Alabama Crimson Tide

Episode 171: “I BLEED Green and White!”

Lorenzo White in Spartans uniform

Lorenzo White…the former Spartan great.

It’s the latest No Filter Sports Podcast with Eli Zaret, Denny McLain, and Bob Page!

  • Bo Jackson stole HIS Heisman! And so did Tim Brown! Ex-MSU superstar running back LORENZO WHITE is our guest!
  • Eli starts the show by admitting he’s depressed these days with the world SO messed up. Bob: Join the club.
  • The Tigers have found life again! They’re challenging for the playoffs. Denny is NOT impressed. Ditto with Casey Mize.
  • Is there life still left in the old man? Miggy smacks his 2,000th career hit as a Tiger and is having FUN again!
  • COVID-19 on the wane? The NBA now says it’s going to open its bubble to friends and family of the players.
  • Dustin Johnson really impresses Denny and Eli despite falling in a playoff Sunday to a miraculous putt.
  • One of the legends of college basketball has died. Bob’s not the only guy who had issues with John Thompson.
  • Excuse me, WHAT was that amazing pitching line on Denny McLain again?! Even HE can’t believe it.
  • Eli has “This Day in Sports History,” Bob’s got YOUR mailbag segment — and much more right here!

Episode 166: DICKIE V is BACK, Baybee: a TRUE “PTP-ah!”

Dick Vitale

Big fella, give us some hope!

It’s the latest No Filter Sports Podcast with Eli Zaret, Denny McLain, and Bob Page!

  • DICK VITALE joins the boys again for A LOTTA laughs and memories. The REASON he’s back couldn’t be more serious.
  • As expected, The Big Ten (14!) has canceled its upcoming football season. Perhaps UNexpected? HUGE pushback!
  • U-M football star, NFL Pro Bowler, Hollywood actor! Now the amazing life of Dwight Hicks takes a different turn.
  • The Tigers are in playoff contention, or at least WERE before a spate of injuries. Is it time NOW to call up the kids?
  • Tigers pitcher Michael Fulmer has a strange match-up in the White Sox’ lineup. Think Denny versus Bill Freehan!
  • Astros hitting coach Alex Cintrón suspended twenty games(!) for his role in a big brawl. What did he say that was so BAD?
  • A SIX-HOUR NHL playoff game with a goalie making HOW MANY saves?! Tampa eventually beat Columbus.
  • But the NY Rangers had a much bigger win: the Alexis Lafrenière sweepstakes. OUTRAGE in hockey circles follows!
  • Eli has “This Day in Sports History,” Bob’s got YOUR mailbag — and we’ve got much more right here!

Episode 163: MISTER MICHIGAN: Brandy himself!

Jim Brandstatter broadcasting for U of M

A very timely guest!

It’s the latest No Filter Sports Podcast with Eli Zaret, Denny McLain, and Bob Page!

  • What did Bo know and when did he know it? Just one of MANY topics for us with U-M football voice JIM BRANDSTATTER!
  • So why would Bo allegedly allow sexual abuse by his own team doctor to go on? Eli’s sources have an explosive theory!
  • How could Michigan lose a five-star tackle from right under their noses? The kid’s own father wants to know that too.
  • Seven-inning games?! Eli’s so upset with MLB’s silliness he cries, “START THE DAMN GAME IN THE THIRD INNING THEN!”
  • And now MLB is one-sixth through its season. Not weird enough? As of Monday the Tigers would be in the playoffs!
  • Long-time sportscaster Jamie Samuelsen has died at just 48, joining a host of Detroit media members already gone too soon.
  • Denny’s got figures on the NFL players who’ve opted out of the season. Bob asks again, “didn’t anybody PLAN for this?”
  • The NBA is back! NHL too! Both leagues started off with showy Black Lives Matter displays. Has BLM gone too far now?
  • Bob with a bold prediction for Michigan State basketball, which just went through a VERY eventful week.
  • Those stories, “This Day in Sports,” YOUR mailbag segment and much more coming up right here!

Episode 161: Best Guest We’ve EVER Had? YOU decide.

Stanley Edwards

Some guests, you don’t know what to expect!

It’s the latest No Filter Sports Podcast with Eli Zaret, Denny McLain, and Bob Page!

  • “No Filter?” Wait til you hear STAN EDWARDS on his career at U-M, on BO, son Braylon, the M sex scandal and MORE!!!
  • MLB’s Miami Marlins call off their opener with too many guys testing poz for COVID-19! Is this just the beginning?
  • Good weekend for the Tigers in Cincy. But it WAS just ONE weekend, despite the overreaction of announcers and reporters!
  • What did YOU think of the MLB games? Obviously BIZARRE — but did you enjoy watching them — IF you watched? 
  • FIRST thing ya learn at umpire school? LAST guy to really know the rules of baseball is a PLAYER! Bob and Denny go at it.
  • JV is OUT for a period of time. In such a short season has this already doomed the Astros now with no Gerrit Cole either?
  • On vaca, Eli was NOT happy about our last show OR our guest. He challenges Denny and Bob on damn near everything!
  • Another embarrassment for Jim Harbaugh and Michigan football. How could they let THIS recruit get away?!
  • “The Washington Football Team?” “The Seattle KRAKEN?” What, indeed, is in a name?
  • This Day in Sports History, YOUR Mailbag, plus lots more right here!

Episode 152: Ah, the Life of an MLB Reliever!

Todd Jones

A closer is a really thankless job.

It’s the latest No Filter Sports Podcast with Eli Zaret, Denny McLain, and Bob Page!

  • Guest TODD JONES pitched for EIGHT MLB teams, the Tigers TWICE! LOVED Detroit; doesn’t miss the pitching part.
  • So MLB IS coming back? Eli has a LONG list of all the changes that’ll be made. Fed-up Bob: Include ME out!
  • Denny says a change the TIGERS should make is to put Casey Mize & the other top kid pitchers in the rotation — right away.
  • The FL’s have a WHAT? A “new” owner? Roger Daltrey would say: “Meet the new boss — same as the old boss!” So would Bob.
  • As the boys duke it out over COVID-19 again, a “blame game” has now begun in sports: who gave it to whom?  
  • Should you HAVE to wear a mask for protection now? According to ONE U.S. county — only if you’re WHITE!
  • Playing career over, he had two job offers: vacuum cleaner salesman or entry position in hockey. Ken Holland chose right!
  • Read all about it! P.C. Posse Pummels PAW PAW! Local legend Charlie Maxwell, MR. Sunday Home Run, has yet to comment.
  • Those stories, YOUR mailbag and much more — right here!

Episode 143: Drew Stanton’s LONG & WINDING Road

Drew Stanton in MSU uniform preparing a throw.

Things fell into place.

It’s the latest No Filter Sports Podcast with Eli Zaret, Denny McLain, and Bob Page!

A GREAT career as an NFL quarterback wasted as a back-up? Don’t tell that to MSU’s DREW STANTON, our guest!  
  • Today we remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice for OUR freedoms as we observe Memorial Day.  
  • It’s a special day for another reason: Eli remembers the Ali/Sonny Liston rematch on its 55th anniversary!
  • Bob reminds SOME people (not naming any names from THIS show!) who Brad Keselowski IS and why he matters.
  • Did you like the Tiger/Phil/Brady/Peyton golf outing? Didn’t even bother to watch? No worries. Eli and Denny DID.
  • Philip Rivers has a new job waiting for him: HIGH SCHOOL head coach in Alabama. He should NOT ask Mike Singletary for advice!
  • Prez Mark Schlissel’s not worried about no fans at U-M games. He won’t ALLOW football if no students are on campus!
  • As the NBA plots restarting in Orlando, we pay tribute to the great Jerry Sloan who died this weekend, as did Eddie Sutton.
  • How bad is it for the Wings? They’re officially among the “Stigmatized Seven,” awful clubs that won’t be part of summer playoffs.
  • Racism in hockey? It’s been an issue for a long time and now another black ex-player has come forward with HIS tales of abuse.
  • Those stories, Eli bitching all through our Mailbag segment while YOU enjoy it — and much more right here!

Episode 134: The Controversial Life of an NBA SUPERSTAR!

Vintage photo of Rick Barry

The first star player to defy the reserve clause and jump to the ABA.

It’s the latest No Filter Sports Podcast with Eli Zaret, Denny McLain, and Bob Page!

  • “The baddest white boy EVER on a basketball court?!” That might just be RICK BARRY, our guest on the show today!
  • The NFL draft starts/started Thursday. WE have to wait til Monday to comment. The NFL has to wait til ??? to actually PLAY.
  • Do brains matter in sports? Some of the top college prospects score, uh, “stupidly” low on their Wonderlic tests.
  • Gronk is back, joining Brady with the Bucs! Hopefully HE won’t be booted from any Tampa-area parks — as Tom was.
  • U-M’s president says it’s headed for BIG financial trouble over COVID-19? Just wait til the sex-abuse suits are decided!
  • It’s Eli vs Denny for high school football star Rocco Spindler. Will he pick Eli’s alma mater or Denny’s beloved Fighting Irish?
  • The latest on the NHL resuming: Bob says “Pipsqueak Bettman” is now just throwing stuff on the wall to see if anything sticks.
  • (GASP!) Did Denny just physically threaten Bob in YOUR mailbag segment?! 
  • Wearing a Coronavirus mask these days? If so, we’ll tell you how to look sharp in it!
  • Those stories, news of other big-name guests coming up on the show and much more — right here.

Episode 127: SO GREAT! SO What Happened?!

Drew Henson in U of M uniform holding a footback

Sports can very, very cruel.

It’s the latest No Filter Sports Podcast with Eli Zaret, Denny McLain and Bob Page!

  • And a happy (albeit belatedly) 76th birthday to Denny!
  • Hard to believe that maybe the BEST all-round athlete in Michigan HISTORY is now 40!
  • We’ll ask DREW HENSON about his two-sport career and WHY the former U-M QB never made it in the pros.
  • Eli and Bob, old pals, actually start YELLING at each other over - what else these days? COVID-19.
  • It’s OPENING DAY in Detroit! But instead of REAL baseball we have - huh? - a simulated game?
  • Sports still going on: soccer in a couple foreign nations. How many 1-nil matches so far? We’re STILL counting!  
  • Thank goodness the NFL Draft WILL happen. It’s giving fans and media pundits something to TALK about.
  • “The rich get richer.” In THIS case the old saw means Ohio State versus Michigan in football.
  • Jim Wynn and Curly Neal have died. Bob & Eli recall playing AGAINST Neal WITH the late Mark “Doc”Andrews.
  • Those stories, YOUR mailbag and much more coming up here.

Episode 126: Will the REAL Scotty Please Stand Up?!

Ken Dryden and Scotty Bowman

We have so many questions.

It’s the latest No Filter Sports Podcast with Eli Zaret, Denny McLain and Bob Page!

  • One of the GREAT goalies ever, Ken Dryden, joins us to discuss his new book on Scotty Bowman and more!
  • It’s Opening Day in MLB — NOT! No baseball, no toilet paper and Bob says no cereal either!
  • IF we have baseball again, could it go into late DECEMBER? Would they REALLY play 7-inning doubleheaders?
  • As usual, it’s Bob vs Eli & Denny on Coronavirus as millions of Americans now face economic DISASTER!
  • Mets star pitcher Noah Syndergaard needs Tommy John surgery. But NOW? Is this “essential” surgery?
  • Quick, what do Dick Egan and Rod Allen have in common? Denny: Dick WHO?
  • Thank goodness for all the Brady/Belichick news to keep us entertained! Tom joins an ex-FLs star.
  • And now another legendary Patriot is ALSO out, proving again that Bill Belichick doesn’t care WHO you are!
  • A listener is claiming WHAT about Eli? That story’s among those in YOUR weekly mailbag.
  • And it’s all coming up right here!

Episode 115: Denny Deals — to KALINE and FREEHAN!

Denny McLain

I had a lot a fun pitching against those guys.

It’s the latest No Filter Sports Podcast with Eli Zaret, Denny McLain and Bob Page!

  • More on MSU’s Mel Mess! DENVER POST COLUMNIST SEAN KEELER joins the boys to discuss some hard feelings out west.
  • Two other top stories rage on as well: the Astros’ sign-stealing and Kobe’s tragic death.
  • MSU basketball’s problems continue and now Eli wonders how a certain Spartan star makes money for his young family.
  • He’s RICH, one HELLUVA college basketball coach and a really good guy. So why are many feeling sorry for John Beilein?
  • Michigan roundball’s going well again — but how ’bout them Wolverines on the DIAMOND!
  • Baseball’s Tony Fernandez is dead at 57. What a career he had, as older Tigers fans certainly remember.
  • Denny’s memory is indeed clear! Bob confirms his tales of trouble with Boog Powell. Whom did Denny OWN?
  • Minor League baseball players got a raise. Eli and Denny debate whether the bump is enough.
  • Bob calls out Jeff Blashill and the Wings — AGAIN. Simply put: no guts, no glory.
  • In YOUR Mailbag, producer Brandon McAfee is a HERO. He MUST be for putting up with US! Those stories and more right here