00:00Obviously, there's going to be juice for the home opener, but when we get to mid-December and mid-January
00:06and mid-February
00:07and you kind of get to those doldrums of a really long regular season,
00:12I do think that building is going to bring something every night because it's Ovi's last game that I think
00:20will help the organization.
00:21And if you look at the game last night, no secret, the Caps in this offseason, via trade and free
00:28agency,
00:29they were aggressive and they wanted to bring in more offensive firepower to support Alex Ovechkin.
00:36And you mentioned, I got to have a long conversation with Ted Leotis.
00:39I appreciate the time. He was very gracious.
00:41And he's always, when you talk to Ted, I mean, he's always informative and I always appreciate chatting with him.
00:47Ted's cool, man.
00:48Yeah, and I appreciated, we're going to play some of my conversation with him later in the program,
00:55but I was like, I was there for the great chase.
00:58Like, I've worked those games for NBC.
01:01And you saw the additional media exposure, the national media exposure, honestly, the international,
01:09because there were a lot of Canadian people there.
01:10There was like French, there was like a lot of additional media surrounding that.
01:15Finally giving him his respect.
01:17Totally.
01:18But I think it wore on Ove and I think it wore on the team a little going into the
01:22playoffs.
01:22And I asked Ted, I was like, you know, how do you balance wanting to honor a truly legendary player
01:29in what is going to be his last season with what Ove wants, which is probably nothing.
01:34And he said the best way we can honor him, and that's why we put this team together,
01:38is to try to go on a deep playoff run.
01:40And I just thought, I loved hearing that.
01:42I pitched my idea of the statue outside of the stadium and Stallion's idea of the statue at the waterfront.
01:49Ted had a very interesting answer there.
01:50So you'll hear all that later.
01:52But B, watching that game, watching how they came out,
01:56watching all the young and veteran players they've added,
02:01and just seeing the line combinations and, like, how deep they are all the way down
02:08and then seeing the speed and the size, like, this Cavs team is good, dude.
02:13They look different.
02:13You know, they look different, I think, but you want – that's the thing I've always wanted
02:18because I went through years where I watched people stand around and wait for Ove to do it.
02:22Right.
02:23I also went through some years where, you know, when he was in there on his line,
02:28everything was expected.
02:29And then other guys just hold on and then they come back.
02:32And I think the pressure was on, but he embraced it, you know.
02:36I think if you have multiple lines, as John said yesterday, every line can do something.
02:41Totally.
02:42If you're doing that, then that's the problem for the rest of the league.
02:46You know, when you've got constant lines coming at them,
02:49that puts a lot of pressure on the goalie for sure.
02:52Totally.
02:53Now, they won 5-3 last night.
02:56It was cool to have the Penguins in the building and seeing all the Crosby jerseys
03:00and, like, recognizing where this rivalry with Ove and Sid has gone from.
03:06There was a period of time that there was probably some outright hatred.
03:10You know what I'm saying?
03:11And, like, especially you go back to that first, what's the New Year's Day outdoor game called?
03:16Like, there's so many of them now that it's kind of gotten bastardized.
03:20But back then, when they had that New Year's Day game, the Winter Classic, I think it's called, right?
03:25That first Winter Classic, where they did the HBO show leading up to it, and it was Boudreaux coaching then.
03:32And I don't think everybody had seen what the inside of a hockey dressing room is like
03:38and how Bruce spoke and the language that's used.
03:43The hype and the buildup for that game, like, I think you could argue at that point in time.
03:49They just don't want to admit it, Jay.
03:51They know how it is.
03:52Right.
03:52But there was a period of time in this city, and probably not as much anymore now that the Caps
04:00got a cup
04:00and en route to the cup beat the Penguins in the playoffs.
04:04But, like, I think Caps-Pens was probably the most heated rivalry in this city for a while.
04:11I think forever it was Skins, Cowboys, and then, you know.
04:14I think it's still – I think it's one of those still because, listen, Ovi and Sid have grown to
04:20respect each other.
04:21Right, they've found mutual respect.
04:22And that's normally how it happens when you're competing against somebody.
04:25And a little saying, game, recognize game, you know.
04:28Yeah.
04:28They don't always recognize the different things that are going on.
04:31And I think the ultimate thing for me is still the fans despise him.
04:37Totally.
04:37You know, Sid is not liked here.
04:41No.
04:41And I'm sure Ovi's not liked in Pittsburgh.
04:43Right.
04:44But those two guys can respect each other.
04:46Now, I want to show the world what B's doing.
04:48Joey, on Monumental, can you take my camera?
04:50And then I'm going to show this on the stream for Dwight Bryan.
04:53He doesn't want you to know, but if you send B a football card and sign it, he'll send it
04:58back to you.
04:59Don't be putting that on blast, baby.
05:02I get too much of this already.
05:04Now, you've got to send him a self-addressed envelope back.
05:07Yeah, yeah.
05:08That's how you get it back.
05:09Because if you don't, I will keep your card.
05:12I'm letting you know it right now.
05:14It was just so fun.
05:16So, I had to – so, the puck drop was at 730.
05:20And I had to take – last night we had all ears.
05:22And I had to be – you know, the show starts at 830 on Nebraska Ave.
05:26So, I'm giving myself roughly a half hour to get from Cap 1 to Nebraska Ave, even though it's probably
05:32five miles or something.
05:33But you've got to do that, though.
05:35There's traffic as hell in D.C., bro.
05:37And I'm there with Kerwin, and I'm like, I'm just going to stick around for warm-ups.
05:40He's like, all right.
05:41And then I'm like, I might stick around for puck drop.
05:44He's like, listen, man, the longer you're here and you see Ovi and then you see his sons do the
05:49introduction, he's like, you're not going to leave.
05:52And he was correct.
05:53So, I eventually left.
05:54But it was great to feel the electricity in that building.
05:57My only critique, and I don't pretend to be like a hardcore hockey strategy X's and O's guy, right?
06:03But twice at least – you remember in the U.S.-Belgium World Cup game where the U.S. was outclassed,
06:11Belgium was the better team, the U.S. came out flat, all those things.
06:15But who's my man, Baligan?
06:18Yeah.
06:18Baligan got the goal on the free kick, I believe.
06:21And everybody was going ballistic because they scored to tie it up, and then Belgium scored like 45 seconds later.
06:30Because they didn't realize the game's still going on, bro.
06:33Dude, the Caps gave up two quick ones like that to the Pens last night where – like the first
06:39goal.
06:39I mean, they scored, and then the Pens scored like 40 seconds later.
06:44And then later, I think in the second, I think Willie scored, and then the Pens again scored like 40
06:51seconds later.
06:51And I don't know if that's a mental lapse or what, but you've got to button that up.
06:55That's my only critique from last night.
06:57You can score, and if you – don't celebrate when the play is still happening.
07:01Celebrate when you've got a break or when the game's over.
07:05Because what happens with veteran teams, you score, you get jovial, you start celebrating, that other team knows to attack
07:13that.
07:14Now, a team that's not veteran-led, they probably would sit back and whatever.
07:19No.
07:20The Penguins are going to attack you.
07:21And some of that might –
07:22And other teams will do that too.
07:23Some of that might be the home opener and taking the crowd in and stuff.
07:26But you've got to tighten that up.
07:28You know the best time to take the crowd in?
07:29When the game's over and you won.
07:30Sure.
07:31Absolutely.
07:31Best.
07:32It was really cool.
07:34The Caps, it's kind of a funky schedule.
07:36I got to talk to Al Koken yesterday.
07:39Got to catch up with Joe B yesterday.
07:40Smoking Al Koken.
07:41It was just great to see those guys and see them back in their element.
07:44And, like, mentally, last night, like, got me back in hockey mode.
07:49Mm-hmm.
07:50But the schedule is funky.
07:52You know the Frozen Four?
07:53Like, the NCAA hockey, the Final Four?
07:55Yeah.
07:55You know that's here this year?
07:57Really?
07:57Which should be really cool.
07:59I don't like that.
07:59But because of that, there's like a –
08:02They have to be on the road or something?
08:04There's like a 10-game stretch late in the year where they're on the road.
08:07So their schedule is really front-loaded.
08:10But we talked about that yesterday with all those home games they had.
08:13Yeah.
08:13You were saying that.
08:14Yeah, because I think out of the first 12, maybe two or three are on the road,
08:18the rest of them at home.
08:19So last night started 11 of 13 at home.
08:22Wow.
08:23So it adds a little pressure, I think, early in the year to have all those home games.
08:28Is it pressure or is it –
08:30Opportunity.
08:31Opportunity because, like, you've got your home crowd behind you.
08:33Take advantage of it.
08:34But you'd like to think you're going to knock out 9 of 11 at home
08:37and then maybe build up a little cushion, a little pushing for the cushion.
08:41Hey.
08:41Cushion for the push.
08:42Go for it.
08:44It was fun, though.
08:45It was just fun to be back in a hockey game.
08:47You forget how damn cold it is because when I'm getting to the arena,
08:51there's nobody in there.
08:53Right?
08:53It's frigid then.
08:54It's freezing cold.
08:56Yeah, yeah, yeah.
08:56And I had forgotten that.
08:58Now, luckily, I was wearing a suit, so I was kind of okay.
09:00But, like, by the time fans get in before puck drop, once you put –
09:04Put your little long johns on.
09:05You'll be all right.
09:06Once you put, like, 17,000 humans in there, there's body heat.
09:10But early on, man, it's cold in there, dude.
09:15You clearly seem sympathetic.
09:17Yeah, I'll get you a trench coat next time.
09:18I got my Mr. Rogers sweater out here.
09:20Yeah, y'all got to see.
09:21Jake got this sweater.
09:23I'll put it on right now.
09:23He looks just like Mr. Rogers.
09:25Welcome to my neighborhood.
09:26Beautiful day in this neighborhood.
09:28Won't you be my neighbor?
09:29Won't you be?
09:29Did B-Mitch watch Mr. Rogers growing up?
09:31Yes.
09:32Please, won't you be my neighbor?
09:37I probably watched the original thing while I was growing up.
09:40What were the shows of your youth?
09:43Mr. Rogers?
09:44Yeah, Mr. Rogers, Sanford and Son.
09:47What was it with Eat It and what you call them?
09:49Mama's House?
09:50What was that?
09:51Mama's Family?
09:52Some family.
09:53All in the family.
09:54Okay.
09:55All in the family.
09:56Oh, that was Archie Bunker, right?
09:57Archie Bunker, yeah.
09:58And Eat It.
09:58That's his way.
09:59Wasn't that Eat It?
10:00Something like that?
10:01I'll take your word for it.
10:01Yeah, those were some of the things.
10:03Yeah.
