The Jody Mac Show

The Montreal Canadiens are loaded with talent and their journey so far is something that we have rarely seen. This team in the first few games did not look like a club that came to play and after they were down 3-1 the veterans of this team simply turned it on, especially in the locker room. 

The Action Network and SiriusXM PGA's Jason Sobel joins the show to break down a wild weekend at the Memorial Tournament.

SiriusXM NBA Radio's Frank Isola joins Jody to break down Game 1 of Nets/Bucs, James Harden's injury, the Clippers eliminating the Mavericks in Game 7, and previews of the second round.

New York correspondent for Daily Racing Form Dave Grening joins the show to break down the Belmont Stakes, as well as the suspension from the sport of trainer Bob Baffert. 

The passing of Mark Eaton is very sad for Jazz fans, he was such a key part of the Utah community and Jazz organization. The Jazz have played very well in the postseason with Donovan Mitchell. Not sure how many people realize how good Memphis actually is. Taylor Jenkins is a very underrated coach.   

Turbulent would be the best way to describe the triple crown this season. If ever there was a reason to look closer at the Kentucky Derby and make adjustments for obvious reasons, it needs to be now where the Kentucky derby winner is named. We know this is a truly bad look for the sport with Bob Baffert.

Pat has written over 100 books. Books have been such an important part of his life. Has written a latest book called revolutionary leadership which ties history into sports. Everything rises and falls on leadership.  it always has and always will. Leadership has always been a great topic of interest for many. We look at how our country started and that's a prime example.

Bradley Beal going against the 76ers is going to be a very tough matchup with the length of the 76ers on defense, take Ben Simmons for example. This was the game to steal for the Wizards. It’s amazing to see the environment for the Knicks, The fans recognize how special it is to be back in the playoffs after 8 years of being out of it.  

Ultimately sees Deshaun Watson stepping foot on the NFL field this season. The dynamic that Roger Goodell will play in this will be interesting. Will Goodell allow the Texans position to effect the way he handles this situation? Goodell has to separate himself from that. Look at how this compared to former tough situations such as Ben Roethlisberger, Greg Hardy and Zeke Elliott.

This has been a great weekend for golf with the PGA Championship, especially with Phil Mickelson losing the lead and then coming back in big fashion. Everybody in the world has to love a 50 year old dude in contention. Haven’t seen that in this context since Tom Watson. The earning potential in sports is absolutely coming back! 

Bob Baffert has been the major storyline in horse racing this week. It was unfair to bench him from the entry box at the Preakness. He was actually not suspended; he did not lose his license. The 2021 Preakness was exciting. Rombauer wins the 2021 Preakness past Medina Spirit.

There is no such thing as an off season when it comes to the NFL. The NFL needs to do something different about Thursday Night Football. They need to really think about the product that they want out there as far as match ups are concerned. Tim Tebow has no business being in the NFL. This could hurt the Jaguars offense

Credit has to go to Julius Randle for getting in better shape and becoming a more dedicated passer and shooter. The leaps that Randle has made seven years in are incredible. The Knicks coaching staff deserves a lot of credit too. The NBA play-in games offer a whole lot of intrigue.

Host on Sirius XM NBA Radio and founder of HoopsCritic.com joins the show to break down the struggles of the Los Angeles Lakers, the front-runner for the MVP Award, and the legitimacy of the New York Knicks as a real playoff threat.

Hub Arkush of Pro Football Weekly joins the show to break down the Aaron Rodgers saga in Green Bay, the aftermath of the NFL Draft, and when we can expect to see Justin Fields starting in Chicago.

NBC Sports horse racing host and reporter joins the the show to break down the latest controversy surrounding the Kentucky Derby.  Are the owners to blame? How will this effect the Preakness Stakes and other events moving forward?

Yesterday there was at least half a crowd at the Kentucky Derby. This had a decent feel to it. It wasn't crammed in where you had to push your way through.. All for it in the future. Such a special setting at Churchill downs. It's Incredible that Bob Baffert was able to be a part of seven wins when it comes to the Kentucky Derby. He did get some luck in this particular race though. Medina Spirit clearly got the job done. 

Some teams have been hit hard by Covid-19 this season and others, pretty much not at all. It? will be interesting to see what happens in the postseason because of the condensed schedule. Some of the teams that developed resiliency last year in the bubble were able to bring it into this season, but teams like the Heat have really taken a step back. The Suns really benefited from the bubble last season.

The Knicks have been incredible this season under Tom Thibodeau. They really reflect his toughness on defense. Everybody on the Knicks took a step forward. Kevin Durant has been so impressive given all the injuries he has dealt with. The Philadelphia 76ers have taken a little bit of a fall as of late. The Lakers are clearly not the same team without LeBron James.?

On the night of the draft so many people have their opinions about what team made the best choice. There seems to be no accountability after that for those that give these mock NFL Draft grades out. The one quarterback that will be very interesting to watch come next season will be Spencer Rattler.  

The Kentucky Derby is very competitive. It’s the most difficult horse race to win in North America. The only knock against it is essentially that you have handicappers that are all about speed and how fast a horse is in paper. There is definitely derby mania in the air, especially when you consider the normalcy to it this year in contrast with last year.

Steph Curry is absolutely the greatest shooter to ever live. Klay Thompson, his teammate is the second greatest shooter to ever live. Does he deserve MVP consideration? Sure, but he won't get it because his team is too far behind. The Portland Trail Blazers for the majority of the season have overachieved. The Denver Nuggets season has drastically changed with the Jamal Murray injury. Don't sleep on the Phoenix Suns either. ?

First couple of weeks has been really good so far for the MLB. Such a different year from last years' Covid-19 season. Seems like we are truly back as a league. Has been a rash of injuries for what people are saying these days, but haven't felt that personally, not way more than usual. Three or four years ago it exploded, they are so big and strong, there is bound to be a muscle issue for a player these days.

Trevor Lawrence will go number one in this draft, In any single NFL draft Trevor would go number one. Mac Jones is very cerebral, not sure if he will go in the first round. The importance of the QB position drives up any NFL Draft stock for a Quarterback. Any great young player wants to work. You know Sam Darnold wasn't too effective with the Jets, but we don't know yet who that falls on. 

Jody talks with "The Professor" about everything Football including the NFL Draft

Jake talks about why Houston sports are so intriguing right now

Scott speaks with Jody about the Padres first no hitter and more MLB Headlines

Hideki Matsuyama is a very deserving Masters Champion. He didn't play great down the stretch and the guys around him did not put the pressure on him at the end. This is a tremendous win for the sport of Golf. He did what he had to do to win and you have to give him credit for that. A la Tiger and Jack. 

This is going to be a very special NFL Draft class, especially at the quarterback position. Justin Fields will go into the NFL as an immediate impact guy. In the biggest of moments, he is a big-time player. This is an even better Dak Prescott. No matter what NFL franchise he will go to he will be a legitimate starter. He showed how tough he is when he hurt his ribs. The only one he is glancing his eyes at his Zach Wilson at BYU.

The Houston Astros continue to make headlines. As a General Manager, you always need to know about what is taking place in a clubhouse. Jeff Luhnow needed to take accountability for what took place in that Astros clubhouse. When it comes to A-Rod being a professional owner (T-Wolves), he is always chasing Derek Jeter's shadow. The Yankees are off to a slow start. 

This season we are still seeing the tremendous impact the mid-2010s Warriors had on the NBA. The Chicago Bulls have drastically changed the way they have played. They have become very much a half-court team with the bigs they have acquired. They are going to surprise a lot of people on how truly good they are. What they are doing is going to be very effective. 

For Jordan Speith winning the Valero Texas Open on Sunday, that was huge for him. On that level, you can tell when a player has wavering confidence and that was certainly the case with Jordan. To his credit, he never cast the blame on somebody else, but he had to dig himself out of the valley of the game. It was the five-inch fairway between his ears, it truly wasn't technical. This is going to bode well for him coming into the Masters. 

It's a huge honor to take over as host on intentional talk on the MLB Network. It will be interesting to not be in the same location as Kevin Millar, but it will be an excellent challenge nonethekless. You can't replace Chris Rose, but it's super exciting to form your own niche on an already great show. It's really important not to speak with such certainty in between the lines because have never played at that level and need to respect that. Players truly care about the game as is.

Buyouts for the NBA is a natural thing. Some will overreact to the buyouts such as Blake Griffin, but these types of players won't swing the pendulum to winning the title. Remember the Celtics felt like getting Stephon Marbury was huge, but look what happened. A lot of these players are at the end of their careers. A very small percentage truly impacts an NBA title. 

John misses the ability to go from camp to camp. Misses the one on one interaction. Covering the sport in the Covid-19 world is not easy. Spring Training is the best time to get access because there is a lot stress for the teams during the regular season. Tony La Russa managing the White Sox will be interesting considering the fact that he is in his mid 70s, but it is important to know early on he is very much connecting with his players. 

This is certainly a different tournament because the ACC isn't as top-heavy as they used to be. Duke for example wasn't even IN the tournament. The Pac-12 has been down for a little while and as a result of that so many people didn't give them the respect that they deserve. For UCLA to be an 11 seed in this tournament is unreal. 

Deshaun Watson has no interest in playing for the Texans. He has absolutely no interest in having anything to do with the Texans. What the Texans are doing is complete immaterial to him. He is dealing with so much adversity off the field with the latest lawsuits against him. Their are no winners in this situation right now. Alot of teams have pause when it comes to Watson's future with them because of the ensuing lawsuits. The other non winner in this is the fans because they are changing their tune on who he is as a person, at least to a degree.

Russell Wilson isn't frustrated with the Seahawks necessarily, he is frustrated with getting hit too much. He has always been such a company man so for him to say anything but great things about the Seahawks it really threw a lot people off. Bottom line, Russell and the franchise have no interest in parting ways. Both know the value that each brings to the table. Having said that the Seahawks will always at the very least listen if the price is right. 

The 76ers are an incredibly deep team this season. The Eastern Conference is a lot more difficult this season than people realize. Doc Rivers has made a huge difference, but their spacing is so much improved from last season. P.J. Tucker will make a difference for the Bucks, the fact that the Bucks have so much fire power, his three point prowess will really be on display. The Nets adding Blake Griffin is an unknown in terms of how it will play out.

Drew Brees will have a successful post NFL Career. Will likely be paired up with Mike Tirico. In today's NCAA tournament Turner and CBS are network quality produced so the NCAA Tournament will always be a success. What make the tournament special is the consumer gets to be its own producer, which is really unique. Sports executives don't always make the most practical decision  

The Carolina Hurricanes have really overachieved this season. Goaltending has been a huge story for them this season. The teams that we expected to be good are good and the teams that we thought would be bad turned out to be bad. The Kings could likely be involved at the trade deadline. The Islanders have gotten back into their groove and are clearly playing in they system again. Since February they have been an absolute force. 

Gonzaga has a great shot to go undefeated. They are a very talented team. Multiple players that should go in the first round. Will be shocked if they don't go to the Final Four. It would be a nice cherry on top for Mark Few to finally get that national title. You do see every once in a while freshman winning NCAA titles, but it usually is a veteran team even in the one and done era. Great guard play also helps immensely.

Feels good about their chances in the Kentucky Derby even though it isn't exactly in the immediate future. Has certainly had Triumphant young horses. It's about matching wits with Bob Baffert trained Horses. Always looking forward to that challenge. It is important to be able to take the dirt, there is always a learning curve with horses. The Louisiana Derby is very important to say the least, 

It's thrilling to be the Head Coach at UConn. Being a part of the Big East tournament growing up was certainly pretty emotional. It changed his life being a part of Seton Hall. We have high expectations for this program each and every year. We have certainly had our fair share of major injuries, that is always a part of a long season. Certainly Covid-19 has impacted the season for them, but it has made then even more prepared for the long term 

The Dolphins under Brian Flores have done an excellent job in this two year rebuild phase. With Tua Tagovailoa there is certainly more to come in terms of living up to his potential. The Dolphins will build around him and give him more strong pieces. Can't say enough about Ryan Fitzpatrick as a professional and the job he did with the Dolphins, it looks like Fitzpatrick will not be back next season with the Dolphins.

Right now the MVP in the NBA is Joel Embiid, but it has been very close between Embiid and LeBron. It's amazing what LeBron has done in year 18 and with the short turn around as well. Giannis Antetokounmpo is now playing very well, his three point shooting can be better. However, he is trending up as of late. The Bucks have struggled on defense compared to years past. As long as Giannis is in his prime, the Bucks have a chance. Hard to believe the NBA All-Star game is already here. 

The best QB in the NFL is still Patrick Mahomes. The future of Russell Wilson and Deshaun Watson we know is still up in the air. Two of the best quarterbacks if they get their way and would be happier on different franchises, then this is a good thing. That of course is Russell Wilson and Deshaun Watson. Not necessarily a good thing to have the off-season overtaken by quarterback drama for trying to force their way out. In Watson's case he certainly has a real reason to want this, the Texans franchise is a mess. With Wilson it's a little more complicated. 

The first reports of the Tiger Woods car accident was that he died. This was incredibly scary for the world of Golf and sports for that matter. We have now learned the plans of the emergency personnel trying to get Tiger out of the car was to take him out through the windshield. They covered Tiger with a sheet because they didn't  want him getting hit by glass.  The emergency personnel were simply incredible. This injury is a much more serious situation then people realize. Best case scenario as far as coming back, it would be nine months for Tiger, but it could be two years, it's too soon to tell.

Kyle points out that we have seen teams throughout the season dealing with positive Covid-19 tests and it's very hard with contract tracing and quarantine which can obviously really set a program way back. There is much concern among college basketball decision makers, some are acting like there is not even a pandemic, but with the timeline of the NCAA tournament, it will be tricky.

Matt starts off by discussing the uncertainty right now in the MLB.  Not sure what percentage of ballparks would be able to be full with the Pandemic still going on. Both the players and owners are in limbo. The players want the best deals and if the teams are worried about the lack of games, they might not want to pay as much. Need to go in with certainty from both parties and that isn't the case yet.