1 00:00:16,000 --> 00:00:20,599 Speaker 1: Welcome back everybody, Thanks for joining me for another triumphant 2 00:00:21,000 --> 00:00:25,480 Speaker 1: episode of Off the Beat, where I am proud to 3 00:00:25,520 --> 00:00:28,920 Speaker 1: be your host, Brian Bumgartner. You know one thing that 4 00:00:29,000 --> 00:00:32,839 Speaker 1: really characterized twenty twenty three for me and well for 5 00:00:32,920 --> 00:00:36,400 Speaker 1: everyone else who works in entertainment or who simply enjoys 6 00:00:36,560 --> 00:00:41,000 Speaker 1: entertainment was the writers and Actors strike. It was a 7 00:00:41,600 --> 00:00:46,320 Speaker 1: historic moment that changed the landscape of film and television, 8 00:00:46,479 --> 00:00:49,600 Speaker 1: and it also changed this podcast just a little bit 9 00:00:49,680 --> 00:00:52,760 Speaker 1: because we were not allowed to promote or talk about 10 00:00:52,880 --> 00:00:55,960 Speaker 1: our work. Now, this was a curse, and it was 11 00:00:56,280 --> 00:00:59,400 Speaker 1: in fact a blessing for me because one, I couldn't 12 00:00:59,440 --> 00:01:02,200 Speaker 1: get to intervie you as many of my fellow actors, 13 00:01:02,320 --> 00:01:06,480 Speaker 1: which I typically do. But two, I was allowed to 14 00:01:06,560 --> 00:01:11,320 Speaker 1: lean into my love for and my rolodex of great 15 00:01:11,360 --> 00:01:15,679 Speaker 1: athletes and sports figures and learn more about how they 16 00:01:15,800 --> 00:01:20,160 Speaker 1: climbed their own ladder to success. So to get back 17 00:01:20,200 --> 00:01:23,680 Speaker 1: to our best of for this year, let's start with 18 00:01:24,000 --> 00:01:31,320 Speaker 1: well the goat himself here is Chicago Bulls guard Alex Caruso. 19 00:01:32,040 --> 00:01:34,800 Speaker 1: There's a lot of discussion, I feel like, in football 20 00:01:35,160 --> 00:01:40,880 Speaker 1: about schemes, how an offensive coordinator works, what their plan is, 21 00:01:41,280 --> 00:01:45,760 Speaker 1: defense the same thing having to make that adjustment. Is 22 00:01:45,840 --> 00:01:49,160 Speaker 1: that similar? Do you think in basketball? I mean, I 23 00:01:49,160 --> 00:01:51,640 Speaker 1: feel like what people think about in basketball is like 24 00:01:52,120 --> 00:01:55,240 Speaker 1: you got game or you don't, and you can more 25 00:01:55,360 --> 00:01:59,040 Speaker 1: easily walk into another system. But how have you found 26 00:01:59,440 --> 00:02:02,360 Speaker 1: or watched with other guys coming in and trying to 27 00:02:02,480 --> 00:02:05,520 Speaker 1: learn a different offense or a different a different way 28 00:02:05,600 --> 00:02:06,640 Speaker 1: of approaching the game. 29 00:02:07,200 --> 00:02:09,600 Speaker 2: Yeah, no, I think I think to the untrained eye, 30 00:02:09,680 --> 00:02:11,760 Speaker 2: it looks like basketball is just go out there and 31 00:02:12,200 --> 00:02:15,080 Speaker 2: make more shots or put up the other team right 32 00:02:15,200 --> 00:02:15,920 Speaker 2: than the other team. 33 00:02:16,080 --> 00:02:18,000 Speaker 1: But that's just the All star games. 34 00:02:18,320 --> 00:02:21,480 Speaker 2: Yeah, it's just the pickup at your local lifetime. Like, 35 00:02:21,800 --> 00:02:26,920 Speaker 2: there's so much detail and timing that go into the 36 00:02:26,919 --> 00:02:30,440 Speaker 2: schemes of basketball that that people just they probably don't 37 00:02:30,480 --> 00:02:33,160 Speaker 2: see as much because there's less players, you know, which 38 00:02:33,240 --> 00:02:35,640 Speaker 2: which is kind of a you know, it's kind of 39 00:02:35,639 --> 00:02:37,640 Speaker 2: almost backwards. You think it'd be easier to see with 40 00:02:37,720 --> 00:02:41,200 Speaker 2: less players. But football they have such defined roles too, 41 00:02:41,240 --> 00:02:42,720 Speaker 2: Like you know, the linemen are going to block, and 42 00:02:42,720 --> 00:02:45,880 Speaker 2: there's different schemes for them to move, you know, you 43 00:02:45,919 --> 00:02:47,600 Speaker 2: know with the quarterbacks that they're going to do with 44 00:02:47,639 --> 00:02:50,640 Speaker 2: the timing and the receivers and stuff like that. But 45 00:02:50,760 --> 00:02:53,280 Speaker 2: for basketball, it's just it's so free flowing. 46 00:02:53,960 --> 00:02:54,560 Speaker 1: You have to. 47 00:02:54,639 --> 00:02:57,919 Speaker 2: Understand what you're trying to do to such a such 48 00:02:57,960 --> 00:03:00,200 Speaker 2: a high level that you're not thinking while you're out 49 00:03:00,200 --> 00:03:02,440 Speaker 2: there playing. Because if you're out there thinking while you're 50 00:03:02,440 --> 00:03:06,280 Speaker 2: playing in the NBA, you're you're getting beat because guys 51 00:03:06,320 --> 00:03:09,040 Speaker 2: are too good, they're too fast, they're too athletic, they're 52 00:03:09,080 --> 00:03:14,000 Speaker 2: too smart. It's the peak of professional basketball. It's so 53 00:03:14,200 --> 00:03:17,600 Speaker 2: detailed people don't really understand, and it's probably hard to 54 00:03:17,600 --> 00:03:20,920 Speaker 2: have that conversation unless you have a certain level of 55 00:03:20,960 --> 00:03:25,280 Speaker 2: basketball intelligence because there's just you know, you'd have to 56 00:03:25,280 --> 00:03:27,880 Speaker 2: break down so much and talk about so many things, 57 00:03:28,639 --> 00:03:29,720 Speaker 2: and it just moves so fast. 58 00:03:29,800 --> 00:03:29,880 Speaker 3: Man. 59 00:03:29,919 --> 00:03:32,800 Speaker 2: People don't realize how fast the NBA game moves. You know, 60 00:03:33,320 --> 00:03:35,240 Speaker 2: it looks slow on TV, and the guys don't look 61 00:03:35,280 --> 00:03:38,040 Speaker 2: that big. They're monsters out here that are moving. 62 00:03:38,080 --> 00:03:41,720 Speaker 1: Oh it's oh yeah, you get in the building and 63 00:03:41,760 --> 00:03:47,160 Speaker 1: you see it instantly. How fast? How physical? Yeah, yeah, 64 00:03:47,240 --> 00:03:49,160 Speaker 1: the speed of it is. How fast? 65 00:03:49,200 --> 00:03:49,880 Speaker 4: How physical? 66 00:03:50,000 --> 00:03:52,080 Speaker 2: And people don't realize the size of some of these 67 00:03:52,080 --> 00:03:54,320 Speaker 2: guys that are moving around. That's that's the number one 68 00:03:54,360 --> 00:03:56,320 Speaker 2: thing that people tell me when they see me when 69 00:03:56,320 --> 00:03:58,960 Speaker 2: they've never met me before and they recognize me that 70 00:03:59,040 --> 00:04:01,119 Speaker 2: Oh wow, I didn't know you were that tall. Yeah, 71 00:04:00,720 --> 00:04:04,160 Speaker 2: I'm I'm six four, six ' five, and I'm the 72 00:04:04,200 --> 00:04:04,920 Speaker 2: small guy. 73 00:04:06,480 --> 00:04:09,080 Speaker 1: That's you look small to me. Yeah, you look small 74 00:04:09,120 --> 00:04:12,640 Speaker 1: to me, So I could take Yeah, I got that guy, 75 00:04:13,920 --> 00:04:17,920 Speaker 1: give him my fade away fade away jumper. When you're 76 00:04:17,960 --> 00:04:21,080 Speaker 1: watching a game on TV, are you breaking it down? 77 00:04:21,279 --> 00:04:23,880 Speaker 1: Are you looking and watching at what they're trying to 78 00:04:23,920 --> 00:04:25,400 Speaker 1: do to the other players? Yeah? 79 00:04:25,400 --> 00:04:28,120 Speaker 2: I can't watch for like pure entertainment anymore. I just 80 00:04:28,360 --> 00:04:30,400 Speaker 2: my brain doesn't work like that. Like I've lost the 81 00:04:30,440 --> 00:04:34,520 Speaker 2: ability to just sit down and watch a basketball game. 82 00:04:34,600 --> 00:04:37,520 Speaker 2: All I do is see the flaws of what they 83 00:04:37,560 --> 00:04:40,400 Speaker 2: should be doing, knowing actually like what teams like to 84 00:04:40,480 --> 00:04:44,120 Speaker 2: run in certain plays and being like defense didn't push 85 00:04:44,200 --> 00:04:46,960 Speaker 2: them to the right spot. It's it's very analytical, but 86 00:04:47,240 --> 00:04:48,120 Speaker 2: that's kind of my job. 87 00:04:48,200 --> 00:04:53,599 Speaker 1: So I do you put yourself there, like, are you like, okay, 88 00:04:53,760 --> 00:04:59,880 Speaker 1: I'm him, and imagine yourself moving within either an offense 89 00:05:00,200 --> 00:05:02,279 Speaker 1: or a defensive play. Do you go that far? 90 00:05:03,400 --> 00:05:06,400 Speaker 2: Yeah? For the most part, Yeah, especially defensively, just because 91 00:05:06,400 --> 00:05:09,040 Speaker 2: that's kind of how my brain's wired. I get really 92 00:05:09,200 --> 00:05:12,840 Speaker 2: upset watching certain guys in the league because they do 93 00:05:12,880 --> 00:05:15,200 Speaker 2: their patent move whatever it is. You know, I know 94 00:05:15,279 --> 00:05:16,960 Speaker 2: that if they're in their left hand, they're going to 95 00:05:17,040 --> 00:05:19,440 Speaker 2: go between the legs and step back, or it's in 96 00:05:19,440 --> 00:05:21,159 Speaker 2: their right hand, they're going to go downhill. And I'm 97 00:05:21,160 --> 00:05:23,400 Speaker 2: like calling it out. I'm like, he's gonna go right, 98 00:05:23,440 --> 00:05:25,839 Speaker 2: He's gonna go right, and then the guy gets blown 99 00:05:25,839 --> 00:05:28,440 Speaker 2: by right and it's just it's it's hard to watch, 100 00:05:28,520 --> 00:05:32,120 Speaker 2: but that's that's the perfectionists, and the competitor in me 101 00:05:32,279 --> 00:05:34,120 Speaker 2: is like, I just don't see anything else. 102 00:05:35,480 --> 00:05:40,000 Speaker 1: Uh. By twenty nineteen, you're playing pretty damn well. You 103 00:05:40,240 --> 00:05:43,640 Speaker 1: are the only other Laker besides mister James to get 104 00:05:43,680 --> 00:05:48,800 Speaker 1: a game thirty points, ten rebounds, five assists. Did you 105 00:05:49,200 --> 00:05:54,080 Speaker 1: feel walking into Staples Center how much everybody loved you? 106 00:05:54,640 --> 00:05:54,760 Speaker 5: Uh? 107 00:05:54,839 --> 00:05:56,320 Speaker 2: Yeah, for sure? 108 00:05:56,960 --> 00:06:00,039 Speaker 1: Why did they? Aside from the fact that you're good. 109 00:06:00,160 --> 00:06:05,000 Speaker 2: Just to start? Staple Centers is like Staple Center and 110 00:06:05,279 --> 00:06:08,760 Speaker 2: in the Garden, those two places, it's it's different than 111 00:06:08,800 --> 00:06:12,599 Speaker 2: everywhere else because they it's almost like the court is 112 00:06:12,640 --> 00:06:15,839 Speaker 2: lit up, you know, like like a like a like 113 00:06:15,880 --> 00:06:18,839 Speaker 2: a performance, you know, like it's a stand up comedy special, 114 00:06:18,960 --> 00:06:22,880 Speaker 2: or it's a it's a concert, like it's dark. It's 115 00:06:22,960 --> 00:06:25,400 Speaker 2: dark in the crowd, all the lights are pointing towards there, 116 00:06:25,440 --> 00:06:27,920 Speaker 2: and there's this atmosphere about it that that just makes 117 00:06:27,960 --> 00:06:31,440 Speaker 2: it special to begin with, So that that already, you know, 118 00:06:31,520 --> 00:06:34,160 Speaker 2: gets the juices flown as a basketball player in general. 119 00:06:34,760 --> 00:06:35,880 Speaker 3: And and then. 120 00:06:36,080 --> 00:06:38,560 Speaker 2: I'm fighting for my life at this point, right I'm on, 121 00:06:38,600 --> 00:06:41,120 Speaker 2: I'm on two way contract. And the way that I 122 00:06:41,240 --> 00:06:44,039 Speaker 2: viewed it, like a lot of guys, you know, they 123 00:06:44,120 --> 00:06:46,440 Speaker 2: might get a two way contract or they might get 124 00:06:46,560 --> 00:06:48,279 Speaker 2: you know, the even the first deal I got in 125 00:06:48,400 --> 00:06:50,120 Speaker 2: LA it was a two year, five and a half 126 00:06:50,160 --> 00:06:53,919 Speaker 2: million dollar deal I had I had the awareness to understand, 127 00:06:53,960 --> 00:06:56,839 Speaker 2: like this isn't a guarantee into the league, Like this 128 00:06:56,960 --> 00:06:59,320 Speaker 2: is still like you get you gotta you gotta prove 129 00:06:59,360 --> 00:07:03,480 Speaker 2: it contra. And so every time I played like I 130 00:07:03,560 --> 00:07:06,840 Speaker 2: already have the mindset of being super competitive just because 131 00:07:06,880 --> 00:07:09,360 Speaker 2: I like to play like that and I just love basketball. 132 00:07:09,880 --> 00:07:12,480 Speaker 2: But now I have like almost a back against the 133 00:07:12,520 --> 00:07:15,880 Speaker 2: wall mentality going into it as well, to where it's like, 134 00:07:15,920 --> 00:07:17,600 Speaker 2: all right, I have to perform or else I'm not 135 00:07:17,640 --> 00:07:19,520 Speaker 2: going to be here, Like I'm not gonna I'm not 136 00:07:19,520 --> 00:07:22,400 Speaker 2: gonna have a job, and you mix those two things 137 00:07:22,440 --> 00:07:25,240 Speaker 2: together and you just had you had me playing at 138 00:07:25,280 --> 00:07:27,840 Speaker 2: a high level that I think a lot of NBA 139 00:07:27,880 --> 00:07:31,200 Speaker 2: players don't play at every night. And I was taking 140 00:07:31,200 --> 00:07:34,960 Speaker 2: advantage of guys taking plays off. And then even once 141 00:07:35,240 --> 00:07:37,000 Speaker 2: you know, I had the reputation, I think it was 142 00:07:37,040 --> 00:07:38,800 Speaker 2: still like a there's a lot of guys in the 143 00:07:38,880 --> 00:07:41,560 Speaker 2: league that didn't believe that I could play a little bit, 144 00:07:41,760 --> 00:07:43,240 Speaker 2: and it was still one of those okay, you got 145 00:07:43,320 --> 00:07:46,040 Speaker 2: to prove it things, And so my motivation just kept 146 00:07:46,080 --> 00:07:48,920 Speaker 2: moving and changing. And I think, you know, Lakers fans 147 00:07:48,960 --> 00:07:52,200 Speaker 2: are one of the more spoiled fan bases in pro 148 00:07:52,240 --> 00:07:55,120 Speaker 2: sports with as much success as they've had, you know, 149 00:07:55,480 --> 00:07:59,400 Speaker 2: but they they have high expectations and they just we 150 00:07:59,520 --> 00:08:01,440 Speaker 2: talk about and them we drink the kool Aid. Lakers 151 00:08:01,480 --> 00:08:04,120 Speaker 2: fans drink the kool Aid hard, and and they are 152 00:08:04,600 --> 00:08:06,520 Speaker 2: they if you go out there and you play to win, 153 00:08:07,240 --> 00:08:09,240 Speaker 2: and you play and you play hard, they just have 154 00:08:09,320 --> 00:08:12,240 Speaker 2: a certain appreciation for it. And this was you got 155 00:08:12,240 --> 00:08:14,200 Speaker 2: to remember the time, this was for the franchise, right, 156 00:08:14,240 --> 00:08:17,520 Speaker 2: this is coming off of after Kobe left. There wasn't 157 00:08:17,520 --> 00:08:19,800 Speaker 2: a lot of success. They had young players and they 158 00:08:19,800 --> 00:08:21,440 Speaker 2: were trying to find teams. It was it was a 159 00:08:21,480 --> 00:08:26,280 Speaker 2: really low period. They're bringing big names Bronze in a, DSN, 160 00:08:26,400 --> 00:08:29,320 Speaker 2: Rondos and Dwight, all these guys, the whole, the whole team, 161 00:08:29,520 --> 00:08:31,480 Speaker 2: and then you had me that was just you know, 162 00:08:31,560 --> 00:08:34,400 Speaker 2: kind of sprinkled in there on top, and it's like, 163 00:08:34,440 --> 00:08:37,720 Speaker 2: who's this. Who's this crazy white guy that's out here 164 00:08:37,760 --> 00:08:41,840 Speaker 2: just running around dunking on people getting steals, like playing 165 00:08:41,880 --> 00:08:45,720 Speaker 2: with this fiery energy. In my opinion, I think I represented, 166 00:08:46,000 --> 00:08:48,520 Speaker 2: you know, what a winning culture and winning is about. 167 00:08:48,640 --> 00:08:51,200 Speaker 2: And I think that they recognize that and appreciated it. 168 00:08:51,679 --> 00:08:56,920 Speaker 1: Well, I know that I appreciate it. I love that 169 00:08:57,040 --> 00:09:02,440 Speaker 1: fiery energy. As much as Korusi loves the game of basketball, 170 00:09:02,760 --> 00:09:06,840 Speaker 1: This next guest loves the game of soccer. Here is 171 00:09:07,280 --> 00:09:13,000 Speaker 1: the US goat of soccer, Landon Donovan, talking about trying 172 00:09:13,040 --> 00:09:16,800 Speaker 1: to get the whole of the United States to care 173 00:09:16,880 --> 00:09:20,080 Speaker 1: about soccer as much as he does. Talk to me 174 00:09:20,120 --> 00:09:22,600 Speaker 1: a little bit about what you just talked about about 175 00:09:22,600 --> 00:09:26,600 Speaker 1: the fans. I mean, we are obviously in close proximity 176 00:09:27,120 --> 00:09:32,160 Speaker 1: to Mexico, but this documentary Good Rivals, now it is 177 00:09:32,240 --> 00:09:35,240 Speaker 1: if you haven't checked it out. Came out last year 178 00:09:36,960 --> 00:09:39,880 Speaker 1: or earlier this year on Netflix. It is about the 179 00:09:40,000 --> 00:09:45,520 Speaker 1: rivalry between Mexico and the United States, greatest soccer rivalry 180 00:09:45,679 --> 00:09:51,559 Speaker 1: in the world, which is incredible because of how new 181 00:09:51,720 --> 00:09:54,800 Speaker 1: or young soccer is in the United States compared to 182 00:09:54,840 --> 00:09:58,320 Speaker 1: so much of the world. A lot is made about 183 00:09:58,600 --> 00:10:03,719 Speaker 1: two thousand, two thousand too, and beginning to change the pendulum, 184 00:10:03,880 --> 00:10:08,280 Speaker 1: beginning to switch from Mexico to the US. But how 185 00:10:08,320 --> 00:10:12,760 Speaker 1: difficult was it at the time to find fans and 186 00:10:12,840 --> 00:10:17,319 Speaker 1: support here that cared about what you guys were doing. 187 00:10:17,480 --> 00:10:22,439 Speaker 4: Yeah, incredibly it was. It's it's hard to compare the 188 00:10:22,440 --> 00:10:25,920 Speaker 4: fandom of the Mexican people with the fandom of the 189 00:10:25,960 --> 00:10:29,520 Speaker 4: American people at that time. Now it's it's pretty level now, 190 00:10:29,800 --> 00:10:32,040 Speaker 4: but at that time it just it was non existent. 191 00:10:32,040 --> 00:10:34,280 Speaker 4: And so I think the analogy, I mean, obviously you're 192 00:10:34,280 --> 00:10:38,080 Speaker 4: a baseball fan, is if not all of a sudden, 193 00:10:38,120 --> 00:10:40,640 Speaker 4: but relatively quickly, in the next five years or so, 194 00:10:41,320 --> 00:10:45,760 Speaker 4: Mexican Mexican baseball was way better than Major League Baseball 195 00:10:45,760 --> 00:10:48,800 Speaker 4: and way better than our players, American players. It's our 196 00:10:48,880 --> 00:10:51,800 Speaker 4: national pastime, right, So that would flip things on its 197 00:10:51,840 --> 00:10:54,720 Speaker 4: head and that would cause some problems. So what happened 198 00:10:54,760 --> 00:10:57,640 Speaker 4: in the early two thousands is a rivalry that was 199 00:10:57,760 --> 00:11:01,640 Speaker 4: completely one sided for a long time, with Mexico always 200 00:11:01,640 --> 00:11:05,400 Speaker 4: winning and them just dominating us, started to change and 201 00:11:05,440 --> 00:11:07,480 Speaker 4: we beat them in that game, that two thousand game. 202 00:11:07,520 --> 00:11:10,000 Speaker 4: We beat them a number of times over the next decade, 203 00:11:10,600 --> 00:11:15,040 Speaker 4: and that started to change the mentality of everybody involved. 204 00:11:15,080 --> 00:11:18,000 Speaker 4: Everybody looked at the rivalry differently. And then what's happened 205 00:11:18,000 --> 00:11:21,360 Speaker 4: in the last we'll call it seven years is there 206 00:11:21,360 --> 00:11:24,320 Speaker 4: are a lot of great rivalries around the world. What 207 00:11:24,480 --> 00:11:27,960 Speaker 4: makes this one unique and why good rivals? Is I 208 00:11:28,000 --> 00:11:32,400 Speaker 4: think so important that that film to watch and I'm 209 00:11:32,400 --> 00:11:34,000 Speaker 4: glad you watched it. We didn't even talk about that, 210 00:11:34,040 --> 00:11:36,880 Speaker 4: but I'm glad you watched it. Is there's also the 211 00:11:36,920 --> 00:11:40,560 Speaker 4: political component, right that's been exacerbated over the last seven years. 212 00:11:40,640 --> 00:11:43,719 Speaker 4: And there are so many Mexicans in our country, and 213 00:11:43,800 --> 00:11:47,400 Speaker 4: especially in southern California and where we live in San Diego. 214 00:11:49,240 --> 00:11:52,000 Speaker 4: There's a lot of Mexican Americans, a lot of American Mexicans, 215 00:11:52,040 --> 00:11:54,719 Speaker 4: and we coexist in a really harmonious way. But in 216 00:11:54,760 --> 00:11:56,680 Speaker 4: a lot of places in our country it doesn't happen 217 00:11:56,920 --> 00:12:00,360 Speaker 4: and so it's this rivalry is just it's heat it 218 00:12:00,440 --> 00:12:03,800 Speaker 4: up over the last seven years, and on the soccer field, 219 00:12:03,840 --> 00:12:05,800 Speaker 4: that's been a good thing because it makes it that 220 00:12:05,920 --> 00:12:07,640 Speaker 4: much more interesting for everyone involved. 221 00:12:08,160 --> 00:12:12,720 Speaker 1: Do you feel like there are fans of the American 222 00:12:12,800 --> 00:12:15,720 Speaker 1: team in Mexico or is that one sided? 223 00:12:16,880 --> 00:12:20,080 Speaker 4: That's a good question. I wouldn't say in Mexico. But 224 00:12:20,200 --> 00:12:22,800 Speaker 4: what I saw over and over and over in my 225 00:12:22,880 --> 00:12:26,360 Speaker 4: career is we would go into a stadium against play 226 00:12:26,360 --> 00:12:30,079 Speaker 4: against Mexico. It's called it Soldier Field in Chicago, right 227 00:12:30,120 --> 00:12:31,800 Speaker 4: and by the beginning of the game, it would there'd 228 00:12:31,800 --> 00:12:34,360 Speaker 4: be you would say, like seventy five percent of fans 229 00:12:34,360 --> 00:12:38,240 Speaker 4: were Mexican. And then as we would the end of 230 00:12:38,280 --> 00:12:40,360 Speaker 4: the game we were winning two zero, you'd look around 231 00:12:40,400 --> 00:12:43,120 Speaker 4: and somehow and we figured out later what it was, 232 00:12:43,400 --> 00:12:44,880 Speaker 4: but all of a sudden, it was flipped. There were 233 00:12:44,880 --> 00:12:47,560 Speaker 4: seventy five percent American fans. And what you realize is 234 00:12:47,640 --> 00:12:49,720 Speaker 4: they would walk in with a Mexican jersey. 235 00:12:49,480 --> 00:12:51,000 Speaker 3: Over a USA jersey. 236 00:12:51,520 --> 00:12:54,280 Speaker 4: Once the US started winning, they'd pull off the Mexican 237 00:12:54,360 --> 00:12:59,000 Speaker 4: jersey be American fans. So's the epitome of fairweather fans 238 00:12:59,080 --> 00:12:59,480 Speaker 4: right there. 239 00:13:00,240 --> 00:13:03,600 Speaker 1: Yeah, you do something that takes balls. But you know, 240 00:13:03,640 --> 00:13:08,960 Speaker 1: you talk about England and Europe. Obviously Central America where 241 00:13:09,000 --> 00:13:11,680 Speaker 1: soccer is so big. You're playing in Germany already. You 242 00:13:11,679 --> 00:13:15,160 Speaker 1: get offered a contract at seventeen, But in two thousand 243 00:13:15,160 --> 00:13:19,920 Speaker 1: and one, shortly after you begin playing for the US 244 00:13:20,000 --> 00:13:25,480 Speaker 1: national team, you return to the United States and essentially, 245 00:13:26,320 --> 00:13:30,600 Speaker 1: with some brief exceptions, you play out your entire career 246 00:13:31,000 --> 00:13:35,120 Speaker 1: at in the MLS in the United States. Talk to 247 00:13:35,120 --> 00:13:37,400 Speaker 1: me a little bit about that decision for you. Was 248 00:13:37,440 --> 00:13:40,160 Speaker 1: that difficult for you to make? Okay? 249 00:13:40,240 --> 00:13:44,720 Speaker 4: No, No, So what happens is in our sport, what 250 00:13:44,800 --> 00:13:48,240 Speaker 4: happens a lot is Europe is the holy Grail of 251 00:13:48,320 --> 00:13:52,160 Speaker 4: places to play, right. It's for the longest time, the 252 00:13:52,160 --> 00:13:56,679 Speaker 4: most money, most prestige, best competition, most eyeballs watching, et cetera. 253 00:13:57,320 --> 00:14:02,280 Speaker 4: And so for almost every player, that's where they want 254 00:14:02,320 --> 00:14:05,559 Speaker 4: to play. Whether you come from Argentina or Africa or California, 255 00:14:05,760 --> 00:14:09,360 Speaker 4: everybody wants to be in Europe, somewhere, France, England, Spain, whatever. 256 00:14:09,800 --> 00:14:14,400 Speaker 4: I never subscribe to that theory. I agree with all that, 257 00:14:14,520 --> 00:14:18,960 Speaker 4: but the most important thing to me was playing was 258 00:14:19,080 --> 00:14:23,080 Speaker 4: actually playing games. It'd be like they're like Brian for 259 00:14:23,160 --> 00:14:25,360 Speaker 4: the next decade. You're gonna you know, you're gonna go 260 00:14:25,400 --> 00:14:27,400 Speaker 4: to acting class and you're gonna practice, but you're never 261 00:14:27,440 --> 00:14:29,560 Speaker 4: gonna be on a show. You'd say, well, that's not right, 262 00:14:29,640 --> 00:14:30,560 Speaker 4: that's not why I do it. 263 00:14:30,760 --> 00:14:32,160 Speaker 3: I don't want to do that right. 264 00:14:32,240 --> 00:14:35,040 Speaker 4: And so I always wanted to play. And what the 265 00:14:35,120 --> 00:14:37,200 Speaker 4: mistake a lot of players make is they'll go to 266 00:14:37,320 --> 00:14:40,120 Speaker 4: Europe and I'm using quotes, they go to Europe. So 267 00:14:40,160 --> 00:14:41,840 Speaker 4: you go to a team in Europe and then you 268 00:14:41,840 --> 00:14:43,480 Speaker 4: sit on the bench and you never play a game, 269 00:14:43,480 --> 00:14:45,160 Speaker 4: and then you get three years into your career and 270 00:14:45,160 --> 00:14:47,040 Speaker 4: you go, shoot, what am I really doing here? Like 271 00:14:47,080 --> 00:14:49,920 Speaker 4: the paycheck's great, but this is my this is my life. 272 00:14:49,960 --> 00:14:52,480 Speaker 4: So I always say to people, you're not a soccer practicer, 273 00:14:52,560 --> 00:14:54,640 Speaker 4: You're a soccer player, right. Do you want to play 274 00:14:54,720 --> 00:14:57,480 Speaker 4: or do you want to practice? So my decision was 275 00:14:57,640 --> 00:15:00,360 Speaker 4: I just wanted to play, and we had this young 276 00:15:00,440 --> 00:15:03,480 Speaker 4: league at home that I think needed all of us 277 00:15:03,560 --> 00:15:07,520 Speaker 4: to help lift it, and it was it made sense 278 00:15:07,560 --> 00:15:09,400 Speaker 4: for me. And then I also got to play at 279 00:15:09,400 --> 00:15:11,240 Speaker 4: home in front of my friends and family in LA 280 00:15:11,560 --> 00:15:13,240 Speaker 4: and to me, that was a no brainer. You know, 281 00:15:13,280 --> 00:15:16,080 Speaker 4: a lot of people disagree with that and thought I 282 00:15:16,320 --> 00:15:18,560 Speaker 4: left some stuff on the table and I could have, 283 00:15:18,840 --> 00:15:21,000 Speaker 4: you know, played at a higher level in other places, 284 00:15:21,000 --> 00:15:23,920 Speaker 4: but I wanted to play, and that that's where I got. 285 00:15:23,800 --> 00:15:29,720 Speaker 1: My joint right. The MJ Michael Jordan, the goat of 286 00:15:30,240 --> 00:15:37,120 Speaker 1: US soccer, six time MLS Cup winner, fourteen consecutive All Star. 287 00:15:38,040 --> 00:15:40,000 Speaker 1: I mean, the list goes on and on. Two time 288 00:15:40,160 --> 00:15:45,040 Speaker 1: MLS MVP, two time MLS Cup MVP, Golden Boot, blah 289 00:15:45,120 --> 00:15:48,520 Speaker 1: blah blah blah blah. Clearly, you had opportunities to go 290 00:15:48,680 --> 00:15:50,960 Speaker 1: other places once you had established yourself. By the way, 291 00:15:51,000 --> 00:15:53,600 Speaker 1: what you say makes so much sense, like go where 292 00:15:53,640 --> 00:15:57,520 Speaker 1: you can play. Clearly you could have played anywhere at 293 00:15:57,560 --> 00:16:01,520 Speaker 1: a certain point. But did you feel a loyalty. Did 294 00:16:01,560 --> 00:16:05,160 Speaker 1: you feel like you were starting something that was important 295 00:16:05,520 --> 00:16:07,480 Speaker 1: with the MLA. I mean not that you started it, 296 00:16:07,520 --> 00:16:10,280 Speaker 1: but you know what, being a part of growing something 297 00:16:10,320 --> 00:16:13,880 Speaker 1: that was important here because you you know, you essentially 298 00:16:13,880 --> 00:16:14,880 Speaker 1: decide never to leave. 299 00:16:15,440 --> 00:16:15,840 Speaker 6: I did. 300 00:16:15,960 --> 00:16:21,800 Speaker 4: I felt like it was I don't know if responsibility 301 00:16:21,840 --> 00:16:23,760 Speaker 4: is the right word, but we grew up in a 302 00:16:23,800 --> 00:16:26,360 Speaker 4: time where we were all ambassadors for the game. So 303 00:16:26,880 --> 00:16:30,120 Speaker 4: it's not like in San Diego when Manny Machado and 304 00:16:30,160 --> 00:16:32,880 Speaker 4: Fernando Tatis show up to the baseball park play, they 305 00:16:32,880 --> 00:16:35,640 Speaker 4: go home, and you know, they do their thing. For us, 306 00:16:35,640 --> 00:16:38,800 Speaker 4: it was like go to practice, go to an appearance afterwards, 307 00:16:38,840 --> 00:16:41,560 Speaker 4: go talk to the media, go meet kids, to help 308 00:16:41,600 --> 00:16:44,400 Speaker 4: sell tickets. I mean, we were constantly my whole career 309 00:16:44,560 --> 00:16:45,640 Speaker 4: trying to sell the sport. 310 00:16:46,200 --> 00:16:47,160 Speaker 1: And it was just part of it. 311 00:16:47,360 --> 00:16:49,600 Speaker 4: Not complaining, It's just that's what it was for us, 312 00:16:49,640 --> 00:16:53,200 Speaker 4: and so I enjoyed that. It was exhausting, but I 313 00:16:53,320 --> 00:16:56,080 Speaker 4: enjoyed that. And when I look at Major League Soccer 314 00:16:56,120 --> 00:16:59,880 Speaker 4: today and the national team today, knowing that I had 315 00:17:00,080 --> 00:17:02,760 Speaker 4: a small part in that, you know, makes me prideful 316 00:17:02,920 --> 00:17:04,840 Speaker 4: because we worked hard to help build that. 317 00:17:05,600 --> 00:17:27,080 Speaker 1: I love that. We'll be right back here we are again. 318 00:17:27,640 --> 00:17:30,280 Speaker 1: And I have just a few more snippets for you, 319 00:17:30,400 --> 00:17:34,080 Speaker 1: and they're really good ones. This first last story is 320 00:17:34,200 --> 00:17:40,000 Speaker 1: from my new bestie, the amazing Eric McCormick, featuring some 321 00:17:40,240 --> 00:17:43,199 Speaker 1: other names that you might know. This is one of 322 00:17:43,200 --> 00:17:48,320 Speaker 1: my favorite stories all year. You talk about your piano. 323 00:17:49,160 --> 00:17:51,679 Speaker 1: You told me an amazing story I have to bring up. 324 00:17:51,920 --> 00:17:55,359 Speaker 1: Before you went to Ryerson Theater School, you went to 325 00:17:55,560 --> 00:18:00,480 Speaker 1: Sir John A. McDonald Collegiate Institute WOW, with a few 326 00:18:00,480 --> 00:18:03,320 Speaker 1: other notable people, Mike Myers being one. 327 00:18:03,560 --> 00:18:04,320 Speaker 3: Mike was there. 328 00:18:04,840 --> 00:18:06,400 Speaker 1: David Furnish. 329 00:18:06,840 --> 00:18:11,080 Speaker 7: David Furnish, Yes, David Furnish and I were in a 330 00:18:11,280 --> 00:18:15,840 Speaker 7: theater class together tenth, eleventh and twelfth grade and part 331 00:18:15,840 --> 00:18:21,000 Speaker 7: of a real little clique of three guys and my 332 00:18:21,000 --> 00:18:24,560 Speaker 7: friend Helga, and we did God's Spell and Pippin. 333 00:18:24,320 --> 00:18:28,000 Speaker 3: And the Fantastics together, and eventually he moved. We kept 334 00:18:28,000 --> 00:18:29,600 Speaker 3: in touch a little bit, then he moved to London, 335 00:18:29,640 --> 00:18:34,160 Speaker 3: we lost touch, and when we finally sort of reconnected again, 336 00:18:34,200 --> 00:18:36,320 Speaker 3: I was just starting to date my wife and he 337 00:18:36,520 --> 00:18:41,879 Speaker 3: was just starting to date Elton John, like mid nineties, 338 00:18:42,200 --> 00:18:45,160 Speaker 3: and then shortly thereafter Will and Grace happened and they 339 00:18:45,240 --> 00:18:48,720 Speaker 3: were the first. Elton and David were the first people, 340 00:18:48,840 --> 00:18:51,200 Speaker 3: I think in the UK to see it because it 341 00:18:51,240 --> 00:18:54,000 Speaker 3: didn't exist there yet, and I'd sent him a bunch 342 00:18:54,000 --> 00:18:57,480 Speaker 3: of videotapes of season one which they quite enjoyed, which 343 00:18:57,520 --> 00:19:01,639 Speaker 3: led eventually to Elton being on the show. My favorite 344 00:19:01,640 --> 00:19:03,560 Speaker 3: story that I'll tell till I die is is just 345 00:19:03,640 --> 00:19:06,480 Speaker 3: that I. 346 00:19:05,280 --> 00:19:10,080 Speaker 8: Elton asked me to host an event for Yamaha and 347 00:19:10,520 --> 00:19:13,880 Speaker 8: Yamaha's some payment to me. They paid me in piano, 348 00:19:14,080 --> 00:19:17,800 Speaker 8: so I was given a baby grand piano that. 349 00:19:17,880 --> 00:19:19,560 Speaker 7: Sits in the center of the living room to this day. 350 00:19:19,640 --> 00:19:23,359 Speaker 7: And shortly thereafter, and we'd only ever seen David and 351 00:19:23,440 --> 00:19:26,480 Speaker 7: Elton in the world at a restaurant and David call 352 00:19:26,600 --> 00:19:27,359 Speaker 7: said he was in town. 353 00:19:27,400 --> 00:19:28,919 Speaker 3: And Janet, my wife standa, said. 354 00:19:28,760 --> 00:19:31,359 Speaker 9: Well, tell David to come over. He said, well, why 355 00:19:31,359 --> 00:19:33,600 Speaker 9: should this come over see that house? He said, sure, 356 00:19:33,680 --> 00:19:38,439 Speaker 9: We'll be over at eight and I said, Janet, he 357 00:19:38,480 --> 00:19:41,119 Speaker 9: said we, He said we, did not say I he 358 00:19:41,160 --> 00:19:43,560 Speaker 9: said we, So sure enough, Elton and David came over 359 00:19:43,600 --> 00:19:46,320 Speaker 9: for dinner. My son was six months old at the time, 360 00:19:46,480 --> 00:19:49,480 Speaker 9: and I eventually just said, Elton, you know you're going 361 00:19:49,560 --> 00:19:52,680 Speaker 9: to have to christen the piano. He uh, Without a second, 362 00:19:52,720 --> 00:19:54,640 Speaker 9: Doot got up, walked into the living room, sat down 363 00:19:54,680 --> 00:19:56,480 Speaker 9: at the piano, looked up at me. He's wearing a 364 00:19:56,480 --> 00:20:00,200 Speaker 9: sweatshirt like a vluor a sweat outfit, and I said, 365 00:20:00,240 --> 00:20:02,760 Speaker 9: what would you want me to play? And I thought, 366 00:20:02,840 --> 00:20:04,159 Speaker 9: this is it. This is my chance. 367 00:20:04,400 --> 00:20:08,240 Speaker 3: It's my chance to show him that I'm serious here. 368 00:20:08,320 --> 00:20:09,840 Speaker 3: I know my shit. I'm not going to say rot 369 00:20:09,880 --> 00:20:12,280 Speaker 3: your band. I'm not going to say Rocket Band like 370 00:20:12,359 --> 00:20:16,880 Speaker 3: some schmuck. So I said, okay, I've. 371 00:20:16,720 --> 00:20:20,560 Speaker 7: Seen that movie too, from Goodbye Ellwick Road, and he 372 00:20:20,560 --> 00:20:23,600 Speaker 7: looked up at me and said, oh, fuck off, I 373 00:20:23,640 --> 00:20:24,720 Speaker 7: don't remember that song. 374 00:20:27,280 --> 00:20:33,240 Speaker 9: And I remember the moment, feeling incensed as a fan. 375 00:20:33,359 --> 00:20:36,320 Speaker 3: I was like, maybe you don't remember that. You're supposed 376 00:20:36,359 --> 00:20:38,800 Speaker 3: to know every song you wrote it. 377 00:20:39,320 --> 00:20:40,040 Speaker 1: You wrote it. 378 00:20:42,320 --> 00:20:44,800 Speaker 7: So he didn't play that song, But I tell that 379 00:20:44,840 --> 00:20:47,479 Speaker 7: story in my act occasionally, and then I do, I've 380 00:20:47,520 --> 00:20:50,040 Speaker 7: seen that movie too, which people don't remember, which. 381 00:20:49,920 --> 00:20:50,480 Speaker 3: Is a great song. 382 00:20:52,920 --> 00:20:53,800 Speaker 1: What did he play? 383 00:20:53,920 --> 00:20:56,240 Speaker 7: He played, Actually, he played another obscure song for me 384 00:20:56,400 --> 00:20:58,320 Speaker 7: because my son was There is a beautiful song called 385 00:20:58,359 --> 00:21:01,919 Speaker 7: the Greatest Discovery. It's about a little boy waking up 386 00:21:01,960 --> 00:21:04,800 Speaker 7: and hearing all this commotion, realizing that he has a 387 00:21:04,840 --> 00:21:08,360 Speaker 7: brand new baby brother, and it's I feel like it's 388 00:21:08,359 --> 00:21:10,920 Speaker 7: an impossible song to hear and not cry at the end. 389 00:21:11,080 --> 00:21:15,320 Speaker 7: It's just so it's Bernie Toffs' greatest lyrics, I think, 390 00:21:15,359 --> 00:21:17,440 Speaker 7: and I do that I've seen that one occasionally too. 391 00:21:17,480 --> 00:21:20,320 Speaker 7: But he sang that song at the piano. And then 392 00:21:20,760 --> 00:21:24,720 Speaker 7: the next day I saw my neighbor Thomas, and he 393 00:21:24,840 --> 00:21:26,280 Speaker 7: was aware we had this new piano. 394 00:21:26,320 --> 00:21:27,920 Speaker 3: We didn't know each other that well at the time, 395 00:21:28,400 --> 00:21:32,280 Speaker 3: but he'd seen the piano arrive and he said, I 396 00:21:32,320 --> 00:21:38,360 Speaker 3: couldn't help it over here last night. You're getting pretty good. 397 00:21:37,920 --> 00:21:38,760 Speaker 3: Thank you. 398 00:21:40,240 --> 00:21:43,679 Speaker 1: Yeah. I don't know how you keep that lie going, 399 00:21:44,000 --> 00:21:47,199 Speaker 1: but I kind of hope Eric never confessed who the 400 00:21:47,240 --> 00:21:50,760 Speaker 1: real piano player was. Now we're going to hear from 401 00:21:50,800 --> 00:21:53,399 Speaker 1: two people that I was so happy to talk to 402 00:21:53,520 --> 00:21:58,440 Speaker 1: this year, longtime best friends, Jason Alexander and Peter Tilden. 403 00:21:59,000 --> 00:22:03,439 Speaker 1: Let's just say Jason really bared his soul or his 404 00:22:03,600 --> 00:22:04,760 Speaker 1: head for this one. 405 00:22:05,200 --> 00:22:07,760 Speaker 5: If you're listening to this and haven't seen Jason on stage, 406 00:22:08,359 --> 00:22:10,840 Speaker 5: he's my buddy, He's my best friend. We argue all 407 00:22:10,880 --> 00:22:13,280 Speaker 5: the time, we have the podcast, we've done shows together. 408 00:22:13,840 --> 00:22:16,680 Speaker 5: I'm still in awe when he walks on stage, even 409 00:22:16,680 --> 00:22:19,800 Speaker 5: if I've helped write the piece. There's a different power 410 00:22:19,960 --> 00:22:22,399 Speaker 5: that happens. He just it, just this thing happens. And 411 00:22:22,440 --> 00:22:25,600 Speaker 5: you knows, Brian, how amazing that is to own a 412 00:22:25,640 --> 00:22:27,639 Speaker 5: piece of that stage for X amount of time and 413 00:22:27,680 --> 00:22:29,639 Speaker 5: it's yours. You own it and you can do with 414 00:22:29,680 --> 00:22:33,520 Speaker 5: it whatever you want. And not everybody succeeds and It 415 00:22:33,720 --> 00:22:36,119 Speaker 5: fascinates me when I watch him go out there and 416 00:22:36,200 --> 00:22:40,720 Speaker 5: he transforms into this thing. It's goosebump time. He does 417 00:22:40,720 --> 00:22:42,240 Speaker 5: it every time. Is really powerful. 418 00:22:42,560 --> 00:22:45,239 Speaker 6: Thanks Pety, and thank you Peter for not mentioning the 419 00:22:45,240 --> 00:22:46,639 Speaker 6: hairline that Brian and I. 420 00:22:47,000 --> 00:22:47,800 Speaker 1: Well, yeah you both have. 421 00:22:47,920 --> 00:22:50,919 Speaker 5: Okay, we both haven't, I don't, thank thank goodness, but 422 00:22:51,040 --> 00:22:53,520 Speaker 5: both which, by the way, must have played into both 423 00:22:53,560 --> 00:22:56,400 Speaker 5: of your psyches growing up young, because I remember everybody 424 00:22:56,400 --> 00:22:59,520 Speaker 5: around me. It's that age. I remember asking this this 425 00:22:59,600 --> 00:23:02,680 Speaker 5: girl who I was dating at the time, constantly at 426 00:23:02,680 --> 00:23:04,800 Speaker 5: the back, the back, standing. It's standing in it. It's standing, 427 00:23:04,840 --> 00:23:07,040 Speaker 5: isn't it. She say, you're neurotic. I go, no, I'm sinning. 428 00:23:07,080 --> 00:23:09,400 Speaker 5: I'm sinning. And she ran into me like thirty years 429 00:23:09,480 --> 00:23:11,440 Speaker 5: later and I said, look see she said, it's the same. 430 00:23:11,640 --> 00:23:15,600 Speaker 5: It's the same. But what age, Like, what age did 431 00:23:15,600 --> 00:23:16,280 Speaker 5: it happen to you? 432 00:23:17,600 --> 00:23:19,439 Speaker 1: Yeah? What? What? What about you? Jason? 433 00:23:19,480 --> 00:23:22,360 Speaker 6: I remember it almost of the day. I had braces 434 00:23:22,400 --> 00:23:25,440 Speaker 6: for nine years. I got them onf I came off. 435 00:23:25,560 --> 00:23:29,960 Speaker 6: I was seventeen, and uh, I remember the braces came 436 00:23:29,960 --> 00:23:32,439 Speaker 6: off and I had a date that evening. So I 437 00:23:32,560 --> 00:23:36,200 Speaker 6: went to the gym and I'm in the shower and I'm, 438 00:23:36,560 --> 00:23:38,679 Speaker 6: you know, coming out of the shower, and I'm drying 439 00:23:38,680 --> 00:23:40,719 Speaker 6: off my hair and I look in the mirror and 440 00:23:40,760 --> 00:23:43,600 Speaker 6: I see something like a thin spot at the very 441 00:23:43,680 --> 00:23:47,880 Speaker 6: very top, about the size of a quarter. And I went, 442 00:23:48,480 --> 00:23:51,440 Speaker 6: I literally said, are you freaking. 443 00:23:51,359 --> 00:23:55,080 Speaker 3: Didn't me I don't get a day one day? 444 00:23:59,040 --> 00:24:01,159 Speaker 6: And it was it really was the beginning by the 445 00:24:01,200 --> 00:24:03,840 Speaker 6: time I got to college, you know, my sophomore year 446 00:24:03,840 --> 00:24:07,879 Speaker 6: of college, I had you know, like like a solid 447 00:24:08,000 --> 00:24:12,920 Speaker 6: drinkcoaster spot up there, and you know, and and I 448 00:24:12,960 --> 00:24:15,359 Speaker 6: panicked over and I cried about it, and I really 449 00:24:15,880 --> 00:24:19,679 Speaker 6: really thought it was the end of everything. But you know, 450 00:24:20,440 --> 00:24:22,720 Speaker 6: if you always say, what do you want to tell 451 00:24:22,720 --> 00:24:25,840 Speaker 6: your younger self, if it hadn't happened, my career would 452 00:24:25,880 --> 00:24:27,600 Speaker 6: not have happened the way it did because I kept 453 00:24:27,600 --> 00:24:31,240 Speaker 6: getting cast much older than I was, which was far 454 00:24:31,320 --> 00:24:34,560 Speaker 6: more interesting roles, right, and I had an energy about 455 00:24:34,600 --> 00:24:38,159 Speaker 6: those roles that guys that age didn't have, so it 456 00:24:38,280 --> 00:24:41,040 Speaker 6: made me kind of unique. I met my wife when 457 00:24:41,080 --> 00:24:43,200 Speaker 6: I was twenty, so it wasn't like I was looking 458 00:24:43,240 --> 00:24:46,840 Speaker 6: good and she got fooled. She's was gone on with that. 459 00:24:46,960 --> 00:24:55,680 Speaker 1: Hell, did you ever I mean, this is I guess 460 00:24:55,680 --> 00:25:01,000 Speaker 1: this is personal. Did you ever or consider doing something 461 00:25:01,600 --> 00:25:02,280 Speaker 1: to change it? 462 00:25:02,359 --> 00:25:03,560 Speaker 3: Oh my god, you kidding. 463 00:25:03,760 --> 00:25:07,360 Speaker 6: First of all, I was one of the first rogaine users. 464 00:25:09,680 --> 00:25:13,159 Speaker 6: But rogaine, you know, rogain now comes in two forms. 465 00:25:13,160 --> 00:25:15,639 Speaker 6: There's a there's like an oil base and there's a 466 00:25:15,680 --> 00:25:18,439 Speaker 6: foam the oil base. Back in the beginning, it was 467 00:25:18,480 --> 00:25:20,280 Speaker 6: like all oil. So if you have thinning hair and 468 00:25:20,320 --> 00:25:22,320 Speaker 6: you put oil on your head, you look like you 469 00:25:22,480 --> 00:25:25,160 Speaker 6: belong on the street, you know, So that was not good. 470 00:25:25,480 --> 00:25:28,080 Speaker 6: Then I went to hair club for men for a 471 00:25:28,160 --> 00:25:30,720 Speaker 6: year and they had the thing where they make fishing 472 00:25:30,760 --> 00:25:32,560 Speaker 6: line and they take your hair and they make a 473 00:25:32,600 --> 00:25:35,639 Speaker 6: braid and then they sew the tupe onto that braid 474 00:25:35,680 --> 00:25:37,399 Speaker 6: and you have to go every four weeks to have 475 00:25:37,480 --> 00:25:40,719 Speaker 6: it to have the crud the cottage cheese scraped off 476 00:25:40,800 --> 00:25:42,880 Speaker 6: your head because you can't shampoo under that. 477 00:25:43,880 --> 00:25:45,200 Speaker 5: So, by the way, if they want to use that 478 00:25:45,280 --> 00:25:46,280 Speaker 5: as they're out. Yeah. 479 00:25:46,359 --> 00:25:53,119 Speaker 6: Right after Seinfeld, there was a period of time where 480 00:25:53,200 --> 00:25:55,040 Speaker 6: people where I got really close to a couple of 481 00:25:55,080 --> 00:25:57,640 Speaker 6: roles and they ultimately didn't go with me because they said, 482 00:25:57,640 --> 00:25:59,840 Speaker 6: he looks so much like his character on Seinfeld, And 483 00:25:59,840 --> 00:26:01,120 Speaker 6: I'm going you. 484 00:26:01,119 --> 00:26:02,159 Speaker 3: Honestly can't see me. 485 00:26:02,240 --> 00:26:03,879 Speaker 6: Like if I grow a mustache and I put on 486 00:26:03,920 --> 00:26:06,200 Speaker 6: a wig, you can't figure that out. So as a 487 00:26:06,280 --> 00:26:07,480 Speaker 6: sort of fu. 488 00:26:07,440 --> 00:26:12,520 Speaker 10: I wore to pay for two years publicly making no 489 00:26:12,640 --> 00:26:16,960 Speaker 10: bones about it, going see see it changed nothing right, 490 00:26:17,520 --> 00:26:20,880 Speaker 10: So if I could have changed it easily, I probably 491 00:26:20,960 --> 00:26:21,359 Speaker 10: would have. 492 00:26:22,200 --> 00:26:24,400 Speaker 6: But nothing was going to be easy. 493 00:26:24,560 --> 00:26:29,440 Speaker 3: And frankly, who you know, nobody cares anymore. 494 00:26:29,880 --> 00:26:33,200 Speaker 1: No I know. I mean, I'll tell you briefly mine 495 00:26:33,240 --> 00:26:37,159 Speaker 1: because it's similar in a way. Now, I already was 496 00:26:37,160 --> 00:26:42,600 Speaker 1: playing older roles. I'm convinced that it was sped up 497 00:26:42,880 --> 00:26:46,719 Speaker 1: by that old makeup company ben Nye. Remember ben Nye 498 00:26:46,760 --> 00:26:52,480 Speaker 1: does the theater makeup. And I convinced that cutting thinning 499 00:26:52,840 --> 00:26:56,280 Speaker 1: for older roles and putting makeup on did something because 500 00:26:56,320 --> 00:26:59,160 Speaker 1: it was right after that where it really took a turn. 501 00:26:59,720 --> 00:27:02,920 Speaker 1: So I went in the I got the prescription. I 502 00:27:02,920 --> 00:27:05,439 Speaker 1: had to get a prescription for the ro game. My 503 00:27:05,560 --> 00:27:09,640 Speaker 1: dad was a he is a doctor, and got a 504 00:27:09,680 --> 00:27:14,960 Speaker 1: dermatologist that was his like buddy, and got me the stuff. 505 00:27:15,480 --> 00:27:19,160 Speaker 1: And then it was explained to me that it could 506 00:27:19,359 --> 00:27:23,719 Speaker 1: have no effect. It could stop the loss, or it 507 00:27:23,760 --> 00:27:28,360 Speaker 1: could reverse like a clock. But then what was explained 508 00:27:28,359 --> 00:27:32,560 Speaker 1: to me was if you ever stop, the clock speeds 509 00:27:32,640 --> 00:27:35,000 Speaker 1: up to wherever you would say it leaves up. And 510 00:27:35,040 --> 00:27:38,880 Speaker 1: I thought, am I going to do this forever? Like 511 00:27:38,920 --> 00:27:41,840 Speaker 1: that was for me? That was the decision. And yeah, 512 00:27:41,840 --> 00:27:44,119 Speaker 1: it was oily back then at the time, at least 513 00:27:44,160 --> 00:27:51,080 Speaker 1: it kind of had a alcohol yes, kind of smell anyway, 514 00:27:51,400 --> 00:27:52,880 Speaker 1: So I stopped. 515 00:27:53,920 --> 00:27:58,680 Speaker 6: Did I blame the jew fro phenomena of nineteen seventy 516 00:27:58,720 --> 00:28:02,199 Speaker 6: six where every ouk joy was getting an afro? And 517 00:28:02,240 --> 00:28:05,600 Speaker 6: I did it? And that's what I noticed the spot. 518 00:28:06,080 --> 00:28:09,560 Speaker 6: Oh sure, I burnt every follicle. I ascid and heat 519 00:28:09,640 --> 00:28:10,880 Speaker 6: and I killed every follicle. 520 00:28:12,800 --> 00:28:17,400 Speaker 1: Look at us now, Jason, we get more beautiful with age. 521 00:28:17,840 --> 00:28:22,440 Speaker 1: Maybe a little more bald too, but definitely more beautiful. 522 00:28:23,200 --> 00:28:25,439 Speaker 1: I want to leave you all with one last clip 523 00:28:25,760 --> 00:28:29,919 Speaker 1: from Rosie O'Donnell. I still kind of can't believe I 524 00:28:29,960 --> 00:28:34,520 Speaker 1: got to hang out with the Rosie O'Donnell. Obviously she's 525 00:28:34,560 --> 00:28:37,359 Speaker 1: an icon who has made a lasting impression on a 526 00:28:37,400 --> 00:28:41,680 Speaker 1: whole generation of people. But don't take my word for it. 527 00:28:42,160 --> 00:28:46,400 Speaker 1: What do you see now as the show's legacy, after 528 00:28:46,440 --> 00:28:48,120 Speaker 1: it's it's now done. 529 00:28:48,880 --> 00:28:52,440 Speaker 11: I would say it was the time of the legacy 530 00:28:52,480 --> 00:28:56,920 Speaker 11: of the show. I think is love, because I think 531 00:28:56,960 --> 00:29:00,880 Speaker 11: the reason that I was successful is because I really 532 00:29:00,960 --> 00:29:04,480 Speaker 11: loved Florence Henderson. And when I had her on the show, 533 00:29:05,040 --> 00:29:06,960 Speaker 11: it was trippy to think that I would dream that 534 00:29:07,000 --> 00:29:09,440 Speaker 11: she would be my mom and that here she is 535 00:29:09,480 --> 00:29:13,800 Speaker 11: sitting next to me and being motherly. Florence Henderson would 536 00:29:13,880 --> 00:29:17,000 Speaker 11: come over to my house and play with Parker and 537 00:29:17,760 --> 00:29:21,160 Speaker 11: these older women who knew that I was a motherless child, 538 00:29:21,400 --> 00:29:27,040 Speaker 11: motherless child, you know, and stepped in in in a 539 00:29:27,120 --> 00:29:30,760 Speaker 11: magical way almost, you know, there was something magical about 540 00:29:30,800 --> 00:29:34,920 Speaker 11: the show. It was pure, and it was it was kind, 541 00:29:35,000 --> 00:29:39,360 Speaker 11: and it was it was fun. I think we had fun, 542 00:29:39,480 --> 00:29:43,560 Speaker 11: you know, and everybody wanted to be in the audience. 543 00:29:43,560 --> 00:29:47,479 Speaker 11: It was a tiny little studio with like two hundred seats, 544 00:29:47,480 --> 00:29:50,720 Speaker 11: and everybody wanted to be there. And then when I 545 00:29:50,760 --> 00:29:53,480 Speaker 11: did Tickle Me Elmo, I remember getting a call from 546 00:29:53,800 --> 00:29:57,960 Speaker 11: Aaron Spelling. Aaron Spelling, like one of the richest men 547 00:29:58,000 --> 00:30:01,080 Speaker 11: in the world, calls to ask me if I had 548 00:30:01,160 --> 00:30:06,120 Speaker 11: four Tickle Me Elmos for his grandchildren. I was like, okay, sir, 549 00:30:06,200 --> 00:30:09,760 Speaker 11: well listen, thank you for Dynasty. I enjoyed that so 550 00:30:09,960 --> 00:30:12,080 Speaker 11: much when I was a job. Let me get back 551 00:30:12,080 --> 00:30:14,000 Speaker 11: to you. And then I go to my assistant find 552 00:30:14,040 --> 00:30:16,960 Speaker 11: four fucking almost for Aaron spelling, like, and then I think, 553 00:30:17,000 --> 00:30:19,680 Speaker 11: whose life is this? This is a crazy life. You know, 554 00:30:21,040 --> 00:30:23,800 Speaker 11: it's a crazy life. And I never really believed at 555 00:30:23,800 --> 00:30:26,320 Speaker 11: the height of like when oh, you're the most influential, 556 00:30:26,360 --> 00:30:28,320 Speaker 11: You're on this list, You're on that list. You know, 557 00:30:29,000 --> 00:30:32,280 Speaker 11: I usually didn't go to the party, you know, I like, 558 00:30:32,720 --> 00:30:35,840 Speaker 11: I didn't always believe it, you know what I mean? Like, 559 00:30:35,280 --> 00:30:41,880 Speaker 11: I feel like I have a healthy amount of reality 560 00:30:41,880 --> 00:30:44,440 Speaker 11: in my show business. I don't know, is that weird 561 00:30:44,440 --> 00:30:44,800 Speaker 11: to say? 562 00:30:45,480 --> 00:30:45,680 Speaker 2: No? 563 00:30:45,880 --> 00:30:49,520 Speaker 1: I think I get it. But but you must be aware, 564 00:30:49,600 --> 00:30:54,480 Speaker 1: or you should be aware of the countless doors that 565 00:30:54,520 --> 00:31:00,360 Speaker 1: you opened in your career for other people in the 566 00:31:00,480 --> 00:31:05,680 Speaker 1: LGBTQ community. You opened up a lot of doors during 567 00:31:05,760 --> 00:31:09,320 Speaker 1: this time and after for people that came after you. 568 00:31:09,520 --> 00:31:13,040 Speaker 1: Do you are you proud of that? Do you acknowledge 569 00:31:13,080 --> 00:31:13,920 Speaker 1: that to yourself? Yes? 570 00:31:14,000 --> 00:31:17,440 Speaker 11: Yes, I definitely do. And I you know, I feel 571 00:31:17,560 --> 00:31:23,280 Speaker 11: that some people are marathon runners and some people are sprinters, 572 00:31:23,520 --> 00:31:26,400 Speaker 11: and I knew that I'm hardly a jogger, right, I 573 00:31:26,760 --> 00:31:29,440 Speaker 11: work very very hard, but I'm tired, you know, like 574 00:31:29,960 --> 00:31:32,680 Speaker 11: I want to lay down and watch something like I 575 00:31:33,040 --> 00:31:36,240 Speaker 11: don't have the kind of energy that that I did 576 00:31:36,280 --> 00:31:39,880 Speaker 11: back then, and it was a very large amount of work. 577 00:31:40,360 --> 00:31:43,480 Speaker 11: But I do realize that. And you know, I was 578 00:31:43,480 --> 00:31:46,360 Speaker 11: at Nobu yesterday and this is. 579 00:31:46,360 --> 00:31:48,760 Speaker 1: It's so funny because you're so not this. I'm going 580 00:31:48,840 --> 00:31:51,840 Speaker 1: to totally interrupt you that that is like the most 581 00:31:52,120 --> 00:31:52,920 Speaker 1: like Hollywood. 582 00:31:53,920 --> 00:31:54,760 Speaker 5: I know, I know. 583 00:31:56,560 --> 00:31:58,840 Speaker 11: Yesterday anyway, so I've never seen it. 584 00:31:58,920 --> 00:32:01,160 Speaker 1: You like the opposite of that, So I had to 585 00:32:01,200 --> 00:32:01,960 Speaker 1: at least call it. 586 00:32:02,080 --> 00:32:04,240 Speaker 11: You have to. I've never seen a Kardashian there. I 587 00:32:04,320 --> 00:32:06,120 Speaker 11: just want you to know. I go there like three 588 00:32:06,200 --> 00:32:08,680 Speaker 11: or four times a week. It's almost like my my 589 00:32:08,720 --> 00:32:12,000 Speaker 11: neighborhood restaurant. I'm right on the beach in Malibu and 590 00:32:12,120 --> 00:32:13,520 Speaker 11: right next door is Noboo. 591 00:32:14,160 --> 00:32:17,240 Speaker 1: I just ate at Nobuo two nights in a row 592 00:32:17,280 --> 00:32:17,720 Speaker 1: in Vegas. 593 00:32:18,280 --> 00:32:21,280 Speaker 11: Now, if I could eat it every day, I would 594 00:32:21,320 --> 00:32:23,880 Speaker 11: eat it every day. But can I read this to you? 595 00:32:23,920 --> 00:32:25,920 Speaker 11: What this this note that happened at Nobuo? 596 00:32:26,160 --> 00:32:26,320 Speaker 5: Yes. 597 00:32:26,480 --> 00:32:29,400 Speaker 11: So I see this family sitting in front of me, 598 00:32:29,640 --> 00:32:32,240 Speaker 11: and they're very young. I thought at first they were teenagers, 599 00:32:32,320 --> 00:32:36,000 Speaker 11: but very kind of good looking like like he looked 600 00:32:36,000 --> 00:32:37,920 Speaker 11: like an artist to me, Like I thought he had 601 00:32:37,960 --> 00:32:40,480 Speaker 11: one real funky clothes. I bet he's a fashion designer, 602 00:32:40,520 --> 00:32:43,000 Speaker 11: I thought to myself, and what a pretty wife. And 603 00:32:43,680 --> 00:32:46,760 Speaker 11: I go to get the check and the guy says, oh, 604 00:32:46,920 --> 00:32:51,240 Speaker 11: it's paid for. I said, what do you mean. He said, well, 605 00:32:51,760 --> 00:32:55,720 Speaker 11: there's a note for you. And apparently this young man 606 00:32:56,480 --> 00:32:59,120 Speaker 11: paid my bill and left with and never bothered me, 607 00:32:59,400 --> 00:33:02,360 Speaker 11: but he left me this note. Rosie, thank you for 608 00:33:02,400 --> 00:33:05,479 Speaker 11: being you and setting an example of what it means 609 00:33:05,560 --> 00:33:08,880 Speaker 11: to be yourself in the face of adversity and negativity. 610 00:33:09,400 --> 00:33:12,760 Speaker 11: Because of your strength and bravery, a little boy found 611 00:33:12,840 --> 00:33:16,200 Speaker 11: the light in a childhood riddled with violence, drug abuse, 612 00:33:16,560 --> 00:33:20,480 Speaker 11: and depression. And now I'm one of the biggest rappers 613 00:33:20,560 --> 00:33:26,240 Speaker 11: in the whole world. Thank you, with unconditional reverence. Logic 614 00:33:27,920 --> 00:33:31,840 Speaker 11: Bobby Hall. Now, I had no idea who logic was, 615 00:33:32,760 --> 00:33:35,800 Speaker 11: but I felt like this is the legacy of the show, 616 00:33:36,440 --> 00:33:41,800 Speaker 11: that there are millions of artists and they were inspired 617 00:33:41,920 --> 00:33:44,160 Speaker 11: and they knew to go there, and they knew what 618 00:33:44,200 --> 00:33:48,200 Speaker 11: we were selling was membership in this world. And uh, 619 00:33:50,440 --> 00:33:53,320 Speaker 11: I was so blown away. I go on to my 620 00:33:53,440 --> 00:33:57,000 Speaker 11: son who's twenty three, and my daughter who's twenty and 621 00:33:57,040 --> 00:33:59,920 Speaker 11: I send the copy of it to both of them 622 00:34:00,120 --> 00:34:04,640 Speaker 11: and they both call me screaming on the phone, screaming, 623 00:34:05,080 --> 00:34:08,720 Speaker 11: I am going to use this for the next three years. 624 00:34:08,960 --> 00:34:10,360 Speaker 11: Like Blake was like, do you want to keep it? 625 00:34:10,400 --> 00:34:12,640 Speaker 11: I'm like, yes, I'm keeping it. He's like, I want 626 00:34:12,680 --> 00:34:14,480 Speaker 11: to show my friends. I'm like, I'll send you a 627 00:34:14,520 --> 00:34:18,120 Speaker 11: picture of it. You know. But I was so, I 628 00:34:18,200 --> 00:34:20,160 Speaker 11: was so moved that. 629 00:34:20,120 --> 00:34:23,920 Speaker 1: Is I'm you know what I'm so that makes me 630 00:34:24,160 --> 00:34:28,480 Speaker 1: so happy. Yeah, for you, that makes me so happy 631 00:34:28,520 --> 00:34:33,520 Speaker 1: that that happened for you, obviously for logic as well, 632 00:34:34,320 --> 00:34:36,440 Speaker 1: that he was able to come out of a difficult 633 00:34:36,480 --> 00:34:38,600 Speaker 1: situation in part because of you. But for him to 634 00:34:38,719 --> 00:34:39,399 Speaker 1: tell you that. 635 00:34:40,880 --> 00:34:43,400 Speaker 11: And to buy me a very expensive dinner as well, 636 00:34:43,960 --> 00:34:46,040 Speaker 11: a lunch with a friend of mine who I knew 637 00:34:46,120 --> 00:34:48,880 Speaker 11: was a comedian years ago and I hadn't seen in 638 00:34:48,960 --> 00:34:51,799 Speaker 11: forty years. We had a lunch and talked about doing 639 00:34:51,840 --> 00:34:54,800 Speaker 11: stand up in the old days. But he did, And 640 00:34:55,400 --> 00:34:58,000 Speaker 11: I thought, you know, and I think to myself, every 641 00:34:58,040 --> 00:35:00,640 Speaker 11: time that somebody writes to me or ops me or 642 00:35:00,680 --> 00:35:05,240 Speaker 11: tells me, you know, is a gift. It's a gift. 643 00:35:05,320 --> 00:35:08,359 Speaker 11: And my children make fun of me because of the 644 00:35:08,520 --> 00:35:11,480 Speaker 11: difference between when they were little and we used to 645 00:35:11,480 --> 00:35:13,359 Speaker 11: go to the mall and going to the mall now, 646 00:35:13,920 --> 00:35:15,840 Speaker 11: and or we go to a baseball game or a 647 00:35:15,880 --> 00:35:20,479 Speaker 11: football game, and and my sons would totally rag on me, like, mom, 648 00:35:20,600 --> 00:35:21,840 Speaker 11: nobody recognized you. 649 00:35:22,040 --> 00:35:22,840 Speaker 6: The whole game. 650 00:35:23,440 --> 00:35:23,680 Speaker 5: You know. 651 00:35:24,160 --> 00:35:26,839 Speaker 11: I'm like, well, honey, Mommy's lost it. I got gray 652 00:35:26,880 --> 00:35:29,120 Speaker 11: hair now, and I don't know what to tell you. 653 00:35:29,160 --> 00:36:01,440 Speaker 12: Nobody knew you. 654 00:35:45,800 --> 00:35:49,320 Speaker 1: You know. I think my favorite thing about this job, 655 00:35:49,719 --> 00:35:53,640 Speaker 1: about art and entertainment in general, is how deeply it 656 00:35:53,680 --> 00:36:00,000 Speaker 1: can impact people. Television, film, music, they can change someone's life. 657 00:36:00,320 --> 00:36:04,759 Speaker 1: Rosie apparently did for Logic. You know. I was on 658 00:36:05,080 --> 00:36:08,719 Speaker 1: the Little show The Office. I have always said the 659 00:36:08,880 --> 00:36:13,320 Speaker 1: greatest gift that the show ever gave me was hearing 660 00:36:13,360 --> 00:36:17,560 Speaker 1: from people how much that work affected them. I consider 661 00:36:17,600 --> 00:36:21,880 Speaker 1: it a gift to me, the idea of making someone's 662 00:36:21,920 --> 00:36:26,240 Speaker 1: life better, even for just a day or a moment. 663 00:36:26,880 --> 00:36:30,680 Speaker 1: And you know what made my life better today listening 664 00:36:30,719 --> 00:36:33,719 Speaker 1: back to these great moments from twenty twenty three, with 665 00:36:33,920 --> 00:36:37,319 Speaker 1: all of the incredible guests that we've had, I want 666 00:36:37,320 --> 00:36:39,920 Speaker 1: to thank everyone who was a part of this podcast 667 00:36:40,080 --> 00:36:43,760 Speaker 1: this year, not just the guests, but the incredible crew 668 00:36:44,160 --> 00:36:46,880 Speaker 1: and production team that I get to work with, and 669 00:36:46,960 --> 00:36:50,880 Speaker 1: all of you, the listeners who truly allow me to 670 00:36:50,960 --> 00:36:56,080 Speaker 1: keep doing this. So Happy New Year to everyone, and yeah, 671 00:36:56,440 --> 00:37:06,280 Speaker 1: we'll see you next year. Off the Beat is hosted 672 00:37:06,320 --> 00:37:10,800 Speaker 1: and executive produced by me Brian Baumgartner, alongside our executive 673 00:37:10,800 --> 00:37:14,920 Speaker 1: producer Lang Lee. Our senior producer is Diego Tapia. Our 674 00:37:14,920 --> 00:37:18,839 Speaker 1: producers are Liz Hayes, Hannah Harris, and Emily Carr. Our 675 00:37:18,880 --> 00:37:22,960 Speaker 1: talent producer is Ryan Papa Zachary, and our intern is 676 00:37:23,000 --> 00:37:27,680 Speaker 1: Ali Amir Sahed. Our theme song Bubble and Squeak, performed 677 00:37:27,719 --> 00:37:30,240 Speaker 1: by the one and only Creed Bratton