But it's just a good thing. Good morning, Joe. Sportsnet 590 to fan, Ben, and Frank Gunning 11 o'clock today. Sportsnet 590 to fan. It's sportsnet Ontario. You can watch and listen to newest Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Craig Baroobay and his introductory media availability. We'll talk to Luke Fox later on in the program who will be down there. No doubt today. Brent, what do you want to hear from Craig Baroobay today? I don't know because it's not it's not bluster. Like you want a little confidence. You want happy to be here. I don't even say I want this, but I know when I hear it, I'm going to love it of him talking about having worn the sweater and how much it means to be a leaf. I don't even want that until it happens. I'm going to go, oh, God, I love it. I don't know that there is a winning the press conference. I think this is very much a like a division in baseball. It's like, you can't win it today. And I don't think you can lose it either. But there's nothing I don't think that can be said other than you just want to see a tone that's different. I think that is actually maybe the biggest thing is just seeing the demeanor of somebody different. We went through this with tri-living last year. It has been so many of the same voices surrounding this team for so long that I think that's it. It's just what does it look like when somebody new is talking about this group, this team and what does it sound like for Brube? I think that's the biggest thing. >> There's one thing I don't want to hear. >> Okay. >> You better not say this team is close, okay? >> Oh, okay. >> And I mean, okay. You can talk about them having great regular seasons and yeah, the playoff mentality needs to change and they were factually close to winning around. And they were close to winning two games in the second round last year. I mean, that to me is the third rail of media availabilities when it comes to this generation of the Toronto Maple Leafs. >> Yeah, I just don't think, I just like, not that he would want to come out and say that, but you want to talk about a third rail. They're going to have him in a shock collar that if he comes anywhere near. I think you're going to hear something along the lines of great players that haven't done anything great yet. Something along those lines. And I think that anybody would wholeheartedly agree with that. I mean, you've read all of Austin Matthews numerous comments about his rocket seasons and heart season. It's nice. And I'm sure he thinks it's more than nice, but he also pretty clearly wants the team success to follow. So I think that's actually what you'll probably hear. Because you're right. I don't think it's going to be a beating up of this group or anything. He's going to talk about how excited he is to coach the Leafs and the great players that play for this group. But it's about threading that needle of how great of the players, how little have they done. Yeah, it'll be interesting to see if and when we see the harsh rhetoric through the media with Craig Buru. All right. Let's talk to our pal, Gord Stella. How's it going, Gordo? It's going well. Happy long weekend. And yes, this beautiful playoff type weather. But once again, no Toronto Maple Leafs team in the playoffs. So maybe the new coach can help change that. Yeah, maybe. He did pretty well in his first foray with the San Louis Blues, although it didn't last. But yeah, I mean scoreboard. Very successful bringing that franchise. It's first Stanley Cup championship in its history. All right. Just like bluntly, do you think the Leafs got the right guy here, Gordo? Yeah, I do. I do. And it's not the only guy. And also, whenever you're being hired somewhere, you're not as great as everyone talks about you. It doesn't matter what kind of job. But you know, you're only immortal in there. But, you know, I'm thinking about it. And by the way, Sheldon Keaves got, it's a great record he has left with. I mean, it's a, he's the first one to say, but we didn't get the job done in the playoffs. He's the first one to pointer himself that I'm responsible. And that's always been the niggling piece that never happened. But, you know, good on him saying that, because certainly Mike Babcock never said that. It was always somebody else. So anyway, saying all that, you know, Ruby is kind of like the Babcock, the Paul Maurice, the Pat Quinn, the Pat Burns, like the big name coming to town with the impressive record somewhere else. Yeah, he is. And Ruby is kind of an interesting one. And I think we get so tied down to these like binary boxes of coaches. It's like, are they John Tortorilla, or are they Bruce Boudreau? And it's like, well, there's a lot of space between the two. And I think a lot of people occupy them. I think this is part of the problem with Keith when he first started here was, hey, he's not Babcock. He's going to be a little more player-friendly. And that's not necessarily who he was. I think Craig Barube is somebody who can kind of walk those lines pretty, I won't say easily. It's a hard job to do. But he can be pretty successful at walking those lines of obviously he's being brought in here to help the whole players to account and not mince words. But this also a player. This guy played a lot of games in the league. The players clearly have a lot of respect for him. Like it does feel like he is somebody who can kind of meld both of those worlds of being a players coach and kind of understanding what they're going through while also being someone who prides himself on holding his teams to account. Yeah, the key word there, Brent's accountability. Because, hey, in 2024, I'm not saying players coach is the exact term, but you've got to get along with the players. The players have a lot of power. It's every decade it's changed. So, you know, people love stories about fire and brimstone. This game guy came in and kicked ass. And that doesn't happen. I mean, John Tortobrell is maybe the interest. Who knows what goes on in the dressing room there? But he's had success with that formula. He seems to push the right buttons. And again, we only know inside the Philadelphia Flyer to rest in room how that is working at the end or not. But, you know, and that's where Brooby had that ability in St. Louis. Now, you know, keep in mind, they only got by the first round one other time beyond the Stanley Cup. But, I mean, he got the most out of the players. Now, the last couple years is a bit of a rebuild as well. So, you've got to qualify that. But it seemed to be he found a way to get most out of the players. And I think, you know, where a little bit Sheldon Keef got let down was a lack of accountability, thrust upon the players and others in the organizations previous years up till now. That, you know, it was, oh, well, let's keep going, the process, whatever, whatever. Well, no, we finally have understood that, you know, the process, just some things have to change. And, certainly, Craig Brooby is one that has had success making his players accountable his way. Yeah, part of that in St. Louis was using the media. And, again, like everybody's been listening to that 2023 February media availability, like ad nauseam where he was talking about the salaries and the lack of effort that he seemed to see. That's part of, I mean, the weapons you can use to try and enact accountability. I mean, how do you see it manifesting itself, this accountability thing? Well, I think, you know, well, I think I believe in a positive way. I think probably a lot of guys in the dressing room, it's not like they're not accountable. I mean, I think, you know, guys want to win. I'm talking, you know, guys in the Toronto Maple Leafs, they have a lot of pride. You know, I've compared it, you know, Ben and Brandon. I remember doing a couple of years of, you know, Leafs talk with Brandon and I said, it always just kind of pissed me off in the summer that, and the analogy I used, I'm at the stage. You guys, your kids are way too young, but the kid that constantly dents the parent's car and he, here, she phones and you say, well, don't worry. Don't worry. You can take mom's car. Don't worry. We'll take it whatever, then a week later. Oh, I think mom's car. Don't worry. Don't worry. We'll get Uncle John's car. Like, just, you know, and seemed every year, like, in the summer, oh, well, we're over it. Why not? I'm not over it. Montreal and Columbus, you're over it? No. You know, so anyway, and then it's just, it's just a lot of what that word culture, it just seemed to be, that was the way it was done. And I think instead of understanding that, you know, the clock has struck 12 and now it's struck 1 a.m. and now it's struck 2 a.m. as far as playoff success goes. Yeah, it does. You know, in terms of Baroobay, I think one of the things that I don't think people necessarily think of him for, but it's going to be a big determinant of how successful this team is is the power play. You know, I do wonder if one of the things he does is, you know, we all know, assistants generally speaking will kind of take ownership over that and who knows what the staff looks like, but I do wonder if Baroobay installs the, you know, we saw this with Boston, the idea of the competition. And if we are going to talk about a guy who wants to have more accountability and make players kind of earn it, it does seem like that's maybe the simplest way to start things off with the power play next year. I mean, who knows what the roster looks like? There's a long way between now and then to see if that makes sense. But I do wonder if that's the simplest thing for Baroobay right off the hop is like, hey, this is changing. You guys aren't playing all together all the time. Mitch, you think you're great? You're great. You're great. You're great. Go be great on your unit. I wonder how much that is kind of the, you know, simple is overstating it, but the opening salvo of fixing the power play next year for somebody like Baroobay who wants this kind of competition, I'd imagine, on the team. Yeah, you know, agreed, you know, that and let's say that it is easier said than done, but agreed. I mean, it should be a power play. It should be, it should be a weapon that should be a big strength for the Toronto Maple Leafs and it's been inconsistent over the years whether it has. You know, I'm not, I'm not advocating about anybody's assistant codes losing their jobs. But obviously, like you just said, it curious the makeup of the staff. You know, very biased about two people. Mark Sabard was an assistant to Baroobay one year in St. Louis. And he's great about power plays. And, you know, his whole thing was just COVID hit and things like that. So just lifestyle wise, lifestyle wise, you know, just, you know, moved on after that. And I'm not saying he's available or not. And another one, you know, Bruce Boudre, probably the one spot he would be an assistant. Coach is here. And again, I'm not, I'm not advocate, you know, pushing, but just, I mean, he's got, that's a kind of stuff. He's got a good sense about the power play. So, whichever direction Craig Baroobay goes, and the head guy is the head guy. I mean, they're, they're the ones that put their stamp on everything. And, you know, the assistance quite often. I find they get more blame than they get, than they get kudos about things when they go a little bit south. But there's, there's no question. We've seen, you know, we kind of compare Toronto and the East to what Edmonton is in the West over the years. And we've seen a lot of the power play. Yeah, I mean, assistant coaches shouldn't get the headlines. But don't you think if there was somebody that was going to step in here and change the power play and make it the dominant version of itself? Which it has been at times during the regular season. But that carrying on, carrying over into the playoffs with not person actually get like an outsized amount of kudos? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Well, yeah, yeah, you know, whatever. That's good. But again, the accountability will start in the dressing room and then they'll be an assistant coach who will be accountable for that. And Craig Barooby is accountable for that. So I, you know, I, it'd be nice next week, next year to talk. First of all, all I know is assistant coaches that just, there's eight of them and they never smile. So I don't, you know, whatever everywhere. So, you know, so I don't know how it works internally. You know, so whatever works in Craig Barooby being a veteran coach and being around a couple of times, he'll know the best way and the best kind of makeup of his staff. And I imagine, you know, he'll probably have, he'll have more than a new coach starting as far as being able to select his assistants. So Maple Leafs do not have control over Mitch Marner. He has a full no move clause, but it seems fairly clear that they will at least explore the possibility of asking him to wave it. I mean, do you want to see him out of the way? That's a great idea. I mean, do you want to see what Mitch Marner looks like with Craig Barooby? I love watching Mitch Marner. Like we got, you know, the context of people flipping in Mitch Marner's public enemy number one is just always been absurd. Okay. It's always been absurd. First team, I'll start whatever. He's just like the team. Got to be accountable for the playoff futility. Okay. So if he could get Mitch Marner can get going better under this system and it means playoff success. That's great. Let's go kick ass. And, you know, otherwise if he sincerely wants to be here, and then he controls that, at least for a year. He controls that for a year. And he could become an unrestricted free agent and fill your boots in the end of the hell of a season. If what he said publicly is not what he's thinking privately, then that stuff will find out behind closed doors and, you know, maybe say okay. There's somewhere else to go. Whatever contract you hope you can get here, you're not going to be able to money wise. You can't make it work. So maybe it's better you go there and try to get that now. I mean, you know, but if he wants to stay, he wants to stay. And, you know, I'm, like I said, I love watching Mitch Marner play. Who wouldn't? Yeah. I mean, you'd certainly want some more in the bigger moments. But guess what? You want that from every guy on this team? You want to score a goal in a game seven? You'd certainly like to see that from him. And I'm with you. I do think, you know, we all, especially in the aftermath of the season, everyone gets rushing into there. Okay. What does a Marner trade look like? And then you throw in the no move protection. I'm not saying it won't happen, but I do think the little exhale period that's happened here will be, would be very fascinating to see kind of inside the walls. Somebody who, you know, if you want to talk about a guy who understands what it means to be a leaf maxed on me. I think it's the most among that. How much of an appetite do you think there is from kind of both parties? And is it at all connected to a Mitch Marner trade? Because I don't say you, hey, you can trade Mitch Marner because you got Max Domie. But Domie and Matthew's had a lot of chemistry there. Could you see a world where the ability to bring Domie back is at all connected to a Marner trade? Or do you think those things are kind of completely in separate buckets, Gordo? Well, I would think, I mean, talent wise, they'd be separate. Capwise, obviously, everything we use together and you got to figure out capwise what you can afford and how much having, you know, the bigger salaries that would need lander kicking in and Matthew's kicking in at a bigger salary. But does that make a guy like Domie whatever his market value will be a guy you can't get? But I just think I have to think there's got to be a huge interest. The way he played in the playoffs, the way he played center in the playoffs, both him and Bertuzzi really found their way and whatever was the halfway mark of the season. I love the one year term, you know, that's far, you know, go out and prove yourself and maybe they'll battle at them better deals so that the Leafs can't match. But I got to think more in Domie's case than Bertuzzi's, there's kind of a feeling that this is where he'd want to be. Yeah, and it does feel like he's done moving around. He's done plenty of that in his NHL career. Gordo, great to chat again. See ya. Yeah, it is. You know, and by the way, it's funny because everyone wants big trades, but Cliff Fletcher, I know it's a long time ago, but it's two biggest rates, both involved Craig Barooby. He came from Edmonton in the Grandfier, you know, Grandfier Glenn Anderson deal and then 40 games later, he was traded to Calgary in that huge Doug, ten player Doug Gilmore deal. So we're not going to see that anymore, but Cliff Fletcher parlayed Craig Barooby as a player into pretty good value. I thought you were going to say they signed him just to trade them. They're going to announce they're sending them to Jersey today for D. Coheshire. I don't know. There you go. There you go. You got the scoop on that one. Yeah. See you, Gordo. Yeah, man. All right. There's a Gord Stella. Yeah, I probably shouldn't like trade a head coach before he's even literally spoke as the head coach, but yeah, if they want to give up a selfie winner. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Who's just, you know, like making his whatever his like six, seven or seven point eight or, you know, some wholly fine contract. God. I mean, you said that and I was like, oh, imagine you could do that. I mean, it does stamp home the idea that even in this sport where there is, I think an element of emotionality that is important and something that can be better listed by the head coach. Still mostly the players. Yeah, I'd say the players are going to be the most important. We're talking about edge fringe like one percent stuff, but the Leafs playing in all their game sevens and most recently game seven over time, the one percent is rather important. So, so Gord hit on the Mitch Marner thing and said who wouldn't want to watch Mitch. That's so, so true. And don't get it twisted, right? And so many people acting as if like all the media and all the fans are shipping Mitch Marner away for nothing and that he's a negative. Yeah, he's a net. Nobody's saying he's a net negative. Okay. We're saying that currently the cap structure of this team, it doesn't work anymore and does it relieve itself a little bit beyond that. Yeah. This upcoming season when John Tavares, if he's going to remain a trauma, I believe, isn't going to make 11 million bucks, it sure does, but we've still got a whole season to play out. So how do you, how do you go about fixing something like that and there's one guy who does not have a long term extension and it's Mitch Marner and because of timing and because of, you know, the postseason performance, it must be said. That, yeah, that is a guy that I'm going to say thanks, but no thanks. Or maybe the Maple Leafs and Brad for a living say, yeah, you know what? We can't find enough value and as much as we can fill, you know, that having the extra cap space would allow us to do some other things. We're still a better hockey team in 24, 25 with Mitch Marner and there's no extension coming. Yep. But let's just play it out and let's see if we get a different Mitch Marner under Craig Barubate. Now I would say like during the regular season, it's hard to quibble with what you've gotten out of Mitch Marner. Yep. 99 point guy. It's really, really difficult, but I do wonder if you get a different Mitch Marner with Craig Barubate. Like it's hard not to look at Craig Barubate's hiring and like retroactively playing out previous seasons and previous moments and specifically the interactions with the media because that's what we know explicitly that Sheldon Kief has been low to criticize publicly any of the core four outside of William Neill. Andrew and John Tavares but the guy that mainly doesn't get raked over the coals in the media is Mitch Marner even when there's a intimation that it might be happening. It's walked back. Yep. Immediately. Do you think we get a different Mitch Marner or that he has treated differently with Craig Barubate as the head coach in previous years or if he's going to be his head coach for one more year? I mean he is going to be treated differently factually just because Craig Barubate different human than Sheldon Kief goes about his business in a different way. But I think the crux of that issue and specifically with the playoffs is do you think it is a motivation or a care factor? Hand up. I do not. I don't think Mitch Marner struggles in the playoffs because he doesn't care enough. We've done the million times. It's the opposite. If you think that you get a different Marner under Craig Barubate it is because he is able to convince him that he is able to convince him that he is able to. He should be more of a north south and less of an east west player in the playoffs. And this is part of the problem with the Mitch Marner of it all is that you want Mitch Marner doing a little east west. You don't want it all east west but you need that out of Mitch Marner. You don't want to change what makes him successful. You want to tell him to pick his spots better. You want it. But that's the crux of the issue is does he it's not about does he look him in the whites of his eyes and give him that big pump up speech we saw. I don't think that's going to be the case. It's just a play style in the play off thing. The other part of it you mentioned is the contract cycle of it all. If John Tavar is a sign and he wasn't going to but if he had signed a six year contract and his money was off the books as of July 1st we're having a very different conversation where you go hey there's the cap space. New guy coming in new GM here. Now let's see what this looks like while removing one of those pieces without having to make the quote unquote hard decision to do so. He is just as much a victim of his time as anything else. I still think he'd be the guy they'd most be looking to trade regardless but I think that if Tavar has had even just the one year left on his deal this is a conversation that's not not being had but it's simmering on the back burner as opposed to a rolling boil. I think people expect if it's Craig Brube and Mitch Marner living in the same ecosystem in 2425 they're expecting the first instance where Mitch Marner has a gaff or doesn't look like his best self that Craig Brube is going to take to a podium and just tear him to shreds but I think that's part of the I think we're so frustrated in the moment but go back at all your Marner frustrations from January of last year. It's not him not being hard on a puck. I mean does he do that sometimes? Sure they all do okay. The Marner stuff that's the part of it so hard for me to understand of it all is that he is not struggling because he's not doing the little things or he's not trying hard enough. So again it's the gripping of a stick the other way. Yeah I mean there have been moments where there has been reason for criticism and it has been lightly leveled and like I said immediately retracted. My word of caution to the people expecting if Craig Brube is the head coach of a Mitch Marner team is that I don't think you're going to get the thing that you want. You're pound of flesh and you're right during the regular season. You know it's hard to forget about the seven game series we just saw him play and all the correct criticism levied his way and the moments that we've seen in the postseason. But yeah go back to the larger sample of the regular season. There's not a lot of that there and also to my point in my trepidation about or curiosity about whether this front office even wanted to hire Craig Brube is that it's Sheldon Keefe didn't decide on his own that he was not going to be hard in the media on some of these guys. Like there was a clearly a group think and a plan in place that didn't allow that to happen. I don't expect that to happen. And then the other thing about the effort thing in the postseason that it's not an effort problem I agree. But there is something else some unquantifiable thing that it's not just applicable to Mitch Marner but like they're better because that's part of the Craig Brube thing. And it's yeah calling an effort feels like you're saying all with the Leafs get to the playoffs and they don't try. Well that's not the case but something that other teams do they don't. They don't. And so that does apply to Mitch Marner. So what is that and you're right maybe it's just a hey go more north south instead of east west. I tend to think it's something beyond that. Maybe it's not just like stupid sports movie cliche stuff where it's like hey man this is you're going to look back on your death bed and you're going to say did I do what I had to do but I don't know. But he does because he did it and other players who have been through it and even those blues players who were coached by Mike Yo and others and compared what Craig Brube brought they know it's a real thing too. So I don't think that it should supersede hey if you think the best way to manipulate your roster this offseason going into 24/25 is to trade Mitch Marner and he's open to the idea and like the risk of having an expiring contract on your books and losing him for nothing and him being a hundred point player 200 foot player like that's too much and you can actually find commensurate value in a trade with Mitch Marner you still do but you can't do that. I am curious to see how different Mitch Marner would look in a postseason series with Craig Brube and we're putting this point on Marner but I think it can be made about any of the high talent leaf guys. How much mileage does that have with them versus a blues team that let's be honest was not overly good like you know that was a that was a that was a great hockey team but like Ryan O'Reilly was their cons Mike winner and I don't say that as a knock on him but that is not you know 95 point Ryan O'Reilly cruising around how much more mileage does the I don't want to call it raw rock because that means you need to get in your face that hey pump them up boys how much more mileage does that have with the team that's like that and how much more of a team like that is Brad your living trying to build now and that goes back to what I was saying that goes back to what I was saying about the him and the GM being in lock stuff. I mean when you're making 13 million dollars you're already the most famous athlete in the biggest hockey market in the world. It would be cool if you scored a goal in a game seven. Yeah be neat. But actually you know what I'm going to go the other way open ever happens. It would be good if like the point totals the goal totals look something like what Connor McDavid and Leon Drysad will throw up every single postseason McDavid pointless in three games in there. But yeah I just I find it hard to believe that somebody can like just yell into a person making that amount of money with that type of security living that type of lifestyle and change something fundamentally but I have to be open to the possibility because we've seen like that type of thing be impactful and it's the reason why you heard Brett Hall singing Gloria. I shouldn't shout out a particular brewery but I think like 13 cans of something as well had Brett Hall singing Gloria. You mentioned the Keith of it all it wasn't his you know even if Sheldon Keith said hey I want a I want a soft pedal it and I don't want to criticize these guys criticize these guys in public that had to get rubber stamped whether it be from Dubas whether it be from Dubas or wherever he ends up next is different than Sheldon Keith taking the Leafs job. Craig Baruva has a gravitas he was a player he's coach he's coached his league for a long time he could come in and be hard on these guys and own it in a way that Sheldon Keith I think could have it could it can in his next stop because of the track record crazy to say the track record he has gained here but he didn't have that when he had it in this part of why maybe that wasn't the right choice for this team way back when yeah and secondarily to that I mean Craig Baruva well he want like clearly this is the job everybody wants and for many many reasons not the lease of which is the amount of money that Craig Baruva is going to be paid on a four year deal with the Toronto Maple Leafs but also everybody buys into the thing which is true and it's a harder and harder to imagine it because every passing postseason where it does and where if you are part of that team that does it you're headed into the Hall of Fame like Craig Baruva doesn't mat like if he is the head coach of the Maple Leafs team that wins the Stanley Cup and he's got two cup rings despite being a head coach for what fewer than a decade like he has less than 10 years of experience he'd be a Hall of Famer I think if you were tired on the spot but also he made the Leafs targeted and given their druthers would they have maybe kicked the can more on Rod Brindham or the Joel Quenville whatever he was like if you were just asking a straw poll if you were taking a straw poll of every NHL executive it feels like Craig Baruva was the top of the list and if the Leafs said thanks but no thanks or said hey Craig we love what you do we love the experience you had or the what you did with that blues team right off the track could have easily pushed back and said okay well I guess this isn't the spot for me yep uh so one I don't think if you're a Bradford living you're coming to Craig Baruva without a line of thinking and and two yeah I don't think that Craig Baruva would have I mean taken the job seriously if that was the conversation happening but yeah it would be interesting to see how different a head coach he is in Toronto compared to St. Louis it through the prism of a guy coaching in a spot where there's just way way bigger eyeballs on him there and you mentioned it it is funny how when money well I shouldn't say no object but the object and there's nothing stopping you from spending it it's funny how everyone wants to play in Toronto and coach or wants to be in Toronto and work in Canada and work in these big sexy markets when the money is what dictates that but oh the cap just making sure that no one wants to be in Toronto. It's just like we're going to now have some Florida team some Texas team some California team in the final four the NHL seemingly in perpetuity and a massive part of it is that these guys just love playing in it's like if you can make say money anywhere why should I play where people would ever get mad at me the love is the same everywhere so why shouldn't I it just is proof positive that like yeah let the lease spend their money and they can get who they want it's just it when I see it this way that everyone is like oh my god please let me coach the lease please and then every time a no trade list is bandied about in the NHL it's like anybody anywhere but Canada god they care too much there it's just I can't look at this and it not infuriate me again I am I don't know what to do about that no no I if I had a solution I would have just pitched it I think my solution is just caps for every team but the Leafs yeah I'm which I'm good with I I think the state tax thing is is significant I think like I mean the weather thing is is significant you don't think the fact that the Florida Panthers all guys all live in a complex that they like drive their golf carts to and nobody bothers them is a part of it I think that it's pretty sweet to be a maple leaf outside of the money or the attention but like the facility is all of that and that is part of the Brendan Janahan thing is like we talk about hey it's too comfortable for these guys it's very comfortable and that is a selling factor for some of these free agents or potential trade candidates I think Toronto's a little different than no offense the other it is six Canadian franchises it is different but I think they're just I let me put it this way I think there's a way bigger percentage of guys that if they were given their druthers of like hey you go for whatever reason I don't know why this is happening but you can play in Toronto or you can play in a Sunbelt and they're like oh Sunbelt like I think that's 75 to 80% of the league and I think that's a problem because players should want to play where it matters yeah and they're allowed to do what they want I don't say this is a criticism of the players guess what I want to ride my golf cart and nobody bother me at my job too okay I think you're talking about specific example of well the Panthers and the lights I mean who have also had the postseason success if you ask somebody hey same money and there is no discount on state tax in California sharks or leafs like I don't I don't think the decisions being made to play for the San Jose Sharks no I don't disagree but I think that I think part of the reason those teams have had their success is that it's easier like I do think that's part of the reason why those teams have had success I do all those Stanley Cups San Jose Sharks one yeah that's why did you notice I didn't like use them as an example yeah okay I don't know it's it's six and one half thousand the other or you know chicken egg when it comes to those teams able what's happened and it's all it's all cyclical as well like I don't think you think you think the cycle is going to come back around where players are clamoring to not play in warm weather no I think that like the idea that it's going to be the Panthers enlightening at the tippy top oh no it'll just angel standings just be the stars and whatever Houston franchise or Atlanta team they put in or Utah like it's just going to it's just I guarantee you when we look back at the NHL 30 years from now it is going to be a vast majority of champions from markets like that as opposed to places where people care about the game we'll see if the cap goes up and the Leafs are able to outspend people once again even if it's by a slim margin money the cap will not the cap will never rise enough to the point where the Leafs can flex their financial might I don't think we'll see all right when we come back good news for Canadian basketball fans the nuggets in the thunder were eliminated as good stuff satisfying Pascal Seattle still playing though and we lost one of our great major chokers the greatest who's next after Xander Shoffley wins his first major that more next the fan morning show continues Ben Dennis, Brent Gunning, Sportsnet 590 the fan. Unrivaled insight, analysis and opinions on all things Blue Jays, Blair and Barker be sure to subscribe and download the show on Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts it's a great day. And both shocking for different reasons. I mean to see the Pacers put up 130 at the Mecca and that be a blowout in that direction is shocking. Yes. Not that the nicks are unassailable but also it's like we're to see Nick's play not an exhilarating game because it's all they've been doing this postseason. Yeah, that's what happens with Jailer Brothers in his hand like disintegrates mid game. Yep, that's a rough one. Yeah, just broken now. Oh, okay. Yeah. I feel like it's probably been that way for a while. Yeah, not ideal. And I'm sure the Raptors are going to enjoy the two first round picks in the worst draft in history and then the other one that's coming in like 2026 from Basco. It was really mean of the thought I had and I'll just share it with you all now when you did the wonderful tees before the break of like in good news for Canadian basketball fans. Like this is mean, but like my first blush reaction is like the Raptors going to take a year off. Like I wouldn't want contraction, but it's just like, hey, sabbatical. Let's all Scotty Barnes take a beat. Grady Dick. No Jersey swaps for you. This year. Take a beat. That was where my head immediately went. It's just so dark and raptured. No, they're going to, they're going to, well, probably look to trade Bruce Brown. But yeah, they got Bruce Brown, Jordan Wara and a bunch of picks to which are in a draft that they told you explicitly they're not interested in having picks in everybody said they're interested and the Pacers, they're off to a conference final with Pascal say I can. It's fine. Fine, fine, fine. But no, the positive news in Canadian basketball land is the second game seven. The most shocking result like I can remember in the postseason after the the timber will start that nugget series off winning two games in Denver to go up two games to none and then lose the next three and you're like, all right, the champs are here. They got their wake up call. They've really not been all that tested over the last couple of years in the postseason despite the fact that the Lakers what an incredible sweep they had they were in every game. It's like, no, not really. The just nuggets look like they were on the verge of this incredible dynasty. Yeah. And even in this series despite losing the first two games winning the next three being up 20 at home in game seven and then losing that bad boy to the timber wolves, shocking, shocking, shocking stuff. It means that we're going to have the six different champion in the last six years and we can get to that in just a second. But yeah, no, the good news is and for Jamal Murray's especially because he's already done the thing he has a ring. Yeah. And he was a huge, huge key contributor last season. Big shot maker to that nuggets championship. He gets a little extra rest. Shaggy'll just Alexander. He's going to be there in the future. We all know how good he is in getting his kudos. Jack calling him his MVP even in an interview with Nick Leyokich for some reason. I know we didn't really talk about that when it happened. But like imagine you were there to collect an award and somebody started being like, "Hey, I don't think you should win this. You're good, but not that good." Anyways, question about your field going after that stuff. Yeah, yeah. Jari, that happened. Not necessary. But yeah, no. It's great news that those guys and specifically Murray, because of the tread on the tires and his propensity to get injured and the fact that he was banged up in this postseason. Everybody gets to take a little beat before the end of July in the Olympics. Yeah, not that he matters as much as the other two, but like our beloved Lou Dort is going to be hounding guys on the perimeter. I'm not going to say Lou Dort plays harder than other people. But you want to talk about miles on the body. There's no such thing as an easy second in an NBA game for Lou Dort so he could make the argument he needs the rest the most. And yeah, it played out kind of perfectly. You could sit here and squint at a world where, you know, SGA goes on some miracle run. But I think it eventually that kind of catches up to him at some point. So yeah, this is kind of perfect case scenario. You get a you get another positive step from SGA. You know, Murray, I think you'd not that again, not that I'm disagreeing with the premise that you want him to get the rest. I think you would have wanted the series to have gone a little better for him for him to be kind of feeling in a better mode. But no, I think it's great. No, that only would have helped. It's not he's not damaged by the fact that he didn't have an incredible second round series here. By the way, did you see the news that they caught the crypto king? I've been seeing a lot of crypto king stuff on TV, but I don't like, I don't know. For the uninitiated. So yeah, Shay Gilgis Alexander bought a home in his hometown of Hamilton, I believe. Apparently on the water in Hamilton, I can only imagine a beautiful. Yeah, a great view of the steel mills. I don't know exactly how that takes. Yeah. That's it. Are there some expensive real estate there on Burlington Bay? Yeah, exactly. But it does stare directly to the other side of the bay where there are the steel mills aged. I wonder how that looks when you're having your morning coffee. Anyways, he bought, he spent millions of dollars on this home. And within the first couple of days of living there, people kept showing up saying, like, give me my money asking for the crypto king. He bought his house from the crypto king who used to live there, who built people out of many millions of dollars. They found the crypto king. Good for that. And I think Shay was able to refund his purchase price for the house. Unbought it. Yeah. I didn't even know. I didn't know you could just return. Do you have your receipt? Give me all your bank documents. All right. Money's going back on the credit card. Yeah, I didn't know you could do that with the house, but apparently you can. All right. So this is supposed to be the sport where, you know, you get to the postseason. And really, it's not a case where anybody can win. And not anybody can win. No. But like you look at the final four here. Yeah, I don't know. Outside of the Pacers, can't you make a case for all four of these teams? And even if the like the Pacers, you know, get the best version of themselves, they were in the final of the in season tournament. Hello. Uh, this is not supposed to be the deal with this sport. Sixth straight year with a different champion. Does it make you feel differently about this era of raptors? Oh, the raptors. Them. I didn't even connect the two. No. That it's listened. They feel a million miles away. But guess what? There's no LeBron walking through that door. There is like on the other conference, Nicola Yoakich. Uh, but do you know what? They won once. I mean, there is no, there is no dynasty at the hat. I mean, there. Hey, there's John is, but he's gone. Joellen Beat hasn't even made a conference final. You don't have to do very much to win at all. No, I'm, I didn't know where you are. I thought I thought at one point you were like, oh, does it make you feel differently about the raptors championship? I'm like, you sound insane for saying that. And then I realized you were saying that maybe that should make me think the raptors could win soon. That makes you sound even more insane. When I look at the six different champions. I can't believe I'm about to say it makes me wistful for the for the, uh, the Warriors. The Curry, even the Kevin Durant stacked Warriors team. They can eat a villain and Anthony Edwards is going at everybody. They're all villains like whoever Anthony Edwards is opposed to villain, but there's not the mountaintop to climb. Like if, again, if Anthony Edwards, I suppose you could say he just did it. But if he beats the Celtics in the final, it's going to be a cementing moment because he's going to win his NBA title, but you can't act like it wouldn't have meant more if it was like LeBron in the peak of his powers or a Celtics team that had been there three, four times in a row that he wouldn't feel a different way about it. But it's a classic, like, when we're in the dynasty era, you want to get away from it. When you're away from it, you want to go back to it just a little bit. I thought the Nuggets were going to kind of be that team. So, yeah, and, you know, I guess that should only have felt like you feel about the Timberwolves. More like before that, that the Giannis Bucks were going to be it too, right? Like it just, it hasn't happened. It's Giannis Bucks. Giannis Bucks have felt a little different only because that wasn't as much a, like, it's not as obvious as it was Giannis and a running mate. Like, that was like Giannis. And I'm not saying that to take anything away from, like, what Chris Middle didn't did. But I think when we think of, like, these dynastic teams, it's not a Chris Middleton. It's the third banana. It's like a walking into the -- it's like stumbling into the Hall of Fame guy without even trying. It's not a Chris Middleton type. I'm Dame Lillard. Well, he's the second guy now, though. And, again, how'd that work? Yeah, and that's great. All right. Before we get to the Wagon, right? Sure. It happened a while ago. I think it was a lot of fun. And I think it was a lot of fun. And I think it was a lot of fun. And I think it was a lot of fun. And I think it was a lot of fun. And I think it was a lot of fun. And I think it was a lot of fun. And I think it was a lot of fun. And I think it was a lot of fun. And I think it was a lot of fun. And I think it was a lot of fun. And I think it was a lot of fun. And I think it was a lot of fun. And I think it was a lot of fun. And I think it was a lot of fun. And I think it was a lot of fun. And I think it was a lot of fun. And I think it was a lot of fun. And I think it was a lot of fun. And I think it was a lot of fun. And I think it was a lot of fun. And I think it was a lot of fun. And I think it was a lot of fun. And I think it was a lot of fun. And I think it was a lot of fun. 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