Tag Archives: NBA

The Toy Department – Episode 21

  By toyAdmin | May 11, 2016 - 10:54 pm | Uncategorized
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In Episode 21, Derek Madden and Matt Kolsky dive into the sports world early with a discussion of Steph Curry – his ridiculous playoff comeback, his MVP award, and just his greatness in general – which leads naturally into a broader discussion of the NBA Playoffs (8:30) and some of the officiating issues (12:00), and a quick chat about the outdated notion that players want to go to New York or LA teams (15:05). The podcast shifts to music for the guys to review Radiohead’s new album – A Moon Shaped Pool (21:00), and then to TV for a check-in on Game of Thrones (32:15) and a celebration of the delight of this year’s season of Silicon Valley (41:40).

Oh, and if you want to subscribe via iTunes you can just click on the link below the player… Some other links down there as well… And if you want to contact the Toy Department, it’s easy — find us at ToyDepartmentPod (at) gmail.com.

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The Toy Department – Episode 20

  By toyAdmin | May 5, 2016 - 8:16 pm | Uncategorized
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In Episode 20, Derek Madden and Matt Kolsky begin by lamenting their physical fitness – as all aging men are wont to do – before things get serious with Madden’s Beyoncé mea culpa (3:45). The conversation heads deeper into the music world with some discussion of Radiohead’s new single (17:10), which leads them into music release strategies for the modern world. Sports talk takes over  (30:10) with some breakdown of the wild final sequence of Game 2 between the Spurs and Thunder in the NBA Playoffs, and some resulting chatter about referees in general, before Madden and Kolsky address Fox’s hiring of sports “journalist” Skip Bayless (41:35). The show wraps with a little homework assignment from Madden (55:40) and a shout-out to our outgoing President.

Oh, and if you want to subscribe via iTunes you can just click on the link below the player… Some other links down there as well… And if you want to contact the Toy Department, it’s easy — find us at ToyDepartmentPod (at) gmail.com.

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The Toy Department – Episode 17

  By toyAdmin | April 13, 2016 - 7:44 pm | Uncategorized
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In Episode 17, Derek Madden and Matt Kolsky begin with a discussion of the Golden State Warriors’ record-breaking season, and do some of the 2016 W’s v. ’95-96 Bulls debate, followed by a brief discussion of LeBron’s Instagram SNAFU (24:30) and some chatter about Kobe Bryant’s retirement tour (30:10). Then it’s TV talk, from The People v. OJ Simpson (37:00) to podcast-favorite Better Call Saul (43:40). They wrap with rock and roll (52:15) as they address Bruce Springsteen’s decision to skip his concert in North Carolina and the idea of protest music in general. And of course there’s some homework to be assigned (1:04:10) before the final bell…

Oh, and if you want to subscribe via iTunes you can just click on the link below the player… Some other links down there as well… And if you want to contact the Toy Department, it’s easy — find us at ToyDepartmentPod (at) gmail.com.

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The Toy Department – Episode 15

  By toyAdmin | March 23, 2016 - 10:09 pm | Uncategorized
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In Episode 15, Derek Madden and Matt Kolsky follow up on the music they talked about at the end of last week’s pod (Thao & the Get Down Stay Down and Kaleo) which leads to a discussion of how we listen to and find new music in the modern age (5:00). Then TV takes over for an in-depth discussion of Better Call Saul (9:20) which features only a couple of small spoilers, before the boys jump back to music (22:20) with a chat about big stadium concerts in light of the upcoming Metallica show at the new Vikings’ stadium. Today’s sports segment (32:00) focuses on the ongoing NCAA Tournament and the fact that neither of our alleged sports fans can really stomach college basketball (so it inevitably turns back to the NBA, around 42:40, with some Wolves/W’s talk and some thoughts on Steph Curry). Things wrap up with some recommendations for your spare time (53:00) as Madden assigns homework.

Oh, and if you want to subscribe via iTunes you can just click on the link below the player… Some other links down there as well… And if you want to contact the Toy Department, it’s easy — find us at ToyDepartmentPod (at) gmail.com.

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The Toy Department – Episode 13

  By toyAdmin | March 3, 2016 - 9:59 pm | Uncategorized
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In Episode 13, Derek Madden and Matt Kolsky show up a day late… But doesn’t that just mean their thoughts are that much more well-considered?? The boys start with some Oscars talk, breaking down Chris Rock’s performance and some of the award-winners, then shift to hating on Duke basketball (18:30). Then, once the topic is basketball, it’s only natural to talk about the greatness of Steph Curry (26:50). The show closes with some music talk – breaking down the Foo Fighters’ “Band Announcement” (40:20) and talking a little about putting Dave Grohl’s career into context (45:00).

Oh, and if you want to subscribe via iTunes you can just click on the link below the player… Some other links down there as well… And if you want to contact the Toy Department, it’s easy — find us at ToyDepartmentPod (at) gmail.com.

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The Toy Department – Episode 10

  By toyAdmin | February 11, 2016 - 1:50 am | Uncategorized
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In Episode 10, Derek Madden and Matt Kolsky start with a quick post-Super Bowl debrief – did Kolsky survive? How did his dumplings turn out? (that’s a literal question) Then it’s the Great Coldplay Debate (9:00) as the gentlemen stake out their positions and duke it out. After probably too much of that (though not as much as existed on the original recording) the topic shifts to movie talk with a breakdown of the Oscar-nominated Spotlight (33:50), followed by a brief discussion of the Grammy’s and other assorted music stuff (42:00). Finally, a strong close where a purported tease to next week turns into a short conversation about JJ Redick’s new podcast (46:30).

Oh, and if you want to subscribe via iTunes (and you really should), just CLICK HERE!!  We are also part of the Google Play library of podcasts (and hopefully will have a link to that soon)… And if you want to contact the Toy Department, it’s easy — find us at ToyDepartmentPod (at) gmail.com.

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The Toy Department – Episode 8

  By toyAdmin | January 28, 2016 - 12:40 am | Uncategorized
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In Episode 8, Derek Madden tracks Matt Kolsky down while he’s driving around the Bay Area for a delightful chat that begins with Blake Griffin’s recent mishap (which is another word for punching your friend in the face and breaking your own hand) and then turns to the recent rumors that baseball is considering adding the DH to the National League (16:30). Then they jump OFF of the sports page as they revisit R. Kelly with a quick discussion of the singer’s recent GQ interview (29:30) which of course leads to some big picture questions about cognitive dissonance (around 40:00). Thankfully the conversation takes a lighter turn after that, as Madden and Kolsky get into the Friends-assaince, if you will — the apparent rash of young people binge-watching Friends on Netflix (48:25). Finally, they wrap things up by assigning some homework (58:30) and teasing ahead to next week’s episode…

Oh, and if you want to subscribe via iTunes (and you really should), just CLICK HERE!!  And if you want to contact the Toy Department, it’s easy — find us at ToyDepartmentPod (at) gmail.com.

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The Toy Department – Episode 7

  By toyAdmin | January 21, 2016 - 12:46 am | Uncategorized
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In Episode 7, Derek Madden and Matt Kolsky open with a discussion of the Eagles in the wake of Glenn Frey’s passing – a conversation wherein Kolsky may have inappropriately slandered a band that just tragically lost a member – before transitioning into a movie conversation that should be significantly less offensive. Specifically, they talk about Room (18:30) and its engaging star Brie Larson, before getting into some specifics on The Hateful Eight (28:20) and its divisive director Quentin Tarantino. Then it’s on to television (37:15) and a discussion about the future of television programming in a world where TBS and TNT are wading into the prestige TV game. And then, FINALLY, they finish things off with the long-awaited All-Time Trash Talk Team discussion (49:45)…

Oh, and if you want to subscribe via iTunes (and you really should), just CLICK HERE!!  And if you want to contact the Toy Department, it’s easy — find us at ToyDepartmentPod (at) gmail.com.

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The Toy Department – Episode 3

  By toyAdmin | December 16, 2015 - 9:35 pm | Uncategorized
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In Episode 3 of The Toy Department, Derek Madden and Matt Kolsky follow a standard intro with a dive into this week’s biggest pop culture phenomenon — STAR WARS!!!! Then they slip in some sports with a discussion of Steph Curry and the Warriors, and their effect on pop culture and basketball (12:00) before turning to broader cultural concerns by discussing Google’s most trending topics from 2015 (28:30). Then Madden gives Kolsky a 2015 Pop Music Lyrics Quiz (39:30) with a brief discussion of Drake afterwards (49:30) that alludes to additional future processing of the Drake phenomenon. Finally it’s a brief discussion of general issues and future plans (51:00) before saying goodbye (possibly for the last time in 2015… POSSIBLY)!

Oh, and if you want to subscribe via iTunes (and you really should), just CLICK HERE!! 

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The Toy Department – Episode 2

  By toyAdmin | December 10, 2015 - 12:24 am | Uncategorized
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In Episode 2 of The Toy Department, Derek Madden and Matt Kolsky begin with some follow-up on last week’s issues (specifically the hot dog/sandwich debate and You’re the Worst) and then transition into a discussion about the Philadelphia 76ers and innovative sports strategies (at the 6:45 mark), which brings in all sorts of issues related to analytics and critical thinking, and it’s a pretty deep dive on forward-thinking sports management… The boys eventually drag themselves out of the sports world (at 29:00) to discuss the practice of year-end list-making and how best to enjoy the assortment of seasonal lists you’ll be seeing soon… Following the best porn joke of Kolsky’s life, the conversation shifts to fast-food (40:50) in response to Rob Lowe’s possession of a McDonald’s Gold Card… Then they finish strong after a quick Happy Hannukah (51:00) with some discussion of being enough of an old-ass man to enjoy concert-going with your parents.

Oh, and if you want to subscribe via iTunes (and you really should), just CLICK HERE!! 

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