Joey Banks – Actor, Stuntman and Son of Baseball HOFer Ernie Banks Joins Mick & Mook on 7/12

Upcoming Guest

Joey Banks, the son of the legendary Chicago Cubs Hall of Fame icon, Ernie Banks, will join Billy and Frank on the July 12th episode of A Mick A Mook and A Mic. On this fascinating episode, Joey talks about the pressures, benefits, and drawbacks of growing up in the spotlight of his iconic father  He speaks fondly of playing catch at Wrigley Field with Hall of Famers Billy Williams and Ron Santo. Joey also…

A Night with Fellow HOFers – and Remembering the “Castle on the Hill”
By Gil Vieira

vSportsTalk - By Gil Vieira

I’ve written a little in the past about my historic hometown of Fairhaven, Massachusetts. Located on Massachusetts’ south coast on picturesque Buzzards Bay, it’s about halfway between Providence, Rhode Island and Cape Cod. It was the site of the first naval battle in the Revolutionary War, which was fought off the beachfront of Fort Phoenix – the guardian of the Fairhaven-New Beford Harbor and the largest fishing fleet in America at the time – and…

The Over the Hill Gang…Swings Again!
By Frank Pace

theMook - by Frank Pace (The Mook)

When Thomas Wolfe wrote You Can’t Go Home Again in 1940, the classic novel proposed that nostalgia causes one to view the past in an overly positive light. Going home is never as good as one remembers. The Writers Guild strike in Los Angeles inadvertently gave me the opportunity to test Wolfe’s theory.   l flew in from California to attend a loosely organized reunion of my childhood friends. We grew up playing baseball on the sandlots and…

India de Beaufort, co-star of the NBC hit series, ‘Night Court,’ Joins Mick & Mook on 6/28

Upcoming Guest

Actor and singer, India de Beaufort, will be the guest of Frank and Billy on the June 28th podcast of A Mick A Mook and A Mic.  India currently stars as assistant district attorney, Olivia Moore, in the NBC revived hit series, Night Court.  She  has acted in many films and television shows, including NCIS, Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist, Veep, Modern Family  and One Day At A Time.  In 2020, India released her single titled “Crack”.  Born Southwest of London in Kingston…

Actor Billy Moses Joins M&M 7/14

Upcoming Guest

William (Billy) Moses has delighted audiences since he broke into television on the TV series Falcon Crest, as a 21-year-old Cole Gioberti. Billy starred in Falcon Crest for six seasons. Moses then delighted audiences in Mystic Pizza (opposite Julia Roberts), Perry Mason, How to Get Away with Murder (opposite Viola Davis), and so many more, including a just recently completed turn on General Hospital. A terrific storyteller, Billy weaves tales about his 40 plus year career and…

The Beatles Meet Elvis
By Roy Firestone

Up Close with Roy Firestone

It happened nearly 58 years ago. One of the most significant meetings between the greatest forces in pop music history – meeting for one historic night . The date was August 27th, 1965, and the Beatles were on “fumes”. That is, they were dead tired, exhausted really. They had been touring almost non-stop, done hundreds of interviews, filmed two full length movies, and were asked to turn out three new albums a year. It was…

NBA: The New King of Flopping
By Gil Vieira

vSportsTalk - By Gil Vieira

Step aside soccer, there’s a new king in town. And, no, I don’t mean King Charles III. For years, soccer players were considered the biggest floppers in sports…and rightfully so. It was one of the few reasons why I, along with many other Americans, couldn’t embrace the sport. Players flopping all over the soccer field, known as the ‘pitch,’ were difficult to watch. And this comes from one of Portuguese decent – with all my…

THE GOLDEN AGE OF LATE NIGHT HAS COME & GONE
by Roy Firestone

Up Close with Roy Firestone

Jimmy Fallon’s late-night audience is now about 2 million. When he began his show, it was an audience of 11 million. But he’s not alone. All late-night talk show’s audiences are down considerably and there are many reasons. Too many shows, too many clips of its best moments can be seen online….streaming…and frankly, boredom. Look, I’m a political person and I loved great political humor when it was beginning. But every night, every SINGLE night…

Umpire Joe West & Columnist T.J. Simers Join M&M on 5/17

Upcoming Guest

Mick and Mook go out on a limb when they put together jovial MLB Umpiring Legend Joe West and his record setting 5,460 games over 43 seasons with LA’s Sportswriter of the Year, and often acerbic and always controversial, T.J Simers. Will it be a combustible combination or will the two get along seamlessly like Bert and Ernie of Sesame Street fame? You won’t want to miss this podcast folks. It airs on the May…

Photojournalist John Filo Discusses His Iconic Kent State Photo with Mick & Mook on 5/31

Upcoming Guest

Pulitzer Prize winning photojournalist John Filo, whose picture of 14-year-old runaway Mary Ann Vecchio screaming while kneeling over the dead body of 20-year-old Jeffrey Miller on the Kent State campus, will join Billy and Frank on the May 17episode of A Mick A Mook and A Mic. The iconic photo horrified the world and turned the tide of the Vietnam War. Now, on the 53rd anniversary of that historic day in Ohio, John will recount in detail to Billy and…

Multi-Talented Actor, Rider Strong, Joins Mick & Mook on 5/3

Upcoming Guest

Rider Strong, best known for starring as Shawn Hunter on the ABC sitcom Boy Meets World, which he reprised in its sequel series Girl Meets World, will be joining Billy and Frank on the May 3rd episode of A Mick A Mook and A Mic.  In addition to his acting talents, Rider is also a producer, director, and screenwriter. He also hosts with his Boy Meets World co-stars, Will Friedle and Danille Fishel, on the…

ON APPOINTMENT VIEWING
by Will Peterman

Inside Will's Brain - By Will Peterman

Streaming has been one of the biggest changes to how we consume media in my lifetime. I was born during the era of VHS tapes, I grew up at the dawn of DVDs, and I became a disgusting teenage gremlin right around the dawn of YouTube. The thing about all of these consumption methods is that you weren’t usually watching any new traditional media. You could watch Fast and Furious: Tokyo Drift as many times…

Legendary Pitcher, Jim Palmer, Joins M&M 4/19

Upcoming Guest

Jim Palmer, one of the greatest pitchers in Major League Baseball history, will be  joining Billy and Frank on the April 19thepisode of A Mick A Mook and A Mic. Palmer, the winningest MLB pitcher during the 1970s with 186 wins, has also won 3 Cy Young Awards as the best pitcher in MLB. He was also a 20-game winner in eight seasons and is the winningest pitcher in Baltimore Orioles history with 268 wins.…

Baseball Memories and My Favorite MLB Pitchers
By Gil Vieira

vSportsTalk - By Gil Vieira

Since learning that Jim Palmer, the great Hall of Fame pitcher of the Baltimore Orioles, will be an upcoming guest on the podcast, A Mick A Mook and A Mic, many fond baseball memories came to mind. While I played three sports in my younger days, baseball was my favorite…and probably the one in which I played best. Since I lived only a short walk to a park with three baseball fields, I remember playing…

Remembering Don Rickles
by Roy Firestone

Up Close with Roy Firestone

(Ed. Note:  Frank Pace – The Mook – produced Don Rickles series, DADDY DEAREST. Frank didn’t write this blog, but he could have.) ,Don Rickles has been gone for exactly 6 years. He made it to the age of 90, and for about 65 of those years, Don Rickles made people laugh…and laugh hard. Not all people found Don funny, and that’s fine. If he wasn’t your cup of tea, or if he made you…

Songwriter, D. Vincent Williams, Joins M&M on 4/12

Upcoming Guest

David Vincent Williams is a country music singer-songwriter who has written over 550 songs. His songs have been recorded and released by major country recording artists, including: “I’m Movin‘ On” by Rascal Flatts, Ty Herndon’s “Hands of a Working Man” and James Otto’s “Just Got Started Lovin’ You”. Williams will be joining Billy and Frank on the April 12th episode of A Mick A Mook and A Mic. Born in Houston, Texas, Williams spent his…

Parity in Sports…Good or Bad?
By Gil Vieira

vSportsTalk - By Gil Vieira

With the 2023 Men’s Final Four decided, only one team heading to Houston has made it to the event before. UConn will be making their 6th Final Four appearance. The others – San Diego State, Florida Atlantic, and Miami have never been to the prestigious event. I guess gone are the days of North Carolina, UCLA, Duke, Kentucky, and Kansas making their regular appearances. I must admit, I’m not a college basketball fan as I…

Television and Film Actor, Julian Gant, Joins Mick & Mook on 4/5

Upcoming Guest

Julian Gant is a television and film actor who is widely recognized for his performance as Carter on the series Call Me Kat. He has also starred on Oddballs and the 2019 series Good Girls. Gant will be joining Billy and Frank on the April 5th episode of A Mick A Mook and A Mic Julian, born in Detroit, made his professional acting debut on The Suite Life of Hudson & James in 2003. Recently, he guest-starred on a 2020…

Basketball Hall of Famer, Artis Gilmore, Joins M&M on March 29

Upcoming Guest

Artis Gilmore, one of the greatest centers in the history of professional basketball, will join Billy and Frank on the March 29th episode of A Mick A Mook and A Mic. Inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2011, Gilmore played for the Chicago Bulls, San Antonio Spurs, and Boston Celtics in the NBA, and the Kentucky Colonels of the former ABA. Artis was, arguably, the greatest player in the history of the ABA.…

The Ultimate Irishman
by Roy Firestone

Up Close with Roy Firestone

With Saint Patrick’s Day behind us, I’m reminded of all the great Irish actors, singers, inventors, scientists, and politicians. But I’d rather take this opportunity to mention my favorite Irish quipster, playwright, and author. Oscar Fingal O’Fflahertie Wills Wilde was an Irish poet and playwright. After writing in different forms throughout the 1880s, he became one of London’s most popular playwrights in the early 1890s. You may know his popular name…. Oscar Wilde. He lived…

Finally, Spring is Upon Us…Thank God!
By Gil Vieira

vSportsTalk - By Gil Vieira

Editor’s Note: A respite from sports talk with a lighthearted, personal piece, as we welcome in Spring. When you live by the water in New England, spring can’t come fast enough. Don’t get me wrong, I love my little beach house. It’s on a decent size lot with about 150’ of beachfront property overlooking beautiful Buzzard’s Bay. I’ve owned it for over 40-years. As an old guy who lives alone, my little piece of heaven…

Actor & Author Ryan Cassidy, of the Famous Cassidy Family, Joins Mick and Mook on 3/22

Upcoming Guest

Actor and Author, Ryan Cassidy, will join Billy and Frank on the March 22nd episode of A Mick A Mook and A Mic. Ryan recently authored the book, “James Cagney Was My Baby Sitter.” Ryan is the youngest of the famous Cassidy brothers and the son of Academy Award-Winner Shirley Jones for Elmer Gantry, plus the hit, The Music Man. Ryan embarked on an acting career after graduating from Beverly Hills High School. During this…

Dr. J Turns 73…And Remembers
by Roy Firestone

Up Close with Roy Firestone

If you merge the league stats of the NBA and ABA, which the NBA is considering for the record books, Julius Winfield Erving Jr. would easily rank in the Top 5 greatest players in pro basketball history. After all, in his five ABA seasons, Erving won three scoring titles. He also won three Most Valuable Player awards and two championships. During his 11-year NBA career, Erving was an All-Star each season, the MVP in 1981,…

Actor and Comedian, JC Currais, Joins M&M on 3/15

Upcoming Guest

JC Currais, a Cuban American comedian and actor, will be joining Billy and Frank on the March 15th episode of A Mick A Mook and A Mic.   JC grew up in Miami and first started stand-up comedy while enrolled at the University of Florida.  Currais’ stage presence is larger-than-life, and his performance style is high-energy. He has been on Conan and Comedy Central on TBS, and was named one of TBS’s Top Comics to…

Baseball is Back…Set Your Clock
By Gil Vieira

vSportsTalk - By Gil Vieira

You’ve got to love March. Spring is less than three weeks away…and MLB Spring Training has begun. As a die-hard baseball fan and one who loved to play the game, March couldn’t come fast enough for me, especially during my youth. And now, with a few years under my belt, I look forward to having something to watch every day. Hence, the reason baseball is America’s pastime – a way in which to pass time.…