Two Average Fans

After some shocking developments the vast majority of major sporting events have been put on hold until further notice! This leaves the Two Average Fans in disarray. We go back and touch on the major events from the past week in this episode, but we are in shock! As lifetime sports fans this is uncharted territory. Where do we go? What do we do? Life as we know it as sports fans is changing and we don’t know what to do. If you guys have any FUN suggestions as to how we can effectively fill our spare time OR if you have any suggestions for episode content during this (hopefully) brief hiatus, we’re all ears! www.twoaveragefans.com twoaveragefans@gmail.com

We’re getting down to crunch time in the NHL! Almost exactly a month left in the season before we get into playoff action. The Leafs are sitting in third in their division despite some mediocre play, leaving them with a potential first round match-up with Tampa Bay! That’s a playoff match-up I’d pay to see! The Panthers are only 5 points back so there’s definitely some pressure on the Leafs to hold off these teams down the stretch. Do you think the NHL should evaluate the need for full face masks in the NHL? These injuries are few and far between but the results can be catastrophic. The Raptors continue to fight the injury bug and battle to stay in the second seed in the eastern conference and avoid playing Philly in the first round! We think Spike Lee should get his own private entrance at MSG! Way to alienate your most committed fan. We’re almost at playoff time, one of the best times of year! www.twoaveragefans.com twoaveragefans@gmail.com

We roll into our 1 year anniversary episode and get into post trade deadline analysis in the NHL. The Leafs chose to stay mostly silent coming up to the deadline, although moves made early on that yielded back-up goalie Jake Campbell and Kyle Clifford added value. They chose to hang on to Tyson Barrie for the remainder of the season, hoping he can add value down the stretch and be a key contributor in the playoffs. The Leafs also managed to lose an important game against the Canes on the weekend, where the Canes were forced to bring in an emergency goalie, 42 year old David Ayres who is a Zamboni driver for the Marlies and also practices with the Leafs from time to time. We sit down to deal with this fallout. The Raptors lose an important test against the Bucks on Tuesday night, missing an opportunity to gain some ground on League leading Milwaukee. We also get to a fan question about the sign stealing scandal and the 2017 Houston Astros, how should former Astros players from 2017 be received going into this season even though they’ve moved on to different organizations?? www.twoaveragefans.com twoaveragefans@gmail.com   

More trouble in Leaf land. With the season starting to come down to the nitty gritty, these slumps are starting to become very consequential. The leafs now sit 4th in their division with a very difficult schedule between them and the end of the season. This next stretch of hockey is huge for Andersen as his numbers have been on a steady decline, it’s time to show why he’s their number one goaltender. The NBA dunk contest did not disappoint but the judges did! In an attempt to make the contest a tie, there was an error in their math and the trophy was handed to Jones Jr. It was a bitter ending to an otherwise awesome event. As more players have been reporting to spring training, more interviews and opinions are coming out regarding the Houston Astros sign stealing. Lebron James even made a statement claiming that there needs to be more action taken by the commissioner. How many people to need to speak before something happens? Or will all the noise cause paralysis in the MLB? www.twoaveragefans.com twoaveragefans@gmail.com

The Leafs are not a playoff team with the defense they have now, will they be willing to give up the assets required to land a quality piece? Let’s hope so… as they continue to shoot themselves in the foot with blown coverage and missed assignments. They currently sit 2 points ahead of Florida for 3rd place in the division. The Raptors on the other hand just had their franchise/Canadian record 15 game winning streak snapped at the hands of the Brooklyn Nets. This game was a bit of a trap game leading into the All Star break. Let’s hope they can get some key players back from injury sooner than later. We also touch on the UFC 247 results from this past weekend and discuss the suspect judging going on in MMA. The Houston Astros issued public statements addressing the sign stealing scandal from 2017 and apologized for their actions… This is a joke. It’s an insult to the game of baseball for this to be slowly swept under the rug. We want to see key players suspended. This is bound to be an interesting year in baseball! www.twoaveragefans.com twoaveragefans@gmail.com

The Kansas City Chiefs take it! And as expected, Cam wins the prop bet challenge and walks away with his pride. Better luck next time. The Leafs have hit another bump in the road, with an injury to Andersen. However, help is on the way. The Leafs have traded for G Jack Campbell and F Kyle Clifford from the LA Kings, in exchange for F Trevor Moore and two 3rd round draft picks. As a Leaf fan that has endured the pain of watching this team struggle with back up goaltending, my fingers are crossed. The Toronto Raptors have set a new franchise record with their 12th straight win, pulling off a huge comeback against the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday night. Serge Ibaka with the dagger! They have also set a new franchise mark now having the best record in franchise history thus far through the season. All without Kawhi! How far can this team go? Will they have enough to make it through the Bucks!? www.twoaveragefans.com twoaveragefans@gmail.com

Rest easy Kobe. Our thoughts and prayers go out to all those involved in the tragic accident that took place over the past weekend. #MambaMentality.   The Toronto Raptors are in the midst of an 8 game win streak that has vaulted them into second place in the Eastern Conference, 8 games behind the first place Bucks! Through 47 games, the Toronto Raptors have the exact same record as the LA Clippers... The Raptors are getting scoring from up and down their lineup and getting key contributions from depth players as the team continues to recover from injuries. The Leafs come back from the All Star break and rattle off two wins as they get ready for the Battle of Ontario this Saturday and then their biggest game of the year against the Florida Panthers on Monday night. The Leafs are tied with the Panthers for 3rd place in the Atlantic Division, Florida has 2 games in hand. We're getting excited for the Super Bowl this Sunday. We went ahead and filled out some prop bets. We go down the list and talk about the stand out topics. www.twoaveragefans.com twoaveragefans@gmail.com

After all the hype and build up to the UFC 246 main event, the whole thing was over in 40 seconds. Conor McGregor came back with a bang and got the TKO victory over Cowboy Cerrone!! The Raptors are back on track, logging a 5 game win streak after getting all of their key players back from injury. They have a great opportunity to climb into second spot in the conference if they can string some wins together. The All Star break is just what the doctor ordered for the Toronto Maple Leafs. They limped into the bye week and will look to get back on track and start their chase for third in their division. There will definitely be rumors heating up as we get closer to the trade deadline, as the Leafs look to add key pieces to their blue line and in net. The Houston Astros will issue a public apology when they return for spring training…. Is this enough? twoaveragefans@gmail.com www.twoaveragefans.com

The Houston Astros have been busted for stealing signs during the 2017 postseason playoffs, which ended with the Astros winning the World Series! As details begin to come out, the MLB has handed out the first batch of punishment related to the incident. There are now new rumours swirling around the Astros, namely Jose Altuve, wearing a “buzzer” under his jersey which was used tip the batter off to pitch calls from the catcher on the opposing team. These are strictly rumors at this point but stunning none the less! Pekka Rinne becomes 12th NHL goaltender to score a goal on an empty net! We’re all getting set for the upcoming rematch between the Flames and Oilers, so Kassian and Tkachuk can go for round two! Hopefully we see them square off at center! We are so stoked for UFC 246 this weekend, with the main event being “Cowboy” Cerrone and Conor McGregor! This fight is bound to be as entertaining as it gets! www.twoaveragefans.com twoaveragefans@gmail.com

Did you see that game last night? The Leafs and Jets provided fans with some of the most entertaining hockey of the year! Auston Matthews has a huge night but ultimately the leafs come out on the losing end via the shootout. Regardless.. that game had us on the edge of our seats. The Toronto Raptors have the highest "wins lost due to injury" in the entire NBA, with 6.41 wins lost. Fred Vanvleet is out with a hamstring injury, joining the already long list of key players that are absent from the lineup. Despite having a depleted roster the Raptors continue to play quality basketball, edging out wins and losing some close ones. They now sit 7.5 games back of the first place Bucks and 2.5 games back of the second place Miami Heat. Team Canada won the gold medal in the IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship vs. Russia on Sunday afternoon! They came storming back from 3-1 down in the 3rd period to taste gold! Listen here for our reaction and analysis. www.twoaveragefans.com twoaveragefans@gmail.com

We're back after a lengthy Holiday Hiatus and we kick things off with the resolution to the most recent bet! Since Sheldon Keefe took over as coach, the Leafs are 13-4-1 and have vaulted themselves up into 2nd place in the Atlantic Division. Auston Matthews has been on a tear as of late, notching 8 goals and 14 points in his last 7 games played. Team Canada is off to the Semifinals on Saturday and will look to redeem themselves against Finland! The Raptors have hit a bit of a rough stretch as they try to fight through a rash of injuries, Kyle Lowry and Serge Ibaka will have to continue their stellar play if they want to remain near the top of the east. We finish off the episode with a friendly game of Bean Boozled. This game is disgusting and is a hell of a listen! Check it out! www.twoaveragefans.com twoaveragefans@gmail.com

Cam lost another bet... As payment, Cam had to microwave a beer and drink it like he enjoyed it. Get the full bet recap here. The Leafs are starting to piece together some wins while getting contributions from some less likely sources. The playoff picture in the Atlantic Division is going to be talked about more and more as we go along. Two points separates second from sixth! Taylor Hall is off to the desert! The Coyotes are putting more of their eggs in this basket as they try to solidify their position at the top of the division. The Raptors play was just starting to come around and then the injury bug hits them.. again. Marc Gasol and Norm Powell are now out for the foreseeable future with injuries. Let's see who steps up. Tiger and the U.S. team pull off a great comeback against the Internationals over the weekend! Tiger was the first playing Captain to win in 25 years! We formulate a new bet for this weekend and we fall down a bunch of different food related rabbit holes.. apologies. twoaveragefans@gmail.com www.twoaveragefans.com

The wager from last week is done and Jamie has to wear the Avs jersey and drink this highly suspect beer left over from last summer. A new wager has been set for the Leafs Oilers game this Saturday and the stakes are high! Things are looking a little more positive in Leafs land, lets hope they can continue this momentum and start to pile up some W's. The Raptors aren't looking so hot as of late, going 1-4 in their last 5 games. It seems that the return of Lowry and Ibaka has thrown them out of their groove. Kawhi gets his Ring and nice heart felt ovation from the Raptor faithful. That's about all the good news from that game, the Raptors fall to the Clippers... large. The dominoes are starting to fall in the MLB off season, hopefully the Jays can land a few more pitching arms before the off season is over. Cam witnesses a once in a lifetime scenario... www.twoaveragefans.com twoaveragefans@gmail.com

Welllll, the Leafs are coming off a mediocre result against Buffalo in the home and home over the weekend and things are not getting easier this week. They hit another back to back this week with Philly and Colorado. Andersen will start game 1 vs. Philly and they will choose to leave Hutch to the wolves on Wednesday night when The Avs come to town. On a more positive note, Mitch Marner is set to make his return at home against the Avalanche. The Raptors are trying to ride their recent momentum and make this 8 wins in a row. They have a couple tough games this week against Miami and Houston, which will be a great measuring stick for their defense. What do you guys think of the proposed changes to the NBA schedule? In season Tournament? Reseed the Final Four? We weigh in. Cam comes with with a proposal to try and save money on 407 fees... twoaveragefans@gmail.com www.twoaveragefans.com

Annnnd the Leafs keep it rolling with a blowout win vs. the lowly Red Wings. With 54 shots on goal against two different goaltenders, this game was out of reach quickly. Is William Nylander living up to his contract? He has 12 points in his last 11 games and seems to be stepping up in the absence of Marner. Tyson Barrie has 5 points in 3 games since the hiring of Sheldon Keefe, and seems to be benefiting from the fresh voice and new schemes. The New York Islanders point streak is over at 17 games, snapped by The Anaheim Ducks on Wednesday night. The Raptors are coming off of a few big wins, most notably holding Joel Embiid to 0-11 shooting for 0 points on the night. The Raptors defense is proving to be elite, especially against superstars on top tier teams. Will this be enough for them to be a legitimate threat in the playoffs? Also, Cam has a memorable pit stop.. twoaveragefans@gmail.com www.twoaveragefans.com

The Buffalo bet is in the books and Cam paid is debt by drinking a 15 month old beer that had been left is Jamie's golf bag over last winter. The footage can be found on the Two Average Fans Instagram account and it did not go down smooth! Toronto Maple Leafs management actually pulled the trigger and fired Mike Babcock after a 6 game losing streak! We break down our reaction to the events that led up to this as well as the hiring of Sheldon Keefe as the new head coach. The Raptors pulled off another big win which moves them to 10-4 on the season and look to keep up the momentum to stay near the top of the eastern conference. In our new segment called "The Suspendies" we react to the three game suspension handed down to Garnet Hathaway for SPITTING!! What a disgusting tale. twoaveragefans@gmail.com www.twoaveragefans.com  

Annnnd we're back! Is it time to hit the panic button in Leaf Land? We're only 20 games into the season but it could be an up hill battle coming down to the playoffs if they don't get it figured out, and quick! What do they need to improve to get it turned around? The Toronto Raptors on the other hand have been greatly surpassing our expectations and continue to rattle off wins against some of the leagues toughest opponents. Siakam and Vanvleet have been leading the team to victory in the absence of Kyle Lowry and Serge Ibaka. These guys are here to compete! Are you a fan of Cheese Pizza?? Yes or No? www.twoaveragefans.com twoaveragefans@gmail.com

Tiger Woods pushes through and wins his 82nd PGA tour event! Tying Sam Snead for most ALL TIME! The Washington Nationals pull away from the Houston Astros late in game 7 to pull off the 6-2 victory. First win for the Franchise, Stephen Strasburg gets MVP, and Bryce Harper predicts this all the way back in the off season! The Raptors continue to impress early in the season, with Pascal Siakam and Kyle Lowry maintaining their mid season form! The Leafs are continuing to play at an uneven level, which is leading to a lot of fan and media over reaction. We will continue this trend in this episode. Two weeks into the Buffalo wager, it is not looking good. They need to lose all of their games in the next two weeks to have any chance of falling to 0.500 by November 14th. But we all know its coming eventually anyway... twoaveragefans@gmail.com www.twoaveragefans.com

Well, we're 11 games into the Leafs' season and its been up and down to say the least. No panic here though, unlike everyone else... The Avalanche somehow continue to surprise the viewers and remain on top of their division. This could change in short order though, with the Rantanen out of the line up week-to-week with an LBI. The defending champ Toronto Raptors received their rings and got their season underway with a solid performance against the New Orleans Pelicans. Freddy Vanvleet and Pascal Siakam had the stand out performances of the night with 34 pts a piece. TIGER is off to a torrid start to start his season in Japan. Finally, the world series is off to a shocking start with the Nats going up 2-0 on the Houston Astros. The stats are not in Houston's favor, but anything can happen in playoff baseball. Are you a fan of the Peanut Butter and Banana combination?! We want to hear from you! twoaveragefans@gmail.com www.twoaveragefans.com

The first two weeks of the NHL season are in the books! Our beloved leafs are up and down, while the Colorado Avalanche are on top of the world... for now. How long can the Buffalo Sabres keep this going..? Can Edmonton survive playing their top guys for almost half the game? No... But we'll see. Johnny T on the shelf for the next couple weeks. This band aid comes at a really unfortunate time for the leafs with Boston on the docket for Saturday night and a number of important games slated on the upcoming schedule. MLB postseason is heating up with the Nats waiting in the wings for the winner of the Houston New York series! Things are getting interesting! Cam is taking forever to decide on a new bike... twoaveragefans@gmail.com www.twoaveragefans.com