As many people scramble this week in preparation for Christmas, it should not be forgotten as to what the true meaning is of this special day. And, please, NEVER be ashamed of wishing fellow Christians a Merry Christmas. It’s a time of joy for us, as we celebrate the birth of our savior and open our hearts to all. As the great English writer and social critic, Charles Dickens, wrote, “I will honor Christmas in…
I’ve been watching pro basketball for more decades than I want to admit. To give you a hint, my favorite players as a young boy were Bill Russell and John Havlicek. Some of my fondest memories growing up were of my days on a basketball court. At Christmas, I used to tell my Dad that if I was only to get one gift, please have it be a new basketball. I’ve always said that one…
Dan Issel is one of the hardest working players in basketball history. He played in more than 1,200 games in his professional career and, in fact, only missed 24 games for the Kentucky Colonels and Denver Nuggets. Nicknamed “The Horse,” Issel was the model of durability and consistency. His success was based largely on an old-fashioned, blue-collar work ethic. Dan had a rugged offensive game that featured strong, decisive moves in the paint and a…
“Big Irish” Jay Hollingsworth is a stand-up comedian, actor and writer. Originally from the Pacific Northwest, Jay set out to the east coast and honed his craft on the stages of Boston, Massachusetts. His “charmingly brutal” style has earned him first place in the March Comedy Madness Competition, The Best of Boston, and he was a finalist in the Bay Area Black Comedy Competition. Jay’s many appearances on All Def, as well as multiple stand-up…
Oh, where to begin? There are so many important issues Major League Baseball needs to address, I could write a book. And what better time for them to fix the game than in the coming months – when negotiations reopen between owners and the MLB Player’s Association. However, sadly, I don’t believe the current ‘lockout’ will help push either side to deal with many of the specific game needs, as much as it will…
Best known for her long running role as Angie Lopez in the ABC hit series, George Lopez, Constance Marie has been delighting audiences for more than 25 years. Constance, who first broke through as Marcela Quintanilla (mother of Selena Quintanilla) in the film Selena of 1997, will soon will be starring in the upcoming Amazon Prime’s Latinx rom-com series, With Love, which premieres in December. Created and written by Gloria Calderon Kellett (One Day at a Time), the five-hour-long episodes are set during…
My eyes flutter open. The room has an odd orange tint to it. I’m covered in a thin sheen of sweat and my body feels like it weighs a metric ton. My brain tries to put thoughts together, but it’s like watching a toddler trying to catch bubbles: futile, hilarious, and a bit sad. Every time I try to rouse my body into motion, fatigue smothers me like a weighted blanket. I know if I…
Grant Shaud delighted television audiences with his portrayal of Miles Silverberg in the iconic television series, MURPHY BROWN. A 26 year old “unknown” when the series debuted in 1986, Miles became a household name along with Murphy (Candice Bergen), Corky (Faith Ford), Frank (Joe Regalbuto), Jim (Charles Kimbrough), Phil (Pat Corley) and Elden (Robert Pastorelli) en-route to becoming the #1 Television show in the United States. Grant revived his character when MURPHY BROWN returned…
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 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…
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…
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…
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…
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 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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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’…