The Cannon Balls Podcast

S1 E31 The Athletic's Aaron Portzline, the Alec Baldwin of the Cannon Balls podcast, is back to talk about a struggling Columbus Blue Jackets team with host Michael Arace of TheDisrespected.com. Sure, it's early. But can fans ever trust this team? The Jackets are coming off back-to-back losses, including an embarrassment in front of their home crowd, and coach Rick Bowness has been using p...

S1 E30 Columbus Blue Jackets television analyst Jody Shelley joints host Michael Arace of The Disrespected on the latest Balls. We talk about the front office effort to get fans to lodge complaints with DirecTV. Mostly, though, Jody has insights into the #cbj "extended training camp," the formation of the forward lines, and establishing chemistry. And so forth. How will Big Val and Matth...

S1 E29: Aaron Portzline of The Athletic rejoins host Michael Arace of TheDisrespected.com the morning after the Columbus Blue Jackets opened their season with a 6-3 victory over the Buffalo Sabres at the Nationwide Arena. Matthew Knies, acquired in a blockbuster deal from the Toronto Maple Leafs that had Kirill Marchenko going the other way, had two goals and an assist in his CBJ debut. Porty and...

S1, E28: Aaron Portzline of The Athletic joins host Michael Arace of TheDisrespected.com to talk about what the Columbus Blue Jackets/NHL have conjured after the death of regional sports networks -- the Blue Jackets Hockey Network. Also, and once again, we pose the question that ends every #CBJ conversation these days: When will the Adam Fantilli contract be done?

S1 E27: The contract negotiations between the Columbus Blue Jackets and top center Adam Fantilli are still crawling along. The Jackets are saving money by getting rid of their radio voice because it's a trend. How long will Elvis Merzlikins be out after shoulder surgery? Good question. ... Aaron Portzline of The Athletic is back with host Michael Arace of TheDisrespected.com to finish up with...

S1 E26: The Athletic's Aaron Portzline is back with host Michael Arace of TheDisrespected.com to talk about how the Columbus Blue Jackets, as an organization, are taking a dive into a pool of bad juju. Most of the conversation surrounds the soul-damaging axing of longtime radio voice Bob McElligott, and how it fits into an evolving sports-media landscape. We also pay homage to CBJ insider Jeff...

Mike Cornell, who has been battling a rare form of cancer for nearly a decade, doesn't know how much more time he has left. He has been a fan of the Crew and the Blue Jackets since the formation of both franchises. With host Michael Arace of TheDisrespected.com, he reflects on devoting some of his passion for life to sports. He uses "fan" as a verb, says, "You've got to fan...

S1 E24: Aaron Portzline of The Athletic joins host Michael Arace of TheDisrespected.com for some mid-summer house cleaning. Is there an offer sheet for Adam Fantilli looming (not likely)? Jarmo Kekalainen invites John Davidson to join the Buffalo Sabres front office (sounds familiar). Why are pending restricted free agents hesitant to negotiate contract extensions (money)? There's a new All-St...

S1 E23: Aaron Portzline of The Athletic is back to talk to host Michael Arace of thedisrespected.com. The offer sheet tendered by the Philadelphia Flyers rocked the #nhl. Is Columbus Blue Jackets center Adam Fantilli the next target? #cbj GM Don Waddell remains busy with his Fantilli and the rest of his restricted free agents. Then, there's Norris Trophy winner Zach Werenski and the weirdness...

After a whirlwind week of reports that #cbj defenseman Zach Werenski wanted out of Columbus, and that he'd nixed a trade to the #dallasstars , Werenski made a statement saying "I want to win in Columbus." A day after the reigning Norris Trophy winner made this announcement, Blue Jackets general manager Don Waddell met the local media.

ESPN's longtime NHL/college hockey voice, John Buccigross, is back to talk to host Michael Arace of TheDisrespected.com. #cbj Norris Trophy winner Zach Werenski looks like he's angling for a trade and we go deep on the subject. Should ownership and management say, "No, we're not trading you," and go public? Oh, and then there's Kirill Marchenko, whose agent is stirring up...

S1 E22: For good or ill, Timothy, Matthew and Owen Arace came out of the womb as Blue Jackets fans. In their formative years, they were known within the household as a collective, the "Reign of Terror." In this latest Reign edition of Cannon Balls, they weigh in on the #cbj prior to the draft. There's not a surplus of hope here, not with the Zach Werenski question looming like a dark...

Columbus Blue Jackets president of hockey operations/general manager meets the local media a day ahead of the first round of the NHL draft. Right off the hop, Aaron Portzline of The Athletic gets to the Zach Werenski question. #cbj #nhl #nhldraft

S1 E21: Aaron Portzline of The Athletic, the mayor of Jacketville, rejoins host Michael Arace of TheDisrespected.com to talk about the Stanley Cup grind, an unenjoyable final, Mike Babcock (!), the big month ahead for the #cbj and much, much more.

S1 E20: The Mayor of Jacketville, Aaron Portzline, and his dog, Bella, join host Michael Arace of TheDisrespected.com on a busy #CBJ news day. Zach Werenski wins the Norris Trophy, a huge milestone in the franchise history of the Columbus Blue Jackets. Former AGM Chris MacFarland is moving from Colorado to Nashville to run the hated Predators. Trent Vogelhuber is coming down from Cleveland to join...

S1 E19: The NHL season is slowing down for ESPN's John Buccigross, who called VGN's 3-2 victory over the Anaheim Ducks Tuesday night. Bucci, a longtime friend of the program, joins host Michael Arace of TheDisrespected.com to talk about growing up in Jimmy Stewart's hometown, moving to Mini Pittsburgh at age 11, D-III Cawlidge hoops, and a whole lot about the Columbus Blue Jackets and...

S1 E18: When they were young, Owen, Timothy and Matthew Arace were known as the collective, "The Reign of Terror." The havoc they wrought on the household is now being repaid by the misery visited upon them by their favorite NHL team, the Columbus Blue Jackets. #cbj The Reign rejoins host Michael Arace of TheDisrespected.com for another episode of the soon-to-be-award-winning Cannon Ball...

S1 E 17: When they were young, this trio was known within the household as "The Reign of Terror." Now, Owen, Timothy and Matthew Arace are writing report cards. The Reign rejoins their sire, Michael Arace of TheDisrespected.com, on the latest episode of the soon-to-be-ward winning Cannon Balls podcast. #cbj

S1 E16: When they were young, Owen, Timothy and Matthew were known collectively as the Reign of Terror. Now, they're all gorwn up and, somehow, they remain Blue Jackets fans, disgruntled or otherwise. The boys are back for another weigh-in, and they stretch out to talk about everything from the CBJ's pending failure to the NHL playoff picture to league awards to ... what's next for the...

S1 E15 The Schlagfather joins host Michael Arace of TheDisrespected.com for a wide-ranging conversation. Brian Giesenschlag has covered the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Cincinnati Reds as a studio host for a number of regional sports networks. In this wide-ranging conversation, we go from his upbringing in small-town Texas to his sports-anchor gig in Cincy to what is next for him now that RSNs ar...

S1 E14: When they were kids, Owen, Timothy and Matthew Arace were known within the household as a collective, "The Reign of Terror." Each has suffered Columbus Blue Jackets fandom since birth. They join host Michael Arace, their sire, on the latest episode of Cannon Balls to talk about a squandered youth movement, the frustration of the CBJ swoon and the summer parade route.

S1 E13: Always a pleasure to welcome Jody Shelley, Original Columbus Blue Jacket, former NHL enforcer and current CBJ analyst. His national presence is growing on Amazon and TNT for a reason. He's a good man with good takes. Michael Arace of TheDisrespected.com asks him about the fighters' ethos, the place for pugilism in the NHL, the Jackets' stretch run and Zach Werenski's Norris...

Can the Columbus Blue Jackets sustain their heater? Is Denton Mateychuk the best skater since Paul Coffey? Aaron Portzline of The Athletic rejoins host Michael Arace of TheDisrespected.com to talk about an amazing playoff push, what books they haven't read and how much Charlie Coyle should fetch on his next contract.

Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski, a god among us, talks to Michael Arace of Disrespected Media about barking at referees at the end of a recent game in Florida. Werenski thinks there is a lack of respect for the CBJ, and says the team has some earning to do.

Bob McElligott, radio voice of the Blue Jackets, joins host Michael Arace of TheDisrespected.com and they're all over the place. This episode starts with Bob's beginning in the business -- as the Johnstown Chiefs' mascot, Iron Dog. Bob's winding trail to the NHL is covered. Then, they talk about the newest member of the team, Conor Garland, and break down the Jackets' playoff p...