Whaddya Know About Sports?

Dual-Sport Threat: Ashley Stephenson’s Journey to Canada's Baseball Hall of Fame

Former baseball and hockey star Ashley Stephenson checks in as she prepares for her June 2024 induction into Canada’s Baseball Hall of Fame. Stephenson is currently in her second season as a coach with the Vancouver Canadians, the Toronto Blue Jays minor league affiliate at the High-A level. Before that, the Mississauga native spent 15 years with the National Women’s Baseball Team, winning a silver medal at the 2015 Pan-Am Games and two World Cup silver medals. Her hockey career at Wilfrid Laurier University included a 2005 CIS National Championship and four Ontario titles. She also played in the NWHL and CWHL for nine years. Stephenson addresses many topics here, including her thoughts on the inaugural season of the PWHL. She has opinions on kids who become year-round, one-sport athletes at an early age and discusses how she overcame seven concussions during her athletic career. It’s a fantastic insight into one of this country's top dual-athletes, who will soon be enshrined in Canadian baseball royalty. To contact us, email: whaddyaknowaboutsports@gmail.com [whaddyaknowaboutsports@gmail.com]

Highs and Lows of a 39-Year Canadian Football Coaching Career

Longtime Canadian football coach Dennis McPhee joins the guys to discuss his long career at both the CFL and the university levels. During his 16 years in the pro ranks, the Hamilton native helped coach his hometown CFL Tiger-Cats to the 1999 Grey Cup title. McPhee describes the preparation for that game under legendary Hall of Famer Ron Lancaster. McPhee has also spent 23 years coaching Canadian university football, including Head Coaching stints at St. Francis Xavier and Waterloo. His five years with the Warriors included guiding the team through a 2010 steroid scandal, which he addresses with honesty and emotion. Before his coaching days began, McPhee recalls his days as a two-sport athlete at St. Mary's University in Halifax, where he competed at the varsity level in football and hockey. It's not surprising that his children are now U Sports athletes as well. It's a candid, sentimental conversation as this longtime coach reflects on his memorable football career. To contact us, email: whaddyaknowaboutsports@gmail.com [whaddyaknowaboutsports@gmail.com]

Former Sportscaster & Canada AM Host Jeff Hutcheson Reminisces on 40-Year Career

Popular Canadian broadcaster Jeff Hutcheson joins the crew this week to reflect on his long career as an Ontario TV and radio sportscaster and co-host on CTV's Canada AM. While still in college, Hutcheson was hired in 1977 as a full-time sportscaster on Kitchener's CKCO-TV. His 20 years at the CTV affiliate also included stints as a host on award-winning shows like Blue Jays Banter and Bowling for Dollars. In 1992, the Preston, Ontario native began to occasionally appear as a co-host on Canada AM, the country's long-running nationally televised morning show on the CTV Network. That led to a full-time position in 1998, a spot Hutcheson held until his retirement in 2016. His many years in media featured countless hours and kilometres of travel across North America, interviewing many big-name athletes and coaches. Hear details about when Hutcheson covered the Jamaican bobsleigh team at the 1988 Winter Olympics, or the time he almost caused the Kitchener Rangers to forfeit their OHL home game. Great stories from one of Canada's most sought-after emcees for charity events. 'Hutch' is a goldmine of funny, memorable stories. This hour of pure entertainment will include many of them. To contact us, email: whaddyaknowaboutsports@gmail.com [whaddyaknowaboutsports@gmail.com]

Legendary Canadian University Basketball Coach Don McCrae Reflects on Stellar Career

Basketball Canada Hall-of-Famer Don McCrae joins this week's show to discuss the highs and lows of his head coaching career. McCrae was an excellent player in his own right, a Team Canada member at the PanAm and Olympic Games, before coaching Kitchener Forest Heights to an Ontario Championship. He joined the University of Waterloo in 1971 and coached the Warriors to a first-place finish in eleven of the next 21 years. During that time, Waterloo qualified for nine CIAU Championships and won the national title in 1975. McCrae discusses the raw emotion of that season, which saw star player Mike Moser take ill and die during a team trip to Florida. Months later, the Warriors claimed the Canadian Championship in front of a packed gym in Waterloo and a national television audience. McCrae later coached the Canadian National Women's Basketball team for eight years, including a trip to the 1984 Olympics. He recalls the time Basketball Canada tried to fire him, but his players threatened to quit if that happened. Don McCrae shares many great stories about his career, including a funny memory of his most challenging coaching job. It's not a team you would expect. To contact us, email: whaddyaknowaboutsports@gmail.com [whaddyaknowaboutsports@gmail.com]

Jays 2024 Season Off To Rocky Start and Roberts Recalls Favourite Sport Memory

In this episode, the guys discuss the opening week of the Blue Jays' 2024 MLB season, which has already seen Toronto get no-hit for the 8th time in franchise history. Lance Roberts remembers one of his greatest sports experiences: field level in Florida for Game #7 of the 1997 World Series between the Indians and Marlins. March Madness is down to the Final Four in both NCAA Men's and Women's Basketball, and Canada's Rachel Homan sits atop the curling world for the second time in her career. To contact us, email: whaddyaknowaboutsports@gmail.com [whaddyaknowaboutsports@gmail.com]