With opening day a mere few days away, the start of BSL10 is finally upon us. Episode 5 features host Umair talking to Commissioner Zahid and Abbasids GM Mo about what they are looking forward as we inch closer to the first pitch of the season. The trio take a trip down memory lane, chatting about Year 1 versus Year 10, and how things have changed. They also talk about the exciting events planned for families on Sunday, and give some insight into how the discussion about mandatory face masks for pitchers came about. Tune in now.
As we build up to exhibition weekend, host Emad is joined by two "original six" members of BSL - Faisal (GM of Ottomans) and Riyad (GM of Mughals). The BSL OGs give their thoughts on the how their teams look heading into the season, and also talk game about which teams are the biggest threats in their quests for the trophy. The trio then play Nostradamus, giving their predictions for individual award winners this season, including some surprise dark horse picks we sure weren't expecting. Also, you can hear more about what kind of fun family filled activities the League has in store for Opening Day. Check it out.
Eid Mubarak to all our listeners - after a brief hiatus, we are back with Episode 3 of the BSL Pod. This episode is hosted by Emad and features two GMs - Sameer from the Seljuqs and Taqi from the Ayyubids. The big three dive right into how it all panned out, honing on on the stars, steals, and surprises from the draft. We also show love to the BSL community for the initiative and support shown during the BSL x Islamic Relief Charity Drive, and give a glimpse as to what sorts of things, on and off the field, you expect to see this season.
Episode 2 in the buildup to #BSL10 features former championship winning GMs Umair and Sham discussing all things draft day. The duo discuss their approach to drafts in year's past - where they like being in the draft order, what they centred their draft around and what they think was key on draft day that helped them secure that trophy. The ex-GMs also discuss how they see this year's first round panning out, including some surprises.
In Episode 1, Host Emad talks to Commish Zahid about the upcoming 10th season and what makes this season special. They discuss the Ramadan campaign the league just launched along with the recent rule change.
#BSL10 #podcast #brotherhood #softball #morethanaleague #muslimsports #muslimathletes #playforacause #slopitch #slowpitch #SPN #mississauga
In the final episode of the season, Owais and Taqi close out the year with three members of the champions Sham - GM Muhammad, Forward Ali and Defender Abdo. The SHAMpions kick knowledge on the undefeated season that was, from Ovaiz's record-breaking performances to the underrated defence to the nailbiting final that saw Sham take the crown on penalties. A season for the ages by a team for the ages. Owais and Taqi then announce the end-of-season awards, giving flowers to the individual players who stood out above the rest this season.
As the final podcast of the year, the League wants to thank Owais and Taqi for holding it down week-in, week-out, the guests for never shying away from giving their takes and thoughts on the year, and most importantly, the league and its listeners for engaging with the content and showing love to the work put in.
Stay on the lookout for Brotherhood Softball podcasts starting up in May. Ramadan Kareem!
Six down, two to go. Last week's results confirmed a final of Sham vs Masr, the two top seeds in their respective divisions. Taqi and Owais break down the teams 1v1 and dissect what they think will be the decisive factors for the teams. Will Aadhil secure back-to-back championships, the first of his tenure as a GM? Or will Shah finally secure his first chip as a GM after coming short in past finals? It's shaping up to be an incredible match-up - tune in.
And then there were four. Episode 12 features guests from all the teams that advanced to the semis - Taqi (Hejaz), Nabeel (Sham), Mostafa (Samarra) and Afnan (Masr). The quartet talk about each of their team's respective victories over the two-leg quarter, and give a sneak peak as to their thoughts going into the semis. The banter and energy is high in this one - give it a go.
Episode 11 has Taqi and Owais dive into the first leg of the quarters, chiming in on a very some intriguing results. Three of the four results came as a surprise to the league, including Samarra's defiant display thanks in large part to a heroic goalkeeping display matched by a virtuoso performance by the black stars GM. Jerusalem shocked many with how well they played against the pacey (and dare we say, predictable) Masr to secure a 1-1 draw, while Taqi Tactics and its place in the playoffs are put under the microscope yet again after Hejaz see through a 0-0 draw against Maghrib. And, as we have come to expect all season, Sham did what Sham does in a composed and dominant performance against Andalusia. We have an exciting second leg around the corner - will the favourites correct their course or are there some upset results on the horizon? Tune in to get our expert's thoughts.
The second season is finally upon us - it's playoffs, baby! Episode 10 sees co-hosts Taqi and Owais break down the upcoming quarterfinal matchups, discussing x-factors, tactics, and even give some scoreline predictions. Will the first leg of the quarters have some surprise results akin to last year? Check it out.
Episode 9 of the BISL Pod has hosts Taqi and Owais joined by this year's #1 overall pick Khizar. Khizar holds no punches as he breaks down Samarra's dominant 8-2 win over Hejaz this past Sunday, and the trio of all-stars go into the other results as well. They also look ahead to potential playoff matchups and who they want to play in the first round. And, of course, it wouldn't be a pod featuring "hood rats" from Malton without a little bit of banter, right? Take a listen.
Episode 8 finally welcomes back Owais with Taqi to discuss what went down in an eventful week 7. The co-hosts tackle Ovaiz's record-breaking performance, the Spaniards's first win on the year, a spirited result from the Hejazis and Afnan's stellar performance in his first game back from the motherland. They also go into this week's matchups and what's at stake with the playoffs only a few weeks away.
Happy New Year! After a brief hiatus, the BISL pod is back. In our first episode of 2023, host Taqi is joined by Masr FC winger (and reigning champion) Bassam to talk about the first half of the season and the match-ups this coming week. The pair also chit-chat about who's been elite this year and who's left much to be desired. Tune in.
S3 E6 has Taqi joined by another rookie in the league, Faizan from Maghrib FC, in a tactics-driven discussion. Taqi learns more about Faizan's route to the League, his style of play, and his relationship on the pitch with fellow Maghrib rookie, Ramy. The duo also go deep (and I mean deep) into the results last week and give their thoughts on this Sunday's final round of fixtures before the winter break. Most importantly though, we uncover whether or not that really is his last name.
Season 3 Episode 5 of the pod showcases former Golden Boot, Brotherhood Award, and Championship Winner Humeid in the studio with host Taqi. Humeid is known by virtually everyone of the league and is touted by many as the perfect teammate. We dive deep into Humeid's time in the league, his evolution from clinical finisher to defensive lynchpin, and how he feels about his team adorn in yellow this season. The pair also preview this week's matchup and continue to laud praises of players making a major impact in the League thus far.
This week's episode features long-time BISL member and reigning Goalkeeper of the Year, Saqib. Saqib is joined by host Owais to talk through his time in the League, his evolution from midfielder to striker to GM to keeper, why he decided to trade in goals and tackles on the pitch for saves and clean sheets between the sticks, and his thoughts on Jerusalem's season thus far.
Episode 3 of the pod features one of the new faces to the league - Ovaiz from Sham. After a sensational start to the campaign, including a 6 point debut, Ovaiz chats with Taqi about how he got into playing footy, who has impressed him in the League so far, and his thoughts about his team and his play this year. The duo also give their thoughts on this week's matchups, complete with some banter and some sizzling takes. Check it out.
Season 3 Episode 2 has last season's playoff MVP and new Masr GM Aadhil join Owais and Taqi to discuss his approach to the draft this year, his "rivalry" with Fawad, and who he would've taken if he had the first overall pick. The trio also dive into the results from week 1 and who they see coming out on top this Sunday.
A new season of BISL is upon us. The pod welcomes back Owais and Taqi as hosts as they talk opening day and detail their thoughts leading up to to matchweek 1 - the new GMs for they ear, rookies with a reputation, and draft steals and surprises. The duo also give their take on which team looks the best on paper and how the squads looked during the exhibition matchups last week. Kick-off on the new season is hours away, let's get right into it.
In this final episode of Season 2, our hosts for the year Emad Ahmed and Umair Jabbar reveal the award winners for the season, with a twist. Some awards were expected while others, including MVP, were a surprise. Tune in to hear more about the winners and congrats to all those collecting a trophy on the night!
This episode marks the end of Season 2. A HUGE thank you to Umair and Emad for hosting throughout the season - the pod would not have been possible or as entertaining without you two. Special thank you to all of our guests this year, and the biggest thanks goes to all you listeners and supporters of the pod and the League at large. We hope to see you on the diamond next year; but in the meantime...BISL is less than a month away!
And there there was one - congratulations to the Nasrids on capturing their first BSL Title. Season 2 Episode 15 has hosted Emad Ahmed interview Nasrid co-GM and champ Jav Ahmed alongside BSL vet, all-star, ace and now champion (he must be thrilled we can finally call him that) Nirvaan Latif. The pod goes into how Wildcard Saturday panned out with some upsets and the underdogs rising to the top with a trip to Super Sunday. We then delve into how Sunday unfolded in the eyes of the Nasrids, who convincingly kept their opponents in both games at bay en route to victory Lastly, we get a sense of how long-time Nasrids like Nirv and Osman Buttar finally feel getting that championship that's eluded them all these years. It's trophy talk baby - OH YEAH.
Season 2 Episode 14 has host Umair Jabbar joined by a panel of our regular guests: Rehan Ahmad, Sameer Rafique, Saqib Khokhar and Taqi Ahmed. The squad breaks down each playoff matchup and the keys to success for each team to advance to the finals. They dig deep to pick their cinderella story and which team is most likely to shock the world. You don't want to miss this one.
Season 2 Episode 13 has host Emad Ahmed joined by Mamluks Captain Zain Malik and Abbasids star Yousaf Chaudhry to recap last week's crazy outcomes. The trio recap the amazing charity days from each of the teams and pick their fav food vendor. Finally, they dwell into the upcoming final regular season games, the implications on the standings and the push to the title.
Season 2 Episode 12 has host Emad Ahmed joined by Sultan leadoff man Owais Ansari and Abbasid star Safwan Khan to discuss the week that was in BSL. Last week's results had a bit of everything - some milestones, some shocking defeats and a couple of miraculous walkoff wins. Madi leads a convo with Papi and Safi that applauds the hot streaks their respective teams are on, discussing what sparked the run of good ball and what they personally have done to contribute to the success of their teams. The trident of talent also shine a spotlight on guys in the League that fly under the radar and are often unnoticed but deserve their flowers for what they bring to the table on and off the field.
On Season 2 Episode 11, we have host Umair Jabbar joined by two voices very familiar to the BSL universe - Mughals GM Rehan Ahmad and BSL/BISL stud Taqi Ahmed. This podcast has everything you would expect from these three featuring together - hot takes, keys to success, disagreements, and some BSL Inside Baseball chatter. There is something for everyone in this one, as three of the most outspoken and appreciated voices in the League do not hold back while sharing their thoughts on all things BSL.