1 00:00:04,519 --> 00:00:05,960 Speaker 1: Is This a Great Game or What? 2 00:00:06,240 --> 00:00:08,520 Speaker 2: With the Hall of Famer Tim Kirkshen, I'm his son, 3 00:00:08,680 --> 00:00:11,160 Speaker 2: Jeff Kirkshen. Make sure to subscribe and share the show 4 00:00:11,200 --> 00:00:13,440 Speaker 2: wherever you're listening right now. And we can't thank you 5 00:00:13,560 --> 00:00:16,640 Speaker 2: enough for supporting what we get to do every single day, 6 00:00:16,640 --> 00:00:18,760 Speaker 2: three days a week, that is. And today our guest 7 00:00:18,960 --> 00:00:21,480 Speaker 2: is a returner, Steve Russian. 8 00:00:21,520 --> 00:00:22,279 Speaker 1: All right, Net, Jeff. 9 00:00:22,320 --> 00:00:26,080 Speaker 3: Steve Russian is my favorite author ever. He is the 10 00:00:26,120 --> 00:00:29,040 Speaker 3: funniest person that I've ever met in my life. He 11 00:00:29,240 --> 00:00:32,480 Speaker 3: is the smartest person I've ever met in my life, 12 00:00:32,800 --> 00:00:36,319 Speaker 3: and his facility with the language is like no one 13 00:00:36,360 --> 00:00:39,680 Speaker 3: I've ever heard. And he was great as always today. 14 00:00:39,760 --> 00:00:44,479 Speaker 3: But the perfect pairing is for Steve Russian to write 15 00:00:44,600 --> 00:00:49,400 Speaker 3: about Pope Leo, an American born Pope, being a white 16 00:00:49,400 --> 00:00:52,519 Speaker 3: Sox fan, and we'll hear that in the middle of 17 00:00:52,560 --> 00:00:54,680 Speaker 3: the interview. How funny was. 18 00:00:54,640 --> 00:00:59,880 Speaker 2: That the pope talk was so perfect, the thoughts of 19 00:01:00,280 --> 00:01:02,120 Speaker 2: what the Pope has and has. 20 00:01:02,000 --> 00:01:04,640 Speaker 1: Not seen unbelievable. 21 00:01:04,959 --> 00:01:12,040 Speaker 2: It's Steve Russian and Pope Leo. 22 00:01:14,319 --> 00:01:16,679 Speaker 3: Welcome back to Is This a Great Game or What? 23 00:01:17,000 --> 00:01:20,880 Speaker 3: And our guest this week is my dear friend Steve Russian, 24 00:01:21,000 --> 00:01:24,160 Speaker 3: my favorite writer of all time, one of my teammates 25 00:01:24,160 --> 00:01:28,280 Speaker 3: at Sports Illustrated for years, can really shoot a basketball? Stretch, 26 00:01:28,400 --> 00:01:30,120 Speaker 3: Welcome back. Say hi to Jeff again. 27 00:01:31,480 --> 00:01:33,480 Speaker 4: Hey Jeff and Tim, so great to be back. Thanks 28 00:01:33,520 --> 00:01:34,640 Speaker 4: for having me Stretch. 29 00:01:34,680 --> 00:01:38,960 Speaker 2: It's not usual for me to be the interconnecting one 30 00:01:38,959 --> 00:01:41,720 Speaker 2: with our guest, right, But I got a text message. 31 00:01:41,319 --> 00:01:44,640 Speaker 1: On my way home from work from. 32 00:01:44,440 --> 00:01:48,520 Speaker 2: You today and it's like we're kindred spirits because I 33 00:01:48,560 --> 00:01:52,960 Speaker 2: have the worst ears, hearing and medical problems altogether, and 34 00:01:53,000 --> 00:01:54,840 Speaker 2: you had to go to the ear doctor and we 35 00:01:54,960 --> 00:01:56,400 Speaker 2: pushed this back thirty minutes. 36 00:01:56,440 --> 00:01:59,520 Speaker 1: Can you hear me? Stretch, Stretch you camel you. 37 00:02:00,800 --> 00:02:04,320 Speaker 4: My hearing has never been better. I went completely deaf 38 00:02:04,360 --> 00:02:07,080 Speaker 4: in my left ear on Friday, three or four days ago, 39 00:02:07,400 --> 00:02:09,840 Speaker 4: had no hearing over the weekend. My kids were irritated 40 00:02:09,880 --> 00:02:12,359 Speaker 4: with me, even though I'm the one who couldn't hear, 41 00:02:12,960 --> 00:02:15,840 Speaker 4: and the same way that I was irritated with my 42 00:02:15,880 --> 00:02:17,919 Speaker 4: father when he couldn't hear. What when his hearing was 43 00:02:17,960 --> 00:02:22,440 Speaker 4: going and they removed like a cork from a wine bottle, 44 00:02:22,880 --> 00:02:26,639 Speaker 4: a plug of whatever had built up in my ear 45 00:02:26,720 --> 00:02:29,320 Speaker 4: over the years. And now my hearing is like when 46 00:02:29,360 --> 00:02:31,640 Speaker 4: I first got glasses and I could see everything sharply, 47 00:02:31,680 --> 00:02:34,680 Speaker 4: every leaf on the tree. I could hear my turn 48 00:02:34,760 --> 00:02:39,919 Speaker 4: signal on the drive home like I've never heard before. 49 00:02:40,040 --> 00:02:42,320 Speaker 4: So I don't know how long I've not had hearing, 50 00:02:42,320 --> 00:02:43,200 Speaker 4: but I'm grateful to have it. 51 00:02:43,080 --> 00:02:45,239 Speaker 3: All well, Stretch, I hate to be a topper here, 52 00:02:45,280 --> 00:02:47,560 Speaker 3: but I went to the ear doctor about six months 53 00:02:47,560 --> 00:02:51,400 Speaker 3: ago and he told me, he said, you have more 54 00:02:51,520 --> 00:02:55,200 Speaker 3: wax and more hair in your ear than any person 55 00:02:55,360 --> 00:02:56,160 Speaker 3: I've ever seen. 56 00:02:56,480 --> 00:02:57,600 Speaker 1: And he's been an ear. 57 00:02:57,480 --> 00:02:59,639 Speaker 3: Doctor for forty years. 58 00:03:00,840 --> 00:03:02,200 Speaker 1: Who wants that distinction? 59 00:03:03,520 --> 00:03:06,519 Speaker 4: Congratulations? My dad is the the first line. 60 00:03:06,760 --> 00:03:10,040 Speaker 1: He's the baby first line of ear wax over there, 61 00:03:10,080 --> 00:03:11,160 Speaker 1: the greatest of all time. 62 00:03:12,360 --> 00:03:16,240 Speaker 4: That's that's amazing. So congrats, and I'm glad you're wearing 63 00:03:16,240 --> 00:03:17,480 Speaker 4: headphones on this podcast. 64 00:03:18,880 --> 00:03:21,960 Speaker 3: So so, Stretch, Do I remember this in one of 65 00:03:22,000 --> 00:03:25,360 Speaker 3: your books that you actually played golf with a guy 66 00:03:25,960 --> 00:03:29,600 Speaker 3: who had a device to clean your ears? 67 00:03:29,960 --> 00:03:30,600 Speaker 1: Is that right? 68 00:03:30,680 --> 00:03:31,680 Speaker 3: They wasn't it called? 69 00:03:32,120 --> 00:03:33,080 Speaker 1: Have I got this wrong? 70 00:03:33,200 --> 00:03:33,440 Speaker 4: Guy? 71 00:03:34,040 --> 00:03:36,600 Speaker 1: His name was John Anderson or. 72 00:03:36,520 --> 00:03:39,960 Speaker 3: Something, and he wore they called it the ear Candles. 73 00:03:40,000 --> 00:03:40,720 Speaker 3: Do you remember this? 74 00:03:41,400 --> 00:03:45,520 Speaker 4: Oh? Yeah, yeah, so so I did. I didn't remember 75 00:03:45,520 --> 00:03:48,200 Speaker 4: that until you said that, in fact, the ear doctor 76 00:03:49,080 --> 00:03:51,000 Speaker 4: mentioned a column that I had written on the UNSABA 77 00:03:51,040 --> 00:03:53,960 Speaker 4: basketball tournament drinking at a bar in Hartford, and that 78 00:03:54,000 --> 00:03:56,040 Speaker 4: her neighbor was quoted and it so I love it 79 00:03:56,040 --> 00:03:58,240 Speaker 4: when people remind me of stuff that I've written, because 80 00:03:58,280 --> 00:04:00,480 Speaker 4: not only is my hearing going, but so is all 81 00:04:00,520 --> 00:04:01,000 Speaker 4: of my brain. 82 00:04:01,040 --> 00:04:03,080 Speaker 1: See when he told you that, you said what. 83 00:04:04,800 --> 00:04:09,040 Speaker 4: Exactly? Exactly? And so yes, so we learned about ear candles, 84 00:04:09,040 --> 00:04:11,320 Speaker 4: and then we used to do these. And in fact, 85 00:04:11,320 --> 00:04:14,400 Speaker 4: my wife said to me when my hearing went on Friday, oh, 86 00:04:14,440 --> 00:04:17,279 Speaker 4: you should do an ear candle, which is I don't 87 00:04:17,320 --> 00:04:20,880 Speaker 4: even think they're medically advisable. It's a thing. It's a 88 00:04:20,920 --> 00:04:24,240 Speaker 4: little rolled up piece of paper that you liked one end, 89 00:04:24,880 --> 00:04:27,159 Speaker 4: and it creates a vacuum that is supposed to suck 90 00:04:27,160 --> 00:04:29,400 Speaker 4: out whatever is in the ear. And I believe me, 91 00:04:29,520 --> 00:04:31,440 Speaker 4: I'm not a doctor. I don't play one on TV. 92 00:04:31,960 --> 00:04:34,039 Speaker 4: But I don't advise doing this. But we used to 93 00:04:34,080 --> 00:04:35,800 Speaker 4: do it. We did it to the kids as well. 94 00:04:36,400 --> 00:04:38,320 Speaker 4: I don't even know where you buy the ear candles anymore, 95 00:04:38,320 --> 00:04:39,920 Speaker 4: but it's an actual thing, yes, And I did first 96 00:04:40,000 --> 00:04:42,120 Speaker 4: hear about it on the golf course. 97 00:04:41,920 --> 00:04:44,800 Speaker 3: And Steve, you've played golf with a lot of interesting people. 98 00:04:45,400 --> 00:04:47,479 Speaker 3: Tell us about the time that you and your brother 99 00:04:47,560 --> 00:04:50,680 Speaker 3: played against a guy who only had one arm, right 100 00:04:50,839 --> 00:04:51,760 Speaker 3: he was in your group. 101 00:04:53,000 --> 00:04:56,000 Speaker 4: Well, I've played with a guy with one arm. I've 102 00:04:56,000 --> 00:04:59,960 Speaker 4: also covered the National Amputee Golf Tournament. And I don't 103 00:05:00,320 --> 00:05:04,320 Speaker 4: remember the name of the gentleman, but he told me 104 00:05:04,400 --> 00:05:08,760 Speaker 4: that his game had improved after losing his arm because 105 00:05:09,320 --> 00:05:12,640 Speaker 4: he would grip the club into he would have to 106 00:05:12,640 --> 00:05:15,320 Speaker 4: clip it into a into a metal sort of clamp 107 00:05:15,400 --> 00:05:19,440 Speaker 4: to swing the club. And he said, and I was 108 00:05:19,480 --> 00:05:21,560 Speaker 4: this sort of golfer who would throw the club into 109 00:05:21,560 --> 00:05:24,599 Speaker 4: the woods. By the time he would he would have 110 00:05:24,640 --> 00:05:27,599 Speaker 4: to unclamp the club to throw it into the woods 111 00:05:27,640 --> 00:05:30,599 Speaker 4: after a bad shot. And so he just stopped doing that, 112 00:05:30,680 --> 00:05:32,720 Speaker 4: and it made him a more patient golfer, and of 113 00:05:32,760 --> 00:05:34,960 Speaker 4: course that makes you makes you a better golfer. But 114 00:05:35,240 --> 00:05:37,760 Speaker 4: I also played with a guy in Florida whom he 115 00:05:37,839 --> 00:05:39,320 Speaker 4: used to go down to the course that my dad 116 00:05:39,320 --> 00:05:44,240 Speaker 4: lived on, who who would cite every shot with binoculars. 117 00:05:44,240 --> 00:05:46,760 Speaker 4: He'd look at the green with his binoculars, you know, 118 00:05:46,800 --> 00:05:51,240 Speaker 4: wearing them around his neck like a birder. And we 119 00:05:51,320 --> 00:05:53,880 Speaker 4: played with. We've played with a lot of I don't 120 00:05:53,920 --> 00:05:56,040 Speaker 4: even play golf more than once a year now, but 121 00:05:57,279 --> 00:05:59,120 Speaker 4: played with a lot of weird guys and everybody i've 122 00:05:59,120 --> 00:06:00,919 Speaker 4: played with them sure as a story about me, the 123 00:06:00,920 --> 00:06:02,000 Speaker 4: weird guy that they played had. 124 00:06:02,120 --> 00:06:04,320 Speaker 2: I had a friend of mine in Las Vegas who 125 00:06:04,520 --> 00:06:08,600 Speaker 2: served in Iraq and unfortunately he lost both of his legs. 126 00:06:08,680 --> 00:06:11,600 Speaker 1: Not his true story. He was a great golfer though, 127 00:06:11,880 --> 00:06:12,480 Speaker 1: And we. 128 00:06:12,520 --> 00:06:15,279 Speaker 2: Step onto the first hole and he said, aren't you 129 00:06:15,279 --> 00:06:16,800 Speaker 2: gonna ask me what my handicap is? 130 00:06:17,520 --> 00:06:17,800 Speaker 4: To me? 131 00:06:18,720 --> 00:06:20,760 Speaker 1: I don't know the guy very well. I'm just getting 132 00:06:20,800 --> 00:06:21,120 Speaker 1: to know him. 133 00:06:21,160 --> 00:06:23,960 Speaker 2: And he goes, Oh, it's called not having legs, that's 134 00:06:24,040 --> 00:06:26,760 Speaker 2: my handicaps. 135 00:06:27,760 --> 00:06:30,760 Speaker 4: The National Amputee Tournament was one of the more interesting 136 00:06:30,800 --> 00:06:33,520 Speaker 4: things that I've ever covered, but the most interesting thing 137 00:06:33,520 --> 00:06:37,240 Speaker 4: that happened there. It was at Hazelden in Minneapolis. So 138 00:06:37,320 --> 00:06:39,719 Speaker 4: I was living in New York. I think I flew home. 139 00:06:40,000 --> 00:06:41,880 Speaker 4: My dad picked me up at the airport. He took 140 00:06:41,920 --> 00:06:44,520 Speaker 4: me to the course in his Cadillac and I think 141 00:06:44,520 --> 00:06:47,040 Speaker 4: this was before ways, and he couldn't find the front 142 00:06:47,080 --> 00:06:54,720 Speaker 4: gate to this big, you know, major golf tournament, golf course, 143 00:06:54,760 --> 00:06:57,560 Speaker 4: country club. We ended up going in the like the 144 00:06:57,839 --> 00:07:02,640 Speaker 4: maintenance shed road and he's trying to drive me to 145 00:07:02,680 --> 00:07:06,560 Speaker 4: the front. I'm not making this up. This is a 146 00:07:06,640 --> 00:07:09,440 Speaker 4: legend within our family. He ends up driving his Cadillac 147 00:07:10,360 --> 00:07:15,440 Speaker 4: during a practice round of this on the cart to 148 00:07:15,440 --> 00:07:23,960 Speaker 4: get to the They've hosted majors and it's but anyway. 149 00:07:23,640 --> 00:07:26,040 Speaker 2: Yeah, during the Majors, you're not allowed to be in 150 00:07:26,080 --> 00:07:28,360 Speaker 2: a golf cart. But Steve Rushing could be in a 151 00:07:28,400 --> 00:07:29,520 Speaker 2: car on the golf course. 152 00:07:30,840 --> 00:07:33,920 Speaker 4: He didn't. He didn't pull his Cadillac up across the fairway, 153 00:07:33,920 --> 00:07:35,680 Speaker 4: you know, parallel or or pull it up to the 154 00:07:35,720 --> 00:07:38,400 Speaker 4: green like you see some guys do with carts. But 155 00:07:38,400 --> 00:07:39,720 Speaker 4: but yeah, not a good luck. 156 00:07:39,800 --> 00:07:42,200 Speaker 3: Give new meanings the word caddy on the golf course. 157 00:07:42,720 --> 00:07:46,440 Speaker 2: There you go, exactly, So, Stretch, I want to ask you, 158 00:07:46,600 --> 00:07:50,560 Speaker 2: because I talked about it on the podcast. I've heard 159 00:07:51,080 --> 00:07:55,520 Speaker 2: the rumblings and the rumors of this Adam Sandler basketball game, 160 00:07:56,160 --> 00:07:59,280 Speaker 2: and now I'm learning that you were involved of sorts 161 00:07:59,360 --> 00:08:02,320 Speaker 2: in a game with Adam Sandler like twenty five. 162 00:08:02,160 --> 00:08:04,320 Speaker 1: Years ago with my dad. Is this true? 163 00:08:05,600 --> 00:08:08,520 Speaker 4: It's true. We played at the Reebok Club on the 164 00:08:08,560 --> 00:08:10,640 Speaker 4: Upper West Side of Manhattan during the World Series. It 165 00:08:10,680 --> 00:08:13,160 Speaker 4: was the Yankees Marlins, right, yes, it was. It was. 166 00:08:13,440 --> 00:08:17,880 Speaker 3: It was Halloween night, Halloween Day, October thirty first. 167 00:08:17,840 --> 00:08:21,440 Speaker 4: Yeah, yeah, and we played. We were playing pickup, just 168 00:08:21,520 --> 00:08:24,120 Speaker 4: the two of us. A third guy walked into the gym, 169 00:08:24,840 --> 00:08:28,880 Speaker 4: teenager named Mikey, right, ye him and wait, I think 170 00:08:28,880 --> 00:08:31,520 Speaker 4: he introduced himself as Mike and and we said, if 171 00:08:31,520 --> 00:08:35,560 Speaker 4: a fourth guy comes, let's let's play. Actually I think 172 00:08:35,760 --> 00:08:37,520 Speaker 4: was Adam Sandler may have been the third guy. 173 00:08:37,640 --> 00:08:40,960 Speaker 3: He was, And then he grabbed Mikey because he needed 174 00:08:40,960 --> 00:08:43,000 Speaker 3: a fourth so we could play two on two. 175 00:08:44,240 --> 00:08:45,640 Speaker 4: So just the four of us were the only ones 176 00:08:45,640 --> 00:08:47,400 Speaker 4: in the gym, we went. We ended up playing two 177 00:08:47,400 --> 00:08:51,240 Speaker 4: on two. There was never any acknowledgment in a couple 178 00:08:51,280 --> 00:08:53,400 Speaker 4: of hours that we were playing that Adam Sandler was 179 00:08:53,480 --> 00:08:58,720 Speaker 4: Adam Sandler until we all stood around at a water 180 00:08:58,800 --> 00:09:02,800 Speaker 4: break or something trying to palm the ball. And we 181 00:09:02,800 --> 00:09:05,679 Speaker 4: were all, you know, trying to palm the ball, and 182 00:09:06,200 --> 00:09:09,760 Speaker 4: Adam Sandler acknowledged that this was kind of pathetic and 183 00:09:09,920 --> 00:09:12,800 Speaker 4: made a joke that I won't repeat here about kind 184 00:09:12,840 --> 00:09:15,480 Speaker 4: of this group of four pathetic guys trying to pull 185 00:09:15,600 --> 00:09:19,199 Speaker 4: a basketball. And I said it reminds me of the 186 00:09:19,880 --> 00:09:23,480 Speaker 4: joke you said about Osama bin Lad And one of 187 00:09:23,480 --> 00:09:25,240 Speaker 4: the sources of his rage was that he was six 188 00:09:25,320 --> 00:09:28,480 Speaker 4: y six but he couldn't dunk. But that was the 189 00:09:28,520 --> 00:09:32,520 Speaker 4: only acknowledgment of who he was until that night when 190 00:09:32,520 --> 00:09:35,880 Speaker 4: I was walking in the press skate at Yankee Stadium 191 00:09:36,240 --> 00:09:41,240 Speaker 4: and the sort of crowd parted before this World Series game, 192 00:09:41,480 --> 00:09:46,480 Speaker 4: and Adam Sandler and a burly Blazer security guy came 193 00:09:46,480 --> 00:09:49,600 Speaker 4: in through the press gate. I was with my editor, 194 00:09:50,160 --> 00:09:55,319 Speaker 4: Steve Kanela and and Adam Sandler and the security guy 195 00:09:55,320 --> 00:09:58,200 Speaker 4: blew by, and as we were blowing by, I said, hey, Adam, 196 00:10:00,640 --> 00:10:03,400 Speaker 4: good good hoops game today, and he stopped. He turned 197 00:10:03,440 --> 00:10:07,040 Speaker 4: to me, he grabbed my hand and said, oh, it 198 00:10:07,160 --> 00:10:09,080 Speaker 4: was a great game, and your buddy you were awesome, 199 00:10:09,080 --> 00:10:13,280 Speaker 4: and your buddy he could really shoot. And so anyway, 200 00:10:13,160 --> 00:10:17,040 Speaker 4: they went on, and my editor turned to me and said, 201 00:10:17,480 --> 00:10:20,800 Speaker 4: how the hell do you know Adam Sandler, And I said, 202 00:10:20,840 --> 00:10:23,240 Speaker 4: we go way back to like three hours ago when 203 00:10:23,240 --> 00:10:26,200 Speaker 4: we were playing hoops. But yeah, he was. He had 204 00:10:26,360 --> 00:10:28,000 Speaker 4: nothing but praise for Jim. 205 00:10:28,280 --> 00:10:31,079 Speaker 3: I remember calling home that day stretch and it's two 206 00:10:31,120 --> 00:10:33,240 Speaker 3: thousand and one. I called Jeffrey and Kelly at home. 207 00:10:33,320 --> 00:10:36,240 Speaker 3: So you're not gonna believe who I met today. They 208 00:10:36,280 --> 00:10:38,360 Speaker 3: think I'm gonna say, what you met Derek Jeter, which 209 00:10:38,400 --> 00:10:41,559 Speaker 3: obviously I had already had. I said, I played basketball 210 00:10:41,600 --> 00:10:45,240 Speaker 3: today with Happy Gilbour, and it was it raised me 211 00:10:45,400 --> 00:10:47,120 Speaker 3: to a completely. 212 00:10:46,600 --> 00:10:48,880 Speaker 1: New level with my children. 213 00:10:49,000 --> 00:10:52,319 Speaker 3: And then when I went to the complex, the ESPN complex, 214 00:10:52,640 --> 00:10:55,640 Speaker 3: and I told all the people there, I played basketball 215 00:10:55,679 --> 00:11:00,080 Speaker 3: today with Adam Sandler, it was unbelievable the response I 216 00:11:00,120 --> 00:11:05,319 Speaker 3: got that all the young people especially were absolutely dazzled 217 00:11:05,320 --> 00:11:08,000 Speaker 3: by the fact that I had met Adam Sandler that day. 218 00:11:08,000 --> 00:11:08,840 Speaker 1: It was incredible. 219 00:11:09,720 --> 00:11:10,960 Speaker 4: I thought you were going to say, you told your 220 00:11:11,000 --> 00:11:13,400 Speaker 4: daughter and your colleagues that you had played basketball with 221 00:11:13,480 --> 00:11:17,679 Speaker 4: Steve Rushan, and their doors were blown off. At the 222 00:11:17,760 --> 00:11:20,440 Speaker 4: end of the first episode of Conan O'Brien's new travel 223 00:11:20,480 --> 00:11:22,920 Speaker 4: show in Spain, where he travels around with Paviar Bardem, 224 00:11:22,920 --> 00:11:25,800 Speaker 4: he said, what was it like to share a hotel 225 00:11:25,880 --> 00:11:28,040 Speaker 4: room with the world's sexiest men? You'll have to ask 226 00:11:28,160 --> 00:11:31,840 Speaker 4: how they are Bardem. So that's how I feel that 227 00:11:31,920 --> 00:11:33,439 Speaker 4: the Adam Sandler basketball story. 228 00:11:33,480 --> 00:11:36,760 Speaker 3: He's great and he showed up remember stretch in like 229 00:11:37,240 --> 00:11:40,600 Speaker 3: it looked like he had paint all over his high 230 00:11:40,600 --> 00:11:44,880 Speaker 3: top sneakers and he had a ripped sweatpants, and he 231 00:11:45,040 --> 00:11:47,680 Speaker 3: was better than I thought. He was actually a pretty 232 00:11:47,720 --> 00:11:50,960 Speaker 3: decent player. But Mikey was the worst player I've ever 233 00:11:51,000 --> 00:11:53,319 Speaker 3: seen in my life. So Stretch and I are teammates, 234 00:11:53,520 --> 00:11:57,040 Speaker 3: so we clabored him, and Adam Sandler was a little 235 00:11:57,080 --> 00:11:59,640 Speaker 3: bit frustrated that they kept losing, but matched up with 236 00:11:59,679 --> 00:12:03,920 Speaker 3: who Well, Adam Sandler tried to guard Stretch that didn't 237 00:12:03,920 --> 00:12:06,760 Speaker 3: go very well. And Mikey repeat the worst player I've 238 00:12:06,760 --> 00:12:08,760 Speaker 3: ever seen. But we had a great time. 239 00:12:08,840 --> 00:12:09,559 Speaker 1: So that's what. 240 00:12:10,679 --> 00:12:13,160 Speaker 4: Every time the ball would you know, roll to the 241 00:12:13,160 --> 00:12:15,480 Speaker 4: other end of the court ninety feet away we're playing 242 00:12:15,520 --> 00:12:19,480 Speaker 4: half court, Sandler would say, hey, Mikey, go get the ball. 243 00:12:19,520 --> 00:12:23,280 Speaker 4: You're seventeen or nineteen whatever he was, and we're, you know, 244 00:12:23,320 --> 00:12:26,280 Speaker 4: guys in our thirties or whatever we were. So I 245 00:12:26,280 --> 00:12:27,160 Speaker 4: did appreciate that. 246 00:12:27,200 --> 00:12:30,199 Speaker 2: Well, Adam Sandler still known for his Jim shortz and 247 00:12:30,280 --> 00:12:32,640 Speaker 2: sweatshirt out in public. He does not give a crap 248 00:12:32,679 --> 00:12:34,760 Speaker 2: no matter how many Netflix movies he makes. 249 00:12:34,800 --> 00:12:35,640 Speaker 1: It's a beautiful thing. 250 00:12:35,720 --> 00:12:40,400 Speaker 2: Now since we've spoken last year, which by the way, Steve, 251 00:12:40,559 --> 00:12:43,880 Speaker 2: it was such a fantastic time talking to you last year. 252 00:12:43,880 --> 00:12:47,600 Speaker 2: I've only heard stories of Steve Rushan in my childhood, 253 00:12:47,640 --> 00:12:50,440 Speaker 2: pretty much every day of my childhood, but to talk 254 00:12:50,480 --> 00:12:54,160 Speaker 2: to you last year was special. Since then, my dad 255 00:12:54,160 --> 00:12:56,679 Speaker 2: has been elected into the Stratomatic Hall of Fame. 256 00:12:56,880 --> 00:12:58,320 Speaker 1: I'm not sure if you're aware of that. 257 00:12:59,520 --> 00:13:04,559 Speaker 4: I'm not, and I'm I'm I'm in awe so stretch. 258 00:13:04,720 --> 00:13:08,520 Speaker 3: This spring, Brian Bartow of the Cardinals came up to 259 00:13:08,600 --> 00:13:12,760 Speaker 3: me and gave me a very reverential handshake and said 260 00:13:12,880 --> 00:13:16,800 Speaker 3: congratulations on the Hall of Fame, which I thought he 261 00:13:16,920 --> 00:13:18,840 Speaker 3: was talking about two and a half years ago when 262 00:13:18,880 --> 00:13:20,800 Speaker 3: I went into Cooperstown. And then he looks at me 263 00:13:20,840 --> 00:13:23,959 Speaker 3: and he goes my My brother and I played stratabatic 264 00:13:24,120 --> 00:13:27,680 Speaker 3: every single day. This is so great that you are 265 00:13:27,800 --> 00:13:31,360 Speaker 3: in baseball. You are in the Stratamatic Hall of Fame. 266 00:13:31,520 --> 00:13:32,520 Speaker 1: I'm in Me. 267 00:13:32,679 --> 00:13:37,120 Speaker 3: And and Keith Hernandez are in the Stratomatic Hall of Fame. 268 00:13:37,240 --> 00:13:38,920 Speaker 1: It's so great. 269 00:13:40,040 --> 00:13:42,959 Speaker 4: Did they did you get to choose a half or 270 00:13:43,240 --> 00:13:48,760 Speaker 4: a card or the well? 271 00:13:48,880 --> 00:13:54,040 Speaker 3: As it turns out, unfortunately, the the induction took place 272 00:13:54,120 --> 00:13:56,480 Speaker 3: while I was in spring training. It could not have 273 00:13:56,600 --> 00:13:58,880 Speaker 3: come at a worse time. I was doing games. I 274 00:13:58,880 --> 00:14:01,640 Speaker 3: had to go to work in spring training, so I 275 00:14:01,679 --> 00:14:05,480 Speaker 3: missed the induction. It was in New Jersey. I'm still 276 00:14:05,600 --> 00:14:08,080 Speaker 3: upset that I couldn't go. But I couldn't go because 277 00:14:08,200 --> 00:14:10,600 Speaker 3: it was during a crucial work time. 278 00:14:12,160 --> 00:14:13,880 Speaker 4: Well, I'm sure I told you. I played the entire 279 00:14:14,000 --> 00:14:18,400 Speaker 4: nineteen eighty Kansas City Royal season when I was maybe 280 00:14:18,440 --> 00:14:23,200 Speaker 4: in eighth grade, and I got them one hundred wins. 281 00:14:23,200 --> 00:14:25,120 Speaker 4: I got them to win the World Series that year. 282 00:14:25,640 --> 00:14:28,320 Speaker 4: George Brett hit like four twenty eight or something for me. 283 00:14:29,920 --> 00:14:34,320 Speaker 4: So and I once got a laminated stratamatic card in 284 00:14:34,400 --> 00:14:36,480 Speaker 4: my name. I don't remember what my you know what 285 00:14:36,560 --> 00:14:40,320 Speaker 4: my deficiencies were. I'm sure they were numerous, but that 286 00:14:40,440 --> 00:14:43,240 Speaker 4: was a thrill. I mean, strata Maatic to me was 287 00:14:43,240 --> 00:14:46,680 Speaker 4: was you know, my son plays, you know, the the 288 00:14:46,840 --> 00:14:50,120 Speaker 4: Xbox game where it looks lifelike. But nothing was more 289 00:14:50,200 --> 00:14:53,760 Speaker 4: lifelike to me than you know, imagining these games playing out, 290 00:14:53,920 --> 00:14:57,520 Speaker 4: you know, as you're rolling the dice. It was nobody's 291 00:14:57,520 --> 00:15:00,240 Speaker 4: going to understand that now, because you know, we have 292 00:15:00,760 --> 00:15:03,840 Speaker 4: we have games that are more real. The games on 293 00:15:03,920 --> 00:15:08,320 Speaker 4: TV now resemble the the the Xbox games. But to me, 294 00:15:08,760 --> 00:15:12,720 Speaker 4: that was you know, Ronald Reagan recreating the games on 295 00:15:12,840 --> 00:15:15,360 Speaker 4: ticker tape on on the radio in Des Moines or something. 296 00:15:15,400 --> 00:15:19,040 Speaker 4: It was it was your imagination kind of creating these games. 297 00:15:19,080 --> 00:15:22,520 Speaker 4: And and you know, I'm a huge strata maatic scent. 298 00:15:22,600 --> 00:15:27,880 Speaker 3: I remember Stretches Buddy once made up imaginary fictional characters 299 00:15:27,920 --> 00:15:29,840 Speaker 3: for his own stratamatic games. 300 00:15:29,920 --> 00:15:31,120 Speaker 1: So it's. 301 00:15:33,000 --> 00:15:35,320 Speaker 3: Right, Threepenny Franklin. 302 00:15:34,920 --> 00:15:35,840 Speaker 1: What if? I what if? 303 00:15:35,960 --> 00:15:37,960 Speaker 3: What if he ends up in the Hall of Fame 304 00:15:38,600 --> 00:15:43,240 Speaker 3: with me and Keith dan Is three penny? 305 00:15:43,120 --> 00:15:45,040 Speaker 4: They got to put me on the Veterans Committee, and 306 00:15:45,040 --> 00:15:46,400 Speaker 4: I'll make sure he gets in. 307 00:15:46,920 --> 00:15:50,400 Speaker 2: So I think the big breaking news is going to 308 00:15:50,440 --> 00:15:53,560 Speaker 2: be when we found out that Pope Leo played strat 309 00:15:53,560 --> 00:15:55,760 Speaker 2: o Matic because he's he's a baseball fan, and you 310 00:15:55,880 --> 00:15:59,800 Speaker 2: have been, like all of America kind of obsessing over 311 00:16:00,160 --> 00:16:02,960 Speaker 2: the fact that a baseball fan from South Chicago, the 312 00:16:03,000 --> 00:16:06,320 Speaker 2: South side of Chicago, is now the Pope. 313 00:16:06,720 --> 00:16:09,320 Speaker 4: There's a sixty percent chance that that Pope Leo the 314 00:16:09,320 --> 00:16:12,880 Speaker 4: fourteenth plays Strata Metal. It blows my mind, but it's 315 00:16:12,920 --> 00:16:15,920 Speaker 4: absolutely the case. I mean, when I heard we had 316 00:16:15,920 --> 00:16:18,880 Speaker 4: the first American Pope second later, I heard we had 317 00:16:18,880 --> 00:16:25,040 Speaker 4: the first seventies Southsider pope, and I immediately I told somebody. 318 00:16:25,320 --> 00:16:27,840 Speaker 4: I told somebody at my son's lacrosse game in the 319 00:16:27,840 --> 00:16:30,920 Speaker 4: parking lot. I said, there was a there's a ninety 320 00:16:30,920 --> 00:16:34,720 Speaker 4: five percent chance that the pope elected two hours earlier 321 00:16:35,320 --> 00:16:44,400 Speaker 4: has seen Wayne Nordegen in shorts. It's a it's a 322 00:16:44,480 --> 00:16:50,000 Speaker 4: virtual certainty. It's I mean, he's he's, he's he he 323 00:16:50,080 --> 00:16:53,720 Speaker 4: would understand. He's the first pope, first American pope, the 324 00:16:53,760 --> 00:16:57,040 Speaker 4: first pope who would understand the phrase pitch at risk 325 00:16:57,440 --> 00:16:58,280 Speaker 4: to Richie es 's. 326 00:17:02,320 --> 00:17:03,720 Speaker 1: Everything that you're talking about. 327 00:17:05,000 --> 00:17:07,920 Speaker 3: I saw the White Sox play in short pants more 328 00:17:07,960 --> 00:17:12,080 Speaker 3: than once with Harry Chapins five to three as their shortstop. 329 00:17:12,240 --> 00:17:21,520 Speaker 4: Unbelievable and so no question, I mean, if you, if 330 00:17:21,520 --> 00:17:25,679 Speaker 4: you he had an audience with journalists earlier today and 331 00:17:25,720 --> 00:17:27,679 Speaker 4: somebody asked him to sign a baseball and he signed it. 332 00:17:28,280 --> 00:17:33,480 Speaker 4: What And and the fact that he knows who builds 333 00:17:33,480 --> 00:17:37,159 Speaker 4: out how Rockey is, you know, it's it's it's unbelievable. 334 00:17:36,640 --> 00:17:39,760 Speaker 3: Right, he knows who Ralph garr is. At the end 335 00:17:39,800 --> 00:17:45,040 Speaker 3: of his career. He was probably there when advance law 336 00:17:45,240 --> 00:17:48,920 Speaker 3: and George Orda played shortstop at second base together. 337 00:17:48,800 --> 00:17:49,800 Speaker 1: Law and order. 338 00:17:50,040 --> 00:17:52,000 Speaker 3: I mean, he was probably there for that. 339 00:17:52,359 --> 00:17:56,399 Speaker 4: How about that he would I mean, how interesting is 340 00:17:56,400 --> 00:18:00,840 Speaker 4: that era of White Sox dumb? Also, he probably knows 341 00:18:01,240 --> 00:18:04,879 Speaker 4: better than I do that the White Sox in the 342 00:18:04,920 --> 00:18:10,000 Speaker 4: seventies early eighties were sort of trying to assemble an 343 00:18:10,040 --> 00:18:16,680 Speaker 4: all alliterative location of wilber Wood and Laryn Legroux and 344 00:18:16,960 --> 00:18:20,439 Speaker 4: play Carroll and Steve Stone and Britt Burns for a while. 345 00:18:20,760 --> 00:18:23,320 Speaker 4: I only know this as a baseball card collector, and 346 00:18:23,440 --> 00:18:25,800 Speaker 4: these are things that you notice as a kid, like 347 00:18:26,520 --> 00:18:30,199 Speaker 4: you know, they have ron Kittle and ron Karkabis. Are 348 00:18:30,240 --> 00:18:32,479 Speaker 4: these the same guy? Are they two different guys? And 349 00:18:32,520 --> 00:18:34,440 Speaker 4: that's kind of the joy of strato matic as well. 350 00:18:34,480 --> 00:18:37,040 Speaker 4: You spend so much time not looking at the actual person, 351 00:18:37,480 --> 00:18:42,000 Speaker 4: but just you know, inhabiting this world of baseball names 352 00:18:42,119 --> 00:18:47,399 Speaker 4: and weird patterns that certain teams develop. And to me, 353 00:18:48,600 --> 00:18:51,280 Speaker 4: it's still what I love most about baseball, and I 354 00:18:51,359 --> 00:18:54,640 Speaker 4: just I cannot tell you how much it has kind 355 00:18:54,680 --> 00:19:01,560 Speaker 4: of strangely moved me that the Pope is a White 356 00:19:01,560 --> 00:19:03,960 Speaker 4: Sox fan. I'm not a White Sox fan, but I 357 00:19:04,080 --> 00:19:06,600 Speaker 4: just by virtue of being alive or was born in Chicago. 358 00:19:07,200 --> 00:19:09,520 Speaker 4: My siblings who lived there are big Cubs fans. I've 359 00:19:09,520 --> 00:19:12,800 Speaker 4: been a riglely much more than I've been to Comisky 360 00:19:12,840 --> 00:19:15,399 Speaker 4: at the time. But I was at a White Sox 361 00:19:15,480 --> 00:19:19,400 Speaker 4: Kansas City Royals game on September fourth, nineteen ninety one, 362 00:19:20,080 --> 00:19:22,480 Speaker 4: and woke in the middle of the night that night 363 00:19:22,560 --> 00:19:24,600 Speaker 4: in the Marriott in Chicago to be told that my 364 00:19:24,640 --> 00:19:26,840 Speaker 4: mother had just died at five o'clock in the morning 365 00:19:26,880 --> 00:19:32,600 Speaker 4: of September fifth, nineteen ninety one. I had little white 366 00:19:32,680 --> 00:19:38,080 Speaker 4: Sox and Cubs flannel sort of replica jerseys as a 367 00:19:38,160 --> 00:19:41,679 Speaker 4: kid because my family we moved to Minneapolis from Chicago, 368 00:19:41,720 --> 00:19:44,359 Speaker 4: and we used to go back there and you know, 369 00:19:44,520 --> 00:19:50,520 Speaker 4: just that era of you know, disco demolition and the 370 00:19:50,600 --> 00:19:54,280 Speaker 4: South Side Hitmen. It's probably when I was the biggest 371 00:19:54,280 --> 00:19:57,600 Speaker 4: baseball fan that I would ever be. And it's just 372 00:19:57,720 --> 00:20:02,240 Speaker 4: a kind of human is this this person for me 373 00:20:02,480 --> 00:20:05,600 Speaker 4: knowing that we were we're all we're all under the 374 00:20:05,640 --> 00:20:08,640 Speaker 4: same sun, but specifically we were all, you know, under 375 00:20:08,640 --> 00:20:12,680 Speaker 4: the same sort of pinwheel scoreboard at at Kamiski. It's 376 00:20:12,720 --> 00:20:13,400 Speaker 4: it's amazing. 377 00:20:13,520 --> 00:20:15,800 Speaker 3: The same week and this is sad. The same week 378 00:20:15,840 --> 00:20:20,920 Speaker 3: that Pope Leo was named chet Lemon former White Sox 379 00:20:21,520 --> 00:20:24,119 Speaker 3: died right the same week. I think he might have 380 00:20:24,240 --> 00:20:28,800 Speaker 3: died the day before Pope Leo became the Pope, and 381 00:20:28,880 --> 00:20:31,840 Speaker 3: chet Lemon was a really good So if it's in 382 00:20:31,960 --> 00:20:32,720 Speaker 3: exactly what. 383 00:20:32,600 --> 00:20:35,320 Speaker 4: You're talking about, and you know what, it's interesting to 384 00:20:35,359 --> 00:20:38,440 Speaker 4: me anyway that during the conclave when they're electing the Pope, 385 00:20:38,480 --> 00:20:40,560 Speaker 4: they take all of their their phones the right pads 386 00:20:40,560 --> 00:20:42,680 Speaker 4: are not allowed to have any contact with the outside world, 387 00:20:42,720 --> 00:20:45,280 Speaker 4: so none of this leaks and uh and so he 388 00:20:45,359 --> 00:20:49,040 Speaker 4: probably wasn't aware that chet Lemon had died. And you know, 389 00:20:49,200 --> 00:20:52,200 Speaker 4: given what his life has been like since being elected Pope, 390 00:20:52,760 --> 00:20:54,440 Speaker 4: who knows when he was made aware of it, But 391 00:20:54,760 --> 00:20:58,400 Speaker 4: it's something that would would have upset him for sure. 392 00:20:58,320 --> 00:21:01,919 Speaker 3: And earlier today because I have no life. As you know, 393 00:21:02,560 --> 00:21:05,800 Speaker 3: I came out with the all Pope team Catcher through 394 00:21:05,960 --> 00:21:09,320 Speaker 3: starting pictures and all that stuff. Of course, we had 395 00:21:09,359 --> 00:21:12,320 Speaker 3: a guy named Uh I forgot who David Pope was 396 00:21:12,359 --> 00:21:16,640 Speaker 3: one of our outfielders. He'll lead off Leo Durocher will 397 00:21:16,680 --> 00:21:19,399 Speaker 3: hit second, So the first two guys in the batting 398 00:21:19,520 --> 00:21:22,840 Speaker 3: order will be Pope Leo. But we also have a 399 00:21:22,840 --> 00:21:28,479 Speaker 3: picture named Rome Chandler and a picture named Conrad Cardinal. 400 00:21:28,320 --> 00:21:29,240 Speaker 1: Which we got to love. 401 00:21:29,720 --> 00:21:32,520 Speaker 3: And Max Bishop was a pretty darn good second baseman 402 00:21:32,600 --> 00:21:35,440 Speaker 3: his day. So I have a whole team of the 403 00:21:35,520 --> 00:21:36,720 Speaker 3: all pope team. 404 00:21:37,920 --> 00:21:41,000 Speaker 4: And and am I wrong? So so you know, the 405 00:21:41,040 --> 00:21:43,720 Speaker 4: first American Pope, the first Chicago Pope, and not even 406 00:21:43,720 --> 00:21:49,440 Speaker 4: the first White Sox adjacent pope, wasn't Don the Pope? Paul? 407 00:21:51,280 --> 00:21:55,840 Speaker 4: I mean? And is it is? It? Is it sick 408 00:21:55,920 --> 00:21:57,720 Speaker 4: that all of these thoughts came to me in the 409 00:21:57,760 --> 00:21:59,919 Speaker 4: moments after they announced who the Pope was. 410 00:22:00,440 --> 00:22:04,280 Speaker 3: You wouldn't be you without having without being fascinated by 411 00:22:04,320 --> 00:22:07,680 Speaker 3: something like this. And as you remember, my general manager 412 00:22:07,760 --> 00:22:11,520 Speaker 3: on this team is Paul Owens, whose nickname was the 413 00:22:11,560 --> 00:22:14,399 Speaker 3: Pope of course, and Paul Owens is the general manager 414 00:22:14,480 --> 00:22:17,399 Speaker 3: of the Phillies. One year at the Winter meetings, was 415 00:22:17,440 --> 00:22:20,480 Speaker 3: showing everyone at the hotel bar at one point thirty 416 00:22:20,520 --> 00:22:22,639 Speaker 3: in the morning in a three piece suit how. 417 00:22:22,520 --> 00:22:24,320 Speaker 1: To do a hook slide in the bar. 418 00:22:25,760 --> 00:22:27,280 Speaker 3: Pope, Paul and. 419 00:22:30,400 --> 00:22:32,920 Speaker 1: So stretch. You got to write about this. You have 420 00:22:33,000 --> 00:22:33,600 Speaker 1: to write it. 421 00:22:33,680 --> 00:22:36,960 Speaker 4: I know, I I if I were writing a column, 422 00:22:37,000 --> 00:22:40,760 Speaker 4: it would be you know, the first Pope too, you know, 423 00:22:41,240 --> 00:22:43,399 Speaker 4: and it would just be all that all that stuff 424 00:22:43,400 --> 00:22:45,280 Speaker 4: we just talked about, you know, the first pope to 425 00:22:47,080 --> 00:22:49,960 Speaker 4: I don't know, Chut Lemon, Rough Guardens, Dick Allen and 426 00:22:50,240 --> 00:22:52,720 Speaker 4: and you know all those guys Stan Bohnsen, all those 427 00:22:52,720 --> 00:22:55,560 Speaker 4: guys that I remember from the White Sox when they 428 00:22:55,600 --> 00:23:01,240 Speaker 4: wore the gray with red uh you know, lettering on 429 00:23:01,280 --> 00:23:03,800 Speaker 4: their jersey before they went to the collars in the shorts, 430 00:23:03,800 --> 00:23:06,639 Speaker 4: and then they went to this. I saw on Instagram, 431 00:23:07,040 --> 00:23:09,560 Speaker 4: you know, the logo, the logo that they switched to 432 00:23:09,600 --> 00:23:12,400 Speaker 4: with like the blue cutout of the of the guy. 433 00:23:13,160 --> 00:23:15,080 Speaker 4: It said socks underneath. I saw that, but with a 434 00:23:15,119 --> 00:23:17,840 Speaker 4: papal miter and it said or instead of Sox, it 435 00:23:17,920 --> 00:23:23,760 Speaker 4: said XIV. And I was like, the algorithm knows me. Well, 436 00:23:23,760 --> 00:23:25,119 Speaker 4: I got to get that shirt, you know. 437 00:23:25,480 --> 00:23:28,639 Speaker 2: So Steve, so he's the first pope if I'm not 438 00:23:28,720 --> 00:23:31,120 Speaker 2: mistaken to go to a World Series game. 439 00:23:31,240 --> 00:23:33,160 Speaker 1: I'm not sure if you saw this video. 440 00:23:33,480 --> 00:23:35,680 Speaker 4: Yeah, two thousand and five, he was. I saw him 441 00:23:35,720 --> 00:23:37,440 Speaker 4: just sort of they just sort of randomly cut to 442 00:23:37,520 --> 00:23:39,280 Speaker 4: him in the like let's go. 443 00:23:39,240 --> 00:23:42,439 Speaker 2: To the father the priest for the pregame prayer. No, 444 00:23:42,560 --> 00:23:44,720 Speaker 2: it's just like a bump shot to fans and it 445 00:23:44,840 --> 00:23:46,200 Speaker 2: was him, It was the Pope. 446 00:23:46,480 --> 00:23:47,840 Speaker 4: I mean, I don't I don't want to tell the 447 00:23:47,840 --> 00:23:49,600 Speaker 4: white socks their business. And I'm sure they're going to, 448 00:23:49,840 --> 00:23:51,560 Speaker 4: you know, try to get him throw out the first 449 00:23:51,560 --> 00:23:53,920 Speaker 4: pitch and stuff. But I would. I would eat a 450 00:23:53,960 --> 00:23:56,240 Speaker 4: soft served Sunday out of the out of the papal 451 00:23:56,280 --> 00:24:01,560 Speaker 4: miter for for sure. I mean, it's it just gives 452 00:24:01,600 --> 00:24:05,000 Speaker 4: me enormous joy that you could. 453 00:24:04,800 --> 00:24:06,120 Speaker 1: Do Pope bobblehead night. 454 00:24:06,400 --> 00:24:08,080 Speaker 2: You know, you could do that, or you could do 455 00:24:08,119 --> 00:24:11,159 Speaker 2: one of those umbrella hats but with but. 456 00:24:12,760 --> 00:24:14,639 Speaker 4: Nothing would be off nothing would be off limits in 457 00:24:14,920 --> 00:24:15,800 Speaker 4: baseball promotions. 458 00:24:15,800 --> 00:24:18,200 Speaker 3: I know, Jeff, didn't you just tell us that Pope 459 00:24:18,280 --> 00:24:20,639 Speaker 3: Leo has his own baseball card? 460 00:24:20,840 --> 00:24:24,920 Speaker 2: Yeah, Tops just announced that Pope Leo has his own 461 00:24:25,119 --> 00:24:26,040 Speaker 2: baseball card. 462 00:24:26,440 --> 00:24:27,399 Speaker 1: Isn't that incredible? 463 00:24:27,760 --> 00:24:32,119 Speaker 4: Wow? I mean it's it's can the Strata Meagtic Hall 464 00:24:32,160 --> 00:24:36,240 Speaker 4: of Fame far behind? Maybe maybe maybe your dad can 465 00:24:36,240 --> 00:24:39,000 Speaker 4: put in a good word for for the pop. 466 00:24:39,359 --> 00:24:42,760 Speaker 3: It would be so great. At Stretcher. You loved baseball 467 00:24:42,840 --> 00:24:47,359 Speaker 3: cards growing up. George Midderall was Mitterwall was your favorite player. 468 00:24:47,800 --> 00:24:50,239 Speaker 3: And before I get to Pope Leo again, tell us 469 00:24:50,280 --> 00:24:53,119 Speaker 3: about what what you loved about the backs of the 470 00:24:53,160 --> 00:24:56,320 Speaker 3: baseball cards that made you laugh, A little caricatures on 471 00:24:56,440 --> 00:24:56,760 Speaker 3: the back. 472 00:24:57,480 --> 00:24:59,679 Speaker 4: I just I just loved the little line drawings, particularly 473 00:24:59,680 --> 00:25:01,639 Speaker 4: on the night ten seventy four tops, which is my 474 00:25:02,040 --> 00:25:05,280 Speaker 4: you know, my holy grail that was. You know, I 475 00:25:05,400 --> 00:25:08,880 Speaker 4: was eight turned eight that fall and the first set 476 00:25:08,920 --> 00:25:11,840 Speaker 4: that I collected, and I just loved the little line 477 00:25:11,880 --> 00:25:15,160 Speaker 4: drawings with a little cartoon fact about the player, usually 478 00:25:15,200 --> 00:25:17,399 Speaker 4: about oftentimes about what they do in the off season. 479 00:25:17,480 --> 00:25:19,439 Speaker 4: You know, Lou brock Low owns a flower shopping to 480 00:25:19,440 --> 00:25:22,120 Speaker 4: be a picture of Lou in full uniform pairing a bouquet, 481 00:25:22,200 --> 00:25:24,760 Speaker 4: like delivering a bouquet of flowers to somebody's house, Like 482 00:25:24,800 --> 00:25:27,360 Speaker 4: that's the thing he would do. George Mitterwalld I still 483 00:25:27,400 --> 00:25:30,080 Speaker 4: remember George likes to take home movies and he had 484 00:25:30,119 --> 00:25:35,800 Speaker 4: like a eight millimeter camera, you know, you know, and 485 00:25:36,400 --> 00:25:39,600 Speaker 4: talk about humanizing that. Those were fascinating to me, Like, 486 00:25:39,640 --> 00:25:43,560 Speaker 4: you know, I didn't there was no Internet. If they 487 00:25:43,560 --> 00:25:45,719 Speaker 4: didn't mention it on the Game of the week, how 488 00:25:45,720 --> 00:25:48,000 Speaker 4: would you know anything about these guys, you know, So 489 00:25:48,119 --> 00:25:49,840 Speaker 4: that was this little window into their world. 490 00:25:49,920 --> 00:25:52,879 Speaker 3: What about the line drawing drawing on the back of 491 00:25:53,040 --> 00:25:55,400 Speaker 3: Pope Leo's baseball card to be. 492 00:25:55,400 --> 00:25:58,879 Speaker 4: What full uniform, you know, he's got to be. He's 493 00:25:58,920 --> 00:26:01,560 Speaker 4: got to be like in full papal regalia. But but 494 00:26:01,640 --> 00:26:05,120 Speaker 4: you know, swinging aback like you know, George played little league, 495 00:26:05,760 --> 00:26:08,680 Speaker 4: you know, on the South Side. Whatever it is, it's 496 00:26:08,720 --> 00:26:12,240 Speaker 4: it's and you know that unsung artist. I've never even 497 00:26:12,280 --> 00:26:14,399 Speaker 4: looked into this. Who did those drawings? It was it 498 00:26:14,440 --> 00:26:17,080 Speaker 4: was one guy and uh uh you know. 499 00:26:19,400 --> 00:26:21,000 Speaker 1: I still remember this. 500 00:26:21,400 --> 00:26:23,160 Speaker 4: It was always full baseball. 501 00:26:23,160 --> 00:26:25,040 Speaker 1: You could do the role reversal. 502 00:26:25,160 --> 00:26:27,919 Speaker 2: And you have Pope Leo in full baseball uniform and 503 00:26:27,960 --> 00:26:31,560 Speaker 2: he's handing out the body of Christ in full baseball uniform. 504 00:26:31,600 --> 00:26:34,280 Speaker 2: But the body of Christ is a dip deep dish 505 00:26:34,320 --> 00:26:36,080 Speaker 2: pizza of sorts. 506 00:26:36,280 --> 00:26:38,679 Speaker 4: That's that's another you know, I I one of the 507 00:26:38,720 --> 00:26:40,880 Speaker 4: first things. You know, these things are memed to death 508 00:26:41,320 --> 00:26:43,919 Speaker 4: as soon as it happens. And I read that finally, 509 00:26:44,040 --> 00:26:46,960 Speaker 4: uh Rome will have decent pizza, you know, by by 510 00:26:47,080 --> 00:26:51,720 Speaker 4: Chicago deep dish aficionados. You know, never mind, I h 511 00:26:51,840 --> 00:26:54,760 Speaker 4: you know, you drive into Connecticut now as I did 512 00:26:54,840 --> 00:26:58,560 Speaker 4: the other day coming back from Pennsylvania, and you know 513 00:26:58,560 --> 00:27:01,320 Speaker 4: they have a sign welcome to Etiquette, a home of 514 00:27:01,400 --> 00:27:05,160 Speaker 4: the of the best pizza in the United States, because 515 00:27:05,200 --> 00:27:09,240 Speaker 4: New Haven is a big, proud pizza capital, and you know, 516 00:27:10,520 --> 00:27:14,439 Speaker 4: the Pope has opened up avenues into who has the 517 00:27:14,440 --> 00:27:18,000 Speaker 4: best pizza? You know, Socks Cubs. You saw his brother say, 518 00:27:18,040 --> 00:27:19,320 Speaker 4: I don't know where it came out that he's a 519 00:27:19,359 --> 00:27:21,800 Speaker 4: Cubs fan. He's never ever been a cubsman. He's always 520 00:27:21,840 --> 00:27:26,200 Speaker 4: been a White Sox fan. You know, it's it's it's 521 00:27:26,000 --> 00:27:29,280 Speaker 4: it's we can relate. Let's just put it out. 522 00:27:29,720 --> 00:27:39,440 Speaker 3: It's an absolutely beautiful stretch. I just love that you're 523 00:27:40,119 --> 00:27:42,919 Speaker 3: You're so observant in all of your books that you've written. 524 00:27:43,240 --> 00:27:46,919 Speaker 3: When you drive somewhere, all these ridiculous signs that you 525 00:27:47,040 --> 00:27:50,760 Speaker 3: see all over the place. How do you remember that stuff? 526 00:27:50,920 --> 00:27:53,000 Speaker 3: Is it just etched in your mind when you drive 527 00:27:53,040 --> 00:27:55,720 Speaker 3: through a town that has some ridiculous name. 528 00:27:57,880 --> 00:28:00,520 Speaker 4: You know, as a kid, I think when we would 529 00:28:00,560 --> 00:28:04,040 Speaker 4: go on vacation and usually by car. You know, my 530 00:28:04,160 --> 00:28:07,200 Speaker 4: parents maybe a writer. My mom was a school teacher 531 00:28:07,200 --> 00:28:08,920 Speaker 4: and she would we all had library cards. I was 532 00:28:08,920 --> 00:28:11,000 Speaker 4: the only one who really used it, and I would go, oh, 533 00:28:11,000 --> 00:28:13,800 Speaker 4: we're going to Cincinnati to visit my relatives, So I 534 00:28:13,800 --> 00:28:16,640 Speaker 4: would read up about Cincinnati. I'd read up about San 535 00:28:16,640 --> 00:28:19,080 Speaker 4: Francisco when we flew to California for a vacation, and 536 00:28:19,440 --> 00:28:22,000 Speaker 4: I would bore my siblings with you know, you know, 537 00:28:22,359 --> 00:28:23,919 Speaker 4: there was an earthquake here at night, you know, and 538 00:28:23,960 --> 00:28:25,520 Speaker 4: they would you know, put me in a headlock and 539 00:28:27,240 --> 00:28:31,199 Speaker 4: I stopped talking. But so so I even as a 540 00:28:31,200 --> 00:28:33,000 Speaker 4: little kid, I sort of had these sort of travel 541 00:28:33,040 --> 00:28:36,720 Speaker 4: writer instinct in me to pick up on what's interesting 542 00:28:36,840 --> 00:28:39,640 Speaker 4: or weird about this place. And I do so much 543 00:28:39,680 --> 00:28:42,120 Speaker 4: driving now, still shuttling around two kids who don't have 544 00:28:42,160 --> 00:28:45,560 Speaker 4: their licenses yet, that it's about my only form of 545 00:28:45,640 --> 00:28:49,080 Speaker 4: entertainment because they tuned me out long a long time ago. 546 00:28:49,200 --> 00:28:53,200 Speaker 4: So so you know, I look at science. We live 547 00:28:53,200 --> 00:28:55,360 Speaker 4: in a town called Granby g R A N B 548 00:28:55,680 --> 00:28:58,560 Speaker 4: Y in Connecticut, and Arsenal used to have a guy 549 00:28:58,640 --> 00:29:01,640 Speaker 4: named Serge Ginabry g and a B R. Wise. Whenever 550 00:29:01,680 --> 00:29:04,760 Speaker 4: I'd passed the Granby sign, I would always think of 551 00:29:04,800 --> 00:29:07,880 Speaker 4: Arsenal's surgeon Aby. So a lot of these things come 552 00:29:07,920 --> 00:29:09,880 Speaker 4: back to sports, and it's just really a product of 553 00:29:09,920 --> 00:29:13,320 Speaker 4: a of a of a terrible mind, completely cluttered by 554 00:29:13,560 --> 00:29:18,080 Speaker 4: by useless nonsense like ron Karkaeis and kotub Leinster. So 555 00:29:19,200 --> 00:29:21,200 Speaker 4: I'm not proud of Steve. 556 00:29:21,280 --> 00:29:22,600 Speaker 1: You mentioned your anagrams. 557 00:29:22,640 --> 00:29:25,640 Speaker 2: I know you and my dad share a love of 558 00:29:25,800 --> 00:29:28,080 Speaker 2: anagram names and words. 559 00:29:28,240 --> 00:29:29,480 Speaker 1: What are some of your favorites? 560 00:29:32,160 --> 00:29:35,880 Speaker 4: Well, I mean I love anagrams. I love palindromes. You know, 561 00:29:35,920 --> 00:29:38,000 Speaker 4: go hang a salami and a lasagna hog is the 562 00:29:38,000 --> 00:29:41,040 Speaker 4: same forward as backwards? You know that fascined me as 563 00:29:41,200 --> 00:29:45,320 Speaker 4: wait say it again? This is this is this tim 564 00:29:45,360 --> 00:29:48,720 Speaker 4: this is the palindromis. Will well know this one by heart? 565 00:29:49,000 --> 00:29:53,560 Speaker 4: Go hang a salami, I'm a lasagna hog is the 566 00:29:53,600 --> 00:29:54,760 Speaker 4: same forwards as bad. 567 00:29:54,920 --> 00:30:01,120 Speaker 3: It's unbelievable. And your favorite anagram is desper right. 568 00:30:02,880 --> 00:30:08,280 Speaker 4: Desperation? Is that a rope? I mean, I didn't come 569 00:30:08,320 --> 00:30:10,680 Speaker 4: up with these? These are these are? You know? But 570 00:30:10,680 --> 00:30:13,840 Speaker 4: but they're there. I can't even remember a lot of these. 571 00:30:13,840 --> 00:30:17,040 Speaker 4: I'm looking, you know, at you on on my laptop, 572 00:30:17,080 --> 00:30:19,920 Speaker 4: and I'm looking at the laptop keyboard. I used to 573 00:30:19,960 --> 00:30:22,120 Speaker 4: know what, you know, what are the longest words typed 574 00:30:22,160 --> 00:30:23,960 Speaker 4: only with your right hand? You know, if you're using 575 00:30:23,960 --> 00:30:26,360 Speaker 4: the standard keyboard, the longest words you can type with 576 00:30:26,400 --> 00:30:30,080 Speaker 4: only your only your left hand. Happily a lot of 577 00:30:30,080 --> 00:30:33,760 Speaker 4: these brain cells have have evaporated, and that not that 578 00:30:34,040 --> 00:30:37,960 Speaker 4: more useful information has has gone in there. Obviously, I 579 00:30:37,560 --> 00:30:40,560 Speaker 4: I see the pope is luck that I'm thinking of 580 00:30:40,840 --> 00:30:43,480 Speaker 4: ron Karkovis. I think of ron Karkovis. I'm thinking of 581 00:30:44,280 --> 00:30:46,840 Speaker 4: whenever I would hear the name ron Karkovis, I would 582 00:30:46,880 --> 00:30:50,200 Speaker 4: hear the song atal of Us from from the Sound 583 00:30:50,200 --> 00:30:55,400 Speaker 4: of Music Carcovised Krcovice, Bless my Homeland Forever. I don't 584 00:30:55,400 --> 00:30:56,800 Speaker 4: know if that was ever his walk up song, if 585 00:30:56,800 --> 00:31:01,080 Speaker 4: they had walk up songs, but you know this is 586 00:31:01,160 --> 00:31:05,600 Speaker 4: this is sadly how how my mind works, and it 587 00:31:05,760 --> 00:31:07,760 Speaker 4: results in getting absolutely nothing done during the. 588 00:31:07,760 --> 00:31:11,080 Speaker 3: Course of corrupted me with these Steve maybe thirty years ago. 589 00:31:11,160 --> 00:31:13,760 Speaker 3: And now I look at all names baseball players and 590 00:31:13,800 --> 00:31:16,280 Speaker 3: I try to find anagrams. There's a guy named Blake 591 00:31:16,360 --> 00:31:18,719 Speaker 3: Sable who's been in the Big leagues this year, catcher. 592 00:31:19,080 --> 00:31:23,440 Speaker 3: He's got the word baseball in his name, and it's 593 00:31:23,480 --> 00:31:30,560 Speaker 3: either baseball okay or okay, baseball or baseball ko. But 594 00:31:30,880 --> 00:31:36,120 Speaker 3: baseball is in Blake Sable's name. How great is that? 595 00:31:36,120 --> 00:31:42,600 Speaker 4: That's fantastic. I think of Cole Hammill's anagrams to Camel. 596 00:31:42,320 --> 00:31:47,360 Speaker 3: Willis, it's so good. 597 00:31:47,600 --> 00:31:52,280 Speaker 4: And when Cliff if if Starling Marte should ever he 598 00:31:52,320 --> 00:31:56,560 Speaker 4: played for the Marlins, Yes he did, if he should 599 00:31:57,160 --> 00:32:00,920 Speaker 4: if he should ever go back there, there's an anagram headline, 600 00:32:00,920 --> 00:32:04,920 Speaker 4: I'd like to see Marlin's target Starling Martin. 601 00:32:09,040 --> 00:32:10,560 Speaker 1: That is so beautiful. 602 00:32:10,600 --> 00:32:15,000 Speaker 3: When Clayton Kershaw became the all time strikeout leader for 603 00:32:15,080 --> 00:32:20,600 Speaker 3: the Dodgers, I came up with la K Hero wants 604 00:32:21,280 --> 00:32:25,880 Speaker 3: sy and that is an anagram of Clayton Kershaw stretch. 605 00:32:26,040 --> 00:32:27,920 Speaker 3: This is what I do thanks to you. 606 00:32:28,240 --> 00:32:31,200 Speaker 4: When I have you stood and gave yourself a standing ovation, 607 00:32:31,320 --> 00:32:32,720 Speaker 4: when when you can tight. 608 00:32:33,160 --> 00:32:35,560 Speaker 1: You shouted from the business class of an airplane. 609 00:32:36,360 --> 00:32:39,440 Speaker 3: This is what that's right, Actually a middle seat on 610 00:32:39,560 --> 00:32:42,480 Speaker 3: Delta about ten years ago. I came up more five 611 00:32:42,560 --> 00:32:44,840 Speaker 3: years ago. I came up with that one. But that's 612 00:32:44,880 --> 00:32:48,240 Speaker 3: how you have taught me to think after all these years. 613 00:32:48,440 --> 00:32:51,160 Speaker 4: Well, I don't want to be responsible for this, because 614 00:32:51,600 --> 00:32:56,200 Speaker 4: you you're responsible for You know, when we were covering 615 00:32:56,240 --> 00:33:00,160 Speaker 4: baseball together, it would always be Stretch or whoever was 616 00:33:00,160 --> 00:33:03,840 Speaker 4: sitting with us. What what do you think you could 617 00:33:03,920 --> 00:33:07,600 Speaker 4: do more easily? Could you if you got thirty carries 618 00:33:07,640 --> 00:33:09,840 Speaker 4: in the NFL game. Would you get positive yardists or 619 00:33:10,640 --> 00:33:12,960 Speaker 4: would you last fifteen seconds in the ring with Mike 620 00:33:13,040 --> 00:33:15,000 Speaker 4: Tyson in his prime. And it would always be an 621 00:33:15,080 --> 00:33:16,920 Speaker 4: either or choice. You had to choose one or the other. 622 00:33:17,760 --> 00:33:21,680 Speaker 4: And so to think that that was a more productive 623 00:33:21,760 --> 00:33:25,960 Speaker 4: use of our time makes me laugh. And I think 624 00:33:25,960 --> 00:33:28,000 Speaker 4: I was sitting with you at Yankee Stadium at one 625 00:33:28,040 --> 00:33:31,840 Speaker 4: of those World serieses. I know I was sitting with 626 00:33:31,840 --> 00:33:37,280 Speaker 4: Steve Knella because we still talk about this, imagining the 627 00:33:37,280 --> 00:33:40,840 Speaker 4: the Bob Shepherd voiced Yankees outgoing voicemail that we were 628 00:33:40,840 --> 00:33:43,640 Speaker 4: talking about this. It was like it was like we 629 00:33:43,640 --> 00:33:47,200 Speaker 4: were just we were just, you know, in the middle 630 00:33:47,200 --> 00:33:51,360 Speaker 4: innings of a lifeless game talking about you know what 631 00:33:51,480 --> 00:33:55,560 Speaker 4: if Bob Shepherd, the great Yankee PA announcer of the past, had, 632 00:33:55,960 --> 00:33:59,440 Speaker 4: in his beautiful voice, had recorded the Yankees outgoing you know, 633 00:33:59,720 --> 00:34:03,720 Speaker 4: sort of a voicemail thing which was press one, you 634 00:34:03,760 --> 00:34:08,720 Speaker 4: know to reach uh, Press one for Mickey Mantle, press 635 00:34:08,800 --> 00:34:14,600 Speaker 4: two for Mickey Rivers, press three for Mickey Kluck, Preuss 636 00:34:14,680 --> 00:34:17,399 Speaker 4: four for all other Mickeys, Preuss five, that kind of thing, 637 00:34:17,680 --> 00:34:23,000 Speaker 4: And you know, we would do that over and over 638 00:34:23,080 --> 00:34:26,719 Speaker 4: for different you know, iterations of people's names. You know, 639 00:34:27,200 --> 00:34:28,920 Speaker 4: if it was the White Sox, it might have been, 640 00:34:28,960 --> 00:34:32,640 Speaker 4: you know, press one for Ron Kittle, two for Ron Karkabis, 641 00:34:32,719 --> 00:34:36,960 Speaker 4: three for Ron Hasse, four for Ron all the Rons, 642 00:34:37,520 --> 00:34:41,920 Speaker 4: you know, and and you know, baseball games particularly then 643 00:34:41,960 --> 00:34:46,520 Speaker 4: we're three and a half hours long, and it made 644 00:34:46,560 --> 00:34:51,520 Speaker 4: for these kind of great mindless entertainments in the press spots. 645 00:34:51,680 --> 00:34:54,360 Speaker 3: We did a lot of those. So stretch, You're married 646 00:34:54,400 --> 00:34:57,879 Speaker 3: to Rebecca Lobo. You're a big basketball player, you were 647 00:34:57,960 --> 00:35:00,600 Speaker 3: really good in your day, and you're married to arguably 648 00:35:00,719 --> 00:35:04,200 Speaker 3: the most famous female bask at least the first greatest 649 00:35:04,239 --> 00:35:07,879 Speaker 3: female play. What is it like being married to Rebecca Lowe? 650 00:35:07,920 --> 00:35:10,560 Speaker 3: And Jeff I went to the wedding. I went to 651 00:35:10,640 --> 00:35:13,960 Speaker 3: the wedding of Steve Russian and Rebecca Lobo. It was 652 00:35:14,080 --> 00:35:16,040 Speaker 3: absolutely fabulous. So just tell. 653 00:35:15,920 --> 00:35:19,120 Speaker 4: Us, well, I always when I'm asked what's it like 654 00:35:19,160 --> 00:35:23,400 Speaker 4: being married to Rebecca Lobo? I always I always mentioned this. 655 00:35:26,840 --> 00:35:30,279 Speaker 4: Rick Riley did a book talk, our former colleague sports 656 00:35:30,560 --> 00:35:32,640 Speaker 4: did a book reading at a bookstore, and then he 657 00:35:32,680 --> 00:35:35,560 Speaker 4: opened up the questions and the first question. Now, both 658 00:35:35,560 --> 00:35:38,400 Speaker 4: of us had mugshots on columns and Sports Illustrated, and 659 00:35:38,480 --> 00:35:41,160 Speaker 4: sometimes we were mistaken for one. Another first question he 660 00:35:41,239 --> 00:35:44,080 Speaker 4: took was what's it like being married to Rebecca Lobo? 661 00:35:45,000 --> 00:35:49,799 Speaker 4: And he he didn't know what to say, and you know, 662 00:35:49,840 --> 00:35:51,759 Speaker 4: whether to call the person or not, and he just 663 00:35:51,920 --> 00:35:55,279 Speaker 4: ended up answering, it's helpful when you need to get 664 00:35:55,320 --> 00:36:02,759 Speaker 4: something off the top shelf of the grocery. Nah, I'm 665 00:36:02,760 --> 00:36:06,160 Speaker 4: actually like maybe fractionally taller than she is, but so 666 00:36:06,200 --> 00:36:09,319 Speaker 4: it doesn't help me in that regard. But you know, 667 00:36:10,760 --> 00:36:14,040 Speaker 4: the very first wedding present we received in two thousand, 668 00:36:15,520 --> 00:36:19,319 Speaker 4: in two thousand and three, sorry, was addressed not as 669 00:36:19,360 --> 00:36:22,640 Speaker 4: a joke. It was addressed to Rebecca and Steve Logo 670 00:36:23,480 --> 00:36:27,239 Speaker 4: when when our when our first daughter was born in 671 00:36:27,280 --> 00:36:30,640 Speaker 4: two thousand and four, we got a beautiful gift of 672 00:36:30,840 --> 00:36:33,319 Speaker 4: stationary from a charity that we had done some work 673 00:36:33,360 --> 00:36:37,880 Speaker 4: for and note cards with our baby's name on it, 674 00:36:38,080 --> 00:36:42,400 Speaker 4: Chavn Rose Logo and h and so people just assumed, 675 00:36:42,440 --> 00:36:45,960 Speaker 4: you know, that I had taken her name. The kids, 676 00:36:46,040 --> 00:36:49,360 Speaker 4: the kids took her last name. Uh, and they probably 677 00:36:49,400 --> 00:36:51,560 Speaker 4: would have been much better off if they had. But 678 00:36:52,440 --> 00:36:57,279 Speaker 4: you know, it's it's great. We we you know, I'm 679 00:36:57,480 --> 00:37:04,040 Speaker 4: probably the the rare her basketball loving husband who has 680 00:37:04,120 --> 00:37:06,560 Speaker 4: to say to his wife, you know, can we stop 681 00:37:06,600 --> 00:37:10,440 Speaker 4: talking about basketball at this point? Enough with the basketball 682 00:37:10,680 --> 00:37:13,400 Speaker 4: because she she has such a genuine love of it. 683 00:37:13,440 --> 00:37:16,880 Speaker 4: She she broadcasts games, so she's constantly watching you know, 684 00:37:17,280 --> 00:37:21,479 Speaker 4: college in WNBA games too for work, but she also 685 00:37:21,520 --> 00:37:26,960 Speaker 4: coaches our son's AAU team. She she watches games for pleasure. 686 00:37:27,080 --> 00:37:30,960 Speaker 4: She just loves basketball. And you know, we tell our kids, 687 00:37:31,040 --> 00:37:35,160 Speaker 4: I wrote because that's what I love to do. She 688 00:37:36,200 --> 00:37:38,719 Speaker 4: got into what she's doing because she loved to play basketball. 689 00:37:38,880 --> 00:37:41,880 Speaker 4: And it wasn't for her a way of you know, 690 00:37:41,920 --> 00:37:44,880 Speaker 4: making money or having a broadcasting career, being famous. It 691 00:37:44,960 --> 00:37:47,279 Speaker 4: was just something you love to do. So you know, 692 00:37:47,880 --> 00:37:49,600 Speaker 4: we all tell her kids, you know, try to find 693 00:37:49,600 --> 00:37:52,440 Speaker 4: something that you love to do. And you know, and 694 00:37:52,560 --> 00:37:55,000 Speaker 4: she's a perfect example of that. 695 00:37:55,040 --> 00:37:58,880 Speaker 2: Steve, So Mother's Day obviously this past Sunday, and remind 696 00:37:58,880 --> 00:38:01,000 Speaker 2: me you three three or four children. 697 00:38:02,239 --> 00:38:04,200 Speaker 4: Exactly? We have three or four children? We have we have, 698 00:38:04,360 --> 00:38:11,040 Speaker 4: but we have we have four four we have two 699 00:38:11,040 --> 00:38:12,799 Speaker 4: in high school and two in college. But they're all 700 00:38:12,800 --> 00:38:13,319 Speaker 4: home right now. 701 00:38:13,360 --> 00:38:14,399 Speaker 1: Oh, they're all home right now. 702 00:38:14,440 --> 00:38:17,160 Speaker 3: Stretch. What's so interesting about you is that you enjoy 703 00:38:17,239 --> 00:38:19,759 Speaker 3: everything and so many things interest you so you've been 704 00:38:19,960 --> 00:38:22,600 Speaker 3: working on a project lately. I'm not sure where it's going. 705 00:38:23,040 --> 00:38:25,480 Speaker 3: Just tell us a little bit about the project that 706 00:38:25,560 --> 00:38:26,640 Speaker 3: you've been working on. 707 00:38:27,520 --> 00:38:29,760 Speaker 4: Well, it's I can tell you it's not going anywhere. 708 00:38:29,760 --> 00:38:30,920 Speaker 3: But we. 709 00:38:34,080 --> 00:38:37,759 Speaker 4: My friend Sam Farmer and I we were you know, 710 00:38:37,840 --> 00:38:39,920 Speaker 4: we just have it. We were both born in nineteen 711 00:38:39,960 --> 00:38:45,799 Speaker 4: sixty six. Both have a love of nineteen seventies television. 712 00:38:46,120 --> 00:38:49,520 Speaker 4: You know, you know, nothing to do with sports, although 713 00:38:49,560 --> 00:38:53,960 Speaker 4: they're you know, we both love that. Sam's a sports 714 00:38:54,000 --> 00:38:57,440 Speaker 4: writer at the La Times, and so we just started 715 00:38:57,480 --> 00:39:02,239 Speaker 4: interviewing people that were sort of our we watched on 716 00:39:02,280 --> 00:39:05,680 Speaker 4: TV or who created the TV of our youth. And 717 00:39:06,560 --> 00:39:09,399 Speaker 4: Sam had done a story for The Times on Jim 718 00:39:09,400 --> 00:39:13,120 Speaker 4: Harbaugh who was living in a trailer by the ocean 719 00:39:13,480 --> 00:39:17,000 Speaker 4: when he took over the La Chargers job and before 720 00:39:17,040 --> 00:39:19,319 Speaker 4: his family moved out from Michigan. He was living in 721 00:39:19,320 --> 00:39:23,239 Speaker 4: a trailer by the ocean, partly in homage to Jim 722 00:39:23,320 --> 00:39:25,680 Speaker 4: Rockford of the Rockford Files, who lived in a trailer 723 00:39:25,680 --> 00:39:29,879 Speaker 4: in Malibu. So Sam had interviewed, you know, all kinds 724 00:39:29,880 --> 00:39:35,759 Speaker 4: of people, James Garner's daughter and you know, people who 725 00:39:35,880 --> 00:39:39,120 Speaker 4: were his co stars who are still alive, people who 726 00:39:39,239 --> 00:39:42,320 Speaker 4: created the show, and had such a good time talking 727 00:39:42,320 --> 00:39:45,000 Speaker 4: to them about you know, what it was like making 728 00:39:45,000 --> 00:39:47,600 Speaker 4: the Rockford Files that we just we just kind of 729 00:39:47,600 --> 00:39:50,000 Speaker 4: continued those conversations over zoom with a lot of people 730 00:39:50,000 --> 00:39:53,239 Speaker 4: who made the TV of our youth. And now as 731 00:39:53,239 --> 00:39:58,360 Speaker 4: a publishing concern, you know, how many people are interested 732 00:39:58,680 --> 00:40:00,759 Speaker 4: in what we're interested in. I don't know, you know, 733 00:40:03,120 --> 00:40:06,920 Speaker 4: agents and publishers probably think not enough, but uh, but 734 00:40:07,640 --> 00:40:11,359 Speaker 4: we have had you know, a dozen conversations you know 735 00:40:11,640 --> 00:40:15,839 Speaker 4: with with uh, you know, people like Adrian Barbeau, who 736 00:40:16,080 --> 00:40:19,240 Speaker 4: guest starred on you know, shows like Fantasy Island when 737 00:40:19,320 --> 00:40:22,040 Speaker 4: I was a kid, and and uh, people like uh, 738 00:40:22,320 --> 00:40:25,240 Speaker 4: you know Mike Post who wrote the Rockford theme and 739 00:40:25,239 --> 00:40:29,759 Speaker 4: and you know other great themes. Uh and and so 740 00:40:30,000 --> 00:40:33,200 Speaker 4: it's you know, as much as I love sports growing 741 00:40:33,280 --> 00:40:35,400 Speaker 4: up in baseball, and I've gotten to talk to all 742 00:40:35,400 --> 00:40:38,120 Speaker 4: those people, become friends with some of those people who I, 743 00:40:38,400 --> 00:40:43,440 Speaker 4: you know, admired as a kid. You know, I probably 744 00:40:43,480 --> 00:40:47,120 Speaker 4: spent at least as much time watching you know, sitting 745 00:40:47,160 --> 00:40:50,799 Speaker 4: in front of the tube on Saturday mornings and and 746 00:40:50,840 --> 00:40:54,520 Speaker 4: you know, primetime evenings as a kid. And so it 747 00:40:54,640 --> 00:40:57,680 Speaker 4: really is just an extension of what we've done as 748 00:40:57,719 --> 00:41:01,480 Speaker 4: sports writers. You know, it's it's uh, that thing that 749 00:41:01,560 --> 00:41:03,960 Speaker 4: sort of captivated us as a kid, we just revisited 750 00:41:04,080 --> 00:41:06,799 Speaker 4: as adults. And whether any of that will ever see 751 00:41:06,800 --> 00:41:08,760 Speaker 4: the light of day, I don't know, but the conversations 752 00:41:09,360 --> 00:41:10,360 Speaker 4: have been a joy stretch. 753 00:41:10,400 --> 00:41:12,759 Speaker 3: My favorite sitcom is Get Smart? Did you talk to 754 00:41:12,880 --> 00:41:14,239 Speaker 3: anybody along the way? 755 00:41:14,560 --> 00:41:16,280 Speaker 1: And either you do it? Get Smart? 756 00:41:16,400 --> 00:41:18,520 Speaker 3: Or All the Family or the Dick Van Dyke Show, 757 00:41:18,520 --> 00:41:20,280 Speaker 3: because they're my three favorite symcoms. 758 00:41:20,280 --> 00:41:22,560 Speaker 4: Out talk to people who we talk to people who 759 00:41:22,719 --> 00:41:26,400 Speaker 4: worked on All the Family and other Norman Lear shows 760 00:41:26,560 --> 00:41:30,520 Speaker 4: and uh, the Mary Tyler Moore Show, and and you 761 00:41:30,560 --> 00:41:37,800 Speaker 4: know those great you know those mash uh the gentleman 762 00:41:37,840 --> 00:41:41,239 Speaker 4: who wrote the theme song to UH Happy Days and 763 00:41:41,320 --> 00:41:45,400 Speaker 4: Laverne and Shirley who also wrote Killing Me Softly, you know, 764 00:41:45,440 --> 00:41:50,479 Speaker 4: for Robert of Flack just uh, and and they're they're 765 00:41:50,520 --> 00:41:54,600 Speaker 4: you know, they're these they're they're normal people who are 766 00:41:55,160 --> 00:41:58,880 Speaker 4: you know, who did the stuff as we do as writers, 767 00:41:59,120 --> 00:42:03,759 Speaker 4: you know, kind of in isolation often and then it 768 00:42:03,840 --> 00:42:07,880 Speaker 4: goes out there and strangers remember it forty years later. 769 00:42:08,000 --> 00:42:13,040 Speaker 4: And you know, we talked to the gentleman who directed 770 00:42:13,040 --> 00:42:16,160 Speaker 4: the Turkey Falls episode of w KRP in Cincinnati, who 771 00:42:16,160 --> 00:42:21,680 Speaker 4: when he was directing n CIS years later, saw people 772 00:42:21,719 --> 00:42:23,279 Speaker 4: watching it on YouTube and say, hey, you got to 773 00:42:23,320 --> 00:42:25,000 Speaker 4: check out this episode. Have you ever seen this episode? 774 00:42:25,000 --> 00:42:29,200 Speaker 4: It's hilariously said watch the end credits, you know, and 775 00:42:29,239 --> 00:42:33,759 Speaker 4: see who directed that. And you know, so you know, 776 00:42:33,760 --> 00:42:36,640 Speaker 4: in the same way that I'm fascinated by the White 777 00:42:36,680 --> 00:42:39,759 Speaker 4: Sox of the seventies, I'm also I'm equally fascinated by 778 00:42:40,200 --> 00:42:42,520 Speaker 4: what was it like to make Sanford and Son. 779 00:42:42,560 --> 00:42:45,080 Speaker 1: You know, well, Steve, I'm sorry, and. 780 00:42:44,960 --> 00:42:46,800 Speaker 4: The answer that question, it was completely crazy. 781 00:42:46,920 --> 00:42:49,600 Speaker 2: By the way, I'm sorry that that project doesn't seem 782 00:42:49,600 --> 00:42:50,480 Speaker 2: to be coming to fruition. 783 00:42:50,600 --> 00:42:52,400 Speaker 1: But to your point, I think. 784 00:42:52,520 --> 00:42:56,360 Speaker 2: Baseball's Pope would be a great at the very minimum 785 00:42:56,480 --> 00:42:59,399 Speaker 2: of column. But with all that you're spewing, I mean, 786 00:43:00,320 --> 00:43:01,560 Speaker 2: Baseball hasn't Pope. 787 00:43:01,640 --> 00:43:02,440 Speaker 1: This is great. 788 00:43:03,520 --> 00:43:05,920 Speaker 4: It would be a better column if who had been 789 00:43:05,960 --> 00:43:08,960 Speaker 4: written by Edwin popel Of than Miami Harold ten notes. 790 00:43:09,360 --> 00:43:13,919 Speaker 4: But I may have to put these thoughts down just 791 00:43:14,040 --> 00:43:15,759 Speaker 4: to get them out of my system so I don't 792 00:43:15,840 --> 00:43:16,959 Speaker 4: keep thinking about that night. 793 00:43:16,880 --> 00:43:19,399 Speaker 3: Steve, you have to write these back to the Mary 794 00:43:19,440 --> 00:43:22,120 Speaker 3: Tyler Moore show. Jeff, here's how it works. Every time 795 00:43:22,160 --> 00:43:26,200 Speaker 3: I hear the expression a little song, a little dance, 796 00:43:26,400 --> 00:43:28,280 Speaker 3: I think of Steve Rushes. 797 00:43:29,320 --> 00:43:36,480 Speaker 4: A little Peltz down your pants. So Tim, so I well, 798 00:43:36,960 --> 00:43:39,839 Speaker 4: sometime in the last oh it was for this past 799 00:43:39,880 --> 00:43:41,920 Speaker 4: super Bowl. This past super Bowl was at the Superdome 800 00:43:42,920 --> 00:43:45,640 Speaker 4: in New Orleans, and fifty years ago the Super Bowl, 801 00:43:45,719 --> 00:43:47,560 Speaker 4: the Super Bowl was supposed to be at the Superdome 802 00:43:47,600 --> 00:43:49,560 Speaker 4: in New Orleans, but it wasn't finished yet, so they 803 00:43:49,600 --> 00:43:51,000 Speaker 4: had to have it at the old two Lane Stadium. 804 00:43:51,120 --> 00:43:53,720 Speaker 4: That was the Vikings my Vikings as a kid, versus 805 00:43:53,719 --> 00:43:57,839 Speaker 4: the Steelers, who won sixteen to six. It was their 806 00:43:58,160 --> 00:44:01,240 Speaker 4: first Super Bowl of their dynasty. And so I interviewed 807 00:44:01,239 --> 00:44:03,560 Speaker 4: some of the first story I did for the monthly 808 00:44:03,840 --> 00:44:05,719 Speaker 4: that is Sports Illustrated, and now I interviewed some of 809 00:44:05,760 --> 00:44:07,879 Speaker 4: the people who played in that game. My childhood hero 810 00:44:07,960 --> 00:44:12,080 Speaker 4: who's become a friend, Alan Page, jack Ham of the Steelers. 811 00:44:12,120 --> 00:44:13,680 Speaker 4: But I interviewed Frank talking to who I had never 812 00:44:13,680 --> 00:44:18,799 Speaker 4: spoken to, and I mentioned to him now in the 813 00:44:18,800 --> 00:44:22,200 Speaker 4: opening credits of Mary Tyler Moore, Alan Page still lives 814 00:44:22,840 --> 00:44:25,160 Speaker 4: in that neighborhood where Mary Tyler Moore's house was set 815 00:44:25,200 --> 00:44:28,160 Speaker 4: in the opening credits still sees people drive by and 816 00:44:28,280 --> 00:44:30,399 Speaker 4: take pictures of this house, you know from the show 817 00:44:30,440 --> 00:44:34,760 Speaker 4: that was on fifty years ago. But Mary Tyler Morris 818 00:44:35,000 --> 00:44:39,000 Speaker 4: in the opening credits is washing her mustang in a 819 00:44:39,080 --> 00:44:44,040 Speaker 4: number ten Fran Tarkenton Vikings Jersey soaping up a mustang. 820 00:44:44,080 --> 00:44:47,520 Speaker 4: And as a kid, that was just such a mind 821 00:44:47,560 --> 00:44:51,960 Speaker 4: blowing thing to see your town and your team on 822 00:44:52,000 --> 00:44:56,959 Speaker 4: this national show, even though it was from television city 823 00:44:56,960 --> 00:44:59,880 Speaker 4: in Hollywood. You know, the opening credits are shot and 824 00:45:00,160 --> 00:45:05,719 Speaker 4: in Minneapolis. And I asked Fran Tarkentin, what was that like? 825 00:45:05,760 --> 00:45:09,439 Speaker 4: You know, I mean to see Mary Tyler Moore, We're 826 00:45:09,440 --> 00:45:11,920 Speaker 4: in your Jersey every week in the opening credits of 827 00:45:12,000 --> 00:45:16,160 Speaker 4: this beloved show. And he said, I was aware of it, 828 00:45:16,200 --> 00:45:19,280 Speaker 4: but I didn't really give it any thought much thought, 829 00:45:19,400 --> 00:45:23,759 Speaker 4: and you realize that you're in a very different place 830 00:45:23,800 --> 00:45:27,120 Speaker 4: in life as like a nine year old man and 831 00:45:27,239 --> 00:45:30,080 Speaker 4: as the quarterback of the Minnesota Vikings. He also said, 832 00:45:30,280 --> 00:45:33,680 Speaker 4: just you know, to connect sports and television here that 833 00:45:34,400 --> 00:45:41,280 Speaker 4: in nineteen seventy six, maybe he got a call from 834 00:45:41,520 --> 00:45:45,360 Speaker 4: this new television show Saturday Night Live asking him to host. 835 00:45:46,080 --> 00:45:48,360 Speaker 4: I think he ended up hosting in January of seventy seven, 836 00:45:48,480 --> 00:45:53,000 Speaker 4: and he had never heard of it, didn't know what 837 00:45:54,080 --> 00:45:56,480 Speaker 4: it was, but he agreed to host it, and so 838 00:45:56,520 --> 00:46:00,359 Speaker 4: he was I think the very first athlete to host 839 00:46:00,800 --> 00:46:03,319 Speaker 4: Saturday Night Live. I watched it before I, you know, 840 00:46:03,520 --> 00:46:08,359 Speaker 4: when I was reporting this Super Bowl thing, and you know, 841 00:46:09,000 --> 00:46:12,479 Speaker 4: it seems like this must have been eighteen seventy five. 842 00:46:12,520 --> 00:46:15,800 Speaker 4: But these people are alive, many of them in their eighties. 843 00:46:15,840 --> 00:46:19,560 Speaker 4: For Antarkan is an eighties who were sort of present 844 00:46:19,719 --> 00:46:23,600 Speaker 4: at the creation of these things that live on now. 845 00:46:23,640 --> 00:46:25,600 Speaker 4: They live on now on the channels that I watched 846 00:46:25,600 --> 00:46:28,759 Speaker 4: that have all commercials for walking tubs and reverse mortgages 847 00:46:28,800 --> 00:46:31,360 Speaker 4: and for people like me who have lost their hearing 848 00:46:31,960 --> 00:46:39,520 Speaker 4: recently kids exactly so. But those are the two things 849 00:46:39,520 --> 00:46:41,960 Speaker 4: that really shaped my childhood in so many ways. The 850 00:46:41,960 --> 00:46:44,680 Speaker 4: three things really where I went to Catholic grade school, 851 00:46:45,120 --> 00:46:48,480 Speaker 4: I was a big sports particularly baseball fan, baseball cards, 852 00:46:48,480 --> 00:46:52,919 Speaker 4: and I watched a lot of TV. And our conversation here, 853 00:46:53,440 --> 00:46:57,200 Speaker 4: I've talked only about those three things, and those are 854 00:46:57,200 --> 00:47:01,240 Speaker 4: the only three things that really qualified to talk about. 855 00:47:01,920 --> 00:47:03,400 Speaker 4: They shaped my existence. 856 00:47:03,760 --> 00:47:07,040 Speaker 3: Went Jeff Walter Cronkite was the greatest TV news band 857 00:47:07,080 --> 00:47:09,680 Speaker 3: of all time, and I can't look at anything that 858 00:47:09,719 --> 00:47:12,839 Speaker 3: he's ever done without thinking about what Ted Baxter said 859 00:47:12,840 --> 00:47:16,040 Speaker 3: to him when the real Walter Cronkite came to the 860 00:47:16,080 --> 00:47:20,160 Speaker 3: studio and Ted Baxter got to meet him, and Ted 861 00:47:20,239 --> 00:47:24,840 Speaker 3: Baxter's first words Walter Cronkite, Walter, what words do you 862 00:47:24,960 --> 00:47:26,160 Speaker 3: have trouble pronouncing? 863 00:47:31,080 --> 00:47:33,960 Speaker 1: That's what he asked me, Walter kron. 864 00:47:36,360 --> 00:47:39,359 Speaker 3: Ted was one of the greatest cop characters. 865 00:47:39,000 --> 00:47:43,239 Speaker 4: Ever, Ted Knight Man, he was. He was one of 866 00:47:43,280 --> 00:47:46,600 Speaker 4: the all times Caddie Shack as well as Mary Tyler Moore. 867 00:47:46,680 --> 00:47:49,560 Speaker 3: Well, stretch, we could do this forever, we could. I 868 00:47:49,600 --> 00:47:52,600 Speaker 3: don't think I asked you a true baseball question, not 869 00:47:52,760 --> 00:47:58,200 Speaker 3: one here on a baseball podcast, but anything involving Pope 870 00:47:58,280 --> 00:48:02,359 Speaker 3: Leo Chicago White Sox fan was good enough for us. 871 00:48:02,480 --> 00:48:05,520 Speaker 3: Thank you so much for joining us, and thank you 872 00:48:05,560 --> 00:48:08,280 Speaker 3: for making us laugh again for an hour. 873 00:48:09,800 --> 00:48:12,319 Speaker 4: I always know I have at least two people who 874 00:48:13,320 --> 00:48:17,400 Speaker 4: understand understand my own sickness, and I appreciate you guys 875 00:48:17,400 --> 00:48:17,719 Speaker 4: for that. 876 00:48:17,800 --> 00:48:22,040 Speaker 2: All right, Thank you, Steve always hilarious, Steve Russian for 877 00:48:22,120 --> 00:48:22,560 Speaker 2: joining us. 878 00:48:22,600 --> 00:48:24,000 Speaker 1: Just a great game or what right? 879 00:48:24,120 --> 00:48:27,240 Speaker 3: And I can't wait to see the story that Steve 880 00:48:27,320 --> 00:48:30,839 Speaker 3: wrote the column whatever he's going to write about Pope Leo, 881 00:48:31,080 --> 00:48:35,160 Speaker 3: because I repeat, there is no better combination of writer 882 00:48:35,600 --> 00:48:38,640 Speaker 3: and subject for so many things. Steve Russian wrote an 883 00:48:38,880 --> 00:48:42,759 Speaker 3: entire story once, like eight pages of sports illustrated about 884 00:48:42,800 --> 00:48:45,799 Speaker 3: the hot Dog, like the history of the hot Dog. 885 00:48:46,320 --> 00:48:50,200 Speaker 3: When he gets all his myths on pop Leo. White 886 00:48:50,239 --> 00:48:54,120 Speaker 3: Sox fan is now leading the Catholic Church in every way. 887 00:48:54,880 --> 00:48:56,919 Speaker 3: I can't wait to read it because it will make 888 00:48:56,960 --> 00:48:59,839 Speaker 3: you laugh out loud every other cent. 889 00:49:00,080 --> 00:49:03,200 Speaker 2: I'm so close to just posting his cell phone number 890 00:49:03,400 --> 00:49:06,080 Speaker 2: so everybody listening can text him saying can't wait for 891 00:49:06,120 --> 00:49:07,400 Speaker 2: the po Leo column. 892 00:49:09,040 --> 00:49:10,160 Speaker 1: Thank you for listening. 893 00:49:10,400 --> 00:49:12,719 Speaker 2: Don't forget we have another episode for you coming out 894 00:49:12,719 --> 00:49:15,839 Speaker 2: tomorrow on the feed wherever you listen. You can also 895 00:49:15,960 --> 00:49:19,560 Speaker 2: watch the full podcast, including guest video as well on 896 00:49:19,600 --> 00:49:21,600 Speaker 2: our YouTube page is this a Great game or what? 897 00:49:21,760 --> 00:49:22,719 Speaker 1: Like us on social. 898 00:49:22,480 --> 00:49:25,839 Speaker 2: Media Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, all that good stuff because we're 899 00:49:25,880 --> 00:49:27,920 Speaker 2: always posting great video up there as well. 900 00:49:28,000 --> 00:49:30,120 Speaker 1: Thank you for listening, and as always, thank you for 901 00:49:30,160 --> 00:49:31,400 Speaker 1: being a part of our family.