The Sports Lunatics Show
Shawn Lavigne, a longtime Toronto radio producer, and Howie Mooney, Ottawa television sports personality and author, discuss sports and sports history and delve into why what happened in the past is relevant today. Fun sports talk, lively interviews and always a good time.
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Episodes
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June 2026 - Sports Lunatics - The NBA and NHL Final Series Wrapped Up
Tuesday, June 23, 2026
The verdict is in. The playoffs in both the NHL and the NBA were spectacular television. Shawn and Howie talked about some of their favorite moments in each, especially since each of the winning teams hadn't entered the winner's circle in a while - for the New York Knicks, it had been 53 years. The boys talk about the stars and the great moments.
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June 2026 - Sports Lunatics - The Tkachuk Transaction and the 2026 Hockey Hall of Fame Selections
Monday, June 22, 2026
As Shawn says in this episode, what a 24 hours if your last name is Tkachuk. Starting with the trade of Brady from the Ottawa Senators to the Florida Panthers and culminating with the Hall of Fame selection of his father, Keith, it was a whirlwind day for the Tkachuk family. Shawn and Howie discuss that and the 2026 selections for induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame. There's some serious conversation and some fun as well.
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June 2026 - Sports Lunatics - Hockey Night in Canada No Longer on the CBC
Tuesday, June 16, 2026
On June 16, 2026, it was announced that the Saturday night broadcasts of Hockey Night in Canada had come to an end. The agreement between Rogers and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation had expired and there were no plans to renew it for the 2026-27 season. Shawn and Howie discuss the demise of Saturday night hockey on the national broadcaster, first from a business and contractual standpoint and then from the emotional point of view. There will be change for a lot of viewers and their personal trips down memory lane are worth the listen.
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June 2026 - Sports Lunatics - Howie Sits Down with Author Craig Wallace to Talk Leo Cahill, the Argos and the CFL
Saturday, June 13, 2026
In this episode of The Sports Lunatics Show, Howie sat down with Craig Wallace, author of one of the seminal books about the Toronto Argonauts of the late 1960s and early 1970s, A Slip In The Rain, and their iconic coach, Leo Cahill. There are some great old stories in this conversation that illuminate the personalities of some of the great people of that era. Get A Slip In The Rain on lulu.com and get Howie's book, An Unlikely Story, on Amazon.
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June 2026 - Sports Lunatics - Super Spring Finals, Bob Horner, Stacey King, Ned Jarrett and Gerry Meehan
Thursday, June 11, 2026
Sports fans have been blessed with a tremendous spring with the NHL and NBA playoffs giving everyone a boatload of spectacular moments. Game 4 of the NBA Finals saw the New York Knicks overcome a 29 point deficit and take the lead with 1.2 seconds left in a 107-106 win over the San Antonio Spurs to take a 3-1 series lead. Over in the NHL, the Vegas Golden Knights and Carolina Hurricanes are giving us all a great Final series where many were thinking of only paying sparse attention to it. Every night has been, as Shawn says, 'must-see TV'. Shawn and Howie also look back at the lives and care...
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June 2026 - Sports Lunatics - Former Flames' Trainer, Brian Patafie, Talks About Cliff Fletcher
Sunday, June 7, 2026
Howie caught up with former Calgary Flames' Trainer and Athletic Therapist, Brian Patafie following the passing of Hockey Hall of Famer Cliff Fletcher. Patafie shares a number of stories of Fletcher's intelligence, generosity and his sense of humour. It's an enlightening and enjoyable conversation.
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June 2026 - Sports Lunatics - Author Paul Woods Joins Howie to Talk CFL, His Books and The Canadian Football Time Machine
Saturday, June 6, 2026
Howie sat down with Paul Woods, a longtime Toronto newspaper man and writer. They talked extensively about the league and the Argonauts and the books that Woods has written about the team. He's probably best known for his book on the Argos' 1991 season, The Year Of The Rocket, dealing with the ownership group of Bruce McNall, Wayne Gretzky and John Candy and the recruitment of the superstar, Raghib "Rocket" Ismail. His other book on the Boatmen, Bouncing Back, chronicles the team of the early 1980s that eventually won the 1983 Grey Cup. His pet project is his YouTube page called the Canadia...
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June 2026 - Sports Lunatics - Shawn & Howie Talk 1993 Cup Final, the 2026 NBA Final, Raymond Berry & Rick Adelman
Wednesday, June 3, 2026
On the heels of Howie's conversation with SiriusXM's Mick Kern in the previous show, Shawn and Howie talk about the 1993 Stanley Cup Final series between the Los Angeles Kings and Montreal Canadiens and the pivotal role played by an illegal stick penalty to the Kings' Marty McSorley. They also discuss the 2026 NBA Finals between the San Antonio Spurs and the New York Knicks and the meeting of a couple of the game's great personalities, Victor Wembanyama and Jalen Brunson. The boys also remember the great receiver and coach, Raymond Berry and former NBA player and coach, Rick Adelman. In bet...
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June 2026 - Sports Lunatics - Remembering Dennis Hull and Looking Back at 1993 w/Mick Kern
Tuesday, June 2, 2026
In this episode, Mick Kern joins Howie to talk about the life and career of the late Dennis Hull, who passed away on May 30 at the age of 81. He played most of his career for the Chicago Black Hawks but spent his last season in the league with the Detroit Red Wings. He was a member of Team Canada in 1972 as well. Then, the two talk about the last time a Canadian team won the Stanley Cup which was 1993. You always know that when Mick joins the show, it's going to be lively and this was no exception.
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May 2026 - Sports Lunatics - Claude Lemieux Dies
Thursday, May 28, 2026
On May 28, 2026, the world learned that Claude Lemieux, who just three days earlier, had participated in the opening ceremony at the Bell Centre before a Montreal Canadiens' playoff game, had died at the age of 60. That afternoon, as they were still processing the news, Shawn and Howie recorded this episode with their thoughts and remembrances of Lemieux.
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May 2026 - Sports Lunatics - Kyle Busch, Owen Hart and a Host of Other Sports Tragedies
Monday, May 25, 2026
On May 21, 2026, racing superstar Kyle Busch passed away from pneumonia that turned into sepsis. His death rocked not just the racing world. People from every walk of life were rocked by the fact that this man with a young family was taken far too soon. Shawn and Howie talk about the impact of his loss and they talk about the night that Owen Hart was lost in an accident at a pay-per-view wrestling event in Kansas City in 1999. They talk about the losses of other sporting stars like Kobe Bryant and Payne Stewart and how they got the deaths of stars on to the air as they were actually working...
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May 2026 - Sports Lunatics - The 2026 Playoffs, The Golden Knights and Habs, Stevie Y's 1996 Goal and Reggie's 80th Birthday Memories w/Mick Kern
Thursday, May 21, 2026
In an episode that deals with the present and the past, SiriusXM's Mick Kern joins Howie to discuss the 2026 NHL Playoffs, the performances of the Vegas Golden Knights and the Montreal Canadiens. They also talk about the 30th anniversary of the goal that Steve Yzerman scored when he blasted a slapper over the shoulder of the St. Louis Blues' Jon Casey back in May of 1996. They also look back at a couple of memories of Reggie Jackson's Hall of Fame career in the week that he turned 80. It's a packed episode of The Sports Lunatics Show
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May 2026 - Sports Lunatics - The Maple Leafs and Craig Berube, Ted Turner and Bobby Cox
Wednesday, May 13, 2026
In this edition of The Sports Lunatics Show, Shawn and Howie discuss the ever increasing chaos of the Toronto Maple Leafs as we head into the summer of 2026. The situation in the front office, their coaching situation and the existence of some of their players with the team in the coming off-season are discussed. Some Toronto fans may not be happy. The guys look at the life and legacy of Ted Turner and then they discuss the career of Bobby Cox as well. Finally, they discuss the short life of basketball player Jason Collins, who came out as gay in 2013 and passed away in May of 2026.
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May 2026 - Sports Lunatics - The Baseball Magic That Was May 1, 1991
Sunday, May 10, 2026
May 1, 1991 was truly a phenomenal day in baseball history. It was the nexus of two history-shaking events that took place the same day - one in the afternoon and one that evening. And the central figures in each event were men who would be eternally famous. Love them or hate them, the day was an iconic one. Howie takes you along the tale in this preview of his upcoming book, Fallen Angels. Listen right to the end. The ending may cause some emotion though.
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May 2026 - Sports Lunatics - John Sterling, Alex Zanardi and How We Imagine the Plight of Toronto Maple Leaf Fans
Wednesday, May 6, 2026
In this episode of The Sports Lunatics Show, Shawn and Howie remember the legacy of Yankees broadcaster John Sterling, Shawn delivers the incredible story of the late Alex Zanardi and the boys discuss how it must feel to be a Leaf fan given the management of the team over the last while. It's a lively and thoughtful show.
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Apr 2026 - Sports Lunatics - John Garrett, the CFL's Playoff Changes, the NHL Playoffs So Far w/Mick Kern
Thursday, April 30, 2026
SiriusXM's Mick Kern guests on this episode and he and Howie discuss the life and career of John Garrett, the changes coming in 2027 to the CFL postseason and Mick's impressions of the NHL playoffs to this point. We'll see how his predictions stand up to reality.
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Apr 2026 - Sports Lunatics - Remembering Phil Garner and Looking at Ovie, Anze, Quick and the NHL Playoffs
Wednesday, April 15, 2026
Phil "Scrap Iron" Garner, the long time All-Star infielder, World Series winner on the 1979 Pittsburgh Pirates and Major League manager, passed away this week and Shawn and Howie discussed his career and what he meant to so many others as well. They also talked about veterans Alex Ovechkin, Anze Kopitar and Jonathan Quick. Playoff prospects of certain teams and the possible future in Detroit with the Red Wings also came up.
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Apr 2026 - Baseball Movie Anniversaries for Major League and Bad News Bears
Sunday, April 12, 2026
A little bit of a different Sports Lunatics Show for you here. Howie looks back at a couple of anniversaries marking the releases of a couple of classic baseball movies - Bad News Bears and Major League. Both endured because of their raw realism and their underdog themes. What they gave their audiences has endured all these years later. Bad News Bears was released in April of 1976. Major League came out in April of 1989. Howie talks about the movies and he goes through some things about each movie that you may not have known. It's a palate cleanse from the serious world of sports.
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Apr 2026 - Sports Lunatics - Remembering Davey Lopes, Finding Tiger, So Long Joe Bowen
Thursday, April 9, 2026
The Baseball world lost Davey Lopes this second week of April. Shawn and Howie talk about their recollections of Lopes, his infield mates and those great Dodgers teams of the 1970s and early 80s. They talk about the 2026 Masters golf tournament and the absences of both Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson. And they finish up by discussing the retirement of Joe Bowen and what he meant to both of them.
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Apr 2026 - Sports Lunatics - Face of Blue Jays, Baseball v Basketball, John McSherry, Nicklaus Masters Anniversary
Wednesday, April 1, 2026
This was a lively and wide-ranging show. Shawn and Howie talked about who TSN in Canada chose as the Face of the Blue Jays; they discussed how Baseball is creeping back up in popularity ahead of a possible labour stoppage in 2026; they looked back upon the 30th anniversary of the passing on the field on Opening Day of umpire John McSherry and the spectacular final day that Jack Nicklaus had at the 1986 Masters 40 years ago this month.
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April 2026 - Sports Lunatics - The Best Part of the 1969 Montreal Expos Season
Wednesday, April 1, 2026
Howie takes information from a chapter of his third book, The Consequences of Chance, and talks about the best parts of the 1969 Montreal Expos Season. There wasn't much but they did win their first ever game, their first ever home game and the franchise's first ever home run was hit by a pitcher. Bill Stoneman provided fans with their first really big thrill. Their first big star was a red headed outfielder who captured the hearts of the Montreal fans as quickly as they captured his. Hope you enjoy this episode.
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Mar 2026 - Sports Lunatics - Bird, Magic and How Bird's Collegiate Athletic Career Ended
Monday, March 30, 2026
This is a shorter Sports Lunatics Show episode. It's about Larry Bird and his collegiate rivalry with Magic Johnson and that incredible NCAA Final Game in 1979. It also covers how Bird's collegiate athletic career ended and it wasn't on that court in the final in Salt Lake City in the spring of 1979. Listen to this episode to find out how and where it came to its end.
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Mar 2026 - Sports Lunatics - Rodger Brulotte, His Career and His Legacy
Tuesday, March 24, 2026
In this Sports Lunatics Show episode, Shawn and Howie talk about Rodger Brulotte, the Montreal Expos' broadcaster, his career and his legacy as the great person he was. The boys share some stories and talk about their memories of the Expos and broadcasters they enjoyed listening to in years past. It's a fun episode.
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Mar 2026 - Sports Lunatics - A WBC Strike 3 And Other Calls That Changed Games w/Mick Kern
Tuesday, March 17, 2026
On March 15, 2026, a bad call on what turned out to be the third strike that ended an exciting World Baseball Classic semi-final game between the United States and the Dominican Republic was made. After the game, Alex Rodriguez said on the Fox post-game show "a ball that's about four inches down, you just hate to end a game that big...on a pitch that's not a strike." Howie and guest Mick Kern from SiriusXM's NHL Network Channel talk about bad calls and missed calls by officials from the worlds of baseball, hockey, football - both Canadian and NFL - basketball and soccer. Mick finishes the ...
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Mar 2026 - Sports Lunatics - Radko Gudas, the Hits, the Fallout and Other Hockey Villains Through History w/Mick Kern
Friday, March 13, 2026
On March 12, 2026, Radko Gudas went knee-on-knee with the Toronto Maple Leafs' Auston Matthews, injuring the Leafs' centre. Given the way he forced Sidney Crosby out of the Olympic tournament, Howie asked guest Mick Kern, of SiriusXM, about Gudas and the fallout from those hits. This was recorded before the NHL's Department of Player Safety ruled on any suspension, but Mick was on fire discussing Gudas and so many other NHL 'bad guys' from the 80s, 90s and beyond. It's a fun conversation and one that is sure to evoke a ton of memories.
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Mar 2026 - Sports Lunatics - The Life and Career of Lou Holtz
Tuesday, March 10, 2026
Howie drives the bus in this episode and he looks at the long life and career of Lou Holtz. The longtime college coach was best known for his national championship while at Notre Dame in 1988. Along the way there were highs and lows and controversies just like in pretty much every life. (30 minutes)
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Mar 2026 - Sports Lunatics - The Late Bill Mazeroski and the Anniversaries of the Losses of Chris Schultz and Walter Gretzky
Wednesday, March 4, 2026
In this episode, Shawn and Howie discuss the passing of Hall of Fame second baseman Bill Mazeroski. He's famous for his walk-off hone run in the seventh game of the 1960 World Series but there was more to Maz than just that. The boys also look back on the lives of former Dallas Cowboy and Toronto Argonaut offensive lineman Chris Schultz and Canada's Hockey Dad on the fifth anniversary of their passings. They also look at the necessity for community and the importance of old rinks like the Weston Arena in Toronto and the old Forum in Halifax.
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Feb 2026 - Sports Lunatics - The Fallout and Hangover From the Gold Medal Mens' Hockey Game, 2026
Wednesday, February 25, 2026
On Sunday, February 22, 2026, the men from Canada and the United States met in Milan to play a hockey game to decide the gold medal winners. The game was incredible, with Connor Hellebuyck stealing the show and the victory for the Americans. The game was intense and the fallout was emotional as the game was not decided until Jack Hughes scored in overtime. Social media buzzed for days after the game was decided for many reasons. Shawn and Howie discuss the game and some of its many ramifications in this Sports Lunatics Show episode.
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Feb 2026 - Sports Lunatics - The Miracle 1975 New York Islanders - From Doormat to the Pages of History
Saturday, February 21, 2026
The 1974-75 New York Islanders were a team in their franchise's third year of existence. They had been a team that had been mediocre at best. But with Al Arbour as their coach and Bill Torrey as their general manager, the team shocked their rivals, the New York Rangers, in the first round. Then, when down 0-3 against the Pittsburgh Penguins in their second round series, they defied history and rose from the ashes to defeat their seasoned opponents in that seven-game series. Next up was the defending Stanley Cup champion Philadelphia Flyers who quickly took a 3-0 lead in that series only to ...
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Feb 2026 - Sports Lunatics - Red Barber's Birthday, Maple Leaf Gardens & Three Rivers Stadium Anniversaries and Passings
Wednesday, February 18, 2026
In this episode of The Sports Lunatics Show, Howie drives the bus and covers a lot of topics dealing with the third week of February, 2026. It was the legendary Red Barber's birthday on February 17. The last NHL game at Maple Leaf Gardens took place on February 13, 1999. Chris Paul retired after a Hall of Fame career. Three Rivers Stadium was demolished on February 11, 2001. Justin Verlander signed as a free agent with the Detroit Tigers. And the world lost Robert Duvall and the Reverend Jesse Jackson.