The JD Bunkis Podcast

The Ringer's Tate Frazier makes his annual appearance on the show to break down everything you need to know for March Madness. JD asks Tate about which lottery pick has the most to win or lose during the tournament, how the top few lottery picks could shake out, point guards to be excited about, where the real drop off is in the 2026 NBA draft, what underdogs he likes to upset higher seeds, and Rick Pitino's place in college sports. The show ends with 'What We Missed!' The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

JD shares his optimism about the sport of baseball following Venezuela's World Baseball Classic win. Jared Carrabis, co-host of the Baseball is Dead podcast, joins JD to get into the momentum of baseball and the looming lockout threat. Later, JD asks Jared about how American baseball fans are taking the loss, if he thinks the WBC is bigger than the World Series, why the tournament was a success, and three ideas to make it even better. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

Tuukka Rask, Stanley Cup Champion and TNT analyst, joins JD Bunkis to give his thoughts on the Auston Matthews-Radko Gudas situation and debates if it's time for the NHL Department of Player Safety to revaluate their process. The pair also discuss the grey area regarding goaltender interference, the difficulty of playing behind a lousy defence, the shrinking gap in international hockey, and what could help propel goaltender's development. The show ends with 'What We Missed!' The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

JD reacts to the World Championship news coming from the NHL General Manager meetings and explains why he thinks the World Championships may become the premier international hockey tournament. The Athletic's James Mirtle joins JD (10:00) to dive into how they felt about the World Championships of the past and predict what the next tournament may be like. Next (20:00), JD and James get into the ripple effects from the Auston Matthews - Radko Gudas incident and how it's permeating in the organization. Later, JD tries to give a positive spin on an otherwise nightmare Maple Leafs season. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

Ryan Dempster, former MLB All-Star, Team Canada pitcher, and MLB Network analyst, joins JD Bunkis to share his feelings about seeing Canada advance to the World Baseball Classic quarterfinals. Ryan and JD also chat about the nuances of youth baseball development and how the Blue Jays starting rotation could shake out, before the show wraps up with 'What We Missed!' The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

JD laments about the moment Auston Matthews' hurt his knee and debates if that was a new low in this Maple Leafs era. Ben Ennis, co-host of The FAN Morning Show, joins from Texas to get into the World Baseball Classic with JD. JD and Ben discuss if they are looking more or less forward to the automated ball-strike system in the MLB after the WBC, Canada not qualifying for the Olympics, Josh Naylor's missed opportunity, Owen Caissie's national popularity, and Kevin Gausman as the Jays Opening Day starter. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

Jackie Redmond, from the NHL on TNT and WWE, joins JD to talk about her experience at the Winter Olympics, the recent successes for the sport of hockey, how different public relations teams handle player access, and the difference between the Toronto's sports market and others. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

JD reacts to Canada qualifying into the elimination round at the World Baseball Classic. Sportsnet's Chris Leroux, former MLB and team Canada pitcher, analyzes Canada's history and why this moment is special, Canada matching up with the United States in the quarterfinals, what advantages Canada may have over the United States, where Canada needs to imrpove in developing players, Owen Cassiee's chances to become a household name and the Jays cautionary strategy with Trey Yesavage. JD reacts to a bad Raptors loss to end the hour. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

Chris Mannix, writer and host at Sports Illustrated, breaks down how the NBA media and league office felt about Bam Adebayo's 83-point performance, why the Raptors can't beat good teams and how they get better, if Jayson Tatum's means anything for soft tissue injuries at large, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's legacy and case for back-to-back MVP's, what makes Victor Wembanyama's special, and what he thinks will be the most likely solution to the tank wars. The show ends with 'What We Missed!' The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

JD reacts to a wild night in sports and focuses on the current state of Maple Leafs fans. Sportsnet's Nick Kypreos joins JD to talk about what a prospective trade for Matthew Knies would have looked like, why the Leafs may have considered moving on from Knies, if he's convinced one way or the other with the Leafs direction, if a Knies trade is more likely in the future now that his name has been floated in the media, if Brad Treliving's job security has possibly changed, if he thinks the Leafs could go back to having a president of hockey operations role and if there's a chance the NHL could step in to curtail the no-move clauses in contracts. JD and Producer Armen then discuss Bam Adebayo's outrageous 83-point performance. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.