The JD Bunkis Podcast

JD and Ben Ennis, co-host of The FAN Morning Show, banter about the Blue Jays declining Myles Straw's $8 million dollar club option, how the Jays outfield positions could play out, the Jays free agency chases, and how the looming potential lockout. The hour ends with 'old news'.  The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necesarily reflect t...

JD reacts to the Maple Leafs' decision to start Sergei Bobrovsky against the Mammoth, before moving on to the Raptors. JD and theScore's Joseph Casciaro (6:00) get into the positive and negative takeaways from the Raptors back-to-back in Los Angeles. The duo discuss what the Raptors need to do to win games without Kawhi Leonard, Darko Rajakovic's substitution patterns, and if Kawhi Leonard not bei...

Brady Quinn, NFL on FOX analyst and former NFL quarterback, breaks down Lamar Jackson's getting injured (again) and how the Ravens may react, if the Vikings could turn to Carson Wentz or be in the quarterback trade market, if the Steelers deserve more respect than they're getting, how good Bo Nix and the Broncos really are, the Monday Night Football matchup and more from Week 8. Then, JD and the p...

JD reacts to the Maple Leafs' win over the Canucks in Vancouver and Sergei Bobrovsky's uneven start to the season. Justin Bourne, from Real Kyper and Bourne , analyzes (6:00) Bobrovsky's performance with the Leafs, Jim Hiller's system implementation, Hiller's deployment of McKenna, William Nylander's woeful defense, and Nikita Kucherov's trade request. JD touches on the Raptors' disappointing week...

Jordan Poyer, 14-year NFL veteran, joins JD to analyze how real the undefeated Vikings are, going to a Bills tailgate as a former Bills player, what the Bills need to do differently in the playoffs this season, how players get up differently for rivalry games, and why the Seahawks may have the best defense in football. Then, JD and the producers hit "What We Missed" (32:38) The views and opinions...

JD is joined by Ben Nicholson-Smith (5:00) to talk about the interest level for the World Series, why a salary cap will hurt baseball, how free agency transaction may play out before the assumed MLB lockout, if the Blue Jays will be aggressive in November, and how involved the Blue Jays will be in the Tarik Skubal sweepstakes. JD closes the hour criticizing Dylan Larkin's decision to stop playing...

JD and former Raptor Matt Bonner discuss some hypothesis about what could be contributing to the rise of star injuries early in the NBA season, the Raptors' upcoming stretch with Kawhi Leonard, RJ Barrett's value to the team and precarious contract situation, Collin-Murray Boyles' offensive repertoire, and the Jakob Poeltl problem.  The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those o...

JD reacts to the Maple Leafs critical and disappointing loss to the Seattle Kraken. Later, Jackie Redmond joins to discuss Jim Hiller's volatile deployment of Gavin McKenna, Sergei Bobrovsky's unimpressive tenure with the Leafs, and why Hiller is hesitant to pull Bobrovsky.  The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the p...

JD and Marco D'Amico, co-host of The Starr and D'Amico Show , chat about how the tagging rule could apple to the Maple Leafs, how the Leafs can tangibly improve their blueline, how the stacked Atlantic Division may shake out, if the Canadiens would trade for Dylan Larkin if Larkin was willing to go there, and Simon Edvinsson's standoff with Detroit. JD closes the hour discussing the Colts fire-sal...

JD and Sportsnet's Ben Ennis get into the news of Kawhi Leonard missing multiple weeks due to left knee swelling, how much of a bummer it is for fans versus the team, if star athlete return games have actual catharthic value, the NBA's star injury problem, how dominant the Brewers postseason run has really been, and how the MLB's labour negotiations could impact playoff popularity.  The views...

Raptors writer Joe Wolfond joins JD to dive into the first week of the Raptors season. JD and Joe get into the team's disappointing loss to the Timberwolves, how important RJ Barrett is to the team, the Jakob Poeltl problem, concern about how Kawhi Leonard looked and more. The show ends with 'What We Missed!' (35:00) The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guest...

JD and Sam McKee, from Real Kyper and Bourne , get into a couple light red flags for the Maple Leafs, how the Leafs stack up against the rest of their division, how the responsibility shifts without Kirill Marchenko, Easton Cowan's continued importance, the Leafs improved fourth line, and John Chayka's comments about improving the team.  The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are th...

Former NFL quarterback, Brady Quinn, joins JD to analyze the Seahawks' win over the undefeated Chiefs, if he's buying JJ McCarthy stock, Kevin O'Connell's reputation, which contenders look shaky, and other headlines from the NFL. The show ends with 'What We Missed!'  The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position...

JD reacts to a weekend of hate in the NHL, before breaking down the Maple Leafs' impressive 7-2 win over the Edmonton Oilers. JD brings on James Mirtle, senior writer at The Athletic, to see if Mirtle is buying the good vibes of the Leafs after covering the team for nearly two decades. Then, JD and James get into Auston Matthews' leadership, Easton Cowan's leap, if Morgan Rielly and Troy Stecher c...

JD asks David Fizdale, 20-year NBA coach and NBA TV analyst, about his first impressions from the NBA's opening day and the statement the Thunder made, before moving on to the Raptors. JD and Coach Fizdale discuss Kawhi Leonard's return timing works for Toronto and Scottie Barnes, Darko Rajakovic's challenge of going from a growing team to a contender, and what to expect from RJ Barrett this seaso...

JD reacts to Kirill Marchenko's return to Columbus and brings on Sportsnet's Luke Gazdic to dive into the Maple Leafs. JD and Luke begin with Adam Fantilli's pointed comments about his ex-linemate Marchenko, if the Leafs have shown pieces of their identity in the last couple wins, Jim Hiller's intent with Gavin McKenna, what about Easton Cowan has been most impressive, how the Leafs lines and powe...

JD is joined by Blake Murphy, co-host of The Raptors Show, to preview the Raptors season: is JD's excitement level found? How does Kawhi Leonard improve the team? Outside of defence and health, what is the Raptors biggest strength and weakness? What is Scottie Barnes' next step? Who or what are some x-factors for success? And what can fans expect from rookie Allen Graves? The views and opinions ex...

JD and Sportsnet's Sam McKee get into the Maple Leafs' important 3-1 win over the Sharks. The duo discuss the biggest positives from the night, Auston Matthews' leadership evolution, Gavin McKenna's fit in the Toronto market, Sergei Bobrovsky's uneven start with the Leafs, Nick Paul's impact, and the Leafs having the best penalty kill in the league. JD closes the hour discussing the World Series m...

Brady Quinn, NFL on FOX analyst, joins JD to analyze Caleb Williams' spectacular return, if the Rams can turn their season around, if the NFL needs to improve their replay-review system, the shockingly fun Browns, the biggest winners from the NFL weekend, and his read on Arch Manning. The show ends with 'What We Missed!' (40:00)  The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of t...

JD and DJ Bean, co-host of the What Chaos Show , talk about Nikita Zadarov's fit with the Maple Leafs and his reputation among former teammates, the transactional prevalence early in this NHL season, if DJ is surprised by the Leafs uneven start, what seems to be the Leafs key to success, if this the best Connor McDavid has ever looked, and how much the hockey buzz from the Olympics has lasted in A...

JD and Ben Ennis, co-host of The FAN Morning Show, discuss Jim Hiller's bizarre decision to sit Gavin McKenna on the bench for half the game. Later (19:00), JD and Ben discuss the Brewers sweeping the Dodgers and how this Dodgers team will be remembered. The duo also discuss Vladimir Guerrero Jr. getting laser eye surgery (33:00).  The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of...

JD reacts to Gavin McKenna's benching and the Maple Leafs narrow 5-4 loss to the Sabres. James Mirtle, senior writer at The Athletic, analyzes Jim Hiller's decision to bench Gavin McKenna for half the game, Hiller's reputation in Los Angeles, how the Leafs could handle Chris Tanev's return, if the Leafs could call up Ben Danford soon, what depth defencemen the Leafs could target in the trade marke...

JD is joined Jared Carrabis, co-host of the Baseball is Dead podcast, analyzes the Dodgers facing elimination, the public battle for salary cap narratives, ratings, lockout, and payroll what if's, and the real Shohei Ohtani pressure. The show ends with 'What We Missed!'  The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the posit...

JD is joined by Ryan Reaves, 16-year NHL forward, his interests post-retirement, dealing with Toronto's media market, what he's going to miss about his playing in the NHL, what he would've done if he didn't take the hockey path, and how he feels about the decline of fighting in the NHL. Marco D'Amico, co-host of The Starr and D'Amico Show , discusses the "we want Larkin" chants in Montreal, if Dyl...

Canadian Kevin Pangos, former All-American and 11-year pro, joins JD Bunkis to discuss his decision to retire, his passions for teaching the game, his unique perspective that can help the game move forward, what he's learned from the European game, how the sport has changed at a youth level, his nostalgic battles with Andrew Wiggins, and commitment to Canada Basketball. The show ends with 'What We...