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Catching Strays in Hockey Yaoi
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Welcome to the favourite podcast of the Ottawa Senators coaching staff, who clearly make their lineup decisions based on what we tell them. In this episode, we gloat about being right about Jordan Spence, the Sens being Canada's team, and the Charge being Actually Good.
Then, we discuss the hockey romance book/show that's going viral on gay twitter, and its very mean portrayal of the city of Ottawa.
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Transcript
Brady Kachunk and Team Dynamics
00:00:06
Speaker
don't even know what he's thinking. He's just a complete brickhead. Brady Kachunk. Thomas is my best friend. I got a lot of good-looking noobs on my team. You just got noofed.
00:00:18
Speaker
I just am. Just am, we'll see.
Podcast Introduction and Ottawa Senators Influence
00:00:21
Speaker
Hi everyone and welcome at long last to episode Patrick Weirkoch of Elite Sun's Brain. I've been so excited about this number.
00:00:32
Speaker
As always, I'm Beata. I'm joined by the artist formerly known as Twitter user at Ericsson'sBurner. How are you doing today? I'm doing good Tentatively good. How are you doing?
00:00:42
Speaker
Pretty good, too. And one of the reasons I'm doing well is because an update from our last episode, Sens listens to us. It was crazy how fast it happened. I think it was like the day he uploaded is like the day this all happened.
00:00:59
Speaker
ah Oh, we were texting each other and we were like, damn, they listened to this on two to two times speed. Literally. Because you know what we said in the last episode? We said, number one, should go back to white helmets with their white jerseys. I'm saving the bigger one for later. And they did that.
00:01:19
Speaker
and then what else did we say? Yeah. The other thing is, we said they should put Jordan Spence back in the lineup. And what did they do? Like an hour after we uploaded, they put Jordan Spence back in the lineup and he has been in the lineup ever since and he has been playing so well.
00:01:38
Speaker
Literally. And didn't we? he not score that game too? when like he think so, yeah yeah. And they won that game. Yeah, yeah. So it's like, what the heck? We're geniuses. People doubted us.
00:01:49
Speaker
But we were so right. The lesson that everyone should learn is that you should always listen to us. It's true. It was honestly, i was like, this is the first time, sadly, i was like, is this the first time any of our like predictions or whatever have actually come true? It's definitely the fastest time it's ever happened. But okay.
00:02:12
Speaker
I remember there was one time that we said that Breanne Jenner was gonna go on a huge scoring tear and like win the scoring, like the, the league's, the PWHL equivalent of the Rocket Richard, the award for like scoring the most goals. And she didn't exactly do that, but she did immediately go on like a huge tear where she scored a bunch of goals. So we were close there. We count those, but this one was crazy. It was like immediate. I was like, oh my gosh.
00:02:39
Speaker
Thank God I didn't take even longer to edit that because otherwise it would have been out of date like right off like right when it got published. But yeah.
Ottawa Senators' Performance and Predictions
00:02:47
Speaker
It's so true. So we just want to say a nice warm welcome to Travis Green. Thank you so much for being a fan of the podcast. You know, Steve Steyos. don't know if you're listening as well. Maybe it was just Alfie and he told Travis Green the news that that Jordan Spence needs to be in the lineup.
00:03:05
Speaker
I believe they have listening parties before every single game. Yeah, and we threw them off last time because they were like, oh my god, we only have an hour to listen to this. Guys, pause everything. Stop what you're doing. We gotta listen to these who Elite Sense Brain. They have to tell us what to do.
00:03:22
Speaker
you know how sometimes, this is mostly after, like I think, like series and championship wins and whatnot, you hear like music coming from like the locker room. like I imagine that like you just hear like their former teammate meowing so loud when you walk past the locker But it's before the game, not after. Yeah, yeah, exactly.
00:03:43
Speaker
So true. Yeah. So thanks to viewers. Yeah. I mean, listeners. Yeah. Same thing. Whatever. Yeah. And thank God they listened to us because, guys, we're almost done with November.
00:03:58
Speaker
and not only are the Sens not completely screwed, they're the best team in Canada. Don't look at the standings right now. They've been the best team in Canada for a while. Yeah, that's, like, that's not, it's our fault for, like, taking this long to record again. But, like, I believe.
00:04:17
Speaker
and like, honestly, whatever. They're, like, the best team in Canada, basically. I'm looking at the stats, which I know you said not to. On goal differential, they're the best team in Canada. So we count those, I think. Okay, yeah, there's another team that shall not be named that's slightly ahead of us in the standings. But, like, they're not a better team.
00:04:39
Speaker
No, exactly. Exactly. But it was really nice. We had several days of the Suns being the only Canadian team that was in a playoff spot, which was pretty sweet. Yeah. And then the other team had to go and ruin it.
00:04:52
Speaker
It's okay. There's time. I believe in the Sens. Look, this is just stats. This is science. The Sens' worst month is always November. They're always better after November.
00:05:04
Speaker
This year... They were fine in November, which means they're going to be even better in December and January and February. It is basic statistics. Like, it's basic math.
00:05:16
Speaker
So, like, I'm not stressed at all. I know that those other teams are going to have trouble. But the Sens, we're just going to keep rising in the standings. We're going to win the Atlantic.
00:05:27
Speaker
We are. i like you have to believe and I for one do. um Yeah, it's been awesome, especially because like, I know we talked about this like at length last time.
00:05:39
Speaker
The leaves are like literally cooked like it's exactly. Oh, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And it's like, you know, you look at the standings and the standings are very close.
00:05:51
Speaker
Like, much closer than they usually are at this point in the season. But, oh my god, the Leafs are one point out of last in the East. It's like super nuts. And like, I think the annoying thing is that it happened again where no one, I don't know if people are focusing on how bad the Leafs are because now the Raptors are really good. So it's like the other Toronto teams are picking up the slack too much, but like guys, they're really bad. Like it's actually crazy.
00:06:21
Speaker
And like it's starting to get ah to a point where there's a gap there, you know? There's that whole stat about most teams that aren't in a playoff spot by American Thanksgiving end up missing the playoffs.
00:06:34
Speaker
Hmm. The Leafs were like, what, six points out? You can definitely overcome that. like That's not insurmountable. It's just like, oh, you you do need to go on a winning streak and rely on a bit of luck to overcome that.
00:06:49
Speaker
Yeah, like it feels better to be able to like be like, oh, that stat works for us than like I feel like a lot of the times, like in the past, the stat that was most often quoted by like Sens fans, I don't know all Sens fans, I quoted this a lot, was like that one time the St. Louis Blues won the Stanley Cup. They were actually in last place at like the Christmas break. And I was like, okay, we hold on to hope for this one. And that's like not where you want to be. Like you don't want to be quoting that stat. But, like, that's unfortunately, or fortunately, I guess, where um teams are headed. Not us, but, like... yeah y'all stay safe. Or don't. um
00:07:27
Speaker
ah It's just, it's so beautiful that they've just stayed at the bottom of the standings for so long. it was really nice, also, when that other team fell out of the playoffs for a little bit.
00:07:39
Speaker
But I have, again, i have hope that they will. fall out of the playoffs again because they're not actually good like the Sens are and the other Canadian teams I don't know what the hell is happening that oh my god That's crazy. Oh, wow. Look at the standings. What the heck? Did you just look at the Western Conference standings? They're all hanging out. Yeah. but del The Canucks are like, people are talking about how they should trade Quinn Hughes. I started seeing those headlines and I was like, whoa, hold on.
00:08:14
Speaker
Whoa, wait, this is nuts. I have like, because I haven't been paying too much attention to like anything really. And when I have been paying attention, I've only been paying attention to the East, obviously. Wow.
00:08:25
Speaker
The West is yeah so funny. What the heck? Why do you think David, wake up? What's going on? I know. So basically, Canada's team is a real thing and the Sens are Canada's team. And the ideal playoffs for me are playoffs where the Sens are the only team, only Canadian team in it. And the whole country unites to cheer for the Ottawa Senators as they win the cup.
00:08:53
Speaker
Yeah. And it'll happen. And also, i feel like It's like most fitting, I feel like, for Canada's team to be like Canada's capital. Like that just feels yeah most fitting. We're the most Canadian team. yeah Exactly.
PWHL Insights and Ottawa Charges
00:09:08
Speaker
Famously, everyone in every province loves what goes down in Ottawa. They love that this is the capital. They love the federal government. So it's perfect.
00:09:19
Speaker
And everyone says Ottawa. That's the city to visit. Yeah. Everybody loves coming here. Yeah. There you go. Also, not a Canadian team, but I do want to point out new things since last episode.
00:09:32
Speaker
The Detroit Red Wings have fallen out of a playoff spot. So now there's only one evil team. Last time there was only one evil team and that was a different evil team in the playoffs. But the Red Wings have finally come down to earth. And also their fans are not happy. The fans seem to think that the Red Wings are very, very bad. And that makes me very happy.
00:09:54
Speaker
Oh my gosh. It's all going according to plan. It's perfect. Almost. So one thing that has happened since our last episode is that PWHL season started.
00:10:10
Speaker
Charge are... For a minute, it looked like they were every bit as bad as we thought they were they would be. But then they destroyed Vancouver. So like, we're winning the cup? They just started game late. They just started a game late. It's fine.
00:10:25
Speaker
we yeah like yeah it's fine. The first game back doesn't count, famously. So it's fine. Also hilarious that the GoldenEyes are so bad. know. I was like shocked. I thought they were going to be good Everyone did. Because the league rigged the expansion draft in their favor.
00:10:45
Speaker
That's like so awesome that that didn't work though. Like, wow. umma may I like to believe, like, obviously, like, obviously everyone everyone's confused because like no one expected it to go this way. But like, maybe they're like, hey guys, the expansion was really unfair. So in solidarity, we'll be really bad.
00:11:04
Speaker
yeah Yeah. So true. But that means they won't revise the expansion drafts, those expansion rules next time around. Oh, yeah. Shoot. They're actually people crossing us.
00:11:16
Speaker
Oh, God. Like, I don't know what I want. Do I want the evil team to do well? Or do I want them to do badly so the PWHL doesn't completely screw us over next time? It's like, it's sad because it's a win-win, but also like a no-win.
00:11:28
Speaker
so like, ugh. I feel like, realistically, what's going to happen is it's going to be like Toronto in the first season, where they were, if I remember correctly, just...
00:11:40
Speaker
god awful for the beginning of the season and then ended up winning the league not obviously the welter cup but they finished first in the regular season and i feel like it's gonna be a similar thing with vancouver where it just takes them a while to gel as a team or whatever and then they're just gonna suddenly rise through the standings and be super good i don't like that idea yeah wait but was it But then, am I wrong, but then get reverse swept in the playoffs? Is that what happened? Okay, yeah, there you go.
00:12:12
Speaker
Yeah, that that's a good idea. i can i can support that potentially if we're really repeating history here. Yeah, perfect. Reverse swept by Ottawa in the Western Conference somehow.
00:12:23
Speaker
Oh no, they don't even do conferences. Yeah, I don't actually know. How did they do it They just, they just cheated? Yeah, it's just four teams. Okay. Well, and the top team chooses their opponent. Yeah, I guess they wouldn't change that. Because I was thinking for time zones, they would probably want to have the Western teams playing each other. But i actually, no, that wouldn't make sense. But I guess it would factor into the decision about which team you're going to choose if there's like a Western Conference and Eastern Conference team. Maybe. yeah It could be interesting.
00:12:54
Speaker
It does add like an interesting component of like, Because it's like, do you both want to be tired by the travel? Yeah. both one of you like Do you want your opponent rested and yourself rested? Yeah. And then I guess it it depends like which um which games you get. You might look at it and be like, is it better for us to be the well-rested team early on? I don't know. That's interesting. That's the thing. I feel like that rule of like pick your opponent is like...
00:13:21
Speaker
It's like the rule that keeps on giving. Like, I feel like there's just so many interesting, like, things at play. And I think so far, it's been kind of just like, they just pick the team that they're, like, heated to go against.
00:13:32
Speaker
Or, like, which makes sense. um But yeah, I feel like it, like, has so many interesting components. Yeah, I don't know. Anyways, it was very satisfying to beat the cold in the ice. Also, love cadirova The small Russian player.
00:13:50
Speaker
She was great in that awful game one. ah silver lining. Yeah, I was saying on Silver 7 that I'm hoping she'll be sort of a zoob to this team where she just comes out of nowhere and she's randomly so good.
00:14:05
Speaker
Yeah. That would fun. Yeah, that would be so good. I also think I... i hallucin itist Did like Zoob not like tell that? I don't know their names yet. But like, it was so nice. Like, hey, good luck. know.
00:14:17
Speaker
and he was like, let me know if you need anything. It was so cute. That's so awesome. I love like, obviously like, PWHL doesn't like strictly like needed and whatever like their their own league like in their own right and stuff but I do like when the like teams within like with the NHL teams that have a PWHL team in the same city like do the crossover stuff I feel like it's very nice definitely i also just it's so interesting that Ottawa brought in these Russian players because with women's hockey
00:14:49
Speaker
When there's a team that can't compete in any international tournaments, like you truly have no idea what's going on there, you know? So it's been a lovely surprise to see that like suddenly Russia has good women's hockey players because they didn't used to. and have exactly two. and we Yeah, yeah and we have both. There we go.
00:15:09
Speaker
Very exciting. i hope to see more Sens and Charge crossovers. Yeah. There was um an NHL video where a bunch of players were asked, ah you know, for NHL media or whatever, and a bunch of players were asked who their favorite PWHL player was. And I was pleasantly surprised that a lot of them, like, knew PWHL players. So it was really cool. And unfortunately, i remember Timmy was like, oh, yeah, Drake's sister, May. We go watch her all the time. But then he said Emily Clark. So it's okay. He knows players. Yeah. I feel like it's so nice. I feel like they're
00:15:44
Speaker
like I feel like there would have been a time when everyone would have just been like Marie-Louis Pelรฉ or whatever. like The most basic. Or even like Sarah Nurse. yeah I know that she has a brother. Oh no, years ago it would have been Amanda Kessel. 100%. Yeah, so it's cool that like now they're like in the know.
00:16:05
Speaker
Yeah, like, it's great that Tim Stutzler knows who Emily Clark is because they did the Sen skills together, but you know. Oh, right. They know each other. That's fun. it was it was so fun last year going to the Sen skills and seeing the Sens and Charge players interact. It was like, it's a crossover.
00:16:24
Speaker
Yeah, I feel like it's so, like, also it's just, like, I don't know, there's just so many, there's just, like, so much opportunity for, like, fun things, because I feel like, like, both fanbases, obviously there's a ton of overlap, but I feel like Charge fanbase is just, like, so like, energized and all that stuff, like, so I feel like it's, like, great to have the crossover, because I feel like there's actually, like, a lot of Charge fans who are not also Sens fans, which is, like, cool, because it's, like, that's very awesome, like, get into both or whatever.
00:16:54
Speaker
I know, I was going to say, so many charge fans, like more than I realized, are that I was anticipating, i mean are just like gay people in Ottawa who are like, this is the thing to be into right now. you know like It's really incredible how the PWHL has been able to reach... The people who would not really get into hockey. Like, I know so many people in my real life who are those types of people who are like, no, I hate sports. Sports are for straight men. I'm not into this.
00:17:26
Speaker
And they have gone all the way down the PWHL rabbit hole, you know? No, it's so cool. Yeah, it's awesome. And it means that there's this whole PWHL market that just like doesn't think the NHL will appeal to them at all, but they clearly like hockey, you know? So maybe if the Sens could put a bit more effort into actually trying to reach those people, could be a good like market for them.
00:17:54
Speaker
That's what I'm saying. And then also the, um like, this is kind of like, the point has been made a million times over. But like, the fact that it's so easy to go to a charge game, like you can take one bus or you can walk there if you live close to the lake. It's like, wow, imagine that Crazy. Yeah.
00:18:14
Speaker
One day, they will share the downtown arena. man It's gonna happen, I swear. it will, I promise. you have You have our word but this will happen one day.
00:18:26
Speaker
Yeah, I also appreciate all the smart people who have ah been able to talk me down from the ledge about the charge leaving town. Sounds like... I feel like I've come around to know they're not going to leave. it's They're just being dramatic. They'll figure something out. They'll play at the CTC for a few years. Whatever. It's fine. You are the smart person telling me this. like Thank you.
00:18:50
Speaker
I was freaking out. I wrote ah an article on Silver 7 that was like a debate with myself where I was like, are the charge gonna leave Ottawa? What the fuck? um And it was very much me just getting all my like most irrational thoughts out. And I, so yeah through writing that, I was kind of like, you know what?
00:19:07
Speaker
I don't think it makes any sense for the league to relocate the charge. I feel like, I feel like they're gonna stay. Even though the charge keep being like, we will not play a single game at this new arena. yeah I feel like then, feel like it'll all work out then. I hadn't seen this article. I'm gonna look at this article once we're done recording and then I'll feel even better.
00:19:28
Speaker
Well, I mean, i don't know if i if the article itself necessarily makes you feel better. I i just, through writing it, was like, okay, I got my most negative thoughts out. and And now I've decided that I was being ridiculous.
00:19:43
Speaker
So it's fine. um Everything is great for the charge. They're going to do great. They've re-signed two key players. So actually people love staying here and everything's fine.
00:19:54
Speaker
Yeah, actually people famously are loving to stay in Ottawa so much. oh Yeah. Ronja Savalainen, my favorite. She said, I want another year here. hu Gabby Hughes.
00:20:07
Speaker
Yeah. also awesome Good to have players on the team. it's nice yeah It's nice to know that there'll be like ah at least a couple.
00:20:19
Speaker
You know, like who knows what's going to happen with the expansion draft, but at least they seem to want to stay here. Yeah, exactly. like it and then you know maybe other people are like, whoa, maybe I'll want to stay here too.
00:20:37
Speaker
like we use exact friendships to our advantage, which... like They could take that page out of the Sens book, but like, it's kind of old now, but like, get everyone to be friends and then draft one friend so the other friend stays and it's like an avalanche effect. It's perfect. Yeah, I feel like the PWHL has taken that one to another level. Yeah. Generally across the league. It's true.
00:21:01
Speaker
I did enjoy soundbite from the Charge versus Sirens game, which foreshadowing for a later part of this episode, one of the commenters was like, you know, in the PWHL, like, there are so many rivalries, like, it's kind of at a point where every single team has a heated rivalry with the other team. And I was like, you know what?
00:21:24
Speaker
There's at least one Charge player for whom that is true. oh my gosh. An amazing... like name drop of um a relevant thing obviously it's just a thing people say but what did they know changed now you know what there are heated rivalries between every pwhl team every single one so yeah i think that was all we had to say about the charge yeah they've only played two games though yeah They're good.
00:21:54
Speaker
everyone Everyone calm down. team is going to win the cup. It's fine. Exactly. I also... Wait. This is a side note. I enjoy how they're still doing kazoo-related things. Oh, yeah. That's been fun.
00:22:07
Speaker
Yeah. It feels really Ottawa in a way that I can't fully explain. because it's like it almost... I don't know if this is how you feel, but I feel like it's like a thing where there's like one sense where it's like a team could take something that like has been like was like last season and stuff. And it's like, oh, like it's kind of dead now, but they're still bringing it up. But I feel like it so it's so opposite where people are like, yeah, we're still doing this. And like the team's still doing this and everyone's still doing it. And it's like more of like a happy, like, I don't know. Like, it's like a nice thing that like we're all still doing. appreciate it. It's fun. yeah Yeah. It was like ah and a tradition that showed up organically and we're just keep running with it. You know, it's it's cool. It's also just, I don't know. There's something about like,
00:22:54
Speaker
the Ottawa energy of it, where I feel like a big part of the Charges fanbase is people like my mom, like, kind of Gen X, sort of, like, extremely politically involved activists or whatever, um who just have a certain energy about them. they Like, if you if you're from Ottawa, you know what I'm talking about. There's a specific, like, Ottawa energy of, like, Gen X women who... um are very very involved in local politics and there is just something about like the yeah the kazoos are our thing let's go charge that just feels very Ottawa no like guys tell me if you understand what I'm getting at here
00:23:39
Speaker
I like see who you're talking about like in my mind's eye and we're like sitting across from each other on the LRT. Like I see the, like I see her. You know what i mean? Like there's a specific haircut, you know, there's specific attitude. Like the people that you canvas with when you're volunteering for political candidates, for NDP candidates specifically. Yeah, exactly.
00:24:00
Speaker
And believe me when I say she is getting off at like Parliament Station. Like, trust me. Mm-hmm. She has a very popular Blue Sky account.
00:24:12
Speaker
Full respect to those people, by the way.
Kachuk Brothers' Podcast and Player Media Presence
00:24:14
Speaker
like I love my mother. i really hope she isn't listening to this episode because of the next segment. ah you Not the next one, one after that. Full respect to that part of the fan base. I'm sure we have many listeners who this describes.
00:24:26
Speaker
Which, like, I love the kazoos. Like, yeah, like, I think it's so awesome. I hope to be her. Like, when I like, I don't know how old Jen acts, but like, I hope to be that person when I'm like a little bit older. oh yeah. 100%. So and don't have a good segue for this. We have one more thing.
00:24:47
Speaker
that we needed to discuss, um which is everybody's trying to be us. Everyone's trying to start podcasts and it sucks.
00:24:58
Speaker
it's But our podcast is so much better than Brady Kachuk's podcast. Can I say though? Okay. Yeah. Brady Kachuk and Matthew Kachuk started podcast. They are trying to be the Kelsey brothers.
00:25:12
Speaker
Good luck. I don't... embarrassing I don't know. like I don't even really like the Kelsey brothers, but it's like, I just don't think that they've got it. But whatever. Like, respect. My thing is that I was listening to, like, the first, like, five minutes or something, and I was like, I hope and pray that this isn't what they sound like. I feel like they're just like... Peter Forsberg is sick.
00:25:33
Speaker
Yeah. I was shoot, I hope I listen to it. Okay, so I haven't listened to it yet, and in a way, I feel bad... Because like, okay, as someone who has, you know, started two podcasts, like, it is very nerve wracking to record your first podcast and you just like don't know how to do anything. Arguably, we still don't know what we're doing at all, you know? And you say things that sound weird and you're listening to your voice on the recording and you're like cringing. And it must be even worse to be doing that when you're already so famous and you know that so many people are going to listen to that. So in a way, like, I i do sympathize with Brady about that.
00:26:11
Speaker
Yeah, like, I honestly think that it's, like, very nice, very awesome, but, like, it's just, like, an energy where, like, okay, similarly, i don't know if everyone knows about this, William Nylander has a YouTube channel now, and, like,
00:26:27
Speaker
Okay, it's like the same type of energy where I'm just like, it's okay, like you don't have to do this. But then like, if you're gonna do it, why is it like this? Like, I feel like the Kachuk brothers talked for like 15 minutes just about like the name of the podcast. And it's like, guys, this isn't content, no hate. And like William Nylander, similarly, and they're like his first YouTube video, I watched the whole thing.
00:26:48
Speaker
There was like an eight minute segment where he just couldn't find his laundry. Like he was like at the rink and he couldn't, and it's like, this isn't That's so funny, though. Like, it's edited, too, so, like, they edited this down. They must have producers, right? Who are, like, telling them what to do My main thing is just, i don't want to hear Brady Kachuk's opinions. I don't want this to be another Mark Mathot situation, you know? yeah Yeah, I hope that they just, like,
00:27:17
Speaker
if they're gonna do it, like, obviously they're gonna do it. They just, like, stick to talking about, like, hockey and stuff. Because honestly, I feel like I didn't listen to the full, I honestly listened to, like, five minutes of one episode. But, like, I think so far they're just kind of, like,
00:27:31
Speaker
adding which like good if you you know what stay boring if you're gonna do it like no hate like I think like a lot of people would like it i think it's like interesting sometimes to just like hear like your favorite player talk about like random stuff so like that's fair but like don't delve into anything interesting it would be disastrous and they advertised it as like absolutely no filter and I saw that I was like please have a filter please please I'm begging you yeah we're also like, I'm, I guess they're both injured. Is Matthew Kachuk still injured? Is that the truth? Okay, yeah. So I guess like, that's how they have the time.
00:28:10
Speaker
Like, when they're both back, I'm like, like, surely they don't have time, right Because the whole thing apparently with like, the Kelsey Brothers podcast is like, the way that football works is you play a game and then you're so beat up that you have to just take a week off. But like,
00:28:25
Speaker
They have like a crazy schedule. I feel like they won't have time to do this except like in the summer if they're gonna like once they're both back. So yeah. yeah It'll be very embarrassing if they end up having a more consistent upload schedule than us. But remember, they have a whole team of producers and editors. We don't.
00:28:44
Speaker
Like all they have to do is talk and then leave. we don't have homework. or Yeah, they don't. And they don't have to, like, I don't know. well You know what? Brady has a kid. that i just remembered that.
00:28:57
Speaker
Shoot, he is busy, probably. Damn. Oh, man. Whatever. It's fine. they have They have, like, exactly. They have editors and whatever. It's fine.
00:29:14
Speaker
So, yeah. Not looking forward to hearing Brady Kachuk's opinions. I love him. Like, he's such a you know, great personality. i you know, love all the Sens content that has him. Like, you know, of all the players in the league who...
00:29:30
Speaker
would make good content creators or whatever. i feel like Brady is definitely up there as just one of the most personable guys. It's just, i don't want to know his political opinions because I think I know what they are and I'm not going to like them. And it's better if I, if I just, if he doesn't say anything.
00:29:48
Speaker
Yeah. We're like, hopefully it just, doesn't come up like i'm like i'm just hoping that like it's just not like i i think we all know probably like what's happening in his brain but like hopefully it's just like he's just really not he doesn't care that much it's like the crux of it you know what i mean like i feel like some guys like just really care too and it's like oh god yeah i think hopefully he just is like i don't care but yeah oh mark mathaut he cares about taxes no
00:30:19
Speaker
He has opinions. Like, hopefully just Brady just doesn't have opinions, you know what I mean? Or he's, yeah, or he's just smart enough to keep quiet about them. Because, look, I, my rule with stuff like this is i am very big on criticizing people for things that they have actually said and done and not for... what I think their political opinions are. I've probably said this on this podcast before, you know? Like, if I just get bad vibes from someone, I can get bad vibes from them, but I'm not gonna go around being like, this person is a Trump supporter because their family is and because I get a Trump supporter vibe from them. Like, that's not helpful or productive at all. So it's like, as long as Brady doesn't say or do anything problematic, I'm like,
00:31:02
Speaker
I don't know. Who knows what his opinions are. I can't criticize him for like getting a bad vibe, you know? Yeah, exactly. Yeah, I don't know. I'm also like obviously like pro like whatever workers rights and whatnot. But hopefully there's just something in his contract that's like you can't like speak publicly about politics. Hopefully that was like a tiny little thing that like whatever.
Critiquing a Popular Gay Hockey Show
00:31:24
Speaker
yeah think Hopefully they got that in there.
00:31:27
Speaker
Or, you know, I said this online, maybe he's secretly really woke and we're about to find out Maybe. i like, oh my gosh, that would be so, like why would that be the best day of my life? Like, I feel like you'd like hear like shouts in the street like, it it's so, like, Brady Kachuk is woke.
00:31:47
Speaker
We won!
00:31:51
Speaker
God, now that we said that, he's gonna he's gonna listen to this podcast in the dressing room and he's gonna try to set the record straight. Oh, oh my gosh, you're right. The curse of having the most popular podcast that all the players listen to. maybe he was the one listening to it. Maybe he listened to it because he wanted...
00:32:11
Speaker
like intel on how SEM's podcasts work and then he went to Travis Green and was like you're not gonna believe this the concept of Brady Kachuk listening to his podcast to know how SEM's podcasts work again because he's secretly really woke that's why he loves our podcast no exactly we see you Brady the idea that he's like how does Dan and Phil die and all like I must figure it out forgot about that you know was like i'm still I still have the idea of, like, Alfie listening to this podcast.
00:32:46
Speaker
Oh my god. so Well, guess what, guys? We have more Yaoi to talk about this month. You know what's crazy? okay you Okay, before we get into it, remember, like, last...
00:32:58
Speaker
well but What did we call the last episode? called it Justice for Jordan Spence. Okay, so there was an alternate title that I think we were like, well, that might be a lot. And why would it be the same title for this one? Anyway. It's just, wow.
00:33:15
Speaker
what ah What a time for yaoi enjoyers. So, um shall we get into this? Yes. I don't know if you guys are aware. But we we also talked about this briefly on the last episode. Remember last episode where I was like, everyone is getting into this gay hockey show and I don't want to watch it. I'm not a big romance reader, whatever.
00:33:35
Speaker
i caved. I was like, I just wanted to know. i wanted to be in on the jokes. Everyone was talking about this. And I was like, I'm going to read this book. I'm going to see if it's any good. Everyone keeps telling me to read it. I need to know the jokes.
00:33:50
Speaker
And... I want to i feel like i'm going to get cancelled for what I'm about to say, so I need to give a million disclaimers. Full respect to anyone who enjoys this book. I am really glad that we are making adaptations of gay romance novels.
00:34:08
Speaker
I'm glad this exists because there's too much straight content out there. However... Can we not aim a little higher with the books that we make popular? Because guys, this book was so bad. i couldn't believe it. It was worse than I thought.
00:34:25
Speaker
I haven't read it. So like this whole segment is just going to be you telling me about it. But just well, because I texted you after I read it and I was like, I need to talk about this on the podcast. Like you can read it or not. I also watched the show. I actually thought the show was slightly better than the books. I i thought it worked a little bit better in that medium.
00:34:44
Speaker
Maybe it was just that I knew what to expect. Oh my god, where do I even start? Like, again, I'm really sorry. i know that so many people like this book. People get very defensive about it online. I'm sure plenty of our listeners are fans. I don't want to offend people.
00:35:00
Speaker
it just think that as a romance novel, this was so bad. And also, okay, I alluded to the fact that I don't read a lot of romance and people are going to get mad at me for that. The reason I don't read a lot of romance, personally, is because I read a lot of fanfiction and so I just feel like when I'm in the mood for something really quick and easy and focused on romance, I just read fanfiction, which often has the same tropes as romance anyways. Like, I'm not trying to just criticize the whole genre of romance and be like, this is all stupid.
00:35:30
Speaker
I have problems with the way that this book was written as a romance novel. So first, first I will start with the positives again, because I think people are going to get very mad at me, but I need to rant about it. But I will start with the positives. First of all, I love a book that mentions Ottawa.
00:35:47
Speaker
The main character in this book, he is Franco-Ontarian. They don't call him Franco-Ontarian, but he is francophone from Ottawa. And I thought that was fantastic representation. I love a book about Francophone from Ottawa who lives in Montreal. Also, really enjoyed hearing like the mentions of specific Montreal neighborhoods. Like, in the prologue, they were like, he's got this apartment in Le Plateau. And I was like, yo, why are they bringing in Le Plateau suddenly?
00:36:14
Speaker
or like, oh, he has his house was in Brassard because it's close to the arena. Crazy. Crazy just have random neighborhoods mentioned. Um... Generally, like, there there is quite a bit of discussion in the book about Ottawa being bilingual and Shane being fully fluent in French, which I really, really appreciated.
00:36:31
Speaker
um i also really liked the main characters. I thought they were kind of just, like, generic fanfiction trope, but, like, they were likable. It's whatever. I don't care. um This book is not problematic.
00:36:44
Speaker
So, again, like, I'm glad that if we're going to adapt shitty romance novels, this was the shitty romance novel to adapt. It's not problematic. So like I have no problem with this existing and being popular.
00:36:56
Speaker
um And finally, my my final positive point, which is a bit of a backhanded compliment. um One of the reasons I was hesitant to read this book was because and was like, oh, it's a sports book. They're going to try to make me root for the Habs, you know, because normally if you're reading something about sports, you're like, you want to root for the main character's team. And I didn't want to root for the Habs. This book did not try to make me root for the Habs at all. they they're there The hockey, the hockey was not there.
00:37:25
Speaker
Are you just going to let me rant? You're not even going to interject? I'm just like, I don't even know what to say. Okay, because okay for context, I watched like the first 15 minutes of the first episode, i want to say. um And okay, i didn't know anything about this book going into it.
00:37:42
Speaker
Maybe, don't know is problematic to say, maybe it is. In my head, for some reason thought it was red, white, and royal blue, but hockey. So I thought that it was going to follow the same broad enemies, which makes sense because a heated rivalry, you'll think it's enemies to lovers. You would think there's a heated rivalry in a book called Heated Rivalry, but there isn't. I also thought it was going to be a slow burn because I was like, if it's in the NHL, I feel like it's got to be a slow burn because it's like,
00:38:12
Speaker
I don't know. i feel like they won't talk to each other that much. I feel like there's like probably going to be elements of like how do they even know that each other is like interested. Various things like that. which like Not to be like, oh, they should focus on like bad parts of the and NHL. But more just like, i don't know. like I thought it was going to be slow burn.
00:38:30
Speaker
Was not. It was very... was like a match. It was like, whoa. Okay, to be fair, like the... they They kind of start out just hooking up and then like kind of the emotional start stuff does come later. But okay yeah, it wasn't even then. i don't think it was well done as a slow burn. It's this is not a show that you can watch around other people. It is also not a book that you can read in public for anyone out there who's maybe considering picking it up.
00:38:59
Speaker
Yeah, I also again, like I didn't read the book based on the limited elements I've seen in the show I do think yeah probably not one that you want to be reading on like the like public transit or something um but yeah I think It was, like, fascinating.
00:39:23
Speaker
Also, I liked from the show, and from what I know, I liked how, like, they had, I guess, the World Juniors in it? Was it, like, the World Juniors, basically? I was like, that's interesting.
Romance Novel's Cultural Impact and Criticism
00:39:32
Speaker
Like, that's kind of a deep cut to have. so that was cool. Yeah.
00:39:37
Speaker
Yeah. Also, another positive I should say is, like, if you're listening to this and you're on the fence about reading the book, look... It's very simple. If you enjoy books about men fucking each other, you will like this book. That's all there is to the book.
00:39:55
Speaker
It is men fucking. And look, no judgment to people who enjoy that. I just personally, i like there to be a little bit of plot.
00:40:07
Speaker
Which, like, again, like, it's not necessary for many people. And also... That's fine. Yeah. Yeah. And that's all chill and stuff. I just thought, you know what? It was my own fault because I thought it was going to be something very different. And that's like my own bad. I should have Googled like one thing. Like, why would I not Google anything? um But yeah, I think that ah it seems...
00:40:31
Speaker
Like, honestly, you know what? It seems cool how everyone's very into it. Like, I think it's like a bonding experience right now. It's so fun. Yeah. Like, oh my god, every gay man in my life has been asking me about this show. And that's fun. Yeah, I love it.
00:40:46
Speaker
So I'm kind of like, yeah I'm enjoying the whole spectacle of it. I just wish the book was better. because Also, like, okay, going into the negatives now, but like, before reading it, I had heard that a lot of people criticized the book for having too much smut in it. And I agreed to fans of the book where i was like, that's stupid. You know, you're reading a romance novel. There's gonna be smut. Like, I i get it.
00:41:10
Speaker
Having read the book, I do understand the criticism. Because the thing is... Look, I have this criticism of a lot of fanfics too. Sometimes, if you don't have any plot in between the sex scenes, the sex scenes get really boring. I'm sorry.
00:41:27
Speaker
Like, it's just, there's no buildup. There's no tension. There's no, like, will they, won't they? It's just, they're just fucking for, like, book.
00:41:41
Speaker
And I know, look, there's that meme. of the person criticizing Charlie XCX's hair and someone's like Mr. Homo over here looking at her hair. She was wearing a really revealing outfit in the picture. Feel free to like comment on this episode. You know, Miss Homo over here looking for the hockey, looking for the plot Eden Rivalry. But like, I just think the smut suffers when there's no buildup to it.
00:42:07
Speaker
No, because, okay, this is, like, I'm just, like, stealing what your thoughts were, basically. But, like, from what I understand in, like, what you included in the write-up, there's, like, not, so there's not much hockey. Like, hockey is, like, not really, like,
00:42:22
Speaker
There's so little hockey. yeah unless yeah little hockey there Which is interesting because I feel not to like be not to quote Riverdale, but like, you know, the thing of like, you haven't known the epic highs and lows of like NHL hockey. I feel like that could very well mimic.
00:42:37
Speaker
romantic relationship you know what mean? like I feel like there's so many arcs to have that like will like compliment it but that's the thing the premise of this book has so much potential you could do so much with it and they're just like players do not give a shit about hockey they could not care less like okay yeah we're going into this but like there's there aren't even scenes where they play each other on the ice. Like, okay, no, there is one. The prologue, yes, and there's one at the very end, but there's no, like, okay, actually, no, i'm I'm going to explain this. So this is not in the show, but the book opens with a prologue where they're playing each other and it's, it's heated, you know, they're going out after each other, there's animosity, and you're reading this like, oh my god, they really hate each other. And then they go back and they fuck nasty at Shane's house.
00:43:27
Speaker
And you're like, and I read that prologue and I was like, oh, okay, maybe I'm going to enjoy this book. This sounds fun. And that that never happens again. They never play each other. They never seem like rivals at all. There's no rivalry whatsoever. You don't even like really get the sense that the teams hate each other or that like hockey is...
00:43:46
Speaker
important to the cities that they live in like there's oh my god it pissed me off it's funny because they play for montreal and boston so like i as so again assume that that was done for a reason because like famously obviously there's a heated rivalry there so i was like oh like that would be so interesting like like imagine if like the two best players on opposing teams like we're like in like this really like that would be crazy i'd be like what that's a crazy premise that's awesome but yeah it's interesting also yeah in the first like i don't remember exactly when in the show i'm again just like quoting the first 15 minutes there's a part from the guy like one of the guys the guy who is like russian he is talking to the other guy and he's like
00:44:28
Speaker
So like, what's like Montreal like? Because he just got drafted to Montreal. And then the first guy got drafted to Boston. And he's like, oh, well, like, what's Montreal like? What's Boston like? He's like, I guess we play each other a lot. It's like, you don't know? Like, you don't know their schedule?
00:44:43
Speaker
That's crazy. Yeah. I mean, I thought it was like, actually didn't mind that one too bad too much because it's like, okay, he is Russian. Like, maybe he doesn't know the NHL that well. Yeah, that's Like, I didn't find that that unrealistic. It was just, like, in the book, it almost feels like the rivalry between the two players is just like a marketing gimmick made up by the NHL. Like, there's no the yeah It never even tries to explain the rivalry or communicate to the reader that there is any kind of animosity between these teams. It's kind of just used as a way to just say, yeah this romance is forbidden because like because because they're on rival teams. And then you just move on.
00:45:26
Speaker
wait that's so Wait, so does the NHL the and nhl does market it? in the in the in the Yeah, so it is set in an alternate universe where the NHL is good at marketing, which is interesting.
00:45:39
Speaker
That's awesome. There's also like, at one point, there's a line where so it it does like, it jumps around between time. Like there are a lot of time skips because they just skip to all the hookups with none of the yearning in between.
00:45:51
Speaker
they They cut out all of that. Anyways, and there's one point where Shane, one of the main characters, he's just like, oh yeah, I won the cup like twice in a row. Anyways. and it's like but Like this wasn't an important moment in your career?
00:46:06
Speaker
Like, it would have worked. There's just such an easy setup here where you can open with this character who, like, really cares about hockey. He has the weight of the world on his shoulders. You know, he's this hyped-up prospect, and all he cares about is hockey. Because that's such a thing in hockey that players, you know, get so focused on the game.
00:46:26
Speaker
And then like you know he the whole time he's chasing a cup, he's you know hoping not to let his city down because you know they they need a champion and the team is so bad, but he's trying to will them to a championship and maybe you end with him winning the cup or something. like There could have been an arc. It's so easy to write that arc.
00:46:45
Speaker
i Yeah, but in the back of my head, I'm also like, Why would that be the... Imagine if, like, a player just like, yeah, I won two Cubs. Like, i why would that become instantly my favorite player? I'd be like, wait, he's so chill. That's awesome. cares ah But also, there is one line that it it kind of encapsulates my whole problem with this book.
00:47:07
Speaker
There is this scene, and it's in the show too, but, like, you know, in the book you get Shane's internal monologue about it, right? Where at one point um Shane is watching Ilya, the guy who plays for Boston, win the cup, right? And Shane is sitting there with his whole team and they're all watching this. And Shane is like, oh yeah, we've been watching the playoffs since we got eliminated in the third round.
00:47:33
Speaker
And I read that and I was like, Shane, you play for Montreal. If Montreal got eliminated in the third round, that means they got eliminated by Boston.
00:47:45
Speaker
So you played your, like, situationship, your lover, your secret lover, in a playoff game in the third round, and you didn't think to mention this. It wasn't even, like, you didn't see it. there It wasn't used to build up tension between you to like, complicate your relationship.
00:48:10
Speaker
That's, like, so interesting. I feel like. You know what, though? I feel like I respect that a little because it's like, it'd be almost like, there's a way to read this where it's like, oh, it's like cheap to use like this like stereotypical like sports arcs in a hockey novel so like mimic like whatever, like romantic tension and like to build on that tension. It's honestly harder, I feel like, to be like, ignore all that. But the thing is, it wasn't done well.
00:48:43
Speaker
Like, this author took the hard route and didn't do it well. So the whole time I was reading it, I was just, like, rewriting it in my head. I was like, I could have written something better than this. There is a version of Heated Rivalry that exists only in my head, and it's so good, guys. It's such a good book. To be fair, though, there's also, like, I don't i don't really read, like, fanfic or RPF and stuff. I feel like certainly there's, like, a million good versions of Heated Rivalry that exist on AO3 that, like, are just there.
00:49:13
Speaker
like like yeah i don't need Like, someone has written a heated rivalry of two rival teams and, like, secret relationship between two players. I'm sure Like, exists.
00:49:25
Speaker
I know, I don't read RPF, and I also tend not to read a lot of Hockey AUs, because they piss me off. But the Hockey AUs I have read were better than this, because they actually used the hockey season.
00:49:39
Speaker
It's just so funny to have a book that is called Heated Rivalry, where like they tell us that the main conflict here is that these characters are on rival teams, and yet they don't even try to show us that the teams are rivals. or like depict them playing each other or having any kind of like animosity toward each other this is so like it's just so funny because like why like thing I read this and I was like I need to talk about how bad this is I need to tell everyone about this I honestly I would respect it if it was a thing of like we're gonna get hockey fans like in the door by like just calling it this and like jokes on you no hockey
00:50:19
Speaker
deal with it. Like, I, like, respect. Like... Okay, but also, the lack of hockey is not the only reason that this romance suffers. Because one of my biggest problems with this book...
00:50:30
Speaker
is that for some reason it was written in dual point of view. and this means that like there is zero tension or buildup or anything. like This one decision to just write the book in dual POV just builds all the tension because you're in one character's head and he's like, oh my god, I'm kind of into this guy. And you're like, oh my god, I wonder how the other guy feels. Like, what what's gonna happen the next time they meet up? But then you jump to the other guy's point of view and he's like, oh I'm so into this guy. I'm totally gonna make a move on him next time we see each other. Like, throughout the entire book, there is not one moment where the characters learn something about each other that we did not already know as the audience. Every tender moment of them opening up to each other is like, we already knew this because we were in this guy's head.
00:51:22
Speaker
I respect, ah i like I'm just like, you know what, no why is this awesome? It's because I haven't read it. But I i respect like the choice but be like, you as the reader,
00:51:34
Speaker
will feel no stress. Like, I don't want that for you. You as the reader, just sit back and relax. It's all gonna be perfect for you. Like, I think that that's a nice experience. I feel like it's a very fanfic thing. Like, fanfics do this a lot. And to the fanfic writers out there, like, obviously, I love and respect all fanfic writers. But I'm just saying, this is a thing that often annoys me in fanfic when they insist on the dual point POV. And it's not justified. You know, you have to have a good reason to be writing from both points of view. Most of the time,
00:52:03
Speaker
it kills a lot of the suspense and the tension.
Ottawa's Fictional Representation and Sports Narratives
00:52:07
Speaker
Yeah. I think that it seems like everyone is really into it, which is cool. I already said that. And also, I wonder if people who are just into romance books, because I was like, oh, I wonder if they'll like get into hockey now. And now I'm hearing that i they might not because there's not that much hockey in it. So I'm like, oh man, that sucks.
00:52:29
Speaker
I mean, look, I love that random gay men from everywhere in the world are learning about Ottawa, Ontario. That's amazing to me The biggest win. Oh my gosh.
00:52:42
Speaker
Literally. You know what? Actually, this is my criticism. I know that like, obviously you don't always get drafted by the team that is your hometown team. Why couldn't it have been the Ottawa fake team in this universe? Cause it's like, they couldn't say senators. Why didn't, why didn't, why isn't that team? I guess no heat of drive. So actually, um,
00:53:01
Speaker
Ottawa does play a role in this later on and in the later books from what I understand. Also, incredible shabby horse mention, the Ottawa team is called the Ottawa Centaurs, actually.
00:53:13
Speaker
oh my gosh, wait, that's amazing. Wait, that's so funny. That just sounds like you mispronounced senators. Wait, what are the Montreal and Boston teams called? Do they have Okay, so in the book, Montreal is the Voyageur. um in the TV show, for some reason, they changed it to the Metros, which is really funny.
00:53:36
Speaker
Were they on strike with the STM? Okay, anyways. No, I'm trying to make a joke here. It's whatever. um Boston, forget what their name was.
00:53:47
Speaker
It was not. mary it It didn't stick out in my mind. It's so fair. It's just as funny that centaur sounds like you're mumbling senators. Yeah. And, like, that's awesome. Like, that's such a good choice. Also, I have heard that that the later books are very mean to Ottawa and the centaurs. Oh, wait, yeah, okay, I think we heard this, that, like, it's like, aw, I don't want to go to Ottawa, it's so bad, and, like, the team's so bad and all that stuff or whatever. It's like...
00:54:14
Speaker
anymore. Like, maybe if this was, like, four years ago. oh i guess when the book came out, maybe it was true. yeah Still, that's annoying. Anyways, what else was I going to say? I have i have many grievances with this book. I need to i need to continue. Okay, also, I'm sorry. ah This book had like pretty much no exploration of like homophobia in hockey, coming out narratives, what it means to be queer in hockey. And like to be clear, i don't think that all queer shows need to...
00:54:48
Speaker
you know, have a big emotional coming out arc. I don't think they need to depict homophobia. But there was something very strange about the way that this book, like,
00:55:00
Speaker
told us that Hawkeye was really homophobic, used that you know big... you know It's an important part of the book that like the characters can't come out because Hawkeye is so homophobic, and yet puts absolutely zero effort into showing us that. like you know One of them gets called a slur on the ice once, and that's it, and it's just like, we're supposed to understand this. And it's like, I don't think you understand. you you don't really get a sense of... like how deeply fucked up hockey culture is. um And so I just kind of felt like, i don't know, it was just lazy. It just felt cheap.
00:55:33
Speaker
um It just, there there was an opportunity again for like depth, for something really interesting here. and they just like brushed past it. Like Shane is weirdly chill about figuring out that he's gay. We kind of like skip over any kind of sexuality crisis.
00:55:51
Speaker
Which again, it's not that that's always a negative thing. I just felt like in this specific book, it it really didn't work. What else? A lot of the dialogue just just very cringe to me. i just found lot of it was cringe and like, you know, that's not like the worst thing ever.
00:56:06
Speaker
Just found it cringe. I found that neither, again, it ties into the hockey thing. Neither of the characters have like personal arcs at all. there's no like They're not working toward anything. and They don't really have like big problems that they solve in the book. Again, they do not give a single shit about hockey. So it's just like, what are we doing here?
00:56:30
Speaker
and We don't even... Like, the show actually has already done a better job of telling us what types of hockey players these characters are. In the books, they're just like, yeah, they they score a lot of goals, both of them. they They score the same amount of goals, actually, in their rookie season. And then early on, they're like, Shane is faster than Ilya. And then later, they they have a mention they're like, Ilya is a faster skater than Shane. I'm like, this is the one trait you gave them. That's awesome.
00:56:57
Speaker
Wait, um... That's cool. Like, that's the thing, though, is that, like, then if they both scored the same amount of goals, here's my thing. I'm not an author, obviously. I would then make it so that, like, they're up against each other for, like, the Calder or something. But presumably that doesn't happen or maybe it does. No, no, no, it does. cool ok It does. They are up against each other for the Calder, but also they don't really care who wins. It's just, i there are so many things that I think could be so interesting. Like, again, in the version of heated rivalry that exists in my head, there is this huge competition where it's like, I don't know, maybe maybe Shane was the consensus first overall pick, and then Ilya comes in and beats him in the World Juniors. Yeah. you know, gets picked first overall instead. and it's like this, oh my God, this guy has stolen all of this like valor from me, you know, and this was supposed to be my thing. And there's this like pride and don't know, they could have done something interesting with the way that they're competing. But instead, every time one of them wins and the other doesn't, they're just like, okay, well, oh man, I'll get him next time.
00:58:05
Speaker
That's so nice, though. I feel like also there's like a way to like, because I, okay, because you were like, oh, there's no focus on like any kind of coming out narrative and stuff. I was like in my head for a second. i was like, does this take place in like post homophobic NHL? Because that'd be awesome. That's like a cool place. Yeah, you could have done that. would have really been cool with that.
00:58:25
Speaker
That would have been a cool thing to do because it's like, well, it's not. Who cares? Like, it's only because they're on opposing teams that this matters. Like, I think that would be interesting. But I guess no, I guess it's still homophobic NHL. Because I know it just felt very strange to use the homophobia of hockey culture as a plot device and then not actually do anything to examine it. or to like put any effort into doing it properly, I found. um i just, I don't know, it felt very cheap and very icky to me. um Not like in a big, again, I don't think this is a problematic book. It was just, I didn't really like that. There's even, going back to like the lack of character development and the hockey being bad.
00:59:07
Speaker
Remember how I mentioned that this starts with them at the World Juniors? I was thinking of this when I was watching the show. So what happens early on is that Shane, who plays for Canada, loses to Russia, right?
00:59:21
Speaker
And then he's just kind of like, i remember the show, in the voiceover, they're like, despite a great performance from Shane Hollander, Canada loses. And I was watching this and I was like, a Canadian hockey announcer would not say that. They would be like, can can a team win with Shane Hollander? Shane Hollander disappoints with only 50 points of the tournament, you know? Like... They would be cyberbullying this child.
00:59:46
Speaker
Literally. oh my god. That's so funny. I'm like, what a missed opportunity to, again, create like conflict in the plot. To like you know convey how important hockey is to people. how And how much responsibility is on Shane's shoulders. But no, you're just like, ah we lost World Juniors. ah Get him next time.
01:00:08
Speaker
because it is funny to be like, despite the fact that our main character is the best ever at hockey, they lost. and But if he doesn't care about hockey, like, even if he cares about his own personal, like, you know what i mean? It's like, okay, so he, his own personal performance was fine.
01:00:27
Speaker
But then it's like, So, and he doesn't really care that his team lost. So it's like, well, then who cares? Why did they even lose then for the plot? Like, that is to make the heated rivalry, I suppose. But it was just, it there was so much like that. Like, ah obviously there were little moments where I was like, oh, this is accurate to hockey. Like all of Shane's interviews, he's very boring and always focused on the team. And I was like, yeah, that's accurate. But also we could do more with this.
01:00:53
Speaker
Like you could try to convey that like he really, really cares about team success and he feels like he can't care about anything else, you know? Just so many missed opportunities with this book.
Improving Heated Rivalry's Narrative
01:01:05
Speaker
Yeah, you know what, though? I wonder now if someone will write, this must exist, but like, if someone will write heated rivalry fan fiction, that's just the heated rivalry that's like any tell accurate and whatever. Like, I think that would be fun. Oh, are you telling me to write it? because like Not even you, if you don't want to, but like... Bro, I will do this in a heartbeat. Okay, there you go. Check out whatever 803, like, page this will be on.
01:01:33
Speaker
Um, yeah no, I'll publish it anonymously and tweet it out. Everyone, tell me if you want me to do this. I will write it over Christmas break.
01:01:45
Speaker
Isn't also like, obviously, again, not going into like any whatever RPF stuff, but it's like if you want to just write, this is fan fiction. So it's chill. You know what I mean? If you have any feelings about RPF, this is now fan fiction. So it's fine. Yeah, true.
01:02:04
Speaker
I think that's all I had to say. it's not It's not all I had to say. that's That's all I needed to say on the podcast. Again, im look, if people like this book, i've not like it's fine.
01:02:14
Speaker
Obviously, I'm not attacking you. I'm really sorry if people are offended by my review. If you have complaints, feel free to tell me about them.
01:02:25
Speaker
But I hope this was entertaining to people who either didn't like the book or who like... didn't want to read it. i yeah, I didn't, again, didn't read it. I will read it over the holidays and if necessary, issue a rebuttal. who Like, this it will be the same exact episode, but just being like, um, actually, ah Look, it feels like almost every everyone I know. Okay, no, I know a few people who didn't like it, but most people who have read it have enjoyed it
01:02:56
Speaker
So I don't know, like clearly people like this book, so maybe don't take my review that seriously. I don't know. I think my review was at least accurate.
01:03:06
Speaker
So if you listened to my review and you were like, ah, that still sounds like a fun book, go ahead and read it. I'm not trying to discourage you from reading it. Again, there's nothing problematic about this book.
01:03:18
Speaker
But um I just had to be honest. Yeah, honestly, I think I just have to read it now because I have to know. Like, I think even though you basically i think that was like probably the whole plot.
01:03:29
Speaker
But like, I guess that you didn't really say the plot, but I guess there. Well, there is no plot. Yeah. There is like there's slightly more to it, I guess, but not much more. Okay.
01:03:41
Speaker
So that's the thing is that like, I will see. Maybe I'll read it and then i will become like the people's voice like I will own you on this podcast with facts and logic if I actually love it yeah and if you don't love it I need you to text me every thought you have about this book uh yeah honestly i think that um oh I hope like the actors are like having fun like I hope like yeah they're gonna have like a fun press tour or something hopefully hopefully like blows up and they like get to go on like cool shows and stuff like oh there was shows or whatever
01:04:15
Speaker
There was actually some, like, discourse not really related to the actors, um but it did piss me off because, okay, first of all, the guy who plays Ilya Rozenov, not Russian, doesn't even speak a word of Russian, but his accent is so good. And apparently when he speaks Russian, like, some Russian speakers have been like, yeah, it's actually pretty accurate. Yeah.
01:04:35
Speaker
so But there is a scene, this is the thing that was pissing me off about, there was discourse online that was annoying me, there is a scene where Shane is speaking French, because again, in the book, he is Franco-Ontarian.
01:04:48
Speaker
So in this scene, he's speaking French, and it's very obvious that the actor is anglophone, like he sounds like... kid who did French immersion and hasn't spoken French since then, adult who moved to Ottawa to like work for the federal government and learn French as an adult. like you know yeah He does not speak French very well, right?
01:05:05
Speaker
And so many people online were like, oh my god, his French is perfect. This is so accurate for an Ottawa accent, which offended me so much. No! they like There are people in Ottawa who don't speak English. like Shane Hollander should have Claude Giroux's accent.
01:05:23
Speaker
I was gonna say, like, why is he just like, Claude Giroux, basically? God, pissed me off. I hope everyone knows that Shane's, Shane in the TV show is not Franco-Ontarian.
01:05:37
Speaker
We don't claim him. Oh my gosh. Well, that's so funny. Wait, I feel like I want to read it just for any Ottawa reference. Because I'm like, thinking about it, and I'm like, I don't know if I've ever read a book that referenced Ottawa even slightly.
01:05:55
Speaker
I know. Well, okay, there really aren't a lot of Ottawa references. It's just like Shane is from Ottawa. There was actually there was a line that annoyed me because he was like his mom when she first immigrated to Canada lived in Montreal. And that's how he speaks French because his mom is francophone. And he was like, oh, yeah, growing up, he cheered for the Ottawa team and also the Montreal team. And I was like, fuck you, fuck you, fuck you. He's one of those. Oh, my God. That's so annoying.
01:06:20
Speaker
That's not allowed. Does he not know that there's a heated rivalry too? Literally! can't do that. A book called Heated Rivalry and you don't even understand that there are rivalries in the League.
01:06:34
Speaker
God. i know, I, okay. Again, just out of curiosity, because I was like, I'm just interested enough to want to know what people are talking about. I did try reading the sequel, The Long Game.
01:06:45
Speaker
I'm sorry. The dialogue was so cringe. I couldn't get through it, but I might finish it at some point. I don't know. But also they were being very mean about Ottawa and it was pissing me off.
01:06:57
Speaker
That's just like messed up. freak God, how could they do that? we're catching strays in this hockey yaoi it's like so sad it's the thing like on the one hand i love the idea of again just like ah gay men who do not give a shit about hockey tuning into this and being like i know what ottawa ontario is now but on the other hand i'm like okay if they adapt later seasons apparently people are gonna be watching the show and they're gonna be like Like, Ottawa is such a shitty city. Their team is garbage. And then I'm gonna look like an idiot because I cheer for the Ottawa Senators. Except, well, I kind of already do. Like, it's fine. I think they would understand the vibe a little bit. But they're gonna, like, are just people from all over the world, like, knowing what Ottawa is and knowing that they have a shitty hockey team. No, but, like, that's the other thing. It's, like, alternatively, there's, like, i guess, like,
01:07:56
Speaker
You or one of them but like there's probably many people who are like huge hockey fan I want to read this romance novel like just going into it with such a pure heart, you know, and then they're like I just wanted to pick up a book that everyone said was good Why why are we like why are you saying fuck me now?
01:08:12
Speaker
like
01:08:16
Speaker
It's actually tying back to our last episode too. Heated Rivalry has gone so viral, it got a shout out on a Dan and Phil video. like Phil was mentioning it And i in my head, I'm just like, the concept of Phil Lester knowing what the Ottawa Senators are is so funny. And knowing that they're shit. Oh my god.
01:08:40
Speaker
Wait, it's all happening. Like, it's all, it's all merging. That's so funny. I'm also curious to know, like, I hope that, like, the NHL, like, in this universe, who is bad at marketing, i hope they somehow use this. Like, I don't know how they could. But, like, yeah, I know. they would have to acknowledge that gay people exist. I know. That's a fucking thing, right? But, like, i feel like, I don't know, so much opportunity.
NHL Marketing and Book's Appeal
01:09:03
Speaker
Like, oh, this is, like, the biggest show on, like, whatever, Crave, right Yeah.
01:09:09
Speaker
Like, And it's about your sport. I feel like the PWHL is the one that really needs to get on their game. and they They need to be like, hey, you love love stories about hockey players. This has literally happened in the PWHL. Also, like, we are accepting of gay fans. true yeah i that's i hope Yeah, I hope at least someone uses it for marketing. I feel like it's too good an opportunity to pass by.
01:09:36
Speaker
It's just, it's like, I wish the book was better. But still, it's just so funny that this is happening to hockey. Oh, you know what? Also, for a long time, I thought this book was icebreaker. So like, this is not obviously this is like old, but like for a long time, i was like, oh okay. it's It's like that one.
01:09:57
Speaker
because in my head, there's one book. No, I know. There are so many hockey romances out there. And I'm glad, I'm glad actually that of all the hockey romances out there, it was a gay one. Yeah, exactly. That got popular, that got adapted. Like, that's a win.
01:10:12
Speaker
Again, I wish the book was better. But like, the concept of it, I love. hmm. like yeah I feel like if you just gave someone like an overview of what's happening they'd be like so awesome this is sick it's like just don't look into it like don't read it or whatever maybe do read it it's up to you but like you know what I mean lots of people love it like if you just want to be like oh guess what like there's like a really popular book series that turned got turned into a show and it's about like gay hockey players that's so awesome that's like the like overview that you give people yeah
01:10:47
Speaker
It'll be like, and then they never talk about hockey the whole time in the book. let's see Yeah. And also there isn't really a plot. But again, if you want to read about men, fucking.
Closing Remarks and Future Engagement
01:10:58
Speaker
This is the book for you. okay so with that. Yeah, we're going to end the episode. We will see you hopefully before the new year. Follow us on Twitter and Blue Sky. I am at C Beata E or it's at Elite Sends Brain. My co-host is not on social media anymore.
01:11:16
Speaker
But just just follow EliteSenseBrain, read Silver7, give us money. Give Silver7 money, I mean. ah Because we need money to run the site. So go and subscribe while you're showing up to read. Follow us. i We haven't been using the Tumblr. I should start using the Tumblr. I keep saying this. EliteSenseBrain.tumblr.com.
01:11:34
Speaker
And we'll see you next time. Go Sens Go. Go Sens Go.