexander said, get on my back, here we go. I mean, ever since that moment, you feel stressed and it's exciting, but never the looming terror. >> Oh no, I had the loomings. >> Really? >> I don't know. To me, he just makes everything so much easier. >> Well, I mean, having a top five guy in the NBA on your team is great, it's a very enjoyable experience. I'm loving that. I still have like all these scars from Canada basketball, and these stupid games they lost over the years. It's Venezuela and some dirty old dark gym with that guy jumped over to the back, Kelly Olympic playing point guard for some reason. Think about that game against the Czech Republic where Thomas Satteranski killed him. Like I think about all these games, and there's a ton of heartbreak, and I for some reason still feel like it's the same team, and I measure, it's not, and it's just, I'm like, oh God, they're gonna be in tough against Australia. And it's like, no, they're not gonna be in tough against Australia. And they're going in this game against Spain, you're like, oh, they're gonna be in tough against Spain. It's like, they're probably not gonna be in tough against Spain, because they're the second best team in the tournament. And they're really good. >> They are. >> They have to like change my expectations for them, because I go into these games with this worry, and I don't know if I need to have it really anymore. >> No, we're building a foundation of impressive victories. >> We need a big, so bad though. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. >> We need to- >> He had to go roll his ankle for the Summer League team in Memphis. >> Well, that's the one, right? >> Yeah, I was on Monday, and I was like, I forget who I talked to this about. I brought up how, you know, eating, and it's like, wow, they invested a top 10 pick, and I mean, he had to stay, and all this stuff's like, yeah, I get all that. But like, you're gonna get better experience playing against Summer Leaguers that you are? >> No, the Grisley should want him. >> No, duh. >> In the Olympics, it's like you get to play with a great program around a bunch of excellent NBA players get to play big moments against other huge players in the tournament. He wouldn't have played a ton, but just to have that element. >> Of course. >> Anyways. >> Yeah, Kelly O'Lennick, he shows up all the time, he's not exactly stopping somebody. >> It's like me to fender note there sometimes, like Jesus Christ, Kelly. >> All right, when we come back, Blue Jay's played a baseball game, it's secondarily to the overarching storylines around this team when it comes to the last two months of the season. >> A guide to how to watch this Blue Jay team game in, game out for the remaining six year or so games this year. That and Mornax is the fan morning show continues, Ben Anasamiki, Sports F 590, the fan. >> Covering the Blue Jay's from an analytical perspective, Jay's talk plus with Blake Murphy. Be sure to subscribe and download Jay's talk on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. >> Fan morning show Sports F 590, the fan, Ben Anasamiki, Blue Jay's not as good as the Baltimore Orioles. It turns out. >> And it feels like they never will be. >> Things flip quickly, but yeah. >> Jackson Holiday and better. Hunter Henderson gonna turn 38. >> Jackson Holiday hits one home run and already you're anointing him. >> Well, I went all for a million in his first den. >> I was texting our good, our good mutual friend, JD Bunka, saying this guy looks like a bust. And then. >> So it's your fault, well, 100% yes. >> Yeah. I mean, the pitching Blue Jay's are trying out right now. Something else. >> Yeah. I mean, Jackson Holiday hit a home run in Triple A, basically. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. >> That guy I texted you saying, who is this? >> That's the little Gary Seinfeld. >> Oh my God. >> Gary Rodriguez. >> Throw worse meatballs. >> Oh my God. >> Anyways, that's secondary, and Blue Jay's have told you as much, that they're not in it for the wins and losses, okay? They're gonna try their darn best in the games, but that's not the way they're going to be evaluated. And that's fair. Okay, so how are we supposed to watch these games? What are the things you're most interested in? I'll just start with this overarching fact for me, and maybe you disagree, baseball now does have a lottery system. And of course, you would want the higher picks, like do you have any other system? >> Hold on. >> Yeah, this is- >> Will this happen this year? >> No, it happened the last CBA. So that was a couple of years ago that we would, the season was in jeopardy. Remember, there was a lockout? >> Yeah, yeah. >> Remember that? >> Part of that CBA was there's a draft lottery. The players wanted that, so that there was not overtanking. >> Okay. >> But even as such, even if there was no lottery, the window of contention for this team, obviously, they've told us it's this year next. The idea that you're gonna see the guy that's drafted in June of next year, in the next half decade, impact the team, irrelevant. The more important thing for me is seeing individual positive performances. I don't care, like I'm not rooting for losses the way I would in other sports, and there's reason to root against the Raptors during the Tampa tank season, and less so last year when they didn't control their own first run pick. But you know what I mean? It's just, it's not that sport where you're rooting against the team, so I'm not doing that. I don't know if you are. >> I think I'll do it a bit. >> You're rooting against them. You want them to lose? >> Well, I don't want them to lose, but I don't think it's gonna matter if I want them to lose or not. It feels like they're gonna lose a lot. >> Yeah, well, that's what I mean. >> But like when it's on the line, it's a tie game and the ninth inning, you- >> This will be me. >> No, I'll be watching, I promise I'll be watching. No, I think I want them to win, and we have experience in this cheering for bad teams. >> Yeah. >> What just happened? It was 2017, 2018, where I remember Justin Smolk had like a walk off Grand Slam against the Miami Marlins. >> By the way, that's not- >> Didn't just happen. That's seven years ago. >> Yeah, I mean, that's in my memory. >> Okay. >> I have that in my memory, within the last ten years, they were very bad, and I remember changing for a bad team and watching for a bad team. So I remember what it feels like. >> Mm-hm. >> So, yeah, but that is not that long. I mean, it's a long- >> Seven years is a long time. >> Okay. >> I only had one child there. >> Wow. >> And the one I had was like barely walking? >> Yeah. >> And now he's like a grown man. >> Oh, yeah. Yeah. He teaches me things. Okay, so what is the number one thing you're most excited about interested in watching when it comes to this Blue Jays team? >> I think the very obvious answer is the prospects they just traded for, clearly. I think the Loper Fido one is gonna be one to watch for Wagner. Will Wagner, right? >> Yeah. >> The kid of Billy Wagner. >> I meant to look this up because he's Will Wagner's dad is Billy Wagner. I'm sure Billy Wagner is not, his birth name is not Billy Wagner. Is he Will Wagner Jr.? >> Yeah, he must be. Will Wagner Jr., he should be a country star, not a- >> But on baseball reference, he's not listed as Will Wagner Jr., he's Will Wagner, his dad is Billy Wagner. >> Okay. >> Sorry, not to derail you. >> No, you're right. I just, not only am I interested to see these guys come up and contribute, I think the perception of Ross Atkins right now is in the tank, clearly. I don't think this trade deadline changed a whole lot, but I would be interested to see if these guys come up and they have a hot August or a hot September and how they look, what that does for the general public's perception and the general narrative on Ross Atkins. Because I think regardless of what happens here, I heard you guys talking about it a little bit. I thought you were saying that you think he's staying regardless of what happens. I don't necessarily agree with that, but I do think the general public's perception of Ross Atkins could change a tiny bit if Loper Fido starts raking. >> Yeah. >> If Jake Bloss is a society young award candidate. >> Yeah, if Billy Wagner Jr. comes up here and starts hitting well, is it a class A, right? Jonathan Class A comes up and he's a speedster and he looks good. Like, I do think that these guys having a couple of hot months here or a hot month in September could change the perception a little bit, but I think for me, how these guys contribute to the Big League roster for the rest of the year is the clear number one thing to watch for. >> It's actually the second thing for me. I'll get to the first thing in just a second. But on Joey Loper Fido, he's up on the strikeouts a little bit. He's got now 45 and 39 games at the major league. >> When I was watching the game, I was like, boy, few holes in that swing. Up and away it looks bad down and it looks bad. >> I love the swing he put on that ball for the single, though, later in the game. Like he hard hit ball. Looks like an athlete. I don't know. He'd love his name. Loper Fido. That would look a superstar name. So those are things that are going for him. But God, he's got some holes in that swing. >> Yeah. >> 45 to seven. Strike out to walk ratio is that's not what you want necessarily, but he's got the power. He's got the speed. Yeah, he's got the defense that there's a lot to like there, but the idea of him being an everyday major league player, I'm not so sure. The number one thing for me, despite like the fact that what you said, like the Loper Fido, the prospects being actually more indicative and more interesting when it comes to the long term future of this baseball team, I don't care. The wave Vlad's playing right now, he's the, that's all I want to see. It's the number one thing I'm interested in. And not that like, I don't think my perception of the players ever going to change. We know the heights he can reach despite the weirdo 2021 season. We know it's in there. We know he has the skill set. We know the exit velocity, yada, yada, yada, like he's obviously capable of coming close to replicating that offensive season again. But the way he's going now is as close to that 2021 season as I've seen, he's he's taking close pitches, he's hitting fastballs, he's hitting for power. He's in pitchers heads, you can and why wouldn't you, would you pitch every single time he comes up, I'd be putting the four up if I'm a manager. The Yankees have two hitter, like Aaron Judge had a four-walk game last week because the Yankees are perceived to have two hitters and nobody else. The Blue Jays had no hitters and then traded away the no hitters. By the way, Justin Turner hitting fourth for the Mariners yesterday against the Red Sox in an extra innings loss, yeah. That's surprising. Well, I mean, he tells you a little something about the state of the Mariners offense. Anyways, Vlad is like, we're just, I'm just being honest. The things I'm most interested in when I watch this Blue Jays team right now is what are the end of season numbers going to look like for Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Because right now, there's just no debate when you go to OPS plus every single number. It's the second best season he's ever had. And with each passing game getting closer and closer to that 2021 guy. Yeah, he just looks like we expected him to look when he was so hyped up, right? I mean, this is what you expected where it's just to me, it's the patience and it's still the like when he was really bad the last couple of years, those just waving at those outside pitches. And I feel like he's cut that out so well. The eye is there driving the ball like you said. I mean, not to be too negative here. But there is something to be said that these games means totally nothing and they've met nothing all year. But that's not true. And he was bad until they met nothing. No, but that's not true. He was bad in one month in April, he was bad and it's like grating on a badness scale. He wasn't as bad as George Springer. He wasn't as bad as Boba Shetty wasn't as bad as Justin Turner was in May in an OPS under 700 in April. But ever since May, where it was hard to say that the Blue Jays were out of it in May, he's been essentially this guy with a 900 OPS. It's actually there's a very, very clear line of when it was, and I don't know if you know the numbers post in pre and post haircut. Oh, yeah, did you hear her talking with this in the front again? I was driving around yesterday or maybe two days ago and I heard him talking about his numbers since the haircut. Yeah. At 33 games since the haircut, he's got an OPS of 1.196. He's got 14 home runs. This is in 13 and 33 games, 14 home runs, 39 RBI here in 73 games pre haircut, you know, 766 OPS. There has never been a better change up and never been a better haircut in the history of haircuts than that. Honestly, I really do think that eats something to this that that he's, he's, he's doing this well when the games don't matter. That's like, not the very first thought that crosses my mind, but it is something that crosses my mind because this has been a huge narrative of him being the lack of clutch and how bad he was. Well, go back to just the last season where he had the horrible home road splits. It was a season with a lot of expectation, a lot of promise and a brand new ballpark that was supposed to be catered directly to him, and he didn't hit his first home run until like late June at home. But this year he's killing it at home and okay, like I said, so here was the OPS in April and March to start the season. 678, that's bad, okay, again, not as bad as some of the other guys, May, again, they weren't out of it in May, he had a 917 OPS, June he had a 962 and now in July, he just wrapped up. Seven games back in May. Oh my God. But so that means the pressure was even more on, I guess. What are you talking about? I guess. And also the late and close numbers are ridiculous. Like the clutch numbers all season long. Yeah, this year they've been very good. The first time that I'd love to follow you down that narrative, I'm loving watching him. I'm truly loving watching him. There's no other, that is, you know what, you're right. That's the number one reason to watch the chase and I understand that. But the little birdie in the back of my mind, the little guy, the little devil on my shoulder is like, "Oh, these games mean nothing. These games mean nothing." He didn't punch that birdie in the head. Anyways. All right, do you want me to give another one here? Can the J's hit more homers, okay? Just like straight up. No. Can they just hit more homers? Do you see that line up there? No. No. But some of the guys that they've acquired have the power potential that some of the departing players didn't. Yeah. Kevin Kiermer is not hitting a home run. Like Joey Low-Perfieder only has two at the Major League level, but he had 15 and like 30-some odd games in Triple A. I saw the one. He hit one of the ones he hit this year in the Majors. It was a majestic bomb. So when he does connect, it seems to go far. Right. Even Jonathan Class A, like he had the 79 stolen bases last season, but there's some, what I've been told is surprising power in that bat. Addison Barger, can he continue to heat up, hitting his first couple of Major League home runs in Baltimore over this series? Blue Jays are so bad in that one area, they give up a lot of bombs, but they don't hit any either. Can they continue to improve on that most important statistic in baseball, honestly? And I know it's all, you can't be all or nothing in their rally killers, but no, watch baseball and understand that it's the most efficient way to score runs. I mean, they are just not going to hit more home runs, I don't think. I just, I really don't see the guys that are coming up and doing it. Maybe Billy Wagner, Jr., will come up and start hitting some home runs or whatever. He is the one guy that apparently doesn't have much home run potential power. So the last quick one, before we, because we got to go here soon, this is more of a, on the opposite, just how bad can this bullpen be? Like how many? That's why you're watching. How many jobbers can they call up that I've never heard of that? I'm like, Oh boy, this guy coming in. Well, that's a weird delivery. Why is he wearing number 67? Who is this guy? Like it's just, you know, Ryan Yarbrough is going to be in the bullpen for some reason. Like, I, I do love when there's just obscure guys that, you know, you look back on over the years when they play for bad teams and you reminisce with your friends where you're like, Oh my God. Remember the Brad Mills days? Remember the Alan Hanson days like, you know, the, the good, you know, when you're in the good old days before you know you're in them, like just those moments when teams are very bad and you get to reminisce about how bad they are. I feel like that's bullpen is going to be full of those guys that they bring up like a spino yesterday. They got it started for them. It's like, Oh boy, remember Paulo was being old pitching for them, throwing 88 straight down the middle. So I am interested to see just how bad an already horrendous bullpen can get because boy, it was bad before everybody left. So now it's going to get really bad. And also you call up guys, guys get through that contribute. Maybe somebody's decent. Maybe somebody comes up and they're like, Oh, that guy, we didn't expect him to be any good. Yeah. Maybe he can contribute to next year's bullpen. So I'm looking for somebody random to come up and be good and somebody random to become up and be bad. So there you go, Benny. Yeah. I mean, Brendan Littles, not exactly Billy Wagner, but like he's, he's a guy that's on a radar, right? That's how every left hand reliever happens, by the way, or they just come up and you never heard of them and like, Oh, this guy's decent and then he's decent for three years and then they're gone just like, like Mesa. Yeah, no relievers. There's a lot of turnover there and there's a lot of guys that emerge out of absolutely nowhere. The other thing, okay, this is maybe correlated to the prospect thing. In fact, it is definitely, but it's a meritocracy now. And how do they figure out the playing time between these guys, right? Because class A is going to be up here. He was already at the major league level with the Mariners when he was traded for Jimmy Garcia. Lo Perfido's already in the major leagues right now. Addison Barger, who I'm sure a lot of people know, you have thought, Oh, well, okay, he's obviously not capable of hitting Major League pitching all of a sudden in this stint, starting to figure it out a little bit. And he's the guy that separate from Spencer Horowitz, maybe to a lesser extent, David Schneider, who has shown some homerun power, but left handed power stroke with the good eye and like all the natural raw ability, yeah, how do they also balance Spencer Horowitz, who I think we're getting a better understanding is definitely part of the mix at the major league level for this team next season. Really liked what I've seen from him. Yeah, but do you need to see more do like ease up on his playing time to get somebody else in like a Will Wagner? How do they manage all of like the pitching side of it is going to be easy like Jake Bloss, you're just going to be starter and you're starting like next week once he's been on board in news in Florida and maybe he makes a start in Buffalo, but I don't even know why you would waste in there. And the Blue Jays didn't really acquire any other pitching that is here in itself at the major league level, but it's the position players. How do they manage the playing time considering what we know and what we want to know about some of these young players? Get ready to learn Buffalo. David Schneider feels like. That's harsh. Well, I mean, it's a very clear spot where you can he's send him down and bring somebody up to have a look at somebody else because he's been very bad for quite some time here. So there's one for me where you just send him down and you bring up whoever that you want to. He's one of the guys that you can option for the position players, in my opinion. But I think I, you know, you got a lot of lefties now, a lot of guys that you've traded for, a lot of left handed batters. And yeah, I think you probably back off Spencer Horowitz a little bit to see somebody else. And I think that's a really good point where just how are they going to manage all this stuff. And it'd be interesting to see how, you know, how these guys react to it. And I think you can learn a lot from that. And I'm sure we won't understand how they're going to react to it, but the coaching staff will be able to kind of know how they are if they're, if they're, they're kind of moping around or how they're doing it. So that'll be interesting to say. Yeah, I can't wait to be mad at the deployment too. Like wanting to see more of somebody because they had a good game and then like, like the swing path, it's like, shut up about the swing path. I know. All right. Time now for the Canadian football report brought to you by Securian Canada, the official life insurance partner of the CFL. Here's what week nine looks like on this civic long weekend starts tonight with the Lions against the blue bombers, BC returning off there by with a five and two record looking at a regroup after a loss of the stampederes ending their five game streak hoping to take back sole possession of first place in the West. Five and seven bombers coming off a close two point loss in week eight, knocking them to second last in the West. On paper, it seems to be lopsided BC's top scoring off. I have up against Winnipeg who for the second time, the city is sitting as the CFL's worst scoring offense Friday night has the best in the East playing the team at the bottom of their division. Alouette's taken on the Tiger Cats. Everybody thought the Alouettes would take a step back after placing starting quarterback Cody Fajardo on the six game injured list. But they were wrong. Third-stringer Davis Alexander carrying the team on his back, throwing a couple of touchdowns, coming back from a 13 point deficit in the second half last week. Huge win boosting Montreal's confidence as the tie cats has scored at least 27 in their last three, including a 44 point effort in a win last week, but they'll be in tough against analysis defense that's allowing a league low points and yards per game. Third game of the week has the winless elks taking on the five and two rough riders. Even though it's been two weeks since the Elks made a head coach and general manager change. Might be the week. Prayers have been answers for their fans as a quarterback change is coming. Trey Ford getting the start Saturday night, Canadian quarterback replacing McLeod Bethel Thompson last week, pocketing a trio of touchdowns, completing 10 of 15 passes. Rough riders will still be missing a couple of key parts to their team. The week nine finale has the four and three R goes taken on the three and four stamps. Toronto tag team and quarterbacks right now as Cameron Dukes and Nick Arbuckle aren't exactly thriving. In last week's loss, Tandon barely getting past 100 yards combined, Calgary been underwhelming this season after ending BC's winning streak in week seven, couldn't carry any momentum into last week, got blown out by Ottawa. Red Blacks, just like many of you, will have the weekend off as they find themselves on the buy. That was the Canadian football report brought to you by Securian Canada, the official life insurance partner of the CFL boy, just catch the old Elks. Oh, we were wring our hands a lot about the Leafs and the J is like, oh, well, the road alks, if you're a dieter Elks man, then a tough few years, the little oilers run. Yeah, that helps. That helps. That helps. You might not be the only one. All right. When we come back, Olympics rolling right along, perhaps some more medals for Canada. And the golf is also underway, by the way, a couple of Canadians and Corey Connors off to a nice little start in round one. We'll talk to Devin Haru, CBC Olympic reporter Nax is the fan morning show continues, Ben Anasamikis, SportsF590, the fan. (upbeat music)
