You can listen to this week’s Episode 3 here:
“Leaf
Matters” is now part of the podalmighty network, and we’re also really excited to have
it confirmed to us on Friday that our shows are now available on iTunes as well.
Here is
the link to hear the programs on iTunes
The exciting thing for me is that this is a program that, by
design, will be focused exclusively on the Maple Leafs - the players, the
organization, our prospects, anything and everything related to the blue and
white. There are so many Leaf fans
around the world. On this site alone,
there have been visits from more than 150 different countries. (I’m sure some
happened by here by mistake, of course!) And overall, Leaf supporters in more than 40 countries come back quite regularly,
which is great to see. It shows just how
widespread support for and interest in the Maple Leafs really is. There are few professional sports franchises with the history and legacy that surrounds the Maple Leafs.
So I’m hoping that this will be an opportunity for Leafworld
to “listen in” on an extension of Vintage Leaf Memories. Whether we agree or disagree on the topics of
the day (as is the case here at VLM), I’m looking forward to seeing the "Leaf Matters" show grow over time.
Matteo Codispoti from We Want a Cup (www.wewantacup.com) and I are co-hosting
the podcast and we look forward to providing programs with (hopefully!)
interesting content and timely information along with some entertaining opinions and
interviews. We aim to connect with fans
and fellow bloggers around the hockey world.
Mostly, our objective is to provide podcasts that people will be able to sit back, relax
and simply enjoy listening to.
So, if this kind of Maple Leaf-oriented programming is of interest to you, I invite you to visit iTunes. And if you enjoy the podcasts, by all means
consider giving the show a strong rating.
Thank you.
Posts
Enjoyed the banter and references to the importance of family in our Leaf journey... Thought the horn to end the show was funny, too. Great idea!
ReplyDeleteWhen I have time to listen I'll check in again. Should be fun! Almost like being there and sitting in on a 'Hot Stove' session (or can I say that since there's another site and a second intermission by that name?!) ahh yes, at the outdoor rink between games (since we were locked out of the house cause Mom had enough of the basement hockey game).
Glad that you were able to listen to an episode, InTimeFor62. Hopefully we can build an audience over time.
ReplyDeleteThe "Hot Stove" feel is something that may naturally be part of the show. I was raised on that 50 years ago- not the current HNIC approach, but more an un-scripted, laid-back, entertaining chat. Basically, hockey people - writers, broadcasters, etc. - talking hockey . Hopefully "Leaf Matters" can capture some of that flavour.
Thanks InTimeFor62!
Quite the rebel you've been, Michael. Couldn't have been easy to go with it.
ReplyDeleteI recall my friends' reactions being along the lines of "Toronto what?" and "but there are no Finnish players there, right?". My dad's reaction to me even following hockey was something like "you actually like hockey?".
Even though the Leafs wear blue and white, like Team Finland, I realize many Leafs fans don't have fond feelings about those few Finnish players who wore the jersey. Aki Berg consistently performed between shaky and brutal, unless you consider floating in the corner an admirable trait. Jyrki Lumme came over far removed from his best years, although, his most memorable feat, even in Finland, was colliding with his defensive partner (I don't remember the name) behind the opposition net on a 5-on-3 powerplay, leading to a shorthanded goal for the opposition.
Niklas Hagman had flashes of Pavel Bure within his tenure, and lots more of Valeri Bure. And Toskala... well, let's just forget about that.
And two among the most celebrated names in Swedish hockey history, Salming and Sundin, had long and prolific careers with the Leafs. I'm sure Teemu Selänne would've been pretty good as well, but Scott Pearson apparently was a better choice that year than him. Or Roenick. Or Brind'Amour.
Of course, Brind'Amour is the main reason for me hating everything Canadian for about a year between the late springs of 1994 and 1995. But that's a boring story on international hockey, and I'm digressing.
The most heat I've gotten for cheering the Leafs has been because of Salming and Sundin. Apparently, I should have cheered for Kurri and the Oilers when people in Finland started to become generally aware of existence of NHL hockey, and since those days I've talked with fans of many teams over here, perhaps the most memorable talk being with a very hardcore fan of the Carolina Hurricanes, who was blissfully unaware that there once upon a time used to be a franchise by the name of Hartford Whalers.
Go figure, huh?
For those who have not listened to that particular podcast, my "rebelling" had to do (as you know, CGLN) with my deciding, at a very young age, to break away from the influence of my hockey-loving father and cheer for the Maple Leafs- instead of his beloved Habs!
ReplyDeleteYour post got me thinking: i's funny sometimes how people are. Your fellow Finnish hockey fans assumed you "should" have cheered for the Oilers because fellow Finn Kurri played there. Or maybe wherever Selanne was playing...
Yet you did it your way, and obviously found your own reasons for falling in love with hockey in the first place, and then becoming a Leaf guy- despite the howls of wonderment from family and friends.
And yes, you should have cheered against the Leafs, because they were led at various points by your Swedish rivals (Salming and Sundin).
You chose not to follow the crowd, which is often a laudable life choice. In this case, despite the heartbreak of being a Leaf fan, I will still say you chose the better path.
Thanks CGLN.