The Lede with Jeff Blair and Stephen Brunt: Recent Episodes
Sportsnet
Each week, Jeff Blair and Stephen Brunt tackle the most impactful stories in the world of sports and their intersection with popular culture. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Media Inc. or any affiliate.
Andre Deveaux played 13 pro hockey seasons in eight leagues across the globe. But he is perhaps most famous for an ugly on-ice incident in Sweden during the 2015 playoffs. However, that event does not define him as a person or a player. This is the story of a journeyman tough guy seeing the world […]
CFL commissioner Randy Ambrosie has big plans for his small league to grab a piece of the international football pie. He joins Jeff and Stephen to discuss how he’ll go about that with a league that hasn’t changed much over the years and has a loyal, but steeped-in-tradition fan base. “We will have somewhere between […]
Tom Dundon is an entrepreneur, billionaire, majority owner of the “bunch of jerks” Carolina Hurricanes and chairman of the upstart Alliance of American Football. The 47-year-old has been condemned by some as a meddler and hailed by others as a maverick since he took over the Canes. Dundon joins Stephen and Jeff for a candid […]
The world lost a role model when Frank Robinson died February 7. A 14-time All-Star. A Triple Crown winner. A Hall of Famer. Two World Series rings. The only player to win MVP in both the American National Leagues. The first African-American manager in MLB. And so much more. Robinson’s resume is one of the […]
He’s the last true head coach in sports – every player on a Bill Belichick team buys into his system because it’s one that wins. But Belichick is also famously robotic, when it comes to his football persona and how little we know about him away from the field of play. Michael Lombardi spent three […]
It’s Canada’s Game, but in recent months and years some of its traditions have been challenged by players and in the court of public opinion. Daniel Carcillo has been at the forefront of two of those discussions: concussions and hazing. Carcillo joins Jeff and Stephen to discuss his life on and off the ice, including […]
At the first Sportsnet Live event, Jeff and Stephen are joined on stage by Shi Davidi. The trio discuss the Baseball Hall of Fame, who they voted for this year and why the process is broken. They also dial down why Bryce Harper and Manny Machado are still on the open market, how teams game […]
ESPN’s Jeff Passan joins Stephen and Jeff for a wide-ranging MLB discussion, including why the Astros and Cubs were bad for rebuilds, the mountains of money teams are making, the shrinking market for players in their 30s, how the script will be flipped come the next CBA negotiations and much, much more. This episode is […]
“Lorenzo (Fertitta) just put a bullet in your head. Your career is over.” ESPN’s Ariel Helwani tells Stephen Brunt how he felt when the UFC’s Dana White said that to him. It’s part of a wide-ranging discussion that explores Helwani’s love for MMA and its history, his big break in journalism, his career covering the […]
In this holiday special, Stephen and Jeff wrap the year in sports. Then they answer listener #TheLede questions, including the most corrupt governing bodies in sport, the possibility of MLB returning to Montreal, breaking the NHL’s return to Winnipeg, as well as what the sports world will look like in 30 years. But it’s not […]
Until last season, Brian Burke spent 30 years working for NHL teams or the league itself. But now, he is a member of the media, which gives him a unique viewpoint from which to comment on the love-hate relationship hockey executives and the media has with each other. Burke joins Jeff and Stephen to discuss […]
The former big-league player and manager lived and played through the Civil Rights Movement, earning a reputation as a student of the game who later became an excellent teacher of it. Gaston sat down with Stephen to discuss his life on and off the diamond. This episode was produced by Amil Delic and Ryan Walsh. […]
You may not know him, but Jeff Hunt is a major player in Canadian sports. He’s an owner and the President, Sports Operations for both the CFL’s Ottawa Redblacks and the OHL’s Ottawa 67’s. Hunt speaks with Jeff and Stephen about running teams in Canada’s capital city, attracting younger audiences, co-existing in a market with […]
Olympian, Lou Marsh Trophy winner, author, academic and Order of Canada recipient Dr. Bruce Kidd joins Stephen and Jeff in studio. They discuss what happened with the Calgary 2026 bid, the future of the Olympics, how a restructuring of the Winter Games would help sell them to cities and finding a way to make youth […]
Stephen and Jeff sit down with Blue Jays president and CEO Mark Shapiro to talk about building team culture, the new manager, Josh Donaldson, super-agent Scott Boras and the future of the facilities in Dunedin as well as the Rogers Centre. This episode was produced by Amil Delic and Ryan Walsh. Audio Credits: Fox Sports, […]
One of Canada’s most decorated Olympic athletes, Adam van Koeverden, joins Stephen and Jeff to discuss why he’s going into politics, what it’s like to change professions in your 30s and what he thinks about Calgary’s bid to host the 2026 Winter Games. This episode was produced by Amil Delic and Ryan Walsh. Audio Credits: […]
It may be the fastest sport around, but hockey is hardly quick to embrace change. Elliotte Friedman joins Jeff and Stephen to discuss how the latest generation of NHLers is going against the grain when it comes to long-standing traditions by showing more and more individual personality, and whether the league is on side. This […]
Bob Cole’s voice is synonymous with hockey. The Hockey Hall of Famer and Order of Canada appointee sits down with Jeff and Stephen for a wide-ranging discussion covering everything from the legendary style he perfected calling games for “Hockey Night in Canada”, to why he still critiques his work, to playing off the crowd, to […]
Any sports fan surprised by how Donald Trump carries himself as President, doesn’t know his history as a USFL owner. Jeff and Stephen are joined by Jeff Pearlman to discuss his book Football for a Buck to trade Trump sports stories and discuss what made the USFL unique. This episode was produced by Amil Delic […]
Don Brennan of the Ottawa Sun joins the podcast to dive into the animosity many Senators supporters in Ottawa have for their team’s ownership and management How did we get here, and how can it be fixed? Stephen and Jeff also look at similar situations in other sports, discuss how hockey fans differ from those […]
Jeff and Stephen visit with former Blue Jays manager John Gibbons to reflect on his life in baseball and his career with the Blue Jays, including his relationship with different management groups and how he tackled various types of clubhouses. This episode was produced by Amil Delic with a tip of the hat to Steve […]
Thirty years ago this week, Ben Johnson lit the world on fire by running a world-record 9.79 in the 100-m final at the 1998 Seoul Olympics. Then, it all fell apart. Steroids. The Dubin Inquiry. A failed comeback. Isolation. And, finally, cashing in on his infamy. Jeff and Stephen discuss Johnson’s legacy in Canada and […]
In Donald Trump’s eyes, NFLers who don’t stand for the national anthem shouldn’t be playing and, maybe, “shouldn’t be in the country.” But Jeff and Stephen believe it was the league, not the players, who created the current us-against-them climate. They are joined by Mark Leibovich, chief national correspondent for New York Times Magazine and […]
The Toronto Blue Jays have never been in this position before – building from the ground up. Jeff and Stephen discuss the current state of the Jays, the difficulties they could face next season with a young team, budgets, the manager, and so much more. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those […]
He’s the greatest homegrown Blue Jays prospect in a generation, and maybe the best in franchise history. Jeff and Stephen discuss Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and how best to handle his development, as well as that of the rest of the farm system, which hasn’t been in better shape in years. Audio credit: SN and TBS. […]
When a team is out of playoff contention, does its clubhouse culture change? Thirteen-year MLB vet and Kansas City Royals colour commentator, Rex Hudler, joins Jeff and Stephen to discuss just that. What did he do to keep his teammates motivated when losing? How does an in-season managerial change impact a club? And how do […]
By trading DeMar DeRozan for Kawhi Leonard, the Toronto Raptors changed the way the franchise is viewed around the NBA. Jeff and Stephen are joined by long-time beat reporter Doug Smith of The Toronto Star to discuss how the business of winning now rules the Raptors’ roost. Former Raptor Alvin Williams also shares his thoughts […]
Sally Jenkins of the Washington Post joins the show to examine the varying ways major sports leagues have reacted to domestic violence incidents and delve into the Roberto Osuna situation and what the Toronto Blue Jays could do once the pitcher has served his MLB suspension. Jeff and Stephen also discuss the possibility of Slava […]
Jeff and Stephen look back at a memorable World Cup with ESPN’s Global Sports Correspondent Sam Borden, the potential impact of France’s victory and what lies ahead as we look to 2022 in Qatar. Audio Credits: Al Jazeera, Antena 1, BBC & FIFA TV.
Despite decades of mismanagement and disappointment, the Toronto Maple Leafs remain the most important franchise in hockey. By landing John Tavares, the biggest free-agent signing of the salary-cap era, to add to an exciting young core, the Leafs look like they could contend for years to come. Jeff and Stephen are joined by former Maple […]
Atlanta Braves GM and executive VP Alex Anthopoulos joins Jeff and Stephen in studio to discuss his current contender, his time in Toronto and how he turned the Blue Jays into a powerhouse, the similarities running the two franchises, and how MLB front offices plan for the future. Audio credits to Xave Ruth, Fox Sports […]
Jeff and Stephen are joined in studio by Ken Dryden, author, Hall of Fame goaltender, former Toronto Maple Leafs president and past politician. They investigate ways to address concussions in hockey and opine on what the NHL and NHLPA can do to mitigate the problem for their players. Audio credit: CBC, HBO, NBC, ESPN and […]
The 2026 World Cup is coming to North America, but what will it mean for Canadian soccer? Jeff and Stephen chat with former U.S. men’s goalkeeper and current FOX soccer analyst Tony Meola about the impact the 1994 World Cup had on the game and the top players in the United States, and whether Canada’s […]
Jeff and Stephen explore hooliganism ahead of the World Cup and retrace the origins of fan violence in soccer. Sam Borden of ESPN travelled to Russia for his magazine story on a new school of hooligan culture that sometimes doesn’t involve soccer, but might involve an architect or a graphic designer. Sam joins The Lede […]
LeBron James and Jim Brown have a city in common. And like Brown in the 1960s, LeBron is politically active. Both are also iconic figures in African-American sports and cultural history. But that’s where the similarities end. Dave Zirin, sports editor of The Nation and writer of The Edge of Sports, discusses his new book […]
Each week, Jeff Blair and Stephen Brunt tackle the most impactful stories in the world of sports and their intersection with popular culture. Jeff and Stephen lean on their expansive Rolodexes and a combined 70 or so years covering the biggest events and most interesting names in the games we all love to entertain, engage […]