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

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/]

Ep. 428 (6/10/26): Special Guest - Pat Skerry, Towson University Men's Basketball Head Coach

In this episode, Joey has the privilege and honor of being joined by Pat Skerry, the head coach of Towson University men's basketball, who is a two-time CAA Coach of the Year and has led the Tigers to two CAA regular season titles. At the start of the episode, Coach Skerry talks about where his love for the game of basketball started as a Medford, MA native (1:33). He provides insight into his time as a point guard at Tufts University, where he is the all-time leader in career assists and is fifth all-time in career steals (2:41). During this segment, Coach Skerry points out a player who he used to model his game after (4:04) and how much of an honor it was to be a two-time captain for the Jumbos (5:04). Coach Skerry praises former Towson star forward Nick Timberlake for his impressive college basketball career (6:29). After that, he discusses how important it is to recruit in the Northeast (8:22) and the influence that legendary Tufts basketball coach Bob Sheldon left on him (9:32). In 1996, Coach Skerry was named the head coach at Curry College at just 26 years old, making him the second-youngest head coach in the country at the time. Skerry talks about how his experience at Curry propelled his coaching career (11:26). Additionally, Coach Skerry chats about his relationship with former Towson men's basketball assistant coach Luke Murray, who is now the head coach at Boston College (16:38). Then, they transition to highlighting Skerry's time at Towson, which includes the largest single-season turnaround in college basketball with the Tigers jumping from a 1-31 record to an 18-13 record within his first two years (20:44). Skerry reflects on the program's massive turnaround and how gratifying it was for the program to have its first winning season in 2012-13 since the 1995-96 season (23:17). Next, he reveals the challenges of the transfer portal era (26:27), the importance of building relationships and trust with his players (28:46), the values that the program promotes (30:55), and where his intensity and passion for the game come from (33:02). Furthermore, Coach Skerry breaks down how much it meant to receive the Skip Prosser Man of the Year Award in 2023, which is given to a college basketball head coach who demonstrates strong moral character (35:20). During this part, Skerry converses about his role in Autism Speaks, which has brought autism awareness to college basketball and has led to him being honored as the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Guardians of the Game Service Award winner. He points out how much it has meant to him and Tom Herrion to see hundreds of coaches across the country wear blue puzzle piece pins in support of Autism Awareness (36:44). Moreover, Skerry explains how the electric environment at SECU Arena in Towson, MD led to the program having two large win streaks of 16 games and 18 games over the last four seasons (38:04). At the end, Skerry lists his expectations for Towson for the 2026-27 season (40:40) and his favorite restaurants in Medford (42:21).