It is damn near impossible now to get quality time with athletes as a journalist, the enemy banished outside upon the arrival of Covid—never again to be afforded intimate access. I knew Kobe Bryant, adored him, disliked him, laughed, and yelled and all in the same interview. He was human, and I came to understand that. Even Kevin Brown was human, although I could argue the alternative. I’m not sure I could function today in…
John Larroquette needs no introduction. The 5 Time Emmy Award winner for Night Court and Boston Legal also won a Tony on Broadway for his role in How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. John’s other TV, Broadway and Feature Film credits are too numerous to mention. A Louisiana native, Larroquette will again delight audiences this winter when NBC television brings back a new version of Night Court starring John as the…
Sadly, there is one guarantee in life…death. Unfortunately, as we grow older, that occurrence comes far too frequently. That is the sad truth about aging – we lose loved-ones, friends, and acquaintances on a regular basis. And while we accept this fact, it does not make it any easier when it occurs. With the 2022 football season upon us, I think of one of its great players, Gino Cappelletti, who we lost this year. Gino,…
Off The Meter represents the culmination of a forty-year career of driving a yellow cab while trying to make a difference in the world. John McDonagh is currently producer and host of Radio Free Eireann and Talk Mac, We and Thee with Malachy McCourt and Corey Kilgannon, a weekly radio shows heard on Pacifica station WBAI, New York. John began his career as a NYC Yellow cab driver after serving in the U.S. Army in…
“They knew what they were signing up for.” “Ignore the infirmed, bury the dead, and just move on” seems to be the callous chorus of all too many insensible lawmakers who have never left the comfort of their own office nor lifted anything heavier than a pen. Too many of the so-called “powers that be” are only too happy to prattle these tired cliches to the families of first responders and war veterans. As…
Hank Bauer, a record shattering running back from tiny D-3 Cal Lutheran, was picked up in 1977 by the San Diego Charger and went on to become, perhaps, the greatest special teams player in NFL history Bauer holds the NFL single-season record for most special-teams tackles with 52, a record which will never be broken (28 tackles is second). As a short-yardage specialist and often referred to “Hank the Howitzer” for his explosive running style, Bauer…
On September 11,2001, FDNY Battalion Chief Rich Alles responded to the World Trade Center twenty minutes after the second collapse. His assignment entailed the supervision of search and rescue units for the entire two weeks of the operation. He witnessed untold horrors. Now retired with the rank of Deputy Chief, Rich helped lobby Congress for the 9/11 Health and Compensation Act (The Zadroga bill). Still maintaining an active presence at Ground Zero, Rich brings extensive…
It’s been a tough few years for movie theatres. First, they were completely out. Then they were kinda out? But also, it was like, you’re spaced out, wearing masks, being quiet…so they were back in. Then they were totally back…but everything was releasing on streaming at the same time so they were out again? In reality, though, no matter how big your TV is, no matter how loud your sound system is, no matter how…
Make no mistake, I’m a firm believer of capitalism. God bless you for making as much money as you can, if it’s done legally – and not like a politician (but that’s a blog for another time). However, over the years, I’ve watched professional sports team-owners, unions, and athletes get so consumed with money that it has taken over the dialog in sports. Fans now talk more about how much money an athlete makes rather…
Conner Marx is a bright young actor, who currently can be seen weekly as Ben Meyer in the hit NBC series NEW AMSTERDAM. Conner has also worked on hit TV shows including Z Nation, Criminal Minds, Shameless, NCIS, Black-ish, The Young and the Restless, and Leverage.Conner’s onscreen debut, Lucky Them, starring Toni Collette, opened at the Toronto International Film Festival before seeing a nationwide release with IFC Films. He also produced and starred in the award-winning…
Lesley Visser is the most highly acclaimed female sportscaster of all time. Lesley was the first women recognized by the Pro Football Hall of Fame, as she was the 2006 recipient of the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Pete Rozelle Radio-Television Award. The award is given annually by the Hall of Fame to recognize “long-time exceptional contributions to radio and television in professional football.” In six Halls of Fame, Visser is often recognized as the…
Podcast Magazine has honored Billy O’Connor, “the Mick” of A Mick A Mook and A Mic, as one of the Top 40 over 40 Podcasters in America. The Bronx native was honored for his eclectic lifestyle, freewheeling jargon, and for his phoenix-like transformation later in life. Billy was a Vietnam Vet, a 20-year member of the FDNY, and was present front and center for the “big dig” after 9/11. The Irish-born O’Connor has outpaced alcoholism,…
Actor Phil Morris will join Mick and Mook on the August 17th podcast. The talented Morris played Jackie Chiles on Seinfeld, John Jones on The CW series Smallville and Silas Stone in Doom Patrol. He also played Zendaya’s, Dad, Dr, Rocky Blue in the hit Disney Channel series, Shake It Up. Phil can currently be seen in the streaming series, Bosch Legacy.. Morris’s first acting role was as a child when he appeared in the…
When I was a 5-year old child, growing up on Long Island, playing stick ball on the street with the unrestrained joy of, well, a 5-year old, I started to hear about the Dodgers. Then I heard the Dodgers on a big radio in my mom’s very small kitchen. The sound of the crowd. The crack of the bat. And the voice. The over-arching voice of 25-year old Vin Scully. I was the RCA Victor…
Bill Russell was the greatest basketball player of my youth and, by far, the greatest sports ‘Champion’ of my lifetime. Boston Celtics great Bill Russell passed away this week. He was 88 years-old. Russell was drafted in 1956 – and during his 13-year playing career in the NBA, he won 11 Championships, including 8-in-a-row! However, his NBA rings weren’t his only championships, as he also won 2 NCAA Championships for the San Francisco Dons, a…
Basketball is their passion. Indentical twins with with the bright red hair, Dana and David Pump, started their first basketball camp for neighborhood kids at the age of 16 in Northridge, CA. Soon thereafter, you could find them sitting in the bleachers of high school gyms throughout Southern California, logging thousands of hours watching games. They quickly established themselves as the go-to resource for college coaches. If a kid was from the West Coast, chances…
I just saw the feature film, ELVIS, which featured a career defining performance by Austin Butler as the King. The bio unexpectedly brought back memories of Dr. George Nichopoulos. Dr Nick served in the Army Medical Core in Germany before graduating from Vanderbilt Medical school and becoming Elvis personal doctor in 1970. The “feel-good” doctor was supplying drugs to the King of rock and roll throughout the 70’s, which contributed to Elvis’ passing on August 16,…
William “Rusty” Russ is an actor and television director who is best known for playing Alan Matthews on the sitcom Boy Meets World (1993–2000). He also appeared in the television series Wiseguy, the soap operas Another World and The Young and the Restless, and the feature films The Right Stuff (1983), Pastime (1990), and American History X (1998). Son of a naval officer, he was born in Portsmouth, VA. He enjoys thrill sports and is…
In a sports sense, I hate the LA Lakers. I’ve been a Boston Celtics fan since the days of Bill Russell, so…enough said. However, while I dislike the organization, that doesn’t mean I haven’t respected them over the years. The Celtics-Lakers rivalry is one of the best in all of sports. Plus, I actually liked Jerry West and Elgin Baylor. Both were great players and classy men. And while I was never a fan of…
With the perception of a streetwise New Yorker and the delivery of a charming court jester, Glenn Hirsch raises stand-up comedy to a refreshing level of hilarity. An articulate, intelligent performer. Hirsch’s routines find ridiculous twists and turns in the most banal daily events, expressing those absurdities in spontaneous, off-the-cuff monologues uncontaminated by the usual peppering of profanity. Graduating from Queen’s College in New York with a drama degree, he took on the city’s renowned…
Peppy Castro is considered to be one of the early pioneers of the Psychedelic Garage band rock era. He has done it all! Peppy is a successful, seasoned professional with great variety in his music. His fame and first hit record began at the age of 17, as he was one of the founders of the legendary rock group, The Blues Magoos. Peppy’s rock ‘n roll status led him to a starring role in the…
There’s so much darkness in the news. Murder. Frightening truths about a corrupt and vindictive former president. Hard economic times. A bloody war in Ukraine. Sadness seems to be everywhere. It’s actually hard for me to watch the news and stay informed. I’d like this morning instead to remember a good and decent man who left us 41 years ago this week in a tragic car wreck on the Long Island Expressway. His name was…
To celebrate baseball’s All Star game, Russ Ortiz, a 21-game winner for the Atlanta Braves in 2003, will join Mick and Mook on the July 13th episode of A Mick A Mook and A Mic. Ortiz’s 12-year career in Major League Baseball saw him garner 113 wins, with only 89 loses. In his 2003 season of 21-wins, he was fourth in the Cy Young Award voting. From 1999 through 2004, Russ won a minimum of…
I love summer…well, despite the oppressive heat and my aversion to it. But, besides that, I love summer. It’s just so magical, so full of possibilities. Those feelings are probably tied to childhood memories of summer vacations spent swimming, frolicking, and just generally getting into mischief…and if there’s one sporting event that really, truly, screams “summer” it’s an afternoon baseball game. A good old-fashioned day game encapsulates all the best parts of summer: not being in…
With the Fourth of July approaching, I look forward to celebrating the birth of the greatest country in the history of our planet. The Fourth of July—also known as Independence Day—has been a federal holiday in the United States since 1941, but the tradition of Independence Day celebrations goes back to the American Revolution. On July 2, 1776, the Continental Congress voted in favor of independence, and two days later delegates from the 13 colonies…