"OTR makes for interesting debate and odd dynamics. I spent the first part of this episode supporting the
Toronto Argonauts' decision to start running back Ricky Williams, who had been suspended from the NFL
for the '06 season, over John Avery. I made these arguments while sitting beside ... John Avery."
"One of the questions I'm most asked is, 'What's Landsberg like?' Professionally, he's a top broadcaster and I believe the country's best interviewer. Personally, I can tell you that regardless of his rep, he's
as gracious and generous a guy as I've met in two decades in the industry. Good, good dude."
"The Toronto Raptors started the '06-'07 NBA season 2-8. I joined basketball analyst Leo Rautins to discuss whether
or not then-Raptors head coach Sam Mitchell should be fired. I said no way, and guest host Jennifer Hedger
said I looked at the world 'through rose-coloured glasses'. Mitchell went on to win Coach Of The Year."
"In September of '08, I got to do the show with multiple-time wrestling world champion Kurt Angle. Part of good TV is knowing when to shut up, and the panel and I did so when Kurt shared a very personal story about his difficulty dealing with the death of Eddie Guerrero. Odd moment: signing an autograph for controversial ref Earl Hebner."
"Morgan Campbell (2nd from left) is a great sports reporter for the Toronto Star. But he wasn't ready for the loud,
first-come-first-heard pace of the show his first time on, especially with former CFLers Brian Warren and
Johnny Scott on the panel. He mentioned as much on his blog, but has had better OTR experiences since."
"This was, legit, the maddest I ever got doing the show. We're talking headshots in hockey with betting experts Steve Budin and Lawrence Prezman when Prezman says 'We got a bunch of pussies on this panel!' I scream for close to a full minute about how the NHL needs to take ownership of the damage legal headshots cause.
"Any chance I get to try and crack Michael up on the air, I take. NHL official Bryan Lewis threw me an undersized referee's shirt after agreeing with one of my points, so I tried it on while the panel attempted to continue talking with straight faces. Landsberg cracked - mission accomplished."
OFF THE RECORD 2006-2009
Joe has appeared numerous times on Off The Record, the top-rated
TSN sports chat show hosted by Michael Landsberg. In his own words, Joe shares the
stories behind these moments, which aired from '06 to '09.
"My last OTR appearance of '09 was with pro football player Khalil Carter, golf expert Bob Weeks and long driver
Mike Wiebe. Debate on Tiger Woods became talk of athletes' sex lives on the road, when I got this one off:
'Why do athletes cry when they retire? They don't cry 'cause they're gonna miss the game; they cry 'cause they're
gonna miss their girlfriends, and their strippers ... ' I think I made a new friend in Bob Weeks that day."
