Being an American is very strange. As I’m sure many of you know, it’s a nation filled with contradictions. From patriotism whenever the US Olympic athletes kick ass to shame when certain states refuse to vaccinate their population against a deadly pandemic that has killed millions of people (I’m not naming any names, I’m above that *cough**cough* Tennessee *cough**cough*). But, one of the contradictions that confuses me the most is the dichotomy between our “united…
Together, Laurel and Wendy Prieb have formed the most dynamic couple in baseball over the last 40-years. Since the 70s Laurel has served as an executive with the Twins, Brewers and now as a Vice President for Special Operations for Major League Baseball. Laurel may be the foremost authority alive today on Rod Carew. Wendy, a summa cum laude graduate of Marquette University Law School, was the only female president and CEO of a Major…
In the song ‘My Way,’ sung by Frank Sinatra and written by Paul Anka, there’s a famous line which reads; Regrets, I’ve had a few, but then again, too few to mention. A very meaningful song and line, especially as one gets older. For those who say they have no regrets, I say hogwash. If you have no regrets, I question the fullness of your life. Did you not take any chances in your lifetime? …
Registrants to the A Mick A Mook and A Mic Newsletter will be eligible to win aGeorge Lopez Bobblehead Doll. The winner will be announced on the August 25th podcast and in the ‘MMM’ newsletter distributed that week. Bobbleheads are all the rage again, and George Lopez is an iconic entertainer George’s multi-faceted career encompasses television, film, stand-up comedy, and late-night television, including co-creating, writing, producing, and starring in Warner Bros. Television’s groundbreaking hit sitcom George…
Discussions about choice and freedom are as old as history itself. From modern philosophy and religion back to Calvinism, Aristotle, and Plato, all the big wigs have pondered these existential conundrums. Are we in charge of our own choices, do we have a say on the direction and course of our lives? Is there a God (or gods) that chart our paths? Are our fates predetermined so that we merely live our lives like trains…
Michael Freed was Florida Trial Lawyer of the Year in 2020. He has a wealth of experience in the courtroom and arbitrations, administrative proceedings and other forms of dispute resolution. He serves as counsel for a variety of companies, with regular involvement in personnel matters, labor relations, contract negotiations, insurance, risk analysis and strategic planning. Mike is also a stand-up comic who performs regularly at the Comedy Zone in Jacksonville, Florida and at other clubs…
Upton Bell is a former National Football League executive. He is the son of former NFL Commissioner Bert Bell and Broadway actress Frances Upton. In 1971, at the age of 33, Bell became the youngest General Manager in the NFL when he was hired to lead (then known as) the Boston Patriots. One of Bell’s first moves was recommending to the Patriots’ Board of Directors that they change the name to the New England Patriots.…
On the July 28th episode of A Mick A Mook and A Mic, former New England Patriots’ General Manager, Upton Bell, gives us a behind the scene look at the National Football League. Son of former NFL Commissioner, Bert Bell, Upton discusses how his dad developed the NFL schedule on their kitchen table. He also divulges information regarding the feud between former Oakland Raiders principal owner and general manager Al Davis and then commissioner Pete…
Beneath sparkling brown eyes, and salt and pepper hair, he flashed a wry smile before pausing and uttering one deliberate sentence about a Sean O Casey play. “It reads good.” Author and movie star, Stephen Lang, had deliberately used bad grammar to make his point. The classically trained actor knew that my partner Frank Pace and I would get it. After all, we were writers of sorts too. Stephen was referring to Sean O Casey’s,…
My assistant said, “Carl Thomas is on the line.” Carl Thomas was the Vice President of Marketing for Speedo, the country’s leading swimwear manufacturer. Armen Keteyian and I were working as a two-man P.R. group for a small San Diego based marketing firm called The Phillips Organisation, Ltd. (That is the correct spelling). Speedo was our client. “Put Carl through,” I said. It was early 1982. Carl had just gotten off a plane from Kona, Hawaii. He…
Are you familiar with the term Genericide? Genericide is the term used when a brand legally loses its mark by reaching a point where the product name is no longer differentiated and is therefore synonymous with the generic product. For example: consumers say “Kleenex” when referring to facial tissue, regardless of the actual brand they’re using. In other words, brands can be destroyed by their own success – and Little League could be a Genericide…
A Mick A Mook and A Mic is pleased to announce that We Can Coffee Company will become an official Presenting Sponsor of the ‘MMM’ Podcast. The product will be introduced on the July 28th podcast. We Can Coffee Company offers freshly roasted to order premium blends of coffee, which is delivered to your front door. Their beans are carefully roasted in small batches to give their coffee a rich, smooth and fresh taste. We…
The July 21st episode of A Mick A Mook and A Mic will feature Dwight Hicks, the former San Francisco 49ers’ All-Pro, two-time Super Bowl Champion and current actor. A native of New Jersey, Dwight began his NFL career in 1979, and became a key player in the 49ers dynasty in the 1980s, winning Super Bowls in 1982 and 1985. He played Free Safety and was named to four consecutive Pro Bowls from 1981-1984. He…
Frank Pace has produced three movies and more than 700 hours of network television. A Valhalla High alumnus, he has been involved with some of the biggest names in sports and entertainment. Yet when he decided to write a book — “If These Lips Could Talk” — it wasn’t about him, but the people he met along the way, including a stop as a public-relations man in San Diego. Pace’s TV credits include producing the…
A Mick A Mook and A Mic Newsletter subscriber, Cheryl Pronchick of California, has won an autograph photo of the Murphy Brown cast, featuring Candice Bergen and our July 7th guest, Joe Regalbuto, among others. The winner was announced on July 14th. A Mick A Mook and A Mic conducts frequent drawings of unique products. To be eligible, simply sign-up for our Newsletter…it’s FREE! Come back to aMickaMookandaMic.com often to learn of our next product…
By Will Peterman | July 4, 2021Hydration is obviously a large part of being a person. We’re like 60% water, which is crazy because I’m still not even 60% sure writing weekly essays is a good idea…anyways, I’m pretty damn good at drinking water. I carry a big ‘ole silver water bottle with me basically everywhere I go. I fill that guy up like three or four times per day. At this point, I get…
While watching the NBA Playoffs, thoughts brought me back to my most memorable night at a NBA game. It was November, 1977. It was a game at The ‘Fabulous’ Forum in Los Angeles. It was the Chicago Bulls versus the LA Lakers. It was a battle of 7-footers…Artis Gilmore versus Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Allow me to set the stage… I had recently moved from a small town south of Boston to Marina Del Rey, California. I…
By Billy O’Connor, Retired NY City Firefighter and 9/11 First Responder. It happened in Florida. Of course, it did. It also happened in what might cynically be called history’s richest third-world country. Profit is always first and foremost in the USA. Don’t dwell on the dead. Never mind the rescue workers who will have to put their lives at risk. As the first responder’s efforts inevitably change from rescue to recovery, my heart breaks for…
It’s been a while, but I think the time is finally right: strap in because after a run of normal essays, I’m ready to drop another weird one. We live in a world dominated by capitalism and consumerism. Every time you buy a new product, it’s the best one they’ve ever made. It makes all previous versions obsolete! Without this new product, you’re nothing and nobody! But sometimes, there are products that theoretically last forever,…
With Father’s Day upon us, I’d like to take a break from sports and write about my Dad…a real life hero. Many children look to their fathers as their hero…and rightfully so. If you were lucky enough to have a Dad that gave you reason to think of him in that manner, be thankful. I hope you cherished him and continue to do so to this day, whether he’s still physically with you, or just…
My face lit up. Wow! Of all the gin joints in all the world? When she walked in, I was tending bar in a dollar beer joint on Wall Street, the one’s with a steam table for a quick lunch. Although clad in white shirt and tie, I was usually the kind of guy who showered after work, not before. A staunch union man, when I was reading to my young children, I started every…
Being an adult kind of sucks. I’m hardly the first person to posit this thought but it’s still true. Even the things that, as a kid, I looked forward to aren’t nearly as cool as I’d hoped they’d be: Driving a car? Sure, have fun in traffic on the way to work. Booze? Yeah beer is great, hangovers and beer guts though, not so much. A steady paycheck? AHAHAHAHAH! I’ll let you know when I…
Having a “thing” is great. It’s probably one of my favorite parts of being a sentient being. But what is a “thing”? Well it’s kind of like a hobby, but it can be much broader, much vaguer than just a hobby. It’s something that you’re thinking about during the middle of a work day. Something you’re excited to do, or watch, or just think about more over the weekend! One of the beautiful things about…
The tubercular character created in 1969s “Midnight Cowboy,” Ratzo Rizzo was as repulsive as he was unforgettable: a hacking, limping, confused miscreant struggling to survive amid a jungle of cement, conmen, and car horns. In 60-Truck, an FDNY firefighter named Jack Rizzi was well groomed, mannerly, and so honest that you could play craps with him over the phone. Because these two men were total opposites, the brothers Christened Jack Rizzi, “Ratzo Rizzi.” The…
Let me say right off the top…I hate ‘greatest’ lists – especially those offered by writers barely out of school. Kids ranking basketball greats who have never seen the likes of Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, Oscar Robertson or Jerry West play should be automatically disqualified from a greatest ‘ever’ NBA list. Recently, I was reading a list by a young writer who is published in a reputable sports website. I won’t embarrass or promote him…