The FAN Pregame

Ben Nicholson-Smith joins the show to chat about the Blue Jays’ potent offence, the special vibe surrounding this Jays team, José Berríos' dismal outing on Opening Day, Hyun-jin Ryu’s meltdown on Sunday, and the distribution of playing time at second base between Cavan Biggio and Santiago Espinal (0:33). Later, the crew revisits their bets from the weekend and looks ahead to the Raptors’ first rou...

JD, Blake and Ailish share their thoughts on Auston Matthews becoming the first player since Mario Lemieux to score 50 goals in a 50-games span, what this milestone means for Matthews’ Hart candidacy, and his continued evolution as a two-way player (1:15). Afterwards, the team also chimes in on the fallout from Saturday’s UFC 273 card (17:28). Afterwards, Jason Sobel weighs in on Scottie Scheffler...

JD, Blake and Ailish discuss their experience attending Opening Day at Rogers Centre, the unique buzz and optimism in the building, and their takeaways from this weekend’s season-opening series against the Rangers. Later, Ailish presents her daily edition of the A-List (41:01).     The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the...

Dan Shulman joins the show to chat about the buzz surrounding Opening Day, the storylines he's most curious about heading into the season, the arrival of Matt Chapman, and what Vladimir Guerrero Jr. might do for an encore in 2022 (1:26). Afterwards, Dallas Braden chats about his excitement for Opening Day, Chapman's defensive prowess, Bo Bichette's growth at shortstop, José Berríos' Cy Young chanc...

John Gibbons phones in to chat about the Blue Jays’ promising outlook for the season, the team’s exciting young nucleus, what it’s like managing a contending team, and his favourite Opening Day memories (0:49). Later, the team tees up the betting lines for tonight’s Jays season opener and Raptors-Rockets game and assembles their daily Wake and Rake parlay (23:54). The views and opinions expressed...

Stephen Brunt joins the show to discuss what excites him most about Opening Day, the Blue Jays looking to build on their success from 2021, the organization’s willingness to spend, and the team’s improved rotation from the beginning of the 2021 season (0:24). Later, JD, Blake and Ailish share their takeaways from Tiger Woods’ opening round at Augusta (33:46).   The views and opinions expressed in...

Happy Opening Day! JD, Blake and Ailish discuss their biggest storylines for the Blue Jays’ 2022 season, including Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s MVP chances, regaining a genuine home field advantage, and the team’s starting rotation (4:45). Afterwards, the team shares their thoughts on Auston Matthews setting a new Maple Leafs single-season goals record and his chances of becoming a perennial 60-goal sc...

Chris "Mad Dog" Russo stops by to chat about the perception of the Blue Jays' among national media, the excitement surrounding the team heading into 2022, the challenges posed by the AL East, the potential of Vladimir Guerrero Jr. emerging as the face of baseball, and Tiger Woods' chances of contending this week at Augusta (0:40). Ian Baker-Finch discusses Tiger' insistence on using metal spikes t...

Arden Zwelling phones in to chat about the new upgrades at Rogers Centre, what fans can expect when they get into the building on Opening Day, Nate Pearson’s latest setback and potential timeline for his return, Gabriel Moreno’s chances of being called up this season, and the Blue Jays’ management of Hyun-jin Ryu (1:58). Later, the team tees up the betting lines for tonight’s Leafs-Stars game and...

Ben Ennis joins the show for the full hour! Ben weighs in on his favourite Jays props for the 2022 season, why Bo Bichette likely faces an uphill battle to garner MVP consideration, the team’s bullpen depth, Jose Ramirez’s extension with the Guardians, and the Jays’ lineup construction (0:37). Later, Ben discusses Tiger Woods’ return at The Masters and secondary storylines to follow this weekend a...

On the eve of the Blue Jays’ season opener, JD, Blake and Ailish make their prop picks - some real, some fake - for the 2022 season, including Bo Bichette’s MVP odds, Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s stolen bases threshold, and the club’s over-under win total (9:34). Later, Ailish presents her daily edition of the A-List (42:05)!     The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts a...

Ricky Romero stops by to chat about his Lakers fandom, what it's like getting the ball on Opening Day, José Berríos getting the nod for Friday's opener, expectations for Berríos this season, Alek Manoah looking to build off his impressive rookie campaign, and Nate Pearson missing the start of the season due to mono (0:41). Next, the morning crew reacts to the news that José Ramírez has signed a fi...

Nick Kypreos gives his thoughts on the Leafs failing to protect a 5-1 lead against Florida, Jake Muzzin’s return to the lineup, Mitch Marner’s importance to driving the Leafs’ offence, and if Toronto is capable of adapting their style to win in the playoffs (0:26). Later, Sam McKee stops by to share his best bets for The Masters, and the team assembles their daily Wake and Rake parlay  (28:26). Th...

The morning team discusses the Raptors officially securing a playoff berth, whether Toronto should rest their starters before the postseason, and lingering concerns about Fred VanVleet’s injury situation (1:14). Then, the crew chats about Nate Pearson being diagnosed with mono and his history of bad injury luck since his initial foray into the Big Leagues (20:33). Afterwards, David Feherty stops b...

JD, Blake and Ailish discuss the Leafs’ collapse against the Panthers, Erik Kallgren’s injury, concerns about the team’s backup goalie situation, how the Leafs would match up against Florida in a playoff series, and Mitch Marner's dominant play this season. Later, Ailish presents her daily edition of the A-List (31:52)!     The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts an...

Kris Versteeg stops by to chat about Steven Stamkos’ comments about the frustration of falling shy of major goal-scoring milestones, the special chemistry between Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner, and the pressure on Sheldon Keefe to make swift adjustments during a playoff series (0:32). Afterwards, the crew heads back to the text line to field more questions and comments from listeners (23:13). T...

Jon Morosi discusses the Guardians’ contract talks with José Ramírez, the Blue Jays’ continued interest in pursuing a trade for Ramírez, Gabriel Moreno’s potential timeline to reach the Big Leagues, and why many pundits around baseball are bullish on the Blue Jays’ World Series chances (0:47). Later, the team tees up the betting lines for tonight’s Raptors-Hawks game and Leafs-Panthers showdown, a...

Jeff Marek on the Leafs asserting themselves as one of the top teams in the NHL and Auston Matthews’ emergence as the front runner for the Hart Trophy (0:32). Then, JD, Blake and Ailish chat about Magic Johnson’s criticism of the Lakers and what the future might hold for LeBron James (16:07). Later, the team heads to the text line to field questions and comments from listeners (25:23). The views a...

JD, Blake and Ailish discuss Auston Matthews’ hat-trick last night against the Lightning, the dominance of the Leafs’ top line, whether this year’s team is different from years’ past, and Toronto’s recent stretch of success against top-tier opponents (1:06). Then, the team chats about Kansas’ historic second-half comeback to defeat North Carolina in the National Championship Game (23:50). Afterwar...

Justin Bourne stops by to discuss the Leafs’ litmus test Monday night against Tampa, John Tavares’ recent offensive resurgence, Jack Campbell’s future beyond this season, Auston Matthews’ historic goal-scoring output, his defensive warts over the past few games, Toronto’s strong special teams play, and the team’s potential blue line pairings upon Jake Muzzin’s return (0:17). To wrap, Alvin William...

Michael Grange joins the show to comment on Kyle Lowry’s special Toronto homecoming, how he’s matured throughout his career, Lowry’s lasting impact on elevating the Raptors to prominence, and the organization’s transition to the post-Lowry era (2:33). Later, JD, Blake and Ailish discuss the legalization of sports betting in Ontario and assemble their daily Wake and Rake parlay (30:41). The views a...

The morning crew discusses Jack Campbell’s return to the Leafs’ lineup this past weekend, Jake Muzzin inching closer to a return, where he fits on the blue line and who might be the odd man out (4:16). Later, Bob Harig chats about Tiger Woods trending towards a possible return at Augusta, the veil of secrecy surrounding Tiger’s injuries, Phil Mickelson’s absence from The Masters, and the parity wi...

Blake details his experience attending last night’s Raptors-Heat game and covering Kyle Lowry’s return to Toronto (1:02). Then, the team weighs in on the Raptors’ touching tribute to Lowry, the reception from fans at Scotiabank Arena, his lasting impact on the franchise, and Fred VanVleet’s quest to carve out his own legacy (4:44). Later, Ailish presents her daily edition of the A-List (35:44)!  ...

Anthony Stewart stops by to discuss Wayne Simmonds’ response last night after being a healthy scratch against Boston, William Nylander’s improved play, Alex Kerfoot finding a home on the second line with John Tavares, and Ilya Mikheyev’s breakout (0:14). Afterwards, former Raptors guard C.J. Miles discusses his experience playing with Kyle Lowry in Toronto, Lowry’s lasting influence on the Raptors...

Jackie Redmond on WrestleMania 38, which match she’s most excited to watch, Auston Matthews reaching the 50-goal plateau, the front runners for the Hart Trophy, and the Leafs finding their stride leading into the playoffs (1:34). Later, the team reacts to the news that Charlie Montoyo has signed a contract extension with the Blue Jays and what it means for his long-term job security (26:34). The c...