Podcast Ombudsman Report for Blueshirt Bandwidth Ep. 71

Welcome back to the Blueshirt Bandwidth Podcast Ombudsman Report. Each week, Charlie Vidal will listen to the latest episode of the podcast and correct the record on anything Joe and Eric get wrong. If you aren't already, you can listen and subscribe to the podcast here.

Joe’s Illicit Activities

While Joe may deny it, he was in the Caribbean trying to make illegal handshake agreements with underage baseball prospects on behalf of the New York Yankees. Unfortunately, the Philadelphia Phillies beat him to the punch:

Episode 71

Joe said “Mike Rupp turned into a Devils guy” when discussing the namesake of Episode 71. I’m not sure where Joe got the idea that Rupp was ever primarily a New York Ranger, considering that he played five seasons and 289 games with the New Jersey Devils, while appearing in only 68 games over slightly more than one full season with the Rangers. Furthermore, Rupp capped off his rookie season by scoring the 2003 Stanley Cup-winning goal in Game 7 against the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim:

Trigger Warning: Devils' highlights

Joe also threw out that “Keith Kincaid is a cool story,” which unfortunately forces me to once again write about cryptocurrency and NFTs. While with the Rangers, Kinkaid wore an NFT on his helmet:

And launched an NFT collaboration.

If you don't know what an NFT is, then just keep reading and don't waste brain space trying to learn.

2022 First Round

Joe lamented the fact that he missed Games 5 and 7 of the 2022 first round series against the Pittsburgh Penguins. In 2022 I still lived in Manhattan and had a season subscriber package, so I did not miss Games 5 and 7. Instead of talking about the 2025-26 New York Rangers, let’s remember the good old days when Jacob Trouba was actually contributing to the Rangers in a positive manner. This means that you’re going to have to actually read my Ombudsman Report and not just listen to Eric reading it out on the podcast:

Early Apple Investor

Eric mentioned an early Apple investor who sold out for $50,000. He was likely referring to Ronald Wayne. Wayne was the third founder of Apple alongside Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak. Apple was originally structured as a partnership, and Wayne wanted out in order to prevent personal financial liability if things went wrong. Therefore, after two weeks, he accepted a total of $2,300 for his 10 percent of Apple and relinquishing any further claims. Today, 10 percent of Apple would be worth approximately $380 billion.

Liam Greentree

It was said that Liam Greentree in closer to being an NHLer, versus a mystery box pick. As of right now, the Los Angeles Kings are sitting outside of the playoffs and have the 11th worst record in the NHL by points percentage. Here is a list of the 11th overall picks in the NHL draft since the year 2000 (including Rangers legend Fredrik Sjostrom): 

Joe is Mad

“I am mad.” – Joe Fortunato

Joe is mad, and the fact that Eric is not mad is making Joe madder, which reminds us of this Dril tweet:

Ken Campbell

Ken Campbell was one of a plethora of hockey writers who tweeted out a complaint about not being able to interview Liam Greentree about being traded to the Rangers:

Now, gather round children for another piece of Rangers lore: After the Rangers fell behind the Penguins 3-1 in the second round of the 2014 playoffs, Campbell penned an obituary for that team, suggesting that Rick Nash would be a better use of a summer compliance buyout than (eventual buyout victim) Brad Richards. Campbell wrote that:

“Any team that is down 3-1 to a group as talented and explosive as the Penguins is always in serious trouble. A team down 3-1 whose best player is Mats Zuccarello is basically finished.”

Go read every word of this article if you never did, or it’s been too long, and then go enjoy Martin St. Louis scoring on Mother’s Day and the Rangers holding on for dear life against the Penguins in Game 7:

Trocheck Picture

Vincent Trocheck cozied up with members of the Minnesota Wild as if he’s already on the team during Team USA photos.

Here is Michael Russo’s original tweet reporting the incident...

...and an irate Rangers fan in response...

Potential Trocheck Return

When discussing a potential return in a Vincent Trocheck, Charlie Stramel’s name was mentioned as a piece that might be included in a trade with the Minnesota Wild. Stramel isn’t exactly a top-tier prospect, with JFresh giving him only a 6 percent chance of becoming a full-time NHLer:

Of course, Charlie Stramel will forever be etched in hockey lore for scoring the overtime goal for Michigan State to beat Penn State at the outdoor game played in Beaver Stadium on Jan. 31:

More important to hockey lore than that goal or game is, of course, the chain of events that goal set off which ended with Gavin McKenna breaking somebody’s jaw:

Ski Jumping Penis

Eric, do I really need to explain this? Can you please think of literally anything else to talk about other than ski jumping penis enhancement scandals?

Fine, here it goes.

There was a mention of a penis-enhancing scandal in the ski jumping competition at the 2026 Milan Olympics. Ski jumping suits are required to be form fitting to the jumper’s body, which is 3D-scanned in the months leading up to the competition. A larger “genital region” during the scan would allow for a slightly larger and looser fitting suit, which would create an effect like a sail catching wind and provide up to 5.8 meters of additional jump length for each 2 centimeters of additional cloth in the suit, according to a scientific journal cited by The Athletic.

The World Anti-Doping Agency has not found any indication that this is actually being done; just speculation that it could.