The JD Bunkis Podcast

JD reacts to the ugly weekend of hockey from the Maple Leafs (00:00). Brady Quinn, FOX NFL analyst and former NFL quarterback, helps JD (10:00) decipher teams who are contenders or pretenders, the Buffalo Bills brutal loss to the Miami Dolphins, different head coaching styles and what works in the modern game, Aaron Rodgers' reluctance to get hit, and JD's Seattle Seahawks. JD then offers a subtle warning to the Los Angeles Dodgers. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.  

Shi Davidi, Sportsnet's senior MLB columnist, joins JD to reflect on the comments from Mark Shapiro and Ross Atkins and offers his read on why the President and General Manager didn't offer many meaningful thoughts (11:00). JD asks Shi about potential parallels between signing Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette, what may sway Bichette, if the Jays payroll is expected to grow, Shane Bieber opting in, not being married to Jeff Hoffman as the closer in 2026, and which of the Jays starting pitchers may play a role next season. JD ends the week with his thoughts on the new Hockey Canada jerseys. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.    

JD reacts to Blue Jays President Mark Shapiro and General Manager Ross Atkins speaking to the media. Ariel Helwani joins JD (7:00) to go through his sports trauma, why he's bitter about the Dodgers victory lap, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation's probe on fight-fixing in the UFC. Next, JD gets into what he thought were the most important comments made at the conference by Shapiro and Atkins (36:00). The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.  

Nick Kypreos of Real Kyper & Bourne joins JD to break down the biggest issues with the Leafs early in the season. They dive into the effort conundrum, the impact of undefined roles, how the powerplay might improve, what the Leafs could deal at the deadline and the best way to handle Easton Cowan. The show ends with 'What We Missed!' (33:00) The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

JD reacts to Mark Shapiro's message to Blue Jays nation, before reflecting the front office's journey and what message(s) to expect from Shapiro and Ross Atkins in today's end-of-season press conference (00:00). Jackie Redmond of the NHL on TNT and WWE Network, joins JD (12:00) to lament about the end of the Blue Jays season, draw comparisons to the Maple Leafs, and outline the complicated feelings surrounding the Buds. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

Sportsnet's Ben Nicholson-Smith joins JD to detail Shane Bieber's decision to return to the Blue Jays (00:00). JD and Ben turn their attention to the other pitchers in the Jays 2025 starting rotation to discuss which pitchers could, or should, return to the Jays in 2026 (8:00). They foreshadow what the strategy of Jays ownership and management will be during the offseason, how they can take advantage of the Jays deep postseason run, and their thought process behind re-signing Bo Bichette. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

JD reacts to the news of Shane Bieber exercising his 2026 player option to stay with the Blue Jays (00:00). Joseph Casciaro from theScore joins JD to continue the conversation about the beloved Blue Jays, before turning the page to the Raptors (15:00). JD and Joseph sift through some early season impressions from the Raptors; RJ Barrett as the vocal leader, playmaking by committee, how Brandon Ingram is fitting in, Scottie Barnes' relentless defense, and Jamal Shead's impact. JD then touches on the moves at the NFL trade deadline (45:30). The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates. 

Charles McDonald from Yahoo Sports joins JD to break down his takeaways from the Bills winning streak against the Chiefs in the regular season, why the Cowboys are buyers at the trade deadline, and what teams are real through Week 9 (00:00). Later, JD then explains why he thinks the Bills still have the best chance to knock-out the Chiefs in the AFC, before wrapping up the show with 'What We Missed!' (23:00) The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates. 

JD hopes the Leafs can use their comeback victory to begin formulating a team identity (0:00). James Mirtle, senior writer at The Athletic, joins JD to discuss the Leafs volatile effort, how the Leafs can separate from the mushy-middle of the Eastern Conference, if he's buying what he's seeing from Nick Robertson, Matias Macelli being healthy scratched by Craig Berube, Bobby McMann's role and fit on the team, a necessary powerplay shakeup, and Chris Tanev's health (14:00). The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.   

JD recaps a heartbreaking weekend for Blue Jays fans after the Jays lost Games 6 & 7 of the World Series at home to the Dodgers, and details the pain that comes from being a game away and eventually missing out on a championship (00:00). Ben Ennis, host of The FAN Morning Show joins JD to put a cap on the 2025 Blue Jays season (6:48), including the misery of watching the Dodgers' Game 7 comeback, Jeff Hoffman's untimely pitch to Miguel Rojas in the 9th inning, Ernie Clement's near-game winning drive in the bottom half, the disappointment for the fans at Rogers Centre on Saturday night, and how the loss will change the perspective of this team going forward. Later, the guys look at the Blue Jays organization going forward, whether or not Bo Bichette will return in 2026, and how the pitching staff will come together (35:29).The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

JD and Ben Ennis, co-host of The FAN Morning Show, start with a look back on the Toronto Blue Jays' 3-1 loss to the LA Dodgers in Game 6 of the World Series. They discuss Yoshinobu Yamamoto's dominance on the mound and the strange ninth inning which featured a wedged dead-ball and a wild double play to end the game. Then, they tee up Game 7, share their expectations from the starters in Max Scherzer and Shohei Ohtani, and project how John Schneider might manage the bullpen in a do-or-die stage. Finally, they listen to and break down the skipper's pre-game availability.The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

JD prepares for Game 6 of the World Series, as the Blue Jays have a chance to clinch their first championship since 1993 at Rogers Centre, before getting into the terrifying thought of the potential curse that is a Halloween game, and the importance of Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette to this team and fanbase (00:00). Cliff Floyd, 1997 World Series champion and MLB Network analyst, joins JD to further break down the ability of Bo Bichette to jump back into the lineup in the World Series after being out since September 6th, the supporting cast coming through at the biggest moments, the chances we see George Springer back on the field in the next two games, and how this historic run has changed the perspective on Vladdy Jr. nationally (10:11). After the break, JD gives his final thoughts of the Blue Jays season ahead of the biggest weekend in recent memory (47:19). The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

JD and Ben Ennis, co-host of The FAN Morning Show, discuss Trey Yesavage's historic Game 4 pitching performance to bring the Blue Jays within one win of their first World Series championship since 1993 (00:00). The guys dig into the numerous records set by the 22-year old Yesavage, and the impact he's made since arriving in the majors in September, before looking towards the future for this team with Yesavage and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. leading the way. After the break, JD and Ben continue the conversation around the Blue Jays World Series run, the potential for the Dodgers to push the series to seven games, and the ability of the Jays to come together as a team at the biggest moments (33:49).The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

JD revels in the Blue Jays' Game 4 victory over the Dodgers in LA, credits the team for their gusty performance by the team after the historically long Game 3 on Monday, and looks closer at the Vladimir Guerrero Jr.-Shohei Ohtani matchup (00:00). Jonathan Papelbon, '07 World Series champion, joins the show to discuss what we've seen during the Fall Classic (11:59), the pitching matchups throughout the series, the impact that Chris Bassitt has provided for the bullpen, the incredible atmosphere at Rogers Centre for these postseason games, and Trey Yesavage's chances in Game 5, as he makes his second start against the Dodgers. After the break, JD highlights the Blue Jays offence, Vladimir Guerrero Jr.'s record-breaking performance, and the good decisions made by John Schneider in Game 4, before touching on the Maple Leafs' win over the Flames (40:58).The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.

JD reacts to the heartbreaking Blue Jays loss to the Dodgers in 18 innings during Game 3 of the World Series, before dissecting the game's biggest moments (00:00). Jared Carrabis, host of the Baseball Is Dead podcast, joins the show to help break down the incredible action from the Fall Classic (10:52). The guys get into the craziness of the night, including the decisions made by managers John Schneider and Dave Roberts, the impact of George Springer's unfortunate injury, Shohei Ohtani's two home run performance, and the theatrics of having Max Scherzer and Clayton Kershaw appear in what could be their final World Series appearances (00:00). After the break, JD offers up some of Game 3's most insane stats and looks ahead to Game 4 (47:46).The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the hosts and guests and do not necessarily reflect the position of Rogers Sports & Media or any affiliates.