Giving Thanks for Family and My Life in Sports

vSportsTalk - By Gil Vieira

Thanksgiving…my favorite holiday. I also love the true meaning of Christmas, but it has become far too commercialized.  Is there anything better than gathering with family and being thankful for our life together? There’s a saying that hits home every time I hear it…”Traditions are stories that families write together…keep writing our tradition.”  With the loss of my parents a number of years ago, our family traditions will continue to be written by my nephew,…

Jeff Idelson, Longtime President of the Baseball Hall of Fame & Museum, Joins Mick and Mook on 11/24

Upcoming Guest

Jeff Idelson was President of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, New York from 2008 through 2018, and again in 2021.  As President, Idelson oversaw the daily operation of the non-profit, educational institution, whose mission is to preserve history, honor excellence, and connect generations. Idelson joined the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum on September 26, 1994, as director of public relations and promotions. In June 1999, he was promoted…

RUNNING SUCKS, BUT…

Inside Will's Brain - By Will Peterman

Never in my life have I been in super good shape. I’ve always been one of those guys who goes to the gym just often enough to keep the status quo. I’d usually run or ride the bike for a while, but I always half-assed it for one simple reason: cardio is the worst. It’s so boring. It takes so long. And I get so unbelievably sweaty (seriously, I look like the pilot from Airplane when I…

Emmy Award Winning Director, Shelly Jenson, Joins ‘MMM’ 11/17

Upcoming Guest

A Mick A Mick and A Mic is proud to welcome EMMY Award winning director Shelley Jensen on the episode scheduled to air November 17. Shelley has directed many of TV’s most iconic series.  Best known for introducing the world to Will Smith’s acting talents as the Director of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Shelley has gone on to direct multiple episodes of Friends, Suddenly Susan, Drew Carey, Hot in Cleveland and Shake It Up…

Happy Veterans Day…1969, Mud Amidst the Mangroves

By Billy O’Connor (Da Mick)

When I was nineteen, I was stationed in a remote Laotian village bordering the Mekong River. I was an Irish kid from the Bronx, nearly 14,000 miles from home. It had been a twenty-two-hour plane ride to get, “in country” and another four excruciating hours strapped to a cloth harness attached to the perimeter of a cargo plane to arrive in Nakhon Phenom, a town Bob Hope called, “the armpit of the world.” My first day…

When Did Sports Analysts Become Comedic Buffoons?

vSportsTalk - By Gil Vieira

Here’s a tip right off the top for sports analysts, especially the pre and post-game commentators….leave comedy to the professionals. October has always been utopia for sports fanatics. The month showcases Major League Baseball Playoffs and World Series, the National Football League is well underway, and the NBA and NHL kick-off their seasons.  It’s the preeminent sports month that likely bestowed upon men the ominous title of ‘couch potatoes.’ With all the major sports showcased…

Dr. Tom Monahan, a Staff Sergeant during the Vietnam War, Salutes Vietnam Vets with Mick & Mook on 11/10

Upcoming Guest

Dr. Tom Monaghan, who holds a Doctorate in Education, was a Staff Sergeant during the Vietnam War. He, Frank and Billy will honor Vietnam Veterans in a special episode of A Mick A Mook and A Mic on November 10th. Born in the Bronx, New York, he went to college in Syracuse and earned a degree in history.  After graduating in 1968, he enlisted in the Army. Tom did his basic training and AIT at…

Songwriter Hall of Famer, Steve Dorff, Joins Mick & Mook on 11/3

Upcoming Guest

Steve Dorff, a 3-time Grammy and 6-time Emmy nominated songwriter, will join Frank and Billy on the November 3rd episode of A Mick A Mook and A Mic.  Honored as a 2018 Inductee to the prestigious Songwriter’s Hall of Fame in NYC, Dorff has written songs sung by the likes of Barbra Streisand, Kenny Rogers, Celine Dion, Whitney Houston, Anne Murray, George Strait, Garth Brooks and countless others, while also establishing himself as a gifted…

Remembering Peter Scolari

Guest Blogger

I met Peter in the days of our golden youth, on the playing fields of the Sepulveda Basin where we were teammates on the ‘Ten Guys From Italy’ softball team. I was still an occasionally working actor with a number of failed pilots and series behind me and one spec script written in my peripatetic journey to a career, and Peter was ridiculously successful. On the diamond, Peter was just a sweetheart of a guy…

Frank Sinatra Confidant, Tony O, Joins Mick and Mook on 10/27

Upcoming Guest

Tony Oppedisano, aka “Tony O”, is a former musician and singer who went on to become an award-winning producer. He served as a member of Frank Sinatra’s management team, and also managed comedian Don Rickles.   Tony was only twenty-one when he first met and befriended Frank Sinatra.  Tony later became the singer’s confidante, best friend and road manager. He was a contributor to two of Sinatra’s platinum albums and a producer of the documentary…

On Hitting the Big 3-0

Inside Will's Brain - By Will Peterman

I turned 30 a couple of weeks ago and it’s left me with a strange mix of emotions: existential dread, pining for the days when I was “young”, and a weird feeling of calm. It’s always been this number of frightening size, this self-imposed deadline constantly looming in the future, but like almost everything else in life that one dreads, it’s so much worse in your mind than it is in reality! It goes without…

Brett Butler, MLB All-Star, Joins ‘MMM’ on 10/20

Upcoming Guest

Former Major League Baseball All Star centerfielder, Brett Butler, joins Mick and Mook on Wednesday, October 20th. Butler played 17-years in MLB with the Braves, Indians, Giants, Dodgers and Mets. He played in 2,213 games and accumulating 2,375 hits with a career batting average of .290. He was a National League All-Star in 1991, while playing with the Los Angeles Dodgers.  Post his playing career, Brett managed in the Minor Leagues for five years and…

MLB Playoffs: A Different Game from the Regular Season

vSportsTalk - By Gil Vieira

Make no mistake, baseball remains America’s pastime.  While the National Football League may be America’s favorite sport to watch, we ‘pass time’ (over 8-months of the year, including Spring Training) watching baseball.  And while some may think baseball is boring, which it can be at times during a long, 162-game regular season, try watching playoff baseball. It’s an entirely different game and very exciting. Have you been watching the 2021 MLB Playoffs? At the time…

ON CHATTING WITH GRANDMA

Inside Will's Brain - By Will Peterman

Recently I had the absolute pleasure of taking a trip to Madison Wisconsin to visit my 98 (count it NINETY-EIGHT) year old grandmother, Ruthie. Because of the pandemic, everyone’s busy lives, and the fact that we live about 2,000 miles apart, this was the first time I’d seen my Grandma in person in three years. Obviously, it’s always special to get to spend time with a grandparent but getting to talk to Ruthie as she…

Faith Ford, 5x Emmy Award Nominee, Joins Mick & Mook on 10/13

Upcoming Guest

The October 13th episode of A Mick A Mook and A Mic will feature multi-talented actress, Faith Ford. Faith is a recipient of five Emmy Award nominations and two Golden Globe Award nominations for eleven season portrayal of reporter ‘Corky Sherwood’ on the CBS series “Murphy Brown.”  She also starred in the ABC hit comedy series “Hope & Faith” with Kelly Ripa for three seasons and later on “Norn” opposite Norm Mc Donald and Laurie…

Jim Maloney, Reds HOF Pitcher, Joins ‘MMM’ on October 6th

Upcoming Guest

Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame Pitcher, Jim Maloney, joins ‘A Mick A Mook and A Mic’ on Wednesday, October 6th.  The former Reds right-hander was one of the premier pitchers in Major League Baseball during the 1960s, when he threw two no-hitters and was a two-time 20-game winner. During the 60s, Jim was one of the hardest throwers in Major League Baseball, as he was ‘clocked’ at 99 miles-per-hour!  In his shortened career, due to…

Before My Sports Career the Mafia Came Calling

vSportsTalk - By Gil Vieira

After graduating from college and prior to entering the Sports Industry, my life was filled with some precarious characters – none of whom my father, a police officer, would have approved. However, it was a time that surely provided me with interesting stories…and a better appreciation for being alive. It all began with my first job, post-college. I became a sales representative for a beer and wine distributor. The main beer sold was Narragansett.  ‘Narry’…

Perry Rogers, CEO of a Sports Mgmt. Firm (That Manages Shaq), Joins ‘MMM’ on 9/29

Upcoming Guest

Perry Rogers is the CEO and founder of PRP, a sports management and corporate consulting company with a client roster including NBA Hall-of-Famer Shaquille O’Neal, Boston Celtic Jayson Tatum and Jonathan Isaac of the Orlando Magic. He is also an investor and part owner of HEXX Kitchen + Bar and BEER PARK, located at the Paris Casino in Las Vegas. Rogers has aligned O’Neal with brands such as American Express, Icy Hot, Gold Bond, Zales,…

On The 30,000 Foot View

Inside Will's Brain - By Will Peterman

I have strange relationships with lots of things. We were born before the internet was widespread enough to have the all-consuming impact it had on Gen Z, but it certainly shaped us. Music went from tapes to CDs to mp3s to streaming at light speed (and at some point, vinyl came back?), never settling in on one format for too long during our lives. The same goes for phones and video games and government surveillance!…

Commander David Scott: Astronaut Who Walked on the Moon Joins Mick & Mook on 9/22

Upcoming Guest

  Colonel David Scott was the Commander of Apollo 15 Moon mission in 1971.  Col Scott was the first man to drive the Lunar Rover on the Moon and is one of only four surviving astronauts to have walked on the Moon’s surface. Col Scott flew to space three times in this illustrious career.  His maiden voyage was on Gemini 8 with Neil Armstrong, when he became the second man to walk in space.  The…

Actress, Singer and Author, Adrienne Barbeau, Joins Mick & Mook 9/15

Upcoming Guest

The multi-talented Adrienne Barbeau will be featured on the September 15th podcast of A Mick A Mook and A Mic. Barbeau, a highly acclaimed actress, is also a singer and author of three books. She came to prominence in the 1970s as Broadway’s original Rizzo in the musical Grease, and as Carol Traynor in the sitcom, Maude, featuring Bea Arthur. In 1978, Barbeau’s ‘hot’ poster confirmed her status as a Hollywood sex symbol. Her first…

September 11, 2001

By Billy O’Connor (Da Mick)

“Don’t tell me what you remember,” I said.  I leaned in and looked Twiggy squarely in the eyes. “I want you to tell me what you absolutely cannot forget.” I was asking my brother firefighter that question because I was doing research for a book that has since been published called Combustible.  Although the Twin Towers had collapsed more than a decade earlier, Twiggy’s head immediately collapsed into the palms of his hands, voice quivering,…

9/11: Have We Forgotten? And What Happened to ‘Leave No One Behind’?

vSportsTalk - By Gil Vieira

Windows on the World Restaurant, World Trade Center For those who follow this blog, you know that I occasionally depart from sports. This is one of those occasions. Like many, I vividly remember where I was when I heard of the first plane crashing into the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001.  Upon hearing, I quickly got in front of my television and watched the heartbreaking events unfold in real time.  When the second…

Chief Richard Picciotto, 9/11 First Responder, Joins Mick & Mook on 9/8

Upcoming Guest

Chief Richard Picciotto is the highest ranking firefighter to survive the World Trade Center collapse. On September 11, 2001, FDNY Battalion Chief Richard “Pitch” Picciotto answered the call heard around the world. In minutes, he was at Ground Zero of the worst terrorist attack on American soil, as the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center began to burn–and then to buckle.    Trapped in Stairwell B when the North Tower collapsed, Chief Picciotto and the…

Through Toughest of Times, UFC, MMA Emerge as Constants in an Uncertain Sports World

Guest Blogger

Summary: As the world has been turned into disarray during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ultimate Fighting Championship took the lead in returning to action and provided a reprieve from the doldrums, with stars such as Israel Adesanya, Jorge Masvidal, Amanda Nunes, Dustin Poirier, Kamaru Usman and Conor McGregor leading the way. Nearly 28 years ago, UFC 1 “The Beginning” took place.  Roughly 16 years ago, The Ultimate Fighter aired its first season and mixed martial…