Episodes
In a multi-layered episode of The Sports Lunatics Show, Shawn and Howie discuss the efficiency and speed with which Connor McDavid was able to reach the 1,000-point mark. But, can he make it to 2,000 points? What will the major impediment be for the Oilers' star? Andrei Vasilevskiy has reached 300 wins incredibly quickly? What is his ceiling? The boys also talk about the special qualities of the Houston Astrodome. It's not being used as a sports venue right now, but what are some of the great memories of the old building that was once known as "The Eighth Wonder of the World"?
On Monday, November 11, the Hockey Hall of Fame held their induction night. Among the many speeches, one stood out. Jeremy Roenick gave a speech that had everyone, not just those in the venue itself, but all those watching on television and looking in on social media afterward as well, spellbound. He thanked people, apologized to people and told stories about his career. One poignant moment illustrated the moment when a player realizes that his career might be over before they want it to be. But, eventually, a call came from his 'angel', and he got to finish his career in northern...
This was a great conversation between Howie and the host of Under Review on SiriusXM's NHL Network Channel about the 2024 World Series. Mick is NOT a fan of the Dodgers, but he felt the better team won. Both guys made some great points and the conversation was interesting and lively. At the end, they talked about what was wrong with the Boston Bruins. They also discussed the Habs and a little about the Senators as well. It was a fun conversation.
In this episode of The Sports Lunatics Show, Shawn and Howie talk about how the 2024 World Series unfolded, they discuss a conversation Howie had with SiriusXM host Mick Kern about that World Series and the futures of NHL coaches Jim Montgomery, Martin St. Louis and Mike Sullivan. It's a fun and spirited conversation and a great episode.
In this episode, Howie sits down with Shawn to talk about his latest book, The Consequences of Chance. It follows in the vein of his first two books, Crazy Days & Wild Nights and MORE Crazy Days & Wild Nights. This new book features stories on the exclusion of golfers of colour by the PGA and Augusta National, how the 1975 New York Islanders almost came back from two 0-3 deficits in consecutive series, how the Cincinnati Reds of the 1970s dynasty days ended, how 18-year-old Wayne Gretzky scored his first NHL goal, the story of the Montreal Expos' Dennis Martinez' 1991 perfect game...
Dodger great Fernando Valenzuela passed away on October 22, 2024 at the age of 63. On this episode of The Sports Lunatics Show, Shawn and Howie recount the life, the career and the legacy of the great left-hander. From his amazing 1981 season, to his stellar 1986 campaign, to his 1990 no-hitter, to his post-baseball life as the color analyst on the Dodgers' Spanish broadcasts. He touched fans everywhere with his talent, his determination and his heart. In 1981, he was the only man ever to win Rookie of the Year and the Cy Young Award. His brilliance was intensely evident between 1981 a...
On October 16, 2024, All-Star CFL receiver Whit Tucker passed away. He was 83. Howie was a kid but he has memories of watching Tucker play in the 1960s. Tucker was part of the Ottawa Rough Riders' three-headed monster of quarterback Russ Jackson, halfback Ron Stewart and Tucker. That Riders' team went to four Grey Cups in the decade of the '60s, winning three of them. That night also saw some great players hit NHL milestones. Sidney Crosby notched point number 1600 and his Pittsburgh Penguins teammate Evgeni Malkin scored the 500th career goal. Meanwhile, Alex Ovechkin was co...
The morning that Pete Rose passed away, a giant in basketball also lost his life. Dikembe Mutombo was one of the greatest defensive players in NBA history. But as great as he was on the court, he was also great off the court in his philanthropic endeavours and just the way he carried himself with every person he met. Shawn and Howie discuss Mutombo's life and legacy as well as how the retirement of Vince Carter's jersey is going over in Toronto and also the passing of the great pitcher, Luis Tiant.
Pete Rose was one of the greatest players in baseball history. He collected more base hits than anyone else in the game's storied past. But he was a flawed individual. While manager of the Cincinnati Reds, and possibly while a player, he gambled on baseball. That's a stark contravention of Baseball's Rule 21, which states that Gambling on baseball is NOT allowed. In 1989, Rose, the game's 'Hit King' was banned from baseball and the Baseball Hall of Fame has kept his name off ballots ever since. In this edition of The Sports Lunatics, Shawn and Howie examine and...
In this episode, Shawn and Howie discuss the Oakland Athletics' John Fisher leaving the city for a minor league park in Sacramento in the hopes of eventually moving to Las Vegas. Shawn did an amazing job in adding some great audio to the real raw emotion of this show. The relocation of a franchise is one of the saddest things that can happen to a city. The fans are the biggest victims in these situations.
In this episode of The Sports Lunatics Show, Shawn and Howie look at the night that Shohei Ohtani created the 50-50 club -- 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in the same season. Was it the greatest night by a hitter in the history of baseball? Has Shohei become must-see TV? How likely was it that anyone could hit 50 homers and steal 50 bases in the same season? The boys discuss that and a whole lot more, including Sidney Crosby signing an extension with the Pittsburgh Penguins for $8.7 million per season until the end of the 2026-2027 campaign. They also examine the longevity of the great Ja...
James Earl Jones passed away on September 9, 2024. He was the consummate actor, the pro's pro. His IMDb page is extensive when it comes to the sheer numbers of credits he amassed over a sixty year career. Yes, he provided the voice of Darth Vader in Star Wars. But there are a few of his movies that have great significance to sports fans. In The Great White Hope, he portrayed the great Black boxing champion Jack Johnson and the racism that Johnson was forced to deal with in the early 20th century. In The Greatest he played civil rights icon Malcolm X in the movie about the great Muhamma...
In this edition of The Sports Lunatics Show, Shawn and Howie discuss former NFL players that their listeners have named on their Facebook page as perhaps being forgotten. The list of names is wide-ranging and you might know them well. But others may not. Names like many from the 1960s Green Bay Packers to stars from the 1970s and '80s are thrown around here and the boys examine their lives and careers. We hope you enjoy this walk down memory lane.
On the evening of Thursday, August 29, the lives of Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew were taken when they were struck by a car as they were riding bicycles on a road in Oldman's Township, NJ. They had just attended the wedding rehearsal and dinner for their sister and her fiancee and were to be groomsmen at the ceremony the next day. Tributes began pouring in immediately upon the news being broken. The Sports Lunatics, Shawn and Howie, look at the night and the careers of the brothers, and discuss their own feelings about the events that unfolded in New Jersey that night.
Joey Votto's baseball career came to an end last week. Shawn and Howie look at how it went down, Votto's brilliant career and whether or not he'll be a Hall of Famer or not. Aaron Judge reached 300 homers faster than anyone in the history of the game. Can he break his own American League record for roundtrippers? Shohei Ohtani joined the 40/40 club -- that is the players who have hit 40 homers and stolen 40 bases in the season. Can he become the only member of the 50/50 club? Danny Jansen became the only man in baseball history to play for both teams in a single game. What do...
In this episode of The Sports Lunatics Show, we've compiled a trio of interviews with some of our favourite guests. But really, anytime we can talk to CFL people, it's a good day. Canadian Football League people are always so nice. Howie got to speak to Jo-Anne Polak, the first woman to be the general manager of a North American professional sports team. She was the Ottawa Rough Riders' GM from 1989 to 1991 and her stories and experiences are incredible. Jed Roberts played thirteen seasons for the Edmonton Eskimos and played every position on the defensive front seven as well...
Are you a sports enthusiast with a passion for history? Tune in to The Sports Lunatics Show with Shawn Lavigne as he takes you on an exhilarating journey through the incredible history of sports play-by-play on the radio.In this special episode, Shawn delves into the golden era of radio broadcasting, highlighting the pioneers and trailblazers who brought the excitement of live sports to millions of listeners. From the early days of crackling AM signals to the crystal-clear FM broadcasts, these iconic voices have left an indelible mark on the world of sports.Join Shawn Lavigne as he celebrat...
As we approach our one-year anniversary of managing our own podcasts, Here's a small collection from past episodes to give you an example of what our show is all about. Shawn and Howie introduced or re-introduced themselves to the Ottawa market in their debut show on terrestrial radio on CKDJ-FM in Ottawa. Howie broke Mick Kern's heart by asking him about the 1981 Montreal Expos. Howie and Shawn discussed the demise of the Expos and the heyday of minor league baseball in Canada in the 1990s. And Howie talked with hockey historian Liam Maguire about the life and legacy of the great...
The audio quality of this Sports Lunatics Show episode was not top notch, but the overall quality and importance of this date in history remains unquestionable. Shawn and Howie go through all the important points of the day, from the final US Open round of Arnold Palmer's career, the New York Rangers' Stanley Cup parade, the opening of the 1994 Soccer World Cup, Ken Griffey's chase for the fastest 30 home runs in baseball history, Game Five of the NBA finals, they were all overshadowed by the police chase through the streets of Los Angeles of O. J. Simpson. What did it mean a...
In this episode, Shawn and Howie discuss the Chicago White Sox after they had lost their 90th game of the season against just 28 wins. They discuss the possible motivations of Jerry Reinsdorf and the possible movement of the club to a location in downtown Chicago. They also talk about other long losing skids in baseball involving the 1969 Montreal Expos and the 1988 Baltimore Orioles. They also talked about the day in August of 1982 when the quick thinking of Boston great Jim Rice saved the life of a 4-year-old boy who was hit in the head by a line drive foul ball during a game at Fenway Pa...
This was a fun episode to put together. Howie hosts and talks with 13-year Edmonton Eskimos' veteran Jed Roberts about the passing of star wide receiver Waddell Smith and the great run the team had not only winning five straight Grey Cups from 1978 to 1982 but their playoff streak of 34 years from 1972 to 2005. Jed is such a down-to-earth guy and shares little details of life in pro football, CFL style. Shawn joins Howie in the second half of the show to talk Paris Olympics and the passing of golfing legend and personality Chi Chi Rodriguez.
In this episode, Shawn and Howie tackle a few topics. They start by examining the 2024 Canadian soccer program and the drone incidents, their effects on the team, the reactions to the team, the penalties, the suspensions and FIFA's possible sanctions in the future with regards to the 2026 World Cup. They then look at the life, career, accomplishments and legacy of Murray Costello, player, administrator and former head of Hockey Canada. Shawn asks Howie about some of his memories of the 1976 Olympics in Montreal, their legacies, both good and bad and some of the great moments of those g...
It's summer...the dog days.....and Howie and Shawn talk about mascots and sports entertainers they have seen or experienced through their lives. Everyone from Mr. Met to the Philly Phanatic to Youppi to Gritty and other personalities like Barry Bremen, the Great Sports Impostor and Morganna, The Kissing Bandit. It was a fun and sometimes funny episode!
In this episode of The Sports Lunatics Show, Shawn and Howie discuss the life and career of Baseball Hall of Famer Orlando Cepeda and they also examine the greatness of football and baseball star, Bo Jackson. A lot of great memories in this episode.
In the latest episode of The Sports Lunatics Show, Shawn and Howie discuss their levels of happiness with the outcome of the 2024 Stanley Cup Finals, Connor McDavid's decision not to come out to receive the Conn Smythe Trophy and the Hockey Hall of Fame selections for 2024. They don't necessarily agree on everything either. It was a spirited and interesting discussion.
On June 18, 2024, Willie Mays passed away at the age of 93. Mays was unquestionably one of the greatest ever to play the game. So many tremendous exploits and highlights in his career. He played with Birmingham in the Negro Leagues and had the opportunity to play with the Red Sox, but ownership and upper management didn't want a Black player on their roster. At a major league game in Birmingham, held the same week as Mays' passing, Reggie Jackson talked openly on FOX-TV about the spectre of racism that hung over the game and the country at the time Mays (and Jackson) came into the...
Due to circumstances beyond our control, life has taken both Shawn and Howie away from doing what we love, and that is talking about sports history. NBA great Jerry West passed away as did Chet Walker. The boys talk about the two men and their basketball legacies.
June 2024 - Sports Lunatics - Reggie Jackson's Response to Alex Rodriguez' question on MLB on FOX about coming back to Birmingham, Alabama, where he played his minor league ball. His response is frank, honest and he talks directly and openly about the racism he encountered while there.
This is long overdue. A rebroadcast of the interview Howie did with the 13-year veteran of the Edmonton Eskimos, Jed Roberts. Jed was a defensive end, linebacker and special teams stalwart through his CFL career from 1990-2002. He is incredibly frank as he discusses his time in the league. He talks about teammates and coaches like Henry "Gizmo" Williams, Randy Ambrosie, Signor Mobley, Rod Smart, also known as 'He Hate Me' from original XFL fame. He also talks about former coaches Ron Lancaster, Don Matthews and Kay Stephenson. He talks about playing during the "American Experiment...
In this episode of The Sports Lunatics Show, Shawn asks Howie about Connor McDavid's legacy in getting to the 2024 Stanley Cup Finals and the Oilers' possible victory. The boys assess McDavid's place among the all-time greats at this point in his career. They also discuss Major League Baseball's decision to integrate the statistics from the Negro Leagues of Baseball with those of the National and American Leagues and the furor that erupted from that decision. Lastly, they talk about the life and career of one of the greatest offensive linemen in NFL history, Larry Allen ...