Episodes
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Joined today by Rhodes scholar, poet and author Mark Abley. Mark talks about his allegiance to Red Wings hockey, the Rough Riders and makes his case for Montreal bagels over NYC ones. We chat about his flex being a Rhodes Scholar, the decision to leave Oxford to backpack the "Hippie Trail" and his awesome new book "Strange Bewildering Time: Istanbul to Kathmandu in the last year of the Hippie Trail". Mark reminisces about traveling through Turkey, Iran, Pakistan and other countries in 1978 during the start of the Afghan War and the Iranian Revolution, why he kept writing in his journals and why after 45 years, it was time to write this book. Mark shares what it was like reading the words from his younger self, the differences in travel from then to now, and the differences with the Hippie Trail and the Silk Road. Mark let’s us know about the difficulties of traveling with a friend, if their friendship lasted and what she thought of his book. From other books Mark finds fascinating to his obsession with languages, and much more.
Check out Mark's books and site here: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Mark-Abley/author/B0B6WVRYJ8?ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true -
Joined today by former Cruiserweight champion, NAVY veteran, and current boxing trainer, Steve "USS" Cunningham. Steve talks about being a father of 4, training his two phenom sons in boxing, and the difficulty of juggling the trainer and father role. We chat about his Philly roots and relocating to Pittsburgh, what he misses most and why it's ok to switch allegiances to the Steelers. We go over his life outside of the ring, hobbies, such as his love for art, developing his comic books, and how he ended up joining the United States NAVY. Steve tells us about his time in the NAVY, how boxing came into the picture and how he was learning the ins and outs of the sweet science as he climbed the ranks. We discuss why he chose to go pro instead of going the Olympic route. He reminisces his intense first 12 fight schedule and how signing with Don King wasn't his favorite decision he made. We hear about winning the Cruiserweight belt after his controversial 1st loss, why many of his fights took place in Europe and why wasn't he promoted much after the 9/11 attacks. We learn about being on the undercard of Mayweather / McGregor, how his phone blew up after Tyson Fury said on Joe Rogan that Steve was the hardest hitter he's ever faced, and when he knew it was time to hang up the gloves. From wanting to fight at Wembley stadium to the mental hurdles boxing entails, it was an enjoyable conversation with USS.
Check out his site here where you can follow his son's journey to the title, as well as purchase his comics:
https://www.instagram.com/ussislegend/?hl=en -
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Joined today by New York Times best-selling author and Edgar Award Winner, Harry MacLean. Harry and I chat about living in Denver, what he misses most about Nebraska, and some Cornhuskers football. Harry is on to talk about his newest book "Starkweather: The Untold Story of the Killing Spree that Changed America". He tells us about how the eleven murders Charlie Starkweather committed in 1958 combined with his fourteen year old girlfriend and television being broadcasted all over the United States made this the perfect storm and the first court tv type of story. He shares his writing style, telling this story from Charlie's and Caril's point of view, and the hurdles he faced writing this book. We hear about his personal connection to Charlie and the victims, why the public was convinced Caril was guilty and what was his purpose writing this book. Harry discusses the emotional toll the book took on him, his initial thoughts of the crimes, and what shocked him the most during his research. We go over the botched police investigation, delve into if Caril was present when he family was murdered and what made Harry believe in her innocence. From Billy Joel to Bruce Springsteen singing about Charlie and Caril to movies and documentaries and how the crimes are still a hot button issue in Nebraska. All this plus Abe Lincoln wrestling, Truman Capote's ghost and more
Check out Harry's site here and his other outstanding books - https://www.harrymaclean.com/
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Joined today by four-time New York Times best-selling author, Jonathan Eig. Jonathan reminisces about growing up in New York, submitting articles at an early age, heading to Northwestern and how he ended up at a newspaper in New Orleans. We talk about when and why he decided to write his first book on Lou Gehrig, the hurdles he went through writing it and how a friend slipping Regis Philbin his book changed everything. We go over the intimidation he felt writing about two icons, Muhammad Ali and Martin Luther King Jr, their similarities, differences and how their world intertwined. We hear how Jonathan traveled the country conducting interviews, dove deep into Ali’s analytical statistics, and how he used his daughter as a pawn to meet Ali. Jonathan tells us about his mission when he writes these books, how he convinces people to trust him, and how he juggles writing about controversial issues. From having some of the coolest Ali memorabilia to chatting about the FBI’s harassment of MLK, Jonathan Eig shows why he’s the best biographical storytellers around.
Twitter: https://twitter.com/jonathaneig
https://www.jonathaneig.com/
https://www.instagram.com/joneig/ -
Joined today by top Junior Featherweight contender, Elijah Pierce. Elijah shares what is was like growing up in both, Oklahoma and Atlanta, what's different about the two cities, foods and the Spooner rodeos. We talk about how his kickboxing father's career guided him into the world of boxing, why he fell in love with the sport and who he looked up to. Elijah tells us about his basketball skills, guards he modeled his game after and when he decided to pursue a career in the sweet science. We hear about his illustrious amateur career, why he turned pro before trying to make the Olympic team and that insane pro schedule he had from 2016-18. We chat about the loneliness of boxing, how you mentally deal with a loss, and how he overcame his two year absence from the ring while focusing on his mental health. Elijah reminisces about being contacted by his Bulgarian manager, beating Tramaine Williams, and finding out he's headlining his next fight. We discuss fighting Mike Plania, the nervousness of fighting on TV for the first time, and how he celebrated that epic win. We learn about his legendary and viral weigh-in antics, how and why he has the nickname "WXXXLF", and signing with a new promotion. All this plus hanging with Nick Cannon, calling out all fighters in his division and his dream stadium.
IG: https://www.instagram.com/elijah_pierce -
Joined today by former San Diego Padres pitcher and current pitching coach, Brian Tollberg. Brian talks about seeing himself on a baseball card for the first time, the best and worst things about living in Florida, and deciding to run a marathon when he turned 40. We chat about our passion for traveling, working with "Trading Without Borders", and some destinations he plans on visiting. Brian tells us about quitting his school baseball, signing with North Florida, and eventually heading over to the Frontier League after not being drafted. He reminisces about signing with the Brewers, being traded to the Padres, and his time in the minors. We hear about "the call" that he was going to the majors, charting for Randy Johnson in his first game and winning NL player of the week honors after two masterful starts. We discuss facing the legends of the game, such as: A-Rod, Bonds, Vlad, Griffey, Piazza, and others, becoming friends with Trevor Hoffman and not being shy about getting stuff signed. We go over life after the game, being a pitching coach, and the biggest differences he sees with pitchers today from 20 years ago. All this plus we hear stories about his cool memorabilia from his playing days, hanging with Bert Kresicher and more.
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Joined today by former middleweight champion and current # 1 ranked fighter in his class, Michael "Pretty Boy" Zerafa. Mike talks about his favorite Australian foods, what there is to do in Melbourne and his go to cheat meal. We chat about boxing at the age of 7, his parents’ reactions to this decision and what was his back-up plan if he didn't fight. Michael tells us about how he got the nickname "Pretty Boy", fighters he looked up to growing up, and turning pro and not going the Olympic route. We discuss his insane early fight career (fighting 6 times in 8 months), taking his first title fight at 15-0, mentally dealing with a controversial loss, and why I tell him he shouldn't take any more fights outside of the Land Down Under. Mike talks about his crazy post fight routine, why he loves training in Los Angeles, and where all his belts are displayed. We talk about the shady sport that is boxing, why he keeps his circle tight and we hear about the dumbest purchase he's ever made. Michael talks about December 9th at MGM and fighting on the undercard knowing that if he wins he's fighting for a World Title, how he stays motivated after being inactive for a long period of time, and we hear why he didn't fight in Brooklyn. He talks about commentating, how he prepares for a life behind the mic, and we hear how Pretty Boy proposed to his fiancé, From having dinner with Hasbulla to dreaming of fighting in the Garden, enjoy Michael Zerafa here
IG link :https://www.instagram.com/michael_zerafa/ -
Joined today by MLB veteran and current Brewers broadcaster, Vinny Rottino. Vinny shared what it was like being on his first baseball card, the most iconic Wisconsin foods and his love for the Packers and Bucks. He lets us know what it was like growing up in Racine, going to a D3 school, and his thoughts about not getting drafted. Vinny reminisces about trying out for the Brewers, how he convinced them to sign him, traveling throughout the minors and being the MILB player of the year in 2004. We chat about how he got the call to "The Show", playing with Prince Fielder, CC Sabathia and that magical run to the playoffs in 2008. Vinny talks about playing with the Marlins, his time in New York playing for the Mets, where he lived in NYC, and going yard for the 1st time. We hear about his time playing in Japan, the difference in the game, and facing a 18-year old Shohei Ohtani. We then discuss why he loved his time in Korea, when he knew it was time to retire and how he got started scouting with the Texas Rangers. Vinny shares his "hits" while scouting, why he couldn't continue scouting and how he ended up in the Brewers broadcast booth. We learn about the prep he does to prepare for a game, his favorite stadium to call a game from and why he still gets nervous. All this and more with a true underdog story who became a fixture in the game.
Vinny’s IG: https://www.instagram.com/vinnyrottino/ -
Joined today by former Kentucky Wildcat and current star of Fenerbahce Beko, Nate Sestina. Nate talks about growing up in a small town in Pennsylvania, players he looked up, why he chose Bucknell and his 2 trips to the NCAA tourney. We then chat about how he got recruited to Kentucky, how Brad played a part in it, getting a phone call from Cal and being the vet on a team of freshman. We discuss his year in Lexington, his first game at Madison Square Garden, the ups and down of that season and why Covid happening is the biggest “what if” in Kentucky history. Nate goes over what it’s like winning a title in the Israeli league, playing for the powerhouse Turkish team, Fenerbahce Beko, improvements he wants to make in his game and the sick traveling he gets to do playing in the Euro League. We go in depth on the romantic side of Nate, chatting about how he met his fiancé, how he set up his epic proposal, and where he gets his charm from. Nate tells us about "The Family" that Coach Cal preaches about, his emotional senior day and if he would have came back for one more season, All this plus bowling with Flava Flav, thinking he's Tony Soprano and more!!
Follow Nate on IG and twitter https://twitter.com/NateSestina23
https://www.instagram.com/natesestina4/ -
Joined today by award winning journalist and author of the new true-crime book, "Vanished in Vermillion, The Real Story of South Dakota's Most Infamous Cold Case", Lou Raguse. Lou and I chat about his home state of Minnesota, iconic food, most famous Minnesotan and his Vikings. Lou tells us about covering high profile cases and what made the 1971 disappearance of Pam Jackson and Cheryl Miller intrigue him so much that he decided to write his first book about the case. We talk about the facts of the case, 2 high school girls go for a drive to a keg party and the car in front of them made a right turn, they made a left turn, and they were never seen again. Lou gets into the incompetence of the police in the early 70's, the closing of the case and why it was accepted. We discuss the forming of the Cold Case unit, why this case was chosen to be investigated and how a person already in prison became suspect number 1. Lou talks about the suspect, his surprise when the charges were dropped and the roller coaster of emotions covering the case. We hear about Lou reporting in Buffalo when the missing girls' car was found, his reaction, and how they identified Pam and Cheryl. Lou and I go over all the mistakes the police made early on, why the case should have been wrapped up in a weekend and the reaction to the book being written. He tells us the possibility of the book being optioned into a show/movie, the difficulty of getting the book published, and what is possibly next for him. Lou finishes up talking about jumping around from city to city, why he calls Minnesota home and how he conducted in interview with the two Japanese men who created Tecmo Bowl. All this and more with the award winning reporter and author.
Follow Lou here: https://www.louraguse.com/ -
Joined today by current WBO cruiserweight champion of the world, Chris Billam-Smith. Chris and I talk about family-life, how one minute he's called "Champ" and another he's called "Dad" and assumes his role as parent, his romantic proposal, and the difficult of juggling training camp and his home life. Chris talks about his podcast, interviewing different "perfect athletes", when we can expect the next episodes and what will be new. We talk about his first love, soccer / futbol, his AFC Bournemouth Cherries, watching them growing up and the wild celebration he had when they were promoted to the Premier league. We chat about why Chris started boxing, falling into the Shane McGuigan stable, his insane early professional schedule and how he became a knockout fighter. Chris talks about the emotional homecoming and fighting for the world title as his childhood stadium, where he dreamed of playing soccer. We hear about the ring walk walk-thorough, hearing his friends cheering his name and how he kept his emotions in check for the biggest fight of his life. We hear where Chris wants to fight next (hint: it's here in the States), if he got the "championship hangover", how he missed his world title after-party and the mental side of boxing. I politely ask Chris to make sure he fights when I am in Europe so I can watch him, what changed when he became "The Champ", and why he hasn't checked the rankings. All this plus the madness that would ensue IF England ever wins the World Cup, why the British version of the Office is better and why a Sunday roast is the iconic UK meal.
Follow Chris here: https://www.instagram.com/chrisbillam -
Joined today by former NBA center and current player for Nanterre 92 of the LNB Pro A, Hamady N'Diaye. Hamady acts as my tour guide for my upcoming trip to Senegal and talks about their love of futbol, what food I need to eat, and the sights I can’t miss. He talks about being a geeky and shy kid, not being into sports and why trying to impress girls led him to the basketball court. We chat about leaving his family at 16 to pursue an education and a career in basketball in the states, landing in New Jersey and seeing snow for the first time then venturing out to California. He shares his recruiting trips, why he choose Rutgers over Miami and being defensive player of the year. Hamady takes us to the 2010 nba draft, watching his dreams come true with his friends and getting drafted by the Timberwolves. He talks about playing with John Wall, Boogie Cousins and his welcome to the nba moment against Dwight Howard. We hear why Hamady chooses to play in a new country almost every year, playing in the Philippines and hanging out with Manny Pacquiao. Hamady tells us about the pride of playing for Senegal in 2013 and 2014, how he wants to inspire a younger generation and playing in France today. All this plus meeting Dikembe mutumbo for the first time, being in NBA2K and much more!!
IG: https://www.instagram.com/hamzo55/ -
Joined today by legendary boxing referee, Jack Reiss. Jack talks about growing up in Brooklyn, where his love of boxing and kick-boxing started and what made him move out to the West Coast. We chat about Jack joining the LA Fire Department, returning to NYC and assisting in the 9/11 recoveries, and what he misses most about his time as a smoke eater. Jack talks about how he got into officiating, what the process is like and how you get critiqued. We hear about his first big fight, mistakes he’s made in the ring and how he is always trying to improve. We chat about Hollywood and Jack playing a part in Creed, Ali and other boxing movies. Jack talks Fury/Wilder 1, concussions, and how boxing and officiating has changed in the last 5-20 years. Jack rants about the talking heads who are clueless about boxing, former fighters that are great at announcing and referees he looked up to. We hear about Jack’s school, solearbiter.com, the difference officiating in small and big towns and what fighters he wishes he could have been in the ring for. All this plus some hockey talk, cool memorabilia and more!!
Follow Jack Reiss here: https://www.instagram.com/2jackreiss -
Joined today by former Brewers first round draft pick and OF for the Cleveland Indians, Matt Laporta. Matt talks about being on the cover of a video game in college, being an all-state BMX rider and why he loves living in Florida. We talk about his high school career, getting drafted by his favorite childhood team, and why he choose to go to Florida instead of signing with the Cubs. Matt talks about his time at U of F, "Swamp Kings", the Tebow led football teams, their basketball team winning the title and his baseball team going to the College World Series in Omaha. We hear about him getting drafted a second time, why he bet on himself and returned to Florida, that magical season and where he was when he saw he was drafted 7th overall. Matt talks about the minor leagues, hitting against a young Kershaw and the nature of the business getting traded for C.C. Sabathia. We talk about the 2008 Beijing Olympics, the opening ceremony, those legendary outfits and hanging with stars like Kobe, Venus, Serena and winning the bronze medal. We hear about getting the call up to the show, his first hit / hr, dealing with injuries and the toll it takes on you mentally and physically. We chat about playing in the Mexican league, when he knew it was time to hang it up and Matt really opens up about some deep and dark places former athletes sometimes go to after the thrill of the ride is over. Matt flexes about seeing his Olympic batting gloves in the Hall of Fame, holding Ty Cobb's glove, Mantle's jersey and hanging with Griffey and Jeter at the latest Hall of Fame inductions. All of this plus why his memorabilia is in boxes, his potential upcoming podcast and much much more.
Follow Matt on IG: https://www.instagram.com/matt_laporta/ -
Joined today by five-time World Series Champion, Luis Sojo. Luis talks about growing up in Venezuela, getting scouted by the Blue Jays and how he got signed by them at the age of 20. We chat about his journey throughout the minors, getting the call to the Show, and his first season with the Blue Jays. He tells us about getting traded to the Angels and then going back to Toronto and where he was when Joe Carter hit that memorable home run. Luis reminisces about playing in Seattle, breaking my heart in 1995 and his thoughts on Griffey and A-Rod. We hear how Mr. Watson convinced Luis to come to the Yankees, how Luis convinced his wife to join and why wearing the pinstripes made him feel like he "made it". We discuss the infamous 1996 Yankees team, where the confidence came from, playing under Torre, and what Luis taught Derek Jeter as a rookie shortstop. Luis goes over the 125-win 1998 Yankees, the importance of El Duque, why that team was unstoppable and how getting chewed out by Don Zimmer extended his career. Luis tells the story about his World Series winning hit in game 5 against the Mets, how he predicted it, and what he was smiling about on 3rd base. We hear about his home run on Old-Timer’s Day and how he's the only player to play in that game and then return to major league action. We talk about why he loves coaching, the pride he felt managing his home country of Venezuela and leading some of the best players in baseball. We discuss the current state of Venezuela, the youth academies there, and why there is hope for his homeland. From Jeter's Hall of Fame induction to hanging out with Michael Jordan and golfing with Pujols. All this plus, texting with the former Yankees, his awesome memorabilia, and much more!
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Joined today by former Oakland Athletics catcher and current Mexican league player, Bruce Maxwell. Bruce talks about being born in Germany, the joy of seeing himself in a video game and partying it up at Oktoberfest. We chat about growing up in Alabama, idolizing Ken Griffey Jr., and why he only started catching in college. We hear about Bruce's draft day story, reporting to the minors and playing with some of the future stars of baseball. Bruce tells us about his time in the minors, we hear an awesome story about how he found out he was getting called up to The Show, and his first year in the league. We discuss the horrible minor league pay, what happened with the Mets, and his injury that caused him to get Tommy John surgery. Bruce shares why he signed with the Mexican league, the passion of the fans, the amazing food, and the MLB's that are playing down there. Bruce let’s us know about the cool memorabilia he owns, why he proposed to his wife two times, and why he thinks Alabama will win the natty this year in football. We finish up with Bruce's awesome story about meeting and hanging with Griffey, his friendship with Uncle Coco Crisp, and much more!
Follow Bruce here: https://www.instagram.com/bruce.maxwell8/ -
Joined today by former Light Heavyweight Champion of the world, "The Pittsburgh Kid" Paul Spadfora. Paul and I talk about his upcoming trip to Italy, how he proposed to his fiancé, and what Pittsburgh food he misses the most. We discuss him training his son, Geno, the similarities and differences with them and his biggest gripe with how younger boxers are trained today. We chat about him dropping out of school in 9th grade, boxing at 11 years old, meeting his mentor PK and hear an insane story about a high speed car chase that led to Paul getting shot at 16 years old. Paul analyzes the current state of boxing, his thoughts on Crawford, Fury fighting Francis and why he thinks Tyson is the greatest heavyweight of all time. He tells us about his amateur career, turning pro and that legendary night when he beat Cardona for the belt. We hear about how his life changed after winning the title, why he couldn't say no to his childhood friends and the reason he stayed in Pittsburgh so long. He shares why he believes he never got the dream matchup against Gatti, being trained by Emanuel Steward, and being a student of the sweet science. Paul also lets us know about the book being written about him that is coming out in October, still battling his demons and the HOPE he provides people battling addiction. All this plus texting with Roy Jones, when he's going back to the gym and his favorite TV shows.
Follow Paul here and be on the lookout for his upcoming book
https://www.instagram.com/paulspadaforaofficial/ -
Joined today by the former Light Heavyweight Champion, Sergei "The Krusher" Kovalev. Sergei rants about his broken iPhone, what he was doing in NYC and the food he misses most from Russia. The Champ then talks about his love for hockey, starting his son playing at a young age, his son's talents and why he thinks his son is gravitating more towards soccer. We chat about why Sergei started boxing at the age of 11, what he loved about the sweet science, and what motivated him to turn pro after over 200 amateur fights. He tells us about his non-stop early boxing schedule, why he almost quit boxing after an opponent passed away after a fight with the Krusher, and that life-changing moment in Wales when he beat Nathan Cleverly to win the world title. We hear about the after party, how he made his fights look so easy and his training schedule. Sergei talks about unifying the titles in his epic fight with Bernard Hopkins, his rocket ship to stardom, being the Ring magazine fighter of the year and what drove him to stay hungry and motivated. Sergei opens up about his controversial loss to Andre Ward, how the second loss really opened his eyes to eating healthy and why he doesn't respect Ward for retiring instead of giving him what the fans wanted, a 3rd fight. We discuss him finally getting to fight in front of his home fans in Russia against Anthony Yarde, how emotional that fight was and the hurdles that went through booking it. I question the Champ about why he took the Canelo fight only TWO months after the Yarde fight and Sergei explains all the behind the scenes nonsense he had to deal with to get that fight. We talk about moving up to cruiserweight, beating the undefeated Pulev, and when we can expect to see him next in the ring. We hear why he doesnt watch TV, the last celebrity he took a photo with and when he is able to buy a new phone. All this with the former Champ!!
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Joined today by author of the new book "Cage Kings: How an Unlikely Group of Moguls, Champions, and Hustlers Transformed the UFC into a 10 Billion Dollar Industry", Michael Thomsen. Michael talks about growing up in California, joining the Peace Corps, living in Madagascar and finally settling down in the Big Apple. We chat about his new book, the research that went into writing it, devoting over 3 years of his life to it and finally releasing it three years after the proposed date. Michael talks about what drew him to the UFC, the early ideas for the octagon involving a moat, plexiglass, and electricity, and the violence of the early UFC matches. We chat about Dana White in the early stages of the UFC, selling t-shirts out of his trunk and going to best buy and putting the UFC DVD's up front and how that transformed him into what he is today. We hear about the importance of the Diaz brothers, Rousey, Couture, and McGregor and how each carried a certain era of the UFC. Mike tells us about the self-sustainable UFC, from their headquarters to their facilities and the access they gave him (and didn't give him). We hear how Spike TV and reality TV really put the UFC on the map and how there seems to be no slowing it down. After dedicating years of his life to this book, he answers if did that made him more of a fan or less of a fan, will there ever be a retirement health care plan for these fighters and many other questions he tries to answer. We even chat about eye gouging fighting from the 1700's. All this and more with Michael Thomsen.
Follow him here: https://twitter.com/mike_thomsen?lang=en -
Joined today by Patrick Bringley, author of the memoir "All The Beauty in the World: The Metropolitan Museum of Art and Me". Patrick and I talk about him moving from Chicago to New York, switching allegiances from the White Sox to the Mets, and the behind the scenes work that a radio play by play guy does. Patrick tells us about working for the New Yorker and why his brother's illness and tragic passing led to his departure and finding work as a security guard at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. We chat about when Patrick decided to write this book, when he knew he had a hit and what he did when he saw someone buying his book. Patrick shares writing this different type of book where he opened up as a the narrator and still talked about the fascinating pieces of art at the Met. We discuss past thefts in the museum, the similarities of the MET guards to police officers, the secret tunnels under the museum and how he made the time pass. Ten years as a security guard, Patrick talks about what changed over that time, how he changed and when he knew it was time to retire. We go over his favorite pieces of art, the mistakes the curators make and the most annoying types of visitors. We hear about celebrities' that have been in the MET (not for the gala), what he's up to now, and how he snagged Jeff Wilpon's phone number.
All this and more
Check out Patrick's IG here: https://www.instagram.com/patrickbringley/
His website: https://www.patrickbringley.com/
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