Cape Breton's famed amateur weather forecaster chats with football great Tom Brady
When amateur weather forecaster Frankie MacDonald joined one of his favourite podcasts Monday evening, he had no idea he was on a collision course with one of sport's biggest stars.
Max Field is the host of the SoBro Radio Podcast out of New York, N.Y. He says, thanks to a mutual friend, he had Hall of Fame quarterback Tom Brady on for a brief interview that lasted about three minutes.
During that time, MacDonald was contacted and asked to join the on-air podcast.
"I happened to just call in Frankie while we were on with Tom,” said Field. “And it was a match made, as they say. The rest is history."
The exchange between Brady and MacDonald lasted only a few seconds.
"I said, 'You're doing a great job,’” MacDonald told CTV Atlantic during an interview in his home community of Whitney Pier, N.S.
It's unclear if the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ quarterback knew who he was talking to.
"Frankie was like, 'Hey, how're you doing? I love the weather,'” Field explained. “And then Tom's like, 'Oh hey, Frankie. Good to meet you,' and it was a very short sort of thing."
Many consider Brady to be the greatest football player of all time. However, the Super Bowl rings and records aren't the numbers that really matter to MacDonald.
"On his Instagram, he has 10 million followers. He has only two million followers on his Twitter,” said MacDonald.
MacDonald has a big social media platform of his own. Field says it was the power of the amateur weather forecaster’s words -- not Brady’s -- that got people talking about their encounter.
"No one cared until Frankie tweeted about it. That's when people cared,” said Field.
The podcast host says he now realizes he may have had two GOATS (Greatest Of All Time) on the same broadcast.
"Around this corner, Frankie MacDonald is a bigger star than Tom Brady in some regards,” said Field. “People like Frankie. They like that he's not like some big industry guy. It's just him being himself."
MacDonald says there are some other big names he'd like the chance to connect with.
"I'd like to say hi to Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel, and I'd like to say hi to David Letterman,” he said.
For now, MacDonald says his brush with the football legend is his biggest celebrity encounter to date.
"It makes me feel great. It's excellent. It's epic."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Ont. and Que. scramble to recover from thunderstorm that left at least 8 dead
Clean-up efforts are underway after a massive thunderstorm on Saturday left a trail of destruction in Southern Ontario and Quebec.
How concerned should we be about monkeypox?
Global health officials have sounded the alarm over rising cases in Europe and elsewhere of monkeypox, a type of viral infection more common to west and central Africa. Here's what we know about the current outbreak and the relative risk.
43 CP Rail cars carrying potash derail east of Fort Macleod, Alta.
Clean up is underway after 43 CP Rail train cars carrying potash left the track Sunday morning east of Fort Macleod, Alta.
BREAKING | 8 people dead after storm rips through Ontario; tens of thousands without power
The death count related to a destructive storm that ripped through much of southern Ontario continues to rise
WATCH LIVE AT 4 PM | Tens of thousands without power after severe storm hits Ottawa
Hydro Ottawa says it will take several days to restore power and clean up after a severe storm damaged hydro poles and wires on Saturday.
Huawei 5G ban delay wasn't tied to efforts to free Spavor and Kovrig, Mendicino says
Canada's Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino insists the once unknown fate of Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig was not why the government delayed its decision to ban Huawei technologies from Canada's 5G network.
Justice Mahmud Jamal reflects on his first year on the Supreme Court bench in new special interview
Ahead of his one-year anniversary on the Supreme Court of Canada this July, Mahmud Jamal spoke with CTV National News National Affairs Correspondent Omar Sachedina to reflect on his past year on the bench.
Indigenous Manitoba man risks his life to bring humanitarian aid to Ukraine
Kim Sigurdson, a Métis philanthropist from Manitoba, travelled to Ukraine in early May on his own dime to bring support to displaced Ukrainians.
Taliban enforcing face-cover order for female TV anchors
Afghanistan's Taliban rulers on Sunday began enforcing an order requiring all female TV news anchors in the country to cover their faces while on-air. The move is part of a hard-line shift drawing condemnation from rights activists.
Toronto
-
BREAKING
BREAKING | 8 people dead after storm rips through Ontario; tens of thousands without power
The death count related to a destructive storm that ripped through much of southern Ontario continues to rise
-
Ontario’s top doctor issues order to doctors requiring reporting on possible monkeypox cases
Ontario’s top public health official issued issued an order to healthcare providers requiring them to report any possible or suspected cases of monkeypox to local authorities.
-
Building up instead of out: Mississauga's needs of Queen's Park are changing
Mississauga Mayor Bonnie Crombie readily admits that her city was “built with a vision that land and gas is cheap,” a concept which for years meant “four-bedroom homes and large boulevards” to carry office workers to Toronto.
Calgary
-
43 CP Rail cars carrying potash derail east of Fort Macleod, Alta.
Clean up is underway after 43 CP Rail train cars carrying potash left the track Sunday morning east of Fort Macleod, Alta.
-
Flames look to slow down Connor McDavid in Game 3
The Calgary Flames know the recipe they want to follow in their Western Conference second-round playoff series with the Edmonton Oilers.
-
Calgarians get behind the scenes look at medical equipment to kick off National Paramedic Services Week
Frontline workers are giving members of the public and inside look on Sunday into how medical equipment is used in the back of an ambulance as Alberta Health Services (AHS) celebrates the kickoff to National Paramedic Services Week.
Montreal
-
WEATHER
WEATHER | Tornado watches in effect in several Quebec regions
In the wake of the major wind and thunderstorms that battered Quebec and Ontario on Saturday night, a tornado watch has been issued in the province's Eastern Townships and other regions.
-
Around 400,000 homes still without power in Quebec due to severe thunderstorms
Powerful thunderstorms hit Quebec late Saturday afternoon and evening. In all, Hydro-Québec reported 1,237 outages affecting 468,837 homes across the province.
-
Ont. and Que. scramble to recover from thunderstorm that left at least 8 dead
Clean-up efforts are underway after a massive thunderstorm on Saturday left a trail of destruction in Southern Ontario and Quebec.
Edmonton
-
Family of man killed in Chinatown attack hope for solutions to create a safer community
Family members remember one of the men killed in Chinatown this week as a kind and hardworking man, and hope that his needless death will lead to change.
-
'The heart of our city': The spirit of Joey Moss lives on through Oilers anthem La Bamba
As the Oilers look to take home ice for the first time in the Battle of Alberta playoff edition, a significant presence is missing from the team's dressing room.
-
Protesters rally to free Lucy the elephant from Edmonton Valley Zoo
A group of animal rights activists gathered at the Whitemud overpass Saturday, calling for the release of Lucy the elephant from the Edmonton Valley Zoo.
Northern Ontario
-
Thunderstorms kill at least 5, knock out power in parts of Ont., Que.
As the May long weekend kicked off, a massive thunderstorm in southern Ontario and Quebec brought strong wind gusts that knocked down trees, took out power and left at least five people dead.
-
WATCH LIVE AT 4 PM
WATCH LIVE AT 4 PM | Tens of thousands without power after severe storm hits Ottawa
Hydro Ottawa says it will take several days to restore power and clean up after a severe storm damaged hydro poles and wires on Saturday.
-
Three dead, more than 350K without power after powerful storm rips through Ontario
Three people are dead and more than 350,000 are without power after an intense thunderstorm pummeled southern Ontario Saturday afternoon.
London
-
Multiple power outages in London after fierce thunderstorm tears through southern Ontario
Many people in London, Ont. are still cleaning up debris while 2,500 remain without power Sunday morning after a powerful severe thunderstorm rolled through southern Ontario Saturday.
-
'It was scary': severe thunderstorm wreaks havoc in southwestern Ontario
A short but powerful thunderstorm came through southwestern Ontario Saturday, killing several people and injuring others.
-
Ontario reports two more COVID-19 deaths
Ontario health officials say another two people have died after contracting COVID-19.
Winnipeg
-
How concerned should we be about monkeypox?
Global health officials have sounded the alarm over rising cases in Europe and elsewhere of monkeypox, a type of viral infection more common to west and central Africa. Here's what we know about the current outbreak and the relative risk.
-
Winnipeg crews respond to fire at Main Street hotel
Crews with the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service (WFPS) extinguished a fire at a Main Street hotel on Sunday morning.
-
BREAKING
BREAKING | 8 people dead after storm rips through Ontario; tens of thousands without power
The death count related to a destructive storm that ripped through much of southern Ontario continues to rise
Ottawa
-
WATCH LIVE AT 4 PM
WATCH LIVE AT 4 PM | Tens of thousands without power after severe storm hits Ottawa
Hydro Ottawa says it will take several days to restore power and clean up after a severe storm damaged hydro poles and wires on Saturday.
-
'We've got a lot of damage': Ottawa residents begin cleaning up after storm damages homes, church
The city of Ottawa says there have been multiple reports of damaged property and fallen trees following Saturday's storm, "particularly in the Navan, Stittsville, Merivale and Hunt Club area."
-
In pictures: May 21 storm in Ottawa
Photos and videos show the extent of the damage in Ottawa and the region after a powerful storm ripped through Saturday, May 21.
Saskatoon
-
43 CP Rail cars carrying potash derail east of Fort Macleod, Alta.
Clean up is underway after 43 CP Rail train cars carrying potash left the track Sunday morning east of Fort Macleod, Alta.
-
Why 'Peacekeepers' have been key to the success of Saskatoon Tribal Council's new shelter
The work of staff known as Peacekeepers has been an integral component of the success of the Saskatoon Tribal Council Wellness Centre, a city report says.
-
Chief Thunderstick National Hockey Championship in Saskatoon gathers dozens of Indigenous teams from across Canada
From Rankin Inlet, Nunavut to Ochapawace, Saskatchewan, Indigenous hockey teams from all over Canada are in Saskatoon this weekend playing in the Fred Sasakamoose "Chief Thunderstick" National Hockey Championship.
Vancouver
-
UBC student whose family was stranded in Afghanistan last year raising funds to bring them to Canada
The last nine months have been extremely stressful for Maryam. The UBC student was safely in Vancouver when her hometown of Kabul fell to the Taliban in August. Most of her family was not so fortunate.
-
RCMP searching for suspect after victim sexually assaulted during break-and-enter
Police in Surrey are looking for a suspect following an alleged sexual assault at a home in the Saint Helen's Park neighbourhood.
-
1 arrested after assault in South Vancouver, police say
Vancouver police say they have arrested a man after an assault in South Vancouver Saturday morning.
Regina
-
Regina man charged in late-night robbery
Officers of the Regina Police Service (RPS) responded to a report of a robbery just after 11:30 p.m. Saturday night, according to a news release.
-
Huawei 5G ban delay wasn't tied to efforts to free Spavor and Kovrig, Mendicino says
Canada's Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino insists the once unknown fate of Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig was not why the government delayed its decision to ban Huawei technologies from Canada's 5G network.
-
'A better road to travel': Widespread highway improvement planned for 2022
With the construction season in Saskatchewan getting underway; the provincial government laid out its plans to improve approximately 1,100 km of provincial highways in 2022.
Vancouver Island
-
Business case for bringing rail back to Vancouver Island released
The Island Corridor Foundation (ICF), which manages rail on Vancouver Island, released last week an initial business case stating the need it sees for safe, efficient, reliable, transit-like rail as the island's population grows.
-
When will drivers get their ICBC rebates? An updated timeline
Some British Columbians won’t be getting provincial rebates meant to offset soaring gas prices until the end of July, according to ICBC.
-
The science behind why smoke seems to follow you around a campfire
Why does smoke seem to follow you around a campfire? B.C. research scientist Kerry Anderson told CTVNews.ca the answer actually boils down to physics.