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In Season 7 Episode 4 of Talking Friendship with Mike D, Mike welcomes Todd Pretty, Grant Nickels, and Fletcher Walters for a deep, funny, and occasionally heartfelt conversation about the TV show Shoresy. The guys talk about why this vulgar, hockey-soaked Canadian comedy works so well, from favorite characters and best chirps to Sudbury, the music, the romance, the hockey culture, and the moments that make the show hit harder than it has any business hitting.

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Key moments from the pod:

0:30: Mike welcomes listeners to Season 7 Episode 4, a full-on Talking Shoresy episode.

1:55: Mike catches listeners up on what’s been going on with him, including donating some of his sweet, sweet O Negative blood and checking out live IndyCar racing in downtown Detroit for the first time.

3:50: Mike lays out the plan for the rest of the episode, including some background on Shoresy, why the show stands on its own, and why spoilers are very much on the table.

7:44: Mike welcomes Todd Pretty, Grant Nickels, and Fletcher Walters to the podcast and gives life updates on all three guests that are so detailed you may feel like you’re suddenly related to them.

16:40: The guys talk about their overall relationship to hockey, from lifelong fandom to the vibes and rhythms of the sport.

22:10: The guys share how they first came to Shoresy, including Mike’s initial reluctance to get on board and why the show eventually won him over in a big way.

27:40: The guys try to answer the big question: what is it about this damn show that makes them love it so much?

38:00: The guys talk through their favorite characters on Shoresy, including the players, coaches, owners, media personalities, and assorted beauties who make the show work.

57:00: The guys discuss which Shoresy character makes them laugh the hardest.

1:01:00: The guys pick their favorite opposing player or character from the world of Shoresy.

1:06:00: The guys get into the best chirps, lines, and recurring bits from the show.

1:15:45: Mike and the guys talk about why Shoresy has real heart underneath all the jokes, fighting, profanity, and glorious nonsense.

1:29:00: The guys discuss why Sudbury is the perfect setting for the show and why the city feels like part of the cast.

1:34:00: The guys celebrate the amazing music of Shoresy and how the show uses songs to set the tone perfectly, including power ballads, a country classic, a techno jam, and a French disco banger.

2:01:00: Last but not least, the guys close out the main conversation by sharing their favorite moments from the show.

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In this shorter companion episode, Mike welcomes Jay and Chris Bibby, aka the Bibby Brothers, to talk about Sudbury, Ontario, the proud, rugged, blue-collar Northern Ontario city that helps give Shoresy so much of its soul. Before the main Shoresy episode drops, the guys spend some time on Sudbury’s people, geography, hockey culture, family connections, and general vibe.

Follow the podcast on Bluesky at @friendsofmiked

Email the podcast with any questions or requests at talkingfriendship@gmail.com

Please subscribe to the podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon or wherever you get your podcasts. Please also rate and review the podcast.

Key moments from the pod:

0:30: Mike welcomes listeners to Season 7 Episode 3, a Shoresy companion episode focused on Sudbury, Ontario.

1:45: Mike catches listeners up on what’s been going on with him, including an epic trip to Charm City with his buddy PJ featuring Camden Yards, the Babe Ruth Birthplace and Museum, blue crabs, Natty Bohs at Mum’s, and a whole lot of new Baltimore memories.

7:30: Mike sets the tone for the episode with a musical tribute to Sudbury.

11:45: Mike welcomes Jay and Chris Bibby, aka the Bibby Brothers, to the podcast to talk all things Sudbury.

14:30: The guys talk about the last time they saw each other and what they were up to.

17:30: Mike lays out the plan for the episode before Jay and Chris dig into their family’s history in Sudbury.

20:30: The Bibby Brothers talk about their personal connection to Sudbury and what keeps pulling them back.

25:30: Jay and Chris talk about the people of Sudbury, the feel of the place, and, of course, the area’s amazing Italian-influenced food.

27:00: The guys discuss why a place like Sudbury works so well as the setting for Shoresy, including the pride people have in a city outsiders might underestimate.

30:00: Jay and Chris explain what makes Northern Ontario different from the rest of the province, including nickel, blueberries, and a whole lot of rugged local identity.

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In this episode, Mike takes listeners through his recent holiday to Portugal, covering Lisbon, Porto, the Douro Valley, and just enough airport chaos to keep things interesting. Along the way he talks great hotels, walking tours, cod in its many forms, wine, port, football culture, cocktail bars, trains, fado music, and why Portugal quickly became one of his all-time favorite trips.

• Follow the podcast on Bluesky at @friendsofmiked
• Email the podcast with any questions or requests at talkingfriendship@gmail.com
• Please subscribe to the podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon or wherever you get your podcasts. Please also rate and review the podcast.

Key moments from the pod:

0:30: Mike welcomes listeners to Season 6 Episode 2.

2:10: Mike lays out the plan for the rest of the episode.

5:00: Mike kicks things off with the travel day from Detroit to Lisbon. The plan was simple enough: DTW to Boston, Boston to Lisbon. The execution was…less simple. A not-quite-smooth start to the trip, but eventually Portugal appeared on the horizon.

6:30: Mike walks through his first full day in Lisbon, which included getting settled, rooftop drinks, a guided tour of São Jorge Castle, and ending the night properly with cocktails at Red Frog, one of Lisbon’s best-known speakeasy-style bars.

13:00: Day 2 starts strong with an excellent breakfast at the Bairro Alto Hotel, where Mike learns, perhaps a little later in life than expected, how to pronounce açaí. From there, it’s a private walking tour of historic Lisbon with Ugo, followed by afternoon beers at BREW and Delirium Café. The day wraps with a petiscos and wine tour, which proves that small plates and multiple pours are a very good way to understand a city.

21:40: Day 3 brings a trip to a beautiful neoclassical food hall, a visit to the historic Jerónimos Monastery in Belém, and maybe the surprise meal of the whole Lisbon portion of the trip: a Mozambican restaurant that makes a serious case for being one of the best meals in the city. The night ends with live fado, because sometimes you should just let Portugal be Portugal.

28:20: Day 4 means saying goodbye to Lisbon, at least for now, and taking the train north to Porto. Mike gets settled, joins a walking tour that includes a famous bookstore with no need to invoke Harry Potter every three seconds, and then opts for a quiet, restorative night at the Renaissance Porto Lapa.

33:50: Day 5 is all about the Douro River Valley: a boat cruise, wine, more wine, a genuinely memorable lunch, still more wine, and the kind of easy new friendships that sometimes happen when everyone in the van has been drinking excellent Portuguese wine all day.

37:50: Day 6 starts with Mike climbing Clérigos Tower, which turns out to be taller than anticipated, both physically and spiritually. From there, it’s a visit to a distinctive religious art museum, followed by a craft beer and local food tour through Porto’s hidden gems. This includes the famous francesinha, a sandwich that is less “lunch” and more “delicious cardiovascular event.”

44:00: Day 7 is the last full day of the trip. Mike takes the train back to Lisbon, then heads out for a tour of Benfica’s Estádio da Luz, one of the most famous football stadiums in Portugal. A little soccer, a little travel logistics, and the sense that the trip is starting to wind down.

47:00: Day 8 is travel-home day, and Lisbon Airport decides to become Thunderdome. Mike closes out the trip with one last round of airport chaos before heading back to Detroit, slightly tired, very full, and pretty convinced Portugal was worth every minute.