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 18: "Chai"-Lights from the World Cup, NHL and NBA Finals
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The World Cup takes center stage as Menschin' with the Boys reaches its 18th ("chai") episode. We break down the knockout rounds, Yannis shares his unforgettable rain-drenched experience in Philadelphia, and we spotlight Jewish and Israeli connections throughout the tournament. Plus, Ethan Belchetz's first-round NHL Draft selection, Devon Levi's fresh start in Edmonton, Jewish champions from the Stanley Cup and NBA Finals, the opening of the Maccabiah Games, and a look back at the pioneering career of sports radio trailblazer Suzyn Waldman. We wrap up with a sports-themed D'var Torah on Parashat Pinchas and the importance of staying ready when your number is called.
Follow us @menschinwiththeboys on Instagram for behind-the-scenes content and much more Jewish sports news.
Intro
SPEAKER_03Live from Studio 5, 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_07I'm Matthew Cutler. And I'm Jordan Stupler. On today's show, we're bringing you insights on the World Cup as the tournament moves through the knockout rounds.
SPEAKER_03We're breaking down a bunch of activity in the NHL, including a trade involving a Jewish goalie.
SPEAKER_05Plus, we've dug up Jewish connections to both the Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes and the NBA champion New York Knicks.
SPEAKER_07I see what you did there.
SPEAKER_03So
Current Events
SPEAKER_03thanks for bearing with us for 17 episodes and uh now the 18th. Uh I mean let's let's start with the World Cup, guys. What is that going on? What? I think it is. We want to start with you because you actually went to the World Cup. Yes, I went to the World Cup.
SPEAKER_04By the way, we only had budget to send one of us. Since he really is a fan, he drew the shortstraw.
SPEAKER_03So I I have to say, and I'm gonna give massive credit to my wife, who for my birthday created a let's send Yanis to the World Cup fund. I love that. And every one of my friends who was saying, hey, what does Yanis wants a resistance? Just send him money. Just send him money. So it covered about 60% of the price of the ticket, which uh which is great.
SPEAKER_07Did your did your fund uh include a poncho?
SPEAKER_03No, my fund did not include a poncho. You saw that in the picture. No, exactly. My fund did not include a poncho. My poncho was actually in my luggage, and I took my wife's suitcase before I leave. I mean, I had my stuff in it, and then arriving. So, I mean, for everyone listening, I was exactly context. I was at the France Iraq game in Philadelphia, which got stopped for two hours. It ended up being as long as an NFL game, so you know. Um, and uh we we had a monsoon, a a I mean a biblical proportion rain basically that rained out on us. Noah's Arc. I don't know. Yeah, I was looking for Noah's Ark, honestly. The animals are lining up Lincoln Fields, Philadelphia Zoo. Exactly. We gotta save Mbapping. A lot of eagles flying. Exactly. Um, and uh so yeah, the rain started very, very hard about three minutes before halftime, and then they stopped the game as you saw on TV. And what was special, I have to say, was we had no news inside the stadium of what was happening. So I had to go on Twitter on basically French media who were saying, Oh, maybe they're gonna start at this time. Oh no, it's another 30 minutes delay, lightning in the area, etc. etc. And for most of halftime, it was actually clear, but there was lightning in the area, which we bad didn't knew because we we were in inside the concourse of the stadium, and people kept they they kept making the announcement of like the weather is really bad, please stay hidden. And there was literally sun. And then five minutes before they resume, so they give the go-ahead, they say we're gonna start in five minutes. Player are players are warming up, etc. It starts raining again, and everyone started booing at that moment. Uh, but it stopped raining just in time for the second half. Like a 3-0 French victory, two goals by Mbappe, including the first one, was an absolute banger. Um he scored that it was behind it, was in the goal that I was where where I was on the side of the stadium where I was sitting. It was an amazing experience. So uh yeah.
SPEAKER_07What about what about getting there? I'm just curious. Like, as you hear all these stories about oh, maybe especially I think in New York and certain places where it's like just to get to the stadium and uh getting in and and the transport.
SPEAKER_03So honestly, I have to say very well organized. First of all, Philadelphia didn't do like New York of like high hiking the prices, like it's it's the normal price of a metro ticket that that you buy.
SPEAKER_07But parking is probably a different story.
SPEAKER_03So so I I parked uh I parked outside the city basically at the at the furthest metro station that had a huge commuter parking lot. Uh I mean honestly cost four dollars to park for the day, so I can't complain.
SPEAKER_05Uh so on our next podcast, Yanni's gonna give travel tips in the summer and how to get around. I've seen I've seen, I think it was yesterday.
SPEAKER_07Do not go to New York. I think it was for the in Santa Clara. The league I saw $200 to park at the stadium. Yeah, it's insane.
SPEAKER_03It's it's insane. But I and I have to say, every metro stadium had volunteers with the organization that as soon as they saw you with a jersey, basically it was like you take this line, this is where the stadium is. Honestly, uh 10 out of 10 for the organization in Philadelphia. I don't know how it is in other cities, but Philadelphia knocked it out of the park.
SPEAKER_07I just want to say, because you brought up the the rain, the monsoon in in Philadelphia. And crazy enough, three years ago, yeah, July 2023, I was there for uh a concert, and the exact same thing happened. We had they delayed the concert two hours because at the same stadium rain also rained uh two hours, like instead of it started at 11 o'clock at night, and it was insane. And people in Philadelphia, they get very antsy because even you know I there were fights. Yes, I mean you you know people punching each other, men punching women.
SPEAKER_03If they're not serving cheesesteaks, I mean, you know, it's the city of brotherly love. They got no love and they got no brothers.
SPEAKER_07I think I think they say that that's isn't that the stadium where they have a jail in the in the basement. There's the old Philadelphia. Okay, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_03I I have to say I visited when I was in Paris, or just small, but when I was in Paris in January, I visited Stade de France in uh in Paris. They also have a jail. And the guy who was doing the visit gave us basically the list of games with the most people arrested, and I can't remember which game it was. And he's like, we didn't even had space, room in in the jail at some point. So like they had to call the local police station and say, like, come pick them up. The drunk tank. They go sit there to sober at. Exactly.
SPEAKER_07So uh we previewed the World Cup last time out a few weeks back. Um since then, we kind of discovered uh, you know, we talked about how they're we were trying to find some Israeli connection. There always is, but we don't, it's not always super clear. You know, we've forgotten about all those island countries, I was gonna say you know, we found the connection with the Switzerland team uh practicing at the uh the Jewish uh girls' school or whatever. But uh um anyhow, we we found that there's right, there's four players who not Israeli, of course, but they're competing in the World Cup, but they play their club team is in Israel. So uh we wanted to give them uh a shout-out.
SPEAKER_03A shout out, yeah.
SPEAKER_07Uh Christian Martinez of Panama, who plays for Ironi Kiryach Mona. Um Panama uh winless and did not even get a goal in the uh in the tournament. But um uh Curaçao, Genji Kore, who plays for Maccabi Haifa, they got uh it was a draw, right? They had one draw, so that was a I guess a big get for Currasau.
SPEAKER_03I mean at some point they were tied one-one with Germany. Obviously, now we know Germany is not necessarily that good, but when they were 1-1 against Germany, it it was one wonder they actually were threatening to go up.
SPEAKER_05Exactly. I was watching the the bit of that game, the beginning of that game, and they were really in it. So yeah.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, Capo Verdes Helio Var Varela, sorry, who plays for Maccabi Tel Aviv, they are in the round of 32, not even as a best third team. You you know a lot of these small teams was like, are they gonna make the best? They finished second.
SPEAKER_05They finished second. That was a crazy, crazy group, that group. Yes. Uruguay, they they advanced past Uruguay.
SPEAKER_03Uruguay, yeah, exactly.
SPEAKER_05They were full credit for their three three draws.
SPEAKER_03So that they're take they're taking on Argentina tomorrow in Miami. Yeah, tomorrow. No, no, Friday night. Friday night. Friday night. Friday night.
SPEAKER_05When we were released, yes.
SPEAKER_06Yes, exactly.
SPEAKER_07But what's crazy is so we talk about Varella, he actually scored, and it was a big goal. He came on as a sub in the second half of their match against Uruguay on June 21st, and he three minutes after entering, he scores the game time goal.
SPEAKER_03Which is the goal that puts them through, basically.
SPEAKER_05Of a huge mistake from the goalkeeper, for the goalkeeper. That was it. That was the one that got them through and knocked Uruguay out essentially. Yeah.
SPEAKER_07Yeah. And uh lastly, uh Abdulh Sek, who also plays for Maccabi Haifa up on Senegal. Uh, Senegal advanced also to the to the round of 32, and that that match against Belgium. I don't know how they they squandered that lot. The latest latest winning goal in a World Cup ever.
SPEAKER_03And it's the first time ever that a team in a knockout game is up by two goals past the 85th minute and didn't win. It is it is insane. I have to say, because uh uh I'm French and we love to make funds of at uh at the uh at Belgium. Uh they're basically for for the Canadian reference, they're basically our new fees. And in all of my group chats with French people, we were all making funds of Belgium. And and then I have to I have to tip my hat to to to the Belgians. This is an incredible comeback.
SPEAKER_05And we have to give tip our hat to the ref, because that was not and that was not a penalty.
SPEAKER_07That game should have gone to the shooter, and the Americans also are making the big thing after the red card uh in the game against Bosnia. Yes. Now he's out for the next one. He's out, he's suspended for the red card.
SPEAKER_05For their next game against Belgium, yes, yes. He may not be Israeli, but I mean that last name, man, if you say it properly, Balagan. Perfect.
SPEAKER_07Uh and speaking of Israeli, we did have an Israeli representation of sorts at the World Cup, yes, France, Senegal.
SPEAKER_03Well, for their first game, yes. So you I mean, if you've watched the game, there's always a kid that brings the the game ball to the referee, and her name was uh her name is sorry, Ayala Ohana. She's she's Israeli, she's 12 years old, she suffers from a rare genetic disorder. So my my understanding is FIFA selected 104 kids from across the world, not necessarily countries who qualified, obviously, uh to give them that special moment.
SPEAKER_07So yeah, really, really great to see them to do this. And uh she had a moment to guess deliver the game ball to the referees, and I'm sure you know it's a moment that they're she's not gonna forget that that was amazing. Yeah. Talking about the World Cup, but like so far, you know, we're about halfway. About halfway. In terms of Daisia, yeah, yeah, 2019. So yeah, about halfway. I is there something that maybe like stands out, and obviously you've been following France, you were at the match there, but like there's something like for me, it's it's this expanded format has been nice in a sense because you're seeing. I always love you know the Cinderella story. It's always nice to see, like, we talked about Cape Verde, Bosnia, and Congo, all these teams that are advancing to the second round. And you know, obviously they're they're playing these monsters once you get to the round of 32, but to see these kinds of teams uh, you know, on this big stage, like I mean, I just can't wait to personally to see the Argentina and Capo Verde. Like that's insane in Miami. Like, I uh it's gonna be insane.
SPEAKER_03There's there's two things. First of all, the the dooming predictions about odd little 48 teams, you're gonna have a bunch of 7-0 results in the I think we just had the there was a 7-1 Germany against Kurosaus.
SPEAKER_056-0 Canada over King. Yeah, but other than that, it's been another one with five, uh 5-1, I think, Sweden but it wasn't, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_03No, exactly, exactly. So, like, and and you know, I mean Cape Verde is now in the round of 32 again as a second place team, not even having to go through. So it's it's not a it's far from a disaster. I would even call it a success.
SPEAKER_05I heard some I know some and and they're never going backwards at this point. No, exactly.
SPEAKER_07If anything, they're gonna add more in 48. Yeah, exactly.
SPEAKER_03I I don't think yet. I don't think yet. I think like 48 is is is a right format to uh to have. And also is the three host nations all in the round of 16. That's amazing. All of them qualified as top two again, did not have to rely on the best third, all of them win a round of 32 matches.
SPEAKER_05And Mexico hasn't given up a goal yet in four games.
SPEAKER_03Exactly. So like uh the they qualified automatically, blah, blah, blah. They're not they wouldn't be there. It's like these three nations be I mean, obviously, Mexico has been around in round of sixteens for forever, basically. Actually, not round of sixteens, yes, because it's only their second knockout win ever of all time. Exactly. Incredible. Exactly. Um the the US, I mean the first World Cup, people forget the US made it to the semifinals in 1930 in uh in Uruguay, lost to Argentina at that moment. Um and uh and Canada more of the new player uh in terms of the of the three nations. Look, uh we'll see, and I mean when we get to to the minion spread, I'll give my take on Marco versus Canada. Um but this this is also what's important for me is like these three nations, unlike Qatar in 2022, who were completely flamed out, uh, are showing that they belong there. Canada qualified the last time, even not as a host nation in a just 32 teams uh format. Um so for for all the doom predictions about like oh they they they were not supposed to be there and there's going to be weak countries and etc. Look in the end both the 16 extra teams that were added, plus the three hosts are holding their own, and uh kudos to FIFA on that one.
SPEAKER_05I think you know the highlight for me, and and talk about Canada a little bit coming off of July 1st. Look, we've grown up with hockey in our blood, right? For the most part. That's our sport, that's Canadian Canadian sport. I think what's been great for me, I've probably watched more soccer combined in these two and a half weeks so far and even beyond, even if Canada gets knocked out this weekend, I'll still watch. Um but I've watched so much soccer, and and it's what's incredible to me. I went, I was in Toronto on the for the match against Switzerland, and we went to an outdoor uh viewing party with both my kids and my nieces and nephews. And just to see the crowd around, and it's almost like you're watching soccer being born in Canada during this time period and and and how it's uh going to play out over the coming years. As good as the team is now, wait till there's a bigger pool of kids playing. Like what's gonna come from this in the next 12, 16, 20 years that next generation? This is the first generation, really, and then that what's what is the second and third generation gonna look like?
SPEAKER_03So so someone I was speaking to at an interesting point says look at look at the US, they have the population, they have the resources, money, training facilities, and the only thing that was missing was uh a general interest of their best athletes choosing soccer over maybe football, basketball, baseball, whatever. And he says, Look at this, this World Cup will create a generation that the US will win the World Cup in 20 years.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, I wouldn't be shocked. And I think Canada is gonna be a I don't know that they'll be a power per se, like the Europeans, but more and more they're gonna be a player. It won't it won't be a shock when they qualify for the next three or four or five upcoming. And that's I think what's been incredible to watch is that the scenes of I mean it looks like if you didn't tell me that it was World Cup scenes that it w of these watch parties, I would have thought for sure they're hockey. It's yeah, it's Canada playing in the Olympics or something, right? So the c it's incredible to see the way the country has come together for this. I don't know that you would have thought that seven, eight years ago when we were awarded uh the World Cup. So I think for me that's been incredible to watch.
SPEAKER_07Uh some more soccer talk to come in uh later on uh in this episode. Uh it may be we're currently in the midst, I guess, of a heat wave here in Montreal, but uh we're gonna go into the uh back to the ice for a little bit. Uh you know, there's a lot going on in the middle of the year.
SPEAKER_03It is early July and therefore it is free agents frenzy. I mean both the NHL and the NBA. Let's start with Hockey.
SPEAKER_07Yeah, well tie a bow, I guess, on the on the season since uh since we last left you, right? The Carolina Hurricanes. We lost the champs. So yeah, Carolina Hurricanes uh defeat the Vegas Golden Knights in six games to win their first Stanley Cup in 20 years. Um again, always searching for these Jewish connections, which we found out, I guess, after the fact that uh they're actually the general manager of the Carolina Hurricanes, Eric Tulski, is uh is a Jew. And uh also that one of the team's uh development coaches, uh Daniel uh Boschner, actually used to play for Team Israel, and he played for them for uh a while. Like uh he's a Torontonian, represented Israel uh first at the under 18 level in the late 90s, and then over a decade with the senior team, multiple uh world championships. So uh, you know, there's some Israeli and some uh Jewish lineage with the champs uh uh in Carolina and Raleigh.2 percent across the league, right?
SPEAKER_04It should be almost on every team you should fight. Exactly.
SPEAKER_07And even, you know, I guess we'll give a shout out to because even in the American Hockey League and the the uh I know the Toronto Marlies won, but uh we had the most NHL players playing in the AHL. And now the and now they got the first overall.
SPEAKER_05Seriously, their average age team was like 32 years old on this team compared to most AHL teams. Yeah, so good for them.
SPEAKER_07But uh yeah, Boya Vallis uh uh is a Jewish and he was on the the Toronto Marlies who won the Calder Cup trophy in the American Hockey League. Crazy that you know they were love they were they went to game the pivotal game five against Laval, and I think it was a one goal or they scored with like five minutes left in the middle of the year. Yeah, and so to think what could have been had Laval uh uh come through there.
SPEAKER_05Well, that's it. When Belgium wins the World Cup, you think they could have lost and been out to Senegal.
SPEAKER_04Uh so shortly after the by the way, for those who can't see it, Yann just gave me the worst. Like the desk dare. How dare you think the newfies are going to win?
SPEAKER_07Um shortly after the uh Stanley Cup was awarded, obviously then the ship focus shifts to draft uh the NHL draft, and we've been talking ad nauseam about uh Ethan Belchetz. Well, he finally did get drafted in the first round, 17th overall by the Utah Mammoth. Uh you know, the the Jew with the boys it's perfect. And um what stood out obviously is that Utah actually made a trade with the Kings to move up two spots because they really, really wanted him. And GM Bill Armstrong was saying uh after the draft how surprised he was that he was even still available past the top 12, ultimately falling to uh to 17. And uh, you know, he goes from there, they go right into these development camps, which we're seeing across the across the league. He goes to um Utah's uh uh development camp and he's been turning heads there. Obviously, size-wise, he's six foot five, two hundred and twenty-nine pounds. Um, but um they're talking about you know the GM Bill Armstrong also in his comments was talking about how he's hoping that someone at development camp can steal a jersey and get a roster spot with the mammoth come uh September. Um I mean he's certainly the front runner.
SPEAKER_05Well, you look at it draft-wise, he's the most if they you know it's gonna be interesting. So they were offer sheeted or or one of their players was offered so far the only team to be offer sheeted, how uh Barrett uh Hayden. Hayden, sorry, uh one year 4.77 million or something.
SPEAKER_07It's not the money, right? It's the they're talking about how if they don't if they match it, he becomes next year they're gonna get screwed. Right.
SPEAKER_05And they can't well, because they'll have to become a UFA, yeah. Ufa, and they can't they also can't trade him. That's the problem. It's very smart on Nuji. Yeah, it's those those poison pills, right? Jersey. So if they don't match it, uh he has a much better chance of making the team, right? There's probably a f a real legit forward spot open if uh Hayden isn't there. So that'll be interesting to follow that and see. And if that one works, how many more are out there because there's some big RFAs. Yeah, still on the science, yes. That have any yeah, like I think everybody's just waiting for this one to fall and then see what happens.
SPEAKER_07Well also, like you know, we talk about his uh you know, his talents on the ice, but also stood out to me. I was l following uh the draft and everything, and how the aftermath too, and how the character of of this of this kid too, because you know the the NHL draft it drags on. It went on like it's four hours long, even on the Friday night for the first round. But even the sec the day too, if if you follow it, it starts. At eleven a.m. and it ends at like five. It's like six out. It's crazy long. And Ethan Belschedz, after being drafted in round one on Friday, chose to go back on the sat on the Saturday to the arena because he had teammates from Windsor who were still who are still yet to be drafted and he wanted to be there for them to support them. And I think that that's you know that says a lot about the kind of the guy he is. You know, you could be celebrating, he could be doing a bunch of other things that sitting in an arena arena in Buffalo on a Saturday, uh a nice Saturday in June. But uh that's where he chose to spend his day. And uh, you know, we talk about him turning heads. One other thing that I I noticed because it came up on my thing is that we see uh obviously upper deck sponsors the the draft, and then they you know they like to sign players to these already exclusive autograph deals, and so they signed uh Ivar Stenberg, who went second overall to San Jose, Tynan Lawrence, who also was a first-round pick from St. Louis, and they signed Ethan Belchetz to uh an autograph uh exclusivity memorabilia deal. And if you're so inclined, there's already autograph draft memorabilia on their website of Upper Deck. So you can get a draft puck for a hundred bucks, you can get a signed photo for 150 bucks, it'll be worth a lot in a couple of years. Yeah, maybe it's gonna go up in value. So uh so there's that. And uh that or crypto better in the and uh he was there was actually a second Jewish player who was uh selected much later in the draft on that second day. Uh Cooper Soler picked by Tampa Bay in the fifth round. Uh he won the Clark Cup, which is the USHL championship with the Sioux Falls Stampede this past May. USHL rookie of the year, 26 goals, 49 points in 62 games. Um, he's going back to Sioux Falls uh next season, and he's already even committed to Western Michigan beyond that. So uh he's obviously a ways away from the NHL.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, but fifth round you have you have that leeway uh Canada finds those guys, right? Yeah, their drafting has been incredible over the last number of years. So yeah, I wouldn't be shocked to see him in a couple years in a lightning uniform.
SPEAKER_07I want to shout out to obviously we mentioned it's NHL development camp season. So there were six other Jewish hockey players who were invited to camps. Uh Ethan Wittenbach in Calgary, Sage Weinstein, Colorado, Asher Barnett. We talked about uh that family. Uh he goes to Edmonton's camp, Ryan Franks for the Islanders, Devin Kaplan, Philadelphia, and our friend Aiden Dubinski, who was at Montreal's development camp after playing uh late last season with the Laval Rocket uh a few games.
SPEAKER_05So uh he signed with Laval for this year.
SPEAKER_07Yeah, exactly. So then from there, obviously a few days after the NHL draft madness uh subsided, it's already time for the free agent frenzy, which we saw on uh on July 1st and lots of activities. Even in the days leading up, we saw all the trades, obviously the Brady Kachuk trade.
SPEAKER_05And I don't think I've ever seen so many refused trades, also. Yeah, oh yeah, the veatles are going strong, right?
SPEAKER_07All these uh no trade clauses, no movement clauses. Yeah. Uh I guess from a Jewish angle, one thing that we saw uh on July 1st, a trade was uh Devin Levi being traded from uh the Buffalo Sabres to the Edmonton Oilers, along with a 2028 seventh round pick for a 2028 third round pick. It was short, it was a few hours before they ended up getting Frederick Anderson in Edmonton. Yeah, I'm sure. So um so so he's there, and then they'll start.
SPEAKER_03Edmonton has that goalie problem. We've been talking, everyone's been talking about it for for years. Uh there's a new coach coming to Edmonton, Mike Babcock, new new discipline. That's uh I hope for the year. Yeah, that's gonna happen. Uh there's a new sheriff in town. Yeah, that's a better way. Yeah. Um can he have an impact? Uh how many games will he play?
SPEAKER_05But I think this is a great opportunity for him because Anderson's there one year. Yeah, you have no idea. Yeah, yeah. This is it. This is Anderson's last year. He won his cup. He he didn't want to end probably the way it ended. I mean, unfortunately, you know, mental health reasons getting in the way for him playing. He probably he plays those last three games or wins those last three games. He's the consmite trophy winner, not Jordan Stahl, right? So he just wanted to go one play one probably one more year. He gets to go out with that, and look, he has a shot at another cup for sure. He's going to con you know, and they're probably looking at the same way, like, okay, can we squeeze one 30 or 45 games out of you? They have Tristan Jerry there also. Who they got for Stewart's.
SPEAKER_07Well, he's still got two more years left out of but he came in for the Stuart Skinner trade. And he's been he even last year was terrible. I don't even know if he's I know he's still there, but is he really part of their plans?
SPEAKER_05I think you come in a fresh coach, fresh, all fresh faces. There's no he's not going to be loyal to anybody in that sense, right? It's whoever gives us the best chance, and and he's if he doesn't play for this year, he plays well in the AHL. He's playing for next year to be the backup to Jerry and then eventually take over for Jerry. He's still young.
SPEAKER_07He's 24 years old, but it's crazy, he's already his third.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, but remember he's seventh round draft pick. And in Florida, he was behind Brobovsky and Spencer Knight. And he was behind a lot of gold medical. He was at the Olympics Canada. No, with juniors with this. And then he went to the Olympic team when the NHL players weren't there. For Sam Reinhardt, right, for Sam Reinhardt. And then he got stuck in Buffalo behind Pekka Uka Lokanin. Alex Lyon. Alex Lyon and all these other guys. So it just, you know, bad circumstance. Maybe this is a better situation, and then we'll see.
SPEAKER_07He's got a good contract. He's got one year left on the contract at $812,000, and then he's an RFA next summer. So I mean it's they got nothing to lose, obviously.
SPEAKER_05He's gonna take the opportunity and run with it, you know.
SPEAKER_07Uh another player, well, as we as it stands, uh just after five o'clock.
SPEAKER_03Jordan Jordan's checking his dinner right now.
SPEAKER_07Things could change by tomorrow, but uh anyhow, Quinn Hughes still not re-signed with the Minnesota Wild. Uh he's waiting.
SPEAKER_04He was waiting for Bowen Byron's contract. Oh, look.
SPEAKER_03Okay, but with these re-signs, like I see every time people freak out, it's July 2nd. He hasn't re-signed, like they technically, and I understand that like sometimes you make a phone call or two before July 1st, but technically they're not allowed to start even negotiating before July 1st. But then we see Ivan Demidoff signing within one minute of uh very quick negotiations. We're gonna give you this, okay. I mean, honestly, with the price that Montreal got for him, clearly it was a situation of we're gonna give you this. Okay.
SPEAKER_05I mean, look, Lane Hudson didn't sign until October last year. So I don't think there's any, you know. I think I actually think what's going on with Minnesota is they're waiting. They're in on Larkin, they're in on some of these other guys, and they need to see how all of that shakes out. And they've told I there's a contract there. There's for sure a contract there that he knows what he's gonna get and they've agreed to it. They're just waiting on all the things.
SPEAKER_07I think it's the term too, because I I I was I saw the this interview which I could not believe the frankness of their their owner in Minnesota, Craig Leopold. Like he was just he went on like Minnesota radio and he was like just spilling everything, and he's like, I'm a fan even before I'm uh like like talking as if he's like open and everything. Like he wants he went full Jerry Jones. I don't know how Bill Garin feels about this, but like I'm sure he hates it. You know, it's not a question of if we're gonna sign him, but for how long, and we'd like to go maybe uh five years, but maybe he's gonna want three years.
SPEAKER_05Like he's really openly saying this on Yeah, but he's playing the PR game because he doesn't want to be blamed if it goes badly. Exactly. But uh I'm fully confident he ends up, especially if Larkin ends up there, which they look like the front runner that he's gonna end up there. He's staying. This this team USA group chat, yeah, as we found out over the uh Did you think Donald Trump's on it? Yeah, that means as we found out over the last few weeks, has really uh you know forced a lot of players out, you know, Werensky going back and forth now. He's gonna stay for now, we'll see. Who knows? I'll not decide I don't think Quinn is going anywhere.
SPEAKER_07Yeah. In in much smaller UFA uh free agent news, just to give a little mention, you know, Jordan Harris re-signed with the Boston Bruins. Initially they didn't even they didn't give him a qualifying offer, so I thought, okay, they're gonna let him go. And then sure enough, the next day they they sign him to an $850,000 one-year contract. He just played only played eight games last year because he had multiple injuries. So he's looking for, I guess, uh yeah, his negotiation power wasn't very strong.
SPEAKER_05You know, he's staying home. It's to go home, it's you know, show a show me contract.
SPEAKER_07Yeah, um there's Luke Connin who's still a UFA at this hour, so we'll see what happens to him. He's more of a obviously depth AHL kind of call-up. Maybe like uh like our friend from uh Laval, Nate Clerman, who uh signed in Sweden with the SHL. So uh the the Habs lost some Jewish uh Rugal Rugalich at Rugal. Okay, so on the on the women's hockey front, we have to I guess talk about uh Aaron Frankel again. She was named not only PWHL goalie of the year, but also the Billie Jean King MVP. Yeah league record, eight shutouts, tied for first in wins with 19. The stats were were unbelievable.
SPEAKER_05And so uh, you know, I think it's and that doesn't even talk about the Olympic gold medal that she ran through the Olympic tournament with.
SPEAKER_07Exactly, but she did get some some love from the from the people at the SBs. Oh, I love the SBs. I love the yeah, it's coming up in a few weeks, yeah. So best championship performance she's nominated for her play on Team USA. There you go, alongside Connor Hellebuck for Team USA American version. Uh version. Jalen Brunson of the Knicks, which we're gonna talk about him later.
SPEAKER_05I see a I unfortunately don't think she's gonna win looking at this list.
SPEAKER_07And uh a Texas Longhorn softball player, too, Tegan Cavan.
SPEAKER_05So uh I don't think sorry, Teegan.
SPEAKER_07No, it's very but this is very Can we bet on this?
SPEAKER_05Because I put my money on Brunson.
SPEAKER_07SPs are so American and and also like they don't tend to acknowledge the hockey people that much. Now I think they will a little bit more because of the USA thing, but for sure.
SPEAKER_04All of a sudden hockey's again.
SPEAKER_07Yeah, I'm sure you'll have like the Kachuks there and everything. I'm sure they're gonna be there.
SPEAKER_04By the way, they'd be great co-hosts.
SPEAKER_07I saw that the Kachuks too. Another thing that I love at this time of year, I think it's it's next weekend. Uh you you you know about the um the the ACC American Century, they do the celebrity golf tournament tournament, yeah. And both Kachuks are gonna be in it. Nice. So that should be fun.
SPEAKER_05Are they gonna use hockey sticks?
SPEAKER_07That'd be good. The reigning champion though from last year is Joe Pavelski. Oh, there you go. So he's uh out of uh this big field of all these massive stars from all different sports and celebrities and everything. Also in the goalie front and the women's uh game, Abby Levy, who signs with the expansion San Jose team. She actually backed up Aaron Frankel last year in Boston, only played three games. I think we know why. Um, well, yeah, she's gonna share the crease in San Jose with Corinne Schroeder, her who was actually her goalie partner for the first two seasons of the PWHL when she was with New York. And uh, you know, we talked there's not that many Jewish players in the PWHL, and four were actually just drafted into the league. Uh Izzy Wonder 13th to Vegas, Alyssa Weiderman 30th to Hamilton, Kendall Butts 49th to Las Vegas, and Georgia shift 63rd to Detroit. So we may see uh some more Jewish contingent uh in the near future. And lastly, uh on shout out to I guess Larry Tannenbaum. He invested a hundred million dollars in the PWHL, the first outside investors since the league was established in 2023. The league has a rather unique model, it's the the Walter family, and they actually own all the teams. So um, you know, opportunities to invest are not exactly so obvious in terms of the women's. But he's uh yeah, they named him a strategic partner, and we know Tannenbaum's history, obviously, with the Maple Leafs, the Raptors, and now also the founder and the owner of the new WNBA team in Toronto, the Tempo.
SPEAKER_05And he's really doubling down on investing in in uh women's sports. So good on him. Way to be a leader.
SPEAKER_07Definitely. Uh shifting here to the NBA. Yeah, yeah. Uh, the NBA finals, obviously, won by the New York Knicks in five games over the San Antonio Spurs. I mean, it's insane how that series went. I I'm still at a loss to kind of see describe what I think. I have to be.
SPEAKER_03I was in mourning for uh actually not oh, not a Wemby fan. Oh not a big Wemby fan, though.
SPEAKER_04No. We're gonna have to okay, we'll have to go into this in another part after uh not a big Spurs fan, actually.
SPEAKER_03More more in general than not a Wembi fan. And I mean it's twice now that that the Spurs have a big French star, Tony Parker, back in the day, and now now Wemby. Uh so yeah, they're torturing me. They're really trying to win my loyalty. They're not even that big a rival with Denver. No, I know. Um, but I mean, I have to be honest, I went to sleep during game four. Oh yeah. Apparently so 90 to 75 going into the fourth quarter. Turn it on. Exactly. Apparently, so did the Spurs. 29 point definitely. That's crazy. Did you saw that tweet of like someone saying, like, whoa, big three by I think it was Brunson to cut the leads just to 26, trying to make fun of it? But my favorite it was actually a big three.
SPEAKER_07My favorite from that whole thing. I'm a huge like Seinfeld fan. And so obviously Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld were there and uh their facial reactions, but also there was a uh a tweet that was sent, I think that that night or the next day, about if you're familiar with Seinfeld, there's a famous episode about uh you know Jerry's at the uh uh the rental car place and he's uh looking to he's looking to get a rental car. He has a reservation, he goes up to the counter and he tells the the woman at the desk uh, I'm here to pick up my car. And she says, I'm sorry, we don't have the car for you. But I made a reservation and he's then he makes this whole joke about they know how to take the reservation, they don't know how to hold the reservation. So there was a nice tweet. They know how to take the lead, they don't know how to hold the lead.
SPEAKER_05And they had a double-digit lead in all five games. Yeah, and all five games were in the lead in the last five minutes of every game. How do you not win a series? You lose four games to one. Yeah, it's crazy.
SPEAKER_03Like losing in seven with these kinds of numbers.
SPEAKER_05Losing in five, I mean it's they and it showed the weakness of the team was that they don't have a closer, where as you go to the Knicks, they have there was no one person was getting the ball coming down the stretch, you knew who it was every time.
SPEAKER_07And nobody believed in them. I I also I I flipped even at one point because I I have uh, you know, there's Pix 11, which is like the CW, like the local news for New York. It's like a and they have a sports show at like 11 o'clock, and the game was still going, but they were broadcasting from outside MSG, and uh the the the announc the anchors were already saying, you know, the the Knicks lost this game like before it ended, and they're like the Knicks lost, like they're gonna go to uh to San Antonio for for game five, and like talking as if it was over, and then by the end of the show they they had already uh come back to win. So just just insane. And obviously, you know, the big story we we alluded to it was the play of Jalen Brunson, winner of the Bill Russell trophy as the finals MVP, led his team in scoring in every game except for game two, uh, 30 points game one, 32 points in game three, thirty-six points in game four, and then in the clinching game, 45 points, which is a franchise record for a finals game. I mean, he he could could not be stopped. Like he had he was on a mission.
SPEAKER_05And everybody knew he's getting the ball, and they still, and by the way, San Antonio, great defensive team coming into the series, just didn't have an answer for him.
SPEAKER_07And of course, you know, we we we touched on at the top, but there's always the Jewish connection and we we found out after the fact. But uh Brunson's wife, Dr. Allison Marks, is a Jewish woman. She's uh a physical therapist, they're high school sweethearts from their uh days in Chicago, got married at the Ritz Carlton in Chicago in a nice wedding. Um and they Jordan was there. There's a nice video of like it's a recap of it, but then you see them signing the ketubah, getting married under a hoopa, dancing the horror. Um he broke the glass. He broke the glass. So and uh I mean, I don't know if they have kids, but it means the kids do have a daughter, and the daughter is actually named after Allison's late father, James. He was obviously he was Jewish and died from pancreatic cancer at the age of 49. So yeah, his name was James, so the daughter's middle name is James in his honor. So uh they follow the customs. It's really uh it's nice to see similar to uh the Sacramento Kings Yeah, Divan Despot who married the the Jewish woman as well. So it's a thing in the in the NBA, yeah. Uh and then other obviously Jewish connections. Uh the next president we saw, Leon Rose, is born to a Jewish family instead of Maccabi. It's a Maccabi coach.
SPEAKER_03Wait a second, guys. We were able to find Jewish connections in New York. Wow. Shocking. And then we go into their fan base, obviously, Larry David, Jerry Seinfeld, Ben Stiller. I mean, I have to I by the way, we have to mention Jerry Seinfeld's performance after I think it was after game four, where I don't know if you saw the Milwaukee game. Who says, Can you say free Palestine? And he answers, it doesn't exist. I love Jerry Seinfeld.
SPEAKER_07Jerry's actually gonna be in Montreal in a few weeks, it just for laughs. I'm gonna be going there and I'm already waiting. You already know that there's gonna be the people outside yelling.
SPEAKER_03I was at his show at the Bell Center last yeah, January 2025. Very, very good.
SPEAKER_07Yeah, and people come and I love it. Like sometimes they'll they'll infiltrate into the venue and he always calls them out. He can't wait. And he loves this he loves to remind them that thank you for giving money to a Jew. It's just amazing.
SPEAKER_05Like, but wait, there's some more connections. Come on, this is great stuff. The sixth one, the sixth. That that is that takes the cake, right? Yeah, that takes the cake.
SPEAKER_07So the Knicks win the championship on June 13th, which of course is six, one, three. And if you know Judaism, we know that that number is significant. It's the number of commandments and mitzvot we have in the in the in the Torah. So there you go with that. And then if you take it a step further, you know, the last time the Knicks a step further, that's the last time the Knicks won the title 53 years ago, they were coached by a Jew, Red Holzman. And if you look up his stats, his coaching career ended with 613. Hanging in the rafters.
SPEAKER_05Hold on. They showed it in the final shots of the game after game five. There's a big banner that says 613 for the amount of wins that he has.
SPEAKER_03Guys, yeah, well, anyways, we're not gonna feed the perpetuate the uh the notion, but obviously there's the I mean there's Jewish connection in New York everywhere except the mayor's office, probably. Yeah, they're definitely not.
SPEAKER_07We talked uh just as we were recording the last episode, we talked about Cole Carrig of the Colorado Rockies, who was just just called up to make his MLB debut. We took we showed you the highlight, or we you heard the highlight of him getting the triple for his first big league hit. Well, two nights later, he one-upped himself by hitting his first uh big league home run against the Chicago Cubs.
SPEAKER_01Great immediate map like home right there. After 0-2 ditch, took a couple pitches outside the zone, got himself a spinning slider.
SPEAKER_07And if that weren't enough, the next night um he also had another home run against the Athletics in the series that they were playing uh in Las Vegas. Three home runs, 11 RBI uh so far for the young rookie. Everybody's hitting home runs in Vegas. Yes. How is that series flying? I could hit a home run in Vegas, honestly. Just the scores, the high scores. How many?
SPEAKER_05I mean, it's crazy how many runs were scored over that. Yeah.
SPEAKER_07I know they were playing in uh the minor league ball. They're gonna obviously they're getting the new state of the art stadium. The ball's flying. I'm sure, yeah.
SPEAKER_03And then this is the dry air.
SPEAKER_07This story too. We we we've been talking about uh Zach Galoff of the Athletics and his hitting streak, and the story is crazy, also sad uh in it in it too. Like he ran the streak to 24 games, so his streak was ongoing, and then all all of a sudden it cut it came to a halt rather suddenly on June 23rd against the San Francisco Giants. Uh he had an at bat early in the game, and then in the second inning, his right hand was stepped on by Matt Chapman uh on a tag and uh was bleeding from his hand. So he had to be taken out of the game and was eventually diagnosed with a right hand laceration and contusion, placed on the 10 day injured list. Uh two days later, despite X-rays coming back negative for a fracture. Um, so because of that, he had that one at bat. Ah, that counts as a big thing. So it counts as a so his streak officially ends. Uh yeah, that's true. And uh he was playing obviously so well. And last year he was injured for much of the season. So, you know, it was crazy. The 24-game hitting streak is the longest season single season streak in the majors over the last two years, and the sixth longest in A's history. So he was accomplishing something rather special. He was like tearing the ball during the streak, 351 average, five home runs, seven doubles, 12 RBIs. So uh he's uh he's uh on the shelf right now. So wishing him a Rafushalema. Also, Spencer Horowitz of the Pirates also out past the all-star break with a hamstring injury. So lots of injuries to some uh the Jewish players uh across uh across the majors.
SPEAKER_05Hopefully they come back soon.
SPEAKER_07It's a long season.
SPEAKER_05Long season, yeah. That baseball season.
SPEAKER_07Uh shout out to uh in golf. Um we had the U.S. Open, one of the golf's four majors uh in the last few weeks, and uh Ben Silverman, who's from Thornhill, Ontario, actually qualified for the U.S. Open. He shot a seven under at a qualifying event in Florida to secure one of the four uh available spots in the field. It was actually a second time at the U.S. Open after he was there in 2022. He shot two rounds of 74. It was a plus eight, so he missed the the cut for for the weekend. It's a tough course there at Shinnecock uh in Long Island Long Island, like and uh Wyndham Clark. Wyndham Clark, yeah. Yeah, he won.
SPEAKER_05So yeah, he but there was only a few guys under par there. Yeah, it's a tough uh tough course. Tough course rated the toughest course in uh in America in the US.
SPEAKER_07So just an accomplishment and of itself that he made it that he played and uh um played in the uh in the in the tournament. Uh Maccabi games are underway. Just started this week and started this week in Israel.
SPEAKER_05Unfortunately, Canada's not there.
SPEAKER_07Yeah, it's kind of a a a shame. Uh I actually was there last time in 2022 as part of the Canadian delegation. So I actually was uh in contact with some people there to get more of the backstory, and they were obviously it's because they couldn't get insurance, there was a cutoff date for insurance, and because they had to make a decision, ultimately they decided they had to to pull out. So the there were 300 athletes that were supposed to go represent Canada, and then so they didn't. And I think I was told that there's uh about 10 or so who are going as independent athletes, you know, they still wanted to go, they were committed to go. Obviously, there's older age brackets too. You got people in their 50s and you know who you know can you there's less of a concern, well, not less of a concern, but it's less of a or thing to bring them where you're bringing kids, right? So they uh And this was after it was postponed last year, right?
SPEAKER_05This was people were supposed to be on the on uh going last year and they reschedule it for this year. I had a few friends who are on the 40 plus uh men's hockey team who were doing it.
SPEAKER_07I don't know, is hockey even I don't know if hockey's even happening now. I I went on their website and I didn't see hockey. I guess maybe Canada's not there, maybe they decide not to do it.
SPEAKER_05Uh but I did but I do like there was a few of my buddies who were on the team four years ago who were wanting to go back to defend their gold medal and they weren't able to. And there was a couple of kids on the under 18 Canada team who I had coached two summers ago at Maccabi in Detroit who were on the Canada national team for hockey who obviously weren't able to go. So it's unfortunate. Hopefully they'll go back there in three years.
SPEAKER_07Yeah. Having been there, it's such a great great experience because it's it's such a huge sporting event. Obviously, we think of the Olympics, but this is kind of they call it the Jewish Olympics because it is. I mean that's the idea of the thing. There's 70 nations, and there's you know, you you go to these uh parties or these gatherings which we were at, and you see people from India and Jamaica and the Gibraltar, Zimbabwe. It's like insane that there's like Jewish representation in all these countries and and the sports, you know, it's it's everything. There's volleyball, obviously basketball, gymnastics, tennis, soccer, karate. I even saw there's chess is is a sport at the uh the Maccabia games. Like why not? There's something for everyone. Obviously, you know, I don't know about this year, but you know, we just uh hockey, you know, they're playing in July and this in their arena. There's it's insane. Like, but uh so anyway, we wish obviously all the athletes uh competing well. The games are going through July 14th, so uh maybe have an update.
SPEAKER_05It's already a big upset yesterday. I saw just to quickly Israel beat USA in baseball 6'5. Wow, huge upset.
SPEAKER_07They got a good I in Renana, it's a very beautiful field.
SPEAKER_05I saw the game ended on an incredible over-the-fence catch by the center fielder. I saw a video highlight of it to win the game 6-5 for Israel.
SPEAKER_07So maybe Nate Fish is taking notes.
SPEAKER_05Uh maybe recruiting. I bet you I bet you he's there scouting for sure.
SPEAKER_04For sure, for sure, for sure.
SPEAKER_07And uh saw this to Yasher Koach, to uh Linda Kahn uh Cohn, longtime sports center anchor at uh ESPN in the States, just retired from the network after 34 years, more than 5,500 episodes of SportsCenter that she anchored. Of course, it's a record. Uh she's been inducted into the National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame in 2003, former star goalie too in the women's hockey team at Oswego State. So um Yashikoach to her on a phenomenal, phenomenal career.
SPEAKER_05I have two local shout-outs. I gotta do a just happens to be two kids that I I happen to have coached in my career. It has nothing to do with me, but just Max Blauer, who is the one of the two goalies on Team Quebec playing at the famous BRIC tournament in Edmonton. That's a great tournament. That tournament has turned out NHL star after NHL star. It's incredible. In fact, I was looking at the teams. Never mind does it turn out NHL stars. Like I think almost every other team other than Team Quebec is being coached currently by a former NHL or current NHL or something. It's kind of like the Pee-Wee tournament. Yeah, and so this is the this is the age category below that. So Pee-Wee is what's considered M13, this is M11. So these are the best right now, currently 2016 players across North America, essentially. And so he's on Team Quebec, and there's uh there's a 16 teams there. And uh unfortunately they did not make it to playoffs. They finished fifth in their division, they had to finish in the top four, but he had an incredible tournament, he got a first star in one of the games, he was great. And they played against like Anze Kopitar is coaching there, his son is in the tournament, Nathan Gerby is coaching, he has twins in it. Like it's crazy the kid the the players that are in this tournament. Some of these are these are kids that you're absolutely going to see in the NHL in the future. And then one last shout out to uh kid that I coached three years ago at Maccabi, Uri Skalnik, whose father, Daniels, a former Montrealer, comes back every summer, and he is playing currently in the IEHL, which started that's the Israeli Elite Hockey League, which started play uh last week. He's playing for the Haifa Mariners. And what's what's cool about the Haifa Mariners this year is there's eight teams. That team is all developmental. So it's kids that have been playing in the Israeli Developmental League all year round. And a couple of players from North America, too. They're all under 18, and he applied. He lives in Revelstoke, he applied. His grandparents and his mom are from Israel, and so he applied and he got accepted. He's a goalie. He's playing as their goalie, as their starting goalie. They've played their first two games, they're currently 2-0. They played the defending champions. This drops on Friday morning, so they're playing the defending champions. I think it's at the local time will be about 8 30 in the morning in in Montreal in game three, and then they go on to the reseeding round, and then there's a championship round. So it's all done. It's three weeks. Done by July 14th. They're doing it quicker, but he'll be coming to Montreal after before he heads to Maccabi in North America and Toronto, August 2nd, and he's gonna come on as a guest to talk to us about his experience there and his experience.
SPEAKER_07This may be though why there's no hockey in the Maccabi games because the IHL is IHL is going on at the same time.
SPEAKER_05But it's possible, but but it's he's an incredible story, and he lives in Revelstoke in British Columbia, and he it's incredible that he made it there and he's playing for Haifa. And uh guys, anybody who wants to go check out the IHL website. All the games are on YouTube for free. It's actually the hockey's really good. It's not you would think it, you know, it's really good. It's really good hockey. And it's two Montrealers who who you know who run the league. So kudos to them, shout out to them.
SPEAKER_07And yeah, we're looking forward to having him talk about his experience with us because uh and just what it was like to play there.
SPEAKER_05He's playing against adults too. He's playing against all these guys, they're adults, they're European hockey players, they're really good hockey players. Yeah, yeah. So very cool.
SPEAKER_07Stay tuned for that in the coming weeks.
Historical Segment: The Humble Beginnings of WFAN Radio
SPEAKER_07So for our historical segment this week, um, obviously on this side of the border, July 1st is Canada Day. It's free agent frenzy uh in the NHL, but south of the border, July 1st marks another milestone uh in sports history. Uh on July 1st, 1987, that's uh 39 years ago. New York radio changed forever when WFAN officially signed on the air, becoming the first full-time all sports talk radio station in the United States. At exactly 3 p.m., the former WHN became WFAN 1050, and the very first voice listeners heard belonged to a Jewish broadcaster who would go on to become one of the most recognizable voices in American sports radio, Susan Waldman.
SPEAKER_00Good afternoon, everybody, and welcome to the first broadcast of WFAM or 2015. Was indeed a classificator performance. Two games in the ALER going on right now up at Exhibition Stadium and in the top of the fifth there's a lot of the city.
SPEAKER_07That opening wasn't just symbolic, it was historic. Of course, at a time when sports radio was almost exclusively a boys' club, uh, Waldman helped launch a format that would eventually spread across North America. Long before women regularly hosted sports talk shows or occupied broadcast booths or the sidelines. She was proving she belonged on the air with the same knowledge, preparation, and passion as anyone else. Born in Massachusetts to a Jewish family, Waldman's path to sports broadcasting was anything but conventional. She was a classically trained singer and actress, appearing in Broadway productions before making the leap into sports media in the early 1980s. She covered the New York Knicks and New York Yankees, hosted one of WFAN's daily midday shows, and quickly became a familiar voice to sports fans across the city. Her biggest breakthrough came in 2005 when she was named the radio color commentator for the New York Yankees, alongside the great late legendary John Sterling. With that appointment, Waldman became the first woman to serve as a full-time radio analyst for the Yankees, a franchise steeped in more than a century of history. Over the past two decades, she's called hundreds of Yankees games, including a World Series championship in 2009, and has become known for her unmistakable enthusiasm and signature reactions to dramatic moments. Whether celebrating a walk-off win or lamenting a late inning collapse like the Yankees, who have lost uh six straight uh so far right now, including being swept by the Red Sox, which I'll bring up because I knew was gonna come up anyway. Uh, Susan has never been afraid to let listeners know exactly how she feels. And interesting tidbit about her, we talk about Sandy Koufax uh taking Yom Kipper off. Every year she takes Yom Kipper off uh from the broadcast booth uh with the Yankees to go to synagogue. For Jewish sports fans, Waldman's success represents another chapter in a long tradition of breaking barriers and broadcasting. She wasn't simply the first voice of America's first sports radio station. She became one of the pioneering women in sports media, opening doors for future generations of broadcasters. Nearly four decades after that first broadcast, Sports Talk Radio has become a staple of the North American sports landscape. And it all began with a simple greeting from Susan Waldman on a summer afternoon in New York, a voice that helped launch an entire industry.
Minyan Spread
SPEAKER_03Thank you, Jordan. Now for the minion spread. I I don't think we had a uh a good last episode. The damn draws.
SPEAKER_04The draws killed us.
SPEAKER_05Just to show how much we don't know about soccer. I will just say this. We don't need to go into detail except that we went 0 for six on our picks the last uh. So it's not just me this time.
SPEAKER_03No, no, it wasn't just it was the the Jordan, the honoring Jordan. It was our Jordan picks.
SPEAKER_05That's what we called it. But uh we'll just go over the money quickly just so we go back. Jordan, you gotta get above that Mendoza line right now. Minus $110.47. Yeah, and you are at 9,112 and 61 cents, and I am just above 10,000 at 10,084 and 47 cents. So, Jordan, want to lead us off?
SPEAKER_07Uh yeah. I I wanted to swing for the fence this year. I was very, very tempted to take the to do the Cabo Verde opposite of Roger Tina to try to like, because if you see the odds, I've never seen odds like this. Plus 4,000. That's crazy. But compared to all the other ones, it's like plus 150, plus I think plus 600, but then they're like plus 2,000. It's insane the the odds for them to win. I'm still going for a pretty significant upset because I I want to try to again get over the get over the hump there. So I don't know. I'm feeling very patriotic. It was just Canada Day. You know, we're all in the soccer mode. So uh on uh on July 4th, out in Houston. Canada Day. And I'm sure it's the 250th birthday of the United States. Canada is going into Houston to play the round of 16 match against Morocco. And uh I don't know. I'm just gonna go for it. I don't know if I really certainly believe it's gonna happen, but I I'm gonna say that Canada upsets Morocco and uh makes it to the quarterfinals of the World Cup, which would be something to see. Um and I know you guys are gonna spoiler alert, go, you know, focus obviously on so focus solely on the uh uh on soccer, but I wanted to you know try something else just in case. I I had success with this a little bit last year. You've done well at these Grand Prix. That's true. This weekend is the the British Grand Prix. Um and so uh George, it's always the same weekend as Wimbledon, yeah. Exactly.
SPEAKER_05Wimbledon takes the Sunday off and we have the not anymore, though. Oh, that's true, not anymore. They used to do it there.
SPEAKER_07Yeah, but uh anyway, so at Silverstone, uh they'll be racing uh this weekend. George Russell um won last week at the Austrian Grand Prix um for Mercedes. You know, Mercedes that we've all been talking about, Kimmy Antonelli, who's won just about everything else beside um this season. So going well for Mercedes and uh, you know, uh Russell in his home track in front of his home crowd um at Silverstone. I'm I'm I'm feeling him on the hot streak. I think he's gonna go ahead and win. A Brit has won nine of the last 12 races at Silverstone, largely been Lewis Hamilton, but I'm feeling uh it's Russell's turn. I'm feeling it's George Russell's turn, so we'll put some money on him to win the British Grand Prix this weekend.
SPEAKER_05I would love to see the Brits have to cheer on Lewis Hamilton coming out of a Ferrari car if he wins. Yeah. That'd be pretty funny. Yeah, and you want to go?
SPEAKER_03Yeah, so I'm gonna keep going with my inverse Jordan uh investment strategy. Uh I'm gonna bet I haven't I hadn't even seen that you were taking Canada to beat Morocco. I think look, Morocco's a lot stronger than Canada. Um Canada, yes, playing well, but uh uh Morocco's a top 10 team in the world. They they uh they dominated the game against the Netherlands. I think they should have been able, had it not been for some key says by by the Dutch goalie, they would have been able to win in normal time or in overtime. Uh they they ended up going two penalties when I mean going into penalties against the Dutch is basically you can book your ticket to the next round, almost like England. Yes. Um, I mean the Dutch are happy that England exists because everyone forgets about their curse in penalties. Uh but yeah, so I I think look, I think Morocco's a lot stronger. The way I see it, Morocco they play well four out of five games, and this is what I was telling a lot of my friends is I think Canada has a chance if it's that one game that Morocco fumbles. But 80% odds is still pretty good uh for a bet. So I'm putting 500 on Morocco to uh to advance uh against Canada, and the other big game in the uh round of 16 Norway against Brazil, Brazil. Uh look, the way Holland has been playing, by the way. Did you saw he called Omer Shendov uh on FaceTime? Yeah, um great guy.
SPEAKER_07I love that the the cowboy hat, he's really embracing the colour. Exactly.
SPEAKER_03Look, uh it's crazy because the goal that he scored to beat uh Code d'Ivoire is is probably his worst goal ever. And if if anyone, if any youngster playing soccer would would do that type of type of that type of tap in, their coach would be besides themselves. But I mean it worked in the end. Uh so the balls rolling for them. I think Norway's gonna beat Brazil. Uh, I did not found Brazil very, very uh impressive since the beginning of the tournament. Uh they played well the second half against Japan, and I think Japan in the end tried too much just to play defense because they had good chances in the first half. They should have stayed with the same strategy. Um but I think Norway is gonna be too much for uh for uh for Brazil. So they've got $500 on each other.
SPEAKER_05So I will get into mine. I'll just say that my first pick is also I was gonna go with Norway to upset Brazil at plus 300 uh on uh Sunday, July 5th. I just love the way they've played. I I also have not been uh overly impressed with Brazil. I think that at times they've been very weak and have been uh easy to uh to be run on. I think Norway has shown that they can play different styles and they've had some tight games. They haven't had an easy run, you know, and maybe coming through a harder group will have had them battle tested. It's also their first time. They're just loving the experience. Their first time there in 30 years. I mean, so cultural friends having fun. Right. Holland is emerging, he's enjoying it for the first time. He's in the he raced for the golden boot. I mean, he's this is really his come out. I mean, we know about him from Man City, there's no question he's scoring ad nauseum against Israel in the qualifying. He's really this is his world coming out party, there's no question, and I think he's gonna be a huge star. He's like that next one, right? Like as as Messi you know exits left and Mbappe is coming up, Holland is right there, and Ronaldo exits left. These are the next guys, and you're gonna see them around for a while. Plus, you just gotta love those kits, man. I hope they wear those red kits. Yeah. That is the best kit in the in this entire tournament. So I'm also going with Norway. Uh I am going to go with Belgium to beat the US on Monday, July 6th. I don't like that US lost Balogun. I think that's gonna be a huge loss for them. I think Pulisik is a little bit hurt, and I think it's gonna show on on Monday, and I think Belgium survived, and there's something that comes from that. I think they're gonna gain a little something that's gonna push them forward, maybe not all the way, but certainly past the US team that they should beat. And and US always has problems against European teams. Yes, they didn't have the problem against Bosnia, I get it, but that's not a European power. This is a European power. And I think Belgium, you know, they came into this tournament as opposed to the last number of them very much um as an underdog, not an like an underdog. They weren't in the favorite position, right? Where four years ago they were, they were second ranked coming in, and then the the European before that they were highly ranked. So they come in a little quieter with that with not much left of that like golden generation. I think it's uh been these new guys that have been carrying them, and I think with less pressure and less expectation, I think they win this one.
SPEAKER_03Look, I think they have a cheat card which is Lukaku, like he's not able to play a complete game. And neither is De Bruyne, yeah. Exactly. But you sub in Lukaku at the 75th minute, and he can give you 15 minutes that are absolutely extraordinary, as Senegal found out.
SPEAKER_05But you know what I saw last when they were we were watching the game, yeah, and we'll say on Wednesday, right, against Senegal. I mean, Thielmans, for a guy who's the captain who has all the pressure on him in the world, the way he just stepped up and took that penalty, and like nothing. Like it really, like, especially when you saw from the night before the Dutch and the Morocco and how many of them missed or hit the post or I couldn't believe I've never seen a worse penalty. I mean, and the Germans who did another. Yeah. So like that it really impressed me, and I think they're they're a little calmer. There's just something there that's just they have no pressure on them, and they really feel Maybe they'll feel like they should beat the US and maybe they will have pressure, but I just think they'll get past the US and then we'll see. Yeah.
D'var Torah- Parashat Pinchas
SPEAKER_03So now for our uh Dvar Torah, Parshat Pinchas. In sports, one of the hardest things to do is to stay ready when you're not the star. Every championship team has players who don't always make the headlines. They spend hours preparing, practicing, studying film, and supporting their teammates, never knowing exactly when their opportunity will come. But when it does, they're expected to perform. Parshat Pinchas is in many ways about being ready for that moment. After years of leading the Jewish people through the wilderness, Moses is told that he will not enter the land of Israel. A new leader is needed. Rather than lobbying for the job or holding a public competition, Hashem chooses Yehoshua. Why Yehoshua? Not because he has the loudest voice or the flashiest personality, because he had spent decades preparing. He served Moses faithfully, remained loyal during the episodes of the spies, and consistently put the team's mission ahead of his own ambitions. When his number was finally called, he was ready. When a star gets injured or retires, someone else has to step into the lineup. The best organizations don't panic, they trust that the next player has been preparing all along. Think about backup goaltenders who suddenly have to start a game seven or a rookie quarterback thrust into the playoffs. Success isn't about avoiding pressure, it's about preparing before the pressure arrives. That's exactly what Yoshua had been doing. Leadership wasn't given to him overnight, it was earned through years of consistency. Fans usually remember the game-winning goal or championship trophy. Coaches remember everything that happened before that. Who showed up early, who stayed late, who encouraged teammates, who practiced as hard in October as they did in June. Yeahoshua's promotion wasn't based on one spectacular moment. It was built on thousands of small moments of faithfulness that no one else noticed. Great leaders are rarely made overnight. One of the most powerful lessons in Pinjas is that lasting success comes when we put the mission ahead of personal recognition. The greatest athletes understand it. The players who sacrifice ice time, accept different roles, or make the extra pass often become the backbone of championship teams. They care more about the logo on the front of the jersey than the name on the back. Yeahoshua embodied that mentality. He wasn't chasing leadership, he was serving the people. Ironically, that's exactly what made him the right leader. So, what are the lessons for athletes and for all of us? Stay ready even when no one is watching. Preparation creates opportunity. Leadership is built long before it is recognized. Championships moments are earned through everyday habits. Put the team first. The best teammates often become the best leaders. Your opportunity will come. And when it does, you rely on the work you've already put in, not the work you wish you'd done. Parshat Pinchas reminds us that greatness isn't always about making the spectacular play. Sometimes it's about showing up every day, doing the little things right, and serving faithfully until your opportunity arrives. In sports and in life, the people who succeed aren't always the most talented. They're the ones who are ready when their number is finally called.
SPEAKER_07Thank you so much for joining us once again on Mention with the Boys. Remember, please like, follow, and subscribe so that you're kept in the loop on our episodes dropping every other Friday. You can also keep the conversation going with us on Instagram. Follow us at Mention with the Boys. Until the next chip on the Fort Storm proportion, on behalf of my panels Yannister Russian Matthew Cuddler, I'm Jordan Stupler. Enjoy the sucker and to our American listeners a happy fourth, happy 250th, everything.