WEBVTT - Ned Ralsma 0:00:00.120 --> 0:00:03.800 Today we're here to talk about Athletic Greens. Athletic Greens 0:00:03.880 --> 0:00:06.279 is a product that I've worked into my daily routine 0:00:06.360 --> 0:00:09.400 because I wanted more energy, I wanted better gut health, 0:00:09.440 --> 0:00:12.280 and I wanted to optimize my immune system. I hate 0:00:12.280 --> 0:00:15.680 taking vitamins, I hate taking pills every single day, so 0:00:15.800 --> 0:00:18.600 I wanted a supplement that actually tastes great. But I 0:00:18.640 --> 0:00:20.919 also wanted to see what the hype was about. And 0:00:20.960 --> 0:00:23.040 I've been taking it for about two weeks and it 0:00:23.040 --> 0:00:25.520 doesn't taste like it's super healthy, but it's got kind 0:00:25.520 --> 0:00:28.320 of a mild tropical taste that I actually look forward 0:00:28.320 --> 0:00:31.480 to each morning. With one delicious scoop of AG one, 0:00:31.520 --> 0:00:35.600 you're absorbing seventy five high quality vitamins, minerals, whole food 0:00:35.760 --> 0:00:39.360 source superfoods, and probiotics that help you start your day right. 0:00:39.520 --> 0:00:42.519 This special blend of ingredient supports your gut health, your 0:00:42.560 --> 0:00:46.479 nervous system, your immune system, your energy, your recovery, your focus, 0:00:46.520 --> 0:00:49.400 and of course, your aging. Every morning I start off 0:00:49.400 --> 0:00:51.800 with my Athletic Greens. I get up before I have 0:00:51.920 --> 0:00:55.160 anything to eat, I load it up, I take a swig, 0:00:55.240 --> 0:00:57.520 and I'm ready to start my day. Rolling in the 0:00:57.600 --> 0:01:00.400 right direction. What I've noticed, I've noticed a lot of 0:01:00.440 --> 0:01:03.400 extra energy. I've noticed a little bit more awareness and 0:01:03.480 --> 0:01:05.880 a little bit more of that extra push that I 0:01:06.040 --> 0:01:09.080 need to get everything done in a daily routine that 0:01:09.240 --> 0:01:12.240 normally I'd be dragging and I'd be complaining the whole 0:01:12.360 --> 0:01:14.200 entire day. But I was also in the group of 0:01:14.240 --> 0:01:17.000 the tons of people that take some kind of multi 0:01:17.080 --> 0:01:21.920 vitamin and every day having to replace each pill, each vitamin, 0:01:22.120 --> 0:01:25.479 each supplement, and I decided it's important to choose one 0:01:25.560 --> 0:01:29.240 with high quality ingredients that your body will actually absorb. 0:01:29.600 --> 0:01:32.880 One thing I'll say about Athletic Greens It's lifestyle friendly. 0:01:33.200 --> 0:01:37.759 Whether you eat keto, paleo, vegan, dairy free, or gluten free, 0:01:37.959 --> 0:01:41.240 Athletic Greens is the supplement for you. It contains less 0:01:41.240 --> 0:01:45.640 than one gram of sugar, no GMOs, no nasty chemicals 0:01:45.680 --> 0:01:49.280 or artificial anything, while still tasting good. It supports better 0:01:49.320 --> 0:01:52.880 sleep quality and recovery, supports mental clarity and alertness. It's 0:01:52.880 --> 0:01:55.600 the one thing with the best things. Athletic Greens uses 0:01:55.640 --> 0:01:58.680 the best of the best products based on the latest science, 0:01:58.800 --> 0:02:02.480 with constant product of iterations in third party testing, and 0:02:02.520 --> 0:02:05.880 the most important part it costs less than three dollars 0:02:05.920 --> 0:02:08.359 a day, So you're investing in your health and it's 0:02:08.440 --> 0:02:11.600 cheaper than your cold brew habit at Starbucks. But it's 0:02:11.639 --> 0:02:14.799 also cheaper than getting all the different supplements yourself. You're 0:02:14.840 --> 0:02:18.640 simply investing in an all in one nutritional insurance. But 0:02:18.720 --> 0:02:21.480 don't just listen to me. Athletic Greens has over seven 0:02:21.639 --> 0:02:25.320 thousand and five star reviews, It's been recommended by professional 0:02:25.360 --> 0:02:28.760 athletes and is trusted by leading health experts such as 0:02:28.800 --> 0:02:32.399 Tim Ferris and Michael Gervais. So right now, it's time 0:02:32.440 --> 0:02:35.200 to reclaim your health and arm your immune system with 0:02:35.280 --> 0:02:38.639 convenient daily nutrition. It's just one scoop in a cup 0:02:38.680 --> 0:02:41.720 of water every day. That's it. No need for a 0:02:41.760 --> 0:02:44.840 million different pills and supplements to look out for your health. 0:02:45.040 --> 0:02:47.120 And to make it easy, Athletic Greens is going to 0:02:47.120 --> 0:02:50.320 give you a free one year's supply of immune supporting 0:02:50.600 --> 0:02:54.600 Vitamin D and five free travel packs with your purchase. 0:02:55.040 --> 0:02:57.880 All you have to do is visit Athleticgreens dot com 0:02:57.919 --> 0:03:02.639 slash francine again, that's Athleticgreens dot com slash francine to 0:03:02.720 --> 0:03:06.080 take ownership over your health and pick up the ultimate 0:03:06.200 --> 0:03:19.440 daily nutrition insurance. All right, let's get it going right here, 0:03:19.600 --> 0:03:23.560 right now, this is Eyes up Here, and you're watching 0:03:23.639 --> 0:03:25.600 and listening to a brandow episode of Eyes up Here, 0:03:25.639 --> 0:03:29.359 exclusively on our Patreon channel and on the Creative Control Network. 0:03:29.919 --> 0:03:31.840 It didn't know by now. My name is Chad, and 0:03:31.880 --> 0:03:34.160 every single week I'm joined here by of course, call 0:03:34.240 --> 0:03:38.800 me her hair Marcia, Marcia Marsha. I'm losing my hair, 0:03:39.000 --> 0:03:42.520 so I'm trying to I'm so sorry. When we last 0:03:42.600 --> 0:03:45.800 left the Queen of Extreme she had this luscious, full 0:03:45.840 --> 0:03:48.520 head of hair, and now she's left with take a 0:03:48.520 --> 0:03:51.360 little bit left. She's got Charlie Brown hair. Now, oh no, 0:03:51.760 --> 0:03:56.000 you don't. I don't know what's going on, you know. 0:03:56.200 --> 0:03:59.280 I hope it's uh, it was a one time thing 0:03:59.400 --> 0:04:03.440 and hopefully it'll go back to its illustrious So I 0:04:03.520 --> 0:04:05.840 might have to buy new shampoo for thickening hair. I 0:04:05.840 --> 0:04:08.720 don't know what the hell's going you know, Hey, I 0:04:08.800 --> 0:04:10.440 know it. Well, I'll tell you this. When we last 0:04:10.520 --> 0:04:13.400 left you last week, you were talking about, you know 0:04:13.440 --> 0:04:15.720 that your bad nights sleep that you had. Have you 0:04:15.800 --> 0:04:19.400 slept a little bit better since well, you know, I'm 0:04:19.440 --> 0:04:23.640 not really sure the pills are working, but we're not. 0:04:23.760 --> 0:04:25.320 You know, we have to give it some time because 0:04:25.320 --> 0:04:27.760 we don't know if it's the hair loss that's happening 0:04:27.839 --> 0:04:31.640 from the pills or just because I was gross and 0:04:31.680 --> 0:04:33.920 didn't brush my hair for three days. I don't know. 0:04:34.560 --> 0:04:36.599 That's what you do when you're a stay at hoo mom. 0:04:36.640 --> 0:04:39.080 You put your hair up in a bun, you wear 0:04:39.120 --> 0:04:42.200 the sweatpants, and you walk around. I shower every day. 0:04:43.640 --> 0:04:46.279 Hear every day. You know, I'll admit it. And for 0:04:46.320 --> 0:04:48.680 those who look down on me, I say, do not 0:04:48.920 --> 0:04:53.479 cast the stone if you live in a glasshouse. That's 0:04:53.520 --> 0:04:57.479 what I say. All right, Well, our guest has joined 0:04:57.520 --> 0:05:03.760 the park. Are ready to Yeah, let me introduce him. 0:05:03.839 --> 0:05:07.280 His name is ned roll Sma. I hope I said 0:05:07.279 --> 0:05:10.640 that right, roll Sma and I met him through the 0:05:10.720 --> 0:05:15.040 franchise Shane Douglas at our signing that we did at 0:05:15.080 --> 0:05:17.880 the Wrestling Universe in Queens, New York. So we'll discuss that. 0:05:17.920 --> 0:05:19.880 Look at that face, he's so cute. Got him on 0:05:19.920 --> 0:05:25.240 the screen. How are you? I'm doing good? Thank you 0:05:25.279 --> 0:05:28.200 for having me. Sorry for the connectivity issues a little bit, 0:05:28.240 --> 0:05:32.080 but no week, don't worry about it. That was last week. 0:05:32.160 --> 0:05:35.360 This is a new week. We're fine, ned I before 0:05:35.360 --> 0:05:38.320 we start with the stories, I looked you up when 0:05:38.320 --> 0:05:42.000 we came home. Had to, because you know, I investigate 0:05:42.040 --> 0:05:45.400 when I have guests. One. Now, you have a big beard, 0:05:45.760 --> 0:05:49.360 but the picture of you had no beard. You have 0:05:49.360 --> 0:05:53.479 the cutest dimples. Much for your dimples, what are you 0:05:53.520 --> 0:05:58.000 covering or up there? Oh wow, that's hilarious. So you're 0:05:58.040 --> 0:06:01.080 now in the club with my mom, who also hates 0:06:01.120 --> 0:06:04.240 the beard. No, I don't the beard. I love beards. 0:06:04.480 --> 0:06:07.800 I love guys with facial here, but your dimples. I 0:06:07.839 --> 0:06:12.599 could have stuck my whole finger in your face. Adorable dimples. 0:06:12.880 --> 0:06:16.640 I thank you, thank you. I appreciate that. Well, the 0:06:16.680 --> 0:06:20.360 beard was born from the coronavirus and not being able 0:06:20.400 --> 0:06:22.640 to get a haircut and not being able to go 0:06:22.680 --> 0:06:24.520 to a barber shop and get a trim, and so 0:06:24.600 --> 0:06:27.800 I thought, well, I'm just gonna let it ride. And 0:06:27.839 --> 0:06:32.080 I like those looks. But look at them. Yeah, look 0:06:32.960 --> 0:06:34.479 there is I know that was a while ago, but 0:06:34.520 --> 0:06:38.480 those dimples. I love dimples. Yeah, no, that's the It 0:06:38.520 --> 0:06:42.279 wasn't that long of a while ago, but it was, 0:06:41.040 --> 0:06:45.240 uh the last twenty years. That was a long long 0:06:45.279 --> 0:06:49.840 time ago. Those are pre pandemic pictures, sure, and you 0:06:49.880 --> 0:06:52.000 can tell by the probably by the look on my face. 0:06:52.040 --> 0:06:55.560 Even as pre pandemic, it looked much about But you know, 0:06:55.640 --> 0:06:58.520 so like the beard thing though it you know, like 0:06:58.560 --> 0:07:00.640 I said, when you couldn't you during the coronavirus, you 0:07:00.640 --> 0:07:02.680 couldn't go to a barber shop. They weren't allowed to 0:07:02.720 --> 0:07:05.200 like mess with your face. You couldn't take your mask 0:07:05.240 --> 0:07:06.800 down and all that stuff, and all the barbers were 0:07:06.839 --> 0:07:09.320 worried about. You just couldn't get a shave. But also, 0:07:10.240 --> 0:07:12.160 you know, so I get told a lot. So I'm 0:07:12.160 --> 0:07:14.440 a seven foot tall, three hundred and seventy pound guy, 0:07:15.120 --> 0:07:18.320 and so I get told a lot in auditions for 0:07:18.440 --> 0:07:21.200 things that you have too nice of a face, or 0:07:21.280 --> 0:07:23.080 you don't look like. I'll go out for these things 0:07:23.120 --> 0:07:25.200 like Lord of the Rings characters. I'll go out for 0:07:25.280 --> 0:07:28.160 things on Game of Thrones characters, and a lot of 0:07:28.160 --> 0:07:30.920 times the feedback from casting people is like, you look 0:07:31.000 --> 0:07:34.840 too nice cod So yeah, so I'm thinking, well, there's 0:07:34.880 --> 0:07:37.000 just so much of that stuff right now out if 0:07:37.000 --> 0:07:39.840 you look at all the sci fi and fantasy type 0:07:39.840 --> 0:07:42.240 of programming that's out and coming out right now, it's 0:07:42.640 --> 0:07:45.040 huge right now, and I feel like they're I was 0:07:45.040 --> 0:07:46.880 telling my mom the other day because she stopped calling 0:07:46.880 --> 0:07:49.440 it a beard a long time ago and just starts 0:07:49.520 --> 0:07:53.520 calling it that thing on your face, And so I 0:07:53.560 --> 0:07:55.240 told her, I was like, I still feel like there's 0:07:55.280 --> 0:07:57.640 money to be made here, so I don't want to shave, 0:07:58.000 --> 0:07:59.760 you know, because I'm like, as soon as I shave 0:08:00.160 --> 0:08:03.080 my luck. As soon as I shave uh, you know, 0:08:03.120 --> 0:08:06.400 the new Game of Throne series will call and want 0:08:06.400 --> 0:08:09.440 a giant guy with a big ass beard. Yeah. No, 0:08:09.560 --> 0:08:13.480 I like the beard. I do. I like facial hair. 0:08:13.520 --> 0:08:15.880 But I when I looked you up, I said, look 0:08:15.880 --> 0:08:18.680 at those dimples. So that's that's the only thing I 0:08:18.720 --> 0:08:22.840 was putting over your your your cute dimples. So here's 0:08:22.880 --> 0:08:26.040 how we met, How I met Ned. That's a new show. 0:08:26.040 --> 0:08:29.080 It's a spinoff from Mother Now. Yeah, how about that. 0:08:30.040 --> 0:08:33.200 I I was I was running just a little late, 0:08:33.280 --> 0:08:36.440 not quite, but just a tad late for that signing 0:08:36.440 --> 0:08:39.120 at the Wrestling Universe. Right we go, Sandman and I 0:08:39.160 --> 0:08:41.600 go to the wrong store because there's two stores. I'm 0:08:41.679 --> 0:08:44.360 dressed like a whoror by the way, and I have 0:08:44.440 --> 0:08:46.600 to walk down the street and go to the second 0:08:46.679 --> 0:08:51.240 store and there's this gentleman seven feet tall, huge guy, 0:08:51.280 --> 0:08:54.960 and he's standing like towards the doorway, and I had 0:08:54.960 --> 0:08:57.800 to pee, so I just run into the bathroom. Didn't 0:08:57.880 --> 0:08:59.800 really say hi to anyone, just ran in the bathroom, 0:09:00.880 --> 0:09:03.920 came out. It was very calm, Hello everybody, you know. 0:09:04.640 --> 0:09:07.880 And Shane doesn't introduce me to dead. But nedd is 0:09:07.920 --> 0:09:11.720 standing there and he's holding an action figure he handed 0:09:11.800 --> 0:09:13.960 to me, and I don't even know what the character was, 0:09:14.000 --> 0:09:16.360 but it was a very disheveled older woman that the 0:09:16.440 --> 0:09:19.560 doll was made and the rib was it was supposed 0:09:19.559 --> 0:09:21.960 to me, can you sign this? I didn't talk for it, 0:09:22.000 --> 0:09:23.640 I didn't put it over. I handed it right back 0:09:23.640 --> 0:09:25.360 to when I went and sat down, had no clue 0:09:25.360 --> 0:09:28.080 who Ned was. And Ned comes and sits next to me, 0:09:28.280 --> 0:09:31.080 and I'm thinking to myself, this is the guy that 0:09:31.160 --> 0:09:33.160 Shane told me about. That was on how I met 0:09:33.160 --> 0:09:36.000 your mother, and that's how Ned and I became such 0:09:36.040 --> 0:09:40.360 good friends. So we have I'll tell you that the bit. 0:09:40.559 --> 0:09:43.160 So the character the action figure was from Star Wars. 0:09:43.160 --> 0:09:45.480 It was like a secondary Star Wars character. I even 0:09:45.559 --> 0:09:49.559 think the character was black, even which was even further 0:09:50.960 --> 0:09:53.040 in these days. So you know, it made the bit. 0:09:53.200 --> 0:09:55.320 It made the bit even better. But that whole, that 0:09:55.360 --> 0:09:59.080 whole jokey bit was the brainchild of the franchise, Shane Douglas. 0:09:59.080 --> 0:10:02.280 And so that one, uh, it went over like a 0:10:02.360 --> 0:10:04.680 part in church. It was the ship and I handed 0:10:04.679 --> 0:10:06.520 the doll back and I was like a nice try, 0:10:06.559 --> 0:10:09.719 and I just went, yeah, complete no cell Franny, no 0:10:09.920 --> 0:10:14.080 soulvent uh and rightfully, so that was the right move. 0:10:14.640 --> 0:10:16.760 But yeah, so then it turns out to franchise is 0:10:16.800 --> 0:10:19.480 a terrible friend. He didn't introduce the two of us. 0:10:19.600 --> 0:10:23.880 He forgot his manners. I know that was very much. 0:10:24.040 --> 0:10:26.040 And then you know then of course I'm hanging behind 0:10:26.120 --> 0:10:29.600 the uh the autograph table with the talent and uh, 0:10:30.120 --> 0:10:32.640 and I was also mister cooler. I had the cooler stocked. 0:10:32.640 --> 0:10:34.320 And that's an old trick from the road for you 0:10:34.360 --> 0:10:37.079 wrestling fans that uh, you know, the Iron Chic used 0:10:37.080 --> 0:10:39.680 to always talk about cold beer Bubba. He would always 0:10:39.720 --> 0:10:42.120 have the cold beer on ice before the last match 0:10:42.160 --> 0:10:46.360 even went on. And so I'm usually on cooler duty too, 0:10:46.400 --> 0:10:48.560 and so we're like, who's this Mark behind the table 0:10:49.360 --> 0:10:51.360 with the cooler and everything? How do you get back here? 0:10:51.400 --> 0:10:54.920 Call security? Oh shit, he is security. Yeah, nobody's gonna 0:10:54.920 --> 0:10:56.880 mess with you. And you also were nice enough to 0:10:56.920 --> 0:11:00.079 do some camera work for me. I turned around. I 0:11:00.160 --> 0:11:02.360 almost had a heart attack because my camera was gone, 0:11:02.559 --> 0:11:04.720 and I go, oh my god. And because you know me, 0:11:04.800 --> 0:11:07.600 I'll be whold. I'll have my glasses on and hold 0:11:07.640 --> 0:11:09.199 my cell phone and I won't know where either of 0:11:09.240 --> 0:11:11.199 them are because I forget that they're on my face 0:11:11.200 --> 0:11:14.040 and in my hand. The camera was gone, and I 0:11:14.160 --> 0:11:17.400 was like, did somebody come back here? And I turned 0:11:17.400 --> 0:11:19.600 the Shane, I'm like, are you ribbing me? Where's the camera? 0:11:19.640 --> 0:11:21.920 Because it was recorded and here Ned took it and 0:11:22.040 --> 0:11:25.360 was getting highlights of the store and he that day, 0:11:25.400 --> 0:11:27.720 so thank you. I'm over there working at the comic 0:11:27.760 --> 0:11:31.480 book store like I was frigging George Lucas or something around. 0:11:32.080 --> 0:11:35.520 Creative for sure. Yeah, And so we were in Queen's too, 0:11:35.600 --> 0:11:41.240 so logically you would think the camera was stolen. Oh Jesus. 0:11:43.240 --> 0:11:45.840 My dad. My dad was born and raised in Richmond 0:11:45.920 --> 0:11:49.840 Hill over there in Jamaica, so he's a Queen's guy too. 0:11:49.880 --> 0:11:53.320 By way of the Netherlands, and so the Rollsma family 0:11:53.600 --> 0:11:55.680 came through Ellis Island and settled in New York, and 0:11:55.760 --> 0:11:58.480 so I have a special connection with the York two, 0:11:58.520 --> 0:12:01.640 which allows me to make jokes about queens and those 0:12:01.679 --> 0:12:03.840 things like the you know, you gotta watch a neighborhood 0:12:03.920 --> 0:12:05.959 and real quick, I'll tell you. So, as Franchise and 0:12:06.000 --> 0:12:08.560 I were coming to that signing around the corner, we 0:12:08.559 --> 0:12:11.240 were looking for parking in the neighborhood, and you know, 0:12:11.280 --> 0:12:15.360 I'm the wheelman and testing my parallel parking skills, which 0:12:15.360 --> 0:12:18.040 are on point. So were back in a spot, great 0:12:18.040 --> 0:12:20.199 spot right around the corner from the comic book shop, 0:12:20.520 --> 0:12:23.760 and I noticed that a couple of people in the 0:12:23.760 --> 0:12:25.679 car in front of us were having a little bit 0:12:25.679 --> 0:12:30.679 of heat and someone came out of the flat across 0:12:30.720 --> 0:12:32.920 the street to come over to the car, and kind 0:12:32.960 --> 0:12:34.920 of they were having beef. This dude's in his drawers. 0:12:34.960 --> 0:12:37.560 He's in straight up in his boxer briefs, walking across 0:12:37.559 --> 0:12:39.920 the street coming out having this little confrontation. He goes 0:12:39.960 --> 0:12:42.760 around to the passenger side and starts like trying to 0:12:42.800 --> 0:12:45.760 pull the passenger out of the car. Then then they're 0:12:45.800 --> 0:12:47.680 not coming, so then he goes around the driver side 0:12:47.720 --> 0:12:50.679 and starts beefing with the driver. And like Shane and 0:12:50.720 --> 0:12:52.320 I look at each other. I'm like, we're out of here, 0:12:52.760 --> 0:12:54.640 and so we put it, put it in drive, get 0:12:54.760 --> 0:12:56.640 right back out of there, and go find another parking spot. 0:12:56.640 --> 0:13:00.240 But it's like, yeah, never, never a dull moment in 0:13:00.240 --> 0:13:03.920 in the Five Boroughs. You know, interesting, interesting, Well why 0:13:03.920 --> 0:13:06.000 don't you tell us how you met Shane because I 0:13:06.040 --> 0:13:09.800 know the story. But you know, you're an actor. Yes, 0:13:10.040 --> 0:13:12.160 you come from well you know, you weren't born and bred, 0:13:12.200 --> 0:13:15.360 but you're from Hollywood. How did you end up in 0:13:15.559 --> 0:13:19.280 Pittsburgh to meet Shane Douglas? I know you said you 0:13:19.280 --> 0:13:22.719 saw him around town and oh yeah, well so uh, 0:13:22.760 --> 0:13:25.520 Troy and how I call Troy, but Shane will k 0:13:25.679 --> 0:13:29.920 fabit and keep him Shane. So Shane, Uh, Shane Douglas 0:13:30.120 --> 0:13:32.559 is from sort of the same general area that I'm 0:13:32.600 --> 0:13:36.800 from outside of Pittsburgh. So my family's from he tells everybody. 0:13:36.920 --> 0:13:39.640 So it's okay, Oh yeah, well that's that's kind of 0:13:39.640 --> 0:13:41.800 that's a Pittsburgh thing too. There's a lot of pride 0:13:41.840 --> 0:13:44.520 in the area of being from there. And I thought 0:13:44.720 --> 0:13:48.200 because a fan came to the table and I signed 0:13:48.240 --> 0:13:51.840 something and he started putting over Philadelphia and Ned's like, 0:13:52.120 --> 0:13:56.600 I can't put that over. I'm from Pittsburgh, And I'm like, dude, 0:13:56.679 --> 0:13:58.720 e c W is Philly. You have to put no, 0:13:58.800 --> 0:14:01.079 I'm from Pittsburgh. I'm not putting And I was like, damn, 0:14:01.120 --> 0:14:06.240 you're a heel. But anyway, go ahead, Well AnyWho the 0:14:08.280 --> 0:14:10.480 where was I? So growing up around Pittsburgh and the 0:14:10.480 --> 0:14:14.320 Pittsburgh Pride thing, right, So I was a huge wrestling 0:14:14.320 --> 0:14:16.520 fan as a kid like so many of us, and 0:14:17.240 --> 0:14:20.280 came up watching the Hulkster and and you know, really 0:14:20.320 --> 0:14:23.240 through the eighties and the explosion of rock and wrestling 0:14:23.320 --> 0:14:26.920 and being on the mainstream, and like it was everything 0:14:26.960 --> 0:14:29.160 to me as a kid. I had all the action figures. 0:14:29.160 --> 0:14:31.360 I would always go to the matches. My uncle Kevin, 0:14:31.400 --> 0:14:34.160 God bless him, and my big brother Phil would always 0:14:34.160 --> 0:14:35.760 take me to the matches every time they came to 0:14:35.800 --> 0:14:38.680 the Civic Arena. Anytime there was local stuff, we always went. 0:14:39.240 --> 0:14:42.640 And so wrestling was a big part of my upbringing 0:14:42.680 --> 0:14:44.400 of my life and that it was like my thing, 0:14:44.920 --> 0:14:49.760 and you know, knowing that around the same time, Troy 0:14:49.840 --> 0:14:53.840 of Shane was making his jump into the WWF at 0:14:53.880 --> 0:14:56.040 the time coming out of being a dynamic dude and 0:14:56.040 --> 0:14:58.840 then he now he's on the big stage and Royal 0:14:58.960 --> 0:15:02.520 Rumble ninety one I think it was, and you know, 0:15:02.600 --> 0:15:04.640 and he's the young up and comer and the whole thing. 0:15:04.680 --> 0:15:08.040 And so you know, being a kid who is seeing 0:15:08.080 --> 0:15:10.520 someone on the big stage who is from your area, 0:15:10.640 --> 0:15:12.960 that's like it's first of all aspiring and it tells 0:15:13.000 --> 0:15:14.800 you that, hey, you know, if he can do it, 0:15:14.800 --> 0:15:16.720 he's one of us, and he's from around here, and 0:15:16.760 --> 0:15:18.760 he can make the big time anybody can, you know, 0:15:18.800 --> 0:15:21.280 you look up to guys like that from your hometown. 0:15:21.600 --> 0:15:23.720 And so he was always on the radar, of course, 0:15:23.760 --> 0:15:27.480 and you know, followed his career. And but the funny 0:15:27.480 --> 0:15:30.000 thing about growing up in the area is I would 0:15:30.000 --> 0:15:31.720 always see him when he was home and he's off 0:15:31.760 --> 0:15:33.840 the road and like getting a gallon of milk at 0:15:33.880 --> 0:15:35.360 the grocery store, and that I would see him and 0:15:35.360 --> 0:15:39.520 it's like, oh, wow, there's I you know, so always 0:15:39.520 --> 0:15:42.920 following his career. But the but when when he broke 0:15:43.000 --> 0:15:47.320 into ECW, he was also teaching at the same time, 0:15:47.840 --> 0:15:50.600 and so you know, it's just fascinating to me that 0:15:50.760 --> 0:15:53.040 like he would leave the classroom on like a Friday, 0:15:54.520 --> 0:15:56.920 run out to the car, grab the title belt, and 0:15:56.960 --> 0:15:59.480 his trunks and his boots, get on the plane, fly 0:15:59.600 --> 0:16:01.960 to Philly. You get off the plane, main event a show, 0:16:02.520 --> 0:16:04.680 defend the title belt, whatever the case may have been. 0:16:05.880 --> 0:16:09.480 But so I always called him mister Martin because he 0:16:09.680 --> 0:16:12.200 was the teacher, and that's what his students would have 0:16:12.240 --> 0:16:14.640 called him, and so as always a respecting anytime I 0:16:14.640 --> 0:16:16.520 would see him at the grocery store, anytime I'd seeing 0:16:16.560 --> 0:16:18.120 him outIn about, and I would say hello to him, 0:16:18.120 --> 0:16:20.760 I always always address him as mister Martin and sort 0:16:20.760 --> 0:16:23.000 of raise my hand, like you know, the professor, you know. 0:16:24.760 --> 0:16:29.760 But so I would say, since I came home to 0:16:29.800 --> 0:16:32.560 Pittsburgh from California, which sort of coincided with the outbreak 0:16:32.560 --> 0:16:35.200 of the pandemic, and then I had some adversity in 0:16:35.240 --> 0:16:37.040 my family, my dad fell ill and stuff, and so 0:16:37.040 --> 0:16:39.360 i'd come back from the West coast and of course 0:16:39.440 --> 0:16:42.240 bump into true I keep doing that, but bumping to 0:16:42.280 --> 0:16:46.440 Shane at the grocery store. But then also his kids 0:16:46.560 --> 0:16:49.760 and my nephews were wrestling in the youth circuit at 0:16:49.760 --> 0:16:51.960 the same time, so I'd see him at youth wrestling 0:16:52.000 --> 0:16:55.560 matches too, and so we struck up some conversations and 0:16:55.600 --> 0:16:58.600 the one thing we have in common is that, you know, 0:16:58.640 --> 0:17:04.040 if you know, Troy's back, he left wrestling for a 0:17:04.040 --> 0:17:06.400 minute to take care of his dad. He came back 0:17:06.440 --> 0:17:09.480 to Pittsburgh. His dad was sick and needed him, and 0:17:09.560 --> 0:17:11.680 he stepped up and came back to look out for 0:17:11.720 --> 0:17:14.320 his dad. The same thing sort of happened to me. 0:17:15.119 --> 0:17:17.200 And so you know, we're standing in the parking lot 0:17:17.240 --> 0:17:19.800 of a grocery store like for an hour, and he's 0:17:19.800 --> 0:17:23.000 telling me about, you know, caring for his dad, the adversity, 0:17:23.240 --> 0:17:26.760 the tough spots, all of the heartache and the and 0:17:26.800 --> 0:17:28.560 the stuff that you go through when you're caring for 0:17:28.600 --> 0:17:31.200 a loved one who's in the last stages of their life. 0:17:31.720 --> 0:17:34.680 And we really bonded over that, and so honestly, since then, 0:17:34.760 --> 0:17:37.680 our friendship really just and so I mean, you know, 0:17:37.760 --> 0:17:40.760 franchise Shane Douglas, in addition to being somebody that I 0:17:40.840 --> 0:17:43.399 looked up to as a performer and a character and 0:17:43.440 --> 0:17:45.280 a person from my area who did it at the 0:17:45.359 --> 0:17:49.879 highest levels, also just as a guy, as a dude, 0:17:49.920 --> 0:17:52.480 as a man, as a bro like Troy Martin, a 0:17:52.480 --> 0:17:54.720 franchise Shane Douglas as a stand up dude. One of 0:17:54.720 --> 0:17:57.359 my dearest friends. I would do anything for him. And 0:17:57.480 --> 0:18:02.159 so yeah, that's you know, just being hometown boys. That's 0:18:02.240 --> 0:18:06.000 you know, most of it. Yeah, yeah, And what you 0:18:06.040 --> 0:18:10.520 told me, you came to ECW shows in Monaca, you 0:18:10.560 --> 0:18:14.720 came to the Golden Dome. How old were you when 0:18:14.720 --> 0:18:18.280 you're coming to see us there? Are you? So that's 0:18:18.320 --> 0:18:20.760 like ninety four, ninety five through ninety seven. So that's 0:18:20.800 --> 0:18:23.360 my you know, junior high in high school, fourteen fifteen, 0:18:23.560 --> 0:18:27.399 sixteen year old kid. And so all those shows at 0:18:27.400 --> 0:18:33.400 the Golden Dome, that was those were epic times and man, 0:18:33.520 --> 0:18:36.320 sold out crowds, standing room only crowds. That place was 0:18:36.320 --> 0:18:39.199 a sweatbox, and like you know, they were turning them 0:18:39.240 --> 0:18:41.159 away at the door. And those were back in the 0:18:41.240 --> 0:18:43.879 days when everyone would come with stuff from home. They 0:18:43.880 --> 0:18:46.680 would bring, you know, things for the performers to hit 0:18:46.680 --> 0:18:49.000 each other with. So you'd see they'd come in with 0:18:50.160 --> 0:18:55.520 VCRs and crutches and toys and kendos sticks and all 0:18:55.560 --> 0:18:57.440 these things. And then of course the security when you're 0:18:57.480 --> 0:18:59.199 coming to the door, they're taking all this from you. 0:18:59.240 --> 0:19:01.800 And so there were big bins. As you were walking 0:19:01.840 --> 0:19:04.800 into the Golden Dome there there were huge like wheelie 0:19:04.920 --> 0:19:09.280 karts filled with all this what was trash, old cookie sheets, 0:19:09.359 --> 0:19:11.840 pie plates, dishes, things for the guys that hit each 0:19:11.840 --> 0:19:15.520 other with and a lot of times then Sandman knw 0:19:15.680 --> 0:19:19.280 Jack those guys, the Dudley's, they'd go fishing through the 0:19:19.440 --> 0:19:22.000 bins and pull stuff out. And that was a big 0:19:22.000 --> 0:19:25.280 thing for the ECW fans. If you remember that, there 0:19:25.320 --> 0:19:27.560 was a little bit of like street cred for having 0:19:27.640 --> 0:19:30.720 your item used and the match and they're like, oh shit, 0:19:30.800 --> 0:19:33.880 that's my VCR that you know, Bumba Range just bashed over, 0:19:35.480 --> 0:19:38.399 you know, and so those but those ECW shows are 0:19:38.400 --> 0:19:41.679 great memories and they're also you know, as far as 0:19:41.760 --> 0:19:46.280 wrestling goes, that was that was groundbreaking time and maybe 0:19:46.320 --> 0:19:48.520 you didn't you know, while you're living it, you're not 0:19:48.600 --> 0:19:50.919 necessarily aware. We have the benefit of hindsight now to 0:19:50.920 --> 0:19:54.639 see what the influence all that had. But man, at 0:19:54.640 --> 0:19:57.360 the time, it was like the best combination of rock 0:19:57.400 --> 0:20:02.320 and roll, rap music, live events that you know, being 0:20:02.320 --> 0:20:04.320 there in the arena packing them in and then the 0:20:04.480 --> 0:20:10.520 energy of the extreme wrestling and the edginess and the grittiness. Man, 0:20:10.600 --> 0:20:13.639 that was those were golden times and you know, people 0:20:13.680 --> 0:20:15.879 definitely that lived it shouldn't take it for granted for 0:20:15.920 --> 0:20:17.840 a second. And those of us now that can go 0:20:17.920 --> 0:20:20.960 back and revisit it should because the man a time 0:20:21.560 --> 0:20:24.720 from the birth of Extreme all the way really until 0:20:24.760 --> 0:20:28.400 they put it in the ground. It's just was beautiful times. 0:20:28.560 --> 0:20:31.639 And speaking of beautiful, right, So here's a good Franny story. 0:20:32.160 --> 0:20:36.720 So I think it might have been Memorial Day Mayhem, 0:20:36.800 --> 0:20:43.040 which was like May of ninety seven, that was US 0:20:42.680 --> 0:20:47.600 television title Champion franchise Shane Douglas versus Raven Escort through 0:20:47.600 --> 0:20:51.399 the Ring by the Lovely Francine and so like, you know, 0:20:51.440 --> 0:20:54.040 this was like you know, again I'm a teenager, and 0:20:55.560 --> 0:20:58.800 so you know, the curtains part, and then here comes 0:20:58.840 --> 0:21:03.240