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…
John Boggs is the President & CEO of John Boggs & Associates (JBA Sports), a full-service Athlete Representation & Sports Marketing company which focuses exclusively on baseball. Based in San Diego, CA, Boggs has been representing Athletes and Field Managers in baseball for over 35 years. He and his company have negotiated over $900M in playing contracts and marketing deals. The prestigious JBA client list has included: Hall of Famers Tony Gwynn, Alan Trammel and…
This is from memory, so the year will come to me later. My late partner Frank Shaw and I had written a Bill Cosby Special. We were taping it at NBC in Burbank. One of the guest stars was Burgess Meredith, glowing in his newfound fame as The Penguin on the Batman series. I didn’t care. To me Burgess Meredith was Ernie Pyle in The Story of G.I. Joe, George in Of Mice and Men,…
To be clear, I’m no longer a big golf fan. I haven’t followed golf intently since the days of Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicholas. I played a lot during my college years and a few years, thereafter…but that was many moons ago. So, with that said, don’t expect this blog to provide much insight on golf or the new LIV Golf Series. But, rather, it will bring your attention to the ongoing hypocrisy of many…
Going home is almost always wonderful, except when it’s to grieve a loss of a loved one. Recently, I went back to my home town, Miami Beach, for my High School reunion, and it was a very joyous time, but there was some, brief, grieving. At my age, many of the people I knew and loved start to pass, and the list of those who left us gets longer with time. We remembered them fondly…
Dan Frischman is an actor, comedian, writer, director and magician. Born in Whippany, New Jersey, he is best known for his roles as TV’s first nerd ,Arvid Engen, on the ABC sitcom Head of the Class, and Chris Potter on the Nickelodeon sitcom Kenan & Kel. Dan is also a member of The Magic Castle and belongs to the Academy of Magic Arts in Hollywood. As a precursor to his television career, he worked as…
Alex Boylan is known around the world for his award-winning TV producing and TV hosting ability. After winning The Amazing Race at 23 years old, he’s been blessed to have an amazing career both in front and behind the camera. Above all else, Alex is an adventurer, traveler, and storyteller. He’s filmed in every state in America and over 60 countries around the world. Alex’s passion for producing won him an Emmy nomination for his work on The Steve Harvey…
I spent one terrific Memorial Day, poolside, surrounded by my family, eating bbq and watching my two granddaughters play as if they didn’t have a care in the world because they didn’t. So young. So innocent. So precious. In Uvalde, Texas, however, 21 families and an entire community suffered the realities of life as we have come to know it. Nineteen precious children and two brave teachers’ lives were snuffed out in yet another senseless…
An Emmy Award winning actress, Khrystyne Haje started as a fashion model at age 14, appearing on magazine covers and billboards world-wide. Soon after she progressed to commercials, and starring roles in Network TV movies & series. Named one of People Magazine’s “The 50 Most Beautiful People in The World,” Khrystyne is best known for the role of Simone, on ABC’s 5-year top 20 hit Head of the Class. Recently, Khrystyne was selected as one of…
As the son of a World War II veteran who is extremely proud to showcase Dad’s Purple Heart on my fireplace mantle, I remind everyone that Memorial Day is a very special day for Americans. It’s a day we honor those who died while serving in the U.S. military in our nation’s wars. As my Dad would always remind me, Veterans Day is for ALL who served, but Memorial Day is to honor those who…
Donald Warren (D.W.) Moffett has had a long and illustrious career in show business with over 100 movies and TV credits, including starring roles in Friday Night Lights, For Your Love, Switched at Birth, Chicago Med & How To Commit Murder. Born in Highland Park, Illinois and a graduate of Stanford University, D.W. originally had no inclination to become an actor, as he actually set out on a career as a diplomat. A chance meeting with…
Marc Blatte is an accomplished composer, commercial song writer and author. He is a Grammy Nominee for Writer of Best R+B Song, “When She Was My Girl,” the #1 record by The Four Tops. Blatte is also a winner of The ASCAP Award for Most Performed Country Music Song for “Read My Lips,” the #3 record by Marie Osmond. In addition, he was the recipient of The Ralph Peer Music Publishing Company’s Lifetime Achievement Award for…
Since the dawn of the internet we, as a civilization, have had basically the entirety of human knowledge and creation at our fingertips. From the greatest works of literature to the most complex mathematical equations (explained as simply as possible for Dumb Brains like me). Almost every piece of recorded music in history can be listened to in a few seconds! It’s pretty freaking cool…and yet most of us end up watching/listening/reading the same comfortable…
Can you imagine if this essay was about what it’s like to be incredibly good looking? As the self-described “most generic looking white man possible,” I think it would be extremely funny to wax poetic on how difficult life is when you’re ‘really really really’ ridiculously good looking. But, that’s clearly not what I’m here to blather on about. I’m here to talk to you as someone who is constantly overheating, someone who is usually dappled…
Donnie Hammond is a two-time winner on the Professional Golf Association Tour. He will be joining Mick & Mook on May 18th. Donnie will recap the Masters Tournament for Billy and Frank and preview the remaining three upcoming majors starting with the PGA Championship at Southern Hills Country Club. Hammond was born in Fredrick, Maryland and attended Jacksonville University where he was a member of the golf team. He turned pro in 1979 and joined…
Wearing jeans, a white scarf, and borrowed sandals, a 14-year-old American girl became the most famous unknown person in the world overnight. John Filo, student photographer at Kent State, took a photo of runaway, Mary Ann Vecchio, in 1969 that was plastered on the front page of every newspaper in the country and firmly into the annals of history. On May 4, Kent State University students protested over Richard Nixon’s decision to invade Cambodia. On her…
Fred Claire is a former long-time executive with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He served numerous roles with the Dodgers from 1969-1998, including his position as Vice President/General Manager from ’87 to ‘98. Fred began his career with the Dodgers as an assistant in public relations – and in 1975, he became the VP of Public Relations. During this term, he was instrumental in creating the team branding that became known as the ‘Dodger Blue’ campaign.…
Yes, I’m a Boston Celtics fan. However, I guarantee you, the majority of NBA fans will agree with my following sentiments, including some diehard New York fans. Besides, most New Yorkers are Knicks’ fans and still consider the Nets as part of New Jersey. But, then again, their two New York NFL teams play in New Jersey, so…. For those who don’t follow the National Basketball Association, the Celtics just swept the Brooklyn Nets in…