The Sports Lunatics Show

Are you a sports enthusiast with a passion for history? Tune in to The Sports Lunatics Show with Shawn Lavigne as he takes you on an exhilarating journey through the incredible history of sports play-by-play on the radio. In this special episode, Shawn delves into the golden era of radio broadcasting, highlighting the pioneers and trailblazers who brought the excitement of live sports to millions...

As we approach our one-year anniversary of managing our own podcasts, Here's a small collection from past episodes to give you an example of what our show is all about. Shawn and Howie introduced or re-introduced themselves to the Ottawa market in their debut show on terrestrial radio on CKDJ-FM in Ottawa. Howie broke Mick Kern's heart by asking him about the 1981 Montreal Expos. Howie a...

The audio quality of this Sports Lunatics Show episode was not top notch, but the overall quality and importance of this date in history remains unquestionable. Shawn and Howie go through all the important points of the day, from the final US Open round of Arnold Palmer's career, the New York Rangers' Stanley Cup parade, the opening of the 1994 Soccer World Cup, Ken Griffey's chase...

In this episode, Shawn and Howie discuss the Chicago White Sox after they had lost their 90th game of the season against just 28 wins. They discuss the possible motivations of Jerry Reinsdorf and the possible movement of the club to a location in downtown Chicago. They also talk about other long losing skids in baseball involving the 1969 Montreal Expos and the 1988 Baltimore Orioles. They also ta...

This was a fun episode to put together. Howie hosts and talks with 13-year Edmonton Eskimos' veteran Jed Roberts about the passing of star wide receiver Waddell Smith and the great run the team had not only winning five straight Grey Cups from 1978 to 1982 but their playoff streak of 34 years from 1972 to 2005. Jed is such a down-to-earth guy and shares little details of life in pro football,...

In this episode, Shawn and Howie tackle a few topics. They start by examining the 2024 Canadian soccer program and the drone incidents, their effects on the team, the reactions to the team, the penalties, the suspensions and FIFA's possible sanctions in the future with regards to the 2026 World Cup. They then look at the life, career, accomplishments and legacy of Murray Costello, player, adm...

It's summer...the dog days.....and Howie and Shawn talk about mascots and sports entertainers they have seen or experienced through their lives. Everyone from Mr. Met to the Philly Phanatic to Youppi to Gritty and other personalities like Barry Bremen, the Great Sports Impostor and Morganna, The Kissing Bandit. It was a fun and sometimes funny episode!

In this episode of The Sports Lunatics Show, Shawn and Howie discuss the life and career of Baseball Hall of Famer Orlando Cepeda and they also examine the greatness of football and baseball star, Bo Jackson. A lot of great memories in this episode.

In the latest episode of The Sports Lunatics Show, Shawn and Howie discuss their levels of happiness with the outcome of the 2024 Stanley Cup Finals, Connor McDavid's decision not to come out to receive the Conn Smythe Trophy and the Hockey Hall of Fame selections for 2024. They don't necessarily agree on everything either. It was a spirited and interesting discussion.

On June 18, 2024, Willie Mays passed away at the age of 93. Mays was unquestionably one of the greatest ever to play the game. So many tremendous exploits and highlights in his career. He played with Birmingham in the Negro Leagues and had the opportunity to play with the Red Sox, but ownership and upper management didn't want a Black player on their roster. At a major league game in Birmingh...

Due to circumstances beyond our control, life has taken both Shawn and Howie away from doing what we love, and that is talking about sports history. NBA great Jerry West passed away as did Chet Walker. The boys talk about the two men and their basketball legacies. 

June 2024 - Sports Lunatics - Reggie Jackson's Response to Alex Rodriguez' question on MLB on FOX about coming back to Birmingham, Alabama, where he played his minor league ball. His response is frank, honest and he talks directly and openly about the racism he encountered while there.

This is long overdue. A rebroadcast of the interview Howie did with the 13-year veteran of the Edmonton Eskimos, Jed Roberts. Jed was a defensive end, linebacker and special teams stalwart through his CFL career from 1990-2002. He is incredibly frank as he discusses his time in the league. He talks about teammates and coaches like Henry "Gizmo" Williams, Randy Ambrosie, Signor Mobley, Ro...

In this episode of The Sports Lunatics Show, Shawn asks Howie about Connor McDavid's legacy in getting to the 2024 Stanley Cup Finals and the Oilers' possible victory. The boys assess McDavid's place among the all-time greats at this point in his career. They also discuss Major League Baseball's decision to integrate the statistics from the Negro Leagues of Baseball with those...

Wow! This is one from the archives! A show from the first few months of our podcast. It's from April of 2020 and we talk about Henry Aaron's 715th home run versus Barry Bonds' 756th and other records. We talk about Jackie Robinson Day and what it means to us, and we also discuss some of the heroes we lost from that time. At the beginning of the show, we talk about some of the new pl...

In this episode of The Sports Lunatics Show, Shawn and Howie look at the life and career of Bill Walton. Walton was an amazing basketball player, a one-of-a-kind broadcaster, and a man who was so loved by everyone who met him. Shawn and Howie engage in such a spirited conversation and Shawn employs his skills as a producer to include so many great audio clips. This episode will leave you with goos...

It's NHL Playoff time and conversations generally turn to which great star has yet to win a Stanley Cup. In this edition of The Sports Lunatics Show, Shawn and Howie discuss a few great players who went through their careers without ever sipping from Lord Stanley's Mug. In this particular episode, you'll hear stories about Marcel Dionne, Jarome Iginla, Dale Hawerchuk, Mike Gartner a...

In the spring of 2022, Bodog put out a list of what they thought were the Top 10 Canadian athletes of all time. Immediately, Shawn and Howie took issue with the composition of the list. They discuss the integrity of the Bodog list and which athletes might be valid and which are not as well as who they thought were missing from it. It was a fun and a lively episode.

Former Toronto Maple Leafs' forward Ron Ellis, one of only five men who have played over 1,000 games while wearing the blue and white, passed away on Saturday, May 11, 2024. He was 79. He played his entire 15-year career with the Leafs. Ellis was a stellar defensive forward while at the same time, scoring twenty goals in eleven different seasons. In this edition of The Sports Lunatics Show, S...

In April of 2023, I got to sit down with Lisa Bowes. Lisa was a field reporter and sports anchor for The Sports Network in Canada. She is now a successful author. Her Lucy Tries Sports series of children's books is not just a story of success though, it's also a story of persistence and never giving up on a dream. Enjoy this classic Sports Lunatics Show rebroadcast!

After yet another gut-wrenching Game 7 loss in the opening round of the NHL Playoffs, the eternal question looms large over Toronto: Are the Maple Leafs cursed? It's been 57 long years since the franchise hoisted the Stanley Cup in 1967, and with each passing season, the weight of expectation seems to grow heavier. The Sports Lunatics' Shawn Lavigne and Howie Mooney delve deep into the t...

In Part 5 of their series on NHL Forgotten Stars, Shawn and Howie go over another group of names that were submitted by members of The Sports Lunatics Show's Facebook group page. In this episode, they discuss Danny Gare, Terry O'Reilly, Craig Janney, J.C. Tremblay and a couple more players that some may have lost track of over time.

We lost Bob Cole on Wednesday, April 24, 2024. In this Sports Lunatics Show episode, Shawn and Howie look back at Bob's life and career, from his trip as a 23-year-old who went to Toronto to meet Foster Hewitt unannounced to play his audition tape to working on Hockey Night in Canada to becoming their top play-by-play man. They also discuss many of the amazing things Cole did outside his work...

On April 22, 2022, former Montreal Canadiens great Guy Lafleur passed away after a battle with cancer. Howie sat down with the noted and often-published hockey historian Liam Maguire to talk about the life, career and legacy of The Flower. Liam talked about what made Guy Lafleur so great, so revered and so admired. It was a spirited and a visceral conversation. Liam had been asked to do many media...

It seems that every year, somebody has an outstanding playoff performance that extends through their team's entire run. They may not win the Stanley Cup, but they capture the imagination of hockey fans everywhere for as long as their club is alive. Shawn and Howie discuss a number of great playoff performances from over the past fifty years. From Chris Kontos in 1989 to Ken Dryden in 1971 to...