Episodes
The Jeff Blair Show is off the air, but you can still hear all the great sports talk and interviews you've come to know from Blair, Richard Deitsch and Stephen Brunt on Writers Bloc. Subscribe to Writers Bloc here: https://podcast.sportsnet.ca/writers-bloc/
Published 10/28/19
Jeff discusses the Canadians drafted to the NBA (0:29); Raptors TV analyst Leo Rautins on Mfiondu Kabengele's rise and potential and RJ Barrett's fit with the Knicks (3:33); Leafs Morning Skate's Anthony Stewart on the Mitch Marner contract situation, the new rule changes, and his NHL Draft experience (27:45); ESPN's Jeff Passan on the proposed Montreal/Tampa Bay Rays split, and the chances that Montreal gets a full-time team (46:42); TVA Sports' Renaud Lavoie on the potential of an offer...
Published 06/21/19
Jeff Discusses the depth of Canadian basketball ahead of tonight's NBA Draft (0:36); Sportsnet NBA insider Michael Grange on the expectations for the NBA draft, RJ Barrett and what the Raptors need on their bench (4:46); Sportsnet chief soccer reporter John Molinaro on Canada's women's team being composed on their back line and the overall quality of play in women's soccer, in addition to the Canadian national men's team's Gold Cup loss to Mexico (25:12); Canadian country star and former...
Published 06/20/19
Jeff starts looking ahead to an uncertain off-season for the NBA Champion Raptors (0:53); Raptors radio analyst Paul Jones on the Raptors' summer (9:33); Toronto Police Service No. 52 Division Unit Commander Superintendent Michael Barsky on Monday's Raptors Championship Parade, and the criticism that followed (27:38); Hockey Central Saturday's Nick Alberga on what to expect ahead of the NHL Draft and free agency (46:00); CBS Sports HQ MLB analyst/Former Miami Marlins President David Samson on...
Published 06/19/19
Jeff discusses the poor planning surrounding the Raptors' championship parade (0:45); Raptors play-by-play voice Matt Devlin on the parade (and his role in de-escalating the tension following the shooting at Nathan Phillips Square, and how the Raptors should approach the off-season (8:46); We hear from attendees of the Parade, and their experiences Monday (23:48); Hockey Night In Canada's Elliotte Friedman on what to expect with Mitch Marner's restricted free agency, new contracts for Erik...
Published 06/18/19
The Toronto Raptors are NBA Champions! (0:57); We check in with an assortment of guests and fans, including ESPN's Tim Legler (8:39), Sportsnet's Faizal Khamisa (52:34), Sportsnet's Michael Grange (56:58), The Carroll (Iowa) Daily Times Herald's Brandon Hurley on Nick Nurse's path to NBA glory (1:19:17), Tim & Sid's Sid Seixeiro (1:34:36), long-time Raptors play-by-play voice (and current Chicago Bulls voice) Chuck Swirsky (1:52:28), and SN 590's Paul Jones (2:01:17).
Published 06/14/19
The Raptors have another shot at winning the NBA Finals tonight! (0:44); NBC Sports' Pro Basketball Talk's Dan Feldman on Raptors-Warriors ahead of Game 6 (7:35); What's one word to describe how you're feeling ahead of Game 6? (17:42); Leafs Nation Pre- & Post-Game's Gord Stellick on the Stanley Cup champion St. Louis Blues and their Game 7 win over the Bruins (47:49); Truman State University head men's basketball coach Jeff Horner on his time playing for Nick Nurse, and what he learned...
Published 06/13/19
Jeff discusses the unprecedented amount of Canadian interest in the Raptors (0:53); Former Canadian national team member Dwight Walton on the NBA Finals, and how the Raptors fandom has made its way to Montreal (7:31); Former NBA guard Nick Van Exel on Kevin Durant's decision to play in Game 4 of Raptors-Warriors, and on the mentality of an NBA player to play through injuries (22:13); TVA Sports' Renaud Lavoie ahead of Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final between the Bruins and Blues (37:45);...
Published 06/12/19
Jeff discusses the Raptors' crowd's controversial reaction to Kevin Durant's injury in Monday's Game 5 win for the Warriors (0:30); SN590's Paul Jones on Game 5 (9:05); What stood out the most from Game 5? (33:41); Sportsnet's Leo Rautins on Raptors-Warriors (46:18); InStreetClothes' Jeff Stotts on the Durant injury (1:21:08); NBA Analyst/Former Assistant Coach Steve Jones Jr. on how Game 5 played out (1:31:45); Tim & Sid's Tim Micallef on Game 5 (2:04:41); Former Raptor Tracy Murray on...
Published 06/11/19
Jeff entertains the possibility of the Raptors ending the Warriors' dynasty on Monday night (0:37); SN590's Eric Smith on the Raptors and Warriors heading into Game 5 of The NBA Finals (7:17); How confident are you in the Raptors' chance of closing out the Finals in Game 5 (26:52); Basketball Central's Sherman Hamilton on The Finals (47:03); Sportsnet 650's Corey Hirsch on the Bruins topping the Blues in Game 6 to push the Stanley Cup Final to a Game 7 on Wednesday (1:19:59); Warriors TV...
Published 06/10/19
Jeff discusses the swift reaction of the NBA to the incident between Kyle Lowry and Warriors part-owner Mark Stevens (0:59); Canada Basketball President/CEO (and former Raptors GM) Glen Grunwald on the Raptors and The Finals, and the impact of this run on Canadian basketball (9:45); ESPN's Howard Bryant on the Lowry/Stevens incident (31:33); Sportsnet's Stephen Brunt on Christine Sinclair and the Canadian National Women's Soccer Team ahead of the Women's World Cup getting underway, and on...
Published 06/07/19
The Raptors top the Warriors in Game 3 of the NBA Finals to take a 2-1 series lead (0:50); NBA TV's Stu Jackson on the Finals (8:52); What to make of Nick Nurse's recent coaching job? (27:02); TVA Sports' Renaud Lavoie on the Stanley Cup Final ahead of Game 5 (49:45); MLB.com's Mark Feinsand on the Yankees' season thus far, and Craig Kimbrel's signing with the Cubs (1:03:27); SN 590's Paul Jones on Raptors-Warriors (1:14:57); Bay Area Legend/Deadspin's Ray Ratto on the Warriors (1:32:35);...
Published 06/06/19
Jeff discusses the significance of Kawhi Leonard's return to Oakland tonight (0:11); "The Soul of Basketball" author Ian Thomsen on the Raptors and Warriors ahead of Game 3 of the NBA Finals (3:19); Toronto Mayor John Tory on ways to persuade Kawhi Leonard to stay in the city, and on the passion the city's shown for the Raptors (19:33); Sportsnet's Faizal Khamisa on the Finals (38:50); Hockey Night In Canada's Chris Johnston on the Stanley Cup Final, and on the off-season rumours being in...
Published 06/05/19
Jeff feels it's tough to overstate Klay Thompson's importance to the Warriors (0:59); Former Canadian Men's National Team player Dwight Walton on Raptors-Warriors off of the first two games (5:46); We gauge the temperature of the Raptors' fanbase ahead of Game 3 (25:11); City University of New York tenured law professor Marc Edelman on Kawhi Leonard's lawsuit against Nike (52:29); Leafs Nation Pre- & Post-Game's Gord Stellick on the Blues evening up the Stanley Cup Final with the Bruins,...
Published 06/04/19
Jeff feels the Kyle Lowry-Stephen Curry matchup told the tale of the Warriors' Game 2 win over the Raptors (0:25); SN 590's Eric Smith on the Warriors' win (8:18); How does Raptors-Warriors go from here as the teams head to Oakland? (31:52); NBC Sports' Dan Feldman on the Finals through two games (44:17); Sportsnet's Leo Rautins on Game 2 (52:39); NESN's Andrew Raycroft on the Bruins' 2-1 lead over the Blues heading into tonight's Game 4 (1:12:42); Sportsnet's Arash Madani on the NBA Finals...
Published 06/03/19
George Rusic & Anthony Stewart host: SN590's Paul Jones on the Raptors' game 1 win over the Warriors (6:15); Do you now consider the Raptors the favourite in The NBA Finals (28:44); Former NBA assistant coach Steve Jones Jr. on how Game 1 played out, and his initial impressions of the Toronto and Golden State game plans (47:07); George still isn't ready to celebrate Raptors alumni like Damon Stoudamire, Tracy McGrady, & Chris Bosh (1:04:00); Long-time Raptors voice (and current...
Published 05/31/19
George Rusic & Anthony Stewart host: Tim & Sid's Tim Micallef on Raptors-Warriors ahead of Game 1 (4:15); Raptors-Warriors: Who you got? (26:37); The Mercury News' Dieter Kurtenbach on the Warriors heading into the NBA Finals (46:11); SN590's Gord Stellick on Raptors fever, and the Blues squaring up the Stanley Cup Final with the Bruins (1:16:20); The Associated Press' Brian Mahoney on Raptors-Warriors (1:32:26); Who's your dream Raptors anthem singer? (1:49:44); Bet The Board/FOX...
Published 05/30/19
George Rusic and Anthony Stewart in for Jeff Blair; Raptors TV analyst Leo Rautins on when he thinks Kevin Durant will see some finals action, the odds of Toronto upsetting Golden State, if the Raps would benefit from DeMarcus Cousins playing, the matchup for Kawhi Leonard, Danny Green's struggles, and which Raptor needs to elevate his game the most (4:12); the guys take your Raptors calls (21:46); NHL insider Chris Johnston on the Bruins' fourth line, what to expect from the Blues tonight,...
Published 05/29/19
George Rusic & Anthony Stewart in for Jeff Blair. Free Association's Donnovan Bennett on storylines for Raptors-Warriors NBA Finals (4:10); ESPN's Greg Wyshynski on Game 1 of the Blues-Bruins Stanley Cup Final (43:47); The Athletic's Michael Lee on the attention surrounding Drake, why Toronto has a good chance at beating Golden State (1:10:00).
Published 05/28/19
George Rusic & Anthony Stewart in for Jeff Blair. The Athletic's Blake Murphy on the Raptors making it to the NBA Finals for the first time in franchise history (5:46); 95.7 The Game's Daryle Johnson with A San Franciscan POV on the championship series (45:32); Stanley Cup preview with Postmedia's Michael Traikos (1:14:22).
Published 05/27/19
The Raptors TV broadcast team of Matt Devlin (7:00) & Leo Rautins (1:21:56) on the team's 105-99 victory over the Bucks in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals; ESPN's Jeff Passan on the Blue Jays' youth movement, lack of star power in MLB (47:27); NHL on Sportsnet's Scott Morrison on the 30th anniversary of the Calgary Flames' Stanley Cup win over the Montreal Canadiens (1:12:23).
Published 05/24/19
Sportsnet's Michael Grange ahead of Game 5 of Raptors-Bucks in Milwaukee (6:01); Legendary NHL coach Scotty Bowman on his memories of coaching the expansion St. Louis Blues to three straight Stanley Cup Finals - including the infamous 1970 Final against the Boston Bruins (26:31); Renaud Lavoie on the Bruins-Blues matchup, and the Ottawa Senators' hiring of D.J. Smith as their new head coach (46:39); Sportsnet's Alvin Williams on Raptors-Bucks (1:02:13); Kevin Barker & Sid Seixeiro join to...
Published 05/23/19
The Raptors get a resounding win to tie up the Eastern Conference Finals with the Bucks (0:46); SN 590's Paul Jones on the win (6:18); How does the Raptors-Bucks series play out from here? (26:46); Sportsnet's Chris Johnston on the St. Louis Blues advancing to the Stanley Cup Final (46:08); The New York Times' Sopan Deb on Raptors-Bucks, and his enjoyment of Drake's courtside antics (1:04:19).
Published 05/22/19
St. Louis Blues TV analyst Darren Pang on the Blues being a win away from the Stanley Cup Final (12:19); Raptors TV analyst Leo Rautins on the Raptors and Bucks ahead of tonight's Game 4 (28:40); Bleacher Report's Howard Beck on the Raptors and Bucks, and his recent piece on Kawhi Leonard (49:37); IndyCar driver James Hinchcliffe joins Jeff in-studio to discuss his scary crash in Saturday's Indy 500 qualifying, and his bounceback to qualify for this Sunday's race (1:10:14).
Published 05/21/19
Jeff discusses the Raptors' Game 3 win over the Bucks, and what Pascal Siakam showed in the victory (0:59); SN 590's Paul Jones on the win (6:24); What to make of how Raptors-Bucks has played out thus far (29:14); Hockey Central Saturday's Nick Alberga on the Blues taking a 3-2 series lead over the Sharks, as the Bruins await the winner (52:01); USA Today's Jeff Zillgitt on Raptors-Bucks and Warriors-Trail Blazers (1:10:21).
Published 05/20/19