Menschin with the Boys
Welcome to Menschin’ with the Boys — the podcast where Jewish pride meets the playing field. You thought Jews were bad at sports? Well, we’re here to prove you wrong! From Koufax to modern stars, from the Maccabees to the majors, and yes — even a little betting on the side — we’ve got stories, insights, and laughs that’ll keep you in the game.
Menschin with the Boys
Episode 14: Avdija Ascends to Even Greater Heights
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The guys are back with a loaded show as the sports world shifts into playoff mode—and one name is stealing the spotlight: Deni Avdija.
Fresh off a jaw-dropping 41-point performance in the NBA play-in tournament, Avdija has officially arrived. The boys breaks down his heroics, his growing superstar buzz, and what it all means as his Portland Trail Blazers head into a first-round clash with the San Antonio Spurs.
Meanwhile, on the ice, it’s all about the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The boys preview key matchups, spotlight Jewish talent across the NHL, and discuss storylines to watch—from Quinn Hughes’ dominance to Zach Hyman’s postseason impact.
We also look back at Al Rosen’s historic Sports Illustrated cover, make our Minyan Spread picks, and close with a Dvar Torah on performing when it matters most.
Follow us @menschinwiththeboys on Instagram for behind-the-scenes content and much more Jewish sports news.
Intro
SPEAKER_02Live from Studio 5, we're so back, powered by Federation CJA and the coming center. Welcome back to Mention with the Boys, the podcast where Jewish Pride meets the playing field. I'm Yanis Harush.
SPEAKER_01I'm Matthew Cutler. And I'm Jordan Suppler. On today's show, we're breaking down the latest installment of Denny Mania, the playoff edition.
SPEAKER_02The basketball talk continues with a quick recap of March Madness tournament and insights into the first, very first Israeli recently named to the Basketball Hall of Fame.
SPEAKER_03Plus, we reflect on the end of the NHL regular season and get you set for Stanley Cup playoffs.
SPEAKER_01As Yanis mentioned, mentioned with the boys is back, and it all starts right now.
Current Events
SPEAKER_03What happened? Did we get lost in the desert?
SPEAKER_02I don't know. It was less than 40 years. It's a good thing. Maybe it was 40 days. We decide to do one day for each year.
SPEAKER_03We are representative of Passover. Exactly.
SPEAKER_02Yes. We we were counting the Omer. I mean we still are. You know, I I know we're we're we're we're not supposed to cut hair or shave until like the Omer. Maybe there's a prohibition on you're not supposed to podcast until then, also. Who knows? So the Avdiamania is back, as we are. As we are, yes. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01In a in a big way too, right? Um I guess we have to start with that play-in game because that's how they're in the position that they are in now. Uh Portland Trail Blazers as an eighth seed uh upset, I guess, the seventh seed Phoenix Suns in that uh play in game 114 to 110, uh, which gave them direct entry into the playoffs, which we'll get to in a second. But just that performance, that game 41 points, 12 assists, seven rebounds. Texted my Israeli friends right after. Yes, yeah. They were all over it. Like, and just the dominance that he displayed, like from basically start to finish.
SPEAKER_03I was listening to Bill Simmons, not to you know, we'd like to mention other podcasts, but Bill Simmons had a they had a huge segment on Portland and Denny, and and in fact, he was reconsidering his third team All NBA after Denny's performance. In the end, I don't think he voted for him there, but he was seriously reconsidering it. And and they're huge fans. They really feel that he's progressed in such a way and that he's that team is being completely built around him and that there's bright things to come for for Portland.
SPEAKER_02I mean, you could just see like Spike Lee crying in his basement probably during during that game. Every time there was a baskin going, he cannot keep going and going that way. Yes, he can.
SPEAKER_03It'll be great if they play the Knicks in the end, right? Uh we'll see. We'll see if they make it past the first round. More on that later.
SPEAKER_01But uh I mean, yeah, like the play-in round, right? It's only been established, I think, since around COVID, right? So it's on like 2020 that they started the the play-in. So uh and only four other players have scored 40 plus points in a play-in game since then. Anthony Davis, Zion Williamson, Kobe White, Jason Tatum, who had 50 in uh 2021. But uh I mean it was just a crazy game, right? Because the Suns were down, then they went on a crazy run to to to take a lead.
SPEAKER_03And they were out by 11 or so with like five minutes left or something.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, everything it was worth staying up uh late for that one.
SPEAKER_02Um I remember it was one of our first episodes during the fall, and I think one of us mentioned like they needed FDI to to keep playing big if they wanted to make it to the playoffs. I don't think we we were expecting that it would be quite literal.
SPEAKER_03That was on his shoulders, there's no question. Yeah, yeah. Definitely with Scoot Henderson coming back, it's added a second option on that team, certainly, and Shaden Sharp is working his way back from injury. So they've got pieces there. There's definitely pieces, and then they're gonna have you know a middle of a first round draft pick. I also think if I'm not mistaken, they have Milwaukee's draft, some of Milwaukee's draft capital from the original Damian Lillard trade, even though they got him back or something. So the they're they're definitely set up to to improve going forward, there's no question.
SPEAKER_01And and Danny Avdia just to uh you know, he was named uh finalist for the NBA Most Improved Player Award, too. So he's getting recognition uh really across the board. You mentioned um Bill Simmons, but the NBA, the league as a whole, is uh taking notice as they should.
SPEAKER_03And Dwight, our own Dwight Walton, Montreal's Dwight Walton, who posted after the play-in game. There was a nice post on Facebook saying he was watching the game and and was a big fan of Denny. So gotta love it. Everybody's watching. Exactly.
SPEAKER_01So we'll talk about their series with uh the Spurs uh coming up uh a bit later. Um just quickly, I mean, Denny is the only, I guess, uh Jewish representation in the NBA playoffs because uh of course the Brooklyn Nets uh uh finished.
SPEAKER_02As expected, also another quite literal prediction. They did not make it to the playoffs.
SPEAKER_01Um yeah, so uh Ben Seraf, then we'll I was really impressed with Ben Seraf downstretch. I know they're riding out the season, it's meaningless games, but he was getting a lot of good uh you know, good put up good numbers and playing a lot of big minutes for uh for the Nets. He had uh team high 22 points against Sacramento, played 36 minutes in a win over Milwaukee on April 7th. Um Danny Wolf uh had a uh sprained left ankle that kept him out uh for the end of the season, so they had, I guess, more of a spot opened up for Ben Saraf to and he really took advantage of it.
SPEAKER_02Look, we we said because uh obviously we we knew that the Nets they were going to be one of the first team mathematically eliminated from playoff contention, and we I think we had said back in October or November it's going to be during these moments that they can get experience, that they can so obviously it it really sucks for for Danny Wolf, but for uh Ben Sarav, what's interesting is it was written, it was automatic that he was going to get more playing time. The question is what do you do with that playing time? I think he sees the opportunity, got that experience, showed his teammates, showed his coaches, showed the front office. You can rely on me as now they began planning the next step of their rebuild. That and and he clearly said, I am part of that rebuild. Uh that that uh for for the future of the team. There are so many players that you know were were were drafted, and then towards the end of the season they get more playing time, and whether it's hockey, football, basketball, it it always happens when you were eliminated, and they don't seize the moment he certainly did. And I think it solidifies his spot uh for the next four for probably for next year. Um hopefully he'll get even more and more playing time, and they get even better.
SPEAKER_03Look, now it's it's all the work that he's gonna put in the offseason, right? This is what it comes down to, right? How does he come back? You know, you mentioned this is historically the way it goes for teams that get knocked out. I always remember Alex Gautenia 30 goals down the stretch that year. Everybody thought he was turning into a superstar to put in no work over that summer, and he is where he is today, right? This guy, Ben Saraf, he has an opportunity. Danny both Danny Wolf, they both have to put in a lot of work this summer to continue progressing on that team and make the Nets, you know, a force going forward. Will they play with Team Israel over the summer, right? There's some qualifications that are coming up for the uh World, I believe, World Cup, right? So let's see. If you can get all three of those guys playing for Israel over the summer, I mean, amazing. That would be really great to see and certainly help their qualifications going forward.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I'm gonna go on the limb and I'm gonna say that if uh the partnership between Laval and uh the Nets continues next season, we won't be seeing them. We won't be having the conversation whether they'll be in in Laval for those games.
SPEAKER_03Well, there's gonna be more coming from March Madness, probably. Exactly. That's true. That's true.
SPEAKER_01Uh March Madness, I think it was our last, well, our last formal episode that we previewed March Madness. So now that it's uh in the rearview mirror, just quickly, uh I think Giannis predicted it. Michigan, uh my back with Houston.
SPEAKER_03I went for the other Israeli with Houston.
SPEAKER_02I was I was so happy when Michigan won. First of all, I'm a Michigan fan, so I'm gonna say it. Who's got it better than us? Nobody. Uh Dusty Maze uh call also. Yeah, you know what? It's it's all Michigan's call. Um however, I have to say this, and I think the audience will, I hope, feel for me. I finished second in uh in one of my my pool of uh for for the bracket that I did, and then I realized after doing the math, I was one uh Duke choke away from finishing first because my championship that I had predicted was Duke versus Michigan with Michigan winning. And I think I think Duke would have made it to the to the championship and lost to Michigan had that disaster of a end game against Yukon not happened. Uh but look, yukon, they're tough, they hang in there. I I have to say I was worried many, many times during during the final that they were again going to pull off a comeback. Um but uh but uh in the end Michigan prevailed, and uh it means a Jew did win the NCA men's basketball tournament. Technically exactly. Go Harrison. Harrison Hardberg. He's a red shirt junior forwards, he still has two more years of eligibility. He's gonna be the leader next year. Yes, exactly. To do the repeat, uh, former teammate of obviously of Danny Wolfe at uh at uh Michigan, and uh I I think it's Jordan who found out that that fact. Both his and Danny's mother were roommates at Michigan back when they were students. This is an amazing story.
SPEAKER_03Definitely Boucher, they set this up, there's no question. Yes, no question.
SPEAKER_01Um, so that's the story. I mean, um we we talked the last time about all the jewelry. We're not gonna get into all of it, but uh they performed well. They performed well. I I like I was watching the a bit of the the que we talked about the Queens University team that made the March Madness after uh being a division two school making it to the tournament, and obviously they lost Handley and and uh and their players. So um also like I think the I wanted to mention like Tennessee because they had a pretty crazy tournament, right? They were a sixth seed, they g advanced all the way to the Elite Eight for the third straight year. They fell to Michigan uh decisively in that game, and they have Ethan Berg who uh played over 20 minutes twice coming off the bench, so it was really uh great to see uh in that uh aspect. Uh Yanis mentioned John Shire of Duke. Uh so the coach John Shire making the Elite Eight in the East losing to Yukon in a crazy Yeah.
SPEAKER_03That was a I don't know. That was one of the he's lost two years in a row in two of the craziest. Exactly. It's something needs to be. I mean, again, John, we love you. All good. But uh yeah, we gotta we gotta do something about those end games and yeah, exactly. Fix these end games so you can help me win my bracket next to it. Oh, so wait, we have a prediction. Jan is picking Duke in that 2027 March Madness. Reserve are we gonna bet on what I'm gonna bet?
SPEAKER_01Um, and just quickly also, uh, there was the NIT tournament, which was also won by uh G Auburn. Auburn, yes. Steve Bruce must be really happy. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02Look, look, I I'll I'll say this on what Auburn did and obviously Steve Pearl, uh, and I'll make a parallel to football. We we remember the selection Sunday in football back in December with Notre Dame being bumped out, and I I actually think it was the wrong decision to put them in the playoffs for six straight weeks, and then on the last day just to bump them out because there was some pressure from Twitter. Um however, the way the two teams reacted, two different stories completely. Notre Dame decided to throw Tantrum, got out of their ball game, and and are still whining about it, ask the NCAA to make some rule changes to make sure that like they have an easier path getting in. And I mean, Auburn could have whined and could have thrown tantrum also. They they maybe had a legitimate case. Bruce Pearl certainly thinks they had they had, and they said, you know what, we're gonna go play in the NIT tournament. The best way to show that we're we're a good team and that we have a case is to try and win some basketball. Win your last game. Win your last game. Win your last game, exactly. And this is what they did. In overtime. Very early.
SPEAKER_01Okay, but they won their last game. To talk about basketball, obviously we have to mention this because it came across our radar, uh, Amara Stademeyer, uh, who was going to be inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame class of 2026. That's gonna be in August. First Israeli citizen and the first Jewish player in more than 50 years to receive the honor. Go Amare. Woo! Uh another week.
SPEAKER_03Live broadcast uh from uh where is where is the basketball?
SPEAKER_01I think it's in Ohio.
SPEAKER_03Somewhere in Ohio, yeah. It's definitely in Ohio. This one is uh also Ohio somewhere. Yeah. We'll look that up quickly.
SPEAKER_01No, it's actually Massachusetts. Massachusetts. It's not as far. It's like a road trip. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02Not exactly we can do it. We can go to Boston, yeah. Yeah, exactly.
SPEAKER_01You can go watch the Red Sox if that's what you really want to do. Um but uh tickets tickets will be cheap, I have to end it. Um yeah, obviously, great career, six-time All-Star, rookie of the year, played at the Olympics. You may think you know how he comes to Judaism. Great cameo in train recognition. Yeah. Um so you converted right to Judaism after retiring in 2014. And he didn't just convert, he's all in, Orthodox, observes Shabbat, the holidays, studies Jewish texts. Art Torah every week. Yeah, and he's played professionally for his. Special guest live box. And he was inducted into the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame last year, so it's a natural progression, I guess. Coach at the Maccabiya Games as well, owns a line of kosher wine, so he's he's got Jewish all over him. Big Yashika. So big yeshika.
SPEAKER_02We need to do a tasting of the wine on the next episode.
SPEAKER_01Quickly wanted to mention because obviously a lot of the Masters is it was a big deal, and like we don't talk about golf a lot, but when it's the Masters, you kind of have to give it some notoriety. Uh Max Homa, who tied for ninth at the Masters, shot a final round of 67.
SPEAKER_03That was a great final, right?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, you know, improved on Yad.
SPEAKER_03He was on the front page on the leaderboard though in the coming in the last round there. There was a time where Rory had dropped a few shots at the beginning of the round and he was right there.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, he hit he hit an eagle on the 13th hole, too. So that was uh pretty pretty impressive. And so he finishes four behind uh Rory McElroy for the Green Jacket. Rory, of course, who repeats as uh as champion. So a shout out to Max Homack who places in the top 10 at the Masters, which is uh no slouch, not a bad uh not a bad showing at that tournament into soccer a little bit. Um this story is kind of crazy because we it kind of came up on our radar, but uh uh Daniel Perez, it was a goalie. Uh he's a goalie for Southampton. Southampton is in the second tier of English football trying to get into the with Rex, yeah. Trying to get into that top tier. Um, and uh Daniel Perez was uh for with Bayern Munich, so he uh joined Southampton in January on loan. And that might be the most amazing decision that this uh manager uh has ever made because they're basically going undefeated since he came. They've lost just once in 18 league matches since Perez joined the team, including eight clean sheets for the goalie.
SPEAKER_03That's amazing.
SPEAKER_01And they're also in the FA Cup, which uh Well, this is where the story is. Yeah, this is the crazy story.
SPEAKER_02They're we're currently not knocking out Premier League leading or now Arsenal. Yeah, started Arsenal's downswing. Exactly. Yes. I I remember there was this famous graphic that Arsenal posted of like we're still in the running for four trophies, basically. And as soon as they posted it, the Domfall star left. Exactly.
SPEAKER_01And they're not even leading in that one. Exactly. So they're the uh actually tomorrow, April 25th, they're playing Manchester City in the semifinal. Um Southampton, not at the Southampton.
SPEAKER_02I mean, everyone was expecting the big shot Arsenal Manchester City, but uh, we've got on the weekend. I mean we we know we know how it's gonna end today.
SPEAKER_01Soccer game uh I was on NBC and everything. Yeah, so uh tomorrow, April 25th at Wembley, it's gonna be Southampton against Manchester City. Of course, it's Southampton, the only non-Premier League team to advance to the semifinals. Uh and obviously in league play, they only have two matches left, and they're three points back of uh Ipswich Town holds down the second of two spots that would allow promotion to the Premier League.
SPEAKER_03So they're sorry, too automatic.
SPEAKER_01Yes. And if that wasn't enough, if you Peretz wasn't busy. Well, his wife, of course, is uh Noah Kirel, the Israeli singer and actress, they married last year. But also he played for Israel.
SPEAKER_03Right.
SPEAKER_01Israel had a friendly with Georgia in the last uh FIFA window and uh they drew 2-2. Israel trailed actually 2-0 through 54 minutes and they equalized to to get a draw. So really uh Daniel Perez is not losing much, and uh we'll see how he how he goes uh going forward.
SPEAKER_03I had to bring this up too because quick quick shout out, right, to tie there, bro.
SPEAKER_01Because he got a hat-trick in DC United's 4-4 tie with the Red Bulls uh just this past week.
SPEAKER_02I love a 4-4 tie in Slow. I mean, I don't love ties, but if you have a tie, it's good at before four, you know what? It's it's great with a player scoring a hat-trick. It's been hot to start the season.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, six goals and eight games. Look, we look forward to talking about him a lot more over the summer, certainly. And certainly maybe in his appearance, he's coming to Montreal at some point, right? In August, I think. After the we have a busy August guy as we're going to Springfield. We've got to plan these things now.
SPEAKER_01And of course, just quickly, Bisnay Match Player of the Match Day, which goes without saying, fourth since the start of 2024. The only one with more is Lionel Messi, who has got who's got 10 more than him, but that's that's a different story. We're gonna like glance over the baseball because it's gonna be something that we're gonna talk about.
SPEAKER_03The whole summer when all the our other a lot of the other sports are on. The Yankees are too far ahead right now. We don't want to talk about this. No, exactly.
SPEAKER_01But we're coming off the heels of a uh a sweep at Fenway of the Yankees. So I'm that happened. I'm wearing my uh Yankees pullover hoodie because uh let's see what happens in September, okay?
SPEAKER_02I mean, the only thing I'm gonna ask can can the Yankees mascot go and give a hug to Zorhan Bandani?
SPEAKER_01Mascot. We don't have mass we don't need a mascot.
SPEAKER_02Mascot maybe to get the same curse that he put on the Mets. Oh, they finally won. Yes, on Israel independence.
SPEAKER_01I'd say uh Max Freed's been really good, and I wanted to mention because that start against the Red Sox on April 22nd was his best. Eight shutout innings, three hits, two walks, nine strikeouts. He's got a three-and-one record, 32 strikeouts through his first five starts. So he's been carrying the load. Garrett Cole is still he's rehabbing now, so hopefully, for my sake, the Yankees sake, he comes back uh in the next month or so. But that's so they'll have a big what Garrett Cole, Max Fried, one-two punch in the start of the rotation. But he's been doing his job, Cam Schlitzer as well, really, really good. So he's been impressive, yeah. And he came back into Boston. Uh his first start in Boston was uh yesterday on the 23rd, and was expecting all the booze, and uh he he lived up to uh to the hype. Um also just wanted I mean, yeah, Alex Bregman. We had some slow starts, he's picked it up of late. Uh there's Spencer Horowitz, Jock Peterson, you know, not no nothing too crazy to start early on. But one thing that I did want to mention on the baseball front is that because we talked about him with the WBC was Dean Kramer.
SPEAKER_03Right. He was in the uh minors.
SPEAKER_01Crazy that they sent him down to the minors before the season started. When and but he was called up you know about a a week or ten days ago, and he has started twice and now he's injured. He's on the 10-day IL, so uh 15-day IL with a right quad strain. So um we'll see. He we'll see what happens on the back front. Uh another ALE's team that's not uh exactly uh pulling its weights. And uh just saw this, so I thought we'd mention it. Sandy Koufax.
SPEAKER_02The the honoree of our first ever historical segment is now getting another honor.
SPEAKER_01I wasn't sure I even um didn't really know about this award. It's a relatively new award. The Lifetime Achievement Award by Baseball Digest.
SPEAKER_03Oh wow.
SPEAKER_01Um recognizing a living individual's career has been spent in or around Major League Baseball and was demonstrated outstanding character and made significant contributions to the game. So since 2021, it's been awarded annually. Willie Mays, Vince Scully, Joe Torre, Dusty Baker, and Bob Costas.
SPEAKER_02I mean, it's it's a good list to be on. Yeah, a pretty good list, yeah.
SPEAKER_01So uh, and I guess we're gonna get into hockey, but we'll make the little transition, which kind of works well. Had to mention this too, because back on opening day for the uh at the Yankees uh Marlins game at Yankee Stadium on April third, two Jews, Jack Hughes and Aaron Frankel, both of course gold medalists with Team USA at the Olympics, they threw out the ceremonial first pitch. So it was kind of kind of cr nice to see, you know, an opening day at the Yankees with all the pomp and circumstance. You got two Jews two leaders of the teams that won gold medal. Yeah. We're gonna get into playoffs, that'll be the bulk of our conversation, but just to gets tie a bow around the end of the regular season. Jack Hughes, I mean, what he's accomplished since coming back from Milan was just almost preposterous. Like what the numbers that he put in. Forty-one points in 25 games post-Olympics. Of course, Devils didn't make the Stanley Cup playoffs, and it's the 10th time in 13 years. It was too late just at that point for them.
SPEAKER_03But uh they have a lot of other polls and problems on that team.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. Of course, he had the most points in the NHL since the Olympics. Um he had 36 points before in 36 games before the break.
SPEAKER_02Which again is very good. He he found a way to up it up and up.
SPEAKER_03But then 41, 25, 99 or 100 points uh level. Exactly.
SPEAKER_01But uh we talk about, I mean, I just like I can't even imagine like where would the devils have been? Because we remember he had that.
SPEAKER_03They would have been getting a better draft pick.
SPEAKER_01Freak accident with the steak knife at the steakhouse. That's like I I think that if Jack Hughes stays healthy the whole year, they probably squeak in.
SPEAKER_03Yeah. But again, the squeaking, you never know what they do now. I mean, new GM coming in there too, right? So Sunny Meta, New Jersey native.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, exactly. So um who said no to the leaves.
SPEAKER_03No, he didn't they I think New Jersey snatched him up before getting to the even got the phone call. He he used to work in the New Jersey Devil system. He's a Jersey native. This is like hooking up. Look, this is childhood dream. Yeah, honestly. Exactly. I don't think it has anything to do with the leaves. As much as we love to stomp on the leaves, this one I don't think this one has as much to do with them.
SPEAKER_01So uh we're gonna get to them too, but I just I want to mention a couple of things that's also had a good end to the season as well.
SPEAKER_03Look, there's there's promise in that team.
SPEAKER_01And Quinn Hughes. Well, I want to say Quinn Hughes because this this stat is pretty crazy. So he broke the Wild franchise record for points by a defenseman a single season. You'll remember he got to Minnesota in December and he has the franchise record for points by a defenseman in a single season. Imagine if he had been there since October. I mean, it says more about the team. Exactly.
SPEAKER_02It's it says more about the last 26, what, 27 years that they exist of Minnesota history.
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
SPEAKER_01And and I I have to pat myself on the back because it's one of the rare times that I can. Zach Hyman got to 30 goals. He got actually 31.
SPEAKER_03And that was with being injured towards the end of the year.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, in just 58 games, 31 goals. So I told you back in December he would get 30 goals, and he did. Um how much did you bet on? Nothing. Washington, of course, also narrowly missed out on the playoffs. Jacob Chikrin ended the season on a high note. He had the game-winning goal in over on the power play late in the third period in a 2-1 win for the Capitals over the Blue Jackets, which could have been a crazy game if not for the Flyers win the night before against the Hurricanes. But he's the clear number one now without Carlson there. So he goes heads into the offseason. That's true. Who's been getting who got a lot of time down the stretch? Uh Lane Hudson's brother, yeah. Um, getting a lot of power play time.
SPEAKER_03But uh Chickren's the clear, he's the uh he you know, he's the one timer. He's got the shots. Yeah. Cole Hudson will be the setup guy. But yeah.
SPEAKER_01And and Chickrin, I mean, uh that goal that we just talked about is this eighth game winner, tied an NHL record for the most by defenseman in a single season. So still something with all of Rekman Larson. So still something uh to I guess pat himself on the back for. Uh our Temi Panarin, we're gonna get him too. He had a great street down the stretch and he's been good for the Kings. We're gonna talk about him in just a sec. Uh Adam Fox uh also, I just want to mention some of the we get these little awards nominations right now. Adam Fox was a Rangers nominee for the King Clancy. Uh two other Jews for that award too, Jordan Harris for Boston, Jack Hughes of the Devils uh nominated for that.
SPEAKER_03And uh they work just to let so with the community with the King Clancy, it's community work, right? So the three of them being involved in community is certainly not surprising considering their backgrounds, and it's beautiful to see that, and I think that's an important award, certainly for them.
SPEAKER_01And another award is the Master Tin, which is obvious goes to someone who um exemplifies perseverance, sportsmanship, dedication to hockey. Also, I think on the very first episode, we talked about uh Wisebl Ozzy Wisblad and the story of him uh you know losing his uh his brother in the offseason in a motorcycle accident. So uh he's nominated, he's the National Predators nominee for that award. Uh so we'll see. Uh I think they're gonna whittle it, they whittle it down to the top three, and then they get announced probably towards the Stanley Cup final. So we'll see uh if he gets any further consideration from that. The story is pretty pretty amazing. And uh Ziv Boyam on the award front, uh he uh the Canucks Pavel Burrey Award for the most exciting player went to Ziv Buyam. Um of course been a miserable season for the Canucks fans. Uh so Ziv has brought a little bit of excitement clearly to the to the Canucks fan base, joins fellow Jew Quinn Hughes as the only defenseman in club history to receive this award. So the Jewish lineage continues. NHL draft lottery is coming up, and uh Vancouver's in the driver's seat for the Gavin McKenna.
SPEAKER_02I mean, honestly, Canucks fans I sure right now wish that the NHL had the same draft system as the uh as the NFL, where it's just the reverse order. Uh imagine losing the draft lottery after the miserable season they had to endure. I mean, we we wish them the best, and if they can get a good player, that's uh that will for sure help Ziv also.
SPEAKER_01Uh quickly in this non-NHL news, uh news and notes quickly, Denver Pioneers won the Frozen 4 College Hockey Championship in Vegas, defeating the Badgers 2-1. It was their 11th title. And there's a Jewish Montrealer drafted by the Canadians in 2023, Sam Harris, who is on Denver, actually grew up with Ziv Boyam in San Diego and uh won with Ziv Boyam back in 2024. So uh uh Sam Harris. There's always a connection. We even have uh another Jew with the Laval Rockets who was uh assigned a professional tryout.
SPEAKER_03Um I think this is Steve Dobinsky's son, right? Who's a Montreal? If I'm not mistaken.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, so there's there's the connection there. And uh also wanted to mention Yanif Perez because we talked about him before. He's had a pretty good season down the stretch with the ECHL. So uh the Lehigh Valley Phantoms actually gave him a nice little call-up to the AHL um for the final weekend uh of their regular season. They didn't make the playoffs, and he comes up and pitches a 39 save shutout in the uh first game and then lost the second game. But uh it was nice to see him get, you know, as a season he spent mostly in the uh East Coast Hockey League, he got some AHL playing time down the stretch, and uh I think he's still I think he signed only a one-year deal, so he's uh UFA uh heading into uh the summer, so we'll see where he goes. Um Aaron Franco, we mentioned before, Boston fleet, uh she's continuing to shine 18-4-1-2 record. Uh she had three straight shutouts between March 21st and 27. She's got seven on the season, of course, to lead the league. Boston and Montreal were in the final weekend. I think tomorrow there's the quadruple header of all the eight teams that play. And then the final day of the regular season, and Boston, Montreal are jockeying for that first spot. And in the PWHL, it's kind of crazy because the first, if you finish first, you get to pick who you play in the first round. I hate it, right? I hate it. I love it. I love it. Um careful what you wish for. I love it. Yeah, I don't think they're gonna pick uh Minnesota. Minnesota, the two-time defending champions.
SPEAKER_03Uh if I'm not mistaken in the playoffs, yes.
SPEAKER_01So there's Ottawa and Toronto, I think, who are still battling for that fourth spot. So you imagine that Montreal or Boston, whoever wins is gonna pick one of those teams and you know, they'll get the other one or whatever. But uh that was really cool. And just lastly, I mean, Kaylee Osborne. I wanted to mention because there was a takeover game at Madison Square Garden, which was a set of professional women's hockey U.S. attendance record of just over 18,000 people at the game. And Kaylee Osborne was in net for the New York Sirens, and she won uh two to one. I mean, I guess the state of the Rangers, crazy. So it was the nightcap of a double header. The Rangers played it at noon during the day, and the women's game had more people there than the men's uh than the New York Rangers game. I think people shouldn't be so surprised. Exactly. So um there's that. And uh sorry, this will definitely close the book on the hockey, but we have to mention it Team Israel at the uh World Championship Division II, uh, they win gold, defeating Iceland 5-2 in the final game uh to capture gold in group B. They went undefeated 5-0. Last year they were one and four and were relegated to this division. But what's what's kind of sad in all this, I guess it's the has to do with war, right? But so there was a group A, Israel was in group B, there was a group A, and group A's tournament, they were supposed to play in uh United Arab Emirates, but because of the war, they actually had to actually had to cancel the entire group A schedule. So normally, in under normal circumstances, Israel by virtue of winning gold would have been uh would have advanced to the higher group. But because there was no group A, as a question of fairness, nobody is being promoted from division two to division uh the other division one ahead of the 2027 tournament. So it's status quo for Israel, I guess. Uh despite winning, they're staying where they are.
SPEAKER_02I mean, we'll just have to do it all over again next year, and I'm sure they will.
SPEAKER_01All
Look Ahead- NBA & NHL Playoffs
SPEAKER_01right, so we're gonna shift gears now, do our to our look ahead segment. Obviously, it goes without saying we have to look at uh NBA NHL playoffs. We actually have quite a bit of Jewish representation, right?
SPEAKER_02And guys, honestly, this is the best time of the year. You you turn on TV, there's eight series going on in the NHL. There's eight. Yes, it is, it is, and it's like you're switching between a third overtime in hockey, the start of a first period in uh the start of her first quarter, sorry, on the West Coast basketball.
SPEAKER_03It's you just hope it's the East Coast games that got to overtime, though.
SPEAKER_01Um yeah, so we'll talk to uh we'll talk about the NBA first. Obviously, Denny, uh Portland Trail Blazers get in. They uh square off with the San Antonio Spurs. Portland into the postseason for the first time since 2021. Um the first game, I think, was kind of pretty well dominated by San Antonio.
SPEAKER_03And of course, San Antonio's a a championship favorite. 62 wins in the season. They're a championship favorite. They're considered one of the top teams in the NBA. They're what they finished with the third best record or second best record in the NBA. Second seed, yeah. Yeah, but second seed in the West, but second best record in the NBA. They're right up there. They're supposed to be battling OKC for you know Western Conference supremacy.
SPEAKER_01Nobody's g gave uh Portland a chance, but I mean, if there is a chance, right, we saw uh after an um exceptional performance in game one, Victor Wembenyama leaves game two with a concussion. And he's in concussion protocol. I think he's traveling, so uh there's a game on April 24th, game three. Um but so we'll see if he plays. I mean, obviously that's a huge factor. If Wembenyama's in.
SPEAKER_03He played eleven minutes the other night and sat and Ellen was able to come back and win game two. Great game. Right right down the stretch. They had a big bucket at the end, uh 106, 103, right?
SPEAKER_02So I mean look, we we we don't wish ill on anyone, and hopefully we we hope that that that Victor situation will his health situation will be will be resolved. But the reality is with him out, I think this series uh shifted from uh classic two versus seven, basically, that's supposed to be almost a blowout for the number two seed to looking almost like a four versus five or it's it's more even.
SPEAKER_03Right. Well Portland's strength is driving, right? They drive the ball well, they get to the basket well, Denny himself shoots what on average, I think it's ten free throws a game at least without uh Mr. Wembayama you know patrolling the middle of the lane and blocking everything and changing every shot. It's a big difference. Yeah. Huge difference in terms of what they're able to do offensively.
SPEAKER_01And Portland wins game two when Denny had by his standards, I guess a little bit of a lackluster. He he in game one he had another double double, the 30 points, 10 rebounds. Game two was less of a factor on the scoreship, but they still win.
SPEAKER_03Scoot Henderson had a huge game, I believe 37 points in the game two, and and again, Scoot Henderson who drives to the basket. He doesn't have Wem Banyama there swatting every layup that he's trying to create.
SPEAKER_02So, I mean, as we're recording this on April 24th, game three is set for tonight in Portland. It's gonna be very late, obviously. The one stats that blew my mind, the Spurs were 11-0 at home in the playoffs against Morton. Until game two. Yeah, until until game two. I mean, this this is crazy. Yeah, but those are historical stats. I know it's not the same team, but this this is my point, actually. It means like over a 20-year period, 30-year period, I don't know when when was the first time that they crossed path in the playoffs. And you have multiple games in a in one playoff series. You have at least two that's that are happening at the Spurs. It it is absolutely crazy that that Portland had never been able to win there.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, and if we have any listeners uh in Portland who are going to the game tonight, um be warned you're not gonna get a t-shirt because uh this story was pretty crazy. The owner of the uh the Portland Chairman. Tom Duncan who used to own Yeah, he owns the Carolina Hurricanes. But very cheap that he refusing to pay to put uh t-shirts on the uh chairs above the fact that's not the only thing he's refusing to do.
SPEAKER_03There's a crazy, some crazy stories coming up.
SPEAKER_01So I remember uh so the the the the team staff and the players, I guess, also have to check out of their hotel room.
SPEAKER_03No early checkout.
SPEAKER_01Because you want to pay for late checkout. So if you have a they have a game that night, they're leaving after the game. You have to check out by noon. So the d you have nowhere to take a pregame nap. That's not a thing.
SPEAKER_03Hold on, there's even more.
SPEAKER_01He's not allowing certain people to travel.
SPEAKER_03So he's not paying for the every every team, right? Like in hockey, they're called the black aces. You have call-ups that don't play that just practice players. So they're the same thing. They're the G League players, he's not paying for them to travel with the team to play uh when they're traveling for playoffs.
SPEAKER_01I think uh media style.
SPEAKER_03The team must love him, especially in their first playoff run in five years. I remember way to reward the stuff with the uh the uh organization there.
SPEAKER_01The one thing I remember with Tom Dundan to uh uh with the Carolina Hurricane.
SPEAKER_03But he had he'll spend money on Kasperi, Kut Kanami, or whatever. Yeah. Yes Perry. Yes Barry, sorry, thank you.
SPEAKER_01The one thing I remember, and I remember this vividly for some reason, I don't remember what year it was, many, many years ago. So Carolina was coming to Montreal to play the uh Canadians regular season game at the Bell Center. And of course, we know uh well since I think it was the 2000s, early 2000s, right? The home team wears dark and the road team wears the white jerseys.
SPEAKER_02I mean no, that's what it is now.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. But it was that's been that for 20 years. It was that at this time for sure. So Tom Dundan, for some reason, makes the set set calls the Canadians or makes an announcement saying, I don't like our team's white jerseys. I would like our team at the Bell Center to wear red, and the Montreal you can wear white at the Bell Center at home. For some lunatic reason, Jeff Molson and the Canadian said sure.
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
SPEAKER_01And I remember there was a game at the Bell Center, regular season, where Montreal wore white because Tom Dundan did not want his team wearing white on the road.
SPEAKER_03And then we let him take uh Yesperi cooking. That's okay. We didn't we didn't have to pay him. Maybe that's why he's so cheap. Maybe he doesn't want to spend wasted money on him.
SPEAKER_01Who's not even playing in the playoffs, not healthy scratch every game. Uh speaking of hockey, well, there's a lot of series with Jewish representation. Uh I guess we'll start Buffalo and Boston because they had two Jews in that series. And they're going head to head. They're going head to head. And even last game, there was uh there were some battles between them there. It's like good saves. Uh so Jeremy Swayman, obviously a net for Boston, and uh we're talking Jason Zucker, who's on Buffalo's second line, uh, alongside Ryan McLeod and Jack Quinn. This is kind of a weird series because I I feel like it's two teams, obviously, that I mean at the start of the season would not have been pictured as a playoff team.
SPEAKER_03No, neither of them. No. Certainly you thought Boston was coming down. They had just traded Marshaw, they only had Pasternak left, yeah, a little bit. Buffalo was in last in the seven years.
SPEAKER_02They were eliminated, like eliminated of the playoffs. They ended up winning the division. I I have to say, I felt for Jeremy Swayman as much as I can feel for any Browns player because he played an outstanding game one and they were leading to nothing. The saves that he was making. Yeah, that was a crazy game. Exactly. And I remember thinking, okay, like he's he's gonna shut down their offense basically, at least for tonight, and then everything went crazy.
SPEAKER_03They were being soundly outplayed then. Oh, they really were. He was the only one, he's the only Bruin who really showed up.
SPEAKER_02Exactly, and and it looked like he was going to be able to steal that game, to steal in game one on the road. Gave the first goal wasn't his fault. I think the second one, he he misjudged the shot. And and after everything, I saw some criticism of him in the Boston media. And the only thing that I thought is, guys, like had it not been for him, it would have been 6-2 at the beginning of the third period.
SPEAKER_03And he bounced back, he had a great game, too. They went home tied 1-1.
SPEAKER_01And then last night uh Buffalo won. So they went into Boston.
SPEAKER_03They took back home ice advantage. Although Swayman at this point in the matchup of Swayman versus Zucker, Swayman's winning, Zucker hasn't done anything. Second line's been shut down.
SPEAKER_01And in the matchup of Swayman versus Lukunen, who's since been replaced. I mean, Lukunen gave up that goal from set which kind of reminded me of Swayman at the Olympics. Remember, he gave up a goal in the goal from the red line. So it was like uh kind of a full circle.
SPEAKER_03But uh Yeah, well that certainly turned game two to Boston, right? They were up one-nothing at that point. They score on a very weak goal to go up two-nothing. And even though Buffalo they were out down four-nothing and they came back, it almost seemed like there was gonna be a repeat of game one. They got two quick goals in the third period, but they couldn't complete the comeback.
SPEAKER_01So this series, yeah, I don't know. I don't even know how to handicap. I think I picked in my bracket Boston to win actually, because I don't think like as much as Buffalo had a great season, I think the experience factor at some point is gonna have to come. Not like Boston has a ton, but you have like some guys who've been there before.
SPEAKER_02It's it's compared to guys who I think are still shocked that they are in the playoffs, actually.
SPEAKER_03I think the one thing Buffalo has going. I mean, I think I think Buffalo has a few things going for them. But to me, Boston can probably hang with you for a little bit, but Buffalo really can win games in a lot of different ways. Boston can really seem to only win a game one way, and I think eventually that wins out in this in a long series. Look, they're up to one, they just got home ice advantage back. Game four is always huge, especially if you're the home team having just lost game three. So we'll see what happens.
SPEAKER_01And technically there's a third Jew there, which we mentioned too, but he's not gonna play much, Jordan Harris uh scratched for for Boston.
SPEAKER_03Uh, he hasn't played most of the year for the yeah.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, he was injured for a long stretch, and yeah.
SPEAKER_03Let's get to the next series.
SPEAKER_01Dallas and Minnesota, that's a that's a good one to watch. Of course.
SPEAKER_02The uh thank you for the playoff format with every day. It sucks that one of them has to get out of the series. Every year this happens, every year.
SPEAKER_03By the way, we have two series like that. Montreal, Tampa, yeah.
SPEAKER_01Both of them. Honestly, about uh I mean I think I mean well Dallas and Minnesota and Montreal, Tampa. I'm convinced that whoever comes out of those two series, that'll be the final. That's what I'm saying.
SPEAKER_03Maybe it again goes to show you the caliber of those four teams probably should be playing in that it could be a conference final match. Yeah, that's a good one.
SPEAKER_01In round one, I'm like, who's gonna win? But I can still convince that they're making the final, it says it all, right? Um so of course Quinn Hughes from Minnesota, he's driving. I mean, the uh Minnesota's gonna go as far, I think, as Quinn Hughes takes them. He's their their capital.
SPEAKER_03Him and Kaprizov, yeah.
SPEAKER_01He hasn't seen a whole lot of playoff action being with Vancouver before. Like uh, I think he's got uh two playoff runs in 2020 and then uh 2024. Right. He they rested him down the stretch, which I think was a smart move because he's the NHL uh average time on ice leader in the regular season. And uh we saw him in game three. He played in the double overtime, he played over forty-three minutes, which is uh I think he he could probably handle it given his lungs and uh yeah, but still forty-three minutes and f you know, again, that's a lot.
SPEAKER_03He's uh played almost a third of the game.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, and he's been he's been good so far, four assists and three games. Obviously, the points are gonna come with him naturally. Um I still like Dallas. I think Dallas to me is like I know they've they've struggled and they've had like these crazy tough breaks and losses over the years, but I mean you look at that team, it's hard to find a flaw in that team.
SPEAKER_03So this is where they've they've been in this position. And sorry, my math is off. He played almost half the game, but this is the position that Dallas has been in the last few years in the conference finals, right? Where they go up 2-1, they're on the road, yes, but they let teams back into the series. They've taken the lead after having lost they got blown out in game one. Everybody turned around and said, Oh, Minnesota's gonna stomp them, right? That's it. They've won, they've come back nicely, they won the last two games, big pivotal game three, winning in double overtime on the road. They're now playing with house money. This is where they tend to have the series shift out of their favor. They have yet to put their foot down and really take over. And even yet last year, in the first round, if I'm not mistaken, against Winnipeg, or the second round against Winnipeg, they did the same thing. They ended up fall behind. They built a long series when they didn't have to. If they go and win this game four and go up three one coming back home, that's it. It's Minnesota's desperate. So this is a pivotal game. Minnesota should still not be feeling any pressure. To me, the pressure's on Dallas. If they don't win this game, coming going back home tied two all, Minnesota should feel great about themselves.
SPEAKER_01I still think this series is gonna probably go seven.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, but that's on Dallas. That's if they can win game four.
SPEAKER_01And what's crazy, the the Dallas right there, coach is what well coached last year was Pete DeBoer. Right. Pete De Boer is was nine and oh in game seven, so they don't have that fact. This guy's the opposite, I think. Gulzan or whatever. Zach Hyman shifting gears, the Oilers against the Ducks. Um Zach Hyman was injured. Um the the I think he played the regular season finale, and then he was Yeah, just to get back in, yeah, just to get back some game shape. You'll remember he broke his wrist in the Western Conference final against Dallas last year.
SPEAKER_02I think for Edmonton, there's it's going to be a factor that they played so many games the last two years. Plus, you have to add the Olympics, given a lot of their players were were there, the four nations, and fatigue is going to be they're going to be tired at some point. However, for Zach Hyman, he's probably the freshest.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, he's the freshest of them, basically, but but coming back from injury, you're still working out, you're still putting it. It's not the same as game, I get it. You're not being hit, you're not being, but you're hurt to begin with, so you're working your way back from an injury. Dry sidle. Yeah, dry sidle also coming out. He missed the last month almost, right, of the season. So they have to make quick work of Anaheim in the first round. They just blew they gave up game two. Yeah. They're goal. It's the goaltending. This is strictly going to come down to goaltending. They scored four goals in game one, they scored four goals in game two. The difference was they gave up six goals in game two. It's just it. It's gonna come down to goaltending. Their lineup is there, they can score with the best of them. Can they prevent the goals?
SPEAKER_01So Zach Hyman, he scored in the game two loss, um, 16 goals in 25 games in 2024. Uh the his last full postseason cup run. Yeah. And the thing with Hyman, like, the physicality is a factor because you you know we wouldn't really associate him with this, but I think we I I mentioned this before on this show. But I mean, the the the postseason, like last year he played 15 playoff games, he had 111 hits in 15 games, which is bonkers. So if he can bring that kind of physicality, it adds another element to the game that he brings. It goes without saying, though, I think right, Connor McDavid, it's crazy he has no points in the first two games.
SPEAKER_03What's amazing, Cole Caulfield, no goals in the first two games. Nathan McKinnon, no goals in the first three games for Colorado. McDavid, no goals or points even in the first two games. What's going on? What's happening?
SPEAKER_02And and and Edmonton scoring eight goals over two games without McDavid recording a single goal.
SPEAKER_03So game one was the first game all year that Edmonton had won a game without McDavid recording a point in it. Wow. Crazy. Crazy stat. Insane. Insane. I mean, I have to say they they must think it's the point. That's exactly what happens at the right moment. Yeah. Yeah. Um, but they can't keep going that much. No, no, no, no. Game two, it showed.
SPEAKER_01And uh there's another Drew on Edmonton, right? Jake Wallman. Jake Wallman. He's had a good start to the series. Yeah. And last year was really, really good. Yeah. Um, 10 points in 22 games last year as they're running. Evan Bouchard, I think, is another player who has no points in two games. Right. Yeah.
SPEAKER_03And after 95, what do you have? 95, 96 points a season.
SPEAKER_01Maybe Jake Wallman needs to uh help uh shoulder up.
SPEAKER_03The weekend is gonna tell a lot about the story of the playoffs. The next three days are gonna be you're gonna see some big uh you know s uh um momentum swing certainly in the playoffs.
SPEAKER_01And uh another Western series well, we glanced over at St. Panarin before. Kings against Avalanche, which on paper is a really big mismatch. But again, you look at the first three games, they've been super, super close on paper.
SPEAKER_03But that's only by goals. I think the the gameplay has been way in Colorado's.
SPEAKER_02And again, like this is where you see a great team. Like they find a way to fight to they find a way to lead 3-0 instead of just 2-1 or even being.
SPEAKER_03They haven't given up that game, even though each goal each game's been a goal, right? Decided by the game. Yes, but it was 4-2. I mean, no point.
SPEAKER_01And the first two were 2-1 games. And one of them was overtime.
SPEAKER_03Again, they easily you're right. If they had played a little bit worse or LA had played a little bit better, it could be 3-0 the other way. But great teams, when they're not playing their best, find a way to win. And if they sweep, it doesn't matter how good or bad, they're gonna get rest, and it will help them in the second, third, fourth round. Especially with the worst case. The worst case scenario for every other playoff team, especially Dallas and Minnesota, is if Colorado sweeps them and then has to play. And they go seven. That's right, they go seven. That's it. I mean, they're the chance of beating Colorado after that is not very good.
SPEAKER_02But I think by the way, speak speaking of the playoff format, the last pre I mean, we know how this playoff format sometimes spits the best team against the best team earlier than it should be. And I mean, the last time a president's trophy winner ended up winning the Stanley Cup was the year before we switched to that playoff format in the Blackhawks in 2013. Right. The uh shortened season by the uh by the lockout at that moment.
SPEAKER_03So look, it doesn't normally favor them, but you never know. We'll see.
SPEAKER_01There hasn't been much offense for LA, right? There's been four goals in three games, but uh Panarin's been involved in three of them. Yeah. Uh two goals and an assist uh that he had late in game three.
SPEAKER_03That team wasn't built to win this year. They knew where they were gonna finish, and that's why Panarin signed the two-year contract. It's really okay, what can we build going forward around him, right?
SPEAKER_01And yeah, it's uh the Swan Song 2 of Andre Kopitar's gonna be go out late, which you know, great career, obviously.
SPEAKER_03Great career, but a good a nice salary coming off the books that they can build around and they go out and sign. So we'll see.
SPEAKER_01Uh yeah. And Quentin Byfield looks good.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, he does. Really good. It's a good body, good big body right there.
SPEAKER_01So obviously, yeah, we're gonna keep tabs on the the playoffs going forward. I think that'll be the the bulk of our talk in the next uh few months.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, yeah, for the next yeah, till June. We didn't even talk about Montreal, not like they had Jewish representation, but no, but they have the city representation, Montreal Jewish city representation.
SPEAKER_01Representation, yes. Yeah, we'll see how that one goes.
Historical Segment- Al Rosen on Cover of Sports Illustrated
SPEAKER_01All right, so we're gonna uh shift gears to uh to the historical segment. So back in April of 1955 on Sports Illustrated, which at the time was a relatively young publication, they put Cleveland Indians third baseman Al Rosen on its cover. And at first glance, it looks like a straightforward celebration of a baseball star at the peak of his powers. And in many ways it is. Rosen was coming off one of the most dominant stretches any hitter had put together in the early 1950s. In 1953, he captured the American League MVP Award in commanding fashion, leading the league in home runs, RBIs, and batting average. Um, triple crown, I guess. He was quite simply one of the most feared sluggers in the game. But that April 1955 cover carries a deeper layer of significance. Al Rosen wasn't just a superstar, he was also the first Jewish athlete ever to appear on the cover of Sports Illustrated. Yes, it was not Sandy Kovacs, it was Al Rosen. And at a time when representation in major American media was far more limited, that moment truly mattered. It signaled a shift in who could be seen as the face of elite athletic excellence uh in the U.S. Rosen himself was an intense figure, serious, focused, famously, no nonsense. He approached baseball with a kind of quiet ferocity. Teammates respected him, opponents feared him, and writers often struggled to capture him because he wasn't interested in charm or showmanship, just results. Um that edge translated directly into his performance. Wasn't flashy, but he was relentless. Pitchers knew that a mistake over the plate would disappear, likely in a hurry. And in the early 1950s, few players punished mistakes quite like Rosen did. Um the sports sports illustrated feature reflects that identity. It presents him as a cornerstone of a Cleveland team that was consistently in the hunt during the decade, a club built on pitching, discipline, and timely power, with Rosen anchoring that lineup. He wasn't just part of his team, he was central to its ambitions. And yet, despite all that, Rosen remains one of the most overlooked stars of his era. Injuries shortened his career, and playing in a smaller media market didn't help his long-term visibility. But for a few seasons, he stood shoulder to shoulder with the biggest names in the game and statistically often was ahead of them. Um and that's really what makes the 1955 cover uh so compelling today. It freezes a moment when Al Rosen was not just great but undeniable. It also quietly marks a milestone in sports media history, one that broadened the image of who could represent excellence on a national stage. Today that issue has become a prize collectible, not just because of the player on the front, but because of everything that image came to symbolize: dominance, determination, and a small but meaningful step toward greater visibility in American sports culture. Truly a reminder that sometimes a magazine cover is more than just a snapshot, it's uh big statement. So uh Al Rosen on April 1955 made history as the first Jew on the cover of Sports Illustrated.
SPEAKER_03I thought this was so cool when you put it in there, our our our uh notes for the uh episode. I hadn't known this, and you know, I pride myself on knowing a lot about history and whatnot. But I thought this was really cool and really really proud moment to have read this. So yeah.
SPEAKER_02So now to the minion spreads.
SPEAKER_03Oh man, when was the last time we put money in? Yeah. It's been a while. Matthew, what are where are we? Where are we? Where are we? So we go back to yeah, I think it was our last bets were placed uh it looks like the weekend of uh
Minyan Spread
SPEAKER_03March 20th or so, so almost a month ago. Yeah. We haven't gained any interest, so unfortunately. That's not the way it works. Jordan, let's see. Back then you were uh oh, there was an Ottawa-Toron game. I won that one. You went with the Ottawa money line? Yes, you did win that one, but they were heavily favored, but you still won. It's okay. It's the wins that matter, Jordan. Not how much. Baby steps, right? However, you try you'd said, you know, uh Aaron Judge, uh Mr. Judge would hit a homer in opening day. He did not. No. So you sit at minus 636 and 66 cents. Okay, okay. You know, you'll get there. You have lots of baseball to bet on over the summer, right? So lots of Yankee stuff. Uh Jan, you are our leader right now at 86.55 and 33 cents. And your bets that weekend were you bet NBA. You went NBA heavy. Boston, Minnesota, you bet the Boston moneyline. There were heavy favorites, but Minnesota walked in to Boston, I believe, and beat them. Yep. Then you had Denver and Portland, you went with the Denver moneyline. Again, they were pretty big favorites, and they ended up winning that game. So good job by you. I went with the uh Montreal Caulfield, I don't know, it's not a trifecta, but the duo, I guess, that weekend, the Mr. Saturday night, and he delivered a bet on him to score a goal, bet on Montreal to win the game. They beat the Islanders that weekend, and if not, that was the uh did we knock them out that no, it was a later game, right? Two weeks later, but it helped knock them out. That helped lead to Patrick Law's fire. So I won both those. I sit now at 78, 21, and 37 cents. So, you know, 800 behind the ad. So we're we're coming up there. We're getting closer. Jordan's gonna come. He'll he'll he'll catch up. Let's go.
SPEAKER_01Jordan, you lead us off, Jordan. All right, so uh it's harder to find bets these days, right? Because we have playoffs which we're not even I mean, you can bet a little, but it depends how far ahead you are to know the matchups, whatever. So I'm gonna stick away from playoff stuff for now. Going to MLS, New England is playing Inter-Miami uh on April 25th. On paper, obviously you have Linal Messi, the uh the games in Miami. Inter-Miami, I guess, you know, they've they haven't had I mean, they've been they're still a great team, but they haven't really had the season.
SPEAKER_03A little bit of a championship uh hangover. Their coach recently. Out of nowhere. And not just him, a few of other staff members, right? They resigned. So yeah.
SPEAKER_01I mean, they think they all the all those Argentinians, they like traveling. The entourage. That was the entourage. Um New England obviously has our Jewish guys, Dorothyman, Eli Feingold. So uh they also inaugurated right their new stadium. And the new stadium is uh I find this amazing. It's new N U.
SPEAKER_03Well, because that's the the Europe. That's like the camp. The camp new. That's right. Oh no.
SPEAKER_01I'm thinking that our Jewish players from New England are gonna feel comfortable in new stadium.
SPEAKER_03Did they know Yiddish?
SPEAKER_01And they're gonna play in front of their friendly confines of the Miami Jewish community.
SPEAKER_03There you go.
SPEAKER_01So we're gonna go for the upside there that New England goes into Miami and beats them. I think he's overthinking it. As always. And then into baseball. One of the teams that's been we ask ourselves why he's in there. One of the like so I mean, not gonna say surprising, but one of the crazy stories in baseball. I mean, San Diego Padres, who haven't really lost much of all. I think they've like they've lost like three or four times uh in since April. So uh they're playing the Arizona Diamondbacks actually in Mexico City. It's a two-game uh Mexico series on the MLB World Tour also this weekend. Uh the first game is Saturday, April 25th. So we're gonna bet on that game that the Padres are gonna beat the Arizona Diamondbacks. Funny enough, Padres, it's their second trip to Mexico City for games. Uh they played the Giants in 2023. They swept that series, so maybe they're comfortable in Mexico City again. Maybe we're over.
SPEAKER_03They're comfortable because they don't have to change their name.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, Padres.
SPEAKER_03They don't have to go to the lost situation.
SPEAKER_02Honestly, when I saw that you were placing a bet about the the games in Mexico City, I thought you were going to bet on home runs because of the altitude over there. Like I mean, Azteca and Azteca Stadium.
SPEAKER_01So, yeah, $500 on New England, $500 on Padres, both straight money line.
SPEAKER_03Market in. All right, I'm I'm gonna hit go again. I know we don't have a Saturday night home game, abs fans, but it's okay. It is okay. You know why? Because we traditionally in the playoffs played on Friday night and Sunday night. This is the traditional last year, too. Those are the traditional home games in the playoffs. In fact, I remember that Friday night home game last year. I was at a hockey tournament with my older son, and we were all in the stands, they were all watching it during the game. We saw them cheering, we're like, what happened? Oh, now we know. It's great. Um, so I'm gonna go, but I'm not gonna bet on tonight's game. We don't bet on Shabbos, right? We don't roll on Shabbos, we don't bet on Shabbos. Sunday night's game. We're gonna bet on Sunday night, Mr. Sunday night. Cole Caulfield will appear. They are going to make an appearance in this series, no doubt. He's gonna stop passing up the puck, he's gonna start shooting the puck. I'm betting on Cole Caulfield. Scoregal Sunday night, and Habs are gonna win game four. All right? I don't know about game three. We'll see. But game four. I'm doubling up on that bet. It's gonna work until it doesn't.
SPEAKER_02But that's what I'm betting on. So one of my bets is actually happening on I mean, it starts on Shadow, but the end of the game might be right after what right after Havdala, and the end of the game is what counts. So uh I think the Hurricane Setter series has been very defensive uh right now. So I'm gonna pick for game four the under 5.5 goals uh at uh that's rated two uh two for one. Um and I'm gonna pick, I'm gonna switch to soccer and cross the Atlantic and bet on an FA Cup game for Sunday. And I think Leeds will upset Chelsea, and this is this is a big one. It's 3.4. Uh so I'm putting 500 on each.
SPEAKER_01Um not betting on Southampton. No, no, no, not betting on Southampton.
SPEAKER_03He's betting against Chelsea because that would be a real upset. What happened this week? What did Chelsea do? They fired their coach, exactly. Upheaval, upheaval.
SPEAKER_02Exactly. I I don't think I don't think that team will be ready, and I think they're gonna get upset uh by leads uh this weekend.
SPEAKER_03I just want to say something. I mean, we follow hockey, there's coaches fired here and there. It is crazy in English soccer that they don't mess around. They last for five matches. What do you want them to do in five matches?
SPEAKER_02Number one at some point, and it was in the in the two in the 2010s, at some point Chelsea was paying more in several packages for their fired coaches with an S at the end than for their players.
SPEAKER_03Tottenham fired the coach again. It was the fourth coach they let go this year, or something like that. I'm like, that is I I don't know. I mean, you are really hired to be fired in soccer.
SPEAKER_01No question. We do have a little bit of uh experience with that if you just look at our team. Oh, that's true. Sorry, CF Madrid. They go through a coach at least every year. Yeah, yeah. I mean, when they lost five games.
SPEAKER_02You know what? When Sapuro said we want to reach the uh we want to reach the standard of European soccer, this is what he was talking about.
SPEAKER_03It's not look, they fired the old coach. He I hate, you know, our schedule, and again, I know we've talked about this, the start on the road, yeah. What do you want them to do? They start seven games on the road, they're there for two months doing uh you know the home either normally. I understand, but you're not even giving them a chance to get into a normal routine at all. You know, like the the patience involved in soccer is incredible. There's the imp so impatient with the coaches. I mean, you're not building culture that way, personally. But yeah, very interesting. That's true.
SPEAKER_02Uh let's switch now to uh to our Dwar Torah. So it's uh Parsha Ahare Mutt uh this week playing by the rules when the stakes are the highest. So anyone who played sports uh seriously knows this feeling the biggest game of the season,
D'var Torah- Parashat Acharei Mot
SPEAKER_02the championship, the playoffs. Suddenly everything slows down, every move matters, and the rules that might feel annoying in practice become non-negotiable. That's part shot ahare mot in a nutshell. The parsha open with strict instructions from the Kohen Gadol entering the Holy of Holies on Yom Kippur, the most intense high-stakes moment of the Jewish year. This isn't warm-ups, this isn't a casual scrimmage, this is the championship game of the spiritual calendar. And what does the Torah emphasize? Boundaries, preparation, discipline. Not just what the Kohen Gadol does, but how carefully he does it. In sports, elite athletes know. You don't invent your own rules in the finals. Star players, star player, sorry, who ignores the playbook, takes reckless risks or freestyles, might look confidence, but they're actually hurting the team. That's what Ahare Mud teaches after the tragic deaths of Nadav and Aviu. Even passion and talent aren't enough if you ignore structure. The Kaen Gadal wears specific garments, follows an exact sequence, enters the sacred space only once a year. No shortcut, no improvising, because when the stakes are the highest, the discipline is what makes greatness possible. Two goats. Team strategy matters. One of the most striking moments in the parsha is the two identical goats on Yom Kippur. One offered in the temple, and one sent into the wilderness. Think of it like a team strategy. One play moves the ball forward visibly, another absorbs pressure so the rest of the team can succeed. Both are essential. You cannot succeed without both. They both serve the same goal atonement and reset. In sports, championships aren't won by highlights real alone. They're won by defense, sacrifice, and players willing to do the unglamorous work of the camera. Ahare mot reminds us holiness like success is a team effort. Later in the parha, the Torah shifts to moral boundaries, especially around relationships and personal conduct. Why here? Because real integrity isn't shown on game day. It is shown in practice, it's shown in the locker room, and it is especially shown when no one is filming. In sport, cheating off the field eventually shown upon it. In life, ignoring ethical boundaries weakens the whole system. The Torah's message is clear. You don't separate spiritual game time from everyday behavior. The way you live is part of the game. So what's the takeaway? It's telling us holiness is not about raw talent or intensity. It's about respecting boundaries, trusting the system, and showing up prepared when it matters most. In the sports term, play hard, but also play smart. Respect the rules, not because they limit you, but because they elevate you. Championships in sports or in life goes to those who take discipline seriously. Because when the moment is sacred, you don't wing it. You show up ready.
SPEAKER_01So that's just about does it for our this episode of Mention with the Boys. Remember, like, follow, and subscribe so you are kept in the loop on our episodes, which drop every other Friday. You can also keep the conversation going with us on Instagram. Follow us at Mention with the Boys. Uh, until the next tip off or Torah portion, on behalf of my pals, Yanna Saroosh, Matthew Cutler. I'm Jordan Stupler. Enjoy the wild and wacky playoffs.
SPEAKER_03And it won't be a month the next time. No, no, no, no, no, no.
SPEAKER_02Well, we'll be back sooner.
SPEAKER_03We found we found the studio again.