Welcome back to The Thursday Report with Ewan, Will, and Alex. This week, the guys cover a packed lineup of sports stories, including the Packers’ embarrassing loss to the Falcons, Marvin Harrison Jr.’s disappointing start in Arizona, the Edmonton Oilers’ upcoming season, the Edmonton Elks’ wild CFL matchup, and Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s controversial comments. The episode opens with a quick introduction from Ewan, who explains the schedule change and sets up an episode filled with NFL, NHL, CFL, and MLB discussion. The NFL conversation begins with the Atlanta Falcons’ dominant 35–14 win over the Green Bay Packers. The guys break down Bijan Robinson’s huge rushing performance, Drake London’s monster receiving game, Atlanta’s ability to control the line of scrimmage, and Green Bay’s shocking lack of a rushing attack. They also debate whether Jordan Love is good enough to lead the Packers to a Super Bowl, whether Matt LaFleur should keep his job, and how difficult Green Bay’s upcoming schedule could become. The discussion then shifts to the Arizona Cardinals and whether Marvin Harrison Jr. would benefit from a change of scenery after a disappointing start to his career. The NHL portion focuses heavily on the Edmonton Oilers’ upcoming season. Will, Alex, and Ewan share their expectations for the team under new head coach Mike Babcock and discuss the importance of starting the season strongly. They also make individual predictions for the Oilers, including: The team’s most important goaltenderExpected save percentagesConnor McDavid’s projected point totalThe Oilers’ leading goal scorerEdmonton’s overall point totalTheir expected position in the Pacific DivisionThe group also discusses Frederik Andersen, Tristan Jarry, Devon Levi, Ike Howard, Matt Savoie, Ryan Shea, Darnell Nurse, and the Oilers’ defensive changes heading into the season. The CFL segment covers the Edmonton Elks’ frustrating loss to the Toronto Argonauts. Despite strong offensive numbers and a productive game from Cody Fajardo, the Elks came away with a defeat. The guys discuss Fajardo’s two interceptions, Edmonton’s lack of a rushing game, the Argos’ explosive passing attack, Vinny Blankenbaker’s missed field goal, and the Elks’ playoff outlook. Finally, the episode closes with an extended debate about Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s controversial comments and his disappointing season with the Toronto Blue Jays. Alex explains why the comments were especially frustrating for fans, while Ewan and Will discuss leadership, accountability, Guerrero’s massive contract, his lack of home-run production, and whether the Blue Jays can bounce back next season. The guys also discuss the future of the Blue Jays, Chris Bassitt’s possible final appearance with the team, the upcoming NHL season, the growth of hockey, and the atmosphere at Rogers Place during playoff games. Full timestamps00:00-05:39 — Introduction, schedule change, and the week in sports 05:39-20:29 — Falcons dominate the Packers and expose Green Bay’s problems 20:29-28:53 — Marvin Harrison Jr.’s struggles and a possible change of scenery 28:53-34:10 — Edmonton Oilers season expectations and the impact of Mike Babcock 34:10-38:48 — Oilers predictions: goaltending, McDavid, and goal scoring 38:48-45:41 — Oilers point totals, Pacific Division predictions, and playoff expectations 45:41-54:55 — Oilers roster changes, Ike Howard, Frederik Andersen, and the home opener 54:55-62:52 — Edmonton Elks lose a wild CFL game despite strong statistics 62:52-75:50 — Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s comments and the Blue Jays’ disappointing season 75:50-80:51 — Guerrero’s accountability, Chris Bassitt, and the Blue Jays’ offseason 80:51-84:52 — Hockey’s growth, the NHL salary cap, and Canadian sports 84:52-87:57 — Final thoughts, upcoming games, and closing remarks Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-manning-show--6448210/support.
