WEBVTT - London Fletcher 0:00:00.360 --> 0:00:02.600 This is cut to it with Steve Smith Senior at 0:00:02.640 --> 0:00:08.879 production of The Black Effect and I Heart Radio. I'm 0:00:08.920 --> 0:00:12.200 Steve Smith Senior and I'm John and this is cut 0:00:12.240 --> 0:00:16.919 to it. Good do, good do. Let's getting down to 0:00:16.960 --> 0:00:20.720 do it. Good do it. We asked the questions you 0:00:20.800 --> 0:00:24.200 always want to know, but no one ever asked. Let's 0:00:24.200 --> 0:00:29.840 cut to it. You ain't heard them about it? Then 0:00:29.840 --> 0:00:41.440 we're about to let you know. It's all all right, 0:00:41.479 --> 0:00:47.760 So we were straight crook, all right, all right, cut 0:00:47.840 --> 0:00:50.360 to it, crewe what's going on? What's going on? Smith? 0:00:50.400 --> 0:00:53.400 How you doing? I got a question for you. Why 0:00:53.440 --> 0:00:55.560 are you already laughing? This is a whole podcast like 0:00:55.600 --> 0:00:57.760 I'm supposed to have questions. I'll tell you why because 0:00:57.760 --> 0:01:01.880 I'm on the microphone. You've been coming to regular now coming, 0:01:02.160 --> 0:01:06.280 you're not backstage anymore. A lot of things happen, man, right, 0:01:06.880 --> 0:01:11.640 question for you. Have you ever had any weird fan interactions? 0:01:13.280 --> 0:01:19.000 And and do any any any recent ones? Walk me through, 0:01:19.200 --> 0:01:22.000 walk us through. I don't think it was. I don't 0:01:22.000 --> 0:01:28.400 even know what it was. Okay, weird super It was 0:01:28.440 --> 0:01:32.160 at the gas station the other day. You were with men, 0:01:32.240 --> 0:01:35.280 the three of us were in quar together, went inside 0:01:35.440 --> 0:01:43.119 because the um the pump said please wait, never stick 0:01:43.160 --> 0:01:48.640 your card inn where it says please wait where fortune cookie. 0:01:49.840 --> 0:01:53.120 I'm like, no, I'm going inside. So on the side 0:01:53.440 --> 0:01:56.640 you some money filled up. I thought it was pretty cool. 0:01:57.960 --> 0:02:01.120 I didn't know. Pulled up. Hey, let me put such 0:02:01.200 --> 0:02:07.080 and such on eight h come outside finish because my guess, 0:02:07.840 --> 0:02:11.959 no guess thank hopping the car from turn on my 0:02:12.080 --> 0:02:17.639 car and there's a gentleman pulls up in a car. 0:02:19.400 --> 0:02:22.000 He had his homeboy in the back seat, which was 0:02:22.040 --> 0:02:29.440 a dog d o g roof dog. Now he doggie dog, 0:02:29.720 --> 0:02:36.480 but you know, animal his companion and h. I pulled 0:02:36.560 --> 0:02:44.040 up and said, hey, I got a question. I said yes, 0:02:45.600 --> 0:02:50.799 and then he goes, oh I figured it out, and 0:02:50.919 --> 0:02:53.880 pretty much after that I was lost. Mind you, we 0:02:53.960 --> 0:02:58.080 have no idea what this question. We didn't ask him 0:02:58.120 --> 0:03:00.840 a question, so he didn't ask me a question. It 0:03:00.960 --> 0:03:02.560 was he pulled out. But I thought it was like, 0:03:02.680 --> 0:03:05.600 come on, bro, let's not play the lost like other dudes. 0:03:05.639 --> 0:03:08.320 Don't ask other dudes, Hey, you lost? You know? Hey, 0:03:08.400 --> 0:03:10.639 do you know where? No? I don't. That's my goal 0:03:10.680 --> 0:03:15.239 to you can ask. I can be I can be 0:03:16.080 --> 0:03:18.280 in front of an ice cream shop and you say, hey, 0:03:18.320 --> 0:03:20.480 do you know what the ice cream shopping is? Like, Nope, 0:03:20.639 --> 0:03:24.040 not from around here. That's my So he rolls up. 0:03:24.120 --> 0:03:25.880 He says he figured it out, and says he figured 0:03:25.919 --> 0:03:28.079 it out. And then so now of course I'm in 0:03:28.160 --> 0:03:30.600 the back seat, You're riding shotgun and we look over 0:03:30.680 --> 0:03:33.519 and that we're kind of interested, like because it was 0:03:33.560 --> 0:03:37.520 a showdown. This guy is quiet. Steve's just sitting there 0:03:37.560 --> 0:03:40.080 because we don't know what's going on, ueless, and so 0:03:40.240 --> 0:03:42.200 like there's this five second pause where it's like a 0:03:42.920 --> 0:03:44.880 it's a showdown. And so then he looks it and 0:03:44.960 --> 0:03:50.120 goes looks at Steven goes, you're good. Right now, that 0:03:50.280 --> 0:03:54.880 ain't the answer when you ask me, am I goodlet's 0:03:54.920 --> 0:03:59.600 fighting words, thank you? It implies you're not, or that 0:03:59.720 --> 0:04:05.000 we have an issue. Yes you kids call it. So 0:04:05.200 --> 0:04:10.200 he says, you're good. I said you're good. I'm good. 0:04:11.160 --> 0:04:15.440 Now when you say generally, when you say no, that's 0:04:15.480 --> 0:04:18.280 where the problems started. So for the most part, when 0:04:18.320 --> 0:04:21.160 someone says you good, it's it's not a greeting for you. 0:04:21.720 --> 0:04:25.279 What is you? What is you? What is your disposition 0:04:25.400 --> 0:04:27.680 on you good? Because I've heard other people go to someone, hey, 0:04:27.720 --> 0:04:29.040 Y know, what's up? Man? You're good? Is it is 0:04:29.080 --> 0:04:31.000 it the way that someone says it or is it 0:04:31.160 --> 0:04:34.560 just the words you're good with a question mark behind it? 0:04:35.080 --> 0:04:39.480 That generally is a we got problems? Do you understand that? 0:04:40.160 --> 0:04:44.240 And my answer is yes, and so be I know 0:04:44.360 --> 0:04:46.400 we got problems. So if I depth you right now, 0:04:46.680 --> 0:04:49.520 what's up? Maybe you're good? You're taking that we are 0:04:49.560 --> 0:04:52.400 we good? Because we're friends. Yeah, but if it's okay, 0:04:52.440 --> 0:04:54.520 so that help. So Now if I'm a stranger and 0:04:54.600 --> 0:04:57.600 I say you're good, if you're a stranger, you roll 0:04:57.720 --> 0:04:59.640 up in your car and I don't know you don't 0:04:59.680 --> 0:05:02.120 you don't on me? And you say, now that's a 0:05:02.360 --> 0:05:04.560 that's a whole different context. And you say, hey, yo, 0:05:04.680 --> 0:05:06.960 you good man? You got what do you got this? 0:05:07.120 --> 0:05:10.960 What do you got? Shot gun? Right? My response right 0:05:11.520 --> 0:05:19.600 right is not gonna be yes, It's gonna be you good. 0:05:20.279 --> 0:05:22.120 So you said you asking me, am I good? And 0:05:22.200 --> 0:05:25.360 I'm asking? I didn't ask her? Did I? I asked you? 0:05:25.520 --> 0:05:27.960 Are you good? Now? What comes out of your mouth 0:05:28.040 --> 0:05:32.640 after that? That's when they say this fireworkship that sets 0:05:32.680 --> 0:05:37.880 the table for next step bringing this thing full circle 0:05:38.120 --> 0:05:41.080 to this individual with you good that we didn't know 0:05:42.080 --> 0:05:47.640 you pulled up, and so he goes, you're good, Yeah, 0:05:47.640 --> 0:05:52.400 I'm good, you good? Yeah? Man, And his response after 0:05:52.480 --> 0:05:55.159 I said you good, this is where because I want 0:05:55.160 --> 0:05:57.360 to know what his narrative is when he pulled off, 0:05:57.480 --> 0:06:00.839 because this man's response after Steve said are you good? 0:06:01.040 --> 0:06:07.680 Was yeah, and what are you? What do you use to? Like? 0:06:07.880 --> 0:06:11.880 He here's what happens again? Gerard and I we're you know, 0:06:11.960 --> 0:06:15.040 we're out with Steve a lot, so we run across 0:06:15.080 --> 0:06:18.520 situation like this all the time. The most awkward and 0:06:19.800 --> 0:06:22.720 silly ass individuals for lack of better word, people have 0:06:23.160 --> 0:06:25.840 a scenario plate out in their mind when they walk 0:06:25.960 --> 0:06:29.040 up to say Steve. In their mind, they're gonna say, hey, 0:06:29.080 --> 0:06:31.160 how you doing. I'm good? How are you? Maybe I 0:06:31.240 --> 0:06:33.680 get a picture, we have a few minutes conversation, we 0:06:33.760 --> 0:06:36.840 walk off. This dude had that in his mind. But 0:06:36.960 --> 0:06:39.680 when the conversation didn't go with hey, how's it going 0:06:39.720 --> 0:06:42.200 and went with you good, it was an awkward way 0:06:42.240 --> 0:06:44.920 to get out of conversation. Like he was shook. Because 0:06:45.040 --> 0:06:47.320 usually Steve is the one that says, yeah, it's fine. 0:06:47.360 --> 0:06:48.920 I get it all the time, and you know, he's 0:06:48.960 --> 0:06:51.200 cordial nice and its company. It depends on how you 0:06:51.279 --> 0:06:52.840 come up to me. Have you come up to me 0:06:53.839 --> 0:06:56.960 expecting I owe you something? Are you gonna get some 0:06:57.120 --> 0:07:02.120 old on? Where does this rank amongst you're awkward, fan 0:07:02.279 --> 0:07:06.440 or just individual? Well, this one right ranks in the 0:07:07.120 --> 0:07:10.240 category of this is why stay in the house a lot. 0:07:12.960 --> 0:07:17.120 I'm used to that, and and because what it generally 0:07:17.200 --> 0:07:20.000 happened is and I think I've done a better job. 0:07:20.080 --> 0:07:22.320 But there are times here in Charlotte I'm known for 0:07:22.800 --> 0:07:25.480 not being very approachable. And a lot of it is 0:07:25.560 --> 0:07:28.440 because I've you know, I want to say, been burned, 0:07:28.480 --> 0:07:35.080 but I have been approached at times where it's really 0:07:35.160 --> 0:07:39.720 just taken away from what I'm currently doing. Right, And 0:07:40.080 --> 0:07:43.640 my oldest boy, Peyton, remember we were I broke my 0:07:43.760 --> 0:07:46.640 leg and Mars like, you need to go do something. 0:07:46.680 --> 0:07:49.120 So I started coming to his lunch and he was 0:07:49.200 --> 0:07:52.320 in I think the second grade. The Peyton is twenty 0:07:52.400 --> 0:07:56.760 two years old. So I was going to lunch and 0:07:57.040 --> 0:08:01.040 sitting there at lunch and one of these keys I 0:08:01.280 --> 0:08:03.680 knew who I was, So we had like my rookie 0:08:03.800 --> 0:08:05.680 or checking year car checking year in the league. You 0:08:05.760 --> 0:08:08.360 out of the car, he says, Hey, Mr Smith, can 0:08:08.400 --> 0:08:10.560 you sign a car for me? I was like sure, 0:08:11.720 --> 0:08:18.200 and Peyton had this such defeated look. Peyton was in 0:08:18.280 --> 0:08:23.640 the second grade, second grade. He looks at me says, Dan, 0:08:24.560 --> 0:08:27.040 are you here to sign autographs? Are you here to 0:08:27.080 --> 0:08:31.520 have lunch with me? Think about that, Think about how 0:08:32.120 --> 0:08:36.080 a seven year old connects that, And what it really 0:08:36.120 --> 0:08:38.480 told me is He's like, I don't care how many 0:08:38.559 --> 0:08:41.400 damn passes you catch, Bob, I just want you to 0:08:41.440 --> 0:08:48.679 be my dad. And from there, I've tried to balance that. 0:08:49.280 --> 0:08:54.319 I don't go to events for your kids. I go 0:08:54.520 --> 0:08:58.040 for my kids. And I'm not trying to be rude, 0:09:00.080 --> 0:09:02.760 but I've been at taking my kids and out of 0:09:02.840 --> 0:09:06.520 the family and bowling, and people have been upset because 0:09:06.679 --> 0:09:09.959 I won't stop bowling my family and go over to 0:09:10.200 --> 0:09:13.320 their lane to be part of their birthday party because 0:09:13.320 --> 0:09:16.880 that will make their kids today. But I I mean, ultimately, 0:09:16.960 --> 0:09:20.080 I understand the responsibility. But ultimately God is gonna judge 0:09:20.080 --> 0:09:23.880 me on how I tend to my flock before I 0:09:24.000 --> 0:09:27.319 start going to other mother flocks, how I handle my 0:09:28.320 --> 0:09:31.120 my kids and my present for and my present for 0:09:31.200 --> 0:09:38.040 my family. I can't be this great superstar football player 0:09:38.160 --> 0:09:40.160 for all these other people and be a dirt bag 0:09:40.240 --> 0:09:44.199 at the house. And so a lot of times when 0:09:44.240 --> 0:09:48.520 I'm out with my family, I don't have time off. 0:09:48.640 --> 0:09:54.079 You turned off, I'm off. I'm like the bank. And 0:09:54.960 --> 0:09:57.520 there are some people who respect it, some people who 0:09:57.600 --> 0:10:00.640 get it. And I've had people who because me out. Yeah, 0:10:00.640 --> 0:10:02.640 you don't have the responsibility to be always being on 0:10:02.840 --> 0:10:06.560 for everybody. You know why. And here's my philosophy. If 0:10:06.600 --> 0:10:11.079 the bank ain't open, neither are you. But you know what, though, 0:10:12.120 --> 0:10:21.839 I'm used to it. Yes, he is who we got 0:10:22.320 --> 0:10:24.120 coming up on the Cut to a podcast. We've got 0:10:24.240 --> 0:10:28.200 London Fletcher's sixteen year NFL VET. He's a four time 0:10:28.280 --> 0:10:31.199 pro bowler. He's an NFL All Pro and he's currently 0:10:31.240 --> 0:10:34.319 an NFL analyst for CBS Sports. London Fletcher on the 0:10:34.360 --> 0:10:45.120 Cut to a Podcast, appreciate you all having appreciate you, 0:10:45.160 --> 0:10:47.520 appreciate you being on. So our first segment is called 0:10:47.559 --> 0:10:50.160 get iced up. You know Smitty well, so I have 0:10:50.360 --> 0:10:53.440 no idea what he has up his sleeve. So Smitty 0:10:53.440 --> 0:10:55.240 go ahead and give him the first one. You ready, 0:10:55.400 --> 0:10:58.599 Oh yeah, yeah, I'm ready, right, I'm ready. So what 0:10:58.960 --> 0:11:02.320 was your first concert you went to back in the day. 0:11:02.360 --> 0:11:05.040 It was a it was a rap concert. Uh no, 0:11:05.200 --> 0:11:07.920 actually it was like it was a mixture of rapping 0:11:08.160 --> 0:11:11.079 and uh like old school like U t FO. I 0:11:11.080 --> 0:11:13.240 don't know if you remember those. You might be a 0:11:13.280 --> 0:11:17.520 little too young to remember. Yeah yeah, yeah, you're a 0:11:17.559 --> 0:11:21.640 look too. And West coast. Oh yeah that's true too. Yeah. 0:11:21.800 --> 0:11:25.240 Like see people on the East Coast they know about UTFO. Man, 0:11:25.480 --> 0:11:31.000 but what is u tm? Oh yeah yeah, fairy tale 0:11:31.120 --> 0:11:33.760 lover see yeah yeah, see you know on the West 0:11:33.800 --> 0:11:36.480 coast see oh man, Yeah, you gotta have to google that, 0:11:36.679 --> 0:11:39.880 Google the man you TFO. So basically your first concert 0:11:40.040 --> 0:11:43.880 was Brian Me Night. Is that what you're just telling? Hey, 0:11:43.960 --> 0:11:46.560 but I did go to a private that concert. Um 0:11:47.040 --> 0:11:52.320 the crazy thing when I went up that now Roxane 0:11:52.440 --> 0:11:58.199 Roxanne Now yeah yeah yeah, see you google that, didn't 0:11:58.200 --> 0:12:03.480 you didn't? Yeah, I know it, but it's but I 0:12:03.520 --> 0:12:07.520 did do too. But that's that fast forward. Hey, my 0:12:07.679 --> 0:12:10.000 mother and my mother took me to the concert. That's 0:12:10.000 --> 0:12:16.720 how christ who's your first concert? Smitty who? I want 0:12:16.760 --> 0:12:22.320 to see? Uh he forty language? I know. My first 0:12:22.360 --> 0:12:26.160 concert was until I was adult, so it was probably 0:12:26.160 --> 0:12:29.680 it was a West coast concert. Mom was rough Riders Casher. 0:12:29.880 --> 0:12:32.079 I remember I was, I was fifteen years old. Where 0:12:32.120 --> 0:12:35.440 were here in Charlotte? The old the old councy were 0:12:35.440 --> 0:12:37.880 sitting in the very top. So I'm like, what smell 0:12:38.000 --> 0:12:44.679 funny up here? Oh yeah, oh yeah, yeah yeah yeah. Man, Hey, 0:12:44.760 --> 0:12:48.199 but I'll tell you what. The best concept I ever 0:12:48.320 --> 0:12:54.840 went to was Prens in Cleveland and the UH Cavaliers Arena. Man, 0:12:54.960 --> 0:12:58.079 this was Prince Prince put on the show. Heck of 0:12:58.160 --> 0:13:00.400 a show. We gotta he got about a ten minute 0:13:01.000 --> 0:13:04.960 standing ovation after he left, and and he had coming 0:13:05.000 --> 0:13:07.880 back out of doing an hardcore performance. He was, Man, 0:13:07.920 --> 0:13:10.160 you talk about a concert, Yeah, that was a bad concert. 0:13:11.600 --> 0:13:14.040 Another really good concert I went to that. I was 0:13:14.120 --> 0:13:18.520 just amazed at what he was able to do. Um Stevie, 0:13:18.559 --> 0:13:22.520 wonder what that brother can do blind? I can't do 0:13:22.760 --> 0:13:26.600 with tense. And you know they say, Steven really conceive 0:13:29.800 --> 0:13:37.719 now with that hairline walking around hairline? So Jack, he 0:13:37.920 --> 0:13:43.960 gotta be blind somebody, somebody. His praise is at damn 0:13:44.080 --> 0:13:49.280 near the back of his hand. He got dug. You 0:13:49.400 --> 0:13:54.440 know he blind because his head he go fuehead skeeball 0:13:54.840 --> 0:13:57.920 hair man. You know what that might be? You got 0:13:58.000 --> 0:14:03.560 a good point that that right there as the story Stevie, 0:14:03.720 --> 0:14:06.400 he's blind. Yeah, and this is how you know it's 0:14:06.440 --> 0:14:09.720 blind because and he was if he could really see, 0:14:09.800 --> 0:14:13.440 he put on you know, Oakley got some nice glasses. 0:14:13.520 --> 0:14:19.720 That brother be wearing blue blockers. So no, so anyway, 0:14:21.600 --> 0:14:31.080 blue blockers received. Um. So, what's your favorite item of clothing? Oh? Man, um, 0:14:32.160 --> 0:14:36.520 golf shirts? Yeah, because I'm I'm always uh, you know, golf, 0:14:37.000 --> 0:14:40.560 I would say golf clothing. Okay, okay, I know this one, 0:14:40.640 --> 0:14:42.440 but I had to ask, and I was cheesing the 0:14:42.480 --> 0:14:45.040 whole time I was typing this up. Do you prefer 0:14:45.160 --> 0:14:53.000 swimming in the pool or ocean? Pool? Why are you chuckling? 0:14:53.440 --> 0:14:58.040 I don't tell me why pool man? Scan ocean? Man? Well, 0:14:58.160 --> 0:15:00.840 he will mess it. I'm I'm the same way though. No, 0:15:02.760 --> 0:15:08.080 London is a ferocious linebacker. Man, get his ass that water, 0:15:08.240 --> 0:15:11.760 that ocean. You don't You don't go further than probably 0:15:12.160 --> 0:15:15.080 your knees, right man. I I go a little bit fun, 0:15:15.160 --> 0:15:16.640 but I ain't that a little bit. You can't go 0:15:16.720 --> 0:15:18.880 further than what you can see. No, me and my so, 0:15:19.040 --> 0:15:22.360 my daughter, my oldest, she just like me because the 0:15:22.440 --> 0:15:24.160 rest of the family they want to take cruise. Her 0:15:24.200 --> 0:15:27.160 and I were like, listen, y'all go do y'all thank 0:15:27.520 --> 0:15:30.600 or and I were good, we'll stay back. We'll y'all 0:15:30.640 --> 0:15:33.080 have a good time. We we we are not with that. 0:15:33.400 --> 0:15:34.720 We don't want to be in a cruise. I don't 0:15:34.760 --> 0:15:36.320 want to be out there on that water like that. 0:15:38.080 --> 0:15:39.920 You got taught that that the same way with my family. 0:15:40.840 --> 0:15:44.720 And I could swim up, but I just do. Yeah. 0:15:45.120 --> 0:15:48.200 It's like, would you like ranch your blue cheese? Nita? 0:15:49.280 --> 0:15:51.760 You don't? And I when I was typing it up, 0:15:51.880 --> 0:15:54.600 I was smiling, laugh like area know this answer, but 0:15:54.600 --> 0:15:58.040 I'm gonna ask anyway. So what was your favorite team 0:15:58.200 --> 0:16:07.120 growing up? Any sports? Oh? Man? The Browns? Yeah, Cleveland Browns. 0:16:07.320 --> 0:16:10.320 I love the Browns growing up back when they had 0:16:12.120 --> 0:16:17.920 Bernie Cole's are Webster slaughter Um shoot Man, the mac 0:16:18.320 --> 0:16:20.840 Ernest Byner, Kevin Mack. When they were going to ANFC 0:16:21.000 --> 0:16:24.840 championship games. They went to three championship hip games, lost 0:16:24.880 --> 0:16:28.240 to the Broncos and all three. I I hate John Elway, 0:16:28.280 --> 0:16:31.160 still don't like him to to this day. That's uh, 0:16:31.720 --> 0:16:34.480 that's de grooted right there. I love the brown so much, man. 0:16:34.560 --> 0:16:36.640 So you you know how you got You always have 0:16:36.800 --> 0:16:40.760 that one friend who wants to go against the grain regard, 0:16:40.880 --> 0:16:43.080 like if everybody likes blue, he's gonna be the one 0:16:43.080 --> 0:16:46.560 that like red. Yeah. So he was the one guy 0:16:46.640 --> 0:16:50.040 who all of us like the Browns, but he wants 0:16:50.080 --> 0:16:53.200 to out of all the players, he his favorite players, 0:16:53.320 --> 0:16:56.760 John Elway. So we we're going to school one morning. 0:16:56.760 --> 0:16:59.920 It's in middle school. It's cold in Cleveland, like January. 0:17:00.000 --> 0:17:03.320 It walking to school, he gets to talking um and 0:17:03.480 --> 0:17:05.560 he likes to talk a lot. So you're talking about 0:17:07.119 --> 0:17:10.520 John l He's like, yeah, wait wait, I said, listen, man, 0:17:11.280 --> 0:17:13.960 he said, l wait one more time, hitting you and 0:17:14.040 --> 0:17:19.040 your mouth you say, wait one more time? He say, 0:17:20.480 --> 0:17:22.920 he said he he didn't get the way out. Man. 0:17:23.080 --> 0:17:27.760 I hit him right this moth mad dude. Nobody want 0:17:27.760 --> 0:17:29.760 to hear No John Elway, you can't be You couldn't 0:17:29.760 --> 0:17:32.200 be a John that Way fan in Cleveland. Now, I'm sorry. 0:17:32.720 --> 0:17:34.760 That's that's how much I love the Browns back there. 0:17:35.119 --> 0:17:38.320 So then who was? Who is your favorite athlete that 0:17:38.440 --> 0:17:42.520 you admired growing up as acute? Uh, I really didn't 0:17:42.520 --> 0:17:45.560 have just one guy used to love Eric Dickerson is 0:17:45.720 --> 0:17:49.720 running back used like a lot more and more a 0:17:49.800 --> 0:17:51.800 lot of the Browns, but I didn't have you know, 0:17:51.960 --> 0:17:54.159 Dickerson was probably my favorite guy. Other than that, it 0:17:54.280 --> 0:17:58.920 was just more like players. Me and you are neighbors. 0:17:59.520 --> 0:18:02.320 We played off together, are you know you We've come 0:18:02.359 --> 0:18:04.960 over each other's house, our kids have played together. But 0:18:05.080 --> 0:18:08.960 one of the interesting things about um this sit down 0:18:09.040 --> 0:18:13.720 and cut to it is the London Fletcher that I've 0:18:14.440 --> 0:18:18.280 played against on the football field and the London Fletcher 0:18:18.359 --> 0:18:21.280 I played golf with. You know, we walk well, you know, 0:18:21.440 --> 0:18:25.359 we rolled together, played a lot of sports, played, you know, 0:18:25.440 --> 0:18:28.080 our kids have played together. But the London Fletcher that 0:18:28.119 --> 0:18:31.240 I've got an opportunity to do the research of, I 0:18:31.320 --> 0:18:34.680 don't know, I'm learning a lot. And so one of 0:18:34.720 --> 0:18:36.520 the things I kind of wanted to say to you, 0:18:37.280 --> 0:18:39.960 I feel like I've short changed our relationship man, that 0:18:40.200 --> 0:18:43.480 really I've learned so much about you that I I 0:18:43.600 --> 0:18:45.800 think a little bit because I I admire you and 0:18:45.880 --> 0:18:49.080 see you as a mentor our our our listeners get 0:18:49.119 --> 0:18:51.920 opportunity and learn about the London Fletcher and how you 0:18:52.000 --> 0:18:55.639 grew up in Cleveland, Ohio. But also for me, Man, 0:18:55.680 --> 0:18:58.200 I get to learn about you. So I'm just honored 0:18:58.280 --> 0:19:00.640 to be able to do this, but also again say 0:19:00.680 --> 0:19:04.080 that the perspective I've gained about you, man, is the 0:19:04.200 --> 0:19:06.440 next time we play golf, bro, I'm just gonna be 0:19:06.480 --> 0:19:10.840 staring at you because it's like, gosh, you know, so, 0:19:11.480 --> 0:19:13.280 I mean, I'll just get into it. You know, I 0:19:13.640 --> 0:19:15.760 said it. You grew up in and the place you're from, 0:19:15.880 --> 0:19:19.400 your hoteln is Cleveland, Ohio. But how the Cleveland, Ohio 0:19:20.440 --> 0:19:25.120 shape your perspective of how you see the world today. Oh, 0:19:25.320 --> 0:19:31.200 it's should It's shaped my perspective. I mean everything the 0:19:31.280 --> 0:19:34.159 way I see the world is was shaped you know 0:19:34.320 --> 0:19:36.719 during my time in Cleveland from the you know, from 0:19:36.760 --> 0:19:40.600 my early childhood up until when I finally left Cleveland 0:19:40.680 --> 0:19:45.560 for good. And shoot, I've moved out of Cleveland finally 0:19:45.600 --> 0:19:49.159 at around two thousand six, I want to say two 0:19:49.200 --> 0:19:54.480 thousand seven. But you know, just growing up in the 0:19:54.520 --> 0:19:57.720 inner city, like like a lot of people in the 0:19:57.800 --> 0:20:00.359 city Cleveland, you have your different challenges that you face, 0:20:00.480 --> 0:20:04.159 but you have to, um, Cleveland kind of hard hardened you. 0:20:04.280 --> 0:20:07.320 It's a it's a blue collar time, but it's also 0:20:08.640 --> 0:20:11.639 you know, it's uh just a rough city. Um. You 0:20:11.800 --> 0:20:16.000 have to be mentally and physically tough to five when 0:20:16.040 --> 0:20:18.520 you walk out of the out of your house. You know, 0:20:18.560 --> 0:20:23.439 I leave my door and crack people selling crack right 0:20:23.480 --> 0:20:28.120 on right on the corner right you know, next door over. Um, 0:20:29.520 --> 0:20:32.600 a lot of drugs, gang violence. Um, I mean I've seen, 0:20:33.600 --> 0:20:36.359 you know, a lot of shootings, just all all the 0:20:36.480 --> 0:20:39.680 things that that you shouldn't have to see as a 0:20:39.760 --> 0:20:42.840 young kid and have to navigate when you as soon 0:20:42.880 --> 0:20:46.080 as you leave your house. Um, you know, it's just 0:20:46.440 --> 0:20:48.479 it was. It was tough. So you had to definitely 0:20:48.520 --> 0:20:52.439 be mentally tough and physically tough because you'd be challenged, Um, 0:20:52.840 --> 0:20:56.040 you know physically a lot of fighting things like that. 0:20:57.160 --> 0:21:01.639 It definitely tests your metal. So I man, when you 0:21:01.720 --> 0:21:06.800 think about that as especially as a young kid being um, 0:21:06.880 --> 0:21:09.919 having to deal with that on a daily basis, it um, 0:21:10.119 --> 0:21:13.159 it definitely, um makes you stronger. We have to take 0:21:13.200 --> 0:21:16.320 a break and the morning thing, we gotta pay some bill. 0:21:17.240 --> 0:21:24.159 You got checks. I love cut to It and I 0:21:24.600 --> 0:21:28.080 love it even more when you download us and subscribe 0:21:28.640 --> 0:21:31.200 and you can follow us on social media too. Smithie, 0:21:31.320 --> 0:21:34.320 where where at that's at? Cut to It on Instagram? 0:21:34.520 --> 0:21:39.560 What about Twitter? At? Cut to It? Facebook? Cut to 0:21:39.720 --> 0:21:43.560 It featuring Steve Smith singr what about online and you 0:21:43.640 --> 0:21:46.000 can follow us at cut to It podcast dot com, 0:21:46.160 --> 0:21:49.359 where you can buy merch and you can subscribe to 0:21:49.480 --> 0:21:52.480 us wherever you listen to podcasts. I got all my 0:21:52.520 --> 0:21:56.920 answers questions. Um, yeah, I got all my questions answered. 0:21:57.600 --> 0:21:59.560 That's what I'm here for, a brother cut to a 0:21:59.640 --> 0:22:02.800 podcast as that come. I mean, you had a lot 0:22:02.880 --> 0:22:05.920 of big events impact you, just like, how did you 0:22:06.000 --> 0:22:09.240 overcome that? Because you know, just as a dad, I 0:22:09.400 --> 0:22:11.280 can't look at my kids. When I look at my 0:22:11.359 --> 0:22:16.440 kids and I see who they are, I cringe at 0:22:16.520 --> 0:22:20.359 imagining what I've been through, you know, because I know 0:22:20.640 --> 0:22:22.719 what it's done to me. So I know what it's 0:22:22.760 --> 0:22:26.240 done me. I'm like, man, I wouldn't I wouldn't want to, 0:22:26.560 --> 0:22:28.359 you know, if I had the choice. Obviously this is 0:22:28.400 --> 0:22:30.880 all hypothetical, but I had the choice, Like I really 0:22:30.920 --> 0:22:33.800 put myself in that position. I go, man, it is 0:22:33.960 --> 0:22:37.080 it has impacted me. How did you get through it? 0:22:37.880 --> 0:22:42.920 You know? Thinking about my kids and and them I 0:22:43.080 --> 0:22:46.239 was growing up on a country club, and and how 0:22:46.400 --> 0:22:49.840 I grew up where man, we barely could um. There 0:22:49.920 --> 0:22:52.320 was times where you know, we didn't have much to eat. 0:22:53.920 --> 0:22:58.000 Just the contrast and just how how naive they are 0:22:58.119 --> 0:23:01.639 too to just the challenge is that that people facing 0:23:01.760 --> 0:23:05.320 in this world. I mean, I man, my from the 0:23:05.400 --> 0:23:08.439 time I was in UM college, we had a lot 0:23:08.480 --> 0:23:11.359 of a lot of dash that happened to my family. UM, 0:23:12.800 --> 0:23:16.000 A couple of suicides, uh you know with my aunts 0:23:16.800 --> 0:23:20.920 to two months committed suicide. UM, all within the span 0:23:21.040 --> 0:23:26.400 of of shoot probably about a year each other. Then 0:23:26.480 --> 0:23:30.159 my UM when I was in college, my freshmanyor in college, 0:23:31.160 --> 0:23:32.840 I used to get um when you get it off 0:23:32.880 --> 0:23:35.760 campus rings, you knew it was like to get the 0:23:35.800 --> 0:23:38.399 double ring, and UM, I used to always kind of 0:23:38.440 --> 0:23:41.399 worry about the double rings that you would get off campus. Actually, 0:23:41.440 --> 0:23:43.760 I'm gonna take you back even further than that because 0:23:45.119 --> 0:23:48.440 my older sister, So I'm one of five kids. My 0:23:48.600 --> 0:23:50.560 mom she had a five kids. I was the middle 0:23:50.640 --> 0:23:53.560 child to have a have an older brother who's um 0:23:54.160 --> 0:23:56.800 nine years older than me, had an older sister who 0:23:56.880 --> 0:23:59.160 was six years older than me. I'm the middle child. 0:23:59.760 --> 0:24:01.760 Got a younger sister's five years younger than me, and 0:24:01.800 --> 0:24:04.000 then a sister that seven years younger than me. So 0:24:04.200 --> 0:24:08.000 when I was eleven years old, my sister who who 0:24:08.080 --> 0:24:12.080 was not six years older than me. She was murdered 0:24:12.119 --> 0:24:20.440 at eighteen years so she was right and left dead 0:24:20.720 --> 0:24:25.239 by some railroad tracks at the age of eighteen years old. Um, 0:24:25.359 --> 0:24:27.560 I was eleven years old, and that that had a 0:24:27.640 --> 0:24:33.080 tremendous impact on on me, my mom, just our family 0:24:33.119 --> 0:24:35.800 in general. Where you have you know here she is, 0:24:35.960 --> 0:24:39.479 you know, should be graduating high school and going off 0:24:39.520 --> 0:24:44.399 to college wood and she was murdered and and uh 0:24:45.280 --> 0:24:48.359 she was she was into the street life at a 0:24:48.800 --> 0:24:50.639 at her early age, probably around the time she was 0:24:50.720 --> 0:24:54.880 thirteen years old. She was you know, uh, hanging out 0:24:55.040 --> 0:24:58.840 doing things that she shouldn't have been doing. Um, using drugs, 0:24:59.440 --> 0:25:02.920 just just something that you wouldn't think of a thirteen 0:25:03.000 --> 0:25:07.159 year old should be doing. UM. My older brother he 0:25:07.320 --> 0:25:12.720 was selling drugs in and out of jail, um, incarcerated. 0:25:12.800 --> 0:25:16.840 Things like that. My mom when my with my sister's death, 0:25:17.960 --> 0:25:20.800 that had an impact on us. We're all parents or 0:25:20.920 --> 0:25:23.440 can you imagine if you that we lost the child, 0:25:24.040 --> 0:25:25.600 what that would do to us and what type of 0:25:25.640 --> 0:25:29.080 impact that would have on her. So at UM, a 0:25:29.200 --> 0:25:32.920 few years after my my sister was murdered, my mom 0:25:33.440 --> 0:25:35.040