Yes, you read the headline correctly. A plane crash that I experienced ended up saving my life! As I’ve mentioned a few times in my blogs, I started working in the Sporting Goods Industry in the early 1980s. My first job in the industry was with Ektelon, a leading racquetball company based in San Diego, CA. I began with the company serving as its Eastern Sales Manager. Personally, I was based south of Boston and…
One of America’s greatest female swimmers of all time, Donna de Varona, will be the featured guest on A Mick A Mook and A Mic on March 16th. At the age of 17, Donna appeared on ABC’s Wide World of Sports, becoming the youngest and one of the first women sportscasters for a national network. Her groundbreaking career has earned her an Emmy, two Gracies, and the opportunity to cover a wide variety of…
This is difficult to admit, but sports doesn’t mean quite as much to me as it once did. Age certainly has something to do with it, but there are many more negative happenings in professional sports that has added to it being a turn off. As mentioned in previous blogs, much of my life has been devoted to sports. Beginning with youth sports through high school, college and adult travel softball, I played actively for…
A Mick a Mook and A Mic may have more than it can handle when they welcome long-time Los Angeles Sportswriter and ESPN panelist on Around The Horn, T.J. SIMERS, into the studio on March 16. Know for his caustic humor and acerbic wit, T.J was the Page 2 columnist for the LA Times for nearly 25 years. During that time you either loved him (John Wooden & Vin Scully) or hated him (too many…
On January 6, 2021, a violent mob of insurrectionists attacked the US capitol. It was a harrowing, disgusting few hours, but by that evening it was just that, a few hours. The mob was quelled, the capitol secured, and by the next week when it was time to write another essay, so much had been written about it that I decided to write about going on dumb little jogs for my dumb mental health. Since…
With this week’s episode of A Mick A Mook and A Mic featuring the travel adventures of Billy and Frank (Mick and Mook), I thought I’d share some of my travel escapades, most of which were business-related. However, there were also many personal trips that I will always cherish. Over the years, I have traveled to 47 states, Puerto Rico, and 6 countries. The only states I have not experienced are Alaska, Montana and South…
Cincinnati Bengals Hall of Fame quarterback and NFL MVP in 1981, Kenny Anderson, spent his entire professional career playing for the Bengals of the National Football League. Anderson was selected in the third round of the 1971 NFL Draft by the Bengals. Over the course of his 16-season career, Anderson led the NFL in passer rating four times, completion percentage three times and passing yards twice. In 1981, Kenny was named the Offensive Player of the Year and won the NFL Most Valuable Player…
With songwriter J.T. Harding the special guest this week on the podcast, A Mick A Mook and A Mic, I couldn’t help but think about bygone times. So bear with me, as I take a hiatus from my sports blog and reminisce. The episode with J.T. is one in which I’ve looked forward to ever since I learned he would be a guest of Mick and Mook. However, I fear it may also be an…
I’m an only child. That should be obvious. I’ve created a blog spanning a year-plus where all I do is write about things I think (classic “only child center of the universe” stuff right there). As a child, I didn’t have to share my toys or my parent’s attention…that part was pretty rad. I also spent a lot of time alone and when something would break or go missing, I had no siblings to blame…
John Thomas “J.T.” Harding is a songwriter whohas written many chart-topping hits, including: the three-million-copy–selling “Smile” with Uncle Kracker; “Somewhere In My Car” with Keith Urban; “Somewhere With You,” “Bar at the End of the World” for Kenny Chesney; Dierks Bentley’s “Different For Girls”; Jake Owen’s “Alone With You”; and superstar Blake Shelton’s number-one song “Sangria.” J.T was born in the south and was given up for adoption at birth. He was raised in South Detroit…
Beginning with Super Bowl XXXVI, played on February 3, 2002, Tom Brady (The GOAT) has played in ten! Yes, that’s right…10! It’s hard to believe that 50% of all Super Bowls played since that memorable upset of ‘The Greatest Show on Turf’ (St. Louis Rams), have showcased Tom Brady. For the past twenty years, the ‘Brady Bowl’ became almost an annual event. So, it’s no surprise as to why the Patriots and Brady were so…
LAMAR’S GAMBLE: A Tale of the AFL-NFL Merger is the story of Lamar Hunt and his dream to own a professional football team in the 1950’s. After being denied a franchise by team owners of the NFL, Lamar consolidated a group of businesses to form the rival American Football League (AFL) to complete for fans, top players, television viewers and, most of all, money. As the owner of the Kansas City Chiefs, Lamar’s…
The multi-talented Joanna Kerns will be joining Frank and Billy on the February 16 episode of A Mick A Mook and A Mic. Joanna played Maggie Seaver for seven seasons in the iconic ABC Television Series, Growing Pains. She starred alongside Alan Thicke, Kirk Cameron, Tracy Gold, Jeremy Miller and, for one season, a very young Leonardo DiCaprio. Joanna has continued her career as an actress, but more so behind the camera as the…
Congratulations to Red Sox slugger David Ortiz, aka ‘Big Papi’. Ortiz was the sole player voted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame this year, on his first ballot, by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America (BBWAA). The 2022 Induction Ceremony will take place Sunday, July 24, on the grounds of the Clark Sports Center in Cooperstown, New York. Ortiz, one of the greatest clutch hitters in MLB history, will join Golden Days Era Committee…
Emmy Award-winning sportscaster, the legendary Charley Steiner, joins Mick and Mook for a special Super Bowl episode. Having seen every Super Bowl played, the three men will take a fond look back at 55 years of games – and a look ahead to what Super Bowl LVI will bring. Special observations on the gambling line from “Confessions of a Bronx Bookie” author, the Mick himself – Billy O’Connor, to insights from Steiner makes this a…
(The following is an excerpt from the book, IF THESE LIPS COULD TALK, by Frank Pace with Billy O’Connor) An internet meme of Howard Cosell with his arms around Bruce Jenner and O.J. Simpson reads, “Folks, I’ve just looked 50 years into the future. You’re not gonna believe what I have to tell you.” America’s fascination with celebrities has reached epic heights. Hell, we elected two reality-TV stars President. Running for President is one talent,…
Jeff McCracken is an actor, director, writer and producer of feature films, television and the theater. A major television headliner in the 80’s, having starred in Bay City Blues, Stephen Bocho’s follow up to Hill Street Blues, Running Brave – The story of Billy Mills Olympic Triumph and Hawaiian Heat, Jeff segwayed into producing and directing. Jeff co-produced Academy Award nominee Quiz Show (directed by Robert Redford) about the first lie perpetrated on the American public by…
For those who read this blog regularly, you know my (once) love of the National Basketball Association is waning. Between the game being ruined by the constant chucking of 3-pointers, inconsistent officiating and hypocritical players who care more about the almighty dollar than democracy (see LeBron), I’m now appalled by the words spoken by Golden State Warriors Co-Owner, Chamath Palihapitiya. The billionaire venture capitalist boldly stated, “Nobody cares about the Uyghurs”. This statement was regarding…
Roy Firestone is a seven-time Emmy Award Winning and seven-time cable ACE Award-winning host, interviewer, narrator, writer and producer. As the ground-breaking, original host of ESPN’s legendary Up Close, Up Close Classic and Up Close Primetime, Firestone has interviewed more than 5,000 athletes, musicians, actors and political figures, as well as scores of writers and filmmakers Sports Illustrated calls Firestone “The best interviewer in the business.” As an actor, Roy was featured in the Academy Award-Winning…
It’s time for some good, old-fashioned homerism. Growing up just south of Boston, I’m a full-fledged Boston sports fan. And why not? It’s the greatest sports town in America, especially since the turn of the century. Since 2000, Boston has won (by far) the most championships in the four major professional sports leagues than any other city, with 12 banners having been raised. In total, Boston has won 41 championships (NBA, MLB, NFL-Super Bowl, and…
Time is a funny thing. One day you’re running around your high school, drinking as many Dr. Peppers in one day as you can and eating Hot Cheetos for every meal with little to no consequences. The next day you’re standing in the cereal aisle at the grocery store trying to figure out which type of bran has the most fiber for the lowest price. Adults really weren’t joking when they said, life comes at…
Michael Elias, the ultimate renaissance man, has been a world-renown figure in the world of show business for decades. From his early years as an actor, to becoming one of the premier writers, directors and producers in the Film and Television Industry, Elias has more credits to his name than can be listed here. In filmography, a few of Elias’ credits include: The Jerk (screenplay co-writer with Steve Martin), Lush Life (writer and director), and…
Dee Brown, the first round pick of the Boston Celtics in the 1990 draft, played in the National Basketball Association for twelve years. Along with the Celtics, Brown, the 6’1” point guard, played two years for the Toronto Raptors and two years for the Orlando Magic. For his career, Dee averaged 11.1 points per game and 3.7 assists. In 1991, Brown was named to the All-Rookie First Team and was the NBA All-Star Game Slam…
Tony O’Dell, who never met a person he didn’t like, is a television and film star best known for his roles as Alan Pinkard on the ABC sitcom Head of the Class, and as Cobra Kai member, Jimmy, in the movie The Karate Kid and the subsequent hit series Cobra Kai O’Dell has also appeared in several other films including horror classics: Chopping Mall and Evils of the Night, plus sitcom’s Suddenly Susan, The George…
Another year is coming to an end. Sadly, the older I get, the faster the years seem to fly by. Funny…when young, the years didn’t go by fast enough. I always looked forward to getting older. First came the time when I couldn’t wait to be a teenager. Then, after turning 13, I was dying to get into high school. Those high school years are the days that I still cherish. As for my college…