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Episode 5 - World Series response plus Hall of Fame trip with Guest Kyle Backiney
37 Plays6 months ago
It’s our 5th Episode, and for the first time ever, we’ve got a guest in the studio. A lot of memories, some strong opinions, and a few surprises along the way.
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Transcript
Celebrating the Fifth Episode with a Special Guest
00:00:09
Leo Ernewein
Hello, everyone. Welcome back to the Leo and Lando show. I'm Leo Ernawine, joined as always by my co-host Landon, a.k.a. Lando Semenok. Thanks for your taking a to the time to listen to us today. Today's a really special episode. We're celebrating our fifth episode here. And to mark the occasion, we've got our very first guest joining us.
00:00:29
Leo Ernewein
He's sitting right next to Landon. But before we get to that, Landon, I'll let you introduce him. But first, Lando, I want to ask you, how are you doing?
Weather and Sports Transition: From Baseball to Hockey
00:00:36
Lando
I'm doing really well, man. Hard to believe we're November fourth and it's chilly outside and baseball season's over and now it's hockey season. And it was a tough weekend for all of us, I think, as Canadians when the Blue Jays lost. But you know what? We all move on.
00:00:56
Lando
Myself personally, all four of my teams on this on the same day lost. So... Was not a good Saturday, but otherwise, man, health-wise, I'm doing really well. How are you doing, Leo?
00:01:09
Leo Ernewein
Yeah, I can't complain. You know, same stuff, different day. I got my first day off in 10 days here, and at about 10.30 today, the boss asked me to come in, and I said, no thanks, I'm busy. I've got plans today and tomorrow, recording and editing today, and then tomorrow I'm going to go see the Flames play the Blue Jackets with my buddy Carson.
The Blue Jays' Impact on Canadian Baseball and Unity
00:01:29
Lando
Right on, man.
00:01:31
Leo Ernewein
Yeah. So, we'll introduce our guest here, Landon, and I'll let you do it.
00:01:36
Lando
Okay, so I want to introduce my really be my best friend. He's been my best friend for 23 years or more. I've lost count. Him and I went on a couple of special trips and we've done, yeah it's been a lot of fun.
00:01:59
Lando
And so I thought we have a special story we want to share and he wants to share so i want to introduce my best friend and uh our guest today kyle backney welcome to the show man thank you very much guys i'm very excited to be here uh first time long time big fan of the show
00:02:20
Leo Ernewein
Long time listener, first time caller. Love it.
00:02:22
Lando
yeah
00:02:23
Leo Ernewein
Awesome. So we'll jump into the first segment here then, boys. Welcome, Kyle. Thanks for being here. Just to give our listeners a little bit of context over the past week, World Series in the U.S.,
00:02:36
Leo Ernewein
Your 25.3 million viewers and here in Canada pulled in 10.9 million. That makes it the second most watched English language broadcast in Canada, right behind the 2010 Olympic gold medal hockey game, the golden goal from Sidney Crosby there. So Kyle, what's your take on the World Series and the Blue Jays season overall?
00:02:56
Lando
I was at that gold medal, the golden game in 2010. And that was a moment that captured the country. And I was in all the celebration. And i can tell you that there was more of a party, more of a captivation of a whole country around what has happened with the Blue Jays. Now, some people might disagree with me about the gold medal game, its importance, but I look at what's transpired.
00:03:25
Lando
We've had more, we've had, i was five, we were five when, when the Blue Jays won the World Series. For context, my son is currently five and very excited about baseball.
00:03:37
Lando
We, we had the bat flip in 2015, but in between those milestones in the last, you know, some number of years, it's been quite challenging to see, you know, a lot of people outside of Toronto are being hardcore in baseball capturing this. And,
00:03:52
Lando
I see more people talking about baseball, interested in baseball. I really think it's grown the game to a really incredible level. And I really think we're going to see that pay off in the next 10 years as a country.
00:04:04
Leo Ernewein
That's awesome. And i I can certainly agree. I'm hearing baseball fever take over our newsroom and take over conversations with families at home. You know, I'm hearing kids want to sign up. I'm hearing girls are interested. I'm hearing that they're trying to make a ladies baseball team in Calgary for for young women.
00:04:22
Leo Ernewein
So, yeah, it's it's overall, I think the impact that that postseason run had has been, is we will feel it in Canada for years to come. that's it's It's a really, it's a great thing What about you, Landon? What are your thoughts?
00:04:37
Lando
Well, i I thought, I thought, like, I i agree with Kyle. I thought that the Blue Jays, just like the 2010 Olympics, brought the country together for the very first time. All of us aren't aren't arguing or fighting youll each other over rivalries between teams, right? And i that that was the cool that was the cool part about this whole run with this month is that there was so much, there's been so much crap going on with our country within our,
00:05:06
Lando
municipalities within our provinces within our country to our neighbors to the south that for the very for the first time in in months that we actually put that business aside and put our differences aside and we all watched baseball together and i thought the blue jays they surprised the heck out of me because i mean at the beginning of the year when their april was horrendous like i i thought oh my goodness this is the same same thing same blue jays And then all of a sudden, right around my birthday, which is June 14th, they seemed like they flipped a switch and they just soared right up until the World Series. And it was really neat to see.
00:05:46
Lando
They didn't have the baggage. I think from a sports team, too, tribalistically, we're talking about seven Canadian teams in hockey, you know, talk about the Canadian Football League as well. there's a lot of baggage that comes with, Oh, I can't cheer for that team for whatever reason. But I really think for the blue Jays, not having a lot in the, you know, nationalistic eye for, for the last, you know, really a long time, at least a decade, if not more, I mean, they had what the ALDS, you know, backflip happens, but that was a blip and people didn't have the baggage to go along with it. So I think it's, it's easy to jump into it. It feels like a national thing. It almost felt like we were cheering for tiering team team Canada. Yeah. I agree with that. And you know, look,
00:06:26
Lando
Leo, the other thing that I thought was really neat too is that, you know, we we've been, as a country, we've been talked about more times by Americans this year than I think they've ever talked about that they ever talked about us so I mean, when you look at how how many people were actually watching the Dodgers Blue Jays and they had not nothing to do with any team,
00:06:50
Lando
It speaks volume what, you know, how the Blue Jays seem to captivate captive the the fans in the United States. And like this team's really good. and and i And I hope that now that they'll realize that, hey, Canada actually has a pretty good baseball team and that they're actually there is a baseball team in Canada and they're actually good.
00:07:12
Lando
And so that's that's my take. That's my take on it.
00:07:16
Leo Ernewein
Cool. Yeah, I tend to agree. And I just wanted to bring this up before we jump into the next topic here. When the Blue Jays were playing the Mariners in the ALCS, didn't it feel like that's really the only other team that can compete as far as fan bases for Canadians, right? Is you either cheer for the Blue Jays or you cheer for the Mariners if you're out West.
00:07:36
Leo Ernewein
It almost feels like that ALCS series was a Canadian gift to us because one of those teams was going to make the finals or the World Series, that is.
00:07:46
Lando
yeah
00:07:47
Leo Ernewein
What do you guys think about the Blue Jays beating the Mariners in seven games?
00:07:52
Lando
I think it's solidified. Blue Jays is Canada's team. And I think, you know, the ratings are going to say what they say and, you know, MLB are going to look at and go, oh, maybe we can put another team in Canada or something.
00:08:05
Lando
I think there's, you know... Vancouver has probably the area where you're going to see a lot of the Mariners support in particular. and, but there's still a ton of Blue Jays fans there. And i really think that this was a galvanizing event that people choose that this is the team they're going to chew cheer for.
00:08:24
Lando
You look at, talk to our parents generation and beyond where, you know, the original six teams where they sat and, you know, people have some historic views of that. anyways, that's my opinion on it. I,
00:08:36
Lando
They're still diehard Mariners fans, and I think they're just as excited they got as far as they did. I know there's a lot of hope for that team, but we will see. I really think, though, that you know if someone's going to ask today and even in the future, yeah, I'm a Blue Jays fan.
00:08:50
Lando
I don't care if the team's from Toronto and how we feel about some of their other sports teams on on occasion. I'm a Blue Jays fan, and I think I will remain a Blue Jays fan. And it's something that unites us that from coast to coast to coast, and that feels like a Team Canada win, in my opinion.
00:09:05
Lando
Landon? i i I completely agree. And, you know, one of the things that I thought with with with Seattle was the fact that, you know, I thought when they played Seattle, I know Leo, you and I were, we chatted about this a couple of episodes about how we thought that the Blue Jays were going to be in a tiny bit of trouble, but we thought they would, we would win. And by the way,
00:09:32
Lando
you were the winner on the Blue Jays in seven. I just wanted to let you know. So it's too bad you didn't bet some money because you were bang on. I said Blue Jays in six. You said Blue Jays in sevens and you won, by the way.
00:09:44
Lando
So, yeah, no.
00:09:44
Leo Ernewein
It's always, oh, sorry, go ahead.
00:09:47
Lando
and So am i am I for when it comes to Seattle and and Toronto? i I thought that was a, I actually thought that was a really good series.
00:09:58
Lando
And I didn't think that there would be ever be a series that would top that one. And boy, oh boy, the World Series completely topped it. And, you know, i want to add to the other thing, in the World Series. Like i I've watched a lot of World Series.
00:10:11
Lando
It doesn't matter who's in it. That was probably the best baseball I've ever watched. I mean, mostly some teams are They get there and they get blown out by the more dominant team.
00:10:25
Lando
I mean, this series could have gone either way. So that's, I thought the whole baseball playoffs, other than the other teams getting, you know, knocked out. I thought, I thought this year's base playoff baseball period was probably one of the best that I've ever watched.
00:10:42
Leo Ernewein
Yeah, I can agree from a from a Blue Jays perspective. This series from the Yankees on was, or this postseason run from the Yankees on was just full on excitement. And even before we got to the postseason, the divisional crunch, right, trying to secure top spot in the AL East, that was that was entertaining as well. But we'll switch gears
Memorable Trip to Toronto: CN Tower and Hall of Fames
00:11:05
Leo Ernewein
here. We'll move on to the focal point of the episode. Landon, I'll let you take it away, you know.
00:11:10
Lando
All right, man. So one of the reasons why we, we brought Kyle in and, and I know it talked about that in our intro, but the whole reason why ka is on is we wanted to chat about our, our trip to Toronto back in 2022 we and We did a couple day trip and we did the the Leafs game.
00:11:33
Lando
We did a CN Tower. We did the Hockey Hall of Fame all in one day. And then the next day we did Niagara Falls. And then we did the Football Hall of Fame, which is in Hamilton.
00:11:45
Lando
And so that's why main reason why Kyle's on today. So, Kyle, I would the floor is yours to tell the story. And I'll jump in after a little bit, too.
00:11:56
Lando
Well, thank you very much. When we had gone on our trip, I guess for a backer for for for listeners, that you know part of my friendship with Landon, you know we talked sports a lot together.
00:12:11
Lando
Different views a lot of times, but you know he he had never had the opportunity to go see the Hockey Hall of Fame. And it just coincided that at that moment... And at that time, your Colorado Avalanche had just won the Stanley Cup.
00:12:25
Lando
So we chose to go in November right at Hockey Hall of Fame induction because as a lifelong Canucks fan sufferer, three Canucks got to go into the Hockey Hall of Fame as players.
00:12:38
Lando
And so it was just a really good you know culmination to go do it. Had, honestly, just a wonderful time. We could probably talk for hours just about how incredible the Hockey Hall of Fame is.
00:12:48
Lando
And so you go, you have a sporting experience and go, well, why don't we see the other hall of fame for the other game that we both cherish, cherish and love so much. And that's the Canadian football league.
00:13:02
Lando
So off to Hamilton, we go and we get there, we go to the team store and tell them we're going to go see the hall of fame. And, you know, it's sort of mixed review. And mean, if you go downtown Toronto and talk about the hockey hall of fame, someone's going to tell you, Hey,
00:13:17
Lando
how wonderful this place is and yeah you got to see it don't make sure to stand in the the old forum dressing room and sit in jacques plant's stall that he curated himself that's hanging there and uh i think you were in jean beliveau's just an unbelievable immersive experience so we go around the building there's a sign on it on the side of the stadium that says the canadian football hall fame you walk inside and there's a lobby with a security guard and We told him we want to go into the Hall of Fame and just sort of odd that he was less responsive about how to get there. So he takes us upstairs and we go up the elevator and we turn on the lights.
00:13:59
Lando
And I want that to be the remembering thing of of where this is going. Landon and I had no idea we were walking into and down to our left is if you can picture a long hallway that's relatively narrow and on the right hand side is shelving with the busts of the heads of of all of the hall of fame players so i guess you could say there is a hall and it is the hall of fame there and then you walk through the doors which turns out to be a bar uh right over the field
00:14:33
Lando
and And you're looking you know in at at the field in Hamilton, and you're in this Hall of Fame, and and there's the Grey Cup as soon as you walk in, right beside where you you you hang up your coats, the coat check, the Grey Cup's right there in it.
00:14:48
Lando
We start wandering around, and like nobody's in here, and it's a bar. Yeah. The exhibits are mostly blocked by tables with chairs on them.
00:15:01
Lando
even the I feel that Boston Pizza has a greater organization of sports memorabilia that also articulates what it is and its importance.
00:15:16
Lando
Just think of any Boston Pizza you've been in and and you have seen more than than what the Canadian hall of fame has CFL Hall of Fame has to have. we're wandering through and it becomes sort of apparent that this whole experience is not what it should be compared to a real organized one like we saw in Toronto.
00:15:38
Lando
And Landon says to me, and I will never forget, he said, there's not a single thing for the Calgary Stampeders in here.
00:15:47
Lando
To point out, Leo, how many teams are in the CFL?
00:15:50
Leo Ernewein
Nein.
00:15:52
Lando
It's amazing how you can miss... a team in a 19 league. And for, for full disclosure, Landon is a season ticket holder for the Calgary Stampeders.
00:16:04
Lando
I'm a season ticket holder for the Edmonton Elks. like We care about this game. We care about watching this game and the history of it. They had like for Edmonton, cause I was honing on that perspective.
00:16:17
Lando
They had a single helmet and a single Jersey in opposite displays at either end of the bar. they had a chronological timeline adjacent to all of the the heads that are in this hallway like the the busts I will call them and it it it didn't even show like when Edmonton had its dynasties Calgary's not even listed on it and now you start to go and look at the the exhibit pieces like one of the coolest things that was in there a full disclosure I'm a reformed Rough Rider fan
00:16:51
Lando
But Ron Lancaster's jersey's in there. For those who don't know, he was a very special player played for the Saskatchewan Rough Riders in the 60s. And there's blood on that jersey. Like, that jersey tells a story about how that man played the game.
00:17:07
Lando
But all that's listed on the placard is Ron Lancaster's jersey. What does that tell you? doesn't really tell you anything. And then when you go down the hallway and you're just looking at the heads, it doesn't show any information besides the name and the year of the person inducted.
00:17:28
Lando
I guess my real question that I was really frustrated to try to figure out is what is the point of a Hall of Fame when no one visiting can understand what qualifies being selected for it is or or seeing any information about this?
00:17:43
Lando
Then you move into, they had the Grey Cup by the front door, as I told you, then it was in a glass case and it was nice to see it. And at that time, again, 2022 when we had gone. The cup that was inside that case had not been updated since 2017. Five years.
00:17:57
Lando
So it's not even telling you the history. Again, you go to the Hockey Hall of Fame and a reflective point there. There's what? Three Stanley Cups. Historic one, the one that sits at the Hall of Fame and the other one that's moving around. And they are all updated.
00:18:12
Lando
continuously when they do it you know that when that band happens it gets up engraved they all get engraved and that's something that was really quite quite taken back there you know it doesn't even have the bombers win in 2019 on there nothing uh they yeah all the memorabilia was just like montreal helmet nineteen sixty s
00:18:28
Leo Ernewein
like
00:18:35
Lando
and the the the building like the the the stadium is a really beautiful stadium it's new you see it on tv and it's it just sort of feels like they had this big space and they were like we don't really know what we want to do with it but oh you know what we'll just put the hall of fame here and It'll be a themed bar. like I really mean it. Like you walk in it's really designed almost like, you know, a suit from Toronto comes in and is being wooed by, you know, who whatever corporate clients and are hanging out in this bar and can get a rough idea. I mean, they had mannequins throughout the bar of, they you know, of players wearing uniforms.
00:19:15
Lando
Again, they had space for nine of them, but they only put four of them up. So you've got multiple teams that are not, you know, there's there's nothing to garner from it.
00:19:19
Leo Ernewein
but
00:19:25
Lando
And it it was it was really disappointing. You know, again, we had to shut the lights off to go back downstairs. And, and you know, it was it was really bizarre experience of what, you know, you had envisioned in your mind to be.
00:19:40
Lando
what a hall of fame should be. I mean, you see, you see what they do for baseball, right? It is, it is like, or of NFL, I'd even argue hockey. It is, it is to a point where, where, where you go and you, you consume, but you also feel like you're a part of something.
00:19:58
Lando
And it definitely felt like that was lacking. So that, that right there is, is the, the story on, on going and visiting, the CFL Hall of Fame, and it kind of turned into a little bit of, you know, you know, when you get hit with that situational stuff, like you're stuck in traffic or whatever, and we turned it into sort of the running joke about things to keep it, you know, fluid between us, but it was a bit of an experience, I gotta say.
00:20:26
Leo Ernewein
Overall, underwhelming, I would take it, would be the gathering consensus, especially coming from the the NHL Hockey Hall of Fame to the CFL Canadian Football Hall of Yeah, certainly probably felt like there was different levels of standards that they had for their Hall of Fame. Would I do not agree with that?
00:20:50
Lando
i I do. And it it makes me wonder what they're trying to achieve with it. It's sort of like, oh, I need to have an annex in this school project. Yeah, I'm going to just hit that checkbox and and we'll say that that page is the annex.
00:21:05
Lando
It doesn't tell you any information.
00:21:06
Leo Ernewein
So, so I want to ask you this, if somebody who has never been to a hall of fame venue before, not me, I can't really say I've done i've done that. The hockey hall of fame, probably twice or three times, but if somebody who has never been to the hall of fame before, somebody may be visiting the United States and Canada for the first time, and they choose to go to the CFL hall of fame first,
00:21:30
Leo Ernewein
I'd say it'd be a rare occurrence that that would what they'd be doing visiting Canada for the first time. But say that happens and then they go and visit another Hall of Fame, say Cooperstown in or Canton in Ohio for the NFL Hall of Fame.
00:21:46
Leo Ernewein
What would you think their response would be after seeing the NFL or the CFL one and then comparing it to literally any other Hall of Fame venue?
00:21:54
Lando
i think what the major disservice that comes from that is all of the comments that i have really pushed back on of nfl is better all of that it really leads to making it a lasting impression that you actually believe what you're hearing about it because they are not organized in displaying and promoting their own history.
00:22:23
Leo Ernewein
so a lack of, it almost feels like, you mentioned at one point during your story there that there was no criteria listed for what gets them into the Hall of Fame. There was no backgrounds on any players, just a name and a year they were inducted. It almost seems like even ChatGPT could write something up and have that you know, at least written so that somebody could know what to say, or at least somewhat close, right?
00:22:49
Leo Ernewein
it If, if AI can do it, why can't they?
00:22:53
Lando
Completely. The size of the space of what is, and I'll be honest, it's a it's a larger bar. Probably, again, if we're using Boston Pizza model, because that's our comparison for for memorabilia, it's probably three times the size of your standard Boston Pizza lounge bar is the entirety of this place.
00:23:11
Leo Ernewein
Wow.
00:23:14
Lando
And it feels to me like it would have been the perfect thing for it to be a Tiger Cat's themed bar you can have the history you know a legends row all of those things and i feel like they were trying to you know this place it needed a home i think it was kind of making something work uh because i don't believe that anyone who has seen it has vocalized what they have seen or knows that it maybe there's there's opportunities to be able to improve it
00:23:48
Leo Ernewein
Okay. Landon, what about but about your thoughts there?
00:23:54
Lando
Well, my story is going to be a little shorter because, i mean, Kyle pretty much nailed everything that pretty much that's gone that I would have said.
00:24:05
Lando
One of the things that i I thought, you know, looking back is, i mean, we had, but everything was just like, everything was rolling so nice and everything we did was, you know, top notch.
00:24:20
Lando
And I was, when I went into that hockey hall of fame for the first time, like, I mean the the history of hockey was on full display everywhere.
00:24:31
Lando
I mean, they had, if if you're, they had every single team or player as much as they possibly could on display in the hockey hall fame. and when you walk into the hall, we're all there, the inductions and the trophies and everything. Like, you're just in, it was just like, it was just like in awe. And the nice thing about us going to the hockey golf game was it was at a time, and it was at a time when tourism was slower in Toronto. So at least at that point, we actually could feel the full experience. And you walk in and it was just, I mean, Kyle would probably will agree with this, that it was just, it was so quiet in there that you could just, you could just feel the hockey gods on you.
00:25:15
Lando
Like that, that's what, that's what it felt like. your opinion changed of the city of Toronto too. It did. It was a wonderful experience, wasn't it? It was like the city of Toronto itself. I mean, Leo, I know you've been there.
00:25:27
Lando
That I was blown away how nice of a city Toronto is. Like it, it actually, i would honestly say I felt more safer in Toronto than I did in Vancouver.
00:25:40
Leo Ernewein
Wow.
00:25:41
Lando
And that's saying, that's saying a lot, right? I mean, that,
00:25:43
Leo Ernewein
Yeah.
00:25:44
Lando
for For as big of a city as Toronto is, I felt more safer there than and in Vancouver. And when we went to the Football Hall of Fame, I think what happened is is we had such an amazing experiences with all the attractions that we did that when we walked into that, and we i wouldn't necessarily call it a dump, but that's how it felt like.
00:26:08
Lando
but that's it was It was almost like this is just an afterthought. There was no there is no, in my opinion, there was no, you know, what's the word I'm looking for? it Like, it was just, there was no, there was just no thought to how the Hall of Fame should be set up. It was just, we're just going to put something together quickly and, or it almost like it was a forgotten thought when they built built the new stadium. And I don't know what the name of it is today. cause i've changed it. Tim Hortonsfield. Is it so Tim Hortonsfield? Okay.
00:26:43
Lando
It was almost like it was an afterthought. Now, I don't know what Ira Wynn was like at that time. None of us were there for it. So i maybe I'm hoping Ira Wynn had a little bit better of a display, but I don't, I bet you not.
00:26:58
Lando
You know, like Kyle mentioned about the everything that when we walked away from it, we you know we made jokes about certain things that are better than the, than the football of fame. And one of the things that I, we both had a really good chuckle about and Calvin, remember this, we had an Ikea breakfast before we went to Niagara falls.
00:27:19
Lando
And was definitely better than CFL. It was definitely better than CFL hall of fame, that breakfast. And if anybody who has gone to Ikea and had their breakfast, we'll know exactly what I'm, what we're talking about. And so that it was just it was really too bad because i have such appreciation. Leo, you know, me you know that I have such a pretty a good appreciation for this CFL and, the you know, the history of the football league.
00:27:43
Lando
It was just I just couldn't believe what I was watching. Now, will say, though, that I thought looking at all the heads of all the people that the replica of the people or the players that got inducted.
00:27:57
Lando
I mean, there were some names that I can't remember all of them, but there were some names that I just completely forgot that were in in the Hall of Fame.
00:28:07
Lando
You know, an example was like, you know, Orlando Steinhauer. And another one was was like a a former Calgary Stampeder, Calvin Anderson, or just...
00:28:19
Lando
just Names like that, that yeah I'm like, holy smokes, I forgot about that. I guess there was some Calgary Stampeders in the Hall of Fame. Yes, Leo, there was some Calgary Stampeders in Hall of Fame.
00:28:31
Lando
Just faces, not memorabilia.
00:28:34
Leo Ernewein
I was just going to ask. yeah Did they have Dwayne the Rock Johnson? and I'm kidding. yeah
00:28:41
Lando
no No, they did not. I wish.
00:28:42
Leo Ernewein
Good.
00:28:42
Lando
That would be hilarious if they did.
00:28:43
Leo Ernewein
Good.
00:28:45
Lando
I don't think ever made the start
00:28:45
Leo Ernewein
No, he shouldn't. They'd be disrespectful to the other the actual players that played more than a year in the league.
00:28:50
Lando
yeah But when you go to the Hall of Fame, and you go to Toronto, you go to the Hockey Hall of Fame, and and when you get into that cathedral and you look at the cup and you look at all the other trophies and on the wall are the faces of the men and women who have been inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame, there is a paragraph blurb about the importance of that person to the game of hockey.
00:29:14
Lando
And it gives you some continuity of, of how to do that baseline where this just has, you know, Ricky Ray and this induction year. Right. Yeah. So, yeah.
00:29:25
Lando
So that's, yeah.
00:29:25
Leo Ernewein
It's more than just, here's Warren Moon.
00:29:28
Leo Ernewein
He won a few Grey Cups.
00:29:29
Lando
Totally. Yeah.
00:29:32
Leo Ernewein
That's good.
00:29:34
Leo Ernewein
I just wanted to ask you, so we kind of got like the general consensus of why the CFL hall of fame was not living up to its, uh, competition, if you will, in the other hall of fames, if you could really call it that.
00:29:49
Leo Ernewein
So we'll go with like the limited scope of the size of the venue. Some people saying it more feels like a hallway display than a true hall of fame experience. outdated exhibits, you know, where you mentioned that the, the gray cup wasn't updated for the past five years.
00:30:06
Leo Ernewein
And then the location too, just being outside of a major city, I don't think that helps. And then, yeah, just lack of overall, as you've mentioned, that the, you know, the Stampeders didn't have much of paraphernalia in there. So it maybe makes you wonder about the selection process of what goes on in that venue. Was there a highlight that did impress you in that venue?
00:30:29
Leo Ernewein
Yeah.
00:30:30
Lando
leaving i know that sounds bad but uh i said leaving
00:30:34
Leo Ernewein
What'd you say? Leaving.
00:30:41
Leo Ernewein
Yeah, the exit was great. Yeah.
00:30:45
Lando
There were a few, i will be honest.
00:30:45
Leo Ernewein
The mystery handed us on the way out.
00:30:47
Leo Ernewein
Phenomenal.
00:30:49
Lando
I think the thing that brought out my, the the the biggest ire in my opinion was they had some of the greatest pieces of equipment I have visually seen in my life.
00:31:05
Lando
And it was accessible and it was just unorganized, didn't give really much information. And And it leaves someone like myself asking and wanting more and more understanding.
00:31:22
Leo Ernewein
So maybe do you think that the CFL Hall of Fame venue at one point had kind of like a tour guide that maybe filled in some of those blanks and budget cuts? Maybe we don't see that anymore probably not.
00:31:35
Leo Ernewein
probably not
00:31:37
Lando
I think that's a little more challenging. I firmly believe that the Canadian Football League and teams themselves see no value in in showcasing their history. And it is most the most apparent when you go and visit the Hall of Fame.
00:31:50
Lando
And I don't want to just turn this into a, you know, podcast of just knocking down one of my favorite leagues for how they display this. But until the league itself cares about its image and cares about that connectivity, one of the things in sports fandom that I have learned over the years is I want to be connected to understand the history. And and everybody jumps into a team and a sport that at different points and for different reasons and and have different things.
00:32:20
Lando
And when you go to a Hall of Fame, it gives you that opportunity to get a deeper understanding, a greater connection to the game and the importance. and And a lot of us need that marker to be able to back into it or just have an enjoyable experience where what you go and consume is validated to yourself and exciting.
00:32:45
Lando
The memories that I have from the Hall of Fame, honestly, even both of them, are going to be with me for the rest of my life for different reasons. And and i i hope that there's a time when teams want to bring an access to its customers to connect them to it. Because how does someone, again, if you look at the baseball perspective, where the Blue Jays have been relatively of relevant from the sports landscape in this country for a long time, it takes a moment like this to be able to connect to it.
00:33:15
Lando
But guess what? You could go to a Hall of Fame and see a lot of Blue Jays and they're exposed to, but you would have that opportunity where I feel like this this is a lost pilgrimage in a lot of ways because it doesn't provide anything to to give someone like that.
00:33:31
Lando
And that's an opportunity lost where people like you and me are still the diehards, but someone else experiences it. I'm not sure they're going have the greatest experience in its current format. And it's not just an interpreter. I mean,
00:33:45
Lando
Leo, I'm positive that you can walk around a bar unguided just fine. And, and I think the venue of what they've chosen for it is the issue.
00:33:57
Leo Ernewein
a It's sort of half and half the Hall of Fame idea with the, but you can grab a drink here and, you know, have your corporate meeting on the side.
00:34:05
Lando
And
00:34:07
Leo Ernewein
it It takes away the purpose of the venue was to bring in people for a tour of CFL history, right?
00:34:10
Lando
you're,
00:34:15
Leo Ernewein
And that is a little disappointing.
00:34:16
Lando
yeah and you're sitting right beside Milt Stegall's jersey on on a mannequin and not realize that that was the jersey and specifically that he wore when he broke the Bombers record for for most receiving.
00:34:27
Leo Ernewein
Oh my.
00:34:28
Lando
But it just says Milt Stegall's jersey, like whatever it was, Nike something. And they're like great. So it lacks, why should somebody care?
00:34:39
Leo Ernewein
Yeah. It's almost like it's doing itself a disservice, right? to Landon, I want to get your opinion here, but I want to get you back on the mic. what do you What are your thoughts on the, uh, sort of the disappointment of the trip to the CFL hall of fame?
00:34:53
Lando
Well, like, i know i I know I touched on a little bit, but I just, I thought that it felt like there was just lack of, like, like I know I touched on it a little bit, but it just felt like there lack of, like, care, I guess it would be that would be the the term, right? And, and i mean, I'm glad we went.
00:35:16
Lando
I don't think I'll ever go back again. i agree with Kyle that I think the best part of it was leaving. But I thought if I turn this into a positive, I thought what was really cool is seeing all the faces of every single CFL player that's ever played this game, right? I mean, that that was the part that I thought was really, really neat.
00:35:35
Lando
You know, the other part is actually seeing the great cup up close in a glass form. I thought that was that was cool. I thought what was really neat is that I actually can say that I actually was at that Tim Hortons field in Hamilton where the Tiger Pats played.
00:35:50
Lando
I mean, I can honestly say that, I mean, if anybody gets a chance to go to Hamilton to see a football game, I mean, I would sit honestly say Hamilton would be right up there if you're going to know Ontario. i would I can't speak for the other two venues because I mean, Kyle and i quickly drove by the BMO field in Toronto.
00:36:11
Lando
But If anybody wanted to go see a football game, I would definitely go to go to that Tim Hortons field. it it definitely i don't think there's a bad sight line in that place whatsoever. it kind of kind of felt like It kind of felt like McMahon, but in a newer form, right? like That's what I got out of So that's kind of my positives that I i would take out of that.
00:36:34
Lando
And it's kind of funny how where the football stadium actually is. It's in the middle of houses. if If anybody's been to Hamilton, it's middle of a whole bunch of brick houses all around it.
00:36:48
Lando
And then you see in the distance, there's a whole bunch of factories going towards the Lake Ontario. So... Yeah, that's that's my my my opinion of the the Football Hall of Fame because i it was it was a real disappointment. Like, it really was. And when we drove away, it left a lot of sour taste in our mouth because when we went back down on the 401, I think it was the 401, yeah, and that the highway going back to Toronto, yeah,
00:37:17
Lando
we were just sitting there like, what the heck did we just see? like like but That's how it felt. And so, you know, if I, if I had, if I had to if anybody asked me, we're for a hall of fame wise, if and somebody asked me, Hey, Landon, I'm going to come up to you. I would like to go see maybe the hockey hall of fame or the football of fame. Which one would you choose?
00:37:45
Lando
Well, I think the obvious question would be hockey hall of fame. I wouldn't even recommend going to the ball of fame.
00:37:52
Leo Ernewein
So don't step foot in...
00:37:53
Lando
And no, no, cool.
00:37:54
Leo Ernewein
Oh, sorry. Go ahead.
00:37:56
Lando
Are you going say,
00:37:57
Leo Ernewein
I was going to say don't step foot in Hamilton unless you're going to Tim Horton's field to watch the game, not to check out the Hall of Fame venue.
00:38:04
Lando
Exactly. Yeah.
00:38:05
Lando
You know, and the one, one of the things that I, I I'll be real quick is when, when it comes to the football hall of fame, what they could have done, because there's a whole bunch of like, there's this big space on the South end of the, of the stadium. Now I understand that's probably space for lineups to get into the gate to to the game. And I get that part, but I, I thought that that was a waste of space in the South end of the football stadium where they could have had a,
00:38:05
Leo Ernewein
Yeah.
00:38:34
Lando
a little bit of a building where they could have made it a nice little building where all the faces of the football, of all the Hall of Famers, you know, a little bit of history behind the Canadian Football League. I think that would go a long ways for for this game. But problem the problem that I think the CFL has is that they have a lack of vision of what that sort of thing.
00:38:59
Lando
And that's that's just my take on it.
00:39:02
Leo Ernewein
Okay, so that sounds like you grabbed some positives from the the overall trip there, Lando. What about you, Kyle? Any positives that you'd like to share?
00:39:12
Lando
Yeah, one, I got to have a wicked but trip with my best friend and get to to experience something neat. But, you know, I think there are some really... good opportunities to to improve what they have there and to bring it across the country and that's where i see you know the the best of both worlds in in in something that could almost be a traveling road show at a specific time of year i don't know uh help me out there leo there's is there an event that we do with the gray cup periodically annually maybe
00:39:47
Leo Ernewein
Well, maybe the namesake of the event, but I love that idea there, Kyle, the, like a traveling show showing off the hall of fame and its venues. And, oh my God, I would go see that in a heartbeat. I think that's a phenomenal idea.
00:40:04
Leo Ernewein
think the CFL needs to send you an email to get you on their promotions team. Uh, I think you're, you're missing the ball on that one.
00:40:08
Lando
yeah well i appreciate that have you been to great cup in in calgary have you been to a great cup festivities before
00:40:16
Leo Ernewein
No, I have not. I've only been to a few CFL games, and and I wanted to ask you guys some questions about that after, but we'll we'll go on to this here for a second.
00:40:24
Lando
Yeah.
00:40:27
Leo Ernewein
Have you been to a Grey Cup celebration here in Calgary, Kyle?
00:40:30
Lando
Not in Calgary, I've done Edmonton. It is an unbelievable gathering of of so of people who make a pilgrimage on an annual basis to watch that game.
00:40:41
Lando
And it is just a really fun time. It's it's got to be experienced. And not just going to the game itself. I mean, just the like you know the few days before the game, just hanging out where they have all the different venues and houses for each of the teams. And yeah, it's such a beautiful time.
00:40:59
Leo Ernewein
So i I wanted to ask you, it sounds like that, you know, CFL gray cups have some sort of tailgate or at least some kind of tailgate going on.
00:41:10
Leo Ernewein
the reason i'm bringing this up, I was talking to my friend who I went to school with yesterday. She's a reporter out in Saskatoon or Regina, one of the two in Saskatchewan. And, um, And,
00:41:20
Leo Ernewein
she was saying that we're talking about how we have to work in politics a little bit because we both went to sports schools, right? And I'm like, oh yeah, I don't really like like reporting on the Alberta's teacher strike and yada, yada, yada. And she's like, oh, I have to do politics soon. Saskatchewan's trying to legalize tailgating.
00:41:36
Leo Ernewein
And I thought she meant tailgating like driving. So I was like, oh, that's awesome. Is it for like the slow drivers, yay yada, yada, yada. And she continues to go on. No, she meant tailgating for football.
00:41:48
Leo Ernewein
And I was like, oh, I didn't didn't know that tailgating was illegal, but I guess I've never really seen much of it here in Canada. When you guys would go to CFO games, what are your thoughts on tailgating?
CFL Culture: Tailgating and Grey Cup Predictions
00:41:58
Lando
Well, mean, in Calgary, they have it. They allow it.
00:42:04
Leo Ernewein
They do, eh?
00:42:04
Lando
Right? I mean, they do. and It's a great party in Calgary. Oh, it is. It it it it makes what the Calgary Stampeders, the Calgary Stampeders, in my opinion. like get that Where where we were my parents and I parked for the season tickets, Kyle knows exactly where we parked because he's come to a couple games with us.
00:42:24
Lando
You park, I park over by the Volley Dome and Leo, I don't know how well you know that area, but there's a, there's the Volley Dome. There is the old baseball stadium for the Calgary Canons used to be, or the Calgary Vipers at the time.
00:42:38
Leo Ernewein
Yep.
00:42:39
Lando
Yeah. So we parked right by the Volley Dome. You walk right through the parking lot and there is tailgating everywhere. Like there's people there. that are not necessarily going into the stadium.
00:42:51
Lando
They actually rent, they actually pay the Calgary Stampeders for that spot so they can tailgate. And they have motorhomes, they have lawn chairs, they have barbecues, they even have propane fire things where they can, if it's a cold day, they can sit around the v the the fire.
00:43:13
Lando
They have food, they have, they have you know, Beer, alcohol, pop, you know, water, whatever. And people are wearing either wearing Calgary Stampede jerseys.
00:43:26
Lando
I mean, honestly, there's even people... when Saskatchewan and Calgary even played, there's even Ryder fans and Stampeder fans having a great time in a circle talking football, even though that they're the two biggest rivals, they still do it. And same with, and I mean, Kyle and I went to the Labor Day game this past year.
00:43:47
Lando
I mean, same thing. There was Elk fans with Stampeder fans tailgating And that's that's what the – I'll say this to you, that if you ever get a chance to come to calary go to Calgary and see a football game there, you'll be blown away with the tailgating. So it it really surprises me because when you think about Saskatchewan, the pivotal part of football in our country – that they don't allow tailgating, which blows me away.
00:44:15
Lando
But I get why, because I have been to Regina. I've seen that parking lot. I've seen i seen the new Mosaic Stadium. There's not a lot of room to do it.
00:44:25
Leo Ernewein
Okay. Yeah, that's that's fair. right it's It sounds like I need to get myself to a Stampeders game ASAP.
00:44:30
Lando
Oh, you do? Yeah.
00:44:33
Leo Ernewein
It's a little too bad that they lost to the BC Lions again in the playoffs here, so I might have to wait until next year. But yeah, before let's jump into some predictions here about the CFL based on the four teams still running as we record this. Who's your pick to win the Grey Cup?
00:44:49
Leo Ernewein
We'll start with you there, Kyle.
00:44:51
Lando
The Montreal Alouettes.
00:44:54
Leo Ernewein
Okay, why is that?
00:44:57
Lando
I believe that they have the path of least resistance to getting to that game in in Winnipeg. And I think that they have an excellent quarterback and they are clicking at the right time.
00:45:11
Lando
And I think that Hamilton unfortunately finds itself in a position where, where they lay, again, Bo Levi has been excellent this season as their quarterback, but I feel that Hamilton is, is, is not on that same level.
00:45:27
Lando
I guess we will see, but that's my prediction going there. I think for, yeah for Mike,
00:45:32
Leo Ernewein
Okay. And Landon, oh, sorry.
00:45:34
Lando
for For myself, I think i think I'm jumping on the BC Lions bandwagon because I actually have all i agree with Kyle on the Montreal Alouettes getting there.
00:45:46
Lando
But i I think the BC Lions are going to get are going to be the great cup champions. And here's why i say that. mean, not not just because Nathan Rourke is quarterback, but they're they're hitting that.
00:45:57
Lando
They're just something about them right now that they're hitting the the You know how when teams go into playoffs, it doesn't matter if it's football, baseball, hockey, basketball, there' there's just this belief that they are going to to win. And I feel that about BC is that they just they've got this extra gear on them.
00:46:18
Lando
that I think they'll get there. So I'm picking the BC Lions to go to the Great Cup, but they're in a tough task to beat Saskatchewan in so in Regina, and are probably going to be a raucous crowd in a cold the environment because BC Lions don't necessarily play very well in the cold because, if anybody who doesn't know, the BC Lions are the only football team in Canada that has an indoor stadium.
00:46:47
Lando
All other eight teams have outdoors. So when it comes to cold colder weather as the season goes on, they don't necessarily play very well in colder weather because they're not theyre not used to it.
00:46:59
Lando
And so that's what so they've got some hurdles to jump over, but I still think i think BC can still take it in Regina.
00:47:07
Leo Ernewein
Yeah, I was originally going to go with, before we recorded this, before the Stampeders lost last weekend, I was going to go with the Stamps. But since the BC Lions beat them, I got to go Nathan Rourke and his boys. I like Nathan Rourke a lot. I think he's a good leader.
00:47:24
Leo Ernewein
And they're they're a team that has been playing really well recently, and I think that's that's something that's overlooked. So I got the BC Lions winning the this year's 112th Grey Cup, I believe, is the edition.
00:47:37
Lando
Give me them in Montreal and I will not miss a second of it. That would be amazing game. Yeah. I mean, you've got Nathan Rourke against Alexander.
00:47:43
Leo Ernewein
Excellent.
Innovating the CFL Hall of Fame Experience
00:47:47
Lando
I mean, those two are probably by far the two best quarterbacks in the league right now.
00:47:53
Leo Ernewein
I still like both Levi Mitchell a lot too, but we'll, we'll put them in the top three conversation.
00:47:55
Lando
Yeah. Don't count them out. No, Calgary is.
00:47:58
Leo Ernewein
Right.
00:47:59
Lando
Yeah.
00:48:00
Lando
Calgary.
00:48:01
Leo Ernewein
Go ahead.
00:48:02
Lando
Calgary counted. I agree with Kyle. Bo Levi Mitchell got counted out in Calgary. So don't ever count out Bo Levi Mitchell. I mean, he he's been healthy.
00:48:09
Leo Ernewein
Yeah.
00:48:10
Lando
He's been healthy this year for the first time in a long time. he looks he looks like He looks like the old Bo Levi Mitchell in Calgary. Who does he throw the football to? Kenny Lawler. Yeah.
00:48:21
Lando
Enough said.
00:48:21
Leo Ernewein
All right.
00:48:21
Lando
Yeah. Enough said.
00:48:23
Leo Ernewein
Well, thank you, Kyle. It's awesome to see you and the, to see the bond that you and Landon share there. The trip sounds and incredible, or at least very memorable for the, for the times you guys shared. We're so glad you came on and shared it with us.
00:48:36
Leo Ernewein
Thanks for being a fan and helping us celebrate our fifth episode.
00:48:41
Lando
Well, thank you so very much. And yeah, CFL hit me up anytime. I've got some good ideas for you.
00:48:46
Leo Ernewein
Yeah, we would love that. I love that idea of the traveling Great Cup, especially, you know, maybe a couple weeks before the Great Cup experience. They could they could kick off something like that would be really cool.
00:48:58
Leo Ernewein
Landon, I'll let you take us home here, man.
00:49:00
Lando
All right. Well, guys, Kyle, I just want to say thank you as well. Thank you for coming on and sharing our story. I mean, I know we had an one of the most, and that was one of the most memorable trips that we did.
00:49:12
Lando
And we came home really tired because of the the time difference. But I just want to say thank you for coming on and coming to my my house and my recording, my little recording studio that I have here at my house.
00:49:24
Lando
So, but I really do appreciate it. So, and and thank you for being such a good friend. Thank you for being a fan of Leo and I too. That, I mean, that goes a long way.
00:49:35
Lando
And I just want to do a real quick shout out to a fan of ours. It's not you Kyle, sorry. I mean, I already mentioned it, but one of the, one of the fans that we have there, Leo is my brother's girlfriend.
00:49:53
Lando
is and she's also my my best friend as well she one of the one of the biggest supporters of you and i leo you have no idea she always asks us about how our episodes are going you know what's your topic she is one of the biggest supporters and she's also one of my best friends too and she'll be probably she will be my future sister-in-law so i want to give a good shout out to her and Thank you for being a fan. So that's that's where I'll leave it at that there. le there Leo, you take us home.
00:50:27
Leo Ernewein
Right on. Well, cool. Yeah, that sounds like an awesome support base to have. And we thank you for listening. Well, that's it for episode five here. We'll catch you next time. Thanks for tuning in and keep being a big fan.
00:50:42
Lando
Take care, guys.