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OverDrive - January 30, 2026 - Hour 2 - Mike Johnson/Joe Brady

30 Jan 2026

Transcription

Chapter 1: What is the main topic discussed in this episode?

0.031 - 25.916 Unknown

The world is changing, but with every challenge comes a chance to build better, stronger. We're investing in ourselves and prospering from our resources. Our plan is to create jobs, build affordable homes twice as fast, and expand global trade. This is our moment to build a strong economy by Canadians, for Canadians. Learn more at Canada.ca slash build strong.

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26.576 - 28.198 Unknown

A message from the Government of Canada.

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30.322 - 58.185 Bryan Hayes

Hour two, Overdrive continues, powered by FanDuel, bringing you more ways to play your games your way. Joe Brady later in the hour, head coach of the Buffalo Bills, Mike Johnson in a few moments, Brian Hayes, Jamie Noodles, McLennan, Jonas Siegel of The Athletic in here. All right, Jonas, let's get into it here, okay? Yesterday you wrote an article that exploded in terms of

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59.127 - 67.477 Bryan Hayes

I would say online activity. How would it relate? Do you have the analytics in terms of the amount of people that read the article compared to your average one?

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67.598 - 67.898 Jonas Siegel

We do.

68.719 - 70.741 Bryan Hayes

Was it higher than the average?

70.942 - 73.144 Jonas Siegel

I'm like the players. I don't look at that stuff.

73.164 - 77.51 Bryan Hayes

Oh, you're not aware of it. Based on comments alone, would you suggest that it's higher?

77.71 - 78.571 Jonas Siegel

I have no clue.

Chapter 2: What organizational changes are impacting the Maple Leafs?

144.946 - 156.511 Jonas Siegel

Clearly, the schedule has been insane, the team's older, but he believes it's a factor, and he got into all the reasons why, and you can read the story, but I think he makes a very valid point, which I agree with.

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156.891 - 163.165 Bryan Hayes

Okay, and he details the job, which is ultimately someone that is going to be...

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163.145 - 183.465 Bryan Hayes

someone that determines the workload of players that might be able to foresee possible injuries that are coming, and someone that can basically be the manager of, quote-unquote, I don't want to say protecting the players, because it's not like the Leafs are not protecting the players, but there's examples in your article of them looking at players saying, okay...

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183.445 - 199.682 Bryan Hayes

Maybe the strength and conditioning coach says, I need them in the gym more. And the therapist goes, actually, I need them to cool down. I need to work here more. They're butting heads. This particular person makes the call on what they believe is the best route for the player.

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199.662 - 220.502 Jonas Siegel

And is doing so based on their credentials, based on their authority. So it's not just like the team wants to practice and the data is saying, like, man, these guys are tired. They shouldn't be practicing. You need someone in that position to be like, who is the authority to say to Craig Berube or Brad Treliving, it can't happen today. This is a bad idea and they need to rest.

220.602 - 233.315 Bryan Hayes

And they previously, this role that does not exist anymore within the Leafs, they had autonomy over all that. At least with Babcock, that was the original one, right? Because Battle's the guy you interviewed, and he's been gone since 2019.

233.395 - 246.713 Jonas Siegel

And to be clear on that point, the way for this to work anywhere, you need the people in positions of authority, the head coach, the general manager, you need those people to be behind it.

246.693 - 270.032 Bryan Hayes

Right, to believe in the process. Okay, so Bradtree Living representing the Leafs because the reaction that I saw and the reaction that I had originally was, okay, is it because they went cheap? You had a quote within there that I think would be particularly scathing, again, from the doctor that held this role, that left in 2019. He said, well, now they're just a hockey club.

270.672 - 272.153 Jonas Siegel

They've gone backwards, basically.

Chapter 3: How does the Maple Leafs' injury management affect their performance?

364.138 - 379.69 Jonas Siegel

We are going to take the responsibilities, or at least some of the responsibilities, of the director, and we are going to pass them to our assistant strength coach, who still has his own job. Like, he is a strength coach. And from what I understand, like, he is pulled pretty thin. Like, he has a lot of responsibilities.

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380.111 - 400.202 Jonas Siegel

And now you're telling him on top of all that, we want you to be on top of this sports science. We want you to look at, like, that doesn't... To me, that doesn't make sense. I don't know why you would do that. If you're the Leafs, you're worth $4.4 billion. You can do whatever you want. You can spend as much as you want. So to me, it looks like cost-cutting 101.

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400.322 - 419.938 Jonas Siegel

It looks like what a company does when they want to save some money. They cut a position. They say, you, you, you. You do this. You do this. You do this. You do this. And now we can spend a little less money. We know... They didn't hire a president replacement for Brendan Shanahan. They fired Masai Ujiri. Didn't replace him. We know they cut a bunch of jobs in MLSC.

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420.038 - 421.861 Bryan Hayes

I believe 10% of their workforce.

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422.102 - 440.611 Jonas Siegel

So we know all these things. I think there are a lot of other examples to come about things that they have cut. I can also tell you... Now, that wouldn't be Brad Tree Living. That would be above Brad Tree Living. That is a Kelly Rogers ownership thing, whoever that is. But to me, it just clearly looks like cutting costs, and I just don't think that makes any sense.

440.631 - 451.042 Jonas Siegel

And you can say they've added more people. Cool. Add more people? I don't think you're further ahead adding people in positions who are not as qualified to do it as the people who were there before.

451.062 - 464.056 Jamie McLennan

Well, this is where I go. Like, this guy comes off very arrogant in your article. Like, he's the god of all scientists. And I was like, okay, fair enough. Like, you're good at your job. Can I stop you there, Noodles, though? Yeah.

464.938 - 468.863 Jonas Siegel

I asked him this. He didn't, like, come to me and say, like, I want to talk to this.

469.264 - 471.166 Jamie McLennan

Yeah, he's not a scorned ex-girlfriend.

Chapter 4: What are the implications of not having a sports science director?

471.527 - 483.743 Jonas Siegel

Like, we were talking for 45 minutes, and I asked him this 30 minutes into the conversation. And, like, he's doing his own thing. Like, he has a podcast. You can listen to him. Like, he is not that. So continue, sorry.

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483.783 - 492.494 Jamie McLennan

Okay, fair enough. I just, like, if you have more people involved, then, like, if they up the budget, then what is, like, I didn't understand.

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492.514 - 509.755 Jonas Siegel

But I don't actually know that, A, I don't know that that's the case. That's what they're saying, they've upped the budget. But, like, cool, like, maybe you upped the budget by hiring, like, an extra dietician, which they did, and an extra strength coach. But why wouldn't you just do both? You can spend whatever you want. Higher extra strength coaches. Awesome.

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510.235 - 531.159 Jonas Siegel

Also get the best possible person for the position to keep players as healthy as you possibly can. Maybe it doesn't matter this year. Maybe it was just inevitable, but maybe it would have helped a little bit. I mean, William Nylander has never been hurt before this year. Missed one regular season game before this year. He's hurt a bunch this year. Is that a factor of his age, the schedule?

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531.239 - 536.508 Jonas Siegel

I don't know. Could it have been prevented? I don't know. But clearly, like, they had something that worked.

536.548 - 536.949 Jamie McLennan

You're right.

537.33 - 539.374 Jonas Siegel

You know what I mean? Go ahead.

539.474 - 556.927 Jamie McLennan

I just want to, like, well, just the one thing is when you look at it is certainly you can point to it, but the team is older, the schedule is condensed, like, just lots of different things. But in the end, you make the best point at the starting. This is the Leafs, and they have nothing but money and resources to add to it.

556.968 - 577.335 Jamie McLennan

And when I look at the Toronto Maple Leafs, nobody is going to die of overwork there. They've got like 150 people that work. They've got development people. You see what type of circus travels with that team. That's the one thing I was like, I'm shocked that they don't have somebody for everything because it seems like they've always had that, correct?

Chapter 5: How does Brad Treliving respond to criticisms about the Leafs' management?

911.112 - 926.556 Mike Johnson

You know, they've missed on some, they've aged on some, they've injured on some, and it's all sort of chipped away at what they were supposed to be this year. And they have to find a way to get that all back to where they think can surround those core pieces and be a better team next year.

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927.329 - 949.055 Jamie McLennan

So, Johnny, where do you start? I mean, if you're Keith Pelley, do you decide, okay, this is the group that I want to make these decisions moving forward? Do you think that first and foremost you go, Tree's my guy? I don't know if you have to come out and say it, but you just go, we need to do this. Tree, you're the guy who's going to execute it. Chief, you're the guy who's going to coach it.

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949.416 - 955.243 Jamie McLennan

Do you think it starts there, or where do you think they start and move on from there?

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957.198 - 973.48 Mike Johnson

If I'm Keith Pelley, I sit down and have a meeting with Brad Trueliving. What's your vision of the future of the team? And I hear it. And then if I believe in it, okay, how do you make that happen? And I hear it and I believe in it, then he's my guy. I don't know if I need to say he's my guy. I've already said he's my guy.

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973.5 - 994.329 Mike Johnson

But if he's not or he doesn't have the vision that I think we should go on, and I'm the ultimate boss, then I would change that guy. And then whoever, whether it's Brad Trueliving or whoever that next guy might be, again, if I'm running the team, Now I take that vision and where we're headed. And that vision includes like how we play and what our style is and X's and O's.

994.729 - 1013.395 Mike Johnson

And I go to Craig Berube and I talk to him. Okay, this is how we play. How do you think we should play? If I agree, Craig Berube is still the coach. If I disagree or the new GM or the old GM, if he's still there, disagrees, then it's a different coach. Like I think that like the world as the Leafs have known it for the last nine years, which has been a great run.

1013.577 - 1035.666 Mike Johnson

I think I read somewhere in the last nine years, they have the third most wins in the regular season. They've been a model franchise, incredibly successful without playoff success, okay? That's well established. They're not that team right now. They want to get back to that team, but they're not that team right now. So I have that evaluation journals. GM, okay, yes, no. Coach, again, yes, no.

1036.047 - 1043.196 Mike Johnson

And then have a vision where we're going, what we look like, how we get there. And I also want to say, like, how we play –

1043.682 - 1064.34 Mike Johnson

when we get there like i don't you know what style are we going to have with this new vision that we're going to go forward with and what's that going to look like and and i think that's the conversation you start with and then you do that like now because you have to make decisions in the next week in the next five weeks to make sure that you start down that road all on the same page

Chapter 6: What challenges does Joe Brady face as the new head coach of the Bills?

2037.923 - 2058.475 Joe Brady

He can hold a trophy that he deserves. And that means so much to me. He knows how much I love him. Every decision that we make in this organization will be centered around maximizing him and our players. And I want him to be involved in a lot of the decisions in places that I've been. When I was in New Orleans, Sean Payton was that way with Drew Brees. And it's important for that ownership.

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2058.555 - 2072.976 Joe Brady

And as he continues to take another level of his growth and leadership is knowing that, hey, all these decisions are going to go through you and you having a pulse of the locker room and But, you know, we're not always going to agree, but we know that we're in it together.

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2075.119 - 2076.861 Bryan Hayes

With Joe Brady. Go ahead, Noodles.

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2078.343 - 2094.205 Jamie McLennan

So, Joe, now that you're the head coach, do you maybe go to the manager in the offseason and kind of help with a wish list of players that you might want to acquire in the offseason that would help your team to the next level? Would you like to be a part of that process, or do you believe that you can be a part of that process?

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2094.944 - 2113.633 Joe Brady

Yeah, I think the big thing is having an opportunity to already be here and work with Brandon Bean was important for me. I wanted to be a head football coach, but I wanted to be a head football coach with the right people. I know the collaborative approach that Brandon Bean has with coaches and personnel as you put it all together.

2113.873 - 2123.027 Joe Brady

As long as you have clear visions and you can articulate exactly what you're looking for, then you can trust that the personnel is going to do everything they can to get that.

2124.34 - 2131.869 Jonas Siegel

Joe, I imagine you got hundreds of text messages. I was wondering if there was like one message you were like, oh man, this person, I can't believe I heard from them.

2131.889 - 2155.025 Joe Brady

I wish I could tell you I've had an opportunity to go through them. And it's, I don't know if I'm ever going to be able to. I'm appreciative of a lot of the texts. It's a great question. There is some that I was like a little, whoa, that's, That text means a lot.

2155.045 - 2156.44 Bryan Hayes

How did they get my number?

Chapter 7: How does Joe Brady plan to build relationships with his players?

2191.5 - 2211.173 Bryan Hayes

They know who everybody is on the staff. But there is a difference once you get that head coach label. And now you're representing a town and a market, Western New York in general, that has an incredible football history. but a history, obviously, where they're still seeking that Super Bowl, and there's some anxiety. We can feel it across the border.

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2211.193 - 2227.804 Bryan Hayes

There's a million Bills fans in Toronto, and you can feel it. How do you take on that responsibility? The history of the team, the fan base, the smaller market, the anxiety of feeling like you're right there, but are you ever going to win? What message do you have to Bills fans?

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2228.645 - 2245.669 Joe Brady

Well, you embrace it. Look, as the offense coordinator, my wife and I, when we can get away, we go north of the border, right? We go to Toronto. And you're walking the streets in Toronto as the offense coordinator of the Buffalo Bills, people see you. right, and recognize you.

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2245.689 - 2252.656 Joe Brady

So I understand if, you know, north of the border they're recognizing me, that's where it is in Buffalo, and that's part of the passion, right?

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2252.716 - 2269.553 Joe Brady

And I'm understanding of that, but I want everybody to embrace the expectations, and I'm grateful to be in this position, and I know what we're chasing, and I want to do everything we can to get to where, you know, I want Mr. Bagula and Josh Allen and everybody to get what they deserve.

2270.36 - 2289.55 Bryan Hayes

Well, it's been a couple of weeks since that heartbreaking loss in Denver, and obviously you've been focusing on the future and trying to get this job, but you were a big, big part of this team all year, and you were there in Denver. As you look back on it now and the dust settles a little bit, what do you think went wrong? Why could you guys not get across the finish line in Denver?

2290.255 - 2309.675 Joe Brady

Yeah, look, at the end of the day, I wasn't good enough, right? We turned the ball over five times. And usually you turn the ball over five times, you're probably going to lose 40 to 3. And it was one of those games where I felt like we don't turn the ball over. I feel like we're able to put up a lot of points, and hopefully we're playing this weekend.

2309.735 - 2326.242 Joe Brady

But that's the importance of the ball and protecting the football and giving you a chance. But even with it all, we had an opportunity with the ball in our hands to go down and win the football game. And we didn't get it done. And that's something that we have to obviously own. And when we get the opportunity again, I hope we take advantage of that.

2327.244 - 2331.855 Jonas Siegel

Is there anything that can be done to maybe make Josh's life a bit easier game to game?

Chapter 8: What is Joe Brady's vision for the future of the Bills?

2545.482 - 2549.75 Bryan Hayes

You're a downtown guy, Yorkville guy. Does your wife make that call? What's your spot?

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2549.87 - 2562.802 Joe Brady

Oh, yeah. We're downtown, and when we go up there, I don't know if I'm allowed to, but there's a restaurant that we go to right away for dinner. Shout out. Give it. uh, Jacobs.

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2563.723 - 2578.518 Joe Brady

Um, and so if we're, if we're in Jan and Danny is a bills fan and, and man, I could sit there and talk with him all, uh, you know, all nights and, and, but that is our, that is our favorite restaurant probably in the world.

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2578.618 - 2588.068 Joe Brady

But, um, if we get an opportunity to get a weekend, we go up to Toronto and, uh, we just enjoy walking around and, and, uh, you know, being around it and we go to Jacob's steakhouse.

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2588.437 - 2601.431 Bryan Hayes

Atta boy. Yeah, you're getting in line. There's a lot of, well, you probably don't have to get in line. We have to make reservations. You're probably walking right in there. Maybe not anymore. Yeah, I wouldn't think so. Maybe we can use this to possibly get in there. Doogie, think about that. Think about that.

2601.451 - 2602.512 Joe Brady

If you got anything else, let me know.

2603.253 - 2613.064 Bryan Hayes

Absolutely. We're always looking for hookups. Well, congrats on the gig. We're really looking forward to seeing what you do with the team moving forward, and we appreciate you doing this today. Thanks, Joe.

2614.125 - 2616.688 Joe Brady

Thank you, guys. I appreciate you guys having me on. Go Bills.

2617.883 - 2625.916 Bryan Hayes

There he is, Joe Brady. Big Toronto guy. Big Toronto guy. Big Toronto guy. I like that, man.

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