Ep. 430 (6/12/26): Special Guest - Keith McPherson, Host of Mic Check

Ep. 433 (6/30/26): Instant Reaction to Blockbuster Clippers-Raptors Trade that Sends Kawhi Leonard to Toronto

In this episode, Joey provides an instant reaction to the blockbuster trade between the Los Angeles Clippers and the Toronto Raptors that sends star forward Kawhi Leonard back to the Raptors. He gives a breakdown of the trade and explains why it makes sense for both Leonard and the Clippers, along with the Raptors. At the end, Joey reflects on the official end of the 213 era in LA.

Ep. 432 (6/16/26): Special Guest - Liam Kenney, Head Coach of Central Michigan University Men's Hockey

In this episode, Joey has the honor of being joined by a returning guest and one of his best friends, Liam Kenney who is the current head coach for the Central Michigan University at the ACHA Division I level. Coach Kenney recently spent time as an assistant coach and an associate head coach at both the junior varsity and varsity levels at Canton High School in Michigan. CMU is heading into the program’s second year at the ACHA Division I level. At the start of the episode, Liam provides background into why he accepted the position at CMU this spring (1:35), what the jump has been like from coaching high school to college (2:55), and his recruiting strategy so far (4:05). Liam mentions that CMU is a player-funded program (7:47) and outlines a few ways that people can potentially support the program. Liam explains how his past experiences playing at the junior level have helped him relate to potential recruits (9:39). Additionally, he reveals what he looks for in potential recruits (11:17), his core values and pillars which include the 4 Cs (Communication, Composure, Compete, Class) that he learned in Canton (13:10), and what style of hockey CMU fans and alums can expect his team to play (16:26). After that, Liam gives his philosophy on film and analytics in hockey (19:54), how important it is to build trust in order to be a “player’s coach” (22:41), and the necessary steps to build CMU into a winning program at the ACHA level (28:30). Then, Coach Kenney chats about how excited he is for opening night at Martin Ice Arena against Western Michigan on September 26 (27:18) and his message to CMU fans, alums, students, and Mount Pleasant natives (28:30). Liam reflects on his time at Canton High School (31:11), the most gratifying experience during his time there (34:37), and what he learned there that prepared him for his new position with the Chippewas (37:23). After that, he details how his experience as a player and an assistant coach at the ACHA Division I level at Concordia University equipped him with the ample knowledge to succeed in Mount Pleasant (40:36). At the end, Joey and Liam quickly discuss the New England Patriots landing AJ Brown and their confidence in Will Campbell bouncing back (43:13). Also, Liam breaks down his Mount Rushmore of favorite Boston athletes (50:03) and the offseason needs of the Boston Bruins (52:19). If you would like to support the CMU program, here is a link to do so: https://linktr.ee/D1menshockey?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio [https://linktr.ee/D1menshockey?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio]. Be sure to check out Liam’s coaching page to follow his journey: @lkenney.coaching on Instagram.

Ep. 431 (6/13/26): An Hour of New York Sports with Special Guest - Christian Koutsoubis

In his fifth episode in a row with a guest, Joey has the pleasure of being joined by Christian Koutsoubis, a returning guest and a New York sports connoisseur. At the start of the episode, Christian details how much faith he had in the New York Knicks before the 2026 NBA Playoffs began (1:06), what he believes flipped a switch for the Knicks in the series against Atlanta (3:15), and how important OG Anunoby has been for the team’s success (5:07). Joey and Christian answer who should be the Finals MVP if the Knicks are able to close the deal (6:48) and where they see Jalen Brunson all-time in franchise history (8:22). Then, they question whether or not the Knicks’ 29-point comeback win in Game 4 was the best comeback in NBA history (14:25). The duo praises Mike Brown for his excellent coaching adjustments (18:03). Additionally, they chat about Mitchell Robinson’s future with the Knicks (20:29), De’Aaron Fox’s infamous missed layup from the late moments of Game 4 (22:27), and Christian’s expectations ahead of Game 5 (27:27). They transition to discussing the New York Yankees and which player they believe needs to step up in Aaron Judge’s absence (28:27). Following that, Christian provides his opinion on the Yankees’ dominant starting rotation (31:36), Ben Rice’s growth into stardom (34:57), and Anthony Volpe’s struggles (36:28). Next, they briefly outline the struggles of the New York Mets (43:06). To close the episode, they talk about the New York Giants and reveal their expectations for the team ahead of year one with John Harbaugh (45:17). During this segment, Joey and Christian point out how the Knicks’ run to the NBA Finals has united New York City and why the Giants can utilize their success as motivation. They revisit the Giants’ decision to trade Dexter Lawrence and the Giants’ first-round selections of Arvel Reese and Francis Mauigoa (50:05). At the end, Christian reveals his Mount Rushmore of New York athletes (52:53).

Ep. 430 (6/12/26): Special Guest - Keith McPherson, Host of Mic Check

In this episode, Joey has the honor and privilege of being joined by Keith McPherson, host of Mic Check on YouTube. At the start of the episode, McPherson explains the reasoning behind his prediction that the New York Knicks would win the NBA Finals before the series began (0:52) and why he is rooting for the Knicks to do well despite being a Nets fan (2:27). Joey and Keith talk about the Knicks' historic 29-point comeback in Game 4 (4:50), Victor Wembanyama's struggles (5:49), and question who should win the NBA Finals MVP if the Knicks are able to seal the deal (7:30). They transition to discussing the draft plans of the Brooklyn Nets (9:31) and reconsider whether or not the former Nets' Big Three with Kyrie Irving, James Harden, and Kevin Durant are the biggest what-if in NBA history (11:12). Next, McPherson provides insight on Aaron Judge's recent injury (12:47), the New York Yankees' trade deadline needs (13:44), and Anthony Volpe's future (16:52). During this baseball segment, McPherson answers whether or not the New York Mets can turn around their struggles (18:26) and whether or not Cam Schlittler is the ace of the future for the Yankees (20:32). Then, they move on to McPherson's expectations for John Harbaugh in his first year as the New York Giants head coach (22:05) and the future of Aaron Glenn in New York as the Jets head coach (24:07). At the end, McPherson reflects on the most gratifying part of working in the sports industry (25:20). Be sure to check out Keith’s show through the link below! https://youtube.com/@mcphersonbrand?si=kWQT2pAUyJQ4fkTN [https://youtube.com/@mcphersonbrand?si=kWQT2pAUyJQ4fkTN]

Ep. 429 (6/11/26): Special Guest: Ben Risseeuw-Tipcke, 2026 FIFA World Cup Preview and Predictions

In this episode, Joey has the honor of being joined by Ben Risseeuw-Tipcke, a returning guest and a World Cup aficionado. At the start, Ben highlights his favorite part of the FIFA World Cup (1:30). Following that, he reveals which matchup he is looking forward to most (5:35), which country he thinks is facing the most pressure to succeed (8:02), and which country is the most underrated heading into the tournament (11:26). Then, Ben answers which group is most difficult and on the contrary, the easiest (13:24), along with what makes the game of soccer so special (18:39). After that, Joey and Ben move on to breaking down each of the twelve groups and providing their predictions for the results of each: Group A (20:42), Group B (27:46), Group C (31:49), Group D (36:45), Group E (42:14), Group F (47:29), Group G (51:48), Group H (56:47), Group I (1:00:11), Group J (1:03:46), Group K (1:07:59), and Group L (1:11:41). Next, the duo outline their top third-place finishers (1:16:01), their thoughts on the tournament expanding from 32 to 48 teams (1:16:45), and their predictions for the knockout stage, including the World Cup Final (1:18:18). At the end, Ben talks about the Minnesota Timberwolves’ new uniforms (1:27:35). Be sure to visit Ben's Sports Hub through the links below! https://benssportshub.substack.com/?utm_campaign=profile&utm_medium=profile-page [https://benssportshub.substack.com/?utm_campaign=profile&utm_medium=profile-page] https://benssportshub.blogspot.com/ [https://benssportshub.blogspot.com/]