Just a regular New York City guy who gets to interview some pretty amazing people... A conversation/hangout podcast with friends, athletes, authors, celebrities, fighters, and the world's most fascinating people "the greatest podcast ever" - My Mom
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Joined today by former MLB outfielder Kevin Mench. Kevin talks about growing up in Delaware, remaining a loyal fan of the Eagles and Flyers, and why he eventually made Texas home, and why he is trying to convince me to move to the Lone Star State. We chat about his popular Instagram page, how he became a fan of Bob Marley, hanging out with George W. Bush, and the work he does to support wounded…
Joined today by Guinness World Record holder Lhakpa Sherpa, the woman with the most Mount Everest summits by any woman in history and the star of the hit Netflix documentary "Mountain Queen: The Summits of Lhakpa Sherpa". We chat about her incredible journey from growing up in Nepal to becoming one of the world's greatest mountaineers, her new family-run hiking company, and all of the sacrifices…
Joined today by Chess Grandmaster, and former number 3 player in the world, and current Director of Development for the International Chess Federation (FIDE), the legendary Nigel Short. Nigel and I chat into how we first met in the remote island of Kiribati, and from there, we talk about the incredible work he does bringing chess to every corner of the world. He shares what it’s like to build and…
Joined today by former Major League Baseball pitcher, Daniel McCutchen. Daniel and I talk about his journey from growing up in Oklahoma to making it to the majors and then becoming a father of four and now running his own car wash business. He talks about going largely un-recruited out of high school and somehow turning that into a pro career where he got drafted four times, twice by the Yankees.…
Joined today by wrestling icon and Co-Owner of OVW, Al Snow. Al gives us a journey through the wacky wrestling business. We hear about the match that inspired him, at 14 years old, that he was going to be a professional wrestler and what it took to finally break in. We hear about his first match in 1982 and the moment he finally got the call from WWF. Al talks about the life of a jobber, the…
Joined today by former junior welterweight & welterweight world champion, Hall of Famer, and legendary boxing trainer Buddy McGirt. Buddy talks about what brought him to London, training fighters around the world, and what he misses most about living in Florida. We dive growing up in Brentwood, Long Island, famously starting boxing at age 12, and how his head size convinced him football wasn’t the…
Joined today with New York Times best-selling author and trailblazing sportswriter, Jane Leavy. Jane talks about growing up in New York City, the foods she misses most, and what it was like to throw out the ceremonial first pitch at Yankee Stadium. Jane shares stories from her groundbreaking career at The Washington Post , covering everything from the Olympics to Ronald Reagan, and opens up about…
Joined today by Thor Pedersen , the only person in history to visit every country in the world without flying. He's also the author of the awesome new book, The Impossible Journey: An Incredible Voyage Through Every Country in the World Without Flying . Thor opens up about what it really took to complete this one-of-a-kind odyssey, a journey he thought would take four years but ended up lasting a…
Joined today by former world welterweight champion, boxing analyst, and host of The PorterWay Podcast ... Shawn “Showtime” Porter. We start off off with life after boxing, from Shawn’s successful podcast (The "PorterWay") and his boxing commentary to an unexpected venture into the suit business. He opens up about what he enjoys most about podcasting, his dream interview guests, and what sets him…
Todd Marinovich – Football, Art, and Redemption Joined by former NFL quarterback, author, and artist Todd Marinovich . Todd gives me real estate advice about moving to Hawaii, shares his favorite local foods, and confesses his weakness for California’s iconic In-N-Out Burger. We dive into family life, including a heartwarming (and hilarious) story about his daughter Coco painting his nails—and how…
"The Ghost & The Power" — Kelly Pavlik & Will Rosinsky Talk Boxing, Brotherhood, and Life After the Ring Joined by former Middleweight Champion of the World, Kelly “The Ghost” Pavlik. I surprise him with my co-host: my brother-in-law and Kelly’s final opponent in the ring, Will “Power” Rosinsky. We kick things off by diving into that memorable fight between Kelly and Will: how it came about, the…
Joined today by former FBI undercover agent and bestselling author, Scott Payne. Listen as he shares the powerful story behind his new book, Code Name: Pale Horse – How I Went Undercover to Expose America’s Nazis . Scott opens up about his life as a devoted “girl dad,” the little things his daughters do that melt his heart, and the challenges and joys of fatherhood. He reflects on his upbringing…
Joined today by psychiatrist, researcher, and author, Dr. Rick Strassman. Rick shares his fascinating journey, from growing up in California during the '60s to developing a lifelong passion for chemistry, ultimately leading him to become known as the "Father of DMT." He discusses his groundbreaking book DMT: The Spirit Molecule and his latest work, My Altered States , along with a deep dive into…
Today, we’re joined by New York Times best-selling author David Grann. In this conversation, David opens up about his New York roots, his passion as a die-hard Knicks fan, and why he’ll never approach someone reading his book in public. He shares stories of defying his mother’s wishes to pursue his writing dream, his unexpected moment as an answer on Jeopardy , and the honor of making it onto…
Joined today by American long-distance runner and Olympic hopeful, CJ Albertson. We dive into his upbringing in Clovis, California, including his childhood playing on a stacked little league baseball team and when he decided to fully dedicate himself to running. CJ shares his journey to Arizona State, the other schools he was considering, and the memorable (and awkward) story of how he first asked…
Join us today for an incredible conversation with MLB veteran, former New York Yankee, and professional bodybuilder Kyle Farnsworth. In this episode, Kyle opens up about his beautiful family, his love for dogs, and his passion for hunting. He shares his journey from getting cut from his high school baseball team to being drafted by the Cubs, discussing his decision to attend junior college before…
Join us today for an engaging conversation with author and investigative journalist, Alex Cuadros. Alex shares his personal journey, from growing up in New Mexico to moving to New York for college, and ultimately making the bold decision to leave his job and immerse himself in the heart of Latin and South America as a journalist. Alex is the author of the fascinating new book "When We Sold God's…
Joined today by Super Bowl champion Martin Gramática. Martin talks about being a child in ‘86 when Argentina won the World Cup, how he celebrated the last year of them winning the Cup, and his superstitions watching the games. We then chat about Martin’s stud son dominating at USF, playing in the bowl game, and how he tries to give him advice. Martin shares how he started playing football as a…
Joined today by the number two competitive food eater in the world and the 2024 Nathan‘s hot dog eating champion, Patrick Bartolo. Patrick talks about growing up in Chicago, going to culinary school and opening up his restaurant Taco In a Bag. We go over how his love of food and eating got him into the world of competitive food eating. We chat about his time on America’s Got Talent where he ate…
Joined today, by UFC legend, Mark the Filipino wrecking machine Muñoz. Mark talks about being a Lolo (grandfather), becoming a comic book superhero in the loop with a vengeance comic series, and his superhero skills. He shares what life was like, growing up in California, how bullying led him to wrestling and why he chose to go to Oklahoma State. We hear about his first experience meeting a cowboy…
Joined today by former UFC Champion and Founder/CEO of Wild Society Nutrition, T.J. Dillashaw. T.J. talks about growing up in California, wrestling as a child and his collegiate career at Cal State Fullerton. We go over the science of food, recovery and his amazing new company, Wild Society Nutrition. We hear about the process of creating protein powders, beef jerky and all his other products.…
Joined today by the former heavyweight champion of the world, Chris Byrd. Chris reminisces about growing up in Flint, Michigan with 8 siblings, why Boxing was the only thing for him, and his insane amateur career which included over 285 wins. Chris shares why they are calling him “Healthy Byrd”, and after 11 years of pain all over his body how his diet finally resurrected him. Chris and I talk…
Joined today, all the way from the Philippines, UFC alumni and current competitor in bare knuckle fighting, Rolando Dy. Rolando and I talk about growing up in the Philippines, being a girl dad, and some of his favorite foods. We then chat about his viral moment when he proposed to his girlfriend, after one of his fights, and we hear the funny story of how he met her, and their first date. He…
Joined today with UFC alumni, the Filipino phenom Eddie Yagin. Eddie and I discuss healthy eating, our crazy diet, how we were lied to about the food pyramid, and when we became knowledgeable about what we put in our body. Eddie tells about growing up in Hawaii getting shot at the age of 16 and ending up in prison before his 20th birthday. We talk about what got him into mixed martial arts,…
Joined today by New York Times Best-selling author, Caitlin Rother. Caitlin talks about growing up in La Jolla, attending Cal Berkley for psychology and then Northwestern for journalism. We go over her early career, working in Massachusetts, getting fired, being an investigative journalist in San Diego and finally making the move to be a full-time author. She reminisces about how she found out she…
Joined today by New York Times best selling author, Keith O’Brien. Keith reminisces about growing up in Cincinnati, attending Northwestern and his favorite alumni. Due to my obsession with UK, we chat about his first book “Outside Shot” about Kentucky High School basketball. Then, Keith tells us about finding out he was a New York Times best selling author, how he got notified, and any pressure he…
Joined today by reporter and author of the new book "The New York Game: Baseball and the Rise of a New City", Kevin Baker. Kevin shares about writing for the local newspaper at age 13, moving to NYC in the 70's and what the Big Apple was like back then. We chat about his new book, spanning from the Civil War - World War 2. The research that went into it, how he juggled writing about the city, the…
Joined today by reporter and author of the eye-opening book “Death Row Welcomes You”, Steven Hale. Steve and I chat about growing up in Florida, why he attended Auburn and of course some Tigers football players. We talk about Alabama, Tennessee, and New York food, what’s going on with the police scandals in Tennessee, and what he’ll do if he sees someone reading his new book. We get to “Death Row…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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,…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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,…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
Joined today by former Atlanta Brave Pitcher, Madison Younginer. Madison talks about growing up in South Carolina, the food he misses most when he's on the road and other sports he played as a child. We chat about being the Gatorade player of the year in South Carolina, what other schools besides Clemson had a shot at getting him, and how crazy his H.S. games were with all the scouts. We go over…
Joined today by former Eagles legend and New Orleans Saint, Hollis "Tank" Thomas. Hollis talks about growing up in St. Louis, why he didn't play football until High School, and when the moment was that Hollis knew he wanted to play defense. He tells us why he chose to attend Northern Illinois, checking the mock drafts and making a highlight VHS tape and sending them out to all 30 NFL teams. We…
