Episodes

  • Toronto (sports) the bad: The conclusion

    Toronto (sports) the bad: The conclusion
    Jul 11 2024

    Bruce Arthur and Dave Feschuk take a final tour through Toronto's recent sports history. They touch on the bean-counting days of the Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan and Rogers to the more ambitious days of Bell and Rogers, with Larry Tanenbaum in between. They muse on the bad old days of the Leafs, Raptors and Jays to the current era of Brendan Shanahan, Masai Ujiri, and Mark Shapiro in Toronto sports. They consider the end of Alex Anthopoulos, the Raptors title (and the subsequent idea that Kawhi Leonard and Paul George could have come to Toronto), and the many failures, big and small, of the Toronto Maple Leafs. How could it have been different? How do you fix it now? Are the Jays doomed to corporate mediocrity, are the Raptors too far from their championship peak, and have the Leafs accumulated too much baggage to actually have a championship contending window? Arthur and Feschuk take you through the whole big ball of failure, and more.
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    1 hr and 18 mins
  • Shanaplan in shambles

    Shanaplan in shambles
    Jul 10 2024

    Guest: Legendary sports broadcaster Dave Hodge, formerly of TSN and Hockey Night in Canada

    When Brendan Shanahan took over the helm of the Maple Leafs in 2014, he vowed not to repeat the sins of various predecessors accused of rushing the team-building process. Shanahan insisted he would exercise patience. But after eight post-season runs in which the Maple Leafs have only once advanced beyond the opening round, Shanahan's refusal to give up on the team's core stars is accompanied by the reek of stubborn incompetence. Here Arthur, Feschuk and Hodge try to make sense of Shanahan's approach while pointing out the glaring blind spots that have left the Maple Leafs a long way away from interrupting the longest Stanley Cup drought in the history of the NHL, 57 years and counting.

    PLUS: Arthur, Feschuk and Hodge discuss the highs and lows of the Shanaplan era.

    This episode was produced by Julia De Laurentiis Johnston and Sean Pattendon

    What would you like to hear on Toronto Star podcasts? Let us know in this survey and you can enter to win a $100 gift card.
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    1 hr and 28 mins
  • Rebuild in Raptorland

    Rebuild in Raptorland
    Jul 9 2024
    Guest: Toronto Star basketball writer Doug Smith Hosts: Bruce Arthur and Dave Feschuk Five years ago, Masai Ujiri was among the most coveted executives in all of pro sports, his masterstroke trade for Kawhi Leonard landing the Raptors their first NBA title. In the five years since, the franchise has won one playoff series while languishing through less-than-inspiring moments that Ujiri himself has characterized as difficult to watch. In this episode, Arthur, Feschuk and Smith discuss Ujiri's post-championship swoon, including an inability to parlay the offloaded pieces of a title roster into a more formidable collection of assets. Though there are bright spots – including the emergence of Scottie Barnes as the franchise's foundational player – there are also plenty of question marks on the road to a future that's potentially more prosperous. PLUS: Arthur, Feschuk and Smith discuss the highs and lows of the post-championship comedown. This episode was produced by Julia De Laurentiis Johnston and Sean Pattendon.

    What would you like to hear on Toronto Star podcasts? Let us know in this survey and you can enter to win a $100 gift card.
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    58 mins
  • The Blue Jays' decade of playing it safe

    The Blue Jays' decade of playing it safe
    Jul 8 2024
    Guest: Former Toronto Star baseball columnist and Blue Jays PR director Richard Griffin Hosts: Bruce Arthur and Dave Feschuk Mark Shapiro could have been the perfect president of the Toronto Blue Jays. In the eight years since he took over for Paul Beeston, Shapiro has successfully convinced Blue Jays ownership to spend big money on the team, not to mention hundreds of millions in renovations to Rogers Centre and the club's Florida training base. Beyond those improvements, though, the money hasn't produced the desired results, with the Jays still searching for even a modicum of playoff success. In this episode we'll look back on the departure of former GM Alex Anthopoulos, who has since gone on to win a World Series in Atlanta, and the underwhelming outcomes of the seasons since. PLUS: Arthur, Feschuk and Griffin discuss the highlights and low points of the Shapiro era. This episode was produced by Julia De Laurentiis Johnston and Sean Pattendon. What would you like to hear on Toronto Star podcasts? Let us know in this survey and you can enter to win a $100 gift card.
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    1 hr and 1 min
  • Introducing The Beaten Path, discussing the struggles of Toronto's big three sports teams

    Introducing The Beaten Path, discussing the struggles of Toronto's big three sports teams
    Jul 5 2024

    Starting Monday, July 8, the Toronto Star's new podcast, "The Beaten Path," hosted by Bruce Arthur and Dave Feschuk, dives deep into the struggles of our city's big three sports teams. Why are they failing when it matters most? What needs to change for real success to occur? Join us as we investigate how we got here and what it will take for change.
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    Less than 1 minute